who having conspired treacherously and raised warre against his father together with the Earle of Brittaine his supporter were both vanquished and put to flight but the Earle was slaine in the pursuit The Prince himselfe also thinking to escape by sea where lay provided certaine ships ready to receive him was in the mid way overtaken together with his wife and children whom he purposed to make partakers of his fortune and were altogether by the expresse commandement of his father shut up in a little house and there burned together In this wise did Clotarius revenge the treachery and rebellion of his sonne after a more severe cruell and fierce manner than King David did who would have saved his sonne Absolons life notwithstanding all his wickednesse and malitious and furious rebellion but this man contrariwise being bereft of all fatherly affection would use no compassion towards his sonne but commanded so cruell an execution to bee performed not onely upon him but upon his daughter in law also and their children perchance altogether innocent and guiltlesse of that crime A very rare and strange example seeing it is commonly seene that grandfathers use more to cherish and cocker their childrens children than their own Therefore we must think that it was the providence of God to leave behind a notable example of his most just and righteous severity against disobedient and rebellious children to the end to amase and feare all others from enterprising the like Philip Comineus hath recorded the treacherous tragedy of a most wicked and cruell sonne called Adolphus for the world waxeth every day worse than other that came in an evening suddenly to take his father the Duke of Gilderland prisoner even as he was going to bed and would not give him so much liberty as to pull on his hose for he was bare legged but carried him away in all haste making him march on foot without breeches five long Almaine miles in a most cold weather and then clapt him up in the bottome of a deep tower where there was no light save by a little window and there kept him close prisoner six moneths together After which cruell fact he himselfe was taken prisoner in like manner and carried bound to Namur where he lay a long time untill the Gaunts reprived him forthwith and led him with them against Tournay where he was slain in the while of his imprisonment his father yeelding to nature disinherited him of all his goods for his vile ingratitude and unnaturall cruelty and left the succession of his dukedome to the Duke of Bourgondy In the yeare of our Lord 1461 in a village called Iuchi neere to Cambray there dwelt a certaine man or rather a beast that in a great rage threw his owne mother out of his doores thrice in one day and the third time told her in fury That hee had rather see his house on fire and burnt to coles than that she should abide there but one day longer It happened that the very same day according to his cursed speech his house was indeed fired but how or whence no man could judge and the fire was so fierce that it consumed to ashes not only that house but also twelve other houses adjoyning which was an evident figure of Gods just judgement in punishing so vile and unnaturall a deed by fire seeing he deserved at the least to lose his house for banishing her out of it that had borne him in her belly and nourished him with the milke of her paps In this place I may fitly insert two memorable examples of the same subject gathered by an author of credit and fame sufficient to this effect It is not long saith he since a friend of mine a man of a great spirit and worthy to be beleeved recounted to me a very strange accident which he said hapned to himselfe and proved his saying by the testimony of many witnesses which was this That being upon a time at Naples at a kinsmans and familiars house of his he heard by night the voice of a man crying in the street for aid which caused him to rise and light a candle and run out to see what the matter was being come out of the doores he perceived a cruell and ougly shaped divell striving with all his force to catch and get into his clouches a yong man that strove on the other side to defend himselfe and for feare raised that outcry which he had before heard the yong man seeing him ran to him forthwith and catching fast hold by his cloathes and pitifully crying to God would in no case let go his hold untill his cruell enemy forsooke him and being brought into the house all dismaied and beside himselfe would not let go his hold untill he came to his sences againe out of that exceeding feare The cause of which assault was he had led all his time a most wicked life and had been a contemner of God and a Rebell against his parents using vile railing and bitter speeches against them in such sort that in stead of blessing they had layd a curse upon him And this is the first example Concerning the second I will also set downe the Authors owne words as followeth Of all the strange things saith he that ever I heard report of that which happened not long since at Rome is most worthy to be remembred of a certaine yong man of Gabia borne of a base and poore family but endued with terrible and furious nature and addicted to a loose and disordinate life This gallant picking a quarrell with his owne father in his anger reviled him with most grosse and reprochfull tearmes In which mad fits as one wholly given over to the Divell he purposely departed to Rome to practise some naughty device against his father but his ghostly father the Divell met him in the way under the shape of a cruell and ougly fellow with a thicke bushie beard and haire hanging disorderly and cloathes all rent and tattered who as they walked together enquired of him why he was so sad He answered that there had passed some bitter speeches betwixt his father and him and now he devised to work him some mischiefe The Divell by and by like a crafty knave soothed him up said that he also upon the like occasion went about the same practise and desired that they might pursue both their voyage and enterprise together it was soone agreed upon betwixt them being like to like as the proverbe goeth Therefore being arrived at Rome and lodged at the same Inne one bed did serve them both where whilest the yong man securely and soundly slept the old malicious knave watching his opprtunity caught him by the throat to strangle him whereat the poore wretch awoke and cried for help to God so that the wicked spirit was constrained to forsake him without performing his purpose and to flee out at the chamber with such force and violence that the house roofe crackt and the tyles
in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more than all the rest for it is most certainly reported That after this abhominable deed hee never had quiet in his minde when he went abroad his eye whirled about his body was privily fenced his hand ever upon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleep short and unquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start up and leap out of his bed and runne about his chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abhominable murther CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their Superiors because of Subsidies and Taxes imposed upon them AS it is not lawfull for children to rebell against their parents though they be cruell and unnaturall so also it is as unlawfull for subjects to withstand their Princes and Governors though they be somewhat grievous and burthensome unto them which we affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and unmeasurable oppression upon their subjects as shall be declared hereafter more at large but we entreat onely here of their duties which are in subjection to the power of other men whose authority they ought in no wise to resist unlesse they oppose themselves against the ordinance of God Therefore this position is true by the word of God That no subject ought by force to shake off the yoke of subjection and obedience due unto his Prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publicke authority is imposed Give saith the Apostle tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome pertaineth feare to whom feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grievance and not the Religion and service of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question we ought with all patience to endure whatsoever burthen or charge is laid upon us without moving any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that have otherwise behaved themselves these examples following will shew how well they have been appaied for their misdemeanors In the yeare of our Lord 1304 after that Guy Earle of Flanders having rebelled against Philip the Faire his Soveraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subjection and constrained to deliver himselfe and his two sons prisoners into his hands the Flemings made an insurrection against the Kings part because of a certain taxe which he had set upon their ships that arrived at certaine havens and upon this occasion great warre divers battels and sundry overthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the King remained conqueror and the Flemings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the battell six and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeares after this Flemmish stirre there arose a great commotion and hurly burly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whom they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the Kings Palace at his lodging in the Temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all the day after neither the King nor any of his officers durst once stir over the threshold nay they grew to that overflow of pride and insolency that the victuals which were provided for the Kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwne under feet in the dirt and trampled upon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their pains were hanged before their own doores and in the city gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixth the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which he minded to lay upon them banded themselves and conspired together against him they determined once saith Froissard to have beaten downe Loure and S. Vincents castle and all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensive to them But the King though young in yeares handled them so ripe and handsomely that having taken away from them their armor the city gates and chaines of the streets and locked up their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewis the Earle of Flanders for divers taxes and tributes which he had layd upon them which they in no respect would yeeld unto The matter came to be decided by blowes and much bloud was shed and many losses endured on both sides as a meanes appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number than five or six thousand men overthrew the Earles army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuit of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety and lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a beggar to fly the City And thus he fared till King Charles the sixth sent an army of men to his succor for he was his subject by whose support he overcame those Rebels in a battell fought at Rose Bec to the number of forty thousand and the body of their chiefetaine Philip Artevil slaine in the throng he caused to be hanged on a tree And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy the countrey being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord. A while before this whilest King Iohn was held prisoner in England there arose a great commotion of the common people in France against the nobility and gentry of the realme that oppressed them this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered together in the countrey of Beauvoisin but that small handfull grew right quickly to an armfull â—â—on to nine thousand that ranged and robbed throughout all Brie along by the river Marne to Laonoise and all about Soissons armed with great bats shod with yron an headlesse crue without Governour fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility In this disorder they wrought much mischiefe broke up many houses and castles murthered many Lords so that divers Ladies and Knights as the Duchesses of Normandy Orleance were fain to fly for safegard to Meaux whither when these Rebels would needs pursue them they
grace of Gods spirit saw his Sorbonicall errors and renounced them betaking himselfe to the profession of the purer religion and the company and acquaintance of godly men amongst whom was Bucer that excellent man who sent him also to Nurnburge to oversee the printing of a booke which he was to publish Whilest Diazius lived at this Nurnburge a city scituat upon the river Dimow his brother a lawyer and judge laterall to the Inquisition by name Alphonsus came thither and by all meanes possible endevoured to dissuade him from his religion and to reduce him againe to Popery But the good man persisted in the truth notwithstanding all his perswasions and threats wherefore the subtill fox took another course and faining himselfe to be converted also to his religion exhorted him to goe with him into Italy where he might do much good or at the least to Angust but by the counsell of Bucer and his friends he was kept back otherwise willing to follow his brother Wherefore Alphonsus departed and exhorted him to constancy and perseverance giving him also fourteene crowns to defray his charges Now the wolfe had not been three dayes absent when he hired a rakehell and common butcher and with him flew again to Nurnburge in post hast and comming to his brothers lodging delivered him a letter which whilest he read the villain his confederat cleft his head in pieces with an axe leaving him dead upon the floore and so fled with all expedition Howbeit they were apprehended yet quit by the Popes justice so holy and sacred are the fruits of his Holinesse though not by the justice of God for within a while after hee hung himselfe upon his mules necke at Trent Duke Abrogastes slew Valentinian the Emperour of the West and advanced Eugenius to the crowne of the Empire but a while after the same sword which had slain his lord and master was by his owne hands turned into his owne bowels Mempricius the sonne of Madan the fourth King of England then called Britaine after Brute had a brother called Manlius betwixt whom was great strife for the soveraigne dominion but to rid himselfe of all his trouble at once he slew his brother Manlius by treason and after continued his raigne in tyranny and all unlawfull lusts the space of twenty yeeres but although vengeance all this while winked yet it slept not for at the end of this space as he was hunting he was devoured of wilde beasts In the yeare of our Lord God 745 one Sigebert was authorised king of the Saxons in Britaine a cruell and tyrannous Prince towards his subjects and one that changed the ancient Lawes and customes of his Realme after his owne pleasure and because a certaine Nobleman somewhat sharpely advertised him of his evill conditions hee maliciously caused him to bee put to death But see how the Lord revenged this murder hee caused his Nobles to deprive him of his kingly authority and at last as a desolate and forlorne person wandring alone in a wood to be slaine of a swineheard whose master he being king had wrongfully put to death About the yeare of our Lord 793 Ethelbert king of the East Angles a learned and right godly Prince came to the court of Offa the king of Mercia perswaded by the counsell of his nobles to sue for the marriage of his daughter well accompanied like a prince with a great traine of men about him whereupon Offa's Queene conceiving a false suspition of that which was never minded That Ethelbert under the pretence of this marriage was come to worke some violence against her husband and the kingdome of Mercia so perswaded with king Offa and certaine of his Councell that night that the next day following Offa caused him to be trained into his palace alone from his company by one called Guymbertus who tooke him and bound him and after strooke off his head which forthwith he presented to the king and Queene Thus was the innocent King wrongfully murdered but not without a just revenge on Gods hand for the aforesaid Queene worker of this villany lived not three moneths after and in her death was so tormented that she bit and rent her tongue in pieces with her teeth which was the instrument to set abroach that murtherous practise Offa himselfe understanding at length the innocency of the king and the hainous cruelty of his fact gave the tenth part of his goods to the Church bestowed upon the Church of Hereford in remembrance of this Ethelbert great lands builded the Abbey of S. Albons with certaine other Monasteries beside and afterward went to Rome for his penance where hee gave to the Church of S. Peter a peny through every house in his dominion which was commonly called Romeshot or Peterpence and there at length was transformed from a king to a monke Thus God punished not only him and his wife but the whole land for this vile murder One principall cause of the conquest of this land by the Normans was a vile and horrible murder committed by one Goodwin an Earle in England upon certaine Mormans that came overwith Alfred and Edward to visit their mother Emma that had beene married to King Canutus This matter thus fell out When these two came from Normandy to England to visit their mother as I have said Earle Goodwin having a daughter called Godith whom hee thought to marry to Edward and advance him to the kingdome to bring his purpose to passe used this practise that is to perswade King Hardeknout and the Lords not to suffer those Normans to bee within the Realme for jeopardy but rather to punish them for example by which meanes hee got authority to order the matter himselfe Wherefore hee met them on Guild downe and there wretchedly murdered or rather martyred the most part of the Normans killing nine and leaving the tenth alive throughout the whole company and then tything againe the said tyth he slew every tenth knight and that by cruell torment as winding their guts out of their body after a most savage manner among the rest he put out the eyes of the elder of the two brethren Alfred and sent him to an Abbey at Elie where being fed with bread and water hee ere long ended his life Now albeit hee obtained his purpose hereby and married his daughter to Edward who was after King called Edward the Confessor yet did not Gods justice sleepe to punish this horrible murder for he himselfe died not long after suddenly having forsworne himselfe and the Normanes with William their Duke ere long came into this Iland to revenge this murder as also to claime a right of inheritance bequeathed unto him by Edward his Nephew and how hee succeeded and what misery he brought this whole Nation unto who knoweth not But heere is the justice of God As the Normans comming with a naturall English Prince were most cruelly and barbarously murdered of Englishmen so afterwards the Englishmen were slaine and
followeth by the order of our subject now to touch the transgression of the third Commandement of the second Table which is Thou shalt not commit Adultery in which words as also in many other Texts of Scripture Adultery is forbidden and grievous threatnings denounced against all those that defile their bodies with filthy and impure actions estrange themselves from God and conjoyne themselves to whores and ribauds This sin did the Israelites commit with the woman of Madian by means whereof they were to follow strange gods and to fall into Gods heavie displeasure who by a cruell Plague destroyed 24000. of them for the same sin And forasmuch as the Madianites through the wicked and pernicious counsell of Balaam did lay this snare for them and were so villanous and shamelesse as to prostitute and be Bauds to their owne wives therefore they were by the expresse Commandement of God discomfited their Kings and false prophets with all their men and women except onely their unpolluted virgins that had knowne no man slain and all their Cities and dwellings burned and consumed to ashes As every one ought to have regard and care to their honesty so maides especially whose whole credit and reputation hangeth thereupon for they that make no account thereof but suffer themselves to be polluted with any filthinesse draw upon them not onely most vile infamy but also many great miseries as is proved by the daughter of Hippomenes Prince of Athens who being a whore her father shut up in a stable with a wilde horse giving him no provender nor other meat to eat that the horse naturally furious enough but more enraged by famine might tear her in pieces and with her carkase refresh his hunger as he did Pontus Aufidian understanding that his daughter had been betrayed and sold into a lechers hands by a slave of his that was her schoolmaster put them both to death In like manner served Pub. Atilius Falisque his daughter that fell into the same infamy Vives reporteth that in our fathers dayes two brothers of Arragon perceiving their sister whom they ever esteemed for honest to be with childe hiding their displeasure untill her delivery was past came in suddenly and stabbed her into the belly with their daggers till they killed her in the presence of a sage matron that was witnesse to their deed The same Authour saith That when he was a young man there were three in the same Countrey that conspired the death of a companion of theirs that went about to commit this villany and as they conspired so they performed it strangling him to death with a napkin as he was going to his filthinesse As for Adulterers examples are infinite both of their wicked lives and miserable ends In which number many of them may be scored that making profession of a single life and undertaking the vow of chastity shew themselves monstrous knaves and ribauds as many of the Popes themselves have done As we reade of Iohn the Eleventh bastard son to Lando his predecessour who by meanes of his Adulteries with Theodora then Governesse of Rome came by degrees to the Papacy so he passed the blessed time of his holy Popeship with this vertuous Dame to whom he served instead of a common Horse to satisfie her insatiable and disordinate lust but the good and holy father was at last taken and castin prison and there smothered to death with a pillow Benedict the Eleventh diâ—ing on a time with an Abbesse his familiar was poysoned with certain figs that he eat Clement the Fifth was reported to be a common Bawd and a protectour of whores he went apart into Avignion and there stayed of purpose to do nothing but whore-hunt he died in great torment of the bloudy flux plurisie and grief of the stomacke In our English Chronicles we reade of Sir Roger Mortimer Earl of March in the time of Edward the Third who having secret familiarity with Isabel Edward the Seconds wife was not onely the cause to stir her up to make war against her husband but also when he was vanquished by her and deposed from his Crowne his young son being installed in his Throne caused him most cruelly to be put to death by thrusting a hot spit into his body at his fundament He also procured the Earle of Kent the Kings uncle to be arraigned and beheaded at Winchester for that he withstood the Queenes and his dealings and would not suffer them to do what they listed All these mischiefes sprung out from the filthy root of Adultery But the just judgement of God not permitting such odious crimes to be unpunished nor undetected it so fell forth at the length that Isabel the old Queen was discovered to be with childe by the said Mortimer whereof complaint being made to the King as also of the killing of King Edward his father and conspiring and procuring the death of the Earle of Kent the Kings uncle he was arreigned and indicted and by verdict found guilty and suffered death accordingly like a Traitor his head being exalted upon London-bridge for a spectacle for all murderers and adulterers to behold that they might see and fear the heavy vengeance of God CHAP. XXI Of Rapes NOw if Adultery which with liking and consent of parties is committed be condemned how much more grievous and hainous is the offence and more guilty the offendour when with violence the chastity of any iâ— assailed and enforced This was the sin wherewith Sichem the son of Hemor the Levite is marked in holy Scripture for he ravished Dina Iacobs daughter for which cause Simeon and Levi revenged the injury done unto their sister upon the head of not onely him and his father but all the Males that were in the City by putting them to the sword It was a custome amongst the Spartans and Messenians during the time of peace betwixt them to send yearly to one another certain of their daughters to celebrate certain feasts and sacrifices that were amongst them now in continuance of time it chanced that fifty of the Lacedemonian virgins being come to those solemne feasts were pursued by the Messenian gallants to have their pleasures of them but they joyntly making resistance and fighting for their honesties strove so long not one yeelding themselves a prey into their hands till they all died whereupon arose so long and miserable a war that all the Countrey of Messena was destroyed thereby Aristoclides a Tyran of Orchomenus a City of Arcadia fell enamored with a maid of Stymphalis who seeing her father by him slain because he seemed to stand in his purposes light fled to the Temple of Diana to take Sanctuary neither could once be plucked from the image of the goddesse untill her life was taken from her but her death so incensed the Arcadians that they fell to Armes and sharpely revenged her cruell injury Appius a Roman a man of power and authority in the City inflamed with the love of a virgine
together riches for he exercised his wit in devising new tributes and payments and rejoyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grievous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also forty thousand men slain and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certaine monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conveyeth away all the filth out of the City the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of every countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares together which when the King put in practise and found the exceeding commodity thereof he not onely continued that tax but also invented divers others to the great dammage of the common-wealth and enriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore he that put it first into his head when hee saw that he had not so much authority in dissuading as he had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should be buried in that common sinke to be an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Milan by the report of Paulus Iovius was an unconscionable oppressor of his subjects and tenants for he did not onely extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enjoyned them to keepe every one a dogge which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to be beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head This Tyran was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seven moneths imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature though unlike in conditions for he was a good Prince whereas this was a tyran was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in the ranke of oppressours for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted from men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the Estates of the Realme deprived him of his royall Dignity and placed his younger brother Elydurus in his room after he had raigned five yeares Hardiknitus King of Denmarke after the death of Harold was ordained King of England in the year of our Lord 1041. This King as he was somewhat cruell for he caused the body of Harold to be taken up out of the Sepulclire and smiting off his head to be cast out into the River Thames because he had injured his mother Emma when he was alive so he was burdensom to his Subjects in tributes and exaction for which cause growing into hatred with God and his Subjects he was strucken with sudden death not without suspition of poysoning after he had raigned three yeares William Rufus second son of William the Conquerour succeeded his father as in the Kingdom of England so in disposition of nature for they were both cruell inconstant and covetous aud burdened their people with unreasonable taxes insomuch that what by the murraine of men by postilence and oppressions of them by exactions the tillage of the earth was put off for one year being the year 1099 whereby ensued great scarcity the year following throughout all the Land but for the oppression William was justly punished by sudden death when being at his disport of hunting he was wounded with an arrow glauncing from the bow of Tyrill a French Knight and so his tyranny and life ended together And here is further to be noted that the place where this King was slain was called New Forest in which same place Richard the Cousin germane of King William son to Duke Robert his brother was likewise slain This New Forest was made by William the Conquerour their father who plucked downe and depopulated divers Townes and Churches the compasse of 30. miles about to make this a Forest for wilde Beasts a most beastly sin yea a bloudy crying sin too too much practised in these dayes and that by great persons that make no conscience to turne Townes into pastures and men into sheep but let all them behold the just vengeance of God upon this Kings posterity for when then either cannot or will not revenge then God revengeth either in them or their posterity In the year 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Augoulemois fell into a great Rebellion by reason of the extortions of the Customers and Farmours of Salt the Rebels in a few weekes grew to the number of fourty thousand men armed with clubs and staves who joyning with the Islanders by a generall consent ran upon the Officers of the Custome and with extreme sury put to sword all that they could take notwithstanding the King of Navarre sought by all meanes to appease them About the same time the Commons of Gascoigne rose in divers places upon the same causes and notwithstanding all that the Lord of Monneins the Kings Lieutenant and all other Officers could do they made a great spoil of many honourable Houses and massacre of much people insomuch that the Lord of Moneins himselfe was slain by them whilest he was making an Oration to them to pacifie their rage but at length these Rebels were suppressed by Francis of Lorraine Earle of Aumale and Anne of Mommorancye high Constable of France and the chief King-leaders and Captaines of them executed according to their deserts La Vergne was drawne in pieces by four horses L'Estonnac and the two brothers of Saulx had their heads cut off Tallemoigne and Galeferâ— the two Colonels of the Commons were broken upon the Wheele being first crowned with a crowne of burning iron as a punishment of the Soveraignty which they had usurped Thus the Lord punished both the one and the other and the one by the other the exactors for their oppression and the tumultuous Commons for their Rebellion Neither doth the Lord thus punish oppressours themselves but also they that either countenance or having authority do not punish the same as it appeareth by this example following In the year of our Lord 475. there lived one Corrannus a King of Scots who though he governed the people in peace and quietnesse a long space and was indeed a good Prince yet because his Chancellour Tomset used extortion and exaction amongst his Subjects and he being advertised thereof did not punish him he was slain traiterously by his owne Subjects It is not unworthy to be noted how Edward the Third King of England prospered a long while in the warres against France and got many worthy and wonderfull victories but when Prince Edward son unto the aforesaid Edward after conditions of peace concluded began to set taxes and impositions upon the Country
those Truce-breaking Varlets He had scarce ended these speeches but the Christians battell and courage began to rebate Vladislaus himselfe was slaine by the Iâ—nizaries his horse being first hurt his whole Army was discomfited and all his people put to the sword saving a few that fled amongst whom was the right reverend Embassador of the Pope who as soone as he had thrust in over the eares withdrew himselfe forsooth farre enough from blowes or danger Then followed a horrible butchery of people and a lamentable noyse of poore soules ready to be slaughtered for they spared none but haled them miserably in pieces and executed a just and rigorous judgement of God for that vile treachery and perjury which was committed CHAP. XXVIII More examples of the like subject BVt let us adde a few more examples of fresher memory as touching this ungodly Perjury And first King Philip of Macedony who never made reckoning of keeping his oathes but swore and unswore them at his pleasure and for his commodity doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why he and his whole Progeny came quickly to destruction as testifieth Pausanias for hee himselfe being 46 yeeres old was slaine by one of his owne servants after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes Anideus and another which he had by Cleopatra Attalus his neece whom she sod to death in a Cauldron his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished and lastly Alexander after all his great victories in the middest of his pompe was poysoned at Babylon Gregorie Tours maketh mention of a wicked Varlet in France among the people called Averni that forswearing himselfe in an unjust cause had his tongue so presently tyed that he could not speake but roare and so continued till by his earnest prayers and repentance the Lord restored to himselfe the use of that unruly member There were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi whereof the memory remaineth onely at this day for they were utterly destroyed by Q. Cincinnatus These having solemnely made a league with the Romanes and sworne unto it with one consent afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their Captaine and under his conduct spoyled the Fields and Territories of the Romanes contrary to the former league and oath Wherupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius P. Volumnius and A. Posthumius Embassadors to them to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction but their Captaine so little esteemed them that he bad them deliver their message to an Oake standing thereby whilest hee attended other businesse Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the Oake spake on this manner Thou hallowed oake and whatsoever else belongeth to the gods in this place heare and beare witnes of this disloyall part and favor our iust complaints that with the assistance of the gods wee may bee revenged on this injury This done they returned home and shortly after gathering a power of men set upon and over came that truce-breaking Nation In the yeer of Rome built 317 the Fidenates revolted from the friendship and league of the Romans to Toluminus the king of the Veyans and adding cruelty to treason killed foure of their embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection which disloyalty the Romans not brooking undertooke war against them and notwithstanding all their private and forrein strength overthrew and slew them In this battell it is said that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus bravely galloping up and down and incouraging his souldiers and the Romans trembling at his approch said Is this the breaker of leagues and violater of the law of nations If there be any holinesse on earth my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine embassadours and therewithall setting spurres to his horse he unhorst him and fastening him to the earth with his speare cut off his perfidious head whereat his army dismaied retired and became a slaughter to the enemies Albertus Duke of Franconia having slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia brother to Lewis the fourth then Emperor and finding the Emperors wrath incensed against him for the same betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg from whence the Emperour neither by force nor policie could remove him for seven yeares space untill Atto the Bishop of Mentz by trecherie delivered him into his hands This Atto under shew of friendship repaired to the castle and gave his faith unto the earle that if he would come downe to parle with the Emperor he should safely return into his hold the Earle mistrusting no fraud went out of the castle gates with the Bishop towards the Emperour but Atto as it were suddenly remembring himselfe when indeed it was his devised plot desireth to returne back and dine ere he went because it was somewhat late so they do dine and returne Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperor but he caused to be presently put to death notwithstanding he urged the Bishops promise and oath for his returne for it was answered that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine as he had promised And thus the Earle was wickedly betrayed though justly punished As for Atto the subtill traitor indeed he possessod himselfe by this meanes of the Earles lands but withall the justice of God seised upon him for within a while after he was stricken with a thunderbolt and as some say carried into mount Aetna with this noyse Sicpeccatalues atque ruendorues Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia making warre upon the Argives surprised them by this subtilty he tooke truce with them for seven dayes and the third night whilest they lay secure and unwarie in their truce he oppressed them with a great slaughter saying to excuse his trecherie though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof that the truce which he made was for seven dayes onely without any mention of nights howbeit for all this it prospered not so well with him as he wished for the Argie vwomen their husbands slaine tooke armes like Amasons Tolesilla being their captainesse and compassing the citie walls repelled Cleomenes halfe amased with the strangenesse of the sight After which he was banished into Aegypt and there miserably and desperatly slew himselfe The Pope of Rome with all his heard of Bishops opposed himselfe against the Emperor Henry the fourth for he banished him by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church discharged his subjects from the oath of fealty and sent a crowne of gold to Rodolph king of Suevia to canonize him Emperor the crowne had this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho that is The Rocke gave unto Peter and Peter gave unto Rodolph the crown Notwithstanding Rodolph remembring his oath to the Emperour and how vile a part it was to betray him whom he had sworne to obey and defend at first refused the Popes offer howbeit by the persuasion of the Bishops sophistrie he was induced to undertake the
him to prison but the two unknowne witnesses who were indeed two fiends of hell began to say you shall not need for we are sent to punish his wickednesse and so saying they hoisted him up into the ayre where he vanished with them and was never after found In the yeare of our Lord 1055 Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table with King Edward of England it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled and yet fell not whereat Goodwine laughing said That if one brother had not holpen another meaning his legs all the wine had been spilt with which words the King calling to mind his brothers death which was slaine by Goodwine answered So should my brother Alphred have holpen me had not Goodwine been then Goodwine fearing the Kings new kindled displeasure excused himselfe with many words and at last eating a morsell of bread wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds bloud But he swore falsly as the judgement of God declared for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the King ere he removed one foot from that place though there be some say he recovered life againe Long time after this in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth there was in the city of London one Anne Averies widow who forswore her selfe for a little money that she should have paid for six pounds of tow at a shop in Woodstreet for which cause being suddenly surprised with the justice of God shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith and cast up at her mouth in great abundance and with horrible stinke that matter which by natures course should have been voided downewards and so died to the terrour of all perjured and forsworne wretches There are in histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernitious sin exercised by one nation towards another and one man towards another in most prophane and villanous sort neither shaming to be accounted forsworne nor consequently fearing to displease God and his majesty But forasmuch as when we come to speak of murtherers in the next book we shall have occasion to speake of them more or of such like I will referre the handling thereof unto that place onely this let every man learne by that which hath been spoken to be sound and fraudlesse and to keep his faith and promise towards all men if for no other cause yet for feare of God who leaveth not this sin unpunished nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus taketh his name in vaine CHAP. XXIX Of Blasphemers AS touching Blasphemy it was a most grievous and enormous sin and contrary to this third Commanmandement when a man is so wretched and miseble as to pronounce presumptuous speeches against God whereby his name is slandered and evill spoken of which sinne cannot chuse but be sharply and severely punished for if so be that God holdeth not him guiltles that doth but take his name in vain must he not needs abhor him that blasphemeth his Name See how meritoriously that wicked and perverse wretch that blasphemed and murdered as it were the name of God among the people of Israel in the desart was punished he was taken put in prison and condemned and speedily stoned to death by the whole multitude and upon that occasion as evill manners evermore begat good lawes the Lord instituted a perpetuall law and decree that every one that should blaspheme and curse God of what estate or degree soever should be stoned to death in token of detestation which sentence if it might now adaies stand in force there would not raign so many miserable blasphemers and deniers of God as the world is now filled and infected with It was also ordained by a new law of Iustinian That blasphemies should be severely punished by the judges and magistrates of Commonweales but such is the corruption and misery of this age that those men that ought to correct others for such speeches are oftentimes worst themselves and there are that thinke that they cannot be sufficiently feared and awed of men except by horrible bannings and swearings they despight and maugre God nay it is further come to that passe that in some places to swearc and ban be the markes and ensignes of a Catholike and they are best welcome that can blaspheme most How much then is that good King Saint Lewis of France to be commended who especially discharged all his subjects from swearing and blaspheming within his realm insomuch that when he heard a nobleman blaspheme God most cruelly he caused him to be laid hold on and his lips to bee slit with an hot yron saying hee must be content to endure that punishment seeing he purposed to banish oathes out of his kingdome Now wee call blasphemy according to the Scripture phrase every word that derogateth either from the bounty mercy justice eternity and soveraigne power of God Of this sort was that blasphemous speech of one of King Iorams Princes who at the time of the great famine in Samaria when it was besieged by the Syrians hearing Elizeus the Prophet say that the next morrow there should be plenty of victuals and good cheap rejected this promise of God made by his Prophet saying that it was impossible as if God were either a lyar or not able to performe what he would for this cause this unbeleeving blasphemer received the same day a deserved punishment for his blasphemy for he was troden to death in the gate of the city under the feet of the multitude that went out into the Syrians campe forsaken and left desolate by them through a feare which the Lord sent among them Senaccherib King of Assyria after he had obtained many victories and â—â—odued much people under him and also layd siege to Ierusalem became â—â—proud and arrogant as by his servants mouth to revile and blaspheme the living God speaking no otherwise of him than of some strange idoll and one that had no power to help and deliver those that trusted in him for which blasphemies he soone after felt a just vengeance of God upon himselfe and his people for although in mans eyes he seemed to be without the reach of danger seeing he was not assayled but did assayle and was guarded with so mighty an army that assured him to make him lord of Ierusalem in short space yet the Lord overthrew his power and destroyed of his men in one night by the hand of his Angell 185 thousand men so that he was faine to raise his siege and returne into his owne kingdome where finally he was slaine by his owne sons as he was worshipping on his knees in the temple of his god In the time of the Machabees those men that were in the strong hold called Gazara fighting against the Iewes trusting to the strength of the place wherein they were uttered forth most infamous speeches against God but ere long their blasphemous mouths were encountred by a condigne punishment for the first day of
King of Macedonia had a minion called Cratenas whom hee loved most entirely but he againe requited him not with love but with hatred and stretched all his wits to install himselfe in his kingdome by deposing and murthering him which though he accomplished yet his deserts were cut short by the vengeance of God for he continued not many dayes in his royalty but he was served with the same sauce that he had made Archelaus before him to taste of even betraied and murthered as he well deserved Lodovicus Sfortia to the end to invest himselfe with the Dukedome of Millain spared not to shed the innocent bloud of his two Nephewes the sonnes of Galenchus together with their tutors and one Francis Calaber a worthy and excellent man but the Lord so disposed of his purposes that he in stead of obtaining the kingdome was taken prisoner by the King of France so that neither he nor any of his off spring injoyed that which he so much affected When Numerianus was to succeed â—arus his father in the Empire Arrius Axer his father in law to the end to translate the Empire unto himselfe entered a conspiracy and slew his sonne in law that nothing mistrusted his disloyalty but the Pretorian army understanding the matter discharged Arrius and elected Dioclesian in his roome who laying hold upon his competitour laied an action of treason to his charge and put him to death in the sight of the multitude Theodoricke and Fredericke conspired against their owne brother Thurismund King of the Visigothes to the intent to succeed him in his Kingdome And albeit that nature reclaymed them from the act yet they slew him without all compassion But after thirteene yeres reigne the same Theodericke was requited by his other brethren with the same measure that he before meted to his brother Thurismund And so though vengeance slept a while yet at length it wakened Aelias Antonius Gordianus Emperour of Rome though so excellent a young Prince that he deserved to be called the Love and Iewell of the World yet was he slaine by one promoted by himselfe to high honour called Philip Arabs when he was but two and twenty yeres old after whose decease this Philip got himselfe elected Emperour by the Band and confirmed by the Senate All which notwithstanding after five yeres Decius rebelled and his owne souldiers conspired against him so that both he at Verona and his sonne at Rome were slaine by them about one time After the death of Constantine the Great his three sonnes dividing the Empire betwixt them succeeded their father Constantine the eldest had for his share Spaine France the Alpes and England Constance the second held Italy Africa Graecia and Illyricum Constantine the younger was King and Emperour of the East But ambition suffered them not to enjoy quietly these their possessions for when the eldest being more proud and seditious than the other not content with his alotted portion made warre upon his brother Constance his Provinces and strove to enter Italy he was slaine in a battell by Aquileia when he was but five and twenty yeares old by which meanes all the provinces which were his fell to Constance and therewithall such a drowsinesse and Epicurisme for want of a stirrer up after his brothers death that he fell into the gout and neglected the governement of the Empire Wherefore in Aâ—sourge and in Rhetia they created a new Emperour one Magnentius whose life before time Constance had saved from the souldiers and therefore his treachery was the greater This Magnentius deprived and slew Constance but was overcome by Constantine the third brother in Illyricum yet in such sort that the conqueror could not greatly brag for he lost an infinit company of his men and yet missed of his chiefe purpose the taking of Magnentius for he escaped to Lyons and there massacring all that he mistrusted at last growing I suppose in suspition with his owne heart slew himselfe also and so his traiterous ingratefull and ambitious murther was revenged with his owne hands Victericus betrayed Lnyba king of Spaine and succeeded in his place seven yeares after another traitour slew him and succeeded also in his place Mauritius the Emperor was murthered by Phocas together with his wife and five of his children he seating himselfe Emperour in his roome Howbeit traitors and murtherers can never come to happy ends for as he had slaine Mauritius so Priscus Heraclianus and Phorius three of his chiefest captaines conspiring against him with three severall armies gave him such an alarme at once at his owne doores that they soone quailed his courage and after much mangling of his body cut him shorter by the head and the kingdome at one blow In the time of Edward the second and Edward the third in England one Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much bloud and at last King Edward himselfe lying at Barkley castle to the end that he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity After this he unjustly accused Edmund Earle of Kent of treason and caused him to bee put to death therefore and lastly he conspired against King Edward the third as it was suspected for which cause he was worthily and deservedly beheaded Among this ranke of murtherers of Kings we may fitly place also Richard the third usurper of the Crowne of England and divers others which he used as instruments to bring his detestable purpose to effect as namely Sir Iames Tirrèl Knight a man for natures gifts worthy to have served a much better Prince than this Richard if he had well served God and beene endued with as much truth and honesty as he had strength and wit also Miles Forest and Iohn Dighton two villaines fleshed in murthers But to come to the fact it was on this sort When Richard the usurper had enjoyned Robert Brackenbury to this piece of service of murthering the young King Edward the fifth his Nephew in the Tower with his brother the Duke of Yorke and saw it refused by him he committed the charge of the murther to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the Tower by the Kings Commission received the keyes into his owne hands and by the helpe of those two butchers Dighton and Forest smothered the two Princes in their bed and buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames rode back to king Richard who gave him great thankes and as some say made him knight for his labour All which things on every part well pondered it appeareth that God never gave the world a notabler example both of the unconstancy of worldly wâ—ale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despightfull cruelty for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at Saint Martins Sir Iames Tirrel died at the Tower hill beheaded for treason King Kichard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine
were there overthrown killed and hanged by troups In the yeare of our Lord 1525 there were certain husbandmen of Souabe that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen by reason of certaine burthens which they complained themselves to be overlaid with by him their neighbors seeing this enterprised the like against their Lords And so upon this small beginning by a certaine contagion there grew up a most dangerous and fearefull commotion that spread it selfe almost over all Almaine the sedition thus increasing in all quarters and the swaines being now full forty thousand strong making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to cover their treason and rebellion and a pretence of their undertaking armes to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God did not onely fight with the Romane Catholickes but with all other without respect as well in Souabe as in Franconia they destroyed the greater part of the Nobility sacked and burnt many castles and fortresses to the number of two hundred and put to death the Earle of Helfest in making him passe through their pikes But at length their strength was broken they discomfited and torn in pieces with a most horrible massacre of more than eighteen thousand of them During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer having betaken himselfe to flight got over the mountaines of Padua where by treason he was made away In the yeare of our Lord 1517 in the Marquesdome of the Vandales the like insurrection and rebellion was of the commonalty especially the baser sort against the Nobility Spirituall and Temporall by whom they were oppressed with intolerable exactions their army was numbred of ninety thousand men all clowns and husbandmen that conspired together to redresse and reforme their owne grievances without any respect of civill Magistrate or feare of Almighty God This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized every where burning and beating down the castles and houses of Noblemen and making their ruines even with the ground Nay they handled the Noblemen themselves as many as they could attaine unto not contumeliously only but rigorously and cruelly for they tormented them to death and carried their heads upon speares in token of victory Thus they swayed a while uncontrolled for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots as being acquainted with what in juries they had been overcharged but when he perceived that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason but let it runne too lavish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty he made out a small troup of mercinary souldiers together with a band of horsemen to suppresse them who comming to a city were presently so environed with such a multitude of these swaines that like locusts overspread the earth that they thought it impossible to escape with their lives wherefore feare and extremity made them to rush out to battell with them But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause for all their weak number in comparison of their enemies yet such a feare possessed their enemies hearts that they fled like troups of sheep and were slaine like dogges before them insomuch that they that escaped the sword were either hanged by flocks on trees or rosted on spits by fires or otherwise tormented to death And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout which wrought such mischiefe in that country with their monstrous villanies that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to bee seene In the yeare of our Lord 1381 Richard the second being King the Commons of England and especially of Kent and Essex by meanes of a taxe that was set upon them suddenly rebelled and assembled together on Blackheath to the number of 60000 or more which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines as Wat Tiler Iacke Straw Tom Miller but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the Realme and chiefly about the city of London where they committed much villany in destroying many goodly places as the Savoy and others and being in Smithfield used themselves very proudly and unreverently towards the King but by the manhood and wisedome of William Walworth Major of London who arrested their chiefe captain in the midst of them that rude company was discomfited and the ringleaders of them worthily punished In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seventh a great commotion was stirred up in England by the Commons of the North by reason of a certaine taxe which was levied of the tenth peny of all mens lands and goods within the land in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slain but their rash attempt was soon broken and Chamberlain their captain with divers other hanged at Yorke for the same Howbeit their example feared not the Cornishmen from rebelling upon the like occasion of a tax under the conduct of the Lord Audley untill by woefull experience they felt the same scourge for the King met them upon Blackheath and discomfiting their troups took their captaines and ring leaders and put them to most worthy and sharp death Thus we may see the unhappy issue of all such seditious revoltings and thereby gather how unpleasant they are in the sight of God Let all the people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselves in the feare of God to the higher powers whether they be Lords Kings Princes or any other that are set over them CHAP. VI. Of Murtherers AS touching Murther which is by the second commandement of the second Table forbidden in these words Thou shalt not kill the Lord denounceth this judgment upon it That he which striketh a man that hee dieth shall die the death And this is correspondent to that Edict which he gave to Noah presently after the universall floud to suppresse that generall cruelty which had taken root from the beginning in Cain and his posterity being carefull for mans life saying That he will require the bloud of man at the hands of either man or beast that killeth him adding moreover That whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man also his bloud shall be shed seeing that God created him after his owne Image which he would not have to be basely accounted of but deare and precious unto us If then the bruit and unreasonable creatures are not exempted from the sentence of death pronounced in the law if they chance to kill a man how much more punishable then is man endued with will and reason when malitiously and advisedly he taketh away the life of his neighbour But the hainousnesse and greatnesse of this sinne is most lively expressed by that ordinance of God set downe in the 21 of Deutronomy where it is enjoyned That if a man be found slain in the field and it be not knowne who it was that slew him then the Elders and Iudges of the next towne assembling together should offer up an expiatory sacrifice
conquered by the Normans comming with a forreine King being none of their naturall countrey In the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred threescore and eighteene Childerich King of France caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any just crime or accusation against him For which cruelty his Lords and Commons being grievously offended conspired together and slew him and his wife as they were hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much humane bloud but he was also justly recompenced in the end first he murdered King Edward the second lying in Barkeley Castle to the end he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity Secondly he caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Scots by restoring them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the Kings of Scotland had bound themselves to be feudaries to the Kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent uncle to King Edward of treason and caused him unjustly to bee put to death And lastly he conspi redagainst the King to worke his destruction for which and divers other things that were laid to his charge he was worthily and justly beheaded In the reigne of Henry the sixt Humfrey the good duke of Gloucester and faithfull protectour of the King by the meanes of certaine malicious persons to wit the Queene the Cardinall of Winchester and especially the Marquesse of Suffolke as it was supposed was arrested cast into hold and strangled to death in the Abbey of Bure For which cause the Lords hand of judgement was upon them all for the Marquesse was not onely banished the land for the space of five yeares but also banished out of his life for ever for as hee sailed towards France hee was met withall by a Ship of Warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast up at Dover that England wherein he had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment The Queene that thought by this meanes to preserve her husband in honour and her selfe in estate thereby both lost her husband and her state her husband lost his realme and the Realme lost Anjou Normandy with all other places beyond the sea Calice onely excepted As for the Cardinall who was the principall artificer of all this mischiefe he lived not long after and being on his death bed murmured and grudged against God asking wherefore hee should die having so much wealth and riches and saying That if the whole Realme would save his life he was able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it but death would not be bribed for all his aboundant treasure he died miserably more like a Heathen than a Christian without any shew of repentence And thus was the good Dukes death revenged upon the princiall procurers thereof As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called master Arden of Feversham was most execrable so the wonderfull discovery thereof was exceeding rare This Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire than dishonest who being in love with one Mosbie more than her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for together they hired a notorious Ruffin one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as he was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her owne guilty conscience and some tokens of bloud which appeared in his house was soone discovered and confessed Wherefore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael master Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feversham Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloudy action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feversham And Blacke Will the Ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a seaffold at Flushing in Zeeland And thus all the murderers had their deserved dues in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtained mercy by true repentance is easie to judge CHA. XI Of the admirable discovery of Murders AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shedding mans bloud so hath he alwaies declared his detestation thereof and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them by his miraculous and superhaturall detecting of such murderers from time to time who have carried their villanies so closely as the eye of man could not espy them plainely shewing thereby that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth as Abels did upon Cain and that God will have that law stand true and firme which he made almost before all other lawes He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed If I should commit to writing all the examples of this kinde which either are recorded in Authors or which dayly experience doth offer unto us it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject And therefore I will be content with some few and those for truth most credible and yet for strangenesse most incredible And to begin with our owne countrey About the yeare of our Lord 867 a certaine Nobleman of the Danes of the kings stock called Lothebrocus father to Inguar and Hubba entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England named Rodham where being found and detained he was presented to king Edmund that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time The King as hee was a just and good man understanding his parentage and seeing his cause entertained him in his Court accordingly and every day more and more perceiving his activity and great dexterity in hunting and hawking bare speciall favour unto him insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing privy malice against him for this cause secretly as they were hunting together in a wood did murther him and threw him in a bush Lothebroke being thus murthered and shortly missed in the Kings house no tydings could be heard of him untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master at sundry times came to the Court and fauned on the King so that the King suspecting some such matter at length followed the trace of the hound and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay Whereupon inquisition being made at length by some circumstances of words and other suspitions it was knowne that he was murdered by Berikâ— the Kings Faulconer who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke
and required justice that though his life was lost yet his reputation might bee preserved and to prove his innocency she miraculously handled Iron red with heat without any hurt which when the Emperour saw searching out the cause very narrowly he found out his wives villany and for her paines caused her to be burned at a stake but on the Earles wife he bestowed great rewards even foure Castles in recompence of her husband though no reward could countervaile that so great a losse Rodoaldus the eighth King of Lumbardy being taken in Adultery even in the fact by the husband of the Adulteresse was slaine without delay Anno 659. In like sort Iohn Malatesta slew his wife and the Adulterer together when he tooke them amidst their embracements So did one Lodowicke steward of Normandy kill his wife Carlotta and her lover Iohn Lavernus as they were in bed together Hedion in his Chronicle telleth of a Doctor of the Law that loved his Proctors wife with whom as he acquainted himselfe over familiarly and unhonestly both at her owne house when her husband was absent and at a bath in an olde womans house hard by the Proctor watched their haunt so neere that he caught them naked together in the bath and so curried the lecherous Doctor with a curry-combe that he scraped out his eyes and cut off his privy members so that within three dayes after he dyed his wife he spared because she was with childe otherwise she should have tasted the same sauce Another storie like unto this he telleth of a Popish Priest that never left to lay siege to the chastity of an honest Matron till she condescending to his desire brought him into the snare and caused her husband to geld him I would to God that all that dishonour their profession by filthy actions might be served after the same manner that there might be fewer bastards and bauds and common strumpets than there are now adaies and that since the feare of God is extinguished in their soules the feare and certainty of sudden judgements might restraine them Wolfius Schrenk reported to Martin Luther how in Vaitland foure murders were committed upon the occasion of one Adultery for whilest the Adulteresse strumpet was banqueting with her lovers her husband came in with a hunting speare in his hand and struck him through that sat next unto her and then her also other two in the mean while leapt downe staires with feare and haste broke their armes and shortly after dyed A certaine Cardinall committed daily Adultery with a mans wife that winked and as it were subscribed unto it wherefore her brother taking this dishonour to his house in evill part watched when the lecher had promised to come but upon occasion came not and in the darke slew his sister and her husband supposing it to have been the Cardinall but when he perceived his errour he fled the countrey for feare of the Law Howbeit before his departure he wrought such meanes that whom he missed in his purpose of the sword him he murdered by poyson This judgement is not only for Adulterers but for Wittals also that yeeld their consents to the dishonouring of their owne wives a monstrous kinde of creatures and degenerate not only from the law of humanity but of nature also Martin Luther hath left recorded in his writings many examples of judgements on this sin but especially upon Clergy men whose profession as it requireth a more strict kinde of conversation so their sins and judgements were more notorious both in their owne natures and in the eye and opinion of the world some of which as it is not amisse to insert in this place so it is not unnecessary to beleeve them proceeding from the mouth of so worthy a witnesse There was saith he a man of great authority and learning that forsaking his secular life betooke himselfe into the Colledge of Priests whether of devotion or of hope of liberty to sin let them judge that reade this history this new adopted Priest fell in love with a Masons wife whom hee so wooed that he got his pleasure of her and what fitter time but when Masse was singing did he daily chuse for the performing of his villany In this haunt he persisted a long season till the Mason finding him in bed with his wife did not summon him to law nor penance but tooke a shorter course and cut his throat Another Nobleman in Thuringa being taken in adultery was murthered after this strange fashion by the Adulteresses husband he bound him hand and foot and cast him into prison and to quench his lust seeing that Ceres that is gluttony is the fewell of Venus that is lust denied him all manner of sustenance and the more to augment his paine set hot dishes of meate before him that the smell and sight thereof might more provoke his appetite and the want thereof torment him more In this torture the wretched lecher abode so long untill he gnew off the flesh from his owne shoulders and the eleventh day of his imprisonment ended his life His punishment was most horrible and too too severe in respect of the inflicter yet most just in respect of God whose custome is to proportion his judgements to the quality of the sin that is committed Luther affirmeth this to have hapned in his childhood and that both the parties were known unto him by name which for honor and charity sake he would not discose There was another nobleman that so delighted in lust and was so inordinate in his desires that he shamed not to say that if his life of pleasure and passing from harlot to harlot might endure ever he would not care for heaven or life eternall What cursed madnesse and impiety is this a man to be so forgetfull of his Maker and himselfe that he preferred his whores before his Saviour and his filthy pleasure before the grace of God Doth it not deserve to be punished with Scorpions Yes verily as it was indeed for the polluted wretch dyed amongst his strumpets being strucken with a sudden stroke of Gods vengeance In the yeare 1505. a certaine Bishop well seen in all learning and eloquence and especially skilfull in languages was notwithstanding so filthy in his conversation that he shamed not to defile his body and name with many adulteries but at length he was slaine by a Cobler whose wife hee had often corrupted being taken in bed with her and so received a due reward of his filthinesse In the yeare of our Lord 778. Kenulphus King of the West Saxons in Britaine as he usually haunted the company of a certaine harlot which hee kept at Merton was slaine by one Clito the kinsmun of Sigebert that was late King Sergus a King of Scotland was so foule a drunkard and glutton and so outragiously given to harlots that he neglected his owne wife and drove her to such penury that she was faine to serve other noble-women
meanes nay and some Masquers have been well chastised in their owne vices as it happened in the raigne of Charles the sixth to six that masqued it to a marriage at the hostle of S. Pauls in Paris being attired like wilde horses covered with loose flax dangling down like haire all bedaâ—bed with grease for the fitter hanging thereof and fast bound one to another and in this guise entered the hall dancing with torches before them but behold suddenly their play turned to a tragedy for a sparâ—â— of one of their torches fell into the greasie flax of his neighbour and set it immediatly on fire so that in the turning of an hand they were all on â—lame then gave they out a most horrible ouâ—â—ry one of them threw himself headlong into a tub of water provided to â—ince their drinking cups and goblets and upon that occasion standing not far off two were burnt to death without stirring once from the place The bastard Foix and the Earle of Jouy escaped indeed present death but being conveyed to their lodgings they survived not two daies the King himselfe being one of the sâ—â— was saved by the Dutchesse of Berry that covering him with her loose and tide garments 〈◊〉 the fire before it could seise upon his flesh Froyssard the reporter of this tragedy â—aith That the next morrow every man could say thaâ— this 〈◊〉 wonderfull signe and advertisement sent by God to the King to warne him to renounce all such fond and foolish devices which he delighted too much in and more then it became a King of France to doe and this was the event of that gallant Masque It resteth now that we speak somewhat of Playes and Comedies and such like toyes and May-games which have no other use in the world but to deprave and corrupt good manners and to open a doore to all uncleanenesse the eares of yong folke are there polluted with many filthy and dishonest speeches their eyes are there infected with lascivious and unchaste gestures and countenances and their wits are there stained and embrued with so pernitious liquor that except Gods good grace they will ever savour of it the holy and sacred Scripture ordained to a holy and sacred use is oftentimes by these filthy swine prophaned to please and to delight their audience in few words there is nothing else to be found among them but nourishment to our sences of foolish and vaine delights For this cause many of the sager Romanes as Nasica and divers other Censors hindred the building of the Theatres in Rome for an opinion they had that their sports and pastimes which were exercised therein served to no other purpose but to make the people idle effeminate and voluptuous and besides the masters guiders and actors of Playes were alwayes debarred as men infamous from bearing any publike Office or dignity in the Common-wealth Tiberius Caesar himselfe though of most corrupt and rotten manners and conversation yet in open Senate complained and found fault with the immodesty of Stage-players and banished them at that same time out of Italie When Domitian was Censor he put out of the Senate a Citizen of Rome because he was too much addicted to the imitation of the fashions of Players and Dancers And Plutarch saith that we ought to shun all such spectacles If then such pastimes were by the judgements of the Romanes noted with infamy shall we have their equals in follies in better account Basil calleth such sports and pastimes the work-house forge and common shop of all wickednesse and therefore Chrysostome prayeth and admonisheth the faithfull of his time to abstaine from frequenting such places S. Augustine also for biddeth to bestow our money upon tumblers juglers and players and such like Beside by the Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian it was inhibited to be once present at such sports under the paine of excommunication and that the ancient Christians did by common consent not only condemne but also utterly abstaine from such pastimes it may appeare by the testimony of Tertullian writing to the Gentiles to this effect We renounce and send back faith he sports and playes unto you as to the head and fountaine from whence they were first derived we make no reckoning of thâ—se things which we know were drawne from superstition we love not 〈◊〉 be hâ—ld the folly of turning with Chariots nor the unchastity of the Theatre nor the cruelty of sword playing nor the vanity of leaping â—râ—stling and dancing but take pleasure in exercises of better report and lesse hâ—râ— Moreover how odious and irksome in the sight of the Lord such spectacles are and what power and sway the devill beareth therein they 〈◊〉 of God upon a Christian woman reported by Tertullian may sufficiently instruct us There was a woman saith he that went to the 〈◊〉 to see a play and returned home possessed with an uncleane spirit who being rebuked in a conjuration for daring to assault one of the â—aith that professed Christ answered that he had done well because he found her upon his owne ground The same author reporteth another example as strange of a woman also that went to see a Tragedie acted to whom the night following appeared in a dreame the picture of a sheete a presage of death casting in her teeth that which she had done and five daies after death himselfe seised upon her As touching wanton songs and unchaste and ribald bookes that I may be briefe I will content my selfe only with that which is alleadged by Lodovicus Vives concerning that matter The Magistrate saith he ought to banish out of his dominion all unhonest Songs and Poems and not to suffer novelties to be published day by day in rimes and ballads as they are as if a man should heare in a City nothing but foolish and scurrilous Ditties such as would make even the â—onger sort that are well brought up to blash and stir up the indignation of men of honour and gravity this ought Magistrates to prevent and to discharge the people from reading Amadis Tristram Launcelot due Lake Melusine Poggius scurrillities and Boccace novelties with a thousand more such like toyes and thus much out of Vives CHAP. XXXVII Of Theeves and Robbers IT followes that we speake in the next place of such as by their greedy covetousnesse and unquenchable desire of lucre transgresse the fourth commandement of the second Table to wit Thou shalt not steale wherein not only simply theft but also Sacriledge is condemned and first of Sacriledge Into this sin fell wretched Aehan in the time of Ioshua when in the sack of Jericho he seeing a Babylonish garment with certaine gold and silver covered it and stole it away and hid it in his Tent contrary to the commandement of the Lord for which cause the Lord was offended with his whole people as if they all had been accessary to the crime and enâ—eebled them so before their enemies that they