Father was so far prevaild on by these discourses that he sent an Executioner to his Son in prison with this Message That a Sword or a Crown were now presented to his choice that if he would renounce his Religion he should be received into favour and enjoy the Scepter after him But if not he should be instantly beheaded in that place Ermangild told him That he would rather dye by a thousands torments than forsake the true faith which he had imbraced and added I thank thee O Almighty God that as thou hast given me a mortal perishing uncertain life from my Father so by his means I shall now receive a glorious and happy life to all Eternity And then kneeling down and praying earnestly for his Father Step-mother and all his enemies and persecutors he cheerfully stretcht out his neck to the Executioner pronouncing the name of his dear Andegona to the last moment and at one blow had his head severed from his body The sad tydings of this lamentable accident arrived to Andegona who had made her escape into Africa where she likewise received the last Letter from her husband out of Prison Her attendants at the news began to make doleful Lamentations as if themselves had been condemned to dye But Andegora kissing the Letter of her dear Lord and then reading it cryed out Ah noble and faithful Soul thou hast acted as a good man ought to do thou hast fought the good fight of Faith and hast now attained the Crown of glory and I desire nothing but to imitate thy constancy Weep not then my Servants for me since it is this day I am a Queen indeed and esteem my self the most happy Princess on earth who have a husband a Martyr in Heaven And then taking her little Son Ermangild almost tired with hard Travel she said Go sweet babe partake of the blessings of your dear Father God hath bestowed great favours in you to be banished already for your Religion go then little Innocent and rejoice with others before the Altar of the Lamb your Mother will not stay long behind you The Child dyed soon after and the magnanimous Andegona having long combated with these Armies of afflictions at length resigned up her Soul with these words O my God the father and son are at rest there now remains nothing but to take the mother I have ended all my hopes in this World why stayest thou O my blessed Saviour to receive my Soul which is now upon my lips Her prayer was heard for a few days after wasted with love travel and desires she died an exemplary death and found a Tomb in Africa FINIS There are Newly Published one and Twenty other very useful pleasant and necessary Books all sold by Nath. 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The History of Ireland from the Conquest thereof unto King Henry the Second to this time With a Relation of the Miraculous Persons and Places in that Countrey A full Account of St. Patrick's Purgatory and divers other memorable Matters Intermix with Variety of Excellent Speeches Strange Accidents Prodigious Appearances and other very considerable things both pleasant and profitable With a List of the Nobility and Great Officers of State in both Kingdoms Illustrated with near Thirty Pictures of several Kings and other extraordinary Observables Price 1 Shilling V. DElights for the Ingenious In above Fifty Select and choice Emblems Divine and Moral Ancient and Modern Curiously Ingraven upon Copper Plates with Fifty delightful Poems and Lots for the more Lively Illustration of each Emblem Whereby Instruction and Good Counsel may be promoted and furthered by an honest and pleasant Recreation To which is prefixed An
whose mercy and goodness endures forever The people were even transported with joy at this unexpected deliverance and seeing the dismal head only by torch-light were almost perswaded it was but a dream But that the multitude which saw the same thing confirmed them their eyes were not deluded They therefore shouted with praises to the God of Heaven the only worker of Miracles and then turning to Judith they gave her a thousand thanks and blessings for being the instrument of so marvellous a salvation that day Then Ozias the Prince of the people of Israel in Bethulia spake thus to her Blessed be you O Daughter and most excellent above all the women in the Earth and praised be the great Creator of Heaven and Earth who hath assisted your Victorious arm for the destruction of the principal of our Enemies whereby you have rendred your name immortal to all ages to come and shall be had in admiration by all that have any sense of the wonderful works of God while the world endures since none can forget how little you valued your own life and honour so that you might thereby free your Nation from the inevitable ruin which seemed to hang over their heads After this Achior was called to whom shewing the head of Holofernes and assuring him that what he had affirmed of the might power of the God of Israel was now fully verified since he that had vowed their total desolation was now no more and their great Commander Holofernes was himself without a head Achior was even astonisht at her words and action and with the surprize fell down into a swound but at length recovering he threw himself at her feet with so much reverence as was near to adoration and by her means was more confirmed in the true Religion and he with all the people shouted and gave glory to God with a loud voice Judith to perfect her Conquest advised the people to place the head upon one of the highest Towers of the City and in the morning to make a salley out upon the Assyrians who at the alarum would presently run to the Tent of Holofernes to awake him and finding what had happened would be extreamly amazed and sell their lives at a cheap rate and might be pursued and utterly destroyed out of all their Coasts with very little damage to themselves This was put in execution and the Captains instantly repaired to the Generals Tent to receive orders desiring Bagoas the Eunuch to wake their Lord since the Israelitish slaves had presumed to make a sally upon them tho to their own destruction The Eunuch after long tarrying at last ventred in and coming near the bed and hearing no body stir he at length opened the curtains thinking he had still slept with Judith but instead thereof found the dead body cast on the floor and his head taken from him At this fight he cryed out aloud and became so furious that he rent his cloths and went in a rage to Judiths apartment threatning her with a thousand deaths but missing her there he sent out many frightful Schreeches among the People and declared aloud That the Slaves had dealt treacherously with them and that one Hebrew woman had brought shame and confusion upon the House of Nebuchadnezzar who had slain Holofernes and left his carcase without a head All ran to behold this dismal Spectacle and the whole camp was filled with horror astonishment and despair Tears and howling had taken possession of the whole Army when at the same time the head of Holofernes appeared upon one of the Towers of Bethulia which so astonished the Assyrians that they fled and scattered themselves round about the City every one seeking safety in running away and none durst trust another The Israelites pursued with all manner of briskness and vigor making a great noise that their number might appear considerable though there needed no great force to vanquish run-a-ways All the neighbouring Cities came in to take part of the spoil and to pillage their routed enemies whom they cut off with a most dreadful slaughter and the booty in the Camp was so prodigious that the people were thirty days in dividing it The rich moveables of Gold Silver Pearls and Jewels found in Holofernes Tent were all presented to Judith with the praises and acclamations of the multitude who unanimously applauded her as the glory of Jerusalem the joy of Israel the honour of her people the gallant woman the chast and valiant Princess by whose hand God had done great things in delivering his people and whose fame should live to eternal Ages The women of Israel likewise assembled themselves to meet and bless her dancing before her with branches of Olive in their hands whereof they composed a Garland which they put upon her head and then Judith leading the dance before them proceeded toward her own house all the men of Israel following in their armour with garlands on their heads and songs in their mouths Judith likewith made the following song of Praise and Thanksgiving which all the people sang after her SIng to the Lord my God sing praise A new Psalm to him sing Exalt his glorious name always He is our God and King. The Armies he to pieces breaks Of those that are his Foes He me delivered from their hands Who did me round inclose Assur with thousands from the North Came Israel to assail And by his multitudes did not doubt Against them to prevail He boasted he our Towns would burn And our young men destroy Women and Virgins ravish and Our Infants make a prey But they have disappointed been By the Almighty Lord. A womans hand did them withstand They fled with one accord Their Great Commander did not fall By any Giants power 'T was Judiths beauty him inthrall'd And brought his fatal hour For her oppressed people she Her mourning laid aside And to surprize his amorous eyes Her Person beautified Her Charms over his Soul prevail'd And ravished his sight He 's made a Prisoner to her face She is his Hearts delight The Sword quite through his neck did pass And parted it asunder The Persians at her boldness quake The Medes thereat did wonder Th' Afflicted then did shout for joy Thy weak Ones cry'd aloud The Foes astonisht were ' cause God Had overthrown the proud The Young men have them pierced through And wounded them in Fight The Fugitives fiercely they pursue And slay their men of Might I unto God new Songs will sing O Lord thou art most Glorious In power thou art Wonderful Invincible Victorious Let all the Creatures worship thee At whose word made were they At thy voice they created were None thee can disobey The Fountains shall be mov'd at thee The Rocks shall melted be Yet merciful thou art to those That serve and worship thee All Sacrifice and Offerings Unto thee are but small But those that fear the Lord their God To Honour he will call Wo to the Nations that advance Themselves
blessed Saviour denying him to be equal with God the Father and in prosecution of this impious design she spared no pains nor endeavours using both Flattery and Threats to induce her to comply thereto insinuating That God might as well be worshipt in one Religion as another and that she ought to conform her self to the usages and customs of the place wherein she was especially since thereby she would very much oblige the King and create greater respect in him toward her That she was not come into Spain to give but receive Laws and to exercise obedience That her husband could never faithfully love her if she entertained any other Sentiments Opinions or Sacraments than himself ' That she could never expect to reign happily over a People who were of a contrary Faith to hers That she should not fear the reproaches of her own Countreymen who would count her very indiscreet not to comply with the times and that if for small matters some great men would be perswaded to renounce their former Religious Observances much more might she be excused in her conformity to the Truth when the reward thereof was no less than a Kingdom With such pungent motives and arguments as these this wicked woman did continually afflict the ears of this innocent Princess who nothing moved therewith replyed That if she persisted in these discourses she would for the future take all occasions to avoid her company since nothing could be less grateful to her than using so many subtilties to remove her from her Faith from which she was resolved never to recede during her life yea though the utmost torments were inflicted on her to force a renunciation And therewith going hastily out of her Chamber Gosiniha was very much offended yet concealing her anger resolved to attempt her once more not without hope of prevailing and having by a thousand protestations of kindness and affection endeavoured to make up the breach she at length more earnestly pressed her with many urgent reasons to be again baptized after the Arrian manner which Andegona absolutely refused prudently replying That thanks be to God she was already baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and that if the water of the Arrian Baptism should be cast on her head though she loved her hair as well as any woman need yet she would pluck it off yea tear the Skin along with it that had been defiled with such an abomination This was the last effort Gosintha made and judging her self extreamly affronted at this resolute reply she left Andegona foaming with Rage and Threats That since she refused the Arrian Baptism she should be baptized in another manner which should wash her from head to foot And returning again soon after she barbarously dragged this poor Princess about by the hair of the head and then abusing her to the loss of bloud she commanded two or three of her waiting women to strip her stark naked and bind her with cords and in this posture to throw her into a pool of water in a very cold season of the year It was a miserable spectacle to see the daughter of a King who was so lately received with such Triumphs and Rejoicings thus cruelly treated in the same place Gosintha who stood at the brink of the Pool to behold this unworthy execution ordered her to be drencht in the water by degrees that she might be more sensible of the peircing cold and often repeated these words If you will confess you are an Arrian you are safe and shall be presently released from your misery But the couragious Princess who had not so great an apprehension of death as fear to be seen naked cryed out aloud I am a Christian an Orthodox Christian take away my life if you will yet shall neither fire nor water force me to gainsay or renounce my Profession Gosintha finding all her attempts in vain at length suffered her to come out and put on her garments admiring and envying the constancy and greatness of her Soul which no tortures could shake or disturb Ermangild utterly ignorant of what had passed perceiving his Princess somewhat pale and disorder'd by this rough usage asked whether she were discomposed either in body or mind which she prudently endeavoured to conceal as not worthy his notice but by the manner of her discourse finding she had received some sensible affront he made a strict scrutiny of those who were able to inform him who soon related the cruel indignity his Mother-in-law Gosintha had put upon her which raised his passion to such an height that he had certainly torn that wicked Queen in pieces had not the fear of God and the charming Eloquence of his wife somewhat pacified his fury The Virtuous Andegona fell at his feet beseeching him not to precipitate himself and her likewise into inevitable danger by any extremities so that at length they concluded to remove from the Court to Sevil which was given him as a Patrimony by his Father for his present subsistance Whither being retired they fully enjoyed those delights which had been in some measure obstructed by this ill accident Ermangild believing himself the happiest of all mortals in beholding so many Virtues in so great a beauty And the modesty and piety wherewith she had managed her last disgrace made him think he could not sufficiently adore so much goodness Andegona observing what power she had over her husband by the repeated instances of his tender affection and being now without fear of a Step-mother resolved to improve this opportunity for the good of his Soul and sollicited him seriously to renounce his Arrianism and imbrace true Christianity by insisting on the falsness and unreasonableness of this opinion so derogatory to the honour of the Son of God and Saviour of the World the author of it being a wicked Priest who was made a Bishop out of mere spight and was rejected and solemnly condemned in a Council of three hundred and eighteen Bishops And that it had been remarkt that all the Arrian Kings round about had come to unhappy ends and it might be feared Spain could not escape the vengeance of Heaven unless it were purged from these pestilent errors Ermangild could not well resist the strength of truth and love both assaulting him at once in the same Person and therefore took time to deliberate Whereupon the good Princess prevail'd with him to confer with a famous Bishop who so well managed the Spirit of this gallant Prince that by divine assistance and the continual sollicitations and prayers of Andegona who moved Heaven and Earth for his conversion he at length renounced his error and became an Orthodox Christian Lenigild the Father having notice hereof was exceedingly displeased and Gosintha his Wife was not wanting to inflame him against his son however not willing presently to bring things to extremity knowing the greatness of his Spirit and that many of the Nobility were ready to ingage in his cause He sent
against them and at length arriving at the Palace he stood at the gate it being unlawful for him to enter in that dress with many of the Jews in his company and in the same mourning attire The news hereof coming to the Queen she was much surprized and sent an Eunuch to bid him change his garments which he absolutely refused till the cause of his putting them on was removed Whereupon she again dispatcht her servant to him to know what sad occasion had induced him to put on that dispairing habit and to pour out such lamentable and incessant cries Upon which Mordecai sent her an account of the terrible edict lately published against the Jews and proclaimed through all the provinces by the Kings command with the great Sum of money which Haman had offered to pay into the Exchequer whereby he had purchased the utter desolation of the Jewish Nation and herewith he delivered a Copy of the Edict to the Messenger with a strict injunction to Esther to cloth her self in the most abject fashion and to present a petition to the king for the saving her people from the deplorable destruction decreed against them Esther having received this advertisement sent again to Mordecai to tell him That she knew not when she should be called for by the King and to presume to come into his presence without order would undoubtedly indanger her life unless the king should happen to extend the golden Scepter of mercy to her Mordecai returned answer That she ought to venture her own safety for saving the lives of her whole Nation assuring her that if she neglected their security yet Heaven would do it by some other means and she and her fathers house should be destroyed by those she had slighted and contemned Says he Go tell the Queen it resteth in her powers To help The case is hers as well as ours Go tell the fearful Queen too great 's her fear Too small her zeal her life she rates too dear How poor's th' adventure to ingage thy bloud To save thy peoples life and Nations good Who knows if God on purpose did intend Thy high preferment for this happy end If at this needful time thou spare to speak Our speedy help shall like the morning break From Heaven together with thy woes and he That succours us shall heap his plagues on thee Upon this severe reprimand the Queen sends to Mordecai commanding him to call a general assembly of the Jews to Shushan and to injoyn them to fast and pray three days for his safety and good success assuring him that she her servants would do the same and that at the end thereof she would present her self before the king and says she If I perish I perish Mordecai according to her direction caused the people to fast and pray for her and he himself made earnesâ— supplication to the Almighty To have compassion on their desolate and distressed Nation and as he had formerly preserved them and pardoned ther offences so he would graciously please to deliver them from that imminent destruction which now hung over their heads since they were now condemned to death not for any iniquity of their own but meerly because he only had incensed proud Heman against them in refusing to pay that honour and adoration to him which was due to God alone for which he had contrived this severe revenge against the whole Nation of the Jews to cut them all off from the face of the Earth The people likewise beseeched God to secure them from the outrage intended against them And Esther cast her self prostratstrate on the earth clothed in Sackcloth devoutly imploring the God of her Fathers to assist and defend her that when she should come before the King she might mollifie and perswade him to have pity upon her and her distressed people The three days being over she threw off her mourning and adorned her self in the most majestick manner that was possible and attended by her Servants went into the presence Chamber where the king sate on his Throne the splendor and glory whereof did at first somewhat astonish her When Ahasuerus holding out the golden Scepter revived her fainting Spirits and drawing near she touched the top thereof and the King very endearingly asked her What her request to him was She replyed That she only desired his Majesty to honour her with his presence at a Banquet she had prepared for him and that his dear Friend Haman might likewise attend him The King readily consented and Haman joyfully came thither Now in the midst of the Treat when the King became warm with wine he commanded Esther to declare her suit unto him assuring her he would deny her nothing she should demand Esther at present declined to discover her intent but humbly beseeched the King to come again next day with Haman and partake of another Banquet when she would fulfil his desire Ahasuerus promised to revisit her and Haman went home with great joy that he onely had the great happiness to feast with the King and Esther an honour which none of the Nobility of the Empire had ever arrived to But in his return observing Mordecai at the Court gate who would not shew him the least respect his great heart sweld with indignation against him Arriving at his house he called for his Freinds and his wife Zeresh to whom he related the glory of his riches and the greatness of his dignity whom the K. had advanced above all the Princes of the Realm and that Esther suffered no man but himself to come with the King to the Banquet and that to morrow he was again to attend his Majesty thither to a second entertainment Yet saith he all this avails me nothing nor am I in the least contented when I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the Gate and refusing to rise or shew the least reverence to me Zeresh his wife being as full of revenge and pride as he pronounced a sudden and short sentence against Mordecai advising him To cause a Gallows to be set up fifty foot high in his own Court and the next day if he did but desire the King to let him hang Mordecai thereon no doubt but it would be granted and then he might go and sup with the Queen with a merry heart This counsel pleased Haman very well and the Gallows was soon erected but Divine Providence had prepared other business for him to dispatch to make him know That no body designs the ruin of another without hastning his own destruction The evening bofore this fatal day the K. was laid upon his bed to repose himself but could get no sleep all night long without having the least appearance of care or trouble on his spirit and to imploy himself caused his Secretary to bring read before him the Chronicles of his Realm wherein among other Transactions in the reign of his Ancestors and his own he found it recorded that Bigthana and Teresh two of the Kings
pride abusing the goodness of their Princes and the honours bestowed upon them do not only oppress the people but endeavour the absolute desolation of all that do not comply with their haughty and unreasonable desires of which the late wicked Haman an Amaletite by Nation is a fresh instance who being a stranger from the Persian bloud after he had been promoted by our beneficence to the second place of the kingdom hath endeavoured to cut off at once the innocent Jewish Nation and among them our beloved Queen and companion of our bed Esther though we have discovered that those thus destined to death by this wicked Villain are without fault living under excellent Laws and are the Children of the most high most great and everliving God by whom our Empire is given and preserved to us We do therefore make void and disannul the Letters which that vild wretch directed to you in our names whereby they were commanded to be murthered he himself who was the Author of that cursed slander against them having been publickly hanged at the gate of his own Pallace God thereby rendring to him his deserts And we further will and command you that the Jews who live in all our Provinces according to their own Laws be protected and that you assist them in bringing their Enemies to punishment the same day that they had determined to destroy them that so they may revenge themselves of those that shall offer any outrage against them and since the day of their destruction is by the providence of the Almighty turned to their preservation We command this day to be put in the number of the Feasts that posterity may know what recompences we bestow on our faithful Servants and the punishment of those that oppose our will and make attempts upon our State. The commands of the King were diligently executed and the Jews were dreaded and honoured in all places by reason of the great credit that Mordecai had with his Master who was cloathed in a Royal habit and adorned with a Crown of Gold and a Chain of the same about his neck In short the Jews incouraged by the Kings Letters slew five hundred of their Enemies in Shushan for adhering to miserable Haman and ten of his sons were hanged to accompany the punishment of their Father and through all the rest of the kingdom much Persian bloud was shed on the same day that had been assigned for the Massacres of the Hebrewt so that we must acknowledge this history to be wonderfully tragical and one of the most prodigious revolutions of fortune that ever arrived to a great Favourite and may make posterity fear the Judgments of heaven whose hand is as weighty in the chastisement of enormous crimes as his eye is quick sighted in discerning the hearts of all mortals So often as I fix my serious eye Upon Ahashuerus reign methinks I spy The Angels dance methinks my ravisht ear Rapt with the secret musick that I hear Attends the warble of an Angels Tongue Resounding forth this sense bereaving song Vashti shall fall and Esther rise Sion shall thrive when Haman dies The History of the Virtuous Susanna WHen Virtuous Susanna was accus'd By two false Elders and her Fame abus'd Because she would not yield unto their lust And be unto her marriage vows unjust And falsly charg'd with base adultery For which great crime she was adjudg'd to dye In this distress she unto Heaven appeals Who by young Daniels means the truth reveals And absolutely clears her innocence The perjur'd Elders for their vile offence Are both condemned at the fatal Bar To that sad death they had design'd for her THough this as well as the former History is not found in those Books of Scripture which are usually termed Canonical yet the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England declare That those other books commonly called Apocrypha the Church as St. Jerom saith doth read for example of life and instruction of manners but yet doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine of Christianity and among others sets down this History of Susanna which from such Authority may certainly claim the credibility of any Common Story and be reckoned no unprofitable President of Chastity and Modesty and therefore proper for our present design The time when this was acted is most probable to be about 3400 from the Creation not long after that of the preceding History of Judith when there happened to live in Babylon a man called Joachim who married a wife named Susanna the daughter of Chelcias brought a Captive from Judea for the sins whereby they had provoked God to anger to Babylon who was exceeding fair of Person but her soul much more beautiful in that she feared the Lord And as she fear'd she lov'd No servile fear Such as base slaves unto their Tyrants bear But like a daughter who with filial care T' her Fathers just commands doth give an ear She serv'd her Maker so 't is hard to say If Love or Fear most taught her to obey Her Parents were likewise very religious and educated their daughter in all Gods commandments according to the Law of Moses And being rich and wealthy they had a fair Garden adjoining to their house and many of his Captive brethren of the Jews resorted to him as a Person of the greatest remark of their Nation Among others two of the most reverend among them who were appointed to the Judges for deciding controversies much frequented his house and there heard all causes and suits in Law depending between them but instead of being upright and sincere in giving judgment they were such as were foretold should come Who though ancient Judges yet from them should proceed wickedness and injustice and instead of governing according to equity they should pervert the Law of God. These old Fornicators had east their amorous eyes upon the charms of Susanna and having observed that she usually walked in this pleasant Garden they contrived to surprize and ravish her there and though they were both wounded alike with the love of her yet they durst not discover their passion to each other though both watched all manner of opportunities to fulfil their lustful desires and having abandoned all thoughts of Religion and Conscience they made it their whole business to find some advantage against her It happened once that having taken leave of each other morder to go to dinner at noon they parted asunder but being intent upon the same matter which was if possible to find Susanna alone they both returned back at the same instant at which they were at first a little amazed one enquiring of the other what bufiness he had there and after some short discourse they perceived both came about the same errand whereupon they soon settle a right understanding between themselves and concluded to be joint Partners in this amorous prize only waiting a conveniency for effecting their purpose During this their longing expectation a promising season seemed
such willingness there was Till close approaches for we both it saw Made them Transgressors of the sacred Law Then from a corner of the garden whence We closely standing saw this foul offence Both of us made to the adultrous pair And came upon them e're they were aware To apprehend him but the sturdy knave Got from our feeble hands and did us leave And in swift hast out from the Garden flew As whom the guilt of conscience did pursue And she though much intreated ne'rtheless Will by no means the Criminals name confess These things are true which we here testify Now brethren judge if she ought not to dye The Assembly were in much consternation to hear this sever accusation against a woman who was renowned for Chastity but having the testimony of two grave Elders and Judges of the people to justify the truth thereof they could do no other but condemn her to death for this notorious crime Susanna having no defence for her innocence on earth appeals to heaven for her justification and cried out with a loud voice in the midst of the people O everlasting God who knowest the secrets of all hearts and from whom nothing is concealed or hidden for thou seest all things before they are acted I appeal to thy just judgment against these perjured and unjust Elders Thou-knowest O Lord that what they have witnessed against me is utterly false and behold I must dye for what I am not in the least guilty of thou knowest that it is all forgery and malice against me and that it is a conspiracy of these wicked Villains against my life in that which I am absolutely ignotant of Vindicate my innocence O God of truth and bring shame and confusion upon these false accusers O everlasting Lord to whom alone The thoughts of all men are entirely known O great Jehovah whos 's all seeing eye Runs through the circle of Eternity Thou know stand thou alone the wrong I bear From those who have polluted Moses Chair Have Law perverted and have witness given Against their conscience my poor life and heaven Gainst me that now must innocent dye and shame To after ages my disgrace proclaim It pleased divine providence to hearken to her request and therefore as she was leading to execution with a train of doleful mourners following her the Lord stirred up the H. Spirit of a young youth whose name was Daniel who cryed out with a loud voice I am clear from the bloud of this woman The whole multitude were much surprized to hear such words uttered by a young man and turning toward him asked what was his meaning Upon which Daniel standing up in the midst of them with an undaunted courage proceeded thus Are you such fools ye sons of Israel that without thorough examination and proof of the truth ye have condemned a daughter of Israel Return back into the seat of judgment and take more strict knowledge of this cause for though you have rashly sentenced this fair Innocent to death yet I am very certain that upon a more severe scrutiny into the matter you will find she as altogether faultless and that these old perjured wretches have born false witness against her Are ye such fools indeed In weighty things to make such careles speed Nay when a life 's concern'd For shame my friends See what dishonour all rash acts attends It makes us odious in the sight of those Who neither God nor yet true judgment knows When ere the truth 's discover'd or the cause You are so quick to execute the Laws And upon Israels daughter sentence give Who has done nothing but she still may live Return ye then unto the Judgment Seat Examine well for sure the impostures great And witnesses more false than Hell have stood To imbrue their hands in this Chast Ladies bloud Whereupon all the people being astonisht at the becoming confidence of Daniel whom they judged to be a Prophet inspiried from above turned back again in hast and the Judges commanded him to come and sit down among them saying Declare to us the truth of this affair since God hath bestowed the honour upon thee to be an Elder if not in years yet in wisdom and understanding Daniel then ordered that the two Elders should be put asunder and then he would examine them apart which being done he called one and said unto him O thou wicked wretch who art even grown old in malice and iniquity now is the time that the villanys which thou hast formerly committed are come to light and thy own conscience accuses thee that thou hast pronounced false Judgment and hast wilfully condemned the innocent and let the guilty go free though the Lord God hath said The innocent and righteous thou shalt not slay And now pray under what tree was it that thou pretendest thou sawest this chast Lady commit adultery Who answered Under a Mastick tree Then said Daniel Very well thou hast now wickedly lied and thereby forfeited thy head to Divine Justice and even now the Angel of God hath received commission to cut thee in two The first being set aside he commanded the other to be brought to whom he fiercely said O thou seed of Cham and not of Judah beauty hath deceived thee and lust hath perverted thy heart thus have you often done to other daughters of Israel who for fear of your power and malicious vengeance have complied and been polluted by you but the virtuous Susanna would not be frightned into wickedness and therefore you contrived her destruction Under what tree I beseech you did you see the young man defile her who answered Under an Holm tree Well said Daniel thou also hast lied against thy own life and the Angel of God waiteth with his sword to cut thee asunder and destroy thee Then pious Daniel to him mildly said Even now thou hast thy cursed life betrayd Gods holy Angel has commission ta'n Forthwith to cut thy wretched life in twain And with a sword attends this very hour Feirce vengeance on thy sinful head to pour At this strange discovery the whole Assembly were amazed and cryed out aloud glorifying and praising the name of that God who saves and delivers those that put their trust in him and finding these two base Elders thus notoriously convicted of perjury out of their own mouths they seized upon them and according to the Law of Moses executed the same sentence upon them which they maliciously and wickedly designed against this chast Lady putting them to death in the sight of the whole multitude who adored the divine Justice in their deserved punishment which had that day so eminently appeared in saving innocent bloud and punishing the guilty by the unexpected prudence of young Daniel who from that day was in much esteem and reputation among all the people And Chelcias and his wife gave abundant praises to Heaven for vindicating their daughters honour Joachim her husband and all her Friends joining with them in
imployed as his youngest Son Sextus afterward the villanous ravisher of Lucretia to whom he thus discourst We have in vain O Sextus assaulted the Gabins by power nothing now remains but craft which is the second step to Greatness Go then my Son to the Gabins seem as if you fled from me accuse me of cruelty strive to insinuate your self into their confidence behave your self as one of their confederates and companions and as you succeed you shall receive from me further instructions Sextus Tarquinius the wicked Son of a Tyrannical Father was ready prepared to execute his commands though never so impious and Tarquin found that these perfidious lessons were given to a Son who was expert in villany He obeys flies to the Gabins to whom he made a grievous complaint of his Fathers intolerable cruelty in words to this effect Lo here a Son O Gabins escaped from his Fathers Sword to shield himself under the protection of his enemies He brought me up and then designed me as a sacrifice and oblation to his cruelty if fathers thus turn unnatural enemies I hope to find my enemies a father to me in my misfortunes He hath now turned his pride and severity from strangers to his own family and would willingly cause the same desolation and solitude in his own house that he has made in the Senate He is even weary of his Children and knows not how to be a Father either of them or his Countrey All his thirst is after bloud he covets rule and dominion that he may kill and destroy He desires the command of Cities only that he may dispeople them and would utterly exterminate the whole Senate because it resembles a principality He sees he has sons and fearing they are like himself he dreads them because he dreads himself The consciousness of his own misdeeds pursues him and he is affrighted with his own imaginations which represent only dreadful things to his apprehension and thinking to secure himself from them he commits fresh murthers and the more he imbrues his hands in bloud that he may be thereby freed from the fear of others he fears himself the more 'T is safer to be Tarquins enemy than his son that being the only way to escape his private and malicious assassinations Startle not O ye Gabins at my being begot by Tarquin Children do not always resemble their Fathers if so there would be no variety in nature and you shall find that I even I will revenge so many wrongs and villanies for notwithstanding his pretence of laying aside the War yet he is preparing to surprize and ruin you with the first advantage I have escaped my Fathers Swords and Darts and think my self no where safe but among his adversaries and if my unfortunate condition can find no relief from you I will wander over all Latium yea over all the Nations in the world till I find out those who will protect innocent Children from the cruel and unjust prosecutions of unnatural and bloudy Fathers and whom I may persuade to ingage against that proud King and his barbarous Followers After this florid Oration he seemed indifferent whether they would entertain him or not pretending to go instantly to some other place which made the Gabins more ready to receive him as they did with very great civility telling him That it was no wonder Tarquin proved so unnatural to his children since he had been so treacherous to his own Countreymen Allies that they did believe he would at last offer violence to himself if he wanted a subject to excercise his brutish rage upon That Sextus his coming to them was very grateful and they hoped by his assistance to carry the War in a short time from their own City to the very Walls of Rome After this he was admitted into their publick Councils wherein he exprest a singular modesty in referring all things to the Judgment of the most ancient Counsellers only he much approved of the continuance of the War wherein he said he pretended to the greatest knowledge as being sensible of the strength of both people and that the pride of Tarquin must needs be very hateful to his subjects since his own Children were not able to endure it By such discourses as these he provoked them to continue the War and went with the most active Youth to forrage the Countrey where in several small Skirmishes he came off with so good success that he thereby gained such reputation as to be made General of their Army in which office he still got more credit for in all the bickerings between the Romans and Gabins he generally had the better so that the whole people thought him sent to them as a blessing from Heaven For his despising of dangers and activity in every place of difficulty but especially his freeness in distributing all the booty gained him so much love and ingaged the hearts of the people to him that his authority among the Gabins was no less powerful than his Father Tarquins among the Romans Having proceeded thus far in his traiterous design and judging himself strong enough to carry on his purpose he sends a Messenger to his Father to signifie what he had done and to receive further directions since Heaven had so ordered it that he could act what he pleased among the Gabins The Messenger being not thought faithful enough Tarquin sent no positive answer by him but taking him into the garden as if to consult what message to return the King walkt silently along and with his staff cut off the heads of the highest Poppies The Messenger weary of expecting an answer withdrew and hastned back to Sextus telling him That whether out of anger hatred or natural pride he had not sent him a word in return but only as he walkt in the garden he with a stick struck off the heads of the highest Poppies Sextus quickly apprehends these dumb signs and thereby understands his wicked Fathers mind and soon after causes the Chief men of the City to be put to death by accusing some to the people and stirring up others out of envy to ruin their fellow Citizens many were executed publickly and divers against whom he could prove nothing murthered privately Some fled their Countrey others were banished and all their Estates as well as those put to death distributed among the people who for the sweetness of the booty and the particular profit they received lost the sense of their publick misfortunes and were laid asleep from whence they never awaked till they were deprived both of counsel and power and the Gabine Liberty was at an end The City being at length surrendred by this Subtle Stratagem to the King of Rome without the least bloudshed or resistance After this Tarquin makes peace with the rest of his Neighbours and then applies his mind to City affairs resolving to finish the Temple of Jupiter he had begun which being with the help of many hands in a short time finished he next
and assembling his most intimate Friends who with horror and silence expected the conclusion of this Tragedy he brings forth the couragious Mariamne who armed with invincible constancy was little concerned against whom the monster belches out this accusation Dear Friends it hath pleased the Almighty to counterballance the prosperity he has given me by many piercing misfortunes and I who have escaped so many dangers and found safety in such great winds and tempests have now met with the most deplorable storms in my own House You are all very sensible how tenderly I have cherished the Family of Hyrcanus even in their greatest calamities and yet I have taken into my bosom a Serpent instead of a Dove by whom I have been often stung but have as oft by patience cured my self yet I am not so unsensible that no injuries will penetrate me and therefore being provoked by new wrongs I can no longer suffer them Behold the Queen my wife who following her mothers example is always studying to disquiet and hinder my repose For after my return from so perillous a Voyage when I brought her the happy news of my success she received me and my intelligence with the greatest scorn and disdain and denyed me those favours which I had right to demand and she ought not to have refused to a husband and not content herewith she proceeded to contrive bloudy designs against me endeavouring to have suborned one of my own servants to poyson me Thus I who returned with my head crowned with Laurel am made the mark of the malice and treachery of a woman whom I can neither reclaim by love nor gifts no more than if she were a Lioness Judge you therefore whether it is not time for me to secure my self from so implacable a creature who can never be safe so long as she lives Mariamne knowing it in vain to defend her self though she was altogether innocent of the charge laid against her being sensible his violent nature would not be contradicted made little reply only as to the business of poysoning she appealed to all the Assembly whether there were any probability of it since she was always more afraid of Herods love than hatred But however she declared That her life was a burden to her having had little comfort in it and much loss in the Court wherein she never enjoyed the least contentment and that if false Testimonies must make her guilty none were safe it being very easy thereby to remove any who should be thought troublesome and though her husband did deprive her of her head yet it was not in his power to bereave her of the reputation of a Princess of Honour which descended to her from her Ancestors and which she would carry to her Grave There were none found bold enough to plead the cause of this Innocent or to endeavour to mollify Herods passion but on the contrary all seemed to approve of his resolution Yet this bloudy man began ostartle when he thought seriously of being deprived of so sweet a Companion commanded her only to Custody But his Sister the inraged Salome continually alleged the danger of some sedition if he should keep her alive in Prison so that at length he spake these bloudy words Let her be taken away Whereupon instantly an Officer was dispatcht to her with this message Madam the King commands that you shall presently dye She without any emotion replied Let us then go my Friend it cannot be more pleasing to Herod than it is welcom to me And to Crown her patience Alexandra her own Mother and the Companion of her imprisonment fearing the like usage from Herod and hoping to free her self from the Suspicion of being concerned with her daughter in those crimes whereof Mariamne was accused went out to meet her going to execution and very undecently laying aside her former magnanimity reproached this dying Innocent crying out she was a wicked and ingrateful woman to her husband and well deserved the punishment she was going to suffer for her vile attempt and her ingratitude to so loving and gracious a Prince yea proceeded so far in her rage that she would have dragged her on the pavement by the hair of the head had not the people prevented her who all condemned her shameful hypocrisy Mariamne took little notice of these horrid indignities only mildly answered Mother Let my Soul depart in peace which is already upon my lips and trouble not the repose of my death Then passing on with a generous filence and invincible courage and unconcern to the place of execution she there put an end to all her sorrows by having her head divided from her body which then began in the Spectators whose eyes were full of tears and their hearts of grief to observe so much Nobility Virtue Constancy admirable Beauty sacrificed to the jealousy of a cruel Tyrant Who after her death became more powerfully inflamed in his affections toward her so that he would not believe she was dead often calling for her as if alive but being at length recovered from this strange distraction his grief for her death exceeded his rage when living wherewith he was so overwhelmed that the Plays and Entertainments which he provided to divert his thoughts profited him nothing a plague happening soon after in the City he interpreted it as a just Judgment of God for the unjust death of his Queen Her unnatural Mother having again attempted something against Herod was put to death Her two sons when they grew up and understood this impious act of their Father accounted him their mortal Enemy whom he at length caused to be strangled So that Caesar hearing of it said He had rather be Herods swine than his Son Because the Jews will not kill nor eat Swine This is that wicked King Herod of whom we read in the Holy Scriptures in whose reign our blessed Saviour was born and who executed that merciless butchery upon the innocent Infants of Bethlem and committed many other horrible massacrees for which at length the hand of God seized upon him by an horrible disease being visited with a vehement pain and Ague With an intollerable Itch over his whole body the Collick daylytormented him His feet and Belly were swoln with the dropsy His privities putrified and bred worms he had great difficulty of breathing and a violent cough was almost famisht with hunger yet could not eat All which terrible afflictions made him weary of his life calling for a knife to cut his throat and five days after died miserably having reigned thirty seven years The History of Clotilda Queen of France THis Virtuous Queen by her True Zeal did cause Renowned Clovis to imbrace Christs Laws Who all his Pagan vain Idolatry Did quite renounce and utterly defie And after by Heavens mighty help and aid His fiercest Enemies his Power obey'd And Clovis by his Strength and Policy Founded the Potent Great French Monarchy Clotilda Earthly Glory did despise And only True