¶How dydo arryued in Lybye a straunge countrey and boughte as moche londe or grounde / as she myghte conteyne wythin the space of the hide of an oxe. in whiche she buylded and edyfied the cyte of Cartage / Capm̄ vij
Page [unnumbered]ANd from thens departed dydo wyth alle hir nauye in passynge the see. and alwaye wythdrawynge fro the sayd londe of fenyce arryued vpon the ryuage of affryque for to repayre hir shyppes / And there boughte of thynhabi∣taūtis of the same countrey as moche lande or groūde / as she myghte enuyronne wyth the hide of an oxe / whiche dyd doo corroye well. and after dyd doo cutte hit soo in a thonge so smalle and longe that she enuyronned moche more quan¦tyce of the grounde of the sayd countrey than the Inhaby∣tantes sellars supposed sholde euer haue ben. In the sayd pla¦ce durynge the tyme that dydo and her felawshyp̄. whiche by longe tyme hadde ben in grete trauaylle vpon the see / why∣che moche hadde greued theym. and throwen theym in mani dyuerse coūtreys were thenne vnder the proteccyon and swe¦te reconsilyacyon & rest / they dyd doo repayre theyr nauyre / & sette it wyth / grete peyne alle in poynte wyth alle thynges to theym necessarye. Thenne thenhabytan̄s and theyr neyg¦hbours by / began to treate wyth theym curtoysly. and ofte vysited theym wythoute to doo to theym ony grief / moleste or thynge that oughte to dysplease theym / but wyth all gre and frendlynes wythoute puttynge on theym lothlynes as straūgers. They of the coūtree byganne to holde parlyamen¦te wyth theym. and toke amytyes & alyaūce wyth theym / & admynystred to theym marchaūdyses. and dyd alle other thynges. whiche is acustumed to be doon bytwene neyghbo¦urs and good frendes: Thenne dydo & hir barons seeyng the fruytful dysposicyon and bounte of the sayd place se∣med to theym that they oughte to make an ende of their fuy∣te or fleeynge / and anone elysse or dydo to theym dyscouerde the fraude that she had don / & shewed wherfore she had throw¦en in to the see the sackes a forsayd ful of brasse & coper / se∣mynge Page [unnumbered] that hit had ben the tresour of Sychee her late hus∣bonde / whiche thenne she shewed to theym. wherof then they were moche Ioyous & gretly encoraged wyth goode hope / & concluded anone to buylde & edefye a newe cyte there / And caste & toke the foūdement for to make a cyte there / and the¦re they aboode all to gyder / And in soo makyng they fonde wythin the grounde in diggyng to make the foūdementes the hed of an horse. whiche gaaf to theym hardynes / coura∣ge & destyne to preysinge of the place to be propyce and ac∣ceptable. the whiche was then̄e purposed to be closed & enuy¦ro•ned wyth wallis autentyke / And the cyte was named as some saye Cartage by cause that the cyrcuyte of the pla¦ce was enuyronned wyth the thonge of a skynne or hyde as to fore is sayd. And the castell of the toun was named brose takynge his name of the hide of an oxe / whiche they hof Tir called burse▪
THis cyte in shorte espace for the cōmodytees of the sa∣me. and situacyon plentyuo{us} was strongly enhabited wyth moche folke & peple / Of whom dydo was lady & que∣ne. and gaaf to theym lawes & manere of lyuynge and go¦uernaūce of goode maners / & admynystred entiere iustyce to hir subgettis / in hir housholde & menaige / she mayntened her ryght honestly / And the purpose of hir holy chastite she en∣terteyned & kepte wythoute to breke it / thus then̄e elysse pre¦sidente as quene ouer all the people / cam to hir entente desi∣red / & in stede of wepynges vnmesurable sorowe whiche she had suffrid & had ben in gret afflyction in Thir for the ne∣phāde deth of hir sayd somtyme husbond / she was in ye place of cartage wel adourned of vertues / wherof then̄e hir good fame & renomee florysshyng shone & resplendysshed merueyl¦lously in the coūtreys circūiacent & neyghbours in suche wy¦se Page [unnumbered] that they whiche had lyued after the maner of that coū∣tree. whiche was all dissonaūt & dishoneste in regarde of yt of dydo. toke the guyse / the facons / & the industries of the cartagyons in leuyng their aūcyent customes / whiche anō after vanysshed awaye as thei neuer had be vsed / But this notwythstōdynge. fortune inpacyente whiche maye not suf¦fre the pesone longe to dwelle prosperous / ne good werkes wythout enuye / sette & imposed vnder the feet of the righte chaste quene thyng slypper & lubrik for to make hir to ouer¦throwe. & to brynge hir in to exyle lacrymable fro the place where hir glorye & exaltacōn ought to be replenysshed encre∣ased & manyfested. for lyke as euery daye the beaulte chasty¦te & prudence augmented vnto all nacōns straūgers ferre & nyghe / and the delectable name of hir cyte grewe & reysed in praysing / A certayn kyng of the musitaynes or momydes neyghbour to that coūtrey was right feruently esprised in ye loue of this quene then̄e beyng wydowe / as sayd is of hir firste husbond sychee / and sente to some prynces of that cyte whom he requyred to haue this quene dydo in maryage / say¦enge by grete menaces yf he had her not / that he sholde reduce that cyte into ruyne. & sholde put all the people therof in to exyle / This thyng seenge the sayd prynces & knowyng the ferme purpos permanable. whiche ye quene had to ēterteyne hir pudyque chastyte in perpetuall wydowhed / durst not at ye firste manyfeste the petycion & desire of the sayd kyng. but by subtyl meanes ētendyng to drawe from hir som wordes seruynge to theyr entencōn / & vpon the whiche they myghte fynde foūdement & rayson indycatyf for to moeue therto the sayd dydo / they reported to hir yt the kynge for to lede a lyfe more honeste / demaūded them for to haue some prynce of thy¦re or thyrayn / for tenstructe hym in doctrynes & good ma∣ners Page [unnumbered] & condycyons to lyue after the manere of theyr coūtre whiche to hym semed more honest & aggreable than his ow∣ne / whiche for to doo they knew no man cōuenyent & {pro}pyce for so moche that none of the coūtrey but yf he were cōstrey∣ned wolde leue his owne londe for to goo vnto suche a kyn¦ge that vsed so vyle / terryble & straūge lyf And alwaye yf ther wente none to hym / he menaced and thretenyd to make warre & fyght wyth theym. wherof myght falle other daū∣ger & grete peryl to their newe cyte. The whiche prynces the quene repreued / shewynge to theym that for one man onely ought not be cause to lose all thother & to habandoūe theyr co¦ūtrey & lyf accustomed. and to vse suche as beestes sauage doo as werkes synystres & barbaires / O right good cyteze∣yns. yf it happened that one muste deye for the salute & wele of your coūtrey. be ye not cōcluded so to doo & suffre / For he is right vnhappy that for his partyculer wele wyll leue ye publike & comyn wele / & contrary wyse he is blessyd that Ieo∣pardeth hym to the deth for ye comen wele of his coūtrey:
