also Pensile Gardeus one of the Worlds wonders born upon Arches foursquare each square being four hundred Foot long filled above with Earth whereon grew all sorts of Trees and Plants The Arches were built one above another in a convenient-heigth still increasing as they ascended The highest which did bear the walls on the top were fifty Cubits high so that they equalized the highest Mountains He made also Aquaeducts for the watering of this Garden which seemed to hang in the air This most sumptuous frame which out-lasted all the remainder of the Assyrian and all the Persian Empire is said to have been reared and finished in fifteen Days He erected also an image of Gold in the Plain of Dura sixty Cubits high and six broad commanding all his Servants and Subjects to fall down and Worship it Dan. 3. 1 c. But of all this and other his Magnificence we find little else recorded save that which indeed is most profitable for us to consider to wit his over-valewing of his own greatness which abased him to a condition inferior to the poorest of men For whereas God had honoured him not only with many great and glorious Victories and much happiness in his own life but with a rare discovery of things that were to come after him yea and had manifested the certainty of his Dreams by the miraculous reducing of it into his Memory and given him the interpretation thereof by the Prophet Daniel He notwithstanding became so forgetful of God whose wonderful power he had seen and acknowledged that he caused that Golden Image to be set up and Worshipped appointing a cruel Death for them that should dare to disobey him which was utterly unlawful and repugnant to the Law of him that is King of Kings And thus he who so lately had Worshipped Daniel the servant of God as if he had been God himself now commanded a Statue to be erected unto himself wherein himself might be worshipped as God From this impiety it pleased God to recall and reclaim him by the wonderful and miraculous delivery of those three blessed Saints out of the fiery Furnace who being thrown bound into the midst of it for refusing to commit that abominable Idolatry were preserved from all hurt of the fire loosened from their Bonds accompanied by an Angel and at last called out by the King and restored to their former honour Nebuchadnezzar being amazed at the Miracle made a Decree tending to the honour of God whom by the erection of his Image he had dishonoured Yet was not this devotion so rooted in him that it could bring forth fruit answerable to his hasty zeal Therefore was he fore-warned of God in a Dream of a terrible Judgement which hung over his Head which Daniel expounding withall counselled him to break off his sin by righteousness and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor that there might be a lengthening of his tranquility Dan. 4. 27. Whence it seems that injustice and cruelty were his faults for which he was thus threatned But neither did the Dream nor advice of Daniel so prevail For probably he believed it not but looked upon it as an idle Dream for that it seemed altogether unlikely that so great a Monarch should be driven from amongst men yea compelled to dwell with the Beasts of the Field and made to eat Grass as the Oxen this was altogether incredible in mans Judgment and therefore giving so little heed to it it s no marvel that he had forgotten it by the years end One whole year was given to this haughty Prince wherein to repent which respiting of the execution may seem to have bred in him forgetfulness of Gods sentence For at the end of twelve months as he was walking in his Royal Palace in Babel he was so overjoyed and transported with a vain contemplation of his own seeming happiness that without all fear of Gods heavy Judgment pronounced against him he uttered these proud words Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the Honour of my Majesty But his proud speeches were not fully ended when a voice from Heaven told him that his Kingdom was departed from him c. And the same hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar And he was driven from men and did eat grass as Oxen and his Body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hair was grown like Eagles Feathers and his nails like Birds Claws Dan. 4. 33 c. This his punishment was singular and unexpected For he ran amongst Beasts in the Fields and Woods where for seven years he lived not only as a salvage man but as a salvage Beast for a Beast he thought himself to be and therefore fed himself in the same manner and with the same food that Beasts do Not that he was changed in his external shape from a man to a Beast For as St. Jerome well expounds it when he saith vers 34. that his understanding was restored unto him he shewed that he had not lost his humane shape but his understanding being stricken with a Frenzy or deep Melancholy which made him think himself a Beast Seven years being expired Nebuchadnezzar was restored both to his Understanding and to his Kingdom and saith he I blessed the most High and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom is from Generation to Generation And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven and amongst the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou At the same time my reason returned unto me and for the Glory of my Kingdom mine honour and brightness returned unto me and my Counsellors and my Lords sought unto me and I was established in my Kingdom and excellent Majesty was added unto me Now therefore I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extoll and honour the King of Heaven all whose works are truth and his way is Judgement and those that walk in Pride he is able to abase Dan. 4. 34 35 36 37. How long he lived after this is uncertain but all agree that he reigned about twenty months co-partner with his Father in the Kingdom and about three and forty years by himself alone Whilst Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon reged in Judaea God prepared a Worm which in due time should eat out this spreading Tree by reason of the cry of his poor people which entred into his ears According to that of the Psalmist Psal. 137. 8 9. O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones For in this very year was Cyrus the Perso-Median born whose Father was a Persian and
an other King Alexander hearing this gave him the water again and bid him carry it to his Sons Alexander in his younger days was so moderate and temperate that he would often open his chests and look upon his Garments to see if his Mother had not provided him either delicate or superfluous Apparel Also when the Queen of Caria to shew her great love to him sent him dayly variety of Dishes and Dainties and at last sent her Cooks and Bakers to him he returned them back again saying That he had no need of their service for his Master Leonidas had provided him better Cooks by teaching him to dine and sup Frugally and sparingly Also when he had any rare and Dainty Fruits or Fishes sent him from the Sea he used to distribute them amongst his Friends reserving very little or none for his own use One craving a small gift of him he gave him a whole City and when the Poor man said That it was too much for him to receive Yea said Alexander but not for me to give As he was advanceing to conquer a Kingdom in India Taxilis who was King thereof came and met him saying O Alexander What need we fight if thou comest not to take away my food and water for which its only fit for wise men to â—ight If thou seekest after Riches if I have more than thou I will give thee part of mine if thou hast more than I I will not refuse part of thine Alexander being much taken with his speech said to him Go to I will contend with thee in bounty and so they mutually gave and received many Gifts At last Alexander gave him a thousand Tallents which much grieved his Friends and rejoyced the Barbarian He shewed an admirable Example of his Chastity in the heat of his youth when having taken the Mother Wives and Daughters of Darius women of admirable beauty yet neither by word nor deed did he profer them the least indignity thinking it a greater honour to overcome himself than his Adversaries And when he looked upon other Captive Ladies that excelled in stature and beauty he merrily said Persides oculorum dolores esse That the Persian women were a disease of the eyes and yet he looked on them but as on so many Statues When he was informed that two of his Captains under Permenio had ravished two of the Persian Ladies he wrote to him to enquire after the matter and if he found it true he should cut off their Heads as of Beasts born for the hurt of mankind He also sent him word that himself was so far from contemplating the Beauty of Darius his Wife that he would not so much as suffer her to be commended in his presence and that he was so careful of their Chastity that they lived in his Camp shut up in their Tent as if they had been in a Temple At the Death of Ephestion his Favorite he did not only clip the Haire of his Horses and Mules but plucked down also the Battlements of the City walls that they might seem to mourn for his Minions Death shewing now deformity instead of their former Beauty Porus an Indian King fighting valiantly against him receiving many wounds and at last being overcome and falling into his enemies hands they brought him to Alexander who hearing of his coming went forth with some of his Friends to meet him and asked him what he would have him to do for him Porus answered My only desire is that thou use me like a King Alexander admiring his magnanimity replyed This I will do for my own sake but what wouldest thou have me do for thine Porus answered That all was contained in his former demand of Kingly usage Alexander was so pleased with this that he restored him to his Kingdom and gave him another bigger than his own Alexander the Great saith Plutarch built seventy Cities He brought many barbarous Nations to civility He taught the People Hircani the use of Marriage and the Arachosians Tillage and Husbandry The Sogdians that they should nourish and cherish their aged Parents and not kill them The Persians to honour their Mothers and not to use them for their Wives The Scythians that they should not eat their Dead but bury them in the Earth c. His Clemency to those whom he conquered was very exemplary The same day that he took he restored again the Kingdom to Porus King of India Darius his Mother he entertained honourably as a Queen Darius his Wife and beautiful Daughters he would not so much as see as careful to preserve their Chastity His Liberality and Magnificence exceeded all his other Virtues He gave at one time three and twenty thousand Talents among his Souldiers to pay their Debts At his Marriage he invited ten thousand Guests and gave to every one of them a Cup of Gold To one that asked something of him he gave a City and when the Party would have refufed it as too great a Gift for him Alexander said Non quaero quid te decet accipere sed quid me decet dare I regard not what is meet for thee to take but what is meet for me to give Whereupon Plutarch saith that those Virtues for the which severally sundry worthy men have been commended did all concur and meet in him As the Valour of Achilles the Chastity of Agamemnon the Piety of Diomedes the Courage of Cyrus the Policy of Themistocles the Boldness of Brassida And the Prudence of his Father Philip. His Military Virtâ—es were remarkable As his Courage in that with thirty thousand Footmen and five thousand Horsemen for he had no more when he first passed over into Asia he durst bid defiance to all the World His Patience in enduring Hunger and Thirst Heat and Cold. His dexterity and celerity in omitting no opportunity of advantage to his affairs so that in seven years he accomplished all his great Conquests And to these may be added his singular success For he never besieged any City but he took it But after he had glutted himself with the Pleasures of Asia the Vices that he fell into were not inferiour to his afore-named Virtues Among the rest these four notable Vices were apparent in him First Drunkenness for he would drink so excessively that he would lie two or three dayes senseless till he had slept out his Drink Secondly In his Drunkenness he was cruel and outragious In one of those fits he slew his dear Friend Clitus whose loss he greatly bewailed afterwards Thirdly He was much given to Wantonness and Fleshly Lusts. Fourthly At length he grew so intolerably Proud that he would needs be accounted the Son of Jupiter and commanded Calisthenes one of his great Commanders to be slain because he would not worship him He accounted Achilles happy because he had such a man as Homer to set forth his Praises But himself had many worthy men to Register his Acts As Ptolomy King of Egypt Hecataeus Aristobulus Calisthenes
Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Artaxerxes Alexander Epaminondas Herod Hanibal Pompey Iulius Caesar. Augustus Charlemain Tamberlain THE LIVES DEATHS Of most of those EMINENT PERSONS WHO By their VIRTUE and VALOUR Obtained the Sirnames of MAGNI OR THE GREAT Whereof divers of them give much Light to the Understanding of the Prophecies in Esay Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel concerning the three first Monarchies And to other Scriptures concerning the Captivity and Restauration of the Jews The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged By Samuel Clark Minister of the Gospel Longum iter per pracepta breve per Exempl Hierom. LONDON Printed by J. R. for W. B. and are to be sold by Tho. Sawbridge at the three Flower de Luces in Little Britain and by W. Birch at the Peacock at the lower end of Cheap-side 1675. THE LIFE and DEATH OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE GREAT First Emperour of the CHALDEANS NEbuchadonazar or Nebuchadnezzar was the Son of Nebuchadonazar or Nabopolaser of Babylon who was made General of the Army by Saraco King of Assyria and Chaldea after whose death Nabopolaser took into his hands the Kingdom of Chaldea which he held by the space of one and twenty years At the same time Astyages was made Governour of Media by Cyaxares his Father and the better to strengthen themselves they entred into affinity by Astyages his giving his Daughter Amytis to Nebuchadnezzar the Son of Nabopolaser and thereupon joyning their Forces together they took Ninive together with Seraco the King thereof placing a Vice-Roy in his stead Shortly after the Governour of Coelosyria and Poenicia revolting from Nabopolaser he sent against him his Son Nebuchadnezzar having first associated him with himself in the Kingdom of Babylon with a great Army which was in the latter end of the third and the beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim King of Juda as appears Dan. 1. 1. compated with Jer. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar was no sooner thus associated with his Father in the Kingdom but the things which he was to act were presently revealed to the Prophet Jeremy the first whereof was the overthrow of the Egyptians First at the River Euphrates then in their own Country Jer. 46. The first of these came to pass presently Pharaoh Necho's Forces which he had left at Carchemish being cut off by Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth year of Jehojakim Jer. 46. 2. The second was not till after the taking of Tyre in the seventeenth year of the Captivity of Jechonia Ezek. 29. 17 18 19. In the third year of Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar the second his Father being yet alive entred Iudaea with a great Army who besieging and forcing Ierusalem made Iehoiakim his Vassal in despight of Pharaoh Necho who had made him King and took with him to Babylon for Pledges Daniel who was yet a Child with Ananias Misael and Azarias He took also part of the Treasures belonging to the Temple but stayed not to stayed not to search throughly for all For Necho hasted with his Army to the relief of Iehoiakim hoping to find Nebuchadnezzar in Iudea But this great Babylonian had no mind to hazard himself and his Army against the Egyptian Iudaea being so ill affected towards him and himself far from all succour or sure place of retreat If he had as may be supposed any great strength of Scythian Horsemen it was wisely done of him to fall back out of that rough Mountanous and hot Country into places that were more even and temperate And besides these reasons the Death of his Father happening at the same time gave him just occasion to return home and take possession of his own Kingdom before he proceeded in the second care of adding more unto it And this he did at reasonable good leisure For the Egyptian was not provided to follow him so far and to bid him Battel until the new year came in which was the fourth of Iehoiakim the first of Nebuchadnezzar and the last of Necho In this year the Babylonian lying upon the Banks of Euphrates his own Territories bounding it on the North-side attended the coming of Necho there after a cruel Battel fought betwixt them Necho was slain and his Army forced to save it self by a violent retreat wherein it suffered great loss This Victory was so well pursued by Nebuchadnezzar that he recovered all Syria and whatsoever the Egyptians held out of their proper Territories towards the North. The Egyptians being thus beaten and altogether for the present discouraged Iehoiakim held himself quiet as being in heart a Friend to the Egyptians yet having made his peace with the Chaldeans the year before and Mebuchadnezzar was contented with such profit as he could there readily make he had forborn to lay any Tribute upon the Iews But this cool reservedness of Iehoiakim was on both sides taken in ill part Whereupon the Egyptian King Psamnis who succeeded Necho began to think of restoring Iehoahaz who had been taken prisoner by his Father and carried into Egypt and of setting him up as a Domestical enemy against his ungrateful Brother But to anticipate all such accidents the Iudaean had put in practice the usual remedy which his fore-fathers used For he had made his own Son Iechonia King with him long before in the second year of his own Reign when the Boy was but eight years old As for this rumour of Iehoahaz his return the Prophet Ieremy foretold that it should prove a vain attempt saying He shall not return thither But he shall die in the place whither they have led him Captive and shall see this Land no more Jer. 22. 11 12. The Egyptians having lost their Mercenary Forces and received that heavy blow at Carchemish had more Gold than sharp Steel remaining which is of small force without the others help Besides the Valour of Necho was not in Psamnis Apries who reigning after Psamnis did indeed once adventure to shew his face in Syria but after a big look he was glad to retire without adventuring the hazard of a Battel Wherefore this declining Nation fought only with brave words telling such frivolous tales as men that mean to do nothing use boasting of their former glorious acts against Iosias and Iehoahaz And truly in such a time and case it was easie for Iehoiakim to give them satisfaction by letting them understand the sincerity of his affections towards them which appeared in time following But Nebuchadnezzar went more roundly to work For he sent a peremptory message to Iehoiakim requiring him not to stand upon any nice points but presently to acknowledge himself his subject and to pay him Tribute Adding thereunto such terrible threatnings as made the poor Iudaean lay aside all thoughts of adhering unto Pharaoh and to yield to do as the more powerful would have him Thus he continued in Obedience to Nebuchadnezzar three years During which time the Prophet Jeremy cryed out against the Impiety of the Jews putting them in mind that he had
not the courage to return to their habitations too hastily much less to attempt any thing against Nebuchadnezzar but lived as miserable out-laws until the end of the seventy years which God had appointed for the desolation of their Countries as well as of the Land of Judaea When by a long course of Victory Nebuchadnezzar had brought into Subjection all the Nations of Syria and the bordering Arabians in such wise as that no enemy to himself or Friend to the Egyptian was left at his back that might either impede his proceedings or take advantage of any misfortune that might befall him then did he forthwith apply himself to the Conquest of Egypt upon which those other Nations had formerly been dependants Of this expedition and the Victorious issue thereof the three great Prophets Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel have written so plainly that it s altogether needless to seek after any other authority to confirm the same Long before it was prophesied by Isay that the King of Assyria or Babylon should lead away the Egyptians Prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt Isa. 20. 4. But Ezekiel and Jeremy as their Prophesies were neerer to the time of execution so they handled this Argument more plainly and precisely For Esekiel tells us cleerly that Egypt should be given to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his great service which he had done against Tyre Ezek. 29. 18 19 20. He recounteth also in particular all the chief Cities in Egypt saying that these by name should be destroyed and go into Captivity yea and that Pharaoh and all his Army should be slain by the Sword Ezek. 30. 4 10 c. Chap. 32. 2 c. And the Prophet Jeremy saith thus Behold I will visit the common people of Noe and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings even Pharaoh and all that trust in him and I will deliver them into the hands of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King òf Babel and into the hands of his Servants Jerem. 46. 25 26. Josephus accordingly saith that Nebuchadnezzar in three and twentieth year of his Raign and in the fifteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem did Conquer Egypt and kill the King thereof appointing a Vice-Roy to Govern it And it is evident that his Victories which followed his Conquest of Syria were such as did more enlarge his Dominions than all his former Wars had done For Ezekiel in his Thirtieth Chapter reckoneth up besides the whole Country of Egypt Phut and Lud with other Nations that may seem to have reached as far as into Mauritania which were conquered by him and added to his Empire And truly it is worth observation how Pharaoh King of Egypt was infatuated by God who thought himself most safe in his own Country by reason of the well-defenced situation thereof and therefore very unwisely suffered his enemies to make a cleer way to his own doors by the Conquest of all his Friends and Allyes in Syria For as the labour of this business did more harden than weary the Chaldean Army so the confidence and vain security of the Egyptians relying upon the difficulty of the passages which the enemy was to make through the Arabian Desarts and the great advantage which the River Nilus afforded did little avail them when the War came on Yea it did much astonish them as may justly be thought in the time of execution It being usually seen that the hearts of men fail when those helps deceive them in which they had reposed more confidence than in their own Virtue and Valour Until this time the Kingdom of Egypt had flourished under the Rule and Government of the Pharaohs for above the space of one thousand four hundred and eighty years But from this time forward it remained forty years without a King under the subjection of the Babylonians and then at lenghth it began to recover by little and little the former greatness Yet so that it was never dreadful unto others as it had been God having said of that people At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the People whither they were scattered and I will bring again the Captivity of Egypt and will cause them to return into the Land of Pathros into the land of their habitation and they shall be yet a base Kingdom It shall be the basest of the Kingdoms neither shall it exalt it self any more above the Nations For I will diminish them that they shall no more rule over the Nations and it shall be no more the confidence of the House of Israel Ezek. 29. 13 14 15 16. For whereas it had been said of Pharaoh I am the Son of the wise the Son of ancient Kings Isa. 19. 11. and whereas they had Vaunted the River is mine and I have made it Ezek. 29. 9. The Princes of Egypt now became fools the River failed them the King himself was now taken and slain and that ancient Linage was quite extinguished Of any Wars made by Nebuchadnezzar after such time as he returned from the Conquest of Egypt we read not except that against Ninive the destruction whereof was foretold by the Prophet Ninive indeed had been taken long before by Merodoch and together with the rest of Assyria made subject to Babylon Yet was it left under a peculiar King who rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar as Jehoiakim and Zedechias Tributary Kings of Judah had done was made partaker also of the same ruin That the destruction of Ninive followed the Conquest of Egypt is clear by the comparison which Nahum the Prophet made between this City that was to fall and the City of Noe in Egypt which was fallen already Nabum 3. 8 c. Art thou better than populous Noe that was situate amongst the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampire was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was infinite Put and Lubin were her helpers Yet was she carried away she went into Captivity Her young Children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains Thou also shalt be drunken thou shalt be hid thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy c. This Great Monarch having thus spent his younger days in inlarging his Dominions he betook himself to rest that he might reap the fruit of his former labours and the first thing that he applied himself to was to beautifie his Imperial City of Babylon adding a new City to the Old which he compassed about with three Walls and made in them stately Gates And neer the former Palace he built a New one more stately than it wherein he raised stone-works like unto Mountains which he planted with all manner of Trees He made
and therefore despised all the Arguments used by Sandanes to the contrary who desired him to consider aforehand that he provoked a Nation inhabiting a barren and Mountanous Region a People not covered with the soft silk of Worms but with the hard skins of Beasts not fed with meat to their Fancies but content with what they found Drinkers of Water and not of Wine and in a word a Nation Warlike Patient Valiant and Prosperous over whom if he became Victorious he could thereby enrich himself in nothing but Fame in which he already excelled and if by them he should be beaten and subdued so great would his loss appear of all things which the world makes account of that the same could neither be hastily recounted nor easily conceived Notwithstanding this solid and seasonable Counsel Croesus having prepared a powerful Army advanced with the same toward Media but in his passage he was retarded at Pterium a City in Cappadâ—cia of great strength which whilst he attempted both by power and policy to take and Conquer Cyrus came on and found the Lydians encamped before it Neither of these Champions were inferior to other either in strength or opinion For out of doubt Croesus as he excelled any Prince of that age in Riches and ability so was he not inferiour unto any in Territories and Fame that then lived But Kingdoms and Commonwealths have their increase and Periods from Divine Ordinance This time was the Winter of Croesus his prosperity the leaves of his flourishing estate being ready to fall and that of Cyrus but in the first Spring and Flower the God of all Power had given a date to the one and a beginning of glory to the other When these two Armies were in view each of other after divers skirmishes had passed between them the Persians and Lydians began to joyn together and encounter each other in gross Bodies and as either of them began to retreat fresh supplies were sent in from both their Kings And as the Persians had somewhat the better of the day so when the dark vail of night had hidden each Army from the others view Croesus doubting what success the rising Sun might bring with it quitted the Field to Cyrus and with all speed possible retreated towards his own Countrey and taking the next way thither he recovered Sardis the first City of Lydia and his Regal Seat without any pursuit made by Cyrus to retard him where being arrived and nothing suspecting Cyrus his approach or any other War for that Winter he dismissed his Army and sent the Troops of his sundry Nations to their own Provinces appointing them to re-assemble at the end of five Months acquainting his Commanders with his intent of renewing the War at the time appointed The morning being come Cyrus finding that the Lydians were departed put his Army in order to pursue after them yet not so hastily and at their heels as to be discovered But getting good intellegence of Croesus his proceedings he so ordered the matter that he presented not himself before Sardis till such time as Croesus had disposed of his Army and sent them to their Winter Quarters His coming 〈◊〉 altogether unlooked for and unfeared he had opportunity enough to surround Sardis with his Army wherein Croesus had no other Companies than the Citizens and his ordinary Guards insomuch as after fourteen days Siege Cyrus took the City by Storm and put all to the Sword that made resistance Croesus now having neither Arms to Fight nor Wings to fly in this common calamity he thrust himself into the heap and multitude of his miserable Subjects and had undergone the same lot with the rest of the vanquished persons had not a Son of his who had been dumb all his Life before by the extremity of Passion and Fear cryed out to a common Souldier who was with a drawn Sword pursuing his Father that he should not kill Croesus Hereupon he was taken and imprisoned and despoiled of all things but only the expectation of Death Shortly after he was bound with Fetters and Placed upon a large and high pile of Wood to be burnt to ashes thereon To which when Fire was set and kindled Croesus remembring the discourse which long before he had with Solon the Athenian Lawgiver he thrice cryed out O Solon Solon Solon and being demanded what he meant by the invocation of Solon he at first used silence But being urged again he told them that now he found that true which wise Solon had long since told him That many men in the race and course of their lives might well be accounted Fortunate but no man could discern himself to be happy indeed till his end Of this his answer Cyrus being speedily informed and thereby being put in mind of the mutability of Fortune and of his own mortality he commanded his Ministers of Justice speedily to withdraw the Fire and to save Croesus and bring him to his presence which being done Cyrus demanded of him who it was that had perswaded him or what reason had instigated him to invade his Territories and to make him of a Friend an Enemy To which Croesus thus answered It was thy prosperous and my unprosperous destiny the Grecian Gods with all flattering my Ambition that were the inventers and conducters of Croesus War against Cyrus Cyrus being much affected with this answer of Croesus and bewailing his estate though he was victorious over him did not only spare his life but entertained him ever after as a King and his companion Thus Herodotus relates it But Xenophon saith that Cyrus did entertain Craesus friendly at the first sight and makes no mention of any such cruel intent of burning him alive and this may seem the more probable because Crasus was his Grandmothers Brother and it s very likely that neerness of Alliance might withhold Cyrus if he had been vicious which he was not from so cruel a purpose as to have burnt him alive When Cyrus afterwards passed with his Army over Araxes into Scythia he left Croesus to be a companion and counseller to his Son Cambyses whom he made Governour over his Empire in his absence with whom he lived all the Reign of Cyrus and did afterwards accompany Cambyses in his Expedition into Egypt where he hardly escaped his Tyrannous hands At this time the Races of three of the greatest Kings in that part of the World came to an end to wit of the Babylonians Medians and Lydians in Balthasar Xiaxares or Darius Medus and Croesus After this Lydian War ensued the great Conquest of Babylon which gave unto Cyrus an Empire so large and mighty that he was justly reputed the greatest Monarch then living upon the Earth How long time the preparations for this great action took up is uncertain only it seems that ten whole years did pass between his taking of those two Cities of Sardis and Babylon which time was not wholly spent
Trenches towards the River certain Banks or Heads uncut till he saw his opportunity Now Belshazzar finding neither any want or weakness within the City nor any possibility for his enemies without to approach the Walls by reason of the great River that surrounded them he prepared an exceeding sumptuous Feast Publick Plays and other Pastimes and thereto invited a Thousand of his Princes or Nobles besides his Wives Courtezans and others of that Trade This he did either to let the Besiegers know that his Provisions were sufficient not only for all needful uses but even for superfluity and excess Or because he hoped that his enemies by this time were discouraged and even broken under their manifold disasters Or else he made this Feast in honour of Bell his most adored Idol Or lastly because it was his Birth or Coronation Day Or for many or most of these respects Yea he was not contented to use and shew such Magnificence as no Prince else could Equal but he lifted up himself against the God of Heaven Dan. 5. 23. For he his Princes his Wives and his Concubines made carousing Cups of the Golden and Silver Vessels which his Grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple which was at Jerusalem and in contempt of the Lord of Heaven he praised his own Puppets made of Gold and Silver and Brass and Iron and Wood and Stone Whilst Belshazzar was thus triumphing and had his brains well filled with vapours he beheld a hand which by Divine power wrote upon the Wall that was opposite to him certain Words which he understood not wherewith so great a fear and amazement seized upon him that the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another Which Passion when he had in some measure recovered he cryed aloud to bring in the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers promising them great rewards and the third place of Honour in his Kingdom to him that could read and expound the Writing But it exceeded their Art and Skill In this disturbance and astonishment the Queen hearing what had passed came in and observing what distraction the King was in after Reverence done She used this Speech O King live for ever Let not thy thoughts trouble thee nor let thy countenance be changed there is a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy Gods and in the Days of thy Father light and understanding and Wisdome like the Wisdom of the Gods was found in him whom the King Nebuchadnezzar thy Father the King I say thy Father made Master of the Magicians the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers for as much as an excellent Spirit and knowledg and understanding in interpreting Dreams and shewing of hard Sentences and dissolving doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the King named Belteshazzar Now let Daniel be called and he will shew the Interpretation This Queen was either the Grandmother or the Mother of Belshazzar For it appears that She was not any of the Kings Wives because She was absent from the Feast and in regard of her age past banquetting and dancing Yet upon the report of the Miracle She came in to comfort and cheer up the King and whereas Daniel was forgotten and neglected by others of younger years and latter times this old Queen remembred well what Daniel had done in the days of Nebuchadnezzar Grandfather to this Belshazzar and kept in mind both his Religion and Divine gifts When Daniel was brought into the Kings presence he said unto him Art thou that Daniel which art of the Children of the Captivity of Judah whom the King my Father brought out of Jewry I have heard of thee that the Spirit of the Gods is in thee and that light and understanding and excellent Wisdom is found in thee and now the Wise men and the Astrologers have been brought in before me that they should read this Writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof but they could not do it And I have heard of thee that thou canst make Interpretations and dissolve doubts Now if thou canst read the Writing and make known to me the Interpretation thereof thou shalt be clothed with Scarlet and have a chain of Gold about thy neck and shalt be the third Ruler in the Kingdom But Daniel made answer in a far differing stile from that which he had used to his Grandfather For the evil which he had foretold to Nebuchadnezzar he wished that it might befal his enemies But to this King whose contempt of God and vicious life he hated he answered in these Words Let thy gifts be to thy self and give thy rewards to another Yet I will read the writing to the King and make known to him the Interpretation which yet before he did he shewed him the cause of Gods Judgments against him and the reason of this terrible sentence whereof the King and all his Wise men were utterly Ignorant the substance whereof is this That Belshazzar forgetting Gods goodness to his Father whom all Nations feared and obeyed and yet for his Pride and neglect of those benefits as he had deprived him of his Estate and Understanding so upon the acknowledgement of Gods infinite power he restored him to both again And thou his Son said he O BelshazZar hast not humbled thy heart though thou knowest all this But hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven and they have brought thee Vessels of his House before thee and thou and thy Lords thy Wives and thy Concubines have drunk Wine in them and thou hast praised the Gods of silver and Gold c. and the God in whose hand thy â—reath is and whose are all thy wayes hast thou not Glorified Then was the part of the band sent from him and this writing was written Mene Mene Tekel Upharâ—in Whereof this is the Interpretation Mene God hath numbred thy Kingdom and finished it Tekel Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting Peres Thy Kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians The very Evening or Night of this Day wherein Belshazzar thus Feasted and wherein these things were done Cyrus either by his Espcials or being inspired by God himself whose Ensign he followed in these Wars finding the time and opportunity fit for him even whilst the Kings Head and and the Heads of his Nobility were no less distempered with the Vapours of Wine than their hearts were with the fear of Gods Judgments he caused all the Banks and Heads of his Trenches to be opened and cut down with all speed and diligence whereby that great River Euphrates was quickly drawn dry and himself with his Army passing through the Channel which was now dry without any opposition they easily made their entrance into the City finding none to disturb them Invadunt urbem somno Vinoque sepultam All the Town lay buried in Wine and Sleep and such as came in
the Medes for his device is against Babylon c. Jer. 55. 11. And again verse 28. Prepare against her the Nations with the Kings of the Medes the Captains thereof and all the Rulers thereof and all the Land of his Dominion But certain it is that the Honour of that great Victory over Babylon was wholly given to Cyrus who was the Instrument pre-ordained and forenamed by God himself not onely for this Action but also for the delivery of his Church Yet Daniel makes it plain that himself not onely lived a great Officer under King Darius but that he continued in that estate to the first year of Cyrus which was not long after which also was the year of Daniels Death As for the Age of Cyrus we are beholding to Tully for it who in his first Book de Divinatione Cites it out of one Dionysius a Persian Writer in this manner The Sun saith Dionysius appeared unto Cyrus in his sleep standing at his feet which when Cyrus thrice endeavoured to take in his hands the Sun still turned aside and went away and the Magi who were the most learned men amongst the Persians said that by his thrice offering to take hold of the Sun was portended to him that he should reign thirty years which came to pass accordingly For he lived to the Age of seventy years and began not to reign till he was forty In the first year of Belshazzar Daniel had the Vision shewed him of the four Beasts signifying the four Monarchies and of God delivering over all power and Sovereignty to the Son of man Dan. 7. In the third year of Belshazzar the Vision of the Ram and Goat foreâ—â—ewing the destruction of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander the Great and the great misery which Antiochus should bring upon the People of God was shewed to Daniel living then at Susa in the Province of Elam upon the Bank of the River Ulai which environed the Castle of Susa and parted the Provinces of Susa and Elemais Dan. 8. whence we may collect that at that time the Province of Susa was not in the hands of the Medes and Persians but of the Babylonians under whom Daniel then lived Darius the Mede son of Cyaxares or Ahasuerus the Son of Astyages took upon him the Kingdom which was delivered over to him by Cyrus the Conqueror Dan. 5. 31. and 9. 1. The Angel in this first year of his Reign is said to have confirmed and strengthened him in his Kingdom Dan. 11. 1. After which he reigned two years Towards the end of the first year of Darius the Mede the seventy years of the Babylonish Captivity expired which began under Jehoiakim in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar at which time God promised that they should return into their own Countrey Jer. 29. 10. Thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place Upon consideration of which very time now so near approaching it was that Daniel poured out that most fervent Prayer for the Remission of his own sins and of his Peoples and for that promised deliverance out of their Captivity Whereupon the Angel Gabriel brought him an answer not only concerning this but also for the spiritual deliverance of the Church to be wrought at last by the Death of the Messias uttering that most famous and memorable Prophesie of the seventy Weeks Dan. 9. 12 c. The Samaritans by the means of some Courtiers about Cyrus whom they had bribed for that purpose disturbed the Jews in their building of the Temple Ezra 4. 5. Whence proceeded that three weeks mourning of the Prophet Daniel which Fast he begun about the third Day of the first Moneth in the third year of Cyrus Dan. 10. 1 4. After which upon the four and twentieth Day of the first Moneth that Vision of the Kings of Persia of Alexander the Great and his Successours and their Kingdoms was shewed and revealed unto Daniel as he stood upon the Bank of Hiddikel or Tygris All which is contained in the three last Chapters of Daniel which as may be collected out of the close thereof was the last Vision that ever he had and that but a little before his Death THE LIFE and DEATH OF ARTAXERXES MNEMON One of the Great MONARCHS OF PERSIA THere were two Artaxerxes's that were Monarchs of Persia the first was called Artaxerxes Longimanus or Long-hand because his right hand was longer than his left The second whole Life we are now setting forth was called Artaxerxes Mnemon from his excellent Memory This Artaxerxes was the Son of Darius Ochus begotten by him on the Body of Parysatis before he came to be King And Parysatis was the Daughter of the first Artaxerxes Darius had by his Wife Parysatis four Sons of the which the eldest was this Ataxerxes the second was called Cyrus the two younger Ostanes and Oxathres This Artaxerxes before he came to the Kingdom was called Arsaces but after he came to the Kingdom he assumed the name of Artaxerxes Darius Ochus raigned Nineteen Years and dyed at Babylon When he lay on his Death-bed his Son Artaxerxes asked him by what Wisdom and Policy he had maintained his State so long To the end said he that having learned by you I may follow your steps therein To whom Darius answered That he had done it by doing right to God and man Cyrus from his Childhood was of an hot stirring disposition and Artaxerxes on the contrary was alwayes mild and gentle Wherefore Parysatis always loved her Son Cyrus more than the Elder and therefore often urged her Husband Darius Ochus to follow the example of Darius Hystaspes to leave him to succeed in the Kingdom who was first born after he came to be King and not him who was born before This indeed did help Xerxes to the Kingdom Wherefore she urged this Example to induce her Husband to leave the Kingdom to Cyrus who was born after his Father was Crowned King and not unto Arsaces who was born before Yet could she never prevail For Darius by his last will gave the Kingdom to his eldest Son Artaxerxes and made Cyrus Governour of Lydiae and the King Leiutenant General of all the lower Countries of Asia next to the Sea side Shortly after the Death of Darius the new King Artaxerxes went unto Pasargades there to be Consecrated and Aâ—ointed King by the Priests of Persia At this place was a Temple dedicated to Minerva where the new Kings must be Consecrated after this manner When he came into the Temple he must put off his own Gown and put on that which the first and great Cyrus wore before he was King Then he must eat of a certain Tart or Fricacy made of Figs with Turpentine Then he must take a Drink made with Vinegar and Milk besides some other secret Ceremonies which none knew but the Priests themselves
terrifie Hyrcanus nor too little lest he should expose himself to danger from the Judgment When Herod therefore presented himself before the Sanhedrim in his Royal Robes and his Guard in Arms they were all astonished neither durst any one of them that accused him in his absence now speak a word against him but all of them kept silence not knowing what to do Then one of the Council called Sameas a just man being not at all distracted with fear rose up and not only accused Herod of presumption and violence but laid the fault upon the Judges and King himself who had granted him so great a liberty and told them that afterwards by the just Judgment of God they should be punished by Herod himself and the event made him a true Prophet For the Judges of that Council and Hyrcanus himself were afterwards put to death by Herod when he came to be King But Hyrcanus perceiving that the Judges were inclining to pass sentence of Death upon Herod put off the business till the next day and privately advised him to shift for himself and so he departed to Damascus as if he fled from the King and presenting himself before Sextus Caesar and having secured his own affairs he professed openly that if he were again cited by the Judges he would not appear which they took in great disdain and endeavoured to perswade Hyrcanus that all these things tended to his destruction Herod to increase his power gave a great sum of money to Sextus Caesar who thereupon made him Governour of Caelosyria He being elated with this advancement and taking it impatiently that he had been called before the Council raised an Army and went against Hyrcanus But his Father Antipater and Brother Phasaelus meeting him by their intreaties prevailed that he should not go against Jerusalem but be content to have affrighted them adding that it would be dishonourable for him if he should attempt any thing farther against him that had advanced him to his dignity hereupon he desisted judging it sufficient for his future hopes that he had shewed to that Nation of what power he was Cassius and Marcus two Roman Generals coming into Syria after the death of Julius Caesar confirmed Herod in his Government of Caelosyria and delivered to him great Forces both of Horse and Foot and Ships at Sea promising him also the Kingdom of Judea after the War should be ended which they were waging with M. Anthony and young Caesar. Not long after Antipater the Father of Herod was feasted at Hyrcanus his house at which time one Malichus corrupting the Kings Butler poysoned Antipater and presently raising a band of Souldiers seized upon the Government of the City of Jerusalem Phasaelus and Herod being grievously offended hereat charged Malichus with their Fathers death which he stifly denied But Herod had a great mind presently to revenge the murther and to raise an Army for that purpose had not Phasaelus interposed who judged it more meet to circumvent Malichus by Policy lest they should seem to be the beginners of a civil War and accordingly Phasaelus made as though he accepted of Malichus his justification and believed that he was not guilty of his Fathers Death and so busied himself in building a stately Monument for him In the mean while Herod coming to Samaria and finding it in a desperate estate by reason of their civil Dissentions he appeased the discords amongst the Inhabitants and restored it to peace and not long after the Feast of Pentecost approaching he went to Jerusalem accompanied with some Souldiers of whom Malichus being afraid perswaded Hyrcanus not to suffer him to enter which Hyrcanus accordingly did alledging that amongst the holy People that came to the Feast it was not lawful to bring in a mix'd multitude of prophane men But Herod making small account of the prohibition entred the City by night and thereby mightily terrified Malichus who thereupon according to his wonted dissimulations openly bewailed with tears the death of Antipater as of his dear Friend And it was judged meet by Herods Friends that he should take no notice of this dissimulation but courteously again entertain Malichus Herod by Letters certified Cassius of his Fathers death who very well knowing the temper of Malichus wrote back unto Herod to revenge the same and secretly also gave order to the Tribunes that were at Tyre to be aiding to Herod in his so just undertaking Cassius afterwar having taken the City of Laodicea Governours came from every place bringing Crowns and Presents to him and here Herod expecting that Malichus should do the like intended to have him punished for the Murther of his Father But Malichus had another design on foot purposing that whilest Cassius was busie in prosecuting the war against M. Anthony to stir up the Nation of the Jews to revolt from the Romans and to depose Hyrcanus and get the Kingdom to himself But Herod being politick and understanding of the treachery invited him and Hyrcanus with some other of their companions to supper At which time he sent one of his Servants under pretence of providing for the Banquet whereas indeed he sent him to the Tribunes to desire them to set upon Malichus with their weapons who being mindful of the commands of Cassius finding Malichus they ran him through and slew him at which Hyrcanus being astonished fell into a swoun and being scarcely come to himself he asked who had slain Malichus and when one of the Tribunes answered that it was done by the command of Cassius he said Truly Cassius hath preserved me and my Country in killing him who was a Traitor to both but whether herein he spake as he thought or that through fear only he seemed to approve the fact is uncertain After Cassius was gone out of Syria there arose a Sedition at Jerusalem For Faelix who was left there by Cassius with Souldiers in revenge of the death of Malichus set upon Phasaelus and the people betook themselves to their Arms. At which time Herod was with Fabius the Governour of Damascus and had a mind to help his Brother but was hindred by a sudden sickness Yet did Phasaelus get the better of Faelix forcing him into the Town and afterwards agreeing upon quarter suffered him to go out But he was very angry with Hyrcanus that after the receipt of so many favours from him he yet favoured Faelix and suffered the Brother of Malichus to seize upon some Castles and amongst the rest of the Castle of Massada which was a most strong piece As soon as Herod was recovered he went against the Brother of Malichus and took from him all the Castles that he had seized upon and Massada also where he took him Prisoner yet afterwards set him at liberty upon composition He also recovered three Castles that were seized upon by Masion the Tyrant of the Tyrians in Galilee but gave Quarter to all the
slain Antigonus being in a rage caused the dead body of Joseph to be whipped though Pheroras his Brother offered fifty Talents to have redeemed it After this loss the Galileans revolting from their Governours drowned those that were of Herods party in the Lake In Idumaea also there were many innovations Anthony having made peace with his enemy commanded Caius Sosius to assist Herod against Antigonus with two Cohorts When Herod came to Daphne the Suburbs of Antioch he heard of his Brother Josephs deah which caused him to hasten his journey and coming to Mount Libanus he took thence with him eight hundred men and one Cohort of the Romans and so came to Ptolemais from whence in the night he passed with his Army through Galilee Here his enemies met him whom he overcame in fight and forced them into the Castle from whence they had issued the day before Them he assaulted but was compelled to desist by reason of the extremity of the weather and to retreat into some neighbouring Villages but upon the coming of another Cohort from Anthony they in the Castle were so affrighted that they forsook the same by night Herod then hastned to Jericho purposing to revenge his Brothers death and being come thither he feasted his Nobles and the feast being ended and his guests dismissed he retired into his chamber and presently the room wherein they had supped being now empty of company fell down without hurting any which made many to think that surely Herod was beloved of God who had so miraculously preserved him The next day six thousand of the enemies came down from the Mountains to fight with him and their forlorn-hope with darts and stones so terrified the Romans and some of Herods Souldiers that they fled and Herod himself received a wound in his side Antigonus desiring to have his strength seem greater than it was sent one of his Captains named Pappus with some forces into Samaria whilst himself went against Machaeras In the mean time Herod took in five Towns and therein put two thousand of the Garrison Souldiers to the sword and setting the Towns on fire he went against Pappus and was strengthened by many that came to him out of Jericho and Judea yet was the enemy so confident that he would joyn battel with him but in fight Herod overcame them and being inflamed with a desire to revenge his Brothers death he pursued them that fled slew many of them and followed them into a Village and there slew many more of them who retreated into houses the rest fled After which Victory Herod had presently gone to Jerusalem and put an end to the war had not the sharpness of the Winter hindred him for now Antigonus bethought himself to leave the City and fly elsewhere for safety Herod in the evening when he had dismissed his Friends to refresh themselves as yet hot in his Armour went into a chamber attended with one only servant to wash himself wherein some of his enemies armed whom fear had forced thither were hidden and whilst he was naked and washing himself first one and then a second and a third ran out armed with naked swords in their hands so astonished that they were glad to save themselves without profering the least hurt to the King The next day Herod amongst others cut off Pappus his head and sent it by way of revenge for his Brothers death to his Brother Pheroras for it was Pappus that with his own hand had slain Joseph Herod in the beginning of the third year after he had been declared King at Rome coming with an Army to Jerusalem encamped near the City and from thence removing to that place where the Walls were fittest to be assaulted he pitched his Tents before the Temple intending to attempt them as Pompey had done in times past and having encompassed the place with three Bulworks by the help of many workmen he raised his batteries fetching materials from all places thereabouts and appointing fit men to oversee the work and then himself went to Samaria to solemnize his Marriage with Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus who was formerly betrothed to him The Marriage ceremony being over Sosius came with an Army of Horse and Foot being sent by Anthony to the aid of Herod and Herod also took a great party with him from Samaria to Jerusalem so that the whole Army being come together consisted of eleven Legions of Foot and six thousand Horse besides the Syrian Auxiliaries which were very many and so they pitched on the North-side of the City Over this great Army were two Generals Sosius and Herod who purposed to displace Antigonus as an enemy to the people of Rome and to establish Herod in the Kingdom according to the Decree of the Senate The Jews being gathered together out of the whole Countrey and shut up within the Walls made a valiant resistance boasting much of the Temple of the Lord and saying that the Lord would not forsake his people in the time of danger By secret sallies also they burnt up and spoiled all provision without the City both for Man and Horse whereby the Besiegers began to be pinched but Herod provided against their excursions by placing ambushments in convenient places and sending parties to fetch in provision from afar off so that in a short time the Army was well furnished with all necessaries By reason of the multitude of Workmen the three bulworks were soon finished it being Summer time so that no untemperateness of weather hindred them and with his Engines Herod often battered the Walls and left nothing unassayed but the besieged fought valiantly and were every way as active and subtile to make void his endeavours often sallying forth and firing their Works both those that were finished and others that were but begun and coming to handistrokes with the Romans they were nothing inferiour to them but only in Martial skill The Sabbatical year now coming brought a Famine upon the besieged Jews notwithstanding which they built a new Wall within that which was beaten down by the battering Rams and so countermined the Enemies mines that many times they came to Handystrokes under ground and making use of despair instead of courage they held it out unto the last though Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple advised them to receive Herod into the City saying that they could not avoid his being their King by reason of their sins They held out the siege for five moneths space though there was so great an Army before the City but at length twenty of Herods choicest Souldiers got upon the Wall and after them the Centurions of Sosius So that the first Wall was taken on the forti'th day and the second on the fiftieth and some Galleries about the Temple were burnt down which Herod charged though falsly upon Antigonus thereby to bring him into hatred with the people When the outward part of
the Temple was taken and the lower City the Jews fled into the inward part of the Temple and the upper City and fearing lest they should be hindred from offering their daily Sacrifices unto God they sent Ambassadours unto Herod to desire leave that such Beasts only might be brought in which were to be sacrificed This request Herod easily granted hoping that by this means they would leave their obstinacy and submit to him But perceiving that this courtesie prevailed not and that they were still resolute to continue the Sovereignty in Antigonus he gave a general assault and won the City on the Kalends of January on the second moneth Cislu being the day on which the Jews were wont to celebrate a Fast in commemoration of the holy Rowl that was burnt by Jehoiakim The City being taken by assault all places were filled with murthers the Romans being incensed against the Jews for holding out so long and the Herodian Jews endeavouring to extirpate the contrary faction so that there were continual slaughters in the Porches and Houses yea the reverence of the Temple not saving the suppliants They spared neither age nor sex nor so much as the little children and though the Conquerour Herod besought and intreated them to forbear yet none would hear or obey him but as if they had been mad they proceeded in their cruelty Antigonus coming down from the upper City fell at Sosius his feet who nothing pittying his miserable condition insulting over him calling him Madam Antigonuus and withall cast him into prison and set keepers about him And whereas a multitude of Strangers that Herod had hired came rushing in not into the Temple only but even into the Sanctuary some he thought to restrain by intreaty others by threats and some by force judging his Victory worse than if he had been overthrown if any of those things which were not lawful to be seen were exposed to the view of the prophane multitude He restrained also the plundering of the City as much as in him lay intreating Sosius to do the like asking if the Romans would make him King of a Wilderness the City being so wasted by rapines and murthers Sosius answered that the Souldiers desired the plunder of the City in regard of their hard service in the siege To which Herod replied that he would recompence every man out of his own Treasury and making good his promise he freed the City from further misery For he bestowed gifts liberally upon the Souldiers and proportionably upon the Commanders and bountifully upon Sosius whereupon Sosius offering a Crown of Gold unto GOD withdrew out of the City leading Antigonus a Prisoner along with him to Anthony Herod being thus setled in Jerusalem he advanced those of his own faction and daily put to death them of the contrary Amongst whom he slew all those of the Sanhedrim who had accused him of a capital crime before he was King sparing only Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple whom he highly honoured Then did he gather together all the Regal Ornaments and much silver and gold which he exacted from rich men all which he gave to Anthony and his Souldiers He put to death also forty and five of Antigonus his chief Noble men setting watches at their doors that none of them might be carried out under pretence of being dead and what gold or silver soever was found was all carried to Herod so that there was no end of the peoples miseries the covetousness of the needy Conquerours consuming all their estates The fields also lay untilled because it was the Sabbatical year in which it was unlawful to sow the ground Of these miserable times amongst others were spectators Zacharias the Priest with his Wife Elizabeth Of the relicts of Davids stock Hely and Joseph Anna also the Prophetess of the Tribe of Aser and Simeon the just who received an answer from the Holy Ghost that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord Christ. Luk. 2. 26. Anthony being thus possessed of Antigonus intended to keep him Prisoner to adorn his Triumph but Herod feared that if Antigonus was brought to Rome by Anthony he might there contend with him before the Senate for the Kingdom considering also how the Nation of the Jews hated him and favoured Antigonus he thereupon gave great sums of money to Anthony to cut off his head which accordingly he did at Antioch Antigonus being the first King that was thus put to death by the Romans and in him ended the Principality of the Hasmonaeans It being from the Captainship of Judas Maccabaeus to the death of Antigonus an hundred twenty six years and two or three moneths and by this means Herod a stranger got the Kingdom and was totally freed from his fears Hyrcanus as we heard before being carried Prisoner to Phraates King of the Parthians he intreated him courteously for the Nobility of his Descent and after a time freeing him from Prison he suffered him to live in Babylon where were great store of Jews who honoured him no less than as their King and High-Priest and not only they of Babylon but all the rest of the Nation of the Iews did the like who in old time had been carried captive beyond the River Euphrates by the Assyrians of whom there were many millions But Hyrcanus hearing that Herod was made King of the Iews he began to cast his hopes that wayes expecting favour from Herod whose life he had saved when he was called in question before the Sanhedrim He consulted therefore with the Iews that came to visit him about his return into Iudea who by all means disswaded him from it yet could they not prevail with him Besides Herod desired by all means to get the poor old man into his clutches and thereupon wrote to him to get leave of Phraates and the Iews that he might return and that they would not envy him the joynt rule with his Son in Law the time being now come wherein he could requite the favours that Hyrcanus had shewed him in being his nourisher and preserver He sent also his Ambassadour to Phraates with great Presents intreating him that he would not hinder him from being thankful to him that had deserved so well of him Hyrcanus being forward of himself dismissed by the Parthians and honourably furnished by the Iews for the expences of his journey he came at last to Herod who entertained him with all honour gave him the upper hand in all Assemblies and the more honourable place at all Feasts calling him Father hereby to delude him lest he should suspect any treachery Herod providing that none of the Nobility should be created High-Priest sent to Babylon for a Priest of base Parentage whom formerly he had been acquainted with of the race of those Priests that had been carried away beyond Euphrates whose name was Ananelius or Hananeel and to him he gave the High-Priesthood This
a Kingdom that was anothers right should rage so insolently against the Family of the lawful Kings Anthony being prevailed with hereby when he came to Laodicea in Syria sent for Herod to come before him to answer what should be objected against him about the death of Aristobulus Herod during the time of his absence committed the care of his Kingdom to his Unkle Ioseph privately commanding him that if Anthony should do him any mischief he should presently put his Wife Mariamne to death pretending that he so loved her that he should esteem it a great wrong if any but himself should enjoy her beauty yea though it was after his Death When Herod came to Anthony he so appeased him with rich Presents that he brought on purpose with him from Ierusalem and by his frequent conferences with him that afterwards Cleopatra's instigations prevailed little For Anthony said that it was not fit that a King should be accountable for his actions otherwise he would cease to be a King For having once given him the honour the free exercise of his Kingly power was to be admitted unto him He told Cleopatra also that it was not fit for her too much to meddle with other mens matters During Herods absence Ioseph Governing the Kingdom he had occasion many times to converse with Mariamne partly upon business and partly to do her honour and in their discourses there was often mention made how much Herod loved her which discourse was laughed at by the Ladies especially by Alexandra But he was carried on with such a desire of provoking the Kings love to them that he told them what private command the King had given him supposing this was an infallible argument of his love because he could neither endure to live without her nor in death to be disjoyned from her but the Ladies were not of his mind rather abhorring the Tyranny of Herod who though he were dead yet would he seek their lives Presently after a rumour was spread about the City that Anthony had put Herod to death which much troubled all the Court especially the Ladies whereupon Alexandra perswaded Ioseph that taking them along with him he should fly to the Roman Legions that lay before the City under the command of the Tribune Iulius so that if any trouble arose in the City they might be secured by the Romans adding that she hoped if Mariamne came but once to the sight of Anthony she might obtain any thing of him yea even the Kingdom with whatsoever belonged to the Royal Family Whilst these things were under debate there came Letters from Herod which dashed all signifying how Anthony had honoured him both in the publick Assemblies and inviting him to his Feasts and that during the accusations of Cleopatra so that he feared her not for the time to come but hoped shortly to return to them Anthony having given Coelosyria unto Cleopatra instead of Iudea upon condition that she should not hereafter demand Iudea nor trouble him any further about that business As soon as these Letters were received the speech about flying to the Romans vanished but yet their debate about it was not hid For as soon as Herod had brought Anthony part of his way against the Parthians he returned into Iudea and immediately his Sister Salome and his Mother Cyprus told him what Alexandra's counsel was neither was she herewith contented but she accused her Husband Ioseph as if he had been too familiar with Mariamne and this she did out of an old grudge because the Queen a woman of an high spirit in their womanly brabbles had upbraided her with her obscure birth Mariamne by her Oath assured Herod of her chastity who told her again how much he loved her but she replied that it was not the part of a lover to command that if he died she should be put to death also Herod judging that this secret could never be known except she had committed adultery with Ioseph had much ado to refrain from killing her immediately but love overcoming his passion he refrained yed did he command Ioseph to be put to death without suffering him to plead for himself Alexandra also he cast into prison as the cause of all these evils Cleopatra having brought Anthony part of his way towards Parthia returned towards Egypt and by the way was entertained by Herod who assured unto her that part of Arabia which was granted unto her by Anthony to which he added the revenues of Iericho where are great store of the best Date Trees and where Balsom grows which being a precious Oyntment only grows there in two Gardens both which are the Kings the one of twenty acres the other of less By this means Herod grew into great familiarity with Cleopatra who sought to allure him to her Lust either through her great intemperance or because she sought by this means to betray him but though she pretended love to him yet Herod refused and held a consultation with his Friends about killing her who disswaded him from it and therefore having appeased her by great Presents and all manner of obsequiousness he accompanied her as far as Pelusium yet fearing both her and the People of the Jews he reserved the Castle as a refuge for himself laying in as many Arms there as were sufficient for ten thousand men Herod payed duely to Cleopatra the Tributes of Judea and Arabia which Anthony had given to her not thinking it safe to give her any occasion of disgust against him Herod being now free from troubles and having taken Hyrcanium a Town which hitherto a Sister of Antigonus had kept the Actian War brake forth between Augustus Caesar and Mark Anthony whereupon Herod made great preparation for the assisting of Anthony but he freed him from the trouble telling him that he needed them not and so dismissing him Herod returned home with a well-furnished Army wherewith he invaded Arabia going as far as Diospolis at which place the Arabians met him and after a fierce conflict the Jews got the Victory After this Herod made many inrodes into Arabia in the seventh year of his Reign after the death of Antigonus at which time the Actian War being begun Judea was shaken with such an Earthquake as never was the like before in which ten thousand men were overwhelmed by the ruins of the houses yet the Souldiers received no dammage because they lay in the open fields This being much aggravated by report so emboldened the Arabians that they laid hold on the Ambassadours of the Iews who in this their affliction came to demand peace and slew them and presently prepared for War with all earnestness Herod hearing hereof encouraged his men offered Sacrifice according to the custome and so in all haste marched with his Army over Iordan and having incamped at Philadelphia there the fight began about the taking of a Castle that lay between him and the Arabians in which the Iews got the better
fearing storms the Winter noâ— drawing on he hasted to sail into Jonia both he and his Friends having been honoured with great presents by Herod As soon as the Spring came Herod hearing that Agrippa was going with an Army to Bosphorus made hast to meet him and taking his way by Rhodes and Chios he came to Lesbos thinking there to find him But Agrippa being driven back by contrary North-winds Herod stayed at Chios to whom many came privately to salute him upon whom he bestowed many princely gifts and when he perceived that the Gate of the City that was thrown down in the War against Methridates as yet lay buryed in its ruins and that by reason of the poverty of the Inhabitants it could not by them be restored to its former beauty and greatness he bestowed upon them so much mony as would abundantly suffice to finish it and exhorted them to hasten the restoring of their City to its former beauty and grandure As soon as the wind served he left Chios and sailed to Mytilene and from thence to Byzantium and there understanding that Agrippa had already passed the Cyanian Rock he followed him with all speed and overtook him at Sinopi a City in Pontus where beyond Agrippa's expectation he arrived with his Navy His coming was yery grateful to him and they embraced each other with singular affection Agrippa looking upon it as an evident argument of his fidelity and friendship that leaving his manifold occasions he would come to him in so seasonable a time Wherefore Herod still abode with him in the Army was Companion with him in his labours and partaker of his counsels He was also present with him when he went to be merry and was the only man that he used in difficult matters for the love that he bore unto him Agrippa having forced the Bosphorans to lay down their Arms in his whole journey thorough many Countries and Cities he gratified Herod in many things and at his intreaty relieved the necessities of many If any one needed an Intercessor to Agrippa Herod was the only man by whom he could obtain his suit and assisted many in whatsoever they had need of When they were come into Jonia a great multitude of Iews that inhabited that Country complained of the great injuries that they suffered from the Jonians who would not permit them to live after their own Laws but that upon their Festival days they haled them before their Tribunals and forbad them to send holy money to Ierusalem which also they perverted to secular affairs contrary to the priviledges granted them by the Romans Herod took care that Agrippa should hear their complaints and allowed them Nicholas Damascene one of his Friends to plead their cause which when he had largely performed before Agrippa many honourable Romans and some Kings and Princes being present the Grecians denyed the thing excusing themselves that the Iews were troublesom to them But they on the contrary proved that they were free-born Citizens and that they lived according to their own Laws without injuring of any wherefore Agrippa answered that both for his Friend Herod's sake as also because that which they demanded was just he would gratifie them therein He ordered therefore that the priviledges which were formerly granted them should remain inviolable and that none should molest them for living after their Country Laws Then Herod rose up and gave him thanks in the name of them all and so after mutual embraces they took their leave each of other and departed from Lesbos Herod in a few days after having a prosperous Gale arrived at Caesarea and from thence went to Ierusalem where calling all the People together he gave them an account of his Journey and told them what immunities he had procured for the Jews in Asia and to win them the more to his friendship he professed that he would remit to them the fourth part of his Tribute with which bounty they being exceedingly taken wished him all happiness and departed with great joy Presently after his return he was greatly incensed by the false accusations and artifices of his Sister Salome and his Brother Pheroras against his two Sons that he had by Mariamne Alexander and Aristobulus whereupon to take down their spirits he began to use them more hardly and publickly he put hopes of the Kingdom into his Son Antipater whom he begat when he was a private man his Mother also being a woman of mean Parentage whom formerly he had banished the City in favour to his two other Sons and writing often unto Caesar for him privately he gave him great commendations and at the intreaties of Antipater he recalled also his Mother Doris whom he had put away when he married Mariamne Agrippa after his ten years Government in Asia being now to depart Herod sailed to salute him taking with him of all his Sons only Antipater whom he delivered to Agrippa with many gifts to be carried to Rome and to be brought into Caesars favour Antipater was much honoured at Rome being commended to all his Friends by his Fathers letters and though he was absent yet desisted he not by writing to incense his Father against the Sons of Mariamne pretending his great care of his Fathers safety but in truth to make way for his succession in the Kingdom About this time Agrippa died and being brought into the Market-place of Rome Augustus commended him in a Funeral Oration Herod being now incensed against his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus he sailed with them to Rome to accuse them before Augustus and not finding him there he followed him as far as Aquileia before whom he accused them of treachery against him but the young men satisfied all that were present by their Apology for themselves mixed with prayers and tears so that they were reconciled to their Father After which giving thanks unto Caesar they departed together and with them Antipater also who pretended much joy that they were received into favour again A few days after Herod gave Caesar three hundred Talents and again Caesar gave him half the revenues of the mettal Mines in Cyprus and the other half also he committed to his oversight and having honoured him with other gifts of Hospitality he gave him leave to choose which of his Sons he pleased to be his successor or if he liked it better to divide his Kingdom amongst them which when he vvas about to do Caesar told him that he vvould not suffer but that he should have his Kingdom during his life in his ovvn povver as vvell as his Sons In Herods absence there vvas a rumour spread in Judea that he vvas dead vvhereupon the Trachonites revolting fell to their old trade of Thieving but by the diligence of his Captains that he had left in his Kingdom they vvere subdued and forty of the chief of them being terrified by the punishment of those that vvere taken left their Country and fled
into Arabia Nabathaea vvhere they vvere entertained by Silaeus vvho vvas an enemy to Herod because he had denyed him his Sister Salome to Wife vvho gave them a place to dvvell in that vvas vvell fortified Herod and his Sons sailing homvvard arrived at Sebaste in Cilicia vvhere they met vvith Archelaus King of Cappadocia vvho courteously entertained Herod much rejoycing that his Sons vvere reconciled to him and that Alexander had fairly ansvvered the crimes that vvere objected against him and so giving royal gifts each to other they parted Herod being returned into Iudea called the people together and told them what he had done in his Voyage and declared to them that his Sons should Reign after him first Antipater and then Alexander and Aristobulus that he had by Mariamne About this time in the year of the world 3994 Agrippa the first King of the Iews of that name was born who dyed when he was fifty four years old being struck by an Angel Act. 12. 23. Also that lame man was now born who being above forty years old was healed by Peter at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple Act. 4. 22. Herod having finished Caesarea Stratonis in the twenty eighth year of his Reign he dedicated it with great solemnity and many sports and pastimes After which he began to build another Town in a field called Capharsala which he called Antipatris after his Fathers name and a Castle also which he called Cyprus after his Mothers name In honour also of his dead Brother he built in Ierusalem a very fair Tower not inferiour to the Egyptian Pharos and called it Phasaelus and afterwards he built a Town of the same name in the Valley of Iericho from whence the Countrey thereabouts is called Phasalus Herod having wasted his wealth by his great Prodigality and now wanting mony after the example of John Hyrcanus in the night without the knowledg of the people he opened Davids Sepulchre where though he found no money yet he found great store of precious things and ornaments of gold which he took away for the expiation of which fact he afterwards built a most sumptuous Monument of white Marble at the entrance of the Sepulchre Antipater suborning other men falsly to accuse his Brethren Alexander and Aristobulus takes upon him their defence that making a shew of good will to them he might the easier oppress them and by these subtilties he so wrought upon his Father that he thought him to be his only preserver Hereupon Herod commended his Steward Ptolomy unto Antipater and communicated all his Counsels with his Mother Doris so that all things were done as they pleased and still the King was imbittered against those whom it was their profit that he should be angry with About this time Pheroras Herods Brother fell so madly in love with his own servant that he refused marriage with Cypros the Kings Daughter that was offered him by his Brother He also accused Herod to his Son Alexander as if he had been greatly in love with his Wife Glaphyra for both which Herod was highly displeased with him In the year of the world 3996 he began to be diseased who lying at the Pool of Bethesda was after thirty eight years restored to health by Christ Joh. 5. 5. Alexander by the subtilties of his adversaries being even driven to desperation was at this time reconciled to his Father by Archelaus King of the Cappadocians who came to Jerusalem to visit Herod and being accounted one of Herods chief Friends received great gifts from him and when he departed Herod brought him as far as Antioch Not long after Herod went a third time to Rome to visit Caesar in whose absence those Thieves of Trachonis whom Sylloeus had entertained with their inrodes infested not only Judaea but all Coelosyria Syllaeus affording them both impunity and security Herod being returned from Rome celebrated the Dedication of the Temple re-edified by him in the space of nine years and a half on the very Birth-day of his Kingdom which he was wont to celebrate with great joy at which time he Sacrificed unto God three hundred Oxen and other of the people offered an innumerable company of Sacrifices every one according to his ability Herod finding that in his absence his People had sustained much dammage by those Thieves of Trachonis and seeing he could not subdue them being under the protection of the Arabian he therefore entred Trachonis and destroyed their Families which yet did but incense them the more so that contemning all dangers they molested Herods Countries with continual excursions driving and carrying away the peoples Goods Herod hereupon sent to the Presidents of Syria Saturninus and Volumnius desiring that he might have the punishing of the Thieves of Trachonis who by their incursions had often wasted his Country They when they heard hereof being increased to the number of a thousand began to waste both Fields and Villages cutting the throats of all that fell into their hands wherefore Herod demanded those Thieves to be delivered over to him and withall required the sixty Talents that he had lent Obodas upon Syllaeus his security who had thrust Obodas from the Government and now ruled all himself But Syllaeus denied that the Thieves were in Arabia and deferred also to pay the money whereupon the business was debated before Saturninus and Volumnius and in conclusion it was determined by them that within thirty dayes space both the money should be repaid and the runawayes of both Countries should be delivered up and Syllaeus swore by the Fortune of Caesar before the Presidents of Syria that he would perform what was enjoyned But when the time was expired Syllaeus being unwilling to stand to the agreement went to Rome and in the mean time Herod by the permission of Saturninus and Volumnius to punish those obstinate people raised an Army entred Arabia and marched as far in three dayes as they used to do in seven and when he came to the Castle where the Thieves kept he took it at the first assault and demolished a Fortress also called Raeptu and when a Captain of the Arabians came to their aid they joyned Battel in which few of the Herodians were slain but there dyed twenty five of the Arabians together with their Captain whereupon the rest â—led Being thus revenged of the Thieves he brought three thousand Idumaeans into Trachona to restrain the Thieveries committed there and certified the Roman Generals that he had only used that power which they had granted against those obstimate Arabians which upon enquiry they found to be true There were Letters posted away to Rome to Syllaeus that related matters far otherwise aggravating every thing after their manner by which Lyes Caesar was so much incensed against Herod that he wrote threatning Letters to him because he had marched with an Army out of his own Kingdom without his leave and he was so far provoked that he would
not hear his Ambassadours but dismissed them without an answer The Trachonites and Arabians taking hold of this occasion molested the Garison of the Idumaeans that Herod had set over them but Herod being affrighted with Caesars anger was fain to connive at it About this time Obodas King of Arabia Nabathaea dyed and one Aeneas succeeded him who changed his name into Aretas which Syllaeus hearing of at Rome endeavoured by false accusations to have him thrust from the Kingdom and to get it to himself bestowing much money upon the Courtiers and promising great things unto Caesar whom he knew to be offended with Aretas for assuming the Kingdom without his consent In the mean while Aretas sent Letters and rich presents unto Caesar and amongst them a Crown worth many Talents But Caesar would not hear his Ambassadours and scorned his Presents and dismissed them without any thing done Herod being continually vexed with the insolencies of the Arabians sent Nicholas Damascene to Rome to see if by the mediation of his Friends he could get Justice from Caesar But in the mean time the discord with his Sons that he had by Mariamne was greatly heightned by the artifices of Eurichus a Lacedemonian which occasioned Herod to find out their supposed Treachery to put to death by various torments many both of his own and of his Sons Friends yet could he find no other evil by them but some too free complaints of improvident young men concerning their Fathers immoderate cruelty and his too easie hearkning to base pick-thanks of the wicked deceits of their Brother Antipater and of the faction that was combined against them and that to free themselves from these mischiefs they were said to think of flying to Archelaus King of Cappadocia which thing indeed they did not deny Hereupon Herod cast them into Prison as if they had been convicted of Treason against their Father resolving to punish them according as his affairs went at Rome and concerning this business he sent Letters to Caesar by Volumnius the Roman General and Olympius his Friend At Rome Nicholas Damascene joyned himself to the Arabians that came to accuse Syllaeus professing that he was his accuser also before Augustus and not Herods defender and this he did lest he should be repulsed as others had been before him When by this means he had gotten access into Caesars presence he indeed laid open many of Syllaeus his crimes and withall added that Caesar was circumvented with his lyes in the cause of Herod which he confirmed by certain authentick records This so prevailed with Caesar that he condemned Syllaeus and remanded him into the Province that when he had satisfied the debt he might be punished From this time Augustus was reconciled to Aretas and Herod and then received the Presents that before he had so often rejected and confirmed the Kingdom of the Arabians to Aretas He advised Herod also by his Letters to call a Council of his Friends at Berytus and joyning the Presidents of Syria with Archelaus the King of Cappadocia by their joynt advice to determine of the business about his Sons About this time the Angel Gabriel who long before had foretold to Daniel the coming of the Messias by a certain number of Weeks appeared at the right side of the Altar of incense to Zachary the Priest of the course of Abia telling him that there should be born to him now in his old age his Wise Elizabeth also being well stricken in years and barren a Son Called John a Nazarite and the forerunner of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias which he not believing was made dumb Luke 1. 5. 22. Herod having received Augustus his Letters rejoyced exceedingly both because he was returned into his favour and for that he had granted him power to do what he would with his Sons and hereupon he convened by messengers all those that Caesar had appointed to Berythus except only Archelaus and kept his Sons not far from the place in a City of the Sidonians and the Case being opened Saturninus one that had been Consul delivered his opinion but moderated with circumstances that Herods Sons were to be condemned but not to be put to death After him his three Sons that were his Lieutenants delivered their opinions to the same purpose But Voluminus pronounced that they were to be punished with death whose opinion the major part followed and so the Council being ended Herod took his Sons with him and meeting with Nicholas Damascene at Tyrus they went together to Caesarea Here whenas a certain old Souldier named Tyro had smartly reprehended Herod for his wickedness determined against his Sons and told him that three hundred more of his Captains were of the same opinion Herod commanded him to be cast into Prison Trypho the Kings Barber taking this occasion accused Tyro for that he had often sollicited him to cut the Kings throat with his razor as he was trimming him and immediatly both Tyro and his Son and the Barber were tortured and Herod bringing those three hundred Captains and Tyro and his Son and the Barber accused them before the People against whom the people throwing any thing that came next to hand slew them every one Then were Alexander and Aristobulus led to Sebaste and there strangled by their Fathers command and their bodies were buried in the Castle of Alexandrion where Alexander their Grandfather by the Mothers side and many of their Progenitors had been buried Antipater when his Brethren were now dead intended to remove his Father also out of the way and knowing that he was hated by many in the Kingdom he endeavoured by Bribes to get the good will of his Fathers Friends both at Rome and in Judea but especially of Saturninus the President of Syria and of Pheroras and Salome the Brother and Sister of Herod At this time Herod sent home Glaphira the Widow of his Son Alexander to her Father Archelaus the King of Cappadocia and gave her a Dowry out of his Treasury lest some controversie should arise concerning it and withall he took great care of the young children of Alexander and Aristobulus which Antipater took very heavily fearing lest when they should come to age they would hinder his designs he sought therefore their destruction and he so overcame Herod by his flatteries that he suffered him to marry the daughter of Aristobulus and his Son to marry the daughter of his Unkle Pheroras About this time Herod invited Zamaris a Babylonian Jew and gave him a Countrey in Trachonis to inhabit and this he did that he might be a guard to that Countrey against Thieves and Zamaris coming with five hundred Horse and an hundred of his Kinsmen erected Castles in divers places of that Country by which means he secured the Jews that came from Babylon to the Feasts at Jerusalem from the Thieves Antipater working Treason against his Father drew in his Unkle Pheroras and some
Tetrarchy but he gave the Kingdom to his Son Archelaus To his sister Salome he gave Jamnia Azotus and Thasaelis with five hundred thousand Drachmaes To the rest of his Kindred he gave money and yearly Pensions To Caesar he gave ten Millions of Drachmaes of silver and all his Plate as well of Gold as of Silver and a great quantity of precious moveables and to Livia Caesars Wife and some certain Friends he gave five Millions of Drachmaes Having thus ordered these things five dayes after Antipater was put to death he dyed himself having enjoyed the Kingdom 34 years after the death of Antigonus but from the time that he was declared King by the Romans 37 years about the 25th of our November in the year of the world 4001 and after the Birth of Christ about two years THE LIFE and DEATH OF HANNIBAL THE GREAT HANNIBAL the Son of Amilcar was about twenty six years old when he was chosen General of the Carthaginian Forces in Spain He was elected by the Army as soon as Asdrabal their late General was dead and the election was approved and confirmed by the Senate or Carthage wherewith Hanno and his faction was nothing pleased This was now the third of the Barchine Family so called of Amilcar whose surname was Barcas that commanded in chief over the men of War Hanno therefore and his Partizans being neither able to tax the Virtue of their enemies nor to perform the like services to the Common-wealth had nothing left whereby to value themselves excepting the general reprehensions of War and cautelous advise of not provoking the Romans but they were little regarded For the Carthaginians saw apparently that the Oath of the Romans to the Articles of Peace was like to hold no longer than till the Romans could find some good advantage to renew the War It was therefore rather desired by the Carthaginians that whilst they were in a fit condition the War should begin rather than in some unhappy time of Famine or Pestilence or after some great loss in their Army or Fleet they should be driven to yield to the impudent demands of their insulting enemies This disposition of his Citizens Hannibal well enough understood Neither was he ignorant that in making War with the Romans it was no small advantage to get the start of them Could he but bring his Army into Italy he hoped to find Friends and assistance even from those People that helped to encrease the Armies of the Romans But his design must be carried privately or else it would be prevented He resolved therefore to lay Siege to Saguntum in Spain where he now was with his Army which might seem not greatly to concern the Romans and would highly please the Carthaginians Having resolved hereupon nevertheless he went orderly to work beginning with those that lay next in his way First therefore he entered into the Territory of the Olcades and besieging Althaea in a few days he became Master not only of it but of all the other Towns in their Country and the Winter coming on he rest his Army in New Carthage or Carthagena imparting liberally to his Souldiers of the Spoils that he had gotten in his late Conquests In the Spring he made War upon the Vaccaei and with little difficulty wan first Salamanca and after it Arbucala though not without a long Siege and much difficulty But in his return he was put to the height both of his Valour and Prudence For all such of the Vaccaei that could bear Arms being made desperate by the spoil of their Country with divers others that had escaped in the late overthrow joyning with the Toletans made up an Army of one hundred thousand able men waiting for Hannibal on the Banks of the River Tagus They knew that he was very adventurous and had never turned his back upon any enemy and therefore hoped that having him at such an advantage they should easily have foiled him But at this time our Great Man of War knew as well how to dissemble his Courage as at other times to make good use of it For he withdrew himself from the River side as seeming fearful to pass over it aiming thereby to draw over that great multitude from their Banks of advantage The Spaniards as Hannibal expected and desired thinking that he retreated out of fear thrust themselves in a disordered manner into the River to pursue him But when Hannibal saw them well near over he turned back his Elephants to entertain them at their landing and thrust his Horsemen both above and beneath them into the River who by the advantage of their Weapons slew almost all of those in the River without resistance and then pursued the rest who being amazed fled and so he made a very great slaughter of them The Saguntines perceiving the strom drawing near to them hastened their Ambassadours to Rome who complained that they were like to be undone only for their Friendship to the Romans This so moved the Senate that some would have War presently proclaimed both by Sea and Land and the Consuls sent with Armies one into Spain the other into Africk But others went more soberly to work according to the Roman gravity whereby it was concluded that Ambassadours should be sent into Spain to view the State of their Confederates These Ambassadours found Hannibal at Carthagena where they had Conference with him who carried himself so reservedly that they departed as doubtful as they came But whilst they were passing to and fro Hannibal prepared not only his Forces but some Roman pretences against Saguntum For the Tudetani who were Neighbours to the Saguntines complained to him of sundry wrongs that they had received from them of Saguntum Probably Hannibal himself had hatched some of them Having therefore such an occasion he sat down with his whole Army before Saguntum The Romans were glad of the Quarrel as hoping that Carthage with all belonging thereto would in short space become their own Yet were they not hasty to threaten before they were ready to strike but meant to temporize until they had an Army in readiness to be sent into Spain where they intended to make Saguntum the seat of War In the beginning of Hannibals Siege his Carthaginians were much discouraged by reason of the brave Sallies which the Saguntines made upon them in one of which Hannibal himself received a dangerus wound in the Thigh that made him unable to stir for many days Yet in the mean time he was not unmindful of his business but gave order to build certain movable Towers that might equal those upon the City Walls and to prepare to batter the Curtains and to make a breach These being sinished and applied had soon wrought their desired effect A large breach was made by the fall of some Towers whereat a hot assault was given But it was so gallantly defended by the besieged that the Carthaginians were not only beaten from the breach and out
reported the Camp and all the Riches in it fell into the hands of the Romans When it was known at Rome how Nero had left his Army they were much amazed and full of fears The People filled the Market place the Women ran to the Temple with Vows and Prayers and all were filled with melancholly therefore the news of this Victory was intertained with exceeding joy as if Hannibal were already driven out of Italy Nero returning to his Camp threw the Head of Asdrubal before the Carthaginians and brought forth his African Prisoners bound sending two of them to give Hannibal notice what had happened Hannibal having in this unhappy fight lost besides his worthy Brother all hope that had so long sustained him in Italy withdrew himself into the Country of the Brusians and thither he caused all the Lucans his Friends to remove as likewise all that dwelt in Metapontum For he wanted men to defend so many places as he held lying so far asunder Wherefore he drew them all into a lesser compass in the utmost cornet of Italy it being a Country of much fastness and the People exceedingly devoted unto his Service This was in the thirteenth year after his coming into Italy and from thence to the eighteenth year wherein he departed there was no memorable thing done For Hannibal wanted strength wherewith to make any great attempt the Romans had little mind to provoke him but thought it well that he was quiet This commendation is given him by the Roman Historians themselves That making War upon a People of all others the most Warlike he obtained so many Victories by his own good conduct And that leading an Army compounded of so many sundry Nations Africans Spaniards Gauls Carthaginians Italians and Greeks which were neither in Language Laws Conditions or any other thing one like to another yet he held them all in such good order that they never fell to sedition amongst themselves or against their General And here we must leave him till he be drawn into Africk by Scipio P. Cornelius Scipio having conquered Spain returned home to Rome where he made suit for the Honour of a Triumph which was denied him because he only had the place of a Proconsul Yet to make him amends they chose him Consul together with P. Licinius Crassus who being high Priest also might not go ar from the City as being to attend the matters of their Superstition which made well for Scipio who was desirous to be sent into Africk to trasfer the War thither Some there were of the Senators especially Q. Fabius Maximus that opposed him therein yet at length he obtained to have the Isle of Sicily for his Province with leave to pass into Africk if he found it expedient The Treasury at Rome being extremely exhausted no mony was given to Scipio neither was he allowed to press Souldiers for his African Voyage But the People made up the backwardness of the Senate with their forwardness For besides his Roman Souldiers he had about seven thousand Voluntaries that came to him from sundry parts of Italy Several Towns also furnished him with Corn Iron Handmills and all other necessaries so that having his Navy in readiness he transported his Army into Sicily where he found besides other Forces two gallant Legions of old Souldiers that had served at Cannae For encreasing his number of Horse he pressed three hundred young and rich Gentlemen of Sicily and then discharged them again upon condition that they should deliver their Horse and Arms to as many Roman Gentlemen whom he had brought along with him for the same purpose Then did Scipio imploy Laelius into Africk rather to make discover than to do any thing who yet took a great Booty and struck no little terrour into the Carthaginians who saw their affairs now to be upon the terms of change He also procured King Massanissa to revolt from the Carthaginians and to joyn with the Romans Then did Scipio embark his Army for Africk where he landed neer the Faire Promontory and presently after encamped before Utica The Carthaginians at this time had no Captain of note in their City nor a better Army than of raw Souldiers that were levied in hast Asdrubal the Son of Gesco that was lately chased out of Spain by Scipio was their best Man of War But before he was ready to take the Field Scipio had beaten the Troop of Carthaginian Horse that were sent to impead his landing and slain Hanno their Captain he had also sacked one of their Towns and taken eight thousand Prisoners and sent them into Sicily He took also Salva which he fortified Then passed he to Utica and besieged it forty days with all sorts of Engines but prevailed not By this time Asdrubal had gotten thirty thousand Foot and three thousand Horse but all raw Souldiers and King Syphax brought to their help fifty thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse with which they marched bravely towards Scipio who thereupon lest the Siege and encamped upon the Shore in a place of advantage which he strongly fortified and Winter drawing on Massanissa brought in great store of Corn Cattel and other Provisions to him Asdrubal and Syphax encamped neer unto him their Souldiers covered their Huts with Mats and Reeds and dry Boughs and being held in hand about a treaty of Peace they grew remiss and careless in keeping their Guard which Scipio being informed of took his opportunity in the Night to set their Camps on fire and in the confusion slew and took Prisoners most of them Yet did the Carthaginians make shift to raise another Army of neer thirty thousand reckoning in Syphax and his men and four thousand Spaniards Mercenaries that were lately come to them Scipio went to meet them and another Battel was fought and the Victory easily obtained by Scipio against those raw and untrained men Thus Scipio became Master of the Field and took in divers Cities and sent Massanissa and Laelius after Syphax into his Kingdom whom they beat again took him Prisoner and partly by fair means and partly by soul became Masters of most of his Kingdom which Scipio bestowed upon Massanissa And this was the first time that the Romans took upon them to make Kings The Carthaginians were extremely dismayed when they heard this news and for the calamity which had befaln their good Friend Syphax and when they understood that Massanissa their immortal Enemy had gotten possession of his Kingdom This made them send forth Ambassadours to Scipio to make suit for Peace When these came into Scipios presence they basely prostrated themselves on the ground and kissed his Feet and made as unworthy a Speech beseeching him to pass by their offences and to grant them Peace Scipio knew well in what a poor case Rome then was and how unable to defray the charge of the War if it should be continued and therefore he was willing to grant them Peace
Daughter She delivered the Castle into Pompey's hands and besides offered him rich and goodly presents all which he refused saving such as might serve to adorn the Temples of the Gods and that might beautifie his Triumph leaving the rest to Stratonice to dispose of as she pleased The King also of the Iberians sent him a Bedstead Table and Chair all of pure Gold praying him to accept it as a token of his love he delivered them into the Treasurers hands to be accountable for them to the State From hence Pompey went to the City of Amisus where he did such things as he had before condemned in Lucullus taking upon him to establish Laws to give Gifts and to distribute such honours as Victorious Generals used to do when they had ended all their Wars And this he did to gratifie twelve Barbarous Kings and Princes and Captains that came to him thither Writing also to the King of Parthia he gave him not that Title which others used to do who stiled him King of Kings He had also a wonderful desire to win Syria and to pass through Arabia even to the Red Sea that he might enlarge his Victories every way even to the Great Ocean As he did when he conquered Lybia and in Spain had enlarged the Roman Empire to the Atlantick Sea and in pursuit of the Albanians he went almost to the Hyrcanian Sea As he passed on towards the Red Sea he commanded his Souldiers with a sufficient number of Ships to wait for the Merchants that sailed to Bosphorus and to seize upon the Victuals and other Merchandize that they carried thither and so passing on with the greatest part of his Army he came to the place where he found the Bodies of the Romans that were slain by Methridates under their Captain Trierius which he caused to be honourably buried which thing Lucullus had neglected to do which made his Souldiers hate him Pompey having now by Afranius conquered the Albanians dwelling about Mount Amanus he marched into Syria and conquered it making it a Roman Province He conquered also all Judaea where he took King Aristobulus He built certain Cities there and delivered others from bondage sharply punishing the Tyrants in them He also spent much of his time there in deciding controversies and in pacifying the contentions which fell out betwixt free Cities Princes and Kings And truly if Pompey's fame and renown was great so was his Vertue Justice and Liberality which covered many faults which his familiar Friends about him did commit For he was of such a gentle nature that he could neither keep them from offending nor punish them when they had offended Whilst Pompey was in Judaea being angry with Aristobulus he marched against him Hyrcanus the Brother of Aristobulus who contended with him for the Kingdom provoking him thereunto Pompey understanding that Aristobulus was fled into Alexandrion a strong and stately Castle seated upon a high Hill he sent and summoned him to come unto him and Aristobulus being advised not to make War against the Romans he came to Pompey and after he had debated his Title to the Kingdom with his Brother Hyrcanus by Pompey's permission he retired into the Castle again This he did two or three times always flattering Pompey out of hope to prevail in his suit Yet Pompey required that he should deliver up his Castles into his hands which he was fain to do though he was much discontentedat it and therefore he went to Jerusalem with a purpose to prepare for War Pompey not thinking it fit to give him any time for preparation followed him immediately and first encamped at Jericho where were most excellent Dates and Balsom the most precious of all other Ointments and from thence he marched towards Jerusalem Aristobulus repenting what he had done came and met him promising him mony and that he would yield up both himself and the City in a peacable way Pompey pardoned him and sent Gabinius with a party of Souldiers to receive the mony Yet were they faign to return without it for Aristobulus's Souldiers would not stand to what he had promised Pompey being much provoked hereby committed Aristobulus into custody and presently marched against Jerusalem The Citizens being at this time divided amongst themselves they that stood for Hyrcanus were willing to open the Gates to Pompey But the faction of Aristobulus refused and prepared for War becausey Pompey kept their King Prisoner and accordingly they seized upon the Temple and cut down the Bridg which led into the City Hyrcanus and his Friends let in the Army and delivered over to them both the City and the Kings Pallace the custody of both which Pompey committed to Piso who fortified the Houses and buildings that were neer the Temple first offering to the Besieged conditions of Peace and when they refused he prepared to give a General assault being assisted by Hyrcanus with all things needful On the North side of the City Pompey encamped which was the easiest to be assaulted yet were there high Towers and a deep Ditch made with hands besides a deep Valley which begirt the Temple and towards the City the place was very steep when the Bridg was taken away To overcome these difficulties the Romans raised Mounts cutting down Trees round about and filling up the Trench with materials which the Souldies brought This work proved very difficult considering the vast depth of the Trench and the resistance of the Jews made from above But when Pompey observed that the Jews rested every seventh Day for though they would defend themselves from an assailing Enemy yet they held it unlawful on that day to hinder any work that the Enemy did he chose those Days especially wherein to carry on his work So that in time the Trench was filled and the Tower fitted upon the Mount and the Engins planted which shot huge Stones wherewith they battered the Temple yet was it long before those strong and stately Towers yielded to the assaults of the Besiegers The Romans being much tired Pompey wondered at the obstinacy of the Jews especially considering that all this while they never intermitted their daily Sacrifices which the Priests every Morning and Evening offered upon the Altar not omitting the same in their greatest extremities In the third month of the Siege the greatest Tower being shaken by the battering Rams at last fell and brake down a great piece of the Wall at which breach many of the Romans rushed into the Temple These running up and down while some of the Jews sought to hide themselves and others made small resistance slew them all Many of the Priests though they saw the Enemies rushing in with their drawn Swords yet being nothing at all dismaied continued their Sacrifices and were slain at the very Altar preferring the duty which they owed to their Religion before their own lives All places were full of slaughters Some of the Jews were slain by
other Doctors of the Church He resided also at Paris that he might have opportunity of conferring with learned men There he erected a goodly University which he furnished with as learned men as those times could afford and endowed it with great priviledges For he had an exceeding great care to make it a Nurcery for the holy Ministry that from thence the Church might be supplied with able Teachers whence also grew so many Colleges of Cannons with sufficient revenues annexed thereunto Thus Charlemagne spent three years happily in the only care of his Soul leaving an illustrious example to all Princes to moderate and ennoble their greatness with Piety and so to enjoy their Temporal estates as in the mean time not to neglect their eternal concernments and to think of their departure out of this Life in time Foreseeing his Death whereunto he prepared himself by these exercises he made his last Will and Testament leaving his Son Lewis the sole Heir unto his great Kingdoms and bequeathed to the Church much Treasure But all things and Persons in this World have an end His Testament was but the Harbinger to his Death for presently after he was taken with a pain in his side or Plurisie and lay sick but eight days and so yielded up his Spirit unto God that gave it Anno Christi 814. and of his Age seventy one and of his Reign forty seven including fifteen years of his Empire His Body was interred in a sumptuous Church which he had caused to be built in the City of Aquisgrave or Aix la Capelle where he was born and his memory was honoured with a goodly Epitaph He was one of the greatest Princes that ever lived His virtues are a pattern to other Monarchs and his great successes the subject of their wishes The greatness of his Monarchy indeed was admirable For he quietly enjoyed all France Germany the greatest part of Hungary all Italy and a good part of Spain At the time of his Death he was in peace with the other Kings of Spain as also with the Kings of England Denmark Bulgary with the Emperour Leo of Constantinople and with all the Princes of that time This Noble Prince was endued with so many excellent Virtues that we read of very few in antient Histories that excelled him so that he may be justly compared with the best of them For in Martial Discipline in Valour in Dexterity in Feats of Arms there are none that exceeded him He obtained as many Victories fought as many Battels and subdued as many fierce and Warlike Nations as any one we read of and that both before and after that he was Emperour He was tall of Stature very well proportioned in all his members passing strong of a fair and grave countenance valiant mild merciful a lover of Justice liberal very affable pleasant well read in History a great Friend of Arts and Sciences and sufficiently seen into them and a man who above all loved and rewarded Learned men He was very charitable in his Kingdoms yea in his very Court he harboured and relieved many Strangers and Pilgrims In matters of Faith and Religion he was very zealous and most of the Wars which he made were to propagate and enlarge the Christian Faith He being mis-led by the darkness of the times wherein he lived superstitiously honoured and obeyed the Church of Rome and the Pope that was Bishop thereof together with other Bishops and Prelates commanding his Subjects also to do the like He was also very devout and spent much of his time in Prayer Hearing and Reading In his Diet he was very temperate and a great enemy to riot and excess and though he was Rich and Mighty yet fed he his Body with what was necessary and wholesome not rare costly and strange And yet his Virtues were not without their blemishes as the greatest commonly are not without some notable Vices For in his younger dayes he was much given to Women adding Concubines to his lawful Wives by whom he had divers children but this was in the time of his Youth For afterwards he contented himself with his Wife and for a remedy of this imperfection though he was three or four times a Widower yet he ever married again the Daughter of some great Prince or other To conclude all he was an excellent Emperour that loved and feared God and died when he was very Old and full of Honour leaving Lewis the weakest of his Sons the sole heir of his great Empire but not of his Virtues So that this great building soon declined in his posterity He had engraven upon his Sword Pro Deo Religione For God and Religion He used to set his Crown upon the Bible as our Canutus sometime put his Crown upon the Rood both of them thereby intimating that as all honour was due to God so true Religion was the best Basis of Government and that Piety was the best Policy The Epitaph which I spake of was this Sub hoc conditorio situm est Corpus Caroli Magni atque Orthodoxi Imperatorisqui Regnum Francorum nobiliter ampliavit per annos Quadraginta septem foeliciter tenuit Decessit Septuagenarius Anno Domini 814. Indicti one 7. Quinto Calend. Febr. Under this Tomb lieth the Body of Charles the Great and Catholick Emperour who most Nobly enlarged the Kingdom of the French and most happily ruled it for the space of forty and seven years He died in the seventy and one year of his Age In the year of our Lord eight hundred and fourteen the seventh Indiction on the fifth Calend of February He had five Wives the first was called Galcena the Daughter of the King of Galistria by whom he had no Children The second was Theodora the Sister or as others say the Daughter of Didier King of Lombardy whom he kept not long but repudiated her for sundry reasons The third was Hildebranda Daughter of the Duke of Suevia whom he loved exceedingly and had by her three Sons viz. Charles his Eldest whom he made King of the greatest and best part of France and Germany Pepin his Second whom he made King of Italy Bavaria c. Lewis his Youngest to whom he left the Empire intire his Brothers being both dead in their Fathers Life time This Lewis was sirnamed Debonaire or the Courteous He had also three Daughters the Eldest was called Rothruda the Second Birtha and the Youngest Giselia who would never marry His fourth Wife he had out of Germany called Fastrada And his fifth and last was also a German Lady called Luithgranda of the Suevian Race by whom he had no Children He shewed his love to Religion by having one during his Meal-times that either read to him some part of the Holy Scriptures or else some part of Saint Augustines Books especially that De Civitate Dei or some History He was also a great Friend to Learning and therefore erected three