The xjth Chapitre.
MARPESIA, OR OTHERWYSE Narthesia, and Lampedo were susters and bothe twayne Quenes of the Amozenes. And for the glory that thei obteyned by their prowes they called theimselffes the doughters of Mars, and because the hystory of theym is sumwhat straynge, we muste sumwhat strayngely reherse it. The country of Scithia in those daies beynge all full of woddes, and so wylde that vnneth any man myght cum to it, stretchynge upon Arthoes vnto the greate Occian, vnto the bosum of Silio and Scolopiam, the men theryn withoute any ordre ledynge theyr lyfe came at the last to the water of Thermedonte, nyghe vnto the confynes of Capadocia, and with spoylynge and robbynge the Tyryens, began ther to inhabyte. Which sayde Tyryens at length by wysdome and pollicy distressyde and kylled all thes wylde people, wose wyfes, beynge wonders discontentyd with all, mouyde to vengeaunce, with a fewe other men that wer lefft a lyue, by power and strength put frome their cowfynes their ennemyes and after that to theyr neybourse abowte theym they made warre. And thynkynge at the last that, if they maryede, they shulde be but bounde, and that, contrary, if they lyuyde at lyberty, they shulde be of power ynough to kepe and defende theimselffes, sodeynly those men that were emonge theym they slewe theym all; and after, with fury runnynge vpon theyr ennemyes, as it were to reuenge the death of their husbondes, so easely vanquysshed theim that they were compellyd by forse to seeke to theym for peax, which peax concludyd, to haue succession they drew to their neybours, and when they conceyuyde with childe, went home to their countrie. And if it chauncyde any of theym to bryng men chyldren, streight thei put theym to deathe, and the doughters diligently they norysshed and taught theym the feates of war, cuttynge a way their ryght pappes, leste to theym it shulde be a lett, when they came to age, to shote and to runne with a spere, and the left breste they spayred to geue sucke to theyr yonge doughters, and thus by this occasion they were called Amozones. Nor in noryshynge of theyr doughters they vsed not that way that we do, for settynge asyde the distafe and the spynnynge wheele, they vsede theym to huntynge, runnynge, chastesynge of horses, shotynge, wrastlynge ande werynge of harnes, tyll that they haue brought theym vnto a mannes strength. By which craft not oonely the Tyryens countrye they vaynquyshed, that sumtyme were the lordes of theyr countrie, but also a greate parte of Europe by armes they gatt to their countrie and also parte of Asya, in suche wise that they were dradde euery where. And for because that their power ther shuldnot lacke a ruler, afore other Marpesia and Lampedo, theyr husbondes slayne, they made theym their quenes, vndre whose gouernaunce, as saide is, they largely encreascyd theyr empyre. Thies too ladyes, in deades of armes exellent, departynge betwyxt theym the prouyncys, defendyd theyr realmes wondersly well and with the rest of theyr subiectes daily put their neighbours by forse of armes vnder theyre obeysaunce, and departynge the spoyle of theyr ennemyes betwyxt theym, thus rulyde and maynteyned their comunewelth. But at the last, when Lampedo had ruwne vppon hyr ennemyes, by a sodeyn inuasion of theym she hade a greate ouer throwe, and Marpesia, leuynge of hyr body begotten certeyn doughters, trustynge to muche of hir strengthe, with a parte of hyr army was distressyde and slayne. What folowede of Lampedo, I do not remembre that I haue redde it.