from him so that he sell by the Sword of the Ammonites And David took Barsheba to be his Wife and after the Prophet had reproved him he wept bitterly but that Child dying he begot on her Solomon who after was King of Israel Yet God punished him for this Sin by the Ravishment of his Daughter Tamar the Murther of his Son Amnon and lastly by the Rebellion of his Son Absolom who drove him almost out of his Kingdom and was contrary to the King's Command after a great Defeat slain by Joab as he hung by the Hair of the Head in an Oak whose Death David lamented in a very sorrowful manner till Joab rebuked him and compelled him to speak comfortably to the People whose Sorrow had utterly disheartened them After this Victory won David was carried back with the Consent of all the People to Jerusalem where having pardoned Shimei that cursed him in his Flight angry with Joab he made Amasa Captain of his Host who had headed Absolom's Army but Joab slew him in the way as they were marching in pursuit of Sheba a Captain who had rebelled whom he besiged in Adelda where his Head by the Perswasion of a Woman of that City was cut off and thrown over the Wall upon which Joab raised the Siege Yet David having numbred the People against the Advice of his Councellors to know what Strength he had God was displeased and sent a Pestilence that consumed a great number of them And now David having reigned eleven Years in Peace betook himself to Piety and Devotion writing his Hymns and Psalms in the Praise of God and preparing Materials to build the Temple and when he had reigned forty Years he died in the seventy second Year of his Age appointing his Son Solomon to succeed him in the Throne VI. The Life and valiant Actions of Judas Maccabeus Captain of the Israelites against Atiochus the Persecuting King of Syria AMong other famous Worthies of the World who stood as a Bulwark in the Defence of their Country and by true Valour with small Numbers got almost incredible Victories over the Multitude of their Enemies I must worthily rank Judas Maccabeus the renowed Captain of the Jews In the youthful Days of this valiant Heroe some of the looser sort of the Jews being punished for their Disorders and the Neglect of their Religion fled to Antiochus Epiphanius who reigned over Syria and a great part of Asia being one of those Greek Captains who had parted Alexander's Empire amongst them This cruel King they earnestly solicited to invade Jerusalem who in the Year of the World 3796 sent a great Army to invade the Land of Judea who slaughtered all that fell in their way burning and destroying their Towns and Strong-holds and had Jerusalem betrayed to him by the Factious Party who over-powering the others open'd the Gates and let in the Army where they sacrilegiously robbed the Temple carrying away the Golden Table Candlesticks and Censures with all other Vessels and Things of Value dedicated to the Worship of God raising a cruel Persecution against the believing Jews who refused to fall down and Worship their Idols fleying some alive roasting and broiling others boiling some in Cauldrous and putting the seven Sons of the Maccabes to horrible Torments by broiling them on Grid-irons and frying them in Brass Pans alive c. which Torments they overcame with a admirable Patience Constancy and Courage till Death eased them and gave lasting Joys for short Pain He 〈◊〉 threw the Altars slew the Priests and strangled their Children in the Arms of their weeping Mothers and prophanded the Temple of God with abominable Sacrifices In the time of this Dissolation in the Holy City and others God stired up the Spirit of Matthias Father of Judas Maccabeus to begin the Deliverance of his People from the Cruelties of the Heathen Tyrant This Man was a Priest who with his valiant Sons and other Godly Jews retired to the City of Modin where he was soon summoned to surrender and submit himself and all with him to the Tyrant's Mercy but he refused and calling the People together repeated all the miseries and Cruelties the Nation of the Jews had suffer'd exhorted them to be couragious and trust in God as he and their Fathers had done in the like Distress and revenge them on their Merciless Enemies with other encouraging Words which made them take Heart and resolve to stand in Defence of their Religion and Lives and fight on the Sabbath-day if they were assaulted which before they had refused for fear of breaking it suffering their Throats to be cut without Resistance their Enemies hunting 'em out in Woods and Caves whether they were fled and chusing for that Purpose to fall on them on that Day And whilst they were thus consulting an irreligious Jew to please the King's Commissioners prâ—â—â—â—tly stept forth and slewis Swine on the Altar to do Sacrifice to Jupiter when Matthias in his Zeal slew the Jew and overthrew the Altar and slaying Appolonius the King 's Captain and other Soldiers that resisted he cryed out All you that are affected to the Law of your Fathers and to the Service of God follow me Upon this he assembled a great Company overthrew his Enemies Armies and slaughter ed Multitudes of them putting to Death many of the Apostate Jews but being very aged he recommended to them as their Captain his Son Judas Macchabeus and when he had exhorted them to be Couragious and expect the Divine Assistance he gave up the Ghost Judas after his Father's Death took on him the full Command and overthrew Antiochus his Lieutenant of Samaria and slew him with most of his Army taking great Spoil After this Seron Governour of Coelosyria came upon him with a great Army when Judas encouraging his Men to trust in God who with a small Force could confound the Mighty and to fight like valiant Men he fell like a Tempest on the General and in a bloody Battle slew him and 800 Syrians getting great Spoil of their Tents and Armour These unexpected Defeats so enraged Antiochus that he commanded Lysias Governour of Egypt to march with all the Power of that Country and utterly destroy the Jews or sell them for Slaves to those that would give most and utterly to lay Jerusalem wast Upon this Lysia raised a huge Army and sent them under the leading of Ptolomy Nicanor and Georgias three prime Captains and Men of great Authority with the People whereupon Judas and his Men called on God for Assistance proclaiming a Fast and humbling themselves before him and then fell upon their Enemies with great Fury with only 3000 Men so that he soon put them to the Rout covering the Field with dead Bodies and slew them in the Pursuit to the Plains of Idumea and then returned to the Spoil and soon after overthrew Lysias who invaded Judea with an Army of 60000 Foot and 5000 Horse with a mighty Slaughter so that Lysias returned to
Antioch to recruit his broken Army whereupon Judas exhorted the People that as an Acknowledgment of God's Favour and Goodness in giving them so many Victories they should go up to Jerusalem purge the Temple and offer Sacrifice which they did with much Devotion giving Praise and Thanks to Almighty God for their Deliverance rebuilding the Altars and repairing the Breaches After this he set upon his Enemies and wasted them round about Jerusalem relieving those Jews that were distressed by their Enemies by his Brother Simeon whom he sent with an Army unto Galliles and other places obtaining these and many other gallant Victories with little Loss of Men which made Antiochus storm and in the End send Bacchides the Great Marshal of his Army with a mighty Force even all the Strength of Syria and Judas having but few in number many being fled for Fear nevertheless contrary to the Mind of his Captains who desired him to retreat till he was better recruited gave Battle and the Jews fought like Lions selling their Lives at a dear Rate yet being over-powered by Numbers and enclosed with the Multitude of their Enemies Judas after he had slain many of the Enemies weary with Killing fainted and fell to the Ground where he was slain But Simeon and Jonathan recovered his Body and buried it VII The Life and famous Actions of Arthur King of the Britains who subdued the Pagan Saxons and drove them out of the Land with many other great Exploits ARthur of famous Renown and Memory the Worthy King of the Britains of whom so many wonderful Stories are related as likewise of his valiant Knights of the Round Table was according to true History passing others over the Son of Vter Pendragon got on the fair Igrene Daughter to the Duke of Cornwal and tho' he was born out of Wedlock yet afterward Vter married his Mother and left him Heir to his Kingdom tho' he had two Sisters one married to the King of the Scots and the other to the King of the Picts which Kings were highly displeased that Arthur who was not Legitimate should succeed to the Crown in bar of their pretended Right and the Saxons who a considerable time before had been called in by Vortegern under the Leading of their two Captains Hihgest and Horsa as Aid against the Picts and Scots who miserably harazed the Britains when the Romans withdrew their Forces to support their tottering Empire having of Servants forcibly possessed themselves of most of the East and Northern Parts of what is now called England Loth the Pictish King who had married the eldest Sister finding he could not by his Ambassadors prevail with the Britains to admit him their King but that they had accepted Arthur they disdaining to submit to a Stranger when they had so Valiant and Worthy a Native to defend them he joyned League with the Saxons soliciting the King of Scots to do the like resolving utterly to exterpate the British Name from off the Face of the Earth The Knowledge of this Confederacy soon rouzed King Arthur when leaving the Pleasures of his Court and having raised an Army of his own Subjects and received some Forces from Armorica or Little Britain in France he marched couragiously against the Eastern Saxons to give them Battle e're the Picts should joyn their Forces and meeting their Army very numerous about ten Miles from London he vanquished them in two bloody Battles and made them become his Tributaries and receive over them such Governours as he appointed with many other hard Conditions After this he took London and held a kind of a Parliament of the British Estates wherein it was agreed to recruit the Army and speedily march Northward against those beyond the River Humber when in Yorkshire he fought the Picts and Saxons who had joyned their Armies and overthrew them with a terrible Slaughter pursuing the flying Saxons to York where he besiged them but Scarcety and Sickness growing in his Army and hearing great Multitudes of Picts and Saxons who had passed the Seas from Germany under Occa their Captain were coming to Relieve them he broke up the Siege and retired into Wales but early in the Spring marched to London and settling Affairs with the Saxons of Kent marched Northward and overthrew Colgern and Occa two Captains that were ravaging the Country and took the City of York sparing the Lives of the Inhabitants and concluded a League with Loth King of Picts wherein it was concluded that Mordred Loth's eldest Son should succeed Arthur in the Kingdom of Britain and in the mean time with Joynt Forces help to expel the Saxons and that Mordred should marry the Daughter of Gawolum a noble Britain and the Children to be brought up by the Grandfather in Britain And in this League was included the King of Scots who at King Arthur's Desire joyned their Forces near Tinmouth where they overthrew the Saxons with a terrible Slaughter killing Colgern and Childrick two of their chiefest Captains so that the remaining Saxons were so disheartened that most of them left the Kingdom others submitted to live peaceably under such Governours as should be appointed them and turned Christians at least in Shew and such as stayed after Proclamation and refused to be Baptized suffered Death Then the King repaired several Churches the Pagan Saxons had ruinated But the Saxons of the Isle of Wight joyning with those of Kent and Sussex fell surprizingly upon the Britains that inhabited amongst them flew them and made Spoil of their Goods but the King with the Aid of the Picts and Scots marched against them who feignedly sent their Supplications to him to treat about their departing the Land but whilst they were Treating they fell upon the advanced Part of the King's Army and killed many of them and tho' their Commanders sent to excuse it as done rashly by some who were ignorant of the Treaty the King resolved to Punish such Treachery which he did by setting upon them with such Fury that few of their great Army escaped the Slaughter and many urg'd by the devouring Sword behind threw themselves into the River to avoid it and were drowned and so the Land was cleared of all but those who complied to the Terms beforementioned And in this Battle with his Sword called Callibourn some Histories say he slew 800 but this looks something incredible but certain it is he returned Victorious from twelve set Battles besides Skirmishes the 1st at the River Gleyn 2 3 4 and 5 at the River Douglass in Lenox 6 at the River Bassus 7 in the Callidonian Wood 8 near the Castle of Guiven 9 at Carleon 10 near Richwood 11 on a Hill called Agued Cathbergain and 12th at Bath or Bathen Hill Some Authors mention he had several Battles with the Danes and Norwigians and drove those Invaders out of the Land and when Lucius Hiberius the Roman Legate came to demand Tribute for Britain King Arthur stoutly answered That from Constantine the Great Son of
when the King of Jerusalem and other Confederate Kings assembled a mighty Army utterly to destroy them for making this League with the Enemies of their Country upon their Supplication Joshua made a hard March to their Relief and utterly in a terrible Battle discomfited the Kings and their Armies and to lengthen out the Day for their Distruction at the Prayer of Joshua the Son and Moon that were hastening to set stood still for the space of a whole Day so that there was no Day like that Day in which God fought for Israel by destroying Multitudes of their Enemies with mighty Hail stones that fell upon them yet hurt not one of the pursuing Israelites and their five Kings being found hid in the Cave Mukkedaâ— Joshua pulled them out and caused the People to set their Feet upon their Necks in Token of Subjection slew them and hanged them on five Trees burning 2000 War-charriots with Fire and then marched through all the Land of Canaan taking Cities and Strong holds and in five Years utterly subdued it unless some few strong Garrisons and having caused is to be viewed divided it amongst the Tribes by Lot of 〈…〉 as Moses had appointed setting up the Tabernacle of God 〈◊〉 Shiloe This famous War as it was thus finished the fifty Thousand whose Lot was in the Land of the Amorites returned with great Riches to their Wives and Children and that the parting of the River Jordan might not in time to come make them be taken for another People they erected an Altar there which by a Misunderstanding had like to have created a bloody War between their Bretheren and them but the real Cause being known it was prevented And now Joshua having Governed successfully twenty Years and grown Old finding the time of his Death approaching assembled the Princes and Heads of the ePple and gave them a strict Command to Obey the Lord their God in all things that he had commanded by the Mouth of his Servant Moses and to walk uprightly in his sight that it might be well with them and their Children for ever And soon after he died greatly lamented of the People in the 110th Year of his Age and from â—â—e World's Creation 2560. and before the coming of Christ 1500. V. The Life and glorious Reign of David King of Israel DAvid the renowned King of Israel and Captain of the Peple of the Lord of Host was the Son of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah who in his young Years kept his Father's Flocks and was then very Daring and Valiant as appears by his fighting with and killing a Lion and a Bear who came to devour his Sheep and when Saul King of Israel sinned against God in disobeying his Commands this Striplin was appointed to Reign over Israel and by a special Command was annointed King by Samuel the Prophet And the first of his publick Appearance to make himself known and to rise to Greatness was when Saul and his Armies were defied by Goliah the great Giant of Gath whom he slew with a Sling and a Stone and had Michol the King's Daughter in Marriage as it had been promised to him that should overcome that daring Champion of the Philistines who had been a Man of War from his Youth upward and highly was he favoured in the Court of Saul by Abner the Captain of the Host with the Giant 's Head in his Hand But after his many Victories the Virgins in their Songs ascribed to him ten Thousands of Slain and to Saul but one which stirred up his Jealousie and Envy against him without his deserving it David no sooner became renowned at Court and throughout all the Land of Israel but Jonathan Saul's eldest Son and a very vertuous Prince made a very strict League of Friendship with him insomuch that they became as own Brothers he labouring to pacifie his Father's Wrath towards David till he incurred it himself and narrowly escaped Death as David had often done Saul by this time having Notice that by God's Appointment David was to be King of Israel his Spirit was so troubled that at times he fell into a melancholy Madness so that an evil Spirit possessed him and when David was playing before him on his Harp as he often did to drive away the Spirit Saul falling into one of his Fits narrowly mist slaying him by throwing a Javelin at him with such Force that it stuck in the Wall and David fled for his Life and Saul sent Soldiers to pursue him and beset his House where he had been taken but that his Wife let him down a Back-way and laid an Image in his Bed pretending he was sick till he escaped to the City of Nob where of Abimelech the High-Priest he obtained Shew-bread for his Sustenance and the Sword of Goliah kept there as a Monument for his Defence of which Doeg the Edomite informing all the People belonging to that place were slain by Saul's Command as Abettors to his Enemy which News greatly grieved David who then made his aboad in the Woods and Mountains And many were the Persecutions he endured from that time till Saul and his Sons being discomfitted by the Philistines fell on their Swords and died on Mount Gilboa After the Death of Saul Abner his Uncle after some Battles fought against David on the behalf of Ishosheth Saul's Son upon a Quarrel between them about Rispha one of Saul's Concubines deposed his Master and made an Agreement with David to settle him in the Kingdom which he performed by drawing the Tribes of Israel to his Party and David was saluted King but Joab Captain of David's Host envying a Man that had such great Power with the People and become a new Favourite with the King to his Prejudice secretly sent for him to treat about Affairs at Hebron and there in the Gate treacherously killed him whose Death David greatly lamented but Joab being powerful in the Army he durst not punish him for it And soon after Ishosheth the late King of Israel was murthered whose Murtherers David caused to be put to a cruel Death And soon after the Philistines invading the Land he overthrew them in two great Battles and extended his Borders by Victories over the Moabites and Ammonites and Westward upon the Phoenetians warring with the Arabians Syrians Humeans Amalekites and Messopotamians and much enlarged his Kingdom to which it was in the time of Joshua or ever before his Reign and settling his Affairs in Peace and Plenty the great Decayers of Virtue he unhappily cast his Eyes from his Tarras on the beautiful naked Body of Bersheba Wife to Vriah one of his faithful Captains as she was Bathing in a Fountain sent for her and lay with her and when she had told him she was with Child he sent for her Husband to cover the Shame but he refusing to lie with her he sent Letters by him to Joab to have him destroy'd who as he was directed set him in the Front of the Battle and retired