kept on in continuall imployment for the poore the same order was to take beginning againe as before at the Cittie of Yorke and so successiuely while the World stands to the Townes before named in selfe-same course as it had the originall with great care and obseruaunce in them to whom it belongeth that the dead may not be abused nor poore mens right iniured But did he thus shut vp his Pursse and say to himselfe I haue giuen sufficient No hee did cast his pittying eie next on the Citty of Couentry distressed at that time in great and grieuous manner What his instant beneuolence was he tooke it to bee but as an houres Sun-shine after a whole day of storme and tempest although it might yeeld some comfort were the season neuer so short But to establish a certainty that no dismay or doubt should euer after bee able to remooue euen as a worthy Piramide erected to perpetuity he gaue to the Citty of Couentry 1400. pound therewith to purchase Lands rising to the anuall value of 70. li. Twelue poore Inhabitants of that Citty were to haue in free Almes twenty foure poundes each man forty shillings yearely on the eleauenth day of March Four young men were also to haue fortie poundes yearely ten pound each man and for nine yeares space vpon sufficient security giuen And their turnes thus serued then foure other young men to haue the like summe and like limitation and so from nine yeares to nine yeares for euer Afterward it was ordred to two poore men of the same Citty and lastly to one in which nature according to the seuerall limitations it doth yet and doubtlesse shall for euer continue Also the same summe to one young man in Northampton next in the Citty of Leicester Thirdlie in Nottingham Fourthly in Warwick Then returning to Couentrie again for one year it repasseth to the said Townes againe each after other yearely for euer And least his worthy intent should faile in the continuance hee enlarged his first gift to Couentrie of 1400. poundes to 2000. and 60. pound to bee imployed as hath beene remembred fortie pound yearely being paid out of it to Saint Iohn Baptist Colledge in Oxford And allowances also by himselfe giuen in each place that bonds should be made without any charge to the receiuer Sir Thomas Row Lord Maior of this famous Citty and a worthy Merchant-Taylor beside his charitable cost and charges in building the new Church-yard in Bedlem for such Parishes as wanted benefit of buriall Gaue forty poundes yearely to maintaine tenne poore men for euer such as were not Bretheren of his owne Society but chosen out of fiue seuerall Companies viz. Clothworkers Armorers Carpenters Tylers and Plaisterers As considering that by ouer-toyling labour dangers fals bruizes and such like inconueniences they were soonest like to become impotent and vnable to helpe or maintaine themselues Therefore to each of these ten men hee freely gaue the sum of foure pound quarterly to be paid them at the Merchant-Taylors Hall during their liues and then to succeede to other men in the same Companies according to due consideration of iust cause and most necessity Lastly worthy Gentlemen to hold yee no longer in matter better knowne to your selues then mee because it is in your owne eyes and eares almost dailie the neuer dying memory of a yet liuing and long may he so be Brother Merchant-Taylor shall be my conclusion This vertuous and Religious man knowing Death to be an vnindifferent Executor and Life much more worthy of trust and imployment hath preuented that gripple greedy Tyrant and made such large Legacies to Life that Death neuer deserued to be put in trust withall If men of this World such as GOD hath liberally bestowed his blessings on would with this good-minded man consider that let their willes bee neuer so wisely made yea all Art and Dexterity therein to the very vttermost imployed yet death and his long wide gaping Children haue many hangers on many meanes deuises but many more tricks and vnfaithfull performances they would trust life the better as this man hath done and let death haue only the reuersion which is the easier to bee considered on It is not for my pen to set downe his praises leaues of Marble or Brasse are meeter for those Carracters that the deuouring teeth of Time may neuer deface Let this thâ—n 〈◊〉 â—ome addition to your honour that you haue suâ—h a â—orthy Brother mindful of the works of Mercy to thâ—â—oore among your selues and many places else-where carefull of offendours whom law sentencing with Death by the Watch-bell of Prayer are encited to compunction and hopefull of al goodnesse to pursue 〈◊〉 vertuous determinations euerie where So that wâ—en â—is Dooue shall finde no resting place for his foote 〈◊〉 reason of this Worldes tumultuous waues hee may returne to the Arke of blessednesse the happy home that he you and all else that feare God should daily long for Yours euer A. MVNDY TO THE ANCIENT WOORTHY AND RIGHT Worshipfull Company of the Gold-Smiths the Maister Wardens Assistants Liuery and likewise to euery louing Brother and member thereof LEt me not be thought Right Worshipfull Society more bolde then becomes me that in search of Antiquitie and Successe of Times guided by good obseruation and probable Authorities I thus present you in vnfaigned affection what I haue gathered concerning your worthy Brother-hood If I had time heere to set downe without preiudice to any other Misterie whatsoeuer that which Holye Writ recordeth of you and of men then most expert in your profession this poore Epistle would encrease it selfe to a very large discourse and exceede the limit wherto I haue tied my self in the whol labor I passe ouer the captiuity of Gods chosen people in Babylon and the Offices of those three especiall chosen men Zerubbabell Ezra and Nehemiah the first being their Captaine to guide them home and prouided that the Temple was builded the second reforming manners and making a plantation of Religion the third and last to builde vp the wals and make a new Citty of Ierusalem againe Yet let me tell you that among the multitude of Officers and Offices appointed to this businesse for building the walles the Merchants and Goldsmithes do beare a remarkeable note the very words in Scripture being these Betweene the Chamber of the Corner vnto the Sheepe-gate fortifyed the Gold smiths and the Merchants Beside that which is spoken of Malchiâ—h the Goldsmithes sonne fortifying to the house of the Nethinims And then of Bezaleell the Sonne of Vri filled with the Spirit of God in wisedome and vnderstanding to worke in Gold Siluer Brasse who had Aholiab ioyned with him to make all curious workes appointed by God himselfe for the Tabernacle of the Congregation the Arke of the Couenant and the Mercy-seat c. If these be not Testimonies of extraordinary honour and respect in the very names of Merchants and Goldesmiths but much more in the matter of so
or Hauren in the Riuer of Seuerne so called after her name Locrine raigned twenty yeares and left a Sonne named Madan Madan sonne of Locrine and Guendolen began his raigne ouer the Britons an mundi 2909 He vsed great tyranny among his people builded Madancaistre now called Dancaster Hauing ruled this land 40. yeares hee was deuoured of Wolues other wild beasts as he was abroad in hunting He left 2. sons Mempricius Manlius Mempricius eldest sonne of Madan succéeded his Father and slew his Brother Manlius for better confirmation of his gouernement He fell into vnlawfull lusting after women so that hee forced his peoples wiues and daughters and albeit he had a wife and many Concubines yet he vsed the abhominable sinne of Sodome So that becomming hatefull both to God and man being one day lost of his people as he was hunting hee as his father was eaten of wilde beastes after he had raigned 20. yeares Ebranke sonne of Mempricius by his lawfull wife succéeded in rule ouer the Britons Hee had one and twenty wiues on whom he begat twenty Sonnes and thirty Daughters He was the first Prince of this Land that euer inuaded Gallia now called France from whence he returned with great riches and triumph Hee builded the Citty of Caerbranke nowe called Yorke about the 14. yeare of his raigne in Albania or Scotland hee builded also the Castle of Maidens and the Cittie of Alclud He gouerned Brittain very nobly forty yeares and lieth buried at Caerbranke or Yorke Brute Tarianlas or Greeneshield Sonne of Ebranke succéeded his Father in the regiment of Brittaine Hee sought to bring all Gallia vnder his subiection and some do auouch that hee performed it albeit Brinchild gaue him a great foile in Henault He raigned twelue yeares and was buried by his father at Yorke Leill the sonne of Brute Greenshield raigned after his Father He builded the Citty called Caerleil that is to say Leill his Citty or the Citty of Leill and repaired also Carleon now called Chester which is saide to bee built before Brutes entrance into this land by a Gyant named Leon Gauer Leill raigned 25. yeares and was buried at Carleill Lud or Ludhurdibras the Son of Leill ruled Britaine after his Father He builded the Citty of Kaerkin now called Canterbury the Citty of Caerguent now called Winchester and Mount Paladour now cald Shaftsbury Aquila a Prophet or Bardh of the British nation wrote diuers Prophesies concerning the building of Shaftsbury Lud raigned 29. yeares and was buryed at Canterbury Baldus or Bladus son of Lud-hurdibras succéeded his Father in the rule of Brittaine Hee was skilfull in the Sciences of Astronomy and Nigromancy he builded the Citty of Caerbran now called Bathe and made there hot Bathes though William of Malmsbury is of the mind that Iulius Caesar made those baths which cannot bée so because Iulius Caesar neuer went so farre that way into the Land This Bladud was so proud of his art that he would needes presume to fly in the aire but hee fell on the Temple of Apollo in Troy-nouant and was there torne in pieces hauing raigned twenty yeares Leir the Son of Bladud followed his Father in Britaines gouernment being a Prince of most Noble Nature and gouerned his Subiectes very royally He builded the Towne of Caerleir now called Leircester And because the History of his thrée Daughters Gonorill Regan Cordeilla with their seuerall marriages to Henuinus duke of Cornewall Maglanus Duke of Albania and Agauippus prince of Gallia is very wel known and all the fortunes thereto belonging I am the easier induced to passe it ouer with all the troubles happening to King Leir through his owne weaknesse Leir raigned forty yeares and was buried at Leircester Cordeilla youngest daughter to K. Leir succéeded as Quéen and Gouernesse of Britain but her two Nephewes Cunedagius and Morgan sons to hir as vnkind Sisters made short hir time of gouernment after the decease of her Husband Aganippus For they imprisoning her and shee being a Lady of vnconquerable courage gréefe and despaire of liberty made her there to slay her selfe after she had ruled fiue yeares Cunedagius and Morgan deuided the whole land between them after Cordeillas death But enuy and couetous desire in either to rule alone raised them in armes against each other Morgan was slaine in Cambria by Cunedagius and the place of his death is yet called Glan-Morgan Morgans land he not hauing raigned aboue two yeares with his Brother who afterward builded thrée temples one to Mars at Perth in Scotland another to Mercury at Bangor in Cambria and the third to Apollo in Cornwall He raigned 33. yeares and was buried at Troy-nouant Riuallus Son of Cunedagius next ruled Britaine in whose time it rained blood 3. daies together which blood engendered such multitudes of Horseflies that many people were stung to death by them In his time was the City of Rome builded he raigned 46. yeares was buried at York Gurgustius son of Riuallus raigned 37. years Sysillius or Cecilius Brother of Gurgustius 49. yeares Iago or Lago Cozin to Gurgustius twentie eight yeares Kinimacus or Kinmarus Son of Sisillius 54. yeares Corbodug Son of Kinimacus 43. yeares or by some 62. yeares Ferrex and Porrex Sons or Gorbodug raigned ioyntly till ambition deuided them Ferrex being slaine in battaile the Mother of them both wrought afterward the death of Porrex After which great troubles endured for the space of fifty yeares for the Sole-Monarchie of this land became then a Pentarchie as deuided betwixt fiue Kinges or Rulers And héere ended the line of Brute The Pentarchy 1. Rudacus King of Cambria or Wales 2. Cloton King of Cornewall 3. Pinnor King of Loegria 4. Staterus King of Aibania 5. Yewan or Owen King of Northumberland Mulmutius Dunwallo the Sonne of Cloton who was allowed for most rightfull Heire hee succéeded as Sole-Monarch of Britaine after his Father This Mulmutius builded a Temple in Troy-nouant cald the Temple of Peace which some do hold to be that ancient monument called Blackwell-Hall He builded also two Townes Malmsbury and the Vies and was the first king that was crowned with a Crowne of Gold He made diuers good Lawes which long time after were called Mulmutius lawes being turned out of British into Latine by Gildas Priscus long time after translated out of Latine into English by Alfred K. of England and mingled among his statutes He began to make the foure great high waies of Britain and gaue priueledges to Temples Ploughes Citties high waies leading to them so that whosoeuer fled to them should bee in safety from bodily harme and thence he might depart without preiudice to his person In regard that he was the first king crowned with a golden Crowne most writers giue him the name of the first King
A Briefe Chronicle of the Successe of Times from the Creation of the World to this instant CONTAINING The Originall liues of our ancient Fore-Fathers before and after the Floude As also of all the Monarchs Emperours Kinges Popes Kingdomes Common-weales Estates and Gouernments in most Nations of this Worlde And how in alteration or succession they haue continued to this day Printed by W. Iaggard Printer to the Honourable Citty of London and are to be sold at his house in Barbican 1611. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR VVILLIAM CRAVON Knight Lord Maior of the Cittie of London Sir HENRIE MONTAGVE Seriant at Law to his Maiestie and Recorder of London And to all the Knights Aldermen and Worshipfull Bretheren the carefull Fathers and Gouernours of this Honourable Estate HAuing collected these briefe notes Right Honourable Right Worshipfull and my most respected concerning the Successe of Times in most of the Kingdoms thorow the World euen from the Creation to this instant yeare 1611. and modelled them all in this slender Volume that such as fauour Reuerend Antiquity might receiue both pleasure profit thereby I thought it part of my duty in regard of some fauour and respect lately by mee receiued to present your Honor and Worships there-with as a token of my gratitude and as a promise of my vttermost imployment in these or any other endeuours whereto my meannesse in ability by you shall be commaunded I know right well and such as know me haue heard me daily confesse it that I of infinite others was the most vnmeetest to vndergoe such a serious businesse which required if not the best able yet those that therein are much better seene then my selfe Neuerthelesse importunitie of Friendes that greeue to see no willing hand put to the plough or at least such euen like my selfe more forward then wise their perswasions I say and some regard had of the times necessity euery man beeing borne for the good of his Country hath vnder your Honorable and Worshipfull fauour made me thus aduenturous Concerning the helpes I haue had in this laborious trauaile the Authors themselues who haue best written and discoursed of those seueral Kingdoms and Nations euen them no other haue I herein followed borrowing beside some such matters from them as to my knowledge haue not in any of our Chronicles heeretofore bin remembred or at the least not plainly reuealed In our home affaires especially the antiquity of this famous Cittie I haue with others deliuered my opinion therin yet swaruing from some who haue beene thought ouer-scrupulous sometime straining at a Gnat yet very ealy swallowing a Camell The Dignitie that your Honor holdeth of Lord Maior of this Cittie and those graue Senators the Alder-men your Brethren I haue aymed at the Original Antiquitie thereof some Authors tearming them Domesmen Eldermen or Iudges of the Kinges Court But that the name of Alderman declareth both verie Reuerend Originall and great Antiquitie I find recorded that in the time of King Eadgar one Ailwin a man of the bloud Royall and for the speciall great authority and fauour hee had with the King being Sir-named Healf-Koning that is Half-King was Alderman of all England who founded that famous Monasterie in the Isle of Ely Our learned and worthy Antiquary M. Camden hath obserued the Epitaph engrauen on his Tombe containing these wordes Hic requiescit Ailwinus incliti Regis Eadgari Cognatus totius Angliae Aldermannus et huius sacri Coenobij miraculosus fundator Heere resteth Ailwin Cozin to the Noble King Eadgar Alderman of al England and of this holie Abbey the miraculous Founder Whereby appeareth that the Title of Alderman in those ancient reuerend and respectiue times was an addition of honor and high repute as distinguishing them that deserued that grace to be men of greater grauer and more sollide iudgment in matters appertaining to the Weale-publique then others vncapable of such especiall dignity Of such worthy Fathers hath this famous Cittie beene plentifully furnished from time to time as in our Chronicle may more at large appeare and to you those graue Senators and worthily styled Aldermen out of intire and dutifull affection haue I consecrated the liuing memorie of these my poore labours wishing to you all vnfeignedly that as heauen hath bestowed this earthly honor vpon you so hereafter it may crowne you with neuer dying happinesse Yours in all dutie to be commaunded A. Mundy To the Maister Wardens Assistants and whole Liuery of the Honorable Company of Merchant-Tailors being the worthy Society of S. Iohn Baptist anciently deriued from S. Iohn of Hierusalem and the famous Knightes of that religious Brother-hood Also to the Wardens Substitutes and the sixteene men of the same Company c. IT hath beene my hap worthy and worshipful Gentlemen among the variety of Collections to build vp the body of this briefe Chronicle to meete with an ancient and much esteemed Record of a Society and brother-hood styled by the name of S. Iohn Baptist of Hierusalem and how many Great Maisters haue gouerned that Society from Anno. 1099. to this present yeare with some briefe obseruations of their liues and actions as in Follio 187. more at large appeareth Concerning the originall progression seuerall Fortunes of this Military Brother-hood beeing tearmed Knights Hospitallers or Knights of the Hospitall of S. Iohn Baptist of Ierusalem next Knights of Rhodes and lastly Knightes of Malta I refer you there to be further satisfied yet some thinges beeing there accidentally omitted may fauourably and not vnnecessarily here be remembred These Brethren by solemne profession were bound to serue Pilgrims and poore people in the Hospitall of S. Iohn at Ierusalem and to secure by their man-hood their passages thither they charitably buried the dead were continually in praier mortifyed themselues with Watchings and Fastinges were courteous and kinde to the poore whom they called their Maisters and fed them with white Bread when themselues did eate browne They grew to be loued and liked of all sortes and through the liberal bounty of good Princes and priuate persons admiring their piety and prowesse they rose from this low degree to so high an estate and great riches that about An. 1240. they had within Christendome nineteene thousand Lordships or Mannors as the Knights Templers had nine thousand the Reuennewes and Rentes wherof in England fell afterward also to these knights Hospitallers of S. Iohn Baptist. And this estate of theirs growne to so great an height made way for them likewise to as great honors So that their Prior in England liuing then in the goodly Pallace of Saint Iohn Baptist of Hierusalem in the streete which receiued name of that house and is called yet to this day Saint Iohns-street was reputed the Prime Baron of the land and called the Lord of S. Iohns beeing able with fulnesse and abundance of all things to maintaine a very honorable Port. In successe of time as this worthy Citty grew to encrease not onely in large
third moneth of his raigne was led captiue into Egypt and his Brother constituted king in his place by the king of Egypt Iocim raigned eleauen yeares For his abhominations he was chained and led captiue to Babylon by Nabuchadonoser the great king of the Assyrians Tarquinius Priscus was fift king of the Romains In Greece then liued Sapho Stesichorus Pherecydes Draco Solon and others of the Sages Ioachim otherwise called Ieconias being 18. yeares old and besiedged by the Assyrians yeelded himselfe with his Mother his Princes and the greater part of his people to Nabuchadonoser and was transported into Babylon where in prison he begat Salathiell Father to Zorobabell then liued Ezechiell Baruch and Daniell Sedechias his Vnckle was constituted king in the place of Ieconias by Nabuchadonoser by whom after the eleuenth yeare of his raigne hée was taken as a Rebell his eyes were pluckt out and then he was led with the rest of the people to Babylon In this time the Temple and City of Ierusalem was miserably burned by the Assyrians Then happened that lamentable captiuity of Babylon fore-told by the Prophets and continued seauentie yeares all which was occasioned by the contempt of Gods word false Doctrine and auarice in the Priests and Prophets conioyned with the tirrany of their Kings and sinnes of the people but especially idolatry as appeareth in Ieremy Cap. 19 22 23 29 32. Baruch 6. Ezechiell 13 22. And then was this great Nabuchadonoser for his arrogancie thrust out of his kingdome and fed with the Beasts Seruius Tullius was sixt King of the Romaines Croesus in Lydia Balthazar in Babylon and for abusing the Vessels of the Temple hee was slaine The kingdome then deuolued to Darius the Medean Vnckle of Cyrus King of Persia and Medea The Monarchy of the Caldeans Assyrians or Babylonians NAbuchadonoser the great King of Babylon in the 24. yeare of his raign and of the world 3362. was he that established the great and first Monarchy described with that of the Persians Grecians and Romaines by Daniell compared to the head of gold and to the Eagle flying It endured but seauenty eight yeares in three Kings and he that raigned longest it was but 43 yeares Euilmerodach whom Herodotus calleth Labynitus raigned thirty yeares Thales Clito Pittacus Bias Cleobulus and Periander wisemen of Greece are all referred to this time And it is an error to seperate them otherwise as some haue done Soloâ— being the most ancient Balthazar the contemner of God and renewer of the olde Caldean idolatry abolished before abusing in his feasts those vesselles which had bin taken from the temple of Ierusalem and making a mockery at the true God of the Iewes was put to death by the Medes and Persians who possessed them-selues of the Monarchy in the tenth yeare of his raigne There is great difficulty about this Monarchie which cannot heere bee declared The Monarchy of the Persians CYrus sent home the Iewes into their country with Zerobabell their conduâ—er to repayre the Temple He made warre against the Scythians for the space of sixtéene yeares in which time raigned his Son Câ—mbyses Daniell then foretolo the passion of Iesus Christ and the desolate ruine of Ierusalem vnder Vespasian after seauenty Wéekes were passed ouer which were 490. yeares after the repayration of the Citty Tarquine the proude for the violation of Lucretia was then chased out of Rome Consulles were created the year 244. after the building of Rome Cyrus raigned 29. yeares Read more of Cyrus his sonne Herodotus lib. 1 3. Xenophon 8. Cambyses raigned alone eight yeeres being a cruell man he slew his Brother and Sister and caused a Iudges skin to be flayed off because hee had iudged falsely Pythagoras the great Phylosopher sailed into Egypt to learne Diuinity and to Babylon for Astrologie and the course of the starres Many doo referre the History and ouerthrow of Holofernes to this time but according to Genebrard it is reputed to the time of Nabuehadonoser Darius the sonne of Hidaspes otherwise called Ahasuerus the husband of Hester raigned 36 yearee He entred into Greece with sixe hundred thousand fighting men afterward vanquished Miltiades being accompanied onely with eleuen thousand men Coriosanus the Romaine was now put into exile and Esope composed his booke of Fables Now liued also Anacharsis Anâ—ximenes and Heracâ—â—â—us Phylosophers Anaximander invented the Horoâ—oge and Spheare strong Milo was in this time Read more of Darius in Herodotus and Iustine Lib. 1. Xerxes raigned twenty yeares Hee assayled the Grecians with a far greater Army then that his Father had which was repulsed by Themistoâ—les In meane while his Sonne Artaxerxes hold the Kingdome by whose commaundement Eâ—â—râ—s restored the Common-weale of the leâ—es and Nehemias by strong hande repayred the walles of the Citty Now liued Câ—mon Aristedes and Pindarus the Poet as also Pericles that wise and valiant Athenian Captaine of whom read more in his life set downe by Plutarch Artaxerxes or Darius Long-hand helde the kingdom aboue twentie yeares Now did the ten men write the law of the twelue tables at Rome and now liued Empedocles Sophocles Gorgias Anacreon Democritus Euclides Hippocrares and Herodotus Greece became diuided into two factions by reason of a great contentious war Read more thereof in Thucidides Xenophon Darius the Bastard raigned 19. years in whose time liued Socrates Aristophanes Thucidides Alcibiades Lysander Conon Epaminondas Architas Timon Dionisius of Siracusa the Tyrant And now was the kingdome of the Sicambrians and Francus in Franconia according to Trithemius where raigned forty Kings Artaxerxes Mnemon raigned fortie yeares and exercised acts of Armes with his Brother Cyrus Thrasibulus chased the Lacedemonian Tyrants out of Athens Rome was taken by the Gaules vnder the conduct of Brennus that bold warriour Then liued Xenophon the Captaine Phylosopher and Orator Plato Phocion Isocrates Polybius Praxiteles Metasthenes Camillus and Crates Occhus a most cruell Tyrant raigned sixe and twenty yeares Phillip King of Macedon oppressed the liberty of all Greece At Rome was then Curtius Torquatus Decius Corinnus the hundred and sixty Matron Sorceresses Iadus was High-Prâ—est of the Iewes and then liued Berosus the Historian Arses or Arsaces raigned thrée yeares His tyrrannicall actions were the cause that all the race of great Cyrus perished Alexander the great the Son of Phillip then vanquished and demolished the Citty of Thebes And then were Demosthenes Diogenes and Epicurus Darius the last King was ingrateful and disloyall hee was also ouer-come by Alexander in the sixt yeare of his raigne The Samnites then subdued the Romaines and then was Ceius Papyrius Cursor M. Curius Dentatus triumphing in his humility of minde refused the treasures of the Samnites and he would neither be vanquished in warre nor corrupted with money Valer. Max. lib. 2. cap. 3. The Monarchy of the Graecians ALexander the great hauing one onely Army of
two and thirty thousand footmen and foure thousand fiue hundred horsemen marched thorow all Asia In the seuenth yeare of his Monarchy he was poysoned in Babylon Read his life set downe in Plutarch and Iustine lib. 11. After his death there grew dissention betwéene the Captaines and Macedonian Lordes who should be successour of this great Empyre At length it was resolued on the person of Arideus sur-named Phillip the Brother of Alexander Perdiceas was created Captaine General Soone after the Prouinces and Gouernments were distributed among Alexanders Captains who immediately appropriated them to themselues each one enioying the title and quality of a king Thus this great Monarchy was deuided into many parts and kingdomes all which neuerthelesse were in short while reduced into three principall kingdomes Macedon Syria and Egypt Of Macedon and the succession of Kings there raigning ARideus Phillippus the Brother of Alexander who had bin elected successor raigned in Macedon six yeares gouerning wholy by Antipater who managed all the affaires of the kingdome This king was slain by Olympias the mother of Alexander Cassander the Sonne of Antipater after the death of Arideus inuaded Macedon hauing caused the Mother and wife of Alexander to be slain Olympias and Roxana hee raigned eightéene yeares Antipater and Alexander the sons of Cassander raigned together foure years Antipater slew his Mother Alexander made warre vpon Antipater calling Demetrius to his aide who caused him to be slaine Demetrius after the death of Alexander raigned seauen yeares But hauing attempted to recouer the Empire of his father Antigonus in Asia-minâ—r which Seleucus then held he was vanquished and taken by Seleucus and dyed in prison Antigonus Gomathes the Sonne of Demetrius raigned afterwarde in Macedoâ— for the space of 36. yeares hauing recouered the kingdome which after his Fathers death had béene inuaded by many that held it for the space of eight yeares For Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes held it first Lysimachus next tooke it from him while he was seriously busied with the Romaines Lysimachus being dead Prosomâ—us Ceraunus invaded it but in short while after this Ptolomie was slaine by the Gauâ—â—s who came into Macedon and by this meanes Antigonus re-entred vpon the kingdome of his Father Demetrius who raigned eight yeares left his Sonne named Phillip verie young in years and one Antigonus was made his Tutor or Gouernor who marrying with the Mother of his Pupill by that meanes made himselfe king Antigonus Doson raigned twelue yeares Aratus chiefe of the Achaian line hee called to his aide against Cleomines King of the Lacedemonians who was vanquished by Antigonus and tooke the Cittie of Sparâ—â— Phillip the son of Demetrius raigned 44. years and hauing made warre against the Romaines he was vanquished vnder the conduct of T. Quintus Flaminius and all taken from him that he inioyed except the sole kingdome of Macedon wherein succeeded Persâ—us who raigned eleuen yeares Hée was vanquished and taken prisoner by Paulus Aemilius Consull and Captaine Generall of the Romaines and led in triumph to Rome the yeare of the Citties building 587. And then was Macedon reduced into the forme of a Prouince Of Syria and the Succession of the Kings there raigning AFter the death of Alexander the Great Seleucus was the first king of Syria Perdiccas being dead he regained the Cittie of Babylon part of the Indiaes Soone after by the helpe of Ptolomy king of Egypt hee made warre against Antigonus who commaunded in the lesser Asia and hauing ouercome him laid claime to the kingdome and was made King thereof and in short time after he ioyned al Asia-minor to Syria Antigonus being slaine in battaile And thus by him was established the great Empire of Syria Hee vanquished also Lysimachus and took from him the kingdom of Macedon But soon after he was slaine by Ptolomeus Cerannus hauing raigned 32. yeares in Syria Antiochus Soter that is to say Sauior or Preseruer the Son of Seleucus raigned 19. yeares to whom succéeded Antiochus sur-named Deos that is to say God who raigned 15. yeares Seleucus Callinicus the son of Antiochus raigned twentie yeares In his time Arsaces the Parthean reuolted from his obedience hauing vanquished manie of his neighboring Nations hee founded the kingdom of the Partheans which afterward became most potent Seleuchus sirnamed Cerannus that is to say Lightning raigned thrée yeares And after him came Antiochus the great who raigned 36. yéers He was conquered by the Romans vnder the Scipioes conduct in two foughten battailes with whom afterward he made peace on condition that he should leaue the lesser Asia from the mountaine Taurus to the Romans After whom succéeded his sonne Seleuchus Philopater that is to say A Louer of his Father who reigned twelue yeares Antiochus Epiphanes that is to say Famous who also was sonne to great Antiochus raigned twelue yeares This is the King that took Ierusalem and did so much harme to the Iewes polluted and contaminated the Temple and would constraine them to change their Religion He put the seauen brethren most cruelty to death made a most famous Martyrdome of them His Army was vanquished by Iudas Machabeus and after him his sonne Antiochus Eupator raigned two yeares In which time Demetrius the Sonne of Seleuchus Philopater who had béene giuen in Hostage to the Romans for the peace of Antiochus the great his Graundfather being fled from Rome come into Syria caused a great number of the people to reuolt that afterwarde deliuered him into the handes of the said King Antiochus who caused him immediatly to be put to death Demetrius Soter after the death of Antiochus raigned x. yeares In this time the Iewes were gouerned by the Machabees Alexander the naturall sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes hauing gathered an Army and being seized of some Citties in Syria vanquished Demetriu in battaile and slew him This Alexander raigned fiue yeares Demetrius Nicanor the sonne of Demetrius Soler came into Syria with an Army and being ayded by the King of Egypt he invaded the kingdome Alexander fled into Arabia where he was slaine and Demetrius raigned two yeares Antiochus Sedectes the sonne of Alexander assisted by Triphon expulsed Demetrius and inuaded the kingdome which he held 3. yeares Triphon slew Antiochus and possessed himself of Syria where he raigned three yeares Demetrius being yet liuing who was in short while after taken by the Partheans Antiochus surnamed Soter and Pinus Brother of Demetrius Nicanor vaÌ„quished Tryphon who afterward was slaine And hauing raigned twelue yeares he died in a battel against the Partheans Demetrius Nicanor who before had raigned two yeares was let go by the Partheans raigned afterward foure yeares more But being ouercome in battaile by Alexander Zebin he was slaine Alexander Zebin whome the King of Egypt had sent to the Syrians complaining of the cruelty of Demetrius raigned
three yeares Antiochus Grypus the sonne of Demetrius hauing vanquished and slaine Alexander Zebin in battell raigned 29. yeares During which time his Brother Antiochus the Cyzicenian made warre vpon him without intermission After the death of this Antiochus Grypus mightie troubles were in Syria for some time because they of the royall race were in continuall warres killing and maâ—sacring one another Vntill such time as one Antiochus the sole remainder of that race dying without any successor Tigranes K. of Armenia inuaded this great kingdom wherevpon he was not long after surprized by the Romaines vnder the conduct of Pompey and the Countrey was then reduced into the forme of a Prouince the yeare of the Citty of Rome 693. Of Egypt and the Succession of the Kings there raigning PTolomeus Lagus Soter the most excellent man of all Alexanders Captains was made King raigned fortie yeares ouer Egypt Theophrastus Zeno Theocritus and Menander then liuing and the Romaines made Warre agaynst Pyrrhus Read more of this King in Iustine lib. 13 14 15. Orosius lib. 3 cap. 23. Fergusius was the first king of Scotland Ptolome Philadelphus raigned 38. yeares He first appointed that great Library in Alexandria and caused the Bookes of the Bible to be translated into the Gréeke tongue by the seauentie two Interpreters Aristeus Phalaris Chrisyppus Carneades and Aratus then liued and at Rome happened the first Punick warre Regulus Ptolomey the Liberall husband to his owne Sister raigned 26. yeares At Rome then grew the second Punick War and then liued the Scipioes Fabius Maximus and Marcellus Hanniball was vanquished by Scipio Affricanus the eldest And in this time liued the Authour of the Booke of Wisedome Ptolomey the Parricide raigned 17. yeares He slew his Mother and his Sister who also was his wife At Rome began the warre of Macedon against King Phillip and the war of Asia against the great Antiochus and Hanniball the Fugitiue Then liued great Cato Ennius Neuius Plautus Panetius And Iesus the Sonne of Syrach Author of the Booke of Ecclesiasticus Simon the Iust being Byshop of the Iewes Ptolomey Epiphanes vnder the tutelage of the Romaines raigned 24. yeares The Brethren Macchabees did then valiantly withstande Antiochus the most cruell Tyraunt of Syria his great repentance is to be read in the second Booke of Macchabees the ninth Chapter Ptolomey called Matricide raigned 35. yeares Paulus Aemilius hauing taken the Persian king made Macedon a Prouince to the Romaynes Then happened the third Punicke Warre The warre of Achaia and of Numantia in Spain vnder Scipio Affricanus the younger and Lelius Terence then liuing Ptolomey the Liberall otherwise called Physcus a verie detestable man beeing Brother to Ptolomy the Matricide raigned nine twentie yeares He married his Brothers wife and afterward her Daughter The Sects of the Pharisies Sadduces and Esseans then arose At Rome was the seruile warre And the lawes for actions of the field by the Gracchi Ptolomey Alexander hauing expelled his brother Lathyrus raigned seauentéene yeares Afterward he was thrust out himselfe by his owne people for the death of Cleopatra a wicked woman At Rome was the Iugurthine warre and three Sunnes visibly séene in this time Functius doth attribute these seauentéene yeares and this raigne to Ptolomey Lathyrus preferring him before Ptolomey Alexander Ptolomey Lathyrus beeing repealed to rule againe raigned eightéene years At Rome was the Cimbrian warre Mithridates warre and the ciuill warre betwéene Marius and Sylla Then li Lucullus Antonius and Crassus Orators Lucretius the Poet Varro Sylla dominéered cruelie who retyring himselfe to liue sollitarilie in the fields dyed of Vermine engendred in his owne bodie Ptolomey Auleâ—es raigned thirty yeares Being excluded by his owne people vnder Pompeyes authority he was reseated by Gabinius Pompey ouer-came Hieras and Sertorius the Pyrates as also Tigranes and Mithridates Then was the conspiracy of Cataline Caesar vanquished the â—aules Cicero liued in exile and Crassus was foyled by the Partheans Ptolomey Dionysius the last King raigned 8. yeares he caused great Pompeyes head to bée cut off Then liued Catullus Hortensius Salust Diodorus Siculus Cato Vtican M. Lepidus Marcellus and Marke Anthony Cleopatra helde the kingdome a-while with her Brother and afterward wholly by her selfe two and twentie yeares Shee vnderstanding that Marke Anthonie was vanquished by Augustus slew her selfe Now was the ciuil warre between Pompey and Caesar And that goodly Library that contained two hundred thousand Volumes was burned in this time Plutarch in vit Antoni The Monarchy of the Caesars or Romaines IVlius Caesar a very gracious Prince and one of the Worlds chiefest Captaines raigned fiue yeares He vanquished Pompey and his confederates Ptolomy hee slew restored Cleopatra his friend Sister to Ptolomy to the kingdom of Aegypt Returning home to Rome he was slaine in the Senate house by Brutus Cassius and other Conspirators Dioscorides then liued but if you would haue more of Caesars life read Suetonius Florus in the life of Caesar Octauius Augustus the last Nephew of Iulius by the Sisters side and his adopted Sonne raigned 56. yeares he was happy in war moderate in peace and liberall to euery one Then liued Virgill Horace Tibullus Propertius Vitruuius Mecenas And then dyed Cleopatra and her husband Marke Anthony Aegypt being then reduced into a Prouince Herod a stranger fauoured by Augustus was then King of Iudea So the Scepter being wholly taken from Iuda Iesus Christ God and man the Sauiour of the world was then borne of a Virgin in Bethlehem according to the Prophesies of Iacob Genes 49 Esay 7 Micheas 5. Iesus Christ came in the yeare of Augustus forty two and of the world 3963. Ouid was then in exile the Citty of Lyons founded and then liued Titus Liuius Valerius Maximus Strabo and Francus King of the Sicambrians in the lower Allemaigne Aquila Tuberus Galba Labeus and Caius were then Law-giuers or Law-Makers Herod the great murderer of Innocents and there were numbred then at Rome foure hundred sixty foure thousand men Claudius Tiberius the Sonne of Liuia afterward Wife to Augustus raigned 23. yeares beginning very well but proouing afterward to bée most wicked Iesus Christ for our saluation was then crucified in Hierusalem vnder Pilate the Prouost of Iudea he said that A good Shepheard should clip his Sheepe and not deuour them C. Caligula Sonne of Germanus a most wicked Man raigned thirtéene yeares This beast the ruine of men made himselfe to bee adored as God hee poysoned his Vnckle Tiberius and defloured all his Sisters leauing them then to others like abusing T. Claudius Vnckle of Caligula and Monster of Men raigned fouretéene yeares He preferred Nero before his owne Son by the treason of whom hee was poysoned with a Mushrome Messalina his first wife peerelesse in all labricity and wickednes then flourished And Saint Peter the Apostle liued reported
other in the West foure yeares togither Constantine commanded in Gaul Spaine Affrica and Italie The other in Greece Arnobius Lactantius Dorotheus bishop of Tyre Eusebius and other Learned personages liued at this time Galerius Maximianus tearmed Armentarius because he was a Neat-heards son was made Emp. being a goodly person a fortunat warrior Maximinus nephue to Armentarius by his sister was Emp. persecuted the Christians in the East Seuerus Prefect of Italy and Africke was published Emperor by Galerius fighting with Maxentius was taken at Ravenna and slaine Maxentius elected Emperor by his souldiors raigned a Tyrant and was like vnto his Father Maximinus Being vanquished by Constantine néere to Pont-Miluius he was drowned in a Gulfe and his body neuer after found Licinius Licinianus borne of Countrey Parents was fortunate in the wars which he had against Maximinus Afterward hee became a mocker of Christ and persecuted such as beléeued in him and because he was ignorant hee was a great enemy to all that were learned Martinianus was created Caesar by Licinius against Constantine he was in his camp at night but sled before next morning Constantine the great son of Helena an holy woman with Maxentius and Licinius reigned 31. yeares He was religious and affable and transported the Bible into diuers Countries He assembled the Councell of Nice against Arrius the Heretick He builded the Citty of Constantinople calling it after his owne name whither the Imperiall seate was translated and changed from Rome into Greece after he had granted Syluester to be Pope Euseb lib. 10. Niceph. lib. 8. Crispus was made Caesar by his father Constantine but being afterward falsly accused to his father he was put to death for that he would not consent to the inordinate appetite of Faustine his Stepmother Constantine the second with his brethren raigned 17. yeares ioyning thereto the thrée yeares raigne of Magnentius Themistius Donatus and Libanius the Sophister then â—iued and S. Anthony the Heremite was knowne in Aegypt by many miracles Iulian the Apostata helde the true Religion ten yeares and was named Emperor by the men of warre in Paris against his will He forbad the Christians the study of letters and being wounded to death hee cryed out At length thou hast vanquished O Galilean S. Cyrill Optatus Basile Nazianzene Epiphanius Hilarie Didimus Exuperus· all learned Diuines then flourished Iouianus a kind and learned man raigned eight months and made confession to his Warriours of the name of Iesus Christ Now was the first order of Monkes instituted by S. Basile vnder certaine rules of liuing Valentian a good and Catholique Prince and Valens his Brother raigned fiftéene years This man held the error of the Arrians and constrained the Monkes to vndertake Armes in war he died vnhappily Gratian the son of Valentinian during whose whole life time hee was an associate in the Empire Hee raigned afterward with Valentinian the second his younger Brother and Theodosius sixe yeares Maximus tearmed Emperor by his Souldiers slew Gratian and held the Empire foure yeares after which time Valentinian returned to the Empire againe fiue yeares Theodosius after that Gratian was slaine by Maximus raigned thrée yeares with his Brother Valentinian the death of whom was bemoaned by Saint Ambrose for the great zeale hee had to Christian Religion S. Hierome S. Augustine and P. Orosius then liued Arcadius and Honorius the Sons of Theodosius raigned twenty nine yeares as well in the East as in the West About this time the great Empire of Rome began to decline by the infidelity of Ruffinus and Stilico their Tutors The very greatest part thereof was vsed by the Scythians Burgundians Lombardes Hungarians French Goths and Vandals And Rome was foure times taken by the Goths and Vandals within a 139. yeares Then liued S. Chrysostom and Claudian Honorius raigned with Theodosius Sonne to his Brother sixtéene yeares Theodosius the second youngest Sonne of Arcadius raigned at Constantinople twenty seuen yeares after the death of Honorius hauing afflited Valentinian the third the Son of Constantius and Placida Daughter is Theodosius who raigned fiue yeares in the west At this time the Frenchmen leauing Franconia beganne to enter vppon the Gaules vnder Clodion their second King F. Valerius Martianus raigned in the East seauen years and Valentinian the third at the same time in the west during their raigne the Burgundians other western Nations were conuerted to the Faith The Vandals came out of Spayn into Affrica and afterward they tooke Rome vnder the conduct of their King Genserichus Attila King of the Hunnes entred into Gaul with fiue hundred thousand men deliuered battle to Meroüeus their second king who had ioined with Aetius Lieutenant to the Emperor There hee lost an hundred and fourescore thousand men fled into Hungaria not any man being wounded behind About this time was great Arthur King of Britaine Leo the first reigned 17. yeares associated by Leo the sonne of his daughter who after he had reigned one yeare alone gaue vp the Empire to Zeno his Grandsire who raigned tyrannically 17. yeares The estate of the Church was then very greatly troubled as also that of the Western Empire Italy had then nine Emperors in twenty yeares who all slue one another Anastasius raigned twenty fiue yeares Hée was an Eutichian Heretique was smitten with lightning and dyed as a iust punishment for his Heresie Fulgentius Iustine raigned 9. years he was first a Swine-heard afterward a Cow-heard next a Carpenter a Souldier a Captaine and last of all Emperor gouerning very well and godly and expelling the Arrian Heretiques Then liued Boetius and S. Bennet or Benedict began his order Iustinian raigned thirty eight yeares All his care and study was to repaire the decayed Empire and re-establish ciuill right in the execution wherof he was seconded by excellent personages especially by Belfarius Narses and Tribonianus The first chased the Vandals out of Affrica which they had held 95. years and deliuered Rome from the Gothes who had conquered it and yet were once more expulsed thence by Narses Iustine the second raigned ten yeares beloued of al men for his liberality Sophia his wife mocked him with Narses the Gouernour of Italy whereat hee beeing offended called the Lombardes by whose helpe he reuenged himselfe Now was the Kingdome of the Lombardes founded by Clebus where raigned thirty two kinges vntill the time of Charles the Great Tiberius the second raigned seauen yeares hée was a very charitable man one that loued God and his Saints and therefore no doubt was beloued of him againe Mauritius raigned twenty yeares hee was descended of very meane Parentage and in the end was murthered for his couetousnesse a vice as much discommendable in a Prince as liberality is beséeming and maketh him renowmed Phocas raigned eyght yeares And beeing the Murderer of his Predecessor himselfe was likewise murdered
but he did as much to the men sent by Lewes sirnamed Gods guift king of France So that in a short while so great a number of the French perrished by falshood and Treason that the name of Manuell became odious among the French Roger entred in earnest vpon the Countrey of Greece besieged Constantinople and with a gallant brauado culled many floures of gold and siluer out of the Emperors garden Manuell offered outrage to an Ambassador of Venice and in one day surprised all their Marchants whom he had betraied vnder the colour of peace for which the Venetians constrained him afterward dearly to buy his owne peace He made warre against the Turks wherein he was almost taken And after hee had raigned eight and thirty yeares hee liued as a Monke and died of a grieuous disease Alexius the sonne of Manuell helde the Empire after him in the yeare 1180. vnder Andronicus his coosin-germain who then was his Tutor afterward his companion in the empire and at last his murderer for secretly he caused his hed to be cut off and threw his body into the Sea he being but fifteen yeares old Andronicus Comnenes the sonne of Isaake entred on the empire of Constantinople after his coosine germain Alexius whom cruelly he had caused to be murdered in the yeare 1183. William king of Sicily made warre vpon him to reuenge the death of Alexius And as he was assailed on all sides Isaacke sirnamed the Angell contrary to all opinion came so suddenly vpon him that he not onely foiled him but deiected him from the empyre and hauing seized vpon his person hee caused one of his eies to be pulled out and then set him vppon an Asse with his face backward crowning him with a wreath of rotten Garlicke or Onions and holding the stalke of one of them in his hand in stead of a Scepter In this order was he shewen through the Citty of Constantitinople men women and children doing many iniuries vnto him casting both durt and filth in his face smiting him also with stones and staues In this manner being cruelly bruised and murdered he was hanged vp when yet the women would not leaue him so but dismembred him into the smallest pieces Isaack the Angell tooke the empyre on him after Andronicus in the yeare 1185. He qualified the tyrranie of many and entertained magnificently Frederick Emperor of Rome who passed into Syria Hee redéemed with a great sum of mony his younger brother Alexius whoe most vnthankefully bereft him both of his eies and Empire because he séemed to fauour the Venetians He kept him likewise in prison vntill that Alexius the sonne of Isaac in despite of his vncles mallice by tears and faire intreats obtained succour of the French and the Venetians wherewith he deliuered his Father who very soon after died hauing taken too much the fresh ayre after his so long close imprisonment Alexius the Angell murderer of his Brother Isaac helde the Empire of Constantinople after him in the yeare 1195. He was most wicked cruelly handled his elder brother onely to vsurpe the Empire The like hee would haue doone to his Nephew Alexius who escaping from him was carried by Sea into Dalmatia where hee found the Nobility of France with Baldwin and the Venetians whom he moued to warre against his vncle promising them thirty thousand marks of gold and all kind of victuals if his imprisoned father or himselfe might by their meanes regaine the Empyre Hereupon those valiant lords hoysed saile towards Constantinople and tooke it hauing first broken the chain which thwarted the Sea Alexâ—us saued himselfe by flight Isaac was deliuered out of prison who died soone after and his sonne Alexius the younger was elected Emperor Alexius the yonger being sonne to Isaac was seated in the Empire in the yeare 1204. by an agreement made betwéene him and the French and Venetians It is said that then it was sought to haue the Patriarch of Constantinople subiect inferior to the Pope of Rome and that the Emperor should recompence the French and Venetians for the damages which Manuell had doone vnto them But scarcely was he entred into his gouernment of the Empire and employing his paines to accomplish his promises when as Murziphilus no Noble man yet one whom he hadde aduanced to great authority killed him And so this yong and innocent Prince died by Treason Murziphilus finding his sinne much misliked in the night time fledde away with his Wife his strumpets and treasure yet not long after hee was brought backe againe from Morea as a Captiue to Constantinople where he died miserably By this meanes both the Citty and empire of Greece remained to the French and Baldwine was the first Emperour of the French Nation Baldwine Earle of Flanders was after Alexius the younger elected emperour of Constantinople by all the warlike souldiors of Flaunders as also the Marquesse of Montferrat of Sauoy and of Venice in the year 1205. Before this election there was a condition thus determined That if the emperor who was to be elected should be of the French the Venetians should make a Patriarch as it happened Baldwine then recouered all that belonged to the Empire of Constantinople except Adrianople which Theodor kinsman to Alexius the murderer held as his wiues dowry and kept there his Empire But as the French laide siege thereto and were vpon the very point of surprizing it Baldwine was there taken and put to death hauing scarsly gouerned one yeare Henry the brother of Baldwine was made Emperor after him Hee pursued the besieging and assault of Adrianople but the Sarazins comming to succour it he retyred to Constantinople which then he strongly fortified He made peace and alliance with the Vallachians tooke their Dukes daughter in marriage and both farre off and at home guided all affaires prouidently Hee constituted William son to Boniface K. of Thessaly soon after his fathers death leauing his daughter Iolanta as his heyre who was married vnto Peter of Auxerre that succéeded him in the Empire Peter de Courtnay or to speake better of France being the yongest sonne of Lewes le gros and Earle of Auxerre by the meanes and right of his wife Iolanta in reguard that Henry hadde lefte no heyre male succéeded in the Empire of Constantinople the yeare 1216. He returning to Rome after his Coronation besieged Baudras in fauour of the Venetians But it proued in vaine for at a gallaunt Banquet hee was beheaded by Theodor Lascarus who called himselfe Emperor of Adrianople and of the Graecians This trechery was performed vnder the shadow of a feigned peace with a faithfull promise made vpon a false Oath Others say that Lascarus had laid ambushes in the Forrest of Thessaly in the place called Tempe and that he surprised Peter in such manner shutting him vp in Captiuity and that so he died His wife Iolanta during this his thraldom held the Empyre two yeares Robert sonne to the
forenamed Peter so soone as he heard the tidings of his fathers hard aduenture departed presently from Fraunce and went directly to Constantinople where he was receyued as Emperor in the yeare 1220. There hee carried himselfe valiantly vntill such time as hée tooke to wife a young Lady who was promised troth-plighted to a Gentleman of Burgundy that neither could or would endure such a shame But he boldly comming into the Pallace did cut off the Ladies nose and threwe hir mother into the Sea because she had béen the procurer of this vniust marriage To all which the Emperour durst not say one word but went to Rome to receiue the Crowne And returning thence not long after with an intent to bee revenged he died of a strange disease in Achaia Baldwine the second sonne to the said Robert succéeded his Father in the Empire of Constantinople in the yeare 1228. But because he was ouer-young Brennus King of Ierusalem in title onely was sent from Italy to be ioyned with him as his gouernour whose daughter hee married making none account of the daughter of the king of Pontus whereby great warres ensued Baldwine being but barely stored of money for these warres and very hardly pressed engaged his son to the Venetians and to the King S. Lewes a peece of the true Crosse as it was reported to be and many precious Reliques of the Church So leuying a great Army he planted it at the entrāce of the straite of Constantinople But in the meane while by secret intelligence Michaell Paleologus had gotten into the Citty Then Baldwin flying thence with the Patriarch betooke themselues to Negropont dreading only the outward harmes while they within were ten times worse Then did the Greekes recouer the Empire of Constantinople which the French hadde helde almost the space of thréescore yeares Michaell Paleologus hauing thus cunningly seized on the Empire and got it into his owne possession held it stil very manfully for the space of two and twenty yeares But hee ran into his peoples hatred for making agréement with pope Gregory the tenth in the Councell at Lyons and acknowledging duty to him After him his son succéeded Andronicus who within a while after tooke his sonne Michaell to be his associate in the empire But Michaell being dead his sonne Andronicus the younger made warre vpon his graundfather Andronicus and compelled him to accept him as companion with him in the Empire Whereat the Emperour Andronicus conceiued such inward dislike that he soone after died hauing raigned 43. yeares Andronicus the yonger carried himselfe both wisely and valiantly in gouerning the Empyre He died of a burning Feauer hauing raigned 33. yeares his sonne succéeding Iohn Cantacuzen who was Schoolmaister to Iohn Paleologus and fellow also with him in the Empires gouernment of whom more shal be said in the life of Iohn Paleologus Iohn Paleologus called also Caloian succéeded his father in the Empire of Constantinople the yeare 1341. He being very young had for his Tutor and companion in the Empire Iohn Cantacuzen who was expulsed by the seditious deuises sleights of a man of meane birth but yet quicke dexterious and full of courage which made him the better accepted in Court It is said also that the ambition of the Patriarch of Constantinople was thereto a great furtherance But he being impatient at such an iniurie made war for fiue yeares against the mother of Iohn Paleologus and against Iohn the said Emperour and was the first man that brought the Turkes in Armes into Europe At length Constantinople yeilded it selfe vnto him and when he tooke it he did no wrong to any one but carried himselfe as fellowe Companion of the Empire giuing his daughter in marriage to the said Emperour Iohn Afterward he made warre vpon the Genowaies spéeding one while well and another ill hauing neuerthelesse with him the Venetians and the men of Arragon Then Iohn Paleologus whoe had béene banished made warre vpon him being principally ayded by the Turkes and to whome hee gaue first habitation in Europe by which meanes he cunningly entred Constantinople in the yeare 1357. And then Cantacuzen forsaking the Empire entred into a monastery and liued there as a Monke But Matthew his sonne séeking to be Competitor with Paleologus was constrained to desist So Paleologus hauing had the victory in diuers warres died in the yeare 1384. hauing raigned sixtéene yeares with his Tutour Cantacuzen and 27. yeares alone by himselfe in all 43. yeares After him was Emperour for the space of thrée yeares Andronicus the eldest sonne who neuerthelesse is not set in the number of the Emperors Manuell by some called Emanuell son to the said Iohn Paleologus held the Empire of Constantinople in the yeare 1387. And the most remarkable matter in his life was that he left seauen sonnes of which Iohn the eldest succéeded in the Empyre in the yeare 1421. Iohn eldest sonne to Manuell entred on the Empire after his fathers decease He being more addicted to peace and quietnesse then War gaue his assistance in the Councell at Ferrara which was afterward transferred to Florence Eugenius the fourth then being Pope As Emperour of the East he was graciously welcommed by both the Churches the Greek and Latine which were then made one Returning home to his Empire he liued no long time after but died not leauing any posterity of him in the yeare 1445. Constantine the eleauenth and sonne of Manuell after the death of his brother Iohn held the Empire called the Greeke Empire in the yeare 1445. He hauing bin King of Morea before was called Draco for the cruelty which hee exercised against the Turkes But when Constantinople was taken by Mahomet the second son to Amurath the second Then all trembling and hee retiring to a gate of the Citty to escape by flight was stifled to death in the prease and confusion of people that likewise fled away the 29. day of May 1453. His head was carried on the point of a Launce to be shewn through the enimies camp in derision And vndoubtedly it is a matter worthy note as also of some meruaile that Constantinople edified or re-edified enriched and exalted by Constantine the first sonne to S. Helena and after the manner of Rome shoulde vnder this Constantine the eleauenth hauing his mother to beare the same name of Helena likewise bee surprized and kept vnder the power of the Turkes euen to this instant A briefe History or summarie of the Othomans or Emperors of the Turks for the space of three hundred yeares OThoman the sonne of Orthogules was Emperor of the Turkes in the yeare of our Saluation 1300. He was the first of this Nation that carried this name which he had in regard of a Castle that he took in Galatia And he was the first also that renewed the glory and honor of his Nation For these people hadde taken Ierusalem in the yeare 1008. but they were
conquered by the Christians vnder the conduct of Godfrey of Bullen and those that then remained of the Turkes retired themselues to Nicea hauing neuer after any one K. of renowne vntill this man who made himselfe a Monarch hath the first place in the History of the Turkes He was but of meane descent yet of great spirit cunning dilligent and ambitious hauing euermore in his hart a desire to raigne and pondered vpon all meanes that thereto might best aduance him In this high disposition hee founde Fortune very fauourable to him for he subdued the greater part of Bithinia tooke many fortes néere to the Pontick Sea But his very greatest honour was the surprising of Sina a Citty anciently called Sebastia He died aged in the first yeare of Phillip de Valois King of France and Edward the third King of England Orchanes Son to the said Othoman was Emperour of the Turkes after his father He would not alter a iote of this newe authority no more then his father did and whom he farre surpassed in Warlike actions By his liberality and good carriage he woon the hearts of his people pursuing on very well what his father had begunne By his industry vigilancie and prouidence he woon the Countries of Mysia Lycaonia Phrygia and Caria and tooke in Warre Prusya which is now called Bursia and which was the aboade of the Kings of Bithynia where he receiued a hurt whereof he died in the first yeare of the raigne of Io. K. of France Edward the third of England stil raigning He raigned 22. yeares leauing Soliman and Amurath his sons and successors Soliman sonne of Orchanes raigned 2. yeares after his Father He made warre vpon the Greekes passed from Asya into Europe where he vanquished the Bulgarians and tooke many places from them especially in Thrace he got the Citties of Adrianople and Philopolis Some say that he died in his Fathers life time with a fall from his horse in hunting and that very soone after his father died with gréefe And this is the reason why some doe not set him in the rank of Turkish Emperors Amurath first of that name and sonne to Orchanes was Emperor of the Turkes in the year 1350. Good Fortune attended on him as shee did on his Graundfather and on his own Father likewise But he was as contrary to his graund father by the mothers side as his father had béen to his predecessor who bereft him of a great part of Cilicia by killing his sonne Amurath incited thereto by Iohn Paleologus sent twelue thousand Turkes for seruice of the said Paleologus which was the source and beginning of the ruyne of Constantinople For being allured with the riches of Europe to make another voyage he passed in the Genowaies gallies six thousand Turks vnder colour of yet giuing fresh succour to the Emperor of Constantinople and to expell his enemies out of the Empire But it was with full intention to vsurpe Greece So he crossed the arme of the Hellespont Sea to Abydos seazing Calypolis and other Citties Afterward with a verie strong power he set vpon the Emperor himselfe who no way doubted him Then tooke he Seruia and Bulgaria whose Princes he foiled comming in good manner against him But one of the followers of Lazarus Despote of Seruia in reuenge of his Maisters death slaine in the fight killed Amurath in the yeare 1378. Baiazeth King or Emperor of the Turks first of that name after the death of Amurath his Father slew his elder brother Solyman by Treason and enioyed the Empyre of the Turkes alone to himselfe To reuenge the death of his Father he made warre against Marke Lord of Bulgaria both vanquishing and killing him and subduing beside a great part of his country In short while after he ran thorow the Countries of Hungaria Albania and Valachia and doing great hurt vnto them tooke many Christians whom he carried Prisoners into Thrace In regard of most bold attempts in his Martiall businesse wherein hee was both hot and sudden hee was called Baiazeth Hildrin that is to say Heauens Lightning He subdued almost all Greece being assisted with the guifts and graces of Nature both in body and mind He besieged Constantinople for the space of eight yeares the Emperor wherof was gon into France to require assistance which was granted him Neuerthelesse Baiazeth had the victory ouer the French Hungarians Germaines Seruians Mysians at once assembled against him And so returning to Constantinople with a fresh besieging and finding no meanes to preserue the Empire of Constantinople suddenly Tamberlain came against Baiazeth and gaue him battel on mount Stella where Pompey fought with Mithridates There did Tamberlain conquer him bound him in chaines of gold placing him in a Cage of yron led him in that manner thorough Asya and Syria In which miserable estate Baiazeth died and after his decease we find that there was interregnum vntil Mahomet one of his sons came Iosuah or Cyriscelebes whom some wrongly name Calapine the eldest sonne of Baiazeth after the foyle of his Father was defeated of Asya by Tamberlain led Captiue to Constantinople for the Emperor as a singular prize But he was vsed as the sonne of a Prince and soon after with great humanity in the Emp. released and sent home into Asya where he recouered his Fathers kingdome After when he had well reestablished his forces he stoutly resisted Sigismond King of Hungary who came to assaile him and had woon diuers Prouinces from him presuming that the Turks could no way reléeue him after so great an ouerthrow giuen by Tamb. But Fortune spake no friendlier to Sigismund then she had formerly don to him when he fought against Baiazeth at Nicopolis his people being al larded with arrows before they could fall into order of battell For the Horsmen turned bridle euen at the first shocke noise of the Enemy and Cyriscelebes remained conqueror who was slaine by his brother Mustapha otherwise called Musulman in the very flower of his age the yeare 1407. Mustapha or Musulman was Emperor of the Turks a very small time for his brother Moyses possessed himselfe of the State and expelled him Som name this Mustapha Orchanes the second whom they tearme to be son and heire to Iosuah or Cyriscelebes and that he was slaine by Moyses his vncle by the fathers side but Moyses quickly did suffer his deserued punnishment For loosing both goods and life together himself was also slain by his owne brother Mahometh There be that write that this Mahometh raigned next after his father Baiazeth making no mention of Iosuah or Cyriscelebes neither of Mustapha or Orchanes nor of Moyses but after Baiazeth do make his sonne Mahometh presently to follow Moyses was expulsed and put to death by his brother Mustapha or as others say his nephue Orchanes and soone after he was likewise slaine by his brother Mahometh And these twoe by some are not set in ranke with
the Turkish Emperors because they are said to raigne very little time or not at all Mahometh first of that name brother to Iosuah Mustapha and the forenamed Moyses is said notwithstanding the rest to be Emperor of the Turkes in the yeare 1409. There are som that doo attribute only to this man all those matters which are reported of Iosuah or Cyriscelebes He ouer ran the Countries of the Bulgarians Valachians imposing great Tributes and Taxations vpon them Then he entred on the Satrapes of Asya recouering all those places which Tamberlaine had taken He chased out of Galatia and the Countries of Pontus and Cappadocia his own kindred and Allies without extending any pitty to any Princes and Lordes of his owne blood albeit it is true that he left some in their own intire dwellings Being returned into Greece hee came to Adrianople the Metropolitan Citty of Thrace and there he constituted the seate of his Empire expelling thence the Christians that had there any abiding He died in the twelft yeare of his Empire which is reckoned to be in the yeare 1418. leauing his sonne Amurath the second to be his successor Amurath the second Sonne to the forenamed Mahometh succéeded his Father in the Turkish Empire in the yeare 1418. He vnderstanding the death of his father and desiring to passe from Asya into Thrace vanquished his Vncle Mustapha to whom the Gréeks gaue fauour and succour He was the first that for the guard of his person made election of Christian Renegados to bee his Ianissaries by the power and courage of whom both he and his successors haue subdued almost the whole East He assailed with his forces and did great dammages to the Countries of Hungaria Bosnia Albania Valachia Greece He tooke Thessalonica from the Venetians He had victory against Ladislaus King of Poland against the Cardinall Iulian and against Huniades He held the Empire or Kingdome of the Turks for the space of 32. yeares and then left it to Mahomet his Sonne Mahomet the second Emperor of the Turks succéeded his Father Amurath in the year 1450. He began his reigne as an Homicide causing his younger Brother to be murthered because his fathers body should not be buried alone He was a most wicked and sinfull man not beléeuing in any God For he would say that his Mahomet was a false Prophet like vnto himselfe made a mockery of the Saintes Prophets and Patriarches He woon and left the sirname of Great to the house of the Otthomans Hee ruyned the Empyre of Constantinople which he seized by assault the 29. day of May 1453. as hath béene already declared in the report of the life of Constantine the eleauenth togither with the Empire of Trebisonde He tooke twelue kingdomes two hundred Citties from the Christians in the year 1479. He besieged the Isle of Rhodes which was then held by the knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem but his labour was in vaine for it was couragiously defended by the said Knights their great maister Peter d'Aubusson or d'Ambois a French man At length he died of the Collick the fourth day after he sickened hauing liued 58. yeares reigned one and thirty Baiazeth second of that name and sonne to Mahomet the second by meanes of the Ianissaries was made Emperor of the Turkes in the yeare 1481. He conquered and expulsed Zizim his younger brother whom the chiefest Lordes would haue had to be Emperour but hee beeing fled for refuge to the Isle of Rhodes the great master of the Knights sent him to King Charles the eight Baiazeth vanquished Caraman and recouered all whatsoeuer hee hadde gotten from the Turkes on either side of the Mount Taurus He subdued Valachia and so went on against the Sultane of Aegipt who was too strong for him For hauing receiued the fugitiue Mamelukes after the death of Caraman and entertaining besides a great number of Arabes for his defence oftentimes hee conquered and put Baiazeth to flight Afterward Baiazeth subiected the Inhabitants of the Ceraunian Mountaines and tooke from the Venetians Lepanto Modon and Duraz. In the end his youngest sonne Selim whoe by means of the Ianissaries had gotten preferment before the eldest and was declared to be Emperor in his fathers life time enforced him to flight and afterward poisoned him in the yeare 1512. at the very same time when the battell of Rauenna was fought vnder the happy reigne of King Lewes the twelfth Selim hauing expulsed and after poisoned his Father because he liued too long was Emperour of the Turkes in the yeare 1512. To this parracide he added the murder of his brethren Achmet and Corcuthus and caused seauen of his Nephewes to be strangled that were the Children of his brothers He conquered and expelled the Sophi of Persya and in diuers battels discomfited the two Souldanes Campson and Tomombeus with the Mamelukes and Arabes Hee added Aegipt and Arabia to his Empire and tooke the great Cayro Then returning home to his countrey of Greece an vlcer ingendred in his Raines which increasing continually like a Canker procured his death in the eight yeare of his reygne Anno 1519. Soliman whom some tearme to be the second of that name Emperor of the Turks carried that name as is said because he very wisely prouided for all affaires whereunto the yssue of them was also as correspondent For this name of Soliman by som transposed sillables deliuereth the name of Salomon the most renowmed King for Wisedome There was not any before him nor of the race of the Othomans more seuere and valiaunt For the déedes and warres of Soliman came not one iote behinde those of his Father hauing recouered Syria vanquished Gazel that was reuoulted and surprised Belgrade and Rhodes then afterward Buda two seuerall times and put to the worse the Army of Austria that fled away before him And néere vnto Buda had the victory ouer Rokandolphe who had a great Army He vanquished the Spaniards at Castelnoua in Dalmatia and put to flight the Army by Sea which séemed inuinsible In the yeare 1543. he tooke Strigonia and Alba Regalis two worthy Citties of Hungaria He conquered the kingdomes of Assyria and Mesopotamia with the Citty of Babylon that might be compared with Memphis and Aegypt conquered by his Father He ouer-ran and wasted the frontiers of Armenia Medea and Persia and twice tooke Tauris the principall Cittye of Persia chasing the Sophi farre off before him into the mountaines For the rest the Turks themselues doe confesse that for 200. yeares before they neuer had Lord that was a greater Iusticer more sober wise and humane then he was But this humanity ceased in him when he caused his eldest sonne Mustapha to bee strangled to please his Concubine Rosa who desired that hir Sonne Selim might be Emperour after his Father Hee was repulsed by the Emperour Charles the fift when hee came with a powerfull Army to besiege the Citty of Vienna in Austria He
besieged also the Isle of Malta in the yeare 1565. whether the Knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem had retired themselues after the surprisall of Rhodes But the Isle was manfully defended by their great maister being a Frenchman named Peter Parisot called also le Valette and Soliman was compelled to raise his siege In the yeare 1566. He died in Hungary at his siedge before the Castle of Sighet hauing raigned 47. yeares Selim second of that name Emperour of the Turks succéeded in the Empire by the meanes of Basha Mehemet after the death of Soliman his Father in Hungary which for a time was concealed and hee entred into possession of the Empire before the death of his Father was discouered He subdued Ainan in Arabia and took the Isle of Cyprus in the yeare 1571. In the end he lost his Nauall Army in the battell of Lepanto which he had against the Christians in the very same yeare 1571. But soone after he came vpon them againe and then renewed peace with the Venetians and their Common-wealth Afterward he recouered Thunis the Goulette which the king of Spaine had made vse of in Affrica And he died in the yeare 1574. hauing reigned eight yeares But all the forenamed memorable actions were performed by his Bashaes and not by himselfe for hee all the while tooke his pleasure being greatly giuen to women and wine Amurath third of that name and son to Selim was created Emperour of the Turkes and enioyed the Empire after his fathers death within eight daies in the yeare 1574. By a cruel and barbarous custome of the Contrey he caused fiue Brethren of his owne to be slaine and two Concubines of his Fathers whoe were great with Child to the end that he might solely reigne alone without feare or suspition and so be auoyded of all impeachments which he wel vnderstood might ensue by parity and such as shoulde laye claime to the like Fortune He began his gouernment somewhat yong being aged but 28. years being a woonderfull louer of his paternall Maâ—ometane Religion a great Iusticer and imitator of his Graundfather Soliman He tooke som citties in Hungarie and Sclauonie which afterward were regained from him Some say that he was dull and lumpish of spirit and fell oftentimes with the falling sicknesse which made his face to look blemished and of a leaden coulour He gaue himselfe to women and great feeding for he was the Father of 102. children and yet became very grosse and corpulent Hee died in Ianuary 1595. the 21. yeare of his raigne not hauing attained to fifty yeares of age Mahometh the third succéeded his Father Amurath the third in the yeare 1595. And to shew himselfe the sonne of his father and no whit to degenerate from his Auncestors he caused 19. of his brethren to be barbarously murdered and many of his Fathers Concubines to be drowned that were found to be great with childe after his decease so that no child should remaine to trouble him in his gouernment But as cruelty and barbarousnesse doth commonly dwell in a negligent spâ—rit addicted to sloth and pusillanimity euen so did not he any thing deseruing memory he being wholy giuen to his bodies voluptuousnesse He did put to death his eldest sonne and the mother of that sonne because they had inquired of Astrologers how long time hee shoulde raigne In the yeare 1603. the Sophi of Persya regained Tauris and Bages and those great countries which the predecessors of this Mahometh had invaded as hath bin already declared in our report of Selim the first and Soliman the second He died of the Plague at Constantinople in Ianuary 1604. hauing raigned nine yeares Achmet succéeded his father in the Empyre being but seauentéen years old in the year 1604. In the yeare 1605. he tooke Strigonia and some other places in the Kingdome of Hungaria It is said that in his Army he causeth his Fathers dead body to be carried embalmed and enclosed in a Coffin of Lead holding opinion that his military deseigns and exployts shall therby proue the more fortunat He hath made peace with the Emperour Rodulphus and those of the house of Austria for fifteen yeares which makes it therefore the more beléeued that hee will conuert his forces against the Sophi He now reigneth this yeare 1611. and by outward appearance couets to be feared A briefe Discourse concerning the Sarrazins the Originall of their name and what People they haue been euen to this day HAuing deliuered a shorte Suruey of the Turkish Ottomans from their first King or Emperor to the man that now gouerneth I thought it not impertinent to my purpose to say somwhat also of the Sarazins who are held to be before them and much more auncient then they Nor list I here to call in question those errors committed by Sabellicus Blondus the Tyrian Bishop Volatteranus many other graue Authors who in their writings doe tearme the Mahumetists or Turks to be Sarazins for they neuer knewe any such name neither were at any time so called but only Mulsulmans which is as much to say as people faithfull in the Law Some others who haue thought their iudgements to be much more pregnant sticke not to say that this name of Sarazin did come of Sarra the wife of Abraham of whose race the great Prophet Mahomet inuenter and deuiser of the Law or Religion helde at this present by the Sarazins and Turkes they say was discended But this opinion likewise is not receineable for they desired rather to be called Agarians in reguard of Agar handmayde to Sarra and mother of Ismaeli or else Ismaelites because they iudged themselues to be yssued of the said Ismaell bastard son to the forenamed Abraham But let vs leaue these false etymologies which neither carry or yeeld any true likelihood come to the very Originall of the name Sarazin The error grew from hence that some short while before Mahomet or Muhamet as others tearms him arose and began to extend himselfe as well towards Suria as Persya there liued then in the Rocky Arabia and Idumea certain Arabes who made their abode or dwelling and yet doe to this day vnder small Tents or enclosures and hadde not any other trade or maintenance for their liuing but by thefts and robberies which they daily exercised vpon all passengers were they Turks Christians Pagans or whatsoeuer Of which Robbers and Théeues the Countrey coulde neuer be fréeed nor can be at this day as such doe faithfully affirme who haue trauailed on pilgrymage to Mount Sinai in Ierusalem And the Turkes themselues doe confesse that when Deuotion drew them forth on Pilgrimage to the city of Medinat al Nabi that is to say the Citty of the Prophet scituate in Arabia foelix where the Sepulcher of Mahomet is and when likwise they doe yet passe thorow the very greatest solitudes and desarts as many times the Christians doe They finde them to bee peopled with these wicked
second of Sauona called Iuliano de Rouero sonne of Raphaell Brother to Pope Sixtus the fourth of Cardinall-Priest became Byshoppe of Alba afterward Byshop of Ostia and great Penitentiary vnder Maximilian Hee held the See nine yeares three moneths twelue dayes vacante seauenteen dayes The generall Councell of Laterane was then 226 Leo the tenth a Florentine called Iohn de Medicis sonne of Laurence Cardinall Deacon vnder Maximilian and Charles the fift He held the see eyght yeares eight months twenty one dayes vacante one month seauen daies 227 Adrian the sixt a natiue of Vtreicht in Galia-belgica sonne of Florent of Byshop of Ertusa was made Cardinall-Priest vnder Charles the fift to whom hee was Schole-mayster he held the see one yeare eight months sixe daies vacante two months foure daies 228 Clement the seauenth a Florentine called Iulius de Medicis Knight of Hierusalem nephew to Pope Leo the tenth elected Arch-Byshoppe of Florence Cardinall-Deacon afterward Priest Chancellour of the Church vnder Charles the fift he celebrated the ninth Iubilie in the yeare 1525. And helde the see ten yeares tenne monthes eyght dayes vacante sixteene daies 229 Paule the third called Alexander Farnese sonne of Peter Lewes Cardinall-deacon was afterward Byshoppe cardinall of Tusculanum Palaestrina Sabina Portua and Ostia and Deane of the cardinals vnder Charles the fift and Ferdinand Hee held the see fifteene yeares nineteene daies vacante two months 29. daies The generall councell of Trent beganne Anno. 1525. 230 Iulius the third borne at Arezza called Iohn Maria de Monte sonne of Vincent Arch-Byshop of Sipontum cardinall-priest and afterward Byshop of Palaestrina vnder Charles and Ferdinand Hee celebrated the tenth Iubilie in the yeare 1550. and held the see fiue yeares one moneth sixteene dayes vacante seauenteene daies 231 Marcellus the second a Tuscane called Marcellus Ceruinus sonne of Richard of Byshoppe of Castello Nouo hee was made cardinall-priest vnder Charles the fift and Ferdinand He held the See twenty two daies vacante seauenteene daies 232 Paule the fourth a Neapolitane called Iohn Peter Caraffa sonne of Iohn Alphonso Count of Mataluna of Archbyshop of Naples he became Cardinall Priest of Alba Sabina Tusculanum and Ostia and Deane of the cardinals vnder Charles the fift and Ferdinand he held the See foure yeares two Moneths seauen and twentie daies vacante foure monethes sixe dayes 233 Pius the fourth a Milainois called Iohn Angelo de Medicis sonne of Bernardino Cardinall Priest vnder Ferdinand and Maximilian the second he helde the Sée fiue yeares eleauen moneths eight daies vacante nine and twentie dayes In his time the counsel of Trent was concluded an 1563. 234 Pius the fift an Alexandrine Lombard of the preaching Fryers order called F. Michael Giller of byshop of Surrina and Nepesina became cardinall Priest Graund Inquisitour and byshop of Montrâ—all vnder Maximilianâ— Hee held the Sée six yeares three moneths sixteene dayes 235 Gregory the thirteenth a Bolonois called Hugo Bâ—n-compagnio son of Christopher Cardinall Priest vnder Maximilian the second and Rodolphus the second He celebrated theeleauenth Iubilee in anno 1575. and helde the See twelue yeares xi months xii daies vacante eleauen dayes 236 Sixtus the fift De la Marche d' Ancona cardinall de Montalto called F. Foelix Peret of the Friars Minors order cardinall Priest vnder Rodolphus the second Hee helde the Sée fiue yeares foure months xxi dayes vacante fouretéene daies 237 Vrbane the seauenth a Romaine called Iohn Baptista Castagnia Sonne of Cosimo cardinall of S. Marcellus vnder Rodolphus the second He helde the Sée fifteene dayes vacante two months 238 Gregory the fourteenth a Milanois called Nicholas Sfondratus cardinall of S. Cecilia vnder Rodolphus the second Hee helde the Sée ten monethes tenne dayes vacante fifteene dayes 239 Innocentius the ninth a Bolognois called Iohn Baptista Fachineti cardinall of SS quatuor vnder Rodolphus the second he helde thee Sée two months vacante two months 240 Clement the eight a Florentine called Hyppolito Aldobrandino Sonne of Syluester Auditor of Rota and Datary or Almoner to the Pope was made cardinall Priest of S. Pancratia and great Penetentiary He was sent Legat into Poland by Pope Sixtus the fift in the yeare 1592. Hee was elected Pope vnder Rodolphus the second and held the Sée thirteene yeares one moneth fiue dayes vntill the thirde of March 1605. and then died During his Pontificacie which deserueth to bee noted hee procured peace betweene the two Kings most Christian and catholicke and the Duke of Sauoy hee reduced Ferrara vnder obedience to the S. Sée and celebrated the twelft Iubilee in the yeare 1600. 241 Leo the xi a Florentine likewise called Alexander de Medicis Sonne vnto Octauian of the most famous house of the Medici of Byshoppe of Pistoya became Byshoppe of Florence and Ambassadour of Fraunces de Medicis great Duke of Tuscany vnto Pope Gregorie the thirteenth Hee was made Cardinall beeing entitled with Saint Quirice and Saint Iulita after of Saint Iohn and Saynt Paule and in the ende of Saint Praxedes Beeing sent Legate into Fraunce by Pope Clement the eyght Hee mediated the peace with the Spanyarde and returning to Rome hee was made chiefe of the Congregation of Byshoppes And the second of Aprill 1605. hee was created Pope But his Pontificate was of small continuance because he helde the See but seauen and twenty dayes onely and dyed the seauen and twenty day of the sayde moneth vnder the same Rodolphus the second 242 Paule the fifte a Romaine Originally descended from Sienna called Camillo Borghese who had beene Referendary vnto eyther Signature Vicar of the Patryarchall Churche of Saint Maria Maior Vice-Legate to Bolognia Generall Auditour of the Apostolique Chamber and Nuntio from the S. See into Spayne Hee was made Cardinall Priest of Saynt Eusebius in the yeare of our Lorde 1596. by Pope Clement the eight and afterward Byshoppe of Esino in the Marchia d'Ancona After the decease of Pope Leo the eleauenth Hee was elected in his place the sixteenth daye of May 1605. As yet to this present yeare 1611. Hee remayneth lyuing and hath held the Papacie the space of fiue yeares and somwhat more TO THE HOnourable Company of the Marchant Taylors being the Society of Saint Iohn Baptist ¶ A briefe Collection of the Originall and Progresse of the Knights of the worthy Order of S. Iohn of Ierusalem who were afterward called Knights of Rhodes and Knights of Malta Likewise their exployts in warre vnder the conduct of their Great Maysters from the yeare 1099. vntill this present With some as briefe report also of the Knightes Templers and all other Orders of knight hood thorough the world THe Militarie Order of S. Iohn of â—erusalem had her byrth and firste Originall in the holy Citty of Ierusalem and passed there her first yeares of Infancie with a great part of her adolescentie When as the Sarazins were Maisters of the holy Citty and of the
country all about the sacred Sepulchre of our Lorde which was ruined about the yeare of saluation 1012. by the commandement of Equin Califfe of the Sarrazins and continued so ruined vntill the time of Constantine Monomachus Emperor of Constantinople who at the intreaties of the christians which then dwelte in Ierusalem with the consent of Bomensor Elmonius Stensabus Califfe or Soldane of Egypt built it againe at hys owne charges in the yeare 1048. About which time certain Gentlemen and Italian Merchants of the Citty of Melphes frequenting the Portes and Maritane Citties of Syria and Egypt and bringing good Marchandizes into those Countries woon themselues much loue and liking not onelie of the citties Gouernours but also of the Califfe of Egypt and being wel disposed christians they would oftentimes goe to Ierusalem to visit the holy memorable places and hauing no place of retirement in the citty they obtained fauour and permission of the Califfe to builde there a Church and a Pallace for their owne vse and habitation as also for others of their Nation in that quarter of the cittie where the christians might dwell neere to the holy Sepulchre There they erected two Monasteries one in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary called S. Maria de la Latina differing from the Greeke churches whych were in Ierusalem and placed there an Abbot of Mont-Cassina and was builte to lodge christian Pilgrims therein The other was dedicated to S. Mary Magdalen as a place of entertainment of all such women as should aduenture thither in pilgrimage they being both Religiously gouerned Not long after they builded an Hospital wherein to lodge as well all sickly trauaylers as any other Pilgrimes of honest disposition with a Church also thereto belonging beeing both dedicated to S. Iohn Baptist These Monasteries Churches and Hospitals were long time mayntained by the care and cost of the Amalphitanes who founded them and vntill such tune as the Citty was conquered by the Christians from the Infidels and that Godfrey of Bullen was there elected King which was in the yeare 1099. 1. The Citty being thus woonne F. Gerard was the first Rector or Gouernor of the hospital of S. Iohn who when the Citty was besiedged by the Christians was very ill dealt with by the Infidels was long time by them kept a captiue prisoner because they distrusted that he had some secret intelligence with the Christians which beleagered the Citty But after that the Christians were maysters thereof he was delyuered out of prison and gouerned both wisely and charitably the Hospitall of S. Iohn perswading and induring Christian Kinges and Princes to enrich and endow it with their liberality which indéed they did in bountifull manner so that in France Italy Spaine and other Prouinces of christendome the Hospitall of S. Iohn founde good Benefactors and attained in short time to great reuennewes and possessions In the yeare 1113. Pope Paschall the second receiued F. Gerard and the Knights of S. Iohn vnder protection of the Apostolique Seate and graunted them great priuiledges ordayning that after the decease of F. Gerard they shold proceed cannonically to the election of another Rector or Gouernour who was afterward called Great Mayster of the Order or military hospitall of S. Iohn of Ierusalem a name which continueth yet to this present after fiue hundred yeares from the beginning thereof 2 In the yeare 1118. F. Gerard departed out of this life in the Papacie of Gelasius the second and when as the order of the Knights Templers began After his decease there succéeded him by election F. Raymond de Puy who was a professed Knight of the Order Albeit some holde opinion that F. Roger succéeded deceased Gerard and gouerned the hospitall of S. Iohn from the yeare 1118. vntill the death of Baldwine second of that name King of Ierusalem who died in the yeare 1131. F. Raymond in a generall Chapter assembled in Ierusalem with aduise of the other Knights made Statutes for the Order formed and instituted a rule of life which all the following Knights were to obserue Hee was called Great Maister of the Order and yet he qualified that Title by calling himselfe Seruant vnto the poore of Christ Iesus and Guardian of the hospitall of Ierusalem This Great Maister perceiuing that the reuennewes of the Hospitall did daily encrease and that hee could not better employ such wealth then against the Infidelles by making war vpon them he made offer to the K. of Ierusalem of himselfe his strength and all his Knightly Brethren who bare in their streamers Ensignes a Crosse Argent in a fielde Gules And thence forward these religious brethrē were distinguished into thrée degrees for one company were knights another Captains the third Seruants not hauing from the beginning any other difference among them but that some were Ecclesiastical persons the other Layicks And from that time forward there was not any enterprize in Palestine against the Infidels but the Great-Maister was present thereat in person with his religious Knights who were first called knights Hospitallers or of the hospital of S. Iohn of Ierusalem afterward knights of the Rhodes lastly knights of Malta They grew into so great credit and reputation that they were employed in the managing guiding al affaires of chiefest importance Among others Gerard Gebert Knight of this Order was sent by Foulkes K. of Aniou into England to treat on the marriage of Constance Princesse of Antioch Néere to the Q. Melisenda daughter to Prince Boemond with Raymond son to the Earle of Poicters who was then in the Court of Henry King of England In like maner this mariage being thus concluded by the ingenuity of this knight at the same time Raymond Berengarius earl of Barcelona Prince of Cathalonia who had cōquered the isles of Maiorica Minorica from the Mores in single combat defended the chastity honor of Mahauld wife to the Emperor Henry the fift against two Allemaigne Knights that had falsely accused her of Idolatry to shut vp the conclusion of his dayes resolued to take the habite of this famous Brother-hood and in that sacred profession he perseuered al his life time after which was in the year 1131. Not much differing from this time it is reported that three Knights of this Order beeing natiue Frenchmen of Picardie detained then by the Soldan of Egypt in captiuity were admirably deliuered and trans-ported out of Egypte with Ismeria daughter to the saide Soldane to the place where at this instant is the church of Nostre Dame de Liesse and this hapned in the yeare 1139. In the yeare 1153. Raymond the Great Master caused the siedge to be continued before the cittie of Ascalon which the Infidelles had defended against the christians more then fiftie yeares and at length it was yeilded to the saide Maister the 12. day of August 1154 which was in the tenth yeare of King Baldwine the 3. In acknowledgement
of a prize so signale and beneficiall to all christendome Pope Anastasius the fourth gaue and granted verie great priuiledges to the Order of these Knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem the first day of Nouember in the same yeare exempting them from the iurisdiction and controule of the East Ecclesiasticall Prelates which was the cause of great troubles betwéene the Bishops of the country there and the knights of this order albeit the Pope and his Cardinals maintained them still stoutly Some haue held that this Great M. Raymond was a Florentine but the most credible opinion is that hee was a French-man a Natiue of Daulphine issued of a verie Noble house called du Puy whereof namelie â—acques Bosius the Italian who hath amplie written the historie of this order is an ingenuous witnesse Hee died in the yeare 1160. with this reputation that hee had bin a man of good and vertuous life fearing god valiant wise and aduised in the affaires of the world and one wel approued in warlicke exercises 3 After that Raymond was deceased there succéeded in the Maister-ship and gouernment of the Order F. Auger de Balben of whome there is found nothing deseruing memorie but that in his time died King Baldwin the third who was not onlie much bemoaned of the christians but likewise of the Infidelles who saide That the Christians had iust cause to lament for the death of Baldwine because they had lost a Prince that had not his equall in the world This Great-Maister Auger after he had gouerned his charge in peace and repose about thrée yeares died in the yeare 1163. 4 Arnold de Comps was next elected Mayster in his place who was a man of great spirite valour and councell And in short time after his election he entered into Egypt with Amaulrie the new King of Hierusalem who made warre vpon the Califfe of Egypt because he refused to continue and pay the anuall tribute wherein hée had bound himselfe to King Baldwine the third for a perpetuall payment to the Kinges of Hierusalem Arnold after he had with great wisedom and courage gouerned the Hospitall of S. Iohn about foure yeares died in the yeare 1167. and then succeeded him 5 Gilbert d'Assaly or de Sailly who was of stout mind and so liberall that hee flowed in bounty especially to his Souldiers so that he fel into great expences and wasted the whole treasure of the house Insomuch that hee was enforced to borrow Money at interest with conditiâ—ion that if he tooke from the Infidels the Citty of Belbeis anciently called Pelusium he should stand acquitted to his Brother-hood as indéed he did and victoriously performed his promise the third day of Nouember 1168. In which yeare he held a Chapter generall in Hierusalem where perceiuing that he was greatly indebted and had charged the Hospitall with more than an hundred thousand Crownes of méere debts beeing also much grieued that his attemptes found not equall Issue to his high desires hee determined to renounce his great Maistership which he did in the yeare 1169. 6 By his resignation or renunciation rather another Knight was chosen Great Maister named F. Gastus or Castus of whom there is nothing found that makes to any purpose of this our briefe History And the breuity of his time of gouernment was the cause by reason he was not a full yeare in the charge but dyed in the very same yeare of his election and had 7 F. Ioubert a very religious man for his successor who in the yeare 1176. ioyned himselfe with Phillip Earle of Flanders that was then come into Syria to assist King Baldwine the fourth against Saladine who had a very powerfull Army miraculously vanquished by the Christians that were but few in number in the moneth of Nouember 1177. at which time the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Alexander the third were reconciled together At length Saladine with-drew himselfe from the Countrey of Damas in the year 1179. And then dyed Ioubert Maister of the Hospitallers a man very charytable to the poore and sickly It is saide that méere conceite of griefe to behold so manyfestly the ruine of christian affaires in Syria with the shamefull and damageable truce made betwéene the King of Ierusalem and the Earle of Tripoli by his example with Saladine was the onely cause of abridging his dayes hauing gouerned the Order of Saint Iohn about tenne yeares 8 In his stead was elected Roger de Molins a man of high discretion and courage In his time happened a great dissention betwéene the Prince of Antioche and the Patriarch of the said place and this Roger was chosen to be mediator of peace and agréement betwéene them which followed in the yeare 1181. This Roger with Heraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem and Arnald de Trogo Master of the Knights Templers was sent by the King of Hierusalem in quality of an Ambassador into the West to require ayde of the Christian Princes These Ambassadours were kindly entertained by the Emperour King Phillip Augustus Gods gift sirnamed the Conquerour the Kings of Sicily England and Hungary they returned back againe into Syria all but the Maister of the Templers who dyed by the way In the yeare 1187. the Earle of Tripoli being leagued and confederated with Saladine graunted him passage and reléeued his Army with victuals And Saladine hauing besiedged the citty of Ptolomais the Knights of Saint Iohn and the Templers ioyning together disordered the whole Army and Roger the great Mayster fighting valiantlie there dyed with the fall of his Horse vpon him and smothered in his Armour as also being much troden on with the enemies Horses His body being afterward found among the dead was buried with great woe and sorrow And notwithstanding this losse of the great Maister yet the Knights of Saint Iohn and the Templers won the day of battaile against the Turkes and Sarrazins of whom died then in the field about fiftéen thousand the first day of May in the yeare 1187 After whom 9 F. Garnier of Naples in Syria which was the ancient cittie of Sichem in Canaan was elected great Maister In his time was a bloudy battaile fought betwéene the Christians and Infidels wherein the King of Hierusalem named Guy de Lusignan was taken Prisoner with the very chiefe Lordes of his Kingdome It is said also that the Christians had then the true Crosse in the battell but it was taken from them by the Infidels and almost all the Knightes of Hierusalem and the Templers were one part slaine in the battaile and the rest beheaded in cold bloud F. Garnier after he had fought verie manfully yet being mortally wounded in many places of his body by the goodnesse and swiftnes of his Horse escaped into the Citty of Ascalon where ten daies after hee departed into a better life the fouretéenth of Iuly hauing béene great Maister but two months and sixe daies 10 The twenty day of the saide moneth of Iuly 1187. the Knights
that were in Ierusalem chose F. Ermingard d'Aps to bee their Mayster The second day of October in the same yeare the Citty of Hierusalem was submitted to the power of Saladine 88. yeares two months and seauentéene daies after that it was deliuered by Godfrey of Bullen from the handes of the Infidels Frederick the first sirnamed Barbarossa then holding the Empire of the West and Isaac the Angell that of the East at Constantinople Vrbane the third beeing Pope of Rome and Phillip the second called Augustus Gods Gift and Conquerour raigning in Fraunce Then were expulsed out of Hierusalem the Knightes Hospitallers Templers and al the Latine Christians of which Christians the Hospitallers redéemed from captiuity of the barbarous to the number of two thousand with their Money All the Churches of the cittie were then polluted and prophaned except the Temple of the Resurrection which was bought with a great summe of Money by the Christians of the East After the losse of Hierusalem the Knights Hospitalers were continually in Armes faithfully assisting the Christian Princes that had put on Crosses for the recouery of the holy Land and did actions of high desert at the siedge of Ptolomais which after a long siedge of thrée yeares was regayned from the Infidels by the Christians the twelft day of Iuly 1191. And in that Citty the Knights of Saint Iohn kept then their ordinary aboad and residence And in the verie same yeare the Christians wonne a notable victorie against the Barbarians and Saladine theyr chiefe wherein they were worthily assisted by the knightes Hospitallers and Templers The yeare following beeing 1192. in Winter dyed Ermingard d'Aps the great maister in the cittie of Ptolomais and then was chosen in his place 11 Geoffrey de Duisson In his time there was truce taken for fiue yeares betwéene the Christians that were in the holy Land and Saladine by which meanes many Lords and Gentlemen of diuers Nations who had worne the Crosse and gotten great store of goodes and possessions returned home to their Countries and gaue their goods to the Brotherhood of saint Iohn which greatly did augment their renennewes And after the death of Henry Earle of Champaigne the Hospitallers and Templers remayned gouernours and administrators of the kingdome of Hierusalem howbeit that by the fewer number of Christians there abiding election was made of Amaury de Lusignan who had succéeded the king of Ierusalem in the kingdome of Cyprus with consent of the Patriarch the Prelats and Barons of the Realme in the yeare 1194. when soone after died Duisson the Great-Maister and then succéeded him by election 12 F. Alphonso of Portugall a knight of the Order of Saint Iohn and of the Royall house of Portugall though it dooth not appeare certainely to what king he was Sonne He made very worthy and commendable statutes whereof to this day there are some inuiolably kept But because he was of too stiffe nature ouer-rough surely and seuere hee encurred the hatred of the greater part of the Knights Hospitallers Which was the cause that hee renounced his Maistershippe and shipt himselfe for returne home to Portugall in the same yeare of his election But he dyed the first day of March in the yeare 1207. 13 The same yeare that Alphonso renounced the Great Maistershippe to wit in the yeare 1194. Geoffrey le Rat who was Graund-Pryour of Fraunce was chosen Mayster And Saladine then dying his Sonne Noradine Lord of Alepo succéeding him About this time Simon Earle of Montfort was sent by King Phillip Augustus with an Army into Syria where finding much disorder he tooke truce for tenne yeares with the Infidels in the yeare 1198. In the time of this tranquile estate there chanced a great difference betwéene the Knights Hospitallers and Templers grounded on this occasion The Hospitallers complayned that the Templers had enterprised too farre vppon their iurisdiction with much contempt and violation thereof Which quarrell after manie rough encounters and skirmishes was appeased accorded by the interposition of king Amaury the Patriarches of Antioch and Hierusalem and other Princes and Christian Prelats who comprimitted this difference in the name of Innocentius the third which fell out very successiuely For after that God the onely Staffe and stay of all affaires in the holy Land had permitted this friendly vnity betwéen these two millitary Orders of Knight-hood King Amaury of Lusignan so preuailed that the Great Mayster and Knights of Saint Iohn might liue with him in the Isle of Cyprus where hee graunted the gouernment of the Kingdome to them In the yeare 1205. King Amaury dyed so did Quéene Isabell who appointed her Daughter Mary which she had by Conrade of Monferrat to be her heire and he left her to be tutoured and guided by the Knightes Hospitallers and Templers In the yeare 1260. Geoffrey le Rat the Great Mayster dyed and then succéeded him 14 Guerin de Montagu of the language of Auuergne who with the Knights of his order ayded Lyuon King of Armenia against the Turkes and Barbarians that had intruded into his Kingdome In recompence whereof he gaue them the citty of Salef with the castles of Camard and new castle and their dependances Hee likewise recommended his heire and Kingdome to the Knightes of the Hospitall of Saint Iohn which guift was confirmed by the Pope the fift of August 1209. Then were Iohn de Brienna and Mary his Wife Heire to the Kingdome crowned King and Quéene of Hierusalem At length in the yeare 1230. Guerin the great Maister died in the citty of Ptolomais and during his tyme all the Christians affaires in the holy Land depended very much vppon the Knightes Hospitalers and Templers who albeit they had many contentions betwéen them yet did they still agrée together in all matters against the Infidels After him succeeded 15 One F. Gerin of whom no other name is found remembred Richard Duke of Cornewal and Brother to Henrie then King of England arryued soone after in Palestine with an Army of forty thousand men and did many worthy actions there The great Maister also and his knights with him bearing him company fought valiauntly against the Corasmine Infidelles There the saide Mayster was taken and sent as a Prisoner to the Soldane of Egypt where he died and in his place the Knights of S. Iohn elected in the citty of Ptolomais for their great Maister 19 Bertrand de Comps in the time of Pope Innocent the fourth and when the Generall Counsell was called at Lyons 1245. This great Maister was present in a furious battaile fought against the Turcomans that wasted all the country about Antioch in the month of August 1248 where hauing receiud sundry deadly wounds he ended his daies And in the Citty of Ptolomais on the 24. of Aug. was elected as Great maister 17. Peter de Villebride In his time Lewes K. of France called S. Lewes tooke on him the crosse against the Infidels with
many Princes Prelates of France who went and besieged Damieta where they were ayded by the knightes hospitallers Templers and the City was soon after surrendred to K. Lewes in the yeare 1250. Then did the Soldan of Egypt giue battel to the christians wherein King Lewes with his brethren Charles and Alphonsus the King of Cyprus as also the Great maister many knights of the hospitalers Templers were all taken prisoners Whych surprizall caused an attonement betwéene King Lewes and the Soldane the hospitall Knights lent mony to King Lewes to pay his ransom In the year 1251. Villebride the great maister dyed in the City of Ptolomais succéeded by election 18 Guillaum de Chasteau-neuf or de Castelno of the spéech of Auuergne He was a great obseruer of Iustice pope Alexander 4. gaue to the knights hospitallers the castle lands of Bethania in the yeare 1256. In his time the Christians lost their vtmost hope of any succour from the Princes of Europe and in the yeare 1280. the Great Maister of Castelno died when as the Hospitall Knights of S. Iohn elected in his sted 19 Hugues Reuelle or Reuel in the tyme of Pope Vrban the fourth who gaue to the knights of S. Iohn Mont-Tabor 1261. and in Anno 1262. they bought the Castle of Assur but in the following two yeares they tooke from the Sarazins a Castle named Lilion whereuppon the Soldan of Egypt concluded to worke the ruin of the Knights Hospitallers and as an instance he forcibly tooke from the saide Knights in the year 1265. the Castle of Assur at the surprizal wherof there were slaine to the number of 90. knights of S. Iohn which greatly abated their power and repute And in the yeare 1267. the Knights hospitallers and Temples were assailed and much confused in battaile by the Sarazins néere to the City of Ptolomais for they wasted and spoiled al the countrey thereabout In the yeare also 1270 the Knights of S. Iohn lost the Castle of Cracquo which was assaulted by the Soldane and all the knights within it were put to the sword It is likewise saide that this Great Master Reuel assisted King Lewes in the voyage to Tunis where the said King died of the plague and that in the ende about the yeare 1278. the Great Maister Reuel ended his daies hauing helde fiue Chapters or assemblies of the Brother-hoode of S. Iohn wherein manie notable Statutes were made for gouernement and reformation of the Order 20 After his decease Nicholas Lorgus was chosen Great Maister who not to swerue a iot from his predecessor wel knowing that nothing sooner procureth the ruine of Common-weales Comminalties then discord and dissention tooke such paines to reconcile the Knights hospitallers with the Templers that he drew them to accord and made them good friends In the yeare 1282 the Knights of S. Iohn woon a famous victorie against the Sarazins who proudely came to besiedge the Castle of Margate their very principal Fortresse which was very manfully defended by the Hospitallers and in the ende quitted at composition by the knights who returned with their Ensignes displayed to the Citty of Ptolomais And in the yeare 1288. Lorgus the Great Maister died with very griefe because hee saw the Christian affaires in the Holy land dailie to fall from il to worse without any means or hope of remedy 21 In the same yeare Iohn de Villiers a Frenchman borne was created Great Maister of the Order In his time the Citty of Tâ—ipoly was taken from the Christians by the Infidels as in like manner were the citties of Sidonia Baâ—uth in the yeare 1289. all which were ransacked ruined and burned and the citty of Tyre brought vnder the Soldanes subiection whereon the christians of Ptolomais were gladde to séeke their owne peace During which time the Great Maister went to Brundusium with the Great Maister of the Templers to sollicite the christian Princes of the Croisade and the Soldane came to assaile the citty of Ptolomais which was vertuously defended by the Knights of the Hospitall and Temple with many braue sallies forth vpon the besiedgers Especially the Great Maister Villiers who was sore wounded with long sustaining the whol charges of the Barbarian Infidels the Knights Barricadoing themselues in a quarter of the Citty which yet was afterward taken on Friday the 18. of May the same yeare 1292. With this great losse the Christians were driuen out of the holy land 191. years ten months thrée daies after it had bin Conquered by Godfrey of Bullen The Great M. with the rest of his Knightes fled for safety to the Isle of Cyprus where they were very kindly entertained by the K. of the Island who assigned to theÌ„ the Templers the Citty of Limosson which was a Port Towne or Hauen on the Sea There did they inhabite and there did the Great Maister assemble two generall Chapters one in December 129â— and the other in October 1293. making therein dyuers good Statutes for the Order and in the yeare 12â—â— he dyed at Limosson then succéeded him 22 F. Odo des Pins borne in Prouence in the time of Pope Boniface the eyght He incurred the hatred and disgrace of the knightes of his Order by reason of his negligence and couetousnesse And there was a purposed determination to depriue him of his Great maistershippe but it was impeached by the Pope to auoide scandall and at length he was cited to appeare at Rome in person to answere to the complaintes of the Hospitallers and thitherward he trauailed But before he could sée Italy he dyed by the way in the year 1296. hauing in the precedent yeares held two generall Chapters at Limosson Hee caried also along with him a manuscript Chronicle wherein hee had appealed certaine letters of the Popes containing excommunication whereby he pursued and reléeued his owne appeale 23 The Knights hearing the death of theyr Great Maisters des Pins elected at Limosson the twenty foure day of March 1296. F. Guillaume de Villaret to succéed him who was of the same Countrey of Prouence and Prior of S. Gilles where he was at the time of his election But hauing intelligence thereof he trauailed immediatly to the Kingdome of Cyprus and gouerned in his charge very prudently In his time Vsau Cassanus King of the Tartares became a Christian and recouered the Citty of Ierusalem where hee placed the Knightes Hospitallers and Templers in Garrison in the yeare 1300. Hée tooke the Citty of Damas likewise but it was quickly regained by the Infidels and the Hospitallers and Templers returned then to Cyprus againe where the Great Maister departed out of this life in the yeare 1308. hauing helde fiue generall Chapters at Limosson and séene the vtter ruine of the Knights Templers 24 The great Maister being dead Folquet de Villaret of the same Nation of Prouence was elected in his roome He was a man of liuely spirit and great courage and
séeing that he had attained to this Soueraigne dignity he resolued to put in execution a matter which in his predecessors daies had often béene intended but could not any way be effected viz. to depart from the Isle of Cyprus and to get a dwelling some where else which hee very happily performed For in Anne 1308. the very yeare of his election hée made a voyage to Constantinople and afterward into France where the Pope gaue him the Isle of Rhodes if he could get it which with his Knights he conquered in the yeare 1309. and seauen other Islands néere adioyning So that thither was the residence of saint Iohns knights transferred and then they were afterward called Knights of the Rhodes yet kéeping the Name of Saint Iohn of Hierusalem still Not long after Otthoman first Emperour of the Turkes came and besiedged Rhodes with a Potent Army but it was reléeued by Amadis the fourth Earle of Sauoy and Otthoman was compelled to raise his siedge After which time the Earles of Sauoy wore on their Armours a Crosse Argent in a fielde Gules in memory of the helpe they had giuen to the Knightes of the Rhodes The order of the Templers hauing béene vtterly suppressed in a generall Councell holden at Vienna in Dolphine the greater part of theyr goods was giuen to the Order of the Rhodes and confirmed by Pope Clement the fift 1312. In the yeare 1314. the Knightes of the Rhodes conquered the Isle of Lango with other Isles in the Archipelagus And in the yeare 1317. Folquet the Great Maister pleasing his owne humour ouer-much in his victories and conquestes beganne to grow haughty proud and insolent which brought him into contempt of his companions whereupon the Knights reuoulted from him and if he had not saued himselfe in a Castel they had seized his person But in regard they could not get him they deposed him from the dignity of Great Maister in his place elected 25 Maurice de Pagnac wherof Pope Iohn the twenty two beeing aduertised hee was greatly offended thereat and sent two Prelates to the Rhodes to informe themselues of the fact with commaund to cite the Great Maister de Villaret and de Pagnac to appear at Auignon in person Gerard des Pins beeing appointed Lieutenant Generall in the meane while At this instant time Orchanes Emperour of the Turkes came boldly and besiedged the Isle of Rhodes but the knights had an admirable victory against him for there were then tenne thousand Turkes hewen in péeces In this Interim Maurice de Pagnac died at Montpellier Anno. 1322. and Folquet de Villaret was re-established in the dignity of Great Maister But hee perceiuing that it was against the liking of his fellowe knights renounced his Great Maistership in the yeare 1323. and liued as a priuate Knight vntill the first day of September 1327. when he dyed and was buried at Montpellier 26 The same yeare that he gaue ouer his dignity the Knights of the Rhodes chose Elion de Villeneufue borne also in Prouence and Priour of Saint Gilles In the yeare 1343. a league was made betweene the Seigneury of Venice the K. of Cyprus and knights of the Rhodes And the Great Master hauing won the name of an happy gouernor died the 27. of May at Rhodes In his life time he had enclosed the great Maisters Pallace with wals towers and deuided the languages Bayliwicks and other dignities of the Order 27 After the decease of Villeneufue Deodon or Gods-gift a Natiue of Prouence was elected Great Maister About foure yeares before hée was promoted to this Dignity hee had fought with an horrible and monstrous Dragon that greatly afflicted the Isle of Rhodes And hauing kild the Monster he was therefore so highly honored and estéemed that his memory yet remaineth renowned to posterity In the yeare 1347. he ayded the King of Armenia against the Soldane of Egypt Pope Clement the sixt helde the Knights of Rhodes in such estéeme that almost all the Fortes in Italy belonging to the Sée were gouerned seuerally by one of them In the yeare 1351. Constance King of Armenia became a Brother Knight of Rhodes And in the yeare 1353. the Sonne to Iohn Canta-cuzen Emperour of Constantinople came and required ayde of the Great Maister of Rhodes who after he had gouerned this Order of Saint Iohn seauen yeares sixe months and ten daies dyed the seauenth of September in the saide yeare 1353. and was buried in the Church of S. Iohn of Rhodes Hee builded Milles in the Citty of Rhodes and engirt the Subburbs with walles making them very strong on the Sea side 28 Next succéeded him by election as Great Maister Peter de Cornilian Priour of S. Gilles borne also in Prouence Hee was Maister but one yeare eight months and seauentéene dayes for falling into a gréeuous sicknesse hee died in the Citty of Rhodes the 24. of August 1355. He was a man of very exemplarie life and so seuere that hee was sur-named the Corrector of Customes He held a generall Chapter at Rhodes 1354. wherin many good Statutes were made 29 After the great Maister was deceased according to acustomed form Roger des Pins born likewise in Prouence did next succéede him In his time the Pope perswaded the Knightes of Rhodes to buy the Principality of Achaia of Iacques de Sauoy Prince of Piedmont and the Knights of Rhodes made a generall assembly in the Citty of Auignon to effect the treaty of buying the sayd principality of Achaia and to reform some abuses crept into the Order For their statutes were now traduced into the Latine tongue and to all Princes were sent authenticall Copies or Volumes of them by appointment of the great Maister And in the yeare 1359. the great Commander the Marshall of the Order were sent into France in quality of Ambassadors to be visiters and reformers There was an assembly of the Knights called at the Cittye of Carpentras but it could not hold in regard of the great Maysters death who dyed the 28. of May 1365. and was much lamented but by the poore especially to whom hee was a great and charitable Almoner 30 Raymond Berengarius of Prouence also was next chosen great Maister who had bin before Commander of Castle Sarrazin In his time the King of Cyprus and the Knights of Rhodes made a league together and tooke perforce the Citty of Alexandria in Egypt which they ransackt spoyld and burnt The Armenians being expulsed by the Sarazins out of their dwellinges wer charitably entertained by S. Iohns knights in the Isle of Lango and at the same time the Citty of Tripoli in Syria was taken and sacked by the King of Cyprus and the Knightes of the Rhodes In the yeare 1371. the Great Master was by the Pope elected Nuntio from the Apostolique seat to appease the rumors and diuisions which were then in the Kingdome of Cyprus whether he went in person and both by his Authority and wisedome he soone seased
all the trobles and mollestations The Great Maister hauing gouerned his Order about eighteene yeares and an halfe departed this life in the yeare 1373 31 In the same yeare Robert de Iuliac or of Gulich great Priour of Fraunce was chosen Great-Maister who at the time of his election had the charge of his Priory but vnderstanding the newes he went forthwith to Auignon where he was receiued with great honor an assemblie general of this Knightly Order being then there held and the Great Maister had the gouernment of Smyrna imposed vpon him vnder paine of excommunication At his comming to Rhodes he qualified all the contentions which had hapned in the time of his absence At this time went the Pope to hold his seat at Rome againe which he and his predecessors had kept at Auignon for the space of seauenty one yeares 1376. In which yeare the 29. of Iune dyed the Great Maister and then 32 In his place came Iohn Fernandes d'Heredia a Natiue of Arragon in the Citty of Valentia who was Prior of Cathalognia and Castillian d'Emposta Twice he had bin marryed and chancing to be a Widdower he was made a Knight of Rhodes in the time of Villeneufue who was then Great Maister Being then but a simple Knight hee went to visite the holy Sepulchre and other memorable places in the holie Land He was also Ambassador from Pope Clement the sixt to the Kings Phillip 6. of France and Edward the third of England and did verie good seruice to King Phillip in the yeare 1346. For he being dismounted from his horse on a day of battaile against the English he gaue him his owne horse whereby the King escaped to a place of safety In like manner he fortified the Bastions and new wals of Auignon whereof hee was made Gouernor by the Pope Being great Maister hee tooke his way to Rhodes in the yeare 1377. and being required by the Generall of the Venetians Army to vnite their forces together they went to Morca in the yeare 1378. where they besiedged the Citty of Patras and tooke both it and the Castle The great Maister fighting man to man with the Gouernor of Patras slewe him manfully Afterwarde in an ambuscado of Turkes hee was taken prisoner by reason hee was too well knowne to them Whereuppon to worke his liberty Patras and other places which had bin won from them were re-deliuered to the Turkes And yet notwithstanding they would néeds carrie him with them into Albania where they kept him as a slaue thrée yeares In the year 1381. the great Maisters fréedome was bought with money and hee returning to Rhodes the Ambassadors of Smirna came to desire succour of him In the yeare 1391. Baiazeth Emperour of the Turkes made some preparation to besiege Rhodes whereupon Phillebert de Naillac Priour of Aquitaine was sent by his fellow knights to Auignon with Letters to the great Maister to require aide against Baiazeth Naillac returning to Rhodes in the yeare 1396. Heredia the great Maister died and was buried at Caspa 33 Newes beeing brought to Rhodes that Heredia the great Maister was dead Phillebert de Naillac grand Priour of Aquitaine borne in France succéeded in his roome At the Spring time he was inuited by Sigismond King of Hungaria to come and assist him with his Knights against Baiazeth which hee did in person in the yeare 1397. And then was a battaile fought at Nicopolis where Baiazeth had the victorie the K. of Hungary being glad to saue himselfe and with the Great Master retyred to Rhodes Thither also did the Emperor of Constantinople send all his precious Iewelles to be kept by the Great Maister fearing least Baiazeth shoulde surprize Constantinople But hee was disappointed by Tamberlain who ouercame Baiazeth and kepte him captiue in a Cage of yron so long as he liued and the siege of Constantinople being raised the great Master sent home again the Emperors Iewels After the foyle of Baiazeth the great Maister de Naillac sailed with an army into Caria there builded an inexpugnable fortresse which he named S. Peters Castle in the year 1399. vnder the raigne of Charles the sixt king of France In the yeare 1403. there happened wars betweene the k. of Cyprus and the Genewayes which was pacified and ordered by the wisedome and authority of the great Maister to whom the Soldan of Egypt sent an Ambassador for request of peace In the yeare 1409. the Great Maister gaue his personall assistance in the Counsell of Pisa assembled to quench the Schismes which were then crept into the Church and the guard of the Conclaue was committed to the great Maister when Alexander the fift was elected Pope The sayde Maister was likewise at the generall Counsell of Constance where thrée Popes were deposed and Martine 5. elected an 1414. the guard of the Conclaue being then againe giuen to the great Maister Trauelling into France he held a general assembly of his knights at Auignon afterward at Florence and last at Ancona whence returning to Rhodes an 1420. he held there a general chapter and in the beginning of Iune 1421. he dyed 34 And then in the deads place Anthony de Fluuiano or de Riuers reported to be a natiue of Arragon but more say of England was created Great Maister In his time began the generall Counsell of Basile 1430. And not long after the Soldan of Egypt puft vp with the victory which he wonne at Cyprus brake the Truce and prepared a great Armye with intent to besiedge Rhodes But when hee heard that the Great Maister was prouided of sufficient strength to withstand him he left off his determination and so the Order that way remained in quiet This Great Master founded and endowed a Chappel in the Citty of Rhodes which afterwarde hee made a Church for his Knights And the 29. of October hee died after hee had gouerned in his place with much wisedome 16. years an halfe 35 The sixt of Nouemb. in the same year 1437 Iohn de Lastic borne in Auuergne was elected Great Maister albeit he was absent at his election remained in Auuergne whereof he was prior Before he wold go to Rhodes he made a general assembly of his knightes at Valentia in the month of Decem. 1438. when he cam to Rhodes he began to build the new hospital for sick people which the precedent great M. by his wil had appointed to be done at his expences In his time Pope Eugenius 4. was deposed by the Counsell of Basile and Foelix the fift created in his place who was held at Rome to be an Antipope In the yeare 1440. the Soldane of Egypt beeing come néer to the port of the isle of Cast-Lerouge which appertained to the Knights and from thence turning towards Rhodes he was put to flight by an army of the Knights who had but eight Gallies and in the Soldanes army there were eightéene and there were slaine about seauen hundred Sarazins beside a
great number that were wounded This foile did so highly offend the Soldan that he leagued himselfe with Amurath Emperor of the Turkes with intention to make himselfe Maister of the Isle of Rhodes and to kill or expell thence that famous Order of Knight-hood Héereupon in the yeare 1444. he came and besiedged Rhodes which was vertuously defended by the Rhodian Knights and in the moneth of September the same yeare a generall assembly was held at Rhodes to helpe the ensuing necessities of the Order So the yeare following the Great Maister by aduise of the Pope and the King of Cyprus made peace with Amurath and helde a generall Chapter at Rhodes At whiche time the Duke of Cleues passed by Rhodes in his returne from Ierusalem where he had visited the holy places In the yeare 1451. a general assembly was made at Rhodes wherein the administration and gouernment of the Treasure and whole Fraternity was giuen to the Great Maister who in anno 1452. after the death of Amurath renewed the peace with Mahomet the second his sonne And yet the yeare following Mahomet became Maister of the Cittye of Constantinople the 29. of May when beeing not a little proude of this fortunate successe hee sent to the great Maister of Rhodes that he shold pay him yearly two thousand Ducats in name of tribute otherwise he purposed not to hold any longer the peace sworne betwéen them Wherevnto the great Maister made a couragious aunswere to wit That neither his Religion the Isle of Rhodes nor himselfe were subiectes to any but God and his Church and that he would neuer pay Turke any tribute being rather resolued to dye both he and all his Knights then to indure Christian liberty which euer had bin free to come now by his meanes into thraldome Whereupon he sent Ambassadors to the Pope and Christian Princes to entreat supplye from them against the periured Mahomet And in the yeare 1454. the 19. day of May he died hauing valiantly gouerned his Order sixtéene years sixe months and thirtéene daies 36 Iacques de Milly borne in Auuergne whereof he was Prior succéeded as Great Mayster the first day of Iune 1454. being in his Priory when he was elected his Nephew George de Boisrond brought him first tydings thereof Whereuppon hee immediatly went to Rhodes and helde a generall Chapter the same yeare in the month of Nouember In the yeare 1456. the Isle of Rhodes was greatly afflicted with Pestilence and Famine whereby it became halfe desert and to re-people it againe many generall citations were sent abroad to all the Knightes to méete there at a certaine time The yeare 1457. Mahomet besiedged the Isle of Lango and the Castle of the Isle des Singes but he was couragiously repulsed the Knights hauing a very happy and signat victory against him which caused Charles the seauenth King of France to send the Knights as a gift sixtéene thousand Crownes The Bailiffes Commaunders and other Officers of the Order being then enioyned by a generall Chapter to come to Rhodes for more secure and strong defence thereof The seuentéenth of August 1461. the Great Maister dyed hauing with much prouidence gouerned his charge in hard and troublesome times seauen yeares two months and sixteene daies He was greatly lamented because he was very benigne affable and humaine desirous to preserue peace and vnity among his worthy Bretheren 37 Peter Raymond Zacosta born in Arragon and Castileon d'Emposta was created Great M. next he being then absent in Spaine but at his comming to Rhodes by a generall Chapter there holden the eight language of Castile and Portugall was then admitted into the Order For till that instant there were but seauen languages there before to wit three of Fraunce Auuergne and Prouence one of Italy one of Arragon one of England and one of Allemaigne or Germany The yeare 1464. the Venetians Army besiedged the Citty of Rhodes but the siedge was soone raised and the Venetians returned home to their Countrey the warre beeing appeased by the wisedome of the Great-Maister who caused the Tower of Saint Nicholas to be built at the mouth of Rhodes Port in the very same place where in elder times the great Colossus of the Sunne numbred among the seauen wonders of the world had stood As a helpe to this building Phillip Duke of Burgundy gaue tenne thousand Crownes of Gold The yeare 1465. the great Turke sent Ambassadours to Rhodes to mediate a peace betwéen him and the Knights Hospitallers but they worthily refused it and in presence of the Ambassadours denounced Warre against the Turke The generall Chapter beeing then transferred from Rhodes to Rome and the Great Maister béeing present in person thereat he died there the twenty one of February 1467. and was buried in the Church of Saint Peter 38 Baptista Orsino Prior of Rome an Italian by Nation and tongue succéeded the Great-Maister Zacosta No sooner was hee come to Rhodes but hee receiued intelligence that the great Turke prepared a puissant Army purposing to besiedge either Rhodes or Negropont Wherfore he sent for a great number of the Knightes that were then absent to come forth-with for defence of the Island Moreouer hee leagued himselfe with the Seigneury of Venice against the Turke Neuerthelesse in the yeare 1470. Mahomet forcibly tooke the Citty of Negropont the last day of Iuly committing very great and horrible cruelties killing in cold blood all the Latines there to be found and by sound of Trumpet he proclaimed open war against the knights of Rhodes which enforced them to séeke all meanes for their best defence prouiding euerie way to withstand the Turkish Army But in this time of preparation the eight day of Iune the Great Maister died of a long lingering disease which had afflicted him a whole yeare together and after him succéeded 39 Peter d'Aubusson borne in Auuergne Prior there Captaine of the Citty of Rhodes He being chosen Great Maister solemnely took his oath according to custom to kéep the statutes of the Order He visited the whole Isle of Rhodes and made very great prouision to defend it against the Turkes Army sending for all knights and Commaunders appertaining to the Order to repaire thither for defence of the Isle and renewing peace with the Soldane of Egypt The same yeare King Lewes preuailed to haue a Iubilie in Fraunce in fauour of the Knightes of Rhodes taking order that the Monies thereby arising should soly be imployed for their defence And by this Iubily came great store of Money wherewith Castles and fortifications were builded in the Isle Truce also was taken betwéene the Knightes and the King of Tunis for thirtie yeares and the Knights of the Sepulcher at Ierusalem were ioyned with the Rhodians of S. Iohn In the yeare 1479. Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turkes held a solemne Councell that Rhodes should bée besiedged with a powerfull Army as indéede soone after it was in which siedge many sallies forth were made
and the Turkes daily repulsed and chased albeit they were an hundred thousand fighting men and the Army consisted of 160. Saile The Great maister was much succoured by Messire Antoine d'Aubusson his Brother Vicount of Montelis who was a great Warriour and a most skilfull Captaine he was elected Captaine Generall for the besiedged In fewe daies the Turkes gaue thrée thousand and seauen hundred shot with the Cannon against the Citty Wals and a maruailous assault was made of forty thousand Turks who neuerthelesse were valiantly resisted albeit the Great Maister receiued in this fight fiue great woundes one whereof was thought to bée deadly In the end so worthily were the assaylants withstood that they were enforced to raise their siedge hauing lost a great number of theyr Souldiers and the Army of Turkes returned with mighty shame and disgrace to Constantinople after they had besiedged the Citty for the space of 89. dayes After this siedge Mahomet the second concluded to com in person to Rhodes whereupon a generall assembly of the Knightes was made But the death of Mahomet hindered this designe and his Sonnes Baiazeth and Zizime performed the Warre after the decease of their Father which gaue some breathing time of rest to the Knights of Rhodes And yet Zizime in person came to assist the Great Mayster with-drawing himselfe to Rhodes in the yeare 1482. where he was receiued with great honour and from thence conducted into France In the time of this Great Maister d'Aubusson the statutes of the Order were reformed and brought into one volume peace being concluded betwéen the Knights and the Great Turk Baiazeth The Great Maister was made a Cardinall by Pope Innocent the eight and Legate also into Asia with honour of Legate and Generall of the leagued Army against the Turke Finally he dyed at Rhodes An. 1503. the third day of Iuly full of honour and reputation and was interred with great Funerall pompe He had liued 80. yeares thrée moneths and foure daies and gouerned the Order twenty seauen yeares and sixtéene daies 40 There were 387. Knightes assembled at Rhodes when the Great Maister d'Aubusson dyed who elected for his successor Emery d'Amboise Brother to George d' Amboise Cardinall and Legate in France Arch-Bishop of Rouen He was a French-man by birth and great Priour of France at the time of his election Guy de Blanchefort comming into France to accompany him in his voyage to Rhodes where hée was receiued with much applause and reioycing because the Kinges of France and Spaine hadde written very fauourable Letters on his behalfe to the Knights of the order Hee was no sooner there arriued but hee helde a generall Chapter wherein was concluded that a sumptuous tomb of Brasse should be made for the deceased Cardinall Great Maister In the yeare following they obtained a very famous and nauall victory against the Soldane of Egypt vnder the conduct of Phillip de Villiers of the Isle Adam a French Knight of the order and afterward he was great Maister But this Maister Emerie d'Amboise dyed at Rhodes An. 1512. 41 And the same yeare 410. of the knights were assembled at Rhodes where they chose Guy de Blanchefort borne in Auuergne and Nephew to the deceased Maister d'Aubusson to be Great Maister In his time the generall Laterane Councel was holden at Rome where Fabritio Carretto Admiral and Procurator for the Order of Rhodes was Captaine of the Guard to the saide Councell This great Maister de Blanchefort embarking himselfe at Nicea in Prouence to make for Rhodes was surprized by the way with a dangerous sicknesse wherof hee dyed the 24. of Nouember a yeare and two daies after his election 42 In his stead Fabritio de Carretto borne in Geneway and an Italian by language was treated Great Maister in an assembly helde at Rhodes the fifteenth of December 1513. where were then present 550. Knightes of the Order the said Carretto hauing formerly béen Admiral of Rhodes In the yeare 1516. peace was made betwéene the Knights of Sain◠Iohn and Tomombeus Soldane of Egypt successor to Campson Gaury who but a short while before was slaine in a battaile wherein Selim Emperour of the Turkes had the victory against him And Tomombeus was as vnfortunate for in the yeare 1517. he was taken and strangled at one of the Portes of the great Cayre by the appointment of Selim. And this was the cause that the great Maister fortifyed the Isle of Rhodes to his vttermost power sending Ambassadours to the Christian Princes to let them vnderstand the great victoryes of Selim the sooner to take order for sending succour But Selim dying his son Sultan Soliman succéeded him and in Ianuary 1521. the Great Mayster Carretto finished his daies at Rhodes leauing great prouision and Munition for warre which soone after did seruice to his successor 43 Phillip de Villiers of the Isle Adam great Priour of France and there borne where because hee also was at the time of his election Gabriell de Pomereux great Commander was chosen Lieutenant to the great Maister till hée came The very same yeare of his election the twenty two day of Ianuary 1521. Sultan Soliman resolued to besiedge the Isle of Rhodes executing the last will of his Father Selim whereof the Great Maister being aduertised hee made his preparation by all possible meanes to withstand the Turkes enterprise Diligently did hee strengthen the Citty of Rhodes sending for supply into Christendome which as then hée could not haue by reason of the warre happening betwéene Frances the first King of France and the Emperor Charles the fift In the month of Iune 1522. began the memorable siedge of the Cittie of Rhodes which was besiedged with an Army of two hundred thousand Turkes and afterward the army encreased to thrée hundred thousand men The besiedged defended themselues most couragiously and very worthy exploits of warre were there performed especially by the Great Maister who during the siedge did neuer put off his Armour The assaylants were in many attemptes repulsed and in one of them twentie thousand Turks remained dead in the place Soliman hauing then a purpose to raise his siedge but that there were some close Traytours who hindered him from so dooing and yet they did not escape vnpunished At length the Great Mayster receiuing no succour was enforced to surrender the Cittie vppon composition the twenty foure day of December 1522. the Turkes hauing lost more then an hundered thousand men Soliman would néedes sée the Great Maister and when he beheld him tears issued from his eyes in méere compassion of him So the first day of Ianuary 1523. the Great Maister with 50. sayle departed from Rhodes and tooke his way towards Candie after that the Isle of Rhodes had beene in the power of the Knights Hospitallers for the space of 213. years to wit from the yeare 1309. to the ende of the yeare 1522. After this losse of Rhodes the great Maister and his valiant Religious
Knights had not any assured place of abyding vntill the Isle of Malta was giuen theÌ„ by the Emperor Charles the fift For they departed first into Candie from thence they went into Sicilie and Italy where the Pope sent them the City of Vitterbo and where they held a generall Chapter Afterward they soiourned for some small time at Cornetto then at Villefranche and at Nicea While they remained at Nicea the great Maister made a voyage into England and from thence to France where being at Lyons a great sicknesse tooke him but after his recouery he went to Cambraye to hold the Baptisme Font for Phillebert Emmanuell sonne to Charles Duke of Sauoy Afterwarde comming with his Brethren-Knights to Malta on Wednesday morning the sixt of Octob 1530. he caused a Pallace to be there erected for the abiding of him and his successors calling it Castell Angelo building another pallace also in the old Citty of Malta When he had gouerned his Order thirtéene yeares and seauen months being aged seauenty yeares the 21. of Aug. 1534. he died at Malta and was buried in a Chappell which he had builded néere to Castel Angelo and then succéeded him by election 44 Pierrin du Pont a Natiue of Ast and an Italian by language Before the taking of Rhodes he was Gouernor of the Isle of Lango and after the â—osse thereof he departed with al the knights vnder his gouernment and ioyned his power in Candie with the armye of the Order In his time Charles the fift Emperor attempted to go in person to the kingdome of Tunis in Affrica where he was assisted by the Gallies belonging to the Order and the Knights also who performed there great exploits of Armes especially in the surprizing of Goletta which was helde to be a Fort vnconquerable This war being ended the great Maister aged seuenty and thrée years dyed hauing gouerned onely fourtéene months and 22. daies and was buried by his predecessor Villiers 45 Desirê or Didier de S. Iaille de Tolon borne in Prouence and Priour of Tholossa was next made great Maister when lifting vppe his eies to heauen he vsed these words O my God if thou thinkest me fit for this great charge I wil not refuse the paine and labour In his trauayling towards Malta being very aged so soone as he arriued at Mont-pellier he fel into an extream sicknesse whereof he died the 26. of September 1536. and was buried with much solemnitie in the church of the Commandery of S. Gilles without the gates of Mont-pellier when the knights were aduertised of his decease the eightéenth of October in the same yeare they procéeded to the election of 46 Iohn d'Homedes a natiue of Arragon who being then in Spaine made hast to Malta where he was ioyfully receiued Albeit he was discontented that they had not sent some of the gallies nor the great Carrack of the Order for his conduct thither wherefore he disarmed and destroied the great Carrack which caused manie complaints against him Very often would hee discourse of the siedge at Rhodes because hee gaue generall notice thereby that there he had lost one of his eies He made a goodly Parke of Dear and a very beautiful Garden in the Isle of S. Michael there would he spend the greater part of the day which raised occasion of murmuring against him that he was slacke in his publicke gouernement and no way carefull to prouide the Isle of Malta of needfull supplies against the Turks forces for he trusted too much in the strength of Castell Angello In his time the Citty of Tripoli in Barbary was lost by the Knights of the Order taken by the Turkes which droue him to no little feare and amazement In the year 1552. Leo Strozzi an especiall Commander of the Order made an attempt vpon the Isle of Zoara which had very hard successe because many Knightes were then slaine there of all Nations especiallye many French Auuergnacs and Prouenceals It being declared to the Great Mayster he grieued extraordinarily thereat and sayde That a greater losse had not happened to the Order since the surprizall of Rhodes Hee builded the Castles of Saint Elme and Saint Michaell and being eighty yeares old died the sixt of September 1558. hauing gouerned sixtéene yeares ten months and xv daies and was buried in the Great Maisters Chappell 46 Claudius de la Single borne in Fraunce was next created Great Maister and at his election there were then present at Malta aboue 400 Knights of the Order Hee gouerned verie discréetly by Counsell of fiue woorthie Knights his Officers and attendaunts to witte by his Steward Mayster of the Houshold Maister of the Horsse the Treasurer and Secretary So that the Order was in great happynesse during the time of his Maister-ship hauing obtayned the priuiledge of Neutralitie of King Henry the second and Charles the fifte Emperor who made Warre against him Hee was verye valiant Religious and a most profitable Administrator of the Orders reuennewes in whose Treasurie he left abundant store dying of a Catarrhe which had much suffocated him after he had attained to the Climacteriall yeare 63. of his age 47 F. Iohn de Valette borne in Prouence succéeded next as great Maister and his election was very pleasing to all the Order of S. Iohn because he was generally beloued of all the Nations and vniuersally desired as most woorthie of that charge and dignity In lesse space then two yeares hee was Generall of the Gallyes Bayliffe of Lango Great Commander Priour of S. Gilles and Lieutenant to the great Master and now at length great Maister also He did so affect his Knights Order that after the day he first entred in it he wold neuer more return into his country So that by making continuall residence therwith them he passed thorow al the degrées offices of honor in the profession apearing still in all his actions to bee of rare iudgement perfect integrity and incomparable valour So soone as he was aduanced to this soueraigne dignity he resolued to builde a new Citty at Malta vpon the Mountaine of S. Elme knowing that al the other Forts were not sufficiently mumted to endure the battery of a potent enemy yet this desseigne was deferred till a further time Hee fortified the Castle of the Isle of Goza and forsaking his abiding at the Castle of S. Angello came and dwelt within the Towne of Malta which he defended most valiauntly agaynst the siedge of the Emperor Sultan Soliman when he was gréeuously wounded in his leg in the yeare 1565. But the siedge being raised to the shame and confusion of the Turkes hee greatly strengthened the Isle of Malta and began to builde the new Citty which was called Valette according to his sur-name and whereof himselfe solemnely laide the first stone on Monday the eight and twenty of March 1566. And by the sollicitude of the Great-Maister the building thereof continued on still eight thousand persons being
daylye imployed therein and fiue hundred thousande Crownes monthly paid to the worke-men At length the one and twenty of August 1568. the Great Maister died on the like day as hee was promoted to his place hauing gouerned eleauen yeares fully compleat 48 After the obsequies of Valette the Great Maister they procéeded to elect a new successor which was Pedro de Mente an Italian borne Priour of Capua Immediately after his promotion to the Maister-ship hee caused his predecessors body to be carried into the new Citty and to be honorably buried in the Chappell of our Ladie of Victory for he worthily deserued to be surnamed the Father of Souldiours the Shielde and defender of the Catholicke faith and the great persecutor or queller of proude Infidelles This newe Great Maister before hee attained to so high degrée had made good proofe of his Wisedome and valour in sundry other honorable and worthy offices For he was first Patron of the Gally which was Captaine or Commaunder of the band Next Lieutenant General of the gallies Castillion or gouernor of the Castell S. Angello at Rome he was then Admiral next Generall of the whole Fleet and Ambassador for the Order to the Popes Pius the fourth and Pius the fift Hee came from Rome to Malta when he was chosen great Maister and followed hys charge so effectually that the new Citty was finished and thither he purposed to transâ—ferre the dwelling of the Order For the good Olde-man thought it as great honour to dwell in the newe Cittie and make it habitable as it was for his predecessour Valette to builde it In his time the memorable Nauall battaile of Lepanto was sought and victorie obtained against the Turks wherin the Knights of the Order did many worthy actions of armes The great Maister deceasing at Malta 49 Iohn Bishop of Cassiera borne in Auuergn did next succéed him in the yeare 1572. Before his election to this office his vertue had appeared in diuers waighty charges For at the enterprize of Zoara he was Ensigne-bearer to the Order defended the Standard very woorthily bringing it backe with him to Malta when both it himselfe were smitten into the sea yet both of them saued by a Gally belonging to the order after he had a long time fought vndauntedly against the Infidels Soone after hee was chosen Captaine general of the horsemen Commissary of the fortifications then Marshall of the Order and now last great Maister wherein he liued very vertuously not letting any day passe him without som especial péece of seruice and féeding with his own hands thirtéene poore men With his owne mony he builded the great Church dedicated to S. Iohn Baptist in the new City of Valette endowing it with a thousand Crownes of annuall Reuennues erecting also a goodly Sepulchre for interring therein the bodies of the great Maisters his predecessors There happened some discontentment betwéene the Knights and him which shortning his daies he died 50 And the twelfth of Ianuary 1582. Hugues de Loubenx Verdale borne in Prouence was elected great Maister He was but a yong knight yet both learning and military knowledge shined clearly in him For he was in the attempt at Zoara where he declared himselfe to be truely valiant and had many honorable Offices imposed vpon him He dying 51 Martin Garzes a natiue of Arragon succéeded him next as great Maister Hee qualified the discontentmentes amongst his Brethren-Knights and tooke away those Taxes which had bin imposed and interdicted for a time the officers of the order to giue a new forme to his owne gouernement and to the good liking of all the the Knights He did expressely prohibit that not any Knight nor the Great Maister himselfe might particularly haue any shippe on the Sea to vse any Pyracies for his owne profit He died also at Malta and lieth buried in the Sepulchre of the great Maisters 52 The Knights assembling for a new election the tenth of February 1601. Aloph de Vignacourt born in France was created great maister In the yeare 1566. hee comming to Malta with great store of other French Gentlemen vpon a flying rumor that the Isle was likely to bee besiedged againe by the Turkes Armie entered into the order vnder the Great Maister Valette receiuing afterwarde sundrie great charges wherein his wisedome and man-hoode was euidently discerned hauing bin Captain of the citty of Valette and not long after great hospitaller of the Order He yet continueth in the office of great Maister a great comfort wee hope to Christendom a terror to the Othomans Empire whensoeuer they shall attempt the hurte of the Isle of Malta where the famous memorie of that ancient Order of Knight-hood of S. Iohn of Ierusalem is still kept and maintained ¶ The seuerall Orders of Knight-hood both Ecclesiasticke and Secular as they haue beene and are yet honoured in this Christian World Knights of Saint Iames of Compostella IN the yeare 1070. this Order of Knight-hood began in Spaine after that Ramirus had won the most famous victory in the Prouince of Compostella against the Moores At first their number consisted but of thirtéen and it was lawfull for them to take Wiues There was a chéefe man chosen of this Order by the Name of Great Maister who together with the other thirtéene had power to elect other Knights The badge or note of honor of this knight-hood was a red Crosse carrying the forme of a downe pointed Sword At the Feast of All-Saints was their méeting appointed that they might conferre about their affaires Many yeares haue they continued with many priuiledges and scarcely any but they called Augustines holde any such lawes ¶ Knightes of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem who were afterward Knights of the Rhodes and at this day are called Knights of Malta IN the yeare 1099. the Citty of Hierusalem being recouered against the impulsions of the Infidels by Godfrey of Bullen Duke of Lorraine About that very time a certaine Hospital was erected by the Christians in Hierusalem consecrated by the name of Saint Iohn Baptist for the entertainement of Pilgrims Soone after was this Order of Knight-hood instituted and the first Rector or Ruler was called Gerard and the next after him Raimond These knights wore a blacke Garment with a Crosse Argent in a field Gules vpon their breasts In the yeare 1308. being enforced from their former abyding by the Turks the Isle Rhodes graunted them by Pope Clement the fift they were in that regard called Knights of Rhodes In the yeare 1523. Rhodes béeing wonne from them Malta was affoorded them whereon to this day they are called Knights of Malta The duty of this Knight-hoods-order was to fight for the Christian Faith to reléeue the oppressed to defend Widdowes and Orphanes c. Nor was any one to bee admitted into this Order that was descended of a Moore lew Mahumetist or any such ignoble race ¶ Knights Templers or Knights of the
to our Sauiour descended and he himselfe according to the flesh Of whom they kéepe a very solemne memory and aboue any other of the Apostles thinke reuerently of S. Thomas the Apostle Of the Kingdome of Persia PErsia hath carried the same name from the beginning to this day containing in it these Regions Lar and Requelmall The principall Citty thereof is called Siras in elder times tearmed Persipolis which is gouerned by the Sophy Great Lord of all Persia and Azimia called by our elders Assiria and the Kingdom of Dearbech sometime named Mesopotamia And Seroan that was Media and Parthia now called Iex with Hirca nowe tearmed Coraxan Sarmania nowe Dulcendano and Asia nowe at this instant called Hetti All these seuerall Regions with the greater Armenia which is a part also of them are gouerned by the great Sophy and their greatest or chiefest Cittie is named Tauris being built in the midst of the Mountain Taurus foure daies iourney off from the Caspian Sea Next vnto Tauris there are other Cittyes as of Soltauia Concassan Spahan Corazan Lera Mora Sarmachand Gesti Far Siras and Ormuz a Citty in the Persick Sea which at this day is called Mare Misindia In this Citty is great commerce of Merchandize made with the Portugales and there they fish for great aboundance of Pearles There are other Citties also Cureh Iex Casmine Coy with infinite Castles On the West side of Tauris are the Caspian Mountaines which are nowe called the Mountains of Arath And on the Bacchan Sea aunciently named the Caspian Sea are these Citties Sumacchia Derbent Bacchan and Mamutaga All these Prouinces and their Regions are very barren because they haue small store of Riuers the greatest whereof is called Bindarin but in former times they entitled it Bragada Concerning the gouernment obserued among the Persians it differs farre from all the other Mahumetists because they hate Nobility and relying on the seruile fidelity of slaues eyther murther their Friendes and Kindred or put out their eyes But among the Persians the Sophy is highly respected Nobility had in Honour and many wealthy Lordes are liuing amongst them whereof not one is to bee found in the Turkish Dominions The people also are the very ciuillest in all Asia men of vndaunted courage and speciall good Warriours both on Horse-backe and foote affecting Musique Learning and Poesie wherein some attaine to no meane excellency and they are much addicted to the study of Astrology So much in bréefe concerning the Persians the rest remaineth to our Generall History of the World ¶ Of the Kingdome of Thunis THE Citty of Thunis or Tunis being very great was by the Latines called Tunetum and of the Arabians Tunus but they holde that name to be a very corrupt vocable because in their Language Tunus dooth not signifie any thing This Cittie was anciently called Tharsus as that other in Asia and was at first but a very little Cittie builded by the Affricanes vpon the Lake which was formed from the Goletta distant from the Mediterranian Sea about twelue miles But after that Carthage was destroyed then did those Citties beginne to encrease both in number of habitations and dwellers in regard that the Armies which surprized Carthage béeing vnwilling to tarry there for feare of fresh supplyes from Europe came to abide at Tunis and there they builded many Houses Not long after there came thither a Captaine named Hucha di Vtmen who gaue them to vnderstand that an Army ought not to shut vppe it selfe in any Citty that shoulde touch or bee néere vnto the Sea And therefore they made a Citty which they named Cairoan about the distaunce of thirty sixe miles from the Sea and accounted to be an hundred miles from Tunis Then did the Armies forsake Tunis and inhabited this newe Citty other people gouerning those houses in Tunis that had bin abandoned by the Armirs After this about thrée hundered and fiftie yeares the Citty of Cairoan was destroyed by the Arabians so that the Rector or Ruler thereof fled thence into the West and raigned in Buggia as also ouer all the neighbouring partes but there remained still in Tunis a Family or kindred of the said Rector or Gouernour fledde from Cairoan who still possessed the same as Soueraigne Lordes thereof About ten yeares after they of Buggia were expulsed by Ioseph the son of Tessino but beholding the humility and kindnesse of the saide Lord they left the State vnto him which continued in tranquility so long as the Family of Ioseph raigned But Abdull Mumen King of Marocco hauing regained Mabdia which had béene taken by the Christians passed homeward in his returne by Tunis where hée tooke the gouernment vpon him And all the time that Abdull Mumen liued and Ioseph his Sonne with their Successours Iacob Mansor Tunis continued in peace vnder the rule of the Kinges of Marocco After the death of Mansor his Sonne Muhamet Ennasir mooued Warre against the King of Spaine but was ouercome and forced to flight escaping backe to Marrocco where after this foile hee liued but few yeares Then was his Brother Ioseph elected King who was slaine by certaine Souldiers to the King of Tebesm Now in the Interim betwéene the ouerthrow of Muhament his death as also the murthering of his Brother Ioseph the Arabians returned backe on Tunis and besiedged it But the Gouernour of Tunis gaue notice thereof to the King of Marocco that if he sent him not some immediate succour he should be constrayned to deliuer the Cittie to the Arabes The King well considering on a case of such importance did as became a man of his high spirit and experience electing aboue all other in his Court one borne in Ciuill a Citty of Granado named Habdulnaihidi whom hee foorth-with sent thyther with the same authority as if he had gone himselfe in person Béeing accompanyed with twenty goodly great Sippes he arriued at Tunis which was then euen halfe vanquished by the Arabes But by his wisedome prouidence and flowing eloquence hee foyled the Enemy pacified the State set all thinges in good order and made the Countries entrance sure against all Intruders After him his Sonne succeeded named Abu Zaccheria who in learning and wisedome excelled his Father Hée caused to bée builded in Tunis on the West side of the Cittyes very highest part a mightie great Rocke and many goodly Pallaces in the Cittie with a beautifull Temple that had an high Tower on the top thereof round engirt with strong wals This Abu Zaccheria went likewise to Tripoli where his valour won him such renowne and his wisedome made so good benefite of the Countrey that at his death hée left an infinite Masse of Treasure behinde him Hée being dead his Sonne succéeded him who was an ambitious proude young man and would no longer suffer himselfe vnder command of Marocco because he perceiued the declining and downfall of those Lords and that the family of Marino began to
get fooling raigning ouer the Regions of Fez as Beni Zeiren did in Telensm and in Granado These two great Potentates beganne to warre vppon each other and to contend for priority of State But by this their discord the power of the Lordes of Tunis encreased so that they went with an Army against Telensi and compelled them to pay them tribute Whereupon the King that new arose from the House of Marino and had béene at surprizall of Marocco sent many rich presents to the Gouernour of Tunis recommending both himselfe and his whole State vnto his fauour The Gouernour accepted him as a Friende alwaies prouided that hee should be inferiour to him And so he returned in tryumph to Tunis causing himselfe to bée called King of Affrica which Tytle was thought very desertfull for him because as then there was not a more powerfull Prince in all Affrica then hée He began then to ordaine his Court Royall with Secretarie Councellers and a Captaine Generall vsing all those Ceremonies that the Kinges of Marocco formerly had done And from the time of this Prince euen to our dayes Tunis held on the same encreasing Dignity as well in habitations as ciuility so that it became the onely and singular Cittie of Affrica Where now wee leaue her to our larger History as also the Kingdome of Fez because the Originall of the one came from the other and therefore they are the more capable of an intire discourse which aryseth to a very spacious and large quantitie There also will we relate the condition and originall of sundry other remote Kingdomes which for the reason before alleadged are in this briefe Chronicle purposely omitted ¶ Of the great Prouince of Moscouia As also the Manners Religion and power of the Prince their ruling MOscouia is a very great Northerly Region containing more then fiue hundered leagues in length The principall Citty thereof beeing called Mosca or Moscuua greater then the Citty Paris in Fraunce and seated on the Riuer Mosqua There is a large Stone squared in the middest of the Cittie whereon whosoeuer can mount himselfe without beating down in the vacancy of the Crowne he is held as Prince of the Countrey and obtayneth the principality For very great fightes and combates the Inhabitants haue had one against another about the mounting on that stone Hée that comes to be Prince of the Countrey dooth not call himselfe King but Duke being contented with that popular name and differeth not in Garments from the other Noble-men of the land saue only that he weareth a higher bonnet It is a Countrey rich in Siluer and so stronglie guarded thorow out that not onely straungers but their owne natiue people likewise can passe no way without the Princes Letters The countrey is flat and plaine without any Mountains therefore that which is saide of the Ryphean Mountaines and that they are in this Countrey is méerely fabulous for there is not any such hill at all There are great store of Forrests abounding with wilde Beasts which are daily chased and great profite is made by Trafficke for the skinnes of those Beasts as of Harts Wolues Ermines Martines Zubelines Fouoynes and diuers others This Prouince confineth Liuonia on the one side Tartaria on the other on the third quarter it hath the Euxine Sea containing many other Prouinces to it so that the Prince can in very few daies leuie foure hundered thousand men on foote to begin warre withall They drinke nothing but a kinde of Béere and yet none but the rich may drinke thereof for they haue no Wine but what is broughte from other countries They be subiect to drunkennes as all other Northerly people are and Winter is there so sharpe long and extreame that if any Water be hurled vp into the Ayre it fréezeth before it can fall to the earth Their Corne â—â—uer perfectly ripens but when they haue reaped it they dry it in their stoues or hot-houses and then grinde it The Spring time is very colde with them and their Summer which lasteth but two months onely is extreamly hot They haue not any vse of money but instead thereof they haue Plates of Gold or siluer squared without anie marke or stampe thereon which is taken for as much as it weigheth in merchandize As for their Garments they go cloathed like Turks in long Gownes or Robes hauing narrow sléeues and girded about their middle Their buildings and manner of life differeth very little from them of Poland and Bohemia They are Christians like vnto the Greekes receiuing order of Priest-hood from the Patriarche of Constantinople saying Seruice in their Temples in their vulgar toong which is the Sclauonian Language and theyr Carracters are Greeke The abiding of the Prince is in a goodly great Pallace in the Citty of Moscuna built after the Italian manner being so strong and spacious as in our times the like is not to be found There are in the fore-named Citty as also in diuers other places men very learned and wise that did make their aboad whereas the Schooles be The Muscouite is Tributary to the King of Tartaria who ouercame them in the yeare of the Worlde 6745. according as their Annales doo deliuer their Chronologies are not according to our Obseruation in accounting after the yeares of Iesus Christ When the Tartarian Ambassadors doo come before the Moscouite Prince hee standeth bare headed before them and they sit couered He hath wel-néere daily Warres against the Polonois and Scythian who albeit they are subiects to other Kings yet doth he much enlarge his dominions ouer them Now although as we said at the first these Princes contented them-selues with the name of Duke vntill the time of hys Father now raigning yet would he néeds vsurp the name of King giuing himselfe these ensuing Titles as his Son also doth the same The great Lord Basilius by the grace of God king Prince of Russia Great Duke of Volodimeria Moscouia Nouogardia Plescouia Sureluchia Tuueria Iugaria Permia Vraquia Bulgaria Great Lord and Duke of the Lands in Nouagadia the lower of Cyeruigouia Rezauia Riscouia Belloya Iaroslauia Bierosolia Vdoria Obdoria Condidia c. By which large plurality of Titles it appeareth that he is farre more potent then some haue immagined him to be But concerning his vassailage to the King of Tartars he holdes it no dishonor to him for he doth it to this end That while hee kéepeth peace with him hee bringeth much more easily vnder his obedience all the néere neighboring people and with the power of the great Tartare he is ten times stronger then of himselfe For the saide Tartare bringes ordinarily a Million of men with him to the field al well appointed for warre with two or thrée hundered péeces of Cannon and thrée hundred thousand horsse c. Of the Kingdome of Poland POlonia in elder times called Sarmatia is said to receiue that name of the worde Pole which in that
Language is as much to say as plaine smooth or éeuen and so much the rather is it to bee credited because all the Countrey is plaine spacious full of thicke woodes and verie few hilles or mountaines in it The Earth is colde and fréezing whereby it produceth little store of Wine or Oyle but contrarywise it yéeldeth much Graine and diuers other kindes of Pulse c. Zechus and Lechus or Leschus were the first that euer gouerned in Polonia or there builded any Citty Castle They both gouerned for some time but after the whole race of Lechus was extirpated the Barons of the kingdome assembling to giue succession to Leschus concluded to liue at liberty and without any farther checke or controule Neuerthelesse that Iustice might be administred to the people and they gouerned as necessity required they ordained twelue Vaiuodes or Paladines which order hath continued in that kingdome euen to our daies but not without great hurt to the whole land For there was no change of these Officers but the dignitye lasted their life time although they carried them-selues badly in their authority despising their betters and euill entreating their Inferiours Such as among these Vaiuodes were Castillians Commaunders of Castelles Captaines Iudges and such like great Magistrates did what themselues pleased whereby ensued that this Kingdome could neuer haue any great progression in armes being oppressed by such petty and no mightie or potent Lords But in no long while after the faction of Lechus growing in hatred of the Vaiuodes or Paladines gouernment would néedes haue one peculiar Prince and therefore they made choise of a worthy and valiant man named Gracchus who dwelt at the foote of the Sarmatian Mountaines néere vnto the Riuer Vistula He builded a Citty calling it Graccouia which is nowe corruptly named Cracouia a Cittie greatly blessed both in beautie and Scituation as also infinite Marchandizes which is there Trafficked from all Nations of the worlde it being the Metropolis of the whole kingdome The race of Gracchus fayling it returned againe to the gouernement of twelue Paladines but with much infelicity because in contending for Competitors diuers factions grewe amongst them and consequently insurrections in armes to withstand one another wherby great damage happened to the whole lande Among these turbulent spirits there was a Polander named Pâ—â—arislaus a man expert in armes of quicke apprehension and one that could well fish in such troubled Waters The people reuolted all to his faction they made him their King and he was the fift Gouernour of that Prouince after the firste Lechus or Leschus After his death another gallant young man succéeded him tearmed by the Polacks Leschus the second who proued to be a man of singuler prudence but made olde with time and dying he left it to his Sonne Leschus the third This man made his Sonne Pompilius Legittimate but deuided the Kingdome among twenty other that were his Bastards to the great detriment of the Country But Pompilius being legittimate entred into the gouernment and leauing Cracouia appointed his seate in another City called Gneza but finding it too mollestuous he transferred the State to another Citty named Crusuicza In this Citty he died of the Stone according as himselfe had continually foretold And the chiefe Lords being assembled in Counsell they determined that no more of Pompilius his successours shoulde raigne ouer them but with one consent made choise of a Countreyman named Piastus one of no great stature but strong and well sinnewed This was the first branch of those Kings that continued to the time of Casimirus the second of Lodwick of which selfesame race were also descended the moderne Princes of Slesia This Piastus accepting the Gouernement tooke vpon him the Title of Duke onely whose succession comming at length to Boleslaus in the yeare D. CCCC XC IX hee was then made King by Otho the third Emperour But the Kingdome comming to another Boleslaus successour to the former hee was expulsed thence and dyed Whereupon the Polonians aduaunced in his place his Brother Vladislaus in the yeare MLXXXII by the Title of Duke But in the yeare MCCXCV the Title of King was taken againe by Primislaus the second who at first was Duke of the greater Poland and of Pomerauia or Pomerland and so continued the succession euen to Ladislaus the first begotten sonne of Cassimirus who while his Father liued was designed to bee King of Hungaria and of Bohemia He tooke in Marriage Anne Daughter to the King of Fraunce by whom hee had Lodwick and Anne Lodwicke succéeded his Father in both his Kingdomes and tooke to Wife Marie Sister to Charles the Emperour But in the yeare of Christ 1492. the Barons of Polonia at a dyet elected after the Death of Cassimirus his Sonne Iohn Albertus His continuaunce was but a while therefore by the greater part of the Barons Alexander Great Duke of Lithuania was elected who going in Armes agaynste the Tartares dyed in Vilua aged fiue forty yeares Sigismond his younger Brother succéeded him Anno 1500. who hadde the Title of King Anno 1506. and made great Warre vppon the Neighbouring Nations especially on the Moscouites of whom he slew thirty thousand in the yeare 1514. He deceasing Augustus Sigismond tooke his place and after him Henry the thirde Brother to Charles the ninth King of Fraunce was chosen and made King But his Brother dying and he affecting his paternall kingdome more then the other forsooke Poland and went into France to his rightfull Inheritance The Polanders being thus forsaken they made choise of Maximilian the second being Emperour to be their King But he not resoluing to accept it and the Kingdom standing on some doubtful tearms Stephanus Battori Prince of Transiluania being a man of great valor came into Poland with a slender power where he was created King and so continueth A briefe Suruay of sundry other kingdomes as they were by commaund of the Emperor Iustinian set downe in the Romaine Bookes de Iuris-prudentia THe Romaine Emperors in their Imperiall Titles of honour and renowne did not onely obserue giue to themselues the names of those Prouinces wonne by them or reduced vnder the yoke of their Empire but likewise of such Nations and people as lefte theyr owne Countreyes in abounding multitudes and entered vppon the possessions of others to expell and chase thence the Naturall Inhabitauntes to plant there their owne abyding by bidding them many Battailes in some surmounting and in others spéeding according to the Fortune of Warre Of those Nations I intend to speake in some measure of their Originall and howe they succeeded because at length they ruined the greate Romayne Empyre whereto I am the rather induced to instruct such as are little skilled in Histories not onelye Cosmographicall but likewise Geographicall and to shewe them apparantly howe much they haue iniured the greater part of our Hemisphere Wee will first beginne with the Gothes
Common-wealth This man was of the league with the Christian Princes againste the Turke and in his time were sixty seuerall Ambassadors at Venice He gouerned ten yeares and ten months 55 Bartolomeo Gradenigo Atturney of Saint Marke was made Duke at 76. yeares of age by the intercession of Andrea Dandolo and his cessation In his time was Venice myraculously deliuered from a mighty imminent invndation Candie rebelled and the Rebelles were seuerely punnished There happened a great Dearth in the Cittie which droue the people to discontentment Hee died in his fourth yeare 54 Andrea Dandolo who had before resigned his place to Gradenigo caused the dearth for to cease by sending for great store of Corne out of Sicilie Hee obtained of the king of Babylon frée Nauigation into Egypt Zara rebelled the seauenth time and was reprized The Warre betwéene them of Genes and the Citty was trobled by two great accidents One was an earthquake verie dreadfull and the other was a gréeuous Pestilence Hee gouerned twelue yeares wanting some few months 55 Marino Faliero was elected Duke being then Ambassador at Rome Hauing receyued an iniurie by some perticulers which was not reuenged according vnto his owne desire he determined in the eighty yeare of his age to make himselfe absolutely Lorde without any controule The Conspiracy beeing discouered by Nicholo Lion he had his head smitten off within the Pallace And it was ordayned that his Picture shoulde not bee placed among the other Dukes but the place being left voyde had onely this Writing This is the place of Marino Faliero who for his greeuous offence had his head cut off he was Duke but ten moneths 56 Giouanni Gradenigo had an excellent spirite but a much mishappen countenance The Warre was renewed againste the Genes which tearmined with a mutuall peace Hee had warre against the King of Hungarie for Dalmatia Treuisa was besiedged in his time and thether hee went in person He gouerned one yeare thrée moneths and fourtéene daies 57 Giouanni Delfino was elected Duke when he was in Treuisa defending it against the King of Hungary The Senat sent to demand free passage for him which being denied he came foorth with 200. horse to beard the enemy so attained to Margliera where the Senat in person receiued him In short time he gaue end to this war recouered Conciliano Serualla Asola He made peace for the soueraignty of Dalmatia and died aged 45. yeares hauing gouerned foure yeares two months eleuen daies 58 Lorenzo Celso vpon a false bruit of a victory against them of reuolted Genes was made duke in concurrence of Pietro Gradenigo Leonardo Dandolo Marro Cornaro Candie rebelled again it was regained with very great difficulty On this occasion a Iusts and feast was publickly made in the place of S. Mark he died 2. dayes after the fourth yeare of his Principality 59 Marco Cornaro a man very wise learned was sent into Candie which was rebellious and there he made a cruel bloody war the Pope granting plenary Indulgence to al such as went thether The Rebels being seuerely punished the commonwealth sent to Pope Vrbane 5. a certain nuÌ„ber of their Gallies He gouerned 2. years 5. moneths and 24. daies 60 Andrea Contarini â—led to the Paduans fearing to be elected Duke and as presaging the ruine which in his time wold betide the common-wealth First of all he made warre with them of Triesta then soon after with Carrara for the confines of Padua and such was the fortune that Chioggia beeing taken the Cittie of Venice found it selfe to bee in extreame daunger But in the ende hee went and opposed him-selfe in person against the Enemies vanquished them and regained Chioggia Hee dyed hauing gouerned fiftéene yeares foure months and fiftéene daies 61 Michele Morisini was a man well furnished with Learning and Wisedome Some say that in his time the Isle of Thenedes was taken and not in the time of his Predecessour Contarini There were diuers Lawes then made and amongst others it was ordayned that Homicides who formerly had beene hanged should afterwardes haue their heads smitten off He liued but four months fiue dayes in his Dignity and died in the 74. yeare of his age 62 Antonio Veniero was a rigorous obseruer of Iustice He confined one of his owne Sonnes in exile because he had ouer-lightly offended the Familie of a Noble Venitian Hee made league with Galeazzo the Vicounte against Carrara whereupon hee tooke Padua Hee assisted the Emperour Emmanuell against the Turke and gaue ayde also vnto Sigismond King of Hungaria who afterward came to the Empire The place of Saint Marke and that of the Rialto were greatly beautified in his time He died two months and thrée daies after the 18 yeare of his rule 63 Michele Steno had the dignity of Atturney of Saint Marke with that of Duke Hée wonne an important battaile against the Genewaies Carrera was now the last time vanquished and Padua and Verona surprized They of Vicenza to frée themselues from his tyranny yéelded themselues to the Common-wealth Ladislaus King of Hungaria did likewise for-goe Zara. He died hauing gouerned 13. yeares and thrée daies 64 Thomaso Mocenigo was first Generall of the Goulfe Hee embraced peace to the ende that the Cittizens might Traffique Vdina became obedient to the Common-wealth with the Countrey of Friuoli by meanes of the Lordes of Sauorguani who were made Noble-men of Venice The Florentines were also succoured against the Duke of Milaine In his tenth yeare he died 65 Francesco Foscari did stoutly represse the Duke of Milaine who procéeded too farre on the liberties of Italy Brescia Bergamo and other Citties of Lombardie were then won among which were Loda and Parma and Rauenna in Romania Hée made also a large progresse on the Seas euen into Morea The Senate assisted Paleodogus the Emperour against the Turkes who vsurped Constantinople in the yeare 1453. Hée was made Arbitratour by the Duke of Milaine in certaine differences of neighbour-hood The King of Dacia was made a Noble Venitian And afterward the Duke in regard of his age and infirmities was dismissed hauing gouerned 34. yeares and sixe months 66 Paschale Malapiero was appointed in the place of Foscari being Atturny of S. Mark who died two daies after his dismission Hee made a Law that in following times the Duke should not be deposed In his daies the famous Arte of Printing was brought into Venice The Arsenall was greatly encreased And hee maintained the people in peace during foure years 6. months and fiue daies that he gouerned 67 Christophoro Moro of Procuratour of S. Marke was made Duke He liued for some time in peace till the second yeare of his gouernment and then the Turke proud of his surprizall of Constantinople declared Warre against the Venitians He made heace with Pope Pius the fift and the Duke of Burgundy But the Pope dying they remained alone and maintayned war which lasted twenty yeares And yet he dyed hauing raigned 9
yeares and sixe months 68 Nicholo Tâ—ono had such good happe that in his time the common-wealths affaires went well against the Turke Pietro Mocenigo General in the Archipelagus vnited his power with the Popes The King of Naples they of Rhods sent 85. Gallies together and tooke Satalia a cittie of Pamphilia He made league likewise with the King of Persia against the Turke Iames King of Cyprus comming to Venice espoused Catharina Cornara adoptiue Daughter of S. Mark He gouerned one year eight months and fiue daies 69 Nicholo Marcello Atturney of S. Matk after some lawes made by the Correctours was elected Duke In his time there was a conspiracie in Cyprus to haue the Kingdome fall into the power of Ferdinand King of Naples Pietro Morcenigo went thither with a great Armie where hee appeased all troubles and seuerelie chastised the Rebelles Scutari a Cittie in Liburnia was besiedged by the Turke and valiantly defended by Antonio Loredano This Duke gouerned one yeare foure monthes and 17. daies 70 Pietro Mocenigo was elected Duke in desert of all his worthy deeds Lepanto was besiedged in his time by the Turke vertuously maintained by Antonio Loredano They brought their power likewise before the Isle of Stalimena but the same Loredano by his valour defended it The Daughter to King Ferdinand came to Venice with the Cardinall her Brother where they were roially entertained This Prince caused a Mony to be stamped which he sirnamed by his owne name And gouerned but two yeares and nine months 71 Andrea Vendramino had such ill hap in his gouernment that the Venitian Army was two seuerall times put to flight by the Turkes Once néere to Croya in Albania and the other in the Countrey of Friuli He was a goodly man of person and had a most beautifull Ladie to his Wife by whom hée had as goodlie Children whom he allyed in marriage with the chéefest Families He gouerned one yeare and eyght months 72 Giouanni Mocenigo Brother to Pietro Mocenigo hauing continued the Warre against the Turke in the ende made peace with him Ordering the matter so that hée left Scutari and Stipula in libertie of commerce and power to kéepe a Deputie at Constantinople Hée made Warre against Ferdinand King of Naples at the instance of Pope Sixtus the fourth which occasioned the long Warre called Sociale In the ende peace was made the Common-wealth hauing gotten Rouigo and Polesano The Cittie became much disgraced by fire and a pestilent sicknesse The Prince dyed hauing raigned seauen yeares and six moneths 73 Marco Barbarigo the Plague béeing ceased caused all to bée new builded which the Fire had defaced in the Pallace Hee was greatly differing from from all other Princes to wit in pardoning and forgetting perticuler iniuries doone vnto him but such as were committed against the State he would haue reuenged with stricttest seueritie The Grand Signeur or Turke sent a perticular Ambassadour vnto him to congratulate his election He gouerned but nine months 74 Agostino Barbarigo withstood the progresse of Charls 8. King of France when he made war against them of Arragon for the kingdome of Naples which he conquered The Turke vsurped on the Common weales of Lepanto Modona and Corona The Kingdome of Cyprus was brought vnder the tutelage of the Senate and Quéen Catharina brought thence to Venice The Office de la Sante was created by occasion of the Pestilence The Duke gouerned 15. years and 21. daies 75 Leonardo Lauredano sustained a very rigorous war against the chiefest Princes of the world there being a league made at Cambray betwéene the Emperor Maximilian the King of France them of Naples and the Dukes of Sauoy Ferrara and Mantua incited thereto by Pope Iulius the second All the whole estate of firme land was surprized except Treuisa but in the end it was recouered He liued in the Principality ninetéene yeares eight months and 20. daies 76 Antonio Grimani being Generall had a most infamous disrout or foile by which occasion he was dismissed of the charge of Procurator of S. Marke and confined to Cherso Hee brake his limitation and with-drewe himselfe to Rome to the Cardinall his Sonne where hee had so many woorthy Offices imposed vppon him as not onely he was re-established in his Atturnies place againe but hée was likewise made Duke at the age of eighty two yeares and gouerned but one yeare ten monthes and two daies 77 Andrea Gritti gaining best part of the glory for the reprisall of Padua was in very great estéeme Hee dealt so with the King of Fraunce to whom he was Prisoner that his Maiesty allyed himselfe with the Common-wealth and Brescia and Verona were reconquered Hee knew very well how to make his carriage pleasing to the Senate during the warres betwéene Charles the fift Emperour and King Fraunces the first as also against Solyman Hee gouerned fiftéene yeares seauen monthes and eyght daies 78 Peitro Lando continued the defence of the Common-wealth against the Turk with whom at last he made a peace knowing how to make vse thereof maintaine his owne charge while the war continued betwéen Charles the fift and King Frances the first He gouerned sixe yeares and eight months 79 Francesco Donato making benefit also of this peace beautified the Citty with many goodly buildings besides that of the Pallace He sent succour to the Emperour against certain Rebels in Germany The Princes of Guise comming to Venice in his time were entertained as fitted their dignity He gouerned seauen yeares and six months 80 Marco Antonio Treuisano a Man altogether deuoute laboured that the Common-wealth might abound in goodnesse and ciuill manners preuenting by his owne worthy example that vices should not be winekt at as in too many Countries they are He gouerned a yeare wanting thrée daies 81 Francesco Veniero could so well skill of gouerning the Common-wealth that albeit the Turke in his time made Warre in Apulia and the King of Fraunce in Tuscanie yet all was well at Venice and the Quéene of Poland Royallie welcommed thither Hée gouerned two yeares one moneth and twentie daies 82 Lorenzo Priuli was sollicited by the Pope to make Warre against the Emperor But hée being a Friend to the Common-wealth by no meanes would offend him but mediated a pacification of those affaires In his time peace was made betwéene Fraunce and Spayne and Charles the fift dyed This Prince gouerned thrée yeares eleauen months and eyght daies 83 Girolamo Priuli Brother to the precedent Prince enioyed those great Honours which Pope Pius the fourth gaue to the Common-wealth And all his delight was to heare Ambassadours in the Hall of Kinges In his time the Councell of Trent was concluded whither he sent as Ambassadors Nicholo de Ponte and Matheo Dandolo The Common-wealth held at Baptisme the Sonne to the Duke of Sauoy bâ— a Deputie borne of Marguerite of France He dyed hauing gouerned eight yeares two monthes and foure daies 84 Pietro Loredano by the concurrence of two others was elected Duke
then what I haue read and séene written Some say that in times past there was a nation in Europe scattered dispierced héere and there who were called Cimmerians one part of them had the Name of Cimbrians another Sicambrians and a third Francs or Francions These people passing thorough the Countrey of Pannonia now deuided into two parts the one called Hungaria and the other Austria were driuen from their precedent dwelling which was at the Cimmerian Bosphorus by the Goths in the yeare of the Worldes Creation 3520. Others say that these Cimmerians tearmed theÌ„selues to bée deriued of those Fraci that appeared on the Earth after Noahs Floud viz that of those diuisions made in the whole vniuerse by partage of the Mediterranean Sea those which were in Europe distinctly on the right hand gaue to the Haebrews these Fraci euen as them on the left hand did the Affricanes There are some others who doe fetch the Originall of those Cimmerians from Gomer the Sonne of Iaphet and youngest Sonne of Noah of whom they should take their Name by change of some Letters calling them Cimmerians instead of Gomorians But howsoeuer it was that Nation of Cimmerians abandoning the vtmost Confines of Thrace and the fore-named Bosphorus deuided themselues into dyuers bands oâ—e whereof made their way to the Pannonians another to that side of Germanie where the Cimbrian Chersonnesus is described by our Geographers And the rest leauing Europe passed into Phrygia and making vppe higher into Asia set downe their rest on the Banckes of Danubie and the maine Ocean There once more they separated them-selues into two Troopes One whereof entred into Europe vnder conduct of their King named Francion And being no other then méere Vacabond persons enquiring still for noueltie of Countries after they had runne through a great part of Europe at length they rested on the banckes of Rhine where they would néeds build a Citty in semblaunce and Name of Troy the Capitall Commaunder of Phrigia They began the foundation but the worke remained imperfect The other sort that made their aboad on the banckes of Danubie elected for their K. one named Torchor by whose name they were called Torches or Torques euen as on the contrary side the other after the name of Francion their King were tearmed Francs Françions or Françons They waxing weary of their kings Empire which grew to an insupportable tyranny expulsed them liued a long time without any King vnder authoritie of their Captaines But in the end corruption ouer-swaying those Captaines and threatning a tyranicall vsurpation they did likewise cast them off and grew to their former election of Kings againe euen from the selfe-same stirp and race whereof their first Kings had bin elected They made choise then of a Man named Theudomer son to Richomer a man of strong great and goodly stature wearing his Haire long and hée was descended of the race of Priam King of Phrygia and of Francion So that if this opinion be true it should enstruct vs that the Originall of the Françons or Françions procéeded of the Cimmerians and that those Cimmerians came from Phrygia and the Troyans The Cimbrians who were descended of the Cimmerians went to the banckes of Rhine and dwelt there in those straits where in these daies are the Countries of Holland and Gueldres But they were forced thence by frequent ouerflowings and strange invndations of the waters of Rhine The Sicambrians being issued of these Cimbrians and who neuer boudged from the shoares of Rhine as these others did of whom we haue formerly spoken they passed into Italy and from thence into other Regions heretofore mentioned And it is to be noted that when the Cimbrians went first to Rhine bee it that they came from the Pannonians by Land or from Phrygia and Thrace by the Germaine Sea being in number about 489360. they were by the Teutones and Thuringians Neighbors to Rhine named Neumagi as much to say as new Kins-men or Cousins Afterward when their King Antenor a man of great power had espoused Cambra a beautifull wise and chast Lady borne in the Country of Brittaine now called England in fauour of her he tearmed his people Sicambrians This happened in the yeare of the Worlds Creation 1550. At which time Artaxerxes raigned ouer the Persians and Hanniball passed first into Italie Antenor King of the Sicambrians lest to those his people inhabiting on the Rhine his Sonne Priam for their King After whom succéeded Marcomedes who extended his Dominion from the banckes of Rhine so farre as Thuringe The other Sicambrian Kinges succéeding after these fore-named did almost all of them tearme themselues Troyans which holdeth with good iudgement to shew that the Sicambrians were issued of the Cimmerians and Phrygians There were also many Kinges of these Nations and after that the Sicambrians grew to encrease néere the Rhine both in multitude of men and riches diuers other Kinges raigned ouer them who extended the limites of their possessions on eyther side the Rhine In the raignes of Clodion Clodomire the second Meradac and Bolon vnder conduct of whom the Cimbrians forsooke the shoares of Rhine by reason of the invndations of the saide Riuer and likewise of the Sea they leagued them-selues with the Teutones or Allemaignes and departed in great troopes from their habitations leauing very few there behinde them who being afterward vanquished by the Romaines with other people of the Gaules neighbouring néere the Rhine continued peaceably in their dwellings vntill the declining of the Romaine Empire but yet they were wadged as Souldiers in the Romaine Legions and serued the Romains faithfully in all their wars Some certaine yeares after they rebelled against the Emperour Honorius who conquâ—red them in a battaile But recouering theyr losse they grew in to good fauour with the Emperour Valentinian Héereupon some haue written that in regard they gaue him good ayde against the Alaâ—nes expelled them from the Palus Maeotides they were by him called Francks and dispensed withall for tenne yeares tribute which formerly as a Due they payed to the Romaines But at the ten yeares end the Emperor sent his Collectours to them to leuy againe the saide tribute whereto they would in no wise listen but despising his commaundement they murdered his Officers The Emperor being offended at their rebellion assembled a potent Army that vanquished them in battaile wherein also Priam their King was slaine and they driuen to flight from theyr Cittie Sicambria Beeing thus expulsed thence they came into Germany which then was enimy to the Romains possessing themselues of Thuringe they liued there for some time vnder the raigne of Marcomedes son to Priam of Sueno sonne to Antenor one of their Kings thus you may sée what some haue said But as concerning the Citty of Sicambria builded néer to the Palus Maeotides not by the Françones or Françions but onely so auouched by the writings of Hunibant
one yeares and the other seuenty six after they had long time gouerned their Churches And then began Christian Religion to flourish by the holy and painefull writings of many Doctours This is all that can be saide of Pharamond first King of the Francs or Franconians who afterward were called French-men And hee after he had raigned ten or according to some others eleauen yeares died in Anno Dom. 431. Our Historyes haue not giuen him any Wiâ—e albeit some say that Clodion his Successor was his Sonne 2 Clodion second King of the Francs Franconians or French succeeded his Father Pharamond in the yeare of grace 431. He was sir-named Clodion the Hairy because hee wore his Beard and Haire long ordaining the French to weare the like in signe of liberty because the Romaines vsed to poule and shaue all such as they subdued in signe of seruitude and this fashion of wearing long haire continued in France vntill the time of Peter Lombard in the raigne of Lewes the younger fourth King of that name Clodion perceiuing the Romaines to war weak by Warres which they maintained against the Vrisigotes and loath to loose occasion for enlarging his Kingdome leuied a mighty Army subdued the Thuringians or Lorraignes took Cambray by assault putting all the Romaines to the Sword that were therein and vanquished their Army néere to the Riuer of Rhine Then passing the Forrest Charbonniere hee tooke Tournay and pursuing his purpose for dilation of his Confines he went into France conquering Burgundy Tholouse Angolesme and all Aquitain Clodion hauing raigned twenty yeares died in An. 449. 3 Meroneus third King of the French succéeded Clodion as his Sonne or néerest Kinsman Anno 450. Tritemius writeth that he was Sonne to Clodion but it is not found to bee so in the Histories of France In him the generation of the Kings of Fraunce tooke beginning which endured vntill King Pepin the Sonne of Charles Martell Meroneus like vnto his Predecessors was a Pagan yet very bold and couragious in warre as he declared by many foughten battailes wherein hee was continually present In his time Attila King of the Hunnes or Hungares who tearmed himselfe Flagellum Dei leuyed an Army of fiue hundred thousand Men and came into the Countrey of Gaule where he spoyled Coulongue and Treues with many Castles scituated on the Rhine Hee trauersed Fraunce also where hée wasted Amiens Beauuais Chaalons Troys and Rheimes bringing his siedge before Orleaunce Meroneus séeing Fraunce so much oppressed with the helpe of Aetius Lieutenant Generall in Gaule for the Armie of Theodosius the younger Emperour of Rome and of Theodorick King of the Vuisegothes gaue him a strong battaile in the Catalaunique Fieldes which is sayde to be néere to Chaalons in Champaigne in which fight were slaine about two hundred thousand Men of Warre as well on the one side as the other Attila beholding his Men in disorder and that he could not call them backe againe as he would was enforced to retire home to Hungarie where he could neuer after re-assemble them of that company This battaile was fought in the yeare 452. Others say it was in the twenty seuenth year of the Empire of Valentinian the third Meroneus hauing his hopes much more highly aduaunced by such a great and glorious victory tooke the Citties of Sens Paris and a great part of Gaule not finding any to offer him resistance So that thence forward the Countrey which before has beene tearmed Gaule began euen then to be called France He caused one of his Sonnes to be throwne into a Fire because hee hadde slaine the King of Cornewall who came in courtesie to bée merrie with him Cornewall béeing then tributarie to France as some haue reported who also doe entitle Meroneus to be the first king of the French and all his Race the Merouingians Hee dyed in the tenth yeare of his raigne after hee hadde very much enlarged his Kingdome in Anno Domini 472. Or according to others 459. 4 Childerick or as some tearme him Chilperick Sonne to Moroneus succéeded him in the year 460. The great luxurie and bad life which he led in the beginning of his raign abusing the Wiues and Daughters of many worthy Lords begot him such indignation and hatred among theÌ„ that they purposing to surprize him he was faigne to saue himselfe by flight to Basinus king of Thuringe now called Lorraigne This did he by the councell of a friend of his named Vidomarck who as a secret token betwéene them breaking a Ring of Gold gaue him the one halfe coniuring him to giue no faith for his returne but to him that should bring him that other halfe The French elected in his place a Lieutenant of the Romaines named Gillon who held Soissons and laide such heauy exactions on euery man exercising also such cruelties on the Princes of France that in the 8. yeare hée was expelled and Childerick againe restored wholly by the meanes of Vidomarch Childerick pursued Gillon his Enemy and had great victories and conquestes against him Hee fought a battaile also néere to Orleaunce against Andoacre who was Duke of the Saxons Hee enlarged his Kingdome along the Riuer of Loyre so far as Angeirs One great and irreparable errour he committed for breaking the right of Hospitality with Basinus King of Thuringe who had receiued and relieued him in the chiefest of his aduersity he caried away with him his wife Basina by whom he had a Son called Clouis He died in An. 485. the 26. of his raigne 5 Clouis first King Christian and fift King of France succéeded his Father in the year of our saluation 485. He married Clotilda Sister to the Duke of Burgundy He made warre vppon Siagrius the Sonne of Gillon Lieutenant to the Romaines who held Soissons and som other parts of Belgick Gaule from whence hée expulsed him and made him fly to Tholouze to Alaâ—ic King of the Vuisegoths who betrayed him and sending back to Clouis he had his head smitten off So the Romaines being partly fled and partly slaine held no longer dominion in France Hauing likewise vanquished King Basinus hee â—â—bdued Thuringe now called Lorraigne and amplified the kingdom euen from the Rhine so far as Seine extending her limits to the riuer Loyre The Quéene his Wife did often times sollicite him to become a Christian whereto he would by no means listen til being in a hot conflict against the Allemaignes who descended in great companies to driue the French out of Gaule and desparing of the battaile hee thought vppon the God of Clotilda his Quéene promising that he would be a Christian if that day he obtayned the victory It pleased God to grant it him and hée was Baptized at his returne in the Cittie of Rheimes by Remy Arch-Byshoppe of the sayde place with his two Sisters and more then thrée thousand of the Nobility The sacred Oyle was poured on his head
was then in Aquitaine hardly brooking this disgrace mooued great warre against Charles the Simple which continued for long time Neuerthelesse at the houre of his death hee entreated the Princes of Fraunce that they should restore the saide Charles to the Kingdome because in true right it appertained to him This Odo brought vp as a noueltie to haue a great many Floure-de-Luces without any direct number in the Armes of Fraunce which continued so till the time of Charles the sixt He raigned nine years and lieth buried at S. Denis 31 Charles the third sirnamed the Simple son of Lewes le Begue or the Stammerer began to raigne soly in the yeare 900. After his Tutours death who had held the kingdome in the minority of his yeares The warre of the Normans continued stil yet the king fel into acquaintance with Raoull or Rollo their Duke and gaue him his daughter in marriage endowed with all the Land which then was called Neustria and afterward made a dutchy and named Normandy with especial condition that he should be baptized Robert Earle of Paris Brother to Odo lately deceased pretended to vsurp the kingdom and drawing many Lords into his faction crowned himselfe King But Charles with the ayde of the Emperour Henrie gaue him battaile néere to Soissons wherein the saide Robert was vanquished and slaine Héereat Hebert Earle of Vermandois his Brother in Law was highlie displeased yet hee dissembled it for an apt time and one day pretending to feast the King he entreated him to lodge in his castle of Peronne No sooner was he entred but he did shut him vp in a Tower where hee dyed compelling him to resigne the Kingdome to Raoull Brother to the Duke of Burgundy Hee left by Theargina his Wife a Sonne named Lewes who fledde for his safetie into England This King raigned alone 14. yeares and lyeth enterred at Peronne 32 Raoull of Burgundy Sonne to Richard Duke of Burgundy was made King in the year 917. This man not being of the linage of kings would néedes bée crowned at Soissons as well by fauour of Hugh the great Earle of Paris as also of Hebert Earle of Vermandois who then kept King Charles the Simple Prisoner seazing his person vnder coulour of feasting him and constrayning him before his death to resigne his Kingdome in presence of many Lords and to giue it as a frée guift to the sayde Raoull which yéelded the greater authority to his raigne The Quéene Theargina wife to King Charles the Simple séeing such troubles in France made her retirement into England to the King her Brother with her Son Lewes called Lewes of beyond the Sea Raoull made a voyage into Italy pretending to get the Empire which was then in strife and there he vanquished Berengarius an Italian Prince who laide some claime thereto But finding himselfe not wel affected of the Italians hee with-drew thence into France where hee dyed of a very strange disease béeing eaten with wormes notwithstanding all remedies applied by his Phisitions He raigned about tenne yeares died at Auxerre and was buried at S. Colombe néere Sens. 33 Lewes fourth of that name sir-named Lewes d'Outre-mer or of beyond the Sea Son of Charles the Simple was made K. in the yeare 929. being then in England with the K. his vnckle the Princes Prelats and Barons of France sent for him into England whither his Mother Theargina had carried him for refuge when Hebert had betraied King Charles her Husband he was crowned at Laon. The King had debate with Raoul of Burgundy about the Kingdome and made warre vppon the Emperour Otho for the Dutchy of Lorraine but peace being made betwéene them he tooke to Wife Herberge Sister to the said Emperour At his returne home into Fraunce hee caused Hebert Earle of Vermandois to bee hanged who had procured his Father to dye in Prison Hugh the great Earle of Paris who then held the full sayle of the kingdome raised the Normans to rebell against the King But the King drawing him to his side he rebelled from him again because he had made an agréement with the Normans without him and caused them also to alter their purpose with a fresh begunne warre wherein the King was taken Prisoner and carried to Rouen Afterward he was deliuered to the great Earle Hugh who detained him at Laon but the Emperour Otho came to his succour deliuered him Lewes raigned twenty seauen yeares and lieth buryed at S. Remy of Rheimes 34 Lothaire Sonne of Lewes d' Outremer or of beyond the Sea was made King in the yeare 956. At the beginning of his raigne Hugh the great Earle of Paris gouerned all the affaires of France but he dyed soone after leauing thrée Sonnes to wit Hugh Capet who afterward vsurped the kingdom Otho and Henry who were successiuely Dukes of Burgundy and was sumptuously enterred at Saint Denis Lothaire raigned 31. yeares and lieth buried at S. Remy of Rheimes 35 After King Lothaire Lewes his Sonne fift of that name succéeded in the gouernment in the yeare 986. He raigned but one yeare died without any heire and was the last King of the race or linage of Charles the great his burial was at Compeigne Charles Duke of Lorraine who was his Unckle and néerest Heire hearing of his death would néedes passe into France to make himselfe King But the French hated him extreamely as well because he had continually pertaken with the Allemaignes sworne enemies then to the French as also in regard hee was a bad Prince to his owne Subiectes So that they would not receiue him for their King but wholy ranne to Hugh Capet then Maire of the pallace a very wise and woorthy man Hee perceiuing that the French fauoured and affected him knew well enough how to sow both in their eares and hearts an vnliking opinion of Charles Duke of Lorrain to make him the more hatefull to them He first laid before them how hee had permitted the Allemaignes frée passage when they came and warred on France Next that he had maintained the chéefe enemies to the crown of France wherein hee stood guilty of high treason And so by consequent was disabled of any succession to the said Crowne ¶ Heere endeth the second generation of the Kinges of France in the ligne Masculine being the race of the Carlouingians and which continued after Pepin for the space of 233. yeares HVgh Capet Sonne to Hugh the great Earle of Paris possessed himself of the Crown of France in the yeare 987. He was by some of the French proclaymed King at Noyon first of al soone after in the Citty of Rheimes partly by fauour and partly perforce Crowned King of Fraunce and made his entrance into Paris whereuppon Charles Duke of Lorraine took Rheimes Laon and Soissons Hugh Capet with a potent Armie besiedged Laon where hee tooke Charles with his Wife and Children by Treason in the Byshop of
kings treasury was hanged at Mont-faucon which hee himselfe first caused to be made Lewes tooke first to wife Margaret Daughter to Robert Duke of Burgundy by whom he had a Daughter Next he married Constance whom he left with child of a Sonne named Iohn that liued but eyght daies This King raigned but xviij months died at Boys de Vinciennes and is buried at S. Denis 48 Phillip the fift Surnamed the Long succéeded after his Brother Lewes Hutin in the kingdome being called Long in regard of his tal stature and slendernesse The Duke of Burgundie would haue troubled his possession of the crown in regarde of his Daughters Daughter but the Salique Law did not fauour him therein This King Phillip married Iane Daughter to Otholine Earle of Burgundy by whom hee had three daughters The first married with the Sonne to the Duke of Burgundy the second the Sonne to the Earle of Flaunders and the thirde to the Daulphine of Viennois by which marriages all Warres were asswaged in Fraunce During his raigne diuers Leapers and Lazers procured thereunto by the Iewes poysoned all the welles which caused a great Pestilence thorough the Kingdom but both the one and other were grieuously punnished therefore Neuer coulde this King obtaine of his people any impost or Taxation by him leuied He made a Law that there shold be in his kingdom but one kind of weight one measure and one money commanding that it should be duely kept But while this was in execution he died without any heires male hauing raigned fiue yeares in peace and lieth buried at S. Denis In these times certaine Troopes of Countrey people that were called Pastors and Shepherds arose againe in Fraunce as formerly some had done in the time of King Lewes the ninth These men made their vaunt that they would crosse the Seas and go warre against the Infidels They had two chiefe men of marke among them and wel beseeming such an assembly to wit a Priest that for his mis-behauiour was expulsed his Church and an Apostata Monke of the Order of S. Bennet These two fellowes so abused the hearts and beléefe of the poore popularity that silly Shepheards left their Flocks and Laborers their Manuall trades to follow these two impostures who made them verily beleeue that the Holy Land could be recouered by none but them In conclusion this heape of Rascality was quailed in Languedoc because in stead of preparing their fury against the Infidels and passing the Seas they fell vpon the Iewes whom the king had repealed into France 49 Charles le Bell Son to Phillip the fourth succéeded after his Brother in the year 1321. and likewise was King of Nauarre as his thrée predecessors had bin He had thrée wiues Blaunch whom he diuorced for her adultery Marie and Margaret Iourdain de l'Isle albeit hee was Nephew to Pope Iohn the two and twentieth was hanged and strangled at Paris for his strange offences This King fel to concord with the English appeased the Earle of Flaunders and drewe his people to a mutuall Reconciliation He was a great Iusticer raigned seauen yeares dyed at Boys de Vinciennes and is buried at Saint Denis By his death the second branch of the Capets called De Valois came to the Royalty and began in 50 PHillip de Valois Coozin Germaine to the thrée precedent Kings dying without heire male his succession was in the yeare 1328. His right to the Crowne was dearely disputed betweene him and King Edward the third of England Son to the Sister of the thrée forenamed Kings who preferring his Mothers Title would néeds be King of France contrary to the Decrée of the Law Salique and consent of al the States He did king Phillip homage for Guyenne and Ponthieu but being not well pleased therewith cut him off quite from Flanders Bretaigne Germany Crecy where Phillip lost the day with the very flower of al the French Nobility taking Calais also by their flight Truce being taken betwéene both the Kings Edward of England had both the Title of king and Armes of France or conquest which euer after was attributed to him his Phillip raigned 22. yeares died at Nogent and lieth buried at S. Denis 51 Iohn Sonne to Phillip de Valois succee-his Father in the yeare 1350. proouing as vnfortunate in those tempestuous times as his father had done before him He married Ioane Countesse of Bolongne by whom he had foure sonnes and one Daughter Raoull the Constable of France was beheaded in prison In the day at Poictiers King Iohn was taken by the English and carried into England which imprisonment of his caused many pittifull Tragedies the most furious whereof were acted in the chiefe Citties of France Foure yeares after King Iohn passed into England for the fréedome of his Ostages but there he died at London hauing raigned 13. yeares His sonne caused his body to be brought to S. Denis 52 Charles the fift Sonne to King Iohn succéeded his Father in the yeare 1364. Hee sustained very great troubles during the captiuitie of his father by a commotion which the k. of Nauar raised at Paris who was aided by the merchants of the saide Citty and woulde haue had the Regency but that Charles being then Daulphine made opposition against him He dealte for the ransome and deliueraunce of his Father after whose decease he was crowned King Hee tooke to Wife Ioane Daughter to Charles Duke of Burbon by whom he had three Sonnes and one daughter He maintained great warres against the English hauing at one instant fiue seueral Armies in field against them because they were such potent enemies And to supply so mightie a charge he was faine to lay a heauie taxation vpon wine and Salt Bertrand de Guesclin a most worthy Knight was then his high Constable And the Bastille at Paris was then builded A sedition happened at Montpellier and six hundred of the seditious were executed This King was surnamed the Wise for his deep discretion goodnesse and gouernment He so loued Learning that he caused the Holy Bible to be translated into the French Language which remaineth yet in the Royal Cabinet of the Louure with many other good Bookes beside Hee had stil an eye to Iustice sitting daily to hear causes and ordering all his affayres by Counsel With much adoo he regained some Townes from the English in Poictu and Xaintonge Hee raigned sixteene yeares yeelded his soule to God at Chasteau de Beaute and lieth buried at S. Denis The Sect of the Turlupins was then abolished See Emil. Lib. 9. 52 Charles the sixt sonne of Charles the fift was crowned King at the age of fouretéen years being vnder the gouernment of his Vnckles the Dukes of Berry Burgundy and the Duke of Aniou who got into their custody many millions of Gold left by the King deceast And then no Money being to bee found the people were charged with heauy
Ludgate Westward and the Bridge-gate ouer Thames South-ward But other Gates and Posterns for ease and conueniency of passage were afterwarde made as mens affayres required to other quarters of the Citty A Posterne gate was somtime neere to the Tower of London which decaying by length of time and a deepe Ditch made without the wall it fell downe in the year 1440. the eighteenth of King Henry the sixt and was neuer after builte againe but a plaine Cottage of Timber Lath and Loame with a narrow passage being erected instead thereof it so continueth Aldgate was next in the East so named by the antiquity thereof for it was so called in king Edgars time and the Soke or Franchise wyth the Port of Aldgate and all customs thereto appertaining were likewise giuen by Matilda Q. to Henry the first to the Priour of the B. Trinitie within Aldgate and by her founded in as ample and free maner as she enioyed them The third was Bishopsgate toward the North built by some Bishop of London as is imagined for other certainty is not as yet found which Gate did much ease to such as trauailed East and by North as to Norffolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire c. because before the erection thereof such as iournied out at Aldgate of necessity helde on to the miles end and turning them on the lefte hand to Blethon-hall now Bednal-Greene râ—de directly to Cambridge Heath and so tooke their iournies North or East and by North or occasion required Otherwise refusing Aldgate way they had no other helpe then out at Aldersgate through Aldersgate streete and Goswell street now tearmed Pickt-hatch towards Iseldon and by a Crosse of stone on their right hand set vp for a marke by the North end of Golding-lane passed throgh a long street yet called Ald-streete or Old-street to another Crosse by Sewers ditch Church where now stands a smiths Fordge and there they turned againe North-wards to Totenham Enfield waltham ware c. This Bishopsgate the Dutch Marchants of the Haunce Stiliard or Guildhalla Tentonicorum were bound by couenant both to repayre and defend at all times of daunger and extremity The fourth was a Posterne now called Mooregate which one Thomas Faulconer Maior of London An. 1413. and third of Henry the fift caused to be made there on the Moores side where neuer Gate was before that people might passe vpon cause-wayes into the fielde for recreation because the fielde was then a marish The fift Gate was the Posterne of Criplesgate so called long before the Conquest in regarde of Criples begging there and the body of S. Edmond the Martyre was brought into London thereat when it was conuayed from Bedrisworth now called Bury S. Edmunds thorough the East Saxons Kingdome to the parish church of S. Gregory neere to the Cathedrall church of S. Paul where it rested 3. daies This posterne of Cripplesgate was a prison of commitment for Cittizens and others being arrested for debte or common trespasses as now the Compters are it was new builded by the Brewers of London An. 1244. But in An. 1483. Edmund Shaa or Shaw Goldsmith and Maior of London gaue 400. Markes by his will and stuffe of the Olde gate to builde it againe new as now it is which his executors performed in the yeare 1491. The sixt was Aldresgate or Aldersgate not Aldrich Elders or Elderngate as deriued from ancient men that builded it or trées there sometime growing but from antiquity of the gate it selfe being one of the foure that were first builded and to serue the North-parts as Aldgate did for the East both bearing the name of Aldgate and Alder or Aldersgate to differ their seniority in building The 7. was a Posterne gate made in the 6. yeare of Edw. the 6. in the Wall of the dissolued cloyster of Gray Fâ—iers now cald Christs Church and Hospitall seruing for passage to S. Bartholmewes in Smithfield The 8. west and by North was called Newgate because it was later buylded then the rest by reason that S. Pauls Church being burned in the Conquerors time about the yeare 1086. Mauritius then bish of London not repayring the old church but seeking to begin another extended the work in such largenes of ground that al passage from Aldgate in the East to Ludgate in the west was almost stopt vp Whereupon this gate was first deuised and made and so named seruing aptly for passage cariages from Aldgate along Cornhil through West-cheap S. Nicholas Shambles and the Market taking name of Newgate to any Westward part ouer Oldborne bridge or turning without the gate into Smithfield to Iseldon or any part North by west It hath bin a Gaole or prison for sellons other offenders long time as the records in K. Iohns time testifieth And in an 1422. the first of Henry 6. the executors to Richard Whittington had license to reedify the said gate which they did with his goods The 8. gate was Ludgate in the west builded by k. Lud before Christs natiuitie 66. years seruing for the west as Aldgate for the East was repaired with the stones of the Iewes defaced houses when the Barons were in armes in k. Iohns time as Aldgate the other gates theÌ„ were A notable testimony to confirm this assertion apeared in the year 158â— when the gate was taken downe to be new builded for a stone was then found in the wal which had bin taken from one of those Iewes houses with this Inscription thereon but in Hebrew Caracters Haec est statio Rabbi Moses filij insignis Rabbi Isaac This is the station or ward of Rabbi Moses son of the honorable Rabbi Isaac And it seemed to haue bin fixed in the front of some one of the Iewes houses as a note or signe that such a one dwelled there It was made a frée prison in the 1. yeare of K. Richard 2. Nicholas Brembar being then maior after confirmed in the time of Iohn Northampton Maior 1382 by a common Counsel in the Guild-hal the fréemen of the City for debt trepasses accounts contempts shold be imprisoned in Ludgate for treasons fellonies murders and other criminall offences Newgate should be the prison Lastly there is also a breach in the Citty Wall and a Bridge made of Timber ouer the Fleete Dike betwixte Fleete-bridge and Thames directlie ouer against the House of Bride-Well but it is not as as I thinke called any Gate Now concerning the South-side of the Citty and that it was sometime walled too the Citty being then round engirt with a Wal the Testimony of William Fitz-Stephen who wrote in the raigne of King Henry the second may serue to approue it for these are his very wordes The Wall is high and great well towred on the North-side with due distances betweene the Towers On the South-side also the Citty was walled and towred but the Fishfull Riuer of Thames with his
dignity of Senators in Aldermen It hath vnder Officers and according to the qualitie of Lawes so hath it seueral Courts and generall assemblies vpon appointed daies At parting with the name of Portgraues and Prouosts in the first yeare of K. Richard 1. the cittizens obtained to be gouerned by 2. Baliffes who in auncient déedes were called Sheriffes as the Lawe tearmeth the Shire Balliua vsing the same office of Shriuewick as the Portgraues before did The names of the first Bayliffes or Officers entring into their dignity at the Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch-angell Anno 1189 were Henry Cornehill and Richard Reynere King Richard also at that very time appointed a supreame Officer aboue the rest by the name of Maior which worde was borrowed from the Haebrew word Mar and signifieth Dominus Lord a word vsed by the Franconians and old Saxons their Neighbours of whom English-men haue their Originall but called Maire as the French did their Maires of the Pallace Thus was the chiefe Gouernor called Lord Maire or Maior because they vnderstood not that the epethite Maire or Maior implyed no lesse then lord without any other additions yet thus was it thē giuen for a larger augmentation of Honor. Now as the Goldsmiths yéelded London a Prouost before named Leofstanus euen so the same Company albeit not as yet rancked into a List of Brother-hood gaue London likewise the first Lord Maire or Maior in Dignity whose name was Henry Fitz-Alwin Fitz-Liefstane and being so appointed by the King he continued in that supreame Office from the first yeare of King Richard the first vntill the fiftéenth of K. Iohn which was more then twenty foure years Henry Cornehill and Richard Reynere béeing first chosen Bayliffes serued then as Sheriffes by all likelihood to the said Henry Fitz-Alwin Fitz-Leifstane Maire whereby very well may bee obserued the progresse and continuaunce of those seuerall elections and choyces euen to this day the Sheriffes beeing first appointed and then the Lorde Maire after chosen at the Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch-aungell at the first by King Richard it was ordained King Iohn in like manner after this high Dignity begun by his Brother graunted them frée liberty by Charter to chuse by voyces and handes yearely out of the twelue chiefest and principall Companies their Praetor or Maire Also two Sheriffes whereof the one should be called the Kings Sheriffe and the other the Citties Sheriffe which in that forme hath continued euen to this instant Nay more he graunted them full power and authority not onely to chuse theyr Sheriffes at their owne pleasure but also vppon iust occasion either of contempt mutiny disobedience or other offences to degrade and depriue them The Forrest of Middlesex and the Warren of Stanes being laid open in An. 1218. the King afterward in the yeare 1226. confirmed to the Citizens of London frée warrant and liberty to hunt a limited circuite about the Citty and in the Warren of Stanes Also that the Cittizens of London shoulde passe Toule-frée thorough al England and the Kedeles or weres in the Riuer of Thames or Midway to be pluckt vp and destroyed for euer When the Franchises and liberties were thus confirmed by King Iohn he granted moreouer that either Sheriffe should haue two Clarks and two Sergeants also that the Citty should haue a common Seale and that the Maior should bee presented to the Barons of the Exchequer and they then to admit him as lawful Lieutenant and Deputy vnder the king to gouerne the Citty Hauing thus briefly discoursed how the dignity of honor began in this famous Citty both in the stile of Lord Maior and Sheriffes as briefly wil we also part their progresse and succession from that first woorthy man Henry Fitz-Alwin Fitz-Liefstane Gold-Smith to the as worthy Man Sir William Crauon now gouerning this present yeare 1611. Henry Fitz-Alwin Fitz-Liefstane Goldesmith beginning to take that high office on him in the first yeare of King Richard the first who was also for his valour and courage Surnamed Cueur de Lion continued still in the same Dignity for more then twenty foure years and then deceassing in the 15. yeare of King Iohn he was buried in the Priory of the holy Trinity néer vnto Aldgate In the said 15. yeare of King Iohn either to serue out the remainder of that yeare or to go on in a new election Roger Fitz-Alwain was chosen Lord Maire but I neyther find his freedom or his death albeit he continued as it séemeth in Office but one yeare the like did Serle Mercer and William Hardell in the yeares 1214. and 1215. And then began the raigne of King Henry the third Son to King Iohn the 19. of October 1216. Iames Alderman and Salomon Blasing Lord Maiors serued out this yeare by seuerall parts each after other Serle Mercer was againe chosen Lord Maior and continued in the Dignity sixe yeares together Richard Renger beeing chosen Lord Maior continued so the space of foure yeares Roger Duke or Duck was Lord Maior of London foure yeares Andrew Bokerell Pepperer was Lord Maior of London seauen yeares together Richard Renger Lorde Maior againe one yeare William Ioyner Lord Maior one yeare who builded the Quier of the Gray-Fryers Church in London and afterward became a lay brother of that house Gerard Bat Lord Maior one yeare and béeing elected againe for the ensuing yeare the King would not suffer it because he had béene charged in the former yeare with taking Money of the Victuallers and could shew no reason for it Reginald Bongey was Lorde Maior two yeares Raphe Ashwy Lord Maior one yeare Michaell Tony Lord Maior one yeare Iohn Gisors Pepperer Lorde Mayor two yeares Peter Fitz-Alwin Lord Maior one yeare Michaell Tonny Lord Maior againe one yeare Roger Fitz-Roger Lord Maior one yeare Iohn Norman Lord Maior one yeare Adam Basing Lord Maior one yeare Iohn Tolason Draper Lord Maior one yeare Richard Hardell Draper was Lorde Maior sixe yeares together Iohn Gisors Pepperer againe Lord Maior one yeare William Fitz-Richard was Lorde Maior two yeares Thomas Fitz-Richard was Lorde Maior foure yeares together Will Richards againe Lord Maior one yeare Allen le Zouch Lorde Maior one yeare and beeing a Baron of the Land and chiefe Iustice also he was slaine in Westminster Hall by Iohn Warren Earle of Surry in An. 1270. Sir Stephen Edwards Lord Maior one year Sir Hugh Fitz-Othon was made Custos of London and Constable of the Tower by reason of a great quarrell happening betwéene the Gold-smiths and the Taylors so that the King gaue the kéeping of the Cittie to his Son Prince Edward who made the saide Sir Hugh Fitz-Othon Custos of the Citty and Constable of the Tower as his Deputie But Prince Edward quickly obtained of the King his Father to haue the
1522. 1523. 1534 1550 1555 1555 1559 1566 1572 1585 1590 1590 1590 1592 1605 1605 1099 1099 1113. 1118 The beginning of the Knightes Templers Knightes Hoâ—pitallers of the Hospitall of S. Iohn in Ierusalem became afterward to be Knights of the Rhodes lastly Knights of Malta 1131. 1139. 1160 1163 1167. 1169 1169. 1179. 1187 1187 1191 1192 â—194 1194 1198 1205 1260 1230 1240 This is mistaken for this was K. Richard the first himselfe 1345 1248 1251 1260 1265 1278 1288 1294 1296 1308 The beginning of the Knights of the Rhodes who helde their first name of S. Iohns Knights stil 1317 1327. 1346 1353 1355 1365 1373. 1376 1395. 1321. This Anthony de Riuers was sent for to Rhodes he being then chiefe Commander of the Brotherhood at S. Iohns of Ierusalem in Saint Iohns street 1437. 1342 1461. 1467. 1476 1503. 1512 1513. 1521 The losse of Rhodes to the great gâ—eefâ— of al Christendome The knightes of Saint Iohn becam Knightes of Malta 1534 1535 1536. 1558 1561. A new Citty builte at Malta on S. Elemes Mount 1568 1572 1582 1595. 1601 Ecclesiasticall orders 1070 1099 1308. 1523. 1117. 1310 1130 1150 1212 11â—0 1219 1320 12â—â— 1048 The Secular Orders 1349 1350 1367 1409 1429. 1469 1561. 1578 Sabellic lib. 8. de Suplem Chron. The power of Prester-Ian His souldiâ—â—s Armour foâ— tâ—â—ir defence The exercise of the King Ptete-Ian His dyet manner of life The attendance and seruice of the Emperor The wiues of the Emperor The Originall of the Ceremony The Emperors Crown Scepter and habit The Emperors tribute by his Kings Tributes in generall of his people The onely glories of Prete-Ian his Ethyopians Whence the Ethyopians de deriue their antiquity The chiefe Citty of Persia The gouernment of the great Sophy Fishing for Pearles Of the Persian gouernment and nature of the people The ancient name of Tunis Cairoan a new Citty builded Cairoan destroyed by the Arabes Tunis gouerned by the Kinges of Marocco Tunis besiedged by the Arabes Tunis deliuered froÌ„ the Arabes The declyning of the kingdome of Marocco rising of that of Fez. The King of Tunis King of Affrica A strange election of the duke of Moscouia Concerning the Countrey Men for the Warre Their drink and Corne. Their money Their Religion The Princes Court Learned men amoÌ„g them His daily warres The K. of Muscouâ—aes Tules He is tributary to the King of the Tartars Of the maner and scituation of Polonia The firste Rulers of Poland Vayuodes called Paladines Gracchus the firste Prince of Poland Paladines chosen againe A King created againe Gracouia forsaken by the King Piastus refused the name of K calling him selfe Duke of Poland The discent of the kings of Poland Henry heire of France King of Poland Strange nations weakned the Roman Empire The originall of the Gothes More people then the Countrey can feede The Goths wander to seeke a new dwelling The Goths raigne in Italy and Spaine The reason of the Gothes continuance Of the Ostrogoths Westrogoths Wisigoths The errour of some young Cosmographer Of the Vandales The errour of Procopius The trauels of the Vandales into diuers couÌ„tries The Huns of Scythia and theyr trauailes Attila King of the Huns Attila his losse in France Of the Lombardes and whence they descended A very seuere Edict Istria in Italy conquered and new named Lombardy The Normans issued from Norduegia Suesses cam out of Sweuia They goe among the Heluetians Their pouertie among the Heluetians Of the Allemaignes whence they were deriued The true Alemaigns of Suaba Alaines what people they were and whence they came Of the Gepides or Girpedes The Originall of the Picts and their comming into the Isle of Orkeney The first k. of the Picts Kenneth K. of Scots desolateth Pictland Of the Getes Of the Bourguignons Of their first name A faire vniuersitie in Bourgougn Of the kingdome of Naples Robert Guiscard the valiant Norman The Scicilian euening Hen. count of Lorraine The first K. of Portugal The King of Portugal a Knight of S. Iohn of Ierusalem The succession of the Kinges of Portugall People of Paphlagonia People by the inner gulfe of the Adriatick Sea towardes the Alpes Liburnia the Countrey of Croaua between Istria Dalmatia The scituation of Venice and capacitie thereof Mountains in the north part of Scythia where snow lieth continually An ancient citty in that part of Italy called Forum Iâ—lij The first foundation of Venice Litle IslaÌ„ds in the Sea and neere adioining The prime estate of the place wher Venice now standeth The first builders of Venice at what time Theyr first buildings destroyed by fire The first Church built in Venice Noble and rich men the first fouÌ„ders of Venice The first Goldsmiths knowne in Europe were in Venice Care of Iustice and common good Loue of religion in especial respect Aristocratia optimatum principatus The Gouernment of Consuls and who were the first in Venice The creation of Tribunes and what they were Election of a Duke among the Venetians Who was the first D. of Venice Spaine deuided at first into six Prouinces viz. 1. Terracon 2. Carthage 3. Lusâ—tania 4. Gallacia 5. Boetia 6. Tingintaua 433. The Moors in possession of all Spaine The Kingdomes of Nauarre Arragon Portugall conquered from the Moores 1492 The beginning of the kingdom of Spaine and deâ—cent of their kings 1516. 1555 1598 Of Germany and the Princes Electors Three Ecclesiastiks and three Layickes with addition of a fourth the K. of Bohemia The errour of Writers about the names originall Francus or Frencion the son of Hector Sicambra the Daughter of King Priam. Cimmerians Cimbrians Sicambrians Francs or Francions The Hebrew Fraci and the Affricanes The Cimbrian Chersonnesus Torches or Torques of Torquor their King Theudomer a kinsman by descent to king Priam Neumagi is new kinsmen Antenor married Cambra Daughter to the King of Britaine Priam Son to Antenor succeeded him then Marcomedes Clodion Clodomire Meradac BoloÌ„ kings leagued with the Teutones Why the Emperour Valentinian called theÌ„ Francâ— K. Priam slaine and his people fled into Germany The Sicambrians liued with the Pánonians Franconia in Saxonie and France in Gaule Of the word Franc or Francs The French wold haue their name deriued of Ferocitie Hector had no son but Astianax Franchise and Immunitie The Francs builded a Citty neere to the Palus Maeotides The Francs foyled by the Emperor chuse a Captaine named Marcomir The words of Amianus Marcellinus They chuse an order of gouerment among theÌ„ The aduise of Charamond concerning the election of Pharamond Quadrek his opposition against Charamond The election of King Pharamond Pharamond first King of the Francs or Franconians Clodion was the first that entred into Gaule Pharamond deuiseth Lawes for his people with consent of his Lords Lawes Saliques or Ripuaries A custome among barbarous Nations Especiall maters happening in the time of Pharamond 431 Clodion sirâ—named Hayrie for wearing long hayre and a beard in signe of