The iiijth Chapitre.
JUNO, THE DOUGHTER of Saturne and Opis, so muche exaltyd with the versys of thiese poetes aboue all women, emonge the infection of the gentylls was had in reuerence so muche that the gratynge tethe of the tyme, that fretith all thynge away, cannot so do but that hyr name is yett knowne and spoken of in our dayes. But that fortune onely is more for the grounde of hir prayse then any other worke that is tolde on hyr. This Juno was with that same Jupiter of Crete, and the gentyles was so deceiuyde that thei accomptyd this Jupiter god of heuen, and Juno and he bothe borne at one byrthe. And she conueyde in hir childehode to Samia and ther tyll she came to an able age with diligence brought vp, at the laste she was geuyne in maryage to hir brother, as an image whiche was made of hyr in Samia by many yeres bare wittnes of it. For they of Samia, beleuynge that itt shulde not be to their title glory that she was maryede emongst theym, beynge a quene and a godesse, to th’entent that the memorye therof shulde neuer decay, ther redifiede in hyr honour an excedywg greate temple, emonge all the mmiells of the worlde meruelous and greate, and all of fyne marble stoone, and in myddes therof the picture as it were of a mayden goynge to be maryede, wonderly and moste fynely caruede and wrought. This greate goddesse at last maryede to this greate kynge, his empyre farr and neere spredde abrode, she with hym obteyned no small honowr and fame, and to helpe to this the poetes fabills and the vnwyse idolatry of the gentyles commytted all women with chylde and other that were in ieopardy and peryll of lyfe to hyr defense, and other thynges more to be laughede att then to be beleuyde. Soo that the dewy lies persuasion in euerywher, the madde people reedifyede to hyr temples and churches and pristes and playse after the auncyent facyon, not onely in Samia, but in Aragia and in Cartage, and at laste emonge the Romaynes, lordes of the worlde, by the name of Juno quene, in the Capitall, by the feete of Jupiter, with diuers cerymonyes she was worshippyd many days after that Christe was borne.