for the iust reuenge of
your most cruell father's actes, for the tyrannous life of whom
the goddes do thunder downe the boltes of their displeasure,
afflicting his nearest blood and bestbeloued wyfe and children,
with vengeance poured from heauens." Vppon the sentence of this
the fatall ende, the elder mayden of the twayne vnlosed a gyrdle
from her middle, and began to tye the same to hang hir selfe,
exhorting her yonger sister to do the lyke: and in any wise to
beware by sparing of her life, to incur the beastly rage of the
monstruous people, which cared not to do ech vile and filthy
act, vnworthy theyr estate. The yonger sister at those wordes,
layd handes vpon the fastened corde, and besought hir right
earnestly first of al to suffer hir to die. Wherevnto the elder
aunswered: "So long as it was lawfull for me to liue, and whiles
we led our princely time in our father's courte, and both were
free from enimie's danger, all things betwene vs two were common
and indifferent, wherefore the gods forbid (that now the gates
of death be opened for vs to enter, when with the Ghostes of our
deere Parentes our soules amids the infernall fieldes be
predestined to raunge and wander) that I shoulde make denyall of
thy request. Therfore goe to good sister mine, and shrink not
when thou seest the vgly face of her, that must consume vs all:
but yet (dere sister) the deadly sight of thee before my selfe,
will breede to me the woe and smart of double death." When she
had so sayd, she yelded the coller to her sister, and counselled
hir to place the same so neere the necke bone as shee could,
that the sooner the halter's force might stop her breath. When
the vnfearefull yonger sister was dead, the trembling hands of
the dredlesse elder maid vntied the girdle from her neck,
couering in comely wise her senselesse corps. Then turning hir
self to Megistona, she humbly prayd hir not to suffer their two
bodies to be seene naked, but so sone as she could, to bury them
both in one Earthly graue, referring the frutes of their
virginity to the mould wherof they came. When she had spoken
these wordes, without any stay or feare at all, with the selfe
same corde she strangled herselfe and so finished her fatal
dayes. The guiltlesse death of which two tender maydes there was
none of the citizens of Elis (as I suppose) so stonye hearted
and voyde of Nature's force, ne yette so wrothe agaynst the
tyrant father, but did lament, as wel for the constant s