was elected Emperour A litle before this time occasioÌ„ of great warre did arise betwen the Frenchmen the Englishemen Charles yâ— fourth For as Charles the faire king of FrauÌ„ce was disceased without men children the which befell the yere a M. CCC XXVII Edward the third of that name king of England contended that the kingdome appartained vnto him Warre betwene the FrenchmeÌ„ and the Englishemen because that he was sonne of Isabel the sister of Charles The chiefe of the kingdome who are named Petes elected king Philip of Vallois cosin of king Charles disceased excluding not only Edward soÌ„ne of the sister but also the kinges daughter who was borne after the dyscease of her father For they sayd that the heritage of that kyngdome dyd nothyng appartayne vnto daughters Herevpon sprong a terrible warre the which yet at this day is not wel appeased The affaires of the Emperour Charles were very troublesome at the beginning Edward king of England was also chosen Emperour but he wold not accept it as it is reported because of the war where in he was occupied against the Frenchmen The Emperour Charles hauing appeased diuers innimities thorow Germany drew into Italy at the consent of Pope Innocent the .vi. who was in Fraunce was crowned at Rome by certain Cardinalls vnder conditioÌ„ that he shuld not soiourne neither at Rome nor in Italy Institution of the viccaires of the Empyre Wherfore he returned to Millan where he graunted to the family of Vicontes who then were of great power in that towne that they shuld be perpetual Viccaires of the Emperour through Lomberdie For the which benefite he receiued a great summe of monny of them not of them only but also of other people vnto whom he had gyuen certaine priueledge The which dyd greatly weaken the powers of the Empire in that country After he was returned from Italy he assembled the Princes made the decree of the Empire which is coÌ„monly called the bul of gold Last of all he declared Wenceslaus his sonne successour of the Empire The goldeÌ„ bull the which he obtained as the bruit goeth by great summes of money Shortly after he disceased In the time of his Empire Iohn king of Fraunce son of Philip of Vallois gâ—ue battaile against the Englishe men who then held the most parte of Aquitania and the towne of Bourdeaux He was taken in the battaile very nere Poitiers with Philip the least of his sonnes Iohn kyng of Fraunce taken of the Englyshe men who was afterwards duke of Bourgony surnamed the Hardy Diuers of the chiefe nobilitie were slain in that battaile They that haue writen the Annales witnes that the EnglishemeÌ„ were no more then vii thousand and on the coÌ„trary that that FrenchmeÌ„ were come thether in an infinite nuÌ„ber euen about sixtie M. This came to passe the yere a M. CCC L. VI. the xx of September The king was led captiue into England where he died .vii. yeres after Wenceslaus as writtings do mentioÌ„ was very vitious aswel of his nature and bringing vp Wenceslaus as of his maner of liuing toke no care of the publike weale He hauing receiued peÌ„ce of Iohn Galeatius who was of the house of Vicontes Galeatius the first duke of Millan he made him duke of Millan of Lomberdy notwithstanding that he was a couetous and cruell man In his raigne Iagello duke of Lituanie was elected by the will and consent of the Princes king of Polonia after the death of king Ludouicus He was then fyrst baptised and named Vladislaus He is the double great grandfather of Sigismondus the .ii. who now raigneth The king of Hungarie defeicted by the Turcke Sigismundus King of Hungarie was vainquished nere vnto Nicopole by Baiazeth Emperour of the Turcks the last of SepteÌ„ber The king of Fraunce Charles the .vi. of that name had sent a braue cheuallry vnto the succour of the Hungarians wherof Iohn sonne of Philip the Hardie duke of Burgony had the conduction who was taken in the battaile presented vnto the greate Turke being in extreme danger of his person not withstanding he escaped after a straunge maner Iohn of Bourgonie deliuered by a strang meanes which reciteth the Annales of Fraunce Baiazeth had one of his familiares who was of them that make profession bost themselues to know the dispositions natures of meÌ„ in beholding the body the eyes the visage the forhead He hauing cast his eye sight vpon the prisoner perswaded that Emperour to let him go safe seing that at his returne into his country it would so come to passe that he shuld kindell a fier wherewith the most part of Europa or of Christendome shuld be enflamed Baiazeth beleued him let go the prisoner with the other gentill men after he had receiued their ransome which did amount vnto CC. M. crownes Iohn being returned into Fraunce begaÌ„ne to set himself against Ludouicus duke of Orleans who was the kings brother For he seyng the king his brother to be holden wyth an incurable disease would handle the affaires haue gouernment be cause that he was his nerest kinsman Iohn of Bourgony on the contrary perceauing himself to be the kings cosin and greater in age Philip his father being dead would goe before Their quarel increased dayly in such sort that the duke of Orleans was at length slaine at Paris as he returned to his lodging after supper The murderers were hired by the Duke of Bourgonie the whiche he denyed not and likewyse approued that whych was done this befell in the yeare a M. CCCC VII the ninth of December Twelue yeares after when the said duke of Bourgonie came to the place appointed for the parising of the matter The death of Iohn of Burgonye not withstaÌ„ding the assurance made vnto him he was dispatched bi certain familiars of the aforesaid duke of Orleans who had conspired against him The murder was done in the presence of the Dolphine who preseded in the leading of the matter This is the original beginning of the war which from that time hath not ceased euen vnto this day to be renued from time to time betwene these two famalies Because that the Emperour Wenceslaus was dispised for his vnmanlines the princes dyd put him from besides his estate elected in his place Robert Palatin Robert Palatin Emperour This maÌ„ forthwith applied his mind to correct that which Wenceslaus had done amise would not ratifie the graunt that his predecessor had made vnto Iohn Galeatius so that he was minded to bring LoÌ„bardy again in the obedience of the Empire But as he forcasted to go into Italy aswel for this cause as for others he was letted yea repulsed by the aboue said Galeatius The estate of Italy was then very troublesome through the faute chieflye of Charles Wenceslaus who had ouermuch licenced graunted vnto those people For besides Galeatiê° who of late was
others call hym Saturne they say that in the fyue and fourtye yere of hys Empyre he sent Assur Mede Magog and Moscus for to guyde the bandes of men whiche he sent to inhabite here and there and for to grounde and establish kingdomes of theyr names to witte of Assiria of Mede of Magog and of Moscus whereof the two fyrst apperteyne vnto Asia the other two last appertayne vnto Affrica and vnto Europa The holye scipture also maketh mencion of that Assur Assur and sayeth that the cytye of Nineue was buylded by hym Iupiter Belus succeded his father Nimrod who some say did Iupiter Belus occupie all the West parts euen vnto Samaria on Europe after that he had made warre agaynst Sabatius kynge of Sagnos whome he could not altogether discomfite because he was preuented by death but Ninus his sonne vtterly vanquished him Ninus and hauynge spred hys dominion farre abroade he first of all gotte the Monarcke Thre C. and fifty yeres after the flood Noah dyed And about eyghtene yeares after Abraham the tenth after Noah left hys countrey by the commaundement of God being thre score and fyftene yeres olde Foure and twentye yeares after God made a Couenaunt with him by the Circumcision Circūcision instituted which he instituted In the hundreth yere of hys age Isaac hys sonne was borne vnto him and he lyued after that tyme thre score and fiftene yeres for the lyfe of man was euen alreadye greatlye shortened The holy scriptures teache vs howe and for what cause Iacob his nephewe came into Egipt where he dyed and howe those of hys lynage dwelt there for certeyne hundredes of yeres and beynge oppressed with moste cruell bondage brought out and delyuered by the grace of God vnder the gouernement of Moyses Nowe thys goyng furth of Israell out of the lande of Egypt The goyng out of egipt is coūted to be the MM. CCCC.LIIII yere after the creation of the worlde CCCC XXX yeres after the promise was made vnto Abraham as sayeth Paule the Apostle After Moyses the people of Israell had Iudges vntyll Saull whome Dauid succeded beyng the second kynge of that people Let vs retourne vnto the Empyre of Babilon After the death of Ninus Semiramis the widdow of Ninus Semiramis hys wyfe raigned who was as noble in riches victories and triumphes as euer was any She enlarged the towne of Babilon The noblenes of Semiramie and made it of an indifferent bignes also she decked it with diuers fayre buildings and did compasse it with walls She vanquished the countrey of Ethiopia and also made warre agaynst the countrey of India Zameis her sonne the fifte kyng did nothyng worthy of memory Zameis But Arius that raigned next after him Arius ioyned to hys empyre the Bactrians and Caspians Aralius his succcessour was as it is reported borne to warre Aralius and yet not withstandyng we fynde none of hys actes in wrytyng Baleus that folowed hym did subiect diuers people vnder hym Baleus that was surnamed Xerxes did spreade hys dominion euen vnto the countrey of Indea and therfore he was surnamed Xerxes that is to say victorious a triumpher and a man of warre The nynth called Armatrites Armatrites was altogether addicted vnto voluptuousnes and ydlenes There is nothyng found of Belochus the tenth Belochus but that he set hys mynde vpon prognostications and diuinations Baleus Baleus the eleuenth is counted to be next after Semiramis the most industrious and valiant man of warre and it is sayd that he was greatly renoumed and praysed by the wrytyngs of learned men Altadas the twelue loued to be at rest and to liue a quiet and peaceable lyfe as the report goth estemyng it to be a great folly Altadas to be tormented and vexed with diuers labours and cares for to encrease hys kyngdome for as much as it did not appertayne to the health or commoditie of men but rather to theyr domage bondage The .xiii. that folowed him Mamitus named Mamitus did agayne stirre vp awake his men to warfare in such sort that his power was suspected feared of the Sirians Egiptians Manchale◠There is nothing to be sayd of Manchaleus Spherus who is the .xiiii. Spherus the xv was as it is reported a man of great vertue wisdō There is no act mencioned of Mamelus Mamelus who was the .xvi. Merueylous thyngs are foūd to haue happened in all places vnder Sparetus the .xvii. Ascarades who was the .xviii. did subiect all Siria vnder his obedience Sparetus And here endeth Berosus Ascarades which is read at this day of the which booke diuers do greatly doute and do iudge it to be false and not withstanding they obserue this order because that herein all other writings faile vs. Other do count .xx. kyngs vnto Sardanapalus Sardanapalus who was the .xxxviii. king of Assiria He was the most effeminate that euer was borne in such sort that he was always conuersant among women handling the distafe spindle and he was so ouerwhelmed in pleasures and voluptuousnes that he scarsly did at any tyme shew him self abroad These doings of his wer the cause that two of his lieutenants Belochus of Babilon Belochus Arbaces Arbaces of Medea did conspire against him after that thei had openly declared his filthines dilicatenes they made war against him He finally presented himself in campe vnwillingly with his effeminat company but hauing the worst hand he hastely retired into his palace where after that he had gathered a great heape of wood The ende of Sardanapalus he brunt him self with all his riches whereby onely as one wryteth he declared hym self a man These two Lieutenantes did afterwards diuide the Monarchie betwene them Belochus was kyng of Babilon and Arbaces of the Medes and Persians Sardanapalus then was the laste kynge of the Assirians accordynge to the order aboue mencioned after that this Monarchie had continued M.CCC yeres for the moste parte of the kynges dyd lyue a very long tyme. Belochus the .xxxix. or elles if it seeme better the first kynge of Assiria in the newe Monarchie Belochus the first king of Assiria in the newe Monarche made Manahem kyng of Israell become tributarie vnto hym The holy scriptures doth not call him Belochus but Phul. Hys successour was Phull Assur surnamed Tiglath Pillesser who wanne certayue townes of Iudea and led the people captiue into Assiria It is that Tiglath whome Achas kyng of Iudea vnder whome Esay lyued prayed to succour hym against the kyng of Siria and vnto whome he sent presentes Salmanasar succeded hym Salmanasor who wanne the towne of Samaria after he had beseged it three yeres and led Hosea kyng of Israell wyth the people captiue gaue them a dwellynge place in hys countrey euen in Medea as the holy scripture saith wherof some haue opinion that he raigned also ouer the Medes
of Iudea were captiues amongst the Babilonians especially seyng that the beginning of this captinitie is counted from the nyntenth yeare of Nabuchodonosors reigne They that folowe thys order of reckning and let passe those two kinges before mentioned do cleaue vnto the holye scripture but chiefly vnto the testimonye of Ieremie who did prophecie that the Iewes shuld serue the kinge of Babilon hys sonne and hys sonnes sonne But it is fre for euery man to iudge herein as they shall thinke good Notwithstanding so it is that Balthasar according to the holye scripture was the last Emperour of Babilon Balthasar the laste Emperour of Babilō and euery one doe agre therein Diuers do write after what fort Babilon was takē but Daniel maketh mention how that god did foreshewe vnto the king the calamitie which did not onely threaten him but euē already did assalt hym sayth that the principal part of the Empyre was transterred to Daryus of Medea Darius beyng then LXII yeres olde The Historiographers do call thys Daryus Cyaxares and he was the sonne of Astiages the eyght king of the Medes whom Daniell doth cal Assuerus who hauing neuer a sonne Assuerus gaue his daughter vn to Cyrus of Persia hys systers sonne and beyng afterwardes assaulted by the king of the Assyrians Cyrus he required Cyrus to succour him Who after that he was arriued wyth his armie chosen chiefe Captayne of the hoste he prosperously behaued himself in his charge for he wanne the most mightye Citye of Babilon After thys victorye Darius is not found to haue liued passing one yeare and yet then when Daryus lyued after the taking of the Citye and that the people of Israel had bene almoste LXX yeares Captiue in Babilon God reueiled to Daniel things of much more importance as he prayed and redde with diligence the prophecye of Ieremye the foreshewer of that Captiuitye For he dyd not onelye assure hym of the delyuerance whyche was at hande but also dyd shewe vnto hym in what tyme the Messyas who shoulde make satysfaction for the fynnes of the worlde shoulde come Daryus veynge deade the Empyre came into the handes of Cyrus and thys is the begynning of an other Monarchye For Cyrus onely dyd enioye the countryes of Assyria Media and of Persya euen vnto the sea of Ionia as Thucydides sayeth moreouer also before the taking of Babilon he dyd take Cresus prysoner in battaile the most myghtye Kynge of Lidia The second Monarchie of Persia Cyrus then is the fyrste Kynge of Persya and the begynner of the seconde Monarchye hauyng vainquyshed the Babilonians he made warre agaynst the Scithians and went euen hymselfe wyth hys armye to meete them where he a moste worthye prynce The death of Cyrus was cyrcumuented by layinge of wayte and beynge taken was kylled In the begynnyng of hys reygne after he had taken Babylon he perinytted the people of Iudea whych were Captiues to returne into theyr countrye and there to buylde agayne the temple and the Citie of Ierusalem for the accomplishing wherof he commaunded to giue liberally towardes the expenses God had exprestye foreshewed these thinges namely by Esaye certaine hundred yeres before that euer he was borne Xenophon doth alledge the same in disputing before his death in the presence of his children of the immortalitie of the soule as it is recitited in Cicero who hath eloquently translated that place as also al others Cyrus liued vnto the age of thre score and tenne yeares he reygned thyrtye yeares for he was fortye when he came to the crowne Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus He had a sonne named Cambyses whō he made gouernour of the kingdome when he toke his iournie for to go and make warre against the Scithians He in the absence of his father who was greatly incombered conquired Egipte being truly an experte warriar but otherwise vitious and retayning none of his fathers vertues Amongest al other his vnhonest shameles and cruell actes he caused his brother traiterously to be slaine Plato saith in the bookes which he writte concerninge lawes The sōnes of Cyrus were yll instructed that Cyrus erred greatly in that that he made hys children to be delicatly broughte vp amongst women whereof came to passe that they being waxed great and being corrupted by flatterers forasmuch as diuers did seke nothing ells but to please them they sought to slaye one an other after their fathers decease Darius the thirde king of Persia Darius the sonne of Histaspos succeded Cambises the second kinge of Persia who had reigned but a while after hys father And for because after the death of Cyrus after that hys armie was so greatly ouerthrowen certaine people and amongest them the Bavilonians did refuse to be subiect to the Persians as sone as he came to the crowne he put himselfe in armes and dyd agayne bringe them vnder his Empyre hauing after long seige taken Babilon by the meanes of Zopirus After that he toke vpon him to make war against the Athenians who not waiting for the helpe of the Lacedemonians dyd out of hād gather an hoste of men to the number of tenne thousand by the which hoste of men vnder the conduction of Miltiades they dyd ouerthrowe that hys great armye in the place called Marathon Darius ouerthrowē by the Athenians Darius thought to renue againe his armie Xerres the fourth Emperour but he died in that enterprise Xerxes his sōne was his successour who .x. yeres after the said iournye of Marathon as Thucidides writeth went into Grecia with an innumerable armie to bring it vnder his subiection Wherefore with one common consent the gouernement principal charge was geuen vnto the Lacedemonians who were then the most mightiest of all Grecia But the Athenians folowing the counsell of Themistocles dyd leaue their Citye and hauynge caryed theyr wiues and childrē hether and thether they toke shipping and they dyd ouercome the enemie nere the I le of Salamis Xerxes ouerthrowē by the Grecians This victorie dyd saue the countrie of Grecia for Xerxes being also discomfited by land he did flye vilanously and vnprosperously homewardes The Grecians also dyd returne after his departure except the Athenians for hauing in armie aboute a. C.C.C.C. vessells they sailed further and gyuing the assault wōne the towne of Sestes in Hellespontus which the Persians did before kepe and after that they had wintered there tourninge homeward vnto their countrie they gathered together their wiues children and did build agayne the walles of theyr Citie which was taken and brunt by the enemy and they did fortifie the porte Cicero writeth that this warre of the Persians The warre of the Persians or as Thucidides calleth it of the Medes fell almost in the selfe same time that that of the Volsciens did wherein was Coriolanus that was bannished from Rome This fell in the yeare of the foundation of Rome CCLXVI. Herodotus which was before Thucidides dyd
want of a Poete for theyr light The beginning of the Romaines Cicero is of the same opinion and sayeth that no mencion is founde of anye Oratour before Homere The originall of the Romayne people was smale and contemptible But for because that GOD had so ordeyned it as it shall hereafter be declared it became merueilous great In the begynnynge seuen kynges dyd ragyne there for the space of two hundred fourtye and foure yeres The first gouernement at Rome Cicero wryteth that Solon and Pisistratus lyued in Athens in the tyme of Seruius Tullus the sixte kyng and that Pythagoras florished in Italie at such tyme as Tarquin the proude was put to flyght He sayth moreouer that in the raygne of Seruius Tullus the citie of Athens had endured already seuen hundred yeres The kinges beyng put downe the gouernement was geuen vnto two Consulles Two Consuls gouern whose office did laste but one yere L. Iunius Brutus the cheife Consull was as vigillant and constant to kepe and preserue the libertie beyng gotten as euer he was desyrous and prompte to put downe the kyngs to establish the redom For when his two sonnes Titus Tiberius did consult wit other yonge Romaine gentlemen for to reestablishe the Tarquins their enterprise being disclosed by som coūsel breaker he caused them openly to be beheaded He displaced Tarquiin Coleatin his felow in office who also was companion in putting down the kynges and to the bryngyng of the enterprises to passe Cicero doth defend thys act as iuste and affirmeth that it was bothe for the vtilitie honestie of the countrey that the name of the Terquins shoulde be abolyshed and the memorie of the kyngdome wyped out The Fabiens slauter Nowe amongest the sundrye fortunes of the Romaine people when the whole Tuscane had conspired thre hundred of the house of the Fabiens beynge gone furthe of Rome agaynste the enemie were al slaine and cutte in pieses none remaining saue one litle child who since renewed the familye Thys came to passe thre and thirtye yeres after the kings were put downe Thre hundreth yeres after the foundation of the Citie because of the tumultes conspiraties that were in the publike weale embassadours were sent into Grecia for to bring lawes from thence which the Citie shoulde vse from thence forth At whose returne the state of the publike weale was changed and tenne men were chosen to haue the supreme gouernement Tenne mē elected to be supreme gouernors but thys estate endured not fullye thre yeres For Appius Claudius the one of these tenne coueting wickedly to rauishe a yonge damsel 01 the doughter of L. Virginius citezen of Rome he gaue the people occasyon to abolishe the whole order of them The wicked cupiditie of Appius Claudius Wherefore the gouernement came againe to consuls but thys also lasted but a lyttle time for they did creat Tribunes of souldiours geuing them such power as the Consuls had The thirde mutatiō of the Romain Policie but these were displaced at the yeares ende and dyd agayne gyue place to the Consuls In that time which was the thre hundreth and fyften yeare of the age of the Citye L. Quintus Cincinatus caused Spurius Melius Melius slain for his ambition to be slaine of C. Seruilius Hala the maister of Horses because that he by the meanes of distributing of certayne corne did seke to make him selfe king in the Citye his house also was rooted vp Two yeares after the gouernement retourned to the Tribnus of souldiours who since were no more elected two but diuers together accordinge as it pleased the people as the state of the publike weale did require This gouernement did enduer nere hande thre score tenne yeres and amongst the resydue M. Furius Camillus was excellent in this estate Camillus surmunted all other in vertue and surmounte all others in vertue After he had done good seruice to the cōmon wealth was vānished through the vngratitude of the Citezens hauing bene alreadye foure tymes Tribun But shortly after he was reestablished in his dignitye for deliuering the Citie of Rome beyng taken frō the French Senoniens whom he put to flyghte two yeres after being made Dictator fewe yeres after M. Manlius who did defend the Capitell from the French men was exhibited the dominiō of the rocke called Tarpeius for suspition that he would get the kingdome to himselfe and herevpon a decree was made that from thence furth after no noble man of the house of the Manlius shoulde bee called Marcus Camillus was sence chosen for the seuenth time Tribune of souldiours and he dyed of a verye great age thre hundreth foure score and nyne yeares after the foundation of the Cytye and one yeare before the gouernement and care of the publyke weale was taken from the Tribunes and restored to the Consuls of whome then onelye one was of the common sorte The excellēt captains of Rome That age had syngular notable Captaynes in the Cytye of Rome To wytte M. Valerius Coruinus T. Manlius Torquatus C. Martius Rutilius P. Decius Mus Papyrius Cursor Publius Philo L. Volumnius and others Amongest these here named T. Manlius Torquatus Consul caused his sonnes head albeit he had gotten the victorye to be stroken of because he had agaynste the lawe and out of hys order foghten hand to hād against the enemy P. Decius Mus in the battaile against the Latins vowed himselfe to dye for the armie of the Romaine people and passyng throughe the thickest of the enemyes he was slayne wherewith the Romaines beyng alreadye enflamed dyd agayne encourage themselues got the vpperhand His sonne who bare the self same name and was also Consul did euen the like foure and fortye yeares after in the battaile whych the Romaines had agaynste the Frenche Senoniens In the tyme aboue sayde whyche was foure hundreth and twentie yeres after the foundatyon of Rome Alexander the great the beginner of the thyrde Monarchye dyd floryshe and went a warrefare Papyrius Cursor it hath bene sayde Titus Liuius compareth L. Papyrius Cursor wyth hym and makynge a certayne traityes for to recreate aswell hys spyrite as the readers he shewed that amongest others he coulde resyste Alexander yf paraduenture after he had assubiected the countrye of Asya he would passe throughe Europa wyth hys armye for to make warre agaynste the Romaynes The said Papyrius was a man greatly vertuous for ouermitting his other actes when T. Verturius Caluinus and Spurius Posthumius Albinus Consuls weare wyth the whole armye putte vnder subiection by the Samnites in the straightes of Candines A place in Italie so called and had vnhonnestly agreed with the enemy he beyng made Consul he put them to flight and wanne the victorie Sence beynge Dictator he declared vpon the maister of his Horses how narrowly the discipline of warfaire ought to be kept and executed Socrates the foūtaine of Philosophi This age the former did bring forth in
and pastymes And notwythstandyng they ended theyr lyues in the manner before sayde Marcus Antonius was the Nephewe of Marcus Antonius the most renoumed oratour of whom mention hath bene made Warre of the Romains in Duchelande During the raigne of C. Octauius the Romaine host made first of all warre against the Germaines yea euen in their countrye Truth it is that Iulius Cesar had twise ouerthrowen the Germains but that was in Fraunce To wit Ariouistus at Lyons in Fraunce and after that at the place where the ryuer called the Maze and the Rheyne mette together That iourny beyng wōne he made a brydge wheron he passed ouer the Rheyne but remaining not long there he incontinently brought agayne his armie into Fraunce brake down the bridge The expedition of Cesar in Germanie Two yeres after he passed ouer the Rheyne againe vpon a bridge a little aboue that place where he had before conducted ouer hys army and then he purposed to march into Swane But being well instructed certified of al things by the spies and fearing the danger difficulty yea euen the want of munitions he retired into Fraunce and brake downe one part of the bridge on the other part he built a tower with a litle bulwarke where he left good garnison for to kepe his enemies alwaies in feare of hys retourne Iulius Cesar dyd no other thing vnto the Germains euen as he himself saith But Octauius did war against the Grisons thē of Ausburgh by Tiberius Drusus bretheren from out of the country of Colaine Tiberius Drusus whych was in leage with the Romains he inuaded assalted that part of Duchland which is called Westphalia by his captaine Quintilius Varus But Ariminius the conductor of the Chiruscorans did put them almost al to the sword betwen the riuers Amisia and Luppia Horatius comforteth Vergill in a most eloquent song Ariminius ouerthroweth the Romaynes because that he was verye sore greued with the death of Varus Drusus died in Ducheland leauing behind him two sōnes of whom one was named Germanicus was a mā of singuler vertue the other Claudius Horatius prayseth Drusus in a most learned verse as it hath bene said doth refer hys originall ofspring to Claudius Nero who beyng for the second time consull with Marcus Liuius Salitor saccaged Asdruball the brother of Hannibal The victories of Augustus who conducted a new armie neare the floode Metaurus Augustus dyd assubiect moreouer the Gascons the Calmates the Sclauonyans wyth the Salassyans who dwell in the Alpes It is said that he was dyuers times minded to discharge himself of the bourden of the Empyre But consideryng on the other side that yf he did returne againe to his owne priuate estate he should not be in safetye forasmuch as he sawe it would be very dangerous to put the pub-weale into so many mens hands he changed his mind and opinyon The death of Herodes kynge of Iudea The thre and thirtye yeare of hys raygne Herodes surnamed the great whom he and Marcus Antonius had established kynge of Iudea in the third yere of their triumuiriship departed out of this lyfe and thre yeares after also hys sonne and successour Archelaus deceassed who was sent in exill to Vienna in Dolphenye there for to end hys lyfe It is found in writing that for the garrisons of the prouinces of the Empyre Octauius did kepe maintayne forty foure legyons thre in Egipt as many in Spaine eyght in Duchland Certaine haue cast the some of the yearely expenses whyche was necessarye for the payment of so manye Souldyours The great expenses of Octauius and they brynge the totall to syxe score hundreth thousande crownes couraunte so that for euerye Legyon they assygne twoo hundrethe three scoore and twelue thousande Crownes Now they counte euerye Legion to be syxe thousande footemen and fyue hundreth horsemen Octauius is greatly praised for the good affectiō and liberalitie which he shewed towards the learned The Poetes of fame were at that time Varius Virgile Plotius Galgius Fuscus the two Gisques Pollio Messala the Bibules Seruius Furnius and Horatius who desyreth that hys Verses might be approued of the aboue named caringe lyttle or nothyng for the Iudgement of others Truely from Portius Cato and Aphricanus the first there was alwaies at Rome hetherto a continuall succession of excellent spirites But that time of Augustus is almost the last that euer helde the naturall sauour substaunce and collour of the Latin tounge Corruption of the Latin tounge without any corruption For afterwards by succession of time the tounge waxed more and more corrupt euen till such time as it be came altogether barbarous as it hath continued euen vnto our age Cicero sayeth that the natiue Poetes of Corduba spake somewhat grosely and strangely but what would he haue said or iudged of them that liued an hundreth yeres after I meane not onely of them who were borne and nourished at Corduba but euen of Rome it selfe After Augustus Tiberius his sonne in law toke the charge of the Empyre The Emperour Tiberius 3. but sore against his will as he seemed and after that in the end he was ouercome and perswaded by the supplications and requests of the Senate At the first he would enterprise nothinge hymselfe alone but dyd consulte with the Senat of al things that were of any importance Neuertheles shortly after he laid cleane a syde the care and respecte of the publike weale and gaue himself ouer vnto all maner of voluptuousnes In his raigne the Parthians did vsurpe the country of Armenia the Dacians and Sarmatians spoiled the country of Masia and the Germains the country of Faunce but he being careles was nothyng moued therwith Certaine yea euen of them that are of great reputatiō in Theologie The yeare of the death of Christ do hold that our sauiour Christ was crucifyed the fyuetene of his raygne notwithstanding Luke writeth that he was baptised of Ihon the selfe same and yere M. Cocceius Nerua florished then the father the sonne and Cassius Longinus Iurisconsulls Tiberius was the sonne of Tiberius Nero who fought in battayle for Iulius Cesar in the warre of Alexandria C. Cesar Caligula a most wicked monstrous sonne of a very good father named Germanicus succeded him Durīg the thre twentye yeres that Tiberius had the gouernement of the Empyre it is said that he had heaped and gathered an infinite number of gold al the which Caligula spent euen in one yeare About the seconde yere of his raigne Herodes Antipa Herodes Antipa Herodes Agrippa Claudius Cesar sonne of Herodes the Great and murderer of Ihon Baptise was sent in exyll to Lions had to his successour Herodes Agripa who beheaded Iames the Apostle After that Caligula was slain Claudius his Vncle was placed in his roume Who marched in to England because that the I le was reuolted hauing recouered
Germains and did not onely ayde himselfe with the Romain souldiours but also with the Mauritans Odronians and Parthians who had bene afore tyme in the wages of Alexander He brunt diuers Villages of the Germains and slew diuers and besides this he tooke many prisoners Wherefore he broughte backe agayne his souldiours loden with the spoyle When Germany was pacified he went to Syrme purposynge to make war with the Sarmatians and not content herewith he forecaste to assubiect vnder the romain Empyre all the countreys which are vnder the Septentrion coast euen vnto the ocean sea But the army beyng offended with hym for hys crueltie dyd elect Gordianus Emperour Gordianus the which the Senat who also bare Maximinus yll wyll ratified and pronounced Maximinus enemye of the publyke weale He myndyng to aduenge hym self of this iniurie made an oration to his enemy and drew towards Rome Which beyng knowen the Senate dyd declare and create Pupienus and Balbinus Emperours gyuinge vnto Pupienus the conduction of the war against Maximinus who had layd siege before Aquileia Pupienus Balbinus Where he at such tyme as he tooke his rest in his tent was slain with his sonne by his souldiours This beyng brought to passe Pupienus and Balbinus remained not long after vnslaine by sedicion of souldiours after they had raigned two yeres the Empyre fell into the hands of Gordianus beyng very yonge Gordianus The fourth yere of hys raigne he iournyed through Mesia and Thracia for to go agaynst the Parthians and there he defeited the enemies of the Romayns From thence he tooke his way by Syria for to go vnto Antioche which at that time Persians held He made often tymes battayll against them Sapor king of Persia and put Sapor theyr kyng to flyght in such sort that the Persians who then did affraye and trouble Italy were enforced to retyre into their owne countrey Finally the sixt yere of his Empyre he was betraied slain by Philippus his chief gouernour who had moued incited the souldiours to sedicion Philippus was recompensed with the like end who had sent certain bandes of men against the Scichians Philippus which did molest with force of armes the confederates frends of the Romains He had Decius to his successour Decius who was chosen Emperour by the Legions whiche were in Sclauonia afterwards approued by the Senate He first of all appeased the conspiraties rebellions of Fraunce Furthermore hauing commended the publyke weale vnto the Senate he forthwith toke his iorney against the Scithians being accompanied with his sonne who was conioyned with him in the Emperiall dignitie For the said Scithians did oppresse molest the countrey of Thracia other countreys of the Empyre both by sea by land Decius was victorious ouer them in certain battails might haue bene altogether seyng he had already enclosed them in a narow straight had it not been that Gallus Hostilianus gouernour of the latter Mesia Gallus Hostillianus did bewray his enterprise to the enemy Whereof it befell that the father the sonne were circumuented slain by treason Gallus was made Emperour by a Legion the residue of the souldiours who made peace with the Scithians but to the great dishonour shame of the Romains in that he promised to paye tribute vnto them a thinge neuer harde of before and alltogeather vndecent and vnworthie of the maiestye of so greate a name The Scythiens waxced more fearce and breakynge the treaties of peace they spoyled and wasted Dardania Thracia Thessalia and Macedonia yea esteming this as nothyng they cast them selues by force vpon Asia spoyling destroying diuers townes By their example diuers did declare them selues enemies of the Romains many did rebell The Parthians did violently enter into Asia did subdue Armenia putting the king Thyridates to flight The Scithians in the mean whyle were so outragious that they threatened Italy And it semed that thei should haue vtterly destroyed it had it not bene that Amilianus gouernor of Mesia towards the side of Polonia Amilianus did stirre vp and encourage hys souldiours by promysyng and putting them in hope of good rewards by which meanes he put the Scithians to flyght and manfully pursuyng them he entred by force into theyr countrey and subdued it Vppon which occasion he was chosen and created Emperour by the sould yours Whereof Gaulus beyng certified he went forth to resist and withstand hym But he with Volusianus his sonne and fellow of the Empyre was ouerthrowen and slaine At this tyme Cyprianus byshop of Carthage florished Cyprian of whome amongest many other thinges are founde certaine Epistles written to Lucius bishop of Rome whō he calleth his brother and fellow in administration He writte moreouer diuers Epistles vnto Cornelius where he complaineth amongest all other thyngs of them who beyng condemned for theyr demerites by the bishops of Affricke The complaynt of Cyprian and depriued of their priesthood had recourse vnto Rome for more ample knowledge in the matter For sayth he reason requireth that the cause shuld be there pleaded where the fault hath bene committed seyng that to euery pastour is committed a certayn portion of the flocke of whome they shall render an accompt vnto the Lord. Wherfore the vnitie of the byshoppes ought not to be broken neither ought the iudgement of them of Affrike to be neglected or dispised who had already gyuen absolute and diffinitiue sentence of the matter and cause In the meane tyme another armye whych was in the Alpes Valerianus dyd place Valerianus in the Emperiall dignitie who was of a noble house This beyng knowen the souldiours of Emilianus who feared to comme in trouble slew theyr Emperour and tooke Valerianus part As soone as Emelianus was declared Emperour he wrot vnto the Senate promisyng to delyuer Thracia and Mesopotamia from the enemyes and to recouer Armenia and to dryue from all places the enemies of the romain Empyre Valerianus beyng arriued in Persia for to offer battaill was taken by Sapor kyng of the Persians Sapor who would neuer vulose or let hym go albeit that the princes and people there aboute dyd admonishe hym so to do declaryng and alledgyng vnto hym the desteny of the Romans which was that beynge vanquished they dyd resist moore stoutly and couragiously Valerianus beyng captiue Gallienus Gallienus hys sonne succeaded hym He gaue hym self wholly vnto all maner of pleasures and dilicaties laying a syde and neglectyng the affayres of the publike weale in such sort that the souldiours which were in diuers places throughout the prouinces dyd elect and chose them new Emperours as in Fraunce Spaigne Hungary Sclauonia Egipt Affricke and other places which euery one of them wer oppressed partly by hym partly by the dissentions and ciuill conflictes that were amongest them them selues In thys tyme the Gothes held and possessed Thracia oppressed Macedonia and beseiged Thessalonica The Scythians dyd inuade
who was of a base byrth Iustinus Emperour of Grecia and as it is wrytten of a Swyne keper he was made a souldyour He was at variaunce wyth Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes and lord of Italy through the diuersitie of religion but not wythstandyng they dyd not put them selues in armes After the disceasse of Theodoricus Alaricus his Nephew succeaded hym to the great contentation feruent desyre ioy of the Gothes Iohn the fyrst of that name was then Byshop of Rome who was sent to Constantinople by the king Theodoricus where he was receyued as their bookes declare very honorably Flatteries of the Papists not only of the people but also of the Emperour For they say that they triumphed for for ioye in that then the countrey of Grecia had obteyned so great felicitie as to see and receyue the Vicar of S. Peter such is their style a thing which had not bene since Constantine the great and since Siluester It is merueyll why they say that of Siluester seyng that he neuer entred into Grecia as it is moste certain for euen then when he oughte chiefly to haue remoued when great nede did require to wit to the counsell of Nice he stirred not forth but sent Victor Vincentius his ambassadours thither Afterwards Lyes falshode in histories of popes he held another counsell at Rome as they say by the which he confirmed that which the counsell of Nice had decreed There remaineth yet an epistle of Iohn the first directed vnto the bishops of Italy for to comfort them wherein he admonisheth them to perseuer in their purpose to remain feruent albeit that the king Theodoricus infected with the heresie of the Arians do threaten to destroy them all Italy Iustinianus After Iustinus Iustinianus Iustinus sisters son was made Emperour He employed himself to put in order establysh the publyke weale in the beginning coÌ„mitted the charge to Belisarius who wan the great battayls against the Persians Belisarius which were issued out of their couÌ„trey and did molest the subiectes of the Romains Herecouered Sclauonia spoyled destroyed by the Gepides BulgariaÌ„s He made a league with the Parthians who wer in armes He defeited a great army of Wandales in Affricke tooke theyr king reconquered Carthage From thence he went into Sicilia wheÌ„ce shortly after he retourned into Affrick being certified of the rebellion in that countrey He handled his affayres there very prosperously Finally beyng agayn ariued in Italy he vanquished the town of Naples sacked it and defeited the Gothes of whom Theodatus was than kyng Afterwards he went to Rome where he was louingly honorably receiued of al. Being departed thence he subdued towns stroÌ„g holds in diuers places amongest others the towne of Perouse This done he layed seige before Rauenna wher Vitigis kynge of the Gothes fought agaynst hym But hauing lost his army Vitigis Kig of the Gothes taken prisoner he was taken led captiue into Constantinople by the sayd Belisarius The Gothes did renew their power and in the region beyond Papia did elect Hildebrand to be their king Two others succeaded him and finally Totilas who in the absence of Belisarius forraged all Italy beseiged Rome Rome taken by Totylas the which he subdued sacked and brunt Wherefore Belisarius hauinge made an end of the warre whyche he hadde wyth the Parthians who hadde agayne oppressed Syria He retourned into Italye and dyd reestablyshe the Cytye of Rome whyche was almoste desarte Whyche done he went to encounter the enymye against he whom he had good successe And as he sayled into Sicilia for to gyue order as touchyng the munitions he was called home by Iustinianus through whych occasion Totilas renewed hys power and retourned to Rome Afterwards Narses the Eunuche the Emperour gaue the conduction of the Italian war vnto Narses the Eunuche who draue the Gothes out of all Italy Which he dyd the easiyer for that they had lost Totilas theyr kyng who dyed with a wound that he had receyued Thys war agaynst the Gothes lasted ten yeares Iustinianus hauyng recouered Italy and Affryke and hauyng taken Iustinus hys doughters sonne to be companion of the Empyre he shortly after dyed Some are of opinion that he was a man of a faynte heart that he was subiect to Theodora hys wyfe Tribonianus collected the Pandects Tribonianus Iurisconsull was in hys great fauour who hauynge abolyshed the wrytynges disputations of the auncetours dyd collect out of them certayn workes of diuers fragmentes of verses whiche are now called Pandects the which only remayne vnto vs. He was helped by certain to finishe this worke who are here and there named Afterwardes he dyd the lyke vnto the letters and lawes of Prynces which before were conteyned in three bookes to wit in the bookes called Gregorianus Hermogenianus and Theodosianus All the which he comprehended in one volume and called it Iustinianus booke beyng ayded by other mens helpe whom the Emperour nameth in the Preface of the saide booke Certayne Authours saye that Trebonianus was a couetous man and that for money he established lawes and eftsones disalowed them as Virgill sayth In the aforesaid bookes are found diuers lawes In the 6. of Encidos the which do minishe and derogate from those in times past They added moreouer a perticuler booke of new ordinaunces the which altogether beareth the name and title of Iustinian The Emperour delt very cruelly with Belisarius vnder whose coÌ„duct he had woÌ„ne so many glorious and notable victories The misery of Belisarius in hys olde age For he caused his eyes to be put out at such tyme as he crouched for age In Iustinians raign dyuers Sinodes were holden at Constantinople at the whych MeÌ„na patriarche of the towne preceded who is called most holy most blessed vniuersall as their bookes report In the beginning of the booke there is an Epistle of the Emperour directed vnto Iohn Archbishop of Rome wherin he nameth hym head of all Churches assubiecteth all vnder him Now albeit that the learned men do Iudge it to be couÌ„terfaited notwithstandyng put the case it were true yet it is certayne that thys quarell did remayn many yeares after vntil such tyme as the Byshops of Rome beyng waxen rych The meanes whereby the Romishe churche was buylte got the vpperhand buylt theÌ„ a strong hold in the possession of the Church The which beyng buylt by the hands fauour of meÌ„ is at this day in reputation as yf God had established it We haue before declared how that in Augustins time the syxt Counsell of Carthage was holden The discâ—â—â— of the Popes surprâ—â—sed wherin the deceipt of Pope Bonifacius the fyrst and of Celestinus was disclosed For they affyrmed that it was ordained at Nice that they should be appeald vnto from al places The denilyshe ambition of Bonifactus the seconde In Iustinianus time Bonifacius the
Germany An outragious Pope The Pope who could not chaūge his nature wasted Viterbe again excommunicated the Emperour Who being greatly moued therewith retourned into Italy very furiously punished all the rebells through Toscane Vmbrie the syde of Pauie By reason whereof the Pope redoubled his excommunication ioyned in league with the Venetians The Emperour forragyng through Italy hauyng brought almost all vnto hys obedience came encamped before Rome and as these thyngs were a doyng Pope Gregory dyed who a lytle before had called them that toke hys part vnto the counsel at Rauenna whether they coulde not arriue because that the Emperour kept the wayes stopt and that also he had taken certayn Thauthour of the decretals This is that Gregory who collected the Epistles named Decretalls which is the greatest part of the right Canon loded with great store of commentaries Wherin a man may greatly meruel that there are men who apply addict them selues wholly vnto writings euyll adapted vnorderly placed and lesse prudently or religiously let me not say worthy of mockedge derision as if they were oracles from heauen and employ all theyr labour industrie to enterprete and expounde them The folly of the Canonistes so that they seme to be hyred for to defend by theyr watches and trauayles anothers foolyshnes and errour and for to lose all shame in anothers inpudencie That which they call the decre of Gracianus conteyneth among other things in diuers places The impieties of Gratianus decree that the rule of the romain church ought to be folowed of all because that it is the seat of S. Peter that it is not lawfull to hold a counsel without the popes permissiō that the lawes of the romain church ought to be obserued fully asmuch as yf they were pronunced by the mouth of S. Peter the yoke and bondage which the romain church doth put vpon any yea albeit it wer not tollerable ought to be borne the ministers of the church ought to vowe chastitie for feare that they marry not and to be lawful vnto hym that hath no wyfe to haue a concubine Whoredom permitted that the pope who is slack careles in his estate hurteth aswell hym selfe as others But not withstanding he can be iudged of any because that he iudgeth the whole world that the emperour ought to be vnder the pope and not aboue that al other men are iudged of men but that the pope S. Peters successour is iudged onely of God that it is lawful vnto the pope to absolue the people of the faith and othe which they owe vnto their Prynce Amongst other thyngs there is in the epistles decretals of Gregory in the Sixtes of Bonifacius in the Clementines and extrauagantes as they call them that the popes authoritie is not subiect vnto the Decrees of the Counsell that it appertayneth vnto the sayde Pope to approue the Emperour elected or to reiect hym yf he be not fit or apt that there are two great lights which gouerne the worlde to witte the Sunne and the Moone that the pope is in place of the Sunne the Emperour in place of the Moone that it is lawfull vnto bishops to giue pardon vnto them that are fallen into adultery or other crimes but where question is of the priuileges of the romain church none other oght to take knowledge therof but the pope that the bones of the excommunicated already buryed ought to be taken vp and cast farre of that it is in the popes power to put the emperour from besides his estate dignitie that the Emperour is bound to promise faith and fide litie by othe vnto the pope that the church men must be free discharged from all charges troubles hinderances that a man may be pronounced an heretike after hys death his goods confiscate that the children of heretikes ought not to be receyued into any dignitie either ciuill or ecclesiasticall that for to be saued it necessarily behoneth that all shoulde be subiect vnto the pope There is no man of sounde iudgement that seeth not what these few articles be which ar takē frō out of infinite others The definition of the lawe as most learned men saye is a singuler reason engraffed in nature Difinitiō of the law the whych commaundeth the things that ought to be done and forbiddeth the contrarie Nowe euery lawe ought to be referred vnto the common vtilitie the lawinaker ought to be affectioned towards the publyke weale as the father towards hys chyldren but who seeth any such lyke in the thynges aboue sayde Nowe I pray you what folly is thys wythout speaking any sharplier not only to excuse them The villany of the popish lawes but also to decke adorne and illustrate them with new commentaries and to be carelesse what is sayde so that theyr dignitie be not lessned If pryde couetousnes desier of authoritie and ignorance of letters hath caused thē to make such decrees if they be of diuers opinions and wyll not be bound the one to the others lawes because that they are of lyke power I pray thee why doest thou torment thy self for to accorde ouerthwarte and contrarye thyngs I omit this sea or rather filthy pumpe to wit the part of the right Canon which cōteyneth the traffike merchaundise of benefices as they call them and other ecclesiasticall reuenewes Traffike of benefices For who can number the deceipts subtelties therein written Euen they truely who haue a longe tyme thereto employed their study are dayly occupied in them do not vnderstande nor knowe them all seing that day by day new are inuented But thys argument would requier other tyme and leasure and also a whole booke Let vs now retourne to our purpose The king of Fraunce in Syria The king of Fraunce Ludouicus the ninth of that name had perced into Syria and Egypt as well as the Emperour Fridericus and afterwardes dyed at the siege of Tunes the yeare of saluation a thousande two hundred three score and tenne In hys raygne Wyllyam Byshoppe of Paris propounded a question of ecclesiasticall benefices And after that the matter had bene generally disputed vpō the opinion that it was not lawful for any to haue more then one Against pluralities of benefices had the maisterie But it suffiseth that such ordinaunces be only recited and written Innocent the fourth succeded Gregory who as by right of heritage entred in possession of the hatred against the Emperour Wherefore he assigned a counsell at Lyons wherevnto he summoned the Emperour The Emperour sūmoned by the pope and because he appeared not excommunicated hym depriuing hym of the dignitie exhorting therewithall the Prynces of Germany to procede to the election of another This his decree is prynted with certaine others also there are found sundry of themperours epistles written vnto diuers kynges by the whiche he declareth at large on the one syde the wickednes of the
established duke of Millan the Venitians Florentins Geneuois made warre vpon theyr neighbours in such sort that all right and equitie did consist in armes and power Moreouer by the long absence of the Popes out of Rome diuers in nimites very daungerous were ingendred Galeatius duke of Millan made then war vppon the Florentins who desiring to auenge theÌ„selues called the Emperour into Italy vnder great promises He being arriued at Padua by the will of the Venitians who loued smally Galeatius seyng that he had nothing prepared accordyng to the large promises he retourned into Germany casting froÌ„ him all care of Italy the which afterwards was more subuerted by inward tumulis and troubles Sigismundus Sigismundus Emperour brother of Wenceslaus Kyng of Hungarie synce of Bohemia succeded Robert At that time were thre Popes Iohn the xxiii Gregory the xii Benedictus the xiii by whose strifes and practises almost all the prouinces of the world were deuided For synce Innocent the iii as their bokes report about CC yeres space there was no general counsell the ecclesiasticall estate was extremly corrupted For such an vnsatiablenes of vices disseases was disbordered in such sort that the euill was almost incurable Bonifacius the .viii. had bene before who attributed vnto himself the Papal and imperiall dignitie After him caine Element the v. of Bourdeaux who at the request of the king of Fraunce The popes court transferred into Fraunce Philip the faire forsoke Rome transferred his court into FrauÌ„ce After his death the seat was vacant certayn yeres because of the variaunce that was amongst the Cardinalls At length pope Iohn the xxii of * A towne in Fraunce Cahors in Querci was elected at Lions The fyfth after hym who was Gregory the xi returned to Rome after that the court of the Papacy had remained in Fraunce lxxvii yeres He being dead Vrbanus the vi of Naples Clement the vi of Sauoy straue for the pope dome The first did leane vpon the aide of the Italians dwelt at Rome the second rested vpoÌ„ the Frenchmen and had his seat in Auignon These here being dead the thre aboue said put theÌ„selues in their place who had bene elected by diuers opinions so hereby the Papacie had iii heads The Papacie as cerberius hath thre heads Many learned men aswell of Italy as of Fraunce lamented then meruelously the poore estate of the Church and spake sufficient sharply against the corruptions and maners of that time asmuch as they could vnderstand in the darcknes which then raigned Amongst theÌ„ Petrarca called the towne of Auignon The horishe Babilon at such time as the pope and the Cardinalls dwelt there To the end then to pacifie this scisme The couÌ„sell of ConstaÌ„ce a generall couÌ„sel was assembled at Constance in Germany by the aucthoritie wherof the thre aboue said were put downe and Martin the v. elected In this counsell Iohn Hus and Iherome of Prague were burned albeit that they were come thether vnder the Emperours safe conducte The Emperour Sigismundus is greatly praised for that for the publike felicitie he weÌ„t vnto diuers Christian kings exhorted them to loke vnto the publike weale The thyngs appeased in Germany he came into Italy The Venitians Florentins made warre then by sea and by land vpon the duke of Millan Philip Maria son of Iohn Galeatius From thence the Emperour drew to Rome where he was crowned by Pope Eugenius the .iiii. Which don he returned to Basill where there was then another counsell assigned Albertus duke of Austrich Albertus Emperour king of Hungarie and of Bohemia was his successour who was so occupied in ciuill warres against the Turckes that he had no leasure to come into Italy About this time learned wits did again awaken Learning good letters reestablisshed who began to set vp exercise the arts languages good letters The Italians aided with the studies of the Grekes began first afterwards the Germanyns Frenchmen other nations And by the meanes of the art of printing then inueÌ„ted the which brought with it great coÌ„modities Printing inuented it is vncredible what a prosperous desirable progression was made For since that time vnto this day the studies haue had in such sort their course that this our age may compare it self with the most learnedst time that euer were And in this namely is it more happy that god hath illustrated this science of singular profitable artes of tounges by the true knowledge of his holy name where as the ancient learned men how indued soeuer they were with good most eloqueÌ„t letters The knowledge of god renued in this time were neuertheles plonged in most deepe darknes and sought in vaine the souerain goodnes wherof they haue so much written Fridericus the iii of that name duke of Austrich succeded Albertê° who went peasible to Rome was crowned by pope Nicolas the v. Which done he retired home The king of Hungary slaine in battaile without attempting any thing in Italy The iiii yere of his Empire Vladislaus sonne of Wadislaus Kyng of Polonia and of Hungarye hauing brokeÌ„ the trewes at the motion of pope Eugenius the iiii was vanquished nere vnto Varne or Dionisiopoli by Amurathes Emperour of the Turkes the ii of that name and slain in the battaile the xi of Nouember Nyne yeres after Mahomet sonne of Amurathes toke Constantinople by assault Constantinople taken by that turcke the which hys Heyres haue possessed already an C. III. yeres and haue there placed their court and royall seat Vladislaus being dead Casimirus hys brother inherited the kyngdome of Polonia and Ladislaus who was borne after the discease of the Emperour Albertus the second the kingdome of Hungarie Maximilianus succeded Fridericus hys father As Fridericus laye in hys death bead Ferdinand Kyng of Spaine hauing dryuen out the Moores added to his dominion Betique commonly named the kingdome of Grenate Maximilianus amongest other had war agaynst the Venitians Charles son of Philip hys son and .v. of that name Charles that v. Emperour Folowed him who raigneth at this dai hath meruelous power By the things that we haue recited it euideÌ„tly appereth how the romain Empire which hath surmouÌ„ted all others that haue bene or shal be is almost altogether dissipated brought to noght Dissipation of yâ— romain Empyre For in Asia we haue not somuch as one foote of ground or the bredth of an nail as saith the prouerbe The Turks Tartarians other enemies of our religion possesse al. We haue lost al Affrike except that which the emperour Charles the v. the yeres past coÌ„quered when he toke the kingdome of Tunes froÌ„ Anobarbus lieutenant of the Turke hauing obtained a glorious victorie established there a king tributarie vnto him Victories of Charles the v. in Affrike Fiftene yeres after he toke also by assault the towne of Affrike Portingall Spaine England
17. can be read can not be To the most excellent prince Eberard Duke of Wirtemberg and of Teke countye of Mount beliard c. Iohn Sleidon S. SEynge Duke Eberard that all knowledge of letters howe base so euer it be doth greatly adourne and set forth your estate and dignitie then truely that knowledge which comprehendeth in it selfe the Histories of al times and ages is most peculier and proper vnto you The knowledge of Histories is necessarye And amongst vs who make professioÌ„ of the name of Christe the Bible obtaineth the firste place amongest suche kindes of writtinges the which in deducting the originall beginning of man kynd doth both declare vnto vs the will of god and also giue vnto vs many examples aswell of the mercye as of the yre wrath of God After the Bible it consequently behoueth to know all that which is writen of other nations Nothinge comineth to passe whiche is not found prefigured in the histories For nothing almost caÌ„ come to passe but thereof is a great while agone hath bene set out some resemblaunce Wherin the gouernours of common weales haue great ayde and succour prouided that they be not careles in this kind of instruction Now the way wherby the whole course of the world is deuided into foure Empires is most to the purpose As for the first Empyre we are destitute of necessarie bookes and sauing the holy Scriptures we haue almost nothing worthy to be credited or wherevpon we may grounde our selues That age no doubt was altogether heroicall and most notable in excellent things and worthy of Memorie but how much thereof is come to our knowledge Semiramis is greatly renoumed and Babilon and Sardanapalus and what That is almost all But who is he that maketh mention of that horrible spectacle and so terrible and monsterous as euer happened vnto man which Nabuchodonosor according as it is writteÌ„ in Daniel reciteth of himself Nabuchodonosor a terrible spectacle To witte that so mightye a kinge Monarche became madde was cast out of his kyngdome bannished the throne of hys ancesters driuen from and excluded the companye of men and so to alter nature that he fedde wyth wylde beastes and was tranfourmed into their lykenes The things are there but simplie mentioned but how greatly thinke we were they astonished that dyd sée thys so pitifull an example of the maiestie and wrathe of God The Empyre therefore of Assiria or of Babilon is briefely discribed because it is requised to kéepe wythin the bandes of the holy scriptures The thrée others folowing chiefly that of Grecia and of Rome are greatly illuminated by the writtinges of Herodotus Greke historiographers Thucidides Xenophon and Polibius For Pherecides Hellanicus Accusilas Phillistus Agathocles Theopompus Ephorus Calisthenes Timeus Clitarchus Silenus of whoÌ„ Cicero maketh mention are perished The Latins also that did wrytte the ancient Romain Historie who are named by Cicero are not to be found as are the Annales Pontificum Fabius Pictor M. Portius Cato Latin Historiographers Lucius Piso Celius Antipater Caius Fannius Vennonius Clodius Asilo Accius Lucius Sisenna These are they out of whom T. Liuius for the most part mutilate and Salustius more ancient also vnperfecte haue collected their Historye Cicero truly did neuer write Historie albeit that he diligently laboured therein accordinge as hys bookes doe testifie out of the which we maye aptely gather all that hath bene aunciently done yea he hath bene meruelous curious to obserue the time so that we may orderly gather out of him both the time of things persons without the which all that is writen is obscure And for because that the said Cicero was wont to saye that it specially appertained to an Oratour to write an History chiefly according to the maner of the Grekes Pomponius Atticus exhorted him thervnto Cicero solicited to wrytte Histories saying in maner of a complainte that it was yet wanting vnto the Latins that it lay in Cicero to bring to passe that in such stile Rome should not be inferiour vnto Grecia It is certaine that he composed in Gréeke the Historie abridged of his consulshyp beganne it in Latin as he saieth For he greatlye desired that that hys yeare should be renoumed by the writings of others in suche sort that he said that if others wold not put to their handes he wold not faile wold write of himself C. Cesar treateth only of his owne actes Iulius Caesar did writte his actes not borowing any thing of the aboue said ancient writers Then also was Diodorus Siculus shortly after Dionisius Halicarnasseus afterwardes Plutarcus Sutonius Cornelius Tacitus Appianus Herodianus Trogus Pompeius Alianus Q. Cursius but amongest them some are vtterly loste other some are for the most part Since these diuers others haue written the Historie of their time or of their nation and reach euen vnto this our age The vtilius of Histories These truly ought to be redde or at the least the most parte of them to get by them the knowledge which is requised and necessarye It behoueth to know some for the thing it self other some for the thing for the style amongest whom C. Iulius Caesar Cesar maye almost onely haue to himself the first place of the latins yea and that rightlye For there is nothinge more pure nor more eloquent then he so that not onely he hath surmounted them who shortly after folowed him in pleasantnes of speach but also all theÌ„ of his time Besides the aboue specified The ecclesiasticall Histories it behoueth also to read ouer the ecclesiasticall Histories whiche doe writte the mutation of religion or afflictions of good men or the lawes and decrées of counsells and Bishoppes And because that the kingdome of the papacie is also foreshewed in the holy scripture it behoueth diligently to search out the beginning aduancing and increasing therof to the end to conferre the same with the markes signes that the scripture giueth But because thys whole argument wherof we haue spoken is diuers and hard and that the fielde is very great and large so that it is not possible to compasse the same in short space Why the authour did take in hand this worke It is nedefull to helpe the studies of yong men by some certaine abrigement to the end that when they become great they might fréely of them selues make a discourse by all sortes of Authours This is that which moued me to take in hand this worke to the ende that that age might haue a patroÌ„ note of those things that are to be learned the which it may folow as a threde whilest by litle and litle it taketh encrease in learning This worke 〈◊〉 chiefly â—ritten for â—outh profiteth in suche sort that it may lay a side and set nothing by such writing For I haue not writen this to the entent that they should be satisfied therewith or should kepe themselues shut
within these limites but for to giue them the taste of that which they shall read afterwards to the end the being allured or enticed by the diuersitie of things they might be stirred vp sometimes diligently to search the Authours the bookes out of whom these things are gathered But seing that this kinde of studye doth properly appertaine as it hath bene said in the beginning vnto them who ought to haue the gouernement of the people I thought I should doe according to your age and estate Duke Eberard if I did make you partaker of this my litle labour to the end that yf it be possible other yonge men mighte take some profite by your meanes as it were by your hands For albeit that Iohn Sigismond Sebastian Coccius your most honozable maisters doe with all diligence employe thēselues to instructe teach you Yet notwithstanding as our accustomed maner is whan a garden is to be dressed which we desire to be exquisite and decked with sondry flowers not to despyse the litles plantes herbes brought vnto vs from other places so likwise I hope that the litle present which I offer vnto you to garnishe the ground of your wytte shal be very acceptable vn to you And truely I present it onely vntil such time as hauing gotten more strength as it hath bene said you might rightlye walke through the wide fieldes grene places Which to doe you haue an example of your owne kinred to witte the vertue of your father a prince of most worthy praise who hath greatly augmented and decked the noblenes of his race by an eloquent doctrine and which is the chiefest he hath brought thys knowledge to her right ende The trewe scope of all sciences that is to saye that the name of of god might be sainctified that the Churches scholes might be well ordered that good teachers scholers might be nourished and interteined This is the duetie that god requireth chiefly of them of your estate and as he auengeth the neglecting thereof with great plagues so likewise he doth rewarde them with great giftes that behaue themselues therein as faithfull stuardes Diuers lessons might be recited of the godlines constancie valiantnes of your most noble father but you shall hereafter read them handled more at large and shall know the ornamentes of your noblenes For how can it be the he who so much fauoureth good wittes should not finally receiue of them such fruite of their thankfulnes as he deserueth and should not be renoumed in the time to come Seing then that he vnderstandeth the worthines of his estate the charge that god hath committed vnto him his chiefe care hath bene the your mind shuld be instructed in godlines and in learning frō your youth neither can any thing happen more pleasant vnto him such is the affection motion of his fatherly loue then to sée his expectation inferiour to your diligence The office of a true father I doubte not but you are thereto inclined of your owne accord as muche as this age may suffer that your instructours do their whole indeuours Wherefore goe forewarde in good time Prince Eberard and seing that you are borne to minister the publyke weale get you suche helpe and ayde as is perpetuall Aydes which serue vnto the gouernemētes of publike weales and as giueth certaine sure succour yea such that not onely lighten the labour whiche you muste hereafter beare when you shall come to gouerne the coūtrie of your ancesters but also make it pleasant and easie fare well The first booke of the foure soueraygne empyres BEfore that I begynne to speake of the foure soueraygne and principall Empyres to witte of Babilon Persia Grecia and Rome I must briefely say Discorde in numbryng of the yeres that there is great discorde in the numbring of yeres since the creation of the world for both the Hebrues Eusebius Augustinus Alphonsus and Mirandula do greatlyvary among them selues Notwithstanding because that almoste all the learned men of our tyme doe herein frame themselues according to the numbrynge of the Hebrues I wyl followe them steppe by steppe when neede shall require The Hebrues are to bee folowed in countyng the yeres And first of all to come to my purpose to witte vnto the first Empyre omittinge that whiche came to passe in the firste age omitting also to speake of the vniuersal flood for as muche as all these things are comprehended in the holy scriptures neyther is it possible better to describe them I wyl begynne from that tyme in the whiche after that the abundaunce of waters were retyred and the earth dryed mankynde then beyng brought to a very smale number beganne agayne to multiplie The vniuersall flood is referred to the M. CCCCCC LU I. yere after the creation of the worlde The yere the flood Methusalah the seuenth from Adam died in that tyme at the age of nyne hundred sixtie nyne yeres Noah the nephew of Methusalah by Lameth his sonne liued then beyng sixe hundred yere olde he with his familie was preserued by the singular grace of God And after that the number of men beganne by lytle and lytle to encrease he perswaded his chyldren others of his posteritie to scatter them selues in diuers countreys to fyll the earth to buyld cities townes and to that ende he appoynted vnto euery one by lot hys Prouince aboute an hundreth yeares after the flood At that time Nimrod sonne to Noahs nephew abode with his people in the land of the Chaldees And finally as diuers through the great multitude of persons were forced to depart and to seke diuers habitations they would before theyr departure leaue behynde them a perpetuall sygne of theyr memorye Men couet to buylde in theyr perpetuall memorye and hauyng Nimrod to be theyr captain they beganne to buyld a citie and therein a towre of a wonderfull hyght And forgettyng the wrath of God which had but euen a lytle before swallowed vp the whole world and whereof there is no doubt but Noah did diligently and often tymes put them in memorie they thought to get them a perpetuall name by sumptuous proude works Wherewith the lord being angry did bring theyr enterprise to nought by confusion of language God resisteth the proude the which before was but one kynde of speche vsed of al men Wherefore being cōstrained to leaue of their worke they dyd scatter thēselues into diuers partes of the world The towne tooke her name of this confusion of tongues for it was called Babell And from that tyme to witte an hundreth and one and thyrtye yeres after the flood is gathered the begynnyng of the raygne of Chaldea and of Babilon Nowe the first kyng was the aforesayde Nimrod Nimrod the first kinge of Chaldea who as it is sayde raygned sixe and fiftie yeares The holy scripture calleth hym a mighty hunter and doeth attribute vnto hym power and violence
Sennacherib folowed after him Sennatherib who kept hys dwellyng in Nineue He condemned kyng Ezechias in a great summe of money afterwards he came and befeged Ierusalem with a mighty army and by the Embassadours that he dyd sende he exhorted the people to yelde and guye ouer and rayled on the kung who hoped for succour at the hand of God But he remayned not vnpunished for euen in one night he loste an hundred foure scoure and fyne thousande men that were kylled by the Angell the whiche God euen a lytle before had fyrmely promised by Esay vnto Ezechias the kyng And beyng retourned home from thence he was murthered euen of his owne children Hitherto the Babilonians were subiect to the Assirians after the ouerthrowe of Sardanapalus but after that Sennacherib as it is sayde was so euyll handled nere vnto Ierusalem and shortly slayne of hys chyldren thynges were greatly chaunged and the kyngdome was diuided For the two brethren that had done the murther Adramelech and Sarasar dyd flye and yet not wythstandynge dyd put them selues in armes Assaradon and made out theyr power agaynst Assaradon theyr brother who dyd vsurpe the kyngdome after the death of hys father for as muche as before he dyd gouerne the publyke weale in hys fathers absence Merodach lieutenant of Babilon fyndyng thys occasion fitte for hys purpose dyd rebell Merodach and after that he had by lytle and lytle partly by fayre meanes and partly by threates gotten vnto hym self the countreys there about he defied Assaradon and finally hauyng vanquished hym in the twelfth yere of hys raygne he ioyned the whole Empyre of the Assirians vnto the Babilonians and raygned fourty yeres After him certain authours do place Benmerodach Nabuchodonozor the first of that name Benmerodach Nabuchodonozor but for asmuch as the holy scriptures make no mencion of him seing also we ought not rashly to beleue other writings we wil here place that Nabuchodonozor of whom the holy scripture so largely speaketh next after Merodach He then shortly after the beginning of his raigne made war against the Egiptians toke from them the whole coūtrey which is from Euphrates vnto Pellusiū He layed tribute vpon Ioachim king of Iudea the .viii. yere of his raigne he brought his sonne king Ieconias captiue into Babilon with the chief lords artificers not onely of the citie of Ierusalem but also of the whole coūtrey The .xviii. yere of his raign after that he had layed siege for the space of two yeres before the citie of Ierusalem he toke it The wynning of Ierusalem spoyled it brunt it he brake down the walls he led the most part of the people away captiue he put out the eyes of king Zedechias slew his children with the princes Ieremy did foreshew this miserie in the first yere of the raign of Nabuchodonozor from that time is to be rekened the .lxx. yeres of the captiuitie in Babilon About the .xxiiii. yere of hys Empyre after that Nabuchodonozor had vanquished the kyngs of the Amonites Moabites he led his army into Egipt hauyng gotten the whole countrey he afterwards began his Monarche The second yere of his sayd Monarche as the learned men of our tyme do recken he saw in hys dreame a merueylous great Image whose head was of gold his breast armes of syluer Nabuchodonozor saw a monstrous great image his belly thyghes were of brasse his legges were of yron hys fete partly of yron and partly of clay Vho after he was awaked because he had forgotten his dreame and yet not withstandyng was greatly astonished therwith he called together all the sothsayers and charmers whome he commaunded to declare vnto him what his dreame was the which yf they dyd not he threatened to put thē to death Daniel yong Daniel who was thither led captiue with the residue from Ierusalem knowyng thys he gaue to vnderstand that he could satisfie the kyngs desyre who beyng presented he first of all shewed what the kyng had dreamed then afterwards he declared what the dreame dyd signifie saying that the ymage did signifie the foure principall Empyres of the world which should orderly follow one after another Herevppon he spake on this maner vnto the kyng saying Thou truly art that head of gold thou I say whome God hath endued with power and maiestie vnto whome he hath geuen domination ouer all men ouer all beastes of the fielde and ouer the foules of the ayre After thee shall aryse another kyngdome of syluer that is to saye worse than thys of thyne The thyrde shall be of Brasse whyche shall haue domination farre abroade The fourth shall bee of Iron for euen as Iron bruseth and breaketh all thynges so shall that fourth and laste kyngdome beate downe all the others and shall make them subiect vnto it Beholde then the first prophecie and neuer hard of before touchyng the foure Empyres the whiche God hath reueyled vnto vs by Daniell a thyng worthy to be perfectly prynted in memorye for as much as in fewe wordes it comprehendeth the history of all tymes euen vnto the end of the world as I wyll hereafter declare It suffiseth for thys tyme to know how that God onely from that tyme dyd declare vnto vs the order and mutations of kyngdomes Nabuchodonozors power Now great Nabuchodonozars power was it is more manifest out of that place of Daniel where the scripture compareth hym to a tree whose heyght reacheth vnto heauen couerynge wyth hys shadowe the whole vniursall world whose leaues are excedyng fayre and fruite so pleasant that it was meate for all beasts in whose bowes and braunches all sortes of byrdes buylte theyr nestes and tooke theyr rest Thys then is the fyrst Monarche the whych vnder thys kynge was greatlye angmented and lyfted vp in soueraygne dignitie on the contrarye parte it tooke an ende and was altogether brought to ruine in his childrens childrens tyme as God had before shewed by Daniell and by other prophetes Nabuchodogozor raigned .xliii. yeres It is nedeful that al men but specially the kings princes shuld attentiuely read consider with what horrible monstruous example god punished his pride as sayth Daniel to the ende that they may haue the maiestie of god in reuerence and do their duetie towardes the people commytted vnto their charge Euilmerodach Nabuchodonosors successour Euilinerodach hys sonne folowed after hym who reigned thirtie yeres and had Assur for hys successour who reigned but three yeares Labassarbach folowed after him who kepte the kyngdome seuen yeres He being dead Balthasar dyd enioye the Empyre for fyue yeres Certaine doe count them after this sort but the learned men of our time haue these twoo and place nexte after Euilmerodach Balthasar his sonne they holde that he reigned fourtene yeres The which truely is necessary that it should so be for to furnishe the number of thre score and tenne yeres duryng the which the people
offer the thyrde battayle in the which he was cleane ouerthrowen and murthered of hys owne Souldyours in flyinge and strayghte wayes after hym the kyngdome of Persia whiche had endured two hundred yeres and vpwards was plucked vp by the rootes By these noble victories Alexander brought vnder hys obedience almost all the East countrey dyd tranferre the dignitie of the Empyre of Asia into Europa so that he dyd constitute the thyrde Monarche Alexander the beginner of the thirde Monarchye After that also he made warre agaynst the Indians but he coulde not moderatelye beare so great aduauncement and clemencye of Fortune suche is the infirmitye of men And therefore as he dyd many thyngs insolently and would almost be worshypped as a GOD he beyng arriued at Babilon dyed of an ague or as others say of poison when he was thyrty yeres old and had raygned twelue yeres Calanus Indus as Cicero sayeth dyd foreshew hym the ende of hys lyfe For euen as he was readye to caste hym selfe into a burnynge fyer and that Alexander dyd aske hym yf he had anye thynge to saye All goeth verye well sayeth he I shall see thee shortelye And shortely after Alexander dyed Hys discease is referred to the hundreth and fourtene Olympiades and to the foure hundreth and nyne and twentye yere of the foundation of Rome Three hundreth and two and twenty yere before the natiuitie of Christ He was a feruent great louer of good letters Alexander a louer of good letters and verye liberall towards the learned men For the cause whereof he hath been greatly praysed of diuers He had the poesie of Homere in great dilectation In such sort that albeit that he had with hym as it is sayde diuers that did wryte his actes not withandynge when he came into Sigia standyng by Achiles tombe O thou happy yong man sayeth he that hast founde Homere for to wryte and magnifie thy vertue For euen as he would chiefely be paynted by Apelles and hys Image to be grauen by Lisippus so in lyke maner he would be praysed and commended to the remembraunce of hys posteritie by them who in praysyng hym might obteyne honour and fame for the excellentnes of their spirite He gaue Aristotle his maister charge to put in wryfyng the nature of all beastes And to thys end he appoynted certaine thousands of men throughout all Grecia Asia to witte vnto Heard kepers Hunters Fishers Marchaunts of fishe Byrdcatchers and such lyke who should playnly informe hym of all thynges It is sayd moreouer that he gaue the sayd Aristotle in recōpence of hys payn eyght hundred talents which amount accordyng to the reckenyng of the learned men of our tyme The liberalitie of Alexander towards learned men to CCCC LXXX thousand crownes courrant He sent to Xenocrates the Philosopher by his Embassadours fiftie talentes which amounteth to xxx thousande crownes but he refusynge them sayd that he had no nede of so great a summe the Embassadours beyng returned what sayd Alexder hath he no frendes for to do hym pleasure Cicero sayeth that in his youth when he was the disciple of Aristotle he declared hym self to be of a very good spirite and to be greatly modest but after he was made kyng he behaued himself proudly cruelly and altogether vnmoderatly The Historiographers do mencion merueylous things of the magnificence dilicatnes and superfluitie of Darius The superfluitie of Darius For to the ende that his body should wāt no voluptousnes he had in his campe expert Cokes that could dresse all maner of meates make all maner of dilicates with makers of oyntmentes Diuers also haue described how great the magnificence and preparations of the kynges of Persia was in theyr ordinary eatyng and drynkyng Their custome was as Cicero sayeth to haue many wiues vnto whome thei did bequeth certain cities to the ende that the one myght furnyshe their head tyer others such and such an ornament Such therefore as I haue sayde was Darius end and in flying when he had dronke troubled water and which was infected wyth dead mens bodies he affirmed that in hys lyfe tyme he neuer dranke more sweter drynke Darius end for he dyd neuer absteyne so longe from drynke that he coulde be drye After the death of Alexander thys great Empyre was diuided amongest hys chyefe Lordes To wytte Ptolomeus Laomedon Antigonus Cassander Leonatus Eumene Python The successors of Alexander Lysimachus Antipater Meleager and Seleucus Amongest them the pryncipall was Seleucus kyng of Assiria Ptolomeus of Egypt Antigonus of Asia the lesse Cassander after the he had oppressed all Alexanders kynsfolkes was synce made kynge of Macedonia and of Grecia Lysimachus is he with whome Alexander beyng on a certayne tyme angrye Lysimacus dyd cause hym to be shutte vp wyth a Lyon But vnderstandyng that he had kylled the sayde Beast he had hym afterwarde in great honoure and estimation Furthermore great warres were moued as wel amongest the sayd successours the whych doeth commonly happen as also amongest theyr sonnes and theyr sonnes sonnes for as muche as these outragious Spirites coulde not for ambition keepe theym selues in Peace but dyd seeke to encrease theyr powers in doynge others wronge By these warres whyche remayned a longe whyle The beginning of the fourth Monarchy all these countreys were greatly spoyled so that by lytle and lytle they fell into the Romaynes handes who enlarged so theyr dominion that they established the fourth last Monarche Of the whyche at thys present it is requisitte we shoulde entreate of Nowe amongest the Kynges of Egypt Alexanders successours Ptolomeus Philadelphus the father of good letters Ptolomeus Philadelphus a Prynce of great name is also numbred For he loued peace as much as was possible for him and he dyd styrre vp and awaken the liberall Artes and instituted rewardes and gyftes for the same and caused a large and a greate Librarye to be made so that also he caused the Bookes of Moyses and of the Prophetes to be translated into the Greke tongue The begynnynge of Rome was at that tyme as the Kynge Salmanasar of whome it hath been spoken dyd raygne ouer the Assyrians The time in whiche Rome was builte To witte in the fyrste yeare of the seuenth Olympiades accordynge to Plutarchus the thre thousande two hundreth and twelue yeare aboute foure hundreth yeares after that Eneas had begonne to raygne ouer the Romaynes after the warre of Troye whyche Homere dyd describe of the age of whome The warre of Troye no moore then of the Countrey we fynde nothynge mencioned of anye certentye excepte that Cicero sayeth The age of Homer vncertayne that he was longe tyme before the foundation of Rome and before Romulus Howe be it so it is that there remayneth no prophane Wryter moore auncient then his Poesie For as Horatius sayeth Before the tyme of stronge Agamemnon Many were of vertues and of renown But all vnwaylde were shut vp in the nyght For
Grecia most learned men For Socrates did then florishe Of whom as out of a fountaine proceded Aristippus Plato Antisthenes Speusippus Aristotels Dicearchus Xenocrates Heraclides Thophrastus Polemo and Strato who were all phisitions and according to the saying of Cicero contemplators and searchers out of nature There was also oratours of greate fame as Gorgias Protagoras Prodicus Hippias Isocrates Lisias Demosthenes Hiperides Aeschines Phalereus Demetrius Demochares But of the Historiographers Xenophon whom Cicero doth call Socraticus and Calisthenes the compaynion of Alexander the great were the chiefest Denis the tyrante of Saragosse lyued at that tyme vnto whom Plato beyng come and hauing freely spokē of the duety of a prince he was in very great danger of his life as Cicero reciteth The actes of Denis the Tirante This is he who did not committe the sauegard of his body to his kinsfolkes but vnto cruel and barbarous men gathered here and there who taught his daughtours to shaue for feare of putting his necke in the barbers hands who toke from them the handling of Iron and steelle when they were come to age taught thē to bourne awaye hys bearde and his heare wyth nuttes shells who came not in the night to hys women before that he had sought and searched through out who forasmuch as he durste not propound his oration in the ordinarie feates and skaffoldes he did the same from oute of a tower who declared vnto Damocles the flatterer what was his felicitie which he did esteme so greatlye when he caused him to sytte at hys table where wanted no maner of delicates and where was excessiue abondance of all thinges and yet in the meane time he caused a sword to descēd from out of a planke or beame right ouer his head holding only but by the heare of an horses taile Pyrrhus against the Romains About two and fourtie yeres after the death of Alexander Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes made warre against the Romains and went into Italie The second yeare of the warre he solicited the Senate to enter into a certayne traities of peace and alliaunce but Appius Claudius being of a verye great age and blind who before seuentene yeares was twise Consul as Cicero sayeth he came in Parlament and did disswade the Senate other wise inclyned therto to agree or make peace with hym for he was of so great a courage that for his misfortune he did not leaue of from doing all endeuour both priuatly and publikely The oration that he made concerning Pirrhus for to hynder the peace was found yet in Ciceros tyme as 1 he himselfe witnesseth C. Fabricius Luscinus did good seruice then to the publike weale The faythfullnes of Fabricius Who beyng solicited of Pyrrhus for to rebell dyd nothing regard his great presents nor promises Moreouer he sent againe vnto him prisoner a certaine Fugitiue who did assure him to poisō the king Cicero doth compare him to Aristides of Athens Manius Curius Dentatus did altogether ouerthrowe Pirrhus at his second retourne into Italye and triumphed ouer him Pirrhus was the first the did euer bring Elephantes into Lucania The Romaines hetherto almost for fyue hundreth yeres space did onely make war with the people of Italie amongest whom the Latins Veientes Eques Falisques Samnites the Toscanes did stoutly resyst and did often times rebell being sometimes vanquished and sometimes getting the victorye who finally beinge ouercome and pacifyed there brust forth a longe great warre against the Carthagians whose Citie was much more auncient then Rome The fyrste warre of Carthage as it is most euident Thys warre beganne amongest them in the yeare of Rome foure hundred foure score and fiue in the which the fortune of M. Attilius Regulus is worthy of Memorie For he beyng taken of the Carthagians and sent to Rome for to treate for peace and for the change of prisoners vpō charge and condition that yf he dyd obtayne nothinge he should render himselfe againe prisoner after he was thether ariued An acte worthye of Memorie he gaue cleane contrarye counsell to the Senate and declared that it was not for the prosite of the publyke weale so to doe Afterwardes folowing hys opinion that fayth ought to be kepte euen vnto the enemie The cruell death of Attilius Regulus he retourned vnto Carthage where he was put to death after the moste cruellest maner in the world for they did cutte of hys eye liddes and being bound to an ingine he was killed wyth ouerwakyng During this warre the Romaines at the fyrste did fyght luckelye by sea in Sicilia against Hanno vnder the conduction of Plubius Duillius Consull Thys Duillius and Manius Curius Excellent consulls C. Fabricius Attilius Calatinus Cuee and publius Scipiones Aphricanus with Marcellus Fabius are named of Cicero amongst the excellent Captaines of Rome The yere folowing L. Cornelius Scipio dyd take the Illes of Corsica and of Sardinia This warre of Affricke which had endured twenty and three yeares was pacifyed vnder Quintus Luctatius Catule Circus and Auleus Manlius Consulls Twoo yeares after Ennius was borne whoo was fyue yeares elder then Marcus Portius Cato whome he dyd call hys familier frende The Romaius weare then agayne occupyed wyth neewe warres agaynste the Faliscyans Geneneens Sclauoniens Frenche men them of Bauiers and the Lombardes The second warre of Carthage Who beyng vaynquished there bruste forth another warre of the Carthagiens foure and twenty yeares after the peace was made vnder P. Scipio and Titus Sempronius Longus Consuls Haniball was the head captaine who assaulted the towne of Sagonte passing through Spayne into Fraunce from thence into Italy he wanne thre battailes one after another against the Romains The fyrste at Ticinum A Citie in lumbardy called nowe Pauia Quintus Fabius a most prudēt Captaine the other at the floode of Trebia the thyrd at the lake Trasimenus But Quintus Fabius beyng made dictator and goyng to mete the enemy he by his lingring did stoppe and breake his violence and inuasyon It is he in the praise of whom Ennius writeth One man by his slackinge only Restorde vs the thinge intierly Cicero doth Iudge him to be of a verye subtyll minde and that he could easely concele holde hys peace disemble spye out and preuent the enterprises of enemyes Since the Romain people did receaue a great ouerthrowe in the place called Cannes the which gaue such occasion of feare to the Citie that diuers of the chiefest were mynded to forsake it and to flye awaye But they were comforted and kepte backe by P. Cornelius Scipio the sonne of Publius Archimedes excellēt in Algorisme musike Geometrie Astro nomie a verye hardye and manfull yonge man who was then but goynge into xxv yeres Foure yeares after M. Marcellus dyd winne the towne of Saragosse after long seyge Archimedes an excellent Mathematicion was killed in the assaulting of the towne who making certayne fygures in the dust dyd
nothyng doubt of the takynge of the countrey Marcellus was greatly wrathe at hys death when he vnderstode it and commaunded to bury hym As concerninge the towne he dyd not onelye leaue it whole and sounde as Cicero sayeth but also in such sort decked that it might haue bene a perpetuall monument of hys victorye gentlenes and clemencie And lykewyse he sayeth that in the victorye of Marcellus there was not so manye men slayne as there were gooddes spoyled at the commyng of Verres Pretor into the sayde Cyty But Titus Liuius saith that it was a very pituous thinge to see the villanies that were there committed by angre enuye and couetousnes A hundred thyrtie and seuen yeres after Cicero beyng Treasurour of Sicilia Cicero treasurour of Sicilia did shewe Archimedes sepulchre vnto the Senate of Saragosse the whiche he knewe by a certaine discription all be it that it was altogether ruinated and so couered with Briers and Thornes that euen they of the Citie knewe not where it was The sayde Cicero sayeth that the towne of Sarragosse is the greatest and fayrest of all the townes of Grecia and is compacte and made of foure great townes of the I le where the fountayne of Arethusia is full of fishe of Acradina where is the market place and the couered Galleries with the Palaice or Parlement house of Tyche where the temple of Fortune is of the newe towne which was laste of all buylte and it hath a very large Theatre Now amongest all other nacions the countrey of Sicilia dyd first of all encline vnto the amitie and loyaltie of the Romaines Sicilia the first ê“uince and was the first that was named a Prouince as witnesseth the sayde Cicero After the victorye of Cannes Hanniball tooke all Campania which yelded vnto hym His armie also wyntered at Capua where it was effe minated and corrupted through the abundance and superfluitie of all thynges Superfluitie wantonnes vnprofitable in an armye Thre yeres after the takyng of Sarrogosse Capua was geuen to the Romains by composition There was great and long deliberation for to know whether the towne should be rased but finally it was concluded that it shoulde be kept Not withstandynge for to take from them all meanes for euer of rebellion theyr territorie was taken from them and al office and Senate with the publyke counsell To be short they had no forme of a publyke weale left them but it was ordeyned that the towne should serue as a berne and place for to holde and house the fruite of the whole territorie there about and for to lodge the labourers Two yeres after The ouerthrowe of Asdruball Asdruball brought freshe souldiours into Italy to the succour of Hanniball but he was ouerthrowen neare the flood called Metaurus by the consulles M. Liuius Salinator and C. Claudius Nero. In the meane tyme P. Cornelius Scipio of whome mencion hath bene made prospered luckely in Spaygne albeit that his father and his vncle had bene there slaine And after that he had recouered the whole Prouince retourned to Rome where he was chosen consull He required that the countrey of Affricke might be assigned hym for to make warre there But Q. Fabius Maximus beynge of a great age dyd sharpely withstand hym and was of opinion that it behoued not to go into Affricke but that it was mete and conuenient to make warre with Hanniball Scipio was of a contrary opinion because that yf they did make warre agaynst the Carthagians in their countrey they shoulde be forced to call agayne Hanniball from Italy as he vppon whome lay all theyr helpe and succour After long stryfe the Senate assigned Sicilia vnto Scipio and did permitte hym to take the spoyle of Affricke yf it were for the commoditie of the publyke weale He then tooke his iourney from Sicilia vnto Affricke and dyd proue by effect that which he had before forshewed vnto the Senate For the Carthagians hauynge lost certaine battayls against hym and beyng greatly endomaged The victory of Scipio 〈◊〉 Affricke dyd call agayne Hanniball So that by thys meanes he who for sixtene yeares space had not ceassed to hunt through Italy who also had encamped his army nere the walles of the cytye of Rome was constrained albeit it was soore against his will to retyre homewarde to hys countrey Finallye Scipio wan a great battaile of hym who afterwards by the wyll of the Senate made peace with the enemy herevppon the surname of Affricus was gyuen vnto hym But here to be consydered from howe great troubles the Romaines were delyuered for euen alreadye by the space of certaine yeares all their fortune hunge by a very small threde but it was before predestinated that they shoulde come to an ende of all violence and calamitie and shoulde be Lordes of the worlde The which as some saye Hanniball did foresee when his brother Asdruball was vanquished Horatius reciteth his very wordes which he then sayde in the verse by the which he prayseth Drusus and his familie And for because that the said Verse is most learned and elegant it doth well deserue that the youth should learne the same by harte The peace being concluded with the Carthagiens besides the other warres wherewith the Romains were incombred to witte in Italy Istria and Portingale they made another great warre also against Philippus kyng of Macedonia Warre agaynst Philip of Macedonia who had afflicted and oppressed the countrey of Grecia Titus Quintus Flaminius was the chief captaine of this warre who after the ouerthrow of the enemie reestablished the countrey of Grecia in her libertie by the consentinge of the Senate And amongest all other articles he charged king Philip not to go a warfare without the limites of Macedonia vnlesse he had permission of the Senate This warre ended Another war against Antiochus king of Syria another folowed it against Antiochus king of Siria Who being passed into Europa was ouercome by M. Galabrio and driuer out of Grecia For the accomplishing whereof the aboue said Philip kyng of Macedonia did geue succour to the Romaines These kinges of Asia of Syria and of Macedonia did descend of them who after the death of Alexander the great dyd diuide amongest them the Prouinces as it hath been said For after that Carthage was pacified and all Italye brought vnder the subiection of the Romains The greate authority of the romainâ— and that they had also conquered the other countreys of Europa more nearer both by Sea and by land they were growen to such power that euen the Kynges and the peoples farre of dyd craue succour and helpe of them Whiche amongest others the Egiptians did For because that their Kyng Ptolemeus Epiphanes being then but of fewe yeares was not apt to the gouernment of the publyke weale and for that they stood in great feare of Antiochus they sent Embassadours to Rome by whome they did desyer the Senate to take the lytle king into their safegard This being agreed
vpon the Senate did will Antiochus not to meddle or make with Egipt Whereat he being displeased especially because that Hanniball the fugitiue did incite him as much as was possible Antiochus vanquished and spoyled to make warre he sailed into Grecia with his armie where he was ouerthrowen as we haue before saide After that the Romaines made a new armie by Sea for to folowe and pursue him and being sayled into Asia they dyd vanquishe and gette a great Battayle of him and dyd putte hym to flyght from beyond the mounte of Taurus After hys ouerthrowe he was wont to saye as Cicero reciteth that the Romaine people had done hym a great pleasure in easynge hym from ouer great charge and in leauing him so straight limittes of hys countrey L. Cornelius Scipio the brother of P. Scipio Affricanus did conduct this warre who for this cause was surnamed Asiaticus Shortly after M. Fuluius surnamed Nobilior dyd subdue the Etolians and triumphed ouer them And when P. Scipio Affricanus who in that warre had been lieutenant for his brother was retourned to Rome the Tribunes of the people beganne to trouble and torment hym Wherefore he departed from thence and went into Laterne to hys Towne and there as certaine saye thys noble man dyed beyng nine and fourty yeres olde The deathe of Pub. Scipio no yonger nor elder then M. Portius Cato Cicero in the Dialogue which he wrote of olde age doth introduct Cato speaketh louyngly and honorablye of the age of them bothe and of theyr studyes But aboue all he magnifieth the greatnes of courage that was in Scipio Titus Liuius sayth that Cato did beare hym enuy that he vsed to take this hys fortune and prosperitie in euyll parte Cato enuious agaynst Scipio Cicero affirmeth that he was prompt and quicke in all his affayres In that tyme floryshed Ennius Plautus and Nenius Poetes Antiochus beynge ouerthrowen Hanniball dyd flye vnto Prusias kynge of Bithinia And for because that the Romaynes dyd require that he shoulde be rendered vnto them Hanniball poysoneth hym selfe he droncke poyson and so kylled him selfe Antiochus the noble succeaded this Antiochus He also dyd deliberate to gette the kyngdome of Egypte for as muche as he was the Vncle of Ptolomeus Philometor Kyng of Egypte who beyng yet but a chylde had succeaded hys father deceassed Wherefore he declared hym selfe to be hys Protectour myndynge by thys meanes to oppresse hym and to take to hym selfe the chyefe dignitie But hys enterpryses beynge knowen the Romaynes whome the Egyptians had agayne solicited to succour them dyd hasten to sende C. Popilius Lenas in Embassage Who beynge comme to speake face to face with Antiochus he wylled hym in the name of the Romaine people to departe from Alexandria whyche he kept beseiged but as Antiochus did aske respit to aduise therevppon Popillius made a rounde circle before hym with the rodde that he helde and did commaunde him to declare what he mynded to do before he departed from thence By thys meanes he who was not ignoraunt of the power of the Romaines was so affrayed that he promysed to leaue all thinges in peace Popilius maketh Antiochus affrayed These thinges are recited to the ende to declare howe by litle and litle the Romaines are waxed greate of small beginninges and howe they did so aduaunce them selues that they assubiected almost all countryes For euen alreadye theyr valyauntnesse was passed through Italy and had inuaded diuers parts of the world Not withstanding there was yet many lettes and inconueniences in such sort that they had no lytle a do for to establyshe thys so great an Empyre which should comprehend and compasse the principall part of the world as I wyll here after orderly and briefly declare Philip kyng of Macedonia of whome mencion hath been made beinge very wroth for that he was so enclosed by the Romaynes purposed to begynne to make warre agayne But he was preuented by death and Persea hys sonne succeaded hym who of long tyme was so eneduraged agaynst the Romaynes in such sort that he tooke in hand as it were the heritage of makyng warre But L. Emylius Paulus who had been twyse Consull finally dyd gyue hym the ouerthrow in playne battaylle Persea king of the Macedonians taken prisoner and tooke hym Prysoner wyth hys Wyfe hys Mother and hys Chyldren whome also he ledde away in triumphe And for thys victory he was surnamed Macedonicus From that tyme also Macedonia was made a Prouince of the Romaynes In the former laste yeare Ennius beynge three score and tenne yeares olde accordynge to the sayinge of Cirero departed oute of thys lyfe Fewe yeares after P. Cornelius Nasica dyd assubiect the Dalmatians The thirde warre of Carthage And incontinently after the thirde warre of Affrike beganne to brust forth For because that the Carthagiens who could not liue in rest did moue warre and oppresse their neyghbours but chiefly Massinisse king of Numidie the compainion and frend of the Romaines the Romaines beyng required to succour them purpossed to put themselues in armes aboute the sixe hundreth and foure yere after the foundation of Rome Diuers iudgments as touching the preseruation or distructiō of Carthage But their opinions were diuers to wytte whether it were more conuenient to breake downe and destroy the Citie then to preserue it The saying of them who were of opinion that it was not conuenient that it should be destroied was that if Carthage were once taken away they would afterwardes euen amongest themselues make hurliburlies by seditions ciuill warres But M. Portius Cato did counsell the contrary declaring the great danger which did threatē the publike weale of Rome if thys Citie were not vtterlye rooted vp and destroied His opinion gotte the victorie albeit that he disceased in thys deliberation The death of P. Cato hauynge lyued foure score and fiue yeres Cicero doth name hym amongest the auncient oratours and doth place hym nexte vnto Marcus Cornelius Cethegus who he saith was renoumed of Ennius He sayth moreouer that an hundreth and fyftie of Catos orations were found full of learned wordes and notable matters and rebuketh the nicenes of hys time because they did not regarde to reade them diligently ouer He compareth him to Lysias the Scriuener of Athenes P. Scipio Aemilianus the sonne of Paulus Macedonicus and the nephew by adoption of P. Scipio Aphricanus had the charge and gouernement of the thyrde warre of Carthage And foure yeres after that certain others had begonne the war he came and assaulted Carthage wyth suche force that hauyng constrained them to yelde he spoiled it brunte it and beate it downe to the ground The distruction of Carthage By reason wherof he was also surnamed Aphricus aswell as he who dyd vanquishe Hanniball as it hath bene sayde And behold here the end of a most myghtie Citie whose foundation was more ancient then that of the City of Rome and being nothing inferrior in
excellēcie of captaines did greatly enlarge her dominiō Cicero writeth that P. Scipio after the takinge of Carthage did render vnto the Sicilians the Images and ornaments that the Carthagians had take from them aforetime and did render vnder the Agrigentins that renoumed bul which is said to haue bene within the tyrante Phalaris denne wherin he vsed to shut vp lyue men for to bourne them with fier which he did kindell in the toppe therof This Phalaris was not killed by craftye snares or intrapmentes as diuers other tyrantes were but all the Agrigentins on a heape did caste themselues vpon him to slay him Cicero nameth the country of Affrike The warre of the Romaines against the Acheans the bulwarke and fortresse of all the prouinces About that time the Romains stirred vp warre against the Acheans a certaine people of Grecia because that they had violated outraged theyr Embassadours The head of this armie was the Consul L. Mummius who also wāne the victorie in such sort that al Achaia dyd yeld vnto him The destruction of Corinthius And by the wyll of the Senate he brunte Corinthus the principall and chiefest Citie of all Grecia as sayth Cicero he did vtterly beate it downe to the ground to take away all feare of euer buylding or reestablishing it againe Mummius was for the gettynge of thys vyctorye surnamed Achaicus Warre a gainst Viriatus In that time also one named Viriatus did vsurpe the kingdome of Portingall who frō a shepharde was become a hunter from a hunter to a theyfe and fynally a conductour of a myghty armye He dyd fyghte for the space of certayne yeares agaynst the Romaynes and often tymes to hys owne aduantage But at the last he was slain by treason By thys meanes the Consul Decius Iunius Brutus dyd vanquishe all portingall euen vnto the Ocean sea The war of Numance In the meane time during these troubles the Romains had receiued a great ouerthrow of thē of Numance in Spaine And therfore because other wise it shuld be greatly ignominius vnto thē they mynded not to keepe the traitye of peace whyche was made by Mancinus Consull but dyd agayne electe oute of order Publius Scipio Aemylianus Aphricanus to be Consul and gaue vnto hym the charge and conductyon of the warre He went forth with an armie and finding there the souldiours very nice and vnpatient of labour he accustomed them vnto a more sure discipline and euen straight out of hande he beseiged the Cytye round about And finally he toke it and destroyed it fourtene yeres after the destructiō of Carthage and in the DCXXII yeare of the foundation of Rome Cicero doth call Carthage and Numance the two terrors of the Romain Empire In that time rose the tumult of bondmen in Sicilia The warre of bondmē and slaues who fynally could scarse be vanquished by the Consull C. Fuluius yea albeit that he had raised vppe a great armie Shortly after the Romaines had warre in Asya againste Aristonicus For Attalus king of Pergame had appointed and ordained by hys testament the Romaines for his inheritour But Aristonicus his kinsman possessing that part of Asia did beguile the Romaines of the will of the testament The Consul M. Perpenna dyd defye hym and toke him captiue The yere folowing which was the sixe hundreth twenty and fyftye yeres of the age of the City P. Scipio Aphricanus lying in his house The death of P. Scipio Aphricanus was smothered in the night euen of his nerest kinsfolks as it is thought Cicero doth praise him for his singular eloquence loyaltie and wisdome He writeth that there was no information at all made of his death albeit that the whole Citie was greatly sory therefore and sayth moreouer that the very same yere the sunne did shewe her self double So by this meanes he who was most noblest excellenst of the captaynes of warre died at the age of sixe fiftie yeres Cicero faineth in a certaine litle Booke that Aphricanus the first of that name dyd foreshewe hym this mishape In thys tyme lyued Lucilius Terentius Pacunius Accius Licinius Cecilius and Afranius C. Lelius the very welbeloued of Aphricanus doth call Pacunius hys frend and Terence his familier These thinges being ended Fabius Maximus Consul wanne a great battaile against the Sauoisiens Auuergnats and them of Rhodez who are all Gaulles The two Grackes In the same time also C. Gracchus Tribune of the people an eloquent man and defender of the law appertaining to the deuiding of landes was killed at Rome twelue yeres after that Tiberius Graccus his brother had ben slayne for the selfe same matter Cicero doth praise thē both for their eloquence But as for Tiberius orations he iudgeth them not to be greatly fyne in words but sufficientlye subtill and full of wisedome As concerninge his brother Caius he is of opinion that his doings ought to be read but especially of the youth for because that he cannot onely sharppen but also nourishe and increase the wytte and for this cause he calleth him the most ingenious and eloquenest amongest the Romaines Gracchus dreame Gracchus had afore dreamed that his brother Tiberius did aduertise him that he should dye the same death that he dyed and Cicero sayeth that before that he was chosen Tribune of the people he declared this vnto diuers Their lawes are yet founde as of wheate of bringynge certayne citizens oute of Rome to place them els where of the profite of souldiours of the administration of prouinces of the voice of the people of letting out to hire the lands of Attalus of Asia The warre of the Romaines against Iugurtha king of Numidie folowed these perturbations of Tribunes This warre was enterprised by L. Calphurnius Bestia The warre against Iugurtha Consull after wards continued by P. Cecilius Metellus and fynally brought to an end by the Consull C. Marius who afore time had bene a warrefare vnder P. Scipio Bacchus king of Mauritanie compainion of Iugurtha was causor of the fynishing of this warre For he seing himselfe ouerthrowen in battayle and myndynge not to hazarde hymselfe any more he delyuered Iugurtha prisonner vnto Silla who for that purpose was sent of Marius At that time to witte syxe hundreth eyght and fourtye yeares of the age of the Citye M. Tullius Cicero was borne The byrth of Cicero which was eyghte yeares after the byrth of Q. Hortensius a notable Oratour Durynge the warre of Iugurtha an Infynite number of hygh and lowe Almains dyd enter by violence partlye into Italye and partly into Gallia who after that they had made a great slaughter of the Romains and had ouerthrowen in feild somtimes Proconsulls other times lieutenātes finally they were al vanquished ouercome by C. Marius Tētones Chimbres ouerthrowē by Marius who was foure tymes Cōsul The hygh Almains were ouerthrowen at Aix in prouince and the lowe at the inner borders of Lombardie This lucke was folowed
his kinsman The cause and beginning hereof was that Cesar shuld be put out of his Consulship Ciuill war betwene Pompeius and Cesar if he did not out of hand discharge his armie geue ouer the prouince But he was persuadid in himselfe that he could not be in safety if he did dismisse his souldiars Notwithstanding he made this offer that both he Pompeius shuld yeld vp their souldious and for asmuch as this was not accepted he toke his iourney with an vncredible swiftnes he came out of France into Italy with his hoste entred into Flaminia where he tooke diuers townes Which being knowen Pompeius the two consuls to wit C. Marcellus L. Lentulus did flye frō Rome went to Ranusiū of the coūtrie of Puell bordering on the sea Cesar came thither also but the cōsuls had alredy passed the sea wer ariued at Durazo whether also shortly after Pmopeius fled And for because that Cesar being excluded by the time and destititute of vessels of warre could not folow or pursewe them he returned vnto Rome where he holding a courte made a complainte of the iniuries done against him and did propound certaine conditions of peace But because that the Senate dyd shewe themselues slacke and colde herein he went vnto Massilia where the gates were shute against him Wherfore he hauing prepared an army by sea he beseiged the towne both by Sea and by Land The Captaines of Pompeius yelde vnto Cesar leauing there his lieutenauntes he toke his iournie towardes Spaine where finally Petreius Afranius the captaines of Pompeius dyd yelde vnto hym wyth all theyr armie Whiche beinge done he retourned backe again vnto Massilia the which then beyng voyde of all hope did yelde vnto his deuotion Straight waies after this he returned vnto Rome hauing in his absence bene made dictatour by M. Lepidus Pretor where he made an assembly of the people and was chosen Consull with P. Seruilius Isaurico Afterwardes hauinge lefte and gyuen good order of his affaires he went into Grecia to conclud he ouerthrew Pōpeius in a great battaile in the contry of Thessalia wanne his campe yea albeit his armie was much greater Pompeius vanquished by Cesar Pōpeius flying away went into the countrie of Egipte at which time raygned Ptolomeus Dionisius the sonne of Ptolomeus Auleta whome as we haue sayde Pompeius beynge Consull dyd by A. Gabinius reestablyshe in hys Kyngdome whereof he was depryued Pompeius hoped that in partye recompence of hys good deede he should finde some helpe succour in that country But the king was then but a childe Wherthrough it befell that his famillier frendes dispisynge the present state of Pompeius or at the least fearing certayne motions and vprores The death of Pompeius dyd slaye him by treason Cesar pursewing him ariued at Alexandria accompained with three thousand and two hundreth men where he was first of al aduertised of the death of the sayd Pompeius Cicero giuing his Iudgement of them both sayth on this wise If so be that Pompeius had demissed somewhat of his great grauitie and that Cesar had greatly refrained from hys couetousnes we myght haue had some certaine assured peace and some publike weale The king of Egipte was then in armes against his syster Cleopatra Cesar beynge in Alexandria would that they shoulde pleade their controuersyes rather by ryghte before hym then by armes seyng that he was Consull of the Romaines and that certaine yeares before amitie was contracted by lawe and consent of the Senate wyth Ptolomeus the kinges father The gouernours toke this thyng very greuously and complayned that the royall maiestie was greatly empeched lesned in that they were caused to appeare and pleade their cause Warre in Alexandria againste Cesar Their hartes then were so enflamed with wrath that they put themselues in armes against Cesar who after great and sondry dangers reinained victorious Notwithstanding the king being dead he ordained not neither made the kingedome of Egipte in maner of a prouince but left the kingdome vnto Cleopatra and to hys yonger brother From thence he toke his iournye into Syria and afterwardes into Pont where he defyed the king Pharnaces the sonne of Mithridates and did pacifye Cappadocia Armenia Gallograecia Pont and Bithynia This beynge done he came agayne into Italye and after that into Rome And in the middest of the winter yea in the shortest dayes therof he toke shyppe in Sicilia for to sayle into Affrike albeit that the pryncipalest and chiefest diuinor had aduertised him not to take his iournie till winter were past After the iourney of Pharsalica Scipio and Cato sōnes of the Nephewes of A. Portius Cato were retyred in to the sayd coūtry of Affrike and hauing raised a great band of men of warre they had assubiected and brought the king Iuba vnder theyr gyrdell Cesar then ariued there and beseyged and ouer threwe them both Cesar victorious in Afrike But as concerning Cato he slew himself at Vtica for feare of falling into the handes of Cesar The which Cicero approueth beyng of opinion that considering the incredible grauitie that he naturallye had it behoued hym rather to dye suche a death then to behold the face of the Tirante Cato was of the Stoical secte and sometimes he did defend in the open Senate certaine brutishe and horrible sentenses as if he had bene in the politike gouernaunce of Plato according to the saying of Cicero and not in the affaires of Rome Ceser was retourned vnto Rome hauing triumphed ouer the Galles Egiptians those of Pont and of Affrike he stirred vp warre agaynst Sext. Pompeius in Spaine where he also gaue him the ouerthrowe So therefore all his enemies beyng vanquished and the people beynge pacifyed in all parties he returned to Rome .v. yeares after the beginning of the ciuil warre And after that he had triumphed ouer Spaine he fell out of fauour and was hated of diuers forbecause that he had always kept retayned to himself the name power of Dictatour which was offered him for that also he did electe such Senatours as semed good to his fantasye and almost onely dyd conferre the honours offices of the weale publike vnto whom it pleased him After then that the estate of the publike weale was changed and that the gouernement therof was reducted vnder the power auctority of one only the cōspiraties which were made against him were so enflamed that v monthes after his returne vnto Rome Cesar slayn in the Senate the xv of March he was murdered in the court of Poinpeius where the parliment was kept euen by thē who were greatly boūd vn to him for his clemencye gentilnes lately before shewed vnto thē For he had pardoned thē theyr putting on of armes against him in the war of Pompeius The muderers were M. D. Brutus C. Cassius Cn. Domitius C Trebonius Q. Tullius Cimber the two Seruilians Casca Hala dyuers others M.
a certaine part of Affrike was assigned thē to dwell in The Gothes who by the good will permissiō of the Emperour Honorius did possesse Aquitania in Fraunce as we haue sayde not beyng content with their limites they did wrong violence vnto their neighbours and kept Narbona straightly beseiged But Litorius beynge sent thether with an armie he made the seige to be raised Litorius against the Gothes vittelled the town He was also prosperous in the fyrst battaile But afterwards he was takē almost all hys armie put to the sword The ouer throw was so great that the Romains were constrained to demād peace On the other syde Gensericus king of the Wandales violating the peace which he had as we haue sayde made in Affrike with the Romaines he toke Carthage suddenly being vnloked for wherin he did dyuers sondry cruelties This Citie had bene vnder the Romains for the space of fiue hundreth foure score yeares After he had gotten Carthage he passed into Sicilia where he did exceding much hurt Where through Theodosius did then prepare furnishe hys nauye for to goe and warre agaynst the Wandales But forasmuch as at the same instant the Hūnes dyd spoyle and oppresse Thracia and Sclauonie the armie was called frō Sicilia for the tuition defence of those countries At that time the Scottes Pictes dyd enter Perce into great Britaignie forasmuch as the inhabitants did despaire of the Romain helpe succour they demanded aide of the Englishe mē a people of Saxonia But they dyd so affectionate the plentifullnes fearnes of the coūtry that by litle lytle landyng new souldiours and increasyng their armye The Britons dryuē out by the Englyshemen they at the last dyd assubiecte the most part of the I le after they had defeicted the Britons Shortly after Theodosius the second dyed at Constantinople In his raigne the sūne was obscured or darkned as certayne say almost from the fyfetenth of Iuly vnto the month of Septēber appeared a blaysing starre Martianus Emperour Martianus succeded Theodosius in the regimēt of the East partes We haue herebefore spoken of Gensericus king of the Wandales Valentinianus entred in leadge wyth him and dyd deuide part Affrike betwen them The forcastes of Athila king of the hunes About thys tyme Athila kyng of the Hūnes who hauing violenly possessed Dacia Hungarie most cruelly assaulted the next countries there about to wytte Macedonia Mysia Thracia purposed to bring vnder his subiection that part of the Romaine Empyre which lyeth towards the Weast But because he perceaued that this warre should be very difficil yf the Gothes who were in peace with the Romains and did inhabite a part of Fraunce as it hath bene sayd should ayde and succour theym he hastened out an ambassadour towards them for to require them to be his frend and aliaunte but Atius the Lieutenant of Valentinianus the Emperour preuented hym by fyrst ariuing thether and hauyng confyrmed the allyaunce with Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes he prepared hymself to the battayle wyth all his power Athila neuertheles pursewed that which he had taken in hand and they fyersly ioygned in battayle in the playne of Chalons in Campania which is at this day so named through the great slaughter that was there committed Terrible warre in Cāpania It is said the there remained slain in that battaile almost foure score thousand men amongst others Theodoricus king of the Gothes Athila seyng himself van quished thought to slay hymself fearing to fall a lyue into hys enemyes handes But as king Theodoricus sonne folowyng the coūsell of Etius dyd retyre homewards with his armie for to succede his father disceassed Athila had leasure to take agayne hys breath and to retourne into Hungaria where hauing gathered a new armye he entred very furiously into Italy and beseiged long tyme Aquileia which fynally he subdued spoyled and brunt At one voyage he toke Concordia Padua Vicentia Verona Brixia Bergome Myllane and Pauye From thence spoyling all thorow out Flaminia he fynally encamped ouer agaynst the floode Mincius and that of Apia In the which place as he consulted whether he weare best goe to Rome with hys army the Byshop of Rome Leo the fyrst of that name came vnto hym leo pacifieth Athila so handled the matter that he not onelye wyth drew himself from goyng to Rome but also leauing the country of Italy he retourned into Hungarye where shortly after he dyed This is that Leo of whom diuers Epistles are yet found wryten vnto Theodosius the seconde and vnto Martianus Emperours wherein he partly excuseth hymself for that he could not be assystaunte at the Councells by theym published desyryng theym not to be offended in that he sendeth thether Ambassadours and partly he requyreth and prayeth theym to assygne the place of the Counsell rather in Italye then in Asia But he obtayned nothing The fyrst foundation of Venise At such tyme as Athila dyd in such fort vexe and trouble Italye The towne of Venise was built because that dyuers Ryche and noble men of the countrye there aboutes dyd retyre as into a place of resuge into that arme of the Sea Iles and hylly places The begynnynge then of this towne was pitifull poore and almoste in dyspayre and at thys present it is growen to suche greatnesse as we see it The number of the Dukes of Venise The number of their Dukes are hetherto counted to be foure score fyue of whom Paulus Anazatus was the first in the yere of saluation seuen hundreth syxe two hundreth fyfty two yeres after the foūdation of the towne Valentinianus was afterwards slaine and Gensericus Kyng of the Wandales passed forth from Affrike into Italy wyth a most myghtye armye beyng ayded of the Maures he went to Rome toke the towne beyng destitute and abandoned almost of all her inhabitants Rome takē by the Wandales Notwithstanding he beyng intreated by the Bishoppe Leo who had also pacifyed Athila as it hath bene sayd did not put the towne to fyer and sword Howbeit he proied it caried a great nūber captiue into Carthage Afterwards the enemies did much cruelty to the coūtry of Lauor and did ruinate Capua Nola Naples and other Townes byndyng them in cheynes whom they left a liue That is great Campania And beyng loden with the proy of Italy they retourned into Affrike Martianus who was Emperour in the East dyd kepe hym self in peace accordyng to his quiet peaceable nature He vsed to say that it was not decent nor honest for a Prince to put himselfe in armes A notable sentence as long as he myght lyue in peace In hys raygne a very great Coūsell was assigned at Chalcedon by his commaūdement The coūsel at Calcedō where Eutiches who confoūded the two natures in Christ was condemned There amongst other thinges it was ordayned that no clerke as they
easye to haue extinguished thys fyer notwythstandyng because it was neglected and let slyppe wyth in a short tyme it waxed almost vnquinshable For then the dignytye and Empyre of the Romaynes towardes the East was aueanted and buryed In Heraclius raygne The fourth counsell of ToletanuÌ„ the fourth Counsell of Toletanum was holden And because that in Spaine dyuers Priestes dyd not dayly but on the Sondaye onely recite the Lordes prayer it was ordayned amongest other thyngs that that should be remedyed Item that the Apocalipse of saint Iohn the Euangelyst as they say should be taught in the temples from Easter vnto whitsonday The Gothes raygned then in Spayne and as the Spayniards beyng anoyed wyth straunge domination a thyng not vncommon dyd stirre vp certayne dyssentions and conspiraties the Synode ordayned vpon great payne that no coniuration should be made against the kyng or the nation of the Gothes that at such tyme as the kyng shuld be dead the chiefe heads of the people with the priests should electe a successour by common aduise This same was repeted by them in certain other assemblies Why Halleluia it not sounge in Lent Constans It was also forbydden that in the tyme of lent so they call it Halleluya should not be soung in the Churches because that that is ordained to be a time of sorow and not of Ioye Constans Constantinus Sonne who was the sonne of Heraclius succeaded hym who fought vnprosperouslye by sea agaynst the Saracenes They beyng victorious tooke Rhodes and had entred further into the countrye yf the dyssentyons whych arose amongest theym had not geuen Trewes for two yeares to the Romaynes That gaue theym tyme of respyte and then the Emperour marched into Italye for to defend it from the enemye as he said Beyng ariued at Tarento he forced and destroyed Luceria and other places in the * Apart of Italy Bordering on the sea Adriatticum Puell of the Lombardes domynyons On the way as he went towards Naples hys riâ—rband was defeicted by the Lombardes Constans robbeth Rome He entred afterwards into Rome very peaceable but at length he robbed and proyed the ornamentes therof and after short abode there he marched in to Sicilia where he was slaine with in the bayne And because that after his death strife dissentyoÌ„ was raised for the successioÌ„ the Saracenes finding this occasion entred into Sicilia with a mighty armie by sea and dyd great slaughter They toke Sarrogosa and caried away with them the proy that Constans had taken out of Rome Constantitinus the bearded Constantinus the fourth succeded CoÌ„stans who was coÌ„monly called the bearded He fought for certain yeres space against the Saracenes whoÌ„ finally he defeicted in such sort that thei were constrained to require peace and trues for xxx yeres on condition to pay yerely tribute The enemies of the Romains which were towards the West beiÌ„g moued therwith did also demaund peace But the Bulgares passyng out of the Limites destroyed the countrye of Thracia At length agrement was made wyth theym and the twoo Mysyes were graunted theym to dwell in Notwythstandynge perceauynge shortlye after the cowardnes and lythernes of the Romaynes they brake peace and dyd weaken and dymynyshe the fortes of the Empyre Constantinus giueth the election to the Romaynes Thys Emperour dyd fyrste of all ordayne that he should haue all power at Rome that shoulde be chosen Byshoppe by the Clergye the people and the souldiours For euen hetherto the dignitie of the bishope of Rome did depende vpon the confirmation of the Emperour or of his Lieutenante in Italy There is yeat sounde a longe epistile of pope Leo the seconde wrytten vnto Constantinus by the whiche he condemnethe all sortes of Heritykes and dothe highly prayse him for the care he toke of religion and the deâ—ence therof also for his lyberalitie and good dedes He sayethe that the Churche triumphethe for hauinge founde such a defender in his raygne The syxth Counsel of Constantinople the sixth councell of Constantinople was holden by an hundreth fifty bishops In the Actes of that Sinode about the end mention is made of the Canons which are entitled of the apostles but diffusedly in obscure termes Gratianus reciteth coÌ„trary opinions saiyng that some are of opinion that they were written by heretikes reiected by the auncient Church counted amongst the apocriphes But it is said that Zepherinus the xvi Bishop of rome approued theÌ„ and after him that foresaid counsell which is sayd to haue bene ended in the tyme of Iustinianus the second who was the soÌ„ne of Constantinus the fourth Briefly there is nothiÌ„g grouÌ„ded on certain reasoÌ„ neither is there any accord as coÌ„cerning the nuÌ„ber of the canons For some count L. other some sixty other eighty foure in which nuÌ„ber they remain at this day Wherof it is easy to be gathered that by litle and lytle diuers were added vnto them and that they haue passed thorow one tytle albeit that they weare inuented and made of dyuers Then also the archbishop of Rauenna was vnder the bishop of Rome albeit that afore tyme cheifly when the exarcheship was thither transferred he estemed him self nothing inferiour to the bishop of Rome Iustinianus succeaded Constantinus his father Iustimanus He for want of age experience gouerned the publike weale vndiscretly hauing broken the treatise of peace which his father had made with the Saracenes Bulgares finally he fell into such extremitie that he was constrained to demaunde peace of them both At length he was banyshed for his cruelty confined in a certain place after that his nostrels were cut Leontius was his successour Leontius who had bene prisoner two yeres for suspition to haue coueted the Empyre During these troubles the Saracenes did assault Affrik But two yeres after they were put to flight after that the battail was geuen The romain souldiours who were in garrison in the countrey of Affrick seyng the Emperour handle the affaires very slowly fayntly fearyng also the Saracenes power which was than merueylous great fearyng also to be driuen out agayne by them they elected a certayn man named Tiberius to be emperour He marching with his army vnto Constantinople Tiberius chosen emp. possessing the town toke Leontius cut of hys nose and put him in prison and made a new Exarch in Italy But as all these things were a doyng not wythout great troubles the Saracenes fauoured with the oportunitie of the tyme and marchyng from Egypt with a great armye toke againe possession of Affrick with Lybia and almost all Spaygn The aboue sayd Iustinianus displaced and sent in exile by Leontius was succoured by Trebellius kyng of the Bulgares and entred by strength force in to Constantinople where he killed Leontius and Tiberius and for .vi. yeres after he raigned cruelly also was ingrate towards the king Trebellius Finally he died with Teberius his sonne in a
battaill against Philippicus Bardanes towardes whome the army was reuolted Vsurpation of the popes ouer the emperours Pope Constantinus pronoūced Philippicus to be a scismatick for the diuersitie of religion At length Philippicus had his eyes put out by his men had to his successour Anastasius the second He sent a triumphant army by sea to Rhodes for to war against the Saracenes and ordeyned head of that army one of the ecclesiasticall order And because that the souldiours would not obey him sedicion was raised a certayne man of no reputation named Theodosius was elected Emperour who retournyng the nauye he came to Cōstantinople whych he wan hauing vanquished Anastasius he made him a priest He shortly after was displaced by Leo generall lieutenant of the army became a monke At that time which was the yere of saluation D.CC. xvii the Mauritanes rushed into Affricke with all their power brought it vnder their subiection at such tyme as Rhodoricus elected by the Gothes was kyng of Spaine In the raygne of Leo the Saracenes hauyng wasted Thracia beseiged Cōstantinople by sea by land for thre yeres space Constantinople beseiged by the Saracenes Finally the plague pestilence cōsumed them almost all constrained the residue to retire into their country Leo was greatly animated against the byshop of Rome Gregorie the second had cōmaunded his Lieutenāt or Exarch to find meanes to auoide the peace The Lōbards defended the pope not for any loue they bare to him but for to fyshe in troubled water in the meane time to enlarge their dominions by such strife and debate The which they did For by this meanes they possessed many townes belonging to the Ex arch Certain Epistles of the said Gregorie are yet found writē vnto the clergie people of Thuring wherby he admonisheth theyin to profyte more more in the knowledge of god The others are directed vnto the Saxons wherin he grauely conuerteth them frō idolatry Bonifacius sent into Duchland He vsed in these affaires the aide of one Bonifacius whō he had sent into Germany Leo beate downe the images figures of the saits cast thē out of the Churches willed the pope to do the lik But so farre of was it that he did any thing that on the cōtrary he threatned him with great plagues if he dyd pursewe in his enterpryse Constantinus the fifth of the name surnamed Copronyme succeaded Leo who held the same relygion that his father dyd He embarcked hymselfe wyth a great armye for to goe agaynst the Saracenes to the end to recouer Alexandria in Egipt but hauyng receaued newes of the sedition that was raysed at home and that Artabastus was elected Emperour in hys rouine he retourned to Constantinople toke the towne by force and put out Artabastus eyes Thys Constantinus had great quarell with Gregory the thyrd aswel as his father For Gregory sent dyuers messanges for to excommunicate hym But because that his messangers dyd possesse the prison he assembled a Sinode where he ordained that all they who from thense forth should beate downe the Images of the saints or dishonour them shuld be altogether reiected from the compaynye of the Church The Pope protectour of Idoles Not content herewyth he wyth great dyligence set vppe great store of Images in dyuers Temples and decked theym sumptuouslye After Gregorye the thyrde came Zacharias There remayneth a certayne Epystle of hym wrytten vnto one Bonifacius Byshop who was in Ducheland euē to him as it appeareth whose ayde Gregory the second vsed as we haue sayde a lytle before Zacharias aunswereth to hys demaundes and permytteth hym that there should be Byshoppes at Mersebourg at Bomberge and at Erphord He graunted hym moreouer that it was lawfull for hym to go to Carlomanus the sonne of Charles Martel who demaunded that a Synode should be holden in a certayne Towne in the kyngdome of Fraunce and that the maners of the Church shoulde be dylygentlye reformed but chyeflye that the adulterous Pryestes and those that haue dyuers wyues shoulde be dysplaced from the order of Pryesthoode Marriage forbidden vnto the Priestes For seyng that after they be once entred into the sacred ministerie it is not lawful for them to haue one only wyfe how much lesse than is it permitted to haue diuers together For that which Paule sayth that the bishop be husband of one wyfe ought not to be vnderstode as appertaynyng to thys tyme Fine interpretation of S. Paule but for the tyme paste that is to say that he that would be receyued into the order of priesthood should haue had but one wyfe no more After thys Epistle followeth the act of Calomanus who intituleth him self duke of the french men by the which he ordeyneth that a Synode should be yerely holden in his presence He also commaundeth that the whoremongers adulterous priests should be displaced He forbiddeth them hunting haukyng and to entertaine any woman at all in theyr houses But he sayth nothing of theyr wyues Aistulphus kyng of the Lumbards At that tyme Aistulphus kyng of the Lumbards dyd demaund yerely tribute of the romains threatned them soore Stephen the .ii. of that name then bishop of rome seing that he could not pacifie that man by clementie presents he demaunded succour of Constantinus the Emperour But for asmuch as ther ariued no aide frō the side Pipine king of Fraunce aydeth the Pope he besought Pipine new kyng of Fraūce as we shall an one declare to giue hym ayde Pipine entred into Italy with strong power besieged Papia constrayned Aistulphus to receyue certayn condicions of peace But as soone as Pipine was retyred into Fraūce he became more fierce proude put hym self again in armes Wherefore Pipine was agayn solicited to come into Italy Than Aistulphus delyuered the Exarchship to Pipine in the which countrey the principall townes are Rauenua Fauencia Cesena Forum Liuii Forum Populi Bononia Rhegium Parma Placentia It is sayd that Pipine left all thys countrey in the Popes hands albeit that the Emperour had before made request vnto hym to render it agayn to hym for asmuche as it appertayned to the Empyre and not to the romain sea Leo the .ii. succeaded Constantinus hys father Leo the .ij. He enterprised but one onely iourney into Syria but beyng repulsed he retyred homewards dyed shortly after beyng of one religion with his father leauyng behynd hym a sonne named Constantinus the .vi. But because that he was to yonge to handle the affayres Irene hys mother had the gouernment Irene empresse He beyng come to age displaced his mother and began to raigne insolently and cruelly And because that there through conspiraties were wrought against him he punyshed amongest others Nicephorus hys vncle and put out hys eyes He at length was serued with the lyke by the counsell of hys mother shortly after dyed for sorow
third booke How the Almaines are entred into frauÌ„ce BEFORE that we begyne to speake of Charlemayne vnto whom according as we haue sayd the West Empyre was bequethed it behoueth to declare somewhat of the Germaines of whom he proceaded Fyrst of all it is most euident that the Germayns haue oftentymes passed the Rheine and haue entred into the French dominioâ—s to the end there to make their inhabitition because of the goodnes of the country For the Teuthons did pierce into Prouince where they were defeicted by the Consull C. Marius Synce as the Auuergnaes and they of Autun did stryue and contâ—nd for the principalitie certain bands of Almaynes hyred of the Auuergnaes and tâ—â—y of Sens came thether By litle and lytle they so encreased that vnder the king Ariouistus they possessed the most part of the country Iulius Cesar defeicted them in plaine battaâ—le And certayn yeres aâ—ter as he made war against them of Liege which is a people beyond Brabant the Germains passed again ouer the Rheine for to assaile the Romain host But they were ouerthrowen where the Maze and the Rheyne meteth Many yeares after they held theÌ„selues within their limites because that the Romain Emperours made war vpon theÌ„ But hauing gotten a certayn apt commodious time they loked vnto theyr aduantage and forraged Fraunce without ceasse So likewise in the Emperour Gallienus time a voluptuous man and of no worthines they did inuade and oppresse it by succession of time became so mightie that the Emperour Probus the fourth after Gallienus draue them out with great difficultie Iulianus also Lieutenant of the Emperour Constans dyd ioyne in battaile with them Synce in the Emperour Honorius time the Gothes entred by force of armes into Fraunce who beyng encoumbred with diuers wâ—rres graunted them the country of Aquiâ—ania to dwell in On the other syde the French Almayns entryng in armes through the country called Gallia Belgica suppressed them of Trire GilderlaÌ„d Cleaue with them of Liege of Terouane of Turney of Amiens of Beauuoys of Soissonois Which done they toke their habitatioÌ„ in that part of Gallia Paris the head Citie of FrauÌ„ce the which yet at this day beareth the name of Fraunce Wherof Paris is the head Citie nere wherto is the town of S. Denis the which was afterwards consecrated to bury the kings as it is yet at this present They being so enlarged and holding also before a great part of Germanie to witte al the country about the riuer of Mein and of Rheyne did not onely defeÌ„d themselues if any came to assaile them but also set vpon others And as the Romain Empire fel dai by day into decay in Asia Afrike the Lombards also waistig Italy they maruelously enlarged their limites in Fraunce Afterwardes manye of their kings raigned there vntil such time as the kyngdom fel into the hands of Pipine of Charlemaine his sonne Charles Martellus was the father of Pipine who was not king but one of the princes great maisters as they are commonly called He vanquished them of Bauiers of Swaine For according as the writters of the * Histories of Actes yerely done Annales of Fraunce do mention the time hath bene that the kynges haue had but only the tytle and the name as touching the whole aucthorie it was in the hands of the great Maister The Great maisters of Fraunce their credit For they were altogether degenerated from the vertue manlines of their ancestours and being addicted vnto pleasures voluptuousnes they toke no care of the publike weale Wherfore the Great maister had the administration and dyd increase so much the more hys power as the lithernes carlesnes of the king did abound Pipine who was great maister in the raigne of Childericus came to the crowne vnder such occasion The kyngs suffer the pope to displace them the thing hauing bene debated vpon before pope Zachary as they say MentioÌ„ is made hereof in the decree which they intitill of Gratianus where it is said to be lawfull vnto the popes to put the kynges out of their thrones But the tytle inscriptioÌ„ of that place is false For albeit that there haue ben two Emperours named Anastasius notwithstaÌ„dyng it cannot be attributed neither to the one nor to the other forasmuch as the first raigned more then two C. yeres before the befell the other .xxxvii. Moreouer in the last mans daies there was neuer any pope named Gelasius I thought it necessarye to adde this Contraritie in the writinges of Popes for to aduertise the readers to read intentiuely warly the writigs of popes For we find in diuers places that their chiefe end is to put their lawes in credite auctority by falsly giuing to vnderstand that they are very ancient Ouer besides this that Pipine did suppresse the Lombards in Italy at the request of the pope as is before said he made warre agaynst the Saxons and moreouer against them of Aquitania whose Duke beynge taken he slewe After the death of Pipyne they oftentymes rebelled But Charlemayne hys sonne putte ende vnto the twoo warres to wytte that of Saxonye and of Aquitania but not wyth oute greate trauayle LoÌ„g warre against the Saxons He had warre with the Saxons for thre thirtie yeares space and during this warre he was also occupied with others For he did subdue the country of Bauier the which did rebell vnder the conduction of the Captain Tassilon and made two iournies against the Lombards and passed euen into the land of Lauor in such sort that he subiected all Italy and ordayned lawes as touchyng policie He constrained also the cities of Gallia situated about the Ocean sea in times past named * The auncient name of Britaine in FrauÌ„ce Armorica and now comprehended vnder the name of lytle Britayne to do their duety Because that they refused to pay the tribute that was yerely dew vnto the kings of FrauÌ„ce He went also into Spain where he was victorious against the Saracenes but at his returne the Gascons a people of Aquitania did lay waite for him in the forestes called * Mountaines which do diuide Fraunce froÌ„ Spaine Pirenees discomfited him Finally at the eyght yeres end he vainquished the HuÌ„nes who held the country of Hungaria pacified Bohemia by hys LieutenaÌ„ts His last war was against the Danois or Normanes who wasted all that side of Germanye and of Gallia with their sea armie Through these so great actes he was surnamed the Great For before tyme the French kings did hold but that part of Germany which is betwen Saxony and Dunowe betwen the Rheyâ—e the riuer of Sala betwene Swane and Bauieres But he annexed the whole country of Saxonie moreouer the two Hungaries Demnarbe or the great Westphalyâ— Ireland and the mediteran cost of Dalmatia The aboue sayd French kings did possesse in Gallia the part which is betwene the Rheine and Loire
betwen the Ocean sea and Baleaire But he adioyned all Aquitania and the ridge of the hylles Pirenees vnto the riuer of Ebro yea euen all Italy which should haue bene before sayd from the Alpes vnto the vttermost partes of * A couÌ„trâ— ioyning to Naples Calabria Finally beyng gone for the fourth tyme to Rome he was saluted Emperour Augustus by Leo the third and by all the people the xxxiii yeare of hys raigne By this meanes then the Romayne Empyre towards the West the which was rent and torne sondrywyse especiall synce that the Emperours had placed their chiefe seat in Constantinople as it is easy to be sene by the former discourse was renued agayn by the Emperour Charlemaine and as a new body toke agayne hys collour and beautye The Empire renued by Charlemayne in that so many and so great countryes were assubiected vnder the power of one man only Nicephorus the other Emperour of the East parts was greatly wroth with thys election but Charlemaine did mollifie him by his humanity modestie and by presents entertained themselues in amitie and they did assygne the compasse and limites of both the Empyres Besydes the other assemblyes Charlemayne caused a counsell to be holden at Reims at the which it was ordayned amongst many other statutes that the Byshops shuld diligently study the holy scriptures preach the word of god Another Synode was assembled at Mense the yere before hys death before another at Tours at Caalon vpon the Saone at Arles for the râ—formation of Churches as the writers of that time say The eyght huÌ„dreth fourtenth yere after the natiuitie of Christ the lxx yere of hys age he died at Aix in Germany Ludouicus the sonne of Charlemaine 2. Emperour after he had appointed Ludouicus his sonne heritor of his raign and Empire xiiii yeres after that he had ben first declared Emperour of the Almains At that time there was only xxi Metropolitan Cities as they are called in Italy Germany Fraunce to wyt Rome Rauenna Millane * A Citye or Country in Italye so called Forumiulii Grade Colon Mense Salisbourg Trire RouaÌ„ Sens Besonzon Lions Reims Arles Vienna Tarentasia EbrodunuÌ„ Burdeux Tours Bourges Pipine his father had taken away the Exarchship from the LoÌ„bars had left it in the custodie of the bishop of Rome as we haue said as it is found in writing But Charlemaine gaue it wholy vnto him as some say wherof notwithstanding dyuers do doubt Eginardus his secretary sworne writter Eginardus secretarye to Charlemayne who was familier with him wrytteth that aboue all he loued the Church which they call of S. Peter wherinto he caused much Golde Syluer and precious stones to be broughte For he studyed aboue all thynges to reestablyshe the Citye of Rome in her fyrst credyte and aucthoritye and that the Churche of Saynct Peter shoulde not onely be in safegarde vnder hys protectyon but also that amongest others it should abounde in ryches Eginardus sayeth thys and no more not makynge anye mention that he dyd gyue so mighty Townes and so many in number whych dyd appertayn to the Empyre yea he being made Emperour at the fourth entrye whych he made into Rome he gaue order according as we fynd in writting not onely vnto the affaires of the Citie of Rome of the Pope and of all Italy but also vnto Ecclesiasticall and perticular things Also before he was Emperour Aucthoritie of Charlemaine aboue the Pope at such time as he was but onely King of Fraunce after he had discomfyted Desiderius king of the Lombards as it hath bene sayd he came to Rome and held a counsell whereat as theyr one Bookes do mentian the Pope Adrianus the fyrst and all the Sinode dyd gyue hym the ryghte and power to electe the Pope to ordayne the Apostolyke Sea as they terme it and to confyrme the Bishops Eginardus doth attrybute vâ—to Charlemaine dyuers vertues worthye of a greate Prynce to wytte temperaunce modestye sobriety affectyon towardes relygyon Learnynge Eloquence wyth knowledge not onely of the Latine tounge but also of the Greeke Besydes thys he reporteth hym to haue bene verye circumspect and diligent to see hys Chyldren taught and instructed in the knoweledge and experyence of these selfe same thinges Albin the schole Maister of Charlemayne chiefe founder of the vniuersitye of Paris He instituted the vniuersytye of Paris aswell thorowe hys owne proper motyon and Good wyll as by the instigatyon and sute of Albin hys Master who was hys instructour in sciences as saith Eginardus He named the monthes and twelue wyndes in the Duch tounge the which names are yet vsed Before tyme as sayeth the same writter the French men vsed names partlye Latyne partelye Barbarous Hetherto I hauing made as it were a preface of Charlemaine and of the Almains from henceforth I wil briefly rounne ouer and declare how that part of the Romayn Empyre whych is towards the West the which was recollected and reestablyshed by Charlemaine is agayn fallen into decaye and beyng deuided into diuers Prouinces hath bene vnto diuers who possesse those countryes neither more nor lesse then their owne proper Heritage without considering their ofspring in such sort that this venerable and so renoumed hyghnes of Romayn Empyre is at this day no other thing then a lytle shadow of a great body synce that of so great a large compasse it hath bene enclosed in a small part of Europa to wytte in Germanie Last of all I will in few words declare how Daniell hath for shewed these mutations of Empires and the fall of the Romain monarchie Ludouicus then the sonne of Charlemaine the second Germayn Emperour renued the amitie wyth Leo of Armenia Emperour of Grecia The third yere of his raigne Pope Leo disceassed and his successour Stephan the fourth went into FrauÌ„ce and consecrated the Emperour at Reims Paschal came after to be Pope And forasmuch as the aucthoritie of the Emperour was not interposed he excuseth circumspectly and diligently that fact declaryng that he against his will was there placed The bookes of the Popes containe that the Emperour Ludouicus ratifyed vnto Paschal and to hys successours the possession of goods that he permitted the election frely vnto them so that he should be counted and holden for Pope whom all the Romains should haue Iudged worthy of that estate I cannot tell what credite a man should giue vnto such writtings for they agree so yll are placed in so yll order that none can vnderstand that whych ought to folow Ludouicus had thre sonnes Lotharius whom he toke to be compaynion of the Empyre of the kingdome Charles who succeaded in Aquitania his brother Pipine disseased he made Ludouicus lord of Bauieres Conspiraty of children agaist their father His soÌ„nes dyd conspire against him by whom he was taken and depriued of his kingdome and was constrayned to take a monasticall lyfe at Compienue a town of the
* people of Frannce Soisonois The writters of the Annales of Fraunce say that the ecclesiastical prelates whose pride and superfluity he did reprehend did raise moue this tempest in an assembly that they made at Aix in Germany Impiety of the bishops and did pushe forward the children to enterpryse such execrable wyckednes He notwithstanding was deliuered sixe monthes after to the great ioye contentation of the people and the kingdome with all his other goods was restored vnto him Since that he came to quietnes it is chiefly to be noted that diuers coūsells were holden in Fraunce Counsells holden in Fraunce The first next the abouesaid of Aix was holden at Troye in Campania after at Reimes at Clermoūt in Auuergne at Tours at Diion at Paris Lions Vienne Auignon Viarron in Berry Orleans and truely dyuers almost in eche of the sayd places For when the estate of thinges did so require the kings did conuocate the ecclesiasticall order the other lords for to remedy the publike inconueniences After this sort Ludouicus the .xii. who had great enimities debates with Iulius the second held a counsell of his subiectes at Tours at Lions the yere of saluation a M.D.X. a. XI Let vs now retourne to our purpose Ludouicus beyng disseassed and buryed at Mets Lotharius succeded who had warre with his brethren Newe parting of the kingdome betwen the brethren But fynally it was appeased new particion was made Where through Germanye fell vnto Ludouicus lot with a part of Fraunce From the Maze to the Rheine Fraunce befell vnto Charles from the Englishe sea the hiles Pirenees vnto the Maze Lotharius ouer and besides that he was Emperour obtayned Italy and the Prouince of Narbonne The Saracenes repressed Ludouicus the second his sonne succeded him who did represse the Saracenes that did rushe in to Italye In hys raygne Adrianus the seconde was Pope amongest others yea wyth oute the Emperours consent as theyr bookes report And was created by the nobilitye of Rome by the Citezins and by theym whom they call the clargye For albeit the Emperours Embassadours were in the Towne not wythstandynge they weare not called to the electyon And for as muche as they were wroth herewyth it was aunswered them that that was not done in contempt of the Emperour but for to take hede that hereafter the custome of wayting for the Emperours Embisadours should not enter in credyte as nessarye They say that the Embassadours were not onely pleased with this aunswere but that also they dyd humble curtesy vnto the Pope Here a man may perceiue in their writings a maruelous inconstancie variety For if according to their saying Ludouicus the first did graunt vnto them fre election as also we haue here aboue mentioned why did his Nephew Ludouicus the secōd thinke iniurie to be done vnto hym But how so euer the matter goeth the title of the decree which is in the repertories of Gratianus is manifestly false False shode in the great decre of Gratianus For it is attributed vnto Gregorie the fourth albeit that he was dead two and twenty yeares before that Adrianus the second came to be Pope He being dead could he wrytte the Historye of things whych besell afterwardes Before Adrianus was Nicolas the first of whom is found a longe Epistle vnto Michell Emperour of Gretia where he maketh dyscourse of hys power ouer al churches For Ignatius was put out of his Bishoprike at Cōstantinople and Photius placed in hys roume no mention beyng made ther of vnto the Byshoppe of Rome yea the Images were beaten downe He cryeth therefore there agaynst as muche as he coulde possyble Diuers of his decrees do yet remayn ful of Papall maiestie The aboue said Charles king of Fraunce made hast to goe into Italy albeit that his other brother Ludouicus king of Germany who was his elder did resyst him There he was cōsecrated by the byshop of Rome Iohn the eygth He went for the second time at the Popes request to resyst the Saracenes who again had enuaded the coūtry of Campania Ludouicus the maffler and died at Mantua His sonne Ludouicus surnamed the Maffler succeded hym but he raigned but two yeres Charles the Great The Empyre came from hym to Charles the great sōne of Ludouicus kyng of Germany who after the death of hys twoo brethren possessed all Germany Italy and Fraunce and defeicted the Saracenes who troubled Italye He made warre for a certaine space against the Normayns a people of low Germany who forraged in Gallia Belgica Fynally he graunted theym that part of Fraūce which beareth their name vnto this day Arnulphus Emperour The Emperour Arnulphus his nephew by the brother syde succeaded after him who truely was an excellent Prince He marched into Italy for to deliuer the Pope Formosus from his aduersaries and forthwith toke the Citie of Rome where he caused the authours of the seditiō to be punished In his time the Hungares beyng driuen from the country of Scithia cast themselues vpon Pannonia and in the tyme that Ludouicus the third sonne of Arnulphus was Emperour they passed into Germany and hauing wonne a triumphant victorie nere the flood of Lech they filled Bauier Swane Franconie and Saxonie with slaughters robberies and burnings In the Emperour Arnulphus time there was a Counsell holden at Tribur a towne sytuated vpon the Mein at the which were present .xxii. Bishoppes of Germany And amongst dyuers thyngs it was ordayned that none shuld sell the buriyng of the dead A decree for bedding selling of Graues Berengarius and that no layman as they call them should be buried wyth in the church At this time a great fyer was kindled in Italy For Berengarius and other great lords of Lombardie vnto whō Charles the Balde had done great benefites cōspired against Fraūce at such tyme as Charles the great was Emperour Sedition in Italy by Berengarius But perceauyng that they could auayll nothinge herein they tourned their enterprisses against Italy and hauing skermished a long time amongst themselues as commonly it hapneth they did very great hurt Finally Berengarius remaining victorious he obtained the kingdome of Italy and as writtings do mention he toke and put out the Emperour Ludouicus eies who had thether conducted his armie At that time also to the end that no calamitie might be wanting the Saracenes Affrikans Hungares horribly wasted and spoyled Italye And for that the estate of Italy so fayre a region was thus miserable and bloudy vnder the Berengareis Hugo Rudolphus Lotharius Albertus and certayn others and that the Emperour Ludouicus was disseassed in these hurlieburlies the Almains and chiefely the Saxons offred the Empire to Otho prince of Saxonie of Turing But he being then of great age perswaded them to electe Conrad Duke of Franconie Conrad Duch Emperour Who beyng in the estate dyd almost all things by the counsell of Otho Moreouer Otho
pope on thother side his own innocencie He was mynded to go to Lyons to hazard hymself but that again there arose a commotion in Italy whereagainst he employed all hys force But because that his affayres prospered yll being returned into Puel he fell sick finally dyed Some saye that he was poysoned other saye that he was strangled by Manfredus his bastard son who afterwards possessed Italy Azo Iurisconsul was then in great fame Azo Iuris consul after whom came this infinite band of wryters who hauyng transgressed the act of the emperour Iustinian no lesse graue then seuere haue fylled the world with innumerable bokes Wherfrom now we must draw that which the auncient Doctours had moste abundantly and moste learnedly intreated For they robbe one anothers wrytyngs and there is no end nor measure of their wrytyng and all is full of contrary opinions infinite bookes of Legistes in such sort that the saying of the olde man who had consulted with thre aduocates may be here very properly applyed you haue done well sayed he but I am in far greater doubt then I was before I omit the cauilations that are forged daily more more Truly here is that accomplished which the Commodie saith by subteltie one euyll doth engender another Terrence in the cōmodie of Phorninon Cicero complayneth that diuers singuler ordinaunces of lawes are corrupted depraued by the dispositions of Iurisconsuls What woulde he now do yf he lyued and saw these high pyles of bokes with our practise If he sawe this holy temple of lawes to be so vilelye poluted and so miserablye prophaned Howbeit as God hath in our age brought again to light all arts so he hath styrred vp diuers who indued with good letters haue prosperously trauayled herein do yet trauayle Learned iurisconsuls for to reestablishe in her beauty equitie this most excellent science altogether necessary vnto the societie of men which deserueth rather to be called an heauenly gyft drawen from the middest of the fountaines of Philosophie For the which enterprise they are not only worthy of publyke prayse but also of reward After the death of Fridericus the Empyre remained vacant almoste xxii yeres albeit that now one then another were elected who coulde not haue the gouernement in that so troublesome a tyme. In the meane whyle the kingdome of Naples was plucked from the familie of Fridericus and put into the Frenche mens hands and afterward Sicilia also For then the popes dyd strengthen them selues wyth the succour power of Fraunce although that through occasion of these kyngdomes great warre were raised betwene the house of Arragon the house of Anion in Fraunce But question is not thereof at this present The publike weale hauing a long tyme wauered in such sort as hath bene sayd Rudolphus Emperour Rudolphus of Habspurg was elected Emperour who in the beginning of his raygne appeased the motions that were through Germanye Afterwards hauing holden certain counselles or assemblies he enuaded Ottacharus kyng of Bohemia who dyd rebell constrayned hym to make peace vnder conditions which he straight ways brake at the persuation of hys wyfe and commyng the second tyme to the conflict in Austrich remayned slain in the field Ladislaus kyng of Hungary ayded the Emperour Finally peace was concluded wyth the Bohemians by marriage makyng and the Emperour gaue Austrich to Albertus his son whych the kyng of Bohemia had possessed many yeres The Emperour beyng letted with sundrye affaires in Germany dyd neuer take vsage into Italy neyther had he any great mynde therevnto For it is sayd that on a certayne tyme in sportyng he recited the fable of the Fore The fable of the fore who visited not the Lyon that fained hym selfe sicke in a caue because that the trace of other beasts dyd astonish hym who were gone in thyther and retourned not Notwythstandyng he appoynted in Italy a Lieutenaunt and as it were a vice Emperour Moreouer it is sayd that he confirmed Flaminia and the Exarchshyp whereof we haue often tymes spoken to the romain Church because that no great profit dyd redounde vnto hym frō those places For the Emperours were at length so weryed wyth the continuall hatredes and inimities of Popes that by lytle and lytle they became nice and of faynte courage Neyther was it possible for them to haue peace wyth the Popes vntyll such tyme as they had cleane forgone all Italy The popes at lēgth are maisters ouer Emperours And for asmuch as the popes dyd leane vp on the French men and did many sedicions by the the bishops of Germany whom thei allured they came at length to th end of that which they had a long tyme forethought forecasted It is here nedefull to put in memorie the merueylous chaūge of things come to passe when they who had bene preserued by the clemencie of the Emperours and by them had found the meanes to maintayne thē selues in theyr place dignitie beyng magnified by their liberalitie fre gifts haue taken dominion ouer thē also defrauded thē of their patrimony For not being content to haue vsurped the moste part of Italy they haue straight bound vnto them the Kings of Sicilia and of Naples in such sort that these Kyngs pay them yerely tribute and dare not accept the Imperiall dignitie without their licence do auowe this by othe amongest other thyngs when by the popes they are put in possession of the sayd kingdomes The notable ouerthrow and sackyng of the Frenchmē in Sicilia befel in Rudolphus time For then thei held this Ile but because that accordyng to the disordered maner of souldiours thei did many insolences and whoredoms thei were al suppressed by a secret conspiratie which was assigned when thei roung vnto euenyng seruice The Euenings of Sicilia This slaughter is commonly called the Euenings of Sicilia And it fell in the yere M.CC.lxxxi on Easter day The Emperour Rudolphus set dyuers townes at libertie for money the which before dyd appertayne vnto the Empyre to witte Boloigne the fat Florence Guenes Luques and others Afterwards hauing assembled the Princes at Franckford he could not haue his request ratified which was to elect Albertus hys sonne to be his successor He beyng dead Adolphus of the house Nansau succeded him Adolphus Emperour who shortly after had great quarell with Albertus duke of Austrich And for as much as by his doings he fore displeased the princes of Germany yea euē him of Mense by whose meanes he was made Emperour he was displaced Albertus Albertus duke of Austriche sonne of Rudolphus put in his place Who hauing made a leuye of men and beyng ayded of the princes went to encounter Adolphus The conflicte betwene them was aboute Spyre where Adolphus was greuouslye hurt by Albertus and afterwardes slaine by the residue of the multitude After thys victorie Albertus minding to assure himself and fearing least any should say that
the fyrst election was not rightly constituted required again to be solemnly elected the which was done albeit that Pope Bonifacius the eight did say there against and did not approue that which had bene done of other princes Shortly after as a great quarell was moued betwene him Philip the faire king of Fraunce he confyrmed him Emperour spake meruelous things in the laud praise of his house At length Albertus was murdered of his kinsmeÌ„ at such time as being furnished with al things he had put himself in iourny for to bring the Bohemians to this point for to receiue Fridericus his son to be their king bonifacius the eyght This Bonifacius added vnto the epistles decretalls of Gregory the ix contained in v. bokes another boke named the sixte Amongst other thyngs he ordayned that it was lawful for the Pope to forgoe his estate For it is sayd that by subtyll and vnlawfull meanes he had perswaded that vnto Celestinus the fyfth hys predecessour After Albertus Henry the seuenth of that name of the house of Luxembourg Henry the seuenth came to the Empyre He founde meanes to make Iohn hys sonne king of Bohemia by mariage makyng and drew into Italye whose estate was then most miserable For since the death of the Emperour Fridericus the seconde about fyftie fyue yeares space the Emperours made no count of Italy Wherthrough befell that it was meruelously reâ—t in pieces by theÌ„ that were of most power namely by the Gelphes and Gibellins The Gelphes and Gibellins the which two factions and seditions haue many clients in those couÌ„tries He first then set gouernours through the townes and fredomes of Lumbardie made the inhabitants swere vnto him Afterward hauing soiourned a certayn time at Millan he could not with his labour accord the factions wherof I haue spokeÌ„ And forasmuch as Turrianus went about to take him at vnwares after the conspiratie was disclosed and the aduersaries repulsed he gaue the ouer sight gouernment of the towne vnto the vicouÌ„t All the townes of the country did yeld vnto his power and deuotion Brixe only rebelled the which he toke after long seige brake downe the walls From thence he passed by Genes by Pise for to go to Rome where he was crowned by certain Cardinalls because that Pope Clement the v. had left the town being retired into Fraunce dwelt in Auignon The popes in AuignoÌ„ The Cardinalls demaunded of him the oth which they said ought to be made vnto the Pope but he refused it would not so make it that therby he should be bound vnto the Pope The Pope hearing this he declared afterwards at large this forme of othe for to encrease alwaies his power and regestred it wyth the other decrees which now remaine For he also coÌ„posed diuers lawes which beare his name The ouerthrow of the templiers are called Clementines At this time the Templiers were with the same fury ouerthroweÌ„ in an instant diuers places Philip the fayre king of Fraunce toke the most part of their goods by the Popes permission since their name and memory was condemned and at the counsell of Vienna which was held in * A couÌ„try in Fraunce so called Dauphine their possessions were geuen vnto them who are called horsmen of the Rhodes At this tyme also the vniuersitie of Orleans was erected by the aucthoritie of king Philip and Pope Clement After that the Emperour Henry was dead not without great suspicioÌ„ of poison and that he was buried at Pise sharpe contentions were moued in Germany for the election For Fridericus duke of Austrich son of the Emperour Albertus did contend for the principallitie wyth Ludouicus duke of Bauieres Two Emperours crowned The archbishop of Mense crowned Ludouicus at Aix in germany but the bishop of Coloigne crowned Fridericus at Rome HerevpoÌ„ pope Iohn the xxii named theÌ„ both Emperours howbeit he was more affectioned on Fridericus side Which was cause to enflame the hatred so that they came euen to take weapon in hand and to giue earnest battaile nere vnto Eling a towne of Swane Neuertheles they departed from the conflicte almost equall Afterwards they fought yet again more fierslye in Bauieres in the whych battaile Fridericus was taken the most part of his men put to the sword but he was let go and retired home where certayn yeres after he dyed Ludouicus then hauing gotten the seignorie marched into Italy with his army The Emperour Ludouicus that against the Popes wyll There he ordayned Lieutenantes through the townes and fredomes was crowned at Millan by the archbishop Which done he sent Ambassadours into Auignon once or twise for to be crowned solemnely which forasmuch as he could not obtain he hauing left order vnto the affaires of Millan toke iourney towards Rome Where being ariued he wanted no gretings and honour at his entraunce was crowned by one or two Cardinals Herevpon the pope did redouble his excommunicatioÌ„ Wherthrough came to passe that by the counsell of the princes the Emperour created another Pope so by his meanes there was a deadly hatred betwene them The fyrst tenthes did impute great crimes the one vnto the other The Annales of Fraunce recite that Charles the faire son of Philip permitted first of all vnto pope Iohn to leuie tenthes vpon the ecclesiasticall reuennes that they shuld deuide the bootie betwen theÌ„ for the popes purpose was no other then to haue pence against the Emperour After the Emperours retourne into Germany the pope died whose successour Benedictus the xii excommunicated also the Emperour depriued him of his dignity The Emperour then coÌ„uocated the princes at Francfort Oration of the Emperour against the Pope where he made a trime oration by the which he complained of the desloiualties of Popes declared what was hys faith set forth desplaed the ancient lawes of the Empire shewed that the popes had nothing to do in the gouernment of the Empire forasmuch as he is lawfull Emperour who is elected by the consent of the princes albeit that the Pope do not accord thervnto nor wil not coÌ„secrate him For al this is but a ceremony the which by litle litle hath crept in now is ouer much auctorized to the great dishonour domage of the Empire Clement the .vi. succeded Benedictus Clement the sixth who surmouÌ„ted all the residue in violence was the most terriblest He propounded certain coÌ„ditions very ignominius became more enraged for that they were refused Wherfore he aduertised the princes very expresly that they shuld procede to the election of another yea in such sort that he limited theÌ„ the time Which if they failed to do he would giue order that the church shuld not be any longer without a protector patron The estate of the publike weale being so mutable variable Charles king of Bohemia sonne of Iohn nephew of Henry the .vii.
Denmarke Polonia Hungarie Sclauonie and all Grecia are cut of from the Empyre with the countries there abouts and the Iles of Sicilia Sardinia Corsica the Iles of Maiorque and Minorque Demembring of the dominion of the Romain Empyre also Sauoy For these prouinces haue their seueral lords and gouernours who acknowledge none other superiour neyther doe aide the affaires of the Empire with asmuch as a penny Behold now Italy the which hath alwaies bene the first auncient patrimony of the Romayn Empire And what hath it at thys day common with vs The kinges of Spaine hold Calabria Puel Campania the kingdome of Naples as by succession of their ancesters The Popes occupie the Citie of Rome which was the proper seat and habitatioÌ„ of Emperours besides this * A couÌ„try in Italy otherwise called Marca Anconitana Picenum Flaminia and a part of Toscane In the meane while so far is it that they acknowledge the Empire that the Emperours the gouernours of the Empire are holden bound vnto them The strongest Cities of the country eyther haue their lords or ells rule within theÌ„selues So it is that they hold nothing of the Empire What shall I say of the Venitians who hold not only faire townes and fredomes but also singuler Prouinces Herevpon they are the most freest of the world as it were seperated from the Romain Empire Truth it is that Lombardie holdeth somewhat more of the Empire but it is little assured and no great profite doth redound which is wel certained For after that the Germain Emperours had there fyrst ordained Vicountes as hath bene already sayd and afterwards dukes how hath it bene rent in pieces What profite synce hath redounded vnto Germany Warres did arise which caused the Germaine Emperours not to esteme it whiche as it were offred occasioÌ„ vnto the house of Sforces to driue out the vicouÌ„tes and to take the dukedome to himselfe Vnstability of the lords of Millan Afterwards the kings of Fraunce to wyt Ludouicus the xii and Francis the i. did displace theÌ„ of whom the last held the country almost vi yeres vntill such time as the Emperour Charles the v. did recouer it Briefly of al Italy there redouÌ„ded no profite vnto yâ— Empire For they of the country are not assistaunt at the Imperiall assemblies neither do contribute vnto the publike charges and necessities vnles they do it of their one gentillnes or for to gratifie the Emperour There remaineth but Germany only the which hauing alwaies bene aduersarie and ofteÌ„times rebellious vnto the Romain Empire as it appeareth by former discourses at length was gathered together by Charlemaine and reducted into one bodi And synce that the power of electinge the Emperour was put into the hands of the vii electors as we haue aboue declared Germany hath ben the seat and habitation of Emperours Germanye â—â—e â—â—at of the Empyrâ— It is here nedfull to consider the difficultie that was to gather together this body of empire how litle so euer it be the which hath ben first coÌ„pact in Germanye For is it possible to imagin dissencions ciuill wars that hath not ben through the countries All then that appertaineth to the Empire so behoueth to coÌ„clude contained at this day vnder the name of the empire is inclosed within the confines of Germany out of whose limitts there is nothing The Empyre is very straightly enclosed And yet wythin these so straight limits we se how diuers do draw backe withdraw aswell their owne persons as their goods froÌ„ the subiection of the empire albeit that I hold my peace of kinges nere hand of others who enforce themselues daily asmuch as lyeth in theÌ„ violently to plucke from diminish this poore litle body so defeicted that there resteth but the very bones to put into their handes that which appertaineth vnto the publike weale The prophecie of daniel expounded But for to make an end let vs appropriate in few words Daniell who prophicieth of al these things We haue here before spokeÌ„ of the image that Nabuchodonozor saw in his dreame we wil returne hither herafter Now let vs se the other places in the vii chap. he discribeth the iiii beasts which bi dreame he saw come out of the OceaÌ„ sea to wit the Lion the beare the Leoparde As touching the iiii he saith that it was dredfull terrible to behold The foure beastes The lioÌ„ signifieth the kingdome of the Assirians The two wings that he attributeth vnto him are as the two members of thys Empire to wit Babilon Assiria By the beare is signified the kiÌ„gdome of Persia by the which that of babiloÌ„ was destroied The iii ribbes which he saith to haue ben betwen his other teth ar the principal kiÌ„gs of this monarchy to wit Cirus Darius Artaxerxes Artaxerxes who haue excelled aboue the others haue eaten much flesh that is to say haue ioyned diuers people to their dominion The Leopard is the Empyre of Alexander the great or of the Grekes The foure wings heads thereof are the foure kingdoms which issued out of this monarchy after Alexanders death The fourth last beast is the romain Empyre the ten hornes are his members or partes as Syria Egipt Asia Grecia Afrike The tennâ— hornes Spaine Fraunce Italy Germany England For the Romains possessed al these nations Betwene these ten hornes sprang vp a lyâ—le horne which pluckt away three of the other ten by the which is ment the mahometicall or turkishe raigne the whiche being engendred of smale beginning in the romain monarchy hath occupied thre partes therof to wit Egipt Asia Grecia Moreouer this litle horne hath eyes is presuÌ„ptuous against god For Mahomet propounded a newe doctrine very pleasant to his the which hath a certain apearance of wisedom these are the eyes but vndoutedly this doctrine blasphemeth god For it altogether abolisheth the writings of the prophets apostles the wicked doctrine of Mahomet doth not acknowledge any benifite of Christ On the contrary it iniuriously slaundereth the whole doctrine of Christ Furdermore thys litle horne maketh battell against the saincts doth vehemently afflict them as he saieth vntil that the auncient who hath neither beginning nor ending shal come to make his iudgement Whereof it plainly appeareth that the course of this world shal take end in this empyre none other shall folow but that all principalties of the world being abolished that perpetuall kingdome shall come whereof Christ shal be the head conductor In the .viii. Chap. Daniel discribeth the Ramme Goate The RaÌ„me the goate Which afterwards thangel interpreteth euidently sayeth that the Ramme with two hornes signifieth the kings of the Medes Perses but the Goate the Greke empyre that great horne in his forhead signifieth the first king of this Empyre and that this horne being broken foure other succeded it he sayeth that it
signified foure kingdoms that should arise and spring out of this Empyre but that they shoulde not be able to compare neyther in strength nor power with the abouesaid first king Let vs then se how properly Daniel hath paynted forth Alexander the great CC. yeres and more before that he raigned for he sayth that the Goate shuld not touch the ground Victories of Alexander that is to say he should dispatch his warres with great speede and that none coulde saue the Ramme from his hands For Alexander raigned but .xii. yeres and in so litle a tyme he subdued almost al Asia as we haue here abouesayde And albeit that the power of the Persians Medes was vncredible not withstanding Darius was vanquished of him in thre battells one after another lost his life Empyre Certain say that when Alexander came into Ierusalem the chiefe priest recited vnto him this place of Daniel wherwith he greatly reioysed As touching that another horne shuld come out of these foure the which at the first was very litle but afterwards became merueylous great which shuld greuously afflict the most holy places he sayeth that hereby is signiâ—ied the horrible persecutions that the Iewes shuld suffer of the posteritie of Alexander the great to wit of the kings of Egipt Syria betwene that which countreys Iudea is situated Truely the Iewes haue experimented this horne sprong out of the foure to wit Antiochus the noble king of Syria most cruel destroyer Here is also to be applied the .xi. chapter where he spâ—aketh againe of Alexander and of his successours so effectualy that it seemeth no prophecie but some historie Finally let vs come to the image of Nabuchodonozor The image of Nebuchodonozor wherof we haue spoken in the first booke because that occasion was offered I wil not repete thinterpretatioÌ„ touching the thre first empyres forasmuch as it is altogether manifest approued by the course of times I wil speake only somwhat of the fourth because it toucheth vs who liue therin is more seriously discribed by Daniel He sayth that it shuld be of iroÌ„ and that it shuld beat down subdue al other Empyres It nedeth not many words to shew this for the thing it self maketh the profe by the histories that I haue recited The fete the toes are partly of iron partly of clay EueÌ„ as the fote of maÌ„s body is clouen into toes so after that the romain empire shal be set vpoÌ„ his leggs of iron haue had his dominioÌ„ through the hole earth he shal end in toes this huge body shal be dissolued It is altogether manifest that this is come to passe and it nedeth no expositioÌ„ For is there any thing more disparsed at this day then the body of thys great Empyre And although it be so notwithstanding because that the sole of the fote is of iron as he sayth it shal remain always stable the romaine empyre shal endure vnto the end it can not be altogether broken But the remnant the name and dignitie shall abide vntill such time as Christ shall ende all humain thynges by his comming We can in no wyse doute it is more cleare then the nooneday that this Empyre is brought extremely thinne and lowe That high tree is fallen down neuerthelesse the roote doth yet abide and perseuer not with such iuyce that it can spreade forth or encrease but it is altogether drye Howbeit there shal be no humain power that can pluck vp thys roote or plant of the nature of iron but it shal haue always roote in the earth vntil such time as the workmanship of this world be destroyd We haue experience thereof For diuerrs haue employed their powers to roote vp this litle strayght possession of the Empyre amongest whome haue bene the popes the Turks And albeit that thei haue done many enterprises â–ª forcast to do more The pope the Turkes enemies of th empyre notwithstanding they shal neuer come to the point to compare or make their power equall let them do what they wyll with the greatnes of that of the Romains neither shal they ouerthrow that litle remnaÌ„t of the empyre although it be dry without iuyce There shal be no fifte monarchie For it is not possible to establishe a fifte monarchy Trewe it is that Germany only hath the title and possession of th empyre but if she knit together her powers courages it shal be easie for her to represse al outward violence a thing proueable by diuers examples A few yeres past the Turkes passed the straight of Thracia and proyed and spoyed all ouer Europa and at this present haue so enlarged them selues that theyr dominion bordereth vpon Germanye Wherethrough she is in great daunger aswell as Italy for the nearenes Howbeit if we marke Daniel more narowly it is to be hoped that their strength power is come euen to the vppermost steppe For Daniel attributeth vnto them but only thre hornes as we haue sayd the which they now obtain The three hornes of the Turkes first of al in possessing the dominion of Asia afterwards of Grecia of Egipt The whole countrey of that regioÌ„ may be comprehended vnder the name of Grecia euen almoste vnto Sclauonia And albeit that in our tyme they occupie a great part of Hungary that they possiblie may vexe and trouble Germany or the couÌ„treys thereabout not withstanding because their dominion is to be enclosed within certaine limittes maye not be comparable with the romaine power as we haue already shewed it is very lykely that these Prouinces shall not be assubiected vnto theÌ„ as are thother three Grecia Egipt and Asia They shall make warre against the saincts exercise all maner of crueltie against the christians and their fury shal endure euen vnto the end of the world as Daniel plainly witnesseth This is the principall cause of his prophesie to the end that beyng aduertised and certified of the calamities miseries of the last time we shuld not be discouraged but shuld waite for deliuerance by the coÌ„ming of Christ who will come shortly after these afflictions as he saith will carie his into a sure peasible place wyping al teares from their eies Certain places of Daniell do properly appertaine vnto the Iewes vnto whom the deliuerance froÌ„ the captiuitie is promised the time that the Messias promised vnto the fathers shuld come is noted signified The other prophecies touching the last age of the world them that shall liue at such time as the litle Horne Reuelation of antichrist which is the posteritie of Mahomet shal make war vpoÌ„ the saincts that that wicked abominable man of sinne who sytteth in the temple of god shewing himself as if he were god shal be reueled opened For eueÌ„ Daniel hath forshewed his tirannie as Paull expresly interpreteth in his epistles The fury of Sathan at the ende Sathan whom Christ himself calleth the prince of this world shal alwaies rage but chiefly in the last age of the world shal slacke louse all bridles of fury stirring vp aduersaries vnto Christ who shall not only be tiranous and cruel by power of armes but also by false doctrine shal draw men into deceipt and error in such sort that the very elect shall hardly escape their snares This truly is the time that daniel signifieth in the .xii. Chap. which should be so miserable desolate as neuer hath ben the like nor shal be For he promiseth vs not any thing pleasant but horrible persecutions when he saith that the calamities whereof he speaketh shal endure vntil the dispersioÌ„ of the hand or assembly of holy people be accoÌ„plished The people of God then shal be vexed through the whole earth And the godly meÌ„ shal be afflicted in diuers places as long as the world shall endure The which testimony of the prophet or rather of the Angell doth cut of froÌ„ vs all hope of coÌ„iunction recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ For he alwaies speaketh of dispersion dissipation putteth the end when the discords shal be raised for cause of the religion at whych tyme Christ shal appeare But for to comfort lyft vp sustayne them that shall then liue he incontinently after these miseries addeth the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead And we ought earnestly to pray vnto god that we may proue and fele it ioyfull comfortable The meane while Christ himself autoriseth daniel Daniell alledged by Christ Math .xxiiii. who in a certayn sermon of his aledgeth a place of him and putteth him in credit towards the auditours Seing then that these present times are very troublesome and miserable this prophet ought diligently to be vnderstanded who preacheth vnto vs that are horne in the end of the world And he ought studiously to be red and marked to the end that in these present euills we myght be fortified as wyth a trench or bulwarke and indued wyth assured consolation against the stormes and tempestes which threaten vs. FINIS