and retired into the wood, where he lived a considerable time, bewailing his misfortunes.
Constantia being in a monastry proved with child, which coming to the ears of Celia the upstart Queen, who was hated by all the court, contrived the death of Constantia and her infant.—In this extremity Constantia made her case known to one Palia, an old nurse whom the Queen had offended, who taking compassion on her case, promised her assistance.
The Queen and Constantia being each brought to-bed of a boy at the same time, the nurse changed the Queen’s for Constantia’s, purposing to carry it to Assyria, where Constantia told her the King its father by this time was; and to acquaint him with her condition, that he might take measures to relieve her. But the poor woman, having travelled for many miles, laid down the child at the edge of a forest, while she went to seek some food, was devoured by a lion, and the child left to desperate fortune; but providence ordered it so that Cothanus, a noble Assyrian, hunting with his lady
