The xxxjti Chapitre.
POLIXENE THE VIRGYNE was the doughter of Kywge Priamus by hys wyfe Eccuba, of so exellent a beautie, and so goodely a thynge that the feerse breste of Achilles was persyde therwyth, in so muche that by the persuasyon of Eccuba hyr mother he was brought, in hoope to haue hyr, into the temple withyn Troy of Apollo and ther by Parrys murdrede and slayne. O, that it was agaynste all goode ordre, when the Troyans were vaynquyshede and Ilion burnte and destroyede, that so swete a mayden shulde be deuowred by the hande of Pyrrus for to satisfye for another womans offence! But if we shall gyue credyte to the wrytynge of our elders, when she was broughte to Achilles tumbe, seynge the feerse yonge man Pyrrus with hys swerde redye to smyte of hyre heede, albeit those that stoode aboute hyr wepte and lamentyde hyr deathe, the poore, innocente virgyne with so constante a hert strechyde forthe hyr necke that the Grekes noo lesse meruelede therwythe then they were mouede with pyte at hyr. It is doubtles a thynge worthy to be had in rementbraunce to se in that sex, after so dyuers mutation of fortune, a mayden so constant, when often suche sodeyn mutationes, vnder the swerde of the victore, ryght noble and hardy hertes haue bene abashede there at. I can right well beleue that the worke procedyde of hyr gentle herte, to shue to other how lytle deathe is to be extemyde and all the false variete of mutable fortune.