The xxxijti Chapitre.
HECCUBA WAS THE moste noble Quene of the Troyanes, and of a woman ordeynede to so hard fortune a bryghtnes moste exellent, and, to thys, a verey playne example of our wrechidnes. This Quene, as sum tell, was the doughter of Diamantis, and, as sum say, of Cipseus, Kynge of Trace, to whiche opynyone I gladly condescende, for because the more parte so say. Thys, beynge a mayden, was maryde to the noble Priamws and had by hym as well sonnes as doughters. Emonge other, she had that clere and bryghte lyghte of knyghtly prowes, Hector, which had in hym so many noble condiciones that not oonly he hym self hathe deserued fame euerlastynge, but also by hym hys father, hys mother and hys countrie hathe gotten eternall glorye. Thys woman then that I haue spoken of had by thys not onely greate fame, but also by hyr waywerde fortune, was notable to all the worlde. For thys noble Hector and yonge, valyaunte Troylus, she sawe theym bothe slayne, the twayne fyrme pyllars of the Troyans.
She sawe also Parys slayne of Pyrrws and Deyphebus deformydly deade, Troy brunte, and Polices, hir yonge son, in hys fathers lappe oppressyd, and hyr olde husbowd Pryamus afore hys domesticall goddes deuowrede, Ilion to be brunte and Cassandra and Andromaca, hyr doughter in lawe, and hyrselfe to be compellyd by forse to go in to exyle, and, last of all, Polidorus hyr sonne, by the fraude of Polinestor, by the see syde put to deathe. With thyes sorowes and harde fortunes sum say that she fell madde and ranne in the feeldys of the Traciens, howlynge as a dogge, and ther dyede and was buryede at Hellespont. And sum say, contrary, that she was ledde in seruytude wyth the other in to Grece, and to th’entent that ther shulde not lacke noo parte of mysfortune to hyr, that at the laste she sawe hyr doughter Cassandra afore hyr eyes, by the commaundement of Clytemystra, Agamenons wyfe, to be put to deathe.