GREENE'S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 1 Modern spelling tran

GREENE’S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 38
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felicity in his new wife that he continued the feast for ten days, which term ended,
everyone departed to their home, and the late married couple lived so contentedly to
every man’s conjecture that Semiramis won her fame half lost by her obedience, and
especially she gained the love of the commons, for preferment had not puffed her up with
pride, nor dignity made her disdainful of the glory of a crown, nor the title of a queen had
made no metamorphosis of her mind but in this, that as she grew in honour, so she
increased in courtesy, bountiful to all that were poor, and envious to none that were
noble, preferring the suits of them were wronged, and seeming as near as she could to
cause the king do justice to all. This her virtuous disposition not only stole the hearts of
the commons., but also the love of her husband, who to increase affection more had a son
by her called Ninus.
Passing thus three or four years in great pleasure, the king, surcharged with content,
commanded his wife to ask whatsoever she would that was within the compass of his
Babylonish monarch, and it should be granted her. Semiramis refused such a proffer, but
the king being urgent, summoned all his lords to the court, and there made them privy
what a free grant he made to his wife. The noblemen, although smiling at the fondness of
the king that so wilfully would put a naked sword into a madman’s hand, yet outwardly
seemed to allow of his will, so that Semiramis demanded that she might absolutely
without check or controlment rule the Babylonian empire as sole queen for three days.
The king, who no whit mistrusted that revenge could so long harbour in the heart of a
woman, granted her request, and therefore presently with all convenient speed caused a
sumptuous scaffold in form of a theatre to be erected in the midst of Babylon, whither
calling his nobles and commons by the sound of a trumpet upon the next festival which
was holden in honour of their god Iphis, he there in presence of all his subjects resigned
up his crown and sceptre into the hands of Semiramis, placing her in the imperial throne
as sole queen, monarch and governess of Egypt.
Semiramis, being thus invested with the diadem and regal power, first publicly declared
the effect of the king’s grant, how she was for the term and space of three days to reign as
sovereign over the land, to have as great authority to do justice and to execute martial law
as her husband, to confirm which Ninus as a subject did her reverence, and jointly with
the rest of the nobility swore to perform whatsoever she should command, and to obey
her as their sole and sovereign princess. After the king had solemnly taken his oath,
Semiramis uttered these or suchlike speeches to the people:
It is not unknown, worthy peers of Egypt and inhabitants of Babylon, that I lived in my
youth the wife of poor Menon, with credit fit for my degree and with fame equal to the
honesty of my life. Occasion never armed report to stain me with disgrace, neither was
the wife of Menon accounted to be prodigal of her affections, although perhaps a little
proud of her beauty. The poverty of my husband never touched me with mislike, nor the
proffers of preferment could persuade me to inconstancy, but fortune, that is ever fickle in
her favours, and envy, that grudgeth at quiet, seeing we lived securely in love and
content, set King Ninus to be the means of my overthrow, for he, inflamed with the sight
of my beauty, yielded presently to the alarums of lust, and sought with the golden bait of
dignity to hale me on to the wrack of my honesty, which by no means he could bring to
Modern spelling transcript copyright 2007 Nina Green All Rights Reserved