of theyr religion the whych taught hym also the prophesy of Daniel that the kyng of the Grekes shuld rule in Asia and amonge the Perses Whereof was Alexander not a lytle coraged and geuinge the Iewes great lybertye he enryched the temple also wyth great and noble gyftes He returned to Babylon according to the prophecy of Ieremy Of thys wyse saued God hys weake churche at that tyme whan for so notable mutation of dominions was warre nearehande in all countryes The diuision of the realmes after Alexander ALexander had maryed Roxane the doughter of a prince in Persia whiche was great wyth chylde whan the kyng dyed Whan the kynge was deade and there was none other true heyre of the kyngdome than the kynges chylde the princes toke counsel among them how to gouerne the kyngdome a ryghte First they thought it good to appoint certayne gouernours vntyll the quene were delyuered yf a man chylde were borne the same should be kyng by inheritaunce and succession Contrarywyse dyd some among whom was Perdicas one choyse in the kynges steade Arideus brother to Alexander a man fearfull and syckely and to this agreed the moste parte Neuerthelesse were the princes constrayned to choyse men by whome the kyngdome should be gouerned but amonge the gouernoures was Perdicas the chefe and that in the name of Alexanders brother vnder which pretense he procured in the meane season that he myght by lytle lytle optaine the whole kyngdome and than began he to assaye fyrst wyth honcste engyns afterwarde with open force also For he woâ—d Cleopatra the syster of Alexander and trusted by that meanes easelye to optayne the kyngdome But Antipater that was gouernour in Macedonia feling this gyle of Perdicas dyd hynder thys weddinge wherfore dyd Perdicas on the other part his diligence that Antipater might be taken and cast into preson This is to be brefe nearehande the cause of the warre whych was rysen amonge Alexanders princes For Perdicas had hys rebellions againste him on the other syde conspyred Antypater Antigonus Ptolomeus And Perdicas inuaded Ptolome first in Egypte where he was forth wyth slayne of hys owne souldiours This was a worthy punishment the which he deserued that was fyrst begynner of the sedicion amonge Alexanders princes But ther could be no ende made of this tragedy nother was there any hope of peace without the adherentes of Perdicas were fyrst oppressed also yee there coulde no stedfast peace be hoped for in the worlde seyng whan Alexander was deade the world was as headlesse Nother appeared any thyng els in so great a perturbation of all thinges than that al honestye and gouernaunce beynge wholy ouerthrowen there shoulde be a continuall willfulnesse oâ— murthuringe amonge men So lytle can lawfulâ— gouernaunces last in this worlde without they be institute and preserued of God But it semed to God that oute of Alexanders kyngedome shouldâ— sprynge foure mighty princes For so was it prophesyed of Daniel to come to passe namelye thaâ— whan the bucks whiche signified Alexander onâ— horne shoulde peryshe foure other hornes shouldâ— growe the whiche the angell expoundeth of thâ— foure kyngdomes institute after Alexander Buâ— it is chefely to be maruayled at that God woulde the realmes to come to those princes which by degre of bloude were neare to Philippe and Alexander Perdicas which was not of the kinges bloud was in the meane season depryued of this honor For so doth it most commonely come to passe that he which coueteth the common gouernaunce without a lawfull callynge putteth himselfe in greate administrations of hys owne swynge is reiected of God as we se what happened to Absalon some other Moreouer these kyngdomes are diuided amonge those princes which before were made debities in the kyngdome by Alexander Seleucus was made kynge of Syria Ptolemeus was made kyng of Egypte To Antigonus befell the kyngdome of Asia Cassander ruled in Macedonia and Grece These kynges had cruel warres for the monarchye the which euery one coueted But in Macedonia was the greatest slaughter Cassander caused to put to death the moost honest quene mother to Alexander the whiche in dyenge shewed a very wounderful token of chastitye and constancy For meting the hangeman frely wyth a coragious contenaunce aboue the costume of women she toke hym her heade to cutt of and whan she fell doune she couered her so wyth her rayment that her body should no where be disclosed dishonestly As for Roxane Alexanders wyfe caused Cassander to be taken kept But this vnfaythfulnesse hath God punyshed ryght well whaÌ„ after Cassanders death hys two sonnes Antipater Alexander disquieted eche other wyth warres for the kyngdome of Macedonye Antipater one of them drewe to hym Lysimachus which raygned by Hellespontus whose doughter he had wedded also But the other brother Alexander requyred ayde of Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus But ether of them was slayn of hys companyon of whom they trusted to haue ayde Antipater of hys father in law Lysimachus and Alexander of Demetrius Fynallye besell the kyngdome of Macedonye to Demetrius sonne to Antigonus for he was an honeste and lucky prince in gouernaunce Of this Demetrius haue all the other kynges of Macedony theyr ofspringe vntyll these tymes whan the laste of hys kynred was taken of the Romanes in whom also ended the kingdome of Macedony I set forth here the history brefely and as it were eueÌ„ in passing away out of the which thesage reder may easely coÌ„sider that in Grece whan they destroied themselues vsed now the assistaunce of foren princes peryshed all honesty of good maners wyth the dominion and commone welth For this Demetrius of whom we haue now made mencion whan he was oft conuersaunt wyth the Athenians they slattered him so shamefullye that they called hym God and wyth prayenge dyd hym godly worship yea and in theyr sacrifice vsed they a seuerall songe of him sayenge that the other goddes were a slepe only Demetrius was a true God whych dyd watche for theyr health These vngodly and dredfull voyces testifye that at Athenes was vtterlye quenched and lost all honesty and godlynesse Now resteth it that passinge ouer the kynges of Macedony I rehearse the names of suche kynges as haue raygned in Syria and Egypte For these kyngdomes were the mightiest among those foure and to knowe the order of these kynges doeth greatly auayle also in holy scrypture wherein often tymes is made mencion of them For the Iewes had great conuersacion and occupyenge wyth these two kyngdomes Of the kynges of Syria SEleucus was a prince borne in Macedonie on whose thingh appeared a naturall token in maner of an anker the which had also all his posterity He toke the citye Babylon by stronge hande Afterwarde were Antigonus and Demetrius hys sonnes kynges of Asia ouercome of him Antigonus was pearsed through Demetrius dyed in preson After this discomfyted Seleuchs Lysimachus
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
by Iulius but longe after was he commaunded to be put to death at Antiochia by Antonius euen the third yeare when Herode was made kyng And yf the whole tyme that Hircanus was high priest bee wel rekened it shalbe euen foure and thirty yeares finally was he put to death by Herode It is a dredful thyng verely to senerehande in al histories that not only the moste renow medest kynreds and families amonge men decay but that also the successours of holy men cleane doth degenerate from the honestie of there elders and fall to all fylthynesse of mische ue and synne What tyme the Phariseys and the other sectes began with the Iewes WHen now the soueraintie and priesthode by the Iewes began to be toren and pulled asunder by the tyraÌ„ny the warres of Antiochus I passe ouer that the Machabees ioyned them with Heythen kynges the which ordeined or deposed princes high priestes at their pleasure the whiche cared for nothing lesse then the endeuour of the religioÌ„ it could not be â—â—â—t that sectes and sundry dissensions must yse in the Iewysh religion For uedes must it happen so wheÌ„ether we want a certain head in the religion or wheÌ„the heades of the churche or congregatioÌ„ do not regarde the studies of Godlinesse and seke onely outward puyssaunce as prophane nacions do The sectes that were sprong vp were of thre sores the first wer called Phariseis that is Seuered of the word Phares These vsed for they were better learned then the other certain constitutions of men aboue the lawe of Moses whereby they were seuered from the other people Howbeit their doctrine was a litle better righter theÌ„ the other For they taught immortalitie after this life that God will punysh synnes they beleued also that Messias should come a saueour for the faithfull and a iudge for the synnes To the men of this secte also was coÌ„mitted the coÌ„mon welth before other and they wee of more aucthoritie The second secte was of the Sadduceis These hidde their wickednesse with a very noble not able callyng theÌ„selues For zaddik signifieth righteous Sadducei they that be righteous or holy So is it moste commonly receaued in vsage in this worlde that those that be moste wycked of all do cloke their couetousnesses wyth moste honeste names They taught that after death was no lyfe That God had onely geuen the lawe to the intent we shoulde liue honestly quietly receiuing of God in y â— meane season in this lyfe the rewarde of righteousnesse They did expounde y â— scriptures wholy according to mans iudgemeÌ„t nether would they heare ought els as concernyng for the maners that appertaâ—ned vnto man very Epicures that is to saye suâ— as did put the principall goodnesse in voluptuoâ—â—tie as Epicurus the Philosopher dyd And thaâ— more is when they at the length had gotteÌ„ power â–ª they troubled not a litle the Phariseis It is a fearfull thyng verely to heare that among the peculiar and chosen people of God are crept in euen heythenysh doctrines insomuche that coÌ„stantly they were not ashamed euen openly to teache and saye that after this lyfe was none other lyfe The thirde were Essey the whiche when they perceiued that both the Phariseyes and Sadduceyes folowed their appetites vnder the coloure of honest titles nether did ought in a maner that were worthy their profession therfore semed it them good to declare the straitnesse and seueritie of lyfe with the dede and would be called Essey that is workers or doers For Assa whence the name Essey commeth sygnifieth to worke as in these times the Anabaptistes do reproue bothe the Lutherians and papistes and endeuour to seme more holier then ether of them For the Essey lyued in a maner in all thinges as the Anabaptistes lyue they maryed not and woulde haue all thynges common among them This was an vtter foolysh and dotish supersticion of monkerye and whiche could not last long Of this wyse nerehand is the church deuided in thre partes also now a dates for because y â— second commyng of Christe also is harde by The Anabaptistes resemble the Esseyes and on the other parte some be Phariseyes some are Sadduceyes For the thniges that happened amoÌ„g the Iewes â—â—e a figuce of the ChristeÌ„ religion These sectes rose first among the Iewes vnder Ioannes Hircamus the sonne of Simon before the byrth of Christ an hundreth and fyue and twenty yeares Of Herodes kynred WHen Iulius Cesar had warre in Egypt that was euery where full of daunger Antipater prince of Idumea ayded him very faithfully and for a remembraunce of this benefite made hym Iulius gouernoure of Iewry the whiche was now constrayned to obey foren and straunge princes in her owne royalme The Iewes set themselues agaynst it with great force at the first sufferyng very disdainfully the rule of the Idumean prince insomuche that he was poysoned at the last by a Iewe called Malchus and dyed Herodes reuenged the death of his father Antipater and demaunded the succession of the Iewysh kyngdome of Augustus and Antonius in the hundreth foure score and seconde Olympias and this was after Alexander two huÌ„dreth foure score and twelue yeares This was the occasion wherby Iewry receuied foren kynges out of Idumea and afterlong siege compelled Herode them of Ierusalem to yelde theÌ„selues nether was there litle bloud shedde before the Iewes yelded themselues frely to Herodes dominion As for Christ was borne in the thirtieth yeare of Herode These are nerehand the greatest and chefest mutations of the kyngdom brefly comprehended the whiche happened in Iewry in the tyme of this monarchie vntill the last monarchie and the tyme of Christes birth And though it is euident ynough that the Iewysh kynges after Christes birth were of Herodes kynred yet wyll I set them euery one orderly that the reader may more easely knowe how the one is borne of the other and haue ruled the kyngdome lawfully by a certayn succession vntyll the destruction of the citie Ierusalem though as concernyng the iust order of the historie I am not come so farre For I haue yet to reherse these thynges of the Romanes which happened in the tyme of the Grecian monarchie Herode the first whiche was also called Ascalon had many children among the whiche he hymselfe caused thre to be slame Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater by reason of a conspiracy that they had made against their father But after him remained aliue Archelaus Herodes whiche was surnamed Antipas and Philippus These parted the kyngdome amonges them Archelaus was chosen by a testament to succede his father Herode in the kyngdome but Augustus the emperour would not confirme or ratifye thys wyl of the father but made hym prince howbeit vnder this hope that he should be made kyng yf he ruled honestly And so ruled he nyne yeares and vsed great tyranny he set vp and deposed high priestes and rauyshed his
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
spyrituall kyngdom LEst we be ignorant in what state the word of God and the church was we must also speake of the spirituall kyngdome Abraham was in the time of kyng Ninus For when he was old about fifty yeares the first twoo thousande yeares had an ende and the kyngdome of the Assyrians was already begonne And that more is whan now the true worshyp of God and his worde began to come out of vse in the kyngdome of Babylon There weÌ„t out of Chaldea into Mesopotamia with his two sonnes Abraham and Loth lest he also myght bee stayned with the wickednes of the superstition that the Chaldees vsed This idolatry doth the scripture cal Vt Chaldeorum that is the Chalde fyre For when in the sacrifice of the true Godly the fyre fallyng downe from heauen kyndled the oblacions the wicked folowyng their examples kyndled a fyre and so set vp a newe Gods seruice that with suche a worke they might serue God without the expressed worde of God without the knowledge of the promyse of Christ to come Hereafter also in the histories is the same fyre called Orimasda that is holyfyre the whiche kynges caused also to be caried before them vpon a horse The first occasioÌ„ of ydolatry among men began by this fyre before Images were vsed But lest y â— worde of god should vtterly be quenched God renewed afreshe the promyse of Christe and added a new ceremony too the worde the which as a token should kepe the remeÌ„braunce of the worde in mens myndes For true doctrine is lightely put out of mens mindes without it bee beaten into the peoples myndes by outward tokens and ceremonies To that was Abraham chosen of God the whiche when he was olde thre score and fyften yeares he was commaunded of God to go into Chalde leauyng Mesopotamia where a new promise was made hym that the sede of Abraham should possesse the lande of Canaan should beare rule in it and also that the sede of Abraham namely Christ should come by the whiche God woulde blesse all nacions that is that GOD would be appeased by that sede and takyng awaye the power of synne and death geue lyfe euerlasting To this promyse hath God added circumcision the whiche should be a sygne of promission and a prouocation to beleue And therfore remayned alway afterward in the churche or congregacion the worde and spirituall kyngdome of Christ among a certain people that is in Abrahams posterite amonge the whiche it was necessary to haue bene alway some whiche were true beleuers and Godly As for the whole history of Abraham is fully written in the holy Bible In this place suffiseth it to shewe in what tyme Abraham hath bene and what chaunges 〈…〉 gion are happened in the meane season But the promyse was other whyles repeted to Abraham As for the circumcision was geuen hym when he was foure score yeare olde and nyne thee yeare from the creation of the world two thousand and seuen and fourty some count it to our Iubile two thousande and fifty Abraham had of Agar his handmayden a some called Ismael the same began to growe in strength and puisaunce by the Arabians and the Agareny in Arabia beare the name of this Agar of whome we shall speake afterwarde Of the destruction of Sodome THE foure score and nyntenth yeare of Abrahams age hath GOD for thee abhominable euyll dedes horrible and vncomly lecheryes destroied fyue cities Sodome and Gomorre and the other cities lyeng therby burnyng them with fyre from heauen The place where the cityes were is become a great marasse whose length and bredth conteyneth the space of certain miles euen yet at this time as though it were ful of pitche doth burne with coÌ„tinual smoke and vapor for a token of Gods indignacion vengeaunce for so greate synnes This happened the thre hundreth and fourscore eleuenth yere after the floude after that Noe was deade the fourtieth and one Of thys wyse hath God other whyles wytnessed to the worlde that he wyll bee auenged and iudge synners Of Isaac AFter this was a sonne borne to Abraham of his wyfe Saâ—a called Isaac of whose sede is Christ For he dyd beare hys fygure whan God commaunded that he should be offered of hys father wherby is signifyed that Christ should bee a sacrifice with the whiche should synne and death be disamilled And by this example it is signifyed agayne that God wyl forgeue synnes rayse the dead and geue euerlastyng lyfe to the beleuyng Isaac had two sonnes Iacob and Esau Of Esau haue the Edomites in Arabia their begynnyng for Esau was called Edom that is reddish because he solde his brother y â— ryght of y â— fyrst borne the which God hath blessed for a messe of potage y â— was somwhat reed despysynge the blessyng of God and his benefyte for loue of hys belly But Iacob was surnamed Israel that is prince of God of whom the people Israel haue their of sprynge But for al theese thynges must the Bible be loked Of Ioseph Iacobs sonne BEcause Ioseph is rehersed amoÌ„g the chiefe and moost wysest gouernours we do worthely here make mencion of hym For he taught the Egyptians both the religion and ciuyll maners and aboue all is it worthy to bee marked that the man whiche was endued with holynesse the holy ghost had set vp a very hard and rigorous maner of rulyng and that where the whole kyngdome of Egypte was large and wyde he ioyned them together as members of one body so that we may learne thereby that rygour is most nedeful to entertayn the people in there office or duety alowed of God For the common people is commonly destroied by lybertie But for because he came into Egypte by the conspiration of his brethren that he was solde of them and also what chaunce he had in Egypte of all this is there fully wrytten in the Bible For by thys wonderfull occasion God wylled hym to come into Egypt that in the same kyngdom also myght be taught the true worshyp of God and that the promyse of Christes commyng myght bee made manifest For God would euer haue his word preached euen in the greatest kyngdomes also that by this occasion God might fede Iacob and his posterite in the tyme of derth Of Moses and of the punyshment of the tyraunt Pharao ALthough God had promysed to the posterite of Abraham the possession of the lande of Canaan yet hath he differred the promyse a long season that through the word they myght haue in the meane while wherewith to exercyse their faith ye he suffred them before to be sore punished in Egypte For as saith the booke of Genesis Iacob and his chyldren fled into Egypte in the tyme of derth where they dwelled a longe season the which we shal note hereafter But when Pharao ouercharged the people without measure and remission and vsed tyranny insom uche that
his horsse hys â—wearde fell out of hys sheeth and wounded hym so sore in the one syde that he dyed This example sheweth that God suffreth tyrauntes not very longe For he lyued not much more than one yeare after Cyrus nother left he anye heyre after hym and of thys wyse is he cleane deade It is truely a pyteous thynge and greatly to be bewayled that in so lytle a space the kingdome of the Perses is taken from the posteritie of Cyrus The rule of the empyre remayned neuerthelesse wyth Cyrus bloude For Darius had wedded Cyrus doughter the whyche neuerthelesse was also of Cyrus bloud Of the punishment of a wicked iudge NO prince is of so desperate hope which doth not at any tyme some laudable or honest thynge For God doeth garnishe the offyce of a gouernour or high officer and maketh that other whyles notable and necessary thynges are done necessarely for the conseruation of publyke administration Cambyses is alowed in all historyes for thys one â—ede for the which he is worthy to be praysed He had a gouernour in the fore part of Asia called Siâ—amnes he heard saye that this iudge iudged vniuâ—â—ly beynge corrupt wyth gyftes of mony Wherefore he caused him to be slayne and the skynne â—lain oâ— from his body commaunded he to be fastened vpon the iudges seate and ordeined in steade of the deade iudge his soâ—â—e called Otaâ—es and sat hym in the seate â—â—diciall vpon this maner and condition that by the beholdyng of his fathers skynne he shuld beware lest he should be punished lykewyse This example warneth those that are in authorytye to remembre that God will not suffre wyckednesse to be vnreuenged Of Darius Kyng of the Persians WHan Cambyses was gone into Egypte the Magi rebelled agaynst him at Susa and one of the Magies toke the name of a kyng vpon him by gyle Magi are called y â— wyse men priestes of those contryes But whan Cambyses made him now ready to returne into the kyngdome that he might punish worthely those seditious Magies euen in his yourney by a mischaunce as we haue sayd before he dyed Aâ—ter the death of Cambises the Magies beyng slaâ—â—e y â— Peers of the realme toke the kingdome to them selues after that poyntyng a day of assembly they came to treate of restoringe one into the kingedome Persy for a certayn order The peers or Princes were seuen in nomber as in the Germâ—ne empyre are seuen Electors those doutlesse were chosen and poynted by greate wysedome and counsell as the hyghest counsellers of the whâ—le empyre of Persia Whan now these seuen prynces were come together to deuise for the commune health of the realme there rose controuersy in deuisynge and of thre thynges specially One Othanâ—s counselled to chose no more kynges but that the princes bounde by an aliaunce shuld rule a lyke libertye beynge retayned of ethersyde for it were euident ynough before and proued by example that one man lord of so many and great thynges becommeth lyghtely haut and presumpteous and to fall to tyranny as it was euident that Cambyses had done The seconde Megabysus refusynge that counsell sayde that such lybertye shoulde be worsse than tyranny for the princes and cityes yf they want a Lorde can not but misvse that libertye to priuate wylfulnesse But lest anye suche do happen it were good not to choyse one onely kynge but to ordeâ—â—e some princes by whome shoulde alwaye remayne the full power of a kynge The thyrd called Darius refelling the sentence of ether of them counselled one kyng to be chosen for though in thys poynt as in all other thynges of men myght befall great and many inconueniences yet is no royalme or dominion more surer than the Monarchy that is yf one raygne in whose power and handes the chefe poynt of the raygne do consist For though these thre counsels be a lyke honest and verye good yet if they be conferred together it is most euident there can no fayrer or more profytabler thynge be founde thaâ— a Monarchye namelye whych goeth nexte to a godly kingdome Moreouer it can not be that concorde can be kepte longe amonge fre princes or yf some princes be chosen to gouerne some myghtye realme in steade of a kyng and that for the diuersytye of moost weighty causes whych myght some tyme befall in so large a dominion in the whiche the princes coulde not allwaye agree together Besydes thys that there shoulde not want amongest the princes the endeuour of souerayntye and gouernaunce aboue the other ouer the which he shoulde procure to rule as ouer subiectes or inferiors These were the causes which Darius alleged vnto whom agreed the other foure princes and ordeyned to choyse a kyng after the costumâ—ble maner But lest any debate myght aryse amonge the princes of the royalme they determyned to committe the lot of the kynges eleccion to God They agreed that the princes shoulde come together very early on horses into a certayn place and whose horsse shuld neye fyrst the same should be kyng Darius beynge come home shewed thys couâ—sell to the controller of hys court whych sayde he would easely brynge it to passe For before the euenyng of the appointed daye he dyd lead Darius horsse and a mare into the place appoynted and there letteth he go the horsse to the mare â–ª that in the mornynge the horsse comminge to the place myghte neye for the mare beyng absent And as the princes came together in the appointed a place at y â— set houre Darius horsse neyen fyrst lest they might dout whether it were Gods will that Darius should be their kinge sodenly at y â— same very tyme whan the horsse neyed was ther a lightening in an open and cleare ayer with thonderinge Forthwith the other princes lyghtynge from their horses dyd to Darius dew reuerence And by this occasion was Darius set vp in the hygh dignitie of the Persian empyre the which he gouerned after that with great praise He restored with great power the countries that were rebelled whan Cyrus dyed in Scythia to the empyre Babilon the citie also refusynge now the dominion of the Perses he recouered after longesiege and that by this meanes One zopyrus the sonne of Megabysus one of the seuen lordes or princes caused willinglye hys nose eares and lyppes to be cutt of maketh the kinge priuy of his counsell and falleth to the Babilonians as one that were fled he complayneth of the kinges cruelnesse whiche caused him to be of this wyse dismayde and toren because he gaue him counsell to forsake the cytie nother fayned he hymselfe otherwyse than to be the kynges enemy and that he were fled to the Babilonians for cause of counsel taking The Babilonians did frely receaue him and as he was made capitaine of them he slew some of Darius souldiours for so was he agreed with Darius that therby he might at the first augment the confidence of the Babilonians in
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
those that were the true successors For which cause was this people greueously punished agayne of God This was the fyrst yourney of Antiochus to Ierusalem in the whiche he ordeined a hygh priest and spoyled the temple â–ª slew many This happened the syxte yeare of Antiochus the which was the hundreth and thre and fortyeth yeare after Alexanders death Two yeare after which was the hundreth and fyue and fortieth yeare after the death of Alexander made Antiochus ready hys seconde yourney into Egypt For the cities had yelded themselues agayne to the yonge kynge the which also had sought for ayde of the Romanes Nowe whan Antiochus inuaded Egypte the Romanes sente an ambassador Popilius which shuld shew Antiochus in the name of the Romanes to auoyde out of the coastes of Egypte nether to warre vpon the yonge kynge Philometor For the Romanes were mynded to retayne him in the kyngdome wyth theyr ayde Wherevpon answered Antiochus he would deuise wyth him selfe what he would do But Popilius wold graunt hym no space to deuise but makyng a rynge wyth hys speare aboute Antiochus commaunded hym to saye strayght waye before he went out of the cyrcle whether he wold auoyd out of Egipt or no. Antiochus being abashed with this seuerite constance of Popilius for he knew was afeared of the Romane power he promised frelye to go out of Egipt â–ª Wherfore he was constrayned to leaue Egypt the second tyme with great shame But inflamed with â—re for the impacience of the grefe he went agayne to Ierusalem and this was hys seconde yourney to Ierusalem for he was there twise and than vsed â—e his tyranny much more cruelly than before For he commaunded the Iewes to worshyp the Idols of the Heythen he commaunded to burn the bokes of the Bible and left a great deale of noughtypackes to possesse the citye Ierusalem in steade of a garnyson the which tormented then very cruelly that wolde not fall from theyr fayth and to thys thinge dyd they assist them that were deceuered from the Iewysh religion The temple also was turned to a prophane vse fore an image was sett therein of the Gentils superstition But what nedeth many wordes They busyed to roote out the worde of God and the whole lawe and in steade thereof to bringe in the maners of the Gentyls Nether dyd Antiochus vse that counsel rashly but with a great wytt policye For he perceaued that the Iewes wythstode the Heythen kynges because of theyr religion and therfore wolde he auoyde the diuersitye of religion Of thys wyse do mens thoughtes dalye in matters concernyng God and wyll set vp religion after theyr wyll iudgement Moreouer vnder y e example and figure of thys Antiochus doth Daniel also describe Antichriste that such a kyngdom shuld be where in Christen men shuld be put to distresse and Gods word shuld be quenched and lykewyse shuld be set vp a religion for a shewe which might be contrary to gods word by y â— which may be had an occasyon to optayne power great ryches Euen as it is euident that Mahomet hath set vp a false religion and vnder pretence thereof haue ordeyned a newe kyngdome And this religion semeth to be folysh religion for it doeth greatly flatter mens reason For passing ouer nearehande all the hygher sentences and articles of the fayeth it hath kept onely that doctryne whyche teacheth morall vertues Wonder it is verely howe muche that same doth flatter mans reason wherefore also it doth vse to crepe more easely into mens mindes than the doctryne of fayth As for the tyranny of Antiochus thereof is written in the bokes of the Machabees Danyel wytnesseth that the people of the Iewes had deserued thys punyshment because of theyr synnes And allthoughe God dyd punyshe hys people yet for all that he dyd not destroye them vtterly For God raysed Iudas Machabeus whych gatheryng a small army inuaded Antiochus captaynes and by Gods assistaunce ouerthrowynge the enemyes he recouered the temple the thyrd yeare after that Antiochus had sett an Idoll therein Daniel hath comprehended all this tyme of the Iewysh affliccion in two thousande and thre hundreth dayes whych make syxe yeares and syxe monethes and some dayes ouerplus For the persecution lasted from the thyrde yeare of Antiochus vntyll the eyght yere some monethes Daniel dyd vse thys diuision of the tyme also that the Idoll should stande in the temple a thousande two hundreth and nynety dayes whyche make thre yeare and syxe monethes And y â— temple was recouered an hundreth eyght and forty yeares after Alexanders death Thys was the thre hundreth and eight and fortieth yere after that the Iewes were delyuered oute of the Babylonicall bondage and the hundreth and two and fyftyeth yeare before Christes byrth But Antiochus deserued wyth hys vngodlinesse and blasphemy agaynst God not only the vtter extinguishment of hys kynred but also the ouerthrowynge of the whole kyngdome of Syria For after Antiochus death there was euer warre betwene one or other and after manye tymes for the succession in the kyngdome That it maye be playnely sene by thys example ho we begynneth matters to sprynge for the whyche kyngdomes be ouerthrowen as we se nowe a dayes to befall in Hungary Antiochus Epiphanes dyed in that yourney whyche made readye agayne to come agaynst the Iewes to reuenge the dammage done After hys death hys brother Demetrius fled from Rome toke in the kingdome kylling the yong Antiochus surnamed Eupator sonne to Antiochus Epiphanes Alexander the capitayne raysyng a sedition agaynst Demetrius slewe hym Demetrius left two sonnes after him Demetrius and Antiochus Sedetes Of this Demetrius verely was Alexander slayne lykewyse Afterward was a sedition raysed by one Tryphon agaynst Demetrius the whych droue him out of the kyngdome but Demetrius came agayne into the kyngdome and dyed stryken thorough wyth a sworde Antiochus Sedetes was slayne of the Parthes As for this Demetrius had a sonne Antiochus Gryphus Antiochus Sedetes left after him a sonne Antiochus Cyzicenus These stroue for the kyngdome of Syria and were both slayne Afterward dyd their children warre one agaynst the other for y â— kindome wyth no lesse stryfe than their elders and had at the last so febled eche other that Syria was constrayned to yeld it selfe to foren kinges For it ioyned it selfe to Tigranes kyng of Armenia And of this wyse is the kyngdome of Syria transferred from Seleucus posterity to foren princes But finally whan Tigranes was slayne by Pompeius Syria was broughte vnder the Romane power Hetherto is ynough spoken of the kyngdome of Syria Of the kynges of Egypt after Alexander PTolomeus the sonne of Lagus wherof Pausanias wryteth whych calleth hym the bastarde of Philippe father to Alexander ij Ptolomeus Philadelphus Greate prayses are of thys kynge by reason of his endeuour of peace and also because he delyted in all kynde of
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
sciences Enoch is an â—â—â—mple of euerlastyng lyfe Gene. â—â— â–ª â—â—◠〈…〉 e of flesh â—â—â—st 〈…〉 ed The example of vengeaunce The proprietye of speches Sem. Cham. Iaphet Iones are â—â—â— fyrste 〈…〉 s. Wherfore Ianus hath 〈…〉 lages The Macedones Aeoles The Germanes The foure Monarchies are proposed to Daniel Dan. ij Nemroth Gods hunter Niniue The churche from Noe â—â—â—â— AbrahaÌ„m Zoroastres fynder of witchcrafte â–ª Semiramis vsed mans garment A lecherous prynce Sardanapalus wantonnesse The death of Sardanapalus The kyngdome of the Egyptians Abraham was in Ninus tyme. Thare Vr of the Chald. es The first occasion of ydolatry The true wiÌ„g of the promise made to Abraham CircumcisioÌ„ is the token of promise When the circuÌ„cision was geuen Agar Ismael Isaac a fygure of 〈…〉 st Iacob Esau The Edo 〈…〉 〈…〉 fore 〈…〉 was called Edom 〈…〉 was called Israel Ioseph a man sage and holy The cause of affliction An example of grace and goodnes An example of vengeauÌ„ce When y â— law was geuen The time froÌ„ the promyse made to Abraham vntill y â— goyng out of Egipt Princes weâ— called Iudges The institution of kyngdomes and kynâ—eâ—â—e of â—â—â— The chaungynges and renewynges of kyngdoÌ„s displeaseth God The confirmacion of ciuyll gouernaunce Saul Dauid Salmon Roboam The occasioÌ„ of the kyngdome of Samaria Abia. Asa toke away the wicked Gods 〈…〉 The Iewes are elder Iosaphat a defender of the religion Elyas was in the mydle age of the worlde Eliseus Ioram a setter vp of new Idolatry Ochosyas Athalia Example of â—eâ—geaunce Nathan Dauids sonne Ioas. Ioiada Zacharias the prophete Amasias â—usi â—â— godlinesse Ozias which also is called Azarias Ozias Amos. Micheas Ionas Ioatham Achas Ezechias â— godly kyng Esaye The waystynge of Samaria â—he wasting of Samaria The 〈…〉 a wâ—â—â—â—d worship 〈…〉 th not 〈…〉 shed The example of the feare of God Samaria iâ— a figure of the church of the East Manasse a wicked kyng The death of Esaye Manasse an example of â—â—peâ—teâ—s Amon. Iosias The bokes of Moses â—â—â— founde The figure of pure doctryne before the worldes 〈…〉 de â–ª Ioachas Ioakim Nabuchodonosor Daniel Ioachim â—â— Ieconias Sedechias An example of greate huÌ„ger An example of mens stony hertes The death of Sedechias The destruction of Ierusalem The kyngdome of Iuda Nabuchodonosor was conuerted of Daniel Euilmerodach Balthasar Blasphemyes are not vnpunished The ende of the fyrst monarchye The Iewes are most auncient The historyes of the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes Whan the Olympyades 〈…〉 The country 〈…〉 The occaspon of the battayl of Troie was aduoutry Eneas Latium Ascanius whiche also was called Iulus Achilles Hector The occasyon of the battaill of Thebes Ethrocles Polynices Adrastus Hercules of Tyrinthus Tyrynthus Minya Orchonemenus The dedes of Hercules Hercules pillers 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 after 〈…〉 The occasioÌ„ of all maner of vngodlynesse The head of Idolatry How muche an vngodly doth differ from a christian With the Grekes were pâ—â—tâ—â— firste of renowâ—â—e What tyme 〈…〉 erus ly 〈…〉 Homers bokes are a myrour of all ciuyl and princely vertues Hesiodus a prest at Helicon Hesiodus bokes 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syluia An example of vengeaÌ„ce The stryfe of Romulus and Remus for y e realme Whan Rome was â—â—yâ—deth Tullius hostilius The death of Metius Suffecius Ancus Marcius Tarquinius Priscus Seruius Tullius Whan the monarchy of of the Persians began Tarquinius Superbus Lucrecia An example of vengeauÌ„ce Balthasar kyng of Babylon The histories of the Grekes begynne at thee Persians The rekeninge of the Greâ—â—â—â— Philo. Herodotus Theusidides Xenophon Metasthenes Esdras was sâ—â—â—â—ed and â—â—â—â—ghâ— in the Persian mattâ—â—s Darius reignynge wyth Cyrus Artaxerxes Assuerus Cambyses Wherfore Darius Artaxerxes was called with the long hande Cyrus How great men ought to be folowed The father of Cyrus Astyagâ—s 〈…〉 The notable crueltye of Astyages The dede of Harpagus â—â—â—puâ—t Astâ—yes tyranny Cresus king oâ— Asia â–ª The graue â—â—â—â—â—ighty 〈…〉 â–ª â—â— trample oâ— pitye Example that princes do oft warre constrayned by no necessytye What is to be consydered in kyng Cyrus How Cyrus â—â—â— BabyloÌ„ Euphrates Babylon is the hâ—â—de citye of the monarchye How muche God careth for his churche or congregatioÌ„ What Xenophon writeth of Cyrus 〈…〉 The Philosophers were â—pâ—st â—â— Cyrus tyme. The Philosophers of Ionia and Italy Thales begynner of philosophers iâ— Grece Pythagoras begynner of philosophers of Italy Solon 〈…〉 and beg 〈…〉 of the Romane lawes Thales and Solon at one 〈…〉 Dracons lawes Solons law concernynge vagabondes Cambyses â–ª Prexaspes The 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 of Cambyses Dronkennesse bryngeth in most wycked maners The faythfulnesse of dogges The cruelnesse of Cambâ—ses toward â—is â—â—â—ster the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Siâ—amnes a wicked iudge Otaâ—es An example of a notable inteâ—pâ—â—aÌ„ce Who were called Magi â—â—â—â—â—libâ—â—â—â—â—â— oâ— seâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ces â—â— Pâ—râ—â— of â—â—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—rchy â—â—â—he beâ—t â—â—â—â—â—â— of â—â—â—â—pyâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—lâ—e Darius is made kyng of Persia The notable â—â—â—thfulnesse â—â— Zopyrus 〈…〉 Darius A graue sayenge of Darius Empyres haue theyr boundes Amyntas kyng of Macedony Alexander 〈…〉 Amyntas 〈…〉 of Alexander Sardis The sutteltye of Histieus in makinge an vproure How great settinge forth to warre vpoÌ„ Grece Darius made The counsell of Miltiades Platea The reâ—ow 〈…〉 d victory â—â— Miltiades 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 〈…〉 sonne â—â— Mâ—ltiades Xerxes How great Xerxes army was agaynst the Grekes The graue â—â—yenge of Xerxes 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Grekes is 〈…〉 The of the Lacedemonians Cyrsylus Themistocles a defender of the liberty of the countrye 〈…〉 â–ª 〈…〉 â–ª Themistocles suttyll deuyse 〈…〉 mple 〈…〉 â–ª 〈…〉 ni 〈…〉 â–ª Alexander Themisto 〈…〉 rded for 〈…〉 Themistocles flâ—â—th too Artaxerxes LoÌ„gimanus â–ª that is with the loÌ„g hand Assuerus Hester Artistona â–ª Atossa Arbaces 〈…〉 is 〈…〉 long hand Christes coÌ„myng The place in Daniel of the seuenty wekes Esdras gathered together the bookes of the Bible The warre of Peloponnesus Artaxerxes Mnemon Cyrus The warre of Cyrus agaist â—â—â— brother Cyrus kynred was queÌ„shed Darius the last An example of vnkyndnesse Most great warres raysed very lyght causes The occasioÌ„s of the ware of Peloponnesuswere light and how loÌ„g they lasted Alcibiades Lysander A woÌ„der sene in the tyme of the GreciaÌ„s warre The obstmaâ—â— and malepartnesse of y t Athenians in time of warre confirmed also with a deare Sparta and Athens are two eyes of Grece The yeldyng of the Athenians Alcibiades Ayeng to the Perses is slayn The Perses are an example of dislopalâ—â— Alcibiades â—as â—â—oble in â—eaâ—es of war but restlesse â—â—s◠〈…〉 yrauÌ„ 〈◊〉 were ordeyned at Athens Theramenes is put to death Thrasibulus The prayse of Thrasibulus â—â—orgetâ—ulnesse of iâ—â—uries is ordeined A notable exaÌ„ple to mainâ—ame v 〈…〉 e. â—odon capitayn of the Perses The LacedemoniaÌ„s â—ight with y e Thebanes and aâ—â— diâ—conâ—â—â—ed The Thebanes destroye the PhociaÌ„s Philippe destroyed the Thebanes Hippocrates Soranus wrote the life of Hippocrates Perdicas was healed of Hippocrates ☞ Socrates Plato Eudoxus Aristoteles Aristotles elders Nicomachus â–ª Whan the counsels of Rome began
sayenge of Helias house THe worlde shall stande syxe thousand yeres and after shall it falle Two thousande yeares wythout the Lawe Two thousande yeares in the lawe Two thousande yeares the tyme of Christ And yf these yeares be not accomplyshed oure synnes shall be the cause whyche are greate and many That is to saye the worlde shall stande two M. yeres without any prescript admynistration certayn lawe of the word of God but whan these be gone there shalbe geuen the circumcysyon and lawe besydes thys shall a certayne polytique lawe and seruice of God be institute out of Gods worde and thys state shall laste two thousande yeares After thys shall Christ folowe and the tyme of the gospell shall lykewyse stande aboute two thousande yeares but here shall some yeares want For God shall wyth the hayste of hys commynge preuent it that the yeres of this age shal not be accomplished the whiche Christe hymselfe in the xxiiii chapiter of S. Matthewe sayeth Wythoute those dayes had ben shortened all fleshe shulde not be saued We shall in wrytynge of the hystorye vse thys order and diuide the boke in thre partes whereof the fyrst shal comprehende those thinges which are chaunced betwene the tymes of Adam and Abraham For those are the fyrste thousande yeares Of these is not much written but suche thynges as are moost worthy of memory and of these times there is no certainte but of that which is found wrytten in the Byble The nexte age of two thousand yeares shalbe counted from Abraham vntill Christis commyng all though concerninge to the full numbre of the yeares the tyme is not accomplyshed For as we haue sayde before God maketh hayst to the latter day As for thys age is the propre and bery age of the worlde in the which the moost myghtye kyngdomes and monarchies haue succeded ech other by a certayn order nether hath the worlde euer so declared hys force and myght as in this age Wherfore we shall deuide thys tyme in foure monarchyes For it semeth that God wolde the worlde to be maintened by a certaine gouernaunce in hys place that a certen means of shame and honesty might be conseruid and the wicked mighte be punished and for that cause hath he institute Monarchies Such Monarchies are kingdomes where the chefe and vpper power of al thinges pertaineth to one alone for the conseruation of commune peace and ryght Such a monarchy was of so great puissaunce that the exterior of foren kinges could not withstande or oppresse it And by a certain ordinary succession were only four such monarchies The fyrst was of the Assirians y â— second of the Persians after them the Grekes at the last y â— Romanes And to the honor of such an empire or superiorite hath God exalted y â— Germanes before other nations in these latter times For though the Roman empire be some deal minished now a daies for as it was prophecyed before it was y â— pleasure of god that y â— monarchies shuld finally decay neuerthelesse the maiesty remaineth by the Romane empire nether is ther any king but he hath a respect towardes y t kingdome Moreouer though we haue not alway alyke mighty Emperoures neuerthelesse God prouidinge so there happeneth somtime an Emperour of such power y t the maiesty of the empire may be conserued and that to hold vp the religion and concorde of al natyons The Germane princes and chefely the electors ought to estime grearly this their honour that they haue such high autoritye coÌ„mitted them of God to preserue religyon iustice and commune peace For verely it is of great force that thys monarchy be preserued thoug it be not so very great Therfore ought y â— princes to beware lest ther ryse any sedes of sedition discord among them which might geue occasion to cause this empire to decay For whan this empire wyich is the head of al good gouernaunce or administratioÌ„ in the worlde now a daies shuld be diuided pulled asunder or waisted it could not be but that ther shuld folowe a perturbation of al degrees in euery part of Christendom the which is gretly to be doubted without God do preuent such misery with his last coÌ„ming For holy scripture doth coÌ„forte vs teach openly that after y t this Germaine empire shal decay faile y t latter day shal straight waye folowe This is sufficient to be spoken of monarchies lest any man be ignoraunt that al histories and al thinges done in the world must be referred to these monarchies And besides that y â— obseruing of the order doth ayde y â— memory it doth also not a litle helpe thervnto y t one may se how for what causes kingdomes are chaunged wherby is to be learned how al those things are to be eschued which coÌ„munely bring chauÌ„ges of kingdomes The last age froÌ„ y â— natiuite of Christ vntyll the worldes ende doth like wise contayne two M. yeres although we haue said before that the yeres of this age shulde not be whole that the two thousand yeres may be complete This seÌ„tence of Elias truely conteineth many notable doctrines is chefely to be considered therfore because that from the natiuite of Christe it speaketh also of that tyme in the whiche the ende of al thinges is to be loked for and therefore haue â–ª I sett it in the begynnynge of the boke that it myghte be commytted to euery mans hearing But howe that the Rhomane monarchye dyd begynne after the incarnaâ—yon of Christ and how the succession came to the Germanes also how the Mahometysh or Turkysh empire beganne and howe the Popyshnesse hath gotten encrease offoren power all these thynges shall we shewe in thys thyrde parte But thys also is chefely to be noted with diligence in readyng of histories that God hath institute two maner of kyngdomes the one a worldly kingdome the other a kyngdome of Christ and therefore it is necessary to marke here â–ª howe that the churche hath begonne euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and by whatt maner God hath alwayes kept her Therfore that godly myndes maye haue a confyrmation of theyr fayth we shall note by the state the tyme of eche of the kingdomes where and by whome the kyngdome of Christ was and what state it was in than the knowledge of whiche thinge bringeth no small profite to godlye readers Adam is sett in a Paradyse of pleasure to whome is forbyden the tree of lyfe Genesis ij Adam and Heua are deceyued by the suttelty of the serpent Thence comthe transgressyon of the commaundement and Synne The firste boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the fyrste two thousande yeares From Adam vntyll Abrahams tyme. HOly scrypture doeth teache vs that God created heauen and earth after that man Adam and Heua and sat them in paradyse that is that they beynge set oute of daunger of death and synne mighte lyue in the earth happely but when they forgat
the commaundement of God geuen they fell into the daunger of synne and death But forasmuch as all this is clearly written in the holy Bible out of the whiche they oughte to be learned it is invaine to speake thereof here it is sufficient onelye to aduertish the reader that the worlde standeth by these beginninges and that Adam and Heua are created of God whyche are the ofspringe of all mankinde Moreouer about the very time of creation dyd God institute the ciuyll adminystratyon when he gaue Adam power ouer all those thynges that are in the earth and sea that he shoulde vse them and should sett a good order in all those thinges that are exteriour That commaundemente of God is the springe and beginninge of all lawes and whatsoeuer ciuile ordinaunces there are are begonne of it the whiche are approued and alowed of God by reason of this commaundemente geuen to Adam The churche hath her begynnynge here also For the commaundemente wherein they shoulde exercyse theyr fayeth and feare before God was here geuen but whan they began to synne hath God disclosed the power of Sathan and against it hath promysed the Gospell or glad tydynge of the womans sede that is of Christe that Christe shoulde come and wayst Sathans kyngdome and shoulde delyuer vs from synne and death into liberte Thys was the fyrst preachinge of the Gospell whiche beganne the churche and Christus kyngdome For in the churche muste not onely be preached the commaundementes of good workes but also the forgeuenesse of synnes by Christ for thereby onelye are we reconciled to God and endure agaynst death and all maner of temtation whan by fayth we take the promyse of forgeuenesse of synnes And of thys wyse toke Adam and Heua consolacion out of the word that Christe was promysed and of these two persons is the churche fyrste begonnne Besyde thys was it necessary also they should suffer temporall afflictions for they were dryuen out of paradyse that is they were subiecte to death and all maner of other myseries and so lyued theyr dayes in laboure and trauayl in that lande which the Iewes possessed afterwarde For it is written that they were created by the cytye Damascus Of Cain and Abel SCrypture sayth that Adam and Heua broughte forth children and that Cain slewe hys brother Abel And here begynneth the persecution of the sayntes of the wicked men and is and example very dredefull For thys manslaughter happened for none other cause than for y â— seruice of god the which whan it is done purely Sathan can not abyde it for the whyche cause he sturreth Cain to slaye his brother that the worde of God and syncere doctrine maye be quenched And this dede sheweth howe vehement is the ire of Sathan and rage also what mannes fraylnesse and blindnesse is There are by the waye rehearsed in this history weyghty and graue preachinges of the iudgement of Christ to come of the dredefull vengeaunce for sheddinge of bloude the whiche to rehearse here were to longe Cain after that he fled hys fathers sight he began to buylde the citye called Enoch Hys chyldren inuented all maner of handycraftes and sciences Finally for the manslaughter was he punished for he dyed a lyke kynde of death Of Seth. AFter this was Seth boren to Adam thys man beynge famous and renomed for his endeuour of honest and godlynesse enforced after Abel to auaunce and augment Gods kyngdome Of this Seth were afterward engendred holy fathers and the remnaunt of thys kynred remayned But the posterytie of Cain was whole drowned in the floude Iosephus wytnesseth that Adam and Seth made two tables the one of brasse the other of stone and that in them wer grauen the worde of God and prophesyes by the whiche the worde of God was kepte He wryteth moreouer that they diuided the yeare into twelue monethes and that they obserued fyrste the course of starres and taught it For it had not bene possible that the minde of man coulde haue attayned to the searching of so high and wounderfull things without God had opened them the knowledge of them Wherfore to Adam and Seth we must ascribe the word of god the figures of the letters and the greatest sciences Ther are also many witnesses among the Grekes that the writinge and all sciences are come of the Iewes aunceters For Herodotus writeth in his fyfte boke that the Grekes haue receaued theyr sciences and letters of the Phenices The age of Adam was nyne hundreth and thirty yeares and reached vntill the time of Noes father but he dieth hundreth and. 26. yeares before Noe was borne But in this tyme is written to be happened nothinge worthy of rehearsall vntyll Noes tyme saue only genealogy that in the meane whyle we maye know surelye of whom it behoued Christ to be borne But neuerthelesse by the waye maketh scripture mention of the death of Enoch that he be taken vp by God the whiche dede God hath sett before the worldes eyen that it mighte know and beleue that there is immortalitie after thys lyfe and that God shall iudge and saue the good truely but punish the wycked Of the Floud THE scripture maketh mention that the worlde was punished of God and ioyneth therto the occasions thereof namely that it begann to peier and amonge the chefest of the euels are named the despisynge of God aduoutry and tyranny in the which is vsed all maner of wylfulnesse and wantonnesse For of this wyse saieth the text The childeren of holy men beganne to become tyrauntes vpon earth by the which is signified that whan Gods worde was despised and hys worshyp they liued vnmaneredly and an vnbrydeled lyfe they oppressed the weake and poore accordinge to their pleasure and vsed wylfulnesse of rulinge as they would For cause of these thinges did God threaten the worlde wyth the floude and before the same should come he wylled Noe to preach it an hundreth yeare before that some beynge conuerted mighte be saued Whan Noe was sixe hundreth yeare olde came the floude and accordinge to Goddes commaundement went he into the arcke with his wyfe and his thre sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet taking with them their wiues and was saued The residue of men and beastes hath the floude taken awaye and destroied And are from the creation of the world vntyll the tyme of the floude thousand sixe hundreth and sixe and fiftye yeares Of the tyme after the Floude WHan Noe had now ben aboue an half yeare in the arcke and that the floud mynyshed the arcke rested vpon the hyghesthyl of Armenia and after the yeres ende whan the earth beganne to drye Noe was commaunded of God to leaue the arcke wherein he had now ben a whole yeare Than dyd God ordeine as it were a new worlde agayne For fyrst he gaue hys worde by the which he promysed not to drowne the world agayne and in token of certayntye he gaue the Raynebowe which shulde admonysh
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
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
thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth which he him selfe had instituted For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes whiche are ordeined by hym Also are we admonished by thys example that we eschue any mutacion at all In this historie are there many other notable commaundementes the whiche for shortnesse I must ouerpasse This one thyng wyll I only reherse that the ciuill gouernaunce the aucthorite of princes and kynges is here coÌ„firmed of God when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng Saul reigned fourty yere and was destroied for his vngodlynesse all his kynred was destroted Dauid reigned forty yeare and God punished hym for aduoutry committed and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon But God restored him into the kyngdom and punyshed the sedition greuously Absalon died a straunge death Salomon was forty yeres kynge but after his decease was the kyngdom deuided in sundery partes for the aduoutry of Dauid Of the Kynges of Iuda of Salomons linage and kynred ROboam kynge raygned seuenten yeres And when hee woulde not obey thee Counsayll of the elders in minyshynge the charges and exactions of the kyngdome he caused wyth hys rygorousnesse that a chaunge of the kyngdome is casued For he â—â—â—owed the counsaill of younge men nother wolde release ought according to right Wherfore deciuered from him the moost part of the kyngdom and dyd begynne a new kyngdome in Samaria the whiche was the occasion of many greate battayls on both partes As for the posteritie of Dauid retained the kyngdome in Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin folowed that kyng Abia reigned thre yeare and in battayll vanquished the kyng of the ten tribes in Israel Asa reigned fourtene yeare The same obtained great praise because he rooted out the wicked worshyp of God which was institute against the worde of God in so muche that he fauoured not his owne mother in this behalfe for she also folowed a sundery worship of God For this cause gaue him God good fortune agaynst the Arabians the whiche he vanquished in battayll At the last was he punished also of God for a certayn conspiration that he had made leauyng the trust in God The mydde or half part of the worldes age ABout the twelft yere of this kyng Asaes raigne are accomplyshed there thousand yeares of the worlde that is the mydde or half part of all the worldes age accordyng to Elias saynge the whiche we haue noted in the beginnyng of the boke Henceforeward may be marked that in coÌ„tinently after happened moost greatest and sodayn chaunges in all kyngdomes that there dyd aryse battayles and man slaughter for the last tyme of the worlde dyd drawe on Thys is also to be noted that the publike well the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes and Romanes wherby it maye easely be gathered that all other nacions haue their spring of the Iewes auncetry and that the eldest doctrine yea euen Gods word hath ben by the Iewes fathers or auncetres Iosaphat raygned fyue and twenty yeares he is alowed for hys endeuour of religion and that he hath exercised all kinglye duetyes wyth great diligence And for that cause dyd god â–ª geue hym excellent victories Elias the prophet was in his tyme which was taken vp quieke into heauen so rayseth God a prophet euen in the myddes of the worldes age no lesse of famous doctrine then miracles that the word and promise of Christ might be sometyme renewed The rest than of the thre M. yeares of the worlde began vnder thys Elias After Elias succeded Eliseus the prophet As for these two prophetes how they haue reproued the wycked seruice of God and what miracles they haue done is sufficiently treated in the Bible Ioram reigned eight yeares he commaunded to kyll his brethren euen the eldest was a beginner of a new Idolatry wherfore he was also worthely punished of God he dyed vanquished of the Philistenes the which caryed away his wiues and chylderen saue Ochosias which was the yongest Ochosias raigned only one yeare and accordynge as his father dyd he permitted the false seruice of God to be set vp wherfore he was slayne But whan his mother Athalia saw that her sonne was dead she caused to be slayn all them that were a lyue of the kynges bloud of this wyse was the kyngdome translated from Salomons posterite that hereby we maye learne how rygorously God doth punish synne Before all thinges must princes consider and marke this that God doeth rout out the kynred of great princes because of wickednes Athalia the mother of Ochosias kept the kyngdome with violence and vsed seueÌ„ yeares great tyranny At the last she was worthely punished when through the commaundement of the high priest she was slayn Of Nathan and his posteritie IN the rehersall of y â— fathers of the which Christ is borne hath Luke the euangelist est out Salomon For Salomons poste rite was destroied neuertheles Dauids posteritie succeded in the kyngdome accordyng to the promise of God Dauid had also a sonne NathaÌ„ of whom Luke maketh meÌ„cion Of his kynred wer these kynges of Iuda folowyng namely Ioas reigned fourty yeres the same was of notable godlinesse so long as Ioiada y â— high priest liued whom he obeyed afterward fell he to vngodlinesse and Idolatry and caused zachary the prophete the sonne of Ioiada to bee slayne before the temple of whom Christ doth also make mencion in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathew Wherfore God willed to punysh hym by the Syrians and finally was he slayn by his owne seruauntes Amasias was kyng nyne and twenty yeares this also was conuersant in Godlynesse at the fyrste and herkened to the prophetes whereby he dyd luckely vanquyshe thorough God the Idâ—means But heyng after become haut and presumptuous he made war of pure wilfulnesse and with out constraynt in the whiche he was taken and fynally dyed Ozias raygned twoo and fyfty yeares the same was also called Azarias The same was at the fyrst also Godly and ouercame the Philisthines Afterwarde whan he woulde hymselfe offre in the temple agaynst the ordinaunce of God he was stryken with leprosy In his tyme lyued Oseas Amos and Micheas whiche prophecied agaynste either kynges of Samaria and Iuda Ionas was â—lso at this tyme whiche was sent to preache to the kynge of the Assirians Ioatham reygned lykewyse syxten yeares thesame was Godly fought luckely against Ammon Achas reygned lykewyse syxten yeares hee set vp false worshipping of god of ouer great superstition and peruerse opinion of godlinesse he buylded euery where throughout al the lande chappels and altars wherfore God suffered hym and all his royalme to be greuously punyshed and spoyled Ezechias reigned nyne and twenty yeares Hewas a Godly kynge he restored Gods worshyp auoidyng Idolatry he
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
wytnesse of Virgil. For he sayeth that the kyngdome of Alban dured thre hundreth yeares Of thys wyse sayeth he of that kingdome of Alban Thre hundreth yeares wholy shall be the raygne vndoutedly Before the ende of thys raygne beganne Rome to be buylded the which we shall declare afterward And if ye reken backward the nomber of the yeres ye shal find that from the tyme of the buylding of Rome vntyl the begynnynge of Salo mons kyngdome are thre C. and thre yeares And it is euident that the battaill of Troie was not long before Some history wryters do differ here whiche saye that thys battayl was of more antique but I coulde proue the contrary by many argumentes the whiche I doo now passe ouer because of brefenesse Forsoth thys one thyng is worthy to be marked that the occasyon of the Troian battayll is spronge of adultery For Paris the sonne of the Troian kyng led away Helena the wyfe of Menelaus prince of Grece the hefe of the Grekes and the cytezens takyng this 〈…〉 displeasure making a conspiracy went to Troie 〈…〉 nd besyegyng it ten whole yeares at the last they 〈…〉 anne the castel Ilium and the cytye Troye and 〈…〉 ayeng kyng Priamus the kyngdome of Troye 〈…〉 as wholy quenceed From Troye sayled Eneas 〈…〉 to Italy in y e which he possessed that part which 〈…〉 as called Latium He beganne here a new kingdome and buylded for hys sonne Ascanius whych was also called Iulus the citye Alba in the which 〈…〉 he posteryte of Eneas raigned vntyll the tyme 〈…〉 hat Rome was buylded In the battayll of Troie 〈…〉 ere many doughty and renoumed princes whose 〈…〉 ames maye be sought other wayes Out of Thesâ—alia was there Achilles of whom Hector the most 〈…〉 aliaunt capitaine of the Troianes was slayne 〈…〉 nd Achilles him selfe at the last was slayne also by 〈…〉 yle For the Troianes had maryed to hym a doughter of Priamus and as he satt knelinge in hys prayer before the altare in the temple he was strycken through wyth a dart of Parys by a decepte Of the battayl of Thebe NOt long before the battayll of Troie ther was another of Thebe much more cruel For seynge the kyngdome of Thebe was fallen of right by inheritaunce to the two brethren Ethrocles and Polinices they agreed together vpon this condition that they shuld raigne euery one a yere one after y â— other Howbeit whan Ethrocles had receaued the kingdome he woulde raigne continually contrary to the appointement Wherfore hys brother Polynices beyng constrayned fled to Adrastus king of the Argies the which as he had geuen him in mariage his doughter he woulde set him into the kingdome againe by force but Adrastus was slayne before Thebe with other princes Ethrocles and Polinices brethren meting together by chaunce in battayll were slayne wyth woundinge eche other The discorde of the bretheren was the cause of thys great and dolefull slaughter of the brethren Nother was the warre yet fynyshed for other princes beseged the cytye agayne afterward with a mighty power and gettinge it dyd at the last ouerthrowe it Of Hercules ALytle before thys tyme that is shortey before Saul was made kynge by the Iewes lyued Hercules in Grece which before other princes is chiefely praysed for hys noble vertues His elders were Amphytryo and Alcmena boren of the cytye Tyrinthus whych lyeth not farre from Argis But Amphytrio fled to Thebe because that in a discorde betwene hys brother and hym he slewe hym and for thys cause fortuned Hercules to be borne at Thebe and here he shewed the fyrst profe of his power For whan they of Minya a toune in Thessalia which at that tyme were of renoumed puyssance and raygned in the cytye Orchomenus assaulted the towne of Thebe Hercules defended it driuing the enemies of from it and toke the citye Orchomenus the dominion whereof began than to fayle This citye was most ryche whose greate prayses are in Homers worckes for her plentyfulnesse This victory gat Hercules first a great name in so much that afterwarde other prynces of Grece came frely to him therfore was he euery where a maker of peace he ayded princes and cities he reuenged and chastysed vnryghteous dedes and against them that he had holpen vsed he great mekenesse nother layed anye charge vpon them that they were not able to beare These are the thynges for the whiche he deserued so greate prayse as none other prynce the lyke Afterwarde toke he hys yourneye into Asia where he ouercame kyng Laomedon and slewe hym but in thys vyctory vsed he a very kyngly moderacion of mynde For he saued the kyngdome nother woulde destroye it but gaue the possession thereof to Priamus as to the true heyre And because he restored the kingdome to Priamus it is easye to gesse what tyme Hercules lyued Besyde thys he made the sea in Italy and Spaine safe from robbers and for this cause caused he to be raysed two rockes in the vtter coastes of Spayne and Aphrica which shuld alwaye beare wytnesse of this dede For at thys time yet are they called Hercules pyllers Charles the fyfte the most victorious or most valiant Emperour hath these at this tyme as a peculiar badge namely that he may be knowen to be sent to vs of God to the intent that in thys troublous state of the worlde he maye be in whole Europa as an Hercules to restore agayne wyth hys prowesse and stronge victorious hande peace and instyce Hether to haue we spoken of the notable thynges that are happened in Grece in the tyme of the fyrst monarchye But I shall neuerthelesse adde a few thynges besyde these For in reading of hystoryes must speciallye be consydered what state the kyngdomes were of what religions what maner of lawes Fynally what sciences they had wherein they floryshed Whan the sonnes of Noe dyed the true vnderstanding of Gods worde peryshed also in Grece though in the meane whyle they retayned of thepr fathers the maner of ceremonies and sentences of godlynesse yet neuerthelesse was the vngodlynesse encreased and otherwyles was one or other Idolatry set vp For enery one ymagyned for him selfe an order to worshyp God accordynge as hys constraint and necessite compelled hym For it is spoken of a Poet The fyrst feare that came to men mortall Caused gods that be immortall That is most euidente and true in fayninge of the wicked seruice of God For noman is so cruel of nature whyche beynge in necessyte that doeth not seke God and for so muche as he knoweth not that God must be sought by faith only in Christ he falleth to some outwarde worke and faineth some new maner of worshippyng God Of this commeth the fountayne and sprynge of all the vngodlynesses nere hande that are in the worlde Nether nedeth any man suppose that men erred so greatly that they thought Images and contrefaitures to
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
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
longe after Cesar was olde syxe and fyftye yeare whan he was slayne and ruled fyue yeares and the beginninge of rulynge was in the consulshyppe in the which he beganne the warre agaynst Pompeius This is the begynnynge of the Romane monarchye the whych God hath paynted very horribly in the prophet Daniell and wytnesseth that the world shalbe much more heauely oppressed by thesame than euer it was before Item that Christ shall come in the same monarchye and therfore shal it be the last For all these thynges are prophesyed before by God to stablyshe the fayth of the godly concerninge the certayntie of Christes comming Besydes thys also that it mighte be knowen that the world shall not endure foreuer but shall once peryshe and that the vngodlye shalbe punyshed but the Godly shall loke at Gods hand for a lyfe euerlastynge I suppose verely that the prophecy of the Heythen prophetes and sayenges of the Sybilles of the durablenesse of the Romane empyre are pertaynynge to thys as is the sayenge of Virgil I haue geuen an endlesse empyre the whych seme to be taken of this whiche the scrypture sayeth that the empyre of Rome shalbe the laste monarchye on earth Though the scripture doth in the meane season teache also that thys monarchy shall decaye yet shall parte of the same last euer wherein shall re remayne the name and hygnesse of an Emperour vntyll the worldes ende These thynges are to be knowen that wee maye be assured that thys empyre can not be ouerthrowen whyche the examples of histories wytnesse also For after that the hyghnesse of an Emperoure was translated to the Germanes hath thys kyngdome suffred many assaultes and hath oft bene weakened but yet coulde it not be abolyshed by nomans power but remayned allwaye stable and restored it selfe otherwyles For it had nowe Emperours of small power than very puyssaunt Emperours To consydre these thynges in historyes maketh greate matter chefely to knowe the wyll of God aryghte in suche chaunces Augustus WHan Iulius was deade rose greate commotions at Rome Marcus Cicero counselled to make a peace on thys wyse that thence foreward noman should laye handes on the fauourers of Iulius that all they lykewyse whych had slayne Iulius should be wythout daunger or feare but all discorde layde doune on both sydes they shoulde prouide for common and perpetuall peace none otherwyse than of late dyd Thrasybulus make a concorde at Athenes the whych they called Amnistia that is that ▪ ether parte shoulde forget the iniury done and that nether of them shoulde inuade the other afterwarde Thys was very gentely and handsomly counceled and consydered of Cicero but thys contynuall peace coulde not endure longe For whan afterwarde euerye man woulde rule it was necessarye that factions shoulde ryse The Senate drue Octauius Augustus to it agaynst Anthonius For Anthonius coueted y ◠raygne But the souldiours conspyryng against the Senate slew manye of the chefe men of the citye among the which was Cicero beheaded also But the empyre remayned by Octauius Augustus only which was kynsman to Iulius for Iulia syster of Iulius had spoused Accius Balbus but theyr doughter was Accia whose husband was Octauius of them was borne Octanius Augustus whom Iulius had appointed and chosen hys heyre whereby he was surnamed Cesar and that name remayned euer afterwarde by the successors euen as though by ryght of succession they dyd entre into Cesars kynred as it was wont to be whan successors were first adopted and chosen Nether was Iulius called Cesar fyrste by reason of the empyre but many of his kynred were so surnamed before For the old approued Grammarians do wryte that the name of Cesar cōmeth of the worde or name Cesaries whiche signifieth goodly heare or a bush of fayre heare and of that gat the Iulies fyrst that name because that one or other happelye had a fayre heare in that kynred As for the name Augustus dyd the Senate adde to Octauius for hys luckynesse and prosperitye in hys affayres Augustus commeth of Auguruim that is a diumation or soythsayenge by the crye or slighte of byrdes and betokeneth fortunate and he whom God doeth prospere by lucky sygnes or tokens This addition is a right geuen to a supreme gouernour of y ◠world for god is with y ◠ciuil power the gouernaunce of an empyre is the gyfte and ordinaunce of God Augustus raygned syxe and fyfty yeares but he gouerned not the empyre alone the twelue fyrst yeares For beyng yong not passyng nyneten yeares of age was he set in the gouernaunce he was made counsul because he stack by the Senate of of the which he was made consul in despyte of Antonius But the souldiours agreyng wythin them selues set them agaynst the Senate and his adherentes But for so much as thys concord could not be durable Augustus was fayne afterwarde to be at variaunce and stryue also wyth hys felowes and so optayned he the whole empyre alone But whan the gouernaunce was stablyshed with peace he vsed moost hygh moderation in all thinges and confirmed the whole empyre wyth honeste lawes and statutes in so much that it is reported he shuld haue sayd The kyngdome shall last for euer yf these ordinaunces be not auoyded and disanulled But what shall I saye much Augustus is scasely counted the fyrste and chefest among the sage and moderate princes ¶ The thyrde boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the tyme sence Christes byrth BEfore in the begynnynge of thys worke haue we diuided thys whole Cronicle and tymes of the worlde in thre partes and that accordinge to the sayenge of Elias that both the moost alterations of thynges in the world and order of the tymes myght be knowen more surely Besydes thys that we shoulde also knowe that the worldes end is nowe not farre of Howbeit we haue nowe dispatched allmoost foure thousand yeares and about that time nearehande was Christ borne the whyche Elias had prophecyed Now in this thyrd boke shall we lyke wyse treate of the thyrde parte of Elias meanynge and begynne thys boke wyth the same And how lytle Elias had fayled in the order of the yeares truely it maye be perceaued verye easely for CHRISTE our LORD very God and man was borne into thys lyfe of the virgin Mary euen the two and fortyeth yeare of Augustus raygne and thys was thre thousande nyne hundreth and foure and fortyeth yeare sence the creation of the worlde But to counte the yeares exactely and narowly there is somewhat requisite in the nombre of the yeares For the foure thousande yeares are not fulfilled But the prophete sayde moreouer that God wold preuent and come spedely before the tyme of hys comminge because the ende of all thinges myght be more neare Howbeit the thynges that are concernyng the knowledge of Christes natiuyte Passion and Resurrection for euerye Godly man the same maye all be searched in the Euangelistes But as concerning the tyme whan
derth not onely at Rome but also in al Italy But as the Gotthies fled and strayed here and there without order by reason of the great derth Bellisarius folowed vpon them and ouerthrue theÌ„ and enclosyng in Wittichus by an intrap toke him But in y â— meane seasoÌ„ could not the Gotthies be vtterly weded out but Iustinianus making peace w t them graunted them to dwell in the contreis from the Alpes vntyll the ryuer Padus nether shoulde passe these bondes He called Bellisarius back agayne for he feared lest he being made Emperour he should take to hym the empyre of Italy though Bellisarius trustyd in his affayres went not about suche thynges Wherfore beyng returned to Constantinople he brought Wittichus and other of the greatest nobilitie prysoners with hym in a greate triumphe Totilas was made king of the Gotthies after the depar THus was Rome foure tymes taken of the Gotthies and Vandalies within an hundreth and nyne and thyrty yeres First by Alaricus vnder the Emperour Honorius The yere of Christ CCCC xij After that by Genserichus the Vandal in the tyme of Martianus The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi THyrdly by Totilas kyng of the Gotthies and this oppression of the citie was the moste heuiest of all For she was both taken and burnt the .xxi. yeare of Iustinianus the yeare after the buyldyng of her a thousand and thre hundreth The yeare of Christ CCCCC xlviij Fourthly the third yeare after this destruction The yeare of Christe CCCCC li. After this spoylyng beganne Totilas to restore agayne the citie of Rome and suffered the cytesens to returne agayne into her But what fauoure he shewed and how gently he behaued hymselfe wytnesse the wordes that are written concernyng hys frendlynesse that he bare suche an affection toward his subiects and specially the Romanes as becommeth a father to haue toward his chyldren and it is sayde that Totilas learned by saynt Benets doctrine and admonition to beare rule of that sorte Afterwarde sent Iustinianus a prince of syngulare wysdom called Narses into Italy against Totilas The same called the Lombardes to ayde him The same were Saxons whiche with appoynted armies had brought themselues to the coastes of Austria the same brought Narses into Italy and by their ayde ouercame he Totilas and after ward Teia whiche was the last kyng of the Gotthies in Italy And this is the ende of the Gotthies kyngdome by the Italians whiche had last sence Dietrichus of Berna vntyll Teia thre score yeares That Dietrichus Totila and Teia were both very wyse and doughty princes testifye their dedes and noble actes insomuche that if ye wyl esteme them by their vertues they ought not to be called Barbarians When the Gotthies were ouercome the power and rychesse of the Lombardes beganne to growe and gatte one of the kyngdomes of Italy howbeit they possessed not whole Italy but onely that part of Italy that yet is called Lombardy The kyngdome of Lombardy lasted vntyll the tyme of Carolus magnus Though the Gotthies were dryuen out of Italy yet were they myghty in Spayne and ruled there vntyll this oure tyme. And of this wyse was at the last Spayne and part of Fraunce translated from the empyre of Rome vnder Homorius As for Italy was restored to his tranquilitie while Honorius lyued yet For the Gotthies drue partly into Lombardy partly into Spayne besyde this were the Frankes myghty in Fraunce After Innocentius was Sosimus made the xliiij byshop of Rome Bonifacius the first of that name and xlv byshop of Rome succeded Sosimus After Bonifacius death was Celestinus the first of the name made byshop of Rome The yere of Christe CCCC xxvij THeodosius the yonger the sonne of Arcadius the .xlv. Emperoure reigned at Constantinople seuen and twenty yeares after the death of Honorius He made Valentinian the sonne of Constantius and Placidia whiche was the daughter of Theodosius fellow in the Easte empyre Of the Vandalies IN the tyme of this Theodosius the yere of Christ CCCC xxxiij came the VaÌ„dali into Aphrica by this occasion Thos two capitaines of the Romanes hated eche other and fought other whiles with playn fielddes Wherfore the one called bonifatiâ—s entyced busely the Vandalies that were in Spayne at that tyme to come into Aphrica which thyng they did gladly For the Gotthi beyng myghty in Spayne coulde not suffre the VaÌ„dalies For as we shewed before the Vandalies moued by Stillico against the Gotthies toke in the contreis that be about Hungary namely Walachia Illyricus where the Gotthies dwelt afore Besyde that were they also in Germany from whence as they went into FrauÌ„ce they did much hurte howbeit they were driuen out of FrauÌ„ce by the Frankes and Gotthies Afterward beyng come into Spayne they vere constrayned to fyght agayne with the Gotthies but in Aphrica beganne the power of the Vandalies to growe and encrease S. Augustine also died about that time when Genserichus kyng of the Vandalies besieged the towne Hippo wherein S. Augustine was byshop When Valentintanus was dead one Maximus made hymselfe Emperoure at Rome of his owne mynde But the quene Eâ—doxia because she would haue the heires that were left to succede in the empyre sought ayde by Genserichus againste Maximus by whose helpe the citie of Rome was taken spoyled But the Vandall vsed a Vandalians faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse with the quene for he lede her with her two daughters away with hym into Aphrica prysoner For so doth it somtyme befall when we call foren ayde to defende oure goodes Howbeit afterwarde vnder Iustinianus though the Vandalies were not vtterly roted out in Aphrica yet were they brought to suche strayghtnesse that they could neuer floryshe any more For Gelimerus the kyng was taken by Bellisarius Aphrica beyng subdued obeyed the Empyre agayne But not loÌ„g after began the Saracens to haue dominioÌ„ in Aphrica Let this suffise to speke of the VaÌ„dalies Of the Boemes IT is also to be noted that about this time came fyrst of all in Germany the Vandali wherein they haue yet a great part nowe a dayes namely the kyngdom of Boeme whiche was in tymes past part of Germany which the word Boeme which is a Germane worde doth testifie sufficiently whiche was before the Vandali came into these countreis The worde hath his sygnificacion of the Bauaries or Beyers to whoÌ„ it was wont to be subiect wherfore it is properly called Boienheim Nether wyll the Vandali of Boeme be called Boemes but zeski after their capitayne by whose guyde they were fyrst brought into Boeme But these auncient Boemes the Germanes were in greate admiracion and confederacion with the Romanes and by Cornelius Tacitus the history writer they are highly praised By this occasioÌ„ also is Germany translated from the Roman empyres monarchy For in low Germany were the Frankes puyssaunt in hygh Germany Alemanni and in Boeme the Vandali But what is
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
byshoprycke to one that was the thirde called Gregorius the .vi. And so did Benedictus geue place to hym but Syluester woulde contrarywyse defende hys ryght against Gregorius This controuersye dyd compell the Emperoure Henry the black to come to Rome who dyd worthely depose those thre monsters from the byshoprycke and ordeined in steade of them one Syndeger byshop of Bamberg who was called Clemens the .ii. the .clii byshop of whom Henry the blacke was crowned About this time began the name of Cardinals to be vsed whereby it may be supposed that this same dignitie in the church was not elder But for somuche as oftymes happened moste heuy contencions and stryfes of the diuersitie of wylles in makynge of the byshop of Rome Henry the Blacke made an ordinaunce that thenceforth no byshop of Rome should be chosen without the consent of the Emperour also his confirmacion This ordinaunce was afterwarde sore foughten against of the byshops of Rome insomuche also that most haynous warres are rysen thereof in the tymes of Hēry the fourth and fyfth Emperours Henry the thyrd surnamed the Black the .xv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M.xl. beganne to raygne Henry the third called the Black and raygned seuentene yeres Fyrst inuaded he the Bohemes with warr but they beyng ayded of the Hungarians ouercame hym The yere after were the Bohemes so weried with warres of Henry that their prince constrayned by necessitie came to Regenspurg and made hymselfe tributary frely to the Emperour After that going into Hungaty warred thre yeares and takynge in certayne cities he compelled the Hungarians to demaunde peace He subdued also the duke of Lorain that he obeied the empire At Rome put he down thre byshops at once striuing for the see and made a Germane byshop to be byshop there whō they called Clement the .ii. Thēceforth ouercame he the Saracēs by Capua Afterward came he again into Germany kept a cōgregatiō at Mentz wherein was Leo the bysh of Ro. Cuno duke of Bayer whiche was after S. Hēry trustyng to the ayde and conspiracion of the Hūgarians set hym agaist the Emperoure for by that meanes entended he to drawe the possession of the kyngdome to hym But the Hungarians were ouercome the duke Cuno was driuen out and liued all his lyfe a bannyshed man in Hungary The land of Bayer was in the meane tyme wythout a duke and gouernoure Before Henry the Black dyed he caused hys sonne Henry fyue yeare of age to be chosen Emperour and was crowned at Aken to the intēt there shoulde be a certayne heade of the empyre nether should any rumour be for the election Wherefore the sonne raygned a certayn space vnder the mothers protection The mother of Honry the .iiij. was called Agnes borne in the county of Pisto in Fraunce After Clemens was Damasus the .ij. made the cliij byshop of Rome whiche optayned the byshopricke by force Leo the .ix. succeded Damasus The same was in the counsaill kept at Mentz and was conuersaunt wyth Henry the black a whyle afterwarde In his tyme Berengarius a deacon of Angewe in Fraunce taught that the true body and bloud of Christ were not in the breade and wyne according to Christes institucion Leo the byshop of Rome condempned this in the counsaill of Vercelli but the sedes of this doctrine that were left hath caused great persecucion to them that came after Victor the .ij. the .clv. byshop of Rome succeded Leo. The same was before byshop of Eichstet Stephanus the .ix. succeded Victor Benedictus the .ix. the .clvij. byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Nicolaus the .ij. folowed after Benedictus The same deposed Benedictus and is sayde to haue ordeined fyrst that Cardinals shall haue aucthoritie to chose the byshop of Rome Berengarius was also condempned againe by hym and was compelled to reuoke that he had taught of the sacrament Alexander the .ij. the .clix. byshop of Rome succeded Nicolaus then also was greate strife for the delection Gregorius the .vij. before called Hiltebrande was the .clx. byshop of Rome after Alexander The same dyd excommunicate and persued Henry the iiij raisyng also fearce warres that he myght get obteyne that a byshop of Rome myght be chosen and confirmed wythout the Emperoures consent and confirmacion lest the Emperours shoulde clame any aucthoritie vpon the byshops of Rome to rule them whereof we shall speake more in Henry the fourth Henry the .iiij. the .xvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. lvij began Henry the .iiij. to reigne after that his father was deade beynge yet a chylde and raygned fyfty yeares In this man dyd not onely the vertue of suche kynde of Emperours fayle but the empyre of whole Germany began so to decaye that afterwarde it neuer coulde nether be brought to his olde state nor recouer his former strength Hiltebrand byshop of Rome was causer of this lamentable game who turned neare hād al Germany vp down with warres among the princes therof In Henry the Emperours chyldhode dyd Agnes his mother gouerne the empyre not without prayse she set Germany and Italy at peace and trāquilitie But the byshop of Colen dyd priuely leade away the chylde beyng now twelue yeares of age and ready to be gyn to beare rule and in the meane season he hymselfe ruled afterwarde the empyre It is saide also that he caused the Imperiall childe to be brought vp vnsemely It were longe to reherse here all the causes and circumstaunces I wyll onely reherse here brefely the most worthy of remēbraunce Henry the Black father to this Henry had made a constitucion of making a byshop of Rome by a most wyse aduise that y ◠same should not be done without the knowledge and consent of the Emperoure But now that Hiltebrand was come into the see he made a decre cōtrary wyse that the confirmacion of a byshop shoulde not be demaunded of the Emperoure But the Emperoure woulde that this his fathers constitucion should beare effect Besydes that also had the Emperoure aucthoritie to geue the byshoprycks of the empyre but Hiltebrand would not suffre that also For it happened oft that when one byshop was dead another was made in his stead of the Emperoure and agayne another of the byshop of Rome whiche dyd then excommunicate the other Finally came the game to this ende that the Emperoure was not onely excommunicated but it was also cōmaunded that other greate Lordes of Germany should make another Emperoure And the maister of this game was the byshop of Halberstat in Saxony to do the byshop of Rome a pleasure Wherfore fell from the Emperoure Henry the fourth Otho duke of Saxony Rudolfus duke of Schwaben to whom was maried the Emperoures syster germane and certayne byshops specially Saxons On the Emperours syde were the Bohemies and the lordes Catuly whom the Emperoure gaue Baierlande driuyng out Otho the duke of Saxony and some byshops also whiche disalowed the byshop of Romes tyranny
it confirmed with letters geuen there vpon The yeare M. CC. xxxviij Whan Fridericke went agayn into Italy they of Milan rose agaynst him and many other strong cityes To Milan dyd Friderick great harme for the which cause the city es makynge an aliance wyth the byshop of Ro. con spired against Friderick the Emperour whome for this cause Gregorius the Romysh byshop doth excommunicate the third time and condemneth him for an heretike stearing also the Venecians to war vpon him Friderick with opē writynges dyd complain of the iniury done to hym and in the meane tyme dyd he also humbly require absolution of the byshop of Ro. Ther were many of the Cardynals whiche alowed not the bysh of Romes counsels But whan Frederick could by no meanes optayne pardon of Gregorius necessitye compelled Frederyck to defende hymselfe he had also his faction or diuision For at that tyme was Italy diuyded in Guelphies and Gibelines the Gibelini were for the Emperoure and the Guelphi were wyth the Byshop of Ro. Ether name beynge brought vp in Germany was translated and brought ouer into Italy For the kynred of the Guelphi had continuall hatred agaynst Fredericks bloude Whereof also they were called Guelphi as alwaye hatefull enemyes of Fredericke As for the spring of Fredericks kynred was of the Weiblings whereof they are called Guiblings which the Italians chaunginge the name do call Gibelini The bysh of Ro. constrayned by great necessitie dyd proclayme the crosse and pardon agaynst Friderick the Emperoure as though he were manyfestly vngodly and destroyer of the religion Friderick toke that very euell he besyeged Rome but drue back agayne wythout takyng it and toke the citye Rauennas The yeare of Christ M. CC. xlv Innocentius the iiij holding a councel at Lyons in Fraunce deposed Friderick of the empyre vsynge therto the Frenchmens ayde and by letters he shewed the princes Electors to choyse another Emperoure But they made Emperoure Henry the Landtgraue of Thuringen The same was slayne before the citye Vlme wyth an instrument of warre Friderick buylded a new citye in Italy whiche was called Victoria Whan he wanted syluer he caused to make a coyne of lether y ◠he mighte haue where wyth to pay his men of warre but so soone as he had gotten syluer he shulde geue them good and lawful mony for the lether coyne which thing he dyd liberally But now whā he could loke for no more ayde out of Germany and that besydes thys hys sonne Encius was taken who also dyed in the preson he was sore distressed and went into Apulia were he also dyed the yeare M. CC. l. Some wryt that he was poisonned Yee surely the moost holy fathers coulde not rest without they sawe the good prince clene rydde out of the waye The kingdome of Naples left he to hys sonne heyre Cunradus As for Italy remayned alwaye after diuyded For one part helde wyth the empyre another wyth the byshop of Rome vntyl the powers of the Venecians and of them of Mylane beganne after to growe and increase Honorius the .iij. succeded Innocentius the .iij. of whome Friderick the .ii. was crouned and after warde excommunicated Gregorius y ◠.ix. was after Honorius of whome was Friderick lykewyse accursed After Gregorius was Celestinus the .iiij. bysh of Rome After Celestinus was Innocentius the .iiij. Thesame deposed Friderick from the empyre and accursed hys sonne Cunradus Cunradus the .iiij. the xxv Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. CC. l. raigned Conradus the sonne of Fridericke after hys fathers deceasse but he was excommunicated by Inocentius the .iiij. Henry the Landtgraue of Thuryngen ouercame hym by Francoforde whyle hys father Frederick was yet alyue Some wryte that thys warre was after hys fathers death by Wyllyam the Landtgraue But whan Conradus perceaued that he was destitute of the Germane princes ayde he gat him into his hereditary kyngdome Naples and there he dyed the yeare M. CC. liij The ende of the dukes of Schwaben CVnradus of whome we haue now spoken had a wyfe of the Baiers bloude of the whiche he had a sonne Conradinus who was nouryshed and brought vp in hys hereditary duchy of Schwaben and after hys fathers deceasse wolde go to Naples hys heredytary kyngdome But Clemens the bishop of Rome called Charles the Frenche kynges brother into the realme of Naples agaynst hym Conradynus for so muche as he was duke of Schwaben had a greate bende and hooste of Germanes about hym and at the begynnynge had he greate vyctoryes But at the laste were Conradinus the sonne of Conradus and Fryderyck duke of Eastenriche taken by a trayne Besydes thys were they entreated more vnsemelye than was pertaynynge and put to shame At the laste were they beheaded throughe the counsell of the Romyshe byshop O notable crueltye He must be euen as harde as a stone verely whome the examples of so great cruelty dyd not moue namelye so noble a kynge borne ofso many Emperoures to be so shamefullye put to death by Clemens the Romysh byshop without any ryghte or reason Ther are yet euen at thys houre writinges which were written at that time in the which the good prince complayneth of the iniury and rehearseth at length the whole matter orderly so that it is no doute the bishoppes of Rome haue vsed playne tiranny against Conradinus Wiliam the xxvi Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. C. C. liiij was chosen Emperoure Wylyam counte of Holland It is sayde he was an honest manered prince and of notable innocency of life but he was slayn by the Friselanders the yerre 1256. Vacation of the Empyre WHan thys Wiliam was dead the empire stode with out a certayne emperoure seuentene yeares and that not wythout great destruction of the Germane nacion Thys mischaunge grewe by the cyuyl warres that were raysed in the empyre by the bysh of Ro. Now whan the debate was rysen amonge the Electors for the choyse some chose Alfonsus kyng of Spayne Emperoure because he was a very wyse man and endued with notable vertues As for thys Alfonsus is he who not only had hys pleasure in the science of Astronomye but also augmented and amēded the study thereof with many bokes wrytten Thoughe Alfonsus was admonyshed by the byshop of Rome to take vpon hym the Emperyall maiestye yet refused he it earnestly because of the vncertayn faythfulnesse and vnstable concord of the Romysh Byshops wyth the Emperours The other parte of the Electors chose Richard the king of Englandes brother and brought hym vntyll Basyll but he was not accepted of the Empyre Alexander the .iiij. succeded after Innocentius At thys time lyued Albertus the greate and Thomas Aquinas Vrbanus the .iiij. was after Alexander Clemens the .iiij. succeded Vrbanus Thyssame caused Conradynus Conradus sonne to be beheaded Whan Clemens was deade was the see voyde two yeares through the dissension of choysynge a Byshop at the last was Gregorius the .x. chosen
it was ordeyned in y ◠councel of Constance that of a newe coūcel shulde be gathered after twelue yeares But after that Sigismundus was deade the bysh of Ro. holdinge a councell fyrste at Ferraria and from thence at Florence letted y ◠furtheraūce of the councel of Basill and that had he so muche the more easy a do because ther was no monarche or noble prince that defended the decree of y ◠councel of Basill After that Martinus was deade Eugenius the iiii was made bysh of Ro. The same crowned Sigismundus Emperour at Rome Albert the .ii. of that name the .xxxvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christe M. cccc xxxviii after the death of Sigismundus was Alberte a prince of the bloude of Eastenryche kyng of Hungarye Bohemye made Emperoure He dyed in the seconde yeare of hys raygne Parte of Bohemy dyd cleue to the kyng of Polen endeuoured to drawe y ◠kyngdome of Bohemy to Polony The Poles brought a great army into Bohemy drew into their faction the vprourysh kynde of men called Thaborites Agaynst thē sent Albert y ◠Emperour Albert marques of Bran denburg The same brought to passe wyth manye battayls that the matter was agreed betwene the Emperoure and the Poles Albert the Emperoure came wyth a greate army into Hungary agaynst Amurates the Turke who at that tyme was fallen into Hungary Whan Albert the Emperoure came he fled backe and besye gynge the cytye Sinderouien he returned into Grece and wann the city Thessalonica In this settynge forth fell Albert into a sycknesse and beynge broughte agayne to Uyenna dyed wythyn few dayes Friderick the .iii. the .xxxviij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. CCCC xl after Albertus deathe was Fridericke the thyrd duke of Estenrich made Emperoure He raygned .liii. yeares The doughter of Sigismundus wyfe to Albert the Emperoure was now bygge wyth chylde but some of the Hungaryans despayrynge of an heyre of the realme chose Vladislaus the yonger kynge of Polen for a kyng The kings gouernour in Hungary was Ioānes Huniades father to Mathias The same had weakened the power of the Turkes wyth a great battail and compelled Amurates to demande peace But so soone as Vladislaus was come into the realme the Hungariās trusted that yf they the Poles powers were ioyned together they shuld easely gett great prayse yf they inuaded the Turke And happely had the yonge kyng Vladislaus pleasure in thys prayse Wherfore Iulianus the Cardinall brake the treuce made wyth the Turke vnder thys pretence and coloure that it were not lawfull to make peace wyth the Turkes wythout the Bish of Romes consente seyng y ◠case is belonging to whole Christendome Thus Vladislaus gathering an hoost went against Amurates vntill Varnam which is not farr from Cōstantinople though Ioannes Humades in y ◠mean season dissuaded to take warre because that he knew well the weakenesse of his men the power of the Turkes also had he made peace with the Turke not without necessitie It is also sayd that Vladislaus desyred ayde of Dracoles y ◠Malache but he also dyd counsell to leaue y ◠setting forth to warre Yet dyd he send his sonn with him to aide king Vladislaus with two thousand horsemen to whom he shuld haue said He gaue hym a couragious and swyft horse suche one as he wold geue to his sonn also for his mynd gaue that they shuld lose the feld and therefore shuld they haue these horses at hand that as nede shulde requyre the myghte troughe theyr swyftnesse escape the daunger As for the Turkes dyd forse themselues wyth nolesse carfulnesse than wysedome and were euery where appoynted in a readynesse before the Hungaryans were set in an order Wherefore thoughe the Hungariās fought fearcely for y e glory of Christes name and ouerthrwe verye great hoostes of the enemyes yet dyd the Turkes at the last ouercome wyth the multitude stayeng Vladislaus the yong kinge and afterward was Iulianus the Cardinal slayen also in the flyght Humades as he was a ware soul dioure toke hede to hymselfe by tymes and escaped This felde was the yeare M. CCCC xliiii the tenth daye of Nouember Amurates became a Mahometyshe monke after thys vyctorye supposynge to haue accomplyshed hys duetye in the empyre after so greate prosperitye in vanquyshynge hys enemyes leste he rashely trustynge smylynge fortune farther dyd stayne hys glorye wyth some euell But Hunyades dyd inuade and fell vpon the Turkes agayn and dyd hurt them so sore that they called Amurates agayn to the realme to resist Hunyades their enemy and shuld driue him out of Hūgary Afterward whā Cōstantinople was lost Huniades ouercame Mahomet y e Turkishe Emperour bringing into Hūgari an hurtful army with a great discōfitur deliuered whole Europa from y e fear of daūger For yf that setting forth had lucked Mahomet y e Turkish Emperour he had now takē in not only Italy but other contryes also Whan Vladislaus was deade the Hungarians receaued the chylde Ladislaus the heyre of the realme borne of Sigismundus doughter for theyr kyng Thys Ladislaus whan he was ful growen dyed at Praga the haed citye of Bohemy The yeare M. CCCC xliiij broughte the Dolphin with the Armeniakes an army into Elsace vntyll Basil not wythout a greate and horible manslaughter of the Germanes Some thynke that Eugenius the bysh of Ro. sent hym into Germany to trouble the councel of Basil The Dolphyn had aboute fyue and twenty thousand men The Switzers sent foure thousand men against them to rescue the citye Basel out of theyr handes They sett vpon the enemyes wyth so greate strengthe and corage that none of them gaue backe and thoughe they coulde not ouercome them by reason of the multitude of thē yet left they theyr enemies a bloudy dolefull victorye For the Dolphin lost in that battayl about ten thousand men and was fayne to flye out of Germany with the residue y ◠remayned The yeare M. CCCC xlix dyd Albert marques af Brandenburg warre agaynst imperial cityes Norinberg and some other Thys was called the warre of the cityes Many princes dyd ioyne themselues to ether syde and thys warre lasted ii yeares Albert the marques ouerthrue them of Norinberg wyth .viii. battayls The yeare M. cccc lii went Friderick into Italy and was receaued of euery man wyth seastly honoure In the citye Sena dyd he acomplyshe hys weddynge wyth Leonora hys spouse doughter to the kynge of Portingale Commynge to Rome he was crowned of Nicolaus the fyfte wyth hys quene the .xviij. daye of Marche Returnyng from Rome at Ferraria made he Borsius of Esta duke From thence shipped he ouer to Venice and abode there ten dayes I haue herde of a man of greate renowme that it was tolde him of the prince of Venice who beynge Senator serued the Emperour Fridericke and the prince of Venice at the table that Frederick shulde haue sayd at
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
haue referred to that tyme when the kyngdome of Babilon and Niniue the citie were not yet diuided euen when the Assyrians reygned only at Babylon Agathias wryteth in the seconde booke of the Gothian warre that Ctesias set the nomber of the yeares and the order of the Monarchies of thys wyse As for Ctesias was a Grecian who when Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger warred with eche other he was also in the army and was a Phisician Beynge taken in warre he was at the last caried to Babylon where he was honestly entreated and then readynge the hystoryes of Babylon he set the nomber of that kyngdome in an order of this wyse From Ninus vntyll the begynnyng of the Medes kyngdome wiche did deciuer from the Assyryans the fyrste are M. CCC lx yeares and this order do all those obserue that wrote afterwarde Diodorus Siculus and Iustinus Diodorus Siculus wrote of this wyse in his thyrde booke Lyke wyse also the resydue of the kynges thyrty in nomber helde the kyngdome vntyll Sardanapulus by whose tyme the kyngdome of the Assyrians which had lasted M. CCC lx yeares as wryteth Ctesias in the seconde booke fell to the Medes Iustinus sayeth of this wyse The assyrians who afterwarde were called Syria had the gouernaunce M. CCC yeres Herodotus doth passe ouer somthynge in the meane tyme that the decayeng kyng dome of the Assyrians came to the Medes I thynke this also that these yeares of Ctesias concernyng the begynnyng of Babylon to be vnderstand from the tyme of Nembroth not Ninus The Medes reigned after the fallyng from the Assyrians vntil Cyrus about thre hundreth yeres as Agathias gathereth out of Ctesias The kyngdome of the Perses vntill Alexander dyd last CCxxviij yeres as witnesseth Agathias and some Grecian wryters Alexander and his posteritie kept Babylon vntyll the tyme that the power of the Parthians beganne to grow and Agathias setteth CCC yeres seuen lesse and that is from Alexander vntyll Augustus tyme. Afterward raigned the Parthians in the Easte hundreth yeares vntil the tyme of Alexander Seuerus the Emperoures and then dyd Artaxerxes the Persian stick through and slaye Artabanus the last kyng of the Parthians And of this wyse came the East kyngdom agayne to the Perses which were myghty vntyll Mahomets tyme. For the successors of Mahomet inuaded the Perses and teke in the empire of whole Arabia But the Turkes toke from them afterwarde Syria and Asia the lesse And thus were the kyngdomes of the Easte tossed finally with diuerse mutaciōs the one people was oftymes remoued to the other It is greatly necessary to ouerlaye all these thynges and often to consyder them that the order of all tymes and histories may be knowen aryght An addition vnto the Cronicle of Iohn Carion contaygnyng the actes and histories come to passe in dyuers and sundry partes of the worlde from the yere of our lorde MDxxxij vnto the yeare of our lorde MD. L. excerpted and gathered out of the best historiographers by Iohn Funke of Nourenborough And caused to be translated by Gwalter Lynne AT the entraunce or beginning of the conuocation holden at Ratisbone or Raynesborough in the yere of our lorde MD. xxxij in lent ther lay at Nurrenborough certayn princes electours with many other nobles of the empire among whom were as principall Albert Archebyshop of Mogunce or Mence Lodowike Palatine of the Rhyne Iohn Frederike duke of Saxon and electour imperiall whiche princes nobles did there treate and consulte vpon matters of religion and about the establishing of kyng Ferdinandus to whose election as to be king of the Romains the said Iohn duke of Saxō electour imperiall would not accorde nor consent and after much intreataunce they obtayned of themperours maiestie a graunt and promes of a sure and stedfast peace vntil the next general coūsail that was to come yea and is to come yet euen at this day Other notable actes cōcerning matters of religiō was there none concluded in that conuocation For Soliman Emperoure of the Turkes was vp with all his power and inuaded the lande of Hungary wherefore the Christian princes were constrained with all spede and strenght possible to prepare themselues to resist the said aduersary Insomuche that there was prepared suche an armie and hoost of men of diuers nacions as neuer was sene before in all Germany y ◠beginnyng wherof was about the feast of S. Iohn the baptist the warriours of the towne of Nurenburgh beinge the firste that arryued at Weene in Austriche for there was all the whole hoost appointed to assemble and come together the same assembling continued vntil the feast of saint Bartholome we next ensuyng The nombere of Duche pietons or footemen was about foure score thousande stoute and valiaunt fyghting men And of the horse men there was about .xxiiij. thousand The Bohemes were in the nomber aboue twenty thousande All these lay about Wyene by the ryuer called the Danube a lycle myle frō the towne Their chefe capitaine was the right noble and mighty prince lord Frederick Palatine of the Rene c. nowe being electour imperiall About the said towne laye also vpon a fifty thousand Spanyardes whiche in these affayres vsed but small kyndnesse towardes the germaynes For in their passage from the Countie of Tyroll ouer the Eye and the Danube into Austrich they burned certayn strong holdes and townes well inhabited and some they pylled and with women and maydens they wrought suche vylanye and enormitie whiche is horrible to be spoken that many of them dyed thorough their said outtragiousnes The goodly and plesaūt Citie of Krembes was vtterly by thē subuerted and brent vp except fourtenne houses wyth certayne walles After this when they lacked vitualles in their campe for the space of one daye they russhed with violence before the Cytie of Wyene wherein the Emperoure and the kyng had theyr beyng wyth a great nombre of other greate men of armes and warriours whiche were come thether wyth them and would haue assaulted and ouerrunne the same towne if the Germaynes had not the sooner resysted them and letted their enterpryse In the meane season the Turke layde syege to a certayne lytle Towne called Guns whiche lyeth about twelue or thirtene myles from Wyene in the coastes of Hungary and assaulted the same most fiercely by the space of twelue dayes during the which tyme he sought all meanes possyble to subuerte and ouerthrowe the same But the right noble and worshypfull Syr Nicolas Iuristhi knight and Ruler of the sayed towne dyd so manfully and valiauntly behaue hymselfe in those affayres wyth hys cytesens or bourgeouses beyng in nombre about eight hundreth men and one hundred souldiours whiche were layde there in garnison for the sauegarde of the same towne that the Turke maruayled not a lyttell of it Wherefore he promised vnto the sayed Ruler fre passage and saulf conduct and hauing personally himself talked w t him did highly prayse him for his
glyttered cleare as here after wyll appeare wyth all ioye and reuerence and were to gether tyll the ende of the xxxix yeare The inhabytoures of the nether parte of Austeryche of the erldome of Goertz hadde sente forth theyr ambassadours the laste daye of December from Vyenne wyth a pityfull and humble requeste and petycyon to the states and degrees of the kingdome of Behame which were at that time assembled at Preslowe that they woulde vouchesafe to helpe them agaynste the turcke whych had two yere before taken in the marqueship of Woendon and that present yeare manned it and caried from thence foureskore thousande chrysten men in to his lande and laie at that tyme hard vpon their neckes the chefe ambassadours of thys ambassage were M. Vlryche of boskawyts and. M Tscher nafor whyche were of the kynge of the Romaynes councell But what they obtayned wyth theyr peticion I can not tell at thys tyme but I suppose that they obtayned an honeste promesse and helpe For so pytyfullye as they made theyr petycyon it woulde haue made a stonye herte to meltte specially if men consider that yf they be suffred to be destroyed wythoute helpe that then theyr aduersity will be at the next time our awne In the somer in Iuly ther was a blasing ster in the eauening in y ◠Northwest in the signe of the virgin It was elles a metely good yere as touching wether other thinges y ◠happened therin but in the winter euery full mone ther was muche raine speciallye about the elue and other waters that ronne therinto Here I must sett to new tidynges that are counted true of many whych I take to be a speeyall myracle if it be so It is sayde and it is openly putt oute in prynte That the Emperour of Turckye in Iune caused all hys chefe and best learned priestes to come before hym and commaunded them vpon a great payne to tell hym whyche is the ryght true and best belefe vpon earth And when they had for feare excused themselues they had a tyme appoynted to remembre them and after were called before hymagayne Now when they were agayne monished to saye the trueth of theyr conscyence and heard the commaundement of the Tyrant they answered one after another wyth one assent that the Christen beliefe is the best and that it is a ryght and a true belefe albeit it is very much misused of the Christen For it teacheth the beste poyntes that can be as to wytte loue toward God and man whych is not so well taught in any other belefe And forther that they haue wytnesse in their lawe and alkorane that Mahomet must go to Christ for grace c. And that Christe is therefore better than Mahomet Whē they now had thus answered wythout feare the Tyrant waxed angrye and caused them all which were aboue fyfiye to beheaded And in the same place was there a syght sene as though all the headed priestes had bene together and lighted clearer than manye candellyghtes in the nyght through which miracle manye of the other priestes of Mahomet folowed theyr confessyon belefe also many of y ◠Lay people which acknowledged openly and wythout feare that those priestes were vniustly kylled for the truethes sake All thynges are possible to God so that it may well be For God cā raise vp a Daniel or an Ezechiel amōg the Babilonians Howbeit no man shall be compelled to beleue this but at his pleasure IN the yeare of our lord M. D. XL. in the beginning of the yeare dyd the Emperoures Maiestye ryde to Paris and as he rode in was excedyng royally conducted and receaued and afterwarde great and pryncely Banckettes made wyth great momeryes and daunces And the second daye after there were great Iustynges and fyghtynges made `to do hym pleasure and honour wyth all There his Maiesty abode tyll the second day after the twelueth daye Then he departeth into Flaunders wyth al his company and was conducted vnto Camerick of bothe the kynges sonnes and there with great royalty receaued of the Bishop of Camerick From thens they iorneyed to Valencyne there taryed the ladye Marye Quene of hungarye for them There also toke the kynges sonnes theyr leaue of the Emperoures mayestye and tourned home agayn But as the Emperoures Mayestye was in all places royallye receaued so was ther wayte layde falslye pryuelye and craftelye to kyll hym For as the Emperoure shulde sayell from corbe to Paryse and hadde wyth hym a Cardynall the Duke of Albuge and the kynges Marschalle to beare hym companye the water men rowed the shyppe vpon a pyele so that the shyp turned round aboute and he that hylde the rother fell oute of the boot what that meant it is easy to gesse wherof the Emperour complayneth in a letter written to Paule the thyrde byshoppe of Rome whereyn he sheweth the cause why he could not come to the councell appointed to be holden at Trente that he had perfect knowledge that the kynge of Fraunce was mynded at that tyme to take hym presoner and kepe hym in holde as it also afterwarde sufficyently appeared by the affaires of the sayde king But after the Emperours mayestye was comen in to hys awne lande he wente streyghtwayes vnto Gent and after he was suffred to come in to the cytye he fyrste earnestlye punyshed the insurrecty on raysers and caused a great parte of the citye to be broken downe and a stronge Castell to be buylded in the same place A none after cam Ferdinādus in to Flaūders to y ◠Emperours maiesty to consult with him after whatt maner they myghte wythstande the turcke and howe hys greate tyrannye agaynste vs poor Chrystyans myghte be resysted and auoyded Euen whyle these thynges were done in Flaunders ther was a communycacyon holden at Wormes at the Emperours commaundement concernynge Relygyon and the speakers of both sydes were master Philip Melanthon myne enterelye beloued master of the Gospellers syde and Doctor Iohn Ecke of Ingolstadt whyche wolde haue defended the Byshoppe of Romes parte Thys communycacion beganne the fourtenne day of Ianuarye there the Artycle of orygynall synne was specyallye intreated of whether the same syn abyde and remayne in Chrysten and holy men after baptyme And was concluded that ther yet abyede remnauntes of synne in the saynctes althoughe they raygne nott or haue the ouerhande As. S. Paule sayth let not synne raygne in your mortall bodyes But suche synnes are not imputed to the saynctes for Christes merytes sake as the Apostle forther saythe ther is nowe no condemnacyon to them that are in Chryste Iesu c. After thys treatye was that communycacyon so ended and dyffered tyl the Emperoures and the kynges mayestyes of the Romaynes were personallye presente But what sutteltye and craft Eccyus vsed in dysputacyon to adourne and garnysh hys cause maye euerye wyttye manse by the treaty it selfe whych is
whollye wrytten and put out in prynte Nowe when that communicacion was ended ther was another appoynted by the Emperoures and the kinges maiesty at Spiers But in as much as ther was at that tyme a great pestylence there that day was appointed to be holdē at Haganouw to entreate of matters of relligyon whether those myghte be ended and vtterlye finyshedde and concluded or nott ▪ And thoughe manye greate lordes oute of all the coostes of dutchelande were come in wyth the kynge Ferdynandus partely in theyr awne personnes partelye throughe their embassadours yet ther was no specyall thynge concluded but that ther shulde a nother assembly beholden the next yeare at Regensburg at which the Emperoures maiestye hym selfe shulde be where all matters concernynge Rellygyon and also concernynge warre agaynst the Turcke shulde be agreed of Afterward vpon the .xx. daye of Septembre the Emperoure caused a commaundemence to be putt oute wher in besyde other statutes concernynge hys inheretable landes in the netherlande he forbodde all his subiectes vpon payn of great punyshemente that they shulde not reade theyr bokes that haue nowe in these laste dayes brought vnto lyghte the truethe of the Gospell But what he wanne wyth hys commaundemente dayely experience teacheth as to wytte that ther be many goode Christen men found that rather lese their lyues than to forsake the woord of God that the persecutoures of Chryste pryestes and monckes myght still betray and shedde Christen bloude whyche thyng God wyll fynde a time horrybly to puysh But in asmoche as Gods woorde was so ouerpressed in netherland God raised it vp so moch the moar in another place For Ioachim the Marquesse of Brandenburge elector after hys father was ded which cared not much for any relligion and he knewe that it was neadefull to leade hys subiectes the ryghte waye to saluacyon and also to kepe them thereyne receaued the doctryne of the Gospell had ordeyned in all Cytyes and parishes good preachers to preache the woord of God with diligence vnto the sympel people He also redressed the vniuersity of Franckford vpon the Odder and sent for learned Men in all Sciences which when they came he augmented and amended theyr wages He also ordeyned Newe stipendes for poare Scolers of the lyuings of the vnprofytable Massynge priestes to thintent that suche lyuinges might from hence forth be bestowed to y ◠true seruyce of God But in what an horrible blindnesse that Lande was before and how euel it was prouided for with the word and doctryn of God wytnesseth an history which I although it appeare but simple wyll therfore tell that it may be so knowen what maner of teachers the popedome coulde suffre and what they yet haue As I at that tyme came by chaunce with the visiters to Stēdel in y ◠old marquiship to enquere after a seruice for me it chaunsed that the admission into al the offices of the Church was differred the space of syxe wekes In the meane whyle were the parsons and the paryshenars enquired after what facyon they hadde taughte and had bene taught Then came ther forthe a Parson wyth his Congregation whyche beynge demaunded of my goode Frynde Thomas Mathyas the Mayeres sonne of Brandenburge to whome that office was committed by the Vysytours what he had preached to his Parishners He answered y ◠belefe And being asked again what y ◠belefe is begā to rehearce Thys I could not chose but tel to the counfort of the Christen that they shulde learne that God defendeth preserueth his thorough his holy aungels and that although the deuell and his soart be neuer so woode that they yet be able to do nothing if we but abyde in the confessyon and acknowledging of Christ and in the obedience of his woorde These burning mortherers that were taken in the Electours dukedome of Saxon and in other places suffred an horrible death For ther was a thing made muche lyke a crosse therupon was the gyltye fastned aboute the necke wyth an yron coller or rynge and aboute the body with yron Chaynes and then a fyer made wyth strawe and other glowing matter a farre of and so the Gylty roasted tyll he dyed In thys fourtyest yeare also vpon the vii daye of Aprill ther was an horryble Eclipse of the sonne in the mornynge at the sonne rysynge whyche endured two goode houres longe After thys Eclypse and the blasynge sterre that appeared in the yeare before folowed ther an excydyng drye and a hoate somer wherin corne was yet meately well taken but hey and fother for beastes was cleane burnt vp Wyne was so well taken y ◠yeare and so good in all places y ◠many dronck them selues to deeth therwith and was therto verye good cheape Thys yeare in Iune the Turcke sygnyfyed vnto the kynge of Hungarye that he shuld pay him tribute for y ◠kingdō or elles loke for warr The Emperouer therfor sent Cornelius sceperus consailed thē to pay no tribut promesing that he would shortely bring an armye against the Turke wherewith he would defende the Hungars and the other princes their neighbours But the kyng of Hungary being vnpaciēt could not tary so long but required a tribute of his subiectes by the meanes whereof many of the chief of the nobilitie fell from hym whome he persequited with warre At the last when he had geuen the tribute to a tertayne Moncke to beare it to the Turke he sodenly dyed But the Moncke retourned quickly agayne as whiche beyng a loyterer was not farre proceaded in his iourney sending the Chaunselour and a certain byshop on the forwarde Embassage a foresayde to the Turke where they dyed The Monck dissemblyng the deeth of the kyng made a leaghe with those princes that had rysen agaynst the kyng and when they had al sworne to be true to the Quene and her Sonne went and toke Offen and laye there When Ferdinandus the kyng of the Romaines hearde that he set all other thynges asyde and got hym into Ostenrike to take in the kyngdome of Hūgary He toke in Weissenburg Pest and other cities of Hungary and afterwarde beseaged Offen At the last when helpe came out of dutcheland agaynst the Turck to helpe the kyng of Hungaries sonne he was compelled to returne home agayne into Ostenrick not without the great losse and dammage of his subiectes IN the yeare MDxli came the Emperoures maiestie first to Norenberg and was receiued with great honoure and leadde into the citie and into the Castell rydyng vnder a hyghe cannape of Veluet whiche foure of the Alder men bare In all the streates where through he roade were hys cognisaunces and badges sett vp and other goodly triumphant thynges and on both sydes of the streates the Cytesens standyng one by another all Iolyly arayed in their harnesse from the Spitell Gate vnto the Castell betwene them rode the Emperoure And aboue by the Castell there was a
The occasion of the Romane lawes The Ten meÌ„ were sent into Grece Twelue tables Appius The Ten meÌ„ were deposed An example of vengeauÌ„ce Rome was brent of the Frenchemen and Germanes Camillus The firste 〈…〉 ion of the Germanes in historyes The begynnyng of the thyrd Monarchye The decaye of Asia Alexander the greate Alexander the buck Darius the raÌ„me The parentes of Alexander Philippes 〈…〉 e. Philippe was stayne because he left a wicked dede vnpunished The deedes of Alexander â—â—e great â—hâ—he 〈…〉 oâ—â—e 〈…〉 〈…〉 ate 〈…〉 o◠〈…〉 er 〈…〉 s. Alexanders gentlynesse Darius is ouercome of Alexander The disloyal tye of Bessus is an example of vengeaunce The begynâ—yng of Aleâ—anders monarchye Parmenion 〈…〉 A noble example of Alexander concerninge a good prince or iudge What the iudges at Athens dyd sweare The settynge forth of Alexander against the Iewes Iaddus the hygh priest Alexanders reuerence to the hyghe priest Roxane wyfe to Alexander The stryft amonge the princes after Alexanders death Perdicas Arideus brother to Alexander Perdicas crafte Cleopatra Antipater Antigonus Ptolomeus Of Alexanders kyngdome are made foure kyngdomes Lawfull calling must be ensued The tyranny of Cassander The mother of AlexaÌ„der a rare example of chastite is put to death An example of vengeaunce Demetrius kyng of Macedony The vnshamfast slaâ—â—ery of the Athenians Seleucus Antigonus Demetrius Of whom Seleucus was slayne An example of the feaâ—e of God Antiochus Soter Antiochus Theos Selencus Callinicus Antiochus Hierax Ptolomeus Euergetes The Galathians were brought by Brennus â—â—â— of Germany into Grece Notable examples of vengeaunce Antiochus magnus Ptolomeus Philopater The occasioÌ„ of the warre of Antiochus wyth y â— Romanes Hannibal Antiochus Epiphanes is sent to Roâ—â— for a pledge The temple of Belus in Syria The start of IerusaleÌ„ vnder Antiochus Scopa a captaine of Ptolomeus Epiphanes Seleucus Philopator Antiochus Epiphanes called Epimanes Ptolomeus Philometor The yourney of Antiochus to Ierusalem â–ª The seconde yourney of Antiochus into Egypte Popilius an Ambassadour of Rome sent to Antiochus An example of Romane seueryte The second yourney of Antiochus to Ierusalem The tyranny of Antiochus against them of Ierusalem The bible is brent An example of mans wysdome in thinges concerning God Antiochus fygureth Antichriste Why Mahometes religion is acceptable Iudas Machabeus 〈…〉 The punishment of Antiochus for his vngodlinesse Antiochus Eupator Demetrius Antiochus Sedetes Tigranes is slayne by Pompepus Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagus Ptolomeus Philadelphus an endeuour of peace and sciences The library of Ptolomeus The Bible translated Ptolomeus Euergetes Ptolomeus Philopator Ptolomeus Epiphanes Ptolomeus Philometor Ptolomeus Euergetes Ptolomeus Phisco a beast and no man 〈…〉 Alexan. 〈…〉 Latyrê° ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ Aulet Ptolomeus Dionysius Cleopatra syster to Iulius Cesar Ianna .ij. Hircanus Christes coÌ„minge Matathias Iudas Machabeus An example that no trust is to be set in mans helpe Ionathas Simon Ioannes Hircanus Aristobulus Alexander y e yonger sonne of Hircanus Antipater prince of Idumea Areta king of Arabia Pompeus Gabinius The Machabeys The maner of sectes risen in Iewry The Phariseps The Sadduceyes The Saduceyes were Epicures Essey The Anabaptistes do râ—â—â—ble these The Note of the churche at this tyme. Antipater is made gonernoure of Iewry by Iulius Cesar Herodes toke in Ierusalem Christ was borne Herodes Ascalon â—â— Archelaus Archelaus was exiledly Augustus Herodes Antipas ledde away his brothers wyfe Ihon Baptist An example of vengeauÌ„ce Herodes Agrippa Iames the â—ore In Agrippaes tyme was Ierusalem destroied Ben Cosban Wherfore monarchies are chefely ordeined of God Sicilia was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ warre Hieron Regulus is taken by the carthaginiaÌ„s The tormentes of Regulê° The loue and faithfulnesse of Regulus towarde the comon welth The battayll by Egusa The seconde warre of Carthago The occasion of the second warre of Carthago in Spayne The discomfiture of the Romanes in the seconde warre of Carthago Scipio the yonger Hannibal fliâ—th to Antiochus Philippus The occasioÌ„ of the warre of Maceboâ—â—â— Perseus soÌ„ne to kyng Philippe the last kyng of Macedony Paulus Aemilius The thirde CarthaginiaÌ„ warre Disputation whether Carthago should be wholy ouerthrowen â–ª Scipâ—â— Masica 〈◊〉 Scipio y â— yonger sonne to Paulus Aemilius Carthago is destroyed The seconde mention of y ◠〈…〉 es in 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 es of 〈◊〉 Gothâ— The battayll of the Cimbri with the Romanes Marius was made capytaine against the Cimbri An example of vehement wrath of god The consultation of destroyenge Carthago Marine causeâ— oâ—â—n vproure â–ª Sylla Mithridates The tyranny of Marius Sylla feareth the inconstancy of fortune Sylla is more cruell than nede is The Tribunes were deposed by Silla The Tribunes are restored agayne by PoÌ„peius Occasyon of â— ciuil warre M. Cicero Iulius a maÌ„ adâ—â—ed souer of peace The begynnyng of the Romane monarchy Cato slewe hymselfe The ordering of the yeare was begonne by Iulius The 〈…〉 gentlynesse of Cesâ—â—â— Cassius Brutus â–ª The Roman monarchy is the laste on earth Marcus Cicero Anthonius Anno. â—l before Christes 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 WhaÌ„ Christ was borne The Germanes were fyrst couquested by warre Tiberius Drusius Rhetia Vindelicia Cherusci Armnius Quintilius Varus Tiberiuâ— WhaÌ„ Christ was baptiâ—ed WhaÌ„ Christ was crucifyed Where the Churche or spirituall kingdom is Whan Steuen was stouen Caius Caligula Daniel ix Claudius Nero. When Peter was crucified Linus byshoppe Paul is beheaded A comete sene in Nerois tyme. Sergius Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasianus When Titê° the sonne of Vespasiane besyeged Ierusalem Ten huÌ„dreth thousaÌ„d men were in the citie whan Ierusalem was besyeged An example of Gods wrath Straung thiÌ„ges were sene before the destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem The gentlenesse of Titê° Vespasianê° â˜œ Domitianus Catti The Mathematici are 〈…〉 en out of Rome 〈◊〉 Traianê° â—as 〈…〉 ho 〈◊〉 ☞ The noble sayenge of Traianus when he gaue his heade officer the power of the sworde Ihon the Apostle returneth out of Pathmos ☜ Cherinthus the heretike was killed 〈◊〉 the fallyng of an house An example of vengeauÌ„ce â—â—e persecu 〈…〉 of Christâ—â— mâ—n vâ—â—â—r Traianê° The yeares of his age 〈…〉 Adrianus a 〈…〉 learned 〈…〉 perâ—â—r 〈…〉 coÌ„â—ing 〈…〉 tronomy The Iewes â–ª rayse an vproure through one Messias The clemency of Adrianus towarde Christen meÌ„ Who ordâ—â—ned â—ent Antonius Pius Marâ—â—s Anthonius Lucius Verus Ptolomeus thâ— astrono 〈…〉 Egypt was garnâ—â—hed â—â— mathematicall sciences The Schole of Alexandria The Mahometistes Commodus Aelius Pertinax Didiê° Iulianus 〈◊〉 Origeneâ— a tracheâ— at Aleâ—aâ—der The philosophy of Plato The philosophy of Aristotel Antonius Bassianus 〈…〉 pinianus the lawier An example of vengeaunce Macrinus Varus Heliogabalus Alexander Seuerus â—lpia 〈…〉 A notable example of maintenanÌ„ce of vertuâ— â–ª 〈…〉 us 〈…〉 d 〈…〉 y. Gordianus Gordianus An Eclipse of the Sunne Philippus was y e fyrste Christ â–ª Emperoure a 〈…〉 baptysed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The begynnyng of the Gâ—â—thian 〈…〉 y. An example of vengeaunce Fabian â—â—â— Cyprian martyrs The heresy of Nouatius is coâ—deÌ„â—eâ— Vibius Gallus Volusianus 〈…〉 anâ—â—s Sapores kyng of the Perses
be beleued that ther haue ben such a multitude yet beare histories wytnesse ynough and also sunderye battails that were had at that tyme that Xerxes hoost was very great And now at this present time do we proue sufficiently wyth howe great an hoost howbeit lyght armoure the Turkes and other nations of the Easte do make theyr warre Daniel also wytnesseth that a kynge shall come oute of Persia againste the Grekes wyth a very great hoost of souldiours It is red also that whan thys great multitude was now gathered in one felde Xerxes weping sayd with an hâ—â—y harte The cause of mans life is very miserable for of so many thousand men can not one lyue ouer a hundreth yeare It is also sayde that whan Xerxes nowe ouerlayed the strayghtes of the see wyth brydges as there rose a tempeste he commaunded to beate the see To thys belongeth it also that it is not vnworthely sayd that in goynge forth hys hooste dryed vp floudes wyth drynkynge Wonders were also sene the which admonished the kyng to desyst of his enterpryse because of the myshappe to come For a â—aâ—â— brought forth an hare in the hoost where by was signifyed flyght Ther appeared also a comet called Ceratias the which is bowed lyke a horne Ther was also an Eclipse of the sonne And as hystoryes make mencion suche signes are not sene wythoute some vnhappynesse or hurt namely by the which God threateneth hys wrath and therfore oughte they not to be despysed but rather a pryck or sâ—ynge for vs that we do feare God for here maye be sene what alteracions of commune welthes and all estates of the worlde are ensued Xerxes wolde fyrste set vpon the Grekes wyth battayll by lande As for Grece is closed rounde about and ther is no entry into it saue by see or by some strayghtes of the mountaynes wher certayn thousands of the Grekes were set to kepe the enemyes from entrynge in of the whyche the greatest parte fled contynently as the Perses would entre only foure hundreth Lacedemonians abode which vsed greate force to resist the enemies and though they were farre lesse in nombre and weaker than that they could dryue back so great force of the enemies yet declared they such strength in fyghtynge that they slew about twenty thousande of the Perses For beynge ayded wyth the oportunite of the strayghtnesse of the mountaynes they were safe of the inuasion and oppression of the multitude of the enemies nother coulde they be enuyrouned by waytes layenge In the skyrmisse dyed Xerxes two bretheren but on the other syde died the foure hundreth Lacedemonyans wyth theyr kynge Leonides The acte is greatly praysed by reason of the courage and strength to defende the country because that they beynge so fewe in nombre were not afrayed to set them selues agaynste so great a multitude and though they had not the victory yet was the power of the enemies greately abated with thys â—yght and theyr hardenesse mynyshed Whan the Perses had the victory in thys battayll wounder it is how greatly all Grece was afrayed and in that parte of Grece did some cities yelde them selues frely to Xerxes At Athenes also one Cyrsylus or as sayeth Herodotus Lycidas counselled that the Athenians also shoulde geue themselues vnder Xerxes power for in no maner are they able to wythstande so myghty an enemy Themistocles contrary wyse counseled to defende the lyberty of the contrary For if the Perses fortune to haue dominion in Grece all honesty of maners shall be in daunger all lawe all good vertues shall peryshe The Perses shall vse all wyllfulnesse agaynst their wyues and chylderen as it were euidente they haue done agaynst them whiche were now subiect to them therfore were it more honeste to dye in the libertye than willinglye to admitte such lordes Thys counsell of Themistocles was accepted of euerye man wyth a commune consent that they shoulde defende themselues manlye agaynst the enemies The Athenians beynge wroth wyth Cyrsylus for hys wycked counsell commaunded to stone hym and the women lykewyse stoned hys wyfe because her husband had put forth such counsell the whyche if they had folowed they shoulde haue broughte all theyr chylderen to dishonesty Thys dede is praysed for the vertue and is worthy of remembraunce that they woulde rather dye for the lybertye of the contry than they shoulde yelde themselues to a straunge nacyon to ouerthrowe the state of theyr citye and all policye and honesty As the Athenians asked counsell at the aunswere of Apollo at Delphas it was aunswered them that they should haue victory with walles of wood the whiche Themistocles expounded of the defence of shyppes and he exhorted that leauynge the citye they should lead their wiues and children into the shyppes for their citie should at length not be able to wythstande the power and so great multitude of the Persians besyde that also be not the Perses very well appointed by see Thys counsell was alowed and the residue of the cities haue folowed it Sparta and Corinthus the whiche with a furnyshed nauye helde by force the straightes of the sea by the yle Salamina lest they mighte be compassed by the multitude of the shyppes that Xerxes had Whan Xerxes hearde that the Grekes had made a nauy and vnderstode that greate daunger shoulde come to hym yf the Grekes vsed the sea frely and as they had oportunitie should falle into the kyngdome it was counselled Xerxes that contrarywise he shoulde combre the Grekes wyth warre vpon the sea The same was done But as the Grekes had the victory the mooste part of the Perses was discomfyted and many shyppes were drouned This victory restored a courage to all Grece and made Xerxes feble The kynge him selfe was not in the battaill but remaininge with a fewe shyppes vpon the coast he dyd onelye beholde it All the Grecians rendred the renoume of the battaill to Themistocles onelye because that the victory beynge gotten by his counsell all Grece was saued Amonge the reste of the traynes whyche Themistocles vsed in thys warre I thoughte to rehearse thys one suttyll deuyse Whan Xerxes was abashed after the battayll he thought the kynge mighte easelye be broughte thereto that leauinge Grece he shoulde returne for alltogether into Persia wyth the reste of hys armye Therfore faynynge hym selfe humbly prostrate â–ª as wyllinge to procure fauoure by the kynge he caused to shew hym by the messenger that the Grekes deuised to breake the bridge the whyche he had caused to be layde before vpon the sea Wherefore to haue hym strayght waye oute of Grece before the occasyon of flyenge were taken him wythout he woulde cast him selfe in great daunger As he hearde thys tydynge he made him strayghte waye readye to flye But whan in flyenge he fande the bridge broken by the tempeste he passed ouer wyth a lytle boate euen wyth vtter daunger of his lyfe because the sea was troubled wyth the vehemency
Maximilian d 〈…〉 th Maximilian warreth against the Venecians Lewis kyng of Fraunce Iulius the by shop of Rom. was discomfited in a battaill by the citie Rauennas vpon Easter daye What Electors chose Charles that now is Emperoure Martine Luther â–ª Charles y â— Frances the French king taken The commotion of vplanâ—yâ—h mâ—n Schapler Twelue articles of the sedicious rustikes Thomas Mynter Iohn Ocalâ—padius Huldrich Zwinglius renew the doctrine of Berengarius â—ndreas â—arolestadius Rome taken by Burbon With what an â—â—ost Sol 〈…〉 yd be 〈…〉 ge â—ieÌ„nâ— Charles is crowned Emperour at Bonony by the bysh of Ro. The parliament of â—usborow An ouerflowyng at Ro. Clemens the vij is taken Ferdinande kyng of Hungary A Comete sene The Switzer warre within themselues The parliament holden at RegeÌ„spurg Prophecies of recouering Constantinople and of roting the Turkes out of Europa Laurentius Miniatensis an Astronomer A Comete sene Writers of Histories Cronicles What the mutacions of kyngdomes de signifye Agathias Ctesias The conuocation or counsaill holden at Ramsburgh The duke of Saxon agreeth not to the election of y e kyng of the Romaines The seconde breakyng in of Soliman into Germany Guns assaulted of the Turke by the space of .xij. daies The wall of 〈◊〉 falleth 〈…〉 e by it â—elfe Anthony de Leua Andrewe de Aurea The citie of Corona takeÌ„ The Emperourre turned into Italy to the Pope The Pope meteth themperour at Bononia Battell moued in England against the Scottes The death of Iohn duke of Saxon. Iohn Frederick duke of Saxon. A Comete or blasing starre â—â—â—â— A great inâ—â—â—cion of watâ—â— in HollaÌ„d Seeland c. Christerne kâ—nâ— of Dâ—◠〈…〉 ke after hâ—â— returâ—â—ta 〈…〉 oure 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 l. A moÌ„struous Calfe borne by y e sea coste aboute Lindowe The Emperour Charles retourneth from Genua into Spaine Newe Indes or Ilandes plentyfull of golde and siluer founde out by the SpaÌ„yardes A soleÌ„pne coÌ„munycacyon holdeÌ„ at Massilia betwene y e Pope the French kinge The duke of Orleans marieth the Popes cosyn The Euangelycal boÌ„d is opened by y e french kyng Another Comete or blasing starre apeared Shiltagh burned downe to y e ground A great Pestilence in Germany A great earthquake tempest of wind Kynge henry the .viii was dâ—uorsed froÌ„ hys fyrste wyfe maried to an other 1534. The Anabaptystes tâ—ke the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale The Anabaptystes make them a kyng Knypperdullynge c. kregh tynge Philip Landgraue of Hessen The Citie of Minster besieged by y â— biâ—hop Scarcitye of victualles in Mynster The Anabaptistes eate lether couerynges of bookes Philip landgraue of Hessen goeth about to set his vncle into his owne land agayn Philip y â— palatine put to flyght and wounded Hulderike duke of wiâ—teÌ„berg restored to his oâ—â—â— d 〈…〉 oÌ„ A peace grauÌ„ted vnto y â— â—anâ—gâ—a â—e on them perours behalf The laÌ„dgraue retourneth into his owne lande A coÌ„meÌ„datioÌ„ of liberalyty boldenes in y e landgraue a coÌ„meÌ„datioÌ„ of pacience mekenes in theÌ„perour y e kyng of Hungary The death of Frederike kyng of DeÌ„marke A straunge thing or tokeÌ„ happened about y â— dead corps of the kynge The erle of OldeÌ„boroughe â— y â— Lubekes inuade y â— dukedom of hâ—lsaâ—es The death of George weuer markes mayer A peace concluded betwene the towne of Lubeke and the dukedom of ho sure The captaynes of Lubeke desyrous to inuade deÌ„marcke A newe war â—â— A woÌ„derfull apparitioÌ„ in DeÌ„marke Henry king of Ingland excoÌ„municated by the pope The Pope hath â—â— authority ouer Ingland king HeÌ„nry forsaketh y t Pope A bokt sett furth vp kinge henry againste the primacpe of y e Pope King Henry ioined in coÌ„federatinÌ„ with y t Princes mayntainers of â— gospel Ireland rebeâ—â—eth against their prince Pope Clement dyeth Paule y â— â–ª iii. chosen to be Pope Sophi pâ—inâ—â— of y â— Persians â—â—â—â—â—beth y â— Turk Imbrai bassa Imbray bassa with hys host slayne The Turke cometh againste y â— sayde Sophy The turke coÌ„passed aboute of the Periyans The Turke escapeth â—a roâ—eâ—â— with a lewe Barbarossa inuabeth the kyngdome of Tunyse Barbarossa suodueth Affryca the lesse Kynge Altzachenus expelled from Tunyse The 〈◊〉 of Breda burned Great tempestes of wind Waters ryuers excedingly increassed â—â— y â— â—ande of Pole The duke of MillaÌ„ marieth y â— doughâ—â—r 〈…〉 y â— kyng Denmarke Themperour prepareth an armada towardes Affrica The kingdoÌ„ of Tunise recâ—â—â—red bâ— the peâ—our Barbarossa exâ—â—lled froÌ„ Tunise Kyng Altzachenus restored to hys kyngdome of Tunise The castell of Golleta reserued for themperour Themperour returneth froÌ„ Affrica Barbarossa inuadeth the Ile of Minorca The Affricanes attempte rebellion Andrewe â—e Aurea apointed to kepe y e Affricanes in awe The sect of the Anabaptistes in creasâ—eth The Anabaptistes â—â—kemâ—â—â—w 〈…〉 â— go naked The Anabaptistes within 〈…〉 e â—ppâ—â—lled The madnes of the Anabaptistes The Anabaptistes beleued that Minster was new Ierusalem A woman would conterfet Iudith The kynge 〈…〉 ing and knipperdulling taken The kyng of the â—â—baptistes with his coÌ„sellers put to death Christian duke of Holston chosen to be kyng in Denmarke The count of Hoya and the Erle of Teckelborough slayne Louedayes kept in Hungary The kyng of Poles maried the daughter of â—erdâ—â—anto kyng of Bohemy The death of the Duke of Mylan The duke of â—aâ—er marieth the daughter of Denmarke â—ir Thomas more Chauncelour of England and y â— byshop of Rochester beheaded The monkes of the charter house A wonderful tempest Neuer suche a teÌ„pest sene Quene Katherine dowâ—ger dieth Quene Anne Bullyn be headed Que. Iane Semour maried to the kyng of Enland The citie of Geneue besieged Preachers of the Gospel ordeyned â—â— Saâ—â—â— Iulius Lesar builded Clausa Rodani The French kyng claymeth the succession of Milaâ—e It is the condicion of an apâ— to countrâ—faite all y â— is done in his â—â—ght Apraiâ—â— of the author The Emporoures complaynt to the Pope agaiÌ„st the Frenche kyng The Empeperoures request The Popes aunswere The Emperoures retourne from Rome A trapâ—one put to death at â—poâ—s The Count of Nassowe Perone besyeged The Euangelical bond The Synode or conuocatioÌ„ of Wittenborough Swinglius coÌ„senteth not with Luter in the opinion of the SacrameÌ„t A new peace concluded betwene the sea townes of Eastlande Denmarke The citie of Copenhage beseged by y â— kyng Dâ—gâ—es and 〈…〉 Coppenhagh yelded vp toâ— kyng Warborough taken Markes mayer taken and quartered Agâ—â—ly eâ—â—ple for all kynges and conquerours The practise of papistes All the byshoys of DeÌ„marck deposed Iohn Bugen hagh Thepreachig of the gospell instituted in Denmarke xxiiij thousaÌ„d parishes in Denmarch Norway furnyshed with preachers The coronation of Lhristiane siyng of Denmarck The vntuersitie of Luppenhaghe furnyshed with meÌ„learned in y â— scripturs Liuinges appointed for preachers â—â—dâ—â—s in DeÌ„ 〈…〉 Thimbassadours of England at Wittenbourgh Doctour â—â—nâ—â— An olde prophecy of Enland The Lorde Darcy with other Edwarde the syâ—t borne The death
of Quene Iane The kyng of Scottes marieth the daughter of Fraunce The coÌ„quest of the kyng of Portingals Indes The ChristeÌ„ faith planted in the kyngdome of CaÌ„baia The heath of Erasmus A preuy conspiracy in Germany against the Gospell Henry the younger duke of Brunswyke The death of George duke of Saxon Popâ—râ— abolyssed in the â—â—nde of 〈◊〉 The â—â—oole 〈…〉 gh restâ—â—â—d Heding beseged taken The lady regeÌ„t inuadeth Picardy S. Paule beseged and destroyed Turwyne beseged 〈…〉 Iohn Crisp◠〈…〉 Aâ— hoâ—â—â—ble 〈…〉 Misfortunes happened harmes done by the meanes of the teÌ„pest A collection for the pore Frere Forest A cousiâ—ltaâ—â—on holden at Rome against the Turke The Emperours â—â—â—raunâ—â—â—â—to â—icâ— The entraunce of the Pope into Nice described the religious rablâ— The Emperoure kisseth the Popes 〈…〉 e. A peace concluded betwene the Emperour FrauÌ„ce â–ª Leonora 〈…〉 N◠〈…〉 ded Barbarossa Bisana taâ—en The shipwrach of Barbarossa The Castell N 〈…〉 urg â—â—ylord Thâ— Marquea of BraÌ„denburg The death of y e duke of Gelders Auarice punyshed The lorde marquish of exâ—ter â— the â—â—rd moÌ„tacute beheaded Barbarossa robbeth y e â—e â—eâ—â—aÌ„s Italians goodes vpoÌ„ y e see Barbarossa b 〈…〉 th Câ— â–ª stelâ—ouâ— The dalmacians flye to y e Turckes betrai their felowe soudiars y e Castel Barbarossa wynneth Castel nouo The spaniat des Italyans feight maÌ„fully TheeÌ„peroures wiâ—dieth An insurreccioÌ„at Gent â–ª Embassadoures out of Fraunce into Spayne The â—perour coÌ„meth into FlauÌ„derstho â—ou Fraunce An aÌ„bassage out of osteÌ„ricke into beam Latine Wrâ—tislauya The Turcke carieth away lxxx thousaÌ„d christeÌ„ meÌ„ into turckye A blasynge sterre The laerned in Turcky acknowledg our Christen relligioÌ„ to be y â— best The â—urch headeth â–ª priestes A miracle The Emperour at paris The freÌ„ch kyng craftily seketh y e eâ—perour dâ—â—t * or be rowed * or boote * stpâ—â—an * or shippe The â—p râ—rs coÌ„plaint to y â— â—iâ—h of Ro. The Emperoure coÌ„meth to Gent. â— castel builded in Gent. FerdinaÌ„dus cometh to y â— Emperoure in to flauÌ„ders 〈…〉 A coÌ„municacion at Wor Phil. MelaÌ„ Ioh. Ecke Wheter ther remain sines in y t saintes ChristiaÌ„s after baptisme Rom. viii A day at haganouwe The Emperour◠〈…〉 ly forbedeth good bokes to be readde But what is woÌ„ne â—â— persecutyon The marque s 〈…〉 â—â—aÌ„daÌ„ 〈…〉 recea 〈…〉 y â— word â—â— God God befenheth his flock The 〈…〉 of y â— burning mortherers 〈…〉 clipse 〈…〉 Wyne both 〈…〉 good cheape Vnderstand The true king of Hungary kynge Iohn The kyng of Hungary dyed * Latine Bâ—da Ferdinandê° would take in the kyngdome of HuÌ„gary The Emperour comith to Norenberg The parliament holden at Regensburg 〈…〉 Dâ—â—â—s iâ—â—ter 〈…〉 The Pope 〈…〉 hall One of his croked piâ—pes hyndereth all that thegodly had goâ—e about â— greate while before and those meâ— of greate nobilitie besydes the excelent learned The princeâ— that receaue the worde of God after y e parliament holden at Regensburg Doctor Eckius vse â–ª hâ—he â—cuel his masters conning that is lying â–ª The beuâ—ls 〈…〉 â—â—â—al 〈…〉 â—owes 〈…〉 es 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â— is proâ—â—dâ—â—â—r â–ª Money is geuen to seÌ„d an armye against the Turke Iohn Weyda kynge of Hungary dyâ—â—â— The Turkeâ— Bassa â—esegeth Pest * â—â—â— Albâ— â–ª greca â–ª A notable 〈…〉 ordi 〈…〉 lost 〈…〉 Hungary Willyam of Rogendorpe 〈…〉 â–ª The Turke â–ª â—eweth lxxx Christians in peeces for a pastyme The Turke breaketh hys promesse and excercyseth tyranny 〈…〉 an 〈…〉 l yeare The turcke â—â—â—eth â–ª â—xx thousand meÌ„ 〈…〉 The Turke geueth â—aleÌ„ tyne Teâ—eck his reward The Turke taketh certayn Castels in â–ª The Turke assaulteth the citie of fyuechurches The Turck hathaâ—armâ— in Pelopoâ—e so The Emperour and the Pope to gether at Luke The Emperoures passage to Algier Duke Henry of Saxon dieth 〈…〉 s 〈…〉 r 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in Histrâ—â— is taken in An armye against the Turck Pest is beseaged of our men Duke Maurice in Ieoperdy of takynge â—â—e of Duke Maurice Ie 〈…〉 en 〈…〉 eth maÌ„fully to delyuer his master A sicknesse in the Camp The grenousâ—ieâ— of y e sicknes in Duga â—â— Warre betwene y e Duke of Saxon Brunswick The duke of Brunswyke flyeth Woluenbutel is beseged Woluenbutel is vntapled for .iii. peares The mening was y â— they shuld at the length repeÌ„t them of their ioznep and go hom and winue no thing They fly out of the Castel ouer the walles ditches The Gospel is preached in the land of Brunswick 〈…〉 prâ—nces and 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Gospell Duke William â—â— Baier 〈…〉 th to v 〈…〉 Grassehoppers A earthâ—â—aâ—e in 〈◊〉 An earthquaâ—e in 〈…〉 ye â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 ple The Bra 〈…〉 〈…〉 ll â—â—to the land of Gulick The kyng of Scotland dyeth A Councell kept at Nureâ—burg Another counsel appoynted at Spyer An army sent by them p 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 land 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The city of Tremetz taken The French king and the Duke of 〈…〉 leâ—e pro 〈…〉 their marshial affaires The Ladye Mary sendeth an army againste the Duke of Cleue The Cleueuers approche towardes â–ª the Brabanders 〈…〉 nflict 〈…〉 e the Câ—eueâ—ers 〈…〉 ders The victory of the Cleueners The slepe of themperour The s 〈…〉 〈…〉 f the 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 he 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 nd 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 〈…〉 d◠〈…〉 de Hungary inuaded by the Turke The death of doctor 〈…〉 A woÌ„derfull birth besides Basell â–ª Wonderfull visions senâ— The interpretacion oâ— the vision The councel of â—pâ—re 〈…〉 〈…〉 With their ordinaunce The kyndnes of Switchers A counseâ—lour oâ— Nurrenburgh taken 〈…〉 Scotland â—â—uaded by â—â—gâ—â—thmen Bullyn beseged 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Palatine a fauorer of Goddes worde Popery paâ—â— downe the Gospel preached in the palatines iurisdiction 〈…〉 g 〈…〉 Poles 〈◊〉 〈…〉 p 〈…〉 o 〈◊〉 〈…〉 pro 〈…〉 〈…〉 d and 〈…〉 e. Henry duke of Brunswike goeth about to recouer his land The â—ountâ— of Deckelenbourgh inuâ—ded for the Golpell 〈◊〉 â—â—ll beseged Philip Landgraue of Hessen Capitaine of the Euangelicall confederation Duke Maurice of SaxoÌ„ Duke Maurice seketh â— â–ª meanes to make a peace 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 i 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Landgraue 〈…〉 quiâ—eth an othe of duke Hen 〈…〉 coÌ„pany The lande of Brunswike taken in againe and sworne of newe to y e confederatioÌ„ The Erle of ShaueÌ„burgh deposed Rithbergh geuen vp 〈…〉 th of 〈…〉 che 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 The Ruler of 〈…〉 har◠〈…〉 ed by y e Marquis of Brandenburgh The fury o the Turke The death of the Duke of Orleans Wonderfull apparitions and visions A conuocatioÌ„ at Franke forth The death of Maâ—ten Luter The buriall of doctor Martine Luter Alphonse dia si a trayterousmurther The good doctor Iohn Diasy murthered The Emp 〈…〉 com 〈…〉 Rai 〈…〉 sburgh The 〈…〉 ion beg 〈…〉 at Rainsburgh The begynnyng of the emperours warres agaynst the Germanes Duke Maurice prepareth 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 A cruel murther Duke Maurice â—â—gmâ—â—â—â— to 〈…〉 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 A peace betwene Englande and Fraunce The stewes put downe in London ☠☠Anne Askewe Iohn Lassels burned Shaxton recanted Thomas duke of Northfolke Henry his sodne attainted A plague of locustes and grashoppers A godly commaundement A prodigious grape A wonderful miracle A wonderful â—ision The Erle of Surrey beheaded The death of kyng Henry the eight of England â–ª c. Edward the syxt byng of England Images and beades put downe abolysshed in England A recantacioÌ„ of Doctor Smith Processions lâ—â—t in Englande An hoost of men sent out of Englande into ScotlaÌ„d Chaunteries geuen to the â—â—ng of England The CoÌ„mumoÌ„ ordeined to be receiued in both kindes Latimer set at libertie The death of the â—renche King 〈…〉 â–ª The Emperour retourneth out of Germany into FlauÌ„ders The Duke of Saxon captiue Leonora retourned to themperoure The sonne of Ferdinando marieth them perours daughter The eldest sonne of the Turke 〈…〉 keth insurrâ—â—tion agâ—ynst his father Argiers takeÌ„ 〈…〉 A â—â—mâ—â—ocioÌ„â—â— corâ—â—â—all The masse Images put downe in Englande The byshop of Winchester committed to thei our of â—o 〈…〉 The mariage of priestes graunted lawfull An insurrection at Norwiche The rebelles in Cornwal 〈◊〉 Deuonshere subdued The byshop of London deposed and coÌ„mitted to prison The duke of Somerset coÌ„mitted to the tour of LoÌ„doÌ„ The death of the Pope A wonderful vision sene besydes Brunswyke Capitayne Gambold slayne 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 The duke of Somerset delyuered out of 〈…〉 A generall p 〈…〉 â—etmene Englande â— Frannce Bullayne delyuered 30 one Boocher A wonderful miracle oftor ue fallyng downe from the element A moste â—â—â—nnicall persecution A moste Tâ—annicall persecution