¶Of the beaulte of dydo ¶Capitulum / xxix
THis proserpyne of whome I speke / how be it that of alle her werkes and subtylle artyfyces wherof she is wonte to vse had not in noo wyse wrought for dydo nor hade not yet enprynted in her persone eny sygne of olde age. nor other thynge wherby she shulde directely haue pretended vpon her eny ryght. Alwayes she wolde force her self to haue for her part the soule of Elysse / sayenge. that she had•e slayn herself by dysperacion as for cause of furye and of rage whiche is a thinge Inhumayne dependynge of the operacyons and wodnesses of helle that she herself hathe en∣prynted in her persone. Wherunto she hathe subdued and sub¦mytted herself. Wherfore by reson she oughte to abyde vnder her / as we see by example famyler whan som body hathe sub∣mytted hymself by oblygacion to the iurisdicyon of some Iu¦ge the saide iuge is capable for to haue the knowlege therof how be it that to fore the oblygacyon was made / the persone was exempt of his Iurisdicyon. And aftre thees raysons and othre that were to longe to be recoūted proserpyne sayde that elysse ought to abyde with her as she that had submyted Page [unnumbered] her self to her lawes and Iurysdyctions / But the fayre Iris that departed from heuene by the commaundement of the goddesse Iuno descendynge by the clowdes with her gylte feders at the oposyte of the sonne ornated wyth a thou∣saunde colours / Came and sette her self vpon the hede of Dydo / And for an aunswere to the adlegacyons of Pro∣serpyne. sayde to her thees thynges / Thys is of ray¦son wryton whan eny persone noble is in debate betwe∣ne two partyes that the mooste parent heyre of the lyna∣ge and that commeth of lawefulle yssue shalbe proserred afore that other partye. and shalle bere the name awaye wyth hym namely whan he is of the fyrste yssue / And also that he hath the gretter parte in the herytage and hath doon many aquysycions amendynges and reparacyons / ¶Now it is soo that the goddesse Iuno whos ryghte for to deffende and kepe I am sent hither / hathe produced in her beynge in this possessyons / that is to wyte Elysse wherof we vnderstande betwix vs two / And hathe made her to be borne hathe brought her to the worlde and hathe alymen∣ted and noryshed her from the owre of hyr birthe vnto this tyme present / And hathe gyuen vnto her soo many fay∣re yestes of nature / As is beaulte corporelle / yongthe well made of her membres eche in his qualyte and ryght egall in proporcyon without eny dyfformyte / the hede well sette by mesure vpon the nek fayre herys and long yelowe tresses. hangyng betwene two sholders to the heles of her / her forehed brod and highe ynoughe / the browes traytice and broun and the lydes of the eyen acordyng to the same. the eyen grene & open by mesure lawghynge and of swete loke afayre & well compassed visage ouer the forhede all ynoughe coloured / A Page [unnumbered] meane noose not to grete nor to lytell wythout ouer grete openynge / A lytell mouthe with roddy lyppes / And atte the chickes two lytell pittes / & one Inlykewyse at the chyn¦ne / The tethe whyte / smalle and well Ioyned togyder / A rounde chynne that was not ouer longe. A whyte coloure with a byrght hew there with alle some what tendynge to the rede / the necke longe ynoughe by goode mesure bygge ynoughe towarde the lowest part and traytyse on the backe syde / the throte quycke and without spotte or macule / lon∣ge armes and smalle. the sholders and the backe flat. the bre¦stes well sette with a grete space betwix bothe the pappes that be rounde and sette of a heyght / smalle of body and large atte the raynes / The thyes harde and grete withoute eny blemyshynge / Fatte ynoughe aswelle the body as the membres / The legges well Ioyned and somwhat small on the noder parte / lytelle feet and smalle with the toes well e∣uyn sette togyder / white vnder clothes and fulle swete and smothe of skynne / smale handes soupple and thynne with long fyngers and smalle and the naylles well euyn. swete voyce of fayre eloquence and well in langage sadde of beha¦uoure and of symple contenaūce / plaisaūt for to see & reple∣nyshed of all good condicyons. like as it were one of ye wy∣men best accomplished ye nature had produced syth her begyn¦nyng vnto that tyme. Wherfore thenne sith that thou proser¦pyne can not shewe noon other rayson but the sayde submys∣sion wherof thou hast spoken here afore I saye for to kepe e∣quyte / that ther was som deceptyon or frawdulent inducti∣on that hath made her to condescende therunto as men may manyfestly apperceyue by the premysses a boue writon that see theym all alonge wherfore the falle well vnderstande well Page [unnumbered] assoylled well & deffended may welle haue releuement / But a nother waye I shall take with the yf thou wylt be of acoorde and content / bicause thenne that after thy poure and myse∣rable descendynge in to helle in the coniunction makynge of the with Pluto. Thy fayre heerys were tourned to In horyble and hydouse serpentes sette vpon thy hede I shall gyue to the theym of dydo for to make sacrefyces therwith vnto the derk shadowes and tygres infernalle / Yf thou wille renounce alle the ryght that thou pretendest vpon her Wherfore thenne Yrys made the fayre herys of dydo to be cutte and toke theym to proserpyne And thenne she toke vp on her selfe for to vnbynde the membres from the spyrite of lyffe wherof the hete was soone extyncted and was anone rauyshed with the wyndes that bare her awaye a grete pas and delyuered her free and quytte to that place after her de∣meryte that to alle folke is propyce as it is ordeyned by the prouydence deuyne wherof the regne shalle neuer fynyshe /
