valiauÌ„tnesse In pursuing them he strake hartes and hyndes and other horned beastes besydes bulles and preuenting theÌ„ with a swyfte course ouerthrewe them by mooste assured strokes The Lyons and PaÌ„thers wyth other fierce beastes of that kynde runnynge rounde aboute he slewe with dartes from aboue so that no man saw the seconde darte throwen at any of them nor any wouÌ„de but that was deadly For as soone as the beast ones sturred he wounded him eyther in the foreheade or at the hart vsyng none other scope nor appoyntinge to throwe at anye other parte of the bodye so that the beaste wyth the verye stroke was berafte hys lyfe There were beastes besydes goten from all partes of the earthe And theÌ„ dyd we beholde with oure eyes those thinges we meruayled at in paynting For oute of India Ethyope and out of the South and Northe what so euer were vnknowen in the former worldes the same dyd he bothe shew furthe and slea at one tyme euery man beynge abasshed at hys so stedfaste a hande and at the dartes neuer faylynge stroke He also stroke wyth dartes Oystriches of Mawritany the whiche throughe the swyftnes of their feate and as it were wyth sayle of their winges ranne very swiftly touching the toppes of their neckes there withall strikenge of their heades and the hinder parte of the necke wher the stroke lighted beyng cute of they would a lytle whyle continewe theyr course as thoughe they were yet lyuinge Yea and a PaÌ„ther the which hauing with a very vehemeÌ„t course ouertaken a man thruste into the Theater seamed redy to deuoure hym he wouÌ„ded so sodeinly that the beaste beyng kylled he preserued the man preuentynge the edge of her teathe wyth the sharpe hedde of hys darte He also slewe an hundreth Lyons brought furthe of a caue with like many strokes their bodyes so layde in order that they myghte easelye be nombred no darte beynge throwen in vayne These thynges therefore that were hythervnto done althoughe they seamid vnmeate for a Prynce yet because they declared a certayne fortytude and cunnynge deserued commendacion of the people But when he enteryd naked into the Amphytheater and wearynge harnesse supplyed the nombre of the sworde players then appeared a lamentable syghte to the Romaynes that theyr noble Emperour after so manye tryumphes of hys father and auncestours dyd not onely beare armes appertaynynge to the Empyre agaynste beastes but dyd also spotte the chiefeste dignitye wyth mooste fylthye apparell In fyghtynge he easelye conuynced hys equalles wythoute beyng ones wounded euery manne wythdrawynge hys force and acknowlegynge hym rather an Emperoure then a swoorde player And he fell into that furye that he entended to forsake the Imperyall Courte and to remoue into the schole of defence Neyther suffered he hym selfe anye more to be named Hercules hauynge adopted the name of an excellente sworde player the whyche a lyttle before dyed Yea hauynge taken the heade from the greate Image called Colossus that represented the symilytude of the Sonne beynge verye moche worshypped of the Romaynes he putte thereon the pycture of hys owne heade and wrate at the foote thereof not hys accustomed tyâ—les of the Empyre and hys father but for the name of Germanyen he put in the vanquyssher of a thousande Maysters of defence But it was requysyte he shoulde ones fynyshe hys madnesse and the Cytye be delyuered from hys Tyrannye And that in the begynnynge of the yere the whiche daye the Romaynes holde verye solempne dedicatynge it vnto Ianus the aunciente GOD of Italye Of the whiche Regione thei reported Saturnus beynge expelled by hys sonne Iupiter to be a straunger and bicause that he there hydde hym selfe the name of Latium to be geueÌ„ vnto it Wherfore the Romaynes do fyrste celebrate after theyr custome the feastes of Saturnus and then the begynnynge of the yere The Image of thys GOD is wroughte with two faces as of hym by whome the yere begynneth and in whome the yeare endyth When the Cite helde as I sayd thys daye with solempnitye in the whiche the Romaynes do sende one to an other newe yeres giftes and all sortes of presentes and the magistrates werâ— bewtyfull scarlette all menne wyth gladnesse celebratynge the same daye Commodus determyned to come abroade not oute of the Emperours palayce as the olde vsage was but oute of the verye schole of defence And for gorgyouse apparayle and Imperyall purple to go armed in the companye of the Romayne people Whyche hys counsell when he hadde declared vnto Martia one of hys concubynes vnto whome he opened the greatest partes of hys secrettes and esteamed her almoste as hys wyfe so that all honours sauynge the fyre were borne before her as Empresse the woman hauynge perceaued hys so dyshoneste entente fell vppon her knees before hym incessauntelye desyrynge hym wyth manye teares that he woulde not suffre the Maiestye of the Romayne Empyre to be defyled or committe hym selfe so daungerouslye vnto myscheuouse and desperate personnes But when she coulde nothynge auayle she departed wepynge And he hauynge called vnto hym the Capytayne of hys armye named Letus and Electus hys Chamberlayne commaunded theim to prepare all thynges for hys lodgynge the same nyghte in the schole of defence that he myght in the mornynge goo from hence to sacryfyce and shewe himselfe armed vnto the people of Rome Thei endeuoured wyth manye intercessions to dysswade hym from enterprysynge anye thynge vndecente to a Prynce But Commodus chauffed wyth anger hauyng commaunded them to auoyde hys presence returned into hys chambre that he myghte as he was accustomed slepe at noone And there takyng into hys handes a thynne boke made of the barke of a tree and foldynge to eyther syde he wrote in the same all those he entended to slea the same night Of whom Martia was fyrste and nexte vnto her Letus and Electus and after them a greate number of those that bare moost rule in the Senate For he determyned to destroye all tholde men that were hys fathers frendes least theyr aucthorytye shoulde hynder hys wâ—â—kednes and to dystrybute their goodes amonges y e Souldyours and sword players y t the one company should wyth strengthe defende hym and thother wyth pleasures delyte hym The same boke so wrytten he threw downe on hys bedde not suspectynge that anye man woulde enter into the chamber But there was a lytle Boye yet of the sorte of theym that beynge clothed wyth no garmentes sauing suche as are decked with golde and precyouse stones are wonte too be the pleasures of euerye delycate Romayne The same Boye was so entyrelye beloued of Commodus that he oftentymes laye wyth hym and was called Phylocommodus the name it selfe declarynge the Prynces affectyon Thys chylde by chaunce playinge whan Commodus was occupyed in the bayne and ryottinge entered into the chambre and takynge the booke in hys hande to playe wythall wente oute of the doores and by chaunce mette with Martia
that is the age decrepite vncertayne and doubtfull Aethiope loke on this worde Libye Alexander the grete was the Sone of Philyp king of Macedonye and Olympias In his tender age he was enstructed in learning And after that by y e space of .x. yeres brought vp in Philosophy vnder Aristotle the most excellent Philosopher of all his time After the death of hys Father coueting to be Lord of all the worlde he apparayled his Armye against Darius the Kinge of Persia who wyth his predecessours had bene the auncient enemyes of Grece Hym dyd Alexander vanquishe in sundry batayles and depryued of the Persian Kyngdome But after he had obtained many notable victories in the .xxx. yere of hys age he dyed by poyson at BabyloÌ„ as Iustin writeth Neuerthelesse Plutarche affirmeth the coÌ„trary say enge that he died of an Ague very vehement wherin was no suspicion of Poyson The Prouinces and Countreyes by him Conquered did Perdicas vnto whome at his deathe withoute any more wordes he delyuered hys Rynge distribute amonges many Gouernours who altered their offices of gouernauÌ„ce in to Royaulnes and made them selues Kynges And so was Thempyre of Alexander broughte into manye Kyngedomes The resydue of hys lyfe ye maye rede in Plutarche and Quintus Curtius Alexandrye whereof Herodian speaketh in the thirde Booke is a Citye of Siria hard by a reflexioÌ„ of the Sea called Sinus Issicus wherefore loke vpoÌ„ thiese wordes Issicus Sinus There is an other Citye called Alexandrye in the Region of Troas where Troye the greate stode as Plinie writeth in the .xxx. Chapiter of hys .v. Booke Anonter Cytye named Alerandrie is in Egypte scituate vpon the Sea side oueraneanste the Isle Pharus as sayth Plinie in the .xxxi. Chapiter of the same boke Thys Cytye is the principall of all Egypte as London is of England Into the whiche Ptolomeus the kyng of Egypte desyred to be remitted by the Romaines as it appeareth by many Epistles of Cicero vnto Lentulus in the fyrste booke of hys familiar Epistles Of thys Cytye doth Herodian make mencion in the .iiii. booke of his Historye and of the Treason wrought agaynst the Citezins thereof by Antonyne There is another Cytye named Alexandrie by the mountaynes of Casxij in the Realme of Sogdia nygh vnto the Bactrians whych hath on the South the mountaigne Cacausus Another AlexaÌ„drie buylded lykewyse by Alexander the great standeth in the Region called Margiana of a Ryuers name whiche is Margus The same hathe on the West side Hircania on the East the Bactrians and on the South the Realmes of Parthia and Aria Thys Citie was destroyed by the Barbarous people and in the same place was a new buylded by Seleucus the Sonne of Antiochus who named it Seleucia as recordeth Plinie in the xvi Chapyter of his .vi. boke Another citie called Alexandrie in the Countreye of Carmania in Inde boundynge vpon Persia Of theise Cityes and countreyes loke Ptolomeus and Plinie Altinum loke thys worde Aquileia Amphitheater is a place made to behold plaies in the which is in fourme round as yf it were buylded of .ii. Theaters and therfore is called Amphitheater A Theater is made halfe in compasse betwene the ij corners wherof is played that whiche men behold called of the Latinystes Scena The nexte place vnto it is called Orchestra where the Senatours stauÌ„ge Ambassadours do sit In the middes of the Theater are the Seates for Knightes and that place is named Canea Rounde aboute the Theater withinfurth are degrees and steppes so made that the hygher they ascend the longer and larger they are Vpon the which y e people do sit as euery man can get him place Marcê° Scaurus as witnesseth Plinie in the .xxxiii. boke the xv chap. for one Playe which endured .xxx. dayes only dyd buylde a Theater the greatest of all other that were euer made by mans handes The Scene whereof was of thre stages had .iii. C.lx. Pyllers of marble of Affrique of the whiche the higher were of one piece and xxxviii fote in height The lower parte of y e Scene was of Marble and the stage in the myddes of Glasse which neuer man heard of before There was besydes for y e more gorgious beautyfyeng of it .iii. M. Images of Copper with so much rychesse Tapistrie of golde and Tables of auncient notable pictures y t it is almoste incredible to beleue as wryteth Plinie The greeces wheron men sate in the same did receiue lxxx M. persons Caius Iulius Cesar fyrst of all builded an Amphitheater in the fyelde called Campus Martius whyche Augustus pulled downe and in the same place made a Tombe Antioche is a parte of Siria boundynge vpon the Royalme of Cilicia as sayeth Plinie in the xii chap. of hys fyfth boke In thys part is a Cytye of the same name as wryteth Ptolomeus in the fourth Table of Asya Thys is the Cytye to the whyche Antonyne went and from thence to Alexandrie in Egypt Ther is another Antyoche in the couÌ„trey of Assyrya where Alexander vanquyshed Darius the whych is next vnto Syrya as wytnesseth Plinye in the .xiij. chapyter of hys .vi. boke Amonges the Isles of the Asyan Sea Plynye in hys .v. booke the .xxi. Chapyter sayeth there is one called Antyoche whyche standeth in the Sea of Pamphilia Apoplexie as sayeth Galien in the .v. chapyter of hys thyrde booke of the places affected is a disease by the whych all a mans synewes and vaynes do lose theyr force of fealynge and mouynge Thys dysease commeth sodeynlye and by the same a man shall vnethes fetche brethe Affryke The Cosmographers do deuide y e Earth into thre partes That is to wete Europe Asie Affryke Europe is seperated from Asia by the Ryuer Tanais and the Lakes called Meotides wythin y t whiche Tanais doeth fall And it is desseuered from Asie by the Sea Mediterrane so named for that it is in the myddes of the earthe or elles because it is enclosed wyth earth on euery syde sauynge where he hath his yssue betwene the pyllers of Hercules wherof the one is in Mauritania the other in Spayne Betwene the whiche Hercules made waie and passage for the Mediterrane Sea to ioyne with Thocean And it hathe none other yssue then betwene those two pyllers It extendeth towardes the Easte as farre as Siria whiche is in Asia Towardes the Northe vnto the lakes Meotides On the Southe parte it hath alwaies Aphrique which is sequestred from Asie by an arme of y e Sea called Sinus Arabicus That is the Redde Sea wherby the chyldren of Israell passed out of Egypte into the Desertes of Arabie Europe is muche Northe and so is it West in respecte of Asie And it is the least of the thre partes conteynynge the Isles of England and Scotlande and the nexte Isles thervnto Spaine Fraunce Almayne Italye Grece wyth the Isles theyr neyghbours Asie conteyneth Asie the lesse Lydia Caria Bythynia Galatia Capadocia Armenia Cilicia Sarmatia Assiria Arabia Persia Hircania Media Iudea the two Yndes and
all the other countreyes whych Ptolome describeth in hys twelue Tables Aphrique which is South conteyneth Mauritanya Numidia the countrey of Carthage whyche so longe tyme helde warre wyth the Romaynes Libia Ethiope and Egypt The Sea called the great Ocean enuironeth all these thre partes rounde aboute Aquileia is a Cytye scituate in y e tenth part of Italye after the deuision whyche Plinie maketh thereof in the xviij Chapyter of the thyrde booke of hys natural Hystorye sayinge thus Here foloweth tenth region of Italie named Venise adiacent vnto the Sea Hadriatyque In this Region there is a Ryuer called Silix commynge oute of the Taurisane mountaignes a Towne called Altinum with a Riuer called Liquentia descendyng out of the mountaygnes Opitâ—rgines and a Hauen of the same name A towne called CoÌ„cordia wyth a Ryuer a Hauen named Romatinum The greate and lytle Tillauentum Anassum another towne whereby passeth y e Ryuer Varannus And the Ryuers Alsa Natison and Turrus do passe by Aquileia whiche Citie is distaunt from the Sea .xij. miles For the reste haue recourse to the Text. Arabie There are .iij. Arabies Thone called fertile or happye Another called Rockye And the thyrd named Desert All thre verye nygh togethers as sayeth Ptolomee And they are in Asia nygh vnto the redde Sea through the which the chyldren of Israell departynge oute of Egypte passed and immedyatlye entered into the Dersertes of Arabie Armenie is a Realme of Asia The lesse Armenie ioyneth wyth Capadocia on the Weste parte And there is nothyng betwene them sauyng the mountaignes On the East part it is ioyned with Armenie y e great hauynge no more but the Ryuer of Euphrates betwene them Towardes the Southe is the mountaygne Taurus whych maketh separation of Armenia and Cilicia Towards the North is the Sea Mediterrane which in the streyte there is called Pontus Euxinus The great Armeny is beyond Euphrates And hath on the East part the Hircanian Sea the mountaygne called Caspius On the Northe aboue it the Realmes of Colchis Iberie and Albanie And towards y e South Mesapotamia as Ptolome hathe described it in y e .iij. Table of Asia Asia Loke on thys word Aphrique Atreniens are people of Arabie as sayeth Plinie in the .xxiiij. chap. of the .vi. boke of hys natural historye B. BIthinie is a Royalme of Asia nigh vnto Thrace betwene whome it ther is nothiÌ„g but a streite goulfe of y e Sea In this Royaulme are many goodly Cities as ChalcedoÌ„ Nicomedia Apamea Heraclea Nicea other as sayen Plyen Ptolomee Bizantium as it appeareth by the Texte in the beginning of Herodians thyrde Booke is a Cytye of Thrace of the whiche the scituacion and commodities are sufficiently described in the sayde Booke It is the same which we at this day call CoÌ„staÌ„tinople C. CCapitol is a Hill in Rome y t which in olde time was called y e MouÌ„te of Tarpeyns wherin when thei dygged to laye the fundacion of Iupiters Temple which was there buylded fowre square on euery syde a hundreth foote in heighte in the tyme of Tarquinius the proude laste Kynge of the Romaynes thei founde a mans heade wyth the face hole vnperysshed The Latius call a head Caput whereof y e place is called Capitole The MouÌ„te called Tarpeius had two lytle Hylles On the one stode the Temple of Iupiter on the other the Fortresse or Palaice of Rome whiche thei called Aâ—x Capitolina Cappadoce is a Royaulme of Asie adiaceÌ„t on y e west part to y e RegioÌ„ called Galatia And on y e East to Armenie thus dooth Ptolomee describe it in y e first Table of Asye Carie. Looke on this worde Ionie Carre is a Citye of Mesopotamia as sayeth the Text which is renowned spokeÌ„ of thrugh the ouerthrow of Marcus Crassus who was slaine his Army vaÌ„quished by the Parthians nigh vnto y e said Citie as writeth Plutarch in y e life of Marcus Crasius Carting was an vndeâ—eÌ„t exercise wherin voluptuouse Emperours gretely delited The forme thereof was to ryde in a Chariot with whipping cause the horses which drew y e same to run very fast to and fro as it liked theÌ„ We may call it ChariottiÌ„g also other name haue I not for the laten worde of it whiche is Aurigatio Chalcedon is a City of Bithynia vpoÌ„ the Sea side righte ouer aneanst Thrace and the Citye of Constantinople There is no more betwene them as sayeth the Authoure but a strait of the Sea called Bosphorus Thracius or Propontius or Helespontus which are all one makiÌ„g seperatioÌ„ of Europe Asie Circenses were certaine exercises plaied and shewed in a place called Circus whiche was compassed rounde about with a stone wall In thiese plaies thei vsed to runne w t horses to wrastle Thei were called Circenses as it were circum enses y t is to saye enuironned on euery syde w t Swordes For in olde tyme al the Running Iusting Wrastling and Combates of the Romaynes were in places enclosed on the one side with Riuers on the other syde with Swordes Glayus and Hallebardes to the ende that Cowardes Dastardes shuld not flea away w tout dauÌ„ger Cohorte Pretorâ—ane are suche men at Armes as garde the person of any Capitayne Duke Consull King or Emperour For this name Pretor is ofteÌ„ times taken for a King Emperour or Consull Colossus The Latins called euery greate and huge Image Collossus This Colossus whereof Herodian speaketh in his firste Booke was made by a notable workemaÌ„ named Zenodorus at the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of Nero Emperour of Rome And it was his Image beynge a hundreth and ten foote in heighte The same Image was dedicated to the honour of the Sonne after that the actes of Nero were condeÌ„pned and infringed for his cruell Tirrany as saieth Plynie in y e .xxxiii. booke the .vii. Chapiter Ther was an other Colossus at Rome which Domitian caused to be made standing vpon great pillers of Marble In the Capitole there was an other Colossus representinge the Image of Apollo whiche was .xxxi. cubytes of height traÌ„sported thither by Marcus Lucullus from a Citie called Apollonia in the Royalme of PoÌ„tus Amonges all such huge Images Plinye in the last cited Booke and Chapiter saieth y t in Rhodes there was the Image of the Sone passed al other in greatnes made by Chares of Lidia disciple vnto Lisippus The same was .lxx. cubites in heighte And fell downe by a meruailouse erthquake .lvi. yeres after it was made And althoughe it be broken yet is it at this preseÌ„t a thiÌ„g woÌ„derful to behâ—ld The Thombe therof a man can vnethe fadome And his singers are as bigge as great Images In y e same city of Rhodes there are an C. more Colossi But not so bygge as this although the leste of them were sufficieÌ„t to win fame and renowne to the City For those more descripcioÌ„ of the other haue recourse to the aforenamed Booke and Chapiter of Plynie Constantinople Loke on this worde
Bizantium Cyrus King of Persia was the Sone of one Cambises of an obscure familie in Persia Mandane the doughter of Astiages KiÌ„g of Media Who after ther position of his dreame by the whiche he vnderstode y t his doughters Sone shuld be King of all Asye that him self shuld lose his Royalme caused Cirus immediatly after he was borne to be put furth lefte alone in a Forest to y e ende he might be deuoured of wylde beastes But there a Bitche gaue him sucke defended hym from Beastes and Byrdes vntyll that the Kynges Sheperde founde hym caryed hym home to hys wyfe and gaue her the charge to nouryshe hym The woman was afterwardes called Spaâ—on because amonges the Persyans a Dogge is so named After that he waxed greate he was called Cyrus by the Sheperdes his Companions knowen to be Astiages doughters Sone and sente into Persia where he obtained much credite and aucthority Finally he assembled an Armye to make warre vpon Astyages his Grandefather from whom he berefte y e Royalme of Media vnto the which the Persians were subiect And by thys meanes Cyrus became Kynge of Perse and Media Before hys tyme the Persians had no Kinges but were subiecte vnto other Royaulmes After his victorie against Astiages he vanquisshed toke prisoner Croesus the King Lidia which was so riche But in conclusion him selfe was ouercomen and slayne by Thomyris Quene of Scithia wâ—en he had reigned .xxx. yeres Vnto hym succeded Cambises his Sone as Iustin in his first booke meÌ„cioneth Eusebius sayeth that CaÌ„bises reygned .viii. yeres Vnder Cirus Kynge of Persia by hys owne permissioÌ„ begaÌ„ the reparacioÌ„ of y e TeÌ„ple of HierusaleÌ„ which notw tstaÌ„dig was discoÌ„tinued many yeres after And at y e last finished the .vi. yeare of Darius Reigne Kinge likewise of Persya as witnesseth the .vi. .vii. Chapiters of Esdras in the Bible and Sabellyque in the .vii. Booke of his secoÌ„de Enneade After Cambyses two Brethern called Magi vsurped y e kingdoÌ„ .vii. Monethes After whoÌ„ Darius raigned .xxxvi. yeres And in the seconde yere of his Reigne Zorobabell by his permissioÌ„ renewed the reparacion of the TeÌ„ple of HierusaleÌ„ This Darius was nat he y t AlexaÌ„der the great vanquished but that was the .x. king after him called Dariê° also In whom the Royaulme of Persia toke hys eande Cyzicum is a Citye of Asye vpon the Sea syde in a Royaulme called Misia the lesse as witnesseth Ptolomee in the fyrst Table of Asie And so sayeth Plinie in the .xxxii. Chapiter of his .vi. Booke D. DAnubie or Danowe Loke on Ister Darius loke on these wordes AlexaÌ„der Cirê° Dionisus the Elder was a Tirant of Sicile Son of Hermocrates as saieth Sabellique He was verye well learned as writeth Plinie who preferreth none before him sauiÌ„g Plato in Philosophye Philopenê° in Poetrie two y e notablest men of learning in all his time In y e same yere y t the KingdoÌ„ of Athenes ended and Darius Kynge of Perse dyed Dionisus loste his Royalme as sayeth Sabellique in the nynthe Booke of hys fyrste Enneade Wherein he agreeth not wyth Eusebius Dyonisius Sonne was likewyse named Dyonisius the yonger who was also a Tirante of Sicile and raygned in a citye called Siracuses out of the whiche he was expulsed twyse ones by Dion And the second tyme by Timoleon sent agaynst hym by the Corynthians After thys seconde expulsion he kept a schole and taught yonge chyldren at Corynthe as wryteth Valerius Maximus E. Eridanus is a Ryuer of Italye otherwyse called Padus whych coÌ„meth as sayth Plinie in y e .xvi. chap. the .iij. boke of his natural History out of a mountaigne called Vesulus After that he hideth him selfe in the grounde and issueth out againe in the confynes of the Foruibienses Of all Ryuers ther is none more renowned The Grekes cal it Eridanus There is no Riuer besydes that encreaseth greater wythin so lytle space For it hathe a merueylous abundaunce of water falling into y e Sea Adriaitque Betwene the cytyes of Rauenna and Altinum it is verye domageable vnto the Countrey For by the space of .vi. skore myles as sayeth Plinie it doeth seperate it selfe into many Riuers Lakes And because that euerye Ryuer is large and great they call the same seuen Seas as witnesseth Herodyan in hys eyght boke Euphrates Loke on thys worde Syrye Europe Loke on thys worde Aphryque G. Galatians are those whiche enhabit the realme of Galatia which is in Asya betwene Bithinia Capadocia as sayen Plinye in the laste chap. of hys fyfth boke and Ptolome in y e fyrst Table of Asye The same Realme is called also Gallogretia and the people Gallogreci because that when the Gaules came to the ayde and succour of the kyng of Bythynie they helde and possessed that part of the Royalme Wherefore it is so named as wryteth Sabellique Gallus a Ryuer Looke on theyse wordes Goddesse Pesynuntyne Ganymedes was Son of Tros king of Phrigia who had Issue Ilus Assacus and Ganimedes The Fables surmise which is the most coÌ„mon opinion y e Iupiter rauished Ganimedes for his beauty by an Egle. But Sabellique in the .x. boke of hys fyrste Enneade sayth y t Ganymedes the Son of Tros was rauished by Tantalus kynge of Paphlagenie to abuse hym Whereby there arose great warre betwene the two kynges And it is most lyke that being very yonge he was iniuriously rauished by Tantalus vnder y e signe of the Egle were the battayles fought vpon the land or Sea Whych hath bene cause of the inuentioÌ„ of the Fable that sayeth that the Egle by ordynaunce of Iupiter rauyshed hym Gaule or Fraunce Cesar in his commentaries saith that Gaule is deuided into thre partes wherof y e Belges helde the one the Celtes another and the Aquitans inhabited the thyrd The Aquitans are seperated froÌ„ the Celtes by the Ryuer of Garumna The Celtes are sequestred from the Belges by the Ryuers of Marne and Seyn And the Belges are sundred frome the Almaignes by the Rheyn In the which diuision Gaule Narbonique is not comprised Ptolomee in hys fourth Table of Europe and in the chapyters of the same dothe deuyde Gaule into foure partes appoyntynge Gaule Aquitanyque to extende as farre as the Ryuer of Loyre And from Loyre to the Ryuers of Seyn and Marne is Gaule named Lugdunensis And from Seyn vnto Rheyn Gaule Narbonique extendeth it selfe vnto the Sea Mediterranean beyonde the Alpes and the Ryuer Varus vnto the Pyrrhenyan Mountaignes Gaule the rounded or otherwyse called Lumberdye is in the Lymytes of Italye and is the same countreye whyche is named Liguria nexte vnto the Alpes and the Sea All the other Gaule or Fraunce is called Gaule bering bushe Gaule Narbonique was before tyme named Brachata as sayeth Pliniie in the thyrde boke and the fourth chapyter Goddesse Pesynuntyne is y e same that Cicero in hys bokes of the lawes calleth the Moother Idea whyche is the selfe same that the Romaynes name the Moother
of the Goddes and doo greatlye reuerence Liuie in the .ix. booke of hys seconde warre Punique sayth that they founde in the Sybyline bokes whyche were perused and redde ouer because of the often raynynge of stones the same yeare that when so euer anye straunger and forreyne enemye shoulde moue warre agaynste Italye he myghte be vanquysshed and expelled thence yf the Moother Idea were transported to Rome from a fyelde of Phrigia named Pesinus The whyche to do the Romaynes sent fiue Ambassadours wyth fyue greate shyppes called Cynqueremes to Atalus king of Asie Who led them to the place called Pesynus delyuered them the holye stone whych the inhabitauntes there called y e Moother of the Goddes and appoynted theym to carye it vnto Rome It was receyued at the Hauen of Hostia by Publius Scipio beynge iudged at that tyme the worthyest manne in all the Cytye to do the same caryed vnto Rome and sette in the Temple of Victorye wythin the Palayce the .xiij. daye of Apryll whyche was celebrated and solempnyzed wyth feastes and gyftes that the people in greate aboundance offered vnto the Goddesse Whych playes the Romaynes called Megalesia The same Goddesse is called Ops whome they suppose to be y e wyfe of Saturne called Rhea by the whyche they vnderstande the earth that geueth affluence and abundaunce of all thynge She is otherwise named Cybele of the name of a Hyl and cytye of Phrigia where her sacrifyces were fyrst instituted Or she is called Cybele of Cimbals which signifyeth the Instrumentes and Soundes they vsed in the sacryfyces The Poetes sayen that she roade in a Chariot and had a crown of Towers wherby they sygnyfye that the earthe hangeth in the ayre and the world tourneth alwayes rounde aboute and that the earth hathe vpon it Cytyes and Townes wherein be Towers She is called Moother of the Goddes because she engendreth all thyng She is also called Pales for y t she is y e Goddesse of sheperdes her feastes are called Palilia And she is also surnamed Berecinthia of a moūtaygne of Phrigie called Berecynthes Accordyng to the diuersytye of her names she hath dyuers powers dyuers sacryfyces and dyuers ministers Vnder theyse names Cybele Berecynthia Goddesse Pesynuntyne Moother Idea because they came of names of places in Phrigia from whence thys Goddesse was broughte to Rome is no diuersitie of puyssaunce sygnified Thys Goddesse hathe Priestes and Ministers called Galli by the name of a Riuer named Gallus in Phrigia The water wherof causeth theym to be mad that drynke it Those Priestes be gelded who beyng sturred wyth madnesse noddynge theyr heades vp and downe wyth great noyse of small Belles whych they caryed did prophesye and tell of thynges to come in that madnesse They were otherwyse called Corybantes I. ILium is the same Cytye that we call Troye the great Ilus son of Tros in y e coūtrey called Troas dyd buylde thys ritye Iliū so called of his name And of the countrey wherin it stode it was named Troye as wytnesseth Sabellique in the fyfth booke of hys fyrst Enneade The Countrey is ioynyng vnto Phrigia on the East and towardes the west it hath the Sea Hellespontique as Ptolomee hathe described it in hys first Table of Asie Illiria The Royalme of Illiria described by Ptolomee in his .v. Table of Europe hath on y e North Coste y e .ii. Pannonies on y e west y e coūtry called Istria Towards the East it hath y e high Misia And towards y e South a part of Macedonia This Roialme is also named Liburnia y e part which extēdeth towards y e high Misia is called Dalinatia At this presēt the Illiriā Regiō is called Sclauonia Loke Ptolome in y e said .v. cable of Europe India There are .ii. Indes both in Asia ioyning togithers wherof thone maketh an ende of Asie towards thoriēt is called Inde beyonde the Riuer of Ganges On this side the Riuer is Inde called Inde on this side Ganges which hath on the East syde the same Riuer On the west the Royalmes of Paropanisades Arachosia Gedrosia On y e North y e moūtaine Imaus And on the Southe the Indian Sea as sayeth Ptolome in the fyrste Chapiter of the .x. Table of Asye ¶ Iocasta was y e wife of Laius King of Thebes After whose deceasse she maried her own Sone Oedipus vnwares And had by him .ii. childrē Etheocles Polinices who fought togithers after Dedipus death for the Royalme of Thebes And in y e same cōbate both y e Bretherne slew one an other as saieth Sabellique in y e .vij. Booke of his first Emeade For this cause did y e Alexādriens in mocquerie call Antonines Mother Iocasta because Antonyne for to obtayne Thempyre alone had slayne hys Brother Geta as the .ij. Sones of Iocasta slewe one an other for the Royalme of Thebes Ionie Plyne in the .v. Booke the .xxix. Chapi sayeth that the Countrey of Lydia watered ouer wyth the Riuer of Meander very croked and full of tourninges both extende aboue Ionie hauing on y e East syde Phrigia on the North Misia and on the Southe Caria The which Countrey of Lidia was before called Meonie By y e descriptiō y t Ptolomee maketh in y e firste Table of A◠Ionie is y e self same Regiō y t is called Lidye or Meonye At the lest wise it is a parte therof bosiding vpon the Sea whiche for that cause is called Ionyan The same Ionian Sea dothe extende frō the Bankes of Ionie vnto the bankes of thysle of Sicile Plinye in the iiii booke the .xi. Chap. sayeth that the Greekes deuyded the Ionian Sea into the Sea of Sicile and the Sea of Crete so called bicause of the nigh Isles Ptolome in the .v. boke the seconde Capiter sayeth that the Regiō proprelie called Asia hath on the North syde Bithinia On the West a part of Propontis the Sea Hellespontique the Sea Ieariā the Sea Myrtoique On y e East the Regiōs of Licia Pamphilia Galatia And on the Southe the Sea of the Rhodes In this Region are cōprised Lidia Caria other small Royalmes In Lidia is Ionia as it is before saied And Ionie is ryght ouer aneanst an Isle called Icarie whereof the Sea there is named Icariā And it is the same which is called Ionian Caria is betwene Lidie the Sea of y e Rhodes On the West it hath the Sea Icarian or Myrtoique And on y e East is Licia ioyned to Pamphilia ¶ Issicus Sinus is a reflexion bendinge of the Sea which hath on the West thyste of Cipres And on the East Siria ioyned vnto the Bankes of Siria And on the Northe syde is the Countrey of Cilicia In y e plaine by the same tourning of the Sea is the Citye of Alexādrie builded by Alexāder y e grete in memorie of y e batail by him wonne against Darius King of Persia In this place also was the battayle betwene Seuerus Niger ¶ Ister is a great and
meruaylouse Ryuer otherwyse called Danubie or Danowe comming oute of a mountayne of Almayne named Arnoba Beyonde the Alpes it passeth by Innumerable Countreis The further it runneth the more it encreaseth reteining the name of Danow vntyll it commeth by the Countrey of Illiria nowe called Sclauonie where he chaungeth hys name and is called Ister And receyuinge hys encrease of .lx. Riuers which fall into hym he departeth from y e earth and entreth into the Sea Pontique by .vi. grete armes as sayeth Plynye in the .iiii. booke the .xi. Chapiter of his Historie naturall L. LAodicea is a Cytye of Siria nighe vnto the Sea and not very farre distant from Antioche whyche is also in Siria but further from the Sea as wytnesseth Ptolomee in the .iiii. Table of Asye ¶ Latium is a parte of Italye in the whyche standen Rome Tusculum Prenesâ—e Ardea Tibur and many other Cities as writeth Ptolomee in the fyrste Chapiter of the syxte Table of Europe Those that enhabyte this parte of Italy are by the Romaynes called Latini ¶ Laurentum is a Cytye of Italye in the same parte that is called Latium nighe vnto Hostia By Laurentum there is a forest sacred vnto the Sonne as sayeth Plynye in the .v. Chapiter of his thyrde booke ¶ Liber Pater in Englysshe Free father is the selfe same God that we call Apollo as saieth Macrobius in his Saturnales after Aristotle for diuerse causes and amonges other bicause that in Thrace there is a Temple and Oratory dedicated vnto Liber wherin answeres and Prophesyes are rendered But in the same Temple those whyche oughte to Prophecie do drinke wyne excessiuely as they whyche render oracles in the Cytye of Clarium after thei haue dronke muche water The Lacedemonyens in the sacryfyces whyche they made to Apollo ware Garlandes of Iuye as yf they dyd sacrifyce to Bacchus The Boetians affyrmynge that the Hyll Parnassus was sacred vnto Apollo dyd alwayes there kepe the Oracle of Delphus and the Caues of Bacchus dedicated vnto the same GOD. For thys cause in that Hyll were the sacryfyces made vnto Apollo and Liber Pater ¶ In thys Hyll also where the Bacchanales celebrated ones in two yeare whyche shewed that Apollo Lyber and Bacchus were but one GOD. And he was called Lyber that is to saye Frea bycause the Sonne whyche we call Apollo dothe frealy and without subiection tourne compasse the worlde beynge sometimes highe and sometymes lowe and kepynge his course diuerse wayes ¶ Lybie is a Region of Aphrique And it is expedient to know that there are .ii. Libies For Ptolomee in the .v. Chapitre of his .iiii. Table of Aphrique setteth one Libye ioyned with Egipte the Marmarike Region And saieth y e Egipt the Marmarike Region haue on the West part the Royalme of Cirenia folowynge the continuation of one Lyne whiche draweth by a Citye called Darius that standeth vpon the Egiptian Sea And in the .vi. Chapi of the .iiii. Table of Aphrique he setteth an other Libye called Libye the Inner whiche hath on the North the seconde Mauritanie Aphrique y e lesse the Cirenayake Region On the Easte a parte of the Marmarike Region Ethiope whiche is vnder Egipt Towardes the South it hath Ethiope y e Inner And towardes y e west it hath y e west Sea For more descriptioÌ„ hereof looke Ptolome iÌ„ y e forsaid Chap. tables ¶ Lydie is a Countrie of Asia vpon the Egean Sea betwene Phrigia Caria This Contrey hath .ii. Riuers of great same The one of them is on the Northe coste called Pactolus wherin are founde many vaynes of Golde And thother is in the South syde called Meanâ—er which is very eroked beÌ„ding in oute Loke Ptolome in the fyrste Table of Asye M. MAuritanie Ptolome in his first Table of Affrike appointeth .ii. Mauritanies Thone whereof is more West right ouer aneanst Spaine Betique and called Mauritania Triganica Thother beinge more nere Thorient is named Mauritania Cesariensis and on the Easte parte ioyned vnto Numidia ¶ Medes be the people of the Royaulme called Media Ptolomee in his .vi. booke the secoÌ„de Chap. sayeth that this RegioÌ„ hath on y e North cost a part of the HircaniaÌ„ Sea On the West y e grete Armenie and Assirie On On the Easte Hircanie Parthie And towardes the Southe it hath the region called Corinthena Thus is this regioÌ„ described in the .v. table of Asie Plinie in the vi booke the .xxvij. chap. sayeth that Marcus Agrippa sayd y e Media Parthia the couÌ„trey of Persâ—e had on the East the riuer Indus On the West the ryuer Tygris On the Northe Taurus Cacausus And on the South the redde Sea Media Looke on the worde Medes Mesapotamie is a royalme of Asâ—e betwene the riuers of Euphrates Tigris as sayth Plinie in y e .xii. chap. of the .v. boke And in the .vi. boke the .xxv. chap. he sayeth that all the countreye of Mesapotamâ—e was subiect vnto the Affricans Looke more on thys worde Syrye Misiens The hygh Misie as Ptolomee hath described it in the ninth table of Europe is bouÌ„ding vpoÌ„ Thrace on the East part On the South vnto a lytle Royalme named Dardania which is aboue Macedonia And on North vnto the Ryuer of Danowe The lowe Misâ—e is nygh vnto y e falling of Danowe in the sea called Pontus Euxinus ¶ Loke on this word Propontys The Misiens are those which inhabit these .ii. regions Plinie in the .xxvi. chap. the thyrde boke called these royalmes Misia Ther are .ij. other in Asie after the description that Ptolomee maketh in the fyrste Table of Asie Thone called Misia the more thother Misia the lesse both ioyning to Phrigia vpoÌ„ the Hellespontian Sea N. NIcea is a cytye of Bithynie as sayen Ptolomee and Plinie Nicomedia is a Cytye nygh vnto the Sea in the Royalme of Bithynye Numidia is a countrey in Affrike betwene Mauritanie the countrey of Carthage after the descriptioÌ„ of Ptolome in the .ii. table of Affryke Thys couÌ„trey was very much renowned through the vertue of Masinissa who was king sometyme therof Thinhabitauntes are called Numidians or Nomades because y e often tymes they chauÌ„ge theyr habitations cary theyr housholdes froÌ„ one place to another in wagoÌ„s as saith Plinie in y e thyrd chap. the .v. boke of hys naturall Hystorye Sabellique in the fyrst boke of hys .v. Enneade O. ORgia be sacrifices made aswell vnto the Moother of the Goddes as vnto Bacchus other Goddes by the pryestes called Galli that are madde ¶ Ocean is the great Sea that enuironeth al y e earthe and ioyneth hym self w t the Mediterrane Sea betwene the pyllers of Hercules Thone wherof is in Mauritania called Abilla And thother in Spayne named Calpe The Mediterrane Sea is enclosed w t earth on euery syde that is to say on the right side wyth Affryke and on the lefte syde wyth Europe and Asie P. PAnuonie Ptolome in y e .v. table of
folowing had asmuche authoritee as Themperour And because thei coulde not be in all places when neade requyred thei sent their Proconsulles into the Prouinces which had there as greate authoritee as if y e Consulles had bene present This word Proconsull also sygnifyeth hym whyche is in steade of the Consull and dothe that that the Consull shoulde doo as sayeth Fenestella and Pomponius Letus of the Romayne Magistrates ¶ Prodigiouse tokes were signes which ofteÌ„ times happened naturally Neuerthelesse thei betokened one myshap or other Wherfore some do saye y e prodigiouse is deryued of that whyche oughte to be feared as the soÌ„ge of the Harpie called Celeno whereof Virgile speaketh Duch are the singinge of a Rauen the meetinge of a weesel when a maÌ„ goeth forth of his house Thiese and suche other lyke did men in olde time accoÌ„pte monstruouse and signifieng some calamytie to ensue ¶ Propontis is a part of the Mediterrane Sea whiche is deuided into diuerse partes For Pontus is a parte of the same Sea Propontis is a part of PoÌ„tus Pliniein the .iiij. boke y e .xij. Chapiter saieth y t the firste straite of the Sea which is betwene Thrace Asie where Xerxes made a Bridge to passeouer his Army is called Hellespontus And that is a small arme of y e Sea very strayte After y t it is somewhat brode then retourneth into a narowe strayte again This Sea y t is the broder parte is called PropoÌ„tis and the streite is named Bosphorus Thracius beynge in bredthe .v. paces onely Ouer thys streite Darius king of Serse father of Xerxes passed his army vpon a Brydge In exteÌ„ding further towards the North beyoÌ„de Bosphorus Thracius the Sea doth enlarge him selfe wonderfully is called Pontus Euxinus And after y t it retourneth to a strait again is called Bosphorus Cimmerius whiche is thissue of one of the Lakes Meotides y t is the last part of y e Mediterrane Sea towardes the Northe All thiese Seas aboue specifyed are partes of the Sea Pontus ¶ Ptolomeus after he had expelled Antigonus y e Sone of Demetrius helde the Royalme of Macedonie as saieth Sabbelique in the .viij. booke of his .iiij. Emeade He fayned him selfe to be amorouse of hys owne Sister Arsinde and that he desyred to haue her to wyfe But when she had condiscended to the same he shewed apparauntly after his receite into the City of Cassandra that his purpose was to bereue his syster of the Citye and to slea the chyldren that she hadde by Lysymachus her fyrste husbande whome he slewe in their Mothers armes At the laste he was vanquished by the Gaules vnder the leading of Belgius theyr Capitaine takeÌ„ prisoner and beheaded and his heade pitched vpon a polle to feare the Macedones withall ¶ Pyrrhichius is a foote or measure composed of two shorte sillables so called by the name of Pirrhus king of the Royaulme called Epyrus whiche is nyghe vnto Thessalie and beneth Macedonie For that by him was inuented a kynde of daunsynge called Pyrrichius as sayeth Plinye in the .vj. Chap. of the .vij. Booke The which leaping or daunsing was by mouyng and measure of two short syllables whereof Herodian in hys fourthe Booke maketh mencion R. Rhenus Looke on this woorde The Rheyn S. SArmates are the people and enhabitauntes of the Regions Sarmatiques Plinye and Ptolome sayen there are two Sarmaties one in Europe an other in Asie And bothe nighe vnto the Ryuer Tanais whych diuideth Europe and Asye and nyghe vnto the Lakes Meotides whereinto Tanais dothe fall Ptolomee in the .v. Chapiter of hys .iiij. Booke sayeth that Sarmatie of Europe exteÌ„deth towards y e North as farre as the great Ocean which in that part is called the Sarmatique Ocean Towards the West vnto the Riuer named Vistula Towardes the Southe vnto the mountaynes Sarmatiques which make separacioÌ„ of Sarmatie and the countrey of Dace and the lower Misye Towards the East vnto a streite plot of yearth named Isthmê° of y e Lake or Riuer Bicis And it hath on the one syde the lakes Meotides and the Ryuer of Tanais And in the .v. Booke the .ix. Chapiter Ptolomee saieth that Sarmatie which is in Asie hathe on the Northe a Lande vnknoweÌ„ On the West it hath Sarmatie of Europe vnto the heade and the Ryuer selfe of Tanais On the Easte the Lakes Meotides vnto the streyte of the Sea called Cimmerius On the Southe it hathe a parte of the Mediterrane Sea called Eurinus Pontus which is verye nygh vnto y e Lakes Meotides and it stretcheth from thence vnto the Riuer Corax And from the Riuer Corax aboue the Regions of Colchis Iberie Albanie vnto y e Hircanien Sea whiche is otherwyse named the Caspian Sea And on the East it hath a part of the same Hircanyen Sea and the Riuer of Rha vntyll that it entreth into Sarmatye where Sarmatie stretcheth vnto the Scithians Plynye in the .iiii. booke the .xii. Chapiter sayeth that the Greekes dothe call them Saromates that we name Sarmates and that the name of Scithians passeth vnto the Sarmates and to the Almaynes ¶ Saturnales were feastes and sacrifices of Saturne instituted and ordeined fyrste by Ianus to the honour of Saturne who taughte hym to tyll the earthe And after Saturnes decense he dedycated an aultare and sacrifices vnto hym which are called Saturnales The auncient fathers did solempnize thiese feastes one day only in the yere that is to weete in December the xiiij Calendes of Ianuary But after y t Ceasar had added .ij. dayes more vnto that moneth the feastes were celebrated the .xxvi. CaleÌ„des of Ianuary Which caused that the common people beyng ignoraunt of those daies did celebrate the feastes many tymes in the yere Many Authours do affirme that in olde tyme the Paturnales endured .vij. dayes during the which feastes the Seruauntes Bondemen had as grete aucthoritie as their Maisters and had lycence to doo what lyked them selues beste So saieth Macrobius in the firste Booke the .vi. Chap. of hys Saturnales ¶ Peculer playes were celebrated ones in three ages whyche was thre hundred yeres ¶ Septentrion It is certayne as sayeth Aulus Gellius in the seconde Booke the .xxij. Chapiter of his Attique nyghtes that the heauen hathe foure Regions That is to saye the Oriente Occidente Meridionall and SeptentrioÌ„ The Meridionall or South SepteÌ„trion or Northe are alwayes remayning in their own places And the Northe is in that place of the Heauen which is ryght opposite to the South whiche is in the middes betwene the Oriente and the Occident where the Sonne neuer coÌ„meth The Orient is very variable For in the Somer the Sonne ryseth in that place from whence commeth the wynde Bize whyche is somewhat towardes the Northe In the myddle or meane dayes the Sonne ryseth where the wynde Eurus is And in the shortest daies it ryseth towards the South in the same part y t the winde called Vulturnus or other wyse Euronotus is And as there
who for that she loued the Boye fyrste enbraced and kyssed him and toke the booke oute of hys hande fearynge least the chylde should through his infancie vnwares empayre thinges of Importaunce Afterwarde knowyng the hand of Commodus and moued wyth desyre too reade it when she perceyued the pernycyouse ententes therin contayned and her selfe to be fyrst mencioned Letus wyth Electus to folowe and fynally so great a murdre of others lykely to ensue she inwardly lamented sayinge Ah Commodus are these the rewardes of frendshyy and loue Haue I thus deserued of the after I haue so many yeres abyddden thy checkes and droÌ„kennes But these thinges shall not so prospere with the vndyscrete and dronken person agaynste a sober well aduysed woman When she had thus spoken she called Electus wyth whome she was accustomed to talke famylyarelye because he was the Emperours Chamberlayne and wyth hym she was also supposed to haue carnall companye and deliuered the boke vnto hym saying Beholde Electus what banquet we shoulde haue bene at this nyght folowyng He beyng astonyed wyth the readynge of it for he was an Egiptyan borne stoute fumysshe and quyckelye styrred to anger sent the boke closely sealed by a trusty frend of hys vnto Letus to reade The whych also abasshed wyth it came furthwyth vnto Martia feynyng that he woulde consulte wyth her concernynge the preparatyon in the schole of defence as the Emperour had commaunded Vsyng therefore thys glose they determyned to doo or suffre some thing out of hande knowyng that there was no tyme of deferrynge the matter They consented at laste that the feate shoulde be wroughte by poyson The whyche Martia tooke vpon her to mynyster speadelye For she was wonte too prepare drynke for hym and to gyue hym the cuppe that it myghte be thoughte more sweater beynge delyuered from hys louer She gaue vnto hym therefore as he came from the bayne poyson myngled with verye pleasaunte wyne in a goblet And he hauynge caughte a thyrste in wasshynge hym selfe and huntynge dranke rasshelye the drynke as of custome proffered vnto him Wherewyth beynge immedyatelye troubled wyth atche in hys heade and desyrous of sleape supposynge it came by laboure gaue hym selfe to reste Electus and Martya commaunded incontynentelye euerye man to departe to hys owne house leaste they shoulde dysturbe the Emperoure hauynge nede of sleape whyche he was accustomed also to doo at other tymes throughe Immoderate dronkennes For when he bathâ—d him self or elles fell to banquetinge he kepte no certayne tyme of sleape The sensualities risinge and muche differynge one from another so constrained the man yea sometyme vnwyllyng to serue theÌ„ WhaÌ„ he had for a smal tyme rested him selfe and the vehemency of the poyson was now entered his stomake and belye a gidines coÌ„bred his head and vomytynge furthwyth folowed eyther through the meat y t he had before largely eaten or the drinkyng of muche wyne that resysted the poyson or elles throughe the vsage that Princes obserue in taking of medicines before they eate any meat for feare of poysonyng But when he had vomited very muche they fearynge leaste all the venyme beyng auoyded he would thereby recouer and the commaund theym altogyther to be slayne perswaded for a great reward a certayne bolde and stoute yonge man named Narcissus to strangle him in hys Chaumber Thys ende of life had Commodus when he hadde raigned after his father in the Empyre .xiii. yeres A maÌ„ of al other Emperours most noble of all men in y t age the most beautifull But too speake of his prowes fortitude he might in y t be preferred to any other especyallye in sure strikyng that he had throwen at Neuertheles he defyled as before is tolde all the state of hys lyfe wyth abhomynable vyces The ende of the fyrst booke ¶ The Argumente of the seconde booke IN the second boke is declared how Pertinax was chosen Emperour howe longe time he raigned how he was slaine by the men of armes whiche solde thempyre afterwardes vnto Iulianus How Seuerus became Emperoure by the delayes of Niger And howe Iulyanus was slayne and the death of Pertynax reuenged by Seuerus The Seconde Booke of the Historie of Herodian AFter that Commodus was strangled as we haue in the former Booke declared the murderers entending to coÌ„ceale the facte and to deceaue y e Emperours garde deliuered the body wrapped in an olde couerlet vnto .ii. trustie and faythfull seruauÌ„tes to cary furthe of the Palayce as it were some stuffe that pestered the chambre And they that bare it passed throughe the myddes of the watchemen of the whiche some were dronke and slepte letting their halberdes fall out of theyr handes The other whiche were awake neglected the fardell whyche they supposed not to appertaigne vnto theyr charge Then they sente the princes bodye thus conueyed by stealthe and in the nyghte layde in a wagon vnto a place named Aristeus This ended Letus Electus and Martia after they had longe consulted what was beste to be donne at the laste concluded to spreade a rumor of his deathe that he sodeynlye fell into an Appoplexie The which bruite they knew wold soone be credyted because it was euidently knowen that he oftentymes accustomed to stuffe him selfe with immoderate superfluitie of metes But fyrste of all it seamed good vnto them to chose for Emperour some aged reuerende and modest persone by whome themselues myghte be in safetye and all other exempt from cruell tyrrannye And hauyng longe consulted they founde no man so worthye as Pertinax This Pertinax was an Italian borne famouse at home abrode throughe his valyaunte actes manyfolde victoryes obtayned againste the Germaynes Barbaryens of the Oryente and he onely remayned alyue of all the graue counsayllors that were lefte vnto Commodus by his father and vnto hym amonges all the capitaynes his Companions he had shewed moste honoure and reuerence Being yet safe eyther for that CoÌ„modus feared hys grauitie or elles dyssymuled because of his pouertye For this also dyd amplyfye hys renowme that hauynge moste aucthoritye of all men yet of all men he seamed the pooreste Vnto this Pertynax therefore wente Letus and Electus with a fewe of theyr complices aboute mydnyghte whyles all men slepte And finding his gates locked thei called vp y e porter Who when he opened the gate and sawe Letus the chyefe Capytayne the souldyors presente with hym beyng sore dismayed wythall ranne and tolde Pertynax He furthwyth commaunded them to be lette in sayenge that anon woulde happen the myschiefe he had vnto that daye loked for He was of so constante a mynde that he moued not ones from his bedde nor chaunged hys countenaunce But wyth a bolde and stoute stomacke nothyng abasshed spake vnto Letus and Electus when they were entered althoughe he beleaued they were sente to slea hym these wordes I haue of longe tyme euery nyght loked for this ende of my life the whyche onely am remaynynge of all
which the aucthour in the former boke called Balbinus Maximus after they had a litle space raigned in great traÌ„quilitie were slayne by the men at armes After whome Gordianus beynge .xiiii. yeares of age enioyed the Empyre alone ¶ The eyghte booke of the Historye of Herodian WE haue in the laste booke recyted what Maximinus did after the death of GordiaÌ„ his iornay into Italie wyth the sedicion and reuolte of the people and Souldiours within the Cytye selfe of Rome When Maximinus was arryued in the confynes of Italye he sente certayne Scowrers before to espye wether there were any stale or enbushmentes lying in the bottom of the Alpes and the thicke woodes there And led the Armye into the playne commaundynge the men of Armes to march forward in a square ordre to thende that a great parte of the fyeldes myght be couered with them And hauing brought all impedimentes and Cariage into the myddes him selfe folowed with the YeomeÌ„ of his Garde to rescue them yf they were distressed On eyther syde the wynges were of meÌ„ of Armes on Barbed Horses with Mauritanian Slyngers Archers of the oriental RegioÌ„s and horsemen of Germanye whome he had waged for thencrease of his ayde And he was accustomed to set them in the fore fronte of the battayle against his enemyes because their shoulde sustayne and receaue the fyrste brunte beyng boulde and stronge meÌ„ And yf nede so required he had rather those Barbarous rude people were loste than any other of his owne Souldiours After thei had passed the plaines obseruing theyr due order in marchinge they came to a cytie of Italye named of the enhabitauntes Eumona The same is sytuate in a lowe playne at the foote of the Alpes There the Scourers reported vnto Maximinus that the Towne was voide and forsaken of thenhabitauntes who were all sledde the gates of the TeÌ„ples and the houses consumed wyth fyre and all thynge whiche was in the Towne or fielde caryed awaye or burnte no foode remayninge eyther for man or beaste Wherwith Maximinê° was veri glad for he thought that other people wold doo semblably through feare of him But contrarywyse the Souldiours murmured and grudged that they should in the very begynning be vexed w t famine And when thei had passed ouer the nyghte some of them in the open and coÌ„men houses other some in the playne fyelde immediately after the Sonne rysing they came vnto the Alpes Thiese be wonderfull longe Hylles compassynge Italie in maner of a wal and so high that thei seame to pearce the cloudes so long also that thei enuiroÌ„ all Italye touching on the lefte hande the Tirrhenian and on the right syde the Ionian Seas beyng full of brode and thicke forestes with very narowe pathes and vnneth passable by reason of the height of the broken Rockes and stepenes of the highe banckes hauiÌ„g notwithstanding many narowe passages made with laboure of hande by the auncience Italions Wherefore a meruelous feare entred into the Souldyours hartes to passe that waye dreading y t the hyll toppe was already taken by their enemies and all the straites stopped to forbid them passage Neither did theyr feare seame fonde to them that behelde the nature of the place After thei had passed the Alpes and were descended into their Campe thei began to reioyce and baÌ„quet together And Maximinus then coÌ„ceiued a sure trust that all hys affayres shall haue prosperous successe seyng that the Italians trusted not vnto the difficultie of the places wherein them selues were wonte to lurke and prouide for their safety and where they might lye in wayte for their enemies and fightynge froÌ„ aboue easely distresse theÌ„ When thei were entred into y e playne y e Scourers brought word y e Aquileia the greatest Citye of Italye had shut their gates and that the PannoniaÌ„ baÌ„des which went before had very fiersely assayled the walles yet not withstandyng theyr often attempes were all in vayne Wherefore beynge weried they were constrayned to departe a great number of Stones Speares and Arowes hauing hurte them from the toppe of the walles Then Maximinus being very angry with the Pannonians as thoughe thei had not foughte valeantlye ynoughe made haste thitherwardes trustinge with out any more labour to wyn the Citie But Aquileya as it is a myghty Towne was abuÌ„daÌ„tely enhabited of people And as it were the Marte Towne of Italy the territorie of Illiria it did froÌ„ the mayne lande ministre to those that sayled in the Seas plenty of all suche necessaries as was brought thither by the Ryuers and the lande And from the Sea vnto the mayne lande thinges very necessarye for the hygher Countreys whych throughe the bytternes of wynter were nothynge fertyll But chyefely it mynistred wynes wherewyth that Regyon abounded vnto the nighe Countreyes that hadde no vyne trees at all The whyche caused that besydes the greate number of Cytezins there repayred vnto that Cytye very many Straungers and Marchauntes also And Certes the multitude was at this tyme muche more augmented by the assembly of Countrey people who hauynge forsaken theyr owne small Droupes and Vylages dyd truste them selues vnto the greatenes of this Cytye The olde wall whereof was a greate parte fallen downe For whyles the Romaynes floryshed in Dominion the Cytyes of Italye neaded neyther wall nor weapon lyuynge in quyet tranquilytie and beynge assocyated in the Rule of Thempyre with them But nowe necessitye compellynge them they buylded vp theyr walles agayne wyth Towres Bulwerckes and RaÌ„piers and hauynge fortyfyed their Cytye wythin furth and shutte theyr Gates stode all togyther bothe daye and nyghte vppon the walles valeauntely dryuynge backe theyr enemyes Their Capitaynes of chiefest power were two meâ— which had bene Consulles chosen by the Senate named Crispinus and Menephilus Thiese procured w t muche diligence all thynges necessary to be brought before hande into the Citye to thende their mighte the longer time sustaine the siege Ther was in y e Towne great abundaunce of water throughe the great number of welles the Riuer whyche ran a longe by the walles and the dyches betwene them and their enemyes Thiese thinges beyng thus ordred within the Citie when Maximinus hearde that thei defended their walles stoutly and had shut their gates against hym he resolued to sende vnder color of Ambassade some which should speake vnto them and yf it were possyble perswade them to open the gates of the Cytie vnto hym He had then in hys Armye a certayne Magistrate of Aquileia whose wyfe childreÌ„ and household were enclosed within the Citie This man therfore with a certaine Capitaines he sente as orators vnto theym trusting that the Citezyns wold easely obey his aucthoritie When thei approched nighe the walles they spake vnto the people on this wyse and sayed That their Commune Emperour commaunded them layenge al armes a part to obserue peace to receaue him as their frende and not as theyr enemye and to occupye them selues in prayers
Europe doth describe .ij. Pannonies ioyning one to another Thone of theÌ„ called the high Pannonie bouÌ„deth on the West vpoÌ„ a royalme of olde time called NoricuÌ„ at this present Bauiers Thother called y e low Pannenie nigh ioyninge vnto the higher stretcheth to the ryuer of Danow Of y t which riuer declinyng towards the South that part which receaueth the ryuer Saus doth eand the lower Pannonie on the East And on the South drawyng towardes y e Hadriatique Sea are the roialmes of Illiria or Sclauonie Dalmatio In these regions there be .ij. ryuers Drauus Saus Drauus which is the more swyft coÌ„meth out of the countrey of Bauiers And Saus which runneth more slowely out of y e Alpes Carnicyan as saith Plinie in the thyrd boke the .xxv. chap. of hys naturall Hystorye ¶ Panthers are beastes very cruel as y e coÌ„iunctioÌ„ of the word doth sufficiently shew which signifieth all cruel The skyns of these beastes are spotted ouer w t rounde white spots And there is no beast so notably spotted as y e PaÌ„ther y e Tigre These PaÌ„thers do sauour woÌ„derful swete And for their sauoure other beastes resorte vnto theÌ„ But yet they are afeard of y e Panthers fyerce loke Wherfore y e Panther hideth his head suffreth al y e rest of his bodie to be loked on y t he mai the better take his pray of the other beastes being amased There is no great difference betwene y e Panther the Leopard sauyng y t the Panther is more white And Plinie in hys viij boke the .xvi. chap. sayth that he coulde neuer fynde other difference In the same chap. he telleth a meruaylous tale of a Panther which remeÌ„bred the good turne that a man had before done vnto him In Siriâ— and in Affryke there be many of these beastes ¶ Parthians The royalme of Parthia as Ptolomee describeth it in his .v. Table of Asie stretcheth on the North vnto Hircanie to y e mouÌ„taignes betwene theÌ„ On y e South it hath Carmanie On y e East the Ariens On y e West the Medes And this regioÌ„ is enuironed w t hils on al partes So saith Plinie in the .vi. boke y e .xxv. chap. Who saith also y t the ParthiaÌ„s haue .xviij. kyngdoms And their Prouinces are betwene the red sea on y e South the HircaniaÌ„ sea on y e North Xi of theÌ„ be beyond Armenie the mouÌ„taignes called Caspij do extend along by the Caspian sea vnto the Seâ—thians drawing towardes y e sea And these realmes be called y e high realmes Thother y e low realmes The ParthiaÌ„s whiche are not in y e firste description are called Nomades ¶ Patroclus the frend of Achylles was in the warres betwene the Grekes the Troyans there slayne by Hector the sonne of Priamus kynge of Troy ¶ Perynthiens are a people of Thrace wherin staÌ„deth a citie called Perinthus w t in y t which ther is a fortresse called Bizia some time beloÌ„ging to y e kings of Thrace In this royalme there are no Swalowes for y e offence of Tereus kyng of Thrace as saith Plinie in y e .xi. cap. the .iiij. boke of his naturall history ThoffeÌ„ce was this His wife named Progne y e king of Athenes doughter had a sister which hight Philomela whom she greatly desired to see And Tereus to please her w t all promysed to fetthe her sister In bringing of her he defloured her And to y e end she shuld not disclose it to any persoÌ„ he cut out her toÌ„ge shut her vp in a secret place told Progue y t she died by y e way But Philomela wrote w t blode in a kerchief all the matter sent it vnto Progne her sister Who being chaufed w t ire for y e same slew a litle childe called Itis which she had by Tereus presented it him to eate Tereus perceauing y t matter pursued her And she fleing away was turned into a Swalowe Tereus him selfe into a Lapwinge and Itis into a Fesaunte Pesynus Loke on these wordes Goddesse PesinuÌ„tine Phari Pharus is an Isle in the sea of Egypt wherein standeth a cytye buylded by Alexander the great ouer aneanst Alexandrie which was lykewyse buylded by y e same Alexander The Isle Pharus is so nyghe vnto Egypt Alexandrie that at thys day there is no more betwene theÌ„ but a bridge to passe froÌ„ thone to thother as sayth Plinie in the .xi. chap. of hys thyrde boke In the cytye of Pharus Ptolomeus Philadelphus the kyng made a meruaylous hygh Tower whyche is numbred amonges the meruayles of the world vpon the whyche there is alwayes a great burnyng light to shew the hauen vnto them that saile by night on the Seas And because that thys lyght is so renowned many doo call all other Towers whiche haue fyre and lyght in theÌ„ after that sort Phari as our present Authour doth him selfe Phenices Looke on thys worde Syrye Phrigâ—e is a countrey of Asie whyche boundeth on the West vpoÌ„ the countrey of Troye y e great And as sayth Plinie in the .v. boke the .xxxii. chap. Thys couÌ„trey is ioynynge to Galatia on the Northe On the Southe it hath Lycâ—onie Pysidie and Mygdonie And on y e East it toucheth the countrey of Cappadoce Ptolome describeth thys countrey in the fyrst Table of Asie and dothe not alot vnto it so great a compasse Pitanite is as muche to saye as Laconique or Lacedemonien because Pytanas was the father of Thrasibulus the Lacedemonien who was slayne in fyghting valiauntlye in the warre After hys decease Pytanas shewed hym selfe very graue and prudent saying that it was a rare thyng to dye so well Wherfore he wylled hys countrey men not to weepe for hys death because he dyed valyauntlye as it became a Lacedemonian So sayth Ausonius the Poete in an Epigrame Ther was another Thrasybulus of Athenes whyche had a voyce very loude and bygge of whome Plutarque speaketh in the lyfe of Alcybyades Pontus Loke on thys worde Propontis Proconsull In the tyme that Posthumus Albus and Spurius Fulsius were Consulles and warre was made against the people called Equi dwelling in Italy which warre was vnfortunate to the Romaines Titus Quintus was fyrst created Proconsal to goo and ayde one of the Consulles whiche was besieged to the ende that the other Consull mighte remayne at Rome leuy more meÌ„ And this Proconsull had .vi. SergeaÌ„ts goeng before him with mases His owne ornameÌ„tes were like vnto the Consulles FroÌ„ that tyme forwardes it was ordeined that those which had bene Consulles one yere shuld the next yere foloweng be Proconsulles for to go into the Prouinces And euery of them had hys Liuetenaunt which was called Legatus to assiste him in hys affaires The Proconsull had iurisdiction onely in the Prouince giuen vnto him but that was nat voluntary as to infranchyse a bondeman The fyrst day of Ianuary yerely did y e Romaines chose two Counsulles which during thole yere
are .iii. risiÌ„ges eue so are there thre settinges or descendinges likewyse mencioned and thre windes cumming froÌ„ the same thre settinges That is to weete Caurus named by y e Greekes Argestes blowing righte againste the wynde Bize Fauonius or Zephirus againste Eurus And Africus named by the Greekes Libs against Vulturnus The wynde which coÌ„meth froÌ„ the South because y t the South chauÌ„geth not is one in Latin called Auster in Greeke Notus bicause it is moyste The Northe parte by like reason hath one onely wynde which bloweth against Auster This name Septetrion as saieth Aulus Gellius in the Chapiter last cited commeth of that that .vii. starres doo make a signe in the heaueÌ„ in forme of a wayne oxen yoked to labour or elles bicause the iii. next starres that a man may se in the Northe nigh one vnto an other do make as it were a triangle and thys sygne is ryght opposite vnto the Southe ¶ Sirmium is a Cytye of the lower Pannonie towardes the hygh Misye drawinge to the East It is beyonde y e Ryuer of Danowe as saieth Ptolomee in the. xvi Chap. of his thyrd boke Plynie in the .xxv. chap. of his thyrde boke saieth y t a Riuer called Bacuntius entereth into y e Ryuer Paus nygh vnto the City SirmiuÌ„ ¶ Syrie as Ptolome descrybeth it in the .iiii. Table of Asye is seperated from Armenye on the Northe by the mouÌ„taigne Taurus On the South is Arabie on y e West stretchyng towardes y e Isle of Cypre is y e Sea of Sirie which is now called y e Sea of Phoenicia And on the East is Mesapotamye Plynie in y e .v. booke the .xii. Chapiter sayeth that Syrie was the greatest of all the ProuiÌ„ces therfore had y e name of al Royalmes which wer subiect vnto it For towards Arabi it was called Iudea or Iury Palestine Phoenice more inwarde Damascene In stretchiÌ„g towards y e South it is called Babilone And betwene y e Riuers of Tigris Euphrates it is named Mesapotamie BeyoÌ„d y e MouÌ„tain Taurê° it is called Sophene where Euphrates is deuided into .ij. partes And beyond Armenie it is called Assyrye On y e part where it bouÌ„deth vpoÌ„ Cilicia it is called Antioche The part of Syrya which lyeth along the sea coast are the countreyes of Idumea Iudea And in stretchinge more hygher towardes the Northe is the countrey of Phoenice And after it is more nere Euphrates it is called Sirie as saith Plinie in deuiding Sirie more exquisitely All the Sea which is nygh thys part is called the Phenician Sea The people of Phoenicia hathe bene meruaylouslye renowned for that they were the fyrste Inuenters of letters of Astrologie of making shyps and all engens of warre T. TAurus is a Mountaygne in Asie meruaylouse huge great as sayeth Plinie in the .xxvij. chap. the .v. boke of hys natural historye For he saith that hys begynnynge is vpon the bancke of the Oriental Sea and passeth from thence by many peoples and Countreys makyng separation betwene them At his begynnyng which is at the Indian Sea he hath on the ryght syde the North and on the lefte syde the Southe stretchynge towards to y e West by the middes of Asie sauynge where he encountreth the Sea After that he bendeth towardes the North and fetcheth a great compasse on thone syde Then he stretcheth towardes the Phoenician Sea On thother side towards y e Pontian Sea and on another parte to the Hircanian Sea And he goeth verye nygh vnto the Lake Meotide And after he hathe verye muche bowed and tourned hym selfe he ioyneth wyth the Mountaygnes Riphees whyche are in the North. And all the way as he passeth he hath diuers names For in India where he begynneth he is named Imaus after that Paropanisus Circius Chanibades and manye other names Where he is moste hyghest he is called Cacausus which is aboue y e royalmes of Colchis Iberie Albanie And where he stretcheth out hys armes as yf he woulde embrace the Sea he is named SarpedoÌ„ Coracesius Cragus Wher he hath portes for separation and passage albeit the same be trenched naturally opened yet is it all one Mountaygne Those portes are called in one place Armenien which is Armenie In another parte they are called Caspien nighe vnto the people called Caspij who are betwene Armenie the great the Medes And they are in another place called the Portes of Cylycye And although it hath in diuers places dyuers names yet is it in Greke called by one name the mouÌ„taygnes Ceranques Thus sayeth Plinye in the place afore alledged Lyuie thother Historyens sayen y t thys mountaigne doeth appoynte the lymyttes and bonndes of the Romayne Empyre ¶ Theater Loke on thys worde Amphitheater ¶ The Aegean sea parte of the Mediterrane sea is betwene Asie Macedonie and is called Aegean because that in the same Sea are manye Isles so nygh one another that a farre of they seame to be Goates which the Grekes call Egas or because that Aegea Queene of the Amazones was therein drowned or elles for that Aegeus the father of Theseus threwe hym selfe headlonge into it as sayth Sextus Pompeius ¶ The Ionian sea Loke on thys worde Ionie ¶ The Rhein Cesar in hys commentaryes sayth that Gaule Belgique extendeth on the East vnto the Rhein And beyonde it are the Almaygnes and thereby the Rhein doeth deuyde Gaule Belgique from the Almaygnes In Gaule Belgique are comprised the couÌ„treyes of Lorrayne Luxenbourg Guelders Flaunders Thys Ryuer commeth out of the Alpes and falleth into the Sea of Flaunders Before his entery into the Sea he maketh an Isle whyche is the countrey of Hollande nyghe vnto the whyche is the countrey of Guelders bendyng towardes the head of the same Ryuer Beyonde it is Luxenbourg and Lorrayne whych is seperated from Luxenbourg by y e Riuer of Meselle whych coÌ„meth out of y e mountaygne Vogesus and falleth into the Rhein Out of the same mountaygne commeth the Meuse whyche runneth lykewyse into the Flemyshe sea Betwene the Meuse and the Ryuer of Somme towardes the Sea is the countreye of Flaunders whyche is seperated from Fraunce by the sayde Ryuer of Somme as it is apparauntlye described and fygured in the newe Table adioyned vnto the Tables of Ptolomee ¶ The men at armes Pretorian Loke on these wordes Cohorte Pretoryan ¶ The seuen Seas Looke on thys worde Eridanus ¶ The Tygre Loke on thys worde Tygris ¶ The Tirrhenian Sea is y e low Sea which exteÌ„deth alonge by Italie nigh vnto the coste of Hoffie And is so called by the name of Tyrrhenus sonne of Atys and brother of Lidus kyng of Lydie who came into Italy and with his people inhabited that part of Italy which is vpon the lowe sea whereby the Region is also called Tyrrhenie After it was called Tuscie and Hetrurie as sayeth Sabellique ¶ Thrace is Royalme of Europe in the furthest part therof towardes the Orient The which Realme hath on the
North the lower Misie On the West the higher Mysie and a part of Macedonie On the East the sea named Propontis and the streyte of the sea called Bosphorus Thracius whiche maketh seperation betwne Europe and Asie as sayth Ptolomee in the .xi. chapter of the nynth Table of Europe ¶ Tribune is asmuch to saye as Maister Gouernour or Capitayne And it commeth of this word Tribus for that the people of Rome was fyrst deuyded into partes which they called Tribus And the chiefe Gouernours and Capitaines of the men at armes elected out of those partes were called Tribuni as saith Varro treatinge of the Latyn tonge saith Vegecius in the .iij. boke the vij chap. of the feates of warre A Tribune of meÌ„ at armes had the charge of a band in an armie wherin were as many horsmen as fote men As of the fyrst Cohort of a Legion which Cohorte was the greatest the principal and the best fylled wyth sage discret valyaunt and experte warryous In the same were .xi. C. fote men and C.xxxij men at armes on horsebacke The Capytayne of thys Cohorte was called the Tribune of the men at armes who had vnder hym other Capytaynes and Centuryons as well of fotemen as of horsemen The other Cohortes of a Legion whyche were nyne leste then the fyrste were conducted eyther by the Trybunes or by the Prouostes Budeus in hys commentarye vpon the Pandectes or Digestes sayeth that we maye call a Trybune of men at armes a Marshall Vegecius in the seconde booke the twelueth chapyter sayeth that the honour of the Trybune of men at armes was when the men at armes were honestly and cleanelye apparelled well armed and theyr harnes wel fourbyshed and shynynge bryghte and when they were well enstructed exercised in the feates of warre The aucthorytye and power of thys Magystrate was for a whyle so greate that the Trybunes of the men at armes had ones the gouernauÌ„ce and administration of the Romayne common wealthe And there was no Magystrate or Dygnytye more hygher then thys When there were no Consulles whyche was aboute thre score and ten yeres after the kynges were expelled oute of Rome the Common weale was ruled fiue yeares by the Trybunes After the fyue yeares were expyred Consulles were agayne created as sayeth Pomponyus Letus Dyuers tymes the Trybunes were restored vnto dygnytye agayne as sayth Tytus Liuius and they had the aucthorytye of the Consulles Fyrste they were thre then foure then tenne and then twentye some tyme lesse some tyme more In Rome there were other Trybunes whiche were named Tribunes of the people who were created the yeare that Aul is Virginus Titus Vetusius Geminius were Consulles whyche was the .xvi. yeare after the expulsion of y e kinges At which time the common people beynge ouercharged and vexed wyth debtes after that the Senatours and noble men of Rome had often tymes promysed to release and discharge theym thereof and then deceyued theym seperated them selues from the Senatours But Menenius Agrippa one of the tenne Ambassadours sente vnto the people whyche were assembled in the fielde reduced them by an oracioÌ„ into amitye created y e Tribunes of y e people who were chosen out of the common people them selues This dignite was sacred inuiolable not subiect vnto the Consulles as other officers were The Tribunes of the people sate in the Senate house at the very entry thereof And that that the Consulles decreed their sometyme alowed and sometime reiected And bicause thei vpheld and mayntained the people and styrred them oftentymes againste the Senatours and noble men of Rome there rase many Ciuyle batayles betwene them In the tyme of the Kinges there were Tribunes whiche were Captaines of a hundred horsemen and were called Tribuni Celerum Ther were also other Tribunes which had the Charge of the Receit Custody of all Trybute money and were called Tribuni Aerarij as muche to saye as the Tribunes of the Tresoure ¶ Tigris is a Riuer which hath his beginnyng in the Royalme of Armenie the great At the first he runneth slowly and where he beginneth to be swifte he is called Tigris for so do the Medes call an Arowe He falleth in to a Lake called Arethusa but yet it medleth nat w t the course of this Riuer neither do the fyshe of them bothe come togithers But the Riuer passeth throughe clene vnlyke the Lake either in course or coloure At his meting w t the Mountaine Taurus he hydeth hym selfe w tin the earth and runneth vnder the Mountayne then apeareth agayne on the other Syde The place is called Zoroanda And that it is the same Riuer whiche hydde hym selfe in the grounde it doth manifestly apeare For when he commeth furth agayne he bringeth any thing with hym that was cast into hym on the other syde the Hyll He passeth afterwardes by an other Lake named Thesbidis and then hideth him self in the earth again After his next comming furthe he is deuided into two partes wherof thone runneth into Euphrates and so into the Persian Sea This Riuer maketh manye tornynges and resâ—eryons and separateth Mesapotannye froÌ„ Assirie Loke Plinie the .vi. Boke the .xxvii. Chap. ¶ Tyrus is a Cytie of Phoenice vppon the same Sea that Laodicea is All the same Sea is attributed vnto the Phoenicians as it is sayd in this word Syrie V. VEsta is a Goddesse which was doughter of Saturne vnto whoÌ„ the Virgines vestalles were coÌ„secrated Numa Pompilius did firste institute in Rome those Virgins neuertheles the same Relygion was so auncient that it came from the Troyans to the Albaynes and from them to the Romaynes Theyr office profession was to make sacrifice for the Romayne people vnto y e Goddesse Vesta And to garde the eternall inextinguible fyre Ther were .ij. Goddesses of thys name Vesta The one was Moether of Saturne by the which we vnderstand the earth Thother was doughter of Saturne which is the that thei name the Vyrgyn by whome we vnderstande the fyre as sayth Ouide Vnderstand nothinge by Vesta sayth heâ— but the liuely burning fyre whereof thou seest no body to be engendred She is therfore accoÌ„pted a Virgin because she doth not engender The Romaines sent as far as Phrigia for the Image of this Goddesse Vesta the which was brought set in y e Temple of Victorye which is in the Palaice vnto whoÌ„ those vyrgyns were sacred that had theyr house harde by the Temple And were .xx. in numbre Aulus Gellius in the .xij. chap. the fyrst boke of his Attique nightes sayeth y t the high Bishop toke that Vyrgyn whiche should be sacred by the hand called her Amata because the fyrst virgyn instituted by Numa Pompilius was so named and did set her into y e College of the Vestall vyrgyns where from thence forwarde she was w tout emancipation exempts from her fathers rule had power to make her Testament Yf ye wil know of what age of what parentes of