Of Clytemestra, the wyfe to the Kynge Agamenon.
The xxxiiijth Chapitre.
CLYTEMESTRA WAS THE doughter of Kynge Tyndarus, of Leda hys wyfe, whiche was suster to Castor and Polinyx and to the fayre Helene. And all though she be by hyr auncyent stocke ryght famouse, yet by hyr vngracyouse deede doone to hyr husbonde she is more spoken of. For hyr husbonde Agamenon beynge chosen emperour emonge the Grekes at the seege of Troy and she hauynge had afore that by hym many chyldren, it so chauncyde that Egistus, whiche was a yonge man all geuen to idlenes, and because he was electe to presthode, he dyd not goo to the warres, whereby at length he fell in concupyscence with thys Clytemestra and, breuely, vsed hyr at hys pleasure. The whiche vngracyouse deede accomplisshed, ferynge the cumynge home of Agamenon with Cassandra, by the persuasion of hyr darlynge thys valyaunte virago with fraude and folish boldnes conspyrede the deathe of hyr husbonde. And, as sum say, as he satte at sopper, tryhumphantly arayde, hauynge garmentes that he had wonne at the spoyle of Troy, hys honeste wyfe prayde hym to put on a garmente after the Grekes facyon, which saide garmente she affirmede to haue made hyrself. And soo hade she doone in dede — in suche wyse that when he shulde haue put it on hys heede, ther was noo place oppen for it, and in the meane tyme that he gropyde here and ther, by the monytion of thys worthy harlott, Egistus, hyr paramour, slewe hym; and that doone, with Egistus she reignede seuen yeres. Now in the meane season Horestes, hyr sone gotten by Agamenon, cumen to mans age, whyche was kept frome hyr fury by the freandes of hyr fyrste husbonde, berynge sore at hys hert hys fathers deathe and desyrouse to be reuengyde, slewe bothe the harlott and the aduoulterer. Whome of thies twayne shall I more blame, either the myschyfe of the mother or the boldnes of the son. For the noble, yonge man was not affrayde to do a greate euyll, that is, to kyll hys oune mother; but how muche more was the harlote to blame, to murdre hyr oune husbonde! Now when euery man hathe sayde hys fantasy, thys is myne — that is, to lawde the vertue of Horestes that sufirede not longe vnpunyshed the fowle aduoultry of his mother, but, as hys fathers bloode vndeseryde was shedd, so in lykewyse to shedde in recompews the bloode of Egistus th’aduoulterer and of the cursyde ladye virago, hys mother.
Of Helene, the wyfe of Kynge Menelaus.
The xxxvth Chapitre.
HELENE, ASWELL BY hyr wantonnes as for the cruell batells that ensuede therby, is a woman spoken of thorow oute the worlde. She was the doughter to Tyndarus, the Kynge of Oebalie, whiche he had by Leda hys wyfe of synguler beautie, and maryede to Menelaus, the Kynge of the Lacedemoniens. Thys Helene, as all hystoryens wryte, aswell Grekes as Latynes, was of so exellent a shappe that she passyd all others. For the dyuyne poete Homer it weryde hym in maner to descryue hyr in hys poecye. And besydes thys, peynters and keruers of ymages, they dyd all they coulde to peynte and kerue hyr excedyng beautefull pycture, to leue it to theyr posteryte. Emonge other, Zewcis Eracleotes, in hys tyme the moste famouse peynter, was hyrede of theym of Crotyensis for muche money with hys cunyng pensyll to drawe hyr. Where vnto he put all the science and crafte he had, and hauynge noone other exemplar but onely the verses of Homer and the greate fame that went on hyr, he dyd ymagyn in hys mynde by thys meanes to drawe hyr. Fyrste he behelde all the fayreste chyldren that were in Grece, next all the fayre wyffes and maydens, that of all the heepe perfytly notede he myght make oone Helene. And scante he thought, for all that, to peynte hyr so fayre as she was. And I do not meruell at it. For who coulde with pensell or with toole or with colour drawe the gladnes of hyr eyes, the pleasaunte effabilite of hyr redolente mouthe, the heuenly smylynge, the variable mouynge of hyr delycate face and other innumerable qualytes in hyr, when it apperteyneth oonely to nature so to do? He dyd then what he myght do and, as oone that was moste cuwnynge, left hyr pycture ther, to be seene of his posterite. Of this is feynede a fable — because of the bryghtnes of hyr swete eies, rutylant as the star, of the swetnes of hyr face, hyr golden heere hangynge vnto hyr feete, hyr wellfauowrde forhede, hyr iuorye throote, of hyr swete sounde of hyr voyce, hyr speciall goode grace and gesture, that Jupiter, conuertyde into a swanne, dyd forme hir hymselfe, so that whiche hyr parentes coulde not geue hyr, she had it geuene of God, and for that she coulde not be peyntyde to hyr perfectione. Thys Helene then, for hyr beautie hauynge far and neere greate fame, mouede Theseus to cum where she was, and he, fyndynge hyr playnge emongest other maydens, by force toke hyr a way, albeit he dyd nothynge to hyr, but oonely kysse hyr and beholde hyr, because she was so yonge, all though this was a begynnynge of the losse of hyr virgynyte. But so it was that whether it were by Theseus mother, or, as sum say, by Protheus, Kynge of Egypte, Theseus beynge absent and Helenes freandes demaundynge to haue hyr agayne, she was restorede home to hyr countrie and shortly after, comen to womans yeres, was maryede to Menelaus, Kynge of the Lacedemonyens, and he had by hyr oone doughter callede Herimonia. Now it was so that Parys, Kynge Priamus sonne, callynge to mynde the promysse that Venus had made hym for iudgeynge of hyr to be the fayreste of the too goddessys Juno and Pallas, declared vnto hys father Priamus, if he wolde left hym goo to Grece, he wolde brynge home agayne Exion, whiche had bene rauysshed long before by theym, or ells sum other in her steede, to reuenge hyr takynge. Wherunto, all thoughe the noble Hector sayde ‘Nay’, yet Pryamus agreade with a goodely nauy, as to a kynges sonne aperteynede, to sende hys sunne in to Grece. And, breuely, all thynge made redy, he toke shyppynge and saylede so longe that he arryuyde into Grece; and ther, seynge Helene of a heuenly beautye and full of dalyaunce, taken with hyr loue and she agayne with his, often castynge theyr wanton eyes the tone of the tother, she agreade to goo with hym to Troy. And fortune lackede not to helpe to their purpose, for Menelaus was goone into Crete. And sum say, contrary to thys, that she beynge in the temple, he rauysshed hir by force and caryede hyr with hym to hys shyppes and so saylede to Troy. Of whose cummynge hys father was wondres gladde, supposynge to haue well reuengyde the takynge of Exione, hys sustre. By thys takynge of thys wanton woman all Grece was vpp on a rore, and, demyng more faulte in Parys then in Helene, gatherynge together a thowsande shyppes, they sailed to Troy and, occupiynge the portes therof, besegyde the towne. Now to what ende that Helens fayre beautie came to, it was easy for hyr to see — fyrst Troy besegyde, the countrye all aboute fyrede, the Troyans and the Grekes oone kyllynge another, and all the feeldes full of bloode and deade bodyes. But the seege so cowtynuynge and Hector slayne of Achyles, and Parys of Pyrrus, she thoughte she hadnot synnyde enowghe before, but puttynge oone sywne to another, she maryede the yonge Deiphebus. Now for conclusione, the Grekes assaynge by treasone to gett that whiche they coulde not doo by force, they feynede theym to flye, and the Troyanes, gladd therof, eatynge and drynkynge and makynge greate feaste, sodanly in the nyght the Grekes reuertyde and, fyndynge noo defense, toke the cite and burnte Ilion and all the rest. And the xxti yere of hyr rauyshynge she was deliuerede agayne to hir husbowd Menelaus. Sum excuse and say, because she was rauysshede agaynste hyr wyll, hyr husbonde toke hyr agayne, whiche sayde Menelaus, goynge home, by tempeste was dryuen into Egypte, where of Kynge Polibyus he was well receyuede, and after saylynge in to Lacedemony the eight yere after Troy was burnte, ther with hys wyfe taryede. But how longe Helene lyuede after, or what she dyd, or where she was buryede I do not remembre to haue redde it.
Of Circes, the doughter of the sonne.
The xxxvjti Chapitre.
CIRCES, FOR THE knowledge that she had, as the poetes wryte, in enchauntmentes, is vnto this day famus. She was doughter to Solis, which he had by Perse hys wyfe, that was doughter to Oceanus, the suster to Oethes, Kynge of Colchos. I thynke she is sayde to be the doughter of Solis, because that she floryshede in excessyue beautie, or because that she had moste perfyte knowledge in the vertue of herbes, or ells for asmuche that she coulde so well worke with theym, whiche the son by dyuerse respectes dot he gyue to all thynges that growe, as those that haue the science mathematical! dothe affirme. But how she came frome hyr oune countrye of Colchos in to Italy I haue not, as I re
membre, redd it. But that hyll, that emonge the Volscos is called Etheus, berythe vnto thys present day, as all the inhabitantes affyrme, Circeus of hyr name. And forbecause that the parte that is spoken of hyr is taken oute frome the poetes, we wyllnot charge the redar longe therwythe, but breuely tell hyr lyfe. Thiese poetes say that as many shipmen as dyd arryue by chaunce of the wyndes or by tempeste at thys Circes, that whether it were by enchauntement or by sum meruelouse doynge, that she alteryde theym into dyuers formes, lyke vnto beastes. And emonge other, the wauerynge company of Vlixes were so seruyde, but by the helpe of Marcurye they were delyuerede, so that Vlixes, hauynge a nakyde sworde in hys hande, threte to kyll hyr, oneles she conuertyde theym into mans lyknes agayne. Whyche doone, Vlixes taryede with hyr oone hoole yere and begate on hyr Thelogonus and lernede of hyr muche what, vndre what crafte she dyd suche straynge thynges. And other wryte that not far frome the towne of Gayeta, beynge in Campania, she was ther a woman of greate ryches and power and of a verey fayre speche, sparynge to fullfyll the pleasure of no man, so that she myghte fare the better by it. In soo muche that to suche as came to hyr porte, with fayre wordes she not oonely drewe theym to fullfyll hyr pleasure, but, to thys, vsede hyr men to be pyrates and robbers on the see, all honeste sett a syde, and to vse false byinge and sellynge of ware. And sum say she causede many men, for the fauowr she shewde theym, to fall into pryde, and so those that by suche vngraciousnes she drewe to suche myschife, for asmuche as theyr reason was past theym, that they comparede theym vnto beastes. Whereby we may well comprehende, aswell by men and women, seynge theyr wanton condiciones, that ther is many Circes in the worlde, and by theyr vyle lyuynge conuertes theymselffes into brutyshe beastes. Now where it is sayde that Vlixes by the counseill of Mercurye ouercame hir, it is asmuche to say that a wyse man wyllnot easeyly be vaynquyshede with no flaterynge wordes, but hys wytte and counseill dothe often delyuer theym that be wrappyde in suche vnwyttye boundes. For the rest is euydent, that the hystory affyrmythe, Vlixes to haue arryuede ther and to haue taryede a space with hyr. It is sayde further of sum, that thys woman was maryede to Pycus, the Kynge of the Latyns sonne, and that she enstructed hym in hyr scyens of wyche crafte, and because that he louyde besyde hyr Pononia, the fayre nymphe, she conuertyde hym in to a pye. But the truethe is, she had a tame pye in hir house, wherewyth she made men beleue that she dyuynede of thynges to cum. But where, or how, or in what maner this woman dyede is to me vnknowne.
Of Camylla, the Quene of the Volscus.
The xxxvijth Chapitre.
CAMILLA, THE NOBLE and renomyde quene, was gotten of the moste aunsyent Kynge of Volscus on Casmylla, hys wyfe.
Hyr byrthe was the deathe of hyr mother. For when she was broughte to bedde on hyr and sawe that she muste neades dye, she pray de hyr father Methabo that, one lettre put away of hir oune, propre name, the wenche myght be callyde, to hir solas, Camilla. Thys mayden, frome the day of hyr byrthe tyll hir death had euer hard happe and fortune. For shortly after the deathe of hyr mother, hyr father by the sedicione of hys people was put oute of hys realme, and toke nothynge with hym, goynge into exyle, but onely thys, hys litle doughter, whiche he loued moste hartely. And so, goynge alone on hys feete and litle Camilla in his armes, it chauncyde hym to cum to a ryuer called Emasyn, with rayne the day before rysyn wonders hyghe, and seynge that with the chylde he couldnot swyme ouer, at the laste, God helpynge therto, fownde thys way, whiche woldenot so renomyde a virgyne shulde peryshe that tyme. He toke the barcke of a greate tree and wrapte Camylla theryn and tyede it to a speere, whiche he had in hys hande, and swywmynge ouer the ryuer, when he came on the other syde, he drewe the speere quycklye to hym, and so withoute harme sauyde hÿs deare doughter. And so when by the syghte of hys eye he perceyuyde she had noo hurte, all though he were in mysery, yett merely he went vnto the woddes. Nor it was not withoute hys greate laboure to noryshe hyr, for asmuche as that he coulde gett no mylke but of the wylde beastes. And euer as she grewe in yeres, so dyd hyr father clothe hyr in wylde beastes skynnes and taughte hyr to proue hyr strengthe and shote with a bowe, to weere a queuer, to runne after hartes and wylde gootes and to ouercum theym, and to despyse all femynyne laboures, and aboue all thynges to loue uirgynyte, to laughe at yonge mens wanton desyres, and vtterly despyse maryage with any man, were he neuer so greate. With thys exercyse at the laste callede agayne to hyr kyngdome, she had so noble a herte that she neuer wolde chaunge hyr purpose. At the laste Eneas came fro Troy, and for Lauynya hauynge greate debate with Turnus, Camylla, fauorynge the party of Turnus, came to hys ayde with a greate company of hyr subiectes. Ande so, often runnynge valiauntly emonge the Troyanes and, emonge other, hauynge slayne Corebus the priste, whiche had wonder goodely hames, and couetynge to spoyle theym, of oone of Eneas knyghtes, called Aruns, with an arrowe vndre the lyft pappe she was wounded to the deathe, and so, to the greate hurte of the Rutylyans, emongste the thyckeste of the armyde men she exspyrede. I wolde the maydynes in our tyme shulde looke on thys virgyne well and, or thei be maryede, beholde thys maydyn, beynge emonge the woddes with a queuer of arrowes gyrdyd aboute hyr, with contynuall labour chastesynge all vncleene desyres, settynge a syde all deyntines, all caruyde cuppes, and with a constant mynde, not onely denyinge all enbrasynge, but further, vtterly stoppynge hyr eares frome all wanton communication and dalyaunce. Let theym se, warnede, what I they oughte to do in the temple, in theyr fathers howses, and remembre further, that it is not honeste to do that they may do, but thys there onely honeste is to loue chastite, vntyll they be apte to cum to the holy bounde of matrymonye.
Of Penolepe, Vlixes wyfe.
The xxxviijth Chapitre.
PENOLEPE WAS THE doughter of Ycarus and wyfe vnto the ryght hardy knyghte Vlixes, of chastite and vndefylede wyfely honeste a moste holy example, for euer to remayne. This womanly wyfes chastite was assayde all in vayne for to haue bene broken, but it wolde not be. For when thys yonge, swete damosell, because of hyr beautie and hyr synglar goodnes, was dearely belouyde of hyr father, and that he hade gyuen hyr in maryage to Vlixes, she hauynge by hym oone son called Thelemacus, fortune so wolde that by force he was compellyde with the other Grekes to goo to the seage of Troy, leuynge noo more company with hys wyfe but Laertes, a man of greate age, and Anticlia hys mother, and hys litle towardes sonne. Now the seage ther durynge ten yeres, and at the laste Illion destroyde, ther was noone of the rest of the noble Grekes wyfes that lay as wydowes but for that tyme, saue oonely Penolepe, for Vlixes with tempestes and with wonder chauncys tossyde here and there, so wanderynge aboute the wourlde that noo man knewe where he was nor in what coste. Wherfore, hys cummynge lokede for dayly into hys countrye and not seene, nor of noo mat! it was thoughte no nother but for a truthe he was deade, for sorowe wherof hys myserable mother Anti cl ia honge hyrself. Penolepe then, all thoughe she moste heuyly bewayled hys absence, yet the feare that she had, leste he shulde be deade, greuede hyr muche more, so that after many lamentationes, teares, and callynge in vayne Vlixes hyr husbonde, with a chaste purpose she determyned to lyue with Laertes and hyr litle sonne as a wydowe for euer. But hir beautie and hir ryghte honest facyon and hyr exellente and noble bloode were in suche externe thorow Grece that many noble men bumynge in hyr concupiscence, specially of Ytarchia and Thephalania and of Etholia, thiese wolde neuer suffre hyr to be in quyete but allways steryde hyr to take an other husbonde. And it helpte well to theyr appetytes, the longe taryenge of Vlixes, whiche daily was lokte for and yet not herde of, wherfore it was thoughte of all men that he was deade. And, to thys, it chauncyde that poore Laertes goynge oute vppon a tyme into the countrye, that those that burnede in hyr concupiscence entrede hyr palace and aswell by force as by persuasion mouede hyr to maryage. But the goode Penolepe, ferynge leste that the holy chastite of hyr honeste shulde be broken, seyng that noo ‘nay’ myghte haue place, lyghtnede with the dyuyne helpe, imagynede for a tyme with craft to prolonge their rage. She requyrede that she myghte make an ende, or they wolde enforce hyr, of a certeyne garmente whiche she was weuynge for h
ir husbonde, and that fynyshede, if he came not, or it were endyd, then she wolde agree to theyr requestes. They easely grauntynge to hyr desyre, thiese worshipfull prouokers were mockyde in this maner, that is, what so euer Penolepe weuyde on the daye, at nyght she defacyde it cleene. But thys wyle perceyuyde, and the poynte cowmen that ther was no more excuse to be founde, by the wyll of God, the twenty yere after Vlixes hade goone frome hys goode wyfe, alone and vnknowne he arryuyd from Phenycuw to Itarchia, and by chaunce cowmynynge with certeyn shepehyrdes, he herde in what state hys wyfe and his realme was. Wherfore, disguysynge hymself lyke a poore man, he cam to Sybot, hys porter, whiche, knowynge hym to be hys lorde and wonders glad of hys returne, he tolde hym all how his wife was handlede with euyll prouocars. Vlixes than, emonge other maters, demaundyd hym of hys son, and Sybot sayde that at that poynte he was returnynge frome Menelaus to cuw to the ayde of hys mother. Vlixes well contorted with those goode newes, it came so to passe that Thelemacus, hauynge greate trust in Sibot, arryuyde at hys house, hys father beynge ther, whiche, anoone knowynge hym to be hys father, made the greatest ioy of the wourlde and breuely concludyde to be reuengyde of the outrage doone to his mother. What shulde I tary lengar? Vlixes, takynge with hym Sibot and hys son with dyuers others, shettynge the palace gates, streight wentt to the chambre where thiese brokers of hys chaste wyfe were eatynge and dryrikynge and makynge good cheere, and with theyr swordes in theyr handes slewe Eurimacus, the sonne of Polybyus, and Anthmeum, Amphion, Crisyppum and Agelaum wyth dyuers others askynge mercy in vayne, and with those, certeyn women that were agreade of the treason, and that doone, takynge hys deare, chaste wyfe in hys armes, declarynge what he was, the ioy that she made therof noo tunge can tell. But ther hathe bene of late emonge the Grekys poetes oone Lycophron, that saythe noone of the Grekys ladyes, theyr husbondes beynge at Troy, but they all brake theyre matrymonye. And emonge all other he sclaundred goode Penolepe, that she shulde do as the reste dyd. But God forbede I shulde beleue it, that so goode and chaste a wyfe, laudyd of so many greate clerkes shulde be of that sorte, the vertue of whome so muche more is it to be commendable, that she allways abode in a constante mynde, all though she were temptyde to the contrary neuer so muche.
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