bloud,
yet of birth she was right noble. When the kinge sawe this
Gentlewoman, he iudged hir to be the fairest that euer he saw or
heard of by report, whom in the presence of his noblemen he
solemnly did marry, and sent vnto her father to appoynct the
Dowry of his married Daughter out of hande, and to returne the
same by that messenger. When Ariobarzanes hearde tell of thys
vnhoped mariage, right ioyfull for that successe, sent vnto his
Daughter the Dowry which he had promised to geue to both his
Daughters. Many of the Court did maruell, that the kynge beinge
in aged yeares woulde mary so yongue a mayden, specially the
daughter of his Subiect, whom he had banished from the Courte.
Some praysed the kinge's Disposition for taking hir whom he
fansied: ech man speakynge his seuerall mynde accordynge to the
dyuers customes of men. Notwythstandinge there were diuers that
moued the kinge to that mariage, thereby to force him to
confesse, that by takinge of the goods of Ariobarzanes, he might
be called Courteous and Liberall. The mariage being solemnized
in very sumptuous and princely guise, Ariobarzanes sent to the
kinge the like Dowry which before he had sent him for mariage of
his daughter, with message to this effect: That for so mutch as
hee had Assigned to his Daughters two certayne Dowries to mary
them to their equal feeres, and seeinge that hee which was
without exception, was the husbande of the one, his duety was to
bestow vpon his grace a more greater gift, than to any other
which should haue bene his sonne in law: but the king would not
receiue the increase of his dowry, deeming himselfe wel
satisfied with the beauty and good condicions of his new spouse,
whom he entertayned and honored as Queene. In the meane time she
was with childe with a Sonne (as afterwardes in the birth it
appeered) which so wel as she coulde she kept close and secret,
but afterwardes perceiuinge her Belly to wax bigge, the
greatnesse whereof she was not able to hide, beinge vppon a time
with the kinge and in familiar disporte, she like a wise and
sobre lady induced matter of diuers argument, amonges which as
occasion serued, she disclosed to the king, that she was not the
fayrest of hir father's daughters, but hir elder sister more
beautifull than she. The king hearing that, was greatly offended
with Ariobarzanes, for that he had not accomplished his
commaundement: and albeit hee loued well his wife, yet to
attaine the effect of his desire