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 those that were the true successors For which cause was this people greueously
iii. M. ix C. lxxxvii The yeare of Rome vii C. lxix The yeare of Christe .xliij. CLaudius the fyft Emperour reigned thyrtene yeare and nyne monethes he was poysoned The secōd yeare of Claudius came Peter the Apostle to Rome who had preached before certayn yeares at Antiochia and here begynneth the Romyshe churche The yeare .xliiij. After Christes natiuite The yeare .iii. M. ix C. lxxxviij after the worldes creation The yeare .vii. C. xcvii after the buyldynge of Rome The yeare of the worlde iiii M. The yeare of Rome .viii. C. ix The yeare of Christe lvi NEro the syxt Emperour reigned fourten yeare At the begynnyng lyued he honestly fyue yeares afterwarde was he moste vngratious by reason of hys intemperancy of maners and tyranny He put to death his own mother his wyfe and also many noble men amōg whom was also Seneca Finally whan his officers was gone from hym whan he was sought to be put to deaht by the Senate of Rome he fleing slew himselfe before he was founde out by the souldiours and this was done the two and thirtyeth yeare of his age But the kyngdom of the Romanes is now wholy remoued from the posteritie and kynsmen of Augustus and Leuia In the tyme of Nero was saint Peter crucifyed at Rome After hym was Linus made byshop and afterwarde was Paule the Apostle beheaded also And yf ye counte the yeares of Paule hee preached the Gospell about foure and thyrty yeares In the tyme of Nero appeared a comete syxe monethes contrary too all cometes whiche are not wont to be sene so longe There was also a comete sene before in the tyme of Claudius and three sonnes whiche sygnyfyeth doutlesse that three princes shoulde shortely striue for the empire In lyke maner do I suppose that their great Comete dyd sygnifye not onely the sedicion and vproure but also the mutacion and chaunge in the Romane empire and specially the lamentable decaye of the Iewysh kyngdom Sergius Galba Otho and Vitellius AMong these thre was a stryfe for the empyre after Neroes death As for Galba was slayn in y e marketplace of Rome by y ◠layenge wayte of Otho Afterward was Vitellius chosen Emperoure in Germany of the hoost and sent some men of armes into Italy The whiche metyng Otho he fought foure feldes with them thre tymes dyd he ouercome them but in the fourth was his hoost ouerthrowen And though the souyldiours drue frely to hym yet would hee warre no more For it is reported that he shoulde haue said that he set more by the comon peace then by his owne lyfe or priuate glory and the fourth moneth after Galbas death slew he hymselfe with a daggar In the meane season was Vespasianus chosen Emperoure in the Easte by the souldiours thesame sent an hoost into Italy the whiche ouerthrewe Vitellius men of armes Of that rose vproures at Rome and Vitellius was taken his handes bound vpō his backe and with a halter cast about his neck he was drawen through the myer in the stretes and fynally was he slayne as he had deserued For he was suche one that deserued rather to bee called a cruell beaste than a man This was the fyrst vproure that was in the Empyre for the election or chosyng after Augustus The yeare of the worlde .iiii. M. xvi The yeare of Rome .viii. C. xxv The yeare of Christ .lxxij. VEspasianus the Seuenth Emperoure reigned nyne yeares It was a man renowmed in wysedome and honesty and a prince moste worthy of the Empyre For where Caligula Claudius and Nero dyd nott onely suffre all intemperancy out of measure in other but dyd it themselues also this man contrarywyse restored at Rome the nourture of modestie and honest lawes He augmented also the Empyre with all maner of victuals and in the prouinces ordeined he necessary aydes Besides this ordeined he also at Rome common pensions for professers of phisyck and other sciences Of the last destruction of Ierusalem IN the seconde yeare of Vespasianus began Titus the sonne of Vespasian to besyege the cytie Ierusalem whan Easter began to be kept in the moneth of Apryll and afterwarde in the moneth September dyd he spoyle and burne it But in the meane tyme was so great mysery in the cytie for hunger vproure and inwarde manslaughter as neuer was red to haue bene in any cytie The mothers dyghted their owne chyldren to satisfye their hunger but inuayne For the souldyours tooke them awaye from them par force and deuoured them and the mothers dyed with hunger the whyles Many slew themselues Iosephus wryteth that in the cyty were about ten hundreth thousand persons For because it was Easter a very great multitude came together into the cytie Besydes this they that dwelt here and there in villages in all Iewry drue all together to Hierusalem for none other cause but that they trusted to bee in saue garde by the defence of so well afortified citie In so great nōber of people the moste parte nere hande dyed with hunger pestilence and sworde Titus sent syxtene thousand to Alexandria to do seruice none other wyse then slaues He brought twoo thousand with hym whiche hee shewed in a triumphe and caste them to wylde beastes in common games to be toren in peces But what shall I saie muche nomans oraciō can be sufficient to expresse so great a mysery For God woulde propose to men a new and syngular example wherein myght be sene the greatnesse of Gods wrath against despisers of Godlynesse For it must be a very stony and harde harte whiche shoulde not be sore afrayed at so dredefull an example And it is aboue all thynges to be ouerloked in this hystorye that yf God vsed no mercy towarde thys people in punyshynge them for their wyckednesse whome he called hys peculiar people whyche also was come of so holy fathers He shall muche lesse spare the Heythen And God in threatenynge thys declareth also in the same example the shewe of mercy and Godly beneuolence namely that we do not doubt that after that the Iewysh kyngdom is ouerthrowen we that are Gentyls are truely the chosen people and Gods chyldren yf we do truly beleue in Christe This destruction of Ierusalem befell in the secōd yeare of Vespastanus and it was the threscore and fortene yeare after Christes natiuite the fortieth yere after that Christ had suffered his passion But from the creation of the worlde the foure thousand and eightenth yere And this temple dyd stande after the second yere of Longunanus fyue hundreth and syx and twenty yeares Many dredefull tokens signifyed this destructiō afore which for shortnesse we can not here reherse A burnyng sworde was sene aboue the temple nearehande a whole yeare I haue added thys therfore lest no man do rashly despyse the tokens which pretende the euidēces of Gods indignacion by the which we are called to repentaunce that the wrath of God maye be ether auoyded
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
it confirmed with letters geuen there vpon The yeare M. CC. xxxviij Whan Fridericke went agayn into Italy they of Milan rose agaynst him and many other strong cityes To Milan dyd Friderick great harme for the which cause the city es makynge an aliance wyth the byshop of Ro. con spired against Friderick the Emperour whome for this cause Gregorius the Romysh byshop doth excommunicate the third time and condemneth him for an heretike stearing also the Venecians to war vpon him Friderick with opē writynges dyd complain of the iniury done to hym and in the meane tyme dyd he also humbly require absolution of the byshop of Ro. Ther were many of the Cardynals whiche alowed not the bysh of Romes counsels But whan Frederick could by no meanes optayne pardon of Gregorius necessitye compelled Frederyck to defende hymselfe he had also his faction or diuision For at that tyme was Italy diuyded in Guelphies and Gibelines the Gibelini were for the Emperoure and the Guelphi were wyth the Byshop of Ro. Ether name beynge brought vp in Germany was translated and brought ouer into Italy For the kynred of the Guelphi had continuall hatred agaynst Fredericks bloude Whereof also they were called Guelphi as alwaye hatefull enemyes of Fredericke As for the spring of Fredericks kynred was of the Weiblings whereof they are called Guiblings which the Italians chaunginge the name do call Gibelini The bysh of Ro. constrayned by great necessitie dyd proclayme the crosse and pardon agaynst Friderick the Emperoure as though he were manyfestly vngodly and destroyer of the religion Friderick toke that very euell he besyeged Rome but drue back agayne wythout takyng it and toke the citye Rauennas The yeare of Christ M. CC. xlv Innocentius the iiij holding a councel at Lyons in Fraunce deposed Friderick of the empyre vsynge therto the Frenchmens ayde and by letters he shewed the princes Electors to choyse another Emperoure But they made Emperoure Henry the Landtgraue of Thuringen The same was slayne before the citye Vlme wyth an instrument of warre Friderick buylded a new citye in Italy whiche was called Victoria Whan he wanted syluer he caused to make a coyne of lether y ◠he mighte haue where wyth to pay his men of warre but so soone as he had gotten syluer he shulde geue them good and lawful mony for the lether coyne which thing he dyd liberally But now whā he could loke for no more ayde out of Germany and that besydes thys hys sonne Encius was taken who also dyed in the preson he was sore distressed and went into Apulia were he also dyed the yeare M. CC. l. Some wryt that he was poisonned Yee surely the moost holy fathers coulde not rest without they sawe the good prince clene rydde out of the waye The kingdome of Naples left he to hys sonne heyre Cunradus As for Italy remayned alwaye after diuyded For one part helde wyth the empyre another wyth the byshop of Rome vntyl the powers of the Venecians and of them of Mylane beganne after to growe and increase Honorius the .iij. succeded Innocentius the .iij. of whome Friderick the .ii. was crouned and after warde excommunicated Gregorius y ◠.ix. was after Honorius of whome was Friderick lykewyse accursed After Gregorius was Celestinus the .iiij. bysh of Rome After Celestinus was Innocentius the .iiij. Thesame deposed Friderick from the empyre and accursed hys sonne Cunradus Cunradus the .iiij. the xxv Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. CC. l. raigned Conradus the sonne of Fridericke after hys fathers deceasse but he was excommunicated by Inocentius the .iiij. Henry the Landtgraue of Thuryngen ouercame hym by Francoforde whyle hys father Frederick was yet alyue Some wryte that thys warre was after hys fathers death by Wyllyam the Landtgraue But whan Conradus perceaued that he was destitute of the Germane princes ayde he gat him into his hereditary kyngdome Naples and there he dyed the yeare M. CC. liij The ende of the dukes of Schwaben CVnradus of whome we haue now spoken had a wyfe of the Baiers bloude of the whiche he had a sonne Conradinus who was nouryshed and brought vp in hys hereditary duchy of Schwaben and after hys fathers deceasse wolde go to Naples hys heredytary kyngdome But Clemens the bishop of Rome called Charles the Frenche kynges brother into the realme of Naples agaynst hym Conradynus for so muche as he was duke of Schwaben had a greate bende and hooste of Germanes about hym and at the begynnynge had he greate vyctoryes But at the laste were Conradinus the sonne of Conradus and Fryderyck duke of Eastenriche taken by a trayne Besydes thys were they entreated more vnsemelye than was pertaynynge and put to shame At the laste were they beheaded throughe the counsell of the Romyshe byshop O notable crueltye He must be euen as harde as a stone verely whome the examples of so great cruelty dyd not moue namelye so noble a kynge borne ofso many Emperoures to be so shamefullye put to death by Clemens the Romysh byshop without any ryghte or reason Ther are yet euen at thys houre writinges which were written at that time in the which the good prince complayneth of the iniury and rehearseth at length the whole matter orderly so that it is no doute the bishoppes of Rome haue vsed playne tiranny against Conradinus Wiliam the xxvi Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. C. C. liiij was chosen Emperoure Wylyam counte of Holland It is sayde he was an honest manered prince and of notable innocency of life but he was slayn by the Friselanders the yerre 1256. Vacation of the Empyre WHan thys Wiliam was dead the empire stode with out a certayne emperoure seuentene yeares and that not wythout great destruction of the Germane nacion Thys mischaunge grewe by the cyuyl warres that were raysed in the empyre by the bysh of Ro. Now whan the debate was rysen amonge the Electors for the choyse some chose Alfonsus kyng of Spayne Emperoure because he was a very wyse man and endued with notable vertues As for thys Alfonsus is he who not only had hys pleasure in the science of Astronomye but also augmented and amēded the study thereof with many bokes wrytten Thoughe Alfonsus was admonyshed by the byshop of Rome to take vpon hym the Emperyall maiestye yet refused he it earnestly because of the vncertayn faythfulnesse and vnstable concord of the Romysh Byshops wyth the Emperours The other parte of the Electors chose Richard the king of Englandes brother and brought hym vntyll Basyll but he was not accepted of the Empyre Alexander the .iiij. succeded after Innocentius At thys time lyued Albertus the greate and Thomas Aquinas Vrbanus the .iiij. was after Alexander Clemens the .iiij. succeded Vrbanus Thyssame caused Conradynus Conradus sonne to be beheaded Whan Clemens was deade was the see voyde two yeares through the dissension of choysynge a Byshop at the last was Gregorius the .x. chosen
gaue the priestes their tenthes agayne And because these are true feates of good princes therfore hath God geuen hym noble victories For when the kynge of the Assyrians besyeged HierusaleÌ„ he called vpon God for aide the citie was deliuered of the syege by the angel slaing the enemies Esaye the prophete was in the time of this kynge in great worshyp by whome the kynge was instructed in suche thinges as pertayne to the feare of God But in the syxte yeare of Ezechias gat the king of the Assyrians the citye of Samaria and led awaye the ten tribes of Israel in bondage The moost parte of thys were the people of God that were fallen from Iuda and had set vp a propre kyngdome But whan the kynges of Samaria were afrayed lest the people shoulde fall agayne to the kyngdome of Iuda the which was ordeined of God yf they shuld somtyme resorte to Hierusalem feastly to do theyr sacrifyce and to heare the word of God accordinge to the ordinaunce of the lawe they set vp a certayne peculiar or propre Gods seruice a propre doctrine and a sacrifice agaynst Gods worde and so haue they abused all thinges against the worde of God vnder pretence of Gods name to entertayne the priuate power of their kyngdome Agaynste this worship of God are sometyme sent prophetes to the sauegarde and conseruation of many in the meane season haue the mighty with al stubbernes kept their false gods seruice Wherfore God hath greuously punished these kinges wyth warres and vproures neither lasted the raigne of this empyre longe by any kyndred in so much also that at the last God suffred the kynges and people to be led away Duely oughte this example make vs afrayde that we learne to feare God For if god spared not the posterite of Abraham vnto the which happened so manifest promises and so great but hath sodenlye ouerthrowen theyr kingedome and cast them out who is so sure minded which can beleue that we shall escape fre But in myne opinioÌ„ that part of Samaria â–ª semeth to beare the figure of the churche of the East and of the Grekes for lyke as Israel caried away by the Assyrians into Samaria came neuer agayne euen so also the churche or congregacion of the East is vtterly destroied by the Saracens and Turkes And as it happened to the tribe of Iuda afterwarde I feare me lest it chaunce lykewyse also to the West parte It is to be feared truely that God shal handle vs more rygorously because of the greatnesse of our mysdedes Houbeit God woulde in the meane season blesse the sede of Abraham before all natioÌ„s Wherfore ought the godly reader consider this example by hymselfe and pray God that he wyll chasten vs with mercy and not to cast vs vtterly away This kyngdom dured only two hundreth and foure and fourty yeares That tyme verely was very shorte specially seyng thys people had soo excellent promises euen of outwarde goodes also and in the meane season had they warre also and vproures So litle doth God suffre the wicked seruice of God vnpunished The wastyng of the kyngdom of Samaria was done the thre thousande two hundreth and fourtieth yere after the creation of the world Manasse the sonne of Ezechias succeded his father in the kyngdom of Iuda and reigned fyue and fifty yeres The same restored the false Gods seruice for false zele of godlinesse he burned in sacrifice his own childreÌ„ He persecuted the prophetes Esay y â— most holy prophet hath he caused to be cut asunder with a sawe and slayne at the last was he taken oâ— his enemies and caryed awaye Howbeit whan he knowledged his trespasse and called hartyly vpon the Lorde he was taken frely to mercye and God hath set him for an example to synners that they doute not but that God shall haue mercy and asswage hys wrath vengeaunce if they turne from their wyckednesse Amon raigned two yeare he was a wycked kynge wherefore he dyed with the swearde of hys seruauntes Iosias raigned thyrty one yere he toke away the wicked worship of God He ouerthrew the chappels and Idols he coÌ„maunded to burne the bones of false prophetes In his tyme were the bokes of Moses found again which had many yeres be lost That truely is a notable example that wickednesse mens traditions doth grow so excedingly preuayle that holy scripture is so greatly despysed y â— euen the very bokes be lost But God so prouiding for seynge she is neuerthelesse at the last restored and brought to lyght This history no doute doth shewe the figure of the last times in the church to y â— which the true and sincere knowledge of the word shalbe opened euen before the ende of the worlde But though Iosias was a verye godly kynge yet wanted not he finally his errour For whan he had now liued in good peace a great whyle had done many noble actes beyng waxen hardy he thought he might haue no misfortune by reason of his godlynesse Wherfore he warred vpon the kyng of the Egiptians the whiche neuerthelesse demaunded condicions of peace But because he toke that warr by trust of mans power he dyed of a greâ—â— wounde that he had gotten in y â— battayll Ioachas raigned thre monethes and was caried awaye into Egipt Ioakim raigned two yeares In his time inuaded Nabuchodonosor kyng of Babylon all Iewry whose tributary he became many men were led away among the which was also Dauiel yet yonge Afterward whan Ioakim kepte not the bonde or treaty Nabuchodonosor came againe and takyng Ioakim caused him to be slayne at Hierusalem his body to be cast amongs y â— other dead carcases without the citie according to y â— prophesye of Ieremy which prophesyed that he shuld be buried as an asse Ioachim or Ieconias was kyng thre monethes Nabuchodonosor about this tyme beynge come agayn beseged the city Ieconias yelded him selfe frely through the counsel of Ieremy the prophet vnto whom God had reueled that HierusaleÌ„ shuld be destroyed the people caried away howbeit he shuld not wholy be destroied but y â— he shulde once come agayn Hierusalem shuld be buylded agayn Ieconias was kept in BabiloÌ„ by god because he had obeied y â— voice of the prophet the which we shall note hereafter The best of the people were led in captiuite at Babilon with â–ª Ieconias and also all the moost costlye vessels and ornamentes that were in the temple at Hierusalem Sedechias raygned eleuen yeres he fell from the kyng of Babilon whome he wolde not geue tribute for which cause Nabuchodonosor came again besieged the citie And though Ieremy counseled hym that he shuld yelde him self for it were so foreseen of god y â— the people â–ª shuld be led away and Iuda punyshed yeâ— would not he obey â—oldened and trustynge too Gods promyse that the people of Iuda should not perishe
This did Sedechias boaste and the hygh priests did interpretate the promyse of God peruerfly For God could neuerthelesse saue his people though he dyd suffre them to bee caried awaye and to be punished a certain space And thus was Ieremias prophecy despysed specially because it was so long differed nother did it so come to passe Beside this had the king of Babylon bene now thre times in Iewry yet had not profited in besieging the citie of HierusaleÌ„ Moreouer it was now y â— eleuenth yeare in the which many were fled out of the cytie the toune yet saued These thinges were the cause that after maÌ„s iudgement they stifly trusted that nothyng lesse shoulde be then that general destruction which Ieremy had prophecied Also was the citie euery where fortified with fortresses against the power of the enemies But Nabuchodonosor destroyed them wyth hunger for whan he besyeged the citie a yeare and an halfe it is saied that there was suche hunger that many did eate their owne children So stony hartâ—ed is mans nature in her purpose that where she was coÌ„strained with so great necessitie yet refuseth she to come and take succoure and consolacion of God For if they had yelded themselues after the prophetes counsayll though the banyshement had bene harde to them yet myght they haue had peace at the least waye with the aliens Finally when Sedechias toke the flyght he was taken after that sawe he his chyldren slayne in his presence but his iyes were put out the citie of Ierusalem was destroied the temple that God caused to be buylded was burnt the best of the people of the Iewes was caried awaye to Babylon into bondage this example ought earnestly admonyshe vs that God wyl not spare other kyngdomes and princes but that he wyll greueously punyshe synne seynge he hath vsed so greate rigour agaynst this kyngdome the whiche he hym selfe dyd set vp for the scripture witnesseth that God hath punyshed Iuda with innumerable kyndes of punishmentes for his synnes and added thoose synnes whiche were the chefest synnes namely despysyng of Gods worde the wicked worshyp of God tyranny agaynst the true preachers of Gods worde and prophetes The destruction of the citye happened the thre thousand thre hundreth and thre score and therten yeare sence the creation of the worlde The yeares From Dauid vntyll this spoylynge of the citie Ierusalem are fiue hundreth and sixten Hytherto remayned the kyngly name by the posteritie of Dauid amongest the whiche were many notable and renowmed kynges as the lyke in none other kyngdome For that kyngdome of Iuda had God specially created and gouerned it but because they were not without synne therfore were they punyshed of God and the kyngdome was chaunged For the kyngdome of Iuda was kept in captiuite in Babylon thre score and ten yeares howbeit in the meane season dyd God declare hymselfe so that it myght bee perceaued that hee cared for hys people and churche and that he neuer would forsake her For he sent notable prophetes as Daniel amongest the Babilonians whiche conuerted also Nabuchodonosor ye kyng For whan he was punyshed by Gods iudgement for his vngodlynesse and was become madde woodde so that he differred nothinge from a beast Daniel prayed God for him and he was restored afterward comminge to hys ryght mynde agayn from hys wyckednesse he renounced hys Idolatry and as he was taughte of Daniell he toke vpon him Gods true seruice After Nabuchodonosor raygned his sonne Euilmerodach The same commaunded to entreate Iechonias the kyng honestlye and accordinge to hys kyngly dignitye the which by the coÌ„maundemente of Ieremy the prophete yeldynge him selfe frely went also in exyle And after this wise dyd god fortunate this kyng which beleued the wordes of the prophete though he was in daunger for a season Of this wyse verelye was Dauids kynred saued from destruction by God through gods prouidence the which we shall declare at large hereafter After Euilmer odach succeded Balthasar in the kingdome The same was a despiser of godlinesse Gods word he restored of a new the old abrogate Idolatry of the Chaldeis he vsed the vessels that were caried from the temple of IerusaleÌ„ at his bankettes he mocked the God of the Iewes and for a reproche he caused to be songe that the God of the Chaldeis was a true God greater than the God of the Iewes But what happened These blasphemous voices brought the destruccion of the whole kyngdome For ther was clerely sene a hande that wrote vpon the wall that Balthasar should perysh with all his kingdome The same happened the very same night for the Medes and Persians fell sodenly vpon the Babylonians and gat the kyngedome and killed the kynge Balthasar This example witnesseth also that the blasphemies agaynste God remayne not vnreuenged Now hath the tyme of the first monarchy an ende vntyllthe Perses and kynge Cirus Betwene the byrth of Abraham and kyng Cirus are a thousand foure hundreth and four scor and fyften yeares in the which was y â— monarchy first by the Chaldeis after that by the Assyrians But whan it beganne to be alienated now preuailed the Assyrians than the Babilonians vntill the Medes and Perses dyd growe and finally gat Cyrus Babylon recouering the Monarchy and makyng all one It is chefely to be consydered that the whole kingdome of the Iewes is coÌ„prehended vnder the tyme of this fyrst monarchy where by it is euident that the Iewes are most auncient people and that only their histories are certayn and true of the first kyngdomes of the worlde Of the Grekes WE shall now note brefely the state of the Grekes in the tymes of the fyrst Monarchye where by it shalbe easely gathered that the histories of the Iewes are much more auncient than the Grekes for all their histories are written after the fyrst Monarchy Nether can the Grekes rehearse any thyng certayue or of longer space than that theyr Olympiades do shewe But the Olympiades began the eyght thertyth yere of kynge Osias And if that be diligently rekened it shall appeare to be about two hundreth yeare before the monarchye of the Peries But because of vnlearned readers I shall leaue the Olympiades and shewe brefely what hath happened by the Grekes in the tyme of the fyrste monarchye The country of Grece had no certayne kyng as other nacions but there were in it partly many prynces partly also mighty cityes sundry greate chaunges happened with the princes For the cityes encreasyng in puyssaunce coulde not well suffre Princes as we haue sene in Italy in oure dayes and as I shall afterward set some examples which are profytable to know and haue true wytnesse of hystoryes For there are fewe historyes withe the Grekes before the battayl of Troye Of the battayl of Troye THE battayll of Troie happened before the tyme of Dauid the whiche maye be proued by the
moost myghty prince shoulde be borne of her Therefore whan Cyrus the chylde was now borne Astyages feared lest his kyngdome should be remoued from the Medes to the Persians For the which cause he commaundeth his vsher Harpagus to put forth the chyld to be slayne But whan Harpagus busied to slayne it he was saued by a wonderfull destiny So vayne are mens enterpryses and studyes to hynder Gods counsels The chyide was taken to the shepeherde to beare it vpon a hyll that thete it myght dye for honger the shepeherde was also coÌ„maunded not to leaue the chyld vntil it were dead and to shewe this same to Harpagus that he might certifye the kynge the truth of the thinges and to se the chylde buryed accordynge to the dignitie But what dyd happen At the same tyme by chaunce whan the shepeherde bryngeth this chylde into his house his wyfe was delyuered of a deade chylde the which whan she herde of her husbande that thys chyld shoulde be layed abrode to perishe whome besyde the comlynesse of bewty she perceaued to declare some kyngly strength and courage and also because it was borne of the kynges bloude she counseleth and prayeth her husbande to laye hyr deade chylde in his steade and to take it her for to brynge vp for hers She admony sheth hym also to committe no murther with the kynges chylde chefely seinge no daunger can befall or happen to the realine by this chylde for asmuche as it shalbe brought vp and taken for the shepeherdes chylde The shepeherde foloweth his wyues counsell he sende worde to Harpagus that the chylde is dead Who sendeth some to see wheter it were so and causeth the chylde to be buryed and all this is sheweth the kyng for a trueth In the meane whyle is Cyrus brought vp by the shepeherde and as he grew vp by processe forth wyth appeareth in him kynggly towardnesse and sharpnesse of wyt Moreouer amonge the chyldren as the chyldreÌ„ costume is he ordeyned a kyngdome and hym that offended dyd punysh greueously But it happened by this chaunce that whan he had beaten a gentlemans chylde very rygorously for a transgression he was accused to the chyldes elders the which made complaynt to the kynge The kynge callynge and demaundynge of the chylde he maruayleth at his great graue constancye and the wysdome in answerynge than to the chyldes age Beynge streght waye astonyed in hys mynde he aduysed hym of the tyme wherein hys doughter was delyueted and as he had searched out all the circumstances of hys age the tyme and the bryngynge vp he knewe that it was his cosyn his daughters sonne the which in tyme past he had commaunded to be destroyed Knowynge hym he kept hym in hys court a certayn space and whan Astyages dyd now dout no more of hym by reason of hys syngular towardnesse honesty the whych dyd shyne in the chylde he sent hym into Persia to hys elders Howbeit the kynge was in the meane whyle greatly wroth wyth Harpagus for the deceate because he dyd not accomplyshe the kynges commaundement in slayeng at that tyme the chylde He commaundeth Harpagus yongest sonne to be brought to the court the which whaÌ„ Harpagus had done the kynge commaunded to slaye him and seethe him and to set it before Harpagus for to eate wythout hys knowledge but whan he had now eaten ynough Astyages commaunded to brynge the heade fete and handes of the chylde that were hewen of and shewe them to Harpagus that he myghte se that he had eaten the fleshe of hys owne chylde As harpagus sawe the heade he knew the kynges dede also whence the occasion came but all grefe suppressed he worshpped the kynge accordynge to hys wonted reuerence and drede thynkyng in the meane season to be once greatly reuenged of thys tyranny of the Kynge But Harpagus euer after ceased not to stere vp the chefe of Media the most puyssant nobles to fal to the Perses and to make Cyrus Kynge he sheweth it to Cyrus also and exhorteth him to inuade the kyngdome nother suffre the tyranny that the Kynge hath vsed agaynst other of them to be vnreuenged And that the enterpryse be secrete he hydeth a lettre in the belly of a holow hare and taketh him to a trustye messenger to bringe it into Persia to Cyrus and sendeth no worde els by the messenger but that kynge Cyrus him selfe doo flee the hare Cyrus fyndynge the letter and knowynge Harpagus counsell maketh continently ready an hoost and goeth agaynst the Medes Astyages on the other syde commaundeth hys army to withstande the enemy of the which he maketh Harpagus chefe captayne but whan the felde shulde be fouten he yelded both hym self and hys army wyllyngly to Cyrus Wherfore Astyages hauyng lost the kyngdome of Media was vanquyshed Howbeit Cyrus saued and kept hym and caused hym to be intreated accordynge to hys royall dignitie Thys alteration happened in the kyngdome of the Medes by reason of the kynges tyranny for the which also the whole empyre was translated to the Perses After thys warred the most ryche Cresus vpon Cyrus in the fore parte of Asia whome Cyrus metyng wyth an hoost ouercame and toke in the whole kyngdome and wynnynge the moost strongest citye Sardis toke Cresus prysoner But whan by the kynges commaundement Cresus shulde be burned and was nowe vpon the pyle of wood he cryed wyth verye pytefull waylynge O Solon Solon Cyrus woundred at this noyse and caused to demaunde for what cause he dyd so crye nowe and than wyth so greate doulfulnes Than he syghynge from the depâ—st of hys harte sayde Solon was in tymes past a moost wyse man among y â— Athenians whom I dyd somtyme greatly worshyp whan he was with me and I shewed him all my power and treasures and finally asked him whether any misfortune myght euer happen to me that were so well fortified with ryches and power against all chaunces of fortune and against the power of my enemies But SoloÌ„ answered to that with a rebuke That noman is so happyin this lyfe which before his death can be called happye of euery syde nether is anye man so mighty or puyssaunt whom an vnhappy chaunce can not make feble and ouerthrowe But that as than he beynge safe by reason of prosperitye he sayde he despysed those wordes nother coulde he drede this notable fall the which he had now proued and because that now first he vnderstode Solons sayenge therfore dyd he now name him before his death and that he wyshed al men to remembre in prosperity aduersytyes which may befall lest they become proude for the presente felicitie to enterprise or vndertake oughte that by chaunce myghte bringe mischief to them Whan Cyrus heard this he was moued with pitye toward Cresus sayenge That hereafter he woulde not entreate Cresus so cruellye which had intymes past be a moost myghty kynge for he knew that he was a man also and to hym also it myght befall to haue
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
misery she hath suffered when she was taken in And agayne how she was at the last restored againe by the vertues moderation and pacience of some good men For as hautnesse hardinesse presumption brought the state of the citie in decay euen so dyd pacience and mekenesse of maners restore the same agayne The begynnyng of the warre was aforen cause the whiche the Athenians myght easely haue esthued For the Corinthians were enemies to the citie Corcyra the which required ayde of the Athenians and optained it the easier because that the Athenians which were already strong on the see hoped that through the league and confederation of theÌ„ of Corcyra which had also great puissauÌ„ce vpon the see they should become lordes of whole Grece On the other syde y â— CorinthiaÌ„s required assistauÌ„ce of the Lacedemonians and of this wyse was Grece diuided The Lacedemonians did ioyne them selfs with the Perses of whome they were assisted with mony and victuals howbeit the Perses vsed in the meane season disloyalte or falshode lest the LacedemoniaÌ„s should become to mighty And this warre dured as sayth Xenophon eight twenty yere froÌ„ the tyme of Longimanus vntil Axtarerxes Mnemon and many cities peryshed myserably in thys warre Also may be sene a wonderfull alteration of fortune in the examples of this warre For when Alcibiades was captayne of the Athenians were the Lacedemonians greately put to the worse and slayn and that in the foure and fyue and twentieth yeare so that they despayred euer to come to their former abilitie Howbeit shortely after in the nexte yere was the worlde turned For when Alcibiades was driuen out of the citie though the enâ—â—e of some malepart or euel men were the Athenians slayen of Lysander by the citie Egos of Potanus where had happened a straunge wonder in the begynnynge of this warre For in the ayre was sene a great fyre the space of thre score and fyftene dayes Afterward fell a great stone from aboue into the cicie After this battaill was the citie of Athens enuironed with a heuy syege Many died of hunger Being demauÌ„ded to yelde them vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dicion that they should breake downe the towres fortresses of the citie they refused malepartly the coÌ„dictoÌ„s of peace remained by their purpose geuing also a common commaundement that who so should couÌ„saill to make a league of agremeÌ„t with the enemies shold be put to death As lately is happened with y â— Florentines about .ii. yeres past But after fyue monethes were the Athenians coÌ„strained with huÌ„ger to sende Ambassadours into the hoostes tentes too demaunde peace Wherevpon when they had taken deliberacion in the counsaill of thoos that had conâ—ederated themselues the Corinthians and Thebanes did constantly counsail that the citie of Athens should be ouerthrowen euen out from the foundacion and that of all their dominion should be made commune pastures But the Lacedemonians reproued that supposyng to be not honest to quenche and cast it away at once of suche wyse and to forgett the remembraunce of suche benefites wherewyth this citie had holpen whole Greke against the Medes and Perses Moreouer could not also so excellent a state of this citie be ouerthroweÌ„ without the incredible hurte of all the Grecians For they sayd that Grece seyeth with two eyes whereof the one was Sparta the other Athenes Wherfore hede must be taken lest Grece haue but one eye Wherevpon it was concluded finally that Athenes beyng saued onely the towres and walles shoulde bee cast downe and a certaine gouernaunce should bee prescribed the Athemans after the whiche they should lyue and so should peace be made on both parties The Athenians yelded themselues frely vpon these condicions and the walles were cast downe with great triumphe for with minstrelsy dyd they dauÌ„se also Part of their nauy was brent and part caried they with them This happened about the seuen twentyeth yeare when this warre had lasted Neuerthelesse were the Lacedemonians alrayd of one Alcibiades whiche was sled to the Perses when he was driuen out of Athenes Wherfore the Lacedemonians required of the Perses that they would slayn Alcibiades whiche the Perses did by a trap though the Perses had receaued Alcibiades according to the office of hospitalitie and that he had put all his trust in the faith of the Perses But it chauÌ„seth so with men that were fortune doth incline her self that waye doth mans fauour loue also Therefore ought he chefely to be ware euen of the vnfaith fulnesse offrendes whiche is out of prosperitie and he whom men do enuie and yrke for hatred of hys vertues This Alcibiades was hyghly furnished with feates of warre or chiualry but of an vnquiet minde he was cause of the breche of the peace that was many yeares before concluded betwene the Lacedemonians and Athenians He had vsed in all Grece so many wyles and so sundry craftes that it was euen commonly sayde If there had happened to be borne two Alcibiades in Grece it must nedes haue gone wholy to naught Howbeit suche endeuoure can not prosper therfore died Alcibiades fynally of this sorte And though the warres of the cities were now synyshed yet began now fyrst the destruccion of men at Athenes For seyng the citie of Athens was full of rebellions there were ordeyned of the Lacedemonians thirty men whom they called Tiranny to whom was committed aucthoritie that they should punishe the sedicious rebelles without law or iudgement and lest any man should withstande this aucthoritie with any sedicion they layed a great garnison of souldiours in the castell Of the restoryng of Athens after the destruction of it THe Lacedemonians vsed this sharpnesse to punish the common commotions and hygh necessitie constrayned them to do that The thirty men vsed their aucthorite at the first against no man saue the sedicious afterward did the olde hatred of some of them bruste out against y e best of the citie but good men did they put to death semblable examples of y e like we haue knowen in oure dayes And whan this displeased one of them named Theramenes a doughty man and iust they slew him also to cause other to be afrayed and that more is thei parted the goodes of theÌ„ that were put to death among their compainions The best of the citesens fled to Thebe and Argos where for pitie of so vnworthy mysery the were receaued euen agaynst the commaundement of the Lacedemonians whiche was that no man shoulde receaue the Athenians that fled or were banyshed Amonge these bannyshed men was one that was doughty and valiaunt in the common wealth called Thrasybulus the same ioynynge with hym the residue of the bannyshed men and a preuy ayde or subsydy of them of Thebe taketh in the castell by Athens and afterwarde goyng to Athens and pychyng a felde vanquisheth the thyrty Tyrannos â–ª and recouereth the citie The citesens that were fled were restored by this
sciences and dyd institute a very good forme of the common welth To hym drew wyse men out of all contryes the which he maynteyned gently and liberally He had a library as there was none better furnished in the whole worlde and for thys cause toke he acquaintaunce of the Iewes For whan he diligently searched for the begynnynge of all nacions religions and sciences he founde that the people of the Iewes to be the eldest and that they onely had the surest historyes of the worldes begynninge or creation Wherefore he required to be sent to hym from Ierusalem thre score and twelue men by whose diligence the wholy Bible myght be translated oute of the Hebrue into his language by this occasion were the Bibles syrste translated into straunge speches And no doubt it is but that Ptolome was conuerted to the true fayth by this same meane iii. Ptolomeus Euergetes inuaded Syria dyd reuenge the death of his syster Berenice iiij Ptolomeus Philopater ouercame Antiochus the great afterwarde beyng become more sensuall and dissolute he beganne to be enamoured vpon a wenche insomuch that he caused also hys quene to be put to death for the loue shewed to that wench v. Ptolomeus Epiphanes whom Antiochus the great dyd inuade the same Antiochus gaue to him hys doughter vi Ptolomeus Philometor the same dyd hys vncle Antiochus Epiphanes inuade But the Romanes defendyng Ptolome commaunded Antiochus to auoyde out of Egypt the which we haue shewed before vii Ptolomeus Euergetes restored Demetrius that was dryuen oute of hys realme into the same agayne viii Ptolomeus Physco the same resembled more a beast than a man by reason of hys vylaynous crueltye He wedded hys syster and begatt chylderen of her Afterwarde slayenge hys sonne set him before hys mother to eate fynallye was he dryuen out of the realme The residue ensuynge were notable of lyke shameful behaueour as of beastly medlynge and of farre more cruell tyranny ix Ptolomeus Alexander x Ptolomeus Latyrus xi Ptolomeus Auletes whome Gabinius the Romane captayne restored agayne into hys kyngdome xii Ptolomeus Dionysius which commaunded to slaye Pompeius and afterwarde was also vnfaythfull to Iulius wherefore Iulius droue hym out of the kyngdome and gaue it to his syster Cleopatra the whiche finally slew herselfe whan Antonius whom she entertayned was ouercome of Augustus After that came Egypte to the Romanes and so was the moost noble kynred of Ptolomeus quenched Of the Iewes WE haue sayde before that the superiorytie of gouernaunce remayned by the posteritie of Dauid after the returne of the Iewes oute of Babylon only that they wanted the dignitie of the kynges name and were only called Prynces And the same rayned tyll the tyme of Antiochus S. Luke doeth also make mencion of them in the genealogye of Christe i. Zorobabel lviij yeares ii Resa Miseolam lxvi iii. Iohanna Ben Resa liij iiii Iudas the fyrst Hircanus xiiij in the tyme of Alexander After Alexander v. Ioseph the fyrst vij vi Abner Semei xi vii Eli Matathia xii viii Aser Maath ix ix Nagid Artaxat x. x. Hagai Eli viij xi Maslot Naum vii xii Amos Syrah xiiij xiij Matathia Siloa xviij xiiij Ioseph the yonger l. The same had greate familiarite wyth Ptolomeus Euergetes and by Eusebius is he called Arses xv Iaanna the seconde Hircanus xvi He had greate warres agaynst the Arabians and had oft victory But whan he was besieged in a castell by Antiochus Epiphanes nether coulde he defend hymself any lenger wyth his garnyson yet woulde he not yelde him selfe but wythstode his enemies valiauntly fightynge in battayl tyll he was slayne This was the laste prince amonge the Iewes of kyng Dauids bloude After hym ruled the Machabees whyche were of the priestly kynred But after these was the kyngdome of the Iewes translated to Herods kynred whyche was a Gentyle but he was circumcised Thys thynge truely had God prophecyed before that the ceptre and royall maiestye shoulde be taken from Iuda and Dauids successors before the comminge of the promysed Christe Nether was the kyngdome altered from Dauids posteritye aboue an hundreth thre score yeare before Christe was borne so that it exceded not mens memory what kinred had raigned Of this wyse doeth Lucas rehearse the princes of the Iewes vntyll the last Ianna Hircanus and after the same doth he counte the residue also which ruled not vntyll Christe Wherefore I wyll brefely adde of the Machabees and Herodes kynred Of the Machabees kynred MAtathias exhorted hys chylderen to resist Antiochus and these raygned in order by successiō as princes Iudas Machabeus the first vanquyshed the capytaynes of Antiochus Epiphanes and recouered the temple wythin thre yeare and had notable victories But assone as he had conspyred wyth the Romanes makyng a league wyth them he was slayn and dyed For God wyll not haue vs to leane to mans helpe but that we shoulde sett oure truste in hym He raygned v. yeares Ionathas raygned nyneten yeare he toke part wyth Alexander which vsurped the kyngdome in Syria Afterwarde was he slayne of Triphon very vnfaythfully He had an vnhappye ende for because he trusted too the ayde of naughty and seditious men Simon reigned eight yeare he ouercame Antiochus Gryphus He was at the last slayn by treason of his owne brother in lawe Ioannes Hircanus was Simons sonne the same reigned syx and twenty yeare In his tyme besieged Antiochus Gryphus Ierusalem but by geuyng of mony was he apeased and breakyng vp the syege left the citie Afterward gat Hircanus Samaria The Machabeis kynges Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus reigned one yeare and woulde be crowned with a kyngely crowne He was the first kyng in Ierusalem after that the Iewes were returned out of Babylon He slew his brother Antigonus because he feared lest he woulde couet the kyngdome Alexander the yonger sonne of Hircanusreigned seuen and twenty yeare his wyfe Alexandra reigned after hym nyne yeare Alexander left two sonnes after hym Hircanus and Aristobulus Though Hircanus were the elder yet was he dryuen out of the kyngdom by hys brother Aristobulus whiche by violence caught from his brother the dignitie of the kynges name But Antipater prince of Idumea and the father of Herodes and Areta kyng of Arabia ayded Hircanus against Aristobulus Nether was there a lesse barbarous state at that tyme in Iewry after the Heythen maner then in the kyngdomes of other nations Afterward when Pompeius toke in Ierusalem he made Hircanus high priest and taking Aristobulus prisoner with his two sonnes Alexander and Antigonus brought thē to Rome But by the way as they went to Rome escaped Alexāder and commyng againe into Iewry he became mighty againe But then was he vanquished by Gabinius y ◠Romane capitaine in Syria and afterward by the commaundement of Scipio was he beheaded at Antiochia Antigonus was released at Rome
pitiful affeccion he did wepe very sore said at the last these wordes I pitie the case of so excelleÌ„t a citie and I se before that Rome also shall once bee ouerthrowen of this wyse and that more is it is playne that no gouernaunce in this worlde is long lastyng and no power can be stable Of the warre of the Cimbry in Italy THis is the seconde history of the Germanes of their prosperitie that they haue had in Italy For the Cimbriare properly Germanes whiche witnesseth the name Cimbrica Cheronesus For so are called the countreis of Holsatz and Denmarck Moreouer by the witnesse of Strabo are Cimmery and Cimbriboth one thyng The beginnyng of the names is Goâ—â—eâ— the sonne of Iaphet who dwelt in these countries beyond Thracia that he toward vs wherein dwell the â–ª people of Littow And for this cause knew Homer the poet the people Cimery For the Grecians knew Thracia and the countreis ioynyng to it Howbeit the name of Cimbri remayneth onley by Denmark and Holsatz â–ª But these people that lie towarde the East of Thracia are called Gotthi of whome we shall speake hereafter in the history of the Gothyes There is also made playne mencyon of the lowe duchemen whych went wyth the Cimbre It is clere that it was an innumerable multytude about thre hundreth thousand gathered oute of all quarters of Germany and such an army that parted asunder they intended to take in partly Italy partly Gallia But whan they inuaded the Romanes they were gathered agayne and the Romanes were fyrste moost greueously slayne of the Cimbri for they had the worst in foure greate battayls and in that one battayl wherein Cepio was captayne were slayne foure score thousand Romanes whych thynge made the Romanes and all the people of Italy so sore afrayd as they neuer were in the time also of Hannibal At that time was Marius appointed captaine agaynst those Teutones For he was to be rekened amongest the moost valiaunt men of armes that Rome had He went to thys warre in the syxe hundreth and two and fyftyeth yeare after the foundacion of Rome and this warre lasted tyll the thyrd yeare so longe tyll the Cimbri were vtterly destroyed and oppressed The histories make mencion that in the last fyghte the women vsed suche force that they dyd no lesse slaughter than the men and with such a rage that runninge agaynst the Romanes wyth theyr chylderen cast them into theyr visages This truely is an example of so greate crueltye that worthely maye he quake at the wrath of God whoso fyndeth lyke miseryes in readynge of histories For it must be a vehement and strong indignacion which bryngeth to mens wretched and oppressed cases so great a misery Of Sylla and Marius THat whiche Scipio Nasica sayde in the Senate to be true dyd the dede proue For whan y e Romanes could not be weakened wyth the power of a foren enemy they were febled with theyr own strengthes within themselues Marius of whom we haue sayd before broughte home notable victories of the foren enemies but at the last was he causeâ— of a most cruel vproure in the citie of Rome For whan Sylla was ordeined captayne to warre in Asia agaynst kyng Mithridates Marius toke it displeasauntly that the yonge Sylla shoulde be set before him and he brought much to passe by the Tribunes that they should set themselues agaynst the Senate by the commune voyce of the common people to choyse Marius By thys hatred was the occasyon sprong of that great warre betwene Sylla Marius For whan Marius had raysed thys rumoure at Rome Sylla appointed a setting forth of an army into Asia But Marius wyth consente of the people had optayned that Sylla should not go into Asia some frendes of Sylla dyed in this commotion at Rome amonge the which was the sonne of Pompeius the consul the sonne in law of Sylla But whan the Tribunes sent to Sylla them that shoulde shewe hym he should not go into Asia he appoynted hys army incontinentlye and came to Rome and slew the tribune and many other Marius fled into Aphrica In the meane season setâ— Sylla all thynges in order in the citye and wente into Asia and brought great thynges to passe He ouercame Mithridates and toke in wyth stronge handes Athenes and whole Grece and subdued also many other contryes of Asia Whan Sylla brought this to passe in the meane season doth Marius returne oute of Aphrica into Italy well appointed and goynge to Rome he slew the best and most excellent princes and chefe of the Romanes and thys slaughter at Rome was very miserable Than was Sylla constrayned haystely to returne out of Asia to ayde them that were of his part but in the meane tyme dyed Marius Howbeit the sonne of Marius restored the warre agaynst Sylla where wyth Sylla beynge afrayed he sayde as it is reported that whan he was yonge he had good fortune agaynst an aged man but nowe he feared lest a yonge man should lykewyse haue thesame fortune agaynst him Thys example wytnesseth that wyse men haue earnestly ouerlayde and also douted the vnstablenesse of fortune whych happeneth in mennes affaires But God prospered the enterprise of Sylla that he triumphed of hys enemyes for he had a mooste ryghte cause But yet doo historyes make mencion that Sylla was afterwarde more cruel than nede requyred For he spared in a maner noman than fauored Marius parte nother was there anye measure or ende to vse tyranny at Rome Of thys wyse was the tyranny that Marius vsed agaynst the princes reuenged by Sylla at the last who restored them in the gouernaunce Thou shalt chefely perceaue gentle reader by thys history that so great misery and debate in the commune wealth rose of a small begynnyng and by a certaine alteracion or tourne crept it fyrst in among princes afterward among y â— people But Sylla vsed great wysedome and deserued great prayse that after this commotion he set and confirmed the commune welth in a certaine order vtterly deposynge the authoritye of the Tribunes for they were wont euer to inflame y â— myndes of the commune people agaynst the Senate But Pompeius chaunged thys same afterwarde who restored them to doo the commune people a pleasure Howbeit the euyll counsell was worst to the counseller For the Tribunes were also the doers in sturrynge to the ciuyll warre betwene Iulius Cesar and Pompeius Of Pompeius and C. Iulius Cesar THE moost haynous warre that was betwene Cesar and Pompeius which caused an vtter destruccyon to the whole commune welth of Rome toke occasyon of very lyght causes that euen of only enuye against Cesar not so much of Pompeius as of priuate persones the whych coueted those prouinces that Cesar possessed The occasion of the warre began of thys wyse Whan Cesar was in Gallia he requyred that regard should be had of hym in his absence and
chafed by Stillico their kinge Radagasus brought two hundreth thousand Gotthies into Italy the same yeare that we haue specified a fore And as histories do make mencion here that at Rome wer great cōplaintes against Christ because that so lamentable decaye of the empyre they supposed to come of the despisynge of the goddes and small regarde of the worshyppe and honour of the former religion As for Stillico vanquished and ouercame Radagasus and hys hoost in the straytes comminge from the citye Florence goynge to Apenninum This is the fyrst history of the Gotthies in Italy After Radagasus came another hooste of Gotthies into Italy whose captayne was Alaricus With the same dyd Honorius agree that he should depart out of Italy go into Gallia the whyche at that tyme was awaystynge of y ◠Frankes Burgundions Vandales insomuche that Honorius mistrusted he could kepe Gallia no lenger therefore thought he to bringe to passe that the Barbarians shuld stryue among thēselues for it But what happened Whan Alaricus taketh his yourney vpon him Stillico doth fall vpon him vnwarres vpon Easter daye whyle the truce did yet last The next day after doth he lykewise wyth an appointed army ouerthrowe and vanquyshe Stillico and being angry vpō him he besyeged Rome Honorius was at Rauenna caused Stillico to be putt to death as one y ◠had not done faithfully willed y e empyre to be taken frō Honorius to be geuen ouer to him Wherfore there was now no captayne mete to delyuer the citye of Rome from the syege Therfore dyd Alaricus take in Rome after two yeres syege and that was about the xv yeare of Honorius the foure hundreth and twelft yeare of Christ and the thousand hundreth and thre score and fourth yere after the building of Rome That Var ro writeth of the xij rauens whiche Romulus sawe to signify that Rome should last a thousand and two hundreth yeares though thys nombre of the yeares be not farre from this rekening yet I suppose their interpretation rather to pertayne to Totilas who afterwarde in the tyme of Iustinianus dyd set Rome in fyre wholy spoyled it and that was an hundreth and syxe and thyrty yeares after Alaricus For Alaricus dyd not spoyle the citie but rather gaue a commaundement that they should be spared whyche fled to the temples of the Christians Alaricus drue back agayne out of the citie and not longe after dyed Whan he was deade Ataulphus was made kyng of the Gotthies the same came agayne to Rome and takynge to wyfe Placidia Honorius syster beynge pacified by her he spared Rome and wente into Fraunce and afterwarde into Spayne and of this wyse did finally the Gotthies leaue Italye and went into Spayne For Alaricus had before inuaded y ◠Spaniardes the Gotthies remaining in Spayne afterward had y e dominion ther. The Vandali came into Spayne after that the Suein but the Gotthies remaining ther the Vandali came into Aphrica Of these Gotthies are borne the Christē kinges in Spayne of whom hath his of springe the most famous Emperoure that now is Charles the fyft of y ◠name For though y ◠Sarraceni inuaded Spaine afterward became mighty in it yet could thei not destroy the residue of the other kinges of y ◠linage The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi The yeare of Rome M. CC. vij came out of Aphrica to Rome Genserichus the Vandall and spoiled the citye haynously But what was y ◠cause of Genserichus comminge shall we shew whan we shall haue occasyon to treate of the Vandalies Dietrichus of Berna THe Gotthies came nomore into Italy afterward saue in the tyme of Zeno the Emperoure whan Othacarus was become mighty at Rome The same was a Barbarian borne in Rugia was a souldiour vnder Augustulus being become puissaunt by that meanes he vsed great tyranny at Rome insomuch y e the Romanes required ayde against him Than was sent by Leno into Italy Dietrichus surnamed of Berna The same slayenge Othacarus raigned two thyrty yeares in Italy he loued peace out of measure and had most deserued to haue the fauoure of Italy insomuch that as histories do make menciō Italy neuer had a foren prince more frendelier and gentlyer He gaue also much goodes to the churches vse to entertayne the ministers of the word to mainteyne the doctrine of religion But he was infect with the heresy of Arrius as also the reste of y ◠Gotthies For whan y ◠Gotthies required of Valens y e Emperours prestes of whom they might be instructed in y t Christen religion he sent them Arrian doctors Howbeit y ◠most noble vertues of this Dietrichus deserued those praises which cōmonly are songe in those dityes as are vsed now adayes In thē is made mencion of giauntes which signifieth the Barbarous whō Dietrichus hath vanquished slayne He is surnamed of Berna because he was wonte to be muche at Verone wyth the court Besydes this man was also another Dietrichus a Gotthian lykewyse by whose valiauntnesse Attila was slayne but he dyed in the same felde He was so great a man that besyde him noman coulde lyghtely haue enterprysed oughte against Attila The same Dietrichus was not surnamed of Berna but he was his cosyn He was fyue and forty yeare before the tyme of Dietrichus of Berna Kynges of the Gotthies in the West in Spayne Alaricus Ataulphus Mallia Kynges of the Gotthies in the East in Hungary Dietrichus Hermerichus Ditmarus Dietrichus of Berna HImelsuitha the doughter of Dietrichus of Berna had a sonne called Adelrichus thesame raygned eight yeres at Rome in Italy after the death of Dietrichus of Berna and the mother ruled with great praise Whan her sonne was deade she delyuered the gouernaunce to her nephew Theodatus but the same not remembrynge the benefyte that he had optayned caused by a trayne her to be slayn in the tyme of Iustinian the Emperoure Dietrichus of Berna had mo doughters besydes this he had also geuen hys systers doughter in mariage to the kynge of Thuringen whyche thynge I would not passeouer here without the syngular prayse and commendacyon of the princes of Thuringen THeodatus raigned ii yeres was worthely punished For whan the moost honeste quene Himelsuith a had commended herselfe and her sōne to Iustinian the Emperoure Iustinian toke an occasion to reuenge the murther and sent Bellisarius into Italy against the Gotthies Now was Theodatus suspected because he withstode not Bellisarius as though he would betray the Gotthies the whiche Gotthies made Wittichus kyng by whose commaundement was Theodatus slayne VVitichus reigned thre yeares Against hym warred Bellisarius with greate policy For Wittichus had an appoynted army of more then twoo hundreth thousand men Bellisarius kept hymselfe within the walles of Rome whome Wittichus besyeged a whole yeare and there was a great
most certayne prophecies of it wherein voe are earnestlye warned of God to eschue thys pestylence In Danyell is he paynted of thys wyse In that terryble beaste whyche is the figure of the Romyshe empyre doth growe a horne throughe whose power are thre hornes pulled out and hath eyes and speaketh dredefull blasphemyes agaynst God Thys horne is Mahomet the eyes and dredeful blasphemies against God is the Alcoâ—an and doctryne of Mahomette whiche spred farther than the dominioâ— was For neare hand all the East quarter is infect wyth that deâ—elyshe doctryne The thre hornes â—ignifye the â—hre kyngdomes Arabia Sirya and Egyâ—t which Mahomeâ—e had taken in All those thinges shewed God before that we beyng aduertised should not be offended at thys tyme. Also that we shulde not be ignorant that it is â—he laste kyngdome and that the daye of the laste â—â—dgement is to be loked for The posteritye of Mahomet not beynge content wyth the boundes of hys kyngdomes stâ—oue also wyth the Emperours of Constantinople for the kingdome of Aâ—â—a Thys kyngdome of Mahomet was fyrste called the kyngdome of the Saâ—acens For thoughe he was an Agarene borne yet chaunged he that name not wythoute a greate cause for the promise made â—o Abraham in sâ—riptâ—re was made to the â–ª soâ— of Sara and not of Agar Now were the Agareâ—y of Agar But forasmuche as Mahomet vnderneâ—â— a color pretended that hys people were acceptable to God ye to whom perteyned the promesse of the blessing that they shuld haue dominion of the world for he expounded all the promises of y â— scripture carnally chaungyng the name of set purpose he called his people Saâ—â—acens as children of Sara and not Agarens These Saracens became myghty not only in Asia but also in Aphrica And from thence went they into Spayne also and kepâ— a greate parte of it a longe season Into Italy haue they made many inuasyons also Of the â—urkes begynnyng THE cause of the comming of the Turkes out of Tartary into Asia was that whan the Saracens warred against y â— Perses the Perses required ayde of the Turkes As for these Turkes wer Tartares by the â—yll Caucasus Thys happened not longe before Caroâ—us Caluus about the yeare of Christ eyght hundreth thre score and ten After thys assistaunce beganne the Turkes by lytle and â—yâ—le to remayne in Asia euen as it happeneth most commonly whan we call for foren helpe But forasmuch as the Turkes were chefely geuen to warrefaring it came to passe that the rule of the royalme came to their handes And fyrst began Othomannus the Turke to excelle in power and myghte in the tyme of Albert of Eastenriche the fyrst whyche was sonne to Roduâ—phus the Emperoure Thys was about the thousand and thre hundreth yeare after Thristes incarnation Now sence thys Othomannus tyme was Mahomets kyngdome chaâ—nged into the name of y â— Turkish empyre It is worthy to be noted here that this present nacion of the Turkes began to subdue contryes to beare rule in the â—yme of the fyrst Emperour of the â—astryâ—hâ— house and it is to be hoped that it shalbe lykâ—wyse repressed at the â—aste by an Emperoure of the same stocke of Eastryche The figure of this Turkysh kyngdome is dâ—â—â—ribed full of dredefulnesse in holy scripture that we shuld not be ignoraunt that this were the deâ—els kyngdom and by whose power and prosperity we might not be with drawen to deâ—â—â—er from Christe to Mahomets vngodlynesse Ezechâ—eâ— and â–ª S. Ihon call the Turkes Gog and Magog Gog is called a â—ent Magog â–ª is the people with ouâ— the tentes for the Tartaryes â—wel in â—entes And Ezechiel wrâ—â—eth plainly that God fuffred the power of Gog â—o be augmented because of peoples synnes Mahomet signifieth rage or indignation â—urâ—a signiâ—yeth souâ—d your or wayster Methodius called thys people Redde Iewes becaâ—se â—hâ—y haue borowed some ceremonyes of y â— Iewes â–ª Nether were they the very Iewes but were calâ—â—d the Reâ—d Iewes ether because they were coue â—ous of man sâ—aughter and bloude or els because Mahomet was born of Edom in Arabâ—a for Edom signifieth reed Methodius sayeth that Gog and Magog were closed in beyond the hylles Caspii that is Caucasus and that a â—oxe shal make them a passage This â—oxâ— is Mahâ—met for beyng prouokâ—d by mahomets law they became mighty and began to beare râ—le We haued â—â—â—ared before how the Romane Monarchy came to y â— East â–ª But now are y ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Egypte Syria Asia and Aphrica â—y â—he Mahometystes â–ª vntyll finally the Turkes at â—hys â—yme haue taken and waysted Grece and what more was restynge Deus dedit the â—xxi â—ish of Rome succeded Boâ—ifacius â–ª in the tyme of Heraclius After him was bonifacius the fyft the lxxii bysh In hys tyme was S. Gallus The same taughte Christes doctrine in hygh Germany After hym was byshop Honorius the fyrste and in hys tyme was Mahomet After him was Seuerinus y â— lxxiiii â—ish of Rom. After him succe Ioannes the â–ª iiii the lxxv bysh After Ioannes was Theodorus a Greke y â— lxxvi The yeare of Christe .vi. C. xli COnstantinus the sonne of Heraclius the â–ª lviij Emperour â–ª raygned four monethes His step mother Martyna poysonned hym that she might make hyr sonne Emperoure The yeare of Christe .vi. C. xliâ— HEracleonas the son of Heraclius the lix Emperour raygned two yeares after that Constantinus was poysoned But â–ª whan y â— senate and communalty of CoÌ„stantinople had knowledge of the myscheâ—oâ—s dede risyng vp agaynst the mother and son â—eracleonas cuttynge of his nose and hyr and the â—atryarkes tunges who dyd ayde them to do the dede bannyshed them all thre The yeare of Christ .vi. C. xliii COnsans the sonne of Constantinus the lx Emperoure raygned xxvii yeares He was ouercome in the East of y â— Saraâ—ens in Italy of the Lombardes He was a mooste couetous manne and at the laste was he slayne of hys owne men in a bath at Syracuse Martinus the first succeded Theodorus in Constans tyme. Eugenius the fyrst the lxxviii byshopp succeded Martinus Vitalianus the lxxix bishop succeded Eugenius The yeare of Christe .vi. C. lxx COnstantinus y â— sonne of Constans the lxi Emperoure raygned xvii yeares He was called Pogonatus that is bearded He had warre with the Saracens seuen yeres of the which were slayn in one feld thyrty thousande insomuche that theyr power beyng weakened they were constrayned to demaund peace with Constantyn the which he graunted them but vpon this condycyon that they shuld geue to the Emperoure yearly tribute After Vitalianus was Adrodatus made y â— lxxx bys of Ro. in y â— time of Constantinus Pogonatus Donus was the lxxxi byshop after Adrodatus Agatho succeded Donus Leo the ij succeded Agatho Benedictus y â— secoÌ„d was y â— lxxxiiij bish after Leo Ioannes the v. was the lxxxv byshop after Benedictus Conon the lxxxvi
and Henry sonne too Lotarius doughters husbande Baierlande He made his Cosin Henry Erle of Eastenryche duke and set boundyng borders to ether duchy Then began first the duchy of Eastenriche But Catulus Henry kept Baierlande not longe for he forsoke Fredericke in Italy and raised new rebellions in Germany against hym Wherfore Frederick driuyng away Henry afterwarde the duchy of Baierlande was geuen to Otho of Witelsbach And of this Othoes bloude are those princes borne which now a dayes haue Baierlande and the counties Palatine by the Rene. The right of election on the Saxonies behalfe gaue he to Bernarde prince of Anhalt Henry flyenge went into Englande wyth his wyfe and chyldren but at the last when he returned composition was made that Catulus Henry should possesse the duchy of Brunswich But thē dyd Phillippe byshop of Colen take the countrey Westphalen from the duchy of Saxony withforce Frederick besyeged Lubeck and subdued it to the empyre He compelled also the kyng of Dennemarck to require peace They of Milane rebelled and went about to brynge the other cities of Italy vnder their subiection For that maner and wylfulnesse to haued ominion doth last yet by the Italians wherfore Frederick goyng into Italy apeased all rumors But afterwarde did the byshop of Rome entice the Milaners and the other cities to a coniuracion againste Frederick and dyd excommunicate hym For whiche cause he went nowe the fourth tyme into Italy he subdued and spoyled Milane and assayed all the meanes he coulde to alaye the debate betwene the byshop of Rome and hym but it was inuayne For Alexander the third byshop of Rome could not be brought to that poynte that he shoulde not vexe the moste gentle prince wherefore Frederick went to Rome but Alexander fled to the Venecians Then was Otho Fredericks sonne sent agaynste the Venecians who beyng taken in a battayll vpon the water condicions of peace were accepted For Frederick the Emperoure sawe that the byshops of Rome coulde reste by no meanes Moreouer consydered he also that besyde that hys sonne was taken what was chaunged to the Emperours that were afore hym Wherefore Frederick vsed submission and moste lowly humblenesse For he came to Venice and layed hymselfe downe before the Churche dore afore the Romyshe byshop and suffred hymselfe to be troden with his fete who commaunded also to be cried out Thou shalt treade vpō the adder and coceatrice and then dyd he absolue hym at the last Frederick sayde contrariwyse that he dyd not shewe that lowlynesse to Alexander but to Peter Whereto aunswered Alexander both to me and to Peter But what is to be thought of this dede of the byshop of Rome that do I committee the reader to iudge The byshops of Rome rayse warres without any lawfull cause For Alexander striueth for his priuate election nether woulde he euer admitte any counsaill nor any other condicions And besyde this iniury dyd he vse also extreme wylfulnesse and pryde againste the hyghest power of Christianitie when he dyd treade vpon the Emperoure with his fete whome God commaundeth euen to honoure But when this agremēt was made he chose Hēry his sonne to be party ruler with hym the yere of Christ M. C. lxxxvj lest the empyre shuld be with out a gouernoure when he toke his yourney into Asia He maried his sonne to Cōstantia the daughter to Rogerius by whiche meanes the kyngdome Sicily and Naples came to the empyre Germanes and made the young kyng gouernoure of Italy Not long after went he into Asia with a greate preparacion of warre company of many princes to recouer again the citie Ierusalem that was lost not long before He toke in many mighty cities in Cilicia vanquyshed the Saracens Turkes He made the Souldane so afraide for hym that he caused many of his greate cities to cast down their walles in Syria when he did mistrust to kepe them he himself fled into Egypt For the kynges of England Fraūce were already arriued into Asia with a great army But what fortuned when they had gathered a greate hoost Fortune whiche is not alwaye good beganne to turne Frederick when he had now takē the cōtrey Armenia by reason of y e heate went into a swyft water with his horse and the doughty prince was drowned the yeare M.C lxxxix Nether ought it to be maruayll that Frederick peryshed of this wyse in a ryuer for histories do make mencion that he otherwhyles also went into waters In the second setting forth vpon Milane the Italians pitched their tentes on the other syde of the ryuer Abdua whiche is no lesse then is the Tems about Sion and mocked Frederick the Emperoure who was of this syde the ryuer with his hoost thynkyng that by reason the ryuer was betwene them both they myght mocke the Emperoure wythout daunger Then did the Emperour steppe into the ryuer without feare and commaunded the horsemen to folowe hym Whiche thynge seyng the Italians thought shoulde neuer come to passe for ether they laye here and there or vnaduisedly went vp and downe without order they toke the flyght and were ouercome of a small company of horsemen This feate witnesseth that Frederick was a prince of excellent hardinesse ▪ and also one that doubted not to put hymselfe lyghtely into waters The prince of Boheme was made a kyng by Frederick for his sundry and excellent faithfulnesse that he vsed toward Frederick at Milane Lucius the .iij. was made byshop of Rome after Alexander Vrbanus the .iij. succeded Lucius Gregorius the .viij. succeded Vrbanus Clemens the .iij. folowed after Gregorius Celestinus the .iij. was after Clemens Henry the .vi. was crowned of hym Henry the .vi. the xxi Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M.C.xC. began Henry the vi of that name to raigne after his fathers deceasse and raygned seuen yeares He had great warres in Apulia and finally subdued the whole realme In Germany had he enemyes the byshop of Colen and Lutich or Liege besyd them also the Burgundions In this vproure was the byshop of Lutich slayne and the other beynge abashed by thys myshappe left of frō theyr enterpryse and obeyed frelye He made hys sonne Frederick yet a chylde Emperour wyth the consent of y ◠electors The election was confirmed with sealed letters of the princes electors the same was afterward called Frederick the .ii. But whan Henry was now dyenge ▪ he committed the wardeshyppe of the chylde and empyres gouernaunce to his brother Philippe who had the gouernaunce of the empyre whan Henry was yet alyue Innocentius the .iii. was byshop of Rome after Celestinus The same persued Philippe the Emperour and it is reported he shulde haue sayde He wolde take awaye from Philippe the Emperours crowne or hys thre crowned miter shulde be taken from hym He made Emperoure Otho the Saxon. But thys frendeshyp was not stedfast nether for Otho was excommunicated of the Romyshe
was gently receaued of the cities At Ro. the senate all the best metyng Charles did receaue hym with all reuerence He likewyse to declare to the Romanes his gentlenesse lyghted from his horse receaued on fote the yelding of the citie Afterward was he crowned of the cardinal of Hostia The cities of the bysh of Rome in Italy that were rebels subdued he to do the Romysh byshop a pleasure so that they repyned nomore I fynde none other thynges that he dyd in this iourney They yeare M. ccclx. he ouercame and spâ—yled Ebrardus erle of Wirtenberg with a great army But at the last was the debate layde downe by the byshop of Ausburg Strasburg and Spire The yeare M. ccclxvi went Charles agayne in to Italy in the whiche iourney he assuaged and subdued some cities desyrous of vproure Charles besyeged also y â— citie Vlme but I reade no where for what cause For oure Germanes not knowyng the propertie of histories haue not taken hede to the circumstaunces and causes of thynges Charles hath deserued greate thankes for the golden bulle that he made wherein he hath handsomly comprised many thynges that make to entertayne common peace He did chefely endeuoure procure the affayres of Bohemy He ordeined the vniuersitie of Praga Some there are that disalowe that he gaue the French kyng ryghtes in the kyngdome of Orleaunce The yeare M. ccclxx caused Charles his sonne Wenceslaus to be made Emperoure To his other sonne Sigismundus gaue he the Erldome of the marques of BraÌ„denburg the which he had bought of Lewis the Romane The yere M. ccclxxvii fought Vdalricus Erle of Wirtenberg mishappely before the citie Rutlingen In that battaill dyed many and noble men Switzer league ABout this tyme began the Switzer league and first the citie Lucerna then Berna at the last Tzurich dyd ioyne themselues to the Switzers and the noble prince Lupoldus duke of Eastenriche was ouercome and slayne by the Switzers the yere M. ccclxxxv But for as muche as there are in mans handes euery where histories of the Switzers dedes I reken it neoelesse to make longe rehersall of their actes in this lytle boke Vrbanus the v. succeded Innocentius the vâ— Gregorius the xâ— was byshop of Rome after Vrbanus The same remoued y â— see out of Fraunce to Rome agayne the yeare MCCCLXXVI A diuision AFter Gregorius the xi rose a greate diuisioÌ„ in the spiritualtye The Italians made an Italian Byshoyp of Rome called Vrbanus the vi and the same remayned at Rome The Frenchmen also chose a Byshop of Rom. in Italy whome they called Clemens the vii The same gat hym to Auinion Thus was Rome diuided and ther were two byshoppes of Rome the one dyd accurse the other Truely Italy Germany and Hungary dyd hange to Vrbanus the byshops of the Romanes Thys diuision lasted vntyll the councel of Constance .xxxix. yeares Wenceslaus the .xxxiii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccc lxxviij after Charles deceasse began Wenceslaus his sonne to raygne and raygned after hys fathers death .xxii. yeares At thys tyme began Ihon Husse opeÌ„ly to teache at Praga agaynst the byshop of Romes pardones and by thys occasion rose hurteful insurrections in Bohemy agaynst prestes and religious men Wenceslaus was at the laste taken by hys brother Sigismundus and kept at Vienne in preson Other thinges do I not fynde of this Wenceslaus that I iudge worthy to be put in writynges Rupertus the xxxiiij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CCCC was Rupertus the counte Palatine made Emperour He raigned tenne yeares But seynge the Emperours had now ben long from Italy the power of the kynred of Galeacyus was waxen greate at Milan and the Florentins were become ryche also and warred agaynst them of Milane The Florentins asked ayde of Rupertus the Emperoure to represse the power of the Galacians Wherefore Rupertus went vppe into Italy to helpe the Florentius and toke Galeacins Howbeit Rupertus beyng destitute of the assistaunce of the duke of Eastenriche and bishop of Colen was to weake than that he coulde haue brought so greate thynges to passe and though he had assayed many thinges yet was he constrayned to returne agayne into Germanye hys bussinesse beyng not disâ—pâ—rched Bonifacius the .ix. was made bishop at Rome after Vrbanus And against him was made bish after Clemens y e .vii. Petrus de Luna called Benedictus the .xii. After Bonifacius was Innocentius y â— vii made byshop at Rome After InnoceÌ„tius was Gregorius the xii made byshop at Rome The same promysed y â— he woulde renounce the byshoprycke yf Benedictus lykewise dyd not refuse to renounce also But whaÌ„ Benedictus fled into Spayne leauyng Auinion Gregorius reuoked hys promise concernyng to resigne the byshoprycke Wherefore was a councell gathered at Pysis whereyn bothe Gregorius and Benedictus were deposed of the byshoprycke and in theyr steade was the thyrde Romysh byshop chosen Alexander the .v. Gregorius fled to Ariminum where he remayned vntill the counsel of Constance was Alexander the .v. dwelt at Bonony for the Hungarians hauing than taken in Rome vsed incredible tiraÌ„ny warred with the Frenchmen for Naples After Alexander the .v. was Ioannes the .xxiii. made byshop of Rome at Bonony And of this wise were a lyue vntil the general councel of Constance thys Ioannes the .xxiii. at Bonony Gregorius at Ariminum and Benedictus in Spayne But they were all thre set besyde y â— Romyshe byshopryck in that councel Of Tamerlanes the tyraunt of Tartaria IN the time of Rupertus the Emperour lyued the passynge cruell tyraunte Tamerlanes the Tartarian who by greate spoylynge wente aboute nearehande al y â— East and Asia with an armye of tenne hundreth thousande men He spoyled the Perseans Armenians and Syrians He inuaded also the lesse Asia and toke Paiasetus the Turkysh Emperoure and caryed hym in a cage as a byrde aboute wyth hym for a wonder and mockage Sigismundus the .xxxv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC after Rupertus the Emperours deceasse was Sigysmundus made Emperoure He was the sonne of Charles the fourthe marques of Brandenburg kynge of Hungary and Bohemye He was Emperour seuen and twentye yeares He was a moost famous prince in wisedome learnyng and honestye suche one of stature as was semynge a lyke prince His countrefaytoure very connyngly made is to be sene yet this daye by the erle Hoier of Mansfelde He had greate warres in Hungary agaynst the Hungaryans of the whyche he was taken He fought oft agaynst the Turkes But whan he was made Emperoure he made a greate settyng forth agaynst the Turkes with the ayde of all nacions whereof we shall speake hereafter Of the councell of Constance IN the beginnynge of Sigismundus raygne he went vp into Italye and toke counsell with Ioannes the bysh of Ro. of callinge a generall councel for to auoyde the diuision He went also to the Frenche kynge and compelled hym to agre to
oriental corner stretchyng her blasyng tayle towardes the southwest The second day of Nouember was there a great inundacion of water brokē in into Freeseland Holland Seeland and Flaunders which was very damageable to the said countreis and to thinhabiters therof Also Christerne kyng of Norway being retourned into his said kyngdome the yeare before from the parties of lowe Ducheland where he had kept hym selfe by the space of ten yeres was required by the counsayll of Denmarke to come to Copmanhauen otherwyse called Coppenhagen against kyng Fredericke whiche was put in there by the helpe of the towne of Lubeke when the said Christerne fled out of the Realme that he myght there receyue and take in possession the kyngdome of Denmarke but when he suspected no guyle relented and put away hys souldiours and came into Denmarke the Counsayll of the Lande toke hym prisoner not regardinge the promises and saulf conduit by them made vnto hym And so they kept hym in the castel of Sunderborough oute of the whiche he came neuer as yet So that after this kinge Frederick did peaceably enioye his kingdome vntyll he dyed At Lindowe by the sea coaste was in thys yeare borne a dubble calfe wyth two heades foure eares and eighte feete hanginge alltogether In the yere of our Lord M. ccccc xxxiij when y e Emperour namely Charles the fift had stablyshed vnity and concord among the Princes and Cities of Italy and Lumbardy he departed wyth a competent and wel appointed Armada or Nauye from Genua and hauynge a prosperous passage arryued within fewe dayes after in Spayne where he was receyued of hys subiectes wyth great ioye After this by the counsayll and instigation of themperours Maiestye the Shypmaiesters and maryners of Spayne founde oute certayne Indes or Ilandes in the sea beynge vnknowen before whyche do so excedynglye abounde in ryches of golde and syluer that it is vnspeakeable These toke they in by force of armes and subdued them vnder the subiection of the emperours Maiestye In thys yeare the Pope and Frauncys the Frenche kynge helde a solempne communycatyon together at Massylya whyche lyeth in the Prouynce of Fraunce where after manye and dyuers consultacyons it was concluded that Henry Duke of Orleans sonne to the sayde Frenche kynge shuolde marye Pope Clementes cosyne the doughter of Laurence Medyce Duke of Vrbyne wyth whome the Pope hadde promysed a ryche dowrye Thus hath thys Pope Clemente alwayes endeuoured hym selfe to allure and drawe vnto hym the hyghe Potentates and Rulers of the worlde by the helpe of whome he myghte extyrpate and roote oute the pore Chrystyans whome they call Lutheryans and Heretykes But God woulde not suffer it longe as it is wrytten There is no deuice nor counsayll agaynste the Lorde but it shall come to naughte In the same yeare the myghtye bond and confederatyon of the Germayne Natyon which was called the Euangelycall confederacyon or the bonde of the Gospell beynge kepte secrete of manye was at the prouocatyon of the Frenche kynge opened and disclosed There apeared also another Comete or blasynge starre from the ende of the moneth of Iune vnto the begynnynge of Auguste in the Northe and in the sygnes of Gemyny Taurus and Aryes thoroughe the whyche sygnes she made her course in her goynge backewarde hauyng her tayle extended towardes the South And thys was the thyrde Comete or blasynge starre that hadde appered wethyn those two yeres What they portended or sygnyfyed or what alteracyon of Estates and other thynges they broughte wyth them maye a dyscreete reader gather and perceyue by the Storyes herafter folowing For suche wonderfull workes of God althoughe they come by the course of nature yet are they not wythoute theyr specyall workynge It is sayde also that in this yeare of M. CCCCC xxxiii the Deuyl burned a lyttell Toune in Germanye called Shyltagh downe to the grounde by the meanes of a certayne wythche on maundy thursdaie The fyfte daye of October in the nyghte burned at Andwarpe the Churche called our ladye Churche beynge sodaynly sette on fyre At Nurrenboroughe and in manye other places of thempyre lyenge there aboute reygned thys yeare a greate Pestylence in so muche that at Nurrenboroughe onelye from S. Margretes daye vntyll S. Martins day folowinge dyed ten thousande persons The sixtene day of Nouember was a great earthquake and an horryble tempeste of wynde whyche plaged and troubled the Townes in hygh Germany verye sore namely Cu◠Feldechurche S. Gall wyth other townes and vyllages lyenge nyghe vnto them by the Ryuer called the Rhene Thys yeare Henrye the eighte kynge of Englande c. for certayne consyderacyons hym therevnto mouynge was dyuorced from hys wyfe whiche had bene fyrste maryed to hys brother prynce Arthur and maryed another on wytsonday In the yeare of our Lorde M. CCCCC xxxiii in the moneth of Ianuary The Anabaptistes whyche had gathered them selues together out of Hollande and Freselande by preuy subteltyes and conspyracyes whych they had made with certayne burgeouses of the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale inuaded the same Cytye toke possessyon of it and expelled from thence al the Burgeoules and inhabytauntes therof that woulde not take parte wyth them and folowe theyr facultye They chose them also a kynge that was a Taylloure named Ihon of Leyden whyche ordeyned for hym selfe two specyall Counsayllours the one called Knypperdullynge and the other kreghtynge and in conclusyon they made suche a dysorder and confusyon whytin the sayde Cytye that not wythoute a cause all the people of Westephale dyd ryse agaynste them But when the ryghte noble Prynce Philyppe Landgraue of Hessen toke in hande to accorde the matter betwene the sayde Anabaptystes and the Byshoppe whome they had expelled he coulde nothynge preuayle so sore hadde the Deuyll blynded that Anabaptystycall generatyon Wherefore the sayde Byshoppe compassed the sayde Cytye wyth a greate power on euerye syede to thyntent he myghte ouercome and subdue them ether wyth the sworde or elles by famyne And althoughe there was greate scarcyte and lacke of vyctualles wythyn the saide Cyrye in so muche that at the laste they were sayne to eate lether and couerynges of bookes yet dyd they sustayne bearcoute prolonge and holde oute the sayde syege vntyll the next yeare folowynge wherof we shall speake more in place conuement In the meane season dyd Philip Landgraue of Hessen prepare hymselfe after the best maner to restore hys Vncle Duke Hulderyke of Wyrtenbergh agayne to hys Dukedome from whence he was expelled fyftene yeares before durynge the whyche tyme kynge Ferdynando had the gouernaunce and vse therof But fyrste because the sayde prince of Hessen woulde do nothynge presumptuously nor temeraryouslye he sente worde to themperoures Mayestye in Spayne and to the kynge in Austryche desyrynge them to restore hys said Vncle Duke Hulderyke to hys Landes agayn for so muche as he had nowe suffered sufficient punyshemente for hys
to excommunicate them only but also to put them from the empyre so that one can thynke no honestye in these dedes of the Romysh byshoppes specially yf ye ponder and way all the causes and reasons All these were excommunicated in a rowe and yet were they myghtye and wyse Emperoures that haue brought to passe great and notable thinges Henry the fourth a Franke. Henry the fyfth a Franke. Friderick the fyrst a Schwabe Philippe sonne to Frederick the fyrste Otho the iiii duke of Brunswig Friderick the .ii. Henry the .vi. sonne Conradus Fridericks sonne The yeare of Christe M.CC.xii. Otho beyng come agayne into Germany though he knew that the princes myndes were set agaynst him yet poynted he a day of parlament at Norinberg and admonyshed the princes that they shulde not graunt the bishops of Ro. that authoritye that they shulde put downe Emperoures at theyr pleasure for the empyre pertayneth not to Romysh byshops but to the Germane princes He brought some princes to his mynd with this admonition and fell vpon Herman erle of Thuryngen the father of erle Lewys to whome S. Elysabeth was spoused For erle Herman to do the Byshoppe of Rome pleasure set hymselfe agaynst the Emperour as a man condemned wyth byshoppe of Romes excommunicatyons and curses But afterwarde was Otho forsaken of all the princes except one erle of March in Misen For Fryderycke the yonger enemy to Otho was alreadye come into Germany besyde that by the byshoppe of Romes procurynge was the Frenche kynge in armes agaynste Otho But whan tydynges came to Otho of Frideryckes commyng he prepared hym to go agaynste hym into Alsasse and was wyth hys hooste at Brysacke howe beyte beynge destytute of all the ayde of hys he was constrayned to flye into Saxony But than repayring an hooste and beyng holpen of the kynge of Englande he went into low Germany agaynst the Frenche kynge of whome he was ouercome and dyed afterwarde the yeare M. CC. xviij He lyued wythout the tytles of thempyre .v. yeares Friderick the .ij. the .xxiiij. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CC. xiij was chosen Emperoure Friderick the .ii. of that name the sonne of Barbarossa kinge of Naples and Cicily and duke of Schwaben whan Otho was put downe and was crowned Emperoure at Achen He raygned seuen and twenty yeares Yet before he dyed was he depryued fyue yeares of the Empire by Innocentius the Bysh of Rome Noman can pitye ynough the case of thys laudable Emperoure that he was endued wyth many and noble vertues and yet in the mean season suffred he moost extreme and heuy persuinges of Romane byshops He was verye well learned in many languages For he knew perfectly the Latine Greke Germane and Saracens languages Besydes thys set he forth also the disciplines of good sciences He brought to passe that the boke of Ptolome called Almagestū was translated out of the Saracens language into Latyn and by that meanes the doctryne of Astronomye whyche noman had taughte many yeares before in Europa was brought to lighte Hys fyrste warre had he in Germanye agaynste Otho the .iiii. by the bishop of Romes counsel but he had the same rewarde for it that other Emperours afore him haue had The seconde warre had he in Brabant agaynste the duke of Brabant and Othoes adherentes and restored Lorain againe to the Germane empyre The yeare of oure lorde M. CC. xx was Fridericke crowned of Honorius the .iii. Emperoure Two erles in Tuscia had taken in some cityes that belonged to the empire the which whan Friderick had taken agayne the erles that were driuen out fled to Honorius bysh of Ro. who toke them in hys defence and commaunded Friderick to restore thē into the possession of the cityes that he had taken from them But whan Friderick refused that Honorius excommunicated hym settyng asyde all the former loue The yeare M. CC. xxii came Friderick again into Germany and holding a parlamēt at Wyrtzpurg he made Henry his yonger son felowgouernoure of the empyre and was crowned at Achen But afterwarde was the same Henry taken by his father because he had made a leage with certayn cityes of Lombardy agaynst the father while the father liued yet died he of y e filthinesse of the prison Though the city Hierusalem was now loste yet possessed the Christians other great and mighty cytyes in Siria But whan the power of the Turkes grewe dayly more more and the fortune of y e Christiās went back Ioannes came to Rome who had yet the title of y e king of Hierusalē and desyred ayde of Honorius the byshop of Rome and optayned by Honorius that Friderick who was accursed was absolued Wherefore Fridericke and the Germane princes consented frelye to make an armye for the delyueraunce of the cytye Hierusalem and the kyng of Hierusalem gaue Iole hys doughter in maryage to Friderick the Emperoure Whereby it commeth that yet at this houre the kynges of Sicily ascrybe to them the title of the realme of Hierusalem Fridericke the Emperour than went wyth a great army well furnyshed to Hierusalem and wyth hym many princes of Germany among the which was also Lewis y ◠landtgraue to whom S. Elisabeth was maried the same dyed in that settynge forth at Brundusium The yeare M. CC. xxviij went Fridericke to Hierusalem and dyd hys busynesse so that the Souldane gaue hym frely agayne not only Hierusalem but many other cytyes there about Friderick was crowned at Hierusalem the yeare M. C C. xxix He caused the citye Hierusalem to be made sure agaynste the power of the enemyes He made treuce with the Souldane for ten yeres All thys shewed he by a letter to the byshop of Ro. and requyred absolucion of the curse for by thys Gregorye was he accursed also I wote not for what title in the kingdome of Sicily But it was a small matter for the byshop of Rome to deny to the Emperoure the absolution for this gyle also or rather iniury had he done to Frederick being absent For he set y ◠Italian cities against him toke in by force some cityes in his patrimonial realme Naples By thys constraynt was Friderick driuē to come back agayn into Sicilye and to rescue his realme come by inheritaunce from feare of daunger Although the bysh of Ro. had ben sore dissoial against the Emperour in his absence yet required he absolution so lowly that he promysed he wolde holde the kyng dome of Sicily of him by fealtye Besydes this also caused he the princes of Germanye to come into Italy that at the least by them myght the debate betwen hym and the Emperour be alayed Therfore dyd Gregorius absolue the Emperour agayne the yeare of Christe M. CC. xxx After y c came the Emperour Friderick the thyrd time into Italy and warred in Eastenrich agaynst the Hungarians toke the eyty Vienne the which that she shuld be remain an emperial city he wold haue