furie of Cyrus souldiers and Artaxerxes himselfe had a wound giuen him by Cyrus his one hande but afterwarde Cyrus was taken and was bound with fetters of golde and had at that time died if his mother had not most earnestly entreated for him Cyrus by his mothers meanes being let at libertie with great furie followed his first purpose gathered a farre greater armie wherein were tenne thousand Grecians vvell and strongly furnished which came out of Greece to ayde Cyrus To be short it was in vaine Cyrus was slaine in that battell and his armie ouerthrowen yet Iustine saith that the Grecians valiantly stoode to it vnconquered in that wing of the battell where they stood Of this warre doeth Xenophon most amplie entreate with whom Cyrus the yonger himselfe was brought vp of this Cyrus and of his actes Xenophon wrote sixteene bookes eight of discipline militarie and other eight of his warres Now to Athens againe where tyrannie all this while gouerned but Thrasibulus was not carelesse how to represse these tyrants whome Ismenias a prince of Thebes secretly ayded and when that Sparta had made a decree that no citie of Greece should suffer any exiled Athenians to enter into it the Thebans resisted the decree and they also made not onely a decree within Thebes and in all Boetia that no house should be shut to the Athenians but ayded them with men and money Likewise Lysias an oratour of Syracusa bestowed 500. readie and well furnished souldiers to ayde Athens When this preparation was heard of in Athens the Tyrants sent to Pausanias king of Sparta to defende them which hee with some conscience refused for the which afterwarde Pausanias was accused by the Lacedemonians In the meane season Thrasybulus gaue battell to the thirtie Tyrants ouerthrewe them and tooke the citie of Athens restored libertie to the citizens at what time hee brought in Solons lawe to forget the iniuries past of friendes of parents and of children which were slaine in Athens vnder these thirtie Tyrants This lawe of Thrasybulus was reuiued by the Senatours of Rome which were in the time of Trium viri which were Octauius Augustus Marcus Antonius Lepidus Aemilius when Iulius Caesar was slaine to forget the reuenge of Caesars death to auoyde ciuill warres within Rome A litle after this Conon againe scattered the force of Sparta and after much hurt to the Lacedemonians he came to Athens and ioyned with Thrasybulus by whose courage and valure Athens by degrees reuiued for yet the ciuill warres in Greece were not ended for as these afflictions and miseries happened to Athens by ciuill warres so after to euery citie of Greece the like happened that of the onely countrey of the worlde it was brought into a most miserable destruction And for that you may reade the strength and force of Greece while they held together I wil set downe the warres and the victories which the Grecians haue had ouer the Persian kings and ouer all other barbarous princes in Asia and in all partes of the East at that time when that the Persians were lords and princes of the whole worlde and helde the Monarchie onely without resistance of any king or countrey yet in the most flourishing time of the Persians the Grecians had these victories of them which are layde downe before you viz. THe great battell at Marathon where Miltiades got the victorie ouer Darius Histaspis the thirde king of Persia. The famous enterprise and victorie of Leonidas at Thermopila where hee slewe twentie thousande Persians with three hundred Grecians The two terrible battels at Salamina where Themistocles and Aristides had the victorie against Xerxes both by sea and land The battell fought before Platea against Mardonius where was slaine sixe and twentie thousande and Mardonius the king of Persias lieutenant The victorie hereof was giuen to the Athenians yet the honour of the victorie by common report yeelded to the Plateans at what time Aristides was generall of Athens and Pausanias king of Sparta was generall of all Greece The warres of Chalcedon against Pharnabasus where Alcibiades wanne the victorie The warres betweene Ptolomey king of Egypt and Alexander king of Macedon the sonne of Amintas pacified and ended by Pelopidas and tooke the kings brother called Philippe which was Alexander the great his Father and thirtie more of the noblest mens sonnes in Macedon to Ostage and brought them to Thebes to let the worlde see the reputation of Greece then The victorie of Aristides gotten at Psittalia where he tooke three Persian lordes sonnes to Sandauce king Xerxes sister and the Grecians were of one minde and thought with such courage to bring Asia vnder the Empire of Greece The victorie of Cimon in the countrie of Thracia where he vanquished certeine great men of Persia allied to the king himselfe and kept the Citie of Eronea vpon the riuer of Strymon ouerthrewe the barbarous people inuaded the Thracians droue the Persians away and possessed al Thracia and appointed Grecians to inhabite the Countrie thus had the Greekes victorie out of Greece before their ciuill warres began this Cimon plagued the Persians past into Asia and returned with diuers victories into Greece againe When Nicias wanne the hauen of Syracusa and besieged the Citie in such sort that Euripides made an Epitaph vpon the graue of Nicias and had gotten eight seuerall victories ouer the Cicilians The victorie which Agesilaus had of Sardis the chiefe Citie of Lydia and the victorie ouer Tisaphernes lieutenant of all Persia who gaue battell to the Nation that dwell in Acarnea ouerthrewe them and destroyed them and had victorie and after went to Egypt being an olde man to Tachos king of Egypt where hee vsed a Stratageme that hee gote victorie of Tachos vnto Nectanebus nowe when Persia Asia Egypt Lydia felt the force of Greece then was Greece renowmed The victorie of Phocion in the Isle of Naxes in a battell by sea and another victorie of the Macedonians in a battell that Phocion had with Antipater where Leonatus who came out of Asia to ioyne with Antipater was killed The battell at Mantinea the chiefe Citie of Arcadia the victorie hereof fell to Epaminondas and to the Thebans CHAP. VII Of the last destruction of Greece by the Macedonians by meanes of ciuill discorde and the Peleponesian warres the onely cause of their ruine and confusion at what time king Philip brake their backes and his sonne Alexander their neckes and after them the Romanes kept them in perpetuall seruitude WHat should I write of the victories of Epaminondas Agis Cleomenes or of others which fell before the ciuil dissension of Greece I meane chiefely the Peloponesian warres though some of those victories were after the warres of Peloponesus yet certeinely while the Grecians helde as some time they woulde then was Xerxes driuen out of Greece and beaten in his owne
figure thereof he said by the spirite of prophesie that vvhen his sonne Noah vvas borne this should comfort vs concerning our vvorke and sorovv of our hands as concerning the earth vvhich the Lord hath cursed The last man of the first age vvas Noah a iust and vpright man in his time before God hee likevvise vvalked vvith and obeied GOD in all things and therefore found fauour vvith God vvith vvhom God made his couenant established the same vvith a signe for thee only haue I found iust and righteous in this age vpon the earth for Noah vvas called the righteous preacher preaching vnto the vvicked for amendment of life and because they vvere luld in all kind of securities and feared not God Noah departed from them and vvent to another land for hee vvas vvarned of God of things that vvere not seene as yet concerning the Arke God vvas so much offended vvith the vvickednesse of the vvorld that his vvrath vvas kindled to see such iniquitie vpon earth for the whole world was corrupt before God and vvas filled with crueltie all flesh had corrupted his way and all imaginations of mans thoughts were so euil and wicked that it repented the Lorde to haue made man and as it were disauowing man to be his creature they were so addicted to intemperancie lust gluttonie and securitie the foure principall causes of the flood which for sinne destroied man and beast and yet in mercie God spared man 120. yeeres to repent before he woulde destroy the worlde No dout many things haue bene written of the olde Patriarches in the first age and thought of many writers that Adam and his sonne Seth had made two tables of stone wherein they wrote many goodly things to their posterity The best warrant is read in Iosephus for that he trauailed much in the historie of the Iewes and their other histories called Drash for their Rabbies heape many fables beside the historie of Moses in their Chronicles called Drash so Philo Iudaeus Herodot and Melancton from them affirme It is written againe that Adam and Seth foreseeing the deluge of the world caused two pillars to be set vp the one of brickes the other of brasse one to resist the violence of the water the other to endure the rage of the fire but I see no reason that Adam should prophecie the same to be from God and yet he being man sought meanes by naturall reason and waies by arte to preuent the euerlasting decree of the Almighty Iosephus might wel erre in that I thinke that many things are written of the Iewes which doe not agree with the purpose of Gods prouidence nor his counsell for the Iewes recorded in their bookes of histories called Drash any thing that might be coniectured true and which they themselues supposed in opinion to be true as the maners of their Talmudists were Iosephus a great writer of the Iewes antiquities the best Historiographer of Chaldean histories who wrote more and is more to be commended then any other and because he thinketh much amisse for any man to seeke recordes of antiquities amongest the Graecians men of late knowledge hauing their beginning and first originall from Egypt and Chaldea specially Assyria and Chaldea the first seate of man after the flood for the Greekes began to flourish in the declining age of the world when that Assyria Chaldea Egypt and other places of the East were wasted consumed with sword and fire for so it seemeth by the Philosopher Calisthenes report then being with Alexander the Great at the siege of Babylon writing vnto his cosin Aristotle who had bene his preferrer vnto Alexander to that purpose he might search out the Libraries of Babylon and to certifie Aristotle of those antiquities specially of Astrologie wherein the Chaldeans past and of their monuments wherein the Greekes were ignorant for Calisthenes sent vnto Aristotle howe that Babylon was farre more famous for all kind of learning and knowledge twelue hundred yeeres past then it was when Alexander the Great did besiege it certifying him with recordes of 19. hundred yeeres before Alexanders time Berosus an ancient writer and a man of great authoritie amongst the Chaldeans saith that Arphaxad one of the sonnes of Sem whose birth vvas 2. yeeres after the flood christened the first name of this Countrey after his ovvne name aftervvarde it vvas called Cephem and novve last named Chaldea of the situation of this Countrey and the seate of Babylon I vvill let the reader reade of it in Ptolom◅us and in Pomponius Mela. I vvill goe on vvith my historie When C ham the second sonne of Noah had begotten a sonne named Chus and Chus had begotten a sonne named Nemrad this began to take armes and to become great in his doings he became mightie in earth vsing violence and force against all people framing himselfe to be first Emperour of the vvorlde so full of crueltie and tyrannie that it grevve vnto a prouerbe as it is in the Genesis as Nemrod the mightie hunter before the Lorde his oppression vvas such that he passed not to commit crueltie euen in Gods presence This Nemrad began to rule in Babel in the land of Shinear aftervvard called Chaldea vvhere he and his companie returning from Armenia vvhere they after the flood began to build vp an high tower whose top should reach vnto heauen to get them a name vpon earth least they should be scattered ouer the whole earth thinking through pride and ambition to preferre their owne glory before Gods honor but vaine is the helpe of man their wicked enterprise was ouerthrowen for God sawe their follie and so confounded them in their deuises in their speach that one could not vnderstand another Then were they deuided and scattered then confusion of tongues began which was then in the house of Heber onely the Hebrew tongue then began people to seeke out countries and to inhabite the earth The posteritie of Sem to great Asia Persia Assyria and Chaldea and all the regions about Euphrates towards the East part of the world The posteritie of Cham went to Egypt Aethiope Libya and possessed all places about Nilus and reached towards the South vnto the furthest part of Affrica and the posteritie of Iaphet possessed all the Westcountrey the lesser Asia and all Europa of whom all the Gentiles sprang out Thus much for the first age from Adam vnto Noah 1656. Now I meane particularlie to follow my historie as the reason is offered vnto me by following the sonnes of Noah their children and posterities frō the land of Senaah vnto euery part of the earth CHAP. I. Of the most ancient and true historie of the Hebrewes after called Israel of their lawes and originall gouernment called Oligarchia from Abraham vnto Moses THE historie of the Hebrewes for that it is most ancient from Hebers time the fourth from Noah and most true for that it is written by Moses and confirmed by the
Prophets but most of all in dignitie and honour for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan so called first after the land of Israel thirdly of Iudea fourthly last called after Christ our Sauiours death The holy land or the land of Palestina the inhabitants thereof were called accordingly Cananites Hebrewes Israelites Iewes of whom either to speake or to write of their lawes their Iudges their Kings or of their ceremonies or of their common wealth it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes and so affirmed by Iosephus that Demetrius Phalerius did auere before Philodelphus king of Alexandria that the Greekes nor the Latinists might translate handle or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men as Theopompus Theodecta with others which were made blind by their arrogancie and became mad An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time to write of the Hebrues histories for the greatest brag of the Greekes as Iosephus saieth and the most ancient historie of the Graecians is Homers worke they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus after that the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied and their empires lost at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus for Plato of whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens euen that learned Philosopher doth confesse that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece which was in Cyrus time at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato which was the infancie of Greece and the first schoole of their Philosophie Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people euen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres odde they inhabited the land called Syria called likewise Phoenicia and now in latter yeeres called Iudea of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the soile Hecateus the Abederit a good Philosopher and a great writer flourishing in the time of Alexander the great made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Iudea where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful description of Iudea Iosephus a Iew borne being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes a man of great industrie learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue and very expert in the Iewish histories saieth that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel for so were they called after Iacobs time which by long wrastling with the Angel of the Lord was named Israel for first they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob which was 478. yeeres and odde secondarily Israel from Iacob vntill the destruction of Samaria at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father brought captiue vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres as Bucholcerus affirmeth and from the destruction of Samaria vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such that they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres and euer after they were by God deliuered they still wrought euil against them and persecuted them with continuall hatred disliking their religion abhorring their ceremonies disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie and contemning of their false gods which the Egyptians the Chaldeans the Assyrians did adore and therfore the blessing of God was according to the promise vpon the Hebrewes first afterwards called Israel Iewes and continued frō Abraham to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias the full accomplishment of the promise So these people bathed in blisse and being but a litle countrey few people from Dan to Berseba and of no estimation became by Gods fauour strong mightie conquerors of the greatest kings of the world So he said the Lord of all out of Sion shall my Law proceed and from Ierusalem my word This litle citie of Ierusalem chosen of God to be his seate though often for sinne destroyed and the people plagued yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died Behold Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia argenti mille millia talentûm And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of Salomō for there was in the temple of Salomon as Budaeus noteth 27. millions in ready coyne This made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the Hebrewes for by iust account of Budaeus there was left before vnto Salomon by Dauid his father ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem then Darius the great king of Persia left vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it this was the promise which God performed to Abraham and to his seed for euer This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died 40. yeeres before Sodome and Gomorrha were destroied At 75. yeeres was Abraham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians Now while Abraham obeied God from time to time from place to place exercising himselfe in the obedience of GOD famine grew in the land of Canaan so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt where hee continued three yeeres at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres read Astronomie and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences as Iosephus saieth for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie with the Chaldeans where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied in
was two discents after Iacobs children but as I sayd before hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie for where true records want then coniectures of men doe grow About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard by Rebecca his wife hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly he liued one hundred eightie yeeres three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued Which Isaac liued With Sem 110. yeeres With Sara his mother 37. Arphaxat 48. Sarug one yeere Salah 78. Iacob his brother 120. Heber 139. Ismaeel his halfe brother by Abraham liued with Isaac 75 Agar 123. Thare his grandfather 35. Ioseph 29. Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau which gouerned all the land of Seir for the appointment of GOD was Maior seruiet Minori when Iacob had no certaine place in the world but tossed from one affliction to an other Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren and laied in prison in Egypt euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia Antens of Lybia Melinus of Creete with others hee killed the king vsurped the kingdome and was called thereby as Berosus affirmeth Tiphon tyrannus but he was well requited and all his confederats for they all were slaine by Orus Magnus Osiris sonne in a towne of Arabia named Anteos Rhodes was builded about this time which was named before Opheinissa the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt and in all the world began likewise about the time of Isaacs death In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king a man of the greatest fame after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne Hercules surnamed Lybius draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them and subdued them and afterward reigned peaceably 20. yeeres as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt began the Kings of Egypt to be called Pharaones a name of great dignitie not proper names but as the Romanes Alexandrians the Latines with other kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars Siluij Ptolomeis Arsaces so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pharaones which began about the latter end of Isaac Sparta a famous towne amongst the Lacedemonians was builded of Pharoneus sonne whose name was Sparta and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta Alitle after this time the going of Iacob vnto Egypt was in the 130. yeres of his age where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh and then died after Abrahams being in Egypt 215. yeeres and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph who was solde by his brethren and by his father thought to be slaine then dwelled in Iudea Hethits Iebusites Amorites Chananites Amalakites and Pheresites this land flowed with milke and hony fertile and full of all plentifulnes for after Ioseph died in Egypt Moses was borne within 65. yeeres and in the fourescore yeere of Moses age the 145. after Ioseph died and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan as it shall bee hereafter said But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large and in Iosephus and specially Frigius Mosaicus in his booke De historijs patrum leaueth nothing vntouched I will forward to the birth of Moses CHAP. II. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua which were 72. yeeres MOses the sonne of Amri being borne in Egypt in the time of Israels bondage and throwen according to the commandement of Pharaoh vnto Nilus but by the prouidence of God Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis walking for her pleasure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus beheld a thing houering vpon the water commaunded her maide to see what it was there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child she much delited in him and caused an Egyptian woman to giue him dugge which the childe refused his sister Miria said Ifan Hebrew woman were there he would sucke Thermutis willed her straight to bring one and she brought the mother of Moses to whome the Kings daughter saide Take this childe and bring him vp for me and she adopted him her sonne This childe grewe both goodly and godly of whom many things are written of while yet he was in Egypt being but a childe in Thermutis armes she put the Kings diademe vpon the childes head and he threwe it to the dirt not esteeming pompe and regall shewe But after he grewe to be a man he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Aethiopians and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians where the kinges daughter of Aethiope called Tharbis beholding his magnanimitie with admiration of his great actions fell in loue with Moses offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope the condition he accepted vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood which was done But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses disgrasing and disdaining his fortune and threatning him to the death after the killing of the Aegyptians fearing it should come to light fled vnto the Madianits wher he maried Iethroes daughter and continued fourtie yeeres vntill the Angell appearing in a flaming bush commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh to deliuer Israel from captiuitie with whome Aaron his brother which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen was ioyned with Moses in commission to execute the commaundements of God for to Moses was granted wisedome counsel and power to doe miracles to Aaron eloquence learning and power to speake what he would Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt in these wordes Sanguis Rana Culex Muscae Pecus Vlcera Grando Vermes Tenebrae Pestis primogenitorum Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Hebron by his progenitors as Ioseph had commanded when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill This
by Ioab to Dauid After this Dauid had foure great battels with the Philistines slew them and subdued them vnto the last Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers tyrannie and treason and saued from Saul Absalon and many others When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and quietnesse and brought all nations subiect vnto him hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes Hymnes Odes Verses which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him But yet more troubles came on Dauid The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him that Dauid commaunded Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda from Dan to Beersheba which Ioab did the people were in number of able fighting men 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him and the Lord sent Gad Dauids seer with three things to take his choise Pestilence Famine or Warre Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy then to trust to man Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other and there died 70000. men Now after this Dauid waxed old and hee caused Salomon his sonne to bee annointed king before he died whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly exhorting him to serue God to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel Dauid commanded Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed cursed me when saith he I was at the worst Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius for Iosephus doth write that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. odde yeeres after Dauids death opened the graue of Dauid and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne who laying siege to Ierusalem was contēted to returne with some of these talents without any harme done And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel seuen in Hebron and 33. in Ierusalem Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abrahā after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070. During this time of Dauid raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemonians Now failed the state of kings in Athens and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges which now began by Codrus sonne named Medon after whose name they were named afterward Medontidae for a while Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines in Corinth raigned Ixeon the second king of Corinth About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia and another in Italie called Misene now called Cuma Salomon the sonne of Dauid the third king of Israel of the tribe of Iuda a man endued with singular wisdome in great fauour with God as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne he remembred the words of Dauid and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Notwithstanding the Israelites being froward and stubborne euer reuolting from their GOD were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites as after the death of Dauid fell out for in Dauids time Israel flourished and all things prospered in Iuda But scant had Salomon bene annointed king but Adoniah Salomons brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtillie seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother and by her meanes to haue Abishag which Dauid his father loued tenderly to wife But his craft was found out and his pretensed treason spied by Nathan the prophet and by Salomon himselfe who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother and had Abiathar the priest on his side and Ioab who tooke Adoniahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah afterward commaunded Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls chiefe captaine and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid who enuying their fauour credite with the king slew them and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king being dead Salomon banished Abiathar the priest and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli and restored to the house of Phineas After that Salomon called Shemei and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king charged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid in reuiling and cursing of him and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands and Salomon obeied God in all things and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter saieth that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis vntil the time of Salomon which was 1300. yeeres for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abraham came to Egypt this is the cause why Herodotus doth omit the names of the kings of Egypt euen 330. kings Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē and went to Gibeon to sacrifice for there their tabernacle was at that time there was no temple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon and gaue him wisedom more then any prince of the world had as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared Salomon flourished and prospered and farre excelled all the kings of the world for his wisedom was so abundant as the sand that is on the sea shore No Philosopher no Astrologer no Chaldean magi no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement for God was his schoolemaster Salomon was famous throughout the whole world hee wrote 3000. Prouerbes and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Israel was taken captiue vnto Babylon the temple then being burned and the citie destroyed He wrote of all kind of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall He spake of beastes fowles and fishes He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes which Iosephus affirmeth at large And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour Now coucerning the princes rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon the purueiance for victuals the number of his horses and the order of his house they
seuen of euery tribe But this good king was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt who went vp at that time against the king of Asâ—…hur wherein Iosias did offend God because he consulted not with the Lord before he sought with Necho In Iosias time in the 13. yere of his reigne Ieremie began to prophesie the destruction of Ierusalem he foreshewed of the captiuitie of Babylon of the miserie of the Iewes of the famine and of the last ruine by Nabuchadonosor and howe afterward that king could not be quiet but was troubled with one dreame and other seeking soothsayers wise men of Babel coniurers sorcerers to interprete his visions dreames his vision of the 4. beastes of the 10. hornes of the battel betweene the Ramme and the Goate of the great image whose head was gold c. In Iosias time reigned in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes and in Lidia reigned Ardis the 6. king of the Lidians for as I wrote before Lidia Media and Rome began welnigh together In Babylon reigned Nabuchodonosor the first of that name and the father of Nabuchodonosor the Great yet some take exception against the first Nabuchodonosor saying that there was none such as Beroaldus affirmeth He was the 3. king of the Chaldeans after Merodachs time In Rome gouerned Tullius Hostilius their 3. king who was now in warre with the Sabines and in Macedonia Philip the 6. king about which time the Grecians vsed first the Oracle called Dodonium oraculum Nowe in Locretia reigned Zaleuchus a famous Law maker and more famous for the keeping of his lawes being made euen against his owne sonne that should succeede after him king as in an other place you may read more Sibylla which is called Herophila was of great fame in Samos at this time Herodotus writeth that Batius the first king of Cyrena builded Zoan and after builded Cyrenes and furnished the same with people of Tyre and of Greece In the beginning of Iosias gouernment florished the great Historiographer Archilochus whose authoritie for time is with the best approued for he wrote a booke entituled De temporibus with whom at one time liued Simonides and Aristoxenes the Musition Iosias began to reigne in the 30. Olympiad and died in the 37. Olympiad and 16. Iubile of the Iewes After Iosias Ioachim his sonne succeeded for Necho king of Egypt after hee had killed Iosias in Mageddo hee gaue the kingdome to this Ioachim called also Eliachim paying 100. talents of siluer and one talent of gold for yeerely tribute vnto Egypt But Necho within a while was ouerthrowen in battell by Nabuchodonosor the great and the tribute which the Iewes paied vnto Necho now being slayne in the field by the king of Chaldea was paied to Nabuchodonosor But I haue writteÌ„ of this Ioachim of his sonne that succeeded him called also Ioachin or Iechonia of Nabuchodonosor in the histories of the Chaldeans how they were subdued by Nabuchodonosor whom God raised to destroy the rest of Israel the tribe of Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin With this Iechonia was Daniel Ananias Azaria and Misael caried captiue to Babylon of whom Nabuchodonosor had care to instruct them in the Chaldean tongue whereby they might serue the king and be in fauour It was the kings will that they should bee of Zedechias bloud of the best fauour and of the best complection Some write that this captiuitie began from the 3. yeere of Ioachim vnto the 20. yeere of Cyrus Some other write that it began from the preaching of Ieremie which was the 13. yeere of Iosias vnto the first yeere of Cyrus and others in the eleuenth yeere of Zedechias They would not heare Ieremie the Prophet who did foreshew the calamitie and miserie that should come vpon Ierusalem but they despised him imprisoned him and burned his bookes vntill an huge infinite armie of the Chaldeans laid siege to Ierusalem 18. moneths and that it was at length taken and destroied after much famine and plague during the time of these 18. moneths after that 21. kings of Dauids tribe raigned in Ierusalem for the space of 500. yeeres and odde counting as Iosephus saith beginning from Sauls raigne which was of another tribe The wonders which were seene before Ierusalem was destroied besides the threatning of the Prophets were such as might well perswade the Iewes of their calamities and miseries not then beleeued but afterwards felt The first time they saw right ouer the citie of Ierusalem a firie burning Comete most like a bloodie naked sword flourishing to and fro ouer the citie which continued for the space of one whole yeere The 2. wonder was a sudden cleere shining light as bright as day light being in the night time This light onely shined about Salomons Temple and about the sacrificing altars the which the Iewes construed to be their better fortune wherin they were deceiued The 3. wonder was that an Oxe being brought to the Temple to bee slaine and sacrificed vpon a festiuall day according to the Iewish maner that it brought foorth against the course of nature a Lambe in the middest of the temple which was terrible and monstrous The 4. wonder was that the East brasen gate of Salomons Temple being so great and so heauie with iron barres and great brasen bolts that Vix à viginti viris clauderetur the very wordes of Iosephus that 20. strong men could scant shut that gate opened of it selfe most willingly The barres loosed the bolts yeelded that some of the ignorant Iewes prognosticated the opening of the Temple should bee some great good thing to come The fift wonder was seene vpon the 21. day of May which seemed to be an hoste of men armed running on horsebacke and in charets aboue the Citie in the skies a little before Sunne setting The sixt wonder when the priests went vnto the temple in the feast of Pentecost as they were woont to do by night to celebrate diuine seruice they vpon a sudden felt the ground quiuer vnder their feete and the temple shooke and a voyce speaking Migremus hinc let vs depart hence Yet a more horrible wonder there was the daily crying and exclaiming of a countrey man Iesus the sonne of Ananus who for 7. yeeres and 5. moneths before the destruction ceased not in euery corner of the Citie in euery streete and specially in the temple vpon the Sabboth day saying Vox ab oriente vox ab occidente vox à quatuor ventis vox in Ierosolymam templum vox in omneÌ„ hunc populum continuing still this cry though he was punished by the magistrates and brought before Albinus the Roman which was then Caesars deputie in Ierusalem in somuch as he was thought to be some furious foole that he was left after whipping alone who cried Vae vae ciuitati vae phano vae populo and last of all he
of Cyrus which he also established by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame as it is written in Esdras But God still exercised his people with some crosses because of their stubbernes for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel they had maried with the Gentiles and offended God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with authoritie to build to repaire and to inhabite Ierusalem for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write saying that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words Ierusalem inhabitabitur aedificabitur the whole summe of Esdras bookes Nowe in the time of Darius of Cambyses before him and of Cyrus before Cambyses God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people to restore his Church and to builde his city againe as Zorobabel Esdras Nehemias with others whose care delight and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they wrote For after their returne from Babylon there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time for Nehemias liued 130. yeres and saw being very old a new broile and a greater calamitie of his coūtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid cōtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder succeeded of Dauids stock frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine cōmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But cōcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a cōquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
and solemne sacrifice was Alexander receiued vnto Ierusalem where Daniels prophecies were brought vnto him and where also it was read vnto him that a king of Greece shoulde bring the Monarchie of Persia vnto Greece which was himselfe After all these things were done Alexander shewed great courtesie enlarged their common wealth quieted the Samaritans their enemies and brought all the Prouinces about vnder the Iewes Againe hee graunted them what they woulde aske of him permitted them to vse their religion to obserue their owne lawes and also promised that those Iewes which were scattered amongst the Caldeans Assyrians and Medes should haue such libertie to vse their religion and lawes as they had in Ierusalem and this continued during the time of Alexander which was but short For when he died the Empire was deuided betweene his Nobles Antigonus had Asia Seleucus had Babylon Lysimachus had Hellespont Cassander had Macedonia and Ptolomeus Lagi had Egypt These successors of Alexander hauing continuall warres one with an other which continued long Ptolomeus king of Egypt came vpon the Sabbath day to Ierusalem vnder pretence to offer sacrifice to the God of Israel tooke the towne vsed the Citizens hardly handled the Iewes most seuerely and sharpely they mistrusting him not imprisoned them and brought them with him in heapes to Egypt Thus still was Ierusalem exercised with tribulations and crosses but God stirred vp this kings sonne Ptolome philadelphus to them a friende louing and beneficiall wise learned and most desirous not onely to doe them good but also most willing to admit their lawes their Religion to come to Egypt and made a decree that all the Iewes wheresoeuer they were by his father imprisoned and captiuated shoulde be enlarged be set at libertie which were aboue 100000. Iewes as Ptolome in his Epistle written to the high Priest Eleazar doeth testifie where lie entreateth Eleazar to send to Egypt sixe of euery tribe of the best wisest and skilfullest men to translate the Bible then being onely in the Hebrewe tongue into the Greeke tōgue for that Ptolome was most desirous to haue the Bible in Greeke to be in his studie where he had a hūdred twentie thousand bookes in his Librarie In the dayes of this Ptoleme Lagi florished Theophrastus the Philosopher and Theodorus Athenaeus he sent messengers for this purpose to Ierusalem Aristaeus and one Andreas captaine of the Kings garde with whome he sent 100. talents of siluer to honour the Temple and to doe sacrifice therein besides viginti phialas aureas triginta argenteas quinque crateras mensam auream which in Iosephus all at large are described and set foorth worth the reading which things being most gratefull vnto the high Priest hee receiued them most louingly and vsed them with all humanitie and fauour and sent with them 70. wise and discreete men which shoulde translate the Bible as Philadelphus request was These seuentie men came to Alexandria where after much welcome long feasting great conference and disputations so much he ioyed of their comming and delighted in their company that the king Philadelphus continued his feast 12. dayes where wisedome and learning were exercised disputations practised arguments propounded the questions whereof you may reade in a booke which Aristeus wrote only concerning the meeting and comming togeather of these learned men These seuentie interpreters so named translated the Bible from Hebrue into Greeke in the yere of the world 3695. in the 24. Iubile and in the 127 Olympiad in the 12. yeere of Philadelphus reigne About this time Megasthenes the Persian writeth his histories Aratus the great Astrologer wrote his booke entituled Pheonomenon Nowe when Philadelphus had this sacred booke thus in Greeke translated he reioyced much and thought himselfe happy to haue such a booke in his Librarie and so conferring with Demetrius mused greatly that neither Historiographers Philosophers or Poets had not translated this booke before But Demetrius tolde the cause to the king saying that the Heathens durst not attempt it for diuers were punished for their rash enterprises to meddle therein as Theopompus who for writing of some sentences of the Scriptures amongst his owne prophane writings was xxx dayes depriued of his memorie distracted of his minde vntill by a vision in his sleepe he was warned to knowe his faults and to reconcile himself for the same Euen so Theodecta the Poet for putting a sentence of Gods booke presumptuously with his owne in a tragedie which he made was mad for a time and blind This learned king Philadelphus rewarded these 70. interpreters at their departure in this sort euery one of them had two talents of gold 3. sutes of costly and rich apparell and a standing golden cup which wayed a whole talent which by Budeus computation is 600. crownes if it be golde and euery of them had of him a precious costly and delicate bed wrought with all silke Moreouer he sent by them to Eleazar the hie Priest 10. riche tables with siluer feete with all things belonging thereunto a Chalice of 30. talents a diademe or a crowne ful of precious stones two golden cuppes to be dedicated to the altar 10. sutes of purple with 100. basens and censers of gold for sacrifice Thus much doth Iosephus report of this Ptolomeus Philadelphus but within a short time after this came Antiochus magnus who had al Asia Syria vnder his sword he vexed the Iewes spoiled the countrey slue the Citizens taketh the kingdome of Iudea subdued Egypt he full of all wickednes setteth vp Idols altars groues and Chappels of Idols he polluted the Sanctuarie defiled the Sabbath and the feast hee offered vp swines flesh and vncleane beastes Antiochus thus played the part of a tyrant that Ierusalē was desolate the Citizens fled the women and their children taken captiues and Antiochus forced Israel to forsake their God and to doe sacrifice to his Idoles sending commissioners to all Iudea to see the execution of them so great difference was betweene two heathen kings Alexander the great and Antiochus the great the one honoring the hie Priest sacrificed in the Temple brought all things vnder the Iewes againe vsed great courtesie the other Antiochus the great stealed wasted robbed the Temple the Citie all the Cities of Iuda vntill Mattathias a godly zealous man borne in the citie of Madis saw how Antiochus blasphemed God committed idolatrie in all Iudea somed in blood and practised al mischiefe and wickednesse He consulted with his fiue sonnes Iohn Iudas afterwarde called Machabeus Simon Eleazar and Ionathas to whom hee opened the calamities of his countrey the defacing of Moses lawes the blasphemie and idolatrie that were vsed by Antiochus in all Syria and Iudea and where that their predecessours euen from Abrahams time defended the Church with their owne blood so now it was as necessarie to stop the rage of
Of this queene and of her doings her warres and her great workes you shall reade in Diodorus and Annius how she became so great so terrible and so luckie in any warre she tooke in hand that she excelled farre all the Assyrian and Caldean kings in victories and triumphs vntil Nabuchodonosors time but slaine at last by her sonne called Nynus or Nynias as Melancthon and Annius and Ruffinus writeth the 5. king of the Assyrians who liued with his mother and had no gouernment for that he was a simple man and who succeeded his mother being neither like to his father nor to his mother a king giuen to slouthfulnesse full of idlenesse of whom we reade nothing worth the writing sauing that he repaired beautified the temples of their idols and made much of the Chaldean magi which were accompted wise men obseruing the turne of Astrologers who began then in those dayes to vse diuination he reigned 38. yeeres who a litle before he died Camesenus being forced to flee frō all the partes of the world came to Bactria and there strengthened himselfe with the Bactrians that he prepared a great army to inuade the Assyrians but he was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen euen of this king Ninias as Berosus affirmeth yet Diodorus Iustinus Orosius say that this was done by Nynus the father of Ninias Let the reader beleeue whō hee list I had rather follow Berosus though he is supposed not to be Berosus yet the best writer vseth him in this historie for he is best to be beleeued for that hee knoweth better the Chaldean histories being a Chaldean borne then others This Ninias or Ramisninias is takē to be that king which is called Amraphel in Genesis king of Shinar which is Babylon for in the daies of Amraphel came Arioch king of Ellasar who came with the king of Shinar against the kings of Sodom Gomorrha together with two other kings Chedor king of Elam and Tidal king of the nations gathered of diuers countries These foure kings made warre with Bera king of Sodom with Byrsha king of Gomorrha with Shemeber king of Seboim and with the king of Bela in the vale of Siddim At this very warre Lot the nephew of Abraham for hee dwelt then at Sodom was taken with the king of Sodom the rest was rescued by Abraham his vncle he all his goods al his substance men women Abraham recouered frō Amraphel king of Shinar his company By this time Egypt began to florish and the kings of Egypt beganne to be strong they were all named Pharaohs as the Romanes called their Emperors Caesars names of great dignitie While this conflict and these great armies of fiue kings against foure were in the field you must vnderstand they were but gouernors of cities for in these daies skant the names of kingdoms were knowen but a kind of gouernment called Oligarchia by reason it was within 350. yeres of the flood At that time Abraham comming backe with Lot Melchisedec king of Shalem came to meete him blessed him to whom Abraham gaue tithe of al that he had This Melchisedec is taken to be Sem the sonne of Noah king of Shalem afterward called Ierusalem After this Ninias succeeded his sonne Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians as Functius writeth but Ruffinus the fourth and yet they vary not but in this that Functius beginneth from Nimrod which Ruffinus saith began in Babylon not in Niniue Againe Functius numbreth Semiramis reigne for that she reigned 40. yeres after her husband Nynus which Ruffinus omitteth coumpting Nynus reigne for both for both the gouernment of Semiramis and Ninus forward stil of the rest of the kings of Assyria Ruffinus omitting these two Nimrod Semiramis maketh Functius to say sixe and Ruffinus to accoumpt foure but in this I will follow Functius This Arius after that his father Ninias was dead hee gathered a great host of souldiers against the Bactrians and the Caspians with whom his father and his forefathers were enemies alwayes hee inuaded them againe spoyled their countrey slue their king and brought Bactria and Caspia subiect to the Assyrians in this kings time died Noah about twelue yeres after Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea and came to Haran where hee staied foure yeres Thus florished the kingdome of the Assyrians being still augmented with more Prouinces Cities and Countries by Arius and his predecessors and when hee had reigned 30. yeeres he died and after him succeeded Aralius the seuenth king of the Assyrians a warlike prince a man of great prowesse skilfull in militarie discipline full of martiall exploites of whom Berosus affirmeth that it was he that first vsed triumphs and pompes with great honor dignitie and rewards to souldiers that deserued praise began to be delicious in bankets and feastes and inuented many engins of warres that then were not knowen In this kings fathers time there dwelt in Celtiberia a great wise man expert in many things whose name was Druyas of whom as Berosus writeth the auncient priests and wise men were called Druyades so doth Plinie write and Caius Iulius Caesar in his booke de bello Gallico This Aralius ruled Assyria fourtie yeeres and died Then beganne in Niniue the reigne of Baleus surnamed Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians this surmounted farre his predecessour Aralius for hee brought vnder the scepter of Assyria twise asmuch people Nations and Countries as his predecessour did and therefore he was called Xerxes that is the conquerour the triumpher which long after were names of great dignitie among the Persians This king was both fierce and fortunate and enlarged the confines of his kingdome with many Nations he conquered al Countries vnto India he made the kings to bee feared so much of all kingdomes that he was named of the Assyrians Xerxes victor triumphator this reigned as Berosus doth write thirtie yeeres In this Baleus dayes Inachus the first king of the Argiues and their first kingdome began After Baleus reigned in Assyria a king named Armatrites the ninth of him there is no great thing to bee read to his commendation hee was giuen much to wicked lust and slouthfulnesse consuming his time in feasting and banquetting from one pleasure vnto another more cōuersant with women then with men and more delicious in apparell then hardie in warres and more giuen as Berosus saith to a lewde life then to vertuous exercise he reigned 38. yeeres In these dayes Sem the sonne of Noah died and the king of Salem being sixe hundred yeeres olde for Sem was a hundred yeere olde when the flood began and hee liued before the flood with three of his olde fathers with Noah Methusalem and Lamech and after the flood he liued in the second age vntill Iacobs time and died in the fiftie yere of Iacobs age seuen hundred yeeres iust before Dauids birth
great feasts were once euery yeere in these cities The first was in the citie of Bubastis in honour of Diana with such seruice and ceremonies due vnto her the second in the citie of Busiris in the honor of Isis the third in the citie of Sai in the honor of Minerua the fourth in Heliopolis in the honor of the sunne the fifth in the citie of Butis in the honor of Latona the sixt in the citie of Papremi in the honor of Mars The maner and order of their sacrifices were very strange some wounding themselues some beating and whipping themselues some with torches and lights al night with processions about the cities and some with such ceremonies as I may not well name them so horrible and so beastly as they were and yet fit sacrifices for their gods The greatest god that the Egyptians vniuersally worshipped was an Oxe marked with white spots which they called Apis. This Oxe is accompanied with a hundred priests in the citie of Memphis where he is halowed by these priests stauled as a god with yeerely feasts and dayly sacrifice The people of Egypt solemnize the birth day of Apis and that day is holden most holy and festiuall throughout all Egypt and that feast continueth seuen dayes Also in the citie of Heliopolis they worship another Oxe which they name Mneum as Apis is in Memphis In the citie of Aphodito Politana they worship a white Oxe as Strabo sayth likewise Concerning others of their gods they are too many for me to write as of Cattes to whom they attribute much honour for that they are vnder Vulcan their chiefe god to defend them from fire and therefore Cattes in Egypt are much esteemed and worshipped as gods for when any Catte is dead in Egypt specially in Heliopolis they weare mourning weedes and shaue their browes and with great solemnitie they are buried And then next to Cattes Rammes for that Iupiter would not be seene vnto Hercules in the likenesse of a god vnlesse Hercules would put on a Rammes skinne therefore in diuers partes of Egypt none might kill a Ramme but the Ramme was likewise honoured as a god So also of the Crocodile of the bird Ibis of many other beasts which the Egyptians worship as gods the which is not lawful by the lawe of Egypt to hurt much lesse to kill them In mourning for their dead they besmeare themselues with doung and dirte specially the kinswomen of the dead they be all bedaubed and bedirted raunging the streetes howling and crying for the space of seuentie dayes and then with great care diligence they burie the corpes with great solemnitie in stately and huge buildings with sharpe spires of wonderfull great height named Piramides but of the maner of their buriall I haue set downe in my diall of dayes The strange wonders of Egypt of their fishes beastes and foules of their trees fruites and of their riuers they are such and so many that if I should beginne I should not knowe when to ende as to write of bridges builded of stones thirtie foote square a piece of lakes called Chimmis and Meris bearing woods forests of 20. miles compasse about to speake of many riuers I shoulde wearie my selfe What shoulde I speake but of one which is Nilus the only riuer of the world of which the Egyptians haue as great cause to bragge as India had of Ganges or Mesopotamia of Euphrates This Nilus maketh Egypt alwayes either to laugh or to weepe for it is strange in Egypt to see raine In Egypt women pleade matters in Courtes and they looke to forraigne causes and the men spin and carde and take charge of the house at home the womē beare burthens on their shoulders and men vpon their heads women standing and men sitting doe make water in Egypt also they eate and drinke openly without the doores and doe their naturall needes within the house These with infinite more strange thinges shall you finde in Herodotus but Chronicles doe contrary Herodot in many things and therefore I passe ouer diuers of his fables and take asmuch of him as shall agree with Eusebius and others of the soundest writers for certainely the Greeke histories are farre more doubtfull then the Latine for Hellanicus differeth from Acusilaus Acusilaus from Hesiodus Hesiodus from Hephorus and Hephorus from Herodot and Herodot accused of al as most erronious and fabulous for how can Greeke histories be true when the Greekes saith Iosephus doe rather seeke fables to mainteine their opinions then to traueile in antiquitie to verifie their histories or howe is it possible for prophane writers who were borne two thousand yeeres after the beginning of some kingdoms to write truely of them specially of the Chaldeans Assyrians Scithians Egyptians and others whose kingdoms were long before scattered and destroyed if they be not by Moses instructed or haue their light or warrant from the propheticall histories such confusion is growen by their discord that their errour is great aswell for the number and names of kings as also for the time of their continuance and gouernment I said before they that are desirous to bee acquainted with fables rather then histories let them read Herodotus Diodorus Siculus vaine Berosus But I will and must vse them sometimes and especially in this historie of Egypt I must alleage Herodot for he confesseth that he wrote nothing but what he himselfe had either seene or heard in Egypt of the priestes of M◅mphis whose bookes were full of olde fables where it was written that 330. kings reigned in Egypt successiuely Of these 330. kings 18. were Ethiopian kings the rest Egyptians and one woman named Nitocris not Nitocris Queene of Babylon but an other as famous for her tyrannie in Egypt as she was in Babylon But when Abraham the Patriarch was in Egypt then Egypt did not so flourish at what time Pharao was punished by God for Sara Abrahams wife This is the first king that we reade of in trueth with warrant of the sacred histories of the Bible which is taken to be Osiris by Functius Melancthon others Of this Osiris many things are written in prophane histories as by his surnames doth appeare for Osiris is called Dionysius Olympicus Iupiter Iustus to follow further his genealogie it is vaine This Osiris taught in Egypt first and after in sundry places of the world where he did traueile to plow to sowe to plant vines and to doe many things which yet the world knew not The Egyptians honoured this Osiris so much that they caused his statue or image to be made at large in a table or pillar of Iuory his picture was made like a scepter with two eyes with all foules fishes and beasts that were consecrated vnto the gods of Egypt as monumēts of triumphs vnto Osiris with this sentēce written Ego sum Osiris Iupiter iustus qui vniuerso imperaui orbi diuers
forbidden to arrest any plough harneis and such necessaries for the vse of man and yet a man that vsed these and coulde make these suffered to be arrested and to be imprisoned 16 The law against theft in Egypt was that he that would steale shoulde write his name and recorde it in a booke which the chiefe captaine or the great prince appointed for those shoulde receiue the theft and the partie that had lost his goodes should come to his captaine and shoulde set downe the day and the houre wherein his goods were lost and the captaine shoulde recorde it in his booke and appoint him a day to come againe against the which day the theft being found out hee should haue all his losse sauing the fourth part which by law the theefe had for they so iudged it better sithence it were vnpossible to forbidde theft or to hang as many as would steale 17 As for the law for mariage it was thus that the priests of Egypt might mary but one wife a piece others as many as pleased them for that they would haue their countrey populous their cities strong with people no bastardes might bee named in Egypt though diuers were borne of bondwomen esteeming onely their fathers for credit and the mothers for their nources Nowe for their Iudges and Magistrates that executed these lawes in Egypt they were elected by 30. of the best and wisest men in euery great citie as Memphis Heliopolis Thebes and the rest in euery citie one chiefe Iudge with his sociates with him as were the Areopagites in Athens or the Ephories in Sparta Of other lawes concerning the religions of their gods their burials and of their discipline and order in warres I haue written of it in the Diall of dayes There was also a lawe in Egypt before these lawes that the pictures and images of their gods painted in tables and set in brasse in their Temples should be caried in their ensigns to the field in the time of warres But as Egypt florished in the time of king Amasis so Egypt was brought subiect vnto the Persians within sixe dayes after Amasis dayes for after that Amasis had reigned fourtie foure yeeres his sonne succeeded him called Psammenitus who after he had reigned sixe yeeres was ouerthrowen by Cambyses king of Persia which came from Persia into Egypt to reuenge the wrong which hee receiued at Amasis hand who refused to giue his owne daughter in mariage to the king of of Persia but deceiued him with a daughter of Apries called Nytetis which was onely left aliue of all the stocke of Apries whom Cambyses maried supposing her to bee king Amasis daughter vntill Apries daughter opened the whole matter affirming vnto the king howe Amasis had betrayed her father the king being his master and by that reason had obteined the kingdome of Egypt and also shee reuealed howe he disdained to giue his owne daughter but tooke me vp being left desolate and comfortlesse and willed mee to faine my selfe to bee his daughter These floutes and scoffes of Amasis kindled wrath in Cambyses to come in armes into Egypt but before he came Amasis died Notwithstanding after he had conquered his sonne Psammenitus and had possessed the kingdome of Egypt hee went from Memphis vnto Sai to satisfie his wrath vpon Amasis and though he was before buried yet hee caused his carcas to be brought before him and cōmaunded it first to be whipt and scourged then thrust him through with daggers bodkins after this he haled lugged it through the Citie of Sai with all contempts that might be inuented and last he caused it to be burned which was against the maner of the Egyptians for they suppose the fire to be a liuing creature because the fire deuoureth all things and at last deuoureth it selfe Thus the olde auncient kings of Egypt continued a thousand two hundred yeeres before they were conquered by any nation and though they were by the kings of Assyria and of Chaldea which then florished chiefely often assaulted yet they neuer lost the proper names of their kings which were called Pharaos vntill Cambyses time which continued vnder the Persians a hundred thirtie fiue yeeres and after they reuoulted vnder Darius Nothus and kept of vntill by many sharpe battailes they were againe by Ochus vanquished who vsed in Egypt great crueltie About this time Tomiris Queene of the Massegets and Tarquinius superbus the last king of the Romanes reigned in Rome for the Romanes lost their kings and the Egyptians lost their kingdome about one time Cambyses this time hindred the building of the Temple by the meanes of the Samaritanes who euer enuied Ierusalem Thus briefely I haue written of the state and gouernment of the olde kings of Egypt Pharaos by name vntill the time of Alexander the great and nowe something after Alexanders dayes Egypt and their kings afterward altered and changed from the names of Pharaos to the names of Ptolomeies as you shal reade hereafter from Alexander the great vntill the time of Iulius Caesar during which time the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei Therefore I haue gathered together all the names of these auncient kings of Egypt from Osiris time the first potentate in Egypt which was in the time of Abraham vntil Amasis time the last Pharao which was in Cambyses time the second king of Persia that is from the going of Abraham into Egypt vntil the Prophet Daniels time which was a thousand foure hundred twentie fiue yeeres for before Osiris time and long after we reade of no certeine king by the name of Pharao but of some gouernment called Dynastia at what time in euery prouince of Egypt before Egypt had the name of Egypt certeine potentates gouerned for the space of fiftene Dynasties Hence grew that vaine opinion of the priests of Egypt that they were the anciētest nation in the world that the starres altered their courses foure times and the sunne twise since they first inhabited Egypt recording in their chronicles the names of three hundred thirtie kings and before their kings the gouernment of those whom they called Heroas or Deos which reigned eighteene thousand yeeres But leauing them to their fabulous antiquitie I haue set downe all the names of Pharaos that I coulde reade in Manethon Eusebius Diodorus Herodot and Melancthon beginning at Osiris which was that Pharao to whom Abraham came vnto in the sixteene Dynastia of Egypt from the first Pharao called Amasis vnto the last Pharao called likewise Amasis as they are set downe in Functius table who followed Herodot from Cheopes vnto the last Pharao of Egypt called Amasis For the placing orderly of the kings of Egypt Manethon differeth from Eusebius Eusebius from Diodorus Diodorus frō Functius and therefore as I wrote the names of the olde kings of Egypt as Manethon laide them downe so will I nowe also write them as I found them in Functius
idolatrous superstition giuen to all errours onely acquainted with the Egyptian tongue Now Philadelphus with greater care and zeale of his countrie then any of his predecessours had before kept with him diuers and sundrie learned men as Aratus Callimachus Apollonius Theocritus Hipparchus the Mathematician and Demetrius Phalerius the Philosopher which at that time was banished from Athens and receiued in Egypt Philadelphus a prudent and a learned prince and cōuersant with learned men knewe well that the Iewes religion their lawes their maners and their seruice of God did farre excell all the nations of the world he sent great presents and giftes to Eleazr the hie Priest then being at Ierusalem entreating him to send learned men of the Hebrewes that coulde translate the bookes of Moses and the Prophets into the Greeke tongue that Egypt might be acquainted with the worde of God aswell as Iuda to whom Eleazar sent seuentie two learned men to interprete and to translate the Bible After this hee prouided in Alexandria such a famous Librarie to the common vse of learned men as farre excelled all other Libraries And as Melancthon sayth hee caused many other thinges to bee translated into the Greeke tongue hee restored the poore Iewes that dwelt captiues in Egypt into libertie hee sent for learned men into all Regions hee honourably mainteined them and louingly vsed them that Egypt florished with sound doctrine and vertuous men for euen then Iesus the sonne of Sirach gathered in Egypt together many wise sentences and godly speaches many learned and vertuous lessons which his graundfather before had written in Ierusalem which hee nowe augmented with care and diligence and compiled in a booke which is reserued in the Church to great vse This king excelled all the Pharaos before him and all the Ptolomeis after him and during his reigne he studied to mainteine peace and to auoide warre and therefore bestowed his daughter Berenices to Antiochus surnamed Theos who offered diuers iniuries to mooue warres against Egypt but while Philadelphus liued Egypt prospered florished with all good successe but after that Philadelphus died his sonne Ptolomei Euergetes reigned twentie sixe yeeres of whom Daniel saide that the kings daughter of the South which was Berenices Philadelphus daughter and this king Euergetes sister shoulde come to the king of the North to make agreement but Daniel saide it shoulde not continue for shee shoulde bee deliuered to death and out of the budde of her rootes shall one stande vp named Euergetes and shall enter with an armie into the fortresse of the king of the North which is called Antiochus Theos and doe what hee list and shall preuaile Hee plagued the Syrians and reuenged Berenices his sister with diuers victories for hee caried captiues into Egypt their goddes with their moulten images and their precious vessels of siluer and golde for after Seleucus had lost his Nauies by a tempest on the sea hee geathered an armie by lande and gaue battaile to Ptolomei but the like misfortune fell then vnto him and the victorie happened to Ptolomei for hee was driuen to flee to Antiochia and from thence to craue his brother Antiochus helpe which then gouerned Cicilia Ptolomei hearing of these newes concluded a peace with Seleucus and returned into Egypt after he had fully requited his sisters death vpon the Syrians During Euergetes reigne the Parthians beganne their kingdome who were all named Arsaces as nowe the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei this time the warres of Africke beganne betweene the Carthagineans and the Numidians at that time Amilcar was sent captaine generall into Spaine for Carthage in this Euergetes time certeine enterludes were appointed by the oracle of Sibilla in Rome named Floralia the fourth kalends of May in the honour of the goddesse Flora for faire weather and fruites of the earth like vnto the feast named Rubigalia which Numa Pompilius instituted the seuenth kalends of May in Rome After this Ptolomei Euergetes had reigned twentie sixe yeres he died whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomei surnamed Philopater a cruell beast and not a king but a monstrous tyrant a murtherer both of his wife and his sister Euridices whose filthy and lewde life is better to passe with silence then to expresse in writing of whome Iustine saide Noctes in stupris dies in conuiuijs consumsit letting his strumpet Agathocles and her mother Euanthea to rule and gouerne Egypt as pleased them for none might lesse commaunde in Egypt then the king nor none might doe more in Egypt then women for nothing delighted Philopator but women and dauncing and whatsoeuer Agathocles would that also Philopator would Against this king Antiochus the great king of Asia and Syria came towarde Egypt and beganne to take and spoile those Cities of Syria which held with Philopator the king of Egypt Antiochus comming forwarde towarde Egypt Ptolomei Philopator mette him and gaue him battell at Raphia a Towne in the Confines of Palestina where Antiochus the great was ouerthrowen and put to flight and forced to intreate for peace at Philopators hande and so Philopator king of Egypt gotte the victorie ouer Antiochus and recouered those Townes of Syria which Antiochus had woonne before This victorie was well gotten but not well vsed for Philopator was so puffed vp with pride and insolencie that hee thought hauing ouerthrowen Antiochus the great hee might well also ouerthrowe IEHOVAH the great entred Ierusalem spoyled the Temple slue the Citizens and made hauocke of Gods people some to bee deuoured of beastes and some to bee quartered by men Reade the Machabees further of this but specially reade the eleuenth of Daniel where the whole historie of the kings of Syria and Asia of Egypt of Persia of Greece and of the Romanes are before spoken by the Prophet There it said was by Daniel that Antiochus and all his armie should be deliuered into the handes of Philopator and after that victorie it was by the Prophete saide that Philopator shoulde waxe arrogant and proude and that he shoulde contemne and blaspheme the Lorde of Israel and the God of Iacob that hee shoulde prophane the Temple destroy the people and in his furie excell in tyrannie but at length hee shoulde not preuaile for hee was poysoned and so died after his most wicked and incestuous life leauing behinde him a sonne by his sister Euridices of fiue yeeres olde when hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres I passe briefely these Histories of Egypt for that in the historie of the kings of Syria and Asia the kings of Egypt are likewise spoken of and in the Machabees also you may reade further of this Antiochus for since the death of Alexander the great the kings of Syria and Asia could not agree with the kings of Egypt vntill the last destruction of both the kingdomes by the Romanes and therefore assoone as euer Philopator died Antiochus streight againe sought to inuade Egypt vnderstanding this Ptolomei
as Iosephus writeth thirtie thousand Iewes were slaine The calamities of the Iewes were such that they were compelled by the king of Egypt to feede vpon the dead carcases and bodies of their friendes and countreymen at what time many godly men of the Iewes were present beholding this myserie as Simeon Zacarias and others Beside this calamitie at what time the contention grew hote in Iuda betweene Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander Ianneus the Iewes at that time were so plagued that Alexander sent for ayde vnto Egypt to Cleopatra for Iustine writeth that Cleopatra vsed Alexander her sonne too familiarly and that her great abomination was knowen in Egypt And therefore Ptolomey Lathurus was sent for by his owne subiects to come into Egypt for that the Queene Cleopatra his mother who had banished him from Egypt practised tyrannie and all kinde of crueltie in Egypt where hee raigned 8. yeeres After Lathurus raigned in Egypt Ptolomey Auletes father to the last Cleopatra some say her brother which was Marcus Antonius friende this king liued at Rome vntill such time as he was restored by Gabinius into his kingdome of Egypt at the commandement of the Senators This Auletes is named by Eusebius and Epiphanius Dionysius This king for some certaine offences and discords done to his subiects departed from Alexandria and sailed towards Rome hoping that Caesar or Pompey would restore him to his kingdome and being desirous to see Cato trauailed vnto him where he was occupied and opening the cause of his comming to Rome sought therein Catoes counsell who tolde him how he should finde Rome vnsatiable and that if Egypt were conuerted into siluer it would not suffice the Magistrates of Rome which saying of Cato Ptolomey found to bee true for after long being at Rome hauing fully satisfied the Senators and other magistrates he was sent by the Senators and specially by Pompey with one Gabinius to be restored to his kingdome againe where he raigned thirtie yeeres After whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomey Dionysius vnto whom Pompey the great fled from the battaile at Pharsalia hoping to haue some helpe for the friendship shewed to his father as you heard before But there Pompey was slaine by the kings commaundement and his head sent to Caesar and also when Iulius Caesar came after the like sauce was prepared for him but Caesar preuented it ouerthrewe him and put him to flight in the which flight the king thinking to escape Caesars hand entred into a cocke boate and was drowned amongst the rest for company The kingdome of Egypt was giuen by Caesar vnto Cleopatra Dionysius sister who raigned vntil the twelfth yeere of Augustus Caesar at what time she willingly died to accompany her louing friend Marcus Antonius shee was the last of the line of Ptolomeis and the last Queene of Egypt for after Cleopatra Egypt was made a prouince vnder the Romanes by Augustus Caesar at what time Augustus Caesar commaunded his lawes and decrees which himselfe caused to be engraued on a pillar of brasse and to be set vp in Alexandria for the Egyptians now made subiect to the Romanes to be gouerned by in like sort as Alexander the great the second conquerour before Caesar had done the like appointing officers and magistrates chiefe rulers named Nomarchas and two ouerseers Episcopi Of this Manethon tooke no notice and therefore Iosephus taunted him in his second booke Contra Appionem that hee had the heart of an asse and the impudencie of a dogge to make Egypt which was three seuerall times conquered first by Cambyses secondly by the great Alexander and last by Caesar equal to the Hebrewes which endured the force and saw the last destruction of Assur and Pharao Thus Egypt was the thirde time conquered by Iulius Caesar and by his nephewe Augustus Caesar and these many kings of the names of Ptolomeis raigned in Egypt from Alexander the great vntill the 12. yeere of Augustus Caesar. 1 Ptolomey Lagi raigned 40. yeeres 2 Ptolomey Philadelphus raigned 38. 3 Ptolomey Euergetes raigned 26. 4 Ptolomey Philopator raigned 17. 5 Ptolomey Epiphanes raigned 24. 6 Ptolomey Philometor raigned 35. 7 Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name raigned  8 Ptolomey Phiscon raigned 29. 9 Ptolomey Lathurus raigned 17. 10 Ptolomey Alexander cum Matre Cleopatra raigned 10. 11 Ptolomey Auletes raigned 30. 12 Ptolomey Dionysius raigned  13 Cleopatra Auletes daughter some say his sister raigned 14. OF THE ANTIQVITIE of the Scythians of their lawes gouernments and life of their hardinesse in warres and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians and their often inuasions into Asia SCythia is a countrey large and wide cōteyning within it selfe diuers and sundrie nations as Sages Nomades Massagetes Amazones Caspians Hircanians with many other nations bordering vpon Scythia dwelling within Scythia of the which particularly to write I thinke it needlesse the rather for that Pomponius Mela Solinus also Strabo in his 11. booke doeth describe Scythia and other nations which dwelt in Scythia exquisite and painfull men in describing countreis their townes their riuers their hilles their maners and natures And therefore lest I should seeme fabulous as diuers writers herein offend the Grecians specially who neuer thought their histories worth the reading vnlesse they were mingled with vaine fables I wil write of their warres and of their antiquitie therein I shal hardly escape fables of some Talmudist or other so difficult a thing it is to finde out a true beginning of antiquities in prophane histories as Liuie saith vt rerum vetustas sine errore esse nequit The Scithians are thought to be one of the ancientest nations in the world from whom diuers great kingdomes tooke their first originall as Celte or the olde Gaules which now are called Frenchmen Berosus affirmeth that Noah by the name of Ianus and all his familie dwelt first in Scithia Saga thence came to Chaldea and dwelt in Senar for during the time of Ianus Cameses and Saturnus and al the time from Ianus vntil Ninus the prophane writers called the golden world for then men liued without lawes and had all thinges in common This Plinie in his naturall histories affirmeth that the Persians called the Scithians Sagas There is great contention betweene the Scithians and the Egyptians concerning ther antiquities the historie whereof is written in Trogus Pompeius there after much disputation it is concluded Scitharum gens semper antiquissima that the Scithians had the soueraingtie ouer the Egpytians in antiquitie As the Egyptians excelled in great monstrous buildings so these Scithians exceeded for sweete and famous riuers as 1 Ister 2 Tyres 3 Hypanis 4 Borysthenes 5 Panticapes 6 Hypacaris 7 Gerrhus 8 Tanais 9 Moetin These Scithians who were rude and slauish people without maners or nourture excelled farre the Greekes which with great care and diligence studied to attaine knowledge and vertue for by howe
Tarquinius Priscus was the first king of Rome This time ruled in Lydia Cressus which within foureteene yeere after was likewise vanquished by Cyrus and his kingdome translated vnto Persia. It is in Zonaras and in Iosephus otherwise written about Cyrus and Astiages they affirme that Cyaxeres was the sonne of Astiages this was of Daniel called Darius Medus of Iosephus Zonaras Zenophon and others This was vncle vnto Cyrus and heire vnto Astiages hee together with Cyrus gouerned for a time afterwarde hauing but one daughter he bequethed his daughter and the kingdome vnto Cyrus his nephew his sisters sonne who was married vnto Cambyses While this Cyaxeres liued he honoured much Daniel and had him in great reuerence Herodotus writeth in the historie of Cyrus and sayeth that Cyrus married Cassandanes the daughter of Pharnaspis so doeth Zenophon and so doeth Zonaras write The Egyptians affirme that Cyrus married a wife in Egypt and by her got Cambyses ◅but howe foeuer Chronographers agree it is certaine that hee beganne a monarchie vpon the conquering of Lydia and Media as shall bee more at large written in the historie of Persia. The Medes fed on fruites Ex amigdalis tostis panes ex malis siccis ac tritis massas conficiunt They make their drinke of certaine rootes and they vse wilde beastes and wilde fowles for their foode for they nourish no tame beast And this is the propertie of the Medes and of their king to haue as many wiue's as they woulde they might not haue vnder seuen And so their women thought it a great praise and fame to haue many husbands but they might not liue without fiue husbands as Strabo doeth write in his eleuenth Booke OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Lydia of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth and gouernment THE kingdome of Lydia being before called as Herodotus writeth Maeonia beganne to take name of one Lydus the sonne of Artis but that seemeth to be fabulous as Herodotus is in many of his histories Lydia is named of Lud the fourth sonne of Sem as Iosephus Zonaras and Philo Iudaeus affirme This countrey is situate in this sort it hath Eastward Phrigia on the Southside Caria and on the Northside Misia as both Strabo and Plinie affirme The riuer Meander runneth through Lydia and compasseth the most part of Lydia Eusebius in his histories faith that the kingdome of Lydia beganne in the first Olympiad and in the beginning of the 14. Iubilee about which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne of whose birth as Dionysius and Plutarch write many strange things are read Lydia was before Rome 24. yeres and after the destruction of Troy 405 yeeres When I speake of the Romanes and of their kingdome you shall haue it fully set downe The kings of Lydia the kings of Rome and the kings of Media are almost of one time for assoone as the Medes began to set vp their kingdome the Assyrians which gouerned so long all the East part of the worlde decayed Likewise the Lacedemonians ended their gouernment and their kings failed in Alcanes time the ninth king of the Lacedemonians at which time the Macedemonians elected their first king called Cranaus so some countreys nations and kingdomes beginne others ende some rise and some fall as time giueth them licence by Gods appointment But nowe of the kings of Lydia where I finde in Eusebius their first king to be named Arsidius this Functius doeth call Ardisus at what time iudged the Athenians Aesculus the twelft Iudge of Athens after the kings who had gouerned from Cecrops their first king which began in Moses time vntill Codrus the last king of Athens which ended his kingdome in the time of Dauid where raigned that while 17. kings When Arsidius raigned in Lydia Ioathan was king in Iudea and in Samaria Pecah the 17. king of Israel These people of Lydia were first very warlike stoute and a couragious nation but Cyrus brake their backs and compelled them to be caupones institores as Iustine saith to leaue off armes for that oftentimes they rebelled against Cyrus and to vse such trafiques as were of the meanest credit hereby these stoute and strong nations before came now by Cyrus pollicie to be very idle and slouthfull whereby they inuented many vnthriftie games diuers playes at dice tenise and such like and hauing nothing to doe neither durst they doe any thing for feare of Cyrus they fell as Plinie saith to exercise Artes ludicras lenocinia and so became from a strong and stoute people the most slouthfull and idle people of the world Budaeus thinketh that this region Lydia is now called Anatolia after Arsidius had raigned in Lydia 36. yeeres succeeded him Aliagtes the second king of the Lydians at the which time grew great warres of twentie yeeres continuance betweene the Lacedemonians and the Messanians the cause thereof you shall reade in Orosius Catina a citie in Sicilia at this time was builded and Messana one of the chiefest cities of the Messanians was taken then by the Lacedemonians Now raigned in Rome Romulus the first king in Phrygia Mydas in Egypt Sacalion and in Macedonia Perdicas the fourth king of that countrey of whom Herodotus doth set forth how he from a meane state became king of the Macedonians Titus Liuius writeth and so doeth Dionysius that Romulus about this time did triumph ouer the Sabines whose warres continued two yeeres with whom after hee had furnished Rome with the spoyles of the Sabines and had taken their daughters and virgins by force to the nomber of 683. he suffred Tacius Sabinus at that time king of the Sabines to gouerne with him in Rome fiue yeeres at which time the citie of Rome was much increased and more amplified by adding thereunto Mount Coelius and Mount Quirinal Now ruled in Iudea Ezechias about the 12. Olympiad and the 15. Iubilee There fell about this time in Athens a thirde alteration of their gouernment after this sort After their 17. kings gouernment then gouerned in Athens Iudges to the nomber of 13. After the Iudges there was another state agreed vpō that euery 10. yeeres there should be a new magistrate in Athens and they were called Decennales principes and this gouernment endured 70. yeres which was the whole time of 7. princes and then againe changed vnto a popular state But let vs returne to the kings of Lydia the historie that I haue in hande After that this Aliagtes had raigned 14. yeeres he died and Meles succeeded him the thirde king of the Lydians of whom Herodotus doeth make mention that he was the first that triumphed ouer the people called Sardei This Meles had a bastard borne vnto him a stoute man a great souldiour and so great that he with his posteritie ruled the Sardeans vntil Cyrus time In this Meles time
fire vestall virgines and religious men and priestes of diuers orders as Salij Faeciales and Flamines which he instituted to serue his gods for hee was vertuous and good for when Rome was builded by Romulus Numa was borne The Cimmerians were now at this time ouerthrowen by the Scythians the Scythians entred vnto Asia and tooke Sardis the chiefest citie of the Medes and came conquering countreys and regions as farre as Palestina About this time Necho king of Egypt who a little before ouerthrewe the good and godly king Iosias is now by Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians vanquished by the riuer of Euphrates CHAP. II. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Craesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. NOw succeeded Ardis his sonne named Sadaites the 7. king of the Lydians who as Herodot saith raigned 12. yeres but Functius saith 15. yeres Of this king nothing is mentioned with Historiographers but that in his time Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome brought a huge armie against the Veientines which being by Martius ouerthrowen had his triumph graunted vnto him by the Senators This Martius made vpon Tiber a hauen called Hostia foure or fiue leagues from Rome and a passage frō thence to the sea The Sabines were ouerthrowen by this king as before oftentimes by his predecessors This time was Dirachium builded and Perosina Aulus Gelius an ancient writer reporteth an historie of one Arion a Lesbian borne a man of great skil in musicke a deare friend of Periander king of Corinth trauailing Sicilia and Italy he grew in great fauour with all men in all countreys and hauing in time heaped great wealth by his arte longed againe to be with Periander in Corinth Now being shipped and well forward toward Greece the mariners vnderstanding that he had much money spoyled and robbed him of his money and after being ready to kill him he befought them with teares to spare him so much time vntil he had attired himselfe in his best apparell and to licence him to play vpon his lute and to sing two or three songs before he died to the Muses which being graunted he prepared to play and sing very loude and in the midst of his song he leapt as farre as he could into the sea where the great Dolphine a fish as histories record very much entised with musicke greatly delighted with mans voyce caried him cleane vpon his backe from the water and brought him vnto an hauen of Lacedemonia called Tenarum from whence he trauailed to Corinth and opened to Periander the king the whole course of his fortune About this time Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome began his gouernment in the 41. Olympiad as Dionysius writeth in the which Olympiad Cleonides a captaine of Thebes got the victorie in the games of Olympia After Sadaites folowed Haliates the 8 king of Lydia he raigned 49. yeeres in whose time though he himselfe did nothing worth the writing yet the most part of the kings of the worlde were busie the king of Assyria was in warie with the king of Egypt This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor to whose gouernment not only Assyria but al the East kings were broght vnder his becke Likewise about this time a great band of the Scythians were driuen to flee to the Medes where they were kindly harboured much made of and well intertained vntil such time as by some cōspiracie they were found rebellious vnto the king of the Medes then they fled from thence vnto Lydia to this king Haliates and being by him there succoured great warres grew thereof betweene the king of Media and the king of Lydia and continued vntil Astiages maried the daughter of Haliates vpon the which peace and great affinitie began to be betweene the Medes and the Lydians Herodotus who writeth this historie is thought of Functius and others to erre in the time In Egypt there raigned Apries whom Ieremie calleth Hophra whose name he ought to knowe for by this king Ieremie was put to death in Egypt In the 7. yeere of this king Haliates this Apries king of Egypt in the middest of his tyrannie God gaue him into the hands of his enemies so the Lord said I wil giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies as I gaue Zedechias king of Iuda And in another place the Lord saith I will giue the land of Egypt vnto Nabuchodonosort king of Babylon and Egypt shal be the wages for his armie to spoyle her spoyle and to take her praye For to Egypt flead Iuda for succour where they were put to the sword and not one escaped Now againe in Rome beganne Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of the Romanes he on the other side beganne to lay on about him with the Latins and with the Sabines that after he had brought the Latines with long warre to seeke fauour at his hande and being driuen out of the countrey by Tarquinius were forced to intreate for peace and to craue the Romanes friendship who by this time waxed so strong that all the West part of the world began to heare of the Romanes Now after that the Latins were vanquished the Sabines againe being olde auncient enemies of Rome a very warlicke nation with all force came against Tarquinius at what time their bridge was burned their tentes taken and themselues slaine and forced to intreat for truce for six yeres After the Sabines the Hetruscanes armed them against Tarquinius whose warre continued 9. yeres About this time the seuen sages of Greece florished whose names I thought good to put downe together for that they liued at one time Solon of Athens Thales of Milesia Pitacus of Mitilena Periander of Corinth Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta and Cleobulus of Lindia These singular wise men were in those dayes esteemed the rarest men of the world In this time the kingdome of Corinth failed in Periander the last king or rather the last tyrant and the gouernment was altered to a popular estate About that time Polymnestor a very yong man and as the historie hath termed him a boy being a feeding his fathers goats a hare by chance rūning by the boy folowed ranne so swiftly that he ouertooke the hare and brought her home to his father declaring the race the running betweene him and the hare to his father The matter being spread abroad the yong man was brought to the games Olympical where he wanne the victory in running and had a garland on his head as Solinus doth write Ciaxeres sōne vnto Astiages some say his father as Zonoras in his first booke but Zenophon likewise affirmeth with Iosephus that this Ciaxeres was Astiages sōne called by the name of Darius Medus of Daniel and of Iosephus but the Grecians named
ladies were absent came the Macedonian lords in forme and shew of ladies and perfourmed the wil of Alexander in all points when they saw occasion offred At this time Pisistratus that gouerned Athens had a sonne named Hippias which was banished his countrey for his crueltie toward the citizens and was with Darius who hearing that his brother Hipparchus was slaine made meanes to Darius that hee would vouchsafe to ayde him to his countrey which was the rather granted for that Darius was offended with the Athenians for that they aided the Ionians against him in that warre called bellum Ionicum when they tooke Sardis and burned it He caused presently a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen to accompany Hippias to Athens who whē they came within two mile of Athens the Athenians with these newes were sore afrighted stood in great doubt whether to yeelde or to resist them vntill Miltiades a famous captaine comforted them by the coūsell of Callimachus tooke in hand to fight with the Persians He had tenne thousand of Athens and ten thousand Platenses here was his whole force but in that battel that noble fellow Miltiades and Callimachus with his Greekes gaue the ouerthrowe to the Persians in the fields called Marathon to the nomber of sixe thousand three hundreth by the counsel of Callimachus Thus much Melancthon affirmeth but Iustinus saith that there were sixe hundreth thousande Persians of the which saith hee two hundreth thousande were slaine and the rest put to flight but this warrewas after that which was at Marathon when Darius vpon the hearing of these newes was three yeeres in preparing for it With this Miltiades flourished in this warre Themistocles a gallant yong gentleman of Athens this Themistocles was wont to say after that fielde fought in Marathon and the Persians vanquished that the victories and triumphes of Miltiades could not suffer him to sleepe but his sonne Xerxes perfourmed it as it shal be spoken hereafter In Esdras it is referred to Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon whom the Hebrewes tooke to be Asuerus Hitherunto Eusebius doeth agree In this warre Pisistratus two sonnes died Hipparchus and Hippias Hipparchus Plato so commended him that he was cōuersant with learned men he loued Simonides he brought Homers Iliads first to Athens caused the Grecians in any solemne meeting to sing Homers verses his delight was to preferre learned men and to reuerence wise men and for that onely cause he was esteemed the wisest man of Athens But to Darius againe whom Zonaras saide that he was the husband of Esther which in the Scripture is called Asuerus Melancthon writeth that Darius Histaspis was that Assuerus that maried Esther and here the history of Esther might be well brought in sauing it is in the Bible for Herodotus saith that Darius maried two women the one named Aristona which may be the name of Esther as wel as the name of Vasthi to be Atossa which was Cyrus daughter on whom he got Xerxes who succeeded after him though Artabazanes the eldest sonne by Aristona or Esther made claime to the kingdom and opposed himselfe against Xerxes yet whē Darius made warres with the Grecians and afterward with the Egyptiās in the which iourney Darius died he appointed Xerxes to gouerne Persia in his absence and to be king after him if he should die in warres for that his mother was Cyrus daughter and for that Cyrus was called by the Persians Pater patriae The goodnes of this king was fully proued at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by that wicked Haman and hindred by that cruel Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus he confirmed the decree and gaue licence and full libertie for the Iewes to build their temple according to Cyrus decree for God raised Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodach to be pillars and defenders of his Church When Darius had raigned 36. yeeres he died in whose dayes the kings of Rome ended their kingdom and their monarchie fel to a new forme of state called Aristocratia In the time of Darius raigned Aristodemus in Cuma a towne of Italy not as king but as a tyrant with whom the barbarous nations had open warres This cōtention betwene Artabazanes Xerxes was ended by Instaphernes but Herodianus saith by Demaratus Ariston to both their liking iudging the crown to be Xerxes according to Darius will and the request of Persia and Artabazenes so satisfied that one loued another In Darius Histaspis time raigned in Madonia Alexander Amintas sonne their 10. king Herodotus also this age wrote his history which after it was read in Athens he was of more credite amongst the Grecians though Strabo called his booke Mythistoriam fabulous histories as Budeus writeth Sophocles and Euripides liued in Darius time and Socrates was borne Darius Histaspis a litle before he died after he had heard the newes of the Grecians victorie at Marathon being before offended with the Athenians for that they inuaded Sardis now ten times more kindled to reuenge these iniuries posting all Asia and sending to all his prouinces prepared such force that he was three yeeres in prouiding men and munitions against the Grecians at which the Egyptians reuolted from Darius which were by Cambyses before subdued he then had thought to make his voyage to Egypt and appoynted Xerxes his sonne by Cyrus daughter Atossa to gouerne in his absence Persia betweene whome and his brother Artabazanes some strife as you heard before grewe about the gouernment But Xerxes after his fathers death was the fourth king of Persia who taking that warre in hande against the Egyptians which his father Darius thought to haue taken had hee not bene by death preuented not yet thinking to reuenge the Greekes vntill Mardonius his aunts sonne had perswaded him He gathered such an armie as the like is not read sauing of Tamberlane the Scythian king of whom the history is publike this great preparation of Xerxes was consulted and throughly waighed before it was taken in hand for Artabanus Xerxes owne brother thought it not a necessarie warre Mardonius his neere kinseman perswaded the contrary saying that Xerxes with that force might bring all Europe subiect to the Empire of Asia Mardonius sentence preuailed Xerxes made readie his armies the nomber were so many as scant could bee accompted for hee had twelue hundreth and seuen Nauies the Scythians and the Persians the Phaenicians which dwelt in the lande of Palestine brought three hundreth nauies the Egyptians two hundreth the Cyprians one hundrerh the Silicians one hundreth and the Licians brought fiftie nauies Dores which dwell in Asia brought thirtie they of Caria brought seuentie the Ionians an hundreth nauies the Aeolians threescore and the inhabitants of Helespont brought an hundreth nauies so that Herodotus accompts the whole nomber of the nauies to be three thousand but Iustine writeth that Xerxes had in his companie towardes Greece
Cyrus Metasthenes doeth not much dissent from the Greekes in his Cataloge sauing that he speaketh not of Cambyses because hee reigned in his fathers time for hee was appointed to be king in Persia in the absence of Cyrus who in his owne person went against the Scythians at that time Likewise Metasthenes omitteth to speake of Xerxes who for the like reason being in great warres at that time from home in Greece leauing behinde him to gouerne Persia his sonne Artaxerxes so that Metasthenes writeth that Darius Medus and Cyrus reigned together two yeeres and then passeth to Darius Hystaspis which is also called Assuerus making no mention of Cambyses name and then he goeth to Artaxerxes the long handed passing ouer the name of Xerxes his father the cause is layd downe by Melancthon in the rest Metasthenes doth agree with the Greekes After that the Persians the strongest and the greatest nations of the world had gotten the Monarchie of the Assyrians Chaldeans not by the sword of Cyrus but by the idolatrie of Balthasar whom God gaue ouer vnto Cyrus hand making an end of one and beginning with the other for the finger of God doth appoint Monarchies according to Sirach saying No kingdome shal be translated if wickednesse of the king and kingdome be not the cause thereof Nabuchodonosor was conuerted and confessed Gods power Euilmerodach his sonne acknowledged the Highest but Balthasar through blasphemie and idolatrie lost the Empire of Assyria Euen so in Persia while Cyrus Darius Medus Darius Hystaspis Artaxerxes gouerned Persia the Persians florished they were lordes of the whole world Nowe when Alexander had abated their pride and diminished their force had taken their Empire from them vnto Macedonia and had substituted lieutenants and gouernours vnder him in all kingdomes and countries where the Persians had before soueraigntie for as the Persians were obscure and of no fame before Cyrus time so after Alexander the great their renowne was lost their pompe and their pride decayed their kings afterward of small accompt for nowe Macedonia and the Grecians triumphed and the Persians being destroyed and scattered without any king or any prince of fame to gouerne them vntill the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperor of Rome fiue hundred fiftie yeres after Alexander the great at what time liued in Rome Vrbanus Bishop there at that time this Emperour had a mother named Mammea a wise and a discreete woman who hauing knowledge that Origen a great man in the Church of God was then at Antioche sent for him and so enterteined him as a rare iewell in those dayes At that time reigned in Persia one Artaxerxes who being of the name of the auncient kings of Persia was likewise wise and valiant and in processe of time grewe so strong that he ouerthrew Artabanus king of the Parthians and thereby restored to the Persians a beginning of a newe kingdome CHAP. V. Of the estate of the Persians vnder the Romanes after the time that they were conquered by Alexander the great vntil the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperour of Rome 550. yeeres after at what time began the newe kingdome of Persia by one Artaxerxes and of his successors vntill the Persians the fourth time were vtterly destroyed by the Saracens THe Persians againe began to take strength and to drawe together in the fourth yere of Alexander Seuerus reigne in the which time florished many great and famous learned men which were for their singularitie elected Counsellers to the Emperour as Fabius Sabinus Domitius Vlpianus Aelius Gordianus Iulius Paulus Pomponius Alphenus Florentius and Martianus Calistratus and Hermogenes Venulcius and Triphonius Metianus and Celsus Porculus Modestius professours of all the ciuill lawe and to Papinianus a singular rare man in those dayes but of this matter Lampridius doth write at large But let vs nowe returne to Persia and to the newe kingdome which had beene so long without king or kingdome but kept vnder of euery nation not daring to name a king from Darius vntill this Artaxerxes This first king of the newe kingdome of Persia after hee had slaine Artabanus king of Parthia and had reigned fifteene yeeres hee was ouerthrowen and subdued by the Romane Emperour Alexander Seuerus of whom hee triumphed in the ninth yeere of his Empire though some hold the contrarie that Alexander in that battell was discomfited by Artabanus In this time the Romanes had gotten three great victories one in Mauritania by Furius Celsus the seconde in Illirico by Varus Macrinus and the third in Armenia by Iunius Palinatus three famous Romanes of these victories Lampridius maketh mencion Herodianus sayeth that in Fraunce reigned Hildegastus a king much honoured of the Frenchmen by whose diligence and pollicie Fraunce which was then rude and barbarous both in liuing and in maners became ciuill and pollitike for vnto this time their building was very base and simple in Fraunce About this time Origene was called from Alexandria vnto Caesarea where he made his booke entituled De Martyrio And nowe was Iulius Affricanus of great estimation after Artaxerxes succeeded Sapores the second king of Persia this reigned thirtie one yeeres hee had sore warres with Gordianus king of Affrica this Gordianus pronounced open warres and commaunded their temple of Ianus to be opened as the Romanes did vse when warre was proclaimed hee destroyed many Cities and Townes and continued his warres against the Persians made great hauocke in all places and gaue the repulse to Sapores howe be it Gordianus was by conspirators deceiued and of him whome hee deserued well of by treacherie slaine of one Philip surnamed Arabs This Philip gouerned the Romanes fiue yeres and builded a towne of his owne named Thracia called Philippus Caesar at what time the plaies Ludi saeculares were set forth with such pompe in Rome as the like to that time were not seene The Parthians inuaded Armenia droue the king called Tyridas out of the countrie tooke his children possessed his countrie certeine sectes of heresie began in Arabia which Origen did ouerthrow in Affrike likewise questions grew whether heretikes being conuerted from their errors might be rebaptized of this Ciprian and the ecclesiasticall histories write and of a councell called concerning the same for Berilhis about this time bishop of Bostherna fell to a monstrous error denying the eternitie of Christ. In the twelfth yeere of Sapores reigne happened such a sicknesse in the most part of the world specially in Egypt and Alexandria that Ciprian thereby tooke an occasion to write a booke entituled De mortalitate About this very time the Gothes rushed into Asia spoiled townes and cities wasted many countries burned the great temple of Diana at Ephesus and did great harme the Germanes ioyned with the Frenchmen gathered a huge armie very strong against the Romanes ented into Italie made hauocke in all places vntill they came
was so full of renowmed cities famous riuers notable mountaines a countrey of singular rarenesse in althings that it were to much labour to write the due praise of Greece But I referre him that would reade the setting forth of Greece to the eight ninth booke of Strabo to the second booke of Pomponius Mela where all Greece is particularly described at large and I will proceede to the seuerall gouernment of Greece in seuerall countreis and will set downe the continuance of euery Region with the names of the kings where and how long they raigned and for that the countrey of Morea is the first inhabited countrey of Greece and the largest region of the same called in Strabo Arxtotius Greciae I wiâ—… beginne with their common wealth This region was first named Aegialia by the name of Aegialeus their first king and continued so vntill the time of Apis the 4. king after whom this region was named Apia which name continued vnto the time of Sicyon the 19. king of Morea After this king Sicyons time the countrey was called Sicyonium and continued vntill Pelops time by whom againe the countrey was called Peloponesus and now at this time is called Morea so that Peloponesus had fiue seueral change of names from the first gouernment vnder Aegialeus the first king vntill Xeuxippus raigne the last king of the Peloponesians And although the kings of that region did nothing worth the memorie hauing bene twentie and sixe kings successiuely yet they are the very way to come further vnto Greece for all this while the whole countrey of Greece was inhabited with barbarous people and was farre from the fame which they gained afterwarde therefore I will briefly passe ouer the historie of their kings and their raigne because I might speake of other countreys in Greece which flourished together with Morea For the first king of this region was named Aegialeus he gouerned that part of Greece at what time Ninus raigned in Assyria and as Eusebius writeth Thebaei ruled Egypt in the yeere of the world two thousand one hundreth and seuen yet Bibliander would not allow so many yeeres by two hundreth and odde which is rather to bee followed for that it doeth with the Genesis agree For in the fiue and twentieth yere of this king Ninus was Abraham borne which was within two hundreth and ninetie yeeres after the flood and therefore better agreeth with Ninus time The second king after Aegialeus was named Europs hee raigned fiue and fourtie yeeres this time flourished Zoroastes the great king of the Bactrians he was thought to be the first that read Astrologie and taught to others Astronomie in whose time Tribeta the sonne of Ninus by Semiramis was expulsed out of the kingdome of Assyria and hee builded a towne in the coast of Gallia and called it Treueris The thirde king of Sicyonium was named Stelchium hee raigned twentie yeres at what time the kingdome of Creete beganne and had for the first king one named Cres after whose name the countrey of Creete was called This Cres builded a citie in Creete and named it Nosus in the which he also builded a temple to the goddesse Cybeles After him succeeded Apis the fourth king of that region after whom as I haue written before it was called Apia hee raigned then when Ninus the sonne of Ninus and Semiramis gouerned the Assyrians After him followed the fift king named Telasion in whose time died Noah the righteous preacher and patriarch and at which time Abraham begate Ismael vpon Agar the bond woman of this Ismael came all the Ismaelites a wicked nation that offended the Lorde In time afterward they were called Agareni after the name of Agar and now are called Saraceni which are infidels and heathens Now succeeded Telasion the sixt king of Peloponesus named Aegidius at what time raigned in Assyria Analius About this season Isaac the sonne of Abraham begate two twinnes vpon Rebecca his wife Esau which was also called Edom of whom the Idumeans came and Iacob afterwarde called Israel of whom issued the twelue tribes of Israel In this kings time Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Zoar fiue principal great cities in the lande of Palestine were destroyed and burned with fire and brimstone from heauen the iust iudgement of God for sinne Thurimachus the eight king raigned 45. yeres in this kings gouernment Eusebius noteth the seuenteenth Dynastia of the Egyptians to begin where Shepheards gouerned as chiefe rulers for the space of 103. yeeres soueraigntie About which time the kingdome of the Argiues first sprang vp where Inachus raigned the first king within the kingdome of Argiue and afterwarde continued from Inachus vnto the time of Tenelanthus the last king of the Argiues as Marianus Scotus writeth foure hundreth yeeres After this Leucippus succeeded Messapius in Peloponesus at what time Bellochus raigned King in Assyria and Thelassus gouerned the countrey of Thessalia Among the Argiues raigned now Phoroneus the sonne of Inachus and Niobes the second king after his father this made lawes first to the Argiues and instituted orders in gouernment and wrote decrees for his subiects and ruled the Argiues to his great fame as Eusebius in his histories setteth forth In Licippus time Sem the sonne of Noah died after hee had liued sixe hundreth yeeres and had seene much miserie and great calamitie but not so much as his father before him had seene he liued after Abrahams dayes thirtie and fiue yeeres Osiris whom the Egyptians call Apis and sometime Serapis for that they adored this as their God liued about this time and destroyed that monster in Thracia called Licurgus Reade more of this in Herodotus Ismael Abrahams base sonne by Agar the bondwoman died now and left behinde him twelue sonnes great princes ouer many tribes and nations which began in time to grow enemies to the Church of God and to persecute the people of God and were named Ismaelites In this time raigned in Assyria Bellochus sirnamed Priscus their twelft king and in Egypt gouerned Menam the first king that taught the Egyptians many ceremonies as newe sacrifices to their gods religions and seruice and instructed them in many things for this time Egypt was raw and rude in skil and knowledge This Menam was thought of Functius to be that which is read in Scripture to be Mizraim and of Berosus called Oceanus There is nothing to be written of these kings worth the memorie of man for all this while Greece was inhabited with barbarous people nay the most of Greece was not yet inhabited Athens was not builded neither Sparta nor Corinth for the kingdom of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth began about Dauids birth The Argiues were the most ancient people in Greece next after the Peloponesians for they beganne to raigne in Argos in the time of Iacob the Patriarch at what time Baleus sirnamed Xerxes gouerned in Assyria
ambition was such to the kingdom of Syria that they forgate fraternitie in blood fel to strokes one persecuting the other with cōtinual warres sundry battels vntil at lēgth Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the treacherie of Herodianus in the 662. yere after the building of Rome in the 29. yere of his reigne I remēber a history in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the which historie Rome is much commended in respect of other countries as Persia Greece Maccdonia Syria Asia kingdoms of ciuil warres the very cause of their ruine but in Rome no ciuil warre was knowen no mutinie no discord was seene for 620. yeres frō the time of Romulus the first king of Rome vntill the time of Tiberius Gracchus which was the first that died in an vprore which he himselfe beganne But while these ciuill warres endured in Syria Masinissa king of Numidia was occupied in Affrike hauing great wars betweene the Carthagineans the Numidians Aristonicus also the sonne of Attalus king of Pergamus brother to that valiant king Eumenes inuaded Asia as his owne kingdom fallen to him by succession of his father At that time reigned in Bythinia Nicomedes in Pōtus Mithridates the sōne of that great Mithridates who held warres with the Romanes of a long time About this time began the sects of people in Iudea the Pharises the Saduces and Esseni Of these Iosephus writeth beside we reade of them in the new Testament In the time of Antiochus Griphus Mecypsa king of Numidia died who left 3. sonnes behind him named Adherbalis Hiempsalis Iugurtha of this Salust maketh mention in the warres of Iugurth which warre happened in this time of Griphus for Marius the Romane Consul about this time triumphed ouer Iugurth Pompey the great was borne about the time of that triumph Lucretius the Poet also But I will come to Syria where after king Antiochus was slaine his sonne Seleucus succeeded him this prepared to reuenge his father vpon his vncle gathered his force gaue him battel and slue his vncle Antiochus Cizicoenus whose sōne reuēged vpō his cousin his fathers death he gaue him battel ouerthrewe him droue him out of Syria to Cicilia where hee was burned in his owne house and all his friendes with him Skant was this mischiefe done but straight another folowed Seleucus brother named Antiochus folowed fast Cizioenus sōne and slue him with all his armie Then Philip the third brother of Seleucus tooke much of the kings treasure and went priuately and dwelled in a part of Syria vntill that Ptolome who by his owne mother before that time was expelled out of Egypt though afterwarde hee was receiued king againe in the 663. yeere after the building of Rome This I say brought the fourth brother of Seleucus named Demetrius Eucerus to Damascus where hee was crowned king who ioyned with Philip ouerthrew Antiochus their brother and the eldest after Seleucus This murthering one another in Syria with such tyrannie and bloody treason betweene brethren and brethrens children that all the kings of Syria euen from Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king of Syria vntill Philip the seuenteenth king no forraine enemies needed to inuade Asia but one king destroyed an other by ciuill warres About this time Cneus Pompeius father to the great Pompe subdued the Picents and the Marsies and Silla ouercame the Samnites Betweene this Silla and Marius beganne a great quarrell about the warres of Mithridates these two though they did much good to their Countrie and were equal to the best yet they past al men in offence and harme towards Rome so that they onely were the two fire brandes of Italie Mithridates king of Pontus inuaded Asia obiected himselfe against the Romanes but Silla who at that time triumphed ouer all the countries and almost ouer Rome staied Mithridates Lucullus waged warres this time with the Parthians Nicomedes king of Bithinia in those dayes died and made the Romanes his heire as Attalus king of Asia did Mithridates Nowe Philip and Demetrius two brethren reigned the last kings of Syria of the blood of Seleucus which reigned not long for Demetrius went against Alexander king of the Iewes by whom he and his company were vanquished and driuen out of Iudea Demetrius being thus expulsed gathered those scattered souldiers which Alexander king of Iudea dispearsed and laid siege to the citie of Berea where his brother Philip lay where Demetrius was taken by the Parthiās sent to Parthia to be kept as a prisoner where he died After that Demetrius was sent to Parthia Philip came out of Beroea entred into Antioch and obteined the whole kingdom of Syria into his owne hand but he was shortly vanquished ouerthrowen by Gabinius the Romane The Syrians were cōpelled by this ciuil warre to cōmit themselues to forraine kings to auoid the tyrāny which lōg endured betweene the kings of Syria so that both the kings the kingdom of Syria were at the last breath some willing to call Mithridates king of Pontus some Ptolome king of Egypt and some Tygranes king of Armenia At length they made a choise of Tygranes to be their king the rather for the societie of the Parthiās the affinitie of Pōtus which were the next kingdōs vnto Armenia While these brethrē Philip Demet. were at variance such an earthquake was in Syria that 170000. men perished thereby many cities laid prostrate to the groūd Tygranes gouerned the Syrians 18. yeeres quietly without any warre or busines though in deede diuers there were that hoped for a day specially Antiochus Cizicoenus which all this time lay close in Cicilia Tygranes had thought to subdue Palestina and so after some leasure to warre vpō Iuda but hearing that Lu. Lucullus after that Mithridates was by the said Lucullus conquered marched forward into Armenia Tygranes was driuē to forsake Syria in al haste to returne to defend his owne coūtrie where he was ouercome in two or three great battels and at length taken in his chiefe citie called Artaxa Nowe Tygranes could not returne to Syria but he was led captiue to the Romanes by Pompei the great who after that wēt in person into Syria brought it to the forme gouernment of a prouince for that Syria as Plutarch saith wanted a lawfull king He made a prouince of Syria to the Romane Empire he cōquered al Iurie builded certeine cities in Iudea this very time M. Crassus with his sonne with all his armie was ouerthrowen and slaine in Parthia Likewise Iulius Caesar came into England called then Brittaine and conquered it at what time reigned in Brittaine Cassibelane who after two or three repulses giuen to Caesar yeelded consented to pay tribute At the cōming of Pompe into Syria Diodorus Siculus a great writer wēt to Egypt where he wrote in a booke of his the antiquitie of the Egyptiās About this time Titus Liuius the historiographer
to the very place where the wolfe gaue him sucke first Reade Plutarch of Romulus life They vsed at this feast a sacrifice in a denne vnder mount Palatine in the moneth of Februarie in the honour of god Pan and Faunus Now Rome hauing her first foundation by Romulus and much encreased by the policie and gouernment of Romulus that the confines of Rome extended into diuers parts of Italy and so enlarged by the warres of Romulus and yet not 8 miles from the towne of Rome that Numa Pompilius who succeeded him not in blood but by election for that hee was a Sabine borne in the citie of Cures and had maried Tacia the onely daughter and heire of Tatius the Sabine who before had gouerned Rome together with Romulus This Numa was entreated to accept the kingdome by ambassadours sent vnto him from the people of Rome with one consent who after a long negatiue oration made vnto Proclus and Valesus and being vrged thereunto both by Sabines and Romanes accepted against his will the gouernment of Rome after the Senators bare rule by the space of fiue dayes which was called interregnum betweene Romulus and Numa which was accompted one whole yeere This king was vertuous godly and religious addicted altogether to gouerne Rome with peace for during the whole time of his raigne Numu waged no warre but established lawes and framed such decrees and orders as kept the people which had bene so long accustomed with warres vnder Romulus in quietnes and tranquilitie which neuer happened in Rome but onely in Numas time and once in Augustus Caesars time When Numa was consecrated king of Rome by the Augurers hee beginneth with the seruice of his gods and therefore he instituted bishops and diuers kinde of priests he erected a colledge for the vestal virgines he appointed the holy and immortal fire with honour and reuerence to be kept by the vestal virgines These ceremonies he had from Greece for the like ceremonie was in Athens by old women in watching the holy lampe and in Delphos in the temple of Apollo Hee founded diuers temples in Rome with innumerable rites and ceremonies he first corrected the Kalender though not so exactly yet he so perfected it that then the Romane yere of tenne moneths was made twelue by adding Ianuary and February Which Numa not only added to the yere of tenne moneths but he mended also the 10. moneth and the dayes of the moneths he corrected the Kalenders which was also by Romulus begunne but finished by Numa This continued from Romulus vntill Iulius Caesars time by the name of Romulus yeere who then caused the yeere to beginne in March a moneth which he consecrated to his supposed father Mars not knowing then Aemilius to be his father whom hee slewe then But to Numa in whose time a great plague raigned in Rome at what time fell from heauen a brasen or copper target and lighted betweene Numas hand called Ancylia Of this target I shal speake in another place The lawes that Numa taught then to the people being rude and ignorant were no otherwise made then the lawes of Lycurgus in Sparta or of king Minos in Creete for Numa made the people to beleeue that the lawes which he gaue were frō the gods sent into him by the nimph Aegiria with whom he had sundry times conference in mount Auentine So did Lycurgus admonish the Spartans with the lawes from Apollo which Lycurgus as he saide brought from Delphos into Greece in like fort Minos made his people beleeue that his decrees and lawes were giuen to him by Iupiter in mount Curetes So did Silla make his souldiers beleeue that hee had some spirite in a litle table that hanged about his necke that instructed him in all his warres And so did Sertorius by his white hinde make his captaines thinke that hee was sent from the goddesse Diana Now Numa a peaceable and religious prince aduanced tillage in Rome and deuided his people into diuers occupations hee limitted bonds to the territories of Rome and tooke away all factions that helde before with Romulus and Tatius and gouerned Rome with such iustice and clemencie that all warres and dissentions were forgotten in Rome the temple of Ianus was shut which was an olde custome in the time of peace which continued the whole raigne of Numa which was 43. yeeres for the Romanes had no warres in all Numas time for as Plato saith there is true gouernment and there is a happy common wealth where the minde of a wise Philosopher is ioyned to the maiestie of a king where graue counsel is giuen and good lessons taught the vertuous man rewarded and the vicious man punished This good king liued of al others most happy in peace and quietnes all the dayes of his life and the misfortune of fiue other kings which after him succeeded caused the honour of Numa to shine with more glorie for as Plutarch saith foure of them died not their naturall death three were killed with treason and the fourth was striken with a thunder bolt and burnt with lightning and the 5. driuen out of his kingdome and died in exile so that of the seuen kings Numa onely excelled of whom some say that hee had no children but one daughter called Pompilia which was maried to C. Martius Coriolanus Of this Pompilia was borne Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome some say againe that Numa had foure sonnes named Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus and of these foure descended the noblest races and most ancient houses of the Romanes Reade of this king more in Plutarch and in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus In Aethiope raigned while Numa liued and ruled Rome a king called Tarachus which came to ayde the king of Egypt against Sanaherib king of the Assyrians at what time the Empire of Egypt was deuided into twelue prouinces by equall portions betwixt 12. princes When Numa beganne his kingdome in Rome Candaules the fourth king of Lydia gouerned the Lidians whose historie both of his wife and of his life together with the fable of Giges ring is written in Herodotus at large Manasses also king of Iudea for his wickednes against the Lorde was deliuered into the hands of Benmerodach king of the Chaldeans and was caried captiue into Babylon Deioces the fift gouernour that gouerned the Medes and the first king that raigned ouer them liued this time In Athens raigned Leocrates the fift magistrate Absander the 6. magistrate and Erixias the last magistrate of Athens in that gouernment of 10. yeeres to euery magistrate appointed which continued the time of 7. seuerall magistrats which was 70. yeeres Concerning this kings death he himselfe cōmanded that his body should be burned and therfore they made two coffines of stone in the one of them Numas body was layed in the other his bookes which were written with his owne hand twelue bookes were written
became generall for the Citizens that they deposed him frō his kingdome such was the seueritie of the Romanes in punishing adulterie being the only cause of the first alteration of the state publique in Rome For before Arūtius Tarquinius had cōmitted this abominable actiō with Lucretia the Romanes had forgotten the faults of the father in killing his father in lawe for he had conquered the Volscans he subdued the Citie of Gabios and of Suessa and after hee ouercame the Thuscans hee made peace with them and he builded Iupiter his Temple in the Capitol and he was laying siege to the citie of Arde tenne miles from Rome when his sonne Arūtius did defile Lucretia the foulenes of the fact was such that the souldiers forsooke the father for the offence of the sonne and the gates of the Citie were shutte against Tarquinius at his returne from the siege of Arde. Thus when he had reigned twentie fiue yeeres he fledde with his wife and children he was the seuenth and last king of the Romanes though afterward he sought the helpe of Porsenna king of Thuscia and thought to recouer his kingdome againe But when he perceiued that the Romanes would not accept him longer for their king and that Porsenna woulde aide him no longer to his kingdome hee departed to Thusculi a Citie not farre distant from Rome where hee liued with his wife a priuate man for the space of fourteene yeeres and then dyed his sonne Sextus was slaine in his owne citie Gabia whither he fledde for refuge In this sort reigned in Rome seuen kings for the space of two hundred fourtie foure yeeres as you heard before who for all their force and courages for all their long warres and sharpe battels their Empire extended not aboue fifteene myles from Rome the reason was that they fought with Romanes like them selues though they were called first by the names of Sabines Volscans Thuscans Veients Fidenats Samnites and Latines for vntill Romulus time the name of the Romanes was not knowen the Latines were the first auncient name of the Romanes from them Romulus and his brother Remus had their beginning for as you heard before Romulus builded Rome reigned amongst the Latines fifteene kings Thus much for the kings of Rome of their continuance and of their gouernment Nowe what was done in other Countries and what kings reigned while Tarqui the proud gouerned Rome Herodot and Iustine doth write that Cyrus the great king of Persia was conquered and slaine by Tomyris Queene of Scythia Psammenitus the last king of Egypt was subdued and all the kingdome of Egypt made tributarie vnto Persia by Cambyses who at that very time hindred the building of the Temple of Ierusalem vntil the second yeere of Darius Hysdaspis the third king of Persia. That Darius in the time of Tarquinius Superbus made warres against the Scythians by whō he was forced to take his flight This time wicked Haman vsed great meanes to destroy the Iewes with king Ahashuerosh which in prophane histories is named Darius the sonne of Hisdaspis but his councell then against Mardocheus happened to himselfe and to his tenne children the historie is written in the booke of Hester This time reigned in Athens Hyparchus the tyrant which afterward Harmodius and Aristogiton slue In the time of this Tarquinius the Persians reuoulted from their king Darius the sonne of Hysdaspis but by the subtiltie and sleight of Zopirus recouered and afterward the Persians by the meanes of Megabisus Zopirus some chiefe captaine of Darius tooke the Citie Perinthus and subdued Thracia and Peonia Here I haue set downe the names of the seuen kings of Rome and their continuance in gouernment Romulus reigned 38. Numa Pomp. 43. Tullus Hostilius 32. Ancus Martius 24. Lu. Tarquinus Priscus 38. Seruius Tullus 44. Tarquinius the proud 25. Nowe during the whole time of these seuen kings which were two hundred fourtie three yeres which was the first infancie of Rome for all their warres their victories and triumphes had first ouer the Hetruscanes the Sabines the Latines the Fidenates Antenates Veients and the Albanes their Empire extended no further then Ostia eighteene miles distant frō the citie of Rome After that the name of a king was banished and two Consuls were created to gouerne and to commaund with Serieantes before them with the authoritie and full power of kings CHAP. III. Of the first change of gouernment in Rome from a Monarchie vnto Aristocratia at what time one Dictator and two Consuls were appointed to gouerne the people in the roume of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus beganne to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes AFter these kings were thus banished frō Rome they created in the place of one King two Cōsuls which continued after it was first instituted vntill Iulius Caesars reigne which was 464. yeeres it was decreed that these two Consuls should not rule aboue one yeere least the continuance of the office shoulde make them waxe hautie In the first yeere after the expulsing of the kings Lu. Iunius Brutus who had of all others procured most the banishment of Tarquinius was made the first Consul in Rome and with him Tarquinius Collatinus the husbande of Lucretia howe bee it Collatinus was forthwith depriued of his Consulship for that it was agreed that none should remaine within the Citie that bare the name of Tarquinius whereupon Valerius Publicola was elected Consul in his roume These two Consuls were not long in their office but Tarquinius who a little before was banished assembled a great armie to ayde him to recouer his kingdome in this battell Brutus the Consul and Arūtius Tarquinius his sonne slue one an other This battell seemed doubtfull for a time on both parties but at last the victorie fell to the Romanes The death of Brutus was much lamented in Rome for he so loued the libertie of Rome that hee caused his owne sonnes who for that they seemed to fauour Tarquinius case In. Brutus their father brought them into the market place and there Publicola being Consul at that time commaunded them first to bee beaten with roddes and after to bee beheaded before all the people for that they preferred the case of Tarquinius before the state of the Citie and therefore the women mourned for Brutus death a whole yeere in whose place Publicola hath chosen Consul in Brutus roume Spurius Lucretius Lucretias father who dyed by sicknesse After him Horatius Puluillus was made Consul for in the first yeere of Consulship siue Consuls reigned one after another againe warre was attempted by Tarquinius against the Romanes In this warre Porsenna king of Thuscia ayded Tarquinius but to no effect and therefore Tarquinius gaue ouer longer to warre against his Countrie contented himselfe to liue the rest of his time a priuate man and troubled not Publicola who being lefte quiet by Tarquinius when hee sawe that
then though banished by the Romanes saued and rescued Rome at that time But Camillus remoued them put them to flight and pursued them with such a slaughter of them that hee recouered the golde and treasures and ensignes of warres which the French men had gotten and returned to Rome and so entred the Citie with his third triumph and was called the seconde Romulus for that hee recouered his Countrie from the enemies for in the time of his Dictatorshippe hee ouerthrewe the Phalissians Capenats the Veients tooke diuers Cities and wasted their Territories ouer whom he triumphed After this Camillus besieged the Falerians ouerthrew the Latines and the Volscans hee wanne the fielde of the Prenestines and slue the great armie of the Thuscans at Sutrium Camillus gaue diuers repulses to the Gaules and resisted stoutly the furi◅ of Brennus their king for in the time of this Camillus Rome was destroyed and quite burnt and againe built and by him afterwarde as by a seconde Romulus defended for hee was chosen Censor first hee was chosen twise Tribune of the souldiers and hee was fiue times chosen Dictator for then the Romanes had altered their gouernment from Kings to Cōsuls frō Consuls to Dictators frō Dictators to Decemuiri which Decemuiri continued not long and then againe to Consuls for in the first yeere after Rome was taken by the Gaules for in those daies they were not named French men but Gaules which is a more generall name two men were created which were called Tribunes of the souldiers in steade of the two Consuls which were of no lesse authoritie then the Consuls Howe be it the dignitie of the Tribunes endured not long for that office ceased for the people of Rome were so seditious in the time of Camillus that nothing coulde please them neither Kings Counsellers Dictators Praetors Tribunes or any other officer for now the Consuls were caused to be banished as the kings were and in their roumes were placed the tenne men called Decemuiri which continued but two yeres and out the third yeere then were placed magistrates named Tribuni Militum which gouerned 43. yeeres and then againe Consuls were placed in their authorities after Rome had bene without Consuls 45. yeres Thus the people put vp and put downe whom they list insomuch that Sex Ruf. saith that Rome was without any magistrate for foure yeeres for they stoned Posthumus the generall banished Coriolanus Camillus that such a furie reigned in the people that foure seuerall seditions grew in Rome by mutuall discord The first in Sacro Monte where the Romane people came armed in the 71. Olymp. against vsurers where at that time Menenius Agrippa an eloquent Romane appeased the furie and rage of the people with the fable betweene the belly and all members of the body by the which oration hee brought them to quietnes The second discord at Rome was in moūt Auentine 302. yeeres after the building of Rome in the time of Decemuiri whose insolencie and tyrannie were such that they forgote the destruction of their kings the arrogancie of Tarquine in rauishing of Lucretia they committed all offences iniuries full of filthy lustes without respect of lawe or conscience that Virginius seeing his daughter so oppressed by Appius Claudius slue her in the market place with his owne hand to auoide the present infamie and shame that his daughter Virginia was at hand to come vnto The third sedition at Rome on mount Ianiculū vnder Carmilius then being Tribune of the people and generall ouer them in the dāgerous seditions the cause was for the indignitie of mariages betweene the Patritiās the cōmon people which Liui at large setteth downe in his fourth booke The fourth sedition in Rome and the cause thereof was ambition desire ofhonor that the cōmonpeople would haue magistrates created ioyntly with the Patricians here grewe mutinie discord betweene the Patricians and the vulgar people this discorde fell in the seconde age of Rome called Adolescentia Romae About this time florished in Greece Pericles who succeeded Themistocles in his roume and gouerned Athens fourtie yeeres with great fame at what time hotte warres were betweene the Athenians and the Peloponesians During these broyles at Rome Xerxes the great king of Persia was slaine by Artabanus after whose death Artaxerxes surnamed the long handed did sende Esdras to Ierusalem from Babylon to repaire the Citie to builde the Temple and to reforme the common wealth of the Iewes destroyed by the Chaldeans before Cicilia was plagued by the Carthaginians and often oppressed by the common people Nowe reigned in Macedonia Perdicas the eleuenth king this time florished in Greece 1 Heraclitus 2 Empedocles and 3 Parmenides and after 4 them Aristophanes and 5 Hypocrates that famous physicion at what time also the great Philosopher 6 Soorates Platoes master kept his schoole at Athens This time reigned in Sparta Agis king of the Lacedemonians in Macedonia Archelaus their twelfth king About this time the originall of the kings of Fraunce beganne to spring in Germanie who at that time were driuen out of Scythia to the number of foure hundred eightie nine thousande first being called Neumagi secondly called Sicambri and the last time called Franci About this time the whole states of Greece were by the eares and beganne the warres of the Peloponesians which endured twentie seuen yeeres of whome Thucidides wrote a whole volume of eight bookes The Egyptians reuoulted from the Persians and rebelled vntill Darius Ochus time the eight king of Persi◅ Let vs returne to the historie of the Romanes for as soone as Camillus dyed the French men arriued and camped in Italie against whome Quintus Cicinatus being then elected Dictator was sent with an armie against the Frenchmen where Titus Manlius prouoked one of the French army to fight with him hand to hand whō he slue after he had slaine him he pluckt a chaine of gold frō his enemies necke put it about his owne necke for the which he his posteritie were called Torquati for a perpetuall memorie of that fact This was done 30. yeeres after that Camillus had expulsed the Frenchmen The like historie is written of Marcus Valerius who being chalenged by a Frenchman to a combate accepted the challenge and came readie armed vnto the fielde where a crowe lighted vpon his right arme and sate there still vntill his aduersarie came to handie gripes The crow flew and smote the Frenchman vpon the eye with his wings that he could not see to fight by meanes whereof he was slaine whereby hee was sirnamed Coruinus as Torquatus was At what time the Frenchmen were put to flight and againe by Sulpitius the Dictator they were subdued and the Thuscans likewise were the very same time vanquished by Caius Martius who then ledde prisoners with him to Rome in one triumph 7000 captiues By this
ciuil warres betwene themselues as betwene Marius and Silla in the first warres betwene Pompey Caesar in the second warres and betweene Mar. Antonius and Octauius Augustus in the third warrs to the ouerthrow welnigh of the whole Romane empire For histories do report that in these three ciuil warres before mentioned died more Senators Consuls magistrats noblemen and gentlemen then in the three great Affricane warres the first by Hamilcar which endured 22. yeeres most cruell the second by Hanibal which endured 17. yeeres most terrible warres the thirde and last by Asdrubal which continued foure yeeres all which annoyed not Rome so much as did these three ciuil warres But let vs returne to the happie raigne of Augustus called the Prince of peace the father of the countrey and Emperor of Rome whose happie gouernment made vnhappie Rome happie and raised vp Rome from the ground vp to the heauens To this good Emperour the Persians and the Parthians sent ambassadors with presents to this the Scythians the Indians and the Garramants people that neuer heard before any speach of the Romanes sent both Legats and presents What shal be spoken more of this Emperour In his dayes in the two and fourtieth yere of this Emperours raigne the Emperour of all Emperours and King of all kings was in Bethleem a towne of Iurie borne of the Virgine Mary the onely begotten Sonne of God and the onely Sauiour of the worlde This is the true Messias sent from Heauen to earth to satisfie the wrath of his father This was the Lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world And therefore Augustus was the happier for that in his time IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God was borne as the Prophetes had before spoken Now after that this good Emperour had liued eightie sixe yeeres whose honour and loue was such in the whole world that townes were builded and named after the name of Caesar one by king Iuba in Mauritania another by Hero in Palestina and many kings left their owne kingdomes came to Rome to do seruice to Augustus He raigned fiftie and sixe yeres Emperour he died at Atella a towne of Campania was brought to be buried at Rome and was canonized after his death as a god Augustus had three things in Rome graunted the first to be Consul of Rome before he was twentie yeeres olde the second he was freed from any decree or law of the Senators and the thirde hee had his image on horsebacke set vp in the market place which was granted to none but to Silla and Caesar In this Emperours time flourished in Rome many notable learned men whose names are here subscribed Virgil this time flourished Horace also and Tibullus Propertius and Vitrimius Titus Liuius and Ouid. Valerius Maximus And Strabo When Augustus died there was peace ouer the whole world for the Sonne of God was then borne the king of all peace whose fame by miracles filled all the earth At what time raigned Tetrarche in Iudea Archelaus the sonne of that Herode who slewe so many infants thinking thereby to kill the Sonne of God and therefore spared not his owne sonnes Aristobulus and Alexandeer I haue spoken of this more in the historie of the Church In the time of this Emperour Augustus the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to be so named after the name of one Francus the sonne of Antharius king of Sicambria This Francus after that his father died made a decree that Sicambria should be called Francia after his owne name of whom I shal speake in the historie of Fraunce And now I will returne to Tiberius Caesar who was Liuia Augustus wiues sonne and Augustus sonne by adoption the successour of Augustus and the thirde Emperour of Rome of whom we reade that he was very eloquent and well learned but a great dissembler who gouerned the Empire with auarice crueltie lust and cowardlinesse for he waged battell no where himself in person but by his deputies and lieutenants He beganne his Empire in the 768. yere after the building of Rome and in the 15. yeere after Christ was borne at what time Sextus Pompeius was Consul in Rome This Tiberius had some warres with the Germanes which were before subdued by Augustus but nowe againe rebelled and brought to subiection by this Emperor Tiberius Of these warres reade Cornelius Tacitus Hee had warres before in Illyria in the time of his father in lawe Augustus ouer whom hee triumphed In the last yeere of Tiberius Nero was Domitius borne Tiberius was certified by Pilate from Hierusalem where hee gouerned vnder the Romanes of the miracles of Christ of his fame and of his life and doings Pilats letters were shewed to the Senators and Pilate was blamed and reprooued for that he suffered that IESVS to do any miracles without the consent of the Senators for Pilate put vp the Image of Tiberius in the temple at Ierusalem But in the latter ende of his raigne hee fell to great negligence of gouernment he gaue himselfe to be idle and thereby became vntemperate with inordinate lust in so much that hee was flouted and scoffed and called Biberius Mero in stead of Tiberius Nero and after he had raigned twentie and three yeeres he died in Campania as is supposed by the meanes of Caligula who succeeded him in the Empire This Caligula was sonne to Germanicus a lewde Emperour and a wicked who farre exceeded Tiberius in crueltie and in horrible life he commaunded his Images to be put vp euery where and altars to be consecrated to him and caused his Images to haue diuine honours and hee sent to Iudea and commaunded that his Image should bee set in the temple boasting of his filthie life and gouernment naming himselfe Iupiter for his incestuous life and naming him Bacchus for his drunkennesse Hee had carâ—…all copulation with all his three sisters and with his daughter whom hee begate vpon one of his sisters he defiled noble women and chaste matrones and gaue them after to others to be defiled hee was called the beast of Rome who after hee had raigned foure yeeres vsing great crueltie auarice filthie lust and horrible incest he was slaine in his Pallace by his owne souldiers as Iosephus writeth in his nineteenth booke His birth his life and his death is set foorth at large by Suetonius who also wrote of all the liues of all the Emperours most amplie omitting nothing that belonged to the Romane historie during the time of the Emperours What were done in other countreys since the death of that good Emperour Augustus what wickednesse ensued in Rome by his successours Claudius Tiberius and Caius Caligula Tacitus Suetonius Liuie and other writers haue written very largely In the time of Tiberius Nero within two yeeres of Augustus death happened such an earthquake in the night time that twelue great cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground at what
the Emperor or displease the people they bare onely but the name of Senators and Consuls after Augustus death the which Consuls florished 447. yeeres being ayded with Dictators and Tribunes and not with Kings or Emperors for vnder Kings Rome was a seruant vnder Emperors Rome was a Captiue but vnder Consuls Rome was the onely mystresse and lady of the world Behold the state of Rome vnder the 11. last Emperours And now I beginne with the 12. one that passed the rest in pride crueltie he in all points resembled more Nero or Catigula then hee did his father Vespasian or his brother Titus though in the beginning he behaued himself with great temperācie modestie But he was not long troubled with these good qualities he was too soone infected with anger crueltie pride fleshly lust auarice he blotted out abolished the memory of his good father and brother he waxed such a tyraunt such a monster in Rome that he cōmanded by a decree to bee called a God and to haue his statues in many places of the Romane Empire adored and would not permit the Romanes to set any pictures of him vnlesse they were of gold or siluer such was his horrible pride and that ioyned with crueltie for many of the best Senators he slue and many he banished he was the only persecutor of the Christiās and therefore called the secōd Nero he expulsed the Philosophers and Mathematiciās forth of Rome which both his father and brother enterteined with annuall stipend This Domitianus though he triumphed twise ouer the Danes Cattians had subdued the Sarmatiās yet he susteined great damages sundry losses in those battels for Appius Sabinus one of the Consuls and Cornelius Fiscus captaine of the emperors gard were slaine so were his legions and captaines in Sarmatia his exercise euery day for an houre secretly in his pallace was to catch flies he also forbade to gelde any male kinde also when one knockt at his doore and asked if any man were within No saith Domitianus not so much as a flea Now when Domitianus was so long detested abhorred of God and man for diuers wickednesses he was slaine by his owne men in his pallace after he had reigned 15. yeeres liued 45. yeeres he was so hated in Rome that being slaine they haled his body through the streetes all his pictures and statues throwen downe in so much that they coulde not abide to looke vpon any monument of his neither to heare of his name Notwithstanding so much good he did to Rome that he finished sundry workes at Rome which was the Capitoll and the two galleries called by Eutropius Isiū and Serapiū he made also the tilt for men to runne in and builded a place for musicians and singing men In the sixth yeere of Domitianus gouernmēt Antoninus Pius was borne which afterward was emperor in Rome About which time the Picts came from Scythia to seeke habitation in Britanie their captaine was called Rodericus Whē Richimer reigned king in Fraunce diuers sects of heresies began this time vnder Menander one of Simon Magus disciples In the last yere of Domitianus the apostle Iohn wrote his booke of Reuelation in Pathmos Here I write the Consuls names which gouerned yeerely in Rome with Domitianus for after the emperours beganne to commaunde what they lusted in Rome they made a choise of one Consul with his brother Titus when hee was emperour after with him these gouerned his owne friendes whom he himselfe made choise of as other emperours did before him Val. Messalinus Virg. Rufus Sabinus Verus Pollio Ser. Cornelius Dolabella Lu. Minutius Rufus Fuluius which was Antoninus Pius his graundfather Coceius Nerua which succeeded Domitianus in the Empire Ac. Volusius Saturnius Vl. Traianus Crinitus This succeeded Cocceius Nerua in the Empire whom Nerua adopted after him Glabrio and Nonius Aspreanus Domitianus himselfe was the other Consul for the Emperours woulde not permit two Consuls to gouerne together vnlesse they were speciall friendes to the Emperours so that the dignitie of the auncient Consuls daily decayed by the tyrannie and greatnes of the Emperours of those last sixe Emperours I meane Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus and Domitianus which Suetonius doeth write at large It were too long a historie for me to write of all their liues howe be it I briefely touch and speake of their chiefe and most principall dealings This time within fewe yeeres the Goates which are also the Getes the Vandales and the Hungarians began to grow strong with whom the emperours of Rome had much to doe for then waxed the West part of the worlde strong as Spaine Fraunce Germanie and Britaine and were in armes against the Romanes as you shal in the historie vnderstād for as Sueton. with many other writers set forth the exploites of those sixe which I now named euen so doeth Dion write of Nerua Traiane and Adrian three of the best emperors Iu. Capitolinus an ancient writer omitteth nothing that might be spoken of Antoninus Pius in whose time Rome was like to be on fire had not the riuer Tiber with a sudden inundation stopt the rage of the fire and yet 340. houses were quite with fire consumed so by this writer were Antoninus Pius and Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher which of some is called Mar. Aurelius writtē of and likewise of the lawes exploites of these Emperors Pertinax Opilius Macrinus Claudius Albinus Maximinus Gordianus Balbinus Lāpridius wrote of Also he wrote of Comodus and Heliogabolus two wicked and cruell Emperors The Romanes wanted no writers to record their fame for in trueth as they excelled all other nations in power greatnes and dignitie so had they more notable histories written of them What kingdom what countrie what nations were not by the Romanes conquered for you haue read in the historie before how the Affricanes Spaine and Carthage with their most famous captaines Amilcar Asdrubal and Hanibal were vanquished by the Romanes howe the successors of great king Cyrus and the posterities of the great king Alexander two of the greatest kings of the whole worlde were subdued by the Romanes how the most worthy next vnto Alexander the great in prowesse Pyrrhus king of Epire howe Mithridates the king of Pontus who kept most terrible and cruell warres with the Romanes fourtie yeres how Antiochus surnamed also the great king of all Asia in fine howe the Parthians the Scythians the Sogdians the Indians the Arabians and the Egyptians were by the Romanes conquered and therefore I will as briefely passe ouer the historie as I can partly for that many haue trāslated the liues of the Emperors their exploites are here there in fragments and partly for that it were tedious to write all the Romans historie in particular for the best reading is of the Romanes historie during the reigne of the Consuls foure hundred fourtie seuen yeres all which time
their conquests were great their victories infinite but after the dignities of the Cōsuls were eclipsed by the greatnesse crueltie of the Emperours the state of Rome also beganne by a little and a little to loose her former fame and to decaye in credite for that they esteemed money more then men This vice of auarice excluded all kinde of vertues out of Rome and receiued into the Citie hidden hatred priuate wealth and yong councell whereby the lady of the whole worlde sometime is become now by auarice to be the handmaid of Spaine and Fraunce yea to be led by euery citie of Italie Thus was the glory of Rome brought vnder her owne seruants to be a captiue euen as Babylon Ierusalem Egypt and other kingdomes of whom the Prophets haue spoken prophecied the reward of their wickednesse idolatrie and horrible superstition The like destruction the Romanes must looke to haue as the Affricanes had after them the Chaldeans the Hebrewes and the Egyptians for their idolatrie and contempt of God The like ende and destruction as had the Persians the Medes the Macedonians and the Greekes must the Romanes by the prophesie of Daniel expect for I will the Reader to reade Daniel Esai Ieremie and Ezechiel of these great kingdoms before time for some destroyed and consumed and I will returne to the historie Now after that good Emperor Cocceius Nerua had reigned but one yeere foure moneths and nine dayes hee adopted Traiane to the Empire a Spaniard and not an Italian as many would haue it a godly Emperor a good man of whom many good things are written amongst the which he is most commended in two principal things sanctitas domi fortitudo for is he was patient in all traueiles and in all aduersities hee was very diligent in ciuill causes and very expert in militarie discipline hee was most liberall to his souldiers and beneficiall vnto all men he much honoured all learned men he onely of all other Emperors obserued iustice and practised the same to his people hee gouerned the weale publique in such sort that hee ought worthely to bee preserued aboue all other princes hee enlarged the borders and marches both in length and breadth of the Romane Empire which frō the time of Augustus was but defended and conserued by other Emperors vntil this time he is thus cōmended in Eutropius that his courtesie and sobrietie farre excelled his martiall feates hee was so familiar that he would ride goe and sit with his familiars hee would also banquet amongst them without esteeming of himself more then of another he openly and secretly enriched not onely his friendes but those whom he well heard of and aduaunced them to honors with whom he had small acquaintance hee infranchised many cities hee did so many great good things aswell in repairing ruinous Townes and Cities as also in building newe Cities Townes in diuers coūtries that in a maner he builded a new world againe for he builded sixe great Temples 1 To Apollo 2 To Mars 3 To Iupiter 4 To Aesculapius 5 To Ceres 6 To Berecynthia And therefore he was reputed in al the whole world of all men and likened vnto some god which had some diuine power to finish and to perfect a ruinous cōmon wealth being by his predecessors Nero Caligula Heliogabolus Domitianus and others welnigh wholy destroyed and defaced So much preuailed in him the fame of perfect goodnesse that at the election of any prince in Rome after Traians dayes the Senators and the people would wish him to be as fortunate as Augustus and in behauiour of vertue and goodnesse to be like the good Traiane who both for his goodnes vertue was also called Pater patriae as Augustus was for that hee subdued Dacia recouered Armenia which the Parthians had wonne he reduced vnder the obeysance of Rome Spaine Moscouia Arabia and the inhabitants of Cholcos hee had great warres in all the East countries and brought Assyria and Mesopotamia vnder his hand He reduced many kingdomes to be prouinces vnder the Romanes hee wanne Seleucia and Babylon and prepared a nauie for the redde Sea that thereby hee might spoyle and destroy the borders and coastes of Iudea About this time the Temple of Pantheon in Rome was burned he triumphed ouer the Danes and ouer the Scythians and brought Rome againe to her former fame and glory as it was in the time of Octauius Augustus The two mirrors of Rome liued in Rome and dyed with the like loue and fame after they had purchased great glory and renowme both for ciuill and marciall policie Traiane was canonised and was the first emperour buried within the Citie his bones were put in a golden cuppe and set vnder a pillar which mounted in height to an hundred fourtie foure foote Hee reigned nineteene yeeres whose facts and worthinesse are rife in memorie If you list to reade further of them looke in Capitolinus amongst all the emperours this you shall finde to excell the rest In Traianes time fell the fourth persecution of the Christians in whose time also dyed Iohn the Euangelist after whose death florished his scholers and disciples Papias and Polycarpus and Ignatius In Traians time happened such an earthquake that foure great Cities in Asia fell flatte to the grounde three in Galatia and two in Greece Traiane dyed of the flixe at Seleucia a towne of Isauria whē he had liued sixtie three yeeres after whom succeeded Aelius Adrianus the fifteenth emperour an Italian borne he was sisters sonne to Traiane and yet not adopted to the Empire by Traiane but by meanes of Plotina Traians wife hee was singularly learned both in the Greeke and in the Latine hee was excellently seene in Musicke and Geometrie and was so expert in Astronomie that hee made yerely Prognostications for him selfe hee excelled in diuers artes as in caruing grauing paynting cutting eyther in brasse or in marble Iustine writeth of this emperour that hee coulde write talke with his friendes aske questions and answere matters at one time hee gaue him selfe wholly to purchase peace and quietnesse and woulde often say that hee did more good in Rome by idlenesse then his predecessours by weapons for hee purchased peace during the whole time of his Empire In his time the Christians were sore persecuted vntill certeine learned of the Christians wrote bookes vnto the Emperour Adrian for mercie in sparing of Christian blood whereupon the Emperour wrote diuers Epistles to Iudea and to all prouinces belonging to the Empire of Rome that no Christian should be apprehended for religion sake at what time Ierusalem was named Aelia after that he had quieted the Iewes by his Sendrus and slue of them fiue thousand The Emperours name Aelius Adrianus for after that the Emperor Adriā wrote his letter to Minutius to stay his persecution certeine heretikes began to trouble the Church as Saturnius
he died and was canonized at the earnest labour of all the people after whom many mourned in Rome aswell of the people and citizens as Senatours He was also called Pater patriae with Traian Adrian Vespasian and with Augustus During the reigne of this good Emperour fell such a great pestilence in Italie among the inhabitants thereof and other prouinces about Rome that there were new lawes made and ordained for the buriall of the dead At this time Asianus and also Appollinaris Bishop of Hieropolis wrote both two bookes in defence of the Christian religion dedicated them to the Emperor Antoninus In Fraunce vnder Farabertus the 28. king then raigning in Fraunce dyed many by persecution for profession of christianitie at what time Lucius the sonne of Coyllus reigned king among the Brytanes who in the 13. yeere of his gouernment receiued the Christian faith as both Gyldas and Beda affirme Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist came into Rome in Antoninus time whom Ireneus much commendeth Now for that the name of Antoninus was so much honored of the Romans it was decreed that none should be so named but by consent of the Senators such Consuls as then raigned for Antoninus became as great a name in Rome as Augustus was such was the loue and honour that the Romanes yelded to this name The Senators had no greater present to present Alexander Seuerus then to offer him that name and so to be called Seuerus Antoninus The vertue and rarenesse of the men made the name so honourable and therefore I will put them downe with the magistrates and Officers that ruled in Rome during the time of these two rare Emperours Antoninus Pius and Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher Plautius Syluanus Iulius Seuerus Marcus Aulius Antoninus Herodes Atticus Lollianus Auitus Grauius Maximus Seleucus and Ruffinus Gallicanus Glabrio Torquatus and Camerinus Marcus Vibullius surnamed Augur Atidius Cornelianus who had charge in Syria at Antoninus death Quintilius and Priscus Pescenius niger Metilius Bradua and Lucius Aelianus Lucius Aelius Verus Stacius Priscus and Auidius Cassius two notable captaines Aufidius Victorinus Iunius Rusticus and Elius Celsus Erutius Clarus Flaccus Piso and Iulianus which was afterward Emperour Claudius Pompeianus and Cethegus Heren Apronianus and Quintilinus These with many moe notable men that gouerned in Rome when Antoninus Pius raigned This Quintilinus whose house stocke Commodus the emperour after destroyed who likewise was by his father made Caesar and had triumphed before with his father These were the chiefe men that then bare rule in Rome in the time of Marcus Antoninus fewe such Emperours were founde in Rome after they dyed In time of Marcus Antoninus Smyrna a famous towne of Asia fell by an earthquake to the repayring whereof this Emperour bestowed much money and the Temple of Serapis was this time in Alexandria burned Nowe when Lucius Antoninus Commodus beganne his Empire after his father the vertue of his father shined the more beyng dead by the vices of the sonne that succeeded after who from his cradle was wicked cruell and beastly he so defamed himselfe with ryot and ribawdry that hee had three hundred concubines and three hundred delicate males youthes which he vsed as women he commanded his Colossus or image to be put vp and withall made a decree that he should be called God Hercules This shamelesse Emperour vnwoorthie of the name of Antoninus woulde play openly vpon the Theater with fencers and he vsed himselfe so hatefully that he was abhorred of all men and enuied as an enemie of mankinde and so he ended his life being either thratled or poysoned after hee had reigned thirteene yeeres For it was a woonder to see two good Emperours to succeede one another in Rome nay wee cannot reade but of onelie two which were good Vespasian and his sonne Titus all the rest cruell tyrants degenerated from kinde and in whom appeared nothing more then treason or murther After whome followed the Emperour Pertinax an aged man who had done much seruice and therefore aduaunced to the empire much against his will for he was 69. yeres olde when he was chosen Emperour scant hee had reigned eightie dayes but he was slaine of the souldiers and his head cut off and caried rounde about Rome by the commaundement of Iulianus who was the wolfe that caused this murther but he was well requited The like death happened to Iulianus being a man very factious and seditious and very ambitious this was nephew to that Iulianus which liued in Adrianus time he was discōfited by Seuerus Septimius at a place called Miluius bridge soone after slaine in his owne palace his head cut off and put vp in the market place at what time Pescennius was in Antioch and Septimius Seuerus was in Panonia both created Caesars But after that Seuerus slue Pescennius hee tooke the rule gouernment of the Romane empire was the first Emperour created forth of Affricke This was of great credite for he had bin treasurer and Tribune of the souldiers and at the last had the charge of the whole weale publike This the Senate gratified much according to his request and gaue him the name of Pertinax whome Seuerus loued so well that he both desired and commanded to be called Pertinax whose death Seuerus reuenged vpon Pescennius others He was a valiant man for he ouercame the Parthians and the Arabians and therfore was surnamed Parthicus Seuerus he subdued Britaine who then after the death of Lucius began ciuil wars betweene themselues and were almost vtterly conquered by Seuerus by reason the noble men and Britaine held ciuill warres During which time Clodius Albinus created himselfe Caesar in Fraunce whom he slue at Lugdunum whose head he sent to Rome and whose friends in Rome at his returne he persecuted to the last This Emperour was well learned and a great Philosopher This Emperour Seuerus after he had repayred many things throughout the Romane empire and had made Rome againe chiefe mistres of those prouinces lost he passed ouer the Sea vnto Britaine where after he had subdued them hee dyed among them in the citie of Yorke in the eighteenth yeere of his reigne Polidore doeth not agree with Eutropius in this but in the Romane historie Eutropius must be beleued After Seuerus succeeded his sonne Aurelius Bassianus who also was called Caracalla he was in conditions much like to his father but more sharpe he was out of measure giuen to sensualitie and carnall concupiscence he espoused his mother in lawe named Iuba of some named Iubba though vnder colour to demaund Artabanus his daughter king of Parthia in mariage which he falsly deceiued beside the expectation of Artabanus he slue many of the Parthians This Antoninus Caracalla hauing had a sight of Alexander the great his picture wherin he noted his sterne countenance with his head somewhat leaning to
the left shoulder he caused the like picture to be made for himselfe and commanded all his souldiers to call him Alexander This Emperor died as he was preparing a voyage against the Parthians at Edessa when hee had liued 43. yeeres Presently after the death of Caracalla Opilius Macrinus and his sonne Diadumeus were created Emperours who after they had reigned ioyntly fourteene moneths they were both slain in a sedition which fel among the souldiers without doing any thing worth the writing After them stept to the empire Marcus Aurelius surnamed Heliogabolus well so named for in all beastlinesse he resembled his predecessors these vnderwritten Nero Caligula Sergius Vitellius Domitianus Commodus This Heliogabolus was supposed to be the sonne of Caracalla he likewise defamed himselfe with all kind of shame and reproch whose filthinesse and lewd behauiour you may reade in Herodian He was slaine in an vprore which the souldiers made at what time also his mother Semia Sira called of some Semiamira died after he had liued very vnchastly and filthily for 4. yeres but Eutropius saith 2. yeres 8. moneths During the raigne of these 3. last emperors there were no good things done in Rome but vprores and sedition of souldiers creating whom they would to be Emperour one day and the next day deposing them from life empire Only this happened that the Amphitheator was set on fire and few fellowes were quiet at Rome The great men of authority then were these Titus Saturninus Marcus Noninus Mutianus Cornelius Amulinus Lu. Torpilius Dexter C. Gallus Gentianus and Bassus Gentianus Clodius Albinus Balbinus chosen Emperour against Maximinus Aur. Alex. Seuerus and Maximus were both made Emperours Aurelius Alexander Seuerus was chosen Emperour when he was but twelue yeeres of age whome the souldiers named Caesar and the Senate created Augustus he was a very vertuous Prince and one that fauoured all good men he gaue him selfe to martiall pollicie and tooke in hand about the 9. yeere of his raigne warres against Artaxerxes king of Persia who had before vanquished Artabanus king of the Parthians who then gouerned the Persians And as Artaxerxes ouercame Artabanus was the first king of Persia after Darius who before was conquered by Alexander the great so this Artaxerxes was subdued by this Alex. Seuerus with great glorie and had his triumph graunted him in Rome being but 21. yeeres of age he had such care of the Empire and such diligence that he committed the charge of Armenia to a noble captaine called Iunius Palmatus he committed the prouince of Illyrica vnto Varus Macrinus and the countrey of Mauritania to Furius Celsus Of these 3. Captaines victories in these countreys reade Lampridius This was the first Emperour that fauoured Christians and being so yong an Emperour he associated with him to assist him in iudgement Vlpianus a great Ciuilian a lawe maker and had an office called Magister Scrinii as it were Master of the Rowles he had in those dayes in his Court a number of learned men whose names Lampridius setteth down in this sort whome he vsed as Counsellers Fabius Sabinus Domitius Vlpianus Aelius Gordianus Iulius Paulus Modestinus Pomponius Alphenus Africanus Florentinus Proculus Martianus Callistratus Hermogenes Tryphonius Metianus Celsus The most part of these were Ciuilians and scholers to Papinianus Besides these lawyers florished in Seuerus Court Quintilius Caius Marcellus Aelius Seuerianus Cutilius Seuerus three singuler learned Romanes but he reigned not long for he was slaine in Fraunce in a tumult that grewe amongst the souldiers hee and his mother Mammea in a towne called Moguntia after he had reigned 13. yeeres After this good Emperor Seuerus succeeded Iulius Maximinius a man of meane parentage whose beginning was to be a shepheard in Thracia and after came to be a souldier and in processe of time came by the meanes of the souldiers to be Emperour without consent of the Senators who in the beginning had some good successe against the Germanes but not long after slaine by Pupienus at Aquilea and his yong sonne called also Maximinius when hee had reigned three yeeres After him succeeded Pupienus Balbinus Gordianus three Emperours together in Rome but Pupienus and Balbinus were slaine at Rome and Gordianus obtained the empire and held it sixe yeeres alone he espoused Tranquillina Masetheus daughter and after tooke his voiage into Persia and ouerthrewe Sapores king of Persia tooke diuers cities and in many sundrie skirmishes did greatly afflict the Persians But as hee returned thence he was likewise slaine through treason of one Philip who succeeded him in the Empire but his monument is erected vp by one of his souldiers in memoriall of him and that place is called Gordianus graue Marcus Iulius Philippus after he had slaine Gordianus he and his sonne Philip came to the empire and reigned ioyntly fiue yeeres In the time of these two Philips there was celebrated in Rome great solemnitie and preparation of Gunnes and shewes with such pompe and magnificence as Capittollius affirmeth that the like before in Rome scant had beene seene Philip builded a towne in Thracia named it after his owne name Not long after both the father and the sonne were slaine the father at Verrona and the sonne at Rome being of the age of 12. yeeres About this time liued Iulius Africanus a great Historiographer and that godly man Origen wrote his booke of Martyrs After these two Philips succeeded Decius borne at Bubalia a Towne in Hungaria a man well instructed in all kinde of sciences but hee was the eight Emperour that persecuted the Christians and beside commaunded by an Acte that all that worshipped Christ shoulde be slaine hee repressed some warres that were cōmenced in Fraunce and made one voyage against the Gothes at what time hee caused his sonne to be created Caesar. This Decius founded Bathes in Rome who when he had reigned two yeeres both he and his sonne died in Barbaria Some iudged that hee was swallowed vp in an earthquake and some affirme that hee was drowned in a riuer of Thracia called Abricium Then were created Emperours in Rome Gallius Hostilianus and Voluntianus his sonne they committed no act worthie of writing but they were likewise persecutors of the Christians and in their time fell great plagues and sundrie other diseases in the Romane Empire and after they had reigned scant two yeeres they were slaine and within three moneths after them Aemilianus who succeeded them in the Empire was in like sort slaine so that of 30. Emperours which reigned since Octauius Augustus time vntill Licinius Valerian sixe of them escaped not the handes of murtherers Such was the enuious estate of Rome from time to time such was their tyrannie and auarice vntill the Romanes fame and dignitie was much obscured and so little esteemed of the kings about ouer whome they had before so long triumphed euen
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East coūtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
shee was a Christian who laboured much with the king her husband to become a Christian and with as great care shee dayly solicited the king to reuenge her father and vncles death The thirde warre was against the Almanes at what time he vowed if God would giue him the victorie hee would become a Christian which he performed and obtained the victory and was baptized by Remigius bishop of Rheme The fourth warre was against Alaricus king of the Gothes whom he slew in the fielde and discomfited all his armie By these foure great victories Clodoueus had brought all Gallia to be all Fraunce for during his bastards sonnes time he subdued Turingia and enlarged his countrey from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana Theodoricus being by his father Clodoueus sent as President to Aquitania at what time he brought diuers people by the sworde vnder his fathers subiection as Albios Rhatenes Tolasates and the people called Auerni He subdued Vastonia and other places Reade more of the warres of Clodoueus of his vowes and conuersion to the faith and of his victories in Paul Aemilius and in Tilius who after he had raigned thirtie yeeres he died and was buried in Paris Hitherto reacheth Hunibaldus historie of the antiquitie of Fraunce which he wrote and deuided into 18. bookes conteyning the history of all the kings from the first Marcomirus which came from Scythia vntill the time of Clodoueus death which were 47. kings which raigned by sundry names for the space of 950. yeeres While this Clodoueus raigned the Saracens inuaded Phoenicia Syria and Thracia and did great harme This time raigned in Persia Lambases whom Procopius named Blasen and about this time Anastatius the Emperour builded a most strong citie in Mesopotamia and named it after his owne name Anastasia and walled the citie of Theodocia in Armenia which the Emperour Theodosius had builded In the time of this Clodoueus Arthur raigned in Britaine who did much annoy the Saxons and had if he had long liued restored the Britaines againe to their former libertie But to returne to the successors of Clodoueus who left behinde him foure sonnes Theodoricus Clodomirus Childebertus and Lotharius amongst whom the kingdome of Fraunce was deuided the whole kingdome made a Tetrarchia and so in processe of time the whole kingdome fell to Childebertus hand frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus though some say it doth descend from Lotharius yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce as foure Tetrarches for a time During which time reade Procopius and Paul Aemilius and see the euents of fortune the vncertaintie of states and change of earthly dignitie and how Theodoricus and Clodomirus two of the brethren with all their children died then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome betweene him and his brother Clotarius In the meane season let vs see what was done in other countreys for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce Rome was taken being besieged by the Gothes and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans hee tooke Apulia and Calabria and besieged Placentia This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes the first Vitiges who destroyed Rome in his time but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius the second king Alaricus who was slaine within few moneths so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila who plagued so sore Italy and Rome that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane and in Rome it selfe tenne Vandols tenne Gothes or tenne Longobards for one citizen in so much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to gouerne them who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie which was vntill the Emperours time and then they gouerned the whole worlde But now not onely the dignitie of Consuls was lost which were of long time languishing and decaying since ciuil warres betwene themselues with persecution of the godly and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa who entred into Rome and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment At what time he erected vp his Papacie in Rome when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia of whome I spake in the historie of the Church and in the historie of the Saracens And now I will make mention of Iustinianus who gouerned then as Emperour vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy subdued Siracusa and tooke Catina and in the last yeere of his Consulship subdued Sicilia After that he passed into Affrica and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze and appointed one Salomon gouernour ouer the towne This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor that he aduanced the name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers battels that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome appointed by the Emp. Iustinian much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begā but Bellisarius ended This Bellisarius toke Catina Siracusa and subdued al Sicilie Rauenna Naples and was made generall vnder Iustinian in the East empire where he merited the name of a good souldier Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe called the Pandects which Tribonianus ended and brought to perfection This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia and Syria he tooke Antiochia and now againe the fourth time after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus he inuaded the territories of the Romanes but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea and tooke Neapolis During these 45. yeres Hunni inuaded Europe spoyled and wasted into Bizantium which is Constantinople in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pendragon after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince about which time Narses a Persian with a great armie entred into Italie vanquished the Gothes at Tagira and againe the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium and at last driuen out of Italie and their king Totila slayne Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes Nowe to Clotharius which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death
the first king borne of those that were called Galli for hitherunto the lineal sucession of Francus endured 36 After him his sonne Robert raigned 34. yeeres In the beginning of whose time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne 37 Henry the sonne of Robert succeeded and raigned after his father 30. yeeres 38 Philippe the first of that name and sonne to Henry raigned 49. yeeres In whose time beganne the kingdome of Bohemia In the time of this Philippe the first two most famous men and worthie Captaines tooke their voyages the one named Godfrey of Bullen with an armie from Fraunce into the holy Land which was Ierusalem so called after Christs time on earth this warre is called bellum Sacrum the sacred warres against the Saracens Reade Tilius Chronicles of the French kings where you shall finde a Catalogue of the nobles peeres and gentlemen of France and of diuers other countreys that went on that voyage with Godfrey of Bullen to Hierusalem the other Captaine came to England William the bastarde of Normandie afterward called William Conquerour of whom our English chronicles can testifie But I wil briefly passe ouer the kings 39 Lewes sirnamed Crassus raigned 28. yeeres 40 Lewes sirnamed Iunior 43. yeeres 41 Philippus Augustus sirnamed Deodatus 43. yeeres In whose time the Iewes were banished out of Fraunce 42 Lewes the eight of that name 4. yeeres 43 Lewes the ninth sirnamed Holy 43. yeeres 44 Philip the 3. sirnamed Audax son to Lewes 9. 15. yeres 45 Philippus the 4. sirnamed Pulcher the faire and sonne to Philip the thirde raigned 28. yeeres In this kings raigne began the kingdome of Ottoman the Turke 46 Lewes the 10. sirnamed Vtinus king both of Fraunce and of Nauarre raigned almost 2. yeeres 47 Philip the 5. sirnamed Longus raigned 5. yeeres 48 Carolus Pulcher king of Fraunce and Nauarre 7. yeeres Now after this Philip the first of the house of Valois began in the 1328. yeere of our Sauiour whose line hath continued euen frō this Philip of Valois the first king of that house vntill Frances Valois last king of Fraunce and the last of that stocke which continued 263. yeres whose names successiuely are here set downe in Tilius Chronicles as followeth 49 Philip of Valots the first king of that name 22. yeres 50 Whose eldest sonne named Iohn was the first Dolphine of Fraunce which to this day doeth continue Hee raigned after his father king of Fraunce 14. yeeres 51 Carolus the 5. sirnamed the wise raigned 18. yeeres Whose brother named also Philip was made duke of Burgūdy About this time Iohn Wicleue opened much falshoode yet vnknown of Papistrie both disputing writing against it 52 Carolus the sixt sirnamed Bene amatus raigned 42. yeeres this ordeined first the 3. Floure deluce This time raigned in England Richard the second 53 Charles the seuenth raigned 38. yeeres This king commenced warre against England at what time Henry the 5. raigned who subdued all Fraunce and was crowned king in Paris 54 Lewes the eleuenth raigned 23. yeeres 55 Carolus the eight raigned 14. yeeres 56 Lewes the 12. raigned 17. yeres in France being the 1500. yeere of our Sauiour Christ Reade of this king Arnoldus Ferronus all his thirde booke which hee onely wrote of this Lewes the 12. At what time raigned in England Henry the 7. Thus farre briefly Iranne ouer the state of France omitting many thinges willingly and wittingly which I particularly touch in the historie of Spaine for I tooke not in hand to write at large or to set foorth great volumes of superfluous histories but onely as I saide before to note the antiquities and first beginning of kingdomes and to marke the errours of prophane histories in many things dissenting from Moses from Daniel and from the Propheticall writings who opened all Chronicles for they coulde not agree in the chiefest pointes of all true Chronicles neither the Romanes in the building of Rome from whence they ground their histories neither the Greekes by their Olympiads neither the Persians of Cyrus time neither Spaine in their accompt of A. E R. A neither the Arabians of their Hegyra In fine vnpossible it is to finde the trueth of Antiquities in prophane writers without conferring of the same with the Sacred histories of the Prophets who reueiled the trueth of time by their Iubilees A BRIEFE FOR BRITAINE SEeing that I haue written of other countreys I can not tell how to answere my countreymen well if I should not also somewhat speake of the Britains though in trueth many haue sufficiently written of the comming of Brutus vnto this land of his kingdome and succession of kings and continuance which though of some denied which do now as they then did in the time of Halicarnassaeus who after he had trauailed his histories from Sempronius Fabius Pictor and from M. Cato and proued euidently the comming of Aeneas into Italy of his kingdome and posteritie in Alba longa vntill Romulus being 17. discents after him yet some gens inuidiosa Traianis as Halicarnassaeus calleth them seemed not to allow the historie though they knewe it themselues also read it by so many proued because they would be named antiquaries and the credite of the histories should come from them Such was Polidor Virgil in his history of Britaine such was Berosus in the historie of Hetruria being two strangers and such was Manethon to write of Spaine So there were among the Iewes Talmudists who among other matters which they wrote for they were the onely men among the Iewes would also by this credit that they had amōg the people write what they listed that they became thereby very fabulous in their histories So among the Egyptians their superstitious priestes filled their bookes with lies and so of diuers other countreis men wrote rather fables then histories of their coūtreys But these are reiected from sound approued authors tanquam Mithici for in reading of histories I find nothing so readie as errors in antiquities of countreys and in original of nations And surely it is not to be wondered at concerning the antiquities of time euen from the beginning of the world and the late beginning of writers from Cyrus time or rather Alexanders time for in the first age from Adam to the flood no trueth is had nor knowen but onely by Moses in the Genesis and 1650. yeeres frō the flood vnto the time of the Olympiads men wandered in no true accompt of time nor of histories excepting that which is written in the bookes of Moses and the Prophets nothing seemed sound nor certaine but cōiectures and fained fables as in the historie of the Chaldeans Assyrians Aegyptians and diuers other nations many things are written which is named Mythycum very licentiously and to liberally and after the time of the Olympiads how vntrue prophane historians wrote vntil Daniels time who seeth it not Since which time a briefe of al true
towne hard by the hill Alba and named it Albalonga leauing his fathers wife Lauina in that Citie which Aeneas builded thirtie yeres before Ascanius builded Albalonga where during his life Ascanius kept his Court and it became the king of Albans Pallace at what time the names of the Latines were changed to the kings of Alba which endured foure hundred yeeres and odde vntill Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome conquered them so that the right line and blood of the kings of Alba descended also from Aeneas by succession from the father vnto the sonne vntill Romulus time as Halicarnassaeus saith whose names are set downe orderly in Annius chronicles and in Berosus with whom Dyonis Halicar doeth in all points agree as well for the continuance of time as also for their sure naming of their kings which reigned betweene Aeneas and Romulus So doeth M. Cato in his fragments men of great credite in other histories to be skant in the Britaine historie allowed hinc liuor the cause thereof I take it in some rather negligence then ignorance for in trueth the Phisicion must study to ease his patients the Lawyer to please his client the Diuine to feede the soules so that few haue time to studie histories Yea many that read histories are to seeke in histories other wayes then the histories of Englād but I wil returne to Aeneas which is as Annius saith Imperij Romani origo and therefore I will begin from the comming of Aeneas into Laurentum in Italie Nowe as concerning the comming of Aeneas into Italie his toyles and trauailes reade Helanicus an olde auncient writer My onely purpose is to set downe the true histories of the Britaines hauing that name from Brutus euen as the Frenchmen were named of Francus and the Hispaniards from Hispanus If you reade Fab. Pictor de aureo seculo and Portius Cato you shall finde the kindred and predecessours of Romulus the first king of Rome so plainely to come out of the very house and stocke that Brutus the first king of the Britaine 's came out of so that the last king of the Latines I meane Aeneas and his sonne Ascanius the first king of Albalonga are of that antiquitie and continuance in Italie as Brutus is in Britaine now called Englande For as Romulus and the kings of Rome and after the Emperours and the Romanes were offsprings of the kinges of the Albanes and Latines and the Albanes and Latines offsprings of the kings of Troy so is it prooued that the Romanes came from Troy for Ascanius was graundfather vnto Brutus who first came into this Isle named then Albion but by Brutus after named Britaine Some take this for fables certeine it is that the beginning of antiquities seeme fabulous for that the errors of time haue obscured many things as is proued of the Romane histories whom the Grecians neuer knewe nor neuer heard of for neither Thucydides nor Xenophon two of the greatest writers in the florishing state of Greece yea and late after the foundation of Rome 360. yeeres neither Herodot after them made any mencion of Rome Euen so the Grecians were to the Persians and the Persians to the Grecians most ignorant not one knowing another before Xerxes with his huge armie thought to inuade Greece for these be the words of Strabo Nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos agnorunt And as for Fraunce and Spaine they were taken but for two cities the one named Gallia the other Hesperia as Iosephus affirmeth Many men write very fables of their countries as Berosus if it be Berosus being a Chaldean priest wrote of the Chaldeans meere fables and more licencious of the kings of Assyria without any warrant of trueth not knowing the Scriptures where the best and soundest warrant of Chaldean histories are to be found In like sort Ctesias the Persian wrote of his countrie 23. bookes both vaine and foolish in setting foorth the antiquitie gouernment and greatnesse of the king of Persia then is truely prooued by true accompt of time as Plutarch affirmeth So Manethon an Egyptian priest wrote so many lies of his countrie of Egypt that accompteth 340. Pharoes successiuely from Amasis the first Pharao vnto Amasis the last Pharao but he is reprooued to his face by Iosephus in both his bookes against Appion the Egyptian and a scholemaster of Alexandria yet Manethon founde great fault in Herodot for his fables and lies of Egypt But let controuersies passe all countries haue their fables mingled with trueth and so I will returne to the histories of the Britaines whose certeintie and trueth is as sound and as true to bee prooued as either Fraunce Spaine or any other countrie whose continuance was without change of name for lōger time then many bragging kingdoms whose lawes whose kings whose countrie vnconquered longer then any of them both easie to be prooued by all sound writers for Spaine was conquered and subdued first by the Carthagineans and Affricanes secondly by the Romanes thirdly by the Vandales fourthly by the Gothes and fiftly by the Saracens who possessed almost all the kingdome of Spaine for 800. yeeres So may it be said of the change of their names as Catubales Iberians Celtiberians Hesperians and Spaniards which during the time of this change serued the Carthagineans the Romanes the Grekes the Gothes and the Saracens The Britaines neuer changed their names since Brutus time which is 2700. and odde yeeres which no one kingdome of the worlde can say so much though in some part it was subdued by the Romanes and then by the Danes and last by the Normanes yet they reserued their names vnchanged all the whole countrie of Camber the second sonne of Brutus vncōquered which of late is called Wales their auncient name vnchanged and their language vncorrupted So may I speake of the Frenchmen which were called at their first arriuall from Scythia into Germany Neumagi then were they called Sicambri thirdly Franci and fourthly Galli So were the Persians Elamites Artaeans and after Cephancs and last of all Persians so Egypt was called Oceana Nilea Aerea and last of all Egypt To conclude there is no nation that I can reade of but were subiect to diuers names therby knowē sauing onely the Britaines which continue vnto this day though the Danes beganne to call them Welsh as they call all strangers Welsh which was 1800. yeres odde as the reignes and gouernmēt of the kings of Britaine do manifestly proue whose names I neede not to write for that they be set downe to your viewe in tables printed with the pictures of all the kings of the Britaines Now after 1 Brutus 2 Locrinus 3 Madan 4 Mempricius 5 Ebrancus and 6 Brutus surnamed Viridescutum and so forward vntill Rudacus time the 20. king after Brutus at what time the kingdome was diuided into foure parts and gouerned by foure seuerall kings for fiftie yeeres Rudacus
king of Cambria which is Wales Pinnor king of Loegria which is England Saterus king of Albania which is nowe Scotland and Clotenus king of Cornubia nowe Cornewall all the kingdome after fiftie yeeres came to Dunwallus Clotenus sonne about 700. yeeres after Brutus and continued vntill Elidurus the third for the space of a 182. yeeres And after Elidurus the third it continued the reigne of thirtie three kings from Elidurus vntill Belinus the great 185. This Belinus was vncle vnto Cassibelane who reigned king in Britaine when Iulius Caesar came into Britaine about a thousand and thirtie yeeres after Brutus so long was Britaine vnconquered which as I said before for the spite of Androgeus to Cassibelan he wrote his letters to Caesar after the first great ouerthrowe of Caesar of which Lucan the Poet saith Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis Romani c. This Androgeus then Duke of Troinouant nowe called London since king Luds time promised his aide and helpe with all the Britaines which he coulde make if after the conquest he should by Caesar be restored to gouerne the Britaines but Caesar by this meanes brought the Britaines to paye tribute to the Romanes yet reigned kings in Britaine from Cassibelan lineally vnto Cadwallader for seuen hundred yeres and odde so that Britaine was gouerned from the first king vnto the last for a thousand eight hundred and odde yeeres as Guidonius affirmeth But for that the kings of Britaine are by all their names named their successiōs continuance of time writtē in diuers Chronicles of Englande beside Doctor Powel of late hath written of their ciuill warres of their kings their lawes and gouernments that I neede not further to write herein my desire is no lesse to satisfie those that will with reason and authorities bee satisfied then was M. Coruinus a learned Romane Orator willing to please Augustus Caesar for the setting foorth of his familie and his house in proouing gens Iulia which was the stocke of the first Emperour Iulius Caesar his vncle to descende lineally from Ascanius The historie is written in Coruinus de progenie Augusti in whose time Coruinus florished whome Augustus desired to traueile and to set downe the genealogie of his stocke that being so fortunate an Emperour as hee was in subduing almost all the kingdomes of the worlde and captiuating them as Prouinces vnder the Empire of Rome hee might knowe also whence gens Iulia came that hee might assure him selfe of the certeintie of his house To satisfie this Emperor Augustus being thereunto by him intreated Coruinus briefely diuided the whole earth into three seuerall partes Asia Europe and Affrike In this Asia the great is Asia the lesse conteyned in the which Countrie is a Region named Phrygia into the which one Dardanus a great prince of Creete that had the daughter of one Teucer giuen him in mariage came with a great multitude of young men and souldiers to inhabite about the time that Moses dyed where hee builded a great Citie and named it after his owne name Dardania and the inhabitants therein were called Dardanians The fame of this king Dardanus grewe so great that Teucer his father in lawe came from Creete with a number of gentlemen to visite his daughter vnto Dardania in Phrygia where Dardanus reigned three yeres after whom succeeded Ericthonius 75. yeres after Ericthonius succeded Tros the king of Dardania which reigned sixtie yeres by whom Dardania was named Troy after the kings name after Tros succeeded Ilus who reigned 54. yeres after whom succeeded Laomedon and reigned 36. yeres and after him reigned his sonne Priamus named Alexander in histories the sixt and last king of Troy in whose time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians This Messala setteth downe in his historie how Aeneas after the warres came into Italie and maried king Latinus daughter succeeded as heire of the king in his kingdom from whose body lineally descēded these many kings whose names onely I wil set downe for that I haue in the historie of the Latines written of their continuance and of the time of their gouernment vntill Romulus 1 Aeneas 2 Ascanius 3 Siluius 4 Aeneas Siluins 5 Latinus Siluius 6 Alba Siluius 7 Capetus Siluius 8 Capis Siluius 9 Calpetus Siluius 10 Tiberinus Siluius 11 Agrippa Siluius 12 Alladius Siluius 13 Auentinus Siluius 14 Procas Siluius 15 Amulius Siluius 16 Numitor Siluius which was both grādfather by the mother side vncle by the father side vnto Romulus M. Coruinus wrote vnto Augustus the whole historie of the kings of Alba vntill Romulus time and prooueth plaine in his booke that the noble Emperour Augustus proceeded from the house of Aeneas that gens Iulia came lineally from the body of Iulo which was the surname of Ascanius some affirme the contrary Yet Coruinus an auncient antiquarie liuing in the time of Augustus and writing his booke to Augustus at the earnest request of the Emperour Augustus affirmeth all this to be which Halicarnas in all pointes alloweth but what is to proue the Britaines to come from the Troians or to proue Brutus to come to Englād as much more it maketh proofe that Brutus came to this land as Aeneas came to Italie the one is prooued by a number of Romane writers the other by so many of both Romane and Britaine authours and yet Aeneas is by some enrious writers denied to come to Italie as Brutus is to come to Britaine of whom Dionys. Halic saith Scriptores partim ignorati partim inuidia dissimulati de aduentu Aeneae in Italiam The historie of Aeneas and the historie of Brutus after the destruction of Troy is one of the most auncient histories of the Gentiles though in some it bee fabulous as all prophane histories be in many pointes yet from these Troians as from the first originall of their kings and Emperours both the Romanes and the Frenchmen are by some of their owne best writers proued of whom Aemilius writes of their antiquitie It is most likely that euery Countrie hath more care of it selfe then of other countries and rather French writers are to be beleeued in the histories of Fraunce then forreigne writers so of the Romanes of the Grecians and of all other countries as Myrsillus saith Plus vicinis quà m remotis multò plus genti ipsi quà m extremis credatur and yet who seeth not but both the Romanes the Grecians the Frenchmen and all nations aduaunce their countries with best histories and passe lightly ouer many histories that makes against their Countries But as Diodorus Siculus describeth Britaine by the name of Britaine to be fertill and plentifull in corne cattell iron with diuers other commodities so doeth Strabo commende the Britaines to bee people farre bigger and taller then the Frenchmen are in these wordes Britannorum statura supra Gallos procera c. and after he reporteth of certaine Britaines which he
concerning the office of the priests and 12. other cōcerning Philosophie and the discipline of Numa He commaunded in his last will that these bookes should be buried with his body at the hill called Ianiculū and so after he had liued 80. yeres and raigned 43. yeres he died who in his life time instituted these lawes 1. He instituted the kinds of priests which were called Flamines of these were 4 one to Iupiter called Flamen dialis who only should be present at sacrifice done to Iupiter two vnto Mars called Flamines Martiales these in like maner should instruct the people the maner and order of sacrifice done to Mars 3. And the fourth he appointed in the honour of Quirinus called Quirinalis Flamen to celebrate the memorie of Romulus for so Romulus was honoured and called by the name of Quirinus After this these priests were all bishops archbishops cardinals and patriarkes by the names of Flamines Protoflamines Archiflamines c. 4. Then Numa instituted another order of priesthood called Faeciales which were peace makers to pacifie quarels to entreat of peace if they could else to denounce warres for without their licence the king might not commence warre with the enemies 5. Againe he appointed another nōber of priests which were 12. named Salij that should dance leape before the sacrifice in the moneth of March apparelled with pide cassocks girded with swords about them with copper helmets on their heads with Thracian targets and short daggers in their hands 6. He augmented the nomber of soothsayers by Romulus first instituted erected a colledge of soothsayers appointing one to be chiefe called Pontifex Max. that had the auctority of hie priest was master of al the pōtifical lawes 7. He also made a lawe that no stranger might be of this sacred societie but such holy deuout and religious men as Pontifex Max. with his colledge of soothsayers should elect by diuination 8. He also appointed 4. vestal virgins which should watch and attend the holy and immortall fire with reuerence and great honor consecrated to Vesta which vsed like ceremonies as the olde women did in Athens in watching the holy lampe 9. He decreed that the targets called Ancylia should be in the custodie of the 12. priestes called Salij in like maner as the custodie of the lampe was cōmanded to the virgins 10. After this he deuided his people into diuers occupatiōs some to tillage some to one science some to another 11. He instituted certaine priestes to Berecynthia which should be gelded which were named Galli aster the name of a riuer in Phrygia where they were gelded but this was Pesinuntia as Images brought to Rome by Scipio Nasica long after Numas time to whom these ceremonies were done in memorie of Claudia who with her girdle halde the shippe where the idole of Pesinuntia was Reade of these lawes and orders more in Pomp. Laetus and in Fenestella CHAP. II. Of the gouernment lawes and orders of Rome after Numa Pompilius time vntill the ende of Tarquinius the proude the last king of Rome of their warres victories during this time ouer their neighbours about them of the enlargement of the citie of Rome and of their territories and last of the banishment of their kings AFter this Numa succeeded Tullus Hostilius borne in the towne of Medullia the thirde king of the Romanes a man of cleane contrary disposition to Numa this followed the nature of his grandfather Hostilius Tullus a deare and a sure friend of Romulus of whom by his seruice against the Sabines and others hee well deserued to be esteemed this was the first in Rome that ware a garland of oken leaues in token and proofe of his victorie against the Fidenats Such one was this Tullus more bent farre to warre then to peace readie to take any quarrell in hande to defende the citie which happened vnto him as soone as hee had entred into his kingdome for C. Cluilius chiefe gouernour of the Albanes much enuying the good successe of Rome permitted the Albanes to robbe to spoile and to waste the territories of Rome most desirous of warres against the Romans but before he could do any exploit he was found dead in his tent After him succeeded in his place Metius Suffetius which likewise vsurped folowed his predecessour Cluilius among all the iniuries against Tullus Hostilius against his faith and promise to the Romane Empire who in right of blood were kings of the Albanes and to whom they then ought by law of armes to haue payed tribute but M. Suffetius had the like end as Cluilius had Reade the whole history in Dion Halicarnassus of this king Now Tullus hauing this occasion offred to him by the Albanes he waged warres against the Veients and Fidenats and gaue them such sharpe battels that after he had conquered them triumphed ouer them he also in like sort wēt against the Albanes ouerthrew them tooke their city which was builded in Aeneas time by his sonne Ascanius named Alba longa which had florished 487. yeres brought the people captiue to Rome after much slaughter so that by the ruine and spoile of the Albanes the Romans glory increased their kingdom was enlarged for that the Latins were the first stocke of the Romanes from whence they had their first beginning and ofspring A history worth the reading is written in Halicanassaeus how Tullus king of the Romanes and Suffetius gouernour of the Albanes consented to auoyd great slaughter and much effusion of blood which should happen to both parties if their armies would enter into battel to cōmit the battel to three men chosen of either parties 3. of the Romans and 3 of the Albanes and where the victory shal happen there the other partie should yeeld The king Tullus brought into the field 3. men that were brethren the sonnes of Horatius a noble Romane Suffetius likewise broght into the field 3. brethren the sonnes of Curiatius these 3. Albane brethren were cousine germaines to the 3. Romane brethren These sixe men after they had sacrificed vnto their gods and had taken leaue of their parents friends they entred the battel and after a long doutful combate betwixt both parties the Romans conquered the Albanes and so by law of armes Alba longa their chiefe citie and all the kingdome of Albania was made subiect to the Romanes though still they rebelled and held out against the Romans many battels sundry euents of warres vntil Tul. Hostilius did fully conquer them in the 28. Olympiad at what time mount Coelius was adioyned to Rome and made habitable by the king and there Tullus the king kept his court Now as soone as the Albanes were conquered the Sabines againe waged warres against the Romans and were vāquished in the battell of Malicusa After that Tullus Hostilius had conquered Alba longa which was distant 12. miles