The ijde Chapitre.
THE FAMOUSE SEMIRAMIS was the aunsyent Quene of the Assiryens, but of what kynred she cam of the longe tyme hathe put it in obliuione. But besydes those olde, faynede tales, the aunsyent historyens wryteth hyr to be the doughter of Neptunus, whiche was the sonne of Saturne, and by the errour of the gentyles accompted to be god of the see. And all thoughe it be not cowuenyent to be beleuyde, yet it is an argument that she was procreate of noble parenttes. This saide lady was maryede to the ryghte noble Ninus, Kynge of the Assiryens, and of hym conceyuyde a sonne callede Nynus. Nowe this Nynus, hauynge conquerede all Asya, ande at the laste the countrye of Bacherys addyd to his domynyone, with the shote of an arrowe was slayne, leuynge behynde hym hys wyfe but verey yonge and his onely sonne Nynus afore expressyd. Thynkynge it vnmeate to put the gouemauns of the hoole Oryent to soo yonge and tendre a chylde of age, she was of so highe and noble a hert that those countreys, that hyr ferse husbounde by armes hadde subdued and coartyd to seme, to take vpon hyr to rule and goueme theym all, for as it were with a wyse, subtyle womans craft, she reteyned to hyr the greate hoste of hyr greate husbonde. Now she was not muche vnlyke to hyr yonge sonne, neither of face, nor yet of stature, and, to this, theyr speche was not vnlyke the one of the tother. Whiche beynge a greate forderynge to brynge to passe hyr pwrpose, she adowraynge aswell hyr oune heede as hyr sones with a bonet, as it were muche lyke to those that the greate prynces weere in theyr solemme tryhumphes, the Assyryens not beynge acustomyde with suche maner of bonettes, she so wroughte, to th’entent the nouelte therof shuldnot be noo meruell, that all the Assyriens shuld were bonettes after that sorte. And thus the wyfe of the sumtyme noble Nynus, faynynge hyr bothe his wyfe and his chylde, with a memelouse diligence maynteyned the kyngly dignyte and the khyghtly cheualry, and faynynge a contrarye sexe, eschewyde many noble ande wonderfull actes that many a stronge man couldenot haue brought to passe. And thus, nother lettynge for labour, trauell nor payne, nor what enuyouse men saide or dyd agaynste hyr, at last she declared planely what she was, and that all though she were a woman, it was not the kynde, but the noble mynde, that was worthy to rule an empyre, and that the more the people woundred at hyr, the more it gaue the occasion to theym to prayse hyr. Thus, as I haue reherside, this lady, takynge to hyr mans hert, not onely defendyd and kept the greate empyre of hyr husbonde deade and goone, but further, in assautynge of other countreys allways victoriouse in bat elles, she encreascyd on all sydes hyr countrye. For she entred emongste the Indiens, whiche vnnethe noo man afore hyr dyd, and Babilon, the olde, auncyent cyte of Nemrots, whiche he began in the feeldes of Sewnaar, by age decayde, she instoryde agayne and compassyd it with walles of bryke, of hight and greatenes and compas meraelows to se. And breuely, emonge all hir notable and renomede actes, one is moste worthy to be had in remewbraunce, whiche is thys. Thys noble woman, beynge in hyr citie, quyete emonge hyr lor des and gentlewomen, as the facyone was of theym to brayde their heer, she beynge aboute so to do, it was declared vnto hyr that the cytizens of Babilon were of assent to haue geuen vp the towne to the Prynce of the Medys, hyr vnkle. The whiche thynge she toke so greuously that, castynge a way hyr combe, leuynge womens dressynge a parte, enflammed with ire, she toke to hyr hyr armour, and gatheryng together hyr men of warre, she besegyde the stronge towne and neuer drest hyr heede tyll that the towne was rendred to hyr agayne, and by fyne force constrayned theym to obey hyr cowmaundement. Whiche notable acte was suche that in remembraunce of that same was rasyde vp in Babilone a greate pyllar of coper with hyr picture, the toone syde of hir heire braydyd and the other not, that longe and many a day was a testimony of the same. To this, she buylded many townes and cities and dyd many other notable actes, whiche the deuourynge tyme hath now put in obliuyon. Thies actes declarede here tofore, in a man had been meruelouse, but in a worn aw more then meruelouse, wherby she had deserued euerlastynge prayse, but that oone vyse muche blottyde and defacyde all this, in vsynge hirself moste vnhappely in fleshly lustes. It is saide that she was concubyne to many and vsede hirself more beastly then womanly in the company of corrupte bawdes, and emongst other sparede not hyr oune sonne, a yonge prynce of singler beautie and personage. O, shamefull and abhomynable fylthe, whiche, vsed emongeste the wery courtes of prynces, aswell in peace as in warre, aswell in laughynge as in wepynge, this pestilence tryhumphes, ande lytle and litle occupiynge their vnwytty myndes, drauthe theym headlynge not onely to shame, but therunto racyse and defacys frome theym all honowr and glory away! With this fowll vyce, than, this lady thus shamefully polluted, the better to clooke hyr vngraciousnes, she made a lawe that aboute venerall delightes hir subiectes of bothe sex myght do what they wolde. And ferynge leste that by other of hir women she myght be defrauded frome hir fleshly pleasure, she ordeyned for theim a place separate, wher hir courtyers myght goo to theym who wolde, clothynge theym with longe garments, whiche emonge the Egyptyens and the Assyryens and the Affricans, as it is saide, is vsyde to thys day. Sum wryteth that when she fell in the desyre of hyr sonne and had reigned with hym xxxti yeres, that hyr oune sonne slewe hyr, because she mouede hym to that mater; and other wryteth that those whiche she prouokede to vse with hyr, after the dede doone, because she woldenot the party shulde tell itt, cruelly she made hym to be put to death. And she, to this, when itt happened hyr to conceyue, to excuse hyr faulte she made that same detestable lawe afore rehercyde. But for all hyr craft, she couldenot so hyr offences cloke nor hyde, but that she fell in indignacion of hyr sonne, and ferynge by hyr to be expulsed from his empyr and ashamed to se his mother so vyly to vse hyrself, at the last he toke frome hyr hyre lyfe.