The xviijth Chapitre.
ORITHIA WAS THE doughter of Marpesia, which was Quene of the Amazones. And after hyr mothers death, with Anthiobe, whiche many wryte to be hyr suster, they twayne reynede ther as qwenes. Now this Orithia was a ryght exellente virgyne and dyd in batells with hyr suster Anthiobe, that reygnede with hyr, so many notable actes that, to hyr highe honour, she greately encreasced hyr empyre. In so muche that Euristeus, the Kynge of Mesena, all thoughe he were wonders myghty, thought it hardd to Wynne frome hyr a gerdle, whiche she waare, of a greate pryce, and for that desyrede Hercules, as they say, to haue spoyled that same ensyne from hyr. It was a verey hyghe glorye to hyr that Hercules, which was conquerow of all thynges, shulde make warr vppon hyre; which, when he made expedicyon and had entrede with nyene greate shyppes and occupiede their fronters, in the absence of Orithia it was noo greate wonders thoughe easely they were ouercommen, | beynge so fewe as they were. Thus was taken the noble Menalyppe and Ipolite, susters, wherby Anthiobe was cowstrayned to geue vpp Orithias gerdle, but after the gerdle restoryde agayne to Menalippe. And so when Orithya was reuertyd and herde that Theseus had taken with hym Ipolite, thys vallyaunte lady was not aferde with hyr army to inuade Grece, but, forsaken of theym that shulde haue comen to hyr ayde, and ouercomen by the Athenyens, she was compellyd to reuerte agayne into hyr kyngdome. Nor what she dyd afterwarde I do not remembre that I haue herde it.