¶A comendacyon to dydo: Capm̄ ix
O the fortytude viryle of wymmen. or loos & pryce of chastyte femynyne digne & worthi of honour celebre∣ed & magnyfied in grete loange & preysynge wythoute ende perpetuel. thou louest & haste lieuer to submyse to fortune ad¦uenturous of deth cruel for to kepe thy pudyke chastyte vn¦hurte wythoute ony spotte / than to rendre or yelde thy selfe in applycacōn of lyf perysshable to dyshonoure ne to make foul the holy purpose of thy castymonye by thūtrue note of lubryke & slypper luxurye / O quene / ryght venerable. wyth one onely stroke / thou haste wylled to termyne and fynysshe thy labours mortall / By whiche thou hast goten fame & re¦nōmee eternal of the grete kyng barbaryn / by whom he is re¦pressed fro his lybidynous desire / the coūtrey is in surety de∣lyuerd from bataylle by thy ryght dolorouse deth. whiche ha¦the quenched the playsaūt fygure of thy grete beaulte. by thy fruytful deth & placable to thenhabytants of thy noble cyte hast distylled the blood resplendysshan̄t yssuynge alle oute of thy beeste chast & not corrupte in tytle flourysshynge of thy loange / preysynge / & good renōmee of whom the spyrite by thy lyf fynysshed so moche made fair wyth sorow myrify¦ke was trāslated to the sieges & cōtrees therto ordeyned af∣ter thi demerites / To the thenne in all affection crayntyue I addresse my thoughte deprecatyue / Yf in ony wyse that haste strengthe or puyssaunce towarde the goddys of hyghe magestye in theyr pryue mansyon whyche for Page [unnumbered] the wylle some thynge ded / that it maye playse the to enten∣de to the correction of the maners lubryke / Inconstaūte and euyl of our matrones inpudike and folyshe / and to ren¦dre theym from theyr lacyuyte in to pudike / mystike. and shamefaste chastyte / and in to benygne & very obedyence. so moche that they abyde wyth the / in thy name and fame ve∣nerable / The whiche wythoute ende knowyng eternelly we maye see by thy merytes thoneste of chaste clennesse mater∣nalle to be augmented & growe in honour
THe whiche caas here presupposed is in accordaunce ynoughe. whiche speketh of the lygnage and mary∣age of dydo / Of the deth also perpetred by pygmaly∣on kynge of Thir in the persone of Sychee firste husbonde of the sayd Elysse or dydo. And after of her departynge / of the maner of doynge. How after she bare awaye the treso∣urs of her somtyme husbonde Acerbe. and of her comynge in to Lybye vpon the ryuage of the see in the place where she byganne firste to edyfye Cartage. And of the fortunes aduenturouse whiche happened in that soo makynge that byfelle to her and to theym of theyr companye ¶But for to shewe the difference that I fynde of the deth of the sayd dydo / I shall reherce here after now in a nother maner. whi∣che is to be presupposed was moeued of the grete hate & euil wyll that Iune the goddesse cōceyued ayenst parys / his frē¦dis parents / & alyes. and by cause of ouer sodayn iugemēt yt he made / whan he gaaf thapple to ven{us} as the moste fayrest of theym all / & to him holden & moost dere. bycause of whiche bate / whan eneas sone of venus & nygh kynnesman of pa¦ris wold departe from troye / after the siege of ye same. for to goo into the cōquest of the prouynce of ytaly to hym {pro}mysed by the goddis at request of his moder & Iuno ye ryght noble Page [unnumbered] goddesse wyllynge tempesshe and lette his gooynge / dyd doo calle and assemble yolus and Neptunus goddis of the wy¦ndes and of the see prayenge & exhortynge theym moche swe¦tely that it myghte playse eche of theym to putte theym in payne & doo theyr deuoyr to empesshe the goynge of the sayd enterpryse. and makynge to breke and destroye alle the na∣uye in plongynge vnder the water and parellys ayenst the roches for hastely to drowne and destroye alle the hooste of Enee the sone of venus. whiche enforced hym to make wer¦re in the goode royalme of ytalye. whiche was in his desire pryncypally aboue alle other. In whiche thynge soo doynge she wolde rewarde theym wyth suche guerdons as appertey¦neth to grete and hie goddys to be stypended / and shall doo honoure to theyr frendes / and treate theyr lygnage and ve∣ray alyes / and socoure theym wyth alle hir myghte / whiche that the goddys hadde graunted to hir right gladly. And they made theyr preperacyon eueryche in his regyon / for to warre vpon Eneas:
