ed yeares, void of children
which were dead, this Tyrant gaue no great hede ne yet emploied
any care, thinking that he was not able to raise any mutine or
tumult in the City. In the mean space, the Citizens, which as I
haue sayd before, were banished into Etolia, practysed amongs
them selves to proue their Fortune, and to seeke al meanes for
recouery of their countrey, and the death of Aristotimus:
wherfore hauing leuied and assembled certaine bands of
Souldiers, they marched forth from their bannished seat, and
neuer rested till they had gotten a place hard adioyning to
their City, where they might safely lodge, and with great
commodity and aduantage besige the same, and expel the tyrant
Aristotimus. As the bannished were incamped in that place, many
citizens of Elis daily fled forth, and ioyned with them, by
reason of which auxiliaries and daily assemblies they grew to
the ful numbre of an army: Aristotimus certified hereof by his
espials was brought into a great chafe and fury, and euen now
began to presage his fall and ruine: but yet meaning to foresee
hys best aduantage, went vnto the pryson where the Wyues of the
banished were fast inclosed, and bicause he was of a troublesome
and tyrannical nature, he concluded with him self rather to vse
and intreat those wiues with feare and threates, than with
humanity and fayre wordes: being entred the pryson, hee sharpely
and wyth great fiercenesse commaunded them to write vnto their
husbands that besieged him without, earnestly to persuade them
to giue ouer theyr attempted warres: "Otherwyse (sayd he) if ye
do not follow the effect of my commaundement, in your own
presence I wil first cause cruelly to be slayne al your little
Children, tearyng them by piece meale in pieces, and afterwardes
I wyll cause you to be whipped and scourged, and so to dye a
most cruel and shamefull death." At which fierce and tyrannycal
newes, there was no one woman amongs them that opened theyr
mouthes to answer him: the most wycked and vile tyrant seing
them to be in such silence, charged them vpon theyr liues to
answer what they were disposed to doe: but although they durst
not speake a word, yet with silence one beholding eche other in
the face, fared as though they cared not for hys threats, more
ready rather to dye than to obey his comaundement. Megistona
then, which was the wife of Timolion, a matrone aswell for hir
husband's nobility as hir owne vertue, in great regard and
estimation, an