The xxvijth Chapiter.
ARGIA, A WOMAN of Grece, descendynge of the noble kynges of Grece, was doughter of Kynge Adrastus, and as she was a louynge and desyrouse spectacle to beholde for hyr exellentnes, so was she a ryght reuerente and honorable wytnes of true, wyfely feythe to hyr husbonde. Whereby not oonely in hyr days she had prayse and lawde, but further, hyr name and fame is commendable in our tyme and shalbe for euer. Thys woman was maryede to Polynises, the sonne of Edippus, Kynge of Thebes, then beynge an outelawe; when then she had broughte hym forthe a chylde that was callede Tessander, now she well aduertysynge hyr husbonde to be won-dersly troblede for the fraude of hys brother, whiche studyede to destroy hym, beynge a pertaker of hyr husbondes sorowe, she not onely with wepynge teares prayde hyr father, then beynge an olde man, to helpe hyr husbonde, but at lengthe so wroughte that in verey deede she armyde hyr father agaynste hyr husbowdes brother, whiche, besydes the pacte that was betwyxte theym, occupyede the kyngedome of Thebes by tyranny. And leste perauenture that the fatale prophecy shulde be a let, she dyd so muche liberally rewarde the wyfe of Amphiorax that she causede hyr to tell wher hyr husbonde was hydden secretly, for because he prophecyede that aswell hymself as those that went to Thebes shulde be destroyede. So that Amphyorax with Adrastus and Polynyses went to the seege of Thebes, but to theyr mysfortune. For after many batells betwyxte the Thebans, and the dukes of bothe parties slayne, and Adraustus depryuyde frome helpe and for that dryuyn away, when Argia had herde that the body of hyr husbonde lay deede, vnburyde emonge an infynyte numbre of other that were slayne, streightways puttynge of hyr ryche appareil, with a fewe with hyr, she toke hyr way into the campe. Neither those that lay robbynge by the passage, nor the blody handes of the Thebans, nor the wylde beastes, nor yet the byrdes that folow the caryen of deede bodyes, nor the cruell commaundement of Kynge Creon that charged, peyne of deathe, noone shulde bury theym that lay deade in the feelde, couldenot lett hyr but that at mydnyght, with a heuy hert, she went emonge the stynkynge, deade men and neuer left tyll she founde hyr husbonde. O, meruelouse true, louynge hert of a true, noble wyffe! All thoughe the face of hyr husbonde were defowraiyd with duste and bloode, yet it coulde not so blynde hyr but that she knewe hym, and, enbrasynge hym in hyr armes and kyssynge hym and with salte terys wypynge hys deformyde visage, she never left hym tyll she had made a greate fyre, as the vsage was in those dayes to burne the bodyes, and tyll she had with greate lamewtatione and teares cowsumede hym to ashys. I deny not but many goode wyfes haue often wept to see theyr husbondes syke, to se theim in pryson, to se theym suffre other harde chauncys, but yet all that is nothynge to be accomptyde to the loue of thys goode, chaste Argia. For thys fearyde not to seeke hyr husbonde emonge hyr ennemyes; thys callede Bianor, and frome thens, takynge hyr sonne with hyr, went vnto Cisalpina Gallia, where, fyndynge a platt nyghe to Benacho, enuyroned with water and lakes, of verey nature wonders stronge, in that place to th’entent she withoute dreade the better myght vse hyr crafte of enchauntment, ther to haue stablyshed hyr dwellynge place. And of hyr name after hyr decesse the towne was callede Mantua. And sum say, contrary to thys, that to hyr deathe constantly she perseuerede a virgyne. Surely, it is a thynge, if she so dyd, commendable, all thoughe she vsede suche sorcery, to commende hyr virginyte to Gode.