Prophets but most of all in dignitie and honour for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan so called first after the land of Israel thirdly of Iudea fourthly last called after Christ our Sauiours death The holy land or the land of Palestina the inhabitants thereof were called accordingly Cananites Hebrewes Israelites Iewes of whom either to speake or to write of their lawes their Iudges their Kings or of their ceremonies or of their common wealth it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes and so affirmed by Iosephus that Demetrius Phalerius did auere before Philodelphus king of Alexandria that the Greekes nor the Latinists might translate handle or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men as Theopompus Theodecta with others which were made blind by their arrogancie and became mad An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time to write of the Hebrues histories for the greatest brag of the Greekes as Iosephus saieth and the most ancient historie of the Graecians is Homers worke they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus after that the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied and their empires lost at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus for Plato of whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens euen that learned Philosopher doth confesse that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece which was in Cyrus time at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato which was the infancie of Greece and the first schoole of their Philosophie Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people euen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres odde they inhabited the land called Syria called likewise Phoenicia and now in latter yeeres called Iudea of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the soile Hecateus the Abederit a good Philosopher and a great writer flourishing in the time of Alexander the great made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Iudea where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful description of Iudea Iosephus a Iew borne being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes a man of great industrie learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue and very expert in the Iewish histories saieth that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel for so were they called after Iacobs time which by long wrastling with the Angel of the Lord was named Israel for first they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob which was 478. yeeres and odde secondarily Israel from Iacob vntill the destruction of Samaria at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father brought captiue vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres as Bucholcerus affirmeth and from the destruction of Samaria vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such that they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres and euer after they were by God deliuered they still wrought euil against them and persecuted them with continuall hatred disliking their religion abhorring their ceremonies disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie and contemning of their false gods which the Egyptians the Chaldeans the Assyrians did adore and therfore the blessing of God was according to the promise vpon the Hebrewes first afterwards called Israel Iewes and continued frō Abraham to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias the full accomplishment of the promise So these people bathed in blisse and being but a litle countrey few people from Dan to Berseba and of no estimation became by Gods fauour strong mightie conquerors of the greatest kings of the world So he said the Lord of all out of Sion shall my Law proceed and from Ierusalem my word This litle citie of Ierusalem chosen of God to be his seate though often for sinne destroyed and the people plagued yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died Behold Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia argenti mille millia talentûm And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of Salomō for there was in the temple of Salomon as Budaeus noteth 27. millions in ready coyne This made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the Hebrewes for by iust account of Budaeus there was left before vnto Salomon by Dauid his father ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem then Darius the great king of Persia left vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it this was the promise which God performed to Abraham and to his seed for euer This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died 40. yeeres before Sodome and Gomorrha were destroied At 75. yeeres was Abraham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians Now while Abraham obeied God from time to time from place to place exercising himselfe in the obedience of GOD famine grew in the land of Canaan so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt where hee continued three yeeres at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres read Astronomie and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences as Iosephus saieth for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie with the Chaldeans where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied in
Of this queene and of her doings her warres and her great workes you shall reade in Diodorus and Annius how she became so great so terrible and so luckie in any warre she tooke in hand that she excelled farre all the Assyrian and Caldean kings in victories and triumphs vntil Nabuchodonosors time but slaine at last by her sonne called Nynus or Nynias as Melancthon and Annius and Ruffinus writeth the 5. king of the Assyrians who liued with his mother and had no gouernment for that he was a simple man and who succeeded his mother being neither like to his father nor to his mother a king giuen to slouthfulnesse full of idlenesse of whom we reade nothing worth the writing sauing that he repaired beautified the temples of their idols and made much of the Chaldean magi which were accompted wise men obseruing the turne of Astrologers who began then in those dayes to vse diuination he reigned 38. yeeres who a litle before he died Camesenus being forced to flee frō all the partes of the world came to Bactria and there strengthened himselfe with the Bactrians that he prepared a great army to inuade the Assyrians but he was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen euen of this king Ninias as Berosus affirmeth yet Diodorus Iustinus Orosius say that this was done by Nynus the father of Ninias Let the reader beleeue whō hee list I had rather follow Berosus though he is supposed not to be Berosus yet the best writer vseth him in this historie for he is best to be beleeued for that hee knoweth better the Chaldean histories being a Chaldean borne then others This Ninias or Ramisninias is takē to be that king which is called Amraphel in Genesis king of Shinar which is Babylon for in the daies of Amraphel came Arioch king of Ellasar who came with the king of Shinar against the kings of Sodom Gomorrha together with two other kings Chedor king of Elam and Tidal king of the nations gathered of diuers countries These foure kings made warre with Bera king of Sodom with Byrsha king of Gomorrha with Shemeber king of Seboim and with the king of Bela in the vale of Siddim At this very warre Lot the nephew of Abraham for hee dwelt then at Sodom was taken with the king of Sodom the rest was rescued by Abraham his vncle he all his goods al his substance men women Abraham recouered frō Amraphel king of Shinar his company By this time Egypt began to florish and the kings of Egypt beganne to be strong they were all named Pharaohs as the Romanes called their Emperors Caesars names of great dignitie While this conflict and these great armies of fiue kings against foure were in the field you must vnderstand they were but gouernors of cities for in these daies skant the names of kingdoms were knowen but a kind of gouernment called Oligarchia by reason it was within 350. yeres of the flood At that time Abraham comming backe with Lot Melchisedec king of Shalem came to meete him blessed him to whom Abraham gaue tithe of al that he had This Melchisedec is taken to be Sem the sonne of Noah king of Shalem afterward called Ierusalem After this Ninias succeeded his sonne Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians as Functius writeth but Ruffinus the fourth and yet they vary not but in this that Functius beginneth from Nimrod which Ruffinus saith began in Babylon not in Niniue Againe Functius numbreth Semiramis reigne for that she reigned 40. yeres after her husband Nynus which Ruffinus omitteth coumpting Nynus reigne for both for both the gouernment of Semiramis and Ninus forward stil of the rest of the kings of Assyria Ruffinus omitting these two Nimrod Semiramis maketh Functius to say sixe and Ruffinus to accoumpt foure but in this I will follow Functius This Arius after that his father Ninias was dead hee gathered a great host of souldiers against the Bactrians and the Caspians with whom his father and his forefathers were enemies alwayes hee inuaded them againe spoyled their countrey slue their king and brought Bactria and Caspia subiect to the Assyrians in this kings time died Noah about twelue yeres after Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea and came to Haran where hee staied foure yeres Thus florished the kingdome of the Assyrians being still augmented with more Prouinces Cities and Countries by Arius and his predecessors and when hee had reigned 30. yeeres he died and after him succeeded Aralius the seuenth king of the Assyrians a warlike prince a man of great prowesse skilfull in militarie discipline full of martiall exploites of whom Berosus affirmeth that it was he that first vsed triumphs and pompes with great honor dignitie and rewards to souldiers that deserued praise began to be delicious in bankets and feastes and inuented many engins of warres that then were not knowen In this kings fathers time there dwelt in Celtiberia a great wise man expert in many things whose name was Druyas of whom as Berosus writeth the auncient priests and wise men were called Druyades so doth Plinie write and Caius Iulius Caesar in his booke de bello Gallico This Aralius ruled Assyria fourtie yeeres and died Then beganne in Niniue the reigne of Baleus surnamed Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians this surmounted farre his predecessour Aralius for hee brought vnder the scepter of Assyria twise asmuch people Nations and Countries as his predecessour did and therefore he was called Xerxes that is the conquerour the triumpher which long after were names of great dignitie among the Persians This king was both fierce and fortunate and enlarged the confines of his kingdome with many Nations he conquered al Countries vnto India he made the kings to bee feared so much of all kingdomes that he was named of the Assyrians Xerxes victor triumphator this reigned as Berosus doth write thirtie yeeres In this Baleus dayes Inachus the first king of the Argiues and their first kingdome began After Baleus reigned in Assyria a king named Armatrites the ninth of him there is no great thing to bee read to his commendation hee was giuen much to wicked lust and slouthfulnesse consuming his time in feasting and banquetting from one pleasure vnto another more cōuersant with women then with men and more delicious in apparell then hardie in warres and more giuen as Berosus saith to a lewde life then to vertuous exercise he reigned 38. yeeres In these dayes Sem the sonne of Noah died and the king of Salem being sixe hundred yeeres olde for Sem was a hundred yeere olde when the flood began and hee liued before the flood with three of his olde fathers with Noah Methusalem and Lamech and after the flood he liued in the second age vntill Iacobs time and died in the fiftie yere of Iacobs age seuen hundred yeeres iust before Dauids birth
hee liued thirtie fiue yeeres after Abrahams dayes The tenth king of the Assyrians was Belochus Priscus and he reigned 35. yeres a righteous king of whō writers make no great mention for most of the kings of Assyria be so ancient their histories by Berosus set forth so doubtfull that authorities sufficient cannot be found to write much sauing those ten kings which are mentioned in Scripture in whose time the Assyrians and the Chaldeans florished most their histories and their tyrannies done in the Church is set downe in the Prophetes by the Spirite of God the touchstone of all trueth and reserued by the holy Ghost to the vse of his Church and the members thereof the keyes of all knowledge of whom al prophane histories haue their beginning Baleus Iunior succeeded to be the eleuenth king of Assyria hee reigned two and fiftie yeeres and was amongst the Assyrians of great fame hee excelled the rest in all his warres for his predecessors euenthe best kings as Baleus Xerxes Aralius Ninus or Belus himselfe entred not so farre conquered not so much as this king did whom all writers so cōmended and specially after Semiramis next in fame and greatnes for shee conquered vnto India this conquered India and brought the Indians vnder the gouernment of the Assyrians paying yerely tribute vnto the kings of Assyria committing themselues and their countries vnder the tuition of this king Baleus Iunior In this Baleus Iuniors time Osiris being very aged returning from all the Countries where hee had traueiled into Egypt erected vp a triumphant pillar with this inscription set vpon it I am King Osiris the sonne of Saturnus that taught in all partes of the world the vse of those things which I Osiris first found out This Trophe was kept a long time by the Priestes of Egypt in memorie of Osiris About this time Iacob and his children went to Egypt 215. yeeres after Abrahams being in Egypt and they continued so long after Abraham 215. yeeres which was the whole time of the children of Israels bondage in Egypt for from Abrahams being first in Egypt where he left to dwell in Egypt some Hebrewes after his departing vntill the comming of Moses is 430. yeeres After this reigned Altad◅s the 12. king of the Assyrians this aboue the rest became epicureall applying his whole studie to seeke out vaine men that could well instruct him to degenerate from his predecessours for hee sawe so much wealth in Niniue where the treasures of the kings of Assyria were that he could by no meanes know how to spend them hee gaue himselfe to all kind of vices and to followe young councel and moreouer he thought it a most miserable thing to toile to traueile himselfe with continuall warres hauing so much substance that hee coulde not foresee howe to consume them but by a decree of his young councelours so it was deuised that the huge treasure great substance which his predecessours by their conquestes had obteined should be with most ease and lesse danger consumed for this was Altades opinion hee thought it most fit to liue in pleasure and to enioy the benefites of his predecessours noting the miserie to bee such of his elders as coulde not spende them selues but spare them to others and therfore suum institutum fuit saith the historie to feede delicately to vse insolent attires to followe riotous company to frequent all kinde of pleasures and to liue viciously while he liued In this time liued Prometheus of whom the Poets make mention much as Ruffinus in his comentarie doth note This Altades reigned 32. yeeres Berosus writeth that one Hercules king of Celtiberia in the 19. of Altades brought his sonne named Thuscus vnto Italie where hee was created king After this Hercules returned backe from Italie vnto Celtiberia where hee died being very olde hee was honoured with statues and images after his death as a demie god this was before Hercules Amphitrion 500. yeeres this reigned in the yere of the world 2275. When Altades had ended his riotous life one succeeded him named Mamitus the 13. king of Assyria a man of a cleane contrary disposition to Altades This king againe assoone as he came to his kingdom exercised himselfe with care diligence to foresee the state of his kingdome lothing detesting idlenes bent himselfe to warres kept garisons had diuers armies abroad himselfe ready to performe in persō that which Altades his predecessor had neglected This king grewe so great so strong that Egypt al Syria stood in awe of him which Syria as Sabellicus affirmeth was once the largest kingdom of the world hauing within it self Palestina Arabia Iudea Phoenicia Coelosyria for the Syrians are people very anciēt for so Plinie saith that they were before the Assyrians Strabo would haue Syria to be al one as Assyria is for so the Grecians called them This king Mamitus reigned 30. yeres was the first king of the Assyrians that began this warre in Syria Egypt for in his dayes Syria Egypt florished There is mention made of the Syrians in Genesis where Moses saith that the Syrians descended from Charmel the sonne of Nahor Abrahās brother called also by the kings of Aram. Nowe after Mamitus succeeded Mancaleus the 14. king of the Assyrians this king did nothing worth the memorie for we reade of no warre in his time for the kings of Assyria being the first nations which had kings in the world grew frō time to time so great so mighty that they held the Monarchie of Assyria from Nimrod to Sardanapalus 1240. yeeres and more during which time fewe kings or none coulde hurt them or stand in field against them for in the East part no king of any puissance was able to encounter with the Assyrian kings for then the Assyrians onely ruled other countries were not as yet populous sauing Egypt who began to be likewise strong in processe of time none coulde resist the strength of the Assyrians but the Egyptians When Egypt grew strong these two kingdomes began to warre one with another and therefore vntill the time of Phul Belochus Salmanasser Senaherib and Nabuchodonosor mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history no great histories are written of the Assyrian kings and then it was called new Assyria therefore nothing may be read of the first kings of Assyria for they helde their kingdome all this while without any great dangers for yet the engins of war◅es were ◅ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his histor◅ vn◅ the childrē of Israel going out of Egypt few could writ◅◅erteinly of this time being of such antiquitie for from Ninus the third king of the Assyrians vntill Spherus the fifteenth king which nowe I haue in hand as Archilochus doth gather there is 451. yeeres This Spherus after 20. yeeres gouernment died the 16. king called of
pleasures he commaunded fire to be put to his pallace I meane that pile of wood which he made for his graue and so ended his life and the Empire together in fire to escape his enemies thus ended the monarchie of Assyria after one thousand two hundreth and fourtie yeeres continuance Behold the euents of the kingdoms of the world how God gaue them alwayes vp to the enemies when they flourished most in glory and were most in force power Euen so was Chaldea and Assyria the only empires of the world which farre excelled all other kingdomes when it was ouerthrowen by Cyrus insomuch that the great and mightie king Nabuchodonosor the onely Hercules by Megasthenes so named of the East kingdomes who aduanced himselfe vp vnto the heauens who was compared for his great magnificence and glorious pompe of his huge empire for the pride of his minde and insolencie of his state to the starre Lucifer for the brightnes beautie and glorie of his Empire his greatnes was such that hee had diuine honours done vnto him but his pride and pompe was layde in the pitte For in the time of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldeans and Assyrians flourished for they were kings of the Arabians of the Egyptians of all Syria and for the glorie and greatnes of their kingdome it passed all others farre and being the first kingdome of the world was called the golden kingdome aureum seculum the other three Monarchies were called Argenteum seculum the siluer age beganne in Cyrus time in Persia the brasen age in Macedonia in the time of Alexander and last the Iron age among the Romanes beganne in Iulius Caesars time described in Daniel by the foure beastes For all Nabuchodonosors power strength states and kingdomes lost all within threescore and tenne yeeres of this his great possession and power Euen so the kings of Egypt which flourished in like strength and claimed the like maiestie lost their kingdome in the midest of their glory and were ouerthrowen by Cambyses To bee short because God would bee knowen vnto his people whom the wicked neuer confessed to bee the God of victorie he deliuered Pharao and all Egypt into the handes of Nabuchodonosor and for his pompe and pride herein thinking that it was his owne strength his owne force and power hee deliuered Nabuchodonosor and his posterities with all the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea into the handes of Cyrus whose kingdome flourished much aboue the rest vntil Darius sirnamed Codomanus whose wealth force and kingdomes were such that he made nothing of all the world beside God gaue him ouer into the handes of Alexander the great whose greatnesse continued not long for the like vnthankefulnesse to God for his kingdome passed to the Romanes Thus God appointed the weakest sometime to vanquish the strongest and raised vp the meanest to ouercome the mightiest Thus was Egypt subdued by the Chaldeans the Chaldeans by the Persians the Persians by the Macedonians the Macedonians by the Romanes and the long empire of the Romans their pompe and their glorie taken away by the Germanes and the Germanes rather prouinces to be called then an Empire so wickednesse preuailed that Turkes Canes Sophies with such infidels of long time flourished Then Arbaces and Phul Belochus deuided these Empires Phul Belochus helde Babylon and Niniue Arbaces possessed Media and Persia for his part But to write of Chaldea first this Phul Belochus though he dwelt in Babylon and raigned asking there eight and fourtie yeeres yet the name of the Monarchie continued still in Assyria for that the most part of the other Kings had their mansion in Niniue and therefore after Sardanapalus time called the newe kingdome of Assyria Nowe Belochus being settled king in Babylon called also the king of Assur hee came against the lande of Israel and mooued warres against Manahem then king but being pacified with a thousand talents of siluer he returned to Babylon without any harme done and there died when he had raigned eight and fourtie yeeres After him succeeded his sonne Phul Assur named in Scripture Tyglat Phul Assur this infidel God stirred vp against Israel for their sinnes hee tooke all these Cities and coastes Aron Abel Bethmecha Asor Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Nepthali and caried them vnto Assyria this king raigned three and twentie yeeres as both Functius and Melancthon write yet Metasthenes would haue him to raigne twentie and fiue yeeres After this succeeded Salmanasser the thirde king of newe Assyria hee likewise was by God appointed a scourge for the sinâ—…s of Israel and the idolatrie of Samaria hee came from Niniue vnto Samaria besieged it three yeeres and tooke it and caried all Israel captiue vnto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor cities of the Medes for at that time the Medes and the Persians were subiect vnto the Assyrians Thus were the 10. tribes caried captiue away from Samaria vnto Assyria in the ninth yeere of Hosea king of Israel after the building of Samaria 210. yeres the whole kingdome of Israel was destroyed when it had continued from the first yeere of Roboam the sonne of Salomon to the last yeere of king Hosea two hundreth fiftie and three yeeres as Functius affirmeth Then Salmanassar filled al the cities of Samaria with men from Babylon and from Hamath in stead of the children of Israel for the kings of Samaria enuied so much the kings of Iuda the state of Ierusalem the pompe of the high priest and the magnificence of Salomons temple that the kings of Samaria builded temples erected two idolatrous altars in Dan and Bethel where they sacrificed vnto the golden calfe and honoured idols of Baal yet God raised good men as Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea by whom the Church of God in this wicked kingdome was still preserued This king Salmanasser brought the Medes and Persians subiect vnto Assyria and destroyed the Moabites as the Prophet Esay afore tolde there is mention made of this king in the tenth chapter of Osea where the Prophet sayeth As Salmanasser destroyed Betharbell in the day of battaile the mother with the children was dashed in pieces so shall Bethel doe vnto you Vnder this king Salmanasser was Israel scattered like sheepe for the Lyons dispersed them first the king of Ashur that was Salmanasser hath deuoured him and last Nabuchodonosor hath taken his bones the one caried the tenne tribes of Israel the other caried the two tribes of Iuda prisoners vnto Babylon This Salmanasser is named of Ptolome Nabonasser he raigned in the eight Olympiad when Romulus was king in Rome Ezechias was king in Iuda and Osea king in Israel before the captiuitie of Iuda one hundreth thirtie and three yeeres so long was betweene the destruction of Ierusalem and Samaria for Salmanasser did raigne seuen yeeres king in Assyria before hee had besieged Samaria which is to bee noted to auoyde errours in accompt From the
the other not able to succeed his father in the kingdom therfore Tarquinius a man of good seruice before time knowen and in great friendship with Anc. Martius was by consent of the Senators and of the people elected the 5. king of the Romans In the beginning of whose raigne Thales Periander and Terpāder euen then the 17. Iubilee after Moses began in the 41. Olympiad But first I must set downe what kings raigned in other countreis before I speake of Tarquinius Priscus In the beginning therefore of Ancus Martius raigne raigned king of Egypt Necho by whom Iosias king of Iuda was then slaine and in Media Ciaxeres in Daniel called Darius Medus This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor by whom Ioakim king of Iuda was caried captiue vnto Babylon and in Lidia raigned Sadaites their seuenth king Then the Prophet Ieremie prophecied the 70. yeeres of captiuitie to the Iewes in the time of Ancus Martius after whom Tarquinius Priscus by election and not by succession became the fift king of Rome Of whose countrey parentage and friends and how he came to be king of Rome reade Halicarnassaeus where you shal finde the whole historie therof Against this king the Latins had diuers aydes frō the Hetruscans specially from fiue great cities inhabited by people called Clusini Arretini Volaterani Rusellani and Vetulonenses And in like maner as before to Ancus Martius so now they began with Tarquinius Priscus one that had good cause to knowe them for that he had tried them before and therefore vsed them as his predecessors did ouerthrew them and subdued them so that their cities their townes and their countreys were made euen to the ground By this king were the Fidenats the Latins and the rest of those nations about Rome subdued and destroyed the Hetruscans which kept Tarquinius in warres nine yeeres were ouerthrowen in so much that they made Tarquinius prince of Hetruria so the Hetruscans after nine yeres warres being broken and weary thought good with one consent to send ambassadors from all the cities of Italy to Tora to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto them vpon condition that they would make Tarquine their prince and to haue the name of their chiefe magistrate in euery city which were called Lucumones to hold of him This being of meere force consented Tarquinius Priscus granted them their owne lawes customes and liberties in all points as they had before After this he gouerned in peace after he had triumphed with great pompe and solemnitie as then the time serued He went dayly most sumptuous inapparel he ware a crowne of gold vpō his head and had on Togam pretextā with a scepter of Iuory in his hand which was then strāge to see in Rome for Romulus had his scepter but of wood he sate in a chaire of Iuory and his Serieants about him where he gaue lawes to the people he was admonished of this good fortune whē yet he was a stranger in Rome by an Egle who toke his hat frō his head in his claw and flew so hie in the aire that scant the Egle could be seene and in the sight of al his people the Egle brought the hat againe and let it fall vpon Priscus head he was by this perswaded that it signified good and therefore expected the kingdome after Ancus Martius though a stranger and that Ancus had 4. sonnes to succeed him The Sabines which held the Romanes play for 5. yeres were also by Tarquinius ouerthrowen In these warres against the Sabines Ser. Tullius was made general this for his good seruice and wise policie afterward succeeded Tarquinius in the kingdome for he was esteemed of the people in much fauour with Tarquinius in the like fauour was Tarquinius before with Ancus Martius whose seruice seemed such that he was elected king ouer the Romanes though he was a stranger Now after that Tarquinius had subdued al townes and cities about Rome and had made the confines of Rome larger then before yet as Eutropius saith all the warres victories and triumphes which Romulus T. Hostilius Anc. Martius and this Tarquinius Priscus these 5. kings had ouer many people extended not aboue 15. miles from the citie of Rome so hard were the Romans kept in warres on all sides applied with their neighbours and so long were they augmenting their Empire But to returne to Tarquinius who made the city of Rome farre more famous then before by building the walles thereof by doubling the nomber of the Senators the first beginning of the capitol this king also builded a place for playes called Circus and instituted diuers games there betwixt mount Auētine and mount Palatine he made sinks to auoyd the filth and ordure of the citie and with great expences made it to be caried into the riuer of Tiber. This Tarquinius was the first that entred the citie of Rome with any triumph on chariot though some say that Romulus some Valerius Publicola but Tarquinius Priscus by cōmon consent was the first that set forth triumphs in so stately and magnificent shew and hee himselfe the first that triumphed on triumphant chariot and that three seueral times ouer the Latines Sabines and Hetruscanes and when hee had ◅aigned 38. yeeres he was slaine by the sonnes of Ancus Martius his predecessour During his gouernment raigned in other countreys these kings in Lydia Haliactes their 8. king in Macedonia Europus their 7. king in Egypt raigned Apries whom Ieremy calleth Hophra at what time Ierusalem was destroied by Nabuchodonosor and the Iewes broght captiue vnto Babylon In this kings raigne the warres grew betwixt the Lydians the Medes when Astiages raigned king ouer the Medes This time florished in the last yeres of this king many wise men as Solon in Athens Thales in Miletū and others called the 7. sages Likewise about the last yeeres of this king Nabuchodonosor was by repentance for his transgressions against the Lord restored to his kingdome againe Now after this the 6. king of the Romans was named Seruius Tullius of whom you heard before how he was a captaine vnder Priscus and now elected king in the 50. Olympiad in the beginning of the 18. Iubilee being maried to Tarquinius his own daughter a noble womā borne yet a captiue and a handmaid This time liued Accius Nauius a great soothsayer of great fauour and credite in the citie of Rome this man before the king who scoffed the art of Nauius and caried in his bosome a hard flint stone onely to trie the skill of Nauius which he with a knife did cut through the midst and therfore the king commaunded his statue or image to be made and to be erected vp in that very place where he vsed this feat before Priscus Tarquinius in memorie of his arte with his flint stone and knife in his hand His fathers name was Tullus his mother was named Ocrisia
slew the great giant called Lycurgus in Thracia Of this Osiris whom the Egyptians named Serapis to whom they vsed much diuine honour and solemne sacrifice as to one of their principal gods read Herodot more of this god there you shal find how king Cambyses Cyrus sonne secōd king of Persia gaue a blow and wounded him in his temple whereat the Egyptians were more offended then for al the crueltie tyrannie which Cambyses did to them It made them to reuolt from Cambyses and to be in armes against the Persians to reuenge the blow which Cambyses gaue to their god Serapis Deabus in Celtiberia he is also named Geriō vsed this time great crueltie and tyrannie he found then one of the first mines of golde and after he found many other mines of gold siluer and of other mettals This time Mena raigned in Egypt the first king who instructed them in many things in Egypt as to woorship their gods to do sacrifice with diuers other ceremonies wher in Egypt excelled all other kingdoms he taught thē the vse of beds to lye on tables to sit at meat This Mena is supposed to be Mizraim Osyris which of Berosus is called Oceanus About this time dyed Ismael the base sonne of Abraham by his maide Agar after he had liued 137. yeeres he left behind him twelue sonnes princes ouer the people ouer his tribes In this tyraunt Deabus time otherwise called Gerion Ioseph was sold into Egypt and the Indians brought presents committed themselues vnto the Chaldeans for by this time many parts of the world were well inhabited and some kingdomes began to be populous and kings grew strong and mightie on the earth for now raigned in Assyria Baleus Iunior who flourished by his prowes courage augmented the territories of the Assyrians into the confines of India and excelled in fame nexte vnto Semiramis Queene of Assyria Osiris also had nowe gotten all Italie into his hand and held it for ten yeeres Typhon became a great tyrant killed his brother Osiris the iust vsurped the kingdome of Egypt So I might say of Anteus in Lybia of Busiris in Phoenicia and so of this Gerion in Celtiberia and of diuers others who forsooke to be kings being not contented with one kingdome became tyrants and vsed all kinde of cruelty deceites and treason to enlarge their dominions When this tyrant Gerion died in Celtiberia his 3. sonnes succeeded after him called Lomuini they builded a great town in Celtiberia named it after their names Lomuinia These brethrē after they iointly gouerned the Celtiberians for the space of 52. yeeres they left the countrey to bee gouerned by one Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Lybius This gouerned the Celtiberians for seuenteene yeeres and builded a strong towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis In his time the kinges of Egypt became first to be called Pharaoes a name giuen to them of dignitie for in the beginning of kingdoms men were yet simple contented with one Towne for diuers cities with a small territorie in steede of a great kingdome which shortly grew to that pride that kings would not be contented with a kingdome neither with 2. or 3. kingdomes they woulde faine get the whole worlde and some weepe with Alexander because there were no more but one world to winne So grew the intollerable insolencie of princes in short time vpon the earth that they would be called gods commanded by edicts that they should be so worshipped as Belus among the Assyrians Nabuchodonosor among the Caldeans Osiris among the Egyptians Alexander the great among the Persians and Dioclesian among the Romanes Idolatrie superstition vainglorie and selfe loue entred into mens hearts and possessed their mindes in such sort in steede of trueth simplicity iustice contentation and quietnes which yet raigned among men dum aureum seculumfloruit During the reigne of Hispalus in Celtiberia that gouernement called Dynasteia Politanorum beganne in Egypt which continued 348. yeeres Argus the fourth king of the Argiues gouerned after Hispalus had gouerned 11. yeres Hispanus succeeded king of Celtiberia which gouerned them for 32. yeres of this king Hispanus Celtiberia was named Hispaine for in Egypt beganne the names of Pharoes when the kings of Celtiberia were named kings of Hispaine CHAP. II. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntill the monarchie was dissolued and the names of kinges ended after what time Hispayne was deuided vnto particular Prouinces and seuerall dominions after the raigne and gouernement of foure and twentie kings euen from Cetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last HItherto you reade howe that the first inhabitauntes were called by diuers names first of Tubal their first king by whome they were called Cetubals at the seconde change they were called Hiberi and the countrey Hiberia after the name of Hiberus their seconde king the thirde time they were called Celtiberi and the countrey Celtiberia the fourth time the countrey was called Hesperia and the fifte time nowe of Hispanus the countrey is called Hispayne This time in the East kingdomes nothing was done woorth the writing Forkinges were scant yet knowen no great warres yet heard of for at this time reguli non Reges fuere and therefore I thought it the best course to set downe the names of the first Kinges that then inhabited in Hispayne for all this while and of long time after no warre no victorie no martiall exploites were in anie part of the worlde sauing in the East among the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which grewe by this time so mighty that they held betwene them the first monarchie and yet their dominion seemed not to extend farre by the sequele I wil therefore bee briefe for that I cannot finde during the time of these 24. kings anie historie woorth the writing nor of long time after these foure and twentie kinges raigned in Spayne one after another 1 Tubal their first king by whom they were called Cetubals which raigned 155. yeeeres and had setled some seates and builded some townes and died 2 Iberus his sonne and their second king raigned 37. yeres he also died 3 Iubalda the third king and the sonne of Iberus raigned 66. yeeres and dwelt hard by a mount of his owne name called Iubalda which vnto this day is of the Spaniards named Gibralta 4 Brigus succeeded Iubalda in the 20. yere of Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians and gouerned in Celtiberia 51. yeeres 5 After him Tagus which is called Orma gouerned the Celtiberians and raigned 30. yeeres hee beganne to gouerne his kingdome with Baleus Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians and at what time the Argiues reared first there and Phaeton came to Italie Phaetontis incendium 6 Then succeeded in Celtiberia Betus their sixth king which beganne his raigne when Armatrites the ninth king beganne in Assyria and raigned one and thirtie yeeres this time Eusebius setteth downe the
Aemil. l. b. 2. Clotarius the 3. of that name Eâ—…l de reg FraÌ„c Theodoricus by Bodillus slaine in hunting The Saracens held warres in diuers countries Clodouaeus Hildebertus Reade Tilius chron de reg Franc. Chilâ—…ericus by the aide of Martellu was crowned king of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cala. 20. Gizid The Saracâ—…ns by cold and hunger driueÌ„ from Constantinople The gouernment of exarchie in Italie altered Beda this time liued Ceolulphus became a Moncke Edo and Abdimarus two kings of the Saracens Hildericus surnamed Stupidus Martellus died Pipinus the first anointed Salim The Popes authoritie first alowed in Fraunce Reade Pau. Aemilius lib. 3. of Charles the great Charles the great aduanced the fame of Fraunce I folowed in al points Paul Aenâ—…lius from PharamuÌ„dus vntil Henry the first and from theÌ„ce I folowed Arnol. Fernonus vnto Lewes the 12. the two onely best writers of the French The empire of Rome brought to Fraunce by Charles the great Though Clodouaeus the 2. of that name be the 12. king in number after Pharamundus yet because of the diuision of the histoâ—…e I begin froÌ„ him as from the first vnto Charles the great From Pharamundus to Clodouaeus the 2. and from him to Charles the great I vse not these Olympiads for any iust nuÌ„ber of yeeres for that there was error in them Charles the great made Emperour of Rome Popes florished after the Emperours The greatnes of the Popes of Rome The kingdoms of the North began now to flourish Beroaldus lib. 4. Gaul grekes Lodouicus pius succeeded his father Charles the great both in the kingdome and in the Empire Tilius de reg Francor The great slaughter in the ciuil warrs of Fraunce betweene brethren were such that all Carolus stocke was welnigh extinguished Carolus Caluus Lewes sirnamed Balbus Lewes the third and Carolomanus the 27. Carolus sirnamed Crassus the 28. Odo the 29. Carolus Simplex Lewes the 12. I follow Tilius table chiefly in setting downe the kings of France The kingdom of Polonia Reade Aemil. lib. 1. Hugo Capetus the first king of those that were naturally borne Galli 10. Tilius de reg Franc. Hierusalem called the Holy land Both Functius Beroaldus and Tilius agree in placing these kings in this sort The house of Valloys began I haue followed Paulus Aemilius and Alâ—… Ferranus since Faramundus vnto Lewes the 12. and haue also coÌ„ferred both them with Tilius Chron. Before Faramundus by Tritemius Sempron de Ital. Fabius Pictor de aureo seculo Mar. Cato de originibus Berosus and Manethon wrote vnknowen histories Talmudists fabulous The priestes of Egypt Mithici No prophane writers known before Cyrus time The vncertaintie of prophane histories Daniel a true Chronographer for the 3. last Monarchies The Greekes histories more fabulous then the Latines Fab. Pictor de orig M. Cato de orâ—…g Ital. Semp. de diu Ital. Myrsilus de bello Pelasgico Halicar lib. 1. Contention betweene the Scythians and the Egyptians Pythagoras authoritie with his schollers was no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Picts inuaded Britaine Pont. Virunnius Brutus from Italie Ianus from Chaldea Marcomirus from Scythia Albalonga builded by Ascanius Reade Dyonis Halicar of this historie lib. 1. Halic lib. 1. Origo Romani imperij Aeneas M. Cato de frag origo The Romanes come fromthe Troians Romanes not knowen to the Grecians before Alex. time nei ther the Grecians to the Persians vntill Xerxe time Strab. lib. 15. Berosus Ctesias Manethon Ioseph lib. cont App. on The proofe of Brutus coÌ„ming into Albion more plaine then of Francus into Fraunce or of Hispanus into Hispaine Reade Annius de frag Hispaniae of the sundry names of Hispaniards The Britaines neuer chaÌ„ged their names The diuers sundry names of the French men The Persians and the Egyptians were by diuers names called Britaine diuided for 50. yeeres into foure kingdoms From Elidurus vnto Belinus the great 185. yeeres Androgeus the onely cause of Caesars victorie The kings of Britaine continued 1800. yeeres Iu Caesars stock proceeded froÌ„ gens Iulia. Augusts Caesar desirous to knowe his genealogie Dardanus married the daugh ter of Teucer The successions of all the kings that reigned in Troy Dionys. Halicar lib. 2. Aeneas maried Latinus daugh ter Dionys Halycar Annius M. Coruinus set downe these kings in this sott Augustus Caesar lineally proceeded from Aeneas Dionys. Halicar lib. 〈◊〉 Diodor. lib. 2. Strab. lib. 4. Talmudists Gymnosophists Druydes Turdetani Bardi Belinus the great Rodericus the great Leoninus the great
M. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Cōmodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murthers and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperor vntill the time of Dioclesian the 38. emperor 562. Of the rest of the Emperours of Rome after Dioclesians time at what time their Empire at Rome beganne to decay for that the dignitie of the olde Emperours were diminished by reason that Constantinople whom Constantine the great had so enriched and beautifiedwith their auncient monuments of Rome that olde Rome was hereby defaced and newe Rome thereby florished so that the Empire was diuided betweene two Emperours the one to be at Constantinople the other at Rome 576. Liuius Trogus Pomp. Florus Valerius Max. Eutropius Suetonius Egnatius Tacitus Voriscus Cassiodorus Blondus Iosephus Plinius Appianus Sabellicus Orosius Beroaldus Polybius Dionys. Halicar Herodianus Fūctius with others THE TRYALL OF MARTYRS OF the try all of the Martyrs of God in the primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the third Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the third persecution which began vnder Domitian the twelfth Emperour of Rome Fol. 587. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour vnto the sixt persecution vnder Sept. Seuerus the 22. Emperour of the constancie of faithfull Martyrs euery where in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan 593. Of the tyranny of time frō the sixt persecution vnder Seuerus vntil the ninth persecution vnder Dioclesian the Emperour of the zeale and constancie of the godly in their martyrdome and of the tyranny and wickednesse of the kings of Persia and of the Emperours of Rome at that time in the persecution of the Church 600. From Dioclesian vnder whom the vehementest persecution of any reigned vntill the reigne of Alexander Seuerus by whose good meanes and great traueile persecution somewhat sla◅kt at what time diuers heresies began fresh in many places of Asia and Europe 608. Eusebius Euagrius Ireneus and Functius table OF SPAINE OF the antiquitie of Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their continuance from Tubal vntill Hispanus during which time they were called by diuerse seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hispani Fol. 617. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntil the monarchie and the names of kings ended after what time Spaine was diuided into peculiar prouinces and seuerall dominions after the reigne and gouernmēt of 24. kings frō Caetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last 626. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into prouinces and dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Affricanes vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Affricanus time at what time both Affrica Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto Rome 633. From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine vnto the time of the Vandales the third conquest of Hispaine and from the Vandales vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest from the Gothes vnto the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine 641. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Aragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a countrie was Spaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time 647. For the histories of old Hispaine fewe haue written of it as Annius Manethon but since they were conquered by the Romanes all Romane writers speake of them by the reason of the Affricane warres as Liui. Trogus Pomp. Lu. Florus Blondus Beroaldus Functius and many more of late But of olde Hispaine Io. Annius Manethon Diodorus Siculus Ritius Iornandus Boufinus OF GALLOGRAECIA OF the beginning and original of the natiō which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many countries in Asia and of their ouerthrowe by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome 655. From Francus the 16. king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernment during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus 669. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntill the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus vnto Pharamundus they were called Franci foure hundred and odde yeeres that wellnigh nine hundred yeeres they were before they coulde possesse the kingdome of Fraunce 675. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom al Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his reigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lorde and Sauiour 420. of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vnto Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Pharamundus 684. From Clodouaeus the second who began his reigne 645. vntill the reigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone and onely mirror of France by whom chiefely the Frenchmen florished in famous renowme and in whō all the lawes relikes and monuments are established 697. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whome all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany 703. Tritemius Pau. Aemilius Arnol. Ferronus Io. Tilius Ritius Blondus Beroaldus Plutarch Functius T. Liuius Diodor. Siculus The briese for Britaine I gathered out of these Authors Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Diodorus Siculus Strabo Gildas Giraldus Guidonius Ponticus Verrunnius Iu. Caesar. OF THE CREATION OF the world and of the continuance of the first age therein from Adam vnto Noah IN the beginning of all beginnings when GOD had made the vniuersal frame of the whole world of nothing the earth being without forme or shape couered with water and the water couered with darkenesse The first creature that was made was light of some learned men supposed to bee the creation of Angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres were created the fourth day the rest of the sixe daies workes is set
was two discents after Iacobs children but as I sayd before hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie for where true records want then coniectures of men doe grow About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard by Rebecca his wife hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly he liued one hundred eightie yeeres three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued Which Isaac liued With Sem 110. yeeres With Sara his mother 37. Arphaxat 48. Sarug one yeere Salah 78. Iacob his brother 120. Heber 139. Ismaeel his halfe brother by Abraham liued with Isaac 75 Agar 123. Thare his grandfather 35. Ioseph 29. Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau which gouerned all the land of Seir for the appointment of GOD was Maior seruiet Minori when Iacob had no certaine place in the world but tossed from one affliction to an other Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren and laied in prison in Egypt euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia Antens of Lybia Melinus of Creete with others hee killed the king vsurped the kingdome and was called thereby as Berosus affirmeth Tiphon tyrannus but he was well requited and all his confederats for they all were slaine by Orus Magnus Osiris sonne in a towne of Arabia named Anteos Rhodes was builded about this time which was named before Opheinissa the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt and in all the world began likewise about the time of Isaacs death In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king a man of the greatest fame after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne Hercules surnamed Lybius draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them and subdued them and afterward reigned peaceably 20. yeeres as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt began the Kings of Egypt to be called Pharaones a name of great dignitie not proper names but as the Romanes Alexandrians the Latines with other kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars Siluij Ptolomeis Arsaces so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pharaones which began about the latter end of Isaac Sparta a famous towne amongst the Lacedemonians was builded of Pharoneus sonne whose name was Sparta and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta Alitle after this time the going of Iacob vnto Egypt was in the 130. yeres of his age where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh and then died after Abrahams being in Egypt 215. yeeres and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph who was solde by his brethren and by his father thought to be slaine then dwelled in Iudea Hethits Iebusites Amorites Chananites Amalakites and Pheresites this land flowed with milke and hony fertile and full of all plentifulnes for after Ioseph died in Egypt Moses was borne within 65. yeeres and in the fourescore yeere of Moses age the 145. after Ioseph died and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan as it shall bee hereafter said But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large and in Iosephus and specially Frigius Mosaicus in his booke De historijs patrum leaueth nothing vntouched I will forward to the birth of Moses CHAP. II. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua which were 72. yeeres MOses the sonne of Amri being borne in Egypt in the time of Israels bondage and throwen according to the commandement of Pharaoh vnto Nilus but by the prouidence of God Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis walking for her pleasure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus beheld a thing houering vpon the water commaunded her maide to see what it was there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child she much delited in him and caused an Egyptian woman to giue him dugge which the childe refused his sister Miria said Ifan Hebrew woman were there he would sucke Thermutis willed her straight to bring one and she brought the mother of Moses to whome the Kings daughter saide Take this childe and bring him vp for me and she adopted him her sonne This childe grewe both goodly and godly of whom many things are written of while yet he was in Egypt being but a childe in Thermutis armes she put the Kings diademe vpon the childes head and he threwe it to the dirt not esteeming pompe and regall shewe But after he grewe to be a man he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Aethiopians and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians where the kinges daughter of Aethiope called Tharbis beholding his magnanimitie with admiration of his great actions fell in loue with Moses offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope the condition he accepted vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood which was done But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses disgrasing and disdaining his fortune and threatning him to the death after the killing of the Aegyptians fearing it should come to light fled vnto the Madianits wher he maried Iethroes daughter and continued fourtie yeeres vntill the Angell appearing in a flaming bush commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh to deliuer Israel from captiuitie with whome Aaron his brother which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen was ioyned with Moses in commission to execute the commaundements of God for to Moses was granted wisedome counsel and power to doe miracles to Aaron eloquence learning and power to speake what he would Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt in these wordes Sanguis Rana Culex Muscae Pecus Vlcera Grando Vermes Tenebrae Pestis primogenitorum Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Hebron by his progenitors as Ioseph had commanded when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill This
who caried them prisoners vnto other strange countreies and set strangers to dwell in Samaria CHAP. VI. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroied Samaria taken and the 10. tribes of Israel carried captiue by Salmanassar into Assyria THis time reigned in Ierusalem Ezechias a godly zealous king who destroied idols and brake in peeces the brasen serpent he tooke away the high places cut downe the groues the altars their images and idols and walked before God vprightly and in the 14. yeere of his reigne came Senaherib with an huge host to Iuda spoiling and destroying Libna Lachis and other cities laide siege to Ierusalem threatned the king and blasphemed God most horribly challenging the gods of the nations and defying the God of Israel preferring the armies of flesh and the strength of his hoste But his bragging boasting was sharply punished by the Angel of God who slew at that time of the Assyrians an hundreth foure score and fiue thousand and Senacherib him selfe before his idoll Niseroch whom he worshipped preferred before the liuing God was slaine of his owne sonnes Adramelech Sarezer the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie After this Ezechias fell sicke and was restored to health in signe whereof God brought the Sunne 10. degrees backe in Achas diall this good king repaired the Temple instructed the Leuites in the religion he and all his princes of Iuda frequented the Temple sacrificed daily to their God oblations of thanks giuing and he commanded all the Nobles of Israel and Iuda from Dan to Bersheba to repaire to Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer to the Lorde which Passeouer was so great that the like was not in Israel This Passeouer vnder Ezechias was 775. yeeres after the Passeouer of Moses and 775. yeeres before the Passeouer of Christ our Sauiour in the Newe Testament Now after that Ezechias had destroied idolatrie and had appointed Priestes and Leuites according to the commandement of God praied for his people and prouided for the Leuites liuings and ordained ouerseers to distribute to euery Leuite his portion Israel prospered all the daies of Ezechias and all things went well with Iuda But Ezechias being deade Manasses his sonne succeeded him not in religion nor in godlines for he followed not his father Ezechias in vertue but his Grandfather Achas in all kinde of vices for this most wicked king restored idolatrie in Israel vsed great crueltie and he erected altars to Baal and set vp images in groues he practised witchcraft and sorcerie and frequented the companie of them that had familiar spirits and those that were soothsayers This king did much euill in the sight of God he martyred the Prophet of God Esay and consecrated his sonne in fire to his idoll he shed innocent blood and filled Ierusalem with iniquitie Beholde such a good father to haue such a wicked sonne But the Lord God stretched ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria the plummet of the house of Achab and promised to destroy Iuda as he had destroied Israel so he did with Manasses and gaue him to Assur and to his Captaines who brought him in fetters and bound in chaines to Babylon But when he was in tribulation in Babylon he called then vpon God and God heard him and deliuered him and restored him to his kingdome so merciful is God when he is called vpon for by this God instructed him to know him selfe and to humble him selfe before God whome he much abused You may read in the bookes of the Kings in the Chroniches the histories of the kings of Israel at large Manasses died and left behind him Amon his sonne who reigned 2. yeeres in Ierusalem he forsooke God also walked in the waies of Achas and he was slaine by his owne seruants which conspired against him in his owne house the people made Iosias his sonne king ouer Iuda who beganne to reigne in Ierusalem in the 8. yeere of his age and in that age he was instructed by God to haue care ouer the people of Israel he sent messengers vnto all the townes cities and countries territories to cal the Priests the Leuits the Nobles and all men of what degree soeuer to come to Ierusalem where he him selfe read the bookes of Moses vnto the people with oblations and sacrifices vnto God for the sinnes of Israel and those Priests that were not of Aarons stocke that serued idols and images he commanded them to be slaine and whatsoeuer he found in Israel of the reliques of Ieroboam he destroied and burned the bones of the false prophets vpon the altars that Ieroboam erected his zeale was prophesied of by Iaddo 300. yeeres before Iosias was borne Iosias hauing repaired the Temple and hauing found the booke of the Law he maketh a couenant with the Lord that he and his people should walke before God vprightly and iustly After that he killed their Priestes he brought downe their idols he slew the coniurers sorcerers and soothsayers and he burned the Priestes of Baal called Chemarims whome the kings of Iuda had founded to burne incense in high places euery place of Iuda to the Sunne to the Moone to the planets and to all the hostes of heauen His zeale encreased more and more he threw downe the altars of Achas and the altars of Manasses hee had put also downe the horses the charets which the idolatrous kinges had dedicated to the Sunne he ouerthrewe the abominable idolatrie of Salomon in the mount of Oliues called also in the Chronicles the mount of corruption where Salomon builded vp altars and groues to Ashtaroth the idoll of the Sidonians for Chemosh the idol of the Moabites for Milchom the idol of the Ammonits In Iosias time all Iudea flourished with the seruice of God and the lawes of the Countreies were put in practise for there was in euery citie among the Hebrewes a chiefe Magistrate as a Prince or Iudge to determine causes in equitie iustice among the people But in the Metropolitane Citie which was Ierusalem were 70. wise graue men whose court or consistorie was kept in Gazith The Iewish Talmudists named these Sanhedrin these passed both in nomber in dignitie other Magistrates these first gouerned in Silo after in Ierusalem elected by Moses by the expresse word of God these were Iudges for life death according to the custome lawes of the Hebrewes they were to condemne offendors 4. kind of waies by running vpon a man to death by stoning by burning and by strangling That day that these iudged any offender to death they obstained from meate These Councellers continued vntill Herods time and kept their Court at Gazith Beside these Sanhedrioth which were 71. were also twelue Princes ouer the people of euery tribe of Israel one which gouerned the whole twelue tribes of the people Some write that in euery Citie were
to the people of Egypt then his brother was who in like sort vsed them with toile and with all kinde of bondage as Cheops did and therefore the like praise they had For after they had raigned both an hundred sixe yeres during which time Egypt suffered great calamitie they disdained after their death to call them by the names of kings but suffered shepherds to lodge in their stately Piramides loathing once to thinke vpon these two kings By this time ended the gouernment of 177. vnder the Potentats during which time many things happened in other kingdomes as erection of the kingdome of Israel after Samsons time their last Iudge by appointing Saul their first king about the 60. yeres of these last Potentats of Egypt At what time the kings of Peloponesus in Greece and their gouernment of Monarchia ended priestes which were called Carni were appointed magistrates After 26. kings had raigned in Scicionum about the 80. of this gouernment the kingdome of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth beganne both at one time at what time raigned in Athens Codrus their last king after whom the state altered into the gouernment of Iudges in the 114. yeere of this Dynastia during which time raigned in Assyria foure kings and ouer the Albanes otherwise called the Latins raigned sixe kings this was the twentie Dynastie of the Egyptians this began tenne yeeres before the sixt Iubilee and ended 19. yeeres after the beginning of the ninth Iubilee In Egypt gouerned by this time Mycerinus or Cerinus in Diodorus the sonne of Cheops a iust king and gentle vsing the people with much more clemencie then either his father or his vncle did before him he opened the temples which of an hundreth and sixe yeeres were shut vp he restored all Egypt into her former libertie which had bene long in calamitie and misery vnder his father he commaunded the people to be free from their taxes and toiles and vsed them with greatlenitie hee iudged iustly and shewed himselfe such a king that all the Egyptians thought themselues happie of his gouernment for he loathed tyrannie and crueltie and was much ashamed of his fathers reproche amongst the people This Mycerinus in the middest of his good gouernment had onely one daughter that died of whom her father to shewe the great loue which hee bare vnto her made such a monument for her buriall that it past all the burials of the kings of Egypt hee caused a coffine of the likenes of an oxe to be made set ouer all with golde wherein hee layed his daughter and hanged the same vp from the ground in his pallace at the citie of Sai where euery day the priestes came with frankincense and other sweete odours to doe sacrifice the oxe of Apis which was the God of Memphis and the oxe Mneum which was the God of Heliopolis were not so set foorth as this oxe of Sai where Mycerinus daughter was buried An other misfortune was denounced by an Oracle vnto Mycerinus that hee likewise should be buried within sixe yeres after his daughter for that he altered the state of Egypt and eased the Egyptians from such bondage as they were to abide for an hundreth and fiftie yeeres of the which Cheops and Cephrim two brethren perfourmed an hundreth and sixe remayning yet behinde fourtie and foure yeeres of the calamitie which by an Oracle was appointed for Egypt and to seeke to please the Oracle Mycerinus became a little better then his father Cheops or his vncle Cephrim two tyrants that plagued Egypt After this king the priests of Egypt doe set downe a king named Asichis of whom I finde in Herodotus that he past the rest of the kings of Egypt in building and vexing of his subiects in so much that hee made one Piramides to excell the rest with this inscription This Piramides doeth passe the rest as farre as Iupiter doeth excell the rest of the gods This king is named also Anisis in Melancthon and in Functius but in Herodotus Anisis or Asichis a king who came not to be king of Egypt by succession of blood but by election of the priestes who after he had raigned sixe yeeres was driuen out of Egypt by Sabacus an Aethiopian which raigned after Anisis 50. yeeres king of Egypt this king is called Sesac in the booke of the Kings of whom you may reade more for in the fift yeere of Roboam king of Iuda this Sesac king of Egypt is spoken of After Sabacus succeeded Sethon a priest of Vulcan this king after many ouerthrowes being left and forsaken of his owne people made his complaint to Vulcan of whom he was certified in a dreame that he should haue ayde and helpe if he would meete the king of Arabia and his armie and giue him battel Being thus encouraged with a smal cōpany of Egyptiās that folowed him he camped before the city of Pelusiū where the armie of the Arabians pitched their tents while the first night they lay in their tents rats vermine and myse of al the coūtrey about deuoured their arrows their bowstrings their quiuers their targets their instrumēts which they prepared for the warres so that the Arabians in the next morning fled In memory of this victory Sethon when he died caused himselfe to be buried in the temple of Vulcan and commaunded that his statue should be made in a stone with a rat in his hand with this sentence written about it In me quis intuēs pius esto In that place where Herodotus doth intreat of this Sethon he seemed very fabulous saith that the Isle of Foemis swimmeth on a lake and that the priests of Egypt affirme that from the first king of Egypt vntil this kings time 341. kings are past which are 11. more kings then Manethon before affirmed during which time the sunne foure times altered his course rising in the West and going downe in the East with such other vaine and friuolous fables cōcerning their antiquities This Sethon is named of Eusebius Spethon with whom Manethon supposeth in his chronicles that it was he that Sannaherib had warres with and after ouerthrew him for I reade in Eusebius and Iosephus who make mention of one Tarachus king of Aethiopia which came to ayde Sethon king of Egypt against Sanneherib at what time God had raised many enemies to plague Israel and Iuda for their transgressions against their God which so mercifully had saued them oftentimes as Assar Salmanasser which in the histories of the Prophets is called Tiglat Assar to whose hands God gaue ouer Samaria and tenne tribes of Israel and afterward Ierusalem to the hands of Nabuchodonosor with the other two tribes of Iuda Beniamin for both the kings of Assyria and of Egypt made a pray of Iuda as in the history of the Assyrians is more at large declared In Egypt after Sethon the priest of Vulcan died the gouernment
should claime more dignitie then was set downe by Alexander in a table which the Romanes afterward kept vsing the same order for a time as Alexander did It is written that the great Alexander had yeerely tribute paide vnto him during his life the summe of sixe thousande talents for Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus speaketh of a king named Tachus in Egypt to whom Agesilaus came from Sparta for Nectanabus was a nephew of king Tachus and one of his chiefe captaines who rebelled against the king and being chosen by the Egyptians their king he desired the aide of Agesilaus who ioyned with him being an olde souldier hauing had in hand greater battels in Greece against Pelopidas and Epaminondas then at that time with Nectanabus against Tachus Therefore Nectanabus committed all into the handes of Agesilaus by whom the victorie fell to Nectanabus Tachus the king forced to flee After this the affaires of this Nectanabus had good successe and hee was quietly stablished in his kingdome by the meanes of Agesilaus king of Sparta to whō Nectanabus gaue two hundred thirtie talents of siluer in readie money to defray the charges of his souldiers Thus Nectanabus reigned quietly in Egypt though vnder Darius the last king of Persia Mezabes gouerned Egypt who yeelded into the hands of Alexander the kingdome of Egypt assoone as hee had heard that his master king Darius was slaine and al Persia subdued by Alexander who as you heard before possessed Egypt without warres being yeelded of the state of Egypt From the time of Alexander the great vnto Iulius Caesar that is from the Monarchie of the Grecians vnto the Romanes is two hundred eightie two yeeres After the death of Alexander his kingdomes were diuided chiefely betweene foure of his graund captaines specially those kingdomes which were of the greatest fame and renowne as Macedonia to Cassander Asia the lesser to Antigonus Babylon and all Asia the great to Saleuchus furnamed Nicanor Egypt with the most part of Syria to Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi This was the first king of Egypt after Alexanders death after whose names all the kings of Egypt vntill Iulius Caesars time were called Ptolomei This king grewe great and mightie in Egypt and beganne strongly vpon the next nations vnto him to make warre and brought diuers subiects vnder the Empire of Egypt whose good successe in the beginning Perdiccas began to enuy This Perdiccas was the chiefe gouernor of Macedonia and as it were left a tutour ouer Arideus the base brother of Alexander the great to whom by common consent the kingdome of Macedonia was appointed Perdiccas supposing to keepe Egypt subiect to Macedonia and to bridle the insolencie which he sawe in Ptolomei he leauied a great armie of souldiers made a voiage into Egypt against whose comming Ptolomie with al celeritie gathered his army and gaue him battel wherein Perdiccas was slaine and his whole company ouerthrowen Vpon this ouerthrowe of Perdiccas Ptolomei king of Egypt waxed insolent of the victorie entred into Syria by strong hand brought Syria vnder Egypt after hee went to Ierusalem he plagued the citizēs wasted spoiled brought diuers out of Iudea captiues into Egypt Of this king the Prophet Daniel spake in this sort The king of the South shal be mightie and his dominion shal be great reade more in Daniel of this Antigonus being aduertised of Ptolomeis great victories howe he had vanquished Perdiccas subdued Syria sent his sonne Demetrius a young man of 22. yeeres and the first time that he tooke the charge of a General in hand and that against an old souldier of the great Alexander trained vp in discipline of warres alwaies Demetrius was put to flight 5000. of his men slaine and almost eight thousand taken by the Citie of Gaza Antigonus hearing howe his sonne was ouerthrowen said that this Ptolomei ouerthrew beardles men said further he should fight with bearded men And it came to passe that Demetrius being before put to flight was not quiet before he requited the last foile by the king of Egypt receiued with the like ouerthrow wherein Demetrius had the victorie of Ptolomei and of his army which victorie did put Ptolomei out of al Syria and brought Antigonus in againe By this time Seleucus whō Antigonus had driuen out of Babylon before came againe and entred into Babylon Cassander likewise fearing that young Hercules the sonne of Alexander the great being nowe of fourteene yeeres of age should be by the Macedonians so fauoured for his fathers sake that hee should be king in Macedonia therefore hee secretly commaunded that both Hercules and his mother Arsine should be murthered yet Cassander was not quiet vntill hee practised the like murther against Olympias Alexanders mother and against Roxana Alexanders wife Antigonus and his sonne Demetrius were much enuied for their victories this time in so much that all these kings after Alexanders death destroyed one another with continuall warres Lysimacus was slaine by Seleucus Seleucus was slaine by Ptolomei whose sister was maried to Lysimachus Polibeus writeth that in the hundred twentie fourth Olympiad Ptolomie Lagi king of Egypt Seleuchus Nicanor king of Syria Lysimachus king of Thracia and Ptolomei Cerannon brother to Philadelphus chiefe souldiers vnder Alexander the great were slaine one of another Thus Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi after hee had conquered Perdiccas ouerthrewe Demetrius subdued Syria and the most part of Iudea when hee reigned fourttie yeeres died during which time Demetrius Phalerius ruled Athens vnder Cassander and Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes destroyed a Citie in Samaria which Perdiccas builded This time the people of Alexandria sent to entreate for the Romanes friendshippe to aide them if neede required This was the first request made to the Romanes by the Citizens of Alexandria in Egypt for the Romanes beganne to bee strong and they of Alexandria perceiuing the great warres and tyrannie that was in all partes of the worlde at that time And also hauing seene within Egypt more blood in the time of one Ptolomei then in twentie Pharaos for then Egypt had nothing to doe but to builde Piramides and to make Labirinths monstrous and needelesse monuments but nowe sworde and fire came into Egypt In the time of this king florished Theophrastus a famous Philosopher one of Aristotles schollers and Menedemus another Philosopher in the same time liued Menander the Tragedian Atheneus the Historian and Demetrius Phalerius In Egypt succeeded after Ptolome Lagi his sonne Philadelphus a learned prince and a great fauourer of learned men this king was iust discreete and gentle bent more to mainteine peace then to procure warres and therefore so beloued of his people and hee to them againe so louing that during his whole gouernment which was thirtie eight yeeres the Egyptians liued quietly without trouble or warres where before Egypt for a thousand foure hundred yeeres was brought vp vnder blind priests
kings of Sparta Heraclides And so the Emperors of Rome named first Caesares then were they called Augusti and the third time they were named Antonini Thus in these coūtries none might be king elected but of these houses families yet in other kingdoms they were otherwayes elected as The Ethiopians made choise of the most likeliest man in sight The Medes in like maner vsed to make choise of no king but such as excelled in talenesse of person and strength of body In Libya none should be king but he that could winne it with running for he that was most swift should be king in Libya and so according to custome and to the maners of euery Countrey or kingdome any prince or king was elected and chosen Againe there be in Persia two other nations called Cirtij and Marai beside a sect of people named Magi. The chiefe Cities of Persia before Babylon was by Cyrus wonne to bee a Persian Citie were Susa Parsagardia Persepolis and Gaza for there the Persian kings had their monuments in Gaza there lay there treasure and wealth Beroaldus in his Chronicles Suetonius and Tranquillus in August say that the Persians were called of the Greekes in ancient time Cephenes but they bragged and boasted of a more auncient name and called them selues Artaei But after that Perseus the sonne of Iupiter and Danaes had maried Andromada the daughter and heire of Cepheus and had by his wife a sonne named Perses after whose name then they being called Cephenes are nowe called Persis after the name of their king Persis This region of Persia was diuided vnto a hundreth twentie Prouinces in the time of Darius Hystaspis the third king of Persia appointing to euery Prouince a gouernor that should pay certeine tribute vnto the king Iosephus saith Elam the eldest sonne of Sem was the first original of the Elamites now called Persians a countrie most fertile and most florishing which had soueraigntie ouerall Asia After that Cyrus from a priuate man brought vp by a heardman in an obscure place in Media became lord of all Asia king of the greatest part of the Eastkingdomes and the conquerour of Astyages king of the Medes and of Croesus king of the Lydians and last of Balthasar the last king of Babylon and the last successour of Nabuchodonosor the great hee fortified himselfe with strength of munitions commanded garisons readie in euery great citie of Persia appointed races of horses to bee had in all the Empire of Persia and euery gouernour of euery Prouince to furnish the king with horses and men necessarie to defende the countrie for the Medes Assyrians Chaldeans Lydians and Egyptiās were by this time brought subiects vnder the Persiās And therefore their wealth must be infinite for in Artaxerxes time there was an hundreth and twentie Prouinces vnder the Monarchie of Persia as Iosephus writeth Ctesias and Dionisius two great writers of Persian histories affirmed that the king of Persia was woont to haue in his Pallace fifteene thousand euery day to dinner and supper for they receiued out of Asia euery yeere fourtie thousand and fiftie talents For when Alexander the great had conquered Persia and had taken Babylon he found a hundred fiftie and seuen thousand talents and yet not so much as Cyrus left behind him as Strabo saith and no maruell for Cyrus had all the wealth of Iudea and the treasure had in the Temple at Ierusalem which was infinite of Assyria Chaldea Lydia and Media and therefore Herodot called him Cyrus the great king and after Cyrus time all the kings of Persia would be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great kings For in all the histories you shall not reade that the Romanes who afterward likewise mastered the whole worlde had so much treasure at one time as either Cyrus had left in Persia or as Alexander had found in Persia yet Persia before Cyrus time was obscure and of no fame subiect vnto the Medes for Cyrus had long warres many battels with Euilmerodach in Assyria with Croesus in Lydia with Astyages in Media with many kings before he had rest and before hee had brought the Monarchie vnto Persia and to be called the great king Cyrus began his Empire at Babylon at what time Seruius Tullius the sixt king of the Romanes reigned in Rome and Amasis gouerned Egypt In Cyrus time the temple of Apollo was burned in Delphos the second time Cyrus obteined the kingdome of Persia in the beginning of the eighteene Iubilee and in the third yeere of the eightie Olympiad which much differ from Diod. Siculus who affirmeth that Xerxes the fourth king after Cyrus tooke his voiage into Greece in the seuentie fiue Olympiad from Polybius that affirmeth Xerxes went into Greece in the 74. Olympiad in the like error is Halicarnasseus Herodot and others some affirming Cyrus to begin his Empire in the 50. Olympiad some in the 54. some in the 57. some in the 60. Olympiad thus they erre some 30. Olympiads some 20. some more and some lesse of the true time of Cyrus for in the sacred historie by sound testimonie it was laid downe by Daniel and in Nehemias the very time of Cyrus Now after that Cyrus had brought all these kingdoms vnder the monarchie of Persia he tooke Armenia in hand hauing conquered the king the countrie of Armenia Tigranes the kings sonne of Armenia a familier old friend of Cyrus hearing of Cyrus victorie ouer his father he then being farre frō Armenia returned home with all haste and besought Cyrus not to thinke of the warres betweene his father and him but to remember the amitie familiaritie which was betweene them both and therefore Tigranes entreated Cyrus to haue the crowne after his father paying vnto Cyrus such tribute as he would appoint to which request Cyrus consented appointing fiftie talents yerely to be paid to the kings of Persia which is three thousand crownes After the conquest of Armenia Cyrus passed with his army vnto Phrygia Cappadocia and Arabia who coulde not long hold out but partly yeelded and partly conquered were brought subiect and to pay tribute vnto Cyrus Cyrus was woont before he entred into battell to sing a song to Castor and Pollux and to march as the olde Spartanes with hymnes and odes to the muses to solace their hearts and to auoide feare that might occupie their heads otherwayes Cyrus his garde or chiefe souldiers about him were called Homotimi as the best souldiers vnder Alexander the great were call Argyraspides vnder Achilles named Myrmidones vnder Pyrrhus called Dolopes and so of other great conquerors which had a peculiar name of their chiefe souldiers Nowe the last and the greatest victorie was ouer the Babylonians which he attempted not before he grew great and strong by other victories for truely before Babylon was wonne the monarchie was in Assyria We reade of no king that conquered so
many kingdomes as Cyrus did neither of such fauour with God for no doubt he was instructed of Daniel to know and to confesse the God of Israel as appeared by his care and diligence in ayding the Iewes after the captiuitie vnto Ierusalem in suffring them quietly to returne with wealth treasure in cōmanding all his princes of Syria and subiects to fauour to helpe them with a decree made for the building vp of their temple vnto God which had raised Cyrus to punish the blasphemie of that Chaldean king Balthasar and to make an end of his kingdome and by Cyrus to restore the kingdome againe of Israel which was ouerthrowen by the Chaldeans Cyrus being then the onely conquerour of the world hauing vnder the Persian scepter all the East kingdomes he had in mind the woonted maners of the Scythians how they came often times from Scythia and rushed in armes vnto Asia spoiled wasted and destroyed the regions and countries about Asia Cyrus made warre vpon the Massagites which were of the stocke of the Gothes of these Messagites came the Getes and the Sueuians While Cyrus was occupied in these warres Cambyses reigned in Persia sixe yeeres so that the gouernment of Cyrus and of his sonne Cambyses were compted all one for two yeeres because Cyrus tooke his warres in hand needelesse to Scythia And beside he was warned by Soothsayers by the diuination of Swalowes which were seene in the tents of Cyrus being vnluckie birdes not to goe to Scythia for Swalowes flying about the tentes of Pyrrhus in the warres of Italie and also lighting vpon the sailes of Mar. Antonius nauies in his warres against Augustus prognosticated to them both calamitie destruction nay God with whom Cyrus should haue consulted who brought him from Harpagus clawes saued him from Astyages sword defended him from Croesus snares and gaue him so many victories God vsed the like example vpon Iosias Salomon Osias and Dauid as hee did nowe vpon Cyrus for that Gods seruaunts should knowe their infirmities and confesse that God giueth victorie for as Iosias was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt so Cyrus trusting in his owne strēgth was ouerthrowen with all his armie of the Massagites Cyrus head was cut off by Tomyris Queene of Scythia a woman and throwen into a great vessell ful of blood with spiteful wordes saying Satia te sanguine quem sitijsti yet Dyodorus saith his body was hanged vpon a gibbet his head throwen into a barrel full of blood for Cyrus before that time had taken Spargapises generall of the Massegites ouerthrowen the whole hoste of the Massegites and had slaine Queene Tomiris sonne Spargapises Of the histories of Cyrus reade Zenophon and Herodot where you may be satisfied of the whole life of Cyrus and also of his death In Cyrus time when the Hebrew prophets in Israel ended then the Philosophers in Greece began Thales with his successours after him in Ionia a man of great antiquitie amongst the Grecians who taught them first the obseruations of the starres the eclipses of the Sunne and Moone the diuisions of the yeere and the number of the dayes The other taught in the Confines of Italie they were called Pythagorici the one in Miletum the other in Tarentum There were in Greece before this time certeine wise and learned Poets as Homer Hesiodus and Orpheus and Linus that were had in great honour in Greece It is written by Aristobulus that Cyrus had vpon his tombe diuers Epitaphes as this O homo ego Cyrus Asiae Rex ne mihi sepulturam inuideas O man I am Cyrus king of Asia suffer Cyrus without enuie this seuen foote ofgroūd to couer his bones Onesicritus rehearseth in Strabo many Epigrames vpon Cyrus tombe and Cyrus himselfe in these wordes crieth out in Zenophon Non auro non argento condi sed corpus terraereddi though Zenophon reporteth other wayes of Cyrus death reciting an oration that Cyrus before hee died called before him all his Nobles to whom he made long speach concerning the immortalitie of the soule exhorting his two sōnes Cambyses the elder Smerdis the yonger whō Zonaras named Tamaraxes to vse iustice in their gouernment bequeathing to Cambyses the Empire of Persia withall the kingdoms thereunto belonging Assyria Chaldea Lydia with all the rest of his kingdomes Prouinces Territories sauing Media Armenia Cadusia which Cyrus bequeathed to his yongest sonne Smerdis Of this Cyrus read Zenophon and see how Vlisses is set forth by Homer Aeneas by Maro so is Cyrus magnified by Zenophon Cambyses succeeded Cyrus his father not in vertue and iustice not toperforme his fathers will but to breake the decree which Cyrus made after the captiuitie to the Iewes for their returne to further the temple the tyrannie of whō if you list to be acquainted withal reade Herodot the 3. booke you shal know the whole life of Cambyses who after Cyrus death vsed al kinde of murthers fomed in blood raged in tyrannie gathered an armie of Persia and of Greece mooued warres against Amasis king of Egypt The cause of this warre doth Herodot in this sort set downe Cambyses had councell to aske Amasis daughter in mariage of some backe friend of his Amasis sawe the full intention of Cambyses coulde not tell well howe to answere Cambyses hee thought this way to deceiue him there was one only daughter of Aprie king of Egypt left aliue of that stocke a wise and a very faire woman named Nitetis this Amasis the king with all sumptuous tyre with golde substance plentifully did send to Persia to king Cambyses with whom shee was in great fauour loue by the name of Amasis daughter saluting her daily by that name vntill Nitetis spake these wordes O Cambyses thou art much deceiued to take me for Amasis daughter I am king Apries daughter the last of that house whom Amasis the king sent vnto you he killed my father and he nowe thus vsed you Vpon this Cambyses sent vnto the king of Arabia to licence him with his armie to haue passage to Egypt which being then graunted Cambyses spoyled wasted and burned vntill hee came to Memphis where hee thought to finde Amasis aliue but he found his sonne Psammeticus Memphis being taken by Cambyses another battell was fought by Nilus where likewise Cambyses got the victory after a great slaughter of this Herodot doth write that when triall was made of the dead souldiers whether the Persians or the Egyptians had the harder scull it was found that the Persians heads were so soft as any small thing would breake it and the Egyptians head so hard that nothing skant might breake it the reason was that the Egyptians were woont euen from their youth to shaue their heads so hardened them by the heate of the sunne that it is a woonder in Egypt to see a balde man And the Persians were wont to beare vpon their
he had taken Ciprus and made slaughter most cruelly of the citizens killed without respect of olde amitie and acquaintance Of this Euagoras there is extant an eloquent oration of Isocrates hee proceeded forwarde in armes to Egypt where he exercised the like tyrannie with sword fire without mercie vntill he had subdued Egypt thence he went fomed in blood vnto Phoenicia with all tyrannie he could deuise Nowe after he had subdued Sidon Ciprus Egypt Phoenicia he woulde not spare Iudea the next prouince vnto Phoenicia which had beene in great rest from Artaxerxes the long handed vntill this time at what time cōtention grew betweene two brethren about the office of the high Priest at Ierusalem Iohanna who was then the high Priest and Iesus who sought ayde at Vagoses hand the Persian to auoide this helpe Iohanna slue his brother in the temple of Salomon Thus they did prouoke God to anger and God raised Vagoses Ochus lieutenant to be their enemie brought him to Ierusalem went to the temple which was prophaned and polluted with blood Vagoses spoiled it caried the treasures with him to whom the high Priest had tolde him that he did most wickedly so to defile the temple hee answered Not so wickedly as thou in killing thy brother Whē he had both spoiled Ierusalem and the temple and brought the Iewes vnder Ochus foote to pay tribute vnto the Persians for the space of seuen yeeres after this he brought diuerse families of the Iewes captiues with him vnto Hircania this great calamitie endured vnto Alexander the great which when he came to Ierusalem made all things well againe Of this Ochus there is no good thing to be written though Herodot doeth not altogether omitte him Ctesias doth make likewise mention of him and doth write of his birth of his life and of his gouerment and doeth much varie from others for Ctesias euer flattered the Persia kings forwhich Plutarch in many places reproueth him In this time reigned king in Macedonia Perdiccas who was taken by the Illyrians in battell after him succeeded Philippus Amintas sonne and father to Alexander the great who began to moue warre against the Athenians and continued after against other cities of Greece for three yeeres In the eleuenth yeere of Ochus was Alexander the great borne the same selfe day was the temple of Diana in Ephesus burned at the which time Philomelus a captaine of Phocea in Greece spoiled the temple of Apollo at Delphos thereby grew great warres called sacrum bellum which continued tenne yeeres in Greece About this time Clearchus the tyraunt reigned in Heraclia and Spartacus the sonne of Leuconis reigned as king in Pontus In the eleuenth yeere that Phillip reigned king in Macedonia Greece was sore troubled and vexed for Philip with an armie of Macedonia tooke Myciberna Tiro and Olynthus three great townes of Helespont hee pursued the Phoceans vnto the temple of Apollo at Delphos who thinking to haue sanctuarie were burned the rest of Phocea yeelded to Philip. Timoleon a noble captaine of Corinth sailed to Sicilia ouerthrewe the castell of Syracusa and made a popular state of Syracusa he deliuered the Greekes that were in bondage in Sicilia vnder the Carthagineans vnto their countrie banished the thousand traiterous souldiers that had forsakē Timoleon in Sicilia This time Philip subdued the Illyrians vāquished the Thracians and deliuered Thessalie from tyrants that long gouerned in Thessalia he made free al the cities of Greece frō all the incursions of barbarous nations concluded a peace with the Greekes The olde Persians had this custome when they went to warres to goe in red cassockes according to the Persians maners so did Artaxerxes enter to battell with his brother Cyrus at what time euery souldier should put an arrowe with his name written on it into a large great coffer that stood in the kings Court which arrowe if he returned aliue from the warres hee shoulde at his comming to Persia take his arrowe out of the coffer for by arrowes left in the coffer they knewe who they were and howe many that died in their warres This time died Plato and Speusippus succeeded him in his schoole after whom succeeded Xenocrates Aristotle the Philosopher florished in this time Demosthenes and Aeschines two famous Orators bore most swaynowe in Athens After Ochus had reigned in tyrannie twentie sixe yeeres he was vsed euen as he had vsed others slaine of Bagoas and his sonne called Arsames being very young succeeded him who when he had bene foure yeres king and had growen into some stature of body Bagoas feeling a gilitie conscience for that he had killed Ochus the kings father fearefullest some reuenge would fall vnto him he to preuent the danger thereof practized the like conspiracie against the sonne as he did before against his father slue the young king this was the ende of Ochus and his sonne Arsames no marueile to see tyrants die by tyrannie This Bagoas would haue had translated the kingdome of Persia after this murther of the father and the sonne and his great tyrannie vnto one Darius gouernor at that time of Armenia for he had murthered al them that issued out of Cyrus for whē Artaxerxes Mnemon had made warres with the Caduceans one of those nations chalenged Monomachian which is a combate with any one Persian that durst take him in hand Darius one of Artaxerxes captaines fought with this Caducean and slue him to whom the gouernment of Armenia was giuen for that seruice by Artaxerxes Nowe Bagoas when he had brought Darius to be king in Persia stil his conscience tormented him and doubted much Darius fearing lest he should haue the reward of a traytor hee deuised to poyson Darius but of the conspiracie Darius had such intelligence as Bagoas was forced to drinke that draught which hee had prepared for Darius and so Bagoas dranke his owne poyson and dyed Nowe the great kings of Persia for so were they called in respect of their force and power continued no longer their race ended their kingdom cameto an Aliens hand a forreine prince who in short time waxed strong and stout withall not inferiour to any of his predecessors who hauing intelligence of a great armie of Macedonians and Grecians by Philip king of Macedon sent to Asia hee gathered his force and hauing already a huge hoste of Persians hee appointed a generall ouer them called Memnon a Rhodian a singuler skilfull souldier In the meane season Philip died and his sonne Alexander the great succeeded him a yong gallant king of twentie yeeres of age this stept in into his fathers roume he enterteined his fathers souldiers and tooke the warres of Asia in hand Darius hearing of Alexanders setting forward made him ready stirred the cities of Greece against him so that diuers of Greece vnderstanding the force power and florishing state of Persia dehorted their countrie men from Alexander
Emperour of Germanie in Englande Henrie the fourth flourished This Mahomet left to succeede him a sonne named Amurates the second of that name and the sixt king ouer the Turkes this Amurates farre excelled all his predecessours in his warres hee beganne to warre with the people called Mysores and their prince which nowe are named Seruij hee tooke their Cities Scopia and Nouemontum and tooke the Kings two sonnes and his daughter hee caused the Kings sonnes eyes to be pluckt out and yet maried their sister and thereby restored the Citie Nouemontum to the king againe After this hee commenced warres against the Germanes Hungarians and Valaches spoyled their territories and wasted their Countries and vsed great extremitie hee passed thence to Epire laide siege to Croia tooke it and possessed it After truice made and peace concluded betweene the Turke and the Hungarians Amurates against his promise and othe by perswasion of Pope Eugenius the fourth entred in armes and gaue two terrible battels to the Christians in the which many Nobles dyed and were taken In these two great victories the one at Varna the other at Basila he slue an infinite companie of Hungarians Polonians Hunnes and others of Germanie for in this warre at Varna Ladislaus king of Polonia was slaine and Cardinall Iulian with all their captaines and men of armes in the other at Basila all the Princes of Hungarie and many of the Nobles and Peeres of Germanie Thence hee returned into Asia after hee had subdued and conquered all places as hee traueiled and hauing had sufficient triall of his good fortune with some diffidence of further successe by some change of fortune hee committed the kingdome vnto his sonnes charge while yet hee liued being willing to take his rest and to see the euentes of the succession in the kingdome by his sonne ouer whom he appointed Tutour and Gouernour for that Mahomet his sonne was yet young a Turke named Calibassa but this during the time of thirtie foure yeeres did no great exploite but made one voiage to Epirus and besiged the Citie of Croia but in vaine for that valiant and noble captaine Scanderbeg draue him quickly with losse and shame from Epyrus and for very griefe hee dyed after his returne Of this Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus the historie is set foorth according to his desertes in Barletius In the time of this Mahomet Constantine the last of that name and the last Emperour of Constantinople reigned Soldan Zeledim Emperour of the Tartarians dyed in this time Nowe reigned Emperour of Germanie Albertus the second of that name which was both king of Hungaria and Bohemia hee reigned Emperour but two yeeres after whom succeeded Fredericke the third Archduke of Austria to be Emperour of Germanie which reigned Emperour fiftie foure yeres But to come to Mahomet the second of that name and the seuenth king of the Turkes This for his greatnesse and good successe in his warres was named Nouus Othomanus an other newe Othoman for as in the first Othoman the kingdome of the Turkes beganne so nowe by this Mahomet the Empire of the Turkes beganne and therefore he was called Othoman the great He subdued two Empires twelue kingdomes two hundred Cities and great Townes hee tooke from the Venetians the Isles of Chalcidis and Scodra hee tooke diuers Cities in Greece as Corinthus and Mitilena The Turkes inuaded Syria wasted and destroyed Hungaria and tooke al Euboca he tooke Capha a Citie in Pontus and Hydrantes in Italie hee tooke in battell by treacherie saith Functius Stephanus king of Mysia whom he vsed as Cambyses vsed Sisamnis he flayed him and banished him from his kingdome he destroyed all the prouince of Carinthia Quae quantae huius victoriae totus vix dies explicet the very wordes of Egnatius This Turke so plagued the Christians that yet to this day they coulde not recouer the losse howe be it hee was ouerthrowen by Scanderbeg in a great battell where hee lost an infinite number of his Turkes by Hussa Cassanus king both of Armenia and of Persia who also gaue a great ouerthrowe to Mahomet by Stephanus Prince of Valachia who gote ouer the Turkes a great victorie by Pope Sixtus the fourth who gaue battell by sea vnder the Cardinall of Aquileia by the Rhodians and by the Christians at a place called Alba Graeca hee was discomfited and diuers times ouerthrowen but still hee preuailed with more gaine then losse and with fame renowne that he is now Emperour of Constantinople and of Trapezuntium and king of many kingdomes lord and gouernour of so many Prouinces and Regions that he thereby is nowe named the great Turke Nowe after this Turke had reigned thirtie one yeeres he dyed in the yeere of our Lord God 1481. on the fift nones of May. After whose death great ciuill warres grew among the Turkes and continued for a time which being done Pazaites the second of that name and the eldest sonne of the last Mahomet hauing vanquished his younger brother obteined the Empire armed his men and himselfe out of hand assaulted the Castle of Valachia and tooke it after hee marched against the Soldan of Egypt by whome hee had sundry ouerthrowes that the Turke and the Soldan entred into a league and concluded a peace After he returned and went against the Germanes whom he by continuall warres brought vnder the Turkes seruitude and at that very time he so plagued the Venetians that he subdued Methon Dyrrhachium and Naupactum three strong great cities The Turkes vnder this Pazaites conquered and subdued many places for this Emperour vanquished the Polonians which people were called before Gelas and subdued many people inhabiting about Meotida hee destroyed the Citie of Craocia but constrained by the armie of Maximilian the Emperour to forsake their Fortes hee was also put to flight Reade Chromerus Chronicle of this Pazaites warres against the Venecians at what time hee returning from the ouerthrowe and subduing of Modon the Sophi king of Persia for so nowe all the kings of Persia are called Sophi gaue the Turkes a great ouerthrowe Thus farre doeth Egnatius prosecute the Turkes historie vntill Selimus time the ninth Emperour of the Turkes at what time reigned Emperour in Germanie Maximilian sonne to Frederike the third and in Fraunce Lewes the twelfth of that name This Pazaites after hee had reigned thirtie one yeeres died after whom succeeded Selimus the ninth Emperour of the Turkes who liued seuen yeeres in the Empire this had a great ouerthrowe in Armenia the great by the Sophy of Persia how be it afterward he recouered his strength and gathered an armie passed into Egypt gaue battell to the Soldan whom hee tooke as prisoner and at that time subdued all Egypt and Syria for nowe the kings of Egypt are called Soldani as the kings of Persia are Sophy But to come to Soliman the tenth Emperour of the Turkes who reigned
Incēdium Phaetontis at what time the Grecians were named Helenes after the name of Hellenes the sonne of Deucaleon and Pyrrha After this Cecrops folowed Cranaus the second king of Athens which raigned nine yeeres Hermes Trismegistus a great Philosopher and a priest of Egypt flourished though Suydas saith that he liued before Abrahams time yea some of the best learned that are best acquainted with histories thinke it a name fained and a booke framed of late vnder the name of Trismegistus Now folowed Marathus the foureteenth king of Peloponesus Erictherus the 15. king Choar the 16. king of Peloponesus as Functius saith Ruffinus nameth this king Astades I passe ouer the names without any matter to be written of them for Greece was yet as the Chaldeans and the Assyrians in the beginning building and beginning to frame kingdomes for all this time no part of Greece was knowen but Sicyonum which is the countrey of the Peloponesians after them the Argiues and now the Thessalians and the Athenians start vp and beginne a kingdom as the third and fourth gouernours of Greece in antiquitie About this time the citie of Corinth was builded this was first called Epira and grewe afterwarde to be one of the strongest cities and holdes in all Greece Nowe was the citie Epidaurus and the citie Bythinia builded now Memphis was builded in Egypt for the world was then busie onely in building at what time in Athens raigned Amphitrion the thirde king and after him succeeded Ericthonius the fourth king of Athens About which time came Phaenix and Cadmus from Thebes to Egypt and from Egypt vnto Syria and gouerned Tyre and Sidon at what time raigned in Creete Asterius and ouer the Argiues the ninth king called Stelenus I thought for obseruation of time very necessary to set downe the time and beginning of euery kingdome as they began in one place after another though I finde nothing yet in Greece worth the writing concerning either warres or gouernment Now beganne in Phrigia a new kingdome called Dardania after one Dardanius name who both builded this towne and raigned there the first king 31. yeres though Manethon setteth downe 64. I wil folow Archilochus in this historie whose assertion is more probable concerning time then Manethon is It was called before Meonia this kingdome beganne 830. yeeres after the flood when Amyntas the 19. king of the Assyrians kept his Court at Niniue About which time Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua In Egypt then gouerned Aegyptius after he had driuen his brother Danaus then king out of Egypt vsurped the kingdome after whose name Egypt was named before called Mizraim and had to his sirname Ramesses About this time in Egypt the first Labyrinth was builded by Menophis by some called Miris after which example Dedalus imitated the like worke and made the second Labyrinth in Creete at what time Minoes raigned king in Creete This Minoes was the first lawmaker in Creete when likewise Radamanthus ordained lawes in Licya Bellopares now king in Assyria gouerned and Epopeus the 17. king of the Peloponesians For that I see not much matters in following the course and order of these kings of Greece and for that I finde as I said before nothing historicall because yet time seemed raw in Greece and farre from the ciuil dissentions which long after happened in Greece from the forren warres which the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and Macedonia for now all the warres that were was in Assyria Chaldea I wil hasten therefore to come to the histories of Greece wil passe ouer these fragments of places and persons vntil I shall find matters to write of only I will set downe the names of the kings of the Argiues as they raigned orderly 1 Inachus the first king raigned 50. yeres 2 Phoroneus 60. 3 Apis. 35. 4 Argos 70. 5 Crassus 54. 6 Abas Phorbas 35. 7 Troiphas 46. In this kings time the kingdome of Athens beganne 8 Crotopus 21. 9 Stelenus 11. 10 Danaus which was driuen by his brother Rameses out of Egypt came to Argos and raigned 50. 11 Lynceus 41. 12 Abas 23. 13 Protheus 17. 14 Agrisius 13. Now the kingdom of the Argiues ended their foueraigntie was taken away into Mycena by Perseus a noble valiant captaine which had diuers victories ouer diuers countreis as ouer the Persians and now ouer the Argiues in the time of Agrisius after they had gouerned Argos 544. yeres where Eristheus a man most famous named another Hercules for his great courage and enterprises he was of the stocke of Atrides for Atreus which was Agamemnon Menelaus father was his owne vncle and therfore he gouerned the most part of Greece In his time which yet had growen to no strēgth he established the kingdom of Mycena and broght many subiects vnder it that Mycena became populous and strong and the Mycenians became to be conquerors of many prouinces therefore writers omit the name of Perseus and of Stelenus and they begin the kingdom frō the time of Eristheus after whom succeeded 6. kings who waxed strong mighty that then Mycena ruled al Greece These had the 10. yeres warres with the Troyans and at last conquered them which warre was the cause of their own destruction for that they began together at one time and both had equall nomber of kings for 6. kings raigned in Mycena and 6. in Troy whose names I haue here layd downe The kings of MYCENA The kings of TROY Eristheus raigned 45. yeres Dardanus the first king 31. Atreus and Thiestes 65. Ericthonius 2. 57. Tros 3. 60. Agamemnon Atreussonne 18. Ilus the 4. king 54. This came frō Mycena vnto Troy with 1202. shippes Laomedon the 5. raigned 36. In whose time Troy was destroyed by Hercules with his company going to Colchos Aegistus after Agamemnon 2. Priamus the 6. and last king was by Agamemnō subdued and his citie conquered Orestes 15. yeeres In whose time Mycena was subdued by the stocke of Heraclides vnder the Peloponesians  Thus ended the kings of Mycena and of Troy the one being destroyed by the other yet after Orestes was slaine by Pirrhus in the temple of Apollo Tisamenus Orestes sonne raigned 15. yeres after his fathers death and after Tisamenus raigned but two more which were called Penthillus and Cometes But there is scant any mention made of these after Orestes time Now after that these two kingdomes were destroyed and ouerthrowen presently the kingdome of the Latines beginneth in the person of Aeneas who trauailing from Troy vnto Italy after the destruction therof maried king Latinus daughter and heire which is spoken of in the originall antiquitie of the Latines by Halcarnassaeus Ruffinus Eusebius and others The Peloponesians raigned 860. yeeres and ended in the time of Samson the last Iudge of Israel which ended the gouernment of the Iudges in Israel which continued
ambition was such to the kingdom of Syria that they forgate fraternitie in blood fel to strokes one persecuting the other with cōtinual warres sundry battels vntil at lēgth Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the treacherie of Herodianus in the 662. yere after the building of Rome in the 29. yere of his reigne I remēber a history in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the which historie Rome is much commended in respect of other countries as Persia Greece Maccdonia Syria Asia kingdoms of ciuil warres the very cause of their ruine but in Rome no ciuil warre was knowen no mutinie no discord was seene for 620. yeres frō the time of Romulus the first king of Rome vntill the time of Tiberius Gracchus which was the first that died in an vprore which he himselfe beganne But while these ciuill warres endured in Syria Masinissa king of Numidia was occupied in Affrike hauing great wars betweene the Carthagineans the Numidians Aristonicus also the sonne of Attalus king of Pergamus brother to that valiant king Eumenes inuaded Asia as his owne kingdom fallen to him by succession of his father At that time reigned in Bythinia Nicomedes in Pōtus Mithridates the sōne of that great Mithridates who held warres with the Romanes of a long time About this time began the sects of people in Iudea the Pharises the Saduces and Esseni Of these Iosephus writeth beside we reade of them in the new Testament In the time of Antiochus Griphus Mecypsa king of Numidia died who left 3. sonnes behind him named Adherbalis Hiempsalis Iugurtha of this Salust maketh mention in the warres of Iugurth which warre happened in this time of Griphus for Marius the Romane Consul about this time triumphed ouer Iugurth Pompey the great was borne about the time of that triumph Lucretius the Poet also But I will come to Syria where after king Antiochus was slaine his sonne Seleucus succeeded him this prepared to reuenge his father vpon his vncle gathered his force gaue him battel and slue his vncle Antiochus Cizicoenus whose sōne reuēged vpō his cousin his fathers death he gaue him battel ouerthrewe him droue him out of Syria to Cicilia where hee was burned in his owne house and all his friendes with him Skant was this mischiefe done but straight another folowed Seleucus brother named Antiochus folowed fast Cizioenus sōne and slue him with all his armie Then Philip the third brother of Seleucus tooke much of the kings treasure and went priuately and dwelled in a part of Syria vntill that Ptolome who by his owne mother before that time was expelled out of Egypt though afterwarde hee was receiued king againe in the 663. yeere after the building of Rome This I say brought the fourth brother of Seleucus named Demetrius Eucerus to Damascus where hee was crowned king who ioyned with Philip ouerthrew Antiochus their brother and the eldest after Seleucus This murthering one another in Syria with such tyrannie and bloody treason betweene brethren and brethrens children that all the kings of Syria euen from Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king of Syria vntill Philip the seuenteenth king no forraine enemies needed to inuade Asia but one king destroyed an other by ciuill warres About this time Cneus Pompeius father to the great Pompe subdued the Picents and the Marsies and Silla ouercame the Samnites Betweene this Silla and Marius beganne a great quarrell about the warres of Mithridates these two though they did much good to their Countrie and were equal to the best yet they past al men in offence and harme towards Rome so that they onely were the two fire brandes of Italie Mithridates king of Pontus inuaded Asia obiected himselfe against the Romanes but Silla who at that time triumphed ouer all the countries and almost ouer Rome staied Mithridates Lucullus waged warres this time with the Parthians Nicomedes king of Bithinia in those dayes died and made the Romanes his heire as Attalus king of Asia did Mithridates Nowe Philip and Demetrius two brethren reigned the last kings of Syria of the blood of Seleucus which reigned not long for Demetrius went against Alexander king of the Iewes by whom he and his company were vanquished and driuen out of Iudea Demetrius being thus expulsed gathered those scattered souldiers which Alexander king of Iudea dispearsed and laid siege to the citie of Berea where his brother Philip lay where Demetrius was taken by the Parthiās sent to Parthia to be kept as a prisoner where he died After that Demetrius was sent to Parthia Philip came out of Beroea entred into Antioch and obteined the whole kingdom of Syria into his owne hand but he was shortly vanquished ouerthrowen by Gabinius the Romane The Syrians were cōpelled by this ciuil warre to cōmit themselues to forraine kings to auoid the tyrāny which lōg endured betweene the kings of Syria so that both the kings the kingdom of Syria were at the last breath some willing to call Mithridates king of Pontus some Ptolome king of Egypt and some Tygranes king of Armenia At length they made a choise of Tygranes to be their king the rather for the societie of the Parthiās the affinitie of Pōtus which were the next kingdōs vnto Armenia While these brethrē Philip Demet. were at variance such an earthquake was in Syria that 170000. men perished thereby many cities laid prostrate to the groūd Tygranes gouerned the Syrians 18. yeeres quietly without any warre or busines though in deede diuers there were that hoped for a day specially Antiochus Cizicoenus which all this time lay close in Cicilia Tygranes had thought to subdue Palestina and so after some leasure to warre vpō Iuda but hearing that Lu. Lucullus after that Mithridates was by the said Lucullus conquered marched forward into Armenia Tygranes was driuē to forsake Syria in al haste to returne to defend his owne coūtrie where he was ouercome in two or three great battels and at length taken in his chiefe citie called Artaxa Nowe Tygranes could not returne to Syria but he was led captiue to the Romanes by Pompei the great who after that wēt in person into Syria brought it to the forme gouernment of a prouince for that Syria as Plutarch saith wanted a lawfull king He made a prouince of Syria to the Romane Empire he cōquered al Iurie builded certeine cities in Iudea this very time M. Crassus with his sonne with all his armie was ouerthrowen and slaine in Parthia Likewise Iulius Caesar came into England called then Brittaine and conquered it at what time reigned in Brittaine Cassibelane who after two or three repulses giuen to Caesar yeelded consented to pay tribute At the cōming of Pompe into Syria Diodorus Siculus a great writer wēt to Egypt where he wrote in a booke of his the antiquitie of the Egyptiās About this time Titus Liuius the historiographer
were ouerthrowen yet in Numidia vsurped Iugurth the kingdome who after he had slaine both his brethren Adherbal Hiempsal thought to withstand the iustice reuenge of the Romanes herein for king Myrpsa who succeeded Masinissa left these three sonnes Iugurth Adherbal and Hiempsal all these were friendes to the Romanes therefore the Senate sent Calphurnius the Consul with an army but he was corrupted with money by king Iugurth gaue him and concluded such a peace as contented not the Romanes and therefore it was foorthwith infringed Then Albinus Posthumus was sent the next yeere who likewise had no good successe for that he cōmitted the battell to his brothers guiding who fought against the Numidians very vnfortunately The Romanes being not a litle offended with these newes sent the third time Quintus Cecilius Metellus who with his wisedome sobrietie and courage discomfited Iugurth in many battels of the which reade Salust of the warres of Iugurth This Metellus ouerthrewe him and tooke all his Elephants and nowe when Metellus was at the point to haue finished this victorie ouer Iugurth Caius Marius came from the Senat and succeded him he most easely ouercame both Iugurth king of Numidia Bochus king of Mauritania who assisted Iugurth in this warre against the Romans yet Eutropius saith that both Metellus and Marius had triumphes graunted them by the Senatours ouer Iugurth After Iugurth we reade nothing worth the memorie in Affrike In the later ende of this third warre there were fiue triumphes together at Rome one by Marcus Iunius who vanquished the Danes in Fraunce the second by Minutius Rufus who ouercame the Scordicians Triballians in Macedonia the third by S. Cepio who subdued the Portugals in Spaine and the two other triumphes which Metellus and Maurius had ouer Iugurth And thus ended the third and last warres in Affrike which continued foure yeeres Of this Affricane warres there are many writers as Polibius Liuius Appian Eutropius Melancthon others but of the people their countrie their cities their maners and antiquitie reade the 17. booke of Strabo where you shal reade of Affrike and Libya at large I did nothing but briefely runne ouer the historie tooke of euery writer herein so much as I thought good to finish the historie and the rather for that it is a knowen historie to many Thus from the beginning of the first warre vntill the ende of the last warre are accompted a hundred and eight yeres so long they continued in warres against the Romanes at length all were brought vnder the Romanes as were of Affrike habitable So the Romanes had of all Europe dominion sauing of some dwelling beyonde the riuer Ister and of some others that dwell betweene the riuer of Rheine and Tanais euen so had they the gouernment ouer all Asia sauing the Scythians the Indians and the Bactrians which the Romanes made no great accompt of being so barbarous people and so farre from them OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF olde Italie first called Ianicula and then Saturnia of the beginning of the Kings of the Latines the first kingdome of Italie of their lawes and gouernments from Faunus vntill Aeneas and from Aeneas vntill Romulus NOwe to the greatest and last Monarchie of the worlde I meane the Romanes which by Daniel is also set foorth as the other three before for Macedonia Greece and Italie are by the name of Isles named where Iaphet and his offspringes tooke first possession for Iauan the sonne of Iaphet which of Melancthon is supposed to bee of prophane writers called Ianus with his foure sonnes Elisha Tharsis Kittim and Dodanim inhabited first the Isles of the Gentiles which were diuided in their landes euery man after his tongue and after their families in their Nations Of this Kittim the Prophet Isai speaketh and also Ieremie in this sort to the rebellious Iewes Ite in Cedar insulam Kittim c. Goe ye into the Isles of Kittim farre off take diligent heede and see whether such things be there they change not their goddes but Israel haue changed me for idoles This Kittim is mencioned often times in the Prophets and in the booke of Nombers where it is saide The shippe shall come from the coastes of Kittim and subdue Ashur and shall subdue Eber and againe in Ezechiel The companie of the Assyrians haue made their banckes of Iuorie brought out of the Isles of Kittim so that by Kittim is meant Greece and Italie by the best learned Diuines and so expounded by the 72. interpreters for Moses doth warrant these antiquities concerning the fiue sonnes of Sem that from Elam the eldest sonne of Sem the Persians haue their beginning from Assur the second sonne of Sem the Assyrians from Arphaxad the third sonne the Chaldeans from Aram the Syrians euen so from the posteritie of Cham the Egyptians Ethiopians and Libyans and from the children of Iaphet the most part of Europe and of lesser Asia But howe grosly and howe foolishly doe prophane Historiographers erre in their fabulous antiquities which with fained false and strange names oppose themselues against the propheticall histories for the Iewes committed to their superstitious Rabbies all knowledge the Egyptians to their fabulous priests the Persians to their insolent Magi the Greekes euen to their owne fancies following their imaginations in all their histories that of all men they are reprehended and the crie of all Chronicles against them naming it Graecia mendax Graeci pueri fabulosi and therefore Kittim is the warrant for the antiquitie of the Italians as Chus is for the antiquitie of the Ethiopians and Lud for the Lydians and so of the rest And therefore I will returne to old Italie which had diuers names as Ianicula of Ianus whom the Greekes call Oynotria Camesena of Cameses Saturnia of Saturnus Hesperia of Hesper and Italia of Italus the which to write particularly I should but gather fables together of which Fabius Pictor is full Iulius Solinus sayth that Italie is set forth by so many and specially by M. Cato that there can be nothing written but the diligence offormer authours haue preuented i◅ for the description thereof reade Solinus and Strabo therefore I leaue to the Iewes their Talmudistes full of lies to the Egyptians their priestes full of fables to the Greekes their innouacions and inuentions full of vncerteintie and so foorth of others for if I should write what I finde of the antiquitie of olde Italie by them that were neuer in Italie by 2000 miles I meane Berosus of Babylon and 10. Annius I should be but tedious From Ianus first comming into Italie which was by them thought to be Noah vntill Cameses time is 141. yeres so long Italie was called Ianicula from Cameses which was in Ninus time vntill Italus or Hesperus two brethren 430. yeeres during which time Italie was called Camisena or Saturnia for that these two reigned
mines siluer and gold The length of Spaine from the West into the East is 6000. furlongs the breadth of Spaine is almost 5000. in some place scant three Of the description of Spaine of the aboundance and plentie of things of their cities townes riuers mines lakes mountaines and mounts reade Strabo Pomponius Mela and Iu. Solynus Of the antiquitie of these people and of their first arriuall into Spaine I finde some controuersie and in many things apparant errors Both Plutarch and Liui affirme that in antiquities men may most easily erre specially in these first actions of time when kingdomes first beganne Therefore I beginne from the Centre and ground of all true and perfit Chronicles the 10. of Genesis where we reade of the encrease of mankind after the flood and of the beginning of countreys and cities and here all countreys were deuided one from another in language and in kinred And had not Moses set downe the names of the first princes and their children and the coūtreis and kingdoms by them first inhabited we had bene as blinde men not able to iudge of colours or as they that neuer sawe the Sunne not knowing light frō darknes and they that wander with prophane writers frō Moses and from the prophetical histories shal be in no better case for of necessitie we must be forced to conferre with diuine histories for the certaintie of trueth in many things in the beginnings of kingdoms and countreys for otherwise men do erre most grossely folowing their owne fancies one reprehending another more to encrease cōtrouersies then to finde out the trueth as Appion accuseth Herodot for his meere fables in the history of Egypt and Iosephus reprehendeth Appion for his great lies in the history of the Iewes And here Berosus who setteth downe the first beginning of Spaine and of Chaldea and Syria is of many cried out vpon as a fained and lying Berosus yet many alleadge him and followe him of the best writers as Functius Ruffinus and others Berosus saith the Spaniards tooke their beginning from the Caspians a people in Scythia as the Persians the Phoenices people in Syria Celtes people now of France and the Mores and that is probable for after the flood the arke of Noah resting in Armenia not far frō Scythia after 150. yeres people being then multiplied came from thence to seeke countreys and to inhabite euery coast of the world Chus the father of Nimrod went to Aethiope Mizraim the sonne of Chus went to Egypt possessed about the riuer Nilus Gomerus the eldest sonne of Iaphet into that countrey afterward called Italy and Tubal the fift sonne of Iaphet came into that countrey which is now called Spaine Because I wrote of this in the beginning of euery kingdom I neede not much to speake of them and therfore I wil leaue the sonnes of Sem and the sonnes of Cham in their first possession I wil folow Iaphets sonnes which came here to Europe of whom I haue spokē sauing of Tubal who came into Spaine in the yere after the flood 143. within 12. yeeres after Nimrod began his kingdome in Chaldea within two yeeres after his eldest brother Gomerus came into Italy and 3. yeres before Mizraim which is called Oceanus went to Egypt as Functius setteth it downe in his tables This Tubal began to build and to inhabit first in Celtiberia a countrey in Spaine which is now called Byskay hee made a towne and named it after his owne name Tubal in that Prouince of Spaine which is called Baetica and kept many sheepe and cattel for that they are most necessary for man to liue by both for clothing of the body and for feeding of the belly for in the first beginning of time men were not so ambitious as to aspire great things When Tubal was settled in his owne towne he made lawes for his people to liue by taught the Celtiberians the people named Samotes To Tubal came one Samotes sirnamed Disteltas a most wise man yet not knowen but supposed to be Tubals brother one of Iaphets sonnes yet Moses maketh no mention of him Of the comming of Ianus which Berosus and other affirme to be Iauan frō Phaenicia to Affrica and from Affrica to Celtiberia to his sonnes sonne and with the people which he brought with him to dwel in Celtiberia I referre you to Berosus and to Annius Thus Tubal being 155. yeres old died fiue yeeres before Abraham was borne which was in the 43. yeere of Ninus The people were called Caetubales after Tubals name vntill Iberus time the 2. king of Celtiberia after whose name both the countrey and the people changed as Functius saith other say they were called Iberi of the riuer Iberus but Berosus whō Functius in all this historie doth folow saith of Iberus the king the riuer also was so named and the people that dwelt about the riuer were called Iberi So likewise of Celtiberia some writers affirme that it was so named because it is next to those people of France called Celtes and therefore called Celtiberia and surely the best coniectures in things vnknowen are best to bee allowed This Iberus raigned 37. yeres and died in the 37. yere of Semiramis Queene of Babylon During the life of Tubal Samotes had a sonne called Magus he raigned then ouer the people Celtes where he builded many townes and gouerned the people with care and great diligence Also in the 22 yeere of Semiramis Sabatius Saga after that he came to Italy to old father Ianus and had taught the countreymen tillage and other kinde of husbandrie he sent Sabus to that people which were called Sabines after and continued by that name vntill they were subdued by the Romans In the time of this king Iberus Isis was borne in Egypt the wife of Osiris of whome the Egyptians did glorie much for they found in a pillar of brasse this sentence written of Isis as an Epitaph ouer her graue I am Isis Queene of Egypt wife of great Osiris and mother to great king Orus taught of Mercurius to giue lawes to my people which none shall infringe to inuent the vse of sowing of corne I haue builded the famous citie Bubastia Reioyce Egypt that hath brought vp such a Queene I haue liued with you your Queene and now being dead I am placed among the glittering starres by the name of the starre Canis This monument was of the Egyptians much honoured Now followed in Celtiberia Iubalda the sonne of Iberus and the 3. king of Celtiberia he began his raigne in the yere 1993. after the creation of the world he dwelt hard by the mountaine Iubalda which he named after his owne name This is since called of the Mauritaines Ibiralta and of others corruptly he raigned 66. yeeres of whom nothing is to be written but that he at that time encreased by litle and litle his territories not by the
being most glad thereof accepted the offer and remooued from the riuer of Rhene where they first dwelled after they came out of Scythia vnto the number of 30000 armed men 2686. husbandmen with their wiues and children ouer whom Clodomirus appointed his brother called Genebaldus gouernour vnder the lawe and condicion that Genebaldus and his successours for euer shoulde be subiect to the kings of Fraunce paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce and to be readie in any seruice of warre This Countrie was called Menigauia and lyeth about the riuer Meanum and after East Fraunce which in time grewe to be one of the strongest dukedomes in all Fraunce Here Genebaldus reigned quietly 20. yeeres of this king Hunibaldus and Tritemius write at large for I finde that 20. dukes successiuely of one stocke reigned in the dukedome vntill the time of Pipinus which was 414. this is called nowe Franconia Nowe while Genebaldus ruled this part of Fraunce his brother Clodomirus died after whom succeeded his sonne Richimerus and reigned thirteene yeeres at what time Constantinus the great was Emperour of Rome Gebrich king of the Gotes and Visumoar king of the Vandales he in the fourth yeere of his reigne entred into Gallia with an armie of 200000 souldiers wasted spoyled and subdued many places in Gallia hee gaue battell to Tiberiunus the Romane lieutenant and gaue him the ouerthrowe and in the sixth yeere of his reigne Richimerus againe came in armes against the Gaules and Romanes in the which battell in the first time the Romanes were victors but in the seconde time were conquered but in the thirteenth yeere of this kings reigne at what time Constans the eldest sonne of Constantine the great reigned Emperour of Rome Richimerus was slaine in the fielde fighting valiantly against the Gaules and the Romanes After whom Theodomirus came to the gouernment of Fraunce and reigned tenne yeeres during which time he had sundry conflictes with the Romanes but in the tenth yere of his reigne he and his mother Hastila was takē by the Romans put to death After the death of Theodomirus Clogio tooke the gouernment of Fraunce who raigned 18. yeeres and left three sonnes behinde him but I will write of him who succeeded his father which was named Hector sirnamed Degenbart of whom lineally discended king Pipine and Charles the great as Tritemius affirmeth For Marcomirus the sonne of this Degenbart was a very notable souldier and a valiant man and bridled the Romanes 4 yeeres with continuall warres ouer whom hee had diuers victories But one great victorie hee had at Agripina with incredible spoile riches for this Marcomirus was both a luckie name and a great name amongst the Frenchmen In Degenbarts time the Hunnes inuaded the Gothes at what time the Gothes had passed the riuer of Ister inuaded Thracia And the Saxons also inuaded that time the Romane confines for by this time these kingdomes beganne to be mightie and strong in Germanie the kingdom of the Vandols of the Gothes of the Hunnes and of the Longobards At what time Rome beganne to shrinke and to be much defaced of her former dignitie for nowe by litle and litle the Empire yeelded to these West kingdomes vntill the whole Empire was transposed into Germanie But to Marcomirus againe who after he had good successe in many and sundrie battels with the Romanes hee turned his force into Gallia hauing Antenor Priamus Sunno and Genebaldus foure worthie captaines to leade his armie committing seuerall charge to either of them whose prowesse and exploits were such that at that time they wanne and subdued much of the countrey and ioyned the same to the kingdome so that Gallia was daily weakened diminished of her power and Fraunce was strengthened and encreased in greatnesse and force For as I said before the fall of Rome was the rising of Fraunce Nowe after Marcomirus had recouered these townes and countreys which were by his predecessours lost to Maximus and to the Romanes and after hee had done great harme and spoile to the Romanes he was slaine in the fielde valiantly by Valentinianus and his armie after whose death the kingdome of Fraunce was gouerned for the space of 26. yeeres without a king by the states of Fraunce which is called Interregnum During which time Valentinianus the Emperor seeing great oportunitie demaunded of the Frenchmen tribute being due to the Romanes which the Frenchmen denied affirming beside that they would lose both liues and liuings before they would lose their libertie And also boldly againe affirming that they were neuer conquered by the sworde but with deceite By this meanes new warres freshly beganne betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen This time in Fraunce were appointed two chiefe gouernours called Interreges the one named Dagobertus the other Genebaldus who gouerned discreetely and soberly with the rest of the nobles and Barons of Fraunce for 21. yeeres vntill Faramundus time who then gouerned East Fraunce vnder the kings of Fraunce this was by common consent of the States of Fraunce taken from his dukedome and made king of France in the 299. Olympiad At what time raigned in Rome the Emperour Honorius and Arcadius Emperour at Constantinople and in Persia gouerned Vararanes the fourth of that name and 14. king with whome the Romanes this time had great warres About this time certaine Iewes were banished foorth of Alexandria likewise this time S. Hierome died and Augustine his scholer florished and was made bishop of Hippo in Affrike Thus farre the kings of Fraunce from Francus time continued successiuely after Francus name vntill this Faramundus which was foure hundreth yeeres during which time raigned foure and twenie kings And from Marcomirus the first of them that came out of Scythia vntill Francus time another foure hundreth yeeres so that from the beginning of this nation being by so many names called as the names of the countreys were where they dwelt where eight hundreth yeeres passed before they coulde be called kings of Gallia for all their long warres and continuall battels And for that it may be with more ease knowen how when and where they raigned I will set downe all the names of those kings that raigned from Francus time which was in the time of Pompey the great vntill Faramundus in like sort as I haue layd downe the 16. kings of Sicambria For lineally did 24. kings raigne from the father to the sonne for the space of 404. yeeres euen from Francus vnto Farabertus 12. and from Farabertus to Faramundus 12. which was the first king of all Gallia for as the first name continued after the name of Cambra by the name of Sicambri or Cimbri as the Romans called them vntill Francus time so frō Francus time vnto this Faramūdus time the name of Franci cōtinued so now from Faramundus forward they were named Galli and became the greatest kingdome of Europe especially since the Romane
those countreys and territories which were ioyned to the kingdome of Fraunce by his father but also enlarged the same with the vanquishing and subduing of the Romanes in many places These French people by this time became so strong and so mightie that they were feared of all Northren nations and therefore certaine countreys conspired against them and commenced warre against them as Attila king of the Hunnes who slew his owne brother called Bleda which ioyntly raigned in the kingdome for to haue the sole gouernment with him that time ioyned Vualaricus king of the East Gothes Ardaricus king of Gepida and other nations of the North. These commenced warre vpon Meroueus with fiue hundreth thousand souldiers but he was ayded with Theodoricus king of the Vestgothes and with Aetius the Romane lieutenant And the battaile was terrible and great and endured from Sunne rising to Suune setting where 188. thousande were slaine but the victorie fell to the Frenchmen with great slaughter on either side for in that battaile was slaine Theodoricus king of the Vestgothes whose bodie was brought with great pompe and solemnitie to Tolosa to be buried In the next yeere after this great battaile Attila king of the Hunnes being of the mightiest power and of the greatest force of all Germanie inuaded Italy ouerthrowing and vtterly spoyling all partes and places of Italy where hee came into the harme and spoyle he did was such that Leo the first of that name then Bishop of Rome came in his pontificall robes and met him to whom Attila vsed great reuerence and obtained peace The like is written of the great Alexander who with the like honour reuerenced the high Priest at Hierusalem by whom Alexander was pacified and his warre turned to peace Now after in the eleuenth yere of Meroueus he besieged Augusta the chiefest citie of Treueres which Attila a litle before tooke with the sword and possessed it but recouered into Fraunce againe so that the Frenchmen by this time grewe so great so strong since the time they came first from Scythia into Germanie when they dwelt about the riuer of Rein in those places which are now called Holland Gilderland Cliueland and Frizland that they beganne to aduance themselues and to extol their kingdom aboue the Empire for with continual warres of almost 870. yeeres with the slaughter of many of their kings dukes and barons when they were yet called Sicambri and after Franci and now Galli they became at length so strong that rather the empire was subiect to France then France to the empire For this French nation as I said before behaued themselues so in all places where they dwelt that they would both vse their maners and speach and therefore were they called by so many names as Neumagi Marcomani Sicambri Germani Franci and Galli But this word France was encreased more and more and what victorie or conquest soeuer these kings obtained stil they ioyned it to that part of Fraunce where they first inhabited vntill they had conquered all other names within Gallia to be France and that euen from Francus which raigned but fewe yeeres before our Sauiour Christ. Now after that Merouaeus had raigned 12. yeres he died after whom succeeded his sonne Childericus who after he had raigned king for one yeere hee vsed such an inordinate filthie life and insolencie that he was dispossessed of his kingdome in whose place Egidius a Romane was elected who raigned eight yeeres some say but 3. yeres after But before he went he reposed all his trust in Virodomarus his friend an excellent souldier to whom he gaue halfe a piece of gold kept the other halfe himselfe willing him to beleeue no message without he sawe that halfe piece of golde But reade this historie in Aemilius and you shall finde howe Childericus was by Virodomarus restored to his kingdome againe and how Virodomarus was brought from Turingia with all the nobles of France into his kingdome where Childericus was placed againe in his kingdome being then gone to Bisinus king of Turingia for refuge and succour and with him came from thence Basana the kings daughter some say that she was Bissinus wife the king The histories say that she came and followed after Childericus from her father whom Childericus married and by whom hee got Clodoueus which was the first king that receiued the Christian faith Childericus after his returne to his kingdome remembring the victories and cōquests of his father began valiantly to recouer those places and townes frō the Romans which Egidius while he gouerned Fraunce had willingly lost He layd siege to Coloni◅ and ouerthrew it he remoued Odoacer from Fraunce which hee inuaded with a huge armie and put him to flight and when he had recouered all Fraunce from the Romanes subiection hee appointed lieutenants and generals in euery prouince of Fraunce and left all Fraunce free from the Romanes to his sonne Clodoueus and died when he had raigned 26. yeeres others say 23. yeeres Paul Aemilius affirmeth 30. In the time of this king came Ambrosius Aurelius the Romane and tooke the gouernment of Britaine after 20. conflicts hee was slaine by the English Saxons at what time certaine Britaines sailed ouer and came possessed Aquitania For now raigned in Italy Odoacer Hercules being driuen before out of Fraunce as you heard by Hildericus this Hercules hauing setled him selfe in Italy and assuming there the name of a king the Empire was remoued at that very time into Germany and Rome and all Italy were gouerned by strangers All the West kingdomes were much molested and sore vexed this time for as you heard Vortiger and after Hengistus scattered the Britaines to seeke new dwellings so me into Cambria which is now called Wales where they euer dwelt since that time and some to France which is called in France to this day litle Britaine Againe the Longobards setled themselues about the riuer Danubius and diuers other nations in Germanie and in the West countreys were placed and againe displaced by warre But to Clodoueus the son of Childericus by Basana who came to the kingdome of Fraunce at the age of 21. yeeres and raigned 30. yeeres he liued 15. of them a Pagane vnchristened in the other 15. he was christened and was the first that receiued the Christian faith into Fraunce and also the first king that possessed all Gallia vnder the crowne of Fraunce for in foure great battailes he had these victories The first against the Romanes whose lieutenant was called Siagrius who was taken in the bat◅aile and slaine and the armie of the Romanes put to flight and slaine The second warre was against Gothemarus and Gotegiseleus who before had slaine in warre Chilpericus his wiues father and Sigismundus his wiues vncle this warre Clodoueus tooke in hande at the suite and earnest request of his wife Clotildis for
Romane religion and allowing of the dignitie of the Pope into Fraunce for the which Pope Steuen created king Pipine one of the Romane Patricians this king grewe so great in Fraunce that the Saxons sought his friendship promisig to ayde him at all times with three hundred horsemen to any exploite In the time of king Pipine Salim a great Prince of the Saracens with eight hundred thousand Saracens inuaded Cappadocia without any great exployt done this time the Turkes issued foorth of their Caspian holdes and inuaded Armenia and after commenced warre with the Arabians in Fraunce After that Pipinus had quieted the state of Fraunce and was confirmed by the Pope to his kingdome for he was the first that allowed the authoritie of the Pope in Fraunce and after that Thassillo king of Bauaria had yeelded himselfe to the crowne of Fraunce and that the warres of Aquitania was ended when Nauserius their gouernour was slaine by his owne souldiers then Pipinus died after whom succeeded Carolus the great who raigned in Fraunce sixe and fourtie yeeres It is read that in euery countrie or kingdome some men are noted chiefe one excelling another and among these fewe gallant and famous one is euer preferred in all countries of whome they holde and bragge of their antiquitie their lawes kingdoms their chiefe conquests and victories generally they doe attribute to one aboue another as for example here I set downe Among the old Assyrians Nymrodes Belus But specially Ninus Among the old Egyptiās Vexores But specially Sesostris the Hercules of Egypt Among the old Persians Darius Histaspis Artaxerxes Mnemon But especially Cyrus Among the Greekes Miltiades Phocion biades Pelopidas Pericles and diuers others aboue all Themistocles Among the Romanes Titus Manlius Val. Coruinus Coriolanus and Camillus with others yet one Iulius Caesar aboue them all In Spaine Amongst all other iolly fellowes Viriatius most commended of late Charles the fift And so in Fraunce Francus Marcomirus and Pharamundus Yet Charles the great the onely man that aduaunced the name of Fraunce This king after his first entrie into Fraunce tooke Aquitania and Vastonia vnder his hand and after went into Italie being thereto requested by Hadrian then Pope of Rome where he waged sharpe warres with the Longobardes whom he vanquished and quite destroyed both them and their gouernment out of Italie where they reigned 204. yeeres after their first entring into Italie in the which voyage he not only confirmed that which king Pipinus his predecessor had before graunted to the Pope Stephen but also chargeth and cōmandeth that all the rites and ceremonies of the Romane religion shoulde bee vsed and solemnized within all the kingdome of Fraunce After this he returned into Fraunce made a voiage with an army into Spaine and tooke many townes and cities of the Saracens wasted and spoiled and did great harme in Spaine and did the like annoyance after his cōming home into Germanie for he subdued the Saxons and brought the Bohemians vnder the crowne of Fraunce After this hee made warres against the Hunnes which endured well nigh eight yeres This king ended many broiles and quarrels in diuers coūtries and withall hee had so enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce and brought all places and all nations subiect to Fraunce that hee was by his good successe and great victories had ouer diuers regions called Carolus the great and for that the gouernment of Carolus the great was such that almost all the Northwest kingdomes were eyther made fearefull of Fraunce or paying tribute or some seruice to Fraūce so that Carolus by his greatnesse euery where and by his fauour with Pope Leo was by the meanes of Leo created Augustus and made Emperor and the Empire brought from Rome into Fraunce from thence into Germany where it remaineth by the name of the Emperour of Almania the third remoue of the Empire for first frō Rome to Constantinople where it continued for a long time and frō thence remoued to Germany and last into Fraunce I wil set downe the names of all the kings of Fraunce from Clodouaeus the 2. the 12. after Faramundus vntill this Charles the great the 12. king of Gallia as I founde them in Functius and in Beroaldus table for Pharamundus began his reigne in Fraunce in the 299. Olympiad and in the yere of our Sauiour 420. and reigned as here you may reade in this table 1 Clodouaeus 2. reigned after his father 17. yeeres 2 Lotarius 3. succeeded and reigned 4. yeeres 3 Hildericus the 2. reigned 14. yeeres 4 Theodoricus succeeded his brother Lotarius and reigned 14. yeeres 5 Clodouaeus 3. 4. yeres 6 Hildebertussucceded his brother Clodouaeus reigned 18. yeeres 7 Dagobertus the 2. called alsoin Functius Clodouaeus reigned 4. yeeres 8 Lotarius 4. of that name and brother to Dagobertus reigned 7. yeeres 9 Theodoricus surnamed Cala sonne to Dagobertus the 2. reigned 15. yeeres 10 Hildericus surnamed Stupidus 9. yeeres 11 Pipinus surnamed the short came after Hildericus being deposed from his kingdome and reigned 18. CHAP. VI. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whom all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany CHarles the great the twentie three king of Fraunce who was made Emperour and created Augustus by Pope Leo and the Empire brought thereby to Fraunce and into Germany for vntill this time the Empire remained in the East part called imperium Orientale which was Constantinople and remoued into Fraunce and Germany where it is called imperium Occidentale Hitherto I haue set downe the names of the kings of Fraūce lineally frō Pharamundus the first king of Gallia which reigned in the yere of Christ our Sauiour 420. vntill Carolus the great the 23. king after Pharamundus who being both Emperour and king gouerned Fraunce fourtie sixe yeeres This succession of kings continued 408. yeeres so that from the first comming of the Frēchmen out of Scythia which was in the 85. Olympiad twētie yeeres before the twentie one Iubilee vntill this Charles the great which was in the 814. yeere of Christ from Marcomirus vnto Francus 106. Olympiad whhich is 424. yeeres during which time they were called Neumagi Marcomanni and after Sicambri vntill Francus from Francus vnto Pharamundus 113. Olympiad which is 452. yeeres during which time they were called Franci from Pharamūdus to Charles the great 393. yeeres at what time they were first called Galli so that from Antenor who maried Cambra the daughter of king Belinus the Britaine vntill Charolus the great are 1270. yeeres By this time the kingdome of Fraunce waxed so mightie that Carolus was made Emperour by Leo the Pope as I said before Nowe Fraunce by meanes of his great fortune fauoured so
the first king borne of those that were called Galli for hitherunto the lineal sucession of Francus endured 36 After him his sonne Robert raigned 34. yeeres In the beginning of whose time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne 37 Henry the sonne of Robert succeeded and raigned after his father 30. yeeres 38 Philippe the first of that name and sonne to Henry raigned 49. yeeres In whose time beganne the kingdome of Bohemia In the time of this Philippe the first two most famous men and worthie Captaines tooke their voyages the one named Godfrey of Bullen with an armie from Fraunce into the holy Land which was Ierusalem so called after Christs time on earth this warre is called bellum Sacrum the sacred warres against the Saracens Reade Tilius Chronicles of the French kings where you shall finde a Catalogue of the nobles peeres and gentlemen of France and of diuers other countreys that went on that voyage with Godfrey of Bullen to Hierusalem the other Captaine came to England William the bastarde of Normandie afterward called William Conquerour of whom our English chronicles can testifie But I wil briefly passe ouer the kings 39 Lewes sirnamed Crassus raigned 28. yeeres 40 Lewes sirnamed Iunior 43. yeeres 41 Philippus Augustus sirnamed Deodatus 43. yeeres In whose time the Iewes were banished out of Fraunce 42 Lewes the eight of that name 4. yeeres 43 Lewes the ninth sirnamed Holy 43. yeeres 44 Philip the 3. sirnamed Audax son to Lewes 9. 15. yeres 45 Philippus the 4. sirnamed Pulcher the faire and sonne to Philip the thirde raigned 28. yeeres In this kings raigne began the kingdome of Ottoman the Turke 46 Lewes the 10. sirnamed Vtinus king both of Fraunce and of Nauarre raigned almost 2. yeeres 47 Philip the 5. sirnamed Longus raigned 5. yeeres 48 Carolus Pulcher king of Fraunce and Nauarre 7. yeeres Now after this Philip the first of the house of Valois began in the 1328. yeere of our Sauiour whose line hath continued euen frō this Philip of Valois the first king of that house vntill Frances Valois last king of Fraunce and the last of that stocke which continued 263. yeres whose names successiuely are here set downe in Tilius Chronicles as followeth 49 Philip of Valots the first king of that name 22. yeres 50 Whose eldest sonne named Iohn was the first Dolphine of Fraunce which to this day doeth continue Hee raigned after his father king of Fraunce 14. yeeres 51 Carolus the 5. sirnamed the wise raigned 18. yeeres Whose brother named also Philip was made duke of Burgūdy About this time Iohn Wicleue opened much falshoode yet vnknown of Papistrie both disputing writing against it 52 Carolus the sixt sirnamed Bene amatus raigned 42. yeeres this ordeined first the 3. Floure deluce This time raigned in England Richard the second 53 Charles the seuenth raigned 38. yeeres This king commenced warre against England at what time Henry the 5. raigned who subdued all Fraunce and was crowned king in Paris 54 Lewes the eleuenth raigned 23. yeeres 55 Carolus the eight raigned 14. yeeres 56 Lewes the 12. raigned 17. yeres in France being the 1500. yeere of our Sauiour Christ Reade of this king Arnoldus Ferronus all his thirde booke which hee onely wrote of this Lewes the 12. At what time raigned in England Henry the 7. Thus farre briefly Iranne ouer the state of France omitting many thinges willingly and wittingly which I particularly touch in the historie of Spaine for I tooke not in hand to write at large or to set foorth great volumes of superfluous histories but onely as I saide before to note the antiquities and first beginning of kingdomes and to marke the errours of prophane histories in many things dissenting from Moses from Daniel and from the Propheticall writings who opened all Chronicles for they coulde not agree in the chiefest pointes of all true Chronicles neither the Romanes in the building of Rome from whence they ground their histories neither the Greekes by their Olympiads neither the Persians of Cyrus time neither Spaine in their accompt of A. E R. A neither the Arabians of their Hegyra In fine vnpossible it is to finde the trueth of Antiquities in prophane writers without conferring of the same with the Sacred histories of the Prophets who reueiled the trueth of time by their Iubilees A BRIEFE FOR BRITAINE SEeing that I haue written of other countreys I can not tell how to answere my countreymen well if I should not also somewhat speake of the Britains though in trueth many haue sufficiently written of the comming of Brutus vnto this land of his kingdome and succession of kings and continuance which though of some denied which do now as they then did in the time of Halicarnassaeus who after he had trauailed his histories from Sempronius Fabius Pictor and from M. Cato and proued euidently the comming of Aeneas into Italy of his kingdome and posteritie in Alba longa vntill Romulus being 17. discents after him yet some gens inuidiosa Traianis as Halicarnassaeus calleth them seemed not to allow the historie though they knewe it themselues also read it by so many proued because they would be named antiquaries and the credite of the histories should come from them Such was Polidor Virgil in his history of Britaine such was Berosus in the historie of Hetruria being two strangers and such was Manethon to write of Spaine So there were among the Iewes Talmudists who among other matters which they wrote for they were the onely men among the Iewes would also by this credit that they had amōg the people write what they listed that they became thereby very fabulous in their histories So among the Egyptians their superstitious priestes filled their bookes with lies and so of diuers other countreis men wrote rather fables then histories of their coūtreys But these are reiected from sound approued authors tanquam Mithici for in reading of histories I find nothing so readie as errors in antiquities of countreys and in original of nations And surely it is not to be wondered at concerning the antiquities of time euen from the beginning of the world and the late beginning of writers from Cyrus time or rather Alexanders time for in the first age from Adam to the flood no trueth is had nor knowen but onely by Moses in the Genesis and 1650. yeeres frō the flood vnto the time of the Olympiads men wandered in no true accompt of time nor of histories excepting that which is written in the bookes of Moses and the Prophets nothing seemed sound nor certaine but cōiectures and fained fables as in the historie of the Chaldeans Assyrians Aegyptians and diuers other nations many things are written which is named Mythycum very licentiously and to liberally and after the time of the Olympiads how vntrue prophane historians wrote vntil Daniels time who seeth it not Since which time a briefe of al true
of them from Pharaoh by the direction and instruction of God of Ioshua his successour and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeres and of the common wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Ioshua which was 72. yeeres 26. Of the third change of common wealth of the Hebrewes first from Oligarchia vnder the Patriarches secondly from Aristocratia vnder the Iudges nowe to a Monarchie vnder kings which Israel cried out and neuer ceased vntill they had a king 41. Of the taking away of the tenne tribes from Iuda to Samaria by Ieroboam in the fourth yeere of Rehoboam Salomons sonne of the first diuision of Israel of their warres and last destructions of the kings of Israel by Salmanasser 54. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroyed Samaria taken and the tenne tribes of Israel caried capitue by Salmanasser into Assyria 68. Of the returne of the Iewes into Ierusalem after the captiuitie first by the decree of Cyrus after by Darius and last by Artaxerxes of the seconde building of the temple by Esdras Nehemias and Zorobabcl and of the gouernment vnder the high Priest 76. Of the Machabees and of the last kings of Iuda and of their gouernment vnder the Romanes and of their last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus the Emperour 85. ¶ I haue vsed in the historie of the Hebrues for my authorities these many writers whose names are vnder written Moyses Berosus Iosephus Eusebius P. Eberus dereb Iud. Sigonius Glareanus Melancthon Io. Freigius de vitis patrum M. Beroaldus Io. Functius THE CHALDEANS OF the first originall of the Chaldeans first called Arphaxades after the name of Arphaxad the third sonne of Sem which was the first kingdome of the world of their continuance gouernment and last destruction by Darius Medus and Cyrus Fol. 102. Of the rest of the kings of Assyria from Ascatades the 18. king vnto Sardanapalus the 36. and last king of the Assyrians which is since the Israelits left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham raigned in Iudea 117. Of the kings of Babylon againe called new Assyria frō Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon Coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon 128. Moses Eusebius Berosus Iosephus Manethon Tro. Pomp. Orosius Xenophon Zonaras Bucholcerus Ruffinus Iustinus THE EGYPTIANS OF the originall beginning of the Egyptians and of their continuance of their kings and gouernments Why Egypt was called Oceana or Nilea 141. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time firnamed Egyptus at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Egyptus before called Mizreia 153. Of the last kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaos which continued 1200. yeeres and of the first conquering of Egypt by Cambyses the second king of Persia. 165. Of the second conquest of Egypt by Alexander of their kings afterward called Ptolomeis vntil the time of Caesar Augustus by whom al Egypt was last conquered made a prouince subiect to the Romane Empire 177. Manethon Herodotus Cheremon Diod. Sicul. Io. Annius Blondus Appion Iustinus Ruffinus Iosephus Melancthon THE SCYTHIANS OF the antiquitie of the Scythians of their lawes gouernment and life of their hardines in warres and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians and their often inuasions into Asia Fol. 191. Herodotus Dio. Siculus Plini Melancton Iustinus Berosus Strabo THE PARTHIANS OF the originall of the Parthians and of the beginning of their kingdome and how long it continued of their kings gouernment and last destruction by the Romanes in the time of Augustus Caesar. Fol. 199. Strabo Iustinus Solinus Plutarchus Liuius Val. Max. Linus Diodorus Melancthon THE MEDES OF the antiquitie of Media of the originall of their kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance Fol. 209. Of the first kings of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last king of the Medes 214. Strabo Zonaras Diodorus Orosius Iosephus Pomp. Mela. Trog Pomp. Ruffinus OF LYDIA OF the antiquitie of Lydia of the originall of their kings and of their common wealth and gouernment Fol. 223. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Croesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. 229. Eusebius Ruffinus Herodot Diodor. Functius Trogus Pompeius Strabo Pomp. Mela. Melancthon Appianus OF PERSIA OF the first originall of Persians of the antiquitie of their kings of their common wealth and gouernment of their continuance and howe they haue bene called the great kings by the meanes dignitie of Cyrus 238. Of the two Magi that vsurped Persia after Cambyses time of Darius Histaspis and his good gouernment of Xerxes the great and his warres in Greece of his ignominious flight from Greece and of his death in Persia after his flight 249. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time 258. Of the tyrannie of Darius Ochus of his sonne Arsames and of the vtter confusion and last ruine of the Persians in the time of their last king Darius sirnamed Codomanus by Alexander the great 267. Of the state of the Persians vnder the Romans after the time that they were conquered by Alexander the great vntill the time of Alex. Seuerus Emperour of Rome 550. yeres after at what time began the new kingdome of Persia by one Artaxerxes and of his successours vntill the Persians the fourth time were vtterly destroyed by the Saracens 278. Xenophon Iosephus Io. Functius Dion Zonaras Strabo Herodotus L. Florus Q. Curtius Iustinus Io. Monachus Dio. Halicarnas OF MAHOMET OF the originall of Mahomet in Arabia of his greatnesse and credite not onely among the Saracens and Arabians but also in the East kingdoms of the inuasions of the Saracens of their scattering warres in Asia Europe and in Affrike and of their continuance Fol. 289. Pau. Aemilius Blondus Maspeus Iornandus de Get. Chron. Pol. Bonfinus de Hung. Functius OF THE TVRKES OF the great Turke and of his kindome from Othoman the first vntill Selimus the 11. of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezuntium which nowe the Turkes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople 302. Egnatius Paul Iouius Chromerus Pol. Blondus Bonfinus Functius OF GREECE OF the antiquitie of Greece of the beginning of their cities and Common wealth of their lawes and gouernments by degrees during yet the infancie of Greece 311. Of the building of Athens of their beginning and of their first lawes vnder 17. kings being the thirde kingdome of Greece in antiquitie after the Sicionians and the Argiues 320. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the
Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of their gouernment and continuance 327. Of the generall gouernment in all the cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the 4. king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians 333. Of the huge armie of Xerxes of his preparations both by lande and by sea of the pompe and pride of Xerxes in his iourney to Greece of his shamefull great ouerthrow and ignominious flight from Greece againe into Persia and of the flourishing state of Greece at that time 339. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warre which continued 27. yeeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philip and after by his sonne Alexander the great 347. Of the last destruction of Greece by the Macedonians by meanes of ciuill discord and the Peloponesian warres the onely cause of their ruine and confusion at what time king Philippe brake their backes and his sonne Alexander their neckes And after them last of all the Romanes kept them in perpetuall seruitude 362. Eusebius Iosephus Zonaras Theo. Bibliander Strabo Xenoph. Thucydides Herodotus Plutarchus Archilogus Diod. Siculus Functius Orosius OF THE MACEDONIANS OF the kingdome of Macedonia of their continuance lawes and gouernment of their kings and of their warres vntill the time of Alexander Fol. 372. Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great of his conquests and victories ouer all the East of his dangerous warrs in India Egypt and in Scythia and of the subduing of Darius and the taking away of the Monarchie from Persia into Macedonia 382. Of the diuision of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander the great betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sword So many kingdomes were voyde by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoiles fought now for kingdomes and Empires Of their warres and of their continuance 393. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrow by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrow of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in his last conquest of Macedonia 404. Glareanus Theo. Bibliand Plutarchus Q. Curt. Liui. Plinius M. Scotus Orosius Florus ASIA AND SYRIA OF the warres of the kings of Asia and Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdome after Alexanders death Fol. 413. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrannie of the kingdome of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of the Christians 420. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one against another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made prouinces vnto Rome 429. Eusebius Appianus Eutropius Valerius Max. L. Florus Liuius Functius and the Machabees AFFRIKE AND LIBYA OF the first Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which continued 24. yeeres and of the victories of the Romanes ouer them Fol. 436. Of the second Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which endured 17. yeeres during which time Hanibal held terrible warres with the Romanes which brought the Empire of Rome well nigh to Carthage but at last by Scipio Affricanus the warres were ended Carthage ouerthrowen Affrica wonne and Hanibal forced to flee 443. Of the thirde and last Affricane warres betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans which endured foure yeeres of the ouerthrowe of Carthage and Numantia of the ruine and last conquest of Affrica by the Romanes 453. Liuius Appianus Plinius Polybius Orosius Eutropius Dionys. Halic Val. Maximus L. Florus Frontinus And all the Romanes OF ITALIE OF the antiquitie of olde Italie first called Ianicula and then Saturnia of the beginning of the kings of the Latines the first kingdome of Italie of their lawes and gouernment from Faunus vnto Aeneas and from Aeneas vntill Romulus Fol. 459. OF THE ROMANES OF the first building of Rome by Romulus of his gouernment lawes and appointing of Magistrates after he had founded the Citie of his warres with the Sabines of his conquestes and victories ouer these Sabines Fidenates and of his triumph ouer king Acron 467. Of the gouernment lawes and orders of Rome after Numa Pomp. time vntill the ende of Tarquinius the proud the last king of Rome of their warres and victories during this time ouer their neighbours about them of the enlargement of the Citie of Rome and of their territories and last of the banishment of their king 480. Of the first change of gouernment in Rome from a monarchie vnto Aristocratia at what time one Dictator and two Consuls were appointed to gouerne the people in the roome of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus began to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes 493. Of the warres and victories of the Romanes ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphs had ouer Italie with diuers other forraigne nations and kingdomes 507. Of the Romane warres and of their conquest ouer Carthage Numantia and all Asia and of their diuers victories and triumphs ouer other nations during the time of this Affricane warres 514. Of the conspiracie of Lucius Catilina and of the two ciuill warres the first betweene Marius and Silla and the second betweene Pompei the great and Iu. Caesar during which time Carthage and Numantia were subdued in Hispaine and the last conquest of Affrica by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger 524. Of the alteration and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours the state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus 536. From Nero the tyraunt the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Commodus the cruell the 18. Emperour a match meete for Nero in the one the stocke of Caesar was extinguished in the other the blood of Antoninus ended and quite failed two Emperours of like condition and maners of the gouernment of them ouer Rome from Nero to Commodus during which time reigned 12. Emperours 550. Of the good Emperour
inuenter of Musike as the harpe the organes and other instruments Zillah bare him a sonne named Tubal Caine he found first the vse of iron and brasse he was the first author of cunning craft in grauing Here is Plinie much deceiued to name Amphion the first Musition here was Diodorus ouerseene to preferre Apollo and the most part of prophane histories doe greatly erre attributing to Mercurie to Orpheus to Linus and to others which are read in Genesis in the first age found for Propheticall histories are farre more auncient then prophane by 2000. yeres beside the first age and first Fathers liued so long a time therein they must of necessitie be first acquainted with all things for the chiefest cause of long life in the first age was that all men vniuersally might praise the Lord God in magnifying his name acknowledging his workes in his creatures Thus did Adam Seth Enos Henoch Methusalem Lamech and Noah see yea and foresee the workes of God in his creation in his Church in his redemption in his promise and in his election for Iosephus writeth that the creation of man the commandement the state the Church institution of mariages all other gouernments fit for the children of God were by Adam in two tables of stones and some olde ancient writers affirme as Melancthon that the first age was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they excell in wisedome iustice gouernment and authoritie full of inuentions full of of artes and sciences and therefore a long life was by God granted vnto them for no doubt Adam before his fall had that full and perfect knowledge of God in his workes that he his posterities taught afterward in the word The second age was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein began the magnanimitie and fortitude in warres force and violence In vvarres Empires and kingdomes tooke beginning in the vvorld and this second age began in Nimrode and continued vntill Iulius Caesars time The third age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endureth the vvhole time of the fourth monarche giuē to delicacie pleasure for though the vvorld be full of secret contention and hidden enuie full of open vvarres one kingdom against another yet not accomplished as in the fore ages But to returne to Caine and his posterities hovv they grevv from the beginning in idolatrie in superstition in outvvard pompe of vaine ceremonies framing to themselues a nevv kind of religion not in sinceritie and trueth but in externall forme and fashion being ignorant of God and of his vvord Christ the Messias that vvas to come This idolatrie began in the house of Caine from Caine himselfe vnto the time of Belus 150. yeere after the flood This Belus being dead his sonne Ninus erected vp his fathers image or statue vvith such honour and vvith such priuiledge and vvith such solemne pompe as he that vvas guiltie of any great crime might flee Adstatuā Beli to the image of Belus as to a sure sanctuarie of his safetie vvhat fault soeuer he committed Here began the second cause of idolatrie here images vvere made idols set vp and all kind of grauen vvorke in stones or trees vvere honoured as gods amongst the Gentiles deriued frō the name of Belus some calling them Baal some Bel some Belcebuc according to the varietie of tongues as Eusebius vvriteth And this idolatrie continued frō Belus vntill Alexander the great to vvhom at the siege of Babylon certaine Astrologers called Magi signified vnto Alexander vnlesse hee vvould restore the tombe of Belus being spoiled and defaced by the Persians he should haue no good successe at Babylon but Alexander litle esteeming their Chaldaicall diuination as Diodorus at large doth report marcheth forward with his siege At what time vvas Lucius Cornelius Quintus Pompeius Consuls at Rome so the first idolatrie of Cain and his posteritie vvere vvel and iustly revvarded by the flud The second age vvhen idolatrie began in Belus ended in Sardanapalus 12. hundred and odde yeeres being the 36. king and last king of Assyria as Eusebius affirmeth All this vvhile God had his Church for his elect the Lord had appointed another seede vnto Adam for Abel vvhich vvas Seth in vvhose time men began to call vpon the name of the Lord and the Lord did moone the hearts of the godly to restore religion The posteritie of Seth vvhich vvas by Caine and his familie suppressed and continued seuen generations vntill such time that Naema the daughter of Lamech and sister of Tubal Caine taught men the vse of fine flaxe to be soft clothed and to be trimme attired vvith cloth and linnen vvhere before men vvere clothed vvith leather and skinnes Novve the posteritie of Caine became right vvorldlings in follovving their fancies and pleasures from vice to vice nothing acquainted vvith the afflictions and crosses of the true Church so vvhen men began to bee multiplied vpon earth and had daughters borne vnto them then the sonnes of God as Moses calleth them vvhich Iosephus calleth the angels of God meaning the seede of Seth vvhich began to forsake the godlines and simplicitie of their forefathers savv the daughters of men vvhich issued out from Caines house that they vvere faire tooke them to their vviues of all that liked them of this vnlavvfull and vvicked mixture of the good vvith the bad of this holie seede vvith profane blood of godly men vvith vvicked vvomen sprang vp an huge people much like vnto the gyants or as Homer saith in his sixt Odysse speaking of the Cyclope Poliphemus to vvhom Moses compareth them alluding the course of their life ad Cyclopicam vitam men more to be feared then to be follovved yet Seth a man singularly beloued of God endevved much vvith Gods blessings studious to please God desirous to plant true religion and giuen to all kinde of vertuous practising all godly exercises and liuing in all felicitie left behind him godly children as Enos godly and vertuous like Seth his father vvhome Moses preferreth to be the first that earnestly called vpon the Lord Iehouah detesting the house of Caine as dead Then Henoch a godly sincere man led an vpright life before God the seuenth from Adam prophesied of such wicked men saying Behold the Lord commeth vvith thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement against all and to rebuke all the vngodly of their vvickednesse and of their cruell speaking against him for euen that Henoch saieth Paul vvas taken avvay to shevv that there vvas a better life prepared and to bee a testimonie of the immortalitie of soules and bodies and that hee shoulde not see death for his faith towardes God for before he vvas taken avvay he vvas reported that he had pleased God he was seene no more for God tooke him avvay Henoch vvalked vvith Lamech the father of Noah hauing respect to the promise desired to see the Messias vvhich should be sent and yet he savve but a
singular man of God Moses to whome the lawe in Mount Sinai was giuen and by whome the lawe had full execution with whome GOD talked so familiarly that hee alone continued with GOD fourtie dayes in Mount Sinai the moste auncient Chronographer of the worlde the verye light of prophane Histories and the onely teacher of time as by his 5. bookes appeare but for that Moses must be spoken of almost in euery place for the recourse and triall of time I will nowe goe forward with the historie Nowe reigned ouer the Assyrians Ascatades the 18. king in Niniue and in the 8. yeere of this Ascatades Cancres Pharaoh the king of Egypt with all his great armie were drowned in the red sea In Moses time happened two great floods the one called Deucalion flood 784. yeeres after Noahs flood the other in Thessalia after which followed such earthquakes in Thessalie that many thousands of beasts men women and children townes and cities were destroied as both Berosus and Xenophon doe agree After which earthquake fire wasted many townes and cities in Greece called incendium Phaetontis In Moses time the kingdome of Athens beganne wherein Cecrops was the first king of Athens 350. yeeres before the destruction of Troy From Abraham to Moses 450. from Moses to the first building of the Temple 480. yeeres Thus farre Berosus writeth euen from the beginning of Noah out of the arke vntil the going of the Israelites out of Egypt yet a litle farther vntill the falling of Dathan with 250. more which held with Abiran and Chore for their murmuring against Moses After this went Moses vp from the plaine of Moab to mount Nebo where the Lorde shewed vnto Moses all the lande of Canaan according to his promise saying thou shalt see the lande of Canaan with thine eies but thou shalt not goe ouer thither and there Moses the seruant of the Lorde died for whome Israel wept 30. daies and after whome Iosua succeeded Moses was 120. yeeres of age when he died Nowe you must vnderstande that when Ioseph was dead and the Hebrewes began to be multiplied the Egyptians both feared and hated them oppressed them as you heard with all toile and slauerie and not yet contented but a law was made among the Egyptians that euery male childe of the Hebrewes should be throwen to Nilus This lawe continued from Moses birth and before vntill their God deliuered them by Moses God had appointed with Moses and after with Iosua wise and graue men as Elders Iudges Magistrates to gouerne the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes vnder Moses as Iethro his father in lawe had councelled him the head of any tribe or of any citie Conuocauit populos Israel Senatum eorum principes eorum iudices eorum Ios. 23. Hee had also the Leuites the Priest and the high Bishop a state of Common-wealth chaunged from Oligarchia which was in Abrahams time into Aristocratia by the expresse commandements of God in all the lawes of the Hebrewes Morall and Iudiciall And after God gaue the Ceremoniall Lawes to Moses at mount Sinai for the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes were of all others most principally to be allowed for that God ordeined all their lawes ordered their Iudges al their Kings and their high Priestes for these three states gouerned the Hebrewes from Moses the first Iudge vntil the last high Priest though by Moses other officers were appointed as Tribunes Centurions and Captaines some ouer a 1000. some ouer a 100. some ouer 50. by the Greekes named Chiliarchi Hecatontarchi Pentecontarchi Decatarchi The offerings which were gold siluer and brasse blewe silke purple and scarlet fine linnen Goates haire and Rammes skinnes coloured red oile spices perfumes of sweete sauour the Tabernacle the Arke the stone table and the rod of Aaron and Manna which were testimonies of Gods presence Read of these Ceremoniall lawes in Exod. 25. About this time reigned in Egypt Ramesses afterwards hauing vanquished his brother Danaus from Egypt Egyptus vsurped the kingdom of Egypt named it Egyptus after his owne name Amongst the Argiues Stelenus their 9. King and after him succeeded Danaus being driuen out of Egypt by the foresaid Egyptus his brother giuing that name to the Countrey of Egypt being before named Mizraim Nowe in Creete gouerned Axit and in Athens the 4. king Ericthonius in these daies Nowe Memphis in Egypt of one Epaphus as Eusebius doth name was builded Dardanus builded Dardania in the sixt yeere of this king Egyptus this afterwarde was called Troy-Cyrene at this time was likewise builded in Libya and Nisa a great citie in India by Dionysius In Niniue Amintes the 19. king of the Assyrians gouerned It is written by Orosius that Danaus king at this time of the Argiues hauing fiftie daughters who being married to fiftie brethren sonnes to his owne brother Egyptus wrought meanes by these his daughters to requite the iniurie of his brother they agreeing with their father conspired the deathes of their husbandes and slewe them all in one night This historie is diuersly written which I leaue to euery mans iudgement After that Moses had gouerned the people of God 40. yeeres in the wildernes hee made choise of Iosua as you heard to be their Gouernour and Iudge for there was no succession of Gouernors no election of states no Prince no Iudge to claime right amongest the people of Israel but the lawe of God was the Iudge that gouerned Israel So Gedeon saide Non dominabor vestri nec dominabitur vestri filius meus sed Dominus he was the onely ruler so they prospered all the time of good Iudges This Iosua the second Iudge of Israel whome God raised after Moses was adorned with excellent giftes as with counsell to gouerne Israel and with strength to defend Israel this bringeth them after all difficulties vnto the land of Canaan which Iosua diuided among the people he appointed their borders he established lawes and ordinances assuring them of Gods fauour if they would obey God and contrariwise of his plague and vengeance by disobedience To this good Iosua God saide my seruant Moses is dead nowe therefore arise goe ouer Iordan thou and all this people vnto the lande which I gaue them for euery place where you shall tread vpon haue I giuen you there shall be no man able to withstande thee all the daies of thy life bee thou strong and be of good courage I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee This was great comfort to Iosua to haue God to be with him to assist him to strengthen him to defend him Then Iosua commanded his hoste with their Captaines and officers to passe ouer Iordan he exhorteth the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasses to execute their charge saying the Lord your God hath giuē you this land which was somtime in the possession of Sihon king of the Amorites and in the hands of Og king of Bashan goe you
was commanded by Samuel to take armes against the Amalekites to spare neither man woman or child cattell or beasts but for sauing of Agag the king and few of the fattest beasts for sacrifice Saul lost his kingdome disobedience was the cause thereof Some may thinke the cause to be small that Saul did to be reiected from his kingdome the sparing of a kings life So likewise may they iudge of the men of Bethshemesh who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord he slew 50. thousand three score and ten men for it was not lawfull for any either to touch the Arke or to looke within it saue only to Aaron the high priest and to difobey GOD and to breake Gods commaundement is a thing most terrible Now though Saul spared Agag disobeying God yet Samuel most zealously without any further delay hewed him in pieces After this Samuel returned to his house to Bethleem where he was commaunded to annoint one of the sonnes of Ishai king of Israel and hauing all the seuen sonnes of Ishai before him saue the yongest which was Dauid who kept his fathers sheepe in the fieldes Samuel commaunded Dauid to be sent for at whose comming the Lord said to Samuel Arise annoint him for this is hee And Samuel tooke the horne of oile and annointed him king in the middest of his brethren and the spirite of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that time forward and the spirite of the Lord departed from Saul And now though Dauid was annointed king by Samuel the Prophet yet GOD would haue Dauid to be exercised in many things before hee should haue the vse of the kingdome After this Samuel went to Ramah to his house and came no more to see Saul vntill Saul died Samuel loued Saul much and mourned much for him and God therefore reprooued Samuel Samuel was a godly Iudge ouer Israel who with great care and diligence serued God and gouerned his people keeping his circuite once euery yeere from Bethel to Galgala and from Galgala to Masphat and from Masphat to all townes vpon his wayes to Ramah where Samuel dwelt and there hee set vp an altar vnto the Lord and iudged Israel Euen so did Debora sit vnder a Palme tree betweene Ramah and Bethel iudging and determining causes of the people This Prophet gouerned Israel fortie yeeres Saul being deposed and throwen from his kingdome hee fell vnto great melancholie imagining how he might compasse and bring things to passe with troubled minde for the euill spirite of the Lord came vpon him that hee oftentimes was molested and vexed with troublesome thoughts And to ease the king of these agonies instruments of Musike with all kind of harmonie were thought very necessarie of his counsell Dauid was called and sent for by Saul to plaie vpon the harpe before Saul for hee was skilfull in Musike so Saul loued Dauid and made him his armour bearer While Saul was in this melancholie moode the Philistines were againe in armes against Israel wasted their countrey destroyed their Cities and prouoked the Hebrewes to warre Saul made readie his hoste but while yet they were preparing for the battell Goliah a mightie huge man a great Giaunt vaunted forward from the hoste of the Philistines by himselfe cried and called for a combate if any one man of the Hebrewes durst defying Israel and blaspheming their God But GOD prepared Dauids heart mightie and valiant and with a sling to bee able to ouerthrowe this Giant for Dauid by the experience which hee had in time past by Gods helpe nothing doubteth the danger of Goliah sithence hee killed a Lion and a Beare before this time being but a shepeheard in the field Hee was fullie perswaded by Gods spirite to haue the victorie ouer Goliah being mooued with a feruent zeale to be reuenged vpon this blasphemer But true it is Comes virtuti inuidia Here Saul began to enuie Dauid and to laie snares to kill him for great actions are full of dangers But there is no danger where God defendeth and saueth the vertues of Dauid purchased much enuie much daunger which Dauid escaped by the prouidence of God But Saul still deuised his destruction vsing all policies and inuenting many stratagemes to ouerthrow Dauid promising Dauid his daughter Michol to wife seeking at Dauids handes nothing but valiant courage and seruice agaynst the Philistines But the more victories Dauid wanne the more danger ensued him the greater seruice he did the more he was enuied and hated for Saul feared Dauid seeing the Lord was with him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul told Dauid the wicked purpose of his father so that Dauid was driuen to flee from Saul and to hide himselfe in a Caue Samuel the Prophet about this time died and was buried in Ramah his owne citie Dauid being still persecuted of Saul wandred and fled from Saul to Achis king of Gath where hee should haue a charge vnder the king to fight against Israel which troubled him not a litle yet such was the infirmitie of Dauid that he durst not denie the king Now Saul all this while following his wicked purpose consulted with a witch to know of Samuels spirite the successe of his kingdome by whom I meane not Samuels spirit but the spirit of Satan he was fully certified of his ruine and of the end of his kingdom which happened to Saul and to his children for it fell out that Saul killed himselfe and his children were slaine in the battell a cruell life hath a desperate end After the Philistines found Saul Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua his three sonnes lying dead in mount Gilboa after the victorie and the Philistines cut off Sauls head and stripped him out of his armour and they laied vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth their idole and hanged his bodie on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph Saul died after the deliuerance of Israel from Egypt 473. yeeres after the calling of Ioseph into dignitie in Egypt 660. yeeres and after the flud 1234. yeeres Thus the wicked in their pompe and pleasure consider not the iudgement of God During this time raigned Dircillus ouer the Assyrians the 31. king and Aeneas Siluius the 4. king of the Latines In Athens this time raigned Codrus the last king of the Athenians betweene whom and the Peloponesians grew great warres and continued vnto the last destruction of all Greece In the time of Saul certaine people were driuen out of Thessalia called Boeotij they found a land to inhabite which at this day is called Boeotia before named Cadmeia The The kings of Sicyonum called otherwise Peloponesus ended in Sauls dayes euen when Israel began their kingdom About this time the kingdom of Lacedemonia began where first raigned Euristhenes of whom descended Leonidas and Cleomenes two valiant captains which ouerthrew the Persians in the great battell at Thermophila About this time descended the stocke of
by Ioab to Dauid After this Dauid had foure great battels with the Philistines slew them and subdued them vnto the last Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers tyrannie and treason and saued from Saul Absalon and many others When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and quietnesse and brought all nations subiect vnto him hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes Hymnes Odes Verses which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him But yet more troubles came on Dauid The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him that Dauid commaunded Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda from Dan to Beersheba which Ioab did the people were in number of able fighting men 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him and the Lord sent Gad Dauids seer with three things to take his choise Pestilence Famine or Warre Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy then to trust to man Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other and there died 70000. men Now after this Dauid waxed old and hee caused Salomon his sonne to bee annointed king before he died whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly exhorting him to serue God to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel Dauid commanded Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed cursed me when saith he I was at the worst Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius for Iosephus doth write that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. odde yeeres after Dauids death opened the graue of Dauid and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne who laying siege to Ierusalem was contēted to returne with some of these talents without any harme done And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel seuen in Hebron and 33. in Ierusalem Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abrahā after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070. During this time of Dauid raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemonians Now failed the state of kings in Athens and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges which now began by Codrus sonne named Medon after whose name they were named afterward Medontidae for a while Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines in Corinth raigned Ixeon the second king of Corinth About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia and another in Italie called Misene now called Cuma Salomon the sonne of Dauid the third king of Israel of the tribe of Iuda a man endued with singular wisdome in great fauour with God as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne he remembred the words of Dauid and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Notwithstanding the Israelites being froward and stubborne euer reuolting from their GOD were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites as after the death of Dauid fell out for in Dauids time Israel flourished and all things prospered in Iuda But scant had Salomon bene annointed king but Adoniah Salomons brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtillie seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother and by her meanes to haue Abishag which Dauid his father loued tenderly to wife But his craft was found out and his pretensed treason spied by Nathan the prophet and by Salomon himselfe who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother and had Abiathar the priest on his side and Ioab who tooke Adoniahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah afterward commaunded Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls chiefe captaine and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid who enuying their fauour credite with the king slew them and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king being dead Salomon banished Abiathar the priest and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli and restored to the house of Phineas After that Salomon called Shemei and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king charged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid in reuiling and cursing of him and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands and Salomon obeied God in all things and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter saieth that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis vntil the time of Salomon which was 1300. yeeres for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abraham came to Egypt this is the cause why Herodotus doth omit the names of the kings of Egypt euen 330. kings Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē and went to Gibeon to sacrifice for there their tabernacle was at that time there was no temple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon and gaue him wisedom more then any prince of the world had as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared Salomon flourished and prospered and farre excelled all the kings of the world for his wisedom was so abundant as the sand that is on the sea shore No Philosopher no Astrologer no Chaldean magi no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement for God was his schoolemaster Salomon was famous throughout the whole world hee wrote 3000. Prouerbes and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Israel was taken captiue vnto Babylon the temple then being burned and the citie destroyed He wrote of all kind of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall He spake of beastes fowles and fishes He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes which Iosephus affirmeth at large And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour Now coucerning the princes rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon the purueiance for victuals the number of his horses and the order of his house they
were almost vncredible were it not written in sacred histories Salomon raigned ouer all kingdomes from the riuer of Euphrates vnto the land of the Philistines and vnto the border of Egypt And to speake of the hospitalitie of Salomon and to set it downe as it is in the Bible read it exceeded for euery day he had 30. measures of fine floure and 60. measures of meale for bread he had ten fat oxen and 20. oxen of the pastures and one hundred sheepe besides Hartes Buckes and other diuers fat foules Salomon had 4000. stalles of horses chariots in euerie stall tenne horses which in all amount to 40000. and he had 12000. horsemen This blessing had Salomon at Gods hand for the which benefits he was much bound to set foorth Gods glory which had giuen him such wisedom to gouern such rest and peace in his gouernment that he sent to Hiram king of Tyrus an old friend of Dauid his father for Cedar trees and Firre trees to build a temple to the Lord his God Hiram satisfied Salamon to his full desire Salomon had 7000. men that bare burdens 80000. masons in the mountaine and he had three thousand and sixtie whom Salomon appointed officers and vnder officers of the worke As for the forme and frame of the Temple the height the bredth the length and the deepe foundation thereof with al things belonging thereunto as Cherubins caldrons bases cups pillars candlesticks pots vessels altars tables bowles and basons it is in order written in the kings The Temple being finished the Arke was brought to the Temple where the tenne Commaundements were written where Salomon made his praiers to God to accept their sacrifice to sanctifie the temple and to continue with Israel for euer Salomon all this while followed the Lord and therefore God appeared vnto him the second time as he appeared vnto him first at Gibeon promised him that hee would establish the throne of Israel and defend his people for euer if they would walke in his wayes in token whereof the glory of God filled the temple fire came downe from heauen and consumed their sacrifice and Gods presence was with Salomon Now the renowne of Salomon went farre so that Saba Queene of Aethiope came to Ierusalem to heare Salomon and to see his porte but after Salomon fell from God hee loued many outlandish women which were idolaters he followed the women of Moab of Edom and of Ammon and of Sydon that hee had 3. hundred Queenes and Princes that were his wiues and 700. concubines these women turned Salomons heart from GOD after the gods of the Gentiles so that hee worshipped Ashtaroth and Milcom the gods of the Ammonites his God forsooke him therefore and raised vp aduersaries euen Ieroboam a seruaunt of Salomon but an ouerseer of his worke whom Salomon sought by diuers meanes to kill But Ieroboam fled to Egypt where he kept himselfe till Salomon died Thus Salomon whom God with so many blessings had exalted aboue all the kings of the world left to his sonne Rehoboam whom he loued best the kingdom of Israel to gouerne after he had raigned in Israel 40. yeeres he died before the natiuitie of Christ 1000. yeeres before the birth of Romulus the first king of Rome 231. before Alexander raigned king in Macedonia 666. and before the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus Vespasian 1070. While Salomon gouerned Israel Laostanes the 33. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniuie Labotes raigned in Lacedemonia and Agesilaus in Corinth This time gouerned the Athenians Agastus the second Iudge of Athens and Alba Syluius raigned ouer the Latines the 7. king In Salomons time was Ephesus builded by Andronicus as Eusebius affirmeth and in Egypt gouerned Simendes called in the scripture Sisac to whom Ieroboam as you heard fled from Salomon for feare in the 21. Dinasteia of the Egyptians The sonne of Hiram called Baleastartus succeeded in Tyrus and liued but 7. yeeres Sadock and Ahiah were now prophets in Israel Salomon began his kingdome in the yeere of the world 2930. After the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres 12. yeeres before the beginning of the 9. Iubilie Salomon began to build the temple in the 4. yeere of his raigne before the building of Rome 300. yeeres after the calling of Abraham from Chaldea 910. yeeres Salomon builded to himselfe in Libanon a house for his pleasure and this was in making 13. yeeres and was finished 20. yeeres after the building of the Temple before the monarchie of Macedonia gotten by Alexander the great 700. yeeres and before Augustus Caesars empire 1000. yeeres Salomon died before Romulus birth 231. yeeres before Christ 1000. yeeres and before the last destruction of Ierusalem vnder Titus Vespasian 1070. CHAP. V. Of the taking away of the ten tribes from Iuda to Samaria by Ieroboam of the first diuision of Israel of their warres and last destructions of the kings of Israel by Salmanasser NOw after Salomon raigned Roboham his sonne borne of an Ammonitish woman named Noma Ieroboam now being in Egypt when Salomon died he was sent for by some of the elders of Israel God brought it to passe that when Ieroboam came from Egypt vnto Sichem the people followed Ieroboam and fled from Roboham for hee despised the counsell of the ancient wise men which folowed Salomon his father and hee onely esteemed rash and yong counsell whereby Ieroboam being strong and stoute and subtile amongst the people perceiuing the nature of the people to be drawen from the sonne of Salomon God suffering these things to goe forward for the sinnes of Israel Ieroboham builded him an house in Sichem and not long contented with that he builded another house for his dwelling in a towne called Penuel Now about this time in Ierusalem approched the feast of the Tabernacle which Ieroboam considered of and sawe it was dangerous to let the people to goe to Ierusalem least the people should take pleasure with the rites and ceremonies of the Temple with their solemne pompe and dignitie in religion with their sacrifices and feastes and therefore he erected two altars the one in Bethel the other in Dan and caused two golden calues there to be worshipped Here the tenne tribes of Israel committed idolatrie forsooke their God and they followed Ieroboam in all wickednesse Thus Dan and Bethel with all the idolatrie of Israel continued till Iosias time Roboham this while hauing but the tribe of Iuda and Beniamin vnder his gouernment repaired his Cities fortified his countrey and gathered an armie of an hundreth and foure score thousand to fight against Ieroboam and to bring Israel againe to Roboham But they were warned by the Prophet Shemaiah not to fight saying This is done by GOD who of his iust iudgement will punish offenders all this happened for Salomons sinnes Now the kingdome was deuided to two names Israel which continued two
should eate him that should die in the fielde After Baasha succeeded Ela his sonne and reigned in Tirza 2. yeeres and Zimri his seruant conspired against him and when the people heard that Zimri had killed the king they rose against Zimri and made Omri their king At that time Israel was in campe against Gibethon and besieged Tirza which siege continued from the time of Nadab Ieroboams sonne where Zimri kept him selfe in holde and perceauing the citie should be taken by Omri he burned him selfe and the kings house with fire After this reigned Omri twelue yeeres sixe in Tirza and sixe in Samaria a towne which he builded and was the first king that was buried there after the building of Samaria and after the burning of Tirza After this the seate and pallace of the kings of Israel were in Samaria and they are often called the kings of Samaria and the kingdome of Samaria being so called of Samarus the lorde of that soile or rather of that mountaine where Samaria was builded This was the iudgement of God to bring his purpose to passe that one king should destroy an other king vnto the last confusion of Israel for such is the nature of idolatrie that the elder it is the more abominable it is superstition doth encrease and danger doth ensue After that Omri was deade and buried in Samaria his owne towne Achab his sonne succeeded one farre worse and more wicked then the rest for hee mended no euill thing in Israel but added euill to euill and augmented the sinnes of Israel he married that vngodlie and wicked wretch Iezabel by whose meanes being wicked before he fell to all strange and horrible idolatrie and cruell persecution he reared vp groues and altars to Baal and prouoked the God of Israel more then all the kings before him Yet the mercie of God neuer failed the faithfull he stirred vp good and godly men in wicked and superstitious countreyes as Abraham and Lot among the Chaldeans Tobi in Niniue Raguel and Gabel in Media and here amongest these idolatrous and wicked Israelites he raised Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea faithfull Prophets to instruct his Church Nowe in Iuda king Afa waxed olde and died in the time of this euill and cruell king Achab after whome succeeded his sonne Iosaphat who gaue him selfe wholy to serue the Lorde and therefore preuailed against Israel God gaue him a pure heart to seeke Gods glorie that his enemies could not execute their rage against him for Iosaphat trusted in the Lorde and abolished idolatrie and he prospered Iosaphat builded in Iuda pallaces and cities and hee taught the people in Iuda and all Iuda brought presents to Iosaphat The Philistims and Arabians gaue him giftes and brought him tribute But let vs leaue Iosaphat a while and returne to Achab in Samaria where Elias was warned of famine that should come to Samaria of which famine Menander in his Chronicles of the kings of Tyre doeth make mention for Elias was commanded to depart Eastward and to hide him selfe in some place about the riuer of Cherith against Iordan which for want of raine became drie the hunger grew great in Israel This famine was 800. yeeres after the famine of Egypt in the time of Ioseph yet the Rauens euery day fedde Elias and brought him bread and flesh euery morning and euery euening and he dranke of the brooke Cherith thence went Elias to Sarepta and there mette with a poore widowe gathering stickes of whom he asked a morsell of bread and a little water and the woman said I haue but one handfull of meale in a barrel and a little oile in a cruse which I am about to make readie for me and for my sonne that we may eate before we die for there was no hope of any more sustenance yet of that little she had she gaue vnto the Prophet of God some part thereof for the which afterward the barrell was full alwaies of meale and the cruse full of oile vntill plentie of foode came as Elias saide hee restored the widowes sonne being dead to life againe He was sent to Achab to shewe Gods mercie to him and to his people in Samaria for the famine was great and God pitied the wicked for the godlies sake and strengthned Elias with his spirite to doe great miracles by sending downe fire from heauen to burne the sacrifice which he had prepared to his God to reproue Baals prophets therefore 400. of Baals prophets were slaine by Elias at the brooke Kishon whome their god Baal could not helpe But Elias was sought therefore of Iezebel Achabs wife she thought to reuenge the deaths of her Prophets yet her rage and furie failed and her purpose missed of Elias Achab by Iezebels counsell exercised all crueltie and tyrannie Naboth was killed for his vineyarde by Iezabels counsell and by the wickednes of his wife Achab became a vile Idolater a cruell murtherer and as one that wholy gaue him selfe to serue sinne Nowe while Achab was in committing one euill vpon an other in Samaria the peace ended which was made for three yeeres betweene Achab king of Israel and Benhadad king of Syria for after that Achab had victorie ouer Benhadad king of Syria for when Samaria was besieged by the king of Syria and the hostes of the Aramites filled the countrey yet God gaue the victorie to Achab. God before went about with signes and miracles to drawe Achab from his impietie and nowe he giueth him victories whereby he should acknowledge the Lord to be his God yet still trusting to his false prophets he ioyned the second time with Iosaphat king of Iuda went to Ramoth Gilead to fight againe with the king of Syria where Achab was slaine and he was brought to Samaria to be buried according to the Oracle of Elias When the king was thus slaine the battell was ended Iosaphat returned to Ierusalem for Iosaphat had made affinitie with Achab for Ioram Iosaphats sonne had married the daughter of Achab named Athalia a wicked woman such as her mother Iezabel was Thus Iosaphat walked in Dauids waies and sought not Baalim he was vertuous and godly and followed the commandements of God and forsooke the trade of Israel he abolished idolatrie from Iuda and prospered in riches and honor yet he was reproued and rebuked by the Prophet for that he would helpe the wicked and loue them that hated the Lord for the wrath and iudgement of God is ouer all those that support the wicked But in respect of his care and zeale which he had ouer Iuda he had happie successe in all his regiment In the 25. yeere of his reigne he called all the Elders and chiefe officers of Iuda before him commanded them seuerely to walke vprightly before God and to reade the lawes of God to the people and to acquaint them with the true religion his reward was therefore peace and quietnes within Iuda
last by the Romans Cornelius Festus Sillas sonne and Furus Centurio entred first the Citie and after the whole Romane armie rushed in and slew 22. thousand Iewes spared the temple and the sacred treasures therein defiled not the Sanctuarie neither touched Pompey the golden table neither tooke away with him one penie of the 2000. talents which was the treasure of the temple But Crassus in short time after going against the Parthians in his voyage spared neither treasure nor the temple Ierusalem was builded in Iudea by Sem the sonne of Noah and was by him first named Solima or Salem a citie most famous and the soile it selfe most fertile and so by God blessed and preserued from the first building in the time of Sem vnto the last ouerthrowe of the same by Titus the Romane Emperour being 2177. yeeres Iosephus doeth describe the situation and building of this towne that it was builded vpon two hilles the one hill higher then the other Dauid the first king of the tribe of Iuda in whose time for that he fortified the higher hill after his dayes it was called Castellum Dauid the lower hil was called Acra ouer against this hil Acra they began afterwards to drawe another hill to enlarge this citie and to ioyne the temple within the same for the temple was builded on a hard high rocke for that it might the better be seene that the state and magnificence thereof might be beholden and seene aboue the towne and aboue the high towres of the walles for Hierusalem was compassed with three seuerall walles fronted one against another with such high strong towers that some of them were 70. cubites higher then the walles as the tower called Psephina likewise the tower of Hippicos was fourescore and fiue cubites high The second towre called Phasaelis after Herods brothers name was fourescore and tenne cubites high the thirde named after his wiues name Mariannes which farre excelled the rest whose large descriptions you shall reade in Iosephus a Iewe borne and brought vp in Ierusalem vntil the destruction thereof where he was taken prisoner by Titus there it is set forth to the ful the situation of the citie the beautie of the temple the strength of the walles the height and largenesse of the towres the port and state of the gates the full description of the foure hilles which Hierusalem was builded on and other things which now I omit for the circuite of Hierusalems walles was no more but thirtie and nine furlongs This towne was nothing like in bignesse to Babylon or to Niniue but farre greater in fame and in victories for Hierusalem had triumphed and sawe the ende and last destruction of the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians Arabians and Persians for litle Iudea endured the force and power of the three first Monarchies which was the Assyrians the Persians and the Grecians though it was before conquered fiue seuerall times by the iust iudgement of God for their transgression and sinne yet by the mercie of God saued and preserued as is before mentioned vntil thirtie eight yeres after Christs death All that while that they serued God and followed the steppes of their forefathers I meane Abraham Isaac Iaacob Daniel Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias they preuailed against all nations they conquered all Countreys and brought all the kingdomes of the worlde to admire their vertues to feare their force and to seeke fauour and friendship at their handes though they were sometime touched for their stiffenecked stubbernes and too much iniquities as in Egypt in the wildernes and after they had possessed the land of Promes for still they offended the Lorde for the which these seuerall fiue conquests were had ouer them The first was by Nabuchodonosor the great king of Babylon the second by Asocheus king of Egypt the thirde time by Antiochus the great king of Syria the fourth by Pompeius the great and the fift and last was by Titus Vespatian In the which last subuersion and ouerthrowe of Hierusalem wee reade in Iosephus being then a present souldier in the warres the calamities and great miseries that then fel on the citie of Ierusalem and on the inhabitants thereof Their hunger and famine was so great that one did eate an others vomite the fathers did eate their children and the mothers fed on their owne babes in the cradle in so much that stinking carions and dead bodies which died for hunger in the streete was meate of great daintines in Ierusalem They were constrained to eate beastes dung dried leather girdles shoes and skinnes which couered their shields yea they sought their foode in Iakeses many slewe and butchered one another in the citie Besides this the plague was so hote amongst them that lodgings houses temples and all the streetes in Ierusalem were filled with dead bodies The slaughter was such as within 18. moneths siege 110000. were slaine within the citie and most of them strangers and Gentiles which came vp to the feast according to the custome of the Iewes where suddenly they were taken and besieged you must thinke by famine and by the sword During which time 97000. were taken prisoners and captiues there were found of the Iewes in priuies and Iakeses and hiding themselues in caues sinkes and holes of the earth aboue 2000. Some sent of these to the nomber of 70. thousand to Egypt as bond slaues there to moile like beastes in intollerable toile some solde more cheape then dogs for Egesippus witnesseth that 30. Iewes were solde for a penie and those were yong boyes vnder sixteene yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGInall of the CHALDEANS first called Arphaxades after the name of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of SEM which was the first kingdome of the world of their continuance gouernment and last destruction by Darius Medius and Cyrus NOw hauing ended the historie of the Hebrewes the posteritie of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of Sem I will followe Assur the second sonne of Sem who builded Niniue from whom and after whose name the Assyrians are called whose history I haue now in hand In the hundreth thirtie and one yeere after the flood when people had multiplied in the land of Shinear olde Noah taught the people to seeke new seates and dwellings instructed the newe worlde the first age after the flood in the course of the Sunne the Moone and the starres and in all other things wherein Noah was most perfite hee declared to his people what he knewe and sawe in the first age and deuided the world into three parts Asia Africke and Europe and sent his sonnes to seeke aduentures Cham he sent to Egypt and to Africke with his company Sem to Asia and Iaphet with his people to Europe of whom I will speake where their historie is handled Now I will begin the historie of the Chaldeans who after that the people were dispersed at the building of Babel and had scattered into euery partes of the worlde were the first that
erected vp a kingdome and was the first place that was inhabited as both Zenophon and Berosus affirme for the Caldeans knew that before the flood that men liued and that the continuance of them were before the flood one thousande sixe hundreth and fiftie yeeres and more for that then Noah and his sonnes taught the second age of things done in the former age and how for sinne God had destroied the world for the Egyptians and the Phoenicians long after the flood were taught by the Chaldeans of the flood and of the former time and after more perfectly instructed by Abraham which in the time of famine trauailed from Canaan into Egypt where for a time hee read Arithmeticke to the Egyptians then rude and ignorant of any great knowledge that hearing of these things they beganne very obscurely and darkely to set downe many things which they then not perfectly knewe and yet are vnperfect for that they were ignorant of the Genesis The goodnesse of God spared Noah for 350. yeres and more to instruct the second age to preach vnto them the wonderfull workes and mercies of God before the flood and to warne the world after the flood from sinne the onely cause of Gods wrath towards man and to bring them vp in the true religion of God not as prophane writers affirme that hee wandered all the countreys of the world by diuers and sundry names as by the name of Ogyges Ianus Coelus Oenotrius Geminus pater and many such fabulous names of his lawes in euery countrey of his religion and ceremonies in euery kingdome of his being in Italy in Spaine and in other countreys cleane contrary to the nature and trueth of the history which came after the flood vnto the place where he yet liued with his forefathers Lamech Methusalem Enoch and so foorth before the flood the land of Shinear where by the consent and opinion of the best learned he liued vntil he died I wil not therefore follow Caldean fables in the antiquities of their Caldean and Assyrian kings for that they haue no sound warrant for their historie but that which Berosus setteth downe which Manethon an Egyptian priest much commendeth and maketh many supplies of Berosus lies and so doeth Io. Annius a priest in Whitenberge in his Commentaries vpon Berosus and so doth Diodorus in his bookes of Fabulous antiquitie But leauing Berosus Menathon and Annius to forge their fables I wil as briefly as I can runne through this historie for that I can finde nothing true of them but that which I reade in the Bible from the time of Phul assur vntill Balsaars time which were but 10. kings whose names I set here downe 1 Phul assur named in the Scripture Tiglat Phul-assur 2 Salmanassar which destroyed Samaria and toke the 10. tribes of Israel vnto Niniue captiue 3 Saneherib who came against Ezechias to Hierusalem with an huge armie folowing his fathers tyrannie Saneherib 4 Merodach the first king of Babylon againe broght Niniue vnder Babylon 5 Berodach his sonne 6 Nabuchodonosor which destroied Hierusalem and tooke the tribe of Iuda captiue into Babylon 7 Euilmerodach Nabuchodonosors sonne this restored Iehoakim king of Iuda vnto his libertie againe after that Nebuchodonosor his father died 8 The last of these Kings was Balsaar of these many kings in this the history of the Prophetes make mention and so much of the historie is true I will therefore set downe the continuance the nombers of their kings the change and varietie of this Kingdome for after that Nimrod had drawen people together he first laide the foundation of the Empire made lawes began to builde a great Citie and named it Babylon the first Citie after the flood which Citie though Nimrod began it his sonne Belus amplified it and last of al Semiramis finished it in such forme and stately shewe as he that is desirous to knowe the length the breadth the compasse situation the strength and beautie of Babylō let him read Herodotus Solinus where it is largely described Though it is thought that Herodotus and others in this do erre for Iosephus lib. 1. contr App. and Beroaldus 3. Chr. affirme that the olde writers erred much about the building of Babylon and of Niniue for that which Nabuchodonosor claimed to be his owne saying Nonne haec est Babylon quam ego aedificaui in robore fortitudinis meae Is not this Babylon which I haue builded the Grecians and all olde writers attribute to Nimrod to Belus and to Semiramis The like fable is of Niniue which was builded first by Assur the sonne of Semi by writers is attributed to Nynus Herein both Greeke and Lataine Historians are ouer seene aswell in the time as in the persons in that they were ignorant of the Prophetes histories howbeit Babylon was begun by Nimrod and Belus and somewhat enlarged and beautified by Semiramis but the dignitie and chiefe soueraigntie of Babylon must be graunted to Nabuchodonosor vnder whom the Caldeans onely florished ouer all Kingdomes and enioyed aureum seculum So this Countrey florished first before all other Countreis Babylon the first towne the first seate of the Empire of the world being the chiefest palace of the king for so were they called kings of Babylon and the first kings in the worlde after the flood and so continued almost two hundred yeres vntill the time of Ninus who after he had builded Niniue in the plaine of Aturia a farre greater Towne then Babylon though before it was begunne by Assur one of the sonnes of Sem yet fully by Nynus finished This Nynus waxed great and strong layed siege to Babylon subdued it and brought the Empire of Caldea subiect vnto Assyria then both Caldea and Assyria became one Monarchie and then the kings of Babylon were called kings of Assyria and then Assyria hauing conquered Babylon began to be chiefe and continued from Belus time the first king of Assyria vntill Sardanapalus time the last king of Assyria which as Eusebius writeth was 12. hundred fourtie yeeres from the first reigne of Nynus vntill the last of Sardanapalus so long the seede of Sem continued kings and helde the Monarchie of Assyria As the kingdome of Babylon was translated then from the posteritie of Cham after the first 200. yeeres vnto the posteritie of Sem so nowe againe Niniue is made subiect to Babylon as it shal be hereafter shewed when the historie of the kings of Assyria is handled Thus Assyria sometime subiect to Chaldea and Chaldea to Assyria Niniue to Babylon and Babylon to Niniue vntill both were subdued by the Medes and after by the Persians so God doth appoint and God doth disappoint states and common wealthes according to the decree of his eternall will sinne being the onely cause of Gods anger and wrath his wrath the cause of all calamities destruction and subuersion of kingdomes as Sirach saith Regnum à gente in gentem transferetur propter iniustitiam
Therefore Pompei the great being a heathen man and driuen to flight in the the battell at Pharsalia by Iulius Caesar desirous to know of Cratippus the Philosopher the euents of the warres betweene Iulius Caesar and himselfe demaunded of him an sit prouidentia whether the decree and purpose of God is vnchangeable Cratippus answered him though a heathen Philosopher yet like a true Christian saying Fatales esse imperiorum periodos the prouidence of God is most sure and certeine for then the Romane Monarchie beganne by Iulius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome which Pompei founde true within a while after and so Chaldea first and Assyria after so the Medes so the Persians so the Grecians and last of all the Romanes came to destruction by not confessing God neither acknowledging his prouidence as you shall reade in their seuerall histories But nowe to speake of the rest of the kings of Assyria for that they were at one time and gouerned together Belus the sōne of Nimrod after he had as you haue heard laid the fundations of Babylon by his father Nimrod before appointed a peaceable prince quiet gentle curteous vnto his subiects vntil about the latter end of his reigne hee became to bee ambitious most cruelly giuen to enlarge the Empire of Babylon and as Berosus saith to bring all Nations vnder the Chaldeans he went about first to destroy a mightie great king in those dayes which much hindred Belus purposes named Sabatius king of Saga This Sabatius perceiuing that Belus laid secret snares euery way for him and seeing that he could by no meanes escape the hads of Belus he hid himself in a secret place with the Caspiis Annius saith in the 5. booke vpon Berosus that this Sabatius was Saturnus Now Belus being old hauing reigned 62. yeeres grew so great and so mightie that al the nations about honored him as a god he commanded Nynus his sonne a little before he died by al meanes possible to destroy Sabatius Saga and by the sword to compell all nations and countries and al people to be vnder the Empire of Babylon for that it was the first kingdome after the flood When he had reigned king 62. yeeres he died to whom the Assyrians after his death erected his statue or image they made so many monumēts to Belus after his death that thereby they began to commit idolatry to put vp images naming them Baal Bel after the name of Belus Nynus succeeded his father Belus the third king of the Assyrians imitating his father both by nature and by cōmandement lost no time but streight in armes where his father subdued the most part of Assyria and Asia this king went further hauing conquered euery where vntill the coasts of Libya finding the people yet not able to resist him not acquainted with wars but seeking meanes to fortifie their kingdomes being as yet weake and tender without any great force not so strong as to resist Nynus being at that time the greatest king in the worlde which ouercame Aricus king of Arabia but some say king of Ellasar and after conquered Barzanes king of Armenia as Berosus affirmeth After he returned to Media where Pharnus king of the Medes and his seuen sonnes were slaine with their armie thence proceeded forward to Bactria where Zoroastres remained as king to whom Iustine ascribeth the first obseruations of the starres naming him the first Astrologer of the worlde after the flood this gaue Nynus a great ouerthrowe in the first battell putting the enemies to flight after he had slaine 100000. of the Assyrians Nynus hauing this foile returned with greater force ioyned againe in battel ouercame the Bactrians slue their king possessed the kingdome by the pollicie of Semiramis whō afterward he maried which historie you shall finde in Diodorus Siculus at large This Nynus excelled his father augmenting the Empire of Assyria by the conquestes hee did of all Asia and of all the East kingdomes vnto the Indians hee amplified the Citie of Niniue which Assur the sonne of Sem began to builde as Iosephus and Philo Iudaeus doe affirme but Melancthon saith that Nynus two hundred yeeres after builded Niniue after Assur began it that Nynus enlarged it beautified and made it so great that it conteined foure hundred furlongs of ground which is fiftie miles after our accompt it had a thousand and fiue hundred wonderfull great towres vpon the walles it had the onely soueraignetie of the worlde and there Nynus and all the kings of Assyria kept their Courtes this was called by Nynus after his owne name Niniue it was builded in the valley of Aturia not farre from the riuer Tygris this Niniue was farre greater then Babylon as you may reade in Herodotus at large and was the chiefe seate of the kings of Assyria a thousand and two hundred yeeres some write one thousand three hundred and more Howe true Berosus writes of the pilgrimage and iourneys of Noah I referre it to the reader but hee sayeth that in the tenth yeere of Nynus the third king of Babylon after that Noah had trauailed many Countries had giuen them lawes he came to Africa from Africa after that heehad taught the people for a time he came into Italie in the nineteenth yeere of Nynus at what time Noah was eight hundred and three score yeeres olde and liued after in Italie and in Hetruria 92. yeeres for so long liued Noah which was in all 950. Many Monuments and Townes builded by Noah in diuers Countries are set written by Berosus lib. 5. and by Annius in his Comentarie Abraham was 57. when Noah died After this Nynus had reigned 52. yeeres he died and was buried in his owne Citie of Nynus where his wife Semiramis buried him so honorably with such a sumptuous Toumbe that it was the onely paterne which Artimesia the queene of Caria made for her husbande Mausolus and counted for the rarenes thereof one of the seuen woonders of the worlde Wee reade in Zenophon that Semiramis caused an Epitaph to bee set vpon one of the pillars of this graue with these wordes Mihipater Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babylonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Ethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegyptus atauus Caelus Phoenix Ogiges repeating the petigree of Nynus to be the sonne of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noah Archilogus writeth that he beganne to reigne a king ouer the Assyrians 250. yeeres after the flood In this Nynus time Abraham was borne Semiramis after her husband was dead beganne to fortifie the walles of Babylon ruled and gouerned most stoutly the Assyrians and the Caldeans 42. yeeres adding to the Empire more Regions and Countries after her husbands dayes subdued the Ethiopians ouercame the Indians and their king Staurobates which neuer was done or by any enterprised beside Semiramis but onely by Alexander the great
Berosus Mameius reigned 30. yeeres and hee likewise died without any great mention made of his name Then folowed in the kingdome of Assyria one named Sparetus vnder whom the Chaldeans warred vpon the Phoenicians as Eusebius and Berosus sayth and brought the Syrians the Phoenicians subiect to Sparetus At this time happened such a terrible earthquake as Berosus doth write throughout al Assyria and Chaldea that Babylon Niniue were much thereby frighted this Sparetus reigned 40. yeeres Next folowed Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria of whom Berosus writeth that in the eight yere of this kings reigne reigned Centres king of Egypt who with all his host were drowned in the red sea This is that Pharao that resisted Moses and plagued Israel of whom I haue written in the stories of the Iewes In his time he and all his peeres nobles of Egypt were drowned in the red sea at what time the Hebrewes had such a triumph ouer their long enemies as neither the Persians had ouer the Assyrians nor the Macedonians ouer the Persians neither yet the proude Romanes ouer the Macedonians as the Hebrewes had ouer the Egyptians and therefore I will set downe the names of the kings of Assyria in this sort from the first king vntill Moses Nimrod 56. yeeres Belus 62. Nynus 52. Semiramis 42. Zamhisninias 38. Arius 30. Aralius 40. Baleus Xerxes 30. Armatrites 38. Bellochus Priscus 35. Baleus Iunior 52. Altades 32. Mamitus 30. Mancaleus 30. Spherus 20. Macaleus 2. called of Berosus Mameius 30. yeeres Sparetus 40. Ascatades 40. Of the rest of the Kings of Assyria from Ascatades the eighteenth King vnto Sardanapalus the sixe and thirtith and the last King of the Assyrians which is since the Israelites left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham reigned in Iudea CHAP. II. IN the last yeere of Ascatades began Dardanus to gouerne the Troianes himselfe being the first king and first builder of Dardania then Ilion and the third time called Troy after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres for Berosus in the last yeeres of Ascatades the eighteenth king of the Assyrians ended his historie and went into Athens and read the Grecians Astronomy instructed them in the Chaldeans knowledge concerning the first age before the flood secondly the genealogie of Adam and the rest vnto the flood thirdly of the flood and of Noah by the name of Ianus of his long continuance of his traueile lawes and monuments in all Countries fourthly â—…ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians of all Kingdomes Nations for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gilded in his head and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria briefely to passe them ouer onely setting their names the time of their gouernment and the continuance of the same vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans I haue already from Nimrod the first king vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king set downe their names now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king I will likewise passe them ouer briefely 18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria reigned fourtie yeeres in his time Dardanus builded Dardania afterwarde called Troy whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres 20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria he had a daughter named Actosa otherwise called Semiramis who gouerned with her father 7. yeeres The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees 21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres in whose time the Israelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres 22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria reigned 32. yeres in whose time Shamgar â—…dged Israel who slue 600. Philistims with an Oxe goade so God still raised either Priest Prophet Iudge or a king to defend his people About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pieces and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel for the which villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres hee had after him a king called Sosares in whose time as Cassiod doth write the flying horse Pegasus was inuented and so called for his swiftnesse Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres at what time they fought with Iabin Iael slue Sisera the chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Chanaan and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres Lampares succeeded him and he continued thirtie yeeres In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses amongst the Iewes Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde sauing that by the time of their gouernment we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish for truely they were more ancient then the rest and were the first kings of the worlde and were idle without any great warre therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time for Herodotus Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus wrote more liberally of the Assyrians then either authoritie or reason warranted them therein The greatest bragge that Saneherib called Sargon in some histories could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes Tu audisti O Ezechia omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum c. Hast thou not heard O Ezechias what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done haue they not conquered Gozan Haran and Reseph haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden which dwelt in Thalassar what is become of king Emath and of king Arphad where be the kings Sepharuaim Hena and Iuah are not these subdued and conquered by the kings of Assyria all these kings dwelt in Syria All this bragge of Saneherib who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire their kingdome their victories their glorie and all these repetitions of Saneherib extended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus and therefore Dionysius Halicar nassaeus is in this to bee both beleeued and preferred before either Herodotus or Ctesias or Diodorus and others who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings for hee saith
cities and countreis hauing 24. kings by succession which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish whom the Romanes afterward cōquered At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes and raigned as Manethon writes 56. yeres In the last yeres of this king Tyneus the Prophet Dauid was borne 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt and in the 7. Iubile after Moses then began to raigne in Assyria Dercillus he raigned 40. yeres In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia 83. yeres after Troys destruction the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes who raigned 42. yeeres of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains Cleomenes and Leonidas who in their time were most famous for they inuaded the Persians and ouerthrew them at Thermophila About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to establish a kingdome for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne the first king of Corinth was Alethes and he raigned 35. yeres In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines and caried vnto Ashdod one of their fiue principal cities they kept the Arke 7. moneths For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines and the arke taken away Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen the arke taken and his two sonnes slaine fel down frō his stoole brake his necke for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely his house Israel stil offended God now not contented with the gouernmēt which God appointed them but cried out for a king God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king About this time great warres grew betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenians Codrus at that time liued was the last king of Athens for after Codrus there was no king there but gouernours called Metontidae Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings Codrus according to the Oracle giuen that the Athenians should haue no victories vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell he disguised himselfe like a common souldier rushed into the midst of the battaile purposely to be slaine that his countrey might haue victorie being the last of the 17. kings hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres ended his life and his kingdome About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel and many learned men would haue Homer about this time to be borne some controuersie is of Homers time Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and so saith Aristarchus and Cornelius Nepos both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad Budaeus saith that Homer liued in the latter yeres of king Dauid so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth During this time raigned ouer the Latines AEneas Siluius their fourth king After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the Athenians Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer endure but with crosses and afflictions for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after and fled vnto the king of Gessur and taried there three yeere By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord. Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens in Lacedemonia Argis the second king raigned one yeere Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres for both these kingdomes had one beginning and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories the Grecians began for this vnderstand that the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians and all the East part of the world which were first inhabited after the flood were euen consumed with sworde and fire before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde auncient people for want of authorities and had not the holy Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion for all that are in trueth learned in histories take their light from Moses he is the grand scholemaster of all writers About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes 47. yeres he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Corsica and Nicius builded a towne and named it Nicea after his owne name By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fauour began to make the temple in Ierusalem excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome gouernment Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon and Salomon to him purposing to builde the house of God which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend who procured workemen to worke in Libanon and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at that time some thinke of Dido others say otherwise both of the building of Carthage and of the time of building as in the building of Troy and in the building of Rome the like controuersie is that sub iudice lis est Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales and is now in hand to be spoken of in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei as before I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided and the ten tribes caried from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda vnto Ieroboam king of Israel who inuented many wicked things in Israel idolatrie new religion contempt of the true God putting vp for their god the golden calfe thus he and his posterities continued from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam vntil the 19. yeere of Nabuchodonosor which was 390. yeeres at what time the last destruction of Ierusalem and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens where he gouerned 19. yeeres vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians The Thracians were strong by this time and became great on land and seas Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died this Smendes is named in Scripture Sesac this came vp against Ierusalem the fift yere of Rehoboam destroyed the citie spoiled the temple and
tooke all the treasures of the kings house away Thus was Iuda punished for sinne by Sesac king of Egypt a heathen man At Corinth gouerned Pryminas the fourth king he raigned thirtie and fiue yeeres at Corinth In Assyria after Laosthenes raigned Pyrithides 30. yeeres in the 10. yeere of the tenth Iubilee which Iubilee was in the yeere of the worlde two thousand nine hundreth ninetie and three Abia the sonne of Rehoboam raigned three yeres king of Iuda after whom succeeded Asa. In Tyrus raigned now a king called Ascartus who after he had raigned 12. yeeres in Tyrus his brother Astarimus succeeded him and gouerned Tyrus 9. yeeres and hee was slaine by his brother called Phelletes he raigned 8. moneths and was likewise slaine by Ichobalus a priest of the goddesse Astarthes of whome mention is made in the thirde booke of the kings and the 11. chapter This goddesse Salomon honoured much and in Egypt ruled Pseusenses There rose against Asa king of Iuda Sera king of AEthiopia about this time and thought to inuade Iewrie but he was not by Asa but by God put to flight and his armie scattered and slaine Elias and Elizeus were borne this time men singularly beloued of God in the middle age of the worlde for so it is set downe as Melancthon saith by Elias himselfe accompting the age of the world 2000. without the Lawe 2000. by the Law and 2000. by grace which are the dayes of Messias but for sinne shortened and by that rule to be looked for before 6000. yeere Nadab at this time was the second king of Israel and began to raigne after Ieroboam whom Baasha slew in the third yeere of Asa king of Iuda Baasha the third king of Israel builded Rama that it might bee a cause that they of the kingdome of Iuda might not come within the territorie of Israel neither they of Israel might trouble Iuda for the which Asa king of Iuda for feare of Baasha king of Israel maketh couenant with Benhadad king of Aram and therefore is reproued by the Prophet for that he trusted in the king of Aram and not in God who had giuen him victorie before ouer the AEthiopians and Lubins At this time Achia and Sameas prophecied in Israel and Septimus Siluius was king ouer the Latins after whome succeeded Capis Siluius the eight king of the Latins and raigned 28. yeeres by this Capis was Capua builded In Lacedemonia gouerned the sixt king named Agesilaus and ouer the Corinthians Bacis the fifth king of whome the kings of Corinth were afterward named Bacidae the names of these kings for the most part are seldome found amongst writers for they did nothing worth the memorie Now in Assyria raigned Ophrateus 20. yeres he was the 35. king in whose dayes Zambri or Zimbri the seruant of Ela conspired against the king killed him and destroyed al the house of Baasha according to the word of the Lord to Iehu afterward Zambri went to the kings house and burned the pallace of the kings and himselfe with fire then the people of Israel were deuided some folowed Tobni to make him king others folowed Omri and so Omri became the sixt king of Israel He builded first Samaria 200. yeres before Romulus builded Rome At this time raigned Nepher king in Egypt foure yeeres and after him succeeded Amenophis he raigned 9. yeres king in Egypt of whom I wil speake among the kings of Egypt Now died Asa king of Iuda after he had raigned 41. yeeres then folowed in Israel after Omri Achab the 7. king worse then all the other kings before him a great idolater and a tyrant in the fourth yere of this king Achabs raigne began Iosaphat to raigne in Iuda In Achabs time Elias beganne to prophecie whose history beginneth from the 17. of the first of the kings vntill the 3. of the 2. of the kings where he prophecied of the famine that was at hand to come 800. yeres after the famine in Iaacobs time In these daies Hiel the Bethelite builded Iericho Amongst the Latins raigned a king called Tiberinus Siluius of whome the riuer Tiber is nowe named after Tiberinus name for Tiber was called before Albula Then was in Corinth Agelas and Archelaus gouerned the Lacedemonians Eusebius in his histories affirmeth that in this time flourished Licurgus a lawmaker and a great wise man amongst the Lacedemonians After this raigned Ophraganeus Ascrasapes and Sardanapalus in whom ended the historie of the Assyrians And now hauing ended the whole time of 36. kings raigning in Assyria from Belus time vnto Sardanapalus and after him from Bellochus vnto Merodach the raigne of sixe kings during which time it was called the newe kingdome of Assyria and from Merodach vnto Balsasar fiue kings gouernment which was translated from the Assyrians vnto the Chaldeans as you shall reade more being of two gouernements and yet one Monarchie sometime vnder the Chaldeans in Babylon sometime in Niniue vnder the Assyrians vntill both Chaldea and Assyria became subiect first vnto the Medes and after to the Persians Of the Kings of Babylon againe called newe Assyria from Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon CHAP. III. SArdanapalus being giuen to all filthie pleasures feasting banqueting a most riotous glutton a great drunkard disguising him selfe amongst women in womens apparell wading from one vice vnto another so much subiect to beastly abuse that his slouthfull life gaue great oportunitie to Arbaces a valiant captaine of the Medes a man of such magnanimitie being generall of all Media consulting with Belochus the lieutenant of Babylon a man of great experience that both Arbaces and Belochus agreed seeing such occasions offered to ioyne both their forces together against Sardanapalus which being done after two great ouerthrowes giuen to them and Arbaces almost slaine and his people scattered and fled Sardanapalus was yet too strong for them both but the thirde time hee was found with his Assyrians so full of wine and his armie so sleepie after drunkennesse according to their wonted maners that Arbaces againe by night with all his force entred vnto their tentes found them in their beds full of surphets slewe them in such heapes that Sardanapalus fled to his citie of Niniue and his lieutenant was slaine hee was then besieged in Niniue his people forsooke him and went to his enemies Then he perceiuing his great danger sent his three sonnes and his two daughters to Paphlagonia to his friend Cottus with great treasures to auoyd the present perill he was in being full of all desperations he made his owne graue so gorgeous and so sumptuous of such high building that hee brought 150. beds made of pure golde so many tables likewise of golde and after much feasting and banqueting with his Queenes and concubines and with many of his deare friends being in the midest of their
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
honor he gaue him princely apparel did set his throne aboue the throne of the kings that were then in Babel he had allowance in the Court for his diet he had rest quietnes continued in fauour with the king all the daies of his life Thus by Gods great prouidēce the seede of Dauid which in king Zedechias was extinguished yet in Iehoiakin was reserued euen vnto Christ for after 37. yeeres imprisonment so long was Iehoiakin his wife his children in Babylon by the councell of the Prophet Ieremie he was of king Euilmerodach so esteemed that hauing a sonne named Mesezabel surnamed Salathiel who likewise had a sōne borne in Babylon his name as Philo Iudaeus saith was Mesezebel this Salathiel had a sonne called afterward Barachias or Zorobabel a great man of authoritie amongst the Iewes beloued of God and by whom God brought his people againe to reedifie his temple This Euilmerodach is called in Herodot Labynitus where you shall reade that his wife Nitochris being a discreete wise woman and of such commendations for her diligence policie and wonderful great workes buildings in Babylon that she was coūted another Semiramis did much aduance her husbands fame for her great actions that she did in Babylon farre otherwayes then Zenophon Zonaras or Iosephus writes reade the first of Herodot There reigned after this Euilmerodach the last king of Assyria a great Idolater named Balthasar this contemned God despised his commandements disdained the instructions of Daniel though hee sawe the workes of God dayly and heard by Daniel of the wonders hee shewed vpon Nabuchodonosor yet he feasted he banqueted and commaunded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels which his graundfather Nabuchodonosor had brought from the Temple in Ierusalem that hee his wiues and his concubines might drinke therein This Balthasar did in great contempt of God commit all euill and all idolatrie which for his ingratitude and forgetfulnesse Daniel tolde him what should become of his kingdome repeating the great goodnesse of God vnto Nabuchodonosor the maiestie honour glory and many kingdomes which God gaue him yea all people nations and languages trembled and feared Nabuchodonosor vntill he puft vp himselfe in pride and hardened his heart against God then his glory fell his honor forsooke him his kingdomes lost himselfe made like a beast and his dwelling was with wilde asses All this did Balthasar knowe and yet he humbled not himselfe to God for the which Gods iudgement fell vpon him and vpon his kingdome for he was slaine and his kingdome had Cyrus king of Persia for that was the full effect of this sentence Mene Thekel Phares written vpon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace by the finger of God the last destruction of the Chaldeans and the end of the seuentie yeeres captiuitie before told of Daniel and prophecied by the rest of the Prophets here Nabuchodonosor and his posteritie ended and the kingdome of Chaldea translated first vnto the Medes and afterward to the Persians OF THE ORIGINALL beginning of the Egyptians and of their continuance of their Kings and gouernments why Egypt was called Oceana or Nilea NOwe I will goe from Assur the sonne of Sem and followe Mizraim the sonne of Cham into Egypt for from Chus and Mizraim came the Ethiopians and the Egyptians After that Chus and Mizraim and their children at the building of Babel in the land of Shinear had come into Afrike Chus went to Ethiopia with his companie Mizraim possessed Egypt with all his familie this Mizraim is called in histories Oceanus after whose name Egypt was first named Oceana though in the Scripture and in the Hebrewe histories it was named Mizreia after the name of Mizraim the sonne of Cham. I reade in Manethon and in others that from the first comming of Mizraim into Egypt vnto Osiris time which was 280. yeeres Egypt had three seuerall names first Oceana after the name of Oceanus in Berosus in Scripture Mizraim the second name was Aeria after the name of the riuer Nilus the third Aeria which continued vntill Osiris time and after Osiris time named Osiriana according to his name at what time Abraham was in Egypt vntill Ramesses time surnamed Egyptus about the time that the Israelites left Egypt after Abrahams being in Egypt foure hundred and thirtie yeres During which time of these foure seueral names Egypt was gouerned by states and potentates of Dynasteia a forme of a common wealth like vnto the state of the Hebrewes gouernment by the councel of Sanhedrin or like the Grecians ruled by their Amphictions But first to speake of the fertilitie of the soile the maners of the people the antiquitie of the countrey the greatnes of their gouernment specially of many rare wonders which are in Egypt more then in any kingdome of the world for the description of Egypt I referre you as you haue read before of other coūtries to Strabo Pomponius Mela and Solinus Egypt was diuided i◅to sixe seueral kinds of people the first three which were kings priests and souldiers gouerned the state and cōmon wealth of Egypt the other three serued in the countrey to vse things necessary for the kingdome for the state which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards Concerning the antiquitie of the Egyptians they contended therein with the Scithians and with the people of Phrygia for this opinion the Egyptians hold of their antiquitie and that registred in ancient chronicles that during their cōtinuance in Egypt the starres haue foure times altered their courses and the sunne twise likewise they haue recorded 330. kings to haue reigned in Egypt before king Amasis time which was king of Egypt when Cyrus was king of Persia. The vaine assertion that the Egyptiās held of their antiquitie was of continuance aboue 13 thousand yeeres you must vnderstand Lunares annos Of their superstitious religion to their gods it is set foorth by Herodot in all pointes howe two blacke pigeons the one flying to Libya cōmanded them to builde a temple vnto Iupiter surnamed Hamon to receiue oracles and to be instructed thereby aswell by ceremonies in the religion of their gods as also in maners liuing of their countrey the other pigeon in Thebes a Citie of Egypt in like sort cōmanded an other temple to be builded where the like oracles also should be deliuered to them of Thebes The olde priestes of Egypt hauing these warnings as they supposed by some power diuine being of greater authoritie in the beginning then the kings of Egypt were they began to worship as many gods as they thought good and yet not to erect images idols in their temples for in the greatest ancientest cities of Egypt the princes nobles of the countrie contended sundry times in the yeere to offer sacrifice and to celebrate feastes to these gods with such solemne rites and ceremonies as were by the oracles commaunded these
Cranaus the second king And ouer the Argiues Crotopas their eight king CHAP. II. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time sirnamed Aegyptus ' at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Aegyptus before Mizreia NOw after the great ouerthrowe of the Egyptians in the red sea after a while began to raigne in Egypt Ramesses sirnamed Aegyptus after whose name Egypt was then called as Manethon writeth for at the first Egypt was named Oceana or Mizreia and the second time it was named Aerea and nowe the thirde time called Egypt as you reade before This Aegyptus after hee had vanquished his brother Danaus he vsurped vpon the Egyptians and raigned king of Egypt 68. yeeres for Egypt had not recouered her former state as yet since the ouerthrowe of Chencres and all the states of Egypt who perished in the red Sea pursuing the Israelites Of this Manethon seemeth most ignorant saying that the shepheards were driuen out of Egypt for some natural foule filthie disease as leprosie which the Israelites had affirming that Moses was an Egyptian borne in the citie of Heliopolis and that he was named Onarsiphus and became leprous and then went to the Israelites which euery where Manethon nameth Hicsos shepheards or captiues and became conuersant with them and was driuen out of Egypt with them In the beginning of this Aegyptus raigne Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua the second Iudge of Israel This time raigned in Assyria Amintes their 19. king Also Dionysius otherwise Bacchus whom the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subdued India and builded a towne after his owne name called Nisa in remembrance of his great victories that he had ouer the Indians Now succeeded in Egypt Myris or Moeris as Herodotus doth call him this king restored Egypt againe and recouered strength and great power and builded many notable and famous monuments worthy to be remembred he brought the riuer Nilus being out of hope to be repaired in course againe he made the lake Miris of such wonderfull bignes that he farre excelled the rest of the kings before him This Myris made the Labirinths of Egypt which after Dedalus taking an example of those Labirinths made the like in Creete imitating Myris in all points he builded such monuments for Vulcan in Egypt as Herodotus calleth them Digna Vulcano vestibula where you may reade more This king raigned fourtie yeeres in Egypt and had a sonne succeeded him of no lesse fame then himselfe named Sesostris of whom the priestes of Egypt spake much he began to augment the kingdome of Egyyt with diuers victories ouer the Syrians Phoenicians Thracians Scithians and the most part of Asia This king onely conquered Aethiopia and was king proclaimed both of Egypt and Aethiopia this king waxed strong on land and sea he made more monuments of his victories in diuers strange kingdoms leauing behinde him his statues and Images erected vp in forraine countreys some of them Herodotus doeth affirme to haue seene in his dayes which liued about Xerxes time one he saw in Palestina cut in a large stone with letters written round about his picture And about Ionia he saw two statues or pictures of this king Sesostris the one betweene Ionia and the citie of Ephâ—…sus the other as men goe from Sardinia into Smirna he was cut in two great high stones of fiue cubites length holding in his right hand a speare and in the left hande a bow being in all points of his apparell armed like an Egyptian with this sentence written betweene his two shoulders in the Egyptian tongue I haue caried this Countrey vpon my shoulders Some take these statues to be Memnon but the priestes of Egypt affirmed that it was Sesostris in his returne from his victories into Egypt euen he that caried kings captiues bound to his chariot from towne to towne from countrey to countrey In Aethopia and Egypt he had many of these pictures and many statues set vpon pillars and arches according to the maner of Egyptian triumphes This king was so honoured in Egypt and his statues after his death so esteemed that wheÌ„ Darius Histaspis long after that time came into Egypt being by his predecessor Cambyses conquered brought into subiection vnder the Persians yet he was not suffred by the priests of Vulcan to put his statue aboue the picture of Sesostris in Memphis affirming that Sesostris had conquered as many countreis and gotten as many victories as Darius had and beside Sesostris had ouerthrowne the strong and inuincible Scithians which Darius neuer could which speaches Darius tooke in good part and would not reuenge though well he might This Sesostris is named in Functius table Amenophis imitating Manethon the Egyptian writer where he is set downe to be the thirde in that gouernment Dynastia Larthes is a name likewise of dignitie as were Pharaos before the gouernours and potentats for in the first gouernment of Larthes which endured 194. yeres Zetus was the first as Manethon affirmeth and raigned 55. yeres After Zetus succeeded in this kinde of gouernment Ranses Larthes which gouerned 66. yeres after whom succeeded this king Sesostris the thirde Larthes which raigned 40. yeeres The fourth Larthes was named Phero the sonne of this Sesostris of which I spake last Herodotus reciteth a historie of this Phero that it happened to him to become blinde and so continued 11. yeeres at what time he was instructed by the oracle of Butis to finde out a temperat chaste woman which had neuer knowen carnalitie but onely one man and that hee should wash his eyes with this womans vrine and hee should receiue againe his sight This Phero Larthes making great speach and search for such a woman after many vaine trials he found one woman whose vrine healed him whom after he had his sight hee maried and caused all those women whose water could not helpe him to bee brought into the citie called Rubragleba red clay where both they and the citie were commaunded by the king to be burned After this Phero Larthes succeeded Thuoris the fift and last Larthes of those Potentates this king is named in Diodorus Cetes which the Greekes as Melancthon saith called Proteus for diuers illusions which he vsed in magicke whose temple was long seene after his death in Memphis To this king came Paris Priamus sonne at what time hee rauished Helen Menelaus wife from Sparta to Greece and was driuen of force into Egypt of his hard welcome there and of the kings-commandement to Alexander to depart from Egypt with threatning of death vnlesse he would be gone within three dayes with all Grecians with him sauing that the king stayed Helen in Egypt where Menelaus came after the siege of Troy and was honourably receiued by Proteus the king and welcoÌ„med of his wife Helen Others write that Menelaus and Helen went both together after Troy was destroyed by force of tempest into
Egypt it is not much materiall Nowe while these fiue potentats called Larthes raigned in Egypt which continued for the space of one hundreth ninetie and foure yeres it began in the second Iubilee at what time Lamprides the two and twentieth king raigned in Egypt and Tros the third king raigned in Troy Proteus the thirteenth king raigned ouer the Argiues and Shamgar iudged Israel This gouernment of Larthes ended when Tautanes the 28. king of the Assyrians raigned and when Abdon the twelfth Iudge iudged Israel After this gouernment of Larthes Manethon writeth of another kinde of Potentats which continued 177. yeeres whom Functius followeth and reciteth not one king that raigned in Egypt during that time but hee rehearseth who flourished most and who gouerned chiefly in Chaldea Assyria and in other kingdoms and maketh no mention of any king in Egypt during 177. yeeres and therefore I will returne to Herodotus whom Melancthon doeth followe in this and write of those kings orderly as I finde them this kinde of Potentats began three hundreth and thirtie yeeres after Israel departed out of Egypt About which time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians about tenne yeeres before the sixt Iubilee and in the seuenth yeere of Thuoris king of Egypt otherwise called Proteus The kingdome of the Latines began this time when that Aeneas with his sonne Ascanius after Troy was destroyed came to king Latinus where raigned fiue kings before Aeneas came by the name of kings of the Latines of whom I wrote in that historie But now to the kings of Egypt for after that Proteus died the kingdome happened to Rampsinitus a king of the greatest wealth that euer raigned in Egypt whose treasures were such that he inuented to build some strong place for his treasure and hauing cunning and subtile workemen to builde this worke one of them perceiuing the infinite treasure that the king should put there made a stone of that bignesse that two men might remoue it and likewise of that length bredth that a man might creepe well through the place of that stone being thence remooued Before this fellowe died he opened to his two sonnes howe they might haue treasure ynough in remouing such a stone which he for that purpose had made When he had taught them in all points to know this stone and how to bring their purpose to passe he died and they practised the fathers counsel and found as their father told them twise or thrise In continuance of time the king also found that much of his treasure was taken away he inuented by some policie the next time to preuent them engines and snares were layd for them in the which one of the two brothers being taken fast called for his other brother and willed him to cut off his head lest hee should be knowen thereby and so likewise lose his life This being done the king came the next time into his treasurie and found a dead man without a head and musing much who it should be deuised in this sort that this body should be hanged vpon some gibbet with men to watch and to see who would weepe and who should take him away The mother of this dead man within a while after threatned her sonne that vnlesse he would bury his brother she would reueile vnto the king the whole matter he also to please his mother deuised to saue himself inuented meanes to make the watchmen drunken and tooke his brother from the tree the watchmen being asleepe after returned to the watchmen fained himselfe drunken and to haue slept with them The king perceiuing that he was deceiued punished the watchmen mused how he might know how these things came to passe or who should take him away then he inuented this policie hauing only one daughter he promised she should lye with any man in the kings house that could tel any likenes of this matter or any els within Egypt and should be his wife afterward Euery man was willing to haue the kings daughter to wife but none could aduertise her howe these things were done The thiefe at length that robbed the king of his treasure that did cut his brothers head in the treasurie and after deceiued the kings watch and stole him from the gibbet he thought once againe to trie his skill for a kings daughter he went to his brother late dead and cut off his hand and caried it vnder his cloake and went into a darke chamber into the kings daughter as the custome was and tolde her the whole matter how it was that he did all things robd the king kild his brother made the watchmen drunken and buried his brother She hearing this layd hand vpon him in the chamber and seeking his hand in the darke to lead him to her father hee secretly conueyed the dead mans hand into her hand and conueyed himselfe away and she thought that she had him by the hand all the way as she went to her father vntil she came to the light and saw she was deceiued The king being deceiued three times before made a general decree throughout all Egypt making good his promise by an othe that he should marry his daughter whosoeuer he was if he would come vnto the king and confesse his faults for the king was amazed at these great enterprises for saith the king Rampsinitus the Egyptians in trueth excell all other nations in policie and wit but this passeth all the Egyptians and therefore the king married his daughter vnto this cunning thiefe as to a man of great knowledge and wisdome After this king Rampsinitus died succeeded Cheops a king of great wickednesse during this kings time Egypt so mourned that their temples were shut their sacrifices stayed and all Egypt by this king put to toyle and slauerie almost in the like state as the poore Hebrewes were in Moses time carying great huge stones to builde monstrous and vaine workes hee had a hundreth thousande men to make vp one Piramides who continued in this worke twentie yeeres the charges thereof as Herodotus affirmeth for rootes garlicke and onions onely beside all other meate came to one thousand six hundreth talents of siluer so that the worke being great the people many Cheops thereby fel to want and hauing not to perfourme his worke forced his daughter by her body to gaine as much as she could to finish the worke begun but she for a memoriall of her selfe sought of euery man a stone she had therby so many stones as she her selfe caused an other Piramides to be made equall to the highest This foolish king as it is thought to auoyde idlenes amongst the people occupied them in these vaine and monstrous workes as places and sepulchres for kings burials for vntill the time of Rampsinitus all things prospered in Egypt This Cheops after he had raigned 50. yeeres died after whom succeeded his brother named Cephrim a king no lesse hateful
Epiphanes the sonne and heire of Philopator was young and not able to resist so great a King hee entred into Phoenicia and into other partes of Syria which yet liued subiect vnder the king of Egypt They of Alexandria sent to Rome to the Senators for ayde against Antiochus and against Philippe king of Macedonia for both these two kings affected the kingdome Ambassadors were sent from the Senators vnto Antiochus willing him to auoyde out of Egypt and not to doe iniurie to the yong king This messenger was litle esteemed of Antiochus and therefore the Senators pronounced him an enemie of the Romanes Antiochus being aduertised of this agreed with Ptolomey Epiphanes and gaue him Cleopatra his daughter in mariage supposing thereby the easier to get the kingdome of Egypt hee gaue Coelosyria Iudea Samaria and Phoenicia with his daughter to Epiphanes but he was deceiued and mist his purpose For he was preuented by the Romanes and kept off from Egypt hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished at Thermopila by Attilius and Glabrio Romane Consuls and the next yeere after he was quite driuen out of Syria and Asia by Lucius Cornelius Scipio at the citie of Magnesia Of this Antiochus the great and of his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes another monster Daniel before shewed their tyranny for during the time of these two kings Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria and Ptolomey Epiphanes king of Egypt the Iewes were most miserably afflicted Reade Iosephus how also the Samaritanes molested them and sore vexed them And for that I spake of these kings before in the history of Assyria I will briefly runne ouer the rest of these kings Now after that Ptolomey Epiphanes had raigned 24. yeeres hee died leauing two sonnes behinde him the elder called Philometor the yonger called Phiscon the elder brother raigned king in Egypt 35. yeeres of whom his vncle Antiochus Epiphanes a subtile king vnder the pretence of loue and care of his nephew became his ouerseer and tutour rather aspiring the kingdome then respecting the king for hee furnished Egypt with men of armes hauing the strongest townes of Egypt in his owne hand as Pelusium and others The king being yet yong idle slow and of no courage addicted to all filthie vices without respect of himselfe or of his kingdome fled to his brother Phiscon to Alexandria where both were besieged by Antiochus vntill Popilius the Romane was sent from the Senators of Rome to commaunde Antiochus out of Egypt without further delay which hee was constrained to obey though he did much harme before his departure out of Egypt Philometor hauing recouered his kingdome into his hand and the Romanes to be his friends to auoyde further braules and to stablish himselfe strong in Egypt he maried his daughter Cleopatra to Alexander who had then obtained the kingdome of Syria but this friendship continued not long for Demetrius Nicanor the sonne of that Demetrius vanquished by Alexander came to Syria got certaine townes into his handes appointed Apollonius captaine of Coelosyria who trusting too much to himselfe was quickly vanquished by Ionathas Philometor vnderstanding of these warres in Syria betweene his sonne in law Alexander and Demetrius he also hasted with an armie to Syria thought to preuent both and to haue Syria with Egypt he tooke his daughter Cleopatra away from Alexander and gaue her to Demetrius and both wickedly and falsly dealt with his sonne in law But Demetrius had Syria and Alexander was slaine by Zabdiel the king of Arabia and his head sent to Ptolomey Philometor to Egypt who then was king both of Egypt and Syria but for three dayes for within three dayes after Alexander was slaine in Arabia Philometor died in Egypt and Demetrius Nicanor was receiued king into Syria This time gouerned in Ierusalem prince Iannaeus the last gouernour of Iudea of the house of Dauid he with many battel 's discomfited the Arabians In Parthia raigned now Mithridates the fift king and in Macedonia raigned Perseus the last king In Philometors dayes Ariarathes king of Thracia sought the Romanes fauour and made a league of peace with them Aristobulus a Iewe borne a great Philosopher of the sect of the Peripatetiks expounded the bookes of Moses to Ptolomey Philopator In the beginning of this kings raigne died two of the most famous warriours of the world Scipio Affricanus the Romane and Hannibal the Carthaginian It is supposed that they both died in one yeere and both banished from their countreis But to Egypt againe After Philometor raigned Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name and as Functius saith sirnamed Phiscon for the deformitie of his body but others as Manethon and Iustine say that this Euergetes was the seuenth king of Egypt and that Phiscon was the eight king It is not much material and therefore I will follow Functius who setteth downe in his table this Phiscon by the name of Euergetes whom Epiphanius called Philologon he raigned 29 yeres king of Egypt a monstrous and incestuous beast farre passing all other his predecessours in filthie wickednesse he was not so foule in the shape of his body as he was filthy in his minde for he kept his owne sister of whom he got a daughter and after with that daughter borne of his sister committed abominable incest He muthered his owne children and cut them in small pieces and made his wife their owne naturall mother to eate them but he had the reward due for such offences he was thrust out of his kingdome and died a banished slaue hated and abhorred of all men After Phiscon was banished raigned his brother Ptolomey sirnamed Alexander as Melancthon saith but Alexander raigned not long but was likewise banished as his brother was Then succeeded in Egypt Ptolomey Lathurus who in the 3. yere of Alexander king of Iuda was expelled out of his owne kingdom by his mother Cleopatra who fauoring more her yonger sonne named Alexander intended to make him king of Egypt she taking Lathurus wife maried her vnto Alexāder yet he mistrusting the great cruelty which he saw in his mother fled secretly letting the gouernment to his mother and to his wife This Cleopatra after that both her sonnes were thus banished raigned 10. yeres Ptolomey Lathurus being now in Cyprus and sent for by the citizens of Ptolomais to defend them from Alexander king of Iuda which hearing of Lathurus cōming left his purpose raised his siege returned to Ierusalem fearing the great armie of Ptolomey who had thirtie thousande in the fielde The citizens of Ptolomais when Alexander departed changed their purpose and kept Lathurus out of the towne whereby he was thus mooued to send some of his armie to oppresse Iudea some to lay new siege againe to Ptolomais Alexander being aduertised that Lathurus with al his armie spoyled and wasted his kingdome he returned and met at the flood of Iordan where Lathurus gaue a very great ouerthrow to the king of Iuda and
nor their countrey so simple a beginning the Parthians had vntill they scattered themselues to serue as mercenarie souldiers then beganne the Parthians to haue some fame by their seruice which were as I saide before scant knowen It is written by Solinus that Parthia grew into so large an Empire that it conteined 18. kingdomes these kingdomes are deuided into two partes eleuen of the eighteene called the vpper kingdomes beginning from the borders of Armenia passing along the Caspian sea coast to Scithia the other seuen kingdomes haue on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hircania the language of the Parthians is mingled partly with the Medes and partly with the Scithians their apparel after the custome of Scithia their souldiers in fight were their seruants of whom the Parthians had as great care as of their children teaching them in their youth to ride to shoote and to doe all other martiall exploits for of fiftie thousand souldiers which they had against M. Antonius were none free men but 450. all the rest were seruants The Parthians began to erect a kingdome at what time raigned in Egypt Euergetes the thirde king and in Macedonia raigned king Demetrius likewise in Asia and Syria raigned Seleucus Gabinius the forth king About this time the Carthagineans had great warres with the Numidians which endured foure yeeres of these warres Polibeus writeth In the time of the first king of Parthia which was named Arsaces Eumenes king of Bithynia inuaded Asia This king Arsaces deserued no lesse fame by his great prowesse and valiant deedes by his fortun at warres and good successe amongst the Parthians then Cyrus did amongst the Persians or Alexander the great amongst the Macedonians The Parthians so loued this Arsaces aliue and so honoured him dead that all the kings of Parthia after him were called Arsaces with no lesse dignitie then the Caesars of Rome or Pharaoâ—…s of Egypt and yet a meane man in the beginning who might more bragge of vertue knowledge then of dignitie or parentage for before these Parthians followed Eumenes in the warres of Asia after Eumenes they followed Antigonus after Antigonus they followed Seleucus Nicanor after him Antiochus At what time the Parthians reuoulted and made a choise of this king named Arsaces who brought such renowne to the Parthians such credite to the countrey as enlarged their confines and augmented their Empire This time one Theodotus being but then President ouer 1000. Townes and Cities in Bactriana proclaimed himselfe king of the Bactrians with this king Theodotus Arsaces entred in societie and with his sonne after him nowe when Arsaces had setled himselfe quietly in Parthia he gaue them lawes to liue by he did set and frame all things in order hee builded Townes and Cities and one chiefe Metropolitane Citie and named it Daram This king had a sonne named Mithridates who after his father reigned in Parthia with no lesse fame then his father he leauied an armie of a hundred thousand footemen and twentie thousand horsemen fought with Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus king of Syria with such inuincible courage that Antiochus thought it his best way to haue peace with him When this king died succeeded him Pampatius the third king in Parthia who when he had reigned twelue yeeres left behinde him two sonnes the one named Pharnaces the other Mithridates the elder brother after the Parthian maner enioyed his fathers seate and his father surnamed Arsaces as the other kings were This king ouerthrew a very stout Nation called Mardi and did as his predecessors had done adde some people or wanne some countrey to Parthia who hauing many children when hee died and hauing more care of his countrey then of his children appointed his brother Mithridates to be king of Parthia a man of great courage and singular vertues The same very time when Mithridates entred into Parthia as king did Encratides likewise enter to the kingdome of the Bactrians but these two kings prospered not alike for Encratides after diuers and sundry battels giuen to him by the Sogdians Dranganites and Indians wherein he gaue diuers repulses vnto his enemies but at length so wearied with continuall warres hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished In Parthia with better successe fought Mithridates with the Medes whom after many doubtfull battels Mithridates subdued the Medes and brought them subiect vnder the Parthians and appointed in Medea Bachasus to be lieutenant and went himselfe into Hircania and then waged warres with the king of Elymees which he vanquished and all his countrey and ioyned them to the Parthians so that Parthia was so strengthened by the Medes the Elimees other nations that they gouerned from mount Caueasus to the riuer Euphrates so that poore Parthia before a base people and a rude countrey are nowe become lords ouer the stoute Medes so by Gods appointment kingdomes and Empires doe both flowe and ebbe during this time Masinissa was by sundry battels driuen out of his kingdome by Syphax king of Numidia At that time reigned in Syria Seleucus Philopator their seuenth king and in Egypt reigned Ptolomei Philometor the sixt king Cornelius Scipio about this time triumphed ouer Asia After this Mithridates death succeeded his sonne Phrahartes who had not the fortune which his father had for Phrahartes was sore vexed by the Scythians who at the first came to aide the king of Parthia against Antiochus king of Syria the souldiers fell to mutinie for want of pay and therefore wasted and spoiled the Confines of Parthia burned townes and robbed countries that Phrahartes was constrained to leauy an armie and to make warres vpon the Scythians whose lucke had beene better if hee had taried in Parthia where hee left behinde him Himerus too young a man to gouerne a kingdome who lost at home in Parthia asmuch as Phrahartes lost in Scythia After Phrahartes was ouerthrowen by the Scythians Artabanus succeded who likewise shortly was slaine in the warres at Colchata after whom succeeded his sonne Mithridates the second of that name who for his noble deedes and valiant actes was named Mithridates the great and yet not so great as infortunate for when he had reuenged the death of his father vpon the Scythians plagued the Armenians and had gotten diuers Nations subiect vnto Parthia yet hee was banished from Parthia and his kingdome giuen to Horodes his brother Horodes hauing the kingdome of Parthia in his hand hearing that his brother Mithridates had fledde into Babylon to auoide further feare hee besieged Babylon vntill by famine they were compelled to yeelde the Citie Mithridates hoping for pardon yeelded himselfe to his brother but Horodes supposing that he would prooue rather an enemie then a brother commaunded him to be slaine before his face By this time the Parthians grewe so great and waxed so strong that their fame extended into Rome a Citie that coulde neuer abide no kingdome nor no
seuerall battels yet they gaue him diuers repulses and such ouerthrowes as Antonius was most willing to let them alone and to depart from them whome they followed in his returne at the hard heeles to his great losse and shame This made Phrahartes king of Parthia so proude that Antonius the great Romane tooke his flight from Parthia that hee vsed such murther and tyrannie in his Countrie that his owne subiects threwe him out of his countrie and kingdome and placed in his seate Tiridates to bee king vntill Phrahartes after hee had beene thus banished was ayded by the king of Scythia to bee restored vnto his kingdome againe Then Tiridates hearing that the Scythians came with a great armie to restore Phrahartes he fledde into Spaine vnto Octauius Caesar thither likewise did Phrahartes send Embassadors when Caesar had heard both the parties the complaintes of the banished king Phrahartes and the request of Tiridates saying that Parthia was fitte to be subiect to the Romane Empire affirming also that if it should please Caesar to substitute him lieutenant vnder the Romanes in Parthia that he would with all Parthia holde with Rome Notwithstanding Caesar vsed in this great clemencie both wisdome and iustice he commaunded that Phrahartes sonne shoulde bee king in Parthia and that Tiridates if it pleased him should continue in Rome vpon Caesars charges vntill his returne from Spaine at which time Caesar hauing occasion after he came home to Rome from Spaine to go to Syria and to dispose of those kingdomes which his predecessours had conquered in the East countries and to set all things in order he charged then that Phrahartes should make no warres against the Parthians promising that hee and his posteritie should gouerne Parthia vnder the Romanes willing and commanding him and the king his sonne to send those ensignes to Rome which Marcus Crassus lost at Parthia and cōmanded them to be true friends to the Romanes The fortune of this Caesar was such that he could then cōmand with a word more then Antonius who sought it with blowes or Crassus that sought it with his death This Caesar afterward called Augustus brought parthia to be a prouince vnto the Romanes and ended without warres which other could not do with warres Thus the kingdome of Parthia which beganne in the hundred thirtie three Olympiad and ended in the beginning of the Monarchie of Augustus Caesar in the hundred eightie eight Olympiad after hee had conquered his friend Marcus Antonius There reigned in Parthia eleuen kings whose names are here vnder written 1 Arsaces the first king by whom the kinges of Parthia were all called Arsaces 2 Mithridates the second king of Parthia 3 Pampatius the third king of Parthia 4 Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia 5 Mithridates the fift king of Parthia 6 Phrahartes the sixt king of Parthia 7 Artabanus the seuenth king of Parthia 8 Mithridates the great the eight king of Parthia and sonne to Artabanus 9 Horodes the ninth king of Parthia 10 Phrahartes the tenth king of Parthia 11 The eleuenth and last king of Parthia sonne to Phrahartes and supposed to be called Phrahartes after his fathers name OF THE ANTIQITIE OF Media of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance THough the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians were conquered by the Persians yet I wil touch the historie of Media before I handle Persia for that the Medes likewise were made subiect vnto the Persiās for al these kingdoms came at length to Cyrus hand For as the kingdome of Media began atone time with the newe kingdome of Assyria after Sardanapalus time so they ended about one time and both these kingdomes by Cyrus taken vnto Persia and euen so of Lydia the next historie to this was also by the Persians subdued of the which also I meane briefely to speake before I handle Persia for so the course of time and the order of the histories doe require but now of the Medes For Strabo in the description of the kingdome of Media sayth that Parthia is bordered vpon the East side of Media and on the South it is inhabited with people called Cadusij and as Strabo writeth it hath other nations dwelling about the Sea of Hircania the riuer Halis as Herodote doth write is the Confines of both Media and Lydia And hee sayth further that the Medes were called Arij before and then long after that Medea came from Cholchos vnto Athens from Athens vnto this people then called Arij changed the name of the countrey after her owne name Media whō the Greekes called after that Medi by the name of Medea but otherwayes confirmed by Iosephus and by Zonaras in his first booke who say that Medi had their originall from Madai the sonne of Iaphet and of him as Melancthon sayth named Madei first and after of the Greekes called Medi. There were many Townes in Media first builded by the Macedonians inhabited by the Grccians as Laodicea Apannia Rhaga which Nicanor builded The Medes in times past florished a kingdome that gouerned many Countries and had vnder their Empire the most part of Asia vntill the Persians vanquished the Assyrians by king Cyrus which Cyrus afterwarde subdued the Medes and brought both Assyria and Media vnto the Empire of Persia. The chiefe Pallace of the kings of Media is called Eobatana where the kings of Media kept their Court euery winter Herodote which wrote his historie in the time of Xerxes sayth that after the Medes had conquered the Assyrians the Medes had no kings of long time after but euery Citie by popular state was then gouerned vntill Deiocis time who being wise and withall very ambitious plausible in his speach and gentle in his dealings wanne the peoples hearts to affect him much who by secrete meanes aspiring to the kingdome hauing many great friendes by councell to further him and with power to aide him vntill by common consent of the whole Estate hee was chosen King in the fourtie fiue yeere after the building of Rome and in the seuenth yeere of Numa Pompilius reigne the second king of Rome in the eighteene Olympiad For after that Arbaces then chiefe Gouernour of the Medes had ioyned in friendshippe with Bellochus lieutenant of Babylon and both conspired as you heard before in the historie of the Assyrians against Sardanapalus whom after they had with three or foure battels conquered the Assyrians with their Empire was translated vnto the Medes by Arbaces which Medes yet had no king created but were ruled and gouerned by Arbaces as Babylon was by Bellochus Nowe after that Arbaces had gouerned the Medes twentie eight yeeres at what time Procas Siluius reigned king ouer the Latines and at Athens Thespeius liued their tenth Iudge after their kings It is written that one Phidon of Argiue found about this time the vse of measures and weights This Arbaces began to reigne ouer the Medes
Tarquinius Priscus was the first king of Rome This time ruled in Lydia Cressus which within foureteene yeere after was likewise vanquished by Cyrus and his kingdome translated vnto Persia. It is in Zonaras and in Iosephus otherwise written about Cyrus and Astiages they affirme that Cyaxeres was the sonne of Astiages this was of Daniel called Darius Medus of Iosephus Zonaras Zenophon and others This was vncle vnto Cyrus and heire vnto Astiages hee together with Cyrus gouerned for a time afterwarde hauing but one daughter he bequethed his daughter and the kingdome vnto Cyrus his nephew his sisters sonne who was married vnto Cambyses While this Cyaxeres liued he honoured much Daniel and had him in great reuerence Herodotus writeth in the historie of Cyrus and sayeth that Cyrus married Cassandanes the daughter of Pharnaspis so doeth Zenophon and so doeth Zonaras write The Egyptians affirme that Cyrus married a wife in Egypt and by her got Cambyses ◅but howe foeuer Chronographers agree it is certaine that hee beganne a monarchie vpon the conquering of Lydia and Media as shall bee more at large written in the historie of Persia. The Medes fed on fruites Ex amigdalis tostis panes ex malis siccis ac tritis massas conficiunt They make their drinke of certaine rootes and they vse wilde beastes and wilde fowles for their foode for they nourish no tame beast And this is the propertie of the Medes and of their king to haue as many wiue's as they woulde they might not haue vnder seuen And so their women thought it a great praise and fame to haue many husbands but they might not liue without fiue husbands as Strabo doeth write in his eleuenth Booke OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Lydia of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth and gouernment THE kingdome of Lydia being before called as Herodotus writeth Maeonia beganne to take name of one Lydus the sonne of Artis but that seemeth to be fabulous as Herodotus is in many of his histories Lydia is named of Lud the fourth sonne of Sem as Iosephus Zonaras and Philo Iudaeus affirme This countrey is situate in this sort it hath Eastward Phrigia on the Southside Caria and on the Northside Misia as both Strabo and Plinie affirme The riuer Meander runneth through Lydia and compasseth the most part of Lydia Eusebius in his histories faith that the kingdome of Lydia beganne in the first Olympiad and in the beginning of the 14. Iubilee about which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne of whose birth as Dionysius and Plutarch write many strange things are read Lydia was before Rome 24. yeres and after the destruction of Troy 405 yeeres When I speake of the Romanes and of their kingdome you shall haue it fully set downe The kings of Lydia the kings of Rome and the kings of Media are almost of one time for assoone as the Medes began to set vp their kingdome the Assyrians which gouerned so long all the East part of the worlde decayed Likewise the Lacedemonians ended their gouernment and their kings failed in Alcanes time the ninth king of the Lacedemonians at which time the Macedemonians elected their first king called Cranaus so some countreys nations and kingdomes beginne others ende some rise and some fall as time giueth them licence by Gods appointment But nowe of the kings of Lydia where I finde in Eusebius their first king to be named Arsidius this Functius doeth call Ardisus at what time iudged the Athenians Aesculus the twelft Iudge of Athens after the kings who had gouerned from Cecrops their first king which began in Moses time vntill Codrus the last king of Athens which ended his kingdome in the time of Dauid where raigned that while 17. kings When Arsidius raigned in Lydia Ioathan was king in Iudea and in Samaria Pecah the 17. king of Israel These people of Lydia were first very warlike stoute and a couragious nation but Cyrus brake their backs and compelled them to be caupones institores as Iustine saith to leaue off armes for that oftentimes they rebelled against Cyrus and to vse such trafiques as were of the meanest credit hereby these stoute and strong nations before came now by Cyrus pollicie to be very idle and slouthfull whereby they inuented many vnthriftie games diuers playes at dice tenise and such like and hauing nothing to doe neither durst they doe any thing for feare of Cyrus they fell as Plinie saith to exercise Artes ludicras lenocinia and so became from a strong and stoute people the most slouthfull and idle people of the world Budaeus thinketh that this region Lydia is now called Anatolia after Arsidius had raigned in Lydia 36. yeeres succeeded him Aliagtes the second king of the Lydians at the which time grew great warres of twentie yeeres continuance betweene the Lacedemonians and the Messanians the cause thereof you shall reade in Orosius Catina a citie in Sicilia at this time was builded and Messana one of the chiefest cities of the Messanians was taken then by the Lacedemonians Now raigned in Rome Romulus the first king in Phrygia Mydas in Egypt Sacalion and in Macedonia Perdicas the fourth king of that countrey of whom Herodotus doth set forth how he from a meane state became king of the Macedonians Titus Liuius writeth and so doeth Dionysius that Romulus about this time did triumph ouer the Sabines whose warres continued two yeeres with whom after hee had furnished Rome with the spoyles of the Sabines and had taken their daughters and virgins by force to the nomber of 683. he suffred Tacius Sabinus at that time king of the Sabines to gouerne with him in Rome fiue yeeres at which time the citie of Rome was much increased and more amplified by adding thereunto Mount Coelius and Mount Quirinal Now ruled in Iudea Ezechias about the 12. Olympiad and the 15. Iubilee There fell about this time in Athens a thirde alteration of their gouernment after this sort After their 17. kings gouernment then gouerned in Athens Iudges to the nomber of 13. After the Iudges there was another state agreed vpō that euery 10. yeeres there should be a new magistrate in Athens and they were called Decennales principes and this gouernment endured 70. yeres which was the whole time of 7. princes and then againe changed vnto a popular state But let vs returne to the kings of Lydia the historie that I haue in hande After that this Aliagtes had raigned 14. yeeres he died and Meles succeeded him the thirde king of the Lydians of whom Herodotus doeth make mention that he was the first that triumphed ouer the people called Sardei This Meles had a bastard borne vnto him a stoute man a great souldiour and so great that he with his posteritie ruled the Sardeans vntil Cyrus time In this Meles time
were the Camerines subdued hauing once or twise before reuolted against the Romanes ouer whom Romulus the second time triumphed their cities taken and their countrey made a prouince to the Romanes By this time the people of Vienna mooued warres against Romulus but being ouerthrowen Romulus made his third and last triumph of these three triumphes reade Dionysius Romulus died to whom many townes cities and prouinces yeelded themselues vnto Romulus for the fame and report they heard of him for he was both religious and vertuous Hippomenes the fourth prince or magistrate then gouerned Athens After that Meles had gouerned the Lydians 12. yeeres there folowed the fourth king named Cādaules a foolish and a vaine king of whom this historie is of Herodotus written This Candaules whō the Greciās called Mirsilus had a passing faire woman to his wife of whom he ioyed much esteeming her to be the onely woman of the world for beautie and hauing a deare friend and one of his owne seruants named Giges from whom he could conceale nothing he perswaded this Giges to be an eye witnes of his wife whose perfection in al points he could not with tongue expresse vnto Giges but willed him to be in some secret place where and when he had appointed him to behold the rarenesse of her beautie Giges after three or foure denials being vrged thereunto by the king his master cōsented to the kings request secretly came to the place where the king had appointed him where he saw the queene naked as shewent to bed to whom Candaules when he knew that Giges suffficiently had viewed his wife he saide Esto fidelis Giges at the which wordes the Queene looked backe being amazed of his speach and saw the backe of Giges by chaunce as he went away requesting the king to tell who hee was after much entreatie he saide it was his seruant Giges The Queene dissembling the matter that night said nothing but in the morning shee did send for certaine of her chiefe friendes and told the cause and willed them to be in a place appointed ready against Giges came whom she sent for to whom she said these words Giges thou hast to chuse of two offers either to kill the king my husband and to marrie me and become king thy selfe in Lydia or els to be killed and lose thy life presently for in that place where he shewed me naked thou shalt destroy him there shalt thou haue a dagger ready which being perfourmed by Giges he married the Queene and became the fift king of the Lydians according to the oracle of Delphos who had afore told that Cādaules should be the last king of the stocke of Heraclides and Giges the sonne of Dascilus of the house of Memnades the fift king of Lydia which gouerned not long without due reuenge which fell in the time of Cyrus Thus the ancient stocke and the long succession of Heraclides euen from Hercules vntill Candaules the sonne of Mirsus was of fiue hundreth and two yeres continuance during which time raigned 22. kings one after another of the line of Hercules reade Herodotus Taurentum was builded by Philautus in the time of this Candaules by the Parthians reade Iustinus the thirde booke After that Giges had by wicked meanes obteined the kingdome of Lydia and had sent to Delphos great presents and rich rewards to Apollo for the oracles giuen he went in armes against Miletum and Smyrna two cities in Greece besieged Colophonem and subdued it No other action of any importance hath bene written of him he died when he had raigned 36. yeeres In Giges time Bizantium otherwise called Constantinople was builded About this time the tyrant Phalaris gouerned the Agrigentines Tullus Hostilius raigned thirde king of Rome in the last yeeres of Giges In Iuda raigned Amon. And amongst the Egyptians Psammeticus this Psammeticus when he had obtained Egypt into his owne handes being before but one of the twelue that gouerned Egypt he ioyned with the people of Caria and Ionia and thereby he much augmented the state of Egypt From this king vnto Cambyses time the historie is set foorth very plaine in Herodotus The Grecians about this time first frequented the oracle of Iupiter called Dodonaeū oraculum Archilocus the historian Aristoxenes the musition Simonides florished in these dayes In the seuenth yeere of Giges the state of Decennales principes ended and the common wealth of Athens was gouerned after-terward by a popular state called Democratia Now Ardis the sixt king of Lydia and sonne to Giges succeeded in the kingdome of whom there is litle or nothing mentioned In the beginning of this kings raigne in the 29. Olympiad and in the 16. Iubilee Zaleucus king of the Locresians decreed a lawe to his subiects concerning adulterie that whosoeuer should be found faultie in this offence should lose both his eyes His sonne violating this law was of his owne father the king iudged to loose both his eyes his nobles and his great men entreated for the yong mans fault but the king not neglecting to do iustice according to the law by him made and according to his sentence giuen vpon his sonne by the lawe he caused his sonne to be brought before him where in presence of his subiects the king shewed both mercie and iustice for hee commaunded first that one of his owne eyes should be put out and the other eye to be taken from his sonne A rare example of Iustice and mercie and the like not to be found in our dayes At this time in Rome triumphed Tullus Hostilius ouer the Fidenans the Vients and entred Rome triumphantly the ninth yere of his raigne Now raigned in Iudea Iosias a godly king who purged Ierusalem and all Iewrie from abominations and idolatrie and brought them to knowe the Lorde againe in whose time the Prophet Ieremie began to prophecie the destruction of Ierusalem and other kingdomes In Corinth raigned at this time Cipselus and amongst the Medes gouerned Phaortes their sixt king whom the Assyrians ouerthrew as Herodotus doeth affirme In the realme of Pontus there was this time builded a towne called Hystris and in Asia two other townes called Chautus and Stagera Terpander an excellent mufition at this time liued and Thales Milesius a great Philosopher whom Eusebius affirmeth to haue liued from the 30. Olympiad vntill the 58. Olympiad About this time the Sabines after much slaughter were againe vanquished by Tullus Hostilius then the Latins made warre against the Romanes which continued fiue yeres about which time Tullus Hostilius the thirde king of the Romanes with all his familie was burned in his owne house Solinus saith that he died in the 35 Olympiad Numa Pompilius a Sabine borne in the city of Cures the second king of Rome was consecrated by the soothsayers called Augures in his time bishops called Pontifices were created in Rome holy
world sitting on his regall throne in his princely attire beset with precious stones of seueral names colours in most gorgeous sumptuous sight seemed to himselfe to be the goodliest creature of the world he asked of Solon whether he had euer seene so faire a sight or so goodly colours in a creature Solon answered the Pecock the Popiniay do farre excel Croesus in naturall colours beauty whereat Croesus being angry said Solon was a foole but afterward Croesus being vanquished by Cyrus remēbred Solons words but now againe to Lydia which had reuolted against Cyrus fel to rebellion By this time Cyrus was busie in other warres and hearing of these newes returned and made of them the last conquest in the thirtie foure yeere of Seruius Tullus reigne the sixt king of Rome and in the two hundred and ninth yeere after the building of Rome Thus Lydia being brought by Cyrus a seruile Prouince to Persia afterward the reliques of the Lydians became from stout souldiers to slouthfull slaues and from men became women accompanying themselues with an idle life giuen to inuent many vnthriftie exercises as before is written And the maides of Lydia went a whoring for their dowrie offering themselues a pray for money and the wicked gaines of their bodily vse was the dowrie of their mariage who before Cyrus time during the time of nine kings esteemed neither Chaldeans nor Assyrians their fortune so flowed that it became a cōmon prouerbe As rich as Croesus But nowe Croesus hauing experience of Solons speach became now as wise as he was before rich for the which cause Cyrus esteemed him so that he would take nothing in hand without Croesus councell for Cyrus in all his warres which at that time Cyrus had with so many Nations hauing already conquered the Assyrians the Chaldeans the Lydians and other kingdomes hauing like mind to conquere all the world as Alexander the great had insomuch that Croesus wondred at his fortunate successe in al his actions his singular wisdome his great pollicie and his princely liberalitie to be such as Croesus did often say It was no shame for Croesus to be conquered by Cyrus After that Croesus was long enterteined with Cyrus hauing good experience of his fidelitie and seruice he commended Croesus vnto his sonne Cambyses charging him so to esteeme of Croesus as he would be directed in all great causes by him Nowe Cambyses farre vnlike vnto his father both in nature and in fortune much inferiour a cruell king yea a tyrant for in his voyage to Egypt with whom Croesus was in companie according to his fathers commaundement Cambyses killing and murthering his owne souldiers being Persians like a hungrie lion foming in blood without any respect of person Croesus began reuerently to warne Cambyses of his fathers councel of the trust that his father Cyrus had in him to admonish Cambyses to lenitie perswading him to vse more clemencie to shew good coūtenance to his souldiers saying that the strength of a king was his people and that mercie in a king was the anchor of his scepter Cambyses moued with these words thought to stabbe him but Croesus by flight escaped and Cambyses for anger that he had so escaped commansded them to the sword that ayded Croesus to flee from Cambyes sight at that time of this at large doth Herodot write Thus endeth the kingdome of Lydia in the 14. yeere of Croesus which continued from the beginning vntill the last ouerthrow of Croesus 230. yeeres but Functius saith 205 others say not 200. and some 130. yeres beginning in the first Olympiad ending in the 51. Olympiad for as the kings of Lydia began but 24. yeeres before Rome so it ended in the eight yeere of Tarquinius Superbus the last king of Rome after the first building of Rome 180. yeeres and was translated to be a prouince of the Persians Ardisus the 1. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Aliagtes the 2. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Meles the 3. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Candaules 4. king of Lydia reigned 17. yeeres Giges the 5. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Ardis the 6. king of Lydia reigned 37. yeeres Sadaites the 7. king of Lydia reigned 15. yeeres Haliactes the 8. king of Lydia reigned 49. yeres Croesus the 9 and last king reigned 14. yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL of the Persians of the antiquitie of their Kings of their common wealth and gouernment and of their continuance and how they haue beene called the great Kings by the meanes and dignitie of Cyrus NOw hauing left Assur the second sonne of Sem in Assyria and Arphaxad the third sonne of Sem in Chaldea Lud the fourth sonne of Sem in Lydia I am come with Elam the eldest sōne of Sem vnto Persia. Of these foure sonnes of Sem the Assyrians Chaldeans Hebrewes Lydians proceede Hauing also left Chus in Ethiopia Mizraim in Egypt I come as I said before to Persia then caled Elam so Daniel nameth it whē he saw the vision in the Pallace in Susa in the prouince of Elam by the riuer of Vlai in this place Elam dwelt and the nation were long named Elamites whose historie I haue now in hand Persia therefore is large and wide reaching vnto the North as farre as Caspia 8000. furlongs as Erastones setteth it downe which is in accoumpt yeelding eight furlongs vnto a mile a thousand miles and from the Citie of Susa vnto Persipolis 4200. furlōgs which is 530. miles and from thence vnto the confines of Carmenia are 1600. furlongs The Region of Persia is cōfined with Media on the North Persia hath eastward Carmenia hath westward Susia for Susia is as Strabo writeth a part of Persia lieth betweene Babylon Persia hath Susa that famous citie where most often the kings of Persia vsed to bee with it The nations of the inhabitants of this Countrey are called Palischores another natiō called Achemenides from these the olde kings of Persia were called Achemenides for among the old Persians they had a law that none should be king in Persia but he should be of the stocke of Acheminides which of long time continued before Cyrus while yet the Persians were called Elamites among the Hebrews of the auncient Greekes called Cephenes all kings of Persia were called Achemenides the like law was in Sparta Corinth Egypt with other natiōs for their kings for that diuers kingdoms had by law cōfirmed that no election of kings should be but of those families which by lawe in recordes were allowed as The kings of the Parthians were all called Arsaces out of Arsaces stocke The kings of Alba called Siluij from Siluius Posthumus the third king of the Albanes The first kings of Egypt were all called Pharaones The kings of Corinth Bacidae of the house of Bacis The latter kings of Egypt called Ptolomei after the death of Alexander The
of these two Iustine called these two Magi Comaris and Oropastis Herodotus doeth call the one Patizites and the other Smerdis Zonaras nameth the elder Tanoaxeres but it is not materiall for Eusebius doeth not nomber these two amongst the kings of Persia. But in the eight moneth one of the seuen princes or gouernours of Persia ouerthrew these Magi then these seuen princes being vertuous and welbeloued of the people agreed in loue and faith one with another one preferring another to the kingdome that it was hard for the people to make choise of any of them yet to them the election was referred Otanes one of the seuen princes thought that it was not necessary to haue a king to make a free common wealth bound to a Monarchia he perswaded the countrey to liue vnder the law of popular state called Democratia euery city to haue their magistrate and euery prouince to haue such gouernours as might defende the countrey with lawes and armes affirming the greatnes of a king to approch the nature of a tyrant and therfore most dangerous for when they giue ouer to be kings in doing iustice then they begin to be tyrants in committing rage and furie Megabisus held a contrary opinion allowing not a popular state who are neuer quiet neuer constant drawen one day of this side to morow of another affirming the furie and rage of the people to be intollerable and like the streame of a violent flood without wisdome in gouernment without reason in iudgement and euen like Hidra that monstrous beast of Lerna neuer satisfied neuer cōtented neuer quiet and compared it to the saying of Demosthenes that populus was one of the three monsters at Athens which raigned at one time Noctua draco populus the owle the dragon and the people Megabisus therefore disliked a Democraticall cōmon wealth perswaded that some of the wisest and best learned should be chosen for a state for to good men belong good counsell said he and they will in conscience and trueth refourme things amisse his reason tended to haue a common wealth called Oligarchia or Aristocratia and not a popular state The thirde Darius spake disanulling both Otanes and Megabisus opinion declaring by examples of diuers kingdomes the defect of kings as Zenophon and Herodotus most largely discourse and amongst Philosophers approued the best state of a common wealth to be a Monarchie alleadging also by Cyrus last will and Cambyses that while any of Cyrus stocke liued that they by succession should enioy the Scepter of Persia and if the house of Cyrus should faile then to make an election of a king by the seuen princes of Persia and the people And therefore both in reason a king is to be elected and by them commaunded of Cyrus to be confirmed The other foure which yet had spoken nothing but diligently hearing these three before they all consented with Darius and supposed that common wealth to be best where a Monarchie is the soueraigntie whereof is in a king and therefore they agreed all to elect a king and to auoyde contentions and quarrels they committed to Fortune their election in this sort That all the seuen princes should be a horsebacke the next morning in the suburbes of the citie to talke of this matter and that whose horse should neigh first after Sunne rising he should be king in Persia. They all to this consented and euery prince rode sumptuously to the place These were the names of the seuen princes Otanes Intaphernes Gobrias Megabisus Astphatines Hidarnes And Darius The night before they should ride to the place in the morning Darius consulted with the master of his horse opened the whole cause and asked his deuise by arte Oebarus so his name was assured Darius of some secret helpe hee brought Darius horse that night to a mare to that place where they should meete in the morning Darius riding vpon that horse by the counsell of Oebarus the next morning met according to their agreement altogether Darius horse hauing bene with the mare in that place beganne lustily to praunce and to neigh lowdly whereat the other sixe princes lighted immediatly from their horses and saluted him as their king This Darius now king of Persia had maried a daughter of Cyrus named Atossa of whom hee had Xerxes Within some space after Darius came to the kingdome the Assyrians beganne to reuolt from him hee layed siege to Babylon twentie moneths and could not preuaile vntill one Zopirus a subtile Persian who yeelded Babylon to Darius hand by this policie he himselfe did cut off his owne eares his nostrels and came all bloodie to Babylon accusing Darius crueltie who for perswading him to raise his siege and to spare blood he vsed me as you see The Babylonians light of beliefe thought it trueth made him captaine ouer a band of souldiers who for his more credit with the Babylonians gaue two or three light ouerthrowes to Darius men and by this meanes brought Babylon to Darius hand Of this Zopirus was Darius wont to say when he held a pomegranate in his hand that he wished nothing more in the world then to haue so many Zopirus as the pomegranate had kernels Now is Babylon the second time taken by the Persians When Darius was quietly setled in Babylon he made warres vpon the barbarous Scythians for euen as Cyrus was wont to driue the barbarous nations from Asia which came from the region of Arctoa so Darius tooke that course by his chiefe captaine Megabisus to clense Persia from strangers the Getes the Cimmerians and the Sauromats inhabited in Asia and about Thracia For of the Cimerians came those Germans called Cimbri and from the Getes came likewise the Gothes These Getes yeelded to Megabisus the Scythians he could not vanquish But after some warre he returned vnto Greece sent ambassadours vnto Amintas king of Macedonia to haue free passage through his countrey which being graunted more for feare then for loue Amintas entertained the ambassadours of Persia very liberally brought them to a banquet where after much rioting of wine they handled rudely the Macedonians ladies that beare them companie Alexander the sonne of Amintas and the great grandfather of Alexander the great being discontented with their beastlines desired the king his father to take his rest that night taking vpon him the entertainment of these Persians who after his father was gone he consulted with certaine noble men of Macedonia that they should come in most gorgious and sumptuous attire like women in the apparel of women with their naked weapons close vnder their garments commanding them when they should so beastly handle them next to stabbe them vnto the heart In the meane season Alexander desired them that the ladies might withdraw themselues for a time promising them they should presently returne to beare them companie in the meane time while these
tenne hundreth thousand nauies insomuch that the Persians bragged that the Ocean seas had scant sufficient roome for their nauies that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough and scant place for their shotts in the aire with this insolencie the Persian armie marched While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together and to gather their strength together from all parts of Greece The Athenians made fourtie nauies the Magarenses made twentie nauies the Chalsidenses so many as they of Athens made which was fourtie the Peloponesians twelue nauies the Lacedemonians tenne the Epidaureans eight and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie the Traezeneans made fiue nauies so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuentie and ons The Athenians appointed to be their generall Themistocles and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie for as Herodotus doth record it there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth and seuentie Myriads of souldiers You must vnderstand that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand so that a hundreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hundred thousand men which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne when he sailed on the sea of Helespont and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea making a vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued for the Persians fought for money to augment their treasure the Grecians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Countrey for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for ostentation then for necessitie to doe iniurie and not to defend iustice The authours whereof God hath from time to time punished as Iosias that good king yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel Cyrus this Xerxes grandfather for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians was slaine by Tomyris a woman and now this king needlesse without cause offered thought to haue eaten vp all Greece he was made a runnagate and to flee from Greece his souldiers slaine his captaines drowned and himselfe hardly escaping for within two yeeres the Persians had foure ouerthrowes The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila where hee lost twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians After they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia the other by the Isle Salamines from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly forced to flee in a little boate after he had lost the last battel to his great ignominie and shame which hee neuer recouered during his life Afterward leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea where the Persians likewise were ouerthrowen Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta and all Greece triumphed of that victorie CHAP. III. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time THis time flourished Greece for it had many Themistocles which was wōt to say I ouercome my friends with patience my foes with celeritie after this victory it began to be strōg and to florish in same before al nations vntil ciuil warres for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his how he conquered so many nations in so short a time he answered by celeritie for said Caesar it was a fault found in Hanibal that after he had taken Capua that he had not layd siege to Rome This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world and so called terror gētium before this time was now had in contempt despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people and how he slew his brother after this great infamie of the warre when he returned home he tooke his brothers wife and his brothers daughter and committed incest with them both but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death and after he had subdued them brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius he made his returne towards Greece leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece Greece then flourished for euen at that time and specially after Xerxes time their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres such magistrats such captaines as Themistocles who by Thucydides was thus commended that he excelled for his wit that he wanted neither foresight of things to come neither memorie of things past neither vnprouided of things present and what hee knewe not he would learne and what he was taught he could performe ready of wit quicke of actions and circumspect in all his doings the honor and glory of all Greece After whom Pericles was had in great estimation in Athens So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta of Epaminondas Pelopidas in Thebes and so the rest at that time in Greece of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed for that the right hand was longer then the left a noble and a courteous prince and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father at what time Perdicas the second of that name the 11. king of Macedonia raigned To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man Themistocles being banished from Athens whom often from destruction he saued and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie to the glory of Greece and shame of Xerxes In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers Empedocles and Parmenides Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time as Democritus and Heraclitus two philosophers the one laughing alwaies at the folie of the world the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artaxerxes in Court Gorgias and Pherecides Policlitus
of Alexandria This time also was there a Councill at Carthage where the heresies of the Pelagians were quite ouerthrowen then died that great learned man S. Hierome Now in Constantinople the Arrians fell in great discord betweene themselues which continued twentie and fiue yeres and after that againe vnited and were made friends In these dayes Paulus Orosius wrote his historie and Nestorius was remooued from Antioch to be bishop at Constantinople The Iewes againe as they were by the iustice of God scattered vnto all places of the world so had they no rest in any place of the world as you heard erst of the Iewes in Alexandria so now likewise in Creete they had a false Moyses fained whom then they so honoured and whose lawes they obserued and yet Eusebius saith that a nomber of them at that time were conuerted and became Christians At this time in France Faramundus was by common consent of the people elected and named king of Fraunce who died seuen yeeres after he came to the kingdome Marcomirus succeeded him being his owne brother and he raigned eighteene yeeres of whose actions and liues you shall in the histories of Fraunce reade more The Frenchmen beganne here to record and to nomber the kings of the whole countrey of Gallia which vntill that time were called Reges Francorum kings of Fraunce being a parcel of Gallia This happened in the yeere of the worlde foure thousand three hundreth eightie and seuen and in the 300. Olympiad By this time raigned in Persia Varanes the fourth of that name and after him raigned his sonne Varanes the fift of that name and they both raigned 37. yeeres and they had warres with the Romanes also In the time of this last king Varanes began the Indictions of Constantine the great Now againe the third time the Persians begin to quaile for in the time of Corsoes and his sonne Hormisda the last king of Persia the Saracens became lords and gouernours ouer the Persians in the yeere of Christ our Sauiour 634. These are the names of these latter kings that raigned in newe Persia. 1 Artaxerxes the first king that restored the new kingdome of Persia raigned 15. yeeres 2 Sapores raigned after him being the 2. king 31. yeres 3 Ormisdates 1. yeere 4 Varanes 3. yeeres 5 Varanes the second of that name 16. yeres 6 Varanes the thirde of that name 4. monethes 7 After him Narses 7. yeres 8 Misdates 7. yeeres 9 Sapor raigned 70. yeeres this king was crowned in his mothers wombe 10 Artaxerxes the second of that name 11. yeres 11 Sapores the second of that name 5. yeeres 12 Varares the 4. 12. yeres 13 Varanes the 5. of that name 12. yeeres 14 Isdigertes 21. yeeres 15 Varanes the fift of that name 20. yeeres 16 Varanes the sixt of that name 17. yeres 17 Perozes 20. yeres 18 Canades 12. yeres Lambases Procopius doeth call this Blasen raigned 4. yeeres 19 Cosroes 48. yeres 20 Hormisda Cosroes his sonne and last king of the Persians raigned 8. yeeres OF THE ORIGINAL OF Mahomet in Arabia of his greatnes and credit not onely among the Saracens and Arabians but also in the East kingdomes of the inuasions of the Saracens of their scattering warres in Asia Europe and in Affricke and of their continuance THus the kingdome of Persia the only monarchie of the world for 130. yeeres I meane from Cyrus vnto Darius is vtterly nowe destroied by the Saracens the fourth time a sort of infidels which had their first original from Agar the bond woman of Abraham by whom Abraham begate a base sonne called Ismael whose progenies were called Ismaelites after the name of Ismael among the Hebrewes so were they in other places called Agareni after Agars name and in continuance of time from Agareni called Saraceni which name they holde to this day For euen as from Ammon and Moab two incestuous sonnes of Lot gotten by his two daughters in his drunkennes an infinite stocke of wicked and idolatrous people grew which were named after their fathers name Ammonites and Moabits enemies to God and to his people so of this bond woman Agar and her sonne Ismael all the Ismaelites and all the Saracens doe spring which people as they were in the beginning most in nomber and most able of force and power to persecute then that little flocke of Iacob at that time so now are they in the latter dayes of the world most in nomber by the names of Saracens Turkes Canes infidels and such like other names I will therefore but touch the historie of Saracens for that they were alwayes people scattered into all Asia and from thence to all parts of the world much like to the Scythians who in like maner russhed into all partes and inuaded all countreys being rude and barbarous nations praying vpon euery place they came into I referre them that wil reade of the Saracens to Augustinus Caelius who at large wrote their histories I will briefly passe the names of some few of those which beganne to raigne from Mahomet where he is named Muhamet which began his kingdome after Christ sixe hundreth twentie and foure at what time Bonifacius the fift was the fourth Pope of Rome for the great prophet Mahomet in Arabia and the great Pope of Rome beganne at one times as two tyrants to persecute the Christians These two grew so great that they ruled all Christian Emperours kings princes and states one making them to holde his stirope and to kisse his foote the other with sworde and fire tyrannized ouer kingdomes and nations encreased his fame by blood and tyrannie When Bonifacius the thirde and the first Pope of Rome altered the title of a bishop to the dignitie of a Pope Phocas then was Emperour of Constantinople for while the Emperours flourished at Rome no Pope was heard of I will returne to speake of the Saracens who at that very time that they ouercame the Persians entred into Syria slewe Bahanes with all his armie tooke Damascus brought Egypt to pay tribute layde siege to Hierusalem brought Antioche subiect to the Saracens wasted and spoyled all Syria and brought the kingdome of Persia which so long flourished vnder Mahomet who gouerned the Persians 800. yeeres and odde This poisoned scorpion and the only plague of Christians I meane Mahomet was borne in Arabia a large countrey and wide euery way here they liue after diuers maners and with diuers kinds of religion some with powled heads and hoods like miters some with beards shauen to their skinne they abstaine from swines flesh for Solinus saith that no swine can liue in that Arabia which the Greekes cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the diuisiō of Arabia into Harmenios and Erembos and the third into Scenetem which is that countrey called the region of the Saracens people that haue no houses but dwell in tents couered ouer with things made and wouen with goates haire like the maner of
was so full of renowmed cities famous riuers notable mountaines a countrey of singular rarenesse in althings that it were to much labour to write the due praise of Greece But I referre him that would reade the setting forth of Greece to the eight ninth booke of Strabo to the second booke of Pomponius Mela where all Greece is particularly described at large and I will proceede to the seuerall gouernment of Greece in seuerall countreis and will set downe the continuance of euery Region with the names of the kings where and how long they raigned and for that the countrey of Morea is the first inhabited countrey of Greece and the largest region of the same called in Strabo Arxtotius Greciae I wiâ—… beginne with their common wealth This region was first named Aegialia by the name of Aegialeus their first king and continued so vntill the time of Apis the 4. king after whom this region was named Apia which name continued vnto the time of Sicyon the 19. king of Morea After this king Sicyons time the countrey was called Sicyonium and continued vntill Pelops time by whom againe the countrey was called Peloponesus and now at this time is called Morea so that Peloponesus had fiue seueral change of names from the first gouernment vnder Aegialeus the first king vntill Xeuxippus raigne the last king of the Peloponesians And although the kings of that region did nothing worth the memorie hauing bene twentie and sixe kings successiuely yet they are the very way to come further vnto Greece for all this while the whole countrey of Greece was inhabited with barbarous people and was farre from the fame which they gained afterwarde therefore I will briefly passe ouer the historie of their kings and their raigne because I might speake of other countreys in Greece which flourished together with Morea For the first king of this region was named Aegialeus he gouerned that part of Greece at what time Ninus raigned in Assyria and as Eusebius writeth Thebaei ruled Egypt in the yeere of the world two thousand one hundreth and seuen yet Bibliander would not allow so many yeeres by two hundreth and odde which is rather to bee followed for that it doeth with the Genesis agree For in the fiue and twentieth yere of this king Ninus was Abraham borne which was within two hundreth and ninetie yeeres after the flood and therefore better agreeth with Ninus time The second king after Aegialeus was named Europs hee raigned fiue and fourtie yeeres this time flourished Zoroastes the great king of the Bactrians he was thought to be the first that read Astrologie and taught to others Astronomie in whose time Tribeta the sonne of Ninus by Semiramis was expulsed out of the kingdome of Assyria and hee builded a towne in the coast of Gallia and called it Treueris The thirde king of Sicyonium was named Stelchium hee raigned twentie yeres at what time the kingdome of Creete beganne and had for the first king one named Cres after whose name the countrey of Creete was called This Cres builded a citie in Creete and named it Nosus in the which he also builded a temple to the goddesse Cybeles After him succeeded Apis the fourth king of that region after whom as I haue written before it was called Apia hee raigned then when Ninus the sonne of Ninus and Semiramis gouerned the Assyrians After him followed the fift king named Telasion in whose time died Noah the righteous preacher and patriarch and at which time Abraham begate Ismael vpon Agar the bond woman of this Ismael came all the Ismaelites a wicked nation that offended the Lorde In time afterward they were called Agareni after the name of Agar and now are called Saraceni which are infidels and heathens Now succeeded Telasion the sixt king of Peloponesus named Aegidius at what time raigned in Assyria Analius About this season Isaac the sonne of Abraham begate two twinnes vpon Rebecca his wife Esau which was also called Edom of whom the Idumeans came and Iacob afterwarde called Israel of whom issued the twelue tribes of Israel In this kings time Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Zoar fiue principal great cities in the lande of Palestine were destroyed and burned with fire and brimstone from heauen the iust iudgement of God for sinne Thurimachus the eight king raigned 45. yeres in this kings gouernment Eusebius noteth the seuenteenth Dynastia of the Egyptians to begin where Shepheards gouerned as chiefe rulers for the space of 103. yeeres soueraigntie About which time the kingdome of the Argiues first sprang vp where Inachus raigned the first king within the kingdome of Argiue and afterwarde continued from Inachus vnto the time of Tenelanthus the last king of the Argiues as Marianus Scotus writeth foure hundreth yeeres After this Leucippus succeeded Messapius in Peloponesus at what time Bellochus raigned King in Assyria and Thelassus gouerned the countrey of Thessalia Among the Argiues raigned now Phoroneus the sonne of Inachus and Niobes the second king after his father this made lawes first to the Argiues and instituted orders in gouernment and wrote decrees for his subiects and ruled the Argiues to his great fame as Eusebius in his histories setteth forth In Licippus time Sem the sonne of Noah died after hee had liued sixe hundreth yeeres and had seene much miserie and great calamitie but not so much as his father before him had seene he liued after Abrahams dayes thirtie and fiue yeeres Osiris whom the Egyptians call Apis and sometime Serapis for that they adored this as their God liued about this time and destroyed that monster in Thracia called Licurgus Reade more of this in Herodotus Ismael Abrahams base sonne by Agar the bondwoman died now and left behinde him twelue sonnes great princes ouer many tribes and nations which began in time to grow enemies to the Church of God and to persecute the people of God and were named Ismaelites In this time raigned in Assyria Bellochus sirnamed Priscus their twelft king and in Egypt gouerned Menam the first king that taught the Egyptians many ceremonies as newe sacrifices to their gods religions and seruice and instructed them in many things for this time Egypt was raw and rude in skil and knowledge This Menam was thought of Functius to be that which is read in Scripture to be Mizraim and of Berosus called Oceanus There is nothing to be written of these kings worth the memorie of man for all this while Greece was inhabited with barbarous people nay the most of Greece was not yet inhabited Athens was not builded neither Sparta nor Corinth for the kingdom of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth began about Dauids birth The Argiues were the most ancient people in Greece next after the Peloponesians for they beganne to raigne in Argos in the time of Iacob the Patriarch at what time Baleus sirnamed Xerxes gouerned in Assyria
being the eight king of the Assyrians before the Athenians as long as Iacob was before Moses for in Athens raigned Cecrops the first king which king was of one time with Moses But let vs proceede The ninth king in Peloponesus was named Mesapius who raigned fourtie and seuen yeeres Philo Iudeus affirmeth that Iob about this time liued and that after his punishment and afflictions he maried Dina the daughter of Iacob but this is thought to be false and found otherwise that Iob and Dina were not of one time not by foure discents for that Iobab which is written in Genesis was of Iacobs time this Iobab was the second king that raigned in the lande of Edom as one of the stocke of Esau and therefore some writers erred herein Now foloweth in Peloponesus Heratus the 10. king in whose time one Hispalus the sonne of Heroules sirnamed Libius raigned in Celtiberia who at that time builded a city after his owne name and called it Hispalis You must vnderstand where you reade Celtiberia or Iberia that then that countrey was so called which is now named Spaine as it is in the treatise of Spaine more at large written when and how long Celtiberia or Iberia continued by that name and when the name of Spaine beganne The kings of Egypt beganne now to be called Pharaones a generall name of dignitie alwayes vnto their kings afterward for their proper names were not so The eighteenth Dynasteia of the Egyptians likewise beganne this time which continued three hundreth fourtie and eight yeres in the which gouernment Amasis was the first king Sparta a very famous citie amongst the Lacedemonians was nowe builded by one Spartus the sonne of Phoroneus the second king of the Argiues whome a litle before you read of Mar. Scot. sayeth that Greece was not tilled before this time that corne being brought then from Phoenicia to Greece was first at that time sowen but I will bee briefe in passing ouer the names of the kings of Poloponesus because I might come to the ripenesse of Greece which was many hundreth yeeres after this time The eleuenth king was named Plemneus and their twelft king named Orthopolis of these two wee haue nothing to write more then of the rest but in respect of the time and of the gouernment to open the naked state and weake Empires of the world at that time wherein there was no action done worthy of writing for scant armes were then knowen this onely wee finde what kings raigned then and in what partes of the worlde they gouerned hauing their those names which they haue not nowe for then the Frenchmen were called Celtae the Spaniards Celtiberi or Iberi and so of other nations But nowe raigned in Assyria Mammitus the thirteenth king and Crassus raigned ouer the Argiues the fift king This time Cath begate Amram Moses father and about this time Ioseph died in Egypt after which time the children of Israel were sore afflicted by the Egyptians vnder another Pharao sirnamed Amenophis a cruell tyrant ouer the Hebrewes then being vnder his subiection in Egypt This king made an Edict and charged the midwiues that all children of the Hebrewes should bee slaine or else cast into Nilus as soone as they were borne Of some this king is called Memnon About this time gouerned in certaine partes of Celtes one Lugdus after whome the place and the people were called Lugdunenses and likewise one named Narbon by whose name the countrey is to this day called Narbonensis which are two prouinces within Gallia now called Fraunce About this time flourished the great Astrologer Atlas which is of Poets fained to sustaine the skies vpon his shoulders for his skil and knowledge therein In the two and twentieth yeere of this king Orthopolis Amram married Iochabed and begate Aaron and three yeeres after begate Moses In Moses time beganne the kingdome of Thessalia where Emon the first king raigned and together with Thessalia sprang vp the kingdome of Athens three hundreth seuentie and fiue yeeres before the destruction of Troy and about seuentie yeeres before Israel was deliuered from the bondage of Pharao for from Cecrops the first king of Athens vnto the first Olympiad raigned in Athens seuenteene kings and twentie princes or Iudges first called Metondidae after called Decennales principes after the kings Of this king it is written that hee first named Iupiter a god and honoured him he erected the first altar in Greece found images and offered vp sacrifices which were not before Cecrops time seene in Greece for Castor and Pollux Liber and Mercurius with diuers ancient gods of the Gentiles were after the time of Cecrops But I will leaue Athens for a while and I will speake of the Sicyonians and Argiues for these two regions of Greece were the first regions that were gouerned by kings but such kings as then that time yeelded called Reguli but the state and regiment of the Argiues after the succession of foureteene kings was caried by Perseus into Mycena which kingdome of Mycena was established in Euristheus after whome raigned sixe kings and ended together at one time with the kingdome of Sicyonum as you shall reade after in the next chapter But now I wil set downe the names of the kings of the Sicyonians in order as I finde them in Ruffinus and in Functius tables 1 Egialeus after whose name the countrey was called Egialea raigned 52 yeeres 2 Europs 45. 3 Stelchin 20. 4 Apis after whose name the countrey was named Apia 25. 5 Thelassion 52. 6 Aegidius 34. 7 Thurimachus 14. In this kings time began the kingdome of the Argiues 8 Leucippus 53. 9 Messapius 47. 10 Heratus 46. 11 Plemneus 12. 12 Orthopolis 63. 13 Merathius 30. In whose time the kingdom of Athens began 14 Maretus 20. CHAP. II. Of the building of Athens of their beginning and of their first lawes vnder 17 kings being the thirde kingdome of Greece in antiquitie after the Sicionians and the Argiues CEcrops of whom mention is made before builded Athens in Achaia and hereof it was named first Cecropia after that it was called of one Ati Attica and last of all it was named of Minerua Athens for in the Greeke tongue Athenae is called Minerua though in ancient time it had other names as Mopsopia or Ionia Diadas and Orchomenon and now at this time of no great fame but a poore fisher towne which Mahomet the eight Emperour of the Turkes hath brought vnder In the dayes of Cecrops raigned that Pharao which was with all his nobilitie and chiualrie of Egypt drowned in the read sea for his wickednes and tyrannie against God and his people he was by his proper name called Chencres There happened in Cecrops time two great wonders in Greece the one a great deluge in Thessalia called Deucaleons floud the other that great harme of fire called
Demosthenes to exclaime in these wordes Noctua populus Draco tria monstra Athenis for in Athens they esteemed more the seruants poore people straungers and specially mariners more then their Magistrates noble men officers or their chiefe Citizens The people grewe so strong and so headie in Athens that it was not lawfull to banish straungers or to punish seruaunts to be short of the common wealth of Athens and of Sparta reade Xenophon Nowe againe to the victorie at Cheronea the last and the sorest battell which brake the backe of the Citie of Athens Philip king of Macedon called together all the States of Greece into Corinth where by common consent hee was chosen and named Prince or rather Generall of all Greece against the Persians All Greece being nowe quiet in peace Philip beganne warres against the Persians and with great celeritie hee sent an armie into Asia While these things were doing Philip was slaine by Pausanias when hee was of the age of fourtie sixe yeeres after hee had reigned king twentie fiue yeeres Greece thought by the death of Philip againe to recouer their former libertie they little doubted Alexander being then but young neither Arideus which was Philips base sonne by Laryssea which for a time reigned after Alexander but according to their wonted maners full of innouations ambitions contencions and hatred neuer quiet but one Citie or other would be iarring the Persians power grewe great and the Greekes beganne to reuoult from Alexander which by succession after his father shoulde bee their chiefe Generall The Thebans offered themselues to ioyne with those Cities that woulde defende the libertie of Greece and exclude those Macedonian souldiers which Philip placed in the castle of Thebes called Cadmea Hereby Alexander tooke occasion to enter in armes ouerthrewe Thebes vnto the grounde wasted and spoyled diuers Cities in Boetia for at one time the Athenians the Lacedemonians and the Thebans reuoulted from Alexander by perswasion of Demosthenes being corrupted with rewardes of the Persians But when Thebes was destroyed Alexander sent to Athens offering peace vnto the Athenians vpon the yeelding vp of Demosthenes Lycurgus and others by the Citizens vnto Alexander Vnto this demaund of Alexander Demosthenes brought in the fable of the Woolfe who offered peace vnto the Shepheardes vpon condicion to haue the shepheards dogges away applying the morall hereof vnto the Oratours of Athens who by continuall barking to the people kept Greece frō forraine soueraigntie but the Athenians standing much in feare of Alexanders force and beside knowing their owne weakenes they sent Demades the Orator to entreate for peace which being obteined of Alexander by the meanes of Demades the Athenians the Lacedemonians the Thebans and the rest of the Cities of Greece hauing obteyned peace likewise by one consent they appointed Alexander their captaine and chiefe generall against the Persians At what time reigned Darius the tenth king of Persia to whom many of Philips children by other mariages fledde to see the euents and sequell of the warres betweene Alexander and Darius This last yeelding vp of Greece vnto Alexander was three yeeres after the great battell of Cheronea and after the warres of the Peloponesians three score yeeres Of this warre Thucydides diuided his eight bookes concerning the ciuill warres of the Grecians which continued twentie seuen yeeres euery booke comprehending three yeeres warres vntill twentie one yeeres expired at what time Thucydides died then Xenophon beganne where Thucydides ended Thus ended the glorie of Greece which florished in wisedome and knowledge from Solons time vntill Plato two hundred yeeres and from Platoes birth vntill this last conquest of Greece a hundred and twentie yeeres Though yet Greece brought many learned men after Alexanders time yet the fame and renowme of Greece was caried vnto Macedonia their Empire translated their libertie lost and all Greece made subiect vnto Macedonia at what time the Monarchie of Persia was lost and brought by Alexander vnto Macedonia OF THE KINGDOME OF Macedonia of the continuance lawes and gouernment of their Kings and of their warres vntil the time of Alexander the great AFter I haue briefely entreated of Greece and haue abridged many things which might haue beeue well in the histories of Greece yet I haue many times occasion to speake of Greece in handling of Macedonia neither neede I long to stay in Macedonia for of all the kings of Macedonia before Philips time little or nothing is to bee spokē of them so obscure a kingdom Macedonia was before Philpis time for that the warres of Philip of his sonne the great Alexander are mencioned in the Persian and in the Grecians historie I neede not much to write of them therefore I will begin with the descents of the kings of Macedon of the first names of the countrie which was called Emathia of one Emathius which was the first that obteined soueraigntie in Emathia which name continued vntil the time of Deucaleons nephew named Macedo he chā◅ged the name of Emathia called it after his owne name Macedonia Melacthō saith that the name of Macedonia is come of Kittim the sonne of Iauan the sōne of Iaphet Herodot other auncient writers affirme that the kings of Macedonia take their originall from Hercules Nowe the land which before was called Pieria Migdonia or Emathia is nowe called the Realme of Macedonia a countrie bounded on the East side with Thracia on the South with Thessalia on the West with the Illyrians hauing on the North side Peonia as Pomponius Mela saith the Macedonians inhabited many Cities of the which Pella was the most renowmed The kingdome of Macedonia in the beginning was of◅o great fame vntill Philips time which was Amyntas sonne and Alexanders father who first brought the name of Macedonia to be spoken of though before of sclender renowne and obscure fame rather deseruing the name of a Prouince then of a kingdome as Ruffinus writeth for as Cyrus reigne doeth much lighten the whole historie of the Persians and the very time of their kings in respect of Cyrus his decree and dealings with the Iewes by the meanes and traueile of Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias mencioned in Scripture euen so doeth the name of the great Alexander reforme many errors in Xenophons histories for that the certeintie of the Macedonian historie depēdeth vpon the time of Alexāder which of necessitie must be within a 130. yeeres of Cyrus though many of the best writers erre much in this After Macedo succeeded Cranaus a captaine of certeine Peloponesians hee was the first that had the name of a king hee builded a Citie according to the Oracle that hee should followe a heard of goates and where they stand there to builde a Citie which he named Aegea others say that he came vpon a tempest to a towne named Edissa there beholding goates together he changed the name of Edissa vnto Egea there he builded and
made his Court and gathered together the scattered Macedonians into one place and began to reigne there as a king At what time Procas Siluius reigned ouer the Latines Ozias reigned ouer the Hebrewes Ieroboam in Israel was king and Alexander reigned king in Corinth this time Arbaces translated the Monarchie of Assyria vnto the Medes hauing giuen the ouerthrow to Sardanapalus whereby both the kingdomes of the Medes and of Macedonia beginne at one time for nowe the kings of Lacedemonia ended 〈◊〉 gouernment and these kingdomes beganne to florish 37â—… yeeres after the destruction of Troy in the beginning of the thirteene Iubilee of the Iewes before the Olympiads the space of one whole Iubilee which is fiftie yeeres This Cranaus the first king of the Macedonians reigned twentie eight yeeres whose successor I reade in Eusebius and Glareanus was Caenus he reigned the second king of Macedonia twelue yeeres at what time Amulius Siluius the fifteene king of the Latines reigned this Amulius the yonger sonne of Procas Siluius draue Numitor his elder brother out of his Countrie and also Numitor had a daughter whom hee caused to be a vestall virgine to auoyde mariage but notwithstanding shee was gotten with childe of two children in steade of one which were called Romulus and Remus of whose education and strange bringing vp how they slue Amulius and restored their graundfather Numitor to the kingdome againe and howe they both builded Rome you may reade in the histories of the Romane kings after whom succeeded the Romane kings In Egypt reigned this time Sabachus this is named in Scripture Sech the third king of Macedonia was Tyrimas who succeeded in the kingdome in the time of the second Olympiad as Eusebius and Glareanus do witnesse whom I folow chiefely in placing the kings of Macedonia though Iustine Sabelicus say otherwaies that one Telegonus reigning in Paeonia which is a piece of Macedonia and one Europus who likewise on the other side of Paeonia gouerned These two bare most sway in Macedonia vntil Caranus came with a great number of Greekes by the Oracle commaunded to seeke a seate in Macedon who by force expelled Mida which gouerned in a part of Macedon and forced other gouernours which then ruled diuers countries about Macedonia which was no large kingdome in the beginning but Caranus by this meanes augmented much the Countrie of Macedon After this Caranus Iustine setteth downe Perdiccas with whom agreeth Soliâ—… and saith that this Perdiccas was the first that bare the 〈◊〉 of a king in the twentie two Olympiad who liued in such liking and loue of his subiects that his life seemed a lawe and his death an oracle for which hee died being an olde man hee called his sonne named Argeus and shewed him a secrete place where hee woulde haue his body buried and his successours the kings of Macedonia after him This superstitious buriall the kings of Macedonia helde as by an oracle commaunded vntill the time of Alexander the great who was the ninteenth king after this Perdiccas Argeus succeeded his father and was a modest prince hee did minister iustice to his subiectes and liued in Ioue and fauour with his people leauing behinde him to gouerne the Macedonians his heire Philip who died in his youth and left the kingdome to Europus a young childe in whose time the Thracians and the Illyrians had continuall warres with the Macedonians The Illyrians vexed and ouerthrewe the Macedonians in a great battel despising the infancie of their king and litle waiing the Macedonians in respect of their king they were hereby much mooued to fight againe and gathered a huge hoste brought their king in his cradle to the field and gaue battell to the Illyrians ouerthrewe them vanquished them and slue the most of them for the sight of their young king made them like lyons hungrie of their praye with double courage to fight But I will returne to Eusebius and Glareanus where I beganne and whom I chiefely imitate though Solinus and Iustine wrote otherwaies for it is no rare thing to haue writers to varie specially in histories of long time for here Perdiccas is placed to be the fourth king which both Iustine and Solinus wrote to be the first king of Macedonia in this Functius in his table of the kings of Macedon a singular Chronographer following the best learned and next agreeing with the Scripture doth set this Perdiccas to be the 4. king who came of a meane state to be a king of Macedon where he reigned 51. yeeres This time Romulus had great warres with the Sabines which continued three yeeres with whom Tatius Sabinus reigned in Rome together with Romulus fiue yeeres About this verie season Saneherib was ouerthrowen for his great blasphemie against God with a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand slaine in one night by the Angel of the Lord while this Perdicas reigned in Macedon Merodach the sonne of Baladan after hee had gouerned Babylon twelue yeeres and ouercame the Assyrians and brought the Monarchie againe to the Chaldeans about the thirtie yeere of Perdicas Egypt was gouerned by twelue Magistrates of equall authoritie After Perdicas succeeded Argeus his sonne the fifth king of Macedonia of whom you reade before by Iustine set downe to be the second king Philip the sixt king of Macedon reigned thirtie eight yeeres in the 34. Olympiad in whose time happened in Rome great warres betweene Tullius Hostilius the third king of Rome and the Sabines The Latines likewise beganne warres with the Romanes which continued fiue yeeres this time reigned in Egypt Necho who had warres with the Chaldeans at what time hee ouercame the Syrians and slue Iosias in Mageddo the Messenians reuoulted from the Lacedemonians and the rude barbarous Scythians entred into Asia spoyled and wasted all the Countrie vntill they came vnto the land of Palestine This time Periander reigned in Corinth whose life you may reade in Herodot of whom is also written a historie of this time of Phaortes the sixth king of the Medes who was slaine at the siedge of Niniue by the Assyrians with all his companie In these dayes Tullius Hostilius with al his familie were burned in his owne house in the thirtie fiue Olympiad many great warres and blooddy battels fell in the time of this Philip for both Ieconia with all his friendes likewise Daniel with his fellowes were caried away captiue vnto Babylon and within a while after Ierusalem was besieged and made euen to the ground and the Iewes caried captiues vnto Chaldea Againe Ciaxeres which is by Daniel and others named to be Darius Medus had great warres thus the Assyrians tooke the citie of Niniue and reuenged the death of Phaortes and so the Assyrians were quite destroyed brought the monarchie vnto the Medes All the warres that Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome had with the Latins Fidenats the Sabins the Veiens the Volscans and
discharge his vowe made to Iupiter made his triumph ouer these nations hanging the armour weapons of king Acron about the bowe of a yong oke which Romulus caried on his right shoulder marching on foote before the army towards the citie with a royal song of victory This was the first triumph of Romulus the first entry giuē into other triumphs that folowed presētly After this triumph of Romulus the Sabines could not forget their iniurie for their daughters and virgines rauished by Romulus but elected Tatius a gallant gentleman to be Generall of the Sabines and to reuenge the wrong done by Romulus Tatius besieged Rome that time one named Tarpeius was appointed captaine of the Castle whose daughter named likewise Tarpeia betrayed the whole Citie for a reward which Tatius promised some say that Tarpeia was Tatius daughter By this treason of Tarpia the Sabines entred Rome and great warre continued betwixt the Sabines the Romanes 3. yeres But in time betwixt Romulus and Tatius peace was concluded and they both together reigned ioyntly and gouerned Rome fiue yeeres Tatius dwelling by mount Tarpeius afterwarde called the Capitoll and Romulus on mount Palatium but within a while in this fiue yeere Tatius was slaine and Romulus gouerned himselfe and ouercame the Antenates the Veients and other nations triumphed ouer them the second time And when that Romulus had reigned thirtie seuen yeres after three seuerall triumphes he died of whose death diuerse opinions are of Romulus assencion into heauen in the sight of Proclus and of a voyce heard he should be called Quirinus after his death reade Plutarch concerning his vanishing away and concerning his whole life Romulus strength his whole force exceeded not aboue two thousand footemen and not three hundred horsemen when he beganne his kingdome in Rome but when Romulus died hee left fourtie sixe thousand footemen and a 1000. horsemen During the time of Romulus gouernment reigned in Assyria Salmanasser 10. yeres by whō Samaria was subdued the 10. tribes of Israel caried captiue into Babylon Also Senaherib his sonne reigned after his father seuen yeeres he likewise wasted and spoyled Iudea in the time of king Ezechias vntill hee was vanquished al his armie to the number of a hundred twentie sixe thousand In Lydia reigned two kings during Romulus time Haliagtes the 2. king and Meles the 3. king In the beginning of the Romans kingdom the third kind of gouermēt begā in Athens after 17. kings gouernment then after 13. Iudges Now beganne the thirde alteration of the state called Decennales principes a magistrate that should continue tenne yeeres in office and then another elected into his roume Now in that time that Romulus raigned beganne in Rome diuers kinds of magistrats and officers lawes and orders were by Romulus appointed for the better gouernment of the citie of Rome as Senators Tribunes Aediles Celeres and diuers other sacred and religious offices as Flamines Bishops Foeciales Salij vestal Nunnes southsayers and others the right vse of their offices being not knowen to the reader vnlesse he be wel read in histories I haue orderly as they were appointed by Romulus here set downe as many magistrates officers and offices as were in Rome by Romulus first instituted during his raigne After that Romulus had builded Rome after the death of his brother Remus he made these many lawes 1. First he deuided the whole company of the multitude into three tribes and hee deuided the three tribes into 30. partes which were called Curiae 2. Then he elected one chiefe magistrate to gouerne Rome in his absence which was named Praefectus vrbis as Viceroy or as lieuetenant to Romulus as Iulius Caesar and Augustus 750. yeeres after Romulus time vsed the like 3. Romulus made a choise of 300. stoute and valiant souldiours called Celeres and a captaine ouer them called Tribunus Celerum these were Romulus gard the Tribune was as Esquire of the body or as captaine of the gard to defend him from any sudden assault and readie to execute the kings commandement 4. Romulus appointed 12. men officers called Lictores that should carie tipstaues or rods to make roume and way before the king 5. Hee also appointed after them 12. othermen called Caduceatores which were appointed next the kings person before him to carie axes or mases as Serieants at armes an office of great antiquitie in all countreys of the world for we reade in Homer that Agamemnon sent a Serieant at armes called Talthubius to arrest Achilles for his absēce in the warres and for his disobedience to Agamemnon being then appointed generall for the Grecians against the Troyans 6. When Romulus had prouided these officers for the sauegard of his person he likewise erected counsellers and made choise of a hundreth graue and wise men who for the honour of their place and dignitie of their calling should be named Senators to gouerne and to foresee the dangers and perils of the citie to punish vice and to reward vertue These were called by strangers princes of Rome to whom the king committed the whole direction and correction of the citie The familie and stocke of the Senators were called Patricij for all Senators were elected out of the Patricians 7. Hee appointed the place and the time where the Augurers and Southsayers should vse their diuination touching the euents and proceedings of Rome which should be before Sunne rising and after sunne setting for Romulus himselfe caried the Augurers crooked staffe for his skill in diuination 8. Then hee erected three Augurers with their orders and authorities by whom all sacrifices and religious ceremonies were solemnized These three hee elected out of the three tribes 9. He instituted that no man might enter into the Senate to heare any cause pleaded or consulted before hee were 25. yeres of age he seemed to be of Aristotles opinion that held Iuuenem non esse Philosophiae idoneum 10. After that Romulus had inuented these many good and seemely decrees to set foorth that little kingdome of Rome Now last of all he made lawes for setting foorth the dignitie of a king as to weare purple colours for Romulus ware a coate of purple in graine and vpon that a long robe of purple colour for this princely and riche colour was onely esteemed of the olde Romanes and so honoured that none might weare it but the kings of Rome and after the kings time onely the Dictators and Consuls 11. Romulus instituted a feast in memorie of Hersilia and other Sabine virgines which were rauished by whose meanes peace was concluded betwene Romulus and Tatius king of the Sabines These feasts were called Matronalia 12. He also instituted the feast called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome in memory of Romulus escape when that he slew Aemilius his father vnknowen but taken for his vncle he ranne with a naked sword in his hand from Alba
to the very place where the wolfe gaue him sucke first Reade Plutarch of Romulus life They vsed at this feast a sacrifice in a denne vnder mount Palatine in the moneth of Februarie in the honour of god Pan and Faunus Now Rome hauing her first foundation by Romulus and much encreased by the policie and gouernment of Romulus that the confines of Rome extended into diuers parts of Italy and so enlarged by the warres of Romulus and yet not 8 miles from the towne of Rome that Numa Pompilius who succeeded him not in blood but by election for that hee was a Sabine borne in the citie of Cures and had maried Tacia the onely daughter and heire of Tatius the Sabine who before had gouerned Rome together with Romulus This Numa was entreated to accept the kingdome by ambassadours sent vnto him from the people of Rome with one consent who after a long negatiue oration made vnto Proclus and Valesus and being vrged thereunto both by Sabines and Romanes accepted against his will the gouernment of Rome after the Senators bare rule by the space of fiue dayes which was called interregnum betweene Romulus and Numa which was accompted one whole yeere This king was vertuous godly and religious addicted altogether to gouerne Rome with peace for during the whole time of his raigne Numu waged no warre but established lawes and framed such decrees and orders as kept the people which had bene so long accustomed with warres vnder Romulus in quietnes and tranquilitie which neuer happened in Rome but onely in Numas time and once in Augustus Caesars time When Numa was consecrated king of Rome by the Augurers hee beginneth with the seruice of his gods and therefore he instituted bishops and diuers kinde of priests he erected a colledge for the vestal virgines he appointed the holy and immortal fire with honour and reuerence to be kept by the vestal virgines These ceremonies he had from Greece for the like ceremonie was in Athens by old women in watching the holy lampe and in Delphos in the temple of Apollo Hee founded diuers temples in Rome with innumerable rites and ceremonies he first corrected the Kalender though not so exactly yet he so perfected it that then the Romane yere of tenne moneths was made twelue by adding Ianuary and February Which Numa not only added to the yere of tenne moneths but he mended also the 10. moneth and the dayes of the moneths he corrected the Kalenders which was also by Romulus begunne but finished by Numa This continued from Romulus vntill Iulius Caesars time by the name of Romulus yeere who then caused the yeere to beginne in March a moneth which he consecrated to his supposed father Mars not knowing then Aemilius to be his father whom hee slewe then But to Numa in whose time a great plague raigned in Rome at what time fell from heauen a brasen or copper target and lighted betweene Numas hand called Ancylia Of this target I shal speake in another place The lawes that Numa taught then to the people being rude and ignorant were no otherwise made then the lawes of Lycurgus in Sparta or of king Minos in Creete for Numa made the people to beleeue that the lawes which he gaue were frō the gods sent into him by the nimph Aegiria with whom he had sundry times conference in mount Auentine So did Lycurgus admonish the Spartans with the lawes from Apollo which Lycurgus as he saide brought from Delphos into Greece in like fort Minos made his people beleeue that his decrees and lawes were giuen to him by Iupiter in mount Curetes So did Silla make his souldiers beleeue that hee had some spirite in a litle table that hanged about his necke that instructed him in all his warres And so did Sertorius by his white hinde make his captaines thinke that hee was sent from the goddesse Diana Now Numa a peaceable and religious prince aduanced tillage in Rome and deuided his people into diuers occupations hee limitted bonds to the territories of Rome and tooke away all factions that helde before with Romulus and Tatius and gouerned Rome with such iustice and clemencie that all warres and dissentions were forgotten in Rome the temple of Ianus was shut which was an olde custome in the time of peace which continued the whole raigne of Numa which was 43. yeeres for the Romanes had no warres in all Numas time for as Plato saith there is true gouernment and there is a happy common wealth where the minde of a wise Philosopher is ioyned to the maiestie of a king where graue counsel is giuen and good lessons taught the vertuous man rewarded and the vicious man punished This good king liued of al others most happy in peace and quietnes all the dayes of his life and the misfortune of fiue other kings which after him succeeded caused the honour of Numa to shine with more glorie for as Plutarch saith foure of them died not their naturall death three were killed with treason and the fourth was striken with a thunder bolt and burnt with lightning and the 5. driuen out of his kingdome and died in exile so that of the seuen kings Numa onely excelled of whom some say that hee had no children but one daughter called Pompilia which was maried to C. Martius Coriolanus Of this Pompilia was borne Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome some say againe that Numa had foure sonnes named Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus and of these foure descended the noblest races and most ancient houses of the Romanes Reade of this king more in Plutarch and in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus In Aethiope raigned while Numa liued and ruled Rome a king called Tarachus which came to ayde the king of Egypt against Sanaherib king of the Assyrians at what time the Empire of Egypt was deuided into twelue prouinces by equall portions betwixt 12. princes When Numa beganne his kingdome in Rome Candaules the fourth king of Lydia gouerned the Lidians whose historie both of his wife and of his life together with the fable of Giges ring is written in Herodotus at large Manasses also king of Iudea for his wickednes against the Lorde was deliuered into the hands of Benmerodach king of the Chaldeans and was caried captiue into Babylon Deioces the fift gouernour that gouerned the Medes and the first king that raigned ouer them liued this time In Athens raigned Leocrates the fift magistrate Absander the 6. magistrate and Erixias the last magistrate of Athens in that gouernment of 10. yeeres to euery magistrate appointed which continued the time of 7. seuerall magistrats which was 70. yeeres Concerning this kings death he himselfe cōmanded that his body should be burned and therfore they made two coffines of stone in the one of them Numas body was layed in the other his bookes which were written with his owne hand twelue bookes were written
time the Romanes force encreased and they preuailed in warlike feats and in chiualrie although yet their wealth and substance were very slender for men raigned then in Rome as had this sentence alwayes in their mouthes Agere magna pati fortia Romanorum est Mutius Scaeuola spake it first before Porsenna king of the Thuscanes so great were the Romanes so ful of valure and so renowmed were their actions that the Dictator of Rome was more feared then any Emperour of the world and a Consul more esteemed then a king as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare The discipline of the Romanes was such as their generals lieutenants captaines officers yea the priuate souldier if hee had deserued should haue had his triumph or bee preferred vnto a higher place of seruice Plinie saith the garlands which were made for the Conquerors were some of lawrel some of oken leaues some of Mirtle some of greene grasse and some of golde The citie of Rome was full of statues and images erected as monuments of the Romanes pictures set vp at the barres where the Orators did plead and images in the market place of Dictators and Consuls that to bee a souldier in Rome was more then to be a captaine in Greece and to be a Consul in Rome were more then to be a king in other places so mightie the Romanes waxed by this that they warred nowe a hundreth and three miles distant from Rome and tooke the Samnits in hande against whome Lucius Papirius Cursor then created Dictator went with an armie giuing charge at his departure from Rome to Quintus Fabius Maximus who at that time was appointed an officer attendant vpon the Dictator called Magister equitū that he should not fight with the enemies during his absence Howbeit vpon occasions Fabius with great good lucke fought with the Samnits and vanquished them for which disobedience notwithstāding his good successe Luc. Papirius after his returne gaue sentence of death vpon him but hee was deliuered through the passing great fauour of the people In the second battell the Samnits ouercame the Romanes and caused them to their reproch to creepe vnder the yoke which was made with two speares in the earth and the thirde vpon the toppe of them like a gallowes In the thirde battel Luc. Papirius had the vpper hand ouer the Samnits and caused seuen thousand of the Samnits to creepe vnder the yoke at the battell of Allifas Thus the Samnits were discomfited by the Romanes but neuerthelesse they still renued their battell vntill Fabius Maximus came to ayde his sonne Quintus who was vanquished by the Samnits and three thousand of his souldiers slaine for of all nations that the Romanes had to doe withall the Samnits diminished most the force of the Romanes as in the bloodie battels at Tifernum Longula and at Lantula where Quintus Aulius generall of the Romanes was slaine Likewise in the battels at Satricula and Suessula the last ouerthrow of the Samnits reade Liui of the Samnits warres who continued their warres with the Romanes 49. yeeres but in an exceeding great battell they were slaine and ouerthrowen by Pub. Cornelius Ruffinus and Marcus Curius Dentatus then Consuls at Rome CHAP. IIII. Of the warres and victories of the Romans ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphes had ouer Italy with diuers other forreine nations and kingdomes WHen the Romans had thus cōquered the Samnits they proclaimed open warres against the Tarentines which inhabited the furthest part of Italy for they had iniured the Romanes ambassadours who sent for Pyrrhus king of Epire to assist them Pyrrhus foorthwith came for he euer enuied the glorie of the Romanes and wished to haue some dealings with them for he was accompted the second souldier of the world next to Alexander the great for he was like to Alexander in all points This king discended of the line of Achilles and was named Pyrrhus as the name of Achilles sonne hee was glad to haue occasion offered him to warre against the Romanes he gathered souldiers and his forces together hee associated with the Samnits the Lucanes and the Brutaines and ioyned his armie with the Tarentines and marched forwarde to giue battell to Publius Valerius Leuinius the Consul to whome Pyrrhus gaue the ouerthrowe for Pyrrhus was then an olde souldier and had practised armes against Lysimachus king of Thracia and against Demetrius king of Macedonia Then the Consuls lost of Romane souldiers to the nomber of fifteene thousande and Pyrrhus got not that victorie without blood for he had slaine of his souldiers by the Romanes seuen thousand and Eutropius sayeth that Pyrrhus had fled and lost the fielde had not his elephants bene by whose meanes onely he ouerthrewe the Romanes Pyrrhus to shewe his greatnesse to the Romanes sent the prisoners which hee tooke without raunsome but the maiestie of the Senate requited Pyrrhus in letting so many prisoners of the Samnits and Tarentines free to Pyrrhus After this the second battel betwixt the Tarentines and the Romanes was at the citie of Ascalum where likewise Pyrrhus had the victorie ouer the Romanes This time the Carthagineans offered ayde to the Romanes and sent their ambassadors with a crowne made all of golde in token of their good will this gift should be put in the Capitol in the seate of Iupiter The Romans were somewhat heated by Pyrrhus and hauing lost two victories they prepared for the thirde battel whose charge was giuen to M. Curius Dentatus then Consul who exspecting ayde to come from Lucania vntill king Pyrrhus a hot rash captaine did set vpon them but to his great losse and to one of his last ouerthrowes in Italy I find in Eutropius that Pyrrhus lost twentie thousande of his souldiers his elephants and himselfe sore wounded Pyrrhus hauing this repulse sent one Cineas an ambassador to the Romanes an excellent eloquent Orator and one of Demosthenes chiefe scholers hee thought to entreate for peace vpon indifferent conditions but no condition pleased the Romanes vnlesse Pyrrhus would depart out of Italy This answere being returned from the Senate Pyrrhus demaunded of Cineas what maner of place Rome was Cineas answered that Rome was a citie of kings saying further that euery one in Rome was such as Pyrrhus was in Epire. Then said Pyrrhus were I king of Rome or had I Romane souldiers I should soone conquer all Asia and Europe Then Fabritius a noble Romane was sent against king Pyrrhus this Fabritius was so honoured at Rome and so esteemed abroade and yet a poore man that Pyrrhus offered him gold and siluer yea the fourth part of his kingdome if hee would forsake Rome This was that Fabritius that refused Pyrrhus gifts and also opened the treason and conspiracie of his Phisition who offred for money to bring Pyrrhus into
what condicions he woulde being then vanquished and Armenes his sonne together with king Philips sonne Demetrius were led before Flaminius charet as hostages and pledges to Rome began to kindle more fire against the Romās but he was slaine by the Aetolians Eutrop writeth this historie otherwise but I stand not vpon controuersies After this ouerthrow giuen to Antiochus he made meanes to the Romanes for peace which was graunted if he would auoid forth of Europe Asia and meddle no further but within the precinct of Taurus giue to the Romanes 10. thousand talents 30. pledges for the assurance of his promise and in conclusion to deliuer Hanibal to them who had bin the cause of this warre This being done the Senat gaue to Eumenes all these cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost in battell likewise they gaue to the Rhodiās diuers other cities for that they assisted the Romanes against Antiochus By this victorie triumphed Lu. Cornelius Scipio in Rome where hee brought infinite spoile treasures of Asia and had the surname of Asiaticus giuen him was called Scipio Asiaticus as his brother was called Scipio Affricanus but both these brethrē were much enuied for their greatnes Scipio Affricanus was accused by Marcus Por. Cato by whose meanes afterwarde though he was not banished yet he most willing departed frō Rome into Lucernum saying these wordes O ingrata patria non habebis ossa mea His brother Scipio Affricanus was both accused and condemned when Caius Flaminius was Consul About this time Hanibal died is buried at Libissa a banished man out of his Countrie a man likewise that had deserued wel of his countrie Philip king of Macedon died also this very time This had both warred against the Romanes and assisted them against Antiochus After Philip died his sonne Perseus rebelled in Macedonia and reared warres against the Romanes with whō ioyned Cotys king of Illiria the Romanes were not long about Perseus for he was vanquished in one battell yea and as Phil. saith in one houre he fled from Pydna to Pella and within few dayes yeelded himselfe to Cneus Octauius in Samothracia and was brought out of hand to Paulus Emilius who after his honorable progresse in Greece and in Macedonia he shipped at the citie of Orica and returned to Italie to whō a triumph was graunted such a triumph as farre excelled others equall to Pompey or to Caesars triumphs For Emilius had in this triumph led before his chariot king Perseus himselfe being fourtie fiue yeeres of age and his two sonnes and in an other chariot Gentius king of the Illyrians with his brother and his sonnes ouer whom triumphed Caius Anitius This triumph is set foorth in Plutarch to the admiration of many strangers which then were at Rome as Eumenes king of Asia and Prusias king of Bythinia who at that time brought his sōne Nicomedes with him to Rome and committed him to the gouernment of the Senators CHAP. VI. Of the conspiracie of L. Catelina and of the two ciuill warres the first betweene Marius and Silla and the second betweene Pompei the great and Iu. Caesar during which time Carthage and Numantia were subdued in Hispaine and the last conquest of Affrika by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger NOwe that the Romanes had quieted Asia and brought the kings of Egypt to bee friendes of the Romanes subdued Macedonia and made all Greece free from warres and when as they thought that they might take some repose and rest from further warres they were certified of newes from Carthage that the Affricanes and Carthagineans had broken the league of peace with the Romans whereupon the third warres were taken in hand for all this time of fiftie two yeres peace was kept betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes at what time the Romanes were occupied in the warres of Syria against Antiochus in the warres of Macedonia against king Philip and his sonne Perseus in Greece against Nabides the tyraunt of Lacedemonia in Illyria against king Gentius and in Bythinia against Prusias who had maried the sister of Perseus These kings and countries were no sooner quieted but the Affricanes began to commence warre the third time with the Romanes at what time Lu. Martius Censorinus and Marcus Manlius were Consuls at Rome in the yeere after the building of Rome sixe hundred and one some say sixe hundred fiue These Consuls tooke their voyage to inuade Carthage and by Mar. Portius Cato his councel being at that time the wisest man in Rome to rase Carthage from the grounde or to make it euen to the grounde yet Scipio Nasica a good man and so of the Senators esteemed and of the Citizens accompted contraried Cato in that councell perswading lenitie to bee fitte for the Romanes being conquerours The warre was taken in hand and so furiously folowed that Carthage within foure yeeres was destroyed by Scipio Emilianus nephewe to Affricanus who was deputed generall of the Romane armie at that time of whom Cato was wont to say Hic solus sapit one in vertue and courage most like to his predecessour Scipio Affricanus The chiefe captaine then in Carthage was one Asdrubal Phanea or as some say Famea These names Hamilcar and Asdrubal were in Carthage as Scipio or Fabius were in Rome In the beginning of this warre died Masinissa an olde constant friende alwayes to the Romanes after that he had liued ninetie eight yeeres Now Scipio with inuincible courage assaulted Carthage and wanne and pluckt it to the ground he waxed so famous thereby that being a yong man he was created Consul who by his prowesse and valure merited to be called Scipio Affricanus the yonger In the meane time while this warre was in Carthage one vsurped the name of Philip of the kingdome of Macedonia and proclaimed warres against the Romanes and gaue Publius Inuentius Pretor then of Rome the ouerthrowe and made such a slaughter of the Romane army that none skant escaped aliue Q. Cecilius Metellus was deputed captaine and sent against this false named Philip who slue twentie fiue thousand of his men recouered Macedonia and tooke prisoner this false Philip This time Corinthus the third citie of all Greece was ouerthrowen and pluckt to the grounde by Mūmius the Consul which Citie was builded by Beletes Hippios sonne nine hundred fiftie two yeeres before so long Corinthus florished Likewise at this very time againe one in Macedonia vsurped in like maner as before one false Philip nowe vsurped the name of Perseus but hee was soone subdued by Tremilus the Questor so that at once entred into the citie of Rome foure triumphs the first by Scipio Affricanus the yonger foorth of Affrike ouer Asdrubal the second by Metellus foorth of Macedonia ouer Andriscus which was that false Philip before spoken the third by Mūmius the Consul ouer the Citie of Corinth
who appointed him his lieutenant general ouer his garisons for Cneus Carbo the Consul which fought with young Marius together against Silla which Marius was slaine by Silla in Preneste At what time Carbo fledde and was slaine by Pompey and after that Pompey slue Domitius a captaine of Marius his side and withall slue Hiarbus king of Mauritania being of Domitius side and therefore triumphed Pompey ouer Affrike being but twentie foure yeeres of age which was neuer earst graunted to any Romane and hauing not bene Consul While this ciuill warre continued in Rome little or nothing was done in other countries for nowe all places were made quiet by the Romās sauing some of Marius friends who fled after Marius death held out and did what they could to trouble the Romanes as Hirtulius Sertorius and others of Maririus friends that stirred wars in Spaine in Cicilia Pamphylia against these Q. Metellus sonne to that Metellus which subdued king Iugurth was sent with him Cneus Pompeius was sent to aide him for Sertorius was a valiāt approued captaine Apius Claudius was then sent after his Consulship was expired to Macedonia where hee died without any harme done to the enemies in his place succeded Scribonius Curio who for his good seruice merited a triumph Then was sent into Cilicia Pamphylia Publius Seruilius a passing good captaine for hee wanne the worthiest cities of Licia and subdued Cilicia hee wanne Phasilides Olympus Coritum three great cities and finished his warres in three yeeres and returned to Rome and had a triumph graunted him ouer the Isaurians So had Metellus ouer Spaine Scribonius Curio ouer Macedonia Pompeius againe ouer Spaine which was his second triumph so at that time were foure triumphs in Rome together Againe Mithridates infringed the league before made and renued warres with the Romanes and would haue inuaded Asia and Bythinia had not Lu. Lucullus the Consul and his fellowe M. Aurelius Cotta come in time for before this time hee pretended warre against Bythinia and their king Nicomedes and after that inuaded Capadocia and Paphlagonia and draue both Nicomedes king of Bythinia and Pilemenes king of Paphlagonia to exile and from thence he went to Ephesus killing and flaying the Romanes friends and withall he was so cruell that he sent letters through all Asia that wheresoeuer any Citizen of Rome might be found he shoulde be killed though he was discomfited by Silla and Lucullus and at last driuen to flee for succour to Tigranes king of Armenia a captaine of great renowme in those dayes for this Tigranes was so mightie a king that he had subdued the Persians and Mesopotamia hee also wanne Syria and a peece of Phoenicia yet still Mithridates renued warres called his armie from Scythia and ioyned them with Tigranes force But Lucullus followed Mithridates hard to Armenia and required Tigranes to deliuer him Mithridates which being denied Lucullus foorth with inuaded king Tigranes realme and gaue him a great ouerthrowe and passed from place to place as conqueror destroying of countries and taking cities vntil he came to the riuer Danubius he destroyed Appolonia Parthenopolis and other cities of Pontus and returned to Rome a conqueror of many coūtries both he his cousin germaine M. Lucullus and triumphed with great glory but yet he missed of king Mithridates he plaied still the tyraunt with the Romanes vntil Pompey the great came who ouercame Mithridates in Armenia sackt his tents and slue fourtie thousand of his armie and forced Mithridates to flee when hee poysoned himselfe and died after hee had kept warres with the Romanes fourtie yeeres for this warre of Mithridates began with Silla and was ended by Pompey Thus the Romanes at last conquered the great king Mithridates who had not continued so long had not ciuill warres bene in Rome betweene Marius and Silla and after that the conspiracie of Cateline and after Cateline the ciuill warres betweene Pompey and Caesar of this you shall reade hereafter In the meane season there was no warre in other kingdomes for Syria Egypt Libya and all other places were friendes and subiects to the Romanes for nowe the Romanes were in their greatnes and in their most glory and fame Such men liued then in Rome as did conquer the whole world Now assoone as Mithridatates was by Pompey ouerthrowē he addressed his battell against Tigranes who yeelded vnto Pompey without battell and came to Pompeis tent fell prostrate before him and deliuered vp his crowne vnto Pompeius After the yeelding of king Tigranes Pompey made warres with the Albanes and ouercame Orodes king of the Albanes in three sundrie battels he also subdued Arthaces king of Iberia and receiued him vnder the allegeance of the Romanes To be briefe Pompey was the onely man that not onely augmented the glory of Rome but also enriched Rome with infinite treasures gotten by his conquest of Cilicia Syria Phoenicia Iudea Mesopotamia Capadocia Armenia Iberia Albania and a great part of Arabia By these kingdomes whom Pompey conquered the reuenues of Rome were augmented three thousand and fiue hundred Myriades The glory of Pompey grew to be such in Rome that hee was elected to be a Consul alone himselfe without a fellowe for Pompey at his triumph ouer Mithridates his sonne for Mithridates him selfe as you heard died before the triumph had Tigranes also and his sonne and Aristobulus king of the Iues ledde before his chariot for at that time he triumphed ouer two kings and ouer two kings sonnes The pompe and pride of that triumph farre excelled other triumphes for Eutropius saith that at that very triumph Pompey had vanquished certeine pirates on the seas when Lucius Metellus had triumphed ouer Creete and therefore surnamed Metellus Cretius After that Pompey had finished these wars in the sixe hundred eightie nine yeere after the building of Rome Lucius Catiline a man of a noble stocke descended but of an euill disposition conspired with diuers other rash young men like himself but yet were they noble men and many gentlemen but by Ciceros meanes then Consul Cateline was expulsed foorth of the Citie and shortly slaine in a battell by Caius Anthonius fellowe Consul with Cicero some of his confederates were apprehended and thratled in prison others as Lentulus Cethegus with the rest slaine About this time Horace the Poet was borne and within fewe yeeres after Octauius which was called Augustus was borne afterward This time reigned in Egypt Alcetes the father of Cleopatra after whome Cleopatra with her brother reigned vntill Marcus Anthonius time with whome shee liued and died for nowe reigned in euery kingdome lieutenants and gouernours vnder the Romanes all kingdomes and countries were made prouinces vnder Rome These pirates nauies as Plutarch saith were about a thousand in number they had takē aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East coūtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
after a while hee returned and got his kingdome and forced Cacus to flie into Italie beeyng nowe agayne in his kingdome placed hee founde the vse of yrons and taught first the Spaniardes to make diuers kindes of weapons I finde in Manethon that Palatinus raigned eighteene yeeres in the first time before he was forced by Cacus to flie into Italie and after hee wanne his kingdome agayne after that Cacus had raigned sixe and thirtie yeeres in Spayne hee gouerned Spayne sixe yeeres This Cacus was supposed of the auncient Spaniardes to bee the sonne of Vulcan for that hee taught to make weapons for to fight in the fielde and founde the vse of yron This Cacus was borne in Celtiberia a part of Spayne two and fourtie yeeres before Hercules was borne as Manethon affirmeth hee gouerned Spayne 222. yeeres after the going of Israel out of Egypt At what time raigned in Egypt Romascs the second Larthes 22 Nowe reigned Dedalus of whom the Poets fayned that he with his sonne Icarus fledde with winges for Greece into Creete for the passing celeritie of his sayle This time Abimelech gouerned Israel who slue his seuentie brethren and was slaine himselfe after in the thirde yeere of his reigne by a woman at Thebes Aegeus King Pandeons sonne and father to Theseus reigned in Athens this time 23 Erithrus the 23. king of Spaine succeeded Palatuus and Cacies hee reigned king in Spayne 66. yeeres During which time Iair iudged Israel and after Iair Ieptha Mytreus the 27. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue In the eleuenth yeere of this Erithrus reigne came Euander out of Arcadia into Italie to whome Faunus the gouernour and ruler of this scattered people that dwelt about Rome called Aborigines which yet had certaine dwellinges gaue a fielde and a little hill afterwarde called Mons Auentinus where Hercules slue Cacus at what time Hercules came from Spayne into Italie before Aeneas comming 55. yeeres Theseus gouerned Athens after hee had subdued the monster Minotaurus and conquered Creete This Erithrus reigned in Spayne vntill the verie yeere that Troy was by the Greekes destroyed 24 After him succeeded Gargorus Mellicola the 24. and last king of Spayne who reigned 75. yeeres vntill the first yeere of Aeneas Syluius the fourth king of the Latins at what time the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians beganne to set vp their kingdomes for as the Troianes the Peloponesians and the Spaniardes ended their kingdomes so they at that instant beganne to flourish in their newe kingdomes for the Peloponesians after they had had sixe and twentie kings they were gouerned by Priestes called Carin The Troianes also were ouerthrowen after sixe kinges reigne and their Countrey destroyed with sworde and fire so that the remnaunt were scattered to seeke newe kingdomes and other countreyes some to Greece some to Italie and some to other places and the Spaniardes euen so after 24. Kings their kingdome was turned into prouinces and other particular gouernements Thus Spaine after it reigned vnder kings for the space of 988. yeeres is nowe become into prouinces gouerned by seuerall magistrates during which time of 988. yeres which their kings raigned yet were they not herd of in any part of the East countreys their fame grewe no further then to the Confines of Italie and to the furthest precinct of Spaine Ephorus an ancient writer affirmeth that all Spaine was taken to be but a citie named Iberia of all the East countries and I can easily beleeue it for the Romanes during the time of their seuen kings were no where spokē of but within Italie not so much as the Grecians their next neighbours made any mencion of them neither Thucidides nor Herodot late writers neuer thought of them in all their histories specially Herodot who wrote generally of all Asia In like maner the Grecians were not knowen vnto the Persians before Xerxes time for so Strabo affirmeth saying nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos nouerunt nisi perparum quantum fama percepissent What fragments Manethon and others found of the antiquitie of Spaine and of their first gouernement of their kings I haue briefly noted but the time onely omitting other things of those dayes as meere fables and trifles not worth the writing CHAP. III. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into Prouinces and Dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Africans vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Africanus time at what time both Africa Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto the Romanes NOwe after the kings of Spaine had finished their kingdomes and the countrey was changed into particular prouinces and seuerall dominions which so continued vntill Spaine was subdued by the Carthagineans vnder whom they liued vntill Afrike and Carthage were conquered by the Romanes While Spaine was quietly gouerned by their kings their wisemen called Turdetani wrote their chronicles their lawes and the antiquities of their Countrey in ancient Poemes of 600. yeeres olde as they write These Turdetani were so honoured of the olde Spaniardes as Magi were of the Chaldeans Gymnosophistae Of the Indians the Druydes of the olde Gaules after called French men and as the Priestes of Isis and Serapis were esteemed in Egypt for at that time they were led by oracles as the other countreys were The Spaniardes vsed to consult with the oracles of Mnestheus not farre from the high towre of Capio which was for that purpose builded as the towre of Pharaoh was in Egypt to giue light to the Mariners vpon the Sea in winters darke nights Many good things were in Spaine in the time of their first kings which were not found afterwards vntil the Romans came for when the Romanes became lordes of Afrike and of Spaine which was the first conquest that euer the Romanes had out of Italie and the onely hardest and most dangerous victorie almost to the ruine and confusion of the Romanes as at the battell of Trebeia of Cannes of Thrasimene and of other bloodie battels seene and proued when I say they subdued Spaine they founde the countrey so fertile and so rich that both land and water yeelded plentie of all things for the Romanes found mines within twentie furlongs of new Carthage and the mines were of circuite round about foure hundred furlongs where the Romanes kept foure centurions to worke and to digge for siluer they wrought so that it was worth to the Romanes day by day fiue and twentie thousand Drachmes The Romanes were so flesht with the conquest of Africa and Spaine that they left no hill vndigged no riuer vnsounded no place vnsought insomuch that Pluto had much to doe to escape the auarice of the Romanes So Hanibal seemed to iudge of them when hee answered Antiochus the great when he shewed Hanibal the abundance of his wealth and his infinite treasures this sayeth Hanibal will please the Romanes but not suffice the Romanes But I
from the very building of Rome vntill the ouerthrowe of their Empire about 1200. yeeres there was no stirring in these countreys that I named last for the name of Germanie where now the Empire lieth was not heard of in Rome before Augustus time to any purpose for during the time of their Consuls which was the second and the thirde age of Rome called Adolescentia iuuentus Romana they had conquered subdued all kingdomes and countreys and had made them Prouinces vnder the Romanes Now Spaine being brought vnder by the Vandoles vnder whom Spaine was gouerned 95. yeeres and after by the Gothes who possessed that part of Hispaine which Gunthericus king of the Vandales had first subdued being remoued thence further to Affrike the Gothes inhabited that countrey of Spaine which the Vandols left and were lords of Hispaine for two hundreth and odde yeres vntill the cōming of the Saracens who againe vanquished the Gothes and kept Hispaine vnder them after they had ouerthrowen the Gothes 800. yeeres And within short space Ricardus king of Vestgothes called a Sinode of 62. bishops into Tolleto the chiefe citie of Spaine where he caused the heresie of Arrius to be condemned Then in Hispaine after the Romans was Luyba chosen who raigned three yeres king of Spaine after whom within 3. yeres his brother Leogildus succeeded and subdued certaine cities of Spaine that rebelled after Luyba his death After him this Ricardus who beganne to set his seate more firmely in Spaine and to cal a Synode of bishops and to plant religion he brought all Spaine into a Monarchie vnder him but that Monarchie continued not long for the Saracens inuaded Spaine and brought them vnder their gouernment and had driuen those Christians that liued vnder the Gothes into Astura where they made a king to themselues named Pelagius not vsing the title of the Gothes but the title of Astura The multitude of the Saracens was such that they inuaded all partes of Spaine and possessed the best places in Spaine and dwelt there successiuely during the time of fifteene kings of the Saracens which gouerned Hispaine but the fifteene kings continued but 20. yeeres but this happened by the meanes of warres but after they continued lordes of Hispaine for 800. yeeres as you heard before This is the fift subiection that Spaine was brought into 1 The first time they were subdued by the Carthagineans 2 The second time by the Romanes 3 The thirde time by the Vandoles 4 The fourth time by the Gothes 5 And now the fift time by the Saracens These Saracens placed themselues in the best places of Spaine in the time that Rodericus the last king of the Vestgothes raigned at what time raigned in France Theodoricus sirnamed Cala and Leo the thirde of that name sirnamed Isaurus was Emperour of Greece and had his Court at Constantinople The Saracens were gouerned at their first arriuall in Spaine vnder one named Muza The Christian princes being sore afrighted with many sudden inuasions of such a multitude of infidels in diuers places of Christendome and specially in Spaine which they wholie possest they leauied their armies and gathered their forces and gaue them diuers ouerthrowes This time came out of Spaine into Fraunce 400000. Saracens with their wiues and children being enticed thither by the duke of Vastonia but the slaughter of them was such that their king also Abdimarus was slaine among them by Carolus Martellus anoble valiant prince of Fraunce and the remnant that were vnkilled of the Saracens fled and were by Humildus and Vaifarus ledde into Aquitania spoyled with sworde and fire all that Countrey of Fraunce but still were ouerthrowen by Martellus Againe the thirde time the Saracens inuaded Fraunce and tooke by treason Auenio but Martellus pursued them and assaulted the towne and subdued it at what time many of the Saracens were slaine and their king Athinus escaped by flight to Narbon yet Amoreus another king of the Saracens was slaine at that time by Carolus at Illiberis who persecuted them from place to place so that he ouerthrew and slewe them like sheepe and burned their townes How be it the Saracens still so encreased that the most part of Europe was in great danger of them After that Carolus Martellus had played his part with the Saracens Carolus sirnamed the Great beganne to warre vpon them tooke Augusta Pampile and many other townes and strong holdes from the possessions of the Saracens for at this time raigned king ouer the Saracens in Spaine Aygolandus with whome Charles the great had many sharpe battels for the Saracens had wasted and spoyled Sardinia and Corsica against whome Lewes sirnamed the Godly sonne to Charles the great leauied an armie and passed to Spaine besieged Dercosa but in vaine the furie and strength of the Saracens was then such that Charles the great being both Emperour and king was constrained to conclude peace for a time with the Saracens at which time Abumalach raigned king in Spaine ouer the Saracens With this king the league was made during which league Charles died All this time that Carolus Martellus and Charles the great were in warres with the Saracens after that Pelagius had raigned twentie yeeres king of Astura or of Legio for so hee willed himselfe and his posteritie to bee called quite renouncing the title of the Gothes who had raigned kings in Spaine before the comming of the Saracens after him succeeded Phasilla his sonne the seconde king of Astura this was torne in pieces of a beare as he was a hunting of wilde beasts after he had raigned two yeeres Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike succeeded in Astura the third king and raigned 19. yeeres After Alphonsus succeeded his sonne Phroilla the 4. king of Astura and raigned twelue yeeres at what time he was slaine by his brother Aurelius who raigned sixe yeeres after his brother by vsurpation and he made his heire and resigned the kingdome to Veramundus which was his brothers sonne whome hee slew for that Veramundus should not bewray the murther of his father But Veramundus mist the kingdome for his conspiracie and wicked silence Sillo raigned king who had married Aurelius sister named Egmund vntill Maruegatus a bastarde sonne of Alphōsus the Catholike by the ayd of the Mauritanes got the kingdome to whom he payed for tribute certaine nomber of Virgins yeerely during the life of Maruegatus but he died within three yeeres and that custome was disanulled Then Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus which was sonne to Alphonsus the Catholike succeeded and raigned two yeeres and then resigned the kingdome to Alphonsus the sonne of Phroilla and became a religious man This Alphonsus was sirnamed the Chaste and raigned 36. yeres he ouerthrew and subdued the Saracens that possessed Lusitania and tooke their chiefe citie then called Olisiponis now called Lysborne Reade Aemil. lib. 2. This Alphonsus
called Gallograeci for so Liuius agreeing with this history of Iustine saith that wheÌ„ any French naâ—…on dwelt in any part of old Greece those people were called Gaulgreekes by reason of their mingling with other they were called gens mixta adultera for after they had diuided themselues into diuers couÌ„tries after Brennus their captaine was slaine as I said before they spoyled Greece and the most part of Asia the number of these Galgrecians were such as all Asia stood in great feare and doubt of them These Frenchmen florished vnder Brennus a captaine fitte for such mercenary souldiers and as Liui saith Gens auidissima auri spared neither Towne nor Temple for at that time when the Frenchmen inuaded Italie and had taken Rome and had spoyled and destroyed cities and countries being such number together 300000. as saith Iustine diuiding theÌ„selues some to Macedonia some to seeke one way and some to seeke another way that the Frenchmen were a terrour in Asia some of these dwelt in Galatia some went to Phrygia there in many places inhabited Now both these countries Bythinia Galatia are called Gallograecia and as many as dwelt in any part of Greece they were called Frenchgreeks for at what time CoÌ„suls reigned after the kings in Róme reigned likewise in a part of Gallia called Celta a king named Ambigatus whose couÌ„trie was so populous that skant the soile was able to entertaine them he sent two nephews of his being brethreÌ„ the one called Bellencsus the other Sigonesus furnished them with men and munitions willed them to seeke some countrie and to trauell for a kingdome by the sword hauing Brennus their chiefe generall they as men greedy of spoile wasting and destroying townes and countries besieged Rome tooke it wanne the Capitol After the spoile of Rome they passed into Thracia where they possessed many cities thence they passed into Asia into Helespont where braules contentions grewe betweene their coÌ„pany that Lomnorius returned againe with his men into Byzantium in Thracia and Lutarius into Macedonia After this Nicomedes king of Bythinia did leuie a great armie of these bastard Frenchmen that these 2. great captaines Lutarius and Lomnorius the one came from Macedonia and the other from Thracia and met in Bythinia and they of Celta hearing of the treasures great spoyles which their countreymen had came more in heapes daily from their countrey vnto them that the French armie waxed so strong and so great that they were a terror vnto all Asia in so much that the kings of Aisa of Syria paied yerely stipends vnto them so continued these Gallogrecians so named by their seueral dwellings amongst the Greekes vntill the time of Antiochus the great who became so strong in Asia and Syria that he began to warre vpon the Romanes for at that time some of them dwelled in Bithynia some in Galatia some remained of them amongst the Tectosageans Tolossa a wealthie countrey full of golde and siluer in that countrey is Tolossa from whence the Romanes as both Strabo and Possidonius affirme had 15. thousand talents at one victorie the gold of Tolossa grewe to a prouerbe Aurum Tolossanum of this Cicero in his 3. booke de natura Deorum make mencion of this Tolossanum aurum doth Gellius repeate an Historie which doth agree with Trogus Pompeius who saith that when Caepio the Romane Consul had robbed and spoyled the temple of Tolossa the sacriledge seemed such vnto the Tectosageans that they were warned by their oracles that vnlesse they would reuenge the sacriledge done by the Romanes vnto their Temple they should be all consumed with the plague for the Romanes had taken ten hundred thousand pound of gold and fiftie hundred thousand pounds of siluer from the temple of Tolossa and it is written in that Historie that the Romane Consull and his armie were ouerthrowen by the Tectosageans but when Antiochus was forced to flee from Asia being ouerthrowen by the Romanes at what time Mar. Fuluius and Cneus Manlius were made Consuls at Rome these Gallogrecians were so scattered after the taking of Rome that they possessed many places in Asia in Europe being named according to the places where they dwelt Gallogreeks for so were they called being mingled with the Greeks dwelling in diuers partes of Greece and about Greece they brought al Asia and much of Europe to be afraid spoiling and robbing all kingdoms countreis where they came and for a long time plagued theÌ„ that they seemed lords of al places beyng hardy and rude barbarous people able to suffer anie hardnes apparelled in skinnes of beasts and lying vpon the ground a shamelesse and filthy nation in beastly lust wicked and most cruell in all their dealings insomuch that they sacrificed those captiues and prisoners taken in the warres vpon long stakes and sharpe poules vnto their goddes vsing the greatest tyrannie that they might inuent against those whom they subdued and conquered Thus much and more doeth Dio. Siculus write of them concerning their manners and liuing of their garmentes weapons and order of fighting but they were in time vanquished by the Romanes and quite subdued in all parts of Asia These Frenchmen otherwise called Gallograecians flourishing in many places the Romanes had an eye vnto them fearing they should be put to greater force they sent Cneius Manlius then Consul to war vpon the Gallograecians where they had a terrible battel by mount Olympus and there were slaine of the Gallorgecians fourty thousand After this battel the Consul did leade his army to the Tectosageans and laid siege to Amyra the chiefest countrey and tooke it and after gaue a great battel to the Gallograecians where they were all ouerthrown ouer whoÌ„ after he had brought those cities townes about mount Olympus vnder the Romane empire and had againe brought the Tectosageans and Tolossa after he had subdued conquered the Gallograecians he returned to Rome and triumphed when Quint. Faminius Marcus Aemilius Lepidus were consuls after the building of Rome 567. yeres Thus ended the time of the Gallograecians by Ruffinus and by Liuius writing I might of this haue written more but by reason of the history of Fraunce where they shal be touched againe I cease OF THE OLDE GAVLES CALLED now Frenchmen of their first arriuall and continuance in warres before they were seated in France by the name first of Newmagi secondly by the name of Marcomanni thirdly Sicambri And first from Marcomirus vnto Francus time during which time they were called Sicambri for 400 and odde yeeres I Need not long stand in Fraunce neither in describing the couÌ„trey neither much trouble my selfe with the late histories which are knowen to the most part this only as I haue done of other countreyes set downe their antiquitie of their first comming into Fraunce of their continuaunce vnder
diuers names and of succession of their kinges Leauing Gomer the eldest sonne of Iaphet with his posterities among them by the name of Cimbri Sicambrians and others I wil speak briefly of their first arriuall frō Scythia of their comming to Germany of their first habitations about the riuer of Rhene and of their continual warres victories in enlarging the territories of their first possession which was but little by many sharpe battels continuall long warres at home and brought all Gallia subiect vnder them which now is the onely flourishing kingdome of the worlde that earst contained many nations by the name of Gallia Cisaphina Transalpina Belgica as now Germania doth is situated betweene the riuer of Rhene the mountains Pyrenaei a fertile a rich coūtrey replenished with plenty of al things wel watred with riuers fountains Solinus writeth that out of Gallia you may trauel to any part of the world the most part of this countrey is nowe called Fraunce of whose description situation other commendations due to that soile of the length bredth and maners of Frenchmen Reade Srabo Pomporius Mela and Solinus As for the originall antiquitie of the people I reade that they are little beholden to them selues either in finding out their antiquities or recording of the same but such fables as their parents yeelded from time to time as the Egyptians did and others which for want of true Histories fill their bookes with fables And for that they were first strangers and foreiners in Gallia comming from Scythia into Germanie where their king named Marcomirus with the most part of his armie was slaine by the Gothes Marcomirus his ◅onne gouerning the rest of the Scythian armie brought his people to the confines of Germanie ad ostia Rheni seeking out voyde places to inhabite to whome in the seuenth yeere of his raigne came 489. thousande moe Scythians and there Marcomirus sonne began a new kingdome possessed many places by force about Rhene and they were called of the Germanes Neumagi at their first dwelling after they were called Sicambri and lastly they were called Franci The Frenchmen were in their first comming to Gallia so tossed and so afflicted for want of dwellings their nomber and multitude was such that of necessitie they were forced to seeke seates to dwell in by the sworde and wonne diuers places about the riuer of Rhene possessed many fertill places in Germanie about Hercinia for Iulius Caesar in his Historie of Fraunce saith Fuit tempus c. There was a time that the Gauls which afterward were called Frenchmen did vanquish the Germanes in warre and for the multitude of their armie wanting places to inhabite they in spite of the Germanes possessed about the riuer of Rhene other places about Witenberge and Boemia And so Liuy affirmeth that the people named then Celtae which are Frenchmen nowe were scattered ouer all Europe and dwelt in Panonia before the Romanes had any being there And so Iustine seemeth to affirme when he had said that 300000 Galatae sought new countries to dwell in naming them Gens aspera bellicosa and the first nation after Hercules that ledde an armie ouer the Alpes at what time they went to Illirica and from thence to Panonia where likewise Appianus doth verifie their comming when Camillus had driuen them and their captaine Brennus from Rome Herodot also doth remember these Scythians how they came to dwell among the Cymbrians and howe their nomber increased It is euident in Polibius Strabo and in Appianus that the inhabitants about Rheni and other places of Germanie called Boios Brenici Tenani and Senoues were Frenchmen but for that nothing is certaine before Augustus time in Germanie as Strabo saith who liued in Augustus time but controuersies are such about the antiquitie which in truth is very ancient and about their names which are many and diuers as Neumagi Marcomanni Franci Salii Cimbri Celtae Galli before they were called Frenchmē that it would be both tedious vnpleasant and also vncertaine for the variety of opinions Leauing therfore the dissension of these writers and the vncertaintie of kingdomes beginning I will briefly speake of Marcomirus the first king of the Frenchmen named yet Neumagi in whose time the countrey of Gallia was sore afflicted for Marcomirus made sharpe warres and died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeres After whom succeeded his sonne Antenor who hauing maried a wife learned and a modest Queene borne in Britaine named Cambra daughter to Bellinus the great after whose name they were called Sicambri which cōtinued vntill Francus time which was the sixtenth king after this Queene Cambra her husband Antenor who reigned in the 91. olympiade at what time the Egyptians reuolted from the Persians in the time of Darius Nothus the sixt king of Persia they were called Sicambri for Galli at that time were not called French but Gaules Of these Pau. Aemylius taketh no notice neither doth Arnoldus Ferronus make any mention two of the chiefe Frnech writers neither the French chronicles but Tritemius is recited by Functius who setteth down what Tritemius thought of the originall of the Frenchmen yet Aemylius affirmeth in that the antiquitie of the Frenchmem is from the Troians At what time Aeneas came from Ilion to Laurentum after the destruction of the Citie one Francus a Captaine of some nomber of Troians came with his companie ad paludem Meotim after whose name they were named Frenchmen but let Tritemius and Paul Aemylius dispute of that matter I will set downe the names of the kings from Marcomirus vntill Francus I will briefly runne ouer the Historie for at the first arriuall ouer of these Scythians into Germanie they inuaded many places and grewe so strong in so many places that they possessed many Cities Townes and Castles that for the space of foure hundred yeeres and more during which time reigned sixteene kings ouer the Sicambrians they had continuall warres one after another vntill Francus time and from Francus againe vntill Faramundus time another foure hundred yeeres and more still in warres of whom Tritemius writeth seuerally and obserueth the like order in his historie of the Kings of France as Suetonius doth for the Emperours of Rome Marcomirus waxed so great that the Romanes had much a doe in his time not onely to keepe those holds which they had but also were constrained to answere these fellowes in Italie for the Sycambrians were so fleshed with diuers victories which they had ouer the Gauls and ouer the Germanes that they were determined to stay no where before they had first destroyed Rome and sacked all Italie The Romanes had thought to see the hardinesse strength of these people to curbe them but perceiuing the multitude to bee such as terrified all Europe and doubting that they should haue the like warres
and Lu. Papirius Cursor triumphed ouer the Samnites at what time he was Dictator in Rome after whome Quintu◅ Fabius being Dictator ouerthrewe the Samnites in a great battell Tritemius writeth that the Gothes commenced warre this time against the Saxons wasted and spoyled manie townes in the confines of the Saxons for at that time fiue kinges ioyned in a league of amitie with the Saxons and gaue a great ouerthrow to the Gothes to the number of a 100000. Gothes After this victorie Diocles was all the dayes of his life in fighting and wasting of Gallia and did much harme vnto them and when he had raigned 39. yeres died after whō succeeded his eldest sonne named Helenus the 2. of that name and the 6. king of Sicambria who was neither beloued of his people nor profitable to the kingdome for he was foolish in time of peace and peeuish in warre and therfore he was remoued from his kingdome for that he was not found sufficient to gouerne and his younger brother Bassanus was crowned king in Sicambria a man of great stoutnesse wisedome and iustice in so much hee spared neither friend kinne brother or sonne that violated his lawes wheresoeuer he would trauell he commanded two things to be caried before him the booke of the lawe and the sworde of punishment Tritemius writeth this historie of Bassanus that hee had a sonne named Sedanus who committed adulterie against the law was of his own father thus punished although his nobles and great men made much meanes to the king for his life yet Bassanus executed the lawe saying to his noble men in this sorte I haue made a lawe with your consent and to your contentation will you bee against your selues and against me in per◅urming of the same and turning his speech to his sonne he said My sonne I doe not kill thee but the lawes of the countrey which thou hast willingly violated and therewithall tooke him by the haires of his head with his owne hand beheaded him So iust a king was this Bassanus so seuere to wicked men so gentle to good men and so well esteemed of his people that as Amerodacus a Philosopher of their owne nation sayeth he was Appetentissimus diuinitatis Reade more of this king in Tritemius he raigned sixe thirtie yeeres and builded in memorie of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegurans a strong castle and named it Montabur While this Bassanus flourished in Sicambria Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus gouerned in Macedonia Lysimachus in Thracia and Philadelphus in Egypt at what time the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek by the means of Philadelphus In the time of king Bassanus began the first warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes Zeno the Stoike Philosopher died this time and Eustratus the phisition flourished Nowe when Bassanus died his countreymen can onized him amongst the number of the gods and did of long time worshippe him after his death calling him Basangor after whom followed his owne sonne named Clodomirus raigned 18. yeeres in whose daies the feastes called Floralia were celebrated in Rome at what time the Romanes had peace with the Affricanes but were occupied in Bello Lygustico The Parthians which before were obscure and base people banished out of their countrey began to stablish a new kingdome and became so strōg that their kings were named Arsaces a name of dignitie as the Egyptians by their Pharoes and the Romanes by Caesars I see I shoulde bee long to speake seuerally of the rest of the kinges of Sicambria which are yet nine to write of therefore I will onely lay downe the names of these kinges from Marcomirus the first king of the Sicambrians vntil Francus the last king to auoyd tediousnes 1 Marcomirus the first king raigned 28. yeeres he made the first warres in Fraunce subdued vnto the riuer of Mosa 2 Antenor who maried Cambria the Brittaine Belinus daughter raigned 27. yeeres 3 Priamus the sonne of Antenor by Cambria raigned 27. yeere in this Kinges raigne the Sicambrians began to vse the Saxons tongue 4 Helenus the fourth king raigned 19. yeeres 5 Diocles the sonne of Helenus reigned 39. this king liued in the time of Alexander the great 6 Helenus the seconde of that name and the sonne of Diocles raigned 14. yeeres this king was abstracted and therefore he was forced to forsake his kingdome 7 Basanus the brother of Helenus reigned 36. yeeres at what time Philadelphus raigned in Egypt and Antiochus Soter in Syria This Bessanus builded a famous strong castle in memory of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegarenes and he named the castle Montabur At what time Heligastus a Priest and a Prophet amongst the Sicambrians flourished 8 Clodomirus the sonne of Basanus raigned in Sicambria 18. yeeres 9 His sonne Nicanor raigned 34. yeeres in what time the second warres of the Romanes began against the Affricanes 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and the 9. king raigned 28. yeeres 11 Clodius the tenth king of Sicambria raigned 10. yeeres 12 Antenor the eleuenth king raigned sixteene yeeres in the time of this king and his predecessor Terentius made his Comedies 13 Clodomirus the 2. of that name and the 12. king raigned 20. yeeres in whose time beganne the thirde and last warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes 14 Merodacus the 13. king raigned 28. yeeres this king inuaded Italie with 3000000. reade more in Plutarch of this people in the life of Marius 15 Cassander the 15. king of Sicambria raigned 21. yeeres this king ioyned with Arathius king of the Saxons and Borbista king of the Gothes entered into Germany and made a great slaughter of the Teutones 16 Antharius the sixteenth king he raigned fiue and thirty yeeres this king also played his part with the Romanes and wan Moguntia and made it euen to the grounde In whose time Iulius Caesar made his voyage to Britaine CHAP. II. From Francus the sixteenth king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernement during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus IN the yeere before the birth of Christ 245. Francus the eldest sonne of Antharius after that his father was slaine by the Gaules by the aide of the Romans succeeded in the kingdome of Sicambria became such an enemie to the Gaules that hee destroyed their townes and cities wasted their territories and spoyled the people not only the Gaules but also the Gothes and other nations insomuch that the Romanes hearing of this Francus courage and stoutnesse sent Lollius with a Romane armie who in the first battel that he gaue in Germany slue of thē 18. thousand Francus sent his sonne Clogio to aide his
neighbors by whom the Romanes were put to flight with a great slaughter of Lollius souldiers In the mean time Francus when he had driuen out the Gothes from Germany after he had plagued the Gaules and had most miserably wasted and spoyled the countrey vnto the riuer Mosa as histories affirme slue 200000. Gaules which newes frighted much the Romanes In the 24. yeere of his raigne after he had concluded peace with diuers nations in Germany he made a decree that Sicambria shoulde be called Francia after the name of Francus which to this day continueth a strong and a stoute nation and the onely kingdome of the world for all commodities During which time ciuill warres waxed hoate betweene Iulius Caesar Pompeius the great which being soon extinguished both by the murthering of Pompey in Egypt and by the like murther of Caesar at Rome in the Senate after which began another new ciuil warre betweene Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antoninus which endured 12. yeeres at what time Ianus Temple was shut the third time and peace was then graunted to all nations by Augustus But the antiquitie of the name of Fraunce beginning from Francus time in the 190. Olympiade and in the beginning of the 29. Iubilee at what time Augustus Caesar subdued all Spayne and brought them vnder the Romane Empire Nowe the names before named Neumagi Marcomani Cimbri Celtae Sicambri and Samothei are now changed to be called Franci after this Francus succeeded his sonne Clogio the seconde king of Fraunce which raigned 30. yeeres a wise man and a great Astrologer a Southsayer and for skill and knowledge in many thinges he was named Magus In the fourth yeere of Clogios raigne Tiberius was sent by Augustus to Germanie with a very high hoste of Romanes who destroyed all places where they came into Clogio with an armie gaue vnto Tiberius a battell in the which Tiberius wanne no great conquest but rather losse and at that time departed from field without victorie yet the name of Fraunce was skant knowen a farre off for the newnesse and late change of the name and therefore the nations rounde about called Clogio a Germane and not a Frenchman Notwithstanding Clogio beyng growen to so great a name that he was feared as his father was before him of the verie Romanes he made his sonne named Phrisus a king and named the region where he gouerned Phrysia which at this day is called Frizeland this was made subiect to Fraunce at that very time paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce 260. oxen this was done by consent of all Fraunce for this Phrysus was the second sonne of Clogio Nowe Fraunce beganne to bee knowen by the name of Fraunce for Clogio hauing some ayde of the Saxons ouerthrew the Romanes armie and slue Marcus Lollius their generall in the fielde and after vanquished still the Gaules vntill hee became so mightie that hee left behinde him his second sonne king of Phrysia and his eldest sonne and heyre king of France named Herimerus who raigned after his father twelue yeres whose successe was neyther like to his father Clogio nor to his brother Phrysus who flourished in his newe kingdome and gaue diuers expulses to the Romane force insomuch that Friselande beganne to be spoken of through the prowesse and martiall feates of Phrisus their first king For Herimerus the elder brother fighting against his enemies very vnfortunately was slayne when he had raigned twelue yeres he died in the 32. yeere after Christes birth at what time gouerned in India Pontius Pilatus President to the Romane Empire About this time Herodes builded a citie in the honour of Tiberius Caesar the Emperor of Rome and named it Caesarea which was before called Turris Stratonis In the time of this Herimerus in the citie of Fidena a Theater fell downe at the play of an enterlude which the Romane Attilius builded for sword players where fiftie thousand were sore bruised maimed and slaine The fourth king of Fraunce was Marcomirus which raigned eighteene yeeres and had the like dealings within Gallia as his predecessors had In the seuenth yeere of Marcomirus raigne was Caius Caesar Caligula made Emperour in Rome Reade Tritemius of this Marcomirus and of his sonne Clodomirus who helde sharpe warre with the Romanes in Maguntia and manie sore battels within Gallia This time Guidericus king Bellinus sonne raigned king in Brytaine after whome succeeded by force of armes in Britayne Armiracus whome Claudius Caesar vanquished and triumphed ouer but let vs returne to the kings of Fraunce After Clodomirus succeeded his sonne Antenor the 2. of that name raigned 6. yeres who in the last yere of his raigne hauing occasiō to passe ouer the riuer of Mosa the bridge thereof being broken with the weight of the kinges companie hee more of his Princes were at this instant drowned threescore noble men more of Fraunce beside other Gentlemen and Captaines after whom followed Rhaterus the eldest sonne of Antenor who raigned in Fraunce 21. yeeres hee also did handle the Gaules in like sorte for before his predecessors had won that countrey which lay beyond the riuer Mosa had brought the Gaules most miserably vnder foote yet stil they held long wars and many sharpe battels with the French men vntill Faramondus time who was the first king named of Gallia which was 400. yeeres and odde After Francus time this Rhaterus after he had bestowed 21. yeeres in warres against the Gaules they renued the league which his predecessors had made with the Germanes Saxons and an other nation called the Dorings he builded a towne and named it Rhaterodamum and died This kings life and doings is set forth by Arebaldus in verse and after augmented by Hunibaldus In the second yeere of this Rhaterus raigne Nero then Emperour of Rome played his bloody tragedies against the Christians persecuted and tormented them and slue them with diuers kindes of death this time Alani a people of Scythia inuaded Media and made hauocke vnto the confines of Armenia at what time all the Philosophers and Mathematicians were banished from Rome and Italie in this kinges later time was Quintilianus brought to Rome by the Emperor Galba from Spaine After Rhaterus succeeded his sonne Richimerus which raigned 24. yeeres and had great warres both against the Gaules and against the Romanes and beyng ayded by the Germanes gaue a sharpe battell both to the Romanes and to the Gaules not farre from the citie of Basana Tritemius affirmeth that in that very yeere the Gothes had inuaded the coastes and confines of Germanie and were by this Richimerus king of Fraunce and Fernefrides kinges of the Dorings Turings and by Vidikindo king of the Saxons ouercome But in trueth the crie of Chronicles is against it and sayeth that these kinges of the Saxons and the king of Turings were long after Richimerus time but it is most
certayne that at that time the Germanes the Saxons the Turinges and Frenchmen tooke possession in that Countrey which is nowe called Marchia Bradenburgensis where Sunno the sonne of Richimer did first and before any man inhabite there and was the first prince that gouerned the Countrie and ruled the people and as Tritemius sayeth hee was set there by his father and the other kings before named to withstand and resist the forreigne armies and other people comming from the East into Germanie This Richimer was a very notable stoute captaine a boulde man and a seuere king who during the whole reigne of twentie foure yeeres which hee gouerned in Fraunce the Gaules and the Romanes were by him sore plagued and sore afflicted sometime with slaughter and victorie ouer them and sometime with repulse This time Traiane the Emperour had warres in the East part and subdued the Sauromaties the Arabians the Agarens the Bospherans and was ready to make his voyage to the redde sea and so to conquer India The fourth persecution fell in the time of Richimer after whom succeeded his sonne Odemarus the ninth king of Fraunce hee reigned fourteene yeeres and began to gouerne Fraunce in the yeere after Christ a hundred fourtie foure This king Odemarus was much giuen to seeke peace and by all meanes studied to maintaine the same for after hee had concluded peace with the Romanes and with the Gaules which peace during his life he kept inuiolated for he thought himselfe contented and fully satisfied to defende that coast of Gallia which his predecessours had with long and sharpe warres gotten Neither Tritemius Lazius nor Functius do write any thing of this king worth the memorie but his care and diligence of peace keeping for since Francus time the first king of the name of Fraunce vntill Odemarus the ninth king not one of them sought peace but warres and therefore they succeeded one after another with othes vowing to come to possesse all Gallia by the sword And hauing now subdued diuers parts in Gallia being a large kingdome euen frō the riuer of Rhene vnto the mountaines called Pirenaei and naming them kings of Fraunce for that they coulde not yet conquer all Gallia though as I sayde before one king after another shotte at it for nine hundred yeeres space vntill all the realme of Gallia became the kingdome of Fraunce But while this Odemarus reigned in Fraunce the Romanes whose force more more grew in the Countries of Germanie vntil the Gaules Saxons Gothes Vandales Hungarians and diuers others waxed very strong in the West Countries that the Romanes were constrained to neglect the East parte and to looke about home for it is in all histories knowen that the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to florish when the Empire of Rome beganne to decay But to my French historie againe first setting downe the names here vnder of those kings that reigned in Fraunce from Francus vntill Farabertus time as foloweth 1 Francus the first king after the name of Sicambri was finished and after whose name Sicambri were called Franci he reigned 28. yeeres 2 Clogio the sonne of Francus reigned after his father 30. yeeres 3 Herimerus the sonne of Clogio reigned 22. yeeres 4 Marcomirue reigned 18. yeeres 5 Clodomirus the sonne of Marcomirus reigned 12. yeeres 6 Antenor reigned after his father Clodomirus 6. yeeres 7 Ratherus succeeded his father Antenor and reigned 21. yeeres 8 Richimerus his sonne reigned 24. yeeres 9 Odemarus reigned after his father Richimerus 14. yeeres 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and sōne to Odemarus reigned 21. yeeres 11 After Marcomirus succeeded Clodamirus and reigned 17. yeeres 12 After Clodomirus succeeded Farabertus his sonne and reigned 20. yeeres CHAP. III. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntil the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus to Faramundus they were called Franci for foure hundred and odde yeeres that well nigh nine hundred yeres they were before they could possesse the kingdome of Fraunce WHen Odomarus dyed his sonne Marcomirus the tenth king succeeded him who reigned twentie one yeeres after whome succeeded Clodomirus the eleuenth king and reigned seuenteene yeres After Clodomirus succeeded Farabartus the twelfth king of Fraunce which reigned twentie yeeres during which time of these three kings which was fiftie eight yeeres the Romanes being yet in full strength and courage kept their Empire on foote and kept other kingdoms vnder foote that the French kings were forced to make peace at home with their neighbours to keepe warres with the Romanes So Farabartus did confirme the first league which Francus the first of their name had in his time agreed vpon with the Germanes Saxons Dorings Tretones Marcomans and Cimbrians They ioyned their forces together for to resist the Romanes who were alwayes so greedy of countries and kingdoms and so desirous of Territories that they sought to make themselues lords ouer all the West kingdome of the worlde as in trueth they were at that time kings emperors ouer the East countries vntill they had lost both their soueraigntie dignitie in the East and in the West at last lost the Empire it self The Romanes hearing of this strong league confirmed betwene these Frēchmen the Germans Mar. Aurelius Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher prepared a great armie vnder the conuoy of his fonne Aurelius Commodus being at that time appointed Caesar and commaunded by his father the Emperor to passe into Germany and to commence warre against the Daces the Saxons Marcomanes the Frenchmen and other in Germany in the which voyage Commodus gained but litle credite for he was with shame forced to forsake the fielde with great losse of his men This battell is mencioned in many histories for it was so great and so terrible that Functius and Orosius affirme that bellum Marcomannicum the like is skant read of Againe in the next yeere being the 11. yeere of Farabertus reigne an armie of Romanes was sent into Germany of whom the like almost is read sauing that of the parties the slaughter was great This warre continued vntill the good Emperour Antoninus dyed yet hee and his sonne Commodus had triumphed ouer the Marcomanes which are thought to be Boremians before hee dyed but while these warres endured of these three last named French kings Marcomirus and his sonne Clodomirus and his sonne Farabertus the Britaines made some insurrections for their former libertie and were in armes vntill by Lollius Vrbicius the Romane Embassadour they were againe repressed Sunno by this the sonne of Clodomirus florished in that gouernment which he had in Marchia and builded a great Citie in memorie of
Empire decayed For as the Romanes were strengthened by the subduing of the Latines and Albanes Crescit Roma Albae ruinis euen so Fraunce became strong by the ruine of Rome 1 After Farabertus succeeded his sonne Sunno and raigned 28. yeeres 2 Hildericus the sonne of Sunno 40. yeeres 3 Batherius the sonne of Hildericus 18. yeeres 4 Clodius the sonne of Batherius 27. yeeres 5 After Clodius succeeded his sonne Walterius and raigned 8. yeeres 6 After Walterius raigned his sonne Dagobertus or Degenbertus 11. yeeres 7 After him his sonne Clogio 2. yeeres 8 After Clogio his brother Clodomirus raigned after him 18. yeeres 9 After Clodomirus his sonne Richimerus raigned 13. yeeres 10 After him raigned Theodomirus 10. yeeres 11 After him raigned Clogio 18. yeeres 11 After Clogio Marcomirus the thirde of that name CHAP. IIII. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom all Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his raigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lord and Sauiour 420 of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vntill Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Faramundus NOw this Faramundus the sonne of Marcomirus the great when hee was made king of Fraunce he cōmitted the charge of his former gouernment which hee had in the East Fraunce to his brother Marcomirus he gouerned the Frenchmen in Gallia 7. yeeres and he augmented the crowne of Fraunce with more territories as Mosellana Augusta and other places He instructed the rude people and brought them from rudenesse to ciuilitie taught them to liue vnder a lawe made decrees and statutes to gouerne his countrey Here the crie of Chronicles for Pau. Aemilius writeth this historie farre otherwise so doeth Langaeus and hee saith that the Frenchmen were named Franci of one Francio the sonne of Hector But the trueth of this historie is found rather in Tritemius and Hunebaldus with whom both Functius and Lazius doe agree In this they agree all that from Faramundus time the kings of Gallia were nombred Iulius Caesar who long serued vnder the Romans in France deuided Gallia into three countreys from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana and that countrey is called Gallia Belgica from the riuer of Sein vnto Garumna that countrey is called Celtica and from Garumna vnto the mountaines Pyrenei which is called Aquitania which was before called Amorica With this Plini doeth accord All these people were in ancient time called Celtae Reade Strabo and Plini in the description of Gallia from mount Pyrenei to the riuer Garumna lieth Aquitania from thence to Sequana dwelt the Celtes and frō thence to the riuer Rhein the Belgians I will passe to the kings who beginne in this Faramundus time to be kings of Gallia after 870. yeeres warres by his predecessors before he raigned seuen yeeres and others affirme 11. yeeres In this Faramundus time the Lawe called Salica was made After whome succeeded Clodius his sonne sirnamed Crinitus or Comatus the second king of all France which was called then Gallia he raigned 28. yeeres and plagued the remnant of the Gaules which dwelt in Gallia vnconquered He gaue diuers sharpe battels to the Romanes and commaunded by an Edict that the Frenchmen should let their beards and the haires of their head grow and so to combe keepe it without cutting because they might bee knowen hereby to be the Frenchmen and to make a difference betwene them and others that dwelled within Gallia wherefore he was sirnamed Clodius Crinitus In the sixt yeere of his raigne he ouercame those people called Senouenses and Aurelionenses which dwelt about Lutetia and ioyned them to the kingdome of Fraunce He likewise in the ninth yeere of his raigne subdued the Saxons the Trentones the Doringes and brought all that part of Fraunce bordering vpon the sea into subiection and in the thirtieth yere of his raigne he also brought Bataui Tungri Menaxij and diuers other people that were cōmorant in the edge of France at what time the Gothes had done great harme in that part of Fraunce called Aquitania and also the Burgundians subdued much in Lugdunum This time the Scots and the Pictes inuaded Britaine and spoiled the countrey and did much harme About this time Atala king of that nation called Hunni in Germanie had much to doe with the Romanes and both gaue and tooke diuers repulses This Clodius when hee had enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce with the most part of Gallia and had raigned twentie yeeres some say 17. yeeres hee died in whose time Valentinianus had married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius the Emperour by whom Valentinianus was made Augustus This time Theodosius waged warres against the Vandols who had a king named Giezirichus who had license by Valentinianus to dwel in Affrica who had dwelt there in despite of the Romans for the space of 95. yeeres vntil by Iustinianus the Emperour they were thence expelled and driuen out and at that very time the Hunnes entered and spoiled Thracia and Illyrica and subdued with sword and fire vntill they came to Thermopila Likewise in the foureteenth yeere of this Clodius the Gothes brake their league against Spaine and possessed with the sworde the next territories to Spaine and besieged the citie of Narbon This time Patricius was sent from Celestinus then bishop of Rome to Ireland to instruct the Irishmen in the Christian faith of this Patricke the Irishmen bragge much In the time of this Clodius Vortigerus with the Saxons by deceit and craft inuaded Britaine for hitherto the Britaines kept tacke with the Romanes sometime in warre with them and sometime in peace Reade more of this in Beda This was in the yere after Christ 446 at what time great persecution was in Affrike vnder king Giezirichus the Vandole and the heresie called Eutichiana beganne to rise in Constantinople This time raigned in Persia Vararanes the fift of that name and fifteenth king of Persia. After this time we reade of no mention made of any Olympiad though long before they were little vsed for the Olympiads flourished vntill the time of Lucius Silla the Dictator yet vsed for computation sake but with most absurd and grosse errours both of Zenophon and Thucydides who little vsed them and yet erred in them though they liued and wrote then when the Olympiads most flourished and it made me also oftentimes to auoyd the Olympiads in my histories for that I found great errors in them But I will come to the thirde king of Fraunce Meroueus the sonne of Clodius who succeeded his father and raigned 12. yeeres others say but 10 and so the errour which was in the yeeres of Faramundus is corrected and amended This king lost nothing which his father got He did not onely defend and maintaine all
of his three brethren and their children and died as Blondus saieth at Tridentum after whose death Fraunce was againe deuided betweene the sonnes of Lotharius who is called in Beroaldus Clotarius which raigned 5. yeres after Childebertus and died was buried in the church of S. Medardis in Suetia which Church he began to builde a litle before he died After whom succeeded Cherebertus the sonne of Clotarius a wicked vicious king who after he raigned 9. yeeres died in the armes of his concubine at Paris after him Chilpericus raigued 14. yeres as vitious and wicked as his brother yet of him lineally do discend the line of the kings of France vntil Childericus time he was caused to be slaine betweene Landricus and his strumpet Fredegunda and was also buried in Paris Now Iustinus the yonger a daughters sonne of Iustinianus gouerned in the empire warrre was proclaimed by the Romanes against the Persians at what time Hormisda raigned king of Persia who was vanquished by Tiberius Constantius and againe the Persians lost those townes which they had gotten during the gouernment of Iustinianus This time Chilpericus left a childe of the age of 4. moneths called Clotarius the second of that name and the 10. king of Fraunce who raigned 44. yeeres this king being yet an infant vnder the protectiō of Landricus whom Guntrandus the kings vncle had made master of the horse Childebertus king of Mediomatrices sought to attempt through force to gouerne France but in vaine for he mist of his purpose for he his wife died within a while after vpon one day supected to be poysoned Howbeit when Clotarius came to any estate ciuill warres began in France betwene the king and Theodobertus and Theodoricus two sonnes of Hildebertus these two brethren plagued sore the king vntill they were deuided one against another and then al France was afflicted But during these ciuil vexations in France the Persians wasted Palestine tooke Ierusalem and their patriarch Zacharias they raged against the Egyptians and they subdued Alexandria and Libya vntill Aethiope tooke Carthage and proudly denied the Emperour Heraclius peace but the Persians and their king Cosroes repented their denial for Heraclius prepared warre and leuied an armie and entred into Persia flew in that voyage 50000. Heraclius the second time persecuted the Persiās with sword and fire so hard that Cosroes their king was slaine By this time the Persians were on euery side so assaulted so weakned that they were most miserably slaine and destroyed their kingdom taken by the Saracens About this time Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines was by a dreame admonished to leaue his kingdome and to passe ouer sea to Rome at what time the English Saxons possessed the whole Isle of Britaine sauing Scotland and the Picts Let vs leaue France for a while in their ciuil dissentions betweene Clotarius and the two sonnes of Childebertus named Theodoricus Theobertus who after they constrained the king to accept what cōditions of peace they lusted these two brethren fell out that againe all France was in armes for a time France was most miserablie afflicted Now Persia being destroied the third time by the Saracēs we wil passe ouerthe Pope in Rome Mahomet in Arabia and returne to Germanie a coūtrey so famous of late that the Monarchie sole empire flourished there though the Romans in Iulius Caesars time made no accompt of them calling all those nations which are called Vandols Gothes Hunnes Hungarians Danes Sueuians Russians and others by one name Germanes These coūtreis and kingdoms flourished when the East kingdoms decaied and that within 500. yeres of Augustus time when Rome was in her most glory dignitie and for that the names of their kings may be read in Functius I wil not set them down for those that were of any great renowme in histories chiefly the Gothes and Vādols who hitherto had 24. kings and the Longobards who had 17. kings Diaconus writes of them Functius in his table records them and therfore I wil returne to Clotarius who when he had raigned 41. yeeres he assigned Dagobertus his eldest sonne king of Austratia ioyntly to gouerne France with him for three yeeres more and then Clotarius died in the 44. yere of his raigne This Dagobertus was the 11. king frō Faramundus and had a brother named Aribertus to whom he gaue Aquitania in possession and gouerned himselfe after his father in Fraunce 14. yeres he was very vitious and so giuen to women that when he would trauaile he would haue his womē caried with him Agmina Scortorum a whole armie of concubines who went in habits of Queenes and dwelt in pallaces made vnto them by the king Dagobertus And with this vice there was ioyned an other vertue which was to banish all those Iewes out of Fraunce that would not become Christians for nowe Fraunce hath their vines and grapes and all the countrey of Fraunce flourished since Probus the Emperours time who first suffered them to haue the vse and benefites of all vines By this time his brother Aribertus died in Aquitaina and left a sonne behind him named Hilpericus who likewise died after his father shortly and all Fraunce fell to Dagobertus who at that time placed his eldest sonne Sigebertus king of Austrasia where sometimes Dagobertus gouerned during three yeeres of his fathers raigne Dagobertus had warres with the Vuindos whom he vanquished by the ayde of the Saxons and also hee had warres against the Vascons who though they reuolted as Tritemius affirmeth yet receiued them into fauour In Rome now had raigned 9. seueral popes whose names are set down in the history of the church and ouer the Saracens who quite had subdued all Persia before raigned already foure Amyras of Mahomets sects Thus in Rome a silly priest became a great Pope and in Arabia a false Prophet of one age with the pope became a mighty king which by his greatnes attained a surname called Amyras of whom likewise I haue spoken in the historie of the Saracens 1 Pharamundus reigned 8. yeeres Beroaldus saith 11. yeeres 2 Clodius Faramundus sonne surnamed Criuitus reigned 18. yeeres 3 Meroueus succeeded his father Clodius and reigned 10. yeeres 4 Hildericus the first reigned 26. this is called of many Childericus 5 Clodoueus reigned 30. 6 Childebertus reigned 45. yeeres 7 Lotarius or Cotarius 5. yeeres 8 Heribertus reigned 9. 9 Hilpericus or Chilpericus 23. for marke whō Beroaldus Ruffinus and others doe name Chilpericus that same doeth Functius name Hilpericus so of Cheribertus Functius he nameth Heribertus 10 Lotarius 2. the sōne of Hilpericus 14. yeeres 11 Dagobertus succeeded his father and reigned 14. yeeres CHAP. V. From Clodoueus the 2. who began his raigne 645. vnto the raigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone only mirror of Fraunce by whom
king of Cambria which is Wales Pinnor king of Loegria which is England Saterus king of Albania which is nowe Scotland and Clotenus king of Cornubia nowe Cornewall all the kingdome after fiftie yeeres came to Dunwallus Clotenus sonne about 700. yeeres after Brutus and continued vntill Elidurus the third for the space of a 182. yeeres And after Elidurus the third it continued the reigne of thirtie three kings from Elidurus vntill Belinus the great 185. This Belinus was vncle vnto Cassibelane who reigned king in Britaine when Iulius Caesar came into Britaine about a thousand and thirtie yeeres after Brutus so long was Britaine vnconquered which as I said before for the spite of Androgeus to Cassibelan he wrote his letters to Caesar after the first great ouerthrowe of Caesar of which Lucan the Poet saith Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis Romani c. This Androgeus then Duke of Troinouant nowe called London since king Luds time promised his aide and helpe with all the Britaines which he coulde make if after the conquest he should by Caesar be restored to gouerne the Britaines but Caesar by this meanes brought the Britaines to paye tribute to the Romanes yet reigned kings in Britaine from Cassibelan lineally vnto Cadwallader for seuen hundred yeres and odde so that Britaine was gouerned from the first king vnto the last for a thousand eight hundred and odde yeeres as Guidonius affirmeth But for that the kings of Britaine are by all their names named their successiōs continuance of time writtē in diuers Chronicles of Englande beside Doctor Powel of late hath written of their ciuill warres of their kings their lawes and gouernments that I neede not further to write herein my desire is no lesse to satisfie those that will with reason and authorities bee satisfied then was M. Coruinus a learned Romane Orator willing to please Augustus Caesar for the setting foorth of his familie and his house in proouing gens Iulia which was the stocke of the first Emperour Iulius Caesar his vncle to descende lineally from Ascanius The historie is written in Coruinus de progenie Augusti in whose time Coruinus florished whome Augustus desired to traueile and to set downe the genealogie of his stocke that being so fortunate an Emperour as hee was in subduing almost all the kingdomes of the worlde and captiuating them as Prouinces vnder the Empire of Rome hee might knowe also whence gens Iulia came that hee might assure him selfe of the certeintie of his house To satisfie this Emperor Augustus being thereunto by him intreated Coruinus briefely diuided the whole earth into three seuerall partes Asia Europe and Affrike In this Asia the great is Asia the lesse conteyned in the which Countrie is a Region named Phrygia into the which one Dardanus a great prince of Creete that had the daughter of one Teucer giuen him in mariage came with a great multitude of young men and souldiers to inhabite about the time that Moses dyed where hee builded a great Citie and named it after his owne name Dardania and the inhabitants therein were called Dardanians The fame of this king Dardanus grewe so great that Teucer his father in lawe came from Creete with a number of gentlemen to visite his daughter vnto Dardania in Phrygia where Dardanus reigned three yeres after whom succeeded Ericthonius 75. yeres after Ericthonius succeded Tros the king of Dardania which reigned sixtie yeres by whom Dardania was named Troy after the kings name after Tros succeeded Ilus who reigned 54. yeres after whom succeeded Laomedon and reigned 36. yeres and after him reigned his sonne Priamus named Alexander in histories the sixt and last king of Troy in whose time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians This Messala setteth downe in his historie how Aeneas after the warres came into Italie and maried king Latinus daughter succeeded as heire of the king in his kingdom from whose body lineally descēded these many kings whose names onely I wil set downe for that I haue in the historie of the Latines written of their continuance and of the time of their gouernment vntill Romulus 1 Aeneas 2 Ascanius 3 Siluius 4 Aeneas Siluins 5 Latinus Siluius 6 Alba Siluius 7 Capetus Siluius 8 Capis Siluius 9 Calpetus Siluius 10 Tiberinus Siluius 11 Agrippa Siluius 12 Alladius Siluius 13 Auentinus Siluius 14 Procas Siluius 15 Amulius Siluius 16 Numitor Siluius which was both grādfather by the mother side vncle by the father side vnto Romulus M. Coruinus wrote vnto Augustus the whole historie of the kings of Alba vntill Romulus time and prooueth plaine in his booke that the noble Emperour Augustus proceeded from the house of Aeneas that gens Iulia came lineally from the body of Iulo which was the surname of Ascanius some affirme the contrary Yet Coruinus an auncient antiquarie liuing in the time of Augustus and writing his booke to Augustus at the earnest request of the Emperour Augustus affirmeth all this to be which Halicarnas in all pointes alloweth but what is to proue the Britaines to come from the Troians or to proue Brutus to come to Englād as much more it maketh proofe that Brutus came to this land as Aeneas came to Italie the one is prooued by a number of Romane writers the other by so many of both Romane and Britaine authours and yet Aeneas is by some enrious writers denied to come to Italie as Brutus is to come to Britaine of whom Dionys. Halic saith Scriptores partim ignorati partim inuidia dissimulati de aduentu Aeneae in Italiam The historie of Aeneas and the historie of Brutus after the destruction of Troy is one of the most auncient histories of the Gentiles though in some it bee fabulous as all prophane histories be in many pointes yet from these Troians as from the first originall of their kings and Emperours both the Romanes and the Frenchmen are by some of their owne best writers proued of whom Aemilius writes of their antiquitie It is most likely that euery Countrie hath more care of it selfe then of other countries and rather French writers are to be beleeued in the histories of Fraunce then forreigne writers so of the Romanes of the Grecians and of all other countries as Myrsillus saith Plus vicinis quà m remotis multò plus genti ipsi quà m extremis credatur and yet who seeth not but both the Romanes the Grecians the Frenchmen and all nations aduaunce their countries with best histories and passe lightly ouer many histories that makes against their Countries But as Diodorus Siculus describeth Britaine by the name of Britaine to be fertill and plentifull in corne cattell iron with diuers other commodities so doeth Strabo commende the Britaines to bee people farre bigger and taller then the Frenchmen are in these wordes Britannorum statura supra Gallos procera c. and after he reporteth of certaine Britaines which he
Alexander Ptolome the sonne of Lagi Ptolome Phila. The Bible first translated from Hebrue to Greeke Ioseph lib. 12. cap. 12. Polot Philadel Aristeus 70. interpreters Megasthenes Aratus Demetrius Theopompus Theodecta The great liberalitie of Philadelphus A talent of gold 600. crownes Antiochus Magnus The difference betweene the great Alex. and Antiochus the great The 5. sonnes of Mattathias Antiochus tyrannie Iudas Machab. Apolonius and Seron 2. princes of Syria slaine Lisias lieuetenant to Antiochus the great Machab. lib. 1. cap. 5. Melancthon 2. Chron. Iudas Machabeus sendeth to conclude peace with the Romanes Iudas Machabeus slaine Machab. lib. 1. cap. 9. 10. Alexanders armie against Demetrius Demetrius slaine Alexander maried Cleopatra Cleopatra giuen to Demetrius Iudas victorâ—… Ionathans victorie Ieseph lib. 13. cap. 3. Strife betweene the Iewes and the Samaritans 3. sectes of the Iewes Lacedemonians came from Abraham stocke Triphon yong Antiochus tutor The falshood of Triphon Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 8. 9. Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 14. Simon and his two sonnes slaine Hircanus Simons sonne Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 16. 17. 3838 Aristobulus Antigonus Samaria the second time destroyed Ioseph lib 7. 2. Macca cap. 1. The first vse of the Synagogues after the captiuitie Samaria the seconde time destroyed Hircanus died Aristobulus slewe his brother Antigonus the first king of the Iewes after the captiuitie Aristobulus death Alexander the third brother The vnquiet state of the Iewes The tyranny of Alexander 800 of the Iewes hanged Antiochus Griphus slaine Seleucus his sonne Ptolomeus Lamyrus slewe 30000. Iewes Alexandra Aretas king of Arabia ayâ—…ed Hirâ—…us Aâ—…istobulus with his two sonnes caried to Rome Alexander taken brought to Rome by Gabinius Hircanus had both his eares cut off by his brothers sonne Antigonus The ende of the Machabees race Antipater the first gouernour vnder the Romans Antipater poysoned Marcus Anthonius Herod and Phasaelus accused Hircanus the high Priest Herode made king of Iurie Herâ—…ds 3. sonnes Archelaus Herod Antipas and Philip. Ioseph lib. 17. cap. 9. 10. 12. Archelaus was banished Iudea The continuance of Hierusalem Ioseph lib. 6. cap. 6. de bello Iudaico Hippicos the third tower Iâ—…sephus a Iewe borne The long continuance of Ierusalem Fiue times Ierusalem taken and destroied The miserie of Hiâ—…rusalem Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 7. C ham to Egypt Sem to Asia Iaphet to Europe Abraham read in Egypt Of Noah 〈◊〉 after the flood Thul assur Tiglat Phulâ—…ssar Melancthon lib. 1. Herodot lib. 1. Herodotus lib. 1. Iosephus Strab. lib. 16. Herodot lib. 1 Melancth lib. 1. Chap. 10. Melancth lib. 2. Chron. 〈◊〉 5. in Belo 〈◊〉 Belus the 2. king was the first cause of idolatrie 2. Gene. 15. Berosus lib. 5 in Nyno Pharnus king of the Medes slaine Iustine lib. 1. Zoroastres king of Bactria slaine by Nynus Lib. 3. de Fabu antiquo gestis The kingdoms of the Assyrians continued 1240. Nynus 3 king died Functius Nynus Epitaph Semiramis Diodo lib. 2. Beros Lib. 3. Aniâ—…us in Beroso de Semira mide Berosus lib. 5. Many of the best writers vse Berosus though he is had in contempt Genesis 14. Bela is Zoar. Abraham rescued his nephewe Lot The ouerthrow of the 5. kings of Sodome Gomorrha and Seboim The first kind of common weale Melchisedec blesseth Abraham Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians Caspians and BactriaÌ„s made subiect to the Assyrians Aralius the 7. king of Assyria Lib. 16. cap. 44. Baleus the 8. king of Assyria Functiâ—…s in fabula Assyrioâ—…uÌ„ The kingdom of Argos began in these dayes Armatrites 9. king of the Assyrians Sem dieth Belochus Priscus 10. king of Assyria Baleus 11. king of Assyria Diodo lib. 1. Iacob and his children remoued to Egypt The misery of the Israelites in Egypt 430. yeeres Altades 12. king of Assyria Functius Beros lib. 5. Eusebius in Chron. Functius Mamitus thâ—… 13. king of Assyria Sabel lib 4. Eâ—…eadum Plinie lib. 5. cap. 12. Strab. lib. 16. Genes 22. Mancaleus 14. king of Assyria Nothing worth the writing of the old kings of Assyria The beginning of Berosus historie and the end of the same Sparetus 17. king of Assyria Eusebius in Ascatades 18. king of Assyria Lamprides 22. king of Assyria Iudg. 19. Sosares the 23. king of Assyria Iudg. 4. Lampares 14. king of Assyria 3. Iubilee More written of the kings of Assyria then can be proued 2. Reg. cap. 19. Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 6. Dionys. Halic lib. 1. Iudg. 6. 7. Pannias 25. king of Assyria Here endeth the kingdome of Assyria Iudg. 9. The fourth Iubilee Sosarmus 26. king of Assyria Hercules killeth Cacus The Lord punisheth Israel for sinne Ishai borne Tautanes the 28. king of Assyria Hercules gamesat Olympia Iudg. 12 Abesan the 10. Iudge The first rauishment of Helen by Theseus Tautanes the 29. king of Assyria Samsâ—… the last Iudge of Israel Ocnâ—… Bianor builded Mantua The 7. Iubilee Hispane deuided into prouinces The birth of Dauid Dercillus the 31. king of Assyria The kingdom of Lacedemonia at this time beginneth The beginning of the kingdome of Corinth The Arke is taken away from Israel by the Philistines Saul the first king of Israel Codrus the last king of Athens Ruffin in Com. Euphoreus lib. 4. de asse 2. Sam. cap. 7. Ruff. in Com. Medon the first iudge of Athens Arcestratus the third king of Lacedemonia The antiquitie of the Chaldeans and Assyrians Moses the first Historiographer of the world Diâ—…lor lib. 6. 3. King cap. 6. Carthage builded Ioseph contra Appionem lib. 1. Laosthenes the 33. king of Assyria The 9. Iubilee The kingdom of Israel deuided Here the kings of Iudae beginne 1. King 11. 14. Functius The first destruction of Ierusalem Pyrithides the 34. king of Assyria 3. King 11. Seâ—…a king of AEthiopia Elias and Elizeus borne The middle age of the world Nadab the second king of Israel Baasha the third king of Israel Asa the fifth king of Iuda Capua builded Eutropius lib. 1. The kings of Corinth after Bacis were called Bacidae Zambri killed Ela king of Israel Zambri burned himselfe Omri the sixt king of Israel builded Samaria Nepher king of Egypt Achab the seuenth king of Israel Famine Tâ—…ber before called Albula â—…iuius lib. 1. The first kingdome of Assyria ended vnder Sardanapalus which coÌ„tinued 1350. yeeres The last ouerthrow of the Assyrians by Arbaces The maner of Sardapalus death Nabuchodonosor named Hercules Isai. 14. Arbaces king of the Medes and Persians Belochus king of Babylon 4 Reg. cap. 15. 4. Reg. cap. 13. Salmanasser the third king of Assyria 4. king cap. 17. The kingdom of Israel destroyed by Salmanasser 262. by Bucholcerus Chap. 16. Osea cap. 10. Iere. cap. 50. Melancthon lib. 2. Saneherib 2. King 18. 2. King cap. 19. Sannaherib slaine by his sonnes Ioseph lib. 10. cap. 1. Herodot lib. 2. The Chaldeans Functius lib. 1. Comment Lib. 10. cap. 2. Asserhaddon succeeded his father Sanneherib Merodach Ieremie cap. 50. Eusebius from Herodotus doeth differ Isai 39. Merodach sendeth
Diuers names of the Frenchmen Strabo liued in Agustus time Neumagi called Sicambri Cambra Bellinus daughter Aemil. lib. 1. The Frenchmen challenge to come from the Troians 400. odde yeeres reigned the kings of Sicambri Tritemius The victories of Sicambri The Romanes much affrighted Marius the Romane Consul was appoynted Generall against these Sicambrians whom the Romanes called Cimbri The Frenchmen came from Scythia about 400. yeeres before the birth of Christ. What the Romanes lost the Frenchmen wanne in time Reade Iornandus de reb Get. Marcomanni Cambra a wise woman a Britane taught her husband and her people ciuilitie Neopagus Neomagus Neumagi Marcomani Sicambri Gaul Greekes Helenus the fourth king of Sicambria Consent oft time of kings in other countreyes Diocles 4. king These kinges by succession professed armes Alex. the gre◅ raigned in the time of this Diocles. Pyrrhus raigned in Helenus time which was Diocles sonne The victorie of the Saxons ouer the Gothes Diocles the fift king of Sicambria Helenus 6. king was remoued from his kingdome The booke of the law and the sword of punishment caried before Bassanus Adulterie punished by Bassanus Bassanus a iust king Tritem in Bassano Mōtabur builded by Bassanus Basanus after death called Basangor Clodomirus 7. king of Sicambria Arsaces the names of the kings of Perthia Al these kings holde their names from Cambra and were called therby Sycambri from Autenor who maried Cambra vnto Francus time Francus the first king by whome the kingdome of Fraunce was so ◅amed Tritem in Franco Lollius with his Romane armie put to flight by Clogio 200000. Gaules slaine by Francus Sicambria now is called Fraunce Ianus temple shut in all August time Clogio 2. king For his knowledge and skill in Astrologie surnamed Magus A battell betweene Clogio and Tiberius the Emperor Phrisius the sonne of Clog◅ made king in Friseland Tribute of 260. oxen paid out of Friseland into the crowne of Fraunce Tacis 4. 5. Herimers 5. king after Francus Herimerus slaine Caesarea before called Turris Stratonis Tacitus lib. 4. Marcomirus 4. king Clodomirus 5. king after Francus This king with 60. of his noble men was drowned in the riuer Mosa Gallia sore plagued Raterus 7. king Alani Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 27. Richimerus 8. king Ioseph wrote his historie de bello Iudaico in Richimerus time Sunno The Gaules the Romanes sore plagued by Richimer Odemarus 9. king of Fraūce The 4. persecution in Richimers time Odemarus concluded peace with the Romanes Vowes and othes made the Frenchmen for Gallia Reade Paul Aemil. lib. 1. The West kingdoms began to florish The names of those kings that reigned in Fraunce frō Francus to Farabertus Marcomirs 10. king Clodomirus 11. king Farabartus 12. king The Romanes did stomake the greatnesse of the Frenchmen Farabertus con cluded peace with the Germanes other nations about them to keepe wars with the Samanes Commodus the Emperour forced to flie Bellum Marcomannicum Orosius lib. 7. cap. 15. The Christian faith receiued into Britaine Franford builded by Sunno and also Sunnia which is now called Sunda Tritemius and Hunibaldus Varietie of opinion in time The meane state of Fraūce in Heldericus time Batharus 15. king Itale spoyled with the sword vnto Rauenna Mosa Clodius king after Farabertus Gallia not yet gotten by the Frenchmen Vprores in many countries in Claudius time Eutrop. lib. 9. Alectas slaine by Asclepiadotus Gualterus 5. king after Farabartus Clogio 7. after Farabertus Clodomirus his valure courage to reuēge his brothers death Clodomirus victorie Clodomirus succeeded his brother Clogio 2686 husband men with their families Menigauia when Genebaldus reigned paying tribute vnto his brother Clodomirus Gebrich king of the Gothes The victorie of Richimerus Richimerus slaine Theodoricus 38. king From this Hector Degen◅bart Charles the great discended Marcomirus a great name in Fraunce The Saxons inuaded the Romanes confines Foure noble captaines vnder Marcomirus The fall of Rome was the rising of Fraumce The kingdom of Fraunce without a king 26. yeeres Interregnum Warres betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen Faramundus by common consent made king of France The French nations were 800 yeeres and more in getting of Gallia From Faramundus I vse P. Aemilius These kings raigned from Farabertus to Faramundus Faramundus appointed his brother Marcomirus East Fraunce P. Aemil. lib. 1. Faramundus the first king of Gallia Plini lib. 4. cap. 17. 18. Lex Salica made in Faramundus time Clodius the second king of Fraunce Clodius was sirnamed Crinitus The diuers victories of this Clodius Scots and Picts inuaded Britaine Clodius died Ruffinus de orig Francorum Reade Gildas Giraldus and Beda in the historie of Britaine The antiquitie of English Saxons in Britaine called before Arubrones Roxones The errors of the Olympiads Meroueus the thirde king Attila king of the Hunnes Vualaricus king of the East Gothes Ardaricus king of Gepida ioyned together against the French Til. in Cron. Franc. Reg. The great victorie of the Frenchmen Attila a strong king Ioseph lib. 71. cap. 8. Augusta besieged by Meroneus These places the Frenchmen fi◅st inhabited after they had come from Scythia Fraunce flourished The Romane Empire fell to decay Childericus the fourth king of Fraunce Egidius raigned 8 yeeres Aemil. lib. 1. Til Chron. Francor r◅g Clodoue◅s the first of that name receiued first the Christian faith in France P. Aemil. in Childe◅ico Childericus died A nomber of B◅itaines came ouer sea and possessed Aquitania Vortiger and after him Hengistus The first time that Armorica was named litle Brita◅ne Clodoueus the fift king Reade of th◅se 4. great victories Blondus and Procopius Clodoueus the first performed his othe and became a Christian after his victorie had against the Almanes Thus farre Hu◅ibaldus In this time of Clodoueus raigned Emperour Anastatius and in Britaine raigned Arthur Cl◅doueus 4. sonnes Procop lib. 1. de bell Gothor Reade of theis 18. yere warre Procop. lib. 2 de bello Persico This king Tot◅la plagued Italy Rome More Vandols and Gothes in Rome then Citizens The kingdom of the Pope and the kingdome of Mahom◅t began at one time Bellisarius much commended Bellisarius a noble captaine vnder Iustinianus Pandects made by Iustinianus the Emperor This time died Arthur i◅ Britaine Prccopius of the warres of the Gothes thus farre De Chron. Fran◅ Cherebertus a wicked vicious prince This time beganne warres betweene the Romanes and the Persians Clotarius the tenth king Reade Tilius de reg Franc. The victorie of Heraclius ouer the Persians Polyb. lib. 4. Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines Warres betweene Theodoricus and Theobertus Vādoles Gothes Hunnes Danes Hungarians and others were by the olde Romane◅ called Germanes Clotarius died Dagobertus the 11. king Til Chron. Franc. reg Fraunce suffred to haue their vines by Probus the Emperour Dagobertus died vpon the 4. kal. of Februarie Mahomet Lewes the first Martinas treason found after punished Dagobertus sent to a Monasterie by Grimoaldus Ildebertus slaine
frō the citie of Rome then Veiena and Fidena the one 6. miles the other 18. miles distant from Rome had enlarged the citie with these confines and territories more then Romulus did he was striken with lightning that both hee his wife and all his house were burnt when he had raigned 32. yeres in the 35. Olymp. When this king raigned in Rome Zaleucus gouerned the Locresiās who for his law making law keeping is much mentioned in histories for in that law against adulterie his owne sonne first offending should haue lost both his eyes but his nobles made great intercessiō for the kings sonne the king to satisfie their requests shewing himselfe a naturall father to his sonne and a iust king to his people caused one of his sonnes eyes and another of his owne eyes to be taken out to performe the lawe which he made In the time of Tul. Hostilius Manasses king of Iuda was conuerted vnto his God and thereby restored to his kingdome when he expelled idolatry and serued God the rest of his life In Chaldea raigned Nabuchodonosor the father of the great Nabuchodonosor and in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes During the time of this king in Rome raigned in Lydia Ardis their 6. king and in Macedonia Philip their 6. king also for the Medes the Macedonians the Lydians and the Romanes began their Empires within 60. yeres together Tullus Hostilius the third king appointed two Quaestors as it were two Treasurers to sease by the pole euery citizen of Rome to leauie and to keepe the same money to the vse of the citie he created also 2. Iudges which were called Duum viri these should determine causes for life and death In like sort of Ancus Martius with his lawes Tarquinius Priscus and his decrees you may reade in Pomp. Laetus and Fenestella Euen so Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome perceiuing that the Senators had more to doe then they could well accomplish especially in priuat causes of the citie he instituted two men called Censors to record and to write the nomber of all men in seruice to take view of such offenders within the citie and to punish crimes and offences and if any Senators should not execute iustice he should be depriued out of the Senate If any of the magistrats created by Romulus should not imitate and liue within the lawe of Romulus they should be by the Censors punished If any of the religious officers and the priests which Numa instituted should transgresse the lawe of Numa he should also by these Censors be reformed this office cōtinued 5. yeres and vpon the fift yere new Censors were made this was called Lustrū at what time althe citie was visited all faults opened vnto them and all iniuries done reformed by them as C. Fabritius being Censor remoued frō the Senate P. Cornelius Ruffinus for the expences of 10. pound more then was allowed by these Censors and so M. Cato banished C. Flaminius brother from the Senators for the fauouring of a prisoner at the request of a woman The auctoritie of those Censors were such as might reforme all things by law The old Romanes vsed to accompt their actions to nomber their yeeres euery fift yeere which they called Lustrum as the Greciās vsed to nomber the yeres by their Olympiad which the Greekes named Penterides This office of Censors continued for a time in Rome being renued euery fift yeere which was a great day in Rome and appointed by Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome and endured vntil Vespatian the Emperours time the last conquerour of Ierusalem 650. yeeres yet I reade not but of 75. Lustrums which is 360 yeres For Eutropius saith that both Lustrum and the Olympiad endured no longer then Sillas time But yet compted vntil Constantines time Tarquinius the proud appointed 3. men to keepe the Sibillas books after they were augmented from 3. to 10. and at last frō 10. to 15. These were chosen out aswel of the Patricians as of the vulgar people they should once a yere in the moneth of Februarie reade these bookes and after they should see the bookes safelie kept vntil Februarie againe Now after that Tullus died succeeded in Rome Anc. Martius the 4. king one in nature like vnto his grandfather Numa Pompilius and one that in the beginning of his gouernment imitated Numa in all points commanding the people to obserue the lawes and ceremonies of his grandfather thinking therby to haue the like successe of quietnes and peace commaunded Numas lawes to be written in tables and be set on postes and pillars in the market place studied diligently to keepe his people in peace thoght to liue quietly with that litle territorie that then the city of Rome gouerned But it happened otherwise for scant he had established himselfe in his kingdom whē the Latins vnder their gouernour there waged warres against the Romans and brought an army to the very towne of Medullia which they tooke and possest for 3. yeres in spite of Ancus Martius Now this king was forced to forsake Numa which liued in peace and to folow Tullus his predecessor in warres and therefore he altered his minde and gathered force together and began stoutly to answere the Latins and to giue them so many battels that he destroyed vanquished and wan their chiefe cities as Politoriū Telena Ficania and diuers others he recouered Medullia gaue diuers ouerthrowes to the Latins then straight he was much troubled with the Sabines and Fidenats the Veients and the Volscanes these people euer warred against the kings of Rome for yet Rome was not come to any greatnes But when they had quite conquered the Sabines Latines Veients Volscanes Fidenats and other nations next vnto them which oftentimes they did and they stil reuolted then the citie of Rome began to looke vnto other kingdomes but during the time of their kings their owne neighbours annoyed them most This king Ancus Martius had no rest during his whole gouernment vntill he had brought these people before spoken vnto subiection then he began to build to enlarge the city of Rome by taking mount Auentine vnto it and the hil Ianicula a large ground of 18. furlongs about ful of diuers yong trees specially laurel but by An. Martius made habitable and populous there vpon the hil Auentine a faire temple was builded vnto Diana and to this moūt Martius brought frō Telena and Politorium and other townes men and women to dwell there After this the king builded a towne fast vpō the sea shore called Hostia 6. miles frō Rome made a bridge ouer the riuer of Tiber which ranne by Rome he also builded a prison house to punish offenders diuers other monumēts which you may read in Halicarnasaeus whē he had raigned 24. yeres he died leauing behind him 2. sōnes the one an infant and