Theseus, the true son of Neptune, had Hippolytus
by the Amazon Hippolyta, and afterward married Phaedra
the daughter of Minos, who fell deep in love with Hippolytus, and made use of the nurse's mediation to help
forward the incest. But Hippolytus upon this left Athens
and went away to Troezen, where he diverted himself with
[p. 472]
hunting. Now this lascivious woman, finding her design
disappointed, forged several scandalous letters to the prejudice of the chaste young man, and ended her days with a
halter. Theseus gave credit to the slander, and Neptune
having promised him a grant of any three things he would
ask, he made it his request that he would destroy Hippolytus. So Neptune sent a bull to the coast where Hippolytus
was driving his chariot, which put his horses into such a
fright, that they ran away with them, and overturning the
chariot killed the master.
Comminius Super, a Laurentine, had a son by the
nymph Egeria, whom he called Comminius; after which he
married one Gidica, who fell passionately in love with her
son-in-law. And receiving a repulse, she framed slanderous letters against him, which she left behind her, and
so hanged herself. Comminius, reflecting upon the crime
and believing the calumny, applied himself to Neptune,
who with a terrible bull frighted the horses so, while the
youth was in the chariot, that they overturned all, and
killed him with the fall.—Dositheus, Book Third of
Italian Histories.
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