after died being the one and fiftyeth yeare of his raigne I come now to our Moderne Histories Ferrex and Porrex joyntly succeeded their father Gorboduc in the governement of this Land of Brittaine in the yeare of the World foure thousand seaven hundred and eleven and continued in love and amity for a season but in the end Envy the mother of all misorder and mischiefe so farre prevailed with them that the one began to maligne the others estate insomuch that they both studied and devised to supplant each other thereby to gaine the entire supremacy which first brake out in Porrex who gathering an Army unknowne to his brother thought suddenly to surprise and kill him of which he having notice and yet not able for the present to provide for opposition he was forced to fly into France where craving ayde he was supplyed with a sufficient Hoast of Galls with which landing in England he gave his brother Porrex battaile defeated his Army and slew him in the field Ferrex proud of his victory retyred himself to his Tent whither his mother Midan came by night with some of her women and being freely admitted to the place where he lay sleeping she with the rest most cruelly murdered him and after cut his body into small pieces causing them to be scattered in the field and in these two brothers ended the line of Brute Thus you see a most dreadfull judgement against Envy as well in the vanquisht as the victor but the greatest in the last to be so cruelly murdered rather by a monster then a mother Morindus was the bastard sonne of Flavius King of Brittaine by his Concubine Fanguestela and was inaugurated in the yeare of the World one thousand eight hundred fourescore and ten and made Governour of the Land The Chronicle reports him to have beene of a comely and beautifull personage of liberall gifts having an active body and a most daring spirit and strength withall above any Peere or Subject in the Land but as a grievous staine and blemish to all these good parts and endowments hee was of an envious condition and cruell disposition for he grew jealous of all such as either were great in wealth or gracious in the Court for any noble vertue for the first hee had a way to confiscate their estate and the latter he so suppressed that they never came into favour or grew to preferment being further so subject to wrath that whosoever crost or vexed him he would suddenly slay with his owne hands Afterward his Land being invaded by a Prince of Mauritania he met him in battaile and chased him to the Sea taking many prisoners whom to satisfie this cruelty and tyranny he caused to be put to death in his presence and sight with severall sorts of torments by heading killing hanging burning drowning and other kindes of execution but at the length as testifieth Guido de Columna and others this Morindus whom our English Chronicles call Morwith walking by the Sea side and spying a dreadfull monster upon the shore he out of his bold and Kingly prowesse assaying to kill the beast after a long fight was devoured and swallowed by the monster when he had eight yeares governed the Land which was a most strange and remarkable Judgement Envy and dissension was the first bondaging of this our free and noble Nation in becomming tributary to the Romans King Lud of famous memory being dead during the minority of his two sonnes Androgeus and Tenantius Cassibelan the brother to Lud was made King in the yeare of the World five thousand one hundred forty two who was a Prince noble bountifull just and valorous when the young Princes came to yeares of discretion hee gave to Androgeus the elder the Citie of London with the Earledome of Kent and to Tenantius the younger the Dukedome of Cornewall In this season Iulius Caesar being in the warres of France and beholding the white cliffes and rocks by Dover demanded of the Gauls whether it were inhabited or no or by whom being satisfied of his demand hee first exhorted the Brittaines by writing to pay tribute to the Romans to whom Cassibelan returned a short and sharpe answer with which Caesar much incensed makes ready his Navy and people but when they should have landed they found long and sharpe stakes pitcht by the Brittons which put them to great trouble and danger yet at length gaining the shore Cassibelan with a strong Army of Brittans gave them battaile and beat them to their shippes Notwithstanding Caesar soone after made a second Invasion with a greater power and had the like brave repulse to his great dishonour For which double victory Cassibelan having first given great thankes to the gods assembled his Lords and Peeres to feast them and held sundry triumphs and sports amongst which two young Knights one Nephew to the King called Herilda and the other Euelinus allyed to Androgeus made a challenge for wrastling in the performing of which exercise they grew to words and from words to blowes so that parties were made and in this tumult Herilda was slaine whose death the King tooke heinously and sent to his Nephew Androgeus that Euelinus might be delivered up to know how he could acquit himselfe of the murder which Androgeus denying the King gave him to understand that it was in his power to chastise his presumption which the other fearing sent to Iulius Caesar not onely letters but thirty hostages to assure him of his fidelity that if hee would make a third attempt for Brittaine he would ayde him with a puissant Army of which Caesar gladly accepting with a strong hoast landed and encamped himselfe neare unto Canterbury of which when Cassibelan had notice he marched towards him and betwixt them was fought a strong and bloudy battaile where many were slaine on either side and the day likely to incline to the Brittons when on the sudden Androgeus came in with fresh forces by which the wearied Souldiers were compelled to forsake the field and gave place to the Romans who slew them without mercy so that Cassibelan with those few that were left retired himselfe to places of safety Whose valour Caesar admiring would not prosecute his victory any further for the present but offered him peace conditionally that he should pay a yearely tribute of three thousand pounds to the Romans which conditions Cassibelan accepted and still continued King and Androgeus who had so basely betrayed his Countrey not daring to trust his owne Nation whom in so high a nature he had injured abandoned the Realme and went with Caesar. Now if any shall aske me where were Gods dreadfull Judgements in all this I answer what greater then for a free Nation to lose their immunities and become tributary and vassals to strangers from which they were not freed many hundred yeares after Long after this Constantine was made King and left three sonnes behinde him Constantine the eldest because he was of a very milde and gentle temper and no
Souldiers who so well awaited their opportunity that as the Pope was riding from Avignon to one of his Castles in Provence called Poursorge he surprised him and brought him prisoner into France then put him into a strong Tower where for want of food he was forced to eate the flesh from his armes and so diedâ— of whom the story gives this Character That he estred into the Papacie like a Fox that he ruled like a Lyon and in the end died like a Dogge Nero Caesar who had all the seaven deadly sinnes predominant in him even in his minority and first comming to the Empire was in a high measure worthily asâ—â—â—st and branded with this horrid and abhominable vice of Envy who when Cesar Germanicus a Prince of great hope and expectation on whom all the eyes of Rome were fixt was made competitor with him in the Empite 〈◊〉 â—ligning his greatnesse and goodnesse though his neare kinsman he with his owne hands tempered a strong and moâ—â—â—serous poyson and most 〈…〉 ously inviting him to a feast in the height of all their 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 he caused that deadly draught to be ministâ—ed unto him which he had no sooner tasted but immediately he sunke from his seat and fell downe dead at the Table at which all the guests being startled and amazed Nero the master of the feast put it off with this sleight saying onely remove the body into some withdrawing roome and let it be buried according to the custome of Romans but how God revenged this and other his inhumanities you may reade in his wretched and unlamented death in the former Tractate expressed Macrinus who had murdered Antoninus the brother of Geta attaining to the Empire when he had raigned one yeare his head was cut off in Calcedon a Citie of Bythinia with his sonne Diadumenus whom in his life-time he had made competitor with him in the Empire Bassianus otherwise called Heliogabalus the sonne of Semiamira succeeded in the Empire He was first a Priest of the sunne and after by meanes of his grandmother Mesa a rich and potent woman was made Emperour who though a young man of an extraordinary aspect and feature able to attract the loves and affections of all men yet was he inwardly infected with the contagion of all the vices that could be named Insomuch that in all his actions he rather appeared a monster then a man so that hee grew not onely despised but hatefull to the people Which the wise Lady Mesa seeing and fearing his fall and in his her owne ruine as farre as she could she excused his grossest crimes laying the fault upon the tendernesse of his youth and wrought so that by his consent Alexianus who was the sonne of Mammea her daughter was admitted companion with him in the Empire which Alexianus after called Alexander Severus was a wise and prudent Prince whose vertue had gained him the generall love of the Senate and people for which Heliogabalus so envied him for vice and vertue are still in opposition that he made many attempts to poyson him which by the care of Mesa and Mammea were prevented But how was this envy punished The people seised upon Heliogabalus with his mother Semiamira and dragging their bodies through the chiefe streets of Rome having after torne them piece-meale would not affoord them the honour of buriall but cast their quarters into the common jakes that stood upon the river Tiber. Neither have women beene free from this rankorous sinne of Envy as appeareth by the story following and shall be made more apparant hereafter This Prince Alexander Severus afore-named all the time that his grandmother Mesa lived who suffered none but grave and wise men to be about him insomuch that no Emperour before or after him could be said to exceed him in all these attributes that belong to an Imperiall Monarch was both beloved and feared But she being dead his mother Mammea grew to that height of pride covetousnesse and envy that his indulgent sufferance of her ambition was a great and the sole blemish of his government who comming to maturity and the Empire now setled in his owne hands he tooke to wife a daughter of one of the most noblest Senators of Rome which was also by his mothers consent but when this Lady came to take upon her the state of an Empresse Mammea who challenged that title solely to her selfe malitiously envying her estate wrought so that first the father of the new Empresse was put to death and so terrible was her commandement and her Majestie so much dreaded that she banished both from the Court and the bed of the Emperour the innocent Empresse unto the uttermost coasts of Africa Thus was Alexander out of a milde and gentle nature swayed and over-ruled by his mother which was the occasion of both their ruines for Maximiâ—us a Thracian borne of base parentage his father being a shepheard and preferred by Alexander to eminent place in the warres taking the advantage of the murmuring of the people and souldiers and the covetousnesse and envy of the mother most treacherously conspired against his Lord and Master the same barbarously and cruelly flew them both and by their death aspired unto the Imperiall purple The French Chronicles speake of one Prince Cranne the sonne of Clotharius who having raigned forty five yeares at Soissons now called the Belgick Gant upon the decease of his elder brother Childebert who died without issue male was proclaimed the seventh King of France This Cranne on whom that may be truly construed of the Poet Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos was sicke of his fathers life envying and grieving that he kept him so long from the Crowne but wanting meanes to make him away privately by poyson or the like because his servants about him were faithfull and not to be corrupted he therefore opposed him by publike hostility incensing his Unkle Childebert against him who supported him in all his insolencies against his father But Childebert being dead and he now wanting his great support was forc't to mediate his peace with his father who upon his submission tooke him to grace and gave him his free pardon But his former heart burning envy still boyling in his breast he fell into a second rebellion yet finding the successe of his bad attempts to grow still worse and worse as his last refuge hee fled to the Prince or Duke of the Brittons whom some call Conobee others Canubo who undertooke to secure him from the pursute of his father Whereupon Clotharius with his Army invaded that Countrey and joyned battaile with the Prince and his sonne in which the Brittons lost the day their Army was routed the Prince slaine and Cranne taken prisoner of whom his father having seised hee caused him to be shut up in an house and with his wife and children to be burnt to death a just judgement from heaven but a cruell sentence from a father who that very day twelve-moneth
therefore much lesse exceeded this Arch yillain I say to all his other wicked acts added also these of Adultery and Incest he was infamous for his many stuprations with a noble virgin of Rome he raped also one of the Vestal◠or priests of Vesta and further to enjoy the embraces of Aurelia Arestilla he took away her son by poyson because being grown to maturity and yeares of discretion he opposed his mothers second nuptials which was in those dayes held to be immodesty amongst the noblest matrons of Rome and thus Salustius and Valerius report of him Calius cap. 30. lib. 8. reports that Bagoas the Eunuch was much indeated to Alexander the great for no other cause but that there was some brutish and unnaturall congresse betwixt them therefore when Orsines a noble Persian came to see Alexander and presented to him and to them of his choice and intimate friends many great and rich gifts but gave to Bagoas not so much as the least honour or respect being asked the reason thereof he made answer I owe unto Alexander and his friends all the duty and reverence that can be expectect from a true loyall and faithfull heart but to a whore or strumpet such as Bagoas is to him I acknowledge not so much as the least notice to be taken that such a wretched fellow lives Of the lusts and intemperances of Augustus Iulius Tiberius Heliogabalus Caligula Commodus Domitian Proculus and others I have sufficiently spoken before which shewed as the Roman Emperours exceeded in state power and majesty so most of them maculated and poluted their high and sacred calling with the most base effeminacies and sordidst luxuries that the heart could conceive or the fancy of man apprehend Neither have they alone been guilty of these notorious crimes and vices but all Nations have been tainted with the like impurities which hath been the depopulation of famous Cities the ruines of Kingdomes the removing of Monarchies from one people and language to another when seldom any Conquerour from any Nation brought home their victory without their vices of which there be frequent examples The Babylonians were the first that usurped the name of a Monarchy the Medes and Persians wrested it from them the Grecians wan it from the former and lastly the Romans from the Grecians who as they learned of them Graecari to drinke hard so Mechari to stuprate and adulterate and as they used their Dominion and tyranny governing them by substitutes and praefects and proconsuls and the like so with their power they brought in their prodigalities riots feastings rapes adulteries stuprations scortations fornications even to abhominations above nature too immodest to speak then by consequent too devillish to act But from generalities I come to particulars Gemelius Tribunitius though he were one of the Patricians family and a Nobleman of Rome yet was so degenerate in his condition that of his own house he made a Brothell or Stewes where amongst others were vitiated Mutia and Fulvia two illustrious women and of especiall remarke in the City with a noble youth called Saturninus who was polluted and defiled against nature but as some report of the master of the family his house was after accidentally set on fire and he himselfe added part of the fewell to the flame And in this kinde of punishment lust may be said and not altogether unproperly to be quenched with fire Calius reports of Dionysius junior that comming into the City of Locris where he had the entertainment belonging to a Prince of his estate and quality but the Town abounding with fair and beautifull virgins he could not bridle his exorbitant appetite but some he courted with fair words others bribed with rich gifts and such as he could win to his insatiate desires by neither he committed violence upon their persons insomuch that divers of the noblest maidens were by him vitiated and corrupted which they not having patience to endure made an insurrection against him and having first dispatched his Guard to whom he most trusted they seised upon his person and put him so great maceration and torment for binding him to a stake they thrust sharpe needles betwixt the nailes and flesh of his toes and fingers and when he had endured as well the taunts of their tongues as the exquisite tortures of their engines they put him to death and after having dried his bones pouned them to dust in a morter and such was the reward of his brutish and beastly luxury to whom I will adde Lusius the nephew to Marius by the sisters side who for offering a preposterous carriage of lust to Treboninus a young man of an excellent aspect and feature and withall of a civill and modest carriage by profession a Souldier was slain by him in his tent notwithstanding the greatnesse of his alliance and kinred of which he prefumed so far that even the most abhominable evils by them countenanced might be held lawfull And by the like encouragement namely the impurity of the times Sotodes the obscene Iambicke writer composed his verses in that strain as savouring nothing but Pathicke and Cinedicke venery abhorred by all modest and chaste eares and eyes insomuch that of them grew a proverbe If any mans workes tasted of ribaldry or obscenity it was called Sotadicum poëma and of him Politianus speakes in his Natricia The Corinthians were extremely taxed with this incontinence for it is said of them that they prostituted their wives and daughters for gain and hence grew a proverbe Non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum It is not for every man to go to Corinth they pay so dear for their pleasure The Babylonians Tyrrhenians and Massagelans were also greatly contaminated with this vice abusing their bodies in that monstrous sort that they were said rather to live like beasts than men It is a sin which compelleth men neither to have care of their own good names nor of their posterity which shall come after them and therefore Draco the famous Law-giver writ so bitterly against this concupiscence that he is said rather than to have drawn them in inke to have inscribed them in blood and no wonder if he were so austere and supercilious against it when it inforceth us to covet above our power to act beyond our strength and to die before our time One defineth it thus an enemy to the purse a foe to the person a canker to the minde a corrasive to the conscience a weakner of the wit a besotter of the sense and a mortall enemy to the whole body it sweetneth with pleasure to the path of perdition and is the loadstone leading and guiding to ruth and ruine so far Pliny Demonax termes it a pleasure bought with pain a delight hatched with unquiet a contentment accompanied with fear and a sin finished with sorrow by continuance it growes to impudence and shame and infamy continually waites at the heeles thereof For further instance one Hostius a Prince who lived in the time
the best friends about him lest they should supplant him from the Imperiall dignity of which he grew the more timerous in regard of divers ominous dreames for there appeared unto him in his slumbers a blazing-starre like a sword and a Monke running with a sword drawn to the Emperours Statue inrag'd and crying out aloud Imperatorem ferrâ— periturum iâ— That the Emperour shall perish by steele Hee dreamed also That he was given to be murdered to one Phocas upon which he sent for one Philippicus out of prison a man whom hee much trusted and asked him Qualis sit Phocas What kinde of man is that Phocas To whom Philippicus answered Centurio ambitiosus sed timidus To whom the Emperour againe replyed If he be a coward he is then a murderer In conclusion he grew into such a great contempt of the Army that they sought to depose him and the Legions and men of Warre about Istrus chose Phocas a barbarous and bloudy Thracian to be Emperour who made all the haste possible to Constantinople where he was crowned in the Suburbs by Cyprian the Patriarch Mauricius in this interim was with his wife and children at Chalcedon where through griefe and trouble of minde he fell sicke thither Phocas sped him with all expedition who first caused his two youngest Sons to be slaine in his sight and then his three daughters and next their mother Constantina the daughter of Tiberius the second the next Emperour before Mauricius who beheld the deaths of his sonnes and daughters with great patience but when he saw his wife in the hand of the tormentor he burst forth into these words acknowledging his faults O Lord God thou art just and and thy Iudgements are right Lastly Phocas commanded his head to be cut off whose body with his wives and children were cast upon the shore to be a publike spectacle for all the people where they lay upon the ground till one of the enemies which had belonged to Mauricius caused them to be interted Achaeus a King of the Lydians was much branded with this vice of covetousnesse who when he had accumulated much riches and that too by sinister meanes not therewith contented hee proceeded further and put new and unheard of taxes and exactions upon his subjects when they knew his Treasury abounded with all fulnesse and plenty In hate of whose extreame avarice they conspired together and made an insurrection against him and having surprised him in his Palace they haled him thence and hanged him on a Gibbet with his heeles upward and his head drowned in the waters of Pactolus whose streames as sundry Authors write are of the colour of gold and hath name amongst the golden rivers an Embleme of his avarice Thus you see this deadly sinne seldome or never escapes without Judgement Neither did Iustinianus the second the sonne of Constantinus Barbatus escape the aspersion of this horrid vice he was the last of the stocke of Heraclius a man covetous unquiet cruell and unfortunate He had two Sycophants who furnisht his coffers and for that were graced by him with all Imperiall power and authority the one Theodosuis a Monke the other Stephanus the Emperours Chaplaine who was in such credit with his Master that he durst beate the old Empresse These two not onely exercised extortion and oppression amongst the Subjects but great cruelty upon the Princes Dukes and Captaines keeping one of them called Leontius two yeares in prison who after escaping by the helpe of the Patriarch was made Emperour and cut off the nostrils of Iustinian and sent him as an Exile to Chersonesus Which Leontius being after surprised by Tiberius Apsimarus he cut off his nostrils and sent him into a Monastery After Iustinian returned being ayded by the Bulgarians and suprising both Leontius and Apsimarus he caused them to be led bound through the Market-place and having first trod upon their necks cut off their heads then hee pulled out the eyes of Callinious the Patriarch and hanged up Heraclius the brother of Apsimarus But at what time he sent his Army against Chirson the Host made Philippicus Bardanes Emperour who made all speed to Constantinople and taking Iustinian and his sonne Tiberius from the Sanctuary commanded them most miserably to be slaine Nay even your greatest Prelates and in the primest places of Episcopall dignity have not beene excluded from this generall sinne of Avarice Martinus Papa was of that gripple and penurious condition that he commanded the ends of wax-candles left after Masse and the other Service to bee brought him home to his Palace to save him light in the nights for his houshold and family And Pontanus writes of one Agolastus a Priest and Cardinall who though he allowed liberally meat for his horses after repenting him of the charge would in the night steale privately into the stable and take the provender out of their mangers which hee used so long that being watcht by the master of his horse and knowing him beate him soundly as if he had beene a common theefe But contrary to these Alexander the first Pope was of that bounty and munificence that scarce any meriting man but tasted freely of his liberality who used to say unto his friends in sport I will tell you all my fortunes I was a rich Bishop I was a poore Cardinall and am at this present a beggarly Pope A great example of this vice of desiring to get and have was that of Alcmaeon the son of Megaclus who when he had entertained some of the chief Nobility of Croesus King of Lidia in their way to Delphos with great humanity and curtesie the King loth to remain indebted to him or at least not some way to correspond with his bounty invited him to his Palace and having abundantly feasted him for some dayes when he was ready to depart and take his leave of the King Nay saith he you shall not part thus empty-handed from me before you have seen my Treasury and take from thence as much gold as you are able to carry who being of the craving and having condition presently provided himselfe of large garmenrs and wide cloathes with deep and spatious pockets and thought not all sufficient for comming to the Magazine having taken thence as much as it was possible for him to dispose of in any place about him he then filled his mouth and crammed it to the very teeth and had conveyances in hair and so swearing under this burden disguised like a man distracted and quite out of his senses he appeared before the King who when he saw him so estranged from himselfe burst into a loud laughter and in contempt of his covetousnesse with great scorne and derision let him depart Thus far Herodotus Neither hath the Feminine sexe been altogether free from the same aspersions but most justly taxed for when Brennus our Countriman and brother to Belinus King of this Land being then Captain of the Gauls besieged Ephesus with his Army a great Lady of
the City called Dominica sent to parle with him and made a covenant for a mighty great sum of money to betray it into his hands which Brennus according to the composition entred and after sacked and spoiled and standing at one of the great gates to receive the reward he willing to keep his promise and yet in his heart detesting the avarice of the woman caused so much gold and treasure to be thrown upon her till under the huge masse she was buried alive Near allied to the former is the story of Tarpeia one of the vestall virgins in Rome who having covenanted with Sabine the enemies to the Romans to betray unto them the Capital for the bracelets they wore on their left arme which were very rich and costly they when they were entred and had possession of the place in stead of their bracelets and carcanets threw upon her their shields and targets worne of their left armes and so stiâ—â—ed smothered and pressed her to death in memory of whose soul and traiterous act grounded on Covetousnesse the Hill where she was buried is called The Tarpeian Mountain even to this day and this hapned in the year of the world 2305. Europhites was likewise the wife of Amphiâ—rus who for a carcanet of gold given her by Pâ—linyces betrayed her husband and discovered him in the place where he had hid himselfe because he would not go to the The 〈…〉 warres because it was told him by the Oracle that there he should assuredly die for which he left a strict charge with his son Alemaâ—â— that he should no sooner hear of his death but he should instantly kill his mother which Orestes-like he performed and proved a Maâ—â—icide to performe the will of his deceased father Thus you see not one of these three escaped a fearfull judgement Of contrary disposition to these was the virgin Placidia daughter to the Emperour Valentintanut and Eudosia who neglecting all her fathers riches and honours abandoned the vanities of the world and betook her selfe to a devout and sequestred life As the like did Elburga daughter to Edward King of England a Saxon and had the sirname of Seignior or the elder Edward And if we look no further than to this City London the Metropolis of the Kingdom how many pious and devout matrons hath it yeelded even from antiquity to this present who have contributed largely to the erecting and repairing of Temples building of Almes-houses and Hospitals erecting schooles for learning maintaining poore Ministers in preaching in giving liberally towards Halls leaving stockes to set up young beginners and bequeathing legacies for poor maides marriages and these not for the present but to the end of the world For which God be praised and daily increase their number but this is directly averse to the argument now in agitation which is Covetousnesse If it be dangerous to be rich even to him that knowes how to use his wealth how much more fearfully perillous then for him that hath abundance of all worldly fortunes and knows only how to abuse them Caesar being in Spain extorted great summes of money most injustly from the Proconsul there and certain Cities of the Lusitanians though they neither offended him nor violated any covenant with them yet when they friendly set open their gates to receive him as their patton and defender he spoiled their houses made seisure of their goods and even the Temples of the gods he sacrilegiously robbed it being his custome to rifle Cities not for any fault committed but for the certain prey expected In the first year of his Consulship he stole for no better attribute my Author giveth it 〈◊〉 thousand pound weight of gold out of the Capitol he moreover sold societies liberties and immunities nay even Crownes Scepters and Kingdomes for gold he also defrauded King Pâ—olomeus of six thousand talents at one time in his own name and Pompeys before they were at distance Eutropius writes that Flavius Vespatianas was wretchedly corrupted with this vice and evermore gaping after gold who at his comming to the Empire called in all those debts and impositions which were remitted or forgotten by his predecessour Galba to which he added new taxes more grievous and burdensom than the former he increased all the tributes in the Provinces and in some doubled them and for the avidity of money would sit upon all triviall and common causes such with which a private man would have been ashamed to have troubled himselfe to the â—anditates 〈◊〉 fold honours and to the guilty of any notorious act pardonâ— his custome was to raise procurators such as were the most â—apacious to great and gainfull Offices for no other cause but that 〈◊〉 they were â—â—ll he like a spunge might squeeze them by forfeiting their whole ill-gotten estate into his own hands neither was he ashamed to raise money out of urine for so saith Suetonius Thus we see what a monster money can make of the most mighty and potent men Sergius Galba who was Emperour in the year of our Redemption 71. Those Cities of Spain and France who were most constant to the Roman Empire upon them he imposed the most grievous exactions and tributes he rob'd the statâ—e of Iupiter of his crown of fifteen pound weight in gold the souldiers who desired the Roman Eagle and military Ensignes he decimâ—ted and tythed dismissing nine parts and to save charges reserved the tenth onely the German Cohorts appointed by the Caesars to be the Guard of their bodies as most intrusted next their persons he quite dissolved and sent them empty handed into their Countries without any reward at all he was moreover of that parsimony that if at any time he had at his table more fare than ordinary he would horribly repine at it forgetting the state of an Emperour and say that it was money expended in waste he said openly for his own part he could content himselfe with a dish of pulse or pease as sufficient to content nature Of the like penurious disposition was Didius Iulianus Emperour who made a Law called Did 〈…〉 x to restrain the excesse in banqueting who for his Imperiall table would make a pig or an hare to serve him for three severall suppers when his dinner was nothing else but a few olives and herbes Which abstinence had been very commendable had it been for continence sake and not the avaritious desire to save money And Aelius Pertinax was of that frugality that he would set before his guests onely an halfe sallad of lettice and thistles two sops and a few apples or if he would exceed at any time in his diet he would feast them with a leg or a wing of a hen And these two last Emperours may compare with the former who notwithstanding all his masse of wealth wrestingly and injuriously purchased was wretchedly murdered by his souldiers in the sixty third year of his age after he had reigned onely seven moneths and seven dayes Many others are for this sin