could bee as though he were their true and lawfull king but being brought to Rome before Caesar who found by the hardnesse of his hands and rudenesse of his behauiour that hee was not brought vp like a Kings sonne and therefore Caesar hauing found his falshood bound him all his life time as a galley slaue and commaunded all his counsellors and conspirators to bee killed with the sword This house continued vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem So that the Iewes after Christ his death beeing euery where afflicted and oppressed from Babilon were forced to flie to Zeleucia the chiefe Citie in all Syria which Zeleucus Nicanor builded a Towne where Greekes Macedonians and Syrians dwelt together there also the Greekes and the Syrians conspired together against the Iewes that there dwelt and slew trecherously of them to the number of 50000. So sedition also began between the Iewes in Alexandria and the Aegiptians in Samaria betweene the Samaritans and the Iewes and all the Iewes which dwelt in Rome in Sardinia other places of the Romaine Empire were from thence banished These Iewes had not so much as a place to rest vpon the earth but were scattered like rogues vagabounds euery where without credit or loue without Prince Priest law or religion the iust iudgement of the Lord for their blasphemy against the sonne of God saying his bloud be vpon vs and our children Thus the Iewes whom Moses Aaron brought out of Egipt to the number of six hundred thousand died all in the wildernesse for their rebellious mutinie Moses and Eleazer after Aarons death numbred the people in the wildernesse where all the other died and they found sixe hundred thousand seuenteen hundred and thirtie able and sufficient men for the warres and yet not one of them which Moses Aaron numbred in the desart of Sinai after they came out of Egipt sauing Ioshua Caleb but died in the wildernesse for disobedience and stubbernesse euer preferring the cucumbers melons oynions garlicks of Egipt before Māna quailes and sweete water which they had from euery rocke in the wildernesse where neither their cloathes were worne nor their shooes spent for fortie yeares yet Egipt which should be a hel to them was their paradice The tenne Tribes of Israel raigned in Samaria 240. yeares seuen moneths and seuen daies during which time they neither obeyed the lawes of the Lord nor heard the Prophets that forewarned them of these calamities which were to come and therfore the Lord gaue them ouer they were taken prisoners their last king Osea brought captiues by Salmanasser vnto Niniuie So the kingdome of Iudah and the house of Dauid was likewise taken by Nabuchodonozer in the eleuenth yeare of Zedechiah the last king of Iudah who was taken captiue his noble men his children slaine in his sight before his eyes were pluckt out and after led in a chaine vnto Babilon where he died in prison 133. yeares after the kingdome of Israel was destroyed by Salmanasser that was the cause of his miserable end for the contempt he had to the Prophet Ieremy disdaining either to hear him or to read his booke for before any king raigned in Israel Iudges by the Lord appointed ruled 370. yeares the kings of Iudah after Solomons death raigned 395. yeares which agreeth well with Iosephus account And so of the continuance of the Bishops or high Priests euen from the building of the temple of Solomon Sadoc being their first high Priest or Bishop were seuēteene high Priests or Bishops in Ierusalem by succession of the children after their fathers The end of the second booke The third Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CHAP. I. Of the care and diligence which Kingdomes and Countries tooke in military discipline to exercise their souldiers THe Romanes most carefull in all military discipline in no wise trusted strangers but euery Romaine souldier should take a military oath by the Colonell The Persiās also were in this point like the Romains for not admitting of mercenary souldiers seldome is found any constancie or soundnesse in mercenary souldiers as by too many examples the Romanes and others found Iugurth by trechery of fewe Thracians that serued the Romanes in Affrike in the night time betraied the Romanes to Iugurth and made a great slaughter of them In like sort the Thessalians were trecherous to the Athenians whom they trusted but they forsooke the Athenians at the battel of Tanagra wherby through their falsehood and trecherie to the Athenians the victorie fell to the Lacedemonians therefore neither the Romanes nor the Persians trusted any mercenary souldiers for mercenary souldiers and strangers are not to be trusted for they doo not onely forsake their friends in any danger but ioyne with the enemy for any aduantage So did the Gaules in the warres of Carthage slew the watch of the Romanes and fled to Haniball The lawe of armes in euery countrey should holde and maintain the crowne dignity of the prince by the sword so most necessary it is that subiects should be looked vnto with great care and prouision to maintain the willing forward and good souldiers due punishmēts and sharpe corrections for euill leaud wicked disposed men carelesse of their countries good How carefull euery common-wealth hath bene of this you shall read first of euery kingdome country seueral punishments by law appointed after of the rewards honor dignities of good souldiers of which Plato saith Omnis respub paena Praemio continetur Agesilaus therefore appointed gifts and rewards to draw and encourage his souldiers to shoote to throwe the dart the sling to ride to runne and with diligence and care to keepe them seuerely from faults offences and to exercise them in martiall feates which kinde of exercise among the Greekes was most commonly vsed called Pentatlon in the games of Olympia Isthmia to honor Hercules and Thesius two protectors and principall captaines that loued souldiers Alexander the great was so seuere in martiall lawes towards his souldiers that if any souldier or captain shuld lye or be any way proued a lyer hee should be depriued frō his office and place of seruice banished from his camp for so was Antigenes though a valiant captaine otherwise yet was both casseerd banished for making of a lye Alexander after he had banished all bakers cookes brewers and such like frō his campe said that marching in their armour in the night they should prouide them a dinner a stomacke to eate theyr dinner against the next morning as for a supper he said they should not looke for wine nor flesh to sleepe after it but for bread and hee would prouide for water which is the onely foode of a souldier and the most necessary care of a generall Hereby his souldiers being brought vp by Philip king of Macedonia his father were hardned with continuall paine
yeares space gaue diuers ouerthrows to some Romane Praetors Consuls as Cai. Vetulius Cai. Plantius and others that he waxed so proud and insolent of his victories ouer the Romans that he hanged vp the Romane Ensignes on high hilles and mountaines as trophies to shewe his victories ouer the Romanes but Viriatus was betrayed and slaine by some of his souldiers by meanes of Caepio the Consul against the manners of the olde Romanes which neuer allowed trechery thinking to haue a great reward of the Romanes for his trechery but they according to their manners sent him backe bound vnto Hispaine as a traytor to his captaine and countrey as they did to Timocheres Pirrhus Phisition who offered the Romanes if they would to poison his maister Pirrhus So Camillus sent the schoolemaister of the Phaelicians who brought all his schollers beeing noble mens sonnes to betray the Towne backe naked before his schollers euery scholler hauing a rodde in his hand to whip his master for betraying their fathers their frends and the citie so that neither Viriatus seruant that slew his maister neither Pirrhus Phisition that would haue poisoned his maister nor the schoolemaister that would betray his citie could get any rewards at the Romanes hands for trechery Now to Dauid whose example of warres and victories vpō the Amalekites Canaanites and the rest as in this the next booke shal be mentioned The end of the first booke The second Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CHAP. I. Of Dauid the second King of Israel and his great victories and good successe which hee had in all his warres against the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and others DAuid a man whom the Lord found to his owne heart a second Ioshuah of Israel hee fought many battels of the Lorde and wonne many victories for when the Philistines heard that Saul was dead they sought for Dauid to fight with him and Dauid asked counsell of the Lord before hee would take any battel in hand which made his victories so many and himselfe so famous that all his enemies feared him So should all Kings Generalls and Captaines hold that rule for a principall part of theyr charge and not to commence warre without a iust cause and lawful meanes to be executed Iosias had no good cause to fight with Necho king of Egipt who commaunded his souldiers not to fight with Iosias but against Charchemish a citie of the Assirians So the King of Syria charged his souldiers to fight with none but with Achab king of Israel at what time Iosaphat king of Iudah was spared and therefore returned safe and sound to Ierusalem by the counsell of the king of Syria Had Iosias followed the counsell of Necho king of Egipt as Iosaphat followed the counsell of the king of Syria Iosias had saued his life as Iosophat did Dauid fought with the Philistines smote scattered them and slew them that they fled before Dauids face in the valley of Gyants which is the plaine of diuision because of their victories and there they left their Images and Idols and Dauid burned them much like to the Iamnites who carried the Images of their Idols in theyr bosomes to the battell and tyed them about theyr neckes for they were so found after the Iamnites were slaine as in auntient time the Egiptians carried their gods and their Idols painted on their Ensignes and Banners into the field as their standarts Againe the Philistines gathered their force against Dauid at Rephaim which is called the valley of Gyants and Dauid ouerthrew the host of the Philistines chased them from Geba vnto Gazar An other battell of the Lord against the Philistines fought by Dauid and he againe subdued them tooke the strong citie of Gath which they called the bridle of bondage out of the hands of the Philistines This citie kept the countrey round about in subiection and bondage Thus all wise and skilfull generals ought to imitate Dauid herein to seize by all warlike policie vpon those strong citties and fortes that can commaund the countrey So Hanibal thought himself sure of Rome hauing gottē Capua and Tarentum two of the strongest citties in Italy into his hand So the Romanes hauing gotten Syracusa doubted not to take Carthage and hauing Carthage in their hands they soone cōquered all Affrike and hauing Affricke they made no account to win Asia for at that verie time the best souldiers of the worlde were in the West kingdomes For Antiochus the great the greatest king at that time in all Asia was soone ouerthrowne by a Consull of Rome So Dauid went forward in his victories after he had gotten the strong citie of Gath he smote Moab and measured them with a cord he slue them cast them down to the ground he ouercame whom he would and saued whom hee listed so that the Moabites became Dauids seruants and brought him gifts and presents that the Lord made Dauid famous throughout all the world During the time of Dauids warres against the Canaanites and other nations their associates there was no great warre then among the Syrians neither in any part of Asia and especially in Europe which was scant throughly inhabited in Dauids time and therfore there was no such warre to be written of as was thē between the Israelites and the Canaanites in the time of Dauid For as Ioshua slue the Canaanites and gaue the possession of the land vnto Israel so Dauid rooted them out slue their gyants and brought all the land tributary vnto Salomon his sonne who gouerned Israel fortie yeares in peace and quietnesse without warre Hadarezer king of Zobah hearing of the name and fame of Dauid went to establish his borders by the riuer Euphrates with a great army with him where Dauid gaue him battell fought with him ouerthrew him and tooke from him a thousand chariots seuen thousand horsmen and twentie thousand footemen Dauid destroyed all the chariots and hought all the horses but reserued an hundred chariots for himselfe so that the Lorde was with Dauid wheresoeuer he went and whatsoeuer he tooke in hand The Aramites hearing what great ouerthrow Hadarezer king of Zobah had by Dauid came from Damascus with a very great army to succor the king of Zobah for they knitted themselues against Israel with all theyr force and power but they had the like welcome as the Philistines the Moabites and the king of Zobah had Dauid slue of the Aramites two twenty thousand Dauid put a garrison in that part of Syria where Damascus was and the Aramites became Dauids seruants and brought him presents gifts Dauid so plagued the Aramites which are also named Siriās that they bare such mortall hatred to Iudah for they euer ioyned themselues after with the Ephraimites against ' the Tribe of Iudah Obserue the martiall proceedings of the Israelites to put garrison in euery strong Citie and fort where they had subdued
losse of many countries prouinces and cities so the Turkes marched vpon the Romanes as the Romanes marched vpon others Cyrus the great king of Persia hauing an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces after his conquest of many kingdomes and nations marched with two hundred thousand Persians to be slaine in Scythia and that by a woman so Cyrus lost Persia seeking to winne Scythia and lost his life to get more landes Zerxes marching into Greece with such an innumerable armie that they dranke and dried vp many riuers as Scamander in Thessalia the riuer Simois in Phrygia Clidorus in Beotia Lysus in Samothracia the riuer Menalia by Hellespont yet he came from Greece home to be murthered by Mardonius his seruant in his owne kingdom Alexander the great hauing subdued the most parts of the world he also for want of men marched to India to fight with Elephants and returned from India to Babilon where he was poysoned by his owne seruants Many such crooked marchings were as well among the Iewes as among the Gentiles Saul the first king of Israel marched not as he ought to haue done against Agag king of the Amalekites and therefore was he slaine with his three sonnes in the battell at mount Gilboa by the Philistines Ieroboam marched not rightly to the battel in mount Zemaraim against Abiah king of Iudah and therfore fiue hundred thousand Israelites were slaine of his soldiers The most part of the kings of Israel because I need not to name as Acha◅ Manasses Zedechiah the rest many of the kings of Iudah for that they marched not in the path of the Lord but followed Ieroboā which made Israel to sinne and therefore marched with Ieroboa◅ to their destruction These marched not with Moses who said to the God of Israel We will not goe hence if thou goe not before vs. Nor with king Dauid who would take no warre in hand before he had consulted with the Lord. Nor with Gedeon who would not goe to any battell vnlesse the Lord had giuen him a signe before he went so the captaines of the Lorde marched no where attempted no warre or battell without consulting with the Lorde by Vrim Thummim or with some Prophet of the Lord. The Gentiles likewise would take no warre in hand without consulting with their Oracles as the Romains besought the gods of Carthage promising them Temples Altars sacrifices feasts if they would forsake Carthage and come to Rome and therfore the Gentiles were so superstitious and blinde that in many countries they would binde the Images of Hercules and Mars lest they should forsake them and goe to other nations their enemies for no doubt it should seeme that either they read or heard of Moses bookes how the Lord forsooke the Israelites and gaue them ouer to the Canaanites Philistines and other nations about them and how the Arke was taken frō them by the Philistines Here hence grew the blindnesse of the Gentiles that the Arke being taken away from Israel they feared also lest their gods should be either allured by faire promises or taken away by strength of victories CHAP. VI. Of the maner and forme of vowes as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles for their victories in warres A Bigail Nabals wife vsed a policie to please Dauid fearing least Dauid would be reuenged vpon her husband for his churlish deniall of reliefe to him and to his company went after Dauid with victualls gifts and rewards and pleased him with faire words as Iacob pleased his brother Esau who vsed the like stratagem to win his brother Esau to send him gifts and rewards to please his brother whom he much feared for Esau promised to kill his brother Iacob when his father should die For Iacob the Patriarke made a vow when he went to Mesopotamia after his vision in Luz which thē Iacob named Bethel and said If God be with me and helpe me this iourney and will giue me bread to eate and cloaths to put on he vowed of all things that the Lord would giue him that he would giue the tenth vnto the Lord. Iacobs vow is farre more godly then Absolons vow for Iacob sought but bread to eate and cloaths to put on and safe reture againe from Mesopotamia ouer Iorden but rebellious Absolon sought the kingdome of Israel from his father Dauid by a dissembling vowe saying I will goe and performe my vowes which I vowed vnto the Lorde in Hebron which vowe he made his father the king beleeue that hee vowed in Ieshur in Syria that if the Lord would bring him to Ierusalem he would performe his vowes in Hebron this is a rebellious vow like to the wicked vowes of the Iewes which vowed before they would either eate or drinke to kill Paul The Israelites after they were ouerthrowne in a great battell by Arad king of the Canaanites they vowed vnto the Lorde that if the Lorde would giue Arad and the Canaanites into theyr handes that they would truely ferue the Lorde and destroy the Canaanites theyr landes and theyr cities They bound the Lord to so many conditions that if they should obtaine victories they promised him true seruice and to fight manfully against the Cananites And againe for another victory that the Lord gaue them against the Canaanites they vowed the tenth and performed their vowe the Hebrewes wanted no victories vpon their obedience dutiful seruice to the Lord. Iephtha in his war◅es against the Ammonites vowed vnto the Lord if he should haue victory ouer the Ammonites that whatsoeuer first met him at his returne from his victory comming out of his house should be a sacrifice vnto the Lord. Asa king of Iudah vowed vnto the Lord as Abiah his father did when Shesac king of Egipt came with an infinite number Asa and all Iudah made a couenant to seeke the Lord promised sware that they that sought ◅ot the Lord small or great man or woman should die this with an oath he vowed that Iudah reioyced for the victory they had ouer Zerah king of Aethiope with all his army of tenne hundred thousand Ionas a Prophet of the Lord when he fled from Niniuie to Tharsis being in danger of shipwracke he tolde the Marriners that he was the cause of the perillous tempest and willed the Marriners to throwe him into the sea confessing the lot fell iustly vpon him saying I will performe the vow which I promised vnto the Lord. So Anna vowed vnto the Lord and said that if the Lord would bestowe a man childe vpon her she would giue him vnto the Lord and she vowed that neither razor or sheares should come vpon his head and so performed her vow and brought Samuel her sonne before the Lord. There was nothing so common among the Gentiles also as vows as you heard of the Hebrues of their vows to the gods of Israel so likewise among the Greekes and
Gedeon threatning to burne the Generall in his house wherevpon Ieptha with all the men of Gilead gathered themselues together against the Ephraimites ouercame them and slue two and fortie thousand of the Ephraimites the greatest cause of this slaughter was that the Ephraimites called the Gileadites runnagates of Ephraim And yet both the Ephraimites and Gileadites were Israelites much like to the battell betweene Silla and Marius being two Romains who for meere malice one towards another continued their ciuil warres ten yeares in the which were slaine a hundred and fiftie thousand Romanes fiue and twenty flaine that haue bene Consulls in Rome threescore that had bin in Rome in the office called Aediles welnigh two hundred Senators slaine equall in number almost to the slaughter of Hannibal for Consuls Senators Praetors and other magistrates Cinna then Cōsull with his Romane legions and Marius with his banished men fugitiues entred the citie of Rome at what time Sylla was with his armie in Greece slue many of the chiefe citizens of the Senators and of diuers that had bin Consuls that whē the heads of these slain mē were presented to Cinna Marius at their banquets it was cōmanded by Cinna the Consull that some should be set vp in the market place some in the Oratory some in other places Such was the ti◅āny of Marius thē in Rome that the rest of the Senators that were left vnslaine sought to escape the hand of Cinna the crueltie of Marius the rage of Fimbria and the force of Sertorius and to flie to Sylla in Greece for succour At whose return Marius with his cōfederates fled from Rome where Sylla plaid a part of a second tragedie destroying all that hee knew or heard of to be Marius friends setting downe in his first proscription fourescore of the chiefest of Marius side besides Marius himselfe Carbo Norbanus and Scipio who had bin all Consulls of Rome Marius being at that time in his seuenth Consulship and died in the beginning of it but too late to his countrey yet left Sertorius Carbo Cinna others to plague his country after him But as before I spake of Iepthas victories of the sacrificing of his daughter so now I thinke good by comparisons to shew the maner and custome of the Gentiles in the like The report of Iepthas sacrificing his daughter came as it seemed first from the land of Canaan into Greece wherby Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia in the citie of Aulis in Baeotia to please Diana For their voyage to Troy and after ten yeares warres in Troy after victory had they slue Polixena king Priamus daughter vpō the graue of Achilles for a sacrifice to Neptune for their safe returne from Troy to Greece againe So Ericthius king of the Athenians sacrificed his daughter as Agamemnon did to haue a victorie ouer Eumolpus generall of the Thracian Army It is not onely a common thing among the Gentiles to sacrifice their seruants and their children to their Idols but also among the Hebrewes as Achab Manasses and other kings of Israel offred their sonnes and daughters for sacrifice vnto Molech and as Ieptha sacrificed his daughter according to his rash vow so Saul king of Israel would haue slaine his sonne Ionathan to perform his foolish oath These kind of sacrifices onely vnto Idols are otherwise then the sacrifice of Abraham being commanded by the Lord to offer his only sonne Isaac which was the true type of Christ Iesus the onely son of God but these wicked Idolatrous kings Achab Manasses offered their childrē to dumbe Idols and wodden gods not following Abraham in sacrifice they far differed frō Ieptha he vowed to sacrifice his daughter to the Lord and not to Idols and Ieptha differed farre from Abraham in that Abrahams faith was accepted without sacrificing of his sonne and Iepthas affection was reiected though he sacrificed his daughter for so the Lord himselfe testified saying I haue no pleasure in your feasts and sacrifices neither do I delight in your new moones how much lesse is he pleased with the killing of an innocent virgin as Ieptha did These bloudy sacrifices of Achab and Manasses were not like the sacrifice of Gedeon which was but a Kid a fewe cakes made but of an Epha flower a peece of flesh in a basket and a litle broath in a pot this sacrifice did the Lord accept of Gedeon vnder the oake of Ephrah as a signe of his victory against the Madianites The Lord strengthened Sampson to plague the Philistines sundry times burning their corne and their vinyards killing a thousand of them at once with the iawe bone of an Asse and destroyed the fiue Princes of the Philistines and aboue sixe thousand Philistines besides by pulling downe of a house vppon them their wiues their children their friends and their seruants at a banquet Because Sampson being molested vexed by meanes of his wife Dalyla to whom he trusted too much as many do by opening his secrets where his strength lay to his wife who betraied him to her owne brood stocke the Philistines who came and tooke him bound him and put out his eyes at what time the fiue princes of the Philistines so reioyced that they gathered themselues togither to offer sacrifice vnto Dagan their god for that Dagan deliuered Sampson into the Philistines handes as they supposed being mery and glad they sent for Sampson to this great feast where they offered solemne sacrifice vnto their god Dagan to laugh and scoffe at him that at that feast so many Philistines came to see Sampson that three thousand for want of roome were forced to take theyr place vpon the roofe of the house Sampson being agreeued that he offended the Lord praied vnto the Lord that hee might be reuenged vpon the Philistines and the Lord strengthened Sampson that he reuenged their scoffes their flouts and the pulling out of his eyes vppon the princes of the Philistines Dagans seruants that Sampson sacrificed himselfe vnto the Lord slue sacrificed them vnto their god Dagan Many armies haue bene taken slain ouerthrowne in the midst of banquets as the Syrians were at the besieging of Samaria making merry in their tents banquetting were forced to flie and in their flight to be slaine So was Simon the high Priest at Ierusalem with his two sonnes slaine at a banquet by the stratagem of Ptolomeu who married Simons owne daughter after he had receiued them into his house and were merry at theyr banquet So Tryphon slue Ionathan and both his sonnes So Ismael being receiued of Godoliah into his house and well entertained Ismael slue Godolias in his owne house too many such stratagems are extant CHAP. XIX Of the Priesthood taken away from the house of Elie and gouernment of Iudges taken from Samuel and his posteritie and of the first electiō of kings in Israel and of Saul the first
king and his battell at Michmash AFter Sampson the last Iudge in Israel died Eli was appointed high Priest to gouerne them who though a godly man himselfe yet brought not vp his sonnes in vertue in the fear of God therefore the Lorde rebuked Eli and said to Samuel I haue sworne that the wickednesse of Eli his house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for euer for the Lord tooke away the priesthood from Eli and from his house for the transgression of his children Likewise the Prophet Samuels sonnes for that they followed not their fathers steps but looked after lucre and tooke rewards were reprehended for corruption and bribery For Samuel being olde not able for age to execute his office he appointed both his sonnes to be Iudges in Bersabe but they loued rewards and bribes and therefore the people complained to Samuel of his sonnes refusing to be gouerned by them but would be gouerned by a king as other nations were Therefore was the Priesthood taken away from the house of Eli for the wickednesse of his children Ophnes and Phineis So was the gouernment taken from Samuel and from his house for euer through the corruption and briberie of his sonnes Ioell and Abiah Who would thinke that so good a King as Dauid should haue so wicked a sonne as Absolon that kild his brother Ammon in his owne house and sought the crowne of Iudah euen from his fathers head a murtherer of his Brother and a notable Traytour to his Father Who would thinke that good king Ezechiah should haue so wicked a sonne as Manasses to succeed him that sawed the prophet Esay in the midst and filled the streets of Ierusalem with blood And againe who would iudge but Salomon being the onely wisest king of the world hauing a thousand Queenes and concubines yet had but one sonne Rhehoboham that he was so brought vp to offend the people that ten of the twelue Tribes forsooke him and went to Ieroboam his fathers seruant Such was the care of kings among all nations that Philip king of Macedonia was glad to haue a sonne born in Aristotles time by whom hee might learne to knowe how to be a king and of whome Alexander the great himselfe was wont to say that he was as much bound to Aristotle his maister for his learning as he was to Philip his father for his birth And therefore Cyrus commaunded his sonne Cambises at his going to warres to Scithia to followe the counsell of Craesus to be ruled and gouerned by him For Cyrus knew Craesus to be so wise that by naming of Solons name he saued his owne life In like sort king Antigonus commaunded his sonne Helenus to be aduised and counselled by Aratus whom he knew to be a great learned man a noble captaine for that he was chosen to be seuenteene times Generall ouer the Achaians The cares of the kings of Persia was such for their children that they made choise of foure principall men in all knowledge to instruct them and to bring them vp The first schoole-maister should teach them the seruice of the gods with their sacrifice and ceremonies The second should instruct their children in the auncient lawes and customes of the kings of Persia. The third should bring them vp in sobrietie temperancy to vanquish lust and incontinency And the fourth should learn them to be valiant and hardy and to be acquainted with military discipline And therfore Alexander the great brought vp three thousand Persian youthes in the martiall discipline of the Macedonians And so Sertorius brought vp all the noble mens sonnes in Hispaine in martiall discipline of the Romanes This much I thought good to write of the good bringing vp and education of children for by the wickednesse of Eli his sonnes and corruption of Samuels sonnes the Priesthood was taken from the one and the gouernment taken from the other and therefore Israel cried for a king therat Samuel was much displeased but the Lord said vnto him heare the voyce of the people they haue not cast thee away but me that I should not raigne ouer them yet saith the Lord Tell them the nature of a king that he will take their sonnes to runne before his chariots to eare his ground to gather in his haruest and the king wil take their daughters and make them dressers of his oyntments his cookes and bakers the king shall take the best of their fields of their vineyards and of their oliue trees and giue them to his seruants he shall take the tenth of their seed and of theyr vines the best of their men seruants and maid seruants their young men and their asses to doo his worke yet though Samuel told al this to Israel from the Lord they would haue a king much like the fable of the frogs The frogs would haue a king being refused of many they came to the storke and would haue him to be their king which he accepted he got him a block as a seate to sit on to heare their causes and to giue iudgement but when the frogs came before their king to complaine he began with his bill to pricke them and after to wound thē that some were wounded some slain some made hast away So Samuel spake to the Israelites to that effect as they found in Saul Ieroboam Achab Manasses others such wicked kings The Apology of Iothan may be now well mentioned who spake in a parable to the Sychemites that the trees would haue a king but the vine the figge and the oliue trees refused to be their king then would the trees haue a bush or a gorsse to be their king who did accept of it This bush or gorsse would easily take fire and burne all the Sychemites in Sychem and did not Abimelech so after hee killed 70. sonnes of Gedeon his bretheren he destroyed Sychem and slew all the Sychemites and sowed salt in that place to make it barren for euer for salt as Pliny saith makes ground barren and vnapt to bring any thing When the Philistines heard that Israel had a king they gathered themselues together to fight against Israel thirtie thousand chariots six thousand horsemen and the footemen were like the sand by the sea side in multitude and they pitched their camp in Michmash and the Philistines seemed so many vnto the Israelites that the Israelites hid themselues in holtes in towers caues rockes and pits and many of them fled ouer Iorden yet the Lord deliuered the Philistines into Ionathans hand Sauls sonne that Israel might know that victorie consists not in multitude nor armour of men but onely in the arme of the Lord and therfore Ionathan smote the Philistines and the Lord turned euery mans sword vpon his fellow so that there was a very great ouerthrow and the battell continued vntill they came that fled for feare of the Philistines
So by these meanes Dauid and Ioshua before him brought the Moabites the Edomites and the Philistines and all theyr enemies round about to be vnder their gouernment So after Dauid all nations did the like a principall point in all good Generalls to strengthen themselues with garrison in strong places Herein the Remanes excelled all nations that whersoeuer or whosoeuer they subdued there they placed Romane Magistrates to gouerne As Scypio and Pompey the great did in Asia Titus and Sylla in Greece this made the Romanes to be feared and dreaded among all nations of the worde For after the Romaines had subdued the Carthagineans they made Carthage a prouince to bee gouerned vnder a Proconsull of Rome After they had subdued Numidia and Lybia they were made prouinces and gouerned vnder a Consul of Rome So Egipt and Mauritania were in like sort gouerned vnder Romane Presidents So Sardinia Cicilia Achaia and many others were made Praetorian prouinces and gouerned vnder the Romanes But wee will proceede forward with the warres of Dauid euery where vnder his Generall Abishai Ioabs brother who slue eighteene thousand of the Edomites in the salt valley and he put garrion in Edom and all the Edomites became Dauids seruants so that Dauids enterprises and his battels which hee fought against the enemies of the Lord had wheresoeuer he went good successe Dauid euer vsed martiall lawes vpon the Lords enemies when Rabbah was taken by Ioab he was presently commaunded by Dauid the king to put all the people to cruell death and for that they were malicious enemies vnto the Lord he put them to such tortures as vnder sawes Iron harrowes Iron axes and cast them into the tylekilne so cruell and greeuous were the punishments of the Lord vpon the cities of the Ammonites The fame of Dauid grew so great that all the kings about him enuied him much that Hamnon king of the Ammonites prepared an army against Dauid vnderstanding that Dauid would reuenge the iniury hee did vnto his Embassadors whome Dauid sent to Hamnon of meere kindnesse and courtesie the cause was that Dauids Embassadours by the King of Ammon and the counsell of his Princes and Lords had the halfe of their beards shaued and their garments cut off in the middle euen vnto their buttockes and so sent them away which among the Israelites was the greatest reproach that might be Thus the Embassadors of Dauid against the law of armes were disfigured to make them odious vnto others but they were commaunded by Dauid to stay in Iericho to auoid the obloquy of so fowle a fact vntill they were prouided for Alcibiades Generall ouer the Athenians laying siege to the chiefe citie of the Aggregentines which was so strongly euery way defended with forts and trenches that Alcibiades deuised a new stratageme and thereby sought meanes to haue a conuenient place of parley to talk with them before he would lay siege to the towne which being graunted Alcibiades appointed certaine captaines while hee held the Aggrentines in parley of peace to take the citie Ionathan after that Iud. Machabaeus his brother was slaine in the field by Bacchides and after that the children of Amri tooke Iohn Ionathans brother he vsed this pollicie to reuenge his brother vpon the mariage day of a daughter of one of the noblest Princes of Canaan Ionathan his men hid themselues and laie in ambush vnder the couert of a mountain that when the children of Amri came out of Medeba with tymbrels Instrumēts of musicke and great pompe Ionathan set vpon them slue the most part and the rest fled so that their mariage was turned into mourning and the noyse of their melodie to lamentation thus Ionathan reuenged his brother at Medeba Cymon the sonne of Milciades a noble Greeke Captaine at the besieging of a citie in Caria vsed this stratagem to burne the temple of Diana which goddesse the Carians most religiously worshipped the temple being builded without the walles of the towne all the citie ranne to defend Dianaes temple from burning Cymon with his Athenian armie entered and obtained the citie while they were busie about the temple The like policie vsed Demetrius to deceiue Ionathan who hearing that Ionathan came in the night time with his men armed Demetrius and all his armie feared and trembled in their hearts and kindled great fires in theyr Tents and fled away which Ionathan suspected not that they fled because they saw the fire burning in the tents and so Demetrius by this strageme of fire passed ouer the flood Eleutherus and escaped from Ionathan Many such stratagems haue bene vsed by fire to deceiue the enemie as Hannibal by fire tyed to Oxens hornes in the night time against the Romaines Sampson by tying of firebrands to Foxes tayles to burne the corne of the Philistines So Absolon vsed the like stratagem against Ioab with many such Now hauing heard that Ioabs chiefe captains came in that Dauid was comē ouer the riuer Iorden fiue kings came against Ioab and pitched their tents before Medeba a citie of the Tribe of Ruben but when the battell ioyned together the Ammonites and the Aramites fled and fell before Israel so that the victorie was Ioabs and yet had they two and thirtie thousand chariottes and fiue kings set in battell-raie to fight against Dauid but it was the Lords battell and therefore too fewe if they had had tenne times as many And therefore the Aramites the Ammonites were sore greeued at the good successe of Dauid that they gathered their whole force and power together and sent messengers beyond Iorden to draw all the enemies of Israel to fight another battell against Dauid and Dauid hearing of their great armies came ouer Iorden to Hel◅ and fought with them and the Aramites fled before him and Dauid destroyed of the Aramites seuen hundred chariots fortie thousand footemen and killed Sophach Generall of the hoste Dauid at length made a generall conquest of the Philistines destroyed the Ammonites and theyr chiefe citie Rabbah slue their King and Princes and cut the people in peeces with sawes with harrowes of Iron and with axes and Dauid requited fully the spitefull malicious wrong they did vnto his Embassadors And as Ioshua brought them ouer Iorden and placed them in Canaan and destroyed their enemies before them and gaue the Hebrewes the possession of Canaan so Dauid rooted these nations out and made a full conquest of them and left Israel in peace and quiet to his sonne Solomon and Salomon to his sonne Rehoboam so that the Edomites Moabites and Ammonites became Dauids seruants and paied tribute vnto Solomon during his whole life CHAP. II. Of tributes paide to the kings of Egipt And what manner of tributes the old Romanes and Persians receiued The rewards of adultery SO Ioseph made a lawe in Egipt that the first part of all the land of Egipt should be as a yearely
and famine an hundred thousand solde publikely as slaues and sixteene thousand were sent to Rome to beautifie his fathers triumph as Iosephus an eye-witnesse doth report The Iewes looked not for their destruction so nigh at hand they obserued by tradition of some of their Rabines that their Messias should come about the time of Augustus as a magnificent mighty king not as a poore man the sonne of a Carpenter whom the Iewes whipt and scourged for that he tooke vpō him to be the sonne of God made himself Messias the Iewes litle thought that he was the Messas when they cryed to Pilate to haue him crucified in Golgotha saying his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children The greedie desire and expectation of the people was such that many tooke vpon them to call themselues the Messias as Iudas Galileus and an other called Atonges a shepheard but aboue them all one Barcozba had diuers followers was receiued for their Messas thirtie yeares but when they saw that he could not defend them from the Romanes they would no longer accept him for their Messias but slew him Titus proceedeth forward to destroy the Iewes but especially the Priests the Scribes Pharisies on whom he had no mercie saying that they chiefly ought to dye with the sword sithence the temple was burnt with fire they onely being rebellious and seditious and the cause of the destruction of the citie Titus spared none of the stocke of Herod In this warres of Titus were ten of the learned Rabbines slaine whose names I thought good to write as I found them written in Genebrardus Chronicles Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel Rabbi Ismael ben Elizei Rabbi Hanina ben Tedarion Rabbi Husiphith Rabbi Eleazer ben Samaa Rabbi Iuda ben Dama Rabbi Isbak Scribam Rabbi Iuda ben Hachinas Rabbi Iuda ben Baba Rabbi Askiba These tenne Rabbines were slaine by Titus which the Iewes record in theyr latter Talmud for tenne martyrs and after Ierusalem was thus destroied Titus appointed Rabbi Iohanan ben Zachai gouernour ouer the remnant of the Iewes in Ahua Byther Oza other pla◅es as Nabuchodonozer did appoint Godoliah gouernor of the rest of the Iewes when he destroyed Ierusalem in the time of Zedechia the king Titus also left Bonia a younger brother of Fla. Iosephus to gouerne other places in Iudah and he returned with his prisoners and captiues which he brought with him to Rome to beautifie his fathers triumphes and his This was the fift and last ouerthrow of the Iewes destruction of Ierusalem First by Shesac King of Egipt in the time of Rehoboam secondly by Nabuchodonozer in the time of Zedechias the last King of Iudah thirdly by Antiochus fourthly by Pompey the great and fiftly and last by Titus and Vespasian Thus the Iewes that subdued all natiōs before them and conquered all the Kings about them that in the time of Ioshua Dauid all the earth trembled at the naming of the Iewes whose gouernment continued from Abraham to Vespasian two thousand yeares and more though for a time while they were in Egipt 430. yeares litle spoken of vntil the Lord raised them so strengthned thē vnder Moses and Ioshua that first they ouerthrew Pharao and his kingdome after subdued the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and the Syrians which of the Hebrewes were called Aromites the strongest nation vpon the earth at that time which were subdued notwithstanding by Dauid Thus the Iewes which were as famous and feared as much in those dayes as the Romanes were in the time of their Consuls are now so destroyed and their country subdued like wandring banished mē without king lawe or countrey The cause wherof was the sinne of Ierusalem which would neuer acknowledge the goodnesse of God towards them nor his myracles and his mercy wrought amongst them they refused his grace offered and persecuted him most violently to death Yet Dionisius Areopagita and his fellow Appollonius in the citie of Eliopolis in Egipt they both obserued by the Eclipse of the Sun at the verie houre the sonne of God suffered more then the rebellious Iewes did for all the blessings and mercies which they had receiued they cried out still vnto Pilate crucifie him his blood be vpon vs and vpon our children These learned Heathens openly confessed in Egipt that either the sonne of God did suffer death or else the frame of the whole worlde should be dissolued these two Heathens confessed and named him to bee the sonne of God but the vngratefull Iewes called and named him the sonne of Ioseph the Carpenter in contempt of him and therefore it is conuenient to set forth the great goodnesse of the Lorde in a briefe and a short catalogue what the Lord hath done to Israel since he brought them out of the furnace of Egipt where they were bond-slaues vnder Pharao 430. yeares euen from the first comming of Abraham into Egipt vntill Moses brought them out of Egipt For after Esau Iacob had diuided their fathers possession Esau went to dwell in Edumea and Iacob tooke for his part Canaan where he dwelt and his childrē vntil Iacob went to Egipt with all his family to his sonne Ioseph which was 215. yeares after the being of Abraham in Egipt and 215. yeares before Moses brought the childrē of Israel out of Egipt into the land of Canaan at what time the law was written giuen to Moses in mount Sinai to gouern the people and after the lawe was giuen the Tabernacle was commaunded by Moses to be made in the wildernesse which should stand to them for a Temple to serue the Lord and after the Tabernacle the Arke was made where the tables of the lawe were commaunded by Moses at his death to be kept where Moses gouerned the whole army of the Hebrues fortie yeares before they went ouer Iorden And Moyses before he died he deliuered the army of the Hebrewes into the hands of Ioshua with a charge from the Lord vnder whom they passed into the lande of Canaan after whose death they began to be rebellious seditious Yet the Lord fauoured thē sent thē stout and wise gouernors as Iudah Ehud Barac Iephtha Gedeō and Sampson yet stil rebelled they like Idolatrous people against the Lord that they were weary of that gouernment and reiected Samuel his gouernmēt and would haue a king the Lord denied them nothing and they had kings to rule them during which time of kings Idolatry presently crept in that the lord his lawes were forsaken and Baal with his prophets priests accepted Hence grew ciuil warres between the 12. Tribes ten against two that of one kingdom they made two so that there was nothing but slaughter and blood betweene the house of Israel the house of Iudah and that straight after Solomons death 500. thousand were slain in mount Zemaraim of the king of Israels side by the king of Iudah Againe such a slaughter of
into prouinces some into Toparchies as Syria some into Tetrarchies as Paphlagonia Some into Tribes and some into Ethnarchies as France Gasgoyne and Brytaine were diuided into eighteene prouinces and gouerned vnder Praetors Hispaine in sixe prouinces two of them vnder Consuls gouernment the other foure vnder Proconsuls Macedonia was diuided into seuen prouinces Thracia into sixe and Illyria into seuen prouinces This might seeme strange that Consuls of Rome being but one citie should rule gouerne so many kingdomes that after they had subdued Affrica the most part of Europe before they came to Asia and had established Affrike Europe vnder Romane gouernors And as by the death of Alexander the great all the East kingdomes were left without a king that they that were then but Alexanders Souldiers diuided all the kingdomes of the East as booties and praies between them Macedonia to Antipater Egipt to Ptolomeu Asia the lesse to Antigonus and so other kingdomes were diuided betweene others of Alexander his souldiers and they that could agree vnder one captaine as fellowes friendes and souldiers of one countrey fell to ciuil warres within themselues that one destroyed another that by this meanes the Romanes subdued the kings of Asia as they subdued the kings of Affrica and Europe After the Romanes had subdued Italy their countrey-men and next neighbours they graunted to the Volsces the Tyrrhens the Samnites Lucans Tarentines Thuscans the Romane lawe called Ius Latij So did the Romanes in Cicilia which was the first people subdued and made the first prouince vnder the Romanes they had Iura Latinitatis In Carthage Leptis and diuers other cities in Affrike and Hispaine they had their freedome libertie againe and the lawes of Italy graunted them by Alexander Seuerus the Emperour so that in Affrica were fifteene Romane cities where no magistrate might gouerne but a Romane citizen and that Per ius Latinitatis The like law made Pompey in Armenia in Pontus and other cities of Asia that Romain magistrates should gouerne them as they did in Hispaine and in Affrica All Hispaine were so subiect to the Romaines that thirtie townes were made free to vse their liberties and lawes named Romane cities in one part of Hispaine and one hundred twentie townes that paid anuall stipend to the Romanes The Athenians Thessalians and all Greece were restored to their lawes liberties by diuers Emperors of Rome as by Pau. Aemilius Ti. Flaminius Lu. Silla others But other kingdomes and countries were not so For though the Romains excelled and exceeded all nations in prowise in conquests and victories yet made they all kingdomes and countries their friendes and consederates which they subdued So was Masinissa king of Numidia euer a friend to the Romanes against Hannibal while he liued and at his death made the Romane Empire his heire And Attalus king of Asia for the friendship that he found with the Romanes committed his kingdome into the Romanes tuition and made also the Empire of Rome his heire as Masinissa did And though the Cappadocians were a free nation gouerned by their owne lawe yet sought they freedome and libertie of the Romanes and would be gouerned by them onely forsaking their owne libertie so that they were ruled as the Egiptians were by Romaine knights for that the Romane knights and the Senators were of equall power at that time For no Consull Proconsull Praetor or such as had Serieants or Tipslaues before them might in no wise come into Alexandria or any part of Egipt for that the Romanes had an olde prophesie that their dignitie and iurisdicton should cease in Alexandria and also in Egipt when any Romane officer came to Alexandria hauing Serieants with Maces before them The Romanes beeing now Lords of the most part of Affrica Asia and Europe grew so proud of their fortunes of their triumphes their victories and greatnesse farre from Rome that they through ambition and enuie began one to spite an other in Rome so that there was nothing in Rome but as it was in Athens seditions tumults enuie and malice and as Iugurth spake of Rome that it was Vrbs venalis si haberet emptorem a towne soone sold if it had a chapman So Demosthenes spake of the three monsters of Athens the people the owle and the dragon these were the causes that ouerthrew Rome and Athens The Israelites in like sort as the Romanes before they conquered the Canaanites they agreed and ioyned their force together and the Lord prospered theyr warres when they serued him that from Ioshuahs time who brought them and gaue them the possession of the land of Canaan vnto Dauids time who setled the Israelites as the Lords ouer the Canaanites that the Moabites Ammonites and other nations about payed tribute to Dauid and to his successors and that there was no king no nation but feared and trembled at the name of Israel And as you heard before of the ciuill warres of the Macedonians betweene Alexanders seruants and of the Romanes so Israel likewise fell to ciuill warres which was the cause of the destruction of the Persians the Macedonians the Romanes the Israelites and others for the Hebrewes beeing the onely auntientest people which were brought vp in the military discipline of the Lord their lawe giuer and Generall of their Army vnder whom Moses Ioshua Dauid and others kept and executed the same whose fame grew so great thereby that all the kings and captaines of the earth trembled thereat The Gentiles in their warres with their enemies tooke not onely counsell of their Oracles and Soothsayers but also made their simple souldiers to beleeue that they were instructed by some diuine power sent from Iupiter or from Appollo As Sertorius a captaine no lesse famous in Affrike then Sylla was in Asia which did by a white hinde vse many stratagems whom he taught to follow him euery where euen into his bed chamber making his souldiers to beleeue that hee would consult with this white hinde in some secret place before hee would take any warres in hand and after he had consulted with this white hinde hee certainly assured his souldiers of victorie this hee vsed to encourage his souldiers in all his warres in Affrica Hereby he ouerthrew Cotta the Consull in a battell on the sea and also ouerthrewe Domitius the Romane Proconsull in Hiberia and constrained Metellus to his loss many times to yeeld vntill Pompey the great came with his legionarie army from Rome to aide Metellus against Sertorius with whom Pompey had somewhat to doo before hee ouerthrew Sertorius Thus hee encouraged his souldiers in Affrica by reason of his white hinde as Lucius Sylla did practise manye such Stratagemes in Asia who did make his souldiers beleeue by looking on the picture of Appollo which he carried about his neck in a litle close tablet that he was instructed by Appollo to take such battels in hand that Sylla
lawes So the best deserued men in Rome as Corilianus that saued the citie of Rome Scypio Affrican that brought Carthage and Numantia into Rome Metellus and diuers others of the best Romanes were banished by proclamation and sound of a trumpet out of Rome and yet Corilianus being so vniustly banished frō Rome to the Volscians at the request and teares of his mother Veturia and of his wife Volumnia hee refused to fight against the Romanes being Generall of the Volscians therfore was slaine of the Volscians in the Citie Curiolis which Corilianus before time wonne to the Romanes at what time he was named Corilianus after the name of the citie Curiolis as all Romane captaines were that wonne townes countries or cities thus sparing to destroy his vngratefull countrey Corilianus lost his life therfore by the Volscians he might well haue said as Scypio Affrican said at Linternum after he was banished Ingrata patria non habebis ossa mea Oh vngratefull countrey thou shalt not possesse my bones Themistocles also being banished by the law of Ostracysmus from Athens went to dwell in Argos from Argos he was faine to flye to Corphu from thence to Asia for the king of Persia offered two hundred talents to him that would bring him Themistocles for that Themistocles was the onely enemie that destroyed so many Persians in Greece But Themistocles vnderstanding of the kings intention for he supposed it the surest way to auoid the kings wrath and to saue his owne life to goe and yeeld himselfe vnto the king of Persia where he was so accepted that he had three great cities for his entertainment and grew in such great fauour with the king that the princes and nobles of Persia so enuied him that they sought by all meanes to destroy him But when Themistocles was required by the king to lead a Persian army against the Greekes according to his oath he thought that fact vnworthy of the name of Themistocles to beare armes against his countrey men the Greekes though he was banished from Greece but resolued to die like a true Greeke reseruing his loue to his country and his oath to the Persians least he should by any meanes seeme to hinder the victories and triumphes of Cymon at that time general of the Grecians or seeme any way to staine himselfe with a trecherous name against his countrey after secret conference with his friends whom he feasted and sacrifice done to his gods Themistocles died in Magnetia as Cleomenes did in Egipt in the citie of Alexandria which when Cleomenes sawe he could not escape the kings hand to whom hee bare mortall hatred after much slaughter within the towne Cleomenes exhorted the rest of the Greekes being his company which were but thirtie in number to die like men by their owne hands and not by the enemie saying Let not fortune triumph ouer fortitude Thus Cleomenes perswaded his company to dye like noble Spartans which they performed for they slew themselues one after an other by their owne handes And thus after Cleomenes had raigned sixteene yeares king of Sparta dyed as you haue heard in the Cittie of Alexandria in Egipt as Themistocles dyed in Magnetia CHAP. X. Of the comparison betweene the noble and wise Captaines of both the Romanes and the Grecians of their sundrie military kindes of triumphes and watchwords of Generals in their warres PLutarch therefore compareth the state and liues of the Romans with the Grecians and matcheth them as well in likenesse and qualities of nature as also for their qualities of fortune for their victories for their triumphes and for their benefites done to their country therfore compareth Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians to Pompey the great Consul of Rome though Plutarch preferreth his country man the Grecian for his skill martial knowledge yet was he forced to aduance Pompey for his victories and conquests which was compared to Alexander the great for his victories ouer the three parts of the world Asia Europe and Affrica Pelopidas compared to Marcellus for theyr courage and prowesse for that the Thaebans called Pelopidas the arme of Thaebes for that Marcellus was called of the Romaines the sword of Rome both of equall fortune both of great prowesse courage yet without aduertisement rashly and wilfully ouerthrew themselues both alike Pericles was compared to Fabius Max. for his graue gouernment and wisedome the one called the hand of Athens the other called the target of Rome Fabius Max. for his wisedome that by watching long delaies wearied weakened the force of Hanibal that as the history saith Cunctando rem restituit Of these two noble Romaines Hanibal himselfe was wont to say that Marcellus wearied him and Fabius weakned him Yet Plutarch compareth Fabius life with Pericles The glory of Greece before by Milciades in the battel at Plataea the great good fortune and successe in warres of Cymon his sonne against the Persians the noble triumphes and victories of Myronides the noble valiant acts and exploits of Leocrates the many valiant deeds of Tolmydes made 〈◊〉 name of Pericles to be more famous in Athens at what time Greece was in her greatest glorie and Pericles most flourished who then was surnamed Olympius for his wit great eloquence hauing nine seuerall monuments of triumphs set vp in Greece of his good fortune and yet was Pericles supposed to be the cause of the Peloponesian wars for his great hatred towards the Maegarians was such that all the cities of Greece diuided themselues and held hot ciuill wars 27. yeares The like may be said of Iulins Caesar in Rome The great name and fame of Scypio in vanquishing Hanibal and the Affricans the valiant exploits of Marius ouer the Cymbrians and Teutons the great victories of Sylla ouer Asia and Greece the noble triumphs of Pompey ouer three parts of the world made the fame conquest of Caesar to be the greater for Caesar performed that which Pirrhus said of Italy and Rome that Italians must conquer Italy and Romaines ouercome Rome as Caesar did Next we compare Sylla the Romane with Lysander the Lacedemonian two noble and valiant captaines that the one did what he would in Rome the other did what he listed in Sparta both good and beneficiall to their countreys for their victories which they had against their enemies out of their coūtries but both scorpions that scourged plagued both their countrey and countrey men that Rome and all Italy was plagued by Sylla as Sparta and all Greece was by Lysander Q. Hortensius euer boasted that hee neuer tooke part in any ciuill warres So said Asinius Pollio to Augustus the Emperour being willing to haue him goe with him to the battell at Actium against Marc. Antonius hee answered and refused saying Ero praeda victoris Yet the lawe of Solon in Athens was that he which seperated himselfe and tooke no part in
gaue audience out of the citie to any forraine Embassador especially in matters of peace and after they would conduct the Embassadors to shipping to preuent practises and pollicies vnder colours of peace The Romanes in this imitated the Athenians who entertained the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians in like sort but Rome and Athens were much deceiued for the cities of Italy often rebelled against Rome and the cities of Greece against Athens Much murther and slaughter was euer found in the breach of faith and much mischiefe committed vnder colour of peace Godolias being made gouernour by Nabuchodonozer ouer the rest of Iudea after Ierusalem was destroyed was deceiued by the faire words of Ismael who came with ten men with him that were sworne to him to do what he would haue them to do in Mazphah to the house of Godoliah where he was well entertained but Ismael slew Godoliah all the Iewes and all the Chaldeys that Ismael found waighting on Godoliah and the next day after that Ismael had slaine Godolias certaine men came from Sychem from Siloh and from Samaria to the number of fourescore which had shaued their beards and rent their cloathes with meate offering and incense to offer in the house of the Lord. And Ismael went weeping out of Mazphah to meete them and said Come and goe to Mazphah to see Godoliah the Gouernour where Ismael slue them in the midst of Mazphah as hee did Godoliah in the one he deceiued Godolias with faire words in the other hee deceiued them with teares to come to Mazphah to see Godoliah whom he slue all sauing tenne and threw their bodies into one pit Triphon one of Ismaels broode after he had taken Ionathan by deceit he sent him to Ptolomeu where hee tooke Ionathans children for hostage and money for his redemption So Triphon promised to deliuer Ionathan but Triphon killed Ionathan and his children against his faith and promise and the law of armes of all nations Alexander king of Syria fled to Arabia to be defended from Ptolomeu his father in lawe king of Egipt but Zabdiel the Arabian slue him most treacherously and sent his head to Egipt to Ptolomeu Bacchides and Alcinus Gouernors vnder the most cruell king Demetrius slue threescore Assideans that came to entreat Antiochus for peace against the lawe of armes In like sort Nicanor thought to deceiue Machabaeus as Antiochus did vnder colour and pretence to seeke peace Met. Suffetius Generall of the Albaines promising by oath his faith and truth to the Romanes and that his friendship should not faile to be readie at the Romaines commaundement yet breaking his oath in the same practising his treachery against the Romane armie he was bound to two toppes of trees both hands and feete and terribly pulled in peeces by the trees The breach of faith by the lawe of armes set downe was euer among the Romaines most seuerely punished in so much that the Romaine souldiers stoned Posthumius for that he denied the spoile which he promised to the souldiers The like is read that the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians being sent to the king of Persia to haue his aide against the Athenians being in league with the Lacedemonians were taken and brought to Athens and by the Athenians slaine The Embassadors of Carthage and Macedonia because they did conspire against the Romaines contrary to their league were taken and by the law of armes iustly slaine Diuers Embassadors were slaine for breaking theyr leagues against the lawe of armes as the Embassadors of the Romanes were slaine by the Illyrians the Embassadors of the Athenians by the Persians the Embassadors of the Persians by the Macedonians the Embassadors of Dauid king of Iudah by the Ammonites not slain but ignominiously abused for Dauid sent his Embassadors to Ammō the king to comfort him for the death of his father in kindnes of good will but they had halfe their beards shaued and their garments cut off at their buttocks thus were they turned back in reproach without thankes to Dauid So were the Embassadors of the Romanes without cause against the lawe of armes most iniuriously slaine by the Illyrians who were gouerned vnder a woman to the great reproach of the Romaines but the Romane Embassadors being thus slain had their statues put vp in the Oratory and their names written vpon their Images P. Iunius T. Coruncanus but the Romanes reuenged it to the losse of their kingdome Thus euery where trechery and murther was committed in all countreys vnder colour of leagues and lawes broken and most time without eyther lawe or league but with violence and trecherie practised by many false stratagems among all nations As Zopyrus practised by a dissembling stratagem to bring the Persians into the hands of Cyrus though some say it was Darius by cutting deforming his face and mangling his body in this pittiful sort cōming to Babilō saigning and dissembling that he had hardly escaped frō Cyrus army promised the Babilonians to do them great seruice to reuenge his wrong if they would vse his seruice By these subtill and craftie meanes he brought Cyrus to be king of Babilon of this Zopirus Cyrus was wont to say that he wished as many friends like Zopirus as a Pomegranate had kernels The like stratagem vsed the Grecian Sinon for Agamemnon in the warres of Troy therefore Agamemnon said he had rather haue tenne Nestors or tenne Vlixes then tenne Achilles or tenne Aiax for more doth counsell and pollicie profit in warre then force or courage and therefore when Achilles dyed Aiax made claime to his armour as one that might claime it best by the lawe of Armes clayming a combat if any one would say the contrary Aiax being warned by his olde father Telamon when he went with Agamemnon from Greece to Troy to fight valiantly to aske at the gods hands good successe and fauour but Aiax more proud then wise answered his father that slouthfull men and cowards seeke helpe at Gods handes but said hee could ouercome without Gods helpe Vlixes also made claime to Achilles armour saying that his pollicie and counsell did profit more the Grecians in the warres at Troy then the sword of Aiax Agamemnon knowing how much pollicie and wise counsell auailed in wars gaue to Vlixes the armor of Achilles for Agamemnon said had he had but ten such councellors as Nestor was he doubted not but soone to subdue Troy So Cyrus spake of Zopirus and so Pirrhus spake of Romane souldiers Plus praestant senes consilio quam inuenes armis Thus the Polymarchies of the earth seeke to cōquer another world like Alexander being not cōtented with one and couer all the seas with their sailes like Xerxes and to build castles high vnto the heauens like Nimrod who wold build Babel to reach vp to heauen to reuenge the iniury done to his predecessors by the vniuersall deludge resembling much the battell of