¶ The exposicion.
Omere dooeth saie, and many other Poetes, that
the warres of the Grecians against the Troians,
was for beautifull Helena, and continued tenne
yeres. The Goddes and Goddis toke partes, and
all the people of Grece, aided Menelaus, and the kyng Aga-
memnon, to bryng home again Helena, neclecting their own
countrie, their wife and chidrē, for one womā. The Grekes
inuentyng a huge and mightie horse made of Firre trée, and
couered with brasse, as huge as a moūtain, out of the whiche
the Grecians by treason issuyng, brought Troie to ruine.
¶ The obscuritie of the matter.
T semeth a matter of folie, that so many people, so
mightie nacions should bee bewitched, to raise so
mightie a armie, hassardyng their liues, leauyng
their countrie, their wiues, their children, for one
Helena. woman: Be it so, that Helena passed all creatures, and that
Nature with beautie had indued her with all vertue, and sin-
gularitie: yet the Grecians would not be so foolishe, that vni-
uersallie thei would seke to caste doune their owne wealthe,
and moche more the common wealthe of Grece, and kyng-
dome to stande in perill. Neither is it to be thought, the Gre-
cians, sekyng to aduaūce the beautie of Helena: would leaue
The cause of
the forged in-
uencion. their owne state. But it is like, the wittes of Poetes did im-
magine so forged a Chronicle, that the posteritie of ages fol-
lowyng, should rather wounder at their forged inuencion,
then to beleue any soche warre truly mencioned. There was
no soche cause, seyng that the kyngdome of Grece, fell by no
title of succession to Helena, for them to moue warre, for, the
bringyng backe of that beutifull harlotte Helena. Neither in
Helena was there vertue, or honestie of life, to moue and ex-
asperate the Grecians, to spende so greate treasures, to raise
No commen-
dacion in vp-
holdyng and
maintainyng
of harlottes. so mightie an armie on euery side. What commēdacion had
the Troians to aduaunce Helena, and with all roialnesse to
entreate her, she beyng a harlotte: the folie of the Grecians
and the Troians, is so on euery side so greate, that it can not
be thought, soche a warre truely chronicled. If violence and
power, had taken Helena from her housebande, and not her
Helena follo-
wed Paris. owne will and luste, caught with the adulterous loue of Pa-
ris, beyng a straunger. If her moderacion of life had been so
rare, as that the like facte for her chastitie, had not been in a-
ny age or common wealthe, her vertues would haue giuen
occasion: The Princes and nobles of Grece to stomacke the
matter. The example of the facte, would with all praise and
Uertuous
life, worthie
commendaci-
on in al ages.
Lucrecia.
Tarquinius
the kyng ba-
nished for ra-
uishyng Lu-
crecia, and all
of his name
banished. commendacion be mencioned, and celebrated to al ages. Lu-
cretia for her chastite, is perpetuallie to be aduanunced, wher-
vpon the Romaines banished Tarquinius their kyng, his
stocke and name from Rome. The rare chastite of Penelope,
is remainyng as a example herein: So many snares laied to
caste doune her vertuous loue towarde her housebande U-
lisses. But Ulisses made hauocke by murder, on these gaie
and gallante Ruffins, who in his absence sought to alienate
and withdrawe, the chaste harte of Penelope, consumyng
Penelopes
chastitie. his substance. A greater example remaineth in no age, of the
like chastite. As for the battaile of Troie, raised for Helena,
could wise men, and the moste famous nobles of Grece: So
occupie their heddes, and in thesame, bothe to hasarde their
liues for a beautifull strumpet or harlot. The sage and wise
Nestor.
Ulisses. Nestor, whom Agamemnon for wisedome preferred, before
the moste of the péeres of Grece, neither it Ulisses wanted at
thesame tyme, hauyng a politike and subtill hedde, to with-
drawe theim from so leude and foolishe a enterprise. Grece
Grece the
lande of faire
women. wanted not beautifull creatures, Nature in other had besto-
wed amiable faces, personage, and comelie behauiour. For,
at those daies, Grece thei called Achaida calligunaica, that is,
Grece the lande of faire women. The dolorous lamentacion
of the Ladies and Matrons in Grece, would haue hindered
soche a foolishe enterprise, seyng their owne beautie neclec-
ted, their honestie of life caste vp to perilles, one harlot of in-
Uncomelie. numerable people followed and hunted after, in whom neither
honestie, vertue, nor chastite was harbored.
¶ Uncredible.
Lthough the folie of men is greate, and the will of
princes and gouernours beastlie and rashe, yet by
no meanes it can be so many yeres, so greate folie
to take roote in their hartes, and that the wisedom
Beautie
without ver-
tue, nothyng
of valour. of the Greciās, should not rather caste of as naught, the beau-
tie of Helena: rather then the whole multitude, the state of
the Prince, the welfare of the subiecte, to stande in perill for
Beautie a
poison, in a
adulterous
mynde. the beautie of one. What is beautie, when a beastlie and ad-
ulterous minde is possessed: Beautie without chastitie, har-
boreth a monsterous rabelmente of vices, a snare and baite,
Beautie sone
fadeth. to poison other. Beautie in fewe yeres, is not onely blemi-
shed, but decaied, and wholie extinguished: it is vncredible,
that the Grecians would seeke to bryng home Helena, who
had loste the chaste loue toward her housband, beyng caught
Paris Hele-
nas louer.
Phrigia. with the adulterous loue of Paris, soonne to Priamus kyng
of Troie. The lande of Phrigia was a mightie Region, the
people noble, puissaunte in warre: the kyng for nobilitie of
actes famous. The Citee of Troie, wherein the kyng helde
his Scepter of gouernement, was riche, mightie, and popu-
lous: ruled and gouerned, by the wisedome and policie of fa-
mous counsailours, so that by all meanes it is vncredible,
Uncomelie. without any possibilitie. Thei neclectyng their owne state
and kyngdō, so to preferre the beautie of one, that the whole
multitude of Grece thereby to perishe. It is a matter vncre-
Grece the
fountain of al
learnyng. dible in all Grece, whiche for the fame of wisedome, is moste
celebrated emong all nacions, not one wiseman at thesame
tyme to be therein: whose coūsaile and politike heddes, might
ponder a better purpose. Grece, whiche was the mother and
fountaine of all artes and sciences, all Eloquence, Philoso-
phie, wisedome flowyng from theim, and yet wisedome to
want in their breastes. Reason can not make any perswasion
that any probabilitie can rise, of any soche matter enterpri-
sed, what could the intent be of the Grecians, as concerning
Menelaus
housbande to
Helena. Menelaus. In Menelaus there was no wisedom, to seke and
hunte after Helena, or by any meanes to possesse her, she be-
yng a harlotte, her loue alienated, her hart possessed with the
loue of an other manne: foolishlie he hopeth to possesse loue,
Harlottes
loue dissem-
bled. that seeketh to enioye the cloked, poisoned, and dissembled
harte of a harlotte, Grece was well ridde of a harlotte, Troie
Troians. harbouryng Helena. In the Troians it is not to be thought,
that either the kyng, or nobles, for a harlotte, would see the
[the] people murthered, their owne state, the king to be in dan-
Grecians. ger of ruine. In the Grecians there was neither wisedome,
neither commendacion, to pursue with a maine hoste, with a
greate Nauie of Shippes, to bryng backe againe a harlotte,
whose enterprise rather might better bee borne, to banishe &
exile soche a beastlie disposed persone. The Troians mighte
Absurditie. well scorne the Grecians, if that the possession of a beautifull
moste amiable, and minsyng harlotte, was of soche valour,
estimacion, and price with theim, not onely the beautie of all
other to bee reiected. But moste of all the vertuous life, and
chastitie of all their matrons and honourable Ladies, to bee
caste of as naught. Grece that had the name of all wisedome,
The defence
of Helena. of all learnyng and singularitie, might rather worthelie bee
called, a harbouryng place of harlottes: a Stewe and vphol-
der of whoredome, and all vncleanes. Wherefore, these ab-
surdities ought to bee remoued, from the minde and cogita-
cion of all menne, that should worthelie ponder the state of
Troie a king[-]
dome of whor[-]
dome. Grece. Troie of like sorte to bee a kyngdome and common
wealthe of all vice: whoredome in soche price with the kyng,
and people, that moste fortunate should the harlotte bee, and
the adulterour in soche a common wealthe, that for adulte-
rous loue, putteth rather all their state to hasarde and perill,
for the maintenaunce of beastlie loue, brutishe societie moste
in price with soche a nacion, chastitie, and [moderaciou] of life,
abandoned and caste of.
¶ Unpossible, and not agreyng.