r husbands wer farre of, absent
fro theyr Country, not able to rid vs from thy thral, thou
wroughtest thy malyce then against theyr wyues at home, doyng
the greatest cruelty towardes them and theyr suckyng babes, that
euer deuyl could do vpon the damned sort, and now thou seest
them arriued here vnder our country walles, thou flyest and
seekest help at women's hands, whose power if it serued them
according to their willes, would make thee tast the fruit of thy
commytted smart." And as she would haue proceded further in hir
liberal talk, the Caytife tyrant not able to abyde any further
speach, troubled beyond measure, presently commaunded the litle
child of hir to be brought before him, as though immediatly he
would haue killed him, and as his seruants sought him out, the
mother espied him playing amongs other children, not knowinge
for his small stature and lesse yeres, wher he was becom, and
calling him by his name, said vnto him: "My boy, come hither,
that first of al thou mayst lose thy life, to feele the proufe
and haue experience of the cruel tyranny wherin we be, for more
grieuous it is to me to see the serue against the nobility of
thy bloud, than dismembred and torn in pieces before my face."
As Megistona stoutly and vnfearfully had spoken those words, the
furious and angry tyrant drew forth his glistring blade out of
the sheath, purposing to have slaine the gentlewoman, had not
one Cilon the familiar freend of Aristimus stayd his hand,
forbidding him to commit an act so cruel. This Cilon was a
fayned and counterfayt frend of the tyrant, very conuersant with
other his familiar frends, but hated him with deadly hatred, and
was one of them that with Hellanicus had conspired against the
tyrant. This gentleman then seeinge Aristotimus wyth so great
fury to waxe wood agaynst Megistona, imbraced him, and sayd,
that it was not the part of a gentleman proceeding from a Race
righte honourable, by any meanes to imbrue hys Handes in Woman's
bloud, but rather the signe and token of a cowardly knyght,
wherfore he besought him to stay his hands. Aristotimus
persuaded by Cilon, appeased his rage, and departed from the
imprisoned women. Not long after, a great prodige and wonder
appeared in this sort: before supper the tyrant and his wyfe
withdrue themselues into their chamber, and being there, an Egle
was seene to soare ouer the tyrante's palace, and being aloft,
by little and little to descend, and letting fal from her
tal