earnestly to desire to know the day wherein hee should die which also his schoolemaster the deuill reuealed vnto him but vnder such doubtfull tearmes that he dreamed in his foolish conceit of immortalitie and that he should neuer die It chanced on a time as he was singing masse at Rome in a Temple called Ierusalem which was the place assigned for him to die in and not Ierusalem in Palaestina as he made himselfe falsly beleeue he heard a great noise of deuils that came to fetch him away A note worthy the noting note that this was done in masse while whereat hee being terrified and tormented and seeing himselfe not able any waies to escape he desired his people to rend his body in pieces after his death and lay it vpon a charriot and let horses draw it whether they would which was accordingly perfourmed for as soone as hee was dead the pieces of his carkasse were carried out of the Church of Laterane by the wicked spirit who as he ruled him in life so he was the chiefe in his death and funerals By like means came Benedict the ninth to the Popedome for he was a detestable magitian Benno Balleus and in the ten yeres wherin he was Pope hauing committed infinite villanies and mischiefes was at last by his familiar friend the deuill strangled to death in a forrest whither he went to apply himselfe the more quieter to his coniurings Gregorio the sixt scholler to Siluester as great a coniurer â—s his master wrought much mischiefe in his time Bal. but was at last banished Rome and ended his life in misety in Germany Iohn the two and twentieth being of no better disposition then these we haue spoken of but following iudiciall astrologie fed himselfe with a vaine hope of long life whereof hee vanted himselfe among his familiars one day aboue the rest at Viterbum in a chamber which hee had lately builded saying that hee should liue a great while hee was assured of it presently the flore brake suddenly in pieces and hee was found seuen daies after crushed to pieces vnder the ruines thereof All this notwithhanding yet other Pope eased not to suffer themselues to be infected with this execrable poison as Hildebrand who was called Gregorie the seuenth and Alexander the sixt of which kind we shall see a whole legend in the next booke and 43 chapter do but marke these holy fathers how abominable they were to be in such sort giuen ouer to Satan Cornelius Agrippa a great student in this cursed Art and a man famous both by his owne workes and others report for his Necromancie Iouius in elogijâ— vtrorum illustrium went alwaies accompanied with an euill spirit in the similitude of a blacke dog but when his time of death drew neare and he was vrged to repentance he tooke off the enchaunted collar from the dogs necke and sent him away with these tearmes Get thee hence thou cursed beast which hast vtterly destroied mee neither was the dog euer after seene some say hee leapt into Araris and neuer came out againe Agrippa himselfe died at Lions in a base and beggerly Inne Zoreastres king of Bactria is notified to haue beene the inuentor of Astrologie and Magicke Theat hist but the deuill whose ministerie he vsed when he was too importunate with him burned him to death Charles the seuenth of Fraunce put Egidius de Raxa marshiall of his kingdome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 1. to a cruell and filthie death because hee practised this arte and in the same had murdered an hundred and twenty teeming women and young infants he caused him to be hanged vpon a fâ—â—ke by a hote fire and rosted to death Bladud the sonne of Lud king of Britaine now called England in the yeere of the world 3100 hee that builded the citie Bath as our late histories witnesse and also made therin the hote bathes addicted himselfe so much to the deuilish arte of Necromancie that he wrought wonders thereby in so much that hee made himselfe wings and attempted to flie like Dedalus but the deuill as euer like a false knaue forsooke him in his iourney so that he fell downe and brake his necke In the yeere of our Lord 1578 one Sâ—mon Penbrooke dwelling in S. Georges parish in London being a figure setter and vehemently suspected to be a coniurer by the commaundement of the iudge appeared in the parish Church of S. Sauiour at a court holden there where whilst hee was busie in entertaining a proctour and leaned his head vpon a pew a good space the proctour began to lift vp his head to see what hee ailed and found him departing out of this life and straight waies hee fell downe rattling in the throat without speaking any one word this straunge iudgement happened before many witnesses who searching him found about him fiue deuilish bookes of coniuration and most abominable practises with a picture in tinne of a man hauing three dice in his hand with this writing Chance dice fortunately and much other trash so that euery one confessed it to be a iust iudgement against sorcerie and a great example to cause others to feare the iustice of God Now let euery one learne by these examples to feare God and to stand firme stedfast to his holy word without turning from it on any side so shall he be safe from such like miserable ends as these wicked varlets come vnto CHAP. XXXIIII Of those that through pride and vainglory stroue to vsurpe the honour due vnto God A Forgetfull and vnthankfull mind for the benefits which God bestoweth vpon vs is a braunch of the breach of this first commaundement as well as those which went before and this is when we ascribe not vnto God the glory of his benefits to giue him thanks for them but through a foolish pride extoll our selues higher then we ought presuming aboue measure and reason in our owne power desire to place our selues in a higher degree then is meet With this fond and foolish affection I know not how our first fathers were tickled and tainted from the beginning to thinke to empaire the glory of God Gen. 3. and they also were puffed vp with the blast of ambition that I know not with what fond foolish rash and proud conceit went about after the flood to build a city and tower of exceeding height by that meanes to win fame and reputation amongst men Gen. 11. In stead whereof they ought rather to haue praised God by remembring his gratious goodnesse in their miraculous deliuerance in their fathers persons from that generall deluge and shipwracke of the world but forasmuch as with a proud and high stomacke they lifted vp themselues against God to whome onely all glory appertaineth therefore God also set himselfe against them and against their ouer bold practises interrupting all their determined presumptuous purposes by such a confusion and alteration of tongues which he sent amongst them that one could not
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
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
his princes and his wiues and concubines might drinke therein exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of heauen boasting in his Idols of earth therfore God being stirred vp to wrath against him appointed his destruction euen whilst he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his iolity and caused a strange and fearfull signe to appeare before his eies a bodilesse handwriting vpon the wall ouer against the candlestick The words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdom which presently ensued for the very same night he was murdred and the scepter seased vpon by Darius king of Media CHAP. XI Of the kings which in hatred to the law and religion of God afflicted the Iewes in the time of the Machabees 1. Mach. 2. 6. ANtiochus by sirname Epiphanes or excellent though by truer report of people contemptuously intituled the furious king of Asia being venimously enraged against the Iewes began at the first marueilously to oppresse them to rob and spoile their temple and to slaughter the people About ten yeeres after deceiuing the poore people with faire and smooth words couers of most vile and wretched treason whilst they imagined no mischiefe he set vpon them in such cruell sort that the losse desolation which they endured at that time was inestimable for besides the destruction of Ierusalem their city the slaughter of infinite multitudes of their people and the captiuitie of women and infants as if all these were not enough there was yet another misery to make vp the full sum worse then all the rest which was this The cursed tyrant seeing his purpose not to take the full effect commaunded euery where that all his subiects I meane the Iewes should forsake and abiure the law of God be vnited into one religion with the infidels By meanes of which edict the religion of God was defaced the bookes of his law rent and burned and those with whome any such books were found rigorously put to death Which fearfull crueltie when the Iewes perceiued it caused many of them to wax faint hearted to giue themselues ouer to wallow in the durty fashions of the vncircūcised idolaters in their madnes to subscribe to the vniust lawes of the vile monster Now after he had committed all these outrages he was repulsed with dishonour frō the city Elymais in Persia which he went about to spoile rob and forced to fly to Babylon where after tidings of the ouerthrow of his two armies in Iudea with grief despite he ended his daies Antiochus the sonne of this wretched father 1. Mach. 6. succeeding him as in his kingdom so in wickednes periury disloialty when to the end to consult about his own affaires he cōcluded a peace with the Iewes by solemne oath as well of himselfe as his princes confirmed the free exercise of their religiō behold suddenly he falsified his plighted sworn faith vndid all that euer he had done but it was not long ere he also was ouertaken by the army of Demetrius togither with Lysias his gouernor put to death A while after reigned Alexander his brother 1. Mach. 11. who whilst hee was encumbred with the troubles of Cilicia that reuolted from him the king of Aegypt his father in law came traiterously to forestall him of his kingdome tooke his wife gaue her to his deadliest enemy and afterward gaue him battell discomfited his forces and droue him to flie into Arabia for safety where in stead of help he found an hatchet to chop off his head which was sent for a present to gratifie the king of Aegypt withall Not long after Antiochus his son recouered 1. Mach. 13. the scepter of his father but alas his reign endured but a small space for being yet but a yong child he was slaine by Triphon in the way as he led him to war against the Iews and thus perished the cursed race of Antiochus which felt Gods wrath vpon it euen to the third generation Antiochus the son of Demetrius of whom mention was made but a litle before after he had chased Triphon from the kingdome of Asia which he vsurped 2. Mach. 5. and broken the league which he had made with the Iewes gaue himselfe wholly to worke them misceiefe Therfore comming against Ierusalem he tooke it by force commanding his souldiers to put all to death that were within the same So that within three daies there was such a massacre of young and old men women and children that the number of the slaine arose to fourescore thousand carcasses After this hauing executed many more villanies against this people in so much as to make them renounce the lavv of God putting them cruelly to death that did not obey his commandement It came to passe that this cruell tyrant was first of all pur to flight by the inhabitants of Persepolis a city of Persia for going about to rob their temple of their treasures next endamaged by an ouerthrow of his armie in Iudea which he no sooner vnderstood but he tooke counsell in his fury how to be reuenged on Ierusalem and belched forth bitter threats against it But in the meane while the Lord stroke him with a sudden incurable plague surprised him with a horrible torment of his entrails Howbeit for all this he ceased not his malitious enterprisse but hasted forward his iourny towards the Iews with such egernesse that in the way he fell out of his charriot bruised so his body that it became putrified so full of corruption that very vermine scrawled out therof and the rotten flesh dropped peecemeale away no man no nor himselfe being able to endure the stinch therof Then was he constrained in the midst of his torments to confesse that it was meet that he should submit himselfe vnto God that he which is mortall ought not to exalt himselfe so high as to compare with the immortall God and in this estate this reprobate ended his wicked daies by a strange and most miserable kind of death CHAP. XII Of those that persecuted the sonne of God and his Church IF they who in the law iniured and persecuted the Church of God were punished according to their deserts as we haue already heard is it any maruell then if the enemies persecuters of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus which labour by all meanes to discountenance and frustrate his religion and to oppresse his Church do feele the heauy fearfull vengeance of God vpon them for their wickednes vnbeliefe No verily for he that honoreth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him and is guilty therfore before God of impiety prophanesse From this hamous crime king Herod in no wise can be exempted that caused all the infants of Bethlehem of two yeres old vnder to be cruelly murdred Mat. 2. in hope therby to put the true Messias and sauiour of the world to death For which deed accompanied
home vnto his owne house was attached with so grieuous a sicknesse and such furious and mad fits withall that his wife and neerest allies not daring to come neere him hee like a franticke bedlem enraged and solitarily ended his life A counsellour of the same court called Bellâ—mâ—nt was so hote and zealous in proceeding against the poore prisoners for the word of Gods sake that to the end to packe them soone to the fire hee vsually departed not from the iudgement hall from morning to euening but caused his meat and drinke to be brought for his meales returning not home but only at night to take his rest But whilst hee thus strongly and endeauourously emploied himselfe about these affaires there began a litle sore to rise vpon his foote which at the first being no bigger then if a waspe had stung the place grew quickly so red and full of paine and so encreased the first day by ranckling ouer all his foot and inflaming the same that by the iudgement of Phisitians and Chirurgians through the contagious fire that spred it selfe ouer his whole body it seemed incurable except by cutting off his foot the other members of the body might be preserued which hee in no case willing to yeeld vnto for all the medicines that were applied vnto it found the second day his whole legge infected and the third his whole thigh and the fourth day his whole body in so much that he died the same day his dead body being all parched as if it had bene rosted by a fire And thus hee that was so hote in burning poore Christians was himselfe by a seeret flame of Gods wrath as by slow and soft fire burned and consumed to death Lewes de Vaine brother in law to Menier the president of the said parliament of Prouince History of Martyrs second booke with the brother and sonne of Peter Durand chiefe butcher of the city Aix the euening before their horrible crueltie was executed at Merindoll fell at debate amongst themselues and the morrow as instruments of Gods iudgements slew one another The Iudge of the city Aix one of that wretched crew drowned himselfe in his returne The same as hee passed ouer the riuer Durance As for the chiefe Iudge that was principall in that murderous action The same touching the condemnation of those poore soules of Merindoll and Cabrieres he likewise suddenly died before he saw the execution of that decree which himselfe had sed downe Iohn Mesnier lord of Oppede another chiefe officer of the foresaid parliament that got the leading of that murdering armie against the poore Christians aforesaid committed such excesse of cruelty that the most barbarous heathen in the world would haue yearned to doe For which cause hee was also summoned to appeare personally at the parliament of Paris there to answere to those extortions robberies oppressions which were laid to his charge and being conuinced and found guilty thereof was neuerthelesse released and set at liberty and that which is more restored to his former state Howbeit though he escaped the hands of men yet was he ouertaken by the hand of God who knew well enough the way how to entrap and abate his proud intents for euen then when hee was in the height of worldly prosperity and busier then euer in persecuting Christians euen then was hee pulled downe by a fluxe of blood which prouoking his priuie partes ingendred such a carnositie and thicknesse of flesh therein and withall a restraint of vrine that with horrible ourcries and rauing speeches hee died feeling a burning fire broiling his entrails from his nauell vpwards and an extreme infection putrifying his lower parts and beginning to feele in this life both in body and soule the rigour of eternall fire prepared for the deuill and his angels Iohn Martin Trombant of Briqueras in Piemont vaunting himselfe euery foot in the hindrance of the Gospell cut off a ministers nose of Angrogne in his brauery 2 Bookes of martyrs but immediatly after was himselfe assailed by a mad wolfe that gnawed off his nose as he had done the ministers and caused him like a mad man to end his life which strange iudgement was notoriously knowen to all the countrey thereabout and beside it was neuer heard that this wolfe had euer harmed any man before Gaspard of Reniaâ—me one of the magistrates of the city of Anuers that adiudged to death certaine poore faithfull soules receiued in the same place ere hee remooued a terrible sentence of Gods iudgement against himselfe for hee fell desperate immediatly and was faine to be led into his house halfe beside himselfe where crying that hee had condemned the innocent blood he sorthwith died CHAP. XVI Other Examples of the same subiect ABout the same time there happened a very straunge iudgement vpon an ancient lawier of Bourges one Iohn Cranequin a man of ripe wit naturall and a great practitioner in his profession but very ignorant in the law of God and all good literature so enuiously bent against all those that knew more then himselfe and that abstained from the filthie pollutions of poperie that hee serued in stead of a promootour to enforme Ory the inquisitour of them but for his labour the arme of God stroke him with a marueilous straunge phrensie that whatsoeuer his eies beheld seemed in his iudgement to be crawling serpents In such sort that after hee had in vaine experienced all kind of medicines yea and vsed the helpe of wicked sorcerie and coniuration yet at length his senses were quite benummed and depriued him and in that wretched and miserable estate hee ended his life Iohn Morin a mighty enemie to the professors of Gods truth one that laboured continually at Paris in apprehending and accusing the faithfull in so much that hee sent daily multitudes that appealed from him to the high court of the pallace died himselfe in most grieuous and horrible torment The Chauncellour of Prat hee that in the Parliaments of France put vp the first bill against the faithfull and gaue out the first commissions to put them to death died swearing and blaspheming the name of God his stomacke being most straungely gnawen in peeces and consumed with wormes The Chauncellour Oliuer beeing restored to his former estate Refer this among Apostaraes Lib. 1. cap. 18. hauing first against his conscience renounced his religion so also now the same conscience of his checking and reclaiming hee spared not to shedde much innocent blood by condemning them to death But such a fearefull iudgement was denounced against him by the very mouthes of the guiltlesse condemned soules that stroke him into such a feare and terrour that presently hee fell sicke surprised with so extreame a melancholy that sobbing forth sighes without intermission and murmurings against God hee so afflicted his halfe dead body like a man robd and dispossest of sense and reason that with his vehement fits hee would so shake the bedde as if a young man in
11. and there putting in practise his magicall artes and working miracles by the deuill was reputed a god and had an image erected in his honour with this inscription To Simon the holy God besides all the Samaritanes and diuers also of other nations accounted him no lesse as appeared by the reuerence and honour which they did vnto him in so much as they called his companion or rather his whore Helena for that was her profession in Tyre a citie of Phenicia The first moouer that distilled out of Simons bosome Now hee to foster this foolish and ridiculous opinion of theirs and to eternize his name boasted that hee would at a certaine time flie vp into heauen which as hee attempted to doe by the helpe of the deuill Peter the Apostle commaunded the vncleane spirit to cast him downe againe so that he fell vpon the earth and was bruised to death and prooued himselfe thereby to be no more then a mortall wicked and detestable wretch Moreouer elsewhere wee read of Alexander the great whose courage and magnanimitie was so exceeding great that he enterprised to go out of Greece and set vpon all Asia only with an army of two and thirty thousand footmen Oros lib. 3. fiue hundred horse and an hundred and fourescore ships and in this appointment passing the seas hee conquered in short space the greatest part of the world for which cause he was represented to the Prophet Daniel in a vision by the figure of a Leopard with wings on his backe to notifie the great diligence and speedy expedition which he vsed in compassing so many sudden and great victories with pride whereof hee was so soone infected that hee would brooke no equall nor companion in his Empire but as heauen had but one sonne so hee thought the earth ought to haue but one monarch which was himselfe Iust lib. 11. which mind of his he made knowen by his answere to king Darius demaunding peace and offering him the one halfe of his kingdome to be quiet when he refused to accord thereunto saying He scorned to be a partner in the halfe and hoped to be ful possessour of the whole After his first victory had of Darius his entrance into Aegypt which he tooke without blowes as also hee did Rhodes and Cicilia he practised and suborned the priests that ministred at the Oracle of Hammon to make him be pronounced and entituled by the Oracle The sonne of Iupiter which kind of iuggling and deceit was common at that time Hauing obtained this honour forthwith he caused himselfe to be worshipped as a god Iust lib. 12. Curt. lib. 8. according to the custom of the kings of Persia neither wanted hee flatterers about him that egged him forward soothed him vp in this proud humor albeit that many of the better sort endeauoured tooth and naile to turne him from it It happened as he warred in India he receiued so sore a wound that with paine thereof hee was constrained to say Though he was the renowmed sonne of Iupiter yet hee ceased not to feele the infirmities of a weak diseased body finally being returned to Babylon where many embassadors of diuerse farre countries as of Carthage and other cities in Affrica Spaine France Sicilie Sardinia and certaine Citties of Italy were arriued to congratulate his good successe for the great renown which by his worthy deeds he had gotten as he lay there taking his rest many daies and bathing himselfe in all kind of pleasure one day after a great feast that lasted a whole day and a night in a banket after supper being ready to returne home he was poysoned when before he had drunke his whole draught hee gaue a deepe sigh suddenly as if he had beene thrust through with a dart and was carried away in a sowne vexed with such horrible torment that had he not beene restrained he would haue killed himselfe And on this manner he that could not content himselfe with the condition of a man but would needs clymbe aboue the clouds to goe in equipage with God drunke vp his owne death leauing as sodainly all his worldly pompe as he had sodainly gotten it which vanished like smoke none of his children being any whit the better by it There was in Siracusa a city of Sicilia which is now called Saragosse a Phisition called Menecrates whose folly and presumption was so great that hee accounted himselfe a god and desired to bee so reputed by others insomuch that he required no other wages and recompence of the patients which hee tooke in hand as Aelianus witnesseth but that they should onely acknowledge him to bee Iupiter and call him so auow themselues to his seruice Vpon a time Denis the tyrant desirous to make some pastime with him made a feast and inuited him amongst others to be his guest but because he was a god to do him honor answerable to his name hee placed him a table all alone and set before him no dishes but onely a censer with frankincense which was a proper and conuenient seruice for the gods this honourable dutie pleased the Phisitian very wel at the first so that he snuffed vp the perfume most willinglie but when this poore god saw the other guests eating and drinking indeed and himselfe not being able to bee fed with smoke readie to starue with hunger rose vp and went away all enraged in himselfe and derided of others hauing more need to purge his owne braine from their superfluous humor then others from their sicknesses Caligula the first Emperour being become an ordinarie despiser and open mocker of all religion it came presentlie in his braine to beleeue so drunken was hee with a draught of his owne foolish conceit that there was no other God but himselfe therefore he caused men to worship him to kisse his hands or his feet in token of reuerence which honor afterwards the Popes tooke vnto them yea and was so besotted that he went about by certaine engines of art to counterfeit thunder and lightnings albeit in all this pride and arrogancie or rather folly there was none so timorous and fearefull as he or that would sooner vpon lighter occasion be dismaied One day as he was by mount Aetna in Cicilie hearing by chance the violent cracking of the flames which all that season ascended out of the top of the hill it stroke so soddaine and horrible a feare into him that he neuer ceased flying all night till hee came to Phar in Messina Euery little thunderclap put him in feare of death for hee would leape vp and downe like a mad man when hee heard it thunder finding himselfe not able by all his godhead to defend himselfe from the power thereof but if there chanced greater crackes then ordinarie then would not his whote bed hold him but needes must he run into the cold floure vnderneath the bed to hide himselfe Thus was hee compelled against his will to feare him whome willinglie hee would not
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
much lesse will he spare any other kingdome and monarchie which continue by their images and idoll worship to stirre vp his indignation against them CHAP. XXVII Of many euils that haue come vpon Christendome for idolatrie IF wee consider and search out the cause of the ruine of the East Empire and of so many famous and florishing Churches as were before-time in the greatest part of Europe namely in Greece wee shall find that Idolatry hath beene the cause of all for euen as it got footing and increase in their dominions so equally did the power of Saracens and Turkish tyrany take root and foundation amongst them and prospered so well that the rest of the world trembled at the report thereof God hauing raised and fortified them as beforetime he had done the Assyrians and Babylonians as whips and scourges to chasten the people and nations of the world that wickedly had abused his holy gospell bearing the name of Christians had become idolaters for no other name then this can be giuen them that in deuotion do any maner of homage to images pictures whatsoeuer may superficially be alledged to the contrary For be it the image either of Prophet Apostle or Christ Iesus himself yet it is necessary that the law of God stand whole and sound which saith Thou shalt make thy selfe no grauen image nor any likenes of things either in heauen aboue or in earth beneath Epiphan Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them c. Wherefore he perfourmed the part of a good bishop that finding a vaile spred in the entrance of a Church dore wherein the image of Christ or of some other Saint was pictured rent it in peeces with these words That it was against the authoritie of the sacred scripture to haue any image of Christ set vp in the Church After the same manner Serenus bishop of Marseilla beate down banished all images out of his Churches as occasions of idolatry to shun them the more it was ordained in the Elibertine councill that no image nor picture should be set vp in any Church for which cause also the Emperour Leo the third by an open edict commanded his subiects to cast out of their temples all pictures and statues of Saints Paul Diacon Lib. 6. cap. 14. Angels and whatsoeuer to the intent that all occasions of Idolatry might be taken away yea and he burned some and punished diuers otherwise that in this regard were not pliant but disobedient to his commaundement After which time when images were recalled into Greece into Constantinople the chiefe city and seat of the east Empire it came to passe by a great and dreadfull yet iust iudgement of God that this famous and renowmed city in the worlds eie impregnable after long siege and great and furious assaults was at length taken by the Turkes who hauing wonne the breach and entred with fury droue the poore Emperour Paleologus euen till then fighting for the cities defence to that extremity that in retiring among the prease of his owne souldiers he was thronged and trampled to death and his slaine body being found was beheaded and his head contemptuously caried about the city vpon a launce Now after the massacre of many thousand men to make vp a complete and absolute cruelty they drew the Empresse with her daughters and many other Ladies gentlewomen to a banquet where after many vile and horrible wrongs and disgraces they killed and tore them in pieces in most monstrous manner In all which the execution of Gods most iust wrath for idolatry did most liuely appeare which sinne accompanied with many other execrable and vile vices must needs draw after it a grieuous and terrible punishment to serue for example to others that were to come neither was it a thing by chance or haphazzard that the christians were made a mocking stocke vnto them in that wofull day when in their bloody triumphes they caused a crucifixe to be caried through the streets in contempt and throwing durt vpon it cried in their language This is the gallant God of Christians And thus did God license and permit these sauage Turkes to commit eueryday grieuous outrages and to make great wastes and desolations in all Christendome till that they grew so mighty that it is to bee feared least the saying of Lactantius touching the returne of the Empire into Asia be not verified and accomplished verie shortly if there bee no amendment practised for we see by wofull experience that almost all the forces which Christian Princes haue mustered together from all quarters in pretence to resist their furie and rage haue not onely beene bootlesse and vnprofitable but also that which is worse giuen them further occasion by their bloodie victories and wonderfull slaughter of so many millions of men to make them more obstinate in their detestable Mahumetisme and Turkish religion then they were before for they make their boasts thereof and reare vp trophees of their cruelties taking no more pittie of the vanquished then a butcher doth of sheepe alotted to the slaughter Whereof we haue a pittifull example in rhe ouerthrow of the French armie which Iohn the sonne of Philip duke of Burgundie led against the Turke Pazaite and by the trecherie and cowardise of the Hungarians who in the time of battaile turned their backes and fled was ouercome in that this wicked and cruell tyger expresly charged that all the prisoners in number many should be murdered one after another which was readily executed before his eies so that sauing the chiefe captaine and certain few lords of the companie that were spared in respect of great ransoms there scaped not one aliue Besides these generall calamities the Lord hath particularly showne foorth his indignation against priuate persons and places for Idolatrie Cent. 4. cap. 3. as in Spoletium at one rime there perished by an earthquake three hundred and fiftie whilst they were offering sacrifice vnto their Idols At Rome vnder the empire of Alexander Seuerus after that the left hand of the image of Iupiter was miraculously melted Cent 3. cap. 14. the priests going about to pacifie the anger of their gods with Lectisterns and Sacrifices foure of them togither with the altar and Idoll were stricken in peeces with a thunderbolt and sodenly such a horrible darkenesse ouerspread all the Citty that most of the inhabitants ran out into the fields all amazed Moreouer did not the Lord send lightning from Heauen to inflame that notorious Temple for Idolatrie of Apollo Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 9. 10. or rather the Deuill of Delphos in the time of Iulian the wicked Apostatae whilest hee was exercising tortures vpon one Theodorus a Christian and did it not consume the image of Apollo to ashes The famous and rich Temple of Iupiter at Apamea how strangely did it come to ruine and destruction Nicâ—phor lib. 12. cap. 27. For when the President and Tribunes
humbled vnder so grieuous a scourge as neuer forsook him til his death When the arke of the couenant was in bringing from Abinadabs house in Kyriathiarim in a cart guided by Vzza and Ahio Abinadabs sonnes 1. Sam. 6. 1. Chron. 13. it fell out by the way that it being shaken by the oxen vnfit seruitors for such a worke Vzza put forth his hand to hold it but therin he went beyond his charge therefore was punished forthwith with present death for his inconsiderate rashnes for albeit he was both a Leuit and thought no euill in his heart yet in no respect was he licenced to touch the arke being a thing lawfull for the Priests onely Let therefore euery one bee aduised by these examples to follow that rule in seruing God which is by him designed in all simplicitie modesty and obedience without altering or declining or vndertaking any thing aboue or beside their calling CHAP. XXIX Of Periurers THe third commandement which is Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine is first and especially broken by periurie when God is so lightly esteemed nay so despised that without any regard had to his name that is to say to his greatnes maiesty power diuine vertue and fearfull iustice for these be his names men by fraud and malice abuse their othes either in denying that which is true or affirming that which is vntrue or neglecting their promises made vowed to others for this is neither to haue respect vnto his presence who is euery where nor reuerence to his maiestie who is God of heauen and earth but rather to make him bear witnes to our lie falshood as if he approued it or had no power to reuenge the iniury dishonor done vnto him And therfore against such in threatning words he denounceth this iudgement that Hee will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Howbeit very many ouerboldly giue themselues ouer to this sinne making little or no conscience to cousen one another euen by forswearings whereby they giue most cleare euidence against themselues that they haue very little feare of God before their eies and are not guided by any other rule saue of their owne affections by which they square-out and build their othes and pull them downe againe at their pleasures for let it be a matter of vantage and then they wil keepe them but straightway if a contrarie persuasion come in their braine they will cancell them by and by wherein they deale farre worse and more iniuriously with God then with their knowne enemies for hee that contrarie to his sworne faith deceiueth his enemie declareth that therein he feareth him but feareth not God and careth for him but contemneth God It was therefore not-without good reason that all antiquity euer marked thē with the coat of infamie that forswore themselues And therevpon it is that Homer so often taunteth the Troians by reason of their so vsuall periuries Diod. lib. 2. ca. 2. The Aegyptians had them in detestation as prophane persons and reputed it so capitall a crime that whosoeuer was conuinced thereof was punished by death The ancient Romanes reuerenced nothing more then Faith in publicke affaires for which cause they had in their city a temple dedicated to it wherein for a more streight bond they vsed solemnly to promise and sweare to all the conditions of peace truces and bargaines which they made and to curse those which went about first to breake them for greater solemnitie and confirmation hereof they were accustomed at those times to offer sacrifices to the image of faith for more reuerence sake Hence it was that Attilius Regulus chiefe captaine of the Romane army against the Carthaginians was so highly commended of all men because when hee was ouercome and taken prisoner and sent to Rome he only for his othes sake which hee had sworne returned againe to the enemie albeit hee knew what greeuous torments were prouided for him at his returne Others also that came with him though they were entreated and by their parents wiues and allies instantly vrged not to returne to Hannibals campe could in no wise bee moued therevnto but because they had sworne to the enemie if the Romans did not accord to those conditions which were offered to come againe they preferred the bond and reuerence of their promised faith though accompanied with perpetuall captiuity before their priuate commodities and neerest linke of affection But two of those ten for so many were they falsified their oth whatsoeuer mist they may cast to darken and disguise their periurie with yet were they condemned of all men for cowards and fainthearted traitors in so much that the Censors also noted them with infamie for the fact whereat they tooke such griefe and inward sorrow that being wearie of their liues they slew themselues Now what can they pretend that professe themselues Christians and Catholickes to excuse their periuries Cic. offic lib. 1. seeing that the very Heathen crie out so loud and cleare that an oth and faith is so sacredly to be kept towards our enemies This is one of the greatest vertues and commendations which the Psalmist attributeth to the faithfull man and him that feareth God and whome God auoucheth for his owne Psal 15. Iosh 9. not to falsifie his oth that he sweared though it bee to his dammage The Gibaonites although they were so execrable a people that for their great and horrible wickednesses and abhominations they might be well esteemed for Heretikes yet the Princes of Israell after they had sworne and giuen their faith vnto them would in no wise retract or goe against their oth albeit therein they were abused deceiued by them for feare of incurring the wtath of God that suffereth not a periurer to go vnpunished Vpon what ground or example of holy Scripture then may that doctrine of the counsell of Constance bee founded the purport whereof is That a man ought not to keepe his faith to Heretiks I omit to speake how these good fathers by Heretikes meant those men who fearing God relied themselues vpon his word and reiected the foolish and superstitious inuentions of men And vnder what colour can the Popes vsurpe this authoritie to quit and discharge subiects of their oth wherwith they are bound to their superiors yet this was the impious audacity of Pope Zacharia pope Boniface the eight and pope Benedict de la Lune Platina who freed the Frenchmen from their dutie and obedience which they ought vnto their kings In like manner disgorged Gregory the seuenth his choller and spite against the Emperour Henry by forbidding his subiects to be his subiects Enguerran de Monstrelet and to yeeld that obedience vnto him which subiects were bound to doe Howbeit if an oath be made either against God or to the dammage and hurt of our neighbour it being for that cause vnlawfull it behooueth vs to know that we ought to reuoke it
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
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
Austria Greg. of Tours lib 2. who being tickled with an vnsatiable lust of raigne through the deceiuable persuasions of Cleodouius king of Fraunce slew his father Sigebert as he lay asleepe in his tent in a forrest at noone time of the day who being weary with walking laid himselfe downe there to take his rest but for all that the wicked wretch was so farre from attaining his purpose that it fell out cleane contrarie to his expectation for after his fathers death as hee was vewing his treasures and ransacking his coffers one of Cleodouius factors stroke him sodainly and murdered him so Cleodouius seased both vpon the crowne and treasures After the death of Hircanus Ioseph antiq Aristobulus succeeded in the gouernmēt of Iudea which whilest he stroue to reduce into a kingdome to weare a crown contrary to the custome of his predecessors his mother other brethren contending with him about the same he cast in prison and took Antigonus his next brother to be his associate but ere long a good gratefull son he famished her to death with hunger that had fed him to life with her teates euen his naturall mother And after persuaded with false accusations caused his late best beloued Antigonus to be slain by an ambush that lay by Stratos tower because in the time of his sicknesse hee entered the temple with pompe but the Lord called for quittance for the two bloosheads immediatly after the execution of them for his brothers blood was scarse washed of the ground ere in the extremity of his sicknesse he was carried into the same place there vomiting vp bloud at his mouth nosthrils to be mingled with his brothers he fell down starke dead not without horrible tokens of trembling and despaire Nero that vnnaturall Tyrant surpassed all that liued Corn. Tacit. lib. 14. as in all other vices so in this for hee attempted thrise by poyson to make away his mother Agrippina and when that could not preuaile by reason of her vsuall Antidots and preseruatiues hee assaied diuerse other meanes as first a deuise whereby shee should bee crushed to death as she slept Sueton. cap. 33. a loosened beame that should fall vpon her and secondly by shipwracke both which when shee escaped the one by discouery and the other by swimming hee sent Anicetus the Centurion to slaughter hir with the sword who with his companions breaking vp the gate of the city where shee lay rushed into her chamber and there murdered her It is written of her that when shee saw there was no remedy but death shee presented her belly vnto the murderer and desired him to kill her in that part which had most deserued it by bringing into the world so vile a monster and of himt hat he came to veiw the dead carcasse of his mother and handled the members thereof commending this and discommending that as his fancy led him in the mean time being thirstie to call for drinke so far was hee from all humanitie and touch of nature but he that spared not to embrew his handes in her blood that bred him was constrained ere long to offer violence vnto his own life which was most dear vnto him Munst Cosmog lib. 3. Henry the son of Nicolotus duke of Herulia had two wicked cruell and vnkind sons by the yonger of whom with the consent of the elder he was traiterously murdered because he had married a third wise for which cause Nicolotus their cousin Germane pursued them both with a iust reuenge for he depriued them of their kingdome and droue them into exile where they soone after perished Phil. Melanct. chron lib. 5. Munst Cosmog lib. 4. Selimus the tenth Emperour of the Turks was so vnnaturall a child that he feared not to dispossesse his father Baiaset of the crowne by treason and next to bereaue him of his life by poyson And not fatisfied therewith euen to murder his two brethren and to destroy the whole stocke of his own bloud But when hee had raigned eight yeares vengeance found him out and being at his backe so corrupted and putrified his reines that the contagion spread it selfe ouer all his bodie so that hee died a beast-like and irkesome death and that in the same place where hee had before oppressed his father Baiaset with an army to wit at Chiurle a citty of Thracia in the yeare of our Lord 1520 the month of September Casp Hedian lib. 6. cap. 29. Charles the younger by surname called Crassus sonne to Lodouick the third was possessed and tormented with a Deuill in the presence of his father and the peeres of the realme which hee openly confessed to haue iustly happened vnto him because hee had pretended in his mind to haue conspired his fathers death and deposition what then are they to expect that doe not pretend but performe this monstrous enterprise A certaine degenerate and cruel sonne longing and gaping after the inheritance of his father which nothing but his life kept him from wrought this meanes to accomplish his desire he accused his father of a most filthy and vnnameable crime euen of committing filthinesse with a cow knowing that if he were conuicted thereof Theat hist the law would cut off his life and herein he wrought a double villany in going about not onely to take away his life which by the law of nature he ought to haue preserued but also his good name without respecting that the staine of a father redoundeth to his posteritie Mandat 8. Calumniatiō lib. 2. cap. and that children commonly doe not only inherit the possessions but also imitate the conditions of their parents but all these supposes laid aside togither with all feare of God he indicted him before the magistrate of incest that vpon his owne knowledge insomuch that they brought the poore innocent man to the racke to the end to make him confesse the crime which albeit amidst his tortures he did assoone as he was out he denied againe howbeit his extorted confession stood for euidence and he was condemned to be burned with fire as was speedily executed and constantly endured by him exclaiming still vpon the false accusation of his sonne and his owne vnspotted innocencie as by the issue that followed most clearely appeared for his sonne not long after fell into a reprobate mind and hanged himselfe and the iudge that condemned him with the witnesses that bare record of his forced confession within one moneth died all after a most wretched and miserable sort And thus it pleased God both to reuenge his death and also to quit his reputation and innocency from ignominy and discredit in this world Manfred prince of Tarentum Phil Melanct. Chron. lib. 4. No better fruit to be expected of an◠bastard im◠bastard sonne to Fredericke the second smothered his father to death with a pillow because as some say he would not bestow the kingdom of Naples vpon him not content
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
and consent of parties is committed bee condemned how much more greeuous and hainous is the offence and more guiltie the offendour when with violence the chastity of any is assailed and enforced This was the sinne wherwith Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Leuit is marked in holy scripture for hee rauished Dina Iaacobs daughter Gen. for which cause Simeon and Lui her brethren reuenged the iniury done done vnto their sister vpon the head of not onely him and his father but all the males that were in the citie by putting them to the sword It was a custome among the Spartanes Messenians during the time of peace betwixt them to send yearely to one another certaine of their daughters to celebrate certaine feasts and sacrifices that were amongst them now in continuance of time it chanced that fiftie of the Lacedemonian Virgines being come to those solemne feasts were pursued by the Messenian gallants to haue their pleasures of theÌ„ but they iointly making resistance and fighting for their honesties stroue so long not one yeelding themselues a prey into their hands till they all died wherevpon arose so long miserable a warre that all the countrie of Messena was destroied thereby Aristoclides a Tyrant of Orchomenus a city of Arcadia fell enamoured with a maid of Stymphalis who seeing her father by him slaine because hee seemed to stand in his puâ—poses light fled to the Temple of Diana to take Sanctuarie neither could once bee pluckt from the image of the goddesse vntill her life was taken from her but hir death so incensed the Arcadians that they fell to armes sharpely reuenged her cruell iniury Appius a Romane a man of power and authoritie in the city â—â—us Liuius enflamed with the loue of a Virgin whose father hight Virginius would needs make her his seruant to the end to abuse her the more freely whilst he endeuoured with all his power and pollicie to accomplish his immoderate lust her father slew her with his own hands more willing to prostitute her to death than to so foule an opprobrie and disgrace but euery man prouoked and stirred vp with the wofulnesse of the euent with one consent pursued apprehended and imprisoned the foule lecher who fearing the award of a most shamefull death killed himselfe to preuent a further mischiefe In the yeare of our Lord 1271 vnder the raign of the Emperour Rodolphe Nic. Gil. vol. 1. the Sicilians netled and enraged with the horrible whoredomes adulteries Rapes which the Garrisons that had the gouernment ouer them committed not able to endure any longer their insolent outragious demeanor entred a secret coÌ„mon conspiracy vpon a time appointed for the purpose which was on Easter sunday at the shutting in of the euening to set vpon them with one accord and to murder so many as they could as they did for at that instant they massacred so many throughout the whole island that of all the great multitude there suruiued not one to beare tidings or bewaile the dead At Naples it chaunced in the Kings pallace Bâ—mb lib. 3. hist Venet. as young King Fredericke Ferdinands sonne entered the priuie chamber of the Queene his mother to salute her and the other Ladies of the court that the Prince of Bissenio waighting in the outward chamber for his returne was slaine by one of his owne seruants that suddainely gaue him with his sword three deadly strokes in the presence of many beholders which deed hee confessed that hee had watched three yeares to performe in regard of an iniurie done vnto his sister and in her to him Benzoni Milan of the new found land whome hee rauished against her will The Spaniards that first tooke the Isle Hispaniola were for their whoredomes and Rapes whhich they committed vpon the wiues and Virgins all murdered by the inhabitants The inhabitants of the Prouince Cumana when they saw the beastly outrage of the Spanish nation The same author that lay along their coasts to fish for pearle in forcing and rauishing without difference their women young and old set vpon them vpon a Sunday morning with all their force and slew all that euer they found by the sea coasts Westward till there remained not one aliue And the fury of the rude vnciuill people was so great that they spared not the Monkes in their cloisters but cut their throates as they were mumbling their Masses burnt vp the Spanish houses both religious and priuate burst in peeces their belles drew about their Images hurld downe their crucifixes and cast them in disgrace and contempt ouerthwart their streetes to bee trodden vpon nay they destroyed whatsoeuer belonged vnto them to their very dogges and hennes and their owne Countriemen that serued them in any seruice whether religious or other they spared not they beate the earth and cursed it with bitter curses because it had vpholden such wicked and wretched caitifes Now the report of this massacre was so fearefull and terrible that the Spaniards which were in Cubagna doubted much of their liues also and truly not without great cause for if the Indians of the Continent had beene furnished and prouided with sufficient store of barkes they had passed euen into that Island and had serued them with the same sauce which their fellows were serued with for they wanted not will but hability to doe it And these are the goodly fruits of their adulteries and Rapes which the Spanish nation hath reaped in their new found land The great calamity and ouerthrow which the Lacedemonians endured at Leuctria wherein their chiefest strength and powers were weakened and consumed was a manifest punishment of their inordinate lust committed vpon two Virgines â—i Mel. lib. 2. whome after they had rauished in that very place they cut in peeces and threw them into a pit and when their father came to complaine him of the villanie they made so light account of his words that in stead of redresse he found nothing but reproch and derision so that with griefe hee slew himselfe vpon his daughters sepulchre but how greeuously the Lord reuenged this iniurie hystories doe sufficiently testifie and that Leuctrias calamitie doth beare witnesse Pausan lib. 2. Brias a Grecian captaine being receiued into a Citizens house as a guest forced his wife by violence to his lust but when he was asleepe to reuenge her wrong she put out both his eies and afterward complained to the citizens also who depriued him of his office and cast him out of their city Macrinus the Emperour punished two souldiours that rauished their hostesse on this manner hee shut them vp in an oxes bowels with their heads out and so partly with famishment and partly with wormes and rottennesse they consumed to death Iohan magnus Rodericus king of the Gothes in Spaine forced an Earles daughter to his lust for which cause her father brought against him an army of Sarasens and Moores and not onely slew him
and hardening himselfe in his sinne that contrariwise he cast downe and humbled himselfe and craued pardon and forgiuenesse at the hand of God with all his heart and true repentance not like to such as grow obstinate in their sinnes and wickednesse and make themselues beleeue all things are lawfull for them although they be neuer so vile and dishonest This therefore that wee haue spoken concerning Dauid is not to place him among the number of leud and wicked liuers but to shew by his chastisements beeing a man after Gods owne heart how odious and displeasant this sinne of Adultery is to the Lord and what punishment all others are to expect that wallow therein since hee spared not him whome he so much loued and fauoured CHAP. XXVI Other examples like vnto the former THe history of the rauishment of Helene registred by so many worthy and excellent authours and the great euils that pursued the same Herodot lib. 2. is not to be counted altogither an idle fable Thucyd. or an inuention of pleasure seeing that it is sure that vpon that occasion great and huge warre arose betweene the Greeians and the Troianes during the which the whole countrey was hauocked many cities and townes destroied much blood shed and thousands of men discomfited amongst whome the rauisher and adulterer himselfe to wit Paris the chiefe moouer of all those miserable tragedies escaped not the edge of the sword no nor that famous citie Troy which entertained and maintained the adulterers within her wals went vnpunished but at last was taken and destroied by fire and sword In which sacking old and gray headed king Priam with all the remnant of his halfe slaine sonnes were togither murdered his wife and daughters were taken prisoners and exposed to the mercy of their enemies his whole kingdome was entirely spoiled and his house quite defaced and well nigh all the Troiane nobilitie extinguished and as touching the whore Helene her selfe whose disloialtie gaue consent to the wicked enterprise of forsaking her husbands house and following a stranger shee was not exempt from punishment for as some writers affirme shee was slaine at the sacke but according to others Anton. Vols vpon Ouids epist of Hermione to Orestes she was at that time spared and entertained againe by Menelaus her husband but after his death shee was banished in her old age and constrained for her last refuge beeing both destitute of reliefe and succour and forsaken of kinsfolkes and friends to flie to Rhodes where at length contrary to her hope shee was put to a shamefull death euen hanging on a tree which shee long time before deserued Tit. Liu. The iniury and dishonour done to Lucrece the wife of Collatinus by Sextus Tarquinius sonne to Superbus the last king of Rome Rape l. 2. c. 19. was cause of much trouble and disquietnesse in the city and elsewhere for first shee not able to endure the great iniury and indignity which was done vnto her pushed forward with anger and despite slue her selfe in the presence of her husband and kinsfolke notwithstanding all their desires and willingnesse to cleare her from all blame with whose death the Romans were so stirred prouoked against Sextus the sonne and Tarquinius the father that they rebelled forthwith and when hee should enter the city shut the gates against him neither would receiue or acknowledge him euer after for their king Whereupon ensued warre abroad and alteration of the state at home for after that time Rome endured no more king to beare rule ouer them but in their roome created two Consuls to be their gouernours which kind of gouernment continued to Iulius Caesars time Thus was Tarquinius the father shamefully deposed from his crowne for the adultery or rather rape of his sonne and Tarquinius the sonne slaine by the Sabians for the robberies and murders which by his fathers aduise he committed amongst them and hee himselfe not long after in the warre which by the Tuscane succours hee renued against Rome to recouer his lost estate Plutarch in the life publick was discomfited with them and slaine in the midst of the rout In the Emperour Valentinianus time the first of that name many women of great account and parentage were for committing adulterie put to death as testifieth Ammianus Marcellinus When Europe after the horrible wasting and great ruines which it suffered by the furious inuasion of Attilia Lib. 28. began to take a litle breath and find some ease behold a new trouble more hurtfull and pernicious than the former came vpon it by meanes of the filthy leachery and lust of the Emperour Valentinianus the third of that name who by reason of his euill bringing vp Procop. and gouernment vnder his mother Placidia being too much subiect to his owne voluptuousnesse and tied to his owne desires dishonoured the wife of Petronius Maximus a Senatour of Rome by forcing her to his pleasure an act indeed that cost him his life and many more beside and that drew after it the finall destruction of the Romane Empire and the horrible besacking and desolation of the city of Rome For the Emperour being thus taken and set on fire with the loue of this woman through the excellent beauty wherewith shee was endued endeauoured first to entice her to his lust by faire allurements and seeing that the bulwarke of her vertuous chastity would not by this meanes be shaken but that all his pursuit was still in vaine hee tried a new course and attempted to get her by deceit and pollicy which to bring about one day setting himselfe to play with her husband Maximus he woon of him his ring which he no sooner had but secretly he sent it to his wife in her husbands name with this commaundement That by that token shee should come presently to the court to do her duty to the Empresse Eudoxia shee seeing her husbands ring doubted nothing but came forthwith as shee was commanded where whilst she was entertained by certaine suborned women whome the Emperour had set on he himselfe commeth in place and discloseth vnto her his whole loue which he said he could no longer represse but must needs satisfie if not by faire meanes at least by force and compulsion and so he constrained her to his lust Her husband aduertised hereof Rape l. 2. c. 19. intended to reuenge this iniury vpon the Emperor with his owne hand but seeing he could not execute his purpose whilst Actius the captain generall of Valentinianus army liued a man greatly reuerenced and feared for his mighty and famous exploits atchieued in the warres against the Burgundians Gothes and Attila he found meanes by suggesting a false accusation of treason against him which made him to be hated and suspected of the Emperour to worke his death After that Actius was thus traiterously and vnworthily slaine the griefe of infinite numbers of people for him in regard of his great vertues and good seruice which he had
thē which was forthwith performed for the two duellists entring the lists sell presently to strokes and that so eagerly that in short space the quarrell was decided the Lord of Carouge husband of the wronged lady remained conquerour after he had slaine his enemie that had wronged him so wickedly disloially the vanquished was foorthwith deliuered to the hangman of Paris who dragged him to mount Falcon and there hanged him Now albeit this forme and custome of deciding controuersies hath no ground nor warrant either from humane or Diuine law God hauing ordained onely an oath to end doubts where proofes and witnesses faile yet doubtlesse the Lord vsed this as an instrument to bring the trecherous and cruell Adulterer to the deserued punishment and shame which by deniall he thought to escape A certaine Seneschall of Normandy Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 1. perceiuing the vicious and suspitious behauiour of his wife with the steward of his house watched them so narrowly that hee tooke them in bed togither hee slew the Adulterer first and after his wife for not all her pittifull cryings for mercie with innumerable teares for this one fault and holding vp in her armes the children which she had borne vnto him no nor her house and parentage being sister to Lewis the eleuenth then king could not withhold him from killing her with her companion Howbeit king Lewis neuer made shew of anger Lanquet chron or offence for her death Messelina the wife of Claudius the Emperour was a woman of so notable incontinency that she would contend with the common harlots in filthie pleasure at last shee fell in loue with a faire young Gentleman called Silius and to obtaine more commodiously her desire she caused his wife Sillana to be diuorced and notwithstanding she was wife to the Emperor there liuing yet shee openly married him for which cause after great complaint made to the Emperour by the Nobles she was worthely put to death Abusahed king of Fez was with six of his children murdered at once by his secretary for his wiues sake whom hee had abused Paulus Iouius Tom. 2. lib. 38. Sleid lib. 10. And it is not long sithence the two cities Dalmendine and Delmedine were taken from the king of Fez brought vnder the Portugall dominion only for the rauishment of a woman whom the gouernour violently tooke from her husband to abuse and was slaine for his labour CHAP. XXVII Other examples like vnto the former Munst Cosm lib. 3. Casp Hed. histor Ecclesiast MAry of Arragon wife to Otho the third was so vnchast and lasciuious a woman and withall barren for they commonly goe together that shee could neuer satisfie her vnsatiable lust she carried about with her continually a young lecher in womans clothes to attend vpon her person with whome she daily committed filthinesse who being suspected was in the presence of many vntired and found to be a man for which villany he was burnt to death Howbeit the Empresse though pardoned for her fault returned to her old vomit continued her wanton trafficke with more then either desired or loued her companie at last shee fell in loue with the countie of Mutina a gallant man in personage too honest to be allured with her stale though hee was often solicited by her wherefore like a Tygre she accused him to the Emperour for extreame loue conuerts to extreame hatred if it bee crossed of offering to rauish her against her will for which cause the Emperor Otho caused him to loose his head but his wife being priuy to the innocency of her husband trauersed his cause and required iustice that though his life was lost yet his reputation might be preserued and to prooue his innocency shee miraculously handled yron red with heat without any hurt which when the Emperour saw searching out the cause very narrowly hee found out his wiues villany and for her paines caused her to bee burned at a stake but on the Earles wife he bestowed great rewards euen foure castels in recompence of her husband though no reward could counteruaile that so great a losse Rodoaldus the eight king of Lumbardie Chron. Phil. Melanct. lib. 3. being taken in Adulterie euen in the fact by the husband of the adulteresse was slaine without delay Anno 659 in like sort Iohn Malatesta slew his wife and the adulterer together when hee tooke them amidst their embracements So did one Lodewicke steward of Normandy kill his wife Carlotta and her louer Iohn Lauernus as they were in bed togither Hedion in his Chronicle telleth of a Doctor of the law that loued his proctors wife Casp Hed. pars 4. with whome as hee acquainted himselfe ouer familiarly and vnhonestly both at her owne house when her husband was absent and at a bath in an old womans house hard by the proctor watched their haunt so neare that hee caught them naked together in the bath and so curried the lecherous doctor with a curry-combe that he scraped out his eies and off his priuy members so that within three daies after he died his wife he spared because shee was with child otherwise she should haue tasted the same sauce Another story like vnto this he telleth of a Popish priest that neuer left to lay siege to the chastitie of an honest Matrone till she cōdiscended to his desire brought him into the snare and caused her husband to geld him I would to God that all that dishonour their profession by filthie actions might bee serued after the same manner that there might bee fewer bastards and bauds and common strumpets than there are now adaies and that since the feare of God is extinguished in their soules the feare and certaintie of suddaine iudgements might restraine them Wolfius Schrenk reported to Martin Luther how in Vaytland four murders were committed vpon the occasion of one Adultery for whilst the Adulteresse strumpet was banquetting with her louers her husband came in with a hunting speare in his hand and stroke him through that sat next vnto her and then her also other two in the meane while leapt downe the staires with feare and hast broke their armes and shortly after died Theat histor A certaine Cardinall committed daily Adulterie with a mans wife that winked as it were subscribed vnto it wherfore her brother taking this dishonor to his house in euil part watched when the lecher had promised to come but vpon occasion came not in the darke slew his sister and her husband supposing it to haue ben the Cardinall but whē he perceiued his error he fled the country for fear of the law howbeit before his departure he wrought such means that whom hee missed in his purpose of the sword him hee murdered by poison this iudgement is not only for adulterers but for wittals also that yeeld their consents to the dishonoring of their own wiues a monstrous kind of creatures and degenerat not only from the law of humanity but of
things a very niggard and pinchpenny shewed himselfe on the other side more then prodigall next he sent into Calabria for a Hermit reported to be a holy and deuout man to whome at his arriuall hee perfourmed so much dutie and reuerence as was wonderfull and vnseemely for hee threw himselfe on his knees and besought him to prolong his decaying life as if hee had beene a God and not a man but all that hee could doe was to no purpose no nor the reliques which Pope Sixtus sent him to busie himselfe withall nor the holy viall of Rheims which was brought him could prorogue this life of his nor priuiledge him from dying a discontent and vnwilling death he suspected the most part of his nearest attendants and would not suffer them to approch vnto him in his sicknesse after hee had thus prolonged the time in hope and yet still languished in extreame distresse of his disease it was at length told him in all speed that hee should not set his mind any longer vpon those vaine hopes nor vpon that holy man for his time was come and hee must needs die And thus hee that during his raigne shewed himselfe rough and cruell to his subiects by too many and heauy impositions was himselfe in his lattet end thus roughly and hardly dealt withall Christiern the eleuenth king of Denmarke Norway and Suecia after the death of king Iohn his father raigned the yeere of our Lord 1514 and was too intollerable in imposing burdens and taxes vpon his subiects for which cause the Swecians reuolted from his gouernment whome though after many battailes and sieges hee conquered and placed amongst them his garrisons to keepe them in awe yet ceased they not to rebell against him and that by the instigation of a meane gentleman who very quickely got footing into the kingdome and possessed himselfe of the crowne and gouernment Now Christiern hauing lost this prouince and beeing also in disdaine and hatred of his owne countrey and fearing least this inward heat of spight should grow to some flame of danger to his life seeing that the inhabitants of Lubeck conspiring with his vncle Fredericke began to take armes against him hee fled away with his wife sister to the Emperour Charles the fift and his young children to Zeland a prouince of the Emperours after hee had raigned nine yeeres after which the Estates of the realme aided by them of Lubeck assembling togither exalted his vncle Fredericke prince of Holsatia though old and ancient to the crowne and publishing certaine writings addressed them to the Emperour and the princes of his Empire to render a reason of their con-proceeding and to make knowne vnto them vpon how good siderations they had deposed and banished Christierne for the tyranny which hee exercised among them ten yeres after this hee got togither a new army by sea in hope to recouer his losses but contrary to his hope he was taken prisoner and in captiuity ended miserably his daies Henry king of Suecia was chased from his scepter for enterprising to burden his commons with new contributions Those that were deuisers of new taxes and tributes Nic. Gil. vâ—l 1. for the most part euer lost their liues in their labours for proofe whereof let the example of Parchenus or Porchetes serue who for giuing counsell to king Theodebert touching the raising of new subsidies was stoned to death by the multitude in the city Trieues Likewise was George Presquon cruelly put to death by the people for persuading and setting forward Henry of Suecia to the vexation and exaction of his subiects CHAP. XXXVIII More Examples of the same subiect Platiniae in vita Zacharin AIstulphus the nineteenth king of Lumbardy was not onely a most cruell tyrant but also a grieuous oppressour of his subiects with taxes and exactions Phil. Melanct. lib. 3. for hee imposed this vpon euery one of them to pay yeerely a noble for their heads against this man Pope Steuen prouoked king Pepin of France who comming with an army droue the tyrant into Ticinum and constrained him to yeeld to partiall conditions of peace howbeir Pepin was no sooner gone but he returned to his old byas wherefore the second time he came and droue him to as great extremitie in so much as another peace was concluded after the accomplishment whereof peruerse Aistulph still vexing his subiects was plagued by God with an apoplexie and so died Zonar lib. 3. Iustinian the Emperour as be was profuse and excessiue in spending so was hee immoderate and insatiable in gathering togither riches for hee exercised his wit in deuising new tributes and paiments and reioyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grieuous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also fourty thousand men slaine and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certain monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conuaieth away all the filth out of the city Eras in lingua the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of euery countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares togither which when the king put in practise and found the exceeding commoditie thereof he not only continued that taxe but also inuented diuers others to the great damage of the Common-wealth and inriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore hee that put it first into his head when he saw that he had not so much authoritie in dissuading as hee had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should bee buried in that common sincke to bee an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Millane by the report of Paulus Ionius Tom. 2. ViuoruÌ„ illustrum was an vnconscionable oppressor of his subiects and tenants for hee did not only extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enioned them to keepe euery one a dog which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to bee beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head this tyrant was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seuen months imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature Lanquet though vnlike in conditions for hee was a good Prince whereas this was a Tyrant was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in this ranke of oppressors for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted froÌ„ men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the estates of the realme depriued him of his roiall dignitie placed his yonger
heauen with all his strength behold the dagger vanished away and fiue drops of blood distilled vpon the table before them and without all delay the deuill came in place and carried away that blasphemous wretch with such force and noise that the whole citie was amazed and astonished thereat the other two halfe beside themselues with feare stroue to wipe away the drops of blood out of the table but the more they wiped it the more clearely it appeared the rumour of this accident flew into the city and caused the people to flocke thicke and threefold vnto the place where they found the other two gamsters washing the boord whome by the decree of the Senat they bound with chaines and carried towards the prison but as they passed with them through a gate of the citie one of them was stroken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of lice and wormes creeping out of him that it was both wonderfull and lothsome to behold the third they themselues without any further inquisition or triall to auert the indignation which seemed to hang ouer their heads put incontinently to death the table they tooke and preserued it for a monument to witnes vnto posterity both how an accursed a pastime dicing is and also what great inconueniences and mischiefes grow thereby But that wee may see yet more the vanity mischieuous working of this sport I will report one story more out of the same author though not equall to the former in strangenesse and height of sinne yet as tragicall and no lesse pitifull Iob. â—incel lib. 2. In the yeere 1550 their liued in Alsatia one AdaÌ„ Steckman one that got his liuing by trimming pruning dressing vines this man hauing receiued his wages fell to dice lost all that he had gotten insomuch that he had not wherwith to norish his family so that he fell into such a griefe of mind withall into such paines of the head that hee grew almost desperate withall one day his wife beeing busie abroad left the care of her children vnto him but he tooke such great care of them that he cut all their throats euen three of them whereof one lay in the cradle and lastly would haue hanged himselfe had not his wife come in in the meane while who beholding this pitifull tragedy gaue a great outcry and fell downe dead whereupon the neighbours running in were eie witnesses of this wofull spectacle as for him by law hee was iudged to a most seuere and cruell punishment and all these pitiful euents arose from that cursed root of dice-play Wee ought therefore to learne by all these things that haue bene already spoken to abstaine not only from this cursed pastime but also from extortion robberies deceit guile and other such naughty practises that tend to the hurt and detriment of one another and in place thereof to procure the good and welfare of each one in all kindnes and equitie following the Apostles counsel where he saith Let them that stole steale no more Ephes 4.28 but rather trauaile by labouring with his hands in that which is good that hee may haue wherewith to succour the necessitie of others for it is not enough not to do euill to our neighbour but we are tied to doe him good or at least to endeauour to doe it CHAP. XLII Of such as haue bene notorious in all kind of sinne WEe haue seene by these foreplaced examples These exaÌ„ples of this chapter may be referred to all the commaundements for the most part how heauy the iudgements of God haue beene vpon those that through the vntamednesse of their owne lusts and affections would not submit themselues vnder the holy and mighty will of God but haue countremanded his commandements and withstood his precepts some after one sort and some after another now because there haue beene some so wicked and wretched that being wholly corrupted and depraued they haue ouerflowed with all maner of sinne and iniquitie and as it were maugred God with the multitude and hainousnesse of their offences wee must therefore spend some time also in setting forth their liues and ends as of the most vile and monstrous kind of people that euer were In this ranke wee may place the ancient inhabitants of the land of Canaan an irreligious people void of all feare and dread of God and consequently giuen ouer to all abominable wickednesse as to couiurings witchcrafts and vnnameable adulteries for which causes the Lord abhorring and hating them did also bring them to a most strange destruction for first and formost Iericho the frontier citie of their country being assaulted by the Israelites for bindering their progresse into the countrey were all discomfited not so much by Iosuah his sword as by the huge stones which dropped from heauen vpon their heads and least the night ouerraking them should breake off the small and full destruction of this cursed people the day was miraculously prolonged the sunne made to rest himselfe in the midst of heauen the space of a whole day so these fiue kings hiding themselues in a caue were brought but their necks made a footstoole to the captains of Israel were hanged on fiue trees Semiramis queene of Assyria was a woman of an ambitious spirit Sabell who through her thirst of raigning counterfaited her sexe and attired her selfe like a man to get more authority and reuerence to her selfe shee was the destruction of many thousand people by the vniust warre which the stirred vp besides that shee was a notorious strumpet and withall a murderer of those that satisfied her lust for still as they came from her bed some lay priuily in watch to kill them least they should bewray her villany yea and it is reported that shee was so vile and past shame that shee sollicited her owne soone to commit incest with her who in detestation of her filthinesse raised a power against her and conquering her in one great battaile caused her to be put to death The tyrant Periander vsurped the gouernment ouer Corinth Sabell after he had slaine the principall of the city hee put to death his owne wife to the end to content and please his concubine nay and was so execrable as to lie with his owne mother he banished his naturall sonne and caused many children of his subiects to be gelded finally fearing some miserable and monstrous end and want of sepulchre in conscience of his misdeeds hee gaue in charge to two strong and hardie souldiers that they should guard a certaine appointed place and not faile to kill the first that came in their way and to bury his body being slaine now the first that met them was himselfe who offered himselfe vnto them without speaking any word and was soone dispatched and buried according to his commaundement but these two were encountred with foure other whome hee also had appointed to doe the same to them which they had done to him
In this ranke deseruably we may place the second Dionysius his sonne Sabell that for his cruelties and extortions was slaine by his owne subiects who though at the first made shew of a better and milder nature than his father was of yet after he was installed in his kingdome and growne strong his wicked nature shewed forth it selfe for first he rid out of the way his owne brethren then his nearest kindred and lastly all other that but any way displeased him vsing his sword not to the cutting downe of vice as it ought but to the cutting the throats of his innocent and guiltlesse subiects with which tyrannie the people being incensed began to mutiny from mutinies fell to open rebellion persecuting him so that he was compelled to flie and to take harbour in Greece where notwithstanding he ceased not his accustomed manners but continued still freshly committing robberies and doing all manner of iniuries and outrages in wronging men and forcing both women and maids to his filthie lust vntill hee was brought vnto so low and so base an eb of estate that of a king being become a begger and vagabond he was glad to teach children at Corinth to get his poore liuing and so died in misery Clearchus another tyrant after hee had put to death the most part of the Nobles and chiefe men of account in the citie Heraclea vsurped a tyrannous authoritie ouer the rest Sabel amongst many of whose monstrous enormities this was one that hee constrained the widdowes of those whome hee had slaine against their wils to marry those of his followers whom hee allotted them to in so much that many of them with griefe and anger slew themselues now there were two men of stouter courage than the rest who pittying the miserable condition of the whole citie vndertooke to deliuer the same out of his cruell handes comming therefore accompanied with fifty other of the same mind and resolution as though they would debate a priuat quarell before his presence assoon as conuenience serued they diuerted their swords from themselues into the tyrants bosome and hewed him in peeces in the very midst of his guard Agathocles king or rather Tyrant of Sicile Sabel from a potters sonne growing to be a man of warre tooke vpon him the gouernment of the countrie and vsurped the crowne contrarie to the consent of his people he was one giuen to all maner of filthie and vncleane pollutions in whome trecherie crueltie and generally all kind of vice raigned and therfore was worthely plagued by God first by a murder of his yongest sonne committed by his eldest sonnes sonne that aspired vnto the crown and thought that he might be an obstacle in his way for obtaining his purpose and lastly hauing sent his wife and children into Aegypt for safetie by his own miserable and languishing death which shortly after ensued Romulus the first king of Rome was as Florus Florus testifieth transported by a deuill out of this earth into some habitation of his own for the monstrous superstitions coniurings thefts rauishments and murders which during his pompe hee committed and moreouer hee saith that Plutarch Plutarch the most credible learned writer among Historiographers both Greek and Latine that euer writ auoucheth the same for true that hee was carried away one day by a spirit in a mightie tempest of thunder and lightning before the view of the whole multitude to their great astonishment insomuch that they fled at the sight thereof What shall wee say of Silla that monster in cruelty that most odious and execrable Tyrant that euer was by whom all ciuill order and humane pollicy was vtterly defaced and all vice and confusion in steed thereof set vp Did hee not procure the death of sixe thousand men at one clap Plutarch at the discomfiture of Marius and hauing promised to saue the liues of three thousand that appealed vnto his mercy did he not cause them to be assembled within a parke and there to haue their throats cut whilest hee made an oration to the Senate It was hee that filled the channels of the streets of Rome other cities in Italy with blood slaughters innumerable and that spared neither altar temple or other priuiledged place or house whatsoeuer from the pollution and destainement of innocent bloud husbands were slain in their wiues armes infants in their mothers bosomes and infinite multitudes of men murdered for their riches for if any were either rich or owners of faire houses or pleasant gardens they were sure to die besides if there were any priuate quarrell or grudge betwixt any citizen and some of his crue hee suffered his side to reuenge themselues after their owne lusts so that for priuate mislike and enmitie many hundreds lost their liues hee that saued an outlaw or proscribed person in his house of which there were too many of the best sort in his time or gaue him entertainement vnder his roofe whether hee were his brother sonne or parent whatsoeuer was himselfe for recompence of his courtesie and humanity proscribed and sold and condemned to death and hee that killed one of them that was proscribed had for reward two talēts the wages of his murder amounting in value to twelue hundred crownes whether it was a bondslaue that slew his master or a son that murdered his father comming to Prenest he began to proceed in a kind of iusticiall form amongst the citizens as it were by law and equitie to practise wrong and iniury but ere long either being wearie of such slow proceedings or not at leisure to prosecute the same any further he caused to meet together in one assembly two thousand of thē whom he committed al to the massacre without any maner of compassion as he was sitting one day in the midst of his pallace in Rome a souldior to whom he had granted the proscription of his dead brother as if he had been aliue whom he himselfe before the ciuill war had slain presented him in lieu of thāks for that great good turn the head of one Marcus Marius of the aduerse factiō before the whole city with his hāds al embrued in bloud which he also washed in the holy waterstack of Apolloes temple being neer vnto that place and all this being cōmended countenanced by Sill◠he decreed a general disanulment abrogation of all titles and rights that were passed before his time to the end to haue more libertie both to put to death whō he pleased to cōfiscat mēs goods also to vnpeople to repeople cities to sack pull down build to depose make kings at his pleasure the goods which he had thus seazed he shamed not to sell with his own handssitting in his tribunall seat giuing oftentimes a faire woman a whole country or the reuenues of a city for her beauty and to plaiers iesters iuglers minstrels and other wicked effranchised slaues great and vnnecessary rewards yea