sayenge of Helias house THe worlde shall stande syxe thousand yeres and after shall it falle Two thousande yeares wythout the Lawe Two thousande yeares in the lawe Two thousande yeares the tyme of Christ And yf these yeares be not accomplyshed oure synnes shall be the cause whyche are greate and many That is to saye the worlde shall stande two M. yeres without any prescript admynistration certayn lawe of the word of God but whan these be gone there shalbe geuen the circumcysyon and lawe besydes thys shall a certayne polytique lawe and seruice of God be institute out of Gods worde and thys state shall laste two thousande yeares After thys shall Christ folowe and the tyme of the gospell shall lykewyse stande aboute two thousande yeares but here shall some yeares want For God shall wyth the hayste of hys commynge preuent it that the yeres of this age shal not be accomplished the whiche Christe hymselfe in the xxiiii chapiter of S. Matthewe sayeth Wythoute those dayes had ben shortened all fleshe shulde not be saued We shall in wrytynge of the hystorye vse thys order and diuide the boke in thre partes whereof the fyrst shal comprehende those thinges which are chaunced betwene the tymes of Adam and Abraham For those are the fyrste thousande yeares Of these is not much written but suche thynges as are moost worthy of memory and of these times there is no certainte but of that which is found wrytten in the Byble The nexte age of two thousand yeares shalbe counted from Abraham vntill Christis commyng all though concerninge to the full numbre of the yeares the tyme is not accomplyshed For as we haue sayde before God maketh hayst to the latter day As for thys age is the propre and bery age of the worlde in the which the moost myghtye kyngdomes and monarchies haue succeded ech other by a certayn order nether hath the worlde euer so declared hys force and myght as in this age Wherfore we shall deuide thys tyme in foure monarchyes For it semeth that God wolde the worlde to be maintened by a certaine gouernaunce in hys place that a certen means of shame and honesty might be conseruid and the wicked mighte be punished and for that cause hath he institute Monarchies Such Monarchies are kingdomes where the chefe and vpper power of al thinges pertaineth to one alone for the conseruation of commune peace and ryght Such a monarchy was of so great puissaunce that the exterior of foren kinges could not withstande or oppresse it And by a certain ordinary succession were only four such monarchies The fyrst was of the Assirians y â— second of the Persians after them the Grekes at the last y â— Romanes And to the honor of such an empire or superiorite hath God exalted y â— Germanes before other nations in these latter times For though the Roman empire be some deal minished now a daies for as it was prophecyed before it was y â— pleasure of god that y â— monarchies shuld finally decay neuerthelesse the maiesty remaineth by the Romane empire nether is ther any king but he hath a respect towardes y t kingdome Moreouer though we haue not alway alyke mighty Emperoures neuerthelesse God prouidinge so there happeneth somtime an Emperour of such power y t the maiesty of the empire may be conserued and that to hold vp the religion and concorde of al natyons The Germane princes and chefely the electors ought to estime grearly this their honour that they haue such high autoritye coÌ„mitted them of God to preserue religyon iustice and commune peace For verely it is of great force that thys monarchy be preserued thoug it be not so very great Therfore ought y â— princes to beware lest ther ryse any sedes of sedition discord among them which might geue occasion to cause this empire to decay For whan this empire wyich is the head of al good gouernaunce or administratioÌ„ in the worlde now a daies shuld be diuided pulled asunder or waisted it could not be but that ther shuld folowe a perturbation of al degrees in euery part of Christendom the which is gretly to be doubted without God do preuent such misery with his last coÌ„ming For holy scripture doth coÌ„forte vs teach openly that after y t this Germaine empire shal decay faile y t latter day shal straight waye folowe This is sufficient to be spoken of monarchies lest any man be ignoraunt that al histories and al thinges done in the world must be referred to these monarchies And besides that y â— obseruing of the order doth ayde y â— memory it doth also not a litle helpe thervnto y t one may se how for what causes kingdomes are chaunged wherby is to be learned how al those things are to be eschued which coÌ„munely bring chauÌ„ges of kingdomes The last age froÌ„ y â— natiuite of Christ vntyll the worldes ende doth like wise contayne two M. yeres although we haue said before that the yeres of this age shulde not be whole that the two thousand yeres may be complete This seÌ„tence of Elias truely conteineth many notable doctrines is chefely to be considered therfore because that from the natiuite of Christe it speaketh also of that tyme in the whiche the ende of al thinges is to be loked for and therefore haue â–ª I sett it in the begynnynge of the boke that it myghte be commytted to euery mans hearing But howe that the Rhomane monarchye dyd begynne after the incarnaâ—yon of Christ and how the succession came to the Germanes also how the Mahometysh or Turkysh empire beganne and howe the Popyshnesse hath gotten encrease offoren power all these thynges shall we shewe in thys thyrde parte But thys also is chefely to be noted with diligence in readyng of histories that God hath institute two maner of kyngdomes the one a worldly kingdome the other a kyngdome of Christ and therefore it is necessary to marke here â–ª howe that the churche hath begonne euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and by whatt maner God hath alwayes kept her Therfore that godly myndes maye haue a confyrmation of theyr fayth we shall note by the state the tyme of eche of the kingdomes where and by whome the kyngdome of Christ was and what state it was in than the knowledge of whiche thinge bringeth no small profite to godlye readers Adam is sett in a Paradyse of pleasure to whome is forbyden the tree of lyfe Genesis ij Adam and Heua are deceyued by the suttelty of the serpent Thence comthe transgressyon of the commaundement and Synne The firste boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the fyrste two thousande yeares From Adam vntyll Abrahams tyme. HOly scrypture doeth teache vs that God created heauen and earth after that man Adam and Heua and sat them in paradyse that is that they beynge set oute of daunger of death and synne mighte lyue in the earth happely but when they forgat
But in the seuenth moneth after thys victory was Seleucus slayne by Ptolome Ceraunus brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus These are dredefull examples of the settynge vp and fall of so great kynges which worthely oughte to styrre vs to feare God lest we thynke to do great thynges by mans counsell and oure wysedome Antiochus Soter the sonne of Seleucus raigned in Syria after the death of his father Antiochus Theos his sonne had fyrst to wife Laodice wherof he had two sonnes Seleucus Callinicus Antiochus which was surnamed Hierax Ptolomeus Philadelphus gaue to the same Berenice his doughter afterward to wyfe But whan Antiochus was deade Laodice constrayned Seleucus her sonne to take the kyngedome and to take his stepmother Berenice Seleucus folowed his mothers counsell besieged hys stepmother finally brought her to yelde willyngly wyth great promises But kepynge no promyse he caused that the quene was put to death very cruelly For Daniel had prophesyed openlye that the quene of Egypt should suffre such a thynge and that the kyng of Egypt should reuenge the same For whan thys cruel dede was done Ptolemeus Euergetes brother to Berenice went into Syria droue Seleucus out of the kyngdome and takynge in many cytyes returned into Egypte Afterward whan Seleucus had recouered some harte he woulde recouer the kyngdome agayne and requyred ayde of hys brother Antiochus Hierax he was very yong and trusted by this occasyon to optayne the whole kyngdome For whan peace was made betwene Ptolomeus Seleucus Hierax inuaded his brother Seleucus kyngdome to the which thynge he vsed the ayde of straunge souldyours For the Galathians which Brennus brought out of Germany into Grece went farther into Asia beynge hyred wyth those kynges wages which had diuerse warres agaynst eche other These Galathians had thaÌ„ geuen them those landes in Asia that they dwelled in Of whom they be called Galathians vnto whom S. Paule the apostle preached the Gospell Nether is it anye doubte but that they were Germanes For the Grekes dyd calle wyth one worde the Germanes and Gallies Celte by chaungyng of the worde was the name Galate set for Celte Finally ouercame Antiochus his brother Seleucus with the ayd of the Galathians but Antiochus was lykewyse vanquyshed of the kyng of Asia lesyng a great deale of the kyngdome of Syria than was he constrayned to flye to king Ptolomeus Euergetes whan he was so receaued of hym that he should go no wher he wold haue fled but whan thys counsell was perceaued he was put to death This ende finally gat Antiochus Hierax Aboute y â— tyme nearehand fell Seleucus his brother from a horsse dyed This miserable fortune end had these two bretheren which had done many wicked dedes Antiochus the great inuaded the kynge of Egypt Ptolome Philopater wyth warre but he was dryuen back Afterwarde whan Philopater was deade he returned into Egypt with an army but the Romanes had taken the child Ptolomeus Epiphanes into their wardshyp to whom he was committed as a warde This was an occasion of a great warre which was betwene the Romanes Antiochus Hanniball toke part with Antiochus which was captaine in this warre a certayn space and many more contries of Grece dyd stycke to Antiochus But beynge weakened by reason of some mishappe he was dryuen to demaunde conditions of peace Than left the Romanes hym only y â— parte of the royalme whiche lieth beyond the hyll Taurus besyde this was he constrayned to sende his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes to Rome in hostage But at the last whan Antiochus spoyled the ryche temple of Belus in Siria he was oppressed of the communalty inhabityng there whych slew hym hys company euery one This was the ende of Antiochus the great Hierusalem had metely good rest sence the tyme of Alexander vntyll Antiochus the great But whan the warre betwen these two kynges was raysed by reason the Iewes laye betwene them both they were a lytle oppressed vexed of both parties And though Ierusalem dyd hetherto stycke more to Egypte yet was it nether subiecte to Syria nor Egypte Howbeit Ptolomeus Epiphanes sent a capitayne one Scopa against Antiochus which toke in certayne townes of Syria and part of Iewry Howbeit whan Antiochus had vanquished the same by y e Iordane he went farther tyll he came at IerusaleÌ„ Than did the Iewes kneling yelded theÌ„selues frely to him makyng also a commune league betwene them and the kyng for thys cause dyd the kyng Antiochus suffer them to lyue in peace asysted them in repayryng y e citye Ierusalem And of this wyse though they semed to be in daunger in the tyme of this warre by reason of the neighburhead â–ª yet lyued they quietly vnder this Antiochus Antiochus the great left after him thre sonnes Seleucus surnamed Philopator Antiochus Epiphanes Demetrius After y e fathers death raygned Seleucus a few yeres the other two brethren were kept in hostage at Rome Whan Antiochus Epiphanes knew of his fathers death he â—led priuely froÌ„ Rome as he was come againe into Syria he was made king For Seleucus was vnmete to rule nether liued he long after his fathers death This Antiochus Epiphanes truely was a man of much subtelty hardinesse had well learned by the example of the Romanes to apply himselse to the tyme and maners of euery man For he could easely forbeare and suffre euery man that he was with he was a wyse man wyth y e wyse â–ª agaynwyth vnbrydeled youth he folowed such exercise as he knew them to delyte in He procured the fauour of the comon people with familiaritye beneuolence and whan he made any costly banket he caused great summes of mony to be cast among y e people For his vnbrydeled maners was he called Epimanes for Epiphanes For Epimanes signifieth madde but Epiphanes signifieth noble His raigne began the hundreth seuen and thyrtyeth yeare after Alexanders death And whan he possessed now hys kingdomes that came to hym by heretage he went into Egypte For about y e tyme dyed Ptolomeus Epiphanes the same had to wyfe Cleopatra the syster of Antiochus Epiphanes the which vnder that pretence began to vsurpe y e kingdome of Egipt as if he were tutor of the yong king called Ptolomeus Philometor Nether shewed he himself otherwyse but with all gentlenesse beneuolence toward his cosin willed that Memphis other great cities shuld yeld them to the kyng y â— vnder suche a pretense he mighte by lytle and lytle draw to him the whole realme Whan he had now finished all thinges he left the kingdome and went to Ierusalem that at the request of Iâ—â—oâ— which coueted the dignitye of the hygh presthode by the meane of Antiochus For so stode the case thaÌ„with the Iewes that they myghte optayne the hyghe priesthode by decepte by conspiracion offoren kynges oppressinge slayenge in the meane season
⧠The thre bokes of Cronicles whyche Iohn Carion a man syngularly well sene in the Mathematycall sciences Gathered wyth great diligence of the beste Authours that haue written in Hebrue Greke or Latine ✚ Whervnto is added an Appendix conteynyng all such notable thynges as be mentyoned in Cronicles to haue chaunced in sundry partes of the worlde from the yeare of Christ 1532. To thys present yeare of 1550. Gathered by Iohn Funcke of Nurenborough ¶ Whyche was neuer afore prynted in Englysh Cum Priuilegio ad Imprimendum solum â—o the moste excellente Prince Edwarde the syxte by the grace of God Kyng of England Fraunce and Irelande Defendour of the fayth and in earth immediatly vnder God supreme head of the church of Englande and Irelande your graces humble and obeysaunt subiect Gwalter Lynne wysheth aboundance of all grace and Godlynes wyth a long and prosperous raygne COnsyderyng that the knowledge of thynges past most excellent prince is most necessarye for such as woulde passe ouer the tyme to come in a decent and Godly order and that the greatest nombre of youre Maiesties people doo not vnderstande other languages then theyr naturall tounge I haue thought it my duetye beynge one that spendeth all hys tyme in the settynge forth of bokes in the Englyshe tounge emongest all other to set forth thys shorte Cronicle Wherein is briefly declared all that is nedefull to be knowen concernyng thynges done in tymes passed The learned haue 〈…〉 the latyne tounge and therfore my laboure maye seme the lesse profytable vnto them But yet yf my knowledge would haue serued me to haue translated it as eloqueÌ„tly as it is written in latyne I doubt not but the learned also myghte haue founde some swetnes in my laboures And not wythstandynge my rudenes most excellent Prynce I trust your maiestie wyll after your accustomed clemencye accept my good wyll whyche thynge I do not doubte shall encourage all faythfull englyshe men to embrace my laboures and gather the fruytes of the same To prayse the worcke which being set forth to be reade of all men wyll prayse it self were but a labour halfe loste for such a thing nedeth no prayse but is so manifestly good that all men that reade it shalbe forced to prayse it Other prayse therfore I wyll not geue it but that it is a worcke worthy the name of so excellent a prynce as your mayestye is and therfore worthy to be embraced of all your faythfull subiectes Whyche thynge I most hartely wyshe to come to passe to the glorye of God your Maiestyes honour and the profyte of all your faythfull subiectes Sobeit Your Graces humble subiect and dayly Orator Gwalter Lynne â–ª The 〈…〉 â—eadynge hystoryes ALthough the readyng of Hystoryes be profytable to euery man in generall for many causes as we hereafter shall declare yet doth it chyefely belonge to kynges and great men And hystoryes maye worthely be called theyr bokes because that the knoweledge of them is profytable and necessary for all them whyche are ordeyned to rule a commune welth For not onely the Heythen hystoryes do make euery where much mentyon of prynces but also the hystoryes of holy scrypture For besyde that the holy scryptures do make mentyon of the wyll of God and of hys worde and also of Christes spyrytuall kyngdome they teache also of polityke administration and set forth manye notable examples whych are necessary to be knowen in the gouernaunce of a commune weale and by the whych the myndes of Prynces may be sturred and inflamed to the endeuour of ryght pryncely vertues The hystoryes of the Heythen declare of the ofsprynge and begynnynge of great realmes and for what causes alteracyons and great chaunges do befall in realmes besides that they do conteine also preceptes of vocatyens and powres by the whych commune weales be stablyshed and preserued And for thys cause chefely are hystoryes worthy to be called the bokes of great prynces and lordes Seinge now that it is necessary that euery man had nede of two maner of powers namely the politike or external and beside this by the faith and drede toward God the examples of ether of them are propoundid and set before vs in the histories And that we maye first speake of ciuil powres Princes and all suche as are set to gouerne greate thynges must fyrste and chefelye considre and beholde those examples and histories by the which they maye be admonished howe they also maye faithfully behaue themselues in gouerning a coÌ„mune weale In this must they set befor them the examples of good princes and kinges and must learne of them by what meanes wyth what vocacions chefely they haue vsed in gouernynge or rulinge empyres that they haue had respect to nothinge saue only to the commune profyt that they haue only considered and exercised iustice and equite that they haue punished greueously sinne that they haue not warred for euery cause but that they haue oft kept peace by the polytyque forberynge of iniuryes Also in theyr defence they were of a doughtye and stronge courage they haue vsed great gentylnesse and loyalte towarde the goode and peaceable Fynallye they haue endeuoured to enuyrone their realmes wyth stronge fortresses and greate powre besyedes the anauncemente of Godlynesse and goode maners In the examples of tirauntes must they marke y e contrarye namelye that theyr endes were full of miserye and by reason of theyr crueltye perâ—yâ—yous and soo there happened deadly alterations in the commune weale Of thys wyse is it euident that Pharao peryshed by reason of tyranny and for lyke cause were the Romane kynges dryuen out Oftymes also haue Princes vndone themselues ech other by reason of pryde enuy or hatred the whych somtyme grew of a thynge of no value Lyke as Pompeius had no cause to oppresse Iulius Cesar saue only enuy The lawes of y e Graccyans amonge the Romanes do beare wytnesse that newe alteracyon or chaunge doeth oft geue occasyon of cruell warres Nother hath the Turkysh empyre hys ofsprynge by any other occasyon saue by heresy and dissentyon of learnynge and doctryne of the fayth Daungerous conspyracyons cause oft tymes that kyngdomes are ouerthrowen the whyche wytnesseth the example of the Athenians whyche loste theyr gouernaunce and goodes by reason of such leagues as they had made To obserue and marke such thynges in readyng of hystoryes doth greatly auayle them that beare rule that thereby they maye learne to beware in theyr gouernaunce lest any suche lyke do befall For such cases do dayly befall Yea though the persons do somtyme chaunge in coÌ„mune welthes neuerthelesse so much as is concernynge the equalytye of mattiers the worlde is and alwayes abydeth lyke to hymselfe Wherfore Thucydydes whych was excellent both in knowledge of Martyall affayres and had himselfe endured a great contynuall warre the which he him selfe wrote wyth dyuers other thinges said most truely Histories is a treasure which neuer ought to be layde out
wytnesse of Virgil. For he sayeth that the kyngdome of Alban dured thre hundreth yeares Of thys wyse sayeth he of that kingdome of Alban Thre hundreth yeares wholy shall be the raygne vndoutedly Before the ende of thys raygne beganne Rome to be buylded the which we shall declare afterward And if ye reken backward the nomber of the yeres ye shal find that from the tyme of the buylding of Rome vntyl the begynnynge of Salo mons kyngdome are thre C. and thre yeares And it is euident that the battaill of Troie was not long before Some history wryters do differ here whiche saye that thys battayl was of more antique but I coulde proue the contrary by many argumentes the whiche I doo now passe ouer because of brefenesse Forsoth thys one thyng is worthy to be marked that the occasyon of the Troian battayll is spronge of adultery For Paris the sonne of the Troian kyng led away Helena the wyfe of Menelaus prince of Grece the hefe of the Grekes and the cytezens takyng this 〈…〉 displeasure making a conspiracy went to Troie 〈…〉 nd besyegyng it ten whole yeares at the last they 〈…〉 anne the castel Ilium and the cytye Troye and 〈…〉 ayeng kyng Priamus the kyngdome of Troye 〈…〉 as wholy quenceed From Troye sayled Eneas 〈…〉 to Italy in y e which he possessed that part which 〈…〉 as called Latium He beganne here a new kingdome and buylded for hys sonne Ascanius whych was also called Iulus the citye Alba in the which 〈…〉 he posteryte of Eneas raigned vntyll the tyme 〈…〉 hat Rome was buylded In the battayll of Troie 〈…〉 ere many doughty and renoumed princes whose 〈…〉 ames maye be sought other wayes Out of Thesâ—alia was there Achilles of whom Hector the most 〈…〉 aliaunt capitaine of the Troianes was slayne 〈…〉 nd Achilles him selfe at the last was slayne also by 〈…〉 yle For the Troianes had maryed to hym a doughter of Priamus and as he satt knelinge in hys prayer before the altare in the temple he was strycken through wyth a dart of Parys by a decepte Of the battayl of Thebe NOt long before the battayll of Troie ther was another of Thebe much more cruel For seynge the kyngdome of Thebe was fallen of right by inheritaunce to the two brethren Ethrocles and Polinices they agreed together vpon this condition that they shuld raigne euery one a yere one after y â— other Howbeit whan Ethrocles had receaued the kingdome he woulde raigne continually contrary to the appointement Wherfore hys brother Polynices beyng constrayned fled to Adrastus king of the Argies the which as he had geuen him in mariage his doughter he woulde set him into the kingdome againe by force but Adrastus was slayne before Thebe with other princes Ethrocles and Polinices brethren meting together by chaunce in battayll were slayne wyth woundinge eche other The discorde of the bretheren was the cause of thys great and dolefull slaughter of the brethren Nother was the warre yet fynyshed for other princes beseged the cytye agayne afterward with a mighty power and gettinge it dyd at the last ouerthrowe it Of Hercules ALytle before thys tyme that is shortey before Saul was made kynge by the Iewes lyued Hercules in Grece which before other princes is chiefely praysed for hys noble vertues His elders were Amphytryo and Alcmena boren of the cytye Tyrinthus whych lyeth not farre from Argis But Amphytrio fled to Thebe because that in a discorde betwene hys brother and hym he slewe hym and for thys cause fortuned Hercules to be borne at Thebe and here he shewed the fyrst profe of his power For whan they of Minya a toune in Thessalia which at that tyme were of renoumed puyssance and raygned in the cytye Orchomenus assaulted the towne of Thebe Hercules defended it driuing the enemies of from it and toke the citye Orchomenus the dominion whereof began than to fayle This citye was most ryche whose greate prayses are in Homers worckes for her plentyfulnesse This victory gat Hercules first a great name in so much that afterwarde other prynces of Grece came frely to him therfore was he euery where a maker of peace he ayded princes and cities he reuenged and chastysed vnryghteous dedes and against them that he had holpen vsed he great mekenesse nother layed anye charge vpon them that they were not able to beare These are the thynges for the whiche he deserued so greate prayse as none other prynce the lyke Afterwarde toke he hys yourneye into Asia where he ouercame kyng Laomedon and slewe hym but in thys vyctory vsed he a very kyngly moderacion of mynde For he saued the kyngdome nother woulde destroye it but gaue the possession thereof to Priamus as to the true heyre And because he restored the kingdome to Priamus it is easye to gesse what tyme Hercules lyued Besyde thys he made the sea in Italy and Spaine safe from robbers and for this cause caused he to be raysed two rockes in the vtter coastes of Spayne and Aphrica which shuld alwaye beare wytnesse of this dede For at thys time yet are they called Hercules pyllers Charles the fyfte the most victorious or most valiant Emperour hath these at this tyme as a peculiar badge namely that he may be knowen to be sent to vs of God to the intent that in thys troublous state of the worlde he maye be in whole Europa as an Hercules to restore agayne wyth hys prowesse and stronge victorious hande peace and instyce Hether to haue we spoken of the notable thynges that are happened in Grece in the tyme of the fyrst monarchye But I shall neuerthelesse adde a few thynges besyde these For in reading of hystoryes must speciallye be consydered what state the kyngdomes were of what religions what maner of lawes Fynally what sciences they had wherein they floryshed Whan the sonnes of Noe dyed the true vnderstanding of Gods worde peryshed also in Grece though in the meane whyle they retayned of thepr fathers the maner of ceremonies and sentences of godlynesse yet neuerthelesse was the vngodlynesse encreased and otherwyles was one or other Idolatry set vp For enery one ymagyned for him selfe an order to worshyp God accordynge as hys constraint and necessite compelled hym For it is spoken of a Poet The fyrst feare that came to men mortall Caused gods that be immortall That is most euidente and true in fayninge of the wicked seruice of God For noman is so cruel of nature whyche beynge in necessyte that doeth not seke God and for so muche as he knoweth not that God must be sought by faith only in Christ he falleth to some outwarde worke and faineth some new maner of worshippyng God Of this commeth the fountayne and sprynge of all the vngodlynesses nere hande that are in the worlde Nether nedeth any man suppose that men erred so greatly that they thought Images and contrefaitures to
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
boughes of ether of the trees and than lettynge the trees louse dressynge themselues agayne shulde wyth a greate violence teare the yonge man in peces Thys Aurelianus was also a greate persecutor of the Christians Of the Manicheis the heretykes STrayghte waye after the Gospell was preached rose sectes and dissensyous among Christen men But I am not minded to rehearse y â— erronious opinions of euery one in this treatise I wyll only recyte the moost greatest which haue infect and troubled many and greate cityes and contryes wyth theyr venâ—m that the reader maye knowe nothynge to be more venimous in this commune lyfe of man than false doctrine and that all heretikes are desyrous of vproure nether couet ought els but that they maye defende and spreade abrode theyr erroure by vprour and commune ryot For Sathan their chefe doer is both a lyar and manslayer Ether of theÌ„ truely is euident in all scismatickes which both teache false and are wonte to rayse manslaughter through sedysyon and perâ—urbatyon of commune welthes In the tyme of Aurelyanus beganne fyrst the Manycheis and one Manes borne in Persya was begynner of them Thyssame spred hys venim abrod largely fyrst by y â— Arabians afterward in Africa the which went so spedely on that it coulde not be swaged the space of two hundreth yeares afterwarde â–ª The chefe of theyr doctryne was that ther were two goddes â–ª the one good the other euel and both lyke euerlastynge This doctrine semed vnto mans reason alowable For seynge God is good by nature and that in the meane season the euell hath such power it is necessary there be also a peculiar God â–ª which is author and doer of euels equall to the other God wyth power and euerlastyngnesse Besyde these had they other opinions that they taught namely that Christe was no true God nether receaued they the bokes of the Apostles but fayned there seuerall doctrines the which they called Christes Gospel also they boasted also of seuerall illuminations of heauen and sayde they gaue the holy ghost They ordeyned sundrye ceremonies they vsed also choyse of meates they forbadde wedlocke â–ª sayenge that thereby is optayned the holy ghost They taught also to reiect ciuil power For matrimony and gouernaunce of communwelth they sayde to haue theyr ofspringe from the euell God and not to be ordeined of the good God Thomas Monetarius or mynter at Thuringen was playnly falleÌ„ into the same heresy in our daies The yeare of Christ CC. lxxx TAcitus y â— .xxxij. Emperour raigned vi monethes Probus y â— .xxxiii. Emperour ruled syxe yeares and foure monethes Thissame is rekened among the most worthiest princes he was chosen by the souldiours and confirmed by the Senate He was the cause that peace was made both in the lower and hygher Germany He ouercame y â— Frankes them of Thuringen â–ª in the histories of thys Emperour is the fyrst mencion made of the nacioâ— of Thuringen Felix the .xxv. bysh of Rome succeded Dionisâ—us Eutichianus the .xxvi. succeded Felix Caius the .xxvij. succeded Eutichianus in the byshopryke The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxvii LArus the .xxxiiij. Emperoure raygned two yeare He made hys sonnes Carinus and Numerianus emperours wyth hym Numerianus was excellent in honestye and learninge But Carinus was equall wyth Nero for his wickednesse The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxviij DIocletianus the .xxxv. Emperoure raygned twenty yeare He was a prince of rype wysedome and garnished wyth manye noble dedes He restored Egypt to the Empyre But he was a very fearce enemy to Christes religion For be endeuoured to restore the olde state of the empyre and olde fashyon of the commune welth And for as muche as he dyd all thynges by the iudgement of reason he woulde not suffre the opinions of religion that were disagreynge And whan he perceaued that in so greate trouble of warres he coulde not entertayne alone the largenesse of so great an empyre besydes that that it had oft fortuned other to couet the empyre by vproure and to ben made Emperours he willingly willed Maximianus to raygne wyth hym and to be of lyke power and the same warred in Gallia As for these two were a lyke called Augusti in the empire These two Augusti chose other two â–ª which were not egall of power but were as successors nether were they called Augusti but Cesares Diocletianus chose Galerius Maximianus chose Constantius But ether of them both Diocletianus and Maximianus were called Augustus Afterwarde layenge aparte the gouernaunce of the empyre they returned both to the quietnesse of a pryuate lyfe But Maximianus woulde fayne haue returned to the gouernaunce that by thesame occasion he myght haue promoted hys sonne Maxentius to the gouernaunce and for that cause dyd Constancius hys brother in lawe cause hym to be slayn Communely doth it so befal that whan great empyres shall decaye all shalbe fyrste fylled wyth vproures and inwarde debates the whyche thys example doth wytnesse Diocletianus lyued manye yeares priuate or withoute rule at the last dyd he slaye hym selfe whan he was afearde for Licinius and Constantinus whyche suspected hym that he woulde take Maxentius theyr enemyes parte The yeare of Christ CCC viij COnstantius the .xxxvi. Emperoure wyth Galerius Maximinus and was ether of them Emperoure wyth greate prayse After Diocletianus death raygned Constantius foure yeares The contryes of Fraunce and Germany were subiect to hym and he set them at quiet He ouercame the Frankes and Almaynes For of thys wise is Germany diuided The Frankes toke that part of Germany to them which is about y e Rene They that be called Alemanni are y e hygher Germanes Constantius dyed in England in whose stead was ordeined for to rule the empyre Constantinus hys sonne The yeare of Christ .iij. C. xij COnstantinus the .xxxvij. Emperoure raigned thyrty yeares He restored the empyre to his former rest and tranquillitye For whan Maxentius had cruelly vsed tyranny at Rome beynge ouercome by Constantinus he was in a flyghte drouned in the ryuer Tybur and receaued worthy punishment for hys tyranny the whyche he vsed both agaynst other men and speciallye agaynst Christen men And so dyd Constantinus and Licinius gouerne the empyre together certayne yeres wyth greate concorde and Constantinus wedded hys syster to Licinius But we see somtyme to befall in a great empyre such causes wherin two doo seldom agree It is saide that the cause of the disagremente betwene Constantinus and Licinius shoulde thence haue spronge that Licinius shoulde haue ben enemy to the Christians and to haue oft required Constantinus to enterprise such thynges nomore Finallye Constantinus beynge compelled wyth great necessitye ouercame Licinius howbeit left him alyue vpon this condicion that he layenge awaye the rule of the empyre should lyue pryuately Wherfore Constantinus gouerned the empyre afterwarde alone and broughte all thynges into peace and honeste lawes The emperour was the
appurtenaunces belongyng to the Landgraue whiche also kylled certain husbandmen at the takyng of them But the Landgraue and his men were quiete and peaceable vntyll the tewesday the .xx. daye of October within night And then about midnight the watche worde was geuen that euery man shoulde be ready with his weapon and so the hole hoste which after the common sayeng of warriours contained an huÌ„dreth thousand men a great noÌ„bre to be assembled within the space of one moneth marched ouer a certain water called the Rume which the Landgraue had caused to be furnished ouer with brydges accordingly For what Henry of Brunswike had caused to be concluded and determined in the meane season was refused for diuers good causes and early in the mornyng they came to an hill not farre from the Brunswykers Campe by a landmarke whiche the Landgraue caused hastely to be dygged vp and cast downe in many places that he myght brynge thorough his armye without stoppe or let For the Brunswykers intended there to stoppe theÌ„ of their passage whome the Landgraue at the last was fayne to beate away with his ordinaunce Nowe wheÌ„ the armis of y e Landgraue of the other were both brought through y e LaÌ„dmarkes vpoÌ„ the plaine of y e hil ther were also brought through into y e felde thre great slynges certain Canons whiche as sone as the enemies were espied were discharged shot among the thickest of them But as soone as the Brunswykers sawe this they dyd furthe withseke meanes to flee and turned theÌ„ selues towardes an hyll lyeng by a wood whome the horsemen folowed without delay When duke Henry sawe thys that there was suche shuting towardes his hooste and that they were put to flyght â–ª all his bolde courage was done and his proude harte fainted wherfore he sent incontinently to Duke Maurice desyryng to impetrate some grace fauour for hym at y e handes of the Landgraue And although the LaÌ„d graue shewed hymselfe gentyll ready yet would he not trust hym for he suspected y â— Duke Henry hys Sonne sought wayes to escape but marched strayghtwayes wyth his hooste and artyllery towardes hys enemies and shot among them fearcely vntyl suche tyme as Duke Henry and his sunne Charles victor thorough the Counsayll of Duke Maurice yelded and submitted them selues into the handes of the Landgraue At whiche tyme the Landgraue made vnto Duke Henry this sharpe oration Yf thou myghtest haue somuche power ouer me as I haue nowe ouer the surely thou wouldest not saue my lyfe But I wyll vse my selfe better towardes the then thou hast deserued at my hande Why hast thou presumed to disobeythe Emperoures maiestie and to refuse sequesâ—racion For if thou haddest obeyed thou shouldest not haue brought thy selfe into thys trouble neyther should so many poore men haue bene endamaged vndone and destroyed And furth with he committed hym and hys Sonne to the kepynge of certayne of hys chyef geÌ„tylmen which toke them both into their custody Whyle these thynges were a doyng betwene these two prynces the Landgraues company both on horseback and on fote pressed in among the company of Duke Henry in suche sort that but fewe of them should haue bene left on lyue yf Duke Maurice had not the sooner aduertysed the Landgraue thereof who as then rode hastely among them and with much a do stylled and pacifyed hys men and turned them backe from fyghtyng and shutyng Nowe when the people was qualifyed and pacified the Landgraue called Duke Henryes company before hym and required theÌ„ to sweare that within the space of thre moneths next ensuing they should worke nor pretende nothyng agaynst the Euangelicall confederation Whiche some of them promysed without delay but the horsemen departed by heapes with opeÌ„ banners without any othe or promyse made whom the Landgraue pursued in haste and ouertoke the next day wherefore they attempted to make resistaunce but when they sawe that they were ouermached they layed downe their banners and made an othe not to enterpryse ought agaynst the sayde confederacion within the space of syxe monethes When this was done both the father and the sonne of Brunswyke was with a strong garde caried to Cassell and the father from thence into the Castell of Zigenheim After thys dyd the Landgraue take in agayne the lande of the sayde Duke Henry and caused thinhabitauntes of the same to sweare agayne of newe to the confederation of the Gospell and consequeÌ„tly turned hym selfe agaynst the Erles Ihon of Shauenburgh Otto of Rithbergh whiche are both lonemen to the Landgraue and yet had succoured them of Brunswyke with men artillery and other necessaryes insomuche that Iohn Erle of Shauenburgh was deposed from his stronghold BuckeÌ„bourgh which was geuen to his brother and other of the stocke to enioye on this conditioÌ„ that they should not suffre hym to come in agayne oneles he were before sufficiently agreed with the sayde confederation for all hys offences committed against them But Ritbergh was geuen vp to the Landgraue by the possessours thereof When all this was done and by Goddes grace finysshed without greate bloudshedyng the warriours being honestly contented and payde were licensed to departe euery man home to his owne All these actes haue I drawen and extracted out of the Copie of the Land graue therfore described them so muche the more at large while suche writynges whiche are called newes are coÌ„monly soone dilated Neuertheles consideryng that thereby the common sorte of people and our posteritie may haue a shorte and sure information and declaration of these marciall affayres I truste that no wyse man will mislyke this my labour and diligence About Mighâ—lmas dyed Albert Archebyshop of Mentz whiche was Marquis of the Marke brother to the olde Marquis Ioachim In whose rowme was elected by the chapiter sir Sebastiane of Housenstone a Doctor of a notable stock whose dwelling and mansion was betwene Aschaburgh and Franckeforde Also not long after this Albert the sonne of Casimire lorde Marquis of Brandenburgh assaulted Onoldesback which is coÌ„monly called Onesback w t 600. horses in the name of one of knobelsthorp who was the chefe amoÌ„g the rulers of the land which y e lord Marquis George deaceassed a littell before had left to his young sonne whome he had by the daughter of Duke Henry sister to Duke Maurice of Saron and requyred the same to be deliuered vnto hym But the Ruler of Knobelsthorpe beyng warned of thys gate hym out of the way So that thesayd Lord Marquis was fayne to departe not hauing his purpose In Hungary raged the Turke with roauyng spoylyng of the pore subiectes of Ferdinando whoÌ„ he put to muche losse and hynderaunce This yere also dyed the younge Duke of Orleans the Frenche kynges Sonne Of wondres and sygnes happened this yere one in especial to be noted is come to my knowledge whiche chaunced in the lande of Poles and myght be sene of
of our handes that w◠beinge holpen by the same may the more commody ously in treat of the affaires that for the moost part in the commune welth So noble a treasure verely are histories by y e which that they that haue gouernaunce of the commune welche are aduertysed of sundry publyke matters Besydes these also are ther founde in historyes such examples which do profet euery priuate person seuerally such as these be The magistrate must be obeyed They which rebelled against the higher powers were neuer vnpunished as Absalon Catilma Brutus Cassius and such like that were therfore punished Of faithfulnesse of frendes as Ionathas which saued the life of Dauid Of the punishment for aduoutry and suche like wicked dedes as it appeareth by y e example of Dauid What nedeth many wordes euen as in al sciences are set forth examples to be folowed so are in histories set forth painted examples of al kind of vertues Yee and in examples and thinges cōmitted is more euidently sene the worthinesse of vertues yea also of what vnclennesse and dishonesty vices are than in preceptes or doctrinees Because that examples being set before vs as images do not only teache openly but do also admonish sturre and inflame the myndes y t are honestly brought vp that they maye be kindled toward vertues and honesty with a certain plesur and loue For who could be so cruel of minde which shulde not be moued yf he did reade some excellent and laudable dede or an example of vengeaunces I haue brefely shewed how the examples of politike vertues and ciuill causes must be obserued in readynge of histories Nowe doth it pertayne to a Christenman to whome godlynesse appertayneth that he maye knowe that out of historyes are to be gathered instructyons of fayth and feare of God For these are the chefeste vertues of Godlye men that are allowed before God And thoughe the hystoryes of the Gentyls do not teache vs that God careth for vs or that God worketh wyth vs a godlye harte neuerthelesse shall marke thys namelye how commune welthes are kept and preserued in the worlde from heauen and that it is the workinge and dede of God to reuenge violence and wronge and that God doth oftentimes distribute hys excellente vertues amonge the Heythen For princes can not kepe their kingdomes against Satan without the singular benefite of god the aide or assistaūce of great vertues And of this wise shal the mind of a godly man think by himself that such notable actes punishmentes are the worck of god and shal by them learne to fear God that is to saye that tiraunces are greueously punished according to that sentence he that taketh the sword that is he that taketh vpon hym the authoryte of vengeaunce without a commaūdement the same shal perish with y ◠sword Contrary wise maie be sene also that good princes are kept and preserued of God the same haue the heithen perceued also y e princes do rest vpon the aid of the goddes For Homer the poet sayeth that God holdeth for the hys shyide in battail to defend princes He faineth also that euerye prince is in sauegard by the defence of his god as it appeareth that the goddesse Pallas was wyth Achilles in battayll c. Althese thinges are moost clerely expressed in y ◠histories of the holy scripture as in Abraham Dauid Ezechias and other kinges whome God hath defended And their examples are prepounded to euery prince y t they may be assured that god doth of likewise defēde the good For the histories of holy men and Heithen men do differ in that that in y ◠histories of holy men are set forth and declared the witnesses of Gods workes the which also do not only treat of politike matters but do chefely shadowe and declare vnto vs Gods kingdome that God geueth his worde that frely and of mercye he will saue the which thing the histories of the Gentiles can not speake of Therfore ought euery Christen man chefely to know the holy scripture that out of them they may learne the doctrine and confirmation of faith First how al thinges are created of God how sinne dyd beginne that Christe hath set vp his kingdomes against sinne that he hath geuē his word that Christe was promised and that he is come to abandon sinne and to saue vs. Item how God whan he had geuen his word hath alway preserued and maintened Christes kingdome and that Christes kingdome that is the true beleuing haue alway ben cōuersaunt vnder the crosse sence the beginninge of y ◠worlde and yet neuerthelesse are saued that Satan with the greatest power of the world hath assaulted the word of God Item that God hath wōderfully alway kept his promise aboue the vnderstandynge and thought of mens wit or wisedome Item that God hath set before vs bothe the examples of his dredefull vengeaunce and also of grace or fauour Of this wise haue king Dauid and other gotten remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes that by theyr examples we may be comforted and beleue that God wil forgeue Nether is y ◠to be omitted that God hath geuen vs al maner of prophecyes of exterior kingdomes to stablish our mindes that of the accomplishment of their chaunce we myghte haue wytnesse that our word is come of God and that none other faith saueours is true Item that we shuld be warned whan Christe muste come and whan the ende of the worlde is to be loked for Itē for so muche as we knowe that all thynges spoken of in the prophetes are come to passe that we may beleue that those shall happen also the which holye scripture sayeth shall befal Moreouer to vnderstande prophecyes arighte it is greatlye necessary to knowe the order of kingdomes the nombre of the yeares and many other thynges whyche in readynge of Heathen hystoryes do offer them selues the knowledge whereof is chefelye necessarye for Chrysten men that they may the better vnderstande the propheties and haue the better iudgment of them Of all thys truely maye euery man iudge how muche profyte is taken oute of the readynge of hystoryes and the greate profyte or frute that commyth of them ought dylygently to steare and driue euery man to knowe them After what order hystoryes must be comprehended and red HE that wyll reade hystoryes to profyt the same must comprehende all the tymes sence the foundacyon of the worlde into a certayne order For there were some that diuyded the worlde therfore in seuen ages and haue rekened them diuersly but those where they endeuour to sett an order they do nothynge but sett all thynges wythout order As for me I wyll folow the renowmed sayenge of Ely the prophet whych hath excellently dyuyded the worlde into thre ages wyth the whyche he sheweth the greatest chaunges of the worlde also what tyme it behoued Christ to come and how longe thys state of the world ought to last and thus it is The
thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth which he him selfe had instituted For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes whiche are ordeined by hym Also are we admonished by thys example that we eschue any mutacion at all In this historie are there many other notable commaundementes the whiche for shortnesse I must ouerpasse This one thyng wyll I only reherse that the ciuill gouernaunce the aucthorite of princes and kynges is here coÌ„firmed of God when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng Saul reigned fourty yere and was destroied for his vngodlynesse all his kynred was destroted Dauid reigned forty yeare and God punished hym for aduoutry committed and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon But God restored him into the kyngdom and punyshed the sedition greuously Absalon died a straunge death Salomon was forty yeres kynge but after his decease was the kyngdom deuided in sundery partes for the aduoutry of Dauid Of the Kynges of Iuda of Salomons linage and kynred ROboam kynge raygned seuenten yeres And when hee woulde not obey thee Counsayll of the elders in minyshynge the charges and exactions of the kyngdome he caused wyth hys rygorousnesse that a chaunge of the kyngdome is casued For he â—â—â—owed the counsaill of younge men nother wolde release ought according to right Wherfore deciuered from him the moost part of the kyngdom and dyd begynne a new kyngdome in Samaria the whiche was the occasion of many greate battayls on both partes As for the posteritie of Dauid retained the kyngdome in Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin folowed that kyng Abia reigned thre yeare and in battayll vanquished the kyng of the ten tribes in Israel Asa reigned fourtene yeare The same obtained great praise because he rooted out the wicked worshyp of God which was institute against the worde of God in so muche that he fauoured not his owne mother in this behalfe for she also folowed a sundery worship of God For this cause gaue him God good fortune agaynst the Arabians the whiche he vanquished in battayll At the last was he punished also of God for a certayn conspiration that he had made leauyng the trust in God The mydde or half part of the worldes age ABout the twelft yere of this kyng Asaes raigne are accomplyshed there thousand yeares of the worlde that is the mydde or half part of all the worldes age accordyng to Elias saynge the whiche we haue noted in the beginnyng of the boke Henceforeward may be marked that in coÌ„tinently after happened moost greatest and sodayn chaunges in all kyngdomes that there dyd aryse battayles and man slaughter for the last tyme of the worlde dyd drawe on Thys is also to be noted that the publike well the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes and Romanes wherby it maye easely be gathered that all other nacions haue their spring of the Iewes auncetry and that the eldest doctrine yea euen Gods word hath ben by the Iewes fathers or auncetres Iosaphat raygned fyue and twenty yeares he is alowed for hys endeuour of religion and that he hath exercised all kinglye duetyes wyth great diligence And for that cause dyd god â–ª geue hym excellent victories Elias the prophet was in his tyme which was taken vp quieke into heauen so rayseth God a prophet euen in the myddes of the worldes age no lesse of famous doctrine then miracles that the word and promise of Christ might be sometyme renewed The rest than of the thre M. yeares of the worlde began vnder thys Elias After Elias succeded Eliseus the prophet As for these two prophetes how they haue reproued the wycked seruice of God and what miracles they haue done is sufficiently treated in the Bible Ioram reigned eight yeares he commaunded to kyll his brethren euen the eldest was a beginner of a new Idolatry wherfore he was also worthely punished of God he dyed vanquished of the Philistenes the which caryed away his wiues and chylderen saue Ochosias which was the yongest Ochosias raigned only one yeare and accordynge as his father dyd he permitted the false seruice of God to be set vp wherfore he was slayne But whan his mother Athalia saw that her sonne was dead she caused to be slayn all them that were a lyue of the kynges bloud of this wyse was the kyngdome translated from Salomons posterite that hereby we maye learne how rygorously God doth punish synne Before all thinges must princes consider and marke this that God doeth rout out the kynred of great princes because of wickednes Athalia the mother of Ochosias kept the kyngdome with violence and vsed seueÌ„ yeares great tyranny At the last she was worthely punished when through the commaundement of the high priest she was slayn Of Nathan and his posteritie IN the rehersall of y â— fathers of the which Christ is borne hath Luke the euangelist est out Salomon For Salomons poste rite was destroied neuertheles Dauids posteritie succeded in the kyngdome accordyng to the promise of God Dauid had also a sonne NathaÌ„ of whom Luke maketh meÌ„cion Of his kynred wer these kynges of Iuda folowyng namely Ioas reigned fourty yeres the same was of notable godlinesse so long as Ioiada y â— high priest liued whom he obeyed afterward fell he to vngodlinesse and Idolatry and caused zachary the prophete the sonne of Ioiada to bee slayne before the temple of whom Christ doth also make mencion in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathew Wherfore God willed to punysh hym by the Syrians and finally was he slayn by his owne seruauntes Amasias was kyng nyne and twenty yeares this also was conuersant in Godlynesse at the fyrste and herkened to the prophetes whereby he dyd luckely vanquyshe thorough God the Idâ—means But heyng after become haut and presumptuous he made war of pure wilfulnesse and with out constraynt in the whiche he was taken and fynally dyed Ozias raygned twoo and fyfty yeares the same was also called Azarias The same was at the fyrst also Godly and ouercame the Philisthines Afterwarde whan he woulde hymselfe offre in the temple agaynst the ordinaunce of God he was stryken with leprosy In his tyme lyued Oseas Amos and Micheas whiche prophecied agaynste either kynges of Samaria and Iuda Ionas was â—lso at this tyme whiche was sent to preache to the kynge of the Assirians Ioatham reygned lykewyse syxten yeares thesame was Godly fought luckely against Ammon Achas reygned lykewyse syxten yeares hee set vp false worshipping of god of ouer great superstition and peruerse opinion of godlinesse he buylded euery where throughout al the lande chappels and altars wherfore God suffered hym and all his royalme to be greuously punyshed and spoyled Ezechias reigned nyne and twenty yeares Hewas a Godly kynge he restored Gods worshyp auoidyng Idolatry he
thesame maye easely laye together the nomber of the Grekes with these CxCi. yeares Iesus the high prest xxxvi Ioakin his sonne in his fathers absence viii Iesus beynge returned xx Ioakin agayne xlviii Eliasib xxi Ioiada xxiiii Ioathan xxiiii Iaddus x. Summa of the yeares is CxCi. Iosephus wytnesseth that Iaddus lyued whan Alexander wente into Asia The Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them Cyrus xxix Cambises vij and. v. moneths Darius Hystaspis sonne xxxvi Xerxes xx Artaxerxes with the longe hande xl Darius the bastarde xix Artaxerxes Mnemon xl Ochus xxvi Arsames iij. Darius vi The order of the tymes doth for the mooste parte allowe this nombre For as the historye wryters haue lyued at sundery tymes euen so hath euery one made mencion of hys kynge that raygned at hys tyme euen as Herodotus maketh mencion of xerxes Theucydides of Artaxerxes with the longe hande after these made Xenophon mencion of Darius the bastarde and his yonger sonne Cyrus he wrote also of Artaxerxes Mnemon Xenophon went a warrefare also in those warres that were vsed at these tymes Therfore the late wryters do greatly erre of the Iewes they be very dull asses which set but four Persian kinges lesing more thē an hundreth yeares in this euident counting of the worldes yeares of the whiche do spryng more greueous errours In Daniel and Esdras is mencion made of the Persian kynges but they varye in some names from the Grekes As for me that all thynges may be knowen more manyfestly I wyll brefely shewe what my mynde is Metasthenes is of some reiected because he nameth some Persian kynges other wyse then the Grekes But for so muche as Esdras and Philo do not disceuer from hym I do not reiect those kynges whiche Metasthenes reherseth For it is no doubt but that Esdras was perfecte of the kyngdome and state of the Persians for so muche as it is euident that hee was one of the chefe of the realme and of the kynges counsayll Metasthenes doth set in this order the Persian kynges and these be the fyrste wherein they vary but Philo and Esdras kepe the same order Darius and Cyrus to gether twoo yeres and after that Cyrus alone xxij Artaxerxes Assuerus xx Darius Artaxerxes with the long hand xxxvij Darius the bastarde xix Artaxerxes Mnemon lv Ochus xxvi Arsames iiij Darius vi This variaunce after my mynde may easely bee iudged Of the fyrst Darius whiche reigned with Cytus haue the Grekes no certainte for so much as saieth Daniel he neuer reigned and therefore was his name all together vnknowen to men of straunge nacions And Daniel hath separated this Darius from Cyrus For he sayeth that Darius of Media was Cyrus of Persia Now do the Grekes reken only the Persian kynges nother do they myngle with them the Medians affeirs whose kyngdome was already translated too the Persians therfore do the Greke wryters dissent nothyng from the holy scriptvres though they leaue out Darius seynge they counte onely the Persian kynges Iosephus wryteth that this Darius were Cyaxares the sonne of Astyages of whome Xenophen wryteth the whyche I wyll not stryue wythall The seconde Artaxerxes Assuerus is Darius Hystaspis sonne and Cambyses is passed ouer because hee reigned hys father yet lyuynge or not long after his fathers death For the Persians had this custome that whan y e kyng went forth on war they ordeined another before which shuld supplie y e kings rowme being absēt And by this occasiō was Cambyses ordeined kyng gouernour of y ◠realme of Cyrus hys father whan he made warre agaynst the Scythyans wyth the which he hadde warre syxe yeares and for this season dyd Cambises raigne whome the Grekes saye to haue raygned seuenyeare the which must be vnderstande of that time wherein the father was yetlyuing And the historyes of Assuerus do wytnesse that he was Darius because Philo wryteth that these kyngdomes be recouered of hym agayne by warre whiche were fallen back and rebelled whan Cyrus had foughten wyth the Scythes hauing no goodlucke The thyrde was called Darius Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande the same do the Grekes simply call Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande and he had the name thereof that hys ryght hande was longer than the left whome Metasthenes calleth Darius Esdras doth call hym Darius and Artaxerxes indifferently for they vsed these names none otherwyse than oure Emperours vse the names of Cesar and Augustus But that Artaxerxes doth strayght waye folow Darius in order that is happened for thys cause that Xerxes forthwyth in the begynnynge of hys raygne wente in to Grece and that in the meane space Artaxerxes ruled the kyngdom in the East And because Xerxes remayned not at hande in the East therfore do not the Iewes make mention of hym but holde Artaxerxes for the kynge seynge he beynge made gouernour of the kyngdome ruleth so longe as Xerxes was from home After thys is ther no varyaunce more and of thys wyse maye the hystoryes of the Byble and Grekes be made very well to agre The disagreynge of the yeres ryseth therof y ◠some Kynges gouerned the other yet lyuinge and ther by is it come that some other haue gathered the yeares otherwyse Of Cyrus CYrus the fyrst Prince of the Monarch of the parsiansis rekened one amonge the moost doughtyest Kynges lordes of the worlde For besyde the manyfold excellent and very princely vertues had God geuē and endued hym wyth sundery luck and fortune in rulynge and very excellent vyctoryes of hys enemies yea he fortuned to be taught and instruct also by Daniel the prophet in godlynes and in the trew worshyp of God as holy scriptures do wytnesse Such kynde of Princes beinge so garnyshed wyth the vertues of God ought we to honoure as noble gyftes of God by the whych God wyll helpe the worlde retayne men in theyr vocacion haue modestye kept and peace finally to haue lawes ordeyned And seynge it is so it is a very vngodlynesse ether to despise or to set nought by suche Princes as the commune sort of people do But this Cyrus is worthtely to be counted among such ministers of God and very excellent Princes of the worlde Nother can the noblenesse of kynred be requyred in hym For it so pleasyd God that the worthynesse of gouernaunce be kept and maynteyned and by men auanced wyth moost hyghe vertues and renowme of theyr auncerters And for so much as God hath preferred with so high honors therfore ought they lykewyse to be honored of vs as a most excellēt gyfte of God The father of Cyrus was a prince or a gouernour of Persia borne of the ofsprynge of Sem his mother was borne of the kynges blude of Medes And Herodotus wryteth that Astyages kynge of the Medes sawe in a dreame out of hys doughters wombe to grow a vyne whose sprynge should ouer shadowe whole Asia Of this was the coniecture taken that a
vttermost part of Italy which bendeth to Sicilia and was sometyme Grece In the tyme of Pythagoras raigned at Rome Seruius Tullius his scole was not occupied in Phisick and Astronomy as the other but in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Pythagoras liued a very solytary lyfe wyth his disciples and vsed sundry ceremonies taught many inconuenient thinges of the soules nature that mens soules remoue into beastes to be punyshed The Pythagorians taughte their doctrines priuatly amonge themselues and it was commaunded amonges them that noman shoulde publishe them lest by reason of a doctryne not accustomed the commune sort of men mighte be sturred ether to discorde or to a despisynge of good maners But such kynde of phylosophers dured not longe nother is it now necessary to speake more of the begynnyng of philosophers I would onely shewe iâ— here lest any man might be ignoraunt what tyme the connyng of sciences began and encreased wee shall hereafter in hys due place speake of them whych haue before all other garnyshed and had in reuerence Philosophye whereof there is not so great nomber For very few are ther that be worthy to be called wyth so excellent a name Phylosopher and therfore shall we not rehearse so many of them Of Solon THough wee studye to be brefe here yet wyll not I passeouer Solon vnrehearsed for of hym hath the ciuyll lawe of the Romanes whych is yet in vse his oryginall begynnynge Thys Solon lyued about thys tyme and was very familyar wyth Thales But whan at Athenes were spronge great debates because that the greatest of the citye had made bonde men of theyr creditours that were not able to pay them euen of pryuate wylfulnesse the whole citye of Athenes dyd agree to Solon that he shoulde take order and correcte thys wyllynglye of the greatestmen and the other misvses of the commune wealth Solon toke thys wyllynglye vpon hym and set forth manye excellente constitutions and lawes the whych are yet manyfest Now was Draco the law geuer by the Athenians before Solons lawes were not ordered with anye mercye at all for he ordeyned that all transgressions and trespasses shoulde be punished wyth the swearde and for thys cause sayde one that Dracons lawes were wrytten wyth bloude and not wyth yâ—â—k So hard and cruell constitucions were in the worlde at the begynnynge But nothyng can be durable that is to extreme and is not mitigate with the temperaunce of mercy or iustice As for Solon made a difference in these thynges or degrees and ordeined that some synnes shoulde accordynge to reason be punyshed greueously and other more mercyfullye ordeined also of geuinge trybute of weyghtes and of the seasoÌ„s of the whole yeare And specially is this lawe praysed in the whiche he ordeined that euery man should certyfy the higher officers once in the yeare how great his substaunce were and of what maner crafte he were where with he gat hys lyuynge and if there were any ydle fellow or vagabounde too dryue the same out of the cytie Of Cambyses CAmbyses began to raygne whan hys father Cyrus went to warre agaynst the Scythians He ioyned the kyngdome of the Egiptians to his fathers domynion But he was greatly vnlyke his father in vertues Whan Prexaspes one of hys chefe counselers had admonyshed hym somewhat boldelye and sayde that the Perses dyd alow hym greatly but that the same myslyked them that he was geuen to dronkennesse He caused the Peeres of hys realme to be called together and demaunded whether he might worthely be blamed in any thynge But they answered No but that he also surmounted hys father Cyrus in vertue for by hys actiuenesse was Egypte also ioyned to his kyngdome But Cresus to whom Cyrus had chefely commended his sonne Cambyses to be taughte nortured in honesty sayd the coÌ„trary CaÌ„byses quod he can not yet be compared to hys father Cyrus for he hath not left such a sonne of his begettinge as Cirus hath left Cambyses This delectable sayenge pleased Cambises at that tyme. But as the counsel departed whan none of the princes had blamed ought in him he commaunded Prexaspes to be called to him and bad him bringe his yongest sonne to him For he woulde declare howe sobre he myghte seme to be euen whan he were droncken For he woulde shute wyth a bowe at his chylde whan he was droncken and if he coulde hyt his harte with the darte than he might thynke that in drinkynge he were not besyde the capacite of his reason but if not â–ª than he might worthely be sayde to be geuen to dronkennesse But what nedeth many wordes Whan Cambyses had well dronken he shott at the chylde as at a marke and as the darte was pearced thoroughe he caused it to be rypt vp and shewed to hys father Prexaspes that the harte was shot thorough a ryght sayenge that thereby he might haue euydence that he was not dronken So barbarous cruel and tyrannicall maners bringeth dronkennesse into mens mindes though they be well taught before euen as no doute was that kynge Cambyses was from hys youth brought vp in moost honest nourture And though a dronken man can hytt a right in shoutinge yet in the meane whyle can he not vse the ryght counsels of reason and wanteth those vertues whiche communely steare men to modestye and auancement of glory Such lyke examples ought to be shewed to yonge men whiche sometyme be enclyned and geuen to dronkennesse for what ende folowed of these shall we shewe shortely hereafter He slew also hys own brother Smerdis whome he caused priuely to be put to death lest he shuld raygne at any tyme. He maryed also hys owne syster where neuerthelesse nature doth abhorre such kynde of maryage It fortuned vpon a tyme that whan kynge Cambyses sat at borde wyth the quene at y â— meale tyme set he a lyons whelpe and a strong dogge together to make a game and whan the lyon had the ouerhande by reason of hys fearcenesse strength another dogge of no lesse fearcenesse brake wyth great strength the bandes y â— he was bounde withal and holpe his brother the dogge and so was the lyon ouercome The kyng had great delyte at that game because of the faythfulnesse of the dogges But the quene moued wyth the same dede began to wepe very bytterly and whan the kynge toke that sorowfully and asked the cause of her weping she answered To my brother happened nothynge lesse than such faythfulnesse as I haue sene in these dogges helping eche other The kyng taking this answere wrothfully caused her strayght waye tâ— be had out of hys syght and â—lew her But such coâ—dicions can not longe prosper For God sayeth in the scryptures The bloud thyrsty and deceatfull shall not lyue oute halfe theyr dayes vpon earth Wherfore God stroke hym not longe after wyth a greueous and heauy vengeaunce For as he should come out of Egypte into Persia as he sat vpon
his horsse hys â—wearde fell out of hys sheeth and wounded hym so sore in the one syde that he dyed This example sheweth that God suffreth tyrauntes not very longe For he lyued not much more than one yeare after Cyrus nother left he anye heyre after hym and of thys wyse is he cleane deade It is truely a pyteous thynge and greatly to be bewayled that in so lytle a space the kingdome of the Perses is taken from the posteritie of Cyrus The rule of the empyre remayned neuerthelesse wyth Cyrus bloude For Darius had wedded Cyrus doughter the whyche neuerthelesse was also of Cyrus bloud Of the punishment of a wicked iudge NO prince is of so desperate hope which doth not at any tyme some laudable or honest thynge For God doeth garnishe the offyce of a gouernour or high officer and maketh that other whyles notable and necessary thynges are done necessarely for the conseruation of publyke administration Cambyses is alowed in all historyes for thys one â—ede for the which he is worthy to be praysed He had a gouernour in the fore part of Asia called Siâ—amnes he heard saye that this iudge iudged vniuâ—â—ly beynge corrupt wyth gyftes of mony Wherefore he caused him to be slayne and the skynne â—lain oâ— from his body commaunded he to be fastened vpon the iudges seate and ordeined in steade of the deade iudge his soâ—â—e called Otaâ—es and sat hym in the seate â—â—diciall vpon this maner and condition that by the beholdyng of his fathers skynne he shuld beware lest he should be punished lykewyse This example warneth those that are in authorytye to remembre that God will not suffre wyckednesse to be vnreuenged Of Darius Kyng of the Persians WHan Cambyses was gone into Egypte the Magi rebelled agaynst him at Susa and one of the Magies toke the name of a kyng vpon him by gyle Magi are called y â— wyse men priestes of those contryes But whan Cambyses made him now ready to returne into the kyngdome that he might punish worthely those seditious Magies euen in his yourney by a mischaunce as we haue sayd before he dyed Aâ—ter the death of Cambises the Magies beyng slaâ—â—e y â— Peers of the realme toke the kingdome to them selues after that poyntyng a day of assembly they came to treate of restoringe one into the kingedome Persy for a certayn order The peers or Princes were seuen in nomber as in the Germâ—ne empyre are seuen Electors those doutlesse were chosen and poynted by greate wysedome and counsell as the hyghest counsellers of the whâ—le empyre of Persia Whan now these seuen prynces were come together to deuise for the commune health of the realme there rose controuersy in deuisynge and of thre thynges specially One Othanâ—s counselled to chose no more kynges but that the princes bounde by an aliaunce shuld rule a lyke libertye beynge retayned of ethersyde for it were euident ynough before and proued by example that one man lord of so many and great thynges becommeth lyghtely haut and presumpteous and to fall to tyranny as it was euident that Cambyses had done The seconde Megabysus refusynge that counsell sayde that such lybertye shoulde be worsse than tyranny for the princes and cityes yf they want a Lorde can not but misvse that libertye to priuate wylfulnesse But lest anye suche do happen it were good not to choyse one onely kynge but to ordeâ—â—e some princes by whome shoulde alwaye remayne the full power of a kynge The thyrd called Darius refelling the sentence of ether of them counselled one kyng to be chosen for though in thys poynt as in all other thynges of men myght befall great and many inconueniences yet is no royalme or dominion more surer than the Monarchy that is yf one raygne in whose power and handes the chefe poynt of the raygne do consist For though these thre counsels be a lyke honest and verye good yet if they be conferred together it is most euident there can no fayrer or more profytabler thynge be founde thaâ— a Monarchye namelye whych goeth nexte to a godly kingdome Moreouer it can not be that concorde can be kepte longe amonge fre princes or yf some princes be chosen to gouerne some myghtye realme in steade of a kyng and that for the diuersytye of moost weighty causes whych myght some tyme befall in so large a dominion in the whiche the princes coulde not allwaye agree together Besydes thys that there shoulde not want amongest the princes the endeuour of souerayntye and gouernaunce aboue the other ouer the which he shoulde procure to rule as ouer subiectes or inferiors These were the causes which Darius alleged vnto whom agreed the other foure princes and ordeyned to choyse a kyng after the costumâ—ble maner But lest any debate myght aryse amonge the princes of the royalme they determyned to committe the lot of the kynges eleccion to God They agreed that the princes shoulde come together very early on horses into a certayn place and whose horsse shuld neye fyrst the same should be kyng Darius beynge come home shewed thys couâ—sell to the controller of hys court whych sayde he would easely brynge it to passe For before the euenyng of the appointed daye he dyd lead Darius horsse and a mare into the place appoynted and there letteth he go the horsse to the mare â–ª that in the mornynge the horsse comminge to the place myghte neye for the mare beyng absent And as the princes came together in the appointed a place at y â— set houre Darius horsse neyen fyrst lest they might dout whether it were Gods will that Darius should be their kinge sodenly at y â— same very tyme whan the horsse neyed was ther a lightening in an open and cleare ayer with thonderinge Forthwith the other princes lyghtynge from their horses dyd to Darius dew reuerence And by this occasion was Darius set vp in the hygh dignitie of the Persian empyre the which he gouerned after that with great praise He restored with great power the countries that were rebelled whan Cyrus dyed in Scythia to the empyre Babilon the citie also refusynge now the dominion of the Perses he recouered after longesiege and that by this meanes One zopyrus the sonne of Megabysus one of the seuen lordes or princes caused willinglye hys nose eares and lyppes to be cutt of maketh the kinge priuy of his counsell and falleth to the Babilonians as one that were fled he complayneth of the kinges cruelnesse whiche caused him to be of this wyse dismayde and toren because he gaue him counsell to forsake the cytie nother fayned he hymselfe otherwyse than to be the kynges enemy and that he were fled to the Babilonians for cause of counsel taking The Babilonians did frely receaue him and as he was made capitaine of them he slew some of Darius souldiours for so was he agreed with Darius that therby he might at the first augment the confidence of the Babilonians in
of the floudes Of thys wyse dyd God turne the fortune of the dice and punyshed the pryde Great princes haue here an example sett before them whereby they must learne not to truste in their puyssaunce but that in the feare of God and trust to God must great thynges be taken in hande That he had thys shamefull ende for because this expedicion made euery man amased and also for because Xerxes dyd brynge on to Grece such a great multitude and power none otherwise than in oure tyme the Turke was constrayned to forsake the city of Vienne with great shame which came into Germany with an hoost of two hundreth thousande men Howbeit Xerxes departynge out of Grece left Mardonius the capytayne there wyth thre thousande souldyours and that for thys cause because the kynge persuaded by Mardonius counsell wente into Grece agaynste the mynde and wyll of the other Lordes And because it happened not as Mardonius promysed therefore dredinge lest beynge returned home he might lose hys heade because of the mischaunce of the warre he desyred that he might be left in Grece wyth that army to assaye all fortunes of warre yf by chaunce he coulde make feble the affayres of the Grekes Xerxes than suffred that and betoke hym to hys fortune Fyrst beganne Mardonius frendely to entreate the Grekes that hauing layde before them tolerable condicions of peace they woulde willingly yeld themselues But the Grekes beynge become more couragious by reason of the victory refused vtterly all dominion of the Perses and denyenge the leage asked that he shoulde defende hym selfe with force and fyghtynge hande Than toke Mardonius and burnt the citye of Athenes and wente thorough vntyll Thebe for they of Thebe were fallen to the Perses The Athenians and Lacedemonians makyng than agayn a fresh army by land of an hundreth thousand men met at sundry times with Mardonius in battayll at the laste Mardonius constrayned for faut of vytayls made an ende Alexander kyng of Macedony was wyth the Perses of whom we made mencion before the same shewed the Grekes before the euenynge that they should make them ready in armes on the next day for Mardonius was determined to pyche hys last felde and that was so done but the Perses beyng ouercome lost the felde Mardonius beyng slayne also whiche thynge the other counsellers of kyng Xerxes tolde him before the warre began But this was the ende of so great a settyng forth to warre and whan this warre was ended the cities of Grece began too encreace in power and enlargynge of their dominion subduyng many yles of the Perses whiche they adioyned to their dominion Moreouer the Grekes beyng become puyssauÌ„t waxed also haut and presumtuous and for desyre of dominion they procured also inwarde sedicion warre with in themselues and beyng ouercome with mutuall damages that eche had done to the other they were constrayned fynally to yeld themselues to straunge princes quenchynge and destroyeng all the estate of their common wealth and the vertues whereby they floryshed before But of this shall we treate a lytle hereafter It is necessarye to knowe Themistocles example before any thyng the whiche for so muche as he was the man by whose prouisse and counsail whole Grece was saued for the whiche thynge also hys prayses are auaunced more then of any valeaunt captaine whiche Grece had yet was he euel rewarded of his citesens for they droue him out of y â— citie This thanke geueth the commoÌ„ people for the most worthye vertues yea the deuell hymselfe blyndeth men that they do not acknowledge so hygh gyftes of God Wherfore it behoueth the best and excelleâ—t men to haue pacience before all thynges for it can not bee but they must haue grefes and all vnthankfulnesse in that state of lyfe After that fled Themistocles to Artaxerxes by whome he was had in greate honor in all thynges equall to the princes and peeres of his royalme It is wrytten also that Artaxerxes should haue sayde he coulde wyshe his enemies no more euyll but that they blinded with such madnesse dyd put awaye wyse men from them Of Artaxerxes with the longe hande AS Xerxes was deade raigned his sonne Artaxerxes whose right hande was longer than the left whereof he gat the surrname wyth the long hand Thys kynge is chefely praysed for his syngular wysedome and gentlenesse of maners and endeuour of peace Therefore do I rehearse his historye here nomore at length that wee maye finallye returne to the Iewysh hystories lest we be ignoraunce what state was in the church and spyrytuall kyngdome Of Zorobabel the Iewysh capitayne WE haue shewed before that in the Bible is one of the Persian kynges called Assuerus but the same was Darius Histaspis and as I suppose thys Darius is Assuerus which had quene Hester Herodotus doth also make mencion of Artistona the whiche Darius had besyde quene Atossa and sayeth that the same Artistona was very well beloued of Darius and it appeareth that thys same was Hester Philo writeth also that the history of Iudith happened in the tyme of this Darius and that Arphaxad whereof the history of Iudith maketh mention was captayn of y â— Assyrians after that they were now fallen from Cyrus whâ— was ouercome of the Scythyes I do not disalow thys meanynge of Philo but verely as I do suppose the history of Iudith was now already fulfilled before that Iuda was led into bondage and also before the Persians monarchy For Arbaces kynge of the Medes was before the monarchy of the Perses and Ninius was destroyed in the tyme of the Persians kyngdome and whan the Perses had the monarchy nether Ninius nor the Medes had theyr kynge Howbeit I graunt here euery man to defende hys meanynge After Darius Histaspis setteth Philo Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande passynge ouer king Xerxes but doutlesse for none other cause saue as is shewed before namely than whaÌ„ Xerxes was gone into Grece Darius wyth the long hand gouerned the royalme in the East in the meane season And this is that Darius with the longe hande whiche gaue the Iewes leaue the seconde tyme to buylde agayne the temple For though Cyrus had permitted the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem for to tyll theyr lande and to restore the kingdome the worship of God neuerthelesse in the meane season after Cyrus death â–ª were they letted by the borderers y â— the building could not goo forewarde vntill the seconde yere of Artaxerxes with the long hand whoÌ„ Philo calleth Darius with the longe hande Thesame commaunded in the second yeare of his king 〈…〉 by a commune proclamation commaundement that Ieruâ—alâ— the temple shuld be repared This was the occasion by the whiche the Iewysh natioÌ„s was restored to his libertie instituted again the gouernaunce of the royalme with the Gods seruice and builded agayne the temple and cities And though Iuda had not hetherto his kynges yet had they princes
or yeares But her of is ynough The table of the yeares of the worlde whiche sheweth the tyme poynted by Daniel M De. lvi vntyll the floude C C xciii vntyll Abraham was borne C C C C xxiij vntyll Moses was borne L xxx vntyll the goyng out of Egipt C C C C lxxx vntyll Salomons temple was buylded C C xxxviii vntyll kyng Ioas. C C xci vntil Ieconias was caried into Babylō Xi vntyll the wastyng of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor L xx dured the captiuite of Babylon C xci dured the monarchy of the Perses after the captiuitie of Babylon Vii was Alexander after Darius C xlvi dured the rule of the Grekes vntyll Iuhas Machabeus C xxvij dured the kyngdom of the Machabees as wryteth Iosephus XXX Herodes In the thyrtyeth yeare of Herode was Christe borne M. D. xxxii sence Christe our lorde and Sauiour was borne Our of this table is easely gathered the reason and maner of the yeares in Daniels wrytynge But I fynde by the Grekes the tyme after Alexanders death of this wyse In the .cxiiii. Olympias dyed Alexander Clxxxiiii Olympias began the rule of Augustus after the death of Iulius The xlii yeares of Augustus was Christ borne These yeares together sence the death of Alexāder make about cccxx yeares This nomber doth not so greatly disagre wyth the other aboue rehersed and can easely be made to gre of learned men Of Esdras A Certayne space after the cōmaundement publyshed dyd kynge Artaxerxes let Esdras the scribe returne to Ierusalem And duely not without a cause ought mētion to be made of this man in the histories for the bookes of the holy scripture that were now scattered and strowed dyd he gather agayne and set in order For this worke was worthy to be the duety of a true byshop Because that without holy scripture cannot be maynteined the true religion and worshyp of God In the tyme of this Artarerxes Longimanus began the great warre of Peloponnesus whiche the Grekes had amonge themselues in the whiche the citie of Athens at the last was vtterly destroyed This warre lasted neare hande vntyl the ende of the Persian monarchy and therfore I wyl first brefely reherse in their order the Persian kyng s. suche as are yet behynde Of Darius the bastarde DArius the bastarde reigned after Longimanus and of truth he was not the sonne of Lōgimanus but had his sister to wife and was his brother in lawe He had two sonnes At taxerxes whom they cal Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger Artaxerxes succeded his father in the empire Cyrus was made most puissaunt in Ionia Of Artaxerxes Mnemon AS Darius was deade Cyrus began to take falsly to hym the kyngdome for besyde that he ruled in a most puissaunt duchy he was apte also for all manner of thing and delited chefely in warre and therfore armed he hymself with great power against his brother Beside this had his mother more affection to hym than to his brother whiche had a modest and gentle mother wit But God did not prosper this wicked enterprise of Cyrus for in a battaill where he tought against his brother was he slaine Artaxerxes declared hymselfe not without courage in this battaill for he was greueously wonded of Cyrus and lept vpon another horse that he shoulde knowe that the victory came to hym afterwarde by God only Of Ochus OChus the sonne of Artaxerxes was moste gredy of mans bloud for beside the great tyranny that he vsed he slew also his own brothern He buylded the citie Sidon and brought Egypt againe to the Persian monarchy but they kept the loyalte of their yeldyng not very longe At the last was he slayn of one of his gouernours Of Arsames ARsames was the sōne of Ochus the same was made kyng being yet yonge by the capitain of the host which flew his father Ochus But when Arsames began now to wax great the capitain of the hoost fearyng by reason of the wycked dede that he had done he slew by a disceat this Arsames also Afterward makyng a league with Codomanus prince of Armenia he toke to hym the kyngdome also and called hym Darius Thus was the kynred of the noble prince Cyrus quenshed and the kyngdome of the Persians beyng translated from Cyrus posterite came to a foren prince Nether is that onely to be lamented that suche power and honour and so hygh gyftes of God were deleyed and put out of remembraunce within so few yeares but muche rather that Cyrus folowers beyng strayght waye vnlyke hym dyd declare their father to haue no maner of vertue the whiche appeareth in Ochus whose feates of tyranny gaue occasion that the whole kynred of Cyrus was abolyshed Of the last Darius The same was straunge from Cyrus but he was made prince of Armenia by kyng Ochus for his noble actes of chyuairy for the whiche actes also he was chosen kyng by them that had slayne Arsames left he should be reuenged of Ochus that had done hym good But being blynded by this occasion and with the hope of the kyngdome that was offered hym he forgat all the benefites that he had receaued of Ochus and hauyng the kyngdome he called hymselfe Darius that nothyng should be wanting to the royall dignitie But he was greuously punished for his vnkynonesse and disloyaltie For when he was vanquyshed of Alexander losynge all his landes and kyngdome he lost also his lyfe the whole monarchie of Persia But we shall treate more largely hereof in the begynning of the third monarchie and when we shall speake of Alexander The Warres of the cities of Grece WE haue touched before how the Grekes waxed welthy and presumptuous when the Perses were driuen out of their landes for pride and presumption do commonly folow after great prosperitie Wherfore duryng this monarchie they had great and durable warres among themselues by the whiche whole Grece went finally to naught insomuche that after ward it was open for euery man to breake in And also for the most honest gouernaūce lawes which they vsed in their cōmon welth succeded filthinesse and most corrup maner of behaueour And whome would it not greatly pitie to reade that so many great commodities or yuels and so durable and wicked warres are raysed of so lyght causes They be examples herely not onely to be wondered at but also most worthyest to be marked for they may admonyshe men that they take no warre in hand lightely and for euery lyght cause but only constrayned by great necessitie seing the warre raised amonge the Grekes for a small occasion could be in no maner nor meanes be swaged and layed downe tyll finally straunge people fallyng into Grece oppressed both partes It is not my mynde here to describe this whole warre for Theucidides Xenophon and afterward other haue written therof whole bokes But I wil reherse one thyng among all other namely what fall the citie of Athens hath had in this warre and what
Thrasybulus and as cōcernyng gouernaunce of policy iudgementes and lawes the state of the whole common wealth was chaunged after the olde custome Thrasybulus deserued chefely a greate prayse for his moderation of the mynde that after so notable a victory wherein he had also taken many of the enemies prisouers he woulde rather spare them then by good ryght to slaye them And when he considered that there should be no ende of puttyng to death yf thee goodes of the citesens that were taken away should be restored to euery man agayne or to the true heyres namely that were already come to the third or fourth possessor he bande them euery one with such a bande amonge themselues that no man shoulde thenceforth remembre any vengeaunce or iniury done but that euery man should kepe that he had kepyng the common peace euery man to be content with his portion or lot By this meanes and moderation was a quietnesse set in the common wealth And this is a noble example that with beneuolēce and forgenyng is procured a more durable concord in suche cinyll commotion then that euery man wyl go forth with rigour and force Afterward were the Lacedemonians become proude and haut also with this lucky chaunce For they would dryue Perses out of Asia whiche had succoured them But the Perses for that tyme made Codon capitaine of their hoost whiche was fled from Athens in the ciuill commotion of hym were the Lacedemonians discomfyted The Lacedemonians takyng greueously their misfortune layde al the fault vpon them of Thebe because they had entertained the bannyshed Athenians wherfore they fell into their contryes of the whiche rose a new occasion of warre in the whiche the Lacedemonians beyng ouercome were wholy vndone the Thebane power encreased Whan this warre was finished the Thebanes toke another warre againste the Phocians the whiche were wholye abolyshed and the residue were bannished Finally dyd Philippe kyng of Macedony discomfite and tame them of Thebe And thus were fyrst Athens after that Sparta finally Thebe destroyed and al that power of the Grekes came to naught Howbeit whan the Athenians and Thebanes dyd not kepe the conditions and appointementes of peace made with kinge Philippe he was cōstrained to inuade for to take in al Grece This is ynough spoken in brefe maner of the dolefull warres of Grece the whiche were an hundreth and thyrtye yeares after Xerxes durynge which space was lytel peace These warres are at large written by Thucidides and Xenophon and some other We haue thought it therfore sufficient yf we had opened and declared the example of the Athenians y ◠which is the principal in that history Of the Philosophers IN the meane tyme that thys befell dyd learnynge also florysh Hippocrates the Phisicion lyued from the tyme of Longimanus vntill Ochus an hundreth and foure yeares And besyde that all Grece had hym in greate estimacion he was also muche made of by the kinges of Macedony by the which also he spent great part of his lyfe Soranus wryteth that Hippocrates was sent for by kynge Perdicas because many iudged that the kynge was fallen into a consumption and was forsaken of other Phisitions But whan Hippocrates was come he perceaued that the kynge was not sycke for feblenesse of bodely strength but that he pined for loue and inwarde sorowe For he loued out of measure the handemayden of his father as oft as he sawe her chaunged both the mynde and colour in the kynge Of thys wyse perceaued Hyppocrates the cause of the sycknesse and gaue remedy to dryue it awaye Besyde this whan the pestilence raigned he caused a great woode to be sett on fyre agaynste the infect ayer whence the infection of the ayer came and of thys wyse kept he the whole contry Thessalia safe from the pestilence He was also renoumed of naturall miracles Vpon his graue were bees a greate season with whose hony were sycke chylderen healed that were anoynted therewyth About the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon was Socrates whych by the enuy of hys aduersaryes was poysoned and dyed in the preson He was accused to be a brynger vp of a newe learninge in the citye But by the prouidence of God were the aduersaries not longe after punished worthelye for they were put to death also Of Plato Eudoxus Aristoteles AFter these were Plato and Eudoxus a very connynge Astrologian whych also brought this science oute of Egypte into Grece After thys man was Aristoteles I suppose these to be the chefe amonge the Philosophers and after my iudgement are the chefe of thē Eudoxus Aristoteles namely because they were not only garnished with pleasaunt wordes or reasons but studious of the very thynges For they accustomed that kynde of learning as is most profytable partely to knowe the propertie of naturall thynges and partly to learne what waye men may lyue honestly It is a moost pleasaunt thyng to beholde howe God hath sett all kynde of vertues in oure owne nature Aristotele was borne of parentes not of the bafest or lowest condicion His father was Nicomachus a man of very great authoritye by Amyntas kynge of Macedony for he was hys Phisicion Hys ofspring was of Hippocrates kynred for thys cause had kynge Philippe that was sonne to Amintas Aristotele in suchreputacion afterwarde he gaue vnto him Alexander hys sonne to be taught of him his discipline and was taught of Aristotle the learninge of Philosophie that he might become more ready and wyser to make a relacion and to geue counsell Hetherto haue we spoken ynough of the Grekes affeares which happened about the tyme of thys monarchy Of Rome WHan the kynges were dryuen out of the citie the state of the common welth was chaunged The Counsuls beganne to beare rule and yearly were two chosen whose authoritie in that office was one yeare This chaunge of the commune welth happened in the tyme of Cyrus the fyrste monarche of the Perses the yeare after the worldes foundacyon thre thousande foure hundreth and fyftye and the seuenth yeare after that Babylon was wonne by Cyrus But besyde other great and innumerable affeires that befell at Rome were also horrible sedityons and chaunges in the commune wealth in the whych are examples geuen vnto vs that great cicyties and commune wealthes do endure seldome without great alterations Howbeit in this maner y t two Counsules wer chefe rulers lasted perpetually vntyll the tyme of Iulius which vsurped the monarchye There were betwene the beginnyng of the Counsels rulyng vntyl Iulius raigne foure hundreth and thre score and fyue yeares It were to long to rehearse here the Romane histories I will only recite the tyme of two notable chaunces that were befallen at Rome in the tyme of thys Monarchye In the hundreth and second yeare after that the citye was builded that is not longe after Xerxes warre aboute the beginninge of Longimanus raigne
rose controuersy and dissension by the Romanes For seynge they vsed not yet a certayne iustyce or lawes men were oft vniustlye wronged in and out of iudgemente for noman knewe yet perfectly what was ryght And whan the multitude dyd for this cause murmure it was ordeined that a certayne lawe should be written Wounder it is of what importaunce be written lawes to entertayne commune peace and concord in the commun welath the which this example doth witnesse manifestly For this thing were ten men chosen whiche beinge sente into Grece searched oute and espyed the maners and lawes of the greatest cities and in gathering together the beste lawes dyd vse the counsell of Hermodorus of Ephesus and other Philosophers Twelue tables were written the which were hanged vp openlye before the court of Rome This is the begynning of the written lawe of the Romanes the which they haue fyrst borowed of the Grekes The Ten men ruled thre yeare for it behoued that the lawes were euery daye declared But Appius one of the Ten men dyd abuse hys power which caused one Virginius a cite sins doughter to be demed for another mans bondewoman that by that cloke of lawe he might drawe her to hym and destore her The whiche as the father perceaued and sawe that by reason of Appius power his doughter coulde not be delyuered he slewe her himself in the iudgement lest his stocke shoulde be stayned with such a reproche Afterward gathering an army he made ready an ayde against Appius the tyraunt Than deposynge the Ten men from their office a new dignitie was ordeined Appius beyng taken and cast into pryson slew him selfe Thys example sheweth that tyranny and iniustice remayne not vnreuenged The thre hundreth and thre score yere after the foundacion of the citye fell into Italy an army gathered of the Frenchmen and Germanes whyche brent Rome But Camillus whom the commune people had before dryuen out of the citye played y ◠part of an honest man for coloring wholy the iniury the which he had suffred vnworthely gathering an army out of the next contryes he oppressed the Frenche men and Germanes wythin the citye kepyng the castel from besyegynge and the residue of the citesins that were escaped The dammage had the citye in the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon and about that tyme nearehande was Athenes taken and spoiled In this hystory is the first mencion made of the Germanes and this was not wholy four hundreth yeares before Christes byrth Of these Germanes was Milane and other cityes in Italy buylded Of the thyrde Monarchye THe thre thousand syxe hundreth and foure and thyrtyeth yeare after the worldes creation whan the dominion of the Perses had lasted an hundreth and nynety yeares that is thre hundreth and twenty yeares before Christes byrth began the thyrd Monarchy the whych we call the monarchy of the Grekes and nowe is the dominion of the worlde translated from the coastes of the East into the West and oute of Asia into Europa From that time began Asia by lytle and lytle more and more to dekeye not onelye in those thynges that were concerninge the power of the empyre but also in those thynges that concerned modestye of maners vertues gouernaunce of cōmune welthes and good learning And though these thyngs are in a maner redressed and restored by the Romanes yet at the last came by violence the Barbarians into Asia and dyd spoyle it in so much that thesame parte of the worlde whiche was wont to bee the moost excellentes by reason of the pleasauntnesse of situation wysedome honestye of men and puyssaunce of countryes is now turned nearehand altogether into a synke of fylthinesse and murthurous denne And contrary wyse those hyghest giftes are nowe in the Weste seynge the worlde doth drawe by lytle and lytle to the ende This monarchy beganne at Alexander kyng of the Macedonians whom we do worthelye call the Great For he was so excellent not only in power of gouernaunce but also in all other princelye vertues that one woulde suppose he haue had but few that were equall to him He is praysed in Ieremye and Daniel the prophetes because he was a most sharpe and happy gouernoure Daniel describeth a buck of whom is a ramme ouercome ouer throwen and doth expounde manifestlye that the buck is the kyng of the Grekes and the ramme the Persian kynge The vertues and notable victories wherewyth God had garnished kynge Alexander gaue some men occasyon to falle fayne muche of hys ofsprynge but I passe them ouer But this is certayne that great and fortunable princes are gouerned and kepte of God and that they are endued only of God wyth those ▪ vertues and gyftes For God wyll haue the maiestye of gouernaunces to be kept and maynteyned by those whych are noble by noblenesse of aunceters and florishing of kynred and it is euident that Alexander was borne of this sorte Hys father was kyng Philippe and hys mother was Olympias And that nyght whan Alexander was conceaued it is sayde that Philippe sawe in hys slepe that he had a seale on Olympias belly wherin was karued the ymage of a Lyon It was expounded that by that dreame was signifyed that Olympias hauynge conceaued of Philippe should brynge forth a moost puyssaunt kynge As for Philippe and Olimpias both of them were borne of the hyghest and moost noblest kynred of all Grece at that tyme. For Philippe if wee maye geue credet to the moost true wrytynges of hystoryes came of Hercules and Olympias of Achylles the valiaunt captayn before Troye These are the aunceters of whose stocke the renowmed prince Alexander is borne The kynred of Alexanders father The battail of Troye Hercules Hyllus Cleodeus Aristomachus Temenus Perdicas Argeus Philippus Eropus Alcetas Amyntas Alexander Amintas Philippus Alexander the great Thys was the fyrst kyng of Macedony whose ofspringe doth Herodotus describe And Alexander the great was borne about eight hundreth yeares after the Troian warre The kynred of Olympias mother to Alexander Achilles Pyrrhus Molossus kynge of Epyrus and Pielus they were both borne of Andromachus Of Pielus doth Pausanias in the Atticall wrytinges draw the other kings of Epyrus folowing Tarymbas Alcetas Neoptolemus and Arymbas Olympias Neoptolemus doughter mother to to Alexander This is the genealogy of Alexander gathered out of moost certayn hystoryes the whiche wytnesseth that the ofsprynge of Alexander was of the posterytye of very great men Whan Philippe was stayne because he left the wicked dede of a great man that had shamfully defloured a noble chylde vnpunished strayght waye after rebelled the Illyrians and Grekes and fell from the Macedonians and the kyngdome of the Macedonians stode in greate daunger For whan his father Philippe was slayne Alexander was only twenty yeare olde This was in the beginning of the hundreth and eleuenth Olympias after the rekening of the Grekes But wha◠Alexander had takē to him the
that he hath the full power and aucthoritie to make and depose not onely kynges but also all Emperoures at hys pleasure By thys it maye be gathered easely that the Romyshe byshop vsed so greate hatred agaynste the Emperoure for no very weyghty cause There were also about that tyme some learned men whiche openly blamed the Romyshe byshops writynges amonges these was Occam one ▪ the princes of Germany euery one as wel ecclesiasticall as of the nobilitie helde with the Emperour at the last were some compelled by the byshop of Rome to fall back and also to choyse another Emperoure Lewis had very greate vproures in Italy Galeacius of Milan and the counsayll of Rome longed for Lewis commyng into Italy Wherfore he went thether with the Emperesse which also was delyuered of a chylde at Rome that was called Lewis the Romane and was afterwarde by the Emperoure made marques of Brandenborowe At Milan was Lewis crowned of the bysh there and at Rome of the Cardinall de Columna He made also Peter of Corbaria byshop of Rome who was not longe after caried bounde to Auinion in Fraunce to Iohannes the .xxii. who cast hym into pryson wherein he dyed But whyle allthys was adoynge Lewis by no requestes coulde optayne to be released of the excōmunicacion by the byshop of Rome But forsoeth the Romysh byshop brought that to passe wyth his busy laboure at length that in an assembly or daye holden at Lucelburg the byshops of Mentz Trier and Colen the kyng of Bohemy and duke of Saxon dyd choyse another Emperour There was chosen Charles the fourth erle prouincial of Morauia the sonne of the kyng of Bohemy The same was then confirmed by Clemens the .vi. byshop of Ro. But for as muche as the cities of Aken and Colen would not knowe hym for an Emperoure he was crowned at Bon. Of Nicolaus Augustus that is Nicolas the noble that was at Rome ABout this tyme happened at Rome an example of a notable folye There was at Rome one Nicolas a towne clarke or recorder of Rome of suche power and aucthoritie that one would haue sayde he had the rule of the whole citie for at that tyme were the Romysh Byshoppes yet in Fraunce This Nicolas called hymself Tribunus Augustus that is the noble hygh officer and with open scriptures wytnessed that Rome is yet the true heade of the empyre and therfore by y e citie of Romes aucthoritie had he the hyghest power to handle maters of the empyre And by reason of this aucthoritie called he Lewis and Charles to appeare before hym and to cōmitte their matter to his arbitremēt or iudgement Lyke folyshnesse vsed he oft agaynst other cities and kynges y e space of two yeares At the last this pore Augustus being driuē out by the byshop of Romes partie fled to Charles the fourth But Charles sent the rash man to the byshop of Rome at Auiniō of whom he was kept in pryson The yeare of Christ M. cccxlv died Lewis the Bayer And then came Charles with a great hoost out of Bohemy to Regenspurg where he was knowen for an Emperoure From thence was he also receaued at Norenberg for Charles made thē beleue he had gotten a fauourable absolution of the bishop of Rome to put out the great offences wherwith they had offended in that they were adherent to Lewis When they of Basyl sent out their Burgemaisters to Charles that he in the name of the citie should aske absolution he answered he thought they had not done amisse in that they had Lewis for an Emperoure nether thought he that Lewis was an heritike yet in the meane tyme if they could be absolued of their trespasses he wold be content And thus were they absolued The yeare of Christ M. cccxlviij when Lewis was now deade there rose yet a greater discorde the byshop of Mentz the counte Palatine the marques of Brādenburg and the duke of Saxony his sonne that hath chosen Charles Emperoure assembled and refusyng the election of Charles they chose Edward the third kyng Englande to take vpon hym the maiestie Emperiall but he refused it as a thyng ful of cumbraunce After that chose they Frederick Erle prouinciall of Misen But he also forsoke that title of the empyre for he would not fyght and warre with his neyghbours the Bohemies to vndoe his countrey Guntherus Erle of Swartzburg is chosen Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. cccl. was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Gunterus Erle of Schwatzburg yet not with consent of all the Electors Thesame accepted the gouernaunce of the empyre and garnyshed with all defence to retayne the empyre he was armed ynough againste the force of Charles who then abode at Mentz But shortly after died Gunterus at Frāckforde sodenly poysoned Wherefore Charles was Emperoure alone He came to Franckforde and was receiued for an Emperoure After Clemens the .v. became Iohannes the xxii byshop of Rome who without a iuste cause dyd excommunicate the good Emperoure Lewis Benedictus the .xi. was made byshop of Rome after Iohannes The same neuer alowed the action of Iohannes against the Emperoure Lewis and when he was made byshop of Rome he had frely absolued hym had not the kynges of Fraunce and Naples with their threatenynges withstande hym When in the relacion the orators or embassadors of the kinges alledged that Lewis had enterprysed many haynous thynges against the byshop of Rome Benedictus answered yea we haue done against hym He liued not long in the byshopricke therefore dyd al the causes hang vndispatched Clemens the .vi. was made byshop after Benedictus The same renewined the thonder boltes cast against Lewis and persued hym moste fearcely though in the counsayll of Vienne in Fraunce were treated in the meane tyme of the condicions of peace and that Lewis declared hymselfe humble This Clemens bought the citie Auenion of Ioanna quene of Sicily and so hath the byshop of Ro. aucthoritie vpon this citie Moreouer at this tyme went about here therin in Germany and Fraunce a great nomber of men whiche did beate themselues with roddes Many of them came to Spire when the day or parliamēt was holden there pretending great holynesse For their holinesse sake were they bidden to the meales of the citesens And as the deceate of the erroure dyd not differ from the Anabaptistes supersticious opinion euen so was that secte no lesse daūgerous in those daies But at the last it was condemned Innocentius the .vi. succeded Clemens In his tyme was Charles the .iiij. crowned at Rome Charles the .iiij. the .xxxij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. cccl. began Charles y ◠iiij to raigne after y e death of Guntherus of Schwartzburg He was a prince of y e bloud of Lucelburg the sonne of Ihon kyng of Bohemy for Iohn was y e sonne of Henry of Lucelburg Frō this yere of M. cccl. reigned Charles xxvii◠yeres The yeare M. ccclv went Charles downe into Italy
constauncy faithfulnes which he had vsed towards his prince in y â— he had so coÌ„stantly resisted and repelled his aduersary and after that he had endued hym with great giftes he sent hym againe to his owne Assone nowe as the Turke with his armie was departed from the saied towne and had geuen ouer the sayed syege the wall of the sayed Towne fell downe to the grounde by it selfe whereby it may appeare that the same was afore preserued and defended from that violent power of the Turke by the myghty hande and assistence of God Nowe when the Turke perceiued suche a great power of the germayne nation commynge agaynst hym â–ª he retyred backwarde againe with his power whiche all ready entred into Stewermarke as farre forth as Graytes and made his arryr to marche and passe alonge by the sayed Towne of Graytes euen from the dawnyng in the mornyng vntyll the next morowe folowyng whereof it maye easely be gathered with what power he was come thether But yet to thyntent he myght not seme to haue bestowed all his laboure in vayne and to haue â—led without any harme done to the Germayne nation he left behynde hym not farre from the newe towne in Austriche about xiâ— thousande â–ª some say xvi thousand men to destroie the borders of Steyermâ—â—â—â—â— and Austrych as sone as the Germayne warriours shoulde haue remoued Howbeit after muche searchyng thesaied nomber of men was espyed and theyr â–ª enterpryse brought to lyght For thys cause Duke Frederike chief Capitayne toke vnto hym a certain nomber of launce knightes or Pietons and a certayn nomber of heauy horsemen with whome he vndertoke and attempted to smite the said multitude of Turkes and compassed them on euery syde besydes the montaynes by a great cawssy and caused certain dubble souldiours well armed to folowe them at their hyles to barre them in for turnyng backwarde agayne of the whiche dubble souldiours was Capitayne one Sebastiane Skartell of Ausborongh insomuch that the saied Turkes were first assayled with two heapes against whom they defended them selues stoutely but yet they lost ther about a thousand of their own men whereupon eftsones they toke their flyght but as they would haue fled out of the mountaines the other heapes of our men were in their neckes by whom also they were all discomfited and slaine so that no Turke might escape Some of them they founde afterwarde on the mountaynes and in wodes and some vpon trees where they were fled to saue their lyues amonge whome some were shot-down with gonnes lyke byrdes or wyldefoule and some were taken and deliuered to the Trosse to cut and mangle them at their pleasures whiche were very pyteously chopped and carued of the younger sorte of people After that this alarme was ceassed and qualified the Emperoure and the kyng roade forth into the campe of the Germaines and the Emperoures maiestie beholdyng the people as they stode in aray maruayled excidyngly coÌ„cernyng the nombre and multitude of them insomuche it was reported that he should aske of duke Frederick the vpper capitain whether suche an other multititude of men might be founde and assembled thoroughout all Duchelande whereunto thesaide Duke made aunswere that it was scant perceyued in the townes of Ducheland that any man there was missing or lackyng after this as some do affyrme there should be takeÌ„ a certayne truce and agrement with the Turke for a certayne tyme but how after what sorte and maner or on what condition this hangeth yet within the penne â–ª and is lyke also there to remayne yet a whyle Some are of this opinioÌ„ that the cause why the Emperoures maiestie made no haste to pursue after the Turke was this that winter was at haÌ„d and that therefore the warriours were dismissed and sent away so that with the saied innumerable multitude of warriours littel good was donesauig that muche money was vnprofytably wasted and expended Wherfore I suppose after myne owne iudgement that in case the Emperours and the kinges maiestie had proceded and gone forward with that armye or multytude whiche was there at that tyme assembled and gathered together and had made sure certayne townes in Hungary which would gladly haue rendred and yelded themselues again while the Turkes fled and had at the going out of winter be gonne agayne to seke the Turke at home in his owne lande the Turkysh tyraunt woulde no more so spitefully plage vs in our coÌ„treis But thus wold God punysh vs yet loÌ„ger for our wickednes for the whiche cause also God did suffre the best couÌ„ sail to be hindred by one man only for it is thought that the Emperours maiestie was by the only coun sayll of Anthony de Leua turned from thesaid pur sewte so that the Turke had a free and sure passage home agayne into his owne dominions and remained vnharmed in Hungary for somuche as he was not there put to any losse or hynderaunce by our men or on our behalf While these thynges were a doing in Austriche and Steirmarke Andrew de Aurea chief capitain of themperours maiesties nauy vpon the seas weÌ„t at themperours coÌ„maundement with an exceding great Armade or navy vnto the citie of Corona whiche lieth in the Ilonde of the Grekes somtyme called Poloponesus and nowe Morea whiche citie he did ouercome and expelled from thence all the Turkes But the Christians did not longe enioye the same for within two yeres after the Turkes obtayned the possession of the saied towne agayn smal to our reioysing When the matter was nowe in Austriche qualified and all thinges quiet the Emperour Charles the fift returned thorough the mountaines of Stiermarke namely thorough kerint and Frioulesonttyme called Forum Iuly and so through Mantua into Italy agayne to the Pope Clement by name who came to mete hym at Bononia with greate pompe and solempnitie in so muche that he continued in Italy all the winter of this yere stablishing the same in order peace and tranquilitie In EnglaÌ„d was also in this yere moued a battel For kyng Henry the eight sent men into Scotland against Iames the fift kyng of the Scottes where in coÌ„clusion they slew a great nomber toke many prisoners and so returned Also in the same yere dyed the ryght hygh and myghty prince â–ª Iohn duke of Saxon and electour imperiall c. and was honorably buried at Wittenborough in the Castel churche whose sonne and heire is the ryght noble and christen Prince Iohn Fredericke whiche after the deceasse of his saied father succeded in the gouernaunce of the saied dukedome of Saxon as electour imperiall rulynge the same moste honorably in the feare of God muche to his prayse and commendacion There was also a Comete or blasyng starre sene this yere in the moneth of September whiche appeared early in the morning two houres before the risyng of the Sunne by the space of certayn wekes in the sygne of Virgo Libra and Scorpius at the
offence and presumptyon by hym commytted agaynste the Empyre for he hadde taken a certayne towne pertaynynge to thempyre called Rutlynge whyche was the cause of hys expulsyon in that he hadde lacked and forborne the vse and profytes of his Landes all that space and season Whyche thynge yf they were not willynge to do he was in a readynes hym selfe to set hym in agayne parforce Althoughe he woulde be loth to vse anye carneste and rigourous fashions But whyle he was not answered accordynge to hys expectatyon and requeste he wente furthe wyth hys power into the lande of Wyrtenbergh that where bothe Prynces met together sloutelye but Philippe the Palatyne wyth hys men was put to flyghte and he him selfe wounded in hys hele wyth a shot wherfore the said Landgraue was verye sorye After thys battel the townes yelded them selues one after another so that wythin fewe dayes the sayd Duke Hulderyk brought all his Landes agayn vnder hys power and subiection But whyle the sayde Landgraue by reason of thys acte hadde nede to feare themperoures and the kynges Maiestye leaste they myghte worke oughte agaynste hym he went wyth hys armye towardes Vlmes besydes the Ryuer of Danube where he taryed eyther for an agremente and a peaceable retourne or elles for another answere In so muche that a sure peace on the Emperoures and kynges Mayestyes behalfe wyth sure appendycles and circumstances was there promysed hym by Albert Archebyshoppe of Mence Ihon Frederyke Duke of Saxon bothe Electours imperiall and George Duke of Saxon After the obtaynyng wherof he dispersed hys armye wythoute delaye and retourned home agayne into hys owne lande Here myghte I take occasyon to extoll and hyghly to prayse not onelye the bolde and reasonable deade or acte of the Landgraue in that he dyd so truelye and faythefullye helpe hys Vncle into hys owne domynyon agayne wythoute any respect hadde to the power of them that hadde the same landes of hys Vncle in possessyon more by sufferaunce then by any ryghte tytell But also the pacience and mekenes both of the Emperoures and the kynges Maiestye in that they dyd so gentlye and wyllyngly renounce the sayd Dukedome Whych they myght very easely accordynge to theyr power amonge men haue subdued and brought agayne vnder their subiection and dominatiion But forasmuch as I am not minded here to describe hole stories with al their circūstances but onely to touch brefely the principal actes and doinges I wil commet the same to another or peraduēture intreate of it my selfe herafter to my power The same yere of 1534. died Frederick kinge of Denmarke about whose corse happened a wonderful and straung thing which doubteles did signifie the sheding of bloud that folowed afterwarde in the same kingdome For when the dead corps of y e said kyng accordyng to the custome and maner was enbawmed or anoynted wyth bawme other spyces and wrapped in clene seryng clothes was inclosed in a shrine piched prepared accordinglye the same dead corps contrarye to nature beganne to blede in suche sorte that the bloude was receyued and taken vppe in vessels and immedyatelye after the people of the land were vysyted wyth warres and battayles For Chrystophore Counte of Oldenboroughe accompanyed wyth them of Lubeke whose Capytaynes were George weuer and Markes Mayer whyche afterwarde accordynge to their deseruynges were condemned and put to death inuaded the lande of Christyans Duke of holstone and toke certayne townes and Castels whyche not longeafter the sayde Duke recouered agayne puttynge them of Lubeke to great losse bothe by water and by lande vntyll suche tyme as the other Sea Townes wyth Henrye Duke of Mekelboroughe toke the matter in hande and concluded a peace and vnyty betwene the Towne of Lubeke and the Dukedome of holstone whyche peace was registred and proclamed the eyghtene daye of Nouember After thys were the Capytaynes of Lubeke moued towardes Denmarcke and consulted wyth the sayde Counte of Oldenborough howe they myghte conuenyently inuade and entre the sayde kyngdome of Denmarke and Norwaye wherof dyd ensue a newe warre as shalbe declared in the next yeare Thys yeare was also sene a wonderfull apparition in Denmarke besides the towne of Sleswyghe lyenge not farre from Lubeke whych as a certayne Secretarye of the saide place by an othe affyrmeth in hys wrytynges to the Quene dyaected apeared in the ayer the thyrd daye of Iune at after noone and was sene of a thousande persons or more as hereafter foloweth Fyrste there apeared a greate multytude of Lyons fyghtynge one wyth another Secondlye there apeared a man armed on horsebacke wyth a iustynge speare vnder his arme as thoughe he woulde haue iusted with an other hauynge a longe bearde and many busshes of fethers Thyrdelye there appeared a man with a crowne imperyall as lyke vnto themperours Mayestie that the sayd Secretary and manye of hys seruauntes thoughte none other but that it hadde ben themperoures owne lyuyng personne wherefore some of them toke of their cappes and were readye to do reuerence vnto hym Fourthelye there apeared the symylytude or Lykenes of a greate Regyon or Countree replenyshed wyth Cytyes Castels and Vyllages well distinct and set in order which were all consumed thoroughe a swyft fyre which went vp in the same Fyftly there apeared an other Regyon not vnlyke to the fyrste garnyshed wyth Cytyes Castels and vyllages and specially wyth one greate and myghtye Cytye wych Cytye was myghtelye assaulted by a greate multytude of warryours wyth gonnes and all manner of artyllerye bothe by lande and by water wyth migh tye shyppes vnder sayle There appeared also amonge the sayde warryours certayne Capytaynes whyche in swyftnes or agylyty and in length of body exceded the other Syxtelye there apeared halfe a blacke Egle whyche lepte out of the sayde horse out of whose clawes or talentes fell small Snakes among the which was one great Dragon Seuentlye there apeared afterward in the place where the greate Cyty hadde ben a Camell whyche dranke oute of a tempestuous water as thoughe it hadde ben the ragynge sea by the waues wherof the sayd beast was couered Eyghtlye there appeared after thys a certayne horse wheron noman dyd ryde but a lion whyche laye vpon hys backe hauing a crowne hangynge on hys heade and vpon the sayde lyon sate a Cocke whych by continuall pickynge and bytynge consumed the hole head of the Lyon but the skull remayned a greate while hanging vpon the horse Nyntly there appeared also a great Crosse of a bloudy colour which immediately diuyded it selse into many small and black Crosses Tentlye and last of all there apeared a fyery man wyth a crowne imperiall all armed whych helde on eyther syde of him a horse and vnder this was the for sayd Crosse But vnder al these were manye sortes of Dragons vnknowen beastes As Lyons beares and of other kyndes whych were neuer sene before for some of them hadde heades of wylde swyne wyth greate
xlv nexte folowynge When George Marquys of Brandenburghe perceyned theyr sayde enterpryse and intent he thought that they dyd hym great iniury for he asscribed vnto hymselfe certayne ground â–ª and laude wythout the towne of Nurremborough which is neuer theles pertayning to the Empyre and claymed it as hys owne heritage wherfore he marched somtime by â–ª day as farre as the Landmark and by night vnto the towne euen hard by the forsayd buylding But when they of the towne feared some great malice and mischief they fenced theyr building with much ordenaunce and artillery kept great watch vpon the walles and in theyr turrettes When thys hyndered the people of the Marquys of theyr purpose some of them went toke certayne inhabytauntes of Nurremborough as they went a fowlynge or byrdyng in the woode and stopped certayne of theyr wagens or cartes commyng from Lipswyke and other places laden with goodes and marchaundyses and broughte them to the Castell of Bayerthorp Wherfore they of Nurremburgh being occasyoned and moued to displeasure â–ª and indignatyon by the reason of the sayde cruelues assembled a certaine nombre of â—oul dyours and layde them in the countree rounde about the town and furnished the smal townes and vyllages about them after the best mauer purposyng in case the sayd Marquys or hys men would persiste in theyrfrowardenes as they had begon to be in a readynes to defend themselues from such iniuris But yet thorough intreataunce of certaine Potentates and Princes of the Empyre the matter was qualified put in arbitrement so y e in conclusion the sayde Marquys suffered them of Nurrenburgh wythout contradiction and molestation accordynge to the tenoureof theyr lybertyes and priuyledges to buylde on the grounde of the Empyree This yeare dyed Charles Duke of Geldres in his place succeded William Duke of Cleue although he did not long enioye it as shalbe declared in place conuenient Thys yeare dyd Godde so punyshe the auaryce of marchauntes whyche occupye by the scasyede whyle they do so enhaunce the goode creatures of God in pryces that the poore are not able to bye them that thoroughe oute all the coastes of Denmarcke in harueste whyche is the best time of the yeare no hering could be taken In the kingdom of Naples y e .xxviii. day of Septemb. The Sea decreassed and fell away about the space of eight Italyan myles so that al the grounde was drye which afterwarde dyd cast certayn holes out of the which for the space of many dayes continually ascended fyre wyth ashes which dyd great hurt in many places there about at the falling do wne therof For the sayde ashes fell downe lyke snowe rounde about Naples for the space of thenne Itali an myles vntyll they lay on the grounde the thickenes of thre fingers Which is a fearful argument of Goddes wrath towardes vs wherby we ought al to be warned and specyally Italy to forsake our sinfull liuynge yf any warning would helpe But it is not regarded vntill Gods wrath lighteth vpon vs by heapes and then men would fayne repente but it is to late Wherfore let vs repente in time and lyue according to our professyon In Inglande thys yeare in December was the Lorde Marques of exceter the Lorde Montacute and Syr Edwarde Neuell beheaded for high treason duely proued IN y e yeare of our lord 1539. ThecoÌ„fede rat of y e Romane league prepared theÌ„sel ues wyth all theyr power to warre agaynst the Turcke by water but they profyted not muche For ther was greate lacke of vyctual a great dearth in Italy and at Venice â–ª For Barbarossa came wyth a great army and robbed vpon the sca and toke all that he might laye hand on so that ther myght no coarne be shypped vnto Venyce nether out of Cypers nor out of Can dye And there was also nomore prouisyon in Italy That done he shipped with a great power vnto the strong newe Castell which oure Christen men had wonne in the yeare before fortified it after the best facyon there vnto he layed seage in thre places and shot daye and night ther at wythoute ceassynge and yet wanne nothyng tyl certen of the dal macyans fell to fliyng awaye and ranne oute vnto the Turkes and tolde them where they myghte best and â—onest hurt our Christen men Then the enemye dyd accordyng to theyr councell and shotte both for tresses and walles doune so that the could assaulte them on euen grounde And although the spanyardes and the Italyans that were in the Castell defended themselues manfullye and couragy ously and slewe at the least syxtene thousand of the enemyes yet at the last because they werewery the enemyes gat euer fresch men they forsoke the Castell and loste bothe the Castell and the assault and althoughe they were ouer manned yet they fought and defended them selues so longe tyll they were all mooste all slayene Thys was done in August In the meane whyle Isabel the Emperoures Mayestyes wyfe the kynge of Portugalles doughter dyed of chylde the fyrste daye of maye the chylde was a sonne whyche lyued not longe She leaft behynde her lyuynge a sonne called Philyppe and two doughters whyche she hadde by the Emperour A none after ther was an insurreccyon ray sed at Gent amonge the commens of the Cytye so that it apeared that the cytye shulde haue bene destroyed By occasion wherof the Emperoures Mayestye was compelled to come oute of Spayn into Flaunders to appease that dissencion And as he was mynded to take his iorney toward Italy the Frenche kyng Fraunches sent an embassage to hym desyrynge hym amyably to come thoroughe Fraunce promysing that all that was in his kyngdome shulde be at his pleasure But the cause was for that they had concluded a peace to gethers as is aboue remembred the one shulde haue suspected the other if they hadde not kept frendshippe to gether And for as moche as the Frenche kyng had often broken the leaghe hys myssedoyng myghte thesoner be for gotten if the Emperoures mayesty woulde seke frendshyp at hys hande Thys thinge could by nomeanes be better or easelier done than that his maiesty for this once shuld iorney through hys lande By thys mocyon was the Emperours maiestye wyllyng to iorney thoroue Fraunce and sent hys chefe Counseller Granduel in Nouembre oute of Spayne into Fraunce to signyfye hys commyng and folowed shortlye after And when he came to S. Sebastians ther the Duke of Orliens the kynges youngest Sonne reaceaued hym And not farre from the city of S. Iohn was also the dolphyn wyth the chefe of y â— nobles of Fraunce whyche receaued the Emperoures maiesty wyth al due reuerence and dyd leadde him thorowe the lande till he came to Lochias the tenneth day of December There was the kynge in hys awne personne and Helenour hys wyfe tarynge for the Emperoure and receaued hym as it appeared for it was not all golde that
glyttered cleare as here after wyll appeare wyth all ioye and reuerence and were to gether tyll the ende of the xxxix yeare The inhabytoures of the nether parte of Austeryche of the erldome of Goertz hadde sente forth theyr ambassadours the laste daye of December from Vyenne wyth a pityfull and humble requeste and petycyon to the states and degrees of the kingdome of Behame which were at that time assembled at Preslowe that they woulde vouchesafe to helpe them agaynste the turcke whych had two yere before taken in the marqueship of Woendon and that present yeare manned it and caried from thence foureskore thousande chrysten men in to his lande and laie at that tyme hard vpon their neckes the chefe ambassadours of thys ambassage were M. Vlryche of boskawyts and. M Tscher nafor whyche were of the kynge of the Romaynes councell But what they obtayned wyth theyr peticion I can not tell at thys tyme but I suppose that they obtayned an honeste promesse and helpe For so pytyfullye as they made theyr petycyon it woulde haue made a stonye herte to meltte specially if men consider that yf they be suffred to be destroyed wythoute helpe that then theyr aduersity will be at the next time our awne In the somer in Iuly ther was a blasing ster in the eauening in y ◠Northwest in the signe of the virgin It was elles a metely good yere as touching wether other thinges y ◠happened therin but in the winter euery full mone ther was muche raine speciallye about the elue and other waters that ronne therinto Here I must sett to new tidynges that are counted true of many whych I take to be a speeyall myracle if it be so It is sayde and it is openly putt oute in prynte That the Emperour of Turckye in Iune caused all hys chefe and best learned priestes to come before hym and commaunded them vpon a great payne to tell hym whyche is the ryght true and best belefe vpon earth And when they had for feare excused themselues they had a tyme appoynted to remembre them and after were called before hymagayne Now when they were agayne monished to saye the trueth of theyr conscyence and heard the commaundement of the Tyrant they answered one after another wyth one assent that the Christen beliefe is the best and that it is a ryght and a true belefe albeit it is very much misused of the Christen For it teacheth the beste poyntes that can be as to wytte loue toward God and man whych is not so well taught in any other belefe And forther that they haue wytnesse in their lawe and alkorane that Mahomet must go to Christ for grace c. And that Christe is therefore better than Mahomet Whē they now had thus answered wythout feare the Tyrant waxed angrye and caused them all which were aboue fyfiye to beheaded And in the same place was there a syght sene as though all the headed priestes had bene together and lighted clearer than manye candellyghtes in the nyght through which miracle manye of the other priestes of Mahomet folowed theyr confessyon belefe also many of y ◠Lay people which acknowledged openly and wythout feare that those priestes were vniustly kylled for the truethes sake All thynges are possible to God so that it may well be For God cā raise vp a Daniel or an Ezechiel amōg the Babilonians Howbeit no man shall be compelled to beleue this but at his pleasure IN the yeare of our lord M. D. XL. in the beginning of the yeare dyd the Emperoures Maiestye ryde to Paris and as he rode in was excedyng royally conducted and receaued and afterwarde great and pryncely Banckettes made wyth great momeryes and daunces And the second daye after there were great Iustynges and fyghtynges made `to do hym pleasure and honour wyth all There his Maiesty abode tyll the second day after the twelueth daye Then he departeth into Flaunders wyth al his company and was conducted vnto Camerick of bothe the kynges sonnes and there with great royalty receaued of the Bishop of Camerick From thens they iorneyed to Valencyne there taryed the ladye Marye Quene of hungarye for them There also toke the kynges sonnes theyr leaue of the Emperoures mayestye and tourned home agayn But as the Emperoures Mayestye was in all places royallye receaued so was ther wayte layde falslye pryuelye and craftelye to kyll hym For as the Emperoure shulde sayell from corbe to Paryse and hadde wyth hym a Cardynall the Duke of Albuge and the kynges Marschalle to beare hym companye the water men rowed the shyppe vpon a pyele so that the shyp turned round aboute and he that hylde the rother fell oute of the boot what that meant it is easy to gesse wherof the Emperour complayneth in a letter written to Paule the thyrde byshoppe of Rome whereyn he sheweth the cause why he could not come to the councell appointed to be holden at Trente that he had perfect knowledge that the kynge of Fraunce was mynded at that tyme to take hym presoner and kepe hym in holde as it also afterwarde sufficyently appeared by the affaires of the sayde king But after the Emperours mayestye was comen in to hys awne lande he wente streyghtwayes vnto Gent and after he was suffred to come in to the cytye he fyrste earnestlye punyshed the insurrecty on raysers and caused a great parte of the citye to be broken downe and a stronge Castell to be buylded in the same place A none after cam Ferdinādus in to Flaūders to y ◠Emperours maiesty to consult with him after whatt maner they myghte wythstande the turcke and howe hys greate tyrannye agaynste vs poor Chrystyans myghte be resysted and auoyded Euen whyle these thynges were done in Flaunders ther was a communycacyon holden at Wormes at the Emperours commaundement concernynge Relygyon and the speakers of both sydes were master Philip Melanthon myne enterelye beloued master of the Gospellers syde and Doctor Iohn Ecke of Ingolstadt whyche wolde haue defended the Byshoppe of Romes parte Thys communycacion beganne the fourtenne day of Ianuarye there the Artycle of orygynall synne was specyallye intreated of whether the same syn abyde and remayne in Chrysten and holy men after baptyme And was concluded that ther yet abyede remnauntes of synne in the saynctes althoughe they raygne nott or haue the ouerhande As. S. Paule sayth let not synne raygne in your mortall bodyes But suche synnes are not imputed to the saynctes for Christes merytes sake as the Apostle forther saythe ther is nowe no condemnacyon to them that are in Chryste Iesu c. After thys treatye was that communycacyon so ended and dyffered tyl the Emperoures and the kynges mayestyes of the Romaynes were personallye presente But what sutteltye and craft Eccyus vsed in dysputacyon to adourne and garnysh hys cause maye euerye wyttye manse by the treaty it selfe whych is
whollye wrytten and put out in prynte Nowe when that communicacion was ended ther was another appoynted by the Emperoures and the kinges maiesty at Spiers But in as much as ther was at that tyme a great pestylence there that day was appointed to be holdē at Haganouw to entreate of matters of relligyon whether those myghte be ended and vtterlye finyshedde and concluded or nott ▪ And thoughe manye greate lordes oute of all the coostes of dutchelande were come in wyth the kynge Ferdynandus partely in theyr awne personnes partelye throughe their embassadours yet ther was no specyall thynge concluded but that ther shulde a nother assembly beholden the next yeare at Regensburg at which the Emperoures maiestye hym selfe shulde be where all matters concernynge Rellygyon and also concernynge warre agaynst the Turcke shulde be agreed of Afterward vpon the .xx. daye of Septembre the Emperoure caused a commaundemence to be putt oute wher in besyde other statutes concernynge hys inheretable landes in the netherlande he forbodde all his subiectes vpon payn of great punyshemente that they shulde not reade theyr bokes that haue nowe in these laste dayes brought vnto lyghte the truethe of the Gospell But what he wanne wyth hys commaundemente dayely experience teacheth as to wytte that ther be many goode Christen men found that rather lese their lyues than to forsake the woord of God that the persecutoures of Chryste pryestes and monckes myght still betray and shedde Christen bloude whyche thyng God wyll fynde a time horrybly to puysh But in asmoche as Gods woorde was so ouerpressed in netherland God raised it vp so moch the moar in another place For Ioachim the Marquesse of Brandenburge elector after hys father was ded which cared not much for any relligion and he knewe that it was neadefull to leade hys subiectes the ryghte waye to saluacyon and also to kepe them thereyne receaued the doctryne of the Gospell had ordeyned in all Cytyes and parishes good preachers to preache the woord of God with diligence vnto the sympel people He also redressed the vniuersity of Franckford vpon the Odder and sent for learned Men in all Sciences which when they came he augmented and amended theyr wages He also ordeyned Newe stipendes for poare Scolers of the lyuings of the vnprofytable Massynge priestes to thintent that suche lyuinges might from hence forth be bestowed to y ◠true seruyce of God But in what an horrible blindnesse that Lande was before and how euel it was prouided for with the word and doctryn of God wytnesseth an history which I although it appeare but simple wyll therfore tell that it may be so knowen what maner of teachers the popedome coulde suffre and what they yet haue As I at that tyme came by chaunce with the visiters to Stēdel in y ◠old marquiship to enquere after a seruice for me it chaunsed that the admission into al the offices of the Church was differred the space of syxe wekes In the meane whyle were the parsons and the paryshenars enquired after what facyon they hadde taughte and had bene taught Then came ther forthe a Parson wyth his Congregation whyche beynge demaunded of my goode Frynde Thomas Mathyas the Mayeres sonne of Brandenburge to whome that office was committed by the Vysytours what he had preached to his Parishners He answered y ◠belefe And being asked again what y ◠belefe is begā to rehearce Thys I could not chose but tel to the counfort of the Christen that they shulde learne that God defendeth preserueth his thorough his holy aungels and that although the deuell and his soart be neuer so woode that they yet be able to do nothing if we but abyde in the confessyon and acknowledging of Christ and in the obedience of his woorde These burning mortherers that were taken in the Electours dukedome of Saxon and in other places suffred an horrible death For ther was a thing made muche lyke a crosse therupon was the gyltye fastned aboute the necke wyth an yron coller or rynge and aboute the body with yron Chaynes and then a fyer made wyth strawe and other glowing matter a farre of and so the Gylty roasted tyll he dyed In thys fourtyest yeare also vpon the vii daye of Aprill ther was an horryble Eclipse of the sonne in the mornynge at the sonne rysynge whyche endured two goode houres longe After thys Eclypse and the blasynge sterre that appeared in the yeare before folowed ther an excydyng drye and a hoate somer wherin corne was yet meately well taken but hey and fother for beastes was cleane burnt vp Wyne was so well taken y ◠yeare and so good in all places y ◠many dronck them selues to deeth therwith and was therto verye good cheape Thys yeare in Iune the Turcke sygnyfyed vnto the kynge of Hungarye that he shuld pay him tribute for y ◠kingdō or elles loke for warr The Emperouer therfor sent Cornelius sceperus consailed thē to pay no tribut promesing that he would shortely bring an armye against the Turke wherewith he would defende the Hungars and the other princes their neighbours But the kyng of Hungary being vnpaciēt could not tary so long but required a tribute of his subiectes by the meanes whereof many of the chief of the nobilitie fell from hym whome he persequited with warre At the last when he had geuen the tribute to a tertayne Moncke to beare it to the Turke he sodenly dyed But the Moncke retourned quickly agayne as whiche beyng a loyterer was not farre proceaded in his iourney sending the Chaunselour and a certain byshop on the forwarde Embassage a foresayde to the Turke where they dyed The Monck dissemblyng the deeth of the kyng made a leaghe with those princes that had rysen agaynst the kyng and when they had al sworne to be true to the Quene and her Sonne went and toke Offen and laye there When Ferdinandus the kyng of the Romaines hearde that he set all other thynges asyde and got hym into Ostenrike to take in the kyngdome of Hūgary He toke in Weissenburg Pest and other cities of Hungary and afterwarde beseaged Offen At the last when helpe came out of dutcheland agaynst the Turck to helpe the kyng of Hungaries sonne he was compelled to returne home agayne into Ostenrick not without the great losse and dammage of his subiectes IN the yeare MDxli came the Emperoures maiestie first to Norenberg and was receiued with great honoure and leadde into the citie and into the Castell rydyng vnder a hyghe cannape of Veluet whiche foure of the Alder men bare In all the streates where through he roade were hys cognisaunces and badges sett vp and other goodly triumphant thynges and on both sydes of the streates the Cytesens standyng one by another all Iolyly arayed in their harnesse from the Spitell Gate vnto the Castell betwene them rode the Emperoure And aboue by the Castell there was a
noble fo clxxiij Nicolaus the fyft a fauourer of learnyng fo clxxxiiij Nichomachus fo lviij Ninine fo vi Ninus kyng of Spria fo vij Norynbergh is taken by Henry the fyft cliij ccxxxv the Castel buylded fo ccxxiiij Normandys fell into Frannce cxxxv they are ouercome fo cxxxv Norwych insurrectyon cclxxv Nouacyaus heresy is condemned fo xcix Castel nona cunaded fo ccxxiij Numitor fo xxv Nuce clxxxiii O Occan a reprouer of the bysh of Rom. fo clxxij Ochosias fo xv Octanius Augustus fo lxxxvi Oecolampadius lâ—xxxviij Olympians began fo xx Oldenborough Erle and the Lubycks innaded the Dukedome of Holsats fo cciij Onedeluburgh Orchomenus fo xxij Origen a reacher of Alexandri fo xcvi Oseas fo xvi Otanes fo xl Othacarus cxij. kynge of the Bohems fo clxix Othomannus Cxxiij Clxx. Otho the tyrâ—t xci Cxl. the vpcoures raysed agaynst hym cxl the aunswere of hym to the FreÌ„chmens threatenyngs cxli. duke of Saxon. cxxxvij he made the firste an othe to to the byshop of Rome cxliij the second cxliij he was taken by Maryners cxliiij The Frenche men are subdued of hym ibidem the thyrd called the wounders of the worlde ibid. he was poysoned cxlvi the fourth clxij clxiij of Wytelspach clxiij Ochyas whyche is called â—â—aries fo xvi P Padua an vninersyte cxxxi Paiasetus a Turkyshe Emperour was subdued and brought low clxxvij Palatyne the Countyes cxlvi clâ—â— y e annceters of Palatyne came of Charles the greate fo cxxix ccliiij Papinianus a lawyar xcvi Peafable studyes lxx xciiij Parmenian fo lcij The Persyans inuade Mesopotamia fo ccxix Paul the thyrde chosen to be pope fo ccv Paul is behedded fo xci Paulus Eemilius lxxix S. Paul besyeged fo ccxix Peace grauÌ„ted ccij cciij ccxiiij fo ccxxij Peace procured betwene Englande and Fraunce ccliiij cclxix Pelagius an heretique cix was byshop of Rome cxiiij Peron beseged ccxiij Perdicus was healed of Hypocrates lvij lxiiij hys art lxiiij Persys are example of dislopalte lv when the monarchye of the Persyans begaun xxvij the delyberation of them xl of Persia of the kyngdom fo xl Persequntion for the true seruyce of God fo ij Persecutyon most tyrannycall fo lxxvij Perseus the last kyng of Mace donia sonne to Philip. lxxviij Pestes fo ccxl Philip. lxxviij Philip destroyeth the Thebans lvij his dreames lx he was slayne because he left a wycked dede vnpunished fo lxi Philip Bardesanes cxxv sonne to Maximiliane clxxxvi Peter was crucifyed xci Pharisees fo lxxiiij Philip was the fyrste Christen Emperour baptysed xcviij Philip Emperour clxi he was slayne of Otho at Wytelspach by entrape clxiij Philip sonne to Maximilian dyeth fo clxxxvi Philip Landtgraue cci Phylyp y e Palatyn put to flyght and wounded CCij Philip Melanthon ccxxviij Philosophy wyth the Grekes fo xxxvi Philosophers of Ionia and Italy ibidem Pipinus Cxxvi. kyng of Germany and Gallia fo Cxxix Platea fo xliij Plato Endoxus Aristo lvij the philosophy of Plato xcvi Plyâ—y benefycyall to the Christians fo xciiij Poets fyrst of great renoumes fo xxiiij Polmices fo xxii The pope meteth the Emperoure at Bonony fo cxcix Popery abolyshed in the lande of Saxon. fo CCxviij Pope fo CCxxxiij Clxiiij Poperye put donne CCliiij Popilius an Ambassadoure of Rome sent to Antiochus lxviij The conquest of the kynge of Portugals Iudes CCxvi Posthumus xcix Pragaâ—an vninersytye in Bohemy fo Clxxii Preraspis fo xxxviij Prince an exaÌ„ple that princes do oft warre not constrayned by necessyte xxxiiij prynces were called iudges xiâ—i what must be marked in the examples of prynces * vi to what prynces the electyon is committed Cxlv. what profet is by the prynces electors Cxlvi The prynces of Brunswycke came of Catnly Clvl. Pryntyng fo Clxxxv. Preachyng fyrst of the Gospel fo i. Preachars of the Gospell i. ordeyned in Sauoy CCix ccxv Probus fo Ci Proca fo xxv Prosperytye commeth of God clxxx Prolemeus lxiiij Euergetes lxvi lxxi Philometor lxviij lxxi the sonne of Lagus lxx Philadelphus lxx both louyng peace and seyence ibid. hys lybrary ibid. Anletes lxxi Astronomer xcv Phisopater lxvij lxxi Epiphanes fo lxxi Phisco lxxi Alexander ibi Latyrus ibi Diomsius ibidem Puissance of men ought not to be trust in fo xl Pyrcamer fo clxxxv Pythagoras begynnar of Philosophars in Italy xxxvij Q Quedeluburgh Cxliij Quintilius Varus lxxxviij R Radagasus fo Cx Rainsborough CCxxxij cclxxij Rauens or Ranenose beasts xij in nombre that Romulus saw fo Cxi Rea Siluia xxv Recantation of Doctor Smyth fo CClxxij Regenspurg Cxli. parliament fo Cxc. Rekenynge of the Grekes and Philo xxviij Regulus is taken by the Carthagmians lxxvij Hys torments ibidem hys lone and faythfullnes towarde the common wealth ibidem Rhecia lxxxviij Remus xxvi Rigour in gouernaÌ„ce is allowed of God * Risaua taken fo CCxxiij Roboam fo xiiij Romulus xxvi the stryfe of Romulus and Remus xxvi whaÌ„ Rome was buylded ibidem It was burned of the French men lix The discomfytynge of the Romaynes in the seconde warre of Carthago lxxviij The Romayn Monarchy is the laste on the yearth fo lxxxv Rome taken by duke Burbon clxxxviij an ouerflowenge at Rome Clxxxix An example of Romayn seneryte lxviij The begynnyng of the Monarchy lxxxiiij Rome is wasted by Totylas Cxiiij The prayses and profy tablenes of the Romayn lawes fo Cliii Roxan wyse to Alexander lxiiij Rudolphus is made emperoure of the bishops at Phorcen châ— The complaynt of the Emperour vpon the bishops ibid. Rudolfe of Habisburge clxviij Rupertus fo clxxvi S Saducees lxxiiij they were epicures ibidem Salfelde a dead place for councell fo Cxli. Salomon fo xiiij Samaria is a fygure of the east church xvii the occasioÌ„ of the kyngdome of it xiiij The waistyng of Samaria xvi Saraceus kyngdome there power Cxxij Cxxiâ—j Sapores kyng of the Persyans xcix Sardanapalus fo viij Sardes fo xliij Saul fo xiiij Saxon CCxl Saronye the duke of Saxon wherfore he was made woun of y e electors Cxlvi Schapler a seditions man clxxxviij Scotland inuaded fo CClij Scipio y e yonger lxxviij Nausica lxxix sonne to Paulus Aemilius lxxx Sicilia was y e cause of the warre of Carthago lxxvij Why the kynges of it doo clayme the tytel of Hierusalem Clcv. The battail of the Scythians agaynst Cyra xxxvi Scopa a captayne of Ptolomens by the schole of Alexandry xcv Seâ—ts rysen in Iury. lxxiiij Sedechias deceaued by y e high priestes xviij hys death ibid. Sedicious punished lâ—iiij xci cxxxix câ—l xiiij xliij clv. Selâ—nâ—ns lxvi of wâ—oÌ„ he was stayn lxvi Philopater lxvij Sem. fo iiij Sâ—miramis did were mens garmentes fo vij Seâ—eca fo xc Sergius Galba xci vulâ—arned and a tyraunt fo cxxxvi Serâ—â—â—s Tâ—llius xxvij Sâ—thâ— ij Shaueâ—burgh cclviij Shyltage â—â—â—ned doune to the ground cci Shartou recauted cclxx Sâ—â—â—râ—s fo xâ—vi Sigebertus an history wryter fo clij. Sigisâ—â—uÌ„â—us emperour cixxvij hys â—rpâ—dâ—â— you agaynste the Tuâ—kâ— clxxix the historâ—e of hym wyth hys serâ—auntes fo clxxix Simon fo lxxiij Sisannes a wycked iâ—dge xl Socrates