My daughter, the sun being author of our stork, is •••nesse that for no mis-deed, I have cast thee forth, and concealed thee from ⟨image 28⟩thy father Hydaspes sight, yet I would have my self excused to thee, if thou happen to live, and to him that shall find thee if the gods procure any, and therefore I declare the cause of thy exposition, after king Hydaspes had been married to me ten years, and we had never a child, we happened one time to rest us after dinner in a gallery where hung rare pictures and images, amongst which were those of Perseus and Andromeda portrayed as when he first redeemed her from the rock, at this time your father lay with me, swearing that by a dream• he was commanded so to do, and I by and by perceived my self to be with child: but thou wert borne white which colour is strange among the Ethiopians. I knew the reason, because I looked steadfastly upon the picture of Andromeda naked, and by that means, conceived a thing like to her, yet I determined to rid my self of shameful death (counting it certain that thy colour would procure me to be accused of adultery, and that none would believe me when I tol• them the cause) and to commit thee to the unstableness of fortune, which is a great deal rather to be wished for then present death, or to be called a bastard: and telling my husband that thou wert straight dead, I have privily laid thee forth with the greatest riches that I had for a reward to him that shall find thee and take thee up: above all things remember that thou seek among thy jewels for a certain ring, which thy father gave me when we were first made sure, in the hoop whereof is a princely posy, the stone is a Pantarbe of secret virtue, consecrated in the place where it is set. The gods preserve thee my deerest daughter, and grant us a happy meeting.
My daughter, the sunne being authour of our storke, is •••nesse that for no mis-deed, I have cast thee forth, and concealed thee from ⟨image 28⟩thy father Hydaspes sight, yet I would have my selfe excused to thee, if thou happen to live, and to him that shall finde thee if the gods procure any, and therefore I declare the cause of thy exposition, after king Hydaspes had beene married to me ten yeeres, and we had never a child, we happened one time to rest us after dinner in a gallerie where hung rare pictures and images, amongst which were those of Perseus and Andromeda portrayed as when he first redeem'd her from the rocke, at this time your father lay with me, swearing that by a dream• he was commanded so to doe, and I by and by perceived my selfe to be with child: but thou wert borne white which colour is strange among the Aethiopians. I k•ewe the reason, because I looked stedfastlie upon the picture of Andromeda naked, and by that meanes, conceived a thing like to her, yet I determined to rid my selfe of shamefull death (counting it certaine that thy colour would procure me to be accused of adulterie, and that none would believe me when I tol• them the cause) and to commit thee to the unstablenes of fortune, which is a great deale rather to be wished for then present death, or to be called a bastard: and telling my husband that thou wert straight dead, I have privilie layd thee forth with the greatest riches that I had for areward to him that shall find thee and take thee up: above all thinges remember that thou seeke among thy jewels for a certaine ring, which thy father gave me when we were first made sure, in the hoope whereof is a princelie posie, the stone is a Pantarbe of secret vertue, consecrated in the place where it is set. The gods preserve thee my deerest daughter, and grant us a happy meeting.
