Page:Famous history of the two unfortunate lovers.pdf/3

 THE

Of two Unfortunate Lovers,

LEANDER & HERO.

How Leander, returning in triumph from his eastern victories, fell in love with the beauteous Hero and she in love with him; and of the strange vision of the Goddess Venus,  appearing to Hero and what she represented.

hen GrecceGreece [sic] flourished in riches and renown becoming by virtue and valorous achievements, the glory of the whole world, having subdued to itself not only the Persian empire, but almost all India, and indeed the most part of Asia, then it was that the fam’d Leander, after many warlike exploits and bringing into subjection divers countries, as general of the grecian forces, coming back with his victorious army, adorned with laurels and trumpets, had his praises sung every where, whilst the crowding spectators flowed from all parts to behold him as he passed in a triumphal chariot; and amongst the rest of the Asian beauties, the fairest of her sex, and even the very mirror of beauty, Hero, daughter of a prince who had a stately castle called Sestus, situate upon the banks of the Hellespont, or narrow sea, of about two