hys sonne Cham yet neuerthelesse dyd God in the meane whyle by a wonderfull destiny differ the vengeaunce and promise Howbeit the kyngdome remayned not by the posteryte of Nembroth For there rose a newe kyngdome by the Assirians thorough Assur by whome also the citye Niniue was buylded Oute of Niniue went the Assyryans and subdued the cytye of Babylon the whyche Diodorus Siculus doeth wryte and by thys occasyon is the Monarchye translated from the Chaldeis to the Assyrians Strabo and other dyd make mention of the citye Niniue that it lyeth in Assyria whereby it may easely be gathered that Niniue and Babilon haue ben two seuerall cityes not one of dyuerse names Many kynges are there rehcarsed in thys Monarchye Howbeit seyng ther is nothing notably written of their dedes it maketh no greate matter to rehearse their names onely onely this behoueth it the reader to remembre that this Monarchye beganne neare hande before the ende of the fyrste two thousande yeares whiche were accomplished before that tyme whan Abraham was fyftye yeare olde Hetherto haue wee treated of the fyrste age of the worlde in the which may be sene of the creation of the worlde of the churche and ciuyll administration ordeined of God besyde that of other wonderfull dedes shewed in the world by god But the churche came from Noe the patriarche vntyll Abraham whiche was eyght and fyftye yeare olde whan Noe dyed In the meane whyle whan this Monarchye beganne vngodlynesse and idolatry beganne to ryse here and there in Babylon and the true worde of God was in the meane tyme quenched seconde boke of the Cronicles of the foure Monarchies the whiche lykewyse comprehendeth two thousand yeares FOrasmuche it is before all thynges necessary and profytable in histories to consider the times and order of thinges that are happened I willed to parte this Cronicle in most greate and certaine nombers whiche maye easely be perceaued and kepte in memorye in the whiche neuerthelesse mighte be comprehended the most and principall chaunges of the worlde After than that we haue finished the first age we shall vndertake to speake of the two thousande yeares folowynge in the whiche also appeared the greatest power of the worlde and the most greatest monarchies haue folowed in order Of the fyrst Monarchye of the Assyrians Ninus kyng of the Assyryans WE haue admonished afore that the Chaldeis haue raigned first by the Babylonians but they remayned not longe in the empyre but that the Assirians the neighboures of the Chalde is obtained the kingedome and they beginne the history of kyng Ninus which beynge become moste puyssaunt in the Easte at the last also had warre wyth Zoroastres kynge of the Bactrians It is sayde that thys Soroastres fand fyrst wytchcraft and to haue taughte the course of heauen and the starres wyth great diligence As the warre was fynyshed that Ninus had wyth Soroastres he dyed leauynge hys heyre a yonge sonne Of quene Semiramis SEmiramis the mother of the chylde ruled her selfe after the kynges decease For the feared in so newe a kyngdome and where they were not all yet of their fre wyll subdued that for the chyldes youth the people mighte haue speded to rebellion and lest she shoulde be despysed by reason of woman kynde wherfore she vsed mans garment and fayned her to be the kynges chyld She was doughtye and excellent in princely affayres and augmented the borders of the dominion wyth vanquishynge countries and makynge fortresses She raygned happely and with great prayse xlij yeres She fortifyed Babilon with costly buyldynges dyches and walles enuyroned about it Whan the mother was deade Ninias the sonne raygned wyth good quietnesse and of this wyse was the superiorite of the worlde and Monarchye by the Assyrians a great season But forasmuche as there is not much written of the kynges folowyng I will passe ouer the rehearsall of their names because the good reader can not well kepe them in mynde Whoso wyll knowe them may seke them by manye other wryters Neuerthelesse it is no doute but that manys and sundry chaunges are befallen in this Monarchye the which maye easely be gathered out of the Bible which wytnesseth that the Assyrians possessed Babylon longe before the tyme of Cyrus howbeit they were two kyngdomes the one of the Niniuites the other of the Babylonians But for what causes or whan these mutations were that is vtterly vnknowen Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept this Monarchy fyue hundreth yeares and that after that longe tyme there was no certayne or fyrme kyngdome but that the Medes vsed a proper kyngdome and likewyse the Chaldees by the Babylonians and the Assyrians had their kyngdome at Niniue and amonge the kynges had nowe the one ouerhande nowe the other Finally the Medes beynge become myghty drewe the vpper Monarchy to them takynge also the citye Babilon These thinges seme moost lykest to the whiche agre those that are written of Sardanapalus not only by Metasthenes but also Bion of whom Agathias maketh mention Of Sardanapalus WE must speake a lytle of Sardanapalus how he was depryued of his kingdome that afterward the kingdomes were diuided Whan God wyll punyshe the worlde he geueth it lecherous prynces By the histories it is manifest that Sardanapalus nothinge regardyng the gouernaunce of the kyngdom gaâ— hym selfe only to pleasures in so much also that â—â— vsed to paynte and coloure him selfe to make hâ—â— beawty and to clothe him with womens garment It is said that he sat in the middes of dishonest women and vsed all maner of vnclennesse How shuld not such an empyre haue had a pyteful ende Whan nowe the Medes Babilonians were fallen from hym and rebell and that he had loste the battayll against hys enemies neither coulde no where merchandes be more salfe he set y e castell at Babylon in fyre and burnt him selfe in it Howbeit as wryteth Duris he sent afore his thre sonnes to Niniue and hereby it commeth that after the decease of Sardanapalus the kyngdomes are diuided Bolochus reigned at Babilon whiche fell from Sardanapalus with Arbace Arbaces kepte the kingdome of the Medes The posteryte of the Assirians dured a certaine space of yeares by them of Niniue Many yeares haue these thre kyngdomes foughte and stryuen for the Monarchye Of Egypte WE haue suffycyentlye spoken of thys fyrst Monarchye but howe many yeares there be vntyll the tyme of the second monarchye shall we note hereafter At thys tyme must wee shewe brefely a few thynges of other kyngdomes whych are come vp besyde this monarchy For the very large empyre of Egypt was in his floure that whiche was gouerned by the posteryte of Cham which was gouerned by the posterite of Cham but as concernyng his power it was lesse then the monarchye as now a dayes the kyngdome of Fraunce is myghty in dede but yet it is lesse then the Empyre concernynge ther power or the dignite of his maiestie Of Abraham and the
worthynesse yt is my mynde to praise some princes aboue the other For I iudge it to be pertaynynge to the duety of euery history wryter that he do nowe and than turne asyde into the rehearsall of the most best vertues and shewe them to the reader for a shewe as an example to folow Now in mens assaires can nothinge â—e more honeste nor more pleasaunt than the consyderacion and knowledge of princely vertues in great men Wherfore I woulde oure Germane Emperours were so set before the eyes of our Germanes that they myght know theyr vertues and wonder at them wonder it is how greatly the same wolde helpe and further to the amendement and also rayse a flame in the hartes of good men to folowe In my iudgement are these princes doutelesse suche whyche be worthy farre to be preferred before the auncient Romanes whether ye wyll regarde wysedome or strength or finally the endeuour of honesty and modestye The rehearsall of the Germane Emperours Carolus magnus Ludouicus pius the sonne of Carolus magnus â–ª After the syxe Saxons Henricus the fyrste Otho the greate Otho the second Otho the thyrd Henricus y â— .ij. which is buried at Bamberch Lotharius the Saxon. Item these Frankes Cunradus Henricus the sonne of Cunradus Item these Schwaben Fridericus Barbarossa Fridericus the second Afterward Rodolphus Sigismundus Maximilianus Of Germany and occasyon of the kyngdome of the Frankes ALl Germany was not subiecte to the empyre but had onely those contryes that are betwene the Rene and the Danow And much worke had the Emperoures before oure nacion could be subdued and kept For in the tyme of Augustus had Drusus warres and Germanicus afterwarde Caius and after him Vitellius Domitianus Traianus had subdued the lower Germany vntyll Moganus Maximinus was come vntyll Schwartzwald Valerianus was wyth an hoost in hygh Germany After hym vnder Galienus the Frankes beynge sett in a commotion began to ryse but by the Emperoures folowynge were theyr violences sometyme assuaged For Aurelianus vanquyshed them by Mayntz Probus had many and noble victoryes in lowe Germany Constantinus buylded the citye Spyre Iulianus Valentinianus and Theodosius dyd lykewyse subdue the Alemans Frankes and the contries that lye by the Rhene and toke in Schwaben land also But after that the power of the Frankes and Alemans begonne to encrease the Emperours returned not into Germany Some fable diuersly of the fyrst begynnynge of the Frankes but it is certayne that they were hyghe Germanes in Augustus tyme. For we haue no certaynty of the Germanes estate out of histories before Augustus But that the Frankes were in suche estimacion by the hygh Germanes that it can easely be proued out of Strabo who wrote an history in the tyme of Auguste and warrefared wyth the Romanes As for Strabo sayeth that the Frankes were ioynyng to the Vindelici that is Bayerlanders vpon the which they border partly at thys tyme also The commotion of the Frankes beganne by thys occasyon In the tyme of Galianus the Emperoure was Posthumus captayne in Germany the same was made Emperoure by the people for hys syngular honestye and vertues in gouernynge the empyre Galienus in the meane season lyued in ydelnesse and pleasure at Rome But whan Galienus hearde that Posthumus was made Emperoure he sent against hym an apointed army Posthumus likewyse commaunded his men to be in a readinesse among the whiche were euen the Frankes the principall And though Posthumus was afterwarde slayne priuely by an intrap yet the Frankes once prouoked to weapons remayned alway in the settyng forth to warre and came downe from Moganus to the Rene and ouer the Rene toke they first the citie Trier from the Romanes and afterwards went into fraunce But after that they had foughteÌ„ against Attila with the Romanes they were alway in great fauour wyth the Emperours in so muche â–ª that Iustinianus the Emperoure through a conuenaunt made with the Frankes suffred them to haue and inhabite that parte of Gallia whiche at this tyme is yet called Francia or Fraunce Wherefore the Frankes toke in both the contreis of the Ryne and parte of Fraunce and both the contreis were maynteined by one common kyngly gouernaunce The histories make euery where mencion of great prayses of the Frankes partely for their goodly polycy and prosperitie in gouernyng their kyngdome but specially because they embraced the Christen religioÌ„ in the begynnyg of the kyngdome and wylled it to be publyshed and spred abrode In the meane tyme dyd the Alemans decyuer from the Romyshe empyre also The Alemans were the hygh Germanes whiche now are called Schwaben Schweitzer Baier Therefore when the Romane Monarchy was sundered then was Germany first deuyded in Alemanes and Frankes But in the time of Pipine father to Charles the greate became the Frankes lordes of the Almaines and therfore as the empyre was thus deuided they called hygh Germany the Easte kyngdome and lowe Germany wyth Fraunce the West kyngdome And by thys partynge of the kyngdomes remayne the names yett in Germany The elders of Charles the greate were princes of Germany and Lordes of the courte and that more is the chefe gouernours by the kynges of the Frankes and by the commission of their office were called Grande maysters It is also sayed that thesame was theyr duchy dominion by enheritaunce where now is the countyshyp of Palatine about the Rene syde For certayne it is that the fyrst sprynge of the stocke of the Palatine commeth of Charles the greates yssue But at the last when the kyngly progeny decreassed and fayled by processe of tyme more and more and that these princes became more myghtyer it came topasse by the consent of the byshop of Rome that the gouernaunce of the kyngdome was brought ouer to the princes and Pipinus beyng made kyng of thys wyse gouerned both Germany and Fraunce When Pipinus was deade Charles surnamed the greate was kynge of the Frankes two and thyrty yeares before he was Emperoure and after that he was made Emperoure he reygned fourtene yeares Of this wyse reygned he both in the kingdome and empyre together .xlvi. yeares when they be counted together He was boren in Ingelheim in the county of Palatine not farre from the cytie Mentz In the begynnynge of his reigne warred he agaynst the Saracens in Gascon afterward warred he about thirty yeares with the Saxons the whiche he subdued at the last and made them to obeye the empyre embrace the ChristeÌ„ faith besyde other many and great battails whiche he had in the meane season also Desiderius kyng of the Lombardes coueted the dominion of whole Italy goyng to Rome caused some of the chefe cytesens to be put to death Wherfore Adrianus the byshop of Rome sendyng ambassadours to Charles desyred he woulde come and rydde Italy and Rome out of daunger For Pipinus the father of Charles had also before delyuered Rome from the tyranny
spyrituall kyngdom LEst we be ignorant in what state the word of God and the church was we must also speake of the spirituall kyngdome Abraham was in the time of kyng Ninus For when he was old about fifty yeares the first twoo thousande yeares had an ende and the kyngdome of the Assyrians was already begonne And that more is whan now the true worshyp of God and his worde began to come out of vse in the kyngdome of Babylon There weÌ„t out of Chaldea into Mesopotamia with his two sonnes Abraham and Loth lest he also myght bee stayned with the wickednes of the superstition that the Chaldees vsed This idolatry doth the scripture cal Vt Chaldeorum that is the Chalde fyre For when in the sacrifice of the true Godly the fyre fallyng downe from heauen kyndled the oblacions the wicked folowyng their examples kyndled a fyre and so set vp a newe Gods seruice that with suche a worke they might serue God without the expressed worde of God without the knowledge of the promyse of Christ to come Hereafter also in the histories is the same fyre called Orimasda that is holyfyre the whiche kynges caused also to be caried before them vpon a horse The first occasioÌ„ of ydolatry among men began by this fyre before Images were vsed But lest y â— worde of god should vtterly be quenched God renewed afreshe the promyse of Christe and added a new ceremony too the worde the which as a token should kepe the remeÌ„braunce of the worde in mens myndes For true doctrine is lightely put out of mens mindes without it bee beaten into the peoples myndes by outward tokens and ceremonies To that was Abraham chosen of God the whiche when he was olde thre score and fyften yeares he was commaunded of God to go into Chalde leauyng Mesopotamia where a new promise was made hym that the sede of Abraham should possesse the lande of Canaan should beare rule in it and also that the sede of Abraham namely Christ should come by the whiche God woulde blesse all nacions that is that GOD would be appeased by that sede and takyng awaye the power of synne and death geue lyfe euerlasting To this promyse hath God added circumcision the whiche should be a sygne of promission and a prouocation to beleue And therfore remayned alway afterward in the churche or congregacion the worde and spirituall kyngdome of Christ among a certain people that is in Abrahams posterite amonge the whiche it was necessary to haue bene alway some whiche were true beleuers and Godly As for the whole history of Abraham is fully written in the holy Bible In this place suffiseth it to shewe in what tyme Abraham hath bene and what chaunges 〈…〉 gion are happened in the meane season But the promyse was other whyles repeted to Abraham As for the circumcision was geuen hym when he was foure score yeare olde and nyne thee yeare from the creation of the world two thousand and seuen and fourty some count it to our Iubile two thousande and fifty Abraham had of Agar his handmayden a some called Ismael the same began to growe in strength and puisaunce by the Arabians and the Agareny in Arabia beare the name of this Agar of whome we shall speake afterwarde Of the destruction of Sodome THE foure score and nyntenth yeare of Abrahams age hath GOD for thee abhominable euyll dedes horrible and vncomly lecheryes destroied fyue cities Sodome and Gomorre and the other cities lyeng therby burnyng them with fyre from heauen The place where the cityes were is become a great marasse whose length and bredth conteyneth the space of certain miles euen yet at this time as though it were ful of pitche doth burne with coÌ„tinual smoke and vapor for a token of Gods indignacion vengeaunce for so greate synnes This happened the thre hundreth and fourscore eleuenth yere after the floude after that Noe was deade the fourtieth and one Of thys wyse hath God other whyles wytnessed to the worlde that he wyll bee auenged and iudge synners Of Isaac AFter this was a sonne borne to Abraham of his wyfe Saâ—a called Isaac of whose sede is Christ For he dyd beare hys fygure whan God commaunded that he should be offered of hys father wherby is signifyed that Christ should bee a sacrifice with the whiche should synne and death be disamilled And by this example it is signifyed agayne that God wyl forgeue synnes rayse the dead and geue euerlastyng lyfe to the beleuyng Isaac had two sonnes Iacob and Esau Of Esau haue the Edomites in Arabia their begynnyng for Esau was called Edom that is reddish because he solde his brother y â— ryght of y â— fyrst borne the which God hath blessed for a messe of potage y â— was somwhat reed despysynge the blessyng of God and his benefyte for loue of hys belly But Iacob was surnamed Israel that is prince of God of whom the people Israel haue their of sprynge But for al theese thynges must the Bible be loked Of Ioseph Iacobs sonne BEcause Ioseph is rehersed amoÌ„g the chiefe and moost wysest gouernours we do worthely here make mencion of hym For he taught the Egyptians both the religion and ciuyll maners and aboue all is it worthy to bee marked that the man whiche was endued with holynesse the holy ghost had set vp a very hard and rigorous maner of rulyng and that where the whole kyngdome of Egypte was large and wyde he ioyned them together as members of one body so that we may learne thereby that rygour is most nedeful to entertayn the people in there office or duety alowed of God For the common people is commonly destroied by lybertie But for because he came into Egypte by the conspiration of his brethren that he was solde of them and also what chaunce he had in Egypte of all this is there fully wrytten in the Bible For by thys wonderfull occasion God wylled hym to come into Egypt that in the same kyngdom also myght be taught the true worshyp of God and that the promyse of Christes commyng myght bee made manifest For God would euer haue his word preached euen in the greatest kyngdomes also that by this occasion God might fede Iacob and his posterite in the tyme of derth Of Moses and of the punyshment of the tyraunt Pharao ALthough God had promysed to the posterite of Abraham the possession of the lande of Canaan yet hath he differred the promyse a long season that through the word they myght haue in the meane while wherewith to exercyse their faith ye he suffred them before to be sore punished in Egypte For as saith the booke of Genesis Iacob and his chyldren fled into Egypte in the tyme of derth where they dwelled a longe season the which we shal note hereafter But when Pharao ouercharged the people without measure and remission and vsed tyranny insom uche that
This did Sedechias boaste and the hygh priests did interpretate the promyse of God peruerfly For God could neuerthelesse saue his people though he dyd suffre them to bee caried awaye and to be punished a certain space And thus was Ieremias prophecy despysed specially because it was so long differed nother did it so come to passe Beside this had the king of Babylon bene now thre times in Iewry yet had not profited in besieging the citie of HierusaleÌ„ Moreouer it was now y â— eleuenth yeare in the which many were fled out of the cytie the toune yet saued These thinges were the cause that after maÌ„s iudgement they stifly trusted that nothyng lesse shoulde be then that general destruction which Ieremy had prophecied Also was the citie euery where fortified with fortresses against the power of the enemies But Nabuchodonosor destroyed them wyth hunger for whan he besyeged the citie a yeare and an halfe it is saied that there was suche hunger that many did eate their owne children So stony hartâ—ed is mans nature in her purpose that where she was coÌ„strained with so great necessitie yet refuseth she to come and take succoure and consolacion of God For if they had yelded themselues after the prophetes counsayll though the banyshement had bene harde to them yet myght they haue had peace at the least waye with the aliens Finally when Sedechias toke the flyght he was taken after that sawe he his chyldren slayne in his presence but his iyes were put out the citie of Ierusalem was destroied the temple that God caused to be buylded was burnt the best of the people of the Iewes was caried awaye to Babylon into bondage this example ought earnestly admonyshe vs that God wyl not spare other kyngdomes and princes but that he wyll greueously punyshe synne seynge he hath vsed so greate rigour agaynst this kyngdome the whiche he hym selfe dyd set vp for the scripture witnesseth that God hath punyshed Iuda with innumerable kyndes of punishmentes for his synnes and added thoose synnes whiche were the chefest synnes namely despysyng of Gods worde the wicked worshyp of God tyranny agaynst the true preachers of Gods worde and prophetes The destruction of the citye happened the thre thousand thre hundreth and thre score and therten yeare sence the creation of the worlde The yeares From Dauid vntyll this spoylynge of the citie Ierusalem are fiue hundreth and sixten Hytherto remayned the kyngly name by the posteritie of Dauid amongest the whiche were many notable and renowmed kynges as the lyke in none other kyngdome For that kyngdome of Iuda had God specially created and gouerned it but because they were not without synne therfore were they punyshed of God and the kyngdome was chaunged For the kyngdome of Iuda was kept in captiuite in Babylon thre score and ten yeares howbeit in the meane season dyd God declare hymselfe so that it myght bee perceaued that hee cared for hys people and churche and that he neuer would forsake her For he sent notable prophetes as Daniel amongest the Babilonians whiche conuerted also Nabuchodonosor ye kyng For whan he was punyshed by Gods iudgement for his vngodlynesse and was become madde woodde so that he differred nothinge from a beast Daniel prayed God for him and he was restored afterward comminge to hys ryght mynde agayn from hys wyckednesse he renounced hys Idolatry and as he was taughte of Daniell he toke vpon him Gods true seruice After Nabuchodonosor raygned his sonne Euilmerodach The same commaunded to entreate Iechonias the kyng honestlye and accordinge to hys kyngly dignitye the which by the coÌ„maundemente of Ieremy the prophete yeldynge him selfe frely went also in exyle And after this wise dyd god fortunate this kyng which beleued the wordes of the prophete though he was in daunger for a season Of this wyse verelye was Dauids kynred saued from destruction by God through gods prouidence the which we shall declare at large hereafter After Euilmer odach succeded Balthasar in the kingdome The same was a despiser of godlinesse Gods word he restored of a new the old abrogate Idolatry of the Chaldeis he vsed the vessels that were caried from the temple of IerusaleÌ„ at his bankettes he mocked the God of the Iewes and for a reproche he caused to be songe that the God of the Chaldeis was a true God greater than the God of the Iewes But what happened These blasphemous voices brought the destruccion of the whole kyngdome For ther was clerely sene a hande that wrote vpon the wall that Balthasar should perysh with all his kingdome The same happened the very same night for the Medes and Persians fell sodenly vpon the Babylonians and gat the kyngedome and killed the kynge Balthasar This example witnesseth also that the blasphemies agaynste God remayne not vnreuenged Now hath the tyme of the first monarchy an ende vntyllthe Perses and kynge Cirus Betwene the byrth of Abraham and kyng Cirus are a thousand foure hundreth and four scor and fyften yeares in the which was y â— monarchy first by the Chaldeis after that by the Assyrians But whan it beganne to be alienated now preuailed the Assyrians than the Babilonians vntill the Medes and Perses dyd growe and finally gat Cyrus Babylon recouering the Monarchy and makyng all one It is chefely to be consydered that the whole kingdome of the Iewes is coÌ„prehended vnder the tyme of this fyrst monarchy where by it is euident that the Iewes are most auncient people and that only their histories are certayn and true of the first kyngdomes of the worlde Of the Grekes WE shall now note brefely the state of the Grekes in the tymes of the fyrst Monarchye where by it shalbe easely gathered that the histories of the Iewes are much more auncient than the Grekes for all their histories are written after the fyrst Monarchy Nether can the Grekes rehearse any thyng certayue or of longer space than that theyr Olympiades do shewe But the Olympiades began the eyght thertyth yere of kynge Osias And if that be diligently rekened it shall appeare to be about two hundreth yeare before the monarchye of the Peries But because of vnlearned readers I shall leaue the Olympiades and shewe brefely what hath happened by the Grekes in the tyme of the fyrste monarchye The country of Grece had no certayne kyng as other nacions but there were in it partly many prynces partly also mighty cityes sundry greate chaunges happened with the princes For the cityes encreasyng in puyssaunce coulde not well suffre Princes as we haue sene in Italy in oure dayes and as I shall afterward set some examples which are profytable to know and haue true wytnesse of hystoryes For there are fewe historyes withe the Grekes before the battayl of Troye Of the battayl of Troye THE battayll of Troie happened before the tyme of Dauid the whiche maye be proued by the
wytnesse of Virgil. For he sayeth that the kyngdome of Alban dured thre hundreth yeares Of thys wyse sayeth he of that kingdome of Alban Thre hundreth yeares wholy shall be the raygne vndoutedly Before the ende of thys raygne beganne Rome to be buylded the which we shall declare afterward And if ye reken backward the nomber of the yeres ye shal find that from the tyme of the buylding of Rome vntyl the begynnynge of Salo mons kyngdome are thre C. and thre yeares And it is euident that the battaill of Troie was not long before Some history wryters do differ here whiche saye that thys battayl was of more antique but I coulde proue the contrary by many argumentes the whiche I doo now passe ouer because of brefenesse Forsoth thys one thyng is worthy to be marked that the occasyon of the Troian battayll is spronge of adultery For Paris the sonne of the Troian kyng led away Helena the wyfe of Menelaus prince of Grece the hefe of the Grekes and the cytezens takyng this 〈…〉 displeasure making a conspiracy went to Troie 〈…〉 nd besyegyng it ten whole yeares at the last they 〈…〉 anne the castel Ilium and the cytye Troye and 〈…〉 ayeng kyng Priamus the kyngdome of Troye 〈…〉 as wholy quenceed From Troye sayled Eneas 〈…〉 to Italy in y e which he possessed that part which 〈…〉 as called Latium He beganne here a new kingdome and buylded for hys sonne Ascanius whych was also called Iulus the citye Alba in the which 〈…〉 he posteryte of Eneas raigned vntyll the tyme 〈…〉 hat Rome was buylded In the battayll of Troie 〈…〉 ere many doughty and renoumed princes whose 〈…〉 ames maye be sought other wayes Out of Thesâ—alia was there Achilles of whom Hector the most 〈…〉 aliaunt capitaine of the Troianes was slayne 〈…〉 nd Achilles him selfe at the last was slayne also by 〈…〉 yle For the Troianes had maryed to hym a doughter of Priamus and as he satt knelinge in hys prayer before the altare in the temple he was strycken through wyth a dart of Parys by a decepte Of the battayl of Thebe NOt long before the battayll of Troie ther was another of Thebe much more cruel For seynge the kyngdome of Thebe was fallen of right by inheritaunce to the two brethren Ethrocles and Polinices they agreed together vpon this condition that they shuld raigne euery one a yere one after y â— other Howbeit whan Ethrocles had receaued the kingdome he woulde raigne continually contrary to the appointement Wherfore hys brother Polynices beyng constrayned fled to Adrastus king of the Argies the which as he had geuen him in mariage his doughter he woulde set him into the kingdome againe by force but Adrastus was slayne before Thebe with other princes Ethrocles and Polinices brethren meting together by chaunce in battayll were slayne wyth woundinge eche other The discorde of the bretheren was the cause of thys great and dolefull slaughter of the brethren Nother was the warre yet fynyshed for other princes beseged the cytye agayne afterward with a mighty power and gettinge it dyd at the last ouerthrowe it Of Hercules ALytle before thys tyme that is shortey before Saul was made kynge by the Iewes lyued Hercules in Grece which before other princes is chiefely praysed for hys noble vertues His elders were Amphytryo and Alcmena boren of the cytye Tyrinthus whych lyeth not farre from Argis But Amphytrio fled to Thebe because that in a discorde betwene hys brother and hym he slewe hym and for thys cause fortuned Hercules to be borne at Thebe and here he shewed the fyrst profe of his power For whan they of Minya a toune in Thessalia which at that tyme were of renoumed puyssance and raygned in the cytye Orchomenus assaulted the towne of Thebe Hercules defended it driuing the enemies of from it and toke the citye Orchomenus the dominion whereof began than to fayle This citye was most ryche whose greate prayses are in Homers worckes for her plentyfulnesse This victory gat Hercules first a great name in so much that afterwarde other prynces of Grece came frely to him therfore was he euery where a maker of peace he ayded princes and cities he reuenged and chastysed vnryghteous dedes and against them that he had holpen vsed he great mekenesse nother layed anye charge vpon them that they were not able to beare These are the thynges for the whiche he deserued so greate prayse as none other prynce the lyke Afterwarde toke he hys yourneye into Asia where he ouercame kyng Laomedon and slewe hym but in thys vyctory vsed he a very kyngly moderacion of mynde For he saued the kyngdome nother woulde destroye it but gaue the possession thereof to Priamus as to the true heyre And because he restored the kingdome to Priamus it is easye to gesse what tyme Hercules lyued Besyde thys he made the sea in Italy and Spaine safe from robbers and for this cause caused he to be raysed two rockes in the vtter coastes of Spayne and Aphrica which shuld alwaye beare wytnesse of this dede For at thys time yet are they called Hercules pyllers Charles the fyfte the most victorious or most valiant Emperour hath these at this tyme as a peculiar badge namely that he may be knowen to be sent to vs of God to the intent that in thys troublous state of the worlde he maye be in whole Europa as an Hercules to restore agayne wyth hys prowesse and stronge victorious hande peace and instyce Hether to haue we spoken of the notable thynges that are happened in Grece in the tyme of the fyrst monarchye But I shall neuerthelesse adde a few thynges besyde these For in reading of hystoryes must speciallye be consydered what state the kyngdomes were of what religions what maner of lawes Fynally what sciences they had wherein they floryshed Whan the sonnes of Noe dyed the true vnderstanding of Gods worde peryshed also in Grece though in the meane whyle they retayned of thepr fathers the maner of ceremonies and sentences of godlynesse yet neuerthelesse was the vngodlynesse encreased and otherwyles was one or other Idolatry set vp For enery one ymagyned for him selfe an order to worshyp God accordynge as hys constraint and necessite compelled hym For it is spoken of a Poet The fyrst feare that came to men mortall Caused gods that be immortall That is most euidente and true in fayninge of the wicked seruice of God For noman is so cruel of nature whyche beynge in necessyte that doeth not seke God and for so muche as he knoweth not that God must be sought by faith only in Christ he falleth to some outwarde worke and faineth some new maner of worshippyng God Of this commeth the fountayne and sprynge of all the vngodlynesses nere hande that are in the worlde Nether nedeth any man suppose that men erred so greatly that they thought Images and contrefaitures to
what warres he made doth Titus liuius wryte I wyll only shewe brefely the ordre of the tymes and what notable chaunges of realmes are happened in the meane whyle that euery man maye knowe what is chefely to be marked in readynge of all hystoryes nother shall we also passcouer these wonders that are happened by some heauenly prouideÌ„ce that we may se that vnryghteousnes is punyshed of God and for what causes coÌ„mune wealthes and Kyngdomes are chaunged Pomponius Atticus and some other whych reken the nomber of yeares mooste dyligently doeth affirme that the citye of Rome was begonne to be buyldeth in the begynnynge of the thyrde yeare of the syxte Olympias that is the tenth yeare of Ioathan Kynge of Iuda but after the creation of the worlde the thre thousand two hundreth and one Rome was before Christes byrth seuen hundreth and nyne tweÌ„tyyeare I wyl also adde that Varro wryteth the twelue great rauens to sygnifye the tyme and lastyng of the citye namely a thousande and two hundreth yeare For euery great raâ—en shulde sygnifye a Seculum that is a hundret yeare and this is no euyll interpretacion For from the begynnynge of the cityes buyldynge vntyll the tyme of Honorius and Archadius whan it was destroyed of the Gotes was a thousand and thre hundreth yeares The kynges raygned at Rome two hundreth and foure and forty yeares as wytnesseth Liuius Eusebius addeth also two yeares Romulus xxxviij Numa xliij Tullius hostilius xxxij Alha the citye and punyshed theyr gouernoure which was a true breaker wyth dew punyshment He gaue anotable example to men therin how traytours ought to be punyshed For he caused hym to be bounde and stretched out betwene two wagons and with horsses dryuen sundery wayes to be pulled insunder and toren to peces The kyngdome of Alba ceasyd here and this happened alytle before that tyme whan Manasses raygned in Iewry Whan Alba was ouerthrowen the posteritye of the Troyans chefely of Iulius the sonne of Eneas write to Rome leauynge Alba the whych after warde became myghty by the Romanes toke all the monarchy alone in the tyme of Iulius Cesar Therfore was it well prophecyed of Homerus concernynge Eneas that hys posteritye should haue dominion euerlastingly and that is no doubte to be vnderstande of the Romane dominion for theyr monarchy is the last But we shall speake more larger of these thynges hereafter after Tullus Hostylius succeded in the kyngdome and raygned Ancus Martius xxiiij Tarquinius Priscus xxxviij Seruius Tullius xliiij In his tyme began the monarchy of the Persians and for because I myght be brefe therfore wylled I also to comprehende here the kynges of Rome because they for the moste parte all reygned before the monarchy of the Perses durynge the whiche few thynges worthy of remembraunce are befallen by the Romanes vndoutedly whose puyssaunce was not great before that tyme. Tarquinius Superbus raygned xxv yeares was dryuen out of the kyngdom for the abhominacion of his sonne Sextus Tarquinius the which did by violence misvse the moste honeste wyfe Lucrece whiche moued with shamfastnes of such wickednes pearced herself with a swearde eueÌ„ through the hart Her kynsfolke moued with the wickednes of the dede droue out the kynge This example doth also witnesse for what causes God doth suffre kyngdomes to be changed and tyranny to be punished This is ynough spoken of the beginnyng of the foundacion of the citie and whence happened the first chaunge of the common wealth ¶ Of the second Monarchye WHen the Iewes had bene thre score and ten yeares in exile by the Babylonians as we haue sayde before the kyng of Babylon Balthasar was punyshed of God â–ª because he blasphemed the God of Israel and vsed the vessels that were ordeined for the tempels vse in his bankettes For the Medes and Perses were fallen into his kyngdome and toke the citie of Babylon with the kyngdomes of Chaldee and Assyrya Worthely therfore is this to bee called the seconde monarchye For the greatest kyngdomes of the worlde began now to growe together too the whiche all Asianearehande was ioyned afterward by the Persians Here ought y â— godly mynd before all thynges to consyder these noble benefytes and workes of God whiche brought agayne all thee worlde in one certayn body and a lawfull empyre that iustice and honestie myght be mainteined For it were necessary that all ciuilitie and good lawes should peryshe amonge men without God chose and ordeined somtyme myghty monarchyes and puyssaunt princes the whiche might defende them and if they were decayed to restore them agayne This monarchy of the Persians was knowento the Grekes and for the moste parte are happened in this monarchies tyme whatsoeuer notable and greate fetes are done in Grece And thereby commeth that the Grekes begyn their histories at the Persians the whiche it semeth to haue litle knowledge what hath bene done in other kyngdomes before the Persians tymes As for the order of the yeres in histories I must here aduertyse the reader that I haue hetherto borowed the rekenyng of the yeares out of holy scriptures the whiche shewe by order the counte of the yeares euen from the creation of the worlde untyll these seuenty yeares in the which the Iewes were kept in the Babylonicall bannyshment Moreouer in the holy Bibels are conteyned certayne Cronicles of the yeares vntyl the tyme of the Perses but after that is thee order of the yeres not so wel kept saue that Daniel saith that there are four hundreth and seuenty yeares from that tyme that it was graunted to the Iewes to repare the citye Ierusalem vntyll Christ was borne And of so easy a thynge some men maketh a great question of countinge these yeares a ryght in the which we shall shewe to be no difficultye For Daniel hath very well expressed and marked the tyme of Christes coÌ„minge The begynnynge of the Monarchye of the Persians BUt that the nombers do agre wyth the seuenty yeares aforesayde we shal reken in the Monarchy of the persyans a hundreth nynety and one yeare Although the Grekes do reken the nomber of these yeares greater in the Monarchy of the perses Howbeyt thys is come thereby that the Grekes haue not begonne fyrst to reken whan these seuenty yeares were expyred but that about a twenty yeares before And of this wyse must the rekenynge of Philo and other Grecians be made equal For the Iewes begynne in the yere of Cyrus after that he had wonne the cytie Babylon But the Grekes reken those yeares wythal also the which he had reygned before but they are not to be referred to the yeares ensuynge Moreouer that the matter maye the better be vnderstande accordynge to the order of Philo we shall fyrst rehearce the high priestes after that shall we also adioyne the Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them But he that vnderstandeth Cyrus kyngdome to beginne after the conquerynge of Babylon
byshoprycke to one that was the thirde called Gregorius the .vi. And so did Benedictus geue place to hym but Syluester woulde contrarywyse defende hys ryght against Gregorius This controuersye dyd compell the Emperoure Henry the black to come to Rome who dyd worthely depose those thre monsters from the byshoprycke and ordeined in steade of them one Syndeger byshop of Bamberg who was called Clemens the .ii. the .clii byshop of whom Henry the blacke was crowned About this time began the name of Cardinals to be vsed whereby it may be supposed that this same dignitie in the church was not elder But for somuche as oftymes happened moste heuy contencions and stryfes of the diuersitie of wylles in makynge of the byshop of Rome Henry the Blacke made an ordinaunce that thenceforth no byshop of Rome should be chosen without the consent of the Emperour also his confirmacion This ordinaunce was afterwarde sore foughten against of the byshops of Rome insomuche also that most haynous warres are rysen thereof in the tymes of Hēry the fourth and fyfth Emperours Henry the thyrd surnamed the Black the .xv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M.xl. beganne to raygne Henry the third called the Black and raygned seuentene yeres Fyrst inuaded he the Bohemes with warr but they beyng ayded of the Hungarians ouercame hym The yere after were the Bohemes so weried with warres of Henry that their prince constrayned by necessitie came to Regenspurg and made hymselfe tributary frely to the Emperour After that going into Hungaty warred thre yeares and takynge in certayne cities he compelled the Hungarians to demaunde peace He subdued also the duke of Lorain that he obeied the empire At Rome put he down thre byshops at once striuing for the see and made a Germane byshop to be byshop there whō they called Clement the .ii. Thēceforth ouercame he the Saracēs by Capua Afterward came he again into Germany kept a cōgregatiō at Mentz wherein was Leo the bysh of Ro. Cuno duke of Bayer whiche was after S. Hēry trustyng to the ayde and conspiracion of the Hūgarians set hym agaist the Emperoure for by that meanes entended he to drawe the possession of the kyngdome to hym But the Hungarians were ouercome the duke Cuno was driuen out and liued all his lyfe a bannyshed man in Hungary The land of Bayer was in the meane tyme wythout a duke and gouernoure Before Henry the Black dyed he caused hys sonne Henry fyue yeare of age to be chosen Emperour and was crowned at Aken to the intēt there shoulde be a certayne heade of the empyre nether should any rumour be for the election Wherefore the sonne raygned a certayn space vnder the mothers protection The mother of Honry the .iiij. was called Agnes borne in the county of Pisto in Fraunce After Clemens was Damasus the .ij. made the cliij byshop of Rome whiche optayned the byshopricke by force Leo the .ix. succeded Damasus The same was in the counsaill kept at Mentz and was conuersaunt wyth Henry the black a whyle afterwarde In his tyme Berengarius a deacon of Angewe in Fraunce taught that the true body and bloud of Christ were not in the breade and wyne according to Christes institucion Leo the byshop of Rome condempned this in the counsaill of Vercelli but the sedes of this doctrine that were left hath caused great persecucion to them that came after Victor the .ij. the .clv. byshop of Rome succeded Leo. The same was before byshop of Eichstet Stephanus the .ix. succeded Victor Benedictus the .ix. the .clvij. byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Nicolaus the .ij. folowed after Benedictus The same deposed Benedictus and is sayde to haue ordeined fyrst that Cardinals shall haue aucthoritie to chose the byshop of Rome Berengarius was also condempned againe by hym and was compelled to reuoke that he had taught of the sacrament Alexander the .ij. the .clix. byshop of Rome succeded Nicolaus then also was greate strife for the delection Gregorius the .vij. before called Hiltebrande was the .clx. byshop of Rome after Alexander The same dyd excommunicate and persued Henry the iiij raisyng also fearce warres that he myght get obteyne that a byshop of Rome myght be chosen and confirmed wythout the Emperoures consent and confirmacion lest the Emperours shoulde clame any aucthoritie vpon the byshops of Rome to rule them whereof we shall speake more in Henry the fourth Henry the .iiij. the .xvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. lvij began Henry the .iiij. to reigne after that his father was deade beynge yet a chylde and raygned fyfty yeares In this man dyd not onely the vertue of suche kynde of Emperours fayle but the empyre of whole Germany began so to decaye that afterwarde it neuer coulde nether be brought to his olde state nor recouer his former strength Hiltebrand byshop of Rome was causer of this lamentable game who turned neare hād al Germany vp down with warres among the princes therof In Henry the Emperours chyldhode dyd Agnes his mother gouerne the empyre not without prayse she set Germany and Italy at peace and trāquilitie But the byshop of Colen dyd priuely leade away the chylde beyng now twelue yeares of age and ready to be gyn to beare rule and in the meane season he hymselfe ruled afterwarde the empyre It is saide also that he caused the Imperiall childe to be brought vp vnsemely It were longe to reherse here all the causes and circumstaunces I wyll onely reherse here brefely the most worthy of remēbraunce Henry the Black father to this Henry had made a constitucion of making a byshop of Rome by a most wyse aduise that y ◠same should not be done without the knowledge and consent of the Emperoure But now that Hiltebrand was come into the see he made a decre cōtrary wyse that the confirmacion of a byshop shoulde not be demaunded of the Emperoure But the Emperoure woulde that this his fathers constitucion should beare effect Besydes that also had the Emperoure aucthoritie to geue the byshoprycks of the empyre but Hiltebrand would not suffre that also For it happened oft that when one byshop was dead another was made in his stead of the Emperoure and agayne another of the byshop of Rome whiche dyd then excommunicate the other Finally came the game to this ende that the Emperoure was not onely excommunicated but it was also cōmaunded that other greate Lordes of Germany should make another Emperoure And the maister of this game was the byshop of Halberstat in Saxony to do the byshop of Rome a pleasure Wherfore fell from the Emperoure Henry the fourth Otho duke of Saxony Rudolfus duke of Schwaben to whom was maried the Emperoures syster germane and certayne byshops specially Saxons On the Emperours syde were the Bohemies and the lordes Catuly whom the Emperoure gaue Baierlande driuyng out Otho the duke of Saxony and some byshops also whiche disalowed the byshop of Romes tyranny
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
haue referred to that tyme when the kyngdome of Babilon and Niniue the citie were not yet diuided euen when the Assyrians reygned only at Babylon Agathias wryteth in the seconde booke of the Gothian warre that Ctesias set the nomber of the yeares and the order of the Monarchies of thys wyse As for Ctesias was a Grecian who when Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger warred with eche other he was also in the army and was a Phisician Beynge taken in warre he was at the last caried to Babylon where he was honestly entreated and then readynge the hystoryes of Babylon he set the nomber of that kyngdome in an order of this wyse From Ninus vntyll the begynnyng of the Medes kyngdome wiche did deciuer from the Assyryans the fyrste are M. CCC lx yeares and this order do all those obserue that wrote afterwarde Diodorus Siculus and Iustinus Diodorus Siculus wrote of this wyse in his thyrde booke Lyke wyse also the resydue of the kynges thyrty in nomber helde the kyngdome vntyll Sardanapulus by whose tyme the kyngdome of the Assyrians which had lasted M. CCC lx yeares as wryteth Ctesias in the seconde booke fell to the Medes Iustinus sayeth of this wyse The assyrians who afterwarde were called Syria had the gouernaunce M. CCC yeres Herodotus doth passe ouer somthynge in the meane tyme that the decayeng kyng dome of the Assyrians came to the Medes I thynke this also that these yeares of Ctesias concernyng the begynnyng of Babylon to be vnderstand from the tyme of Nembroth not Ninus The Medes reigned after the fallyng from the Assyrians vntil Cyrus about thre hundreth yeres as Agathias gathereth out of Ctesias The kyngdome of the Perses vntill Alexander dyd last CCxxviij yeres as witnesseth Agathias and some Grecian wryters Alexander and his posteritie kept Babylon vntyll the tyme that the power of the Parthians beganne to grow and Agathias setteth CCC yeres seuen lesse and that is from Alexander vntyll Augustus tyme. Afterward raigned the Parthians in the Easte hundreth yeares vntil the tyme of Alexander Seuerus the Emperoures and then dyd Artaxerxes the Persian stick through and slaye Artabanus the last kyng of the Parthians And of this wyse came the East kyngdom agayne to the Perses which were myghty vntyll Mahomets tyme. For the successors of Mahomet inuaded the Perses and teke in the empire of whole Arabia But the Turkes toke from them afterwarde Syria and Asia the lesse And thus were the kyngdomes of the Easte tossed finally with diuerse mutaciōs the one people was oftymes remoued to the other It is greatly necessary to ouerlaye all these thynges and often to consyder them that the order of all tymes and histories may be knowen aryght An addition vnto the Cronicle of Iohn Carion contaygnyng the actes and histories come to passe in dyuers and sundry partes of the worlde from the yere of our lorde MDxxxij vnto the yeare of our lorde MD. L. excerpted and gathered out of the best historiographers by Iohn Funke of Nourenborough And caused to be translated by Gwalter Lynne AT the entraunce or beginning of the conuocation holden at Ratisbone or Raynesborough in the yere of our lorde MD. xxxij in lent ther lay at Nurrenborough certayn princes electours with many other nobles of the empire among whom were as principall Albert Archebyshop of Mogunce or Mence Lodowike Palatine of the Rhyne Iohn Frederike duke of Saxon and electour imperiall whiche princes nobles did there treate and consulte vpon matters of religion and about the establishing of kyng Ferdinandus to whose election as to be king of the Romains the said Iohn duke of Saxō electour imperiall would not accorde nor consent and after much intreataunce they obtayned of themperours maiestie a graunt and promes of a sure and stedfast peace vntil the next general coūsail that was to come yea and is to come yet euen at this day Other notable actes cōcerning matters of religiō was there none concluded in that conuocation For Soliman Emperoure of the Turkes was vp with all his power and inuaded the lande of Hungary wherefore the Christian princes were constrained with all spede and strenght possible to prepare themselues to resist the said aduersary Insomuche that there was prepared suche an armie and hoost of men of diuers nacions as neuer was sene before in all Germany y ◠beginnyng wherof was about the feast of S. Iohn the baptist the warriours of the towne of Nurenburgh beinge the firste that arryued at Weene in Austriche for there was all the whole hoost appointed to assemble and come together the same assembling continued vntil the feast of saint Bartholome we next ensuyng The nombere of Duche pietons or footemen was about foure score thousande stoute and valiaunt fyghting men And of the horse men there was about .xxiiij. thousand The Bohemes were in the nomber aboue twenty thousande All these lay about Wyene by the ryuer called the Danube a lycle myle frō the towne Their chefe capitaine was the right noble and mighty prince lord Frederick Palatine of the Rene c. nowe being electour imperiall About the said towne laye also vpon a fifty thousand Spanyardes whiche in these affayres vsed but small kyndnesse towardes the germaynes For in their passage from the Countie of Tyroll ouer the Eye and the Danube into Austrich they burned certayn strong holdes and townes well inhabited and some they pylled and with women and maydens they wrought suche vylanye and enormitie whiche is horrible to be spoken that many of them dyed thorough their said outtragiousnes The goodly and plesaūt Citie of Krembes was vtterly by thē subuerted and brent vp except fourtenne houses wyth certayne walles After this when they lacked vitualles in their campe for the space of one daye they russhed with violence before the Cytie of Wyene wherein the Emperoure and the kyng had theyr beyng wyth a great nombre of other greate men of armes and warriours whiche were come thether wyth them and would haue assaulted and ouerrunne the same towne if the Germaynes had not the sooner resysted them and letted their enterpryse In the meane season the Turke layde syege to a certayne lytle Towne called Guns whiche lyeth about twelue or thirtene myles from Wyene in the coastes of Hungary and assaulted the same most fiercely by the space of twelue dayes during the which tyme he sought all meanes possyble to subuerte and ouerthrowe the same But the right noble and worshypfull Syr Nicolas Iuristhi knight and Ruler of the sayed towne dyd so manfully and valiauntly behaue hymselfe in those affayres wyth hys cytesens or bourgeouses beyng in nombre about eight hundreth men and one hundred souldiours whiche were layde there in garnison for the sauegarde of the same towne that the Turke maruayled not a lyttell of it Wherefore he promised vnto the sayed Ruler fre passage and saulf conduct and hauing personally himself talked w t him did highly prayse him for his
glyttered cleare as here after wyll appeare wyth all ioye and reuerence and were to gether tyll the ende of the xxxix yeare The inhabytoures of the nether parte of Austeryche of the erldome of Goertz hadde sente forth theyr ambassadours the laste daye of December from Vyenne wyth a pityfull and humble requeste and petycyon to the states and degrees of the kingdome of Behame which were at that time assembled at Preslowe that they woulde vouchesafe to helpe them agaynste the turcke whych had two yere before taken in the marqueship of Woendon and that present yeare manned it and caried from thence foureskore thousande chrysten men in to his lande and laie at that tyme hard vpon their neckes the chefe ambassadours of thys ambassage were M. Vlryche of boskawyts and. M Tscher nafor whyche were of the kynge of the Romaynes councell But what they obtayned wyth theyr peticion I can not tell at thys tyme but I suppose that they obtayned an honeste promesse and helpe For so pytyfullye as they made theyr petycyon it woulde haue made a stonye herte to meltte specially if men consider that yf they be suffred to be destroyed wythoute helpe that then theyr aduersity will be at the next time our awne In the somer in Iuly ther was a blasing ster in the eauening in y ◠Northwest in the signe of the virgin It was elles a metely good yere as touching wether other thinges y ◠happened therin but in the winter euery full mone ther was muche raine speciallye about the elue and other waters that ronne therinto Here I must sett to new tidynges that are counted true of many whych I take to be a speeyall myracle if it be so It is sayde and it is openly putt oute in prynte That the Emperour of Turckye in Iune caused all hys chefe and best learned priestes to come before hym and commaunded them vpon a great payne to tell hym whyche is the ryght true and best belefe vpon earth And when they had for feare excused themselues they had a tyme appoynted to remembre them and after were called before hymagayne Now when they were agayne monished to saye the trueth of theyr conscyence and heard the commaundement of the Tyrant they answered one after another wyth one assent that the Christen beliefe is the best and that it is a ryght and a true belefe albeit it is very much misused of the Christen For it teacheth the beste poyntes that can be as to wytte loue toward God and man whych is not so well taught in any other belefe And forther that they haue wytnesse in their lawe and alkorane that Mahomet must go to Christ for grace c. And that Christe is therefore better than Mahomet Whē they now had thus answered wythout feare the Tyrant waxed angrye and caused them all which were aboue fyfiye to beheaded And in the same place was there a syght sene as though all the headed priestes had bene together and lighted clearer than manye candellyghtes in the nyght through which miracle manye of the other priestes of Mahomet folowed theyr confessyon belefe also many of y ◠Lay people which acknowledged openly and wythout feare that those priestes were vniustly kylled for the truethes sake All thynges are possible to God so that it may well be For God cā raise vp a Daniel or an Ezechiel amōg the Babilonians Howbeit no man shall be compelled to beleue this but at his pleasure IN the yeare of our lord M. D. XL. in the beginning of the yeare dyd the Emperoures Maiestye ryde to Paris and as he rode in was excedyng royally conducted and receaued and afterwarde great and pryncely Banckettes made wyth great momeryes and daunces And the second daye after there were great Iustynges and fyghtynges made `to do hym pleasure and honour wyth all There his Maiesty abode tyll the second day after the twelueth daye Then he departeth into Flaunders wyth al his company and was conducted vnto Camerick of bothe the kynges sonnes and there with great royalty receaued of the Bishop of Camerick From thens they iorneyed to Valencyne there taryed the ladye Marye Quene of hungarye for them There also toke the kynges sonnes theyr leaue of the Emperoures mayestye and tourned home agayn But as the Emperoures Mayestye was in all places royallye receaued so was ther wayte layde falslye pryuelye and craftelye to kyll hym For as the Emperoure shulde sayell from corbe to Paryse and hadde wyth hym a Cardynall the Duke of Albuge and the kynges Marschalle to beare hym companye the water men rowed the shyppe vpon a pyele so that the shyp turned round aboute and he that hylde the rother fell oute of the boot what that meant it is easy to gesse wherof the Emperour complayneth in a letter written to Paule the thyrde byshoppe of Rome whereyn he sheweth the cause why he could not come to the councell appointed to be holden at Trente that he had perfect knowledge that the kynge of Fraunce was mynded at that tyme to take hym presoner and kepe hym in holde as it also afterwarde sufficyently appeared by the affaires of the sayde king But after the Emperours mayestye was comen in to hys awne lande he wente streyghtwayes vnto Gent and after he was suffred to come in to the cytye he fyrste earnestlye punyshed the insurrecty on raysers and caused a great parte of the citye to be broken downe and a stronge Castell to be buylded in the same place A none after cam Ferdinādus in to Flaūders to y ◠Emperours maiesty to consult with him after whatt maner they myghte wythstande the turcke and howe hys greate tyrannye agaynste vs poor Chrystyans myghte be resysted and auoyded Euen whyle these thynges were done in Flaunders ther was a communycacyon holden at Wormes at the Emperours commaundement concernynge Relygyon and the speakers of both sydes were master Philip Melanthon myne enterelye beloued master of the Gospellers syde and Doctor Iohn Ecke of Ingolstadt whyche wolde haue defended the Byshoppe of Romes parte Thys communycacion beganne the fourtenne day of Ianuarye there the Artycle of orygynall synne was specyallye intreated of whether the same syn abyde and remayne in Chrysten and holy men after baptyme And was concluded that ther yet abyede remnauntes of synne in the saynctes althoughe they raygne nott or haue the ouerhande As. S. Paule sayth let not synne raygne in your mortall bodyes But suche synnes are not imputed to the saynctes for Christes merytes sake as the Apostle forther saythe ther is nowe no condemnacyon to them that are in Chryste Iesu c. After thys treatye was that communycacyon so ended and dyffered tyl the Emperoures and the kynges mayestyes of the Romaynes were personallye presente But what sutteltye and craft Eccyus vsed in dysputacyon to adourne and garnysh hys cause maye euerye wyttye manse by the treaty it selfe whych is
of our handes that w◠beinge holpen by the same may the more commody ously in treat of the affaires that for the moost part in the commune welth So noble a treasure verely are histories by y e which that they that haue gouernaunce of the commune welche are aduertysed of sundry publyke matters Besydes these also are ther founde in historyes such examples which do profet euery priuate person seuerally such as these be The magistrate must be obeyed They which rebelled against the higher powers were neuer vnpunished as Absalon Catilma Brutus Cassius and such like that were therfore punished Of faithfulnesse of frendes as Ionathas which saued the life of Dauid Of the punishment for aduoutry and suche like wicked dedes as it appeareth by y e example of Dauid What nedeth many wordes euen as in al sciences are set forth examples to be folowed so are in histories set forth painted examples of al kind of vertues Yee and in examples and thinges cōmitted is more euidently sene the worthinesse of vertues yea also of what vnclennesse and dishonesty vices are than in preceptes or doctrinees Because that examples being set before vs as images do not only teache openly but do also admonish sturre and inflame the myndes y t are honestly brought vp that they maye be kindled toward vertues and honesty with a certain plesur and loue For who could be so cruel of minde which shulde not be moued yf he did reade some excellent and laudable dede or an example of vengeaunces I haue brefely shewed how the examples of politike vertues and ciuill causes must be obserued in readynge of histories Nowe doth it pertayne to a Christenman to whome godlynesse appertayneth that he maye knowe that out of historyes are to be gathered instructyons of fayth and feare of God For these are the chefeste vertues of Godlye men that are allowed before God And thoughe the hystoryes of the Gentyls do not teache vs that God careth for vs or that God worketh wyth vs a godlye harte neuerthelesse shall marke thys namelye how commune welthes are kept and preserued in the worlde from heauen and that it is the workinge and dede of God to reuenge violence and wronge and that God doth oftentimes distribute hys excellente vertues amonge the Heythen For princes can not kepe their kingdomes against Satan without the singular benefite of god the aide or assistaūce of great vertues And of this wise shal the mind of a godly man think by himself that such notable actes punishmentes are the worck of god and shal by them learne to fear God that is to saye that tiraunces are greueously punished according to that sentence he that taketh the sword that is he that taketh vpon hym the authoryte of vengeaunce without a commaūdement the same shal perish with y ◠sword Contrary wise maie be sene also that good princes are kept and preserued of God the same haue the heithen perceued also y e princes do rest vpon the aid of the goddes For Homer the poet sayeth that God holdeth for the hys shyide in battail to defend princes He faineth also that euerye prince is in sauegard by the defence of his god as it appeareth that the goddesse Pallas was wyth Achilles in battayll c. Althese thinges are moost clerely expressed in y ◠histories of the holy scripture as in Abraham Dauid Ezechias and other kinges whome God hath defended And their examples are prepounded to euery prince y t they may be assured that god doth of likewise defēde the good For the histories of holy men and Heithen men do differ in that that in y ◠histories of holy men are set forth and declared the witnesses of Gods workes the which also do not only treat of politike matters but do chefely shadowe and declare vnto vs Gods kingdome that God geueth his worde that frely and of mercye he will saue the which thing the histories of the Gentiles can not speake of Therfore ought euery Christen man chefely to know the holy scripture that out of them they may learne the doctrine and confirmation of faith First how al thinges are created of God how sinne dyd beginne that Christe hath set vp his kingdomes against sinne that he hath geuē his word that Christe was promised and that he is come to abandon sinne and to saue vs. Item how God whan he had geuen his word hath alway preserued and maintened Christes kingdome and that Christes kingdome that is the true beleuing haue alway ben cōuersaunt vnder the crosse sence the beginninge of y ◠worlde and yet neuerthelesse are saued that Satan with the greatest power of the world hath assaulted the word of God Item that God hath wōderfully alway kept his promise aboue the vnderstandynge and thought of mens wit or wisedome Item that God hath set before vs bothe the examples of his dredefull vengeaunce and also of grace or fauour Of this wise haue king Dauid and other gotten remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes that by theyr examples we may be comforted and beleue that God wil forgeue Nether is y ◠to be omitted that God hath geuen vs al maner of prophecyes of exterior kingdomes to stablish our mindes that of the accomplishment of their chaunce we myghte haue wytnesse that our word is come of God and that none other faith saueours is true Item that we shuld be warned whan Christe muste come and whan the ende of the worlde is to be loked for Itē for so muche as we knowe that all thynges spoken of in the prophetes are come to passe that we may beleue that those shall happen also the which holye scripture sayeth shall befal Moreouer to vnderstande prophecyes arighte it is greatlye necessary to knowe the order of kingdomes the nombre of the yeares and many other thynges whyche in readynge of Heathen hystoryes do offer them selues the knowledge whereof is chefelye necessarye for Chrysten men that they may the better vnderstande the propheties and haue the better iudgment of them Of all thys truely maye euery man iudge how muche profyte is taken oute of the readynge of hystoryes and the greate profyte or frute that commyth of them ought dylygently to steare and driue euery man to knowe them After what order hystoryes must be comprehended and red HE that wyll reade hystoryes to profyt the same must comprehende all the tymes sence the foundacyon of the worlde into a certayne order For there were some that diuyded the worlde therfore in seuen ages and haue rekened them diuersly but those where they endeuour to sett an order they do nothynge but sett all thynges wythout order As for me I wyll folow the renowmed sayenge of Ely the prophet whych hath excellently dyuyded the worlde into thre ages wyth the whyche he sheweth the greatest chaunges of the worlde also what tyme it behoued Christ to come and how longe thys state of the world ought to last and thus it is The
sayenge of Helias house THe worlde shall stande syxe thousand yeres and after shall it falle Two thousande yeares wythout the Lawe Two thousande yeares in the lawe Two thousande yeares the tyme of Christ And yf these yeares be not accomplyshed oure synnes shall be the cause whyche are greate and many That is to saye the worlde shall stande two M. yeres without any prescript admynistration certayn lawe of the word of God but whan these be gone there shalbe geuen the circumcysyon and lawe besydes thys shall a certayne polytique lawe and seruice of God be institute out of Gods worde and thys state shall laste two thousande yeares After thys shall Christ folowe and the tyme of the gospell shall lykewyse stande aboute two thousande yeares but here shall some yeares want For God shall wyth the hayste of hys commynge preuent it that the yeres of this age shal not be accomplished the whiche Christe hymselfe in the xxiiii chapiter of S. Matthewe sayeth Wythoute those dayes had ben shortened all fleshe shulde not be saued We shall in wrytynge of the hystorye vse thys order and diuide the boke in thre partes whereof the fyrst shal comprehende those thinges which are chaunced betwene the tymes of Adam and Abraham For those are the fyrste thousande yeares Of these is not much written but suche thynges as are moost worthy of memory and of these times there is no certainte but of that which is found wrytten in the Byble The nexte age of two thousand yeares shalbe counted from Abraham vntill Christis commyng all though concerninge to the full numbre of the yeares the tyme is not accomplyshed For as we haue sayde before God maketh hayst to the latter day As for thys age is the propre and bery age of the worlde in the which the moost myghtye kyngdomes and monarchies haue succeded ech other by a certayn order nether hath the worlde euer so declared hys force and myght as in this age Wherfore we shall deuide thys tyme in foure monarchyes For it semeth that God wolde the worlde to be maintened by a certaine gouernaunce in hys place that a certen means of shame and honesty might be conseruid and the wicked mighte be punished and for that cause hath he institute Monarchies Such Monarchies are kingdomes where the chefe and vpper power of al thinges pertaineth to one alone for the conseruation of commune peace and ryght Such a monarchy was of so great puissaunce that the exterior of foren kinges could not withstande or oppresse it And by a certain ordinary succession were only four such monarchies The fyrst was of the Assirians y â— second of the Persians after them the Grekes at the last y â— Romanes And to the honor of such an empire or superiorite hath God exalted y â— Germanes before other nations in these latter times For though the Roman empire be some deal minished now a daies for as it was prophecyed before it was y â— pleasure of god that y â— monarchies shuld finally decay neuerthelesse the maiesty remaineth by the Romane empire nether is ther any king but he hath a respect towardes y t kingdome Moreouer though we haue not alway alyke mighty Emperoures neuerthelesse God prouidinge so there happeneth somtime an Emperour of such power y t the maiesty of the empire may be conserued and that to hold vp the religion and concorde of al natyons The Germane princes and chefely the electors ought to estime grearly this their honour that they haue such high autoritye coÌ„mitted them of God to preserue religyon iustice and commune peace For verely it is of great force that thys monarchy be preserued thoug it be not so very great Therfore ought y â— princes to beware lest ther ryse any sedes of sedition discord among them which might geue occasion to cause this empire to decay For whan this empire wyich is the head of al good gouernaunce or administratioÌ„ in the worlde now a daies shuld be diuided pulled asunder or waisted it could not be but that ther shuld folowe a perturbation of al degrees in euery part of Christendom the which is gretly to be doubted without God do preuent such misery with his last coÌ„ming For holy scripture doth coÌ„forte vs teach openly that after y t this Germaine empire shal decay faile y t latter day shal straight waye folowe This is sufficient to be spoken of monarchies lest any man be ignoraunt that al histories and al thinges done in the world must be referred to these monarchies And besides that y â— obseruing of the order doth ayde y â— memory it doth also not a litle helpe thervnto y t one may se how for what causes kingdomes are chaunged wherby is to be learned how al those things are to be eschued which coÌ„munely bring chauÌ„ges of kingdomes The last age froÌ„ y â— natiuite of Christ vntyll the worldes ende doth like wise contayne two M. yeres although we haue said before that the yeres of this age shulde not be whole that the two thousand yeres may be complete This seÌ„tence of Elias truely conteineth many notable doctrines is chefely to be considered therfore because that from the natiuite of Christe it speaketh also of that tyme in the whiche the ende of al thinges is to be loked for and therefore haue â–ª I sett it in the begynnynge of the boke that it myghte be commytted to euery mans hearing But howe that the Rhomane monarchye dyd begynne after the incarnaâ—yon of Christ and how the succession came to the Germanes also how the Mahometysh or Turkysh empire beganne and howe the Popyshnesse hath gotten encrease offoren power all these thynges shall we shewe in thys thyrde parte But thys also is chefely to be noted with diligence in readyng of histories that God hath institute two maner of kyngdomes the one a worldly kingdome the other a kyngdome of Christ and therefore it is necessary to marke here â–ª howe that the churche hath begonne euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and by whatt maner God hath alwayes kept her Therfore that godly myndes maye haue a confyrmation of theyr fayth we shall note by the state the tyme of eche of the kingdomes where and by whome the kyngdome of Christ was and what state it was in than the knowledge of whiche thinge bringeth no small profite to godlye readers Adam is sett in a Paradyse of pleasure to whome is forbyden the tree of lyfe Genesis ij Adam and Heua are deceyued by the suttelty of the serpent Thence comthe transgressyon of the commaundement and Synne The firste boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the fyrste two thousande yeares From Adam vntyll Abrahams tyme. HOly scrypture doeth teache vs that God created heauen and earth after that man Adam and Heua and sat them in paradyse that is that they beynge set oute of daunger of death and synne mighte lyue in the earth happely but when they forgat
he comaunded also to sley in contynently all the mankynde that were borne God sent Moses to leade the people of Israel out of Egypte the whiche after many wonders brought the people to the redd see Pharao folowed them wyth great force trustynge to optayne hys mynde that he myght sâ—aye them for ther was no place to escape seynge of the one syde they were closed in wyth hylles of the other syde wyth the see and Pharao the tyrauÌ„te laye vpon them behynde But here declared God that whan extreme necessite lieth vpon them that be hys he is nere by them and heareth them For the water went back and gaue the people waye a great space that they myght passe wythout any daunger but the tyraunt folowed into the sea vnhappely which was drowned wyth the water that returned into hys fyrst course and wyth hym the choyse of the people of Egipt Here theÌ„ hath God sett forth again a new example to the worlde that he wil iudge and be reuenged of wycked tyrauntes and all that despyse godlynesse What time the ten commaundementes were geuen THe fyftyeth daye after that the chylderen of Israel were gone out of Egypt whan they iournyed through thee desert by mount Suiai were the ten commaundementes geuen wyth incredible magnificence and maiestye namely wyth a voice out of heauen full of feare and drede Thys worke of God is such as none higher dyd euer happen to men at any tyme in the worlde For the doctrine of the ten coÌ„maundementes conteygneth the suÌ„me of the godly wysedome and in a brefenesse doth comprehende all maner of lawes and constitutions that can be any wher Therfore is it nedefull to know the tyme in the whiche suche a wayghtye lawe was geuen of God namely the yeare from the creation of the worlde two thousande foure hundreth and foure and fyfty Seuen hundreth foure score and eyghtene after the floude S. Paull sayeth that the lawe was geuen after that the promyse was made foure hundreth and thyrtye yeares For the same is the nombre of the yeres sence the tyme whan Abraham beynge olde thre score and fyftene yeare receaued the promyse vntyll that tyme whan Israel was brought out of Egypte by Moses And thesam that is redde in the xii chapiter of Exodus that Israel dwelt in Egypt foure hundreth and thyrty yeares the same maye not be rekened from the tyme that Iacob weÌ„t into Egypt seynge Ioseph was than in his floure And that thys was not the nombre after Iacob only maye easely be gathered here by that Caath went wyth Iacob And he begat a sonne Aâ—ram whose sonne was Moses Now can it not be that betwene Caath and Moses haue ben foure hundreth yeares Wherfore the foure hundreth and thyrty yeares whereof ther is redde in Exodus are to be couÌ„ted from that tyme wheÌ„ Abraham came fyrst from Mesopotamia into Canaan and was afterwarde conuersant hymselfe in Egypte And that the mynde of S. Paul may the better be vnderstaÌ„d I shall gather the noÌ„ber of y â— yeares soÌ„what more dilgeÌ„tly There are fyue and twenty yeares vntyl the byrth of Isaac from the tyme that Abraham came fyrst in to the lande of Canaan what tyme he hymself was thre score and fyftene yeare olde Isaac begat Iacob when he was thre score yeare olde The foure score and tenth yeare of Iacob was Ioseph borne Ioseph lyued an hundreth and ten yeares After Ioseph vntyll Moses was borne are thre score and fyue yeares And this nombre of the yeares doth Philo note also Moses was foure score yeare old when he ledde the people out of Egypt If these yeres be numbred together they mount to the nombre of foure hundreth and thyrty So muche tyme was there sence that the promyse was firste made to Abraham vntyll that tyme that Israell came out of Egypte and after that was the lawe geuen Now hath God geuen this Israelitysh people a certayn policy and a seuerall kyngdome in the whiche can nothyng bee requyred that pertayneth to Gods seruice to the presthode also to the ciuyll iustice that finally there myght be a certayn people whiche should haue the worde of God and of the whiche Christ shoulde fynally be borne By this people than hath alwaye bene the churche Gods kyngdome and hystrue word vntil that christ had suffered the which must be marked so that no man bee ignoraunt that she churche hath alway bene and that God hath sence the begynnyng of the worlde reueled his worde and to haue kept it alway with vs. Of the princes or rulers of Israell FRom the departyng out of Egypte vntyll the begynnyng of Sauls kyngdome were thre hundreth thre score and nyne yeres the which the texte of the syxt chapiter of y â— third boke of kynges doth declare Now had this people after Moses deceaseÌ„ princes whiche partely were created by the aucthorite of wyse men partely were by a singular callynge raysed vp of God by the whiche are notable thynges done and of this wyse declared God that he is faithfully with them that be his and to defend them though they seme somtyme to be tossed with the waues of peryls These princes by an Hebrue costume were called Iudges Howbeit for somuche as their histories be written in the Bible we shall only rehearse their names that the order of thee Cronicles and course of the yeares maye the better be obserued Moses raygned .xl. yeares Iosue xxvij Othoniel xl Ehud lxxx Barach with Debora the prophetisse xl Gedeon xl Abimelech iii. The same committed murther vpon his owne brother and gotte thee kyngdome too hymselfe by sedition and therfore was he not long after vnpunyshed hymselfe also Chola xxiij Iair xxiâ— Iephthe vi Abessan vij Abdon viij Sampson xx After these gouerned y â— people these hygh priestes Ely xl yeares Samuel xl yeares The Kynges of Israel THe iudges of the people of Israel wer not succedyng by enheritaunce therefore was not the gouernaunce among that people firme or certayne saue only with the hygh priestes but God ordeined somtyme wyse princes amonge theÌ„ in steade of a garnison those raysed God now here now there But the people euell coÌ„tented with this incertaintie of gouernaunce required of Samuel the hygh priest too haue a certayne kyng the whiche might gouerne the kyngdom Samuel willyng to do nothyng rashly asked counsayl of God god shewed that he was very wroth with that wilfulnesse of the people demaundyng a newe kyng commaunding y e people to bee greuously punyshed therfore Neuerthelesse God dyd in the meane season graunt to the makyng of the kyng and institutyng and continuance of a kyngdome The power of the kyngdom and administration of it is confirmed here with wordes of no small importaunce the whiche must chefely be consydered Moreouer it is to bee marked that God is not dyspleased because he doth mysprayse the gouernaunce of a kyng for he doth manifestly coÌ„firme it but hee is displeased with
thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth which he him selfe had instituted For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes whiche are ordeined by hym Also are we admonished by thys example that we eschue any mutacion at all In this historie are there many other notable commaundementes the whiche for shortnesse I must ouerpasse This one thyng wyll I only reherse that the ciuill gouernaunce the aucthorite of princes and kynges is here coÌ„firmed of God when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng Saul reigned fourty yere and was destroied for his vngodlynesse all his kynred was destroted Dauid reigned forty yeare and God punished hym for aduoutry committed and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon But God restored him into the kyngdom and punyshed the sedition greuously Absalon died a straunge death Salomon was forty yeres kynge but after his decease was the kyngdom deuided in sundery partes for the aduoutry of Dauid Of the Kynges of Iuda of Salomons linage and kynred ROboam kynge raygned seuenten yeres And when hee woulde not obey thee Counsayll of the elders in minyshynge the charges and exactions of the kyngdome he caused wyth hys rygorousnesse that a chaunge of the kyngdome is casued For he â—â—â—owed the counsaill of younge men nother wolde release ought according to right Wherfore deciuered from him the moost part of the kyngdom and dyd begynne a new kyngdome in Samaria the whiche was the occasion of many greate battayls on both partes As for the posteritie of Dauid retained the kyngdome in Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin folowed that kyng Abia reigned thre yeare and in battayll vanquished the kyng of the ten tribes in Israel Asa reigned fourtene yeare The same obtained great praise because he rooted out the wicked worshyp of God which was institute against the worde of God in so muche that he fauoured not his owne mother in this behalfe for she also folowed a sundery worship of God For this cause gaue him God good fortune agaynst the Arabians the whiche he vanquished in battayll At the last was he punished also of God for a certayn conspiration that he had made leauyng the trust in God The mydde or half part of the worldes age ABout the twelft yere of this kyng Asaes raigne are accomplyshed there thousand yeares of the worlde that is the mydde or half part of all the worldes age accordyng to Elias saynge the whiche we haue noted in the beginnyng of the boke Henceforeward may be marked that in coÌ„tinently after happened moost greatest and sodayn chaunges in all kyngdomes that there dyd aryse battayles and man slaughter for the last tyme of the worlde dyd drawe on Thys is also to be noted that the publike well the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes and Romanes wherby it maye easely be gathered that all other nacions haue their spring of the Iewes auncetry and that the eldest doctrine yea euen Gods word hath ben by the Iewes fathers or auncetres Iosaphat raygned fyue and twenty yeares he is alowed for hys endeuour of religion and that he hath exercised all kinglye duetyes wyth great diligence And for that cause dyd god â–ª geue hym excellent victories Elias the prophet was in his tyme which was taken vp quieke into heauen so rayseth God a prophet euen in the myddes of the worldes age no lesse of famous doctrine then miracles that the word and promise of Christ might be sometyme renewed The rest than of the thre M. yeares of the worlde began vnder thys Elias After Elias succeded Eliseus the prophet As for these two prophetes how they haue reproued the wycked seruice of God and what miracles they haue done is sufficiently treated in the Bible Ioram reigned eight yeares he commaunded to kyll his brethren euen the eldest was a beginner of a new Idolatry wherfore he was also worthely punished of God he dyed vanquished of the Philistenes the which caryed away his wiues and chylderen saue Ochosias which was the yongest Ochosias raigned only one yeare and accordynge as his father dyd he permitted the false seruice of God to be set vp wherfore he was slayne But whan his mother Athalia saw that her sonne was dead she caused to be slayn all them that were a lyue of the kynges bloud of this wyse was the kyngdome translated from Salomons posterite that hereby we maye learne how rygorously God doth punish synne Before all thinges must princes consider and marke this that God doeth rout out the kynred of great princes because of wickednes Athalia the mother of Ochosias kept the kyngdome with violence and vsed seueÌ„ yeares great tyranny At the last she was worthely punished when through the commaundement of the high priest she was slayn Of Nathan and his posteritie IN the rehersall of y â— fathers of the which Christ is borne hath Luke the euangelist est out Salomon For Salomons poste rite was destroied neuertheles Dauids posteritie succeded in the kyngdome accordyng to the promise of God Dauid had also a sonne NathaÌ„ of whom Luke maketh meÌ„cion Of his kynred wer these kynges of Iuda folowyng namely Ioas reigned fourty yeres the same was of notable godlinesse so long as Ioiada y â— high priest liued whom he obeyed afterward fell he to vngodlinesse and Idolatry and caused zachary the prophete the sonne of Ioiada to bee slayne before the temple of whom Christ doth also make mencion in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathew Wherfore God willed to punysh hym by the Syrians and finally was he slayn by his owne seruauntes Amasias was kyng nyne and twenty yeares this also was conuersant in Godlynesse at the fyrste and herkened to the prophetes whereby he dyd luckely vanquyshe thorough God the Idâ—means But heyng after become haut and presumptuous he made war of pure wilfulnesse and with out constraynt in the whiche he was taken and fynally dyed Ozias raygned twoo and fyfty yeares the same was also called Azarias The same was at the fyrst also Godly and ouercame the Philisthines Afterwarde whan he woulde hymselfe offre in the temple agaynst the ordinaunce of God he was stryken with leprosy In his tyme lyued Oseas Amos and Micheas whiche prophecied agaynste either kynges of Samaria and Iuda Ionas was â—lso at this tyme whiche was sent to preache to the kynge of the Assirians Ioatham reygned lykewyse syxten yeares thesame was Godly fought luckely against Ammon Achas reygned lykewyse syxten yeares hee set vp false worshipping of god of ouer great superstition and peruerse opinion of godlinesse he buylded euery where throughout al the lande chappels and altars wherfore God suffered hym and all his royalme to be greuously punyshed and spoyled Ezechias reigned nyne and twenty yeares Hewas a Godly kynge he restored Gods worshyp auoidyng Idolatry he
thesame maye easely laye together the nomber of the Grekes with these CxCi. yeares Iesus the high prest xxxvi Ioakin his sonne in his fathers absence viii Iesus beynge returned xx Ioakin agayne xlviii Eliasib xxi Ioiada xxiiii Ioathan xxiiii Iaddus x. Summa of the yeares is CxCi. Iosephus wytnesseth that Iaddus lyued whan Alexander wente into Asia The Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them Cyrus xxix Cambises vij and. v. moneths Darius Hystaspis sonne xxxvi Xerxes xx Artaxerxes with the longe hande xl Darius the bastarde xix Artaxerxes Mnemon xl Ochus xxvi Arsames iij. Darius vi The order of the tymes doth for the mooste parte allowe this nombre For as the historye wryters haue lyued at sundery tymes euen so hath euery one made mencion of hys kynge that raygned at hys tyme euen as Herodotus maketh mencion of xerxes Theucydides of Artaxerxes with the longe hande after these made Xenophon mencion of Darius the bastarde and his yonger sonne Cyrus he wrote also of Artaxerxes Mnemon Xenophon went a warrefare also in those warres that were vsed at these tymes Therfore the late wryters do greatly erre of the Iewes they be very dull asses which set but four Persian kinges lesing more thē an hundreth yeares in this euident counting of the worldes yeares of the whiche do spryng more greueous errours In Daniel and Esdras is mencion made of the Persian kynges but they varye in some names from the Grekes As for me that all thynges may be knowen more manyfestly I wyll brefely shewe what my mynde is Metasthenes is of some reiected because he nameth some Persian kynges other wyse then the Grekes But for so muche as Esdras and Philo do not disceuer from hym I do not reiect those kynges whiche Metasthenes reherseth For it is no doubt but that Esdras was perfecte of the kyngdome and state of the Persians for so muche as it is euident that hee was one of the chefe of the realme and of the kynges counsayll Metasthenes doth set in this order the Persian kynges and these be the fyrste wherein they vary but Philo and Esdras kepe the same order Darius and Cyrus to gether twoo yeres and after that Cyrus alone xxij Artaxerxes Assuerus xx Darius Artaxerxes with the long hand xxxvij Darius the bastarde xix Artaxerxes Mnemon lv Ochus xxvi Arsames iiij Darius vi This variaunce after my mynde may easely bee iudged Of the fyrst Darius whiche reigned with Cytus haue the Grekes no certainte for so much as saieth Daniel he neuer reigned and therefore was his name all together vnknowen to men of straunge nacions And Daniel hath separated this Darius from Cyrus For he sayeth that Darius of Media was Cyrus of Persia Now do the Grekes reken only the Persian kynges nother do they myngle with them the Medians affeirs whose kyngdome was already translated too the Persians therfore do the Greke wryters dissent nothyng from the holy scriptvres though they leaue out Darius seynge they counte onely the Persian kynges Iosephus wryteth that this Darius were Cyaxares the sonne of Astyages of whome Xenophen wryteth the whyche I wyll not stryue wythall The seconde Artaxerxes Assuerus is Darius Hystaspis sonne and Cambyses is passed ouer because hee reigned hys father yet lyuynge or not long after his fathers death For the Persians had this custome that whan y e kyng went forth on war they ordeined another before which shuld supplie y e kings rowme being absēt And by this occasiō was Cambyses ordeined kyng gouernour of y ◠realme of Cyrus hys father whan he made warre agaynst the Scythyans wyth the which he hadde warre syxe yeares and for this season dyd Cambises raigne whome the Grekes saye to haue raygned seuenyeare the which must be vnderstande of that time wherein the father was yetlyuing And the historyes of Assuerus do wytnesse that he was Darius because Philo wryteth that these kyngdomes be recouered of hym agayne by warre whiche were fallen back and rebelled whan Cyrus had foughten wyth the Scythes hauing no goodlucke The thyrde was called Darius Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande the same do the Grekes simply call Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande and he had the name thereof that hys ryght hande was longer than the left whome Metasthenes calleth Darius Esdras doth call hym Darius and Artaxerxes indifferently for they vsed these names none otherwyse than oure Emperours vse the names of Cesar and Augustus But that Artaxerxes doth strayght waye folow Darius in order that is happened for thys cause that Xerxes forthwyth in the begynnynge of hys raygne wente in to Grece and that in the meane space Artaxerxes ruled the kyngdom in the East And because Xerxes remayned not at hande in the East therfore do not the Iewes make mention of hym but holde Artaxerxes for the kynge seynge he beynge made gouernour of the kyngdome ruleth so longe as Xerxes was from home After thys is ther no varyaunce more and of thys wyse maye the hystoryes of the Byble and Grekes be made very well to agre The disagreynge of the yeres ryseth therof y ◠some Kynges gouerned the other yet lyuinge and ther by is it come that some other haue gathered the yeares otherwyse Of Cyrus CYrus the fyrst Prince of the Monarch of the parsiansis rekened one amonge the moost doughtyest Kynges lordes of the worlde For besyde the manyfold excellent and very princely vertues had God geuē and endued hym wyth sundery luck and fortune in rulynge and very excellent vyctoryes of hys enemies yea he fortuned to be taught and instruct also by Daniel the prophet in godlynes and in the trew worshyp of God as holy scriptures do wytnesse Such kynde of Princes beinge so garnyshed wyth the vertues of God ought we to honoure as noble gyftes of God by the whych God wyll helpe the worlde retayne men in theyr vocacion haue modestye kept and peace finally to haue lawes ordeyned And seynge it is so it is a very vngodlynesse ether to despise or to set nought by suche Princes as the commune sort of people do But this Cyrus is worthtely to be counted among such ministers of God and very excellent Princes of the worlde Nother can the noblenesse of kynred be requyred in hym For it so pleasyd God that the worthynesse of gouernaunce be kept and maynteyned and by men auanced wyth moost hyghe vertues and renowme of theyr auncerters And for so much as God hath preferred with so high honors therfore ought they lykewyse to be honored of vs as a most excellēt gyfte of God The father of Cyrus was a prince or a gouernour of Persia borne of the ofsprynge of Sem his mother was borne of the kynges blude of Medes And Herodotus wryteth that Astyages kynge of the Medes sawe in a dreame out of hys doughters wombe to grow a vyne whose sprynge should ouer shadowe whole Asia Of this was the coniecture taken that a
nede of an other mans helpe and mercye After thys commaunded he Cresus to be brought to him and had him in greate reuerence as a great prince and vsed hys counsel in gouernaunce Cyrus demaunded of hym also by what cause he had taken this warre whether he were moued by the answer of Apollo whome he had asked counsell before To this answered Cresus sayenge That Apollo counselled him right well with these wordes Knowe thy selfe and all thyng shall prospete He dyd not refuse thys counsell of Apollo For whan his hoost had gotten the worsthande in aydinge the Assyrians he had purposed thenceforth to lyue in rest and peace chefely for so muche as he sawe Cresus to haue such prosperitie and power in bringinge all thinges to passe But whan he was praysed of the cityes that laye rounde aboute and of his great princes for his power and conning of warrfaringe he was agayne deceaued by pryde and vaine glory of him selfe and was so by the other princes made capitaine of the warre agaynst Cyrus And that by these praises he was brought to take the answer of Apollo otherwyse and that he thought he was suche a one in dede as he was praised namely that he was no lesse in power than king Cyrus and by these meanes had he taken the warres in hande But hetherto is ynough spoken of Cresus Hereof maye notable examples be taken that princes be oft brought to warre by no constraynt of necessytie and to theyr greate hynderaunce by the counsell and flattery of them which can falsely persuade and extolle with vaine prayses theyr power and vertues In king Cirus is chefely to be considered that in so great prosperities of all thynges he vsed great moderation of minde and that in so great violence of victories he swaged tyranny wyth mekenesse Cyrus than toke in all the kyngdomes from Persia vntyll the fyrste borders of Ionia from thence beynge returned he besieged the cytye Babylon which semed moost strongest against all force of mans power But Cyrus wanne her and that by this meanes The floude Euphrates runneth through the citye by some ryuers dyggynge thorough hys caucyes he ledde the course of the water another waye and as the floud was dryed men myght safely go into the toune on foote Besyde that had he hys espyals whych shewed what tyme the Babylonians were at reste and so broughte he hys army into the cytye in the styll of the nyghte whan they douted nothyng lesse But what nedeth here to prayse and auaunce much the prosperytie of Cyrus seynge it maye easely be thought and consydered that it is Goddes worke and not of mans wysedome or power that so many and so stronge tounes and kynges be subiect to hys kyngdome vnto whome it semeth no mans power nearehande myght wythstande For those hygh monarchies are ordeined conserued by an heauenly power for to preserue the state of a coÌ„mune wealth agaynst the will of Satan Moreouer after that Babylon was wonne than began that kyngdom of the Perses fyrst to be called a monarchy For the heade citye or see of the monarchy was Babylon and the kyngdomes of Chalde Assyria Medes and Persians be now brought vnder one empyre The moost parte of Asia was ioyned thereto also and other great countries which border vpon these kyngdomes Cyrus gouerned these kyngdomes with great prayse insomuch that no princes prayses wherof historyes do make mencyon can be compared wyth his commendacions and â—uauncementes I suppose that thys monarchy began after that Babylon was wonne in the thre score and tenth yeare after that the Iewes were ledde into captyuyte in Babilon But sence the creation of y â— world the yere of thre thousand foure hundreth and thre and forty and before Christus byrth the fyue hundreth and one yeare Whereby it maye easely be gathered that those histories of the Grekes that begynne at Cyrus be not very olde Of the Iewes delyuered out of the Babylonycall captiuite HEtherto haue we spoken of the state of the commune wealth and empyre of those tymes nowe resteth it that we speake also of the spyritual kingdome of God and of the churche After that Cyrus had subdued the Babylonians he set the Iewes free and at libertye out of all his kyngdomes and restored them into the kyngdome of Iewry This example wytnesseth howe muche God doeth care for the church or congregacion of the godly and howe lytle he doth forget them For that the church myght be released from the seruice bondage it was necessary that Babilon the citye shuld be taken and peryshe For a prince must not be a cowarde to represse the force of his enemies Herodotus wryteth also that some do suppose otherwise of Cyrus death and Xenophon writeth that he dyed in his bedde and that before his death he exhorteth his childeren to the feare of God to vnitie and loue to eche other and that with a greate relation and manye wordes he admonished them to remembre that mens soules dye not with the bodies but that they remayne immortall and that the godlye after thys lyfe enioye an euerlastinge reste wyth God and that contrary wyse the wicked shalbe greueously punished And to this is it saied that he shoulde haue added a substanciall euidence of mans reason concerning euyll doers the which in this lyfe haue a great inwarde drede in their minde for the conscience of theyr wicked dedes and that therby may be gathered that the soule hath a certayne beynge and that seynge this feare is beaten in by God it is euidente that God will be reuenged of all thynge that is vniustly committed Hetherto is ther ynough saide of thys moost holy kinge Cyrus In what tyme the Philosophers were fyrst in Grece BEfore haue we shewed that by the Grekes were the Poetes fyrst in high reputation by reason of ther learning afterwardes in Cyrus tyme began another kynd of learned men whiche were called Philosophers of them were two sectes at one time for some were philosophers of Ionia some were called philosophers of Italy The philosophers Ionici were in Ionia they vsed greate diligence in naturall thinges and searchinge out the course of starres The beginner of them was Thales which diuided first for the Grekes the yere in thre hundreth and thre score daies For though they had before twelue monethes yet were they constrayned to brynge the mouynge of the sonne to the course of the mone Thales did also shew first of the Eclypse in Grece and found the poynte whan the daye and nyghte are equall the which was no small conning He had learned these thinges of the Egiptians with whom God had kept this science These Thales taught also that the soules are ymmortall and he is the fyrste and true begynner of the philosophers of Grece The other parte of the philosophers whyche are called the Italians began by Pythagoras for the same lyued also aboute the tyme of Cyrus in that
of the floudes Of thys wyse dyd God turne the fortune of the dice and punyshed the pryde Great princes haue here an example sett before them whereby they must learne not to truste in their puyssaunce but that in the feare of God and trust to God must great thynges be taken in hande That he had thys shamefull ende for because this expedicion made euery man amased and also for because Xerxes dyd brynge on to Grece such a great multitude and power none otherwise than in oure tyme the Turke was constrayned to forsake the city of Vienne with great shame which came into Germany with an hoost of two hundreth thousande men Howbeit Xerxes departynge out of Grece left Mardonius the capytayne there wyth thre thousande souldyours and that for thys cause because the kynge persuaded by Mardonius counsell wente into Grece agaynste the mynde and wyll of the other Lordes And because it happened not as Mardonius promysed therefore dredinge lest beynge returned home he might lose hys heade because of the mischaunce of the warre he desyred that he might be left in Grece wyth that army to assaye all fortunes of warre yf by chaunce he coulde make feble the affayres of the Grekes Xerxes than suffred that and betoke hym to hys fortune Fyrst beganne Mardonius frendely to entreate the Grekes that hauing layde before them tolerable condicions of peace they woulde willingly yeld themselues But the Grekes beynge become more couragious by reason of the victory refused vtterly all dominion of the Perses and denyenge the leage asked that he shoulde defende hym selfe with force and fyghtynge hande Than toke Mardonius and burnt the citye of Athenes and wente thorough vntyll Thebe for they of Thebe were fallen to the Perses The Athenians and Lacedemonians makyng than agayn a fresh army by land of an hundreth thousand men met at sundry times with Mardonius in battayll at the laste Mardonius constrayned for faut of vytayls made an ende Alexander kyng of Macedony was wyth the Perses of whom we made mencion before the same shewed the Grekes before the euenynge that they should make them ready in armes on the next day for Mardonius was determined to pyche hys last felde and that was so done but the Perses beyng ouercome lost the felde Mardonius beyng slayne also whiche thynge the other counsellers of kyng Xerxes tolde him before the warre began But this was the ende of so great a settyng forth to warre and whan this warre was ended the cities of Grece began too encreace in power and enlargynge of their dominion subduyng many yles of the Perses whiche they adioyned to their dominion Moreouer the Grekes beyng become puyssauÌ„t waxed also haut and presumtuous and for desyre of dominion they procured also inwarde sedicion warre with in themselues and beyng ouercome with mutuall damages that eche had done to the other they were constrayned fynally to yeld themselues to straunge princes quenchynge and destroyeng all the estate of their common wealth and the vertues whereby they floryshed before But of this shall we treate a lytle hereafter It is necessarye to knowe Themistocles example before any thyng the whiche for so muche as he was the man by whose prouisse and counsail whole Grece was saued for the whiche thynge also hys prayses are auaunced more then of any valeaunt captaine whiche Grece had yet was he euel rewarded of his citesens for they droue him out of y â— citie This thanke geueth the commoÌ„ people for the most worthye vertues yea the deuell hymselfe blyndeth men that they do not acknowledge so hygh gyftes of God Wherfore it behoueth the best and excelleâ—t men to haue pacience before all thynges for it can not bee but they must haue grefes and all vnthankfulnesse in that state of lyfe After that fled Themistocles to Artaxerxes by whome he was had in greate honor in all thynges equall to the princes and peeres of his royalme It is wrytten also that Artaxerxes should haue sayde he coulde wyshe his enemies no more euyll but that they blinded with such madnesse dyd put awaye wyse men from them Of Artaxerxes with the longe hande AS Xerxes was deade raigned his sonne Artaxerxes whose right hande was longer than the left whereof he gat the surrname wyth the long hand Thys kynge is chefely praysed for his syngular wysedome and gentlenesse of maners and endeuour of peace Therefore do I rehearse his historye here nomore at length that wee maye finallye returne to the Iewysh hystories lest we be ignoraunce what state was in the church and spyrytuall kyngdome Of Zorobabel the Iewysh capitayne WE haue shewed before that in the Bible is one of the Persian kynges called Assuerus but the same was Darius Histaspis and as I suppose thys Darius is Assuerus which had quene Hester Herodotus doth also make mencion of Artistona the whiche Darius had besyde quene Atossa and sayeth that the same Artistona was very well beloued of Darius and it appeareth that thys same was Hester Philo writeth also that the history of Iudith happened in the tyme of this Darius and that Arphaxad whereof the history of Iudith maketh mention was captayn of y â— Assyrians after that they were now fallen from Cyrus whâ— was ouercome of the Scythyes I do not disalow thys meanynge of Philo but verely as I do suppose the history of Iudith was now already fulfilled before that Iuda was led into bondage and also before the Persians monarchy For Arbaces kynge of the Medes was before the monarchy of the Perses and Ninius was destroyed in the tyme of the Persians kyngdome and whan the Perses had the monarchy nether Ninius nor the Medes had theyr kynge Howbeit I graunt here euery man to defende hys meanynge After Darius Histaspis setteth Philo Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande passynge ouer king Xerxes but doutlesse for none other cause saue as is shewed before namely than whaÌ„ Xerxes was gone into Grece Darius wyth the long hand gouerned the royalme in the East in the meane season And this is that Darius with the longe hande whiche gaue the Iewes leaue the seconde tyme to buylde agayne the temple For though Cyrus had permitted the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem for to tyll theyr lande and to restore the kingdome the worship of God neuerthelesse in the meane season after Cyrus death â–ª were they letted by the borderers y â— the building could not goo forewarde vntill the seconde yere of Artaxerxes with the long hand whoÌ„ Philo calleth Darius with the longe hande Thesame commaunded in the second yeare of his king 〈…〉 by a commune proclamation commaundement that Ieruâ—alâ— the temple shuld be repared This was the occasion by the whiche the Iewysh natioÌ„s was restored to his libertie instituted again the gouernaunce of the royalme with the Gods seruice and builded agayne the temple and cities And though Iuda had not hetherto his kynges yet had they princes
of Dauids posterite vntil that tyme that the Machabees began to reigne Firste reigned zorobabel whose posteritie what fortune they had and how finally the whole kyngdome is translated from Dauids posteritie shall we shewe hereafter For so was it prophecied afore by the prophetes that Christe should be borne about that tyme of Dauids bloude that foren princes shoulde vsurpe to them the kyngdome of the Iewes that was now already alienated The rekenynge of the seuenty wekes out of Daniel IT was shewed Daniel by heauenly reuelacion of Christus commynge and howe long the Iewysh people should last Ther is a notable wytnesse in this prophecy to confirme the certaynte of our faith against the Iewes whiche striue and contende that Christ is not yet come and wayte yet for another Messias Verely the rekenyng of the tyme appointed by Daniel is easy and specially it is pleasaunt to know thereby that Christe was surely come about that tyme the whiche Daniel hath prescribed For though other do count diuersly yet if ye go not froÌ„ the order of the histories there shall bee found no great dissention wherfore ye could doubt For the diligent rekening of the tyme is requisite to repete out of Ptolome these Eclipses that are happened and to gather out of them ordely euery yeare but that were not one mans laboure And diligently ought Byshops to occupie them in these thynges with doyng costes that the vnderstandynge of so notable prophecies myght bee clerely had in the churche I truely wyll gather here out of the best histories the nombre of the yeares and endeuoure to make the rekenyng there of very playne Daniel sayeth Seuenty wekes are concluded vpon this people and specially accordynge to the commaundement of buyldyng agayne Ierusalem shalbe syxty and nyne wekes vntill Christes kyngdome and than shall Christ be put to death Fyrst must it be knowen what that the wekes do yearly signifye so that euery weke make seuen yeares the whiche maye easely be proued Wherefore the seuenty wekes make foure hundreth and nynety yeares Secondly sayeth Daniel Christe shalbe put to death after thre score and nyne wekes but so that he teache the half weke and afterward bee put to death The tyme and office of Christ is notable expressed of this maner Thyrdly must the nyne and seuenty wekes bee rekened from the seconde yeare of Darius Longimanus that is wyth the long hande For then dyd God sende Zachary and Aggeus the prophetes that they shoulde comforte and certaynely assure the people of repairyng Ierusalem hereafter without any hynderaunce And of this worde that is of this reuelacion are the aungels wordes to be vnderstande Because then was made the sure promyse to the people of the furtheraunce of the temples repayryng Besyde that commaunded Longimanus that self same yeare by an open commaundement that â—he Iewes shoulde not be hyndered of their purpoâ—â—d worke of buyldynge the citie and temple as it was done before But all this is to be red in the bodies of Eldras And surely to this same delaye of tyme in repairyng of the temple had saint Ihon respect in the seconde chapter of his gospell where the Iewes said that in buyldyng of the temple were spent syx and fourty yeares for that is the nombre of the yeares from the seconde yeare of Cyrus vntyll the syxte yeare of Longimanus wherein the worke of the temple was accomplyshed But now is it gathered out of the booke of the Machabees and out of Iosephus that from the begynnyng of Alexander after the death of the last Darius vntyll Christe was borne to be thre hundreth and ten yeares From Christes byrth vntyll hys baptyme thyrty yeares Summa from the begynnynge of Alexander vntyll the baptyme of Christe thre hundreth and fourty yeares To these put the tyme from the seconde yeare of Longimanus vntyll Alexander after the death of the laste Darius and as Metasthenes counteth there shall be a hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares Summa from the second yere of Longimanus vntill the baptisme of Christe are foure hundreth foure score and fyue yeare And therfore thre score and nyne yearly wekes make euen foure hundreth and foure score and two wekes Whereby it is manifest that when Christe was baptysed were fulfylled three score and nyne yearly wekes and in the weke folowynge taught Christ in the same half weke was he put to death For Christe was put to death the fourth yeare after that he was baptised Wherfore when this weke that foloweth is added to the thre score and nine there shalbe seuenty wekes and this is the maner to count the tyme appoynted by Daniel For after Christes death are the Iewes nomore Gods people and their temple was afterward an abominacion the whiche Daniel witnessed playnly Besyde this are other notable doctrines and consolacions of troubled coÌ„sciences in this prophecy of Christes office and kyngdome that he came to preache forgeuenesse of synnes but to expounde all this maketh to no purpose here nother is it here taken in hande I haue truely sought out with so great diligeÌ„te as I could the maner of countyng the seuenty wekes of Daniel nother do I fynde that it can greatly varye if ye wyll folowe the fourme of histories For though ye wyll not folowe Metasthenes yet doth the rekenyng of the Grekes agre very well here with For after the countyng of the Grekes are betwene the death of Alexander and the beginnyng of Augustus twoo hundreth and foure score yeares the whiche I can proue with very stronge reasons If ye do now take the yeares of the Persians after thee seconde yeare of Longimanus by the Grekes ye shall fynde the same also After Alexander vntyll Christes byrth are thre hundreth and two and twenty yeares After Christes birth vntyl hys baptysme thyrty yeares Put therto the nomber of the Persians from the second yeare of Longimanus an hundreth and two and thyrty yeares after the Grekes Summa of this is foure hundreth foure score and foure yeares So perfectly do the hystories of the Grekes agre with the tyme that is founde in Iosephus and Philo that ye maye openly perceaue the tyme of Christes commynge to be moste fyttly appoynted by Daniel And truely I doubte not but wyse and learned men will alowe and testifye that both these rekenynges that we haue set here maye bee very well proued by wytnesses of hystoryes And without it were to longe I coulde brynge yet other more rekenynges whyche shoulde agre with these also So that it is no doubte but that Daniel hath moste ryghtely hytt thee tyme of Christes commynge It hath also no small pyth of consolacion or comfort though the maner of the tyme do not agre so iustly with euery minute that we may be certyfyed that the tyme prophecyed of Daniel be longe sence past Wherfore are the Iewes in manifest erroure whiche can by no reasons proue that the same tyme is not yet past though they wyll vnderstande the wekes of dayes
or yeares But her of is ynough The table of the yeares of the worlde whiche sheweth the tyme poynted by Daniel M De. lvi vntyll the floude C C xciii vntyll Abraham was borne C C C C xxiij vntyll Moses was borne L xxx vntyll the goyng out of Egipt C C C C lxxx vntyll Salomons temple was buylded C C xxxviii vntyll kyng Ioas. C C xci vntil Ieconias was caried into Babylō Xi vntyll the wastyng of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor L xx dured the captiuite of Babylon C xci dured the monarchy of the Perses after the captiuitie of Babylon Vii was Alexander after Darius C xlvi dured the rule of the Grekes vntyll Iuhas Machabeus C xxvij dured the kyngdom of the Machabees as wryteth Iosephus XXX Herodes In the thyrtyeth yeare of Herode was Christe borne M. D. xxxii sence Christe our lorde and Sauiour was borne Our of this table is easely gathered the reason and maner of the yeares in Daniels wrytynge But I fynde by the Grekes the tyme after Alexanders death of this wyse In the .cxiiii. Olympias dyed Alexander Clxxxiiii Olympias began the rule of Augustus after the death of Iulius The xlii yeares of Augustus was Christ borne These yeares together sence the death of Alexāder make about cccxx yeares This nomber doth not so greatly disagre wyth the other aboue rehersed and can easely be made to gre of learned men Of Esdras A Certayne space after the cōmaundement publyshed dyd kynge Artaxerxes let Esdras the scribe returne to Ierusalem And duely not without a cause ought mētion to be made of this man in the histories for the bookes of the holy scripture that were now scattered and strowed dyd he gather agayne and set in order For this worke was worthy to be the duety of a true byshop Because that without holy scripture cannot be maynteined the true religion and worshyp of God In the tyme of this Artarerxes Longimanus began the great warre of Peloponnesus whiche the Grekes had amonge themselues in the whiche the citie of Athens at the last was vtterly destroyed This warre lasted neare hande vntyl the ende of the Persian monarchy and therfore I wyl first brefely reherse in their order the Persian kyng s. suche as are yet behynde Of Darius the bastarde DArius the bastarde reigned after Longimanus and of truth he was not the sonne of Lōgimanus but had his sister to wife and was his brother in lawe He had two sonnes At taxerxes whom they cal Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger Artaxerxes succeded his father in the empire Cyrus was made most puissaunt in Ionia Of Artaxerxes Mnemon AS Darius was deade Cyrus began to take falsly to hym the kyngdome for besyde that he ruled in a most puissaunt duchy he was apte also for all manner of thing and delited chefely in warre and therfore armed he hymself with great power against his brother Beside this had his mother more affection to hym than to his brother whiche had a modest and gentle mother wit But God did not prosper this wicked enterprise of Cyrus for in a battaill where he tought against his brother was he slaine Artaxerxes declared hymselfe not without courage in this battaill for he was greueously wonded of Cyrus and lept vpon another horse that he shoulde knowe that the victory came to hym afterwarde by God only Of Ochus OChus the sonne of Artaxerxes was moste gredy of mans bloud for beside the great tyranny that he vsed he slew also his own brothern He buylded the citie Sidon and brought Egypt againe to the Persian monarchy but they kept the loyalte of their yeldyng not very longe At the last was he slayn of one of his gouernours Of Arsames ARsames was the sōne of Ochus the same was made kyng being yet yonge by the capitain of the host which flew his father Ochus But when Arsames began now to wax great the capitain of the hoost fearyng by reason of the wycked dede that he had done he slew by a disceat this Arsames also Afterward makyng a league with Codomanus prince of Armenia he toke to hym the kyngdome also and called hym Darius Thus was the kynred of the noble prince Cyrus quenshed and the kyngdome of the Persians beyng translated from Cyrus posterite came to a foren prince Nether is that onely to be lamented that suche power and honour and so hygh gyftes of God were deleyed and put out of remembraunce within so few yeares but muche rather that Cyrus folowers beyng strayght waye vnlyke hym dyd declare their father to haue no maner of vertue the whiche appeareth in Ochus whose feates of tyranny gaue occasion that the whole kynred of Cyrus was abolyshed Of the last Darius The same was straunge from Cyrus but he was made prince of Armenia by kyng Ochus for his noble actes of chyuairy for the whiche actes also he was chosen kyng by them that had slayne Arsames left he should be reuenged of Ochus that had done hym good But being blynded by this occasion and with the hope of the kyngdome that was offered hym he forgat all the benefites that he had receaued of Ochus and hauyng the kyngdome he called hymselfe Darius that nothyng should be wanting to the royall dignitie But he was greuously punished for his vnkynonesse and disloyaltie For when he was vanquyshed of Alexander losynge all his landes and kyngdome he lost also his lyfe the whole monarchie of Persia But we shall treate more largely hereof in the begynning of the third monarchie and when we shall speake of Alexander The Warres of the cities of Grece WE haue touched before how the Grekes waxed welthy and presumptuous when the Perses were driuen out of their landes for pride and presumption do commonly folow after great prosperitie Wherfore duryng this monarchie they had great and durable warres among themselues by the whiche whole Grece went finally to naught insomuche that after ward it was open for euery man to breake in And also for the most honest gouernaūce lawes which they vsed in their cōmon welth succeded filthinesse and most corrup maner of behaueour And whome would it not greatly pitie to reade that so many great commodities or yuels and so durable and wicked warres are raysed of so lyght causes They be examples herely not onely to be wondered at but also most worthyest to be marked for they may admonyshe men that they take no warre in hand lightely and for euery lyght cause but only constrayned by great necessitie seing the warre raised amonge the Grekes for a small occasion could be in no maner nor meanes be swaged and layed downe tyll finally straunge people fallyng into Grece oppressed both partes It is not my mynde here to describe this whole warre for Theucidides Xenophon and afterward other haue written therof whole bokes But I wil reherse one thyng among all other namely what fall the citie of Athens hath had in this warre and what
rose controuersy and dissension by the Romanes For seynge they vsed not yet a certayne iustyce or lawes men were oft vniustlye wronged in and out of iudgemente for noman knewe yet perfectly what was ryght And whan the multitude dyd for this cause murmure it was ordeined that a certayne lawe should be written Wounder it is of what importaunce be written lawes to entertayne commune peace and concord in the commun welath the which this example doth witnesse manifestly For this thing were ten men chosen whiche beinge sente into Grece searched oute and espyed the maners and lawes of the greatest cities and in gathering together the beste lawes dyd vse the counsell of Hermodorus of Ephesus and other Philosophers Twelue tables were written the which were hanged vp openlye before the court of Rome This is the begynning of the written lawe of the Romanes the which they haue fyrst borowed of the Grekes The Ten men ruled thre yeare for it behoued that the lawes were euery daye declared But Appius one of the Ten men dyd abuse hys power which caused one Virginius a cite sins doughter to be demed for another mans bondewoman that by that cloke of lawe he might drawe her to hym and destore her The whiche as the father perceaued and sawe that by reason of Appius power his doughter coulde not be delyuered he slewe her himself in the iudgement lest his stocke shoulde be stayned with such a reproche Afterward gathering an army he made ready an ayde against Appius the tyraunt Than deposynge the Ten men from their office a new dignitie was ordeined Appius beyng taken and cast into pryson slew him selfe Thys example sheweth that tyranny and iniustice remayne not vnreuenged The thre hundreth and thre score yere after the foundacion of the citye fell into Italy an army gathered of the Frenchmen and Germanes whyche brent Rome But Camillus whom the commune people had before dryuen out of the citye played y ◠part of an honest man for coloring wholy the iniury the which he had suffred vnworthely gathering an army out of the next contryes he oppressed the Frenche men and Germanes wythin the citye kepyng the castel from besyegynge and the residue of the citesins that were escaped The dammage had the citye in the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon and about that tyme nearehande was Athenes taken and spoiled In this hystory is the first mencion made of the Germanes and this was not wholy four hundreth yeares before Christes byrth Of these Germanes was Milane and other cityes in Italy buylded Of the thyrde Monarchye THe thre thousand syxe hundreth and foure and thyrtyeth yeare after the worldes creation whan the dominion of the Perses had lasted an hundreth and nynety yeares that is thre hundreth and twenty yeares before Christes byrth began the thyrd Monarchy the whych we call the monarchy of the Grekes and nowe is the dominion of the worlde translated from the coastes of the East into the West and oute of Asia into Europa From that time began Asia by lytle and lytle more and more to dekeye not onelye in those thynges that were concerninge the power of the empyre but also in those thynges that concerned modestye of maners vertues gouernaunce of cōmune welthes and good learning And though these thyngs are in a maner redressed and restored by the Romanes yet at the last came by violence the Barbarians into Asia and dyd spoyle it in so much that thesame parte of the worlde whiche was wont to bee the moost excellentes by reason of the pleasauntnesse of situation wysedome honestye of men and puyssaunce of countryes is now turned nearehand altogether into a synke of fylthinesse and murthurous denne And contrary wyse those hyghest giftes are nowe in the Weste seynge the worlde doth drawe by lytle and lytle to the ende This monarchy beganne at Alexander kyng of the Macedonians whom we do worthelye call the Great For he was so excellent not only in power of gouernaunce but also in all other princelye vertues that one woulde suppose he haue had but few that were equall to him He is praysed in Ieremye and Daniel the prophetes because he was a most sharpe and happy gouernoure Daniel describeth a buck of whom is a ramme ouercome ouer throwen and doth expounde manifestlye that the buck is the kyng of the Grekes and the ramme the Persian kynge The vertues and notable victories wherewyth God had garnished kynge Alexander gaue some men occasyon to falle fayne muche of hys ofsprynge but I passe them ouer But this is certayne that great and fortunable princes are gouerned and kepte of God and that they are endued only of God wyth those ▪ vertues and gyftes For God wyll haue the maiestye of gouernaunces to be kept and maynteyned by those whych are noble by noblenesse of aunceters and florishing of kynred and it is euident that Alexander was borne of this sorte Hys father was kyng Philippe and hys mother was Olympias And that nyght whan Alexander was conceaued it is sayde that Philippe sawe in hys slepe that he had a seale on Olympias belly wherin was karued the ymage of a Lyon It was expounded that by that dreame was signifyed that Olympias hauynge conceaued of Philippe should brynge forth a moost puyssaunt kynge As for Philippe and Olimpias both of them were borne of the hyghest and moost noblest kynred of all Grece at that tyme. For Philippe if wee maye geue credet to the moost true wrytynges of hystoryes came of Hercules and Olympias of Achylles the valiaunt captayn before Troye These are the aunceters of whose stocke the renowmed prince Alexander is borne The kynred of Alexanders father The battail of Troye Hercules Hyllus Cleodeus Aristomachus Temenus Perdicas Argeus Philippus Eropus Alcetas Amyntas Alexander Amintas Philippus Alexander the great Thys was the fyrst kyng of Macedony whose ofspringe doth Herodotus describe And Alexander the great was borne about eight hundreth yeares after the Troian warre The kynred of Olympias mother to Alexander Achilles Pyrrhus Molossus kynge of Epyrus and Pielus they were both borne of Andromachus Of Pielus doth Pausanias in the Atticall wrytinges draw the other kings of Epyrus folowing Tarymbas Alcetas Neoptolemus and Arymbas Olympias Neoptolemus doughter mother to to Alexander This is the genealogy of Alexander gathered out of moost certayn hystoryes the whiche wytnesseth that the ofsprynge of Alexander was of the posterytye of very great men Whan Philippe was stayne because he left the wicked dede of a great man that had shamfully defloured a noble chylde vnpunished strayght waye after rebelled the Illyrians and Grekes and fell from the Macedonians and the kyngdome of the Macedonians stode in greate daunger For whan his father Philippe was slayne Alexander was only twenty yeare olde This was in the beginning of the hundreth and eleuenth Olympias after the rekening of the Grekes But wha◠Alexander had takē to him the
sciences and dyd institute a very good forme of the common welth To hym drew wyse men out of all contryes the which he maynteyned gently and liberally He had a library as there was none better furnished in the whole worlde and for thys cause toke he acquaintaunce of the Iewes For whan he diligently searched for the begynnynge of all nacions religions and sciences he founde that the people of the Iewes to be the eldest and that they onely had the surest historyes of the worldes begynninge or creation Wherefore he required to be sent to hym from Ierusalem thre score and twelue men by whose diligence the wholy Bible myght be translated oute of the Hebrue into his language by this occasion were the Bibles syrste translated into straunge speches And no doubt it is but that Ptolome was conuerted to the true fayth by this same meane iii. Ptolomeus Euergetes inuaded Syria dyd reuenge the death of his syster Berenice iiij Ptolomeus Philopater ouercame Antiochus the great afterwarde beyng become more sensuall and dissolute he beganne to be enamoured vpon a wenche insomuch that he caused also hys quene to be put to death for the loue shewed to that wench v. Ptolomeus Epiphanes whom Antiochus the great dyd inuade the same Antiochus gaue to him hys doughter vi Ptolomeus Philometor the same dyd hys vncle Antiochus Epiphanes inuade But the Romanes defendyng Ptolome commaunded Antiochus to auoyde out of Egypt the which we haue shewed before vii Ptolomeus Euergetes restored Demetrius that was dryuen oute of hys realme into the same agayne viii Ptolomeus Physco the same resembled more a beast than a man by reason of hys vylaynous crueltye He wedded hys syster and begatt chylderen of her Afterwarde slayenge hys sonne set him before hys mother to eate fynallye was he dryuen out of the realme The residue ensuynge were notable of lyke shameful behaueour as of beastly medlynge and of farre more cruell tyranny ix Ptolomeus Alexander x Ptolomeus Latyrus xi Ptolomeus Auletes whome Gabinius the Romane captayne restored agayne into hys kyngdome xii Ptolomeus Dionysius which commaunded to slaye Pompeius and afterwarde was also vnfaythfull to Iulius wherefore Iulius droue hym out of the kyngdome and gaue it to his syster Cleopatra the whiche finally slew herselfe whan Antonius whom she entertayned was ouercome of Augustus After that came Egypte to the Romanes and so was the moost noble kynred of Ptolomeus quenched Of the Iewes WE haue sayde before that the superiorytie of gouernaunce remayned by the posteritie of Dauid after the returne of the Iewes oute of Babylon only that they wanted the dignitie of the kynges name and were only called Prynces And the same rayned tyll the tyme of Antiochus S. Luke doeth also make mencion of them in the genealogye of Christe i. Zorobabel lviij yeares ii Resa Miseolam lxvi iii. Iohanna Ben Resa liij iiii Iudas the fyrst Hircanus xiiij in the tyme of Alexander After Alexander v. Ioseph the fyrst vij vi Abner Semei xi vii Eli Matathia xii viii Aser Maath ix ix Nagid Artaxat x. x. Hagai Eli viij xi Maslot Naum vii xii Amos Syrah xiiij xiij Matathia Siloa xviij xiiij Ioseph the yonger l. The same had greate familiarite wyth Ptolomeus Euergetes and by Eusebius is he called Arses xv Iaanna the seconde Hircanus xvi He had greate warres agaynst the Arabians and had oft victory But whan he was besieged in a castell by Antiochus Epiphanes nether coulde he defend hymself any lenger wyth his garnyson yet woulde he not yelde him selfe but wythstode his enemies valiauntly fightynge in battayl tyll he was slayne This was the laste prince amonge the Iewes of kyng Dauids bloude After hym ruled the Machabees whyche were of the priestly kynred But after these was the kyngdome of the Iewes translated to Herods kynred whyche was a Gentyle but he was circumcised Thys thynge truely had God prophecyed before that the ceptre and royall maiestye shoulde be taken from Iuda and Dauids successors before the comminge of the promysed Christe Nether was the kyngdome altered from Dauids posteritye aboue an hundreth thre score yeare before Christe was borne so that it exceded not mens memory what kinred had raigned Of this wyse doeth Lucas rehearse the princes of the Iewes vntyll the last Ianna Hircanus and after the same doth he counte the residue also which ruled not vntyll Christe Wherefore I wyll brefely adde of the Machabees and Herodes kynred Of the Machabees kynred MAtathias exhorted hys chylderen to resist Antiochus and these raygned in order by successiō as princes Iudas Machabeus the first vanquyshed the capytaynes of Antiochus Epiphanes and recouered the temple wythin thre yeare and had notable victories But assone as he had conspyred wyth the Romanes makyng a league wyth them he was slayn and dyed For God wyll not haue vs to leane to mans helpe but that we shoulde sett oure truste in hym He raygned v. yeares Ionathas raygned nyneten yeare he toke part wyth Alexander which vsurped the kyngdome in Syria Afterwarde was he slayne of Triphon very vnfaythfully He had an vnhappye ende for because he trusted too the ayde of naughty and seditious men Simon reigned eight yeare he ouercame Antiochus Gryphus He was at the last slayn by treason of his owne brother in lawe Ioannes Hircanus was Simons sonne the same reigned syx and twenty yeare In his tyme besieged Antiochus Gryphus Ierusalem but by geuyng of mony was he apeased and breakyng vp the syege left the citie Afterward gat Hircanus Samaria The Machabeis kynges Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus reigned one yeare and woulde be crowned with a kyngely crowne He was the first kyng in Ierusalem after that the Iewes were returned out of Babylon He slew his brother Antigonus because he feared lest he woulde couet the kyngdome Alexander the yonger sonne of Hircanusreigned seuen and twenty yeare his wyfe Alexandra reigned after hym nyne yeare Alexander left two sonnes after hym Hircanus and Aristobulus Though Hircanus were the elder yet was he dryuen out of the kyngdom by hys brother Aristobulus whiche by violence caught from his brother the dignitie of the kynges name But Antipater prince of Idumea and the father of Herodes and Areta kyng of Arabia ayded Hircanus against Aristobulus Nether was there a lesse barbarous state at that tyme in Iewry after the Heythen maner then in the kyngdomes of other nations Afterward when Pompeius toke in Ierusalem he made Hircanus high priest and taking Aristobulus prisoner with his two sonnes Alexander and Antigonus brought thē to Rome But by the way as they went to Rome escaped Alexāder and commyng againe into Iewry he became mighty againe But then was he vanquished by Gabinius y ◠Romane capitaine in Syria and afterward by the commaundement of Scipio was he beheaded at Antiochia Antigonus was released at Rome
by Iulius but longe after was he commaunded to be put to death at Antiochia by Antonius euen the third yeare when Herode was made kyng And yf the whole tyme that Hircanus was high priest bee wel rekened it shalbe euen foure and thirty yeares finally was he put to death by Herode It is a dredful thyng verely to senerehande in al histories that not only the moste renow medest kynreds and families amonge men decay but that also the successours of holy men cleane doth degenerate from the honestie of there elders and fall to all fylthynesse of mische ue and synne What tyme the Phariseys and the other sectes began with the Iewes WHen now the soueraintie and priesthode by the Iewes began to be toren and pulled asunder by the tyraÌ„ny the warres of Antiochus I passe ouer that the Machabees ioyned them with Heythen kynges the which ordeined or deposed princes high priestes at their pleasure the whiche cared for nothing lesse then the endeuour of the religioÌ„ it could not be â—â—â—t that sectes and sundry dissensions must yse in the Iewysh religion For uedes must it happen so wheÌ„ether we want a certain head in the religion or wheÌ„the heades of the churche or congregatioÌ„ do not regarde the studies of Godlinesse and seke onely outward puyssaunce as prophane nacions do The sectes that were sprong vp were of thre sores the first wer called Phariseis that is Seuered of the word Phares These vsed for they were better learned then the other certain constitutions of men aboue the lawe of Moses whereby they were seuered from the other people Howbeit their doctrine was a litle better righter theÌ„ the other For they taught immortalitie after this life that God will punysh synnes they beleued also that Messias should come a saueour for the faithfull and a iudge for the synnes To the men of this secte also was coÌ„mitted the coÌ„mon welth before other and they wee of more aucthoritie The second secte was of the Sadduceis These hidde their wickednesse with a very noble not able callyng theÌ„selues For zaddik signifieth righteous Sadducei they that be righteous or holy So is it moste commonly receaued in vsage in this worlde that those that be moste wycked of all do cloke their couetousnesses wyth moste honeste names They taught that after death was no lyfe That God had onely geuen the lawe to the intent we shoulde liue honestly quietly receiuing of God in y â— meane season in this lyfe the rewarde of righteousnesse They did expounde y â— scriptures wholy according to mans iudgemeÌ„t nether would they heare ought els as concernyng for the maners that appertaâ—ned vnto man very Epicures that is to saye suâ— as did put the principall goodnesse in voluptuoâ—â—tie as Epicurus the Philosopher dyd And thaâ— more is when they at the length had gotteÌ„ power â–ª they troubled not a litle the Phariseis It is a fearfull thyng verely to heare that among the peculiar and chosen people of God are crept in euen heythenysh doctrines insomuche that coÌ„stantly they were not ashamed euen openly to teache and saye that after this lyfe was none other lyfe The thirde were Essey the whiche when they perceiued that both the Phariseyes and Sadduceyes folowed their appetites vnder the coloure of honest titles nether did ought in a maner that were worthy their profession therfore semed it them good to declare the straitnesse and seueritie of lyfe with the dede and would be called Essey that is workers or doers For Assa whence the name Essey commeth sygnifieth to worke as in these times the Anabaptistes do reproue bothe the Lutherians and papistes and endeuour to seme more holier then ether of them For the Essey lyued in a maner in all thinges as the Anabaptistes lyue they maryed not and woulde haue all thynges common among them This was an vtter foolysh and dotish supersticion of monkerye and whiche could not last long Of this wyse nerehand is the church deuided in thre partes also now a dates for because y â— second commyng of Christe also is harde by The Anabaptistes resemble the Esseyes and on the other parte some be Phariseyes some are Sadduceyes For the thniges that happened amoÌ„g the Iewes â—â—e a figuce of the ChristeÌ„ religion These sectes rose first among the Iewes vnder Ioannes Hircamus the sonne of Simon before the byrth of Christ an hundreth and fyue and twenty yeares Of Herodes kynred WHen Iulius Cesar had warre in Egypt that was euery where full of daunger Antipater prince of Idumea ayded him very faithfully and for a remembraunce of this benefite made hym Iulius gouernoure of Iewry the whiche was now constrayned to obey foren and straunge princes in her owne royalme The Iewes set themselues agaynst it with great force at the first sufferyng very disdainfully the rule of the Idumean prince insomuche that he was poysoned at the last by a Iewe called Malchus and dyed Herodes reuenged the death of his father Antipater and demaunded the succession of the Iewysh kyngdome of Augustus and Antonius in the hundreth foure score and seconde Olympias and this was after Alexander two huÌ„dreth foure score and twelue yeares This was the occasion wherby Iewry receuied foren kynges out of Idumea and afterlong siege compelled Herode them of Ierusalem to yelde theÌ„selues nether was there litle bloud shedde before the Iewes yelded themselues frely to Herodes dominion As for Christ was borne in the thirtieth yeare of Herode These are nerehand the greatest and chefest mutations of the kyngdom brefly comprehended the whiche happened in Iewry in the tyme of this monarchie vntill the last monarchie and the tyme of Christes birth And though it is euident ynough that the Iewysh kynges after Christes birth were of Herodes kynred yet wyll I set them euery one orderly that the reader may more easely knowe how the one is borne of the other and haue ruled the kyngdome lawfully by a certayn succession vntyll the destruction of the citie Ierusalem though as concernyng the iust order of the historie I am not come so farre For I haue yet to reherse these thynges of the Romanes which happened in the tyme of the Grecian monarchie Herode the first whiche was also called Ascalon had many children among the whiche he hymselfe caused thre to be slame Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater by reason of a conspiracy that they had made against their father But after him remained aliue Archelaus Herodes whiche was surnamed Antipas and Philippus These parted the kyngdome amonges them Archelaus was chosen by a testament to succede his father Herode in the kyngdome but Augustus the emperour would not confirme or ratifye thys wyl of the father but made hym prince howbeit vnder this hope that he should be made kyng yf he ruled honestly And so ruled he nyne yeares and vsed great tyranny he set vp and deposed high priestes and rauyshed his
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
or mitigated which thynge of mercy happened to the Niniuites The yeare of the worlde iiii M. xxv The yeare of Rome viij C. xxxii The yeare of Christe lxxxi TItus the eyght Emperoure reigned two yeare He was the sonne of Vespasianus endued wyth all kynde of princely vertues wherefore he was praysed of euery man and called The loue and delite of man kynde But when he perceaued that some went about to optayne the Emperyall dignitie agaynst hym he commaunded to admonyshe them frendly to abstayne from suche enterpryses For all theyr labour was inuayne in suche thinges and that the gouernaunce is a gyft of God whiche befalleth to hym whome it pleaseth hym to geue He dyd nothynge more rygorously to them Titus as some suppose dyed of poyson After that Linus was deade was Anacletus made the third byshop of Rome The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xxvij The yeare of Rome viii C. xxxvj The yeare of Christe .lxxxiij. DOmitianus the nynth Emperoure the brother of Titus reigned fyftene yeares He had warres in Germany and ceâ—sely agaynst the Catti that now a daies are called the Hesses He vsed incredible intemperancy and great tyranny at Rome wherfore he was fynally slayne He droue out of Rome the Mathematicos that is teachers by demonstracion and Philosophers He persecuted the Christen and put them to death lyke as Nero dyd Whan Anacletus was deade Clemens the fyrst of that name was made Byshop of Rome The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xliij The yeare of Rome .viij. C. lij The yeare of Christe .xcix. NErua the tenth Emperoure reigned one yeare and foure monethes He adopted and made heyre apparant Traianus who was as then capitaine in Germany about Collen Nerua dyed being olde .lxviij. yeare The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xliiij The yeare of Rome .viij. C. liij The yeare of Christe C. TRaianus the Emperoure reigned nynetene yeares and syxe monethes This same was the fyrste of the straunge Emperours For he was no Italian but a Spanyarde by kynred He was of suche notable honestie that euer afterward as oft as an Emperoure was electe he dyd wyshe with open requeste that he might be lyke to Traianus in honestie Augustus in happenesse When he had made the principall officers of his court he gaue hym a sworde in hys hande sayeng these wordes Vse this sworde agaynst myne enemies in iuste causes If I do not iustly then drawe it vpon myselfe The Romane empyre was neuer so large as in the tyme of Traianus and aboue the examples of other Emperours possessed he the realmes of the East most largely He had very great warres in Hungary and Germany Ihon the euangelist that was driuen out by Domitian returned agayne to Ephesus out of the yle Pathmos If ye wyll reken the noÌ„bre of the yeres it shalbe founde that Sainct Ihon hath preached aboue thre score yeares Good Lorde howe many myseries hath Sainct Ihon sene in so longe space among the whiche was euen the greatest the destruction of Hierusalem hys countrey I wyll passe ouer how greueously hee hath stryuen wyth many and euen peruerset heretikes For we reade that vpon a tyme Sainct Ihon came into a bath and founde Cherinthus the Heretike sittyng with hys company and disputynge earnestly amonge them and the vnshamefast blasphemer denyed Christe to be man But Sainct Ihon rysynge bad hys frendes that were set wyth hym to departe with hym from thence For God woulde not suffre any lenger so vnshamefast blasphemies But strayghtwaye as he was gone out the house fallyng downe slewe Cherinthus wyth hys company It is a dredefull example of Gods wrath agaynst them whiche blaspheme the name of GOD wyth open and manifest vngodlynesse howe litle he wyl suffre them to be vnpunished at length Euaristus the fift B. of Rome succeded ClemeÌ„s After Euaristus death succeded the .vi. B. of Rome Alexander the first of that name Vnder Traianus were many Christen men tormented But afterwarde was a sentence ordeined that they shoulde not be brought into iudgement without they were fyrst openly accused and then shuld they be punyshed and this was gotten by the benefite of Plinius Traianus died of a flyxe in the belly The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. lxiiij The yeare of Rome .viii. C. lxxiij The yeare of Christe C. xx ADrianus the .xii. Emperoure reigned twenty yeares He was adopted of Traianus He was a prince of greate wysdome he was not geuen too warre after the example of Traianus but was geuen to common peace by al maner of meanes and of this wise restored he the Empyre in moste best fashion wherfore he also deserued moste hygh prayse with euery man Ther was neuer a more profytable Emperour to the Romysh kyngdome sence Augustus then this Adrianus He was excellently learned in astronomy and composed euery yeare a pronostication for hymself Vnlearned readers of sciences put he out of wages howbeit he prouided of hys own coste for theÌ„ that they had no nede in the meane season and set other learned and profitable meÌ„ to teache in their steade He furnished also excellent libraries for he was reakened to be very well learned in Greke and Latin In the tyme of Adrianus began the Iewes to restore their kyngdom fyndyng also out one Messias among theÌ„ But Adrianus ouercame them though it was not without great busynesse Afterwarde commaunded he to repayre Ierusalem and called her Elia after his name Elius At the fyrst was he sore against the Christians and commaunded to torment them but afterward when some learned Christen men wrote bokes to the Emperoure the whiche are yet now adayes a brode he chaunged his mynde and commaunded that from thence foreward no man should be attached for his religion Xystus the fyrst of that name and seuenth B. of Rome succeded Alexander After Xystus succeded Thelesphorus the eyght B. of Rome He is reported to haue ben the instituter of Lent The yeare of Christe .i. C. xl ANtonius the Godly the .xiii. Emperour was adopted by Adrianus He reigned xxiij yeres that with so great modesty and endeuoure of peace that he shoulde oft haue sayed that it were more honest to saue one citesyn by an Emperoure than to slaye a thousand enemies Hyginius the nyneth B. of Rome succeded Thelesphorus Pius the .x. succeded Hyginius Anicetus the xi B. of Rome succeded Pius The yeare of Christe .c. lxiij MArâ—â—s Anthonius the philosopher the xilij Emperoure reigned .xix. yeares The same gouerned the Empyre by good ryght with hys brother Lucius Verus and these two were the first that ruled the Empyre together But Verus liued not loÌ„g in the gouernauÌ„ce Marcus was lyke excellent both in vertue and learnynge He had also warre in Germany agaynste them that dwelt in Morauia and Slesia and also against the Vandali He wrote many excellent lawes the whiche are yet to be red in
derth not onely at Rome but also in al Italy But as the Gotthies fled and strayed here and there without order by reason of the great derth Bellisarius folowed vpon them and ouerthrue theÌ„ and enclosyng in Wittichus by an intrap toke him But in y â— meane seasoÌ„ could not the Gotthies be vtterly weded out but Iustinianus making peace w t them graunted them to dwell in the contreis from the Alpes vntyll the ryuer Padus nether shoulde passe these bondes He called Bellisarius back agayne for he feared lest he being made Emperour he should take to hym the empyre of Italy though Bellisarius trustyd in his affayres went not about suche thynges Wherfore beyng returned to Constantinople he brought Wittichus and other of the greatest nobilitie prysoners with hym in a greate triumphe Totilas was made king of the Gotthies after the depar THus was Rome foure tymes taken of the Gotthies and Vandalies within an hundreth and nyne and thyrty yeres First by Alaricus vnder the Emperour Honorius The yere of Christ CCCC xij After that by Genserichus the Vandal in the tyme of Martianus The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi THyrdly by Totilas kyng of the Gotthies and this oppression of the citie was the moste heuiest of all For she was both taken and burnt the .xxi. yeare of Iustinianus the yeare after the buyldyng of her a thousand and thre hundreth The yeare of Christ CCCCC xlviij Fourthly the third yeare after this destruction The yeare of Christe CCCCC li. After this spoylyng beganne Totilas to restore agayne the citie of Rome and suffered the cytesens to returne agayne into her But what fauoure he shewed and how gently he behaued hymselfe wytnesse the wordes that are written concernyng hys frendlynesse that he bare suche an affection toward his subiects and specially the Romanes as becommeth a father to haue toward his chyldren and it is sayde that Totilas learned by saynt Benets doctrine and admonition to beare rule of that sorte Afterwarde sent Iustinianus a prince of syngulare wysdom called Narses into Italy against Totilas The same called the Lombardes to ayde him The same were Saxons whiche with appoynted armies had brought themselues to the coastes of Austria the same brought Narses into Italy and by their ayde ouercame he Totilas and after ward Teia whiche was the last kyng of the Gotthies in Italy And this is the ende of the Gotthies kyngdome by the Italians whiche had last sence Dietrichus of Berna vntyll Teia thre score yeares That Dietrichus Totila and Teia were both very wyse and doughty princes testifye their dedes and noble actes insomuche that if ye wyl esteme them by their vertues they ought not to be called Barbarians When the Gotthies were ouercome the power and rychesse of the Lombardes beganne to growe and gatte one of the kyngdomes of Italy howbeit they possessed not whole Italy but onely that part of Italy that yet is called Lombardy The kyngdome of Lombardy lasted vntyll the tyme of Carolus magnus Though the Gotthies were dryuen out of Italy yet were they myghty in Spayne and ruled there vntyll this oure tyme. And of this wyse was at the last Spayne and part of Fraunce translated from the empyre of Rome vnder Homorius As for Italy was restored to his tranquilitie while Honorius lyued yet For the Gotthies drue partly into Lombardy partly into Spayne besyde this were the Frankes myghty in Fraunce After Innocentius was Sosimus made the xliiij byshop of Rome Bonifacius the first of that name and xlv byshop of Rome succeded Sosimus After Bonifacius death was Celestinus the first of the name made byshop of Rome The yere of Christe CCCC xxvij THeodosius the yonger the sonne of Arcadius the .xlv. Emperoure reigned at Constantinople seuen and twenty yeares after the death of Honorius He made Valentinian the sonne of Constantius and Placidia whiche was the daughter of Theodosius fellow in the Easte empyre Of the Vandalies IN the tyme of this Theodosius the yere of Christ CCCC xxxiij came the VaÌ„dali into Aphrica by this occasion Thos two capitaines of the Romanes hated eche other and fought other whiles with playn fielddes Wherfore the one called bonifatiâ—s entyced busely the Vandalies that were in Spayne at that tyme to come into Aphrica which thyng they did gladly For the Gotthi beyng myghty in Spayne coulde not suffre the VaÌ„dalies For as we shewed before the Vandalies moued by Stillico against the Gotthies toke in the contreis that be about Hungary namely Walachia Illyricus where the Gotthies dwelt afore Besyde that were they also in Germany from whence as they went into FrauÌ„ce they did much hurte howbeit they were driuen out of FrauÌ„ce by the Frankes and Gotthies Afterward beyng come into Spayne they vere constrayned to fyght agayne with the Gotthies but in Aphrica beganne the power of the Vandalies to growe and encrease S. Augustine also died about that time when Genserichus kyng of the Vandalies besieged the towne Hippo wherein S. Augustine was byshop When Valentintanus was dead one Maximus made hymselfe Emperoure at Rome of his owne mynde But the quene Eâ—doxia because she would haue the heires that were left to succede in the empyre sought ayde by Genserichus againste Maximus by whose helpe the citie of Rome was taken spoyled But the Vandall vsed a Vandalians faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse with the quene for he lede her with her two daughters away with hym into Aphrica prysoner For so doth it somtyme befall when we call foren ayde to defende oure goodes Howbeit afterwarde vnder Iustinianus though the Vandalies were not vtterly roted out in Aphrica yet were they brought to suche strayghtnesse that they could neuer floryshe any more For Gelimerus the kyng was taken by Bellisarius Aphrica beyng subdued obeyed the Empyre agayne But not loÌ„g after began the Saracens to haue dominioÌ„ in Aphrica Let this suffise to speke of the VaÌ„dalies Of the Boemes IT is also to be noted that about this time came fyrst of all in Germany the Vandali wherein they haue yet a great part nowe a dayes namely the kyngdom of Boeme whiche was in tymes past part of Germany which the word Boeme which is a Germane worde doth testifie sufficiently whiche was before the Vandali came into these countreis The worde hath his sygnificacion of the Bauaries or Beyers to whoÌ„ it was wont to be subiect wherfore it is properly called Boienheim Nether wyll the Vandali of Boeme be called Boemes but zeski after their capitayne by whose guyde they were fyrst brought into Boeme But these auncient Boemes the Germanes were in greate admiracion and confederacion with the Romanes and by Cornelius Tacitus the history writer they are highly praised By this occasioÌ„ also is Germany translated from the Roman empyres monarchy For in low Germany were the Frankes puyssaunt in hygh Germany Alemanni and in Boeme the Vandali But what is
writeth Procopius the historyographer When euery where was peace made Iustinianus caused also the auncient lawes of the Romans to be gathered in bookes called Digesta that is bokes appoynted in order but the same bookes were darkened not long after Iustinianus through lawes of the Lombardes and Frankes neuerthelesse after a good season were they brought too lyght agayne by Lotharius a Saxon Emperour of whoÌ„ we shall speake hereafter Howbeit it were to long to reherse here how greatly this wysdome is to bee praysed in the Emperoure who wylled that iustice and these lawes to be commonly executed as by the iudgement of all sage and good men can nothynge be more honest holy and more profitable Of Bellisarius I can not worthely ouerpasse that of Belilsarius which he hath handled most faithfully in all thynges he was a peace and concorde maker in all the worlde He dyd wholy restore the empire of Rome that was nearehand decaied and altogether weakened to be short he shewed hys lorde and all the worlde suche pleasure that none coulde be greater nor more prayse worthy and if they were estymed aryght they are hygh and incredible gyftes of God But what thaÌ„kes the worlde geueth agayn for so great vertues and suche gâ—stes of God that doth the example of Bellisarius declare sufficiently whom Iustinianus of a very lyght suspicion without cause caused to put out his eyeâ—â— and droue him away that he shuld be fayne to seke his meate with beggyng at the last dyed he lyke a moste wretched begger Of this wyse doth the deuel at the last set hym against the greatest men whiche vndoubtedly hateth all Gods workes and moste hygh vertues in men Besyde thys dyd Narses also fall in the Emperours indignacion but he woulde not returne to Constantinople For that he myght be more safe for daungers he remayned all hys lyfe longe at Naples in Italy Simplicius the .l. bysh of Ro. succeded Hilarius Felix the secoÌ„d of that name succeded Simplicius After Felix was Gelasius the .lij. bysh of Rome Anastasius the seconde of that name was after Gelasius After Anastasius was Symmachus the .liiij. byshop of Rome In hys tyme was the fyrst trouble raysed for the chosyng of the byshop of Rome For some woulde haue had one Laurentuâ—s agaynst Symmachus â–ª and thys stryfe was the cause of a greate slaughter at Rome At the last did Dietrichus of Bernaswag this vproure After Symmachus succeded Hormisda y e lv bysh Ioannes the first succeded Hormisda Felix the thyrd the .lvii. bysh was after Ioannes Bonifacius the secoÌ„d the .lviii. bysh succeded Felix Ioannes the second succeded Bonifacius Agapetus the. lâ— byshop succeded Ioannes This same optained of the Emperoure Iustinianus that heretikes shuld not be brought to Constantinople Syluerius the .lxi. bysh succeded Agapetus Vigilius was bysh after Syluerius Thissame was taken of Iustinianus and vncourteously entreated because he would not consent to the restitucion of the bannyshed heretikes Pelagius the first succeded after Vigelius in the tyme of Totilas IoaÌ„nes the third was y e .lxiiij. bysh after Pelagiê° In these tymes were sene very dredeful woÌ„ders in the skye by the Italians There were sene burnyng battayls Cometes Besyde this also was Rome nearehand drowned wyth the surroundyng of the Tyber These tokens signified the decay of the Romane empyre and the Churche the whiche ensued afterward For not long after rose the Mahometicall pestilence The yeare of Christ CCCCC lxvi IUstinus the second of that name the .liij. Emperoure reygned ten yeares He was Iustinianus systers sonne In his tyme toke in the LoÌ„bardes parte of Italy to dwell in whyche was the yeare of Christe CCCCC lxxij The yeare of Christe CCCCC lxxvi TIberius the second of this name the .liiij. Emperoure reigned seuen yeares He was Iustinus marshall and was taken of hym for hys sonne and heyre of the empyre He vanquyshed the Perses but had no good fortune in Italy agaynst the Lombardes Benedictus the .lxv. bysh of Ro. succeded Pelagiê° Pelagius the second was bysh after Benedictus Of Mahomet and of the kyngdome of the Sarracens The yeare of Christe vi C. xxx The yeare of Heraclius xv The yeare of the worlde iiij M. v. C. lxxiiii The yeare of Rome M. iii. C. lxxxii MAhomet auaunted hymselfe a prophet also a king in Arabia by the Agarenies and Saraceus that by this occasion The Agareny dwellinge in the entryng of Arabia were alwaye geuen to robbery and exercyse of warre Whan they were now enticed with the Persian warres they receyued wages vnder Heraclius And whan it was shewed them by y e Emperoures captaynes they lokynge for no more wages raysed an vproure agaynst the Romane captayns By reason of thys commune vproure beganne Mahomets power to encrease For seynge the commune people coulde want no captayne they dyd lyghtely stycke to Mahomett who passed all other for his greate ryches and other syngular vertues But that he myghte the more easely bryng the peoples maners into some certayne order he purposed to make lawes not only in ciuill matters but also to bind the mindes of the coÌ„mune people to a certaine and new forme of religion that he might the better kepe them all in their duety nother might ryse any occasion of disscucion For he sawe that euery wher were sondry disagreing mindes of the doctryn of religion For y e concord of the Churches was spoyled by sundery heresyes and chefely wyth the wicked learning of Arrius But whan the consciences are tangled wyth errour and the myndes wauer than do they lightely suspect the doctrine of Christ and be in shorte space dryuen hether and thether Wherfore as mens myndes were thus relyng and vncertayn Mahomet hauyng gotten oportunitie prescribed suche a forme of religion wherein those heade chapters of the fayeth that spake of Christe were past ouer and that therefore lest the doctrine of the fayth should more be broughte into doutfull disputatyons but restynge only in the vnderstandyng or capacyte of reason myghte commaunde of courtesye of maners and maner to lyue honestlye Thys truely is acceptable to mens nature Therfore embraced thys doctryne the Gentyls Iewes Arrians and such as were deciuered from the Christen religion For thys fayth semed to be alowable to euery man Wherfore men of vnlyke kynred vnlyke language â–ª the one liuynge otherwyse than the other it is vnpossyble to saye how easely they grew and increased in myght to resyst the Romanes valiauntly For first began they to subdue Arabia and part of Syria For Damascus was Mahomets courte Afterwarde became they myghty in Egipt also Let thys suffyse brefely spoken of the begynnyng of y e dredefull kyngdome of Mahomet wherin raygned fyrst the Arabians Egypcians which called them Sultan or Souldan that is prince afterward was the empyre brought to y e Turkes As for y e kingdome is y e greatest part of Antichrist in the Prophetes are y e
of the Lombardes Charles goyng into Italy besyeged Desiderius at Pauye and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe But when Charles perceaued in dede that the vprouryshnacion of the Lombardes coulde not rest for he had assayed the matter with them afore also that they beyng content with their borders shoulde remayne within their owne realme and that there myght be a sure peace thoroweout Italy Charles toke in whole Lombardy and in the same as in hys owne kyngdome set he gouernoures and capitaynes As for Desidexius with his wyfe the quene chyldren led he with hym prysoners and commaunded them to be kept at Ludick or Liege Thys was the end of the kyngdome of the Lombardes in Italy whiche had lasted two hundreth and thre yeres from the yere of Christ CCCCC lxxij when Iastinus reigned vntyll the yeare of Christ .vij. C. lxxv thys was the syxte yeare before Charles opteined the empyre For though Charles was gone to Rome in this settynge forth and had set at quiet not onely Lombardy but also that parte of Italy that is beiond Rome yet would he not vsurpe for hym the title of Imperiall maiestie lest he should robbe the Grekes of their honoure and this dignitie He graunteth the Emperours cities in Italy to enioye their former lybertie wythout any hynderaunce but he kept the kyngdome of the Lombardes as his owne for long ago was it not subiect to the Emperours Tassilo duke of Baierland raysed warre against Charles but he was ouercome of Charles the tweÌ„tieth yeare of his reigne and takyng in the duchy Tassilo wyth his sonne was put into a monastery Nether did Charles vse so great rigour against his cosyn rashly for Tassilo raysyng an vprour against hym afore and taken to mercy kept no promyse Charles goyng to Rome the two and thirtieth yeare of his reigne restored Leo the byshop of Rome against whome the Romanes had raysed vpâ—ours insomuche that the byshop was compelled to flye But when now Charles â—erceyued certeynly that no peace could be satteled in Italy vntyll suche cyties in Italy as had fraunchyses graunted them dyd ceasse to do all thynges accordyng to their appetite he was constrayned by necessitie to take to him the dominion of whole Italy But he betoke to the byshop of Rome some cities and contreis for the mayntenaunce of ministers in the churche In the Christmasse nyght cryed the byshop of Rome Charles to be Emperoure of Romanes and alwaye full of maiestie And it is sayde that Charles shuld haue aunswered to this yf I had knowen that any suche thyng should haue happened to me I would not haue entered into the temple Nether would he accept the title of Emperoure wythout the consent and alowaunce of them of Constantinople Wherefore IreÌ„ne the mother of Constantinus and Nicephorus consented that Charles should be Emperoure in the West to that dyd they consent frely for these countreis dyd not obey to the Emperours of Constantinople any more But as sone as Charles was made Emperoure and that the state of Italy was nowe satled with great trauaile he determined to warre vpon the Hungarians And this warre lasted eight yeares wherein the Hungarians were in a maner rooted out He set also garnysons of Germanes in Hungary to kepe the realme by the whiche occasion do vntyll this tyme Germanes dwel in the coastes of HuÌ„gary whiche is called Seuenburge It is mencioned in histories that Charles brought great ryches out of Hungary and that is lyke ynough for the HuÌ„garians had bene occupied in warrefarre and robbery aboue two hundreth yeares they ledde prayes of al nacions nerehande in the meane season was their realme inuaded of no foren nacioÌ„s wherby no doubt were great and precious treasures founde by them In the meane tyme dyd Charles the sonne of Charles the great subdue Bohemy vanquyshyng Lecho their kyng and thus was charles at the last a moost myghty prince of all Italy Fraunce Germany Bohemy and Hungary and brought the whole West empyre in a quiet estate kept it in the same Wherfore for these vertues and thys strength of courage whiche he vsed in all his enterpryses is Charles worthy to be counted amonge these princes which God hath now and than geuen to the worlde to repayre common welthes iustice equitie shamefastnesse â—â—ally to restore amonge men the bandes of modestie and common peace as were in tymes past Dauid Hercules Cyrus Alexander Iulius Augustus Constantinus The odosiâ—s In Charles affaires is chefely worthy to be noted how kynges and great men make â—umors among them For God sendeth sometyme the chefe monarches to represse them Euen as in oure tyme Charles the fyfte hath brydeled the excesse and want oâ—nesse of the Romanes and the Venetian power But it is expedient for moste hygh princes to be excellent not onely in feates of warre and handlyng of weapon but also to enforme common welthes with honest lawes and dectrine of religion And this was Charles chefe care He caused some counsails to be kept at Rome and Franckforde and some tyme in Fraunce He founded also thre vniuersities to spreade abrode and maintayne the doctrine of Christenreligion namely at Bonony in Italy Paris in Fraunce and at Paduam Italy In Germany dyd he lyke wyse founde many monasteries for to teache youth in steade of scoles Besyde thys dyd he set the lawe of the Frankes morder and caused the bokes of the lawe to be written For that olde lawe of the Romans was long before put out of â—re throug the Lombardes and Frankes He caused also to gather together the olde histories of the Germanes and songes wherein it is said he had suche pleasure that he learned them by rote He was excellently well sene in the Germane toungue and Latine he coulde also speake Greke for he herde the Greke messangers and aunswered them in Greke but in along and durable relacioÌ„ did he speake Latine There are yet verses that be not greatly vnsemely whiche is sayde he dyd make at the death of his cousin Roulande In his olde age he gaue hymselfe to Astronomy At diner and supper at home delyted he in hearyng reade the bokes of saincte Augustine In the temple dyd he syng the canonicall houres and also lessons with the pristes and he woulde other princes to do likewyse after his example whoÌ„ he prescribed lessons which semeth to pertain to his and their amendemeÌ„t For he was an exciding louer of christen doctrine In all maners of liuyng dyd be haue hym so as nomaÌ„ might passe him in godlinesse Beside this sent he succours of mony to the christiaÌ„s in straunge contreis and obteined by the Saracen kynges that the christians should be more easely entreated He gaue the wyndes and monethes those names whiche remayne yet now a dayes so that by these thynges may easely be gathered that thys prince was garnyshed of God with greate vertues and hygh happenesse by hys studyes so that he may worthely be surnamed
Charles the balde in to Italy where the two cosins the sonnes of Lewis folowed hym As he herde this he was taken with a disease of a soden feare and died Yet in the meane season persysted byshop Iohannes in transferryng of the empyre and willed the sonne of Charles the balde to succede in his fathers place Wherfore he was taken at Rome of the Germane legates and such as were of their partes but escapyng their handes he fled to the Frenche kyng where he made Lewis the stammerer the sonne of Charles the balde Emperoure This Lewis lyued nomore but twoo yeares after hys fathers deceasse And of this wyse was this earnest couetyng come to an euell ende at the last for the Frenchemen and also was the byshop frustrate of his false engines Charles the grosse the fyft Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .viij. C. lxxxi came the empyre agayne to the Germanes For the Saracens commyng agayne into Italy and spoylyng all thynges dyd the Romanes call their byshop agayne out of Fraunce for the Italians had nede of succourse agaynste the Saracens And when the kyng of Fraunce was deade seyng the kynges heyre was not yet of ful age there were raysed euery where great dissencions and debates in Fraunce for the gouernaunce of the realme vntyll the kynges sonne were come to age Wherefore the byshop of Rome constrayned by this necessitie required ayde of the Germanes to rescue Italy out the brunt of daungers Then came Charles the grosse sonne to Lewis the Germane into Italy driuing out the Saracens toke the emperial crown the yeare of Christe .viii. C. lxxxij Charles reigned after that he was crowned ix yeares About this tyme the Normandes fallyng into Fraunce dyd so much harme euery where that the Frenchmen wer compelled to require ayde of the Germanes and by consent of euery man was Charles made kyng of Fraunce and by thys occasion gott Charles the Grosse the realme both of Germany and Gallia or Fraunce agayne But these kyngdomes were separated againe not long after Charles beynge wery of the warre in Morauia or Meerhen by reason of the greate combraunce and trauail forsakyng the empire he made Arnolfus his brothers sonne Emperour who pointed Charles out of the empire so muche reuenues so long as he lyued as was sufficient for a kynges state Arnolfus the .vi. Germane Emperoure ARnolfus the sonne of Carolomanus duke of Baierlande Schwaben and of the FraÌ„kes y â— cosin of Charles the third was substitute by hym in the empyre the yearâ— of Christe .viij. C. xci he reigned .xij. yeares Fyrst ouercame he the Morauians or Meerhlanders after that the Normandes whiche beyng now returned out of Fraunce came vntyll the Rene and commyng to Worms put the byshop of Mentz to execution As the Normandes were vanquyshed by the Emperours at the last became they Christen Afterwarde when Vâ—ido duke of Spoleta by a rumor was made Emperoure Arnolfus goyng into Italy toke in Rome by greate force and was crowned of Formosus the byshop of Rome Wherfore wheÌ„ he had taken in Italy agayne Vâ—ido was bannyshed He restored againe also the duchy of Bourgondie to the Germane dominion Marinus the C. xi bysh of Ro. succeded IoaÌ„nes Adrianus the .iij. was byshop after Marinus Stephanus the fift C. xiij bysh succeded Adrianê° Formosus succeded Stephanus At that tyme was again a great debate at Rome for the election For Sergius was also created byshop but the fauoures of Formosus driuynge out Sergius Formosus sent for the Emperoure into Italy that he myght kepe styll the byshopryke by that meanes For Sergius was fled into Fraunce and went about to obteine the byshopryke by the aide of Frenchemen Howbeit after certaine yeares when Formosus was deade he was made byshop vsed more tyranny and presumpcion then he ought to haue done accordyng to byshoply mekenesse He caused to digge vp the deade carcas of Formosus to degrate it and beheadyng it cast it into the floude Tyber with moste shame It is written that this Sergius was very vnlearned vnmanered which thinge his cruell dedes declare plaine ynough Bonifacius the .vi. the C. xv byshop succeded Formosus Stephanê° the .vi. folowed Bonifacius Thissame disanulled condempned al Formosus ordinauÌ„ces Romanus the C. xvi byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Theodorus the .ij. succeded Romanus IoaÌ„nes y â— .x. the C.xix bysh of Ro. succeded Theâ— dorus thissame alowed agayne the ordinaunces of Formosus whiche Stephanus the syxte had disanulled Benedictus the .iiij. was the C. xx byshop after Iohannes Leo the .v. was after Benedictus the C. xxi byshop of Rome The same was taken prysoner by Christophorus Christophorus was byshop after Leo. Thissame was taken by Sergius After Christophorus was Sergius the .iij. made the C. xxiij byshop of Rome The same caused the deade coarse of Formosus be dygged vp agayne and beheaded It is a thynge full of drede ether to reade or to reherse byshops of Rome to haue vsed so great tyranny among themselues And it could not be that any regarde could be had of Christen godlynesse let no man then marueill in the meane season yf any abuses and wycked opinions be broken into the churche in the meane whyle Lewis the .iii. the .vii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .ix. C. iij. Lewis the sonne of Arnolphus being substitute in the empyre of hys father reygned ten yeares It is no where redde that he was crowned For when Arnolphus was deade the Hungarians inuaded Germany wyth greate violence Agaynst them dyd the good prince Lewis the Emperoure set hymselfe and dyd greuously disconfite them by the ryuer Lyeus but he was afterwarde ouercome of them lykewyse Then the Hungarians beynge vanquishers dyd euery where muche myschefe and harme to the Schwoben Frankes Baierlanders and them of Ostenryche Slayeng euery one wythoute regarde or mercy burnynge temples cityes tounes villages yee euery thynge Afterwarde entrynge into Italy vsed lyke crueltye At that tyme was Berengarius prince of Foroiulium which gatherynge a great army aganyst the Hungaryans although somtyme he fought vn luckelye yet gat he hym such a good name by thys settynge forth that afterwarde he wylled to be called Emperoure Cunradus the .i. the viij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. xii was Conradus made Emperoure he raigned seuen yeares But he was not crowned of the Romysh byshop He was Lewis the .iii. brothers sonne he was duke of the Frankes and the laste of the mooste noble posteritye of Charles the great whiche ye maye gesse by the order of the genealogye wrytten hereafter the whych I haue added therfore y t it maye be knowen to how great chaunces and how many alteracions the kingdom of the Germanes hath ben putt the which thynge can not be red wythoute greate wonderynge at For that maye be sene euerye where that greate kyngdomes floryshe a certayne space in the world but at the laste they be
weakened and tossed wyth troublous commocions howbeit in the meane season be they so kept by Godes prouidence that they do not wholy perysh Lewis the thyrd left no soâ—â— after hym and therefore stroue the Frankes and Sacons together to make Otho duke of Saxony Emperour but the good prince withstode the same not wylling that to the moost noble stocke of Charles shulde happen suche a reproch Therefore counselled he to make Conradus duke of the Frankes Emperoure Of thys wyse succeded Conradus in the empyre but Otho was in more greater authority whyle Conradus lyued he dispatched more busynesses also yet in the meane time shewed he great loyalty and honestye toward Conradus the Emperoure But in the meane tyme vsurped Berengarius duke of Foroiulium the name of the Emperoure in Italy and enticed the Hungarians that they shuld spoyle Germany agayn but Conradus ouer came those by the ayde of Otho But whan Otho was deade Conradus the Emperour fearyng happely lest the son of Otho Henry the Fouler shoulde growe ouermuche in power therefore wythdrue he parte of those thynges whyche before he had graunted hys father Otho And whan Henry toke it greueouslye the Empetoure endeuoured to slaye him by an intrap and to bryng thys to passe was y e byshop of Mentz made out But the intrap was disclosed Than was Henry very greuously moued â–ª went home and toke from the byshop of Mentz all that was hys dominion in the land of Turyngen and Hesse But hereof rose a greate warre betwene the Frankes and Saxons But whan Conradus was a dyenge callyng to him his brother Eberardus he commaunded hym to brynge the Emperyall croune to Henry duke of Saxony for him he iudged best worthy to gouern the Empyre He admonyshed prince Eberarde also with al diligence to make an ende of the warr that he had taken in hande wyth Henry duke of Saxonye lest the Frankes that were yet alyue shuld vtterly he roated out and perysh For he marked wel that God prospered Henryes affayres To thys counsell dyd duke Eberardus agre willyngly and bringyng the crowne to Henry and makyng peace on both sydes he was afterward loyall to Henry And by thys occasyon came it to passe that the empyre was remoued from the successors of Charles the greate to the Saxons The genealogye of Charles the greate Charles the great Emperoure Lewis te Gentle whose sonnes were these thre Lewis the German he had Almany subdued y â— Bohemes his sonnes wer Lewis charles y â— grosse which toke y â— empyre froÌ„ Charles the bald and Carolomanus the sonne of Carolomanê° was Arnolphus who raygned after Charles the Grosse Lotharius y â— Emperoure He had Loraine Italy his sonn was Lewis the seconde the .iiij. Germane Emperoure He droue y â— Saracens out of Italy After him woulde the bishop of Rome transferre the empyre to the Frenchmen vpon Charles y â— balde but the sonnes of Lewis y â— Germane restored the empyre agayn to y e Germanes â–ª Charles the balde kynge of Gallia or Fraunce his sonne was Lewis the stammerer kynge of Fraunce The sonnes of Arnolfus were Lewis the .iij. Emperoure Conradus and hys sonnes were Eberardus whose successors are the princes of y e Frankes Conradus the last emperoure of this linage Not longe after was the kyngdome of Fraunce also translated from the posteritye of Charles the greate So lytle doeth anye thynge remayne euer sted fast in his estate among men so that the generacions of great prynces do now florish in the height now agayne layde in the duste to be weakened and discouraged Anastasius the .iij. the .cxxiiij. byshop of Rome succeded Sergius Lando was made the .xxv. byshop after Anastasius Ioannes the .xi. succeded Lando Henry the .i. surnamed the Fouler the ix Emperoure of Germany THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. xx was Henry the fyrste surnamed the Fouler duke of Saxon made Emperoure he raygned seuenten yeares He was not crouned of the bishop of Rome nether went into Italy though twayne toke vpon them the name of the Emperoure and by vproure raysynge battayll fought now and than a great felde For Henry had busynesse more than ynough in Germany which the good prince apeaced wyth greate diligence accordinge to hys syngular policye and endeuored to make it more excellent Surely the kyngdome of Germany dyd neuer in a maner want vprourish commotions ther was almost neuer an Emperour chosen wythout the sedition of some princes which went aboute to take vpon them the name of the Emperoure Yet was God alway wyth those Emperours that were duâ—lly called detended the authoritye of the lawfull empyre and the sedicious were punished Arnolde duke of Bayerlande set him selfe wyth hurtfull enterpryse agaynst Henry who recountred y e Baiers wyth appointed armyes but behauynge himselfe not as an enemy he requyred to speake wyth duke Arnolde familiarly He reasoned wyth hym earnestly admonyshed hym that the maiesty of the empyre is geuen of God yf it were so that he wer chosen Emperoure by the consente of other prynces than wolde he frely geue place and be ready y â— fyrst that shuld submitte themselues Duke Arnold shewed these thynges to his counsel which answered That it were euident that Salomons sayenge of wysedome were most true which is By me do kynges rule And for asmuch as it appeareth euidently ynough that Henry is endued with wisedome and gentlenesse it is no dout but God doth assiste him he shuld therfore thenceforth leaue of from his enterpryse nether to go about any thing against Henry Wherefore duke Arnolde ceased obeied frely without y e slaughter of any of his men Who I pray you wold not saye y â— these Germane princes were no Barbaryans and that they excelled in pryncely wisedome high gentlenesse This is also wrytteÌ„ that S. Vdalryck had a visty on of the duke of Baierland which he obserued For it was shewed him by God that the duke had a swearde wythout hyltes or handel wherby was signified that the duke shulde not vse the sweard that is that he shuld not retayn the empyre Wherefore he admonyshed the duke to do nothyng vnaduisedly After that dyd Henry take Brandenburge and the Vandales beyng subdued they receaued the Christen fayth vntyl the see He besieged the city Praga and brought the Bohemes to the Empyre After that vanquyshed he fourty thousand Hungaryans by Mersburge whereby he gatte hym a great renowme and drede by the straunge nacions and gat tranquillitye to al Germanye He restored the contry of Lothring or Lorayn to the kingdom of Germany and gatt the speare that Christe was pearsed through of Rudolphe kyng of Burgundy the same was Constantinus wont to haue Henry the Fowler beynge now neare to his death made his sonn Othe succeder in y e empyre after him lest any stryfe shuld happen in the empyre after hys death concernyng the possession of it Leo the .vi. succeded
the very route out of the which emperoures must euermore growe Moreouer also can no hygher dignitie happen them in this lyfe then that worthynesse is geuen them lawfully whiche passeth farre the hyghnesse of kynges and princes Then must this ordinaunce be estemed a hygh gyft and an ordinaunce of God Wherefore also it must greatly be made of and kept without blemysh least any occasion bee geuen to dissolue so Godly and wholsome yee and moste fayre harmony in this lyfe For by them standeth the summe of the Romane Empyre And therfore whan the Electours are seuered it is necessary that the kyngdome or empyre fayle and that the last iudgement is at hande For the worlde shall ende vnder thys empyre It is written that the institucion of the Electours was The yeare of Christe M. ij The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. ix C. xlvi The yeare of Rome M. vii C. lij The yeare after Charles the greate his coronacion .ij. C. i. When this ordinaunce was made the Italians made diuers vproures against Otho the .iij. insomuche that he could not be safe at Rome and when he went towarde Germany Crescentius wyfe sending hym poyson by an intrap was kylled the thirtyeth yeare of his age Iohannes the .xv. the cxli. byshop of Rome succeded Bonifacius the .vi. He was taken by Bonifaciê° father because he wold not consent to Bonifacius election Iohannes the .xvi. succeded Iohannes the .xv. Iohannes the .xvii. succeded Iohannes .xvi. Beynge taken and dryuen out by Crescentius he â—ought ayde of Otho After Iohannes the .xvii. was Gregorius the fyft made the C. xliiij byshop of Rome a prince of the Saxons bloude and that for the same cause as we haue declared a lytle before For the Italians deuised now and then newe thynges agaynste the Emperours nether dyd they euer want matters of vproures Therefore semed it a necessary thyng to maynteyne common quietnesse that a Germane shoulde be made byshop of Rome But yet in the meane season was Gregorius driuen out by the Italians ordeinyng in hys steade one Iohannes but Otho returning to Rome with a great power restored Gregorius kynsman againe Siluester the .ij. succeded Gregorius the .v. It is sayde he was an Inchaunter After this sorcerer was Iohannes the .xviii. made the C. xlvi byshop of Rome In hys tyme appeared towarde the South a comete of a dredefull syght the whiche folowed no lesse hunger then pestilence Hrnry the .ij. surnamed the Haultynge the. â—iij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. iij. was Henry the secoÌ„d of that name duke of Bayer chosen Emperoure We haue sayd before that Otho the fyrst gaue his brother Henry the duchy of Baier But I reken this Emperoure Henry was the brothers sonne of that Henry For HeÌ„ry Otho the first brother died .xv. yeares before Otho deceased The Germane history writers were so negligent that out of their writynges I can not saye for a certayne whether he were that Henries sonne or his brothers sonne Truely that is wonder that the chanons of Bamberg knewe not certaynly the genealogy of their founder This Henry was the first that was chosen Emperoure by the Electors and raygned .xxii. yeres He was famous by wysdome and noble victories he made many and greate warres with maruaylous luckinesse Fyrst making werry y â— Bohemes Vandalies wyth warre he subdued and made theÌ„ tributaries to hym He besyeged Metz and Gaunt he wanne also Lorain and Flaunders He â—ought in Italy agaynst the Saracens and droue them out of Italy Then was he crouned victoriously at Rome by Benedictus the seueÌ„th He brought the Hungaryans to the Christen fayth and gaue to Steuen the Hungarian kyng his syster in mariage Before his death optayned he of the Electors lawfully that Cunradus the .ij. of that name a Franke should succede hym in the empyre He fouÌ„ded the byshopryck of Bamberge and is buryed there Iohannes the .xix. the C.xlvii byshop succeded Iohannes the .xviii. Sergius the C.xlviii bish of Ro. succeded Ioh. Benedictus the .vii. folowed Sergius Of hym was Henry the Emperoure crowned Iohannes the .xx. the .cl. byshop of Rome succeded Bedictus Of hym was Cunradus crowned â–ª Cunradus the .ij. the .xiiij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christe M. xxv was Cunradus a Franck chosen Emperoure who dwelt in the Limburg castell by the citie Spire and gouerned the empyre fyftene yeares But in the begynnyng of hys reigne when he perceaued all thynges in a rumour euery where he brought to passe that hys sonne should be chosen a party ruler with hym lest when he were gone in to Italy the subiectes in Germany shoulde make a rumour without a certayn heade Ernestus duke of Schwaben and the Catuli for the Catuly were also lordes in Schwaben These I saye were rebelles to the Emperoure but he dyd so assuage them that they dyd strayghtwaye obeye frely From thence went he into Hungary and redressed that also He toke Bourgundy and Liege or Ludich he toke the realme of Orleaunce agayne and gouerned it vnder his dominion Afterwarde going into Italy he besieged Milan and commyng to Rome he was crowned of Iohannes the .xx. The Romanes about that tyme rysynge agaynst Cunradus were fearcely slayen of the Emperours men But the Romane affaires were apeaced In the meane tyme whyles this was done in Italy Ernestus duke of Schwaben raysed a newe commotion wherfore Cunradus in hys returne droue hym awaye and pearsed hym through Cunradus gaue the duchy to Herman hys brother This Cunradus made many lawes which are yet now a daies Vnder this Emperoure was a couusaill kept at Tribur by Mentâ— He builded wyth great costes the Churche of Spire wherein he is buried with his quene Gisela Greate prayses are of this Gisela She was a quene of Bourgundy of Charles the greates poste ritie Her first husbande was Ernestus duke of Schwaben of whom she had two chyldren Ernestus that was driuen out and Herman afterward was she wedded to Cunradus the Emperoure Here do the writers make the first mencioÌ„ of the marqueshyp in Eastenriche whiche at that tyme possessed Albert duke of Schwaben brother to Ernestus the elder Nether was Eastenryche yet at that time a duchy but the Schwaben kept it which had taken it from the Hungarians by strong hand The Erldome also of Thuryngen beganne in the tyme of thys Cunradus For Lewis the Bearded of the lynage of Charles the greate was cosin to Gisela The same because he had longe bene conuersaunt in the courte of the Emperoure and had bene diligent in many thynges was made Earle of Thuringen And by this meanes haue the Lordes of Thuringen their ofsprynge of Charles the greates bloude Benedictus the .vij. was made the C.li. byshop of Rome after Iohannes the .xx. who beynge driuen out one Syluester bought the byshoprycke with money Therefore Benedictus beyng returned to the intent he myght rayse factions or commocions agaynst Syluester he solde hys ryght of the
it confirmed with letters geuen there vpon The yeare M. CC. xxxviij Whan Fridericke went agayn into Italy they of Milan rose agaynst him and many other strong cityes To Milan dyd Friderick great harme for the which cause the city es makynge an aliance wyth the byshop of Ro. con spired against Friderick the Emperour whome for this cause Gregorius the Romysh byshop doth excommunicate the third time and condemneth him for an heretike stearing also the Venecians to war vpon him Friderick with opē writynges dyd complain of the iniury done to hym and in the meane tyme dyd he also humbly require absolution of the byshop of Ro. Ther were many of the Cardynals whiche alowed not the bysh of Romes counsels But whan Frederick could by no meanes optayne pardon of Gregorius necessitye compelled Frederyck to defende hymselfe he had also his faction or diuision For at that tyme was Italy diuyded in Guelphies and Gibelines the Gibelini were for the Emperoure and the Guelphi were wyth the Byshop of Ro. Ether name beynge brought vp in Germany was translated and brought ouer into Italy For the kynred of the Guelphi had continuall hatred agaynst Fredericks bloude Whereof also they were called Guelphi as alwaye hatefull enemyes of Fredericke As for the spring of Fredericks kynred was of the Weiblings whereof they are called Guiblings which the Italians chaunginge the name do call Gibelini The bysh of Ro. constrayned by great necessitie dyd proclayme the crosse and pardon agaynst Friderick the Emperoure as though he were manyfestly vngodly and destroyer of the religion Friderick toke that very euell he besyeged Rome but drue back agayne wythout takyng it and toke the citye Rauennas The yeare of Christ M. CC. xlv Innocentius the iiij holding a councel at Lyons in Fraunce deposed Friderick of the empyre vsynge therto the Frenchmens ayde and by letters he shewed the princes Electors to choyse another Emperoure But they made Emperoure Henry the Landtgraue of Thuringen The same was slayne before the citye Vlme wyth an instrument of warre Friderick buylded a new citye in Italy whiche was called Victoria Whan he wanted syluer he caused to make a coyne of lether y ◠he mighte haue where wyth to pay his men of warre but so soone as he had gotten syluer he shulde geue them good and lawful mony for the lether coyne which thing he dyd liberally But now whā he could loke for no more ayde out of Germany and that besydes thys hys sonne Encius was taken who also dyed in the preson he was sore distressed and went into Apulia were he also dyed the yeare M. CC. l. Some wryt that he was poisonned Yee surely the moost holy fathers coulde not rest without they sawe the good prince clene rydde out of the waye The kingdome of Naples left he to hys sonne heyre Cunradus As for Italy remayned alwaye after diuyded For one part helde wyth the empyre another wyth the byshop of Rome vntyl the powers of the Venecians and of them of Mylane beganne after to growe and increase Honorius the .iij. succeded Innocentius the .iij. of whome Friderick the .ii. was crouned and after warde excommunicated Gregorius y ◠.ix. was after Honorius of whome was Friderick lykewyse accursed After Gregorius was Celestinus the .iiij. bysh of Rome After Celestinus was Innocentius the .iiij. Thesame deposed Friderick from the empyre and accursed hys sonne Cunradus Cunradus the .iiij. the xxv Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. CC. l. raigned Conradus the sonne of Fridericke after hys fathers deceasse but he was excommunicated by Inocentius the .iiij. Henry the Landtgraue of Thuryngen ouercame hym by Francoforde whyle hys father Frederick was yet alyue Some wryte that thys warre was after hys fathers death by Wyllyam the Landtgraue But whan Conradus perceaued that he was destitute of the Germane princes ayde he gat him into his hereditary kyngdome Naples and there he dyed the yeare M. CC. liij The ende of the dukes of Schwaben CVnradus of whome we haue now spoken had a wyfe of the Baiers bloude of the whiche he had a sonne Conradinus who was nouryshed and brought vp in hys hereditary duchy of Schwaben and after hys fathers deceasse wolde go to Naples hys heredytary kyngdome But Clemens the bishop of Rome called Charles the Frenche kynges brother into the realme of Naples agaynst hym Conradynus for so muche as he was duke of Schwaben had a greate bende and hooste of Germanes about hym and at the begynnynge had he greate vyctoryes But at the laste were Conradinus the sonne of Conradus and Fryderyck duke of Eastenriche taken by a trayne Besydes thys were they entreated more vnsemelye than was pertaynynge and put to shame At the laste were they beheaded throughe the counsell of the Romyshe byshop O notable crueltye He must be euen as harde as a stone verely whome the examples of so great cruelty dyd not moue namelye so noble a kynge borne ofso many Emperoures to be so shamefullye put to death by Clemens the Romysh byshop without any ryghte or reason Ther are yet euen at thys houre writinges which were written at that time in the which the good prince complayneth of the iniury and rehearseth at length the whole matter orderly so that it is no doute the bishoppes of Rome haue vsed playne tiranny against Conradinus Wiliam the xxvi Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. C. C. liiij was chosen Emperoure Wylyam counte of Holland It is sayde he was an honest manered prince and of notable innocency of life but he was slayn by the Friselanders the yerre 1256. Vacation of the Empyre WHan thys Wiliam was dead the empire stode with out a certayne emperoure seuentene yeares and that not wythout great destruction of the Germane nacion Thys mischaunge grewe by the cyuyl warres that were raysed in the empyre by the bysh of Ro. Now whan the debate was rysen amonge the Electors for the choyse some chose Alfonsus kyng of Spayne Emperoure because he was a very wyse man and endued with notable vertues As for thys Alfonsus is he who not only had hys pleasure in the science of Astronomye but also augmented and amēded the study thereof with many bokes wrytten Thoughe Alfonsus was admonyshed by the byshop of Rome to take vpon hym the Emperyall maiestye yet refused he it earnestly because of the vncertayn faythfulnesse and vnstable concord of the Romysh Byshops wyth the Emperours The other parte of the Electors chose Richard the king of Englandes brother and brought hym vntyll Basyll but he was not accepted of the Empyre Alexander the .iiij. succeded after Innocentius At thys time lyued Albertus the greate and Thomas Aquinas Vrbanus the .iiij. was after Alexander Clemens the .iiij. succeded Vrbanus Thyssame caused Conradynus Conradus sonne to be beheaded Whan Clemens was deade was the see voyde two yeares through the dissension of choysynge a Byshop at the last was Gregorius the .x. chosen
was gently receaued of the cities At Ro. the senate all the best metyng Charles did receaue hym with all reuerence He likewyse to declare to the Romanes his gentlenesse lyghted from his horse receaued on fote the yelding of the citie Afterward was he crowned of the cardinal of Hostia The cities of the bysh of Rome in Italy that were rebels subdued he to do the Romysh byshop a pleasure so that they repyned nomore I fynde none other thynges that he dyd in this iourney They yeare M. ccclx. he ouercame and spâ—yled Ebrardus erle of Wirtenberg with a great army But at the last was the debate layde downe by the byshop of Ausburg Strasburg and Spire The yeare M. ccclxvi went Charles agayne in to Italy in the whiche iourney he assuaged and subdued some cities desyrous of vproure Charles besyeged also y â— citie Vlme but I reade no where for what cause For oure Germanes not knowyng the propertie of histories haue not taken hede to the circumstaunces and causes of thynges Charles hath deserued greate thankes for the golden bulle that he made wherein he hath handsomly comprised many thynges that make to entertayne common peace He did chefely endeuoure procure the affayres of Bohemy He ordeined the vniuersitie of Praga Some there are that disalowe that he gaue the French kyng ryghtes in the kyngdome of Orleaunce The yeare M. ccclxx caused Charles his sonne Wenceslaus to be made Emperoure To his other sonne Sigismundus gaue he the Erldome of the marques of BraÌ„denburg the which he had bought of Lewis the Romane The yere M. ccclxxvii fought Vdalricus Erle of Wirtenberg mishappely before the citie Rutlingen In that battaill dyed many and noble men Switzer league ABout this tyme began the Switzer league and first the citie Lucerna then Berna at the last Tzurich dyd ioyne themselues to the Switzers and the noble prince Lupoldus duke of Eastenriche was ouercome and slayne by the Switzers the yere M. ccclxxxv But for as muche as there are in mans handes euery where histories of the Switzers dedes I reken it neoelesse to make longe rehersall of their actes in this lytle boke Vrbanus the v. succeded Innocentius the vâ— Gregorius the xâ— was byshop of Rome after Vrbanus The same remoued y â— see out of Fraunce to Rome agayne the yeare MCCCLXXVI A diuision AFter Gregorius the xi rose a greate diuisioÌ„ in the spiritualtye The Italians made an Italian Byshoyp of Rome called Vrbanus the vi and the same remayned at Rome The Frenchmen also chose a Byshop of Rom. in Italy whome they called Clemens the vii The same gat hym to Auinion Thus was Rome diuided and ther were two byshoppes of Rome the one dyd accurse the other Truely Italy Germany and Hungary dyd hange to Vrbanus the byshops of the Romanes Thys diuision lasted vntyll the councel of Constance .xxxix. yeares Wenceslaus the .xxxiii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccc lxxviij after Charles deceasse began Wenceslaus his sonne to raygne and raygned after hys fathers death .xxii. yeares At thys tyme began Ihon Husse opeÌ„ly to teache at Praga agaynst the byshop of Romes pardones and by thys occasion rose hurteful insurrections in Bohemy agaynst prestes and religious men Wenceslaus was at the laste taken by hys brother Sigismundus and kept at Vienne in preson Other thinges do I not fynde of this Wenceslaus that I iudge worthy to be put in writynges Rupertus the xxxiiij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CCCC was Rupertus the counte Palatine made Emperour He raigned tenne yeares But seynge the Emperours had now ben long from Italy the power of the kynred of Galeacyus was waxen greate at Milan and the Florentins were become ryche also and warred agaynst them of Milane The Florentins asked ayde of Rupertus the Emperoure to represse the power of the Galacians Wherefore Rupertus went vppe into Italy to helpe the Florentius and toke Galeacins Howbeit Rupertus beyng destitute of the assistaunce of the duke of Eastenriche and bishop of Colen was to weake than that he coulde haue brought so greate thynges to passe and though he had assayed many thinges yet was he constrayned to returne agayne into Germanye hys bussinesse beyng not disâ—pâ—rched Bonifacius the .ix. was made bishop at Rome after Vrbanus And against him was made bish after Clemens y e .vii. Petrus de Luna called Benedictus the .xii. After Bonifacius was Innocentius y â— vii made byshop at Rome After InnoceÌ„tius was Gregorius the xii made byshop at Rome The same promysed y â— he woulde renounce the byshoprycke yf Benedictus lykewise dyd not refuse to renounce also But whaÌ„ Benedictus fled into Spayne leauyng Auinion Gregorius reuoked hys promise concernyng to resigne the byshoprycke Wherefore was a councell gathered at Pysis whereyn bothe Gregorius and Benedictus were deposed of the byshoprycke and in theyr steade was the thyrde Romysh byshop chosen Alexander the .v. Gregorius fled to Ariminum where he remayned vntill the counsel of Constance was Alexander the .v. dwelt at Bonony for the Hungarians hauing than taken in Rome vsed incredible tiraÌ„ny warred with the Frenchmen for Naples After Alexander the .v. was Ioannes the .xxiii. made byshop of Rome at Bonony And of this wise were a lyue vntil the general councel of Constance thys Ioannes the .xxiii. at Bonony Gregorius at Ariminum and Benedictus in Spayne But they were all thre set besyde y â— Romyshe byshopryck in that councel Of Tamerlanes the tyraunt of Tartaria IN the time of Rupertus the Emperour lyued the passynge cruell tyraunte Tamerlanes the Tartarian who by greate spoylynge wente aboute nearehande al y â— East and Asia with an armye of tenne hundreth thousande men He spoyled the Perseans Armenians and Syrians He inuaded also the lesse Asia and toke Paiasetus the Turkysh Emperoure and caryed hym in a cage as a byrde aboute wyth hym for a wonder and mockage Sigismundus the .xxxv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC after Rupertus the Emperours deceasse was Sigysmundus made Emperoure He was the sonne of Charles the fourthe marques of Brandenburg kynge of Hungary and Bohemye He was Emperour seuen and twentye yeares He was a moost famous prince in wisedome learnyng and honestye suche one of stature as was semynge a lyke prince His countrefaytoure very connyngly made is to be sene yet this daye by the erle Hoier of Mansfelde He had greate warres in Hungary agaynst the Hungaryans of the whyche he was taken He fought oft agaynst the Turkes But whan he was made Emperoure he made a greate settyng forth agaynst the Turkes with the ayde of all nacions whereof we shall speake hereafter Of the councell of Constance IN the beginnynge of Sigismundus raygne he went vp into Italye and toke counsell with Ioannes the bysh of Ro. of callinge a generall councel for to auoyde the diuision He went also to the Frenche kynge and compelled hym to agre to
the meale that he truely wold be a frende to the Venecians continually but they shulde haue muche trouble and dāmage of hys successours Of Constantinople Wonne by the Turkes THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC liiii y e xxix daye of Maye after longe syeggat Mahometes the Turkysh Emperoure the citye Constātinople at y e laste with a very strong assaulte and vsed thereyn so muche cruelnesse that it can not be expressed wyth no wordes Constantinus the Emperoure was slayne by the gate of the cytye in the flyghte whose heade caused the Turke to be smytten of stycked vpon a pole to be caryed thorow out the citye He commaunded also to set vp an image of the crucyfyed Christe in the citye and towrytte vpon it The same is the God of the Christians But he commaunded to moke it and caste fylthe vpon it and all to defyle it The Emperours wyfe and doughters wyth other honest matrones were drawen to a banket and there were they fyrst misused after that hewed to peces These examples and other mooste cruel dedes of y e Turkes ought duely to rayse and styrre our mindes that we shulde earnestly fight agaynst those enemyes whyche one nede not to call tyrauntes but rather cruel beastes The yeare M. CCCC lxi dyd the bysh of Ro. depose Dietericke of Isenburge from hys byshoprycke and in hys steade was made Adolphe of Nassau This chaunce gaue an occasion of greate warres in the Empyre Friderick the counte Palatyne toke vpon hym to defende retayn byshop Dieterych Agaynste the same dyd the Emperour sturre the erles of Wyrtenberg and Baden and the bysh of Mentz Whan these spoyled y e contry of y e count Palatine they were taken by Frideryck count Palatine about the yeare M. CCCC lxii The same yeare dyd contrarye wyse Adolfe the byshop take in the citye Mentz The yeare M. CCCC lxiij was Friderick the Emperoure strongly besieged in the castel at Vienna by hys cityesins and the doer of thys was Albert the Emperours brother but George kyng of the Bohemes delyuered the Emperoure driuing awaye the cityesins The yere M. CCCC lxxiiii dyd Charles prince of the Burgundyons besyege the towne Nuce a whole yeare and that because the chapiter chanōs of Colen had dryeuen out Rupert byshoppe of Colen whome Charles wold haue restored agayne But whan he went about to turne the byshopryck of Colen from the empyre haue gotten it to him the Emperour appoynteth an army agaynst hym The captayne of the hoost was Albert marques of Brandenburg and the empyres standardebearer Albert duke of Saxony At the last whan diuersly was treated of alayenge the debate Charles gaue place and it is sayde that at y ◠tyme was fyrst treated of geuyng Maximilian the doughter of Charles of Burgundy The yeare M. CCCC lxxvii was the duke of Burgundy vanquished by Nansen by them of Lotayn and the Switzers and slayne For Charles had taken from them of Lorain Nansen in Switzerland had he taken in Gransen and other small townes besides that also caused he in the towne of Gransen to be hanged .v. C. and .xii. Germanes Whan Charles was deade the Frenchemen enterprised to ioyne Flaunders and Brabant to theyr kingdom this desyre of the Frenchmen brought the cause of great warres But whan the Burgundions wold not that theyr duchies shuld be straunged or alienated from Charles doughter they delivered to wedde Charles doughter to Maximilian son to Friderick the Emperour Wherfore Maximiliane went wel appointed into Brabāt the yeare M. cccc lxxvii and wedded Mary Charles doughter whereby it came to passe that he augmēted not a litle the glory of the Eastenrychs name and that Maximiliā did many renowmed prowesses to defende those countryes agaynste the assaulte of the Frenchemen The yeare M. cccclxxxvi was Maximilian made Emperoure at Aken he was crowned the tenth daie of Apryll When he was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Albert marques of Brandenburg dyed there whome the Italian history writers also do geue the prayse of a sage and wyse prince and also a doughty man of armes The yeare M. cccclxxxvii was Maximiliane taken of his subiectes at Brudgis in Flaūders by a preuy trayne of the Frenchemen But when Frede rick came downe into lowe Germany furnyshed wyth the ayde of the whole empyre Maximilian was letten fre of them of Brudgis The yeare M. ccccxc he asked agayne and toke possession of his hereditary landes of the duchy of Eastenriche the whiche Mathy kyng of Hungary had taken in The yere M. ccccxciii dyed Frederick the third Emperonre in the towne Lyntz and was buried at Vienne The same yeare dyd the Turkes fall in to Croacia but they were dryuen backe agayne by Maximiliane that then was in Eastenriche surnyshed wyth an army of fyftenth ou saude men When Eugenius the .iiij. was deade Nicolaus the .v. was made by shop of Rome Friderick the Emperoure was crowned of hym and he entertayned with moste hygh liberalitie not onely learned men of Italy but also suche as were fled from Con stantinople to Rome namely Gaza Trapezontius Argyropylos by whose procurement al good sciences are renewed and amended Calistus the .iij. was bysh of Ro. after Nicolaus Pius the .ij. before called Eneas Syluius succeded Calistus He was Frederick the Emperoures Chaunceller He had gathered a greate army of all nacions against the Turkes but while the army is demissed without doynge any thyng Paulus the .ij. was after Pius Xystus the .iiii. was by shop of Rome after Paulus In his tyme the yeare M. cccclxxx dyd Mahometes the Turkysh Emperour besyege Hydruntum in Italy and wanne it vsyng therein incredible tyranny Italy was so asrayed that Xystus the Romysh byshop made hrm reade to flye into Fraunce But Mahometes died the same time when Hydruntum was a takynge and that by some destiny lest he should straie farther into Italy Moreouer whyle this was dayng Alfonsus kyng of Naples warred with them of Sena but when he harde the tydyngs of Hydruntum he haisted to returne into his kyngdome and getteth the besyeged citye Hydruntū out of the Turkes handes For whyle Mahometes was deade and that the Turkes haysted now to returne home lest any variaunce myght ryse in their kyngdome Alfonsus obteined the citie easely driuyng the Turkes out of Italy After Xystus was Innocētius the .viii. by of Ro. Alexander the the .vi. was made byshop of Ro. after Innocentius The same had a sonne duke of Valencia whom he made prince of Vrbinas Hys sayeng it was O Cesar o nullo that is Ether Emperoure or nothyng At the last was he nothyng For he was slayne for his sundry craftes that were mengled with gite and deceate The beginning of the science of printyng is sayd to haue bene vnder Frederick the thyrd and thys science of boke printing they saye to haue ben found fyrst at Mentz the yeare M. cccc xl The craft of the gonnes
is much elder it is supposed that the same was also founde in Germany by a frear the yeare M. ccc lxxx Maxi milianus the .xxxviii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccccxciiii began Maximilianus hys raygne when his father was deade with whome he gouerned the empyre his lyfe tyme .viii. yeres But after hys fathers deceasse raygned he .xxv. yeares Though the begynnynges of the empyre were lowe and weake yet at the last turned they to hygh auauncement and encrease of the Germane kyngdome In the begynnynge of Maximilanus raygne brought Charles wyth the crooked backe an army into Italy and toke Naples But a yeare after when he was returned into Fraunce gat FerdinaÌ„dus the yonger Naples agayne with ayde of Maximilian dryuynge the Frenchemen out of Italy whiche the Frenche kynge had left at Naples for a garryson Maximilian had many and great battails First in low Germany Flaunders and Brabant in the whiche it is sayd he dyd many noble actes with his owne hande where of I haue herde some but I know not the very truth thereof And would God there would once come one that is sure of such thynges who would writh all those histories in a coÌ„plet boke to the prayse of so greate a prince and myght auaunce worthely before the worlde the puyssaunce and vertues of so doughty an Emperoure I myselfe haue herde of Pyrcamer of Norenberg that Maximiliane hymselfe had written some of his dedes for certayne yeares For he sayde He sayled from Lynda to Constance with Maximilian the Emperoure and when Maximilian was nowe at leasure in saylyng he called his Scribe to hym and rehersed to hym in Latine hys dedes of one yeare in a moste feate order with the declaracion of all the circunstaunces and occasions But when Pyrcamer thought the Scribe should note some secrete thynge and therefore would auoyde the Emperoure coÌ„maunded hym to remayne and lysten Yea and at euening he toke it to Pyrcamer that he had rehersed to rede and asked whether that souldiours Latine dyd lyke hym and should haue sayde moreouer He were mynded to comprehende those thynges so brefely and clerely that afterwarde learned men might declare them so muche the more diligently by their causes and circumstaunces And Pyrcamer sayde that no Germane history writer had vsed so pure a stile as was that of Maximilian And that after maximilianus death he had asked after this writynge but he coulde not obteine it But let this suffyse to be spoken of low Germany The yeare M. ccccxcv was in the parliament holden at Worms of the earldome of Wirtenberg made a duchy and erle Ebrarde was made the fyrst duke The yeare Mccccxcix toke the Switzers warr against their neyghbours them of Eastenrich the whiche to rescue Maximiliane came haystely out of Gelderlande where at that tyme he had to do al so Wherefore hauing many skyrmyshes of both sydes it is certayn that .xx. thousand meÌ„ were slayn at the last was an agrement made The yeare MDi. were euery where figures of crosses sene vpon mens garmentes But suche lyke was oft happened before also The yeare MDiiij was the warre of Baierlande wherein the Emperoure Maximilianus defended the princes of Baier agaynst Philip count Palatine of the Rene and duke Ruperte sonne to Philippe the Palatine For the same maryeng the daughter of George duke of Baier woulde haue Landshut and thatsame parte of Baier to be geueÌ„ ouer to hym by a tytle of inheritaunce But Rupertus dyed with his spouse whyle this warre was in hand the count Palatine was put besyde a great parte of his lordeshyppe by the Emperoures men and them of Wirtenberg Yea and a great army of the Bohemyes that came to helpe the count Palatine were ouerthrowen of the Emperoure At the last neuerthelesse Maximilian vsyng no lesse wysdoÌ„ than fauoure toke the count Palatine to mercy lest any perturbacion myght be raysed in the ryght of the election in the empyre that long sence was alowed and approued The yeare MDv. besyeged the army of the Emperoure the duke of Gelders in the citie Arnheym and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe The yeare MDvi. died Philippe sonne to Maximilian kyng of Spayne and duke of bourgundy beyng of age .xxviii. yeares The yeare MDvii beganne Maximiliane the warre againste the Venecians no lesse greate then durable in the whiche befell both many bloudy battails and wonderfull mutacions Lewis kynge of Fraunce was first with the Venecians afterwarde fell he from them to the Emperour Contrary wyse the byshop of Rome Iulius was first of the Emperoures syde afterwarde toke he parte with the Venecians The Venecians lost in this warretheir best cities Verona Pauy Teruas other many Howbeit when the Romysh byshop deciuered and fell to the Venecians the Frenche kyng began to warre vpon hym also seyng he had yet the Emperours souldiours in Italy Now feared the Emperoure lest if he had the victory he shuld fall into Naples also and do also some euell at Rome to the empyres destruction Wherfore he sent the Cardinall Matheus Langius bishop of Saltzburg one of his counsaill to Iulius the byshop of Ro. to demaunde peace before the Ro. byshop and the Frenche kyng had foughten a felde Iulius for asmuch as he was very well appoynted with the ayde of Spaniardes and Italians he thought to be sure of the victory therfore refused he the peace The battail was vpoÌ„ Easter daie the yeare MDxii by Rauennas The byshop of Romes host lay vnder there were slain in that battaill syxtene thousand Nether is there red of a more greuous felde to haue ben about this tyme wherein men haue fought so fearcely But after this victory lost dyd Iulius frely demauÌ„de peace Howbeit lest the French kyng enterprisedought farther in Italy dyd Maximilian and the bysh of Rome set the kyng of Englande Germany and the Switzers against hym and of this wyse was the Frenche kyng at the last constrained to leaue Italy The Venecians were afterwarde reconciled to to the Emperoure also The yere MDxix dyed Maximilian the Emperoure and thatsame yere the princes Electors Albert Cardinall byshop of Mentz Herman byshop of Colen erle of Wida Richarde byshop of Trierlorde of Grieffenklau the deputie of Lewis kyng of Bohemy Lewis couÌ„t Palatine of the Rene. Frederick duke of Saxony Ioachim marques of Brandenburg did chose lawfull and with great wisdom at FraÌ„ckford Charles duke of EasteÌ„ ryche and Bourgundy and kyng of Spayne the xxviii daye of Iune Pius the iij. was bysh of Ro. after alexander the vi The same died shortely after Iulius the .ij. succeded Pius Against him wrote Bernardinê° the Cardinal in the tyme of the Venecian warre of kepyng a counsail The matter shuld haue geuen an occasion of a diuision had not Maximilian preuented it by his syngulare wisedome Leo the .x. sonne to Laurence Medices was made byshop of Rome after Iulius In the tyme of this Leo
course was through the celestiall or heauenly sygnes Cancer Leo Virgo and Libra where it was sene nomore nether appeared any more after that Not long after in October rose a warre in Switzer lande For to they of Tzurich stopped the passages that to their neghburs of zugia Vria Suicia Siluia and Lucerne noman coulde bryng corne salte and other victuals Wherfore they armed theÌ„ against those of Tzurich They met eche other w t displaied banners they of Tzurich beyng vanquished with thre fieldes had the worst In the fyrst battayll was slayne the preacher of Tzurich Huldrich zwinglius In the meane tyme endeuoured they of Stralborow and Constance their neighbours to make an accorde among the coÌ„federated And thus after .viij. monethes and .vi. wekes was the vproure alayed Of theÌ„ of Tzurich died about fyue thousande of the other syde a fewe The yeare M D. xxxii came Charles the Emperoure againe out of Brabant into Germany and came in Marche with his brother kyng Ferdinand to Regenspurg to kepe a parliament Thithercame the deputies sent froÌ„ the Imperial cities There came also many princes or at the leaste their Ambassadours Not very long before that Constantinople was taken by the Turkes I reade there was a solitary man not farre from the citie Constantinople and he shuld haue prophecied that the Turkes in dede should winne Constantinople and should roote out the kyngdom of the Grekes but anone after foure score yeres should they lose Constantinople agayn and that the Turkes should be rooted out of Europa But that tyme sence CoÌ„stantinople was wonne is expired the last yeare A most connyng Astronomer also at Naples called LaureÌ„tius Miniatensis scholemaister to Pontanus wrote these verses in his boke .lx. yeres ago concernyng the coniunction of Iupiter and Saturnus in the sygne Cancer the whiche he sayeth shall be and was in the yeare thousande fyue hundreth and foure last past That age succedyng oures vpon the heles Shalbe better and more prayse worthy Lytle of oure lawe shall it disanull scarcely But the greueous and harde to suffer thynges In holy matters shall it auoyde doubtlesse All kynd of wickednesse and also holy pryde A kyng also shall it geue vs harmelesse Who shall the worlde ende and peoples represse Rebellyng nacioÌ„s shall he subdue to the empyre And the whole worldes dominioÌ„ shall he possesse These verses are moste worthy to be marked and I woulde not passe them ouer because of the renowme of the moste famous Emperour For what hygher prayse can be in the Emperour then that he calleth hym a Harmelesse kyng euen as Iohn Lichteberg sayde of hym The shamefast of visage shall raygne euery where At Magdeburg is founde C. yere ago a Latine cronicle wherin are these wordes Of the bloude of Charles the Emperour and the kynges of FrauÌ„ce shalbe borne an Emperoure called Charles thesame shal haue dominion in all Europa by whom also the decayed estate of the church shalbe repared and the auncient glory of the empyre shalbe restored For there shall come a people that shalbe called people without heade and than we to the priestes Peters lytle shyppe shall suffre greate force but the waues shall crasse at the last and it shall haue victory Greate and dredefull mutacions of al kyngdomes are at hande and the settyng store by monkes shall peryshe The Beaste of the West and the Lion of the Easte shall haue dominion of the whole worlde and the Christians shallwander through Asia in sauegarde fyftene yeares but after that shal dredeful thynges be herde of Antichriste Abbas Ioachim saieth in the ende of Ieremye A great Egle shall come whiche shall ouercome euery man saue one who at the last beynge despysed shalbe for saken of the people I fynde also another prophecie whiche is renowmed The Emperoure shalbe awaked as a man fallen into a swete slepe The same shalbe counted of men as deade and shall go vp vpon the greate sea and inuade the Turkes and shall ouercome them he shall leade their wyues and Chyldren captiues Greate feare and drede shall ouerwhelme the Turkes their wyues and chyldren shall wepe and lamente all the Turkes landes shalbe geuen ouer in to the Emperours handes of Rome I haue herde a Portingale saye that an Astronomer should haue sayde to Ferdinandus oure Emperoures greate graundefather that the Turkysh empyre shoulde be subdued and ouerthrowen by a kyng of Spayne and that the same should haue interpretated the kyng to be Ferdinande But Ferdinande should haue answered That he shoulde not do it but hys heyres that should succede hym Other emdences more that are yet restyng wyl I at this tyme passe ouer God the father of mercy geue and graunte Christendom victory and grace for the glories sake of his godly name Amen Moreouer the thinges that shal yet happen shal doutlesse marke greate and wyse men whiche are now in this settyng forth of warre As for me I haue onely rehersed suche thynges of this preparacion of the settynge forth to warre as I was sure of and therefore do I now make an ende of wrytynge In the moneth of September this yeare was a Comete sene agayne certayn wekes two houres before Sunne rysyng and toward the Easte WheÌ„ I sawe it it was in Virgo to my iudgemen stretched his brandyshynge tayll betwene the South West But by reason of the gloumynge and cloudy ayer in these contreis coulde it not be sene here Howbeit who wil not iudge it to be a fearfullthing that two Cometes haue bene sene in the space nerehande of twelue monethes and seyng the Comete of the last yere namely of the yere M D. xxxi dyd not appeare without the hurte of Easte and North for it semed to threaten those partes For the tyrannyshe Turke fell into Hungary and Eastenryche kyng Christiernus goyng into Dennemarck with a greate nauy to demaunde againe his kyngdome yelded hymselfe into Frederick hys fathers brothers the kyng of Denmarck handes Christiernus also his sonne that was brought vp in the Emperours court dyed Veryly it is to be feared also that the Comete of this yeare of M D. xxxij do signifye greate euell to the partes of Italy and the Rene. The ende of the Cronicle The coÌ„clusion of this Cronicle of Iohn Carion A boke of Chronicles ought to coÌ„prehende moste greatest thynges in a feate order so that the rekenyng of the yeares and the chefe alteracions that befall into the religion and other greate thynges may be ryght obserued and knowen For it can not be that all thynges that are done in one realme can be written in one boke though it were great by reason of the sundry circumstaunces and occasions of y â— businesses the whiche must chefely be consydered Of this wyse truely wrote Herodotus Theucydi des Xenophon Titê° Liuius histories The other are onely to be called Cronicle writers whiche also ought not to take vpon them the name of History wryters For they do brefely shewe thynges done
oriental corner stretchyng her blasyng tayle towardes the southwest The second day of Nouember was there a great inundacion of water brokē in into Freeseland Holland Seeland and Flaunders which was very damageable to the said countreis and to thinhabiters therof Also Christerne kyng of Norway being retourned into his said kyngdome the yeare before from the parties of lowe Ducheland where he had kept hym selfe by the space of ten yeres was required by the counsayll of Denmarke to come to Copmanhauen otherwyse called Coppenhagen against kyng Fredericke whiche was put in there by the helpe of the towne of Lubeke when the said Christerne fled out of the Realme that he myght there receyue and take in possession the kyngdome of Denmarke but when he suspected no guyle relented and put away hys souldiours and came into Denmarke the Counsayll of the Lande toke hym prisoner not regardinge the promises and saulf conduit by them made vnto hym And so they kept hym in the castel of Sunderborough oute of the whiche he came neuer as yet So that after this kinge Frederick did peaceably enioye his kingdome vntyll he dyed At Lindowe by the sea coaste was in thys yeare borne a dubble calfe wyth two heades foure eares and eighte feete hanginge alltogether In the yere of our Lord M. ccccc xxxiij when y e Emperour namely Charles the fift had stablyshed vnity and concord among the Princes and Cities of Italy and Lumbardy he departed wyth a competent and wel appointed Armada or Nauye from Genua and hauynge a prosperous passage arryued within fewe dayes after in Spayne where he was receyued of hys subiectes wyth great ioye After this by the counsayll and instigation of themperours Maiestye the Shypmaiesters and maryners of Spayne founde oute certayne Indes or Ilandes in the sea beynge vnknowen before whyche do so excedynglye abounde in ryches of golde and syluer that it is vnspeakeable These toke they in by force of armes and subdued them vnder the subiection of the emperours Maiestye In thys yeare the Pope and Frauncys the Frenche kynge helde a solempne communycatyon together at Massylya whyche lyeth in the Prouynce of Fraunce where after manye and dyuers consultacyons it was concluded that Henry Duke of Orleans sonne to the sayde Frenche kynge shuolde marye Pope Clementes cosyne the doughter of Laurence Medyce Duke of Vrbyne wyth whome the Pope hadde promysed a ryche dowrye Thus hath thys Pope Clemente alwayes endeuoured hym selfe to allure and drawe vnto hym the hyghe Potentates and Rulers of the worlde by the helpe of whome he myghte extyrpate and roote oute the pore Chrystyans whome they call Lutheryans and Heretykes But God woulde not suffer it longe as it is wrytten There is no deuice nor counsayll agaynste the Lorde but it shall come to naughte In the same yeare the myghtye bond and confederatyon of the Germayne Natyon which was called the Euangelycall confederacyon or the bonde of the Gospell beynge kepte secrete of manye was at the prouocatyon of the Frenche kynge opened and disclosed There apeared also another Comete or blasynge starre from the ende of the moneth of Iune vnto the begynnynge of Auguste in the Northe and in the sygnes of Gemyny Taurus and Aryes thoroughe the whyche sygnes she made her course in her goynge backewarde hauyng her tayle extended towardes the South And thys was the thyrde Comete or blasynge starre that hadde appered wethyn those two yeres What they portended or sygnyfyed or what alteracyon of Estates and other thynges they broughte wyth them maye a dyscreete reader gather and perceyue by the Storyes herafter folowing For suche wonderfull workes of God althoughe they come by the course of nature yet are they not wythoute theyr specyall workynge It is sayde also that in this yeare of M. CCCCC xxxiii the Deuyl burned a lyttell Toune in Germanye called Shyltagh downe to the grounde by the meanes of a certayne wythche on maundy thursdaie The fyfte daye of October in the nyghte burned at Andwarpe the Churche called our ladye Churche beynge sodaynly sette on fyre At Nurrenboroughe and in manye other places of thempyre lyenge there aboute reygned thys yeare a greate Pestylence in so muche that at Nurrenboroughe onelye from S. Margretes daye vntyll S. Martins day folowinge dyed ten thousande persons The sixtene day of Nouember was a great earthquake and an horryble tempeste of wynde whyche plaged and troubled the Townes in hygh Germany verye sore namely Cu◠Feldechurche S. Gall wyth other townes and vyllages lyenge nyghe vnto them by the Ryuer called the Rhene Thys yeare Henrye the eighte kynge of Englande c. for certayne consyderacyons hym therevnto mouynge was dyuorced from hys wyfe whiche had bene fyrste maryed to hys brother prynce Arthur and maryed another on wytsonday In the yeare of our Lorde M. CCCCC xxxiii in the moneth of Ianuary The Anabaptistes whyche had gathered them selues together out of Hollande and Freselande by preuy subteltyes and conspyracyes whych they had made with certayne burgeouses of the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale inuaded the same Cytye toke possessyon of it and expelled from thence al the Burgeoules and inhabytauntes therof that woulde not take parte wyth them and folowe theyr facultye They chose them also a kynge that was a Taylloure named Ihon of Leyden whyche ordeyned for hym selfe two specyall Counsayllours the one called Knypperdullynge and the other kreghtynge and in conclusyon they made suche a dysorder and confusyon whytin the sayde Cytye that not wythoute a cause all the people of Westephale dyd ryse agaynste them But when the ryghte noble Prynce Philyppe Landgraue of Hessen toke in hande to accorde the matter betwene the sayde Anabaptystes and the Byshoppe whome they had expelled he coulde nothynge preuayle so sore hadde the Deuyll blynded that Anabaptystycall generatyon Wherefore the sayde Byshoppe compassed the sayde Cytye wyth a greate power on euerye syede to thyntent he myghte ouercome and subdue them ether wyth the sworde or elles by famyne And althoughe there was greate scarcyte and lacke of vyctualles wythyn the saide Cyrye in so muche that at the laste they were sayne to eate lether and couerynges of bookes yet dyd they sustayne bearcoute prolonge and holde oute the sayde syege vntyll the next yeare folowynge wherof we shall speake more in place conuement In the meane season dyd Philip Landgraue of Hessen prepare hymselfe after the best maner to restore hys Vncle Duke Hulderyke of Wyrtenbergh agayne to hys Dukedome from whence he was expelled fyftene yeares before durynge the whyche tyme kynge Ferdynando had the gouernaunce and vse therof But fyrste because the sayde prince of Hessen woulde do nothynge presumptuously nor temeraryouslye he sente worde to themperoures Mayestye in Spayne and to the kynge in Austryche desyrynge them to restore hys said Vncle Duke Hulderyke to hys Landes agayn for so muche as he had nowe suffered sufficient punyshemente for hys
offence and presumptyon by hym commytted agaynste the Empyre for he hadde taken a certayne towne pertaynynge to thempyre called Rutlynge whyche was the cause of hys expulsyon in that he hadde lacked and forborne the vse and profytes of his Landes all that space and season Whyche thynge yf they were not willynge to do he was in a readynes hym selfe to set hym in agayne parforce Althoughe he woulde be loth to vse anye carneste and rigourous fashions But whyle he was not answered accordynge to hys expectatyon and requeste he wente furthe wyth hys power into the lande of Wyrtenbergh that where bothe Prynces met together sloutelye but Philippe the Palatyne wyth hys men was put to flyghte and he him selfe wounded in hys hele wyth a shot wherfore the said Landgraue was verye sorye After thys battel the townes yelded them selues one after another so that wythin fewe dayes the sayd Duke Hulderyk brought all his Landes agayn vnder hys power and subiection But whyle the sayde Landgraue by reason of thys acte hadde nede to feare themperoures and the kynges Maiestye leaste they myghte worke oughte agaynste hym he went wyth hys armye towardes Vlmes besydes the Ryuer of Danube where he taryed eyther for an agremente and a peaceable retourne or elles for another answere In so muche that a sure peace on the Emperoures and kynges Mayestyes behalfe wyth sure appendycles and circumstances was there promysed hym by Albert Archebyshoppe of Mence Ihon Frederyke Duke of Saxon bothe Electours imperiall and George Duke of Saxon After the obtaynyng wherof he dispersed hys armye wythoute delaye and retourned home agayne into hys owne lande Here myghte I take occasyon to extoll and hyghly to prayse not onelye the bolde and reasonable deade or acte of the Landgraue in that he dyd so truelye and faythefullye helpe hys Vncle into hys owne domynyon agayne wythoute any respect hadde to the power of them that hadde the same landes of hys Vncle in possessyon more by sufferaunce then by any ryghte tytell But also the pacience and mekenes both of the Emperoures and the kynges Maiestye in that they dyd so gentlye and wyllyngly renounce the sayd Dukedome Whych they myght very easely accordynge to theyr power amonge men haue subdued and brought agayne vnder their subiection and dominatiion But forasmuch as I am not minded here to describe hole stories with al their circūstances but onely to touch brefely the principal actes and doinges I wil commet the same to another or peraduēture intreate of it my selfe herafter to my power The same yere of 1534. died Frederick kinge of Denmarke about whose corse happened a wonderful and straung thing which doubteles did signifie the sheding of bloud that folowed afterwarde in the same kingdome For when the dead corps of y e said kyng accordyng to the custome and maner was enbawmed or anoynted wyth bawme other spyces and wrapped in clene seryng clothes was inclosed in a shrine piched prepared accordinglye the same dead corps contrarye to nature beganne to blede in suche sorte that the bloude was receyued and taken vppe in vessels and immedyatelye after the people of the land were vysyted wyth warres and battayles For Chrystophore Counte of Oldenboroughe accompanyed wyth them of Lubeke whose Capytaynes were George weuer and Markes Mayer whyche afterwarde accordynge to their deseruynges were condemned and put to death inuaded the lande of Christyans Duke of holstone and toke certayne townes and Castels whyche not longeafter the sayde Duke recouered agayne puttynge them of Lubeke to great losse bothe by water and by lande vntyll suche tyme as the other Sea Townes wyth Henrye Duke of Mekelboroughe toke the matter in hande and concluded a peace and vnyty betwene the Towne of Lubeke and the Dukedome of holstone whyche peace was registred and proclamed the eyghtene daye of Nouember After thys were the Capytaynes of Lubeke moued towardes Denmarcke and consulted wyth the sayde Counte of Oldenborough howe they myghte conuenyently inuade and entre the sayde kyngdome of Denmarke and Norwaye wherof dyd ensue a newe warre as shalbe declared in the next yeare Thys yeare was also sene a wonderfull apparition in Denmarke besides the towne of Sleswyghe lyenge not farre from Lubeke whych as a certayne Secretarye of the saide place by an othe affyrmeth in hys wrytynges to the Quene dyaected apeared in the ayer the thyrd daye of Iune at after noone and was sene of a thousande persons or more as hereafter foloweth Fyrste there apeared a greate multytude of Lyons fyghtynge one wyth another Secondlye there apeared a man armed on horsebacke wyth a iustynge speare vnder his arme as thoughe he woulde haue iusted with an other hauynge a longe bearde and many busshes of fethers Thyrdelye there appeared a man with a crowne imperyall as lyke vnto themperours Mayestie that the sayd Secretary and manye of hys seruauntes thoughte none other but that it hadde ben themperoures owne lyuyng personne wherefore some of them toke of their cappes and were readye to do reuerence vnto hym Fourthelye there apeared the symylytude or Lykenes of a greate Regyon or Countree replenyshed wyth Cytyes Castels and Vyllages well distinct and set in order which were all consumed thoroughe a swyft fyre which went vp in the same Fyftly there apeared an other Regyon not vnlyke to the fyrste garnyshed wyth Cytyes Castels and vyllages and specially wyth one greate and myghtye Cytye wych Cytye was myghtelye assaulted by a greate multytude of warryours wyth gonnes and all manner of artyllerye bothe by lande and by water wyth migh tye shyppes vnder sayle There appeared also amonge the sayde warryours certayne Capytaynes whyche in swyftnes or agylyty and in length of body exceded the other Syxtelye there apeared halfe a blacke Egle whyche lepte out of the sayde horse out of whose clawes or talentes fell small Snakes among the which was one great Dragon Seuentlye there apeared afterward in the place where the greate Cyty hadde ben a Camell whyche dranke oute of a tempestuous water as thoughe it hadde ben the ragynge sea by the waues wherof the sayd beast was couered Eyghtlye there appeared after thys a certayne horse wheron noman dyd ryde but a lion whyche laye vpon hys backe hauing a crowne hangynge on hys heade and vpon the sayde lyon sate a Cocke whych by continuall pickynge and bytynge consumed the hole head of the Lyon but the skull remayned a greate while hanging vpon the horse Nyntly there appeared also a great Crosse of a bloudy colour which immediately diuyded it selse into many small and black Crosses Tentlye and last of all there apeared a fyery man wyth a crowne imperiall all armed whych helde on eyther syde of him a horse and vnder this was the for sayd Crosse But vnder al these were manye sortes of Dragons vnknowen beastes As Lyons beares and of other kyndes whych were neuer sene before for some of them hadde heades of wylde swyne wyth greate
thinhabitances of thesayd contry of Coppenhagen denyed them their requsst kyng Christiane beseged the sayd citye wyth such power and troubled them so sore on euery syde that no victualles might come at them by no maner of meanes In so muche that wythin short space victualles waxed so scant and famme so increaâ—led wythin the cyty that they were glad to vse dogges fleshe for theyr meate and also cattes And when thys prouisyon dyd also fayle them and no deliueraunce eppeared of no part for they hoped that Frederike the Palatine who had taken to wyfe the doughter of kyng Christierne as before is mentioned should haue moued battayll agaynst the Duke of Holstone whyche came not to passe they yelded vp the cyty to the chosen kynge Christian aboue mencyoned Durynge thesayed siege the kynges souldiours ouercame Warborough and toke that false Capytayne of the Lubekes called Markes Mayer prysoner who wyth hys brother Gerard Mayer and a Danysh pryeste was quartered shortly after After that thesayd Christian had ouercome and subdued the hole kyngdome of Denmarke accordyng to the duety of all godlye kynges and prynces he directed all hys doynges and procedynges to thys ende that the worde of God myghte be purely and syncerely preached and taughte to hys pore subiectes in all partes of hys dominions But when he perceyued the preuy practises which the Bishoppes of that lande for they were in a maner the mightyest of both the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Norway imagined and purposed to worke against hym to hyndre his godly enterprise and to mayntayne their Idolary he toke them all seuen for so many were they in nombre and deposed them from their power and dignitie so that they were not able any more to make diuision sedicion or commotion within his kyngdome as they were wonte to do When this was done he sent messengers to Wit tenbourgh and called for the right honorable and well learned doctor Iohn Bugenhaghe borne in the dominion of Pomerlande who is yet at thys daye preacher of Goddes worde and minister or curate at the parysh Churche at Wittenbourgh as he was then This godly man came at the kynges request and by the helpe of God establyshed in bothe the kyngdomes the preaching of the Gospell and the true ministracion of the Sacramentes very frutefully so that within the space of thre yeres for so long was he by about the kyng all the paryshes of the lande which were aboue .xxiiii. thonsande in nombre were prouided and furnyshed with preachers and ministers hauing Super attendenres ordeyned and appointed ouer them to haue the ouersyght of them and to haue an earnest respecte and a watchefull eye to their doctrine and conuersation of lyuing He crowned also kyng Christian at Coppenhaghe in the presence of all his nobles with the kyngly crowne of the land of both the kyngdomes And after this at the kinges request he prouided and furnyshed the high Scole or vniuersitie of Coppenhaghe with Lecures and Reders of holy scripture and of all other laudable sciences For the better increase and furnyshyng whereof he called for certayne learned men froÌ„ Wittenbourgh although the lande was not all voyde of suche men before To the mayntenaunce of whiche Godly order and institucion of doctrine as wel in the Churche as in the vniuersytie the kyng gaue large gyftes and appoynted great liuynges And he set such an order in both the kyngdomes that his subiectes may be glad and geue God hygh thankes that of his goodnes he woulde sende them suche a kyng God sende hym longe to reigne among them and styrre vp the like in many other regions to the praise and sanctifycacion of hys moste holy name Amen Henry the eyght kyng of Englande had his imbassadours certayne monethes at Wittenbourgh whiche accordynge to the kynges request caryed wyth them in Englande certayne wel learned doctours to preache the Gospell of Christ within hys Realme and dominions whereof the hole congregacion of Christ thoroughout all Germany conceiued a speciall reioysynge and comforte But alas their ioye was not longe permanent for the saied kyng within two yeares after repelled them and caused some of them to be put to death as here tikes And Englyshe men haue had a certayne prophecy of great antiquitie that when saynt Georges daye should fall on good frydaye whiche is in the yeare of oure lorde MD. xlvi the worde of God shoulde myghtely increasse and taken place among them which I praye God graunt vnto theÌ„ to his prayse and glory This yere in England also the lorde Darcy syr Fraunces Bygot Syr Robert Constable other began a newe conspyracy whiche were attaynted and put to death in Iune This yere in October in England also on saynt Edowardes euen was Prince Edowarde borne at Hampton Court whiche was proclaimed anoynted kyng of Englande the .ix. yere of his age as shal be declared hereafter in due place This yere the .xiiij. daye of October also dyed Quene Iane mother to the saied Prince Edward and was buried at Winsor This yere did Iames the kyng of Scotlande puyssaunt kyng Iohn of Portingale Sonne to the excellent kyng Emanuell had a great conflicte and victory agaynst the infideles in the Realme of Cambaia or Guzuratum lyeng in the Indes For after that he had by his capitaines specially by Nonne a Cugria who was ruler and gouernour of the kinges army in the Indes destroyed the coastes lieng towardes the Indysh sea subiecte to the kyng of Cambaia and when the same kyng was not able to resyste hym although he was of power to brynge foure hundred thousand men in Campe he made a gentle agrement with the Portyngalles and delyuered them two mighty cities with all their abilyties priuiledges liberties and dominions whereof the one is called Bazaim and the other Dium this the stronger and the other the rycher Whiche haue both vnder them about a syx hundreth Villages with certayn smal townes and srutesul landes contayning in length about a .lxxx. myles or leaques wherof the king hath yerely an C. thousand crewnes at the least in bare tribute besydes the woode whence for the mooste part all the prouision is takeÌ„ that is occupied for the shyppes in the Indes with other aduauntages In those partes caused the kyng of Portingall the Christian fayth to be planted and at the last kyng Badur of Cambaia for so was he called when he was inuaded by kyng Dey who was kynge of the Scythians and of the Tartares fled with all his treasure mother wyfe and chyldren into the Cytie of Dyum whiche he had geuen vp before desyrynge succour and defence against his enemy So that by this meanes the king of Portyngall had obtayned the moste parte of all the lande of the Indes vnder his tuition and defence without any notable shedyng of bloude These actes are described at large by the sayed kyng in a
xlv nexte folowynge When George Marquys of Brandenburghe perceyned theyr sayde enterpryse and intent he thought that they dyd hym great iniury for he asscribed vnto hymselfe certayne ground â–ª and laude wythout the towne of Nurremborough which is neuer theles pertayning to the Empyre and claymed it as hys owne heritage wherfore he marched somtime by â–ª day as farre as the Landmark and by night vnto the towne euen hard by the forsayd buylding But when they of the towne feared some great malice and mischief they fenced theyr building with much ordenaunce and artillery kept great watch vpon the walles and in theyr turrettes When thys hyndered the people of the Marquys of theyr purpose some of them went toke certayne inhabytauntes of Nurremborough as they went a fowlynge or byrdyng in the woode and stopped certayne of theyr wagens or cartes commyng from Lipswyke and other places laden with goodes and marchaundyses and broughte them to the Castell of Bayerthorp Wherfore they of Nurremburgh being occasyoned and moued to displeasure â–ª and indignatyon by the reason of the sayde cruelues assembled a certaine nombre of â—oul dyours and layde them in the countree rounde about the town and furnished the smal townes and vyllages about them after the best mauer purposyng in case the sayd Marquys or hys men would persiste in theyrfrowardenes as they had begon to be in a readynes to defend themselues from such iniuris But yet thorough intreataunce of certaine Potentates and Princes of the Empyre the matter was qualified put in arbitrement so y e in conclusion the sayde Marquys suffered them of Nurrenburgh wythout contradiction and molestation accordynge to the tenoureof theyr lybertyes and priuyledges to buylde on the grounde of the Empyree This yeare dyed Charles Duke of Geldres in his place succeded William Duke of Cleue although he did not long enioye it as shalbe declared in place conuenient Thys yeare dyd Godde so punyshe the auaryce of marchauntes whyche occupye by the scasyede whyle they do so enhaunce the goode creatures of God in pryces that the poore are not able to bye them that thoroughe oute all the coastes of Denmarcke in harueste whyche is the best time of the yeare no hering could be taken In the kingdom of Naples y e .xxviii. day of Septemb. The Sea decreassed and fell away about the space of eight Italyan myles so that al the grounde was drye which afterwarde dyd cast certayn holes out of the which for the space of many dayes continually ascended fyre wyth ashes which dyd great hurt in many places there about at the falling do wne therof For the sayde ashes fell downe lyke snowe rounde about Naples for the space of thenne Itali an myles vntyll they lay on the grounde the thickenes of thre fingers Which is a fearful argument of Goddes wrath towardes vs wherby we ought al to be warned and specyally Italy to forsake our sinfull liuynge yf any warning would helpe But it is not regarded vntill Gods wrath lighteth vpon vs by heapes and then men would fayne repente but it is to late Wherfore let vs repente in time and lyue according to our professyon In Inglande thys yeare in December was the Lorde Marques of exceter the Lorde Montacute and Syr Edwarde Neuell beheaded for high treason duely proued IN y e yeare of our lord 1539. ThecoÌ„fede rat of y e Romane league prepared theÌ„sel ues wyth all theyr power to warre agaynst the Turcke by water but they profyted not muche For ther was greate lacke of vyctual a great dearth in Italy and at Venice â–ª For Barbarossa came wyth a great army and robbed vpon the sca and toke all that he might laye hand on so that ther myght no coarne be shypped vnto Venyce nether out of Cypers nor out of Can dye And there was also nomore prouisyon in Italy That done he shipped with a great power vnto the strong newe Castell which oure Christen men had wonne in the yeare before fortified it after the best facyon there vnto he layed seage in thre places and shot daye and night ther at wythoute ceassynge and yet wanne nothyng tyl certen of the dal macyans fell to fliyng awaye and ranne oute vnto the Turkes and tolde them where they myghte best and â—onest hurt our Christen men Then the enemye dyd accordyng to theyr councell and shotte both for tresses and walles doune so that the could assaulte them on euen grounde And although the spanyardes and the Italyans that were in the Castell defended themselues manfullye and couragy ously and slewe at the least syxtene thousand of the enemyes yet at the last because they werewery the enemyes gat euer fresch men they forsoke the Castell and loste bothe the Castell and the assault and althoughe they were ouer manned yet they fought and defended them selues so longe tyll they were all mooste all slayene Thys was done in August In the meane whyle Isabel the Emperoures Mayestyes wyfe the kynge of Portugalles doughter dyed of chylde the fyrste daye of maye the chylde was a sonne whyche lyued not longe She leaft behynde her lyuynge a sonne called Philyppe and two doughters whyche she hadde by the Emperour A none after ther was an insurreccyon ray sed at Gent amonge the commens of the Cytye so that it apeared that the cytye shulde haue bene destroyed By occasion wherof the Emperoures Mayestye was compelled to come oute of Spayn into Flaunders to appease that dissencion And as he was mynded to take his iorney toward Italy the Frenche kyng Fraunches sent an embassage to hym desyrynge hym amyably to come thoroughe Fraunce promysing that all that was in his kyngdome shulde be at his pleasure But the cause was for that they had concluded a peace to gethers as is aboue remembred the one shulde haue suspected the other if they hadde not kept frendshippe to gether And for as moche as the Frenche kyng had often broken the leaghe hys myssedoyng myghte thesoner be for gotten if the Emperoures mayesty woulde seke frendshyp at hys hande Thys thinge could by nomeanes be better or easelier done than that his maiesty for this once shuld iorney through hys lande By thys mocyon was the Emperours maiestye wyllyng to iorney thoroue Fraunce and sent hys chefe Counseller Granduel in Nouembre oute of Spayne into Fraunce to signyfye hys commyng and folowed shortlye after And when he came to S. Sebastians ther the Duke of Orliens the kynges youngest Sonne reaceaued hym And not farre from the city of S. Iohn was also the dolphyn wyth the chefe of y â— nobles of Fraunce whyche receaued the Emperoures maiesty wyth al due reuerence and dyd leadde him thorowe the lande till he came to Lochias the tenneth day of December There was the kynge in hys awne personne and Helenour hys wyfe tarynge for the Emperoure and receaued hym as it appeared for it was not all golde that
of Quene Iane The kyng of Scottes marieth the daughter of Fraunce The coÌ„quest of the kyng of Portingals Indes The ChristeÌ„ faith planted in the kyngdome of CaÌ„baia The heath of Erasmus A preuy conspiracy in Germany against the Gospell Henry the younger duke of Brunswyke The death of George duke of Saxon Popâ—râ— abolyssed in the â—â—nde of 〈◊〉 The â—â—oole 〈…〉 gh restâ—â—â—d Heding beseged taken The lady regeÌ„t inuadeth Picardy S. Paule beseged and destroyed Turwyne beseged 〈…〉 Iohn Crisp◠〈…〉 Aâ— hoâ—â—â—ble 〈…〉 Misfortunes happened harmes done by the meanes of the teÌ„pest A collection for the pore Frere Forest A cousiâ—ltaâ—â—on holden at Rome against the Turke The Emperours â—â—â—raunâ—â—â—â—to â—icâ— The entraunce of the Pope into Nice described the religious rablâ— The Emperoure kisseth the Popes 〈…〉 e. A peace concluded betwene the Emperour FrauÌ„ce â–ª Leonora 〈…〉 N◠〈…〉 ded Barbarossa Bisana taâ—en The shipwrach of Barbarossa The Castell N 〈…〉 urg â—â—ylord Thâ— Marquea of BraÌ„denburg The death of y e duke of Gelders Auarice punyshed The lorde marquish of exâ—ter â— the â—â—rd moÌ„tacute beheaded Barbarossa robbeth y e â—e â—eâ—â—aÌ„s Italians goodes vpoÌ„ y e see Barbarossa b 〈…〉 th Câ— â–ª stelâ—ouâ— The dalmacians flye to y e Turckes betrai their felowe soudiars y e Castel Barbarossa wynneth Castel nouo The spaniat des Italyans feight maÌ„fully TheeÌ„peroures wiâ—dieth An insurreccioÌ„at Gent â–ª Embassadoures out of Fraunce into Spayne The â—perour coÌ„meth into FlauÌ„derstho â—ou Fraunce An aÌ„bassage out of osteÌ„ricke into beam Latine Wrâ—tislauya The Turcke carieth away lxxx thousaÌ„d christeÌ„ meÌ„ into turckye A blasynge sterre The laerned in Turcky acknowledg our Christen relligioÌ„ to be y â— best The â—urch headeth â–ª priestes A miracle The Emperour at paris The freÌ„ch kyng craftily seketh y e eâ—perour dâ—â—t * or be rowed * or boote * stpâ—â—an * or shippe The â—p râ—rs coÌ„plaint to y â— â—iâ—h of Ro. The Emperoure coÌ„meth to Gent. â— castel builded in Gent. FerdinaÌ„dus cometh to y â— Emperoure in to flauÌ„ders 〈…〉 A coÌ„municacion at Wor Phil. MelaÌ„ Ioh. Ecke Wheter ther remain sines in y t saintes ChristiaÌ„s after baptisme Rom. viii A day at haganouwe The Emperour◠〈…〉 ly forbedeth good bokes to be readde But what is woÌ„ne â—â— persecutyon The marque s 〈…〉 â—â—aÌ„daÌ„ 〈…〉 recea 〈…〉 y â— word â—â— God God befenheth his flock The 〈…〉 of y â— burning mortherers 〈…〉 clipse 〈…〉 Wyne both 〈…〉 good cheape Vnderstand The true king of Hungary kynge Iohn The kyng of Hungary dyed * Latine Bâ—da Ferdinandê° would take in the kyngdome of HuÌ„gary The Emperour comith to Norenberg The parliament holden at Regensburg 〈…〉 Dâ—â—â—s iâ—â—ter 〈…〉 The Pope 〈…〉 hall One of his croked piâ—pes hyndereth all that thegodly had goâ—e about â— greate while before and those meâ— of greate nobilitie besydes the excelent learned The princeâ— that receaue the worde of God after y e parliament holden at Regensburg Doctor Eckius vse â–ª hâ—he â—cuel his masters conning that is lying â–ª The beuâ—ls 〈…〉 â—â—â—al 〈…〉 â—owes 〈…〉 es 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â— is proâ—â—dâ—â—â—r â–ª Money is geuen to seÌ„d an armye against the Turke Iohn Weyda kynge of Hungary dyâ—â—â— The Turkeâ— Bassa â—esegeth Pest * â—â—â— Albâ— â–ª greca â–ª A notable 〈…〉 ordi 〈…〉 lost 〈…〉 Hungary Willyam of Rogendorpe 〈…〉 â–ª The Turke â–ª â—eweth lxxx Christians in peeces for a pastyme The Turke breaketh hys promesse and excercyseth tyranny 〈…〉 an 〈…〉 l yeare The turcke â—â—â—eth â–ª â—xx thousand meÌ„ 〈…〉 The Turke geueth â—aleÌ„ tyne Teâ—eck his reward The Turke taketh certayn Castels in â–ª The Turke assaulteth the citie of fyuechurches The Turck hathaâ—armâ— in Pelopoâ—e so The Emperour and the Pope to gether at Luke The Emperoures passage to Algier Duke Henry of Saxon dieth 〈…〉 s 〈…〉 r 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in Histrâ—â— is taken in An armye against the Turck Pest is beseaged of our men Duke Maurice in Ieoperdy of takynge â—â—e of Duke Maurice Ie 〈…〉 en 〈…〉 eth maÌ„fully to delyuer his master A sicknesse in the Camp The grenousâ—ieâ— of y e sicknes in Duga â—â— Warre betwene y e Duke of Saxon Brunswick The duke of Brunswyke flyeth Woluenbutel is beseged Woluenbutel is vntapled for .iii. peares The mening was y â— they shuld at the length repeÌ„t them of their ioznep and go hom and winue no thing They fly out of the Castel ouer the walles ditches The Gospel is preached in the land of Brunswick 〈…〉 prâ—nces and 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Gospell Duke William â—â— Baier 〈…〉 th to v 〈…〉 Grassehoppers A earthâ—â—aâ—e in 〈◊〉 An earthquaâ—e in 〈…〉 ye â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 ple The Bra 〈…〉 〈…〉 ll â—â—to the land of Gulick The kyng of Scotland dyeth A Councell kept at Nureâ—burg Another counsel appoynted at Spyer An army sent by them p 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 land 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The city of Tremetz taken The French king and the Duke of 〈…〉 leâ—e pro 〈…〉 their marshial affaires The Ladye Mary sendeth an army againste the Duke of Cleue The Cleueuers approche towardes â–ª the Brabanders 〈…〉 nflict 〈…〉 e the Câ—eueâ—ers 〈…〉 ders The victory of the Cleueners The slepe of themperour The s 〈…〉 〈…〉 f the 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 he 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 nd 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 〈…〉 d◠〈…〉 de Hungary inuaded by the Turke The death of doctor 〈…〉 A woÌ„derfull birth besides Basell â–ª Wonderfull visions senâ— The interpretacion oâ— the vision The councel of â—pâ—re 〈…〉 〈…〉 With their ordinaunce The kyndnes of Switchers A counseâ—lour oâ— Nurrenburgh taken 〈…〉 Scotland â—â—uaded by â—â—gâ—â—thmen Bullyn beseged 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Palatine a fauorer of Goddes worde Popery paâ—â— downe the Gospel preached in the palatines iurisdiction 〈…〉 g 〈…〉 Poles 〈◊〉 〈…〉 p 〈…〉 o 〈◊〉 〈…〉 pro 〈…〉 〈…〉 d and 〈…〉 e. Henry duke of Brunswike goeth about to recouer his land The â—ountâ— of Deckelenbourgh inuâ—ded for the Golpell 〈◊〉 â—â—ll beseged Philip Landgraue of Hessen Capitaine of the Euangelicall confederation Duke Maurice of SaxoÌ„ Duke Maurice seketh â— â–ª meanes to make a peace 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 i 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Landgraue 〈…〉 quiâ—eth an othe of duke Hen 〈…〉 coÌ„pany The lande of Brunswike taken in againe and sworne of newe to y e confederatioÌ„ The Erle of ShaueÌ„burgh deposed Rithbergh geuen vp 〈…〉 th of 〈…〉 che 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 The Ruler of 〈…〉 har◠〈…〉 ed by y e Marquis of Brandenburgh The fury o the Turke The death of the Duke of Orleans Wonderfull apparitions and visions A conuocatioÌ„ at Franke forth The death of Maâ—ten Luter The buriall of doctor Martine Luter Alphonse dia si a trayterousmurther The good doctor Iohn Diasy murthered The Emp 〈…〉 com 〈…〉 Rai 〈…〉 sburgh The 〈…〉 ion beg 〈…〉 at Rainsburgh The begynnyng of the emperours warres agaynst the Germanes Duke Maurice prepareth 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 A cruel murther Duke Maurice â—â—gmâ—â—â—â— to 〈…〉 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 A peace betwene Englande and Fraunce The stewes put downe in London ☠☠Anne Askewe Iohn Lassels burned Shaxton recanted Thomas duke of Northfolke Henry his sodne attainted A plague of locustes and grashoppers A godly commaundement A prodigious grape A wonderful miracle A wonderful â—ision The Erle of Surrey beheaded The death of kyng Henry the eight of England â–ª c. Edward the syxt byng of England Images and beades put downe abolysshed in England A recantacioÌ„ of Doctor Smith Processions lâ—â—t in Englande An hoost of men sent out of Englande into ScotlaÌ„d Chaunteries geuen to the â—â—ng of England The CoÌ„mumoÌ„ ordeined to be receiued in both kindes Latimer set at libertie The death of the â—renche King 〈…〉 â–ª The Emperour retourneth out of Germany into FlauÌ„ders The Duke of Saxon captiue Leonora retourned to themperoure The sonne of Ferdinando marieth them perours daughter The eldest sonne of the Turke 〈…〉 keth insurrâ—â—tion agâ—ynst his father Argiers takeÌ„ 〈…〉 A â—â—mâ—â—ocioÌ„â—â— corâ—â—â—all The masse Images put downe in Englande The byshop of Winchester committed to thei our of â—o 〈…〉 The mariage of priestes graunted lawfull An insurrection at Norwiche The rebelles in Cornwal 〈◊〉 Deuonshere subdued The byshop of London deposed and coÌ„mitted to prison The duke of Somerset coÌ„mitted to the tour of LoÌ„doÌ„ The death of the Pope A wonderful vision sene besydes Brunswyke Capitayne Gambold slayne 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 The duke of Somerset delyuered out of 〈…〉 A generall p 〈…〉 â—etmene Englande â— Frannce Bullayne delyuered 30 one Boocher A wonderful miracle oftor ue fallyng downe from the element A moste â—â—â—nnicall persecution A moste Tâ—annicall persecution