and famine an hundred thousand solde publikely as slaues and sixteene thousand were sent to Rome to beautifie his fathers triumph as Iosephus an eye-witnesse doth report The Iewes looked not for their destruction so nigh at hand they obserued by tradition of some of their Rabines that their Messias should come about the time of Augustus as a magnificent mighty king not as a poore man the sonne of a Carpenter whom the Iewes whipt and scourged for that he tooke vpō him to be the sonne of God made himself Messias the Iewes litle thought that he was the Messas when they cryed to Pilate to haue him crucified in Golgotha saying his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children The greedie desire and expectation of the people was such that many tooke vpon them to call themselues the Messias as Iudas Galileus and an other called Atonges a shepheard but aboue them all one Barcozba had diuers followers was receiued for their Messas thirtie yeares but when they saw that he could not defend them from the Romanes they would no longer accept him for their Messias but slew him Titus proceedeth forward to destroy the Iewes but especially the Priests the Scribes Pharisies on whom he had no mercie saying that they chiefly ought to dye with the sword sithence the temple was burnt with fire they onely being rebellious and seditious and the cause of the destruction of the citie Titus spared none of the stocke of Herod In this warres of Titus were ten of the learned Rabbines slaine whose names I thought good to write as I found them written in Genebrardus Chronicles Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel Rabbi Ismael ben Elizei Rabbi Hanina ben Tedarion Rabbi Husiphith Rabbi Eleazer ben Samaa Rabbi Iuda ben Dama Rabbi Isbak Scribam Rabbi Iuda ben Hachinas Rabbi Iuda ben Baba Rabbi Askiba These tenne Rabbines were slaine by Titus which the Iewes record in theyr latter Talmud for tenne martyrs and after Ierusalem was thus destroied Titus appointed Rabbi Iohanan ben Zachai gouernour ouer the remnant of the Iewes in Ahua Byther Oza other pla◅es as Nabuchodonozer did appoint Godoliah gouernor of the rest of the Iewes when he destroyed Ierusalem in the time of Zedechia the king Titus also left Bonia a younger brother of Fla. Iosephus to gouerne other places in Iudah and he returned with his prisoners and captiues which he brought with him to Rome to beautifie his fathers triumphes and his This was the fift and last ouerthrow of the Iewes destruction of Ierusalem First by Shesac King of Egipt in the time of Rehoboam secondly by Nabuchodonozer in the time of Zedechias the last King of Iudah thirdly by Antiochus fourthly by Pompey the great and fiftly and last by Titus and Vespasian Thus the Iewes that subdued all natiōs before them and conquered all the Kings about them that in the time of Ioshua Dauid all the earth trembled at the naming of the Iewes whose gouernment continued from Abraham to Vespasian two thousand yeares and more though for a time while they were in Egipt 430. yeares litle spoken of vntil the Lord raised them so strengthned thē vnder Moses and Ioshua that first they ouerthrew Pharao and his kingdome after subdued the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and the Syrians which of the Hebrewes were called Aromites the strongest nation vpon the earth at that time which were subdued notwithstanding by Dauid Thus the Iewes which were as famous and feared as much in those dayes as the Romanes were in the time of their Consuls are now so destroyed and their country subdued like wandring banished mē without king lawe or countrey The cause wherof was the sinne of Ierusalem which would neuer acknowledge the goodnesse of God towards them nor his myracles and his mercy wrought amongst them they refused his grace offered and persecuted him most violently to death Yet Dionisius Areopagita and his fellow Appollonius in the citie of Eliopolis in Egipt they both obserued by the Eclipse of the Sun at the verie houre the sonne of God suffered more then the rebellious Iewes did for all the blessings and mercies which they had receiued they cried out still vnto Pilate crucifie him his blood be vpon vs and vpon our children These learned Heathens openly confessed in Egipt that either the sonne of God did suffer death or else the frame of the whole worlde should be dissolued these two Heathens confessed and named him to bee the sonne of God but the vngratefull Iewes called and named him the sonne of Ioseph the Carpenter in contempt of him and therefore it is conuenient to set forth the great goodnesse of the Lorde in a briefe and a short catalogue what the Lord hath done to Israel since he brought them out of the furnace of Egipt where they were bond-slaues vnder Pharao 430. yeares euen from the first comming of Abraham into Egipt vntill Moses brought them out of Egipt For after Esau Iacob had diuided their fathers possession Esau went to dwell in Edumea and Iacob tooke for his part Canaan where he dwelt and his childrē vntil Iacob went to Egipt with all his family to his sonne Ioseph which was 215. yeares after the being of Abraham in Egipt and 215. yeares before Moses brought the childrē of Israel out of Egipt into the land of Canaan at what time the law was written giuen to Moses in mount Sinai to gouern the people and after the lawe was giuen the Tabernacle was commaunded by Moses to be made in the wildernesse which should stand to them for a Temple to serue the Lord and after the Tabernacle the Arke was made where the tables of the lawe were commaunded by Moses at his death to be kept where Moses gouerned the whole army of the Hebrues fortie yeares before they went ouer Iorden And Moyses before he died he deliuered the army of the Hebrewes into the hands of Ioshua with a charge from the Lord vnder whom they passed into the lande of Canaan after whose death they began to be rebellious seditious Yet the Lord fauoured thē sent thē stout and wise gouernors as Iudah Ehud Barac Iephtha Gedeō and Sampson yet stil rebelled they like Idolatrous people against the Lord that they were weary of that gouernment and reiected Samuel his gouernmēt and would haue a king the Lord denied them nothing and they had kings to rule them during which time of kings Idolatry presently crept in that the lord his lawes were forsaken and Baal with his prophets priests accepted Hence grew ciuil warres between the 12. Tribes ten against two that of one kingdom they made two so that there was nothing but slaughter and blood betweene the house of Israel the house of Iudah and that straight after Solomons death 500. thousand were slain in mount Zemaraim of the king of Israels side by the king of Iudah Againe such a slaughter of
into prouinces some into Toparchies as Syria some into Tetrarchies as Paphlagonia Some into Tribes and some into Ethnarchies as France Gasgoyne and Brytaine were diuided into eighteene prouinces and gouerned vnder Praetors Hispaine in sixe prouinces two of them vnder Consuls gouernment the other foure vnder Proconsuls Macedonia was diuided into seuen prouinces Thracia into sixe and Illyria into seuen prouinces This might seeme strange that Consuls of Rome being but one citie should rule gouerne so many kingdomes that after they had subdued Affrica the most part of Europe before they came to Asia and had established Affrike Europe vnder Romane gouernors And as by the death of Alexander the great all the East kingdomes were left without a king that they that were then but Alexanders Souldiers diuided all the kingdomes of the East as booties and praies between them Macedonia to Antipater Egipt to Ptolomeu Asia the lesse to Antigonus and so other kingdomes were diuided betweene others of Alexander his souldiers and they that could agree vnder one captaine as fellowes friendes and souldiers of one countrey fell to ciuil warres within themselues that one destroyed another that by this meanes the Romanes subdued the kings of Asia as they subdued the kings of Affrica and Europe After the Romanes had subdued Italy their countrey-men and next neighbours they graunted to the Volsces the Tyrrhens the Samnites Lucans Tarentines Thuscans the Romane lawe called Ius Latij So did the Romanes in Cicilia which was the first people subdued and made the first prouince vnder the Romanes they had Iura Latinitatis In Carthage Leptis and diuers other cities in Affrike and Hispaine they had their freedome libertie againe and the lawes of Italy graunted them by Alexander Seuerus the Emperour so that in Affrica were fifteene Romane cities where no magistrate might gouerne but a Romane citizen and that Per ius Latinitatis The like law made Pompey in Armenia in Pontus and other cities of Asia that Romain magistrates should gouerne them as they did in Hispaine and in Affrica All Hispaine were so subiect to the Romaines that thirtie townes were made free to vse their liberties and lawes named Romane cities in one part of Hispaine and one hundred twentie townes that paid anuall stipend to the Romanes The Athenians Thessalians and all Greece were restored to their lawes liberties by diuers Emperors of Rome as by Pau. Aemilius Ti. Flaminius Lu. Silla others But other kingdomes and countries were not so For though the Romains excelled and exceeded all nations in prowise in conquests and victories yet made they all kingdomes and countries their friendes and consederates which they subdued So was Masinissa king of Numidia euer a friend to the Romanes against Hannibal while he liued and at his death made the Romane Empire his heire And Attalus king of Asia for the friendship that he found with the Romanes committed his kingdome into the Romanes tuition and made also the Empire of Rome his heire as Masinissa did And though the Cappadocians were a free nation gouerned by their owne lawe yet sought they freedome and libertie of the Romanes and would be gouerned by them onely forsaking their owne libertie so that they were ruled as the Egiptians were by Romaine knights for that the Romane knights and the Senators were of equall power at that time For no Consull Proconsull Praetor or such as had Serieants or Tipslaues before them might in no wise come into Alexandria or any part of Egipt for that the Romanes had an olde prophesie that their dignitie and iurisdicton should cease in Alexandria and also in Egipt when any Romane officer came to Alexandria hauing Serieants with Maces before them The Romanes beeing now Lords of the most part of Affrica Asia and Europe grew so proud of their fortunes of their triumphes their victories and greatnesse farre from Rome that they through ambition and enuie began one to spite an other in Rome so that there was nothing in Rome but as it was in Athens seditions tumults enuie and malice and as Iugurth spake of Rome that it was Vrbs venalis si haberet emptorem a towne soone sold if it had a chapman So Demosthenes spake of the three monsters of Athens the people the owle and the dragon these were the causes that ouerthrew Rome and Athens The Israelites in like sort as the Romanes before they conquered the Canaanites they agreed and ioyned their force together and the Lord prospered theyr warres when they serued him that from Ioshuahs time who brought them and gaue them the possession of the land of Canaan vnto Dauids time who setled the Israelites as the Lords ouer the Canaanites that the Moabites Ammonites and other nations about payed tribute to Dauid and to his successors and that there was no king no nation but feared and trembled at the name of Israel And as you heard before of the ciuill warres of the Macedonians betweene Alexanders seruants and of the Romanes so Israel likewise fell to ciuill warres which was the cause of the destruction of the Persians the Macedonians the Romanes the Israelites and others for the Hebrewes beeing the onely auntientest people which were brought vp in the military discipline of the Lord their lawe giuer and Generall of their Army vnder whom Moses Ioshua Dauid and others kept and executed the same whose fame grew so great thereby that all the kings and captaines of the earth trembled thereat The Gentiles in their warres with their enemies tooke not onely counsell of their Oracles and Soothsayers but also made their simple souldiers to beleeue that they were instructed by some diuine power sent from Iupiter or from Appollo As Sertorius a captaine no lesse famous in Affrike then Sylla was in Asia which did by a white hinde vse many stratagems whom he taught to follow him euery where euen into his bed chamber making his souldiers to beleeue that hee would consult with this white hinde in some secret place before hee would take any warres in hand and after he had consulted with this white hinde hee certainly assured his souldiers of victorie this hee vsed to encourage his souldiers in all his warres in Affrica Hereby he ouerthrew Cotta the Consull in a battell on the sea and also ouerthrewe Domitius the Romane Proconsull in Hiberia and constrained Metellus to his loss many times to yeeld vntill Pompey the great came with his legionarie army from Rome to aide Metellus against Sertorius with whom Pompey had somewhat to doo before hee ouerthrew Sertorius Thus hee encouraged his souldiers in Affrica by reason of his white hinde as Lucius Sylla did practise manye such Stratagemes in Asia who did make his souldiers beleeue by looking on the picture of Appollo which he carried about his neck in a litle close tablet that he was instructed by Appollo to take such battels in hand that Sylla
souldiers for all the force of king Iuba Cato Scipio and Affranius The souldiers of Epaminondas perceiuing that the winde blew away the labell which hangd as an ornament about Epaminondas speare and lighted vpon the graue of a dead Lacedemonian at the which sight the Thaebans were so frighted vntill Epaminondas said vnto them merily Ah worthie souldiers this signifieth the ouerthrowe of the Lacedemonians and forewarneth them of their buriall These wise stratagemes by noble captaines were to remoue feare and terrour from souldiers mindes which were so superstitious at the sight of any toy to doubt of victories Scipio Affrican sayling from Italy into Affrica at his going out of his ship had a fall which not a litle moued the souldiers who tooke it for a signe of no good lucke hee perceiuing by his souldiers that they were amazed and astonished at his fall spake vnto them presently with a merrie countenance and said Ludite milites Affricans oppressi Be merrie souldiers I haue ouercome Affricke and so by this stratagem he turned their doubts feare into boldnesse and stoutnesse As Scipio spake Affricam oppressi I ouercame Affrike so likewise we may speake through Christ that eternall Scipio staffe of saluatiō who ouercame not only Affrica but the whole world the prince of the same Satā The very like chaunce happened to Caesar who as he went to take shipping had the like lucke as Scipio had and least his souldiers should thinke it a signe of hard lucke he vsed this stratageme imbraced the earth fast and saide Terra te teneo mater which was interpreted by his soothsayers that he should conquer many lands and countries through victories Caesar after all his great fortunes and victories which he had in two and fiftie pitcht fields and set battels entered with his last tryumph of Ouation after foure great tryumphes had before ouer forraigne enemies being Consul Dictator and Emperour by his sword made a kinde of tryumphe of Ouation from mount Albanus to the Capitoll fiue moneths before the Ides of March which time Spurnia the soothsayer willed Caesar to take heede of at what time Caesar was slaine in the Senate house This was not to be called a tryumphe because it was done in the time of ciuill discord for that in ciuill warres among the Romanes it was decreed by the Senate that no Romane might tryumphe ouer another Romane so it was also among the Thaebans Epaminondas might not tryumphe ouer the Lacedemonians for his victorie at Leuctres Sylla might not tryumphe ouer Marius neyther Caesar ouer Pompey nor Octauius ouer Mar. Antonius Yet Caesar against the lawe tryumphed and carried the pictures of Cato Petronius others but refused to carry the picture of Pompey because hee knew it would offend many of the Romains and the rather for that Caesar gaue his daughter Iulia in marriage to Pompey Caesar after these his conquests was named the first Emperour of Rome the Romanes hauing had before seuen kings which ruled two hundred and fiftie yeares after kings Consulls which continued fiue hundred yeares For Valerius Publicola the first Consul after the kings in the battell betweene the wood called Arsia Sylua and the meadowe Aesuuia where two and twentie thousand sixe hundred Romanes were slaine where Torquine the proud was ouerthrowne In this battell Brutus one of the Consuls died who not by chaunce but of set purpose sought to encounter with Aruns king Torquines eldest sonne to execute the deadly malice they bare each other that fighting so desperately with such furie that one killed another dead at once The first tryumphe of Publicola being the first Consul he had this libertie graunted him that the doore of his house should open outwards into the streete which was neuer seene in Rome before but the greatnesse of this fauour came from Greece to Rome and Publicola had the first honours and libertie thereof and the first funerall sermon that euer was in Rome was made by Publicola for Brutus his fellow Consul slaine in this battell So that the name of Torquines was as odious in Rome as the name of Tyrants that the Romanes neuer suffered any King to gouerne after Torquine the proude neither could they abide euer after the name of a king In the second battell that Torquine prepared to recouer his kingdome hee went to the citie Clusiu◅ and had king Porsenna to promise him his aide in whose behalfe he sent his Herauld straight to summon the Romanes to receiue their king but being by the Romanes stoutly refused Porsenna proclaimed open warres in the which warres after much slaughter of the Romanes the citie of Rome had bene taken and Torquine restored again to his kingdom had not Horatius Cocles and the noble act of Mutius Scaeuola bene who had determined fully to kill king Porsenna and missing the king kild the next vnto him supposing him to be the king which being reprehended therefore and tortured holding his armes in flames of fire spake boldly vnto king Porsennas face that there were three hundred Romanes sworne to do the like enterprise as he did and had sworne Porsennas death which made him to forsake Torquine and Torquine to forsake Rome and to liue as a banished priuate man fourteen yeares after expelled from his kingdome The Romanes in memorie of these enterprises caused two Images made of brasse to be set vp in the temple of Vulcan to honour the name of Mutius Scaeuola and Horatius Clocles Thus was Torquinius Superbus the last king of the Romains for the rauishment of Lucretia Collatinus wife put from his kingdome and all the kings of Rome after him And after the kings the ouerthrow of the ten Commissioners called Decemuiri for the like offence by Appius Clau. to Virginea a Romane virgin so that the kings of Rome lost their kingdomes for the rauishment of Collatinus wife and the Decemuiri lost their place and offices for the rauishment of Virgineus daughter Therefore the glory and fame of the Romans grew by the Consuls which increased more and more vntill Caesars time who because he was denied the place of a Consul with their good will he became an Emperour against their will We leaue the Romanes thus marching from Kings to Consuls from Consuls to Emperours from Emperours without an Empire and will speake of the marching of other kingdomes The Scythians marched into Asia and wanne many great victories possessed many strong Forts gaue diuers battels to the Egiptians the Persians and builded many cities in diuers places as well in Greece as in Asia to whom Asia paied tribute for fifteene yeares So marched likewise the Saracens into Affrick where they had so many great victories that they wanne and possessed the most part of Hispaine vnder their gouernment welnigh eight hundred yeares So the Turkes marched into Europe and got the Empire of Constantinople out of the Romanes hands to the lamentable
were instructed by the word of the Lord in the mouth of the Prophet or else they were answered at the mercy seate or counselled by Vrim and Thummim So soothsayings oracles were so had in reuerence among the Gentiles that nothing should be taken in hand neither in peace nor in warres without consulting with the soothsayers and oracles So that at any Eclipse of the Moone the Romanes would take their brazen pots pannes and beat them lifting vp many Torches and Linckes lighted and firebrandes into the aire thinking by these superstitious meanes to reclaime the Moone to her light So the Macedonians were as superstitious as the Romanes were at any Eclipse of the Moone Nothing terrified the Gentils more in their warres then the Eclipse of the Sunne and the Moone The like vsed the Thracians when it thunders they take theyr bowes and arrowes and shoote vp to the cloudes against the thunder imagining by theyr shooting to driue the thunders away Cabrias the Generall of Athens beeing readie to strike a battell on sea it suddenly lightened which 〈◊〉 terrified the souldiers that they were vnwilling to figâ—… vntill Cabrias said that now is the time to fight whâ—… Iupiter himselfe with his lightening doth shewe a sigâ—…e that he is readie to goe before vs. So Epaminondas at his going to battell it suddenly lightned that it so amazed his souldiers that Epaminondas comforted them and saide Lumen hoc Numina ostendunt by these lightnings the gods shew vs that we shall haue victories but we may better say so througâ—… our Lord and Sauiour then Epaminondas or Cabriâ—… sith we haue the great light of the Gospell to lighten vs and to goe before vs to attempt any warre or to commence any battel against Sathan and his armies whose will is euer to destroy though his power cannot Cuius semper iniqua voluntas licet nunquam iniusta potestas In Rome the Dictator the Consul the Praetor and other Magistrates were to be remoued from their offices if the soothsayer sawe any occasion by lightning thundering by remouing of starres by flying of fowles by intrailes of beasts by Eclipse of the Sun Moone So that there was a lawe in Sparta that euery ninth yeare the chiefe magistrates called Ephori would choose a bright night without Moone light in some open place to behold the starres and if they had seene any star shoot or moue from one place to another straight these Ephori accused their kings that they offended the gods and therby deposed them from their kingdome So did Lysander depose king Leonidas So likewise the Romains were perswaded that their ouerthrow at the battels of Thrasimen Trebeia and Canne by Hannibal were for that they supposed they offended the gods either in not performing their vowes or in not doing of sacrifice or else for the vnskilfulnesse of theyr Generalls So did they suppose theyr ouerthrowes by the Cymbrians to be by the vnskilfulnesse and ouersight of Quin. Scaepio their Generall but Cai. Marius afterward reuenged the ouerthrowes of the Romaines with the greatest ouerthrow that euer the Cymbrians had By these meanes the Consuls were oftentimes remoued displaced from their offices of Consulship by the Senators as Varro Mansinus Leuinus others as the kings and Generals were in Sparta by meanes of their magistrates called Ephori such sure trust and confidence they had in their soothsayers that without the counsell of soothsayers in Rome or the counsell of Magi in Persia or of the Ephori in Sparta the kings of Rome of Persia and of Sparta would attempt nothing concerning the state of the countrey And therfore the Macedonians made a decree that no monument of triumph should be made within their kingdome for that a Lyon had raised vp a pillar which was set vp in memorie of a great victory gotten they thought the gods to be offended with them and therefore the decree was made So the Romanes after Carthage was destroyed and after restored againe when the Romanes had diuided and measured their lands and limited their meeres and markes by the pole for the Romaines to inhabite there for that the marks limits were bitten gnawed with wolues the Romanes paused staied before they had consulted with Oracles The first king of Rome Romulus builded his kingdom by flying of fowles and soothsaying So Numa Pompil was chosen second king of Rome by flying of fowles So Torquinius Priscus an Eagle tooke his cappe from his head and fled vp on high to the skies and after descended and let his cappe fall on his head againe signifying thereby that he should be king of Rome Pau Aemilius Consul and Generall of the Romanes in Macedonia at what time he sacrificed vnto the gods in the citie of Amphipolis it lightned whereby he was perswaded it pretended the ouerthrow of the kingdom of Macedonia and his great victory and tryumphe of the same at Rome Swallowes followed king Cyrus going with his army from Persia to Scythia as rauens followed Alexander the great returning from India and going to Babilon but as the Magi tolde the Persians that Cyrus should die in Scythia so the Chaldean Astrologers told the Macedonians that Alexander the great their king should die in Babilon without any further warrant but by the Swallowes that followed Cyrus to Scythia and by the rauens that followed Alexander to Babilon By Swallowes also lighting vppon Pirrhus Tents and lighting vpon the mast of Mar. Antonius ship sayling after Cleopatra to Egipt the soothsayers did prognosticate that Pirrhus should be slaine at Argos in Greece and Mar. Antonius in Egipt The Arabians Carians Phrygians and Cilicians do most religiously obserue the chirping flying of birds assuring themselues good or bad euents in their warres Themistocles was assured of victory ouer king Xerxes and his huge army by crowing of a cocke going to the battell at Artemisium the day before the battell began who hauing obtained so great a victory gaue a cocke in his ensigne euer after So Iu. Caesar gaue an elephant in his ensigne after he had subdued Iuba king of Mauritania The Lydians Persians and Thracians esteeme not soothsaying by birds but by powring of wine vpon the ground vpon their cloathes with certaine superstitious praiers to their gods that their warres should haue good successe Pau. Aemilius was assured of victory ouer Persius king of Macedonia by a word pronounced by his little girle Tertia saying to her father that Persius the dog and her play-fellow was dead Aristander the soothsayer in the battell at Arbela being the last against Darius was then on horse backe hard by Alexander apparelled all in white and a crowne of golde vppon his head encouraging Alexander by the flight of an Eagle the victorie should be his ouer Darius Both the Greekes the Romaines and the Lacedemonians had theyr soothsayers hard by them in their warres Alexander the great had not
Mambre where he feasted them and intreated them on the behalfe of Zodome that if ten godly men might be found in it the citie might be saued but none was found there but iust Lot at this verie time vnder the oake of Mambre Isaac was promised to Abraham for so the Lorde named him at that time Sarah his mother being 90. yeares old So Samuel was borne of Anna his mother so Iacob and so Ioseph his sonne were borne of barren women as Isaac was foure also were named before they were borne Ismael the sonne of Abraham by Agar Isaac Solomon and Iosias Now againe to Abraham after Lot was rescued by him Lot dwelt againe in Zodom among reprobates and wicked vngodly men being named iust Lot hard it was for Lot to liue honest or iust among such wicked Zodomites and yet in Zodom Lot saued himself but in Zoar Lot was ouerthrowne Abraham could rescue Lot at the battell at Dan from 4. kings the Angels could saue Lot from the fire brimstone in Zodom yet could not Lot saue himself from drunkennesse in Zoar so fowle a fact by so iust a man may not be much spoken off Hence grew the first beginning of the Moabites and Ammonites enemies vnto God so much may be spoken of Ismael Abrahams sonne by Agar who grew so great so mighty on earth that they would not be called Agareni from Agar the bond-woman their mother from whence they tooke their beginning but they would be called Saraceni as borne of Sarah the true wife of Abrahā as the Ammonites and Moabites were left to plague the Hebrewes as pricks in their sides and needles in their eyes so the Saracens Turkes are now left to plague the Christians with sword and fire Before the battell at Siddim no battels in a manner haue bene fought but what was by Nimrod don who liued within a hundred thirtie yeares of the flood at what time people liued not knowing the name of a king vntill Nimrod grew so mightie and so great that hee brought the people vnder subiection in such feare and awe of him that they rather worshipped him as a God then obeyed him as a king whereof Nimrod waxed so proud that it grew to a prouerbe that if any Monarke or King should waxe too insolent or proud he should be noted named hic alter Nimrod for now Nimrod hauing obtained the Monarchy into his hands without resistance he called the people together to make a Tower frō the earth vnto heauē to reuenge the iniuries of his predecessors and to defend himselfe his Empire and to resist the violence of any further deludge He for want of men to fight withal on earth made a Tower that he might ascend vp to goe fight with the host of heauen So Cyrus imitating Nimrod hauing subdued all nations and kingdomes about him went for want of men to fight against him to fight against women into Scythia Alexander also imitating Cyrus after he had subdued all men and that no king would fight against him he went vnto India to fight with Elephants Leauing Nimrod to build his Towers in the aire Cyrus to fight with women in Scythia and Alexander the great to fight with Elephants in India we come to Ninus who tooke vpon him to be the first Monarch ouer the Assirians 150. yeares after Nimrod who after hee had ioyned his force with Aricus king of Arabia hee went with his army against Babilon subdued it and brought it into Assyria led his army vnto Armenia gaue battell to the Armenians subdued them also tooke their king Barsanes and went conquering all the kingdomes about vntill he came vnto Medea where the king fought with Ninus and the battell was equally fought of both parts but after that in another battell Ninus ouerthrewe the Meades and tooke their King in the battell and hangd him his wife and his seuen children in his owne kingdome So that within seuenteene yeares Ninus subdued all Asia and became so great that if the authors write truth hee had such an armie as none is read to haue the like especially at that time when the world was not populous within 50. yeares after the flood Before Ninus the Greeke nor the Romane writers make no mention of any warre or battell who proceeded forward and marched after he had conquered Arabia Medea and Babilon vnto the Bactrians and fought with Zoroastes their king who is said to haue first found the Art of Astronomy and Magique but this Zoroastes was slain in the field by Ninus and Ninus himselfe slaine with an arrow as Orosius saith others say that hee was slaine by his wife Semyramis It is written of this Zoroastes that when all other Infants weepe at their birth he laught In Ninus time we reade of the first Idolatry in scripture and that by Ninus himselfe who set vp the Image of Belus his father in a Temple which Ninus made dedicated to his father Belus after his death in Niniuie where all the countries and people came to worship and reuerence the name of Belus which grew in such credit in Asia and the East kingdomes that there was no lawe nor religion but what by Baals Priests and Baals Prophets were allowed And at that time that Nabuchodonozer raigned in Babilon a thousand yeares after Ninus Baal was so reuerenced and honored in Babilon that if any man should speake words against Baal or not kneele to him or worship him should die for it So was Sydrach and his fellowes throwne into a hot fierie fornace to be burned So was Daniel throwne into a denne to be deuoured of Lyons but neither Lyons nor fire had power to hurt the seruants of the Lord. This Baal was the onely Idoll in the East countrey vntill Elias found out the shifts of the false Prophets of Baal in the time of Achab King of Israel who first nourished Baals prophets in Israel After Elias Daniel found out in Babilon the falshood of Baals priestes how they cousoned Nabuchodonozer for his great allowance of bread wine and meate Leauing Belus to be the first Idoll and Ninus the first Idolater after whom little mention is made of the most part of the kings of Assyria sauing a catologue of their names though the Greekes as theyr manner is speake more then needs of them for the which Berosus the Chaldean writer doth much reprehend them for it and Plato their owne countrey man called them children for that they are addicted vnto fables and not giuen to learne antiquities but letting the Assirians to sleepe in silence I will returne to the marching of the Hebrewes vnder Moses out of Egipt CHAP. III. Of the calling of Moses and Aaron to lead the children of Israel out of Egipt THe Hebrewes which were 430. years bōdmē slaues vnto Pharao in Egipt vntil they multiplied to be such in number as Pharao doubted either to let them goe
Ghost some denying Christ by nature to bee Cod but onely of accidentall participation of diuine properties as Arius Some affirming that Christ tooke his beginning of the Virgin Mary denying the diuine nature of Christ as Samosatenus and Photinus Others imagined that Christ had not a true and natural body borne of the Virgin Mary as the Marcionites and Manichees The Ebionites affirmed Christ to be naturally born of a woman gotten by man I will omit to speake of Simon Magus and his disciple Menander of Cerdon and his disciple Marcion and of Saturninus and a number more of this crewe who denie one Article or other of our Christian faith confounding the diuine nature of the Trinitie These heretikes possessing diuers seates as Arius in Alexandria Saturninus in Antioch Photinus in Lions and so of the rest which beeing the verie blast and breath of Sathan haue brought into their heresie many kings and princes of Asia and Europe but all these heretikes were by generall councell confuted and condemned The Nicene councell condemned Arius and his partners which denied the deitie and diuine nature of Christ this councell held vnder the Emperour Constantine where 318. Bishops met together to confute Arius and his heresie The second councell at Constantinople vnder Gratianus the Emperour against Eudoxius and Macedonius denying the holy Ghost to be God The third councell at Ephesus vnder Theodosius the great against Nestorius affirming two sonnes the one of God the other of man denying the mistery of the incarnation of Christ. The fourth councell at Calcedon vnder Martianus against Eutiches who confounded the natures in Christ for the vnity of the three persons CHAP. VIII Of the marching of the Hebrewes from Egipt vnder Moses and Aaron toward the land of Canaan Of the life of Moses in Egipt and of his victories against the Aethiopians NOw Moses and the Hebrewes beeing discharged out of Egipt where they had bin in bondage and miseries many yeares and were called Hicsos now they march like souldiers of the Lord vnder Moses and Aaron towardes the lande of Canaan but marke the hardnesse of Pharaos heart for while the Hebrewes were in Egipt beeing extreame enemies vnto Pharao yet Pharao endured tenne horrible and terrible plagues before he would let the Hebrewes goe out of Egipt vntill hee was brideled and hooked by the nosthrils as Senacharib was and compelled to let the Hebrewes goe Yet Pharao with his wonted hardened heart with all the power and force of Egipt followed after beeing two hundreth thousand footemen fiftie thousand horsemen sixe hundreth chosen chariots of the kings owne army a sufficient armie against weaponlesse and vnarmed men Notwithstanding he had infinite number of footemen horsemen and chariots out of all parts of Egipt assuring himselfe by this multitude he would make a full end of the Hebrewes hauing this aduantage the sea being before the Hebrues the mountaines on either side them and Pharao with all the force of Egipt at their back a narrower straight as Pharao supposed then the Greeks had against the Persians at Thermopyla and there Pharao thought to ende his long desired tyrannie vpon the Hebrewes It was to be wondred that after ten great victories in Egipt gotten against Pharao by no other weapon then with a rod in Moses hand durst not looke Moses in the face after these victories in Egipt durst follow Moses hauing sixe hundred thousand Hebrewes marching in his campe this was the time appointed of the Lord to do with Pharao that which Pharao thought to do to the Hebrewes for the Lord commaunded Moses to hold vp his rod and to stretch out his hand vpon the sea and to diuide the seas to let the Hebrues goe through on drie ground and to suffer the Egiptians to follow after vntil the Lord commaunded Moses againe to stretch out his hand vpon the sea a diuine straragem of the Lord to let the waters turnevpon the Egiptians ouerwhelme them So the Lord by water saued the Hebrewes his people and by water drowned the Egiptians his enemies Yet Appian most impudently affirmed Moses to haue done what hee did by Magicke whom the common people in Egipt named Tisithes and Ioshuah Peresephes Appian alleageth Manetho and Cheremon two Egiptian writers to proue his fond assertions Pliny also held that opinion that Moses was a great Magician and did many miracles in Egipt through Magick yet it is more lawfull for Pliny that wrote of so many thinges to lie in some thinges then for Manetho a poore schoole-maister in Alexandria or for Cheremon two fabulous writers of the Egiptian history onely The best Magician that helped himselfe at need was Appollonius Thianeus who beeing accused of capitall crimes before Domitianus the Emperour being demanded by the Emperour what helpe hee could do now to himselfe by his Magick nothing said he but this and vanished away out of the Emperours sight so much could not Iamnes and Iambres do to saue themselues from the botches blaines which as they say was done by Moses Magicke in Egipt And therefore I thinke it best to set downe the true history of Moses before yet he was called by the Lord to leade the Hebrewes out of the lande of Egipt into Canaan Moses the sonne of Amri was of the tribe of Leui and the seuenth from Abraham borne in Egipt brought vp by Thermutes king Pharaos daughter and heire in this childe Moses shee delighted so much being brought vp in all the learning and knowledge of the Egiptians that Moses pleased Thermutes so well that she moued her father hauing no male childe but her selfe that it might please the king to make Moses her adopted sonne least Thermutes also should be barren and want an heire to possesse the crowne This being agreed vpon betweene Pharao and his daughter Moses grew great in Egipt fauoured and well beloued amongst all the Aegiptians It happened at that time that the Aethiopians had warre with the king of Egipt hauing wonne two great victories ouer the Egiptians spoyled and wasted Egipt vnto the verie citie of Memphis The Priests of Egipt being instructed by the Oracles of Ammon to choose an Hebrew captaine to lead their armie against the Aethiopians the king being informed of this Oracle spake faire to his daughter Thermuthes through the perswasion of the Priests who vsed the like pollicie to haue Moses slaine among the Aethiopians as Saul vsed to haue Dauid slaine among the Philistines Thermutes perceiuing the daunger of her fathers kingdome which fell vnto her by succession would knowe of Moses secretly his minde therein Moses being therewith contented the kings daughter brought Moses before her father and the Priests to whom Thermutes in this sort spake Is Moyses the man whome before this time you founde by Oracles shoulde destroy Egipt and now you finde by the same Oracles to haue that man to be your captaine to saue Egipt But the Priests forgat
the king of Iudahs side by the king of Israel that two hundred thousand of womē and children were taken prisoners in Samaria so that they wasted and spoyled one another in such sort that frō a happy populous people by forsaking their Lord and God they became a most miserable Idolatrous people to serue strange gods For during the time of Dauid which was 40. yeares the kingdome of Israel was the most famous renowned kingdome of the world For so the Lord spake I will make the Princes of Iudah like coales of fire among the wood and like a fire-brand in the sheafe and they shal deuour all people round about them So Dauid brought all the kings nations about subiect tributary vnto Israel whose happie whole gouernment was such that at his death hee left a hundred thousand talents to his sonne Solomon to build a temple to the Lord which he himself had determined to build but that the Prophet Nathā warned him from the Lord that he should not for that he was a man of blood but that Solomon his sonne should build him a house This kingdom of Israel being so happy as you heard in king Dauids time and in Solomons time so glorious a temple builded and so richly furnished vnto the Lord that in Solomons time such plentie was in Ierusalē mony was no more esteemed thē stones in the streets yet presently vpō Solomons death in the time of Rehoboham his sonne the state of Ierusalem was so obscured altered that the citie was sackt and the temple robd with great slaughter of people by Shesac king of Egipt so that the wealth and treasure of Ierusalem and of the temple was carried by Shesac into Egipt Againe the kings of Israel became so Idolatrous that there were no gods among the Heathens but they were as gods worshipped in Israel so that they were far worse then the Grecians or the Romans who would allow no strange gods to raigne neither in Athens nor in Rome and therefore for that they forsooke the Lord the Lord forsooke them and gaue them ouer and their kingdome to the Assirians by the hand of Salmanasser and so Samaria and other townes in Israel were inhabited by strangers So the kings of Iudah after Israel within 133. yeares after were carried captiues into Babilon by Nabuchodonozer yet the Lord gaue them not ouer but brought them within 70. yeares after againe to Ierusalem stirred vp Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes three great kings of Persia to fauour and to aide them with license to returne to their countrey to inhabit Ierusalem with money and much treasure to build vp the Temple redeliuering vnto them all the rich vessels of gold and siluer which Salomon left in the Temple at his death and which Nabuchodonozer tooke away from the Temple and brought to Babilon After Cyrus and these kings of Persia the Lord stirred vp a great Heathen Prince Alexander the great who when he came to Ierusalem lighted off his horse and came to meet the high Priest and reuerenced him with great obeysance where were read vnto him the prophesies of Daniel where it was found that a Grecian Prince should subdue the Persian kingdome which Alexander acknowledged to be himselfe and therefore went into the temple sacrificed to the God of Israel and not only freely granted to the high Priest whatsoeuer he would aske but commaunded him to aske what he would haue him do the high Priest asked nothing but that the Iewes that dwelt in Babilon in Medea and in other countreys about vnder his gouernment might enioy and liue according to the lawes of their countrey which Alexander graunted besides his great and liberall gifts which he bestowed vpon the Priest the temple Nabuchodonozer vsed himselfe otherwise then Alexander did against Iudah for he commanded Holofernus to spare no people no kingdome saying Non Parcet oculus tuus vlliregno The terror of Holofernus army therby was such that they came out of euery citie crowned with crownes on their heads and lamps in their hands to receiue him with all kind of musicke and with dauncing songs to please him yet could they not mittigate the fiercenesse of his fury After Alexander the Lord stirred vp Pthol Philadelphus so to fauour the Israelits to loue their lawes that he had the lawes of Israel written in the Greeke tongue in Alexandria and released many prisoners and captiues of the Iews to the number of 120000. which Ptol. Lagus his precessor had brought from Iudah to Egipt with as great bountifull rewards gifts as Alexander did So Zeleucus shewed such fauour to the Iewes dwelling in Antioch in Ionia in Ephesus that he graunted to them the liberties lawes of their countrey After Zeleucus the Lord stirred vp Antiochus the great being before a great enemy of the Iewes after Antiochus many of the kings of Asia so to fauour them that all the cities of Asia where the Iewes dwelt should suffer them to liue according to the laws of their country and to enioy the benefites of the same and though many of the Assirian kings troubled and molested them with great warres which ioyned themselues with the Samaritans to subdue the kingdome of Iudah Yet the Lord raised vp the house of Assamonias Mattathias to resist the violence of the Assyrians and after him his sonne Iu. Machabaeus who slew of the enemies Edumeans and Assyrians that sought the ouerthrowe of his countrey two hundred thirtie sixe thousand and seuen hundred in the defence of Ierusalem and after him his other foure bretheren forsooke not the lawes of the Lord for all the tyrannie of the Romane Emperors and the Assyrian Kings But the Iewes from time to time so reuoulted from the Lord that Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus made himselfe a King 481. yeares after the returne of the captiuitie of the Iewes from Babilon but hee enioyed his kingdome but one yeare after he famished his mother and killed his brother for in Iudah their kings had no better succession then the kings of Rome had though in both the kingdomes they made great meanes to become kings After this Aristobulus there was no king among the Iewes vntill Herod who was made by the Senators of Rome with the consent of Augustus Caesar and Mar. Antonius both Emperours of Rome vnder whom Iudah was a Prouince Yet one false Alexander a Iew most subtilly adopted himselfe being very like to Herod to be of the stock and family of Herod and brother to Aristobulus and thereby claimed to bee king of Iudah saying that he was Herods sonne as false Philip faigned himselfe in Macedonia to be Persius sonne king Philips brother and as the common people there reuerenced false Philippe in Macedonia so likewise in all parts of Iurie was this false Alexander carried in coach from Cittie to Cittie with all the reuerence and honour that
I will spare to put them in English because they are in English mentioned before If any be desirous of more military punishments let him read Vegetius the third booke and fourth chapter where hee setteth downe that if a souldier beeing punished for any offence by him committed should contrary his Captaine or the Collonell by resisting or staying his captaines hands or by breaking the staffe or the sticke wherwith he is punished he is by martiall law displaced from the place he serueth in and quite remoued from the campe If any souldier resist correction lay violent hands on his Captaine or Collonell when he is corrected he is to suffer capitall punishment which is death by martiall law appointed Augustus Caesar commaunded those souldiers that offended in the campe with sloathfulnesse and idlenesse which framed not thēselues like souldiers to carry vpon their backes Decempedam a pearch or pole of ten foote long sometimes to carrie turffes in their shirts bare-legd and barefooted to be flowted and scoffed of their company Sertorius for that he saw a number of souldiers negligently omit military discipline he caused them to bee whipt and scourged in the midst of the Campe threatning death for the least fault the next time they offended For said Sertorius In bello bis peccare non licet Genutius the Consull disauthorised and purged his campe of foure thousand souldiers whom hee found sloathfull and negligent in the army and brought them to open publique punishment Cyrus therfore after he had conquered the Lydians knowing them to be soft and effeminate souldiers suffered none of them to be in his campe Among the Carthaginians the Lacedemonians and they of Creete a lawe was made confirmed by Plato in Greece that no souldier might drinke wine during the time of theyr warres which made Marius to speake to his Armye perceiuing them to bee verie thyrstie we must breake our thirst in yonder Riuer after the battell Pittacus a singular wise man made the like lawe in Mittelena as Plato made in Greece that the souldiers that would drinke wine might receiue double punishment without pay Among the Romanes seuere lawes were made against wine drinkers and executed not onely vpon souldiers by the Generall but also vpon the women in Rome by their husbands as Egnat Metellus punished his owne wife If any souldier should go any where out of their camp and be found without sword and weapons about him he should be accused of a capital crime hardly escape death vnlesse it were the first offence of a yong soldier Those souldiers that cast vp bankes made trenches and diches might not be without weapons about them though they were but agrarij milites So vsed Marius and after him Caesar they made their souldiers to worke with their swords on their sides and mattockes in their hands So did the Iewes for feare of the Samaritans and others build vp Ierusalem and the temple hauing theyr weapons in one hand and working with the other Scipio Aemilianus at the warres of Numantia perceiuing that his vnder captaines and his officers forgat the military discipline of the old Romaines which was that women should not follow the warres and many other abuses and enormities which were suffered in the camp without looking vnto and therefore Scipio purged all his army of all idle leaud company with whip scourge that might hinder seruice infect the army So did Cyrus the great king of Persia with the like care keepe his souldiers from slothfull idlenesse commaunding his Generalls Captaines to exercise theyr souldiers with paine trauell to suffer hunger colde without meate or drinke before they woulde certifie their captaine what military exercise either on foote or on horse they had done And after that Cyrus had conquered the Lydians knowing them to be false and treacherous fellowes very cowards timerous soldiers he dismissed them from his campe and suffred them not to stay among his souldiers because they should not infect souldiers nor corrupt military discipline For that the martiall disciplines of the Romaines were such as I thought good to make a catalogue as I found them in the Commentary vpon Vegetius virgis caedi vite verberari linguae abscissio this kinde of punishment vsed the Egiptians by a lawe confirmed in Egipt to cut off the souldiers tongue that betrayed any counsell to the enemie the fourth punishment among the Romanes was Manuū amputatio to cut off the hands of those souldiers that were founde stealing or filching in the campe The fift punishment was Crurum exectio the breaking of the legges of those souldiers that forsooke theyr standart and so to leaue them without legs to staie behinde because when he had legges he would not follow his standart Another punishment they had called Decimation for offences among the souldiers vnknowne the tenth man by lot as it fel vpon him should die throughout the whole company this punishment Decimation was inuented first by Appius Claudius which long endured among the Romanes and most frequented The seuenth punishment was for them that fled to the enemies and returned to be eaten and deuoured of beasts So Scipio Affrican punished some Romain fugitiues Another punishment among the Romane souldiers was to be stoned to death so was Posthumius stoned in his Tents Another punishment among souldiers was to be shot to death the souldier being tied to a stake This punishment vsed Caesar Alexander the great and many other Generalls in diuers countries To be short Sepultura priuari sub crate necari carpento trahi and many other such you may read in Viget lib. 3. cap. 4. In this the Romaines differed from the Persians hardly would the Romanes trust any mercenary souldier or suffer any straunger as a souldier to be within their campe The Persians imitating the great king Cyrus counsell who euer thought it best to choose a souldier as a a man would make choice of a good horse to trauell far from home and to spare his owne people the Persians vntill extreame necessitie forced warres cleane contrary to the Romanes who neuer vsed but their owne Romane legions though they subdued the Macedonians the Persians and their kings yet the Romanes would not vse their martiall discipline which made the Romanes to vanquish all nations and to rule ouer all countries CHAP. II. Of the prouinciall regiments of the Romanes Of their rule and gouernment ouer the greatest kings of the world THe Romanes euery where most renowned for their fame in a manner Lords of the whole earth after they had conquered all nations kingdomes vnder them to pay tribute to the Empire of Rome and had appointed gouernors and regents to gouerne vnder them in euery country Some vnder Consuls some vnder Proconsuls some vnder Presidents some vnder Praetors and some vnder Knights and after they had diuided these kingdomes countries some into principallities some
losse of many countries prouinces and cities so the Turkes marched vpon the Romanes as the Romanes marched vpon others Cyrus the great king of Persia hauing an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces after his conquest of many kingdomes and nations marched with two hundred thousand Persians to be slaine in Scythia and that by a woman so Cyrus lost Persia seeking to winne Scythia and lost his life to get more landes Zerxes marching into Greece with such an innumerable armie that they dranke and dried vp many riuers as Scamander in Thessalia the riuer Simois in Phrygia Clidorus in Beotia Lysus in Samothracia the riuer Menalia by Hellespont yet he came from Greece home to be murthered by Mardonius his seruant in his owne kingdom Alexander the great hauing subdued the most parts of the world he also for want of men marched to India to fight with Elephants and returned from India to Babilon where he was poysoned by his owne seruants Many such crooked marchings were as well among the Iewes as among the Gentiles Saul the first king of Israel marched not as he ought to haue done against Agag king of the Amalekites and therefore was he slaine with his three sonnes in the battell at mount Gilboa by the Philistines Ieroboam marched not rightly to the battel in mount Zemaraim against Abiah king of Iudah and therfore fiue hundred thousand Israelites were slaine of his soldiers The most part of the kings of Israel because I need not to name as Acha◅ Manasses Zedechiah the rest many of the kings of Iudah for that they marched not in the path of the Lord but followed Ieroboā which made Israel to sinne and therefore marched with Ieroboa◅ to their destruction These marched not with Moses who said to the God of Israel We will not goe hence if thou goe not before vs. Nor with king Dauid who would take no warre in hand before he had consulted with the Lord. Nor with Gedeon who would not goe to any battell vnlesse the Lord had giuen him a signe before he went so the captaines of the Lorde marched no where attempted no warre or battell without consulting with the Lorde by Vrim Thummim or with some Prophet of the Lord. The Gentiles likewise would take no warre in hand without consulting with their Oracles as the Romains besought the gods of Carthage promising them Temples Altars sacrifices feasts if they would forsake Carthage and come to Rome and therfore the Gentiles were so superstitious and blinde that in many countries they would binde the Images of Hercules and Mars lest they should forsake them and goe to other nations their enemies for no doubt it should seeme that either they read or heard of Moses bookes how the Lord forsooke the Israelites and gaue them ouer to the Canaanites Philistines and other nations about them and how the Arke was taken frō them by the Philistines Here hence grew the blindnesse of the Gentiles that the Arke being taken away from Israel they feared also lest their gods should be either allured by faire promises or taken away by strength of victories CHAP. VI. Of the maner and forme of vowes as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles for their victories in warres A Bigail Nabals wife vsed a policie to please Dauid fearing least Dauid would be reuenged vpon her husband for his churlish deniall of reliefe to him and to his company went after Dauid with victualls gifts and rewards and pleased him with faire words as Iacob pleased his brother Esau who vsed the like stratagem to win his brother Esau to send him gifts and rewards to please his brother whom he much feared for Esau promised to kill his brother Iacob when his father should die For Iacob the Patriarke made a vow when he went to Mesopotamia after his vision in Luz which thē Iacob named Bethel and said If God be with me and helpe me this iourney and will giue me bread to eate and cloaths to put on he vowed of all things that the Lord would giue him that he would giue the tenth vnto the Lord. Iacobs vow is farre more godly then Absolons vow for Iacob sought but bread to eate and cloaths to put on and safe reture againe from Mesopotamia ouer Iorden but rebellious Absolon sought the kingdome of Israel from his father Dauid by a dissembling vowe saying I will goe and performe my vowes which I vowed vnto the Lorde in Hebron which vowe he made his father the king beleeue that hee vowed in Ieshur in Syria that if the Lord would bring him to Ierusalem he would performe his vowes in Hebron this is a rebellious vow like to the wicked vowes of the Iewes which vowed before they would either eate or drinke to kill Paul The Israelites after they were ouerthrowne in a great battell by Arad king of the Canaanites they vowed vnto the Lorde that if the Lorde would giue Arad and the Canaanites into theyr handes that they would truely ferue the Lorde and destroy the Canaanites theyr landes and theyr cities They bound the Lord to so many conditions that if they should obtaine victories they promised him true seruice and to fight manfully against the Cananites And againe for another victory that the Lord gaue them against the Canaanites they vowed the tenth and performed their vowe the Hebrewes wanted no victories vpon their obedience dutiful seruice to the Lord. Iephtha in his war◅es against the Ammonites vowed vnto the Lord if he should haue victory ouer the Ammonites that whatsoeuer first met him at his returne from his victory comming out of his house should be a sacrifice vnto the Lord. Asa king of Iudah vowed vnto the Lord as Abiah his father did when Shesac king of Egipt came with an infinite number Asa and all Iudah made a couenant to seeke the Lord promised sware that they that sought ◅ot the Lord small or great man or woman should die this with an oath he vowed that Iudah reioyced for the victory they had ouer Zerah king of Aethiope with all his army of tenne hundred thousand Ionas a Prophet of the Lord when he fled from Niniuie to Tharsis being in danger of shipwracke he tolde the Marriners that he was the cause of the perillous tempest and willed the Marriners to throwe him into the sea confessing the lot fell iustly vpon him saying I will performe the vow which I promised vnto the Lord. So Anna vowed vnto the Lord and said that if the Lord would bestowe a man childe vpon her she would giue him vnto the Lord and she vowed that neither razor or sheares should come vpon his head and so performed her vow and brought Samuel her sonne before the Lord. There was nothing so common among the Gentiles also as vows as you heard of the Hebrues of their vows to the gods of Israel so likewise among the Greekes and
So seuere was the Lord that he punished fiftie thousand Bethsamites for looking into the Arke It should seeme that in Rome Numa Pomp. in his prophane religion imitated the lawe of Moses he instituted orders of Priests called Flamines to Iupiter and to Mars he likewise instituted the Vestal virgins to attend the fire consecrated to Vesta to whom Numa commaunded rhat if the fire by negligence were out in the lamp they should take no other fire but from the heate of the sunne Numa also instituted the Priests called Aruales much like to the olde Priestes of the Gaules called Druydes or the Idolatrous Priests called Chemarims in Samaria who serued the golden calfe vnder Ieroboam which made Israel first to sinne so religious a King was Numa Pomp. that Romulus souldiers his predecessor were by Numa Pompilius turned from souldiers to become religious and made the olde Romanes beleeue that the Nimphe called Egeria gaue him rules and lawes to instruct his people with such sundrie and diuers ceremonies as Numa Pomp. himselfe deuised during whose raigne of fortie yeares Ianus Temple was neuer once opened He also decreed certaine seuere lawes for those that offended in religion and yet no Images were seene in Rome for 170. yeares but ceremoniall superstitious seruice of vnknowne gods which Numa decreed then in Rome And for to prophane any of the holy misteries of religion was a sacriledge as well among the Grecians as among the Romaines for so Alcibiades was accused that hee had offended against the goddesse Ceres and Proserpina for that hee counterfeited in mockery theyr holy misteries apparelled himselfe in vestiments as the Priests of Ceres called Eumolpides were wont to do with his Torch-bearer and Verger before him where none should be at this secret seruice but priests holding torches in their hands and women crowned with garlands made of the ◅ares of corne and therfore Alcibiades for his contempt herein was first banned and cursed by the Priests and Nunnes of Ceres after his goods confiscated and himselfe banished out of Athens by Eumolpides lawes In like manner Clodius was accused in Rome of the like sacriledge by Cicero with as great inuectiues against Clodius for prophaning of religion as Cicero did against Cateline for his treason towardes his Countrey For Clodius was accused that hee entered secretly into the misteries of Flora against the lawe whereby he was accused with Pompeia Caesars wife but it cost Ciceros bannishment out of Rome afterwardes by meanes of Clodius when hee became Tribune of the people at what time twentie thousand ware mourning apparell in Rome for Cicero but it cost Clodius life by degrees for Milo slew him and Cicero pleaded with all the eloquence hee had before Pompey the great then Consul in the behalf of Milo so that Alcibiades was banished from Athens and Clodius slaine in Rome for the prophaning of their religion For the like occasions grew warres betweene the Athenians and the Acarnanites for that two young men of the Acarnanites and others with them beeing not Priests came to Athens and entered into the secret misteries of the goddesse Ceres against the lawe which the Athenians tooke for a sacriledge therfore they slew the Acarnanites The Acarnanites beeing agrieued with the Athenians sought helpe of Phillip king of Macedonia against the Athenians to reuenge theyr wrong who was alwayes readye to take quarels against the Athenians So seuere and straight were the Heathens in obseruing the lawes of their religion ceremonies of their gods that euen among the Scythians a rude and a barbarous nation Anacharsis the Philosopher for that he altered the religion of Scythia being his countrey and imitated the Greekes in their ceremonies he was slaine in Scythia by his owne countrey men CHAP. IX Of the reward of souldiers Of honourable buriall of Captaines and of ambition TVllius Hostilius the next king in Rome after Numa Pomp. changed peace into warres and religiō into armes and made as many lawes for souldiers as Numa made for Priests Yet Cicero was of opiniō that the Romanes wanne more kingdomes rather by religion then by armes for the Romanes said Cicero were not equall in number to the Hispaniards neither in strength to the Gaules nor in subtiltie craft to the Affricans neither in learning and knowledge to the Grecians but only the Romanes ouercame these nations as Cicero said Pietate religione Yet Vegetius affirmeth that the Romanes became Lordes ouer all Nations through military discipline which the Romanes had from the Greekes and especially from the Lacedemonians to whom not onely the Affricans the Carthagineans and Cicilians but also the Italians and the Persians sent for skilfull Generalls and Captaines as the Syracusans had Gilippus a Lacedemonian captain against the Athenians and the Persians had Phocian the Athenian their Generall against the Lacedemonians Antalcidas was therefore much offended with Agesilaus for that he taught the Persians to conquer Greece by often and continuall warres with the Persians saying you teach women to ouercome men against Licurgus lawes So the Lygurians grew warlike skilfull souldiers by long fighting contending with the Romains And so the Thaebans became skilfull souldiers by continuall warres with the Lacedemonians that Epaminondas ouercame the Lacedemonians at the battell of Leuctres and brought the pride of Sparta vnder Thaebes Thus the warlike Lacedemonians whose aide and helpe was sought of all nations are ouerthrowne by theyr next neighbours the Thaebans Euen the Lacedemonians who thought it a shame to followe the enemies that fled from them and made a scoffe of the Persians great armies who thought neither Iewe nor Gentile equall to them are now ouerthrowne in their owne countrey by their owne countrey men We leaue the Lacedemonians in theyr losse and will speake of those great captaines that had the like care to bring vp their souldiers as the Lacedemonians had Alexander the great when any of his souldiers were maimed or hurt in the warres that they could no longer serue either being hurt or for their age he liberally rewarded them and sent them to Macedonia with his Letters vnto Antipater that they should be placed in the chiefest place of games and shewes with Garlandes of flowers on theyr heades to animate others to martiall exploytes and to embrace armes So liberall was Caesar to his souldiers that hee would haue them goe braue in apparell and feede them with gifts and rewards and would often say vnto them win gold and weare gold Agesilaus vsed his souldiers with the like martiall exercise and instructed them in all military discipline that hee appointed certaine Armours braue Targets Swordes and such military weapons that should be giuen to those Souldiers that should moste exceede others So Cai. Caesar caused not onely the olde warriors the Romane knights to traine vp the Romane youthes in martiall discipline but the Senatours themselues not only
162 The Romaine stratagem against Pirrhus pa. ead Curius Dentat his triumph pa. 163 Pirrhus saying of the Romanes pa. 164 600000. bushels of corne daily spent in Xerxes army pa. 165 Themistocles stratagem against Xerxes pa. 166 Of Romane stratagems pa. 167 The originall of military discipline had frō the Hebrewes pa. 168 Golden girdles giuen by the Hebrewes and the Persians page 169 Of diuers military rewards to encourage souldiers pa. 169. 170 The custome of the Knights of Rome pa. 171 Lucullus named the Romaine Xerxes and Pompey called Agamemnon the great pa. ead Foresight is great wisdome pa. ead Argyraspides Alexanders souldiers pa. 172 The Scythians lawe for souldiers pa. 173 The lawe of Solon for souldiers pa. 174 One hundred and twentie knights buried in the field Adrasteys by Alexander the great pa. ead Of monuments pa. 175 Bethel become Bethauen pa. ead Abraham prouided for the buriall of himselfe his wife and his posteritie pa. 176 The care of the Gentiles for theyr burials pa. ead The honor of the Atheniās to their Generals for victories pa. 177 Themistocles honored of the Grecians pa. 178 Pompey for his victories and triumphes compared to Alexander the great pa. 179 The triumphs of Scypio Lu. Sylla Pau. Aemilius pa. 179. 180 The 3. great combats of Romulus Cossus Marcellus pa. 181 The maner of Sesostris triumph pa. 182 The Greeke and Romane tropheys pa. ead Sicinius Dentat his reward to his souldiers pa. 183 The forme and manner of making of Tribunes pa. 184 Auctyles people of Libia pa. ead Souldiers might not walke in the night time in Athens pa. 115 Mellephori chiefe souldiers of the king of Persia pa. ead Neodomadae among the Lacedemonians and Ianizari among the Turkes pa. 186 Of diuers military punishments pa. 187 The difference betweene Agesilaus and Caesar pa. 189 Stratagems of Agesilaus Antigonus and Epaminondas pa. ead The lawe of Decimation pa. 190 Bochoris lawe in Egipt pa. 191 Coward souldiers punished in Persia pa. ead The punishment of cowards among the people called Daci pa. 192 Tamberlaines iustice and seuerity pa. 193 Comparison of certaine Romaine captaines with the Greekes pa. 195 The force and perswasion of eloquence pa. ead The greatnesse of Demetrius enuied pa. 196 Demetrius picture carried in the triumph of Peplon pa. 197 Epaminondas and Pelopidas commended pa. 198 Philopomen imitated Epaminondas pa. 199 Philopomen greatly commended pa. 200 The victories of Lucullus pa. 201 Stratagems of Hanibal Lysimachus and Marcellus pa. 202 The crueltie of Mithridates against the Romanes pa. 203 The reuenge of Marius ouer the Cymbrians pa. ead Marius seuen times Consul pa. 204 How the Prophets denounced wars to the Iewes to the Gentiles pa. 205 The maner of the Gentiles in proclaiming warres to their enemies pa. 206. 207. 208 The rainebowe a signe that the world should not bee destroyed with water againe pa. 209 The manner and ceremonies of all nations in concluding of peace pa. 210. 211. and 212 The manner of yeelding among all nations pa. 213. 214. 215 A souldier to loose his target was death in Greece pa. 215 The saying of the women of Sparta concerning cowardly souldiers pa. 216 Shieldes much esteemed among the Romaines and the Grecians pa. ead The victorie of the Grecians ouer the Persians at Plataea pa. 217 The funerall ceremonies for those captains that dyed in the battell at Plataea pa. 218 A feast of the Iewes called Purim pa. 219 The victories of the Grecians ouer the Persians at Salamina and Artemisium pa. 220. 221 Many straunge signes and apparitions in the ayre pa. 222. 223 Signes seene before the destruction of Ierusalem pa. 224. 225 The last ouerthrowe of Ierusalem by Titus and Uespasian pa. 226 Diuers faigned themselues to bee the Messias pa. 227 The Rabins slain at the siege of Ierusalem pa. 228 Ierusalem destroyed fiue times pa. ead The saying of Dio. Areopagita and Appollonius of the Eclipse of the Sunne pa. 229 100000. Talent's left by Dauid to Salomon to build the temple pa. 231 Heathen kings fauoured the Iewes pa. 232. 233 Aristobulus first King of the Iewes after their captiuitie pa. 234 Affliction of the Iewes pa. 235 Zedechiah taken captiue pa. 236 The contents of the third Booke NO mercenarie souldiers allowed by the Romains nor the Persians page 237 Of the care of kingdomes and countreys in military discipline pa. 238 Alexander his lawes and exercise for his souldiers pa. 239 Massinissas hardinesse in marching pa. ead Fabius Max. diligence to his souldiers pa. 240 Bochoris military lawes page ead Full fed souldiers punished by the Romanes pa. 241 Agesilaus military discipline pa. ead The exercise of Eumenes to his souldiers pa. 242 Military punishment recited by Modestinus pa. 243 Lawes of Plato and others against wine drinkers pa 244 The warres at Numantia pa. 245 Cyrus discipline to his souldiers pa. ead Diuers kindes of martiall punishments pa. 246 Prouinciall regiments of the Romanes pa. 247 Diuision betweene the successors of Alexander pa. 248 Liberties and freedomes allowed by the Romanes pa. ead Romane Magistrates gouerned in Asia and in Affrica pa. 299 Ambition in Rome and in Athens pa. 250 Sertorius white hinde pa. 251 Marius carried Martha his Scythian soothsayer pa. 252 The pollicie of Scypio to his souldiers pa. ead Israel consulted with Idolatrous oracles pa. 253 Pennall lawes in Sparta pa. 254 How the Lacedemonians march to theyr warres pa. ead The manner and habit of all nations in going to theyr warres pa. 256 Of military oathes ministred vnto souldiers in diuers countreys pa. ead Oathes of the Romanes and of the Grecians pa. 257 Asdrubals head sent to Haniball his brother pa. 258 The ouerthrow of Haniball at the battell of Zama pa. 259 Three bushels of golde Rings sent by Haniball to the Senators of Carthage pa. 261 The ouerthrowe of Antiochus the great at the battell of Magnesia pa ead The saying of Antigonus and of Pirrhus pa. ead The burning of Carthage pa. 263 Marius seuen times Consul pa. ead Ciuill warres betweene Marius and Sylla pa. 264 The diuers victories of Pompey the great pa. 265 Stratagems of great Captaines that saued themselues by flight pa. 266 Scypios questions with Haniball pa. 268 Caesars celerity in his victories pa. 269 Epaminondas and Scypios stratagems pa. ead Caesar was in 52. pitcht and set fields pa. 270 No triumphes in ciuill warres at Rome pa. ead The battell betweene Torquine and Publicola page 271 The first funerall sermon in Rome pa. ead The noble act of Mu. Scaeuola and Horatius Cocles pa. 272 Torquinus the proud driuen out of Rome pa. ead The marching of the Scythians Saracens and Turkes pa. 273 The marching of the kings of Israell pa. 274 Arebellious vowe of Absolon pa. 276 The vowes of the Israelites pa. ead The vowes of the Romanes pa. 277. 278 The vowes of the Athenians to Aeolus pa. ead Of diuers seuerall vowes pa. 279. 280 Stratagems of Satan pa. ead Philos speech of
THE STRATAGEMS of Ierusalem With the martiall lawes and militarie discipline as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles By Lodowick LLoyd Esquier one of her Maiesties Serieants at Armes Sap. 7. Candor lucis aeternae est sapientia LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede 1602. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Syr Robert Cecill Knight Principall Secretary to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Maister of the Court of Wardes and Liueries One of her Highnesse most Honourable priuie Councell and Chauncellour of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge ALexander the great right Honorable thought long to write the straunge sights hee sawe in India to Aristotle the philosopher in Macedonia Caesar made haste to write the celeritie of his victorie in Pontus to his friend Anitus at Rome The like desire is in my selfe with no lesse longing to make my labour knowne to such honourable friends as will both accept and defend my trauaile herein Of whom I made choice of your honour to dedicate the Stratagems of Ierusalem as vnto one that is furnished with stratagems wisedome and knowledge of whoÌ„ I may say as Plato spake of such like Consilium eius est qui rei cuiusque peritus Such wise and graue councellors the Lord euer prouided to attend on godly and vertuous Princes as eyes and eares to preuent both home and forraigne stratagemes of enemies as Chusai with Dauid to preuent the wicked purpose of Absalon and Nathan with Salomon to finde out the trecherous intention of Adonias The Lord left not the wicked Samaritans vnprouided of Prophets councellors yea euen amoÌ„g Infidels and Pagans the Lord stirred vp Daniel to counsel Nabuchodonozer in BabiloÌ„ Ioseph to counsell Pharao in Egipt that they might confesse acknowledge God to be the Lord therfore wel said Solon Non quae suauissima sed quae optima sunt coÌ„sulenda It is not the coÌ„sultatioÌ„ of the Romains with their soothsaiers that made their Empire so to florish nor of the Persians with their Magi that got the Monarchy of the Assyrians to Persia. All stratagems victories good counsell commeth from the Lord so wisdom saith I dwel with Princes in councell and am among them that seek wisdom knowledge Plato the Philosopher could so say Omnis consultatio quiddam sacrum est and Aristotle his scholler called councell of Princes Diuinissimum consilium The kings of Persia when they admitted any into councell tooke their fignet laid it on their mouths as a seale of sileÌ„ce saying Anima coÌ„silij secretuÌ„ so AlexaÌ„ did to his councellor EphestioÌ„ Neither could any be of councel in Persia but such as were in couÌ„cell most secret in gouernmeÌ„t most wise prudent The cause why Demosthenes was so esteemed amoÌ„ng the AtheniaÌ„s was his wisdoÌ„ policie often to preuent the force stratagems of Phillip of Macedon The cause why Vlixes was iudged more worthy of Achilles armor then Aiax was his experience and councell to Agamemnon in the Grecian warres So it may be well spoken of Nestor who was preferred before all other Greeke Captaines for the like cause Multitudo enim sapientuÌ„ sanitas orbis terraruÌ„ est saith wisdom It was not the counsel of the Nimph Egeria to Numa which was ridiculous but the wisedome policie of Numa therby to establish his lawes much commeÌ„ded Neither the counsell of Iupiter in the Capitoll to Scypio which was foolish but the policie practise of Scypio therby to animate his soldiers much extolled But no councell no policie against the Lord no wisdom nor Stratagem to ouerthrow a king or a kingdom but the sins of the king the kingdome So could Cratippus the Philosopher to that effect answere Pompey the great Fata per causas agunt So could Phaetenissa the Witch answere Saul at Endor Fatum pietatis appendix So could the Idoll of Apollo aunswere Augustus Caesar at Delphos the one willing to know what should become of the kingdome of Israel the other of the Empire of Rome But such busie ambitious braines like Cornel Lentulus that dreamed he should be the third Cornelius that should gouern the Empire were banished out of Athens by the law Ostracismus such might not come in Rome in gownes or in long cloakes into the Senate house by the law of Cincius Many haue Iocobs voice but they haue Esaus hands like Balaam Qui vocem non mentem mutant These dissembling Gibeonites were found out by Ioshuah these bragging Ephraimites were tried by pronouncing the letter Schiboleth None can resist the set purpose of the Lorde who could hinder Moses of his triumph in the midst of the sea or let Ioshuah to set his trophey in the middest of the heauens euen he that commaunded the seas to be diuided and commanded the Sun to stand ouer Gibeon and the Moone ouer Aialon to whom iustly belong all stratagems victories tropheys and tryumphes Your Honors alwayes readie at commandement Lodowick Lloyd To the courteous Reader ALphonsus king of Cicile gentle Reader was euer wont to say Optimos consiliarios esse mortuos meaning wise and profitable bookes both at home and abroad Lucullus one of the greatest captaines among the Romaines and PhilopomeÌ„ of no lesse fame among the Grecians the one by reading Euangelus bookes the other by reading Xenophon became excellent souldiers In so much that Cicero wondred that Epaminondas being such a singular Philosopher should become so famous a Captaine A great staine in M. Corilianus and in C. Marius though otherwise stout and valiant not to be learned Caesars Commentaries are at this time as much esteemed among the Turkes as Homers Illiads were in auntient time among the Grecians If these Polymarchies and Campmaisters confesse that by holding a penne in the one hand do profit as much as by holding a sword in the other or rather more If Fabius weakned Hanibal more by delayes then Marcellus did by the sword If Fabritius wearied Pirrhus more by counsell then all Rome could do by their warres then it is truly said that Plura auspicijs concilijs quam telis manibus geruntur So that sometimes that saying of Cicero is true Cedantarma togae an other time the saying of Lysander is as true Sileant leges inter arma So all Empires ought to be Non â—…olùm armis decorata verumetiam legibus ornata Therefore Alexander Seuerus vsed both the sword and the penne as well in decreeing of his lawes at home as in mannaging of his warres abroad Consilijs togae militiae literatos adhibere I speak not of such bookes which Plato compareth Adonijs hortis fresh and full of sauour in the morning and withered and decayed at night like the Elephants of India at their first sight in Asia were so wondred at that Antiochus the great hauing but two named the one Aiax the other Patroclus the names of two Princes but when these Elephants became so common in Rome and in Asia that they were in euery CoÌ„suls triumph they were called but Boues Lucanias a great
change frō the names of Greeke Princes to bee named oxen of Lucania Bookes are no otherwise for in auntient time when bookes were yet rare they were fellowes and companions with Kings Princes in courts it so seemed by Alexander the great who could not sleepe before he laid Homer with his dagger vnder his pillow and by Scypio Affrican who would not frō Rome to Carthage without either Panetius or Polybius in his company and now bookes being common are so little regarded rather bought for their golden tytles which the Printer giueth them for his sale then for the matter therein by the Author written for the Revder much like to Mithridates sword whose scabbard was farre more precious and richer without then the blade within Of such bookes Plato speaketh Qui subitò vno die nati celerimè pereunt therfore seldome seene in sight are most in request The Ebaine tree which Pompey the great brought in his triumph into Rome was more wondred gazed vpon then all the braue shewes of the triumph besides So fewe wise words out of a wise mans mouth are more esteemed then heapes of wordes out of an vnwise mouth like the Abderites Embassadors more desirous to heare fewe words out of Zeno the Philosophers mouth then of all the Athenians besides and therfore Pau. Aemilius after he had subdued the king and kingdome of Macedonia wrote no more to the Senators but Victus est Perseus Caesar after he had conquered king Pharnaces wrote no more words but Veni vidi vici Like the Lacedemonians whose writings and speeches were so short and briefe that they would answer either Embassadors friends or foes by writing or by mouth in two or three words And so with the like fewe words I referre my selfe to the gentle disposition of the reader rather to excuse my trauell in curtesie then to accuse my goodwill wrongfully Lodowick Lloid The first Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CAAP. I. Of diuers Battels and Combats Of seuerall markes of diuers nations vpon the good and bad Of the calling of Abraham and of his praise and trauell THe whole BIBLE is a Booke of the Battels of the Lord and the whole life of a man a militarie marching to these Battells betweene the seede of the womā the Serpent which Battel was first fought in heauē betweene Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his angels at what time Satan was ouerthrowne and cast out of heauen with all his angels with him The second Battell was in Paradise fought betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent where likewise Sathan was ouerthrowne for then it was promised that the seede of the woman should tread downe the Serpents head thereby perpetuall warre was publikely proclaimed in Paradise to continue betweene the seed of the woman and Sathan and therefore are the battels of the Lord innumerable in respect of number for that euery liuing man must fight in this battell in his owne person for his owne life and inuincible in respect of power and force for all battels and victories are of the Lord yea euen amongst Infidels and Pagans Which if the Hebrewes had so acknowledged it and had marched truly and faithfully in the Lords battels they should haue acknowledged this to haue bin their true Oracle that all victories come from the Lord and not from the arme of man Thē the Hebrewes might haue known that Egipt where they had bene bondmen and slaues 430. yeares was giuen to them for a pray frō the Lord by the hands of Moises and Aron and after Egipt the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and diuers other nations were also giuen into their hands they might haue acknowledged that the ouerthrow of 39. Kings was no small bootie to such simple men as were no souldiers by education but brought vp as shepheards from Abrahams time to Moises But they forgot the great armies and legions of Frogges Flies Grashoppers and such armies which the Lord prouided to fight for them while yet they were bondmen in Egipt where they had ten victories and ten tryumphs some in the midst of the land of Egipt some in the midst of the Court of Pharao and some in the midst of the red sea to the wonder and terrour of the whole world The Hebrues might likewise haue knowne that the Chaldeans were giuē to the hands of the Assyrians the Assyrians to the Persians the Persians to the Macedonians the Macedonians to the Romanes Yet all these miraculous victories which the Lorde gaue the Hebrewes ouer so many Kings and Countries could not make them to acknowledge the author thereof but what victories soeuer the good kings of Iudah got by seruing of the Lord that the euil wicked Kings both of Iuda Israel lost by their Idolatry and contempt of the Lord vntill they themselues were rooted out of their Countrey slain and ouerthrowne and their Kings taken carried captiues the one by Salmanasser to the Assirians the other by Nabuchodonozer into Babilon of whom you shall reade more of them and of their warres hereafter And now I thinke it most conuenient to speake somewhat of diuers seuerall combats which is the strongest and onely battaile for in this battaile euery man must first ouercome himselfe and after be ready armed to fight with Sathan and his souldiers the onely enemie of man against whom all men are bounde by the vow of Cherim to fight the battels of the Lord. We are commanded to be as subtill as Serpents to preuent the subtill stratagems of Sathan with spirituall weapons who from the beginning against the Lord in heauen and against man in Paradise practised his policies this is the old Dragon which Michael threw downe out of heauen this is the serpent which the seed of the woman subdued in Paradise this is that ghostly enemy which practised his stratagem by his seruant Pharo in Egypt not onely by making a lawe and decree first to kill the Hebrewes children and after by a second decree to drowne them in Nilus least he should be deceiued in the first but also with a like stratagem by his seruant Herod to kill to the number of 14000. yong Infants in Bethelem and in Iuda among the which he sought Christ therefore we are commanded to be strong and valiant as the Lord commanded not only Ioshua Dauid and others of his owne seruants but also Nabuchodonozer and Cyrus In these kinde of battels or combats euery man must be armed with such spirituall weapons as is by Paul the Apostle appointed to resist the violence of so great an enemy who doth not only assault vs abroad but in our chambers yea in our beds we must therefore wrestle with this enemy as Iacob wrestled with the Angell for the which he was named Israel as Iob wrestled with Sathan for the which the Lord called him his seruant Iob Or as Dauid did with the Gyant Goliah for the which he was annointed King
of Israel In these kinde of combats the Prophets Martyrs of the Lorde win many victories of Sathan and his souldiers as Esay that was sawed in peeces by Manasses in Ierusalem Ieremy that was stoned to death at Taphnis in Egipt by the people Ezechiel whose brains were beaten out in Babilon and infinite numbers of the Martyrs of the Lord which fought in these battels of the Lord with legions of diuels and armies of spirits and got glorious victories and were crowned not with the Oliue of Olimpia nor with the Lawrell of the Romanes but with Crownes and Garlandes made of the tree of knowledge and of the tree of life crownes of immortalitie and garlands of eternitie These might say with Paul We haue runne a good race and fought good combattes farre greater combattes then Romulus had with Acron and yet it was for two kingdoms greater then the combat that Artaxerxes had with his brother Cyrus for the great kingdome and Empire of Persia or the combattes betweene Hector and Aiax where many Kings and kingdomes were ouerthrowne but the only combat which makes euery souldier stout and valiant was by the seede of the woman who rescued Adam from the bondes of Sathan and restored him to libertie and wanne a greater victory to Adam then Adam had lost to Sathan this is the strong armed man that is spoken of in the Gospell of Saint Luke that did binde Sathan and tooke his rich spoyle out of his clawes restored to Adam his life and libertie with a condition to stand out and resist Sathan and to fight stoutly against Sathan in these combattes and battailes of the Lorde for Adam was first a murtherer of his children before he had children and Adam was the cause that Christ was slaine for him thereby to saue him and his children Vnder this strong armed Captaine all men must march armed to fight the Lordes battaile as Elias did who marched himselfe against 450. false Prophets of Baal in combat of life death whom hee ouercame and slue for theyr Idolatry at the brooke Kyson In like sort marched Elizeus and led the whole Army of Benhadad from Dothan to Samaria blinde among their enemies for Benhadad king of Syria had sent to bring Elizeus from Dothan to Damascus as Achab sent Captaines with 50. souldiers to take Elias in mount Carmel but Elias commaunded fire from heauen to destroy them as he destroyed Baals Prophets thus the Prophets of God are for theyr victories ouer Kings crowned for the Lord raised among all Nations some faithfull seruants of his to fight in these combats as Ioseph in Egipt Daniel in Babilon Iob in the land of Huz and many such were crowned victors and triumphed ouer Sathan for none shall bee crowned saith Bernard but hee that obtaineth victorie none obtaineth victory but he that fighteth no man fighteth but with him that is his is enemie so the Lord reserued as he said to Elias 7000. in Israel that neuer bowed nor bended knee to Baal for the Lord hath marked his people in all Countreys with the letter Tau in their foreheads So hee marked the Hebrewes in the land of Gosen to be saued from the plagues in Egipt the Angell also was commaunded of the Lord to marke the doore postes of the houses in Egipt with the sprinkling of the bloud of a lambe as a mark to spare his people So the Lord commaunded his Angels to goe through the whole Cittie of Ierusalem that those that wept and lamented for Ierusalem should bee marked in theyr foreheads with the letter Tau The Lord also charged those Angels that had power to hurt the earth and the sea not to hurt the earth vntill the seruants of the Lord were sealed and marked in their foreheads Paul as himself said bare the markes of the Lord Iesus in his body opposing the markes of those stripes which hee bare for his maister Christ as a mark of his Apostleship against the outward circumcision of the Iewes these were externall markes by the Prophets set downe in the olde Testament but in the new Testament the seruants of the Lord were marked with the bloud of the Lambe Christ Iesus a true marke of our saluation There is a Nation in the East Countrey dwelling in some part of Armenia called Iacobites both circumcised and baptised that are marked both in their forehead and in their breast with the character or likenesse of the crosse The wicked also haue their inward and outward markes Cain had his marke not outwardly seene by men but inwardly so felt of Cain that hee oft did wish to die and could not for that was his marke that whosoeuer kild Cain should bee seuen folde punished Esau had also his marke and such a marke that all the Edomites that came of him had also Esaus mark whose marke was that hee could not repent though he sought it with teares So had the false Prophets their markes as the messengers of Sathan to speake lies to the people and so Heretiques had their marks for blaspheming the name of the Lord denying one article or other of our faith I leaue these inward marks to such as be marked in cōscience with hot Irons come to the external marke of the Romans who marked men cōdemned to die with two letters Cappa Thita as marks of death and those that should be saued with T. and a. as markes to liue this letter Tau was vsed in many Countries for a marke to liue so souldiers that escaped the daungers of warres were likewise marked with this letter Tau As among the Romanes by the decrees of Honorius and Arcadius both Emperours of Rome the souldiers were marked vpō their armes The Thracians were marked in their foreheades whereof they were so proud and reioyced so much of these markes to terrifie their enemies like the old Britaines who painted themselues that they might seeme terrible in their warres Of these markes of souldiers I shall haue occasion to speake of when I entreat of military discipline to souldiers omitting now further to speake of letters written in seruaunts foreheads of rings on bondmens feete and haires of the head halfe shaued Of which Appulius writes Frontes literati Pedes annulati c. So that among diuers nations they were marked on the breast foreheads hands and armes As the Syracusans burned their seruants in the forehead with the print of a horse to be knowne as bondmen so the Sameans burned the Athenian souldiers taken captiue in the warres in the forhead with the print of an Owle And in like sort the Athenians burned the captiue souldiers of Samana in the forehead with the likenesse of a ship Among the Lacedemonians and in most part of Greece it was not lawfull for bondmen to weare haire neither on head nor face Among the Romains for 454. yeares there was no Barbers seene nor knowne Pub. Tycinius was the first that brought Barbers f◅om
out of Egipt least they ioyned with the Affricans or with the Assirians to warre vpon Egipt or else least the number of the Hebrues should be so multiplied in Egipt as they might ouerthrow Pharao in his owne kingdome and therfore Pharao kept them in slauery and bondage vexing and molesting them and withall decreed a lawe to put himselfe out of doubts and his kingdome out of danger that all the male children of the Hebrues borne in Egipt should be presently murthered after their birth with a great charge giuē that they should bee slaine his feare was such that it did not content Pharao but least hee should be deceiued with killing of them hee made another lawe that they should be drowned in the Riuer Nilus But Pharao determined and God disposed for the Lord reuenged the house of Israel vpon Pharao with ten horrible and terrible plagues and at last Pharao the king his peeres and the most part of the nobles of his land and almost all his kingdom were drowned in the red sea to an infinite number and as Orosius saith more of the Egiptians were drowned then the number of the Hebrewes that came out of Egipt yet there is no iust number written by Iosephus who ought best to know it As the Egiptians were compared to the Romains for their crueltie so were the Hebrewes compared to the Christians for their punishment the Iewish Synagogue to the Christian Church and as the Hebrewes were plagued by the Egiptians 430. yeares in Egipt so were the Christians so long afflicted and persecuted throughout all the Empire of Rome but as Pharao and all Egipt were destroied for their vexations of the Hebrewes so Rome and the Empire of Rome was plagued for their bloudie persecutions against the Christians and therefore euery seuerall plague in Egipt shall be compared to euery seuerall persecution in Rome The Lord now being armed to mannage warre with the Egiptians and to reuenge the wrong of his people the Hebrewes hee appointed his souldiers readie and diuided them into seuerall troupes and bands He hath an armie aboue in the heauens the Sun the Moone and the Starres hee hath another armie in the aire lightning thunder haile-stones and such souldiers another in the waters whales crocodiles serpents and such monstrous creatures in the seas Another in the wildernesse and woods as Lyons Beares Wolues Tygres and the like beasts Yea the Lord hath his armies in ditches lakes as Frogges and Toades and hath also his armie euen out of the dust ashes of the earth Lice Flies and vermines The Captaine that the Lord appointed ouer these armies was Moses which was but a shepheard to dant the courage of Pharao who at the commandement of the Lord marched to Egipt with these legions of souldiers to take his people from the bōdage of Pharao threatening warres vnto Pharao and yet not without conditions of peace according to the lawe of armes if Pharao would let his people peaceably depart out of Egipt with bag and baggage Moses to whome Iehouah appeared in the bush burning was commaunded to take the charge of the Hebrues and lead them from Egipt to the lande of Canaan Moses obeyed the Lords commandemēt yet accused himselfe of some imperfection he had in his speech and therefore had Aaron his brother for his Orator who hauing done the Lords commaundement in Egipt to Pharao their message was reiected and had no audience at Pharaos hand Thē was Moses cōmanded by the Lord to stretch his rod vpon Nilus and vpon all the riuers of Egipt the pooles and standing waters that they might be turned into blood so that the Egiptians were constrained to drinke of that bloodie riuer Nilus the iust iudgement of God vpon Pharao who thirsted for blood to drink blood like so Tomyris Queen of Scythia spake to Cyrus whose head she caused to be cut off being slaine in the field and to bathe it in a great tunne full of blood saying drink Cyrus of that blood which thou didst euer thirst for So Pharao in like sort was forced to drinke of that bloody riuer where before time hee commanded all the male children of the Hebrewes to be drowned and where Moses him selfe being but three months old so long his mother kept him secretly vnknowne vnto Pharao but Amri Moses father much fearing that he his wife family should die for it according to the decree that Pharao made committed him to Gods prouidence in Nilus by whose prouidence Moses was saued to bee a captain ouer his people to lead them out of Egipt to plague Pharao and to reuenge the 430. years calamities miseries of the Hebrues in Egipt vpō Pharao his kingdom with ten such terrible plagues as was neuer heard or read of before like in all points to the ten cruell persecutions which cōtinued in all the Romane Empire during the raigne and gouernmēt of ten Emperors which persecuted the Christians in Rome as Pharao plagued the Hebrues in Egipt This first plague of the Egiptians may be cōpared to the first persecution of the Christians vnder that cruel Emperor Nero at what time there was nothing in Rome nor in Italy but as in Egipt for as Nilus all the riuers of Egipt wer turned into blood so in Rome in euery street was nothing but sheading of christiās blood vnder the tiranny of Nero by whō Paul Peter diuers others of the chief members of the church were most extreamely persecuted some beheaded some hangd some burnt so that beside his vehement persecutiōs to the Christians few escaped the cruelty of Nero otherwise he spared none no not Seneca his maister nor his mother Aggrippina but Nero like his cruell vncle Caligula wished all Rome to haue but one neck that he might with one stroke cut it of for he caused Rome to be set on fire to burn 6. daies to resemble the burning of Troy where he in his tower Maecenatiā beholding the great flames of fire recited merily certain Odes of Homer touching the burning of Troy Thus from one tyrannie to another he passed all men in tirannie that as the fish that was in Nilus and al the riuers of Egipt died stank in the riuers so the Christians were murthered persecuted by Nero whose bodies likewise stanke for want of buriall but as Nero without mercy or respect slue all spared none and at last slue himselfe being proclaimed by the Senators of Rome a traytor to his Countrey thus Nero liued and ended his life with blood and for that he could kill no more hee kild himselfe in whom also ended the whole stocke and familie of Caesar. So Abimelech the base sonne of Gedeon slue his seuentie brethren to vsurpe the gouerment by destroying the lawfull sonnes of Gedeon or like proud Hamon who sought with all meanes possible to destroy Mardocheus and all the Iewes within the hundred and seuen and twentie Prouinces of Persia. So
matters to please the reader as also of their diuers and straunge fashions of their coming into battell being then not acquainted with so many sundry shots with such Armors of proofe but with the sword and shield the speare and launce yet euery Nation deuised stratagems and straunge meanes to terrifie the enemies and to obtaine victories The auntient Greeks vsed in their warres the skins of sea dogges for theyr helmets and for great plumes of feathers which souldiers vse now to weare they vsed the manes and tailes of horses The Affricans came to the battel with leopards horse skins The Aethiopians the Scythians with Foxe skins The Troglodites with Serpents skinnes The Cydones with Goate skinnes The Massagets with barkes of trees The people called Geloni with the skinnes of the slaine enemies in the field The old Troians came to the battel with hornes of oxen and eares of horses on their heads and all to terrifie the enemie The olde Brytaines vsed to paint their faces to looke grim and terrible vppon the enemie and to seeme cruell and fierce souldiers in the battell The Thracians vsed Foxe skinnes for their helmets and painted their faces with such markes as might make them seeme terrible to the enemies like the olde Brytaines The people of Mauritania came vnto the countries of their enemies with Elephants Lyons skins so the Arabians vpon camels and the Indians vpon Elephants came vnto the wars which before Alexanders time were not seene in Asia neither before Pirrhus time in Rome which the Romans at the first sight thought strange but after they had subdued Affrica these strange beasts elephants camels lyons such were in Rome as in India or in Affrike and vsed in Rome so familiarly and commonly vpō the Theaters to fight with other beasts with men And yet Pirrhus as I said before was the first captaine that brought Elephants to Lucania in Italy where being ouerthrowne in his last battell at Arusnia by Curius the Consul at what time foure Elephants were brought to Rome which were so straunge among the Romains that they called them Boues Lucanias the great oxen of Lucania but within fiftie two yeares after Metellus in his victorie at the battell at Panormus sent to Rome 104. Elephants or as Plyni saith a hundred fortie and two The auntient kings of Egipt were wont to weare on their helmets the likenesse of diuers kindes of heads of beasts either the head of a Lyon of a Bull of a Dragon or such which the Grecians imitated and after them the Romanes In many Countreys they vsed to weare on their helmets the likenesse of Lyons Wolues Harts Dragons Dogs Eagles and other such beasts and fowles as pleased the Generalls or Captaines to weare for a terrour to the enemie For in the Cymbrian warres against Marius it is written in Plutarch that the Cymbrian horsemen ware on their helmets the likenesse of monstrous and terrible beats wide gaping and open mouthed thinking thereby to feare their enemie And what enemie soeuer he slew in the field might by the law of Armes take the Swords Targets Helmets and all other weapons of the enemie and hang them vp as Tropheys at the doores and gates of his house the rather to moue others by the sight thereof with greater desire to armes as the Belgeans were wont sometime to cut off the head of the slaine enemie and to take off his bloudie garments and to hang them vpon postes and trees as trophies of victories Now after the old and auncient maners and strange habites of diuers nations going into wars as you haue read of the Affricans Arabians and Indians so also in numbring their souldiers you shall read the manner of diuers natiōs when they sent their souldiers to any battell and first of the Hebrewes who brought account to Ioshua of the souldiers slaine and not slaine in battell The custome among the Persians was that the souldiers that went to the wars should euery one take a shaft out of his quiuer and write his name theron and throw the same vnto great chests before the chiefe magistrates and that the souldiers that returned from the wars again aliue shuld take their arrows frō the chest that the Persians therby might know the nūber of their lost souldiers In like sort the Romans recorded the names of their souldiers in writing tables that they might know at their returne from the wars by their names written how many were slaine in the warres For among the Romanes there could be no greater reproach to the General then to be ignorant of the names of all his captaines officers and magistrates of the field and also not to be acquainted with the name of any well deserued souldier Cyrus therefore King of Persia and Mithridates King of Pontus were both much honoured and much esteemed of their souldiers Cyrus for his skill and art of memorie for he could name all the souldiers in his Army And Mithridates for his knowledge of tongues for hee could speake two and twentie languages to all those nations that serued vnder him CHAP. XV. Of diuers battels and victories which Ioshua had at Iahaz at Edrei and ouer fiue Kings at the battell at Gibeon THe Hebrewes proceeded forwards in their warres against the Canaanites for the Lord said to Moses Goe to Sehon king of Amorites prouoke him to battell and conquer his land for that he denied passage to Moses Army to goe through his land to the land of Canaan and therefore the Lord gaue Sehon King of the Amorites vnto Moses hands at the battel at Iahaz And the Army of Israel destroyed all the Cities of the Amorites with their King men and women from the Riuer of Arnon vnto Gilead there was not one Citie that escaped the Lord had cursed Canaan and therefore he commanded to spare none In like sort in the battell at Edrei the Lord deliuered Og King of Basan the Giant into Moses hands as he did Sehon King of the Amorites and the Hebrewes smote the king and all his people destroyed three score strong walled and fenced Cities the Hebrewes destroyed all the Countrey of Argob and all the kingdome of Og in Basan which was called the land of the Giants and possessed from the Biuer of Arnon to mount Hermon Og king of Basan remained onely of the Giants for the Lord said vnto Moses I will send the feare and dread of thee vpon all the Nations vnder heauen so that when they heare of thee they shall tremble and quake for feare of thee As Sehon king of Hesbon denied passage to Moses to goe through his land to the land of Canaan so the Cittizens of Ephron denied Iudas Machabaeus passage through their Countrey though he sent with peaceable words vnto them as Moses did to Sehon king of Hesbon before that he might passe through their land doing no harm but they denied him his request
from mount Ephraim and now followed the enemies vnto Bethauen the victory was great which Saul got ouer the Philistines Saul in this battel did binde the souldiers by oath not to eate till euening and cursed him that would eate any foode till night for Ionathan tasted a little hony with the end of his rod and Saul his father would haue put him to death sauing that the souldiers rescued and deliuered him for the Lord had giuen a great victory by Ionathan ouer the Philistines CHAP. XX. Of the victorie of Saul at Iabesh Gilead and after how he was ouerthrowne by the Philistines and slew himselfe in mount Gilboa and of the reward of diuers treasons AFter the battel at Michmash Saul had an other victorie ouer the Ammonites where the Ammonites were slain at Iabesh Gilead the Lord prospered Saul and endued him with such vertues as were meete for a K. yet Saul disobeyed the Lord being commanded to destroy the Amalekites and sley both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both camel and asse yet he spared Agag king of the Amalekites and the fat beasts and the lambes the sheepe and the oxen that were good against the commaundement of the Lord and therefore Samuel reproued him and tolde him that the Lord had reiected him and that his kingdome should bee giuen to an other and vpon Sauls disobedience Samuel was commaunded to annoint Dauid king ouer Israel so Saul wonne the victory but lost his kingdome and his life in the next battell Saul being forsaken of the Lord for his disobedience the Philistines preuailed against him in diuers battels for Saul was more desirous to kill Dauid the seruant of the Lord then to destroy the Philistines the enemies of the Lord. But Dauid was reserued and ordained to fight the battels of the Lord to destroy the Amalekites the Philistines the rest of the Lords enemies whom Saul spared being commanded to the contrary therfore the Lord gaue Saul to the hands of the Philistins at the battell in mount Gilboa that the Israelites fled and fell before the Philistines and the three sonnes of Saul were flaine and Saul himselfe sore wounded Such was his cruell life seeking to kill Dauid that he had a desperate death for he slew himself with his owne sword seeing the battell so sore against him his sonnes slaine his souldiers killed and all the rest of his army fled This was the end of Saul the first K. of Israel like the end of Zedechia the last king of Israel And whē the Philistins came to the spoyle of them that were slaine they found the body of Saul and his three sonnes in mount Gilboah slaine in the battel and they cut off Sauls head and stripped him out of his armour and they laid vp his armour in the Temple of their god Astaroth and hanged vp his body on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph and they sent the head of Saul vnto the land of the Philistines that they might shew it in their cities and publish it in the Temples of their Idols among the people and after to set vp Sauls head in the Temple of Dagon This was the end of Saul whom the Lord raised from keeping his fathers asses to be a king ouer his people for not obeying the commaundement of the Lord thus euer the Lord punished disobedience in Saul in Rehoboam Achab Manasses and Zedechiah that the Lord deliuered Ierusalem and the kingdome of Iudah to the hands of Nabuchodonozer king of Babilon Saul being now slaine in mount Gilboa the Amalekite which brought to Dauid Sauls crowne and his bracelets and tolde Dauid that hee himselfe slew Saul which was a lye for Saul slew himselfe thought to haue a great reward for such good newes but Dauid commanded him to be slaine The like reward had Rechab and Banah that brought Isbosheths head vnto Dauid who disguised themselues as Marchants to buy wheate and went to Isbosheths house who slept on his bed at noone and they slew him tooke his head with them and presented it vnto Dauid at Hebron supposing they should bee better rewarded then the Amalekite was but Dauid rewarded them in this sort that their hands and their feete were cut off hanged vp ouer the poole in Hebron The recompence of such treacherous seruants were euer so rewarded as Bessus the onely chiefe captaine vnder Darius who after he fled from the battell at Arbela was slaine by Bessus and his head cut off and brought vnto Alexander who thought to be aduanced for his trecherous seruice but Alexander commaunded that he should be tyed to the tops of two young trees bending to the ground that he by the swinge and lifting vp of the trees might be torne in peeces So Septimius and Achillas commaunded by Ptolomeus king of Egipt to kill Pompey and to present his head vnto Caesar from him though Pompey before time had restored Ptolomeu his father to his kingdome in Egipt and Septimius had beene Pompey his souldier in diuers warres yet they slew him most trecherously in his boate at Pellusium and cut off his head to please Caesar but they were rewarded of Caesar as Bessus was of Alexander for the king was slaine and his kingdome giuen to Cleopatra his sister When Antigonus sawe Pirrhus head presented vnto him by his sonne though they were both enemies and in the field in armor one against an other yet he couered Pirrhus head with his hat discommending the crueltie of his sonne with such a reward that he made his bloud run about his eares saying how durst thou like a sauage beast bring Pirrhus head from his body being dead whom no prince or captaine in Asia or in Europe durst in the face meet in the field aliue Yet most men think that trecherie is allowed though traitors be not accepted I do not thinke but the head of Darius brought to Alexander by Bessus and the head of Pompey to Caesar were as gratefull as Ciceroes head was to Marc. Antonius brought by Popilius or as Marc. Crassus head sent by Surena to Horodes for thereby had Alexander the kingdome of Persia Caesar the Empire of Rome treason hath better successe then traitors haue To this effect spake Iezabell to Iehu Had Zimri peace which slew his maister Elah as though she should say can traitors haue good successe but she was rewarded by Iehu for that Naboth was stoned to death by her meanes for his vineyard as the rest were Euen cruel Sylla the Romane the enemie of Marius and all his well-willers and especiall of Sulpitius Syllas mortall foe Yet when Sulpitius seruant would haue betrayed Sulpitius his maister vnto Sylla Sylla caused him to bee throwne headlong downe from the rocke Tarpeia So much the olde Romanes hated traitors and treasons that when Viriatus an other Haniball and a great enemie of the Romanes for 14.
yeares space gaue diuers ouerthrows to some Romane Praetors Consuls as Cai. Vetulius Cai. Plantius and others that he waxed so proud and insolent of his victories ouer the Romans that he hanged vp the Romane Ensignes on high hilles and mountaines as trophies to shewe his victories ouer the Romanes but Viriatus was betrayed and slaine by some of his souldiers by meanes of Caepio the Consul against the manners of the olde Romanes which neuer allowed trechery thinking to haue a great reward of the Romanes for his trechery but they according to their manners sent him backe bound vnto Hispaine as a traytor to his captaine and countrey as they did to Timocheres Pirrhus Phisition who offered the Romanes if they would to poison his maister Pirrhus So Camillus sent the schoolemaister of the Phaelicians who brought all his schollers beeing noble mens sonnes to betray the Towne backe naked before his schollers euery scholler hauing a rodde in his hand to whip his master for betraying their fathers their frends and the citie so that neither Viriatus seruant that slew his maister neither Pirrhus Phisition that would haue poisoned his maister nor the schoolemaister that would betray his citie could get any rewards at the Romanes hands for trechery Now to Dauid whose example of warres and victories vpō the Amalekites Canaanites and the rest as in this the next booke shal be mentioned The end of the first booke The second Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CHAP. I. Of Dauid the second King of Israel and his great victories and good successe which hee had in all his warres against the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and others DAuid a man whom the Lord found to his owne heart a second Ioshuah of Israel hee fought many battels of the Lorde and wonne many victories for when the Philistines heard that Saul was dead they sought for Dauid to fight with him and Dauid asked counsell of the Lord before hee would take any battel in hand which made his victories so many and himselfe so famous that all his enemies feared him So should all Kings Generalls and Captaines hold that rule for a principall part of theyr charge and not to commence warre without a iust cause and lawful meanes to be executed Iosias had no good cause to fight with Necho king of Egipt who commaunded his souldiers not to fight with Iosias but against Charchemish a citie of the Assirians So the King of Syria charged his souldiers to fight with none but with Achab king of Israel at what time Iosaphat king of Iudah was spared and therefore returned safe and sound to Ierusalem by the counsell of the king of Syria Had Iosias followed the counsell of Necho king of Egipt as Iosaphat followed the counsell of the king of Syria Iosias had saued his life as Iosophat did Dauid fought with the Philistines smote scattered them and slew them that they fled before Dauids face in the valley of Gyants which is the plaine of diuision because of their victories and there they left their Images and Idols and Dauid burned them much like to the Iamnites who carried the Images of their Idols in theyr bosomes to the battell and tyed them about theyr neckes for they were so found after the Iamnites were slaine as in auntient time the Egiptians carried their gods and their Idols painted on their Ensignes and Banners into the field as their standarts Againe the Philistines gathered their force against Dauid at Rephaim which is called the valley of Gyants and Dauid ouerthrew the host of the Philistines chased them from Geba vnto Gazar An other battell of the Lord against the Philistines fought by Dauid and he againe subdued them tooke the strong citie of Gath which they called the bridle of bondage out of the hands of the Philistines This citie kept the countrey round about in subiection and bondage Thus all wise and skilfull generals ought to imitate Dauid herein to seize by all warlike policie vpon those strong citties and fortes that can commaund the countrey So Hanibal thought himself sure of Rome hauing gottē Capua and Tarentum two of the strongest citties in Italy into his hand So the Romanes hauing gotten Syracusa doubted not to take Carthage and hauing Carthage in their hands they soone cōquered all Affrike and hauing Affricke they made no account to win Asia for at that verie time the best souldiers of the worlde were in the West kingdomes For Antiochus the great the greatest king at that time in all Asia was soone ouerthrowne by a Consull of Rome So Dauid went forward in his victories after he had gotten the strong citie of Gath he smote Moab and measured them with a cord he slue them cast them down to the ground he ouercame whom he would and saued whom hee listed so that the Moabites became Dauids seruants and brought him gifts and presents that the Lord made Dauid famous throughout all the world During the time of Dauids warres against the Canaanites and other nations their associates there was no great warre then among the Syrians neither in any part of Asia and especially in Europe which was scant throughly inhabited in Dauids time and therfore there was no such warre to be written of as was thē between the Israelites and the Canaanites in the time of Dauid For as Ioshua slue the Canaanites and gaue the possession of the land vnto Israel so Dauid rooted them out slue their gyants and brought all the land tributary vnto Salomon his sonne who gouerned Israel fortie yeares in peace and quietnesse without warre Hadarezer king of Zobah hearing of the name and fame of Dauid went to establish his borders by the riuer Euphrates with a great army with him where Dauid gaue him battell fought with him ouerthrew him and tooke from him a thousand chariots seuen thousand horsmen and twentie thousand footemen Dauid destroyed all the chariots and hought all the horses but reserued an hundred chariots for himselfe so that the Lorde was with Dauid wheresoeuer he went and whatsoeuer he tooke in hand The Aramites hearing what great ouerthrow Hadarezer king of Zobah had by Dauid came from Damascus with a very great army to succor the king of Zobah for they knitted themselues against Israel with all theyr force and power but they had the like welcome as the Philistines the Moabites and the king of Zobah had Dauid slue of the Aramites two twenty thousand Dauid put a garrison in that part of Syria where Damascus was and the Aramites became Dauids seruants and brought him presents gifts Dauid so plagued the Aramites which are also named Siriās that they bare such mortall hatred to Iudah for they euer ioyned themselues after with the Ephraimites against ' the Tribe of Iudah Obserue the martiall proceedings of the Israelites to put garrison in euery strong Citie and fort where they had subdued
tribute paide vnto Pharao so that Ioseph enriched Pharao by meanes of the yearely tribute and saued Pharaos life and all Egipt by Gods prouidence and his wisedome that at that time hee was called in Egipt Pater patriae but soone forgotten in Egipt as was seene after in the tyrannie of the Egiptians towards Iosephs children and the whole stocke of the Hebrewes Victories and ouerthrowes by warres gotten imposed such tribute as pleased the cōquerer For among the Romanes before their Empire grew great the Lucanians payed for their tribute but swine the Brusians oxen the Frizians the skinnes of oxen others paid diuers kindes of wine others waxe others fish and such like And as the olde Romanes tributes were but cattell corne wine fish and such so were their tryumphes had ouer the Samnites the Volscians Sabines Tarentines and olde Gaules but the weapons armors coaches garments cattells and such like of the enemies To the Persians while yet the Monarchie was in Persia the Aethiopians payed but Ebanye Iuory Elephantes teethe Frankencense and certaine measures of base gold euery third yeare So the Capadocians payed to the Persians for yearely tribute fiue hundred Horse two thousand Moyles So likewise the Townes and small Villages about Babilon were to prouide and feede the dogges of the king of Persia. But the Citie of Babilon it selfe paide for tribute to the king of Persia Artabas plenas argento certaine accounts of mony euery day The Arabians likewise paide to the King of Persia certaine measures of such sweete odours as the country did abound as Frankincense and such like These were but small tributes as swine oxen corne wine fish in former time which the Romanes had in respect of their tributes had ouer Asia Affricke and Europe afterwards which commaunded not only corne nauies horses souldiers and armours but also after this a farre greater tribute beganne in the time of Paul Aemilius who after he had subdued the Macedonians and Persius their king the Illyrians and their king Gentius hee imposed vppon the Macedonians and Illyrians halfe the tribute which they were wont to paie to their former kings So Scypio Affrican after hee had conquered Hanibal at Zama and brought the Carthagineans to such composition as pleased himselfe to paie two hundred talents yearely for fiftie yeares with such conditions that the Carthagineans should depart from Sardinia and Cicilia to restore the Romane souldiers which Hanniball brought captiue with him out of Italy and to deliuer vp their Elephants and all their nauies tenne excepted To such greatnesse grewe the tributes of the Romanes by their victories that Hispaine and Carthage were to pay yearely stipendary tributes not onely in money but also horses corne nauies armours and to maintaine stipendary souldiers And among all other conquered nations by them they had in their cities and townes places called Cripta for corne and prouisions for souldiers but especially in Egipt which was for their prouisions called the storehouse or barne of Rome But now to the victories of Dauid againe which after hee had raigned twentie yeares king quietly in Ierusalem he lost two great battels in the one he lost seuentie thousand and in the other battell hee had welnigh lost both himselfe and his kingdome in the first battell Dauid committed great faults in setting out his power his glorie his victories and his greatnesse and most ambitiously to commaund Ioab to number all Israel from Berseba euen vnto Dan as though power strength and victorie came from him and not from the Lord. Here Dauid consulted not with the iudgement of Vrim and Thummim and therefore he lost the victory and Sathan gaue him a buffet Dauid againe in the second battel was ouerthrowne by prouokemēt of the former enemie not only to looke vpon the beauty of Bethseba from the roofe of his house but also to send for her and lie with her and to hide the first wicked great fault he committed a greater he sent Letters to Ioab his captaine to put Vriah Bethsebas husband in the front of the battell to bee slaine in this battell also Dauid did not call for the Ephod nor asked counsell of the Lord as he was wont to do therefore Sathan gaue two such great buffets to Dauid that he lost the field and two victories one after an other of these buffets and stratagems Paul speakes that he was buffetted of Sathan least he should glory too much by reuelation shewed vnto him Moses also had a buffet of Sathan at the water of Meribah for his incredulitie that the Lord said vnto him that hee should not enter into the land of Canaan but dye in mount Nebo Iob also had a buffet in the land of Huz Sathan vseth many such stratagems whereby hee giueth many such buffets If Moses Iob Dauid Paul and others were thus buffeted by Sathan who can thinke himselfe free from the stratagems of Sathan wee must therefore watch if wee will not bee deceiued and wee must fight if we thinke to haue victorie our battell is not against flesh and bloud but against power and states of heauens against the prince and ruler of darknesse and against spirituall enenemies But the Prophet Nathan was sent to Dauid to open vnto him the rewards of adultery and murther that the sword should not go from Dauids house the banishment the punishment and miserie that should fall vpon him for offending the Lord. First his sonne died gotten in adultery by Bethseba the rauishment of his women by his owne sonne Absolon the incest of his daughter Thamar by her brother Ammon the murthering of Dauids eldest sonne Ammon by his brother Absolon and the rebellion of his sonne Absolon against his father the King Thus Dauid sawe the iust iudgement of the Lord and the tragicall end of his children for offending the Lord. Euen Dauid that subdued so many nations that got so many victories that fought with a beare with a lyon and with a gyant and subdued them is now subdued by a woman had Dauid after these victories so much temperance and chastitie at the sight of Bethseba as hee had faith and courage at his combat with Golias hee had conquered both alike but the Lord punished Dauid and his house The sonne of Emor for that he violately abused Dina Iacobs daughter her bretheren tooke at it such a spite that Simeon and Leui Iacobs sonnes went and slew Sichem and his father Emor and all the men within Sichem and tooke Dina theyr sister away with them Thus the gadding abroad of Dina to Sichem to see the manner and fashion of the Sichemites was the cause of the ouerthrowe of Sichem and the Sichemites The going of the Sabine virgins to the feast of Consus to see playes in Rome were rauished and taken by the Romanes to the number of six hundred were the onely cause of the warres between the Sabines and the Romanes In Siloth likewise on
that day the feast of the Lorde was kept the virgins of Siloth came abroad to daunce to sing and to play the Beniamites caught the maides of Siloth to the number of 200. and brought them to the land of Beniamin So the abuse of one woman the Leuites wife by the Beniamite cost sixtie foure thousand mens liues and more in Israel For by the taking away of Viriahs wife by Dauid Israel was plagued with the death of seuentie thousand men and the taking away of Menelaus wife from Greece cost the liues of many millions of men and the warres of tenne yeares betweene the Greekes and the Troians And for that the time of the taking away of Vriahs wife by Dauid agreeth with the historie of the taking away of Menelaus wife by Alexander otherwise called Paris After the death of Dauid and Salomon his sonne the kingdome of Israel was established vpon Rehoboam Salomons sonne he forsooke the law of the Lord and reiected his fathers wise and graue counsellors and followed rash young mens counsell and therefore the Lord raised Shesak king of Egipt against Israel and he came with twelue hundred chariots three score thousand horsemen and his footemen were without number for from Egipt came with him the Lybians the Troglodites and the Aethiopians he tooke the strong cities of Iudah and Ierusalem and all the treasures of the Lords house and all the treasures of the kings house and he carried away two hundred targets and three hundred shields of gold which Salomon made and returned to Egipt with a great spoile because Rehoboam forsooke the Lord and therefore was forsaken of the Lord. The temple that Salomon his father builded was spoiled by the negligence of Rehoboam Salomons sonne This was the first victorie that was had ouer Ierusalem by Shesak king of Israel and here began the first battell of the ciuill warre betweene the kings of Iudah and the kings of Israel and such ciuill warre if you consider the slaughter betweene Iudah and Israel and the continuance of their warres you must needs confesse that in one battell betweene Abiah and Ieroboam were more slaine of the Israelites then among the Romanes in fortie yeares to talke of the Romanes ciuill warres which was fortie yeares betweene Sylla and Marius betweene Caesar and Pompey and last betweene Octauius and Marc. Antonius or the ciuill warres of the Greekes called the Peloponesian warre which endured seuen and twentie yeares it was nothing in respect of the murther and bloud betweene Iudah and Israel for in the ciuill warres of the Romanes histories doo not record aboue the deaths of three hundred thousand Romanes Where in this battell being the first ciuill battell betweene Ieroboam king of Israel against Abiah king of Iudah at what time was slaine in the field fiue hundred thousand of king Ieroboams souldiers in one battell which neither Tamberlane nor Xerxes though they could match them in number yet could they neuer match thē in slaughter For as the Romanes were full fiue hundred yeares in conquering the Sabines the Latines the Vients the Fidenates the Samnites Tarentines Hetruscans others frō Romulus time to Scypio Affrican before the Romanes could be Lords of Italy The like may bee spoken of the Israelites in conquequering the Moabites Ammonites Amalekites Philistines and others from Moses time vnto Dauid welnigh fiue hundred yeares and as the Romans held their Empire so long a time as they were in winning of it frō Scypio Affrican who conquered Haniball and Italy vnto the Emperor Probus which was fiue hundred years at what time the whole Empire fell by degrees to decay So Israel as they subdued their enemies from Moses to Dauid fiue hundred yeares as you read before so after Dauid by ciuill warres of Iudah and Israel vnto Zedechias time which was fiue hundred yeares they lost both the kingdomes Iudah and Israel the one taken captiue by Salmanasser vnto Niniuie the other by Nabuchodonozer vnto Babilon so that now the land of Iudah called the land of milke and honey is become Athisme subiect to Pagans Infidels which continued from Abraham the first father of the faith vntill Titus Vespasian two thousand and odde yeares and al through disobedience and contempt of their Lord and God Euen so the Romanes which were wont to be called lords of the world whose Consuls at that time ruled and gouerned the most kingdomes of the world are now left without King Emperor or Consull and many cities in Italy at this day preferred before Rome now gouerned by the Pope a Bishop as Ierusalem is gouerned by the Turk an Infidel so that in all things the Romanes and the Hebrews may be compared for as the greatest enemie that euer Rome had was Italy and the dangerousest foes that the Romanes had were Italians for the Gaules the Cymbres the Carthaginians and the Affricans vexed not the Romans as the Italians did their own country men and next neighbors So Iudah had no enemies but the house of Israel So Israel had no enemies but Iudah for Ierusalem could not away with Samaria for their two Idols the one at Dan the other in Bethell so Samaria could not brooke Ierusalem for the great solemnitie of Salomons temple CHAP. III. The great battell betweene Abia king of Iudah and Ieroboam king of Israel where 500000. were slaine on Ieroboams side Of the victories of Asa and Iosaphat kings of Iudah ouer Zerah king of Aethiopia ouer the Edomites Ammonites and Maobites AS it seemed by the long oration which Abiah made to Ieroboam and his army vpon mount Zemaraim before the battell ioyned together to disswade them from the battell saying that the Lord had giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid and to his house but Ieroboam contemned Abiahs counsel and thought by his policie and subtill stratagem to haue ouercome the host of Iudah but he himself was deceiued to the losse of fiue hundred thousand of his souldiers that his power and force failed that he was not able during his life to preuaile against Iudah for Ieroboam had gathered to encrease his army all leaud idle and wicked vnthrifts to fight this battell against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon like Cinna in Rome that made open proclamation that al bondmē wicked doers and banished men should come to Cinna the Consul they should be restored to their former libertie freedome and thus Cinna gathered al the leaud and wicked men within all Italy he then being Consul taking part with Cai. Marius against his other fellow Consull Octauius which helde with Sylla slaine at that time a number more of the citizens of Rome but between Sylla and Marius one reuenging vpon an other fomi◅g in their countries bloud that all the streetes of Rome anne of bloud These two Marius and Sylla began the first Romane ciuil warres as Ieroboam and Rehoboam did and yet were they both compared to
die Ieremies speech was performed to the ouerthrow of the whole kingdome of Iudah neither could it be otherwise considering they sinned still against the Lord and the long ciuill warres betweene themselues which continued so long from Ieroboams time who caused Israel first to sinne vnto the last king of Israel Elias after he had destroied two captains one after another with their 50. souldiers seuerally with fire froÌ„ heauen after he had subdued 450. of Baals Prophets after all these great conquests and many other such he feared so much one woman that for very feare hee fled from place to place from her being wearie of his life he lay vnder a Iuniper tree wishing to die and prayed to God that hee might die complaining vnto the Lord that there was none left of the Prophets of the Lord but himselfe but hee was aunswered by the the spirite of God that there was seuen thousand more in Israel that yet neuer once bended theer knees vnto Baall The like may bee spoken of Ionas beeing like Elias wearie of his life hee sought meanes to forsake his Countrey and to flye by sea to other Countreys but the sea could not brooke him but deliuered him to be deuoured of a whâ—… and the whale could not keepe him but was compelled to vomit him vp from the bottome oâ—… his bâ—…y to goe to preach to Niniuie so that Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die vnder the Iuniper tree and Ionas would 〈◊〉 be throwne and drowned in the Sea â—…leane contrary to the purpose and prouidence of the Lord. Eâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ly of his life to see the Prophets of the Lord so destroyed and Ionas to see his labour in preaching profit nothing that he should be â—…pured a false Prophet the Lord not destroying the Citie after fortie daies according to his word but sparing it in mercie as he did pittie the gourd in mercy After the Lord had giuen great victories to many of the kings of Iudah to Asa ouer Zerah king of Aethiope to Iosaphat ouer Shesak king of Egipt to Ezechiah ouer Senacherib yet Iudah still forsooke the Lord though Ieâ—…emy tolde them from the mouth of the Lord their destruction when they rather threatned then beleeued But neither Ioachim nor Zedechias would neither heare nor beleeue the Prophet and therefore the Lord deliuered them both into Nabuchodonozers hands the one was slaine in Ierusalem and his body commaunded to be cast out of the citie and to be left vnburied like an asse the other Nabucho tooke prisoner and caused his owne children all his chiefe friends to be slaine in his sight and after hee sawe this tragicall sight with his eyes Nabuchodonozer being then in Rebla before whom Zedechia was brought after he reprehended him for his periurie and trecherie and accused him for his falsehood caused his eyes to be put out and so bound in a chaine and carried prisoner to Babilon where hee lay and dyed in prison being the last king of the line of Dauid and the twentieth king after Saul There was a mightie king in Damascus ouer the Syrians called Adad who after many great battels with Dauid was subdued in a great battell at Euphrates This Adad was so great for his great victories among the Syrians that they named euery king after his name Adad to the number of tenne and the tenth king was that Benhadad which besieged Samaria in the time of the Prophet Elizeus whom this king Adad could no better fauour then Adad his predecessor could fauour Dauid or king Achab did Elias After this great victorie Dauid imposed tributes vpon the Syrians as he did before vpon the Idumeans Moabites and others hee returned to Ierusalem dedicated and consecrated as a trophey of his victorie the armours and rich spoile of Adad king of the Syrians in Ierusalem to the Lord. So the Philistines vsed the body of Saul slaine in mount Gilboa after they had sent his head to the Land of the Philistines and hanged his body on the wall of Bethshan they would be sure to lay vp his Armour in the temple of their god Ashtaroth according to the customes and manners of the Gentiles for they vsed to hang the armors and spoiles of their victories in their Temples to their Gods CHAP. IIII. How Achab though a wicked king had two great victories against Benhadad king of Syria who had 32. kings in his armies Of diuers great blasphemers punished Of the Idolatry of Israel And of the prophecying against Ierusalem BEnhadad king of Aram assembled an army against the Lorde hauing two and thirtie kings which were gouernours and rulers of prouinces with horses and chariots without number came and fought against Achab king of Israel a most wicked king And yet the Lord seeking to winne this wicked king as well by victories now as by myracles before sent a Prophet to Achab promising him ouer Benhadad king of Aram a great victorie For the army of the Syrians were so many that Benhadad sent a Herald vnto Achab commaunding him to deliuer vp to his hand Samaria and all the cities of Israel or else hee would come with such an armie that the dust of Samaria should not be inough for euery souldier a handfull much like Xerxes king of Persia for his vaunts and bragges who doubted that the sea Hellespont had not roome ynough for his nauies nor Greece had land inough for his armies nor the aire wide inough for his shottes but Xerxes was answered by Demarathus the Philosopher as Benhadad was by Achab Let him not brag that putteth on his harnesse as he that puts it off but the king of Syria bragged as Xerxes did before he wan the victory for the Lord gaue the victory to Achab and such a victory by slaughter by chasing by taking of men horses and chariots that the king of Syria fled and escaped narrowly with fewe horsemen that were his guard and said that the gods of Israel were the gods of the mountains therfore they ouercame vs chalenged a battel with Israel in the valleys where they assured themselues of victory thus they blasphemed the Lord in their furie but to their losse great ouerthrow The blasphemy of Rabsacis of his maister Senacherib king of the Assirians saying to king Ezechiah let not thy god deceiue thee in whom thou hopest and puttest thy trust was not he slaine praying before his god Nesroch in Niniuie by his owne two sonnes The blasphemy of Nabuchodonozer saying What God is hee that is able to take you out of my hands was not he punished with the losse of his kingdome and to liue among beasts like a beast and not like a king vntil he acknowledged the Lord The blasphemy of Holofcrnus saying there was no god but his maister Nabuchodonozer was not his head cut off by Iudith a womaÌ„ put vpoÌ„ the wals of Bethulia And likewise the blasphemy of Nicanor which said is there a
Alexander from Persia to Macedonia was troden vnder foote in one or two victories and the Empire carried by Aemililius from Macedonia to Rome In this triumph of Pau. Aemilius the rich armours of all the Macedonian and Illyrian kings then al the plate cubbords and Iewels of the auntient kings of Macedonia were carried in charriots after followed foure hundred princely crownes of golde which the cities of Greece sent to honour Aemilius victorie and to beautifie his triumph in the which triumph such wealth and treasure was brought to Rome by Pau. Aemilius as farre exceeded the triumph of Scypio Asiaticus who carried in his triumphes the pictures of Townes and Citties of Asia painted in tables or the triumphes of Caesar who brought but the likenesse of hilles mountains and riuers or of Pompey the great who brought in his seuerall triumphes 339. kings kings children princes peeres noblemen yet none of these were equall to Pau. Aemilius in respect of the wealth he brought in one triumph to Rome who brought all the treasure wealth of two kingdomes Macedonia and Illyria not in shewe but in substance Others brought in their tryumphes the Images and statues of the kings which were slaine or otherwise died before they could bee taken captiues as Lucullus brought the statue or picture of Mithridates set out and painted very liuely in ensignes Scipio carried in his tryumphe at Carthage the Image of Asdrubal Hannibals brother So Augustus Caesar brought the Image of Cleopatra to Rome in his tryumphe after shee slue her selfe to beare company with her friend Mar. Antonius Others brought in their tryumphes kings aliue as Iul. Caesar brought king Iuba and his sonne with all their treasures of Mauritania in great tryumphe and pompe into Rome Marius brought in his tryumphe Iugurth with all spoyles and wealth of Numidia with all the solemnitie that could be Yet in the infancie of Rome before Rome grew to any greatnesse the first kings tryumphed on foote into the citie as Romulus who though he tryumphed ouer king Acron whom hee slue in a combat challenged yet he being a king carried vpō his shoulders the rich spoyls of the same king being set in order vpon a young green bough of an oake as trophies of tryumphes without either horse coach Elephant or braue shewes and yet his tryumphe was for two kingdomes So did Corneli Cossus who slue fighting in the field hand to hand Tolumnus Generall of the Thuscans And so did Marcellus who likewise slue with his owne hand Britomarus king of the old Gaules before they were called Frenchmen this honour happened to none of the Romaines besides but to these three for Rome yet was scant heard of out of Italy Vechoris king of Egipt by Herodot called Sesostris for examples sake of courage fortitude of souldiers and to kindle their mindes to attempt great exploits in wars hee vsed when hee had ouerthrowne a valiant Armie and manly souldiers he would set vp a marble pillar and vppon it the picture of a man in brasse with a naked swoord in his hande as a trophey in tryumph of his victorie ouer hardie men and if hee had vanquished but a cowardly company and timerous souldiers hee would cause to bee put vp the picture of a naked woman with a Glasse in her hand and a combe to disgrace the souldiers which hee had conquered signifying they were timerous cowardly and womanish souldiers For honour and rewarde of military discipline of all kingdomes and countreys were inuented by wit and by lawe confirmed to set vp monuments of fame to great conquerers and noble Captaines to stirre vp young men to embrace Armes and to exercise martiall feates As Pericles in Athens had nine seuerall trophies for nine seuerall victories and vpon euery one his name written So Sylla for his victorie against Archelaus had a trophey set vp and his name written with these words Victoria Sylla Domitius Aenobarbus and Fabius Maximus for their victories against the Allobroges were the first among the Romanes that builded vp high towers of stone and pillars of wood and hangd the enemies armors weapons theron as trophies monumēts of their victories Sicinius Dentatus to signifie his singular commendations had for his noble exploites in diuers warres eight golden crownes foure ciuill crownes three scaling crownes called Murales coronae foure score three chaines eighteen pure speares and had a hundred three score bracelets giuē him in rewards gifts for his braue seruice in seuerall battels The like praise had Manlius Capitolinus who besides foure ciuil crownes had twentie sixe military rewards and before he was seuenteen years old wanne two rich spoyles of the enemy So forward to winne fame and become famous were the old Romanes The old Romanes vsed to honour them that saued a citizens life with a garland of oaken boughes for so was Corilianus by the Dictator Titus Largius at the last battell of Torquine the proud crowned with a garland of oaken boughes Besides these crownes garlands chaines bracelets rings and armour giuen by the Generall they had certaine military garments and certaine acres of ground diuided betweene worthy and well deserued souldiers by the lawe Agraria appointed to encourage the souldiers to hardinesse Alexander the great so esteemed the Tribune of the souldiers that he would admit none in the place vnder three score yeares old vnlesse he had bene of great skill long experience and a man of good and long seruice to whome Alexander the great admitted to weare golden rings as a reward of a military honour neither was it lawfull to any Romaine citizen vnlesse hee were a Senator or of the order of knighthood to weare golden ringes in auncient time This officer called Tribunus militum with the Romanes was named with the Lacedemonians Harmostes an officer of the care and charge of seruice as the Tribune or the Collonell of souldiers and might not continue in that office past sixe moneths as long as the Dictator of Rome was to enioy his office And when the Emperor Prince or Generall would allow and commend the office place of the Tribune to a graue skilful Captaine he would put a naked sword in his hand signifying his authoritie ouer the souldiers repeating the wordes of the lawe of armes before the whole armie set downe in these words Milites quibus iussierunt Parento eorumque Tribuni sunto The same forme vsed Traiane the Emperour in his time when he appointed Zura a Tribune ouer the Praetorian souldiers giuing a sword in his hand saying Accipe gladium quem prome c. If I vse this gouernment well vse it for mee If I do euil vse it to destroy mee None might be with the Romanes admitted to be Tribunes of the souldiers vnlesse he had bene before a leader of the band called Cohortes neither might any man be taken Harmostes among the Lacedemonians vnlesse
could bee as though he were their true and lawfull king but being brought to Rome before Caesar who found by the hardnesse of his hands and rudenesse of his behauiour that hee was not brought vp like a Kings sonne and therefore Caesar hauing found his falshood bound him all his life time as a galley slaue and commaunded all his counsellors and conspirators to bee killed with the sword This house continued vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem So that the Iewes after Christ his death beeing euery where afflicted and oppressed from Babilon were forced to flie to Zeleucia the chiefe Citie in all Syria which Zeleucus Nicanor builded a Towne where Greekes Macedonians and Syrians dwelt together there also the Greekes and the Syrians conspired together against the Iewes that there dwelt and slew trecherously of them to the number of 50000. So sedition also began between the Iewes in Alexandria and the Aegiptians in Samaria betweene the Samaritans and the Iewes and all the Iewes which dwelt in Rome in Sardinia other places of the Romaine Empire were from thence banished These Iewes had not so much as a place to rest vpon the earth but were scattered like rogues vagabounds euery where without credit or loue without Prince Priest law or religion the iust iudgement of the Lord for their blasphemy against the sonne of God saying his bloud be vpon vs and our children Thus the Iewes whom Moses Aaron brought out of Egipt to the number of six hundred thousand died all in the wildernesse for their rebellious mutinie Moses and Eleazer after Aarons death numbred the people in the wildernesse where all the other died and they found sixe hundred thousand seuenteen hundred and thirtie able and sufficient men for the warres and yet not one of them which Moses Aaron numbred in the desart of Sinai after they came out of Egipt sauing Ioshua Caleb but died in the wildernesse for disobedience and stubbernesse euer preferring the cucumbers melons oynions garlicks of Egipt before Māna quailes and sweete water which they had from euery rocke in the wildernesse where neither their cloathes were worne nor their shooes spent for fortie yeares yet Egipt which should be a hel to them was their paradice The tenne Tribes of Israel raigned in Samaria 240. yeares seuen moneths and seuen daies during which time they neither obeyed the lawes of the Lord nor heard the Prophets that forewarned them of these calamities which were to come and therfore the Lord gaue them ouer they were taken prisoners their last king Osea brought captiues by Salmanasser vnto Niniuie So the kingdome of Iudah and the house of Dauid was likewise taken by Nabuchodonozer in the eleuenth yeare of Zedechiah the last king of Iudah who was taken captiue his noble men his children slaine in his sight before his eyes were pluckt out and after led in a chaine vnto Babilon where he died in prison 133. yeares after the kingdome of Israel was destroyed by Salmanasser that was the cause of his miserable end for the contempt he had to the Prophet Ieremy disdaining either to hear him or to read his booke for before any king raigned in Israel Iudges by the Lord appointed ruled 370. yeares the kings of Iudah after Solomons death raigned 395. yeares which agreeth well with Iosephus account And so of the continuance of the Bishops or high Priests euen from the building of the temple of Solomon Sadoc being their first high Priest or Bishop were seuēteene high Priests or Bishops in Ierusalem by succession of the children after their fathers The end of the second booke The third Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CHAP. I. Of the care and diligence which Kingdomes and Countries tooke in military discipline to exercise their souldiers THe Romanes most carefull in all military discipline in no wise trusted strangers but euery Romaine souldier should take a military oath by the Colonell The Persiās also were in this point like the Romains for not admitting of mercenary souldiers seldome is found any constancie or soundnesse in mercenary souldiers as by too many examples the Romanes and others found Iugurth by trechery of fewe Thracians that serued the Romanes in Affrike in the night time betraied the Romanes to Iugurth and made a great slaughter of them In like sort the Thessalians were trecherous to the Athenians whom they trusted but they forsooke the Athenians at the battel of Tanagra wherby through their falsehood and trecherie to the Athenians the victorie fell to the Lacedemonians therefore neither the Romanes nor the Persians trusted any mercenary souldiers for mercenary souldiers and strangers are not to be trusted for they doo not onely forsake their friends in any danger but ioyne with the enemy for any aduantage So did the Gaules in the warres of Carthage slew the watch of the Romanes and fled to Haniball The lawe of armes in euery countrey should holde and maintain the crowne dignity of the prince by the sword so most necessary it is that subiects should be looked vnto with great care and prouision to maintain the willing forward and good souldiers due punishmēts and sharpe corrections for euill leaud wicked disposed men carelesse of their countries good How carefull euery common-wealth hath bene of this you shall read first of euery kingdome country seueral punishments by law appointed after of the rewards honor dignities of good souldiers of which Plato saith Omnis respub paena Praemio continetur Agesilaus therefore appointed gifts and rewards to draw and encourage his souldiers to shoote to throwe the dart the sling to ride to runne and with diligence and care to keepe them seuerely from faults offences and to exercise them in martiall feates which kinde of exercise among the Greekes was most commonly vsed called Pentatlon in the games of Olympia Isthmia to honor Hercules and Thesius two protectors and principall captaines that loued souldiers Alexander the great was so seuere in martiall lawes towards his souldiers that if any souldier or captain shuld lye or be any way proued a lyer hee should be depriued frō his office and place of seruice banished from his camp for so was Antigenes though a valiant captaine otherwise yet was both casseerd banished for making of a lye Alexander after he had banished all bakers cookes brewers and such like frō his campe said that marching in their armour in the night they should prouide them a dinner a stomacke to eate theyr dinner against the next morning as for a supper he said they should not looke for wine nor flesh to sleepe after it but for bread and hee would prouide for water which is the onely foode of a souldier and the most necessary care of a generall Hereby his souldiers being brought vp by Philip king of Macedonia his father were hardned with continuall paine
that Pompey had subdued all Sertorius captains and at last Sertorius himselfe he tooke king Iarbas who fought on Domitius side one of Sertorius captaines and brought him prisoner to Rome in his triumph So that within fortie dayes Pompey ouercame all the Marians which tooke Marius part which were enemies to Sylla subdued Affrike and established all the affaires of all the kings and kingdomes of all that country that Sylla named him Pompey the great Yet Sylla sawe Pompeys greatnesse growe on so fast that he went about to hinder Pompeys triumphes which Pompey spake to Syllas face that men honour more the sunne rising then the sunne setting Pompey hauing bene neither Praetor Consul or Senator had his triumph granted him against the lawe when he was but 24. yeares of age Pompey gaue an other ouerthrow to Sertorius captaines at a set battel hard by the citie of Valentia slew ten thousand men of Sertorius souldiers and at that battell Pompey slew Herennius and Perpenna both notable souldiers and Sertorius Lieftenants and so obtained the victorie and ended all this warre for the most part of Sertorius captaines were slaine in the field at that battell Yet had Pompey his hands full with Sertorius at the battell of Lauron a noble and valiant captaine on Marius side and one that galled Pompey more then all the rest for Pompey could do no good though hee sawe the citie of Lauron burnt before his face where Sertorius shewed himselfe a most skilfull and valiant captaine In like sort at the battell hard by the Riuer Sucron Pompey had his hands full with Sertorius where Pompey was forced to take his horse and driuen from his horse to flye and in his flight to forsake his horse to take his feete and to leaue his horse for a pray to Sertorius Affricans souldiers being so rich a spoile to stay the enemies who fought for the horse and let Pompey goe The Gaules hauing a great battell to fight with Attalus king of Asia deliuered all their gold and siluer to be kept that if they were driuen to flye they should scatter the gold and siluer vpon the way that by staying the enemies to gather vp the gold siluer so dispersed they themselues might escape The like stratagem vsed Mithridates king of Pontus to saue himselfe who fled from the enemies that followed hard after him who left a Mule laden with golde and siluer a bootie which Mithridates knew would please the Romanes to stay them and to saue himselfe from Lucullus souldiers So did Triphon king of Syria to escape from king Antiochus horsemen scattered money euery where on the way to stay Antiochus souldiers that Triphon might escape so did Alaricus king of the Goates and others saue themselues by the like policies Fewe great captaines hardly escaped with their liues from diuers dangers and perils Sylla hardly escaped from Telesinus at the battell of Antemna and Caesar himselfe after he had lost 32. Ensignes a thousand of his best souldiers escaped hardly the hand of Pompey at Dirachium and after in the battell at Munda in Affrica from the Pompeyans CHAP. V. Of Pirrhus warre against the Romanes of diuers stratagems of the marchings of diuers nations of the ouerthrow of Torquine last king ouer the Romanes of the praise of Porsenna and Mutius Scaeuola PIrrhus the great captaine in the battell hard by the riuer Siris after he had giuen to Leuinus the Consull a great ouerthrow before and made vp a trophey in the temple at Tarentum to Iupiter yeelding thanks for his victories being demaunded of the Tarentines to haue one battell more with the Romanes sith he had subdued the Romanes in two battels before he answered If I stay to giue the third battell to the Romanes I shal haue neuer a souldier to return from Italy to Epyre. Thus Pompey vnder Sylla Sylla vnder Marius Marius vnder Scypio and Scypio vnder his father whom hee rescued in the battell at Canne from the Affricans as Alexander the great rescued his father Philip at the battell at Cheronea being but eighteene yeares of age as Scypio was when he rescued his father at Canne While Pompey flourished in Rome after Syllas death that all the Romane Empire rung out Pompeys fame Caesar practised among the Gaules his secret ambitiō which was such that he went as a Romane captain with his army far from Rome to practise his stratagems where he conquered the Gaules with the weapons of the Romanes and wonne the Romanes with money of the Gaules fewe in Rome knew this but such as he fed with money in Rome to be his friends Hence grew the malice and enuie betwneene Pompey and Caesar for Pompey could not abide his equall in Rome nor Caesar his superiour Caesar was suspected to be confederate with Cateline in his conspiracie not onely to ouerthrow the state of the Common-wealth but also to destroy the whole Empire of Rome for the which cause Cato and Piso fell out with Cicero for that hee then beeing Consull had not bewrayed Caesar when Cicero well might haue done it for many sawe the greatnesse of Caesar farre from Rome before hee came to Rome they sawe his courage and minde to bee inuincible his martiall skill to bee singular that such was his conquests ouer the Gaules in tenne yeares that hee tooke aboue eight hundred Townes and hauing such an infinite number of enemies of thirtie hundred thousand souldiers Gaules Germaines Teutons and diuers others he slew of them at seuerall times aboue tenne hundred thousand So that Caesars praise his warres his battels his victories and conquests had excelled all the strongest kings and princes of Europe had he not onely shewed himselfe an enemie to his Countrey in the battell at Pharsalia where Pompey the great the Senators and the most part of the noble men of Rome were slain ouerthrowne and taken Had Caesar bene in the time of Hanibal of whom Scypio demanded who had bene and were the greatest captaines of the world to whom he answered Alexander was the first Pirrhus the second and Hanibal himselfe the third Then Scypio demaunded of Hanibal what if Hanibal had subdued Scypio Hee aunswered that then Hanibal should not haue bene the second nor the third but the first For what Pirrhus could not bring to passe in foure yeares nor Hannibal in seuēteen yeares that could Caesar bring to passe within threescore dayes he was Lord of all Italy Emperour of Rome and conquerour of all the Romane Empire and therefore worthily to be preferred before Pirrhus or Hannibal had he spared his countrey Such was the celeritie of Caesars victories ouer Pharnaces king of Pontus at the battell by the citie of Zela that hee wrote but three words to his friend Anitus to Rome from Pontus Veni vidi vici Againe he tooke three campes in one day and slue fiftie thousand of his enemies and lost but fiftie of his
the Romanes vpon any conditions to be performed they vowed a vow to their gods and Idols The olde Gaules hauing warres with the Romains their General Aristonicus vowed vnto Mars a rich massie chaine of gold of the spoiles of the Romans if he might win the victorie Flamminius the Consul Generall of the Romane army in the self-same war against Aristonicus vowed likewise if he should haue victory wheras Aristonicus vowed but one chaine vnto Mars Flamminius promised all the chaines that the Gaules had to put vp a trophey and to hang their swords weapons and armors vpon the trophey to honor Mars In like sort Marius Cai. Luctatius Consuls of Rom and Generals in the warres against the Cymbrians lifted vp both their hands to heauen Marius promised and vowed a solemne sacrifice vnto the gods of an hundred oxen and the other Consul Luct vowed to build a temple vnto Fortune if the Romanes might haue victorie ouer the Cymbrians At the last battell of Thrasymen Fabius vowed being Dictator elected against Hanibal and promised to sacrifice all the profits fruits that should fall the next yeare of sheep of sowes of melch kine of goates betweene the Calends of March and the Ides of May in all the mountaines champion countries riuers or meadowes of Italy also vowed to build places of musicke to haue victory ouer Hanibal such were the wicked Idolatrous vowes of the Gentiles that theyneither spared land life nor liuing to please their goddes they would haue no warres no battels without consultations with oracles or conference with sooth sayes for they thought all victories came by performing or not performing of vows The Athenians hearing of the innumerable army of Xerxes comming with such terror vnto Greece they sent to Delphos from whence they were admonished by the oracle of Appollo to erect vp an aultar to Aeolus therevpon to sacrifice with prayers and vowes to please the windes to plague the Persians to scatter and ouerthrow the infinite nauies of Xerxes The Greekes and the Romanes vsed a vowe called Haecatombae in the which they builded an hundred aultars wherevpon they offered to the gods a hundred oxen a hundred sheepe a hundred swine sometimes the Dictators Emperors of Rome the kings generals of Greece added a hundred Lions a hundred Eagles to make their vowes as they supposed of greater effect this was chiefly done for the preseruation of kings and kingdomes Emperours and Empires So Augustus Caesar would needs goe to Delphos to learne of Appollo who should raigne after him in Rome and what should become of the Empire bestowing the liberall sacrifice of Haecatombae was answered by Appollo that an Hebrue child was borne who commanded him to silence and to giue no Oracles but willed the Emperour Augustus to depart with silence from his aultar and to hold with the people his credit So Saul being reiected from the Lord for his disobediēce spake to Samuel yet honor me before the people So rebellious Absolon ro disgrace his father and to please the people wished that he were a Iudge for that the people wanted a lawe to minister vnto them iustice Many such rebellious ambitious mē are in the world which vow many things in their harts much like to Hamilcar who caused his sonne Hanibal being but a boy of eight yeares old to make a vow to take his oath to be an enemy to hold wars with the Romans during life It was the maner among the Romaines when they made choise of their Consuls to goe vp to the Capitoll and after sacrifice done there to vow building of temples of aultars and the decimation of the spoiles gotten by victories So Lucullus did promise and vow to Hercules for his victories at the riuers of Rindacus and Granicus So Pausanias general of the Lacedemonians vowed to Appollo for his victories at Marathon against Mardonius These vowes were so many and so diuers among the Gentiles that the husbandman vowed to Tellus for the seed sowne in the earth and the fruite thereof to Siluanus for their oxen and kine to Hippona for their horses and mares to Castor and Pollux for their shipwrackes for labourers to Tutanus for shepheards to Pa◅ for ◅uellers on long iournies to Hercules for theeues to steale safely to the goddesse Lauerna Thus the Gentiles serued and obeyed their Idols with vowes and sacrifices but as apes do counterfeit to imitate men so Satan would seeme to imitate the Lord. Such fond and foolish vowes were vsed among the Gentiles that if the Athenians would haue victory ouer the Thraciās Erictheus the king must sacrifice his daughter a stratagem of Satan If Agamemnon would haue sound returne from Troy to Greece he must sacrifice Iphigenia his daughter or if Marius would haue triumph ouer the Cymbrians hee mustkil sacrifice his daughter Calfurnia the very drifts and shifts of the diuell the oracles of Satan therefore in many countries they would binde their Idols with chaines and bonds So did they in Carthage binde the Image of Hercules with chaines bonds least when the Romaines made their supplications and prayers to Hercules hee should forsake Carthage and come to Rome In wicked men oftentimes the word of God is in their mouthes when the grace of God is not in theyr hearts as in Balaam who came with his full good will to Balaac to curse Israel but he was commaunded against his will to blesse Israel and therefore that which Philo saith is true of the wicked Dona dei sine deo saepe sunt in impijs for oftentimes false Prophets prophesie the truth as Balaam and Cayphas did Satan stands alwaies among the Angels before the Lord to haue licence with his present seruice to seeke whom he may deuour so that Satan is often a lying spirit in the mouth not onely of false Prophets but against the seruants of God as Iob who though Satan tooke from him his seruants his children his goods yet his malice chiefly was against Iob such stratagems he vsed before against the seruants of the Lord as Abraham Moses Dauid and others There is an other kinde of vow of the Nazarites whose vowes were but for certaine number of dayes of moneths or of yeares these Nazarites should abstaine onely from wine or from any strong drink they should let their haires grow and let no razor come on it they should not violate themselues with any mourning for the dead yet Samuel being a Nazarite mourned for Saul Ieremy being a Nazarite wept for the captiuitie of Iudah and Christ himselfe the true Nazarite wept for the citie of Ierusalem The Monasticall vowes of Monkes Benedics Franciscans and Dominics who would faine be Nazarites but that they loued wine too well and shaued theyr crownes too often for they seperated themselues from the world vowed virginitie yet had bastards vowed many things performed
abroad but priuately in theyr houses should be carefull and diligent to see the young souldiers well instructed and brought vp in warlike exercise Well therefore saide Epaminondas to his countrey-men If you wil be Princes of Greece Castris est vobis vtendum non palaestra you must vse Tentes for warres and not places to exercise wrestling and such vaine games whiche made Alexander Seuerus the Emperour to bring vp his sonnes in warlike Tentes farre from any Citties to become sober and temperate without the sight of any thing that might entice them from theyr weapons Heereby grewe Titus to bee so well beloued in Rome among his souldiers who beeing so liberall in his warres that hee was named of all men Deliciae hominum Fabritius also and Valerius two noble Romaines were more carefull to inrich their souldiers then themselues So in all countries they made much of souldiers and rewarded them with presents and gifts as the Persians rewarded their souldiers with chains bracelets and golden girdles The Greeks rewarded their souldiers with crownes garlands siluer fillets for their haire and money the Romanes with landes liuings territories and military garments with such honours done to their captaines slaine in the field that they made certaine plaies at weapons that prisoners being cōdemned to die should fight it out to death vpon Theaters and after to be sacrificed on the captaines graues to honour marshall funerals The Persians buried maimed souldiers to accompany their Generalls and Captaines to the graue when they died This kinde of killing and sacrificing of men was to allure embolden yong youthes to loue armes to vse their weapons to be acquainted and to see bloodie battels aswell the manner of souldiers in warres as also the cruell slaughter and terror of the warres and to become from skilfull souldiers renowned captaines to deserue such honour aliue and dead So the Greekes vsed to honor their dead captaines to buy condemned murtherers and theeues to be slain and sacrificed on their graues to extoll the fame of their valiant captaines that died in the field the Greeks were so carefull that they would not forget the beastes that serued them long Cymon the sonne of Milciades a famous captaine of Athens for that his mares wanne at the games of Olympia in the horse race thrise the garland hee caused his mares to be buried hard by his graue And old Xantippus for that his dog swamme by the galleys side from Athens to Salamina and died when he landed for very wearinesse he buried him in the top of a cliffe The Romains in like maner would suffer no draught oxen that ploughed their lands and carried their fuells to be sold when they could not plough for age neither might they in Athens by the lawe of Solon kill an olde wearied oxe for sacrifice but should feede him in his age so carefull were the Romanes and the Greekes to recompence seruice euen vnto beasts that had labored done seruice vnto man For the Athenians made a lawe in fauour of the moiles that carried the stones to the building of the Temple Haecatonpedon that they should be suffered to grase euery where without let or trouble of any man if the Greekes and the Romains so esteemed their beasts how much more had they cause to relieue their old maimed souldiers And therefore Hannibal was more detested hated of his souldiers that being so cruell and so couetous he lost not only many of his owne souldiers but also many of his friends and associates forsooke him And so Persius king of Macedonia a most miserable couetous prince who to spare his money lost both his money his kingdome and his life Posthumius for that he denied the spoiles to the souldiers which he promised was stoned to death by his souldiers So that Hanibal lost through his couetousnes and crueltie to the Romains what he wanne by skill and pollicie of armes of the Romaines This is the end of all vnlawfull warres to be worse farre then the beginning So was it with Viriatus for his fourteene yeares warres for Hispaine with Hanibal for his fourteen yeares with the Carthagineans and with king Mithridates for fortie yeares warres with the kings of Asia against the Romans but the Romains subdued all their countries and all came vnder the Romane Empire I remember Aristotle bringeth in a verse of Homer in describing the affection of the desire wrath of men and saith that anger to Achilles was as sweete as honey melted vnder his tongue but the end of his anger and wrath was that he was slain out of Greece in Phrygia and to be buried in Illion So sweet was couetousnes vnto Craesus being the only wealthiest man in Rome that it brought him frō Rome to be slaine among the Parthians the onely enemies of the Romanes So reuenge was to Hanibal as sweet as wrath to Achilles the one to satisfie his wrath vpon the Troians the other to performe his vow oath to his father Hamilcar to plague the Romans but both therby died out of their countries the one slaine in Phrygia the other poysoned himselfe in Bythinia So to Pirrhus quarrels were as sweet as reuenge was to Hanibal and therefore taking quarrels in hand euery where at last was slaine out of his countrey in Greece So may it be spoken of the ambition of Caesar Alexander the enuie that Caesar had to Alexanders conquests was so great that hee much complained of himselfe being an old man and yet wanne no fame by his smal victories in respect of Alexanders great cōquests being but a young man So likewise Alexander exclaimed against himselfe in respect of the fame greatnes which Homer gaue to Achilles Thus ambitiō was as sweet to Caesar and to Alexander as either wrath to Achilles couetousnesse to Caesar reuenge to Hanibal or quarrels to Pirrhus Therefore ambition was painted out in Heliopolis a citie in Egipt without legges because ambition might not clime for ambitious men are not so glad and proud to see many that follow and obey them as they are inwardly afflicted and grieued to see fewe not obedient vnto them In the same self citie were the pictures of Iudges painted without hāds because they shuld receiue no bribes And the pictures of princes painted blind without eies because they might not see to fauor their friends and in the midst between these three pictures was the picture of Iustice painted without a head The moral hereof is better to be liked thē the law of Lycurgus who euer thought ambitiō a necessary spur to prick men forward in causes of common-wealths as Agamemnon was glad to see Aiax and Vlisses at variance for Achilles armour and Caesar was not sorie to see Crassus contend with Pompey in Rome These men wanted no legges to clime neither among the Romaines nor among the Grecians nor yet among the Iewes In Athens
a lawe was made against ambitious men that if any sought singularitie either by his wisedome or by his wealth or by fauour of the people hee should be banished by the lawe Ostracismus out of Athens as Themistocles was So ambitious men in Rome to get loue and fauour of the people by the lawe called Lex agraria were not onely banished out of Rome as Themistocles was out of Athens but sometimes slaine in Rome as both Tiberius and Cai. Gracchus were And therfore Platoes opiniō was that he which began to be ambitious by any secret practise with the enemies to hurt his country or made meanes to make warres of his owne head should be deliuered into the enemies hand and therefore Asdrubal did counsell the Carthagineans to giue Hannibal into the Romanes hands because Hannibal hated the Romans because he made war of his owne priuate head without the authoritie of the Senators of Carthage And so Cato Marcellus and others perswaded the Senators of Rome to deliuer Caesar vnto the Gaules for the like cause for that they suspected Caesar with Cateline and euer found him ambitious and desirous of warre in Rome and out of Rome and therefore ambitious Generalls and Captaines are euer most dangerous and most necessary to be lookt vnto The ambition of the Israelites is not to bee passed ouer as Absolon through ambition vnder pretence of iustice went about to take away the hearts of the people from his father the king saying often Oh that I were a Iudge of the land that I might do iustice to them that haue matters in the lawe and when any man came to do him obeysance he tooke him by the hand and kissed him and thus by degrees stole the hearts of the men of Israel from his father Likewise Adoniah Absolons brother through ambition also exalted himselfe and wanne all his bretheren the kings sonnes and all the men of Iudah the kings seruants that through ambition hee occupied the kingdome vnwitting to his father the king Hammon the Macedonian was so ambitious in Persia the kings court that he could not abide the sight of Mardochaeus because he wold not bend bowe his knee vnto him Abimelech went to Sychem and communed with his mothers kinred for that hee was a bastard to Gedeon saying in the eares of the people that it were better for them to haue one then to let the seuentie sonnes of Gedeon to raigne ouer them for I am your bones and your flesh so ambitious was Abimelech that hee went secretly to Ephrah and slew the 70. sonnes of Gedeon vpon a stone Antipater was so ambitious in Athens that he could not suffer the Orators to liue in Greece no more then Hamon could suffer the Iewes to liue in Persia but sent diuers to seeke and to search for them that when Hiperides was found he was commaunded by Antipater to be punished with all tortures to haue him to reueale the secrets of Athens and to confesse the faults of Lycurgus Demosthenes Isocrates and others Demosthenes and Isocrates hearing of Hiperides great tortures and thereby his death and of the victory at the battell of Cranon vnder that cruel king Antipater which after marched with his army towards Athens the one famished himselfe the other poisoned himselfe the rather for that the tyrant Archias should not bring Demosthenes aliue to Antipater who made great search for him so Antipater most cruelly tirannized with secret ambition against the poore Orators in Athens Not onely the Orators in Athens but also diuers Philosophers as Cleanthes Zeno Empedocles and others who in like sort to auoyd Antipaters tyrannie slew themselnes for very griefe to see Athens the schoole and nurse of learning at that time so oppressed through ambition The ambition of Sylla was such towards Marius and Marius towards Sylla that it ouerthrew welnigh the Empire of Rome betweene them and their confederates that Sertorius Carbo and other Romane Captaines carried flames of ambition from Rome to Hispaine and Affrica after whom warre followed so fast that Sertorius could scarse settle himselfe to gather an army either in Hispaine or in Affrike but three Romane captaines one after an other followed him at the heeles Cotta to whom Sertorius gaue battell and ouerthrew him by sea after Cotta Phidius whose army Sertorius ouerthrew and caused Phidius to flye after Phidius Toranius whom he slew and the most part of his army the fourth Metellus who was driuen by Sertorius to such a pinch that had not Pompey the great comne from Rome he had fared litle better then the rest who for a time both Pompey and Metellus had both their hands full to do with Sertorius This is that Metellus which caused Scypio Affrican to sweare that he would not forsake neither Rome nor Italy his countrey which he thought to do with many Romanes more after the great ouerthrow of the Romanes by Haniball at the battel of Canne This Metellus is that old woman of which Sertorius said that he had whipt Pompey Syllas boy had not that olde woman Metellus comne which being told Pompey he answered I had rather be Syllas boy then Syllas fugitiue as Sertorius is Pompey himselfe within 34. yeares after was forced to follow Sertorius steppes and to flye from Caesar as Sertorius fled from Sylla for Caesar followed Pompey from the field Pharsalia to Egipt where Pompey was slaine as Pompey followed Sertorius from Rome to Affrike where Sertorius likewise was slaine Ambition therefore the secret serpent in euery common-wealth as you heard before among the Grecians among the Israelites and among the Romanes and yet in Athens there was one Aristides that resisted the ambition of Themistocles and in Rome one Cato that reprehended the ambition of Caesar and in Israel one Iothan that accused the ambition of Abimelech But as the Philosopher said the whole world is a common-wealth of contention that if strife and contention had no place in nature the generation of all things should be at a stay and therefore ambition and contention was allowed among the Lacedemonians by Licurgus lawe as a spurre to prick them forward to martiall actions Among the Athenians they thought it great pollicie to keepe men of state in equall authorities least any should excell either in greatnesse wealth wisedome honour or credit among the people and therefore Aristides was ioyned in all authorities with Themistocles and Phocion with Alcibiades for Themistocles and Alcibiades were noted ambitious men in Athens and Aristides and Phocion knowne to be found and iust and if any seemed to seeke singularitie through ambition or otherwise among the Athenians he should be banished out of Athens by the lawe of Ostracismus So likewise among the Romanes as among the Greekes nothing was so common as banishment as in Athens Aristides for his iustice Milciades for his victories Phocion for his good life Socrates for his vertues Solon for his sound
ciuill warres Is domo patria fortunisque omnibus careto he should be banished from his friends and from his countrey Timoleon compared to Pau. Aemilius two noble captaines and worthy members of their countries the one so esteemed in Syracusa that whatsoeuer Timoleon said was taken for a lawe among the Syracusans the others fortune was so great in Rome that hee enriched the Romane treasurie with the wealth and riches of two kingdomes Macedonia and Illyria and brought to the Empire of Macedonia all the olde monuments of the auntient Kings of Macedonia and of Alexander the great vnto Rome Philopomen also was compared to Titus Quint. both great benefactors to their countries both at one time in Greece Philopomen being the last captaine of the Grecians that defended Greece and Titus one of the first Romane captaines that first subdued Greece and after enlarged them and restored to them their lawes and liberties at what time crowes fell downe to the ground by the sound of mens voices when Titus proclaimed peace and libertie vnto the Grecians at the games of Isthmia And so likewise in Rome when Pompey the great restored the Tribuneship vnto the people which Sylla tooke away the like happened that the people being so many and their ioyes so great the sound of the people pearcced the ayre that many crowes fell downe in the market place at Rome as they did in Greece at the games of Isthmia Hauing compared some Greeke and Romane captaines in their warres and victories one with the other it were not amisse to touch the sundry militarie instruments and warlike soundes which all Nations vsed in going to the warres and of their watch-word in their warres Among the olde auntient Romaines they vsed the sounding of diuers trumpets and hornes together going to any warre or battell with the Romane legions The Egiptians cannot abide the sound of ttumpets for that it doth resemble the crying of an asse for there is nothing so odious among the Aegiptians as is the noyse of an asse and so odious that if any man do call a man an asse in Egipt an action may be had against him by the lawe of Bochoris they vsed brazen tymbrels and hornes for trumpets when they goe to warres The warlike Lacedemonians sound neither trumpets nor hornes when they goe to their warres but flutes which yeeldeth so sweete and plausible a sound that they march proportionably with their feet keeping measure with their instrument This was set downe to the Lacedemonians by Licurgus The Parthians in their warres vse great hollow kettles and pannes and great brazen pottes and a number of little belles like the lowing of many wilde beastes with such terrour and noyse to feare the enemies The Lydians come to their warres with diuers kinds of pipes as howboies recorders bagpipes and diuers other such The Cymbrians with diuers kinde of dried skinnes drawne hard round about their chariots and coaches in forme and maner like great and huge drums which they beate and strike which makes such an horrible sound much like the great thunders The Indians in theyr warres vse Cymballes and Belles for it was not lawfull among the Indians to vse Flutes but in the Kings house when the King went to bed As the king of Cicilia vsed harpes and chirping notes of birds to make the king sleepe Among the people of Creete they vsed flutes and harpes in their warres and thus in all countries they vsed their proper warlike instruments when they marched into their battels The Hebrues in the warres which they had with the Canaanites vsed trumpets and rammes hornes for Moses was commaunded by the Lorde to make two siluer trumpets and to sound them to call the armie together when they marched against their enemies So was Ioshua at the battell at Iericho likewise commaunded that the Priests should sound rammes hornes These Hebrew battels were the only examples to the Gentiles in their warres for as the trumpets hornes are most auncient so after among all nations they inuented diuers warlike instruments as in steede of trumpets in theyr warres and diuers kindes of variable sounds The Phrygians sounded most lamentable and pittifull notes the Lacedemonians sweet pleasant notes the Lydians mournfull and planctiue the Ionians merry pleasant notes the Dorians warlike notes In so much that when Timotheus the trumpeter sounded that Doriā warlike note Alexander the great streight called for his armor it so kindled and inflamed Alexanders minde to armes Hannibal neuer vsed sound of trumpets nor warlike notes but secret stratagems without further notice or knowledge to his enemies but only his tents couered with red the very selfe same day that he would haue his souldiers readie to fight It seemed that Hanibal imitated Alexander the great herein who vsed to set vp certaine red banners and flags about his tents in his warres against Darius king of Persia. And Darius himselfe in the selfe same warre against Alexander had vpon his tent the Image of the Sunne set in Christall that shined ouer all the whole campe especially in the night time So vsed the Romanes aswel as the Greekes in the sea fight euery captaine to hang vp in theyr ship some marke or other to be knowne as Lysander hangd vp in his ship a brazen target as a signe to be knowne to the rest of the nauies Brutus in his warres against Mar. Antonius at Philippus had a round circle that his nauy might be knowne from others Mar. Antonius in his battell against Octauius Augustus at Actium gaue purple sailes to his Praetorian nauies as signes of his pride and hope of his victories but soone forsaken for he was glad to flie follow after Cleopatra Alexander the great when he sailed to India vsed diuers colours of sailes in his nauies wherby one captaine might know the other and himselfe in his owne shippe had purple sailes The Romaines vsed to haue painted vpon their ships banners and flagges the pictures Images and names of their Emperours and Generalls The Grecians vsed also to paint write the names of their nauies according to the names of those Iles where they were made Others the Image pictures of their gods of the countries as the Greekes Neptune and the Troians Minerua Now that you haue read what military and warlike instruments all nations vsed in their warres you shall also read the watchwords of great Generals noble captaines which they vsed in their greatest warres Cyrus the great king of Persia vsed this sentence for his watchword Iupiter belli socius Dux Clau. Caesar imitating Cyrus vsed a whole sentence for his watch-word to his souldiers Virum vlscis◅ decet Others for the most part both of Greekes and Romanes vsed onely to giue one word to their souldiers as Iulius Caesar gaue for his watch-word in some battels Victoria in other battels his watch-word was Faelicitas In some other of his
gaue audience out of the citie to any forraine Embassador especially in matters of peace and after they would conduct the Embassadors to shipping to preuent practises and pollicies vnder colours of peace The Romanes in this imitated the Athenians who entertained the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians in like sort but Rome and Athens were much deceiued for the cities of Italy often rebelled against Rome and the cities of Greece against Athens Much murther and slaughter was euer found in the breach of faith and much mischiefe committed vnder colour of peace Godolias being made gouernour by Nabuchodonozer ouer the rest of Iudea after Ierusalem was destroyed was deceiued by the faire words of Ismael who came with ten men with him that were sworne to him to do what he would haue them to do in Mazphah to the house of Godoliah where he was well entertained but Ismael slew Godoliah all the Iewes and all the Chaldeys that Ismael found waighting on Godoliah and the next day after that Ismael had slaine Godolias certaine men came from Sychem from Siloh and from Samaria to the number of fourescore which had shaued their beards and rent their cloathes with meate offering and incense to offer in the house of the Lord. And Ismael went weeping out of Mazphah to meete them and said Come and goe to Mazphah to see Godoliah the Gouernour where Ismael slue them in the midst of Mazphah as hee did Godoliah in the one he deceiued Godolias with faire words in the other hee deceiued them with teares to come to Mazphah to see Godoliah whom he slue all sauing tenne and threw their bodies into one pit Triphon one of Ismaels broode after he had taken Ionathan by deceit he sent him to Ptolomeu where hee tooke Ionathans children for hostage and money for his redemption So Triphon promised to deliuer Ionathan but Triphon killed Ionathan and his children against his faith and promise and the law of armes of all nations Alexander king of Syria fled to Arabia to be defended from Ptolomeu his father in lawe king of Egipt but Zabdiel the Arabian slue him most treacherously and sent his head to Egipt to Ptolomeu Bacchides and Alcinus Gouernors vnder the most cruell king Demetrius slue threescore Assideans that came to entreat Antiochus for peace against the lawe of armes In like sort Nicanor thought to deceiue Machabaeus as Antiochus did vnder colour and pretence to seeke peace Met. Suffetius Generall of the Albaines promising by oath his faith and truth to the Romanes and that his friendship should not faile to be readie at the Romaines commaundement yet breaking his oath in the same practising his treachery against the Romane armie he was bound to two toppes of trees both hands and feete and terribly pulled in peeces by the trees The breach of faith by the lawe of armes set downe was euer among the Romaines most seuerely punished in so much that the Romaine souldiers stoned Posthumius for that he denied the spoile which he promised to the souldiers The like is read that the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians being sent to the king of Persia to haue his aide against the Athenians being in league with the Lacedemonians were taken and brought to Athens and by the Athenians slaine The Embassadors of Carthage and Macedonia because they did conspire against the Romaines contrary to their league were taken and by the law of armes iustly slaine Diuers Embassadors were slaine for breaking theyr leagues against the lawe of armes as the Embassadors of the Romanes were slaine by the Illyrians the Embassadors of the Athenians by the Persians the Embassadors of the Persians by the Macedonians the Embassadors of Dauid king of Iudah by the Ammonites not slain but ignominiously abused for Dauid sent his Embassadors to Ammō the king to comfort him for the death of his father in kindnes of good will but they had halfe their beards shaued and their garments cut off at their buttocks thus were they turned back in reproach without thankes to Dauid So were the Embassadors of the Romanes without cause against the lawe of armes most iniuriously slaine by the Illyrians who were gouerned vnder a woman to the great reproach of the Romaines but the Romane Embassadors being thus slain had their statues put vp in the Oratory and their names written vpon their Images P. Iunius T. Coruncanus but the Romanes reuenged it to the losse of their kingdome Thus euery where trechery and murther was committed in all countreys vnder colour of leagues and lawes broken and most time without eyther lawe or league but with violence and trecherie practised by many false stratagems among all nations As Zopyrus practised by a dissembling stratagem to bring the Persians into the hands of Cyrus though some say it was Darius by cutting deforming his face and mangling his body in this pittiful sort cōming to Babilō saigning and dissembling that he had hardly escaped frō Cyrus army promised the Babilonians to do them great seruice to reuenge his wrong if they would vse his seruice By these subtill and craftie meanes he brought Cyrus to be king of Babilon of this Zopirus Cyrus was wont to say that he wished as many friends like Zopirus as a Pomegranate had kernels The like stratagem vsed the Grecian Sinon for Agamemnon in the warres of Troy therefore Agamemnon said he had rather haue tenne Nestors or tenne Vlixes then tenne Achilles or tenne Aiax for more doth counsell and pollicie profit in warre then force or courage and therefore when Achilles dyed Aiax made claime to his armour as one that might claime it best by the lawe of Armes clayming a combat if any one would say the contrary Aiax being warned by his olde father Telamon when he went with Agamemnon from Greece to Troy to fight valiantly to aske at the gods hands good successe and fauour but Aiax more proud then wise answered his father that slouthfull men and cowards seeke helpe at Gods handes but said hee could ouercome without Gods helpe Vlixes also made claime to Achilles armour saying that his pollicie and counsell did profit more the Grecians in the warres at Troy then the sword of Aiax Agamemnon knowing how much pollicie and wise counsell auailed in wars gaue to Vlixes the armor of Achilles for Agamemnon said had he had but ten such councellors as Nestor was he doubted not but soone to subdue Troy So Cyrus spake of Zopirus and so Pirrhus spake of Romane souldiers Plus praestant senes consilio quam inuenes armis Thus the Polymarchies of the earth seeke to cōquer another world like Alexander being not cōtented with one and couer all the seas with their sailes like Xerxes and to build castles high vnto the heauens like Nimrod who wold build Babel to reach vp to heauen to reuenge the iniury done to his predecessors by the vniuersall deludge resembling much the battell of
the Athenians were for Agesilaus tooke another course thē Themistocles did when he wanted money he went to the confines of Persia to spoile and to plague the Persians for the Persians euer feared the greatnesse of Agesilaus and yet was he but a litle lame man of stature that hee was satisfied with golde and siluer to returne to his countrey that Agesilaus would often iest and say that thirtie thousand Archers did driue him out of Asia which was the Persian coine that was stampt with the print of an Archer with these Archers the Persians caused oftentimes Agesilaus to returne frō Persia into Greece againe The like iest did Gilippus seruant he told the Ephories of Sparta that his maister Gilippus had vnder the roofe of his house more Owles then all Athens for the coine of Athens was stampt with the print of an Owle as the Persians was with the print of an Archer for Gilippus had taken from his maister Lysander much money and hidden them vnder the shield of his house and so by his seruant was in a iest betraied Thus leauing Agesilaus with his Archers and Gilippus seruant with his Owles I will returne to Themistocles to whom Marcellus shall be compared in celeritie of whom Hannibal said that Marcellus could not be quiet neither with good fortune nor bad neither victor nor conuicted Scypio Affrican with such celeritie after he had conquered Hannibal at the battell at Zama soone subdued Carthage Pau. Aemilius with great celeritie subuerted the whole Empire of Macedonia and brought their king Persius and Gentius king of the Illyrians both prisoners vnto Rome in his tryumphe Pompey the great vsed such celeritie that within fortie daies he vanquished all the Pyrates who had a thousand ships on the seas and taken aboue foure hundred townes they robd and spoyld all marchant venturers rifled and destroyed all the Ilands and townes vpon the sea coast and destroyed many Temples they feared no force neither weighed for kings nor subiects and grew so strong that they ruled both land sea without lawe But Pompey had such victory ouer them that after the great slaughter in the battell at the citie Coracesium he tooke twentie thousand persons prisoners and thus in lesse then three moneths Pompey ended and quite vanquished the Pyrates Caesar in all his warres excelled all men in expedition and celeritie in the which he had such wonderfull good successe against Pompey in Pharsalia against his sonne in Affrica against Affranius in Hispaine against Cato in Vtica with such expedition that he became as you read being one that was denied to be Consul to be Perpetuus Dictator and the first Emperour of Rome Clau. Nero the Consul considering that Italy was plagued by Hannibal in Lucania and by Asdrubal his brother in Vmbria made such secret great hast that before Hannibal knew he went out of his campe in Lucania he was in Vmbria and before Asdrubal knew he was in Vmbria he was with his fellow Consul at the battell of Metaurus where Asdrubal was slaine his armie ouerthrowne and his head sent to his brother Hanibal in Lucania so that by one Romane stratagem the two great Romane enemies Hanibal and Asdrubal were ouerthrowne the one slaine at the Riuer Metaurus and the other driuen from Italy into Affrike Celeritie vpon deliberation is most necessarie at all times therefore the chiefe guard about Romulus person were called Celeres for their quicknesse and celeritie in executing Romulus commaundement Dauid king of Iudah had such resolute men called Cerethites about his person readie with such celeritie to effect any thing the king would commaund them that when they heard the king longing for some water out of the well of Bethelem they presently ventured theyr liues through the campe of the enemies and brought water to the king from Bethelem before the king missed them but Dauid sacrificed the water vnto the Lord and would not drinke of it because his men offered theyr liues for it Caleb vsed such expedition after he had viewed and trauelled all the land of Canaan that he returned within fortie dayes to the Hebrew campe with a full resolution perswading Ioshua to take the warres in hand Ehud one of the Iudges of Israel who was wont to say to his souldiers follow mee went fully resolued to Eglon king of Moab an enemie of the Lord and therefore slew him in his chamber Many souldiers of the Lord are resolued through faith to effect many things with celeritie and zeale so Phineas slew Zimri the Israelite Cosbi a Lords daughter of the Madianites for that they offended the Lord in the campe and therfore Phineas thrust them through both with his speare Iehu though a wicked man yet much commended for his resolute zeale for that he ouerthrew Achabs house slew Baals prophets and destroyed Baals temple and his aultars The great kings of the world are resolued to hazard theyr liues to winne fame and glory eyther by parasites or flatterers moued therevnto or by oracles of theyr Idols or by visions and dreames especially as Astiages king of the Meades dreamed that his daughter Mandanes which was Cyrus mother made water that ouerflowed all Asia Astiages dreamed the second time that a vine grew out of his daughters wombe whose braunches couered all Asia therefore hee called all his wise men and soothsayers of his kingdome together to interpret him these two dreames who tolde him that his daughter should haue a sonne that should bee such a king that hee should rule ouer all Asia which made Cyrus so ambitious and proud that he could not be content with all the kingdomes of Asia but must goe to be slaine in Scythia The like dreame sawe Xerxes before his voyage in to Greece that in his dreame hee thought hee sawe an Oliue tree crowned whose boughes and braunches couered the whole earth and withall suddenly vanished away The same Author writeth that Iulius Caesar dreamed that he lay with his mother and by these meanes he was flattered by his soothsayers that hee should subdue the whole earth Euen so Hamilcar Generall of the Carthagineans thought hee heard in his sleepe a voyce that hee should the next night suppe in Syracusa but he was so glad of his speech that he was deceiued of his hope and yet he supt in Syracusa not as a conqueror but as a prisoner but was deceiued as Xerxes was by the hope of his crowned Oliue or as Caesar was by his mother Hannibal after the taking of Saguntum dreamed that Iupiter should call him into councell with the goddes where hee was commaunded to take warres in hand against the Romanes there hee seemed that Iupiter had giuen him a captaine to goe before him euen from the councell house one of the company of the gods and looking behinde him hee thought he sawe a terrible monstrous Serpent which Hannibal in his sleepe asked Iupiter what monster that was