The xxiijti Chapitre.
YOCASTA, THE QUENE of Thebes, is knowne more by vnfortunate chauncys then by any thynge elles. Thys Yocasta descendyd frame the fyrste noble founders of Thebes and, beynge a mayden, was maryede vnto Layus, the Kynge of Thebes, of whome she conceyuede a sonne. And because Layus had aunswere of the goddes that hys son shulde sley hym, he commaunded hyr, all thoughe it were soore agaynste hyr mynde, to caste the chylde to the wylde beastes, for to be deuourede; and Layus thynkynge in verey deede it hade bene so, yet it chaunsid that the chylde was kepte and noryshede with the Kynge of Corynthe, whiche toke hym as hys oune propre sonne. And so, cumynge to age, at a place called Phosenses he slewe in battell hys father Layus and ther, not knowynge that Yocasta was hys mother, toke hyr to hys wyffe and begate on hyr too sonnes, Ethocles and Polynyces, and too doughters, the oone namede Ysmena and the other Anthygona. And thus she semynge as well by the children she had as by hyr kyngdome to be moste happy, she had aunswere of the goddes that hym that she thoughte to be hyr husbonde was hyr sonne, and albe it that she toke it wonders heuely, yet hyr sonne toke it more heuely, in so muche that he for verey shame that he had for hys mysdeede, he put oute not onely hys propre eies, but also forsooke hys kyngdome. And hys too sonnes fallynge at debate who shulde succede in the realme, after many dredefull encountres and battells the tone slewe the tother, for sorowe wherof the myserable mother and aunte to bothe theym, wery to see suche infortunate chauncyse fall to hyr sonnes and doughters, to make shorte processe slewe hyrselfe. Sum wryte, she deferryde not hir deathe so longe, but seynge hyr husbonde to haue put oute bothe hys eyes, as I haue sayde, made an ende with hyr oune hande of hyr infortunate yeres.