Pelops the son of Tantalus and Euryanassa, had
two children, Atreus and Thyestes, by his wife Hippodamia; and by the Nymph Danais he had Chrysippus,
[p. 471]
whom he loved better than his lawful children. But Laius
the Theban in the heat of his lust forcibly abused his
body; and being taken by Atreus and Thyestes, obtained
his pardon from Pelops, in regard that love had provoked
him to it. Hippodamia's advice to Atreus and Thyestes
was, that they should kill Chrysippus, as one that would
interpose between them and the crown. Upon their refusal to do so base a thing, she herself put her own hands to
the work, and in the dead of the night took Laius's sword
when he was asleep, wounded Chrysippus with it, and left
the weapon in his body. This circumstance of Laius's
sword brought him into suspicion of the murder, till he
was cleared by Chrysippus himself, who, being as yet but
half dead, gave his testimony to the truth. Pelops buried
his son, and then banished his wife.—Dositheus, in his
Pelopidae.
Ebius Toliex had two sons by his wife Nuceria, and a
third called Firmus by an enfranchised woman, who was
very handsome and better beloved by the father than those
that were legitimate. Nuceria that hated this by-blow,
advised her sons to despatch Firmus; but upon their refusal, she did it herself; and in the dead of the night got
the sword of him that guarded the body of Firmus, gave
him a mortal wound, and left the weapon sticking in his
body. The boy cleared his keeper by a particular account
of the matter of fact; the father buried his son, and sent
away his wife into banishment.—Dositheus, Book Third
of his Italian History.
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