vs of the promyse made and of thys wyse hath he set before vs tokens of beneuolence and mercy to exercyse the fayth He hath also than permitted the lybertye to cate flesh the which the holy fathers before the floude dyd neuer vse Besyde thys gaue God a new commaundement of outwarde administration and commaunded more playnly that mansleyers shoulde lykewyse be putt to death by those that be lawfullye permittted that is by the officers Of thys wyse than is a new state of the worlde ordeyned agayn All these thynges haue I brefely recyted specially that euery man may call to minde and waye by hymselfe how great Gods wrath is for synne For God would cause the worlde to be more ware by this example because he wyliudge and auenge it is also shewed that God shall once iudge the whole worlde for he will not that synne be vnreuenged or vnpunished Some haue written that seynge the worlde hath fyrst be drowned with waters it maye be gathered by naturall reasons that it shall after thys be consumed wyth fyre Yea and this is worthy to be marked that they whiche belong to god are kept of him though they be few abiect and despised This is also to be noted in thys place that the ciuyll power is ordeined and punishment for manslaughter For that is nerehande the heade of all ciuill exercise of iustice after the which all other cases and trespaces ought to be iudged Of the Tower of Babel AFter the floude whan mankynd was now encreased the Tower of Babel and the citie of Babilon was begon to be buylded by the Chaldees that they might begyn a kyngdome ther and subdue to them other nations or people But thys enterpryse hath God ouerthrowen For whan they all vsed before one language it befell that after the commune speche was chaunged they spake one one maner of language another another so that they vnderstode not eche other Wherfore there was a diuision of speches and the worke it selfe was left vnperfect The posterite of Noe than was strowed here and ther in the world the which the fygure folowynge shall declare Sem the eldest sonne of Noe of whose kynred is Christe hath wyth hys childeren possessed that parte of Siria whiche is towarde the Easte For of Aram hys sonne came the Syrians of Assur came the Assyrians of Arphaxat came the Chaldeis of Elam are the Persyans spronge Cham the seconde sonne of Noe hath optayned that countrye whyche goeth towarde the South Of Canaan are come the Chananeis of Mizraim came the Egyptyans of Chus came the Ethiopians of Saba came the Arabians Iaphet the longest sonne of Noe went to the North and West and this is the father of vs all and therefore his name founde by the Poetes whych haue called him Iapetus Of his sonne Iauan or Iaon are the Grekes whiche are called Iones for they be the first Grekes And the voice Ianan or Iaon is no doute the same whom the Latines do call Ianus They vsed to paynte him with a double vysage before and behinde because that of hym be sprouge both the nations the Grekes and the Latines and as oft they would begynne any thinge they worshipped him wyth a spngulare honour by the whyche they wytnessed that they counted Iaon their father Iaons sonne was Cethim of whome are called the Macedones and thys confyrmeth the fyrste boke of the Machabees and the worde Machetim sygnifyeth in Hebrue of Cethim of the whiche is spronge the worde Macedo For Stephanus the expounder of Greke wordes wryteth that the auncient dyd saye Macetis Iaon had manye chyldren Elisa and Dodanim of the whiche haue their beginninge the Aeoles or Hellas and the Dodoneies all these are the first of the Grekes Of Tarsis Iaons sonne is Tharsus in Cilicia called Iaphet had other chylderen also Gomer Magog Tyras and Mesech Of Gomer are the Cunerij or Cimbry as witnesseth Eusebius Of Ascanes Gomers sonne came the Tuiscones that is the Germanes Of Magog are spronge the Scythe and of them are begonne the Turkes Of Thyras come the Thraces I haue brefelye shewed what part of the worlde eche of Noes chylderen hath possessed the which doeth greately auayle better to vnderstande many hystoryes Of the fyrst Monarchye THat it maye be vnderstande how the worke of God muste be knowen and honored in those thynges that the magistrate or superiorite doeth we haue aduertysed before in the preface that God willed to entertayne the world by foure Monarchies to the intent that policye iustice and correction mighte be entertayned amonge men for this cause are many thynges spoken here and there of these Monarchies in holy scripture God hath proposed them to Daniel two maner of waye First vnder the figure of a greate man whose heade was golden the brest of syluer the belly of copper the legges of yron the fete partely of earth partly also of yron And lest we should not know that then finally shal y â— end of the world be there is added how that the stone Christ doeth breake his fete that the man hymself do fall and so do the world cease Daniel hym self hath expounded this vision of the foure monarchies For he saieth that the head doth signifie the first kyngdome that is the Monarchie of the Assyrians The brest of siluer sygnifieth the kyngdome of the Persians The belly of copper signifyeth the kyngdome of the Grekes The legges of yron signifyeth the kyngdome of the Romanes The fete of yron and earth signifyeth the state of the Empire of Rome at this tyme namely that now a dayes is much lesse and weaker than it was wont to be The foure beastes shewed vnto Daniel do also pretende these foure kyngdomes The Lyonesse sygnifyeth the force of the Assyrians The Beere sygnifieth the Persian empyre The Leoparde signifieth Alexander By the fourth beast are the Romanes signifyed And there is added that besyde the Romaine empyre there shall ryse an other empyre full of cruelnesse and suche one that shall make a new lawe agaynst Gods worde And that is the Mahometish and Turkysh empyre now a dayes God wyll haue vs so truely warned that as we knowe the histories of al the worlde we should consyder that the tyme of finishyng be not farre of and that of this wise we should haue wherewith to confirme our faith In the Bible it is manifest that the fyrst kingdome beganne by Nemrod amonge the Babylonians and the scripture calleth him a valyaunt hunter before God that is a mighty prynce which wyth force subdued men to obeye And he is called a hunter before the Lorde as Gods hunter whereby it is signifyed that the ciuill power is ordeyned of God as a vengeaunce and that she be a minister of God Wherfore the fyrst Monarchye beganne by the Chaldeis as wytnesseth also Xenophon and the successors of Cham raygned fyrst of the whyche dyd Nemroth yssue For though Noe had cursed
gaue the priestes their tenthes agayne And because these are true feates of good princes therfore hath God geuen hym noble victories For when the kynge of the Assyrians besyeged HierusaleÌ„ he called vpon God for aide the citie was deliuered of the syege by the angel slaing the enemies Esaye the prophete was in the time of this kynge in great worshyp by whome the kynge was instructed in suche thinges as pertayne to the feare of God But in the syxte yeare of Ezechias gat the king of the Assyrians the citye of Samaria and led awaye the ten tribes of Israel in bondage The moost parte of thys were the people of God that were fallen from Iuda and had set vp a propre kyngdome But whan the kynges of Samaria were afrayed lest the people shoulde fall agayne to the kyngdome of Iuda the which was ordeined of God yf they shuld somtyme resorte to Hierusalem feastly to do theyr sacrifyce and to heare the word of God accordinge to the ordinaunce of the lawe they set vp a certayne peculiar or propre Gods seruice a propre doctrine and a sacrifice agaynst Gods worde and so haue they abused all thinges against the worde of God vnder pretence of Gods name to entertayne the priuate power of their kyngdome Agaynste this worship of God are sometyme sent prophetes to the sauegarde and conseruation of many in the meane season haue the mighty with al stubbernes kept their false gods seruice Wherfore God hath greuously punished these kinges wyth warres and vproures neither lasted the raigne of this empyre longe by any kyndred in so much also that at the last God suffred the kynges and people to be led away Duely oughte this example make vs afrayde that we learne to feare God For if god spared not the posterite of Abraham vnto the which happened so manifest promises and so great but hath sodenlye ouerthrowen theyr kingedome and cast them out who is so sure minded which can beleue that we shall escape fre But in myne opinioÌ„ that part of Samaria â–ª semeth to beare the figure of the churche of the East and of the Grekes for lyke as Israel caried away by the Assyrians into Samaria came neuer agayne euen so also the churche or congregacion of the East is vtterly destroied by the Saracens and Turkes And as it happened to the tribe of Iuda afterwarde I feare me lest it chaunce lykewyse also to the West parte It is to be feared truely that God shal handle vs more rygorously because of the greatnesse of our mysdedes Houbeit God woulde in the meane season blesse the sede of Abraham before all natioÌ„s Wherfore ought the godly reader consider this example by hymselfe and pray God that he wyll chasten vs with mercy and not to cast vs vtterly away This kyngdom dured only two hundreth and foure and fourty yeares That tyme verely was very shorte specially seyng thys people had soo excellent promises euen of outwarde goodes also and in the meane season had they warre also and vproures So litle doth God suffre the wicked seruice of God vnpunished The wastyng of the kyngdom of Samaria was done the thre thousande two hundreth and fourtieth yere after the creation of the world Manasse the sonne of Ezechias succeded his father in the kyngdom of Iuda and reigned fyue and fifty yeres The same restored the false Gods seruice for false zele of godlinesse he burned in sacrifice his own childreÌ„ He persecuted the prophetes Esay y â— most holy prophet hath he caused to be cut asunder with a sawe and slayne at the last was he taken oâ— his enemies and caryed awaye Howbeit whan he knowledged his trespasse and called hartyly vpon the Lorde he was taken frely to mercye and God hath set him for an example to synners that they doute not but that God shall haue mercy and asswage hys wrath vengeaunce if they turne from their wyckednesse Amon raigned two yeare he was a wycked kynge wherefore he dyed with the swearde of hys seruauntes Iosias raigned thyrty one yere he toke away the wicked worship of God He ouerthrew the chappels and Idols he coÌ„maunded to burne the bones of false prophetes In his tyme were the bokes of Moses found again which had many yeres be lost That truely is a notable example that wickednesse mens traditions doth grow so excedingly preuayle that holy scripture is so greatly despysed y â— euen the very bokes be lost But God so prouiding for seynge she is neuerthelesse at the last restored and brought to lyght This history no doute doth shewe the figure of the last times in the church to y â— which the true and sincere knowledge of the word shalbe opened euen before the ende of the worlde But though Iosias was a verye godly kynge yet wanted not he finally his errour For whan he had now liued in good peace a great whyle had done many noble actes beyng waxen hardy he thought he might haue no misfortune by reason of his godlynesse Wherfore he warred vpon the kyng of the Egiptians the whiche neuerthelesse demaunded condicions of peace But because he toke that warr by trust of mans power he dyed of a greâ—â— wounde that he had gotten in y â— battayll Ioachas raigned thre monethes and was caried awaye into Egipt Ioakim raigned two yeares In his time inuaded Nabuchodonosor kyng of Babylon all Iewry whose tributary he became many men were led away among the which was also Dauiel yet yonge Afterward whan Ioakim kepte not the bonde or treaty Nabuchodonosor came againe and takyng Ioakim caused him to be slayne at Hierusalem his body to be cast amongs y â— other dead carcases without the citie according to y â— prophesye of Ieremy which prophesyed that he shuld be buried as an asse Ioachim or Ieconias was kyng thre monethes Nabuchodonosor about this tyme beynge come agayn beseged the city Ieconias yelded him selfe frely through the counsel of Ieremy the prophet vnto whom God had reueled that HierusaleÌ„ shuld be destroyed the people caried away howbeit he shuld not wholy be destroied but y â— he shulde once come agayn Hierusalem shuld be buylded agayn Ieconias was kept in BabiloÌ„ by god because he had obeied y â— voice of the prophet the which we shall note hereafter The best of the people were led in captiuite at Babilon with â–ª Ieconias and also all the moost costlye vessels and ornamentes that were in the temple at Hierusalem Sedechias raygned eleuen yeres he fell from the kyng of Babilon whome he wolde not geue tribute for which cause Nabuchodonosor came again besieged the citie And though Ieremy counseled hym that he shuld yelde him self for it were so foreseen of god y â— the people â–ª shuld be led away and Iuda punyshed yeâ— would not he obey â—oldened and trustynge too Gods promyse that the people of Iuda should not perishe
This did Sedechias boaste and the hygh priests did interpretate the promyse of God peruerfly For God could neuerthelesse saue his people though he dyd suffre them to bee caried awaye and to be punished a certain space And thus was Ieremias prophecy despysed specially because it was so long differed nother did it so come to passe Beside this had the king of Babylon bene now thre times in Iewry yet had not profited in besieging the citie of HierusaleÌ„ Moreouer it was now y â— eleuenth yeare in the which many were fled out of the cytie the toune yet saued These thinges were the cause that after maÌ„s iudgement they stifly trusted that nothyng lesse shoulde be then that general destruction which Ieremy had prophecied Also was the citie euery where fortified with fortresses against the power of the enemies But Nabuchodonosor destroyed them wyth hunger for whan he besyeged the citie a yeare and an halfe it is saied that there was suche hunger that many did eate their owne children So stony hartâ—ed is mans nature in her purpose that where she was coÌ„strained with so great necessitie yet refuseth she to come and take succoure and consolacion of God For if they had yelded themselues after the prophetes counsayll though the banyshement had bene harde to them yet myght they haue had peace at the least waye with the aliens Finally when Sedechias toke the flyght he was taken after that sawe he his chyldren slayne in his presence but his iyes were put out the citie of Ierusalem was destroied the temple that God caused to be buylded was burnt the best of the people of the Iewes was caried awaye to Babylon into bondage this example ought earnestly admonyshe vs that God wyl not spare other kyngdomes and princes but that he wyll greueously punyshe synne seynge he hath vsed so greate rigour agaynst this kyngdome the whiche he hym selfe dyd set vp for the scripture witnesseth that God hath punyshed Iuda with innumerable kyndes of punishmentes for his synnes and added thoose synnes whiche were the chefest synnes namely despysyng of Gods worde the wicked worshyp of God tyranny agaynst the true preachers of Gods worde and prophetes The destruction of the citye happened the thre thousand thre hundreth and thre score and therten yeare sence the creation of the worlde The yeares From Dauid vntyll this spoylynge of the citie Ierusalem are fiue hundreth and sixten Hytherto remayned the kyngly name by the posteritie of Dauid amongest the whiche were many notable and renowmed kynges as the lyke in none other kyngdome For that kyngdome of Iuda had God specially created and gouerned it but because they were not without synne therfore were they punyshed of God and the kyngdome was chaunged For the kyngdome of Iuda was kept in captiuite in Babylon thre score and ten yeares howbeit in the meane season dyd God declare hymselfe so that it myght bee perceaued that hee cared for hys people and churche and that he neuer would forsake her For he sent notable prophetes as Daniel amongest the Babilonians whiche conuerted also Nabuchodonosor ye kyng For whan he was punyshed by Gods iudgement for his vngodlynesse and was become madde woodde so that he differred nothinge from a beast Daniel prayed God for him and he was restored afterward comminge to hys ryght mynde agayn from hys wyckednesse he renounced hys Idolatry and as he was taughte of Daniell he toke vpon him Gods true seruice After Nabuchodonosor raygned his sonne Euilmerodach The same commaunded to entreate Iechonias the kyng honestlye and accordinge to hys kyngly dignitye the which by the coÌ„maundemente of Ieremy the prophete yeldynge him selfe frely went also in exyle And after this wise dyd god fortunate this kyng which beleued the wordes of the prophete though he was in daunger for a season Of this wyse verelye was Dauids kynred saued from destruction by God through gods prouidence the which we shall declare at large hereafter After Euilmer odach succeded Balthasar in the kingdome The same was a despiser of godlinesse Gods word he restored of a new the old abrogate Idolatry of the Chaldeis he vsed the vessels that were caried from the temple of IerusaleÌ„ at his bankettes he mocked the God of the Iewes and for a reproche he caused to be songe that the God of the Chaldeis was a true God greater than the God of the Iewes But what happened These blasphemous voices brought the destruccion of the whole kyngdome For ther was clerely sene a hande that wrote vpon the wall that Balthasar should perysh with all his kingdome The same happened the very same night for the Medes and Persians fell sodenly vpon the Babylonians and gat the kyngedome and killed the kynge Balthasar This example witnesseth also that the blasphemies agaynste God remayne not vnreuenged Now hath the tyme of the first monarchy an ende vntyllthe Perses and kynge Cirus Betwene the byrth of Abraham and kyng Cirus are a thousand foure hundreth and four scor and fyften yeares in the which was y â— monarchy first by the Chaldeis after that by the Assyrians But whan it beganne to be alienated now preuailed the Assyrians than the Babilonians vntill the Medes and Perses dyd growe and finally gat Cyrus Babylon recouering the Monarchy and makyng all one It is chefely to be consydered that the whole kingdome of the Iewes is coÌ„prehended vnder the tyme of this fyrst monarchy where by it is euident that the Iewes are most auncient people and that only their histories are certayn and true of the first kyngdomes of the worlde Of the Grekes WE shall now note brefely the state of the Grekes in the tymes of the fyrst Monarchye where by it shalbe easely gathered that the histories of the Iewes are much more auncient than the Grekes for all their histories are written after the fyrst Monarchy Nether can the Grekes rehearse any thyng certayue or of longer space than that theyr Olympiades do shewe But the Olympiades began the eyght thertyth yere of kynge Osias And if that be diligently rekened it shall appeare to be about two hundreth yeare before the monarchye of the Peries But because of vnlearned readers I shall leaue the Olympiades and shewe brefely what hath happened by the Grekes in the tyme of the fyrste monarchye The country of Grece had no certayne kyng as other nacions but there were in it partly many prynces partly also mighty cityes sundry greate chaunges happened with the princes For the cityes encreasyng in puyssaunce coulde not well suffre Princes as we haue sene in Italy in oure dayes and as I shall afterward set some examples which are profytable to know and haue true wytnesse of hystoryes For there are fewe historyes withe the Grekes before the battayl of Troye Of the battayl of Troye THE battayll of Troie happened before the tyme of Dauid the whiche maye be proued by the
bee God for they knewe ryght well that they were wood and stone but they were of this opinion that this worke and this seruice pleased God and that he would be worshipped of this maner where as yet God wil not be worshypped by vnfaythfulnesse without onely Christe by what maner of worke or fashion soeuer it be And so could thei neuer be sure whether God were fauourable to them for no man can surely persuade hymselfe the same without the manifest promyse of God and without Christ The heade then of all Idolatry is to truste in a peculiar and in a forged worshyp of God excogitated of hys awne hed and in the meane season neuerthelesse to doubte in tribulations whether God will be fauourable This doute I saye is the principall parte of Idolatry And the vngodly whiche neuerthelesse estemeth hym self good and wise doth in this point much differ from the tren christian godly Such an vngodly man hath goodly vertues very shynyng workes but his hart doubteth whether God be fauourable to him As for a godly man and true Christian may wel be lesse then he coÌ„cerning other vertues but in his hart he is surely persuaded that he is in the fauour of God according to y e promises for sitting in a chere vpoÌ„ the denne prophecied of thinges to come out of the whiche denne in the meane whyle came smoke blast of windes Of this wise is it sayd to haue bene happened at Delphis After that these prophecies were supposed to be written of the priestes as vndouted south saynges and because they were doutfully written they might bee taken diuersly These were deceates of the deuel wherewith he begiled the worlde Of Homerus and Hesiodus BY the Grekes only were first the best learned poetes whiche were partly musicians partly priestes some of them also were w 〈…〉 sene in phisyck and astronomy These comprysed their wysdome and learnyng with verses short sentences But among them whose workes are yet manyfest were Homerus and Hesiodus the chiefe Cassius writteth that Homerus liued after the battaill of Troie thre hundreth and thre scor 〈…〉 yeres and before the fondacion of Rome euen there about whyche maye bee gathered to haue bene about that tyme when Iosaphat reigned in Iewry His dwellyng was at Smyrna whiche lieth in the forth part of Asia where the moost auncient of the Grekes dwelled whiche were called Iones and Acolidas And all though Homerus was not myghtye in gouernaunce of the common wealth it semeth yet that he vsed the coÌ„pany of the greatest princes of all Greke For he described of the best m 〈…〉 ner the kynred and ofspringe nearehande of a 〈…〉 princes and his bokes are euen a myrour of all ciuyl occupation and princely vertues For he hath paynted and set forth all thynges that can befall in gouerning a commune welth Besydes this also what is the duety of princes and great men in there counsels gathered together and in other afferes whatsoeuer they be he hath set them forth so conningly that he semeth to be most exercysed in parliamentes and diuising of most weyghty matters apperteining to kingdomes Moreouer the sage wryters dyd neuer prayse so highly no poetes writing as the poetry of Homer the whiche Alexander the great would neuer suffre to be out of his handes because he might haue wherout he might be admonished and taught of the duety and vertues of an excellent kynge Hesiodus as wytnesseth Porphirius lyueth an hundreth yeare after Homer He was a neighbure or priest of the mount Helicon where was a greate and a famous temple His writinges are for the most parte sermones of good maners For they are short sentences comprisinge the pyth of all kynd of vertues but they treate nothinge of Christe For thys heauenly doctryne was hydden to the Gentyls Thys poetes writinges conteyne also as it were a iust and perpetuall Kalendar ordeyned after the course of the Sonne and the obseruation of those starres whiche shewe the difference of the yeare Thys boke is worthy to be learned by rote of yonge chyldren and it semeth that wyse men of Grece haue in tymes past apprehend theyr chyldreÌ„ here to knowe these noble sciences But the poet Hesiodus a man of notable learnynge and temperaunce at the ende dyed wretchedly by some of hys frendes whych dyd euyl recompence hym for hys good dedes Of the buildinge of the citye Rome PRoca Kynge of Alba had two sonnes Numitor and Amulius Nowe had the father determined to geue the kyngdom to hys sonne Numitor because he was the elder but Amulius that was the yonger droue hym out and vsurped to hym the kyngdome And lest he myght feare any dauÌ„ger by the yssue of Numitor he stew hys sonne Agistus by fraude hys brothers doughter â–ª Rhea Syluia bounde he wyth a vowe of perpetual chastitye in the company of the virgins Uestales But she beynge made greatwith chylde brought forth two twynnes whych afterwarde were called Romulus and Remus But whan Amulius knew of thys dede he caused the mother to be kept in pryson and the chyldren to be trowen into the floude of Tyber to drowne them Whan the chyldren were now set at the brinke of y e water by chaunce came a wolfesse out of the nexte mountaynes which gaue theÌ„ soucke vntil they were founde of the Kynges shepherde who bringinge them home toke them hys wyfe to nouryshe Wherfore whan they were waxen greate and herde of the pretended murther in theyre youth of Amulius and that the Kyngdome was taken from theyr vncle Numitor by force they determyned to auenge the tyranny and by occasion slew kynge Amulius restorynge theyr vncle Numitor into his Kyngdome Of thys wyse doth God not suffre vnrighteousnesse to be vnpunished Romulus and Remus brethren buylded afterwarde a citye in hat place where they were founde and layde Whan stryfe was rysen amonge the brethren for so much as they were equal in age strength whiche of them shulde raygne they agreed that the Gods should iudge it so that whose shulde haue the greater flyght or voyces of byrdes the same shulde beare rule To Remus therefore dyd fyrst flye syxe great rauens afterwarde flew twelue for Romulus Now whan Remus demaunded the Kyngdome by reason of the fyrst flyght ther rose agayne debate betwene the brethren It is a wonder how fearcely mens myndes betossed wyth couetousenes to beare rule nother can it lightelysuffer and be quiet But what nedeth many wordes At the last rayse a commotion Remus was slayne and Romolus raygned alone of whome also hath Rome the name By this appeareth that y e citye of Rome was buylded by the posteritye of Eneas For Syluia the mother of Romulus had hyr sprynge of Eneas But for as muche as Romulus Father was vnknowen they fayneth that the god Mars was he because of a more honester cloke or pretence of the â—aute But how Romolus dyd ordeyne hys kyngdom
what warres he made doth Titus liuius wryte I wyll only shewe brefely the ordre of the tymes and what notable chaunges of realmes are happened in the meane whyle that euery man maye knowe what is chefely to be marked in readynge of all hystoryes nother shall we also passcouer these wonders that are happened by some heauenly prouideÌ„ce that we may se that vnryghteousnes is punyshed of God and for what causes coÌ„mune wealthes and Kyngdomes are chaunged Pomponius Atticus and some other whych reken the nomber of yeares mooste dyligently doeth affirme that the citye of Rome was begonne to be buyldeth in the begynnynge of the thyrde yeare of the syxte Olympias that is the tenth yeare of Ioathan Kynge of Iuda but after the creation of the worlde the thre thousand two hundreth and one Rome was before Christes byrth seuen hundreth and nyne tweÌ„tyyeare I wyl also adde that Varro wryteth the twelue great rauens to sygnifye the tyme and lastyng of the citye namely a thousande and two hundreth yeare For euery great raâ—en shulde sygnifye a Seculum that is a hundret yeare and this is no euyll interpretacion For from the begynnynge of the cityes buyldynge vntyll the tyme of Honorius and Archadius whan it was destroyed of the Gotes was a thousand and thre hundreth yeares The kynges raygned at Rome two hundreth and foure and forty yeares as wytnesseth Liuius Eusebius addeth also two yeares Romulus xxxviij Numa xliij Tullius hostilius xxxij Alha the citye and punyshed theyr gouernoure which was a true breaker wyth dew punyshment He gaue anotable example to men therin how traytours ought to be punyshed For he caused hym to be bounde and stretched out betwene two wagons and with horsses dryuen sundery wayes to be pulled insunder and toren to peces The kyngdome of Alba ceasyd here and this happened alytle before that tyme whan Manasses raygned in Iewry Whan Alba was ouerthrowen the posteritye of the Troyans chefely of Iulius the sonne of Eneas write to Rome leauynge Alba the whych after warde became myghty by the Romanes toke all the monarchy alone in the tyme of Iulius Cesar Therfore was it well prophecyed of Homerus concernynge Eneas that hys posteritye should haue dominion euerlastingly and that is no doubte to be vnderstande of the Romane dominion for theyr monarchy is the last But we shall speake more larger of these thynges hereafter after Tullus Hostylius succeded in the kyngdome and raygned Ancus Martius xxiiij Tarquinius Priscus xxxviij Seruius Tullius xliiij In his tyme began the monarchy of the Persians and for because I myght be brefe therfore wylled I also to comprehende here the kynges of Rome because they for the moste parte all reygned before the monarchy of the Perses durynge the whiche few thynges worthy of remembraunce are befallen by the Romanes vndoutedly whose puyssaunce was not great before that tyme. Tarquinius Superbus raygned xxv yeares was dryuen out of the kyngdom for the abhominacion of his sonne Sextus Tarquinius the which did by violence misvse the moste honeste wyfe Lucrece whiche moued with shamfastnes of such wickednes pearced herself with a swearde eueÌ„ through the hart Her kynsfolke moued with the wickednes of the dede droue out the kynge This example doth also witnesse for what causes God doth suffre kyngdomes to be changed and tyranny to be punished This is ynough spoken of the beginnyng of the foundacion of the citie and whence happened the first chaunge of the common wealth ¶ Of the second Monarchye WHen the Iewes had bene thre score and ten yeares in exile by the Babylonians as we haue sayde before the kyng of Babylon Balthasar was punyshed of God â–ª because he blasphemed the God of Israel and vsed the vessels that were ordeined for the tempels vse in his bankettes For the Medes and Perses were fallen into his kyngdome and toke the citie of Babylon with the kyngdomes of Chaldee and Assyrya Worthely therfore is this to bee called the seconde monarchye For the greatest kyngdomes of the worlde began now to growe together too the whiche all Asianearehande was ioyned afterward by the Persians Here ought y â— godly mynd before all thynges to consyder these noble benefytes and workes of God whiche brought agayne all thee worlde in one certayn body and a lawfull empyre that iustice and honestie myght be mainteined For it were necessary that all ciuilitie and good lawes should peryshe amonge men without God chose and ordeined somtyme myghty monarchyes and puyssaunt princes the whiche might defende them and if they were decayed to restore them agayne This monarchy of the Persians was knowento the Grekes and for the moste parte are happened in this monarchies tyme whatsoeuer notable and greate fetes are done in Grece And thereby commeth that the Grekes begyn their histories at the Persians the whiche it semeth to haue litle knowledge what hath bene done in other kyngdomes before the Persians tymes As for the order of the yeres in histories I must here aduertyse the reader that I haue hetherto borowed the rekenyng of the yeares out of holy scriptures the whiche shewe by order the counte of the yeares euen from the creation of the worlde untyll these seuenty yeares in the which the Iewes were kept in the Babylonicall bannyshment Moreouer in the holy Bibels are conteyned certayne Cronicles of the yeares vntyl the tyme of the Perses but after that is thee order of the yeres not so wel kept saue that Daniel saith that there are four hundreth and seuenty yeares from that tyme that it was graunted to the Iewes to repare the citye Ierusalem vntyll Christ was borne And of so easy a thynge some men maketh a great question of countinge these yeares a ryght in the which we shall shewe to be no difficultye For Daniel hath very well expressed and marked the tyme of Christes coÌ„minge The begynnynge of the Monarchye of the Persians BUt that the nombers do agre wyth the seuenty yeares aforesayde we shal reken in the Monarchy of the persyans a hundreth nynety and one yeare Although the Grekes do reken the nomber of these yeares greater in the Monarchy of the perses Howbeyt thys is come thereby that the Grekes haue not begonne fyrst to reken whan these seuenty yeares were expyred but that about a twenty yeares before And of this wyse must the rekenynge of Philo and other Grecians be made equal For the Iewes begynne in the yere of Cyrus after that he had wonne the cytie Babylon But the Grekes reken those yeares wythal also the which he had reygned before but they are not to be referred to the yeares ensuynge Moreouer that the matter maye the better be vnderstande accordynge to the order of Philo we shall fyrst rehearce the high priestes after that shall we also adioyne the Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them But he that vnderstandeth Cyrus kyngdome to beginne after the conquerynge of Babylon
But in the seuenth moneth after thys victory was Seleucus slayne by Ptolome Ceraunus brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus These are dredefull examples of the settynge vp and fall of so great kynges which worthely oughte to styrre vs to feare God lest we thynke to do great thynges by mans counsell and oure wysedome Antiochus Soter the sonne of Seleucus raigned in Syria after the death of his father Antiochus Theos his sonne had fyrst to wife Laodice wherof he had two sonnes Seleucus Callinicus Antiochus which was surnamed Hierax Ptolomeus Philadelphus gaue to the same Berenice his doughter afterward to wyfe But whan Antiochus was deade Laodice constrayned Seleucus her sonne to take the kyngedome and to take his stepmother Berenice Seleucus folowed his mothers counsell besieged hys stepmother finally brought her to yelde willyngly wyth great promises But kepynge no promyse he caused that the quene was put to death very cruelly For Daniel had prophesyed openlye that the quene of Egypt should suffre such a thynge and that the kyng of Egypt should reuenge the same For whan thys cruel dede was done Ptolemeus Euergetes brother to Berenice went into Syria droue Seleucus out of the kyngdome and takynge in many cytyes returned into Egypte Afterward whan Seleucus had recouered some harte he woulde recouer the kyngdome agayne and requyred ayde of hys brother Antiochus Hierax he was very yong and trusted by this occasyon to optayne the whole kyngdome For whan peace was made betwene Ptolomeus Seleucus Hierax inuaded his brother Seleucus kyngdome to the which thynge he vsed the ayde of straunge souldyours For the Galathians which Brennus brought out of Germany into Grece went farther into Asia beynge hyred wyth those kynges wages which had diuerse warres agaynst eche other These Galathians had thaÌ„ geuen them those landes in Asia that they dwelled in Of whom they be called Galathians vnto whom S. Paule the apostle preached the Gospell Nether is it anye doubte but that they were Germanes For the Grekes dyd calle wyth one worde the Germanes and Gallies Celte by chaungyng of the worde was the name Galate set for Celte Finally ouercame Antiochus his brother Seleucus with the ayd of the Galathians but Antiochus was lykewyse vanquyshed of the kyng of Asia lesyng a great deale of the kyngdome of Syria than was he constrayned to flye to king Ptolomeus Euergetes whan he was so receaued of hym that he should go no wher he wold haue fled but whan thys counsell was perceaued he was put to death This ende finally gat Antiochus Hierax Aboute y â— tyme nearehand fell Seleucus his brother from a horsse dyed This miserable fortune end had these two bretheren which had done many wicked dedes Antiochus the great inuaded the kynge of Egypt Ptolome Philopater wyth warre but he was dryuen back Afterwarde whan Philopater was deade he returned into Egypt with an army but the Romanes had taken the child Ptolomeus Epiphanes into their wardshyp to whom he was committed as a warde This was an occasion of a great warre which was betwene the Romanes Antiochus Hanniball toke part with Antiochus which was captaine in this warre a certayn space and many more contries of Grece dyd stycke to Antiochus But beynge weakened by reason of some mishappe he was dryuen to demaunde conditions of peace Than left the Romanes hym only y â— parte of the royalme whiche lieth beyond the hyll Taurus besyde this was he constrayned to sende his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes to Rome in hostage But at the last whan Antiochus spoyled the ryche temple of Belus in Siria he was oppressed of the communalty inhabityng there whych slew hym hys company euery one This was the ende of Antiochus the great Hierusalem had metely good rest sence the tyme of Alexander vntyll Antiochus the great But whan the warre betwen these two kynges was raysed by reason the Iewes laye betwene them both they were a lytle oppressed vexed of both parties And though Ierusalem dyd hetherto stycke more to Egypte yet was it nether subiecte to Syria nor Egypte Howbeit Ptolomeus Epiphanes sent a capitayne one Scopa against Antiochus which toke in certayne townes of Syria and part of Iewry Howbeit whan Antiochus had vanquished the same by y e Iordane he went farther tyll he came at IerusaleÌ„ Than did the Iewes kneling yelded theÌ„selues frely to him makyng also a commune league betwene them and the kyng for thys cause dyd the kyng Antiochus suffer them to lyue in peace asysted them in repayryng y e citye Ierusalem And of this wyse though they semed to be in daunger in the tyme of this warre by reason of the neighburhead â–ª yet lyued they quietly vnder this Antiochus Antiochus the great left after him thre sonnes Seleucus surnamed Philopator Antiochus Epiphanes Demetrius After y e fathers death raygned Seleucus a few yeres the other two brethren were kept in hostage at Rome Whan Antiochus Epiphanes knew of his fathers death he â—led priuely froÌ„ Rome as he was come againe into Syria he was made king For Seleucus was vnmete to rule nether liued he long after his fathers death This Antiochus Epiphanes truely was a man of much subtelty hardinesse had well learned by the example of the Romanes to apply himselse to the tyme and maners of euery man For he could easely forbeare and suffre euery man that he was with he was a wyse man wyth y e wyse â–ª agaynwyth vnbrydeled youth he folowed such exercise as he knew them to delyte in He procured the fauour of the comon people with familiaritye beneuolence and whan he made any costly banket he caused great summes of mony to be cast among y e people For his vnbrydeled maners was he called Epimanes for Epiphanes For Epimanes signifieth madde but Epiphanes signifieth noble His raigne began the hundreth seuen and thyrtyeth yeare after Alexanders death And whan he possessed now hys kingdomes that came to hym by heretage he went into Egypte For about y e tyme dyed Ptolomeus Epiphanes the same had to wyfe Cleopatra the syster of Antiochus Epiphanes the which vnder that pretence began to vsurpe y e kingdome of Egipt as if he were tutor of the yong king called Ptolomeus Philometor Nether shewed he himself otherwyse but with all gentlenesse beneuolence toward his cosin willed that Memphis other great cities shuld yeld them to the kyng y â— vnder suche a pretense he mighte by lytle and lytle draw to him the whole realme Whan he had now finished all thinges he left the kingdome and went to Ierusalem that at the request of Iâ—â—oâ— which coueted the dignitye of the hygh presthode by the meane of Antiochus For so stode the case thaÌ„with the Iewes that they myghte optayne the hyghe priesthode by decepte by conspiracion offoren kynges oppressinge slayenge in the meane season
worthynesse yt is my mynde to praise some princes aboue the other For I iudge it to be pertaynynge to the duety of euery history wryter that he do nowe and than turne asyde into the rehearsall of the most best vertues and shewe them to the reader for a shewe as an example to folow Now in mens assaires can nothinge â—e more honeste nor more pleasaunt than the consyderacion and knowledge of princely vertues in great men Wherfore I woulde oure Germane Emperours were so set before the eyes of our Germanes that they myght know theyr vertues and wonder at them wonder it is how greatly the same wolde helpe and further to the amendement and also rayse a flame in the hartes of good men to folowe In my iudgement are these princes doutelesse suche whyche be worthy farre to be preferred before the auncient Romanes whether ye wyll regarde wysedome or strength or finally the endeuour of honesty and modestye The rehearsall of the Germane Emperours Carolus magnus Ludouicus pius the sonne of Carolus magnus â–ª After the syxe Saxons Henricus the fyrste Otho the greate Otho the second Otho the thyrd Henricus y â— .ij. which is buried at Bamberch Lotharius the Saxon. Item these Frankes Cunradus Henricus the sonne of Cunradus Item these Schwaben Fridericus Barbarossa Fridericus the second Afterward Rodolphus Sigismundus Maximilianus Of Germany and occasyon of the kyngdome of the Frankes ALl Germany was not subiecte to the empyre but had onely those contryes that are betwene the Rene and the Danow And much worke had the Emperoures before oure nacion could be subdued and kept For in the tyme of Augustus had Drusus warres and Germanicus afterwarde Caius and after him Vitellius Domitianus Traianus had subdued the lower Germany vntyll Moganus Maximinus was come vntyll Schwartzwald Valerianus was wyth an hoost in hygh Germany After hym vnder Galienus the Frankes beynge sett in a commotion began to ryse but by the Emperoures folowynge were theyr violences sometyme assuaged For Aurelianus vanquyshed them by Mayntz Probus had many and noble victoryes in lowe Germany Constantinus buylded the citye Spyre Iulianus Valentinianus and Theodosius dyd lykewyse subdue the Alemans Frankes and the contries that lye by the Rhene and toke in Schwaben land also But after that the power of the Frankes and Alemans begonne to encrease the Emperours returned not into Germany Some fable diuersly of the fyrst begynnynge of the Frankes but it is certayne that they were hyghe Germanes in Augustus tyme. For we haue no certaynty of the Germanes estate out of histories before Augustus But that the Frankes were in suche estimacion by the hygh Germanes that it can easely be proued out of Strabo who wrote an history in the tyme of Auguste and warrefared wyth the Romanes As for Strabo sayeth that the Frankes were ioynyng to the Vindelici that is Bayerlanders vpon the which they border partly at thys tyme also The commotion of the Frankes beganne by thys occasyon In the tyme of Galianus the Emperoure was Posthumus captayne in Germany the same was made Emperoure by the people for hys syngular honestye and vertues in gouernynge the empyre Galienus in the meane season lyued in ydelnesse and pleasure at Rome But whan Galienus hearde that Posthumus was made Emperoure he sent against hym an apointed army Posthumus likewyse commaunded his men to be in a readinesse among the whiche were euen the Frankes the principall And though Posthumus was afterwarde slayne priuely by an intrap yet the Frankes once prouoked to weapons remayned alway in the settyng forth to warre and came downe from Moganus to the Rene and ouer the Rene toke they first the citie Trier from the Romanes and afterwards went into fraunce But after that they had foughteÌ„ against Attila with the Romanes they were alway in great fauour wyth the Emperours in so muche â–ª that Iustinianus the Emperoure through a conuenaunt made with the Frankes suffred them to haue and inhabite that parte of Gallia whiche at this tyme is yet called Francia or Fraunce Wherefore the Frankes toke in both the contreis of the Ryne and parte of Fraunce and both the contreis were maynteined by one common kyngly gouernaunce The histories make euery where mencion of great prayses of the Frankes partely for their goodly polycy and prosperitie in gouernyng their kyngdome but specially because they embraced the Christen religioÌ„ in the begynnyg of the kyngdome and wylled it to be publyshed and spred abrode In the meane tyme dyd the Alemans decyuer from the Romyshe empyre also The Alemans were the hygh Germanes whiche now are called Schwaben Schweitzer Baier Therefore when the Romane Monarchy was sundered then was Germany first deuyded in Alemanes and Frankes But in the time of Pipine father to Charles the greate became the Frankes lordes of the Almaines and therfore as the empyre was thus deuided they called hygh Germany the Easte kyngdome and lowe Germany wyth Fraunce the West kyngdome And by thys partynge of the kyngdomes remayne the names yett in Germany The elders of Charles the greate were princes of Germany and Lordes of the courte and that more is the chefe gouernours by the kynges of the Frankes and by the commission of their office were called Grande maysters It is also sayed that thesame was theyr duchy dominion by enheritaunce where now is the countyshyp of Palatine about the Rene syde For certayne it is that the fyrst sprynge of the stocke of the Palatine commeth of Charles the greates yssue But at the last when the kyngly progeny decreassed and fayled by processe of tyme more and more and that these princes became more myghtyer it came topasse by the consent of the byshop of Rome that the gouernaunce of the kyngdome was brought ouer to the princes and Pipinus beyng made kyng of thys wyse gouerned both Germany and Fraunce When Pipinus was deade Charles surnamed the greate was kynge of the Frankes two and thyrty yeares before he was Emperoure and after that he was made Emperoure he reygned fourtene yeares Of this wyse reygned he both in the kingdome and empyre together .xlvi. yeares when they be counted together He was boren in Ingelheim in the county of Palatine not farre from the cytie Mentz In the begynnynge of his reigne warred he agaynst the Saracens in Gascon afterward warred he about thirty yeares with the Saxons the whiche he subdued at the last and made them to obeye the empyre embrace the ChristeÌ„ faith besyde other many and great battails whiche he had in the meane season also Desiderius kyng of the Lombardes coueted the dominion of whole Italy goyng to Rome caused some of the chefe cytesens to be put to death Wherfore Adrianus the byshop of Rome sendyng ambassadours to Charles desyred he woulde come and rydde Italy and Rome out of daunger For Pipinus the father of Charles had also before delyuered Rome from the tyranny
thinhabitances of thesayd contry of Coppenhagen denyed them their requsst kyng Christiane beseged the sayd citye wyth such power and troubled them so sore on euery syde that no victualles might come at them by no maner of meanes In so muche that wythin short space victualles waxed so scant and famme so increaâ—led wythin the cyty that they were glad to vse dogges fleshe for theyr meate and also cattes And when thys prouisyon dyd also fayle them and no deliueraunce eppeared of no part for they hoped that Frederike the Palatine who had taken to wyfe the doughter of kyng Christierne as before is mentioned should haue moued battayll agaynst the Duke of Holstone whyche came not to passe they yelded vp the cyty to the chosen kynge Christian aboue mencyoned Durynge thesayed siege the kynges souldiours ouercame Warborough and toke that false Capytayne of the Lubekes called Markes Mayer prysoner who wyth hys brother Gerard Mayer and a Danysh pryeste was quartered shortly after After that thesayd Christian had ouercome and subdued the hole kyngdome of Denmarke accordyng to the duety of all godlye kynges and prynces he directed all hys doynges and procedynges to thys ende that the worde of God myghte be purely and syncerely preached and taughte to hys pore subiectes in all partes of hys dominions But when he perceyued the preuy practises which the Bishoppes of that lande for they were in a maner the mightyest of both the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Norway imagined and purposed to worke against hym to hyndre his godly enterprise and to mayntayne their Idolary he toke them all seuen for so many were they in nombre and deposed them from their power and dignitie so that they were not able any more to make diuision sedicion or commotion within his kyngdome as they were wonte to do When this was done he sent messengers to Wit tenbourgh and called for the right honorable and well learned doctor Iohn Bugenhaghe borne in the dominion of Pomerlande who is yet at thys daye preacher of Goddes worde and minister or curate at the parysh Churche at Wittenbourgh as he was then This godly man came at the kynges request and by the helpe of God establyshed in bothe the kyngdomes the preaching of the Gospell and the true ministracion of the Sacramentes very frutefully so that within the space of thre yeres for so long was he by about the kyng all the paryshes of the lande which were aboue .xxiiii. thonsande in nombre were prouided and furnyshed with preachers and ministers hauing Super attendenres ordeyned and appointed ouer them to haue the ouersyght of them and to haue an earnest respecte and a watchefull eye to their doctrine and conuersation of lyuing He crowned also kyng Christian at Coppenhaghe in the presence of all his nobles with the kyngly crowne of the land of both the kyngdomes And after this at the kinges request he prouided and furnyshed the high Scole or vniuersitie of Coppenhaghe with Lecures and Reders of holy scripture and of all other laudable sciences For the better increase and furnyshyng whereof he called for certayne learned men froÌ„ Wittenbourgh although the lande was not all voyde of suche men before To the mayntenaunce of whiche Godly order and institucion of doctrine as wel in the Churche as in the vniuersytie the kyng gaue large gyftes and appoynted great liuynges And he set such an order in both the kyngdomes that his subiectes may be glad and geue God hygh thankes that of his goodnes he woulde sende them suche a kyng God sende hym longe to reigne among them and styrre vp the like in many other regions to the praise and sanctifycacion of hys moste holy name Amen Henry the eyght kyng of Englande had his imbassadours certayne monethes at Wittenbourgh whiche accordynge to the kynges request caryed wyth them in Englande certayne wel learned doctours to preache the Gospell of Christ within hys Realme and dominions whereof the hole congregacion of Christ thoroughout all Germany conceiued a speciall reioysynge and comforte But alas their ioye was not longe permanent for the saied kyng within two yeares after repelled them and caused some of them to be put to death as here tikes And Englyshe men haue had a certayne prophecy of great antiquitie that when saynt Georges daye should fall on good frydaye whiche is in the yeare of oure lorde MD. xlvi the worde of God shoulde myghtely increasse and taken place among them which I praye God graunt vnto theÌ„ to his prayse and glory This yere in England also the lorde Darcy syr Fraunces Bygot Syr Robert Constable other began a newe conspyracy whiche were attaynted and put to death in Iune This yere in October in England also on saynt Edowardes euen was Prince Edowarde borne at Hampton Court whiche was proclaimed anoynted kyng of Englande the .ix. yere of his age as shal be declared hereafter in due place This yere the .xiiij. daye of October also dyed Quene Iane mother to the saied Prince Edward and was buried at Winsor This yere did Iames the kyng of Scotlande puyssaunt kyng Iohn of Portingale Sonne to the excellent kyng Emanuell had a great conflicte and victory agaynst the infideles in the Realme of Cambaia or Guzuratum lyeng in the Indes For after that he had by his capitaines specially by Nonne a Cugria who was ruler and gouernour of the kinges army in the Indes destroyed the coastes lieng towardes the Indysh sea subiecte to the kyng of Cambaia and when the same kyng was not able to resyste hym although he was of power to brynge foure hundred thousand men in Campe he made a gentle agrement with the Portyngalles and delyuered them two mighty cities with all their abilyties priuiledges liberties and dominions whereof the one is called Bazaim and the other Dium this the stronger and the other the rycher Whiche haue both vnder them about a syx hundreth Villages with certayn smal townes and srutesul landes contayning in length about a .lxxx. myles or leaques wherof the king hath yerely an C. thousand crewnes at the least in bare tribute besydes the woode whence for the mooste part all the prouision is takeÌ„ that is occupied for the shyppes in the Indes with other aduauntages In those partes caused the kyng of Portingall the Christian fayth to be planted and at the last kyng Badur of Cambaia for so was he called when he was inuaded by kyng Dey who was kynge of the Scythians and of the Tartares fled with all his treasure mother wyfe and chyldren into the Cytie of Dyum whiche he had geuen vp before desyrynge succour and defence against his enemy So that by this meanes the king of Portyngall had obtayned the moste parte of all the lande of the Indes vnder his tuition and defence without any notable shedyng of bloude These actes are described at large by the sayed kyng in a
hys sonne Cham yet neuerthelesse dyd God in the meane whyle by a wonderfull destiny differ the vengeaunce and promise Howbeit the kyngdome remayned not by the posteryte of Nembroth For there rose a newe kyngdome by the Assirians thorough Assur by whome also the citye Niniue was buylded Oute of Niniue went the Assyryans and subdued the cytye of Babylon the whyche Diodorus Siculus doeth wryte and by thys occasyon is the Monarchye translated from the Chaldeis to the Assyrians Strabo and other dyd make mention of the citye Niniue that it lyeth in Assyria whereby it may easely be gathered that Niniue and Babilon haue ben two seuerall cityes not one of dyuerse names Many kynges are there rehcarsed in thys Monarchye Howbeit seyng ther is nothing notably written of their dedes it maketh no greate matter to rehearse their names onely onely this behoueth it the reader to remembre that this Monarchye beganne neare hande before the ende of the fyrste two thousande yeares whiche were accomplished before that tyme whan Abraham was fyftye yeare olde Hetherto haue wee treated of the fyrste age of the worlde in the which may be sene of the creation of the worlde of the churche and ciuyll administration ordeined of God besyde that of other wonderfull dedes shewed in the world by god But the churche came from Noe the patriarche vntyll Abraham whiche was eyght and fyftye yeare olde whan Noe dyed In the meane whyle whan this Monarchye beganne vngodlynesse and idolatry beganne to ryse here and there in Babylon and the true worde of God was in the meane tyme quenched seconde boke of the Cronicles of the foure Monarchies the whiche lykewyse comprehendeth two thousand yeares FOrasmuche it is before all thynges necessary and profytable in histories to consider the times and order of thinges that are happened I willed to parte this Cronicle in most greate and certaine nombers whiche maye easely be perceaued and kepte in memorye in the whiche neuerthelesse mighte be comprehended the most and principall chaunges of the worlde After than that we haue finished the first age we shall vndertake to speake of the two thousande yeares folowynge in the whiche also appeared the greatest power of the worlde and the most greatest monarchies haue folowed in order Of the fyrst Monarchye of the Assyrians Ninus kyng of the Assyryans WE haue admonished afore that the Chaldeis haue raigned first by the Babylonians but they remayned not longe in the empyre but that the Assirians the neighboures of the Chalde is obtained the kingedome and they beginne the history of kyng Ninus which beynge become moste puyssaunt in the Easte at the last also had warre wyth Zoroastres kynge of the Bactrians It is sayde that thys Soroastres fand fyrst wytchcraft and to haue taughte the course of heauen and the starres wyth great diligence As the warre was fynyshed that Ninus had wyth Soroastres he dyed leauynge hys heyre a yonge sonne Of quene Semiramis SEmiramis the mother of the chylde ruled her selfe after the kynges decease For the feared in so newe a kyngdome and where they were not all yet of their fre wyll subdued that for the chyldes youth the people mighte haue speded to rebellion and lest she shoulde be despysed by reason of woman kynde wherfore she vsed mans garment and fayned her to be the kynges chyld She was doughtye and excellent in princely affayres and augmented the borders of the dominion wyth vanquishynge countries and makynge fortresses She raygned happely and with great prayse xlij yeres She fortifyed Babilon with costly buyldynges dyches and walles enuyroned about it Whan the mother was deade Ninias the sonne raygned wyth good quietnesse and of this wyse was the superiorite of the worlde and Monarchye by the Assyrians a great season But forasmuche as there is not much written of the kynges folowyng I will passe ouer the rehearsall of their names because the good reader can not well kepe them in mynde Whoso wyll knowe them may seke them by manye other wryters Neuerthelesse it is no doute but that manys and sundry chaunges are befallen in this Monarchye the which maye easely be gathered out of the Bible which wytnesseth that the Assyrians possessed Babylon longe before the tyme of Cyrus howbeit they were two kyngdomes the one of the Niniuites the other of the Babylonians But for what causes or whan these mutations were that is vtterly vnknowen Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept this Monarchy fyue hundreth yeares and that after that longe tyme there was no certayne or fyrme kyngdome but that the Medes vsed a proper kyngdome and likewyse the Chaldees by the Babylonians and the Assyrians had their kyngdome at Niniue and amonge the kynges had nowe the one ouerhande nowe the other Finally the Medes beynge become myghty drewe the vpper Monarchy to them takynge also the citye Babilon These thinges seme moost lykest to the whiche agre those that are written of Sardanapalus not only by Metasthenes but also Bion of whom Agathias maketh mention Of Sardanapalus WE must speake a lytle of Sardanapalus how he was depryued of his kingdome that afterward the kingdomes were diuided Whan God wyll punyshe the worlde he geueth it lecherous prynces By the histories it is manifest that Sardanapalus nothinge regardyng the gouernaunce of the kyngdom gaâ— hym selfe only to pleasures in so much also that â—â— vsed to paynte and coloure him selfe to make hâ—â— beawty and to clothe him with womens garment It is said that he sat in the middes of dishonest women and vsed all maner of vnclennesse How shuld not such an empyre haue had a pyteful ende Whan nowe the Medes Babilonians were fallen from hym and rebell and that he had loste the battayll against hys enemies neither coulde no where merchandes be more salfe he set y e castell at Babylon in fyre and burnt him selfe in it Howbeit as wryteth Duris he sent afore his thre sonnes to Niniue and hereby it commeth that after the decease of Sardanapalus the kyngdomes are diuided Bolochus reigned at Babilon whiche fell from Sardanapalus with Arbace Arbaces kepte the kingdome of the Medes The posteryte of the Assirians dured a certaine space of yeares by them of Niniue Many yeares haue these thre kyngdomes foughte and stryuen for the Monarchye Of Egypte WE haue suffycyentlye spoken of thys fyrst Monarchye but howe many yeares there be vntyll the tyme of the second monarchye shall we note hereafter At thys tyme must wee shewe brefely a few thynges of other kyngdomes whych are come vp besyde this monarchy For the very large empyre of Egypt was in his floure that whiche was gouerned by the posteryte of Cham which was gouerned by the posterite of Cham but as concernyng his power it was lesse then the monarchye as now a dayes the kyngdome of Fraunce is myghty in dede but yet it is lesse then the Empyre concernynge ther power or the dignite of his maiestie Of Abraham and the
nede of an other mans helpe and mercye After thys commaunded he Cresus to be brought to him and had him in greate reuerence as a great prince and vsed hys counsel in gouernaunce Cyrus demaunded of hym also by what cause he had taken this warre whether he were moued by the answer of Apollo whome he had asked counsell before To this answered Cresus sayenge That Apollo counselled him right well with these wordes Knowe thy selfe and all thyng shall prospete He dyd not refuse thys counsell of Apollo For whan his hoost had gotten the worsthande in aydinge the Assyrians he had purposed thenceforth to lyue in rest and peace chefely for so muche as he sawe Cresus to haue such prosperitie and power in bringinge all thinges to passe But whan he was praysed of the cityes that laye rounde aboute and of his great princes for his power and conning of warrfaringe he was agayne deceaued by pryde and vaine glory of him selfe and was so by the other princes made capitaine of the warre agaynst Cyrus And that by these praises he was brought to take the answer of Apollo otherwyse and that he thought he was suche a one in dede as he was praised namely that he was no lesse in power than king Cyrus and by these meanes had he taken the warres in hande But hetherto is ynough spoken of Cresus Hereof maye notable examples be taken that princes be oft brought to warre by no constraynt of necessytie and to theyr greate hynderaunce by the counsell and flattery of them which can falsely persuade and extolle with vaine prayses theyr power and vertues In king Cirus is chefely to be considered that in so great prosperities of all thynges he vsed great moderation of minde and that in so great violence of victories he swaged tyranny wyth mekenesse Cyrus than toke in all the kyngdomes from Persia vntyll the fyrste borders of Ionia from thence beynge returned he besieged the cytye Babylon which semed moost strongest against all force of mans power But Cyrus wanne her and that by this meanes The floude Euphrates runneth through the citye by some ryuers dyggynge thorough hys caucyes he ledde the course of the water another waye and as the floud was dryed men myght safely go into the toune on foote Besyde that had he hys espyals whych shewed what tyme the Babylonians were at reste and so broughte he hys army into the cytye in the styll of the nyghte whan they douted nothyng lesse But what nedeth here to prayse and auaunce much the prosperytie of Cyrus seynge it maye easely be thought and consydered that it is Goddes worke and not of mans wysedome or power that so many and so stronge tounes and kynges be subiect to hys kyngdome vnto whome it semeth no mans power nearehande myght wythstande For those hygh monarchies are ordeined conserued by an heauenly power for to preserue the state of a coÌ„mune wealth agaynst the will of Satan Moreouer after that Babylon was wonne than began that kyngdom of the Perses fyrst to be called a monarchy For the heade citye or see of the monarchy was Babylon and the kyngdomes of Chalde Assyria Medes and Persians be now brought vnder one empyre The moost parte of Asia was ioyned thereto also and other great countries which border vpon these kyngdomes Cyrus gouerned these kyngdomes with great prayse insomuch that no princes prayses wherof historyes do make mencyon can be compared wyth his commendacions and â—uauncementes I suppose that thys monarchy began after that Babylon was wonne in the thre score and tenth yeare after that the Iewes were ledde into captyuyte in Babilon But sence the creation of y â— world the yere of thre thousand foure hundreth and thre and forty and before Christus byrth the fyue hundreth and one yeare Whereby it maye easely be gathered that those histories of the Grekes that begynne at Cyrus be not very olde Of the Iewes delyuered out of the Babylonycall captiuite HEtherto haue we spoken of the state of the commune wealth and empyre of those tymes nowe resteth it that we speake also of the spyritual kingdome of God and of the churche After that Cyrus had subdued the Babylonians he set the Iewes free and at libertye out of all his kyngdomes and restored them into the kyngdome of Iewry This example wytnesseth howe muche God doeth care for the church or congregacion of the godly and howe lytle he doth forget them For that the church myght be released from the seruice bondage it was necessary that Babilon the citye shuld be taken and peryshe For a prince must not be a cowarde to represse the force of his enemies Herodotus wryteth also that some do suppose otherwise of Cyrus death and Xenophon writeth that he dyed in his bedde and that before his death he exhorteth his childeren to the feare of God to vnitie and loue to eche other and that with a greate relation and manye wordes he admonished them to remembre that mens soules dye not with the bodies but that they remayne immortall and that the godlye after thys lyfe enioye an euerlastinge reste wyth God and that contrary wyse the wicked shalbe greueously punished And to this is it saied that he shoulde haue added a substanciall euidence of mans reason concerning euyll doers the which in this lyfe haue a great inwarde drede in their minde for the conscience of theyr wicked dedes and that therby may be gathered that the soule hath a certayne beynge and that seynge this feare is beaten in by God it is euidente that God will be reuenged of all thynge that is vniustly committed Hetherto is ther ynough saide of thys moost holy kinge Cyrus In what tyme the Philosophers were fyrst in Grece BEfore haue we shewed that by the Grekes were the Poetes fyrst in high reputation by reason of ther learning afterwardes in Cyrus tyme began another kynd of learned men whiche were called Philosophers of them were two sectes at one time for some were philosophers of Ionia some were called philosophers of Italy The philosophers Ionici were in Ionia they vsed greate diligence in naturall thinges and searchinge out the course of starres The beginner of them was Thales which diuided first for the Grekes the yere in thre hundreth and thre score daies For though they had before twelue monethes yet were they constrayned to brynge the mouynge of the sonne to the course of the mone Thales did also shew first of the Eclypse in Grece and found the poynte whan the daye and nyghte are equall the which was no small conning He had learned these thinges of the Egiptians with whom God had kept this science These Thales taught also that the soules are ymmortall and he is the fyrste and true begynner of the philosophers of Grece The other parte of the philosophers whyche are called the Italians began by Pythagoras for the same lyued also aboute the tyme of Cyrus in that
vttermost part of Italy which bendeth to Sicilia and was sometyme Grece In the tyme of Pythagoras raigned at Rome Seruius Tullius his scole was not occupied in Phisick and Astronomy as the other but in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Pythagoras liued a very solytary lyfe wyth his disciples and vsed sundry ceremonies taught many inconuenient thinges of the soules nature that mens soules remoue into beastes to be punyshed The Pythagorians taughte their doctrines priuatly amonge themselues and it was commaunded amonges them that noman shoulde publishe them lest by reason of a doctryne not accustomed the commune sort of men mighte be sturred ether to discorde or to a despisynge of good maners But such kynde of phylosophers dured not longe nother is it now necessary to speake more of the begynnyng of philosophers I would onely shewe iâ— here lest any man might be ignoraunt what tyme the connyng of sciences began and encreased wee shall hereafter in hys due place speake of them whych haue before all other garnyshed and had in reuerence Philosophye whereof there is not so great nomber For very few are ther that be worthy to be called wyth so excellent a name Phylosopher and therfore shall we not rehearse so many of them Of Solon THough wee studye to be brefe here yet wyll not I passeouer Solon vnrehearsed for of hym hath the ciuyll lawe of the Romanes whych is yet in vse his oryginall begynnynge Thys Solon lyued about thys tyme and was very familyar wyth Thales But whan at Athenes were spronge great debates because that the greatest of the citye had made bonde men of theyr creditours that were not able to pay them euen of pryuate wylfulnesse the whole citye of Athenes dyd agree to Solon that he shoulde take order and correcte thys wyllynglye of the greatestmen and the other misvses of the commune wealth Solon toke thys wyllynglye vpon hym and set forth manye excellente constitutions and lawes the whych are yet manyfest Now was Draco the law geuer by the Athenians before Solons lawes were not ordered with anye mercye at all for he ordeyned that all transgressions and trespasses shoulde be punished wyth the swearde and for thys cause sayde one that Dracons lawes were wrytten wyth bloude and not wyth yâ—â—k So hard and cruell constitucions were in the worlde at the begynnynge But nothyng can be durable that is to extreme and is not mitigate with the temperaunce of mercy or iustice As for Solon made a difference in these thynges or degrees and ordeined that some synnes shoulde accordynge to reason be punyshed greueously and other more mercyfullye ordeined also of geuinge trybute of weyghtes and of the seasoÌ„s of the whole yeare And specially is this lawe praysed in the whiche he ordeined that euery man should certyfy the higher officers once in the yeare how great his substaunce were and of what maner crafte he were where with he gat hys lyuynge and if there were any ydle fellow or vagabounde too dryue the same out of the cytie Of Cambyses CAmbyses began to raygne whan hys father Cyrus went to warre agaynst the Scythians He ioyned the kyngdome of the Egiptians to his fathers domynion But he was greatly vnlyke his father in vertues Whan Prexaspes one of hys chefe counselers had admonyshed hym somewhat boldelye and sayde that the Perses dyd alow hym greatly but that the same myslyked them that he was geuen to dronkennesse He caused the Peeres of hys realme to be called together and demaunded whether he might worthely be blamed in any thynge But they answered No but that he also surmounted hys father Cyrus in vertue for by hys actiuenesse was Egypte also ioyned to his kyngdome But Cresus to whom Cyrus had chefely commended his sonne Cambyses to be taughte nortured in honesty sayd the coÌ„trary CaÌ„byses quod he can not yet be compared to hys father Cyrus for he hath not left such a sonne of his begettinge as Cirus hath left Cambyses This delectable sayenge pleased Cambises at that tyme. But as the counsel departed whan none of the princes had blamed ought in him he commaunded Prexaspes to be called to him and bad him bringe his yongest sonne to him For he woulde declare howe sobre he myghte seme to be euen whan he were droncken For he woulde shute wyth a bowe at his chylde whan he was droncken and if he coulde hyt his harte with the darte than he might thynke that in drinkynge he were not besyde the capacite of his reason but if not â–ª than he might worthely be sayde to be geuen to dronkennesse But what nedeth many wordes Whan Cambyses had well dronken he shott at the chylde as at a marke and as the darte was pearced thoroughe he caused it to be rypt vp and shewed to hys father Prexaspes that the harte was shot thorough a ryght sayenge that thereby he might haue euydence that he was not dronken So barbarous cruel and tyrannicall maners bringeth dronkennesse into mens mindes though they be well taught before euen as no doute was that kynge Cambyses was from hys youth brought vp in moost honest nourture And though a dronken man can hytt a right in shoutinge yet in the meane whyle can he not vse the ryght counsels of reason and wanteth those vertues whiche communely steare men to modestye and auancement of glory Such lyke examples ought to be shewed to yonge men whiche sometyme be enclyned and geuen to dronkennesse for what ende folowed of these shall we shewe shortely hereafter He slew also hys own brother Smerdis whome he caused priuely to be put to death lest he shuld raygne at any tyme. He maryed also hys owne syster where neuerthelesse nature doth abhorre such kynde of maryage It fortuned vpon a tyme that whan kynge Cambyses sat at borde wyth the quene at y â— meale tyme set he a lyons whelpe and a strong dogge together to make a game and whan the lyon had the ouerhande by reason of hys fearcenesse strength another dogge of no lesse fearcenesse brake wyth great strength the bandes y â— he was bounde withal and holpe his brother the dogge and so was the lyon ouercome The kyng had great delyte at that game because of the faythfulnesse of the dogges But the quene moued wyth the same dede began to wepe very bytterly and whan the kynge toke that sorowfully and asked the cause of her weping she answered To my brother happened nothynge lesse than such faythfulnesse as I haue sene in these dogges helping eche other The kyng taking this answere wrothfully caused her strayght waye tâ— be had out of hys syght and â—lew her But such coâ—dicions can not longe prosper For God sayeth in the scryptures The bloud thyrsty and deceatfull shall not lyue oute halfe theyr dayes vpon earth Wherfore God stroke hym not longe after wyth a greueous and heauy vengeaunce For as he should come out of Egypte into Persia as he sat vpon
him Afterward y e Babilonians trusted him with the whole army the which he betrayed to Darius and made also that he recouered the whole citye the whiche he had nowe besieged syxe monethes and a whole yeare As for Darius gaue hygh thankes to thys zopyrus for hys faithfulnesse for he set hym afterwarde before all the princes of his kyngdome And as a pomgranate was geuen hym he sayde He woulde wysh him no better thinge in this lyfe than that if he might get so many zopyries as there are graines in this apple For therby would he signifie that a kynge can haue no worthier treasure nor no stronger fortresses than faythful frendes and counsellers Of Darius Warres in Grece THE Persians assayed to drawe by claime to them the kingdomes of Macedony and Grece because they bordered vpon Persia But because God hath prefixed euerye royalme as it were certayne boundes the whyche it can not passe therfore coulde the Persian kinges subdue nor make subiectes to theyr empyre nother the Macedonians nor the Grekes Wherfore happened about that tyme in Grece many and greate chaunces the which as they are many euen so to rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse some of them howbeit none saue the very best and that brefely The Persians sendinge Ambassadours to Amyntas kynge of Macedouy desyred that he woulde yelde hymselfe to them Amintas being afrayd because of the Persians power graunted willingly to do their request in a maner prostrate treated messengers very courteously And whan a royall banket was ordeined for y â— Ambassadours after their wil they desired to haue brought to them noble women and ladyes for to garnyshe the banket Amyntas which durst denye them nothynge commaunded to brynge them Whan the Persians were now droncken they dalyed wyth the gentle women vncourteously insomuch that theyr vnmanerelynesse yrked and displesed kyng Amyntas and his sonne Alexander the yonge king and by reason of the shamefulnesse and reuerence of age desyred Alexander his father the kynge Amintas that departing out of the company he would go to bed he wold remayne with the gestes As the father went now away Alexander faynyng myrth he suffred the Persians to daly and playe more frelier wyth the women at the last he prayed them all to ryse and suffre the ladyes to go a lytle apart for they should strayght way returne better trymmed The nobles of the Persians suffred that wyllingly In the meane season caused Alexander the fayrest yongmen apparelled wyth womens garmentes to returne into the banket and hyde sweardes vnder theyr garmentes wherewyth in daylienge they should slaye the Perses the which was done For the Persyans were kylled of euery one of these yonge men and thus was theyr vnshamefulnesse greueouslye punished This Alexander is rehearsed amonge the greate grauntfathers of Alexander After this rebelled the Grekes also which were vnder Darius in the forepart of Asia and taking the citye Sardis burned it and to this dyd the Athenians ayde them For one Histieus a noble prince sente a seruaunt to their captayne and lest the matter should be disclosed polyng his seruauntes heade he prynted vpon hys heade letters conteynynge this sentence that they should disceuer and rebell to the kynge afterward as the heare was growen agayne he sent no letters but this seruaunt to the capitaine wyth this message only that he should klyppe of his heare and loke vpon his heade the whiche whan the capitaine had done straight waye fell he from Darius But thys traytour was kylled and Histieus was hanged and the commotion beynge swaged wyth these remedies went no farther This and other lyke gaue Darius occasion to gather a great hoost namely a hundreth thousand footemen and ten thousand horsemen and to sende them into Grece to be reuenged of the Athenians for the sedition and vproure They pytched their tentes two myle from Athenes Whan nowe some counseled not to wythstande the enemies but yf they besieged the citye to defende it manly onely Miltiades counsellinge the contrary shewed that the syege should be heauy and verye intolerable for the communalty but with a sodayn inuasyon myght the enemyes be lyghtely vanquyshed They folowed Miltiades counsell whom also they made captayne of the warre the Athenians made an army agaynst the enemies of ten thousande nother had they any succourse out of the other cyties saue of one thousand men that the city Platea had made out And wyth thys small army was that greate and chosen company of the Persyans discomfyted and layed doun and thys battayll deserued a very great prayse for it deliuered all Grece from a great and incredible feare where wyth she was no lesse taken at that tyme than yf at oure tyme the turke shulde inuade Germany We must not ouerpasse here what recompense the Athenians haue made finallye to Miltiades and how they haue requyted hym for thys good dede For besyde this victory had he done other great actes for the commune welth Wyth chyualry had he added other cities and yles wherewyth he augmented the empire and dominion of the Athenians But because greate vertues can not want the enuy and detractions of euell men it was procured by the people and broughte to passe that Mâ—ltiades was cast into the commun preson vntyll he payed to the communalty thre hundreth thousande crownes But whan he was not able to paye that summe and beganne nowe to be sycke of the longe presonment and stenche his sonne Cymon went into preson to delyuer the father at the last whan the father was deade a very ryche citysin maryed Myltiades doughter and disbursynge out the summe of money he delyuered Cymon out of preson Can not good men be duely rewarded of the communaltye on thys wyse Of Kyng Xerxes DArius had two sonnes the elder was begotten ear he had the kingdome offred but the yonger called Xerxes was in yâ— tyme of the kyngdome of hys mother Atossa that was Cyrus doughter The same by reason he was of both parentes of the kynges bloude â–ª he succeded his father beyng dead in the royalm that the kingdome myght remayne by the yssue of Cyrus The elder brother suffred this wyth a great modesty of mynde stryuynge in no manere wyth his brother Xerxes As now the hoost of y â— Persians was ouer throwen in Grece Darius assembled a new army but in thys appoyntynge dyed he Wherfore Xerxes straight before hys raygne accomplished the preparation that hys father had begonne and entred into Grece with a moost puyssaunt army insomuch that some haue writteÌ„ that neuer was so great an army assembled before at one tyme as was kynge Xerxes armie Iustine sayeth that of his own kingdomes were seuen hundreth thousand men in armoure and of the other that were confederat with hym thre hundreth thousand men Though it semeth not wel to
of the floudes Of thys wyse dyd God turne the fortune of the dice and punyshed the pryde Great princes haue here an example sett before them whereby they must learne not to truste in their puyssaunce but that in the feare of God and trust to God must great thynges be taken in hande That he had thys shamefull ende for because this expedicion made euery man amased and also for because Xerxes dyd brynge on to Grece such a great multitude and power none otherwise than in oure tyme the Turke was constrayned to forsake the city of Vienne with great shame which came into Germany with an hoost of two hundreth thousande men Howbeit Xerxes departynge out of Grece left Mardonius the capytayne there wyth thre thousande souldyours and that for thys cause because the kynge persuaded by Mardonius counsell wente into Grece agaynste the mynde and wyll of the other Lordes And because it happened not as Mardonius promysed therefore dredinge lest beynge returned home he might lose hys heade because of the mischaunce of the warre he desyred that he might be left in Grece wyth that army to assaye all fortunes of warre yf by chaunce he coulde make feble the affayres of the Grekes Xerxes than suffred that and betoke hym to hys fortune Fyrst beganne Mardonius frendely to entreate the Grekes that hauing layde before them tolerable condicions of peace they woulde willingly yeld themselues But the Grekes beynge become more couragious by reason of the victory refused vtterly all dominion of the Perses and denyenge the leage asked that he shoulde defende hym selfe with force and fyghtynge hande Than toke Mardonius and burnt the citye of Athenes and wente thorough vntyll Thebe for they of Thebe were fallen to the Perses The Athenians and Lacedemonians makyng than agayn a fresh army by land of an hundreth thousand men met at sundry times with Mardonius in battayll at the laste Mardonius constrayned for faut of vytayls made an ende Alexander kyng of Macedony was wyth the Perses of whom we made mencion before the same shewed the Grekes before the euenynge that they should make them ready in armes on the next day for Mardonius was determined to pyche hys last felde and that was so done but the Perses beyng ouercome lost the felde Mardonius beyng slayne also whiche thynge the other counsellers of kyng Xerxes tolde him before the warre began But this was the ende of so great a settyng forth to warre and whan this warre was ended the cities of Grece began too encreace in power and enlargynge of their dominion subduyng many yles of the Perses whiche they adioyned to their dominion Moreouer the Grekes beyng become puyssauÌ„t waxed also haut and presumtuous and for desyre of dominion they procured also inwarde sedicion warre with in themselues and beyng ouercome with mutuall damages that eche had done to the other they were constrayned fynally to yeld themselues to straunge princes quenchynge and destroyeng all the estate of their common wealth and the vertues whereby they floryshed before But of this shall we treate a lytle hereafter It is necessarye to knowe Themistocles example before any thyng the whiche for so muche as he was the man by whose prouisse and counsail whole Grece was saued for the whiche thynge also hys prayses are auaunced more then of any valeaunt captaine whiche Grece had yet was he euel rewarded of his citesens for they droue him out of y â— citie This thanke geueth the commoÌ„ people for the most worthye vertues yea the deuell hymselfe blyndeth men that they do not acknowledge so hygh gyftes of God Wherfore it behoueth the best and excelleâ—t men to haue pacience before all thynges for it can not bee but they must haue grefes and all vnthankfulnesse in that state of lyfe After that fled Themistocles to Artaxerxes by whome he was had in greate honor in all thynges equall to the princes and peeres of his royalme It is wrytten also that Artaxerxes should haue sayde he coulde wyshe his enemies no more euyll but that they blinded with such madnesse dyd put awaye wyse men from them Of Artaxerxes with the longe hande AS Xerxes was deade raigned his sonne Artaxerxes whose right hande was longer than the left whereof he gat the surrname wyth the long hand Thys kynge is chefely praysed for his syngular wysedome and gentlenesse of maners and endeuour of peace Therefore do I rehearse his historye here nomore at length that wee maye finallye returne to the Iewysh hystories lest we be ignoraunce what state was in the church and spyrytuall kyngdome Of Zorobabel the Iewysh capitayne WE haue shewed before that in the Bible is one of the Persian kynges called Assuerus but the same was Darius Histaspis and as I suppose thys Darius is Assuerus which had quene Hester Herodotus doth also make mencion of Artistona the whiche Darius had besyde quene Atossa and sayeth that the same Artistona was very well beloued of Darius and it appeareth that thys same was Hester Philo writeth also that the history of Iudith happened in the tyme of this Darius and that Arphaxad whereof the history of Iudith maketh mention was captayn of y â— Assyrians after that they were now fallen from Cyrus whâ— was ouercome of the Scythyes I do not disalow thys meanynge of Philo but verely as I do suppose the history of Iudith was now already fulfilled before that Iuda was led into bondage and also before the Persians monarchy For Arbaces kynge of the Medes was before the monarchy of the Perses and Ninius was destroyed in the tyme of the Persians kyngdome and whan the Perses had the monarchy nether Ninius nor the Medes had theyr kynge Howbeit I graunt here euery man to defende hys meanynge After Darius Histaspis setteth Philo Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande passynge ouer king Xerxes but doutlesse for none other cause saue as is shewed before namely than whaÌ„ Xerxes was gone into Grece Darius wyth the long hand gouerned the royalme in the East in the meane season And this is that Darius with the longe hande whiche gaue the Iewes leaue the seconde tyme to buylde agayne the temple For though Cyrus had permitted the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem for to tyll theyr lande and to restore the kingdome the worship of God neuerthelesse in the meane season after Cyrus death â–ª were they letted by the borderers y â— the building could not goo forewarde vntill the seconde yere of Artaxerxes with the long hand whoÌ„ Philo calleth Darius with the longe hande Thesame commaunded in the second yeare of his king 〈…〉 by a commune proclamation commaundement that Ieruâ—alâ— the temple shuld be repared This was the occasion by the whiche the Iewysh natioÌ„s was restored to his libertie instituted again the gouernaunce of the royalme with the Gods seruice and builded agayne the temple and cities And though Iuda had not hetherto his kynges yet had they princes
Christ suffred and rose agayne from death also how the Gospell is spred abroade in the worlde and by what meanes also the holy Gospell began in the worlde vnyuersall we shall intreate afterwarde Of the Germanes IN the tyme of Augustus were the Germanes first attempted of the Romanes Tiberius and hys brother Drusius were wyth an hoost in high germany and inuaded those coastes that are ioyninge to Rhetia and Vindelicia But they dyd not wholy subdue those contryes vnder theyr empyre The Rheti are those that dwell in the valley of the floude Enus or Ihn they of Tyrol vntyll Bregetium or Rab Kempte and dounwarde vntyll Nordlingen where yet remayneth the name Ryes They of Vindelicia are Augspurg and vpper Beyerlande Drusus went doune vntyll Mentz and there gettynge a disease he lost hys lyfe Aboute that tyme made the garnyson of the Romanes that was appoynted at Colen an assaulte vpon Westphalen and Saxony But one called Hermannus was captayne of Saxony whō the historyeus do call Arminius lord of Cherusia As for the Cherusci are euen the Saxons Thurynges dwellynge by the wood called Schwartzwalde of that syde that stretched beneth by the floude Wesurgus vntyll the citye Breme And by my iudgement is that called Cherusci whych now is communely called Hertzishe This Arminius oppressed the Romanes vnwarres and slew about one and twenty thousand of them Besydes also a great army of the ayders and confederates of the Romanes whych warred wyth them as Frenchmen do wyth the Scottes Quintilius Varus the captayne of the Romane hoost slew him self wyth hys swearde Tacitus the historyographes sheweth at larg of the battayl that was had namelye betwene the floudes Lyppia and Amisia that is beneth the toune Cassel not farre from the toune Padeborne in Westphalen For thus sayeth Tacitus They ployled so much as lyeth betwene the floudes Amisia Lyppya not farre from the woode of Teutoburgum where the residue of Varus hooste and legions is sayde to lye vnburyed As for this slaughter made the Romanes no lesse afrayde that in tymes paste whan the Cimbriwaysted Italy For the Romanes were afrayde lest Arminius wyth force of armes had inuaded the Romane empyre and come vntyll Rome Augustus was in suche distresse by reason of the feare of the greate daunger that he caused euery man to be euery where in armes It is also sayed that he sayed of wepyng with great crye Quintily restore the legions But when the Romanes were dryuen out of Saxony they brought to passe that Arminius was inuaded with war of his neighbors there was at that tyme the Swedes and Belhems dwelling by the ryuer Albis but Arminius ouercame them also and takyng in their contreis he had Westphalen Shwartwald Saxony Marck Misen and Bohemy He reigned about twelue yeare and finally was he slayne by the oppression of his But this is ynough sayed of Augustus tyme. Tiberius the third Emperoure The yeare of the worlde iii M. ix C. lx The yeare of Rome .vii. C. lxix The yeare of Christe .xvi. THough many excellent Emperours haue bensence the time of Augustus for when God kepeth the common welthes he geueth also suche men that are mete to do great thynges yet haue the in the meane seasō now and than princes dissolute and wicked so that a mery conceated man semeth to haue sayed very true that the ymages of al good princes may be grauē in one rynge It is very profitable to beholde in histories the thynges that are declared and the examples of wycked princes that we may drede y ◠wrath of God by the feare of the punishment wherewith they are punyshed Tiberius was not the sonne of Augustus but for somuche as the true heyres of Augustus were deade he toke in steade and chose for heyre Tiberius the sonne of Liuia whiche was already maried to Augustus and because Tiberius was a valiaunt man of armes Augustus vsed hym alway for a captain This Tiberius was the first Emperour to whome the senate of Rome did yelde it selfe He reigned thre and twenty yeares The fyuetenth yeare of Tiberius was Christe our Lorde thirty yeare olde and that yeare was he baptised of Ihon Baptiste and beganne the preachyng of hys Gospell of penaunce of remission of synnes and lyfe euerlasting This was sence the creation of the worlde the .iiii. M. ix C. and lxxv yeares But after the beginning of Alexanders Monarchie the CCC and .xl. yeare Adde an hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares vntyll the second yeare of Longimanus Thus haue ye the foure hundreth and foure score and fyue yeares and these are the thre score and nyne wekes of the whiche is spoken by Daniel whiche thynge we haue treated at length before In the eyghtenth yeare of Tiberius was Christ oure Sauioure crucified dyed and rose agayn the thyrde daye But after his resurrection he commaunded his disciples that they should preache the Gospell thorowe all the worlde the whiche they began strayght way when they had receaued the holy ghost from heauen vpon Wytsonday and after the visible ascension of Christ into heauen Therfore is now the worde of God and spiritual kyngdom and also the churche or congregacion of the faithful or christen people not only in the Iewish kyngdom but in the whole worlde where the Gospell is preached by the Apostles and where theyr writinges are brought For God promised to worke by preaching of his worde Moreouer where Gods worde is taught ther is it necessary to be some that pertaine to Gods kingdom where Christ is ruling and workyng accordynge to that sayenge I shalbe with you vntyll the worldes ende To this oure Lorde Christ our sauiour and true God be prayse glory and thankesgeuyng for euer Amen But now it remayneth that we do shew further how greate and heuy assaultes the churche of christenmen hath suffered both by outwarde persecutions of enemies and also chefely by heretikes whiche haue nowe and than toren wretchedly the vnitie of the churche with wicked doctrines which thynge hath brought a farre more dammage and despysynge to the Churche or congregacion than any outwarde persecutions The nyntenth yeare of Tiberius after Christes resurrection was Steuen the fyrst martyr stoned and the same yeare was Paule conuerted to the fayth And this befell The yeare of the worlde .iii. M. ix C. lxxviij The yeare of Rome .vii. C. xcii The yeare of Christe xxcix CAius Caligula the fourth Emperoure reigned thre yeare and ten monethes he was of a veri dissolute and vmbrideled lyfe he defyled all his systers with an vnnamed or an vnnaturall medling Fynally was he slayn by the chefe of hys hoost through a preuy conspiracy This Caligula caused his ymage to be set in the temple at Ierusalem to be worshipped whiche thyng was also prophecied by Daniel namely When Israell shall se an Idoll set in the temple then shal the ende be at hād This happened The yeare of the worlde
of the Lombardes Charles goyng into Italy besyeged Desiderius at Pauye and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe But when Charles perceaued in dede that the vprouryshnacion of the Lombardes coulde not rest for he had assayed the matter with them afore also that they beyng content with their borders shoulde remayne within their owne realme and that there myght be a sure peace thoroweout Italy Charles toke in whole Lombardy and in the same as in hys owne kyngdome set he gouernoures and capitaynes As for Desidexius with his wyfe the quene chyldren led he with hym prysoners and commaunded them to be kept at Ludick or Liege Thys was the end of the kyngdome of the Lombardes in Italy whiche had lasted two hundreth and thre yeres from the yere of Christ CCCCC lxxij when Iastinus reigned vntyll the yeare of Christ .vij. C. lxxv thys was the syxte yeare before Charles opteined the empyre For though Charles was gone to Rome in this settynge forth and had set at quiet not onely Lombardy but also that parte of Italy that is beiond Rome yet would he not vsurpe for hym the title of Imperiall maiestie lest he should robbe the Grekes of their honoure and this dignitie He graunteth the Emperours cities in Italy to enioye their former lybertie wythout any hynderaunce but he kept the kyngdome of the Lombardes as his owne for long ago was it not subiect to the Emperours Tassilo duke of Baierland raysed warre against Charles but he was ouercome of Charles the tweÌ„tieth yeare of his reigne and takyng in the duchy Tassilo wyth his sonne was put into a monastery Nether did Charles vse so great rigour against his cosyn rashly for Tassilo raysyng an vprour against hym afore and taken to mercy kept no promyse Charles goyng to Rome the two and thirtieth yeare of his reigne restored Leo the byshop of Rome against whome the Romanes had raysed vpâ—ours insomuche that the byshop was compelled to flye But when now Charles â—erceyued certeynly that no peace could be satteled in Italy vntyll suche cyties in Italy as had fraunchyses graunted them dyd ceasse to do all thynges accordyng to their appetite he was constrayned by necessitie to take to him the dominion of whole Italy But he betoke to the byshop of Rome some cities and contreis for the mayntenaunce of ministers in the churche In the Christmasse nyght cryed the byshop of Rome Charles to be Emperoure of Romanes and alwaye full of maiestie And it is sayde that Charles shuld haue aunswered to this yf I had knowen that any suche thyng should haue happened to me I would not haue entered into the temple Nether would he accept the title of Emperoure wythout the consent and alowaunce of them of Constantinople Wherefore IreÌ„ne the mother of Constantinus and Nicephorus consented that Charles should be Emperoure in the West to that dyd they consent frely for these countreis dyd not obey to the Emperours of Constantinople any more But as sone as Charles was made Emperoure and that the state of Italy was nowe satled with great trauaile he determined to warre vpon the Hungarians And this warre lasted eight yeares wherein the Hungarians were in a maner rooted out He set also garnysons of Germanes in Hungary to kepe the realme by the whiche occasion do vntyll this tyme Germanes dwel in the coastes of HuÌ„gary whiche is called Seuenburge It is mencioned in histories that Charles brought great ryches out of Hungary and that is lyke ynough for the HuÌ„garians had bene occupied in warrefarre and robbery aboue two hundreth yeares they ledde prayes of al nacions nerehande in the meane season was their realme inuaded of no foren nacioÌ„s wherby no doubt were great and precious treasures founde by them In the meane tyme dyd Charles the sonne of Charles the great subdue Bohemy vanquyshyng Lecho their kyng and thus was charles at the last a moost myghty prince of all Italy Fraunce Germany Bohemy and Hungary and brought the whole West empyre in a quiet estate kept it in the same Wherfore for these vertues and thys strength of courage whiche he vsed in all his enterpryses is Charles worthy to be counted amonge these princes which God hath now and than geuen to the worlde to repayre common welthes iustice equitie shamefastnesse â—â—ally to restore amonge men the bandes of modestie and common peace as were in tymes past Dauid Hercules Cyrus Alexander Iulius Augustus Constantinus The odosiâ—s In Charles affaires is chefely worthy to be noted how kynges and great men make â—umors among them For God sendeth sometyme the chefe monarches to represse them Euen as in oure tyme Charles the fyfte hath brydeled the excesse and want oâ—nesse of the Romanes and the Venetian power But it is expedient for moste hygh princes to be excellent not onely in feates of warre and handlyng of weapon but also to enforme common welthes with honest lawes and dectrine of religion And this was Charles chefe care He caused some counsails to be kept at Rome and Franckforde and some tyme in Fraunce He founded also thre vniuersities to spreade abrode and maintayne the doctrine of Christenreligion namely at Bonony in Italy Paris in Fraunce and at Paduam Italy In Germany dyd he lyke wyse founde many monasteries for to teache youth in steade of scoles Besyde thys dyd he set the lawe of the Frankes morder and caused the bokes of the lawe to be written For that olde lawe of the Romans was long before put out of â—re throug the Lombardes and Frankes He caused also to gather together the olde histories of the Germanes and songes wherein it is said he had suche pleasure that he learned them by rote He was excellently well sene in the Germane toungue and Latine he coulde also speake Greke for he herde the Greke messangers and aunswered them in Greke but in along and durable relacioÌ„ did he speake Latine There are yet verses that be not greatly vnsemely whiche is sayde he dyd make at the death of his cousin Roulande In his olde age he gaue hymselfe to Astronomy At diner and supper at home delyted he in hearyng reade the bokes of saincte Augustine In the temple dyd he syng the canonicall houres and also lessons with the pristes and he woulde other princes to do likewyse after his example whoÌ„ he prescribed lessons which semeth to pertain to his and their amendemeÌ„t For he was an exciding louer of christen doctrine In all maners of liuyng dyd be haue hym so as nomaÌ„ might passe him in godlinesse Beside this sent he succours of mony to the christiaÌ„s in straunge contreis and obteined by the Saracen kynges that the christians should be more easely entreated He gaue the wyndes and monethes those names whiche remayne yet now a dayes so that by these thynges may easely be gathered that thys prince was garnyshed of God with greate vertues and hygh happenesse by hys studyes so that he may worthely be surnamed
weakened and tossed wyth troublous commocions howbeit in the meane season be they so kept by Godes prouidence that they do not wholy perysh Lewis the thyrd left no soâ—â— after hym and therefore stroue the Frankes and Sacons together to make Otho duke of Saxony Emperour but the good prince withstode the same not wylling that to the moost noble stocke of Charles shulde happen suche a reproch Therefore counselled he to make Conradus duke of the Frankes Emperoure Of thys wyse succeded Conradus in the empyre but Otho was in more greater authority whyle Conradus lyued he dispatched more busynesses also yet in the meane time shewed he great loyalty and honestye toward Conradus the Emperoure But in the meane tyme vsurped Berengarius duke of Foroiulium the name of the Emperoure in Italy and enticed the Hungarians that they shuld spoyle Germany agayn but Conradus ouer came those by the ayde of Otho But whan Otho was deade Conradus the Emperour fearyng happely lest the son of Otho Henry the Fouler shoulde growe ouermuche in power therefore wythdrue he parte of those thynges whyche before he had graunted hys father Otho And whan Henry toke it greueouslye the Empetoure endeuoured to slaye him by an intrap and to bryng thys to passe was y e byshop of Mentz made out But the intrap was disclosed Than was Henry very greuously moued â–ª went home and toke from the byshop of Mentz all that was hys dominion in the land of Turyngen and Hesse But hereof rose a greate warre betwene the Frankes and Saxons But whan Conradus was a dyenge callyng to him his brother Eberardus he commaunded hym to brynge the Emperyall croune to Henry duke of Saxony for him he iudged best worthy to gouern the Empyre He admonyshed prince Eberarde also with al diligence to make an ende of the warr that he had taken in hande wyth Henry duke of Saxonye lest the Frankes that were yet alyue shuld vtterly he roated out and perysh For he marked wel that God prospered Henryes affayres To thys counsell dyd duke Eberardus agre willyngly and bringyng the crowne to Henry and makyng peace on both sydes he was afterward loyall to Henry And by thys occasyon came it to passe that the empyre was remoued from the successors of Charles the greate to the Saxons The genealogye of Charles the greate Charles the great Emperoure Lewis te Gentle whose sonnes were these thre Lewis the German he had Almany subdued y â— Bohemes his sonnes wer Lewis charles y â— grosse which toke y â— empyre froÌ„ Charles the bald and Carolomanus the sonne of Carolomanê° was Arnolphus who raygned after Charles the Grosse Lotharius y â— Emperoure He had Loraine Italy his sonn was Lewis the seconde the .iiij. Germane Emperoure He droue y â— Saracens out of Italy After him woulde the bishop of Rome transferre the empyre to the Frenchmen vpon Charles y â— balde but the sonnes of Lewis y â— Germane restored the empyre agayn to y e Germanes â–ª Charles the balde kynge of Gallia or Fraunce his sonne was Lewis the stammerer kynge of Fraunce The sonnes of Arnolfus were Lewis the .iij. Emperoure Conradus and hys sonnes were Eberardus whose successors are the princes of y e Frankes Conradus the last emperoure of this linage Not longe after was the kyngdome of Fraunce also translated from the posteritye of Charles the greate So lytle doeth anye thynge remayne euer sted fast in his estate among men so that the generacions of great prynces do now florish in the height now agayne layde in the duste to be weakened and discouraged Anastasius the .iij. the .cxxiiij. byshop of Rome succeded Sergius Lando was made the .xxv. byshop after Anastasius Ioannes the .xi. succeded Lando Henry the .i. surnamed the Fouler the ix Emperoure of Germany THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. xx was Henry the fyrste surnamed the Fouler duke of Saxon made Emperoure he raygned seuenten yeares He was not crouned of the bishop of Rome nether went into Italy though twayne toke vpon them the name of the Emperoure and by vproure raysynge battayll fought now and than a great felde For Henry had busynesse more than ynough in Germany which the good prince apeaced wyth greate diligence accordinge to hys syngular policye and endeuored to make it more excellent Surely the kyngdome of Germany dyd neuer in a maner want vprourish commotions ther was almost neuer an Emperour chosen wythout the sedition of some princes which went aboute to take vpon them the name of the Emperoure Yet was God alway wyth those Emperours that were duâ—lly called detended the authoritye of the lawfull empyre and the sedicious were punished Arnolde duke of Bayerlande set him selfe wyth hurtfull enterpryse agaynst Henry who recountred y e Baiers wyth appointed armyes but behauynge himselfe not as an enemy he requyred to speake wyth duke Arnolde familiarly He reasoned wyth hym earnestly admonyshed hym that the maiesty of the empyre is geuen of God yf it were so that he wer chosen Emperoure by the consente of other prynces than wolde he frely geue place and be ready y â— fyrst that shuld submitte themselues Duke Arnold shewed these thynges to his counsel which answered That it were euident that Salomons sayenge of wysedome were most true which is By me do kynges rule And for asmuch as it appeareth euidently ynough that Henry is endued with wisedome and gentlenesse it is no dout but God doth assiste him he shuld therfore thenceforth leaue of from his enterpryse nether to go about any thing against Henry Wherefore duke Arnolde ceased obeied frely without y e slaughter of any of his men Who I pray you wold not saye y â— these Germane princes were no Barbaryans and that they excelled in pryncely wisedome high gentlenesse This is also wrytteÌ„ that S. Vdalryck had a visty on of the duke of Baierland which he obserued For it was shewed him by God that the duke had a swearde wythout hyltes or handel wherby was signified that the duke shulde not vse the sweard that is that he shuld not retayn the empyre Wherefore he admonyshed the duke to do nothyng vnaduisedly After that dyd Henry take Brandenburge and the Vandales beyng subdued they receaued the Christen fayth vntyl the see He besieged the city Praga and brought the Bohemes to the Empyre After that vanquyshed he fourty thousand Hungaryans by Mersburge whereby he gatte hym a great renowme and drede by the straunge nacions and gat tranquillitye to al Germanye He restored the contry of Lothring or Lorayn to the kingdom of Germany and gatt the speare that Christe was pearsed through of Rudolphe kyng of Burgundy the same was Constantinus wont to haue Henry the Fowler beynge now neare to his death made his sonn Othe succeder in y e empyre after him lest any stryfe shuld happen in the empyre after hys death concernyng the possession of it Leo the .vi. succeded
hym to be caryed about the city Rome to wonder at and at the last to be hanged Of the begynnynge and institution of the Electors in Germany WHan Otho was nowe eyghte and twentye yeares olde he was endued wyth so ready wytt that for hys syngular wysedome he was called the Worldes wonders Besyde that knewe the Saxons readye wytted and valyaunt men the deceatfull traynes of the Frenchmen Wherfore whan they perceaued that great and dangerous commotions were raysed by the. Ro. byshoppes bothe agaynste Emperoures and also in the commune welth Otho chose Bruno a Saxon his cosin to be byshop of Rome who was called Gregorius the fyft after that he had the byshopryke Of hym was Otho the thirde crowned Besyde this when the wyse prince consydered that the Frenchemen and Italians raged euer to transfer the emperiall maiestie from the Germanes and that among the aunceters of him was now and thā strife also for the election and that in the meane tyme is so greatly requisite a myghty monarche to the Christiantie for to defende the bishop of Rome and libertie of Italy yea to maynteyne concorde of religion in whole Europa But that the same monarchy could not last long and be stable euermore without the ayde and succourse of some peculiar moste mighty nacion Therfore with the assistence and ayde of Gregorius the byshop of Rome who because he was a Germane did lyghtely consent to so necessary a thyng dyd make the ordinaunce of the princes Electors for to choyse an Emperoure And that concorde might be had in the election because of religion among the prelates spirituall and princes temporall the aucthoritie to chose an Emperoure is committed to seuen Germane princes the Archebyshops of Mentz Colen and Trier To these are ioyned the prince of Boheme for at that tyme had Bohemy yet no kynge the County Palatine of the Rene the duke of Saxony the Marques of Brandenborowe I maruayll verely why so hygh a dignitie is not bequyethed to other princes which at that tyme were farre more puyssaunt as namely to the dukes of Baier of Schwaben of the Frankes and specially the duke of Baier who was nearer of kynred to Otho than the other and more greater of domynyon For he had subiect to hym Bayerland and Eastenryche vntyll Aglar or Aquitanya the whyche Henry brother to Otho the fyrste had wonne The duke also of Schwaben was neare kynsman to Otho the Emperoure For whan Herman duke of Schwaben vnder Otho the fyrste had no heyre male He gaue his doughter in maryage to Ludolfe sonne to Otho the fyrste agaynste whome hys father Otho dyd warre for hys rebellyon Of this Ludolfe come the dukes of Schwaben Therefore maye it be maruayll what was the occasion to orden that institutyon of prynces Electors The Germane history wryters seme to be so voyde of all iudgment that it may of good ryght lothe any man to reade them Ihon Stabius the astronomer of Maximylyan shewed me oft that Maximilian was went to complayn vpon the rudenesse of the Germane hystorye wryters that they dyd not only wryte the dedes of so noble and wyse princes that God had sent wythoute order but dyd also corrupte them wyth euell wrytynge And he had commaunded to compile in a short Cronycle orderly the mooste notableste thynges out of all hystorye wryters whych thynge doutlesse had ben done yf the mooste wyse Emperour had ether lyued longer or had not left it by reason of the care of more weyghty matters As for me though I might seme to be rash yf I allege or shewe what me thynketh yet wyll I declare what gessynge I haue wherewyth I maye shewe some certayntye of so great a thynge Bohemy no doute is come in the election for his cōmodyous sytuatyon because yt is fensed round about To the Saxons hath Otho that was a prince of the Saxons bloud worthely geuen that honour for at that time was the same duchy most puissaunt The princes of Saxony kept Brandenburg at that time also the Emperours kinsmen and it may easely be gathered that Otho dyd fauer those contryes more than other duchyes I suppose that to y ◠countyshyp of Palatyn was geuen thys prerogatiue more than other princes dominions for none other cause than that to Charles the greatest posterity myght rebound thys honor so that it shuld be not only by the Saxons but part thereof shuld also be sent ouer to the Frankes for the countyes of Palatine were at that tyme of the kynred of Charles the greate What prayses thys ordinaunce of the princes Electors is worthye that can I not now sufficiently declare according to the worthynesse of it the dede proueth yt selfe what profite it hath broughte For by thys ordinaunce hath the Empyre remained in Germany aboue fyue hundreth yeares Besydes that is nothyng so good nor wholsome in mens estates than those counsels and ordinaunces whereby is auoided the occasion to alter of tymes the gouernaunce of Empyres whyche thynge by the goodnesse of God is done by thys instytutyon of the Electors By thys meanes is yt come to passe that the Empyre is prouyded that the traynefull and secrete conspiracyons of the byshoppe of Rome and Frenche kynge dyd not prospere whiche endeuoured oft to transferre the hyghnesse of the Empyre from the Germanes to the Frenchemen The Emperoure also hath more sauegarde or defence of the princes when he is chosen by their cōsent and lesse stryfe can ryse for the election when the desyres of the chefe princes consent to one Besydes this also forsomuche as the maiestie of the empyre is remitted to many princes together it is to be trusted that the state of the empire shalbe both stronger and more durable then if it dyd stycke by the succession of one bloude All these thynges make for that purpose that no great stryfe come by reson of the election or choysyng and also that the heade of the West empyre be in some certayn place and that because the concorde and tranquillitie of the religion in all this West kyngdome be maynteined vnder one certayne heade The Athenians in tymes past auaunced their ordinaunce of the Areopagites with great prayses lykewyse dyd the Lacedemonians their statutes of the Ephories and that worthely for by them remained their common welthes stedfaste a great while But forsoth this in stituciō of Otho made of the Electors as it is farre more profitable so it is worthy muche more prayse and auauncement as by the whiche stablenesse of the empyre and constant religion are mainteyned many yeares not onely in one or other citie or contrey but in the whole Weste And the princes Electors ought worthely make muche of this their prerogatiue First because of the whole Christiantie that by them is this hyghnesse set aparte For they are as a stedfast heade wherewith foreuer all this Weste kyngdome is kept and bounde together for they maye be called
the meale that he truely wold be a frende to the Venecians continually but they shulde haue muche trouble and dāmage of hys successours Of Constantinople Wonne by the Turkes THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC liiii y e xxix daye of Maye after longe syeggat Mahometes the Turkysh Emperoure the citye Constātinople at y e laste with a very strong assaulte and vsed thereyn so muche cruelnesse that it can not be expressed wyth no wordes Constantinus the Emperoure was slayne by the gate of the cytye in the flyghte whose heade caused the Turke to be smytten of stycked vpon a pole to be caryed thorow out the citye He commaunded also to set vp an image of the crucyfyed Christe in the citye and towrytte vpon it The same is the God of the Christians But he commaunded to moke it and caste fylthe vpon it and all to defyle it The Emperours wyfe and doughters wyth other honest matrones were drawen to a banket and there were they fyrst misused after that hewed to peces These examples and other mooste cruel dedes of y e Turkes ought duely to rayse and styrre our mindes that we shulde earnestly fight agaynst those enemyes whyche one nede not to call tyrauntes but rather cruel beastes The yeare M. CCCC lxi dyd the bysh of Ro. depose Dietericke of Isenburge from hys byshoprycke and in hys steade was made Adolphe of Nassau This chaunce gaue an occasion of greate warres in the Empyre Friderick the counte Palatyne toke vpon hym to defende retayn byshop Dieterych Agaynste the same dyd the Emperour sturre the erles of Wyrtenberg and Baden and the bysh of Mentz Whan these spoyled y e contry of y e count Palatine they were taken by Frideryck count Palatine about the yeare M. CCCC lxii The same yeare dyd contrarye wyse Adolfe the byshop take in the citye Mentz The yeare M. CCCC lxiij was Friderick the Emperoure strongly besieged in the castel at Vienna by hys cityesins and the doer of thys was Albert the Emperours brother but George kyng of the Bohemes delyuered the Emperoure driuing awaye the cityesins The yere M. CCCC lxxiiii dyd Charles prince of the Burgundyons besyege the towne Nuce a whole yeare and that because the chapiter chanōs of Colen had dryeuen out Rupert byshoppe of Colen whome Charles wold haue restored agayne But whan he went about to turne the byshopryck of Colen from the empyre haue gotten it to him the Emperour appoynteth an army agaynst hym The captayne of the hoost was Albert marques of Brandenburg and the empyres standardebearer Albert duke of Saxony At the last whan diuersly was treated of alayenge the debate Charles gaue place and it is sayde that at y ◠tyme was fyrst treated of geuyng Maximilian the doughter of Charles of Burgundy The yeare M. CCCC lxxvii was the duke of Burgundy vanquished by Nansen by them of Lotayn and the Switzers and slayne For Charles had taken from them of Lorain Nansen in Switzerland had he taken in Gransen and other small townes besides that also caused he in the towne of Gransen to be hanged .v. C. and .xii. Germanes Whan Charles was deade the Frenchemen enterprised to ioyne Flaunders and Brabant to theyr kingdom this desyre of the Frenchmen brought the cause of great warres But whan the Burgundions wold not that theyr duchies shuld be straunged or alienated from Charles doughter they delivered to wedde Charles doughter to Maximilian son to Friderick the Emperour Wherfore Maximiliane went wel appointed into Brabāt the yeare M. cccc lxxvii and wedded Mary Charles doughter whereby it came to passe that he augmēted not a litle the glory of the Eastenrychs name and that Maximiliā did many renowmed prowesses to defende those countryes agaynste the assaulte of the Frenchemen The yeare M. cccclxxxvi was Maximilian made Emperoure at Aken he was crowned the tenth daie of Apryll When he was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Albert marques of Brandenburg dyed there whome the Italian history writers also do geue the prayse of a sage and wyse prince and also a doughty man of armes The yeare M. cccclxxxvii was Maximiliane taken of his subiectes at Brudgis in Flaūders by a preuy trayne of the Frenchemen But when Frede rick came downe into lowe Germany furnyshed wyth the ayde of the whole empyre Maximilian was letten fre of them of Brudgis The yeare M. ccccxc he asked agayne and toke possession of his hereditary landes of the duchy of Eastenriche the whiche Mathy kyng of Hungary had taken in The yere M. ccccxciii dyed Frederick the third Emperonre in the towne Lyntz and was buried at Vienne The same yeare dyd the Turkes fall in to Croacia but they were dryuen backe agayne by Maximiliane that then was in Eastenriche surnyshed wyth an army of fyftenth ou saude men When Eugenius the .iiij. was deade Nicolaus the .v. was made by shop of Rome Friderick the Emperoure was crowned of hym and he entertayned with moste hygh liberalitie not onely learned men of Italy but also suche as were fled from Con stantinople to Rome namely Gaza Trapezontius Argyropylos by whose procurement al good sciences are renewed and amended Calistus the .iij. was bysh of Ro. after Nicolaus Pius the .ij. before called Eneas Syluius succeded Calistus He was Frederick the Emperoures Chaunceller He had gathered a greate army of all nacions against the Turkes but while the army is demissed without doynge any thyng Paulus the .ij. was after Pius Xystus the .iiii. was by shop of Rome after Paulus In his tyme the yeare M. cccclxxx dyd Mahometes the Turkysh Emperour besyege Hydruntum in Italy and wanne it vsyng therein incredible tyranny Italy was so asrayed that Xystus the Romysh byshop made hrm reade to flye into Fraunce But Mahometes died the same time when Hydruntum was a takynge and that by some destiny lest he should straie farther into Italy Moreouer whyle this was dayng Alfonsus kyng of Naples warred with them of Sena but when he harde the tydyngs of Hydruntum he haisted to returne into his kyngdome and getteth the besyeged citye Hydruntū out of the Turkes handes For whyle Mahometes was deade and that the Turkes haysted now to returne home lest any variaunce myght ryse in their kyngdome Alfonsus obteined the citie easely driuyng the Turkes out of Italy After Xystus was Innocētius the .viii. by of Ro. Alexander the the .vi. was made byshop of Ro. after Innocentius The same had a sonne duke of Valencia whom he made prince of Vrbinas Hys sayeng it was O Cesar o nullo that is Ether Emperoure or nothyng At the last was he nothyng For he was slayne for his sundry craftes that were mengled with gite and deceate The beginning of the science of printyng is sayd to haue bene vnder Frederick the thyrd and thys science of boke printing they saye to haue ben found fyrst at Mentz the yeare M. cccc xl The craft of the gonnes
oriental corner stretchyng her blasyng tayle towardes the southwest The second day of Nouember was there a great inundacion of water brokē in into Freeseland Holland Seeland and Flaunders which was very damageable to the said countreis and to thinhabiters therof Also Christerne kyng of Norway being retourned into his said kyngdome the yeare before from the parties of lowe Ducheland where he had kept hym selfe by the space of ten yeres was required by the counsayll of Denmarke to come to Copmanhauen otherwyse called Coppenhagen against kyng Fredericke whiche was put in there by the helpe of the towne of Lubeke when the said Christerne fled out of the Realme that he myght there receyue and take in possession the kyngdome of Denmarke but when he suspected no guyle relented and put away hys souldiours and came into Denmarke the Counsayll of the Lande toke hym prisoner not regardinge the promises and saulf conduit by them made vnto hym And so they kept hym in the castel of Sunderborough oute of the whiche he came neuer as yet So that after this kinge Frederick did peaceably enioye his kingdome vntyll he dyed At Lindowe by the sea coaste was in thys yeare borne a dubble calfe wyth two heades foure eares and eighte feete hanginge alltogether In the yere of our Lord M. ccccc xxxiij when y e Emperour namely Charles the fift had stablyshed vnity and concord among the Princes and Cities of Italy and Lumbardy he departed wyth a competent and wel appointed Armada or Nauye from Genua and hauynge a prosperous passage arryued within fewe dayes after in Spayne where he was receyued of hys subiectes wyth great ioye After this by the counsayll and instigation of themperours Maiestye the Shypmaiesters and maryners of Spayne founde oute certayne Indes or Ilandes in the sea beynge vnknowen before whyche do so excedynglye abounde in ryches of golde and syluer that it is vnspeakeable These toke they in by force of armes and subdued them vnder the subiection of the emperours Maiestye In thys yeare the Pope and Frauncys the Frenche kynge helde a solempne communycatyon together at Massylya whyche lyeth in the Prouynce of Fraunce where after manye and dyuers consultacyons it was concluded that Henry Duke of Orleans sonne to the sayde Frenche kynge shuolde marye Pope Clementes cosyne the doughter of Laurence Medyce Duke of Vrbyne wyth whome the Pope hadde promysed a ryche dowrye Thus hath thys Pope Clemente alwayes endeuoured hym selfe to allure and drawe vnto hym the hyghe Potentates and Rulers of the worlde by the helpe of whome he myghte extyrpate and roote oute the pore Chrystyans whome they call Lutheryans and Heretykes But God woulde not suffer it longe as it is wrytten There is no deuice nor counsayll agaynste the Lorde but it shall come to naughte In the same yeare the myghtye bond and confederatyon of the Germayne Natyon which was called the Euangelycall confederacyon or the bonde of the Gospell beynge kepte secrete of manye was at the prouocatyon of the Frenche kynge opened and disclosed There apeared also another Comete or blasynge starre from the ende of the moneth of Iune vnto the begynnynge of Auguste in the Northe and in the sygnes of Gemyny Taurus and Aryes thoroughe the whyche sygnes she made her course in her goynge backewarde hauyng her tayle extended towardes the South And thys was the thyrde Comete or blasynge starre that hadde appered wethyn those two yeres What they portended or sygnyfyed or what alteracyon of Estates and other thynges they broughte wyth them maye a dyscreete reader gather and perceyue by the Storyes herafter folowing For suche wonderfull workes of God althoughe they come by the course of nature yet are they not wythoute theyr specyall workynge It is sayde also that in this yeare of M. CCCCC xxxiii the Deuyl burned a lyttell Toune in Germanye called Shyltagh downe to the grounde by the meanes of a certayne wythche on maundy thursdaie The fyfte daye of October in the nyghte burned at Andwarpe the Churche called our ladye Churche beynge sodaynly sette on fyre At Nurrenboroughe and in manye other places of thempyre lyenge there aboute reygned thys yeare a greate Pestylence in so muche that at Nurrenboroughe onelye from S. Margretes daye vntyll S. Martins day folowinge dyed ten thousande persons The sixtene day of Nouember was a great earthquake and an horryble tempeste of wynde whyche plaged and troubled the Townes in hygh Germany verye sore namely Cu◠Feldechurche S. Gall wyth other townes and vyllages lyenge nyghe vnto them by the Ryuer called the Rhene Thys yeare Henrye the eighte kynge of Englande c. for certayne consyderacyons hym therevnto mouynge was dyuorced from hys wyfe whiche had bene fyrste maryed to hys brother prynce Arthur and maryed another on wytsonday In the yeare of our Lorde M. CCCCC xxxiii in the moneth of Ianuary The Anabaptistes whyche had gathered them selues together out of Hollande and Freselande by preuy subteltyes and conspyracyes whych they had made with certayne burgeouses of the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale inuaded the same Cytye toke possessyon of it and expelled from thence al the Burgeoules and inhabytauntes therof that woulde not take parte wyth them and folowe theyr facultye They chose them also a kynge that was a Taylloure named Ihon of Leyden whyche ordeyned for hym selfe two specyall Counsayllours the one called Knypperdullynge and the other kreghtynge and in conclusyon they made suche a dysorder and confusyon whytin the sayde Cytye that not wythoute a cause all the people of Westephale dyd ryse agaynste them But when the ryghte noble Prynce Philyppe Landgraue of Hessen toke in hande to accorde the matter betwene the sayde Anabaptystes and the Byshoppe whome they had expelled he coulde nothynge preuayle so sore hadde the Deuyll blynded that Anabaptystycall generatyon Wherefore the sayde Byshoppe compassed the sayde Cytye wyth a greate power on euerye syede to thyntent he myghte ouercome and subdue them ether wyth the sworde or elles by famyne And althoughe there was greate scarcyte and lacke of vyctualles wythyn the saide Cyrye in so muche that at the laste they were sayne to eate lether and couerynges of bookes yet dyd they sustayne bearcoute prolonge and holde oute the sayde syege vntyll the next yeare folowynge wherof we shall speake more in place conuement In the meane season dyd Philip Landgraue of Hessen prepare hymselfe after the best maner to restore hys Vncle Duke Hulderyke of Wyrtenbergh agayne to hys Dukedome from whence he was expelled fyftene yeares before durynge the whyche tyme kynge Ferdynando had the gouernaunce and vse therof But fyrste because the sayde prince of Hessen woulde do nothynge presumptuously nor temeraryouslye he sente worde to themperoures Mayestye in Spayne and to the kynge in Austryche desyrynge them to restore hys said Vncle Duke Hulderyke to hys Landes agayn for so muche as he had nowe suffered sufficient punyshemente for hys
of Dauids posterite vntil that tyme that the Machabees began to reigne Firste reigned zorobabel whose posteritie what fortune they had and how finally the whole kyngdome is translated from Dauids posteritie shall we shewe hereafter For so was it prophecied afore by the prophetes that Christe should be borne about that tyme of Dauids bloude that foren princes shoulde vsurpe to them the kyngdome of the Iewes that was now already alienated The rekenynge of the seuenty wekes out of Daniel IT was shewed Daniel by heauenly reuelacion of Christus commynge and howe long the Iewysh people should last Ther is a notable wytnesse in this prophecy to confirme the certaynte of our faith against the Iewes whiche striue and contende that Christ is not yet come and wayte yet for another Messias Verely the rekenyng of the tyme appointed by Daniel is easy and specially it is pleasaunt to know thereby that Christe was surely come about that tyme the whiche Daniel hath prescribed For though other do count diuersly yet if ye go not froÌ„ the order of the histories there shall bee found no great dissention wherfore ye could doubt For the diligent rekening of the tyme is requisite to repete out of Ptolome these Eclipses that are happened and to gather out of them ordely euery yeare but that were not one mans laboure And diligently ought Byshops to occupie them in these thynges with doyng costes that the vnderstandynge of so notable prophecies myght bee clerely had in the churche I truely wyll gather here out of the best histories the nombre of the yeares and endeuoure to make the rekenyng there of very playne Daniel sayeth Seuenty wekes are concluded vpon this people and specially accordynge to the commaundement of buyldyng agayne Ierusalem shalbe syxty and nyne wekes vntill Christes kyngdome and than shall Christ be put to death Fyrst must it be knowen what that the wekes do yearly signifye so that euery weke make seuen yeares the whiche maye easely be proued Wherefore the seuenty wekes make foure hundreth and nynety yeares Secondly sayeth Daniel Christe shalbe put to death after thre score and nyne wekes but so that he teache the half weke and afterward bee put to death The tyme and office of Christ is notable expressed of this maner Thyrdly must the nyne and seuenty wekes bee rekened from the seconde yeare of Darius Longimanus that is wyth the long hande For then dyd God sende Zachary and Aggeus the prophetes that they shoulde comforte and certaynely assure the people of repairyng Ierusalem hereafter without any hynderaunce And of this worde that is of this reuelacion are the aungels wordes to be vnderstande Because then was made the sure promyse to the people of the furtheraunce of the temples repayryng Besyde that commaunded Longimanus that self same yeare by an open commaundement that â—he Iewes shoulde not be hyndered of their purpoâ—â—d worke of buyldynge the citie and temple as it was done before But all this is to be red in the bodies of Eldras And surely to this same delaye of tyme in repairyng of the temple had saint Ihon respect in the seconde chapter of his gospell where the Iewes said that in buyldyng of the temple were spent syx and fourty yeares for that is the nombre of the yeares from the seconde yeare of Cyrus vntyll the syxte yeare of Longimanus wherein the worke of the temple was accomplyshed But now is it gathered out of the booke of the Machabees and out of Iosephus that from the begynnyng of Alexander after the death of the last Darius vntyll Christe was borne to be thre hundreth and ten yeares From Christes byrth vntyll hys baptyme thyrty yeares Summa from the begynnynge of Alexander vntyll the baptyme of Christe thre hundreth and fourty yeares To these put the tyme from the seconde yeare of Longimanus vntyll Alexander after the death of the laste Darius and as Metasthenes counteth there shall be a hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares Summa from the second yere of Longimanus vntill the baptisme of Christe are foure hundreth foure score and fyue yeare And therfore thre score and nyne yearly wekes make euen foure hundreth and foure score and two wekes Whereby it is manifest that when Christe was baptysed were fulfylled three score and nyne yearly wekes and in the weke folowynge taught Christ in the same half weke was he put to death For Christe was put to death the fourth yeare after that he was baptised Wherfore when this weke that foloweth is added to the thre score and nine there shalbe seuenty wekes and this is the maner to count the tyme appoynted by Daniel For after Christes death are the Iewes nomore Gods people and their temple was afterward an abominacion the whiche Daniel witnessed playnly Besyde this are other notable doctrines and consolacions of troubled coÌ„sciences in this prophecy of Christes office and kyngdome that he came to preache forgeuenesse of synnes but to expounde all this maketh to no purpose here nother is it here taken in hande I haue truely sought out with so great diligeÌ„te as I could the maner of countyng the seuenty wekes of Daniel nother do I fynde that it can greatly varye if ye wyll folowe the fourme of histories For though ye wyll not folowe Metasthenes yet doth the rekenyng of the Grekes agre very well here with For after the countyng of the Grekes are betwene the death of Alexander and the beginnyng of Augustus twoo hundreth and foure score yeares the whiche I can proue with very stronge reasons If ye do now take the yeares of the Persians after thee seconde yeare of Longimanus by the Grekes ye shall fynde the same also After Alexander vntyll Christes byrth are thre hundreth and two and twenty yeares After Christes birth vntyl hys baptysme thyrty yeares Put therto the nomber of the Persians from the second yeare of Longimanus an hundreth and two and thyrty yeares after the Grekes Summa of this is foure hundreth foure score and foure yeares So perfectly do the hystories of the Grekes agre with the tyme that is founde in Iosephus and Philo that ye maye openly perceaue the tyme of Christes commynge to be moste fyttly appoynted by Daniel And truely I doubte not but wyse and learned men will alowe and testifye that both these rekenynges that we haue set here maye bee very well proued by wytnesses of hystoryes And without it were to longe I coulde brynge yet other more rekenynges whyche shoulde agre with these also So that it is no doubte but that Daniel hath moste ryghtely hytt thee tyme of Christes commynge It hath also no small pyth of consolacion or comfort though the maner of the tyme do not agre so iustly with euery minute that we may be certyfyed that the tyme prophecyed of Daniel be longe sence past Wherfore are the Iewes in manifest erroure whiche can by no reasons proue that the same tyme is not yet past though they wyll vnderstande the wekes of dayes