out more than was their due and by force to rauen all that which by faire meanes they could not get And that which is worse to pollute the holy Tabernacle of God with their filthie Whoredomes Contempt of holy things lib. 1. cap. 34. in such sort that the Religion of God grew in disgrace through their prophane dealings And albeit that it may seeme that their father did his dutie in some sort when hee admonished and reprooued them yet it is manifest by the reprehension of the man of God that hee did no part of that at all or if hee did yet it was in so careles loose cold maner vsing more lenitie thē he ought or lesse seueritie thē was necessary that God turned their destructions whē they were slain at the ouerthrow of Israel by the Philistims to bee his punishment for vnderstanding the doleful news of his sons death the arks taking at once he fel backwards from his stoole and burst his neck being old and heauy euen fourscore and eighteene yeares of age not able either to helpe or stay himselfe Lib. 2. cap. 10. de in titut christ fami Ludouicus Viues saith that in his time a certaine woman in Flaunders did so much pamper and cocker vp two of her sonnes euen against her husbands will that shee would not suffer them to want money or any thing which might furnish their riotous life both in drinking banquetting dicing yea she would steale from her husband to minister vnto thē but as soone as her husband was dead shee was iustly plagued in them both for they fell from rioting to robbing which two vices are commonly linked together and for the same one of thē was executed by the sword the other by the haltar shee her selfe looking on as a witnesse of their destructions whereof her conscience told her that her indulgence was the chiefest cause Hether may wee referre that common and vulgar story and I suppose verie true which is almost in euery childs mouth of him that going to the gallowes desired to speake with his mother in her eare ere hee died Cyriac. Spang and when she came vnto him in stead of speaking bit off her eare with his teeth exclaiming vpon her as the causer of his death because shee did not chastise him in his youth for his faults but by her flatteries established him in vice which brought him to this wofull end herein she was doubly punished both in her sons destruction her own infamy wherof shee carried about her a continuall marke This ought to bee a warning to all parents to looke better to the education of their children and to root out of them in time all euill and corrupt manners least of small sprigs they grow to branches and of qualities to habites and so either be hardly done of or at least depraue the whole body bring it to destruction but aboue all to keepe them from idlenesse vain pleasures the discōmodity and mischiefe wherof this present example wil declare At a towne called Hannuel in Saxonie the Deuill transforming himselfe into the shape of a man Iob Fincel lib. de miracu exercised many iugling trickes and pretty pastimes to delight yoong men and maids withall and indeed to draw after him daily great companies one day they followed him out of the citie gates vnto a hill adioyning where hee plaid a iuggling tricke in deed with them for he carried them all away with him so that they were after neuer heard of This history is recorded in the annales of the forenamed city and auouched to be most true being a notable and fearefull admonition to all parents to set their children to learning and instruction and to withdraw them from all such vaine and foolish pastimes CHAP. II. Of those that rebell against their Superiours NOw as it is a thing required by law and reason that children beare that honour and reuerence to their naturall parents which is commanded so it is as necessary by the same respect that all subiects perfourme that duty of honor obedience to their Lords Princes and Kings which is not derogatory to the glory of God and the rather because they are as it were their fathers in supplying that duty towards their subiects which fathers owe their children as namely in maintaining their peace tranquility in earthly things and keeping them vnder the discipline of Gods Church to which two ends they were ordained Rom. 13. For this cause the scripture biddeth euery man to be subiect to the higher powers not so much to auoid the punishment which might befall the contrary as because it is agreeable to the will of God And in another place To honour the king and To giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars 1. Pet. 2. Matth. 22. Exod. 22. as vnto God that which is Gods So also in Moses law we are forbidden to detract from or speake euill of the magistrate or to curse the ruler of the people Yet for all this the children of Israel were not afraid many times to commit this sinne but then especially when they charged Moses with conspiring the murder of those rebels that vnder Corah Dathan and Abiram captaines of that enterprise set themselues against him and Aaron Num. 16. whome not hee but God for their pride and stubbornnesse had rooted out and destroied and thus they backbited and slaundered Moses and mutined against him being their soueraigne magistrate and conductour that so meekely and iustly had brought them ought of Aegypt euen by the speciall commission of almighty God But the fury of Gods displeasure was so stirred vp against them for this their fact that they were scourged with a most grieuous plague whereof died about foure thousand and seuen hundred persons In the time of king Dauids flight from Absolom who pursued him to bereaue him of his kingdome 2. Sam. 16. there was one Semei a Ieminite that in his wicked and peruerse humour in stead of seruice due vnto his soueraigne especially in that extremitie not only presented not himselfe vnto him as a subiect Mandat 3. Cursers lib. 1. cap. 33. but as a railer cursed him with most reprochfull termes as of murderer and wicked man and also threw stones at him and his followers in most despightfull maner for which his malicious and rebellious act though whilst Dauid liued he was not once called in question yet was he not exempted from punishment therefore for in the end his wickednesse fel vpon his owne head and destruction ouertooke him by desert of another fault 1. King 2. at the commandement of Salomon 2. Sam. 20. The punishment of Shiba the sonne of Bichri tarried not all so long who hauing also with a proud and audacious heart stirred vp the greatest part of Israel to rebell against Dauid then when he thought to haue beene most at quiet enioyed not long his disloiall enterprise for being speedily pursued by Dauids
thus subdued sued for pardon and release at the conquerours hand but he was so farre from pitying his estate that hee corrupted one Iringus a noble man and Irminfrides subiect to murder his master which he perfourmed kneeling before Theodoricke running him through with his sword at his backe which traiterous deed assoone as it was finished Theodoricke though the setter of it yet hee could not abide the actour but bad him be packing for who could put trust in him that had betraied his owne master At which words Iringus mad with anger and rage ran at Theodoricke also with purpose to haue slaine him too but his hand missing the marke returned his sword into his owne bowels so that he fell downe dead vpon his masters carkasse What more notable and wonderfull iudgement could happen surely it is an example worthy to be written in golden letters to be read and remembred of euery one to teach men allegiance and obedience to their princes and superiors least more sudden destruction than this fall vpon them Tit. Liuius After the death of Ieronimus king of Siracusa Andronodorus and Themistius prouoked by their wiues descending of the blood roiall affected an vsurpation of the crowne and wrought much hurt to the common wealth but their practises being discouered the Pretours by the consent of the Seniours slew them both in the market place as rotten members of their common body and therefore fit to be cut off And when they vnderstood how their wiues Damarata and Harmonia were breeders and incensers of this mischiefe they sent to kill them also yea and Heraclia Harmonia her sister guiltlesse and witlesse of the crime for no other cause but because shee was sister vnto her was pluckt from the altar and slaine in the tumult with two of her daughters that were virgins And thus is treason plagued not only in traitors themselues but also in those that are linked vnto them in friendship and affinity The glory and reputation of Fabritius the Romane is eternized by that noble act of his Cic. offic lib. 9. in sending bound to Pyrrhus a traitour that offered to poison him For albeit that Pyrrhus was a sworne enemy to the Romane Empire and also made warre vpon it yet would not Fabritius treacherously seeke his destruction but sent backe the traitour vnto him to be punished at his discretion What notable treasons did Hadrian the fourth Pope of Rome practise against the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa yet all was still frustrate for the Lord protected the Emperour and punished the traitour with a sudden and straunge death for he was choked with a fly which went downe his throat and stopped his breath and could by no meanes be pulled out till it made an end of him Besides many others that went abour the same practise were brought to notable destructions as that counterfait foole whome the Italians set on to murder Fredericke in his chamber which had beene perfourmed had he not leaped out of a window into a riuer and so saued his life for the foole being taken was throwne headlong out of the same window and broke his necke As also an Arabian doctor a grand poisoner who going about to infect with poison his bridle his saddle his spurs and stirrops that assoone as hee should but touch them he might be poisoned was discouered and hanged for his labour In the yeere of our Lord 1364 Albert. Crantz when as the Emperour Charles the 4 and Philip duke of Austria were readie to ioine battaile in the field Charles distrusting his owne power vndermined his foe by subtilty on this fashion he sent for three of duke Philips captains priuily perswaded them with promises of rewards to worke some means to terrifie the duke dissuade him from that battell which they performed with all diligence for they told the duke that they had stolne into the Emperors tents by night viewed his power which they found to exceed his by three parts and therefore counselled him not to trie the hazard of the battell but to saue his souldiers liues by flight which if they tarried they were sure to loose Wherewithall the Duke mistrusting no fraud sore affrighted tooke the next occasion of flight returned home with dishonour Now when these three traitours came to the Emperour for their compacted rewards he caused them to be paid in counterfait mony not equiualing the summe of their bargaine by the twentieth part which though at first they discerned not yet afterwards finding how they were cousened they returned to require their due and complaine of their wrong But the Emperor looking sternly vpon them answered That counterfait mony was good enough for their counterfait seruice and that if they tarried long they should haue a due reward of their treason CHAP. III. More examples of the same subiect WHen Manuel the Emperour of Constantinople lay about Antioch with an army prepared against the Turke Otto Frisingensis de rebus Freder prin lib. 1. cap. 47. one of his chiefest officers namely his Chancellour put in practise this notable piece of treason against him he waged three desperate yong men with an infinite summe of mony to kill him on a day appointed and then with a band of souldiers determined to possesse himselfe of the crowne and of the city and to slay all that any way crossed his purpose But the treason being discouered secretly to the Empresse shee acquainted her lord with it who tooke the three traitours and put them all to cruell deaths and as for the Chancellour he first bored out his eyes and plucking his tongue through his throat tormented him to death with a rigorous and most miserable punishment When the Turke besieged Alba Graca certaine souldiors conspired to betray the citie into his hands Bonfiâ—â—us lib 3. Decad. 5. for hee had promised them large rewards so to doe howbeit it succeeded not with them for they were detected and apprehended by Paulus Kynisius gouernour of Hungarie who constrained theÌ„ to eat one anothers flesh seething euery day one to feed the other withall but hee that was last was faine to deuour his owne body Scr bonianus a Captaine of the Romanes in Dalmatia rebelled against the Emperour Claudius Lanquet chron and named himselfe Emperour in the â—rmy but his rebellion was miraculously punished for though the whole army fauoured him verie much yet they could not by any meanes spread their banners or remoue their standerds out of their places as long as hee was called by the name of Emperour with which miracle being mooued they turned their loues into hatred and their liking into loathing so that whome lately they saluted as Emperour him now they murdered as a traitor To rehearse all the English traitors that haue conspired against their kings from the conquest vnto this day Lanquet it is a thing vnnecessarie and almost impossible Howbeit that their destructions may appeare more euidently and the cutse of God vpon traitors bee made
owne humours with their abominations and approoue and cleare themselues therein yet are they rewarded by death not onely by the law of God Leuit. 20. but also by the law Iulia. When Charlemaigne reigned in France there happened a most notable iudgement of God vpon the monkes of Saint Martine in Tours for their disordinate lusts they were men whose food was too much and dainty whose ease was too easie and whose pleasures were too immoderate being altogither addicted to pastimes and meriments In their apparell they went clad in silke like great lords Nic. Gil. vol. 1. and as Nichol. Gill. in his first volume of French Chronicles saith their shoes were gilt ouer with gold so great was the superfluity of their riches and pride in summe their whole life was luxurious and infamous for which cause there came forth a destroying angell from the Lord by the report of Eudes the Abbot of Clugny and slew them all in one night as the first borne of Aegypt were slaine saue one onely person that was preferued as Lot in Sodome was preserued this strange accident mooued Charlemaigne to appoint a brotherhood of Canons to be in their roome though little better and as little profitable to the common wealth as the former It is not for nothing that the law of God forbiddeth to lie with a beast Leuit. 18. and denounceth death against them that commit this foule sinne for there haue been such monsters in the world at sometimes Exod. 22. Leuit. 20. Deut. 27. as we read in Caelius and Volaterranus of one Crathes a sheepheard that accompanied carnally with a shee goat but the Buck finding him sleeping offended and prouoked with this strange action ran at him so furiously with his hornes that hee left him dead vpon the ground God that opened an asses mouth to reproue the madnesse of the false Prophet Balaam and sent lions to kill the strange inhabitants of Samaria emploied also this bucke about his seruice in executing iust vengeance vpon a wicked varlet CHAP. XXXIII Of the wonderfull euill that ariseth from this greedinesse of lust IT is to very good reason that the scripture forbiddeth vs to abstaine from the lust of the flesh and the eies 1. Ioh. 2. which is of the world and the corruprion of mans owne nature for so much as by it we are drawne and enticed to euill it being as it were a corrupt root which sendeth forth most bitter soure and rotten fruit Iam. 1. and this happeneth not onely when the goods and riches of the world are in quest but also when a man hunteth after dishonest and vnchast delights this concupiscense is it that bringeth forth whoredoms adulteries and many other such sinnes whereout spring forth oftentimes floods of mischiefes and that diuers times by the selfe will and inordinate desire of priuat and particular persons Gen. 39. what did the lawlesse lust of Putiphars wife bring vpon Ioseph was not his life endangered and his body kept in close prison where hee cooled his feet two yeeres or more We haue a most notable example of the miserable end of a certaine woman with the sacking and destruction of a whole city and all caused by her intemperance and vnbridled lust About the time that the Emperour Phocas was slaine by Priscus Sabell one Gysulphus gouernour and chieftaine of a cuntry in Lumbardie going out in defence of his cuntry against the Bauarians which were certaine reliques of the Hunnes gaue them battaile and lost the field and his life withall Now the conquerours pursuing their victory laid siege to the chiefe citie of his prouince where Romilda his wise made her abode who viewing one day from the wals the young and faire king with yellow curled locks gallopping about the city fell presently so extreamely in loue with him that her mind ran of nothing but satisfying her greedy and new conceiued lust wherefore burying in obliuion the loue of her late husband with her young infants yet liuing and her countrey and preferring her owne lust before them all shee sent secretly vnto him this message That if hee would promise to marry her shee would deliuer vp the citie into his hands he well pleased with this gentle offer through a desire of obtaining the citie whioh without great bloodshed and losse of men he could not otherwise compasse accepted of it and was receiued vpon this condition within the wals and least hee should seeme too perfidious hee performed his promise of marriage and made her his wife for that one night but soone after in scorne and disdaine hee gaue her vp to twelue of his strongest leachers to glut her vnquenchable fire and finally nailed her on a gibbet for a finall reward of her treacherous and boundlesse lust Marke well the misery whereinto this wretched woman threw her selfe and not onely her selfe but a whole city also by her boiling concupiscense which so dâ—zled her vnderstanding that shee could not consider how vndecent it was dishonest and inconuenient for a woman to offer her selfe nay to sollicite a man that was an enemy a stranger and one that shee had neuer seene before to her bed and that to the vtter vndoing of her selfe and all hers But euen thus many more whose hearts are passionate with loue are blindfolded after the same sort like as poeticall Cupid is fained to be that not knowing what they take in hand they fall headlong into destruction ere they be aware Let vs then be here aduertised to pray vnto God that hee would purifie our drossie hearts and diuert our wandring eies from beholding vanity to be seduced thereby CHAP. XXXIIII Of vnlawfull gestures Idlenesse Gluttony Drunkennes Daunsing and other such like dissolutenes LIke as if we would carry our selues chastly and vprightly before God it behooueth vs to auoid all filthines and adultery so wee must abstaine from vnciuill and dishonest gestures which are as it were badges of concupiscense coles to set lust on fire and instruments to iniury others withall Sabel from hence it was that Pompey caused one of his souldiers eyes to be put out in Spaine for thrusting his hand vnder a womans garment that was a Spaniard and for the same or like offence did Sertorius command a footman of his band to be cut in pieces Oh that we had in these daies such minded captaines that would sharply represse the wrongs and rauishments which are so common and vsuall amongst men of warre at this day and so vncontrolled they would not then doubtlesse be so rife and common as in these daies they are Kissing is no lesse to be eschewed than the former if it be not betwixt those that are tied togither by some bond of kindred or affinitie as it was by auncient custome of the Medes and Persians and Romanes also according to the report of Plutarch and Seneca and that which is more Sueton. Tiberius Caesar forbad the often and daily practise thereof in that
were aliue hee was very well content that very honourable personages as Knights and such others being on foote should hold his mule by the bridle to bee in stead of pages and lacquies to lead him into the townes his entrance into euery Cittie was with great pompe and magnificence and his lodging prouided at the richest and stateliest Burgesse house Now that he might the better play his part they prepared him in the best and conuenient places of the city ascaffold richly hung garnished vpō the which his custome was first to say Masse thē to begin his sermon wherin hee ripped vp the vices of euery estate but reproued especially the Clergies enormities because of their concubines and whores which they maintained wherein he did say nothing but that which was good lawfull but in the same he vsed no discretion but ioined madnesse sacriledge with his Monkish nature in stirring vp litle children to exclaim vpon women for their attire promising certaine daies of pardon to them as if he had beene a God so that ladies and gentlewomen were inforced to lay aside for a season their accustomed trinckets Moreouer also towards the end of his sermons hee commanded to be brought vnto him their chestbords cards dice nine pinnes such other trash which hee openly threw into the fire to be burned before them all and that he might giue more strength and credite to this his paltrie riffraffe hee caused the men and women to bee deuided on ech side with a line drawne betwixt them as in a tennis court and by this meanes hee drew together sometimes twenty thousand persons so readie and zealous is and euer hath beene the world to follow after such hypocriticall deceiuers rather then the true preachers of Gods word But let vs hear the issue of this holy hypocrit it was thus when hee had in the forenamed sort trauersed aswell France and Flanders it took him in the head to passe the mountains and visit Rome imagining that it was no hard matter to obtaine the Popeship seeing that in all places where hee went there was equall honour giuen vnto him or if hee should faile of that hope yet at least the Pope and his cardinals would entertaine him honourably but it happened far shorr of his expectation for Popes are not so prodigall of their honors to do any such reuerence to a poore silly Monke but are very niggards and sparing thereof euen towards Kings so farre are they from leauing their thrones of maiesty to any other neither must wee thinke that the Pope cared greatly for all those tricks and quiddities of Frier Thomas seeing hee himselfe is the onely Marchant of such trash When hee was arriued at Rome Pope Eugenius seeing that hee came not according to custome to kisse his holinesse feet sent for him twise and vnderstanding that he refused to come and that hee fained himselfe to bee euill at ease sent his treasurer but not to impart to him any treasure but to apprehend and attach him The Frier now perceiuing that inquirie was made for him and that they were at his chamber dore leapt out at a window thinking by that meanes to escape but hee was quickly taken prisoner by the treasurers seruants waiting before the dore and brought before the consistorie of Cardinals law proceeded against him by doome wherof though no erronious opinions could bee proued against him hee was adiudged to the stake to bee burned for an Heretike but it was sufficient to make him guiltie because hee defamed the Priests in his sermons and had spoken so broadly of their gossips and had beene so bold to vsurpe the authority of giuing pardons which the Popes claim for a priuiledge of their own sea and besides had made no more account of him that is a pettie God on earth but had done all these things without his leaue and license it was an hard matter to bee induced of the bishops of Rome that a silly Monke should so intermeddle with their affaires and should derogate any whit from their supremacie seeing that they quit themselues so wel with Kings and Emperours and can at euery right occasion make them stoope neither is it to be doubted but that Pope Eugenius was very iealous of the honour which Frier Thomas attained vnto in euery place fearfull least his presence might disturbe his present estate By this meanes God who vseth all instruments for his owne purpose and can direct euery particular to the performing of his will did punish and correct the hypocrisie of this Monke that seemed to bee holy and wise being indeed nothing but foolish stubborne and ambitious Moreouer most notable was the hypocrisie of two counterfait holy maids Stow. chron one of Kent in England called Elizabeth Barton the other of France called Ioane la Pucelle the former of which by the procurement information of one Richard Master person of Aldington and Edward Bocking Doctor of diuinity a Monk of Canterbury and diuerse others counterfeited such manner of traunces and distortions in her bodie with the vttering of diuers counterfeit vertues holy words tending to the rebuke of sinne reprouing such new opinions as there begā to spread that she won great credit amongst the people drew after her a multitude of fauourites besides shee would prophesie of things to come as that shee should bee helped of her disease by none but the image of our lady in Aldington whether being brought she appeared to the people to be sodainly releeued from her sicknesse by means of which hypocrital dissimulation she was brought into maruellous estimation not only with the common people but with diuerse great men also insomuch that a book was put in print touching her fained miracles reuelations Howbeit not content to delude the people shee began also to medle with the king himself Henry the eigth saying that if he proceeded to be deuorced from his wife Queene Katharine he should not remaine king one month after and in the reputation of God not one day for which many other tricks practised by her shee with her complices was arraigned of high treason and after confession of all her knauerie drawne from the tower to Tiborne and there hanged the holy maides head being set vpon London bridge the others on certain gates of the city Stow. chron The other named la Pucelle de dieu maruellously deluded with her counterfeit hipocrisie Charles the seuenth king of France and al the whole French nation in such sort that so much credit was attributed vnto her that she was honoured as a saint and thought to bee sent of God to the aid of the French king by her meanes Orleance was won from the English and many other exploits atchieued which to be short I will refer the reader vnto in the French Chronicles where they shall find her admirable knauerie at large discouered But touching her end it was on this sort as shee marched on horsebacke to the
images or pictures and such other outward and corruptible meanes which hee hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproouing the folly and vanity of idolatours saith Chap. 40.18 To whome will you liken God or what similitude will you set vp vnto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that vnder pretence and colour of his owne name any image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconuenient but also absurd and vnseemely much lesse can he abide to haue them worshipped vnder the name and title of any creature whatsoeuer And for this cause gaue he the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. which prohibition the Israelielits brake in the desert when they set vp a golden calfe bowed themselues before it after the maner of the Painyms giuing it the honour which was only due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almightie God Exod. 32. who is strong and iealous of suffering any such slander to be done vnto his name wherefore hee caused three thousand of them to be stroken wounded to death by the hand of the Leuits at the commaundement of Moses to make his anger against idolatrie more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his reuenge who were ordained for the ministery of his Church and the seruice of the altar and tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell backe into the same sinne and bowed themselues before strange gods through the allurements of the daughters of Moab ioyned themselues to Belphegor Num. 25. for which cause the Lord being incensed stroke them with so grieuous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise hee had forbidden and threatned them for cleauing to the idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serue Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was enflamed against them and hee gaue them ouer to be a spoile and prey vnto their enemies on euery side so that for many yeeres sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and euer after the death of any of their Iudges and rulers which God raised vp for their deliuerance some grieuous punishment befell them for then being without law or gouernment euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to haue some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenessâ— of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God then any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore wee place them in this rancke as well as they that haue beene alwaies brought vp and nuzled in Idolatrie 2. Chron. 22. One of this crew was Ochosias king of Iuda sonne of Ioram who hauing before him an euill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing vp of his mother Athaliah who togither with the house of Achab pricked him forward to euill ioyned himselfe to them and to their idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment destruction with Ioram the king of Israel whome Iehu slew togither with the princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath bene the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially vnder Ioachas sonne of Iosias 2. King 23. that raigned not aboue three moneths in Ierusalem before hee was taken and led captiue into Aegypt by the king thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the king of Aegypt And not long after it was vtterly destroied by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and caried king Ioaâ—him with his mother his princes his seruants and the treasures of the temple and his owne house into Babylon And finally 2. King 24.25 tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eies caused his sonnes to be slaine which assoone as he had beheld commaunded him also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of iron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the princes of Iuda to the sword consuming with fire the temple with the kings pallace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogatiue consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was neuer reestablished by God but begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calues Vide lib. 1. c. 19. which as his successours maintained and fauoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured vp in Idoll worship after the example of his father 1 King 15.27 receiued a condigne punishment for his iniquitie for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the offspring of Ieroboamâ— house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better then those whome he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whome Zambri one of his seruants slew And this againe vsurping the crowne enioyed it but seuen daies at the end whereof seeing himselfe in daunger in the citie Tirza taken by Amri whome the people had chosen for their king went into the pallace of the kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab hee multiplied idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse then all his predecessours wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against hiâ— and his for hee himselfe was wounded to death in battaile by the Sitians his sonne Ioram slaine by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their gouernours and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Aboue all a most notable and manifest example of Gods iudgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had beene his spurre and prouoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuches and most trustie seruants at the commandement of Iehu shee was thrown downe out of a window and trampled vnder the horse seer and last of all deuoured of dogges Moreouer the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murdered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the king of Assyria and afterward inuaded and subuerted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they neuer returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abominable idolatrie which ought to be a lesson to all people princes and kings that seeing God spared not these two realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroied and rooted them out from the earth
to the enemies Albertus Duke of Franconia hauing slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia brother to Lewes the fourth then Emperour Melant. Chron. lib. 4. and finding the Emperours wrath incensed against him for the same betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg from whence the Emperour neither by force nor pollicie could remooue him for seuen yeres space vntill Atto the bishop of Mentz by treachery deliuered him into his hands This Atto vnder shew of friendship repaired to the castle and gaue his faith vnto the Earle that if hee would come downe to parly with the Emperour hee should safely returne into his hold the Earle mistrusting no fraud went out of the castle gates with the bishop towards the Emperor but Atto as it were suddenly remembring himselfe when indeed it was his deuised plot desireth to returne backe and dine ere he went because it was somewhat late so they doe dine and returne Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperour but hee caused him to bee presently put to death notwithstanding hee vrged the bishops promise and oath for his returne for it was answered that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine as he had promised And thus the Earle was wickedly betraied though iustly punished As for Atto the subtill traitor indeed he possessed himselfe by this means of the Earles lands but withall the iustice of God seazed vpon him for within a while after hee was stroken with a thunderbolt and as some say carried into mount Aetna with this noise Sic peccata lues atque ruendo rues Campofulgos lib. 7. cap. 3. Cleomene◠king of Lacedemonia making warre vpon the Argiues surprised them by this subtilty he tooke truce with them for seuen daies and the third night whilst they lay secure and vnwary in their truce hee oppressed them with a great slaughter saying to excuse his treachery though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof that the truce which hee made was for seuen daies only without any mention of nights howbeit for all this it prospered not so well with him as hee wished for the Argiue women their husbands slaine tooke armes like Amazones Tolesilla beeing their captainesse and compassing the citie wals repelled Cleomenes halfe amazed with the strangenesse of the fight after which he was banished into Aegypt and there miserably and desperately slew himselfe The Pope of Rome with all his heard of bishops opposed himselfe against the Emperour Henry the fourth Chron. Carionis for he banished bim by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church discharged his subiects from the oth of fealtie and sent a crowne of gold to Rodulph king of Sueuia to canonize him Emperour the crowne had this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho that is The rocke gaue vnto Peter and Peter gaue vnto Rodulph the crowne notwithstanding Rodulph remembring his oth to the Emperour how vile a part it was to betray him whome he had sworne to obey and defend at first refused the Popes offer howbeit by the persuasion of the bishops sophistry he was induced to vndertake the name and title of Cesar and to oppugne the Emperour Henry by armes euen by foure vniust battels in the last of which Rodulph being ouercome lost his right hand and was sore wounded otherwise wherfore being ready to die when one brought vnto him his hand that was cut off in the battell he in detestation of the popes villany burst forh into these termes many bishops standing by Behold here the hand wherewith I swore fealty to the Emperour this will be an argument of my breach of faith before God and of your traiterous impulsion thereunto And thus hee deceased iustly punished euen by his owne confession for his periurie Howbeit for all this manifest example the pope and bishops continued to persecute the poore Emperour yea and to stirre vp his owne sonnes Conrade and Henry to fight against him so hardened are their hearts against all iudgements Narcissus bishop of Ierusalem Euseb lib. 6. c. 8 a man famous for his vertues sharpe in reprooving and correcting vice was accused by three wicked wretches of vnchastity and that falsly and malitiously for to prooue their accusation true they bound it with othes and curses on this wise the first said If I lie I pray God I may perish by fire the second If I speake ought but truth I pray God I may be consumed by some filthy and cruell disease Calumniatiō Lib. 2. cap. 44. the third If I accuse him falsly I pray God I may be depriued of my sight and become blind Thus although the honesty and chastitie of Narcissus was so well knowen to all the faithful that they beleeued none of their othes yet the good bishop partly mooued with griefe of this false accusation and partly with desire of quietnesse from worldly affaires forsooke his bishopricke and liued in a desert for many yeeres But his forsworne accusers by their death witnessed his innocencie which by their words they impugned for the first his house being set on fire extraordinarily perished in the flame with all his family and progenie The second languished away with an irkesome disease that bespread his body all ouer The third seeing the wofull ends of his companions confessed all their villany and lamenting his case and crime persisted so long weeping till both his eyes were put out Thus God in his iust iudgement sent vpon ech of them their wishes and thereby cleared his seruant from shame and opprobry Chron. Ernosti Brotanss Burghard Archbishop of Magdeburg though in regard of his place and profession he ought to haue giuen good example of honestie in himselfe and punish periury in others yet hee thrise broke his promise and oth with his owne citizens the Senate and people of Magdeburg for first hee besieged them with a power of men though they redeemed their liberty with a summe of money he swearing not to besiege them any more yet without respect of truth and credit hee returned a fresh to besiege but his perfidie was soone tamed for they tooke him prisoner at that assault howbeit he so asswaged their angry minds with his humble and lowly intreaties counterfait othes neuer to trouble them any more but to cōtinue their steadfast friend that they not only freed him from imprisonment but restored him to all his dignities with solemnity neuerthelesse the traiterous Archbishop returning to his old vomit got dispensation for his oth frō pope Iohn the 23 and began a fresh to vexe molest and murder them whome he had sworne to maintaine but it was the will of God that he should be once againe caught and being inclosed in prison whilst his friends sought meanes to redeeme him the Iailour beat him to death with a dore bar or as some say with an iron rod taken out of a window and so at last though long his periury found it desert The small successe that
the Emperor Sigismond had in all his affaires after the violation of his faith giuen to Iohn Hus Theatr. histor and Ierome of Prage at the councill of Constance whome though with direct protestations and othes he promised safe conduct returne yet he adiudged to be burned doth testifie the odiousnesse of his sinne in the sight of God But aboue all this one example is most worthy the marking of a fellow that hearing periurie condemned in a pulpit by a learned preacher and how it neuer escaped vnpunished said in a brauery I haue oft forsworne my selfe and yet my right hand is not a whit shorter then my left which words hee had scarse vttered when such an inflammation arose in that hand that he was constrained to go to the surgeon and cut it off least it should infect his whole body and so his right hand became shorter then his left in recompence of his periury which hee lightly esteemed of In the yeere of our Lord 1055 Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table with king Edward of England Stow Chron. it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled and yet fell not whereat Goodwine laughing said That if one brother had not holpen another meaning his legges all the wine had beene spilt with which words the king calling to mind his brothers death which was slaine by Goodwine answered So should my brother Alphred haue holpen me had not Goodwine beene then Goodwine fearing the kings new kindled displeasure excused himselfe with many words at last eating a morsell of bread wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds blood but he swore falsly as the iudgement of God declared for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the king ere hee remooued one foote from that place though there be some say he recouered life againe Stow Chron Long time after this in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth there was in the city of London one Anne Aueriâ—â— widdow who forswore her selfe for a little mony that she should haue paid for six pound of tow at a shop in Woodstreet for which cause being suddenly surprized with the iustice of God shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith and cast vp at her mouth in great aboundance with horrible stinke that matter which by natures course should haue bene voided downwards and so died to the terrour of all periured and forsworne wretches There are in Histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernicious sinne exercised by one nation towards another and one man towards another in most profane and villanous sort neither shaming to be accounted forsworne nor consequently fearing to displease God and his maiestie But forasmuch as when we come to speake of murderers in the next booke we shall haue occasion to speake of them more or of such like I will referre the handling thereof vnto that place only this let euery man learne by that which hath bene spoken to be sound and fraudlesse and to keepe his faith and promise towards all men if for no other cause yet for feare of God who leaueth not this sinne vnpunished nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus take his name in vaine CHAP. XXXI Of Blasphemers AS touching Blasphemie it is a most grieuous and enormous sinne and contrary to this third commandement when a man is so wretched and miserable as to pronounce presumptuous speeches against God whereby his name is slandered and euill spoken of which sinne can not choose but be sharpely and seuerely punished for if so be that God holdeth not him guiltlesse that doth but take his name in vaine must hee not needs abhorre him that blasphemeth his name See how meritoriously that wicked and peruerse wretch that blasphemed and murdered as it were the name of God among the people of Israel in the desert was punished hee was taken Leuit. 24. put in prison and condemned and speedily stoned to death by the whole multitude and vpon that occasion as euil manners begat euermore good lawes the Lord instituted a perpetual law and decree that euery one that should blaspheme and curse God of what estate or degree soeuer should be stoned to death in token of detestation which sentence if it might now a daies stand in force there would not raigne so many miserable blasphemers deniers of God as the world is now filled and infected with It was also ordained by a new law of Iustinian Cod. lib. 3. tit 43. that blasphemies should be seuerely punished by the Iudges magistrates of commonweales but such is the corruption and misery of this age that those men that ought to correct others for such speeches are oftentimes worst themselues there are that thinke that they can not be sufficiently feared and awed of men except by horrible bannings swearings they despite maugre God nay it is further come to that passe that in some places to sweare and ban be the marks ensignes of a Catholike they are best welcome that can blaspheme most How much then is that good king S. Lewes of France to be commended Nichol. Gil. vol. 1. Of French Chronicles who especially discharged all his subiects from swearing blaspheming within his realme insomuch that when he heating a a Lord of Ienville noble man blaspheme God most cruelly he caused him to be laid hold on his lips to be slit with an hor iron saying he must be content to endure that punishment seeing he purposed to banish othes out of his kingdome Now we call blasphemie according to the scripture phrase euery word that derogateth either from the bountie mercy iustice eternity soueraigne power of God of this sort was that blasphemous speech of one of king Iorams princes who at the time of the great famine in Samaria when it was besieged by the Sirians hearing Elizaeus the Prophet say that the next morow there should be plenty of victuals and good cheape reiected this promise of God made by his Prophet 2. King 7. saying that it was impossible as if God were either a lyar or not able to performe what he would for this cause this vnbeleeuing blasphemer receiued the same day a deserued punishment for his blasphemie for hee was troden to death in the gate of the citie vnder the feet of the multitude that went out into the Sirians camp forsaken and left desolate by them through a feare which the Lord sent among them 2. King 19. Sennacherib king of Assyria after he had obtained many victories subdued much people vnder him also laid siege to Ierusalem became so proud arrogant as by his seruants mouthes to reuile and blaspheme the liuing God speaking no otherwise of him then of some strange idoll and one that had no power to helpe and deliuer those that trusted in him for which blasphemies he soone after felt a iust vengeaÌ„ce of God vpon himselfe his people for although in mans eies he seemed
truth taking the witnesse of the two women touching that which they had seene Here wee may see the strange and terrible euents of Gods iust vengeance vpon such vile caitifes which doubtlesse are made manifest to strike a feare and terror into the heart of euery swearer and denier of God the world being but too full at this day of such wretches that are so inspired with Sathan that they cannot speak but they must name him euen him that is both an enemie to God man and like a roaring lion runneth and roueth to fro to deuoure them not seeking any thing but mans destruction And yet when any paine assaileth thē or any trouble disquieteth their minds or any danger threatneth to oppresse their bodies desperately they cal vpon him for aid whē indeed it were more needful to commend themselues to God and to pray for his grace and assistance hauing both a commandement so to doe and a promise adioined that hee will helpe vs in our necessitie if we come vnto him by true hearty praier It is not therfore without iust cause that God hath propounded and laid open in this corrupt age a Theatre of his iudgements that euery man might be warned thereby CHAP. XXXIII More examples of Gods Iudgements vpon cursers BVt before wee goe to the next commandement we will adioine a few more examples of this diuellish cursing Martin Luther hath left registred vnto vs a notable example showne vpon a Popish priest that was once a professour of the sincere religion Ex colliquij◠Lutheri and fell away voluntarily vnto papisme whereof Adam Budissina was the reporter this man thundered out most bitter curses against Luther in the pulpit at a towne called Ruthnerwald and amongst the rest wished that if Luthers doctrine was true a thunderbolt might strike him to death Now three daies after there arose a mighty tempest with thunder and lightning whereat the cursed priest bearing in himselfe a guilty conscience for that he had vntruly and maliciously spoken ran hastily into the church and there fell to his praiers before the altar most deuoutly but the vengeance of God found him out and his hipocrisie so that he was stroken dead with the lightning and albeit they recouered life in him againe yet as they led him homewards through the churchyard another flash so set vpon him that it burnt him from the crowne of the head to the sole of his foot as blacke as a shoe so that he died with a manifest marke of Gods vengeance vpon him Homil. 26. in hist passionis Theodorus Beza reporteth vnto vs two notable histories of his owne knowledge of the seuerity of Gods iudgement vpon a curser and a periurer the tenour whereof is this I knew saith he in France a man of good parts well instructed in religion and a master of a family who in his anger cursing and bidding the Deuill take one of his children had presently his wish for the child was possessed immeadiately with a spirit from which though by the feruent continual praiers of the church he was at length released yet ere hee had fully recouered his health he died The like we read to haue happened to a woman whom her husband in anger deuoted with bitter curses to the deuill for Satā assaulted her presently and robbed her of her wits so that she could neuer be recouered Discipulus de tempore sermon 116. Periurie lib. 1. cap. 29. Another example saith he happened not far hence euen in this countrie vpon a periurer that forswore himselfe to the end to deceiue and preiudice another thereby but hee had no sooner made an end of his false oth but a greeuous apoplexie assailed him so that without speaking any one word he died within few daies Iob Fincelius lib. 3. de mirac In the year of our Lord 1557 the day before good friday at Forchennum a citie in the bishoprick of Bamburge there was a certain crooked priest both in body mind through age euil conditions that could not go but on crutches yet would needs be lifted into the pulpit to make a sermon his text was out of the 11 chap. of the first epistle to the Corinthians touching the Lords supper whereout taking occasion to defend the papisticall errors the masse he vsed these or such like blasphemous speeches O Paul Paul if thy doctrin touching the receiuing the sacrament in both kinds be true if it be a wicked thing to receiue it otherwise then would the deuill might take me turning to the people if the popes doctrin concerning this point be not true then am I the deuils bondslaue neither do I fear to pawn my soule vpō it these many other blasphemous words he vsed till the deuil came indeed transformed into the shape of a tall man black terrible sending before him such a fearful noise and such a wind that the people supposed that the church would haue fallen on their heads but he not able to hurt the rest took away the old priest being his deuoted bondslaue caried him so far that he was neuer heard of the bishop of Rugenstines brother hardly escaped his hands for he came back to fetch him but he defēding himselfe with his sword wounded his own body very narrowly escaped with his life Beside after this there were many visions seen about the city as armies of men ready to enter surprise them so that wel was he that could hide himself in a corner At another time after the like noise was heard in the church whilst they were baptising an infant al this for the abominable cursing and blasphemie of the prophane priest In the yeare of our Lord 1556 at S. Gallus in Heluetia Iob. Fincelius lib. 2. de mirac a certaine man that earned his liuing by making clean rough and foule linnen against the sunne entring a tauerne tasted so much the grape that his wits were drowned and his tongue so inspired that hee vomited out terrible curses against himselfe and others among the rest he wished if euer he went into the fields to his old occupation that the deuil might come break his neck but when sleep had conquered drink sobriety restored his senses he wēt again to his trade remēbring indeed his late wordes but regarding them not howbeit the deuill to shew his double diligence attended on him at his appointed houre in the likenes of a big sworthy man and asked him if he remembred his promise and vow which he had made the day before if it were not lawful for him to break his necke and withall stroke the poore man trembling with feare ouer the shoulders that his feet and his hands presently dried vp so that hee lay there not able to stirre till by helpe of men he was caried home the Lord not giuing the deuill so much power ouer him as hee wished himselfe but yet permitting him to plague him on this
in murders but to come to the fact It was on this sort When Richard the vsurper had enioined Robert Brackenbury to this peece of seruice of murdering the yo â—g king Edward the fift his nephew in the tower with his brother the duke of York and saw it refused by him hee committed the charge of the murder to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the tower by the kings commission receiued the keies into his own hands and by the help of those two butchers Dighton Forest smothered the two princes in their bed buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames node back to king Richard who gaue him great thanks as some say made him knight for his labor All which things on euery part wel pondered it appeareth that God neuer gaue the world a notabler exaÌ„ple both of the vnconstancie of worldly weale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despitefull crueltie for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at S. Martins Sir Iames Tirrell died at the tower hill beheaded for treason king Richard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more then all the rest for it is most certenly reported that after this abominable deed done he neuer had quiet in his mind when hee went abroad his eie whirled about his body was priuily fenced his hand euer vpon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleepe short and vnquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start vp and leape out of his bed and runne about the chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abominable murder CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their superiours because of subsidies and taxes imposed vpon them AS it is not lawfull for children ro rebel against their parents though they be cruell and vnnaturall so also it is as vnlawfull for subiects to withstand their princes and gouernours though they be somewhat grieuous and burdensome vnto them which wee affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and vnmeasurable oppression vpon their subiects as shall be declared in the 35 chapter of this booke more at large but wee intreat only here of their duties which are in subiection to the power of other men whose authoritie they ought in no wise to resist vnlesse they oppose themselues against the ordinance of God Therfore this position is true by the word of God that no subiect ought by force to shake off the yoke of subiection and obedience due vnto his prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publike authoritie is imposed Giue saith the Apostle tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome pertaineth feare to whome feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grieuance and not the religion and seruice of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question wee ought with all patience to endure whatsoeuer burden or charge is laid vpon vs without moouing any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that haue otherwise behaued themselues these examples following will shew how well they haue bene appaied for their misdemeanours In the yeere of our Lord 1304 Nich. Gil. vol. 1. after that Guy Earle of Flaunders hauing rebelled against Philip the Faire his soueraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subiection and constrained to deliuer himselfe and his two sonnes prisoners into his hands the Flemmings made an insurrection against the kings part because of a certaine taxe which he had set vpon their ships that arriued at certaine hauens and vpon this occasion great warre diuers battels and sundry ouerthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the king remained conquerour and the Flemmings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the last battell sixe and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeeres after this Flemish stirre The same authour there arose a great commotion and hurlyburly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whome they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the kings pallace at his lodging in the temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all that day after neither the king nor any of his officers durst once stirre ouer the threshold nay they grew to that ouerflow of pride and insolencie that the victuals which were prouided for the kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwed vnder feet in the durt trampled vpon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their paines were hanged before their owne dores and in the citie gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixt the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which hee minded to lay vpon them banded themselues and conspired togither against him they determined once saith Froissard to haue beaten downe Loure and Saint Vincents castle Vol. 2. cap. 120. all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensiue to them But the king though young in yeeres handled them so ripely and handsomly Cap. 129. that hauing taken away from them their armour the city gates and chaines of the streets locked vp their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him Cap. 130. And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Nic. Gil. vol. 2. Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewys the Earle of Flanders Froiss vol. 2. cap. 97. for diuers taxes and tributes which hee had laid vpoÌ„ them which they in no respect would yeeld vnto The matter came to be decided by blows much blood was shed many losses endured on both sides as a means appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number then fiue or sixe thousand men Cap. 98. ouerthrew the Earls army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuite of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a begger to flie the citie And thus hee
his head wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death he commanded one of his souldiers to kill him outright And thus this wicked murderer that had shedde the blood of many men yea of his owne brethren had his braines knockt out by a woman and died a most desperate death The bloody treacherie of Baana and Rechab 2. Sam. 4. chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth Sauls sonne in conspiring against and murdering their master whilst hee slept abode not long vnpunished for hauing cut off his head they presented it for a present to king Dauid hoping to gratifie the king Treason lib. 2. cap. 3 4. and to receiue some recompence for their paines But Dauid beeing of an vpright and true kingly heart could nor endure such vile treachery though against the person of his enemie but entertained them as most vile traitours and master murderers commaunding first their hands and feet to be cut off which they had especially imploied as instruments about that villany and afterwards caused them to be slaine and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like For the like cause was Ioab generall of king Dauids host for killing Abner traiterously who forsaking Ishbosheth had yeelded himselfe to the king cursed of Dauid with all his house Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. with a most grieuous and terrible curse And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe as to murder Amasa one of Dauids chiefe captaines making shew to salute and imbrace him 2. Sam. 20. For which cruell deed albeit that in Dauids time he receiued no punishment yet it ouertooke him at last and the same kind of crueltie which hee had so traiterously and villanously committed towards others fell vpon his owne head being himselfe also killed as he had killed others which happened in king Salomons raigne who executing the charge and commandement of his father put to death this murderer in the tabernacle of God 1. King 2. and by the altar whither he was fled as a place priuiledged for safety CHAP. VII A suit of Examples like vnto the former LEauing the Scripture wee find in other writers notable examples of this subiect Herod lib. 1. As first of Astyages king of the Medes who so much swarued from humanitie that hee gaue in straight charge that young Cyrus his owne daughters sonne now ready to be borne should be made away by some sinister practise to auoid by that meanes the danger which by a dreame was signified vnto him Notwithstanding the yong infant finding friends to preserue him aliue and growing vp by meanes of the peeres fauor to whom his grandfather by his cruell dealings was become odious obtained the crowne out of his hands and dispossessing him seated himselfe in his roome This Cirus was that mighty and awfull king of Persia whome God vsed as an instrument for the deliuery of his people out of the captiuity of Babylon as he foretold by the Prophet Isaiah who yet following kind made cruell war in many places for the space of thirty yeres and therfore it was necessary that he should tast some fruits of his insatiable and bloodthirstie desire as hee indeed did for after many great victories and conquests ouer diuers cuntries atchieued Oros lib. 2. going about to assaile Scithia also hee and his army togither were surprised ouercome and slaine to the number of two hundred thousand persons and for his shame receiued this disgrace at a womans hand who triumphing in her victory threw his head into a sacke full of blood with these tearmes Now glut thy selfe with blood which thou hast thirsted after so long time Cambyses Cyrus sonne was also so bloody and cruel a man Herod lib. 3. that one day he shot a noble mans sonne to the heart with an arrow for being admonished by his father of his drunkennes to which he was very much giuen which he did in indignation and to shew that hee was not yet so drunken but he knew how to draw his bow Hee caused his owne brother to be murdered priuily for feare hee should raigne after him and slew his sister for reproouing him for that deed In his voiage to Aethiopia when his armie was brought into so great penury of victuals that they were glad to feed vpon horse flesh hee was so cruel and barbarous that after their horses were spent hee caused them to eate one another But at his returne from Aegypt the Susians his chiefe citizens welcomed him home with rebellion and at last as hee was riding it so chanced that his sword fell out of the scabberd and himselfe vpon the point of it so that it pierced him through and so hee died After that Xerxes by his ouerbold enterprise had distuâ—bed the greatest part of the world Diodor. lib. 11. passed the sea trauersed many countries to the end to assaile Greece with innumerable forces he was ouercome both by sea by land and compelled priuily to retire into his countrie with shame discredit where he had not long beene but Artabanus the captaine of his guard killed him in his pallace by night who also after that many other mischiefes committed by him was himselfe cruelly murdered The thirtie gouernours which the Lacedemonians set ouer the Athenians by compulsion were such cruell Tyrants oppressors and bloodsuckers of the people that they made away a great part of them vntil they were chased away themselues violently and then being secretly dogged pursued were all killed one after another Pirrhus King of Epire that raigned not long after Alexander the great was naturally disposed to such a quicknesse heat of courage that he could neuer be quiet but wheÌ„ he was either doing some mischiefe to another or when another was doing some vnto him euer deuising some new practise of molestation for pastimes sake This his wild and dangerous disposition began first to shew it selfe in the death of Neoptolemus who was conioined King with him whom hauing bidden to supper in his lodging vnder pretence of sacrifice to his gods he deceitfully slew preuenting by that meanes Neoptolemus pretended purpose of poisoning him when occasion should serue After this he conquered Macedonia by armes and came into Italie to make warre with the Romanes in the behalfe of the Tarentines and gaue them battaile in the field and slew fifteene thousand of them in one day he took their campe reuoked many cities from their alliance spoiled much of their country euen to the wals of Rome and all this in a trice without breathing Againe by Ascoly he encountred them the second time where there was a great ouerthrow of ech side of fifteen thousand meÌ„ But the Romans had the worst took their heeles WheÌ„ he was intreated by the Sicilian Embassadours to lend them aid to expulse the Carthaginians out of their isle hee yeelded presently and chased them out Being recalled by the Tarentines into Italy for their succour hee was conquered
by the Romans after he had made war vpon them six yeares At his returne to Epire he reentred by violence Macedonia tooke many places ouercame the army of king Antigonus that resisted him and had all the whole Realme rendered into his hand Being intreated by Cleominus to make warre vpon Sparta to the end to reinstall him in his kingdome which hee was depriued of forthwith he mustered his forces besieged the city and spoiled and wasted all the whole country Afterwards there being a sedition raised in the city Argos betweene two of the chiefest citizens one of the which sent vnto him for aid hee what issue soeuer was like to ensue whether victorie or vanquishment could not abide in peace from disquieting others and himselfe but must needes goe to take part in that sedition but to his cost euen to his destruction For first in his way hee found an euill-fauoured welcome by an Ambush placed of purpose to interrupt his iourney amongst whom he lost his sonne which mishap nothing dismaied him nor abated any whit of his purpose or courage from pursuing this iourney to Argos though the citizens themselues intreated him to retire and though he had no businesse there saue only to looke ouer the towne being arriued by night finding a gate left open for him to enter by by the means of him that had sent for him to his aid hee put his souldiors in and possessed himselfe of the towne incontinently But the city being aided by Antigonus and the king of Sparta charged and pressed him so sore that he sought meanes to retire out of the same but could not At which time being about ro strike a yoong man of the citie that had done him some hurt his mother being aloft vpon the roofe of an house perceiuing his intent threw downe a tile with both her handes vpon his head and hat him such a knocke vpon the necke through default of his armour that it so brused his ioints that hee fell into a suddaine sound lost his sight his raines falling out of his hand he himselfe tumbling frō his saddle vpō the ground which whē some of the souldiors perceiued they drew him out of the gate there to make an end of the tragedy cut off his head The cruelty of the Ephori was maruellous strange when being vnwilling once to heare the equality of lands and possessions to be named Plutarch which Agis their king for the good of the Common-wealth according to the ancient custome and ordinance of Licurgus sought to restore they rose vp against him cast him in prison and there without any processe or form of law strāgled him to death with his mother grandfather But it cost them very deare for Cleomenes who was ioint king with Agis albeit he had consented to the weauing of that web himselfe to the end hee might raigne alone yet ceased hee not to prosecute reuenge vpon them which hee did not only by his daily vsual practises openly but also priuily for taking them once at auantage being at supper all togither he caused his men to kill thē sodainly as they sat And thus was the good king Agis reuenged But this last murderer which was soullied and polluted with so much blood he went not long vnpunished for his misdeeds for soone after Antigonus king of Macedonia gaue him a great ouerthrow in a battaile wherein hee lost Sparta his chiefe citie and fled into Aegypt for succour where after small abode vpon an accusation laid against him he was cast into prison and though he scaped out with his company by cunning craft yet as he walked vp down Alexandria in armour in hope that through his seditious practises the citizens would take his part helpe to restore him to his liberty when he perceiued it was nothing so but that euery man forsooke him that there was no hope left of recouerie he commanded his men to kill one another as they did In which desperate furie and rage he himselfe was slaine and his body being found was commanded by king Ptolomy to be hanged on a gibbet and his mother wiues and children that came with him into Aegypt to bee put to death And this was the tragicall end of Cleomenes king of Sparta Alexander the tyrant of Pheres neuer ceased to marke spie out al occasions of war against the people of Thessaly Plutarch to the end to bring thē generally in subiectiō vnder his dominiō he was a most bloody cruel minded mā hauing neither regard of reason or iustice in any action In his cruelty he buried some aliue others he clothed in beares bores skins then set dogs at their tailes to rent thē in peeces others he vsed in way of pastime to strike through with darts and arrows And one day as the inhabitāts of a certain city were assembled togither in counsel he caused his guard to inclose thē vp sodainly to kil them all euen to the very infants He slew also his owne vncle and crowned the speare wherewith he did that deed with garlands of flowers and sacrificed vnto him being dead as to a god Now albeit this cruell Tygre was guarded continually with troopes of souldiors that kept night day watch about his body wheresoeuer hee lay and with a most ougly terrible dog vnacquainted with any sauing himselfe his wife and one seruant that gaue him his meat tied to his chāber dore yet could he not escape the euill chance which by his wiues meanes fell vpon him for shee taking away the staires of his chamber let in three of her owne brethren prouided to murder him as they did for finding him asleep one took him fast by the heeles the other by the haire wringing his head behind him and the third thrust him through with his sword shee all this while giuing them light to dispatch their businesse The citizens of Pheres when they had drawn his carcasse about their streets trampled vpon it their bellies full threw it to the dogs to bee deuoured so odious was his very remembrance among them Iugurth son to Manastabal brother to Micipsa Salust king of Numidia by birth a bastard for he was born of a cōcubine yet by nature disposition so valiant full of courage that he was not only beloued of al men but also dearly esteemed of by Micipsa that he adopted him ioint heir with his sons Adhorbal Hiempsal to his crowne kindly admonishing him in way of intreaty to continue the vnion of loue concord without breach betweene them which he promised to performe But Micipsa was no sooner deceased but he by by not content with a portion of the kingdome ambitiously sought for the whole For which cause he found means first to dispatch Hiempsall out of his way by the hands of his guard who in his lodging by night cut his throat and then by battaile hauing vanquished Adherbal his other brother
herewith he poisoned also the heires of Fredericke to the end hee might attaine vnto the crowne as Conrade his elder brother and his nephew the sonne of Henry the heire which Henry died in prison now only Conradinus remained betwixt him and the kingdome whome though he assailed to send after his father yet was his intention frustrate for the Pope thundered out his curses against him and instigated Charles duke of Angiers to make warre against him wherein bastard and vnnaturall Manfred was discomfited and slaine and cut short of his purpose for which he had committed so many tragedies Luther Martin Luther was wont to report of his owne experience this wonderfull history of a locksmith a young man riotous and vicious who to find fuell for his luxury was so bewitched that he feared not to slay his owne father and mother with a hammer to the end to gaine their mony and possessions after which cruell deed he presently went to a shomaker and bought him new shoes leauing his old behind him by the prouidence of God to be his accusers for after an houre or two the slaine bodies being found by the magistrate and inquisition made for the murderer no manner of suspition being had of him hee seeming to take such griefe thereat But the Lord that knoweth the secrets of the heart discouered his hypocrisie and made his owne shoes which he had left with the shoemaker rise vp to beare witnesse against him for the blood which ran from his fathers wounds besprinkled them so that thereof grew the suspition from thence the examination very soone the confession last of all his worthy lawfull execution From hence wee may learne for a generall truth that murder neuer so secret will euer by one means or other be discouered the Lord will not suffer it to goe vnpunished so abominable it is in his sight Another sonne at Bosil in the yere of our Lord God 1560 bought a quantitie of poison of an Apothecary Casp Hed. 4. part chron ministred it to none but to his owne father accounting him worthiest of so great a benefit which when it had effected his wish vpon him the crime being detected in stead of possessing his goods which he aimed at hee possessed a vile and shamefull death for he was drawne through the streets burnt with hot irons and tormented nine houres in a wheele till his life forsooke him As it is repugnant to nature for children to deale thus cruelly with their parents so it is more against nature for parents to murder their children insomuch as naturall affection is of greater force in the descent then in the ascent the loue that parents beare their children is greater then that which children redound to their parents because the child proceedeth from the father and not the father from the child as part of his fathers essence and not the father of his Can a man then hate his owne flesh or be a rooter out of that which himselfe planted It is rare yet sometimes it commeth to passe Howbeit as the offence is in a high degree so it is alwaies punished by some notable and high iudgement as by these examples that follow shall appeare The ancient Ammonites had an idoll called Moloch to the which they offered their children in sacrifice this idoll as the Iewes write was of a great stature and hollow within hauing seuen chambers in his hollownesse whereof one was to receiue meate another turtle doues the third a sheepe the fourth a ram the fift a calfe the sixt an oxe and the seuenth a child his hands were alwaies extended to receiue gifts and when a child was offered they were made fire hot to burne it to death none must offer the child but the father to drowne the cries of it the Chemarims for so were the priests of that idoll called made a noise with bels cymbals and hornes thus it is written that king Achab offered his son yea many of the children of Israel beside as the Prophet Dauid affirmeth They offered saith he their sonnes and daughters to deuils shed innocent blod Psal 106 37 38. euen the blood of their children whom they offered vnto the idols of Canaan and their land was defiled with blood this is the horrible crime Now mark the iudgemēt touching the Canaanites the land spued them out for their abominations Achab with his posterity was accursed himselfe being slaine by his enemies and the crowne taken from his posterity not one being left of his off-spring to pisse against the wal according to the saying of Elias as for the Iewes the Prophet Dauid in the same place declareth their punishment when he saith That the wrath of the Lord was kindled Vers 40. and he abhorred his inheritance and gaue them into the hands of the heathen that they that hated them were lords ouer them In the yeere of our Lord 1551 in a towne of Hassia called Weidenhasten Iob. Fincel llb. 1. de mirac the 20 day of Nouember a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut vp all her dores and began to murder her foure children on this manner shee snatcht vp a sharpe axe and first set vpon her eldest sonne being but eight yeeres old searching him out with a candle behind a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints claue his head in two peeces and chopped off both his armes next shee killed her daughter of fiue yeeres old after the same manner another little boy of three yeeres of age seeing his mothers madnes hid himselfe poore infant behind the gate whome assoone as the tygre espied she drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the youngest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeere old him shee without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the deuill incarnate for certen no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit shee suruiued nine daies and confessing her fault died with teares and repenrance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of his vengeance Theatr. hist The like tragicall accident we read to haue happened at Cutzenborff a city in Silesia in the yeere 1536 to a woman and her three children who hauing slaine them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like maner also to make vp the tragedie Concerning stepmothers it is a world to read how many horrible murders they haue vsually practised vpō their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their owne brood or at least to reuenge some iniury supposed to be done vnto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a tast out of many hundred leauing the residue to the iudgement and reading of the learned Constantius the sonne of
Heraclius hauing raigned Emperour but one yeere was poisoned by his stepmother Martina Zonoras tom 3. to the end to install her owne sonne Heraclon in the crowne but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to haue her or her sonne raigne ouer them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the city Fausta the wife of Constantine the Great fell in loue with Constantine her sonne in law begotten vpon a concubine Zonoras 3. Annal. Sex Aur. whom when she could not persuade vnto her lust shee accused vnto the Emperour as a sollicitour of her chastitie for which cause hee was condemned to die but after the truth was knowen Constantinus put her into a hote bath and suffered her not to come forth vntill the heat had choaked her reuenging vpon her head his sonnes death and her owne vnchastitie CHAP. XII Of Subiect Murderers SEing then they that take away their neighbours liues doe not escape vnpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs folow that if they to whom the sword of iustice is committed by God to represse wrongs and chastise vices doe giue ouer themselues to cruelties and to kill and slay those whome they ought in duty to protect and defend must receiue a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to haue bene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody minded as contrary to all iustice to put to death Abimelech the high priest with fourescore and fiue other priests of the family of his father 1. Sam. 22. onely for receiuing Dauid into his house small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied herewith h◠vomited out his rage also against the whol city of the priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any Hee slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that lād yet because they were receiued into league of amity by a solemne oth and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not haue bene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore he tyranizing and playing the butcher amongst his own subiects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter practising many other foul enormities he was at the last ouercome of the Philistims sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall aliue into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands vpon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sonnes and they that followed him of his owne houshold were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body despoiled among the carcasses beheaded it and caried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung vp the trunke in disgrace in one of their cities to be seene lookt vpon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in king Dauids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause whereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed vpon the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. wherefore Dauid deliuered Sauls seuen sonnes into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is euen to hanging Amongst all the sinnes of king Achab and Iezabel which were many and great 1. King 21. the murder of Naboth standeth in the forefront for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserue death yet by the subtill and wicked deuise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the warre which hee made with the king of Siria receiued so deadly a wound that hee died thereof the dogges licking vp his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked 2. King 9. according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whome her owne seruants at the commandement of Iehu whome God had made executour of his wrath threw headlong out of an high window vnto the ground so that the walls were died with her blood and the horses trampled her vnder their feet and dogs deuoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing sauing only her scull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iudah being after his fathers death possessed of the crowne and scepter of Iudah 2. Chron. 21. by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many princes of the realme for which cause God stirred vp the Edomites to rebell the Philistims and Arabians to make war against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wiues and children the yongest only excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned king but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his owne brethren hee committed crueltie against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeeres that his very entrails issued out with torment and so died in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we haue already touched the pride and arrogancie of king Alexander the Great yet wee can not pretermit to speake of him in this place his example seruing so fit for the present subiect for although as touching the rest of his life hee was verie well gouerned in his priuat actions as a monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeeres but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not only towards strangers as the Cosseis whome he destroied to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loued hi◠and diuers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neare friends he had put to death neuer ceased vntill he both ministred a deadly draught vnto himselfe Iustine whereby he depriued him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wiues and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full reuenge Phalaris the tyrant of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes Oros then horrible cruelties exercised vpon his owne subiects inuenting euery day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus an artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry fauour with him deuised a new torment
Oracle from their God which when hee approched neere vnto the Alexandrians prepared to entertaine him most honourably and being entered hee went first to visite their Temples where to cast more colours vpon his trecherie hee offered many sacrifices and in the meane while perceiuing the people gathered togither from all quarters to bid him welcome finding oportunity fitting his wicked and traiterous enterprise bee gaue commandement that all the young men of the city should assemble together in one place saying that hee would acquaint them to range themselues in battaile after the manner of the Macedonians in honour of king Alexander But whilest they thus assembled together in mirth and brauerie hee making as though hee would bring them in aray by going vp and downe amongst them and holding them in talke his army enclosed them on all sides then withdrawing himselfe with his guard hee gaue the watch-word that they should rush vpon them which was performed with such outrage that the poore credulous people beeing surprised at vnawares were all most cruelly massacred There might you see the most horrible barbarous and incredible butcherie of men that euer was heard of for besides those that were actors in this bloody Tragedy there were others that drew the slaine bodies into great ditches and very often haled in them that were scarse dead yea and sometimes that were altogether aliue which was the cause that diuerse souldiours perished at the same time when those that hauing some strength of life left being haled to the ditch held so fast by the halers that diuerse times both fell in together The blood that was shead at this massacre was so much that the mouth of the riuer Nilus and the sea shore were died with the streames thereof that ran down by smaller riuers into those plaine places Furthermore being desirous to obtaine a victorie ouer the Parthians that hee might get himselfe fame and reputation thereby hee passed not at what rate he bought it He sent therefore Embassadors with letters and presents to the king of Parthia to demand his daughter in marriage though hee neuer entended any such thing and being nonsuted at the first with a deniall yet pursued he his counterfeit purpose with much earnestnesse and with solemne oath protested his singular good affection and loue that he bore vnto her so that in the end the match was condiscended vnto by all parties whereof the Parthian people were not a little glad in hope of so durable a peace which by this marriage was like to be established betwixt thē The king therefore with all his subiects being ready to entertaine this new bridegroome went out with one consent to meet him in the midway their encounter was in a fair plain where the Parthians hauing sent backe their horses being vnarmed and prepared not for a day of battaile but of marriage and disport gaue him the most honourable welcome they could but the wicked varlet finding oportunity so fit set his armed souldiors vpon the naked multitude hewed in peeces the most part of them and had not the king with a few followers bestirred him well he had ben serued with the like sauce After which worthy exploit Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. and bloody stratageme he took his voiage backward burning and spoiling the towns and villages as he went till hee arriued at Charam a city in Mesopotamia where making his abode a while hee had a fancie to walke one day into the fields and going apart from his companie to vnburden nature attended vpon by one onely seruant as hee was putting downe his breeches another of his companie ranne in and stroke him through with his dagger Thus God blessed the world by taking out of it this wicked Tyrant who by treason and trechery had spilt so much innocent blood Seturus Galba another bird of the same feather exercised no lesse perfidious cruelty vpon the people of three cities in Lusitania for he assembled them togither in colour of prouiding for their common affaires but when hee had gotten them into his hands vnarmed and weaponlesse he took nine thousand of the flower of their youth and partly committed them to the sword and partly sold them for bondslaues The disloiall and treacherous dealing of Stilico towards the Gothes how deare it cost him and all Italy beside Iornand Paul Aemil histories doe sufficiently testifie for it fell out that the Gothes vnder the conduct of Allaricus entred Italy with a puissant and fearefull army to know the cause why the Emperour Honorius withheld the pension which by vertue of a league and in recompence of their aid to the Empire in time of war was due vnto them which by riper iudgement and deliberation of the councill was quieted to preserue their countrey from so imminent a tempest Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. offer was made vnto them of the Spaniards and Frenchmen if they could recouer them out of the hands of the Vandales which vsurped ouer them so that incontinently they should take their iourney ouer the Alpes towards them and depart their coasts Which offer and gift the Gothes accepting did accordingly fulfill the condition and passed away without committing any riot or any dammage in their passages But as they were vpon mount Cinis making towards France behold Stilico Honorius his father in law a man of a stirring stubborne and rash spirit pursueth and chargeth them with battaile vnawares and dreaming of nothing lesse whereat they being at the instant amazed quickly gathered their spirits togither and putting themselues in defence fought it out with such courage and eagernesse that the traitours army was wholly discomfited and he himselfe with one of his sonnes slaine The Gothes hauing gotten this victory broke off their voiage to France and turned their course backe againe to Italy with purpose to destroy and spoile And so they did for they laid wast all the countrey of Piemont and Lumbardy and elsewhere and besieged Rome itselfe so that from that time Italy neuer ceased to be scourged and tormented with the Gothes for the space of eighteene yeeres Moreouer whosoeuer else haue bene found to follow the steps of these truce peace promise breakers void of truth and regard of reputation alwaies vnderwent worthy punishment for their vnworthy actes and fell headlong into confusion and ignominy making themselues subiects worthy to be curst detested of all men CHAP. XIIII Of Queenes that were Murderers IF these and such like cruelties as we haue spoken of before be strange and monstrous for men what shall wee then say of wicked and bloody women who contrary to the nature of their sexe addict themselues to all violence and bloodshedding as cursed Iezabel Queene of Israel did of whome sufficient hath beene spoken before Athaliah Achabs daughter and wife to Ioram king of Iuda was a bird of the same feather for shee was possessed with such a spirit of fury and rage 2. King 11. that after the death of her
scotfree but came alwaies to some miserable end or other for some of them were destroied by the inhabitants others slewe one another with their owne hands prouoked by insatiable auarice some haue beene drowned in the sea and others starued in the desart in fine few escaped vnpunished Bombadilla one of the gouernours of Hispagnola after hee had swaied there awhile and enriched himselfe by the sweate and charge of the inhabitants was called home againe into Spaine whitherward according to the commaundement receiued as hee embarked himselfe shipping with him so much treasure as in value amouÌ„ted to more than an hundred and fifty thousand ducats beside many peeces and graines of gold which he carried to the Spanish queene for a present whereof one weighed three thousand duckats there arose such a horrible and outragious tempest in the broad sea and beat so violently against his ships that foure and twentie vessels were shiuered in peeces and drowned at that blow there perished Bombadilla himselfe with most of his captaines and more than fiue hundred Spaniards that thought to returne full rich into the countrey and became with all their treasures a prey vnto the fishes In the yeere of our Lord 1541 the eight day of September â—he same author there chanced in the city Suatimala which lyeth in the way from Nicaragna Westward a strange and admirable iudgement After the death of Auarado who subdued this prouince and founded the city and was but a little before slaine in fight it rained so strangely and vehemently all this whole day and night that of a sudden so huge a deluge and flood of waters ouerflowed the earth streaming from the bottome of the mountaines into the lower grounds with such violence that stones of incredible bignes were carried with it which tumbling strongly downwards bruised and burst in pieces whatsoeuer was in their way In the meane while there was heard in the aire fearefull cries and voices and a blacke cow was seene running vp downe in the midst of the water that did much hurt The first house that was ouerthrowen by this tempest was dead Auarados wherein his widow a very proud woman that held the gouernment of the whole prouince in her hand and had before despited God for her husbands death was slaine with all her houshold and in a moment the city was either drowned or subuerted there perished in this tempest of men and women six score persons but they that at the beginning of the flood fled saued their liues The morrow after the waters were surceased one might see the poore Spaniards lie along the fields some maimed in their bodies other with broken arms or legges or otherwise miserably wounded And thus did God reuenge he monstrous Spanish cruelties exercised vpoÌ„ those poore people whome in stead of enticing by faire and gentle means to the knowledge of the true God his sonne Christ they terrified by extraordinary tyranny for such is the Spanish nature making them thinke that Christians were the cruellest and most wicked men of the earth CHAP. XVIII Of Adulterers IT followeth by the order of our subiect now to touch the transgressions of the third commandement of the second Table which is Thou shalt not commit Adulterie In which words as also in many other texts of Scripture Adultery is forbidden grieuous threatnings denounced against all those that defiling their bodies with filthy and vnpure actions estrange themselues from God and conioyne themselues to whores and ribauds This sin did the Israelites commit with the women of Midian by means whereof they were to follow strange gods to fall into Gods heauy displeasure who by a cruell plague destroied 24 thousand of them for the same sinne And forasmuch as the Madianites through the wicked and pernicious counsell of Balaam did lay this snare for them were so villanous and shamelesse as to prostitute and be bauds vnto their owne wiues therefore they were by the expresse commandement of God discomfited their kings false prophets with all their men women except onely their vnpolluted virgins that had known no man slaine and all their cities dwellings burned and consumed to ashes As euery one ought to haue regard and care to their honesty so maids especially whose whole credit and reputation hangeth thereupon for they that make no account thereof but suffer themselues to be polluted with any filthinesse draw vpon them not onely most vile infamy but also many great miseries as is prooued by the daughter of Hippomenes prince of Athens who being a whore her father shut vp in a stable with a wild horse giuing him no prouender nor other meat to eate that the horse naturally furious enough but more enraged by famine might teare her in pieces and with her carcasse refresh his hunger as he did Pontius Aufidian vnderstanding that his daughter had bene betraied sold into a leachers hands by a slaue of his that was her schoolmaster put them both to death In like maner serued Pub. Attilius Falisque his daughter that fell into the same infamie Viues reporteth that in our fathers daies Lud. Viues two brothers of Arragon perceiuing their sister whom they euer esteemed for honest to be with child hiding their displeasure vntill her deliuery was past came in suddenly and stabbed her into the belly with their daggers till they killed her in the presence of a sage matron that was witnes to their deed The same authour saith That when he was a young man there were three in the same country that conspired the death of a companion of theirs that went about to commit this villany as they conspired so they perfourmed it strangling him to death with a napkin as hee was going to his filthines As for adulterers examples are infinite both of their wicked liues and miserable ends In which number many of them may be scored that making profession of a single life and vndertaking the vow of chastity shew themselues notwithstanding monstrous knaues ribauds as many of the Popes themselues haue done Petr. praemonst As we read of Iohn the eleuenth bastard sonne to Lando his predecessour who by meanes of his adulteries with Theodora then gouernesse of Rome came by degrees to the Papacie so he passed the blessed time of his holy popeship with this vertuous dame to whom he serued in stead of a common horse to satiâ—fie her insatiable disordinate lust but the good holy father was at last taken and cast in prison and there smothered to death with a pillow Benedict the eleuenth dining on a time with an Abboresse his familiar â—al was poisoned with certaine figges that he eate Clement the fift was reported to be a common baud a protector of whores he went apart into Auignion there staied of purpose to do nothing but whore hunt hee died in great torment of the bloody flux plurisie and griefe of the stomack CHAP. XIX Of Rapes NOw if adulterie which with liking
haue their equals in follies in better account Basill calleth such sports and pastimes The workehouse forge and common shop of all wickednesse Homil. 4. therefore Chrisossome praieth and admonisheth the faithfull of his time to abstaine from frequenting such places S. Augustine also forbiddeth to bestow our money vpon tumblers Homil 6. in 1. cap. Gen. Can. 51. iugglers and plaiers and such like Beside by the Constantinoplitane councell vnder Iustinian it was inhibited to be once present at such sports vnder the paine of excomunication and that the ancient Christians did by common consent not only condemne but also vtterly abstaine from such pastimes it may appeare by the testimony of Tertullian writing to the Gentiles to this effect Apolog. We renounce and send backe saith hee sports plaies vnto you as to the head and fountain from whence they were first deriued wee make no reckoning of those thinges which we know were drawne from superstition we loue not to behold the folly of turning with chariots nor the vnchastity of the Theatre nor the cruelty of sword playing nor the vanity of leaping wrestling and dancing but take pleasure in exercises of better report and lesse hurt Moreouer how odious and irkesome in the sight of the Lord such spectacles are and what power and sway the deuill beareth therein the iudgement of God vpon a Christian woman reported by Tertullian Tertul. de spect may sufficiently instruct vs There was a woman saith he that went to the Theatre to see a play and returned home possessed with an vncleane spirit who being rebuked in a coniuration for daring to assault one of the faith that professed Christ answered that he had done well because he found her vpon his owne ground The same author reporteth another example as strange of a woman also that went to see a tragedie acted to whome the night following appeared in a dreame the picture of a sheet a presage of death casting in her teeth that which she had done and fiue daies after death himselfe seazed vpon her As touching wanton songs and vnchast and ribald bookes that I may be briefe I will content my selfe onely with that which is alledged by Ludiuicus Viues coÌ„cerning that matter The Magistrate saith hee ought to banish out of his dominion all vnhonest songs and Poemes Lib. of instruction of a Christian woman and not to suffer nouelties to bee published day by day in rimes and Ballades as they are as if a man should heare in a city nothing but foolish and sturrilous dirties such as would make euen the younger sort that are well brought vp to blush and stir vp the indignation of men of honour and grauitie this ought Magistrate to preuent and to discharge the people from reading Amadis Tristram Launcelot du lake Melusine Poggius scurrilities and Boccace nouelties with a thousand more such like toies and thus much out of Viues CAAP. XXXV Of Theenes and Robbers IT followes that wee speake in the next place of such as by their greedy couetousnesse and vnquenchable desire of lucre transgresse the fourth commandement of the second table to wit Thou shalt not steale wherein not only simple theft but also sacriledge is condemned and first of Sacriledge Into this sinne fell wretched Achan in the time of Ioshua Ioshua 7. when in the sacke of Ierecho hee seeing a Babilonish garment with certaine gold and siluer couered it and stole it away and hid it in his tent contrary to the commandement of the Lord for which cause the Lord was offended with his whole people as if they all had beene necessarie to the crime and infer bled them so before their enemies that they were be at â—â—ndowne at Hay and shamefully put to flight neither was his anger appeased vntill that the offendant being diuinely and miraculously descried was stoned to death and burnt with his children and all his substance But to come vnto prophane stories let vs begin with Heliodorus measurer of Seleuchus king of Asia who by the Kings commandement and suggestion of one Simon gouernour of the Temple came to take away the gold and siluer which was kept in the treasurie of the Temple and to transport it vnto the kings treasurie whereat the whole city of Ierusalem put on sackcloth and poured out praiers vnto the Lord so that when Heliodorus was present in the Temple with his souldiours readie to seaze vpon the treasure the Lord of all spirits and power shewed so great a vision that hee fell suddainely into extreame feare and trembling for there appeared vnto him an horse with a terrible man sitting vpon him most richly barbed which came fiercely and smote at him with his foreseer moreouer there appeared two young men notable in strength excellent in beautie and comely in aparrell which stood by him on either side and scourged him with many striples so that Heliodorus that came in with so great a company of souldiours and attendants was stroken dumbe and caried out in a litter vpon thens shoulders for his strength was so abated that he could not helpe himselfe but lay destitute of all hope of recouery so heauy was the hand of God vpon him vntil by the praiers of Onias the high priest he was restored then loe he confessed that hee which dwelt in heauen had his eie on that place and defended it from all those that came to hurt and spoile it Another of this true was in Crassus the Romane who entring Ierusalem robbed the Temple of two thousand talents of siluer and gold Iosephus Zonar beside the rich ornaments which amounted in worth to eight thousand talents and a beame of beaten gold coÌ„taining three hundred pound in weight Campoful lib. 1. for which sacraledge the vengeance of God so pursued him that within a while after he was ouercome by the Parthians and together with his sonne slaine his euil gotten goods being dispersed and the scull of his head being made a ladle to melt gold in that it might be glutted with that being dead which aliue it could neuer be satisfied with Iosephus lib. 17. Herod following the steps of Hircanus his predecessor that tooke out of the sepulchre of king Dauid three thousand talents of money Zonar Annal. 1 thinking to find the like treasure broke vp the sepulchre in the night and found no money but rich ornaments of gold which hee tooke away with him howbeit to his cost for two of his seruants perished in the vaut by a diuine fire as it is reported and he himself had small successe in his worldly affaires euer after Iulian the Apostatae robbed the church of the reuenues thereof and tooke away all beneuolences and contributions to schooles of learning to the end the children might not be instructed in the liberall arts nor in any other good literature Hee exaggered also his sacriledge with scornefull ieasts saying that hee did further then saluation by making them poore seeing it was written in their
it is grounded vpon reason and equitie we find no permission giuen to kings to vse the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed vpon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as diuers worthy authors auouch their owne vertues vnd good behauiour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first vnto that honor Cic. lib. 3. de legibus Aug. de ciuitat Dei lib. 4. c. 6. And truely there is nothing more rightfull and iust in mans societie than that euery one should possesse and enioy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of iustice are established called lawes which no good kings will euer seeke to stand against They are indeed lords of the earth as some say and truly but so that their lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the proprietie of goods and possession remaineth vntouched Lib. 7. c. â— 5. de benefictis To kings saith Seneca pertaineth the soueraignty ouer all things but to priuat men the proprietie Tiberius Caesar being sollicited by the gouernours of the prouinces to lay heauier tributes and leuy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painym this notable answer That a good shepheard ought to sheare his sheepe not to flea them Saint Lewes that good king amongst all his otherwise and vertuous exhortations which he gaue vnto his sonne before his death this was none of the least nor last Nic. Gil. That he should neuer craue any taxe or subsidie of his subiects but vpon vrgent necessitie and very iust cause and that if he did otherwise hee should not be reputed for a king but for a tyrant CHAP. XXXVII Of those that haue vsed too much crueltie towards their subiects in Taxes and Exactions IT is cleare then by these foresaid assumptions that a king may not impose vpon his subiects vnmeasurable taxes and subsidies least hee make himselfe guiltie of extortion the roote and fountaine many times of many great mischiefes and inconueniences and in very deed from whence oftener changes seditions and ruines of common-wealths haue proceeded than from any other cause beside What happened to Roboam king of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subiects but the defection of the greater part of his kingdome from him for being come to the crowne after the death of his father Salomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens hee despising the counsell of his sage and ancient counsellours 1. King 12. and following the giddy aduise of his young companions gaue them a most sharpe and soure reply saying That if his father had laid a heauie yoke vpon them hee would encrease it and if hee had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they reuolted from him all saue the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and stoned to death his collectours and chose them another king to rule ouer them thus Roboam was depriued of ten parts of his kingdome thorough his own vnaduised tyranny and fled all amazed vnto Ierusalem where he liued all his daies without recouery of the same Achaeus king of Lydia was hanged vp against a hill and his head throwne into a riuer running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Plutarch apoâ—h Reg. Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowmed tyrant not only in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his vniust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that albeit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complaine and lament their case continually yet hee diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and suckt and gnew out all that euer hee could vntill hee left them naked empty and dispoiled to conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters Frog lib. 21. after he had bene discomfited by the Carthaginians was slaine by his seruants Of the Romane Emperours that most vexed the comminalty with tributes and taxes these three were chiefe Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whome this latter did most pill and pull the people and would often say Dion Xiph. That the gold siluer of the kingdome pertained in right to none but him being reprooued of his mother at a time for his immoderate excessiue expences saying That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had alreadie spent hee made her this answer That shee should take no care for that for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword which hee held naked before her hee would not want money This is the sword which many now adaies after the example of Caracalla haue taken vp to cut out by force and violence a way to their owne wils and to cut the throat of equitie iustice and to compell the poore people to forgoe their goods and surrender them into their hands Now how odious and hatefull these three were made vnto the people by their owne wicked demeanours their miserable ends do sufficiently testifie which we haue already before mentioned and meane afterward more at large to speake of The Emperour Constance sonne to Constantine whose father was Heraclius coÌ„ming at a time out of Greece to Rome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 4. abode there but fiue daies but in that short space committed so much outrage in ransacking the temples and other publike places and carrying away so many rich ornaments and pictures whereof those places then abounded that in mans remembrance noforraine barbarous enemy hauing taken the city by force of warre euer went away with the like spoile besides hee did so oppresse the allies and tributaries of the Empire and chiefly the Siciliens with taxes and imposts that many of them were constrained to sell their children for money to satisfie his extortion and by this meanes he scraped togither an infinit masse of rapins and euill gotten goods but enioyed the sweet of them not very long for very soone after hee was murdered by his owne men of warre in his returne out of Sicilie and all that spoile which he had vniustly surprised was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Saracens that then inhabited the city Panorme Lewis the eleuenth king of France after hee had ouercharged his subiects with too grieuous burdens of paiments and taxes fell into such a timerous conceit feare of death as neuer any man did the like hee attempted all meanes of auoiding or delaying the same as first during his sicknesse he gaue his phisition monethly ten thousand crownes by that meanes to creepe into his fauour wherein hee beeing in all other
sole possessor of the whole Island after this he inuaded many other Islands besides many cities in the same land he raised the Lacedemonians from the siege of Samos which they had begirt And when hee saw that all things fell out so well to his owne wish that nothing could be more fearing so great prosperity could not but carry in the taile some terrible sting of aduersitie and mischance attempted by voluntary losse of something of value to preuent the mischiefe which he feared to ensue and this by the aduise of his deare friend and ally the king of Aegypt therefore hee threw a ring which hee had in great price into the sea to the end to delude fortune as he thought thereby but the ring was after found in a fishes belly and offered as a present vnto him and this was an euident presage of some ineuitable misfortune that waited for him neither did it proue vaine and friuolous for hee was hanged vpon a gibbet of Sardis by the commandement of Orates the gouernour of the city who vnder pretence of friendship and coulor of rendering his treasure into his hands and bestowing vpon him a great part thereof promising also to passe the rest of his daies vnder his wing for fear of the rage of Cambises drew him to come priuately to speak with him and so easily wrought his will vpon him Aristodemus got into his hands the gouernment of Cuma Dionâ—s Halicar lib. 7. after hee had made away the principall of the citie and to keepe it the better being obtained hee first won the vulgars hearts by presents then banished out of the Citie their children whome hee had put to death and entertained the rest of the youth with such varietie of pleasures and delights that by those deuises hee kept himselfe in his tyrannous estate many yeares but assoone as the children of those slaine Citizens were growne to ripe yeares of strength and discretion being desirous to reuenge their fathers deaths they set vpon him in the night so at vnawares that they put him and all his family to the slaughter Plutarch Tymophanes vsurped a principality power and rule in Corinth a free citie and became so odious thereby to the whole people yea and to his owne brother Tymoleon also that laying aside all respect of nature hee slew him with his owne hands preferring the libertie of his countrie before any vnity or bond of bloud When the cities of Greece sayth Orosius would needes through too greedie a desire and Ambition of raigne Lib. 3. cap. 12. get euery one the maisterie and soueraigntie of the rest they altogither made shipracke of their owne liberties by encroching vpon others as for instance The Lacedemonians how hurtfull and vncommodious the desire of bringing their neighbour adioining citties vnder their dominion was vnto them the sundrie discomfitures and distresses within the time of that warre vndertaken vpon that onely cause befell them Oros lâ—b 3. ca. 2. beare sufficient record Seruius Tullus the sonne to a bondman addicted himselfe so much to the exploits of warre that by Prowesse hee got so great credite and reputation among the Romanes that hee was thought worthie to bee made the sonne in law of king Tarquinius by marrying one of his daughters Titus Liuius after whose death hee also vsurped the crowne vnder colour of the Protectorship of the kings two yong sonnes Who when they came to age and bignesse maried the daughters of their brother in law Tullius by whose exhortation and continuall prouokement the elder of them which was called Tarquinius conspired against his father in law and practised to make himselfe king and to recouer his rightfull inheritance and that by this means he watched his oportunitie when the greatest part of the people were out of the citie about gathering their fruit in the fields and then placing his companions in readinesse to serue his turne if need should be he marched to the pallace in the roiall robes guarded with a company of his confederats and hauing called a Senate as hee began to complaine him of the trecherie and impudencie of Tullius behold Tullius himselfe came in would haue run violently vpon him but Tarquinius catching him about the middle threw him headlong down the staires and presently sent certaine of his guard to make an end of the murder which hee had begun But herein the cruelty of Tullia was most monstrous that not only first moued her husband to this bloudy practise but also made her coach to be driuen ouer the body of her father which lay bleeding in the middest of the street scarce dead Manlius after hee had maintained the fortresse of Rome against the Gaules glorying in that action Parricide lib â— cap. 11. and enuying the good hap and prosperity of Camillus went about to make himselfe king vnder pretence of restoring the people to their ancient entire libertie but his practise being discouered he was accused found guiltie and by the consent of the multitude adiudged to be throwne headlong downe from the top of the same fortresse to the end that the same place which gaue him great glory might bee a witnesse and memoriall of his shame and last confusion for all his valiant deedes before done were not of so much force with the people to excuse his fault or saue his life as this one crime was of weight to bring him to his death In former times there liued in Carthage one Hanno Oros lib. 4. c. 6. who because hee had more riches than all the Commonwealth beside began to aspire to the domination of the citie which the better to accomplish he deuised to make shew of marrying his only daughter to the end that at the mariage feast he might poyson the chiefest men of credit and power of the citie whome hee knew could or would any waies withstand or countermand his purpose but when this deuise tooke no effect by reason of the discouerie thereof by certain of his seruants he sought another meanes to effect his will He got togither a huge number of bondslaues and seruants which should at a sodaine put him in possession of the citie but being preuented herein also by the citizens hee seased vpon a castle with a thousand men of base regard euen seruants for the most part whither thinking to draw the Affricanes and king of the Moores to his succour he was taken first whipped next had his eies thrust out and then his armes and legs broken in peeces and so was executed to death before al the people his carcas being thus mangled with blows was hanged vpon a gallowes and all his kindred and children put to death that there might not one remaine of his straine either to enterprise the like deed or to reuenge his death That great and fearefull warriour Iulius Caesar one of the most hardie and valiants peeces of flesh that euer was after he had performed so many notable exploits ouercome all his enemies
for the poor wretch making great shift to borrow that penny returned to her againe and desired her hee might haue the corne but as he paied her the mony the penny fell vpon the ground by the prouidence of God which as shee stretched out her hand to reach it miraculously turned into a serpent and bit her so fast that by no meanes it could bee loosened from her arme vntill it had brought her to a wofull and miserable end Fulgos lib. 2. cap 2. Sergius Galba before hee came to bee Emperour being President of Affrica vnder Claudius when as through penurie of vitailes corne and other food was verie sparingly shared out and deuided among the army punished a certaine souldiour that sold a bushell of wheat to one of his fellowes for a hundred pence in hope to obtaine a new share himselfe in this maner he commanded the Quaestor or treasurer to giue him no more sustinance since hee preferred lucre before the necessitie of his owne bodie and his friends welfare neither suffered hee any man els to sell him any so that he perished with famine and became a miserable example to all the armie of the fruits of that foule dropsie couetousnesse And thus we see how the Lord raigned down vengeance vpon all couetous Vsurers and oppressors plaguing some on this fashion and some on that and neuer passing any but either in this life some notable iudgement ouertakes them either in themselues or their ofsprings for it is notoriously knowne that Vsurers children though left rich yet the first or second generation became alwaies beggers or in the life to come they are throwne into the pit of perdition from whence there is no redemption nor deliuerance CHAP. XLI Of dicers and card plaiers and their theft IF any recreation be allowed vs as no doubt there is yet surely it is not such as whereby wee should worke the dammage and hurt of one another as when by gaming we draw away another mans money with his great losse and this is one kind of theft to vsurpe any mans goods by vnlawfull meanes wherfore no such sports ought to find any place amongst Christians especially those wherin any kind of lot or hazzard is vsed by the which the good blessings of God are contrary to their true and naturall vse exposed to chance and fortune as they tearme it for which cause Saint Augustine is of this opinion concerning them Epist 54. à Maced That the gain which ariseth to any partie in play should be bestowed vpon the poore to the end that both the gamesters aswell the winner as the looser might bee equally punished the one by not carrying the stake being woon the other by being frustrated of all his hope of winning Plaiers at dice both by the Elibertine and Constantinoplitane councell vnder Iustinian were punished with excommunication Can. 79. Can. 50. and by a new constitution of the said Emperor it was enacted that no man should vse dice play either in priuate or publicke no nor approue the same by their presence vnder paine of punishment and bishops were there appointed to be ouerseers in this behalfe to espie if any default was made Cod. li. 3. tit 43. Horace an Heathen Poet auouched the vnlawfulnes of this thing euen in his time Od. 24. lib. 3. Lndere doction scu graeco iubeas trocho seu malis vetita legibus alea. wheÌ„ he saith that dice playing was forbidden by their law Lewis the eight king of France renowned for his good conditions and rare vertues amongst all the excellent lawes which hee made this was one That all sports should bee banished the Commonwealth except shooting whether with long bow or crossebow and that no cards nor dice should either bee made or sold by any to the end that all occasion of gaming might bee taken away Surely it would bee very profitable and expedient for the weale publicke that this ordinance might stand in effect at this day and that all Merchants and Mercers whatsoeuer especially those that follow the reformation of Religion might forbeare the sale of all such paltrie wares for the fault in selling such trash is no lesse than the abuse of them in playing at them for so much as they vpon greedinesse of so small againe put as it were a sword into a mad mans hand by ministring them the instruments not onely of their sports but also of those mischiefes that ensue the same there a man may heare curses as rife as words bannings swearings and blasphmies banded vp and down there men fret themselues to death and consume whole nights in darke and deuillish pastimes some lose their horses others their cloakes a third sort all that euer they are worth to the vndoing of their houses wiues and children and some againe from braulings fal to buffitings from buffets to bloodsheding from bloudsheading to hanging and these are the fruits of those gallant sports Discipu de tempâ—r ser 12. But this you shall see more plainly by a few particular examples In a Towne of Campania a certaine Iew playing at dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money vnto him with which great losse being enraged almost beside himselfe as commonly men in that case are affected he belched out most bitter curses against Christ Iesus his mother the blessed virgin in the midst whereof the Lord depriued him of his life and sence and stroke him dead in the place as for his companion the Christian indeed he escaped sodain death howbeit he was robbed of his wit and vnderstanding Blasphemy li. â— cap. 31. suruiued not very long after to teach vs not onely what a grieuous sinne it is to blaspheame God and to accompany such wretches and not to shun or at least reproue their outrage but also what monstrous effects proceed from such kind of vngodly sports how grieuously the Lord punisheth them first by giuing them ouer to blasphemie secondly to death and thirdly and lastly to eternall and irreuocable damnation let our English gamesters consider this example and if it will not terrifie them from their sports then let them look to this that followeth which if their hearts be not as hard as adamants will mollifie and persuade them In the yeere 1553 neare to Belissan a citie in Heluetia Ioh. Fincel Andreas Muscabus in diabol blasphemiae there were three prophane wretches that plaied at dice vpon the Lords day without the wals of the citie one of which called Vlrich Schraeterus hauing lost much mony and offended God with many cursed speeches at last presaging to him selfe good lucke he burst forth into these termes Mandat 4. Breach of Saboth lib. 1. cap. 35. Mandat 3. Blasphemy lib. 1. cap. 31. If fortune deceiue me now I will thrust my dagger into the very body of God as farre as I can now fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his dagger and taking it by the point threw it against
woman to the Emperour Adrian is very worthy to be remembred Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 2. who appealing and complaining to the Emperour of some wrong when hee answered that he was not at leisure then to heare her sute shee told him boldly and plainly That then he ought not to be at leisure to be her Emperour which speech went so neare the quicke vnto him that euer after he shewed more facilitie and courtesie towards all men that had any thing to do with him The kings of Fraunce vsed also this custome of hearing and deciding their subiects matters as wee read of Charlemaigne the king and Emperour who commanded that he should be made acquainted with all matters of importance and their issues throughout his realme King Lewes the first treading the steps of his father Charlemaigne accustomed himselfe three daies in a weeke to heare publikely in his pallace the complaints and grieuances of his people and to right their wrongs and iniuries King Lewes sirnamed the Holy Aimo a little before his death gaue in charge to his sonne that should succeed him in the crowne amongst other this precept To be carefull to beare a stroke in seeing the distribution of iustice and that it should not be peruerted not depraued CHAP. XLVI Of such princes as haue made no reckening of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their people IT cannot choose but be a great confusion in a common-wealth when iustice sleepeth and when the shamelesse boldnesse of euill doers is not curbed in with any bridle but runneth it owne swinge and therefore a Consull of Rome could say That it was an euill thing to haue a prince vnder whome license and libertie is giuen to euery man to doe what him listeth for so much then as this euill proceedeth from the carelesnes and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of gouernment in their hands it can not be but some euill must needs fall vpon them for the same The truth of this may appeare in the person of Philip of Macedonie whome Demosthenes the oratour noteth for a treacherous and false dealing prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open warre as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory hee celebrated at one time the marriage of his sonne Alexander whome hee had lately made king of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificense as hee was marching with all his traine betwixt the two bridegroomes his owne sonne his sonne in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnitie of the marriage behold suddenly a young Macedonian gentleman called Pausanias ran at him and slew him in the midst of the prease for not regarding to doe him iustice when hee complained of an iniury done vnto him by one of the peeres of his realme Plutarch Tatius the fellow king of Rome with Romulus for not doing iustice in punishing certaine of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certaine Embassadors which came to Rome and for making their impunitie an example for other malefactours by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watcht by the kindred of the slaine that they slew him euen as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtaine iustice at his hands What happened to the Romanes for refusing to deliuer an Embassadour Tit. Liuius Plutarch who contrary to the law of nations comming vnto them plaid the part of an enemie to his own country euen well nigh the totall ouerthrow of them and their citie for hauing by this meanes brought vpon themselues the calamitie of warre they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew al that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many daies spent in the pillage spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and vtterly destroied the whole city Childericke king of France Paul Aemil. is notified for an extreame dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard vnto his realme but that liued idly and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the common wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them vpon Pepin his lieutenant generall therefore was by him iustly deposed from his roiall dignity mewed vp in a cloister of religion to become a monke because he was vnfit for any good purpose albeit that this sudden change mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the realme thereupon so odious was hee become to the whole land for his drowsie and idle disposition Paul Aemil. For the same cause did the princes Electours depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his roome King Richard of England amongst other foule faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeues and robbers to roue vp and down the land vnpunished for which cause the citizens of London coÌ„menced a high sute against him coÌ„pelled him hauing raigned 22 yeres to lay aside the crown resigne it to another in the presence of all the states died prisoner in the Tower Moreouer this is no small defect of iustice when men of authority do not only pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and fauour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soueraigne prince without ouerpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wise dispence with the law of God Exod. 21. whereunto euen kings themselues are subiect for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Dâ—ut 19. Thou shalt plucke him from my altar saith the Lord that hee may die thy eye shall not spare him to the end it may goe well with thee which was put in practise in the death of Ioab 1 King 2. who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands vpon the hornes of the Altar for hee is no lesse abominable before God that iustifieth the wicked Prou 17. than hee that condemneth the iust and hereupon that holy king S. Lewes when hee had granted pardon to a malefactour Nich. Gilles reuoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That hee would giue no pardon except the case deserued pardon by the law for it was a worke of charitie and pittie to punish an offender and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeere of our Lord 978 Egebrede the sonne of Edgare end Alphred king of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly giuen to idlenesse and abhorring all princely exercises besides he was a louer of riot drunkennesse and vsed extreame cruelty towards his subiects hauing his eares open to all vniust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so
be of Greece there is no question but that they are so much the more blameable for glutting and ouercharging themselues with sins by how much the more they abound with temporable goods and commodities and that at length they tumble into vtter ruin and desolation for in steed of being a patterne and direction vnto others of wisdome and good gouernement as they ought they are for the most part examples of folly and vanity for where is there more euils and dissolutenesse raigning than in them the principall cause whereof is that greedy worme Auarice which begetteth in al estates much fraud coosening other naughtie practises with many such like children for through it euery man looketh to prouide for his owne affaires and to get any commoditie or ease whatsoeuer to himselfe euen with all his power not caring who be damnified so he be enriched the plenty of riches which there aboundeth instilleth pride and haughtinesse of mind into some maketh others dissolute and effeminate and besotteth others with carnall and vnhonest pleasures from which head spring riuers of euils as enuies quarrels dissention debates and murders all which things happeÌ„ to theÌ„ that being transported distracted with the furious contrariety of their disordinate affection can find no contentment nor agreement with themselues but must needes burst out into some outward mischiefes hence is that wonderfull pompe and brauery aswell of aparrell as other things hence all gourmandise and drunkennesse are so common yea and adulteries so much frequented wherefore the anger of the almighty must needs be kindled to consume theÌ„ in their sins One of the notablest cities of the world for greatnesse and antiquity was Niniue the capitall and chiefe citie of the Assyrian Empire howbeit her greatnesse and power could not so protect her but that after she had once been spared by the means of the Prophet Ionas who foretold her of her destruction being returned to her former vomit againe to wit of robberies extortions wrongfull dealings and adulteries shee was wholly and vtterly subuerted God hauing deliuered her for a prey into the hands of many of her enemies that spoiled and pilled her to the quicke and lastly into the hands of the Medes who brought hir to a final vnrecouerable desolation as it was prophecied by the prophet Nahum Babilon was wont to be the seat of that puissant monarchy vnder Nabuchadnezzar where flourished the famous Astrologers and notable wise men of the world where the spoiles and riches of many nations and countries were set vp as trophies kept as the remembrance of their victories where also vices raigned al maner of excesse and villany ouerflowed Lib. 5. of the actes of Alexander for by the report of Q. Curtius the city did so exceed in whoredome and adulteries that fathers and mothers were not ashamed to bee bauds vnto their daughters no nor husbands to their wiues a thing most strange odious Oros lib. 2. wherefore it could not chuse but in the end to bee sacked and quite destroied with an extreame ruin destruction Paul Jou com 2. lib 33. the signs and appearance whereof yet are seene in the ruine of old wals and ancient buildings that there remaine Amongst sea-bordring cities for renown of merchandise Tire in former ages was most famous for thither resorted the marchants of al countries for trafficke of Palestina Siria Aegypt Persia Assyria they of Tarshis brought thither yron lead brasse siluer the Sirians sold their Carbuncles purple brodered worke fine linnen corrall pearle the Iewes hony oile triacle Cassia and Calamus the Arabians trafficked with lambs muttons goats the Sabeans brought merchandise of all exquisit spices and apothecary stuffe with gold and pretious stones by means whereâ—â— it being grown exceeding wealthy enriched by fraud deceit being lifted vp to the height of pride plunged in the depth of pleasures it was at leÌ„gth by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God so sacked ruinated Sabel that the very memory thereof at this day scarce remaineth The like iudgemeÌ„t fell vpon Sidon vpon that rich renowned city of Corinth which through the coÌ„modiousnes of the hauen was the most frequented place of the world for the entercourse of merchants out of Asia Europe Thuciaides for by reason of hir pride corruption of maners but especially for her despising abuse of thy heauenly graces of Gods spirit which were sowed planted in hir Contempt of the word lib. 1. cap. 34. Eutrop. Oros lib. 9. she vnder went this punishment to be first finally destroied and brought into cinders by the Romans and then after her reedification to be debased into so low and vile an estate that that which remaineth is no wise comparable to hir former glory Again Athens the most florishing famous city of Greece for hir faire buildings large precincts multitude of inhabitants but especially for hir philosophy by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her as the fountaine welspring of arts the schoole vniuersity of the whole world whose pollicy and manner of gouernment was so much esteemed by the Romans that they drew from thence their laws but now she lies dead and buried in forgetfulnesse not carrying any of hir former proportion or appearance Carthage that noble city mistresse of Africa and Paragon to Rome may not brag of any better issue than hir fellowes for though shee resisted and made her part good with Rome for many yeares yet at length by means of hir own inward ciuill iars shee was vtterly destroied by theÌ„ for the inhabitaÌ„ts not able to stand any longer in defence Oros Eutrop. were constrained to yeeld theÌ„selues to the mercy of their enemies the women to the number of 25 thousand marching first forth after theÌ„ the meÌ„ in number 30 thousand following al which poor captiues were sold for bondslaues a few only of the principal excepted then fire was put to the city Eutrop. which burnt 17 daies without ceasing eueÌ„ till it was clean consumed It is true that it was reedified after this but which lasted not long for it was againe brought to destruction that at this day there remaineth nothing but old rotten ruins and thus fared many other cities Nunc seges est vbi Troia fuit of which may be verified that which was spoken of Troy that fields and corne are where cities were Numantium in Spain being besieged by the Romans after it had borne the brunt of war and sacking a long while made many desperate sallies vpon their enemies and lastly seeing theÌ„selues consumed with famine rather thaÌ„ they would bow their neckes to the yoke of seruitude barring their gates set fire on all and so burning themselues with their whole citie left the enemy nothing but ashes for his prey and triumph Titus Liuiuâ— as the Saguntines not long before serued Anniball It is a maruellous and