(49)
themſelues downe, ended their liues together.
Now I doe not commend this death to be godly, although it ſhewed great loue in the Woman. No doubt but the king of Ayra had a very kind and. louing Wife, as ſhall appeare, for when Alexander the Great had depriued him of the greateſt part of his Kingdome, yet he bore it out very patiently, with a valiant and manly courage, and without any ſhew of ontward griefe at all: but when newes was brought him that his Wife was dead, he then moſt grieuouſly brake into teares, and wept bitterly, and withall he ſaid, That the loſſe of his whole kingdome ſhould not haue grieued him ſo much, as the death of his Wife.
It is alſo recorded of Alexander, that at the death of his Wife, he made ſuch a ſorrowfull kind of ſpeech for her, ſaying, Death were kind if he tooke nothing but that which offendeth, but he hath taken her away which neuer offended. Oh Death, thou haſt bereaued me of the bester part of my life.
It is ſaid of Valerius Maximus, that he on a time finding two Serpents in his Bed-Chamber, being ſtrangely amazed thereat, he demanded of the South-ſayers, what it meaned, and they anſwered him, That of neceſitie he muſt kill one of them; and if he killed the Male, then he himſelfe muſt firſt dye: and if the Female, then his Wife ſhould dye before him: And becauſe he loued his Wife better then himſelfe, he moſt willingly made choyſe of the Male, and killed him firſt, and ſhortly after he dyed, leauing his Wife a Widow.
Such a kind Foole to his Wife was Adam, for he was forbidden on paine of death, not to eate of the
