had refused to join with them against the Benjamites they sent twelve thousand chosen men against them who slew all that bore arms with the women and children reserving only four hundred Virgins At their return the Israelites sent Messengers to the Benjamites who fled into the desarts and had secured themselves in the rock Rimmon to desire them to come back to their former possessions which they had forfeited by the Just Judgment of God for their wickedness in protecting such impious offenders from condign punishment the Benjamites by the perswasions of their brethren came and possest their inheritance and the Israelites gave them the four hundred Virgin Captives in marriage but because two hundred yet remained without wives and they had solemnly sworn not to give them their daughters they concluded the Benjamites should take the advantage of seizing two hundred of the daughters of the City of Shiloh who came to a Feast every year near Bethel accordingly when the Feast approached these two hundred Benjamites went and hid themselves by two and three in a company among the Vines and thickets to surprize the Damsels who suspecting nothing were dancing very pleasantly in the Fields when the young men suddenly issuing out seized each upon a Virgin at unawares and carried them home to their houses and having married them they repaired their Cities and dwelt therein whereby the Tribe of Benjamin that was near extinguisht began in a short time to increase and flourish as before and thus ended this fatal War. In this History I have followed Josephus who differs in time from what is written in the Holy Scriptures After this another generation arose who forgot the works of the Lord and disobeyed his holy Laws and Commandments giving themselves up to all manner of Vice and Luxury and wallowing in all the abominations and Idolatry of the Canaanites for which cause the wrath of God was kindled and he stirred up the Nations round about against them delivering them into the hands of the king of Mesopotamia who ruled over them eight years taking many Prisoners and bringing their Cities into subjection In this their calamity they called upon the Lord who stirred up a certain man called Othniel who was warned from Heaven to deliver the Israelites out of this their cruel bondage he calling together some of his Companions in danger who were discontented at their present condition and desired a change they first fell upon the Garrison that the Mesopotamians had placed over them whom having soon discomfited they thereby took courage to meet them in the open Field and their numbers increasing by this first success they seemed equal to their Enemies whom they therefore ingaged in battle and overcame with a very great slaughter their King being taken Prisoner and the liberty of the Israelites thereby restored to them the terror of their arms after this was so great to all the Nations round about that none durst oppose them and Othniel for his valour received the Government from the peoples hands and exercised the Office of a Judge over them peaceably forty years After whose death the Government being void the affairs of the Israelites began again to decline the people neither giving due honour to God nor obedience to the Laws whence it came to pass that Eglon K. of the Moabites observing their disorders made War and prevailed often against them weakning their Forces and obliging them to pay tribute and proud of his Victories removed his Court to Jericho omitting no practices to vex and molest the Israelites so that they lived in much misery under him eighteen years when the Almighty moved with their supplications and sorrows freed them from this intolerable thraldom by the hand of Ehud the Son of Gera who insinuated himself into the favour of Eglon and by the gifts and presents he made him was much respected by the king and all his Court One day it happened that as Ehud carried certain presents to Eglon accompanied by two of his houshold Servants he privately girt a dagger under his Garments and entring into the presence he delivered his gifts to the King who was then solacing himself in a Summer Chamber being now by themselves Eglon having sent away his attendants to hear the secret Message which Ehud said he had to deliver him he suddenly stabbed the king into the belly with his dagger and left the weapon swallowed up in his bowels by reason Eglon was a very fat man and then privately escaped shutting the door upon him His Servants finding the door of the parlour locked suspected nothing of mischief but supposed it was upon some natural occasion in this error they continued till toward Evening when fearing what had happened they entred and found Eglon fallen down dead on the Earth In this interval Ehud had time to secure himself out of danger and coming to Jericho gave them an Account of the matter offering himself to be their Leader in recovering their lost liberty who readily accepting this proposal presently took arms and blowing a trumpet they assembled all the people of the Countrey who joining together fell upon the Moabites before they were prepared who were so dismayed at the dismal Accident of the death of their King that they knew not how to make any defence insomuch that the Israelites charging fiercely upon them killed many upon the place and the rest being about ten thousand betook themselves to flight hoping to recover their own Countrey but the Israelites having before fortified the passages of Jordan pursued and slew them all By this means the Israelites were freed from the servitude of Moab and continued quiet from any Invader fourscore years After this Shamgar the Son of Anath was Elected Governor who slew six hundred of the Philistines with an Ox-goad and thereby in some measure delivered them but the Israelites not yet reclaimed by their former sufferings returned again to impiety and disobedience though they had so lately shaken off the yoke of the Moabites So that God in just Judgment gave them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan who kept his residence at Hazor on the Lake of Sachonites He had an Army of thirty thousand Foot ten thousand Horse and nine hundred Chariots of iron Over these Forces Sisera was Commander in chief a great Favourite with the King who encountring with the Israelites reduced them into such a low condition that they accepted of servitude and were obliged to pay tribute for twenty years In this lamentable state they began to reflect upon their transgressions and provocations against the Almighty acknowledging the Justice of Heaven in punishing them for their ingratitude and contempt of the Divine Laws and repaired to a certain Prophetess named Deborah which in Hebrew signifies a Bee beseeching her that by her Prayers she would intreat the Lord to have mercy upon them and free them from their bondage under the Canaanites Hereupon God being inclined to compassion promised them deliverance and appointed
Morgan and Cunegad her sisters sons disdaining to live under the government of a woman raised a rebellion against her and having destroyed great part of the Countrey and defeated her Forces they took her and kept her close Prisoner wherewith being much disturbed and despairing of regaining her liberty she out of Feminine valor stab'd her self to the heart and died after five years reign XII After her death the two Nephews divided the Land that part beyond Humber even as far as Caitness in Scotland falling to Morgan and the other to Cunegad Having reigned jointly two years Morgan was incited by some evil counsellors to endeavour to gain the whole to himself he being Son of the eldest daughter and was told it was a shame to be partner with a younger brother Pride Covetousness and Ambition soon prevailed upon him to raise an Army for effecting this unjust design wherewith entring the Territories of Cunegad he miserably ruined all before him but was quickly met by his brothers Forces who gave him battel wherein a great number of Morgans men being slain the rest fled and were pursued from one Countrey to another till they came into Wales where Morgan resolved once more to try his fortune but being too weak for a victorious army he was there slain in the Field the Countrey being afterward called from his name Glamorgan After which Cunegad became sole Governor of Brittain which he ruled peaceably thirty three years and was buried at Troynovant He is reported to have built three Temples one dedicated to the God Mars at Perth in Scotland another to Mercury at Bangor and a third to Apollo in Cornwall XIII Rival his Son ruled after him in much prosperity In whose time it rained bloud three days together after which followed such a multitude of noisome and poysonous flies that breeding a great contagion many died thereof Rome was built about this time He reigned forty six years and was buried at York leaving the Realm to XIV Gurgusius his Son in the year of the world 3249. of whom little is related in our Brittish Chronicle but that having reigned thirty seven years he was buried at York likewise XV Sysillus his Son who succeded or his Brothers Son as some write has as little recorded of him nor of XVI Jago Cozen of Gurgusius but that he died without issue XVII Kinmark his Brother governed after him and reigned fifty four years XVIII Gorbodug succeeded and after sixty three years died and was buried at London leaving the Land to be ruled jointly by XIX Ferrex and Porrex his two Sons who continued some years in good correspondence but flattery and thirst of Dominion at length raised variance between them whereby Ferrex was forced to fly into France and having received aid from that Prince returned in hope to conquer all for himself but his Brother being ready to receive him he was slain with the greatest part of his Army The Mother of them having greater love for Ferrex than his Brother was so inraged at his death that she contrived to murther the Survivor which she effected with the help of her women while he was asleep in the night and then cut him into small pieces to evidence the malice of her feminine revenge After this for fifty years the Kingdom was in great distraction the Government being divided between five Governors who were all at length subdued by Dunwallo Duke of Cornwall And here ancient writers affirm the line of Brute ended there being none of his Race left alive after the two brethren Ferrex and Porrex The names oâ— the five Rulers are said to be Rudacus King of Waleâ— Clotenus King of Cornwall Pinnor King of Loegria Stâ—â—terus King of Albania and Yewan King of Northunberland but Dunwallo having obtained the rule of tâ—â— whole Land begun his Reign about seven hundrâ—â— years after Brutes arrival who was the first Crowâ—ed King of Brittain for before this the Chief Maâ—â—strates of the Kingdom were indifferently calâ— Kings Rulers or Governors but had not any solâ— Coronation according to the custom of other Countries I shall therefore now begin a new Catalogue with a new Family of which I. Malmutius Dunwallo Duke of Cornwall was the first in the year of the world 3529. and about five hundred years before our Saviours Nativity He built in Troynovant or London the Temple of Peace which some think is Blackwell Hall now used for selling cloth He made many good Laws which were called by his name and long after translated out of Brittish into Latin and mingled among the Statutes of King Alfred He gave priviledges to Temples Ploughs and Cities that whoeser fled to either in any criminal cause should be secured and have liberty to go thence into what Countrey he pleased he built Malmsbury and the Devizes After he had setled the Kingdom he by the advice of his Lords caused himself to be Crowned with a Crown of Gold with all the Heathen Ceremonies of that Age and was therefore called the first Monarch of Brittain He ordained rules about Weights and Measures and made strict Laws against Robbers and after forty years reign was buried in the Temple of Peace leaving the Kingdom to be ruled by his two Sons II. Belinus and Brennus the first governing Loegria Wales and Cornwall and Belin all the Countrey beyond Humber They both reigned very quietly about seven years when Brennus ambitious of gaining the whole was perswaded by some unquiet youths to sail into Norway where he married the daughter of Elsing Duke of that Countrey Belin vext that he should marry without his advice in his absence seiz'd all his Castles and Fortresses and put Garrisons therein of which Brennus having intelligence he was assisted by his Father-in-law with a great Fleet of Ships and a stout Army of Norwegians wherewith sailing homeward he was encountred by the way by Guldac King of Denmark who with his Navy lay in wait to surprize the young Lady Brennus had married to whom Guldac had been long a Servant but could never obtain her Fathers consent The two Fleets meeting a bloudy fight ensued but at length the King of Denmark prevailed and took the Ship wherein the Lady was whom he brought into his own Vessel Brennus making his escape The Danes had no sooner obtained this great victory and prize when a sudden tempest arising the navy was scattered and the King in danger of being lost but after five days he was driven by storm into Northumberland with the few Ships that remained Belin being then in that Countrey providing defence against his brother having notice of it caused the King to be detained Mean time Brennus having again got together his dispersed Ships and furnisht them and his Souldiers with all necessaries sent to his brother to demand the restoring his wife and his Countrey both which were wrongfully detained from him But receiving a positive denial to both he landed his Army in Albany now Scotland and his brother coming toward him a
' gainst Israel The Lord will vengeance take of those That ' gainst him do rebel He will put fire into their flesh And worms shall them annoy They shall much misery feel God will For ever them destroy After this Judith dedicated to the Temple the Pavilion of Holofernes and other rich habiliments given her by the People that the memory of this glorious Action might never be forgotten and then returning to her own house she there continued a chast widdow to the day of her death being honoured and respected of all the people as their Great Deliverer she made her servant a free woman and lived in the house of her husband Manasseh till she was an hundred and five years old and then dying was buried in his Sepulchre for whom all the Israelites made a deep and solemn mourning seven days without intermission and the terror of this admirable success made such an impression on all the Neighbour Nations that none of them troubled Israel all her days nor a long time after her death How great art thou O Lord of Hosts and how terrible is thy power thou God of Battels a General in the midst of an Army of an hundred thousand valiant Souldiers invironed all with steel and fire who says I will go I will do I will level with the ground who decreed the firing of Cities and destruction of Countreys behold him now conquered slain tumbled in his bloud by a woman who makes a play-game of his head and all this by the assistance of that God who acted in her and put courage into her soul to overthrow the mighty and bring to confusion the Sons of pride and violence The History of Queen Esther WHen Haman in his proud ambitious mind Utter destruction to the Jews design'd When for the fault of one they all must dye All must be ruin'd for poor Mordecai Then prudent Esther doth her self oppose Against her Uncles and her Peoples Foes Ventures her life her Nation to save And Mercy for them of the King doth crave Who hears and grants her suit most graciously Haman is hanged for his Treachery And Mordecai his Office doth enjoy Who for the Jews his Interest doth imploy IN the year from the Creation of the world 3543. and before the birth of our Saviour 521. during the Captivity of the Jews in Babylon Cyrus the son of Xerxes whom the Grecians called Artaxerxes was King of Persia in whose reign all the race of the Jews both men women and children were in danger to have been utterly exterminated had it not been happily prevented by the mercy of God and the excellent conduct and admirable courage of our renowned Heroine Queen Esther For the better understanding hereof we read that after Artaxerxes was setled in the Kingdom and had established Governors over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces from India as far as Ethiopia in the third year of his reign he made a most Royal and Magnificient Feast for all the Grandees of his mighty Empire wherein he display'd the opulency and grandeur of his Dominions for one hundred and fourscore days together After which he for 7 days treated the Ambassadors of all Nations in the Palace of Shushan sitting in a Tent the Pillars whereof were Gold and Silver and the covering of Scarlet of such a vast extent that thousands might be entertained under it all the provisions were served in Vessels of Gold inriched with Jewels and of excellent workmanship The King commanded his Attendants that none should be enforced to drink but according to the Persian usage each at his own discretion He also sent an Order throughout all his Countreys that they should all cease from their labour many days and make Holyday in Honour of his Royalty At the same time Vashti his Queen made a Royal Banquet to her Ladies and the King being merry with wine the seventh day of the Feast sent one of his Eunuchs to cause her to come with the Crown upon her head in the most glorious manner and her most gorgeous attire to display her beauty to the eyes of all the people but she being too tenacious of the Persian custom that count it a crime to be seen by strangers refused to come and though he renewed his desires divers times yet she persisted in her denial upon which being extreamly displeased he rose suddenly from the Banquet and calling to him seven of his Councellors by whose advice he managed his affairs and who expounded the Law to him he desired to know what punishment they thought due to his wife who had put such an open affront and indignity upon him before that Great Assembly one of them answered That this was a crime of State and might occasion a general disorder throughout the Realm since all other women following the example of the Queen might from thence take a licentious power to disobey their husbands and every where domineer over them thereby overthrowing the order of Nature and cause quarrels and disturbance in all Families His opinion therefore was that she who had done him this publick dishonour should be divorced from the King her husband and that a Proclamation should be published throughout all his Provinces signifying the cause thereof and asserting the just subjection of wives to their husbands The King who had an extraordinary passion for Vashti and could hardly entertain any thoughts of a separation from the dear object of his love seemed for some time wholly abandoned to grief and sorrow which his Nobles observing endeavoured to remove by representing the unreasonableness of his concernment for such an unworthy woman who had so extreamly disobliged him and that he might soon find out another who in beauty and all other Princely qualifications should far exceed her and by whose pleasing demeanor the thoughts of Vashti might be utterly extinguished The King confirming the Judgment they had given against Vashti sent abroad messengers to bring into his presence the fairest Virgins that were to be found in his Kingdoms Whereupon a great number being assembled there was among them a young Orphan whose parents being dead she was educated under the tuition of her uncle Mordecai of the Tribe of Benjamin and a principal man among the Jews her name was Esther and was judged the most beautiful of all that youthful company and for her amiable countenance caused all Spectators to stand still and admire her Whereupon the Eunuchs attended her with more than ordinary diligence and she was prepared for the kings pleasure with odors and perfumes for six months in the company of four hundred other Virgins After which the Officer judging them fit to approach the Royal bed sent one every night to the King who returned her back in the morning But when Esther came into his presence he was so surprized with her love that he took her for his lawful wife and setled his affections upon her above all the others The marriage was solemnized in the seventh year of
to fall out for Susanna being desirous to bath her self at the Fountain in the Garden in the heat of the season attended only by two of her waiting Women she sent them both away to provide Oyl and Nitre in order thereto and then unclothed her self and went into the Water the old Letchers had watched all her proceedings having secretly hid themselves under the covert of the Trees and when they perceived her Servants were gone and had shut the doors after them they doubted not but the happy minute was arrived and therefore suddenly issuing out from their concealment they ran to her and seizing upon this innocent and helpless Fair One they began to discover the extraordinary passion they had for a long time retained for her and that the doors being now shut if she would consent to their desires it could never be detected Think how Susanna blush't look't pale and then Trembled for fear blush't and look't pale agen Whilst they Fair Creature now behold the doors Are all made fast y' are now within our powers Yet we intreat consent come don't deny We'er smitten Lady and with you must lye There 's none can see 't is witness causeth shame Whilst unrevealed ills are free from blame But if you refuse say they to comply we our selves will complain against you and accuse you that we found a young man committing folly with you who sent away your maids to be more private in your wickedness If you will not comply we Judges are And ' gainst your innocence will both declare That as we walked in this neighbouring Grove You play'd the Harlot with your wanton Love Therefore your maids were sent away lest they Should notice take of your hot amorous play Susanna was in a great streight and venting many bitter sighs and tears she said I am in much distress on every side and know not which way to incline for if I do this thing I sin against the Law of God and ought to be cut off from my people and if I do not I shall fall under your false accusation however it is better for me to venture suffering under a malicious prosecution than to sin in the sight of the Lord and provoke Divine vengeance against me Susanna cryed Let Heaven be my guide I am betray'd distrest on every fide If I consent by Moses Law 't is said No Wife shall climb up to anothers bed Unpunisht which divine decree implies Death's the reward of all adulteries If I refuse y' already have design'd What base return true Virtue 's like to find Howe're I must not dare not sin your skill Extends no further than this life to kill But God will me avenge and one day plead My guiltless cause with vengeance on your head The Elders finding threats had no impression on her chastity may be supposed to use the Atheistical Arguments of the debauched wits of the present age who have thereby endeavoured to gain their leud purposes in such strains as these Lady such coyness mis-becomes your years 'T is time enough when care hath sown gray hairs And plow'd deep furrows on your aged head Then to confine unto a husbands bed Nor be offended that Old Age hath drawn A ghostly curtain o're our youthful Lawn Or think it strange that amorous bloud remains Still in the channel of our paler veins 'T is you that gave it life the fault is yours Do but consent and then it shall be ours But Susanna no way moved with this lascivious Rhetorick still makes reflection on her honour her conscience and her conjugal fidelity and finding all her labour to reduce them to reason utterly in vain she as the last remedy sets up a loud cry as they began more rudely to approach her which was heard through the whole House And these treacherous Elders seconded it with another as loud against her the servants at the noise running with all speed into the garden found the Elders with her who impudently alleaged that they saw her committing adultery wherewith her Attendants were much surprized ashamed since they always esteemed her the most virtuous woman in the World. Next day when the People were assembled before Joachim her husband these Villanous Elders full of malice and indignation for such an unhappy disappointment appeared likewise and with much confidenee required that Susanna should be brought before the Assembly and judged and executed according to the Law Joachim could not deny their earnest desire and therefore commanded his wife Susanna to be sent for who came accompanied with her Father Mother Children and all her kindred and being exceeding beautiful these old Miscreants ordered her vail to be taken off her face that they might in part satiate their desires by beholding her delicate form This being an affront not usually offered to women of her quality was yery grievous to her friends who wept to see her thus abused which forced tears also from all the Spectators Then the two impious Elders stood up in the midst of the people and laying their hands on her head began to accuse her Poor Susanna made her appeal to Heaven humbly beseeching the Almighty Lord to vindicate her innocence when these wretches thus proceeded It happened as my brother and I were walking together in the Garden alone under the shady walks we perceived this woman and two of her maids coming in being entred she sent them away and shut the door Soon after a young man who lay concealed came to her and committed folly with her We observing this wickedness ran toward them and endeavoured to seize the youth but he being too strong for us made his escape and opening the garden door fled away with all speed whereupon we took this woman examined very strictly who the man was that had acted this iniquity but by all our threats and perswasions could not prevail with her to discover him therefore now desire justice against her for her crime which we here solemnly swearwe saw her commit The Elders cry O sons of Jacob dear To this our Evidence lend a gracious ear You know that Moses of eternal fame Who did our sacred Laws and Statutes frame Which after were confirm'd by heavens broad seal That each Command did unto him reveal Among the rest If man or woman be Surprized in th' Act of Adultery Both of them must abjudged be to dye That they not we may bear the iniquity This wicked woman as we lately were I' th Garden walking there to take the air And happening to cast our eyes aside With an adulterous youth we there espi'd But that to innocence she might pretend Two maids at first upon her did attend Until impatient grown they did straightway By her command convey themselves away And shut the door So that now none but we Who lay conceal'd this wicked act could see For then a young man by appointment sure Secretly lodg'd in the Trees coverture Draws near and lovingly doth her imbrace She likewise him