[Sidenote:  Belus priscus. Danaidarium porticani.](text unclear) To be short, the historie is thus.  Belus the sonne of Epaphus, or (as some writers haue) of Neptune and Libies (whome Isis after the death of Apis maried) had issue two sonnes:  the first Danaus, called also Armeus; and Aegyptus called also Rameses:  these two were kings among the Aegyptians, Danaus the elder of the two, hauing in his rule the [Sidenote:  Danaus.  Aegyptus. Higinus.] vpper region of Aegypt, had by sundrie wiues 50. daughters, with whome his brother Aegyptus, gaping for the dominion of the whole, did instantlie labour, that his sonnes being also 50. in number, might match.  But Danaus hauing knowledge by some prophesie or oracle, that a sonne in law of his should be his death, refused so to bestow his daughters.  Hereupon grew warre betwixt the brethren, in the end whereof, Danaus being the weaker, was inforced to flee his countrie, and so prepared a nauie, imbarked himselfe and his daughters, and with them passed ouer into Greece, where he found meanes to dispossesse Gelenor (sonne to Stenelas king of Argos) of his rightfull inheritance, driuing him out of his countrie, and reigned in his place by the assistance of the Argiues that had conceiued an hatred towardes Gelenor, and a great liking towardes Danaus, who in verie deed did so farre excell the kings that had reigned there before him, that the Greekes in remembrance of him were after called Danai.

But his brother Aegyptus, taking great disdaine for that he and his sonnes were in such sort despised of Danaus, sent his sonnes with a great armie to make warre against their vncle, giuing them in charge not to returne, till they had either slaine Danaus, or obtained his daughters in mariage.  The yoong gentlemen according to their fathers commandement, being arriued in Greece, made such warre against Danaus, that in the end he was constrained to giue vnto those his 50. nephues his 50. daughters, to ioine with them in mariage, and so they were.  But as the prouerbe saith, “In trust appeared treacherie.”  For on the first night of the mariage, Danaus deliuered to ech of his daughters a sword, charging them that when their husbands after their bankets and pastimes were once brought into a sound sleepe, ech of them should slea hir husband, menacing them with death vnlesse they fulfilled his commandement.  They all therefore obeied the will of their father, Hypermnestra onely excepted, with whom preuailed more the loue of kinred and wedlocke, than the feare of hir fathers displeasure:  for shee alone spared the life of hir husband Lynceus, waking him out of his sleepe, and warning him to depart and flee into Aegypt to his father.  He therefore hauing all the wicked practises reuealed to him by his wife, followed hir aduice, and so escaped.