his horse and letted not for all his hurt to giue order for suche things as he thought expedient But at the length when by hanging downe of his legge the bloud drewe vnto the wound it waxed colde whereby his wound began to paine him then coulde he say that he was called the Sonne of Iupiter but yet he felt in himself the passions of a diseased bodie But no peril that euer he suffered was comparable to that whiche he ranne into through his owne desperatenesse at the siege of the citie of the Oxidracans as hathe Curtius of the Mellumans sayes Plutarche or as it is in Iustine the Sicambrians For like a madde man he leaped downe from the walles post alone into the towne it being a thousand to one that he should haue either béene slaine or taken aliue er he coulde haue recouered his legges the walles were so highe but it happely chaunced that he fel vpon his féete and an olde tree adioyning to the wall wel defended him from being inclosed and the boughes serued him for a target to keep off the darts and arrowes of many thousands that fast flocked thither to ende the cruell warres of the whole worlde by one mschiefous mans deathe and to reuenge so many flourishing nations whiche he had spoiled and so many frée peoples as he had wrongfully brought into bondage And at the length one threw a dart of two cubites long which a litle aboue his right thighe passed through his corselete by reason of the whiche wounde he did shead so muche bloud that he was not able to holde his sworde but let it fall out of his hande as one at the point of death so that the Indian that had strucken him came to spoyle him whose hand when Alexander felt vpon him disdaine of infamie reuoked his spirites then passing out of his bodie and with his sworde thrust thorough his vnarmed enimie But yet so feeble was his strength that when he endeuoured to lift himselfe vppe with the helpe of a bought of the trée he straightway fel owne againe vpon his knees During whiche time Peucestes Timaeus Leonatus and Aristonius were come vnto him of whome Timaeus was slaine and the rest so sore wounded that they were able to doe nothing and they had vndoubtedly died there with their Prince if that the whole armie being made almoste madde with the rumour that the king was slaine had not at that verie instant violently broke into the citie and deliuered him out of assured peril of death Neither was the curing of his wounde lesse daungerous and gréeuous then the wounde it selfe because that the hookes or barbes of the darte fastened in the fleshe coulde not be plucked out but by cutting of the wound wider whereof insued suche aboundance of bloud that he fell into a swoone and stretched out himselfe as one at the the panges of death in so muche that all his fréendes had verily thought that he had béen dead so long was it er his bloud could be staunched Thus ye sée howe many and oftentimes this madde man whiche would be accounted a GOD was made painefully to féele within fewe yeares the griefes of mannes fleshe the whiche was also lastly incrediblie increased by the deathe of his darling Ephestion whome he loued as intirely and mourned for as immoderately as euer man did for his fréende But when GOD sawe that no admonishmentes woulde serue to kéepe him in his duetie and that the Empire of the whole earthe woulde not satisfie his insatiable ambition whiche by falling was alwayes made more hungrie but that he woulde also néedes inuade heauen he did cutte his dayes shorter then the commune fate of man is not suffering him to passe the age of thirtie thrée yeares and one moneth and made a small cophin to shewe howe small a thing in déede hee was who hauing all the Orient chafed that hée was thruste vppe into a narrowe corner and squised together If he had followed the counsayle that the Lacedemonian king gaue vnto his Father Philippe after the fortunate battell of Choronea and had measured his shadowe after the ouerthrowe of Darius he should haue found it neither greater nor longer then it was before and sometimes he himselfe could finde it For whē Nicesias a flatterer the pernicious pestilence of Princes sawe Alexander maruelously troubled with a medicine which he had taken and saide what paines must we poore wretched men abide séeing that ye Gods suffer suche torments Alexander sternly looking on him said And what kind of Gods are we no I feare we be hated of the Gods. And at an other time when Anaxander a fortunate Philosopher as Atheneus termes him one of the crowes that haunted that carrion traueling with Alexander in a great and terrible thunder which appauled the hartes yea of the stoutest saide haue you done the like O mightie prince Alexander laught and said I wil not be so terrible and dreadful as thou doest teache me to be who wouldest haue me to be serued at the table with the heades of kings and princes cruelly cutte off It is also reported by Plutarch that he had béen oftentimes heard to say that wheras many men called him a God yet did he finde that hee was a man by two thinges that is to wit the act of Venerie and sléepe for that these two thinges did most bewray the imbecillitie of his nature but against all other thinges he was inuincible Nowe sléepe is an Image of death and the act of venerie as it were a kinde of conuulsion But this man who knewe him selfe so well and besides his often daungers of deathe and many painefull woundes did acknowledge that he had euer in him two things which manifestly declared vnto him that he was a man and yet woulde be adored for a GOD yea and when hée sawe him selfe quighte paste all hope of life instantly desired his wyfe Satyra priuily to conueye him away and to caste him into the riuer of Euphrates that he might séeme vnto the worlde to haue bene assumpted body and soule into heauen did not he iustly deserue to be depriued of those things which the most vilest varlets doe enioy did not his wofull mother Olympias when that she heard that his body lay vnburied many dayes the capteines of the Macedons being busied about the succession in his Empire crye out with aboundant teares déepe sighes and loud lamentatiōs O sonne thou that endeuouredst to be partaker of heauen hasting thether with might and maine nowe alas art not able to obteine and get so muche as those thinges whiche are common vnto all mortall men the earth and buriall A worthy mirrour to be set alwayes before the eyes of great Princes for them to sée in that if they do couet greater and more honour then is due vnto man they shall not haue that whiche hath bene often done vnto horses and dogges The two and twentie Chapter Of the infelicitie and dolefull ende of Demetrius yea his whole life and actes
all aboue all and beside all is onely knowen of him selfe Wherefore doth Dionysius iustly deny that he is an essence or being but aboue al essences and béeings that our minde can sée our reason comprehende or our spéeche expresse and therefore to bée called superessentiall And moreouer he affirmes that these wordes of priuation and negation as vncreated vnutterable incomprehensible and such like are the moste proper spéches to be vsed of god But Hierome Augustine and other holy Fathers otherwise considering of this woorde essence or béeing do thinke that onely God is properly an essence or being because he is euerlastingly neither can it be properly said of him as touching his own nature that he was or shal be but alwaies is although that the weakenes of our vnderstanding hathe wrested forth suche manners of spéeche as also that he doeth predestinate foreknowe and foresée whereas in very déed he doth absolutely decrée knowe and sée as he vnto whō all thinges past and to come are present although that our grosse wittes must measure them by distinctions of times As also for the better apprehension of our dull vnderstanding that can conceaue nothing but by the senses are there attributed vnto God in the sacred scriptures hand arme foote and other bodily limmes of all whome he being a spirite hathe none as also affects of the minde anger hatred iealousie loue repentaunce sorrow and suche like from whome he is farre who is as he saith himselfe God and is not chaunged but alwayes remaineth one in all pointes the whiche doeth happen vnto no other or certes if the angels do now inioye this excellencie in heauen they haue it not of nature but of the superaboundant grace and gyfte of god Singular also is the singlenes of his essence the whiche saieth Augustine may easily be spoken and beléeued but not séene but by a pure hart For when we doe say that God is that God is good that he is greate he is wise he is mercifull he is almightie and whatsoeuer else is spoken of that single manifoldenesse or manifolde singlenesse of God the woordes are not to be taken in suche sense as when they are spoken of any Creatures yea and the singlest creature the soule For in the soule it is one thinge to bee an other thing to be good an other to bee wise an other to be learned and so of other qualities and to be doeth signifie the essence of the soule but the other wordes qualities happening vnto the essence and suche as may be away and yet the soule still a soule But so must we not vnderstand these wordes and thinges in God for in him his being is the selfe same thing that his goodnesse or his greatnes is or whatsoeuer else is truely spoken of him And againe his greatnesse and his goodnesse are the very same thing that his essence is and in him no qualitie for there is nothing in him whiche is not himselfe and his very essence and substaunce neither was any one thing that is in him there before an other but all there at once euerlastingly neither can any one be away or be sundered one from another without the corruption of his essence And here againe hath our vnperfect spéeche made vs to speake vnproperly of God by adiectiues denominatiuely as when wée say God is merciful is holy is immortall is good for if that any thing coulde be spoken of him denominatiuely then were the abstracte or substantiue from whence it is deriued an other thing from the adiectiue and before it as for example mercie is another thing from merciful and before it as the founteine from whence merciful doth procéede wherefore in very déede God is not mercifull but mercie not holy but holinesse not immortall but immortalitie not good but goodnesse it selfe the which thinges doe dwell fully in him But so single is Gods essence that Augustine doth truely thinke that he can not be put aptly into any of the predicamentes of the Logicians For he cannot be a substaunce because he doth not subsist vnto any thing neither is there any thing abiding in him as in a subiect For as I said before there is nothing in him that is not himself so also we must beléeue that God is great with out quantitie good without qualitie president without site conteining all things without habite euery where wholy without being inclosed in any place eternal with out time making and doing all things without labour or chaunging of himselfe or his state and suffering nothing at all All thinges also can he do in heauen earth and hell Neither doeth it any thinge abridge his almightinesse that he cannot goe speake or do any other such thinges as are done by bodily instruments For although he being a spirite can not do them himselfe yet are they within his power for hee can doe them in his creatures and doth make man to goe and speake and also worketh al those actions in al liuing things which do them by his power Neither because he cannot sinne nor doe ill is hee the lesse Almightie because they be no pointes and partes of power but of infirmitie weaknes For if he could doe them he were not omnipotent therfore that he cannot do ill it is not to be imputed vnto impotencie but vnto power The like also may bee said of that he cannot die he cannot be wretched he cannot be deceiued he cannot be ouercome for if he were subiect vnto these defects he were not Almightie And also hereby is hee proued to be Almightie because that althoughe those imperfections and wantes cannot approche vnto him yet can he work them in other For he can make man to die be wretched be deceiued ouercome Wherefore herein doth appeare the omnipotencie of God that he doth all things that he will haue don neither doth he suffer any thing at all For nothing is there which is able to inferre any corruption vnto him or to make him suffer ought neither is any thing able to bring any impediment or lett vnto his doings but all thinges can he doe without any impeachment vnlesse it bee those thinges by doing of which either his dignitie should be diminished or some thing derogated from his excellencie Wherefore is hee truely omnipotent who is able to doe all thinges the doing of whome is power Then séeing that such is the surpassing excellencie of God aboue all his creatures that none of them cannot onely not approche any thing néere vnto the singularitie of his essence no nor by witte and wisedome in any wise conceiue the worthinesse thereof howe can we wonder inough at the madnesse of those men that haue made to themselues Gods of creatures or that which is more franticke haue made themselues to be adored of other for Goddes The second Chapter Of the wonderful pride of Psapho Menecrates Alexander Cōmodus Caligula Domitian Cosdras who would be honoured for Gods.
the daunger of mannes life doe best like Therfore pearles of all thinges haue the greatest price and praise Iulius Caesar bought a pearle for his swéete hart Seruilia which cost him Sexagies that is sixe and fourtie thousand eight hundreth thréescore and seuentéene poundes and tenne shillinges of our money Moreouer it is certaine saies Plinie that Nonius a senatour of Rome did weare in a ring a precious stone called an Opalus which was valued at vicies sestertium that is an hundreth thousande crownes the whiche ringe only of all his goodes he carried away with him when hee fledde being proscribed for it by Marcus Antonius whose sauagenesse and riot was great that would proscribe a senator for a stone and Nonius his contumacie no lesse that loued the cause of his proscriptiō séeing that also wilde beastes leaue behinde them those partes of their body being bitten off for whom they know they are in danger And in his 33. booke .3 chap. he telleth how the men at Rome did weare ringes or hoopes of golde about their armes and the women that were wiues vnto the horsemen of Rome about the smal of their legges but the comoners wiues of siluer and that the women did weare golde on their head their eares their necke their armes on all their fingers ye and on their féete and chaines hanging bandericke wise on bothe sides with tablets of golde set full of stones and pearles Aristophanes also the Athenian in his comedie called Thesmophoria reckoneth vp al the ornamentes and iewels that women did vse to weare in that prodigall citie which were so many in number that his breath failed him in the rehearsing of them which made him to maruell that they fainted not in the bearing of them And Clemens Alexandrinus chargeth his countrimen the Gréeks of Asia with the decking of themselues with golde pearles and precious stones and reckoning vp the Iewels that the women did weare besides earinges bracelettes tabletes ouches ringes chaines and a number of suche riotous ornaments the which being now out of vse I know not what thinges the names signifie he reciteth fetters of golde which were either chaines or else hoopes of golde suche as we shewed before out of Plinie were worne at Rome and that they were worne by the Gréekes in Europe hee proueth out of diuerse Poets Also the Gréekes and Asians were apparelled in purple a pounde of the whiche wooll being Tyrian double died as all good and vsuall in Plinies time by his owne testymonie were was woorthe at Rome and in Asia and Greece where it was vsually worne of women and the the noblemen 1000. denaries which is xxxj l. v. s̄ of our money So that their people may for cost which maketh al things to be estéemed of foolish mē cōpare with our cloth of gold siluer tissue which then were rare or not at all to be worne at Rome as Seneca cōplaines the silke began to be worne by womē in his dayes Yet I read in Plinie that he saw Agrippina wife vnto Claudius Caesar weare a robe of wouen gold without any other stuffe intermixed with it The which robe yet I thinke was not so rich as Clemens Alexandrinus doth report womē did weare gowns in his countrie being worth a thousand talents whiche is of our money 187500. at the least for if he meaneth Aegyptian talents it amounteth to a great deale more whereat I doe so muche the more maruell bycause neyther at Alexandria nor yet in those parts in his dayes there were any Quéenes which might be able to beare the outragious charges of so great riot But why stand I so long about the rehearsing of mans madde supplying of that profitable defect of nature in clothing his body séeing that he is no lesse troubled with correcting or rather corrupting of the naturall composition and ornaments therof Whereof come colouring of haires depilactories or making of haires to fall off yea and that which is most shameful wearing of bought haires painting of faces whitings of téeth and handes anoynting plastering and slabbering against wrinckles for the which cause Poppea wife vnto Nero vsed to haue driuen with her whether so euer she went or traueled fiue hundreth mylche Asses in whose mylke she bathed her vnchaste body and yet are they more to be discommended that will make them selues yl coloured with drinking of slabber sauce and in the olde time with cumin the which Horace toucheth in his epistles and in the age of our fathers Daniel the Metropolitane of Moscouie is reported to haue vsed to make his face looke pale with the smoke of brimstone that he might séeme to haue pyned him selfe away dryed vp his bloud with fasting studie watching praying and Egidius a Cardinal who by Iouius his iudgement deserued the highest honour of a Christian Orator in a holie pulpit was supposed for the causes before rehearsed to drinke cumin and vse perfumes of wet chaffe ¶ The seuenth Chapter O◠the vnreasonable ryot of men in building and namely of the auncient Romanes of Nero Caligula Heliogabalus Lucullus Clodius of the rare ryot in housholde stuffe of the Romanes Greekes and Asians and specially in their counterfeits both painted and in mettall and yuorie with the incredible prices of diuers of them in curiously wrought plate hangings bedsteedes chaires stooles tables with the excessiue prices of diuers of thē and of the great riot in furniture of houshold of Antonius Bassus Sopus Heliogabalus the liberts of Clodius a Cardinal and againe the sparenesse therein of the auncient Romanes of Scipio Africanus and his brother Aelius Catus and what siluer was found at the sacke of Carthage and of the costly peece of Arras of Leo the Pope BVt as this wayward creature man is not pleased with the proportion and garnishing of nature in his body and the clothing therof so neyther doth the open ayre the high hilles the lowe valeys the pleasant open fieldes nor the couerts of trées and caues against al kindes of iniuries of the angrie heauens and ayre content him which doe satisfie all other liuing thinges but that he buildes him sumptuous houses not to defend him from colde heate and stormes the which is the vse of an house but to fulfill his riotous and intemperate proude heart with wasting his wealth Our houses sayes sage Seneca are so wide and large that they be as it were cities We haue twice séene writes Plinie the whole citie inclosed and compassed about with the house of two Princes Caius and Nero and the latter that nothing might be missing of golde It was so great that these verses were set vp against it in Rome Roma domus fiet Veios migrate Quirites Si non Veios occupet ista domus Rome shall be made an house Romanes To Veios packe a pace If not both Veios to possesse We will this huge monstrous place Alluding vnto the historie that the Romanes
that he thinks may in any poynte further his follie he curreth fauour he longeth he wéepeth he reioyceth with all men at all places at all times putting on other mens countenaunces Who hath not heard of that saying of Themistocles that the famous ouerthrowe giuen by the Atheniens vnto the Persians at Marathon would not suffer him to take rest eyther daye or night whyle he incessantly sought to matche the glory of Milciades This made Iulius Caesar plentiously to poure downe teares when he behelde the Image of Alexander the greate who at the age of thirtie thrée yeares had conquered the greatest and noblest parte of the worlde and Caesar at that age had done nothing worthy of memorie a man so desirous of the supreme place that passing by a pelting towne of Hispaine he affirmeth that he had rather be the chiefe man of that beggerly village then the seconde man in riche Rome They write also of Alexander that he shead teares aboundantly when that a Philosopher tolde him that there were innumerable worldes bycause that he had not yet throughly conquered one Caesar sayes Cicero was oftentimes hearde to rehearse and with highe commendation to like of those verses of Euripides that iustice was onely to be broken for to obteine and winne a kingdome but in all other things religiously to be obserued and kept And from what other roote I pray you doe and haue all warres wel neare both forreigne and ciuil sproung This causeth so many colde nightes to be watched abroade in the fielde so many scortching dayes abidden in smouldering armour so many intemper at countries paynefully trauelled and so many deadly daungers runne into This vice breaketh all bandes of pietie towardes friendes parentes children countrie of the whiche all histories and common life are examples as also of them who neuer left aspiring and climing vntill they had broken their neckes Yet I can not passe ouer in silence Mancinus Sabinus who for extreme sorrow and enuie that Tullius Hostilius was preferred before him vnto the kingdome of the Romanes like a madde man killed him selfe And may I aptly in this place set downe the Indian who chose rather to be hanged vp shamefully then to shoote at the commaundement of Alexander fearing bycause he had long time discontinued that exercise that he might perhappes corrupt the prayse and glorye before time won by that feate Moreouer this one thing I thinke woorthy the rehearsing that Cicero writeth vnto his brother Quintus that they which sued to be Consuls whome I doe take to be Milo Scipio and Hypseus did openly offer to giue centies sestertium 78125. l. for the prerogatiue voyce and what that was doth Ascanius Pedianus vpon Diuinatio in S. Verrem declare It was the manner sayes he that the concorde of the people might be strengthened at their Comitia or chosing of officers that there should be two Comitia held of all men which sued for office The firste tribes bycause they were firste asked whome they would haue to be officers were called the prerogatiues and the seconde they named they called of right bycause in them the people as it often happeneth following the will and mynde of the Prerogatiues all thinges were accomplished according vnto the lawe or that of lawe ought to be done And this will I make more playne vnto you out of Dionysius The people of Rome in choosing of their Consuls and their other chiefe Magistrates in their enacting of lawes and decrées touching warres for of these thrée thinges had the people chiefe authoritie did giue their voyces by the centuries or hundrethes and therefore were they called Comitia centuriata Nowe there were of all the Centuries accounting the eightéene Centuries of the equites or horsmen all the other were of footemen one hundreth ninetie and thrée who in giuing their voyces had euery one their dignitie reserued so that they which were most valued in the Censors booke and bare the greatest burthens of the warres for Seruius Tullius ordeyned that they should not pay their tributes by the pooll as they did before but euery man according vnto his wealth shoulde first giue their voyces But the first classis or companie for they were diuided into foure had in it eightie Centuries with whome also the horsmen gaue their voyces who all being in number ninetie and eight did excéede the number of halfe the voyces Whereby it came to passe that what so euer they were agréed vpon was accounted for decréed But if that the first classis or companie and the horsmen could not agrée whiche sildome times happened then were the Centuries of the second order called and so foorth other in order whereby they neuer lightly came vnto the last classis or companie Tullius his prudence vsing this equitie that they which were most charged should be requited in the suffrages and voyces from whome althoughe that no man séemed to be excluded yet all the power and sway was in the horsmen the Centuries of the first classis This order in the suffrages and gyuing of voyces doe Dionysius and Liuie write was not kept afterward in al pointes neither yet doth the one or the other expresse what order was vsed I am not ignoraunt that Gruchius and Sigonius who haue exactly written of the Romane Comitia do interpret the Prerogatiue otherwise then I haue séemed to doo wherein I will counsell no man to folow me namely séeing that I haue set it down rather to declare the auncient order of the Romane election of Officers then for that I assuredly thought that the first classes the horsmen were the Prerogatiue tribes as also I leaue vnto euery mans owne iudgement to assent either vnto Gruchius who coniectureth that Patritian officers were chosen first by Centuriata and then by Curiata Comitia But the comoner by Curiata and Tributa the first Comitia being alwayes called the prerogatiue or vnto Sigonius who thinketh that the Prerogatiue was a bande chosen out of all the tribes or else probably deuise some fourth opinion But omitting this controuersie I read in Pedianus that when Milo sued for the Consulshippe he gaue money vnto al the tribes to euery man a thousand assies that is thrée poundes now the tribes being in number xxxv If that he did corrupte but a thousande in euery tribe the summe woulde amount vnto an hundreth and fiue thousande poundes so that it is no maruell that Plinie reporteth that hee owed at his deathe Sextingenties 546875. poundes Iulius Caesar also gaue vnto Paulus the Consul to stand his fréend that he might remaine still in Office 1500. talentes whiche is 281250. poundes So swéete vnto men is the supreame swâ—y of superioritie The thirteenth Chapter Of the torments of couetousnesse ALl other earthly liuing things desire nothing but single foode to susteine their hungry bodies to haue where to shrowde them selues againste stormes colde and heate only mans immeasurable minde coueteth all that is within the compasse of heauen For fortune saies
do contemne their deadly daunger and seeme to haue an insensibilitie of their sinnes and perill finally are ashamed of nothing so muche as to shewe ye any light signe of sorrowe for their horrible déepe sinke of sinne yet can not these lustie bloudes escape the inwarde percinge pricke of a guiltie conscience which tormenteth them a thousande folde more terriblye then if it were the deadly stinge of a viper and worketh them more woe and vnrest then doth the madde flie the coursed cattell in the rageing dogge dayes These iolly gentlemen tremble â— shake at euerie flash of lighteninge and be halfe deade at a clappe of thunder as though they came not of anie naturall cause but were sente downe from heauen by angred God purposely to reuenge their outrages Not in the day time not in the night will their vexed mindes graunte vnto their bodies anie reste WheÌ„ they go vnto their meales no one morsell of meate will go downe their throates fearing as men that had their iawes dried vp with a longe wastinge sicknesse yea they cast vp their drinke like vnto younge children makinge a sowre face at sweete Hippocras as though it were sharpe vineagre so vnsauourie doth remorse of their sinnes make al things vnto them But when the time of the night doth adhorte them to goe vnto their restlesse bedde they dare not lye alone for feare that a thousande diuelles woulde carrie them away bodie and soule vnto hell Nowe after they be tyred with tossinge and turning if they chaunce to happen on a slumber for sounde sleape will not the tormenting torche that burneth without intermission in their troubled brestes in anie case graunt them with what dreadfull dreames méete they howe starte they howe hydeously crie they out If theÌ„ religioÌ„ ingendereth suche griefes what tormentes may we think superstitioÌ„ bringeth for I can not tel how saith Seneca vaine thinges do trouble and vexe vs farre more theÌ„ true for the true haue their certeine measure and quantitie but whatsoeuer commeth of an incertâ—ntie is deliuered and giuen ouer vnto the coniecture and licence of a fearefull minde and what that will make of them may the straunge imaginations of the melancholyke manifestly declare some steadfastly beleauinge that they haue eaten venimous serpentes soÌ„e that they haue lost their heads soÌ„e that they haue drouÌ„ke poysoÌ„ soÌ„e that they beare vp al the whole world faynte faile vnder so heauie a burden other that they sée Atlas whoÌ„e the Poetes fayne to staye vp heauen with his shoulders to shrinke and giue ouer and presently readie to lett fall the weightie engine of the heauens on their heades some that they be earthen vessells and merueilously feare breaking other crie out if they do but see one come into the chamber for feare he will treade on his nose some that they haue deadly botches where as in verie déede there are no such thinges with 1000 such like vaine feares al of whome it were as madd a parte for me to rehearse as it was is for theÌ„ to imagine The eighteenth Chapter The hoofullnesse of Lewes the eleuenth Charles the seuenth French kings of Dionysius Commodus and Aristippus for the prolonging of their liues ANd no lesse madnesse considering the manifolde miseries the often calamities the greate mischiefes and annoyances whiche happen vnto man in his life is mans immesurable desiring of liuing which Plinie assigneth for a proper incoÌ„moditie of mankinde Lewes the French kinge the eleuenth of that name when he had liued thrée score yeares perceiuinge that he was fallen into a sicknesse which was likely to shorten his time and also being feared with the sixtieth yeare of his age because that none of the Capetts had passed that bound which yet could not coÌ„tent him what wayes wrought he to prolong his lothsome life to what solemne shrine offered he not greate rich oblations to what famous house of religion throughout all Fraunce gaue not hee fayre lands for a great parte of it wrongefully wrouÌ„g from pore men which donations because they were so great were reuoked after his death to what holy man of name in al Christendome sent not he the golden gifts instantly desiring them in their daylie praiers to God to haue a speciall memento for the large increase of his yeares But amonge all other he fet out of Calabria one Robert an Heremite a man of all them of his time moste renowned for holynesse of life at whose feete at the firste méetinge he fell downe desiring him with manie a bitter teare to prolonge his life foolishly hopinge as the Heremite truely tolde him to obteine that of a man whiche God only was able to giue But yet fearinge that he was not surely enoughe defenced againste terrible death by spirituall helpe studiously also soughte for naturall by phisicke and founde one Cocterius who with large promises of longe life fedde his folishe humoure as the kinge againe glutted the physicians vnsatiable desire of golde with giuinge him ten thousande crownes a moneth yea in fiue monethes foure and fiftie thousande besides manie greate promotions promised if he did recouer his health Yet could not this rare liberalitie of the kinge make the physician courteous vnto him but hee woulde continually handle him verie roughly churlishely and with despitefull wordes vpbrayed vnto him his wrongfull and cruell demeanour towardes diuers of the nobilitie and the counsell and vsed often to tell him that he woulde also handle him so one day Although this vncourteous and proude dealinge greatly greeued the kinge and made him often to complaine of it vnto his familiars yet durste he in no wise put him away because that he had constantly affirmed that the kinge shoulde not liue sixe dayes after that he were gone Which direfull denunciation the kinge abhorred as gate of hell as the man that in al his whole life coulde not abide to haue it once tolde him that he must one day die and would often in his health will his friendes that when they should sée him daungerously sicke they shoulde in no case put him in minde of death where as in verie déede he shoulde haue meditated nothinge so much all his life longe which should haue bene a continual preparing of him self vnto death where vnto he should most assuredly come at the laste and howe soone vncerteine neither yet during his longe sicknesse stoode hee in greater dreade of death by inwarde diseases then he feared shortening of life by forreigne foes Wherefore he imprisoned manie noble men of great power diuerse faithful counsellours vpon vaine imagination conceiued in his fearefull minde of their infidelitie He woulde suffer verie fewe of the nobilitie to come neare vnto the place where he lodged much lesse come within the castell gate which was guarded daye and night with foure hundreth souldiours of whom the one halfe were Scottes whome he trusted better then his owne subiectes commaunding them to shoote at all men whiche did
with his whole armie was slain after they had fought with equal fortune an whole day Then Cosdras being brokē with those manifold discomfitures fled ouer Tygris proclaming his younger sonne Medarses his consort in the kingdome The which reproch iniurie caused the elder son Sirochus a towardly young prince to ioyne in league with Heraclius with the conditions that they should prosecute the warres against Cosdras Medarses they finished Sirochus shuld restore vnto Heraclius all that had ben won frō him his predecessours to bound his kingdome with the riuer of Tygris This league being confirmed certeine horsemen were sent to pursue Medarses his father who brought them both backe with their wiues were by Syrachus cast into painful prison where not long after they were both slaine by his cruel commaundement Suche was the fearefull fall of him who in mockage of the Trinitie had built him a sumptuous house in fourme like vnto the heauens and at the right side thereof had placed the crosse wheron Christ our Sauiour was crucified the which he had lately taken at Hierusalem and on the left a cocke and did set him selfe in the middest betwéene them saying that he was the Father of Heauen that did sit in the middle betwéene the sonne and the holie Ghost I haue the more at large declared the particularities of Cosdras his ruine bycause that euerie degrée and step therevnto may rightly séeme to be of Gods speciall working to the feare and terrour of al those that shall insolently reioyce at a deceitfull gale of fickle fortune as though that were done by their owne force and strength whiche is eyther wrought by Gods owne arme or else permitted by his long sufferaunce The xxix Chapter Of the insolent exulting of Vgoline Earle of Pise Fredericke the second and Henrie the second of their good fortune their falles and againe the moderation of mynde of Epaminondas Philip king of Macedonie Camillus Paulus and Charles the fift in their fortunate concourse of victories and why at Rome a bondman did ride in the chariot with him that triumphed VGoline Girardescus a citizen of Pise in Italie chiefe of the faction of the Guelphes hauing partly expelled and partly subdued the Gibelines came to that power that he administred at becke all things in that riche and mightie citie and became lord therof and also of Lacoa a man of great power for riches nobilitie fame of his wisedome and authoritie and séemed vnto himselfe and vnto others for wife children and childrens children and all other things that be desired in mans life to be a happie and blessed man and reaping the fruite of thinking on his felicitie was fraughtfull of ioy and confidence and tooke a delight to be stil talking of it insomuche that at a magnificent feast whiche he helde on his birthe day where he had all his fréendes and kinsfolkes he extolled with wordes his fauourable fortune admiring and aduauncing it vppe to heauen yea he durst aske an intire fréende of his called Marcus what he thought to be lacking and away Marcus whither moued by mature consideration of the fraieltie and vnstabilitie of humane thinges and howe deceitefull their shewe is and with how swift a swinge they are carried about on fortunes whirling whéele or else cartes admonished from heauen answered nothing but the wrath of God whiche can not be long away from so great prosperitie and it must néedes come to passe séeing so many fortunate thinges are heaped together vppon one man who neuer yet felt the contrarie fortune that he must one day bee ouerwhelmed with some notable calamitie The which prognostication fell out shortly after to be to true For the power of the Guelphes decaying the Gibelines arose vppe in armes and besieged and assaulted his house and slewe one of his sonnes and another of his nephues that defended force from their parent But at the length they taking prisoner Vgoline with his two other sonnes and thrée nephues did shutte them vp in a towre the gates whereof they locked and then threwe the keyes into the riuer of Arno that raune thereby There the vnhappie Father dying for hunger saw his déere pledges dying also starued in his lappe and when he crying out requested his enimies to be contented to exact only humane punishment they would not suffer him to receiue the sacred rites due vnto Christians I finde also recorded that in the great discorde betwéene Fredericke the second Emperour of Almaine Innocens the bishoppe of Rome the citie of Parma that stoode stiffe on the Popes part did shut their gates against Fredericke as he passed that way from Sicyl vnto Burgonie Wherewithall he being fore chafed besieged them with determination not to depart thence before he had taken and razed it flat to the grounde to deterre al other from staying his course This siege helde him an whole yeare and more Before Parma in the place where he incamped had he laide out a plotte to builde a newe citie on and appointed places for churches and the highe and chiefe churche he dedicated vnto Saint Victor for a good abodement of happie successe and the other bothe publike and priuate buildings beganne to goe vp sumptuously This citie called he Victoria He coyned also money with the Image of Saint Victor whiche hee named Victoriates Hée did also set forth spectacles after the manner of the olde Romane Emperours and suche in déede as might compare with those auncient shewes being gloriously adorned with Elephants and a great number of suche other wilde beasts the whiche when the Romanes florished were Lords of the worlde were knowen in Italie but in those dayes were straunge sightes vnto the Latine eyes These straunge beastes were sent him by the Sultanes of the Orient and the kinges of Afrique to whome he was a fréende and confederate He also made magnificent games and playes and brought foorth and shewed vnto the people men of vnknowen tounges and Countries such as they neuer heard of before apparelled also in as straunge attire in this manner proudely triumphing and requesting the fruite of victorie the which is the gyft of God before that he had ouercome Thus going aboute to matche the magnificence of the auncient Romane Emperours but attempting it in a wrong time he fell into great lacke of money Then the Victoriates which were before of golde nowe beganne to be made of leather with a very small and thinne Image of siluer making proclamation that they should be taken for fine golde for his mint woulde so valewe and take them And to seale vppe the mischiefe the Parmesans and their alies falling out of the Citie wanne his campe the newe Victoria and put the Emperour vnto a foule flight and so the Citie of Victoria fell before it was finished Yea it was ouerthrowen before it were reared vppe and quite destroied before it was built and with his Victoria his Empire also flewe away and not long after his
enimies Cassius lieftenaunt in Syria But not long after that he had fortunately escaped this doubtful perill fell hée into a greater when that the Parthian tooke Hierusalem with king Hyrcanus and placing there in his roome Antigonus forced Herodes his brother Phaselus to dashe out his owne braines against a wall that he might not come aliue into their bondage and Herodes himselfe very hardly escaped their hands and fearefully fledde vnto Rome where he was created king of Iudea The whiche he had not long enioyed but that he was sent for to come before Antonius at Seleucia to be arreigned for the vnworthie murther of his wiues brother Alexander the high priest at what time he knowing the great hatred towards him of Antonius his swéete heart Quéene Cleopatra who insatiably thirsted for his kingdome he was almost in vtter despaire of returne But not long after he fell into greater perill of his state through ayding of Antonius against Octauian wherefore after that Antonius was ouercome he sailed into Rhodes vnto Caesar and there in priuate apparell without diademe suppliantly desired pardon of Caesar the which being happely obteined and his kingdom also by his liberalitie augmented hée fell in his old age into many domesticall dolours the beginning whereof came thorough his wife Mariemne one descended of the auncient bloud royal whom he loued as immoderately as shee hated and abhorred him both hartily and openly vpbrayding him often with the cruell murthering of her graundfather and brother but in the ende hee did wrongfully put her to death for sinister opinion of adulterie betwixte her and his vncle Iosippus and then as immoderately bewailed and lamented her death as before he had rashly slaine her This vnworthie murther of their mother did her two sonnes whome Herodes had appointed to bee his successours in the kingdome stomache in so much that they fled to Rome and accused their father vnto Augustus who made an attonement betwéene the wretched father and his wicked sonnes but it was not long but that Herodes accused them for treason against his person before Archelaus king of Cappadocia whose daughter the one of them had married but Archelaus againe reconciled them but the ill patched friendshipp brake out againe not long after to the destruction of the two innocent sonnes After the dolefull death of his two déere sonnes Alexander Aristobulus the wofull father found out the treason of his sonne Antipater whome he had nominated his heire and how he not onely had caused him by suborning of false witnesses wrongfully to murther his two brothers Alexander and Aristobulus and exasperated him also against two other of his brothers Archelaus Philippe the poison was brought where with Antipater had gone about to poison him whereuppon he obteyned of the Emperour that he might worthily be put to death This domestical calamitie and continual treasons and murtherings of his sonnes did so afflict the aged father that hee ledde a lothsome life wrapped all in wailefulnesse taking no ioy at all in his large Empire great heapes of treasure and beautifull and pleasaunt buildinges And this heauinesse was heaped by long cōtinuance of many dolefull diseases He had no smal ague and an intollerable itche thoroughout all his body then was he also vexed with a painefull torment in his necke and his féete were swollen with the dropsie and his bellie as bigge as a barrell with winde the whiche griefes were augmented with a filthie putrefaction of his priuie parts the which bred aboundance of stinking wormes Moreouer he was very short winded sighing often and had al his lymmes contracted and cramped the tormentes were so intollerable that he thought his friendes did heynously iniurie him when that they did let him to ende his wofull life by friendly stroke of fatall meate knife And then to double his tormentes came this toy into his heade that all the Iewes and people woulde reioyce at his desired death wherefore he commaunded that out of euerie village and towne of the Iudea should the gentlemen be brought into the castell and be all slaine when he shoulde yelde vp his cruell and gastly ghoste that all the whole lande yea and euerie house might weepe and lamente at his death against their willes The xl Chapter Of Mahumet MAhumet the first founder of the secte of the Mahumetanes who possesse nowe farre the greatest parte of the worlde of a beggers bratt and slaue became conquerour and kinge of all Syria and Aegypt and by the consente of the moste of the beste approued authors of the whole Empire of Persia and yet had he also sowre often mingled with his swete for when he firste preached his seditious superstition at Mecha he was driuen by armes out of the towne with his bande of bondmen Neither founde he fortune more friendely at Medina Thalnabi whether he fledde for the Iewes taking armes against him discomfited him in manie skirmishes in one of whom they wounded him in the face strucke out his fore teeth and hurled him into a diche And afterward also in his first inuasion of the Persian was he foiled in fight and forced to retire home where entring in societie with the Sinites that had lately for reprochfull wordes reuolted from the Greekes and returninge with them into Persia fortunately atchiued his exploite But howe pitifully he was tormented with the terrible fallinge sicknesse I thinke it vnknowen vnto fewe Moreouer verie shorte was his reigne for sixe yeares after he beganne his conquestes he died and in the fourtéenth yeare of his age But what cause did depriue this furious fierbrand of mankinde of his enuied life authors do not agrée Some holde that he was poysoned by a Greeke other that he died madde But the cōmon opinion in the East saies Theuet that he was sicke thirty daies of a Pleuresie in seuen of whom he was distraught of his witts but comminge vnto him selfe a little before hee died he tolde his friendes that within three dayes after his death his bodie shoulde be assumpted into heauen The which wordes did witnesse that he was starke madde still as the euente did after proue for when his illuded sectaries had longe time in vaine expected his assumption at last they washing embaulminge his stincking bodie were forced to burie it The xliii Chapter Of Hismaell the Sophie HIsmaell who beganne in our age a newe secte of Mahumetanes amonge the Persians whereof he and all his successors are called Sophies as we shoulde say the wise men thorough the helpe of his folowers threwe downe from the Emperiall siege of Persia the auncient bloude royall and placed himselfe therein making also subiect therevnto manie other countries borderinge there on but Selim the Turke plucked this Pecockes taile discomfiting and woundinge him in a bloudie battell fought in the boweles of his realme the which he himselfe had caused to be all wofully wasted that his fierce enimies shoulde finde nothinge to susteine the necessities of them selues and their horses and also takinge his