by your speeches late uttered that some who are no well-wishers of mine but rather seeke to poyson my reputation with your Majesty have possessed you that I have been accessary to the death of your brother and proceeded further having then a piece of bread in his hand ready to put into his mouth but so may I safely swallow this morsell as I am altogether innocent and guiltlesse of the act which streyning to eate he was therewith immediately choaked at the table which the King seeing and observing the strange Judgement inflicted upon his perjury he commanded his body to be drag'd froÌ„ thence conveyed to Winchester there buried But Marianus and some others write that he was not choaked with bread but upon his former false protestation dining with the King upon an Easter Monday at Winchester he was suddenly struck with a dead palsie and died the third day after Neither did Gods Judgements upon him end here but after his death all his Lands in Kent which were very spacious and great were eaten up and swallowed by the Sea and turned into dangerous quick sands on which many a goodly vessell hath since beene shipwrackt and they beare the name of Goodwins sands even to this day Harold the second sonne of Earle Goodwin after the death of his elder brother Swanus aswell heire to his fathers insolent and aspiring spirit as to his Earledome and Lands in the twentieth yeare of the raigne of the before-named Edward the Confessor he sayled into Normandy to visit some of his friends but by adverse windes and a sudden tempest at Sea he was driven upon the Province of Pountiffe where hee was tooke prisoner and sent to Duke William of Normandy who inforced him to sweare that hee should marry with his daughter when she came to mature age and farther that after the death of King Edward he should keep the Crowne of England to his behoofe according to the will of the Confessor to both which Articles having solemnly sworne he was dismissed from the bastard Duke and with great and rich gifts sent backe to England But after the death of Edward in the yeare of the Incarnation one thousand threescore and sixe Harold forgetting his former oath and promise made to Duke William he caused himselfe to be crowned King of the Lande who was no sooner warme in his Throne but Harold Harfoot sonne to Canutus with a puissant hoast of Danes invaded the Realme whom Harold of England met in a set battaile slew him hand to hand and discomfited his whole Army for he was of an invincible hardinesse and valour which victory was no sooner obtained but newes was brought him that William of Normandy was landed with a potent Army to claime his right and interest he had in the Crowne of England by the last Testament of Edward the Confessor with these tydings being thoroughly heated he marched with all speed from the North scarce suffering his Army to rest by the way to give the Normans battaile betwixt whom was a dreadfull and bloudy conflict But when the victory rather hovered over the English then the other Harold after many deepe and dangerous wounds was shot into the eye with an arrow and slaine In whose death may be observed Gods heavy Judgements against price and perjury Of my first sinne namely Pride none hath ever beene by our English Chronologers more justly taxed then that French Gerson Pierre Gavestone the great misleader and seducer of Edward the second whom though his Royall Father King Edward the first sirnamed Long-shanks upon his death-bed caused to bee banished yet the sonne was no sooner inaugurated and admitted to the government of the Realme but contrary to the wils of all his Lords and Peeres he caused his Exile to be repealed sent for him over and advanced him to great honour in which he demeaned himselfe like a proud upstart or as our English Proverbe goes Like a beggar set on horsebacke who is ready to ride poste to the Devill for whose sake the King committed William Lancton Bishop of Chester in the second yeare of his raigne to the Tower because he had perswaded the King against his Minion for which the Barons of the Realme and especially Sir Henry Lacy Sir Guy and Sir Aymery de Valence Earle of Lincolne of Warwick and Pembroke to whom the late King had given charge for his exile upon his death-bed wrought so farre by their power that contrary to the Kings will hee was avoyded the Land and banisht into Ireland for that yeare whither his Majestie sent many secret messengers with rich gifts to comfort him and made him chiefe Ruler of that Countrey But in the third yeare of his reigne divers grudges and discontents began to arise betwixt the King and his Nobles insomuch that for quietnesse sake and in hope of his amendment he was againe repealed but more and more increased in his insufferable insolence insomuch that having charge of all the Kings Jewels and Treasure he went to Westminster and out of the Kings Jewell-house tooke a Table and a paire of trestles all of pure gold and conveyed them with other precious gems out of the Land to the great exhausting and impoverishing of the same by whose wanton effoeminacies and loose conditions he drew the King to many vitious courses as adulteries and the like which mischiefes the Lords seeing daily to increase they tooke counsell againe at Lincolne and notwithstanding the Kings main opposer he was a second time confined into Flanders but in his fifth year was again sent for over when not able to contain himselfe from his immoderate luxury as he demeaned himselfe far more arrogantly than before insomuch that he disdained and had in contempt all the Peeres of the Land giving them much opprobrious and despightfull language wherefore seeing there was no hope of his amendment with an unanimous consent they vowed to rid the Land of such a Caterpiller and soon after besieged him in the Castle of Scarborrow and taking the Fort they surprised him and brought him to Gaversed besides Warwicke and the nine and twentieth day of â—une smote off his head Thus was Gods just doom against his pride luxury and avarice But there succeeded him both in ambition and the Kings favour of our own Natives the two Spencers the father and the son his great minions and favorites who both in wealth power and pride overtopt all the Nobles of the Land commanding their Soveraigne and confounding the Subjects of whom you may reade in the Records of the Tower that in the fourteenth year of this Edward the second Hugh Spencer the elder for his riots and extortions being condemned by the Commonalty and expelled the Land an Inventory of his estate being taken it was found by inquisition that the said Spencer had in sundry Shires fifty nine Mannours and in his possession of his own goods and chattels twenty eight thousand sheep one thousand oxen and steeres twelve hundred beeves with their calves
he suffer deeds of such horrid nature to passe unpunished in this world what vengeance soever he without true repentance reserveth for them in the world to come as it is observable in this present History for Lewis the fourth the thirty third King of France by lineall discent comming to the Crowne being the sonne to the before-named Charles the simple and loath that so grosse a treason committed against his father should be smothered without some notable revenge being very ingenious he bethought himselfe how with the least danger or effusion of bloud in regard of the others greatnesse and alliance how to bring it about and therefore he devised this plot following He caused a letter to be writ which he himselfe did dictate and hired an English-man who came disguised like a Poste to bring it unto him as from the King his Master at such a time when many of his Peeres were present and amongst the rest this Herebert was amongst them this suborned Poste delivereth the letter to the Kings hands hee gives it to his principall Secretary who read it privately unto him who presently smiling said openly Most sure the English-men are not so wise as I esteemed them to be for our Brother of England hath signified unto me by these letters that in his Countrey a labouring-man having invited his Lord and Master to dine with him at his house and he vouchsafing to grace his Cottage with his presence in the base requitall of so noble a curtesie he caused him to be most treacherously slaine and now my Brother of England desireth my counsell to know what punishment this fellow hath deserved In which I desire to be instructed by you my Lords that hearing your censures I may returne him the more satisfactory answer The King having ended his Speech the Lords were at first silent till at length Theobant Earle of Bloyes was the first that spake and said that hee was worthy first to be tortured and after to be hanged on a Gibbet which sentence all the Lords there present confirmed and some of them amongst the rest much aggravating the punishment which also Herebert Earle of Vermendoys did approve and allow of whereupon the Kings Officers who by his Majesties appointment then waited in a with-drawing roome of purpose seised upon him with an armed guard at which sudden surprise hee being much amazed the King raising himselfe from his seat said Thou Hebert art that wicked and treacherous labourer who didst most trayterously insidiate the life of my father thy Lord and Master of which felonious act thine owne sentence hath condemned thee and die thou shalt as thou hast well deserved whereupon he was hanged on a Gibbet on the top of a Mountaine called Lodan which since his execution is called Mount Hebert to this day Bajazet the great Emperour of the Turkes who in his mighty pride thought with his numerous Army to drinke rivers dry and to weight the mountaines in a ballance who had made spoyle of many Nations and with tyranny persecuted the Christians dispersed through his vast dominions who compared the world to a Ship and himselfe to the Pilot who commanded the sayles and secured the helme yet afterwards being met in battaile by Scythian Tamberlaine and his Army being quite routed his person also taken prisoner in the field the Conquerour put this untamed beast into an iron cage and caused him to be fed from the very fragments and scraps from his table and carried along with him whither soever hee marched and onely then released him from his imprisonment when he was forced to stoope and humble his body as a blocke to tread upon whilest Tamberlaine mounted upon his steed but here ended not Gods visible Judgements against this Usurper Persecutor and Tyrant who in despaire rayling upon his Prophet Mahomet in whom he had in vaine trusted against the Iron grate in which he was inclosed beate out his owne braines and wretchedly expired Infinite are the examples to the like purpose but I will leave those Forraine to come to our Domestick extracted out of our owne Chronologers and first of King Bladud Who was the sonne of Lud Hurdribras and after the death of his father was call'd from Rome where hee had studied darke and hidden Arts and was made Governour in this Isle of Brittain in the yeare of the world foure thousand three hundred and eighteene For so testifieth Gualfride Polichronicon and other ancient remembrancers This Bladud was altogether devoted to the study of Magick and Necromancy and very expert in Judiciall Astrology by which he is said to make the hot Baths in the Towne then called Caerbadon but now Bath which Citie he is said to have erected This King caused the Art of Magick to be taught through his Realm and ordained Schooles and Schoole masters to that purpose in which hee tooke such pride and presumption as that he thought by it all things were possible to be done so much the Devill the first master and founder of that Art had deluded him so farre that at the length having called a great confluence of his people about him he made an attempt to flie in the arre but fell upon the Temple of his god Apollo where he brake his neck his body being torne and bruised after he had raigned twenty yeares leaving a sonne called Leire to succeed him and continue his posterity Goodwin Earle of west Saxon in the time of Edward the sonne of Egelredus was of that insufferable ambition by reason of his great revenues and numerous issue for he had five sonnes and one daughter that he swayed the whole Kingdome and almost compulsively compelled the King his Soveraigne to take his daughter Edith to wife After rebelling against the King and forced with his sonnes to depart the Land yet after he made such meanes that hee mediated his peace and was reconciled to him 〈◊〉 but amongst all his other insolencies he was accessary to the death of the Kings brother or at least much suspected to be so which was the first breach betwixt his Soveraigne and him But so it happened in the thirteenth yeare of the raigne of this King Edward Earle Goodwin upon an Easter Monday sitting with diverse other Lords and Peeres of the Kingdome at the Kings table in the Castle of Windsor it happened one of the Kings Cup â—eaâ—â—â—s to stumble and yet well to recover himselfe without falling and not spilling any of the wine which Earle Goodwin observing laughed aloud and said There one brother helped the other thereby intimating that the one leg or foot had well supported the other from falling To which words the King instantly replyed and so might my brother Alphred have bin still living to have helped and supported me had not Earle Goodwin supplanted him by death At which words being startled as conceiving that the King suspected him of his brothers murder thinking to excuse himself of that horrible act he said to the King Sir I perceive
fourty mares with their coltes one hundred and threescore drawing horses for the teame two thousand hogges three hundred bullockes in his cellar fourty tonnes of wine he had moreover six hundred bacons and fourscore carcases of Martinmasse beeves six hundred muttons in larder ten tonnes of sider besides his provision of ale for beer in these dayes was not known thirty six sackes of wooll with a fair library of bookes and other rich and costly utensils his armour plate jewels and ready money amounting to more than an hundred thousand pounds but what in the end became of all this magâ—zine This Spencer being after called home by the King and restored to all his former estate mauger the Queen and the chief Peeres of the Realme she with an Army pursued the King with these his proud favourites the father she surprised in Bristow which Town the King had fortified and left unto his charge himselfe for his better safeguard flying with his son into Wales whither she pursued them and seâ—sed upon them both bringing Sir Hugh the elder and Sir Hugh the younger to Hereford where upon the morrow following the Feast of Simon and Iude at Bristow Sir Hugh Spencer the father upon a publique scaffold lost his head and his body was after buried at Winchester and upon Saint Hugh's day following being the eighteenth of November was Sir Hugh his son drawn hanged and quartered at Hereford and his head sent to London and was set upon a pole amongst other Traitours of whom a Poet of those times made this short Epitaph Funis cum lignis à te miser ensis ignis Hugo securis equus abstulit omne decus And thus paraphrased or interpreted in old English suiting these times With ropes wert thou bound and on the gallowes hunge And from thy body thine head with sword was kit Thy bowels in the fire were thrown and burned long Thy body in four parts eke with axe was slit With horse before drawn few men pittying it Thus with these torments for thy sinnes sake From thee wretched Hugh all worldly wealth was take And these were remarkable judgements of such as being raised from humble and mean fortunes to high and eminent posture through pride and vainglory attributed that to their own merit which is onely due to their Maker I come next to Sir Roger Mortimer who being highly puft up with the favour that he had from Queen Isabel who in the minority of her young son Edward swayed all during the imprisonment of her husband Edward the second whether by the Queenes consent or no I dare not say but of most assured truth it is that this Roger caused the King to be removed from Kenelworth Castle to the Castle of Barkley where by his direction and command he was most bloodily and inhumanely murdered After which Edward his son the third of that name at the age of fifteen yeares was crowned King but for a time kept in a kinde of pupillage under the Queen and Mortimer betwixt whom there was suspected to have been too much familiarity in whose power was all the management of State and many things past by them to the great dishonour of the Kingdom This Mortimer was by the King made Earle of March who imitated King Arthur by keeping so many Knights of the Round Table to whom he allowed both meat and meanes and bore himselfe in that high straine that he had in contempt the greatest Peeres in the Land but in processe of time he was surprised in Votengham Castle and from thence sent prisoner to the Tower of London when a Parliament being called in the fourth year of the King He was convicted of five Articles first of the murder of the King next that he had dealt perfidiously betwixt our Nation and the Scots thirdly that he received certain summes of money from Sir Thomas Duglas and caused to be delivered unto them the Church called Rugium to their great advantage and Englands prejudice fourthly that he had got unlawfully into his possession much of the Kings treasure and wastfully mispent it and lastly that he was more private with the Queen than was to Gods pleasure or the Kings honour of all which being convicted by the said Parliament upon Saint Andrews day next following he was drawn upon an hurdle to the common place of execution since called Tiburne and there like a Fellon and Traitour upon the Gallowes hanged such is the end of greatnesse when it abandons goodnesse and honour and opposeth it selfe against humility Great also were the arrogancies and insolencies of Sir William Scroop Earle of Wiltshire and Treasurer of England Sir Iohn Bushey Sir Henry Green and others in the time of Richard the second who by him greatly animated and incouraged greatly vexed and oppressed the people men advanced from the cottage to the Court and from basenesse to honour who through their great pride forgetting from whence they came in their surplus of wealth and height of ambition were surprised in Bristow by Henry Duke of Lancaster as cankers and caterpillars of the Common-wealth the son of Iohn of Gaunt who then laid claim to the Crown and by him caused to be executed on a publike scaffold Infinite are Gods threatning judgements to this purpose of which there be infinite examples but being loath to tire the Reader with too much prolixity I will conclude this Tract against pride with one notable president as much if not more remarkable than any of the former In the time of King Henry the eighth Thomas Wolsey Archbishop of Yorke and Cardinall had in his hall daily three Tables or Boards mannaged by three principall Officers a Steward who was alwayes a Priest a Treasurer no lesse degreed than a Knight and a Controwler who was by Place an Esquire he had also a Cofferer who was a Doctor of Divinity three Marshals three Yeomen Ushers in the Hall besides two Groomes and Almners in his Kitchen belonging to the Hall two Clerkes of the Kitchin a Clerke Controller a Surveyour of the Dresser a Clerke of the Spicery and these kept a continuall messe in the Hall two master-cookes and of other Cookes Labourers and Children of the Kitchen twelve persons four Yeomen of the ordinary Scullery four Yeomen of the silver Scullery two Yeomen of the Pastry with two or three Pastulers under the Yeomen In his Privy Kitchin he had a Master-cook who wore alwayes Satten and Velvet with a great chain of gold about his necke with two other Yeomen and a Groom in the Scalding-house a Yeoman and two Groomes in the Pantry two Yeomen in the Buttery two Yeomen two Groomes and two Pages in the Chandry two Yeomen in the Wafery two Yeomen in the Wardrobe of Beddes the Master of the Wardrobe and ten other persons attending in the Laundry a Yeoman and a Groom thirty Pages two Yeomen-purveyours and one Groom in the Bake-house a Yeoman and two Groomes in the Wood-yard a Yoman and a Groom in the Barne one in
bold thus further to proceed Touching the first Question What hath mans labour most increast Yet of it selfe desires it least In my weake understanding I take it to be the Earth the mother of all creatures rationall or irrationall sensitive or vegetative which though men daily digge and delve plow or furrow mine and undermine trenching her sides and wounding her intrayles not suffering her to have the least cessation of rest in any of the foure seasons yet she in her owne fertility and annuall vicissitude without these injuries is able of her selfe to yeeld herbs and flowers grasse and hay plants and trees with food and sustenance in abundance to all creatures bred upon her still teeming wombe who as she delivers them into the world not onely fosters and cherisheth them but when their Date is runne and their time expired receiveth them again into her owne breast from whence they had their first being Touching the second I take it to be Humility which teacheth a man how to rule his affections and to keepe a mediocrity in all his actions The high Creator dwelleth in Heaven and if wee arrogantly lift up our selves unto him he will fly from us but if we humbly bow our selves before him he will descend downe upon us Humilitas animi sublimitas Christiani In Humility is a Christian mans mindes sublimity It stirs up affection augmenteth good will supports equity and preserves a common weale in safety It is apt to repentance hungring after righteousnesse and conversant in deeds of mercy It hath brought these good things to passe which no other reason or vertue could effect And whosoever shall desire to ascend where the Father is much first put on that humility which the Sonne teacheth and most happy is the man whose calling is high and his spirit humble of which vertue I may truely conclude with your Question Man hath by that most honour gain'd And yet with least losse is maintain'd The third the most basely vile and yet the highest valued the most cursed to mannage yet the most costly to maintain in my ignorant conceptions I hold to be Pride which being first hatched in heaven in an instant precipitated Lucifer and his Angels headlong into hell which perceiving Humility to be honourable desireth often to be covered with the cloake thereof least appearing alwayes in its owne likenesse it might thereby be the lesse regarded I shall not need much to amplifie the vice nor to aggravate the sinne a spice whereof may I speake it with pardon hath beene discovered even in this my best beloved parent and to avoide prolixitie It is that thing men soonest rue And yet with greatest charge pursue With which answer so modestly delivered and in a kinde of matron-like gravity rarely to be found in one of her tender and young yeares the King was so highly raptur'd that he not onely received her father into former grace but spake openly being then a Batchelour that had she beene borne of noble bloud he would have made her his Queen and Royall Consort and taking her from the earth caused her to stand before him when instantly newes was brought him that an Earledome was then fallen unto the Crowne which he presently for her sake conferred upon Don Pedro her father of which she taking advantage fell downe againe upon her knees to give the King thankes for so great an honour bestowed upon him for which she prostrated unto him in all humble manner her life and service adding withall some words to this purpose My Royall Liege excuse my over-boldnesse if I challenge your Majestie of your Kingly word and promise past unto me before all this presence who demanding of her wherein he was any way ingaged she made reply But late great Sir you said that were I noble you would accept of my unworthy selfe as your royall Bride and Spouse Then pardon my presumption if I thus farre prompt your memory to put your Highnesse in minde that I am now not onely by your Grace ennobled but an Earles daughter at which word covering her face with her hand shee concluded in a bashfull and modest blush All which so highly pleased the King that making good his Princely word he gave order for the present celebration of their nuptiall This History though it have a comicall conclusion yet is pertinent to the discourse now in agitation for Don Pedroes pride of knowledge was sentene't with death and his life howsoever redeem'd by his faire and vertuous daughter was immediately forfeit by the doome of the King and therefore the judgement in Justice howsoever not in execution remarkable We reade in the French Chronicle of one Iordaine of Lisle by Nation a Gascon and Nephew to Pope Iohn the two and twentieth of that name a man of a most high and insolent spirit daring any thing though never so facinorous cruell inhumane or bloudy building all his heinous and horrid acts upon the greatnesse of his Unkle who after he had beene pardoned for eighteene capitall crimes still grew more impious and shamelesse former mercy making him still the more presumptuous at the last being apprehended and brought to Paris he was arraigned convicted and condemned by Charles the fourth surnamed the Faire King of France where notwithstanding his great allyes he suffered like a common felon and murderer on the Gallowes It is credibly reported also of a proud Italian Gentleman borne in Genoa who in a single duell having the better of his Antagonist in the field insomuch that he disarmed him of his weapon and the other now standing at his mercy he fell to parle with him upon these termes that there was no way for him to escape immediate death but by abjuring his Christianity and renouncing his Saviour to which the other through base timerousnesse assented of which the Victor taking divelish advantage even in the midst of his most impious Apostasie he stab'd him to the heart and slew him uttering these more then heathenish words before I had been onely revenged upon thy body but now I have sent both thy body and soule to the Devill and that 's a revenge which deserves a chronicle But what became of this firebrand of Hell and limbe of the Devill being apprehended for the murder and his diabolicall proceedings in the act being related to the Judges as a terrour to others he was first committed to the rack and after many other insufferable tortures despairing of all mercy from God having shewed no compassion towards man he most miserably ended his life One Herebert Earle of Vermendoys in France was of that haughty and insolent spirit that he durst lay hands upon his Soveraigne Charles King of France surnamed the Simple who caused him to be imprisoned and under whose custody hee shortly after died at Peroune which seem'd for a time to be smothered and he still subsisted in his former eminencie but where man seemeth most to forget God doth remarkably remember nor doth
length Antoninus grew so sicke of his brothers generall love and welfare that his ambition is now to be the sole possessour of the whole Empire and therefore in the dead of night with other of his assasinates he violently broke open his brothers chamber and basely murdered him even in the sight and presence of their mother not thinking hee was throughly dead till he had cut the head from the body This done he excused the fact to the Souldiers and with large donatives so insinuated into their favours that never was found who so much as repined at what was done nor was he sooner well seated in the Throne Imperiall but he caused all the friends well-wishers and acquaintance of Geta to be most cruelly put to death sparing neither degree age nor sex so that not one remained alive in the Common-weale of Rome most of the rich Senatours he caused to be slaine and their forfeited wealth he distributed amongst his Souldiers who supported him in all his villanies he slew his owne wife the daughter of Plantianus and the sonne of Pertinax and such was his hatred to Geta being dead that he destroyed all the Praefects Proconsuls Governours and Officers throughout Asia who had by him beene promoted to honour But after all his rapes incests and ryots murders and massacres as possest with all the horrid and abhominable vices that have any name As his life was detestable so was his death remarkable being in the midst of his sinnes without any repertance was most wretchedly slaine by his Souldiers at the instigation of Macrinus after Emperour Supplantation is one of the branches of Envy concerning which I have read an History to this purpose A Roman Emperour in those dayes before any Christianity was professed amongst them living in peace and tranquillity and no sedition or insurrection being made in any of his dominions so that the practise of Armes was quite left off and almost forgot This Emperour had a noble Prince to his sonne naturally inclined to prowesse and manhood and wholly addicted to martiall exercises But finding no imployment at home he had a great desire to know what milâ—tary exercises were abroad wherefore making choyce of one Gentleman to be his friend and companion whom hee valued as a second selfe furnisht with gold and treasure sufficient unknowne to any betooke themselves to sea and after much perillous navigation they landed in Persia at such time as the Soldan had warres with the Caliph of Aegypt The Prince with his companion concealing his birth and Countrey put himselfe under the Soldans service in which he so bravely demeaned himselfe that he grew remarkable through the Army and none in all the hoast was able to compare with him in daring or doing he so farre transcended them all insomuch that by his valour the Soldan had many brave victories and having but one onely daughter a Lady of incomparable beauty he had a secret purpose to take an advantage to bestow her upon him with all the Royalties of Scepter Sword Crowne and Dominion after his decease In processe it so happened that in a dreadfull battaile fought betwixt the Persians and Aegyptians the Soldan was mortally wounded in the eye with an arrow yet his body he yet living was safely brought to his Tent by this Roman Prince who before his death drew out a ring of great value and gave it unto him saying my onely daughter upon my paternall benediction hath vowed and sworne that whosoever shall deliver this ring from me to her shee will without any scruple or evasion accept him for her husband and this I freely bestow on thee and with these last words he expired Whose funerall being performed and by his death the warres ended the Prince with this ring retires himselfe with his companion towards Grand Kayre and by the way revealed unto his friend all that had past betwixt him and the Soldan concerning the Princesse and withall shewed him the ring who most perfidiously watching his opportunity in the night whilest the Prince was fast sleeping he stole away the ring and poasting to the Court presented it to the Lady who accepting both of it and him the false Imposter had her to wife and was crowned King of Persia. For which affront not able to right himselfe his great spirit was so afflicted that he grew into a dangerous and deadly feaver yet before his death he writ a Letter and sent it to his Father and the Senate in which he discovered the whole passage of the businesse as is before related and then died who by Embassadours informing the Queene and the State of Persia the truth of all which was confirmed by the dying Princes Letter The Impostor at length confessed all but because he had been their King the State would not put him to death or torture but delivered him to the Roman Embassadors to dispose of him at their pleasure who carrying him to Rome with the body of the dead Prince he was doomed to be shut alive into the Princes Sepulchre where the trayterous wretch most miserably finished his dayes A second to the like purpose wee reade in the History of the Popes which tells us that Pope Nicholas being dead one Celestine a man of a sincere and innocuous life and conversation was by a common suffrage advanced to the Papacie who bore himselfe with all humility and piety whose godly life one of the proud Cardinals envying and ayming to supplant him hee preferred a young kinsman of his to waite in his chamber who growing in favour with his Holinesse the Cardinall gave him a long trunke of brasse through which hee whispered in the Popes eare divers times when he was slumbering that it was Gods will and for his soules safety to resigne the Father-hood over to some others and himselfe to lead a private religious life which being often done took in him such impression as in a publike Consistory he told them what revelation he had from Heaven humbly desiring that with their good love and leave he might resigne his great charge and betake himselfe to a private and monastick life which motion this Cardinall seconded and by bribery and gifts having many friends and partisans on his side by his voluntary resignement was elected Pope in his steed by the name of Boniface Who now attaining to the height of his wishes and being feised of the tripple Diadem was not ashamed openly to boast how fraudulently hee came to that high Ecclesiasticall honour growing therewith more proud haughty and insolent insomuch that he pickâ— a quarrell with Lewis King of France and would have forced his personall appearance to acknowledge him for his supreame Father and Master which because the King denyed he excommunicated his Clergy and interdicted his Realme curfing him and his Subjects with Bell Booke and Candle But at length the King troubled and tyred with his so many contumacies sent a Knight called Sir Guillam de Langaret with a troope of
way addicted to any martiall exercise hee put into a religious house called Saint Swithens Abbey and made him a Monke his two other sonnes were Aurelius Ambrosius and Vter sirnamed Pendragon But Constantine the father being trayterously murdered one Vortiger who then was the most potent Peere in the Land tooke Constantine the eldest sonne out of the Monastery and made him King onely in name for he himselfe swayed the government of the Kingdome with all the power that belonged to a Crowne and Scepter Yet not with that contented he envied the state of the innocent King and though he had all the power yet he could not content himselfe without the title and therefore placed a guard of an hundred Picts and Scots about the Kings person and having ingrossed into his hands the greatest part of the Kings Treasury hee was so bountifull to those strangers that they feared not to say openly that be better deserved to be King then Constantine and waiting their best advantageous opportunity murdered him Whose head being presented to Vortiger then at London he made much seeming sorrow for his death and to acquit himselfe of the act caused all those hundred Knights to be beheaded by which the people holding him innocent crowned him King when the other had raigned about five yeares and this his coronation caused those that had the keeping of the two younger brothers Aurelius and Vter to flie with them into little Brittain where they remained long after but as a just reward of this trayterous supplantation hee was never after in any peace or quietnesse his Land being alwayes in combustion and trouble his Peeres suspecting him of the death of the King made insurrection against him insomuch that he was forced to sollicite aide of the Saxons who though they helped him for the present after of his friends they grew to be his enemies and were too mighty for him so that when he had raigned in great molestation and trouble sixteen years the Brittaines deprived him of all Kingly dignity and crowned his eldest sonne Vorâ—imerus in his stead Who when he had in many battailes overcome the Saxons and had almost quite expulsed them the Land he was poysoned by his stepmother Râ—waine when he had gloriously and victoriously seaven yeares governed the Land and his father Vortimer was againe made King who was after twice taking prisoner by Hengest King of the Saxons and his Peeres and Nobles cruelly butchered in his presence At length the two younger brothers of Constantine invaded the Land being aided by the distressed Brittains and pursued him into Wales where hee and divers of his complices fortified themselves in a strong Castle which Castle the two brothers with their Army besieged and after many vaine assaults it being valiantly defended with wilde-fire they burned and consumed the Fort together with Vortiger and all his souldiers and servants Worthy it is to observe by how many severall kinde of Judgements this sinne of Envy hath beene punisht as in the former examples is made apparant namely by the single sword by battaile by poysoning strangling heading torturing by murdering and cutting to pieces by being swallowed up of monsters the living to be buried with the dead by famishing in prison by being torne piece-meale and the bleeding limbes cast into common privies some burnt with ordinary fire others with wilde-fire the brother murdering the brother and the mother the sonne the bondage and vassalling of Nations c. which sinne though for the commonnesse and familiarity it hath amongst us is scarce minded or thought upon because many who are envious may so hide it that they may appeare honest withall yet is this hypocrisie no excuse for you see how hatefull it is in the eyes of the Creator by so many visible punishments thereof But I proceed After many dreadfull battailes fought and not without great effusion of bloud betwixt Edmund sirnamed for his strength and valour Iron-side the sonne of Ethelstane and Canutus the sonne of Swanus during this warre betwixt those martiall Princes to the great desolation of the Realme and mortality of the people It was agreed betwixt the two Generals to conclude the difference in a single duell The place where this should be performed was in an I le called Olney neare unto Glocester incompast with the water of the Severne In which place at the day appointed both the Champions met without any company or assistance and both the hoasts stood as spectators without the Isle there awaiting the fortune of the battaile where the Princes first proved one another with sharpe speares and they being broken with keene cutting swords where after a long fierce combate both being almost tyred by giving and receiving of hard and ponderous blowes at length the first motion comming from Canutus they began to parle and lastly to accord friendly kissing and embracing each other and soone after by the advise of both their Counsels they made an equall partition of the Land betwixt them and during their naturall lives lived together and loved as brothers But there was one Eâ—riâ—us Duke of Mercia of whom my Author gives this character A man of base and low birth but raised by favour to wealth and honour subtile of wiâ— but false of turning eloquent of speech but perfidious both in thought and promise who in all his actions complyed with the Danes to the dammage of his owne Countrey men and yet with smooth language protestations and false oathes could fashion his excuse at his pleasure This false Traytor in whose heart the serpent of envy and base conspiracy ever burned â—t length breaking out into flame against his owne Prince Iron-side for what cause is not knowne and thinking to get the grace and favour of Canutus he so awaited his opportunity that hee most treacherously slew his King and Master Iron-side Which done thinking thereby to be greatly exalted he poasted in all haste to Canutus shewing him what he had done for his love and saluted him by the stile of sole King of England which when the Prince of Danes had well understood and pondering what from his owne mouth he had confest like a just and wise Prince he answered him after this manner Since Edâ—â—câ—s thou hast for the love thou sayest thou bearest unto me slaine thy naturall Lord and King whom I most loved I shall in requitall exalt thy head above all the Lords thy fellow Peeres of England and forthwith commanded him to be taken and his head to be strook off and pitcht upon a speares head and set upon the highest gate of London a just judgement inflicted upon Envy which hath alwayes beene the hatcher of most abâ—ominable treason Unparalleld was that piece of Envy in Fostius one of the sonnes of Earle Goodwin and brother to Harold after King hee in the two and twentieth yeare of the raigne of Edward the Confessor upon some discontent betwixt him and his brother Harold came with a company of Ruffins and rude Pellowes and
rid downe to Hereford in the marches of Wales where at that time his brothers servants were very busie to make provision for the entertainment of the King invited thither by Harold who when he was thither come most cruelly and inhumanely he fell upon the innocent servants and â—lew them all and after cut them into pieces and gobbets which he put into sowce and salt pickling and powdering their limbes and afterward sent messengers to the King and his brother to give them to understand that if they brought fresh meate along with them hee had provided them of powdered meate as much as they could desire Which barbarous act being bruited abroad it made him so hatefull to all men that his owne tenants and people men of Northumberland the Province of which he was then Lord rose up in Armes against him seising all the Lands and Goods of which he was possest and chased him into Flanders with no more then one or two servants to attend him where he remained with his wife and children during the Kings life But when his brother Harold after the decease of K. Edward had usurped the Crowne Fostius envying his brothers Soveraignty having purchased to himselfe a Navy of threescore small ships sailed about the Isle of Wight and the coast of Kent where hee robbed and tooke preyes and from thence went into Lindsee where hee did much harme by fire and sword but was chased thence by Edwin and Malearus the Earles of Mercia and Northumberland Then he sayled into Scotland where he stayed till the Summer after And when Harold Harfager the sonne of Canutus King of Denmarke and Norway invaded the Realme Fostius took part with him against his brother Harold and in a dreadfull battaile fought neare Stemisford Bridge he with all his complices and adherents were miserably cut to pieces A just Judgement suting with his former envy butchery and tyranny But leaving many Histories and Examples with strange inflictions imposed upon this sinne I come to the later times as low as to the raigne of Edward the sixt over whom by his fathers last Will for the time of his minority his two Unkles the brothers Seymors being made chiefe Guardians it happened that the two great Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke Dudley and Gray much murmured and maligned that they should beare such sway in the Kingdome The one being Lord Protector the other Lord high Admirall one having great power by Land the other by Sea by which their glories seemed to be much ecclipsed and finding no way how to supplant them by their servants they took a newer course and practised it by their wives to draw their ruines out of their owne bosomes and thus it happened Sir Thomas Seymor the younger brother being Admirall and having married King Henries Queene Dowager whose good fortune it was of all the rest to survive her husband she was suggested to contest with her sister in law for priority in place to which the other for both were privately incouraged by the two Dukes would no way assent the one claiming precedence as she had beene Queene the other challenging it as she was now the Protectors wife The wives set their husbands at oddes by taking their parts insomuch that there grew envy and heart-burning betwixt them so that in the third yeare of the young King the Admirall was questioned about his Office and by the consent of his brother condemned in Parliament to have his head strooke off the Protector with his owne hand signing the Warrant for his death The one brother being thus removed there was now the lesse difficulty to supplant the other for in the same moneth of February in which his brother lost his head was the Protector by the Lords of the Counsell committed to the Tower but about a yeare after by intercession of the King and his submission to the Lords of the Counsell upon the sixt of February he was released and set at liberty yet this proved but a lightning before a clap of thunder For the two Dukes his great and potent adversaries still prosecuted their malice insomuch that not long after calling him to a second account when he had nobly acquitted himselfe of all Treasons whatsoever that could be alleadged against him He was in a tryall at Guild-Hall not having a Jewry of his Peeres convicted of Felony and in the first yeare of the King upon the two and twentieth day of Ianuary the great Duke of Sommerset the Kings Unkle and Lord Protector was beheaded upon the Tower Hill But this envy in the two Dukes escaped not without Gods heavy Judgements for after the Kings death Northumberland having a large commission from the Lords signed with the great Seale of England to raise an Army to suppresse the Lady Mary afterward repenting thereof sent a countermand after him and when he thought himselfe in most security the Nobility forsaking him and the Commons abandoning him hee with his sonnes and some few servants in Cambridge were left alone where notwithstanding in the open Market-place he proclaimed the Lady Mary Queene yet in Kings Colledge he was arrested of high Treason and thence brought to the Tower of London and on a scaffold upon the Hill the twelfth day of August next following lost his head The Duke of Suffolke being likewise proclaimed Traytor had a servant called Vnderwood whom he had raised to a faire estate and therefore to his trust he committed his person who for some moneths concealed him in an hollow tree and morning and evening brought him his food with millions of oaths engaged for his truth and fidelity but being corrupted with a small quantity of gold and some large promises he betrayed him and delivered him up to the noble Earle of Huntington under whose conduct the Duke with a strong guard of speare-men was conveyed through London to the Tower and the seaventh day after his surprisall he was arraigned and convicted of Treason in the great Hall at Westminster and upon the twenty fourth day on the Tower Hill beheaded In this relation it is worthy to be observed in those two great Dukes of Sommerset and Northumberland that though the whole Kingdome could scarce satiate their ambitions yet now a small piece of earth contents them for they lie buried together before the Altar in Saint Peters Church in the Tower betwixt two Queenes the wives of King Henry the eight Queene Anne and Queene Katharine they being also both beheaded CHAP. III. Gods dreadfull Judgements against Wrath. DIverse are the divisions and branches of this sinne of Wrath which some reduce to these foure heads Mortall Veniall Capitall Generall It is then called Mortall when it hath a desire to punish not to satisfie the Justice of the Law but its spleene or when through the vehemence of anger it divides from the love of God and our neighbour or when it seekes a severe and cruell revenge for trifling delinquencies It is called Veniall when the motion of ire doth