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
spyrituall kyngdom LEst we be ignorant in what state the word of God and the church was we must also speake of the spirituall kyngdome Abraham was in the time of kyng Ninus For when he was old about fifty yeares the first twoo thousande yeares had an ende and the kyngdome of the Assyrians was already begonne And that more is whan now the true worshyp of God and his worde began to come out of vse in the kyngdome of Babylon There weÌ„t out of Chaldea into Mesopotamia with his two sonnes Abraham and Loth lest he also myght bee stayned with the wickednes of the superstition that the Chaldees vsed This idolatry doth the scripture cal Vt Chaldeorum that is the Chalde fyre For when in the sacrifice of the true Godly the fyre fallyng downe from heauen kyndled the oblacions the wicked folowyng their examples kyndled a fyre and so set vp a newe Gods seruice that with suche a worke they might serue God without the expressed worde of God without the knowledge of the promyse of Christ to come Hereafter also in the histories is the same fyre called Orimasda that is holyfyre the whiche kynges caused also to be caried before them vpon a horse The first occasioÌ„ of ydolatry among men began by this fyre before Images were vsed But lest y â— worde of god should vtterly be quenched God renewed afreshe the promyse of Christe and added a new ceremony too the worde the which as a token should kepe the remeÌ„braunce of the worde in mens myndes For true doctrine is lightely put out of mens mindes without it bee beaten into the peoples myndes by outward tokens and ceremonies To that was Abraham chosen of God the whiche when he was olde thre score and fyften yeares he was commaunded of God to go into Chalde leauyng Mesopotamia where a new promise was made hym that the sede of Abraham should possesse the lande of Canaan should beare rule in it and also that the sede of Abraham namely Christ should come by the whiche God woulde blesse all nacions that is that GOD would be appeased by that sede and takyng awaye the power of synne and death geue lyfe euerlasting To this promyse hath God added circumcision the whiche should be a sygne of promission and a prouocation to beleue And therfore remayned alway afterward in the churche or congregacion the worde and spirituall kyngdome of Christ among a certain people that is in Abrahams posterite amonge the whiche it was necessary to haue bene alway some whiche were true beleuers and Godly As for the whole history of Abraham is fully written in the holy Bible In this place suffiseth it to shewe in what tyme Abraham hath bene and what chaunges 〈…〉 gion are happened in the meane season But the promyse was other whyles repeted to Abraham As for the circumcision was geuen hym when he was foure score yeare olde and nyne thee yeare from the creation of the world two thousand and seuen and fourty some count it to our Iubile two thousande and fifty Abraham had of Agar his handmayden a some called Ismael the same began to growe in strength and puisaunce by the Arabians and the Agareny in Arabia beare the name of this Agar of whome we shall speake afterwarde Of the destruction of Sodome THE foure score and nyntenth yeare of Abrahams age hath GOD for thee abhominable euyll dedes horrible and vncomly lecheryes destroied fyue cities Sodome and Gomorre and the other cities lyeng therby burnyng them with fyre from heauen The place where the cityes were is become a great marasse whose length and bredth conteyneth the space of certain miles euen yet at this time as though it were ful of pitche doth burne with coÌ„tinual smoke and vapor for a token of Gods indignacion vengeaunce for so greate synnes This happened the thre hundreth and fourscore eleuenth yere after the floude after that Noe was deade the fourtieth and one Of thys wyse hath God other whyles wytnessed to the worlde that he wyll bee auenged and iudge synners Of Isaac AFter this was a sonne borne to Abraham of his wyfe Saâ—a called Isaac of whose sede is Christ For he dyd beare hys fygure whan God commaunded that he should be offered of hys father wherby is signifyed that Christ should bee a sacrifice with the whiche should synne and death be disamilled And by this example it is signifyed agayne that God wyl forgeue synnes rayse the dead and geue euerlastyng lyfe to the beleuyng Isaac had two sonnes Iacob and Esau Of Esau haue the Edomites in Arabia their begynnyng for Esau was called Edom that is reddish because he solde his brother y â— ryght of y â— fyrst borne the which God hath blessed for a messe of potage y â— was somwhat reed despysynge the blessyng of God and his benefyte for loue of hys belly But Iacob was surnamed Israel that is prince of God of whom the people Israel haue their of sprynge But for al theese thynges must the Bible be loked Of Ioseph Iacobs sonne BEcause Ioseph is rehersed amoÌ„g the chiefe and moost wysest gouernours we do worthely here make mencion of hym For he taught the Egyptians both the religion and ciuyll maners and aboue all is it worthy to bee marked that the man whiche was endued with holynesse the holy ghost had set vp a very hard and rigorous maner of rulyng and that where the whole kyngdome of Egypte was large and wyde he ioyned them together as members of one body so that we may learne thereby that rygour is most nedeful to entertayn the people in there office or duety alowed of God For the common people is commonly destroied by lybertie But for because he came into Egypte by the conspiration of his brethren that he was solde of them and also what chaunce he had in Egypte of all this is there fully wrytten in the Bible For by thys wonderfull occasion God wylled hym to come into Egypt that in the same kyngdom also myght be taught the true worshyp of God and that the promyse of Christes commyng myght bee made manifest For God would euer haue his word preached euen in the greatest kyngdomes also that by this occasion God might fede Iacob and his posterite in the tyme of derth Of Moses and of the punyshment of the tyraunt Pharao ALthough God had promysed to the posterite of Abraham the possession of the lande of Canaan yet hath he differred the promyse a long season that through the word they myght haue in the meane while wherewith to exercyse their faith ye he suffred them before to be sore punished in Egypte For as saith the booke of Genesis Iacob and his chyldren fled into Egypte in the tyme of derth where they dwelled a longe season the which we shal note hereafter But when Pharao ouercharged the people without measure and remission and vsed tyranny insom uche that
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
what warres he made doth Titus liuius wryte I wyll only shewe brefely the ordre of the tymes and what notable chaunges of realmes are happened in the meane whyle that euery man maye knowe what is chefely to be marked in readynge of all hystoryes nother shall we also passcouer these wonders that are happened by some heauenly prouideÌ„ce that we may se that vnryghteousnes is punyshed of God and for what causes coÌ„mune wealthes and Kyngdomes are chaunged Pomponius Atticus and some other whych reken the nomber of yeares mooste dyligently doeth affirme that the citye of Rome was begonne to be buyldeth in the begynnynge of the thyrde yeare of the syxte Olympias that is the tenth yeare of Ioathan Kynge of Iuda but after the creation of the worlde the thre thousand two hundreth and one Rome was before Christes byrth seuen hundreth and nyne tweÌ„tyyeare I wyl also adde that Varro wryteth the twelue great rauens to sygnifye the tyme and lastyng of the citye namely a thousande and two hundreth yeare For euery great raâ—en shulde sygnifye a Seculum that is a hundret yeare and this is no euyll interpretacion For from the begynnynge of the cityes buyldynge vntyll the tyme of Honorius and Archadius whan it was destroyed of the Gotes was a thousand and thre hundreth yeares The kynges raygned at Rome two hundreth and foure and forty yeares as wytnesseth Liuius Eusebius addeth also two yeares Romulus xxxviij Numa xliij Tullius hostilius xxxij Alha the citye and punyshed theyr gouernoure which was a true breaker wyth dew punyshment He gaue anotable example to men therin how traytours ought to be punyshed For he caused hym to be bounde and stretched out betwene two wagons and with horsses dryuen sundery wayes to be pulled insunder and toren to peces The kyngdome of Alba ceasyd here and this happened alytle before that tyme whan Manasses raygned in Iewry Whan Alba was ouerthrowen the posteritye of the Troyans chefely of Iulius the sonne of Eneas write to Rome leauynge Alba the whych after warde became myghty by the Romanes toke all the monarchy alone in the tyme of Iulius Cesar Therfore was it well prophecyed of Homerus concernynge Eneas that hys posteritye should haue dominion euerlastingly and that is no doubte to be vnderstande of the Romane dominion for theyr monarchy is the last But we shall speake more larger of these thynges hereafter after Tullus Hostylius succeded in the kyngdome and raygned Ancus Martius xxiiij Tarquinius Priscus xxxviij Seruius Tullius xliiij In his tyme began the monarchy of the Persians and for because I myght be brefe therfore wylled I also to comprehende here the kynges of Rome because they for the moste parte all reygned before the monarchy of the Perses durynge the whiche few thynges worthy of remembraunce are befallen by the Romanes vndoutedly whose puyssaunce was not great before that tyme. Tarquinius Superbus raygned xxv yeares was dryuen out of the kyngdom for the abhominacion of his sonne Sextus Tarquinius the which did by violence misvse the moste honeste wyfe Lucrece whiche moued with shamfastnes of such wickednes pearced herself with a swearde eueÌ„ through the hart Her kynsfolke moued with the wickednes of the dede droue out the kynge This example doth also witnesse for what causes God doth suffre kyngdomes to be changed and tyranny to be punished This is ynough spoken of the beginnyng of the foundacion of the citie and whence happened the first chaunge of the common wealth ¶ Of the second Monarchye WHen the Iewes had bene thre score and ten yeares in exile by the Babylonians as we haue sayde before the kyng of Babylon Balthasar was punyshed of God â–ª because he blasphemed the God of Israel and vsed the vessels that were ordeined for the tempels vse in his bankettes For the Medes and Perses were fallen into his kyngdome and toke the citie of Babylon with the kyngdomes of Chaldee and Assyrya Worthely therfore is this to bee called the seconde monarchye For the greatest kyngdomes of the worlde began now to growe together too the whiche all Asianearehande was ioyned afterward by the Persians Here ought y â— godly mynd before all thynges to consyder these noble benefytes and workes of God whiche brought agayne all thee worlde in one certayn body and a lawfull empyre that iustice and honestie myght be mainteined For it were necessary that all ciuilitie and good lawes should peryshe amonge men without God chose and ordeined somtyme myghty monarchyes and puyssaunt princes the whiche might defende them and if they were decayed to restore them agayne This monarchy of the Persians was knowento the Grekes and for the moste parte are happened in this monarchies tyme whatsoeuer notable and greate fetes are done in Grece And thereby commeth that the Grekes begyn their histories at the Persians the whiche it semeth to haue litle knowledge what hath bene done in other kyngdomes before the Persians tymes As for the order of the yeres in histories I must here aduertyse the reader that I haue hetherto borowed the rekenyng of the yeares out of holy scriptures the whiche shewe by order the counte of the yeares euen from the creation of the worlde untyll these seuenty yeares in the which the Iewes were kept in the Babylonicall bannyshment Moreouer in the holy Bibels are conteyned certayne Cronicles of the yeares vntyl the tyme of the Perses but after that is thee order of the yeres not so wel kept saue that Daniel saith that there are four hundreth and seuenty yeares from that tyme that it was graunted to the Iewes to repare the citye Ierusalem vntyll Christ was borne And of so easy a thynge some men maketh a great question of countinge these yeares a ryght in the which we shall shewe to be no difficultye For Daniel hath very well expressed and marked the tyme of Christes coÌ„minge The begynnynge of the Monarchye of the Persians BUt that the nombers do agre wyth the seuenty yeares aforesayde we shal reken in the Monarchy of the persyans a hundreth nynety and one yeare Although the Grekes do reken the nomber of these yeares greater in the Monarchy of the perses Howbeyt thys is come thereby that the Grekes haue not begonne fyrst to reken whan these seuenty yeares were expyred but that about a twenty yeares before And of this wyse must the rekenynge of Philo and other Grecians be made equal For the Iewes begynne in the yere of Cyrus after that he had wonne the cytie Babylon But the Grekes reken those yeares wythal also the which he had reygned before but they are not to be referred to the yeares ensuynge Moreouer that the matter maye the better be vnderstande accordynge to the order of Philo we shall fyrst rehearce the high priestes after that shall we also adioyne the Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them But he that vnderstandeth Cyrus kyngdome to beginne after the conquerynge of Babylon
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
him Afterward y e Babilonians trusted him with the whole army the which he betrayed to Darius and made also that he recouered the whole citye the whiche he had nowe besieged syxe monethes and a whole yeare As for Darius gaue hygh thankes to thys zopyrus for hys faithfulnesse for he set hym afterwarde before all the princes of his kyngdome And as a pomgranate was geuen hym he sayde He woulde wysh him no better thinge in this lyfe than that if he might get so many zopyries as there are graines in this apple For therby would he signifie that a kynge can haue no worthier treasure nor no stronger fortresses than faythful frendes and counsellers Of Darius Warres in Grece THE Persians assayed to drawe by claime to them the kingdomes of Macedony and Grece because they bordered vpon Persia But because God hath prefixed euerye royalme as it were certayne boundes the whyche it can not passe therfore coulde the Persian kinges subdue nor make subiectes to theyr empyre nother the Macedonians nor the Grekes Wherfore happened about that tyme in Grece many and greate chaunces the which as they are many euen so to rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse some of them howbeit none saue the very best and that brefely The Persians sendinge Ambassadours to Amyntas kynge of Macedouy desyred that he woulde yelde hymselfe to them Amintas being afrayd because of the Persians power graunted willingly to do their request in a maner prostrate treated messengers very courteously And whan a royall banket was ordeined for y â— Ambassadours after their wil they desired to haue brought to them noble women and ladyes for to garnyshe the banket Amyntas which durst denye them nothynge commaunded to brynge them Whan the Persians were now droncken they dalyed wyth the gentle women vncourteously insomuch that theyr vnmanerelynesse yrked and displesed kyng Amyntas and his sonne Alexander the yonge king and by reason of the shamefulnesse and reuerence of age desyred Alexander his father the kynge Amintas that departing out of the company he would go to bed he wold remayne with the gestes As the father went now away Alexander faynyng myrth he suffred the Persians to daly and playe more frelier wyth the women at the last he prayed them all to ryse and suffre the ladyes to go a lytle apart for they should strayght way returne better trymmed The nobles of the Persians suffred that wyllingly In the meane season caused Alexander the fayrest yongmen apparelled wyth womens garmentes to returne into the banket and hyde sweardes vnder theyr garmentes wherewyth in daylienge they should slaye the Perses the which was done For the Persyans were kylled of euery one of these yonge men and thus was theyr vnshamefulnesse greueouslye punished This Alexander is rehearsed amonge the greate grauntfathers of Alexander After this rebelled the Grekes also which were vnder Darius in the forepart of Asia and taking the citye Sardis burned it and to this dyd the Athenians ayde them For one Histieus a noble prince sente a seruaunt to their captayne and lest the matter should be disclosed polyng his seruauntes heade he prynted vpon hys heade letters conteynynge this sentence that they should disceuer and rebell to the kynge afterward as the heare was growen agayne he sent no letters but this seruaunt to the capitaine wyth this message only that he should klyppe of his heare and loke vpon his heade the whiche whan the capitaine had done straight waye fell he from Darius But thys traytour was kylled and Histieus was hanged and the commotion beynge swaged wyth these remedies went no farther This and other lyke gaue Darius occasion to gather a great hoost namely a hundreth thousand footemen and ten thousand horsemen and to sende them into Grece to be reuenged of the Athenians for the sedition and vproure They pytched their tentes two myle from Athenes Whan nowe some counseled not to wythstande the enemies but yf they besieged the citye to defende it manly onely Miltiades counsellinge the contrary shewed that the syege should be heauy and verye intolerable for the communalty but with a sodayn inuasyon myght the enemyes be lyghtely vanquyshed They folowed Miltiades counsell whom also they made captayne of the warre the Athenians made an army agaynst the enemies of ten thousande nother had they any succourse out of the other cyties saue of one thousand men that the city Platea had made out And wyth thys small army was that greate and chosen company of the Persyans discomfyted and layed doun and thys battayll deserued a very great prayse for it deliuered all Grece from a great and incredible feare where wyth she was no lesse taken at that tyme than yf at oure tyme the turke shulde inuade Germany We must not ouerpasse here what recompense the Athenians haue made finallye to Miltiades and how they haue requyted hym for thys good dede For besyde this victory had he done other great actes for the commune welth Wyth chyualry had he added other cities and yles wherewyth he augmented the empire and dominion of the Athenians But because greate vertues can not want the enuy and detractions of euell men it was procured by the people and broughte to passe that Mâ—ltiades was cast into the commun preson vntyll he payed to the communalty thre hundreth thousande crownes But whan he was not able to paye that summe and beganne nowe to be sycke of the longe presonment and stenche his sonne Cymon went into preson to delyuer the father at the last whan the father was deade a very ryche citysin maryed Myltiades doughter and disbursynge out the summe of money he delyuered Cymon out of preson Can not good men be duely rewarded of the communaltye on thys wyse Of Kyng Xerxes DArius had two sonnes the elder was begotten ear he had the kingdome offred but the yonger called Xerxes was in yâ— tyme of the kyngdome of hys mother Atossa that was Cyrus doughter The same by reason he was of both parentes of the kynges bloude â–ª he succeded his father beyng dead in the royalm that the kingdome myght remayne by the yssue of Cyrus The elder brother suffred this wyth a great modesty of mynde stryuynge in no manere wyth his brother Xerxes As now the hoost of y â— Persians was ouer throwen in Grece Darius assembled a new army but in thys appoyntynge dyed he Wherfore Xerxes straight before hys raygne accomplished the preparation that hys father had begonne and entred into Grece with a moost puyssaunt army insomuch that some haue writteÌ„ that neuer was so great an army assembled before at one tyme as was kynge Xerxes armie Iustine sayeth that of his own kingdomes were seuen hundreth thousand men in armoure and of the other that were confederat with hym thre hundreth thousand men Though it semeth not wel to
rose controuersy and dissension by the Romanes For seynge they vsed not yet a certayne iustyce or lawes men were oft vniustlye wronged in and out of iudgemente for noman knewe yet perfectly what was ryght And whan the multitude dyd for this cause murmure it was ordeined that a certayne lawe should be written Wounder it is of what importaunce be written lawes to entertayne commune peace and concord in the commun welath the which this example doth witnesse manifestly For this thing were ten men chosen whiche beinge sente into Grece searched oute and espyed the maners and lawes of the greatest cities and in gathering together the beste lawes dyd vse the counsell of Hermodorus of Ephesus and other Philosophers Twelue tables were written the which were hanged vp openlye before the court of Rome This is the begynning of the written lawe of the Romanes the which they haue fyrst borowed of the Grekes The Ten men ruled thre yeare for it behoued that the lawes were euery daye declared But Appius one of the Ten men dyd abuse hys power which caused one Virginius a cite sins doughter to be demed for another mans bondewoman that by that cloke of lawe he might drawe her to hym and destore her The whiche as the father perceaued and sawe that by reason of Appius power his doughter coulde not be delyuered he slewe her himself in the iudgement lest his stocke shoulde be stayned with such a reproche Afterward gathering an army he made ready an ayde against Appius the tyraunt Than deposynge the Ten men from their office a new dignitie was ordeined Appius beyng taken and cast into pryson slew him selfe Thys example sheweth that tyranny and iniustice remayne not vnreuenged The thre hundreth and thre score yere after the foundacion of the citye fell into Italy an army gathered of the Frenchmen and Germanes whyche brent Rome But Camillus whom the commune people had before dryuen out of the citye played y ◠part of an honest man for coloring wholy the iniury the which he had suffred vnworthely gathering an army out of the next contryes he oppressed the Frenche men and Germanes wythin the citye kepyng the castel from besyegynge and the residue of the citesins that were escaped The dammage had the citye in the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon and about that tyme nearehande was Athenes taken and spoiled In this hystory is the first mencion made of the Germanes and this was not wholy four hundreth yeares before Christes byrth Of these Germanes was Milane and other cityes in Italy buylded Of the thyrde Monarchye THe thre thousand syxe hundreth and foure and thyrtyeth yeare after the worldes creation whan the dominion of the Perses had lasted an hundreth and nynety yeares that is thre hundreth and twenty yeares before Christes byrth began the thyrd Monarchy the whych we call the monarchy of the Grekes and nowe is the dominion of the worlde translated from the coastes of the East into the West and oute of Asia into Europa From that time began Asia by lytle and lytle more and more to dekeye not onelye in those thynges that were concerninge the power of the empyre but also in those thynges that concerned modestye of maners vertues gouernaunce of cōmune welthes and good learning And though these thyngs are in a maner redressed and restored by the Romanes yet at the last came by violence the Barbarians into Asia and dyd spoyle it in so much that thesame parte of the worlde whiche was wont to bee the moost excellentes by reason of the pleasauntnesse of situation wysedome honestye of men and puyssaunce of countryes is now turned nearehand altogether into a synke of fylthinesse and murthurous denne And contrary wyse those hyghest giftes are nowe in the Weste seynge the worlde doth drawe by lytle and lytle to the ende This monarchy beganne at Alexander kyng of the Macedonians whom we do worthelye call the Great For he was so excellent not only in power of gouernaunce but also in all other princelye vertues that one woulde suppose he haue had but few that were equall to him He is praysed in Ieremye and Daniel the prophetes because he was a most sharpe and happy gouernoure Daniel describeth a buck of whom is a ramme ouercome ouer throwen and doth expounde manifestlye that the buck is the kyng of the Grekes and the ramme the Persian kynge The vertues and notable victories wherewyth God had garnished kynge Alexander gaue some men occasyon to falle fayne muche of hys ofsprynge but I passe them ouer But this is certayne that great and fortunable princes are gouerned and kepte of God and that they are endued only of God wyth those ▪ vertues and gyftes For God wyll haue the maiestye of gouernaunces to be kept and maynteyned by those whych are noble by noblenesse of aunceters and florishing of kynred and it is euident that Alexander was borne of this sorte Hys father was kyng Philippe and hys mother was Olympias And that nyght whan Alexander was conceaued it is sayde that Philippe sawe in hys slepe that he had a seale on Olympias belly wherin was karued the ymage of a Lyon It was expounded that by that dreame was signifyed that Olympias hauynge conceaued of Philippe should brynge forth a moost puyssaunt kynge As for Philippe and Olimpias both of them were borne of the hyghest and moost noblest kynred of all Grece at that tyme. For Philippe if wee maye geue credet to the moost true wrytynges of hystoryes came of Hercules and Olympias of Achylles the valiaunt captayn before Troye These are the aunceters of whose stocke the renowmed prince Alexander is borne The kynred of Alexanders father The battail of Troye Hercules Hyllus Cleodeus Aristomachus Temenus Perdicas Argeus Philippus Eropus Alcetas Amyntas Alexander Amintas Philippus Alexander the great Thys was the fyrst kyng of Macedony whose ofspringe doth Herodotus describe And Alexander the great was borne about eight hundreth yeares after the Troian warre The kynred of Olympias mother to Alexander Achilles Pyrrhus Molossus kynge of Epyrus and Pielus they were both borne of Andromachus Of Pielus doth Pausanias in the Atticall wrytinges draw the other kings of Epyrus folowing Tarymbas Alcetas Neoptolemus and Arymbas Olympias Neoptolemus doughter mother to to Alexander This is the genealogy of Alexander gathered out of moost certayn hystoryes the whiche wytnesseth that the ofsprynge of Alexander was of the posterytye of very great men Whan Philippe was stayne because he left the wicked dede of a great man that had shamfully defloured a noble chylde vnpunished strayght waye after rebelled the Illyrians and Grekes and fell from the Macedonians and the kyngdome of the Macedonians stode in greate daunger For whan his father Philippe was slayne Alexander was only twenty yeare olde This was in the beginning of the hundreth and eleuenth Olympias after the rekening of the Grekes But wha◠Alexander had takē to him the
administration of the royalme he fyrst broughte the Illyrians agayne vnder the yock after that wente he to Thebe For they of Thebe besyeged the garnyson of men that his father Philippe had set in there castell and also made a league wyth the Perses the whiche inuaded the kyngdome of Macedony In the meane season that Alexander besyeged them of Thebe dyd the Athenians sende ambassadours to hym for to optayne peace Alexander receaued them fauourably They of Thebe in the meane season beyng obstinate nother soughte for grace nor conditions of peace And whan it was proclamed by the coÌ„maundement of Alexander before the assaulte that whoso of them of Thebe that woulde yelde them frely and go oute of the cytye shoulde saue theyr lyues They of Thebe caused to be proclamed contrarye wyse that they that would haue the libertye of the Grekes wyth theirs saued and the kynge of the Perses against the tyraunte Alexander shoulde drawe to them Alexanders myâ—de beynge chafed wyth that reproche the citye was assaulted and wholy spoyled and was neuer restored afterward Thys was the fyrste greate citye that Alexander subdued For we se most communely come to passe that God ordeineth puysâ—aunt monarches for the destruction of great cityes Whan Alexander had now made a peace in Grece he went into Asia with â—n hoost of fourty thousand â—oote men but of horssemen onelye foure thousand The army that was in Asia the whiche his father had sent afore was but lytle With this small hoost falleth he vpon the Perses and maketh very great feldes and taketh many mighty cityes with strong hande amonge the whyche was Sardis Miletus and Tyrus In conquering of the whiche Alexander was in many haâ—ardes Vanquyshyng also in battaill Darius the kynge he put him to flighte and takyng hys mother hys wyfe the quene hys doughters and sonne he entreated them gentely and as it besemed there royall kynred The queâ—e that was aged called he mother he entertayned her sonne none otherwyse than if it had bene hys owne Wounder it is what prayse Alexander deserued for these vertues in all Asia and with Darius himselfe insomuch that frely he offred hymselfe to treate of peace offerynge to be content to delyuer vnto him euen the half of his royalme To this answered Alexander that this worlde can not be ruled wyth two sonnes but yf he were content to yeld frely him selfe and hys royalme he wold gently take him to grace But Darius renewynge an hoost was vanquyshed and was thrust through in the flight by his own seruaunt and guyde Bessus Alexander comming vpon Darius founde him very greueously wounded and nearehand dead and had pitye vpon him promised him that this vnfaythfulnesse of Bessus against his owne lord shuld not be vnpunished Wherfore Bessus beyng taken afterward he caused him to be hanged betwen two trees that were bowed doâ—â—ward the which whan they were suffred to dresse themselues agayne wyth a great swynge they tare hym paynfully Of thys wyse was Alexander become gouernoure of Asia and toke in farther the residue of the contryes and cityes as Babylon Susa c. The beginnynge of thys monarchye of Alexander was after the death of thys last Darius that is in the begynnyng of the seuenth yeare after that Alexander began to raygne Alexander beynge become proude by thys victory began to be dissolut in excesse of dronkennesse He caused some of hys frendes and counsellers to be put to death which was the moost excellent and sage captayne the aged Parmenion Besyde thys in hys wrath he slew hys valiant captayne Clytus in a banket because he preferred Philip his father before Alexander his sonne But whaÌ„ his maners were chaunged fortune chaunged also though the mynde was not peasable Ho warred also vpon the Iudyans and Scythians but he liued not long after that For he dyed the two and thyrtyeth yeare and eleuenth moneth of hys age He raygned after hys father Phylyps departure no lenger than twelue yeare and seuen monethes and wythyn so lytle space had he dispatched so many and great warres so that suche a multytude of men coulde scarce haue yournyed throughe so many contryes and realmes euen whan it had bene peace and tranquyllyte He raygned at Babylon after Daryus only fyue yeare and eleuen monethes Such hystoryes declare that greate kynges and princes are guyded by a certayne heauenly power or will Alexander was endued with many and excellent princely vertues the examples whereof to set forth here by reaâ—on of oure industrye to be short hath no place I will recite only one amonge so many As oft as the playntyfe in iudgement layde ought against any gylty man the same beynge absent he gaue only the one eare to the plaintyfe and was wont to shut y â— otherwyth his hand that he might signifie he would kepe the other for the gylty man and that both partes oughte to be herde alyke the which pertaineth to an office of a good prince and true iudge Alexander gaue here a notable example for greate princes that not onely the one parte should be admitted to speake and laye for him selfe but both partes euen as at Athens they were wont to sweare the iudges that were chosen that they should geue sentence accordinge to the lawe written and that they shoulde heare both partes alyke Of the moderation and godlynesse that Alexander dyd vse agaynst the Iewes WHan Ierusalem was now builded agayne the Iewes lyued in greate peace vnder those Godlye kinges of the Perses But whan Alexander besieged the citye Tyrus he requyred ayde of thâ— Iewes which answered that they coulde do it by no honeste meane because they were subiectes to the kynges of Persia whyche also had receaued many and great benefytes of them Whan Alexander had hearde thys excusation he was wroth and whan he had wonne Tyrus he came wyth hys hoost towarde Ierusalem But Iaddus the hygh prieste puttinge on the prestly apparell and other aged men went oute of the citye to mete Alexander for to aske peace WhaÌ„ he sawe y â— hygh prest in that apparel he lept incontinently from his horsse and fallinge vpon his knees before the preste he promysed hym peace frely All hys princes maruayled that he vsed so greate lowlynesse agaynst a priest of a straung nacion and also that he had swaged the rage of hys mynd in so lytle space Parmenio which was entierly beloued of the kynge by reason of his age and wysedome demaunded of him what reuerence moued hym that he fell so lowly before the prest To the whiche he aunswered that in Macedony he sawe a lykenesse in hys slepe semblable to thys prest that stode before him and admonished hym that he should go into Asia and promysed to ayde him and that he dyd the honour to the verye same God that than had appeared vnto hym At that tyme went Alexander peaceably into the citye hearynge also reuerentlye the prestes reasonynge of the doctryne
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
many also were taken prisoners This discomfiture made the Romanes so sore afrayd that many nobles gathered together began to deuise to flye into Grece leaue the cytie But wheÌ„ Scipio the yonger harde of that he went to them exhorted theÌ„ to sted fastnesse in defending the contrary and sayed yf he perceiued any man to flye out of the contrey he would straightway strike him thorow with his sworde Wherfore he compelled the young noble men to bynde themselues with an holy othe that they shoulde not leaue the citie but that they would frely abyde euery chaunce for loue of the countrey As for this same Scipio made an end of this warre when it had lasted syxten yeres For he ouercame Hanibal in Aphrica and compelled the CarthaginiaÌ„s to require peace and peace was concluded vpon this condition that they of Carthago should yelde Hannibal to the Romanes But he beyng escaped fled to kyng Antiochus the greate whome he prouoked to ordeine a great and dredefull warre against the Romanes But kyng Antiochus was slayne whiche we haue sayde before It may easely be gathered out of this what tyme this seconde warre of Carthago was namely twenty yeare before Iudas Machabeus Of the warre of the Romanes in Macedonia ABout the fyue hundreth and fyue and fortyeth yere rose first the warres in Macedonia First with Philippe and that because of the league made with Hanniball against the Romanes For kyng Philippe hated greatly the name of Rome For he perceaued that the same citie crept vp to the destruction of all kynges and moste myghty Monarches in so muche also that he shoulde haue sayed somtyme He feared lest a tempest shoulde once come out of Italy into Grece whose vehemency shoulde be so greate that all these slaughters and discomfitures whiche Grece had suffered of the Perses and othet compared to it might be called but a triful toie Wherfore when he was inuaded of the Romanes with warre he required the coÌ„dicions of peace not vnwittingly made a treaty of peace concord with the Rom. But afterward Perseus his sonne as one y t was more coragious and of a more vnrestly minde gathered an army and made aliaunce with many kynges and inuaded those cities of the Romanes that were in Grece and the Romanes were also greatly vanquyshed of hym at the first But not loÌ„g after this battayll he required frely the condicions of peace howbeit the Romanes refused to graunt the same and sent Paulus Aemilius into Macedony of whom Perseus was ouercome and taken prisoner with his mother wyfe and children Of this wyse were kynges tamed by the Romanes subdued This Perseus was the last of the Macedonian kynges and with hym is that noble kynred of Demetrius gone to naught where of we haue spoken before Howbeit the sonne of this Perseus became a secretary at Rome and the kyngdom of Macedony was afterwarde alwaye gouerned by Romane gouernours This warre with Perseus began not long before when Antiochus Epiphanes inuaded the Iewes Of the Spoylyng of Carthago THe syxe hundreth and seconde yeare after the fouÌ„dacion of the citie began the third last Carthaginian warre by this occasion The citie Carthago was at variaunce with the countreis adioynynge to it as somtyme ryse debates betwene cities and princes and these required ayde of the Romanes againste the Carthaginians After long reasonyng it was disputed in the senate whether Cartago shoulde be wholy spoyled because that it beyng restlesse could not lyue in peace For Scipio Nasica counsailed that Caâ—chago should not be ouerthrowen first because it were not honest that the Romanes shoulde vse so great tyranny and shoulde slaye so muche people Beside this that it wer not profitable also without that citie could not Aphrica be entertayned too do her duetie without it were wholy spoyled Thyrdly that it were moost necessary for the Romanes to haue suche a citie contrarieng them by the whiche they should be sturred to lustinesse and courage or els should they rayse warre within themselues yf they feared no foren enemy Contrary wise did Cato bring this argument among other as the chefest that the Romanes dyd by lytle and lytle become vn lyke their auncetours in vertues prowes Wherfore if the moost myghty citie Carthago remaining in her estate knewe the cowardnesse negligence sloughtfulnesse feblenesse of the Romanes there were nothyng more surer but that she would striue againe for the empire and high gouernaunce and oppresse the Romanes and bryng them vnder her power Wherfore lest this shoulde be it were moste profitable and necessary to destroye Carthago Nether would the senate geue any certayn sentence or verdice vpon this at that tyme but they ordeined Cato the aged and certaine other to be sent with hym to Carthago to trie out all the matter whether any daunger were to be feared of the Carthagineans that then at the last they might earnestly deuise what were to be done But what nedeth muche to be sayed Cato beyng returned shewed that more daunger were to be feared of the Carthaginians than euer was before For though they of Carthago were depriued of their dominions yet could they easely perceaue that the citie were both myghty and also cruell whiche coulde not rest but must by processe of tyme assay some thinge to reuenge her selfe Besyde this brought Cato with hym grene fygges of exceadyng bygnesse the whiche he shewed openly in the senate And when he was demaunded whence he had brought those fygges he aunswered within thre dayes may be saâ—â—ed thither He said moreouer they growe in the lande of your enemies So neare dwel your enemies and they that couet your empire The senate being sturred with these so many persuasions ordeined that Carthago should be assaulted with warre should be roted out by the ground that there should be no hope of restoring it afterward To accomplish this warre was Scipio the yoÌ„ger the sonne of Paulus Aemilius made capitaine and in the fourth yeare after the coÌ„tinuall assault of syx daies was Carthago taken And though Scipio permitted euery man a space to flye frely yet was a miserable slaughter in the citie wheÌ„ it was dispoiled Afterward by the coÌ„maundement of Scipio was the citie set on fyre and burned syxtene dayes continually This is that myserable decaye of Carthago the moste noble cytie in the whiche neare hande alwaye haue so many renowmed princes gouerned of whome to speake by reason of their worthinesse wyll not the brefenesse of writtynge suffre at this tyme. Carthago stode continued about seuen huÌ„dreth yeares The godly reader may aboue all thynges behold here a dredeful example of Gods vengeauÌ„ce in so truely ouerthrowyng of so mighty and very excellent a citie It is sayed also that after that it was set on fyre Scipio came rydyng to the place of the citie and sawe the myserable case of Carthago that was spoiled and destroyed and beyng moued with a
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
byshop succeded Ioannes The yeare of Christ vi C. lxxxvii IVstinianus the son of Constantinus the lxii Emperour raygned xvi yeres but not contynually For whan he had ruled ten yeare he was put downe and driuen out by Leontius who raigned thre yeare after that Iustinianus was chaced oute Leontius was taken prisoner of Tiberius Apsimarus who raigned after him seuen yere But thenceforth was Iustinianus restored agayn and dyd tread both vpon Leontius and Tiberius that were prisoners beyng cast downe before hym and caused openly to be cried out Thou shalt tread vpon the serpent aspis and the coccatryce Afterward were they beheaded Sergius the lxxxvii bishop of Rome was after Conon and than was great dissencion for the election In his tyme lyued Beda in England Ioannes y â— vi was after Sergius y â— lxxxviij bish Ioannes the vii was after Ioannes the vi Zosimus the xc bysh succeded Ioannes the vii Constantinus was byshop after Zosimus The yeare of Christe vij C. xiii PHilippus Bardesanes y â— lxv Emperour raigned one yeare and sixe monethes Beyng taken of his marshall was depriued of the Empyre and hys eyen put out The yeare of Christe vii C. xv ANastasius the lxvi Emperoure raygned one yeare thre monethes The same was also taken of his captayn Theodosius and depriued of the empyre and that he mighte lyue solitarely was he putt into a monastery The yeare of Christe vii C. xvii THeodosius the lxvii Emperour raigned only one yeare He forsoke the empyre whan he perceaued that he was inuaded of Leo and mystrusted he coulde not kepe the Empyre He became a monke and dyed in a priuate lyfe The yeare of Christ .vij. C. xviij LEo the .iij. the .lxviij. Emperour raigned twenty yeares He was surnamed Iconomachus that is assaulter of ymages because he had coÌ„maunded to take oute of the tempels the ymages of saynctes and to burne them The citye Constan tinopole was besyeged viij yeare longe of the Saracens in his time y t which suffered great misery in that fyege by reason of the greate hunger and pestilence Yee and were also slayn of the Bulgaries whych ayded the emperoure Besydes that also were the Saracens shippes burnt wyth fyre that was craftely made vnder the water After Constantinus was Gregorius the second made the .xcij. byshop of Rome in the tyme of Leo Iconomachus Gregorius the .vij. succeded Gregorius the .ij. The yeare of Christ .vii. C. xlii COnstantinus the sonne of Leo the .lxix. Emperoure raygned thyrty yeare he was surnamed Copronymus because that at his baptysynge he dyd hys casement in the founte He also was a destroyer of ymages The yeare of Christ .vii. C. lxxvii LEo the .iiij. the sonne of Copronymus the lxx Emperour raygned fyue yeare The yeare of Christ .vii. C. lxxxiii LOnstantinus Leo the fourth sonne the lxxi Emperoure raygned wyth hys mother Irene ten yeares She was of Athens and ruled moost sagely aboue the vnderstandyng of woman kynne and wyth the alowance of euery man After her raygned her son fyue yeares she beynge put from the gouernaunce But they of Constantinople not sufferyng hys wickednesse called the mother agayne from the aexile whych raygned after warde thre yeare Of thys wyse were Irene and Constantinus gouernynge the empyre together xviij yeares vntyll the yeare of Christ .viij. C. and i. But though the Christen Emperours were allwaye at Constantinople whiche called themselues Emperours of Rome also vntyll at the last the citie was taken in of the Turkes yet in y e meane season whan the power of the empyre began so to faid that the Emperours were notable to defende nother theyr tytle nor Italy the Romanes were constrayned to seke ayde at the Frankes whose power was than the greatest Wherefore came the maiestie of the Emperours name to Carolus And because oure Emperours haue alwaye maynteyned and defended Italy wyth stronge hande we wyll aduysedly passe ouer here the Greke Emperours for some were tangled with want on pleasure effeminate and wholy vnapt to haue gouernaunce recite orderly our Emperours which are worthy to be coÌ„meÌ„ded for their notable vertues prowesses Zacharias was the .xciiij. bish after Gregoriê° y e iij. This same wynkyng at the matter was the olde Hilderichus kyng of Fraunce pryued of the empire and put into a monastery and Pipinus was made kyng in his stead For all the power was come to y e princes by reason the kynges were enpoueryshed In the tyme also of thys zachary dyd S. Bonifacius preache in Germany Stephanus the ii succeded zachary The same prouoked Pipynus into Italy agaynste the Lombardes whose kynge he besyeged and compelled him to require peace Paulus the fyrste was after Stephanus the xcvi byshop Stephanus the thyrde was after Paulus In hys tyme happened greate stryfes and rumors at Rome for the chosynge of theyr byshop One Constantynus was chosen byshop by force and agayne putte downe and all they that he had consecrated were destitute and forsaken Adrianus the fyrste succeded Stephanus The same enticed Carolus the great to come into Italy agaynste Desiderius kynge of the Lombardes Leo the thyrde the .xcix. byshop folowed after Adrianus Whan a seditious vproure was raysed against him at Rome he fled to Carolus the great or Charlemayne by whom he was restored And the same ordeyned Charlemayne Emperoure and crowned hym ⸪ ¶ Of the Germanes Emperours Charles the greate The yeare of Christ viij C. i. The yere of the worlde .iiij. M. vii C. xlv The yeare of Rome M. v. C. li. CArolus magnus was crowned Emperour of Leo the iij. the very Christmasse daye Thys was the begynnynge of translatinge the empyre to the Germanes and by this translatynge happened vnto Italy and the Best kyngdome a moost mightye heade and a moost sure fortresse For though the Emperours of Germany were not alway of lyke power as in no kyngdome the kynges were alwaye of lyke power or lyke fortunate yet in prowesse were they such somtyme that they dyd rydde Italy out of daungers and preserued not onely in the Weste quietnesse in the commune welth but also kept the Christen religion sound in the churche And if ye wyll ponder the feates dedes and maners of oure Emperours ye shall iudge them to haue ben excellent wyse princes and not barbarous and in nothing to be estimed lesse than those excellentand allowable Emperours Augustus Traianus Adrianus and Constantinus yee yf ye do aduisedly ponder all thynges ye shall saye that ther hath bene more honestye and modestye in oure Emperours than in them Thys shall ye fynde also that ours haue enterprysed no warre of any ambicion or priuate profyte but only of necessitie to mayntayne religion to defende the liberty of the empyre and the sauegarde of the subiectes As for me beynge certayne of myne owne vnablenesse though I can not iudge nor speake of the vertues of greate men acrording to theyr
Charles the balde in to Italy where the two cosins the sonnes of Lewis folowed hym As he herde this he was taken with a disease of a soden feare and died Yet in the meane season persysted byshop Iohannes in transferryng of the empyre and willed the sonne of Charles the balde to succede in his fathers place Wherfore he was taken at Rome of the Germane legates and such as were of their partes but escapyng their handes he fled to the Frenche kyng where he made Lewis the stammerer the sonne of Charles the balde Emperoure This Lewis lyued nomore but twoo yeares after hys fathers deceasse And of this wyse was this earnest couetyng come to an euell ende at the last for the Frenchemen and also was the byshop frustrate of his false engines Charles the grosse the fyft Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .viij. C. lxxxi came the empyre agayne to the Germanes For the Saracens commyng agayne into Italy and spoylyng all thynges dyd the Romanes call their byshop agayne out of Fraunce for the Italians had nede of succourse agaynste the Saracens And when the kyng of Fraunce was deade seyng the kynges heyre was not yet of ful age there were raysed euery where great dissencions and debates in Fraunce for the gouernaunce of the realme vntyll the kynges sonne were come to age Wherefore the byshop of Rome constrayned by this necessitie required ayde of the Germanes to rescue Italy out the brunt of daungers Then came Charles the grosse sonne to Lewis the Germane into Italy driuing out the Saracens toke the emperial crown the yeare of Christe .viii. C. lxxxij Charles reigned after that he was crowned ix yeares About this tyme the Normandes fallyng into Fraunce dyd so much harme euery where that the Frenchmen wer compelled to require ayde of the Germanes and by consent of euery man was Charles made kyng of Fraunce and by thys occasion gott Charles the Grosse the realme both of Germany and Gallia or Fraunce agayne But these kyngdomes were separated againe not long after Charles beynge wery of the warre in Morauia or Meerhen by reason of the greate combraunce and trauail forsakyng the empire he made Arnolfus his brothers sonne Emperour who pointed Charles out of the empire so muche reuenues so long as he lyued as was sufficient for a kynges state Arnolfus the .vi. Germane Emperoure ARnolfus the sonne of Carolomanus duke of Baierlande Schwaben and of the FraÌ„kes y â— cosin of Charles the third was substitute by hym in the empyre the yearâ— of Christe .viij. C. xci he reigned .xij. yeares Fyrst ouercame he the Morauians or Meerhlanders after that the Normandes whiche beyng now returned out of Fraunce came vntyll the Rene and commyng to Worms put the byshop of Mentz to execution As the Normandes were vanquyshed by the Emperours at the last became they Christen Afterwarde when Vâ—ido duke of Spoleta by a rumor was made Emperoure Arnolfus goyng into Italy toke in Rome by greate force and was crowned of Formosus the byshop of Rome Wherfore wheÌ„ he had taken in Italy agayne Vâ—ido was bannyshed He restored againe also the duchy of Bourgondie to the Germane dominion Marinus the C. xi bysh of Ro. succeded IoaÌ„nes Adrianus the .iij. was byshop after Marinus Stephanus the fift C. xiij bysh succeded Adrianê° Formosus succeded Stephanus At that tyme was again a great debate at Rome for the election For Sergius was also created byshop but the fauoures of Formosus driuynge out Sergius Formosus sent for the Emperoure into Italy that he myght kepe styll the byshopryke by that meanes For Sergius was fled into Fraunce and went about to obteine the byshopryke by the aide of Frenchemen Howbeit after certaine yeares when Formosus was deade he was made byshop vsed more tyranny and presumpcion then he ought to haue done accordyng to byshoply mekenesse He caused to digge vp the deade carcas of Formosus to degrate it and beheadyng it cast it into the floude Tyber with moste shame It is written that this Sergius was very vnlearned vnmanered which thinge his cruell dedes declare plaine ynough Bonifacius the .vi. the C. xv byshop succeded Formosus Stephanê° the .vi. folowed Bonifacius Thissame disanulled condempned al Formosus ordinauÌ„ces Romanus the C. xvi byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Theodorus the .ij. succeded Romanus IoaÌ„nes y â— .x. the C.xix bysh of Ro. succeded Theâ— dorus thissame alowed agayne the ordinaunces of Formosus whiche Stephanus the syxte had disanulled Benedictus the .iiij. was the C. xx byshop after Iohannes Leo the .v. was after Benedictus the C. xxi byshop of Rome The same was taken prysoner by Christophorus Christophorus was byshop after Leo. Thissame was taken by Sergius After Christophorus was Sergius the .iij. made the C. xxiij byshop of Rome The same caused the deade coarse of Formosus be dygged vp agayne and beheaded It is a thynge full of drede ether to reade or to reherse byshops of Rome to haue vsed so great tyranny among themselues And it could not be that any regarde could be had of Christen godlynesse let no man then marueill in the meane season yf any abuses and wycked opinions be broken into the churche in the meane whyle Lewis the .iii. the .vii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .ix. C. iij. Lewis the sonne of Arnolphus being substitute in the empyre of hys father reygned ten yeares It is no where redde that he was crowned For when Arnolphus was deade the Hungarians inuaded Germany wyth greate violence Agaynst them dyd the good prince Lewis the Emperoure set hymselfe and dyd greuously disconfite them by the ryuer Lyeus but he was afterwarde ouercome of them lykewyse Then the Hungarians beynge vanquishers dyd euery where muche myschefe and harme to the Schwoben Frankes Baierlanders and them of Ostenryche Slayeng euery one wythoute regarde or mercy burnynge temples cityes tounes villages yee euery thynge Afterwarde entrynge into Italy vsed lyke crueltye At that tyme was Berengarius prince of Foroiulium which gatherynge a great army aganyst the Hungaryans although somtyme he fought vn luckelye yet gat he hym such a good name by thys settynge forth that afterwarde he wylled to be called Emperoure Cunradus the .i. the viij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. xii was Conradus made Emperoure he raigned seuen yeares But he was not crowned of the Romysh byshop He was Lewis the .iii. brothers sonne he was duke of the Frankes and the laste of the mooste noble posteritye of Charles the great whiche ye maye gesse by the order of the genealogye wrytten hereafter the whych I haue added therfore y t it maye be knowen to how great chaunces and how many alteracions the kingdom of the Germanes hath ben putt the which thynge can not be red wythoute greate wonderynge at For that maye be sene euerye where that greate kyngdomes floryshe a certayne space in the world but at the laste they be
and afterwarde coueted the gouernaunce of whole Italy And though other prynces dyd also stryue for the souerayntye of Italye yet dyd Berengaryus excellynge in power kepe Italye tyll the thyrde heyre The same toke vpon hym the tytle of Emperoure and vsed greate crueltye in Italye The Italyans requyred ayde and succoure of Otho agaynste hys tyrannye Wherefore Otho goynge into Italye he inuaded Lombardye and gat it Berengarius wyth yeldynge himselfe frely optained of Otho that grace that he shuld not wholy be dryuen out of Italy but should retayne a duchy to possesse After twelue yeares was Otho called into Italy agayne to defende or clayme the Italians wyth the clergye and byshop of Rome from the tyranny of Berengarius which thynge he also dyd valyauntly For whan he came agayne into Italy he toke Berengarius and hys sonne Alberte and bannished them for theyr disloyaltye the father wyth hys wyfe to Bamberge in Germany wher they spent theyr liues also as outlawes but the sonne sent he to Constantinople Otho entrynge into Rome in thys settynge forth was crowâ—ed of Ioannes the .xii. This Otho was the fyrste Emperour that made an othe to y e bishop of Rome wherof the maner and tenor is in y e canon lawes begynnynge Tibidomino Ioanni .iii. ce After that is Otho come the second tyme to Rome to rebuke Ioannes bish of Rome because he was accused of many fautes Wherfore the bishop knowynge himselfe gyltye fled for feare of Otho And therfore was Leo the .viij. made bishop in his stead But before that Otho went from Rome Ioannes commynge to Rome thrust Leo out agayne Leo fled to the Emperoure But the moost wyse Emperoure vsed greate policy lest he shoulde geue an occasion of debate He suffred Ioannes to vse the bishopryck so longe as he lyued But so sone as he was deade to take Leo as lawfully chosen bishop but the Romanes wolde not alowe it whych refusyage Leo chose another called Benedictus in spete of the Emperoure Otho than returnynge inuaded the possessyons of the Romyshe byshops and dyd much hurte He besyeged also the citye of Rome vntyl the cithesins constrayned by famine necessity opened the gates frely to Otho He than puttynge to death manye Romanes and banny shinge the Consuls restored Leo whan he had apeased al thynges returned into Germany leadynge wyth hym Benedictus who was kept at Hamborowe Otho goynge the thyrde tyme to Rome droue the Saracens and Grekes out of the farther coastes of Italy Than chosynge Otho hys sonne to be partener in the Empyre bringyng hym wyth hym commaunded to crowne hym and caused the Emperour of Constantinoples doughter to be geuen hym in mariage By all these thynges maye it easely be gathered that this Otho was one also of these princes which God hath now and than geuen to repayre the decayed state of the worlde For he set vp agayne the decayed empyre of Rome and set all Europa in quiet by hys succour hath he defended whole Italy and Germany He subdued the Hungarians and Frenchmen To be shorte he hath restored the maiestye of the empyre to hys former bryghtnesse and set it in order afterward dyed he at Quedelnburg in great quyetnesse It is written also that he found fyrst the syluer mines in Misen He gaue also muche good to the churche to maynteine religion and to promote the doctryne of godlynesse to which intent he made also not a fewe byshops as at Magdeburg Misen Brandenburg Mersburg and Ceitz Martinus the .iij. was the .cxxxij. byshop after Stephanus Agapetus the .ii. succeded Martinus Ioannes the .xiii. the C. xxxiiij bishopp was after Agapetus The same crowned Otho the fyrst afterwarde fled he from Rome fearynge leste for hys vnclennesse of lyfe he shulde be caste from the offyce by Otho Leo the .viii. was chosen in Ioannes steade But whan Ioannes was returned to Rome Leo fled to the Emperour but whan IoaÌ„nes was deade was Leo restored agayne Ioannes the .xiiii. and C. xxxvi bishop succeded Leo. Of hym was Otho the seconde crowned Otho the seconde the .xi. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxiiii raygned Otho y â— .ii. after hys fathers deceasse ten yeares against him was an vprour raysed also For Henry duke of Baier hys cosyn coueted y e empyre This Henry is not the brother of Otho the firste of whome is spoken before which conspiringe rose agaynst his brother Otho and afterward reconciled again to his brother gat the duchy of Baier Thys fyrst duke of Baier that was of the Saxons bloude dyed .xv. yeare before Otho But thys fyrste Henryes sonne is the same whyche set hymselfe agaynste Otho the seconde but Otho had soone tamed this newe enterpryser Afterwarde dyd the Frenchemen fall sodenlye vpon the Emperoure at Aken and he dyd searcely escape theyr intrap But Otho repayring an army went into Fraunce and spoyled euery where vntyl Paris constrained the Frenchmen to demaunde peace whyche dyd than bynd them wyth an othe that they wold neuer claime Lorain any more Whan he had set Germany at quyet he went into Italy There did he fight wyth the Grekes and Saracens in Apulia but hys hoost beyng vanquyshed he was taken by mariners as he fled But because he was vnknowen to the mariners by reason he could the greke language nether was he taken for a Germane prince he redemed himselfe with an easy price and comming to Rome he gouerned the empyre as he dyd before It is sayd that the Italians poisonned hym for his rigoure that he vsed in the gouernaunce Benedictus the .v. the C. xxxvii bysh of Rome was after Ioannes the .xiiii. Donus the .ii. succeded after Benedictus Bonifacius the .vii. the C. xxxix bysh succeded Donus Benedictus the vi succeded Bonifacius In his tyme became Otho the thyrde Emperour Otho the .iii. the .xii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxxiiij raygned Otho the thyrd after hys fathers deceasse .xix. yeares He was yonge scarcely passed xii yeres whan hys father dyed wherefore Henry duke of Bayer cosyn to thys Otho caused him to be kept at Rome and beganne agayne to vsurpe the Empyre Some Italians counseled to make Crescentyus Emperoure that the emperyall maiestye myghte be broughte agayne to the Italyans But the Germane princes beynge loyall to theyr lorde called the yonge Otho agayne from Henry and made hym Emperoure wyth commune assent whereto Benedictus the byshop of Rome gaue his consent also The fyrste warre that he hadde was wyth the Frenchmen whyche forgettynge theyr othe that they had made inuaded Lorayne agayn takynge in many cityes but Otho dryuyng out the French men kept Lotharyng or Lorayn In the meane tyme a Romane prince called Crescentius takyng vpon hym the name of an Emperoure vsed great crueltye in Italy Wherefore Otho commynge to Rome enuyrouned wyth a greate army and takyng Crescentius cutt of hys nose and eares set hym arswarde vpon an asse caused
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
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
that he hath the full power and aucthoritie to make and depose not onely kynges but also all Emperoures at hys pleasure By thys it maye be gathered easely that the Romyshe byshop vsed so greate hatred agaynste the Emperoure for no very weyghty cause There were also about that tyme some learned men whiche openly blamed the Romyshe byshops writynges amonges these was Occam one ▪ the princes of Germany euery one as wel ecclesiasticall as of the nobilitie helde with the Emperour at the last were some compelled by the byshop of Rome to fall back and also to choyse another Emperoure Lewis had very greate vproures in Italy Galeacius of Milan and the counsayll of Rome longed for Lewis commyng into Italy Wherfore he went thether with the Emperesse which also was delyuered of a chylde at Rome that was called Lewis the Romane and was afterwarde by the Emperoure made marques of Brandenborowe At Milan was Lewis crowned of the bysh there and at Rome of the Cardinall de Columna He made also Peter of Corbaria byshop of Rome who was not longe after caried bounde to Auinion in Fraunce to Iohannes the .xxii. who cast hym into pryson wherein he dyed But whyle allthys was adoynge Lewis by no requestes coulde optayne to be released of the excōmunicacion by the byshop of Rome But forsoeth the Romysh byshop brought that to passe wyth his busy laboure at length that in an assembly or daye holden at Lucelburg the byshops of Mentz Trier and Colen the kyng of Bohemy and duke of Saxon dyd choyse another Emperour There was chosen Charles the fourth erle prouincial of Morauia the sonne of the kyng of Bohemy The same was then confirmed by Clemens the .vi. byshop of Ro. But for as muche as the cities of Aken and Colen would not knowe hym for an Emperoure he was crowned at Bon. Of Nicolaus Augustus that is Nicolas the noble that was at Rome ABout this tyme happened at Rome an example of a notable folye There was at Rome one Nicolas a towne clarke or recorder of Rome of suche power and aucthoritie that one would haue sayde he had the rule of the whole citie for at that tyme were the Romysh Byshoppes yet in Fraunce This Nicolas called hymself Tribunus Augustus that is the noble hygh officer and with open scriptures wytnessed that Rome is yet the true heade of the empyre and therfore by y e citie of Romes aucthoritie had he the hyghest power to handle maters of the empyre And by reason of this aucthoritie called he Lewis and Charles to appeare before hym and to cōmitte their matter to his arbitremēt or iudgement Lyke folyshnesse vsed he oft agaynst other cities and kynges y e space of two yeares At the last this pore Augustus being driuē out by the byshop of Romes partie fled to Charles the fourth But Charles sent the rash man to the byshop of Rome at Auiniō of whom he was kept in pryson The yeare of Christ M. cccxlv died Lewis the Bayer And then came Charles with a great hoost out of Bohemy to Regenspurg where he was knowen for an Emperoure From thence was he also receaued at Norenberg for Charles made thē beleue he had gotten a fauourable absolution of the bishop of Rome to put out the great offences wherwith they had offended in that they were adherent to Lewis When they of Basyl sent out their Burgemaisters to Charles that he in the name of the citie should aske absolution he answered he thought they had not done amisse in that they had Lewis for an Emperoure nether thought he that Lewis was an heritike yet in the meane tyme if they could be absolued of their trespasses he wold be content And thus were they absolued The yeare of Christ M. cccxlviij when Lewis was now deade there rose yet a greater discorde the byshop of Mentz the counte Palatine the marques of Brādenburg and the duke of Saxony his sonne that hath chosen Charles Emperoure assembled and refusyng the election of Charles they chose Edward the third kyng Englande to take vpon hym the maiestie Emperiall but he refused it as a thyng ful of cumbraunce After that chose they Frederick Erle prouinciall of Misen But he also forsoke that title of the empyre for he would not fyght and warre with his neyghbours the Bohemies to vndoe his countrey Guntherus Erle of Swartzburg is chosen Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. cccl. was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Gunterus Erle of Schwatzburg yet not with consent of all the Electors Thesame accepted the gouernaunce of the empyre and garnyshed with all defence to retayne the empyre he was armed ynough againste the force of Charles who then abode at Mentz But shortly after died Gunterus at Frāckforde sodenly poysoned Wherefore Charles was Emperoure alone He came to Franckforde and was receiued for an Emperoure After Clemens the .v. became Iohannes the xxii byshop of Rome who without a iuste cause dyd excommunicate the good Emperoure Lewis Benedictus the .xi. was made byshop of Rome after Iohannes The same neuer alowed the action of Iohannes against the Emperoure Lewis and when he was made byshop of Rome he had frely absolued hym had not the kynges of Fraunce and Naples with their threatenynges withstande hym When in the relacion the orators or embassadors of the kinges alledged that Lewis had enterprysed many haynous thynges against the byshop of Rome Benedictus answered yea we haue done against hym He liued not long in the byshopricke therefore dyd al the causes hang vndispatched Clemens the .vi. was made byshop after Benedictus The same renewined the thonder boltes cast against Lewis and persued hym moste fearcely though in the counsayll of Vienne in Fraunce were treated in the meane tyme of the condicions of peace and that Lewis declared hymselfe humble This Clemens bought the citie Auenion of Ioanna quene of Sicily and so hath the byshop of Ro. aucthoritie vpon this citie Moreouer at this tyme went about here therin in Germany and Fraunce a great nomber of men whiche did beate themselues with roddes Many of them came to Spire when the day or parliamēt was holden there pretending great holynesse For their holinesse sake were they bidden to the meales of the citesens And as the deceate of the erroure dyd not differ from the Anabaptistes supersticious opinion euen so was that secte no lesse daūgerous in those daies But at the last it was condemned Innocentius the .vi. succeded Clemens In his tyme was Charles the .iiij. crowned at Rome Charles the .iiij. the .xxxij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. cccl. began Charles y ◠iiij to raigne after y e death of Guntherus of Schwartzburg He was a prince of y e bloud of Lucelburg the sonne of Ihon kyng of Bohemy for Iohn was y e sonne of Henry of Lucelburg Frō this yere of M. cccl. reigned Charles xxvii◠yeres The yeare M. ccclv went Charles downe into Italy
wytnesse of Virgil. For he sayeth that the kyngdome of Alban dured thre hundreth yeares Of thys wyse sayeth he of that kingdome of Alban Thre hundreth yeares wholy shall be the raygne vndoutedly Before the ende of thys raygne beganne Rome to be buylded the which we shall declare afterward And if ye reken backward the nomber of the yeres ye shal find that from the tyme of the buylding of Rome vntyl the begynnynge of Salo mons kyngdome are thre C. and thre yeares And it is euident that the battaill of Troie was not long before Some history wryters do differ here whiche saye that thys battayl was of more antique but I coulde proue the contrary by many argumentes the whiche I doo now passe ouer because of brefenesse Forsoth thys one thyng is worthy to be marked that the occasyon of the Troian battayll is spronge of adultery For Paris the sonne of the Troian kyng led away Helena the wyfe of Menelaus prince of Grece the hefe of the Grekes and the cytezens takyng this 〈…〉 displeasure making a conspiracy went to Troie 〈…〉 nd besyegyng it ten whole yeares at the last they 〈…〉 anne the castel Ilium and the cytye Troye and 〈…〉 ayeng kyng Priamus the kyngdome of Troye 〈…〉 as wholy quenceed From Troye sayled Eneas 〈…〉 to Italy in y e which he possessed that part which 〈…〉 as called Latium He beganne here a new kingdome and buylded for hys sonne Ascanius whych was also called Iulus the citye Alba in the which 〈…〉 he posteryte of Eneas raigned vntyll the tyme 〈…〉 hat Rome was buylded In the battayll of Troie 〈…〉 ere many doughty and renoumed princes whose 〈…〉 ames maye be sought other wayes Out of Thesâ—alia was there Achilles of whom Hector the most 〈…〉 aliaunt capitaine of the Troianes was slayne 〈…〉 nd Achilles him selfe at the last was slayne also by 〈…〉 yle For the Troianes had maryed to hym a doughter of Priamus and as he satt knelinge in hys prayer before the altare in the temple he was strycken through wyth a dart of Parys by a decepte Of the battayl of Thebe NOt long before the battayll of Troie ther was another of Thebe much more cruel For seynge the kyngdome of Thebe was fallen of right by inheritaunce to the two brethren Ethrocles and Polinices they agreed together vpon this condition that they shuld raigne euery one a yere one after y â— other Howbeit whan Ethrocles had receaued the kingdome he woulde raigne continually contrary to the appointement Wherfore hys brother Polynices beyng constrayned fled to Adrastus king of the Argies the which as he had geuen him in mariage his doughter he woulde set him into the kingdome againe by force but Adrastus was slayne before Thebe with other princes Ethrocles and Polinices brethren meting together by chaunce in battayll were slayne wyth woundinge eche other The discorde of the bretheren was the cause of thys great and dolefull slaughter of the brethren Nother was the warre yet fynyshed for other princes beseged the cytye agayne afterward with a mighty power and gettinge it dyd at the last ouerthrowe it Of Hercules ALytle before thys tyme that is shortey before Saul was made kynge by the Iewes lyued Hercules in Grece which before other princes is chiefely praysed for hys noble vertues His elders were Amphytryo and Alcmena boren of the cytye Tyrinthus whych lyeth not farre from Argis But Amphytrio fled to Thebe because that in a discorde betwene hys brother and hym he slewe hym and for thys cause fortuned Hercules to be borne at Thebe and here he shewed the fyrst profe of his power For whan they of Minya a toune in Thessalia which at that tyme were of renoumed puyssance and raygned in the cytye Orchomenus assaulted the towne of Thebe Hercules defended it driuing the enemies of from it and toke the citye Orchomenus the dominion whereof began than to fayle This citye was most ryche whose greate prayses are in Homers worckes for her plentyfulnesse This victory gat Hercules first a great name in so much that afterwarde other prynces of Grece came frely to him therfore was he euery where a maker of peace he ayded princes and cities he reuenged and chastysed vnryghteous dedes and against them that he had holpen vsed he great mekenesse nother layed anye charge vpon them that they were not able to beare These are the thynges for the whiche he deserued so greate prayse as none other prynce the lyke Afterwarde toke he hys yourneye into Asia where he ouercame kyng Laomedon and slewe hym but in thys vyctory vsed he a very kyngly moderacion of mynde For he saued the kyngdome nother woulde destroye it but gaue the possession thereof to Priamus as to the true heyre And because he restored the kingdome to Priamus it is easye to gesse what tyme Hercules lyued Besyde thys he made the sea in Italy and Spaine safe from robbers and for this cause caused he to be raysed two rockes in the vtter coastes of Spayne and Aphrica which shuld alwaye beare wytnesse of this dede For at thys time yet are they called Hercules pyllers Charles the fyfte the most victorious or most valiant Emperour hath these at this tyme as a peculiar badge namely that he may be knowen to be sent to vs of God to the intent that in thys troublous state of the worlde he maye be in whole Europa as an Hercules to restore agayne wyth hys prowesse and stronge victorious hande peace and instyce Hether to haue we spoken of the notable thynges that are happened in Grece in the tyme of the fyrst monarchye But I shall neuerthelesse adde a few thynges besyde these For in reading of hystoryes must speciallye be consydered what state the kyngdomes were of what religions what maner of lawes Fynally what sciences they had wherein they floryshed Whan the sonnes of Noe dyed the true vnderstanding of Gods worde peryshed also in Grece though in the meane whyle they retayned of thepr fathers the maner of ceremonies and sentences of godlynesse yet neuerthelesse was the vngodlynesse encreased and otherwyles was one or other Idolatry set vp For enery one ymagyned for him selfe an order to worshyp God accordynge as hys constraint and necessite compelled hym For it is spoken of a Poet The fyrst feare that came to men mortall Caused gods that be immortall That is most euidente and true in fayninge of the wicked seruice of God For noman is so cruel of nature whyche beynge in necessyte that doeth not seke God and for so muche as he knoweth not that God must be sought by faith only in Christ he falleth to some outwarde worke and faineth some new maner of worshippyng God Of this commeth the fountayne and sprynge of all the vngodlynesses nere hande that are in the worlde Nether nedeth any man suppose that men erred so greatly that they thought Images and contrefaitures to
nede of an other mans helpe and mercye After thys commaunded he Cresus to be brought to him and had him in greate reuerence as a great prince and vsed hys counsel in gouernaunce Cyrus demaunded of hym also by what cause he had taken this warre whether he were moued by the answer of Apollo whome he had asked counsell before To this answered Cresus sayenge That Apollo counselled him right well with these wordes Knowe thy selfe and all thyng shall prospete He dyd not refuse thys counsell of Apollo For whan his hoost had gotten the worsthande in aydinge the Assyrians he had purposed thenceforth to lyue in rest and peace chefely for so muche as he sawe Cresus to haue such prosperitie and power in bringinge all thinges to passe But whan he was praysed of the cityes that laye rounde aboute and of his great princes for his power and conning of warrfaringe he was agayne deceaued by pryde and vaine glory of him selfe and was so by the other princes made capitaine of the warre agaynst Cyrus And that by these praises he was brought to take the answer of Apollo otherwyse and that he thought he was suche a one in dede as he was praised namely that he was no lesse in power than king Cyrus and by these meanes had he taken the warres in hande But hetherto is ynough spoken of Cresus Hereof maye notable examples be taken that princes be oft brought to warre by no constraynt of necessytie and to theyr greate hynderaunce by the counsell and flattery of them which can falsely persuade and extolle with vaine prayses theyr power and vertues In king Cirus is chefely to be considered that in so great prosperities of all thynges he vsed great moderation of minde and that in so great violence of victories he swaged tyranny wyth mekenesse Cyrus than toke in all the kyngdomes from Persia vntyll the fyrste borders of Ionia from thence beynge returned he besieged the cytye Babylon which semed moost strongest against all force of mans power But Cyrus wanne her and that by this meanes The floude Euphrates runneth through the citye by some ryuers dyggynge thorough hys caucyes he ledde the course of the water another waye and as the floud was dryed men myght safely go into the toune on foote Besyde that had he hys espyals whych shewed what tyme the Babylonians were at reste and so broughte he hys army into the cytye in the styll of the nyghte whan they douted nothyng lesse But what nedeth here to prayse and auaunce much the prosperytie of Cyrus seynge it maye easely be thought and consydered that it is Goddes worke and not of mans wysedome or power that so many and so stronge tounes and kynges be subiect to hys kyngdome vnto whome it semeth no mans power nearehande myght wythstande For those hygh monarchies are ordeined conserued by an heauenly power for to preserue the state of a coÌ„mune wealth agaynst the will of Satan Moreouer after that Babylon was wonne than began that kyngdom of the Perses fyrst to be called a monarchy For the heade citye or see of the monarchy was Babylon and the kyngdomes of Chalde Assyria Medes and Persians be now brought vnder one empyre The moost parte of Asia was ioyned thereto also and other great countries which border vpon these kyngdomes Cyrus gouerned these kyngdomes with great prayse insomuch that no princes prayses wherof historyes do make mencyon can be compared wyth his commendacions and â—uauncementes I suppose that thys monarchy began after that Babylon was wonne in the thre score and tenth yeare after that the Iewes were ledde into captyuyte in Babilon But sence the creation of y â— world the yere of thre thousand foure hundreth and thre and forty and before Christus byrth the fyue hundreth and one yeare Whereby it maye easely be gathered that those histories of the Grekes that begynne at Cyrus be not very olde Of the Iewes delyuered out of the Babylonycall captiuite HEtherto haue we spoken of the state of the commune wealth and empyre of those tymes nowe resteth it that we speake also of the spyritual kingdome of God and of the churche After that Cyrus had subdued the Babylonians he set the Iewes free and at libertye out of all his kyngdomes and restored them into the kyngdome of Iewry This example wytnesseth howe muche God doeth care for the church or congregacion of the godly and howe lytle he doth forget them For that the church myght be released from the seruice bondage it was necessary that Babilon the citye shuld be taken and peryshe For a prince must not be a cowarde to represse the force of his enemies Herodotus wryteth also that some do suppose otherwise of Cyrus death and Xenophon writeth that he dyed in his bedde and that before his death he exhorteth his childeren to the feare of God to vnitie and loue to eche other and that with a greate relation and manye wordes he admonished them to remembre that mens soules dye not with the bodies but that they remayne immortall and that the godlye after thys lyfe enioye an euerlastinge reste wyth God and that contrary wyse the wicked shalbe greueously punished And to this is it saied that he shoulde haue added a substanciall euidence of mans reason concerning euyll doers the which in this lyfe haue a great inwarde drede in their minde for the conscience of theyr wicked dedes and that therby may be gathered that the soule hath a certayne beynge and that seynge this feare is beaten in by God it is euidente that God will be reuenged of all thynge that is vniustly committed Hetherto is ther ynough saide of thys moost holy kinge Cyrus In what tyme the Philosophers were fyrst in Grece BEfore haue we shewed that by the Grekes were the Poetes fyrst in high reputation by reason of ther learning afterwardes in Cyrus tyme began another kynd of learned men whiche were called Philosophers of them were two sectes at one time for some were philosophers of Ionia some were called philosophers of Italy The philosophers Ionici were in Ionia they vsed greate diligence in naturall thinges and searchinge out the course of starres The beginner of them was Thales which diuided first for the Grekes the yere in thre hundreth and thre score daies For though they had before twelue monethes yet were they constrayned to brynge the mouynge of the sonne to the course of the mone Thales did also shew first of the Eclypse in Grece and found the poynte whan the daye and nyghte are equall the which was no small conning He had learned these thinges of the Egiptians with whom God had kept this science These Thales taught also that the soules are ymmortall and he is the fyrste and true begynner of the philosophers of Grece The other parte of the philosophers whyche are called the Italians began by Pythagoras for the same lyued also aboute the tyme of Cyrus in that
be beleued that ther haue ben such a multitude yet beare histories wytnesse ynough and also sunderye battails that were had at that tyme that Xerxes hoost was very great And now at this present time do we proue sufficiently wyth howe great an hoost howbeit lyght armoure the Turkes and other nations of the Easte do make theyr warre Daniel also wytnesseth that a kynge shall come oute of Persia againste the Grekes wyth a very great hoost of souldiours It is red also that whan thys great multitude was now gathered in one felde Xerxes weping sayd with an hâ—â—y harte The cause of mans life is very miserable for of so many thousand men can not one lyue ouer a hundreth yeare It is also sayde that whan Xerxes nowe ouerlayed the strayghtes of the see wyth brydges as there rose a tempeste he commaunded to beate the see To thys belongeth it also that it is not vnworthely sayd that in goynge forth hys hooste dryed vp floudes wyth drynkynge Wonders were also sene the which admonished the kyng to desyst of his enterpryse because of the myshappe to come For a â—aâ—â— brought forth an hare in the hoost where by was signifyed flyght Ther appeared also a comet called Ceratias the which is bowed lyke a horne Ther was also an Eclipse of the sonne And as hystoryes make mencion suche signes are not sene wythoute some vnhappynesse or hurt namely by the which God threateneth hys wrath and therfore oughte they not to be despysed but rather a pryck or sâ—ynge for vs that we do feare God for here maye be sene what alteracions of commune welthes and all estates of the worlde are ensued Xerxes wolde fyrste set vpon the Grekes wyth battayll by lande As for Grece is closed rounde about and ther is no entry into it saue by see or by some strayghtes of the mountaynes wher certayn thousands of the Grekes were set to kepe the enemyes from entrynge in of the whyche the greatest parte fled contynently as the Perses would entre only foure hundreth Lacedemonians abode which vsed greate force to resist the enemies and though they were farre lesse in nombre and weaker than that they could dryue back so great force of the enemies yet declared they such strength in fyghtynge that they slew about twenty thousande of the Perses For beynge ayded wyth the oportunite of the strayghtnesse of the mountaynes they were safe of the inuasion and oppression of the multitude of the enemies nother coulde they be enuyrouned by waytes layenge In the skyrmisse dyed Xerxes two bretheren but on the other syde died the foure hundreth Lacedemonyans wyth theyr kynge Leonides The acte is greatly praysed by reason of the courage and strength to defende the country because that they beynge so fewe in nombre were not afrayed to set them selues agaynste so great a multitude and though they had not the victory yet was the power of the enemies greately abated with thys â—yght and theyr hardenesse mynyshed Whan the Perses had the victory in thys battayll wounder it is how greatly all Grece was afrayed and in that parte of Grece did some cities yelde them selues frely to Xerxes At Athenes also one Cyrsylus or as sayeth Herodotus Lycidas counselled that the Athenians also shoulde geue themselues vnder Xerxes power for in no maner are they able to wythstande so myghty an enemy Themistocles contrary wyse counseled to defende the lyberty of the contrary For if the Perses fortune to haue dominion in Grece all honesty of maners shall be in daunger all lawe all good vertues shall peryshe The Perses shall vse all wyllfulnesse agaynst their wyues and chylderen as it were euidente they haue done agaynst them whiche were now subiect to them therfore were it more honeste to dye in the libertye than willinglye to admitte such lordes Thys counsell of Themistocles was accepted of euerye man wyth a commune consent that they shoulde defende themselues manlye agaynst the enemies The Athenians beynge wroth wyth Cyrsylus for hys wycked counsell commaunded to stone hym and the women lykewyse stoned hys wyfe because her husband had put forth such counsell the whyche if they had folowed they shoulde haue broughte all theyr chylderen to dishonesty Thys dede is praysed for the vertue and is worthy of remembraunce that they woulde rather dye for the lybertye of the contry than they shoulde yelde themselues to a straunge nacyon to ouerthrowe the state of theyr citye and all policye and honesty As the Athenians asked counsell at the aunswere of Apollo at Delphas it was aunswered them that they should haue victory with walles of wood the whiche Themistocles expounded of the defence of shyppes and he exhorted that leauynge the citye they should lead their wiues and children into the shyppes for their citie should at length not be able to wythstande the power and so great multitude of the Persians besyde that also be not the Perses very well appointed by see Thys counsell was alowed and the residue of the cities haue folowed it Sparta and Corinthus the whiche with a furnyshed nauye helde by force the straightes of the sea by the yle Salamina lest they mighte be compassed by the multitude of the shyppes that Xerxes had Whan Xerxes hearde that the Grekes had made a nauy and vnderstode that greate daunger shoulde come to hym yf the Grekes vsed the sea frely and as they had oportunitie should falle into the kyngdome it was counselled Xerxes that contrarywise he shoulde combre the Grekes wyth warre vpon the sea The same was done But as the Grekes had the victory the mooste part of the Perses was discomfyted and many shyppes were drouned This victory restored a courage to all Grece and made Xerxes feble The kynge him selfe was not in the battaill but remaininge with a fewe shyppes vpon the coast he dyd onelye beholde it All the Grecians rendred the renoume of the battaill to Themistocles onelye because that the victory beynge gotten by his counsell all Grece was saued Amonge the reste of the traynes whyche Themistocles vsed in thys warre I thoughte to rehearse thys one suttyll deuyse Whan Xerxes was abashed after the battayll he thought the kynge mighte easelye be broughte thereto that leauinge Grece he shoulde returne for alltogether into Persia wyth the reste of hys armye Therfore faynynge hym selfe humbly prostrate â–ª as wyllinge to procure fauoure by the kynge he caused to shew hym by the messenger that the Grekes deuised to breake the bridge the whyche he had caused to be layde before vpon the sea Wherefore to haue hym strayght waye oute of Grece before the occasyon of flyenge were taken him wythout he woulde cast him selfe in great daunger As he hearde thys tydynge he made him strayghte waye readye to flye But whan in flyenge he fande the bridge broken by the tempeste he passed ouer wyth a lytle boate euen wyth vtter daunger of his lyfe because the sea was troubled wyth the vehemency
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
of Dauids posterite vntil that tyme that the Machabees began to reigne Firste reigned zorobabel whose posteritie what fortune they had and how finally the whole kyngdome is translated from Dauids posteritie shall we shewe hereafter For so was it prophecied afore by the prophetes that Christe should be borne about that tyme of Dauids bloude that foren princes shoulde vsurpe to them the kyngdome of the Iewes that was now already alienated The rekenynge of the seuenty wekes out of Daniel IT was shewed Daniel by heauenly reuelacion of Christus commynge and howe long the Iewysh people should last Ther is a notable wytnesse in this prophecy to confirme the certaynte of our faith against the Iewes whiche striue and contende that Christ is not yet come and wayte yet for another Messias Verely the rekenyng of the tyme appointed by Daniel is easy and specially it is pleasaunt to know thereby that Christe was surely come about that tyme the whiche Daniel hath prescribed For though other do count diuersly yet if ye go not froÌ„ the order of the histories there shall bee found no great dissention wherfore ye could doubt For the diligent rekening of the tyme is requisite to repete out of Ptolome these Eclipses that are happened and to gather out of them ordely euery yeare but that were not one mans laboure And diligently ought Byshops to occupie them in these thynges with doyng costes that the vnderstandynge of so notable prophecies myght bee clerely had in the churche I truely wyll gather here out of the best histories the nombre of the yeares and endeuoure to make the rekenyng there of very playne Daniel sayeth Seuenty wekes are concluded vpon this people and specially accordynge to the commaundement of buyldyng agayne Ierusalem shalbe syxty and nyne wekes vntill Christes kyngdome and than shall Christ be put to death Fyrst must it be knowen what that the wekes do yearly signifye so that euery weke make seuen yeares the whiche maye easely be proued Wherefore the seuenty wekes make foure hundreth and nynety yeares Secondly sayeth Daniel Christe shalbe put to death after thre score and nyne wekes but so that he teache the half weke and afterward bee put to death The tyme and office of Christ is notable expressed of this maner Thyrdly must the nyne and seuenty wekes bee rekened from the seconde yeare of Darius Longimanus that is wyth the long hande For then dyd God sende Zachary and Aggeus the prophetes that they shoulde comforte and certaynely assure the people of repairyng Ierusalem hereafter without any hynderaunce And of this worde that is of this reuelacion are the aungels wordes to be vnderstande Because then was made the sure promyse to the people of the furtheraunce of the temples repayryng Besyde that commaunded Longimanus that self same yeare by an open commaundement that â—he Iewes shoulde not be hyndered of their purpoâ—â—d worke of buyldynge the citie and temple as it was done before But all this is to be red in the bodies of Eldras And surely to this same delaye of tyme in repairyng of the temple had saint Ihon respect in the seconde chapter of his gospell where the Iewes said that in buyldyng of the temple were spent syx and fourty yeares for that is the nombre of the yeares from the seconde yeare of Cyrus vntyll the syxte yeare of Longimanus wherein the worke of the temple was accomplyshed But now is it gathered out of the booke of the Machabees and out of Iosephus that from the begynnyng of Alexander after the death of the last Darius vntyll Christe was borne to be thre hundreth and ten yeares From Christes byrth vntyll hys baptyme thyrty yeares Summa from the begynnynge of Alexander vntyll the baptyme of Christe thre hundreth and fourty yeares To these put the tyme from the seconde yeare of Longimanus vntyll Alexander after the death of the laste Darius and as Metasthenes counteth there shall be a hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares Summa from the second yere of Longimanus vntill the baptisme of Christe are foure hundreth foure score and fyue yeare And therfore thre score and nyne yearly wekes make euen foure hundreth and foure score and two wekes Whereby it is manifest that when Christe was baptysed were fulfylled three score and nyne yearly wekes and in the weke folowynge taught Christ in the same half weke was he put to death For Christe was put to death the fourth yeare after that he was baptised Wherfore when this weke that foloweth is added to the thre score and nine there shalbe seuenty wekes and this is the maner to count the tyme appoynted by Daniel For after Christes death are the Iewes nomore Gods people and their temple was afterward an abominacion the whiche Daniel witnessed playnly Besyde this are other notable doctrines and consolacions of troubled coÌ„sciences in this prophecy of Christes office and kyngdome that he came to preache forgeuenesse of synnes but to expounde all this maketh to no purpose here nother is it here taken in hande I haue truely sought out with so great diligeÌ„te as I could the maner of countyng the seuenty wekes of Daniel nother do I fynde that it can greatly varye if ye wyll folowe the fourme of histories For though ye wyll not folowe Metasthenes yet doth the rekenyng of the Grekes agre very well here with For after the countyng of the Grekes are betwene the death of Alexander and the beginnyng of Augustus twoo hundreth and foure score yeares the whiche I can proue with very stronge reasons If ye do now take the yeares of the Persians after thee seconde yeare of Longimanus by the Grekes ye shall fynde the same also After Alexander vntyll Christes byrth are thre hundreth and two and twenty yeares After Christes birth vntyl hys baptysme thyrty yeares Put therto the nomber of the Persians from the second yeare of Longimanus an hundreth and two and thyrty yeares after the Grekes Summa of this is foure hundreth foure score and foure yeares So perfectly do the hystories of the Grekes agre with the tyme that is founde in Iosephus and Philo that ye maye openly perceaue the tyme of Christes commynge to be moste fyttly appoynted by Daniel And truely I doubte not but wyse and learned men will alowe and testifye that both these rekenynges that we haue set here maye bee very well proued by wytnesses of hystoryes And without it were to longe I coulde brynge yet other more rekenynges whyche shoulde agre with these also So that it is no doubte but that Daniel hath moste ryghtely hytt thee tyme of Christes commynge It hath also no small pyth of consolacion or comfort though the maner of the tyme do not agre so iustly with euery minute that we may be certyfyed that the tyme prophecyed of Daniel be longe sence past Wherfore are the Iewes in manifest erroure whiche can by no reasons proue that the same tyme is not yet past though they wyll vnderstande the wekes of dayes
Thrasybulus and as cōcernyng gouernaunce of policy iudgementes and lawes the state of the whole common wealth was chaunged after the olde custome Thrasybulus deserued chefely a greate prayse for his moderation of the mynde that after so notable a victory wherein he had also taken many of the enemies prisouers he woulde rather spare them then by good ryght to slaye them And when he considered that there should be no ende of puttyng to death yf thee goodes of the citesens that were taken away should be restored to euery man agayne or to the true heyres namely that were already come to the third or fourth possessor he bande them euery one with such a bande amonge themselues that no man shoulde thenceforth remembre any vengeaunce or iniury done but that euery man should kepe that he had kepyng the common peace euery man to be content with his portion or lot By this meanes and moderation was a quietnesse set in the common wealth And this is a noble example that with beneuolēce and forgenyng is procured a more durable concord in suche cinyll commotion then that euery man wyl go forth with rigour and force Afterward were the Lacedemonians become proude and haut also with this lucky chaunce For they would dryue Perses out of Asia whiche had succoured them But the Perses for that tyme made Codon capitaine of their hoost whiche was fled from Athens in the ciuill commotion of hym were the Lacedemonians discomfyted The Lacedemonians takyng greueously their misfortune layde al the fault vpon them of Thebe because they had entertained the bannyshed Athenians wherfore they fell into their contryes of the whiche rose a new occasion of warre in the whiche the Lacedemonians beyng ouercome were wholy vndone the Thebane power encreased Whan this warre was finished the Thebanes toke another warre againste the Phocians the whiche were wholye abolyshed and the residue were bannished Finally dyd Philippe kyng of Macedony discomfite and tame them of Thebe And thus were fyrst Athens after that Sparta finally Thebe destroyed and al that power of the Grekes came to naught Howbeit whan the Athenians and Thebanes dyd not kepe the conditions and appointementes of peace made with kinge Philippe he was cōstrained to inuade for to take in al Grece This is ynough spoken in brefe maner of the dolefull warres of Grece the whiche were an hundreth and thyrtye yeares after Xerxes durynge which space was lytel peace These warres are at large written by Thucidides and Xenophon and some other We haue thought it therfore sufficient yf we had opened and declared the example of the Athenians y ◠which is the principal in that history Of the Philosophers IN the meane tyme that thys befell dyd learnynge also florysh Hippocrates the Phisicion lyued from the tyme of Longimanus vntill Ochus an hundreth and foure yeares And besyde that all Grece had hym in greate estimacion he was also muche made of by the kinges of Macedony by the which also he spent great part of his lyfe Soranus wryteth that Hippocrates was sent for by kynge Perdicas because many iudged that the kynge was fallen into a consumption and was forsaken of other Phisitions But whan Hippocrates was come he perceaued that the kynge was not sycke for feblenesse of bodely strength but that he pined for loue and inwarde sorowe For he loued out of measure the handemayden of his father as oft as he sawe her chaunged both the mynde and colour in the kynge Of thys wyse perceaued Hyppocrates the cause of the sycknesse and gaue remedy to dryue it awaye Besyde this whan the pestilence raigned he caused a great woode to be sett on fyre agaynste the infect ayer whence the infection of the ayer came and of thys wyse kept he the whole contry Thessalia safe from the pestilence He was also renoumed of naturall miracles Vpon his graue were bees a greate season with whose hony were sycke chylderen healed that were anoynted therewyth About the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon was Socrates whych by the enuy of hys aduersaryes was poysoned and dyed in the preson He was accused to be a brynger vp of a newe learninge in the citye But by the prouidence of God were the aduersaries not longe after punished worthelye for they were put to death also Of Plato Eudoxus Aristoteles AFter these were Plato and Eudoxus a very connynge Astrologian whych also brought this science oute of Egypte into Grece After thys man was Aristoteles I suppose these to be the chefe amonge the Philosophers and after my iudgement are the chefe of thē Eudoxus Aristoteles namely because they were not only garnished with pleasaunt wordes or reasons but studious of the very thynges For they accustomed that kynde of learning as is most profytable partely to knowe the propertie of naturall thynges and partly to learne what waye men may lyue honestly It is a moost pleasaunt thyng to beholde howe God hath sett all kynde of vertues in oure owne nature Aristotele was borne of parentes not of the bafest or lowest condicion His father was Nicomachus a man of very great authoritye by Amyntas kynge of Macedony for he was hys Phisicion Hys ofspring was of Hippocrates kynred for thys cause had kynge Philippe that was sonne to Amintas Aristotele in suchreputacion afterwarde he gaue vnto him Alexander hys sonne to be taught of him his discipline and was taught of Aristotle the learninge of Philosophie that he might become more ready and wyser to make a relacion and to geue counsell Hetherto haue we spoken ynough of the Grekes affeares which happened about the tyme of thys monarchy Of Rome WHan the kynges were dryuen out of the citie the state of the common welth was chaunged The Counsuls beganne to beare rule and yearly were two chosen whose authoritie in that office was one yeare This chaunge of the commune welth happened in the tyme of Cyrus the fyrste monarche of the Perses the yeare after the worldes foundacyon thre thousande foure hundreth and fyftye and the seuenth yeare after that Babylon was wonne by Cyrus But besyde other great and innumerable affeires that befell at Rome were also horrible sedityons and chaunges in the commune wealth in the whych are examples geuen vnto vs that great cicyties and commune wealthes do endure seldome without great alterations Howbeit in this maner y t two Counsules wer chefe rulers lasted perpetually vntyll the tyme of Iulius which vsurped the monarchye There were betwene the beginnyng of the Counsels rulyng vntyl Iulius raigne foure hundreth and thre score and fyue yeares It were to long to rehearse here the Romane histories I will only recite the tyme of two notable chaunces that were befallen at Rome in the tyme of thys Monarchye In the hundreth and second yeare after that the citye was builded that is not longe after Xerxes warre aboute the beginninge of Longimanus raigne
by Iulius but longe after was he commaunded to be put to death at Antiochia by Antonius euen the third yeare when Herode was made kyng And yf the whole tyme that Hircanus was high priest bee wel rekened it shalbe euen foure and thirty yeares finally was he put to death by Herode It is a dredful thyng verely to senerehande in al histories that not only the moste renow medest kynreds and families amonge men decay but that also the successours of holy men cleane doth degenerate from the honestie of there elders and fall to all fylthynesse of mische ue and synne What tyme the Phariseys and the other sectes began with the Iewes WHen now the soueraintie and priesthode by the Iewes began to be toren and pulled asunder by the tyraÌ„ny the warres of Antiochus I passe ouer that the Machabees ioyned them with Heythen kynges the which ordeined or deposed princes high priestes at their pleasure the whiche cared for nothing lesse then the endeuour of the religioÌ„ it could not be â—â—â—t that sectes and sundry dissensions must yse in the Iewysh religion For uedes must it happen so wheÌ„ether we want a certain head in the religion or wheÌ„the heades of the churche or congregatioÌ„ do not regarde the studies of Godlinesse and seke onely outward puyssaunce as prophane nacions do The sectes that were sprong vp were of thre sores the first wer called Phariseis that is Seuered of the word Phares These vsed for they were better learned then the other certain constitutions of men aboue the lawe of Moses whereby they were seuered from the other people Howbeit their doctrine was a litle better righter theÌ„ the other For they taught immortalitie after this life that God will punysh synnes they beleued also that Messias should come a saueour for the faithfull and a iudge for the synnes To the men of this secte also was coÌ„mitted the coÌ„mon welth before other and they wee of more aucthoritie The second secte was of the Sadduceis These hidde their wickednesse with a very noble not able callyng theÌ„selues For zaddik signifieth righteous Sadducei they that be righteous or holy So is it moste commonly receaued in vsage in this worlde that those that be moste wycked of all do cloke their couetousnesses wyth moste honeste names They taught that after death was no lyfe That God had onely geuen the lawe to the intent we shoulde liue honestly quietly receiuing of God in y â— meane season in this lyfe the rewarde of righteousnesse They did expounde y â— scriptures wholy according to mans iudgemeÌ„t nether would they heare ought els as concernyng for the maners that appertaâ—ned vnto man very Epicures that is to saye suâ— as did put the principall goodnesse in voluptuoâ—â—tie as Epicurus the Philosopher dyd And thaâ— more is when they at the length had gotteÌ„ power â–ª they troubled not a litle the Phariseis It is a fearfull thyng verely to heare that among the peculiar and chosen people of God are crept in euen heythenysh doctrines insomuche that coÌ„stantly they were not ashamed euen openly to teache and saye that after this lyfe was none other lyfe The thirde were Essey the whiche when they perceiued that both the Phariseyes and Sadduceyes folowed their appetites vnder the coloure of honest titles nether did ought in a maner that were worthy their profession therfore semed it them good to declare the straitnesse and seueritie of lyfe with the dede and would be called Essey that is workers or doers For Assa whence the name Essey commeth sygnifieth to worke as in these times the Anabaptistes do reproue bothe the Lutherians and papistes and endeuour to seme more holier then ether of them For the Essey lyued in a maner in all thinges as the Anabaptistes lyue they maryed not and woulde haue all thynges common among them This was an vtter foolysh and dotish supersticion of monkerye and whiche could not last long Of this wyse nerehand is the church deuided in thre partes also now a dates for because y â— second commyng of Christe also is harde by The Anabaptistes resemble the Esseyes and on the other parte some be Phariseyes some are Sadduceyes For the thniges that happened amoÌ„g the Iewes â—â—e a figuce of the ChristeÌ„ religion These sectes rose first among the Iewes vnder Ioannes Hircamus the sonne of Simon before the byrth of Christ an hundreth and fyue and twenty yeares Of Herodes kynred WHen Iulius Cesar had warre in Egypt that was euery where full of daunger Antipater prince of Idumea ayded him very faithfully and for a remembraunce of this benefite made hym Iulius gouernoure of Iewry the whiche was now constrayned to obey foren and straunge princes in her owne royalme The Iewes set themselues agaynst it with great force at the first sufferyng very disdainfully the rule of the Idumean prince insomuche that he was poysoned at the last by a Iewe called Malchus and dyed Herodes reuenged the death of his father Antipater and demaunded the succession of the Iewysh kyngdome of Augustus and Antonius in the hundreth foure score and seconde Olympias and this was after Alexander two huÌ„dreth foure score and twelue yeares This was the occasion wherby Iewry receuied foren kynges out of Idumea and afterlong siege compelled Herode them of Ierusalem to yelde theÌ„selues nether was there litle bloud shedde before the Iewes yelded themselues frely to Herodes dominion As for Christ was borne in the thirtieth yeare of Herode These are nerehand the greatest and chefest mutations of the kyngdom brefly comprehended the whiche happened in Iewry in the tyme of this monarchie vntill the last monarchie and the tyme of Christes birth And though it is euident ynough that the Iewysh kynges after Christes birth were of Herodes kynred yet wyll I set them euery one orderly that the reader may more easely knowe how the one is borne of the other and haue ruled the kyngdome lawfully by a certayn succession vntyll the destruction of the citie Ierusalem though as concernyng the iust order of the historie I am not come so farre For I haue yet to reherse these thynges of the Romanes which happened in the tyme of the Grecian monarchie Herode the first whiche was also called Ascalon had many children among the whiche he hymselfe caused thre to be slame Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater by reason of a conspiracy that they had made against their father But after him remained aliue Archelaus Herodes whiche was surnamed Antipas and Philippus These parted the kyngdome amonges them Archelaus was chosen by a testament to succede his father Herode in the kyngdome but Augustus the emperour would not confirme or ratifye thys wyl of the father but made hym prince howbeit vnder this hope that he should be made kyng yf he ruled honestly And so ruled he nyne yeares and vsed great tyranny he set vp and deposed high priestes and rauyshed his
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
candel lyghte There were also earthquakes wherewyth some cities were euen destroyed The yeare of Christ CC. xlvij PHilippus the .xxv. Emperoure raigned fyue yeares He was an Arabian and had bene longe tyme captayne of the hoost This same toke vp his sonn Philippe also to the gouernaunce of the Empyre But they were both slayne by the procurement of Decius for takynge vpon them baptyme and knowledgyng of the name of Christ For thus raged the Emperours amongest themselues wyth manslaughter by the sufferaunce of God whyche thyng ought duely cause vs to drede and feare God The yeare of the worlde â–ª foure thousande one hundreth and two and nynety The yeare of Christe two hundreth and eighte and fourty In the tyme of theyr gouernaunce was it a thousanth yeare sence Rome was buylded whych was feasted and celebrate wyth a moost renoumed pompe of playes that wer had once man hundreth yeares called Ludiseculares Fabianus the ninetenth byshop of Rome succeded Antherus It is sayde that he baptysed Philippus the Emperoure and that Philippus was the fyrst Emperoure that acknowledged the Christen fayth The yeare of Christ CC. L. iij. DEcius the .xxvi. Emperoure raygned two yeares He was no lesse a wyse prince than a doughty warriour He sett vp hys sonne also in the empyre wyth him They were both slayne of the Gotthies after that they had inuaded Thracia and after that wended them towarde Hungary And though the Romanes had to do wyth the Gotthies before also yet wyll I begynne the Gotthian history here For at that tyme they had an army of thre hundreth thousande and they dyd a renoumed acte in vanquy shynge Decius so valiaunt a prince But God woulde at the laste be reuenged of that tyrannye wherein he commaunded by an open commaundemente to putt all them to death that worshipped Christ He putt to death Fabianus the byshop of Rome and Cyprian in Aphrica and many other holy men As for the Gotthies and other straunge nacions breakynge into the Romishe dominion pulled awaye by violence thesame because of sheddynge of Christen mennes bloude And this same had Sybilla prophecyed for to come Besyde that is it clerely expressed in the Apocalypse Cornelius the .xx. byshop of Rome succeded Fabianus who condempned the heresye of Nouatius concernynge the peruerse doctryne of penaunce For he taughte that they whyche had receaued baptysme and fell agayne into synne â–ª coulde not come agayne to saluacyon and wyth thys erroure broughte he manye to desperacyon and spoyled the concorde of the churche or congregatyon The yeare of Christ CC. lv VIbius Gallus the .xxvij. Emperoure raygned two yeare wyth hys sonne Volusianus For whan Decius was slayne Gallus was saluted Emperoure of the hooste Afterwarde were they both slayne of the souldyours Lucius the .xxi. byshop of Rome succeded after Cornelius The yeare of Christ CC. lvâ—â— VAlerianus the .xxviii. Emperoure raygned syxe yeares He was chosen Emperoure of the hoost in hygh Germany and the Senate confirmed the same For he was borne of a moste noble kynred at Rome and had behaued hymselfe valiauntly in Germany At the laste was he taken of kynge Sapores by the Perses and lyued in moost vyle seruyce For the barbarus king was so haut and presumptuous that whan he had taken the Emperoure he vsed hym for a chayre and whan he wolde ride he trode vpon the backe of Valerianus lyenge on hande and fete and so stept on hys horse backe But Sapores was lykewyse punyshed by Odenaâ—us the Romane captayne GAlienus sonne to Valerianus the xxix Emperour gouerned y e Empyre with his father â–ª after that the father was taken he raigned nyne yeares He was learned in good sciences but lyuynge in greate excesse and dronkennesse he gouerned but slowly the empyre wherefore it mynyshed in many contryes In the meane season was Posthumus made captayne of the hooste in Germany whofor the singular endeuour to accomplysh his duety â–ª was made Emperour of the hoost But whan Galyenus had sent hys army agaynst Posthumus he appoynted amonge the rest the Frankes to be in the hooste And by thys occasyon were the Frankes fyrst steared to warre the which afterwarde also whan Posthumus was slayne by sayenge of wayte and treason remayned stylle in harnesse the whyche we wyll also treate of here after whan we shall treate of Carolus magnus But we wolde lyghtely shew thys lest the reader shulde be ignorant what was the occasyon why the Frankes dyd fyrst set them selues agaynst the Romanes and by the same meanes became they myghty in Germany and Fraunce Of thys maner than beganne the Gotthyes fyrste to destroye the Romane domynyon afterwarde the Frankes and so forth other nacyons so that I passe ouer in the meane season that great slaughter that the Perses in the East haue done The yeare of Christe CC. lxxij Flauius Claudius the xxx Emperoure raigned two yeares Thyssame deserued mooste greatest prayses For hys notable and very princely vertues Wherfore was the empire offred vnto hym both by Galyenus before hys death â–ª after that of the hooste and senate wyth one consente of them all Agaynst the Gotthyes foughte he in Hungary and Macedonya aboue mans thynkyng and euer had the victorye He ouercame also the Germanes that were fallen into Italy He restored Egypt to the Empyre But Claudius desteny suffred hym to lyue no longer happely because the Romanes were not whorthy of suche a prince For it behoued the empyre of Rome now to begynn to decay the which was somwhat repared restored by Claudius and thre or foure of hys successors Constantinus the great was of thys Claudius kynred which we shall shewe hereafter Valerianus a debite put Lucius the byshop of Rome to death by martyrdome whome succeded in the byshoprycke Stephanus the fyrste of that name the xxij byshop Xystus the seconde of that name the .xxiij. byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Dyonysyus the xxiiij byshope of Ro. succeded Xystus The yeare of Christ CC. lxâ—iiij AVrâ—lianus the xxxi Emperoure raygned fyue yeare and â—yxemone thes He was taken vp to the gouernaunce of the empyre by Claudius for hys excellent prowises and feates of chyualry He ouercame the Frankes in a sore battayll not farre from Mentz afterwarde the Gotthyes also in Illyrycus Besyde thys ouercame he in the East the quenezenobya the which did great actes aboue womanly nature and had great warre with the Romanes He is worthy no small prayse also because that in the hoost and amonge the souldyours he wolde alwaye haue strayhgtly kepte and maynteyned modesty and discipline of warre For it befel vpon a tyme that a souldiour forced hys hostesse and had to do with her of which thing whan Aurelianus had knowledge he wolde haue hym punyshed wyth a moost greueous kind of punyshment He commaunded two trees to be bowed doâ—â—e to the earth and to binde the myâ—doer to the
fyrst that openly knowledged the name of Christe Nether is it to be doubted but that he was a true godly prynce for he had the holy Gospell in such reuerence that to the open wytnesse of hys fayeth he caused the boke of y e Gospel to be boren alway openly before hym He commaunded also bokes of the Bible to be written at his owne coste and caused them to be sent into all contryes here and ther. He brought to passe that the holy and profytable councell of Nicene was gathered that so in hys tyme he might set the state of the churche in a quietnesse These finally are actes worthye for a good prince which deserue a farre greater prayse than that it is sayde he haue geuen to the bishop of Rome many gyftes Although the good Emperoure is worthy to be praysed for that that he gaue almesses benefyces to mainteyn Euangelycall doctryne and ministers of the churche But that Constantinus should haue be so liberall toward the byshop of Rome that he shoulde haue geuen hym for his vse the citye of Rome and the halfe part of the empyre as some do fable no historyes that be alowed do wytnesse the same The city Constantinopolis was builded by this Emperour and hath the name of him whan before the citye of marchaundise that was in that place was called Bâ—zantium The see of the empyre was afterward brought to Constantinople as the histories folowinge do testifye Moreouer seing it is â–ª no doubt that this prince is one and that of the chefest of those princes which God hath garnished wyth great vertues we shall worthely recyte the ofspringe of hys kynrede that it maye be knowen those most great and noble vertues to be syngularly geuen of God to greate and noble families or houses Claudius the Emperour of most commendable name had two brethren Quintilius and Crispus Claudia the doughter of Crispus was wedded to the noble prince Eutropius And these are the ofspringe of Constantinus kynred Eutropius a chefe gouernour at Rome Claudia the brothers doughter of Claudius Constantius the Emperour had Helena her sonne was Constantinus y e greate hys wyfe was Fausta the doughter of Maximianus whose chylderen were Constantius Constantinus and Constans Theodora the stepedoughter of Maximianus her sonne was Constantinus thesame had sonnes Gallus and Iulianus Of Arrius the heretyke ARrius lyued in the tyme of Constantinus He was an open reader in the scole of Alexandria in Egypte The churches concorde was miserably spoiled wyth hys error and heresy For he taught y t Christ was not truely and naturallye God But what practyse and vicious pleasauntnesse of persuasyons he dyd vse to confyrme this error it were to longe to rehearse Howbâ—it it pleased the world so wel that great learned bishops and neare hande the whole churche of the Easte wyth manye also in the Weste dyd embrace hym Neuerthelesse in the meane season wythstode heauely this heresy two bishops of notable godlynesse The fyrst was Alexander who optayned of Constantinus to gather the councell of Nicene wherein was condemned the heresye of Arrius Wherfore was Arrius forsaken and bannished out of the dominion But whan Constantinus was deade a certayne preste was in fauoure wyth Constantius whom also he committed al his counsels the same broughte to passe wyth his persuasyon by the Emperoure that Arrius beyng called agayne was sett in hys former office The fyre that was metely well quenched afore began nowe agayne to burne more fearcely insomuche that the Emperoure Constancius beganne also to embrace thys erroure of Arrius Whan at the last a daye was appointed by Constantius wherein Alexander and Arrius shoulde openly reason of the scrypture concerninge this learninge Alexander spent the whole nyghte in prayenge in the temple prayenge God that the secte of Arrius should crepe no farther Wherfore in the morninge before the appoynted houre of the disputation whan Arrius went to the place he beganne as he went to haue payne in the bellye and went to a preuye to do hys easement where he aboue all mens estimacion dyed incontinent Howbeit whan Arrius was of this wyse deade yet ceased not the sede of his poysoned doctrine to be sowed larger abroade because that they that were conspyred together of this secte beganne to sprede it more vehemently At the laste whan Alexander was deade also Athanasius hys successor disputed hymselfe agaynste the Arryans but the same beynge banyshede by Constantius he fled from Egypt vntyl the citye Tryere in Germany And though thys was a very farre flyghte yet was the bannyshed man fayne to hyde hymselfe secretly at Tryere vntyll the eyght yeare In the meane season was that heresy fearcely growen thorough out in the East churche euen so muche that for a season a greate part of Christen men did leane to the Arrian secte and out of thys secte sprange by lytle and lytle other sectes many Fynally whan the name of Arryans was by the decrees of many councels quenched yet was it now and than renewed againe in the churche vnder other names In one citye were sundery opinions and diuerse sectes persecuted eche other insomuche that the one running vpon the other in theyr temples made ryots and committed man slaughter At that tyme was the state of the church very wretched and pyteous the which worthely gaue an occasioÌ„ of slaunder not only to the Gentyls why they dyd not embrace the word of God but dyd offende other also that they went from the Christianity to the Idolatry of the Heythen among the which was also Iulianus the Emperoure In the tyme of this so myscheuous heresy came vp finally Mahomet to whoÌ„ by Arrius was as it were a window handsomly opened was the forerunner of this most cruel Antichrist For whan the myndes of men went astray in so great dissension of opinions came Mahomet inuented very wysely the thirde way wherwith he should heale the variete diuersyty of errours For he toke awaye all disputacions whiche thinge men dyd alowe But hereof shall we speake afterwarde And let thys suffise to be rehearsed of the Arryans erroure and other lyke heresyes of the whiche we haue here made mencyon therfore that it may be sene how greate dammages manslaughters seditions ryotous heresyes do brynge both to the commune welth and to the churche Marcellynus the .xxviij. byshop of Rome succeded Cains Marcellus the xxix succeded Marcellinus Eusebius the xxx bysh succeded Marcellus Melciades the .xxxi. succeded Eusebius Syluester the xxxij succeded Melciades Marcus the xxxiiâ— was bysh after Syluester Not long before Constantinus death was a very greate comete sene certayne monethes whiche signifyed the greate warre and commotion that folowed after Constantinus death The yeare of Christe CCC xliâ— COnstantynus the .xxxviij. Emperoure raygned xxiiij yeares But the father had so ordeyned the empyre that the thre bretheren shulde raigne together Constantinus in Fraunce Spayne and Germany Constantius
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
happened to Boeme afterward and whan it was subdued again by the Germane Emperoures that shall we shewe in the histories of the Emperours for there shall we shew some other thynges of the chaunge of the thynges of Germany The yere of Christ CCCC liiij VVhen Theodosius the younger was deade reigned Valentimanus the .xlvi. Emperour in the Weste fyue yeares and whyle Theodosius liued reigned he fyue and twenty yeres But after Theodosius death was the .xlvii. Emperour in the Easte Martianus In his tyme was the horrible settyng forth of Attila Of Attila FIrst of all came into Hungarye the Gotthies afterward the Vandali last of al the Hūni and these last kept the lande of whō it is called Hungary This cruell people dyd moste mischefe nerehand to all Europa Attila brought an army of three hundreth thousande into Germany and toke in many myghty cities among the whiche was Basil Ausborowe Strasborowe Wormes Coelen and many other cities Goynge forth from thence into Fraūce toke the kyng of the Bourgunyons he besieged the citie Aureola and entended to vsurpe the dominion of whole Europa At that tyme was in the hether part of Fraunce whiche the Romane Emperours kept a Romane captaine called Aetius the same made a confederacion with the Frankes and Gotthies that with lyke hande they should resiste the moste cruell tyraūt But Attila because he was afrayed for the power of the Gotthies he procured by Dietrichus theyr kyng that they should not ayde the Romanes but after their singular constance refused the Gotthies al maner of frendshyp or allegeaunce with the Barbarous tyraunt Wherefore both hostes met at Tolouse in Fraunce on the Romane syde Aetius the Gotthi and Frankes and of the other syde Attila And histories make mencion that in the West came neuer so great an hoost and multitude together as at that tyme. The battaill lasted from the Sunne rysyng vntyll nyght At the last Attila beyng driuē to the flyght lost a hundreth and foure score thousand men he himselfe also was driuen to such straitnesse that he had nearehande slayne hymselfe And though Aetius the Frankes and the Gotthies had the victory yet dyed Dietrichus kyng of the Gotthies in that battayll The sonne would haue reuēged the fathers death and entended to gather an army and persue Attila and to destroie the resydue of his hoost and would vndoubtedly haue done it had he not chaunged his mynde through the counsaill of Aetius But that counsaill of Aetius was nought for Attila myght at that tyme haue bene ouer come with a small army But afterward beyng returned into Hungary restoring his host recoueryng strength he inuaded Italy taking in the cities from the first entry of Italy vntyl the moūtayn Appenninus Then Leo the byshop of Rome metyng hym knelyng besought hym that he would go back again It is reported y ◠Attila shuld haue said he saw the image of a man standing by the byshop threatening him with a drawen sworde he being afraied promised to go backe again Whē he was come again into Hungary he made a great wedding and being the fyrst nyght sore dronken dyed a certaine death Of this wyse died this tyraunt that was not ashamed to call hymselfe thescourge of God Venice AT this tyme was Venice the citie builded in the sea where the best of Italy fled for feare of Attila After Celestinus was Xystus made the xlvij byshop of Rome the third of that name After Xystus succeded Leo the .xlviij. byshop the fyrst of that name When Leo was deade Hilarius was made the xlix byshop of Rome Valentinianus the Emperoure caused Aetius to be put to death because he suspected hym to couet y ◠empyre But this is the worldes reward forsoth for the great valiauntnesses Stillico Aetius afterward Bellisarius were most excellēt captaines Nether were in the empyre any els which resēbled the vertues and strength of the auncient Romanes so well as they but they were not worthely rewarded for suche desertes Valentinianus demaunded of a Romane prince whether Aetius were not worthely punyshed who said he could not tell but this was he sure that the Emperour had with his left hande cut of hys ryght hande After Valētinianus was the empire of Rome nere hand toren in peaces many called thē Emperours in Italy Yet in y e meane season remained y ◠maistie of an Emperours name by them of Cōstantinople afterwarde restored Iustinianus the West empyre by Bellisarius Narses But after that Valētinianus was deade many were called Emperours at once within .xx. yeres had Italy .ix. Emperours whiche reigned by a succession the one was slayn of the other by occasion The last was called Augustulus that is litle noble or litle ful of maiesty The diminution of the name was an euidence that the gouernaūce of the Augustus ▪ should fayle in Italy for with this Augustulus failed finally the empyre Othacarus droue out the same Augustulus agaīst whom was Dietrichus of Bernasent into Italy in the tyme of zeno the Emperoure Wherefore was the empire of Italy translated to the Gotthi which afterward were suppressed vnder Iustinianus as we haue sayde before The yeare of Christe CCCC lx LEo the fyrst of that name the .xlviij. Emperour reigned syxten yeares The same made hys sonne of lyke name Emperour who because he was to yonge fet the emperial crowne on zeno his stepfathers heade The yeare of Christe CCCC lxxvi ZEno the .xlix. Emperoure reigned .xvii. yeares The same sent Dietrichus of Berna into Italy and made hym a Consul For Dietrichus for his noble feates was he more renowmed then for his own vertues For he ruled not as an Augustus but lyke a tyraunt The yere of Christe CCCC xcii Anastasius the L. Emperoure reigned .xxvi. yeares He died stricken with alyghtenyng The yeare of Christ CCCCC xix IVstinus the .li. Emperoure reigned nyne yeres In his young age was he a swyneheerde afterwarde became he a souldiour But when Anastasius was dead a gelded man that was ryche gaue Iustinus muche mony that with the consent of the souldiours the same gelded man myght be chosen Emperour Howbeit Iustinus remembryng hymselfe brought to passe that he hymselfe myght be made Emperour The yeare of Christ CCCCC xxv IVustinianus the .lii. Emperour reigned eight and thirty yeares The same set his mynde to repaire the Empire He was the syster sonne of the former Iustine by a syngular gift of God had he two captains or marshals Bellisarius Narses by whose aide he hath brought to passe most renowmed thinges Bellisarius ouercame y ◠Perses saued Syria restored Aphrica to y e empire beside y ◠had he also great victories in Italy against the Gotthies whose power was afterwarde vtterly brought to nought by Narses Iustinianus made peace and amitie with the Frankes that were in Fraunce and graunted them frely to haue parte of Fraunce as
in derogatyng and takyng away the aucthoritie of Emperours at his pleasure Wherfore they made congregacions also and reiectyng the byshop of Rome excommunicacion excommunicated hym lykewyse Now went the Emperoure into Italy to treate and finish this controuersy In the meane season was Rudolfus duke of Schwaben chosen Emperour of y ◠contrary party in the town Phorcen whych was about the yere of oure lorde M. lxxvii The byshop of Rome sente Rudolfus a crowne wherein was wrytten thys verse Petra dedit Petro Petrus dyadema Rudolfo That is Chryst the Stone gaue the crowne to Peter Peter geueth to Rudolfe both crowne and septer Whereby he wolde sygnyfye that Christe gaue the Empyre to the byshoppe of Rome and that he lykewyse geueth it to princes Therfore came Henry haystely agayn into Germany droue Rudolfus out of Schwaben into Saxonye and foughte some battayls wyth hym by the ryuer Vnstrote in the which were slayne the byshops of Worms and Magdeburg The yeare M. lxxx was foughten the laste felde agaynste Rudolfe by Mersburge and in the same battayll was Rudolphus ryghte hande stryken of Whan euerye man nowe fled into the cytye Marsburge the hande was brought to the new Emperoure lyenge in hys bedde where the byshops stoode aboute The whyche as he sawe he sayde Lomy Lordes ye byshops thys ys the hande wherewyth I haue promysed my lord Henrye sayeth and loyaltye iudge ye your selues now howe godly ye haue counseled me to decyner from him Thys is a very myserable complaynte whyche declareth the troubled mind of the prince to haue iudged it self gilty of vprour Of this wise dyed Rudolfus about the .iiij. year of his election Whome I praye you would it not moue wythout he be of yron this so dredefull example to obey hys magistrate to beware of vproure Yet were not the byshops in the meane tyme in reste and set the sonne also against the father Hiltebrand the byshop boasted to haue sene a vision in his slepe that an vnlawfull Emperoure should dye that same yeare But thys was Caiphas prophecye for the punishment fell not vpon Henry but on the byshop of Romes adherentes After this victory came Henry to Rome and takyng in the citie by force he toke Hiltebrand the byshop and put hym from his office and in his steade was chosen the byshop of Rauenna called Clemēs and of hym was Henry the fourth crowned As for Hiltebrand died not longe after in exile Sigebertus the history writer doth not greatly prayse Hiltebrande and doth reprehende the man◠dedes that he did disquiet the peaceable state of the churche and empyre without greate cause and writeth also that Hiltebrande when he was dyeng should hymselfe haue complayned it and should haue required of Henry by embassage forgeuenesse of hys trespasse Hiltebrande forbade the priestes of Germany to mary and many that were maryed caused he to be diuorced The yeare of Christe M. ciij. when Henry had vāquished the Saxons the erle of Misen Erbert was slayne whome the byshops made to truste to be Emperoure after Rudolfus Besides that when al maters of Germany and Italy were set at a stay was Henry the fyft chosen Emperoure by Henry the fourth hys father Wherefore dyd the byshoppes procure by this Henry that he shoulde ryse against his father and driue hym out of the empyre But this greued the good prince greatly Wherefore Henry the sonne makyng a leage the yeare M C. v. dyd fyrst besyege his father at Mentz but the princes refusyng to assault it Henry the sonne was fayne to departe and leauyng Mentz went with the hoost to Norinberg and gat and spoyled it in the space of two monethes The father persued the sonne and on both sydes were they a while in their campes by Regensburg but they came neuer to playne felde by reason the princes went alwaye betwene But the sonne warned the father to beware of hys owne seruauntes wherefore he fled priuely to Ludich and dyed there that same yeare But when he had lyen vnburied fyue yeares by reason of the excommunicacion or course of the Romyshe byshop he optayned absolucion and was buried at Spire There are yet wrytynges at thys houre that were sent to the kynge of Fraunce by Henry the father treatyng of the iniury of the sonne and their malice which set the sonne against the father Reade more of this tragedy in the life of Hiltebrād prynted seuerally in Englyshe Of the takyng in and possessyng the citie Hierusalem IN the tyme of this Henry the fourth began the settyng forth to warre into Iewry against the Saracens and Turkes The fyrst capitayne was Godfre of Bilion prince of Lothringe or Lorain Hym accompanied the best princes and lordes of Gallia The yere M. xcix Godfre wan the citie Ierusalē and was straight waye made kyng But he refused to be crowned with a golden crowne there where Christes was crowned with a crown brayded of thornes This happened foure hundreth thre score and eight yeres before that Hierusalem was taken out of the Perses power by Heraclius But not muche aboue thirtene yeres after became the Saracens lordes of Hierusalem Many yeares after were the Saracens dryuen out of Hierusalem by the Turkes About this tyme gat the Christiās Ierusalem again and subdued many cities contreis there about They had the realme of Ierusalem lxxxviij yeares vntyll the yere of Christ a thousand one hundreth foure score seuen The Souldane wanne Ierusalem againe in the tyme of Frederick Barbarossa The chaunge of many duchyes in Germany HOw many miseries the inwarde warre of Germany whiche was sturred by the byshop of Rome wylenesse hath brought with it may easely be gathered thereby that when the princes and great men were slayne the lord shyppes and dominions were chaunged Henry the fourth gaue to the Catuly Lordes of Schwaben the lande of Baier After Rudolphus death gaue Henry the fourth the duchy of Schwaben to Frederick of Stauffen hys sonne in lawe that had maried hys daughter The auncetry or kynred of the Frankes dyed in a very shorte space Ecbertus erle of Misnia was slayne Gebhardus the father of that Lotharius whiche became afterward Emperoure was slayne also in a battaill and to conclude the power of Germane is wholy made feble and turned vpsyde downe by this debate of the princes Whan Hiltebrande was deade a byshop called Victor the third of that name was chosen out of the citie of Rome by his companions in spete of Clement But when Victor was deade a litle after by them was Vrbanus the ij chosen byshop of Rome The same returned to Ro. by their ayde that were ▪ now appointed to go to Ierusalem Being restored in the see he droue out Clemens Paschalis the ij succeded Vrbanus the .ij. Thissame was first taken by Henry the fyft Afterward did he constrayne hym to crowne hym Emperoure Henry the fyft the xvij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M.
Bohemy and made his sonne kyng of Bohemy He dyd so tame Bohemy and Mentz whiche made fyndely confederacions together that they obeyed the empyre At the last was he slayne of his brothers sonne some erles of Eastenryche It was happely Gods pleasure so lest the manslaughter that he had done against Adolfe the Emperoure should be vnpunyshed For though he was not of lyke power yet in the meane season ought he to haue worshipped him as his lorde ordeyned of God The kyllers of hym were punyshed also For God letteth not manquellers vnpunyshed Benedictus the .x. was byshop of Rome after Bonifacius the .viij. The remouing of the Romysh byshops se from Rome into Fraunce WHen Benedictus the .x. was deade Clemens the .v. was made byshop of Rome The same dwelt at Lions in Fraunce absolued the Frenche kyng of the excommunication Wherfore sence that tyme which was the yeare M. cccv was the byshop of Romes see translated from the citie Rome to Auinion in Prouence a contry of Fraunce .xvii. yeres At this tyme were the Fratriâ—elli whiche were euen of lyke opinion with the Anabaptistes that in oure dayes go astraye their opinion was that noman should haue ought propre or of hys owne that Christen men should not gouerne coÌ„mon welthes and suche lyke madde opinions had they Of the Turkes IN the tyme of Albert of Eastenriche began the kynred of Othomanus to grow among the Turkes in power and estimacion of whose bloude are spronge those kynges of the Turkes that raygne at this tyme. Henry the .vij. called of Lucelburg the .xxx. Germane Emperoure THhe yere of Christ M. cccix was chosen Emperoure Henry the prince of Lucelburg He reigned .vi. yeares For in the meane tyme that the Romish bishop was in Fraunce the Frenche kyng desyred inordinatly the dignitie of the empire and trusted to obteayne his request througe the consent of the Romish byshop But the coÌ„corde was not long durable betwene the byshop the Frenche kyng Wherfore the byshop aduertised the princes Electours whiche had now long disagreed for the electioÌ„ to hayste to choyse an Emperoure with one consent the prince of Lucelburg who at that time was demed a most renowmed prince for his wysdome ioyned with hygh grauitie As he was chosen strayght waye dyd the byshop of Rome coÌ„firme hym And thus was the FreÌ„che kyng disapointed of his request endeuoure â–ª to remooue the dignitie of the Romish empire to him First toke he from the duke of Wirtenberg al his goodes because he was a rebel to the empyre To his sonne Iohn gaue he the kyng of Bohemies daughter in mariage by this meanes became Iohn prince of Lucelburg the father of Charles the iiij kyng of Bohemy Afterward went he into Italy with a great army and made Italy so afrayde of hym as no Emperoure had done a greate whyle before hym Some cities woulde not yelde them to hym without they were compelled by force namely Cremona and Brixia the residue obeyed frely At Rome was he crowned Emperoure He besyeged Florence with a heuy and strayght syege at the whiche tyme as it is reported a frere of y â— preachers order or Black freres that was made out of the Florentines destroied Henry with venim whiche he strake vpon the syngynge breade yea and the byshop of Rome hymselfe also beynge now armed with hys weapons threatened Henry wyth the dart of excommunicacion as he perceaued that he began to be sett by in Italy Ludouicus or Lewis the Baier the .xxxi. Germane emperoure And agaynst hym was chosen Emperour Frederick Duke of Eastenriche THe yere of Christ M. cccxiiij were assembled together at Franckforde the princes Electors the bysh of Mentz â–ª Trier and Colen Ihon kyng of Bohe my Rudolphe counte Palatine of the Rene Rudolphe duke of Saxony Volcmarus marques of Brandenburg On saynct Lucies daie was chosen Emperoure Lewis the Baier by the byshops of Mentz Trier the kyng of Bohemy and Marques of Brandenborowe And agaynst hym was chosen Friderick duke of Eastenriche be the byshop of Colen the cunte Palatine and duke of Saxony Lewis was crowned Emperoure at Aken Frederick at Bonne This controuersye in chosynge brought an occasion of greate inwarde or ciuyll warre in Germany The duke of Eastenriche had fauourers the byshop of Rome the kynges of Fraunce and Bohemy the Schwabes the counte of Palatine them of Strasborow and other cities many But God prospered Lewis who was lesse of power destitute of mans ayde He raygned .xxxiij. yeares The yeare M. cccxxiij dyd they stryke a felde by the floude Nechare whereof both sydes many were slayne The yeare M. cccxxv on saynt Michaels euen gaue Lewis a greate battaill to Frederick Frederick did ayde Lupoldus hys brother ioyned wyth hym the Schwaben and Switcers and a greate parte of the Hungarians As for Lewis dyd folow the kyng of Bohemy and the erle of Norenberg and some other princes Now when Lupoldes taried so long that he could not passe the water y â— host of Eastenriche was slayne and Friderick was taken by a Franke whose name was Ebrarde Mosbach the same led hym to the erle of Norenberg who sent hym to Lewis But when Lupoldus sawe he coulde not helpe hys brother he was so angry and ragious that he had in a maner vndone hymselfe had not hys men refrayned hym whiche also consayled hym to withdrawe nether dyd rashly cast hymselfe into the daunger Afterwarde assayed Lupoldus many thynges inuayne both by the byshop of Rome and also the Frenche kyng that he myght take his brother awaye by force for the FreÌ„che kyng made no greate force of a strange matter Friderick was a prysoner the space of thre yeares in a castel in Baierlande at the last when the controuersy was brought to a poynt he was let louse vpon this condicion that he shoulde renounce the empyre whiche thing when he had frely promised he was restored into Eastenriche by Lewis Of this wyse behaued Lewis hymselfe very gently toward his enemy Lupoldus yet in the meane tyme not ceassynge of raysynge commocions euen after that Frederick was deliuered Afterwarde dyd Iohannes the .xxij. cast hys thonder boltes of coursyng agaynst Lewis the Emperoure because he vsed the Imperyall aucthoritie and empyres gouernaunce in Italy before hys coronacion Thereof rose an occasion of a greate diuision in Germany and that lasted about .xxiiij. yeares In the meane tyme rose here and there greate sedicions in the empyre and cyties and one parte busyed to dryue out and oppresse the other by conspiracion And though Lewis desyred absolution not once but often of the byshop of Rome yet could he not obtayne it wyth any prayers so that both Benedictus that was after Iohannes and other many and honest men dyd refuse the processe There are yet now a dayes wrytynges of the controuersie wherein the Romyshe byshop Iohannes the .xxii. is not ashamed to boaste
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
it was ordeyned in y ◠councel of Constance that of a newe coūcel shulde be gathered after twelue yeares But after that Sigismundus was deade the bysh of Ro. holdinge a councell fyrste at Ferraria and from thence at Florence letted y ◠furtheraūce of the councel of Basill and that had he so muche the more easy a do because ther was no monarche or noble prince that defended the decree of y ◠councel of Basill After that Martinus was deade Eugenius the iiii was made bysh of Ro. The same crowned Sigismundus Emperour at Rome Albert the .ii. of that name the .xxxvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christe M. cccc xxxviii after the death of Sigismundus was Alberte a prince of the bloude of Eastenryche kyng of Hungarye Bohemye made Emperoure He dyed in the seconde yeare of hys raygne Parte of Bohemy dyd cleue to the kyng of Polen endeuoured to drawe y ◠kyngdome of Bohemy to Polony The Poles brought a great army into Bohemy drew into their faction the vprourysh kynde of men called Thaborites Agaynst thē sent Albert y ◠Emperour Albert marques of Bran denburg The same brought to passe wyth manye battayls that the matter was agreed betwene the Emperoure and the Poles Albert the Emperoure came wyth a greate army into Hungary agaynst Amurates the Turke who at that tyme was fallen into Hungary Whan Albert the Emperoure came he fled backe and besye gynge the cytye Sinderouien he returned into Grece and wann the city Thessalonica In this settynge forth fell Albert into a sycknesse and beynge broughte agayne to Uyenna dyed wythyn few dayes Friderick the .iii. the .xxxviij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. CCCC xl after Albertus deathe was Fridericke the thyrd duke of Estenrich made Emperoure He raygned .liii. yeares The doughter of Sigismundus wyfe to Albert the Emperoure was now bygge wyth chylde but some of the Hungaryans despayrynge of an heyre of the realme chose Vladislaus the yonger kynge of Polen for a kyng The kings gouernour in Hungary was Ioānes Huniades father to Mathias The same had weakened the power of the Turkes wyth a great battail and compelled Amurates to demande peace But so soone as Vladislaus was come into the realme the Hungariās trusted that yf they the Poles powers were ioyned together they shuld easely gett great prayse yf they inuaded the Turke And happely had the yonge kyng Vladislaus pleasure in thys prayse Wherfore Iulianus the Cardinall brake the treuce made wyth the Turke vnder thys pretence and coloure that it were not lawfull to make peace wyth the Turkes wythout the Bish of Romes consente seyng y ◠case is belonging to whole Christendome Thus Vladislaus gathering an hoost went against Amurates vntill Varnam which is not farr from Cōstantinople though Ioannes Humades in y ◠mean season dissuaded to take warre because that he knew well the weakenesse of his men the power of the Turkes also had he made peace with the Turke not without necessitie It is also sayd that Vladislaus desyred ayde of Dracoles y ◠Malache but he also dyd counsell to leaue y ◠setting forth to warre Yet dyd he send his sonn with him to aide king Vladislaus with two thousand horsemen to whom he shuld haue said He gaue hym a couragious and swyft horse suche one as he wold geue to his sonn also for his mynd gaue that they shuld lose the feld and therefore shuld they haue these horses at hand that as nede shulde requyre the myghte troughe theyr swyftnesse escape the daunger As for the Turkes dyd forse themselues wyth nolesse carfulnesse than wysedome and were euery where appoynted in a readynesse before the Hungaryans were set in an order Wherefore thoughe the Hungariās fought fearcely for y e glory of Christes name and ouerthrwe verye great hoostes of the enemyes yet dyd the Turkes at the last ouercome wyth the multitude stayeng Vladislaus the yong kinge and afterward was Iulianus the Cardinal slayen also in the flyght Humades as he was a ware soul dioure toke hede to hymselfe by tymes and escaped This felde was the yeare M. CCCC xliiii the tenth daye of Nouember Amurates became a Mahometyshe monke after thys vyctorye supposynge to haue accomplyshed hys duetye in the empyre after so greate prosperitye in vanquyshynge hys enemyes leste he rashely trustynge smylynge fortune farther dyd stayne hys glorye wyth some euell But Hunyades dyd inuade and fell vpon the Turkes agayn and dyd hurt them so sore that they called Amurates agayn to the realme to resist Hunyades their enemy and shuld driue him out of Hūgary Afterward whā Cōstantinople was lost Huniades ouercame Mahomet y e Turkishe Emperour bringing into Hūgari an hurtful army with a great discōfitur deliuered whole Europa from y e fear of daūger For yf that setting forth had lucked Mahomet y e Turkish Emperour he had now takē in not only Italy but other contryes also Whan Vladislaus was deade the Hungarians receaued the chylde Ladislaus the heyre of the realme borne of Sigismundus doughter for theyr kyng Thys Ladislaus whan he was ful growen dyed at Praga the haed citye of Bohemy The yeare M. CCCC xliiij broughte the Dolphin with the Armeniakes an army into Elsace vntyll Basil not wythout a greate and horible manslaughter of the Germanes Some thynke that Eugenius the bysh of Ro. sent hym into Germany to trouble the councel of Basil The Dolphyn had aboute fyue and twenty thousand men The Switzers sent foure thousand men against them to rescue the citye Basel out of theyr handes They sett vpon the enemyes wyth so greate strengthe and corage that none of them gaue backe and thoughe they coulde not ouercome them by reason of the multitude of thē yet left they theyr enemies a bloudy dolefull victorye For the Dolphin lost in that battayl about ten thousand men and was fayne to flye out of Germany with the residue y ◠remayned The yeare M. CCCC xlix dyd Albert marques af Brandenburg warre agaynst imperial cityes Norinberg and some other Thys was called the warre of the cityes Many princes dyd ioyne themselues to ether syde and thys warre lasted ii yeares Albert the marques ouerthrue them of Norinberg wyth .viii. battayls The yeare M. cccc lii went Friderick into Italy and was receaued of euery man wyth seastly honoure In the citye Sena dyd he acomplyshe hys weddynge wyth Leonora hys spouse doughter to the kynge of Portingale Commynge to Rome he was crowned of Nicolaus the fyfte wyth hys quene the .xviij. daye of Marche Returnyng from Rome at Ferraria made he Borsius of Esta duke From thence shipped he ouer to Venice and abode there ten dayes I haue herde of a man of greate renowme that it was tolde him of the prince of Venice who beynge Senator serued the Emperour Fridericke and the prince of Venice at the table that Frederick shulde haue sayd at
the meale that he truely wold be a frende to the Venecians continually but they shulde haue muche trouble and dāmage of hys successours Of Constantinople Wonne by the Turkes THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC liiii y e xxix daye of Maye after longe syeggat Mahometes the Turkysh Emperoure the citye Constātinople at y e laste with a very strong assaulte and vsed thereyn so muche cruelnesse that it can not be expressed wyth no wordes Constantinus the Emperoure was slayne by the gate of the cytye in the flyghte whose heade caused the Turke to be smytten of stycked vpon a pole to be caryed thorow out the citye He commaunded also to set vp an image of the crucyfyed Christe in the citye and towrytte vpon it The same is the God of the Christians But he commaunded to moke it and caste fylthe vpon it and all to defyle it The Emperours wyfe and doughters wyth other honest matrones were drawen to a banket and there were they fyrst misused after that hewed to peces These examples and other mooste cruel dedes of y e Turkes ought duely to rayse and styrre our mindes that we shulde earnestly fight agaynst those enemyes whyche one nede not to call tyrauntes but rather cruel beastes The yeare M. CCCC lxi dyd the bysh of Ro. depose Dietericke of Isenburge from hys byshoprycke and in hys steade was made Adolphe of Nassau This chaunce gaue an occasion of greate warres in the Empyre Friderick the counte Palatyne toke vpon hym to defende retayn byshop Dieterych Agaynste the same dyd the Emperour sturre the erles of Wyrtenberg and Baden and the bysh of Mentz Whan these spoyled y e contry of y e count Palatine they were taken by Frideryck count Palatine about the yeare M. CCCC lxii The same yeare dyd contrarye wyse Adolfe the byshop take in the citye Mentz The yeare M. CCCC lxiij was Friderick the Emperoure strongly besieged in the castel at Vienna by hys cityesins and the doer of thys was Albert the Emperours brother but George kyng of the Bohemes delyuered the Emperoure driuing awaye the cityesins The yere M. CCCC lxxiiii dyd Charles prince of the Burgundyons besyege the towne Nuce a whole yeare and that because the chapiter chanōs of Colen had dryeuen out Rupert byshoppe of Colen whome Charles wold haue restored agayne But whan he went about to turne the byshopryck of Colen from the empyre haue gotten it to him the Emperour appoynteth an army agaynst hym The captayne of the hoost was Albert marques of Brandenburg and the empyres standardebearer Albert duke of Saxony At the last whan diuersly was treated of alayenge the debate Charles gaue place and it is sayde that at y ◠tyme was fyrst treated of geuyng Maximilian the doughter of Charles of Burgundy The yeare M. CCCC lxxvii was the duke of Burgundy vanquished by Nansen by them of Lotayn and the Switzers and slayne For Charles had taken from them of Lorain Nansen in Switzerland had he taken in Gransen and other small townes besides that also caused he in the towne of Gransen to be hanged .v. C. and .xii. Germanes Whan Charles was deade the Frenchemen enterprised to ioyne Flaunders and Brabant to theyr kingdom this desyre of the Frenchmen brought the cause of great warres But whan the Burgundions wold not that theyr duchies shuld be straunged or alienated from Charles doughter they delivered to wedde Charles doughter to Maximilian son to Friderick the Emperour Wherfore Maximiliane went wel appointed into Brabāt the yeare M. cccc lxxvii and wedded Mary Charles doughter whereby it came to passe that he augmēted not a litle the glory of the Eastenrychs name and that Maximiliā did many renowmed prowesses to defende those countryes agaynste the assaulte of the Frenchemen The yeare M. cccclxxxvi was Maximilian made Emperoure at Aken he was crowned the tenth daie of Apryll When he was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Albert marques of Brandenburg dyed there whome the Italian history writers also do geue the prayse of a sage and wyse prince and also a doughty man of armes The yeare M. cccclxxxvii was Maximiliane taken of his subiectes at Brudgis in Flaūders by a preuy trayne of the Frenchemen But when Frede rick came downe into lowe Germany furnyshed wyth the ayde of the whole empyre Maximilian was letten fre of them of Brudgis The yeare M. ccccxc he asked agayne and toke possession of his hereditary landes of the duchy of Eastenriche the whiche Mathy kyng of Hungary had taken in The yere M. ccccxciii dyed Frederick the third Emperonre in the towne Lyntz and was buried at Vienne The same yeare dyd the Turkes fall in to Croacia but they were dryuen backe agayne by Maximiliane that then was in Eastenriche surnyshed wyth an army of fyftenth ou saude men When Eugenius the .iiij. was deade Nicolaus the .v. was made by shop of Rome Friderick the Emperoure was crowned of hym and he entertayned with moste hygh liberalitie not onely learned men of Italy but also suche as were fled from Con stantinople to Rome namely Gaza Trapezontius Argyropylos by whose procurement al good sciences are renewed and amended Calistus the .iij. was bysh of Ro. after Nicolaus Pius the .ij. before called Eneas Syluius succeded Calistus He was Frederick the Emperoures Chaunceller He had gathered a greate army of all nacions against the Turkes but while the army is demissed without doynge any thyng Paulus the .ij. was after Pius Xystus the .iiii. was by shop of Rome after Paulus In his tyme the yeare M. cccclxxx dyd Mahometes the Turkysh Emperour besyege Hydruntum in Italy and wanne it vsyng therein incredible tyranny Italy was so asrayed that Xystus the Romysh byshop made hrm reade to flye into Fraunce But Mahometes died the same time when Hydruntum was a takynge and that by some destiny lest he should straie farther into Italy Moreouer whyle this was dayng Alfonsus kyng of Naples warred with them of Sena but when he harde the tydyngs of Hydruntum he haisted to returne into his kyngdome and getteth the besyeged citye Hydruntū out of the Turkes handes For whyle Mahometes was deade and that the Turkes haysted now to returne home lest any variaunce myght ryse in their kyngdome Alfonsus obteined the citie easely driuyng the Turkes out of Italy After Xystus was Innocētius the .viii. by of Ro. Alexander the the .vi. was made byshop of Ro. after Innocentius The same had a sonne duke of Valencia whom he made prince of Vrbinas Hys sayeng it was O Cesar o nullo that is Ether Emperoure or nothyng At the last was he nothyng For he was slayne for his sundry craftes that were mengled with gite and deceate The beginning of the science of printyng is sayd to haue bene vnder Frederick the thyrd and thys science of boke printing they saye to haue ben found fyrst at Mentz the yeare M. cccc xl The craft of the gonnes
course was through the celestiall or heauenly sygnes Cancer Leo Virgo and Libra where it was sene nomore nether appeared any more after that Not long after in October rose a warre in Switzer lande For to they of Tzurich stopped the passages that to their neghburs of zugia Vria Suicia Siluia and Lucerne noman coulde bryng corne salte and other victuals Wherfore they armed theÌ„ against those of Tzurich They met eche other w t displaied banners they of Tzurich beyng vanquished with thre fieldes had the worst In the fyrst battayll was slayne the preacher of Tzurich Huldrich zwinglius In the meane tyme endeuoured they of Stralborow and Constance their neighbours to make an accorde among the coÌ„federated And thus after .viij. monethes and .vi. wekes was the vproure alayed Of theÌ„ of Tzurich died about fyue thousande of the other syde a fewe The yeare M D. xxxii came Charles the Emperoure againe out of Brabant into Germany and came in Marche with his brother kyng Ferdinand to Regenspurg to kepe a parliament Thithercame the deputies sent froÌ„ the Imperial cities There came also many princes or at the leaste their Ambassadours Not very long before that Constantinople was taken by the Turkes I reade there was a solitary man not farre from the citie Constantinople and he shuld haue prophecied that the Turkes in dede should winne Constantinople and should roote out the kyngdom of the Grekes but anone after foure score yeres should they lose Constantinople agayn and that the Turkes should be rooted out of Europa But that tyme sence CoÌ„stantinople was wonne is expired the last yeare A most connyng Astronomer also at Naples called LaureÌ„tius Miniatensis scholemaister to Pontanus wrote these verses in his boke .lx. yeres ago concernyng the coniunction of Iupiter and Saturnus in the sygne Cancer the whiche he sayeth shall be and was in the yeare thousande fyue hundreth and foure last past That age succedyng oures vpon the heles Shalbe better and more prayse worthy Lytle of oure lawe shall it disanull scarcely But the greueous and harde to suffer thynges In holy matters shall it auoyde doubtlesse All kynd of wickednesse and also holy pryde A kyng also shall it geue vs harmelesse Who shall the worlde ende and peoples represse Rebellyng nacioÌ„s shall he subdue to the empyre And the whole worldes dominioÌ„ shall he possesse These verses are moste worthy to be marked and I woulde not passe them ouer because of the renowme of the moste famous Emperour For what hygher prayse can be in the Emperour then that he calleth hym a Harmelesse kyng euen as Iohn Lichteberg sayde of hym The shamefast of visage shall raygne euery where At Magdeburg is founde C. yere ago a Latine cronicle wherin are these wordes Of the bloude of Charles the Emperour and the kynges of FrauÌ„ce shalbe borne an Emperoure called Charles thesame shal haue dominion in all Europa by whom also the decayed estate of the church shalbe repared and the auncient glory of the empyre shalbe restored For there shall come a people that shalbe called people without heade and than we to the priestes Peters lytle shyppe shall suffre greate force but the waues shall crasse at the last and it shall haue victory Greate and dredefull mutacions of al kyngdomes are at hande and the settyng store by monkes shall peryshe The Beaste of the West and the Lion of the Easte shall haue dominion of the whole worlde and the Christians shallwander through Asia in sauegarde fyftene yeares but after that shal dredeful thynges be herde of Antichriste Abbas Ioachim saieth in the ende of Ieremye A great Egle shall come whiche shall ouercome euery man saue one who at the last beynge despysed shalbe for saken of the people I fynde also another prophecie whiche is renowmed The Emperoure shalbe awaked as a man fallen into a swete slepe The same shalbe counted of men as deade and shall go vp vpon the greate sea and inuade the Turkes and shall ouercome them he shall leade their wyues and Chyldren captiues Greate feare and drede shall ouerwhelme the Turkes their wyues and chyldren shall wepe and lamente all the Turkes landes shalbe geuen ouer in to the Emperours handes of Rome I haue herde a Portingale saye that an Astronomer should haue sayde to Ferdinandus oure Emperoures greate graundefather that the Turkysh empyre shoulde be subdued and ouerthrowen by a kyng of Spayne and that the same should haue interpretated the kyng to be Ferdinande But Ferdinande should haue answered That he shoulde not do it but hys heyres that should succede hym Other emdences more that are yet restyng wyl I at this tyme passe ouer God the father of mercy geue and graunte Christendom victory and grace for the glories sake of his godly name Amen Moreouer the thinges that shal yet happen shal doutlesse marke greate and wyse men whiche are now in this settyng forth of warre As for me I haue onely rehersed suche thynges of this preparacion of the settynge forth to warre as I was sure of and therefore do I now make an ende of wrytynge In the moneth of September this yeare was a Comete sene agayne certayn wekes two houres before Sunne rysyng and toward the Easte WheÌ„ I sawe it it was in Virgo to my iudgemen stretched his brandyshynge tayll betwene the South West But by reason of the gloumynge and cloudy ayer in these contreis coulde it not be sene here Howbeit who wil not iudge it to be a fearfullthing that two Cometes haue bene sene in the space nerehande of twelue monethes and seyng the Comete of the last yere namely of the yere M D. xxxi dyd not appeare without the hurte of Easte and North for it semed to threaten those partes For the tyrannyshe Turke fell into Hungary and Eastenryche kyng Christiernus goyng into Dennemarck with a greate nauy to demaunde againe his kyngdome yelded hymselfe into Frederick hys fathers brothers the kyng of Denmarck handes Christiernus also his sonne that was brought vp in the Emperours court dyed Veryly it is to be feared also that the Comete of this yeare of M D. xxxij do signifye greate euell to the partes of Italy and the Rene. The ende of the Cronicle The coÌ„clusion of this Cronicle of Iohn Carion A boke of Chronicles ought to coÌ„prehende moste greatest thynges in a feate order so that the rekenyng of the yeares and the chefe alteracions that befall into the religion and other greate thynges may be ryght obserued and knowen For it can not be that all thynges that are done in one realme can be written in one boke though it were great by reason of the sundry circumstaunces and occasions of y â— businesses the whiche must chefely be consydered Of this wyse truely wrote Herodotus Theucydi des Xenophon Titê° Liuius histories The other are onely to be called Cronicle writers whiche also ought not to take vpon them the name of History wryters For they do brefely shewe thynges done
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
perpetrated and wrought against hym namely howe that alwayes when the Emperours maiestie was about to mete and resiste the infideles the sayd Frenche kyng had stirred vp one mischiefe or other whereby hys godly enterprises and purposes were either letted and hyndered altogether or els begonne with smal profite and ended or brought to passe to small effecte Itē howe that he had made cōfederatiō now with the turke and then with Barbarossa and had also hym selfe stirred vp all the vngracious warres which had so many yeres continued in the borders of his maiesties dominions In consideracion wher of themperours maiestie besought the Popes holynes that he would take his parte and helpe hym to resyst the vngodly enterpryse of the Frenche kyng that a generall peace myght be establyshed whereby the Turke myght be repelled and ouercome When the Popes holynes had hearde the Eemperours oration accordyng to his kynde which they haue alwayes vsed sence the tyme of Adriane the thirde towardes themperour he made aunswere openly to themperours request that he would neyther take parte with themperours nor yet with them of Fraunce but that he woulde sytte styll as neuther and se to whome fortune would leane most and hym that should ouercome his aduersary and get the ouerhande woulde he mete with all his power and succour hym that shoulde haue the worst Here myght Emperours learne what goodnes is to be loked for at the handes of suche beastes if they were not altogether blynde Vpon this aunswer of the Pope themperour toke his iourney the .xviij. day of Aprill for Easter daye was the .xvi. daye of Aprill from Rome towardes Mylan In the meane season did the Emperours Capitaines assemble a great multitude of warriours both on horsebacke and on foote of the Germayne Welche and Spanysh nations whome they brought with great feare thorough Piemont and many small battayles whiche consumed no small nomber of men before Marsilia whiche is an olde citie lyeng in Fraunce by the sea syde and is enuironned with the sea in thre partes or endes whiche Citie themperoures company besyeged with al their power both by water and by lande but there happened suche a contagious disease and mortallitie in the Emperoures hoost that within fewe dayes there dyed aboue twelue thousande persones So that the Emperoure by the meanes of this necessite was constrained to dysperse hys armye But the Frenche kyng was at that season mightyer a great deall bothe of Money and of People and laye with a greate power of hys owne men with a great company of Swytzers and with syxe thousande duche launceknyghtes whose Capitain was William Counte of Furstenborough besydes auinion about a fyftene duche myles from Marsilia from thence to occurre and mete themperoure and to rescue Marsilia if the Emperoure had not bene caused to retire by the meanes of the sayde greate death and mortalitie Neither remayned he in this case harmeles for there dyed in hys hoost aboue two thousande Swytzers And hys eldest Sonne Fraunces the Dolphyne was poysoned whiche thynge also shoulde haue lyghted vpon the king himself if god had not specially preserued him The traytour whiche was an Erle of Montecuculo as Anselmus Rid doth call hym was at Lions by the kynges commaundement miserably put to death being drawen and plucked in sunder with foure horses tyed seuerally to his handes and legges His head was set vpon the Brydge whiche goeth ouer the water of Rodani and hys foure quarters were hanged before the foure principall gathes of the Cictie Whyle these thynges were in doing The Counte of Nassowe marched through Pycardy into Fraunce and toke certayne small townes lyeng on this syde and also on the farther syde of the water of Some by force of armes And besieged the citie of Perone whiche he pressed very sore by spoilyng and burnyng rounde about it by the meanes whereof he made many poore folkes in that countrey neuertheles he coulde not wynne the citie but was fayne to leaue it as he founde it so retyred from thence the .xi. daye of September after that he had besyeged it by the space of a moneth Thus muche of themperour and the Frenche kyng concernyng their actes and the thynges done betwene them for this present yere In Germany assembled the princes and nobles of the Empyre whiche as then had receyued the Gospell at Smalkalde whiche lyeth besydes the woode of Duringe and thither came also thambassadours of the kynges of Denmarke Fraunche and Englande Where the nobles and princes of the Gospell made a bonde and confederacion together wherein also Christiane kynge of Denmarke was bounde that they shoulde truely and faythfully holde together and take one an others part yf they should at any time be assaulted by an enemy of Goddes worde And thys bonde or confederation is called the bonde of Smalkalde whiche yerely increaseth more and more And many Potentates are dayly added to the congregacion of Christe in so muche that greate Monarchies may stande in awe of them and feare them And yf they do truely cleaue to Goddes worde and be thankefull vnto hym that gaue them that greate benefyte no doubte there shalbe no power so myghty that shalbe able to preuayle agaynste thys bonde and to suppresse it For yf GOD be on theyr syde and they put theyr truste and confidence in hym vnfaynedly they shalbe stronger and myghtyer then all worldely power whyche they haue nowe in a maner throughout all Germany God graunt them to consydre it and to be thankeful vnto God for it and for all other benefites which they haue receaued at his hande hitherto There was also a Synode and cōuocation kept at Wittenbourgh in Germanye in the moneth of May betwene them that cleaued vnto the doctrine of Huldrike zwynglius concernyng the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud on the one partie and them that folowed the mynde of Martine Luter on the other partie where after long disputacion had betwene thesayed parties there was a certeyne determinacion and agrement taken betwene them as touchyng the controuersy of the Sacrament albeit that the moste parte of the Preachers on zwinglius syde would not consent thereunto But what controuersy there was betwene the said parties as touchyng the Sacrament may be gathered ease out of the bokes of both parties for the rehearsall thereof here in order would be to long Betwene the sea Townes Homborough Lubeke Suno and Christiane chosen kyng of Denmarke was this yere a newe peace cōcluded whervnto they of Rostocke and of Wismare woulde not agree For their Duke Albert of Mekelborough at Coppenhaghe whiche is the chief citie of al Denmarke and of the Iland called Seeland Then the townes whiche were accorded and agreed vpō the sayed peace sent their imbassadours to Coppenhaghe aduertysyng the sayd Duke Albert and count Christopher of their agreement requiring them to yelde vp the cytye to the chosen kyng Christiane But when the said two lordes and
thinhabitances of thesayd contry of Coppenhagen denyed them their requsst kyng Christiane beseged the sayd citye wyth such power and troubled them so sore on euery syde that no victualles might come at them by no maner of meanes In so muche that wythin short space victualles waxed so scant and famme so increaâ—led wythin the cyty that they were glad to vse dogges fleshe for theyr meate and also cattes And when thys prouisyon dyd also fayle them and no deliueraunce eppeared of no part for they hoped that Frederike the Palatine who had taken to wyfe the doughter of kyng Christierne as before is mentioned should haue moued battayll agaynst the Duke of Holstone whyche came not to passe they yelded vp the cyty to the chosen kynge Christian aboue mencyoned Durynge thesayed siege the kynges souldiours ouercame Warborough and toke that false Capytayne of the Lubekes called Markes Mayer prysoner who wyth hys brother Gerard Mayer and a Danysh pryeste was quartered shortly after After that thesayd Christian had ouercome and subdued the hole kyngdome of Denmarke accordyng to the duety of all godlye kynges and prynces he directed all hys doynges and procedynges to thys ende that the worde of God myghte be purely and syncerely preached and taughte to hys pore subiectes in all partes of hys dominions But when he perceyued the preuy practises which the Bishoppes of that lande for they were in a maner the mightyest of both the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Norway imagined and purposed to worke against hym to hyndre his godly enterprise and to mayntayne their Idolary he toke them all seuen for so many were they in nombre and deposed them from their power and dignitie so that they were not able any more to make diuision sedicion or commotion within his kyngdome as they were wonte to do When this was done he sent messengers to Wit tenbourgh and called for the right honorable and well learned doctor Iohn Bugenhaghe borne in the dominion of Pomerlande who is yet at thys daye preacher of Goddes worde and minister or curate at the parysh Churche at Wittenbourgh as he was then This godly man came at the kynges request and by the helpe of God establyshed in bothe the kyngdomes the preaching of the Gospell and the true ministracion of the Sacramentes very frutefully so that within the space of thre yeres for so long was he by about the kyng all the paryshes of the lande which were aboue .xxiiii. thonsande in nombre were prouided and furnyshed with preachers and ministers hauing Super attendenres ordeyned and appointed ouer them to haue the ouersyght of them and to haue an earnest respecte and a watchefull eye to their doctrine and conuersation of lyuing He crowned also kyng Christian at Coppenhaghe in the presence of all his nobles with the kyngly crowne of the land of both the kyngdomes And after this at the kinges request he prouided and furnyshed the high Scole or vniuersitie of Coppenhaghe with Lecures and Reders of holy scripture and of all other laudable sciences For the better increase and furnyshyng whereof he called for certayne learned men froÌ„ Wittenbourgh although the lande was not all voyde of suche men before To the mayntenaunce of whiche Godly order and institucion of doctrine as wel in the Churche as in the vniuersytie the kyng gaue large gyftes and appoynted great liuynges And he set such an order in both the kyngdomes that his subiectes may be glad and geue God hygh thankes that of his goodnes he woulde sende them suche a kyng God sende hym longe to reigne among them and styrre vp the like in many other regions to the praise and sanctifycacion of hys moste holy name Amen Henry the eyght kyng of Englande had his imbassadours certayne monethes at Wittenbourgh whiche accordynge to the kynges request caryed wyth them in Englande certayne wel learned doctours to preache the Gospell of Christ within hys Realme and dominions whereof the hole congregacion of Christ thoroughout all Germany conceiued a speciall reioysynge and comforte But alas their ioye was not longe permanent for the saied kyng within two yeares after repelled them and caused some of them to be put to death as here tikes And Englyshe men haue had a certayne prophecy of great antiquitie that when saynt Georges daye should fall on good frydaye whiche is in the yeare of oure lorde MD. xlvi the worde of God shoulde myghtely increasse and taken place among them which I praye God graunt vnto theÌ„ to his prayse and glory This yere in England also the lorde Darcy syr Fraunces Bygot Syr Robert Constable other began a newe conspyracy whiche were attaynted and put to death in Iune This yere in October in England also on saynt Edowardes euen was Prince Edowarde borne at Hampton Court whiche was proclaimed anoynted kyng of Englande the .ix. yere of his age as shal be declared hereafter in due place This yere the .xiiij. daye of October also dyed Quene Iane mother to the saied Prince Edward and was buried at Winsor This yere did Iames the kyng of Scotlande puyssaunt kyng Iohn of Portingale Sonne to the excellent kyng Emanuell had a great conflicte and victory agaynst the infideles in the Realme of Cambaia or Guzuratum lyeng in the Indes For after that he had by his capitaines specially by Nonne a Cugria who was ruler and gouernour of the kinges army in the Indes destroyed the coastes lieng towardes the Indysh sea subiecte to the kyng of Cambaia and when the same kyng was not able to resyste hym although he was of power to brynge foure hundred thousand men in Campe he made a gentle agrement with the Portyngalles and delyuered them two mighty cities with all their abilyties priuiledges liberties and dominions whereof the one is called Bazaim and the other Dium this the stronger and the other the rycher Whiche haue both vnder them about a syx hundreth Villages with certayn smal townes and srutesul landes contayning in length about a .lxxx. myles or leaques wherof the king hath yerely an C. thousand crewnes at the least in bare tribute besydes the woode whence for the mooste part all the prouision is takeÌ„ that is occupied for the shyppes in the Indes with other aduauntages In those partes caused the kyng of Portingall the Christian fayth to be planted and at the last kyng Badur of Cambaia for so was he called when he was inuaded by kyng Dey who was kynge of the Scythians and of the Tartares fled with all his treasure mother wyfe and chyldren into the Cytie of Dyum whiche he had geuen vp before desyrynge succour and defence against his enemy So that by this meanes the king of Portyngall had obtayned the moste parte of all the lande of the Indes vnder his tuition and defence without any notable shedyng of bloude These actes are described at large by the sayed kyng in a
both them selues and the Castell vnto the Prynces Afterward was the Castel and the wholle lande sett in an order and the Gospell whyche before was kepte from it throughe that tyranne the Duke of Brunswycke ordeyned to be preached therinne And when they hadde ordeyned all thynges after the beste facyon and the Duke of Brunswycke appeared no where wyth any sowdyars and the Empyre requyred But the Emperoure coulde smell what the Pope meante Wherefore he vtterlye refused that councell and exhorted hym by wrytyng that he woulde rather see thatt the Frentch kyng kepte peace to thynthent that the Turcke myghte be wythstanded than to call a councel at suche an Vnmeete time which might be an hynderaunce to the other purpoose to make peace Afterwarde the Emperoures Mayestye prepared hymselfe after the beste facyon to wyth stand the Frentche kynge and hys partetakers Aboute thys tyme dyd the a boue mencyoned Prynces Duke Otho Henrycke and Phylyppe hys brother bothe countye palatynes on the rhyne and the cytyes Regensburgh and Swyneforthe receaue the Gospell for whyche thynge they were compelled to take muche harme and specyallye they of Regensburge to whome Duke Wyllyam of Bayer did al the hurte that the could and forbadde all hys subyâ—ctes that none of them shulde carye anye thynge to Regensburge or by or sell wyth them or yf anye man dyd he muste nott come agayne in to hys lande and must leese all hys goodes Thys was a greate hyndraunce to the cytye of Regensburge For it lyeth in the myddes of the lande of Bayer Yeth hath God gracyously preserued it In the begynnynge of the herueste ther came oute of Lyâ—towe thorou the land of pole and through schlesye and vnto the land of myssen great multytudes of Grassehoppers flyinge and layed them downe in the aboue mencyoned landes by greate multytudes an hundreth dutch myle long and aâ—e vppe all that was grene in the felde and lo we medowes They were as greate as a mannes fynger and some of them greater they hadde scales as it hadde bene harnesse vpon them and as it were an hatte vpon theyr heades lyke an olde rowstye year on sallet and were harde lyke an horne so that a man coulde skante treade them in sonder They had four winges as it wer which wereread speckelde some of them were yellowe and gray and of other speckelde coloures And where so euer they layed them downe in the felde there they laye well a foate thycke from the grounde And specyallye in the lande of Pole they saye that they laye an halfe elne thick from the grounde When the sunne beganne to schyne then they flewe vppe by greate heapes in battell order so thycke to gether that they shadowed the sonne lyke a clowde They flewe also as swystlye as other birdes a wholl dutche myl befor they reasted In the lande of myssen they came as farre as to the water Mylda for ther they came nott Euerye man thoughte that then shoulde a greate deathe haue folowed in the same landes where as yet hyther to ther hath none bene hearde of Haplye it was a warnynge as certen learned men wryte that we should take hiede that we myght be able to withstande if the Turck came in wyth suche a multitude of people from whyche thynge God gracyously defende vs. In Italye vpon the .xiii. daye of Iune ther was a fearfull and an horryble Earthquake by Florence whyche threwe downe manye Chymneyes in Florence and almooste a wholle lytell towne lyinge not farre from it called Scharbarya and destroyed many men They wryte also that in Turckye a lytell towne lyinge not farre from Solonychyo from whence the Saffren cometh was destroyed wyth men and women and all that was ther in wyth an Earthquake They saye also that ther stode ouer Constantynople an horryble blasynge sterre .xl. dayes longe and that in the same dayes in Iune and Iulye there was there an horryble weether and an Earthquake They saye also that a Dragon burnt the Turckes Castell and treasure and that ther came a greate multitude of wolues rennynge into the cyty whyche dyd men muche harme And many suche wounders done at that tyme were wrytten oute of Constantynople wherof as me semeth some be but lyes Howe beit I lett euerye man thynck ther in as shal please hym and beleue what he wyll Let thys be ynoughe of thys yeare The Brabanters beyng prouoked of Marten van Rosheyme rusch et in to the lande of Gulyck â–ª and burne certen Castels lytel townes or robbe and make hauocke of them They manne Duren Gulycke â—yttard Sustern and Hynsberg which were yelded vp vnto them On the other syde the Duke of Cleue after he hath gathered an armye round aboute oure all places wythstandeth the power of the Brabanders Whyche after they had made Hensburg stronge entended also to Fence Duren entred into fyght wyth hys Enemyes Wherein when there were many kylled on both partyes the fyght was ended Syttard and Gulyck because the walles were ouerthrowen of the Brabanders the Duke of Cleue causeth to be strongly walled agayne and beseaged Duren and compelleth them to yelde vp the towne in the ende of December Thys yeare Iames the fyft kynge of Scottland beyng .xxxiij. yeare of age dyed in December leauyng but one onely doughter alyue of two yeare of age borne of hys second wyfe ouer whom he ordeyned tutors and gouerners of the Realme the Cardynall of S. Andrewes and the lorde Hamelton IN the yeare of our Lord 1543. euen in the begynnynge of the yeare was a conuocation or Counsell kept at Nuremburgh at the whyche conuocation was present kyng Ferdinandus wyth hys two eldest sonnes and besydes them the moost parte of the Ambassadours and deputies of the other princes of the Empyre And when all theyr actes and doynges were prolonged vntyll after Easter ther was another day appoynted to be kept at Spyer where the Emperours Mayestye shoulde personally appeare hym selfe In the moneth of Ianuary the Emperours maiesty sent out of spain a mighty army bothe on horsback on foot wherof the erle of Aultete was capitaine into y e land of the Mores called Mauritania â—â—enge in the coastes and borders of Afryca ouer agaynste Spayne to inuade the kynge of the cytye of tremetz wherof also the kyngdome hath hys name because that by the helpe of the Moores he hadde proflygated and expelled hys brother vnto whome the gouernaunce of the kingdome by right dyd appertayne whyche soughte redresse and succour at the handes of themperours maiesty This armye arryued the .xxvii. daye of Ianuary at the cytye of Tybyda lyenge by the sea syde where they founde a greate multytude of Mores which soone auoyded and lefte y e cyty vnto the Spanyardes After thys they marched from Tybyda towardes tremetz and endamaged the Mores by the waye whyche were departed from Tybyda vntyll at the laste they tourned them selues again and made a conflycte