Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	lord_n	sin_n	3,005	5	4.4939	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06108	The theatre of Gods iudgements: or, a collection of histories out of sacred, ecclesiasticall, and prophane authours concerning the admirable iudgements of God vpon the transgressours of his commandements. Translated out of French and augmented by more than three hundred examples, by Th. Beard.; Histoires memorables des grans et merveilleux jugemens et punitions de Dieu. English	Chassanion, Jean de, 1531-1598.; Beard, Thomas, d. 1632.	1597 (1597)	STC 1659; ESTC S101119	344,939	488

prouidence whereby albeit he guideth and directeth especially his owne to wit those that in a speciall and singular maner worship and trust in him as by the sacred histories touching the state and gouernment of the auncient and primitiue Church it may appeare yet he ceaseth not for all that to stretch the arme of his power ouer all and to handle and rule the prophane and vnbeleeuing ones at his pleasure for he hath a soueraigne empire and predominance ouer all the world And vnto him belongeth the direction and principall conduct of humane matters in such sort that nothing in the world commeth to passe by chance or aduenture but onely alwaies by the prescription of his wil according to the which he ordereth disposeth by a straight and direct motion as well the generall as the particular and that after a strange and admirable order And this a man may perceiue if he would but marke and consider the whole body but especially the end issue of things wherein the great and marueilous vertues of God as his bountie iustice and power doe most clearely shine when hee exalteth and fauoureth some and debaseth and frowneth vpon others blesseth and prospereth whome hee please and on the contrary curseth and destroieth whome he please and that deserue it It is hee also which erecteth principalities and which maintaineth commonwealths kingdoms and empires vntill by the summe and weight of their iniquities they sinke themselues into ruine and destruction And herein is hee glorified by the execution of his most iust and righteous iudgements when the wicked after the long abuse of his lenitie benignitie and patience doe receiue the wages and reward of their iniquities In this I say once againe shineth out the wonderfull and incomprehensible wisedome of God when by the due ordering of things so different and so many hee commeth still to one and the same marke which hee once prescribed to wit the punishment of the world according to their demerits And this same is most manifest and apparant euen in the histories of prophane writers albeit in their purpose it was neuer intended nor thought vpon nor yet regarded almost of any that read the same men contenting themselues for the most part with the simple recitall of the storie therein to take pleasure and passe away time without respecting any further matter Notwithstanding the true and principall vse of their writings ought to be diligently to marke the effects of Gods prouidence and of his iustice thereby to learne to containe our selues within the bonds of modestie and the feare of God seeing that they which haue carried themselues any thing vprightly in equitie temperance and other naturall vertues haue beene in some sort spared and the rest bearing the punishment of their iniquities haue fallen into ruine and destruction This consideration ought to persuade euerie man to turne from euill and to follow that which is good seeing that the Lord sheweth himselfe so incensed against all them which lead a wicked damnable and peruerse life And this is the cause why I hauing noted the great and horrible punishments wherewith the Lord in his most righteous iudgement hath scourged the world for sin according to that which is contained as well in sacred as prophane histories hauing gathered them togither and sorted them one after another in their seuerall roomes according to the diuersitie of the offences and order and course of time which as neare as I could I endeauoured to follow To the end to lay downe as it were in one table and vnder one aspect the great and fearefull iudgements of God vpon them that haue rebelled or repugned his holy will And this I doe not with purpose to comprehend them all for that were not onely difficult but impossible but to lay open the most notable and markeable ones that came to my knowledge to the end that the most wicked dissolute and disordered sinners that with loose raines runne fiercely after their lust if the manifest tokens of Gods seueritie presented before their eyes doe not touch them yet the cloud and multitude of examples through the sight of the ineuitable anger vengeance of God vpon euill liuers might terrifie and somewhat curbe them Periurers idolatours blasphemers and other such wicked and prophane wretches with murderers whoremongers adulterers rauishers and tyrants shall here see by the mischiefe that hath fallen vpon their likes that which hangeth before their eies and is ready to lay hold of them also For albeit for a time they sleepe in their sinnes and blindnesse delighting in their pleasures and taking sport in cruelties and euill deeds yet they draw after them the line wherewith being more ensnared than they are aware they are taken and drawn to their finall destruction And this may teach and aduertise both those that are not yet obstinate in their sinnes to bring themselues to some amendment and those that feare God already to strengthen and incourage them in the pursure and continuance in their good course For if God shew himselfe so seuere a reuenger of their sins that take pleasure in displeasing him there is no doubt but on the contrary hee will shew himselfe bountifull gracious and liberall in rewarding al them according to his promise which striue to please him and conforme their liues vnto his will Great and small yong and old men and women and all other of what degree and condition soeuer may here learn at other mens charges how to gouerne themselues in duty towards God and betwixt themselues by a holy and vnblameable life in mutuall peace and vnity and by shunning and eschewing sinne against the which God a most iust iudge poureth forth his vengeance euen vpon the heads of them that are guiltie thereof Beside here is ample matter and argument to stoppe the monthes of all Epicures and Atheists of our age and to leaue them confounded in their errours seeing that such and so many occurrents and punishments are manifest proofes that there is a God aboue that guideth the sterne of the world and that taketh care of humane matters and that is iust in punishing the vniust and malicious Againe whereas so much euill and so many sinnes haue raigned and swaied so long time and doe yet raigne and sway vpon the earth we may behold the huge corruption peruersitie of mankind and the rotten fruits of that wormeaten roote originall sinne when wee are not directed nor guided by the holy spirit of God but left vnto our owne nature And hereby true faithfull Christians may take occasion so much the more to acknowledge the great mercy and singular fauour of God towards them in that they being receiued to mercie are renewed to a better conuersation of life than others In briefe a man may heare learne if he be not altogither void of iudgement and vnderstanding to haue sinne in hatred and detestation considering the wages and reward thereof and how the iustice of God pursueth it continually euen to

the Emperor Sigismond had in all his affaires after the violation of his faith giuen to Iohn Hus Theatr. histor and Ierome of Prage at the councill of Constance whome though with direct protestations and othes he promised safe conduct returne yet he adiudged to be burned doth testifie the odiousnesse of his sinne in the sight of God But aboue all this one example is most worthy the marking of a fellow that hearing periurie condemned in a pulpit by a learned preacher and how it neuer escaped vnpunished said in a brauery I haue oft forsworne my selfe and yet my right hand is not a whit shorter then my left which words hee had scarse vttered when such an inflammation arose in that hand that he was constrained to go to the surgeon and cut it off least it should infect his whole body and so his right hand became shorter then his left in recompence of his periury which hee lightly esteemed of In the yeere of our Lord 1055 Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table with king Edward of England Stow Chron. it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled and yet fell not whereat Goodwine laughing said That if one brother had not holpen another meaning his legges all the wine had beene spilt with which words the king calling to mind his brothers death which was slaine by Goodwine answered So should my brother Alphred haue holpen me had not Goodwine beene then Goodwine fearing the kings new kindled displeasure excused himselfe with many words at last eating a morsell of bread wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds blood but he swore falsly as the iudgement of God declared for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the king ere hee remooued one foote from that place though there be some say he recouered life againe Stow Chron Long time after this in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth there was in the city of London one Anne Aueriâ—â— widdow who forswore her selfe for a little mony that she should haue paid for six pound of tow at a shop in Woodstreet for which cause being suddenly surprized with the iustice of God shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith and cast vp at her mouth in great aboundance with horrible stinke that matter which by natures course should haue bene voided downwards and so died to the terrour of all periured and forsworne wretches There are in Histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernicious sinne exercised by one nation towards another and one man towards another in most profane and villanous sort neither shaming to be accounted forsworne nor consequently fearing to displease God and his maiestie But forasmuch as when we come to speake of murderers in the next booke we shall haue occasion to speake of them more or of such like I will referre the handling thereof vnto that place only this let euery man learne by that which hath bene spoken to be sound and fraudlesse and to keepe his faith and promise towards all men if for no other cause yet for feare of God who leaueth not this sinne vnpunished nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus take his name in vaine CHAP. XXXI Of Blasphemers AS touching Blasphemie it is a most grieuous and enormous sinne and contrary to this third commandement when a man is so wretched and miserable as to pronounce presumptuous speeches against God whereby his name is slandered and euill spoken of which sinne can not choose but be sharpely and seuerely punished for if so be that God holdeth not him guiltlesse that doth but take his name in vaine must hee not needs abhorre him that blasphemeth his name See how meritoriously that wicked and peruerse wretch that blasphemed and murdered as it were the name of God among the people of Israel in the desert was punished hee was taken Leuit. 24. put in prison and condemned and speedily stoned to death by the whole multitude and vpon that occasion as euil manners begat euermore good lawes the Lord instituted a perpetual law and decree that euery one that should blaspheme and curse God of what estate or degree soeuer should be stoned to death in token of detestation which sentence if it might now a daies stand in force there would not raigne so many miserable blasphemers deniers of God as the world is now filled and infected with It was also ordained by a new law of Iustinian Cod. lib. 3. tit 43. that blasphemies should be seuerely punished by the Iudges magistrates of commonweales but such is the corruption and misery of this age that those men that ought to correct others for such speeches are oftentimes worst themselues there are that thinke that they can not be sufficiently feared and awed of men except by horrible bannings swearings they despite maugre God nay it is further come to that passe that in some places to sweare and ban be the marks ensignes of a Catholike they are best welcome that can blaspheme most How much then is that good king S. Lewes of France to be commended Nichol. Gil. vol. 1. Of French Chronicles who especially discharged all his subiects from swearing blaspheming within his realme insomuch that when he heating a a Lord of Ienville noble man blaspheme God most cruelly he caused him to be laid hold on his lips to be slit with an hor iron saying he must be content to endure that punishment seeing he purposed to banish othes out of his kingdome Now we call blasphemie according to the scripture phrase euery word that derogateth either from the bountie mercy iustice eternity soueraigne power of God of this sort was that blasphemous speech of one of king Iorams princes who at the time of the great famine in Samaria when it was besieged by the Sirians hearing Elizaeus the Prophet say that the next morow there should be plenty of victuals and good cheape reiected this promise of God made by his Prophet 2. King 7. saying that it was impossible as if God were either a lyar or not able to performe what he would for this cause this vnbeleeuing blasphemer receiued the same day a deserued punishment for his blasphemie for hee was troden to death in the gate of the citie vnder the feet of the multitude that went out into the Sirians camp forsaken and left desolate by them through a feare which the Lord sent among them 2. King 19. Sennacherib king of Assyria after he had obtained many victories subdued much people vnder him also laid siege to Ierusalem became so proud arrogant as by his seruants mouthes to reuile and blaspheme the liuing God speaking no otherwise of him then of some strange idoll and one that had no power to helpe and deliuer those that trusted in him for which blasphemies he soone after felt a iust vengeaÌ„ce of God vpon himselfe his people for although in mans eies he seemed

fared till king Charles the sixt sent an army of men to his succour Cap. 125 126. for he was his subiect by whose support he ouercame those rebels in a battaile foughten at Rose Beâ— to the number of forty thousand the body of their chieftaine Philip Arteuill slaine in the throng hee caused to bee hanged on a tree Nic. Gil. vol. 2. And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy the countrie being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord. A while before this Froiss vol. r. cap. 182. whilest king Iohn was held prisoner in England there arose a great coÌ„motion of the coÌ„mon people in France against the nobilitie and gentilitie of the realme that oppressed them this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered togither in the countrey of Beauvoisin but that small handfull grewe right quickly to an armefull euen to nine thousand that ranged and robbed throughout al Brie along by the riuer Marne to Laonoise and all about Soissons armed with great bats shod with iron an headlesse crue without gouernour fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility In this disorder they wrought much mischief broke vp many houses and castles murdered many Lords so that diuerse Ladies and knights as the Dutchesses of Normandy Orleance were faine to flee for safegard to Meaux whither when these rebels would needes pursue them they were there ouerthrowen killed and hanged by troupes In the yere of our Lord 1525 Sleid. lib. 4. there were certaine husbandmen of Souabey that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen by reason of certaine burdens which they complained themselues to be ouerlaid with by them their neighbors seeing this enterprised the like against their lords And so vpon this small beginning by a certaine contagion there grew vp a most dangerous and fearfull commotion that spread it selfe almost ouer all Almaine the sedition thus increasing in all quarters and the swaines being now full fortie thousand strong making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to couer their treason and rebellion and a pretence of their vndertaking armes to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God did not only fight with the Romane Catholikes but with all other without respect as well in Souabe as in Franconia they destroied the greater part of the nobility sacked and burnt many castles and fortresses to the number of two hundred and put to death the Earle of Helfestin making him passe through their pikes But at length their strength was broken they discomfited and torne in pieces with a most horrible massacre of more than eighteene thousand of them During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer hauing betaken himselfe to flight got ouer the mountaines to Padua where by treason hee was made away In the yeere of our Lord 1517 in the Marquesdome of the Vandales the like insurrection and rebellion was of the comminaltie especially the baser sort against the nobilitie spirituall and temporall by whom they were oppressed with intollerable exactions their army was numbred to stand of ninety thousand men all clownes and husbandmen that conspired togither to redresse and refourme their owne grieuances without any respect of ciuill magistrate or feare of Almightie God This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized euery where burning and beating downe the castles and houses of noble men and making their ruines euen with the ground Nay they handled the noble men themselues as many as they could attaine vnto not contumeliously only but rigorously and cruelly for they tormented them to death and carried their heads vpon speares in token of victory Thus they swaied a while vncontrolled for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots as beeing acquainted with what iniuries they had bene ouercharged but when he perceiued that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason but let it runne too lauish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty hee made out a certaine small troupe of mercenary souldiers togither with a band of horsemen to suppresse them who comming to a city were presently so inuironed with such a multitude of these swaines that like locusts ouerspread the earth that they thought it impossible to escape with their liues wherefore feare and extremitie made theÌ„ to rush out to battel with theÌ„ But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause for all their weake number in comparison of their enemies yet such a feare possessed their enemies hearts that they fled like troupes of sheepe and were slaine liee dogs before them insomuch that they that escaped the sword were either hanged by flockes on trees or rosted on spits by fires or otherwise tormented to death And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout which wrought such mischiefe in that countrey with their monstrous villanies that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to be seene In the yeere of our Lord 1381 Stow Chron. Richard the second being king the commons of England and especially of Kent and Essex by meanes of a taxe that was set vpon them suddenly rebelled and assembled togither on Blackheath to the number of 60000 or more which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines as Wat Tilour Iacke Straw Tom Miller but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the realme and chiefly about the citie of London where they committed much villanie in destroying many goodly places as the Sauoy and others and being in Smithfield vsed themselues very proudly and vnreuerently towards the king but by the manhood and wisdome of William Walworth Maior of London who arrested their chiefe captaine in the midst of them that rude company was discomfited and the ringleaders of them worthily punished In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seuenth Stow Chron. a great commotioÌ„ was stirred vp in England by the commons of the North by reason of a certaine taxe which was leuied of the tenth penny of all mens lands good within the land in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slaine But their rash attempt was soone broken and Chamberlaine their captaine with diuers others hanged at Yorke for the same Howbeit their example scared not the Cornish men froÌ„ rebelling vpon the like occasion of a taxe vnder the conduct of the lord Audley vntill by wofull experience they felt the same scourge for the king met them vpon blacke heath and discomfiting their troupes tooke their captains and ringleaders and put them to most worthy and sharpe death Thus we may see the vnhappie issue of all such seditious reuoltings and thereby gather how vnpleasant they are in the sight of God Let all people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselues in the feare of God to the higher powers whether they be lords kings princes or any other that are set ouer them CHAP. VI. Of Murderers AS

with his sonne but also quite extinguished the Gothicke kingdome in Spaine in this warre and vpon this occasion seuen hundred thousand men perished as hystories record and so a kingdome came to ruine by the peruerse lust of one lecher Anno 714. At the sacking and destruction of Thebes by king Alexander a Thracian captaine which was in the Macedonian army tooke a noble Matron prisoner called Tymoclea whome when by no persuasion of promises he could entise to his lust he constrained by force to yeeld vnto it Plut. in vita Alexand. Sabel lib. 5. c. 6. but this noble minded woman inuented a most witty subtile shift both to rid her selfe out of his hands and to reuenge his iniurie she told him that she knew where a rich treasure lay hid in a deepe pit whether when with greedinesse of the gold he hastened standing vpon the brinke pried and peared into the bottome of it she thrust him with both her hands into the hole and tumbled stones after him that he might neuer find meanes to come forth for which fact she was brought before Alexander to haue iustice who demanding her what she was she answered that Theagenes who led the Thebane army against the Macedonians was her brother Alexander perceiuing the maruellous constancie of the woman and knowing the cause of her accusation to bee vniust manumitted and set her free with her whole family When Cn. Manlius hauing conquered the Gallo-Grecians pitched his army against the Tectosages people of Narbonia towards the Piren mountains amongst other prisoners a very fair womaÌ„ wife to Orgiagous Regulus was in the custodie of a Centurion that was both lustfull and couetous Liuiuâ— lib. 38. This lecher tempted her first with faire persuasions and seeing her vnwilling compelled her with violence to yeeld her body as a slaue to fortune so to infamy and dishonor after which act somewhat to mitigate the wrong he gaue her promise of release and freedome vpon condition of a certaine summe of money and to that purpose sent her seruant that was captiue with her to her friends to puruey the same which hee bringing the Centurion alone with the wronged lady met him at a place appointed and whilest hee weighed the money by her counsaile was murdered of her seruants so she escaping caried to her husband both his money and threw at his feet the villaines head that had spoiled her of her chastitie Andreas king of Hungary hauing vndertaken the voiage into Siria for the recouety of the holy land together with many other kings and Princes committed the charge of his kingdome and family to one Bannebanius Chronica Hungariae a wise and faithfull man who discharged his office as faithfully as hee tooke it willingly vpon him now the Queene had a brother called Gertrude that came to visite and comfort his sister in her husbands absence and by that meanes soiourned with her a long time euen so long till hee fell deadly in loue with Bannebanus lady a faire vertuous woman one that was thought worthie to keepe company with the Queene continually to whome when hee had vnfolded his suit and receiued such stedfast repulse that hee was without all hope of obtaining his desire he began to droupe and pine vntill the Queene his sister perceiuing his disease found this peruerse remedie for the cure thereof shee would often giue him oportunitie of discourse by withdrawing her selfe from them being alone and many times leaue them in secret and dangerous places of purpose that he might haue his will of her but she would neuer consent vnto his lust and therefore at last when hee saw no remedie hee constrained her by force and made her subiect to his will against her will which vile disgracefull indignitie when shee had suffered shee returned home sad and melancholy and when her husband would haue embraced her she fled from him asking him if he would embrace a whore and related vnto him her whole abuse desiring him either to rid her from shame by death or to reuenge her wrong make knowne vnto the world the iniury done vnto her There needed no more spurs to pricke him forward for reuenge he posteth to the court and vpbraiding the Queene with her vngratefull and abhominable trecherie 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 iudgement in recompence of the losse of his wiues chastitie foorthwith hee 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 wiues blood 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 greeued with the death of his wife yet acquite him of the crime and held him in as much honour and esteeme as euer hee did condemning also his wife as worthy of that which shee had endured for her vnwomanlike and traiterous part A notable example of iustice in him and of punishment in her that forgetting the law of womanhood and modestie made her selfe a baud vnto her brothers lust whose memory as it shall be odious and execrable so his iustice deserueth to be engrauen in marble with caracters of gold Equall to this king in punishing a Rape was Otho the first Albert. Krant lib. 3. for as he passed through Italy with an armie a certaine woman cast her selfe downe at his feet for iustice against a villaine that had spoiled her of her chastitie who deferring the execution of the law till his returne because his hast was great the woman asked who should then put him in mind thereof hee answered This church which thou seest shall be a witnesse betwixt mee and thee that I will then reuenge thy wrong Now when hee had made an end of his warfare in his returne as hee beheld the church hee called to mind the woman and caused her to be fetcht who falling down before him desired now pardon for him whom before she had accused seeing he had now taken her to wife redeemed his iniury with sufficient satisfaction Not so I sweare quoth Otho your compacting shall not infringe or collude the sacred â— but hee shall die for his former fault and so he caused hiâ— be put to death A notable example for them that after they haue 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 historie following may appear in the yeare 1547 a citizen of Comun Theat histor was cast into prison vpon an accusation of murder whome to deliuer froÌ„ the iudgement of death his wife wrought all means possible therefore comming to the captaine that held him prisoner she sued to him for her husbands life

her enemies namely his sonne Callinicus who slew her with one of her sonnes and all that belonged vnto her and then he tooke again his old wife for which cause Ptolomie Euergetes sonne to Philadelphus renued war vpon him Herod the Tetrarch was so bewitched with the loue of Herodius his brother Philips wife Ioseph of the Iewish antiquitie lib. 18. cap. 7.9 that to the end hee might enioy her hee disclaimed his lawfull wife and sent her home to her father king Aretas who being touched netled with this indignity and disgrace sought to reuenge himselfe by armes and indeed made so hote war vpon him and charged his army so furiously that it was discomfited by him after which shameful losse he was by the Emperor Caligulas commandement banished to Lions there to end the residue of his daies Amongst the Remans Marcus Antonius was noted for the most dissolute and impudent in this case of diuorce Plutarch for albeit that in the beginning of his triumphirship he forsooke his first wife to mary Octauius his sister yet he proceeded further not content herewith but must needs forsake her to to bee with Cleopatra the queen of Aegypt from whence sprung out many great euils which at length fel vpon his own head to his finall ruin destruction for when he saw himself in such streights that no means could be found to resist Octauius hee sheathed with his own hands his sword into his bowels wheÌ„ all his seruants being requested refused to performe the same being thus wounded hee fell vpon a little bed intreating those that were present to make an end of his daies but they all fled and left him in the chaÌ„ber crying tormeÌ„ting himself vntill such time that he was coÌ„ueied to the monumeÌ„t wherin Cleopatra was enclosed that he might die there Cleopatra seeing this pitifull spectacle all amased let down chains cords from the high window with the help of her two maids drew him vp into the monument vniting their forces and doing what they could to get his poore carcasse though by a shamefull vndeceÌ„t maner for the gate was locked might not be opened it was a lamentable sight to see his poor body al besmeared with bloud breathing now his last blast for he died assoon as he came to the top to be drawne vpon that cruell fashion As for Cleopatra who by her flattering allurements rauished the hart of this miserable man was cause of his second diuorce she plaied her true part also in this woful tragedy as she partaked of the sin so she did of the punishment for after she saw her self past hope of help her sweet heart dead she beat her own breasts tormented her self so much with sorrow that her bosome was brused halfe murdered with her blows her body in many places exulcerate with inflamations she puld off her hear rent her face with her nailes altogether in phrensied with grief melancholy distresse was found fresh dead with her two maids lying at her feet this was the miserable end of those two who for enjoying of a few foolish cursed pleasures together receiued in exchange infinite torments and vexations and at length vnhappy deaths togither in one the same place verifieng the old prouerbe For one pleasure a thousand dolours Charles the eight king of France Philip. de Cont. after he had ben long time married to the daughter of the king of the Romanes sister to the Archduke of Austria was so euill aduised as to turne her home again vpoÌ„ no other occasion but to mary the duchesse of Britaine the sole heire to her fathers dukedome wherein he doubly iniured his father in law the Roman king for he did not only reiect his daughter but also depriued him of his wife the duchesse of Britaine whom by his substitute according to the maner of great Princes he had first espoused Bembus Bembus in his Venetian history handling this story somewhat mollifieth the fault when he saith that the Roman kings daughter was neuer touched by king Charles in the way of mariage all the while she was there by reason of her vnripe oueryong yeares After a while after this new maried king had giuen a hote alarme to all Italy and conquered the realme of Naples as the Venetians were deliberating to take the matter in hand of themselues to resist him Maximilian the Roman king sollicited them in the same thrust them forward aswell that he might confederate himselfe with the duke of Millan as that he might reueÌ„ge the iniury touching his repelled daughter so that by this means the French king was sore troubled at his return hauing to withstaÌ„d him al the Venetian forces with the most part of the Potentates of Italy notwithstaÌ„ding he broke through theÌ„ al after he had put the Venetians to the worst Philip. de Com. but being returned after this victorious triumphant voiage it happened that one day as hee led the queen to the castle of Amboise to see some sport at tenise he stroke his forehead against the vpper dore post of the gallory as he went in that he fel presently to the ground speechles Surseuil died incontinently in the place from whence though the filthiest sluttishest place about the castle they remoued not his body but laid it on a bed of straw to the veiw of the world from two of the clocke in the afternoone till eleuen at midnight and this good successe followed at last his so much desired diuorce CHAP. XXX Of those that either cause or authorise vnlawfull diuorcements Mat. 19. ALthough the commandement of our Sauiour Christ bee very plaine and manifest That man should not seperate those whome God hath ioined together yet there are some so void of vnderstanding and iudgement that they make no conscience to dissolue those that by the bond of mariage are vnited Iudg. 15. of which number was Sampsons father in law who took his daughter first giuen in mariage to Sampson and gaue her to another without any other reason saue that he suspected that Sampson loued her not but what got he by it Marry this the Philistims prouoked against him consumed him and his daughter with fire because that by the meanes of his iniury Sampson had burned their corne their vineyards and their oliue trees 1. Sam. 25. After the same sort dealt king Saule with Dauid when he gaue him his daughter Michol to wife and afterward in despight and hatred of him tooke her away againe and bestowed her vpon another wherein as in many other things hee shewed himselfe a wicked and prophane man and was worthely punished therefore as hath ben before declared Froysard vol. 1. Hugh Spencer one of king Edward of Englands chiefest fauourits insomuch that his eare and heart was at his pleasure was he that first persuaded the king to forsake and repudiate the Queene his

THE THEATRE of Gods Iudgements Or A COLLECTION OF HISTOries out of Sacred Ecclesiasticall and prophane Authours concerning the admirable Iudgements of God vpon the transgressours of his commandements TRANSLATED OVT OF FRENCH AND AVGMENted by more than three hundred Examples by Th. Beard IL VOSTRO MALIGNARE NON GIOVA NVLLA LONDON Printed by Adam Islip 1597. To the right Worshipfull Sir Edward Wingfield Knight IT is a principle in natural philosophy right Worshipfull that in euerie naturall bodie as well the Elephant as the gnat there is some propertie or other to be admired and wondred at and not only in philosophie but also in Diuinitie for euen the diuine Singer of Israel anoucheth the same when hee saith That the workes of God are wonderfull and his iudgements past finding out and not without great reason for if we turne ouer euery leafe of Gods creatures from the tenth sphere to the centre of the earth we shall find that euery leafe and letter of this great volume is admirable and wonderfull and such as doth not onely demonstrate a diuine power to sit at the stern of the world but also our owne weaknes which is not able to comprehend the least part thereof This wonderfull workmanship as it doth set forth the power of God as he is the creator and his wisdome as he is the gouernor of it so especially his mercie iustice appeare therein as he is a father in preseruing his children and a iudge in punishing sinners and those that rebell against him and these two are fitly called the armes of the Almighty of which one is not longer larger than the other but he is so far mercifull that he is iust withall and so far iust that his mercie doth also shew it selfe in the middest therof the right consideratioÌ„ wherof if it were ingrafted in the hearts of men they would learne both to admire and reuerence his mercie in creating and preseruing the frame of the world and stand in awe of his iudgements in correcting sinne but so it is that the greatest part of men go clean contrary they dreame vpon mercie mercy neuer thinke vpoÌ„ iustice iudgement and that is the cause why more perish by presumption than despaire for this cause it seemed to me most necessary to call into mens memories the wonderfull iudgements of God to set before their eies a view of his iustice manifested in the world vpon sinners reprobats to the end that the drousie consciences of Gods children might be awakened and the desperat hearts of the wicked coÌ„founded when they shall see how vengeance pursueth malefactours to their shame and confusioÌ„ in this life and to their destructioÌ„ in the world to come This I haue performed according to the measure of my skil in this present volume which hauing partly translated out of the French and partly collected by mine owne industrie out of many Authors I dedicate and consecrate vnto you as a monument of my dutifull loue which I owe am euer bound to owe vnto your selfe your vertuous Lady and all your generation desiring of you a fauourable acceptance of my simple offering and for you a protection from all such iudgements as are contained in this and a perpetuall continuance of all happie and heauenly felicitie Your Worships in all dutie to command Th. Beard The Preface IF to auoid and eschew vice according to the saying of the Poet be a chiefe vertue and as it were the first degree of wisdome then it is a necessarie point to know what vice and vertue is and to discerne the euill and good which either of them bring forth to the end to beware least wee dash our selues vnawares against vice in stead of vertue and be caught with the deceitfull baites thereof For this cause the great and famous Philosopher about to lay open the nature of morall vertues according to that knowledge and light which nature afforded him contented not himselfe with a simple narration of the properties essence and obiect of them but opposed to euery vertue on each side the contrarie and repugnant vice to the end that at the sight of them being so out of square so hurtfull and pernicious vertue it selfe might be more amiable and in greater esteeme And for this cause also God himselfe our soueraigne and perfect lawgiuer that hee might fashion and fit vs to the mould of true and solide vertue vseth oftener negatiue prohibitions than affirmatiue commandements in his law to the end aboue all things to distract and turne vs from euill whereunto we are of our selues too too much inclined And as by this meane sinne is discouered and made known vnto vs so is the punishment also of sinne set before our eyes by those threatnings and curses which are there denounced to the end that whome the promises of life and saluation could not allure and persuade to do well them the feare of punishment which followeth sinne as a shadow doth the body might bridle and restraine from giuing them ouer to impietie Now then if the very threatnings ought to serue for such good vse shall not the execution and perfourmance of them serue much more to wit when the tempest of Gods wrath is not only denounced but also throwne downe effectually vpon the heads of the mightie ones of the world when they are disobedient and rebellious against God And hereupon the Prophet saith That when Gods iudgements are vpon earth then the inhabitants learne iustice And doubtlesse it is most true that euery one ought to reape profit to himselfe by such examples as well them which are presented daily to their view by experience as them which haue beene done in times past and are by benefit of history preserued from obliuion And in this regard historie is accounted a very necessary and profitable thing for that in recalling to mind the truth of things past which otherwise would be buried in silence it setteth before vs such effects as warnings admonitions touching good and euill and laieth vertue and vice so naked before our eyes with the punishments or rewards inflicted or bestowed vpon the followers of each of them that it may rightly be called an easie and profitable apprentiship or schoole for euery man to learne to get wisedome at another mans cost Hence it is that Historie is tearmed of the ancient Philosophers The record and register of Time the light of Truth and the mistresse and looking glasse of mans life Insomuch as vnder the person of another man it teacheth and instructeth all those that apply their minds vnto it to gouerne and carry themselues vertuously and honestly in this life Wherefore they deserue great praise and commendation that haue taken paines to enroll and put in writing the memorable actes and occurrents of their times to communicate the same to their posteritie for there the high and wonderfull workes of God do most clearely and as it were to the view present themselues as his iustice and

the extreamest execution which is both sharpe and rigorous Touching the word Iudgement I haue imitated the language of holy Scripture wherein as the ordinances and commaundements of God are called Iudgements because in them is contained nothing but that which is iust right and equall so likewise the punishments inflicted by God vpon the despisers of his commandements are called by the same name as in Exod. 6.6 2. Chron. 20.12 22.8 Ezech. 5.8 11.9 and elsewhere because they also are as iust as the former proceeding from none other fountaine saue the most righteous iudgement of God whereof none can complaine but vniustly The names of the Authours from whom the most part of the Examples contained in this Booke are collected MOses and other sacred writers Tertullian Cyprian Eusebius Socrates Theodoret. Sozomenes Nicephor Ruffinus Suidas Chrysostome Luther Jllyricus Herodotus Thucydides Dion Halycarnasseus Diodorus Siculus Polybeus Plutarch Herodian Dion Procopius Iornandes Agathius Aelianus Tit. Liuius Salustius Suetonius Corn. Tacitus Amni Marcellinus Iustinus Eutropius Lampridius Spartianus Flauius Vopiscus Cuspinianus Orosius Aimoinus Gregor Turonensis Anton. Volscus Paulus Diaconus Luitprandus Olaus magnus Gothus Sabellicus Anton. Panormitanus Aeneas Siluius Rauisius Hieronymus Marius Alexander ab Alexandro Pet. Praemonstratensis Mich. Ritius Neapolitanus Fulgosius Fran. Picus Mirandula Bembus Antonius Bomfinius Munsterus Iohan. Wierus Platina Nauclerus Vincentius Hugo Cluniacensis Benno Baleus Gagninus Paulus Aemilius Discipulus de tempore Acts and Monuments Carion Chronicon Beza Iosephus Manly Collectanea Stow Chronica Froyssard Enguerran de Monstrelet Philip le Comines Nicholas Gilles Guicciardine Paulus Iouius Benzoin Milanois Iob. Fincelius Centuriae Magdeburg Abbas Vrispurgensis Philippus Melancthon Sleidanus Lanquet Chronica THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE WORTHIE AND MEMOrable Histories of the great and marueilous Iudgements of God sent vpon the World for their misdeeds against the Commandements of the first and second Table CHAP. I. â§ As touching the Corruption and Peruersitie of this World how great it is EVen as one that taketh pleasure to behold a pleasant and delightsome place a peece of ground couered and painted with all manner of fine flowers a garden decked and as it were clothed with exquisite plants and fruitfull trees is much grieued so soone as he perceiueth all this beautie and pleasure suddenly to be withered and scortched by the violence of some outragious tempest or if he be constrained to cast his eies from them vpon some other place by all craggie and parched full of briars and brambles In like sort a man can not choose but be sore grieued and discontent when he beholdeth on the one side the wholsome light of the sunne whereby the heauens do many waies distill their fauours vpon this world gloriously to aduance it selfe on the other side he perceiueth such an army of thick clouds and palpable darknesse from whence such a number of disorders and hurliburlies doe arise that most strangely disfigure the face of the whole world when that he which ought to be gentle peaceable is become mischieuous and quarellous and in stead of being true single hearted disloiall and deceitfull instead of being modest vvell gouerned and courteous is proud cruell and dissolute in steed of seruing of God serueth his owne humours and affections vvhich kind of behauiour is but too common and vsuall for there is not any kind of wickednesse which is not found in this rancke Vngodlinesse vomiteth vp his furie together with iniustice in those men of whom it is said There is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God their throte is an open sepulchre they vse deceit in their tongues the poysen of aspes is vnder their lippes Psal 14. they haue nothing in their mouthes but cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift to shead blood destruction and miserie is in their waies and they haue not knowne the way of peace In summe the feare of God is not before their eies From wheÌ„ce it commeth that being not restrained by any bridle like vntamed colts broke loose they giue the full swindge to their bold and violent affections running fiercely to all filthinesse and mischiefe and being thus enraged some of them with horrible blasphemies most villainously speake and doe in despite of God and denie him that created them and sent them into the world others are not ashamed to be open forswearers of themselues violating and breaking euerie promise without regard of faith or honestie Others as they are of cruell and bloudie natures so they doe not cease to exercise these their natures by outragious practises to some of them whoredomes and adulteries are no more esteemed then as sports and pastimes whereof they boast and vaunt themselues to another sort cousenings extortions and robberies are ordinarie exercises whereof they make their best occupations All which euils are so common and so vsual at this time amongst men that the world seemeth truly to be nothing else but an Ocean full of hideous monsters or a thicke forrest full of theeues and robbers or some horrible wildernesse wherein the inhabitants of the earth being sauage and vnnaturall void of sence and reason are transformed into bruite beasts some like tygres or lyons others like wolues or foxes others like dogs and swine Oh sinfull nation would the man of God say if he liued at this houre a people laden with iniquitie a seed of the wicked Isay 1.4 corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lord they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell to anger The noble and high minded are prowd to disdaine the lower and readie alwaies to smite them making their countenance pale with vices and othes the magistrate partial and full of bribes ouerthroweth equity the marchant couetous and desirous of gaine remembreth not his integrity nor the labourer his simplicitie And so vertue in most men lieth buried pietie banished iustice oppressed and honestie troden vnder foot in such sort that all things being as it were ouerthrowne and turned vpside downe men speake euill of good and good of euill accounting darkenesse light and light darkenesse sower sweet and sweet sower And by such disorder it commeth to passe that the most vertuous are despised whilest naughty packs and vicious fellowes are esteemed and made much of CHAP. II. What the cause is of the great ouerflow of Vice in this age IF wee would consider from whence it is that this great disorder and corruption of manners doth arise wee should find especially that it is because the world euery day groweth worse worse according to the saying of our Sauiour and redeemer Christ Iesus the sonne of God That in the latter daies which are these wherein we liue Iniquitie shall be encreased Mat. 24.12 And herein we shall perceiue euen the iust vengeence of God to light vpon the malice and vnthankfulnesse of men to whom when he would draw neare to doe good vnto by offering them the cleare light of his fauour the more they striue to alienate and keepe

necessarie points concerning this matter CHAP. IIII. How the iustice of God is more euidently declared vpon the mighty ones of this world then vpon any other and the cause why SEeing then that these men are more guiltie and culpable of sinne then any other they deserue so much a more grieuous punishment by how much their misdeedes are more grieuous Psal 58 11. for doubtlesse There is a God that iudgeth the earth as the Psalmist saith who as he is benigne and mercifull towards those that fear and obey him so he will not suffer iniquitie to goe vnpunished This is he saith the Prophet that executeth iustice mercie and iudgement vpon the earth for if it be the dutie of an earthly prince to exercise not onely clemencie and gentlenesse but also sharpenesse and seueritie thereby by punishing and chastising malefactors to suppresse all disorders in the Commonwealth then it is verie necessarie that the iustice of our great God to whom all soueraine rule and authority belongeth and who is the Iudge of the whole world should either manifest it selfe in this world or in the world to come and chiefly towardes them which are in the highest places of account who being more hardned and bold to sinne doe as boldly exempt themselues from all corrections and punishments due vnto them being altogether vnwilling to bee subiect to any order of iustice or law whatsoeuer and therefore by how much the more they cannot bee punished by man and that humane lawes can lay no hold vpon them so much the rather God himselfe becommeth executioner of his owne iustice vpon their pates and in such sort that euery man may perceiue his hand to be vpon them Let anie aduersitie or affliction light vpon a man of low degree or vvhich is poore and desolate no man considereth of it rightly but talking thereof men cease not to impute the cause of this poore soules miserie either to pouertie or want of succour or some other such like cause Therefore if anie such be in griefe or by chance fallen into some pit and drowned or robbed killed in the way by theeues straight way this is the saying of the vvorld That it commeth thus to passe either because hee vvas alone without companie or destitute of helpe or not well looked to and regarded and thus they passe ouer the matter But as concerning great men vvhen they are anie vvay afflicted no such pretences or excuses can be alleaged seeing they want neither seruants to attend vpon them nor any other means of help to succour them therefore when these men are ouertaken and surprised vvith anie great euill which by no meanes they can eschew wheÌ„ their bold and wicked enterprises are pursued concluded with strange and lamentable euents in this wee must acknowledge an especiall hand of God who can entangle and pull downe the prowdest and arrogantest he that liues those whom the world feareth to meddle vvith all these prowd gallants are they against whom God displaieth his banner of power more openly then against meaner and baser persons because these poore soules find oftentimes to their paines that they are punished vvithout cause and tormented and vexed by those Tyrants not hauing committed any offence at all to deserue it whereas as Philip Comine saith vvho dare be so bold as to controll or reprehend a King and his fauorites or to make inquirie of his misdeedes or hauing made inquisition of them who dare presume to enforme the Iudge thereof Who dare stand vp to accuse them Who dare sit downe to iudge them Nay vvho dare take knowledge of them And lastly vvho dare assay to punish them Seeing then in this case that our vvorldly iustice hath her handes bound behind her from executing that which is right it must needs bee that the soueraine Monarch of heauen and earth should mount vp into his throne of iudgement and from thence giue his definitiue vnchaungeable sentence to deliuer vp the most guilty and hainous sinners to those paines and torments which they haue deserued and that after a strange and extraordinarie manner which may serue for an example to all others CHAP. V. How all men both by the law of God and Nature are inexcusable in their sinners NOw to the end that no man should pretend ignorance for an excuse God hath bestowed vpon euery one a certaine knowledge and iudgement of good and euill which being naturally engraued in the tables of mans heart is commonly called The law of nature whereby euery man 's owne conscience giueth sufficient testimony vnto it selfe when in his most secret thoughts it either accuseth or excuseth him for there is not a man liuing which doth not know in his owne heart that he doth an euill deed when he wrongeth another although he had neuer bene instructed elsewhere in that point So although that in Tarquinius Superbus time Cicero saith there was no written law established in Rome forbidding the rauishing and deflouring of wiues and virgines yet the wicked sonne of this Tarquine was not therefore lesse guilty of an hainous crime when contrary to the law of nature hee violently robbed Lucrece of her chastity for no man can be ignorant that it is a most grieuous crime to lay siege to the chastitie of a maried woman with such outrage and so the whole people of Rome did esteeme of it as a crime most wicked strange and intollerable and worthy of grieuous punishment Euery man knoweth thus much that he ought not to do that to another which he would not another should do to him which sentence the Emperour Seuerus made alwaies to be spoken aloud and declared by the sound of the trumpet in the way of aduertisement as often as punishment was taken vpon any offender as if it were a generall law pertaining to all men This is that equity iustice which ought to be ingrafted in our hearts wherof nature herself is the schoolmistresse from this fountaine all humane and ciuill lawes are deriued if we had not rather say that they are deriued from that true spring of equity which is in the law of God which law he hath giuen for a plaine and familiar manifestation of his will concerning iust holy and reasonable things touching the seruice honour and glorie which is due vnto himselfe and the mutuall dutie friendship and good will which men owe one to another whereunto he exhorteth and entiseth euery one by faire and gratious promises and forbiddeth the contrarie by great and terrible threatnings so gentle mercifull is he towards vs and desirous of our good This is that law which was published before the face of more then six hundred thousand persons with the mighty resouÌ„ding noise of trumpet with earthquake fire and smoke with thunders lightnings to make men more attentiue to heare more prepared to receiue it with all humility feare reuerence also to put them in mind that if they were disobedient rebellious he

pertaineth to manie yea to the vvhole bodie of the people And admit that this reason vvas effectual yet the glose vpon the place saith very notably That the princes pleasure may be held for a law so far forth as that which pleaseth him be iust and honest giuing vs to know thus much therby that euerie vvill and pleasure of a Prince may not indifferentlie be allowed for a law if it be in an vniust and dishonest action contrarie to the rule of good maners Moreouer it appeareth by the customes of many ancient people and realmes that Princes had neuer this license giuen them to doe vvhat they listed for let them be neuer so mightie yea as mighty as Darius vnder vvhose raign the Persian monarchie was abolished yet he must bee content according to the law of the Medes and Persians not to bee able to infringe that law vvhich vvas by the aduise of his Peeres and priuie counsell enacted and by his owne consent and authoritie established no though for Daniels deliuerance sake vvhom he loued Dan. 6.8 he greatly desired and tooke paines either to disannull or at least to giue a fauourable interpretation of it Such in old time was the custome of the Kings of Aegypt not to follow their owne affections in any actions they vvent about Diod. lib. 2. cap. 2. but to be directed by the aduise of their laws for they had not so much authoritie as to iudge betwixt man and man or to leuie subsidies and such like by their owne powers neither to punish any man through choler or any ouerweening conceit but were alwaies tied to obserue iustice and equitie in all causes neither did it grieue them so to doe being persuaded that whilest they obeied their lawes nothing could better betide them but good Thucyd. lib 1. The Lacedemonian Kings were in such bondage to the lawes of their countrie that the Ephori which were set vp to none other end but to be a bridle to hold them backe from doing vvhat they listed had absolure authority to correct them vvhen they had committed any fault which subiection nothing displeased king Theopompus as it is apparent by the answere he made his wife that reproued him once in anger saying by his cowardlinesse he would leaue a lesse kingdome to his children then he had receiued of his ancestors nay saith he a greater for so much as more durable and parmanent Plutarch praising the vprightnesse of King Alcamenes who for feare to breake the law refused diuerse presents that were sent him bursteth into this speech O heart worthie of a King that hath preferred the authoritie of the law before his owne profite Where are those fellowes now that crie Kings pleasures ought to be obserued for lawes and that a Prince may make a law but is not subiect to it himselfe and this is that which Plutarch saith as concerning that matter who liued vnder Traian the Emperour Cornelius Tacitus discouering the beginning and originall of the Romane ciuill law Lib. 3. Annal. saith that Seruius the third King of Rome after Romulus and Numa was the only man that most established those lawes wherevnto kings themselues ought to yeeld and be obedient And admit that the Emperors swaied with great power and authoritie almost all the world yet for all their fiercenesse and haughtinesse of mind Pliny durst tell Traian verie roundlie In Paneger that an Emperour ought to vse to carrie himselfe with such good gouernment in his Empire as if he were sure to giue vp an account of all his actions thou must not saith he desire more libertie to follow thine owne lust then any one of vs doe a Prince is not set ouer the law but the law placed in authority aboue the Prince this was the admonition of that Heathen man Likewise Antonius and Seuerus two mighty Emperours although by reason of an opinion of their owne greatnesse and haultinesse wherwith they flattered themselues bragged that they were not subiect to anie law yet they added this clause withall That notwithstanding they would liue according to the direction of the law Lib. 4. tit 17. This saith Theodosius and Valentinian two no lesse mighty Emperours is a voice becomming the roial Maiestie and greatnesse of a king To confesse himselfe to liue vnder a law and in truth it is a thing of greater importance then the imperiall dignity it selfe Lib. 1 â—od to put soueraignty vnder the authority of law Amongst many other good lessons and exhortations which Lewis that good King gaue vnto his son on his death bed Nicol. Gil vol. 1. Chronicl franc this was one worthy the remembring how he commanded him to loue and feare God with all his strength and to take heed of doing any thing that should be contrarie to his law whatsoeuer should befall him and to prouide that the good lawes and statutes of his kingdome might bee obserued and the priuiledges of his subiects maintained to forbid iudges to fauour him more then others when any cause of his owne came in triall Thereby giuing vs thus much to vnderstand that euery good King ought to submit himselfe in obedience vnder the hand of God and vnder the rule of iustice and equitie Wherefore there is neither king nor Keisar that can or ought to exempt himselfe from the obseruance of sacred and vpright 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 seased vpon Pharoa king of Aegypt for resisting God and transgressing the sixt commandement of the law WE haue sufficiently declared in the premisses that the mightiest potentates of this world are bound to range themselues vnder the obedience of Gods law it remaineth now that wee produce examples of those punishments that haue fallen vpon the heads of the transgressors of the same according to the manner of their transgression of what sort soeuer which that wee may the better describe it behoueth vs to follow the order of the Commandements as the examples we bring may be fitly referred to any of them And first we are to vnderstand that when God said Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me he condemneth vnder these words the vanitie of men that haue forged to themselues a multitude of gods he forbiddeth all false religioÌ„ declareth that he wold be acknowledged to be the sole true God that we shold serue worship loue fear obey him in and aboue al things And whoseuer it bee that doth otherwise either by hindering his worship or afflicting those that worship him the same man prouoketh his heauie wrath to be throwne vpon him to his vtter ruine and destruction This is the indignation that lighted vpon Pharoa king of Aegypt as we read in the booke of God Exod. 3. who being one of the most puissant Kings of the earth in his age God chose him for an

with many other strange cruelties This example belongeth also in regard of cruelty to the sixt commandement Lib. 2. cap. 11.17 Booke of the Iewish antiquitie chap. 8 as by killing the ordinary iudges of the house of Dauid and his owne wife and children this caitife was tormented with sundrie intollerable griefes and at last deuoured by an horrible and most fearfull death For as Iosephus reporteth his body was boiled and his bowels gnawne in two by a soft and slow fire fretting inwardly without any outward appearance of heat besides the rauenous insatiable desire of eating which so possessed him that without chewing his meat in whole lumpes descended into his bodie deuouring it so fast as it could bee throwne into his mouth and neuer ceasing to farse his greedie throat with continual sustenance moreouer his feet were so swolne and puft vp with such a flegme that a man might see through them his priuie parts so rotten and ful of vermine and his breath so stinking that few or none durst approch neere vnto him yea his owne seruants forsooke him Now lying in this wretched plight when this wicked man saw no remedie could bee found to assuage his griefe he went about to kill himselfe and being not able to performe it he was constrained to endure all the panges of a most horrible lingring and languishing death and at last mad and miserable bestraught of sence and reason to end his daies As for Herod the Tetrarch Luke 9 7. sirnamed Antipas who to please Herodias had caused Iohn Baptist to be beheaded when he had likewise prepared snares for our Sauiours feet and being sent to him by Pilate to quit himselfe and gratifie him withall had ieasted and mocked at him his belly full This example in regard of diuorce belongeth to the seueth commandement Lib. 2. cap. 29. Ioseph of the Iewish antiquitie booke 8. chap. 9. behold his reproches and mockes was he neuer so subtile turned into his own bosome For first after that his armie had beene discomfited by the souldiors of king Aretas whose daughter in regard of Herodias his brother Philips wife he had repudiated a further shame and dishonour befell him euen to be depriued of his roiall dignitie and not only to be brought into a low and base estate but also being robbed of his goods to be banished into a far countrie there to make an end of the rest of his life As touching Pilate the gouernour of Iudea hee did so excell in wickednesse and iniustice Euseb that notwithstanding the restraint of his owne conscience the law of ciuill equity and the aduertisement of his owne wife yet hee condemned Christ Iesus the iust and innocent to the death of the crosse albeit he could not but know the power of his miracles the renowne whereof was spread into all places But ere long hauing beene constrained to erect the image of the Emperour Caligula in the Temple of Ierusalem to be worshipped hee was sent for to make personall appearance at Rome to answere to certaine accusations of crueltie which were by the Iewes obiected against him And in his iourney being afflicted in conscience Euseb Eutrop. lib. 7. with the number and weight of his misdeeds like a desperate man to preuent the punishment which he feared willingly offered violence to his owne life and killed himselfe The first Emperour that tooke in hand to persecute the Christians was Nero the tyrant picking a quarrell against them for setting the city on fire Tertul. Nicephor 8. Commandement calumniation Lib. 2. cap. 44. which being himself guiltie of he charged them withall as desirous to find out any occasion to doe them hurt wherefore vnder pretence of the same crime discharinging his own guilt vpon their backs he exposed theÌ„ to the furie of the people that tormented them very sore as if they had ben commoÌ„ burners destroiers of cities the deadliest enemies of mankind Tacit. Annal. Lib. 5. Herevpon the poor innocents were apprehended some of them clad with skins of wild beasts were torne in pieces by dogs others crucified or made bonefires of on such heaps that the flame arising froÌ„ their bodies serued in stead of torches for the night To coÌ„clude such horrible cruelty was vsed towards theÌ„ that many of their verie enemies did pitty their miseries But at last this wretch the causer of all seeing himselfe in danger to be murthered by one appointed for that purpose a iust reward for his horrible vniust dealing hastened his death by killing himselfe Suet. Refer this also to the 24 chap. of this booke Suet. Eutrop. as it shal be shewed more at large in the 2. booke The authour of the second persecution against the Christians was Domitian who was so puft vp and swolne with pride that he would needs ascribe vnto himselfe the name of God Against this man rose vp his houshold seruants who by his wiues consent slew him with daggers in his priuy chamber his body was buried without honor his memory cursed to posterity his ensignes trophees thrown down defaced Traian who albeit in al things els in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Empire also shewed himselfe a good sage Prince yet did he dash bruise himself against this stone with the rest was reckoned the third persecutor of the church of Christ for which cause he vnderwent also the cruel vengeance of God felt his heauy hand vpoÌ„ him for first he fel into a palsie Dion when he had lost the vse of his sences persuading himself that he was poysoned got a dropsie also and so died in great anguish Hadrian in the 9 year of his Empire caused ten thousand Christians to be crucified in Armenia at one time after that ceased not to stir vp a very whot persecution against theÌ„ in all places Mandat 7. Liq 2. cap. 12. Spart But God persecuted him that to his destructioÌ„ first with an issue of blood wherwith he was so weakened disquieted that ofteÌ„times he would faine haue made away himself next with the consumption of the lunges lights which he spate out of his mouth continaully and thirdly with an insatiable dropsie so that seeing himself in this horrible tormeÌ„t he desired poisoÌ„ to hasteÌ„ his death or a knife to make quick riddance but when all those means were kept back he was inforced to indure still at last to die in great misery Whilst Marcus Antonius surnamed Verus swaied the Empire there were exceeding cruelties set abroach against the poore Christians euery where but especially at Lions and Vienna in Daulphine as Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall historie recordeth Euseb Spart Wherfore he wanted not his punishment for he died of an apoplexie after he had lien speechlesse three daies After that Seuerus had proclaimed himselfe a profest enemie to Gods church his affaires began to decline and he found himselfe pestered vvith diuerse extremities and set vpon with

put to death in diuers places as well for their monstrous damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibite and set before our eies how deare precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy word the vnion of his Church is and how carefull zealous euery one of vs ought to be in maintaining and vpholding the same when as he reuengeth himselfe so sharply vpon all those that go about to peruert and corrupt the sincerity therof or which be breeders of new sects and diuisions among his people Olympus by office bishop of Carthage but by profession a fauourer and maintainer of the Arrian heresie being vpon a time in a bath washing himselfe Paul Diac. in Anastas hist Sabel lib. 5. c. 4. Blasphemie Lib. 1. cap. 31. Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. hee vttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinitie but a threefold thunderbolt came from aboue 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 heauen or with polluted lippes to mention his sacred maiestie this happened in the yeere of our Lord God 510. Cyrill hath recorded vnto vs of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God vpon an heretique then all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was neuer heard of the history is this After the decease of S. Ierome there stood vp one Sabinianus a peruerse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinctions of persons in the Trinitie and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost to be but one indistinct person and to giue credit to his heresie he wrote a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it vpon S. Ierome as being the authour of it But Siluanus the bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproued him for deprauing so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargaine with Sabinianus that if S. Ierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsnesse of his cause hee would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed vpon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted into the Temple of Ierusalem to decide the controuersie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Siluanus was commaunded to yeeld his necke to that punishment which himselfe was authour of which as hee most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Ierome in shew appeared and slaied 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 vpon the ground dead and senselesse Whereat the people amazed praising God claue vnto Siluanus and abiured Sabinianus heresie Wherein wee may obserue the wonderfull wisdome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whether they will stand to his truth or no and learne therby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timerously to despaire of helpe in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimeald king of Lumbardie was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with vntimely death for hauing beene let blood the eleuenth day after as he stroue to draw a bow hee opened the vaine a new and so bled to death Cabades Casp hed lib. 3. cap. 10. 15. king of Persia when hee 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 Photinus a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion Platina sub Siricio 7. and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in iustice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus iustly banished The Emperour Iustinian Niceph. lâ—b 27. cap. 31. fauouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gaue out one edict whereby Anastasius the bishop and all other that maintained the truth should be banished Zen. com 3. suddenly he was stroken with an inward and inuisible plague which tooke away his life and forestalled his wicked cruell determination from comming to the desired effect In all which examples we may see how God doth not only punish heretikes themselues but also their fauourers and supporters yea the very places cities wherin they liued broched their blasphemies Paul Diaâ— lib. 5. as by the destructioÌ„ of Antioch is seene which being a very sink of heretiks was partly coÌ„sumed with fire from heauen aboue in the seuenth yeere of Iustinus the Emperour and partly ouerthrowen with earthquakes below wherein Euphrasius the bishop and many other were destroied Moreouer besides those there were vnder Pope Innocent the third certaine heretiques celled Albigonses or Albiani which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were affirmed that there were two Gods one good and another euill they denied the resurrection despised the sacraments and said that the soules of men after their separation passed either into hogs oxen serpents or men according to their merits Contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. they would not spare to pollute the temples appointed for the seruice of God with their excrements and other filthy actions and to defile the holy bibles with vrine in despite and contumely This heresie like an euill weed so grew and increased that the braunches therof spred ouer almost all Europe a thousand cities were polluted therewith so that it was high time to cut it short by violence the sword as it was for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter that an hundred thousand of them were slaine partly by warre partly by fire at one time Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall monke of Bordeaux that by the helpe of Magicke wrought miracles and tooke vpon him the name and title of Christ saying hee could cure diseases and restore those that were past helpe by phisicke vnto their healths he went attired with garments made of goar 's haire and an hood professing an austerity of life abroad whereas he plaied the glutton at home but at length his cousenage was discouered he was banished the citie as a man vnfit for ciuill societie In the yeere of our Lord God 1204 in the Empire of Otto the fourth there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the sacrament Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. and said that God spake as well in profane Ouid as holy Augustine he scoffed at the doctrine of the resurrection and esteemed

images or pictures and such other outward and corruptible meanes which hee hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproouing the folly and vanity of idolatours saith Chap. 40.18 To whome will you liken God or what similitude will you set vp vnto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that vnder pretence and colour of his owne name any image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconuenient but also absurd and vnseemely much lesse can he abide to haue them worshipped vnder the name and title of any creature whatsoeuer And for this cause gaue he the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. which prohibition the Israelielits brake in the desert when they set vp a golden calfe bowed themselues before it after the maner of the Painyms giuing it the honour which was only due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almightie God Exod. 32. who is strong and iealous of suffering any such slander to be done vnto his name wherefore hee caused three thousand of them to be stroken wounded to death by the hand of the Leuits at the commaundement of Moses to make his anger against idolatrie more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his reuenge who were ordained for the ministery of his Church and the seruice of the altar and tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell backe into the same sinne and bowed themselues before strange gods through the allurements of the daughters of Moab ioyned themselues to Belphegor Num. 25. for which cause the Lord being incensed stroke them with so grieuous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise hee had forbidden and threatned them for cleauing to the idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serue Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was enflamed against them and hee gaue them ouer to be a spoile and prey vnto their enemies on euery side so that for many yeeres sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and euer after the death of any of their Iudges and rulers which God raised vp for their deliuerance some grieuous punishment befell them for then being without law or gouernment euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to haue some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenessâ— of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God then any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore wee place them in this rancke as well as they that haue beene alwaies brought vp and nuzled in Idolatrie 2. Chron. 22. One of this crew was Ochosias king of Iuda sonne of Ioram who hauing before him an euill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing vp of his mother Athaliah who togither with the house of Achab pricked him forward to euill ioyned himselfe to them and to their idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment destruction with Ioram the king of Israel whome Iehu slew togither with the princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath bene the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially vnder Ioachas sonne of Iosias 2. King 23. that raigned not aboue three moneths in Ierusalem before hee was taken and led captiue 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 vtterly destroied by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and caried king Ioaâ—him with his mother his princes his seruants and the treasures of the temple and his owne house into Babylon And finally 2. King 24.25 tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eies caused his sonnes to be slaine which assoone as he had beheld commaunded him also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of iron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the princes of Iuda to the sword consuming with fire the temple with the kings pallace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogatiue consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was neuer reestablished by God but begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calues Vide lib. 1. c. 19. which as his successours maintained and fauoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured vp in Idoll worship after the example of his father 1 King 15.27 receiued a condigne punishment for his iniquitie for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the offspring of Ieroboamâ— house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better then those whome he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whome Zambri one of his seruants slew And this againe vsurping the crowne enioyed it but seuen daies at the end whereof seeing himselfe in daunger in the citie Tirza taken by Amri whome the people had chosen for their king went into the pallace of the kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab hee multiplied idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse then all his predecessours wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against hiâ— and his for hee himselfe was wounded to death in battaile by the Sitians his sonne Ioram slaine by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their gouernours and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Aboue all a most notable and manifest example of Gods iudgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had beene his spurre and prouoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuches and most trustie seruants at the commandement of Iehu shee was thrown downe out of a window and trampled vnder the horse seer and last of all deuoured of dogges Moreouer the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murdered 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 inuaded and subuerted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they neuer returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abominable idolatrie which ought to be a lesson to all people princes and kings that seeing God spared not these two realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroied and rooted them out from the earth

least wee fall into the sinne of Saul and Herod 1. Sam 14. Marc. 6. Now what punishments God hath laid vpon periurers these examples that follow shall make knowen vnto vs. Osee the last king of Israel beeing made by Gods iust iudgement for his sinnes subiect and tributary to Salmanazar king of Ashur without regard to the bond wherewith he was bound 2. King 17. and to his faith which he had plighted conspired and entred league with the king of Aegypt against him but hee discouering their seditions and priuie conspiracies assembled his forces spoiled his countrey and bad them warre on all sides laying siege to the chiefe citie of his kingdome after three yeeres tooke it togither with the forsworne king whome he put in close prison and kept very straightly leading him and his whole nation captiue into Assyria to end their daies in misery of which euill as of all others that happened in that warre the disloialty and treason of Osee was the next and chiefest cause Among the beadroll of sinnes which Sedechias the last king of Iuda is noted withall in holy scripture periury is one of the count for notwithstanding hee receiued his kingdome of Nabuchadnezzar and had sworne fealty to him as to his soueraigne yet brake hee his oath in rebelling against him which was the very cause of his destruction 2. Chron. 36. for NabuchadneZZar to be reuenged on his disloialty sent a puissant army against Ierusalem which tooke spoiled and burned it and ouertooke the periurer in his flight and first made him a beholder of the slaughter of his owne children and then had his owne eies bored out and was caried in chaines to Babylon seruing for a spectacle to all posteritie of Gods wondrous iudgements vpon periurers And thus both the kingdomes of Israel and Iuda were for breach and falsifying their oth quite extinguished and razed out Plutarch The greatest deceiuer and most treacherous person one of them that euer Greece saw was Lisander the Lacedemonian a busie body full of cunning subtilty and craft and one that perfourmed the most of his acts of warre more by fraud and stratagemes then by any other meanes this was he that said that when the lyons skin meaning Fortitude would not serue it was needfull then to sue vnto the foxes case meaning subtilty he made so litle reckening of forswearing himselfe that he would often say that children were to be cousened wirh trifles as dice and cockals and old men with othes but by his deceitfull trickes he was occasion of much euill diuers murders but at last this fox making warre against the Thebanes for that they had taken part with the Athenians against him and giuen them succour and meanes for recouering their liberty was taken in the trap and slaine at the foote of their walls Liuie Metius Suffetius Generall of the Albanes procured the Fidenates to enter war against the Romanes contrary to his oth which he had sworne vnto them and being called by the Romans to their succour and placed in an outwing to helpe if need were whilst the rest were fighting he droue away the time in ordering his men and ranging them into squadrons to see which part should haue the best that hee might ioyne himselfe vnto that side But Tullus the Romane king hauing obtained the victory and seeing the cowardise subtilty and treason of this Albane adiudged him to a most straunge and vile death answerable to his fact for as hee had in his bodie a double heart swimming betweene two streames and now ready to go this way now that so was his body dismembred and torne in pieces by foure horses drawing foure contrarie waies to serue for an example to all others to be more faithfull and true obseruers of their othes then he was In old time the Africanes and Carthaginians were generally noted for perfidie and falshood aboue other nations Liâ— Decad. 3. lib. 1. the cause of which bruit was principally that old subtill souldier Anniball an old deceiuer and a notorious periurer who by his crafts and cousenages which hee wrought without religion or feare of God raised vp that euill report This subtill foxe hauing made warre in Italy sixteene 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 ouercome by Scipio in his owne countrey and perceiuing that his countrey men imputed the cause of their fall vnto him and sought to make him odious to the Romanes by laying to his charge the breach of that league which was betwixt them hee fled to Antiochus king of Siria not so much for his own safeties sake as to continue his warre against the Romans which he knew Antiochus to be in hammering because they came so neare vnto his frontiers but hee found his hope frustrate for king Antiochus for the small trust hee affied in him and the daily suspition of his trechery would not commit any charge of his army into his hand although for valiantnesse and prowesse he was second to none in that age It came to passe therefore that assoone as Antiochus was ouerthrowen of the Romanes he was constrained to flie to Prusias king of Bithynia that tooke him into his protection but being as treacherous as himselfe hee soone deuised a meanes to betray him to Quintius the generall of the Romane army which when Anniball vnderstood and seeing that all the passages for euasion were closed vp and that hee could not any way escape hee poisoned himselfe and so miserably ended his treacherous life And thus the deceit which hee practised towards others fell at length vpon his owne pate to his vtter destruction Albeit that periurers and forswearers were to the Aegyptians very odious and abominable as wee said before yet among them there was one Ptolome Iustine who to bereaue 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 loue vnto her in the way of mariage for such incestuous mariages were there through a peruerse and damnable custome not vnlawfull and auowing the same by solemne oath before her embassadours did notwithstanding soone make knowen the drift of his intent which was to make himselfe king for being arriued in shew to consummate the marriage at his first approch he caused his nephewes her sonnes which she had by her former husband Lisimachus and were come forth from their mother to giue him entertainment on the way to be slaine yea and least they should escape his hands he pursued them euen to their mothers bosome and there murdered them and after expelling her also from her kingdome caught the crowne raigned tyrant in her roome all which mischiefes hee committed by reason of the faithlesse oth which he had taken and although that in such a case no oth ought to be of force to confirme so

in the person of his youngest sonne Chaanan and made a seruant to the seruants of his brethren Num 33. Deut. 7. which curse was fulfilled in his posterity the Canaanites who beeing forsaken of God were rooted vp and spued out of their land because of their sinnes and abominations Marueilous strange was the malice of Absolom to rebell so furiously against his father Dauid as to wage warre against him 2. Sam. 15. which hee did with all his strongest endeauours without sparing any thing that might further his proceedings insomuch that he grew to that outrage and madnesse through the wicked and pernicious counsell of Achitophel that hee shamed not villanously to commit incest with his fathers concubines 2. Sam. 16. and pollute his bed euen before the eies of the multitude by which meanes being become altogither odious and abominable 2. Sam. 18. he shortly after lost the battell wherein though himselfe receiued no hurt nor wound yet was hee not therefore quit but being pursued by Gods iust iudgement fell vnwittingly into the snare which he had deserued for as hee rode along the forrest to saue himselfe from his fathers armie his mule carrying him vnder a thicke oake left him hanging by the haire vpon a bow betwixt heauen and earth vntill being found by Ioab hee was wounded to death with many blowes Whereby euery man may plainly see that God wanteth no meanes to punish sinners when it pleaseth him but maketh the dumbe and senslesse creatures instruments of his vengeance for hee that had escaped the brunt and daunger of the battell and yet not hauing therefore escaped the hand of God was by a bruit beast brought vnder a senslesse tree which God had appointed to catch hold of him as an executioner of his iust iudgement which if wee consider is as straunge and wonderfull an accident as may possible happen and yet such an one as God himselfe prouided to punish this wicked proud and rebellious wretch withall for seeing his outrage and villany was so great as to rebell against his father and so good and kind a father towards him as hee was it was most iust that hee should endure so vile a punishment Beside herein God would doubtlesse lay open to the eies of all the world a fearefull spectacle of his iudgements against wicked and disobedient children thereby to terrifie the most impudent and malicious wtetches that liue from this horrible sinne And for the same cause it was his pleasure that that wicked and false Achitophel should fall into extreame ignominy and confusion for forsaking Dauid and setting forward with counsell and presence young Absolom against his father for which cause with despaire he hung himselfe Now by this example it is easie to perceiue how vnpleasant this sinne is in Gods sight and how much he would haue euery man to hate and detest it seeing that nature her selfe teacheth and instructeth vs so farre as to yeeld duty and obedience vnto those that begat nourished and brought vs vp Notwithstanding all this yet is the world full of ill aduised and ill nourtured youth that are little lesse disobedient vnto their parents then Absolom was as Adramalech and Sarasar that slew their father Sennacherib as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroth his god but whereas they looked for the soueraignty they lost the benefite of subiection and were banished into Armenia their brother Esarhaddon reigning in their stead Gregory of Tours maketh mention of one Crannius the sonne of Clotarius king of France Greg. of Tours 4. booke who hauing conspired treacherously and raised warre against his father togither with the Earle of Britaine his supporter were both vanquished and put to flight but the Earle was slaine in the pursute the Prince himselfe also thinking to escape by sea where lay prouided certaine shippes ready to receiue him was in the midde way ouertaken togither with his wife and children whome hee purposed to make partakers of his fortune and were all togither by the expresse commaundement of his father shut vp in a little house and there burned togither In this wise did Clotarius reuenge the treacherie and rebellion of his sonne after a more seuere cruell and fierce manner then king Dauid did who would haue saued his sonne Absoloms life notwithstanstanding all his wickednes malicious and furious rebellion but this man contrariwise being bereft of all fatherly affection would vse no compassion towards his sonne but commanded so cruell an execution to be perfourmed not only vpon him but vpon his daughter in law also and their children perchance altogither innocent and guiltlesse of that crime A very rare and strange example seeing it is coÌ„monly seene that grandfathers vse more to cherish and cocker their childrens children than their own Therfore we must thinke that it was the prouidence of God to leaue behind a notable example of his most iust and righteous seueritie against disobedient and rebellious children to the end to amaze and scare all others from enterprising the like Philip Comineus in the reign of Lewis the twelfth chap. 63. Philip Comineus hath recorded the treacherous tragedy of a most wicked and cruel sunne called Adolphus for the world waxeth euery day worse then other that came in an euening suddenly to take his father the Duke of Gilderland prisoner euen as he was going to bed and would not giue him so much liberty as to pull on his hose for he was bare legged but carried him away in all hast making him march on foot without breeches fiue long Almaine miles in a most cold weather and then clapt him vp in the bottome of a deepe tower where there was no light saue by a little window and there kept him close prisoner sixe moneths togither After which cruell fact he himselfe was taken prisoner in like manner and carried bound to Namur where hee lay a long time vntill the Gaunts repriued him forth and led him with them against Tournay where he was slaine in the while of his imprisonment his father yeelding vnto nature disinherited him of all his goods for his vile ingratitude and vnnatural cruelty and left the succession of his dukedome to the Duke of Burgundy In the yeere of our Lord 1461 in a village called Iuchi neere to Cambray Enguerr de Monstr vol. 2. there dwelt a certaine man or rather a beast that in a great rage threw his owne mother out of his dores thrise in one day and the thitd time told her in furie that hee had rather see his house on fire and burnt to coales then that she should abide there but one day longer It happened that the very same day according to his cursed speech his house was indeed fired but how or whence no man could iudge and the fire was so fierce that it consumed to ashes not onely that house but also twelue other houses adioining which was an euident figure of Gods iust iudgement in punishing so vile and vnnaturall a

betwixt whome was great strife for the soueraigne dominion but to rid himselfe of all his trouble at once hee slew his brother Manlius by treason and after continued his raigne in tyranny and all vnlawfull lusts the space of twentie yeares but although vengeance all this while wincked yet it slept not for at the end of this space as hee was hunting hee was deuoured of wild beasts In the yeare of our Lord God 745 one Sigebert was authorised king of the Saxons in Brittaine a cruell and tyrannous Prince towards his subiects and one that chaunged the ancient lawes and customes of his realme after his owne pleasure and because a certaine Nobleman somewhat sharpely aduertised him of his euill conditions he malitiously caused him to bee put to death but see how the Lord reuenged this murder hee caused his Nobles to depriue him of his kingly authority and at last as a desolate and forlorne person wandering alone in a wood to bee slaine of a swine-heard whose maister hee being king had wrongfully put to death In the yeare of our Lord 678 Childerich king of Fraunce caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any iust crime or accusation against him for which cruelty his Lords and commons being grieuously offended conspired togither and slew him with his wife as they were in hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in sheading much humane blood but hee was also iustlie recompenced in the end first he murdered king Edward the second lying in Barkley castell to the end hee might as it was supposed enioy Isabell his wife with whome hee had very suspitious familiarity Secondly hee caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonourable peace with the Scots by restoring to them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the kings of Scotland had bound themselues to be feudaries to the kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent vncle to king Edward of treason and caused him vniustly to be put to death And lastly he conspired against the king to worke his destruction for which and diuerse other things that were laid to his charge he was worthely and iustly beheaded In the raigne of Henry the sixt Humfry the good duke of Gloucester faithfull protector of the king by the meanes of certaine malicious persons and especially the Marques of Suffolke as it was suspected was arrested cast into hold strangled to death in the Abbey of Bury for which cause the Marques was not only banished the land for the space of fiue yeares but also banished out of his life for euer for as he sailed towards France he was met withall by a ship of warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast vp at Douer that England wherein hee had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called maister Arden of Feuersham was most execrable so the wonderfull discouerie thereof was exceeding rare this Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire then dishonest who being in loue with one Mosby more then her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for togither they hired a notorious ruffian one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as hee was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her own guiltie conscience and some tokens of blood which appeared in the house was soon discouered and confessed Wherfore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael maister Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feuersham Mosby and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloody action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feuersham And Blacke Will the ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a scaffold at Flushing in Zealand And thus all the murderers had their deserued dewes in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtaine mercy by true repentance it is easie to iudge CHAP. XI Of Paricides or parent murderers IF all effusion of humane blood bee both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature then is the murdering of parents especially detestable when a man is so possessed with the deuill or transported with a hellish fury that he lifteth vp his hand against his owne naturall father or mother to put theÌ„ to death this is so monstrous and inormious an impiety that the greatest Barbarians euer haue had it in detestation wherefore it is also expressely commanded in the law of God that vvhosoeuer smiteth his father or mother in what sort soeuer though not to death Exod. 21. yet he shall die the death If the disobedience vnreuerence and contempt of children towards their parents are by the iust iudgement of God most rigorously punished as hath ben declared before in the first commandement of the second table how much more then when violence is offered aboue all when murder is coÌ„mitted Diodor. Sic. Thus the Aegyptians punished this sin they put the coÌ„mittants vpon a stack of thorns and burnt theÌ„ aliue hauing beaten their bodies before hand with sharp reeds made of purpose Solon being demanded why hee appointed no punishment in his lawes for Parricides answered that there was no necessity thinking that the wide world could not affoord so wicked a wretch It is said that Romulus for the same cause ordained no punishment in his Common-wealth for that crime but called euery murderer a Parricide the one being in his opinion a thing execrable and the other impossible And in truth there was not for 600 years space according to Plutarchs report found in Rome any one that had coÌ„mitted this execrable fact The first Parricide that Rome saw was Lucius Ostius after the first Punick war although other writers affirme that M. Malliolus was the first and Lucius the second howsoeuer it was they both vnderwent the punishment of the law Pompeia which enacted that such offendors should be thrust into a sack of lether an ape a cock a viper a dog put in to accoÌ„pany them then to be thrown into the water to the end that these beasts being enraged animated one against another might wreke their teene vpon them so depriue theÌ„ of life after a strange fashion being debarred of the vse of aire water earth as vnworthy to participate the very elements with their deaths much lesse with their liues which kind of punishmeÌ„t was after practised and confirmed by the constitution of Constantine the great And albeit the regard of the punishmeÌ„t seemed terrible the offence it self much more monstrous yet since that time there haue ben many so peruerse exceedingly wicked as to throw themselues headlong into that desperat gulfe As Cleodorick son of Sigebert king of

same game Oros lib. 5. c. 24. whereat they had often times made themselues merry at their costs and to kill one another as they had beforetime caused them to doe How curious and desirous the people of Rome was wont to be of beholding these bloody and mischieiuous games Cornel. Tacit. Annal. lib. 4. Cornelius Tacitus in the fourth boooke of his Annales declareth at large where he reporteth That in the city of the Fidenauts in the twelfth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius the people being gathered togither to behold the fencers prises were fiftie thousand of them hurt and maimed at one time by the Amphitheatre that fell vpon them â— cruell pastime indeed and a strange accident not comming by aduenture as some suppose but by the iust vengeance of God to suppresse such pernicious and vnciuill sports The same storie is registred by Paulus Orosius in his seuenth booke with this adiection That at that time were slaine more than twenty thousand persons I can not passe ouer in silence two notable and memorable histories of two lyons Senec. lib. 1. de benefic recorded by two famous Authors Seneca the one and Aulus Gellius the other The first of whom reporteth that he saw on the Theatre a lyon who seeing a slaue that sometimes had beene his keeper throwen among the beasts to be deuoured acknowledged him and defended him from their teeth and would not suffer any of them to doe him hurt Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 5. c. 14. The second bringeth the testimony of one Appianus that affirmed himselfe to haue seene at Rome a lyon who for old acquaintance sake which he had with a condemned seruant fawned vpon him and cleared him in like manner from the fury of the other beasts the history was this A certaine bondslaue too roughly handled by his master forsooke him and fled away and in his flight retiring into a desart and not knowing how to bestow himselfe tooke vp a caue for his lodging where hee had not long abode but a mightie lyon came halting to his denne with a sore and bloody legge the poore slaue all forgone at this strange and ougly sight looked euery minute to be deuoured but the lyon in another moode came fawningly and softly towards him as if he would complaine vnto him of his griefe whereat somewhat heartened hee bethought himselfe to apply some medecine to his wound and to bind vp the sore as well as he could which hee had no sooner done but the lyon made out for his prey and ere long returning brought home to his host and surgeon certaine gobbets of raw flesh which he halfe rosting vpon a rocke by the sunne beames made his daily sustenance for the time of his abode there notwithstanding at length wearied with this odde sauage life and hating to abide long in that estate he forsooke the desart and put himselfe againe to aduenture now it chaunced that hee was taken by his old master and carried from Aegypt to Rome to the end to be an actour in those beastly tragedies but by good chance his old patient the lyon taken also since his departure being ready amongst other beasts to play his part knew him by and by and ranne vnto him fawning and making much of him the people wondering at this strange accident after enquiry made of the cause therof gaue him the Lion and caused him to lead him in a string through the city for a miracle for indeed both this and the former deserue no other name Thus God reprooueth the sauadge inhumanitie of men by the example of the wild and furious beasts at whose teeth poore seruants found more fauor than at their masters hands The Emperour Constantine weighing the indignitie of these and such like pastimes and knowing how farre they ought to be banished from the society of men by a publike edict abolished all such bloody and monstrous spectacles In like manner these monomachies and single combats perfourmed in places inclosed for the purpose wherein one at the least if not both must of necessitie die ought to be abrogated in a Christian pollicy as by the Laterane councill it was well enacted with this penalty That whosoeuer should in that manner be slaine his body should be depriued of Ecclesiasticall buriall and truely most commonly it commeth to passe that they that presuming most vpon their owne prowesse and strength are most forward in offering combat either loose their liues or gaine discredit which is more grieuous than death CHAP. XVII Of such as exercise too much rigor and Seueritie FVrthermore we must vnderstand that God doth not only forbid murder and bloodshed but also all tyranny and oppression therin prouiding for the weake against the strong the poore against the rich and bondslaues against their masters to the end that none might be trode vnder foote and oppressed of others vnder paine of his indignation Insomuch therefore as the Romans vsed such rigour towards their seruants it came to passe by a iust iudgement of God that they being lords ouer all the world were three sundry times driuen by their seruants into great extremities As first in Rome within the walles at the same time when they also were troubled with the seditious factioÌ„s of their tribunes Secondly in Sicily where they horribly laid wast the whole country the cause of which commotion was because the Romans had chained a multitude of slaues togither and in that order sent them to manure til the ground for a certain Sirian first assembled two thousand men of them that came next hand then breaking vp the prisons multiplied his army to forty thousand and with them pulled downe castles razed vp townes destroied euery where The third vndertaken by a shepheard who hauing killed his master set at liberty all the bondmen and prepared an army of them wherewith he spoiled cities townes castles discomfited the armies of Seruâ—lius and Lucullus who were Pretours at that time but at last they were destroied and rooted out by little and little and this good seruice got the Romanes at their seruants hands As euery nation hath his proper vertue and vice ascribed to it so the Spaniards for their part are noted famous for cruelty towards their subiects and vassals insomuch that as experience in many witnesseth they are intollerable in that kind for which cause they haue borne the marke of Gods iustice for their rigorous bâ—rbarous handling of the poore west Indians whom they haue brought to that extremity by putting them to such excessiue trauels in digging their mines of gold as namely in the island Hispagnola that the most part by sighes and teares wish by death to end their miseries Bonzoni Milan of the new world many first killing their children haue desperatly hung theÌ„selues on high trees some haue throwen themselues headlong from steepe mountaines and others cast themselues into the sea to be rid of their troubles but the tyrants haue neuer escaped

had vnto them both to the end to auoid those mischiefes and enormities which oftentimes happen when either by an ouer hardy foolish and rash presumption a man would nestle himselfe in an higher nest than his estate and calling requireth or by a sensuall and fleshly lust passing the bounds of reason goeth about to constraine and interrupt the law of nature The chiefest thing that is required in marriage is the consent of parties as well of themselues that are to be ioyned togither as of each of their parents the contrary whereof is constraint where either partie is forced Iudg. 21. as it happened to those two hundred maides which the Beniamites tooke by force and violence to be their wiues This was a reproch to Romulus the first king of Rome when hee rauished the Sabine virgins that came to see their sports which was cause of great warre betwixt them Moreouer besides the mutuall ioynt of loue which ought to be betwixt man and wife it is necessary that they that marrie doe marry in the Lord to serue him in greater puritie and with lesse disturbance which can not be if a Christian marrie an infidell for the great difficulties and hinderances that vsually spring from such a roote Exod. 34 16 Deut. 7 3. Therefore it was straightly forbidden the people of God to contract mariages with Idolatours yea and the holy Patriarchs before any such law was giuen had carefully great regard in the marriages of their childreÌ„ to this thing as the example of Abraham doth sufficiently declare Therefore they that haue any manner of gouernment and authority ouer vnmarried folkes whether they be fathers mothers kinsmen or tutours ought to haue especiall care and regard thereof Yea Christian princes and lords or rulers of commonwealths should not in this respect be so supine and negligent in the performance of their offices as once to permit and suffer this amongst them which is so directly contrary to the word of God but rather by especiall charge forbid it to the end that both their lawes might be conformable and in euery respect agreeable to the holy ordinances of God and that the way might be stopped to those mischiefes which were likely to arise from such euill concluded marriages For what reason is it that a yong maide baptized and brought vp in the Church of Christ should bee giuen in marriage to a worshipper of images and idols and sent to such a countrey where the worship of God is not so much as once thought vpon Is not this to plucke a soule out of the house of God and thrust it into the house of the deuill out of heauen into hell than which what greater Apostasie or falling from God can there be whereof all they are guilty that either make vp such marriages or giue their good will and consent to them or doe not hinder the cause and proceedings of them if any manner of way they can Now that this confusion and mixture of religion in marriages is vnpleasant and noisome to God it manifestly appeareth by the sixt chapter of Genesis where it is said That because the sonnes of God to wit those whome God had separated for himselfe from the beginning of the world to be his peculiar ones were so euill aduised as to be allured with the beauties of the daughters of men to wit of those which were not chosen of God to be his people and to marry with them corrupting themselues by this contagious acquaintance of prophane people with whome they should haue had nothing to doe that therefore God was incensed against them and resolued simply to reuenge the wickednes of ech party without respect Beside the monstrous fruits of those prophane marriages doe sufficiently declare their odiousnes in Gods sight for from them arose gyants of strength and stature exceeding the proportion of men who by their hugenes did much wrong and violence in the world and gained fearefull terrible names to themselues but God prouoked by their oppressions drowned their tyrannies in the flood and made an end of the world for their sakes In the time of the Iudges in Israel the Israelites were chastised by the hand of God for this same fault for they tooke to wiues the daughters of the vncircumcised and gaue them their daughters also Iudg. 3. In like sort framed they themselues by this means to their corrupt manners and superstitions and to the seruice of their idolatrous Gods But the Lord of heauen rained downe anger vpon their heads and made them subiect to a stranger the king of Mesopotamia whome they serued the space of eight yeeres 1. King 11. Looke what happened to king Salomon for giuing his heart to strange women that were not of the houshold of Gods people Hee that before was replenished with such admirable wisdome that he was the wonder of the world was in his old age depriued thereof and besotted with a kind of dulnes of vnderstanding and led aside from the true knowledge of God to serue idols and to build them altars and chappels for their worship and all this to please forsooth his wiues humours whose acquaintance was the chiefe cause of his misery and apostasie CHAP. XXIIII Touching Incestuous marriages NOw as it is vnlawfull to contract marriages with parties of contrary religion so it is as vnlawfull to marry those that are neare vnto vs by any degree of kindred or affinitie as it is inhibited not only by the law of God but also by ciuill and politique constitutions whereunto all nations haue euer by the sole instinct of nature agreed and accorded except the Aegyptians and Persians whose abominations were so great as to take their owne sisters and mothers to be their wiues Cambyses king of Media and Persia married his owne sister but it was not long ere he put her to death a iust proofe of an vniust and accursed marriage Many others there were in protract of time that in their insatiable lustes shewed themselues no lesse vnstaied and vnbridled in their lawlesse affections than hee One of which was Antiochus king of Iuda sonne of Herodes sirnamed Great Ioseph antiq lib. 17. cap. 15. who blushed not to marrie his sister the late wife of his deceased brother Alexander by whome shee had borne two children but for this and diuers other hiâ— good deeds hee lost not only his goods which were confiscated but was himselfe also banished out of his countrey into a forraine place from Iudea to Vienna in France Herode also the Tetrarch was so impudent and shamelesse The same lib. 18. cap. 9. that hee tooke from his brother Philip his wife Herodias and espoused her vnto himselfe which shamelesse and incestuous deed Iohn Baptist reproouing in him told him plainly how vnlawfull it was for him to possesse his brothers wife but the punishment that befell him for this and many other his sinnes wee haue heard in the former booke and need not here to be repeated Anton.

owne bibles Blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of heauen but how this sacreligious theefe was punished Lib. 2. cap. 20. is already declared in the former booke Zonaras Leo Croponymus tooke out of the Temple of Constantinople an excellent crowne of gold beset with precious stones which Mauritius had dedicated to the Lord but assoone as he had set it on his head a cruell feuer seased vpon him that he died very shortly Fulg of lib. 1. chap. 2. The punishment of the sacriledge of Queene Vrratha in Spaine was most wonderful and speedie for when in her war against her son Alphonsus she wanted money she robbed the church dedicated to S. Isidore and tooke with her own hands the treasures vp which her souldiours refused to doe but ere she departed out of the church vengeance ouertook her and stroke her dead in the place Moreouer the Lord so hateth this ireligious sinne that he permitteth the deuil to exercise his cruelty vpon the spoilers of prophane and idolatrous temples as he did vpon Dionisius the tyrant of Siracusa Aelianus who after many robberies of holy things and spoiling the churches died sodainly with extream ioy as authors report hee spoiled the temple of Proserpina at Locris and shaued off the golden beard of Aesculapius at Epidamnum saying it was an vnseemely thing for Apollo to be beardlesse and his sonne bearded hee depriued Iupiter Olimpus of his golden raiment and gaue him a woollen coat in steed thereof saying it was too heauie for him in the summer and too cold in winter and that this was more conuenient for both seasons the pretext of al his sacriledge was this that seeing the Gods were good why should not he be pertaker of their goodnesse Such another was Cambises king of Persia Sabel lib. 4. c. 3. Herod lib. 1. who sent fiftie thousand men to rob and destroy the temple of Iupiter Ammon but in their iourney so mighty a tempest arose that they were ouerwhelmed with the sand not one of them remaining to carry news of their successe Brennus was constrained to slay himselfe for enterprising to rob the Temple of Apollo at Delphos Philomelus Fulgo lib. 1. c. 2. Onomarchus and Phayllus went about the same practise and indeed robbed the Temple of all the treasures therein but one of them was burned another drowned and the third broke his necke to conclude the Athenians put to death a yong child for taking but a golden plate out of Dianaes Temple but first they offered him otheriewels trinckets which when hee despised in respect of the plate they rigorously punished him as guilty of sacriledge Cardinal Wolsey being determined to erect two new colledges Stow. chron one at Oxford and the other at Ipswich obtained license and authoritie of Pope Clement the seuenth to suppresse about the number of fortie Monasteries to furnish and set forward the building of his said colledge which irreligious sacriledge I call it sacriledge because not done of conscience but to patch vp pride was furthered by fiue persons who were the chiefe instruments of the dissolution of Daintrey Monasterie because the Prior and Couent would not graunt them certaine lands in farme at their owne price But what punishment ensued vpon them at Gods hand the world was witnesse of for of those fiue persons two fell at discord amongst themselues and the one slue the other for the which the suruiuour was hanged the third drowned himselfe in a well the fourth being then worth two hundred pounds within three yeares became so poore that hee begged vntill his dying day and the fift called Doctor Allane was cruelly maymed in Ireland the Cardinall himselfe falling into the Kings displeasure was deposed from his Bishopricke and died miserablie the Colledges which hee ment to haue made so glorious a building came neuer to any good effect the one at Ipswich being cleane defaced the other at Oxford vnfinished And thus much of Sacriledge now let vs come and see the punishment of simple theft the principall cause whereof is couetousnesse which is so vnruly an euill and so deepe rooted in the heart of man that euer yet it hath vsed to encroch vpon the goods of others and to keepe possession of that which was none of it owne breaking all the bandes of humanity equity and right without being contained in any measure or mean whereof we haue a most notable example in the old world before the floud which by Moses report ouerflowed with iniquitie and extortion the mightie ones oppressed the weake the greater trod vnder foot the lesse and the rich deuoured the poore when the Lord saw the generall deluge of sinne and disorder thus vniuersally spread which indeed was a signe of great defection and contempt of him hee like a iust iudge that could not endure these monstrous iniquities sent a deluge of waters amongst them by opening the windows of heauen and breaking vp the fountaines of the great deepes and giuing passage to the waters both by heauen and by earth so that it rained fortie daies and fortie nights without ceasing and the waters preuailed vpon the earth and ouercouered the high mountaines by fifteene cubites the earth being reduced into the same estate which it had in the beginning before the waters were tooke away from the face thereof verily it was a most hideous and sad spectacle to see first the vallies then the hils and last the highest mountaines so ouerflowne with water that no shew or appearance of theÌ„ might be perceiued it was a dreadful sight to behold whole houses tossed to and fro vp and downe in the waues and at last to be shiuered in peeces there was not a citie nor village that perished not in the deepe not a tree nor tower so high that could ouerpeere the waters as they encreased more and more in abundance so feare horror and despaire of safetie encreased in the heart of euery liuing soule And on this fashion did God punish those wicked rebels not at one blow but by little and little encreasing their paine that as they had a long time abused his patience and made no reckoning of amendment so the punishment of their sinne might bee long and tedious Now in this extremitie one could not helpe another nor one enuie another but all were concluded vnder the same destruction all surprised assieged and enuironed alike aswell he that roued in the fields as he that staied in the houses he that climed vp vnto the mountains as hee that abode in the vallies the merciles water spared none it was to no purpose that some asceÌ„ded their high houses some climed vpon trees and some scaled the rockes neither one nor other found any refuge or safety in any place the rich were not saued by their riches nor the strong by the pith of their streÌ„gth but all perished and were drowned togither except Noah and his familie which punishment was correspondent vnto the worlds iniquitie for

it is grounded vpon reason and equitie we find no permission giuen to kings to vse the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed vpon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as diuers worthy authors auouch their owne vertues vnd good behauiour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first vnto that honor Cic. lib. 3. de legibus Aug. de ciuitat Dei lib. 4. c. 6. And truely there is nothing more rightfull and iust in mans societie than that euery one should possesse and enioy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of iustice are established called lawes which no good kings will euer seeke to stand against They are indeed lords of the earth as some say and truly but so that their lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the proprietie of goods and possession remaineth vntouched Lib. 7. c. â— 5. de benefictis To kings saith Seneca pertaineth the soueraignty ouer all things but to priuat men the proprietie Tiberius Caesar being sollicited by the gouernours of the prouinces to lay heauier tributes and leuy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painym this notable answer That a good shepheard ought to sheare his sheepe not to flea them Saint Lewes that good king amongst all his otherwise and vertuous exhortations which he gaue vnto his sonne before his death this was none of the least nor last Nic. Gil. That he should neuer craue any taxe or subsidie of his subiects but vpon vrgent necessitie and very iust cause and that if he did otherwise hee should not be reputed for a king but for a tyrant CHAP. XXXVII Of those that haue vsed too much crueltie towards their subiects in Taxes and Exactions IT is cleare then by these foresaid assumptions that a king may not impose vpon his subiects vnmeasurable taxes and subsidies least hee make himselfe guiltie of extortion the roote and fountaine many times of many great mischiefes and inconueniences and in very deed from whence oftener changes seditions and ruines of common-wealths haue proceeded than from any other cause beside What happened to Roboam king of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subiects but the defection of the greater part of his kingdome from him for being come to the crowne after the death of his father Salomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens hee despising the counsell of his sage and ancient counsellours 1. King 12. and following the giddy aduise of his young companions gaue them a most sharpe and soure reply saying That if his father had laid a heauie yoke vpon them hee would encrease it and if hee had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they reuolted from him all saue the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and stoned to death his collectours and chose them another king to rule ouer them thus Roboam was depriued of ten parts of his kingdome thorough his own vnaduised tyranny and fled all amazed vnto Ierusalem where he liued all his daies without recouery of the same Achaeus king of Lydia was hanged vp against a hill and his head throwne into a riuer running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Plutarch apoâ—h Reg. Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowmed tyrant not only in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his vniust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that albeit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complaine and lament their case continually yet hee diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and suckt and gnew out all that euer hee could vntill hee left them naked empty and dispoiled to conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters Frog lib. 21. after he had bene discomfited by the Carthaginians was slaine by his seruants Of the Romane Emperours that most vexed the comminalty with tributes and taxes these three were chiefe Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whome this latter did most pill and pull the people and would often say Dion Xiph. That the gold siluer of the kingdome pertained in right to none but him being reprooued of his mother at a time for his immoderate excessiue expences saying That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had alreadie spent hee made her this answer That shee should take no care for that for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword which hee held naked before her hee would not want money This is the sword which many now adaies after the example of Caracalla haue taken vp to cut out by force and violence a way to their owne wils and to cut the throat of equitie iustice and to compell the poore people to forgoe their goods and surrender them into their hands Now how odious and hatefull these three were made vnto the people by their owne wicked demeanours their miserable ends do sufficiently testifie which we haue already before mentioned and meane afterward more at large to speake of The Emperour Constance sonne to Constantine whose father was Heraclius coÌ„ming at a time out of Greece to Rome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 4. abode there but fiue daies 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 noforraine barbarous enemy hauing taken the city by force of warre euer went away with the like spoile besides hee did so oppresse the allies and tributaries of the Empire and chiefly the Siciliens 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 togither an infinit masse of rapins and euill gotten goods but enioyed the sweet of them not very long for very soone after hee was murdered by his owne men of warre in his returne out of Sicilie and all that spoile which he had vniustly surprised was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Saracens that then inhabited the city Panorme Lewis the eleuenth king of France after hee had ouercharged his subiects with too grieuous burdens of paiments and taxes fell into such a timerous conceit feare of death as neuer any man did the like hee attempted all meanes of auoiding or delaying the same as first during his sicknesse he gaue his phisition monethly ten thousand crownes by that meanes to creepe into his fauour wherein hee beeing in all other

things a very niggard and pinchpenny shewed himselfe on the other side more then prodigall next he sent into Calabria for a Hermit reported to be a holy and deuout man to whome at his arriuall hee perfourmed so much dutie and reuerence as was wonderfull and vnseemely for hee threw himselfe on his knees and besought him to prolong his decaying life as if hee had beene a God and not a man but all that hee could doe was to no purpose no nor the reliques which Pope Sixtus sent him to busie himselfe withall nor the holy viall of Rheims which was brought him could prorogue this life of his nor priuiledge him from dying a discontent and vnwilling death he suspected the most part of his nearest attendants and would not suffer them to approch vnto him in his sicknesse after hee had thus prolonged the time in hope and yet still languished in extreame distresse of his disease it was at length told him in all speed that hee should not set his mind any longer vpon those vaine hopes nor vpon that holy man for his time was come and hee must needs die And thus hee that during his raigne shewed himselfe rough and cruell to his subiects by too many and heauy impositions was himselfe in his lattet end thus roughly and hardly dealt withall Christiern the eleuenth king of Denmarke Norway and Suecia after the death of king Iohn his father raigned the yeere of our Lord 1514 and was too intollerable in imposing burdens and taxes vpon his subiects for which cause the Swecians reuolted from his gouernment whome though after many battailes and sieges hee conquered and placed amongst them his garrisons to keepe them in awe yet ceased they not to rebell against him and that by the instigation of a meane gentleman who very quickely got footing into the kingdome and possessed himselfe of the crowne and gouernment Now Christiern hauing lost this prouince and beeing also in disdaine 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 Lubeck conspiring with his vncle Fredericke began to take armes against him hee fled away with his wife sister to the Emperour Charles the fift and his young children to Zeland a prouince of the Emperours after hee had raigned nine yeeres after which the Estates of the realme aided by them of Lubeck assembling togither exalted his vncle Fredericke prince of Holsatia though old and ancient to the crowne and publishing certaine writings addressed them to the Emperour and the princes of his Empire to render a reason of their con-proceeding and to make knowne vnto them vpon how good siderations they had deposed and banished Christierne for the tyranny which hee exercised among them ten yeres after this hee got togither a new army by sea in hope to recouer his losses but contrary to his hope he was taken prisoner and in captiuity ended miserably his daies Henry king of Suecia was chased from his scepter for enterprising to burden his commons with new contributions Those that were deuisers of new taxes and tributes Nic. Gil. vâ—l 1. for the most part euer lost their liues in their labours for proofe whereof let the example of Parchenus or Porchetes serue who for giuing counsell to king Theodebert touching the raising of new subsidies was stoned to death by the multitude in the city Trieues Likewise was George Presquon cruelly put to death by the people for persuading and setting forward Henry of Suecia to the vexation and exaction of his subiects CHAP. XXXVIII More Examples of the same subiect Platiniae in vita Zacharin AIstulphus the nineteenth king of Lumbardy was not onely a most cruell tyrant but also a grieuous oppressour of his subiects with taxes and exactions Phil. Melanct. lib. 3. for hee imposed this vpon euery one of them to pay yeerely a noble for their heads against this man Pope Steuen prouoked king Pepin of France who comming with an army droue the tyrant into Ticinum and constrained him to yeeld to partiall conditions of peace howbeir Pepin was no sooner gone but he returned to his old byas wherefore the second time he came and droue him to as great extremitie in so much as another peace was concluded after the accomplishment whereof peruerse Aistulph still vexing his subiects was plagued by God with an apoplexie and so died Zonar lib. 3. Iustinian the Emperour as be was profuse and excessiue in spending so was hee immoderate and insatiable in gathering togither riches for hee exercised his wit in deuising new tributes and paiments and reioyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grieuous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also fourty thousand men slaine and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certain monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conuaieth away all the filth out of the city Eras in lingua 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 euery countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares togither which when the king put in practise and found the exceeding commoditie thereof he not only continued that taxe but also inuented diuers others to the great damage of the Common-wealth and inriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore hee that put it first into his head when he saw that he had not so much authoritie in dissuading as hee 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 bee buried in that common sincke to bee an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Millane by the report of Paulus Ionius Tom. 2. ViuoruÌ„ illustrum was an vnconscionable oppressor of his subiects and tenants for hee did not only extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enioned them to keepe euery one a dog which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to bee beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head this tyrant was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seuen months imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature Lanquet though vnlike in conditions for hee was a good Prince whereas this was a Tyrant was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in this ranke of oppressors for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted froÌ„ men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the estates of the realme depriued him of his roiall dignitie placed his yonger

for the poor wretch making great shift to borrow that penny returned to her againe and desired her hee might haue the corne but as he paied her the mony the penny fell vpon the ground by the prouidence of God which as shee stretched out her hand to reach it miraculously turned into a serpent and bit her so fast that by no meanes it could bee loosened from her arme vntill it had brought her to a wofull and miserable end Fulgos lib. 2. cap 2. Sergius Galba before hee came to bee Emperour being President of Affrica vnder Claudius when as through penurie of vitailes corne and other food was verie sparingly shared out and deuided among the army punished a certaine souldiour that sold a bushell of wheat to one of his fellowes for a hundred pence in hope to obtaine a new share himselfe in this maner he commanded the Quaestor or treasurer to giue him no more sustinance since hee preferred lucre before the necessitie of his owne bodie and his friends welfare neither suffered hee any man els to sell him any so that he perished with famine and became a miserable example to all the armie of the fruits of that foule dropsie couetousnesse And thus we see how the Lord raigned down vengeance vpon all couetous Vsurers and oppressors plaguing some on this fashion and some on that and neuer passing any but either in this life some notable iudgement ouertakes them either in themselues or their ofsprings for it is notoriously knowne that Vsurers children though left rich yet the first or second generation became alwaies beggers or in the life to come they are throwne into the pit of perdition from whence there is no redemption nor deliuerance CHAP. XLI Of dicers and card plaiers and their theft IF any recreation be allowed vs as no doubt there is yet surely it is not such as whereby wee should worke the dammage and hurt of one another as when by gaming we draw away another mans money with his great losse and this is one kind of theft to vsurpe any mans goods by vnlawfull meanes wherfore no such sports ought to find any place amongst Christians especially those wherin any kind of lot or hazzard is vsed by the which the good blessings of God are contrary to their true and naturall vse exposed to chance and fortune as they tearme it for which cause Saint Augustine is of this opinion concerning them Epist 54. Ã Maced That the gain which ariseth to any partie in play should be bestowed vpon the poore to the end that both the gamesters aswell the winner as the looser might bee equally punished the one by not carrying the stake being woon the other by being frustrated of all his hope of winning Plaiers at dice both by the Elibertine and Constantinoplitane councell vnder Iustinian were punished with excommunication Can. 79. Can. 50. and by a new constitution of the said Emperor it was enacted that no man should vse dice play either in priuate or publicke no nor approue the same by their presence vnder paine of punishment and bishops were there appointed to be ouerseers in this behalfe to espie if any default was made Cod. li. 3. tit 43. Horace an Heathen Poet auouched the vnlawfulnes of this thing euen in his time Od. 24. lib. 3. Lndere doction scu graeco iubeas trocho seu malis vetita legibus alea. wheÌ„ he saith that dice playing was forbidden by their law Lewis the eight king of France renowned for his good conditions and rare vertues amongst all the excellent lawes which hee made this was one That all sports should bee banished the Commonwealth except shooting whether with long bow or crossebow and that no cards nor dice should either bee made or sold by any to the end that all occasion of gaming might bee taken away Surely it would bee very profitable and expedient for the weale publicke that this ordinance might stand in effect at this day and that all Merchants and Mercers whatsoeuer especially those that follow the reformation of Religion might forbeare the sale of all such paltrie wares for the fault in selling such trash is no lesse than the abuse of them in playing at them for so much as they vpon greedinesse of so small againe put as it were a sword into a mad mans hand by ministring them the instruments not onely of their sports but also of those mischiefes that ensue the same there a man may heare curses as rife as words bannings swearings and blasphmies banded vp and down there men fret themselues to death and consume whole nights in darke and deuillish pastimes some lose their horses others their cloakes a third sort all that euer they are worth to the vndoing of their houses wiues and children and some againe from braulings fal to buffitings from buffets to bloodsheding from bloudsheading to hanging and these are the fruits of those gallant sports Discipu de tempâ—r ser 12. But this you shall see more plainly by a few particular examples In a Towne of Campania a certaine Iew playing at dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money vnto him with which great losse being enraged almost beside himselfe as commonly men in that case are affected he belched out most bitter curses against Christ Iesus his mother the blessed virgin in the midst whereof the Lord depriued him of his life and sence and stroke him dead in the place as for his companion the Christian indeed he escaped sodain death howbeit he was robbed of his wit and vnderstanding Blasphemy li. â— cap. 31. suruiued not very long after to teach vs not onely what a grieuous sinne it is to blaspheame God and to accompany such wretches and not to shun or at least reproue their outrage but also what monstrous effects proceed from such kind of vngodly sports how grieuously the Lord punisheth them first by giuing them ouer to blasphemie secondly to death and thirdly and lastly to eternall and irreuocable damnation let our English gamesters consider this example and if it will not terrifie them from their sports then let them look to this that followeth which if their hearts be not as hard as adamants will mollifie and persuade them In the yeere 1553 neare to Belissan a citie in Heluetia Ioh. Fincel Andreas Muscabus in diabol blasphemiae there were three prophane wretches that plaied at dice vpon the Lords day without the wals of the citie one of which called Vlrich Schraeterus hauing lost much mony and offended God with many cursed speeches at last presaging to him selfe good lucke he burst forth into these termes Mandat 4. Breach of Saboth lib. 1. cap. 35. Mandat 3. Blasphemy lib. 1. cap. 31. If fortune deceiue me now I will thrust my dagger into the very body of God as farre as I can now fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his dagger and taking it by the point threw it against

recompence of his malice Nice li. 4. c. 26. which custome as it was laudable and necessary so was it put in execution at diuerse times as namely vnder the Emperor Commodus when a prophane wretch accused Apollonius a godly profest ChristiaÌ„ afterward a constant martyr of Christ Iesus before the iudges of certaine greeuous crimes which when he could by no colour or likelihood of truth conuince proue they adiudged him to that ignominious punishment to haue his legs broken because he had accused defamed a man without cause Eustathius bishop of Antioch a man famous for eloquence in speech vprightnesse of life Nicep li. 8. c. 46. wheÌ„ as he impugned the heresie of the Arians was circumuented by them and deposed from his bishoprick by this meanes they suborned a naughtie strumpet to come in with a child in her armes and in an open synode of two hundred fiftie bishops to accuse him of Adultery to sweare that he had got that child of her body which though hee denied constantly no iust proofe could bee brought against him yet the impudent strumpets oth tooke such place that by the Emperours censure hee was banished from his bishopricke howbeit ere long his innocencie was knowne for the said strumpet being deseruedly touched with the finger of Gods iustice in extreame sicknesse confessed the whole practise how shee was suborned by certaine Bishops to slander this holy man and that yet shee was not altogether a lier for one Eustathius a handy-crafts man got the child as she had sworne and not Eustathius the bishop The like slander the same heretikes deuised against Athanasius in a synode conuocated by Constantine the Emperour at Tyrus Phil. Melanct. chro lib. 3. Nicep li. 9. c. 23. for they suborned a certaine leud woman to exclaime vpon the holy man in the open assembly for rauishing of her that last night against hir will which slander he shifted of by this deuise hee sent Timotheus the presbiter of Alexandria into the synode in his place who comming to the woman asked her before them all whether she durst say that hee had rauished her to whom she replied yea I swear and vow that thou hast done it for she supposed it to haue ben Athanasius whom shee neuer saw whereat the whole synode perceiued the cauill of the lying Arrians and quitted the innocencie of that good man Howbeit these malicious heretiks seeing this practise not to succeed inuented another worse than the former for they accused him to haue slaine one Arsenius whom they themselues kept secret and that hee carried one of his hands about him wherewith he wrought miracles by enchaÌ„tment but Arsenius touched by the spirit of God stole away from theÌ„ came to Athanasius to the end he should receiue no dammage by his absence whom he brought into the iudges and shewed them both his hands confounded his accusers with shame of their malice insomuch as they ran away for feare and satisfied the iudges both of his integrity and their enuious calumniation the chiefe broker of all this mischiefe was Stephanus bishop of Antioch but he was degraded from his bishoprick and Leontius elected in his roome Histor tripart Hetherto we may adde the example of one William Feming who accused an honest man called Iohn Cooper of speaking traiterous words against Queene Mary and all because he would not fell 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 Greenewood 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 haruest time being well and lusty of a sodaine his bowels fell out of his body and so hee perished the other two what ends they came vnto it is not reported but sure the Lord hath reserued a sufficient punishment for all such as they are Acts and mon. pag 2100. Many more be the examples of this sinne and iudgements vpon it as the pilleries at Westminster and daily experience beareth witnesse but these that wee haue alledged shall suffice for this purpose because this sin is cousen Germane vnto periurie 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 speake of such as haue offended against the tenth commandement what punishment hath ensued the same but for so much as all such offences for the most part are encluded vnder the former of which we haue alreadie spoken and that there is no adultery nor fornication nor theft nor vniust-warre but it is annexed to and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an euill and disordinate concupiscense as the effect from the cause therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them more than may well be collected out of the former examples added hereunto that in simple concupiscense and affection of doing euill which commeth not to act though it be in the sight of God condemned to euerlasting torments yet it doth not so much incurre and prouoke his indignation that a man should for that onely cause be brought to apparant destruction and be made an example to others to whome the sinne is altogither darke and vnknowne therefore wee will proceed in our purpose without intermedling in speciall with this last commandement CHAP. XLV That kings and princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughtie 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 sinne from bursting into action but also to punish the doers of the same making both ciuill iustice to be administred vprightly and the law of God to be regarded and obserued inuiolably for to this end are they ordained of God that by their means euery one might liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie to the which end the maintenance and administration of iustice beeing most necessary they ought not so to discharge themselues of it as to translate it vpon their officers and iudges but also to looke to the execution thereof themselues as it is most needfull for if law which is the foundation of iustice be as Plato saith a speechlesse and dumbe magistrate who shall giue voice and vigour vnto it if not hee that is in supreame and soueraigne authority for which cause the king is commaunded in Deuteronomie Deu. 17.18 19 To haue before him alwaies the booke of the law to the end to doe iustice and iudgement to euery one in the feare of God And before the creation of kings

in Israel the chiefe captaines and soueraignes amongst them were renowmed with no other title nor quality than of Iudges In the time of Deborah the Prophetesse though shee was a woman the weaker vessell yet because shee had the conducting and gouerning of the people they came vnto her to seeke iudgement It is said of Samuel that hee iudged Israel so long till being tired with age and not able to beare that burden any longer he appointed his sonnes for iudges in his stead who when through couetousnesse they peruerted iustice Iudg. 4. 1. Sam. 7.8 and did not execute iudgement like their father Samuel they gaue occasion to the people to demaund a king that they might be iudged gouerned after the manner of other nations which things sufficiently declared that in old time the principall charge of kings was personally to administer iustice and iudgement and not as now to transfer the eare thereof to others The same we read of king Dauid of whome it is said That during his raigne 1. Chron. 18. he executed iustice and iudgement among his people and in another place that men came vnto him for iudgement 2. Sam. 15. and therefore hee disdained not to heare the complaint of the woman of Tekoah shewing himselfe herein a good prince and as the angell of God to heare good and euill 2. Sam. 14. for this cause Salomon desired not riches nor long life of the Lord but a wise and discreete heart to iudge his people 1. King 3. and to discerne betwixt good and euill which request was so agreeable and acceptable to God that he graunted it vnto him so that he obtained such an excellent measure of incomparable wisdome that hee was commended and reputed more for it than for all his great riches and pretious treasures beside there is mention madâ— in the booke of the kings of his iudiciall throne wherein hee vsed to sit and heare the causes of the people and execute iustice among them and albeit he was the most puissant and glorious king of the earth yet notwithstanding hee scorned not to heare two harlots plead before him about the controuersie of a dead infant Ioram king of Israel son of Achab 2. King 6. though a man that walked not vprightly before God but gaue himselfe to worke abomination in his sight yet he despised not the complaint of the poore affamished woman of Samaria when shee demanded iustice at his hands although it was in the time of warre when lawes vse to be silent and in the besieging and famishment of the citie neither did hee reiect the Sunamites request for the recouery of her house lands 2. King 8. but caused them to be restored vnto her So that then it is manifest that those kings which in old time raigned ouer the people of God albeit they had in euery city Iudges yea and in Ierusalem also as it appeareth in the 19 chapter of the second book of Chronicles yet they ceased not for all that to giue eare to suites and complaints that were made vnto them and to decide controuersies that came to their knowledge and for this cause it is that Wisdome saith That by her kings raigne Prou 8.15 and princes decree iustice whereunto also belongeth that which is said in another place That a king sitting in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eyes Prou. 20.8 Moreouer that this was the greatest part of the office and duty of kings in ancient times to see the administration of iustice Homer the Poet may bee a sufficient witnesse when hee saith of Agamemnon That the scepter and law was committed to him by God to do right to euery man answerable to the which Virgil describing the Queene of Carthage saith Shee sate in iudgement 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 faigne Iupiter alwaies to haue Themis that is to say Iustice at his elbow signifying thereby not that whatsoeuer kings or princes did was iust and lawfull bee it neuer so vile in it owne nature as that wanton flatterer Anaxarthus said to Alexander but that equity iustice should alwaies accoÌ„pany theÌ„ neuer depart from their sides And hereupon it was that Acacus Minos and Radamanthus the first king of Grecia were so renowmed of old antiquity because of their true and vpright execution of iustice and therefore were not honoured with any greater title than the name of Iudges Plutarch It is said of king Alexander that although he was continually busied in the affaires of warre and of giuing battailes yet he would sit personally in iudgement to heare criminall causes and matters of importance pleaded and that whilst the accuser laid open his accusation he would stop one eare with his hand to the end that the other might bee kept pure and without preiudice for the defence and answer of the accused The Romane Emperours also were very carefull and diligent in this behalfe Sueton. as first Iulius Caesar who is recorded to haue taken great paines in giuing audience to parties and in dealing iustice betwixt them In like manner Augustus Caesar is commended for his care and trauaile in this behalfe for he would ordinarily sit in iudgement vpon causes and controuersies of his subiects and that with such great delight and pleasure that often times night was faine to interrupt his course before his will was to relinquish it yea though hee found himselfe euill at ease yet would hee not omit to apply himselfe to the diuision of iudgement 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 hee discharged the dutie of a good prince for that hee would intermeddle with hearing his subiects causes and doe right vnto them He chaunced once to make a very prety and witty end of a sute betwixt a sonne and his mother who denying and disclaiming him to be her sonne was by the Emperour commanded to marry him so least shee should agree to that mischiefe was constrained to acknowledge and auow him for her sonne and to be short it was very ordinary and vsuall among the Emperours to take knowledge of matters controuerted but especially of criminall and capitall causes by meanes whereof the Apostle Paul desirous to shew the iudgement and lyings in waight of his enemies the Iewes appealed from them to Caesar which he would neuer haue done if Caesar had not in some sort vsed to meddle with such affaires and for further proofe hereof hither may be added the saying which is reported of Nero in the beginning of his raigne That when he should signe with his hand a sentence of death against a condemned person hee wished that he could neither wright nor read to the end to auoid that necessary action The bold answer of an old

woman to the Emperour Adrian is very worthy to be remembred Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 2. who appealing and complaining to the Emperour of some wrong when hee answered that he was not at leisure then to heare her sute shee told him boldly and plainly That then he ought not to be at leisure to be her Emperour which speech went so neare the quicke vnto him that euer after he shewed more facilitie and courtesie towards all men that had any thing to do with him The kings of Fraunce vsed also this custome of hearing and deciding their subiects matters as wee read 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 Lewes the first treading the steps of his father Charlemaigne accustomed himselfe three daies in a weeke to heare publikely in his pallace the complaints and grieuances of his people and to right their wrongs and iniuries King Lewes sirnamed the Holy Aimo a little before his death gaue in charge to his sonne that should succeed him in the crowne amongst other this precept To be carefull to beare a stroke in seeing the distribution of iustice and that it should not be peruerted not depraued CHAP. XLVI Of such princes as haue made no reckening of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their people IT cannot choose but be a great confusion in a common-wealth when iustice sleepeth and when the shamelesse boldnesse of euill doers is not curbed in with any bridle but runneth it owne swinge and therefore a Consull of Rome could say That it was an euill thing to haue a prince vnder whome license and libertie is giuen to euery man to doe what him listeth for so much then as this euill proceedeth from the carelesnes and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of gouernment in their hands it can not be but some euill must needs fall vpon them for the same The truth of this may appeare in the person of Philip of Macedonie whome Demosthenes the oratour noteth for a treacherous and false dealing prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open warre as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory hee celebrated at one time the marriage of his sonne Alexander whome hee had lately made king of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificense as hee was marching with all his traine betwixt the two bridegroomes his owne sonne his sonne in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnitie 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 doe him iustice when hee complained of an iniury done vnto him by one of the peeres of his realme Plutarch Tatius the fellow king of Rome with Romulus for not doing iustice in punishing certaine of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certaine Embassadors which came to Rome and for making their impunitie an example for other malefactours by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watcht by the kindred of the slaine that they slew him euen as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtaine iustice at his hands What happened to the Romanes for refusing to deliuer an Embassadour Tit. Liuius Plutarch who contrary to the law of nations comming vnto them plaid the part of an enemie to his own country euen well nigh the totall ouerthrow of them and their citie for hauing by this meanes brought vpon themselues the calamitie of warre they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew al that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many daies spent in the pillage spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and vtterly destroied the whole city Childericke king of France Paul Aemil. is notified for an extreame dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard vnto his realme but that liued idly and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the common wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them vpon Pepin his lieutenant generall therefore was by him iustly deposed from his roiall dignity mewed vp in a cloister of religion to become a monke because he was vnfit for any good purpose albeit that this sudden change mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the realme thereupon so odious was hee become to the whole land for his drowsie and idle disposition Paul Aemil. For the same cause did the princes Electours depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his roome King Richard of England amongst other foule faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeues and robbers to roue vp and down the land vnpunished for which cause the citizens of London coÌ„menced a high sute against him coÌ„pelled him hauing raigned 22 yeres to lay aside the crown resigne it to another in the presence of all the states died prisoner in the Tower Moreouer this is no small defect of iustice when men of authority do not only pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and fauour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soueraigne prince without ouerpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wise dispence with the law of God Exod. 21. whereunto euen kings themselues are subiect for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Dâ—ut 19. Thou shalt plucke him from my altar saith the Lord that hee 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 1 King 2. who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands vpon the hornes of the Altar for hee is no lesse abominable before God that iustifieth the wicked Prou 17. than hee that condemneth the iust and hereupon that holy king S. Lewes when hee had granted pardon to a malefactour Nich. Gilles reuoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That hee would giue no pardon except the case deserued pardon by the law for it was a worke of charitie and pittie to punish an offender and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeere of our Lord 978 Egebrede the sonne of Edgare end Alphred king of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly giuen to idlenesse and abhorring all princely exercises besides he was a louer of riot drunkennesse and vsed extreame cruelty towards his subiects hauing his eares open to all vniust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so

be of Greece there is no question but that they are so much the more blameable for glutting and ouercharging themselues with sins by how much the more they abound with temporable goods and commodities and that at length they tumble into vtter ruin and desolation for in steed of being a patterne and direction vnto others of wisdome and good gouernement as they ought they are for the most part examples of folly and vanity for where is there more euils and dissolutenesse raigning than in them the principall cause whereof is that greedy worme Auarice which begetteth in al estates much fraud coosening other naughtie practises with many such like children for through it euery man looketh to prouide for his owne affaires and to get any commoditie or ease whatsoeuer to himselfe euen with all his power not caring who be damnified so he be enriched the plenty of riches which there aboundeth instilleth pride and haughtinesse of mind into some maketh others dissolute and effeminate and besotteth others with carnall and vnhonest pleasures from which head spring riuers of euils as enuies quarrels dissention debates and murders all which things happeÌ„ to theÌ„ that being transported distracted with the furious contrariety of their disordinate affection can find no contentment nor agreement with themselues but must needes burst out into some outward mischiefes hence is that wonderfull pompe and brauery aswell of aparrell as other things hence all gourmandise and drunkennesse are so common yea and adulteries so much frequented wherefore the anger of the almighty must needs be kindled to consume theÌ„ in their sins One of the notablest cities of the world for greatnesse and antiquity was Niniue the capitall and chiefe citie of the Assyrian Empire howbeit her greatnesse and power could not so protect her but that after she had once been spared by the means of the Prophet Ionas who foretold her of her destruction being returned to her former vomit againe to wit of robberies extortions wrongfull dealings and adulteries shee was wholly and vtterly subuerted God hauing deliuered her for a prey into the hands of many of her enemies that spoiled and pilled her to the quicke and lastly into the hands of the Medes who brought hir to a final vnrecouerable desolation as it was prophecied by the prophet Nahum Babilon was wont to be the seat of that puissant monarchy vnder Nabuchadnezzar where flourished the famous Astrologers and notable wise men of the world where the spoiles and riches of many nations and countries were set vp as trophies kept as the remembrance of their victories where also vices raigned al maner of excesse and villany ouerflowed Lib. 5. of the actes of Alexander for by the report of Q. Curtius the city did so exceed in whoredome and adulteries that fathers and mothers were not ashamed to bee bauds vnto their daughters no nor husbands to their wiues a thing most strange odious Oros lib. 2. wherefore it could not chuse but in the end to bee sacked and quite destroied with an extreame ruin destruction Paul Jou com 2. lib 33. the signs and appearance whereof yet are seene in the ruine of old wals and ancient buildings that there remaine Amongst sea-bordring cities for renown of merchandise Tire in former ages was most famous for thither resorted the marchants of al countries for trafficke of Palestina Siria Aegypt Persia Assyria they of Tarshis brought thither yron lead brasse siluer the Sirians sold their Carbuncles purple brodered worke fine linnen corrall pearle the Iewes hony oile triacle Cassia and Calamus the Arabians trafficked with lambs muttons goats the Sabeans brought merchandise of all exquisit spices and apothecary stuffe with gold and pretious stones by means whereâ—â— it being grown exceeding wealthy enriched by fraud deceit being lifted vp to the height of pride plunged in the depth of pleasures it was at leÌ„gth by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God so sacked ruinated Sabel that the very memory thereof at this day scarce remaineth The like iudgemeÌ„t fell vpon Sidon vpon that rich renowned city of Corinth which through the coÌ„modiousnes of the hauen was the most frequented place of the world for the entercourse of merchants out of Asia Europe Thuciaides for by reason of hir pride corruption of maners but especially for her despising abuse of thy heauenly graces of Gods spirit which were sowed planted in hir Contempt of the word lib. 1. cap. 34. Eutrop. Oros lib. 9. she vnder went this punishment to be first finally destroied and brought into cinders by the Romans and then after her reedification to be debased into so low and vile an estate that that which remaineth is no wise comparable to hir former glory Again Athens the most florishing famous city of Greece for hir faire buildings large precincts multitude of inhabitants but especially for hir philosophy by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her as the fountaine welspring of arts the schoole vniuersity of the whole world whose pollicy and manner of gouernment was so much esteemed by the Romans that they drew from thence their laws but now she lies dead and buried in forgetfulnesse not carrying any of hir former proportion or appearance Carthage that noble city mistresse of Africa and Paragon to Rome may not brag of any better issue than hir fellowes for though shee resisted and made her part good with Rome for many yeares yet at length by means of hir own inward ciuill iars shee was vtterly destroied by theÌ„ for the inhabitaÌ„ts not able to stand any longer in defence Oros Eutrop. were constrained to yeeld theÌ„selues to the mercy of their enemies the women to the number of 25 thousand marching first forth after theÌ„ the meÌ„ in number 30 thousand following al which poor captiues were sold for bondslaues a few only of the principal excepted then fire was put to the city Eutrop. which burnt 17 daies without ceasing eueÌ„ till it was clean consumed It is true that it was reedified after this but which lasted not long for it was againe brought to destruction that at this day there remaineth nothing but old rotten ruins and thus fared many other cities Nunc seges est vbi Troia fuit of which may be verified that which was spoken of Troy that fields and corne are where cities were Numantium in Spain being besieged by the Romans after it had borne the brunt of war and sacking a long while made many desperate sallies vpon their enemies and lastly seeing theÌ„selues consumed with famine rather thaÌ„ they would bow their neckes to the yoke of seruitude barring their gates set fire on all and so burning themselues with their whole citie left the enemy nothing but ashes for his prey and triumph Titus Liuiuâ— as the Saguntines not long before serued Anniball It is a maruellous and

that it is but a tast and a scantling of those torments and punishments which are prepared and made readie for them in the world to come And therefore it often commeth to passe that they passe out of this life most quietly without the disturbance of any crosse or punishment but it is that they might be more strangely tormented in another world Some not considering this point nor stretching the view of their vnderstanding beyond the aspect of their carnal eies haue fallen into this foolish opinion to thinke that there is neither iustice nor iudgement in heauen nor respect of equitie with the highest when they see the wicked to florish in prosperity and the good and innocent to be ouerwhelmed with aduersity yea and many holy men also haue fallen into this temptation as Iob and Dauid did Iob. 12. 21. Psal 73. who when they considered the condition of the wicked and vniust how they liued in this world at their hearts ease compassed about with pleasures and delights and waxing old in the same were carried to their sepulchres in peace they were somewhat troubled and perplexed within themselues vntill being instructed and resolued by the word of God they marked their finaâ—â—end and issue and the euerlasting perdition which was prâ—â—â—â— for them and by no meanes could be escaped And thus it commeth to passe saith S. Augustine that many sinnes are punished in this world Epist. 5â— that the prouidence of God might be more apparant and many yea most reserued to be punished in the world to come that wee might know that there is yet iudgement behind CHAP. LI. How the afflictions of the godly and punishments of the wicked differ WHich seeing it is so it is necessary that the wicked and peruerse ones should feele the rigor of Gods wrath for the presumption and rebellion wherewith they daily prouoke him against them and although with those that feare God and striue to keepe themselues from euill and take paines to liue peaceably and quietly it often times goeth worse here below than with others being laid open to millions of iniuries reproches and cruelties and are as it were sheepe appointed to the slaughter whereof some are massacred some hanged some hedded some drowned some burned or put to some other cruell death yet notwithstanding their estate and condition is farre happier than that of the wicked for so much as all their sufferings and aduersities are blessed and sanctified vnto them of God who turneth them to their aduantage according to the saying of S. Luke Rom. 8.28 That all things worke for the good to them that feare God for whatsoeuer tribulation befalleth them they cannot be separated from the loue of God which hee beareth vnto them in his well beloued sonne Christ Iesus be it then that God visiteth them for their faults for there is none that is cleare of sinne it is a fatherly chastisement to bring them to amendment be it that he exerciseth them by many afflictions as he did Iob it is to prooue their faith and patience to the end they may be better purified like gold in the furnace and serue for examples to others If it be for the truth of the Gospell that they suffer then they are blessed because they are conformed to the image of the sonne of God that they might also be partakers of his glory for they that suffer with him are assured to raigne with him hence it is that in the midst of their torments and oppressions in the midst of fires and fagots flaming about them beeing comforted with the consolations of Gods spirit through a sure hope of their happie repose and incorruptible crowne which is prepared for them in the heauens they reioice and are so chearefull contrariwise the wicked seeing themselues ensnared in the euils which their owne sinnes brought vpon them gnash their teeth fret themselues murmure against God and hlaspheme him like wretches to their endlesse perdition There is therfore great difference betwixt the punishments of ech of these for the one tendeth to honour and life the other to shame and confusion and euen as it is not the greatnes of torments that maketh the martyr but the goodnes of the cause so the infliction of punishment vniustly neither maketh the partie afflicted guilty nor any whit diminisheth his reputation wheras the wicked that are iustly tormented for their sinnes are so marked with infamie and dishonour that the staine thereof can neuer be wiped out Let euery one therefore learne to keepe himselfe from euill and to containe himselfe in a kind of modestie and integritie of life seeing that by the plagues and scourges wherewith the world is ordinarily afflicted Gods fierce wrath is clearely reuealed from heauen vpon all impiety and iniustice of men to consume all those that rebell against him Thinke vpon this you inhabitants of the earth small and great of what qualitie or condition soeuer you be If you be mighty puissant and fearfull know that the Lord is greater thaÌ„ you for he is almighty all-terrible al-feareful in what place soeuer you are he is alwaies aboue you ready to hurle you downe and ouerturne you to breake quash crush you in pieces as pots of earth he is armed with thunder fire and a bloody sword to destroy consume and cut you in peeces heauen threatneth from aboue and the earth which you trample on from below shaking vnder your feet and being ready to spue you out from her face or swallow you vp in her bowels in briefe all the elements creatures of God looke a skew at you in disdaine and set themselues against you in hatred if you feare not your Creatour your Lord and Master Esai 40. of whome you haue receiued your scepters and crownes and who is able when he please to bring princes to nothing and make the rulers of the earth a thing of nought Forsake therefore if you tender the good honour and repose of your selues and yours the euill and corrupt fashions of the world and submit your selues in obedience vnder the scepter of Gods law and gospell fearing the iust retribution of vengeance vpon all them that doe the contrarie Heb. 10.31 for it is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. And you which honour and reuerence God alreadie be now more quickened and stirred vp to his loue and obedience and to a more diligent practising of his will and following his commaundements to the end to glorifie him by your liues looking for the happie end of your hope reserued in the heauens for you by Christ Iesus our Lord to whome be glorie euerlastingly Amen A Table of all the principall points contained in the first and second Booke AS touching the corruption and peruersitie of this World how great it is Pag. 1 What the cause is of the great overflow of Vice in this age Pag. 3 That great men which will not abide to be admonished of their faults can

humbled vnder so grieuous a scourge as neuer forsook him til his death When the arke of the couenant was in bringing from Abinadabs house in Kyriathiarim in a cart guided by Vzza and Ahio Abinadabs sonnes 1. Sam. 6. 1. Chron. 13. it fell out by the way that it being shaken by the oxen vnfit seruitors for such a worke Vzza put forth his hand to hold it but therin he went beyond his charge therefore was punished forthwith with present death for his inconsiderate rashnes for albeit he was both a Leuit and thought no euill in his heart yet in no respect was he licenced to touch the arke being a thing lawfull for the Priests onely Let therefore euery one bee aduised by these examples to follow that rule in seruing God which is by him designed in all simplicitie modesty and obedience without altering or declining or vndertaking any thing aboue or beside their calling CHAP. XXIX Of Periurers THe third commandement which is Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine is first and especially broken by periurie when God is so lightly esteemed nay so despised that without any regard had to his name that is to say to his greatnes maiesty power diuine vertue and fearfull iustice for these be his names men by fraud and malice abuse their othes either in denying that which is true or affirming that which is vntrue or neglecting their promises made vowed to others for this is neither to haue respect vnto his presence who is euery where nor reuerence to his maiestie who is God of heauen and earth but rather to make him bear witnes to our lie falshood as if he approued it or had no power to reuenge the iniury dishonor done vnto him And therfore against such in threatning words he denounceth this iudgement that Hee will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Howbeit very many ouerboldly giue themselues ouer to this sinne making little or no conscience to cousen one another euen by forswearings whereby they giue most cleare euidence against themselues that they haue very little feare of God before their eies and are not guided by any other rule saue of their owne affections by which they square-out and build their othes and pull them downe againe at their pleasures for let it be a matter of vantage and then they wil keepe them but straightway if a contrarie persuasion come in their braine they will cancell them by and by wherein they deale farre worse and more iniuriously with God then with their knowne enemies for hee that contrarie to his sworne faith deceiueth his enemie 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 euer marked theÌ„ with the coat of infamie that forswore themselues And therevpon it is that Homer so often taunteth the Troians by reason of their so vsuall periuries Diod. lib. 2. ca. 2. The Aegyptians had them in detestation as prophane persons and reputed it so capitall a crime that whosoeuer was conuinced thereof was punished by death The ancient Romanes reuerenced nothing more then Faith in publicke affaires for which cause they had in their city a temple dedicated to it wherein for a more streight bond they vsed solemnly 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 solemnitie and confirmation hereof they were accustomed at those times to offer sacrifices to the image of faith for more reuerence 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 hee was ouercome and taken prisoner and sent to Rome he only for his othes sake which hee had sworne returned againe to the enemie albeit hee knew what greeuous torments were prouided for him at his returne Others also that came with him though they were entreated and by their parents wiues and allies instantly vrged not to returne to Hannibals campe could in no wise bee moued therevnto 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 reuerence of their promised faith though accompanied with perpetuall captiuity before their priuate commodities and neerest linke of affection But two of those ten for so many were they falsified their oth whatsoeuer mist they may cast to darken and disguise their periurie with yet were they condemned of all men for cowards and fainthearted traitors in so much that the Censors also noted them with infamie for the fact whereat they tooke such griefe and inward sorrow that being wearie of their liues they slew themselues Now what can they pretend that professe themselues Christians and Catholickes to excuse their periuries Cic. offic lib. 1. seeing that the very Heathen crie out so loud and cleare that an oth 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 and him that feareth God and whome God auoucheth for his owne Psal 15. Iosh 9. not to falsifie his oth that he sweared though it bee to his dammage The Gibaonites although they were so execrable a people that for their great and horrible wickednesses and abhominations they might be well esteemed for Heretikes yet the Princes of Israell after they had sworne and giuen their faith vnto them would in no wise retract or goe against their oth albeit therein they were abused deceiued by them for feare of incurring the wtath of God that suffereth not a periurer to go vnpunished Vpon what ground or example of holy Scripture then may that doctrine of the counsell of Constance bee founded the purport whereof is That a man ought not to keepe his faith to Heretiks I omit to speake how these good fathers by Heretikes meant those men who fearing God relied themselues vpon his word and reiected the foolish and superstitious inuentions of men And vnder what colour can the Popes vsurpe this authoritie to quit and discharge subiects of their oth wherwith they are bound to their superiors yet this was the impious audacity of Pope Zacharia pope Boniface the eight and pope Benedict de la Lune Platina who freed the Frenchmen from their dutie and obedience which they ought vnto their kings In like manner disgorged Gregory the seuenth his choller and spite against the Emperour Henry by forbidding his subiects to be his subiects Enguerran de Monstrelet and to yeeld that obedience vnto him which subiects were bound to doe Howbeit if an oath be made either against God or to the dammage and hurt of our neighbour it being for that cause vnlawfull it behooueth vs to know that we ought to reuoke it

battaile yet was hee encountred with another desastrous misfortune for as hee marched forward with his forces to fight with Sigismunds brother he was by him ouercome and slain and for a further disgrace his dismembred head fastened on the top of a pike carried about to the enterview of all men Hee left behind him three yoong sonnes whom his owne brethren and their vncles Clotaire and Childebert notwithstanding their yong tender yeares tooke from their grandmother Clotildes custodie that brought them vp as if they would enstall them into some part of their fathers kingdome but most wickedly and cruelly to the end to possesse their goods lands signiories bereft them al of their liues saue one that saued himselfe in a monestarie In this strange monstrous act Clotaire shewed himselfe more then barbarous when hee would not take pitty vpon the youngest of the two being but seuen yeare old who hearing his brother of the age of tenne yeares crying pittifully at his slaughter threw himselfe at his vncle Childeberts feet with teares desiring him to saue his life wherewith Childebert being greatly affected entreated his brother with weeping eies to haue pitty vpon him and spare the life of this poore infant but al his warnings and entreaties could not hinder the sauadge beast from performing this cruell murder vpon this poor child as he had done vpon the other The Emperour Phocas attained by this bloody means the emperiall dignity Nicephor lib. 18. cap. 58. euen by the slaughter of his Lord maister Mauricius whom as he fled in disguised attire for feare of a treason pretended against him hee being beforetime the leiutenant general of his army pursued so maliciously hotely that he ouertook him in his flight for his further griefe first put all his childreÌ„ seuerally to death before his face that euery one of theÌ„ might be a seuerall death vpon him before he died and then slew him also This murderer was hee that first exalted to so high a point the popish horn wheÌ„ at the request of Boniface he ordained that the bishop of Rome shold haue preheminence authority oueral other bishops which he did to the end that the stain blame of his most execrable murder might be either quite blotted out or at least wincked at Vnder his regencie the forces of the Empire grew wonderously into decay France Spaine Almaigne and Lumbardy reuolted from the Empire and at last himselfe being pursued by his sonne in law Priscus with the Senators vvas taken and hauing his handes and feet cut off was togither with the whole race of his ofspring put to a most cruel death because of his cruell and tyrannous life Among all the strange examples of Gods iudgements that euer were declared in this world that one that befell a king of Poleland called Popiell for his murders is for the strangenesse thereof most worthy to bee had in memory hee raigned in the year of our Lord 1346 this man among other of his particular kinds of cursings and swearing whereof he was no niggard vsed ordinarily this oth If it bee not true would rats might deuour me Munst Cosmog Mandat 3. Cursing lib. 1. cap. 32. prophecying thereby his owne destruction for hee was deuoured euen by the same means which hee so often wished for as the sequele of his historie will declare The father of this Popiell feeling himselfe neare death resigned the gouernment of his kingdome to two of his brethren men exceedingly reuerenced of all men for the valor and vertue which appeared in them He being deceased and Popiell being growne vp to ripe and lawfull yeares when hee saw himselfe in full libertie without all bridle of gouernment to doe what he listed he began to giue the full swindge to his lawlesse and vnruly desires in such sort that within few daies he became so shamelesse that there was no kind of vice which appeared not in his behauior euen to the working of the death of his owne vncles for all their faithfull dealing towards him which hee by poyson brought to passe Which being done he caused himself forthwith to be crowned with garlands of flowers and to bee perfumed with pretious ointments and to the end the better to solemnize his entrie to the crowne commanded a sumptuous and pompous banket to be prepared wherevnto all the princes and lords of his kingdome were inuited Now as they were about to giue the onset vpon the delicate cheare behold an army of rats sallying out of the dead and putrified bodies of his vncles set vpon him his wife and children amid their dainties to gnaw them with their sharp teeth insomuch that his guard with all their weapons strength were not able to chase them away but being weary with resisting their daily mightie assaults gaue ouer the battaile wherfore counsell was giuen to make great coale fires round about them that the rats by that meanes might bee kept off not knowing that no pollicy or power of man was able to withstand the vnchangeable decree of God for for all their huge forces they ceased not to run through the midst of them and to assault with their teeth this cruell murderer Then they gaue him counsaile to put himselfe his wife children into a boat and thrust it into the middest of a lake thinking that by reason of the waters the rats would not approch vnto theÌ„ But alasse in vain for they swum through the waters amaine gnawing the boat made such chinckes into the sides thereof that the water began to run in which being perceiued of the boatmen amazed them sore and made them make post hast vnto the shore where he was no sooner arriued but a fresh muster of rats vniting their forces with the former encountred him so sore that they did him more scath then all the rest Wherevpon all his guard and others that were there present for his defence perceiuing it to be a iudgement of Gods vengeance vpon him abandoned and forsooke him at once who seeing himselfe destitute of succour and forsaken on all sides flew into a high tower in Chousuitze whether also they pursued him and climing euen vp to the highest roome where he was first eat vp his wife and children shee being guilty of his vncles death and lastly gnew and deuoured him to the very bones After the same sort was an Archbishop of Mentz called Hatto Munsteer Cosmographie punished in the year 940 vnder the raigne of the Emperour Otho the great for the extreame cruelty which he vsed towards certaine poore beggers whom in time of famine he assembled together into a great barne not to releeue their wants as he might ought but to rid their liues as he ought not but did for hee set on fire the barne wherein they were and consumed them all aliue comparing them to rats mise that deuoured good corne but serued to no other good vse Mandat 8. Auarice and vnmercifulnesse But God

that had regard and respect vnto those poor wretches took their cause into his hand to quit this prowd prelate with iust reuenge for his outrage committed against theÌ„ sending towards him an army of rats mise to lay siege against him with the engines of their teeth on all sides which when this cursed wretch perceiued he remoued into a tower that standeth in the midst of Rhine not far from Bing whether he presumed this host of rats could not pursue him but he was deceiued for they swum ouer Rhine thick threefold got into his tower with such strange fury that in very short space they had consumed him to nothing In memorial wherof this tower was euer after called the tower of rats And this was the tragedy of that bloody archbutcher that compared poor Christian soules to brutish base creatures and therfore became himselfe a prey vnto them as Popiel king of Poleland did before him In whose strange exaÌ„ples the beams of Gods iustice shine forth after an extraordinary wonderfull maner to the terror feare of all men when by the means of small creatures he made roome for his vengeaÌ„ce to make entrance vpon these execrable creature murderers notwithstanding al mans deuises impediments of nature for the natiue operation of the elements was restrained froÌ„ hindering the passage of them armed inspired with an inuincible supernatural courage to feare neither fire water nor weapon till they had finished his command that sent them And thus in old time did frogs flies grashoppers and lice make warre with Pharoa at the command of him that hath all the world at his beck After this Archbishop in the same ranke of murderers we find registred many Popes of all whome the notorious and markable are these two Innocent the fourth and Boniface the eight who deserued rather to be called Nocents Malefaces than Innocents Boniface for their wicked peruerse liues for as touching the first of them from the time that hee was first installed in the Papacy he alwaies bent his horns against the Emperor Fredericke fought with him with an army not of men but of excommunications cursings as their manner is seeing that all his thundering buls and canons could not preuaile so far as hee desired hee presently sought to bring to passe that by treason which by force he could not for hee so enchanted certain of his houshold seruants with foule bribes and faire words Hieron Marius that when by reason of his short draught the poison which he ministred could not hurt him hee got theÌ„ to strangle him to death Moreouer he was chiefe sower of that war betwixt Henry Lantgraue of Thuring whom he created king of the Romans Conrade Fredericks son wherein hee reaped a crop of discomfitures ouerthrows after which he was found slain in his bed his body being full of black marks as if he had ben beaten to death with cudgels Concerning Boniface Baleus after he had by subtle crafty means made his predecessor dismisse himselfe of his Papacy and enthronized himselfe therein hee put him to death in prison and afterward made war vpon the Gibilines and committed much crueltie wherefore also he died mad as we heard before But touching the murderers of Popes and their punishments for the same wee shall see more in the 43 chapter following whether the examples of them are referred that exceeding in all kind of wickednesse cannot bee rightly placed in the treatise of any particular commandement CHAP. XIX Other memorable examples of the same subiect IF wee descend from antiquities to histories of later fresher memory we shall find many things worthy report and credit as that which happened in the year 1405 betwixt two gentlemen of Henault Eguerron de monstr vol. 1. the one of which accused the other for killing a near kinsman of his which the other vtterly and stedfastly denied wheron duke William county of Henault offered theÌ„ the coÌ„bat in the city of Quesney to decide the coÌ„trouersie by when as by law it could not be ended wherevnto they being come hauing broken their speares in two incountred valiantly with their swords at length hee that was charged with indeed guilty of the murder was ouercome of the other and made to confesse with his mouth in opeÌ„ audience the truth of the fact Wherefore the County adiudged him in the same place to bee beheaded which was speedily executed and the conqueror honourably conducted to his lodging Now albeit this maner of deciding controuersies be not approued of God yet we must not thinke it happened at aladuentures but rather that the issue therof came of the Lord of hosts that by this means gaue place to the execution of his most high soueraign iustice by manifesting the murderer bringing him to that punishmeÌ„t which he deserued Eguerron de monstr vol. 1. About this very time there was a most cruel outragious riot practised performed vpoÌ„ Lewis duke of Orleance brother to Charles the sixt by the complot deuise of Iohn duke of Burgundy who as he was naturally haughty ambitious went about to vsurpe the gouernmeÌ„t of the realm of France for that the king by reason of weaknesse of his braine was not able to manage the affairs therof so that great trouble vnciuil wars were growne vp by that occasion in euery corner of the realme As therfore he affected and gaped after the rule so he thought no means dishonest to attain vnto it and therfore his first enterprise was to take out of the way the kings brother who stood betwixt him and home Hauing therfore prouided fit champions for his purpose hee found oportunity one night to cause him to come out of his lodging late by counterfait tokens from the king as if hee 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 sodainly set vpoÌ„ with eighteen roisters at once with such fury violence that in very short space they left him dead vpoÌ„ the pauement 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 vaunted and boasted at it as if he had atchieued the most valorous and honourable exploit in the world so farre did his impudencie outstretch the bond of reason Neuerthelesse to cast some counterfait colour vpon this rough practise he vsed the conscience and fidelitie of three famous diuines of Paris who openly in publicke assemblies approoued of this murder saying That he had greatly offended if hee had left it vndone About this deuise hee emploied especially M. Iohn Petit a Sorbonist doctor whose rashnes and brasen-facednes was so great as in the counsell house of the king stoutly to auerre that that which was done in the death of

not escape punishment at Gods hand Pag. 5 How all men both by the law of God Nature are inexcusable in their sins Pag. 9 How the greatest monarchs that are in the world ought to bee subiect to the law of God consequently the lawes of man and of nature Pag. 12 Of those that persecuted Christ and his Church and their issues Pag. 18 Of those that in our age haue persecuted the Gospell in the person of the faithfull Pag. 45 Of Apostataes and Backsliders that thorough infirmity haue fallen away Pag. 59 Of those which haue willingly fallen away Pag. 66 Of Apostataes through Malice Pag. 70 Of Heretikes Pag. 95 Of Hypocrites Pag. 106 Of Coniurers and Enchanters Pag. 113 Of those that through pride and vaine-glory stroue to vsurpe the honor due vnto God Pag. 125 Of Epicures and Atheists Pag. 139 Touching transgressors by Idolatry Pag. 1â—9 Of many euils that haue come vpon Christendome for Idolatry Pag. 153 Of those that corrupted and mingled Gods religion with humane inuentions or went about to disquiet the discipline of the Church Pag. 157 Of Periurers Pag. 160 Of Blasphemers Pag. 174 Of those that by cursing and denying God giue themselues wholly to the deuil Pag. 179 Punishments for the contempt of the word and Sacraments and the abuse of holy things Pag. 189 Of those that prophane the Sabbath day Pag. 193 The second Booke OF rebellious and stubborne children towards their parents Pag. 199 Of those that rebell against their Superiours Pag. 211 Of such as haue murdered their rulers or princes Pag. 225 Of such as haue rebelled against their Superiours because of subsidies and taxes imposed vpon them Pag. 230 Of Murderers Pag. 236 Their seuarall punishments Pag. 262 Of Paricides or parent murderers Pag. 271 Of Subiect murderers Pag. 27â— Of those that are both cruell and disloiall Pag. 288 Of Queenes that were murderers Pag. 292 Of such as without necessitie or confeâ—â—â—e vpon euery light cause mooue ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ Pag. 294 ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ please themselues ouermuch ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ cruelties Pag. 298 ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ â—xercise too much rigor and â—â—â—â—tie Pag. 302 ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ â—â—â—erers Pag. 305 Of Rapes Pag. 307 â—â—â—aples of Gods Iudgements vpon Adulterers Pag. 316 That Stewes ought not to be suffered amongst Christians Pag. 318 Of whoredomes committed vnder the colour of Marriage Pag. 321 Of vnlawfull marriages and their issues Pag. 323 Touching incestuous marriages Pag. 327 Of Adulterie Pag. 330 Of such as are diuorced without cause Pag. 350 Of those that either cause or authorize vnlawfull diuorcements Pag. 354 Of Incestuous persons Pag. 356 Of effeminate persons Sodomites and other such like monsters Pag. 359 Of the wonderfull euils arising from this greedinesse of lust Pag. 363 Of vnlawfull gestures Idlenesse Gluttonie Drunkennesse Daunsing and other such like dissolutenesse Pag. 365 Of Theeues and Robbers Pag. 376 Of the excessiue burdenings of the Comminaltie Pag. 386 Of those that haue vsed too much crueltie towards their subiects in Taxes Exactions Pag. 389 Of such as by force of armes haue taken away or would haue taken away the goods and lands of other men Pag. 397 Of Vsurers and their theft Pag. 411 Of such as haue beene notorious in all kind of sinne Pag. 421 Of calumniation and false witnesse bearing Pag. 444 That kings and princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughty corrupt manners Pag. 451 Of such princes as haue made no reckening of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their people Pag. 456 How rare geason good princes haue beene at all times Pag. 460 That the greatest and mightiest princes are not exempt from punishment for their iniquities Pag. 462 Of such punishments which are commoÌ„ to all men in regard of their iniquities Pag. 466 That the greatest punishmentes are laid vp for the wicked in the world to come Pag. 467 How the afflictions of the godly and the punishments of the wicked differ Pag. 470 Finis

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