yet more then all the rest was the small valure and the cowardize of the Tyrant with the hate and euill will which was borne him of all those whom he vniustly detained in bondage and seruitude All which causes at the same time concurring together made these things come to effect which would be otherwise incredible Was it not a strange case to see the Athenians and Lacedemonians who had so long time sought for the superioritie to come themselues into the subiection of the Macedonians who before was tributarie to the Illyrians And the Citie of Thebes which had sometimes aspired to that principalitie burned rased and distroied in one day and the Citizens thereof sold as slaues and brought into bondage On the other side there was not then any man excellent in knowledge but indured much SOCRATES the father both of moral and politike Philosophie falsely accused of not beleeuing in the Gods of corrupting youth was condemned and executed by poyson But his condemnation being found vniust the people repented it soone after considering how great a personage they had wrongfully put to death and were so mutinous against them which were the cause thereof that finally they put them all to death also without hearing their defences and allegations PLATO was sold by pyrats and in danger of his life in the Court of Syracusa XENOPHON was banished Athens ARISTOTLE constrained to depart fearing least they would deale with him as they did with Socrates DEMOSTHENES poisoned himselfe with the poison which he caried in his ring because he would not yeeld himselfe to the mercie of his enemie Antipater DEMETRIVS the Phalerian retired himselfe to the king of Alexandria where he died of the byting of an Aspe EVRIPIDES into Macedonia where he was deuoured by mastifes So many strange accidents there were in that season PLVTARCH writeth that in his time GREECE was so brought to naught that scarcely altogether could it make three thousand men of warre which the onely Citie of Megara-sent in times past to the battaile of Platea In such sort diminished it by succession of time being diâ—sided into many common weales ill agreeing amongst themselues impouerished by sedicions and warres infected with curious sects in philosophie and the most of them pernicious as of the Epicures Cynickes Cyrenaickes Eretrickes Megarians and Pyrrhonians sometimes subiect to the Kings of Macedonia sometimes to those of Syria and Asia sometimes to Mithridates sometimes to the Romains which ruled it a long time after to the Emperours of Constantinople and last of all to the Turkes vnder whom it is brought into miserable bondage being depriued of the arts of the auncient nobilitie and of the faire Cities which it was wont to haue A COMPARISON OF THE AVNCI ent Greekes with the Egiptians Assyrians Persians and Indians PLATO in his Menexemus and his Politicks writeth that they called in Greece all the other Nations barbarous which had not any communion of liuing or of language with the Grecians and that they accounted them all seruile Aristotle in the first of his Politicks alleageth the Poets which said that the Greekes should rule ouer the Barbarians as if a Barbarian were the same by nature that a seruant is And Demosthenes in his third Olynthiack that it was fit that the Barbarians should be subiect to the Grecians Plutarch saith that Alexander did not as Aristotle his Master counsailed him which was that he should show himselfe to the Greekes as a father and behaue himselfe towards the Barbarians as a Lord And that he should haue care of the one as of his friends and kinsfolkes and serue himselfe of the others as of plants or of beasts which if he had done he had filled his Empire with banishments which are alwaies secret seeds of warres and factions and verie dangerous partialities But he accounting that he was sent from Heauen as a common reformer gouernour and reconciler of the world those whom he could not bring in by perswasions of reason he constrained them by force of armes and assembled the whole world of many estates into one and mingling together the liues maners mariages and kinds of liuing he commaunded all men liuing to account the habitable earth their Countrie and his Campe to be the castle and dongeon all the good folkes to be of kin one to the other and the euill and wicked onely to be straungers And moreouer that the Greeke and the Barbarian should no more be distinguished by their cloake nor by the fashion of their target nor by the high hat but should be marked and discerned the Greeke by vertue and the Barbarian by vice reputing all the vertuous to be Greekes and all the vicious Barbarians accounting moreouer the garments common the tables common as also the mariages and maners of liuing being all vnited by the mixtion of bloud and communion of children Strabo in the first of his Colmographie is of the same opinion that this difference ought rather to be made by vertue and vice because there were many Greekes wicked and euill and many Barbarians good and ciuil as the Romains and Carthaginians who gouerned very well their common weales Plato in his Epinomides affirmeth that the Greekes inhabited a Region most apt of all others for vertue and that the praise thereof consisteth chiefely in this that it is in a meane betweene heat and cold Whereunto Aristotle agreeth saying in the seuenth of his Politicks that the Greeke nation is both couragious and ingenious as inhabiting in a meane betweene the North and the South which made it to perseuer in libertie and to be well gouerned and that it might commaund the whole world if it had but one gouernment We will compare it then vnto the former and first of all in power then afterwards in learning and other excellencie in many arts and workmanships THE POWER AND EMPIRE of Greece HE that will read what the Athenians Lacedemonians and Thebans did from the time of the war which king Xerxes made against them which was the beginning of their great glorie and prosperitie till the raign of king Philip the sonne of Amyntas shall find it a long time during which they fought more amongst themselues for ambition of rule one ouer the other then they did against straungers to augment their Empire and to preserue their libertie And some of them for couetousnes of getting a new Lordship in Sicile ouerthrew themselues some others which went into Asia to conquer got no great thing there but returned soone againe And in deed although the power of the Greekes hath bin trauailed in many great warres yet did it neuer firmely establish any Empire out of Greece The Grecians for a time were mightie enough and made proofe of their forces for keeping of their libertie and to shew themselues inuincible But in the time of the said Philip and his sonne Alexander their estate and affaires began to decline Before the deeds of the Macedonians were little esteemed and they were subiect alwaies
armes now into Spaine against Sertorius now against the Pyrates vnder colour of pacifying the sea He pretended these causes to th end he might continue his power What led him into Africk and into the North against Mithridates and into Armenia and against all the kings of Asia but onely an infinite desire of increasing in greatnes seeming only to himselfe that he was not great enough What did put Iulius so far forward into these publike euils glorie and ambition and a desire which he had without measure to excell aboue others He could not suffer one to be before him where the common wealth endured two What think you that Marius being once Consul indeed hauing taken away by force the six other Consulships when he defeated the Theutons and the Cymbrians and when he pursued Iugurtha thorough the deserts of Africa did aduenture these dangers by the instinct of vertue These men mouing all things were also moued themselues after the maner of whirle-winds which carrie away whatsoeuer they catch and thereby become more impetuous and can not be stil. Hauing then bin mischieuous vnto many they finally feele in themselues their pernicious mischiefe whereby they haue bin hurtfull vnto many The same Seneca It is all one saith he whether Cato ouercome or be ouercome in the battaile of Pharsalia The good being in him which could not be vanquished when his partie was ouercome was equall with the good which he should haue caried victorious into his Countrie haue pacified the affairs Wherefore should it not be equall seeing that by the same vertue euill fortune is ouercome and good fortune well ordered The vertue can not be greater nor lesser It is alwaies after one sort But Pompey shal lose his armie but the honest pretence of the common wealth and the Senate with the chiefest Lords of Rome following the part of Pompey being placed in the first rank of the battaile shall be ouerthrowen in one onely battaile and the ruines of so great an Empire shall be dispersed ouer all the world one part shall fall into Egipt an other into Africk an other into Spaine This miserable common wealth can not all fall at one time Let them do all they can The knowledge of the places doth not help the king Iuba in his kingdom nor the obstinate vertue of his subiects and the fidelitie of the Vticians being broken with so many euils faileth And should Scipio be abandoned in Africk of the fortune of his name It was already prouided that Cato should receiue no harme And yet he was ouercome Certainly the calamities were verie great in that conuersion of the world and there were strange aduersities mingled with the prosperities There was neither Countrie Citie Lordship or personage any whit renowmed but endured much The ruine of Carthage first presenteth it selfe which Citie seuen hundred yeares after it was founded had bin so flourishing and excellent in all things had borne rule ouer so many seas and lands and Islands and ships and so much riches and so many armes as nâ—ne more and had courage more then any other Fourteene yeares after the Numantines being besieged by Scipio AEmilian seeing that for want of victuals they were not able any longer to endure the siege themselues burned theiâ— Citie of Numantia and killed themselues part by the sword part by fire part by poison Cicero nameth Carthage and Numantia the two astonishments of the people of Rome Shal I tel how Syracusa was spoiled Corinth rased Antioch and Hierusalem taken Athens besieged and sacked Marsâ—illes borne in triumph how Rome saw her Senate flying her treasures taken away Alexandria found Cesar fighting in her and her king the yong Ptolomey dead how Thebes in Egipt was destroied Thirteen towns in Peloponesus swalowed vp with an earthquak wherwith Caria Rhodes also were shaken How ther came extraordinary inundations of the sea of riuers and of raines of tempestuous winds Monsters hideous in all nature signes in the aire comets eclipses of the sun and of the moone and other horrible things in the celestiall motions whereof ensued famins plagues and other diseases which were before vnknowen Cicero writeth that there appeared then not onely fierie impressions by night in the heauen flashes of of lightning and tremblings of the earth but moreouer that the thunder fell on the high towers of the Temples many Images of the Gods were remoued out of their places many statues of famous men throwen downe the tables of brasse wherein the Lawes were ingrauen were melted The Image also of Romulus the founder of Rome who was made as he were sucking and waiting at the tears of the wolfe striken with thunder Shall I tell of fower-score thousand Romains and their allies defeated by the Cymbrians and a hundred fortie thousand Cymbrians slaine by the Romains the armies of the Heluetians and Germains ouerthrowen the bondmen vp in armes and allies mutining And not onely the good townes and mightie armies did suffer but also the rich seignories and noble kingdomes were distroied the free nations either trauailed with warres or were brought vnder subiection As the Spanish French British Germain Pannonian Illyrian Armenian and Thracian Italie it selfe after it had about some fiue hundred yeares valiantly defended it selfe was in the end subdued Moreouer there were scarce any famous men either in armes or learning but either receiued notable iniuries or suffered violent death Scipio Africanus being returned out of the Senate was found the next day stifled in his bed which was thought to haue bin done by his neerest kinred Hannibal being driuen out of Italie and banished Africa poisoned himselfe in the Court of king Prusias The king Mithridates being besieged by his sonne Pharnaces slew himselfe and Pharnaces was in a moment ouercome by Cesar. Antiochus the great was depriued of the greatest part of Asia whereof he thanked the Romains And the king Prusias cald himselfe their slaue Perseus the last king of Macedonia was ouercome led in triumphe and died in captiuitie and one of his sonnes was the scribe of the magistrates Tigranes king of Armenia prostrated himselfe before Pompey and asking pardon he lifted him vp and put the Diademe on his head which he had throwen downe Ptolemey king of Cypres threw himselfe head-long into the sea knowing that by the instance of Clodius the Tribune Cato was sent thitherto carie away his treasures Syphax Iugurtha and Iuba being great kings in Africke ended vnhappely Sertorius was slaine by treason Marius flying from Rome in extreme danger of his life hid himselfe in the marish about Minturnes and went to sea in a squiffe without victuals to the fortune of the windes and the waues afterwards being returned he died being three score and ten yeares olde and almost mad His sonne slew himselfe at Preneste Sylla died eaten with wormes and lyce Crassus being ouercome beyond Euphrates by the Parthians was slaine as he parlied on safeguard Pompey was beheaded in the shore of Alexandria Cesar
persons appointed for diuine seruice POLICIE conducteth the affaires of peace and warre in the which would not be found any iustice or fidelitie without the feare of God and loue towards men which are especially commaunded in all Religions Wherfore in all Lordships both auncient and moderne the first care hath alwaies bin of Religion and diuine seruice and such as haue had the chargethereof haue alwaies bin reputed the chiefest in aucthoritie much honoured and well intertained being both they and their children exempted from subsidies and militarie labours The PRIESTS or PROPHETS of Egipt inioâ—ed a third part of the reuenew of the kingdom and had great credit both with the king with the coÌ„mon people aswel for that they had the care of diuine things were very learned and teachers of others as because they were called by the king to giue counsaile in great affairs foretelling of future things which they knew by the Sacrifices and by the starres The Roialtie was mingled with sacrificing and none could be king but he were also a PRIEST as Plato saith in his Politiks The CHALDEES in Assyria and Media had such aucthoritie as the Egiptian priests in Egipt being reputed most skilfull and expert in Astrologie by which they did prognosticate of things to come and by sooth-sayings and sacrifices turned away euill fortunes and made good to come The BRACHMANES amongst the Indians held the chiefe place to whom great honour was borne and great giftes were giuen as to men that were acceptable to the Gods and thought to know whatsoeuer was done in Hell They foretold at the beginning of the yeare droughts raines windes and diseases And they indure still at this present in those parts perseuering in the cerimonies of their auncient Religion and holding the chiefe places in honour calling themselues BRAMINS which go before the NAIRES that is to say the Nobles The King of Calecut is their high Priest and head of his Religion going for this cause before all the kings of India and being called SAMORY that is God in earth The MAGES gouerned the Religion and estate of the Persians with such aucthoritie that they interprised sometimes to vsurpe the kingdom during Cambyses his absence in his voiage of Egipt and to make one of them king It was the custome also that the king of Persia should learne their Magicke without the which he might not raigne The DRVIDES of Gaule being ministers of Religion and of iustice discoursed of the starres and of their mouings of the nature of things and immortalitie of soules as also of the diuine aucthoritie and prouidence being greatly respected of all the rest and verie well intertained At Rome the SACERDOTES ARVSPICES AVGVRES FLAMINS SODALES and virgins VESTALES which kept the eternall fire the high Priest and inferiour Priests super-intendeÌ„ts of their cerimonies sacrifices and supersticions had knowledg of the Ciuil law and managed the publike affaires The first kings of Rome were sacrificers and the Emperours to make their greatnes aucthoritie more venerable called themselues high Priests The PRIESTS both men and women ordained both in Greece and elswhere to see to the obseruation of the pagan Religion founded on Oracles were in great aucthoritie and receiued mightie offerings The Roialtie in Lacedemon was a superintendence in warre and preheminence in sacrifices The LEVITES in Iurie separated from the other Iewes to exercise sacrificing and the office of Priesthood in the race of AARON receiued dueties of inestimable value The THALISMANS PARACADIS CADIS Priests and Iudges in the Law of Mahomet MENITSSMARLS and IMANS were wel priuiledged freed from all subsidies At the beginning the CALIPHES in that religion were Kings and Priests one in Bagdet another in Caire Sithence the Sultans haue taken the royal aucthoritie and haue brought in the MVPHTIS accounted as Patriarches in steed of the CALIPHES super-intendents of the Religion and iudging soueraignly in matters of the Law by which are not onely occained the praiers and diuine ceremonies but also the politike and militarie affaires They haue power to retract the ordinances of the Sultans and sentences of their Diuans or Counsailes which are not conformable or seeme repugnant to the ALCORAN Euery Mahometan Prince keepeth one alwaies neere about him or in his principal Citie with great pension The great CHAM of the Tartarians Zauologues keepeth his at â—â—â—â—rcand The SOPHI at Tâ—â—ris There are also in Africk at Fez Caroan â—â—â—â—â—ssen and elswhere The TVRK beareth vnto his greater reuerence then to any man of his Empire The ECCLESIASTICAL persons throughout Germanie Fraunce Poland England and Hungarie hold at this day the chiefe places in the counsaile of Kings and administration of iustice Among the seuen Electors of thempire there are three Ecclesiastical Amongst the Peeres of Fraunce there are six The chiefest of the Counsaile in Poland are the Archbishops and Bishops The Emperour is confirmed consecrated by the POPE The French king consecrated by the Archbishop of Rheimes The king of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury The king of Poland by the Archbishop of Gâ—esâ—e For considering that the Archbishops and Bishops are established amongst the people as messengers of God and interpreters of the Law and will of God to their aucthoritie being great in it selfe haue bin added great honours in the common wealth to the end that the publike couÌ„sailes and constitutions should by their presence be made more venerable The POPE commaundeth ouer the temporall of the Church called S. Peters patrimonie as king and is reuerenced by the rest of the Latin Christendome as head and chiefe of the Religion in those places where he is acknowledged for such But before we make an end of this matter we will set downe the agreements and differences which were betweene the Egiptian Priestes and the Chaldees Mages Brachmanes and the Druides The EGIPTIANS and BABYLONIANS dwelling in spacious plaines and hauing nothing to hinder them from the whole view of the Heaueri bestowed great studie in obseruation of the starres in the which both th one and the other were most skilful and expert The Egiptians said that the CHALDEES came out of Egipt and had learned Astrologie of them The MAGES and BRACHMANES agreed in sobrietie and austeritie of life and the Brachmanes were thought to haue discended of the Mages There was also the like similitude betweene the MAGES and DRVIDES namely those of great Britaine that they seemed to haue deliuered Magick to the Persians and not to haue learned it of them The bodies of the MAGES when they were dead were left to the doggs and birds to pray vpon before they were buried The BRACHMANES voluntarily ended their liues by fire The CHALDEES and EGIPTIANS had faire great and magnificent Temples The MAGES had no temples altars nor images The Mages were common both to the Persians and Parthians The CHALDEES to the Assyrians and Medes The EGIPTIANS and the PERSIANS beleeued the Resurrection and that men beeing raised from the dead
thousand and amongest others Theodorick king of the Gothes ATTILA being retourned into Pannonia after this ouerthrow leuied a new armie and came furiously into Italy where he forced sacked and burned Aquileia and many other places And as he purposed to goe to Rome the Pope Leo the first of that name came vnto him and did so much by his intreatie that he not onely changed his purpose of going to Rome but also leauing Italy he retourned into his owne countrey He was a fatall Tyrant vnto Europe and became in a little time very mighty calling himselfe arrogantly the scourge of God but his power was estsoones lost by the discord of his children On the other side GENSERICVS king of the Vandales went out of Spaine into Africk where he made no lesse wast then Attila had done in Europe he tooke Carthage and Hippona of whence Saint Augustine was Bishop who dyed there during the siege lamenting the ruine of the Empire and distruction of the Churches Therhence he sailed into Italy with a mightie army and went vnto Rome which hetooke and spoiled And being won by the praiers of Pope Leo who before had appeased Attila he did not put it to fire and sword Whereby it appeareth that the Empire toward the west was very weake which many Emperours of small renowmne held one after another who dispatched one another by treasons and secrete practises without remaining long Amongest whom there was a certaine AVGVSTVLVS who voluntarily quitted the Empire and led a priuate life His name seemeth to haue bin fatall because that the Empire which began at AVGVSTVS ended in him at Rome At the same time ODOACER RVGIAN went with a great army of Herulois into Italy where he obtained the gouernment Against whome ZENON the Emperour sent Theodorick king of the Ostrogoths who ouercame him in two battailes and in the end slew him remaining Master of Italy which he and his successours enioyed about threescore yeres wherehence the Emperor IVSTINIAN thrust them out entierly by the Eunuch Narses as he draue the Vandales out of Africk by Bellisarius From that time forth the Greek and Lombard HEXARCHES tore and mangled Italy till they were put downe by the Frenchmen and that by the prowes and felicity of CHARLEMAIGNE the peace was there restored But by reason of these inuasions made by so many diuers nations one vpon an other there came wonderfull mutations into the world of tongues buildings habits customes lawes Magistrates offices maners of liuing publick and priuate of the military discipline of armes engines instruments with their words and names This notwithstanding and although learning and eloquence diminished by little and little there were many learned men both Greeks and Latins such as the estate of that wretched and troublesometime could bring vp Namely those which are called the doctours of the Church as GRECIANS Eusebius Athanasius Cyrillus Gregorie Nazianzen and Basil the great being Bishops both of them noble and brought vp togither as fellow Scholers at Athens Theodoret Gregorie of Nicene Epiphanius Nectorius Iohn Chrysostome Patriarches of Constantinople Apollinarius of Antioch and Damascen all Thelogians or Diuines Before whome were Clement of Alexandria Iustin Martyr Aristides and Athenagoras there florished moreouer Appian and Dydimus Grammarians Libanius a sophister Plotinus Iamblichus Maximus Porphyrius and Proclus Philosophers Oribasius Paulus Egineta Etius Physicians Procopius Agathias Philostratus Historâ—ans The LATINS were CypriaÌ„ Tertullian Arnobius Lactantius Hilarius Ambrose Hierome Ruffin Augustin many other Theologians Ausonius Claudianus Iuuencius and Prudencius Poets Seruius Donatus Priscianus and Diomedes Grammarians Victorinus a Rhetorician Sextus Rusus Aurelius Victor Trebellius Pollio Quintus Curtius Vopiscus Lampridius Spartianus Capitolinus Idacius Eutropius Ammianus Marcellinus Paulus Orosius Prosper Aquitanicus Cassiodorus Sidonius Apollinarius Iornandus Paulus Diaconus Methodius Gregorie of Tours Antony the Monke Historiographers Vegetius who hath writteÌ„ of the art Militarie Tribonian a Lawier by the coÌ„mandement of Iustinian gathered the writings of the ancient Lawiers called the Pandects which only remain with vs of antiquity Afterwards he did the like by the edicts ordinaÌ„ces of the Emperors coÌ„prised before in iij. volumes namly the Gregorian Hermogenian Theodosian gathered them into one volume called the Code or book of Iustinian Symmachus Boecius were in the temple of Theodorick a king of the Goths called Veroâ—ensis who put them inhumanely to death Symmachus was an Oratour Boetius a Philosopher who was exercised in al parts of Philosophy and in Mathematicks so happy both in verse and prose that it is hard to iudge whether he were the last that spake Latin or the first that did vndertake to restore learning and eloquence decaied Laurentius Valla calleth him the last of the learned men For sithence we haue not had any but Saint Gregory Beda and Bernardus Clareuallensis In so much that learning remaineth as it were dead the world going into a great silence and ignorance The troubles also and varieties were no lesse in matter of religion then of Empire For wheras sithence the resurrection of IESVS CHRIST those which made profession of his Gospell had bin by the space of three hundred yeres cruelly persecuted with diuers sorts of horrible torments by the Emperours Nero Domitian Traian Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerianus Aurelian Dioclesian and Maximinian Finally CONSTANTINE embrasing our religion vndertooke against his brother in law Licinius Caesar for the protection thereof a great war and more important then was that betweene Pompey and Caesar or between Octauian and Antony In which the question was not onely of Empire as in the other but also of religion namely whether the world from that time forward should be subiect and obedient to Christian Emperours who would ouerthrow the religion of the Gentils or els vnto the Emperours of the Gentiles who would vtterly roote out Christianity whereof ensued one of the chiefest mutations that euer was CONSTANTINE thorough the grace of God remaining victorious who caused the worshipping of false Gods to cease shut vp their temples and set the Christians in security permitting them freely and publickly to pray vnto the true God and to build Churches vnto which he assigned reuenewes for the maintenance of Preachers and Ministers and would haue them receaued vnto honours and magistrácies notwithstanding their profession This quarrel being scarse appeased the heresie of Arrius arose the most pernitious that euer was for the rooting out of which CONSTANTINE assembled that famous counsaile of Nicene But yet two yeres before his death at the perswasion of his sister Constance hereuoked Arrius againe out of banishment The which was cause of great scandal especially betweene his sonnes the Emperours CONSTANS and CONSTANTIVS of whom the one was an Arrian and the other an Orthodoxe or true Christian. Amongst whom thus disagreeing there were counsailes held against counsailes and the one disanulled by the other confessions against confessions creedes against creedes two Bishops different in euery city and
Mark Varro being a friend to them both and a great Philosopher and Mathematician after the manner of the Chaldees by the cunning of Astrologicall calculation cast the natiuity of Rome from the day wherein Romulus first began it which was the ninth of Aprill betweene two and three of the clocke in a pastorall feast called Palilia and rehearsing her passed aduentures foretold those that were to come The same Varro a very learned man and one who read the Romaine histories as much as any Romain that euer was writeth that the continuance of Rome was foreseene and knowen by the twelue Vultures which at the foundation thereof flew ouer Romulus namely that it should be of twelue hundred yeres euery vulture signifying an age or a hundred yeres and that in his time be had heard of one Vectius Augur that Rome should attaine to twelue hundred yeares seeing it had escapeâ— one hundred and twentie in which te 〈…〉 it was taken spoyled and destroyed many and sundry times The times of the continuance therof were diuided into ages after the similitude of mans life wherof the first which is called infancy or childhood weâ— vnder Romulus who founded it and brought it vp The puerilitie or boytâ—ie vnder the other Kings who augmented and instructed it in good manners customes lawes and disciplines But being growen vp vnder Tarquine it would no longer endure the yoâ—â— of subiection vnder proude domination and from that time forwarde chose rather to be obedient vnto lawes then vnto Kings Then the striplings age being ended in the ende of the Punicke warre and the strength more setled it entered into the age of manhood for hauing distroyed Carthage which of long time had bin her enemie she stretched out her seigniory by land and by sea into many countries till such time as wanting matter of foraine warre shee abused her strength employing it to her owne destruction Then was her first olde age when being afflicted with ciuile warres and oppâ—â—ssed with inwarde euils she fell againe into a Monarchy and came to another childhood or infancie And remained in vigour till the time of Traian of the Antonines and of Theodosius the first and then became aged vnder Honorius and Arcadius and the 471. yeares after that the Monarchie had begunne in Augustus it finished in Augustulus being vtterly lost in respect of Italy A COMPARISON OF ROME with Babylon and Constantinople TO this purpose it is obsermed that ROME and BABYLON had almost a like beginning increase continuance and ending such affaires being disposed by the ineffable mysteries and profound iudgements of God and not happening casually or by humaine power In such sort that vnder a like disposition of time BABILON fell and ROME arose Thone suffered the Lordship of strangers and thother despised that of her owne citizens Thone as it were dying left the heritage and the other growing acknowledged her selfe heire And then when the Empire of the East died the Empire of the west was borne And as BABYLON eleuen hundred threescore and foure yeres after it was built was by Arbaces the Median dispoiled of her kingdome and depriued of her king In like maner ROME after she had as many yeres endured was assailed and taken by Alaricus king of the Gothes After this maner was the beginning of BABILON and ROME alike their power alike their greatnes alike their time alike their good and euil alike their downefal alike and alike their destructioÌ„ We may say as much of CONSTANTINOPLE the heire of them both which about xj hundred sixtie and foure yeres after it was built by Constantine who called it new Rome was taken spoiled and depriued of the Greeke Empire and of her Emperour by Mahomâ—â— king of the Turkes wherein hath bin obserued a singular me 〈…〉 that as it was built by Constantine the sonne of Helen so it was also conquered by the Turkes vnder another Constantine the sonne of Helene A COMPARISON OF THE ROMAIN common wealth with the Lacedemonian and Carthaginian AS a Common wealth which is well ordained to endure a long time ought not to be single or of one kinde onely but must also haue the vertues and properties of others assembled in hit to th end that nothing therein be vnduely or vnproportionably increased which may make it to fal into the euill that is next it and consequently come to ruine for this cause Lycurgus instituting the LACEDEMONIAN common wealth mingled therein a Monarchie Aristocratie Democratie so conueniently that it remained almost seuen yeres in the same maner retayning still the integritie of his first institution In the which the king the Ephori and the Senate had their preheminences and powers in such sort intermingled and balanced togither that one could not well discerne vnder what kind of gouernment it was established The CARTHAGINIAN common wealth was thus ordained from the beginning It had kings the Aristocratie â—e power of Senatours and the commons hauing also their preheminence in things appertaining to them In such sort that as touching the assembling of the three estates it resembled the Lacedemoniâ—n Also the ROMAIN had these three estates so equally and conueniently tempered that one could not say whether it were an entier Aristocratie or a Democratie or a Monarchie Considering the power of the Consuls one would haue iudged it Monarchical and â—oial regarding that of the Senators Aristocratical and respecting that of the people Democratical But the Seigniory being seized on by the Emperours they first tooke from the people the authoritie of medling in publicke affaires and transported it to the Senate then reduced that of the people and of the Senate to their absolute power The Lacedemonian was sufficient onely to conserue their owne and to keepe their libertie but insufficient to augment and to enlarge their Empire wherein the Romain was most excellent For the Lacedemonians assaying to conquer the principalitie of Greece they sodanly put their liberty in danger where the Romains after they had brought Italy vnder their obedience subdued in a little time a great part of the world being abondantly furnished with all preparations requisite for such an enterprise Touching the Carthanginian then when it began to haue wars with the Romain it was in declining and the Romain in his vigour seeing that all common weales haue a certaine augmentation and vigour and afterwardes a diminution For Rome florished then especially in order of gouernment The people in Carthage had vsurped to much authoritie in the Counsails At Rome the Senate conducted the greatest part of the affaires which prospered the more for being gouerned by the wisest and by such conduct they finally ouercame the Carthaginians Besides that the Italians are of a more excellent nature then the Lybians both in shape of body and in hardinesse of courage and that the Romains were serued by their owne nation which were taught to war with the best discipline in the world The Carthaginians vsed none but straungers and mercenaries putting all
which they called Pilum and threw it when they began their fight Some wâ—â—te that besides their pauois they caried also a pike namely the Greek souldiers But that seemeth impossible because they must needes haue enough to do to help themselues with one of these weapons apart and to vse them both together were an vneasie and a verie difficult thing for the pike alone requireth both hands and the pauois on thother side serueth only for defence to couer themselues because it was not verie maniable And the target also could not well be handled but would be in a maner vnprofitable except at the beginning of the battaile they holp themselues with their pike hauing their target at their back and that comming so neere together that the pike serued them to no farther vse then they abandoned it to take their Target wherwith and with their sword the souldiers holp themselues in the presse The GREEKS did not lade themselues with such heauie armour as the Romains but they gaue themselues therwithall much more to carrie the pike especially the Macedonian Phalanges which carried pikes called Sarisses of ten cubites long wherwith they assaied to break the rankes of their enemies without going out of their owne But seeing that the ROMAINS conquered all the world we may well think that they were the best armed of all The fashion of this time is to arme the footman with good Curets and a cask or headpeece which seemeth to be sufficient for the defence of a manâ— and is better then the harneis of the auncients Touching weapons to offend we carrie a sword somewhat longer then theirs Our other armes are the pike the halbard partisan harquebuze and many others not so vsuall amongst souldiers and the target although there is little reckoning made thereof except it be for an assault and besides there are few that vse it but the Captaines The Harquebuze hath bin found out but few yeares sithence and is verie good so it be handled by such as are skilfull and readie yet now adaies euery one will be a harquebuzier whether it be to get the more pay or to be the lesseloden or els to fight the farther off The Halbards are a new kind of weapon lately inuented by the Switzers which are verie good if they be strong and will cut well and not light ones such as the Italians vse And in like sort are their Partisans which being stronger and better steeled then they are would serue well against naked men but against those that are armed can do no great seruice Amongst other armes which are lesse in vse are the long bow and the crosbow which may do verie great harme to men that are not well armed both by reason of their readines in shooting which is verie sodaine and also for the surenes of their blowes which are seldome in vaine Concerning the Pike if the Switzers haue not bin the inuentours therof yet at least wise they haue first brought it in vse because that they being poore at the first and desirous to liue in libertie were constrained to fight against the ambition of the Princes of Germanie who by reason of their riches and power intertained many horsemen which the Switzers could not do and for this cause made their warres on foote Then were they constrained to defend themselues against the Cauallerie of their enemies to hauerecourse to the auncient maner and therhence to chose some kind of armes for defence against horsemen which necessitie made them either to maintain or bring in vse againe the orders of the time past without which footmen are altogether vnprofitable wherefore they took pikes as verie seruiceable weapons not only to sustaine the assault of men at armes but also to ouercome them By meanes of which armes and by the affiance which they haue in their good order they haue taken on them such boldnes that fifteen or twentie thousand of them durst vndertake to stand against a world of horsemen The example of the force which these people haue showed to be in armes of footmen are the cause that sithence the voiage of king Charles the eight other Nations haue imitated them namely the Spaniards and Almaines then the Italians and Frenchmen following the order which the said Switzers keepe and the maner of the armes which they beare but for order there are few like vnto them We must labour then to gett this order or if it be possible to forme or finde out some more safe by meanes whereof we may defend vs from euery one and be preferred before all others To do this it seemeth to such as are most expert in this matter that we ought verie well to arme the bodies of our souldiers to the ende that the rankes may be so much the harder to be broken especially such as serue before in steede of a wall or vantmure and all the rest if it be possible euery one according to his weapon And it must not be thought strange that we lode these men with so much Armour for it is to arme them surely in such sort as they ought to be armed that meane to stande to it and not as they which arme them selues lightly who beeing euill couered and armed thinke rather on flying then of ouercomming taking example by the Romaines who armed their souldiers which were ordered in batalions as heauily as possibly they could to make them the firmer against their enemies and that feeling their bodies so loden with harneis they should not looke to saue themselues by flight but either to die in the place or to get the victorie Vegetius complayneth of the souldiers of his time that they went too lightly armed and followed not the Auncients which were alwaies wont to ouercome their enemies because they were euermore well armed and that such as were ill armed were ordinarily ouercome in all their battailes The souldiers also must harden their bodies vnto paine learne to helpe themselues with those armes and weapons which they beare to keepe their order in marching thorough the Countrie and the maner of encamping or lodging together in a campe which are the principall points that an Armie ought to know The Nations which heretofore haue had ordinances or companies of footmen haue alwaies made one principall number of the men which they leuied which although it hath bin diuersly named yet hath it bin euer almost equal in number because they haue all ordained it of six or eight thousand men which number by the Romains was called a Legion because they leuied their men by election of the Greekes Phalanx of the Gaules Caterue of the Switzers and Almaynes Hourt that is to say a Battalion which the Italians and Spaniards do also vse But they haue of late began to call it a Regiment The greatest disorder that they can commit which ordaine a battalion is in this that they take no heed but only to make the head strong in which they place the Captaines and all the valiantest and best armed
had the principall charge vnder him who put him in a golden cage and cast him on a chariot meaning to carry him to Bactria then seeing that Alexander approached caused him to bee killed with darts and Iauelins and left him dead in the midst of the way Such was the end of a king so mighty in people in possessions and reuenews who called him selfe Lord of all the world from the East vnto the West hauing raigned onely sixe yeres in all delicacies exceeding the common magnificence of Princes Which luxurious maner of liuing was cause of his vtter ouerthrow as humane things being variable haue their fatall inclination so ordained by the diuine prouidence to fall then when they are mounted highest and that the Lords thinke themselues to be most assured sleeping therefore in carelesnes and ouerweening conceits For he suffered himselfe to slide so farre into deliciousnes and superfluous riches that he slept alwaies in a chamber betweene two great chambers most richly furnished in such sort that the Kings bed being sumptuously spred in his chamber and couered with a vine of gold in manner of a grate or lettis enriched with precious stones gathered togither in manner of hanging clusters of grapes the beds head was placed towards the wal of one of the great chambers in which ther was fiue thousand talents of gold and this great roome was called the kings beds head whereunto right opposite was the wall of the other great chamber against his beds foote in the which there was alwaies three thousand talents of siluer and was called the kings beds foote which summes are esteemed after our maner to be worth thirty millions of Crownes Going to war he caried with him in his host for his pastime and delight cccxxxix women as Concubines singers dauncers and such as were skilfull in all kinde of Musicke xlvj workmen to set flowers in order and to make garlands nosegaies chapelets and other sweete smelling things cclxxvij cookes xxix potters making euery day vessels of earth to serue the kitchin xiij bakers of tarts and such other licorous and delicate bakemeates Cellerers cupbearers bruers and minglers of wines makers of spiced cupps and of all artificiall lycours and drinkes xvij of th one sort and lxx of the other Perfumers and makers of sweete smelling sauours and odours both wet and dry xl If then the king of Persia vsed so much delicacy being in warr and nourished himself with so many delights in the field what did he wheÌ„ he remained in peace at Persepoli or in Babylon a city abounding in all superfluities and in all vices that proceed of great plenty Yet notwithstanding in the flower of his fortune he being dronken with prosperity and aboundance of goods was spoyled of his riches which had bin heaped togither by many kings his predecessours losing his life and his kingdome which was clymed to the top of the worldy power and felicity where ariseth the spring of pride arrogancy ouerweening and extreme insolency And there is the slippery path whereon standeth the enuy of fortune and where soueraigne felicity falleth headlong into great calamity By this so magnificent victory ouer him ALEXANDER brought vnder his obedience almost al the countries of the East and transported the Monarchy out of Asia into Europe So the Macedonians tooke away the Empire of the East from the Persians and the Parthians from the Macedonians by the conduct of Arsaces a Captaine of an vncertaine birth but of a most approued vertue and no lesse memorable amongst them then Cyrus among the Persians and Alexander among the Macedonians by whose name they called the succeeding Kings because of the reuerence which they bare vnto him They became so mighty that for a time they ruled ouer all Asia possessing not onely the vnmeasurable plaines but also the abrupt dounfals of the mountaines and placing the bounds of their Empire where either the heate or the cold staied them with snowes or immoderate and burning heates They possessed eighteene kingdomes deuiding in this maner their prouinces as hauing respect to the two Seas that is the red Sea towards the South and the Caspian toward the North where of eleuen which were called the superiour or higher began at the confines of Armenia and at the bankes of the Caspian Sea extending euen to the Scythians Thother seauen were termed the inferiour or lower They seemed to diuide the world with the Romaines th one ruling in the East and thother the West Their dominion from ARSACES to ARTABANVS endured cccc yeres which was brought backe againe into Persia by ARTAXERXES and after cccxviij yeres was taken againe from the Persians by the Arabians or Sarazens Amongest whom the CALIPHES residing at Bagdet raigned in the East ccccxviij yeres after them the first TVRKS from the yere of Christ M.L.I. vntill M.cc.xj when the Tartarians came out of their countrey who in a little time seised on the greatest part of the north the East the south of whoÌ„ came the inuincible TAMBERLAN who made the whol habitable earth afraid And since they being retired the Persians who are reputed the ciuâ—lest people of the East being ingenious valiant and there are amongst them excelleÌ„t Philosophers Physitions Astrologers very good Artisans in all misteries occupations Their king is called SOPHI which is as much to say as wise and the Interpreter of God because that ISMAEL the first that was so named vnder the colour of expositions new ceremonies brought in by him into the religion of Mahomet got no longe time since a great Empire in the East hauing driuen away the race of Vsun-Cassanus king of Persia to whom he was allied by his mothers side and made many Princes and Lords of the East his vassals or tributaries The chiefe prouinces vnder his obedience were Armenia the great Persia Media Assyria with iiij capital or head Cities Tauris in Armenia Samach in Persia Scyras in Media Bagdet which was somtimes Babylon in Assyria There are gentlemen amongst them after the maner of Italy France Spaine which vse barded horses in the wars vnto which they go welarmed bearing great lances and good cymeters being also very good archers The Sophi is opposite on the one side to the Ottoman to the Zagathain on thother Thus haue the kingdoms of Asia of the East varied But before we go out of this quarter we must speak of the MAGES which were far different from other natioÌ„s in their religion wisdom They had no temples Images nor altars neither was it permitted by their law to make any esteeming them fools which had them accounting it impiety to inclose the Gods within wals which ought to haue al open free whose temple and house was the whol world For this cause they perswaded Xerxes warring in Greece to burne al the Temples which he should find there And when they would sacrifice they went vp into high mountaines where it was not lawful for him that
sacrificed to pray onely for himselfe but hee must also pray for the prosperity of the king and generally of all the Persians being himselfe by this means comprised in the praier Euery one of thē when they would sacrifice brought his offering into a place that was not contaminated then hauing his attire on his head made for the most part of mirtle he called on that God to whom he sacrificed They would neither pisse spit nor void their noses into the riuers but reuerenced them aboue all things They suffered their dead bodies to be bitten praied on by doggs and birds before they would bury them others anointed them ouer with waxe then put them into the earth They and the Egyptians did not burne them because the Persians said it was not fit that a God should feed on a dead man the Egyptians thought the fire to be a liuing creature eating cōsuming whatsoeuer he seased on dying with his meat whē he was ful in their Law it was not permitted to cast the dead bodies to birds and beasts to deuoure them or to any liuing Creatures and therefore they embalmed them with salt that they should not be eaten of wormes The Egyptians would neuer kill any thing that had life The Mages killed with their handes euery liuing creature sauing man whom also the DRVIDES of Gaule did not spare to kill and sacrifice diuining by southsayings as the MAGES whom they resembled in many thinges shewing themselues so cerimonious in obseruing of Magick that they seemed to haue taught it to the Persians and not to haue learned it of them as Pliny sayth These Mages gaue out that the Gods appeared vnto them and foretold them of things to come affirming that the aire was full of spirits which did subtilly insinuate themselues into mens eyes that there were two princes namely one good God which they called Herosmades and the other euill whom they termed Arinan They clothed themselues with white garments liued of herbes cheese and course bread slept on the ground caried canes or reades in steed of staues They assembled in a holy place to communicate and talke togither Their authority was so great that Cambises when he went out of Persia left the gouernment of his house to one of them who in the absence of the king conspired with a brother of his against him and went about to make himselfe king Their Magicke consisted wholy in the religion and seruice of the Gods To whom they offered praiers vowes and sacrifices as if they onely were exalted beleeuing the resurrection of men and that they should be immortall Aristotle witnesseth that they were auncienter then the PROPHETS of Egypt Clearehus affirmeth that the BRACHMANES or GYMNOSOPHISTS of India came from thē ZOROASTER without doubt was the first inuentor whom somethinke by the etimologie of his name to haue bin an obseruer of the starres and to haue vnderstood natural things Plato in his first Alcibiades saith that the Magick of ZOROASTER is a knowledge of diuine mysteries which was wont to bee taught vnto the children of the kings of Persia to th end they might learne by example of the whole worlds common wealth to gouerne their owne And in his Charmides he sayth that the Magick of ZAMOLSIS was the physick of the minde causing it to vse temperance as the other is cause of bodily health Pithagoras Empedocles Democritus and the same Plato sayled and went far to learne it and hauing learned it did celebrate it at their retourne and kept it secret and many other vertuous amongest the auncients haue trauailed carefully therein getting great authority and reputation thereby For obseruing by it the meruailes hidden in the secretes of the world in the bosome of Nature and mysteries of God they haue discouered the concords of the world and agreement of the heauen with the earth accommodating the superiour thinges to the inferiour after they had once knowen their vertues howe they agree in doing and suffering which the Greekes call Sympathies and Antipathies which hath moued Plotinus to call such MAGES making profession of naturall MAGICKE the ministers of Nature It is at this day much vsed in CHINA and CATHAY which are Countries inhabited by most ingenious and industrious people where they are not permitted to come to Offices and Honours in the Common wealth without being learned namely in this MAGICKE which signifieth to speak simply according to the auncient Persian language perfect and soueraigne wisedome and MAGVS an expounder and obseruer of the diuinity Sithence that men haue abusiuely transferred this name to inchaunters who do wickedly abuse the simple making them beleeue that they know the secret and future things by strange words by signes and characters by diuelish deceits and impostures and other superstitious obseruations of Necromantie Geomantie Hydromantie Aeromantie Pyromantie such other of long time reproued both by diuine and humane lawes Wherhence may be vnderstood that there are two sorts of MAGICK th one natural thother superstitious The natural in contemplating the vertues of celestial and terrestiall things considering the conuenances contrarieties discouereth the powers which are hidden in nature mingling th one with thother in due proportion vnder certain constellation and applying the actiue to the passiue draweth them one to another by the similitude of nature So the elements do draw th one the other so the loadstone draweth the yron to it amber the chaffe and brimstone fire the sunne many flowers leaues the Moone waters Mars the winds many herbes drawe vnto them many liuing creatures and haue meruailous secret properties by the which this Magicke naturally worketh great miracles The other superstitious Magick is by inuocation of euil spirits which is a manifest Idolatry and hath alwaies bin forbidden by wel ordered common weales Such were the MAGICIANS of PHARAO which counterfeited diuelishly whatsoeuer MOSES ARON diuinely had wrought til such time as the rod of MOSES turned into a serpent did eate vp theirs which they had tourned also into serpents Such was SIMON MAGVS and such the Pythonisse was that called vp the soule of Samuel the prophet such also was Circe such a one was Medea Plutarch writeth that the spirit of Antony being bound by magicall verses and loue drenches that his liberty being lost he was fixed in the face of Cleopatra The Euthydemus of Plato compareth Oratorie and Magicke or Enchauntery togither and sayth that as Oratory is a delighting and appeasing of the Iudges and assemblies of men so that Enchanting is an asswaging of vipers spiders scorpions other venimous and cruel beastes as also of diseases The vanity of this superstitious Magick appeared especially in the Emperour Nero who gaue him selfe to it as much as euer any man did hauing neither want of goods of power nor of vnderstanding and desiring nothing more then to command the Gods and the dead Notwithstanding after he had called vnto him Tyridates king of Armenia