The xiijth Chapitre.
IPERMYSTRA, ASWELL OF kynne as of dignyte honorabyll, was the doughter of Danaus, Kynge of the Argyuys, and of Lynsey, his wyfe. It is gatheryde oute of the olde, auncyent hystoryes that sumtyme ther were twayne brethren in Egypte. Danaus was the tone, and the tother was namede Egistus. Neither fortune gaue theym not chyldre alyke, all thoughe theyr numbre was lyke, for Danaus had fyfty doughters, and Egistus had as many sonnes. But when Danaus had bene wamede by an orakyll that by the hande of hys neuowe, that is to say, by his brothers chylde, that he shulde be slayne, and pryuely was vexyde in hys mynde therwyth, for asmuche as of so greate a numbre of brethren he knewe not whome he shulde suspecte, it chauncyde that when bothe their children were comen to rype age, that Egistus askede of his brother Danaus that all his sonnes myght be maryede to his doughters. Which saide Danaus, ymagenynge therby to haue murdred theym all, grauntede vnto it, and when the day of maryage came, commaundyde all his doughters, as they wolde his welth and their oune profyte, that when their husbouwdes after the bankett were faste a sleepe, with sharpe knyffes to kyll theym, which, accordynge to their fathers precepte, pryuyly hydynge their knyffes, when they were a sleepe, cruelly murdrede theym all. Onely Ipermestra absteyned frome so detestable a deede. She had so fast and sure sett hyre hert vpon hyr husbonde, whose name was Lynus, after a maydenly facyon to loue hym, and for that hauynge pyte in hyr herte, to hyr greate laude, to do so fowlle a deede, she dyd not as hyr other susters dyd, but persuadede hyr husbonde to flee away to sum sure place to saue hymself. Nowe the cruell father beynge wounders gladd with hys doughters for th’accowplyshment of hys commaundement, onely gentle and pytefull Ipermestra was brawlede and chydden. And because she hadnot doone as hyr susters hade doone, he putt hyr into a foule prysone. O, we moste myserable mortall men, how often do we desyre that whiche is cause of oure perdicyon, ande not lokynge to the ende of that we couett, feare not by all detestable facyones to brynge to passe oure myndes, thynkynge that, as it were, we myghte with euyll doynge cause slypper fortune to stande and abyde with vs! And that whiche is moste scomefull, this breue and shorte lyfe of ours, we not onely goo aboute to prolonge it, but as it were to make itt perpetuall, albe it we see dayly afore oure eyes on all sydes men to goo to deathe. And besydes thys, with how many abhomynable counseills, with howe many vngracyouse workes, do we moue the iudgemente of Gode agaynste vs! Leuynge other a parte, what a myscheuouse deede was thys of Danaus, that soughte the way with the bloode of his neuows to prolonge hys olde, tremblynge yeres and weykyde hymselfe from the helpe and ay de of so goodely and stronge a felysshypp, with hys perpetuait shame and dishonour! The cursyde olde wretche ymagynede a fewe of his crokyde yeres to be put afore the lyfe of so many of hys yonge sonnes, which perauenture myght haue turnede to goode, if he had not murdred theim. But by the bloode of the yonge men to haue prolonged hys lyfe, what dyd it seme other but to shamefull and abhomynable an acte? And to hys more rebuke, he armyde not hys men agaynste theym, but the handes of hys doughters to myschef to brynge in another, to make theyr wyffes to be pollutyde with perpetuall diffamy, whiche, if thei had bene pyteouse, had desmiyde laude for euer. And thus, whiles he studyede to preserue his oune lyfe, he dyd litle remembre how muche boldenes and how an euyll example he left to vngraciouse women, by the examples of hys doughters, to accomplyshe agaynste theyre husboundes. The faythe of maryage, he caused it to be dispysede, and hys children to breeke it. And wher as he shulde lyke a meeke father haue brought emonge theym blessynges, he brought emongste theym blody knyffes. And where hys parte was to exhorte theym to loue the toone the tother, he taughte theym how to kyll and murdre the toone the tother. And that whiche he durste not doo in the day, he causede it to be doone by nyght. And that which he feryde to doo in the feelde, he dyd it in hys chambre, not aduertesynge that as many lyfes as he toke away frome the freshe, yonge gentle men, soo many diffamyes and shames he brought to hym and his for euer. And thoughe he trustyd sure to haue sauyde hymself therby, yet oon was ordeynede of God to deuoure hym, frome whose hande the olde caytyfe couldnot escape, but hys hurtfull and tyrannws bloode shulde be aswell shedde, as he had shedde the bloode of hys innocent neuouse. But to reuerte to thys history. Linus, fledde to the kyngdow of Argyuys emonge the Grecyans, with wisdome and manlihode was ther made kynge.
And how it was, callynge to remembraunce the crueltie of Danaus, made warr vpon hym and slewe hym, and reigned hymself for hym, and toke oute hys deare wyfe oute of prysone, and not oonely made hyr Quene of Argyuys, but further, namede hyr as the felowe to Juno, to hyr double honour. And thus, hyr susters by vngraciouse tyranny hauynge desemyde euerlastynge shame, she for hyr wyfely pyte hathe obtaynede eternall fame vnto this present day.