¶ Capitulum 9
AFter Cambyses one hermeydes that was one of the seuen wyse men that Rewled the kyngdome of Perses wedded Cambises doughter and made it as though he wold not regne by the tytle of his wyf· but as though he wolde haue kepte the kyngdome to one Mergus Cambyses brother. that yet was a yong childe· Netheles cambyses hadde slayne bifore this merg{us} within the temple and noo man wyst therof / but this wyseman hermeydes· ¶After seuen monethes of his kyngdome this Her∣meydes lyeng on his deth bed and he hadde a fayre yonglyng to brother ordeyned hym kynge / and sayd that that Ionglynge was Mergus Cyrus sonne and Cambyses brother. Suche hy∣dyng of kynges myght lyghtly be done in Perse. For no man goth in to the kynges of Perse but men of meyne / One of the wysemen beganne to haue suspection of this doynge and hadde a doughter amonge the kynges concubynes & charged his dough∣ter pryuely· that she shold by nyght grope the kynges heed and take heede yf he hadde eeres / And whan it was knowen by the wenche that the kynge had none eeres· the vij. wyse men conspy∣red to geder & slough hym / & so these two bretheren regned scar∣sely one yer / thā thes vij wise mē treated bitwene hem self which of hem shold wedde the kynges dough•• & be king of that kingdō than al they acorded that they shold erly a morowe come in to a place of the palyce bifore the tēple yates & whos hors neyde first he shuld be kynge by the shewyng of the goddes / Than one of hem darius I••apsis sone spak pryuely with the keper of his hors and charged hym that he shold make his hors assaylle a mare that nyghte in the same place / where they shold come to geders