geare but very basely vsed and as present occasion craued priuily sent away by secret and vnknowne wayes to the intent it might not be intercepted or stayed Now when Perdicas had espied the sumptuous simulachre of dead Alexander and sawe euery thing as he thought roially executed and pompously performed he pawsed from his speedy pursuit after Ptolomey perswading himselfe that he had obtained the thing namely the body of Alexander wherabout such strife and contention kindled and burned betwixt them both so egerly but hee was deluded and mocked for all that and vnderstood the truth somewhat too late and perceiued that he was craftily circumuented and was forced in the end to retire backe being shamefully flowted This was the end of this earthly god and the vnquietnes which fell to his dead carkasse which could not for a time obtaine the rights of buriall and also after it was committed to the ground it could not rest but was tossed and remoued from place to place for whereas hee in his life time despised to be counted mortal he was at his death denied the cōmon benefite of a mortall man Of whose life and manners hereafter shall be more sufficiently spoken according as the cause shall require and occasion be offered Scho. O most vnhappy Prince that euer liued woulde hee needs be a god Was there no remedy Well therefore as it seemeth he could not enioy the common benefit of a man what meant he by this vaine wish when he heartily wished that his armes might reach from the orient to the occident and that he might beare his banners displayed in all kingdoms and nations of the earth to the intent he might be knowne their Lorde and King nay rather what meant he when that he could not satisfie himselfe with so great a parte of the world as he had already gotten and wonne but mourned for the other worldes which he heard of which he thought vnpossible for him to get Was his appetite so vnquenchable O vnsatiable minde that hearkened not to the wise saying of Diogenes who saide His length of ground were sufficient patrimony for him which in the ende the greatest prince and peere of the earth must be contented withall but he being kept so long aboue the ground as seemeth lesse than his length in his life might containe his dead rotten carkas For a small hole would serue to croud and thrust the remaine of the decayed and putrified corps with ease wherefore he needed not so large measure of ground as Diogenes spake of before But sée the power of the immortall God in shortning the armes of this mortall God so much that so small a rowme would with ease hold and containe him which before groped in a manner after the verie heauens the vpper face of the earth not contenting his greedie appetite Therefore truly in my opinion he needed not to write vpon his graue or Tombe as Ennius did who ingraued these verses be cause the people should not bewaile his death saying Nemo me lacrimis decoret neque funerafletu Faxit cur volito docta per ora virûm No man shall bewaile mee with teares nor shall make sad my funerall with weeping For Alexander might well assure himselfe hauing so much troubled and molested the world that his name which in his life time was both odious and detestable should not at his death bee bewailed and deplored but rather that his funerall should turne the whole world to great gladnes and common ioye Fa. Cyrus the Persian King although he liued a while contented and in fauour and good liking of his people yet notwithstanding in the end hee was drowned in couetousnesse giuing himselfe to the vaine pride of the world hunting after honour climing after superioritie striuing vncessantly for the kingdomes of his neighbours whereby he grewe both odious to his countrimen also vntollerable to his confines and borderers neither could he take example by Croesus the rich King of Lydia whom hee had taken prisoner before with all his people which happned thorowe his coueting and vnsatiable minde and yet for all that hee gaue himselfe so much to the conquering of the kingdomes of others that in the end he lost both his own patrimonie and life also But first to showe the preseruing election and establishing of this King it shall not much digresse from our purpose Astyages King of the Medeans in the night dreamed that out of his daughters loynes should spring a vine whose branches should ouer shadowe al Asia The King being feareful asked counsaile of y e Southsaiers cōcerning y e euent of his troublesome dreame whose answeres were y t his daughter should bring foorth to him a nephewe which should take his kingdome from him Thus being terrified with this answere he would neither giue his daughter to any forreigne Prince or worthie state nor to his owne countriemen which discended or came of any honorable parentage to the intent that no stock or race of nobilitie might bréed or bring vp such a nephewe to him But at the last he gaue her in mariage to Cambises a Persian which was at that time a most obscure Nation notwithstanding fearing the future hap of his dreame he sent for his daughter being great with child vnder colour of being graundfather that he might looke well and carefullie to his daughters Child when it should be borne Not long after the young Childe his nephew was borne and then foorthwith Astiages the Graundfather gaue it to Harpagus chiefe Lord of his counsaile to bee presently slaine but Harpagus fearing least after the death of his Lord Astiages his daughter mother to that child should raigne in the kingdome and so reuenge the murder of the innocēt on him wherfore he gaue it to one of the kings shepheards to bee priuelie brought vp returning this answere to the King that he had slaine the child his nephew therefore he should not néede to feare his dreame But in time the boy growing vp to a pretie stripling being in companie with his fellowe shepheard boyes in the field and by lot was chosen King in their childish sportes and plaies when certaine of his little subiects had transgressed his cōmandement he caused them to be holden vp in iest whilest he whipped them in earnest the boyes complained of this abuse to their parents and they in like sort taking in hard part such whipping cōplained of it also to the King how that the sonne of a hired seruant had scorged and whipped their children which they tooke grieuousely then Astiages sending for the boy demanding of him the cause Where with the boy with a bolde and manly face Fecisse se vt regem respondit he answered That hee had done as became a King and no otherwise Astiages hearing this maiesticall answere of the pretie boy called to minde his forepassed dreame viewing well the lad he asuredly thought that y e boy much fauored his daughter whose Childe hee had caused
by his owne follie soone ended his life a more happier King than a father It were but a tragicall historie of Leyr sometime King of this land which is so sufficiently set down and made manifest in their English Chronicles what enormities calamities and infinite miseries hapned to him by the fond and doting loue which he bare towards his daughters For by a foolish conceipt which he had taken toward them so farre doating in an vnmeasurable sort and as it were being ouer much blinded with a fond conceipt and foolish affection towards the yong nice wenches that hee must néedes forsooth diuide his Kingdome betwixt them in his life willingly dispossesse himselfe standing euer after to their reward courtesie Thus when hée had displaced himselfe and deuision of the Kingdom was made ioyntly to the vse of his daughters being bestowed and married in seuerall parts of the Land hée himselfe thought good to remaine a time with the one and as long a space with the other vntill the good olde King had tyred both his daughters who soone began to be wearie of their aged Father denying and abbridging him in a maner of things necessarie and néedfull so that the poore old King was forced thorough extreame néede to séeke redres at his yongest daughters hand whom he neuer could well fancie neither had euer giuen anie thing vnto remaining out of his Kingdome because hee had bequeathed her no part thereof at whose hand the poore distressed King found reliefe and also redresse of his wrongs to his great comfort in his olde age Thus it remaineth euident extant at this day what miseries calamities enormities infinit troubles and dayly vexations consequently doo fall to man by that fond conceipt in doating folly inordinately louing and immoderately fonding ouer wife sonne daughter or others whosoeuer as the tenor of our conference hath hethertoo tended and expressed therefore my good friend leauing to your consideration our former speaches to be well and diligently noted wherby I may somewhat hereafter perceiue that you are profited and then I shall thinke my paines well bestowed and our first méeting right happie And now in the meane time for the better recouerie of your memorie and also beeing loath to trouble your senses with ouer much tediousnes I willingly craue pardon to rest vntill our next méeting expecting at this time no further replication but committing our conference to the safe tuition of your memorie Farewell FINIS The miserable calamities and lamentable distresses of bloudie Battaile and ruinous Warre with the vnspeakable mischiefes that consequently followeth disdainfull enuie WHereas diuers calamities and miseries incident to man are alreadie sufficiently explayned and set downe wherein he wilfully runneth to perdition and present destruction by his inordinate and vnsatiable appetites not withstanding there remaineth as yet vnspoken of the greeuous enormities of despitefull Warre with the infinite miseries and distressed calamities thereunto belonging which also hapneth to man by his immoderate and vntollerable pride But now first to decipher the cruell state of ruinous Warre it hath béene most vainely prooued by Logicall probations that Warre is incident and vneuitable to a Common wealth For as they say Warre bringeth ruine ruine bringeth pouertie pouertie procureth peace and peace in time increaseth riches riches causeth statelinesse statelinesse increaseth enuie enuie in the end procureth deadly mallice mortall mallice proclaimeth open warre and battaile and from warre againe as before is rehearsed so that by this argument the weale publike must either be in pouertie or els in war which truly we oftentimes sée to fall out accordingly But is this sophisticall argument of sufficient force to blinde and cloake the badde corruption of mans nature as though riches were master to the man not the man ouer his riches either is it consequently incident vnto him that is rich to carrie mallice enuie and mortall hatred in his minde or otherwise to him that is in pouertie to séeke for peace Then let vs attribute it to the whéele wherein one thing successiuely followeth another and not to bee redressed by the prouident gouernment of man Surely I am not of that mind although riches doth oft abuse the man and the man his riches yet notwithstanding it is no generall consequent that all rich men are malicious persons séeking after ruinous warre bloodie battaile for then should I thinke it a vaine thing for a man to striue with the corruption of his nature to preuent and disappoint such miserable calamities by his prouident wisedome as maye after incidently happen and fall out but rather wish him to runne headlong with his vnbridled affections to such casuall chaunces as may howsoeuer the world falleth out come to passe But truly I am of this opinion that whosoeuer hath the gift of temperance can neither bee proud in authoritie and high dignitie whereby mallice and enuie maye growe and encrease nor in pouertie to be so vnsatiable couetous that sufficient shall not serue him but whether riches encrease continue or diminish no doubt but that Temperance hath such a prouident foresight and prudent care to holde it selfe content without battaile Wherefore to make frustrate this former fond Argument Warre is not so incident to man but that by wisedome it may easely be preuented But now to returne to our purpose againe concerning the calamitie of warre the ancient Historiographer Trogus Pompeius reporteth that Ninus King of Assyria first made warre being stirred vp with pride and couetousnesse and first of all others assayed to bring other Nations and Regions vnder his subiection fighting with his neighbours and confines for superioritie wherein he made great effusion of bloud and mightie slaughters of people Yet notwithstanding the same Trogus affirmeth that there were certaine Kings before him who inuaded barbarous Nations and rude Regions to the intent to bring them to be ciuill people For saith hee Fuere quidem temporibus antiquiores Vexores rex Aegypti Scythiae rex Tanais quorum alter in Pontum alter in Aegyptum excessit sed longinqua non finitima bella gerebant nec imperium sibi sed populis suis gloriam tenebant contentique victoria imperio abstinebant There were before him Vexores King of Aegypt and Tanais King of Scythia the one going into Pōtus the other into Egypt and making warre a farre off and not on their neighbors neither did they séeke to get principalitie to themselues but perpetuall glorie to their Countrey men contenting themselues with victorie refrained to holde them vnder subiection sauing in repressing their barbarous maners Therfore saith Pompeius Ninus was the first that made warre because he inuaded his confines and borderers striuing for regiment fighting for superioritie and earnestly going about to get the Kingdomes of his neighbours vnder his subiection and not these Kings who sent their power into forraine countries to tame and make ciuill such barbarous people and to bring them to good gouernment and then to leaue their kingdomes
most excellent things in the worlde that euer were séene or heard of Now when all these ordinances of Alexander were red by Perdicas heard by the Macedonian Princes although they loued their master maruellously yet when they saw his enterprices to be such and of so great charge they all agreed with one consent that nothing should be done therin departing euery man to his Prouince whereunto he was appoynted by the gouernor Perdicas Shortly after they were all departed and seperated one from another Perdicas thought good hauing so fit oportunity to reuenge himselfe on those that first hindered him from being king And for because that Meleager now prince of Lydia whē he was sent ambassador to the footmē did earnestly stād against his desire altogether preuented his intent therefore Perdicas in reuenge first of all other most cruelly slew him with 30. of the most principall souldiers that were against his proceedings The other princes soon had intelligence of the things Perdicas had done fearing he would shew the like crueltie on them hearing also what their master Alexander had said on his deathbed which was that his kingdomes possessions should be possessed of the most worthy wherfore euery of them enioying so large prouinces and territories thought themselues as worthy personages as either Aride the king or Perdicas his gouernor insomuch that the most part of them would be subiect to neither but seniorized their Prouinces to their owne vses chalenging the name and title of kings deuiding themselues taking part one against the other euery one striuing who should bee worthiest Which words of Alexander together with their stately pride was the originall cause that the whole number of Princes and captaines successors to Alexander perished and were vtterly destroyed for they earnestly coueted each others kingdome raising among themselues bloudy war and cruell strife snatching after the most worthy place not forcing of cruell murthers or lamētable slaughters but with eger minds būted after y e goods life of ech other vntil they had vtterly rooted out consumed themselues for Perdicas hauing slaine Meleager and other of his fellow seruitors in Alexanders warres toke vpō him to go into Egypt to dispossesse Ptolome whom before he had placed in that Prouince But there because he behaued himselfe so proudly dismissing his captains vpon small occasions at his pleasure his souldiers set vpon him most fiercely slew him the greatest part of his army being gone to Ptolome King Philip Euridice his wife wer most cruelly murthered by Olympias Alexanders mother Craterus cōming against Eumenes in opē battail was by him slaine Eumenes also was slain in fight by Antigonus Antigonus likewise put to death Python and gaue his prouince to another Antigonus going to batel against Antioch the sonne of Seleucus was himselfe slain by default of his sonne Demetrius It was credebly reported that the night before Antigonus was slaine his son Demetrius dreamed that Alexander who before was dead came stood before him with his sword drawne saying I wil take part with thy enemies against thy father and thee in the morning also when Antigonus aranged his phalange or square battell of footmen comming foorth of his Tent to fight he stumbled and sell downe flat to the groūd and after he was lifted vp againe holding vp his hands to heauen he said I know hard fortune and euill successe drawethny but I pray the immortall Gods rather suffer me to be slaine in this battel than shamefully before mine enemie to flie Also old Antipater falling sick on a surfet which he had takē in these warres deceased and left the kingdome of Macedon to Polispercon his frend and not to Cassander his owne sonne which also caused great controuersie to arise betwixt his sonne Cassander and his friend Polispercon But in the end Cassander expelled Polispercon his fathers kingdome Not long after he himselfe came to vntimely death leauing behind him two sonnes the eldest hight Alexander the other Antipater which Antipater after he had slaine his owne mother sought meanes to driue his brother Alexander out of Macedon For which cause Alexander sent for ayde to king Pirrhus in Cyprus to Demetrius Antigone his sonne in Peloponnesus howbeit Demetrius being so occupied about the estate and affaires of Pelopōnesus whē the Ambassadors of Alexander came that hee coulde by no means help him In the mean time Pirrhus with a great armie came thether and in recompence of his ayde charge took possession of so large a peece of Macedon laying it to his owne countrey of Epyre that Alexander greatly dreaded him And while he abode in this feare he was aduertised that Demetrius was with his whole power comming to his ayde Wherupon he considering the authoritie great renowne of Demetrius and also the worthines of his déedes for which causes he was highly honoured through the whole world did now more than before feare his estate if he entered his realm wherfore he foorthwith went to méet him whom at their first méeting he right courteously and honorably entreated greatly thanking him for his courtesie and trauell in that he would leaue his own affaires of great importance and with so mightie an army come to his ayde further telling him that he already had wel quieted and established his estate so that he should not néede any further to trauell Neuertheles he thought himselfe so much bounde as if he had come at his first sending for or that all things had béen by his meanes quieted To these words Demetrius answered that he was right glad of his quietnes and that he had now no néed of his helpe besides many other louing and gentle words which gréeting ended either of thē for that night returned into his tent During which time there arose such matters betwixt thē that the one greatly suspected the other for as Demetrius was bid to supper with Alexander he was willed to take heede to himselfe for Alexander had practised by treason to slay him notwithstanding he by no mean shewed any countenance of mistrust but meant to go to the banquet to whose lodging Alexander was comming to bring him on his way But Demetrius diuersly detracted the time went a soft easie pace to y e ende his souldiers might haue leisure to arme them and cōmāded his garde being a greater number than Alexanders to enter with him also to waite neer his person but when Alexanders souldiers saw themselues the weaker part they durst not attempt it at that time And after supper because Demetrius would haue some honest cause to depart he fayned he was some what ill in his body therfore foorthwith took leaue of Alexander went thence The next day Demetrius feined that he had receiued letters out of his countrey of great importance so that he with his army must presently return into Peloponnese frō whēce he came praying Alexander to haue him excused offering him
tooke land at new built Carthage where Dido otherwise called Elisa was Quéene gouernesse there being by her right friendly receiued willing both him and his companie to vse her Countrey as their owne possessions repairing his shaken shippes giuing freely al necessaries to the whole number of his wandring companions commaunding that nothing should be wanting that might pleasure the distressed Troians her selfe oftentimes vsing to welcome her wearied guest whereby she fel in loue with the comely parsonage of beautifull Aeneas euen so farre as plighted vowe on both partes could assure them Aeneas faithfully promising continuall stay and abode in her Countrey but being a Troian he could not digresse from his vnfaithfull progenitors for thorow his disloyal heart and wandring minde he priuily by night stole away from Carthage leauing the pensiue and sorrowfull Queene in the lurch and to holde herselfe to her owne harmes for which vnfriendly part seeing herselfe so deluded and mocked by the vnfaithfull Phrygian presently slewe herselfe for very griefe which she had conceiued thorowe his vnstedfast promise Notwithstanding the Romans still fauoring their predecessor do affirme to hide that vnfaithfull part that Aeneas was warned in his sleepe to depart from thence and seeke out a land which the gods themselues had predestinated to him and his issue meaning by Italie which he after won by force Thus when he was departed from Carthage and had spoyled and robbed diuers other coastes and Countries at the last landed in Italie where thorow corruption by gifts cruel threats by menacing meanes and also by faire promises and allurements he made such discord and dissention in the Countrey of Italie whereby great slaughters of people were horribly committed insomuch that in the ende he attained vnto the Diademe and Crowne of the whole Countrey firmely establishing himselfe in the kingdome which he by force had taken from the quiet Princes thereof there raigning king vntill hee died whose death the Romans seeming to hide for that as they say hee descended from the goddesse Venus wherefore hee was taken vp into Heauen and there placed amongest the Starres for euer to raigne immortall Then after the death of this vnfaithfull fugitiue his sonne Ascanius raigned also after whose decease Siluius Posthumus his sonne succeeded who as both the Romans and Englishmen do affirme begat Brutus who slew Posthumus his father for which cause being vanished Italie when he had troubled diuers other quiet countries at the last tooke lande in the Ile which then was called Albion of one of the thirty daughters of Dioclesian which landed heere by chaunce and named it Britanie staying the huge and mighty Giants whom the deuills themselues had begotten on Dioclesians daughters as the English histories at this day reporteth a foolish toy for the inhabitants of this noble Ile to deriue themselues and fetch their pedegrée from deuills and then after from the gods First to cōfute this foolish error It is most certainely knowne that there was no such king in Syria who was called by the name of Dioclesian for that no ancient Authour of the Syrians make mention of any such name neither of his daughters which as the English Chronicles at this day affirme were put into a small vessell or boat by their father Dioclesian and committed to Sea without either pilote or guide chauncing to land in this Ile naming it after one of their names who was called Albion as the fond saying goeth and then forsooth this Ile being inhabited with deuills at their first arriuing the sisters were carnallie knowne by the deuills themselues and thereof did spring mightie and huge Giants which afterwardes were slaine by Brutus who descended from the gods as they also affirme Which vaine opinion in like sort is both ridiculous and foolish for that neyther the Commentaries of Iulius Caesar the works of Cornelius Tacitus nor the Histories of Diodorus Siculus who did write of this noble Ile made anie mention at all of any such Brutus being descended from the Troyans neither doo the Romans themselues nor the Greekes write of any one called Brutus before Iulius Brutus who did expell Tarquinius out of Rome which was long since the time of Siluius Posthumus It is also to be considered that if Iulius Caesar who made a conquest of this Ile a thousand and fiue hundred yeares since had then knowne that the people thereof had discended from the Troyans as both himselfe and all the other Romans did no doubt he would not haue made warre against this land but rather haue sought to ayd and succour it But the vanity of the English nation is such to deriue their genealogie from the Troians for that as I haue saide before they sprang and descended from the gods or els to fetch their original from Albion who brought forth huge giants by the helpe of diuells so that they must there is no remedy either descend from the gods or else from the diuells themselues this follie first sprang vp amongst the Romans who chalenged their pedegrée from the Troians which as they say descended from the gods and in like sorte the Englishemen to the intent they would spring from the gods as well as the Romans faine that Brutus sonne to Posthumus one of the Troian stocke arriued in this Ile and named it after his owne name Brytannia which truely in mine opinion can not bee true for that his name was Brutus which if you marke it is altogether vnlike vnto Britannia and to mend the matter also they affirme that first they sprang of deuills a goodly commendation to this noble Ile But for that the proude Romans thorow their vaunting vanity did deriue themselues from the gods which they right well knewe were but earthly kinges for that the heathen kinges in those dayes were called gods notwithstanding since the corruption of the time both the Romans and the Englishmen thinke that they are linially descended from the gods themselues for otherwise the Romans would not be so proude and stately as at this day they are wellknowne to be nor the Englishmen so vaine to challenge their pedegrée or recount their genealogie from the most wicked Troians vnlesse they were fully perswaded that the Troians came from the immortal gods which foolish opinion first sprang from the Romans by ouermuch esteming their progenitors Which fond and vaine errours to confute diuers learned men are of this opinion by studious seeking out of the workes of ancient historiographers that the Greekes when first their Cities became populous waxing rich and puissant after they knewe the cunning Art of Sailing first of al other people found out this Ile naming it Olbion which in Greeke is happie for the abundance of all thinges necessarie that they founde there therefore no doubt but that in so long a time as hath bene since Olbion by the corruption of the continuaunce might well he called Albion or else they at that time finding this land by the white rockes and
flout and mock me that I despaired whether euer I should speake with your person or no so many of your abusers did represent your presence but now hoping to bee certified with the true reports of your owne mouth of those things and doubtes wherein you haue béen so often abused For it is crediblie reported that you are the greatest traueller in the world and haue séene all Kingdomes and nations of the earth by your vnspeakeable swiftnes the vttermost Iles in the maine Ocean hath had your presence the mightiest Kings and Princes of the earth can neither stop or hinder your appointed trauaile you passe their priuie chambers and know their secret counsailes your eyes haue séene the vncertaintie of time the mutabilitie of honor the vnconstancie of fortune the instabilitie varietie of the life of man the subuersion of kingdomes the ouerthrow of empires the ruine and destruction of stately townes and cities your eyes hath séene your eares hath heard your vnderstanding doth remember from the creation of the world and shall remaine vsque ad consummationem seculi therefore séeing your trauaile so wonderfull your cōtinuance so ancient and your memorie so notable I shall request you to vnfolde relate part of those things which your selfe are a witnesse of and haue with present eies beheld as the nature of things the condition of people with the inconueniences of this transitorie life and what calamities miseries troubles enormities and vexations doth commonly happen and incidently fall to man Fa. My good friend if the speaches of my mouth may chalenge such credite with you I am content to make you partaker of my great trauaile and what I know concerning the state of the world on this condition that your mind shall detaine carie away and perceiue with more liuelines of sense the effect of my words thā my tōgue by vttring can expresse so with your willing audience I shall bee content to resolue you in anie part wherein you shall demaund Scho. Sir I most hartely thanke you the condition shall be obserued kept to the vttermost of my power mine eares shal also be attendant in silent sort to uote your speaches wel therefore I pray you begin while I am armed with audience Fa. Well then my good friend it is requisit that I first begin with the enormities and inconueniences of the life state of man which he falleth oft into by the defalt of temperance without which gift he runneth headlong to his owne ruine destruction for Seneca saith If thou wilt esteeme and iudge truly what man is then set him naked before thee behold him well setting aside and laying a part from him possessions authoritie and all other giftes subiect to fortune then shall you see what he hath proper of himselfe and what he borroweth of other then shall you well perceiue this naked life of man without which gift it cannot well be preserued or gouerned but of necessitie must needes soone perish and decay Scho. Sir then by your leaue is temperance such a speciall necessary to the life of man Fa. Yea truely for on that hangeth and dependeth all other vertues requisite to the state and life of man it is the good ground of al gouernement a right direction to honest liuing and the true nurse and fosterer of prouident wisedom it keepeth the vnsatiable appetites of ambition vnder the yoke of reason and holdeth downe the immoderate desires of superioritie to be short I referre thée to the definition of Cicero who defineth it on this maner The property of temperance saith he is to couet nothing that afterward may be repented so that thorough the want thereof man falleth into infinite miseries Scho. Well sir then I perceiue that this gift is a most necessary and speciall maxime to the life and gouernement of man wherein I trust to be better instructed heereafter by some familiar examples which doth shew the fall and destruction in the wanters thereof and the quiet state and contentment to the possessors of the same Fa. Friend I will rehearse a very briefe example in the meane time for your better vnderstanding which shall shew a differēce betwixt the vnsatiable appetite of aspiring minds and the quiet state and peaceable contentment which is thorowly to be perceiued in the life of Aleaxnder the Great and Diogenes the philosopher Scho. First sir crauing pardon for interrupting your speeches me think this comparison is very vnfit vnseemely and the difference of vertue and vice will hardly be made manifest by the liues of these two the one being a great Prince and Emperour of many stately countries and kingdoms the other a poore seely beggar who liued by the almes of the people hauing for his house a simple tunne or barrell to harbour himselfe in without any other wealth or substaunce at all Fa. Nay then my good friend you will driue mee from the matter and cause me to make digression for argument sake but before I proceede any further it shall not be amisse to manifest the state of these two and descry your errour Alexander indeede was a great Prince and Emperour of the most part of the world and yet not so rich as Diogenes was for whereas you think the comparison altogether vnfit the one being a beggar and wonderfull poore the other a king and inestimable rich therefore I referre thee to the wise saying of Marcus Cato who saieth Qui contentus est sua sorte Diues est He that is content with his owne estate and calling is sufficient rich We find that Diogenes was content with his poore estate and Alexander not satisfied with al his kingdomes wherefore according vnto the opinion of Cato Diogenes was rich and Alexander poore for truely he can not be rich which is not satisfied neither can he be poore that is contented And further to confirme this argument Mandanus a wise philosopher of India to whom this Alexander sent messengers commanding him to come to the feast of Iupiters sonne which was holden at Babilon meaning himselfe to be the sonne of Ioue declaring further That if hee would come he should haue great rewards and riches giuen him but if he refused and would not obey his commandement he should be put to a most cruell death wherevnto the graue Philosopher answered stoutly saying That Alexander was neither the sonne of God nor yet certaine lord of any part or parcel of the earth but was as mortall as himself as for the gifts rewards of him that was himselfe so vnsatiable couetous hee nothing regarded returning this answere That if it wold please him to receiue accept a gift at his hād he would willingly giue it might very conueniently spare it which was his good counsel that he should holde himselfe content and satisfied with sufficient and to couet no more than were necessary saying That his abilitie was better able to giue than Alexanders for saith he hee woulde
to bée slaine but both by the face and similitude of the youth and by the confession of the shepheard and the time of the receit thereof Hee then knewe that hee was his right Nephew vanishing all feare from himselfe of the aforesaide Dreame and Prophecie for thinking himself to bée as a dead man in his sleepe and his Nephew to bee King and as the Southsayers had declared hee should be thought himselfe clearelie freede from all perill But Harpagus scaped not vnpunished for breaking the kings commandement for Astiages catching the sonne of Harpagus slew him and caused his cookes to dresse the mangled boy inuiting after the father of the child causing him vnawares to eate his owne flesh Which thing being afterward knowne vnto Harpagus he dissembled the matter vntill he might with fit oportunitie reuenge this villanie foorthwith sending priuily into Persia to Cyrus shewing him how his grandfather had dealt with him for sauing his life wishing him also to prepare an army and come to chalenge his kingdome which his grandfather meant to defraud him of Cyrus hauing receiued the letters considering the ancient wrongs that his grandfather had offered him before and nowe also howe greatly hee had abused him who had preserued his life wherefore he presently gathered an army minding now to chalenge his right whilest that he had such a faithfull friend as Harpagus was who offered himselfe to do his vttermost in the behalfe of Cyrus But Astiages hearing of such great preparation against him by his nephew in like sort also prouided a mightie hand against him the conduction whereof he committed whollie to the gouernement of his counseller Harpagus who presently when he had receiued them yéelded vp the whole army to Cyrus to reuenge himselfe on the king for the great iniurie hee had offered him the king hauing knowledge thereof gathered a newe power of men and went himselfe against his nephew marching on to the borders of Persia where was fought betwixt the grandfather and the nephew a most cruell and bitter fight in which conflict this notable courage in the Persian women is remembred for the battell being planted on both partes woonderfull strong And Astiages to the intent his souldiours should fight manfully had diuided his army in such sorte that he placed at the backes of those that should fight the battell an other army of souldiors saying Vnles they ouercame and went forward they should finde as hard fight behinde them as their enemies were before them If in case they should offer to retire backe the battelles on both sides being come to handstrokes and deadly blowes the Persian army at the first began to flee backe and retire which sorrowfull sight the Persian women had soone espied wherefore foorthwith the matrons wiues and daughters assembled themselues in haste and running to méet them who came fléeing before Astiages and the Medeans as men despairing of their good fortune plucking and folding vp their clothes shewing the priuie secrets of their bodies asking them whether or no they would flée for succor into the wombs of their mothers or wiues requesting them ernestly to returne into the battell and fight for their liues saying That if they would needes runne home they coulde neither succour or helpe them any otherwise than by what meanes they had already shewed them By which castigation of the women the Persian souldiours retired into the battell againe and put their enemies to shamefull flight taking also prisoner Astiages the Medean king Thus far digressing from our purpose to shew both the crueltie of Astiages the valiantnesse of the Persian women and the good happe of Cyrus in attaining vnto the crowne But now to returne to our purpose againe Cyrus possessing all Persia and Medea was not contented with those large kingdomes and dominions but still coueted to enlarge his possessions delighting in bloudie battailes reioycing at the ruine and destruction of statelie Townes and Cities For after manie cruell fightes and bloudie broyles hee entered into Lydia where in a great battaile hee tooke Croesus the rich King thereof Notwithstanding he was not satisfied with all the treasure Kingdome of Lydia which was then the most richest Region vnder the heauens but marched forward into Asia conquering that also returning at the last with all the East part of the world which he held vnder the subiection Yet being not filled with bloudie fight nor satisfied with victorie he waged warre with the Scythians who at that time were gouerned by Quéene Thomyris which sent her Sonne with a great Armie to defend her Countrey but the subtile Captaine Cyrus perceiuing the yong man to be but a fresh water soldier fraughted his Tents well with wine and fresh vittaile in which he knewe the Scythians much delighted and after faining a flight as if thorough feare of the Scythian Armie he departed leauing his Tents wholly furnished to intrap the Scythians withall which fel out accordingly for the lustie youth ouer rashly and without good consideration seazed on those Tents being forsaken of the enemie and according to their accustomed manner fell to such excessiue quaffing and bibbing that the whole Armie was soone drunken therewith being void of all feare for that they supposed the Enemie to be fled But Cyrus being aduertised therof returned in the night to his tents againe finding the Scythians ouercome with his wine so that he easily slew the Sonne of Thomyris and the whole Scythian Armie The Quéene hearing of the losse of her deere Sonne also of her Armie did not spende the time in wéeping but presently sought meanes to reuenge her selfe on that vnsatiable wretch with such like subtiltie as Cyrus beguyled her sonne with such pollicie she trained him to his destruction for the Persians greatly reioycing in their first victorie and happie successe in the beginning and the Scythians contrariwise making shew as if they were greatly discomfited with the losse of their Armie and former foyle retiring still backe from their enemies to traine them in like sort into the marishes and straight places of their Countrey where the enemie was intangled before they knewe of any such practise or suspected anie such craft at all There was Cyrus slaine with 200000. Persians whereof there remained not one to carrie newes or message back into Persia how they had sped in Scythia in which great conflict slaughter when Thomyris had found out the dead bodie of Cyrus she caused the head to be cut from the carkasse flinging the head into a tub of mans blood which was filled for the same purpose saying Satia te sanguine quem sit isti cuiúsque insatiabilis semper fuisti Cyrus now satisfie thy selfe with blood which thou hast long thirsted after wherof thou couldest neuer haue thy fill Thus died Cyrus when he had raigned 30. 〈◊〉 Pompeius Magnus so called for his incomparable Uictories being the sonne of Pompeius Strabo in like case wanted the gift of temperance for
my patrimonie which my Father left me but be contented therewith and leaue it to my sonne as it was left me Wherewith the king being not content went home sorowing remaining verie pensiue and heauie for that he could not lawfully or without great shame take away the vineyard of Naboth but when Iezabel fully perceiued the cause of the Kings sorowing and heauines she directed letters to y e Rulers of y e place wher Naboth dwelt making them priuie of her bloudie practise wishing and commaunding them to proclaime a fast in their Citie and then to hire and suborne two witnesses that should falsely accuse him before the Iudges and presently therevpon to lead him out of the Citie and stone him to death which cruel doome and execrable murder was forthwith accordingly executed But notwithstāding although for a time reuengement was deferred yet could she not scape vnpunished for so soone as Iehu was annointed King he was straightly cōmanded from the verie mouth of God to persecute the house of King Ahab with great crueltie and not to leaue anie one liuing that should pisse against the wall wherefore he presently warred on the Citie of Iezrael and spoiled the house and frends of Ahab vntill he came where Iezabel lodged who was most cruelly vsed in consideration of her former trespasse for she was throwen and tumbled downe headlong from a lofty window to the hard pauements of the stréete wherewith her bloud sprong about the postes and walles of the stréet so that dogges came and licked vp her bloud and eate her flesh the rest being troden to durt with horseféete and marching souldiers insomuch that there remayned no more vnspoyled and defaced but onely the palmes of her hands Thus was Iezabel most cruelly slaine and miserably vsed by the very commaundement of God for the murdering and sheading of innocent bloud Also Olimpias wife to Philip the Macedonian king and mother to Alexander the great cōmitted diuers most horrible shamefull murthers namely first it was suspected and layd to her charge the consenting to the murther of her husband king Philip who was slaine by the hande of Pausanias For after this Pausanias had trayterously slaine the king her husband had receiued iust punishment for his villanie she openly mourned for the death of the said murtherer And also it was well knowē that she had prouided horses ready against the deede was committed to the end the slayer of her husbande might the better escape Further when his body did hang on the galous she came thether the first night and crowned the dead head of Pausanias with a crowne of gold taking also the carkasse from the trée burying it most nobly and made a famous Tombe in the same place for his remembrance Which causes being thorowly considered can import no otherwise than an accessary and guilty mind This Olimpias after the death both of Philip her husband and Alexander her sonne in the time that the Macedonian Princes and successors to her sonne Alexander did contend and striue for the superioritie and regiment of their dead master came down into Macedon with a great power to warre on Philip king thereof and Euridice his wife who at that time were lawfull inheritors of that kingdome and gaue them battaile In which conflict she tooke the King prisoner and all his whole familie But Euridice his wife fled for her safetie into the Citie Amphipolis where not long after she also was taken Then seised Quéene Olimpias into her hand all the whole Realm of Macedon howbeit she very vngently entreated these her prisoners For first she caused the king and Euridice his wife to be put into a straite prison that they could hardly turne themselues within and had their meat geuen thē in at a little hole but after they had béen there awhile thus miserably dealt withall Olympias perceiuing that the Macedonians for very compassion they had of the said captiues greatly maliced and hated her wherefore she caused King Philip by certaine souldiers of Thrace to be slaine after he had reigned king sixe yeares and foure moneths And for because that Euridice not well digesting her shamefull crueltie in so treacherously betraying her dead husband and also somewhat insolently spake said that she had better right and title to the crowne and realme of Macedonia than Olympias had she therefore either without regard of the late dignitie royall that the sayd Euridice had béen in or yet the common mutability variety of fortune sent her three liberall gifts to make her choyse thereof which was a sword a halter and poyson to end her life withal who of necessitie was forced to take one Thus whē the wofull Queene had receiued this present of Olympias seeing no remedie but that needs she must take and accept of one she said The Gods graunt like choyce to this cruell Olympias and that she may receiue like guerdon for her liberalitie heerein Thus when she had adorned the bodie of her husband Philip slaine in her presence and stopped vp the wounds to couer the deformitie of them then refusing the aforesaid presents of the curteous Queene in the best manner she could with her own girdle strāgled her selfe and so died Yet was not Olympias satisfied with these lamentable and execrable murders but soone after she had thus shamefully put them to death she made Nicanor Cassanders brother to be slaine and spitefully defaced the tombe of Iolas his other brother Ouer and besides this she picked weeded out an hūdred noble men of Macedonie which were frends to Cassander and caused their throates to be cut for which cruell and barbarous deed Cassander being moued gathered an Armie minding to reuenge himself on the Queen for her great crueltie and draue her at the last to the Citie Pidue where hee besieged her long vntil such time that vittaile failed her yet notwithstanding she would not yeeld although both her company and the Citizens dyed wonderfully by famine and greeuous plagues which chanced to them by reason of the dead bodies which lay in the town diches vnburied most horribly stinking insomuch that there dyed daily in the towne through these two causes aforesaid verie many citizens and soldiors Being also forced thorough extreame and miserable hunger to feed on the dead carkasses of the pined men The townesmen seeing theyr lamentable estate yeelded vp the Citie against Olympias will and humbled themselues willingly to the mercie of Cassander Then after this Queen was taken prisoner Cassander caused all the friends of them whom she had murdred to accuse her in the common place of iudgment before the assembly of the Macedonians Which thing they accordingly did where the Macedonians in the absence of Olympias hauing there neither any patrone or aduocate to defend her vniust cause condemned her to death For execution wherof Cassander sent 200. of his trustiest souldiers to kil her which entered her Pallace where she was Streightway so soone as she perceiued them
comming she marched couragiously toward thē willing them to execute their office With which boldnes the souldiers were all astonished sauing certaine of the friends of those whom she had slain before which stabbed her thorow the body whereof she presently died Yet this manly courage is to be noted in her that after she felt the wound to be mortall and that she fainted ready to yeeld vp her life she nesled her garmentes about her body plucking downe her neather skirts to her féete hauing a womāly care in all respects least that by striuing with life and death she might showe or vncouer the vndecent parts of her bodie Thus dyed the mightiest Princesse vnder the heauens for a iust reuenge of her former cruelties and merciles murders she was daughter to Neoptolome King of Epyre sister to Alexander then King of Epyre wife to Philip King of Macedon mother to Alexander the great and yet for all these high and mightie alliances the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished but caused such measure to be giuē to her which she before had meated to other In like sort Agrippina daughter to the noble Germanicus first being maried to Domitius had by him Nero and afterward was married to Claudius whom she poysoned with his sonne Britannicus to y e end she might make her first sonne Nero Emperor which indéede came accordingly to passe but now her sonne Nero being Emperour possessing the crowne by meanes of his mothers bloudie act whether it were that the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished or the wicked inclination of Nero but howsoeuer the case stood she receiued like reward for her son caused her to be most cruelly tormented commanding her wombe to be opened cut vp that he might sée the place wherein he lay and in the meane time while she was suffering such miserable torture he gaue so little regard to the wofull mournings pitifull cries of his naturall mother that he played on a cistern y e destruction of Troy and sung most pleasantly to his instrument Notwithstanding although he was ordeyned to scourge and plague his mother for the aforesaid horrible fact yet scaped not hee vnreuenged for so vile a déede For when he had a time raigned in Rome persecuting the guilties and innocent the Romanes at last detesting his bloudie disposition séeing y t his whole delight was in tormenting his natiue Country men began so deadly to hate him for his crueltie that by the whole consent of the Romanes the Senate decréed this sharpe sentence against him Vt more maiorum collo in furcā coniecto virgis adnecem caederetur his neck being fastned in a yoke or forke after the vilest order which was a most monstrous reproach and seruile slauerie amongst the Romanes should be beaten to death with rods But Nero hauing intelligence of their decrée fled in the midle of the night out of the citie taking with him not past one or two of his lewd cōpanions who also perished with him for feare of the Romans Thus being scaped from the punishment which was appointed for him he now determined to die a desperate death requiring one of his friēds which was with him to stab him through with his sword that he might ende his miserie Who when he had denied his sute as a thing vniust Nero cried out saying Itanè nec amicum habeo nec inimicum dedecorosé vixi turpius periam Surely neither haue I friend nor enemie meaning no friend in the Citie to defend his cause nor enemie nowe with him to ende his life I haue liued vilely I will perish as filthely and therewithall thrust himselfe through and so died Thus miserably ended Domitius Nero after hee had reuenged the cruell murther which his Mother committted and in the ende himselfe was driuen to the same shoare and forced to arriue at the same Port of miserable Destinie to be cut off with vntimely death for his most vile slaughters and cruelties Also Aristobulus sonne to Hircanus vnnaturally committed to prison his mother and his brother Antigonus and after most cruelly slew his said brother in prison for which grieuous offence God so strake him that all his bowells rent in his belly and hee vomited vp all the bloud in his bodie and so most pitifully he dyed in recompence of his former crueltie In like manner Antiochus Illustris sonne of the great Antiochus did also imbrew his hands in the bloud of his friends For giuing his sister in marriage to Ptolomaeus King of Aegypt and vnder pretence of familiaritie came to visite his brother in lawe vnder the coulour of alliance and that he might by treacherous meanes take from him the Kingdome of Aegipt and finding him sitting at supper saluted him with his sword which presently he thrust through his sides thus traiterously he slewe his brother Ptolome and ceazed on all Aegipt to his owne vse And after hée had done manie other cruelties at last hee was striken with a most horrible sicknesse that his bodie stanke and his flesh was so corrupt and putrified that no bodie could abide the sauour therof liuing wormes créeping and scrauling out of his bodie insomuch that in his great extremitie hee was forsaken of all his friends and seruants and so died as a iust recompence for his villanie It is farther well knowen that Archelaus King of Macedonia was murthered by the hands of Cratenas his Paramour who sore thirsted after his said kingdome which shamefull act beeing committed and Cratenas placed in the regall Throne according to his long desire raigned King not past thrée or foure dayes but was himselfe slaine in semblable manner by other mens meanes whereunto this saying may be well applyed Qui struit insidias alijs sibi damna dat ipse Who seeketh other men to insnare Nets for himselfe he doth prepare So that this man possessed his princely seate but a short space which he had purchased by wilfull murder I trust it is very well knowen also to the English Nation what cruell murders and miserable slaughters were committed by King Richard the third brother to Edward the fourth and sonne to the Duke of Yorke for that the Chronicles doo make mention thereof at large First bringing his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to vntimely death then shewing his tyrannie on the Barons and Nobles of the Land and after that his brother Edward the fourth died he miserably smoothered the two sonnes of his said brother Edward which were committed to his tuition and gouernment not sparing the néerest of his kinne but imbrewing himselfe in their bloud to the ende he himselfe might possesse the Crowne and Diadem of the Realme which in deede consequently came to passe But were it possible that such pitifull murders and execrable slaughters as he committed both in slaying of the Nobles of the Land and also in the deprauing of his swéete Nephewes of life and Kingdome should scape vnreuenged No truly it
be as ioyfull vnto them as the restitution of their daughter vndefiled Then Scipio being ouercome with their long and vehement intercession caused the saide summe to be layd on the ground before his feete and calling Lucius againe to him hee said Beside the dowrie that you shall receiue of your Father in law for the mariage of his daughter ye also shall take this gift at my hande With which his great gift and also much honor done to him beside he returned home to his house countrey declaring to euery man the honor magnificence of noble Scipio saying There was a young man come most like a God who both with his power in warre and also with his gentlenes and liberalitie in peace had ouercome all the countrey Not long after this young Gentleman leauing his house and familie in good order returned to Scipio bringing with him 1400. good horsemen to the ayde and succour of the Romanes Thus first Scipio began with mercy lenity and gentle courtesie which was the cause that he gote in the end to the Romanes such notable and mightie victories The great Pompey neuer gate the like renowne in all his conquest of Spaine and Affrike nor in the subduing of the valiant Sertorius neither in the victories of Armenia Cappadocia Arabia Iberia Mesopotamia with diuers other Prouinces and Kingdomes as he did by his great courtesie For when in his warres against Mithridates he had taken certaine noble matrons and beutifulll virgins he caried a vigilant eye ouer them neither abusing any of them himselfe nor suffering his captains or souldiers to dishonour or dishonest them in any case calling them all together before him comforting them with sweete wordes in the best maner he coulde saying That none vnder paine of death should offer them villanie graunting foorth his safeconduct to them that they might be conueyed to their husbandes parents and friends with honour vndefiled richly rewarding them with iewels which he had taken in his warres protesting also vnto them that he for his part was most heartely sorrie that it was his hap so to fright and terrifie such hurtlesse creatures requesting them to take it in good part for such was the chaunce and casualtie of warre for which gentle behauiours had it not béen for certaine other lewd vices which are before mentioned he had attained to péerlesse praise Alexander the great king of Macedon although hee frequented a number of most notable and bad vices yet were it no reason to burie in obliuion and forgetfulnesse couering as it were in the graue of silence the gentle courtesie and manly pietie which hee showed in most ample maner to the distressed houshold and familie of king Darius For euen at such time as the mightie Warres began betwéene these two Princes In the second Battaile and conflict Alexander had a great victorie against Darius and the Persians taking the tents with all the bag baggage appertaining to the King and the Persians and also for a pray amongst other booties hee tooke prisoners the mother wife sister and the two daughters of King Darius his enemie whome when Alexander came to comfort beeing in great sorrow and distresse they beholding him comming with an armed troupe pitifully schritched and lamentably cried out as if they then should presently haue been slaine falling downe prostrate at the féete of Alexander beséeching him that they might before they died burie the dead bodie of their Lord Darius whom they supposed to be slaine in that bloudie fight and that now wheras he was a man and had at this time gotten a most noble and manly victorie against Darius their Lord and King so to behaue himselfe towards those poore distressed creatures who were altogether vnguiltie of that pitiful slaughter being as it were present in the Armie with their friend for their countreyes cause and in defence of their libertie in which also their Lord King Darius was now slaine therefore now that he would vouchsafe to bestow the bodie of their slain friend on them that they might doo to him in their life the rights of buriall and then said they O Alexander our liues be at thy cōmaundement Alexander beeing greatly mooued with pitie séeing their bitter teares and considering the hard hap and bad destinie of so noble Dames bewayled their distressed case with wéeping further comforting them saying that Darius theyr Lord and King was aliue and at libertie still with his owne force and power and although he was ouercome in that fight yet was he readie to giue newe battaile againe as in déede hee did causing them to banish feare from them for that no iniurie or wrong should happen to them giuing also commaundement that they should be prouided for and vsed as to their high estate and dignitie appertained giuing good words and comfort vnto the two yong Daughters of Darius wishing them assuredly to thinke and firmely to perswade themselues that hee woulde haue as great care to bestowe them in marriage if King Darius their father did die and perish in these warres as he liuing with a fatherly care would prouide for them and that with no base or obscure mates Which thing when Darius was truely certified of and of the courteous entertainement of his mother wife and sister being all prisoners and captiues at the hands of Alexander his enemie although he then was able to geue battaile to the strongest king of the earth for he agayne had gathered a most mightie and huge armie was already ouercome and conquered with the gentle courtesies of his enemie altogether vnwilling to fight against so friendly a foe wherfore he sent his letters to Alexander requiring him that he might redéeme his captiues promising a mightie summe masse of money for their raunsome Notwithstanding Alexander would receiue no money but required his whole kingdome for their redemption Darius not willing to fight with so friēdly an enemie sent his letters to Alexander the second time offering one of his daughters in mariage with part of his kingdome to him if it might please him to accept thereof But the vnsatiable Alexander could not be content with part vnlesse he might haue all the whole And as for the offer of his daughters he returned this answere saying He had them already and could doe with them his pleasure Now was Darius forced to goe against his friendly foe the thirde time hoping to get his prisoners and yet notwithstanding louing and honouring the very name of Alexander for the great courtesie and lenitie he had shewed to his familie The army and power of Darius was at this time foure hundred thousand footmen and an hundred thousand horsmen thus marching toward his enemie Alexander it was told him in his iorney that his wife was dead whose death Alexander lamented with teares and caused a noble funerall to be appointed doing to her the greatest honor he could deuise comforting the rest requesting them not so heauely to take the death of their friend whose
chosen But surely the vaine babling of the prating Poets in this cause is vtterly to be condemned for vnder the colour that all women are euill they goe about to hide and cloake the foolish follie of mad doting men making women a veile or shadow to hide and couer the doting fondnes of vnsatiable men Indeede the olde prouerbe is Ignis mare mulier tria sunt mala That sire the sea and a woman are three euils Truely a strong reason then may it like wise be said that men are euill for that one man hath killed another and surely by this reason the former three are also euil For if a man will cast himselfe into the fier no doubt but that he shal burne or into the sea where he may be drowned or els into the calamities of such a mariage or otherwise ouer fondly to dote which he well knew before would purchase his trouble and vexation But my good friend my purpose is not to exclaime on or blame faultlesse women who cannot bridle the fond affection of their importunate louers wherefore I will somewhat more amply speake of fonde and doting loue which is as well in the one as in the other and what inconuenience doth consequently follow their doting folly Semiramis being the most amiable Lady of the world by reason of her surpassing beautie was sent for into Assiria to the king of that region that he might satisfie himselfe with the sight of her péerles pulchritude before whose presence she came according to the tenor of his message The king had no sooner cast his wanton eye vpon her passing beauty but was foorthwith inflamed with the fire of affection towards her then after certaine circumstances ouerpassed she required of the doting king a rich reward namely a robe of estate the gouernment of Assiria for fiue dayes continuance and the absolute authoritie in all thinges that were done in the kingdome Which petition of Semiramis was granted by the king no deniall made to the contrary In conclusion when things without exception were in the gripes of her aspiring minde she commanded the fonde king to be slaine whereby he was dispossessed of his dominion and she presently thereupon enioyed the scepter and crowne imperiall ouer all Assiria Did not Candaulus king of Sardis dote in foolish and fonde loue ouer his wife insomuch that he thought her the fayrest creature in the worlde yet not content to satisfie himselfe with her beautie but in fond and doting sort must needes shewe his wife naked to his frend to make him partaker of her surpassing beautie and peereles person and therfore he called his frēd Giges to his chamber and hid him secretely against his wife should come to bed but his frend Giges disswading him from his folly notwithstanding Candaulus would haue no nay in his importunate suite but that his frend should both know see his his priuie benefite so that he was constrayned to obey his fonde request Now when the wife of Candaulus perceiued herself so betrayed by the inuention of her husband for Giges incontinētly discloased himselfe she was mightely abashed wonderfully ashamed for in that countrey it was counted a most wonderfull dishonesty and reproach that a woman should be seene naked of any man sauing of her husband yet for all that she dissēbled the matter for a time meaning in the end to take sharp reuenge on her husband for the great villany he had offered her At the last she called Giges to her chamber who before had séene her naked to the end to haue slaine him threatening him that vnlesse he would presently reuenge the wrong and great abuse which her husband had offered her in his presence which he consequentlie consented vnto for the sauegard of his life with firme oathes solemne vowes which was that he should kil the king her husband and take her to wife with the kingdome hoping that hee would be content to possesse so good a benefite and not to make any other priuie or partaker of that which hee best esteemed Thus whether it were for the sauegard of his life which he stood in perill to lose or for the coueting of so beautifull a Queene large a kingdome which now was offered him it resteth doubtfull but he foorthwith executed the Queenes pleasure on his doting master which happened through his owne fonde follie What inconueniēce also hapned to Artaxerxes king of Persia by such foolish folly in doting ouer his sonne so fondly y t he must make him his master in his life time For being drownd in such fond affection toward his sonne Darius not content himselfe with his scepter and kingdome which he quietly possessed hee presently aduanced him to taste the secretnes and sweete of his kingdome not satisfieng himselfe to be a commander ouer his people but would be a seruant and be commanded by his sonne so it hapned to him as he deserued for this princox his sonne being established in the kingdome by his doting father became at the last so lordly ouer his foolish father that hee woulde commaund him in all causes as his duetifull and obedient subiect it chanced that his father Artaxerxes had married the concubine which he before had taken in his warres who at that time was péerelesse in beautie Now Darius being in possession of his fathers kingdome by vertue of his authoritie he called his father before his presence as a common subiect saying Father as you haue put the kingdome into my hand and made me absolute King thereof so whosoeuer this kingdome containeth is also my subiect and vnder my authoritie therfore sir my pleasure is that you deliuer and yéelde into my handes your wife which was the concubine for she is faire in my sight and therefore I greatly desire to haue her and by vertue of my authoritie I straightly commaund no resistance to the contrarie But Artaxerxes although he had made his sonne King knew that hee was his father wherefore hee contrary to his sonnes minde detained Aspasia his newe married wife which deniall caused his sonne Darius to conspire the death of his resisting father because as he thought hee was not absolute King to commaund as after the death of his father hee should be and also did associate in this his vnnaturall confederacie fifty brothers which were begotten by his owne father Artaxerxes by diuers concubines But this doting King as it chanced although he had made himselfe a subiect to his prowd sonne yet by good helpe of his nobles he detected the cause and found out the treason And in the same day that Darius made account to accomplish his wicked enterprise he was himselfe and all the rest of the confederates taken and fell into the same snare that they had prepared for their aged father for Artaxerxes put both them their wiues and children to the sworde that none of that wicked race should remaine aliue the aged King for verie griefe that he had conceiued