conquered by the Normans comming with a forreine King being none of their naturall countrey In the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred threescore and eighteene Childerich King of France caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any just crime or accusation against him For which cruelty his Lords and Commons being grievously offended conspired together and slew him and his wife as they were hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much humane bloud but he was also justly recompenced in the end first he murdered King Edward the second lying in Barkeley Castle to the end he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity Secondly he caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Scots by restoring them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the Kings of Scotland had bound themselves to be feudaries to the Kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent uncle to King Edward of treason and caused him unjustly to bee put to death And lastly he conspi redagainst the King to worke his destruction for which and divers other things that were laid to his charge he was worthily and justly beheaded In the reigne of Henry the sixt Humfrey the good duke of Gloucester and faithfull protectour of the King by the meanes of certaine malicious persons to wit the Queene the Cardinall of Winchester and especially the Marquesse of Suffolke as it was supposed was arrested cast into hold and strangled to death in the Abbey of Bure For which cause the Lords hand of judgement was upon them all for the Marquesse was not onely banished the land for the space of five yeares but also banished out of his life for ever for as hee sailed towards France hee was met withall by a Ship of Warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast up at Dover that England wherein he had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment The Queene that thought by this meanes to preserve her husband in honour and her selfe in estate thereby both lost her husband and her state her husband lost his realme and the Realme lost Anjou Normandy with all other places beyond the sea Calice onely excepted As for the Cardinall who was the principall artificer of all this mischiefe he lived not long after and being on his death bed murmured and grudged against God asking wherefore hee should die having so much wealth and riches and saying That if the whole Realme would save his life he was able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it but death would not be bribed for all his aboundant treasure he died miserably more like a Heathen than a Christian without any shew of repentence And thus was the good Dukes death revenged upon the princiall procurers thereof As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called master Arden of Feversham was most execrable so the wonderfull discovery thereof was exceeding rare This Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire than dishonest who being in love with one Mosbie more than her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for together they hired a notorious Ruffin one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as he was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her owne guilty conscience and some tokens of bloud which appeared in his house was soone discovered and confessed Wherefore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael master Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feversham Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloudy action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feversham And Blacke Will the Ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a seaffold at Flushing in Zeeland And thus all the murderers had their deserved dues in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtained mercy by true repentance is easie to judge CHA. XI Of the admirable discovery of Murders AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shedding mans bloud so hath he alwaies declared his detestation thereof and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them by his miraculous and superhaturall detecting of such murderers from time to time who have carried their villanies so closely as the eye of man could not espy them plainely shewing thereby that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth as Abels did upon Cain and that God will have that law stand true and firme which he made almost before all other lawes He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed If I should commit to writing all the examples of this kinde which either are recorded in Authors or which dayly experience doth offer unto us it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject And therefore I will be content with some few and those for truth most credible and yet for strangenesse most incredible And to begin with our owne countrey About the yeare of our Lord 867 a certaine Nobleman of the Danes of the kings stock called Lothebrocus father to Inguar and Hubba entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England named Rodham where being found and detained he was presented to king Edmund that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time The King as hee was a just and good man understanding his parentage and seeing his cause entertained him in his Court accordingly and every day more and more perceiving his activity and great dexterity in hunting and hawking bare speciall favour unto him insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing privy malice against him for this cause secretly as they were hunting together in a wood did murther him and threw him in a bush Lothebroke being thus murthered and shortly missed in the Kings house no tydings could be heard of him untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master at sundry times came to the Court and fauned on the King so that the King suspecting some such matter at length followed the trace of the hound and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay Whereupon inquisition being made at length by some circumstances of words and other suspitions it was knowne that he was murdered by Berikâ— the Kings Faulconer who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke
above mentioned being condignely punished for her wickednesse ended her life in much penury and misery Alexius Emperour of the Greekes dying left behinde him a wicked and cruell woman his late wife now widow this widow being exhorted by the Peeres of the Empire to a second marriage and to that end choice being offered unto her of all the Nobility to chuse whom she should best affect notwithstanding refused all for she was so linked in familiarity with one of her owne houshold called Grifo who afterward when he came to be Emperour called himselfe Emanuel that for his love she refused all other matches with this Grifo this wicked woman entereth a secret and bloudy practise she consulted with him that he should bring into the Court a number of his servants secretly armed which comming in at divers times and by divers wayes to avoid suspition she disposed in the house in secret places to be ready at her call to execute her bloudy designement This being thus plotted she called together the Peeres of the Empire and demanded of them if they were content that she should chuse to her husband whom she pleased and that they would acknowledge him for their Emperour whom she should chuse when as the Noblemen hereunto consented supposing that she would have chosen one fitting for her estate she presently saluted this Grifo her old adulterous companion for her husband and Emperour and commanded them all to swear fealty unto him which when as they all utterly refused and disdained the wicked woman forthwith called the bloudy troop prepared for that purpose and caused them all to be murdered not one escaping alive Thus to satisfie her wicked lust she spared not to spill the bloud of the most part of her Nobility after a most savage and cruell manner and indeed she injoyed her desire but behold the issue of it from this time forward the race of Constantine ceased to sit in the Imperiall throne and no doubt but Gods vengeance also fell upon her and her wicked husband In the yeer of our Lord 700. Gracus the famous King of Poland being deceased the Crowne and Government descended upon his onely daughter Venda by full consent of the whole Realme This Venda being of a proud and stately nature refused to be joyned in marriage with any saying That she had rather be a Prince her selfe and governed by her owne power than the wife of the greatest Prince in the World Among many that were suiters unto her there was one Ritigerus a noble and mighty Prince of the Theutons whose suit being not onely denied but scornefully rejected and he notwithstanding greatly inflamed with her love went about to enforce her by strength to his will but she as valiant as he raised a great power to withstand his violence when the matter was ready to come to deciding by blowes Ritigerus his army perceiving the resolution of Queen Venda and the danger and losse which was like to arise to them and that upon so slight an occasion refused to fight so that Ritigerus being thus forsaken for griefe and shame slew himselfe and Queen Venda returning to Cracovia and there sacrificing to her gods for her good successe at last least her succesfull government should be stained with some disastrous misfortune and so her pride abated to prevent this fear desperately threw her selfe from an high bridge into the River Vistula and there ended her glorious and proud dayes with a shamefull and ignominious death Let every one both great and small learne by these examples to contain themselves within the limits of humanity and not be so ready and prompt to the shedding of humane bloud knowing nothing to be more true than this That he that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword CHAP. XVII Of such as without necessity upon every light cause move war AS in Surgery so in a Common-wealth we must account war as a last refuge and as it were a desperate medicine which without very urgent necessity when all other meanes of maintaining our estate against the assaults of the enemy fail ought not to be taken in hand and indeed the chief scope and marke that all those that lawfully undertake war ought to propound to themselves should be nothing else but the good and quiet of the Common-wealth with the peace and repose of every member thereof And therefore so ost as any reasonable offers and conditions of peace are propounded they ought to be accepted to the end to avoid the masse of evils as ruines bloudsheds robberies which alwayes accompany war as necessary attendants for whosoever doth not so but upon every light occasion runneth to Armes and to trie the hazard of battell they manifest their owne foolish and pernicious rashnesse and their small conscience in shedding humane bloud Amongst the good Kings of Judah Iosias for piety and zeal in the service of God was most renowned for he purged the Realme from all drosse of idolatry repaired the decayed Temple and restored it to the first glory and yet for all this for committing this one crime he lost his life for as Necho King of Aegypt was passing with an Army toward the King of Babylon in Charcamis beside Euphrates to bid him battell he would needs encounter him by the way and interrupt his journey by unprovoked war yea though Necho had by embassage assured him not to meddle with him but intreated onely free passage at his hand yet would not Iosias in any wise listen so opinionative and selfe-willed was he but gave him battell in the field without any just cause save his owne pleasure which turned to his pain for he caught so many wounds at that skirmish that shortly after hee died of them to the great griefe of the whole people and the Prophet Ieremy also that lamented his death King Iohn of France for refusing reasonable conditions of peace at the English mens hands was overthrowne by them two miles from Poytiers with a great overthrow for the Englishmen in regard of their owne small number and the huge multitude of the French to encounter with them timorously offered up a surrender of all that they had either conquered taken or spoiled since their comming from Bourdeaux and so to be sworne not to bear Armes against him for seven yeares so that they might quietly depart But the King that crowed before the Conquest affying too much in the multitude of his Forces stopt his eares to all conditions not willing to hear of any thing but war war even thinking to hew them in pieces without one escaping but it fell out otherwise for the English men intrenching themselves in a place of advantage and hard of accesse inclosed with thicke hedges and brambles disturbed and overthrew with their Archers at the first onset the French Horsemen and wounded most of their men and horses with multitude of arrowes it tarried not long ere the footmen also were put to flight on the other side
prisoners to Affrica amongst the which was Eudoxia the Empresse with her two daughters Eudocia and Placidia who was the cause of all this calamity but her trechery saved not her self nor them from thraldome And thus was Rome sacked and destroyed more than ever it was before insomuch that the Romane Empire could never after recover it selfe but decayed every day and grew worse and worse These were the calamities which the adultery of Valeutinian brought upon himselfe and many others to his owne destruction and the utter ruine of the whole Empire Childericke King of France son to Merouce for laying siege to the chastity of many great Ladies of his Realme the Princes and Barons conspired against him and drove him to flie for his life Eleonor the wife to King Lewis of France he that first cut through the sea surrowes towards Jerusalem against the Turkes and Saracens would needs couragiously follow her husband in that long and dangerous voyage but how Marrie whilest he travailed night and day in perill of his life she lay at Antioch bathing her selfe in all delights and that more licentiously than the reputation or duty of a married woman required wherefore being had in suspition and evill reported of for her lewd behaviour it was thought meet that she should be divorced from the King under pretence of consanguinity to the end she should not altogether be defamed The faire daughters of Philip the faire King of France escaped not at so good a rate for the King as soone as he smelt out the haunt of their unchastity caused them to be apprehended and imprisoned presently howbeit one of them namely the Countesse of Poictiers her innocency being knowne was set at liberty and the other two to wit the Queen of Navarre and the wife of Iohn de le March being found guilty by proofe were adjudged to perpetuall imprisonment and the Adulterers two brethren of the countrey of Anjou with whom these Ladies had often lyen were first cruelly flaine and after hanged Charles son of the aforesaid Philip the faire had to wife the daughter of the Earle of Artois that also offended in the like case and in recompence received this dishonour and ignominie to be divorced and put in prison and to see him married to another before her face In the reigne of Charles the sixth there befell a notable and memorable accident which was this one Iaques le Gris of the Countrey of Alanson being enamoured with a Lady no lesse faire than honourable the wife of the Lord of Carouge came upon a day when he knew her husband to bee from home to her house and faining as if he had some secret message to unfold unto her on her husbands behalfe for their familiarity was so great entred with her all alone into a most secret chamber where as soone as he had gotten her he locked the doore and throwing himselfe upon her forced her unto his lust and afterward saved himselfe by speedy flight Her husband at his returne understanding the injury and wrong which was done him by this vile miscreant sought first to revenge himselfe by justice and therefore put his cause to be heard by the Parliament of Paris where being debated it could not well be decided because he wanted witnesses to convince the crime except his owne wives words which could not be accepted so that the Court to the end that there might some end be made of their quarrell ordained a combate betwixt them which was forthwith performed for the two duellists entering the lists fell presently to strokes and that so eagerly that in short space the quarrell was decided the Lord of Carouge husband of the wronged Lady remained conquerour after he had slaine his enemy that had wronged him so wickedly and disloyally the vanquished was forthwith delivered to the hangman of Paris who dragged him to mount Falcon and there hanged him Now albeit this forme and custome of deciding controversies hath no ground nor warrant either from humane or divine Law God having ordained only an Oath to end doubts where proofes and witnesses faile yet doubtlesse the Lord used this as an instrument to bring the treacherous and cruell Adulterer to the deserved punishment and shame which by deniall he thought to escape A certaine Seneschall of Normandy perceiving the vicious and suspitious behaviour of his wife with the Steward of his house watched them so narrowly that he tooke them in bed together he slew the Adulterer first and after his wife for not all her pittifull cryings for mercy with innumerable teares for this one fault and holding up in her armes the children which she had borne unto him no nor her house and parentage being sister to Lewis the eleventh then King could not withhold him from killing her with her companion Howbeit King Lewis never made shew of anger or offence for her death Mâ—sselâ—na the wife of Claudius the Emperour was a woman of so notable incontinency that the would contend with the common harlots in filthy pleasure at last she fell in love with a faire young Gentleman called Silius and to obtaine more commodiously her desire she caused his wife Sillana to be divorced and notwithstanding she was wife to the Emperour then living yet she openly married him for which cause after great complaint made to the Emperour by the Nobles she was worthily put to death Abusahed King of Fez was with six of his children murdered at once by his Secretary for his wives sake whom he had abused And it is not long sithence the two Cities Dalmendine and Delmedine were taken from the King of Fez and brought uâ—der the Portugals dominion only for the ravishment of a woman whom the Governour violently took from her husband to abuse and was slain for his labour CHAP. XXIX Other examples like unto the former MArie of Arragon wife to Otho the third was so unchast and lascious a woman and withall barren for they commonly goe together that she could never satisfie her unsatiable lust she carried about with her continually a young lecher in womans clothes to attend upon her person with whom she daily committed filthinesse who being suspected was in the presence of many untyred and found to be a man for which villany hee was burnt to death Howbeit the Empresse though pardoned for her fault returned to her old vomit and continued her wanton traffique with more than either desired or loved her company at last she fell in love with the County of Mutina a gallant man in personage and too honest to be allured with her stale though he was often solicited by her wherefore like a Tvgre she accused him to the Emperour for extreame love converts to extreame hatred if it be crossed of offering to ravish her against her will for which cause the Emperour Otho caused him to lose his head but his wife being privy to the innocency of her husband traversed his cause
unmeasurable and unsupportable impositions As for that which the Prophet Samuel in the Name of God giveth notice to the Israelites of touching the right of a King wherein he seemeth to allow him the disposition of the goods and persons of his subjects I answer first That God being an immoveable Truth cannot contradict himselfe by commanding and forbidding the same thing and secondly that the word of the Text in the Originall signifieth nothing else but a custome or fashion as it appeareth by the 1 Sam. 11. 13. besides the speech that the Prophet useth importeth not a commandment but an advertisement of the subjection whereunto the people were about to thrust themselves by desiring a King after the manner of other Nations whose customes amongst them was to exercise authority and dominion as well over their goods as their persons for which cause God would have them forewarned that they might know how vile a yoak they put their owneneckes under and what grievous and troublesome servitude they undertook from the which they could no wayes be delivered no though they deâ—â—â—ed it with teares Furthermore that a King in Israel had no power in right and eqâ—ity to take away the possessions of any of his subjects and appropriate it to himselfe it appeareth by Naboaths refusall no King Achab to give him his vineyard though he requested it as it may seem upon very reasonable conditions either for his money or for exchange so that a man would thinke he ought not to have denied him howbeit his desire being thus crossed he could not mend himselfe by his authority but fell to vexe and grieve himselfe and to champe upon his owne bit untill by the wicked and detestable complot of Iezable poor Naboath was falsely accused unjustly condemned and cruelly murdered and then he put in possession of his vineyard which murder doubtlesse she would never have attempted nor yet Naboath ever have refused to yeeld his vineyard if by any pretence of Law they could have laid claim unto it but Naboath knowing that it was contrary to Gods Ordinance for him to part with his patrimony which he ought most carefully to preserve would not consent to sell over his vineyard neither for love nor money nor other recompence and herein he did but his duty approved by the holy Scripture Now how odious a thing before God the oppression of poor people is it is manifest by his owne words in the Prophesie of Ezechiel where he saith Let it suffice O Princes of Israel learn off cruelty and oppression and execute judgement and justice take away your exactions from my people and cease to thrust them from their goods and heritages Now concerning the law of man which all men agree unto because it is grounded upon reason and equity we finde no permission given to Kings to use the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed upon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as divers worthy Authours avouch their owne vertues and good behaviour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first unto that honour And truely there is nothing more rightfull and justin mans society than that every one should possesse and enjoy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of justice are established called lawes which no good Kings will ever seek to stand against They are indeed Lords of the earth aâ— some say and truly but so that their Lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the propriety of goods and possessions remaineth untouched To Kings saith Soâ—â—ca pertaineth the soveraignty over all things but to private men the propriety Tiberius Caesar being solicited by the Governours of the Provinces to lay heavier tributes and levy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painim this notable answer That a good shepherd ought to shear his sheep not to flea them Saint Lewis that good King amongst all his other wife and vertuous exhortations which he gave to his son before his death this was none of the least nor last That he should never crave any taxe or subsidie of his subjects but upon urgent necessity and very just cause and that if he did otherwise he should not be reputed for a King but for a tyran CHAP. XXXIX Of those that have used too much cruelty to wards their subjects in Taxes and Exactions IT is clear then by these foresaid assumptions that a King may not impose upon his Subjects unmeasurable taxes and subsidies least he make himselfe guilty of extortion the root and fountain many times of many great mischiefes and inconveniences and in very deed from whence oftner changes seditions and ruines of Common-wealths have proceeded than from any other cause beside What hapned to Roboam King of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subjects but the defection of the greater part of his Kingdom from him for being come to the Crowne after the death of his father Solomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens he despising the counsell of his sage and antient Counsellours and following the giddy advice of his young companions gave them a most sharpe and sowre reply saying That if his father had laid an heavy yoak upon them he would encrease it and if he had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they revolted from him all save the two Tribes of Iuda and Benjamin and stoned to death his Collectours and chose them another King to rule over them Thus Roboam was deprived often parts of his Kingdom thorow his owne unadvised tyranny and fled all amazed unto Jerusalem where he lived all his dayes without recovery of the same Achaeus King of Lydia was hanged up against a hill and his head throwne into a River running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowned Tyran not onely in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his unjust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that alboit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complain and lament their case continually yet he diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and sucked and gnew out all that ever he could untill he left them naked empty and despoiled To conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters after he had been discomfited by the Carthaginians was slain by his servants Of the Roman Emperours that most vexed the Commonalty with tribures and taxes these three were chief Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whom this latter
them back homewards conducted by one appointed for the purpose who not suffering him to ride the common and beaten way but leading him a new course through uncoth paths brought him into an ambush of theeves placed there by the Bishops appointment who set upon him and murthered him at once but it is notoriously knowne that not one of that wicked rabble came to a good end but were consumed one after another In a City of Scotland called Fanum Ianius the chiefe mart Towne of that countrey soure of the chiefest citizens were accused by a Monke before the Cardinall for interrupting him in a Sermon and by him condemned to be hanged like heretickes when no other crime could bee laid to their charge save that they desired the Monke to tie himselfe to his text and not to rove up and down as he did without any certain scope or application of matter Now as they went to execution their wives fell downe at the Cardinals feet beseeching and intreating pardon for their husbands lives which he was so farre from granting that hee accused them also of heresie and especially one of them whose name was Helene for hee caused her young infant to be pulled out of her armes and her to be put to death with her husband for speaking certaine words against the Virgin Mary which by no testimonies could be proved against her Which doome the godly woman taking cheerfully and desiring to hang by her husbands side they would not doe him the least favour but drowned her in a River running by that it might be truly said that no jot of mercy or compassion remained in them But ere long the cruell Cardinall found as little favour at another Butchers hands that slewe him in his Chamber when hee dreamed of nothing lesse and in his Cardinalls robes hanged him over the wall to the view of men And thus God revenged the death of those innocents whose blouds never ceased crying for vengeance against their murtherer untill he had justly punished him in the same kinde and after the same fashion which hee had dealt with them Of this Cardinall called David Beton Buchananus reporteth many strange acts of Cruelty both in the Common-wealth of Scotland in matters of State as also in the Church in questions of Religion how he suborned a false testament in the dead Kings name whereby hee would have created himselfe chiefe Governour of the whole kingdom had not his knavery bin soon detected and how he set many together by the eares of the chiefest sort not caring which of them soonest perished so that they perished glutting himselfe thus with bloud But amongst all his cruelties the least was not extended towards the professors of the Gospell whom hee endeavoured by all means possible not to suppresse only but even utterly to extinguish Many he put to death with fire divers he forced to revolt with extreame torments and many he punished with banishment among whom was George Buchanan the reporter of this history who being taken and imprisoned escaped through a window whilest his keepers slept out of this Lions jaws Amongst the rest there was one George Sephocard a most learned and sincere Preacher of the word of God in whom his savage cruelty was most eminent This man abiding at one Iohn Cockburns house a man of no small reckoning account about 7 miles from Edenborough was first sent for by the Cardinall after being not delivered he together with the Vicegerent beset all the passages that he might not escape so that Cockburn was constrained to deliver him into their hands upon the assurance of Earl Bothuel who promised to protect him from all injuries How be it notwithstanding the Earles promise and the countermand of the Vicegerent refused to meddle with that innocent man yea and gave command That no proceedings should be made against him yet the bloudy tyrant condemned him tobe put to death also caused the condemnation to be executed and that which doth more aggravate his cruelty he caused a place to be prepared for him and his company hung with tapestry and silke very sumptuously that he might be a joyfull spectatour and eye-witnesse of his torments But marke how the just vengeancee of God shewed it selfe even in that place for as it is in the former story not long after this vile butcher was murthered in his owne house by the conspiracy of Normanus Leslius son to the Earle of Rothusia who early in a morning surprised his porters and all his servants in their sleepe and murthered him in his bed that had murthered so many Christians and to stop the rage and fury of his friends hung out his body for a spectacle unto them in the same place where a little before he had with such triumph beheld the tortures of that guiltlesse Martyr Insomuch that almost all did not only acknowledge the just view of Gods judgement herein but also remembred the last words of that constant Saint who being ready to give up the ghost urtered this speech in effect He that sitteth and beholdeth us so proudly in that high place shall within few dayes as reproachfully lye as now arrogantly he sitteth A story not much unlike in manner of punishment happened in the raign of King Henry the eighth to one Sir Ralph Ellerker Knight marshall in the towne of Calice when as Adam Damlip otherwise called George Bucker a sincere Preacher of the word of God was condemned to be executed as a traytour in pretence though indeed for nothing but defending the truth against the dregs of Popery would not suffer the innocent and godly man to declare either his faith or the cause he dyed for but said to the Executioner Dispatch the knave have done not permitting him to speake a word in his owne defence to cleere himselfe from the treason that was objected not proved against him but this cruell Tyrant swore he would not away before he saw the trayterous heart out Now this said Sir Ralph in a skirmish or road betweene the French and us at Bulloine was amongst others slaine whose only death sufficed not the enemies but after that they had stripped him starke naked they cut off his privy members and pulled the heart out of his body so lefthim a terrible example to all bloudy and mercilesse men for no cause was knowne why they should use him so rather than the rest but that it is written Faciens justitias Dominus judicia omnibus injuria pressis Thomas Bâ—aver one of the Privy Councellors of the King of Scots was a sore persecutor of the faithfull in that land for which cause lying on his death bead he fell into despaire and said he was damned and a cast-away and when the Monkes came about him to comfort him he cryed out upon them saying That their Masses and other trash would do him no good for he never beleeved them but all that he did was for love of lucre and not of Religion
enemy declareth that therein he feareth him but feareth not God and careth for him but contemneth God It was therefore not without good reason that all antiquity ever marked them with the coat of infamy that forswore themselves And thereupon it is that Homer so often taunteth the Trojans by reason of their so usuall Perjuries The Egyptians had them in detestation as prophane persons and reputed it so Capitall a crime that whosoever was convinced thereof was punished by death The ancient Romanes reverenced nothing more then faith in publike affaires for which cause they had in their Citie a Temple dedicated to it wherein for a more strait bond they used solemnely to promise and sweare to all the conditions of Peace Truces and Bargaines which they made and to curse those which went about first to breake them for greater solemnity and confirmation hereof they were accustomed at those times to offer sacrifices to the image of faith for more reverence sake Hence it was that Attilius Regulus chiefe Captaine of the Romane Army against the Carthaginians was so highly commended of all men because when he was overcome and taken prisoner and sent to Rome he onely for his oathes sake which he had sworne returned againe to the enemy albeit hee knew what grievous torments were provided for him at his returne Others also that came with him though they were intreated and by their Parents Wives and Allies instantly urged not to returne to Hannibals Campe could in no wise be moved thereunto but because they had sworne to the enemie if the Romans did not accord to those conditions which were offered to come againe they preferred the bond and reverence of their promised faith though accompanied with perpetuall captivity before their private commodities and neerest linke of affection But two of these ten for so many were they falsified their oath and whatsoever mist they might cast to darken and disguise their Perjury with yet were they condemned of all men for cowards and faint-hearted Traytors insomuch that the Censors also nored them with infamy for the fact whereat they tooke such griefe and inward sorrow that being weary of their lives they slew themselves Now what can they pretend that professe themselves Christians and Catholickes to excuse their Perjuries seeing that the very Heathen cry out so loud and cleere That an oath and faith is so sacredly to be kept towards our enemies This is one of the greatest vertues and commendations which the Psalmist attributeth to the faithfull man him that feareth God and whom God avoucheth for his owne Not to falsifie his oath that he sweareth though it be to his dammage The Gibeonites although they were so execrable a people that for their great and horrible wickednesses and ahominations they might be well esteemed for Hereticks yet the Princes of Israel after they had sworne and given their faith unto them would in no wise retract or goe against their oath albeit therein they were deceived by them for feare of incurring the wrath of God that suffereth not a Perjurer to goe unpunished Vpon what ground or example of holy Scripture then may that Doctrine of the Councell of Constance be founded the purport whereof is That a man ought not to keepe his faith with Hereticks I omit to speake how these good Fathers by Hereticks meant those men who fearing God relyed themselves upon his Word and rejected the foolish and superstitious inventions of men And under what colour can the Popes usurpe this Authority to quit and discharge subjects of their oath wherewith they are bound to their Superiors yet this was the impious audacity of Pope Zacharia Pope Boniface the 8 and Pope Benedict de la Lune who freed the Frenchmen from their duty and obedience which they ought unto their Kings In like manner disgorged Gregory the 7 his choler and spight against the Emperour Henry by forbidding his Subjects to be his Subjects and to yeeld that obedience unto him which Subjects were bound to doe How be it if an oath be made either against God or to the damage and hurt of our neighbour it being for that cause unlawfull it behoveth us to know that we ought to revoke it lest wee fall into the sinne of Saul and Herod Now what punishments God hath laid upon Perjuries these Examples that follow shall make known unto us Osee the last King of Israel being made by Gods just judgement for his sinnes subject and tributary to Salmanazar King of Ashur without regard to the bond wherewith he was bound and to his faith which he had plighted conspired and entered league with the King of Aegypt against him but he discovering their seditious and privie conspiracies assembled his forces spoyled his countrey and bad them warre on all sides laying fiege to the chiefe Citie of his Kingdome after three yeeres tooke it together with the forsworne King whom he put in close prison and kept very straightly leading him and his whole Nation captive into Syria to end their dayes in misery of which evill as of all others that happened in that warre the disloyalty and Treason of Osee was the next and chiefest cause Among the bed-roll of sinnes which Zedechias the last King of Iuda is noted withall in holy Scripture Perjury is one of the count for notwithstanding he received his Kingdome of Nabuchadnezzar and had sworne fealty to him as to his Soveraigne yet brake he his oath in rebelling against him which was the very cause of his destruction for Nebuchadnezzar to be revenged on his disloyalty sent a puissant Armie against Ierusalem which took spoyled and burnt it and overtooke the Perjurer in his flight and first made him a beholder of the slaughter of his owne children and then had his owne eyes bored out and was carried in chaines to Babylon serving for a spectacle to all posteritie of Gods wondrous judgements upon Perjurers And thus both the Kingdomes of Israel and Iuda were for breach and falsifying their Oath quite extinguished and rased out The great deceiver and most treacherous person one of them that ever Greece saw was Lisander the Lacedemonian a busie-body full of cunning subtilty and craft and one that performed the most of his acts of Warre more by fraud and stratagems than by any other meanes this was he that said That when the Lions skinne meaning Fortitude would not serve it was needfull then to sow unto it the Foxes case meaning subtilty he made so little reckoning of forswearing himselfe that he would often say That children were to be cousened with trifles as Dice and Cockles and old men with Oathes but with deceitfull tricks he was occasion of much evill and divers murders but at last this Foxe making warre against the Thebans for that they had taken part with the Athenians against him and given them succour and meanes for recovering their liberty was taken in the trap and slaine at the foot of their walls
those Truce-breaking Varlets He had scarce ended these speeches but the Christians battell and courage began to rebate Vladislaus himselfe was slaine by the Iâ—nizaries his horse being first hurt his whole Army was discomfited and all his people put to the sword saving a few that fled amongst whom was the right reverend Embassador of the Pope who as soone as he had thrust in over the eares withdrew himselfe forsooth farre enough from blowes or danger Then followed a horrible butchery of people and a lamentable noyse of poore soules ready to be slaughtered for they spared none but haled them miserably in pieces and executed a just and rigorous judgement of God for that vile treachery and perjury which was committed CHAP. XXVIII More examples of the like subject BVt let us adde a few more examples of fresher memory as touching this ungodly Perjury And first King Philip of Macedony who never made reckoning of keeping his oathes but swore and unswore them at his pleasure and for his commodity doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why he and his whole Progeny came quickly to destruction as testifieth Pausanias for hee himselfe being 46 yeeres old was slaine by one of his owne servants after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes Anideus and another which he had by Cleopatra Attalus his neece whom she sod to death in a Cauldron his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished and lastly Alexander after all his great victories in the middest of his pompe was poysoned at Babylon Gregorie Tours maketh mention of a wicked Varlet in France among the people called Averni that forswearing himselfe in an unjust cause had his tongue so presently tyed that he could not speake but roare and so continued till by his earnest prayers and repentance the Lord restored to himselfe the use of that unruly member There were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi whereof the memory remaineth onely at this day for they were utterly destroyed by Q. Cincinnatus These having solemnely made a league with the Romanes and sworne unto it with one consent afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their Captaine and under his conduct spoyled the Fields and Territories of the Romanes contrary to the former league and oath Wherupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius P. Volumnius and A. Posthumius Embassadors to them to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction but their Captaine so little esteemed them that he bad them deliver their message to an Oake standing thereby whilest hee attended other businesse Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the Oake spake on this manner Thou hallowed oake and whatsoever else belongeth to the gods in this place heare and beare witnes of this disloyall part and favor our iust complaints that with the assistance of the gods wee may bee revenged on this injury This done they returned home and shortly after gathering a power of men set upon and over came that truce-breaking Nation In the yeer of Rome built 317 the Fidenates revolted from the friendship and league of the Romans to Toluminus the king of the Veyans and adding cruelty to treason killed foure of their embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection which disloyalty the Romans not brooking undertooke war against them and notwithstanding all their private and forrein strength overthrew and slew them In this battell it is said that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus bravely galloping up and down and incouraging his souldiers and the Romans trembling at his approch said Is this the breaker of leagues and violater of the law of nations If there be any holinesse on earth my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine embassadours and therewithall setting spurres to his horse he unhorst him and fastening him to the earth with his speare cut off his perfidious head whereat his army dismaied retired and became a slaughter to the enemies Albertus Duke of Franconia having slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia brother to Lewis the fourth then Emperor and finding the Emperors wrath incensed against him for the same betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg from whence the Emperour neither by force nor policie could remove him for seven yeares space untill Atto the Bishop of Mentz by trecherie delivered him into his hands This Atto under shew of friendship repaired to the castle and gave his faith unto the earle that if he would come downe to parle with the Emperor he should safely return into his hold the Earle mistrusting no fraud went out of the castle gates with the Bishop towards the Emperour but Atto as it were suddenly remembring himselfe when indeed it was his devised plot desireth to returne back and dine ere he went because it was somewhat late so they do dine and returne Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperor but he caused to be presently put to death notwithstanding he urged the Bishops promise and oath for his returne for it was answered that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine as he had promised And thus the Earle was wickedly betrayed though justly punished As for Atto the subtill traitor indeed he possessod himselfe by this meanes of the Earles lands but withall the justice of God seised upon him for within a while after he was stricken with a thunderbolt and as some say carried into mount Aetna with this noyse Sicpeccatalues atque ruendorues Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia making warre upon the Argives surprised them by this subtilty he tooke truce with them for seven dayes and the third night whilest they lay secure and unwarie in their truce he oppressed them with a great slaughter saying to excuse his trecherie though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof that the truce which he made was for seven dayes onely without any mention of nights howbeit for all this it prospered not so well with him as he wished for the Argie vwomen their husbands slaine tooke armes like Amasons Tolesilla being their captainesse and compassing the citie walls repelled Cleomenes halfe amased with the strangenesse of the sight After which he was banished into Aegypt and there miserably and desperatly slew himselfe The Pope of Rome with all his heard of Bishops opposed himselfe against the Emperor Henry the fourth for he banished him by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church discharged his subjects from the oath of fealty and sent a crowne of gold to Rodolph king of Suevia to canonize him Emperor the crowne had this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho that is The Rocke gave unto Peter and Peter gave unto Rodolph the crown Notwithstanding Rodolph remembring his oath to the Emperour and how vile a part it was to betray him whom he had sworne to obey and defend at first refused the Popes offer howbeit by the persuasion of the Bishops sophistrie he was induced to undertake the
King of Macedonia had a minion called Cratenas whom hee loved most entirely but he againe requited him not with love but with hatred and stretched all his wits to install himselfe in his kingdome by deposing and murthering him which though he accomplished yet his deserts were cut short by the vengeance of God for he continued not many dayes in his royalty but he was served with the same sauce that he had made Archelaus before him to taste of even betraied and murthered as he well deserved Lodovicus Sfortia to the end to invest himselfe with the Dukedome of Millain spared not to shed the innocent bloud of his two Nephewes the sonnes of Galenchus together with their tutors and one Francis Calaber a worthy and excellent man but the Lord so disposed of his purposes that he in stead of obtaining the kingdome was taken prisoner by the King of France so that neither he nor any of his off spring injoyed that which he so much affected When Numerianus was to succeed â—arus his father in the Empire Arrius Axer his father in law to the end to translate the Empire unto himselfe entered a conspiracy and slew his sonne in law that nothing mistrusted his disloyalty but the Pretorian army understanding the matter discharged Arrius and elected Dioclesian in his roome who laying hold upon his competitour laied an action of treason to his charge and put him to death in the sight of the multitude Theodoricke and Fredericke conspired against their owne brother Thurismund King of the Visigothes to the intent to succeed him in his Kingdome And albeit that nature reclaymed them from the act yet they slew him without all compassion But after thirteene yeres reigne the same Theodericke was requited by his other brethren with the same measure that he before meted to his brother Thurismund And so though vengeance slept a while yet at length it wakened Aelias Antonius Gordianus Emperour of Rome though so excellent a young Prince that he deserved to be called the Love and Iewell of the World yet was he slaine by one promoted by himselfe to high honour called Philip Arabs when he was but two and twenty yeres old after whose decease this Philip got himselfe elected Emperour by the Band and confirmed by the Senate All which notwithstanding after five yeres Decius rebelled and his owne souldiers conspired against him so that both he at Verona and his sonne at Rome were slaine by them about one time After the death of Constantine the Great his three sonnes dividing the Empire betwixt them succeeded their father Constantine the eldest had for his share Spaine France the Alpes and England Constance the second held Italy Africa Graecia and Illyricum Constantine the younger was King and Emperour of the East But ambition suffered them not to enjoy quietly these their possessions for when the eldest being more proud and seditious than the other not content with his alotted portion made warre upon his brother Constance his Provinces and strove to enter Italy he was slaine in a battell by Aquileia when he was but five and twenty yeares old by which meanes all the provinces which were his fell to Constance and therewithall such a drowsinesse and Epicurisme for want of a stirrer up after his brothers death that he fell into the gout and neglected the governement of the Empire Wherefore in Aâ—sourge and in Rhetia they created a new Emperour one Magnentius whose life before time Constance had saved from the souldiers and therefore his treachery was the greater This Magnentius deprived and slew Constance but was overcome by Constantine the third brother in Illyricum yet in such sort that the conqueror could not greatly brag for he lost an infinit company of his men and yet missed of his chiefe purpose the taking of Magnentius for he escaped to Lyons and there massacring all that he mistrusted at last growing I suppose in suspition with his owne heart slew himselfe also and so his traiterous ingratefull and ambitious murther was revenged with his owne hands Victericus betrayed Lnyba king of Spaine and succeeded in his place seven yeares after another traitour slew him and succeeded also in his place Mauritius the Emperor was murthered by Phocas together with his wife and five of his children he seating himselfe Emperour in his roome Howbeit traitors and murtherers can never come to happy ends for as he had slaine Mauritius so Priscus Heraclianus and Phorius three of his chiefest captaines conspiring against him with three severall armies gave him such an alarme at once at his owne doores that they soone quailed his courage and after much mangling of his body cut him shorter by the head and the kingdome at one blow In the time of Edward the second and Edward the third in England one Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much bloud and at last King Edward himselfe lying at Barkley castle to the end that he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity After this he unjustly accused Edmund Earle of Kent of treason and caused him to bee put to death therefore and lastly he conspired against King Edward the third as it was suspected for which cause he was worthily and deservedly beheaded Among this ranke of murtherers of Kings we may fitly place also Richard the third usurper of the Crowne of England and divers others which he used as instruments to bring his detestable purpose to effect as namely Sir Iames Tirrèl Knight a man for natures gifts worthy to have served a much better Prince than this Richard if he had well served God and beene endued with as much truth and honesty as he had strength and wit also Miles Forest and Iohn Dighton two villaines fleshed in murthers But to come to the fact it was on this sort When Richard the usurper had enjoyned Robert Brackenbury to this piece of service of murthering the young King Edward the fifth his Nephew in the Tower with his brother the Duke of Yorke and saw it refused by him he committed the charge of the murther to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the Tower by the Kings Commission received the keyes into his owne hands and by the helpe of those two butchers Dighton and Forest smothered the two Princes in their bed and buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames rode back to king Richard who gave him great thankes and as some say made him knight for his labour All which things on every part well pondered it appeareth that God never gave the world a notabler example both of the unconstancy of worldly wâ—ale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despightfull cruelty for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at Saint Martins Sir Iames Tirrel died at the Tower hill beheaded for treason King Kichard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine
in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more than all the rest for it is most certainly reported That after this abhominable deed hee never had quiet in his minde when he went abroad his eye whirled about his body was privily fenced his hand ever upon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleep short and unquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start up and leap out of his bed and runne about his chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abhominable murther CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their Superiors because of Subsidies and Taxes imposed upon them AS it is not lawfull for children to rebell against their parents though they be cruell and unnaturall so also it is as unlawfull for subjects to withstand their Princes and Governors though they be somewhat grievous and burthensome unto them which we affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and unmeasurable oppression upon their subjects as shall be declared hereafter more at large but we entreat onely here of their duties which are in subjection to the power of other men whose authority they ought in no wise to resist unlesse they oppose themselves against the ordinance of God Therefore this position is true by the word of God That no subject ought by force to shake off the yoke of subjection and obedience due unto his Prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publicke authority is imposed Give saith the Apostle tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome pertaineth feare to whom feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grievance and not the Religion and service of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question we ought with all patience to endure whatsoever burthen or charge is laid upon us without moving any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that have otherwise behaved themselves these examples following will shew how well they have been appaied for their misdemeanors In the yeare of our Lord 1304 after that Guy Earle of Flanders having rebelled against Philip the Faire his Soveraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subjection and constrained to deliver himselfe and his two sons prisoners into his hands the Flemings made an insurrection against the Kings part because of a certain taxe which he had set upon their ships that arrived at certaine havens and upon this occasion great warre divers battels and sundry overthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the King remained conqueror and the Flemings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the battell six and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeares after this Flemmish stirre there arose a great commotion and hurly burly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whom they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the Kings Palace at his lodging in the Temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all the day after neither the King nor any of his officers durst once stir over the threshold nay they grew to that overflow of pride and insolency that the victuals which were provided for the Kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwne under feet in the dirt and trampled upon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their pains were hanged before their own doores and in the city gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixth the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which he minded to lay upon them banded themselves and conspired together against him they determined once saith Froissard to have beaten downe Loure and S. Vincents castle and all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensive to them But the King though young in yeares handled them so ripe and handsomely that having taken away from them their armor the city gates and chaines of the streets and locked up their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewis the Earle of Flanders for divers taxes and tributes which he had layd upon them which they in no respect would yeeld unto The matter came to be decided by blowes and much bloud was shed and many losses endured on both sides as a meanes appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number than five or six thousand men overthrew the Earles army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuit of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety and lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a beggar to fly the City And thus he fared till King Charles the sixth sent an army of men to his succor for he was his subject by whose support he overcame those Rebels in a battell fought at Rose Bec to the number of forty thousand and the body of their chiefetaine Philip Artevil slaine in the throng he caused to be hanged on a tree And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy the countrey being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord. A while before this whilest King Iohn was held prisoner in England there arose a great commotion of the common people in France against the nobility and gentry of the realme that oppressed them this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered together in the countrey of Beauvoisin but that small handfull grew right quickly to an armfull â—â—on to nine thousand that ranged and robbed throughout all Brie along by the river Marne to Laonoise and all about Soissons armed with great bats shod with yron an headlesse crue without Governour fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility In this disorder they wrought much mischiefe broke up many houses and castles murthered many Lords so that divers Ladies and Knights as the Duchesses of Normandy Orleance were fain to fly for safegard to Meaux whither when these Rebels would needs pursue them they
aloft upon the roofe of an house perceiving his intent threw downe a tile with both her hands upon his head and hit him such a knocke upon the necke through default of his armour that it so bruised his joynts that he fell into a sudden swound and lost his sight his raines falling out of his hand and he himselfe tumbling from his saddle upon the ground which when some of the soldiers perceived they drew him out of the gate and there to make an end of the tragedy cut off his head The cruelty of the Ephori was marvellous strange when being unwilling once to heare the equality of lands and possessions to be named which Agis their King for the good of the commonwealth according to the antient custome and ordinance of Licurgus sought to restore they rose up against him and cast him in prison and there without any processe or forme of law sttangled him to death with his mother and grandfather But it cost them very deare for Cleamenes who was joynt King with Agis albe it he had consented to the weaving of that web himself to the end he might raigne alone yet ceased he not to prosecute revenge upon them which hee did not onely by his daily and usuall practises openly but also privily for taking them once at advantage being at supper all together hee caused his men to kill them suddenly as they fat And thus was the good King Agis revenged But this last murtherer which was fullied and polluted with so much bloud he went not long unpunished for his misdeeds for soone after Antigonus King of Macedonia gave him a great overthrow in a battell wherein hee lost Sparta his chiefe city and fled into Aegypt for succour where after small abode upon an accusation laid against him he was cast into prison and though he escaped out with his company by cunning and craft yet as he walked up and down Alexandria in armor in hope that through his seditious practises the citizens would take his part and help to restore him to his liberty when he perceived it was nothing so but that every man forsooke him and that there was no hope left of recovery he commanded his men to kill one another as they did In which desperate rage and fury he himselfe was slain his body being found was commanded by King Ptolomey to be hangd on a gibbet and his mother wives and children that came with him into Aegypt to bee put to death And this was the tragicall end of Cleomenes King of Sparta Alexander the tyrant of Pheres never ceased to make and spy out all occasions of warre against the people of Thessaly to the end to bring them generally in subjection under his dominion he was a most bloudy and cruell minded man having neither regard of person or justice in any action In his cruelty he buried some alive others he clothed in beares and boares skins and then set dogs at their tailes to rend them in pieces others hee used in way of pastime to strike through with darts and arrowes And one day as the inhabitants of a certaine city were assembled together in counsell he caused his guard to inclose them up suddenly and to kill them all even to the very infants He slew also his owne uncle and crowned the speare wherwith he did that deed with garlands of flowers and sacrificed unto him being dead as to a god Now albeit this cruell Tygre was garded continually with troupes of souldiers that kept night and day watch about his body wheresoever hee lay and with a most ougly and terrible dog unacquainted with any saving himselfe his wife and one servant that gave him his meat tied to his chamber dore yet could hee not escape the evill chance which by his wives meanes fell upon him for she taking away the staires of his chamber let in three of her owne brethren provided to murther him as they did for finding him asleep one tooke him fast by the heeles the other by the haire wringing his head behind him and the third thrust him through with his sword shee all this while giving them light to dispatch their businesse The citizens of Pheres when they had drawne his carkasse about their streets and trampled upon it their bellies full threw it to the dogges to be devoured so odious was his very remembrance among them Iâ—gurth sonne to Manastabal brother to Micipsa King of Numidia by birth a bastard for hee was borne of a concubine yet by nature and disposition so valiant and full of courage that hee was not onely beloved of all men but also so deerely esteemed of by Micipsa that he adopted him joynt heire with his sonnes Adherbal and Hiempsal to his crowne kindly admonishing him in way of intreaty to continue the union of love and concord without breach between them which hee promised to performe But Micipsa was no sooner deceased but hee by and by not content with a portion of the Kingdome ambitiously sought for the whole For which cause hee first found meanes to dispatch Hiempsal out of his way by the hands of the guard who in his lodging by night cut his throat and then by battell having vanquished Adherbal his brother obtained the sole regiment without controlment Besides hee corrupted so by bribes the Senators of Rome that had soveraigne authority in and over his Kingdome that in stead of punishment which his murther cried for he was by the decree of the Senate allotted to the one halfe of the Kingdome Whereupon being growne yet more presumptuous hee made excursions and ryots upon Adherbals territories and did him thereby much injury and from thence falling to open warre put him to flight and pursued him to a city where hee besieged him so long till he was constrained to yeeld himselfe And then having gotten him within his power put him to the cruellest death he could devise which villanous deed gave just cause to the Romanes of that warre which they undertooke against him wherein hee was discomfited and seeing himselfe utterly lost fled to his sonne in law Bochus King of Mauritania to seeke supply of succour who receiving him into safegard proved a false gard to him and delivered him into the hands of his enemies and so was he carried in triumph to Rome by Marius fast bound and being come to Rome cast into perpetuall prison where first his gowne was torne off his backe by violence next a ring of gold pluckt off his eare lap and all and lastly himselfe starke naked throwne into a deepe ditch where combating with famine six dayes the seventh miserably ended his wretched life according to the merits of his misdeeds Orsius saith he was strangled in prison Methridates king of Parthia put to death the king of Cappadocia to get his kingdome and after under pretence of parlying with one of his sonnes slew him also for which cause the Romanes tooke up the quarrell and made warre upon him by meanes
together in single fight one of Cinna's army the other of the contrary and the one having slaine the other after that the Conquerour perceived that it was his brother whom hee had slaine hee slew himselfe also to make satisfaction for his brothers blood and so they were both buried in one grave Norbanus a Consull of Rome flying from Scylla slew himselfe at Rhodes rather than he would fall into his enemies hands and so did likewise Marius the sonne at Praeneste Of the murderers of Iulius Caesar almost all became also the murderer of themselves Cassius stabb'd himselfe with the same dagger wherewith he had stabb'd Caesar Brutus the night before his overthrow at Philippi saw in his chamber a vision of a great fearefull man and he demanding who he was and what he would he answered I am O Brutus thy evill spirit and to morrow thou shalt see me at Philippi To whom Brutus with a bold courage answered I will therefore see thee there The next day Brutus being conquered by Augustus and Anthony at Philippi fell upon his own sword and slew himselfe Methridates that bloody and mighty King of Pontus being overcome of Lucullus and Pompey and set upon by his owne sonne went about to make away himselfe by poyson which when it tooke not effect by reason of his daily taking of Antidotes he forced a French souldier of his to lay violent hands upon him and so hee became a wilfull spiller of his owne blood that had caused the blood of so many thousands to be spilt His two wives Monica and Veronica hearing of the miserable end of the king made likewise themselves away for the one hanged her selfe but when the weight of her body broke the cord shee committed her selfe to Bochis the Eunuch to bee slaine the other received poyson which when it wrought not so speedily as shee desired Bochis also was made an instrument to dispatch her Most famous and notorious is the story of Lucretia who being ravished by Tarquinius the yonger and impatient of that injury and disgrace slew her selfe openly and gave cause by her death of the change of the Roman State from the government of Kings to Consuls Sophronia another Roman woman but a Christian when as she could by no meanes escape the lust of Decius the Emperour daily assaulting her chastity tooke a sword and by her husbands consent slew her selfe and so to prevent one sin she committed another farre worse than that she feared Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus hearing of the death of her husband at Philippi sought for a knife to kill her selfe which being denyed her she eat burning coales and so ended her life by a strange kinde of death Wee read of many wanton and lewd Poets that have thus made an end of themselves who as for the most they are Epicures and Atheists so seldome come to a good end Labienus the railing Poet who for that cause was called Rabienus understanding that his bookes were adjudged to bee burned by a publike Decree would not survive his own writings and therefore killed himselfe Lucretius the Atheist taking a love potion to incite his lust was by the force therof deprived of his sences and so deprived himselfe also of life in his rage Empedocles the vainglorious Poet affecting the name of a god and of immortality threw himselfe headlong into mount Aetna and so perished Silvius Italicus being taken with an incurable disease chose rather to be his owne murderer than to endure the torment of his sicknesse Cornelius Gallus an amatorius Poet having robbed the City Thebes over which he was set to be governour by Augustus Caesar and fearing to be called to account prevented the punishment of humane justice by executing the justice of God upon himselfe with his owne hands Of those that persecuted the Church of Christ very many were given over by God to be persecutors of themselves and spoylers of their owne lives as Nero for example the first Emperour that tooke in hand to persecute Christians he seeing himselfe in danger to be murdered by one appointed for that purpose to prevent the malice of the murderer murdered himselfe Magnentius another tyrant and enemy to Christs Church being overcome by Constantius brother to Constans whom he had slaine fled to Lions and there became his owne Butcher whose death as soone as his brother Decentius understood he also hanged himselfe Galerius the Emperour after he had tormented the Christians by all cruell means and left no way unattempted whereby he might root them out of his Kingdome fell into a grievous disease through the torment whereof not being able to endure any longer he thrust a sword into his own bowels and so miserably ended his dayes And to come neerer to our owne age in King Edward the sixths dayes one Clerke an open enemy to the Gospel hanged himselfe in the Tower so did Pavier Towne-clerke of London so did the sonne of one Levar a husbandman that mocked and scorned at the holy Martyr master Latymer so likewise did Henry Smith a Lawyer another open adversary to Gods truth Richard Long another enemy to Gods truth drowned himselfe at Calice in King Henry the eights dayes Iohn Plankney a Fellow of New Colledge in Oxford did the like Anno 1566. and likewise one Hanington a Fellow of the same Colledge in a well at Padua or as some thinke at Rome Of these you may reade more in the first booke Hither I might adde many examples of moderne experience as namely of a covetous wretch in the Isle of Elie who being cast in a suit of Law through impatience of griefe came home and hanged himselfe of another that had beene a great dealer in worldly matters and an undoer of a Family or two of good credit and revenue by usury and taking forfeiture of bonds and that by his owne flattering perswasion being himselfe arrested at Huntington for debt rather then he would satisfie it though he was able enough cut his owne throat after a most fearefull and horrible manner another being a man of note and good possessions threw himselfe downe headlong from the top of a Church Many such like examples I could adjoyne with their names and places of abode but I forbeare least by reporting Gods judgements upon the dead I should offend some that are alive These therefore already proposed may be a sufficient taste of this kinde of judgement inflicted by God upon wicked persons and also may serve for a caveat and warning to all men to take heed how they offer violence to their owne lives seeing it is not onely a punishment of sinne past but a fearfull sinne it selfe and a forerunner and causer of punishment to come even of eternall punishment except the Lord extraordinarily and miraculously shew mercy which none ought to presume of CHAP. XIII Of Paricides or Parent Murderers IF all effusion of humane blood be both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature
heathen that they that hated them were lords over them In the yeare of our Lord 1551 in a town of Hassia called Weidenhasten The twentieth day of November a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut up all her doores and began to murder her four children on this manner shee snatcht up ā sharpe axe and first set upon her eldest son being but eight yeares old searching him out with a candle behinde a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints clave his head in two pieces and chopped off both his armes Next shee killed her daughter of five yeares old after the same manner another little boy of three yeares of age seeing his mothers madnesse hid himselfe poore infant behinde the gate whom as soone as the Tygre espied shee drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the yongest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeare old him she without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the Diuell incarnate for certaine no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit she survived nine dayes and confessing her fault dyed with teares and repentance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of vengeance The like tragicall accident we reade to have happened at Cutzenborff a City in Silesia in the yeare 1536 to a woman and her three children who having slain them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like manner also to make up the tragedy Concerning stepmothers it is a world to reade how many horrible murders they have usually practised upon their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their own brood or at least to revenge some injury supposed to be done unto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a taste out of many hundred leaving the residue to the judgment and reading of the Learned Constantius the son of Heraclius having raigned Emperour but one yeere was poysoned by his stepmother Martina to the end to install her own son Heraclon in the Crown but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to have her or her son raigne over them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the City Fausta the wife of Constantine the great fell in love with Constantine her sonne in Law begotten upon a Concubine whom when shee could not perswade unto her lust she accused unto the Emperour as a solicitor of her chastity for which cause he was condemned to die but after the truth knowne Constantine put her into a hot bath and suffered her not to come forth untill the heat had choaked her revenging upon her head her sonnes death and her owne unchastity CHAP. XIIII Of Subject Murtherers SEeing then they that take away their neighbours lives doe not escape unpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs follow that if they to whom the sword of Justice is committed of God to represse wrongs and chastise vices do give over themselves to cruelties and to kill and slay those whom they ought in duty to protect and defend must receive a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to have beene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody-minded as contrary to all Justice to put to death Abimelech the high Priest with fourescore and five other Priests of the family of his father onely for receiving David into his house a small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied therewith he vomited out his rage also against the whole city of the Priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any He slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that land yet because they were received into league of amity by a solemne oath and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not have beene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore hee tyrannizing and playing the Butcher amongst his own subjects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter and practising many other foule enormities he was at the last overcome of the Philistims and sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall alive into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands upon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sons and they that followed him of his owne houshould were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body dispoyled among the carkasses beheaded it and carried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung up the trunke in disgrace in one of their Cities to be seene lookt upon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in King Davids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause thereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed upon the Gibeonites wherefore David delivered Sauls seven sons into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is even to hanging Amongst all the sins of King Achab and Iezabel which were many and great the murder of Naboth standeth in the fore front for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserve death yet by the subtill and wicked devise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the Warre which he made with the King of Syria received so deadly a wound that he dyed thereof the dogs licking up his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whom her own servants at the commandement of Iehu whom God had made executor of his wrath threw headlong out of an highwindow unto the ground so that the wals were dyed with her blood and the horses trampled her under their feet and dogs devoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing saving onely her skull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat King of Judah being after his fathers death possessed of the Crowne and Scepter of Judah by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many Princes of the Realme for which cause God stirred up the Edomites to rebell the Philistines and
dreaming of nothing lesse whereat they being at the instant amazed quickly gathered their spirits together and putting themselves in defence fought it out with such courage and eagernesse that the traitors Army was wholly discomfited and he himselfe with one of his sonnes slain The Gothes having gotten this victory broke off their voyage to France and turned their course backe again to Italie with purpose to destroy and spoil and so they did for they laid waste all the Countrey of Piemont and Lumbardy and elsewhere and besieged Rome it selfe so that from that time Italie never ceased to be scourged and tormented with the Gothes for the space of eighteen yeers Moreover whosoever else have been found to follow the steps of these truce peace and promise-breakers void of truth and regard of reputation alwayes underwent worthy punishment for their unworthy acts and fell headlong into confusion and ignominy making themselves subjects worthy to be curst and detested of all men CHAP. XVI Of Queenes that were Murtherers IF these and such like cruelties as we have spoken before be strange and monstrous for men what shall we then say of wicked and bloudy women who contrary to the nature of their sex addict themselves to all violence and bloudshedding as cursed Iezabel Queen of Israel did of whom sufficient hath been spoken before Athaliah Ahabs daughter and wife to Ioram King of Judah was a bird of the same feather for she was possessed with such a spirit of fury and rage that after the death of her son Ochosias that died without issue she put to death all the bloud royall to wit the posterity of Nathan Solomons brother to whom by right of succession the inheritance of the Crown appertained to the end that she might install her selfe into the kingly diadem after this cruell butchery of all the royall male children except Ioas who by Gods providence was preserved alive she usurped the Crowne and Scepter of Juda full seven yeeres at the end of which date Ioas was exalted to the Crowne and she not onely deposed but slain by the hands of her Guard that attended upon her Semiramis the Queen of Assyria was a woman of an ambitious spirit who through her thirst of reigning counterfeited her sex and attired her selfe like a man to get more authority and reverence to her selfe She was the destruction of many thousand people by the unjust war which she stirred up besides that she was a notorious strumpet and withall a murderer of those that satisfied her lust for still as they came from her bed some lay privily in watch to kill them lest they should bewray her villany it is reported that she was so shamelesse that she solicited her owne son to commit incest with her who in detestation of her filthinesse and cruelty raised a power against her and conquering her in one great battell caused her most deservedly to be put to death Brunchild whom Histories call Brunhault a Queen of France by marriage but a Spaniard by birth was a woman that bred much mischiefe in her age and that wrought many horrible and death-deserving crimes for partly with her subtle devices and partly with her owne hands she murdered ten Kings of France one after another she caused her husband to slay his owne brother she procured the death of her nephew Meroveus whom against all equity and honesty she had secondly espoused for her husband for he being hated of his father for that vile incest and perceiving himselfe in danger of taking made one of servants thrust him through After she had committed these and many other foul facts she went aboutalso to defraud Clotairius the son of Chilpericke of the right of the Crowne which pertained unto him and to thrust in another in his room whereupon arose great war in the which as she dealt more boldly and manfully than the condition of her sexe would bear so she received the due wages of her brave and vertuous deeds for she was taken prisoner with three of her nephewes whose throats she saw cut before her face and after her selfe was set upon a Camell and led through the hoste three dayes together every man reviling mocking reproaching and despighting her and at last by the award and judgement of the Princes and Captaines of the Army she was adjudged to be tied by the hair of her head one arme and one foot to the tail of a wilde and unâ—â—med horse and so to be left to his mercy to be drawne miserably to her destruction which was no sooner executed but her miserable carkase the instrument of so many mischiefes was with mens feet spurned bruised trampled and wounded after a most strange fashion and this was the wofull end of miserable Brunchild Edilburga the daughter of Offa King of Mercia in England who was married to Brigthricus King of the West Saxons was a woman so passing all the bounds of humanity and so given to cruelty and other beastly conditions that she first poysoned divers of the Nobles of the Kingdom and then having practised this wickednesse upon them she at length poysoned also the King her husband for which cause flying over into France unto Charles the Great for fear of punishment among her owne people when by reason of her beautie it was offered unto her that she should marry either with the King himselfe or with his son because she chose the son before the father married neither the one nor yet the other but was thrust into a Monastery where she not forgetting her old trade playing the harlot with a Monke was expulsed from thence and ended her life in great penury and misery About the same time that this Edilburga was thus working her feats in England Irene another most idolatrous and cruell minded woman being Emperesse of the Greekes was as busie for her part at Constantinople This wicked woman through the meanes of Pope Adrian took up the body of Constantine Emperour of Constantinople her owne husbands father and when she had burned the same she caused the ashes to be cast into the sea because he disannulled images Afterward reigning with her son Constantine the sixth son to Leo the fourth and being at dissention with him for disallowing the worshipping of images caused him to be taken and laid in prison who afterward through power of friends being restored to his Empire again at last she caused the same her owne son to be cast in prison and his eyes to be put out so cruelly that within short space he died After this the said Emperesse as it were triumphing in her cruelty and idolatry caused a Councell to be held at Nice where it was decreed That images should again be restored to the Church but this Councell was after repealed by another Councell holden at Frankford by Charles the Great and at length this wicked woman was deposed by Nicephorus who reigned after and was expulsed the Empire and after the example of Edilburga
and required justice that though his life was lost yet his reputation might bee preserved and to prove his innocency she miraculously handled Iron red with heat without any hurt which when the Emperour saw searching out the cause very narrowly he found out his wives villany and for her paines caused her to be burned at a stake but on the Earles wife he bestowed great rewards even foure Castles in recompence of her husband though no reward could countervaile that so great a losse Rodoaldus the eighth King of Lumbardy being taken in Adultery even in the fact by the husband of the Adulteresse was slaine without delay Anno 659. In like sort Iohn Malatesta slew his wife and the Adulterer together when he tooke them amidst their embracements So did one Lodowicke steward of Normandy kill his wife Carlotta and her lover Iohn Lavernus as they were in bed together Hedion in his Chronicle telleth of a Doctor of the Law that loved his Proctors wife with whom as he acquainted himselfe over familiarly and unhonestly both at her owne house when her husband was absent and at a bath in an olde womans house hard by the Proctor watched their haunt so neere that he caught them naked together in the bath and so curried the lecherous Doctor with a curry-combe that he scraped out his eyes and cut off his privy members so that within three dayes after he dyed his wife he spared because she was with childe otherwise she should have tasted the same sauce Another storie like unto this he telleth of a Popish Priest that never left to lay siege to the chastity of an honest Matron till she condescending to his desire brought him into the snare and caused her husband to geld him I would to God that all that dishonour their profession by filthy actions might be served after the same manner that there might be fewer bastards and bauds and common strumpets than there are now adaies and that since the feare of God is extinguished in their soules the feare and certainty of sudden judgements might restraine them Wolfius Schrenk reported to Martin Luther how in Vaitland foure murders were committed upon the occasion of one Adultery for whilest the Adulteresse strumpet was banqueting with her lovers her husband came in with a hunting speare in his hand and struck him through that sat next unto her and then her also other two in the mean while leapt downe staires with feare and haste broke their armes and shortly after dyed A certaine Cardinall committed daily Adultery with a mans wife that winked and as it were subscribed unto it wherefore her brother taking this dishonour to his house in evill part watched when the lecher had promised to come but upon occasion came not and in the darke slew his sister and her husband supposing it to have been the Cardinall but when he perceived his errour he fled the countrey for feare of the Law Howbeit before his departure he wrought such meanes that whom he missed in his purpose of the sword him he murdered by poyson This judgement is not only for Adulterers but for Wittals also that yeeld their consents to the dishonouring of their owne wives a monstrous kinde of creatures and degenerate not only from the law of humanity but of nature also Martin Luther hath left recorded in his writings many examples of judgements on this sin but especially upon Clergy men whose profession as it requireth a more strict kinde of conversation so their sins and judgements were more notorious both in their owne natures and in the eye and opinion of the world some of which as it is not amisse to insert in this place so it is not unnecessary to beleeve them proceeding from the mouth of so worthy a witnesse There was saith he a man of great authority and learning that forsaking his secular life betooke himselfe into the Colledge of Priests whether of devotion or of hope of liberty to sin let them judge that reade this history this new adopted Priest fell in love with a Masons wife whom hee so wooed that he got his pleasure of her and what fitter time but when Masse was singing did he daily chuse for the performing of his villany In this haunt he persisted a long season till the Mason finding him in bed with his wife did not summon him to law nor penance but tooke a shorter course and cut his throat Another Nobleman in Thuringa being taken in adultery was murthered after this strange fashion by the Adulteresses husband he bound him hand and foot and cast him into prison and to quench his lust seeing that Ceres that is gluttony is the fewell of Venus that is lust denied him all manner of sustenance and the more to augment his paine set hot dishes of meate before him that the smell and sight thereof might more provoke his appetite and the want thereof torment him more In this torture the wretched lecher abode so long untill he gnew off the flesh from his owne shoulders and the eleventh day of his imprisonment ended his life His punishment was most horrible and too too severe in respect of the inflicter yet most just in respect of God whose custome is to proportion his judgements to the quality of the sin that is committed Luther affirmeth this to have hapned in his childhood and that both the parties were known unto him by name which for honor and charity sake he would not discose There was another nobleman that so delighted in lust and was so inordinate in his desires that he shamed not to say that if his life of pleasure and passing from harlot to harlot might endure ever he would not care for heaven or life eternall What cursed madnesse and impiety is this a man to be so forgetfull of his Maker and himselfe that he preferred his whores before his Saviour and his filthy pleasure before the grace of God Doth it not deserve to be punished with Scorpions Yes verily as it was indeed for the polluted wretch dyed amongst his strumpets being strucken with a sudden stroke of Gods vengeance In the yeare 1505. a certaine Bishop well seen in all learning and eloquence and especially skilfull in languages was notwithstanding so filthy in his conversation that he shamed not to defile his body and name with many adulteries but at length he was slaine by a Cobler whose wife hee had often corrupted being taken in bed with her and so received a due reward of his filthinesse In the yeare of our Lord 778. Kenulphus King of the West Saxons in Britaine as he usually haunted the company of a certaine harlot which hee kept at Merton was slaine by one Clito the kinsmun of Sigebert that was late King Sergus a King of Scotland was so foule a drunkard and glutton and so outragiously given to harlots that he neglected his owne wife and drove her to such penury that she was faine to serve other noble-women
together riches for he exercised his wit in devising new tributes and payments and rejoyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grievous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also forty thousand men slain and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certaine monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conveyeth away all the filth out of the City the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of every countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares together which when the King put in practise and found the exceeding commodity thereof he not onely continued that tax but also invented divers others to the great dammage of the common-wealth and enriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore he that put it first into his head when hee saw that he had not so much authority in dissuading as he had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should be buried in that common sinke to be an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Milan by the report of Paulus Iovius was an unconscionable oppressor of his subjects and tenants for he did not onely extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enjoyned them to keepe every one a dogge which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to be beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head This Tyran was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seven moneths imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature though unlike in conditions for he was a good Prince whereas this was a tyran was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in the ranke of oppressours for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted from men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the Estates of the Realme deprived him of his royall Dignity and placed his younger brother Elydurus in his room after he had raigned five yeares Hardiknitus King of Denmarke after the death of Harold was ordained King of England in the year of our Lord 1041. This King as he was somewhat cruell for he caused the body of Harold to be taken up out of the Sepulclire and smiting off his head to be cast out into the River Thames because he had injured his mother Emma when he was alive so he was burdensom to his Subjects in tributes and exaction for which cause growing into hatred with God and his Subjects he was strucken with sudden death not without suspition of poysoning after he had raigned three yeares William Rufus second son of William the Conquerour succeeded his father as in the Kingdom of England so in disposition of nature for they were both cruell inconstant and covetous aud burdened their people with unreasonable taxes insomuch that what by the murraine of men by postilence and oppressions of them by exactions the tillage of the earth was put off for one year being the year 1099 whereby ensued great scarcity the year following throughout all the Land but for the oppression William was justly punished by sudden death when being at his disport of hunting he was wounded with an arrow glauncing from the bow of Tyrill a French Knight and so his tyranny and life ended together And here is further to be noted that the place where this King was slain was called New Forest in which same place Richard the Cousin germane of King William son to Duke Robert his brother was likewise slain This New Forest was made by William the Conquerour their father who plucked downe and depopulated divers Townes and Churches the compasse of 30. miles about to make this a Forest for wilde Beasts a most beastly sin yea a bloudy crying sin too too much practised in these dayes and that by great persons that make no conscience to turne Townes into pastures and men into sheep but let all them behold the just vengeance of God upon this Kings posterity for when then either cannot or will not revenge then God revengeth either in them or their posterity In the year 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Augoulemois fell into a great Rebellion by reason of the extortions of the Customers and Farmours of Salt the Rebels in a few weekes grew to the number of fourty thousand men armed with clubs and staves who joyning with the Islanders by a generall consent ran upon the Officers of the Custome and with extreme sury put to sword all that they could take notwithstanding the King of Navarre sought by all meanes to appease them About the same time the Commons of Gascoigne rose in divers places upon the same causes and notwithstanding all that the Lord of Monneins the Kings Lieutenant and all other Officers could do they made a great spoil of many honourable Houses and massacre of much people insomuch that the Lord of Moneins himselfe was slain by them whilest he was making an Oration to them to pacifie their rage but at length these Rebels were suppressed by Francis of Lorraine Earle of Aumale and Anne of Mommorancye high Constable of France and the chief King-leaders and Captaines of them executed according to their deserts La Vergne was drawne in pieces by four horses L'Estonnac and the two brothers of Saulx had their heads cut off Tallemoigne and Galeferâ— the two Colonels of the Commons were broken upon the Wheele being first crowned with a crowne of burning iron as a punishment of the Soveraignty which they had usurped Thus the Lord punished both the one and the other and the one by the other the exactors for their oppression and the tumultuous Commons for their Rebellion Neither doth the Lord thus punish oppressours themselves but also they that either countenance or having authority do not punish the same as it appeareth by this example following In the year of our Lord 475. there lived one Corrannus a King of Scots who though he governed the people in peace and quietnesse a long space and was indeed a good Prince yet because his Chancellour Tomset used extortion and exaction amongst his Subjects and he being advertised thereof did not punish him he was slain traiterously by his owne Subjects It is not unworthy to be noted how Edward the Third King of England prospered a long while in the warres against France and got many worthy and wonderfull victories but when Prince Edward son unto the aforesaid Edward after conditions of peace concluded began to set taxes and impositions upon the Country
bloud When the Cities of Greece saith Orosius would needs through too greedy a desire and ambition of reigne get every one the mastery and soveraignty of the rest they all together made shipwracke of their owne liberties by encroaching upon others as for instance the Lacedemonians how hurtfull and incommodious the desire of bringing their neighbour adjoyning Cities under their dominion was unto them the sundry discomfitures and distresses within the time of that war undertaken upon that onely cause befell them bear sufficient record Servius Tullus the son to a bondman addicted himselfe so much to the exploits of war that by prowesse he got so great credit and reputation among the Romans that he was thought â—it to be son in law of King Tarquinius by marrying one of his daughters after whose death he usurped the Crowne under colour of the Protectorship of the Kings â—oo young sonnes who when they came to age and bignesse married the daughters of their brother in law Tullus by whose exhortation and continuall provokement the elder of them which was called Tarquinius conspired against his father in law and practised to make himselfe King and to recover his rightfull inheritance and that by this meanes he watched his opportunity when the greatest part of the people were out of the City about gathering their fruit in the fields and then placing his companions in readinesse to serve his turne if need should be he marched to the palace in the royall robes garded with a company of his comederates and having called a Senate as he began to complain him of the treachery and impudency of Tullus behold Tullus himselfe came in and would have run violently upon him but Tarquinius catching him about the middle threw him headlong downe the staires and presently sent certaine of his guard to make an end of the murder which he had begun But herein the cruelty of Tullia was most monstrous that not onely first moved her husband to this bloudy practice but also made her coach to be driven over the body of her father which lay bleeding in the midst of the street scarce dead Manlius after hee had maintained the fortresse of Rome against the Gaules glorying in that action and envying the good hap and prosperity of Camillus went about to make himselfe King under pretence of restoring the people to their antient entire libertie but his practise being discovered hee was accused found guilty and by the consent of the multitude adjudged to be throwne headlong downe from the top of the same fortresse to the end that the same place which gave him great glorie might be a witnesse and a memoriall of his shame and last confusion for all his valiant deeds before done were not of so much force with the people to excuse his fault or save his life as this one crime was of weight to bring him to his death In former times there lived in Carthage one Hanno who because he had more riches than all the Common-wealth beside began to aspire to the domination of the Citie which the better to accomplish hee devised to make shew of marrying his onely daughter to the end that at the marriage feast hee might poison the chiefest men of credit and power of the City whom he knew could or would not any wayes withstand or countermand his purpose but when this devise tooke no effect by reason of the discovery thereof by certaine of his servants hee sought another meanes to effect his will Hee got together a huge number of bondslaves and servants which should at a sudden put him in possession of the city but being prevented herein also by the Citizens he seised upon a castle with a thousand men of base regard even servants for the most part whither thinking to draw the Africans and King of the Moores to his succour he was taken and first whipped next had his eyes thrust out and then his armes and legs broken in pieces and so was executed to death before all the people his carkasse being thus mangled with blowes was hanged upon a gallowes and all his kindred and children put to death that there might not one remaine of his straine either to enterprise the like deed or to revenge his death That great and fearefull warrior Iulius Caesar one of the most hardie and valiant pieces of flesh that ever was after hee had performed so many notable exploits overcome all his enemies and brought all high and haughtie purposes to their desired effect being prickt forward with the spurre of ambition and a high minde through the meanes and assistance of the mighty forces of the common-wealth which contrary to the constitution of the Senat were left in his hands hee set footing into the State and making himselfe master and Lord of the whole Romane Empire usurped a soveraigntie over them but as he attained to his dignitie by force and violence so he enjoyed it not long neither gained any great benefit by it except the losse of his life may be counted a benefit which shortly after in the open Senat was bereft him for the conspirers thereof as soone as hee was set downe in his seat compassing him about so vehemently overcharged him on all sides that notwithstanding all the resistance hee could make for his defence tossing amongst them and shifting himselfe up and downe he was overthrowne on the earth and abode for dead through the number of blowes that were given him even three and twenty wounds The Monarchie of Assyria was at one instant extinguished in Sardana palus and of Babylon in Balthasar Arbaces being the worker of the first and Darius King of Persia of the later both of them receiving the wages not of their wickednesse but also of their predecessors and great grandfathers cruelty and oppressions by whom many people and nations had been destroyed Moreover as the Babylonian Empire was overthrowne by Darius of Persia so was his Persian Kingdome in Darius the last King of that countrey his time this mans successor overturned by Alexander Again the great dominion of Alexander who survived not long after was not continued to any of his by inheritance but divided like a prey amongst his greatest captaines and from them the most part of it in short time descended to the Romanes who spreading their wings and stretching their greedie tallons farre and neere for a while ravened and preyed over all the world and enriched and bedecked themselves with the spoyles of many nations and therefore it was necessary that they also should be made a prey and that the farre fetcht Goths and Vandales should come upon them as upon the bodie of a great Whale that suffers shipwreck upon the sea shore since which time the Romane Empire went to decay and grew every day weaker than other yea and many Princes setting themselves against and above it have robbed it of the realmes and provinces which it robbed others of before And thus wee may see how all
evill which request was so agreeable and acceptable to God that hee granted it unto him so that he obtained such an excellent measure of incomparable wisedome that he was commended and reputed more for it than for all his great riches and precious treasure beside There is mention made in the Book of the Kings of his judiciall throne wherein he used to sit and heare the causes of the people and execute justice among them and albeit he was the most puissant and glorious King of the earth yet notwithstanding hee scorned not to hear two harlots plead before him about the controversie of a dead infant Ioram King of Israel son of Achab though a man that walked not uprightly before God but gave himselfe to worke abomination in his sight yet he despised not the complaint of the poor affamished woman of Samaria when she demanded justice at his hands although it was in the time of war when Lawes use to be silent and in the besieging and famishment of the City neither did he reject the Sunamites request for the recovery of her house and lands but caused them to be restored unto her So that then it is manifest that those Kings which in old time reigned over the People of God albeit they had in every City Judges yea and in Jerusalem also as it appeareth in the nineteenth Chapter of the second Book of Chronicles yet they ceased not for all that to give ear to suits and complaints that were made unto them and to decide controversies that came to their knowledge and for this cause it is that Wisdom saith That by her Kings reigne and Princes decree justice whereunto also belongeth that which is said in another place That a King sitting in the Throne of judgement chaseth away all evill with his eyes Moreover that this was the greatest part of the Office and duty of Kings in antient times to see the administration of justice Homer the Poet may be a sufficient witnesse when he saith of Agamemnon That the Scepter and Law was committed to him by God to do right to every man answerable to the which Virgil describing the Queen of Carthage saith She sat in judgement in the midst of her People as if there was nothing more beseeming such a person than such an action And therefore the Poets not without cause feigne Iupiter alwayes to have Themis that is to say Justice at his elbow signifying thereby not that whatsoever Kings and Princes did was just and lawfull be it never so vile in it own nature as that wanton flatterer Anaxarchus said to Alexander but that equity and justice should alwayes accompany them and never depart from their sides And hereupon it was that Eacus Minos and Radamanthus the first King of Graecia were so renowned of old antiquity because of their true and upright execution of Justice and therefore were not honoured with any greater title than the name of Judges It is said of King Alexander that although he was continually busied in affaires of war and of giving battels yet he would sit personally in judgement to hear criminall causes and matters of importance pleaded and that whilest the accuser laid open his accusation he would stop one ear with his hand to the end that the other might be kept pure and without prejudice for the defence and answer of the accused The Roman Emperours also were very carefull and diligent in this behalfe as first Iulius Caesar who is recorded to have taken great paines in giving audience to parties and in dealing justice betwixt them In like manner Augustus Caesar is commended for his care and travell in this behalfe for he would ordinarily sit in judgement upon causes and controversies of his subjects and that with such great delight and pleasure that oftentimes night was fain to interrupt his course before his will was to relinquish it yea though he found himselfe evill at case yet would he not omit to apply himselfe to the division of judgement or else calling the parties before him to his bed The Emperour Claudius though a man otherwise of a dull and grosse spirit yet in this respect he discharged the duty of a good Prince for that he would intermeddle with hearing his subjects causes and do right unto them he chanced once to make a very pretty and witty end of a suit betwixt a son and his mother who denying and disclaiming him to be her son was by the Emperour commanded to marry him and so lest he should agree to that mischief was constrained to acknowledge and avow him for her son and to be short it was very ordinary and usuall among the Emperours to take knowledge of matters controverted but especially of criminall and capitall causes by meanes whereof the Apostle Paul desirous to shun the judgement and lyings in wait of his enemies the Jewes appealed from them to Caesar which he would never have done if Caesar had not in some sort used to meddle with such affaires and for further proof hereof hither may be added the saying which is reported of Nero in the beginning of his reigne That when he should signe with his hand a sentence of death against a condemned person he wished that he could neither write nor reade to the end to avoid that necessary action The bold answer of an old woman to the Emperour Adrian is very worthy to be remembred who appealing and complaining to the Emperour of some wrong when he answered that he was not at leasure then to hear her suit she told him boldly and plainly That then he ought not to be at leasure to be her Emperour which speech went so near the quicke unto him that ever after he shewed more facility and courtesie towards all men that had any thing to do with him The Kings of France used also this custome of hearing and deciding their subjects matters as we reade of Charlemaigne the King and Emperour who commanded that he should be made acquainted with all matters of importance and their issues throughout his Realme King Lewis the first treading the steps of his father Charlemaigne accustomed himselfe three dayes in a week to hear publiquely in his pallace the complaints and grievances of his people and to right their wrongs and injuries King Lewis sirnamed the Holy a little before his death gave in charge to his son that should succeed him in the Crown amongst other this precept To be carefull to bear a stroke in seeing the distribution of justice and that it should not be perverted nor depraved CHAP. XLVIII Of such Princes as have made no reckoning of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their People IT cannot chuse but be a great confusion in a Common-wealth when justice sleepeth and when the shamelesse boldnesse of evill doers is not curbed in with any bridle but runneth it own swinge and therefore a Consull of Rome could say That it was an evil thing to have a Prince
under whom licence and liberty is given to every man to do what him listeth forsomuch then as this evill proceedeth from the carelesnesse and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of government in their hands it cannot be but some evill must needs fall upon them for the same the truth of this may appear in the person of Philip of Macedony whom Demosthenes the Orator noteth for a treacherous and false dealing Prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open war as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory he celebrated at one time the marriage of his son Alexander whom he had lately made King of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificence as he was marching with all his train betwixt the two bridegroomes his own son and his son in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnity of the marriage behold suddenly a young Macedonian Gentleman called Pausanias ran at him and slew him in the midst of the prease for not regarding to do him justice when he complained of an injury done unto him by one of the Peeres of the Realme Tatius the fellow King of Rome with Romulus for not doing justice in punishing certain of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certain Embassadours which came to Rome and for making their impunity an example for other malefactors by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watched by the kindred of the slain that they slew him even as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtain justice at his hands What happened to the Romans for refusing to deliver an Embassadour who contrary to the law of Nations comming unto them played the part of an enemy to his own Countrey even well nigh the totall overthrow of them and their City for having by this meanes brought upon themselves the calamity of war they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew all that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many dayes spent in the pillage and spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and utterly destroyed the whole City Childericke King of France is notified for an extreme dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard unto his Realme but that lived idlely and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the Common-wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them upon Pepin his Lieutenant Generall and therefore was by him justly deposed from his royall Dignity and mewed up in a Cloyster of Religion to become a Monke because he was unfit for any good purpose and albeit that this sudden change and mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the Realme thereupon so odious was he become to the whole land for his drousie and idle disposition For the same cause did the Princes Electors depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his room King Richard of England among other foul faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeves and robbers to rove up and down the Land unpunished for which cause the Citizens of London commenced a high suit against him and compelled him having reigned two and twenty yeares to lay aside the Crown and resigne it to another in the presence of all the States and died prisoner in the Tower Moreover this is no small defect of justice when men of authority do not onely pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and favour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soveraigne Prince without overpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wayes dispence with the law of God whereunto even Kings themselves are subject for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Thou shalt plucke him from my Altar saith the Lord that he may die thy eye shall not spare him to the end it may goe well with thee which was put in practise in the death of Ioab who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands upon the hornes of the Altar for he is no lesse abhominable before God that justifieth the wicked than he that condemneth the just and hereupon that holy King S. Lewis when he had granted pardon to a malefactor revoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That he would give no pardon except the case deserved pardon by the law for it was a worke of charity and pitty to punish an offendor and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeare of our Lord 978 Egelrede the sonne of Edgare and Alphred King of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly given to idlenesse and abhorring all Princely exercises besides he was a lover of ryot and drunkennesse and used extreame cruelty towards his subjects having his eares open to all unjust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so that his cruelty made him odious to his subjects and his cowardise encouraged strange enemies to invade his kingdome by meanes whereof England was sore afflicted with warre famine and pestilence In his time as a just plague for his negligence in Governement decayed the noble Kingdome of England and became tributary to the Danes for ever when the Danes oppressed him with warre he would hire them away with summes of money without making any resistance against them insomuch that from ten thousand pounds by the yeare the tribute arose in short space to fifty thousand wherefore he devised a new tricke and sought by treacherie to destroy them sending secret Commissioners to the Magistrates throughout the Land that upon a certaine day and houre assigned the Danes should suddenly and joyntly bee murdered Which massacre being performed turned to be the cause of greater misery for Swaine King of Denmarke hearing of the murder of his countrey-men landed with a strange army in divers parts of this Realme and so cruelly without mercy and pitty spoyled the Countrey and slew the people that the Englishmen were brought to most extreame and unspeakable misery and Egelrede the King driven to flie with his wife and children to Richard Duke of Normandie leaving the whole Kingdome to bee possessed of Swaine Edward the second of that name may well be placed in this ranke for though he was faire and well proportioned of body yet he was crooked and evill favoured in conditions for hee was so disposed to lightnesse and vanity that he refused the company of his Lords and men of honour and haunted amongst villaines and vile persons he delighted in drinking and riot and loved nothing lesse than to keep secret his owne counsailes though never so important so that he let
be punished by man and that humane lawes can lay no hold upon them so much the rather God himselfe becommeth executioner of his owne justice upon their pates and in such sort that every man may perceive his hand to be on them Let any adversity or affliction light upon a man of low degree or which is poore and desolate no man considereth of it rightly but talking thereof mâ—n cease not to impute the cause of this poore soules misery either to poverty or want of succour or some other such like cause Therefore if any such be in griefe or by chance fallen into some pit and drowned or robbed and killed in the way by theeves straightway this is the saying of the world That it commeth thus to passe either because he was alone without company or destitute of help or not well looked to and regarded and thus they passe over the matter But as concerning great men when they are any way afflicted no such pretences or excuses can be alleadged seeing they want neither servants to attend upon them nor any other means of help to succor them therefore when these men are overtaken and surprised with any great evill which by no means they can eschew and when their bold and wicked enterprises are pursued and concluded with strange and lamentable events in this we must acknowledge an especiall hand of God who can intangle and pull downe the proudest and arrogantest He that lives and those whom the world feareth to meddle withall These proud gallants are they against whom God displaieth his banner of power more openly than against meaner and baser persons because these poore soules finde oftentimes to their paines that they are punished without cause and tormented and vexed by those tyrants not having committed any offence at all to deserve it whereas as Philip Comine saith who dare be so bold as to controll or reprehend a King and his favorites or to make enquiry of his misdeeds or having made inquisition of them who dare presume to informe the Iudge therof who dare stand up to accuse them who dare sit down to judge them Nay who dare take knowledge of them and lastly who dare assay to punish them Seeing then in this case that our worldly justice hath her hands bound behind her from executing that which is right it must needs be that the sovereigne Monarch of heaven and earth should mount up into his Throne of Iudgement and from thence give his definitive unchangable sentence to deliver up the most guilty and hainous sinners to those paines and torments which they have deserved and that after a strange and extraordinary manner which may serve for an example to all others CHAP. V. How all men both by the Law of God and Nature are inexcusable in their sinnes NOw to the end that no man should pretend ignorance for an excuse God hath bestowed upon every one a certaine knowledge and judgement of good and evill which being naturally engraven in the tables of mans heart is commonly called the Law of Nature wherby every mans owne conscience giveth sufficient testimony unto it selfe when in his most secret thoughts it either accuseth or excuseth him for there is not a man living which doth not know in his heart that he doth an evill deed when he wrongeth another although he had never been instructed elsewhere in that point So although that in Tarquinius Superbus time Cicero saith there was no written Law established in Rome forbidding the ravishing and deflouring of wives and virgins yet the wicked sonne of this Tarquine was not therefore lesse guilty of an hainous crime when contrary to the Law of Nature he violently robbed Lucrece of her chastity for no man can be ignorant that it is a most grievous crime to lay siege to the chastity of a married woman with such outrage and so the whole people of Rome did esteeme of it as a crime most wicked strange and intolerable and worthy of grievous punishment Every man knoweth thus much that hee ought not to doe that to another which he would not another should do to him which sentence the Emperour Severus made alwaies to bee spoken aloud and declared by the sound of the trumpet in the way of advertisement as often as punishment was taken upon any offendor as if it were a generall Law pertaining to all men This is that equity and justice which ought to be ingraffed in our hearts whereof nature her self is the schoolmistresse from this fountaine all humane and civill Lawes are derived if we had not rather say that they are derived from that true spring of equity which is in the Law of God which Law he hath given for a plaine and familiar manifestation of his will concerning just holy and reasonable things touching the service honour and glory which is due unto himselfe and the mutuall duty friendship and good will which men owe one to another whereunto he exhorteth and enticeth every one by faire and gracious promises and forbiddeth the contrary by great and terrible threatnings so gentle and mercifull is he towards us and desirous of our good This is that Law which was published before the face of more than six hundred thousand persons with the mighty and resounding noise of Trumpet with earthquake fire and smoake and with thunders and lightnings to make men more attentive to heare and more prepared to receive it with all humility feare and reverence and also to put them in minde that if they were disobedient and rebellious he wanted no power and ability to punish them for he hath lightning thunder and fire prepared instruments to execute his just vengeance which no creature under heaven is able to avoid when by the obstinate transgression of wicked men he is provoked to anger and indignation against them This is that holy law which hath been set forth by the Prophets by the rule whereof all their warnings exhortings and reproovings have been squared To this Law the onely begotten Son of God our Saviour and Redeemer Iesus Christ conformed his most holy doctrine bringing men to the true use and observation thereof from which they had declined and whereof he is the end the scope and perfect accomplishment so that so farre it is that a Christian man may be ignorant of it and have it in contempt that none can be counted and reputed a true Christian if hee frame not his life by the rule thereof if not fully yet at least as farre forth as hee is able otherwise what a shame and reproach is it for men to call themselves by the name of Gods children Christians and Catholiques and yet to doe every thing clean contrary to the will of God to make no reckoning of his Law to lead a dissolute and disordered life and to be as evill if not worse than the vilest miscreants and Infidels in the world God willeth and requireth that he alone should bee worshipped and prayed unto and yet the greater part of
justice and equity in all causes neither did it grieve them so to doe being perswaded that whilest they obeyed their lawes nothing could betide them but good The Lacedemonian Kings were in such bondage to the lawes of their countrey that the Ephori which were set up to none other end but to be a bridle to hold them backe from doing what they listed had absolute authority to correct them when they had committed any fault which subjection nothing displeased King Theopompus as it is apparent by the answer he made his wise that reproved him once in anger saying By his cowardise he would leave a lesse kingdome to his children than he had received of his Ancestors Nay saith he a greater forsomuch as more durable and permanent Plutarch praising the uprightnesse of King Alcamenes who for feare to breake the law refused divers presents that were sent him bursteth into this speech O heart worthy of a King that hath preferred the authority of the law before his owne profit Where are those fellowes now that cry Kings pleasures ought to be observed for Lawes and that a Prince may make a law but is not subject to it himselfe And this is that which Plutarch saith as concerning that matter who lived under Trajan the Emperor Cornelius Tacitus discovering the beginning and originall of the Romane Civill Law saith That Servius the third King of Rome after Romulus and Numa was the only man that most established those lawes whereunto Kings themselves ought to yeeld and be obedient And admit that the Emperours swayed with great power and authority almost all the world yet for all their fiercenesse and haughtinesse of minde Pliny durst tell Trajan That an Emperour ought to use to carry himselfe with such good government in his Empire as if he were sure to give up an account of all his actions Thou must not saith hee desire more liberty to follow thine owne lust than any one of us doe a Prince is not set over the law but the law placed in authority above the Prince This was the admonition of that heathen man Likewise Antonius and Severus two mighty Emperours although by reason of an opinion of their owne greatnesse and haughtinesse wherewith they flattered themselves bragged that they were not subject to any law yet they added this clause withall That notwithstanding they would live according to the direction of the law This saith Theodosius and Valentinion two no lesse mighty Emperours is a voice becomming the Royall Majesty and greatnesse of a King To confesse himselfe to live under a law and in truth it is a thing of greater importance than the imperiall dignity it selfe to put soveraignty under the authority of law Amongst many other good lessons and exhortations which Lewis that good King gave unto his sonne on his death-bed this was one worthy the remembring how he commanded him to love and feare God with all his strength and to take heed of doing any thing that should be contrary to his law whatsoever should befall him and to provide that the good lawes and statutes of his kingdome might be observed and the priviledges of his subjects maintained to forbid Iudges to favour him more than any others when any cause of his owne came in tryall Thereby giving us thus much to understand That every good King ought to submit himselfe in obedience under the hand of God and under the rule of justice and equity Wherefore there is neither King nor Keisar that can or ought to exempt himselfe from the observance of sacred and upright lawes which if they resist or disanull doubtlesse they are culpable of a most hainous crime and especially of Rebellion against the King of Kings CHAP. VII Of the punishment that seised upon Pharaoh King of Aegypt for resisting God and transgressing the first commandement of the Law WEe have sufficiently declared in the premisses that the mightiest potentates of this world are bound to range themselves under the obedience of Gods law it remaineth now that we produce examples of those punishments that have fallen upon the heads of the transgressours of the same according to the manner of their transgression of what sort soever which that we may the better describe it behooveth us to follow the order of the Commandements as the examples wee bring may be fitly referred to any of them And first we are to understand that when God said Thou shalt have none other Gods before me hee condemneth under these words the vanity of men that have forged to themselves a multitude of gods hee forbiddeth all false Religion and declareth That hee would be acknowledged to be the sole and true God and that we should serve worship love feare and obey him in and above all things and whosoever it be that doth otherwise either by hindring his worship or afflicting those that worship him the same man provoketh his heavy wrath to bee throwne upon him to his utter ruine and destruction This is the indignation that lighted upon Pharaoh King of Aegypt as wee read in the booke of God who being one of the most puissant Kings of the earth in his age God chose him for an object to shew his wonderfull power by the means of horrible plagues and scourges which hee cast upon him and by destroying him with all his armies at the length as his rebellion well deserved For he like a cruell Tyrant continuing to oppresse the children of Israel without giving them any release or breathing time from their misery or liberty to serve God although by Moses in the name and authority of God who made himselfe well enough knowne unto him without the help of any written law hee was many times instantly urged and requested thereunto so many judgements and punishments assayled him one in the necke of another in such sort that at length he was overtaken and ensnared therewith First of all the very waters of Aegypt being converted into bloud proclaimed warre against him then the frogges which covered the face of the earth climbed up even to his chamber and bed and filling every corner of his land sounded him an alarme next a muster of lice and gnats and such other troublesome and stinking creatures summoned him to combate an handfull of embers seattered in the aire by Moses were unto him as the strokes of a stone or a shaft which did wonderfully disfigure their bodies with boyles and most noysome scabbes afterward the grashoppers were put in battell array against him together with the hailestones horrible thunders and lightenings wasting and spoyling and running up and downe grievously through his whole land After all these bitter blowes the Tyrant being cut short and being so besieged on every side with hideous and palpable darknesse that he could not tell which wayes to turne himselfe yet would hee not be brought to any reason but continued obstinate and hardened against God though all the elements with heaven and earth had taken armour together
all his people forsooke the law of God and gave themselves over to Idolatry and other grievous sinnes wherefore the Lord also forsooke and gave them over to the hands of Caesac King of Aegypt that raised up a mighty power of men even a thousand and two hundred chariots threescore thousand horsemen with an infinite multitude of footmen to make warre against him so that all the strong cities and fortresses of Iudah no nor Ierusalem it selfe was strong enough to repulse him from sacking and taking them and robbing the Temple of their treasures and despoyling the Kings palaces of his riches and carrying backe into Aegypt a rich prey of the best and beautifullest things that were therein And this was the first shake that ever this kingdome received since it was a kingdome whereby it began to waine and decline Notwithstanding all this yet the Lord had compassion and pitty of him and all his people and would not suffer his dignity to be troden under foot and quite suppressed but restored him once againe into an honourable estate because when he was reproved by Semeia the Prophet he humbled himselfe before the Lord and his Princes also which is a mafest signe that his sinne was not an universall Apostasie whereby hee was wholly turned aside from God and all hope of grace but it was a particular revolt such as was that of his forefathers the children of Israel when they imagined that God would be present with them in the idolatrous golden Calfe and in that figure to worship him so grosse and sencelesse were they although yet Roboams sin seemeth to exceed theirs in greatnesse and guiltinesse The Iewes that in the time of Ptolomey Philopater abode in Aegypt and willingly renounced the law and service of God in hope thereby better to provide for their worldly commodities enjoyed not long their ease and prosperity for the other Iewes which had couragiously stucke to their profession and had been miraculously delivered from their enemies being grieved and chased at their recoyle made their supplications to the King whose heart God inclined to favour their suit that he would permit them to revenge Gods quarrell upon those Apostates as they had deserved alledging that it was hard for them to be true subjects to the King who for their bellies sake had rebelled against the commandement of God The King seeing their request reasonable and their reasons which they alledged likely not onely commended them but gave authority to destroy all those that could be found in any place of his dominion without any further enquiry of the cause or intelligence of the Kings authority insomuch that they put to death all those that they knew to have defiled themselves with filthy Idols doing them before all the shame they could devise So that at that time there were dispatched above three hundred persons which when they had accomplished they rejoyced greatly CHAP XVII Of the third and worst sort of Apostates those that through malice forsake the Truth IF so be that they of whom we have spoken in the two former Chapters are in their revoltings inexcusable as indeed they are then much more worthy condemnation are they who not only in a villanous contempt cast away the grace of Gods Spirit and his holy worship but also of a purposed malice set themselves against the same yea and endeavour with all their power utterly to race and root it out and in stead thereof to plant the lies errors and illusions of Satan by all means possible Against this kinde of Monsters sentence is pronounced in the thirteenth of Deutronomy to wit That justice should be executed upon them with all extremity and no mercy and compassion shewed upon him be he Prophet or what else that goeth about to seduce others from the service of the Almighty to follow false gods This is the pitfall wherein Ieroboam the first King of Israel slipped by the perversenesse of his owne conscience who as he had by his rebellion against Rehoboam and the house of David upreared a new kingdome so by rebellion against God and his House in hope by that means to retaine his usurped state and people in subjection upreared also a new Religion for distrusting the promises of God which were made him by the Prophet Ahias as touching the Realme of Israel which he was already in possession of and despising the good counsell of God in respect of his owne inventions he was so besotted and bleared with them that just after the patterne of his idolatrous forefathers who by their Aegyptian tricks had provoked the wrath of God against themselves he set up golden calves and caused the people to worship them keeping them so from going to Ierusalem to worship God nor yet content with this hee also erected high places to set his Idols in and having restrained the Priests and Levites from the exercise of their charge hee ordained a new order of Priests to sacrifice and minister unto his gods and proclaimed a newer feast than that was in Iuda even the seventh day of the eighth moneth wherein he not onely exiled the pure service of God but also perverted and turned upside downe the Ecclesiasticall discipline and policy of Gods Church which by the Law had been instituted And that which is yet more as he was offering incense on the Altar at Bethel when the Prophet cryed out against the Altar and exclaimed against that filthy Idolatry by denouncing the vengeance of God against it and the maintainers thereof he was so desperate and sencelesse as to offer violence to him and to command that he should be attached but the power of Gods displeasure was upon him by and by for that hand which he had stretched out against the Prophet dried up so that he could not draw it backe againe and at the very instant for a manifest declaration of the wrath of God the Altar rent in pieces and the ashes that were within were dispersed abroad And although at the prayer of that holy man his hand was restored to his former strength and soundnesse yet returned not he from his unjust and disloyall dealing but obstinately continued therein till his dying day Wherefore also the fierce wrath of God hunted and pursued him continually for first of all he was robbed of his sonne Abia dying through sicknesse then he was set upon by Abia King of Iuda with an army of foure hundred thousand men of warre and though his power was double in strength and number arising to eight hundred thousand persons yet was he and his vaste army quite discomfited for he lost at that field five hundred thousand of his men beside certain cities which were yeelded to Abia in the pursuit of his victory his courage was so abated and impoverished ever after this that he could uever recover strength to resist the King of Iudah any more And so God revenged at once the Apostasie both of the King and people of Israel and last
and then afterwards making shew before Constantine the Emperour with a solemne oath to recant his old errours and approve the profession of Faith which the Councell of Nice had set forth concernning Christs divinity whereunto also he subscribed his name but all that he did was in hypocrisie to the end to renew and republish the more boldly his false and pernitious doctrine But when he thought himselfe neerest to the attainment of his purpose and braved it most with his supporters and companions even then the Lord stroke him with a sudden fear in the open street and with such horrible pangs in his guts and vehement desire of disburthening nature that he was faine to come unto the publick houses appointed for that purpose taking them which were next at hand for a shift but he never shifted from them again for his breath went out of his mouth and his guts ran out of his fundament and there lay he dead upon his owne excrements As the Emperour Constantius was a great favourer and supporter of this sect and maintained it against and in despight of true Christans and by that meanes stirred up schismes and dissentions throughout all Christendome so the Lord to requite him stirred up Iulian whom he himselfe had promoted to honour to rebell against him whose practices as he went about to suppresse and was even ready to encounter a grievous Apoplexy sudenly surcharged him so sore that he died of it before he could bring his purpose to passe The Emperour Valens was infected also with this poyson wherewith likewise he infected the Gothes who by his means were become the greater part Arrians and not Christians but neither went he unpunished for when he marched forth to represse the rage of the furious Gothes who were spread over all Thracia and had given them battell he lost the day and being shamefully put to flight was pursued so fiercely that hee was faine to hide himselfe in a little house which being set on fire by the Gothes he was burnt therein As for Nestorius which would maintaine by his foolish and dangerous opinions that the divinity of Christ was divided from his humanity making as it were two Christs of one and two persons of one and so turned upside downe that whole ground-worke of our salvation escaped no more the just vengeance of God than all other Hereticks did for first he was banished into a far country and their tormented with a strange disease the very wormes did gnaw in pieces his blasphemous tongue and at length the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed him up Concerning the Anabaptists which rose up about five hundred yeares since it is evidently known how divers wayes God scourged and plagued many of them some of them were destroyed by troops and by thousands others miserably executed and put to death in divers places as well for their monstrous and damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibit and set before our eyes how deere and precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy Word and the unity of his Church is and how carefull and zealous every one of us ought to be in maintaining and upholding the â—ame when as he revengeth himselfe so sharply upon all those that go about to pervert and corrupt the sincerity thereof or which be breeders of new sects and divisions among his people Olympus by office Bishop of Carthage but by profession a â—avourer and maintainer of the Arriah heresie being upon a time in the Bath 〈◊〉 himselfe he uttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinity but a threefold thunderbolt came from above and stroke him dead in the same place teaching him by his paine and all other by experience what it is to blaspheme the Lord of Heaven or with polluted lips to mention his sacred Majesty This hapned in the yeare of our Lord God five hundred and ten Cyril hath recorded unto us of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God upon an Heretique than all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was never heard of The history is this After the decease of Saint Hierome there stood up one Sabinianus a perverse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost to be but one distinct person and to give credit to his heresie he wrot a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it upon Saint Hierome as being the Author of it But Silvanus the Bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproved him for depraving so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargain with Sabinianus That if Saint Hierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsenesse of his cause he would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed upon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted unto the Temple of Jerusalem to decide the controversie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Silvanus was commanded to yeeld his neck to that punishment which himselfe was Author of which as he most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Hierome in shew appeared and stayed the hangmans hand which was now ready to strike and vanishing forthwith another miracle succeeded Sabinianus head fell from his shoulders no man striking at it and his carkasse remained upon the ground dead and sencelesse Whereat the people amased praising God clave unto Silvanus and abjured Sabinianus heresie Whence wee may observe the wonderfull wisedome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whither they will stand to his Truth or no and learne thereby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timorously to despaire of help in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimoald King of Lombardy was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with untimely death for having been let bloud the eleventh day after as he strove to draw a bow he opened the veine anew and so bled to death â—abades King of Persia when he saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place and there setting his Souldiers on them slew them till there was not one left Photinuâ— a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in justice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus justly banished The Emperor Iustinian favouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gave out one Edict whereby Anastasius the Bishop and all other that
that could get out first neither durst they plead any more causes in that place untill it were mended Thus much reporteth Enguerran without mention of any decision of that matter Now forasmuch as nothing happeneth by chance it is most likely that God by that accident would give us to understand both how monstrous and detestable all such speeches are as also how men ought to feare and abhorre them seeing that the dumbe and sencelesse creatures and wood beams planks and stones and the earth it self by nature stedfast and fixed are so far from enduring them that they are moved withall There was a certaine blasphemous wretch that on a time being with his companions in a common lnne carowsing and making merry asked them if they thought a man was possessed with a soule or no Whereunto when some replyed That the soules of men were immortall and that some of them after release from the body lived in heaven others in Hell for so the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles instructed them hee answered and swore that he thought it nothing so but rather that there was no soule in man to survive the body but that heaven and hell were meere fables and inventions of Priests to get gaine by and for himselfe he was ready to sell his soule to any that would buy it then one of his companions tooke up a cup of wine and said Sell me thy soule for this cup of wine Which he receiving bad him take his soule and dranke up the wine Now Satan himselfe was there in a mans shape as commonly he is never far from such meetings and bought it againe of the other at the same price and by and by bad him give him his soule the whole company affirming it was meet he should have it since he had bought it not perceiving the Devill but presently he laying hold of this souleseller carried him into the aire before them all toward his own habitation to the great astonishment and amasement of the beholders and from that day to this he was never heard of but tryed to his pain that men had soules and that hell was no fable according to his godlesse and prophane opinion Pherecides by birth a Syrian a tragicall Poet and a Philosopher by profession boasted impudently against his schollers of his prosperity learning and wisedome saying that although he offered no sacrifices unto the gods yet he led a more quiet and prosperous life than those that were addicted to Religion and therefore he passed not for any such vanity But ere long his impiety was justly revenged for the Lord struck him with such a strange disease that out of his body issued such a slimy and filthy sweat and engendred such a number of lice and wormes that his bowels being consumed by them he died most miserably At Hambourgh not long since there lived an impious wretch that despised the preaching of the Gospell and the Ministers thereof accounting it as a vaine thing not worthy the beleeving of any man neither did he thus himself only but also seduced many others bringing them all to Atheisme and ungodlinesse Wherefore the Lord justly recompenced him for his impiety for he that before had no sence nor feeling of God in his conscience being touched with the finger of the Almighty grew to the contrary even to too much feeling and knowledge of God that he fell into extreme despaire affirming now his sinnes to be past forgivenesse because he had withdrawne others from the truth as well as himselfe whereas before he thought himselfe guilty of no sinne and that God was so just that he would not forgive him whereas before he thought there was no God so mighty is the operation of the Lord when he pleaseth to touch the conscience of man finally continuing in this desperate case he threw himselfe from the roofe of a house into a well and not finding water enough to drowne him he thrust his head into the bottome thereof till he had made an end of his life In the yeare of our Lord 1502 there lived one Hermannus Biswicke a grand Atheist and a notable instrument of Satan who affirmed that the world never had beginning as foolish Moses dreamed and that there was neither Angels nor devils nor hell nor future life but that the soules of men perished with their bodies besides that Christ Iesus was nothing else but a seducer of the people and that the faith of Christians and whatsoever else is contained in holy writs was meere vanity These articles full of impiety and blasphemy he constantly avouched to the death and for the same cause was together with his books burnt in Holland A certaine rich man at Holberstadium abounding with all manner of earthly commodities gave himselfe so much to his pleasure that he became besotted therewith in such sort that he made no reckoning of Religion nor any good thing but dared to say that if he might lead such a life continually upon earth he would not envy heaven nor desire any exchange Notwithstanding ere long contrary to his expectation the Lord cut him off by death and so his desired pleasure came to an end but after his death there appeared such diabolicall apparitions in his house that no man daring to inhabite it it became desolate for every day there appeared the Image of this Epicure sitting at a board with a number of his ghests drinking carousing and making good cheare and his table furnished with delicates and attended on by many that ministred necessaries unto them beside with minstrels trumpetters and such like In summe whatsoever he delighted in in his life time was there to be seene every day The Lord permitting Satan to bleare mens eyes with such strange shewes to the end that others might be terrified from such Epicurisme and impiety Not inferior to any of the former in Atheisme and impiety and equall to all in manner of punishment was one of our owne nation of fresh and late memory called Marlin by profession a scholler brought up from his youth in the Vniversity of Cambridge but by practise a Play-maker and a Poet of scurrility who by giving too large a swing to his owne wit and suffering his lust to have the full reines fell not without just desert to that great outrage and extremity that he denied God and his sonne Christ and not onely in word blasphemed the Trinity but also as it is credibly reported wrote books against it affirming our Saviour to be but a deceiver and Moses to be but a seducer of the people and the holy Bible to be but vaine and idle stories and all Religion but a device of policy But see what a hooke the Lord put in the nostrils of this barking dogge so it fell out that as he purposed to stab one whom he ought a grudge unto with his dagger the other party perceiving so avoyded the stroke that withall catching hold of his wrest he stabbed his owne
up for their deliverance some grievous punishment befell them for then being without law or government every man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to have some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenesse of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God than any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore we place them in this ranke as well as they have bin alwaies brought up and nuzled in Idolatry One of this câ—â—w was Ochosias King of Iuda sonne of Ioram who having before him an evill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing up of his mother Athaliah who together with the house of Achab pricked him forward to evill joyned himselfe to them and to their Idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment and destruction with Ioram the King of Israel whom Iehu slew together with the Princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath been the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially under Ioachas sonne of Iosias that raigned not above three moneths in Ierusalem before he was taken and led captive into Aegypt by the King thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the King of Aegypt And not long after it was utterly destroyed by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar King of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and carried King Ioachim with his mother his Princes his servants and the treasurers of the Temple and his owne house into Babylon and finally tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eyes caused his sonnes to be slaine which as soone as he had beheld commanded them also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of yron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the Princes of Iudah to the sword consuming with fire the Temple with the Kings Palace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogative consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was never re-established by God it is no marvell then if the like hapned to the kingdome of Israel which was after a sort begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calves which as his successors maintained or favoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured up in Idoll worship after the example of his father received a condigne punishment for his iniquity for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the off spring of Ieroboams house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better than those whom he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whom Zambri also his servant slew And this againe usurping the crowne enjoyed it but seven dayes at the end whereof seeing himselfe in danger in the city of Tirza taken by Amri whom the people had chosen for their King went into the palace of the Kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab he multiplied Idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse than all his predecessors wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against him and his for he himselfe was wounded to death in battell by the Syrians his son Ioram slain by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their governors and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Above all a most notable and manifest example of Gods judgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had been his spurre and provoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuchs and most trusty servants at the commandement of Iehu she was throwne downe out of a window and trampled under the horse feet and last of all devoured of dogs Moreover the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murthered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the King of Assyria and afterward invaded and subverted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they never returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abhominable Idolatry Which ought to be a lesson to all people Princes and Kings that seeing that God spared not these two Realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroyed and rooted them out from the earth much lesse will he spare any other kingdome and Monarchy which continue by their Images and Idol-worship to stirre up his indignation against them CHAP. XXV Of many evils that have come upon Christendome for Idolatry IF we consider and search out the cause of the ruine of the East Empire and of so many famous and flourishing Churches as were before time in the greatest part of Europe and namely in Greece we shall finde that Idolatry hath been the cause of all for even as it got footing and increase in their dominions so equally did the power of Saracens and Turkish tyranny take root and foundation among them and prospered so well that the rest of the world trembled at the report thereof God having raised and fortified them as before time he had done the Assyrians and Babylonians as whips and scourges to chasten the people and Nations of the world that wickedly had abused his holy Gospel and bearing the name of Christians had become Idolaters for no other name than this can be given them that in devotion doe any manner of homage to Images and pictures whatsoever may superficially be alleadged to the contrary For be it the Image either of Prophet Apostle or Christ Iesus himselfe yet it is necessary that the law of God stand whole and sound which saith Thou shalt make thy selfe no graven Image nor any likenesse of things either in heaven above or in earth beneath thou shalt not how downe to them nor worship them c. Wherefore he performed the part of a good Bishop that finding a vaile spread in the entrance of a Church dore wherein the Image of Christ or of some other Saint was pictured rent it in pieces with these words That it was against the authority of the sacred Scriptures to have any Image of Christ set up in the Church After the same manner Serenus Bishop of Marscilla beat downe and banished all Images out of his Churches as occasions of Idolatry and to shun them the more it was ordained in the Elibertine Councell that no Image nor picture should be set up in any Church for which cause also the Emperour Leo the third by an open Edict commanded his subjects to cast out of their Temples all pictures and statues of Saints Angels and whatsoever else to the intent that all occasions of Idolatry might be
Metius Suffetius Generall of the Albanes procured the Fidenates to enter warre against the Romanes contrary to his oath which he had sworne unto them and being called by the Romanes to their succour and placed in an out Wing to helpe if need were whilest the rest were fighting hee drove away the time in ordering his men and ranging them into squadrons to see which part should have the best that he might joyne himselfe unto that side But Tullus the Roman King having obtained the victory and seeing the cowardise subtilty and treason of this Albane adjudged him to a most strange and vile death answerable to his fact for as he had in his body a double heart swimming between two streames and now ready to goe this way now that so was his body dismembred and torne in pieces by foure horses drawing foure contrary wayes to serve for an example to all others to be more fearefull and true observers of their oathes than he was In old time the Africans and Carthagenians were generally noted for perfidy and falshood above other Nations the cause of which bruit was principally that old subtile Souldier Annibal an old deceiver and a notorious Perjurer who by his crafts and cousenings which he wrought without Religion or feare of God raised up the evill report This subtile Foxe having made warre in Italy sixteen yeeres and all that while troubled and vexed the Romanes sore after many victories wastings of Countries ruines and sackings of Cities and cruell bloodshed was at length overcome by Scipio in his owne Conntrey and perceiving that his Country-men imputed the cause of their fall unto him and sought to make him odious to the Romanes by laying to his charge the breach of that league which was betwixt them he fled to Antiochus King of Syria not so much for his owne safeties fake as to continue his warre against the Romanes which he knew Antiochus to be in hammering because they came so neere unto his Frontiers but he found his hope frustrate for King Antiochus for the small trust he affied in him and the daily suspition of his treachery would not commit any charge of his Armie into his hand although for valiantnesse and prowesse he was second to none of that Age. It came to passe therefore that as soone as Antiochus was overthrown of the Romanes he was constrained to flie to Prusius King of Bythinia that tooke him into his protection but being as treacherous himselfe hee soone devised a meanes to betray him to Quintius the Generall of the Romane Armie which when Annibal understood and seeing that all passages for evasion were closed up and that he could not any way escape he poysoned himselfe and so miserably ended his treacherous life And thus the deceit which he practised towards others fell at length upon his owne Pate to his utter destruction Albeit that Perjurers and forswearers were to the Egyptians very odious and abominable as wee said before yet among them there was one Ptolome who to bereave his sister Arsinoe of her Kingdome stained himselfe with this villanous spot and thereby brought his purpose to passe for pretending and protesting great affection and love unto her in the way of marriage for such incestuous marriages were there through a perverse and damnable custome not unlawfull and avowing the same by solemne oath before her Embassadours did notwitstanding soon make knowne the drift of his intent which was to make himselfe King for being arrived in shew to consummate Marriage at his first approach hee caused his Nephewes her sonnes which she had by her former husband Lysimachus and were come forth from their mother to give him entertainment on the way to be slaine yea and lest they should escape his hands hee pursued them even to their mothers bosome and there murthered them and after expelling her also from her Kingdome caught the Crowne and reigned Tyrant in her roome all which mischiefe he committed by reason of the faithlesse oath which hee had taken and although that in such a case no oath ought to bee of force to confirme so lawfull affiance though it bee pronounced and taken by the name and in the Temple of their Idols yet notwithanding it being done with an evill conscience and to an evill purpose he that did it can be no lesse then a Perjurer But for this and other vices it came to passe that ere long he was conquered by the Gaules who taking him in battell slew him and cut off his head and having fastened it upon a Lance carried it in signe of victory and triumph up and downe the hoast A most notable example of the punishment of Perjurie and falshood in Vladislaus King of Hungary and his Army destroyed by the Turkes is set downe in Bonfinus his Hungarian History after this manner It fell out that the King of Hungary had so well bestirred himselfe against the Turks that Amurathes was glad upon unequall conditions and even to his owne hurt and their good to conclude a peace with him wherein it was agreed that certaine Provinces should be restored to the Hungarian which otherwise could not have been recovered but by great losse of men This league being made and the Articles thereof engrossed in both Languages with a solemne oath taken on both parties for the consirmation of the same behold the Cardinall of Florence Admirall of the Navie which lay upon the Sea Hellespont now called Saint Georges Arme which divideth Turkie from Greece sendeth Letters to the King of Hungary to perswade him to disannull and repeale this new concluded peace This practise likewise did Cardinall Iulian the Popes Legate in Hungarie with might and maine helpe forward which two good pillars of the Church inspired with on and the same spirit wrought together so effectually with the king that at that instance he falsified his oath broke the peace and sent to Constantinople to denounce Warre afresh and forthwith whilst their Embassadors were retyring their Garrisons out of Misia to bring them into their hands againe and had sent forty thousand crownes for the ransome of great men which were prisoners and had restored the Realme of Rascia and all their Captives according to the tenour of their late league not knowing of this new breach in the meane while I say he set forward his Armie towards the great Turkes in all expedition Now the Turkes secure and misdoubting nothing were set upon unawares by the King yet putting themselves in defence there grew a long and sharpe battell till Amurathes perceiving his side to decline and almost overcome pulled out of his bosome the Articles of the aforesaid peace lifting up his eyes to heaven uttered these speeches O Iesus Christ these are the leagues that thy Christians have made and confirmed by swearing by thy name and yet have broken them againe if thou beest a God as they say thou art revenge this injurie which is offered both thee and mee and punish
after heard of This history is recorded in the Annales of the aforenamed city and avouched to be most true being a notable and fearefull admonition to all parents to set their children to learning and instruction and to withdraw them from all such vaine and foolish pastimes CHAP. II. Of those that rebell against their Superiors NOw as it is a thing required by law and reason that children beare that honour and reverence to their naturall parents which is commanded so it is necessary by the same respect that all subjects performe that duty of honour and obedience to their Lords Princes and Kings which is not derogatory to the glory of God the rather because they are as it were their fathers in supplying that duty towards their subjects which fathers owe their children as namely in maintaining their peace and tranquility in earthly things and keeping them under the discipline of Gods Church to which two ends they were ordained For this cause the Scripture biddeth every man to be subject to the higher powers not so much to avoid the punishment which might befall the contrary as because it is agreeable to the will of God And in another place To honour the King and To give unto Caesar that which is Caesars as unto God that which is Gods So also in Moses law wee are forbidden to detract from or speake evill of the Magistrate or to curse the Ruler of the people Yet for all this the children of Israel were not afraid many times to commit this sin but then especially when they charged Moses with conspiring the murther of those Rebels that under Corah Dathan and Abiram Captaines of that enterprise set themselves against him and Aaron whom not he but God for their pride and stubburnnesse had rooted out and destroyed and thus they backbited and slandered Moses and mutined against him being their soveraigne Magistrate and Conductor that so meekly and justly had brought them out of Egypt even by the speciall commission of Almighty God But the fury of Gods displeasure was so stirred up against them for this their fact that they were scourged with a grievous plague whereof dyed about foure thousand and seven hundred persons In the time of King Davids flight from Absalom who pursued him to bereave him of his kingdome there was one Semei a Ieminite that in his wicked and perverse humour in stead of service done unto his Soveraigne especially in that extremity not only presented not himselfe unto him as a subject but as a railer cursed him with most reproachfull tearmes as of murtherer and wicked man and also threw stones at him and his followers in most despightfull manner for which his malitious and rebellious act though whilest David lived he was not once called in question yet was he not exempted from punishment therefore for in the end his wickednesse fell upon his owne head and destruction overtooke him by desert of another fault at the commandement of Solomon The punishment of Shiba the sonne of Bichri tarried not all so long who having also with a proud and audacious heart stirred up the greatest part of Israel to rebell against David then when he thought to have been most at quiet enjoyed not long his disloyall enterprise for being speedily pursued by Davids servants and besieged in the city Abel his head was cut off by the citizens and throwne over the wall as a just reward for his rebellious act But let us passe over these sacred histories and come to prophane yet probable and more neere examples When Camillus besieged the Phalischi a people in Hetruria neere to mount Floscon a Schoolemaster of the city who had the rule over the chiefe mens sons both touching instruction and governance led them out of the city gates one day in shew to walke but indeed to betray them into Camillus hands which unfaithfull dealing Camillus did not onely mislike but detest and refuse thinking it an unhonest part by such finister meanes to bring even his enemies in subjection and therefore reproving the trustlesse Schoolmaster and binding his hands behind his back he gave every one of his schollers a rod with commandement to whip him backe unto the parents whom hee had pretended so to deceive A most noble act in Camillus would wee could finde the like among Christians and a most deserved punishment of the Schoolmaster would no traitor might be served better Neither might that worthy Romane repent his deed for the Phalischi in admiration and love of this notable justice freely yeelded themselves and their city to him which otherwise in long time and without great effusion of bloud he could not have atchieved Did Tarpeia the daughter of Sp. Tarpeius speed any better when shâ—t betrayed the tower whereof her father was the overseer to Tatius King of the Sabines who at that season besieged Rome upon condition of a summe of gold or as other writers say of all that the souldiers wore on their left hands No verily for the Sabines as soon as they had obtained their purpose overwhelmed her with her left hand gifts to wit their shields and not their rings and bracelets which she hoped to the end to leave an example to the posterity how no promise nor oath ought to be of force to traitors to keep them from punishment Neither did these noble young men of Rome amongst whom were the Consull Brutus sonnes come to any better issue when they conspired to receive King Tarquinius into the city by night who by the vertue and valour of their father was worthily expulsed for their secret and wicked counsell being bewrayed to the Consuls Iunius and Pub. Valerius by Vindicio a bondslave they were apprehended having letters about them written to Tarquinius to the same effect and being condemned were first shamefully scourged with rods and after executed to death Pausanias King of Sparta having conspired with the Persians against his own countrey and as it were offered violence to his owne bowels fled into the Sanctuary of Pallas for reliefe when he saw the Ephori to go about to call him in question for his treason Now whereas it was irrelegious to take him from thence by violence they agreed to shut him up there continually and so to pine him to death Which when his mother understood she was the first person that brought a stone to stop up the doores to hinder him from getting forth and therein shewed a notable example of godly cruelty to her childe and cruell pitty to her countrey approving that saying of Aristippus who being demanded why hee neglected his sonne being borne of his body answered Doe wee not cast from us lice and flegme which are also bred of our bodies Insinuating That they which have nothing to commend them to their parents but generation are not to be esteemed as children much lesse they that degenerate When Brennus Captaine of the Gaules brother to Belinus and sonne to
by the hands of the Priests to demand pardon for that cruell murther that the guilt of innocent bloud might not be imputed unto them And if by oversight or negligence without any malice hatred or pretence one killed another yet was he not exempted from all punishment but suffered to fly to the city of refuge to be kept and as it were inclosed untill his innocency were made manifest or at the least untill the death of the high Priest From this it may seeme arose the custome of Painims in the like case which was that if a man had unwillingly committed murther he did presently avoid the countrey and goe unto some man of power and authority of a strange nation and present himselfe at his gate sitting with his face covered humbly intreating pardon and reconciliation for his murther and for one whole yeare he might not returne into his countrey On this manner was the sonne of a certaine King of Phrygia entertained in King Craesus court who unadvisedly had slaine his owne brother Whereby it is manifest how odious and execrable in all ages and all places and all people this murther hath been insomuch that men did shun their very meeting and company and abandon them out of their temples and publicke assemblies as people excommunicate and prophane And yet for all this mankinde for the most part like savage beasts hath by the instigation of that wicked spirit who was a murtherer from the beginning been too too addicted to this kind of cruelty not being afraid to offer violence to nature and shed innocent bloud Such was the franticke and perverse cruelty of the second man Cain when without any occasion but onely through envy he slew his brother Abel and that traiterously which deed albeit it was done in secret and without the view of men yet it could not shun the piercing eye of God who reproved him for it saying That the bloud of Abel cried for vengeance from the earth And although this cursed and wicked murtherer received not immediately a condigne punishment answerable to his crime God to the end to spare mans bloud using undeserved favour towards him yet escaped hee not scot free for he was pursued with a continuall torment and sting of confcience together with such an incessant feare that he became a vagabond and a runnagate upon the earth and seeing himselfe brought into so miserable an estate he fell to complaining that the punishment was greater than he was able to beare Thus God permitted this wretch to draw out his life in such anguish that for a greater punishment he might pine away the rest of his daies without comfort A man may find in this world many such brother murthering Cains who for no occasion sticke not to cut their throats whom for the bond of common nature wherein all men are linked together as branches to one root they ought to acknowledge for their brethren and friends upon whom the heavy hand of God hath not beene more slacke to punish either by one meanes or other than it was upon their eldest brother Cain But seeing the number of them is so great and it is not so convenient to heape up here so huge a multitude together it shall suffice onely to recount the most famous and notablest of them as of those that have beene men of note and reputation of the world or that through an ambitious desire of raigning have by armes sought to atchieve their purposes for these for the most part are the greatest murtherers and butchers of all that through their wicked affections worldly pompe or desire of revenge have no remorse of making the bloud of men run like rivers upon the earth making no more account of the life of a man than of a flie or a worme Such an one was Abimelech one of the sonnes of Gedeon who to the end to usurpe the regiment of the people which his father before him refused got together a rout of rascal and vile fellowes by whose aid comming to his fathers house he slew seventy of his brethren even all except Ioathan the yongest that stole away and hid himselfe After which massacre he raigned in jolity three yeares and at the end thereof was cut short by God together with the Sichemites his provokers and maintainers who were also guilty of all the innocent bloud which he had shed for God sent the spirit of division betwixt them so that the Sichemites began to despise him and rebell against him but they had the worst end of the staffe and were overcome by him who pursuing the victory tooke their city by force and put them all to the edge of the sword And after he had thus destroied their city put fire also to the castle wherein he consumed neere about a thousand persons of men and women that were retired thither to save their lives And thus God brought upon them the mischiefe which they had consented and put their hands unto for as they had lent him aid and furtherance to the shedding of his brethrens bloud so was their owne bloud with their wives and childrens shed by him yet this tyran not content therewith made war also with the inhabitants of Tebez and tooke their city and would have forced the tower also wherein the citisens had inclosed themselves but as he approched to the wall a woman threw downe a piece of a milstone upon his head wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death he commanded one of his soldiers to kill him outright And thus this wicked murtherer that had shed the bloud of many men yea of his owne brethren had his braines knockt out by a woman and died a most desperate death The bloudy treachery of Baana and Rechab chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth Sauls son in conspiring against and murthering their master whilest he slept abode not long unpunished for having cut off his head they presented it for a present to king David hoping to gratifie the king and to receive some recompence for their paines But David being of an upright and true kingly heart could not endure such vile treachery though against the person of his enemy but entertained them as most vile traitors and master-murtherers commanding first their hands and feet to be cut off which they had especially imployed as instruments about that villany and afterwards caused them to bee slaine and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like For the like cause was Ioab Generall of king Davids host for killing Abner traiterously who forsaking Ishbosheth had yeelded himselfe to the King cursed of David with all his house with a most grievous and terrible curse And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe as to murder Amasa one of Davids chiefe captains making shew to salute and embrace him For which cruell deed albeit that in Davids time he received no punishment yet it overtooke him at last and the same kinde of cruelty
whereof much losse and inconvenience grew unto him as well by sea as by land After the first overthrow where one of his sisters was taken prisoner when he saw himselfe in so desperate a case that no hope of helpe was left he slew two other of his sisters with two of his wives having before this warre given his foruth sister who also was his wife a dram of poyson to make up the tragedy Afterward being vanquished in the night by Pompey the Roman and put to flight with onely three of his company as he went about to gather a new supply of forces behold tydings was brought him of the revolt of many of his Provinces and countries and of the delivering up of the rest of his daughters into Pompeyes hand and of the treason of his yong sonne Pharnax the gallantest of his sonnes and whom he purposed to make his successor who had joyned himselfe to his enemy which troubled and astonished him more than all the rest so that his courage being quite dashed and all hope of bettering his estate extinguished his other two daughters he poysoned with his owne hands and sought to practise the same experiment upon himselfe but that his body was too strong for the poison and killed the operation thereof by strength of nature but that which poyson could not effect his owne sword performed Though Pompey the great was never any of the most notorious offenders in Rome yet did this staine of cruelty ambition and desire of rule cleave unto him for first he joyning himselfe to Silla dealt most cruelly and unnaturally with Carbo whom after familiar conference in shew of friendship he caused suddenly to be slain without shew of mercy And with Quintius Valerius a wise and well lettered man with whom walking but two or three turnes he committed to a cruell and unexpected slaughter He executed severe punishment upon the enemies of Sylla especially those that were most of note and reputation and unmercifully put Brutus to death that had rendered himselfe unto his mercy It was he that devised that new combat of prisoners and wilde beasts to make the people sport withall a most inhumane and bloudy pastime to see humane and manly bodies torne and dismembred by brute and senselesse creatures which if we will beleeve Plutarch was the onely cause of his destruction Now after so many brave and gallant victories so many magnificent triumphs as the taking of King Hiarbas the overthrow of Domitius the conquest of Africa the pacifying of Spaine and the overwelding of the commotions that were therein the clearing of the sea coasts from Pirates the victory over Methridates the subduing of the Arabians the reducing of Syria into a Province the conquest of Iudea Pontus Armenia Cappadocia and Paphlagonia I say after all these worthy deeds of armes and mighty victories he was shamefully overcome by Iulius Caesar in that civill warre wherein it was generally thought that he had undertaken the better cause in maintaining the authority of the Senat and defending the liberty of the people as he pretended to doe being thus put to flight and making towards Aegypt in hope the King for that before time he had beene his tutor would protect and furnish him that he might recover himselfe againe he found himselfe so farre deceived of his expectation that in stead thereof the Kings people cut him short of his purpose and of his head both at once sending it for a token to Caesar to gratifie him withall Neverthelesse for all this his murtherers and betrayers as the yong King and all others that were causers of his death were justly punished for their cruelty by the hands of him whom they thought to gratifie for as Cleopatra the Kings sister thrâ—w her selfe downe at Caesars feet to entreat her portion of the kingdome and he being willing also to shew her that favour was by that means gotten into the kings palace forthwith the murtherers of Pompey beset the palace and went about to bring him into the same snare that they had caught Pompey in But Caesar after that he had sustained their greatest brunt frustrated their purposes and recovered his forces into his hands assayled them with such valour and prowesse on all sides that in short space he overcame this wicked and traiterous nation Amongst the slaine the dead body of this young and evill advised King was found overborne with dirt Theodotus the kings schoolemaster by whose instigation and advice both Pompey was slaine and this warre undertaken being escaped and fled towards Asia for his safety found even there sufficient instruments both to abridge his journey and shorten his life As for the rest of that murthering fellowship they ended their lives some here some there in that mercilesse element the sea and by that boisterous element the wind which though senselesse yet could not suffer them to escape unpunished Although that Iulius Caesar concerning whom more occasion of speech will be given hereafter did tyrannously usurp the key of the Roman Common-wealth and intruded himselfe into the Empire against the lawes customes and authority of the people and Senate yet was it accounted a most traiterous and cruell part to massacre and kill him in the Senate as he sat in his seat misdoubting no mishap as the sequell of their severall ends which were actors in this tragedy did declare for the vengeance of God was so manifestly displayed upon them that not one of the conspirators escaped but was pursued by sea and land so eagerly till there was nor one left of that wicked crue whom revenge had not overtaken Cassius being discomfited in the battell of Philippos supposing that Brutus had beene also in the same case used the same sword against himselfe a marvellous thing wherewith before he had smitten Caesar. Brutus also a few dayes after when a fearefull vision had appeared twice unto him by night understanding thereby that his time of life was but short though he had the better of his enemies the day before yet threw himselfe desperately into the greatest danger of the battell for his speedier dispatch but he was reserved to a more shamefull end for seeing his men slaine before him he retired hastily apart from view of men and setting his sword to his breast threw himselfe upon it piercing him through the body and so ended his life And thus was Caesars death revenged by Octavius and Anthony who remained conquerors after all that bloudy crew was brought to nought betwixt whom also ere long burst out a most cruell division which grew unto a furious and cruell battell by sea wherein Anthony was overcome and sent flying into Aegypt and there taught his owne hands to be his murtherers And such was the end of his life who had beene an actor in that pernicious office of the Triumvirship and a causer of the deaths of many men And forasmuch as Cleopatra was the first motive and fetter on of Anthony to this warre
the Emperor Fredericke and fought with him with an armie not of men but of excommunications and cursings as their manner is and seeing that all his thundering Buls and Canons could not prevaile so farre as he desired he presently sought to bring to passe that by treason which by force he could not for he so enchanted certain of his household servants with foule bribes and faire words that when by reason of his short draught the poyson which he ministred could not hurt him he got them to strangle him to death Moreover he was chiefe sower of that warre betwixt Henry Lantgrave of Thuring whom hee created King of the Romanes and Conrade Frederickes sonne wherein he reaped a crop of discomfitures and overthrowes after which he was found slaine in his bed his body being full of blacke markes as if he had beene beaten to death with cudgels Concerning Boniface after he had by subtile and crafty meanes made his predecessor dismisse himselfe of his Papacie and enthronised himselfe therein he put him to death in prison and afterward made war upon the Gibilines and committed much cruelty wherefore also he dyed mad as we heard before But touching Popes and their punishments we shall see more in the 44 chapter following whither the examples of them are referred that exceeding in all kinde of wickednesse cannot be rightly placed in the treatise of any particular commandement CHAP. IX Other memorable examples of the same subject IF wee descend from antiquities to histories of later and fresher memory wee shall finde many things worthy report and credit as that which happened in the yeere 1405 betwixt two Gentlemen of Henault the one of which accused the other for killing a neere kinsman of his which the other utterly stedfastly denied whereon DWilliam County of Henault offered them the combat in the city of Quesney to decide the controversie when as by law it could not be ended whereunto they being come and having broken their speares in two and encountered valiantly with their swords at length he that was charged with and indeed guilty of the murder was overcome of the other and made to confesse with his mouth in open audience the truth of the fact Wherefore the Country adjudged him in the same place to be beheaded which was speedily executed and the conquerour honourably conducted to his lodging Now albeit this manner of deciding controversies be not approved of God yet we must not think it happened at all adventures but rather that the issue thereof came of the Lord of Hosts that by this meanes gave place to the execution of his most high and soveraigne justice by manifesting the murderer and bringing him to that punishment which he deserved About this very time there was a most cruell and out ragious riot practised and performed upon Lewis Duke of Orleance brother to Charles the sixth by the complot and devise of Iohn Duke of Burgundie who as hee was naturally haughtie and ambitious went about to usurpe the government of the realme of France for that the king by reason of weakenesse of his braine was not able to mannage the affaires thereof so that great trouble and uncivill warres were growne up by that occasion in every corner of the realme As therefore he affected and gaped after the rule so hee thought no meanes dishonest to attaine unto it and therefore his first enterprise was to take out of the way the Kings brother who stood betwixt him and home Having therefore provided fit champions for his purpose he found opportunity one night to cause him to come out of his lodging late by counterfeit tokens from the king as if he had sent for him about some matters of importance and being in the way to S. Pauls hostle where the kings lodging was in Paris the poore Prince suspecting nothing was suddenly set upon with eighteen roisters at once with such fury and violence that in very short space they left him dead upon the pavement by the gate Barbet his braines lying scattered about the street After this detestable and odious act committed and detected the cruell Burgundian was so farre from shaming that he vanted and boasted at it as if he had atchieved the most valorous and honourable exploit in the World so farre did his impudencie outstretch the bond of reason Neverthelesse to cast some counterfeit colour upon this rough practise he used the conscience and fidelitie of three famous Divines of Paris who openly in publike assemblies approved of this murder saying That he had greatly offended if he had left it undone About this device he imployed especially M. Iohn Petit a Sorbonist Doctor whose rashnesse and brasen-facednesse was so great as in the councel-house of the King stoutly to averre That that which was done in the death of the Duke of Orleance was a vertuous and commendable action and the author of it to be void of fault and therefore ought to be void of punishment The preface which this brave Orator used was That he was bounden in duetie to the Duke of Burgundie in regard of a goodly pension which he had received at his hands and for that cause he had prepared his poor tongue in token of gratitude to defend his cause He might better have said thus That seeing his tongue was poore and miserable and he himselfe a sencelesse creature therefore he ought not to allow or defend so obstinately such a detestable traiterous murder committed upon a Duke of Orleance and the same the Kings brother in such vile sort and that if he should doe otherwise he should approve of that which God and man apparently condemned yea the very Turkes and greatest Paynims under heaven and that he should justifie the wicked and condemne the innocent which is an abomination before God and should put darkenesse in stead of light and call that which is evill good for which the Prophet Esay in his fifth chapter denounceth the jugdements of God against false prophets and should follow the steps of Balaam which let out his tongue to hire for the wages of iniquity but none of these supposes came once into his minde But to returne to our History The Duke of Burgundy having the tongues of these brave Doctors at his commandement and the Parisians who bore themselves partially in this quarrell generally favourers of his side came to Paris in armes to justifie himselfe as he pretended and strucke such a dreadfull awe of himselfe into all mens mindes that notwithstanding all the earnest pursuit of the Dutchesse the widow of Orleance for justice he escaped unpunished untill God by other meanes tooke vengeance upon him which happened after a while after that those his complices of Paris being become lords and rulers of the citie had committed many horrible and cruell murders as of the Constable and Chancellor two head officers of the realme whose bodies fast bound together they drew naked through the streets from place to place in most
despightfull manner for the Daulphin escaping their hands by night and safegard in his castle after that he heard of the seisure of the citie found meanes to assemble certuine forces and marched to Montereaufautyon with 20000 men of purpose to be revenged on the Duke for all his brave and riotous demeanors hither under colour of parling and devising new means to pacifie these old civill troubles he enticed the Duke and being come at his very first arrivall as he was bowing his knee in reverence to him he caused him to be slaine And on this manner was the Duke of Orleance death quitted and the evill and cruelty shewed towards him returned upon the murderers owne necke for as he slew him trecherously and cowardly so was he also trecherously and cowardly slaine and justly requited with the same measure that he before had measured to another notwithstanding herein the Daulphin was not free from a grievous crime of disloyaltie and truth-breach in working his death without shame of either faith-breach or perjury and that in his owne presence whom hee had so often with protestation of assurance and safetie requested to come to him Neither did he escape unpunished for it for after his fathers decease he was in danger of losing the Crowne and all for this cause for Philip Duke of Burgundie taking his fathers revenge into his hands by his cunning devices wrought meanes to displace him from the succession of the kingdome by according a marriage betwixt the King of England and his sister to whom he in favor agreed to give his kingdome in reversion after his owne decease Now assoone as the King of England was seised upon the governement of France the Daulphin was presently summoned to the marble Table to give answere for the death of the old Duke whither when he made none appearance they presently banished him the realme and pronounced him to be unworthy to be succeeder to the noble Crowne which truely was a very grievous chastisement and such an one as brought with it a heape of many mischiefes and discomfitures which happened in the warre betwixt England and him for the recovery of his kingdome Peter sonne to Alphonsus King of Castile was a most bloudy and cruell Tyran for first he put to death his owne wife the daughter of Peter Duke of Burbon and sister to the Queene of France next hee slew the mother of his bastard brother Henrie together with many Lords and Barons of the realme for which he was hated not onely of all his subjects but also of his neighbor and adjoyning countries which hatred moved the foresaid Henrie to aspire unto the Crowne which what with the Popes avouch who legitimated him and the helpe of certaine French forces and the support of the Nobility of Castile he soone atchieved Peter thus abandoned put his safest gard in his heeles and fled to Bordeaux towards the Prince of Wales of whom he received such good entertainment that with his aid he sonne re-entred his lost dominions and by maine battell chased his bastard brother out of the confines thereof but being re-installed whilest his cruelties ceased not to multiply on every side behold Henrie with a new supply out of France began to assayle him afresh and put him once again to his shifts but all that he could doe could not shift him out of Henries hands who pursued him so hotly that with his owne hands hee soone rid him out of all troubles and afterwards peaceably enjoyed the kingdome of Castille But above all the horrible murders and massacres that ever were heard or read of in this last age of the World that bloudy massacre in France under the reigne of Charles the ninth is most famous or rather infamous wherein the noble Admirall with many of the nobility and gentrie which were Protestants were most traiterously and cruelly murdered in their chambers and beds in Paris the foure and twentieth of August in the night in this massacre were butchered in Paris that very night ten thousand Protestants and in all France for other cities followed the example of Paris thirty or as some say forty thousand I will not stand to relate the particular circumstances and manner thereof it being at large described by divers writers both in French and English only to our purpose let us consider the judgements and vengeance of Almightie God upon the chiefe practisers and plotters thereof which were these Charles the ninth then King by whose commission and commandement this massacre was undertaken his brother and successour the Duke of Aniou the Queene mother his bastard brother and the Duke of Guise yea the whole towne of Paris and generally all France was guilty thereof Now observe Gods just revenge Charles himselfe had the thred of his life cut off by the immediat hand of God by a long and lingring sickenesse and that before he was come to the full age of 24 yeres in his sicknesse bloud issued in great abundance out of many places of his body insomuch that sometimes he fell and wallowed in his owne bloud that as he had delight to shed the bloud of so many innocents so he might now at the latter end of his dayes be glutted with bloud And surely by this meanes the Lord did put him in minde of his former bloudy murders to draw him to repentance if it were possible The Duke of Anjou who succeeded this Charles in the Crowne of France and was called Henrie the third was murdered by a young Iacobine Monke called Frier Iaques Clement at the instigation of the duke de Maine and others of the league and that wherein appeareth manifestly the hand of God in the selfe same chamber at S. Cloves wherein the Councell for the great massacre had beene taken and plotted as it is constantly affirmed The Duke of Guise in the yeare 1588 the 23 of December was murdered by the kings owne appointment being sent for into the kings chamber out of the councell chamber where attended him 45 with rapiers and poniards ready prepared to receive him The Queene mother soone after the slaughter of the Duke of Guise tooke the matter so to heart that shee went to bed and dyed the first of Ianuarie after Touching all the rest that were chiefe actors in the tragidie few or none escaped the apparant vengeance of God and as for Paris and the whole realme of France they also felt the severe scourge of Gods justice partly by civile wars and bloudshed and partly by famine and other plagues so that the Lord hath plainly made knowne to the world how precious in the sight of his most Holy Majestie is the death of innocents and how impossible it is for cruell murderers to escape unpunished CHAP. X. Of divers other Murderers and their severall punishments MAximinus from a shepheard in Thracia grew to be an Emperor in Rome by these degrees his exceeding stength and swiftnesse in running commended him so to Severus then Emperour that he made
him of his gard from that he arose to be a Tribune and at last to bee Emperor which place he was no sooner in possession of but immoderate cruelty all this while buried began to shew it selfe for he made havocke of all the Nobilitie and put to death those that he suspected to be acquainted with his estate insomuch as some called him Cyclops some Bâ—siris others Aâ—teus for his cruelty Wherefore the Senate of Rome seeing his indignity proclaimed him an enemy to their commonwealth and made it lawfull for any man to procure his death Which being knowne his souldiers lying at the siege of Aquileia moved with hatred entred his tent at noone day and flew him and his sonne together Iustinian the yonger no lesse hatefull to his subjects for his cruelty than Maximinus was deposed from the empire by conspiracy and having his nosthrils slit exiled to Chersona Leontius succeeding in his place Howbeit ere long he recovered his Crowne and Scepter and returned to Constantinople exercising more cruelty at his returne than ever he had done before for he had not only put to death Leontius and Tiberius but also all that any way favored their parts It is said of him that he never blew his mangled nose but he caused one of them to be executed to death At last he was slaine by Philippicus to verifie the word of the Lord That he which striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword Albonius king of Lunbardy drinking upon a time to his wife Rosimund in a cup made of her fathers skull whom he in battell had slaine so displeased her therewith that attributing more to naturall affection than unity of marriage decreed with her selfe to hazard life and kingdome to be revenged upon this grievous injurie wherefore she thus practised A knight called Hemichild was enamoured with one of her maids him shee brought into a secret darke place by policie in shew to injoy his love but indeed to be at her command for she supplyed his loves place and then discovering her selfe put it to his choise either to kill her husband or to be accused by her of this villanie Hemichild chose the former and indeed murdered his Lord in his bed and after the deed done fled with her to Ravenna But marke how the Lord required this murder even most strangely for they both which were linkt together in the fact were linkt together also in the punishment and as they had beene joynt instruments of anothers destruction so he made them mutuall instruments of their owne for Rosimund thinking to poyson him too made him drinke halfe her medicine but hee feeling the poyson in his veines staied in the mid way and made her sup up the other halfe for her part so they died both together The Electors of the Empire disagreeing in suffrages Adolphus Duke of Nassavia and Albertus Duke of Austria tooke upon them the regiment and managing of the State whereupon grew grievous wars in all Germanie and dissention between the two State-men so that Adolphus was slaine by the Duke of Austria in battell by the citie of Spire whose death was thus notably revenged All that tooke part against him or that were accessary to the murder perished most strangely Albert Earle of Hagerloch was slaine Otto of Ochsensteme was hanged the Bishop of Mentz died suddenly of an apoplexie in his cellar the Bishop of Strasbrough was butchered by a Butcher the Earle of Leimingen died of a frensie the Duke of Austria himselfe was slaine by his nephew Iohn from whom hee had taken the government of Suevia because of his unthriftinesse generally they all came to destruction so grievous is the crie of innocent bloud against those that are guilty thereof After the death of Woldimirus King of Rhythenia his sonne Berisus succeeded in the kingdome who though hee was a vertuous and religious Prince yet could not his vertue or religion priviledge him from the malice of his brother Suadopolcus who gaping and itching for the Crowne slew his brother this good Prince as hee was sleeping in his Chamber together with his Esquire that attended upon him and not content herewith but adding murder to murder hee assaulted another of his brethren by the same impietie and brought him to the same end Whereupon the last brother Iorislaus to bee revenged on this villanie set upon him with an armie of men and killing his complices drove him to fly to Crachus king of Polonia for succour who furnishing him with a new armie sent him backe against his brother in which battell his successe being equall to the former hee lost his men and himselfe escaping the sword dyed in his flight to Polonia and was buried in a base and ignoble sepulchre fit enough for so base and ignoble a wretch And that we may see how hatefull and ungodly a thing it is to be either a protector or a saver of any murderer marke the judgement of God that fell upon this king of Polonia though not in his own person yet in his posterity for hee being dead his eldest sonne and heire Crachus was murdered by his younger brother Lechus as they were hunting so disguised and torn that every man imputed his death not to Lechus whose eyes dropt crocodiles teares but to some savage and cruell beast howbeit ere long his trechery being discovered and disseised of his kingdome hee died with extreame griefe and horrour of conscience And thus we see that Crachus his kingdome came to desolation for maintaining a murderer Iohn the high Priest of Jerusalem sonne and successor to Iudas had a brother termed Iesus to whom Bagoses the lieutenant of Artaxerxes army promised the Priesthood meaning indeed to depose Iohn and install him in his roome upon which occasion this Iesus growing insolent spared not to revile his brother and that in the temple with immodest and opprobrious speeches so that his anger being provoked he slew him in his rage a most impious part for the high Priest to pollute the holy temple with bloud and that of his owne brother and so impious that the Lord in justice could not chuse but punish the whole nation for it most severely For this cause Bagoses imposed a tribute upon them even a most grievous tribute that for every lambe they offered upon the altar they should pay fiftie groats to the king of Persia besides the prophanation of their temple with the uncircumcised Persians who entred into it at their pleasures and so polluted the Sanctuary and holy things of God this punishment continued upon them seven yeares and all for this one murder Gerhardus Earle of Holsatia after he had conquered the Danes in many and sundry battells was traiterously slaine in the citie Kanderhusen by one Nicolaus Iacobus a rich Baron so that whom the open enemy feared in the field him the privie subtile foe murdered in his chamber But the traitor and murderer albeit hee fled to the castle Schaldenburg and
grace of Gods spirit saw his Sorbonicall errors and renounced them betaking himselfe to the profession of the purer religion and the company and acquaintance of godly men amongst whom was Bucer that excellent man who sent him also to Nurnburge to oversee the printing of a booke which he was to publish Whilest Diazius lived at this Nurnburge a city scituat upon the river Dimow his brother a lawyer and judge laterall to the Inquisition by name Alphonsus came thither and by all meanes possible endevoured to dissuade him from his religion and to reduce him againe to Popery But the good man persisted in the truth notwithstanding all his perswasions and threats wherefore the subtill fox took another course and faining himselfe to be converted also to his religion exhorted him to goe with him into Italy where he might do much good or at the least to Angust but by the counsell of Bucer and his friends he was kept back otherwise willing to follow his brother Wherefore Alphonsus departed and exhorted him to constancy and perseverance giving him also fourteene crowns to defray his charges Now the wolfe had not been three dayes absent when he hired a rakehell and common butcher and with him flew again to Nurnburge in post hast and comming to his brothers lodging delivered him a letter which whilest he read the villain his confederat cleft his head in pieces with an axe leaving him dead upon the floore and so fled with all expedition Howbeit they were apprehended yet quit by the Popes justice so holy and sacred are the fruits of his Holinesse though not by the justice of God for within a while after hee hung himselfe upon his mules necke at Trent Duke Abrogastes slew Valentinian the Emperour of the West and advanced Eugenius to the crowne of the Empire but a while after the same sword which had slain his lord and master was by his owne hands turned into his owne bowels Mempricius the sonne of Madan the fourth King of England then called Britaine after Brute had a brother called Manlius betwixt whom was great strife for the soveraigne dominion but to rid himselfe of all his trouble at once he slew his brother Manlius by treason and after continued his raigne in tyranny and all unlawfull lusts the space of twenty yeeres but although vengeance all this while winked yet it slept not for at the end of this space as he was hunting he was devoured of wilde beasts In the yeare of our Lord God 745 one Sigebert was authorised king of the Saxons in Britaine a cruell and tyrannous Prince towards his subjects and one that changed the ancient Lawes and customes of his Realme after his owne pleasure and because a certaine Nobleman somewhat sharpely advertised him of his evill conditions hee maliciously caused him to bee put to death But see how the Lord revenged this murder hee caused his Nobles to deprive him of his kingly authority and at last as a desolate and forlorne person wandring alone in a wood to be slaine of a swineheard whose master he being king had wrongfully put to death About the yeare of our Lord 793 Ethelbert king of the East Angles a learned and right godly Prince came to the court of Offa the king of Mercia perswaded by the counsell of his nobles to sue for the marriage of his daughter well accompanied like a prince with a great traine of men about him whereupon Offa's Queene conceiving a false suspition of that which was never minded That Ethelbert under the pretence of this marriage was come to worke some violence against her husband and the kingdome of Mercia so perswaded with king Offa and certaine of his Councell that night that the next day following Offa caused him to be trained into his palace alone from his company by one called Guymbertus who tooke him and bound him and after strooke off his head which forthwith he presented to the king and Queene Thus was the innocent King wrongfully murdered but not without a just revenge on Gods hand for the aforesaid Queene worker of this villany lived not three moneths after and in her death was so tormented that she bit and rent her tongue in pieces with her teeth which was the instrument to set abroach that murtherous practise Offa himselfe understanding at length the innocency of the king and the hainous cruelty of his fact gave the tenth part of his goods to the Church bestowed upon the Church of Hereford in remembrance of this Ethelbert great lands builded the Abbey of S. Albons with certaine other Monasteries beside and afterward went to Rome for his penance where hee gave to the Church of S. Peter a peny through every house in his dominion which was commonly called Romeshot or Peterpence and there at length was transformed from a king to a monke Thus God punished not only him and his wife but the whole land for this vile murder One principall cause of the conquest of this land by the Normans was a vile and horrible murder committed by one Goodwin an Earle in England upon certaine Mormans that came overwith Alfred and Edward to visit their mother Emma that had beene married to King Canutus This matter thus fell out When these two came from Normandy to England to visit their mother as I have said Earle Goodwin having a daughter called Godith whom hee thought to marry to Edward and advance him to the kingdome to bring his purpose to passe used this practise that is to perswade King Hardeknout and the Lords not to suffer those Normans to bee within the Realme for jeopardy but rather to punish them for example by which meanes hee got authority to order the matter himselfe Wherefore hee met them on Guild downe and there wretchedly murdered or rather martyred the most part of the Normans killing nine and leaving the tenth alive throughout the whole company and then tything againe the said tyth he slew every tenth knight and that by cruell torment as winding their guts out of their body after a most savage manner among the rest he put out the eyes of the elder of the two brethren Alfred and sent him to an Abbey at Elie where being fed with bread and water hee ere long ended his life Now albeit hee obtained his purpose hereby and married his daughter to Edward who was after King called Edward the Confessor yet did not Gods justice sleepe to punish this horrible murder for he himselfe died not long after suddenly having forsworne himselfe and the Normanes with William their Duke ere long came into this Iland to revenge this murder as also to claime a right of inheritance bequeathed unto him by Edward his Nephew and how hee succeeded and what misery he brought this whole Nation unto who knoweth not But heere is the justice of God As the Normans comming with a naturall English Prince were most cruelly and barbarously murdered of Englishmen so afterwards the Englishmen were slaine and
and stones echoed France into his eares And on this manner was his flight to Sicilie King Charles in the meane while having by force and bloodshed to terrifie the rest taken two passages that were before him the whole Realme without any great resistance yeelded it selfe unto his mercy albeit that the young King had done what he could to withstand him But at length seeing the Neapolitanes ready to rebell and himselfe in danger to be taken prisoner he fled from the Castle of Naples and with a small company got certaine Brigandines wherein he sayled to the Island Ischia thirty miles from Naples saying at his departure this verse out of the Psalmes How vaine are the watchmen and gards of that City which is not garded and watched by the Lord which he often repeated and so long as Naples was in his view And thus was cruelty punished both in Ferdinand the father and Alphonso the sonne Artaxerxes Ochus the eight King of the Persians began his raigne with thus many murders he slew two of his owne brethren first secondly Euagoras King of Cyprus his partner and associate in the kingdome thirdly he tooke Gidon traiterously and was the cause of forty thousand mens deaths that were slaine and burned therein beside many other private murders and outrages which he committed for which cause the Lord in his justice rained downe vengeance upon his head for Bagoas one of his Princes ministred such a fatall cup to his stomacke that it mortified his senses and deprived him of his unmercifull soule and life and not onely upon his head but upon his Kingdome and his sonne Arsame also for he was also poysoned by the same Bagoas and his Kingdome was translated to Darius Prince of Armenia whom when the same Bagoas went about to make taste of the same cup which his predecessors did he was taken in his owne snare for Darius understanding his pretence made him drinke up his owne poyson which he provided for him and thus murder was revenged with murder and poyson with poyson according to the Decree of the Almighty who saith Eye for eye tooth for tooth c. In the yeare of the World 3659. Morindus a most cruell and bloody minded Prince raigned here in England who for his cruelties sake came to an unhappy and bloody end for out of the Irish seas came forth a Monster which destroyed much people whereof he hearing would of his valiant courage needs fight with it and was devoured of it so that it may truly here be said that one Monster devoured another There was as Aelianus reporteth a cruell and pernicious Tyran who to the end to prevent all practises of conspiracy and treason as Tyrans are ever naturally and upon desert timerous that might be devised against him enacted this Law among his subjects That no man should conferre with another either privately or publikely upon paine of death and so indeed he abrogated all civill society For speech as it was the beginning and birth of fellowship so it is the very joynt and glue thereof but what cared he for society that respected nothing but his owne safety hee was so farre from regarding the common good that when his subjects not daring to speake signified their mindes by signes he prohibited that also and that which is yet more when not daring to speake or yet make signes they fell to weeping and lamenting their misery he came with a band of men even to restraine their teares too but the multitudes rage being justly incensed they gave him such a desperat welcome that neither he nor his followers returned one of them alive And thus his abominable cruelty came to an end together with his life and that by those meanes which is to be observed by which he thought to preserve and maintaine them both Childericus who in the yeare 697 succeeded in the Kingdome of France Theodoricke that for his negligence and sluggish government was deposed and made of a King a Frier exercised barbarous and inhumane cruelty upon his subjects for he spared neither noble or ignoble but mixtly sent them to their graves without respect of cause or justice One of the noble sort he caused to be fastened to a stake and beaten with clubbes not to death but to chastisement which monstrous cruelty so incensed the peoples mind against him that there wanted no hands to take part with this club-beaten man against the Tyran his enemie Wherefore they layed wait for him as he came one day from hunting and murdered him together with his wife great with childe no man either willing or daring to defend him Tymocrates the King or rather Tyran of the Cyrenians will give place to none in this commendation of cruelty For he afflicted his subjects with many and monstrous calamities insomuch that he spared not the priests of his gods which commonly were in reverent regard among the Heathen As the bloody death of Menalippus Apollo's priest did witnesse whom to the end to marry his faire and beautifull wife Aretaphila he cruelly put to death how beit it prospered not with him as he desired for the good woman not contented with this sacrilegious contract sought rather meanes to revenge her first husbands death than to please this new letchers humour Wherefore she assayed by poyson to effect her wish and when that prevailed not she gave a yong daughter she had to Leander the Tyrans brother to wife who loved her exceedingly but with this condition that he should by some practise or other worke the death and destruction of his brother which indeed he performed for he so bribed one of the groomes of the Tyrans chamber that by his helpe he soone rid wicked Tymocrates out of the way by a speedy and deserved death But to abridge these long discourses let us looke into all times and ages and to the histories of all Countries and Nations and we shall finde that Tyrans have ever come to one destruction or other Diomedes the Thracian King fed his horses with mans flesh as with provender but was made at last provender for his owne horses himselfe by Hercules Calippus the Athenian that slew Dion his familiar friend and deposed Dionisius the Tyran and committed many other murders amongst the people was first banished Rheginum and then living in extreame necessity slaine by Leptines and Polysperchon Clephes the second King of the Lumbards for his savage cruelty towards his subjects was slaughtered by one of his friends Damasippus that massacred so many Citizens of Rome was cut off by Scylla Ecelinus that played the Tyran at Taurisium guelding Boyes deflowring Maydes mayming Matrons of their Dugs cutting children out of their mothers bellies and killing 1200 Patavians at once that were his friends was cut short in a battell In a Word if we read and consult Histories of all Countries and times we shall find seldome or never any notorious Tyran and oppressor of his subjects that came to
and the whole Army of threescore thousand men by bare eight thousand English discomfited divers great Lords were found slain in the field and divers others with the King himselfe carried Prisoners into England which was a great shake to the whole Realme and the occasion of many tumults and disorders that ensued afterwards Moreover as it is a rash part to hazard the doubtfull event of battell indiscreetly and without cause so it is a point of no lesse folly to thrust ones selfe voluntarily into any action of war without charge not being particularly called and bound thereunto or having a body unsufficient and unfit for the same And this was also one of the warlike points of Discipline which the antient Romans used That none should presume to fight for his Countrey before he had been admitted by some Captain by a solemne Oath Of all the Histories that I ever read I know none more strange in matter of war than this which I now go about to recite of Henry of Luxenbourg Emperour of Germany who when he heard that his son Charles King of Bohemia was in the French Army and that Philip of Valois King of France was ready to give battell to the English albeit he was blinde and consequently unfit for war yet would needs take part with the French and therefore commanded his men at Armes to guide him into the place where the Field was to be fought that he might strike one blow They as foolish as himselfe not willing to crosse his minde and fearing to lose him in the prease tied him faste to the raines of their bridles being by this meanes so coupled together as if they meant all to perish together if need were as indeed they did for they were overcome in battell and the next day found all dead horse and men faste bound together This accident befell at Crecy neer Abrevile in which journey the French King sustained an inestimable damage for he lost fifteen of his chiefest Princes fourscore Ensignes twelve hundred Knights and about thirty thousand men In the yeer 1455. the Hungarians without any just cause or pretence made war upon the Emperour Otto onely moved with a desire of bringing under their subjection the Germane powers and the rather at this time because they supposed the Emperours strength of war to be weakened and his power of men lessened by those continuall troubles and wars which he had been daily occupied in notwithstanding Otto as by his former deeds of Armes he deserved the sirname of Great so in this exploit especially for he conscribed eight Legions of men out of Franconia Bavaria and Bohemia and with that small valiant handfull overturned and destroyed the huge unchristened multitude of his enemies for albeit the Bohemians being placed in the Rereward were as suddenly and unexpectedly assaulted by the enemy that craftily passed over the River Lycus to set upon them behinde as unhappily put to flight with the losse of the carriages and victuals which they were set to protect yet Otto with his other Legions renuing the battell and encouraging his souldiers gave the enemy such an encounter and repulse that he put them to flight and slew them with a miserable slaughter three of their Kings he took Prisoners and few of that vaste Army escaped with their lives On the Emperours side died many worthy men among whom Conrade the Emperours son in law and Burghard Duke of Suevia were two beside many other In this successive battell it is to be noted above the rest how religiously the Emperour both began and finished it the day before the Fight he enjoyned a Faste in his Army and directed his prayers to the Almighty relying more upon the presence of Gods helpe than his owne power after the Conquest gotten he caused solemne thankes to be given in all Churches to God for the great deliverance I would our moderne Generals and Captaines would learne by this example to follow his footsteps and not to make their prayers quaffings and their thanksgiving carousings as they use to do even as it were purposely to tempt the Lord and to stir up his wrath against them Penda King of middle England making war upon Anna King of East Angles slew him in open field with which victory being puffed up by pride he sent defiance to Osway King of Northumberland also who hearing of his approach proffered him great gifts and fair conditions of peace which when Penda obstinately refused he was slain in battell with thirty of his most noble Captaines although he had thrice the number of people which Osway had And thus the heathen and bloudy Pagan ended his cruelty and paid dear for his too much forwardnesse in war CHAP. XVIII Of such as please themselves overmuch in seeing Cruelties THe Romanes were so accustomed by long use of war to behold fightings and bloudshed that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith for they would compell poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutuall blowes or to enter combate with savage and cruell beasts to be torne in pieces by them The first according to Seneca that devised and put in practice this unkindely Combate of Beasts and Malefactours was Pompey who provided an Army of eighteen Elephants to fight with men and thought it a notable and commendable spectacle to put men to death after this new and strange fashion Oh how mens mindes are blinded with over much prosperity He esteemed himselfe at that time to be higher in dignity than all other when he thus threw to wilde beasts people of farre Countries and in the presence of the people caused so much bloud to be shed but not long after himselfe was betrayed by the treachery of the Alexandrians and slain by a bondslave a just quittance for murdering so many of that condition thus much of Seneca Now it is manifest that this was an ordinary pastime among the Romans albelt it is strange that any pastime or pleasure could arise by seeing poor Creatures interchangeably strike one another to death and humane bloud to run like water along the streets It was not then without cause but by a speciall will of God to revenge cruelty that the bondslaves conducted by Spartacus the Fencer rebelled against their masters in Rome after they had broken through the guards of Lentulus his house and issuing out of Capua gathered together above ten thousand fighting men and encamped themselves in mount Vesuvius where being besieged by Clodâ—us Glaber they sallied so rudely and boisterously upon him that the victory and spoil of their enemies tents remained on their sides after this they ran over all the Land forraged the Countrey and destroyed many Villages and Townes but especially these four Nola Nocera Terrenevae and Metaponte were by them sacked and spoiled with a strange and bloudy overthrow after all which having encountred two Consuls they overcame Lentulus on mount Appennine and discomfited Gaiuâ—
whose father hight Virginius would needs make her his servant to the end to abuse her the more freely and whilest he endeavoured with all his power and policy to accomplish his immoderate lust her father slew her with his owne hands more willing to prostitute her to death than to so soul an opprobry and disgrace but every man stirred up with the wofulnesse of the event with one consent pursued apprehended and imprisoned the foul lecher who fearing the award of a most shamefull death killed himselfe to prevent a further mischief In the year of our Lord 1271. under the Raigne of the Emperour Rodolph the Sicilians netled and enraged with the horrible whoredomes adulteries and Rapes which the Garrisons that had the government over them committed not able any longer to endure their insolent and outragious demeanour entered a secret and common conspiracy upon a time appointed for the purpose which was on Easter Sunday at the shutting in of the evening to set upon them with one accord and to murder so many as they could as they did for at that instant they massacred so many throughout the whole Island that of all the great multitude there survived not one to bear tidings or bewail the dead At Naples it chanced in the Kings Palace as young King Fredericke Ferdinands son entered the Privy Chamber of the Queen his mother to salute her and the other Ladies of the Court that the Prince of Bissenio waiting in the outward chamber for his returne was slain by one of his owne servants that suddenly gave him with his sword three deadly strokes in the presence of many beholders which deed he confessed he had watched three yeares to performe in regard of an injury done unto his sister and in her to him whom he ravished against her will The Spaniards that first took the Isle Hispaniola were for their whoredomes and Rapes which they committed upon the wives and virgines all murdered by the inhabitants The inhabitants of the Province Cumana when they saw the beastly outrage of the Spanish Nation that lay along their Coasts to fish for Pearle in forcing and ravishing without difference their women young and old set upon them upon a Sunday morning with all their force and slew all that ever they found by the Sea-coasts Westward till there remained not one alive and the fury of the rude uncivill people was so great that they spared not the Monkes in their Cloysters but cut their throats as they were mumbling their Masses burnt up the Spanish houses both religious and private burst in pieces their bels drew about their Images hurld downe their Crucifixes and cast them in disgrace and contempt overthwart their streets to be troden upon nay they destroyed whatsoever belonged unto them to their very dogs and hennes and their owne countrymen that served them in any service whether religious or other they spared not they beat the earth and cursed it with bitter curses because it had upholden such wicked and wretched Caitises Now the report of this massacre was so fearfull and terrible that the Spaniards which were in Cubagna doubted much of their lives also and truly not without great cause for if the Indians of the Continent had been furnished and provided with sufficient store of barkes they had passed even into that Island and had served them with the same sauce which their fellowes were served with for they wanted not will but ability to do it And these are the goodly fruits of their Adulteries and Rapes which the Spanish Nation hath reaped in their new-found land The great calamity and overthrow which the Lacedemonians indured at Lectria wherein their chiefest strength and powers were weakened and consumed was a manifest punishment of their inordinate lust committed upon two virgins whom after they had ravished in that very place they cut in pieces and threw them into a pit and when their father came to complain him of the villany they made so light account of his words that in stead of redresse he found nothing but reproach and derision so that with grief he slew himselfe upon his daughters sepulchre but how grievously the Lord revenged this injury Histories do sufficiently testifie and that Leuctrian calamity doth bear witnesse Brias a Grecian Captain being received into a Citizens house as a guest forced his wife by violence to his lust but when he was asleep to revenge her wrong she put out both his eyes and afterward complained to the Citizens also who deprived him of his Office and cast him out of their City Macrinus the Emperour punished two Souldiers that ravished their Hostesse on this manner he shut them up in an Oxes bowels with their heads out and so partly with famishment and partly with wormes and rottennesse they consumed to death Rodericus King of the Gothes in Spain forced an Earles daughter to his lust for which cause her father brought against him an Army of Sarasens and Moores and not onely slew him with his son but also quite extinguished the Gothicke kingdom in Spain in this war and upon this occasion seven hundred thousand men perished as Histories record and so a kingdom came to ruine by the perverse lust of one lecher Anno 714. At the sacking and destruction of Thebes by King Alexander a Thracian Captain which was in the Macedonian Army took a noble Matron prisoner called Timoclea whom when by no perswasion of promises he could intice to his lust he constrained by force to yeeld unto it but this noble minded woman invented a most witty and subtle shift both to rid her selfe out of his hands and to revenge his injury she told him that she knew where a rich treasure lay hid in a deep pit whither when with greedinesse of the gold he hastened and standing upon the brinke pried and peered into the bottome of it she thrust him with both her hands into the hole and tumbled stones after him that he might never finde meanes to come forth for which fact she was brought before Alexander to have justice who demanding her what she was she answered that Theagenes who led the Thebane Army against the Macedonians was her brother Alexander perceiving the marvellous constancy of the woman and knowing the cause of her accusation to be unjust manumitted and set her free with her whole Family When Câ— Manlius having conquered the Gallo-Grecians pitched his Army against the Tectosages people of Narbonia towards the Pyrene monntaines amongst other prisoners a very fair woman wife to Orgiagous Regulus was in the custody of a Centurion that was both lustfull and covetous this lecher tempted her first with fair perswasions and seeing her unwilling compelled her with violence to yeeld her body as slave to fortune so to infamy and dishonour after which act somewhat to mitigate the wrong he gave her promise of release and freedom upon condition of a certain sum of money and to that purpose sent
her servant that was captive with her to her friends to purvey the same which he bringing the Centurion alone with the wronged Lady met him at a place appointed and whilest he weighed the money by her counsell was murdered of her servants so she escaping carried to her husband both his money and threw at his feet the villaines head that had spoiled her of her chastity Andreas King of Hungary having undertaken the voyage into Syria for the recovery of the Holy Land together with many other Kings and Princes committed the charge of his Kingdom and Family to one Bannebanius a wise and faithfull man who discharged his Office as faithfully as he took it willingly upon him Now the Queen had a brother called Gertrude that came to visit and comfort his sister in her husbands absence and by that meanes sojourned with her a long time even so long till he fell deadly in love with Bannebanius Lady a fair and vertuous woman and one that was thought worthy to keep company with the Queen continually to whom when he had unfolded his suit and received such stedfast repulse that he was without all hope of obtaining his desire he began to droup and pine untill the Queen his sister perceiving his disease found this perverse remedy for the cure thereof she would often give him opportunity of discourse by withdrawing her selfe from them being alone and many times leave them in secret and dangerous places of purpose that he might have his will of her but she would never consent unto his lust and therefore at last when he saw no remedy he constrained her by force and made her subject to his will against her will which vile disgracefull indignity when she had suffered she returned home sad and melancholy and when her husband would have embraced her she fled from him asking him if he would embrace a whore and related unto him her whole abuse desiring him either to rid her from shame by death or to revenge her wrong and make knowne unto the world the injury done unto her There needed no more spurres to pricke him forward for revenge he posteth to the Court and upbraiding the Queen with her ungratefull and abominable treachery runneth her through with his sword and taking her heart in his hand proclaimeth openly that it was not a deed of inconsideration but of judgement in recompence of the losse of his wives chastity forthwith he flieth towards the King his Lord that now was at Constantinople and declaring to him his fact and shewing to him his sword besmeared with his wives bloud submitteth himselfe to his sentence either of death in rigour or pardon in compassion but the good King enquiring the truth of the cause though grieved with the death of his wife yet acquit him of the crime and held him in as much honour and esteem as ever he did condemning also his wife as worthy of that which she had endured for her unwomanlike and traiterous part A notable example of justice in him and of punishment in her that forgetting the law of womanhood and modesty made her selfe a Bawd unto her brothers lust whose memory as it shall be odious and execrable so his justice deserveth to be engraven in marble with characters of gold Equal to this King in punishing a Rape was Otho the first for as he passed through Italy with an Army a certain woman cast her selfe downe at his feet for justice against a villain that had spoiled her of her chastity who deferring the execution of the law till his returne because his haste was great the woman asked who should then put him in minde thereof he answered This Church which thou seest shall be a witnesse betwixt me and thee that I will then revenge thy wrong Now when he had made an end of this warfare in his returne as he beheld the Church he called to minde the woman and caused her be fetched who falling downe before him desired now pardon for him whom before she had accused seeing he had now made her his wife and redeemed his injury with sufficient satisfaction not so I swear quoth Otho your compacting shall not infringe or colludo the sacred Law but he shall die for his former fault and so he caused him to be put to death A notable example for them that after they have committed filthinesse with a maid thinke it no sin but competent amends if they take her in marriage whom they abused before in fornication Nothing inferiour to these in punishing this sin was Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara as by this History following may appear In the year 1547. a Citizen of Comun was cast into Prison upon an accusation of murder whom to deliver from the judgement of death his wife wrought all meanes possible therefore comming to the Captain that held him Prisoner she sued to him for her husbands life who upon condition of her yeelding to his lust and payment of two hundred Ducats promised safe deliverance for him the poor woman seeing that nothing could redeem her husbands life but losse and shipwracke of her owne honesty told her husband who willed her to yeeld to the Captaines desire and not to pretermit so good an occasion wherefore she consented but after the pleasure past the traiterous and wicked Captain put her husband to death notwithstanding which injury when she complained to Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara he caused the Captain first to restore backe her two hundred Ducats with an addition of seven hundred Crownes and secondly to marry her to his wife and lastly when he hoped to enjoy her body to be hanged for his treachery O noble justice and comparable to the worthiest deeds of Antiquity and deserving to be held in perpetuall remembrance As these before mentioned excelled in punishing this sin so this fellow following excelled in committing it and in being punished for it his name is Novellus Cararius Lord of Pavie a man of note and credit in the World for his greatnesse but of infamy and discredit for his wickednesse This man after many cruell murders and bloudy practises which he exercised in every place where he came fell at last into this notorious and abhominable crime for lying at Vincentia he fell in love with a young maid of excellent beauty but more excellent honesty an honest Citizens daughter whom he commanded her parents to send unto him that he might have his pleasure of her but when they regarding their credit and she her chastity more than the Tyrans command refused to come he took her violently out of their house and constrained her body to his lust and after to adde cruelty to villany chopped her into small pieces and sent them to her parents in a basket for a present wherewith her poor father astonished carried it to the Senate who sent it to Venice desiring them to consider the fact and to revenge the cruelty The Venetians undertaking their defence made war upon the Tyran and
besieging him in his owne City took him at last prisoner and hanged him with his two sons Francis and William Diocles son of Pisistratus Tyran of Athens for ravishing a maid was slain by her brother whose death when Hippias his brother undertook to revenge and caused the maidens brother to be racked that he might discover the other conspiratours he named all the Tyrans friends which by commandment being put to death the Tyran asked whether there were any more None but onely thy selfe quoth he whom I would wish next to be hanged whereby it was perceived how abundantly he had revenged his sisters chastity by whose notable stomacke all the Athenians being put in remembrance of their liberty expelled their Tyran Hippias out of their City Mundus a young Gentleman of Rome ravished the chaste Matron Paulina in this fashion when he perceived her resolution not to yeeld unto his lust he perswaded the Priests of Isis to say that they were warned by an Oracle how that Anubius the god of Egypt desired the company of the said Paulina to whom the chaste Matron gave light credence both because she thought the Priests would not lie and also because it was accounted a great renowne to have to do with a god and thus by this meanes was Paulina abused by Mundus in the Temple of Isis under the name of Anubius Which thing being after disclosed by Mundus himselfe he was thus justly revenged the Priests were put to death the Temple beaten downe to the ground the Image of Isis throwne into Tiber and the young man banished A principall occasion of the Danes first arrivall here in England which after conquered the whole Land and exercised among the Inhabitants most horrible cruelties and outrages was a Rape committed by one Osbright a deputy King under the King of the West-Saxons in the North part This Osbright upon a time journeying by the way turned into the house of one of his Nobles called Bruer who having a wife of great beauty he being from home the King after dinner allured with her excellent beauty took her to a secret Chamber where he forcibly contrary to her will ravished her whereupon she being greatly dismayed and vexed made her mone to her husband at his returne of this violence and injury received The Nobleman forthwith studying revenge first went to the King and resigned to his hands all such services and possessions which he held of him and then took shipping and sailed into Denmarke where he had great friends and had his bringing up there making his mone to Codrinus the King desired his aid in revenging of the great villany of Osbright against him and his wife Codrinus glad to entertain any occasion of quarrell against this Land presently levied an Army and preparing all things for the same sendeth forth Inguar and Hubba two brethren with a mighty Army of Danes into England who first arriving at Holdernesse burnt up the Countrey and killed without mercy both men women and children then marching towards Yorke encountered with wicked Osbright himselfe where he with the most part of his Army was slain and discomfited a just reward for his villanous act as also one chief cause of the Conquest of the whole Land by the Danes In the year of our Lord 955. Edwine succeeding his uncle Eldred was King of England this man was so impudent that in the very day of his Coronation he suddenly withdrew himselfe from his Lords and in sight of certain persons ravished his owne kinswoman the wife of a Nobleman of his Realme and afterward slew her husband that he might have unlawfull use of her beauty for which act he became so odious to his Subjects and Nobles that they joyntly rose against him and deprived him of his Crowne when he had reigned four yeares CHAP. XXII Other examples of Gods Judgements upon Adulterers AMongst all other things this is especially to be noted how God for a greater punishment of the disordinate lust of men strucke them with a new yet filthy and stinking kinde of Disease called the French Pox though indeed the Spaniards were the first that were infected therewith by the heat which they caught among the women of the new-found lands and sowed the seeds thereof first in Spain and from thence sprinkled Italy therewith wherethe French men caught it when Charles the Eighth their King went against Naples From whence the contagion spread it selfe throughout divers places of Europe Barbary was so over-growne with it that in all their Cities the tenth part escaped not untouched nay almost not a Family but was infected From thence it ran to Aegypt Syria and the graund Cair and it may near hand truly be said that there was not a corner of the habitable world where this not onely new and strange for it was never heard of in antient ages but terrible and hideous scourge of Gods wrath stretched not it selfe They that were spotted with it and had it rooted in their bodies led a languishing life full of aches and torments and carried in their visages filthy markes of unclean behaviour as ulcers boyles and such like that greatly disfigured them And herein we see the words of Saint Paul verified That an Adulterer sinneth against his owne body Now for so much as the world is so brutishly carried into this sin as to none more the Lord therefore hath declared his anger against it in divers sorts so that divers times he hath punished it in the very act or not long after by a strange death Of which Alcibiades one of the great Captaines of Athens may stand for an example who being polluted with many great and odious vices and much given to his pleasures and subject to all uncleannesse ended his life in the midst thereof for as he was in company of a Phrygian strumpet having flowne thither to the King of Phrygia for shelter was notwithstanding set upon by certain Guards which the King induced by his enemies sent to stay him but they though in number many through the conceived opinion of his notable valour durst not apprehend him at hand but set fire to the house standing themselves in armes round about it to receive him if need were he seeing the fire leaped through the midst of it and so long defended himselfe amongst them all till strength failed in himselfe and blowes encreasing upon him constrained him to give up his life amongst them Pliny telleth of Cornelius Gallus and Q. Elerius two Roman Knights that died in the very action of filthinesse In the Irish History we finde recorded a notable judgement of God upon a notorious and cruell lecher one Turgesnis a Norwegian who having twice invaded Ireland reigned there as King for the space of thirty yeares This Tyran not onely cried havocke and spoil upon the whole Countrey abusing his victory very insolently but also spared not to abuse virgins and women at his pleasure to the satisfying
Countries to know the judgement of all the learned Divines concerning the matter in controversie who especially those that dwelt not far off seemed to allow and approve the divorce Thereupon he resolved rejecting his olde wife to take him to a new and to marrie as he did Anne of Bulloine one of the Queenes maides of honour a woman of most rare and excellent beauty Now as touching his first marriage with his brothers wife how unfortunate it was in it owne nature and how unjustly dispensed withall by the Pope we shall anon see by those heavy sorrowfull and troublesome events and issues which immediatly followed in the neck thereof And first and formest of the evill fare of the Cardinall of Yorke with whom the King being highly displeased for that at his instance and request the Pope had opposed himselfe to this marriage requited him and not undeservedly on this manner first he deposed him from the office of the Chancellorship secondly deprived him of two of his three bishoprickes which he held and lastly sent him packing to his owne bouse as one whom he never purposed more to see yet afterward being advertised of certaine insolent and threatning speeches which he used against him he sent againe for him but he not daring to refuse to come at his call dyed in the way with meere griefe and despight The Pope gave his definitive sentence against this act and favoured the cause of the divorced Ladie but what gained he by it save only that the King offended with him rejected him and all his trumpery retained his yearely tribute levied out of this Realm and converted it to another use and this was the recompence of his goodly dispensation with an incestuous marriage wherein although to speake truly and properly he lost nothing of his owne yet it was a deep check and no shallow losse to him and his successors to be deprived of so goodly a revenue and so great authority in this Realme as he then was CHAP. XXVII Of Adulterie SEeing that marriage is so holy an institution and ordinance of God as it hath been shewed to be it followeth by good right that the corruption thereof namely Adultery whereby the bond of marriage is dissolved should be forbidden for the woman that is polluted therewith despiseth her owne husband yea and for the most part hateth him and foisteth in strange seed even his enemies brats in stead of his owne not only to be fathered but also to be brought up and maintained by him and in time to be made inheritors of his possessions which thing being once knowne must needes stir up coales to set anger on fire and set abroach much mischiefe and albeit that the poore infants are innocent and guiltlesse of the crime yet doth the punishment and ignominie thereof redound to them because they cannot be reputed as legitimate but are even marked with the black coale of bastardy whilest they live so grievous is the guilt of this sin and uneasie to be removed For this cause the very Heathen not only reproved adultery evermore but also by authority of law prohibited it and allotted to death the offenders therein Abimelech King of the Philistims a man without circumcision and therefore without the covenant knowing by the light of nature for hee knew not the law of God how sacred and inviolable the knot of marriage ought to be expresly forbad all his people from doing any injury to Isaac in regard of his wife and from touching her dishonestly upon paine of death Out of the same fountaine sprang the words of queene Hecuba in Euripides speaking to Menelaus touching Helen when she admonished him to enact this law That every woman which should betray her husbands credit and her owne chastity to another man should die the death In olde time the Aegyptians used to punish adultery on this sort the man with a thousand jerkes with a reed and the woman with cutting off her nose but he that forced a free woman to his lust had his privy members cut off By the law of Iulia adulterers were without difference adjuged to death insomuch that Iulius Antonius a man of great parentage and reputation among the Romanes whose son was nephew to Augustus sister as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth was for this crime executed to death Aurelianus the Emperour did so hate and detest this vice that to the end to scare and terrifie his souldiers from the like offence he punished a souldier which had committed adultery with his hostesse in most severe manner even by causing him to be tyed by both his feet to two trees bent downe to the earth with force which being let goe returning to their course rent him cruelly in pieces the one halfe of his body hanging on the one tree and the other on the other Yea and at this day amongst the very Turkes and Tartarians this sin is sharply punished So that we ought not wonder that the Lord should ordaine death for the Adulterer If a man saith the law lie with another mans wife if I say he commit adultery with his neighbours wife the Adulterer and the Adulteresse shall die the death And in another place If a man be found lying with a woman married to a man they shall die both twaine to wit the man that lay with the wife and the wife that thou maiest put away evill from Israel Yea and before Moses time also it was a custome to burne the Adulterers with fire as it appeareth by the sentence of Iuda one of the twelve Patriarchs upon Thamar his daughter in law because he supposed her to have played the whore Beside all this to the end this sin might not be shuffled up and kept close there was a meanes given whereby if a man did but suspect his wife for this sin though she could by no witnesse or proofe be convinced her wickednesse notwithstanding most strangely and extraordinarily might be discovered And it was this The woman publikely at her husbands suit called in question before the Priest who was to give judgement of her after divers ceremonies and circumstances performed and bitter curses pronounced by him her belly would burst and her thigh would rot if she were guilty and she should be a curse amongst the people for her sin but if she was free no evill would come unto her Thus it pleased God to make knowne that the filthinesse of those that are polluted with this sin should not be hid This may more clearely appeare by the example of the Levites wife of whom it is spoken in the 19 20 and 21. Chapters of Iudges who having forsaken her husband to play the whore certaine moneths after he had againe received her to be his wife she was given over against her will to the villanous and monstrous lusts of the most wicked and perverse Gibeonites that so abused her for the space of a whole night together that in the morning she was found dead upon
the threshold which thing turned to a great destruction and overthrow in Israel for the Levite when he arose and found his wife newly dead at the dore of his lodging he cut and dismembred her body into twelve pieces and sent them into all the countries of Israel to every tribe one to give them to understand how vile and monstrous an injurie was done unto him whereupon the whole nation assembling and consulting together when they saw how the Benjamites in whose tribe this monstrous villany was committed make no reckoning of seeing punishment executed upon those execrable wretches they tooke armes against them and made war upon them wherein though at the first conflict they lost to the number of forty thousand men yet afterward they discomfited and overthrew the Benjamites and slew of them 25000. rasing and burning downe the City Gibea where the sinne was committed with all the rest of the Cities of that Tribe in such sort that there remained alive but six hundred persons that saved their lives by flying into the desart and there hid themselves foure moneths untill such time as the Israelites taking pitty of them lest they should utterly be brought to nought gave them to wife to the end to repeople them againe foure hundred virgins of the inhabitants of Jabes Gilead reserved out of that flaughter of those people wherein man woman and childe were put to the sword for not comming forth to take part with their brethren in that late warre And forasmuch as yet there remained two hundred of them unprovided for the Antients of Israel gave them liberty to take by force two hundred of the daughters of their people which could not be but great injury and vexation unto their parents to be thus robbed of their daughters and to see them married at all adventures without their consent or liking These were the mischiefes which issued and sprang from that vile and abominable adultery of the wicked Gibeonites with the Levites wife whose first voluntary sinne was in like manner also most justly punished by this second rape and this is no new practise of our most just God to punish one sinne by another and sinners in the same kinde wherein they have offended When King David after he had overcome the most part of his enemies and made them tributaries unto him and injoyed some rest in his kingdome whilest his men of war pursuing their victory destroyed the Ammonites and were in besieging Rabba their chiefe City he was so enflamed with the beauty of Bathshabe Vriahs wife that he caused her to bee conveyed to him to lye with her to which sinne he combined another more grievous to wit when he saw her with childe by him to the end to cover his adultery he caused her husband to be slaine at the siege by putting him in the Vantgard of the battell at the assault and then thinking himselfe cocksure married Bathshabe But all this while as it was but vaine allurements no solid joy that fed his minde and his sleepe was but of sinne not of safety wherein he slumbred so the Lord awakened him right soone by afflictions and crosses to make him feele the burden of the sinne which he had committed first therefore the childe the fruit of this adultery was striken with sicknesse and dyed next his daughter Thamar Absaloms sister was ravished by Ammon one of his owne sonnes thirdly Ammon for his incest was slaine by Absalom and fourthly Absalom ambitiously aspiring after the kingdome and conspiring against him raised war upon him and defiled his Concubines and came to a wofull destruction All which things being grievous crosses to K. David were inflicted by the just hand of God to chastise and correct him for his good not to destroy him in his wickednesse neither did it want the effect in him for he was so far from swelling and hardening himselfe in his sin that contrariwise he cast downe and humbled himselfe and craved pardon and forgivenesse at the hand of God with all his heart and true repentance not like to such as grow obstinate in their sinnes and wickednesse and make themselves beleeve all things are lawfull for them although they be never so vile and dishonest This therefore that we have spoken concerning David is not to place him among the number of lewd and wicked livers but to shew by his chastisements being a man after Gods owne heart how odious and displeasant this sin of Adultery is to the Lord and what punishment all others are to expect that wallow therein since he spared not him whom he so much loved and favoured CHAP. XXVIII Other examples like unto the former THE history of the ravishment of Helene registred by so many worthy and excellent Authors and the great evils that pursued the same is not to be counted altogether an idle fable or an invention of pleasure seeing that it is sure that upon that occasion great and huge war arose betweene the Graecians and the Trojanes during the which the whole Countrey was havocked many Cities and Townes destroyed much blood shed and thousands of men discomfited among whom the ravisher and adulterer himselfe to wit Paris the chiefe mover of all those miserable tragedies escaped not the edge of the sword no nor that famous city Troy which entertained and maintained the adulterers within her walls went unpunished but at last was taken and destroyed by fire and sword In which sacking olde and gray headed King Priâ—m with all the remnant of his halfe slaine sonnes were together murdered his wife and daughters were taken prisoners and exposed to the mercy of their enemies his whole kingdome was entirely spoiled and his house quite defaced and well nigh all the Trojane Nobility extinguished and as touching the whore Helene her selfe whose disloyalty gave consent to the wicked enterprise of forsaking her husbands house and following a stranger she was not exempt from punishment for as some writers affirm she was slaine at the sacke but according to others she was at that time spared and entertained againe by Menelaus her husband but after his death she was banished in her olde age and constrained for her last refuge being both destitute of reliefe and succour and forsaken of kinsfolkes and friends to flie to Rhodes where at length contrary to her hope she was put to a shamefull death even hanging on a tree which she long time before deserved The injury and dishonour done to Lucrece the wife of Collatinus by Sextus Tarquinius son to Superbus the last King of Rome was cause of much trouble and disquietnesse in the City and elsewhere for first she not able to endure the great injurie and indignity which was done unto her pushed forward with anger and despite slew her selfe in the presence of her husband and kinsfolke notwithstanding all their desires and willingnesse to cleare her from all blame with whose death the Romanes were so stirred and provoked against Sextus
that all the servants of the house being awaked ran thitherward and finding this gallant in the snare took him and for all his bauld crowne stripped him naked and cut off cleane his privy and adulterous parts and thus was this lecherous Priest served Pope Iohn the thirteenth a man as of wicked conversation in all things so especially abominable in whoredomes and adultery which good conditions whilest he pursued he was one day taken tardy in the plain fields whither he went to disport himselfe for he was found in the act of adultery and slaine forthwith and these are the godly fruits of those single life-lovers to whom the use of marriage is counted unlawfull and therefore forbidden but Adultery not once prohibited nor disallowed CHAP. XXXI Of such as are divorced without cause BY these and such like judgements it pleaseth God to make knowne unto men how much he desireth to have the estate of marriage maintained and preserved in the integrity and how much every one ought to take heed how to deprave or corrupt the same now then to proceed If it be a sin to take away ravish or intice to folly another mans wife shall we not thinke it an equall sin for a husband to forsake his wife and cast her off to take another she having not disanulled and cancelled the bond of marriage by adultery Yes verily for as concerning the permission of divorce to the Israelites under the law our Saviour himselfe expoundeth the meaning and intent thereof in the Gospell to be nothing else but a toleration for the hardnesse and stubbornnesse of their hearts and not a constitution from the beginning upon which occasion speaking of marriage and declaring the right and strength of the same he saith That whosoever putteth away his wife except it be for adultery and marrieth another committeth adultery and he that marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery also All which notwithstanding the great men of this world let loose themselves to this sin too licentiously as it appeareth by many examples as of Antiochus Theos son of Antiochus Soter King of Syria who to the end to goe with Ptolomie Philadelphus King of Aegypt and marrie his daughter Bernice cast off his wife Laodicea that had borne him children and tooke Bernice to be his wife but ere long he rejected her also and betrayed her to her enemies namely his son Callinicus who slew her with one of her sons and all that belonged unto her and then he tooke againe his old wife for which cause Ptolemie Euergetes son to Philadelphus renewed war upon him Herod the Tetrarch was so bewitched with the love of Herodias his brother Philips wife that to the end he might enjoy her he disclaimed his lawfull wife and sent her home to her father King Aretas who being touched and netled with this indignity and disgrace sought to revenge himselfe by armes and indeed made so hot war upon him and charged his army so furiously that it was discomfited by him after which shamefull losse he was by the Emperour Caligula's commandement banished to Lions there to end the residue of his daies Among the Romanes Marcus Antonius was noted for the most dissolute and impudent in this case of divorce for albeit that in the beginning of his triumvirship he forsooke his first wife to marry Octavius his sister yet hee proceeded further not content herewith but must needs forsake her also to be with Cleopatra the Queen of Aegypt from whence sprung out many great evils which at length fell upon his owne head to his finall ruine and destruction for when he saw himselfe in such straits that no meanes could be found to resist Octavius be sheathed with his owne hands his sword into his bowels when all his servants being requested refused to performe the same and being thus wounded he fell upon a little bed intreating those that were present to make an end of his daies but they all fled and left him in the chamber crying and tormenting himselfe untill such time that he was conveighed to the monument wherein Cleopatra was inclosed that he might die there Cleopatra seeing this pittifull spectacle all amased let downe chaines and cords from the high window and with the help of her two maids drew him up into the monument uniting their forces and doing what they could to get his poore carkasse though by a shamefull and undecent manner for the gate was locked and might not be opened and it was a lamentable sight to see his poore body all besmeared with blood and breathing now his last blast for he dyed as soone as he came to the top to be drawne up on that cruell fashion As for Cleopatra who by her flattering allurements ravished the heart of this miserable man and was cause of his second divorce shee played her true part also in this wofull tragedy and as she partaked of the sin so she did of the punishment For after she saw her selfe past hope of help and her sweet-heart dead she beat her owne breasts and tormented her selfe so much with sorrow that her bosome was bruised and halfe murdered with her blowes and her body in many places exulcerate with inflamations she pulled off her haire rent her face with her nailes and altogether infrensied with griefe melancholie and distresse was found fresh dead with her two maids lying at her fâ—â—t and this was the miserable end of those two who for enjoying of a few foolish and cursed pleasures together received in exchange infinite torments and vexations and at length unhappy deaths together in one and the same place verifying the olde proverbe For one pleasure a thousand dolours Charles the eighth King of France after he had been long time married to the daughter of the King of the Romanes sister to the Archduke of Austria was so evill advised as to returne her home againe upon no other occasion but to marrie the Dutchesse of Britaine the sole heire to her fathers Dukedome wherein he doubly injured his father in law the Romane King for he did not only reject his daughter but also deprived him of his wife the Dutchesse of Britaine whom by his substitute according to the manner of great Princes he had first espoused Bembus in his Venetian history handling this story somewhat mollifieth the fault when he saith that the Romane Kings daughter was never touched by King Charles in the way of marriage all the while she was there by reason of her unripe and overyoung yeares After a while after this new married King had given a hot alarme to all Italy and conquered the Realme of Naples as the Venetians were deliberating to take the matter in hand of themselves and to resist him Maximilian the Romane King solicited them in the same and thrust them forward as well that he might confederate himselfe with the Duke of Milan as that he might revenge the injury touching his repelled daughter so that by this meanes the
worth for he survived not three daies after the vile excesse besides the rest that strove with him in this goodly conflict of carousing one and forty of them dyed to beare him company The same Alexander was himselfe subject to wine and so distempered divers times therewith that he often slew his friends at the table in his drunkennesse whom in sobriety he loved dearest Plutarch telleth us of Armitus and Ciranippus two Syracusians that being drunk with wine committed incest with their owne daughters Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia being disposed to carouse after the manner of the Scythians dranke so much that he became and continued ever after sencelesse Anacreon the Poet a grand consumer of wine and a notable drunkard was choaked with the huske of a grape The monstrous and riotous excesses of divers Romane Emperours as Tiberius by name who was a companion of all drunkards is strange to be heard and almost incredible to be beleeved he loved wine so well that in stead of Tiberius they called him Biberius and in stead of Claudius Caldus and in stead of Nero Mero noting by those nicknames how great a drunkard he was The Earle of Aspremont after he had by infinite excesse exhausted all his substance being upon a day at S. Michael dranke so excessively that he dyed therewith Cyrillus a Citizen of Hippon had an ungracious son who leading a riotous and luxurious life in the middest of his drunkennesse killed his owne mother great with childe and his father that sought to restraine his sury and would have ravished his sister had she not escaped from him with many wounds Bonosus the Emperour is reported to have been such a notorious drunkard that he was said to be borne not to live but to drinke if any Embassadours came unto him he would make them drunke to the end to reveale their secrets he ended his life with misery even by hanging with this Epitaph That a tun not a man was hanged in that place Philostrates being in the bathes at Sinuessa devoured so much wine that he fell downe the staires and almost broke his neck with the fall Zeno the Emperour of the East was so notoriously given to excesse of meates and drinkes that his sences being benummed he would often lie as one that was dead wherefore being become odious to all men by his beastly qualities his wife Ariadne fell also in detestation of him and one day as he lay sencelesse she transported him into a tombe and throwing a great stone upon it pined him to death not suffering any to remove the stone or to yeeld him any succour and this was a just reward of his drunkennesse Pope Paulus the second beside the exceeding pompe of apparell which he used he was also very carefull for his throat for as Platina writeth of him he delighted in all kinde of exquisite dishes and delicate wine and that in superfluity by which immoderate and continuall surfeiting he fell into a grievous Apoplexy which quickly made an end of his life It is reported of him that he eat the day before he dyed two great Melons and that in a very good appetite when as the next night the Lord struck him with his heavy judgement Alexander the son of Basilius and brother of Leo the Emperour did so wallow and drowne himselfe in the gulfe of pleasure and intemperance that one day after he had stuffed himselfe too full of meat as he got upon his horse he burst a veine within his body whereat upwards and downewards issued such abundance of blood that his life and soule issued forth withall The moderne examples of Gods fearefull judgements upon drunkards not only in other countries but even in this Nation of ours are many and terrible all which if I should stand to report it would be matter for a whole booke Our reverend Judges in their severall circuits doe finde by experience that few murthers and manslaughters are committed which are not from this root of drunkennesse for when mens braines are heat with wine and strong drinke then their tongues are let loose to opprobrious speeches and thence proceed both sudden quarrels and deliberate challenges wherewith thousands are brought to their untimely ends Besides the Lord punisheth the Drunkard many waies first in his soule with impenitency and hardnesse of heart which commonly followeth this vice for as Saint Augustine saith As by too much raine the earth is resolved into durt and made unfit for tillage so by excessive drinking our bodies are altogether unfitted for â—he spirituall tillage and so can bring forth no good fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse but rather like biggest and marishes are fit to bâ—â—ed nothing but serpents frogâ— and vershine that is all manner of abominable sins and leathsome wickednesse Secondly in his body with deformednesse of feature filthy diseases and unseasonable death for excessive drinking breedeth crudities Rheumes Imposthumes Gouts Consumptions Apoplexies and such like whereof men perish before they are come to the halfe of their naturall yeares and this is one principall cause why men are now so short lived in respect of that they have â—â—en heretofore Thirdly in his estate for commonly poverty yea penury followeth this vice at the heeles as Solomon teacheth Pâ—ov 21. 27. And lastly with sudden death and destruction even in the middest of their drunken fits as wofull experience doth make manifest every day and almost in every corner of this land Within these few yeares of mine owne knowledge three not far from Huntington being overcome with drinke perished by drowning when being not able to rule their horses they were carried by them into the maine streame from whence they never came out alive againe but left behinde them visible markes of Gods justice for the terrour and example of others and yet what sin is more commonly used and lesse feared than this Concerning Dancing the usuall dependants of feasts and good cheare there is none of sound judgement that know not that they are baits and allurements to uncleanenesse and as it were instruments of bawdrie by reason whereof they were alwaies condemned among men of honour and reputation whether Romanes or Greekes and left for vile and base minded men to use And this may appeare by the reproach that Demosthenes the Orator gave to Philip of Macedony and his Courtiers in an Oration to the Athenians wherein he termed them common dancers and such as shamed not as soone as they had glutted their bellies with meate and their heads with wine to fall scurrilously a dancing As for the honourable Dames of Rome truly we shall never reade that any of them accustomed themselves to dance according to the report of Salust touching Sempronia whom he judged to be too fine a dancer and singer to be honourable withall as if these two could no more agree then fire and water Cicero in his apologie of Muraena rehearseth an objection of Cato against his client wherein
did most pill and pull the people and would often say That the gold and silver of the Kingdom pertained in right to none but him Being reproved of his mother at a time for his immoderate and excessive expences saying That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had already spent he made her this answer That she should take no care for that for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword which he held naked before her he would not want money This is the sword which many now adayes after the example of Caracalla have taken up to cut out by force and violence a way to their owne wils and to cut the throat of equity and justice and to compell the poor people to forgo their goods and surrender them into their hands Now how odious and hatefull these three were made unto the people by their owne wicked demeanours their miserable ends do sufficiently testify which wee have already before ment ioned and mean afterward more at large to speak of The Emperour Constance son to Constantine whose father was Heraclius comming at a time out of Greece into Rome abode there but five dayes but in that short space committed so much outrage in ransacking the Temples and other publike places and carrying away so many rich ornaments and pictures whereof those places then abounded that in mans remembrance no forreigne barbarous enemy having taken the City by force of war ever went away with the like spoil besides he did so oppresse the Allies and Tributaries of the Empire and chiefly the Sicilians with taxes and imposts that many of them were constrained to sell their children for money to satisfie his extortion and by this meanes he scraped together an infinite masse of rapines and evill gotten goods but enjoyed the sweet of them not very long for very soon after he was murdered by his owne men of wat in his returne out of Sicily and all that spoil which he had unjustly surprised was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Sarasens that then inhabited the City Panorme Lewis the eleventh King of France after he had overcharged his subjects with too grievous burdens of payments and taxes fell into such a timorous conceit and fear of death as never any man did the like he attempted all meanes of avoiding or delaying the same as first during his sicknesse he gave his Physitian monethly ten thousand crownes by that meanes to creep into his favour wherein he being in all other things a very niggard and pinch-penny shewed himself on the other side more than prodigall next he sent into Calabria for an Hermit reported to be an holy and devout man to whom at his arrivall he performed so much duty and reverence as was wonderfull and unseemly for he threw himselfe on his knees and besought him to prolong his decaying life as if he had been a God and not a man but all that he could do was to no purpose no nor the reliques which Pope Sextus sent him to busie himselfe withall nor the holy viall of the Rheimes which was brought him could prorogue this life of his nor priviledge him from dying a discontent and unwilling death he suspected the most part of his nearest attendants and would not suffer them to approach unto him in his sicknesse after he had thus prolonged the time in hope and yet still languished in extream distresse of his disease it was at length told him in all speed that he should not set his minde any longer upon those vain hopes nor upon that holy man for his time was come and he must needs die And thus he that during his Raigne shewed himselfe rough and cruell to his subjects by too many and heavy impositions was himselfe in his latter end thus roughly and hardly dealt withall Christierne the eleventh King of Denmarke Norway and Suecia after the death of King Iohn his father reigned the year of our Lord 1514. and was too intolerable in imposing burdens and taxes upon his subjects for which cause the Suecians revolted from his government whom though after many battels and sieges he conquered and placed amongst them his garisons to keep them in awe yet ceased they not to rebell against him and that by the instigation of a mean Gentleman who very quickly got foâ—ting into the Kingdom and possessed himselfe of the Crowne and government Now Christierne having lost this Province and being also in disdain and hatred of his owne Countrey and fearing least this inward heat of spight should grow to some flame of danger to his life seeing that the inhabitants of Lubecke conspiring with his uncle Fredericke began to take armes against him he fled away with his wife sister to the Emperour Charles the fifth and his young children to Zealand a Province of the Emperours after he had reigned nine yeares after which the Estates of the Realme aided by them of Lubecke assembling together exalted his uncle Fredericke Prince of Holsatia though old and antient to the Crowne and publishing certain writings addressed them to the Emperour and the Princes of his Empire to render a reason of their proceeding and to make knowne unto them upon how good considerations they had deposed and banished Christierne for the tyranny which hee exercised among them Ten yeares after this he got together a new Army by sea in hope to recover his losses but contrary to his hope he was taken prisoner and in captivity miserably ended his dayes Henry King of Suecia was chased from his Scepter for enterprising to burden his Commons with new contributions those that were devisers of new Taxes and Tributes for the most part ever lost their lives in their labours for proof whereof let the example of Parchenus or Porchetes serve who for giving counsell to King Theodebert touching the raising of new subsidies was stoned to death by the multitude in the City Trieves Likewise was George Presquon cruelly put to death by the people for perswading and setting forward Henry of Suecia to the vexation and exaction of his subjects CHAP. XL. More examples of the same subject AIstulphus the nineteenth King of Lumbardy was not onely a most cruell Tyran but also a grievous oppressour of his subjects with taxes and exactions for he imposed this upon every one of them to pay yearly a Noble for their heads against this man Pope Stephen provoked King Pepin of France who comming with an Army drove the Tyran into Tycinum and constrained him to yeeld to partiall conditions of peace Howbeit Pepin was no sooner gone but he returned to his old byas wherefore the second time he came and drove him to as great extreamity insomuch as another peace was concluded after the accomplishment whereof perverse Aistulph still vexing his subjects was plagued by God with an Apoplexy and so died Iustinian the Emperour as he was profuse and excessive in spending so was he immoderate and insatiable in gathering
and unjust taxes exacting of them a tribute even for their meat if there were any money controversies to be decided the fourth part of the same was his share which way soever the matter enclined the eight penny of every Porters gaine throughout the citie which with travell they earned hee tooke into his purse yea and that which is more filthy and dishonest the very whores and common strumpets payed him a yearely revenue for their bauderies which act though most villanous and slandrous yet is made a samplar to some of our holy Popes to imitate and indeed hath of many beene put in practise but to our purpose whereas before his prodigality was so great as to scatter money like seed amidst the people now his niggardlinesse grew on the other side so miserable that hee would have the people upon the first day of the yeare every one to give him a new-yeares-gift he himselfe standing at the doore of his house like a beggar receiving the peoples almes Moreover of all that ever gave their lusts the bridle to abuse other mens wives hee was most impudent and notorious for divers times he used to feast many faire Ladies and their husbands and after his good cheare ended to overview them severally a part as Merchants doe their wares and to take her that pleased his fancie best into some secret place to abuse at his pleasure neither after the deed done to be ashamed to glory and vaunt himselfe in his wicked and filthy act He committed incest with his owne sisters forcing them to his lust and by one of them had a daughter borne whom saith Eutropius his abhominable concupiscence abused also in most filthy and preposterous manner At length many conspired his destruction but especially one of the Tribunes which office we may after the custome of our French nation rightly terme the Marshalship and the officer one of our foure Marshals as Budeus saith who shewed himselfe more eagerly affected in the cause than the rest pursued this enterprise in more speedy and desperate manner for as the Tyrant returned from the Theater by a by-way to his Pallace the third day of the feast which he celebrated in honour of Iulius Caesar the Tribune presented himselfe as if in regard of his office to import some matter of importance unto him and having received a currish word or two at his hands as his custome was he gave him such a stroke betweene the head and the shoulders that what with it and the blowes of his complices that going for the same intent rushed upon him he was â—laine amongst them no man stirring a foot to deliver him out of their hands though many looked on and might have aided him if they would he was no sooner slaine but his wife incontinently was sent after and his daughter also that was crushed to death against a wall and thus came his wretched selfe with his filthie progenie to a wretched and miserable end Nero shewed himselfe not onely an enemy to God in persecuting his Church but also a perverter and disturber of humane nature in embruing his hands in the bloud of his owne mother and grandmother whom he caused to be put to death and in killing his owne wife and sister and infinite numbers of all kinde of people beside in adulteries he was so monstrous that it is better to conceale them from modest eares than to stirre up the puddle of so stinking and noysome a dunghill for which his villanies the Senate condemned him to a shamefull and most ignominious death and his armies and forces forsooke him which when hee understood he betooke him to flight and hid himselfe in an out way amongst thornes and bushes which with great paine having past through being weary of his life hee threw himselfe downe into a pit foure foot deepe and when he could get none of his men to lay their hands upon him he desperately and miserably slew himselfe Vitellius for the murders and other outragious misdeeds which he committed was taken in his shirt and drawne through the streets with a halter about his necke and his hands bound behinde him and the point of a dagger under his chin the people casting durt and dung upon him in detestation and calling him make-bate and seditious villain with other opprobrious reproches and at last being massacred with many blowes was drawne with a hooke into Tyber like a carrion Domitian was a cruell enemy of the Christians hee rejected his owne wife to take a new and being covertly reproved by Helvidius for the same in a Play of the divorce of Paris and Enon which he presented unto him he put him to death for his labour Many worthy Senatours and chiefe men and such as had borne the office of the Consull without just cause given of reprehension were murdered by him hee spared not his owne bloud and nearest allies no nor his owne brother Titus but what with poyson and sword destroyed them all to confusion But in the end when hee saw that the world hated him for his outragious cruelties he consulted with the Astrologians and Conjurers what death did waite for him one of the which amongst the rest told him that hee should be slaine and that very shortly wherewithall being sore troubled hee first caused him that had prognosticated this evill unto him to be slaine then he compassed himselfe with a strong guard and to the end to see them that should come neare hee made his gallery walls where hee walked of such a kinde of glistring and shining stone that he might see in them all about him both behinde and before When the day and houre which was fore-calculated for his death was come one of the Conspirators came in with his left arme in a scarfe as if he had beene sore hurt feigning that he would bewray the whole treason which hee so much feared and being entred his Chamber he presented him with a long discourse in writing touching the matter and manner of the Conspiracie and when in reading the same he saw him most astonished then he tooke occasion to strike him suddenly into the belly with his dagger his owne servants making up the murther when they saw him goe about to resist And thus by all his wisedome and providence he could not rid himselfe from being surprised nor hinder the execution of Gods just fore-appointed judgement And these were the ends of those wicked Emperours who in regard of their vile lives were rather monsters than men and not onely they whom we have named but many moe also as Antonius Caracalla Heliogabalus and other like may bee worthily placed in this ranke But of all Heliogabalus is most famous of whom is recorded in histories that hee was so prodigious in all gluttonie filthinesse and ribauldrie that the like I thinke was never heard of except those monsters that went before and yet I suppose he surpassed them too Such was the exceeding and luxurious pompe of this beast-like
unto To this Pope and these Cardinals let us adde an Archbishop and that of Canterbury to wit Thomas Arundel upon whom the justice of God appeared no lesse manifestly than on the former For after hee had unjustly given sentence against the Lord Cobham he died himselfe before him being so striken in his tongue that he could neither swallow nor speake for a certaine space before the time of his death Hither might be adjoyned the vengeance of God upon Justice Morgan who condemned to death the innocent Lady Iane but presently after fell madde and so dyed having nothing in his mouth but Lady Iane Lady Iane. In the reigne of King Henry the eighth one Richard Long a man of armes in Calice bore false witnesse against master Smith the Curate of our Lady Parish in Calice for eating flesh in Lent which hee never did but hee escaped not vengeance for shortly after he desperately drowned himselfe A terrible example unto all such as are ready to forsweare themselves on a Booke upon malice or some other cause a thing in these dayes over rise every where and almost of most men little or nothing regarded About the same time one Gregory Bradway committed the same crime of false accusation against one Broke whom being driven thereunto by feare and constraint he accused to have robbed the Custome-house wherein hee was a Clerke of foure groats every day and to this accusation he subscribed his hand but for the same presently felt upon him the heavy hand of God for being grieved in his consciene for his deed hee first with a knife enterprised to cut his owne throâ—t but being not altogether dispatched therewith the Gaoler comming up and preventing his purpose hee fell forthwith into a furious frenzie and in that case lived long time after Hitherto we may adde the example of one William Feming who accused an honest man called Iohn Cooper of speaking trayterous words against Queene Mary and all because he would not sell him two goodly bullockes which he much desired for which cause the poore man being arraigned at Berry in Suffolke was condemned to death by reason of two false witnesses which the said Feming had suborned for that purpose whose names were White and Greenwood so this poore man was hanged drawne and quartered and his goods taken from his poore wife and nine children which are left destitute of all helpe but as for his false accusers one of them died most miserably for in harvest time being well and lusty of a sudden his bowels fell out of his body and so he perished the other two what ends they came unto it is not reported but sure the Lord hath reserved a sufficient punishment for all such as they are Many more be the examples of this sinne and judgements upon it as the Pillories at Westminster and daily experience beareth witnesse but these that we have alledged shall suffice for this purpose because this sinne is cousin Germane unto perjury of which you may read more at large in the former booke It should now follow by course of order if wee would not pretermit any thing of the law of God to speak of such as have offended against the tenth Commandement and what punishment hath ensued the same but forsomuch as all such offences for the most part are included under the former of which wee have already spoken and that there is no adultery nor fornication nor theft nor unjust warre but it is annexed to and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an evill and disordinate concupiscence as the effect from the cause therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them more than may well bee collected out of the former examples added hereunto that in evill concupiscence and affection of doing evill which commeth not to act though it be in the sight of God condemned to everlasting torments yet it doth not so much incurre and provoke his indignation that a man should for that onely cause be brought to apparent destruction and be made an example to others to whom the sinne is altogether darke and unknowne therefore we will proceed in our purpose without intermeddling in speciall with this last Commandement CHAP. XLVII That Kings and Princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughty and corrupt manners NO man ought to be ignorant of this that it is the duty of a Prince not onely to hinder the course of sin from bursting into action but also to punish the doers of the Jame making both civill justice to be administred uprightly and the law of God to be regarded and observed inviolably for to this end are they ordained of God that by their meanes every one might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty to the which end the maintenance and administration of justice being most necessary they ought not so to discharge themselves of it as to translate it upon their Officers and Judges but also to looke to the execution thereof themselves as it is most needfull for if law which is the foundation of justice be as Plato saith a speechlesse and dumbe Magistrate who shall give voyce and vigor unto it if not hee that is in supreame and soveraigne authority For which cause the King is commanded in Deuteronomy To have before him alwayes the Booke of the Law to the end to doe justice and judgement to every one in the feare of God And before the creation of the Kings in Israel the chiefe Captaines and Soveraignes amongst them were renowned with no other title nor quality than of Judges In the time of Deborah the Prophetesse though she was a woman the weaker vessell yet because she had the conducting and governing of the people they came unto her to seeke judgement It is said of Samuel that he judged Israel so long till being tyred with age and not able to beare that burden any longer hee appointed his sonnes for Judges in his stead who when through covetousnesse they perverted justice and did not execute judgement like their father Samuel they gave occasion to the people to demaund a King that they might be judged and governed after the manner of other Nations which things sufficiently declared that in old time the principall charge of Kings was personally to administer justice and judgement and not as now to transferre the care thereof to others The same we read of King David of whom it is said That during his reigne he executed justice and judgement among his people and in another place That men came unto him for judgement and therefore he disdained not to heare the complaint of the woman of Tekoah shewing himselfe herein a good Prince and as the Angel of God to heare good and evill for this cause Solomon desired not riches nor long life of the Lord but a wise and discreet heart to judge his people and to discerne betwixt good and
stove fell out among themselves and from words grew to blowes the Candles being put out insomuch that one of them was stabbed with a punyard Now the deed doer was unknowne by reason of the number although the Gentleman accused a Pursevant of the Kings for it who was one of them in the stove The King to finde out the homicide caused them all to come together in the stove and standing round about the dead Corps becommanded that they should one after another lay their right hand on the slain Gentlemans naked breasts swearing they had not killed him the Gentlemen did so and no signe appeared to witnesse against them the Pursevant onely remained who condemned before in his owne conscience went first of all and kissed the dead mans feet but as soone as he layed his hand on his breast the blood gushed forth in abundance both out of his wound and nosthrils so that urged by this evident accusation he confessed the murder and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheaded whereupon as I said before arose that practise which is now ordinary in many places of finding out unknowne Murders which by the admirable power of God are for the most part revealed either by the bleeding of the corpes or the opening of the eye or some other extraordinary signe as daily experience doth teach The same Authour reporteth another example farre more strange in the same letter written to David Chytreus which happened at Itzehow in Denmarke A Traveller was murdered by the high-way side and because the murderer could not be found out the Magistrates of Itzehow caused the body to be taken up and one of the hands to be cut off which was carried into the prison of the Towne and hung up by a string in one of the Chambers about ten yeares after the murderer comming upon some occasion in to the prison the hand which had been a long time dry began to drop blood on the Table that stood underneath it which the Gaoler beholding stayed the fellow and advertised the Magistrates of it who examining him the murderer giving glory to God confessed his fact and submitted himselfe to the rigour of the Law which was inflicted on him as he very well deserved At Winsheime in Germany a certaine Theefe after many Robberies and Murders committed by him upon Travellers and Women with childe went to the Shambles before Easter and bought three Calves heads which when hee put into a Wallet they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads whereupon being attached and searched by the Officers and he examined how hee came by them answered and proved by witnesses that hee bought Calves heads and how they were transformed â—hee knew not whereupon the Senate amazed not supposing this miracle to arise of naught cast the party into prison and tortured him to make him confesse what villany he had committed who confessed indeed at last his horrible murders and was worthily punished for the same and then the heads recovered their old shapes When I read this story I was halfe afraid to set it downe least I should seeme to insert fables into this serious Treatise of Gods Judgements but seeing the Lord doth often worke miraculously for the disclosing of this foule sinne I thought that it would not seeme altogether incredible Another murderer at Tubing betrayed his murder by his owne sighes which were so deepe and incessant in griefe not of his fact but of his small booty that being but asked the question he confessed the crime and underwent worthy punishment Another murtherer in Spain was discovered by the trembling of his heart for when many were suspected of the murder and all renounced it the Judge caused all their breasts to be opened and him in whom he saw most trembling of brest he condemned who also could not deny the fact but presently confessed the same At Isenacum a certaine yong man being in love with a maid and not having wherewith to maintain her used this unlawfull meanes to accomplish his desire upon a night he slew his host and throwing his body into a Cellar tooke away all his money and then hasted away but the terrour of his owne conscience and the judgement of God so besotted him that hee could not stirre a foot untill he was apprchended At the same time Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon abode at Isenacum and were eye-witnesses of this miraculous judgement who also so dealt with this murderer that in most humble and penitent confession of his sinnes and comfort of soule he ended his life By all these examples wee see how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward when the justice of man is either too blinde that it cannot search out the truth or too blunt that it doth not strike with severity the man appointed unto death then the justice of God riseth up and with his owne arme he discovereth and punisheth the murderer yea rather than he shall goe unpunished sencelesse creatures and his owne heart and tongue rise to give sentence against him I doubt not but daily experience in all places affordeth many more examples to this purpose and especially the experience of our Judges in criminall causes who have continuall occasion of understanding such matters in their Circuits but these shall suffice for our present purpose CHAP. XII Of such as have murdered themselves WHen the Law saith Thou shalt not kill it not onely condemneth the killing of others but much more of our selves for charity springeth from a mans selfe therfore if they be guilty of murder that spill the bloud of others much more guilty are they before God that shed their owne bloud and if nature bindeth us to preserve the life of all men as much as lyeth in our power then much more are we bound to preserve our owne lives so long as God shall give us leave We are here set in this life as souldiers in a station without the licence of our Captaine we must not depart our soule is maried to the body by the appointment of God none must presume to put a sunder those whom God hath coupled and our life is committed to us as a thing in trust we must not redeliver it nor part with it untill he require it againe at our hands that gave it into our hands Saint Augustine in his first Booke De Civitate Dei doth most strongly evince and prove That for no cause voluntary death is to be undertaken neither to avoid temporall troubles least we fall into eternall nor for feare to be polluted with the sinnes of others lest by avoiding other mens sinnes we encrease our owne nor yet for our owne sinnes that are past for the which we have more need of life that we might repent of them nor lastly for the hope of a better life because they which are guilty of their owne death a better life is not prepared for them These be the words of Augustine wherein he alledgeth
foure causes by which men are mooved to this unnaturall act and concludeth that for none of them nor for any other cause what soever a man ought to lay violent and bloudy hands upon himselfe yea concludeth peremptorily that a better life after death doth not receive such to wit that wilfully and desperately murder themselves and die without repentance as commonly they doe But here it is to be observed that many which seeme to make away themselves are murdered and made away by the Divell and not by themselves for otherwise it were not possible that then should perish so strangely as they doe as when some have beene hanged with their knees almost touching the ground others upon a weake twigge not strong enough to beare the weight of the tenth part of their body others beene drowned in a puddle of water which plainely sheweth that the Divell either as the principall actor or at least as a helper was the procurer of their murders and not alwayes themselves And therefore I must needs say with Luther That both charity and conscience inhibites resolutely to judge all such to be damned that seeme to have made havocke of their owne lives for the mercy of God is incomprehensible and why may he not save the soules of them whose bodies he gave leave to the Divell to torment yea to destroy Besides we read of many holy women who in the time of persecution cast themselves into the deep stream to preserve their chastity from the violence of the wicked persecutours and yet were reputed in the Church for holy Martyrs Saint Augustines judgement is worthy to be learned and imitated of all concerning this matter who thus defineth the case Of these saith he I dare avouch nothing rashly it may be the Church of God was perswaded by divine authority to receive them into the number of Martyrs or it may be they did this act not being deceived after the manner of men but being commanded of God not erring but obeying as also we are to judge of Sampson now when God biddeth and without all doubt makes knowne his will who can call this obedience a crime who can accuse a duety of piety But a little after he giveth a caveat Ne divina iussio ullo nutet incerto that is that we be sure God bids for often times the divell translates himself into an Angell of light and wil feine a message from God which proceedeth from his owne malice All this is to be conceived only touching that extraordinary case of those holy women that drowned themselves and yet were held for Martyrs in the Church of God as for others that shall wilfully and wofully shed their owne blouds and rob themselves of that precious jewell of life which God hath given them to keep no doubt but as they commit a horrible and hainous crime so they incurre a horrible and fearefull judgement yea the very act it selfe is both a crime and a judgment a crime deserving a further judgment even eternall damnation in hell fire and a judgement and punishment of some notable sinnes commâ—â—ed by them before and of an ungodly and wicked life unrepented of The drift therfore purpose of these examples following is this to shew how the Lord punisheth oftentimes in men an ungodly life with voluntary and wilfull murder of themselves and this wilfull murder of themselâ—es with eternall damnation after this life ended as a just recompence of their deserts and all to teach us repentance the onely means to prevent both these The first we reade of in holy Scripture that cruelly murdered himselfe with his owne hands was King Saul who as it is recorded of him was a most wicked man and a Tyran for being chosen from among all the people of Israel to be King by the Lords owne appointment and advanced as it were from the Plough to the Scepter he like a most ungratefull wretch kicked against his advancer and rebelled against his God that had done so great things for him yea hee not onely contemned his lawes and cast his commandements behind his backe but also proved a most cruell Tyran and shed much innocent blood amongst the rest of his cruelties this was the chiefe upon the false accusation of Doeg the Edomite he caused fourescore and five persons that were Priests and wore a linnen Ephod to bee staine at one time and Nob the Citie of the Priests to be smote with the edge of the sword both man and woman childe and suckling Oxe and Asse yea so wicked was he that when the Lord would not answer him neither by Prophets nor by dreames nor by any other meanes he went to take counsell of the Divell at the mouth of the Witch of Endor for all which his abominable wickednesse the Lord gave him over at last to so desperate a minde that rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemies he fell upon his owne sword and murdered himselfe Zimri also the King of Israel is set forth by the holy Ghost to be a wicked man and a traitor for he conspited against his master Ela the sonne of Baasha King of Israel and flew him as he was drinking in Tirza and proclaimed himselfe King in his roome but the army hearing thereof made Omri the Captaine of the hoste King who comming to besiege Tirza wherein Zimri was Zimri seeing that the Citie was taken went into the palace of the Kings house and there together with the house burnt himselfe rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemy Now the holy Ghost setteth it downe in plaine words that the Lord sent this judgement upon him for his sinnes which he had sinned in doing that which was evill in the of the Lord and walking in the way of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne Achitophel that great Counsellor of State to King David of whom it is said that the counsell which he counselled was like the Oracle of God when hee saw that the counsell which hee gave was not followed but despised hee sadled his Asse and arose and went home into his owne citie and put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe And that this was Gods just vengeance upon him for his former wickednesse it may appeare both by his conspiracie with Absalom against his liege lord king David and also that wicked counsel which hee gave unto him of going in unto his fathers concubines in the sight of the people In the second booke of the Machabees is recorded a notable story of one Raz is an Elder of Jerusalem who is there set forth to bee a man of very good report constant in religion a father of the Jewes and a lover of the citie yet notwithstanding this man rather than hee would fall into the hands of Nicanor his enemy murdered himselfe after a most fearefull and savage manner for first hee fell upon his sword and when as for haste that stroke dispatched him not hee ran
Arabians to make warre against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wives and children the youngest onely excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned King but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his own brethren he committed cruelty against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeares that his very entrails issued out with torment and so he dyed in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we have already touched the pride and arrogancy of King Alexander the Great yet we cannot pretermit to speake of him in this place his example serving to fit for the present subject for although as touching the rest of his life he was very well governed in his private actions as a Monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeares but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not onely towards strangers as the Cosseis whom he destroyed to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loved him and divers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neere friends he had put to death never ceased untill he both ministred a deadly draught unto himselfe whereby he deprived him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wives and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full revenge Phalaris the Tyran of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes than horrible cruelties exercised upon his subjects inventing every day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry favour with him devised a new torment a brasen bull of such a strange workmanship that the voyce of those that were roasted therein resembled rather the roaring of a Bull then the cry of men The Tyran was well pleased with the Invention but he would needs have the Inventor make first triall of his owne worke as he well deserved before any other should take taste thereof But what was the end of this Tyran The people not able any longer to endure his monstrous and unnaturall cruelties ran upon him with one consent with such violence that they soone brought him to destruction and as some say put him into the brasen Bull which hee provided to roast others to bee roasted therein himselfe deserving it as well for approoving the devise as Perillus did for devising it Edward the second of that name King of England at the request and desire of Hugh Spencer his darling made warre upon his subjects and put to death divers of the Peeres and Lords of the Realme without either right or form of the law insomuch that queen Isabel his wife fled to France with her yong son for fear of his unbrideled fury after a while finding opportunity and means to return again garded with certain small forces which she had in those countreyes gathered together she found the whole people discontented with the Kings demeanours and ready to assist her against him so she besieged him with their succour and tooke him prisoner and put him into the Tower of London to be kept till order might be taken for his deposition so that shortly after by the Estates being assembled together he was generally and joyntly reputed and pronounced unworthy to be King for his exceeding cruelties sake which he had committed upon many of his worthy Subjects and so deposing him they crowned his young sonne Edward the third of his name King in his roome he yet living and beholding the same Iohn Maria Duke of Millan may be put into this ranke of Murtherers for his custome was divers times when any Citizen offended thim yea and somtimes without offence too to throw them amongst cruell Mastives to be torne in pieces and devoured But as he continued and delighted in this unnaturall kinde of murther the people one day incensed and stirred up against him ranne upon him with such rage and violence that they quickly deprived him of life And he was so well beloved that no man ever would or durst bestow a Sepulchre upon his dead bones but suffered his body to lie in the open streets uncovered save that a certaine harlot threw a few Roses upon his wounds and so covered him Alphonsus the second King of Naples Ferdinands sonne was in tyranny towards his subjects nothing inferiour to his father for whether of them imprisoned and put to death more of the Nobility and Barons of the Realme it is hard to say but sure it is that both were too outragious in all manner of cruelty for which so soone as Charles the eight King of France departing from Rome made towards Naples the hatred which the people bore him secretly with the odious remembrance of his fathers cruelty began openly to shew it selfe by the fruits for they did not nor could not dissemble the great desire that every one had of the approach of the Frenchmen which when Alphonsus perceived and seeing his affaires and estate brought unto so narrow a pinch he also cowardly cast away all courage to resist and hope to recover so huge a tempest and he that for a long time had made warre his trade and profession and had yet all his forces and armies complete and in readinesse making himselfe banquerupt of all that honour and reputation which by long experience and deeds of armes he had gotten resolved to abandon his kingdome and to resigne the title and authority thereof to his sonne Ferdinand thinking by that meanes to asswage the heat of their hatred and that so young and innocent a King who in his owne person had never offended them might be accepted and beloved of them and so their affection toward the French rebated and cooled But this devise seemed to no more purpose than a salve applyed to a sore out of season when it was growne incureable or a prop set to a house that is already falne Therefore he tormented with the sting of his owne conscience and finding in his minde no repose by day nor rest by night but a continuall summons and advertisement by fearefull dreames that the Noblemen which hee had put to death cryed to the people for revenge against him was surprised with so terrible terrour that forthwith without making acquainted with his departure either his brother or his owne sonne he fled to Sicilie supposing in his journey that the Frenchmen were still at his backe and starting at every little noyse as if he feared all the Elements had conspired his destruction Philip Comineus that was an eye-witnesse of this journey reporteth That every night he would cry that he heard the Frenchmen and that the very trees