Almagro that after they had wasted this rich Countrey of Peru and divided the Spoil among them yet they destroyed one another for Pizarro envying Almagro for being Governour of Cusco and not himself sent his Brother Ferdinand to Challenge him who was so fortunate as to take Almagro Prisoner and delivered him bound to Francis his Brother who cused him to be strangled privately in Prison and afterward publickly beheaded Ferdinand was after sent to Spain with a great Mass of Gold to clear himself of the death of Almagro yet could not so well justifie himself but that all his Treasure was seized and himself secretly made away in Prison Soon after this the kindred and Friends of Almagro whose Estate Pizarro had seized consulted with Don Diego Almagro his Son to revenge the death of his Father Twelve of them undertook the Business who coming into Francis Pizarro's house at Lima he being then Marquess and Governour of Peru they suddenbroke into it and immediately killed a Captain who guarded the entrance of the Hall and Martin of Alcantara so that he fell dead at his brother the Marquess his Feet who though he saw his men thus slain before his eyes and himself left alone in the midst of his Enemies yet he still made a stout defence till all falling upon him at once he was stabbed into the Throat and died Lastly Gonsal had his head cut off by the Emperours Command and thus finished they their wretched dayes answerable to their cruel Deserts Thus have we seen the deplorable Ends of Two of the most mighty and glorious Monarchs of this New World and peradventure of all our Western parts who were Kings over so many Kingdoms And these are the cursed Fruits of Covetousness and Ambition for which so many goodly Cities were ruined and destroyed so many Nations made desolate such infinite Millions of harmless innocent People of all Conditions Sexes and Ages wofully Massacred and Murdered and the richest fairest and best part of the World turned to a Field of Bloud And though we have the Vanity to call those Nations Barbarous who are not so wickedly knowing as our selves yet the ingenious discourse and Replies of these naked Americans shew that their Honesty Truth and Integrity have been the chief occasions of exposing them to the Slavery and Barbarity of these wicked Treacherous and Idolatrous Spanish Christians of which it may not be amiss to give the following Instance Certain Spaniards coasting along the Sea in search of Mines happened to Land in a very Fruitful Pleasant and well peopled Countrey who declaring to the Inhabitants That they were quiet and well meaning People coming from far Countreys being sent from the King of Castile the greatest King on the Habitable Earth unto whom the Pope representing God on Earth had given the Kingdoms and Dominions of all the Indies and that if they would become Tributary to him they should be kindly used and courteously dealt withal They likewise desired them to give them some Victuals to eat and some Gold wherewith to make certain Physical Experiments They also declared to them That they ought to believe in one God and to embrace the Catholick Religion adding withall some Threats thereunto The Indians having patiently heard them one of them returned this Ingenious answer That possibly they might be quiet and well meaning People though their Countenances shewed them to be otherwise And as for their King since he seemed to beg he appeared to be poor and needy And for the Pope who had made that distribution he seemed to be a man who loved mischief and dissention in going about to give that to a third man which was none of his own and so to make it questionable and raise quarrels among the ancient Possessors thereof As for Victuals they should have part of their store and for Gold they had but little and that it was a thing they very little valued as being utterly unprofitable for the service of their lives whereas all their care was to pass their time happily and pleasantly and therefore what quantity soever they should find of it except what was employed in the service of their Gods they should freely take it As touching one only God the discourse of him had very well pleased them but they were resolved by no means to change their Religion in which they had so long time lived so happily neither indeed did they use to take advice or Counsel but from their Freinds and Acquaintance As concerning their high words it was a sign of great want of Judgment to threaten those whose nature condition strength and power was utterly unknown to them And that therefore they should with all speed hasten out of their Countrey and Dominions since they were used to take in good part the kindnesses and discourses of Strangers but if they did not suddenly depart they would deal with them as they had done with some others shewing them the Heads of divers Persons lately executed sticking upon Stakes about their City Montaign's Essays Lib. 3. V. John Cabot succeeded Columbus in this Countrey who on the behalf of King Henry the seventh of England discovered all the North-East Coasts of America from the Cape of Florida in the South to New-found-land in the North causing the American Royolets or petty Kings to turn Homagers and swear Allegiance to the King and Crown of England In 1496 Sebastian Cabot his Son rigged up two Ships at the charge of the same King Henry who intended to go to the Land of Cathay and from thence to turn towards India to this purpose he aimed at a passage by the Northwest but after certain dayes he found the Land ran toward the North He followed the Continent to the 56 Degree under our Pole and there finding the Coast to turn toward the East and the Sea covered with Ice he turned back again Sailing down by the Coast of that Land towards the Equinoctial which he called Batalaos from the number of Fishes found in that Sea like Tunnies which the Inhabitants call Bacalaos Afterward he Sailed along the Coasts to 38 Degrees and Provisions failing he returned into England and was made Grand Pilot of England by King Edward the sixth with the allowance of a large Pension of 166 pound 13 shillings four pence a year Hackluits Voyages Vol. 3. VI. Sir Francis Drake was born nigh South Tavestock in Devonshire and brought up in Kent being the Son of a Minister who fled into Kent for fear of the six Bloudy Articles in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth and bound his Son to the Master of a small Bark which Traded into France and Zealand his Master dying unmarried bequeathed his Bark to him which he sold and put himself into farther Employment at first with Sir John Hawkins and afterward upon his own Account In the year 1577 Dec. 13. He with a Fleet of five Ships and Barks and 174 Men Gentlemen and Saylors began that Famous Navigation of his wherein he
away and the Magistrates themselves having in vain attempted it departed from her All men bewailed a woman of so singular an example and it was the fifth day since she had tasted any food Her faithful Maid sate by her mournful Mistriss and when her own tears were spent lent her others repairing also the light of the Monument as oft as it required it She was therefore the only discourse of the City and it was confessed by all men that she was the only true and most illustrious example of Conjugal Chastity and Love In the mean time the Governour of the Province had commanded that certain Thieves should be Crucified near to that very Dormitory where the Matron lamented her lately departed Husband The next night therefore the Souldier that was set to guard the Gibbets least any should steal the Bodies thence and bury them percieving a clear light amongst the Monuments and hearing the sighs of some Mourner in a curiosity that is incident to Humane Nature he was desirous to know who was there and what they did He thereupon descends into the Monument where beholding a most beautiful Woman at first sight he stood immoveable Soon after espying the dead body considering her Tears and those injuries she had done to her Face with her Nails judging of the matter as it was that the Woman was not able to bear the death of her Husband He went and fetch'd his Supper into the Monument and began to exhort the Mourner that she would not persist in a vain Greif or distend her heart with unprofitable sighs He represented that the same Fate waited upon them all that all must come at last to that long home and spake such other things as serve to appease such Hearts as are exasperated with Greif But she wounded with unknown Sorrow rent her Breasts with greater Vehemence and pulling off her hair threw it on the breast of her deceased Husband which lay before her Notwithstanding all which the Souldier left not the place but with the same Exhortations attempted to bring the Woman to the tast of some Food At last the Maid corrupted 't is likely by the Odour of the Wine reached out her Conquered hand to receive the Humanity of him that invited her and having refreshed her self with meat and drink she began to attempt upon the obstinacy of her Mistriss What said she will it advantage you if you shall perish with Famine if you shall bury your self alive if you shall render up your uncondemned breath before your appointed time Think you the Ghosts or Ashes of the Dead Regard what Tears their Superiors shed Will you restore him to life again in despight of all the Destinies that oâ—pose it or will you rather forsaking a Feminine Error enjoy the Comforts of Life as long as you may be permitted That very Body which lies extended before you ought to put you-in mind that you should endeavour to live No Person is unwilling to hear when they are advised to save their Lives and therefore the Lady being dry with several days abstinence suffered her Obstinacy to be prevail'd upon and filled her self with meat as greedily as her Maid had done before But with the same Blandishments wherewith the Souldier had prevailed with the Matron to live with the same he attempts her Chastity also The young Man seemed to this chast One neither unhandsom nor uneloquent and the Maid too seeking to get him into her favour repeated ever and anon And will you still resist kind Love nor care Within what solitary Feilds we are To be short the woman abstained not from any kind of Familiarity the victorious Souldier overcame and they lay together not only that night but the next and a third after The entrance of the Monument being closed that it might be supposed the most chast Woman had expired upon the Corps of her Husband But the Souldier delighted with the Beauty of the Woman and also with the Privacy bought what he was able and at the entrance of the night brought it to the Monument where he continued till Morning The Parents therefore of one of the Thieves lately executed perceiving how slightly the Bodies were guarded took down their Son from the Gallows and committed him to the Earth But the Souldier in the Morning perceiving that one of the Gibbets was without its Carcass and fearing the punishment of his neglect told the Woman what had happened and withal that he would not expect the Sentence but would punish himself for his neglect with his own sword beseeching her to afford him a place for Burial and to make a fatal Repository for her Friend as well as for her Husband The Woman no less compassionate than chast cryes out Certainly said she the Heavens will not suffer that at the same time I should behold the Funerals of two men the dearest unto me of all other I had rather part with the dead than slaughter the Living And having said this she commands the body of her dead husband to be taken out of the Coffin cuts off his Nose to disfigure his Face and delivers him to be hanged on the Gibbet that was empty The Souldier made use of the Wit of this Wise Woman and the next day it was the wonder of the People which way the dead Theif was again got upon the Gallows The Woman hereby discovering the instability and unconstancy of Humane Nature in changing her extraordinary Grief for the dead into such an extream doting on the Living and so â—oon to expose the former to the disgrace of a Thief and Malefactor for her kindness to the latter whom she had known but a few days before Wanly's Little World pag. 415. One Hundred Thirty Boys swallowed in a Mountain at Hamel in Germani Page 188. CI. The Seven Provinces or the Commonwealth of Holland were formerly under the Dominion of the King of Spain as well as the other Ten in Flanders are now and Charles the 5th Emperor and King of Spain had a Design to reduce them all to a Kingdom which his Son Philip the second likewise attempted but could never Effect because of the multiplicity and difference of their Rights Priviledges and Immunities which could not possibly be reduced under one Monarchy Philip the second at his Inauguration into these Provinces was sworn to observe these Rights and at his departure for Spain obliged himself by an Oath still to send one of his own bloud to Govern them Moreover at the request of the Knights of the Golden Fleece he promised that all Forreign Souldiers should be removed and that he himself would come to visit them once in every seventh year But being once gone and leaving instead of a Sword a Distaff or unweildy Woman to Govern them He not only broke his promise with them but procured a Dispensation from the Pope to be absolved and freed from his Oath and all this by the Council of the Cardinal Granvil who as the States Chronicler writes
to sell him This made him resolve on an escape to which end he had prepared a piece of Timber near the waterside on which he intended to paddle to the Ship which then lay about a League from the Shore Just as he was about to lanch his little floating board he espied a great Aligator which will devour a man at a mouthful This made him alter his resolution and resolve rather to live with inhumane Infidels than to throw himself into so imminent a danger The next day God Almighty opened the heart of the King to let the poor Englishman go He sent him in a Canoe placed betwixt a Negro's Legs with some others to guide this small Vessel for fear he should leap overboard and swim to the Ship At a distance from the Ship he haled her in the English Tongue which made those aboard much admire The Negroes gave him leave to stand up and shew himself to the Captain to whom he gave an account how four were left there and he only preserved It was some time before they could bargain though the Captain was resolved not to leave him behind Several times the Negroes padled away with their Canoe resolving not to part with him but with promises and intreaties he perswaded them back to the Ship again and they delivered him on board for 45 Copper and Iron Bars the Copper being as big as a Youths little Finger and the Iron somewhat bigger now were his Joys compleated he could hardly perswade himself but it was a Dream or Vision and that he did not really see English faces again nor imbrace English Bodies It was some time before he could throw himself at the Captains feet to acknowledge his infinite obligations to him When he came on board his Hair was very long and his Skin tawny having gone naked all the time he was there and frequently anointing himself with Palm Oyl he looked like a Tawny Moor But the Seamen aboard with Christian Hearts soon apparelled him The Master hoisted Sail for the Barbadoes where he was to stay some time but Wats earnestly desiring to see his Native Countrey got passage in the Katherine of London and by the Assistance of Heaven in a few Weeks safely arrived in the Downes and was entertained by his Uncle Mr. Richard Wats of Deal with great joy who took this Relation from his own mouth Sea Deliverances Pag. 73. 103. The unparalleld revolution in Portugal in the year 1641 is very worthy to be remembred whereby Philip the Second King of Spain lost that whole Kingdom as it were in one day with almost all the Islands Forts and Provinces thereunto belonging To give a particular account of this great Transaction it will be necessary to look a little back upon the Original causes and occasion thereof In the Year 1573. Sebastian Grandchild of King John the 3d. and Sixteenth King of Portugal Reigned in that Kingdom being about 23 years old Scarce was he well setled in his Throne having Reigned not above a year an half but Ambassadors from Muly Mahamet then turned out of his Kingdoms of Fesse and Morocco by his Uncle Abdemelech implored his Aid in the recovery of his Kingdom with promise That if he would assist him to drive out Abdemelech he would freely resign to Sebastian the Kingdom of Morocco and content himself with that of Fesse Ambition of Glory and Dominion makes Sebastian readily undertake the Enterprize sending to Philip of Spain for Assistance who promises him Ten Thousand men but sailed yet with the Forces that himself had levied he resolves couragiously to proceed To which by accident just as he was going he got some addition For Stukely an Englishman as he was going with a small Fleet of Ships and about Six Thousand Italian Souldiers to assist the Irish Rebels against Queen Elizabeth was by Tempest driven into Lisbon Whom King Sebastian with much intreaty perswades to desist from his intended design and accompany him into Barbary Thus set forth he arrives at Tangier with an Army of about Thirty Thousand men where he meets Muly Mahamet with a very small addition of Forces and much less than he expected yet he marches forward toward Abdemelech who by Letters in vain advised him to return in Peace The 2 Armies meet in the Plains of Alcazar where King Sebastian is utterly defeated himself Muly Mahamet Stukely and several persons of quality slain Three Kings fell in this field for Abdemelech was slain in the hottest of the fight This Battel was fought in August 1578 yet some have affirmed that Sebastian was not slain in this Battel but that for shame and sorrow he returned not home but wandring from one place to another was at last discovered at Venice and from thence by command of the King of Spain was carryed to Naples where he was kept three dayes in a dark and dismal Dungeon without any sustenance but a Knife and an Halter where he miserably dyed Whether this were the true Sebastian or not was not certainly known but he was so like him that the Spaniards used to say if it were not he it was the Devil in his likeness But however he being thus lost to the Portugals Henry the Cardinal third Son to Emanual the first who was Grandfather to Sebastian succeeded in the Kingdom but he being both by reason of his Age which was 67 years and his Function being a Churchman deprived of all means to give the people any hope of Issue it was the whole discourse not only of Portugal but all Christendom during the short time of his Reign who of right ought and who probably might succeed King Henry in the Kingdom There were several pretenders thereunto but Catherine Dutchess of Braganza and youngest Daughter to Don Edward sixth Son of Emanual aforementioned had the certain and undoubted Right yet Philip 2. King of Spain likewise made his claim though contrary to the Fundamental Laws of the Nation which Philip knew very well but having Power and Might on his side he little regarded Rights and Titles thinking them not strong enough against the infallible Arguments of Souldiers Arms and Money and therefore no sooner did the News of the death of King Henry arrive at the Spanish Court but the Duke of Alva was commanded with an Army of Twenty Thousand men to march to Lisbon and in the name and right of his Catholick Majesty to make conquest of that Kingdom if he found opposition But little resistance was made only Don Antonio the Bastard son of Lewes the Infante having got into Lisbon in the head of a Tumultuary Rabble rather than a well formed Army endeavoured at first to make some defence but was soon defeated and the Suburbs of Lisbon being plundered to satisfie the Souldiers the City was surrendred to him Whither soon after King Philip came and so by a mixt Title of Descent and Arms took possession of the Kingdom in 1580. Katherine Dutchess of Braganza being inforced to surrender to him all her
When instead of having such Power in readiness the Catalonians had rather opportunity given them to Rebel and spurs to provoke them thereto For some Souldiers being scatteringly quartered among them but too few to curb them they looked upon that as a greater Intrenchment upon their Liberties than any before and a design utterly to inslave them wherefore converting their Patience into Fury they took Arms Massacred the Souldiers slew their Vice-Roy and put themselves under the French Protection This Revolt of the Catalonians was a President to the Portugals who had extreamly suffered under the breach of their Priviledges for contrary to the second Article sworn to by King Philip the second That the Vice-Roy or Governour should be either Son Brother Vncle or Nephew to the King of Spain The Infanta Margarita di Mantoua who had no relation at all to the Kings of Spain was made Governess which they might and perhaps would have born had they not been incensed by a more feeling injury in 1636 when a Tax of the fifth part of their Estates was imposed upon all the Subjects of that Kingdom an intolerable Greivance and thought so insufferable by the Southern Parts of the Nation that they rose in Arms to oppose it and had set the whole Kingdom in a Flame if it had not been quenched by the timely care and Industry of the Governess Yet this small stir gave an Item to the Court of Spain of the readiness of the People to Revolt which made Olivarez endeavour by all ways to cut off the means of their being able to do it and that was to allure thence John Duke of Braganza whom the Portuguess looked upon as the Person who of Right ought to be their King and the only Native of the Kingdom that might restore again the Line of Alphonso Besides he was a Prince who for Power Riches and Number of Tenants not only exceeded all the Nobles in Portugal but even of Spain it self And indeed the Duke of Braganza was one of the most Glorious Subjects in Europe being allied to most Kings in Christendome which made the Kings of Spain though they were Competitors for the Crown of Portugal Treat this Family with more Honour than any other of his Grandees receiving them with almost as much respect as if they were Soveraign Princes which appeared in King Philip 2. who most of all desired to abase this Family yet always when the Duke of Braganza came to visit him he would meet him in the middle of the Room and not permitting him to kiss his hand seat him with himself under the Canopy of Estate To draw the Duke therefore out of Portugal Olivarez first politickly offered him the Government of Millain a place of great Trust and Honour but he modestly refused it as not in a Condition at that present to undertake so great a Command and indeed expressing an unwillingness to go out of the Kingdom which made the King of Spain and the Count more willing to draw him from thence and to this end it was discoursed That the King himself was resolved to go in Person to reduce the revolted Catalonians and that therefore all the Nobility should be in readiness in four months time to attend His Majesty in that Expedition But the Duke of Braganza being suspicious of the Spaniards because he knew himself suspected by them and likely so to be whilst the Portuguess so much affected him to assure himself of the ones love and if possible to prevent the others suspition retires himself to his Countrey House at Villa Viciosa and there follows his sports of Hunting c. not at all regarding matters of State withal sending an Excuse to Count Olivarez That his Affairs were at present in so low and mean a Condition that he could not appear to attend His Majesty in that Pomp and Splendour which became a Person of his Quality and that therefore he should do His Majesty more service in staying at home when the other Nobles were abroad than he could possibly do by attending him This Plot thus failing made the Court of Spain more suspicious of the Duke than ever before Count Olivarez therefore resolves to employ his utmost Art of Dissimulation to intrap him and that by such means as in reason might make the Duke Ambitious of the Throne though it appeared Olivarez trusted the Duke only because the Duke should trust him In answer to the Duke of Braganza's Letter of Excuse The Count assures him That His Majesty was very well satisfied with the reasons of his not attending him to Catalonia being very sensible of his good inclinations to his service That for his own part he was very sorry his Affairs were in such a low Condition and could not but commiserate his Interest as his own That His Majesty to let him know how great confidence he reposed in his Fidelity had appointed him General of the Militia of the Kingdom and had for his present supply sent him Threescore Thousand Crowns leaving it to his Choice to reside in what place near Lisbon he pleased This strange Confidence reposed in the Duke by the King of Spain much amazed the greatest Politicians who thought it reasonable that the Spaniard should have permitted the Duke still to have kept retired in the Countrey rather than to have given him such a Command and called him to Lisbon into the continual view of the People who looking on him as the Heir of that House which had been ever represented to have the only Right to the Crown might easily be inflamed with a desire to have a King of their own And these things the Princâ—â— of Mantoua was very sensible of and therefore continually solicited the King to know his Reason or to desire him to remove those apparent opportunities which he had given the Duke of Braganza to effect a Revolt But she not only received intricate and doubtful answers from the King and Olivarez but had likewise the former Actions seconded with one which made her think the King of Spain had a mind to toss the Kingdom of Portugal into Duke Braganza's hands whether he would or no For on a sudden without any notice given her all the Spanish Garrison in St. Johns Castle which commanded the City of Lisbon and indeed upon the strength of which the whole safety and security of the Kingdom depended were suddenly drawn forth and the Castle left to the disposal of the Duke But this was the last Act of Count Olivarez confidence in the Duke for by trusting him so much he now thought that he could not on the contrary but repose confidence in him and therefore next Summer in 1640. he again by Letters sollicites him to leave Portugal and come to Madrid assuring him That his Catholick Majesty gave him many thanks and greatly applauded his Loyalty in the exercise of the Office of General and was very sensible of the good effects which his Authority had wrought on the Portugals He next
Bajazet Emperor of the Turks Inclosed in an Iron Cage by K. Tamerlane Extraordinary ADVENTURES Discoveries And EVENTS By R B. London Printed for Nath Crouch EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES AND DISCOVERIES Of several Famous MEN. With the Strange Events and Signal Mutations and Changes in the Fortunes of many Illustrious Places and Persons in all Ages Being an Account of a Multitude of Stupendious Revolutions Accidents and Observable Matters in many Kingdomes States and Provinces throughout the whole World With divers Remarkable Particulars Lively described in Picture for their better Illustration By R. B. Author of the History of the Wars of Enggland Remarks of London Wonderful Prodigies and Admirable Curiosities c. London Printed by J. Richardson for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in Exchange-Alley next to Kemps Coffee-House over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1683. To the READER IT is a saying That the greatest Divertisement to a Souldier or Traveller is to discourse of their former Dangers and Adventures And if the relating of them be so pleasant certainly the hearing thereof is no less divertive Now in this little Volume you may meet with variety of Accidents of all kinds for here you may see on the one side Pompous Greatness laid as low as Contempt it self and on the other hand Baseness and Obscurity raised up to amazing and Prodigious Heights Here you may find some such noble Spirits that they could not rest satisfied till by their own hazards they had discovered New Worlds and brought one Hemisphere to some Acquaintance with the other Here you may observe That though amongst the Romans the Temple of Honour was so contrived that therein was no Passage to it but through that other of Virtue yet that things are far otherwise than they ought to be and that Virtue is as familiarly persecuted as rewarded nor have Persons of worth been always barely beholden to their Merit for their Preferment but perhaps some petty Accident or inconsiderable Circumstance hath been the occasion of their Advancement Here you may remark That as some men who have received the Sentence of Condemnation in themselves have had unlook'd for Deliverance and have miraculously escaped when in all Humane Reason they might be numbred among the Dead So others have been the hasteners of their own Downfalls and Destruction and have made their own Graves with their own Tongues by their Temerity and rashness in Talking Here lastly we may be seriously inform'd that their is no Creature so small and inconsiderable in our Eyes but if the Almighty please may be able to afflict yea and ruine us when we are in the fulness of our sufficiency These with a multitude of other Instances of various natures and kinds are the subject matter of this small Treatise which being duly contemplated are sufficient proofs to a considering Mind of a Superiour and Divine Power that visibly discovers it self in the Occurrences and Transactions of this lower World and disposes of Men and Things as it pleaseth even beyond either their Hopes or Fears and if the Perusal of these Stupendious Examples produce such a real Belief in the Reader the Publisher will think himself sufficiently recompenced for his Labour and Pains and may conclude with the Poet That Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci He certainly does hit the white Who mingles Profit with Delight And that this may have such a lasting and effectual Impression is the real wish of R. B. Extraordinary Adventures Discoveries and Events THE Surprizing Adventures and Events that daily assail Mankind are so Numerous and Extraordinary that nothing seems more inseparable to our Mortal state than constant and continual Vicissitudes Changes and Alterations But since we find in History that some more Remarkable Accidents have happened to some Places and Persons than to others it must needs be very delightful among such a multitude of Instances to give an Account of the most Considerable Relations I have met with in many credible Writers and that is the design of this small Tract wherein I shall not so much regard the Method Order or other Circumstances of an exact Historian as in the whole to divert the Reader with what may be both pleasant and profitable wherein it may be he may more fully inform himself of several matters which he had formerly heard of but yet did not so cleerly understand This without any further Preface is that which I now aim at wherein I will impose nothing upon any mans belief but leave every one at his full Liberty what degree of Faith he will exercise therein it being sufficient that I have cited my Authors who are generally such as have been accounted Men of Veracity and Honesty in the Accounts they give and may therefore challenge as much Credit as is due to any Humane History I. Strange were the Adventures of Christopher Columbus who discovered a New World in the last Age which is now called America He was born at Nervi in the Seigniory of Genoa who being a man of excellent Abilities and born to undertake great matters could not perswade himself but that considering the Motion of the Sun there must needs be another World to which that Glorious Planet did impart both his Life and Heat when he went from us This World he purposed to seek after and in 1486 he discovered his Design to the State of Genoa who rejecting his Proposals he sent his Brother Bartholomew to King Henry the seventh of England who in his Voyage hither unhappily fell into the hands of Pyrates by whom he was long kept Prisoner but having at last obtained his Liberty he repaired to the Court of England where he found such cheerful entertainment at the hands of that King that Christopher Columbus was sent for to come thither also But Christopher not knowing of his Brothers Imprisonment and not hearing from him conceived the offer of his service to have been neglected and thereupon made his desires known at the Court of Castile where after many delays and six years attendance upon the business he was at last furnished with three ships only and those not for Conquest but Discovery With this small strength he sailed on the Ocean sixty dayes and yet could see no land so that the discontented Spaniards began to Mutiny and refused to move a foot forward Just at which time it hapned that Columbus discerned the Clouds to carry a cleerer colour than they did before and therefore intreated them to expect only three days longer in which time if they saw not land he promised to return Toward the end of the third day one of the Company descried Fire which was an evident token that they drew near to some shore The Place they discovered was an Island on the Coast of Florida called by Columbus St. Salvador Having Landed his Men he caused a Tree to be cut down and made a Cross thereof which he set up neer the place where he came on Land and by that Ceremony took
consisting of Forty Thousand Housholds He was kindly received into Mexico by the affrighted King whom he caused to acknowledge himself a Vassal to Spain and to present him in the name of a Tribute with so much Treasure as amounted to an hundred and threescore thousand Castellins of Gold A quarrel growing not long after the Spaniards were driven out of the Town But Cortez aided with the whole Forces of the Tlascalans and a recruit of more Spaniards sent thither upon a design against himself he made up an Army of an hundred Thousand Indians 900 Spanish Foot 80 Horse 17 pieces of Ordinance and having with great Diligence made ready a Navy of 13 Galliots and 6000 Canoes or Boats he laid siege to Mexico by Sea and Land wherein the Admirable Courage of that King is very remarkable for having for three Moneths most valiantly defended the City and endured therein all manner of inconveniencies he was at the taking thereof unhappily delivered up alive into the hands of the Spaniards his Enemies upon condition to be used as became a King during his Imprisonment he said or did nothing but what became that Title but after the Victory the Spaniards not finding that quantity of Gold which they had promised themselves though they had left no place unsearcht to discover it they then proceeded by the most cruel and horrible Tortures to force those Prisoners they had taken to confess where they had hid it But unable to prevail this way finding the Indians hearts more strong than their Torments they thereby grew so inraged that contrary to all Law of Nations and against their solemn Vows and Promises they condemned the King himself and one of the Chiefest Princes of his Court to the Rack in the sight of each other The Prince being encompassed with hot burning Coals and being overcome with the extraordinary Torment at last turned his dying Eyes in a most lamentable manner toward his Master as if he begged his Pardon that he could endure the pain no longer The King fixing his Eyes fiercely upon him seemed to upbraid him with pusillanimity and want of Courage and with a stern and setled voice spoke thus to him What Supposest thou that I am in a cold Bath Am I at more ease than thou art Whereat the miserable Prince immediately fainted under the Torture and gave up the Ghost The King being half rosted was carried away not so much for Pity for what Compassion could enter into such Barbarous Wretches who only upon supposing to get some odd Vessel or piece of Gold would broyl a Man to death before their Eyes and not only a Man but a King and a King of such mighty Grandeur and Renown but because his undaunted Constancy baffled their inhuman Cruelties they afterward hanged him for Couragiously attemping by Arms to deliver himself from his long Captivity and miserable subjection and thus he ended his wretched life Wonderful even to Amazement was the Magnificence of the famous Cities of Cusco and Mexico and admirable the Curiosities of this King who had all the Trees Fruits Herbs Plants according to their Order and full bigness in the Garden most Artificially framed in Gold He had likewise in his Cabinet all the Living Creatures that his Countrey or his Seas produced cast in Gold besides abundance of exquisite Works in Precious Stones Feathers Cotton and Painting After a siege of three Moneths Mexico was Taken Plundered and Burnt Aug. 13. 1521. but afterward rebuilt more beautifully than before and thus fell this mighty Kingdom into the hands of the Spaniards by the Valour and good Fortune of Cortez a private Adventurer who was rewarded for that Service by Charles the fifth with many fair Estates in the Province of Mexico and dignified with the Title of Marquess de Valla. Montaigne's Essays Lib. 3. The woful deaths of the 2 Mighty Emperors of Peru Mexico by the Spaniards Page â— Atabaliba came with Twenty five Thousand unarmed Men in Ostentation of his greatness and without any design of making resistance of which this treacherous Pizarro taking the advantage picked a quarrel with him and suddenly charged upon him with his Horse and Ordnance slaying his Guard without resistance and coming neer the Kings Person who was carried upon mens Shoulders upon Rafters or Beams of Massy Gold in a Chair of State also all of Gold they killed several of the Bearers to make him fall endeavouring to take him alive but as soon as one of them fell another presently succeeded in his place so that he could never be brought down or made to fall what slaughter soever was made of these People till a Horseman furiously rid up and taking him by his Clothes pulled him down and took him Prisoner They took as much Gold with him as amounted to fourscore Thousand Castellans and as much Silver as amounted to seven Thousand Marks of his Houshold Plate every Mark weighing eight Ounces and in the soyl of Caxamala they found almost infinite Riches The wretched King they set at so excessive a ransom as exexceedeth all belief which though he truly paid and though by his Conversation he had given apparent Signs of a great and undaunted Soul and of a generous and ingenious Mind yet these insolent Conquerours having exacted from him an House piled upon all sides with Gold and Silver amounting to a Million three hundred Twenty five thousand and five Hundred pound weight in Gold besides the silver and other precious things which came to as much more so that even their Horses were shod with Massy Gold yet they Villainously and Traiterously contrived a false Accusation against him pretending that he designed to raise his Subjects against them for procuring his Liberty upon which they condemned him to be publickly hanged and strangled having first made him to be baptized as he went to Execution thereby to prevent the Torment of being burned alive wherewith they threatned him He took his Death patiently and with a Royal Gravity and undismayed Constancy without the least discomposure either in Words or Countenance The Treasures here gotten were so great that besides the fifth part which Pizarro sent to the Emperour and that which Pizarro and his Brethren kept to themselves every Footman had 7 Thousand 200 Duckets and every Horseman ' twice as much for their part of the Spoil beside what they had gotten in way of Plunder But Vengeance persued these horrid Murtherers though the Spaniards put many fair pretences upon their Actions few of the greatest undertakers going to the Grave in peace for all that were consenting or accessary to the death of this King came to wretched ends but especially his four Brethren Ferdinand Gonsal John Martin of Alâ—antara and Diego of Almagro who as they were principal in the Actions so were they in the punishment and first John Pizarro was surprized in the City of Cusco and slain by some of King Atabaliba's Souldiers then there happened such differences between Francis Pizarro and
found the Normans dispersed in divers Coasts of his Realm Charles marches with his Army against them but at the first encounter is overthrown this Check though the loss was small struck a great Terror and at last caused an apparent impossibility to succour the City of Neustria then besieged by them with very great Forces He was therefore advised to Treat with them and to make them of Enemies Friends and to leave them that which he could not take from them Whereupon he yeilded Neustria to them by his own Authority without the consent of the Estates and the Normans called the Countrey Normandy By this and some other things he fell into a deep hatred with the French upon which Charles fell sick and that sickness was accompanied with a distemper of the mind thorow Jealousy conceived against his Queen Richarda After this the Germans dispossess him of his Empire and give it to Arnold and the French reject him from governing that Realm electing in his room Odo Duke of Angiers This poor Prince deposed from all his Dignities was forsaken of every man having so ill provided for himself in prosperity that he had not a house wherein to shrowd himself and being banished the Court he was driven to a poor Village in Swevia where he lived some days in extream want without any means of his own or releif from any man In the end he died neither pitied nor lamented of any man in a Corner unknown till now made famous as being the Theatre of so extraordinary a Tragedy And surely for one of the greatest Monarchs in the World thus to dye without House without Bread without Honour without Mourning and without Memory is a singular instance of the Vanity and inconstancy of this uncertain World Hist France pag. 72. XV. Dionysius the younger King of Sicily had his Kingdom in good constitution and sufficiently fortified having no less then 400 Ships of five or six Oars in a Seat He had one hundred Thousand Foot and Nine Thousand Horse His City of Syracuse had strong Gates and was compassed with high Walls he had in readiness all manner of Warlike Provisions to furnish out 500 Ships more He had Granaries wherein he laid up an 100 Myriads of that measure which contains 6 bushels of Bread Corn. He had a Magazine filled with all sorts of Arms Offensive and Defensive He was also fortified with Confederates and Allies so that he himself thought the Government was fastened to him with Chains of Adamant But being invaded by Dion in his absence his People revolted and behold what a fatal Revolution fell out in his Family Himself had before slain his Brothers and in this Insurrection against him his Sons were cruelly put to death his Daughters were first ravished then stript naked and in short none of his Progeny obtained so much as a decent Burial for some were burnt others cut in peices and some cast into the Sea and he himself died old in extream Poverty his manner being to 〈◊〉 in Barbers Shops and as a Jester to move men to â—aughter Thus in the midst of Greece in a very mean and low condition he wore out the miserable remains of a wretched Life Aelian var. Hist k. Cambuses cruelly kills the Son of One of his Principall Favourites Page 54. After the death of Cyrus Cambyses his Son reigned King of Persia and King Croesus still remained in that Court Now it happened that King Cambyses had slain twelve Persians of Principal rank whom K. Croesus thus admonished Do not O King said he indulge thine Anger and Rage in every thing but refrain your self It will be for your advantage to be prudent and provident and foresight is the part of a wise man but you upon slight occasions put to death your Countreymen and spare not so much as young Children If you shall go on to do often in this manner consider if you will not give occasion to the Persians to revolt from you your Father Cyrus laid his strict Commands upon me that as often as occasion should require I should put you in mind of those things which might conduce to your profit and welfare Cambyses snatch up a bow and arrow with intention to have shot Croesus through therewith but he hastily fled Cambyses thus prevented commanded his Ministers to put him to death but they supposing the King would repent himself and then they should be rewarded for his safety kept him privately alive It was not long before Cambyses wanted the Counsel of Croesus and when his Servants told him that he yet lived Cambyses rejoyced thereat but ordered them to be slain who had disobeyed his Commandment in preserving him whom he had condemned to Death This Cambyses was a very bloudy Tyrant which might be partly occasioned by his Flatterers for having a mind to marry his Sister he was told by his Lawyers That they knew no Law which admitted such Marriages but that there was a Law that the Persian Kings might do what they listed which Maxim he often put in Practice For on a time desiring to be truly informed by Prexaspes his beloved Favorite what the Persians his Subjects thought of his Conditions He answered They were followed with abundance of praise from all men only it was observed by many that he took more than usual delight in the Taste of Wine Cambyses being enraged at this reproof replied And are the Persians double Tongued then who also tell me that I have in all things excelled my Father Cyrus Thou Prexaspes shalt be my witness whether in this report they have done me right For if at the first shot I pierce thy sons heart with an Arrow then it is false that hath been spoken but if I miss the mark I am then pleased that the same be counted True and my Subjects believed And immediately he shot an Arrow at the innocent Child who falling down dead with the stroke Cambyses commanded the body to be opened and his heart was found sticking upon the Arrow at which this monstrous Tyrant greatly rejoycing shewed it to his Father with this saying instead of an Epitaph Now Prexaspes thou maist resolve thy self and conclude that I have not lost my wits with wine but the Persians there 's who report such things of me He died miserably afterward in Egypt without any Son or Successor of his Family Rawleigh Hist World Lib. 3. XVII Strange and bloudy was the Consequence of a small accident at Lisbon in Portugal Upon April 10 1506. many of the City went to the Church of St. Dominick to hear Mass On the left side of this Church there is a Chappel much reverenced by those of the Countrey and called Jesus Chappel Upon the Altar there stands a Crucifix the wound of whose side is covered over with a peice of Glass some of those who came thither to do their Devotions casting their eyes upon this hole it seemed to them that a kind of Glimmering Light came out of it Then happy
Brother I beseech you for you are as dear or dearer to me than my self But the Father to prevent the misfortune resolved to separate them whereupon they grew so troubled and Melancholy that he was constrained to delay his design till an occasion happened which invited all three the Father and his two Sons to a War betwixt the Kings of Narsinga and Pegu upon Title of Territories But by the Mediation of some Persons a Peace was concluded upon Condition that these two young Princes should marry the two Daughters of the King of Narsinga and that the King of Pegu should confer on him that married the elder all the Countreys he took in the last War with the Kingdom of Martaban and the other Brother besides the Kingdom of Tazatai should have that of Verma The Nuptials consummated each departed to his Territory Lands spaciously divided Now it after happened that the King of Tazatai was engaged in a sharp War with the King of Mandranella and sent to the two Brother Princes for Aid who both hastened unknown to each other to his assistance He from Verma came secretly to Town with one Servant only to visit a Lady who had been once their Ancient Mistris and the other Brother being upon the same design they met at the Ladies Gate by Night not knowing one another where furious with Jealousie after some words they drew and killed each other One of them dying gave humble thanks to Heaven for preventing the direful destiny foretold him that he should kill his Brother hereupon the other knowing by his Voice and Discourse drawing near his end himself crept to him and embraced him with Tears and Lamentations and so both dolefully ended their days together The Father having tydings of it and seeing his white hairs led by his own fault to so hard Fortune overborn with Grief and despair came and slew himself upon the Bodies of his Sons and with the greif and Tears of all the People were buried all three in one Monument which shews us the Danger of too much Curiosity Le Blanc's Travels Tom. 1. XX. There is a Remarkable History of one Abner an Eastern King in the Indies who having a Son born gave immediate Order for his Confinement to a stately and spacious Castle where he should be delicately brought up and carefully kept from having any knowledge of Humane Calamities or Troubles And gave special command that no distressed Person should come into his Company nothing sad nothing Lamentable nothing unfortunate no poor man no old man none weeping nor disconsolate was to come near his Pallace Youthfulness Pleasures and Joy were alwayes in his Presence nothing else was to be seen nothing else discoursed of in his Company But alass in process of time the Prince longed this made him sad in the very midst of his Joyes and what should he long for but not to be so cumbered with Delights The grief of Pleasures made him request his Father to loose the Bonds of his miserable Felicity This desire of the Son crossed the Intention of his Father who was forced to give over his device to keep him from sadness least by continuing it he should make him sad He therefore gave him his Liberty but charged his Attendants to remove out of his way all objects of Sorrow the blind the maimed the deformed and the old must not come near him But what diligence is sufficient to conceal the Miseries of Mortality The Prince in his Recreations meets with an old Man Blind and Leprous The sight astonishes him he startles trembles and faints like those that swound at the Apparition of a Spirit and inquires of his Followers what that thing might be And being told that it was Man he was so extreamly concerned thereat that he disliked Pleasures condemned Mirth and despised Life he rejected the Kingdom and Royal Dignity and bid adieu to all the Blandishments of Fortune at once spending the remainder of his days in a Religious Retirement from the vanities of the World and in preparations for Eternity Vaughan Florilegus pag. 126. XXI The Ingenious Dr. R. Plat in his Natural History of Oxfordshire gives an Acconnt of two strange Accidents which as he saith are to be reckoned among those things which are unaccountable One is That in the year 1649 when the Commissioners for surveying the Mannour House Park Deer Woods and other the Demeasnes belonging to Woodstock Mannor in that County came thither and sat and lodged therein they took up their Lodgings in the Bed-chamber and withdrawing Room thereof the former whereof they also made their Kitchen The Council Hall their Brewhouse The Chamber of Presence they sate in to dispatch business and made a Woodhouse of the Dining-room October 14 and 15 they had little disturbance but on the 16 there came as they thought somewhat into the Bedchamber where two of the Commissioners and their Servants lay in the shape of a Dog which going under their Beds did as it were gnaw their Bed-cords but on the morning finding them whole and a quarter of Beef which lay on the ground untouched they began to entertain other thoughts Octob. 17. Something to their thinking removed all the Wood out of the Dining-room into the Presence-Chamber and hurled the Chairs and Stools up and down that room From thence it came into the two Chambers where the Commissioners and their Servants lay and hoisted up their Beds feet so much higher than their heads that they thought they should have been turned over and over and then let them fall down with such a force that their bodies rebounded from the bed a good distance and then shook the Bedsteads so violently that themselves confest their Bodies were sore with it October 18 something came into the Bed-chamber and walkt up and down and fetching the Warming Pan out of the withdrawing Room made so much noise that they thought five Bells could not have made more And Octob. 19. Trenchers were thrown up and down the Dining Room and at them that lodged there whereof one of them being shaken by the Shoulder and awakened put forth his head to see what was the matter but had Trenchers thrown at it October 20. The Curtains of the Bed in the withdrawing Room were drawn to and fro and the Bed-stead much shaken and eight great Pewter Dishes and three dozen of Trenchers thrown about the Bedchamber again whereof some fell upon the beds this night they also thought whole Armfulls of Wood had been thrown down in their Chambers but in the morning they found nothing moved On the 21 of October the keeper of their Ordinary and his Bitch lay in one of the Rooms with them which night they were not disturbed at all But October 2. though the Bitch kenelled there again to whom they ascribed their former nights rest both they and the Bitch were in a pitiful taking the Bitch opening but once and that with a whining fearful yelp October 23. They had all their Cloths pluck'd
Physicians had left him as a person whose case was utterly desperate and his Servants eager after the spoil enter his Chamber and seize upon all the Ornaments of it They took down the Hangings Pictures Statues carry out the Carpets Cushions and the very Clothes of their Master yea his Cardinals Gown while he yet breathed and looked upon them The Cardinal kept an Ape and he observing how his Fellow servants had been busied comes also himself into the Chamber looks round about him to see what was left for him he finds nothing but only the Cardinals Cap which lay neglected upon the ground this the Ape merrily takes up and puts upon his own head This Spectacle moved the almost dying Cardinal to an extream laughter the laughter broke the Impostume and after he had well vomited he was restored to his health and to the recovery of his imbezelled Goods Wanly's Hist Man pag. 631. LI. In the year 1602. saith the famous Crollius I saw at Prague a Bohemian Countrey Fellow named Matthew aged about 36 years this man for 2 years together with a strange and unheard of Dexterity in his Throat used often in Company of such as sate drinking to take a knife af the usual bigness with a haft of Horn and this after the manner of a Jugler he would put down his Throat and drink a good draught of Ale after it which was given him for his pains But he could recover it at his pleasure and with a singular Art take it by the point and draw it out But by I know not what misfortune the day after Easter the same year he swallowed the same knife so far that it went down into his very Stomach and by no Artifice of his could be drawn back any more He was half dead through the apprehension of death that would undoubtedly follow but after he had retained the knife in manner aforesaid for the space of seven weeks and two days entire by the use and means of Attractive Plaisters made up with Loadstone and other things the knife point by a natural impulse began to make its way out near the Orifice of the Stomach which the Patient perceiving though by many perswaded to the contrary because of the imminent hazard of his Life was very earnest that incision might be made and so the knife drawn out which he at length obtained to be done by many intreaties and upon Thursday after Whitsontide about seven a Clock in the Morning all was happily performed by Florianus Mathis of Brandenburg the chief Chirurgeon both of the City and Kingdom The Knife is laid up amongst the Emperors Rarities and shewed as an incredible miracle by the Courtiers and others in the City the length of this Knife is nine Inches and the colour of it was so changed as if it had all that time lain in the Fire The Countrey Fellow in some few weeks by the care of his expert Chirurgion without any further Sickness or Trouble and contrary to the Judgment of Physitians recovered his former health so perfectly that soon after he married and lived many years Crollius Chymistry pag. 125. LII This mans Recovery was very admirable but that which follows seems yet more strange being much more likely to kill than cure as having been the occasion of many a mans Death but however since a credible Author reports it I shall do the same Paleologus the Second Emperor of Constantinople was dangerously sick and when Nature nor the Art of his Physitians could any way help him and that he had kept his Bed for a whole year to the great prejudice of the State His Empress was informed by an old Woman that it was impossible her husband should recover unless he was continually vexed and provoked by her harsh dealing and ill usage for by that means the humors that were the occasion of his sickness would be dissipated and discharged This advice was approved and by this way of contrary cure as one would think the Empress proceeded For she began continually to vex and torment him to an exceeding height scarce observing him in any one thing that he commanded with these frequenâ— and incessant vexations the malignant Humors were dispersed by the Augmentation of heat and the Emperor did so perfectly recover that throughout those twenty years in which he afterward lived even to the sixtieth year of his Age he remained sound and well Camerarius's Spare Hours Cent. 3. LIII A certain man saith Solenander lay sick upon his Bed and in all appearance entring upon the last moments of his life at which time came an Enemy of his and inquires of his Servant where his Master was He is said he in his bed and in such a condition that he is not likely to live out this day But he as the manner of the Italians is resolving he should dye by his hands enters his Chamber and giving the sick Person a desperate Stab departs but by the Flux of Bloud that issued from that wound and the diligent attendance of his cure the man recovered receiving as it were a new life from him who came for no other purpose than to assure himself of his death Schenk Observat lib. 5. LIV. Sir John Cheek was once one of the Tutors to King Edward the 6th and afterwards Secretary of State much did the Kingdom value him but more the King for being once desperately sick the King carefully enquiring of him every day at last his Physitian told him there was no hope of his Life being given over by him for a dead man No said the King He will not dye this time for this morning I begged his life from God in my prayers and obtained it which accordingly came to pass and he soon after contrary to all expectation wonderfully recovered This saith Dr. Fuller was attested by the old Earl of Huntington bred up in his Childhood with King Edward to Sir Thomas Cheek who was alive in 1654. and eighty years of Age. Lloyds State Worthies pag. 194. LV. Duffe the Threescore and eighteenth King of Scotland laboured with a new and unheard of Disease no cause was apparent all Remedies insignificant his body languishing in a continual sweat and his strength apparently decaying insomuch that he was suspected to be bewitched which was increased by a rumor that certain Witches of Forrest in Murray practiced his destruction arising from a word which a Girl let fall That the King should dye shortly who being examined by Donald Captain of the Castle and Tortures shewed her Confessed the Truth and how her Mother was one of the Assembly And when certain Souldiers were sent in search they surprized them roasting the waxen Image of the King before a soft Fire to the end that as the wax melted by Degrees so should the King dissolve by little and little and his life should waste away with the Consumption of the other But the Image being broken and the Witches hanged for this Treason the King recovered his wonted
health in a Moment Sandy's Ovids Met. lib. 8. LVI And as by these Examples we may observe how strangely some Persons have been saved from death so we find others have unwarily and unwittingly procured and hastened their own death and downfall For we read in Josephus that Anthony being at Laodicea sent for King Herod to answer what was objected against him touching the death of young Aristobulus Herod was an impotent Lover of his Wife Mariamne and suspecting that her Beauty was one cause of his danger before he went he committed the care of his Kingdom to Joseph his Uncle withal leaving him order to kill Mariamne his Wife in case he should hear that any thing evil had befallen him Herod took his Journey and Joseph in Conversation with the Queen acquainted her with the Order he had left with him Herod having appeased Anthony returned with Honour and speaking to the Queen of the Truth and Greatness of his Love in the midst of Embraces Mariamne said to him It was not the part of a Lover to give Commandement that if any thing should befall thee otherwise than well with Anthony I should presently be put to death No sooner were these words out of her mouth but the King entred into a strange Passion and giving over his Embraces he cryed out with a loud Voice and tore his hair saying That he had a most evident proof that Joseph had committed adultery with her because he would not have discovered those things which had been spoken to him in secret except they had greatly trusted each other And in this emotion or rage of Jealousie he hardly contained from killing his Wife yet he gave Order that Joseph should be slain without admitting him Audience or Justification of his Innocence Thus Joseph by his Imprudent revealing a dangerous Secret unwarily procured his own death Josephus Antiquit. lib. 15. LVII The same Author relates that Herod being overcome with pain and troubled with a vehement Cough and almost pined with Fasting was resolved to hasten his own death and taking an Apple in his hand called for a Knife and then looking about him least any stander by should hinder him he lifted up his Arm to Stab himself But Achiabus his Cosen ran hastily unto him and stayed his hand and presently there was great Lamentation made throughout all the Kings Palace as if the King had been dead His Son Antipater then in Prison having speedy news therof was glad and promised the Keepers Money to release him But the chiefest of them did not only deny to do it but also went and immediately acquainted the King with it Herod hearing this commanded his Guard to go and kill Antipater and Bury him in the Castle called Hircanium Thus was that wicked man cast away by his own Temerity and Imprudence who had he had more Patience and Discretion might probably have secured both his Life and the Kingdom to himself for Herod out-lived his death but five days Josephus Antiquities Lib. 1. LVIII King Francis of France had resolved upon the Murder of the Chief Lords of the Protestant Religion this secret of Council had been imparted by the Duke of Anjou to Ligneroles his Familiar Friend He being one time in the Kings Chamber observed some Tokens of the Kings displeasure at the demands of some Protestant Lords whom he had newly dismissed with a shew of Favour Ligneroles either moved with the Lightness incident to youth which often over-shoots discretion or moved with Ambition not to be ignorant of the nearest Secrets told the King in his ear That His Majesty ought to quiet his mind with Patience and laugh at their Insolence for within a few days by that meeting which was almost ripe they would be all in his Net and might be punished at his pleasure With which words the Kings Mind being struck in the most tender sensible part of it he made shew not to understand his meaning and retired to his private Lodgings where full of Anger Grief and Trouble he sent to call the Duke of Anjou charging him with the revealing this weighty secret The Duke confessed he had imparted the business to Ligneroles but assured him he need not fear he would ever open his Lips to discover it No more he shall answered the King for I will take Order that he shall be dispatched before he have time to publish it He then sent for George de Villequier Viscount of Guearchy whom he knew bore a grudge against Ligneroles and commanded him to endeavour by all means to kill him that day which was accordingly executed by him and Count Charles of Mansfield as he hunted in the Feild D'Avila's Wars of France Lib. 5. LIX Fredegundis was a Woman of admirable Beauty and for that Reason entertain'd by Chilperick King of France over whose heart she had gained such an Empire that she procured the Banishment of his Queen and lawful Wife Andovera the death of his own Mother Galfinda yet neither was she faithful to him but prostituted her Body to Landric de la Tour Duke of France and Mayor of the Palace Upon a day the King being to go a Hunting came up first into her Chamber and found her dressing her head with her Back towards him He therefore went softly and struck her gently on the back-part with the hinder end of his Hunting Spear she not looking back What dost thou do my Landric said she It is the part of a good Knight to charge a Lady before rather than behind By this means the King found her Falshood and went to his purposed Hunting but she perceiving her self discovered sent for Landric told him what had happened and therefore enjoyned him to kill the King for his and her safety which he undertook and effected that night as the King returned late from Hunting Hist France pag. 23. LX. Muleasses the King of Tunis was skilled in Astrology and had found that by a fatal influx of the Stars he was to lose his Kingdom and also to perish by a cruel death when therefore he heard that Barbarossa the Turkish Admiral was preparing a Navy at Constantinople concluding it was against himself to withdraw from the danger he departed Africa and Transported himself into Italy to crave Aid of Charles the Emperour against the Turks whom he thought had a design upon him In the mean time he had committed the Government of his Kingdom to Amida his Son who like an ungrateful Traytor assumed to himself the Name and Power of a King and having taken his Father upon his return he put out his Eyes Thus Muleasses drew upon himself that Fate he expected by those very means by which he hoped to have avoided it Wanly's History of Man pag. 458. LXI There was an Astrologer saith Wierus who had often and truly predicted the event of divers weighty Affairs who having intentively fixed his Eyes upon the Face of James Galleacius an Italian Duke and contemplating the same Dispose Sir said he of your
Affairs with what speed you may for it is impossible you should long live in this world why so said Galleacius Because replyed the other the Stars whose sight and Position on your Birth-day I have well observed do threaten you and that not obscurely with death before such time as you shall attain to maturity Well said Galleacius you who believe in the Positions of the Birth-day Stars as if they were so many Gods How long are you to live through the bounty of the Fates The Astrologer answered I have a sufficient Tract of time allotted for my life But said Galleacius that for the future out of a foolish belief of the bounty and Clemency of the Fates thou mayst not presume farther upon the continuance of life than perhaps it is fit thou shalt dye presently contrary to thy own opinion nor shall the combined force of all the Stars in Heaven be able to save the from destruction who presumest in this manner to dally with the Destiny of Illustrious Persons and thereupon commanded him to be carried to Prison and Strangled whereby the poor Astrologer appeared to be fatally mistaken in his pretended Infallible Predictions Wieri Opera Lib. de Ira. pag. 148. LXII The Emperour Probus a great and excellent Prince having well nigh brought the Empire into a quiet and peaceable from a troublesome and Turbulent posture was heard to say That he would speedily take such a Course that there should be no more need of Men of War This speech was so distasted by the Souldiers that they conspired against him and procured his death To the same purpose is the Relation of some Persons of Syracuse in Sicily who discoursing in a Barbers shop concerning the Tyrant Dionysius they said his Tyranny was Adamantine and that he could not be destroyed What said the Barber do we speak thus of Dionysius under whose Throat I ever and anon hold a Razor As soon as Dionysius was informed of this he caused his Barber to be Crucified and so he paid for his foolish words with the price of his Life Plutarch de Loquacitate pag. 200. LXIII The same Author relates a Passage of another Barber though not of such dangerous Consequence A Barber who kept shop at the end of the Suburbs called Pyreum in Athens had no sooner heard of the great discomfiture of the Athenians in Sicily from a certain slave fled from thence out of the field but leaving his Shop at six and sevens he ran directly into the City to carry the Tydings fresh and new For fear some other might the honour win And he too late or second should come in Now upon reporting of these unwelcome tydings there was a great stir within the City the people Assembled to the Market place search was made for the Author of this rumor hereupon the Barber was haled before the body of the People and being examined hereof he knew not so much as the name of the Party from whom he had heard the News Upon which the whole Assembly were so moved to anger that they cryed out Away with the Villain set the Rascal upon the Rack have him to the Wheel who hath devised this Story of his own fingers ends The Wheel of Torture was brought and the Barber was tormented upon it In the mean while there came certain News of that defeat and thereupon the Assembly broke up leaving the Barber racked out at length upon the Wheel till it was late in the Evening at which time he was let loose yet was no sooner at liberty but he must inquire News of the Executioner what he had heard abroad of the General Nicias and in what manner he was slain Plutarch's Morals Pag. 200. LXIV Candaules King of Lydia doted so much upon the Beauty of his own Wife that he could not be content to enjoy her but would needs inforce one Gyges to behold her Naked Body and placed the unwilling man secretly in her Chamber where he might see her preparing to Bedward This was not so closely carryed but that the Queen perceived Gyges at his going forth and understanding the matter took it in such high disdain that the forced him the next day to requite the Kings folly with Treason So that Gyges being brought again into the same Chamber by the Queen slew King Candaules and was rewarded not only with his Wife but the Kingdom of Lydia wherein he Reigned Thirty Eight Years Justin Hist Lib. 1. LXV Fulvius one of the Favourites and Minions of Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome having heard him toward his latter dayes lamenting and bewailing the desolate estate of his House because he had no Children of his body begotten and that of his three Nephews or Sisters Children two were dead and Posthumius who only remained alive upon an Accusation against him was sent away and lived in banishment whereupon he was inforced to bring in his Wives Son and declare him his Successor in the Empire Notwithstanding upon a tender compassion he was sometime in deliberation with himself and minded to call Posthumius from Banishment Fulvius I say being privy to these means and designs of his went home and told his Wife all that he had heard She could not hold but went presently to the Empress Livia Wife to Augustus and reported what her Husband Fulvius had told her Whereupon Livia in great Indignation did sharply expostulate with Caesar in these Terms Seeing said she you had so long projected such a thing as to call home your Nephew why did you not send for him at first but have exposed me to the hatred and enmity of Posthumius who shall be Emperour after your Decease The next morning betimes when Fulvius came as his manner was to salute Caesar and bid him good morrow after he had said God save you Caesar Augustus resaluted him with this God make you wise Fulvius Fulvius soon found him and conceived presently what he meant thereby He retired then to his house with all speed and having called his wife Caesar said he is come to the knowledge that I have not concealed this secret and therefore I am resolved to make away my self with my own hands And well worthy quoth she for justly have you deserved death who having lived so long with me knew not all this while the incontinency of my Tongue nor would beware of it yet suffer me first to dye upon your Sword And she accordingly killed her self her Husband likewise following her in the same bloody fate and thus we may see what mischief has befallen persons by their loquacity and too much inconsiderateness in their words Plutarch's Morals Pag. 199. LXVI Strange was the destiny or rather the Divine Vengeance which fell on the Duke of Guise a cruel Persecutor of the poor French Protestants and a bloody instrument in the Massacre of Paris For Advertisements came from all parts both within and without the Realm from Spain Rome Lorrain and Savoy to give notice to this Henry of Lorrain
Kings Powderhouse that was out of the City but when they came thither found it all put in Water and so were disappointed In the mean time the Vice-Roy had strengthened his Guards with a Thousand Germans eight hundred Spaniards and a Thousand Italians fortifying all places about him He sent also for another Regiment of Germans from Pozzolo which the People hearing of met them slew some and took the rest Prisoners That morning also the Spanish Guard had Imprisoned two mean fellows for some Insolencies but the people set upon the Guard slew some and threatned to tear in pieces all the Spaniards in Naples if they were not released to prevent which they were set free Then the Vice-Roy sent some Lords to Massanello with an instrument wherein he granted as much as they desired the day before that is To take off all the Gabels but this satisfied not the people they would now have more and all his Officers and Nobles should oblige themselves to restore all their priviledges granted by King Ferdinand and Frederick and the Emperour Charles the fifth and also that a Law should be enacted That never any more Gabels should be imposed upon them The Vice-Roy perceiving that they still grew upon him sent amongst them the Lords that were most Popular who told them That his Excellency was ready to give them all satisfaction The people answered That by their forementioned Priviledges no New Tax was to be imposed without consent of the Pope and if any were that the City might defend their Liberties with the sword without any mark of Rebellion against their Prince and therefore they demanded the Original of those grants With which answer the Lords returned to the Vice-Roy who immediately summoned all the Councils to consider what return to make to them In the mean time New Processions were made by the Priests and the Sacrament and Reliques were laid forth in the Churches to implore the Divine Assistance in such an Exigency Then came a Lord from the Castle and brought a Copy of their Priviledges assuring them that it agreed with the Original this pleased them at first but when it was read it was found imperfect whereupon the people raged exceedingly saying That they were mocked and betrayed and that they would be revenged upon all the Nobility and taking the Duke that brought it they cast him into Prison who hardly escaped but by the intercâ—ssion of Peronne one of the Chiefs who with a Priest called Julio Genovino were joined in Assistance to Massanello The first order they made was to burn down the Houses of Sixty Persons who had been Projectors and Officers in the Custom-houses and had inriched themselves by the blood of the people This was performed so strictly that one for taking a little Towel out of those Houses was killed another for a Horse-crouper had Fifty lashes on his back and some others for small Trifles were hanged by the Command of Massanello and he that pityed the burning of those mens Houses or Goods was held no friend to the people the houses were very stately out of which they threw all sorts of Plate Dishes Stools Tables Chairs Carpets Tapestry and abundance of Money all which they carried into the Market place and burned crying out These goods are our blood and as these burn so the Souls of those Dogs that own them deserve to burn in Hell-fire In one of these Palaces besides all sorts of rich Furniture were brought out Twenty Three great Trunks which were full of Rich Cloth of Gold Tissue costly Embroideries that dazled the Eyes of the Beholders a Cabinet of Pearls and Precious Stones yet nothing was saved from the fire The Vice Roy being desirous to put an end to these Combustions and Burnings sent a Printed Instrument for abolishing all Gabels with a General Pardon which took no effect because the pardon was not so full as they desired but percieving that the Nobility in General were hated he resolved to employ two Advocates of the people committing to their care and prudence the quieting of them who told him nothing would quiet them unless the Original Charter of Priviledges granted by Charles 5 were delivered to them which he therefore ordered to be searcht out In the mean time Massanello commanded all the Merchants in the Name of the people to be ready in Arms for their service And himself went with his Train to all the Houses of the Gentry and others to search for Arms taking all they found of all sorts which were many Thousands with Nine Pieces of Ordnance Two Canons they took out of a Ship and Seven more out of another all which they planted at the mouths of Principal Streets Thus ended the second day the Sun scarce appearing on the third Morning when the enraged People ran to the house of a Rich Farmer of the Gabel upon Corn and it is incredible what a world of Goods very precious both for quantity and quality were found in his house all which they burned to Ashes only two Boxes of Gold were preserved and deposited in the King's Bank Then went they to the Palace of the Duke of Caivano who was Secretary of the Kingdom where they burned his Books Writings and Library with infinite store of Rich Moveables and Utensils Coaches Sedans Couches rare silver Vessels and Jewels of all kinds store of Curious Pictures all which were burned save some that they sent to Churches as counting them holy pieces yet burned their Rich Frames and harassed the house to the ground The fire was so great that it took hold of a Neighbouring Monastery of Nuns and burnt down a gallant Library The like Desolations were made in all houses that Massanello appointed to destruction which were many of the stateliest in all Naples In one of them was found an inestimable Wardrobe fit for a King which was all destroyed Others hid their Richest Moveables in Monasteries which were by the command of Massanello brought out and burned Whilst the People were thus revenging themselves on their supposed Adversaries by the diligence of those that were imployed the Original Charters of their Priviledges were found out which being carryed to the Vice Roy he immediately sent them word of it promising all satisfaction but they finding that delayes were made demanded to be Masters of the Tower where the great Bell hung to sound to war at any time as also of a Port which they thought might be prejudicial to them and to have the use of the Artillery and Arms of the City therein and before they could have an answer Ten Thousand of them Besieged and Assaulted the Tower forcing the Souldiers to depart leaving all their Arms behind them Then by the Command of Massanello the great Bell was rung and the Arms brought forth yet with a Protestation That they intended not to rebel but only to secure the people The Charter not yet appearing the People grew so furious that they drew forth other goods to be burnt amongst which they
sent two of his best Horses with rich Furniture for Massanello and his Brother who mounting upon them went towards the Castle Massanello carrying in one hand a naked sword and in the other the Charter of Charles 5. Emperor His Brother carryed the Capitulations made with the Vice-Roy and being accompanied with a huge number of people they arrived at the Castle and being Conducted into the Pallace they entertain themselves a while with the Vice-Roy And then all returned into the City with the Vice-Roy and all his Councellors The streets were clean swept by Massanello's Command and the Houses adorned with the Richest Hangings and thus they went to the Archbishops Palace the People crying all the way as they went Let the King of Spain live but without Gabels At the Arch-Bishops Palace they all alighted and were met by him and his Chaplains in their Robes and so going into the Church and kneeling at the High Altar the Secretary of the Kingdom read the Articles with a loud voice Massanello standing by and to the wonderment of all added altered corrected and interpreted them at his pleasure no man presuming to contradict him After which the Vice-Roy with all the Officers of State swore to observe and keep the said Capitulations to perpetuity and to get them confirmed by Oath of his Catholick Majesty After which followed Musick and Te Deum was sung for this good agreement When all was ended Massanello told them That in the last sixteen years the King of Spain had had of them above an Hundred Millions but that the greatest part of it was consumed by his Officers who enriched themselves by the Kings and Peoples losses which he was resolved to redress for the time to come and thereby prove himself a faithful Subject and Friend to the King Which he spoke with such earnestness that all the multitude gave him a loud applause Thus businesses being finished he attended the Vice-Roy and his train back to the Castle where all the Ordnance was discharged and Massanello told them That having now brought his honest intents to pass he would return to be a Fisherman and so tearing off his garments of Silver he returned with all the People to the Market place who wonderfully rejoyced for having thus attained their desires This day being Sunday July 14. the Papers of the agreement were fixed up and down in all parts of Naples which caused not only great joy in the hearts of the people but every one extolled Massanello as the Instrument and next to him the Archbishop as the Mediator of that accord And it was no small astonishment in the minds of many to consider that such great things were effected not by the power of a Mighty Emperour and Conquerour but by the conduct of a poor bare legged Fisher-boy Now though peace seemed to be setled yet it was not judged fit presently to dismiss the Souldiery therefore Massanello commanded them to stand firm to their Guard and withal made Proclamation That every one upon pain of death should discover if any goods were deposited in their hands of those whose houses had been burnt Whereupon much wealth was brought out of Churches Monasteries Hospitals and Nunneries and being informed that four Banditi had taken Sanctuary among the Jesuits he sent some to fetch them thence who having forced open the doors found them and chopped off their heads and a Jesuit zealous of the Churches Priviledges making some resistance they so wounded him that he presently after dyed Notice being likewise given of much Goods hid in a Nunnery he sent some Captains to fetch it into the Market place to be burnt the Captains being denyed entrance forced the doors and so behaved themselves that one of the Nuns almost dyed through fear which the Arch-Bishop complaining of to Massanello he sent for the Captains and after Examination beheaded them The same Morning he published a Proclamation That none should go out of the City without his License whereupon the Archbishop of St. Severine being to go into his Diocess went without a Cloke according to former Order to Massanello for a Pass Massanello when he saw him said What wilt thou have my fine Lord I desire with your good leave saith the Archbishop that I may safely pass to my Church Go saith he and let four hundred of my men go to guard you thither It needs not said the Archbishop for I go by Sea Then said he Let forty Barges be provided to attend you I have said the Archbishop four already for my Family which is sufficient Well said Massanello you may do your pleasure yet you shall not refuse this bag of double Pistoles to bear your charges The Archbishop would have refused them but he forced five hundred upon him which he durst not but accept for fear of angering him The same morning also he caused a Bakers house to be burnt for making bread too light and chopped off the head of an Abbot and some others as being Dependants upon the Duke of Matalone He sent to the Jesuites and other Religious Orders for a great sum of Money for the Service of the People He sent to many Rich Men and caused them to bind themselves to pay great Sums that he might make good his Promise to the King of Spain of a Donative of six Millions of Gold This Morning a Kinsman of Massanello's in whom he much confided went to the Palace complaining openly That Massanello began to dote and a Chaplain of the Archbishop came to him from his Lord desiring him now things were at peace to disband his Souldiers and to retire himself a while into a pleasant Island whither they used to go for Recreation to refresh himself This pleased him well and several Companies of superfluous Souldiers were disbanded no man grumbling at any thing he did which made him grow proud and multiplicity of Businesses and want of sleep distempering his Brain he gave forth many cruel Edicts for burning of Palaces chopping off heads c. whereupon some of his Captains complained to the Archbishop that he grew intolerable imprisoning and commanding their Heads to be cut off to please his Humor The Arch-Bishop laboured to moderate and mollifie him at least to procure his deferring the Execution for that holy day which he obtained That afternoon Massanello went with a multitude of People following him to the Castle in an odd habit desiring the Vice-Roy to go with him to that Island to take the fresh Air but he excused it by reason of a pain in his head yet commanded his Gondola to be made ready to wait upon Seignior Massanello into which he embarqued himself with divers Mariners and had forty Barges of Musicians to make him Merry and as he sailed along he threw peices of Gold into the Sea which the Mariners dived to fetch up again for his Pastime and all the afternoon he spent in Mirth Eating and Drinking too freely of the Wine called Lachrymae Christi and when he
Artifice to be satisfied therein she caused one to come as in great hast and to tell Praxiteles That his Shop was on Fire he being startled at the News cryed out Is the picture of Cupid and the Satyr safe By this Subtilty she found out wherein the Artist himself believed he had expressed most skill and thereupon she chose the Cupid Zuinglius's Theatre vol. 3. lib. 3. LXXXVI Dr. Fuller relates this passage in his Holy State That a poor Beggar in Paris being very hungry staid so long in a Cooks Shop who was dishing up his Meat till his Stomach was satisfied only with the smell thereof The Cholerick Cook demanded of him to pay for his Breakfast the poor man denied it and the Controversie was referred to the deciding of the next man who should pass by which chanced to be the most notorious Idiot and Changeling in the whole City He on the Relation of the matter determined That the poor mans Money should be put between two empty dishes and the Cook should be recompenced with the gingling of the poor mans Money as he was satisfied with the smell only of the Cooks meat and this is affirmed by credible Writers as no Fable but an undoubted Truth Fullers Holy State lib. 3. LXXXVII Antiochus the Son of Seleucus daily languished and wasted away under a disease whereof the cause was uncertain to the great Trouble and Affliction of his Father who therefore sent for Erasistratus a famous Physitian to attend the cure of his beloved Son who addressing himself with his utmost dexterity to find out the root of his Infirmity he perceived it was rather from the trouble of his Mind than any effect of his Constitution But when the Prince could not be prevail'd with to make any such acknowledgment by frequent feeling of his pulse he observed it to beat with more Vigor and strength at the naming or presence of Stratonica who was the beloved Concubine of his Father Having made this discovery and knowing the Prince would rather dye than confess so dangerous a Love he took this Course He told Seleucus that his Son was a dead man For saith he he languishes for the love of my Wife And what said Seleucus have I merited so little at thy hands that thou wilt have no respect to the Love of the young man would you said Erasistratus be content to serve the love of another in that manner I would heaven said Seleucus would turn his love toward my dearest Stratonica Well said Erasistratus you are his Father and may be his Physitian he loves none but Stratonica Seleucus immediately gave Stratonica to Antiochus and Threescore Thousand Crowns as a reward to the prudent Physitian Camerarij Horae Sub. ch 1. LXXXVIII Camerarius tells out of Cedrenus how the Queen of Sheba when she saw that Solomon had expounded all her hardest Riddles caused one day certain young Boys and Girls apparelled all alike to be set before the King none being able by their Faces and looks to discern the one Sex from the other to the end that therein she might have further Trial of King Solomons Wisdom He knowing the Queens intent presently made some water to be brought in a great Basin bidding them all to wash their Faces by this device he easily discerned the Males from the Females for the Boyes rubbed their Faces hard and lustily but the Girls being shamefac't did hardly touch theirs with their Fingers ends Camerarii Horae subces Cent 1. Thus we find Quickness of Apprehension and Maturity of Judgement are instead of the Cord and Pulley whereby some men have prevailed to bring Truth to Light when she hath lain reserved and concealed LXXXIX Various have been the means whereby some Persons have arrived to preferment for I find saith Muretus it is related in the Commentaries of the Greeks That Semiramis was the Concubine of one of the King of Assyria's Slaves As soon as Ninus that Great Monarch had taken notice of her he was so surprized with her Beauty and Wit that he siezed her for himself and by degrees she gained such an Empire over him that he could deny her nothing nor was there any thing but she durst ask And when once she had let fall in discourse There was one thing she did earnestly desire and he had bid her freely and openly speak it whatever it was I have desired said she to sit one day in your Throne and to do Justice and that for that whole day all should obey me as they do you The King smiling granted her Request and forthwith sent out his Edict That on such a day all men whatsoever should obey the Commands of Semiramis for such was the Kings pleasure When the day came the Lady ascends the Throne in her Royal Apparel a mighty Concourse there was she at first to try their obedience commands something to be done of no great moment when she perceived she was exactly obeyed in all her Precepts she commands the Guards of the Kings Body that they sieze the King himself It is done the King is brought She orders him to be bound it is performed she commands that they strike off his head she is presently obeyed and though hereby we may observe the great Folly of this Prince and the base Ingratitude of such kind of Cattle she being advanced by him Yet by this means she prolonged the date of her Empire many years which she ruled with great wisdom success and glory Aelian Vari Hist Lib. 7. Ch. 1. XC In the time of William Rufus King of England there was one Roger a poor Priest serving a cure in a Village near Caen in Normandy It chanced that Henry the Kings youngest brother passing that way made some stay in the Village and being desirous to hear Mass this Roger then Curate was the man to say it which he dispatched with such speed and celerity that the Souldiers who commonly love not long prayers commended him for it telling their Lord That there could not be found a fitter Priest for men of War than he Whereupon Henry appointed him to follow him and when he came to be King preferred him to many great places and at last to be Chancellor of England and Bishop of Salisbury When King Stephen came to the Crown he held this man in as great account as his Predecessor King Henry had done and perhaps in greater He arrived to such wealth that he built the Castles of Salisbury the Vies Sherburn Malmsbury and Newark to which there were no structures comparable in the Kingdom He had also Forty Thousand Marks in Money which together with his Castles the King siezed into his own hands upon Displeasure Baker's Chronicle Page 71. XCI There was in the City of Capua saith Sir Walter Rawleigh an ambitious Noble man called Pacuvius Calavius his credit grew and was upheld by furthering all popular desires there was at this time a Plebeian faction in the Town and that so prevalent that all was governed by
Service In 1596. The Queen rigs out a brave Fleet consisting of 150 Ships Mann'd with 6360 Souldiers 1000 Volunteer Gentlemen 6772 Seamen with which she is resolved to fall upon the Spaniard at home The Earl of Essex and the Lord Howard were Commanders of equal Authority having been both at excessive charge in carrying on the War To these were joyned a Council of War consisting of several eminent Seamen and Souldiers among whom was Sir Walter Rawleigh The Fleet was divided into four Squadrons the first commanded by the Lord Admiral Howard the second by the Earl of Essex the Third by Sir Tho. Howard and the fourth by Sir Walter Rawleigh In the beginning of June they set sail for Cales and soon got to Gades their Design being perfectly unknown as well to their Enemies as their own men The Ebbing waters would not permit the Great Ships to engage the shelves being of greater hazard than the Enemy Therefore Rawleigh is pitcht upon as the most proper Person in the midst of the Channel to provoke them who accordingly in a little Ship called the Warspight directed his Prowe against the Spanish Men of War who thereupon presently fell back Upon this the rest of the Fleet came in and burnt and took several of their Ships After this Victory at Sea the Men were very importunate to go on shore whom Essex landed at Puntal a League from the City At first the Spaniards received them with a great deal of Courage but the English charged them so warmly that they thought it the best way to retire with more speed than they came out The English pursued so close that they had almost recovered the City Gates as soon as they The Earl got upon a Bulwark neer the Gate and from thence he espied an entrance into the Town but very hazardous it being a precipice but this did not affright several of our English who leaped from thence into the Town and engaged the Enemy in the Streets In the mean time Sir W. Rawleigh and others having forced the Gates entred the Town and the Castle was surrendred upon merciful Conditions but Sir Walter was not Idle or eager after the enjoyment of the Conquest For whilst others were reaping the plentiful Harvest of War he with some small Ships who could pass up the Channel fired their Merchant Men who were withdrawn to Port Real altho' they offered two Milions of Ducats for their Redemption Great were the Losses of the Spaniards by this War and if we may beleive our Histories amounted to no less than Twenty Millions of Ducats upon Consultation it was resolved to quit the Town though contrary to the Opinion of Essex who was for keeping it as a future annoyance to the Spaniards At their return the Queen welcomed and incouraged her Souldiers with new Honours Rawleigh continued in her Favour to the last but when King James came to take possession of the Kingdom Sir John Fortescue the Lord Cobham Sir Walter Rawleigh and others would have obliged the King by Articles before his coming to the Crown that his Countreymens numbers should be limited but this was stopt by the Treasurer and the Earl of Northumberland Sir Walter feared that the Scots like Locusts would quickly devour this Kingdom It being probable that like the Goths and Vandals they would settle in any Countrey rather than their own and would make it their business to render our Nation as poor as their own for this he with the rest of them were afterwards frowned on by the King and lost his Command of the Guards However Sir Walter still pursued the good and Glory of his Countrey and as formerly in active times gave his Advice against the Peace with Spain who might now with no great difficulty be brought on his knees At the entrance of the King he presented him with a Manuscript of his own Writing with no weak Arguments against Peace But Sir Walter was mistaken for his Counsel was ill timed and a new Part was now to be acted the Scene being changed Peace was the Kings aim whether out of Fear or Religious Principles is not determined But with Spain a Peace is concluded though an Enemy already humbled who had now time to recover their Losses and were as it were cherished to assault us with the greater Vigor and the success thereof every one knows and as if the King would go quite contrary to Queen Elizabeths Politiques the Hollanders are despised flighted and deserted under pretence that it was of ill Example for a Monarch to protect them And now though somewhat contrary to my method it may not be unuseful to give a breif Account of the fall of this once Great Favorite King James is hardly warm in his Throne but there is a great noise of a Plot generally called Sir Walter Rawleigh's Treason but upon what grounds is uncertain since at his Trial it appeared he had the least hand in it A Plot that is still a Mystery and hath a Vail spread over it A Plot composed of such a hodg-podg of Religion and Interests that the World stands amazed Sir Walter Rawleigh should be drawn into it A Plot so unlikely to hurt others or benefit themselves that as Osborn says If ever Folly was capable of the Title or Pity due to Innocence theirs might claim so large a share as not possibly to be too severely condemned or slightly enough punished Envy and Disdain as Sir Walter has told us in his Remains seek Innovation by Faction Discontent is the great Seducer which at first put him to search into a Plot he afterward was betrayed into The cheif Ingredients of this Medley were two Popish Priests Watson and Clark and Count Aremberg Ambassador Extraordinary from the Arch-duke of Austria who brought in the Lord Cobham and he his brother George Brook both seeming Protestants Brook drew in Sir Edward Parham and others and they the Lord Grey of Wilton a zealous Puritan then came in Sir Walter Rawleigh the wisest of them all says Mr. Sanderson who dallilied says he like a fly in the Flame till it consumed him Willing he was to know the Design and thought by his Wit to over-reach the Confederates whom he knew well enough though he dealt with none but Cobham One Mr. Laurency an Antwerp Merchant was made use of by Count Aremberg and was an intimate of the Lord Cobham's these says Sanderson carried on the contrivance a great while which at last was betrayed by Laurency and the Vigilancy of the Lord Cecil And indeed it was morally impossible that so many disagreeing weak Souls should carry on a Project without taking Air the least glimpse being enough to give Light to the Statesmen of those times The Design they were charged with was 1. To set the Crown on the head of the Lady Arabella Stewart or to seize the King and make him grant their desires or a Pardon and that Lord Cobham should say to Brook It will never be well in England till
Parliament House in the Old Pallace Yard Westminster where a Scaffold was erected for his beheading though it was reported over night that he should be hanged His Attire was a wrought Night-cap a Ruff band a hair coloured Sattin Doublet with a black wrought Wastcoat under it a pair of black cut Taffety breeches Ash-coloured silk Stockins and a wrought black Velvet Night-gown His first appearance on the Scaffold was with a smiling Countenance saluting the Lords Knights Gentlemen with others of his acquaintance there present when after Proclamation of silence by an Officer he addressed himself to speak in this manner I desire to be born withal because this is the third day of my Feaver And if I shew any weakness I beseech you attribute it to my Malady for this is the hour I look for it Then pausing a while directing himself toward a Window where the Lords Arundel Doncaster and other Lords and Knights sate he with a loud voice spake as followeth I thank God of his infinite goodness that he hath sent me to dye in the sight of so honourable an Assembly and not in darkness But by reason the place where they sate was some distance from the Scaffold that they could not easily hear him he said I will strain my self for I would willingly have your Honours hear me The Lord Arundel answered we will come upon the Scaffold where after he had saluted every one of them severally he proceeded as followeth My Honourable Lords and the rest of my good Friends who come to see me dye I thank my God heartily that he hath brought me into the light to dye and not suffered me to dye in the dark Prison of the Tower where I have suffered a great deal of Adversity and a long sickness and I thank God that my Feaver hath not taken me at this time as I prayed God it might not There are two main points of suspition that his Majesty hath conceived against me wherein he cannot be satisfied which I desire to clear and resolve you in First That I had a Plot with France His Majesty had some cause though grounded upon a weak Foundation to suspect mine inclination to the French Faction for not long before my departure from England the French Agent took occasion passing by my house to visit me and had some conference during the time of his aboad only concerning my Voyage and nothing else I take God to witness Though it was reported I had a Commission from the King of France But this I say for a man to call God to witness to a falshood at any time is a grievous sin and what shall he hope for at the Tribunal of the day of Judgment But to call God to witness to a falshood at the time of death is far more grievous and impious and there is no hope for such a one And what should I expect that am now going to render an account of my Faith I do therefore call the Lord to witness as I hope to be saved and as I hope to see him in his Kingdom which will be within a quarter of an hour I never had any Commission from the King of France nor any Treaty with the French Agent nor with any other from the French King neither knew I that there was an Agent nor what he was till I met him in my Gallery at my lodging unlookt for If I speak not true O Lord let me not come into thy Kingdom I cannot deny that when I came back from Guiana being come to Plymouth I endeavoured to go to Rochel which was because I would fain have made my Peace before I came to England having heard a rumor that there was no hope of my life upon my return to London I would have escaped for the safe-guard of my life and not for any ill intent or conspiracy against the State The second suspition was that his Majesty hath been informed I should speak dishonourably and disloyally of him there is no witness against me but only one Mimical Frenchman whom I entertained rather for his Jests than his Judgment His way was to incroach himself into the favour of the Lords and gaping after some great reward hath falsly accused me of seditious speeches against His Majesty against whom if I did either speak or think a thought hurtful or prejudicial the Lord blot me out of the Book of Life But in this now what have I to do with Kings I have nothing to do with them neither do I fear them I have now to do with God therefore to tell a Lye now to get the favour of the King were in vain It is not a time to flatter nor fear Princes for I am subject to none but death therefore have a charitable opinion of me and think me not now rashly or untruly to confirm or protest any thing Another suspition arose of me in that I perswaded Sir Levves Steukly my Guardian to flee with me from London to France but my answer to this is as to the other that only for my safeguard and nothing else was my intent as I shall answer before the Almighty It is alledged that I feigned my self sick and by Art made my body full of blisters at Salisbury True it is I did so the reason was because I hoped thereby to defer my coming before the King and Council and so by delaying might have got time to have gained my pardon I have an example out of Scripture for my Warrant The Prophet David in case of necessity and for the safeguard of his life feigned himself foolish and mad yet it was not imputed to him for sin As for other Objections that I was brought by force into England that I carried Sixteen Thousand Pounds in money out of England with me more than I made known That I should recieve Letters from the French King and such like He with many Protestations utterly denyed it Concluding thus And now I intreat you all to join with me in Prayer that the great God of Heaven whom I have grievously offended being a man full of all vanity and have lived a sinful life in all sinful callings having been a Souldier a Captain a Sea Captain and a Courtier which are all places of wickedness and vice That God I say would forgive me and cast away my sins from me and that he would recieve me into Everlasting Life and so I take my leave of you all making my peace with God Then Proclamation being made that all men should depart the Scaffold he prepared himself for death giving away his hat and wrought night-cap and some money to such as he knew that stood near him taking his leave of the Lords Knights and other Gentlemen and thanking the Lord Arundel for his Company intreating him to desire the King That no scandalous Writing to defame him might be published after his death adding I have a long Journey to go and therefore will take my leave Then putting off his Gown and
saved and had not been discharged which his Master brought to him to teach him the use of it which for fear of his Masters displeasure and their inhumanity he endeavoured to do but they still professing their Ignorance he was forced to shoot it off But the Negroes who expected some delightful thing being frustrated and at the sudden noise and flash of fire which they very much dread fled from him greatly affrighted yet soon after hearing no more of that noise they came up to him again commanding him to do the like He told them he had not Powder which was the cause of the noise but this would not satisfie these Barbarians and therefore thinking it wilfulness they would have murthered him had not his Master rescued him After this in discourse with his Master he told him That naturally the people were civil and simply honest but if provoked full of revenge and that this their barbarous dealing was occasioned by some unhandsome action of carrying a Native away from thence without their leave about a year before they resolving if any came on shore they should never go off alive About 7 weeks after Wats had been in the Country his Master presented him to his King named Efnme King of the Buckamores who immediately gave him to his Daughter called Onijah when the King went abroad he attended him as his Page throughout the whole Circuit of his Dominions which was not above 12 Miles yet he boasted extreamly of his Power and Strength glorying exceedingly that he had a White Man to attend him whom he imployed to carry his Bow and Arrows In several places far from the Seaside the people would run away from him for fear others would fall down and seem to worship him using those Actions as they do to their Gods Their progress was never so long but they could return home at night but never without a handsome load of a cup of the Creature for he seldom or never went abroad and came home sober Their drink is of the best Palm Wine and another sort of strong Liquor called Penrore Wats knew quickly how to humour this profound Prince and if any of the Natives abused him upon his complaint he had Redress as once by striving with a Negro his Arm was broke which by Providence more than skill was set again After some Months the King of Calamanch whose name was Esn mancha hearing of this beautiful White Courted his Neighbour Prince to sell him to him at length they struck a bargain and Wats was sold for a Cow and a Goat This King was a very sober and moderate person free from the treacheries and mischiefs that the other was subject to He would often discourse Wats and ask him of his King and Country whether his Kingdoms and Dominions were as big as his which were not above 25 Miles in length and 15 in breadth Wats told him as much as his understanding and years made him capable of keeping still within the bounds of modesty and yet relating as much as possible to the Honour and Dignity of his Soveraign First informing him of the greatness of one of his Kingdomes the several Shires and Counties it contained with the number of its Cities Towns and Castles the strength of each the infinite Inhabitants and valour of his Subjects One of these Kingdoms was enough sufficiently to amaze this Petty Governour that he had no need to mention any more of His Majesties Glory and Dignity It put him into such a profound Consternation that he resolved to find out some way to shew his respects to this Mighty Prince and told John Wats that if he could find but a Passage he would let him go to England to tell his Maiesty of the great favour and respect he had for him Which did not a little rejoyce our Englishman withal the King told him He would send him a present which should be two Cabareets or Goats which they value very highly the King himself having not above 16 or 18 of them Wats tells the King that the King of England had many Thousands of his Subjects who were under the degree of Gentlemen that had a Thousand Sheep apeice the Flesh whereof they valued at a very much higher rate than Goats Though our Englishman lived very handsomely with this King yet his desires and hopes were for his Native Countrey and at length he obtained a Promise from his King That the first English Ship which came into the Road should have liberty to release or purchase him This very much rejoyced his heart and now he thought every day a year till he could hear of or see some English Ship arrive and oft did he walk to the Sea side to receive some comfort which at length was observed by Jaga a Wizard and the chiefest in 3 or 4 Kingdoms thereabout They are persons that the Natives give very much credit to and on any difficult occasion run to them for satisfaction And though they have vast numbers of them in every place yet this Jaga was the most renowned amongst them One day he comes to Wats and asked him very civilly why he so often frequented that place who told him It was to see if he could discover any English Ship to come in there But Wats being unacquainted with his great fame asked him when he did believe there would one come in Not that he was willing to give credit to any of their Divinations but supposing hereby to please him and answer his expectation Jaga immediately told him That 15 days after an English Ship should come into that Road He then askt him whether that Ship should carry him away To which he answered very doubtfully but told him He should be offered to the Master of the Ship and if they did not agree so that he were brought to shore again he should not be sold but would dye for grief These 15 days seemed very tedious to Wats who cast many a look on the Sea with an aking heart The 14th day he went to the highest Hill thereabout but could discover no Ship the next morning he went again 2 or 3 times but saw none About 2 or 3 hours after some Moors came running and told the King there was a Canoe coming for so they called our Ships At which our Englishman rejoyced heartily in hope of release yet durst not shew it for fear of Punishment or Death for though he lived better now than with his first Master yet his service was far worse than the slaves in Turkey and their Diet worse than Dogs meat he had therefore cause enough of inward joy The Ship came immediately in and Wats goes presently to Jaga to know if it were an English Ship who assured him it was It happened to be the St. Malo's Merchant Captain Royden Commander who hastned to dispatch his business took in his Negroes and was ready to sail and our Englishman heard not a word what should become of him the King never offering
Interest and Pretensions to that Crown The Nobility and People of Portugal were without doubt extreamly amazed to see themselves so suddenly surprized and made subject to a Forreign Prince and especially to a Prince of that Nation against whom they had a natural hatred and antipathy but finding themselves in a condition not able to make resistance they thought they should gain more by freely submitting to the King than to be forced to it They therefore made their humble submission which King Philip met as it were half way and condescended in the Parliament or General Assembly of Estates of that Kingdom to be sworn to these Articles or Capitulations following 1. That the said Philip King of Spain c. Should observe all the Laws Liberties Priviledges and Customs granted to the People by the former Kings of Portugal 2. That the Vice King or Governour should be always the Son Brother Vncle or Nephew of the King or else a Native of Portugal 3. That all the Chief Officers in Church or State should be bestowed upon the Natives of Portugal and not upon strangers Likewise the Governments of all Towns and Places 4. That all Countreys now belonging to the Portugals should so continue to the Commodity and benefit of the Nation 5. That the Portugal Nation should be admitted to all Offices in the Kings House as well as the Spaniards 6. That because the King could not conveniently be always in Portugal he should send the Prince to be bred up amongst them These Articles were shut up or concluded with a Blessing upon such Kings as should observe and keep them and a curse on those who should break or violate them And some Authors likewise affirm that there was another clause added to them signifying That in case which God forbid the King which then was or his Successors should not observe this Agreement or should procure a Dispensation for this Oath the Three Estates of the Kingdom might freely deny subjection and obedience to the King without being Guilty either of Perjury or Treason Though these Articles were thus sworn to and the Cardinal Albertus Archduke of Austria Son to the Emperor and Nephew to the King of Spain appointed vice-Vice-King of Portugal King Philip durst not yet in Person leave the Kingdom for he perceived by their Murmurs and visible discontents that their submission to him proceeded more out of Fear than Love and that as he had in a moment gained that Kingdom so he should as soon lose it if he gave them but the least opportunity For that the People were highly discontented it did easily appear by their Attentive listening after Old Prophecies among which was one of an Old Hermit who told Alphonso the First King of Portugal of the great Victory he should obtain over the five Kings of the Moors and That his Posterity should reign happily Kings of Portugal but that in the sixteenth Generation his Line should fail but that God at length should have mercy again upon them and restore them Others had regard to a Letter written by St. Bernard to the same King Alphonso the Original of which is reported to have been given to the Portugal Ambassador by Lewis 13 King of France in 1641 the substance whereof was That he rendred Thanks to him for the Lands bestowed upon him and that in recompence thereof God had declared unto him that there should not fail a Native of Portugal to sit upon the Throne unless for the greatness of their Sins God would chastise them for a time but that this time of Chastisement should not last above threescore years Other Prophesies there were of this Nature and to this Effect which put the People in hope of a Deliverance and many flattered themselves that Don Sebastian was yet alive and would come and deliver them nay so foolish were some of them that though they believed him slain at the Battle of Alcazer in Barbary yet they thought he should live again and miraculously come to Redeem them But that which most of all exprest the Peoples discontents was what was publickly spoken by the Mouths of their Orators the Priests in their Pulpits who would ordinarily in their Sermons utter Speeches much to the prejudice of the Spaniards Title and in Favour of the Dutchess of Braganza nor did they spare to do so even in the presence of King Philip himself who would therefore often say That the Portuguez Clergy had made the sharpest War with him Father Lewes Alvarez a Jesuit preaching one day before the Spanish Vice-Roy took his Text Surge attolle Grabatum tuum ambula Take up thy Bed and walk and turning himself to the Vice-Roy Sir said he the meaning of this is Arise take up your pack and be gone home But above all the discontents might be observed in the Noblemens Chappels especially in the Duke of Braganza's where they were used to sing the Lamentations of Jeremiah applying all the scorn and reproach of the Israelites to themselves as Aquam nostram pecunia bibimus We have drunken our water for money c. because of the Excise laid upon Wine and other necessaries by the Spaniards And that other Servi Dominati c. Servants have ruled over us c. And The Crown is fallen from our Heads Most commonly ending with this Prayer and Invocation Recordare Domine c. Remember O Lord what is come upon us consider and behold our Reproach Our Inheritance is turned to Strangers and our Houses to Aliens c. Yet did King Philip bear all these Affronts with an incomparable Patience dissembling with an Admirable Prudence his Passion if he had any for these discontents for he knew the only way to win this Nation to an Obedience and Compliance must be mildness at first whatever he intended to practice afterward and that he had by his exact keeping his Word and Oath won much upon this People appears in that during his whole Reign and that of his Successor King Philip the third who followed his Fathers Footsteps though not with that Craft and Dissimulation they made no Attempts nor were inclinable to revolt only some small bustles with Antonio the Bastard aforementioned and one or two Counterfeit Sebastians not worth mentioning for they as was said keeping their words in most things though they infringed some of their Priviledges had almost brought the People to a willing Slavery But King Philip the fourth committing the whole charge of the Government to his Favourite Count Olivarez who though without doubt an able Statesman yet would seem to have a way in Policy by himself which no body else could understand the reasons of and thereby lost this whole Kingdom and all its Territories For such were the new rigorous ways which he used in the Government of Catalonia and Portugal both People very tender of their Priviledges the least breach of which should have been seconded by a potent Force to have suppressed them in case they should attempt an Insurrection
represented to him the present declining condition of the Spanish Monarchy not only by reason of the disorders in Flanders and Italy and the preparations of the Turks but more especially because their most Potent Enemies the French were now in Assistance of the revolted Catalonians entred Spain That it highly concerned His Catholick Majesty to drive them out of his Territories which could not be done without a very powerful Force That he being one of the Prime Grandees of the Kingdom might by his presence in the head of a good number of his Tenants encourage others to a suitable Assistance That to this purpose His Catholick Majesty expected him every moment having designed for him great Honours Priviledges and Dignities suitable to his merit But as cunning an Angler as Olivarez was yet he failed of his Mark this bait would not hook in the Fish For though the Duke of Braganza was accounted no great Polititian yet his own safety taught him to know that all these great Offices and fair Promises were but guilded allurements to draw him to his destruction Having therefore supplyed the King with a considerable number of his Tenants and Friends he found excuses for his own not going in Person And to prevent all suspition he retired again to his Country-house Thus these 2 great Personages endeavoured by Craft and Dissimulation to supplant each other only one strove the others destruction the other only studied his own safety and preservation During all these passages the Vice-Queen Margarita was very Vigilant in her Government and foreseeing in reason what might be the issue of those proceedings writ very importunately to the King assuring him that if it were not suddenly prevented the Kingdom would be infallibly lost To which she recieved no answer only Olivarez slighting her Judgment as fitter to govern a private House than a Kingdom sent her word That if her capacity would not reach to the height and drift of those mysteries of State yet that her wisdom would keep her from discovering them But without doubt Olivarez was inwardly perplexed to see all his Plots thus fail and foul means he durst not openly attempt such was both the Dukes Power and the great Love the people bore him he therefore at last had recourse to treachery and gives secret order to Don Lopez de Ossis and Don Ant. Oquendo that when they had relieved Flanders with Men and Money they should with their whole Fleet put into Portugal and that as soon as the Duke should according to the duty of his new Place and Office come aboard they should immediately set sail and bring him away to Cales But this Plot was by a strange Divine Providence prevented for that Fleet was totally ruined by the Hollanders upon the Coast of England in 1639. And now was the time come wherein according to St. Bernards Prophesie the Kingdom of Portugal was to be released from the Tyranny of Strangers and restored again to the Government of a Native King to which all things seemed so well to concur that it cannot be imagined to have less than a Divine hand in it for though all Plots failing against the Duke of Braganza the Spaniards being fearful of somewhat drew as many Portugal Souldiers out of the Kingdom as conveniently they could thinking to lessen the ill humours which began now to appear yet thereby they did but the more inflame those discontents which were taken at Vasconsello's managing all Affairs of State For though Margarita of Mantoua was a Princess of great Judgment and Knowledge in State Affairs yet she was too much over-ruled by Vasconsellos's Secretary of State whose Government was insufferable to the Portuguez who hated as much his obscure birth as his evil customs being a man Composed of Pride Cruelty and Covetousness knowing no moderation but in excesses Small faults were by him made Capital Crimes using all severity to those whom he did but suspect to be dissatisfied with his Government and exercising with all rigour the Spanish Inquisition punished not only the actions but the very thoughts of men The infringing the greatest priviledges of the Portugal Nation seeming to him but a Trifle which continued oppressions in the end so exasperated the whole people that incouraged by the knowledge of their own strength by the many distractions of the Spanish Nation by the late example of the Catalonians and stirred up by the absolute ruin which they saw hung over their heads there being six Thousand Portugals listed every year and forced to serve the Spaniard in his Forreign Wars From all these considerations they resolved to loose the yoak from off their Necks and to disclaim all obedience to him by the Election of a King of their own Some thought that this conspiracy was of at least 10 years standing and agreed to by most of the Grandees of Portugal but it being a State Mystery is hard to be decided I will therefore recount only what was publickly acted Upon Saturday Feb. 1. 1640. and Saturdays have been often observed to be favourable to the Portuguess Nation all the Nobility of that Kingdom led on by the Marquesses of Ferriera and the Earl of Vimioso took Arms and assisted with a great multitude of the Inhabitants of Lisbon and some Portuguez Souldiers came to the Castle scituate in the midst of Lisbon which was the Residence of the Vice-Queen and serves both for a Palace and a Castle to which place all the Magistrates for Governing the Kingdom were Assembled The Guards were 2 Companies of Spaniards and 2 of High Dutch who being either gained before by secret Intelligence or affrighted with the great numbers of the Portugals or else from a desire of Novelty or perhaps unwilling to make resistance against those to whom most of them were joyned by Friendship or Marriage but however they forsook their Guard without the least opposition and gave them free admittance into the Castle At this time Vasconsellos was in the Chambers of his Office upon some reasons he had to suspect an Insurrection because of the discontents of the People and was at that instant writing into Spain of the Alienation of the minds of the Portuguez Nobility from the Spanish Government and earnestly pressing that some rigorous resolution might be taken to prevent it which Letters being afterward seized did sufficiently demonstrate his ill will to the Portuguez Nation whilst he was thus busied the confused noise of the Souldiers pierced his ears and wondring at the cause thereof he came forth accompanied only with one Dutchman and one of the Guard he would have gone down but was hindred by the Portugals who came running up crying kill the Traytor kill the enemy of our blood Whereupon not knowing where to save himself he fled with those accompanying him into an inner Chamber and there with his sword in his hand assisted by those with him disposed himself to sell his Life at the dearest rate he could but his valour stood him in no stead for
those two who endeavoured to defend him being slain with two Musket-shot He seeing it in vain to defend himself there longer leapt desperately out of the Window rather to seek his death than out of any hopes to save his life for no sooner was he down but numberless swords were imbrued in his blood the very Women and Children running to tear in pieces his dead Body with the same alacrity and chearfulness that he used to torment them when alive In the mean time the Marquess of Ferriera was gone to secure the Vice-Queen whom having committed to the Guard of 200 Musquetiers he calls a Councel and in a short discourse sets forth the miseries the Kingdom had endured whilst subject to the Spanish Government who sought nothing but their utter destruction then reminding them of the valour and merits of their Nation he exhorts them to condescend to the Election of a new King nominating to them the Duke of Braganza as the most worthy of the Crown not so much for his Power Riches or the greatness of his House as because the Kingdom was his undoubted Right he being the only person left of that Line which for so many years had gloriously governed Portugal A long discourse was superfluous to those who were before perswaded A publick shout interrupted the Marquesses Speech all of them crying with a loud voice That they would have John Duke of Braganza for their King In the whole multitude there was not a face much less a voice that did gainsay this general Vote either because they did all really rejoyce that they should again have a King of their own Nation or that none could without danger oppose themselves against the Torrent of so publick a will The Duke of Braganza was at this time at his Countrey House at Villa Viciosa either by Accident or because he would always have had occasion to excuse himself if the business had not succeeded but by reason of his absence they thought fit to make choice of two Governors whom to avoid the pretences of others they nominated to be the Archbishops of Lisbon and Braganza These began immediately to Exercise their Command and were obeyed with so much quietness that in all that great and Populous City of Lisbon there was none slain but only those aforementioned The Prisons were opened neither did any suffer wrong in their Goods or Life All the Shops were opened as if there had not happened any change of Government Only the House of Vasconsellos was plundred with so much Anger and Rage that they did not Pardon the very Doors and Windows nay such was the fury of the People that had they not been hindred by the Souldiers of the Guard they had levelled it with the Ground As for his Carcase it suffered all those Indignities which a People wronged both in their Liberties and Estates could inflict They ran like Madmen to express Living Sentiments of Revenge upon his dead and senseless Corps vaunting who could invent the newest wayes of disgrace and scorn till at length almost wearied with their inhumane sport they left it in the Street so mangled that it did not seem to have the least resemblance of a Man from whence it was the next day carried by the Fraternity Della Misericordia Of Mercy and thrown into the burying-place of the Moors and Infidels The Marquess of Alemquaâ— after he had by Command from the Governors assured the strongest places in the City sent several Souldiers into the Streets crying Long live King John the Fourth Which the People hearing being distracted as it were with very Joy leaving their Trades they ran up and down proclaiming him with Voices of Jubilee the greatest part through excess of passion not being able to refrain from Tears The Messengers did not run but fly to the Duke of Braganza to give notice of his promotion to the Crown The first arrived on Sunday morning before day The Duke pretended a great Alteration at the News whereupon some have presumed to say That he had not any knowledg of the Design He seemed at first not to believe it but told the Messengers That though he might have Desert and a Spirit fit for the Crown of Portugal yet he had neither Will nor Ambition to desire it That his Enemies wronged him by tempting him with such stratagems which were as far from his Genius and Humour as from his Faith But at the Arrival of the Count of Monte Santo who came to accompany him to Lisbon he seemed of another Mind and having been with him in private discourse for about two hours without any delay he departed with the Count attended with about 500 Persons Yet others affirm that he was not only acquainted with the Design of the Revolt but of Council about it And that some time before the Nobility having had a private Meeting at Lisbon it was at first propounded That they should reduce the Kingdom into the Form of a Common-wealth But that not being approved of by the Major part the Arch-bishop of Lisbon stood up and in an eloquent Speech having laid before them the Miseries they had endured under the Spanish Yoke recommended to them John D. of Braganza as the undoubted Heir of the Crown and their Lawful Soveraign This Motion they all most willingly assented to and concluded to send Gaston Cotigno a man of a fluent Tongue to acquaint the D. with their Intentions and to perswade him to accept the Crown and deliver his Countrey Gaston being arrived with many well couched words acquaints him That there was now a pregnant opportunity offered to recover the indubitable Right of his Ancestors to the Crown of Portugal That the Nobility and Clergy were wholy inclined to redeem themselves from the Tyranny of the Spaniards by securing the Crown upon his head That the Vniversal Odium and hatred of the whole People to the Spanish Government the present low Condition of the House of Austria distracted on every side with War The assured Assistance that France and other Nations emulating the greatness of Spain would lend were as so many motives to perswade them not to let slip so fair an opportunity to regain their Liberty That if he by refusal should be the sole Enemy to his Countreys Freedom they would effect it themselves and reduce it to a Commonwealth These and many other Arguments he used which his Love to the House of Braganza his hatred to the Castilians or his own ingenuity prompted him to The Dukes amazement permitted him not to return a sudden answer but after a little Pause he replied That he was highly obliged both to him and all the Nobility for their Affections to him but that this was a business required great deliberation that there was no Medium between a Throne and a Chair of Execution That therefore he should first advise with himself and not rashly attempt so hazardous a business He therefore communicates the whole Affair to his Dutchess Donna Lucia Sister to the
D. of Medina Sidonia a Woman of a Noble Heroick and Masculine Spirit with her he consults whether he were best accept of the Propositions of the Nobility or to prevent all hazards go to Madrid and being anxious what course to take his Wife generously told him My Friend said she if thou goest to Madrid thou dost incur the danger of losing thy life and if thou acceptest the Crown thou dost no more consider then whether it be not better to dye nobly at home than basely abroad These words of his Lady say some animated him with a Resolution to accept the Crown so he returned Gaston an answer That he would conform himself to the Counsels of the Nobility resolving to live and run all hazards whatever with them for the regaining his Countreys Liberty In the mean time the Marquess of Ferreira reduced all those Castles which held out for the K. of Spain and then in the name of the K. of Portugal gave the Sacrament of Fidelity or an Oath of Allegiance to all the Orders that is to the Clergy Nobility and Commons which was received with so much readiness that had not the Marquess seen the necessary Orders observed the People had run into certain inconveniencies so much they strived to prevent each other in willingness to perform this duty Upon Thursday Feb. 6 His Majesty made his entrance into Lisbon with all those Applauses that a Beloved King can expect from his most Loving Subjects the Rich Liveries given by the Nobles the Triumphal Arches the Streets hung with Tapestry the multitudes of People flocking to see him and the Excellent Fire-works which were so many that a Spaniard cried out Es possible quâ— c. Is it possible that K. Philip should be deprived of a Kingdom only with Lights and Fireworks without a powerful Army Certainly this is an evident Token that 't is the Almighty hand of God Yet these I say were but the least demonstrations of that Cities Love and Joy For so great was the Concourse of those that crouded to see their New King that though His Majesty entred into Lisbon by noon he could not through the throng arrive at his Palace till two hours after Sun-set Curiosity and Love which usually have the Force to stir up all Affections made this People Flock so fast to the sight of their Prince and even those who hated the House of Braganza did accommodate themselves to the General Joy His Majesty being arrived at the Pallace in stead of reposing himself fell presently to consultation for preserving the Kingdom he had thus suddenly gotten and the several Governours were commanded to their Countreys to Levy Forces who listed the Inhabitants from the Age of eighteen to sixty in whom they found such a ready willingness that many offered their Estates and their Lives and would follow the Colours though they had Liberty to depart On the 25 of the same Month followed the Coronation of His Majesty which was accompanied with all those Applauses and Demonstrations of Joy that could proceed from a People of infinite Riches who weary of the Command of Strangers were consequently ambitious of a King of their own Nation It was performed with all manner of Grandeur and Magnificence the following Oath being administred to the King by the Archbishops of Lisbon and Braga We swear and promise by the Grace of God to Rule and Govern you well and justly and to administer Justice as far as humane frailty will permit to maintain unto you your Customs Priviledges and Liberties granted unto you by the King 's own Predecessors So help us God and this his Holy Gospel This Oath being administred the 3 Estates of the Clergy Nobility and Commons took the following Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty one for every one of the Estates pronouncing these words I swear by this Holy Gospel of God touching corporally with my hand That I recieve for our King and Lawful Soveraign the High and Mighty King Don John the Fourth our Soveraign and do homage to him according to the use and customs of his Kingdoms These and the other Ceremonies being ended the King accompanied with all his Nobles returned from the Theatre where the Coronation was performed to the Pallace where notwithstanding it was a very great rain all the Grandees went bareheaded There was a sumptuous banquet prepared but his Majesty gave himself wholly to consult of preparations for the War and to shew the magnanimity of his mind he only displaced two Officers That of the Proveditore of the Custom-House because he was Brother in Law to the Secretary Vasconsellos lately deservedly slain and that of the Count of Castanlie who was President of the Tribunal or Court of Conscience because he was too much interested with the King of Spain As for the Infanta Margarita late Vice-Queen and the Marquess Della Puella Kinsman to Olivarez the Castle called Pasos de Angiobregas was assigned them with Fourteen Thousand Crowns a year for maintenance in that honourable Prison Shortly after Lucia now Queen of Portugal with her Son Prince Theodosio arrived at Lisbon who were recieved with all imaginable expressions of Joy the Q. being soon after solemnly Crowned and the Prince installed But let us a little recollect how these Actions were resented in the Spanish Court Most mens minds there were struck with Consternation but Count Olivarez came smiling to the King saving Sir I pray give me las Albricias or a Reward to handsel the good News for now you are more absolute King of Portugal than ever for the people have forfeited all their priviledges by this Rebellion besides the Estate of the Duke of Braganza with all his Complices are yours by right of Confiscation so that you have enough to distribute among your Loyal Subjects by way of reward But however Olivarez seemed to dissemble his Passion it was believed than this News struck deeper into him than any The King of Spain upon the first News of the Proclamation of K. John sent a Letter to him to this purpose Cozen and Duke Some odd News are brought me lately which I esteem but folly considering the proof I have had of the fidelity of your House give me Advertisement accordingly because I ought to expect it from you and hazard not the esteem I make of your self to the fury of a mutinous rabble but let your wisdom comport you so that your Person may escape the danger My Council will advise you further So God guard you Your Cozen and King To this Letter His Majesty of Portugal returned Answer My Cozen My Kingdom desiring its Natural King and my Subjects being oppressed with Taxes and New Impositions have executed without Opposition that which they had often designed by giving me possession of a Kingdom which appertains to me wherefore if any will go about to take it from me I will seek Justice in my Arms God preserve your Majesty Don John the 4th King of Portugal And now King John to shew
that the good of his Subjects was his only care called an Assembly of the 3 Estates of the Kingdom who being convened and the King seated in his Royal Throne the Bishop of Elvas made a Speech to them to the following purpose That one of the first Laws of Nature was the uniting men together from whence Cities and Kingdoms had their Original and by which they after defended themselves in War and maintained themselves in Peace That for this cause His Majesty had called this Assembly to consult for the better service of God defence in War and Government in Peace That there could be no service of God without Vnion in Religion no defence without Vnion amongst men no regular Government without Vnion of Councils That His Majesty did expect to be informed by his Loyal Subjects what was for the good of the State That they were to render thanks to the Almighty who had given them a King that would govern them by known Laws That His Majesty did not esteem those Tributes lawful which were paid with Tears and therefore did from that present take off from his Subjects all Taxes that had been imposed by the Kings of Spain because His Majesty was not willing to Reign over their goods nor over their heads nor over their Priviledges but over their hearts hoping that they would find out a sweet expedient to defend their Country against their Potent Enemy who threatned to make them all slaves and to destroy and annihilate their Nation That they would therefore considering his Majesties goodness and their own Honour manifest at once to the world that as never Subjects had such a gracious King so never King had such Loyal Subjects The Bishop having ended his Speech the most ancient Officer of the Chamber of Lisbon stood up and in the name of all the 3 Estates who stood up likewise returned humble thanks to His Majesty for this gracious bounty heartily professing That they did not only offer up their Goods but their Lives to His Majesties service earnestly intreating him to dispose of both as he pleased And to manifest that their Hearts and Mouths agreed in this free offer of themselves to His Majesty they presently voted that two Millions should be immediately raised by this Kingdom But the King wisely and politickly declined the imposing a Tax on his Subjects choosing rather to accept of their Benevolence which made every one strive who should offer most so that instead of the Two Millions there was in short time brought into the Treasury Four Millions of Gold Nor was this Money intended by them nor imployed to any other use then to maintain the Grandeza and Splendor of the K. and Kingdom there being no need of Money for the payment of Souldiers every one offering to serve freely and at their own charge against their vowed enemies the Spaniards Thus was this Kingdom utterly lost to the Spanish Monarchy King Alphonso the 6th lately removed from the Government and his Brother Don Pedro now Reigning and likewise Her Majesty of England Q. Katherine being the Sons and Daughter of this K. John in which Family the Government is like still to continue and never to revert back to the Spaniard who lost at this time not only Portugal but with it all they enjoyed by that Kingdom in the East-Indies the Terceâ—a Islands and other Islands in the Atlantick Sea the Kingdom of Algarve Brazile with all they had in Africa except the Town of Ceuta which was the whole that remained to the Spanish Nation of all those great Dominions Hist Portugal Pag. 61. 104. The remarkable revolutions in the Empire of China and the entire Conquest thereof by the Tartars happened in the same year 1640 As if some fatal influence had inclined most Nations to changes and distractions at that time It cannot therefore be unpleasant to give a brief account thereof The Inhabitants of China enjoyed all the pleasures of peace under the Government of their last Emperour who was the most absolute Monarch that ever ruled those vast Territories when in the year 1640 a year fatal to several States those Clouds began to gather which shortly after produced such a storm as ruined the whole Empire The name of the present Emperour was Zunchin a deceitful and unfortunate name for in the Chinese Language it signifies successful omen or Soveraign Dominion but how false a prognostick this was appeared quickly This Emperor was of a most courteous and good disposition and certainly his Subjects who enjoy'd great Plenty and all the advantages of Peace lived truly happy under so Excellent a Prince But it is not sufficient for a Prince to be Good and to govern mildly and peaceably unless he likewise takes care not to have ill Officers who make use of their Credit under him to gratifie their Private Passions and to extend their Ambition beyond all Bounds and Limits yet some Authors have branded him for Covetousness and that after a great Famine which happened in the Northern Provinces occasioned by an unheard of number of Locusts he imposed upon his Subjects as high Taxes as they paid formerly in fruitful flourishing times the former Money being all mispent and the Souldiers not paid Whereupon the number of the Mutineers daily increased who enriched themselves by Plunder and Rapine For as Semedo in his History of China intimates Rebellion is the usual Effect of Extortion and Tyranny especially where the Prince would have more from the People than they are able to give And therefore Theopompus saith he King of the Lacedemonians when his wife told him that because he had eased the People of many Taxes he would leave his Son a poorer Kingdom than he received from his Father answered Relinquo sed Diuturnius that is I shall leave him a more lasting Kingdom Happy had it been for Zunchin Emperor of China had he been of Theopompus his Mind But saith my Author though I find him charged with Covetousness yet I am not very apt to suspect him so guilty of that Vice as of another usually more fatal to Princes which is a facile Nature easie to be wrought upon by others and too inclinable to favour and indulge themselves and not willing to undergo the weight of Affairs From whence it was that though under the Reign of his Brother Thienking who preceded him in the Imperial Throne Zunchin so opposed his Darling Favourite the Eunuch Guei and all the Eunuchs his Partisans that at last he prevailed with his brother to banish them all his Court to the great Satisfaction of the whole Empire and when his Brother dying without Issue the Imperial Crown fell to him at his first taking possession thereof he so persecuted the Eunuchs who by abuse of their Authority under his Brother had made themselves abhorred by the whole Nation that Guei in despair poysoned himself yet at last this very Emperor suffered himself by the crafty insinuation of some about him contrary to his own Judgment to be