The xxijti Chapitre.
DIANIRA WAS THE doughter, as sum wryte, of Oenei, Kynge of the Etholiens, and suster to Melleager — so swete and so fayre a virgyne that to haue hyr to wife Hercules and Achelaus straue whiche shulde haue hyr. But when the victory fell to Hercules, she was belouyde of the Centaure called Nessus. And when Hercules dyd conuey hyr frome Calidon to hys countrey, at Ebnio, a ryuer of Calidon, it fortunede Hercules to meete with Nessus, and forbecause he was a Centaure, that is to say, half a man and half a horse, Hercules requyrede hym to carye Dianira ouer the water. Nessus, gladd therof as thoughe he had wonne that pray whiche he desyrede, caryinge Dianira ouer the ryuer, as faste as he myghte, fledde away. Whiche seynge Hercules and that he coulde not ouertake hym on foote, he toke hys bowe and an arrowe inueniwyde and shott so directly to Nessus that he strooke hym to the deathe. Nessus, felynge hys deathe wounde, deliueryde to Dianira a shert inuenymede, promysynge Dianira that if Hercules myght put it vpon hym, he shulde neuer after with-drawe hys loue from hir, neither loue any other but hyr. Whiche Dianira, geuynge more credyt to hym then was hyr parte, with thankes to Nessus, for a litle tyme she kept it secrete. Now Hercules fallynge in loue with Yole, Dianira by Licaon, hyr seruawntte, sent to Hercules the sherte, and Hercules put on the shert. At the laste, with the poysone of it so entrede hys fleshe, it made Hercules stark madde, so that wylfully he entrede to a fyer and was burnte. And Dianira, viduate frome so greate a man, wenynge to saue hym, lost hym, and for sorow therot, slewe hyrself.