hys sonne Cham yet neuerthelesse dyd God in the meane whyle by a wonderfull destiny differ the vengeaunce and promise Howbeit the kyngdome remayned not by the posteryte of Nembroth For there rose a newe kyngdome by the Assirians thorough Assur by whome also the citye Niniue was buylded Oute of Niniue went the Assyryans and subdued the cytye of Babylon the whyche Diodorus Siculus doeth wryte and by thys occasyon is the Monarchye translated from the Chaldeis to the Assyrians Strabo and other dyd make mention of the citye Niniue that it lyeth in Assyria whereby it may easely be gathered that Niniue and Babilon haue ben two seuerall cityes not one of dyuerse names Many kynges are there rehcarsed in thys Monarchye Howbeit seyng ther is nothing notably written of their dedes it maketh no greate matter to rehearse their names onely onely this behoueth it the reader to remembre that this Monarchye beganne neare hande before the ende of the fyrste two thousande yeares whiche were accomplished before that tyme whan Abraham was fyftye yeare olde Hetherto haue wee treated of the fyrste age of the worlde in the which may be sene of the creation of the worlde of the churche and ciuyll administration ordeined of God besyde that of other wonderfull dedes shewed in the world by god But the churche came from Noe the patriarche vntyll Abraham whiche was eyght and fyftye yeare olde whan Noe dyed In the meane whyle whan this Monarchye beganne vngodlynesse and idolatry beganne to ryse here and there in Babylon and the true worde of God was in the meane tyme quenched seconde boke of the Cronicles of the foure Monarchies the whiche lykewyse comprehendeth two thousand yeares FOrasmuche it is before all thynges necessary and profytable in histories to consider the times and order of thinges that are happened I willed to parte this Cronicle in most greate and certaine nombers whiche maye easely be perceaued and kepte in memorye in the whiche neuerthelesse mighte be comprehended the most and principall chaunges of the worlde After than that we haue finished the first age we shall vndertake to speake of the two thousande yeares folowynge in the whiche also appeared the greatest power of the worlde and the most greatest monarchies haue folowed in order Of the fyrst Monarchye of the Assyrians Ninus kyng of the Assyryans WE haue admonished afore that the Chaldeis haue raigned first by the Babylonians but they remayned not longe in the empyre but that the Assirians the neighboures of the Chalde is obtained the kingedome and they beginne the history of kyng Ninus which beynge become moste puyssaunt in the Easte at the last also had warre wyth Zoroastres kynge of the Bactrians It is sayde that thys Soroastres fand fyrst wytchcraft and to haue taughte the course of heauen and the starres wyth great diligence As the warre was fynyshed that Ninus had wyth Soroastres he dyed leauynge hys heyre a yonge sonne Of quene Semiramis SEmiramis the mother of the chylde ruled her selfe after the kynges decease For the feared in so newe a kyngdome and where they were not all yet of their fre wyll subdued that for the chyldes youth the people mighte haue speded to rebellion and lest she shoulde be despysed by reason of woman kynde wherfore she vsed mans garment and fayned her to be the kynges chyld She was doughtye and excellent in princely affayres and augmented the borders of the dominion wyth vanquishynge countries and makynge fortresses She raygned happely and with great prayse xlij yeres She fortifyed Babilon with costly buyldynges dyches and walles enuyroned about it Whan the mother was deade Ninias the sonne raygned wyth good quietnesse and of this wyse was the superiorite of the worlde and Monarchye by the Assyrians a great season But forasmuche as there is not much written of the kynges folowyng I will passe ouer the rehearsall of their names because the good reader can not well kepe them in mynde Whoso wyll knowe them may seke them by manye other wryters Neuerthelesse it is no doute but that manys and sundry chaunges are befallen in this Monarchye the which maye easely be gathered out of the Bible which wytnesseth that the Assyrians possessed Babylon longe before the tyme of Cyrus howbeit they were two kyngdomes the one of the Niniuites the other of the Babylonians But for what causes or whan these mutations were that is vtterly vnknowen Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept this Monarchy fyue hundreth yeares and that after that longe tyme there was no certayne or fyrme kyngdome but that the Medes vsed a proper kyngdome and likewyse the Chaldees by the Babylonians and the Assyrians had their kyngdome at Niniue and amonge the kynges had nowe the one ouerhande nowe the other Finally the Medes beynge become myghty drewe the vpper Monarchy to them takynge also the citye Babilon These thinges seme moost lykest to the whiche agre those that are written of Sardanapalus not only by Metasthenes but also Bion of whom Agathias maketh mention Of Sardanapalus WE must speake a lytle of Sardanapalus how he was depryued of his kingdome that afterward the kingdomes were diuided Whan God wyll punyshe the worlde he geueth it lecherous prynces By the histories it is manifest that Sardanapalus nothinge regardyng the gouernaunce of the kyngdom gaâ— hym selfe only to pleasures in so much also that â—â— vsed to paynte and coloure him selfe to make hâ—â— beawty and to clothe him with womens garment It is said that he sat in the middes of dishonest women and vsed all maner of vnclennesse How shuld not such an empyre haue had a pyteful ende Whan nowe the Medes Babilonians were fallen from hym and rebell and that he had loste the battayll against hys enemies neither coulde no where merchandes be more salfe he set y e castell at Babylon in fyre and burnt him selfe in it Howbeit as wryteth Duris he sent afore his thre sonnes to Niniue and hereby it commeth that after the decease of Sardanapalus the kyngdomes are diuided Bolochus reigned at Babilon whiche fell from Sardanapalus with Arbace Arbaces kepte the kingdome of the Medes The posteryte of the Assirians dured a certaine space of yeares by them of Niniue Many yeares haue these thre kyngdomes foughte and stryuen for the Monarchye Of Egypte WE haue suffycyentlye spoken of thys fyrst Monarchye but howe many yeares there be vntyll the tyme of the second monarchye shall we note hereafter At thys tyme must wee shewe brefely a few thynges of other kyngdomes whych are come vp besyde this monarchy For the very large empyre of Egypt was in his floure that whiche was gouerned by the posteryte of Cham which was gouerned by the posterite of Cham but as concernyng his power it was lesse then the monarchye as now a dayes the kyngdome of Fraunce is myghty in dede but yet it is lesse then the Empyre concernynge ther power or the dignite of his maiestie Of Abraham and the
he comaunded also to sley in contynently all the mankynde that were borne God sent Moses to leade the people of Israel out of Egypte the whiche after many wonders brought the people to the redd see Pharao folowed them wyth great force trustynge to optayne hys mynde that he myght sâ—aye them for ther was no place to escape seynge of the one syde they were closed in wyth hylles of the other syde wyth the see and Pharao the tyrauÌ„te laye vpon them behynde But here declared God that whan extreme necessite lieth vpon them that be hys he is nere by them and heareth them For the water went back and gaue the people waye a great space that they myght passe wythout any daunger but the tyraunt folowed into the sea vnhappely which was drowned wyth the water that returned into hys fyrst course and wyth hym the choyse of the people of Egipt Here theÌ„ hath God sett forth again a new example to the worlde that he wil iudge and be reuenged of wycked tyrauntes and all that despyse godlynesse What time the ten commaundementes were geuen THe fyftyeth daye after that the chylderen of Israel were gone out of Egypt whan they iournyed through thee desert by mount Suiai were the ten commaundementes geuen wyth incredible magnificence and maiestye namely wyth a voice out of heauen full of feare and drede Thys worke of God is such as none higher dyd euer happen to men at any tyme in the worlde For the doctrine of the ten coÌ„maundementes conteygneth the suÌ„me of the godly wysedome and in a brefenesse doth comprehende all maner of lawes and constitutions that can be any wher Therfore is it nedefull to know the tyme in the whiche suche a wayghtye lawe was geuen of God namely the yeare from the creation of the worlde two thousande foure hundreth and foure and fyfty Seuen hundreth foure score and eyghtene after the floude S. Paull sayeth that the lawe was geuen after that the promyse was made foure hundreth and thyrtye yeares For the same is the nombre of the yeres sence the tyme whan Abraham beynge olde thre score and fyftene yeare receaued the promyse vntyll that tyme whan Israel was brought out of Egypte by Moses And thesam that is redde in the xii chapiter of Exodus that Israel dwelt in Egypt foure hundreth and thyrty yeares the same maye not be rekened from the tyme that Iacob weÌ„t into Egypt seynge Ioseph was than in his floure And that thys was not the nombre after Iacob only maye easely be gathered here by that Caath went wyth Iacob And he begat a sonne Aâ—ram whose sonne was Moses Now can it not be that betwene Caath and Moses haue ben foure hundreth yeares Wherfore the foure hundreth and thyrty yeares whereof ther is redde in Exodus are to be couÌ„ted from that tyme wheÌ„ Abraham came fyrst from Mesopotamia into Canaan and was afterwarde conuersant hymselfe in Egypte And that the mynde of S. Paul may the better be vnderstaÌ„d I shall gather the noÌ„ber of y â— yeares soÌ„what more dilgeÌ„tly There are fyue and twenty yeares vntyl the byrth of Isaac from the tyme that Abraham came fyrst in to the lande of Canaan what tyme he hymself was thre score and fyftene yeare olde Isaac begat Iacob when he was thre score yeare olde The foure score and tenth yeare of Iacob was Ioseph borne Ioseph lyued an hundreth and ten yeares After Ioseph vntyll Moses was borne are thre score and fyue yeares And this nombre of the yeares doth Philo note also Moses was foure score yeare old when he ledde the people out of Egypt If these yeres be numbred together they mount to the nombre of foure hundreth and thyrty So muche tyme was there sence that the promyse was firste made to Abraham vntyll that tyme that Israell came out of Egypte and after that was the lawe geuen Now hath God geuen this Israelitysh people a certayn policy and a seuerall kyngdome in the whiche can nothyng bee requyred that pertayneth to Gods seruice to the presthode also to the ciuyll iustice that finally there myght be a certayn people whiche should haue the worde of God and of the whiche Christ shoulde fynally be borne By this people than hath alwaye bene the churche Gods kyngdome and hystrue word vntil that christ had suffered the which must be marked so that no man bee ignoraunt that she churche hath alway bene and that God hath sence the begynnyng of the worlde reueled his worde and to haue kept it alway with vs. Of the princes or rulers of Israell FRom the departyng out of Egypte vntyll the begynnyng of Sauls kyngdome were thre hundreth thre score and nyne yeres the which the texte of the syxt chapiter of y â— third boke of kynges doth declare Now had this people after Moses deceaseÌ„ princes whiche partely were created by the aucthorite of wyse men partely were by a singular callynge raysed vp of God by the whiche are notable thynges done and of this wyse declared God that he is faithfully with them that be his and to defend them though they seme somtyme to be tossed with the waues of peryls These princes by an Hebrue costume were called Iudges Howbeit for somuche as their histories be written in the Bible we shall only rehearse their names that the order of thee Cronicles and course of the yeares maye the better be obserued Moses raygned .xl. yeares Iosue xxvij Othoniel xl Ehud lxxx Barach with Debora the prophetisse xl Gedeon xl Abimelech iii. The same committed murther vpon his owne brother and gotte thee kyngdome too hymselfe by sedition and therfore was he not long after vnpunyshed hymselfe also Chola xxiij Iair xxiâ— Iephthe vi Abessan vij Abdon viij Sampson xx After these gouerned y â— people these hygh priestes Ely xl yeares Samuel xl yeares The Kynges of Israel THe iudges of the people of Israel wer not succedyng by enheritaunce therefore was not the gouernaunce among that people firme or certayne saue only with the hygh priestes but God ordeined somtyme wyse princes amonge theÌ„ in steade of a garnison those raysed God now here now there But the people euell coÌ„tented with this incertaintie of gouernaunce required of Samuel the hygh priest too haue a certayne kyng the whiche might gouerne the kyngdom Samuel willyng to do nothyng rashly asked counsayl of God god shewed that he was very wroth with that wilfulnesse of the people demaundyng a newe kyng commaunding y e people to bee greuously punyshed therfore Neuerthelesse God dyd in the meane season graunt to the makyng of the kyng and institutyng and continuance of a kyngdome The power of the kyngdom and administration of it is confirmed here with wordes of no small importaunce the whiche must chefely be consydered Moreouer it is to bee marked that God is not dyspleased because he doth mysprayse the gouernaunce of a kyng for he doth manifestly coÌ„firme it but hee is displeased with
thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth which he him selfe had instituted For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes whiche are ordeined by hym Also are we admonished by thys example that we eschue any mutacion at all In this historie are there many other notable commaundementes the whiche for shortnesse I must ouerpasse This one thyng wyll I only reherse that the ciuill gouernaunce the aucthorite of princes and kynges is here coÌ„firmed of God when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng Saul reigned fourty yere and was destroied for his vngodlynesse all his kynred was destroted Dauid reigned forty yeare and God punished hym for aduoutry committed and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon But God restored him into the kyngdom and punyshed the sedition greuously Absalon died a straunge death Salomon was forty yeres kynge but after his decease was the kyngdom deuided in sundery partes for the aduoutry of Dauid Of the Kynges of Iuda of Salomons linage and kynred ROboam kynge raygned seuenten yeres And when hee woulde not obey thee Counsayll of the elders in minyshynge the charges and exactions of the kyngdome he caused wyth hys rygorousnesse that a chaunge of the kyngdome is casued For he â—â—â—owed the counsaill of younge men nother wolde release ought according to right Wherfore deciuered from him the moost part of the kyngdom and dyd begynne a new kyngdome in Samaria the whiche was the occasion of many greate battayls on both partes As for the posteritie of Dauid retained the kyngdome in Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin folowed that kyng Abia reigned thre yeare and in battayll vanquished the kyng of the ten tribes in Israel Asa reigned fourtene yeare The same obtained great praise because he rooted out the wicked worshyp of God which was institute against the worde of God in so muche that he fauoured not his owne mother in this behalfe for she also folowed a sundery worship of God For this cause gaue him God good fortune agaynst the Arabians the whiche he vanquished in battayll At the last was he punished also of God for a certayn conspiration that he had made leauyng the trust in God The mydde or half part of the worldes age ABout the twelft yere of this kyng Asaes raigne are accomplyshed there thousand yeares of the worlde that is the mydde or half part of all the worldes age accordyng to Elias saynge the whiche we haue noted in the beginnyng of the boke Henceforeward may be marked that in coÌ„tinently after happened moost greatest and sodayn chaunges in all kyngdomes that there dyd aryse battayles and man slaughter for the last tyme of the worlde dyd drawe on Thys is also to be noted that the publike well the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes and Romanes wherby it maye easely be gathered that all other nacions haue their spring of the Iewes auncetry and that the eldest doctrine yea euen Gods word hath ben by the Iewes fathers or auncetres Iosaphat raygned fyue and twenty yeares he is alowed for hys endeuour of religion and that he hath exercised all kinglye duetyes wyth great diligence And for that cause dyd god â–ª geue hym excellent victories Elias the prophet was in his tyme which was taken vp quieke into heauen so rayseth God a prophet euen in the myddes of the worldes age no lesse of famous doctrine then miracles that the word and promise of Christ might be sometyme renewed The rest than of the thre M. yeares of the worlde began vnder thys Elias After Elias succeded Eliseus the prophet As for these two prophetes how they haue reproued the wycked seruice of God and what miracles they haue done is sufficiently treated in the Bible Ioram reigned eight yeares he commaunded to kyll his brethren euen the eldest was a beginner of a new Idolatry wherfore he was also worthely punished of God he dyed vanquished of the Philistenes the which caryed away his wiues and chylderen saue Ochosias which was the yongest Ochosias raigned only one yeare and accordynge as his father dyd he permitted the false seruice of God to be set vp wherfore he was slayne But whan his mother Athalia saw that her sonne was dead she caused to be slayn all them that were a lyue of the kynges bloud of this wyse was the kyngdome translated from Salomons posterite that hereby we maye learne how rygorously God doth punish synne Before all thinges must princes consider and marke this that God doeth rout out the kynred of great princes because of wickednes Athalia the mother of Ochosias kept the kyngdome with violence and vsed seueÌ„ yeares great tyranny At the last she was worthely punished when through the commaundement of the high priest she was slayn Of Nathan and his posteritie IN the rehersall of y â— fathers of the which Christ is borne hath Luke the euangelist est out Salomon For Salomons poste rite was destroied neuertheles Dauids posteritie succeded in the kyngdome accordyng to the promise of God Dauid had also a sonne NathaÌ„ of whom Luke maketh meÌ„cion Of his kynred wer these kynges of Iuda folowyng namely Ioas reigned fourty yeres the same was of notable godlinesse so long as Ioiada y â— high priest liued whom he obeyed afterward fell he to vngodlinesse and Idolatry and caused zachary the prophete the sonne of Ioiada to bee slayne before the temple of whom Christ doth also make mencion in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathew Wherfore God willed to punysh hym by the Syrians and finally was he slayn by his owne seruauntes Amasias was kyng nyne and twenty yeares this also was conuersant in Godlynesse at the fyrste and herkened to the prophetes whereby he dyd luckely vanquyshe thorough God the Idâ—means But heyng after become haut and presumptuous he made war of pure wilfulnesse and with out constraynt in the whiche he was taken and fynally dyed Ozias raygned twoo and fyfty yeares the same was also called Azarias The same was at the fyrst also Godly and ouercame the Philisthines Afterwarde whan he woulde hymselfe offre in the temple agaynst the ordinaunce of God he was stryken with leprosy In his tyme lyued Oseas Amos and Micheas whiche prophecied agaynste either kynges of Samaria and Iuda Ionas was â—lso at this tyme whiche was sent to preache to the kynge of the Assirians Ioatham reygned lykewyse syxten yeares thesame was Godly fought luckely against Ammon Achas reygned lykewyse syxten yeares hee set vp false worshipping of god of ouer great superstition and peruerse opinion of godlinesse he buylded euery where throughout al the lande chappels and altars wherfore God suffered hym and all his royalme to be greuously punyshed and spoyled Ezechias reigned nyne and twenty yeares Hewas a Godly kynge he restored Gods worshyp auoidyng Idolatry he
bee God for they knewe ryght well that they were wood and stone but they were of this opinion that this worke and this seruice pleased God and that he would be worshipped of this maner where as yet God wil not be worshypped by vnfaythfulnesse without onely Christe by what maner of worke or fashion soeuer it be And so could thei neuer be sure whether God were fauourable to them for no man can surely persuade hymselfe the same without the manifest promyse of God and without Christ The heade then of all Idolatry is to truste in a peculiar and in a forged worshyp of God excogitated of hys awne hed and in the meane season neuerthelesse to doubte in tribulations whether God will be fauourable This doute I saye is the principall parte of Idolatry And the vngodly whiche neuerthelesse estemeth hym self good and wise doth in this point much differ from the tren christian godly Such an vngodly man hath goodly vertues very shynyng workes but his hart doubteth whether God be fauourable to him As for a godly man and true Christian may wel be lesse then he coÌ„cerning other vertues but in his hart he is surely persuaded that he is in the fauour of God according to y e promises for sitting in a chere vpoÌ„ the denne prophecied of thinges to come out of the whiche denne in the meane whyle came smoke blast of windes Of this wise is it sayd to haue bene happened at Delphis After that these prophecies were supposed to be written of the priestes as vndouted south saynges and because they were doutfully written they might bee taken diuersly These were deceates of the deuel wherewith he begiled the worlde Of Homerus and Hesiodus BY the Grekes only were first the best learned poetes whiche were partly musicians partly priestes some of them also were w 〈…〉 sene in phisyck and astronomy These comprysed their wysdome and learnyng with verses short sentences But among them whose workes are yet manyfest were Homerus and Hesiodus the chiefe Cassius writteth that Homerus liued after the battaill of Troie thre hundreth and thre scor 〈…〉 yeres and before the fondacion of Rome euen there about whyche maye bee gathered to haue bene about that tyme when Iosaphat reigned in Iewry His dwellyng was at Smyrna whiche lieth in the forth part of Asia where the moost auncient of the Grekes dwelled whiche were called Iones and Acolidas And all though Homerus was not myghtye in gouernaunce of the common wealth it semeth yet that he vsed the coÌ„pany of the greatest princes of all Greke For he described of the best m 〈…〉 ner the kynred and ofspringe nearehande of a 〈…〉 princes and his bokes are euen a myrour of all ciuyl occupation and princely vertues For he hath paynted and set forth all thynges that can befall in gouerning a commune welth Besydes this also what is the duety of princes and great men in there counsels gathered together and in other afferes whatsoeuer they be he hath set them forth so conningly that he semeth to be most exercysed in parliamentes and diuising of most weyghty matters apperteining to kingdomes Moreouer the sage wryters dyd neuer prayse so highly no poetes writing as the poetry of Homer the whiche Alexander the great would neuer suffre to be out of his handes because he might haue wherout he might be admonished and taught of the duety and vertues of an excellent kynge Hesiodus as wytnesseth Porphirius lyueth an hundreth yeare after Homer He was a neighbure or priest of the mount Helicon where was a greate and a famous temple His writinges are for the most parte sermones of good maners For they are short sentences comprisinge the pyth of all kynd of vertues but they treate nothinge of Christe For thys heauenly doctryne was hydden to the Gentyls Thys poetes writinges conteyne also as it were a iust and perpetuall Kalendar ordeyned after the course of the Sonne and the obseruation of those starres whiche shewe the difference of the yeare Thys boke is worthy to be learned by rote of yonge chyldren and it semeth that wyse men of Grece haue in tymes past apprehend theyr chyldreÌ„ here to knowe these noble sciences But the poet Hesiodus a man of notable learnynge and temperaunce at the ende dyed wretchedly by some of hys frendes whych dyd euyl recompence hym for hys good dedes Of the buildinge of the citye Rome PRoca Kynge of Alba had two sonnes Numitor and Amulius Nowe had the father determined to geue the kyngdom to hys sonne Numitor because he was the elder but Amulius that was the yonger droue hym out and vsurped to hym the kyngdome And lest he myght feare any dauÌ„ger by the yssue of Numitor he stew hys sonne Agistus by fraude hys brothers doughter â–ª Rhea Syluia bounde he wyth a vowe of perpetual chastitye in the company of the virgins Uestales But she beynge made greatwith chylde brought forth two twynnes whych afterwarde were called Romulus and Remus But whan Amulius knew of thys dede he caused the mother to be kept in pryson and the chyldren to be trowen into the floude of Tyber to drowne them Whan the chyldren were now set at the brinke of y e water by chaunce came a wolfesse out of the nexte mountaynes which gaue theÌ„ soucke vntil they were founde of the Kynges shepherde who bringinge them home toke them hys wyfe to nouryshe Wherfore whan they were waxen greate and herde of the pretended murther in theyre youth of Amulius and that the Kyngdome was taken from theyr vncle Numitor by force they determyned to auenge the tyranny and by occasion slew kynge Amulius restorynge theyr vncle Numitor into his Kyngdome Of thys wyse doth God not suffre vnrighteousnesse to be vnpunished Romulus and Remus brethren buylded afterwarde a citye in hat place where they were founde and layde Whan stryfe was rysen amonge the brethren for so much as they were equal in age strength whiche of them shulde raygne they agreed that the Gods should iudge it so that whose shulde haue the greater flyght or voyces of byrdes the same shulde beare rule To Remus therefore dyd fyrst flye syxe great rauens afterwarde flew twelue for Romulus Now whan Remus demaunded the Kyngdome by reason of the fyrst flyght ther rose agayne debate betwene the brethren It is a wonder how fearcely mens myndes betossed wyth couetousenes to beare rule nother can it lightelysuffer and be quiet But what nedeth many wordes At the last rayse a commotion Remus was slayne and Romolus raygned alone of whome also hath Rome the name By this appeareth that y e citye of Rome was buylded by the posteritye of Eneas For Syluia the mother of Romulus had hyr sprynge of Eneas But for as muche as Romulus Father was vnknowen they fayneth that the god Mars was he because of a more honester cloke or pretence of the â—aute But how Romolus dyd ordeyne hys kyngdom
longe after Cesar was olde syxe and fyftye yeare whan he was slayne and ruled fyue yeares and the beginninge of rulynge was in the consulshyppe in the which he beganne the warre agaynst Pompeius This is the begynnynge of the Romane monarchye the whych God hath paynted very horribly in the prophet Daniell and wytnesseth that the world shalbe much more heauely oppressed by thesame than euer it was before Item that Christ shall come in the same monarchye and therfore shal it be the last For all these thynges are prophesyed before by God to stablyshe the fayth of the godly concerninge the certayntie of Christes comming Besydes thys also that it mighte be knowen that the world shall not endure foreuer but shall once peryshe and that the vngodlye shalbe punyshed but the Godly shall loke at Gods hand for a lyfe euerlastynge I suppose verely that the prophecy of the Heythen prophetes and sayenges of the Sybilles of the durablenesse of the Romane empyre are pertaynynge to thys as is the sayenge of Virgil I haue geuen an endlesse empyre the whych seme to be taken of this whiche the scrypture sayeth that the empyre of Rome shalbe the laste monarchye on earth Though the scripture doth in the meane season teache also that thys monarchy shall decaye yet shall parte of the same last euer wherein shall re remayne the name and hygnesse of an Emperour vntyll the worldes ende These thynges are to be knowen that wee maye be assured that thys empyre can not be ouerthrowen whyche the examples of histories wytnesse also For after that the hyghnesse of an Emperoure was translated to the Germanes hath thys kyngdome suffred many assaultes and hath oft bene weakened but yet coulde it not be abolyshed by nomans power but remayned allwaye stable and restored it selfe otherwyles For it had nowe Emperours of small power than very puyssaunt Emperours To consydre these thynges in historyes maketh greate matter chefely to knowe the wyll of God aryghte in suche chaunces Augustus WHan Iulius was deade rose greate commotions at Rome Marcus Cicero counselled to make a peace on thys wyse that thence foreward noman should laye handes on the fauourers of Iulius that all they lykewyse whych had slayne Iulius should be wythout daunger or feare but all discorde layde doune on both sydes they shoulde prouide for common and perpetuall peace none otherwyse than of late dyd Thrasybulus make a concorde at Athenes the whych they called Amnistia that is that ▪ ether parte shoulde forget the iniury done and that nether of them shoulde inuade the other afterwarde Thys was very gentely and handsomly counceled and consydered of Cicero but thys contynuall peace coulde not endure longe For whan afterwarde euerye man woulde rule it was necessarye that factions shoulde ryse The Senate drue Octauius Augustus to it agaynst Anthonius For Anthonius coueted y ◠raygne But the souldiours conspyryng against the Senate slew manye of the chefe men of the citye among the which was Cicero beheaded also But the empyre remayned by Octauius Augustus only which was kynsman to Iulius for Iulia syster of Iulius had spoused Accius Balbus but theyr doughter was Accia whose husband was Octauius of them was borne Octanius Augustus whom Iulius had appointed and chosen hys heyre whereby he was surnamed Cesar and that name remayned euer afterwarde by the successors euen as though by ryght of succession they dyd entre into Cesars kynred as it was wont to be whan successors were first adopted and chosen Nether was Iulius called Cesar fyrste by reason of the empyre but many of his kynred were so surnamed before For the old approued Grammarians do wryte that the name of Cesar cōmeth of the worde or name Cesaries whiche signifieth goodly heare or a bush of fayre heare and of that gat the Iulies fyrst that name because that one or other happelye had a fayre heare in that kynred As for the name Augustus dyd the Senate adde to Octauius for hys luckynesse and prosperitye in hys affayres Augustus commeth of Auguruim that is a diumation or soythsayenge by the crye or slighte of byrdes and betokeneth fortunate and he whom God doeth prospere by lucky sygnes or tokens This addition is a right geuen to a supreme gouernour of y ◠world for god is with y ◠ciuil power the gouernaunce of an empyre is the gyfte and ordinaunce of God Augustus raygned syxe and fyfty yeares but he gouerned not the empyre alone the twelue fyrst yeares For beyng yong not passyng nyneten yeares of age was he set in the gouernaunce he was made counsul because he stack by the Senate of of the which he was made consul in despyte of Antonius But the souldiours agreyng wythin them selues set them agaynst the Senate and his adherentes But for so much as thys concord could not be durable Augustus was fayne afterwarde to be at variaunce and stryue also wyth hys felowes and so optayned he the whole empyre alone But whan the gouernaunce was stablyshed with peace he vsed moost hygh moderation in all thinges and confirmed the whole empyre wyth honeste lawes and statutes in so much that it is reported he shuld haue sayd The kyngdome shall last for euer yf these ordinaunces be not auoyded and disanulled But what shall I saye much Augustus is scasely counted the fyrste and chefest among the sage and moderate princes ¶ The thyrde boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the tyme sence Christes byrth BEfore in the begynnynge of thys worke haue we diuided thys whole Cronicle and tymes of the worlde in thre partes and that accordinge to the sayenge of Elias that both the moost alterations of thynges in the world and order of the tymes myght be knowen more surely Besydes thys that we shoulde also knowe that the worldes end is nowe not farre of Howbeit we haue nowe dispatched allmoost foure thousand yeares and about that time nearehande was Christ borne the whyche Elias had prophecyed Now in this thyrd boke shall we lyke wyse treate of the thyrde parte of Elias meanynge and begynne thys boke wyth the same And how lytle Elias had fayled in the order of the yeares truely it maye be perceaued verye easely for CHRISTE our LORD very God and man was borne into thys lyfe of the virgin Mary euen the two and fortyeth yeare of Augustus raygne and thys was thre thousande nyne hundreth and foure and fortyeth yeare sence the creation of the worlde But to counte the yeares exactely and narowly there is somewhat requisite in the nombre of the yeares For the foure thousande yeares are not fulfilled But the prophete sayde moreouer that God wold preuent and come spedely before the tyme of hys comminge because the ende of all thinges myght be more neare Howbeit the thynges that are concernyng the knowledge of Christes natiuyte Passion and Resurrection for euerye Godly man the same maye all be searched in the Euangelistes But as concerning the tyme whan
haue referred to that tyme when the kyngdome of Babilon and Niniue the citie were not yet diuided euen when the Assyrians reygned only at Babylon Agathias wryteth in the seconde booke of the Gothian warre that Ctesias set the nomber of the yeares and the order of the Monarchies of thys wyse As for Ctesias was a Grecian who when Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger warred with eche other he was also in the army and was a Phisician Beynge taken in warre he was at the last caried to Babylon where he was honestly entreated and then readynge the hystoryes of Babylon he set the nomber of that kyngdome in an order of this wyse From Ninus vntyll the begynnyng of the Medes kyngdome wiche did deciuer from the Assyryans the fyrste are M. CCC lx yeares and this order do all those obserue that wrote afterwarde Diodorus Siculus and Iustinus Diodorus Siculus wrote of this wyse in his thyrde booke Lyke wyse also the resydue of the kynges thyrty in nomber helde the kyngdome vntyll Sardanapulus by whose tyme the kyngdome of the Assyrians which had lasted M. CCC lx yeares as wryteth Ctesias in the seconde booke fell to the Medes Iustinus sayeth of this wyse The assyrians who afterwarde were called Syria had the gouernaunce M. CCC yeres Herodotus doth passe ouer somthynge in the meane tyme that the decayeng kyng dome of the Assyrians came to the Medes I thynke this also that these yeares of Ctesias concernyng the begynnyng of Babylon to be vnderstand from the tyme of Nembroth not Ninus The Medes reigned after the fallyng from the Assyrians vntil Cyrus about thre hundreth yeres as Agathias gathereth out of Ctesias The kyngdome of the Perses vntill Alexander dyd last CCxxviij yeres as witnesseth Agathias and some Grecian wryters Alexander and his posteritie kept Babylon vntyll the tyme that the power of the Parthians beganne to grow and Agathias setteth CCC yeres seuen lesse and that is from Alexander vntyll Augustus tyme. Afterward raigned the Parthians in the Easte hundreth yeares vntil the tyme of Alexander Seuerus the Emperoures and then dyd Artaxerxes the Persian stick through and slaye Artabanus the last kyng of the Parthians And of this wyse came the East kyngdom agayne to the Perses which were myghty vntyll Mahomets tyme. For the successors of Mahomet inuaded the Perses and teke in the empire of whole Arabia But the Turkes toke from them afterwarde Syria and Asia the lesse And thus were the kyngdomes of the Easte tossed finally with diuerse mutaciōs the one people was oftymes remoued to the other It is greatly necessary to ouerlaye all these thynges and often to consyder them that the order of all tymes and histories may be knowen aryght An addition vnto the Cronicle of Iohn Carion contaygnyng the actes and histories come to passe in dyuers and sundry partes of the worlde from the yere of our lorde MDxxxij vnto the yeare of our lorde MD. L. excerpted and gathered out of the best historiographers by Iohn Funke of Nourenborough And caused to be translated by Gwalter Lynne AT the entraunce or beginning of the conuocation holden at Ratisbone or Raynesborough in the yere of our lorde MD. xxxij in lent ther lay at Nurrenborough certayn princes electours with many other nobles of the empire among whom were as principall Albert Archebyshop of Mogunce or Mence Lodowike Palatine of the Rhyne Iohn Frederike duke of Saxon and electour imperiall whiche princes nobles did there treate and consulte vpon matters of religion and about the establishing of kyng Ferdinandus to whose election as to be king of the Romains the said Iohn duke of Saxō electour imperiall would not accorde nor consent and after much intreataunce they obtayned of themperours maiestie a graunt and promes of a sure and stedfast peace vntil the next general coūsail that was to come yea and is to come yet euen at this day Other notable actes cōcerning matters of religiō was there none concluded in that conuocation For Soliman Emperoure of the Turkes was vp with all his power and inuaded the lande of Hungary wherefore the Christian princes were constrained with all spede and strenght possible to prepare themselues to resist the said aduersary Insomuche that there was prepared suche an armie and hoost of men of diuers nacions as neuer was sene before in all Germany y ◠beginnyng wherof was about the feast of S. Iohn the baptist the warriours of the towne of Nurenburgh beinge the firste that arryued at Weene in Austriche for there was all the whole hoost appointed to assemble and come together the same assembling continued vntil the feast of saint Bartholome we next ensuyng The nombere of Duche pietons or footemen was about foure score thousande stoute and valiaunt fyghting men And of the horse men there was about .xxiiij. thousand The Bohemes were in the nomber aboue twenty thousande All these lay about Wyene by the ryuer called the Danube a lycle myle frō the towne Their chefe capitaine was the right noble and mighty prince lord Frederick Palatine of the Rene c. nowe being electour imperiall About the said towne laye also vpon a fifty thousand Spanyardes whiche in these affayres vsed but small kyndnesse towardes the germaynes For in their passage from the Countie of Tyroll ouer the Eye and the Danube into Austrich they burned certayn strong holdes and townes well inhabited and some they pylled and with women and maydens they wrought suche vylanye and enormitie whiche is horrible to be spoken that many of them dyed thorough their said outtragiousnes The goodly and plesaūt Citie of Krembes was vtterly by thē subuerted and brent vp except fourtenne houses wyth certayne walles After this when they lacked vitualles in their campe for the space of one daye they russhed with violence before the Cytie of Wyene wherein the Emperoure and the kyng had theyr beyng wyth a great nombre of other greate men of armes and warriours whiche were come thether wyth them and would haue assaulted and ouerrunne the same towne if the Germaynes had not the sooner resysted them and letted their enterpryse In the meane season the Turke layde syege to a certayne lytle Towne called Guns whiche lyeth about twelue or thirtene myles from Wyene in the coastes of Hungary and assaulted the same most fiercely by the space of twelue dayes during the which tyme he sought all meanes possyble to subuerte and ouerthrowe the same But the right noble and worshypfull Syr Nicolas Iuristhi knight and Ruler of the sayed towne dyd so manfully and valiauntly behaue hymselfe in those affayres wyth hys cytesens or bourgeouses beyng in nombre about eight hundreth men and one hundred souldiours whiche were layde there in garnison for the sauegarde of the same towne that the Turke maruayled not a lyttell of it Wherefore he promised vnto the sayed Ruler fre passage and saulf conduct and hauing personally himself talked w t him did highly prayse him for his