that his cruelty made him odious to his subiects and his cowardise encouraged strange enemies to inuade his kingdome by meanes whereof England was sore afflicted with warre famine and pestilence In his time as a iust plague for his negligence in gouernment decaied the noble kingdome of England and became tributary to the Danes for euer when the Danes oppressed him with warre he would hire them away with sommes of mony without making any resistance against them in so much that from ten thousand pounds by the yeere the tribute arose in short space to fiftie thousand wherefore hee deuised a new trick and sought by trechery to destroy them sending secret commissioners to the Magistrats throughout the land that vpon a certaine day and houre assigned the Danes should sodainly and iointly bee murdered which massacre being performed turned to bee the cause of greater misery for Swaine king of Denmarke hearing of the murder of his countrymen landed with a strange armie in diuerse parts of this Realme and so cruelly without mercy and pitty spoiled the countrie and slew the people that the Emglishmen were brought to most extreame and vnspeakeable miserie and Egelrede the king driuen to flie with his wife and children to Richard duke of Normandie leauing the whole kingdome to be possessed of Swaine Edward the second of that name Stow. chron Phil Com. may well bee placed in this ranke for though hee was faire and well proportioned of body yet he was crooked and euill fauoured in conditions for he was so disposed to lightnesse and vanity that hee refused the company of his Lords and men of honor and haunted among villaines and vile persons he delighted in drinking and riot and loued nothing lesse than to keepe secret his owne counsailes though neuer so important so that he let the affaires of his kingdome run at sixe and at seuens to these vices he added the familiarity of certaine euill disposed fellows as Peirce de Gaueston and Hugh the Spencers whose wanton counsel he following neglected to order his Commonwealth by sadnesse discretion and iustice which thing caused first great variance betwixt him and his nobles so that shortly he became to them most odious and in the end was depriued of his kingdome for the Scots that were so curbed in his fathers daies now plaied reakes through his negligence and made many irruptions into his land killing discomfiting his men at three sundry battels besides Charles of Fraunce did him much scath vpon his lands in Gascoin and Guyan and at last Isabell his own wife with the help of Sir Iohn of Henault and his Henowaies to whoÌ„ the nobles commons gaue their assistance tooke him and depriued him of his crowne installed his young sonne Edward in his place keeping him in prison at Barteley where not long after hee was murdered by Sir Roger Mortimer CHAP. LXVII How rare and geason good Princes haue ben at all times IT appeareth by all these former histories what a multitude there hath ben of dissolute prowd cruell and vicious princes and of tyrants oppressors so that the number of good and vertuous ones seemeth to haue beene but small in comparison of them which is also intimated by the tenour of the histories of the kings of Iuda and Israell of whom being in number forty but tenne onely were found that pleased God in their raignes and they of Iuda yet of them ten one was corrupted in his old age fell away to vile iniquities but of Israel ther was not one that demeaned not himself euil in his estate and dealt not vniustly and wickedly before the Lord as for the first Emperors what maner of meÌ„ they were for the most part we haue already sufficiently declared Wherefore it was not vnfitly spokeÌ„ of him that iesting wise told the Emperour Claudius that al the good Caesars might be engraueÌ„ in one litle ring they were so few so that theÌ„ a king or prince indued with vertue bounty clemeÌ„cy that loueth his subiects endeth strifes kindleth concord is an especiall note of Gods fauor a gift inestimable and that people that haue such a prince for their support stay are infinitly blessed they lie as it were vpon a sunny banke and ride in a most safe and quiet hauen whilst other are exposed laid open to the cruelty of time and are tossed turmoiled with the waues of calamity oppression therfore this may be their song of mirth reioicing whilst other nations sing nothing but welladaies A sad afflicted soule all pale with griefe and wrong Being easd from sence of dole doth straightway change his song From mone to mirth for why his thicke and cloudie night Is turnd to purity of Tâ—tans glorious light The raging storme is past and feare of shipwrack gone Their weary ships at last a calmy shore haue wonne The pilot safely lies reposed vnder lee Not fearing frowne of skies or other miserie The strong and mighty blast of furious winds are still They doe no more downe cast huge firr trees at their will A pleasant gale succeeds of fruitfull Zephirus Which recreates the seeds of spring voluptuous Pack hence you wicked ones with all your equipage Of murdering champions enuenomed with rage Your horse are tir'd with toile and all your strengths pluckt down Your swords haue caught a foile by louely peaces crown O blessed glorious peace that beautifiest ech land And mak'st all dangers cease whereof in feare we stand Distill thy fauours pure which are immortall things On vs that lie secure in shadow of thy wings Euen those thy holy traine which still attendance yeeld Let them wax yong againe and flourish in our field Iustice and veritie which ballance right from wrong Let them attend on thee with equitie among Then shall the Swaines reioice vnder a figtree lien And sing with chearefull voice vntill the suns decline And all the world shall ring with ecchoes of our praise Which to the Lord our king we warble out alwaies The simple harmlesse lambe no greedy wolfe shall feare Nor kid new wean'd from dam shall stand in awe of beare But sheepe and wolfe shall make like friends one flock fold A fearelesse child shall take the rule of tygres old You flockes of Sion hill which through so many feares Of war and crosses still haue sowne your field with teares Take comfort to your hope straight comes the ioifull houre To reape a fruitfull crop for all your torments soure But alasse it commeth to passe through the sins and wickednesse of men that realms are oftentimes scarred with the alarmes and assaults of foes and strangely afflicted with many euils Esay 3. when as the state of gouernment is troubled and changed by the iniquities of the people CHAP. XLVIII That the greatest and mightiest cities are not exempt from punishment of their iniquities WHereas great and populous cities are as it were the eies of the earth as Athens and Sparta were said to
in murders but to come to the fact It was on this sort When Richard the vsurper had enioined Robert Brackenbury to this peece of seruice of murdering the yo â—g king Edward the fift his nephew in the tower with his brother the duke of York and saw it refused by him hee committed the charge of the murder to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the tower by the kings commission receiued the keies into his own hands and by the help of those two butchers Dighton Forest smothered the two princes in their bed buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames node back to king Richard who gaue him great thanks as some say made him knight for his labor All which things on euery part wel pondered it appeareth that God neuer gaue the world a notabler exaÌ„ple both of the vnconstancie of worldly weale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despitefull crueltie for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at S. Martins Sir Iames Tirrell died at the tower hill beheaded for treason king Richard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more then all the rest for it is most certenly reported that after this abominable deed done he neuer had quiet in his mind when hee went abroad his eie whirled about his body was priuily fenced his hand euer vpon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleepe short and vnquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start vp and leape out of his bed and runne about the chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abominable murder CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their superiours because of subsidies and taxes imposed vpon them AS it is not lawfull for children ro rebel against their parents though they be cruell and vnnaturall so also it is as vnlawfull for subiects to withstand their princes and gouernours though they be somewhat grieuous and burdensome vnto them which wee affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and vnmeasurable oppression vpon their subiects as shall be declared in the 35 chapter of this booke more at large but wee intreat only here of their duties which are in subiection to the power of other men whose authoritie they ought in no wise to resist vnlesse they oppose themselues against the ordinance of God Therfore this position is true by the word of God that no subiect ought by force to shake off the yoke of subiection and obedience due vnto his prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publike authoritie is imposed Giue saith the Apostle tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome pertaineth feare to whome feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grieuance and not the religion and seruice of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question wee ought with all patience to endure whatsoeuer burden or charge is laid vpon vs without moouing any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that haue otherwise behaued themselues these examples following will shew how well they haue bene appaied for their misdemeanours In the yeere of our Lord 1304 Nich. Gil. vol. 1. after that Guy Earle of Flaunders hauing rebelled against Philip the Faire his soueraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subiection and constrained to deliuer himselfe and his two sonnes prisoners into his hands the Flemmings made an insurrection against the kings part because of a certaine taxe which he had set vpon their ships that arriued at certaine hauens and vpon this occasion great warre diuers battels and sundry ouerthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the king remained conquerour and the Flemmings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the last battell sixe and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeeres after this Flemish stirre The same authour there arose a great commotion and hurlyburly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whome they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the kings pallace at his lodging in the temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all that day after neither the king nor any of his officers durst once stirre ouer the threshold nay they grew to that ouerflow of pride and insolencie that the victuals which were prouided for the kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwed vnder feet in the durt trampled vpon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their paines were hanged before their owne dores and in the citie gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixt the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which hee minded to lay vpon them banded themselues and conspired togither against him they determined once saith Froissard to haue beaten downe Loure and Saint Vincents castle Vol. 2. cap. 120. all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensiue to them But the king though young in yeeres handled them so ripely and handsomly Cap. 129. that hauing taken away from them their armour the city gates and chaines of the streets locked vp their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him Cap. 130. And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Nic. Gil. vol. 2. Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewys the Earle of Flanders Froiss vol. 2. cap. 97. for diuers taxes and tributes which hee had laid vpoÌ„ them which they in no respect would yeeld vnto The matter came to be decided by blows much blood was shed many losses endured on both sides as a means appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number then fiue or sixe thousand men Cap. 98. ouerthrew the Earls army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuite of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a begger to flie the citie And thus hee
sonne Ochosias that died without issue shee put to death all the blood roiall to wit the posterity of Nathan Salomons brother to whome by right of succession the inheritance of the crowne appertained to the end that shee might install her selfe into the kingly diademe after this cruell butchery of all the roiall male children except Ioas who by Gods prouidence was preserued aliue shee vsurped the crowne and scepter of Iuda full seuen yeeres at the end of which date Ioas was exalted to the crowne and she not onely deposed but slaine by the hands of her guard that attended vpon her Brunchild whome histories call Brunhault a Queene of France by marriage Aimon Nic. Gil. vol. 1. but a Spaniard by birth was a woman that bred much mischiefe in her age and that wrought many horrible and death-deseruing crimes for partly with her subtill deuises and partly with her owne hands shee murdered ten kings of France one after another shee caused her husband to slay his owne brother she procured the death of her nephew Meroueus whome against all equity and honestie she had secondly espoused for her husband for he being hated of his father for that vile incest and perceiuing himselfe in danger of taking made one of his owne seruants thrust him through After shee had committed these and many other foule factes shee went about also to defraud Clotairius the sonne of Chilpericke of the right of the crowne which pertained vnto him and to thrust in another in the roome Whereupon arose great warre in the which as shee dealt more boldly and manfully then the condition of her sexe would beare so she receiued the due wages of her braue and vertuous deeds for shee was taken prisoner with three of het nephewes whose throats she saw cut before her face and after her selfe was set vpon a camell and led through the host three daies togither euery man reuiling mocking reproching and despiting her and at last by the award and iudgement of the princes and captaines of the army shee was adiudged to be tyed by the haire of her head one arme one foot to the taile of a wild and vntamed horse and so to bee left to his mercy to be drawen miserably to her destruction which was no sooner executed but her miserable carkasse the instrument of so many mischiefes was with mens feet spurned bruised trampled and wounded after a most strange fashion and this was the wofull end of miserable Brunchild Let euery one both great and small learne by these examples to containe themselues within the limits of humanitie and not to bee so readie and prompt to the shedding of humane blood knowing nothing to be more true than this That he that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword CHAP. XV. Of such as without necessitie or conference vpon euery light cause mooue warre AS in surgerie so in a commonwealth we must account warre as a last refuge and as it were a desperate medicine which without very vrgent necessity when all other meanes of maintaining our estate against the assaults of the enemy faile ought not to be taken in hand and indeed the chiefe scope and marke that all those that lawfully vndertake warre Cic. Off. lib. 1. ought to propound to themselues should be nothing els but the good and quiet of the commonwealth with the peace and repose of euery member thereof And therefore so oft as any reasonable offers and conditions of peace are propounded they ought to be accepted to the end to auoid the masse of euils as ruines bloodsheds robberies which alwaies accompany warre as necessary attendants for whosoeuer doth not so but vpon euery light occasion runneth to armes and to trie the hazard of battaile they manifest their owne foolish and pernicious rashnes and their small conscience in shedding humane blood Amongst the good kings of Iuda Iosias for piety zeale in the seruice of God was most renowmed for hee purged the realme from all drosse of idolatry repaired the decaied temple and restored it to the first glory and yet for all this for committing this one crime he lost his life for as Nechao king of Aegypt was passing with an army towards the king of Babylon in Charcamis beside Euphrates to bid him battaile he would needs encounter him by the way 2. Chron. 35. and interrupt his iourney by vnprouoked warre yea though Nechao had by embassage assured him not to meddle with him but intreated onely free passage at his hand yet would not Iosias in any wise listen so opinionatiue and selfe willed was he but gaue him battaile in the field without any iust cause saue his owne pleasure which turned to his paine for he caught so many wounds at that skirmish that shortly after he died of them to â—he great griefe of the whole people and the Prophet Iereâ—â—e also that lamented his death King Iohn of France for refusing reasonable conditions of peace at the English mens hands was ouerthrowen by them two miles from Poytiers with a great ouerthrow Froiss vol. 1. Nic. Gil. vol. 2. for the Englishmen in regard of their owne small number and the huge multitude of the French to encounter with them timorously offered vp a surrender of all that they had either conquered taken or spoiled since their comming from Bordeaux and so to be sworne not to beare armes against him for seuen yeeres so that they might quietly depart But the king that crowed before the conquest affying too much in the multitude of his forces stopt his eares to all conditions not willing to heare of any thing but war war euen thinking to hew them in pieces without one escaping but it fell out otherwise for the Englishmen intrenching themselues in a place of aduantage and hard of accesse inclosed with thicke hedges and brambles disturbed and ouerthrew with their archers at the first onset the French horsemen and wounded most of their men and horses with multitude of arrowes it tarried not long ere the footmen also were put to flight on the other side the whole army of threescore thousand men by bare eight thousand English discomfited diuers great lords were found slaine in the field and diuers others with the king himselfe carried prisoners into England which was a great shake to the whole Realme and the occasion of many tumults and disorders that ensued afterwards Moreouer as it is a rash part to hazard the doubtfull euent of battaile indiscretely and without cause so it is a point of no lesse folly to thrust ones selfe voluntarily into any action of war without charge not being particularly called and bound thereunto or hauing a body vnsufficient and vnfit for the same And this was also one of the warlike points of discipline which the ancient Romans vsed That none should presume to fight for his countrey before hee had beene admitted by some captaine by a solemne oath Of all the histories that I euer read I know none
Caracalla tooke to wife his mother in law allured thereunto by her faire enticements whose wretched and miserable end hath already beene touched in the tenth Chapter of this booke The Emperour Heraclius after the decease of his first wife married his owne neece the daughter of his brother which turned mightily to his vndoing for besides that that vnder his raigne and as it were by his occasion the Saracens entred the borders of Christendome and spoiled and destroied his dominions vnder his nose to his soule and vtter disgrace hee was ouer and aboue smitten corporally with so grieuous and irkesome a disease of dropsie that hee died thereof Thus many men run riot by assuming to themselues too much libertie and breake the bounds of ciuill honesty required in all contracts and too audaciously set themselues against the commaundement of God which ought to be of such authority with all men that none be they neuer so great should dare to derogate one iot from them vnlesse they meant wholly to oppose themselues as profest enemies to God himselfe and to turne all the good order of things into confusion All which notwithstanding some of the Romish Popes haue presumed to encroch vpon Gods right and to disanull by their foolish decrees the lawes of the almightie Sleid. lib. 9. As Alexander the sixt did who by his bull approoued the incestuous marriage of Ferdinand king of Naples with his owne Aunt his father Alphonsus sister by the fathers side which otherwise saith Cardinall Bembus had beene against all law and equitie and in no case to be tollerated and borne withall Henry the seuenth king of England after the death of his eldest sonne Arthur caused by the speciall dispensation of Pope Iulius his next sonne named Henry to take to wife his brothers widdow called Katherine daughter to Ferdinando king of Spaine for the desire hee had to haue this Spanish affinitie continued who succeeding his father in the crowne after continuance of time began to aduise himselfe and to consult whether this marriage with his brothers wife might be lawfull or no and found it by conference both of holy and prophane lawes vtterly vnlawfull whereupon hee sent certain bishops to the Queene to giue her to know That the Popes dispensation was altogither vniust and of none effect to priuiledge such an act to whome shee answered that it was too late to call in question the Popes bull which so long time they had allowed of The two Cardinals that were in Commission from the Pope to decide the controuersie and to award iudgement vpon the matter were once vpon point to conclude the decree which the king desired had not the Pope impeached their determination in regard of the Emperour Charles nephew to the said Queene whome hee was loth to displease wherefore the king seeing himselfe frustrate of his purpose in this behalfe sent into diuers countries to know the iudgement of all the learned Diuines concerning the matter in controuersie who especially those that dwelt not farre off seemed to allow and approoue the diuorce thereupon hee resolued reiecting his old wife to take him to a new and to marry as he did Anne of Bullaine one of the Queenes maids of honour a woman of most rare and excellent beauty Now as touching his first marriage with his brothers wife how vnfortunate it was in it owne nature and how vniustly dispensed withall by the Pope we shall anon see by those heauie sorrowfull and troublesome euents and issues which immediatly followed in the necke thereof And first and foremost of the euill fare of the Cardinall of Yorke with whome the king beeing highly displeased for that at his instance and request the Pope had opposed himselfe to this marriage requited him and not vndeseruedly on this manner First he deposed him from the office of the Chancellourship secondly depriued him of two of his three bishopricks which he held lastly sent him packing to his owne house as one whom hee neuer purposed more to see Yet afterward being aduertised of certaine insolent and threatning speeches which hee vsed against him hee sent againe for him but he not daring to refuse to come at his call died in the way with meere griefe and despight The Pope gaue his definitiue sentence against this act and fauoured the cause of the diuorced ladie But what gained hee by it saue onely that the king offended with him reiected him and all his trumperie retaining his yearely tribute leuied out of this realme and conuerted it to another vse and this was the recompence of his goodly dispensation with an incestuous mariage wherein although to speake truly and properly he lost nothing of his owne yet it was a deepe checke and no shallow losse to him and his successors to be depriued of so goodly a reuenue and so great authoritie in this realme as hee then was CHAP. XXV Of Adulterie SEeing that marriage is so holy an institution and ordinance of God as it hath been shewed to be it followeth by good right that the corruption thereof namely Adulterie whereby the bond of marriage is desolued should bee forbidden for the woman that is polluted therewith despiseth her owne husband yea and for the most part hateth him and foisteth in strange seed euen his enemies brats in stead of his owne not onely to bee fathered but also to bee brought vp and maintained by him and in time to bee made inheritours of his possessions which thing being once known must needs stirre vp coles to set anger on fire and set a broch much mischiefe and albeit that the poore infants are innocent and guiltlesse of the crime yet doth the punishment and ignominy thereof redound to them because they can not be reputed as legitimate but are euer marked with the blacke cole of bastardy whilst they liue so grieuous is the guilt of this sinne and vneasie to be remooued For this cause the very heathen not onely reprooued adultery euermore but also by authority of law prohibited it and allotted to death the offenders therein Abimelech king of the Philistims a man without circumcision and therefore without the couenant Gen. 26. knowing by the light of nature for he knew not the law of God how sacred and inuiolable the knot of marriage ought to bee expressely forbad all his people from doing any iniury to Isaac in regard of his wife and from touching her dishonestly vpon paine of death Out of the same fountaine sprang the words of Queen Hecuba in Euripides speaking to Menelaus as touching Helen when she admonished him to enact this law That euery woman which should betray her husbands credit and her owne chastitie to another man should die the death In old time the Aegyptians vsed to punish adultery on this sort the man with a thousand ierkes with a reed Diodor. and the woman with cutting off her nose but hee that forced a free woman to his lust had his priuie members cut off By the law of
thē which was forthwith performed for the two duellists entring the lists sell presently to strokes and that so eagerly that in short space the quarrell was decided the Lord of Carouge husband of the wronged lady remained conquerour after he had slaine his enemie that had wronged him so wickedly disloially the vanquished was foorthwith deliuered to the hangman of Paris who dragged him to mount Falcon and there hanged him Now albeit this forme and custome of deciding controuersies hath no ground nor warrant either from humane or Diuine law God hauing ordained onely an oath to end doubts where proofes and witnesses faile yet doubtlesse the Lord vsed this as an instrument to bring the trecherous and cruell Adulterer to the deserued punishment and shame which by deniall he thought to escape A certaine Seneschall of Normandy Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 1. perceiuing the vicious and suspitious behauiour of his wife with the steward of his house watched them so narrowly that hee tooke them in bed togither hee slew the Adulterer first and after his wife for not all her pittifull cryings for mercie with innumerable teares for this one fault and holding vp in her armes the children which she had borne vnto him no nor her house and parentage being sister to Lewis the eleuenth then king could not withhold him from killing her with her companion Howbeit king Lewis neuer made shew of anger Lanquet chron or offence for her death Messelina the wife of Claudius the Emperour was a woman of so notable incontinency that she would contend with the common harlots in filthie pleasure at last shee fell in loue with a faire young Gentleman called Silius and to obtaine more commodiously her desire she caused his wife Sillana to be diuorced and notwithstanding she was wife to the Emperor there liuing yet shee openly married him for which cause after great complaint made to the Emperour by the Nobles she was worthely put to death Abusahed king of Fez was with six of his children murdered at once by his secretary for his wiues sake whom hee had abused Paulus Iouius Tom. 2. lib. 38. Sleid lib. 10. And it is not long sithence the two cities Dalmendine and Delmedine were taken from the king of Fez brought vnder the Portugall dominion only for the rauishment of a woman whom the gouernour violently tooke from her husband to abuse and was slaine for his labour CHAP. XXVII Other examples like vnto the former Munst Cosm lib. 3. Casp Hed. histor Ecclesiast MAry of Arragon wife to Otho the third was so vnchast and lasciuious a woman and withall barren for they commonly goe together that shee could neuer satisfie her vnsatiable lust she carried about with her continually a young lecher in womans clothes to attend vpon her person with whome she daily committed filthinesse who being suspected was in the presence of many vntired and found to be a man for which villany he was burnt to death Howbeit the Empresse though pardoned for her fault returned to her old vomit continued her wanton trafficke with more then either desired or loued her companie at last shee fell in loue with the countie of Mutina a gallant man in personage too honest to be allured with her stale though hee was often solicited by her wherefore like a Tygre she accused him to the Emperour for extreame loue conuerts to extreame hatred if it bee crossed of offering to rauish her against her will for which cause the Emperor Otho caused him to loose his head but his wife being priuy to the innocency of her husband trauersed his cause and required iustice that though his life was lost yet his reputation might be preserued and to prooue his innocency shee miraculously handled yron red with heat without any hurt which when the Emperour saw searching out the cause very narrowly hee found out his wiues villany and for her paines caused her to bee burned at a stake but on the Earles wife he bestowed great rewards euen foure castels in recompence of her husband though no reward could counteruaile that so great a losse Rodoaldus the eight king of Lumbardie Chron. Phil. Melanct. lib. 3. being taken in Adulterie euen in the fact by the husband of the adulteresse was slaine without delay Anno 659 in like sort Iohn Malatesta slew his wife and the adulterer together when hee tooke them amidst their embracements So did one Lodewicke steward of Normandy kill his wife Carlotta and her louer Iohn Lauernus as they were in bed togither Hedion in his Chronicle telleth of a Doctor of the law that loued his proctors wife Casp Hed. pars 4. with whome as hee acquainted himselfe ouer familiarly and vnhonestly both at her owne house when her husband was absent and at a bath in an old womans house hard by the proctor watched their haunt so neare that hee caught them naked together in the bath and so curried the lecherous doctor with a curry-combe that he scraped out his eies and off his priuy members so that within three daies after he died his wife he spared because shee was with child otherwise she should haue tasted the same sauce Another story like vnto this he telleth of a Popish priest that neuer left to lay siege to the chastitie of an honest Matrone till she cōdiscended to his desire brought him into the snare and caused her husband to geld him I would to God that all that dishonour their profession by filthie actions might bee serued after the same manner that there might bee fewer bastards and bauds and common strumpets than there are now adaies and that since the feare of God is extinguished in their soules the feare and certaintie of suddaine iudgements might restraine them Wolfius Schrenk reported to Martin Luther how in Vaytland four murders were committed vpon the occasion of one Adultery for whilst the Adulteresse strumpet was banquetting with her louers her husband came in with a hunting speare in his hand and stroke him through that sat next vnto her and then her also other two in the meane while leapt downe the staires with feare and hast broke their armes and shortly after died Theat histor A certaine Cardinall committed daily Adulterie with a mans wife that winked as it were subscribed vnto it wherfore her brother taking this dishonor to his house in euil part watched when the lecher had promised to come but vpon occasion came not in the darke slew his sister and her husband supposing it to haue ben the Cardinall but whē he perceiued his error he fled the country for fear of the law howbeit before his departure he wrought such means that whom hee missed in his purpose of the sword him hee murdered by poison this iudgement is not only for adulterers but for wittals also that yeeld their consents to the dishonoring of their own wiues a monstrous kind of creatures and degenerat not only from the law of humanity but of
it is grounded vpon reason and equitie we find no permission giuen to kings to vse the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed vpon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as diuers worthy authors auouch their owne vertues vnd good behauiour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first vnto that honor Cic. lib. 3. de legibus Aug. de ciuitat Dei lib. 4. c. 6. And truely there is nothing more rightfull and iust in mans societie than that euery one should possesse and enioy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of iustice are established called lawes which no good kings will euer seeke to stand against They are indeed lords of the earth as some say and truly but so that their lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the proprietie of goods and possession remaineth vntouched Lib. 7. c. â— 5. de benefictis To kings saith Seneca pertaineth the soueraignty ouer all things but to priuat men the proprietie Tiberius Caesar being sollicited by the gouernours of the prouinces to lay heauier tributes and leuy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painym this notable answer That a good shepheard ought to sheare his sheepe not to flea them Saint Lewes that good king amongst all his otherwise and vertuous exhortations which he gaue vnto his sonne before his death this was none of the least nor last Nic. Gil. That he should neuer craue any taxe or subsidie of his subiects but vpon vrgent necessitie and very iust cause and that if he did otherwise hee should not be reputed for a king but for a tyrant CHAP. XXXVII Of those that haue vsed too much crueltie towards their subiects in Taxes and Exactions IT is cleare then by these foresaid assumptions that a king may not impose vpon his subiects vnmeasurable taxes and subsidies least hee make himselfe guiltie of extortion the roote and fountaine many times of many great mischiefes and inconueniences and in very deed from whence oftener changes seditions and ruines of common-wealths haue proceeded than from any other cause beside What happened to Roboam king of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subiects but the defection of the greater part of his kingdome from him for being come to the crowne after the death of his father Salomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens hee despising the counsell of his sage and ancient counsellours 1. King 12. and following the giddy aduise of his young companions gaue them a most sharpe and soure reply saying That if his father had laid a heauie yoke vpon them hee would encrease it and if hee had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they reuolted from him all saue the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and stoned to death his collectours and chose them another king to rule ouer them thus Roboam was depriued of ten parts of his kingdome thorough his own vnaduised tyranny and fled all amazed vnto Ierusalem where he liued all his daies without recouery of the same Achaeus king of Lydia was hanged vp against a hill and his head throwne into a riuer running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Plutarch apoâ—h Reg. Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowmed tyrant not only in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his vniust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that albeit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complaine and lament their case continually yet hee diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and suckt and gnew out all that euer hee could vntill hee left them naked empty and dispoiled to conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters Frog lib. 21. after he had bene discomfited by the Carthaginians was slaine by his seruants Of the Romane Emperours that most vexed the comminalty with tributes and taxes these three were chiefe Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whome this latter did most pill and pull the people and would often say Dion Xiph. That the gold siluer of the kingdome pertained in right to none but him being reprooued of his mother at a time for his immoderate excessiue expences saying That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had alreadie spent hee made her this answer That shee should take no care for that for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword which hee held naked before her hee would not want money This is the sword which many now adaies after the example of Caracalla haue taken vp to cut out by force and violence a way to their owne wils and to cut the throat of equitie iustice and to compell the poore people to forgoe their goods and surrender them into their hands Now how odious and hatefull these three were made vnto the people by their owne wicked demeanours their miserable ends do sufficiently testifie which we haue already before mentioned and meane afterward more at large to speake of The Emperour Constance sonne to Constantine whose father was Heraclius coÌ„ming at a time out of Greece to Rome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 4. abode there but fiue daies but in that short space committed so much outrage in ransacking the temples and other publike places and carrying away so many rich ornaments and pictures whereof those places then abounded that in mans remembrance noforraine barbarous enemy hauing taken the city by force of warre euer went away with the like spoile besides hee did so oppresse the allies and tributaries of the Empire and chiefly the Siciliens with taxes and imposts that many of them were constrained to sell their children for money to satisfie his extortion and by this meanes he scraped togither an infinit masse of rapins and euill gotten goods but enioyed the sweet of them not very long for very soone after hee was murdered by his owne men of warre in his returne out of Sicilie and all that spoile which he had vniustly surprised was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Saracens that then inhabited the city Panorme Lewis the eleuenth king of France after hee had ouercharged his subiects with too grieuous burdens of paiments and taxes fell into such a timerous conceit feare of death as neuer any man did the like hee attempted all meanes of auoiding or delaying the same as first during his sicknesse he gaue his phisition monethly ten thousand crownes by that meanes to creepe into his fauour wherein hee beeing in all other
recompence of his malice Nice li. 4. c. 26. which custome as it was laudable and necessary so was it put in execution at diuerse times as namely vnder the Emperor Commodus when a prophane wretch accused Apollonius a godly profest Christiā afterward a constant martyr of Christ Iesus before the iudges of certaine greeuous crimes which when he could by no colour or likelihood of truth conuince proue they adiudged him to that ignominious punishment to haue his legs broken because he had accused defamed a man without cause Eustathius bishop of Antioch a man famous for eloquence in speech vprightnesse of life Nicep li. 8. c. 46. whē as he impugned the heresie of the Arians was circumuented by them and deposed from his bishoprick by this meanes they suborned a naughtie strumpet to come in with a child in her armes and in an open synode of two hundred fiftie bishops to accuse him of Adultery to sweare that he had got that child of her body which though hee denied constantly no iust proofe could bee brought against him yet the impudent strumpets oth tooke such place that by the Emperours censure hee was banished from his bishopricke howbeit ere long his innocencie was knowne for the said strumpet being deseruedly touched with the finger of Gods iustice in extreame sicknesse confessed the whole practise how shee was suborned by certaine Bishops to slander this holy man and that yet shee was not altogether a lier for one Eustathius a handy-crafts man got the child as she had sworne and not Eustathius the bishop The like slander the same heretikes deuised against Athanasius in a synode conuocated by Constantine the Emperour at Tyrus Phil. Melanct. chro lib. 3. Nicep li. 9. c. 23. for they suborned a certaine leud woman to exclaime vpon the holy man in the open assembly for rauishing of her that last night against hir will which slander he shifted of by this deuise hee sent Timotheus the presbiter of Alexandria into the synode in his place who comming to the woman asked her before them all whether she durst say that hee had rauished her to whom she replied yea I swear and vow that thou hast done it for she supposed it to haue ben Athanasius whom shee neuer saw whereat the whole synode perceiued the cauill of the lying Arrians and quitted the innocencie of that good man Howbeit these malicious heretiks seeing this practise not to succeed inuented another worse than the former for they accused him to haue slaine one Arsenius whom they themselues kept secret and that hee carried one of his hands about him wherewith he wrought miracles by enchātment but Arsenius touched by the spirit of God stole away from thē came to Athanasius to the end he should receiue no dammage by his absence whom he brought into the iudges and shewed them both his hands confounded his accusers with shame of their malice insomuch as they ran away for feare and satisfied the iudges both of his integrity and their enuious calumniation the chiefe broker of all this mischiefe was Stephanus bishop of Antioch but he was degraded from his bishoprick and Leontius elected in his roome Histor tripart Hetherto we may adde the example of one William Feming who accused an honest man called Iohn Cooper of speaking traiterous words against Queene Mary and all because he would not fell him two goodly bullockes which he much desired for which cause the poore man being arraigned at Berry in Suffolke was condemned to death by reason of two false witnesses which the said Feming had suborned for that purpose whose names were White and Greenewood so this poore man was hanged drawne and quartered and his goods taken from his poore wife and nine children which are left destitute of all helpe but as for his false accusers one of them died most miserably for in haruest time being well and lusty of a sodaine his bowels fell out of his body and so hee perished the other two what ends they came vnto it is not reported but sure the Lord hath reserued a sufficient punishment for all such as they are Acts and mon. pag 2100. Many more be the examples of this sinne and iudgements vpon it as the pilleries at Westminster and daily experience beareth witnesse but these that wee haue alledged shall suffice for this purpose because this sin is cousen Germane vnto periurie of which you may read more at large in the former booke It should now follow by course of order if wee would not pretermit any thing of the law of God to speake of such as haue offended against the tenth commandement what punishment hath ensued the same but for so much as all such offences for the most part are encluded vnder the former of which we haue alreadie spoken and that there is no adultery nor fornication nor theft nor vniust-warre but it is annexed to and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an euill and disordinate concupiscense as the effect from the cause therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them more than may well be collected out of the former examples added hereunto that in simple concupiscense and affection of doing euill which commeth not to act though it be in the sight of God condemned to euerlasting torments yet it doth not so much incurre and prouoke his indignation that a man should for that onely cause be brought to apparant destruction and be made an example to others to whome the sinne is altogither darke and vnknowne therefore wee will proceed in our purpose without intermedling in speciall with this last commandement CHAP. XLV That kings and princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughtie and corrupt manners NO man ought to be ignorant of this that it is the duty of a prince not onely to hinder the course of sinne from bursting into action but also to punish the doers of the same making both ciuill iustice to be administred vprightly and the law of God to be regarded and obserued inuiolably for to this end are they ordained of God that by their means euery one might liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie to the which end the maintenance and administration of iustice beeing most necessary they ought not so to discharge themselues of it as to translate it vpon their officers and iudges but also to looke to the execution thereof themselues as it is most needfull for if law which is the foundation of iustice be as Plato saith a speechlesse and dumbe magistrate who shall giue voice and vigour vnto it if not hee that is in supreame and soueraigne authority for which cause the king is commaunded in Deuteronomie Deu. 17.18 19 To haue before him alwaies the booke of the law to the end to doe iustice and iudgement to euery one in the feare of God And before the creation of kings
in Israel the chiefe captaines and soueraignes amongst them were renowmed with no other title nor quality than of Iudges In the time of Deborah the Prophetesse though shee was a woman the weaker vessell yet because shee had the conducting and gouerning of the people they came vnto her to seeke iudgement It is said of Samuel that hee iudged Israel so long till being tired with age and not able to beare that burden any longer he appointed his sonnes for iudges in his stead who when through couetousnesse they peruerted iustice Iudg. 4. 1. Sam. 7.8 and did not execute iudgement like their father Samuel they gaue occasion to the people to demaund a king that they might be iudged gouerned after the manner of other nations which things sufficiently declared that in old time the principall charge of kings was personally to administer iustice and iudgement and not as now to transfer the eare thereof to others The same we read of king Dauid of whome it is said That during his raigne 1. Chron. 18. he executed iustice and iudgement among his people and in another place that men came vnto him for iudgement 2. Sam. 15. and therefore hee disdained not to heare the complaint of the woman of Tekoah shewing himselfe herein a good prince and as the angell of God to heare good and euill 2. Sam. 14. for this cause Salomon desired not riches nor long life of the Lord but a wise and discreete heart to iudge his people 1. King 3. and to discerne betwixt good and euill which request was so agreeable and acceptable to God that he graunted it vnto him so that he obtained such an excellent measure of incomparable wisdome that hee was commended and reputed more for it than for all his great riches and pretious treasures beside there is mention mad◠in the booke of the kings of his iudiciall throne wherein hee vsed to sit and heare the causes of the people and execute iustice among them and albeit he was the most puissant and glorious king of the earth yet notwithstanding hee scorned not to heare two harlots plead before him about the controuersie of a dead infant Ioram king of Israel son of Achab 2. King 6. though a man that walked not vprightly before God but gaue himselfe to worke abomination in his sight yet he despised not the complaint of the poore affamished woman of Samaria when shee demanded iustice at his hands although it was in the time of warre when lawes vse to be silent and in the besieging and famishment of the citie neither did hee reiect the Sunamites request for the recouery of her house lands 2. King 8. but caused them to be restored vnto her So that then it is manifest that those kings which in old time raigned ouer the people of God albeit they had in euery city Iudges yea and in Ierusalem also as it appeareth in the 19 chapter of the second book of Chronicles yet they ceased not for all that to giue eare to suites and complaints that were made vnto them and to decide controuersies that came to their knowledge and for this cause it is that Wisdome saith That by her kings raigne Prou 8.15 and princes decree iustice whereunto also belongeth that which is said in another place That a king sitting in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eyes Prou. 20.8 Moreouer that this was the greatest part of the office and duty of kings in ancient times to see the administration of iustice Homer the Poet may bee a sufficient witnesse when hee saith of Agamemnon That the scepter and law was committed to him by God to do right to euery man answerable to the which Virgil describing the Queene of Carthage saith Shee sate in iudgement in the midst of her people as if there was nothing more beseeming such a person than such an action And therefore the Poets not without cause faigne Iupiter alwaies to haue Themis that is to say Iustice at his elbow signifying thereby not that whatsoeuer kings or princes did was iust and lawfull bee it neuer so vile in it owne nature as that wanton flatterer Anaxarthus said to Alexander but that equity iustice should alwaies accōpany thē neuer depart from their sides And hereupon it was that Acacus Minos and Radamanthus the first king of Grecia were so renowmed of old antiquity because of their true and vpright execution of iustice and therefore were not honoured with any greater title than the name of Iudges Plutarch It is said of king Alexander that although he was continually busied in the affaires of warre and of giuing battailes yet he would sit personally in iudgement to heare criminall causes and matters of importance pleaded and that whilst the accuser laid open his accusation he would stop one eare with his hand to the end that the other might bee kept pure and without preiudice for the defence and answer of the accused The Romane Emperours also were very carefull and diligent in this behalfe Sueton. as first Iulius Caesar who is recorded to haue taken great paines in giuing audience to parties and in dealing iustice betwixt them In like manner Augustus Caesar is commended for his care and trauaile in this behalfe for he would ordinarily sit in iudgement vpon causes and controuersies of his subiects and that with such great delight and pleasure that often times night was faine to interrupt his course before his will was to relinquish it yea though hee found himselfe euill at ease yet would hee not omit to apply himselfe to the diuision of iudgement or else calling the parties before him to his bed The Emperour Claudius though a man otherwise of a dull and grosse spirit yet in this respect hee discharged the dutie of a good prince for that hee would intermeddle with hearing his subiects causes and doe right vnto them He chaunced once to make a very prety and witty end of a sute betwixt a sonne and his mother who denying and disclaiming him to be her sonne was by the Emperour commanded to marry him so least shee should agree to that mischiefe was constrained to acknowledge and auow him for her sonne and to be short it was very ordinary and vsuall among the Emperours to take knowledge of matters controuerted but especially of criminall and capitall causes by meanes whereof the Apostle Paul desirous to shew the iudgement and lyings in waight of his enemies the Iewes appealed from them to Caesar which he would neuer haue done if Caesar had not in some sort vsed to meddle with such affaires and for further proofe hereof hither may be added the saying which is reported of Nero in the beginning of his raigne That when he should signe with his hand a sentence of death against a condemned person hee wished that he could neither wright nor read to the end to auoid that necessary action The bold answer of an old
woman to the Emperour Adrian is very worthy to be remembred Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 2. who appealing and complaining to the Emperour of some wrong when hee answered that he was not at leisure then to heare her sute shee told him boldly and plainly That then he ought not to be at leisure to be her Emperour which speech went so neare the quicke vnto him that euer after he shewed more facilitie and courtesie towards all men that had any thing to do with him The kings of Fraunce vsed also this custome of hearing and deciding their subiects matters as wee read of Charlemaigne the king and Emperour who commanded that he should be made acquainted with all matters of importance and their issues throughout his realme King Lewes the first treading the steps of his father Charlemaigne accustomed himselfe three daies in a weeke to heare publikely in his pallace the complaints and grieuances of his people and to right their wrongs and iniuries King Lewes sirnamed the Holy Aimo a little before his death gaue in charge to his sonne that should succeed him in the crowne amongst other this precept To be carefull to beare a stroke in seeing the distribution of iustice and that it should not be peruerted not depraued CHAP. XLVI Of such princes as haue made no reckening of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their people IT cannot choose but be a great confusion in a common-wealth when iustice sleepeth and when the shamelesse boldnesse of euill doers is not curbed in with any bridle but runneth it owne swinge and therefore a Consull of Rome could say That it was an euill thing to haue a prince vnder whome license and libertie is giuen to euery man to doe what him listeth for so much then as this euill proceedeth from the carelesnes and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of gouernment in their hands it can not be but some euill must needs fall vpon them for the same The truth of this may appeare in the person of Philip of Macedonie whome Demosthenes the oratour noteth for a treacherous and false dealing prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open warre as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory hee celebrated at one time the marriage of his sonne Alexander whome hee had lately made king of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificense as hee was marching with all his traine betwixt the two bridegroomes his owne sonne his sonne in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnitie of the marriage behold suddenly a young Macedonian gentleman called Pausanias ran at him and slew him in the midst of the prease for not regarding to doe him iustice when hee complained of an iniury done vnto him by one of the peeres of his realme Plutarch Tatius the fellow king of Rome with Romulus for not doing iustice in punishing certaine of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certaine Embassadors which came to Rome and for making their impunitie an example for other malefactours by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watcht by the kindred of the slaine that they slew him euen as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtaine iustice at his hands What happened to the Romanes for refusing to deliuer an Embassadour Tit. Liuius Plutarch who contrary to the law of nations comming vnto them plaid the part of an enemie to his own country euen well nigh the totall ouerthrow of them and their citie for hauing by this meanes brought vpon themselues the calamitie of warre they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew al that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many daies spent in the pillage spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and vtterly destroied the whole city Childericke king of France Paul Aemil. is notified for an extreame dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard vnto his realme but that liued idly and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the common wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them vpon Pepin his lieutenant generall therefore was by him iustly deposed from his roiall dignity mewed vp in a cloister of religion to become a monke because he was vnfit for any good purpose albeit that this sudden change mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the realme thereupon so odious was hee become to the whole land for his drowsie and idle disposition Paul Aemil. For the same cause did the princes Electours depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his roome King Richard of England amongst other foule faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeues and robbers to roue vp and down the land vnpunished for which cause the citizens of London coÌ„menced a high sute against him coÌ„pelled him hauing raigned 22 yeres to lay aside the crown resigne it to another in the presence of all the states died prisoner in the Tower Moreouer this is no small defect of iustice when men of authority do not only pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and fauour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soueraigne prince without ouerpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wise dispence with the law of God Exod. 21. whereunto euen kings themselues are subiect for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Dâ—ut 19. Thou shalt plucke him from my altar saith the Lord that hee may die thy eye shall not spare him to the end it may goe well with thee which was put in practise in the death of Ioab 1 King 2. who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands vpon the hornes of the Altar for hee is no lesse abominable before God that iustifieth the wicked Prou 17. than hee that condemneth the iust and hereupon that holy king S. Lewes when hee had granted pardon to a malefactour Nich. Gilles reuoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That hee would giue no pardon except the case deserued pardon by the law for it was a worke of charitie and pittie to punish an offender and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeere of our Lord 978 Egebrede the sonne of Edgare end Alphred king of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly giuen to idlenesse and abhorring all princely exercises besides he was a louer of riot drunkennesse and vsed extreame cruelty towards his subiects hauing his eares open to all vniust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so
necessarie points concerning this matter CHAP. IIII. How the iustice of God is more euidently declared vpon the mighty ones of this world then vpon any other and the cause why SEeing then that these men are more guiltie and culpable of sinne then any other they deserue so much a more grieuous punishment by how much their misdeedes are more grieuous Psal 58 11. for doubtlesse There is a God that iudgeth the earth as the Psalmist saith who as he is benigne and mercifull towards those that fear and obey him so he will not suffer iniquitie to goe vnpunished This is he saith the Prophet that executeth iustice mercie and iudgement vpon the earth for if it be the dutie of an earthly prince to exercise not onely clemencie and gentlenesse but also sharpenesse and seueritie thereby by punishing and chastising malefactors to suppresse all disorders in the Commonwealth then it is verie necessarie that the iustice of our great God to whom all soueraine rule and authority belongeth and who is the Iudge of the whole world should either manifest it selfe in this world or in the world to come and chiefly towardes them which are in the highest places of account who being more hardned and bold to sinne doe as boldly exempt themselues from all corrections and punishments due vnto them being altogether vnwilling to bee subiect to any order of iustice or law whatsoeuer and therefore by how much the more they cannot bee punished by man and that humane lawes can lay no hold vpon them so much the rather God himselfe becommeth executioner of his owne iustice vpon their pates and in such sort that euery man may perceiue his hand to be vpon them Let anie aduersitie or affliction light vpon a man of low degree or vvhich is poore and desolate no man considereth of it rightly but talking thereof men cease not to impute the cause of this poore soules miserie either to pouertie or want of succour or some other such like cause Therefore if anie such be in griefe or by chance fallen into some pit and drowned or robbed killed in the way by theeues straight way this is the saying of the vvorld That it commeth thus to passe either because hee vvas alone without companie or destitute of helpe or not well looked to and regarded and thus they passe ouer the matter But as concerning great men vvhen they are anie vvay afflicted no such pretences or excuses can be alleaged seeing they want neither seruants to attend vpon them nor any other means of help to succour them therefore when these men are ouertaken and surprised vvith anie great euill which by no meanes they can eschew whē their bold and wicked enterprises are pursued concluded with strange and lamentable euents in this wee must acknowledge an especiall hand of God who can entangle and pull downe the prowdest and arrogantest he that liues those whom the world feareth to meddle vvith all these prowd gallants are they against whom God displaieth his banner of power more openly then against meaner and baser persons because these poore soules find oftentimes to their paines that they are punished vvithout cause and tormented and vexed by those Tyrants not hauing committed any offence at all to deserue it whereas as Philip Comine saith vvho dare be so bold as to controll or reprehend a King and his fauorites or to make inquirie of his misdeedes or hauing made inquisition of them who dare presume to enforme the Iudge thereof Who dare stand vp to accuse them Who dare sit downe to iudge them Nay vvho dare take knowledge of them And lastly vvho dare assay to punish them Seeing then in this case that our vvorldly iustice hath her handes bound behind her from executing that which is right it must needs bee that the soueraine Monarch of heauen and earth should mount vp into his throne of iudgement and from thence giue his definitiue vnchaungeable sentence to deliuer vp the most guilty and hainous sinners to those paines and torments which they haue deserued and that after a strange and extraordinarie manner which may serue for an example to all others CHAP. V. How all men both by the law of God and Nature are inexcusable in their sinners NOw to the end that no man should pretend ignorance for an excuse God hath bestowed vpon euery one a certaine knowledge and iudgement of good and euill which being naturally engraued in the tables of mans heart is commonly called The law of nature whereby euery man 's owne conscience giueth sufficient testimony vnto it selfe when in his most secret thoughts it either accuseth or excuseth him for there is not a man liuing which doth not know in his owne heart that he doth an euill deed when he wrongeth another although he had neuer bene instructed elsewhere in that point So although that in Tarquinius Superbus time Cicero saith there was no written law established in Rome forbidding the rauishing and deflouring of wiues and virgines yet the wicked sonne of this Tarquine was not therefore lesse guilty of an hainous crime when contrary to the law of nature hee violently robbed Lucrece of her chastity for no man can be ignorant that it is a most grieuous crime to lay siege to the chastitie of a maried woman with such outrage and so the whole people of Rome did esteeme of it as a crime most wicked strange and intollerable and worthy of grieuous punishment Euery man knoweth thus much that he ought not to do that to another which he would not another should do to him which sentence the Emperour Seuerus made alwaies to be spoken aloud and declared by the sound of the trumpet in the way of aduertisement as often as punishment was taken vpon any offender as if it were a generall law pertaining to all men This is that equity iustice which ought to be ingrafted in our hearts wherof nature herself is the schoolmistresse from this fountaine all humane and ciuill lawes are deriued if we had not rather say that they are deriued from that true spring of equity which is in the law of God which law he hath giuen for a plaine and familiar manifestation of his will concerning iust holy and reasonable things touching the seruice honour and glorie which is due vnto himselfe and the mutuall dutie friendship and good will which men owe one to another whereunto he exhorteth and entiseth euery one by faire and gratious promises and forbiddeth the contrarie by great and terrible threatnings so gentle mercifull is he towards vs and desirous of our good This is that law which was published before the face of more then six hundred thousand persons with the mighty resoūding noise of trumpet with earthquake fire and smoke with thunders lightnings to make men more attentiue to heare more prepared to receiue it with all humility feare reuerence also to put them in mind that if they were disobedient rebellious he
pertaineth to manie yea to the vvhole bodie of the people And admit that this reason vvas effectual yet the glose vpon the place saith very notably That the princes pleasure may be held for a law so far forth as that which pleaseth him be iust and honest giuing vs to know thus much therby that euerie vvill and pleasure of a Prince may not indifferentlie be allowed for a law if it be in an vniust and dishonest action contrarie to the rule of good maners Moreouer it appeareth by the customes of many ancient people and realmes that Princes had neuer this license giuen them to doe vvhat they listed for let them be neuer so mightie yea as mighty as Darius vnder vvhose raign the Persian monarchie was abolished yet he must bee content according to the law of the Medes and Persians not to bee able to infringe that law vvhich vvas by the aduise of his Peeres and priuie counsell enacted and by his owne consent and authoritie established no though for Daniels deliuerance sake vvhom he loued Dan. 6.8 he greatly desired and tooke paines either to disannull or at least to giue a fauourable interpretation of it Such in old time was the custome of the Kings of Aegypt not to follow their owne affections in any actions they vvent about Diod. lib. 2. cap. 2. but to be directed by the aduise of their laws for they had not so much authoritie as to iudge betwixt man and man or to leuie subsidies and such like by their owne powers neither to punish any man through choler or any ouerweening conceit but were alwaies tied to obserue iustice and equitie in all causes neither did it grieue them so to doe being persuaded that whilest they obeied their lawes nothing could better betide them but good Thucyd. lib 1. The Lacedemonian Kings were in such bondage to the lawes of their countrie that the Ephori which were set vp to none other end but to be a bridle to hold them backe from doing vvhat they listed had absolure authority to correct them vvhen they had committed any fault which subiection nothing displeased king Theopompus as it is apparent by the answere he made his wife that reproued him once in anger saying by his cowardlinesse he would leaue a lesse kingdome to his children then he had receiued of his ancestors nay saith he a greater for so much as more durable and parmanent Plutarch praising the vprightnesse of King Alcamenes who for feare to breake the law refused diuerse presents that were sent him bursteth into this speech O heart worthie of a King that hath preferred the authoritie of the law before his owne profite Where are those fellowes now that crie Kings pleasures ought to be obserued for lawes and that a Prince may make a law but is not subiect to it himselfe and this is that which Plutarch saith as concerning that matter who liued vnder Traian the Emperour Cornelius Tacitus discouering the beginning and originall of the Romane ciuill law Lib. 3. Annal. saith that Seruius the third King of Rome after Romulus and Numa was the only man that most established those lawes wherevnto kings themselues ought to yeeld and be obedient And admit that the Emperors swaied with great power and authoritie almost all the world yet for all their fiercenesse and haughtinesse of mind Pliny durst tell Traian verie roundlie In Paneger that an Emperour ought to vse to carrie himselfe with such good gouernment in his Empire as if he were sure to giue vp an account of all his actions thou must not saith he desire more libertie to follow thine owne lust then any one of vs doe a Prince is not set ouer the law but the law placed in authority aboue the Prince this was the admonition of that Heathen man Likewise Antonius and Seuerus two mighty Emperours although by reason of an opinion of their owne greatnesse and haultinesse wherwith they flattered themselues bragged that they were not subiect to anie law yet they added this clause withall That notwithstanding they would liue according to the direction of the law Lib. 4. tit 17. This saith Theodosius and Valentinian two no lesse mighty Emperours is a voice becomming the roial Maiestie and greatnesse of a king To confesse himselfe to liue vnder a law and in truth it is a thing of greater importance then the imperiall dignity it selfe Lib. 1 â—od to put soueraignty vnder the authority of law Amongst many other good lessons and exhortations which Lewis that good King gaue vnto his son on his death bed Nicol. Gil vol. 1. Chronicl franc this was one worthy the remembring how he commanded him to loue and feare God with all his strength and to take heed of doing any thing that should be contrarie to his law whatsoeuer should befall him and to prouide that the good lawes and statutes of his kingdome might bee obserued and the priuiledges of his subiects maintained to forbid iudges to fauour him more then others when any cause of his owne came in triall Thereby giuing vs thus much to vnderstand that euery good King ought to submit himselfe in obedience vnder the hand of God and vnder the rule of iustice and equitie Wherefore there is neither king nor Keisar that can or ought to exempt himselfe from the obseruance of sacred and vpright lawes which if they resist or disanull doubtlesse they are culpable of a most hainous crime and especially of rebellion against the king of kings CHAP. VII Of the punishment that seased vpon Pharoa king of Aegypt for resisting God and transgressing the sixt commandement of the law WE haue sufficiently declared in the premisses that the mightiest potentates of this world are bound to range themselues vnder the obedience of Gods law it remaineth now that wee produce examples of those punishments that haue fallen vpon the heads of the transgressors of the same according to the manner of their transgression of what sort soeuer which that wee may the better describe it behoueth vs to follow the order of the Commandements as the examples we bring may be fitly referred to any of them And first we are to vnderstand that when God said Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me he condemneth vnder these words the vanitie of men that haue forged to themselues a multitude of gods he forbiddeth all false religioÌ„ declareth that he wold be acknowledged to be the sole true God that we shold serue worship loue fear obey him in and aboue al things And whoseuer it bee that doth otherwise either by hindering his worship or afflicting those that worship him the same man prouoketh his heauie wrath to be throwne vpon him to his vtter ruine and destruction This is the indignation that lighted vpon Pharoa king of Aegypt as we read in the booke of God Exod. 3. who being one of the most puissant Kings of the earth in his age God chose him for an
his faith and recoiled from Christ Iesus Christ Iesus would recoile from him and giue him ouer to death by depriuing him of his grace and spoiling him of the power of his quickning and sauing spirit These are the fearefull examples of Gods Iudgements which Saint Ciprian reporteth to haue light vpon Backsliders in his time adding moreouer that besides these many vvere possessed with Deuils robbed of their wits and enraged vvith furie and madnesse and all for this offence of Apostasie Amongst all the examples of our age of Gods seuere iustice vpon Apostataes the examples of Francis Spiera an Italian Lawier a man of credite and authoritie in his countrey is most pitifull and lamentable who hauing embraced the true religion vvith maruellous zeale and made open profession of the same Sleidan lib. 21.1 feared not freely to declare his opinion of euery point of doctrine that came in question and grew in knowledge euery day more and more But it was not long ere hee was complained off to the Popes Embassadour which when hee vnderstood and saw the danger wherein hee was like to fall After hee had long debated and disputed the matter in his owne conscience the counsaile of the flesh and wordlie wisedome preuailing hee resolued at last to goe to the Embassadour to the intent to appease his wrath and doe whatsouer hee should command Thus comming to Venice and ouerruled with immoderate feare he confessed that hee had done amisse and craued pardon for the same promising euer after to bee an obedient subiect to the Popes lawes and that which is more when it was enioined him that at his returne home hee should in his owne countrie openly recant his former profession hee refused not but performed his recantation in due sort But it chaunced very soone after that this miserable man fell sicke of bodie and soule and began to despaire of Gods mercie towardes him His Phisitian perceiuing his disposition iudged that the cause of his bodies disease was a vehement conceit and thought of mind and therefore gaue aduise to minister counsaile to his troubled mind verie carefully that the cause beeing taken away the effect also might surcease To this end many learned men frequented him euery day recalling into his mind and laying open before him manie expresse places of Scripture touching the greatnesse of Gods mercie which thinges hee auouched to bee true but said that those promises pertained not to him because hee had renounced Christ Iesus and forsworne the knowne truth and that for this cause nothing was prepared for him but hell fire which alreadie in soule hee saw and felt I would said hee willingly if it were possible loue God but it is altogether impossible I onely feare him without loue These and such speeches vsed he with a stedfast countenance neither did his tongue at any time run at randome nor his answers sauour of indiscretion or want of memorie but aduisedly warned all that stood by to take heed by his example how to listen too much to worldly wisdome especially then when they should bee called before men to professe the religion of Christ And lying in this extremity he refused all manner of sustenance rebuking and being angrie with his sonnes that opened his mouth to make him swallow some food to sustain him saying Since hee had forsaken his Lord and maister all his creatures ought to forsake him I am afeard of euery thing there is not a creature that hath not conspired to worke my destruction let me die let mee die that I may goe and feele that vnquenchahle fire which already consumeth mee and which I can by no means escape And thus he died indeed pined to death in despaire and horrible torment of conscience Centur. 3 cap. 12 Nichomachus a man that stoutly professed Christ Iesus in prosperity being brought to his triall at Troas and put into torments he denied him and being deliuered by that means consented to offer sacrifice vnto idols But assone as hee had finished his sacrifice he was hoisted vp by the spirit of darknesse whose darling now he was dashed against the earth so that his teeth biting his prophane tongue wherewith hee had denied his sauour in two he died incontinently Tamerus a professour of the true religion vvas seduced by his brother to cleaue vnto Poperie Theatrum historicum and to forsake his first loue but for his defection from the truth the Lord gaue him vp into a reprobat sence so that falling into despaire he hong himselfe Richard Denton a blacksmith dwelling at Wels in Cambridgeshire hauing beene a professor of the Gospell before time when William Wolsey Martyr whome the said Denton had first conuerted vnto the truth sent him certaine money out of prison at Ely with this commendations That he maruelled hee tarried so long behind him seeing he was the first that deliuered him the booke of scripture into his hand Acts monuments pag 1717. and told him that it was the truth his answere was this I confesse it is true but alasse I cannot burne But hee that could not burne in the cause of Christ was afterward burned against his will for in the yeare 1564 his house was set on fire and whilest hee went in to saue his goods hee lost his life There was also one Burton Bailife of Crowland in Lincolnshire who pretending an earnest friendship to the gospel in king Edwards time after the kings death began lustily to set vp the Popish masse againe and would haue beaten the poore Curate if hee had not setled himselfe thereto but see how the Lords iudgement ouertooke him as he came riding from Fennebancke one day a crow flying ouer his head let fall her excrements vpon his face so that it ran from the top of his nose downe to his beard Acts monuments pag. 2101 the poisoned sent and sauour whereof so annoied his stomacke that he neuer ceased vomiting vntill he came home and after falling deadly sicke would neuer receiue any meat but vomited stil and complained of that stincke cursing the crow that had poisoned him to be short within few daies he died desperately without any token of repentance of his former life Hither may wee ad the examples of one Hendrie Smith a Lawier of the middle temple Acts monuments and Arnoldus Bomelius a student of Louaine both which hauing professed the truth a while and after being seduced by euill companie the one of Gilford the other of Maister Tileman Smith afterward hanged himselfe in his chamber in the temple in the year of our Lord 1569. Bomelius murdered himselfe with his owne dagger And thus these two Apostataes felt the heauy scourge of Gods wrath for reuolting from the truth which they once professed CHAP. XVIII Of those which haue willingly fallen away THese kind of Apostataes which wee are now to speake of are such as without any outward compulsion threats or likelihood of daunger forsake freely Gods true Religion and
for them to be true subiects to the king who for their bellies sake had rebelled against the commandements of God The king seeing their request reasonable and their reasons which they alleadged likely not onely commended them but gaue them full authoritie to destroy all those that could be found in any place of his dominion without any further inquirie of the cause or intelligence of the kings authority insomuch that they put to death all those that they knew to haue defiled themselues by filthie Idols doing them before all the shame they could deuise so that at that time there were dispatched aboue three hundred persons which when they had accomplished they reioiced greatly CHAP. XIX Of the third and worst sort of Apostataes those that through Malice forsake the truth IF so bee that they of whom we haue spoken in the two former chapters are in their reuoltings inexcusable as indeed they are thē much more worthy condemnation are they who not only in a villanous contempt cast away the grace of Gods spirit and his holy worship but also of a purposed malice set themselues against the same yea and endeuour with all their power vtterly to race and root it out and in stead thereof to plant the lies errors and illusions of Sathan by all meanes possible Against this kind of monsters sentence is pronounced in the thirteenth of Deutronomie to wit That iustice should be executed vpon thē with al extremity and no mercie and compassion showne vnto him be he Prophet or what else that goeth about to seduce others from the seruice of the almighty 2. King 11. to follow false gods This is the pitfall wherein Ieroboam the first king of Israell slipped by the peruersenesse of his owne conscience who as he had by his rebellion against Rehoboam and the house of Dauid vpreared a new kingdome so by rebellion against God and his house in hope by that meanes to retaine his vsurped state and people in subiection vpreared also a new religion for distrusting the promises of God which were made him by the Prophet Ahias as touching the realme of Israell which hee was alreadie in possession of and despising the good counsaile of God in respect of his owne inuentions hee was so besotted and bleared with them that iust after the patterne of his Idolatrous forefathers who by their Aegyptian trickes had prouoked the wrath of God against thēselues he set vp golden calues and caused the people to worship them keeping them so from going to Ierusalem to worship God nor yet content with this he also erected high places to set his idols in hauing restrained the Priests and Leuits frō the exercise of their charge he ordained a new order of priests to sacrifice minister vnto his gods proclaimed a newer feast thē that that was in Iuda euē the seuenth day of the 8 month wherin he not only exiled the pure and sincere seruice of God but also peruerted turned vpside down the Ecclesiasticall discipline pollicie of Gods church which by the law had ben instituted And that which is yet more 1. King 13. as hee was offering incense on the altar at Bethell when the Prophet cried out against the altar and exclaimed against that filthie idolatrie by denouncing the vengeance of God against it and the maintainers therof Contempt of Gods word Lib. 1. cap. 34. he was so desperate and sencelesse as to offer violence to him and to command that he should be attached but the power of Gods displeasure was vpon him by and by for that hand which hee had stretched out against the Prophet dried vp so that hee could not draw it back again at the very instant for a more manifest declaratiō of the wrath of God the altar rent in peeces the ashes that were within were dispersed abroad And although at the praier of that holy man his dried hand was restored to his former strength and soundnesse yet returned not he from his vniust and disloiall dealing but obstinately continued therein till his dying day Wherefore also the fierce wrath of God hunted and pursued him continually for first of all he was robbed of his sonne Abia dying through sicknesse 1. King 14. then hee was set vpon by Abia king of Iuda with an armie of foure hundred thousand men of warre 2. Chron. 13. and though his power was double in strength number arising to eight hundred thousand persōs yet was he his vast at my quite discōfited for he lost at that field fiue hundred thousād of his men beside certain cities which were yeelded to Abia in the pursute of his victorie his courage was so abated and empouerished euer after this that hee could neuer recouer strength to resist the king of Iuda any more And so God reuenged at once the Apostasie both of the king and people of Israell and last of all so strooke him after that he died Ioram king of Iuda although his father Iosaphat had instructed him from his childhood with holy and wholesome precepts 2 Chron. 21. and set before his face the example of his owne zeale in purging the church of God from all idolatrie and superstition and maintaining the true and pure seruice of God yet did hee so foulie run astray from his fathers steps that allying himselfe by the marriage of Athalia to the house of Achab hee became not onely himselfe like to the kings of Israell in their filthie Idolatrie but also drew his people after him causing the inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iuda to runne a whoring after his strange gods for which cause Elias the Prophet most sharpely reprooued him by letters the contents whereof in summe was this that because hee rebelled against the Lord God of his fathers therfore the people that were in his subiection should rebell against him Presently the Arabians and Philistims rose vp against him wasted his countrie robbed him of his treasures tooke away his wiues and put all his children to the sword except little Ochozias his yoongest sonne that was preserued And after all these miseries the Lord smote him with so outragious and vncurable a disease in his bowels that after two yeares torment hee died thereof his guts being fallen out of his belly with anguish Ioas also king of the same countrie was one to whome God had beene manie waies beneficiall from his infancie 2. Chron. 22. for hee was euen then miraculously preserued from the bloody hand of Athalia and after brought vp in the house of God vnder the tuition of that good Preist Iehoiada yet he was no sooner lifted vp into his roiall dignitie but by and by hee and his people started aside to the worship of stocks and stones at that time when hee had taken vpon him the repaire of the house of God But all this came to passe after the decease of that good priest his tutour whose good deeds towards him in sauing his life and
put to death in diuers places as well for their monstrous damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibite and set before our eies how deare precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy word the vnion of his Church is and how carefull zealous euery one of vs ought to be in maintaining and vpholding the same when as he reuengeth himselfe so sharply vpon all those that go about to peruert and corrupt the sincerity therof or which be breeders of new sects and diuisions among his people Olympus by office bishop of Carthage but by profession a fauourer and maintainer of the Arrian heresie being vpon a time in a bath washing himselfe Paul Diac. in Anastas hist Sabel lib. 5. c. 4. Blasphemie Lib. 1. cap. 31. Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. hee vttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinitie but a threefold thunderbolt came from aboue and stroke him dead in the same place teaching him by his paine and all other by experience what it is to blaspheme the Lord of heauen or with polluted lippes to mention his sacred maiestie this happened in the yeere of our Lord God 510. Cyrill hath recorded vnto vs of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God vpon an heretique then all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was neuer heard of the history is this After the decease of S. Ierome there stood vp one Sabinianus a peruerse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinctions of persons in the Trinitie and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost to be but one indistinct person and to giue credit to his heresie he wrote a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it vpon S. Ierome as being the authour of it But Siluanus the bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproued him for deprauing so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargaine with Sabinianus that if S. Ierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsnesse of his cause hee would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed vpon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted into the Temple of Ierusalem to decide the controuersie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Siluanus was commaunded to yeeld his necke to that punishment which himselfe was authour of which as hee most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Ierome in shew appeared and slaied the hangmans hand which was now ready to strike and vanishing forthwith another miracle succeeded Sabinianus head fell from his shoulders no man striking at it and his carkasse remained vpon the ground dead and senselesse Whereat the people amazed praising God claue vnto Siluanus and abiured Sabinianus heresie Wherein wee may obserue the wonderfull wisdome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whether they will stand to his truth or no and learne therby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timerously to despaire of helpe in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimeald king of Lumbardie was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with vntimely death for hauing beene let blood the eleuenth day after as he stroue to draw a bow hee opened the vaine a new and so bled to death Cabades Casp hed lib. 3. cap. 10. 15. king of Persia when hee saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place and there setting his souldiers on them slew them till there was not one left Photinus a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion Platina sub Siricio 7. and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in iustice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus iustly banished The Emperour Iustinian Niceph. lâ—b 27. cap. 31. fauouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gaue out one edict whereby Anastasius the bishop and all other that maintained the truth should be banished Zen. com 3. suddenly he was stroken with an inward and inuisible plague which tooke away his life and forestalled his wicked cruell determination from comming to the desired effect In all which examples we may see how God doth not only punish heretikes themselues but also their fauourers and supporters yea the very places cities wherin they liued broched their blasphemies Paul Diaâ— lib. 5. as by the destructioÌ„ of Antioch is seene which being a very sink of heretiks was partly coÌ„sumed with fire from heauen aboue in the seuenth yeere of Iustinus the Emperour and partly ouerthrowen with earthquakes below wherein Euphrasius the bishop and many other were destroied Moreouer besides those there were vnder Pope Innocent the third certaine heretiques celled Albigonses or Albiani which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were affirmed that there were two Gods one good and another euill they denied the resurrection despised the sacraments and said that the soules of men after their separation passed either into hogs oxen serpents or men according to their merits Contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. they would not spare to pollute the temples appointed for the seruice of God with their excrements and other filthy actions and to defile the holy bibles with vrine in despite and contumely This heresie like an euill weed so grew and increased that the braunches therof spred ouer almost all Europe a thousand cities were polluted therewith so that it was high time to cut it short by violence the sword as it was for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter that an hundred thousand of them were slaine partly by warre partly by fire at one time Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall monke of Bordeaux that by the helpe of Magicke wrought miracles and tooke vpon him the name and title of Christ saying hee could cure diseases and restore those that were past helpe by phisicke vnto their healths he went attired with garments made of goar 's haire and an hood professing an austerity of life abroad whereas he plaied the glutton at home but at length his cousenage was discouered he was banished the citie as a man vnfit for ciuill societie In the yeere of our Lord God 1204 in the Empire of Otto the fourth there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the sacrament Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. and said that God spake as well in profane Ouid as holy Augustine he scoffed at the doctrine of the resurrection and esteemed
images or pictures and such other outward and corruptible meanes which hee hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproouing the folly and vanity of idolatours saith Chap. 40.18 To whome will you liken God or what similitude will you set vp vnto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that vnder pretence and colour of his owne name any image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconuenient but also absurd and vnseemely much lesse can he abide to haue them worshipped vnder the name and title of any creature whatsoeuer And for this cause gaue he the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. which prohibition the Israelielits brake in the desert when they set vp a golden calfe bowed themselues before it after the maner of the Painyms giuing it the honour which was only due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almightie God Exod. 32. who is strong and iealous of suffering any such slander to be done vnto his name wherefore hee caused three thousand of them to be stroken wounded to death by the hand of the Leuits at the commaundement of Moses to make his anger against idolatrie more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his reuenge who were ordained for the ministery of his Church and the seruice of the altar and tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell backe into the same sinne and bowed themselues before strange gods through the allurements of the daughters of Moab ioyned themselues to Belphegor Num. 25. for which cause the Lord being incensed stroke them with so grieuous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise hee had forbidden and threatned them for cleauing to the idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serue Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was enflamed against them and hee gaue them ouer to be a spoile and prey vnto their enemies on euery side so that for many yeeres sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and euer after the death of any of their Iudges and rulers which God raised vp for their deliuerance some grieuous punishment befell them for then being without law or gouernment euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to haue some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenessâ— of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God then any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore wee place them in this rancke as well as they that haue beene alwaies brought vp and nuzled in Idolatrie 2. Chron. 22. One of this crew was Ochosias king of Iuda sonne of Ioram who hauing before him an euill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing vp of his mother Athaliah who togither with the house of Achab pricked him forward to euill ioyned himselfe to them and to their idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment destruction with Ioram the king of Israel whome Iehu slew togither with the princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath bene the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially vnder Ioachas sonne of Iosias 2. King 23. that raigned not aboue three moneths in Ierusalem before hee was taken and led captiue into Aegypt by the king thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the king of Aegypt And not long after it was vtterly destroied by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and caried king Ioaâ—him with his mother his princes his seruants and the treasures of the temple and his owne house into Babylon And finally 2. King 24.25 tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eies caused his sonnes to be slaine which assoone as he had beheld commaunded him also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of iron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the princes of Iuda to the sword consuming with fire the temple with the kings pallace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogatiue consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was neuer reestablished by God but begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calues Vide lib. 1. c. 19. which as his successours maintained and fauoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured vp in Idoll worship after the example of his father 1 King 15.27 receiued a condigne punishment for his iniquitie for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the offspring of Ieroboamâ— house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better then those whome he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whome Zambri one of his seruants slew And this againe vsurping the crowne enioyed it but seuen daies at the end whereof seeing himselfe in daunger in the citie Tirza taken by Amri whome the people had chosen for their king went into the pallace of the kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab hee multiplied idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse then all his predecessours wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against hiâ— and his for hee himselfe was wounded to death in battaile by the Sitians his sonne Ioram slaine by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their gouernours and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Aboue all a most notable and manifest example of Gods iudgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had beene his spurre and prouoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuches and most trustie seruants at the commandement of Iehu shee was thrown downe out of a window and trampled vnder the horse seer and last of all deuoured of dogges Moreouer the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murdered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the king of Assyria and afterward inuaded and subuerted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they neuer returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abominable idolatrie which ought to be a lesson to all people princes and kings that seeing God spared not these two realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroied and rooted them out from the earth
least wee fall into the sinne of Saul and Herod 1. Sam 14. Marc. 6. Now what punishments God hath laid vpon periurers these examples that follow shall make knowen vnto vs. Osee the last king of Israel beeing made by Gods iust iudgement for his sinnes subiect and tributary to Salmanazar king of Ashur without regard to the bond wherewith he was bound 2. King 17. and to his faith which he had plighted conspired and entred league with the king of Aegypt against him but hee discouering their seditions and priuie conspiracies assembled his forces spoiled his countrey and bad them warre on all sides laying siege to the chiefe citie of his kingdome after three yeeres tooke it togither with the forsworne king whome he put in close prison and kept very straightly leading him and his whole nation captiue into Assyria to end their daies in misery of which euill as of all others that happened in that warre the disloialty and treason of Osee was the next and chiefest cause Among the beadroll of sinnes which Sedechias the last king of Iuda is noted withall in holy scripture periury is one of the count for notwithstanding hee receiued his kingdome of Nabuchadnezzar and had sworne fealty to him as to his soueraigne yet brake hee his oath in rebelling against him which was the very cause of his destruction 2. Chron. 36. for NabuchadneZZar to be reuenged on his disloialty sent a puissant army against Ierusalem which tooke spoiled and burned it and ouertooke the periurer in his flight and first made him a beholder of the slaughter of his owne children and then had his owne eies bored out and was caried in chaines to Babylon seruing for a spectacle to all posteritie of Gods wondrous iudgements vpon periurers And thus both the kingdomes of Israel and Iuda were for breach and falsifying their oth quite extinguished and razed out Plutarch The greatest deceiuer and most treacherous person one of them that euer Greece saw was Lisander the Lacedemonian a busie body full of cunning subtilty and craft and one that perfourmed the most of his acts of warre more by fraud and stratagemes then by any other meanes this was he that said that when the lyons skin meaning Fortitude would not serue it was needfull then to sue vnto the foxes case meaning subtilty he made so litle reckening of forswearing himselfe that he would often say that children were to be cousened wirh trifles as dice and cockals and old men with othes but by his deceitfull trickes he was occasion of much euill diuers murders but at last this fox making warre against the Thebanes for that they had taken part with the Athenians against him and giuen them succour and meanes for recouering their liberty was taken in the trap and slaine at the foote of their walls Liuie Metius Suffetius Generall of the Albanes procured the Fidenates to enter war against the Romanes contrary to his oth which he had sworne vnto them and being called by the Romans to their succour and placed in an outwing to helpe if need were whilst the rest were fighting he droue away the time in ordering his men and ranging them into squadrons to see which part should haue the best that hee might ioyne himselfe vnto that side But Tullus the Romane king hauing obtained the victory and seeing the cowardise subtilty and treason of this Albane adiudged him to a most straunge and vile death answerable to his fact for as hee had in his bodie a double heart swimming betweene two streames and now ready to go this way now that so was his body dismembred and torne in pieces by foure horses drawing foure contrarie waies to serue for an example to all others to be more faithfull and true obseruers of their othes then he was In old time the Africanes and Carthaginians were generally noted for perfidie and falshood aboue other nations Liâ— Decad. 3. lib. 1. the cause of which bruit was principally that old subtill souldier Anniball an old deceiuer and a notorious periurer who by his crafts and cousenages which hee wrought without religion or feare of God raised vp that euill report This subtill foxe hauing made warre in Italy sixteene yeeres and all that while troubled and vexed the Romanes sore after many victories wastings of countries ruines and sackings of cities and cruell bloodshed was at length ouercome by Scipio in his owne countrey and perceiuing that his countrey men imputed the cause of their fall vnto him and sought to make him odious to the Romanes by laying to his charge the breach of that league which was betwixt them hee fled to Antiochus king of Siria not so much for his own safeties sake as to continue his warre against the Romans which he knew Antiochus to be in hammering because they came so neare vnto his frontiers but hee found his hope frustrate for king Antiochus for the small trust hee affied in him and the daily suspition of his trechery would not commit any charge of his army into his hand although for valiantnesse and prowesse he was second to none in that age It came to passe therefore that assoone as Antiochus was ouerthrowen of the Romanes he was constrained to flie to Prusias king of Bithynia that tooke him into his protection but being as treacherous as himselfe hee soone deuised a meanes to betray him to Quintius the generall of the Romane army which when Anniball vnderstood and seeing that all the passages for euasion were closed vp and that hee could not any way escape hee poisoned himselfe and so miserably ended his treacherous life And thus the deceit which hee practised towards others fell at length vpon his owne pate to his vtter destruction Albeit that periurers and forswearers were to the Aegyptians very odious and abominable as wee said before yet among them there was one Ptolome Iustine who to bereaue his sister Arsinoe of her kingdome stained himselfe with this villanous spot and thereby brought his purpose to passe for pretending and protesting great affection and loue vnto her in the way of mariage for such incestuous mariages were there through a peruerse and damnable custome not vnlawfull and auowing the same by solemne oath before her embassadours did notwithstanding soone make knowen the drift of his intent which was to make himselfe king for being arriued in shew to consummate the marriage at his first approch he caused his nephewes her sonnes which she had by her former husband Lisimachus and were come forth from their mother to giue him entertainment on the way to be slaine yea and least they should escape his hands he pursued them euen to their mothers bosome and there murdered them and after expelling her also from her kingdome caught the crowne raigned tyrant in her roome all which mischiefes hee committed by reason of the faithlesse oth which he had taken and although that in such a case no oth ought to be of force to confirme so
on their iourney they came riding ouer a great bridge vpon which this gentleman swearer spurred his horse in such sort that he sprang cleane ouer with the man on his backe who as he was going cried Horse and man and al to the deuill This terrible storie bishop Ridley preached and vttered at Paules crosse and one Haines a minister of Cornwall the reprehender of this man was the reporter of it to Maister Fox out of whom I haue drawne it Refraine then wretches that you are your diuellish tongues leaue off to prouoke the wrath of God any longer against you forbeare all wicked and cursed speeches and acquaint your selues as well in word as deed to praise and glorifie God CHAP. XXXIIII Punishments for the contempt of the word and the Sacraments and abuse of holy things NOw it is another kind of taking the name of God in vain to despise his words and sacraments for like as among earthly princes it is accounted a crime no lesse then treason either to abuse their pictures to counterfeit or depraue their seales to rent pollute or corrupt their letter patents or to vse vnreuerently their messengers or any thing that cōmeth frō them So with the prince of heauen it is a sin of high degree either to abuse his word prophanely which is the letter patents of our saluation or handle the sacraments vnreuerētly which are the seales of his mercy or to despise his ministers which are his messēgers vnto vs. And this he maketh known vnto vs not only by edicts cōmandemēts but also by examples of his vēgeance on the heads of the offēders in this case for the former look what Paul saith That for the vnworthy receiuing of the Sacraments many were weake and sicke among the Corinthians many slept how much more then for the abusing contemning the Sacraments 1. Cor. 11.29.30 And the prophet Dauid That for casting the word of God behind them Psal 50.16.17 they should haue nothing to doe with his couenāt how much more then for prophaning deriding his word Exod. 16.8 And Moses when the people murmured against him and Aaron saith that their murmurings were not against them which were but ministers but against the Lord how much more then is the Lord engaged when they are scoffed at derided set at naught hence it is that the Lord denounceth a woe to him that addeth or taketh away frō the word and calleth them dogs that abuse such precious pearles Deut. 4.2 12.22 Apoc. 22.18 Prouerb 30.6 Vide lib. 1. cap. 14. example of the Iews But let vs come to the examples wherin the grieuousnesse of this sin will lie more open then by any words can bee expressed Denterius an Arrian bishop being at Bezantium as he was about to baptise one Barbas after his blasphemous maner saying I baptise thee in the name of the father through the son in the Holy-ghost Which forme of words is contrary to the prescript rule of Christ that bad his disciples to baptize al nations In the name of the father the son and the Holy-ghost the water sodenly vanished so that he could not then bee baptised wherefore Barbas all amased fled from thence to a church of purer religion and there was entertained into the church by baptisme Socrat. lib 7. cap. 17. Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall hystorie reporteth the like accident to haue happened to a Iew who had beene oftentimes baptised and came to Paulus a Nouatian bishop to receiue the sacrament againe but the water as before vanished and his villany being detected hee was banished the church Opiat Meltuit lib. 2. contr Parenianum Cent. 4. cap. 6. Vrbanus Farmensis and Foelix Iducensis two Donatists by profession rushing into Thipasa a Citty of Mauritania commaunded the Eucharist to bee throwne amongst the dogges but the dogges growing mad thereby set vpon their owne maisters and rent them with their teeth as being guiltie of despising the body of Christ certainely a noble iudgement to condemne the wicked behauiour of those miscreants who were so profane as not onely to refuse the sacrament themselues Vide lib. 1 ca. 17. but also to cast it to their dogs as if it were the vilest and contemptablest thing in the world Theopompus a Philosopher being about to insert certaine things out of the writings of Moses into his prophane workes and so to abuse the sacred word of God was stroken with a frensie and being warned of the cause therof in a dreame Ioseph antiq lib. 12. cap. 2. by praiers made vnto God recouered his senses againe this story is recorded by Iosephus as also another of Theodectes a Poet that mingled his Tragedies with the holy Scripture and was therefore stroken with blindnesse vntill hee had recanted his impiety In a towne of Germany called Itzsith there dwelt a certaine husbandman that was a monstrous despiser and prophaner of the word of God and his sacraments Luther in coloquijs he vpon a time amidst his cups railed with most bitter tearmes vpon a minister of Gods word after which going presently into the fields to ouerlooke his sheep he neuer returned aliue but was found there dead with his body all scorched and burnt as black as a coale the Lord hauing giuen him ouer into the hands of the deuill to be thus vsed for his vile prophanesse and abusing his holy things This D. Iustus Ionas in Luthers conferences reporteth to be most true In the yeare of our Lord 1553 a certaine coblers seruant being brought vp among the professors of the reformed religion and hauing receiued the sacrament in both kinds Philip Melanc after liuing vnder Poperie receiued it after their fashion in one kind but when hee returned to his old maister and was admonished by him to goe againe to the communion as he was wont then his sleepie conscience awaked and hee fell into most horrible despaire crying that hee was the deuils bondslaue and therewithall threw himselfe headlong out of the window so that with the fall his bowels gushed out of his mouth and he died most miserably When the great persecution of the Christians was in Persia vnder king Sapor in the yeare of our Lord 347 Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 31. there was one Miles an holy bishop and constant Martyr who preaching Vide lib. r. ca. 16. exhorting suffering all manner of torments for the truth of the gospel could not conuert one soule of the whole citie whereof he was bishop to the faith wherfore in hatred and detestation of it he forewent it cleane but after his departure the Lord made them worthily rue their contempt of his word for he sent the spirit of deuision betwixt king Sapor and thē so that he came with an army of men three hundred Eliphants against it and quickly subuerted it that the very appearence memorial of a city was quite defaced and rooted out for certainely this is a sure position
out more than was their due and by force to rauen all that which by faire meanes they could not get And that which is worse to pollute the holy Tabernacle of God with their filthie Whoredomes Contempt of holy things lib. 1. cap. 34. in such sort that the Religion of God grew in disgrace through their prophane dealings And albeit that it may seeme that their father did his dutie in some sort when hee admonished and reprooued them yet it is manifest by the reprehension of the man of God that hee did no part of that at all or if hee did yet it was in so careles loose cold maner vsing more lenitie thē he ought or lesse seueritie thē was necessary that God turned their destructions whē they were slain at the ouerthrow of Israel by the Philistims to bee his punishment for vnderstanding the doleful news of his sons death the arks taking at once he fel backwards from his stoole and burst his neck being old and heauy euen fourscore and eighteene yeares of age not able either to helpe or stay himselfe Lib. 2. cap. 10. de in titut christ fami Ludouicus Viues saith that in his time a certaine woman in Flaunders did so much pamper and cocker vp two of her sonnes euen against her husbands will that shee would not suffer them to want money or any thing which might furnish their riotous life both in drinking banquetting dicing yea she would steale from her husband to minister vnto thē but as soone as her husband was dead shee was iustly plagued in them both for they fell from rioting to robbing which two vices are commonly linked together and for the same one of thē was executed by the sword the other by the haltar shee her selfe looking on as a witnesse of their destructions whereof her conscience told her that her indulgence was the chiefest cause Hether may wee referre that common and vulgar story and I suppose verie true which is almost in euery childs mouth of him that going to the gallowes desired to speake with his mother in her eare ere hee died Cyriac. Spang and when she came vnto him in stead of speaking bit off her eare with his teeth exclaiming vpon her as the causer of his death because shee did not chastise him in his youth for his faults but by her flatteries established him in vice which brought him to this wofull end herein she was doubly punished both in her sons destruction her own infamy wherof shee carried about her a continuall marke This ought to bee a warning to all parents to looke better to the education of their children and to root out of them in time all euill and corrupt manners least of small sprigs they grow to branches and of qualities to habites and so either be hardly done of or at least depraue the whole body bring it to destruction but aboue all to keepe them from idlenesse vain pleasures the discōmodity and mischiefe wherof this present example wil declare At a towne called Hannuel in Saxonie the Deuill transforming himselfe into the shape of a man Iob Fincel lib. de miracu exercised many iugling trickes and pretty pastimes to delight yoong men and maids withall and indeed to draw after him daily great companies one day they followed him out of the citie gates vnto a hill adioyning where hee plaid a iuggling tricke in deed with them for he carried them all away with him so that they were after neuer heard of This history is recorded in the annales of the forenamed city and auouched to be most true being a notable and fearefull admonition to all parents to set their children to learning and instruction and to withdraw them from all such vaine and foolish pastimes CHAP. II. Of those that rebell against their Superiours NOw as it is a thing required by law and reason that children beare that honour and reuerence to their naturall parents which is commanded so it is as necessary by the same respect that all subiects perfourme that duty of honor obedience to their Lords Princes and Kings which is not derogatory to the glory of God and the rather because they are as it were their fathers in supplying that duty towards their subiects which fathers owe their children as namely in maintaining their peace tranquility in earthly things and keeping them vnder the discipline of Gods Church to which two ends they were ordained Rom. 13. For this cause the scripture biddeth euery man to be subiect to the higher powers not so much to auoid the punishment which might befall the contrary as because it is agreeable to the will of God And in another place To honour the king and To giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars 1. Pet. 2. Matth. 22. Exod. 22. as vnto God that which is Gods So also in Moses law we are forbidden to detract from or speake euill of the magistrate or to curse the ruler of the people Yet for all this the children of Israel were not afraid many times to commit this sinne but then especially when they charged Moses with conspiring the murder of those rebels that vnder Corah Dathan and Abiram captaines of that enterprise set themselues against him and Aaron Num. 16. whome not hee but God for their pride and stubbornnesse had rooted out and destroied and thus they backbited and slaundered Moses and mutined against him being their soueraigne magistrate and conductour that so meekely and iustly had brought them ought of Aegypt euen by the speciall commission of almighty God But the fury of Gods displeasure was so stirred vp against them for this their fact that they were scourged with a most grieuous plague whereof died about foure thousand and seuen hundred persons In the time of king Dauids flight from Absolom who pursued him to bereaue him of his kingdome 2. Sam. 16. there was one Semei a Ieminite that in his wicked and peruerse humour in stead of seruice due vnto his soueraigne especially in that extremitie not only presented not himselfe vnto him as a subiect Mandat 3. Cursers lib. 1. cap. 33. but as a railer cursed him with most reprochfull termes as of murderer and wicked man and also threw stones at him and his followers in most despightfull maner for which his malicious and rebellious act though whilst Dauid liued he was not once called in question yet was he not exempted from punishment therefore for in the end his wickednesse fel vpon his owne head and destruction ouertooke him by desert of another fault 1. King 2. at the commandement of Salomon 2. Sam. 20. The punishment of Shiba the sonne of Bichri tarried not all so long who hauing also with a proud and audacious heart stirred vp the greatest part of Israel to rebell against Dauid then when he thought to haue beene most at quiet enioyed not long his disloiall enterprise for being speedily pursued by Dauids
The fathers shal not be put to death for the children nor the children for the fathers but euerie man shall beare his owne sinne 2. King 15. Neither did Shallum that slue Zacharia king of Israel prosper any better for he raigned but one month in Samaria wheÌ„ Menahim the sonne of Gadi rebelled against him and slew him as he had done his maister Amon the sonne of Manasseh was slaine by his owne seruants but the Lord stirred vp the people of the land to reuenge his death to kill all them that had conspired against their king But to let passe the holy histories of the sacred scripture wherein euer after any treason the Holy-ghost presently setteth down the punishment of traitors as it were of purpose to signifie how the Lord hateth all such rebels that rose vp against his owne ordinance Let vs consider a little the consequents of these in prophane yet credible authors and applie them vnto our purpose Iâ—lian lib. 1. Archelaus King of Macedonia had a mignion called Cratenas whome he loued most entirely but he againe required him not with loue but with hatred and stretched all his wits to enstall himselfe in his kingdome by deposing and murthering him which though he accomplished yet his deserts were cut short by the vengeance of God for he continued not many daies in his roialtie but he was serued with the same sauce that he had made Archelaus before him to tast of euen betraied and murdered as he well deserued Ludouicus Sfortia to the end to inuest himselfe with the dukedome of Millain spared not to shed the innocent blood of his two nephewes the sonnes of Galeachus togither with their tutors and one Francis Calaber a worthy and excellent man But the Lord so disposed of his purposes that he in stead of obtaining the kingdome was taken prisoner by the king of France so that neither hee nor any of his offspring enioyed that which he so much affected When Numerianus was to succeed Carus his father in the Empire Phil. Melanct. chron lib. 3. Arrius Axer his father in law to the end to translate the Empire vnto himselfe entred a conspiracie and slew his sonne in law that nothing mistrusted his disloialty But the Pretorian army vnderstanding the matter discharged Arrius and elected Dioclesian in his roome who laying hold vpon his competitor laid an action of treason to his charge and put him to death in the sight of the multitude Theodericke and Fredericke conspired against their owne brother Thurismund king of the Visigothes Chron. Sigebert to the intent to succeed him in his kingdome And albeit that nature reclaimed them from the act yet they slew him without all compassion But after thirteene yeres raigne the same Theodericke was requited by his other brethren with the same measure that hee before met to his brother Thurismund And so though vengeance slept a while yet at length it wakened Aelias Antonius Gordianus the third Emperour of Rome Phil. Melanct. chron Aventin lib. 2. though so excellent a young prince that hee deserued to be called the Loue and Iewell of the world yet was hee slaine by one promoted by himselfe to high honour called Philip Arabs when hee was but two and twentie yeere old after whose decease this Philip got himselfe elected Emperour by the band confirmed by the Senat. Ingratitude punished All which notwithstanding after fiue yeeres Decius rebelled and his owne souldiers conspired against him so that both he at Verona and his sonne at Rome were slaine by them about one time Aâ—entin lib. 2. After the death of Constantine the Great his three sonnes deuiding the Empire betwixt them succeeded their father Constantine the eldest had for his share Spaine France the Alpes and England Constance the second held Italy Africa Graecia and Illiricum Constantine the younger was king and Emperour of the East But ambition suffered them not to enioy quietly these their possessions for when the eldest being more proud and seditious thâ—n the other not content with his alotted portion made warre vpon his brother Constance his prouinces and stroue to enter Italy hee was slaine in a battell by Aquileia when he was but fiue and twentie yeere old by which meanes all the prouinces which were his fell to Constance and therewithall such a drowsinesse and epicurisme for want of a stirrer vp after his brothers death that he fell into the gout and neglected the gouernment of the Empire Wherfore in Auspurge and in Rhetia they created a new Emperour one Magnentius whose life before-time Constance had saued from the souldiers Notable ingratitude punished and therefore his treachery was the greater This Magnentius depriued and slew Constance but was ouercome by Constantine the third brother in Illiricum yet in such sort that the conquerour could not greatly brag for he lost an infinite company of his men and yet missed of his chiefe purpose the taking of Magnentius for he escaped to Lyons and there massacring all that he mistrusted at last growing I suppose in suspition with his owne heart slue himselfe also And so his traiterous ingratefull and ambitious murder was reuenged with his own hands Ritius lib. 1. regib Hispan Victericus betraied Luyba king of Spaine and succeeded in his place seuen yeeres after another traitor slew him succeeded also in his place Mauritius the Emperour was murdered by Phocas togither with his wife fiue of his children he seating himselfe Emperor in his Rome Howbeit traitours and murderers can neuer come to happy ends for as hee had slaine Mauritius so Priscus Heraclianus and Phorius three of his chiefest captaines conspiring against him with three seuerall armies gaue him such an alarme at once at his owne dores that they soone quailed his courage and after much mangling of his body cut him shorter by the head and the kingdome at one blow In the time of Edward the second and Edward the third in England Lanquet one Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much blood and at last king Edward himselfe lying at Barkley castle to the end that he might as it was supposed enioy Isabell his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity After this hee vniustly accused Edmond Earle of Kent of treason and caused him to be put to death therefore and lastly he conspired against king Edward the third as it was suspected for which cause he was worthily and deseruedly beheaded Among this ranke of murderers of kings we may fitly place also Richard the third vsurper of the crowne of England Stow. and diuers others which he vsed as instruments to bring his detestable purpose to effect as namely Sir Iames Tirrell knight a man for natures gifts worthy to haue serued a much better prince then this Richard if he had well serued God and bene indued with as much truth honestie as he had strength wit also Miles Forest Iohn Dighton two villains fleshed
his head wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death he commanded one of his souldiers to kill him outright And thus this wicked murderer that had shedde the blood of many men yea of his owne brethren had his braines knockt out by a woman and died a most desperate death The bloody treacherie of Baana and Rechab 2. Sam. 4. chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth Sauls sonne in conspiring against and murdering their master whilst hee slept abode not long vnpunished for hauing cut off his head they presented it for a present to king Dauid hoping to gratifie the king Treason lib. 2. cap. 3 4. and to receiue some recompence for their paines But Dauid beeing of an vpright and true kingly heart could nor endure such vile treachery though against the person of his enemie but entertained them as most vile traitours and master murderers commaunding first their hands and feet to be cut off which they had especially imploied as instruments about that villany and afterwards caused them to be slaine and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like For the like cause was Ioab generall of king Dauids host for killing Abner traiterously who forsaking Ishbosheth had yeelded himselfe to the king cursed of Dauid with all his house Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. with a most grieuous and terrible curse And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe as to murder Amasa one of Dauids chiefe captaines making shew to salute and imbrace him 2. Sam. 20. For which cruell deed albeit that in Dauids time he receiued no punishment yet it ouertooke him at last and the same kind of crueltie which hee had so traiterously and villanously committed towards others fell vpon his owne head being himselfe also killed as he had killed others which happened in king Salomons raigne who executing the charge and commandement of his father put to death this murderer in the tabernacle of God 1. King 2. and by the altar whither he was fled as a place priuiledged for safety CHAP. VII A suit of Examples like vnto the former LEauing the Scripture wee find in other writers notable examples of this subiect Herod lib. 1. As first of Astyages king of the Medes who so much swarued from humanitie that hee gaue in straight charge that young Cyrus his owne daughters sonne now ready to be borne should be made away by some sinister practise to auoid by that meanes the danger which by a dreame was signified vnto him Notwithstanding the yong infant finding friends to preserue him aliue and growing vp by meanes of the peeres fauor to whom his grandfather by his cruell dealings was become odious obtained the crowne out of his hands and dispossessing him seated himselfe in his roome This Cirus was that mighty and awfull king of Persia whome God vsed as an instrument for the deliuery of his people out of the captiuity of Babylon as he foretold by the Prophet Isaiah who yet following kind made cruell war in many places for the space of thirty yeres and therfore it was necessary that he should tast some fruits of his insatiable and bloodthirstie desire as hee indeed did for after many great victories and conquests ouer diuers cuntries atchieued Oros lib. 2. going about to assaile Scithia also hee and his army togither were surprised ouercome and slaine to the number of two hundred thousand persons and for his shame receiued this disgrace at a womans hand who triumphing in her victory threw his head into a sacke full of blood with these tearmes Now glut thy selfe with blood which thou hast thirsted after so long time Cambyses Cyrus sonne was also so bloody and cruel a man Herod lib. 3. that one day he shot a noble mans sonne to the heart with an arrow for being admonished by his father of his drunkennes to which he was very much giuen which he did in indignation and to shew that hee was not yet so drunken but he knew how to draw his bow Hee caused his owne brother to be murdered priuily for feare hee should raigne after him and slew his sister for reproouing him for that deed In his voiage to Aethiopia when his armie was brought into so great penury of victuals that they were glad to feed vpon horse flesh hee was so cruel and barbarous that after their horses were spent hee caused them to eate one another But at his returne from Aegypt the Susians his chiefe citizens welcomed him home with rebellion and at last as hee was riding it so chanced that his sword fell out of the scabberd and himselfe vpon the point of it so that it pierced him through and so hee died After that Xerxes by his ouerbold enterprise had distuâ—bed the greatest part of the world Diodor. lib. 11. passed the sea trauersed many countries to the end to assaile Greece with innumerable forces he was ouercome both by sea by land and compelled priuily to retire into his countrie with shame discredit where he had not long beene but Artabanus the captaine of his guard killed him in his pallace by night who also after that many other mischiefes committed by him was himselfe cruelly murdered The thirtie gouernours which the Lacedemonians set ouer the Athenians by compulsion were such cruell Tyrants oppressors and bloodsuckers of the people that they made away a great part of them vntil they were chased away themselues violently and then being secretly dogged pursued were all killed one after another Pirrhus King of Epire that raigned not long after Alexander the great was naturally disposed to such a quicknesse heat of courage that he could neuer be quiet but wheÌ„ he was either doing some mischiefe to another or when another was doing some vnto him euer deuising some new practise of molestation for pastimes sake This his wild and dangerous disposition began first to shew it selfe in the death of Neoptolemus who was conioined King with him whom hauing bidden to supper in his lodging vnder pretence of sacrifice to his gods he deceitfully slew preuenting by that meanes Neoptolemus pretended purpose of poisoning him when occasion should serue After this he conquered Macedonia by armes and came into Italie to make warre with the Romanes in the behalfe of the Tarentines and gaue them battaile in the field and slew fifteene thousand of them in one day he took their campe reuoked many cities from their alliance spoiled much of their country euen to the wals of Rome and all this in a trice without breathing Againe by Ascoly he encountred them the second time where there was a great ouerthrow of ech side of fifteen thousand meÌ„ But the Romans had the worst took their heeles WheÌ„ he was intreated by the Sicilian Embassadours to lend them aid to expulse the Carthaginians out of their isle hee yeelded presently and chased them out Being recalled by the Tarentines into Italy for their succour hee was conquered
obtained the sole regiment without controlment Besides hee corrupted so by bribes the Senators of Rome that had soueraigne authority in and ouer his kingdome that in stead of punishment which his murder cried for he was by the decree of the Senat allotted to the one halfe of the kingdome Wherevpon being growne yet more presumptuous hee made excursions and riots vpon Adherbals territories and did him thereby much iniurie and from thence falling to open war put him to flight and pursued him to a citie where hee besieged him so long till hee was constrained to yeeld himselfe And then hauing gotten him within his power put him to the cruellest death he could deuise which villanous deed gaue iust cause to the Romanes of that warre which they vndertooke against him wherein he was discomfited and seeing himselfe vtterly lost fled to his sonne in law Bochus king of Mauritania to seeke supply of succour who receiuing him into safegard prooued a false guard vnto him and deliuered him into the hands of his enemies and so was he carried in triumph to Rome by Marius fast bound being come to Rome cast into perpetual prison where first his gowne was torne off his back by violence next a ring of gold pluckt off his eare lap and all and lastly himselfe starke naked throwne into a deep ditch where combating with famine six daies the seuenth miserably ended his wretched life according to the merits of his misdeeds Orosius saith he was strangled in prison Oros Sabel Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. Methridates king of Parthia put to death the king of Cappadocia to get his kingdome and after vnder pretence of parlying with one of his sons slew him also for which cause the Romanes tooke vp the quarrell and made warre vpon him by means whereof much losse and inconuenience grew vnto him as well by sea as by land After his first ouerthrow where one of his sisters was taken prisoner and when he saw himselfe in so desperate a case that no hope of helpe was left he slew two other of his sisters with two of his wiues hauing before this war giuen his fourth sister who also was his wife a dram of poison to make vp the tragedie Afterward beeing vanquished in the night by Pompey the Romane and put to flight with onely three of his company as hee went about to gather a new supply of forces behold tidings was brought him of the reuolt of many of his Prouinces and countries and of the deliuering vp of the rest of his daughters into Pompeis hand and of the treason of his yoong sonne Pharnax the gallantest of his sonnes and whome hee purposed to make his successour who had ioined himselfe to his enemie which troubled and astonished him more then all the rest so that his courage being quite dashed and all hope of bettering his estate extinguished his other two daughters he poysoned with his owne handes and sought to practise the same experiment vpon himselfe but that his body was too strong for the poison and killed the operation thereof by strength of nature but that which poyson could not effect his owne sword performed Though Pompey the great was neuer any of the most notorious offenders in Rome Plâ—tarch yet did this staine of cruelty ambition and desire of rule cleaue vnto him for first he ioining himselfe to Silla dealt most cruelly vnnaturally with Carbo whom after familiar conference in shew of friendship hee caused sodainly to be slaine without shew of mercie And with Quintius Valerius a wise and well lettered man with whome walking but two or three turnes hee committed to a cruel and vnexpected slaughter He executed seuere punishment vpon the enemies of Silla sepecially those that were most of note and reputation and vnmercifully put Brutus to death that had rendered himselfe vnto his mercie It was he that deuised that new combate of prisoners and wild beasts to make the people sport withall a most inhumane and bloodie pastime to see humane and manly bodies torne and dismembred by brute and sencelesse creatures which if we will beleeue Plutarch was the only cause of his destruction Now after so many braue gallant victories so many magnificent triumphs as the taking of king Hiarbas the ouerthrow of Domitius the conquest of Africa the pacifying of Spaine and the ouerwelding of the commotions that were therein the clearing of the sea coasts from Pyrates the victory ouer Methridates the subduing of the Arabians the reducing of Siria into a prouince the coÌ„quest of Iudea Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia I say after all these worthy deeds of armes and mighty victories he was shamefully ouercome by Iulius Caesar in that ciuil war wherin it was generally thought that hee had vndertaken the better cause in maintaining the authority of the Senat defeÌ„ding the liberty of the people as he pretended to do being thus put to flight making towards Aegypt in hope the king for that before time hee had ben his tutor would protect furnish him that he might recouer himselfe again he found himself fo far deceiued of his expectation that in stead thereof the kings people cut him short of his purpose of his head both at once sending it for a token to Caesar to gratifie him withall Neuerthelesse for all this his murderers betraiers as the yong king all others that were causers of his death were iustly punished for their cruelty by the hands of him whom they thought to gratifie for as Cleopatra the kings sister threw her selfe downe at Caesars feet to intreat her portion of the kingdome and he being willing also to shew her that fauor was by that meanes gotten into the kings pallace forthwith the murderers of Pompey beset the pallace went about to bring him into the same snare that they had caught Pompey in But Caesar after that he had sustained their greatest brunt frustrated their purposes recouered his forces into his hands assailed them with such valor prowesse on al sides that in short space he ouercame this wicked traiterous nation Amongst the slain the dead body of this young and euill aduised king was found ouerborn with durt Flor. lib. 4. Theodotus the kings schoolemaster by whose instigation and aduise both Pompey was slaine and this war vndertaken being escaped fled towards Asia for his safety found euen there sufficient instruments both to abridge his iourney shorteÌ„ his life As for the rest of that murdering felowship they ended their liues some here some there in that merciles element the sea and by that boisterous element the wind which though senslesse yet could not suffer them to escape vnpunished Although that Iulius Caesar concerning whom more occasion of speech will be giuen in the 39 chapter did tyranously vsurpe the key of the Romane common-wealth Plutarch intruded himselfe into the Empire against the lawes customs and authority of the people and Senat yet was it accounted a
the duke of Orleance was a vertuous and commendable action and the authour of it to be void of fault and therefore ought to be void of punishment The preface which this braue oratour vsed was That he was bounden in duty to the duke of Burgundy in regard of a goodly pension which he had receiued at his hands and for that cause he had prepared his poore tongue in token of gratitude to defend his cause Hee might better haue said thus That seeing his tongue was poore and miserable and he himselfe a senslesse creature therfore he ought not to allow or defend so obstinately such a detestable and traiterous murder committed vpon a Duke of Orleance and the same the kings brother in such vile sort and that if hee should do otherwise he should approoue of that which God and man apparantly condemned yea the very Turkes and greatest Painyms vnder heauen that he should iustify the wicked condemne the innocent which is an abomination before God should put darknes in stead of light and call that which is euill good for which the Prophet Esai in his 1 chapter denounceth the iudgemēts of God against false prophets should follow the steps of Balaam which let out his tongue to hire for the wages of iniquity but none of these supposes came once into his mind But to returne to our history The duke of Burgundy hauing the tongues of these braue doctors at his commaundement and the Parisians who bore themselues partially in this quarrel generally fauourers of his side came to Paris in armes to iustifie himselfe as he pretended and stroke such a dreadfull awe of himselfe into all mens minds that notwithstanding all the earnest pursuit of the Duchesse the widow of Orleance for iustice he escaped vnpunished vntill God by other meanes tooke vengeance vpon him which happened after a while after that those his complices of Paris being become lords and rulers of the city had committed many horrible and cruell murders as of the Constable and Chancellour two head officers of the realme whose bodies fast bound togither they drew naked through the streets from place to place in most despitefull maner for the Daulphin escaping their hands by night and safeguarded in his castle after that hee heard of the seasure of the citie found meanes to assemble certaine forces and marched to Montereaufautyon with twenty thousand men of purpose to be reuenged on the Duke for all his braue riotous demeanors hither vnder colour of parling deuising new means to pacifie these old ciuill troubles he enticed the duke being come at his very first arrtuall as he was bowing his knee in reuerence to him he caused him to be slaine And on this manner was the duke of Orleance death quitted the euill and cruelty shewed towards him returned vpon the murderers owne necke for as hee slew him treacherously cowardly so was hee also treacherously and cowardly slaine and iustly requited with the same measure that he before had measured to another Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. notwithstanding herein the Daulphin was not free from a grieuous crime of disloialtie truth breach in working his death without shame of either faith-breach or periury and that in his owne presence whom he had so often with protestation of assurance and safety requested to come vnto him Neither did hee escape vnpunished for it for after his fathers decease hee was in danger of loosing the crowne and all for this cause For Philip duke of Burgundy taking his fathers reuēge into his hands by his cunning deuises wrought meanes to displace him from the succession of the kingdome by according a marriage betwixt the king of England and his sister to whome he in fauour agreed to giue his kingdome in reuersion after his owne decease Now assoone as the king of England was seased vpon the gouernment of Fraunce the Daulphin was presently summoned to the marble table to giue answer for the death of the old duke whither when he made none appearance they presently banished him the realme and pronounced him to be vnworthy to be succeeder to the noble crowne which truly was a very grieuous chastisement and such an one as brought with it a heape of many mischiefes and discomfitures which happened in the warre betwixt England and him for the recouery of his kingdome Peter sonne to Alphonsus king of Castill Froiss lib. r. hist was a most bloodie and cruell tyrant for first hee put to death his owne wife the daughter of Peter duke of Burbone and sister to the Queene of France Next he slue the mother of his bastard brother Henry togither with many Lords and Barons of the realme for which he was hated not only of all his subiects but also of his neighbour and adioyning cuntries which hatred mooued the aforesaid Henry to aspire vnto the crowne which what with the Popes aduouch who legitimated him and the helpe of certaine French forces and the support of the nobility of Castill he soone atchieued Peter thus abandoned put his safest-guard in his heeles and fled to Bordeaux towards the Prince of Wales of whome he receiued such good entertainment that with his aid he soone reentred his lost dominions and by maine battell chased his bastard brother out of the confines thereof But being reinstalled whilst his cruelties ceased not to multiply on euery side behold Henry with a new supply out of France began to assaile him afresh and put him once againe to his shifts but all that hee could doe could not shift him out of Henries hands who pursued him so hotly that with his owne hands he soone rid him out of all troubles and afterwards peaceably enioyed the kingdome of Castill CHAP. X. Of diuers other murderers and their seuerall punishments MAximinus from a shepheard in Thracia grew to be an Emperor in Rome by these degrees his exceeding strength and swiftnes in running commended him so to Seuerus then Emperour that he made him of his guard from that hee arose to be a Tribune and at last to be an Emperour which place he was no sooner in possession of but immoderate crueltie all this while buried began to shew it selfe for he made hauocke of all the nobilitie and put to death those that hee suspected to be acquainted with his estate insomuch as some called him Cyclops some Busiris others Anteus for his cruelty Wherfore the Senat of Rome seeing his indignity proclaimed him an enemy to their commonwealth and made it lawfull for any man to procure his death which being knowen his souldiers lying at the siege of Aquileia mooued with hatred entred his tent at noone day and slew him and his sonne togither Iustinian the younger no lesse hatefull to his subiects for his cruelty than Maximinus was deposed from the Empire by conspiracie and hauing his nosthrils slit exiled to Chersona Leontius succeeding in his place Howbeit ere long hee recouered his crowne and scepter and returned to
Constantinople exercising more cruelty at his returne then euer hee had done before him for he not only put to death Leontius and Tiberius but also all that any way fauoured their parts It is said of him that he neuer â—â—â—w his mangled nose but he caused one of them to be executed to death At last he was slaine by Philippicus to verifie the word of the Lord That he which striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword Albonius king of Lumbardy drinking vpon a time to his wife Rosimund in a cup made of her fathers skull whome he in battaile had slaine so displeased her therewith that shee attributing more to naturall affection then vnity of marriage decreed with her selfe to hazard life and kingdome to be reuenged vpon this grieuous iniury wherefore shee thus practised A knight called Hemichild was enamoured with one of her maids him she brought into a secret darke place by pollicie in shew to enioy his loue but indeed to be at her commaund for shee supplied his loues place and then discouering her selfe put it to his choise either to kill her husband or to be accused by her of this villany Hemichild chose the former and in deed murdered his lord in his bed and after the deed done fled with her to Rauenna But marke how the Lord requited this murder euen most strangely for they both which had beene linkt togither in the fact were linkt togither also in the punishment and as they had beene ioynt instruments of anothers destruction so he made them mutuall instruments of their owne for Rosimund thinking to poison him too made him drinke halfe her medicine but he feeling the poison in his veines staied in the midway and made her sup vp the other halfe for her part so they died both togither The Electors of the Empire disagreeing in suffrages Munst cosâ—n Philip. Melan. lib. 5. Adolphus duke of Nassauia Albertus duke of Austria tooke vpon them the regiment and managing of the state whereupon grewe grieuous warres in all Germany and dissention betweene the two statemen so that Adolphus was slaine by the duke of Austria in battaile by the city of Spire whose death was thus notably reuenged All that tooke part against him or that were accessary to the murder perished most strangely Albert Earle of Hagerloch was slaine Otto of Ochsensteme hanged the bishop of Mentz died suddenly of an apoplexie in his sellar the bishop of Stratsbrough was butchered by a butcher the Earle of Leimingen died of a phrensie the duke of Austria himselfe was slaine by his nephew Iohn from whome he had taken the gouernment of Sueuia because of his vnthriftinesse generally they all came to destruction so grieuous is the crie of innocent blood against those that are guiltie thereof After the death of Woldimirus king of Rhythenia his son Berisus succeeded in the kingdome Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. who though hee was a vertuous and religious prince yet could not his vertue or religion priuiledge him from the malice of his brother Suadopolcus who gaping and itching for the crowne slue his brother this good prince as he was sleeping in his chamber togither with his Esquire that attended vpon him Chron. Pol. lib. 2. cap. 10. and not content herewith but adding murder to murder he assaulted another of his brethren by the same impiety and brought him to the same end Whereupon the last brother Iorâ—slaus to be reuenged on this villany set vpon him with an army of men and killing his complices droue him to flie to Crachus king of Polonia for succour who furnishing him with a new army sent him backe against his brother in which battell his successe being equall to his former he lost his men and himselfe escaping the sword died in his flight to Polonia and was buried in a base and ignoble sepulchre fit enough for so base ignoble a wretch And that we may see how hatefull and vngodly a thing it is to be either a protectour or a sauer of any murderer marke the iudgement of God that fell vpon this king of Polonia though not in his owne person yet in his posterity Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. for he being dead his eldest sonne and heire Crachus was murdered by his younger brother Lechus as they were hunting so disguised and torne that euery man imputed his death not to Lechus whose eies dropt crocadiles teares but to some sauadge and cruell beast Howbeit ere long his treachery being discouered and disseised of his kingdome hee died with extreame griefe and horrour of conscience And thus wee see that Crachus his kingdome came to desolation for maintaining a murderer Iohn the high priest of Ierusalem sonne and successour to Iudas had a brother tearmed Iesus to whome Bagoses the lieuetenant of Antaxerxes army promised the priesthood Ioseph anâ—iq Iudaic. l. r 1. c 7 meaning in deed to depose Iohn and install him in his roome vpon which occasion this Iesus growing insolent spared not to reuile his brother that in the temple with immodest opprobrious speeches so that his anger being prouoked ProfanatioÌ„ of holy things lib. 1. cap. 34. hee slue him in his rage a most impious part for the high priest to pollute the holy temple with blood that of his owne brother and so impious that the Lord in iustice could not choose but punish the whole natioÌ„ for it most seuerely For this cause Bagoses imposed a tribute vpon them euen a most grieuous tribute that for euery lambe they offered vpon the altar they should pay fifty groats to the king of Persia besides the prophanation of their temple with the vncircumcised Persians who entred into it at their pleasures and so polluted the sanctuary and holy things of God this punishment continued vpon them seuen yeeres and all for this one murder Gerhardus Earle of Holsatia after he had conquered the Danes in many and sundry battailes Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. was traiterously slaine in the city Kanderhusen by one Nicolaus Iacobus a rich Baron so that whome the open enemie feared in the field him the priuie subtill foe murdered in his chamber But the traitour and murderer albeit he fled to the castle Schaldenburg and got a band of soldiers to defend himselfe yet he was surprised by the Earls sonnes who tormenting him as became a traitor to be tormented at last rent his body into foure quarters and so his murder and treason was condignly punished Aboue all the execution of Gods vengeance is most notably manifested in the punishment and detection of one Parthenius an homicide treasurer to Theodobert king of France Greg. of Tours lib. 3. cap. 36. who hauing traiterously slaine an especiall friend of his called Ausanius with his wife Papianilla when no man suspected or accused him thereof hee detected and accused himselfe after this strange manner As hee slept in his bed suddenly hee roared out most pitifully crying for helpe or else hee perished
betwixt whome was great strife for the soueraigne dominion but to rid himselfe of all his trouble at once hee slew his brother Manlius by treason and after continued his raigne in tyranny and all vnlawfull lusts the space of twentie yeares but although vengeance all this while wincked yet it slept not for at the end of this space as hee was hunting hee was deuoured of wild beasts In the yeare of our Lord God 745 one Sigebert was authorised king of the Saxons in Brittaine a cruell and tyrannous Prince towards his subiects and one that chaunged the ancient lawes and customes of his realme after his owne pleasure and because a certaine Nobleman somewhat sharpely aduertised him of his euill conditions he malitiously caused him to bee put to death but see how the Lord reuenged this murder hee caused his Nobles to depriue him of his kingly authority and at last as a desolate and forlorne person wandering alone in a wood to bee slaine of a swine-heard whose maister hee being king had wrongfully put to death In the yeare of our Lord 678 Childerich king of Fraunce caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any iust crime or accusation against him for which cruelty his Lords and commons being grieuously offended conspired togither and slew him with his wife as they were in hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in sheading much humane blood but hee was also iustlie recompenced in the end first he murdered king Edward the second lying in Barkley castell to the end hee might as it was supposed enioy Isabell his wife with whome hee had very suspitious familiarity Secondly hee caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonourable peace with the Scots by restoring to them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the kings of Scotland had bound themselues to be feudaries to the kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent vncle to king Edward of treason and caused him vniustly to be put to death And lastly he conspired against the king to worke his destruction for which and diuerse other things that were laid to his charge he was worthely and iustly beheaded In the raigne of Henry the sixt Humfry the good duke of Gloucester faithfull protector of the king by the meanes of certaine malicious persons and especially the Marques of Suffolke as it was suspected was arrested cast into hold strangled to death in the Abbey of Bury for which cause the Marques was not only banished the land for the space of fiue yeares but also banished out of his life for euer for as he sailed towards France he was met withall by a ship of warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast vp at Douer that England wherein hee had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called maister Arden of Feuersham was most execrable so the wonderfull discouerie thereof was exceeding rare this Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire then dishonest who being in loue with one Mosby more then her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for togither they hired a notorious ruffian one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as hee was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her own guiltie conscience and some tokens of blood which appeared in the house was soon discouered and confessed Wherfore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael maister Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feuersham Mosby and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloody action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feuersham And Blacke Will the ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a scaffold at Flushing in Zealand And thus all the murderers had their deserued dewes in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtaine mercy by true repentance it is easie to iudge CHAP. XI Of Paricides or parent murderers IF all effusion of humane blood bee both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature then is the murdering of parents especially detestable when a man is so possessed with the deuill or transported with a hellish fury that he lifteth vp his hand against his owne naturall father or mother to put thē to death this is so monstrous and inormious an impiety that the greatest Barbarians euer haue had it in detestation wherefore it is also expressely commanded in the law of God that vvhosoeuer smiteth his father or mother in what sort soeuer though not to death Exod. 21. yet he shall die the death If the disobedience vnreuerence and contempt of children towards their parents are by the iust iudgement of God most rigorously punished as hath ben declared before in the first commandement of the second table how much more then when violence is offered aboue all when murder is cōmitted Diodor. Sic. Thus the Aegyptians punished this sin they put the cōmittants vpon a stack of thorns and burnt thē aliue hauing beaten their bodies before hand with sharp reeds made of purpose Solon being demanded why hee appointed no punishment in his lawes for Parricides answered that there was no necessity thinking that the wide world could not affoord so wicked a wretch It is said that Romulus for the same cause ordained no punishment in his Common-wealth for that crime but called euery murderer a Parricide the one being in his opinion a thing execrable and the other impossible And in truth there was not for 600 years space according to Plutarchs report found in Rome any one that had cōmitted this execrable fact The first Parricide that Rome saw was Lucius Ostius after the first Punick war although other writers affirme that M. Malliolus was the first and Lucius the second howsoeuer it was they both vnderwent the punishment of the law Pompeia which enacted that such offendors should be thrust into a sack of lether an ape a cock a viper a dog put in to accōpany them then to be thrown into the water to the end that these beasts being enraged animated one against another might wreke their teene vpon them so depriue thē of life after a strange fashion being debarred of the vse of aire water earth as vnworthy to participate the very elements with their deaths much lesse with their liues which kind of punishmēt was after practised and confirmed by the constitution of Constantine the great And albeit the regard of the punishmēt seemed terrible the offence it self much more monstrous yet since that time there haue ben many so peruerse exceedingly wicked as to throw themselues headlong into that desperat gulfe As Cleodorick son of Sigebert king of
Heraclius hauing raigned Emperour but one yeere was poisoned by his stepmother Martina Zonoras tom 3. to the end to install her owne sonne Heraclon in the crowne but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to haue her or her sonne raigne ouer them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the city Fausta the wife of Constantine the Great fell in loue with Constantine her sonne in law begotten vpon a concubine Zonoras 3. Annal. Sex Aur. whom when she could not persuade vnto her lust shee accused vnto the Emperour as a sollicitour of her chastitie for which cause hee was condemned to die but after the truth was knowen Constantinus put her into a hote bath and suffered her not to come forth vntill the heat had choaked her reuenging vpon her head his sonnes death and her owne vnchastitie CHAP. XII Of Subiect Murderers SEing then they that take away their neighbours liues doe not escape vnpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs folow that if they to whom the sword of iustice is committed by God to represse wrongs and chastise vices doe giue ouer themselues to cruelties and to kill and slay those whome they ought in duty to protect and defend must receiue a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to haue bene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody minded as contrary to all iustice to put to death Abimelech the high priest with fourescore and fiue other priests of the family of his father 1. Sam. 22. onely for receiuing Dauid into his house small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied herewith h◠vomited out his rage also against the whol city of the priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any Hee slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that lād yet because they were receiued into league of amity by a solemne oth and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not haue bene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore he tyranizing and playing the butcher amongst his own subiects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter practising many other foul enormities he was at the last ouercome of the Philistims sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall aliue into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands vpon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sonnes and they that followed him of his owne houshold were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body despoiled among the carcasses beheaded it and caried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung vp the trunke in disgrace in one of their cities to be seene lookt vpon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in king Dauids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause whereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed vpon the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. wherefore Dauid deliuered Sauls seuen sonnes into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is euen to hanging Amongst all the sinnes of king Achab and Iezabel which were many and great 1. King 21. the murder of Naboth standeth in the forefront for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserue death yet by the subtill and wicked deuise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the warre which hee made with the king of Siria receiued so deadly a wound that hee died thereof the dogges licking vp his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked 2. King 9. according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whome her owne seruants at the commandement of Iehu whome God had made executour of his wrath threw headlong out of an high window vnto the ground so that the walls were died with her blood and the horses trampled her vnder their feet and dogs deuoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing sauing only her scull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iudah being after his fathers death possessed of the crowne and scepter of Iudah 2. Chron. 21. by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many princes of the realme for which cause God stirred vp the Edomites to rebell the Philistims and Arabians to make war against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wiues and children the yongest only excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned king but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his owne brethren hee committed crueltie against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeeres that his very entrails issued out with torment and so died in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we haue already touched the pride and arrogancie of king Alexander the Great yet wee can not pretermit to speake of him in this place his example seruing so fit for the present subiect for although as touching the rest of his life hee was verie well gouerned in his priuat actions as a monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeeres but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not only towards strangers as the Cosseis whome he destroied to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loued hi◠and diuers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neare friends he had put to death neuer ceased vntill he both ministred a deadly draught vnto himselfe Iustine whereby he depriued him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wiues and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full reuenge Phalaris the tyrant of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes Oros then horrible cruelties exercised vpon his owne subiects inuenting euery day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus an artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry fauour with him deuised a new torment
haue their equals in follies in better account Basill calleth such sports and pastimes The workehouse forge and common shop of all wickednesse Homil. 4. therefore Chrisossome praieth and admonisheth the faithfull of his time to abstaine from frequenting such places S. Augustine also forbiddeth to bestow our money vpon tumblers Homil 6. in 1. cap. Gen. Can. 51. iugglers and plaiers and such like Beside by the Constantinoplitane councell vnder Iustinian it was inhibited to be once present at such sports vnder the paine of excomunication and that the ancient Christians did by common consent not only condemne but also vtterly abstaine from such pastimes it may appeare by the testimony of Tertullian writing to the Gentiles to this effect Apolog. We renounce and send backe saith hee sports plaies vnto you as to the head and fountain from whence they were first deriued wee make no reckoning of those thinges which we know were drawne from superstition we loue not to behold the folly of turning with chariots nor the vnchastity of the Theatre nor the cruelty of sword playing nor the vanity of leaping wrestling and dancing but take pleasure in exercises of better report and lesse hurt Moreouer how odious and irkesome in the sight of the Lord such spectacles are and what power and sway the deuill beareth therein the iudgement of God vpon a Christian woman reported by Tertullian Tertul. de spect may sufficiently instruct vs There was a woman saith he that went to the Theatre to see a play and returned home possessed with an vncleane spirit who being rebuked in a coniuration for daring to assault one of the faith that professed Christ answered that he had done well because he found her vpon his owne ground The same author reporteth another example as strange of a woman also that went to see a tragedie acted to whome the night following appeared in a dreame the picture of a sheet a presage of death casting in her teeth that which she had done and fiue daies after death himselfe seazed vpon her As touching wanton songs and vnchast and ribald bookes that I may be briefe I will content my selfe onely with that which is alledged by Ludiuicus Viues coÌ„cerning that matter The Magistrate saith hee ought to banish out of his dominion all vnhonest songs and Poemes Lib. of instruction of a Christian woman and not to suffer nouelties to bee published day by day in rimes and Ballades as they are as if a man should heare in a city nothing but foolish and sturrilous dirties such as would make euen the younger sort that are well brought vp to blush and stir vp the indignation of men of honour and grauitie this ought Magistrate to preuent and to discharge the people from reading Amadis Tristram Launcelot du lake Melusine Poggius scurrilities and Boccace nouelties with a thousand more such like toies and thus much out of Viues CAAP. XXXV Of Theenes and Robbers IT followes that wee speake in the next place of such as by their greedy couetousnesse and vnquenchable desire of lucre transgresse the fourth commandement of the second table to wit Thou shalt not steale wherein not only simple theft but also sacriledge is condemned and first of Sacriledge Into this sinne fell wretched Achan in the time of Ioshua Ioshua 7. when in the sacke of Ierecho hee seeing a Babilonish garment with certaine gold and siluer couered it and stole it away and hid it in his tent contrary to the commandement of the Lord for which cause the Lord was offended with his whole people as if they all had beene necessarie to the crime and infer bled them so before their enemies that they were be at â—â—ndowne at Hay and shamefully put to flight neither was his anger appeased vntill that the offendant being diuinely and miraculously descried was stoned to death and burnt with his children and all his substance But to come vnto prophane stories let vs begin with Heliodorus measurer of Seleuchus king of Asia who by the Kings commandement and suggestion of one Simon gouernour of the Temple came to take away the gold and siluer which was kept in the treasurie of the Temple and to transport it vnto the kings treasurie whereat the whole city of Ierusalem put on sackcloth and poured out praiers vnto the Lord so that when Heliodorus was present in the Temple with his souldiours readie to seaze vpon the treasure the Lord of all spirits and power shewed so great a vision that hee fell suddainely into extreame feare and trembling for there appeared vnto him an horse with a terrible man sitting vpon him most richly barbed which came fiercely and smote at him with his foreseer moreouer there appeared two young men notable in strength excellent in beautie and comely in aparrell which stood by him on either side and scourged him with many striples so that Heliodorus that came in with so great a company of souldiours and attendants was stroken dumbe and caried out in a litter vpon thens shoulders for his strength was so abated that he could not helpe himselfe but lay destitute of all hope of recouery so heauy was the hand of God vpon him vntil by the praiers of Onias the high priest he was restored then loe he confessed that hee which dwelt in heauen had his eie on that place and defended it from all those that came to hurt and spoile it Another of this true was in Crassus the Romane who entring Ierusalem robbed the Temple of two thousand talents of siluer and gold Iosephus Zonar beside the rich ornaments which amounted in worth to eight thousand talents and a beame of beaten gold coÌ„taining three hundred pound in weight Campoful lib. 1. for which sacraledge the vengeance of God so pursued him that within a while after he was ouercome by the Parthians and together with his sonne slaine his euil gotten goods being dispersed and the scull of his head being made a ladle to melt gold in that it might be glutted with that being dead which aliue it could neuer be satisfied with Iosephus lib. 17. Herod following the steps of Hircanus his predecessor that tooke out of the sepulchre of king Dauid three thousand talents of money Zonar Annal. 1 thinking to find the like treasure broke vp the sepulchre in the night and found no money but rich ornaments of gold which hee tooke away with him howbeit to his cost for two of his seruants perished in the vaut by a diuine fire as it is reported and he himself had small successe in his worldly affaires euer after Iulian the Apostatae robbed the church of the reuenues thereof and tooke away all beneuolences and contributions to schooles of learning to the end the children might not be instructed in the liberall arts nor in any other good literature Hee exaggered also his sacriledge with scornefull ieasts saying that hee did further then saluation by making them poore seeing it was written in their
he knoweth hee shall rather run into further charge than recouer any of his old losse Beside this it happeneth that poore small theeues are often drawne to the whip or driuen to banishment or sent to the gallows when rich grand theeues lie at their ease and escape vncontrouled albeit the qualitie of their crime bee far vnequal according to the Poet The simple doue by law is censured Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas When rauenous crowes escape vnpunished The world was euer yet full of such rauenous rauens so nimble in pilling others goods and so greedy of their owne gaine that the poore people in steed of being maintained and preserued in the peaceable enioying of their portions are gnawne to the very bones amongst them for which cause Homer in the person of Agamemnon calleth them deuourers of men likewise also the Prophet Dauid in the sixteenth Psalme calleth them eaters of his people and yet want they not flatterers and trencher-friends Canckerwoms of a Cōmonwealth that vrge thē forwards deuise daily new kind of exactions like horseleaches to sucke out the very blood of mens purses shewing so much the more wit deceit therein by how much the more they hope to gaine a great part therof vnto their selues being like hungerstarued Harpeis that will neuer bee satisfied but still snatch and catch al that commeth neare their clouches and these are they that doe good to no man but hurt to all of whom the Marchant findeth himselfe agreeued the Artificer troden vnder foot the poore laborer oppressed and generally all men endamaged CHAP. XXXVI Of the excessiue burdenings of the Comminaltie AS it is a iust approued thing before God to doe honor and reuerence to kings and Princes and to bee subiect vnder them in all obedience so it is a reasonable and allowable duty to pay such tributes and subsidies whereby their great charges honourable estate may bee maintained as by right of equitie are due vnto thē and this is also commanded by our Sauior Christ in expresse words when hee saith Mat. 22.21 Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars And by the Apostle Paule more expressely Rom. 31.7 pay tributes render vnto all men their due tribute to whome tribute belongeth and custome to whom custome Marke how hee saith Giue vnto all men their due and therein obserue that kings and princes ought of their good and iust disposition bee content with their due and not seeke to load and ouercharge their subiects with vnnecessary exactions but to desire to see them rather rich and wealthie than poore and needy for thereby commeth no profite vnto themselues further it is most vnlawfull for them to exact that aboue measure vpon their commons which being in mediocrity is not condemned I say it is vnlawfull both by the law of God and man the law of God and man is termed all that which both God and man allow and agree vpon and which a man with a safe conscience may put in practise for the former we can haue no other schoolmaster nor instruction saue the holy scripture wherein God hath manifested his will vnto vs concerning this very matter as in Deuteronom 18 speaking of the office and duty of a king he forbiddeth them to be horders vp of gold and siluer and espousers of many wiues and louers of pride signifying thereby that they ought to containe themselues within the bounds of modestie and temperance and not giue the raines to their owne affections nor heape vp great treasures to their peoples detriment nor to delight in warre nor to be too much subiect to their owne pleasures all which things are meanes of vnmeasurable expense so that if it be not allowable to muster togither multitudes of goods for the danger and mischiefe that ensueth thereof as it appeareth out of this place then surely is it much lesse lawfull to leuy excessiue taxes of the people for the one of these can not be without the other and thus for the law of God it is cleare that by it authority is not committed vnto them to surcharge and as it were trample downe their poore subiects by vnmeasurable and vnsupportable imposition As for that which the Prophet Samuel in the name of God giueth notice to the Israelites of touching the right of a king wherein he seemeth to allow him the disposition of the goods and persons of his subiects I answer first that God being an immooueable truth cannot contradict himselfe by commanding and forbidding the same thing and secondly that the word of the text in the originall signifieth nothing else but a custome or fashion as it appeareth in the 1. Sam. 11.13 besides the speech that the Prophet vseth importeth not a commandement but an aduertisement of the subiection whereunto the people were about to thrust themselues by desiring a king after the manner of other nations whose customes amongst them was to exercise authority and dominion as well ouer their goods as their persons for which cause God would haue them forewarned that they might know how vile a yoke they put their owne neches vnder and what grieuous and troublesome seruitude they vndertooke from the which they could no waies be deliuered no though they desired it with teares Furthermore that a king in Israel had no power in right and equity to take away the possessions of any of his subiects and appropriate it to himselfe it appeareth by Nabaoths refusal to king Achab 1. King 12. to giue him his vineyard though he requested it as in may seeme vpon very reasonable conditions 1 King 12. either for his money or for exchange so that a man would thinke hee ought not to haue denied him howbeit his desire being thus crossed he could not mend himselfe by his authority but fell to vexe and grieue himselfe and to champe vpon his owne bit vntill by the wicked and detestable complot of Iezabel poore Nabaoth was falsly accused vniustly condemned and cruelly murdered and then hee put in possession of his vineyard which murder doubtlesse shee would neuer haue attempted nor yet Nabaoth euer haue refused to yeeld his vineyard if by any pretence of law they would haue laid claime vnto it but Nabaoth knowing that it was contrary to Gods ordinance Num 36.9 for him to part with his patrimonie which he ought most carefully to preserue would not consent to sell ouer his vineyard neither for loue nor money nor other recompence and herein hee did but his duty approoued by the holy scripture Now how odious a thing before God the oppression of poore people is it is manifest by his owne words in the prophesie of Ezechiel where hee saith Chap. 15.9 Let it suffice O princes of Israel leaue off crueltie and oppression and execute iudgement and iustice take away your exactions from my people and cease to thrust them from their goods and heritages Now concerning the law of man which all men agree vnto because
mightily the hand of God was stretched foorth to the reuenge of those wicked deedes and villanies which were committed by the Spaniards in those quarters Peter Loys bastard son to Pope Paule the third Sleidan lib. 19. Bal. was one that practised many horrible villanies robberies murders adulteries incest and Sodomitries thinking that because his father was Pope therefore no wickednesse was vnlawfull for him to commit He was by the report of all men one of the most notorious vildest and filthiest villaines that euer the world saw he forced the Bishop of Faence to his vnnaturall lust so that the poore Bishop with meere anger and griefe that hee should be so abused died immediately being made Duke of Plaisence and Parme hee exercised most cruell tyrany towards many of his subiects insomuch that diuerse gentlemen that could not brooke nor endure his iniuries conceiued an inward hate against him and conspired his death and for to put in practise the same they hired certaine ruffians and roisters to watch the oportunitie of slaying him yea and they themselues oftentimes went apart with these roisters keeping themselues vpon their guards as if some priuate and particular quarrels had beene in hand one day as the Duke went in his horselitter out of his castell with a great retinue to see certaine fortifications which he had prepared being aduertised by his father the Pope by the helpe of Magicke which he practised to looke diligently to himselfe the tenth day of September in which notwithstanding he was slaine for as he returned into his castell the conspirators to the number of sixe and thirtie marched before him as it were to do him honor but indeed to doe him villany for assoone as he was entred the castell they drew vp the drawbridge for feare of his retinue that were without and comming to him with their naked swords cast in his teeth his tyrannie and so slew him in his litter togither with a Priest the maister of his horse and fiue Almaignes that were of his guard his dead body they hung by a chaine ouer the wals and shaking it to and fro to the view of the people threw it downe headlong at last into the ditch where the multitude to shew their hates wounded it with daggers and trampled it vnder their feet and so whome they durst not touch in his life him being dead they thus abused and this befell vpon the tenth day of September in the yeere of our Lord 1547. Some of the Bishops of Rome for their rare and notable vertues and the glory of their braue deeds may be honoured with this dignity to be placed in this worthy ranke for their good conditions and behauiours were such that no tyrant butcher theefe robber ruffian nor any other euer excelled them in crueltie robbery adulterie and such like wickednesse or deserued more the credit and reputation of his place than they And hereof we haue a manifest example in Iohn the thirteenth who pulling out the eies of some of his Cardinals cutting out the tongues of others hewing off the hands noses and priuy members of others shewed himselfe a patterne of such crueltie as the world neuer saw the like Hee was accused before the Emperour Otho in a synode first of incest with two of his owne sisters secondly for calling the deuill to helpe him at dice thirdly for promoting young infants to bishoprickes bribed thereto by the gift of certaine peeces of gold fourthly for rauishing maides and wiues and lying with his fathers concubine yea and lastly for lying with his owne mother and many other such monstrous villanies for which cause hee was deposed from the papacie though reinstalled againe by the sute and cunning practise of his whores by whome as hee recouered his triple crowne so he lost shortly after his vicious life by the meanes of a married whore that betraied him Benno Bal. Pope Hildebrand sirnamed Gregory the seuenth was adorned with all these good qualities namely to be bloody minded a poisoner a murderer a coniurer also a consulter with spirits and in a word nothing but a lumpe and masse of wickednesse hee was the stirrer vp of many battels against the Emperor Henry the fourth and a prouoker of his own son to depose and poyson his father as hee did but this wicked I would say holy Pope was at last banished his Cathedrall citie to Salernum where he ended his daies in miserie Pope Clement the sixt of name contrary to his nature for his inclemencie crueltie pride towards the Emperor Lewis of Bauarie was intollerable he procured many horrible wars against the Empire and caused the destruction of twenty thousand Frenchmen by the king of England yea and poysoned the good Emperour also so well he wished to him Howbeit ere long himselfe was stifled to death and that sodainly not by any practise of man as it was thought but by the speciall hand of God in recompence of all his notable acts Iohn the foure and twentith was deposed by the councell of Constance for these crimes following heresie Simonie Benno Bal. manslaughter poysonings cousenings adultry Sodomitry and was cast into prison where remaining three years he falsly made shew of amendment of his wicked life therefore was graced with a Cardinals hat but it was not that which he expected for which cause with despight griefe he died It would bee too long to run ouer the discourse of euery particular Pope of like conditions and therefore wee will conteÌ„t our selues in briefe with the legend of Pope Alexander the sixt reported by two authors of credite and renowne vnsuspected to wit Guicciardine a Florentine gentlemaÌ„ Guicciardine lib. 2. Bembus Bembus a Venetian cardinall this man saith Guicciardine attained to the Papacy not by worthinesse of vertues but by heauinesse of bribes and multitude of faire promises made to the cardinals for his election promising large recompence to them that stood on his side whereupon many that knew his course of life were filled with astonishment amongst whome was the king of Naples who hearing of this election coÌ„plained to his queene with tears that there was such a pope created that wold be a plague to Italy al ChristeÌ„dome beside the great vices which swaied in him of which the same author speaking maketh this catalogue and pettigree in his own language which followeth Guiâ—â—tardine lib. 2. Costum d it il oscensimi non sincerita non verita non fede non religione auaritia insatiabile ambitione immoderata crudelta pinque barbara eo ardentissima cupidita di escaltare in qualunque modo i figli voli i quali erano molti that is to say He was endued with most filthie conditions and that neither sincerity truth faith nor religion was in him but in steed of them couetousnesse vnquenchable ambition vnmeasurable more then barbarous crueltie and a burning desire of promoting his owne children for he had many by what meanes soeuer He
them selues aloofe from him and are so farre from being bettered thereby that they shew themselues a great deale more malitious and obstinate then euer they did before not vnlike to those who by nature being bleare eied tender sighted are rather dazeled and dimmed by the sunne beames then any waies enlightned so men in stead of growing better grow worse and euery day ad some increase to their wickednesse to whome also many great men giue elbow-roome and permission to sinne whilst iustice slumbereth and the not punishing of misdeedes giueth them libertie and boldnesse to commit their wickednesse so that some of these mightie ones shew themselues but little better then the other A mischiefe to be lamented aboue the rest drawing after it an horrible ouerflow of all euils and like a violent streame spoiling euery where as it goeth when as they that ought to gouerne the sterne of the Commonwealth let all goe at randome suffering themselues to bee rocked a sleepe with the false and deceitfull lullabie of effeminate pleasures and delights of the flesh or at least letting themselues be carried headlong by the tempest of their owne strong and furious passions into emminent danger of shipwrackes when as their carefull watchfulnesse and modestie accompanied with the traine of other good and commendable vertues ought to serue them for fails cables ankers masts and skutles whereby to gouerne and direct the vessel vvhose stearsmen they are appointed and those that are their charge to whom they ought to giue a good example of life and be vnto them as it vvere a glasse of vertue for they are set aloft as it vvere vpon a stage to be gazed at of euerie commer Their faults and vices are like foule spots and scarres in the face which cannot by anie meanes be hid And therefore they ought to be carefull to lead an honest and vertuous life that thereby they might persuade and moue the meaner sort of people to doe the like for it is a true saying of the Philosopher Like Prince like people in so much that euerie one desireth to frame himselfe according to the humour of his superiour whose will and manners serue simplie for a law to doe euill to the which men vse by taking any occasion too hastelie to giue themselues ouer with too much libertie whervpon followeth an vnrecouerable ruin no lesse then the fall of a great house which for want of pillers and supporters that should vphold it suddenly falleth to the ground so this ship being depriued of her gouernour is set loose and laid open to the mercie of the waues violence of winds and rage of tempests without anie direction or gouernment and so the bodie of man not hauing anie more the light of his own eies abideth in darknesse all blinded not able to doe any thing that is right and good but ready euery minute to fall into some pit And this is the peruersitie and corruption of this world CHAP. III. That great men which will not abide to bee admonished of their faults cannot escape punishment by the hand of God IN this poore and miserable estate euery man rocketh himselfe asleepe and flattereth his owne humour euerie man pursueth his accustomed course of life with an obstinat mind to do euill yea many of those that haue power authoritie ouer others according as they are endued and persuaded with a foolish conceit of themselues make themselues beleeue that for them euerie thing is lawfull and that they may do whatsoeuer they please neuer imagining that they shall giue vp an account of their actions to receiue anie chastisement or correction for them euen as though there were no God at al that did behold them being thus abused by this vaine and fickle securitie they swimme in their sinnes and plunge themselues ouer head and eares in all kind of sensualitie giuing heartie welcome and entertainment to all that approoue and applaud their manners and that studie to feed and please their humour As contrariwise none lesse welcome vnto them then they that tell them of their faults and contradict them neuer so little for they cannot abide in anie case to be reprooued whatsoeuer they doe And now a daies euerie base companion will forsooth storme and fume as soon if he be reproued of a fault as if he had receiued the greatest wrong in the world so much is euerie man pleased with himselfe and puffed vp with his owne vices and foolish vanities And what should a man doe in this case It is as hard to redresse these great mischiefs as if we should goe about to stop and hinder the course of a mightie streame there where the bancke or causey is broken downe if it be not by applying extreme desperate medicines as to desperate diseases which are as it were giuen ouer by the Phisition and to the which a light purgation will do no good For as for admonitions and warnings they are not a whit regarded but they that giue them are derided or laughed to scorne or reuiled for their labors What must we therefore do It is necessarie that we assay by all means to bring these men if it be possible to some modestie fear of God which if it cannot be done by willing and gentle means force and violence must be vsed to plucke them out of the fire of Gods wrath to the end they be not consumed if not all yet at least those that are not growne to that height of stubbornes and of whome therâ—â—s yet left some hope of amendment For euen as when a captaine hath not preuailed by summoning a citie to yeeld vp it selfe he by and by placeth his canon against their wals to put them in feare In like sort must wee bring foorth against the prowd and high minded men of this world an armie of Gods terrible iudgements throwne downe by his mighty and puissant hand vpon the wicked more terrible and fearefull then all the roaring canons or double canons in the world vvhereby the most prowd are destroied and consumed euen in this life all their pride and power how great soeuer it bee being not able to turne backe the vengeance of God from lighting vpon their heads to their vtter destruction and confusion As it is manifest by infinit examples Now because that the nature of men is fleshly and giuen to be touched with things that are presented before their faces or hath beene done before time it is a more forcible motiue to stirre them vp then that which as yet cannot be made manifest but is to come Therefore I purpose here to set downe the great fearfull iudgements wherewith God hath alreadie plagued manie in this world especially them of high degree whose example will serue for a glasse both for these that liue now or shall liue hereafter And to the end that the iustice of God may more clearely appear and shew it selfe in such strange euents before wee goe any further we will run ouer certaine
things a very niggard and pinchpenny shewed himselfe on the other side more then prodigall next he sent into Calabria for a Hermit reported to be a holy and deuout man to whome at his arriuall hee perfourmed so much dutie and reuerence as was wonderfull and vnseemely for hee threw himselfe on his knees and besought him to prolong his decaying life as if hee had beene a God and not a man but all that hee could doe was to no purpose no nor the reliques which Pope Sixtus sent him to busie himselfe withall nor the holy viall of Rheims which was brought him could prorogue this life of his nor priuiledge him from dying a discontent and vnwilling death he suspected the most part of his nearest attendants and would not suffer them to approch vnto him in his sicknesse after hee had thus prolonged the time in hope and yet still languished in extreame distresse of his disease it was at length told him in all speed that hee should not set his mind any longer vpon those vaine hopes nor vpon that holy man for his time was come and hee must needs die And thus hee that during his raigne shewed himselfe rough and cruell to his subiects by too many and heauy impositions was himselfe in his lattet end thus roughly and hardly dealt withall Christiern the eleuenth king of Denmarke Norway and Suecia after the death of king Iohn his father raigned the yeere of our Lord 1514 and was too intollerable in imposing burdens and taxes vpon his subiects for which cause the Swecians reuolted from his gouernment whome though after many battailes and sieges hee conquered and placed amongst them his garrisons to keepe them in awe yet ceased they not to rebell against him and that by the instigation of a meane gentleman who very quickely got footing into the kingdome and possessed himselfe of the crowne and gouernment Now Christiern hauing lost this prouince and beeing also in disdaine and hatred of his owne countrey and fearing least this inward heat of spight should grow to some flame of danger to his life seeing that the inhabitants of Lubeck conspiring with his vncle Fredericke began to take armes against him hee fled away with his wife sister to the Emperour Charles the fift and his young children to Zeland a prouince of the Emperours after hee had raigned nine yeeres after which the Estates of the realme aided by them of Lubeck assembling togither exalted his vncle Fredericke prince of Holsatia though old and ancient to the crowne and publishing certaine writings addressed them to the Emperour and the princes of his Empire to render a reason of their con-proceeding and to make knowne vnto them vpon how good siderations they had deposed and banished Christierne for the tyranny which hee exercised among them ten yeres after this hee got togither a new army by sea in hope to recouer his losses but contrary to his hope he was taken prisoner and in captiuity ended miserably his daies Henry king of Suecia was chased from his scepter for enterprising to burden his commons with new contributions Those that were deuisers of new taxes and tributes Nic. Gil. vâ—l 1. for the most part euer lost their liues in their labours for proofe whereof let the example of Parchenus or Porchetes serue who for giuing counsell to king Theodebert touching the raising of new subsidies was stoned to death by the multitude in the city Trieues Likewise was George Presquon cruelly put to death by the people for persuading and setting forward Henry of Suecia to the vexation and exaction of his subiects CHAP. XXXVIII More Examples of the same subiect Platiniae in vita Zacharin AIstulphus the nineteenth king of Lumbardy was not onely a most cruell tyrant but also a grieuous oppressour of his subiects with taxes and exactions Phil. Melanct. lib. 3. for hee imposed this vpon euery one of them to pay yeerely a noble for their heads against this man Pope Steuen prouoked king Pepin of France who comming with an army droue the tyrant into Ticinum and constrained him to yeeld to partiall conditions of peace howbeir Pepin was no sooner gone but he returned to his old byas wherefore the second time he came and droue him to as great extremitie in so much as another peace was concluded after the accomplishment whereof peruerse Aistulph still vexing his subiects was plagued by God with an apoplexie and so died Zonar lib. 3. Iustinian the Emperour as be was profuse and excessiue in spending so was hee immoderate and insatiable in gathering togither riches for hee exercised his wit in deuising new tributes and paiments and reioyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grieuous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also fourty thousand men slaine and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certain monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conuaieth away all the filth out of the city Eras in lingua the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of euery countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares togither which when the king put in practise and found the exceeding commoditie thereof he not only continued that taxe but also inuented diuers others to the great damage of the Common-wealth and inriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore hee that put it first into his head when he saw that he had not so much authoritie in dissuading as hee had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should bee buried in that common sincke to bee an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Millane by the report of Paulus Ionius Tom. 2. ViuoruÌ„ illustrum was an vnconscionable oppressor of his subiects and tenants for hee did not only extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enioned them to keepe euery one a dog which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to bee beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head this tyrant was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seuen months imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature Lanquet though vnlike in conditions for hee was a good Prince whereas this was a Tyrant was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in this ranke of oppressors for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted froÌ„ men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the estates of the realme depriued him of his roiall dignitie placed his yonger
brother Elydurus in his roome after he had raigned fiue yeares Hardiknitus king of Denmarke The same after the death of Harold was ordained king of England in the yeare of the Lord 1041 this king as he was somewhat cruell for he caused the body of Harold to be taken vp out of the sepulchre and smiting off his head to be cast out into the riuer Thames because he had iniured his mother Emma when he was aliue so hee was burdensome to his subiects in tributes and exaction for which cause growing into hatred with God and his subiects hee was stricken with suddaine death not without suspition of poysoning after he had raigned three years The same William Rufus second sonne of William the conquerour succeeded his father as in the kingdome of England so in disposition of nature for they were both cruell vnconstant and couetous and burdened their people with vnreasonable taxes insomuch that what with the morreine of men by pestilence and the oppressions of them by exactions the tillage of the earth was put off for one yeare being the yeare 1096 whereby ensued great scarsitie the yeare following throughout all the land but for the oppression William was iustly punished by sodaine death when being at his disport of hunting hee was wounded with an arrow glaunsing from the bow of Tyrill a French knight and so his tyranny and life ended togither The same Neither dooth the Lord thus punish oppressors themselues but also they that either countenance or hauing authoritie doe not punish the same as it appeareth by this example following In the yeare of our Lord 475 there liued one Corrannus a king of Scots who though hee gouerned the people in peace and quietnesse a long space and was indeed a good Prince yet because his Chancelour Tomset vsed extortion and exaction amongst his subiects and hee being aduertised thereof did not punish him hee was slaine traiterously by his owne subiects It is not vnworthie to bee noted how Edward the third king of England prospered a long while in the warres against France and got many worthie and wonderfull victories but when Prince Edward sonne vnto the foresaid Edward after conditions of peace concluded began to set taxes and impositions vpoÌ„ the country of Aquitaine then did king Edwards part begin to decline and the successe of war which the space of fortie years neuer forsooke him now frowned vpon him so that he quickly lost all those lands which by composition of peace were granted vnto him CAAP. XXXIX Of such as by force of armes haue either taken away or would haue taken away the goods and lands of other men NOw if they that oppresse their subiects and deuour them in this manner In this whole chapter note the nature of ambition and the fruits thereof bee found guiltie then must they needs bee much more that are carried with the wings of their own hungrie ambitious desire to inuade their lands and signiories attended on with an infinite retinue of pillages sackings ruines of cities and people which are alwaies necessarie companions of furious vnmercifull warre There are no flouds so broad nor mountaines so steepe nor rockes so rough and dangerous nor sea so long and furious that can restraine the rash and headstrong desire of such greedie minded Sacres so that if their bodie might bee proportioned to the square and greatnesse of their mindes with the one hand they would reach the East and with the other hand the West as it is said of Alexander howbeit hereof they boast and glorie no lesse than they that tooke delight to bee surnamed citie-spoilers others burners of cities some conquerors and many Eagles and Faulcons seeking as it were fame by infamy and by vice eternitie But to these men it often coÌ„meth to passe that euen then when they think to aduance their dominion and to stretch their bounds and frontiers furthest they are driuen to recoile for feare of being dispossessed themselues of their owne lands and inheritances and euen as they delt with others rigorously and by strength of weapons so shall they bee themselues rehandled and dealt withall after the same measure according to the word of the Prophet denounced against such as they Cursed bee thou that spoilest and dealest vnfaithfully when thou hast made an end of spoiling others thou thy selfe shall bee spoiled and when thou hast done dealing traiterously then treason shall begin to be practised against thee and this curse most commonly neuer faileth to sease vpon these great Theeues and Robbers or at least vpon their children and successours as by particular examples wee shall see after wee haue first spoken of Adonias who not content with his owne estate of being a kings sonne 1. King 12. which God had allotted him went about to get the crowne and kingdome from his brother Salomon Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. to whome by right it appertained for God had manifested the same by the mouth of his father Dauid but both hee and his assistants for their ouerbold and rash enterprise were iustly by Salomon punished with death â—arod Crassus king of Lidia was the first that made war against Ephesus and that subdued the Greekes of Asia to wit the Phrigians Mysians Chalybeans Paphlagonians Thracians Bythinians Ionians Dorians Aeolians and Pamphilians and made them all tributaries vnto him by meanes whereof hee being growne exceeding rich and puissant by the detriment and vndoing of so many people vaunted and gloried in his greatnesse and power and euen then thought himselfe the happiest man in the world wheÌ„ most misery and aduersity griefe and distresse of his estate and whole house approched neerest for first and formost one of his sonnes that was deare vnto him was by ouersight slaine at the chase of a wild bore next himselfe hauing commenced war with Cirus was ouercome in battaile and besieged in Sardis the chiefe city of his kingdome and at last taken and carried captiue to Cyrus despoiled of all his late glorie and dominion And thus Crassus as sayth Plutarch after Herodotus bore the punishmeÌ„t of the offence of his great grandfather Giges who being but one of king Candanles attendants slew his master and vsurped the crowne at the prouokement of the Queene his mistresse whom he also tooke to be his wife And thus this kingdome decaied by the same meanes by which it first encreased Policrates the Tyrant Herod was one that by violence and tyrannous meanes grew from a base condition to an high estate for being but one of the vulgar sort in the citie Samos hee with the assistance of sifteene armed men seased vpon the whole citie and made himselfe Lord of it which deuiding into three parts he bestowed two of them vpon his two brethren but not for perpetuitie for ere long the third part of his vsurpation cost the elder of them the best part of his life and the younger his liberty for he chased him away that hee might be