vttermost part of Italy which bendeth to Sicilia and was sometyme Grece In the tyme of Pythagoras raigned at Rome Seruius Tullius his scole was not occupied in Phisick and Astronomy as the other but in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Pythagoras liued a very solytary lyfe wyth his disciples and vsed sundry ceremonies taught many inconuenient thinges of the soules nature that mens soules remoue into beastes to be punyshed The Pythagorians taughte their doctrines priuatly amonge themselues and it was commaunded amonges them that noman shoulde publishe them lest by reason of a doctryne not accustomed the commune sort of men mighte be sturred ether to discorde or to a despisynge of good maners But such kynde of phylosophers dured not longe nother is it now necessary to speake more of the begynnyng of philosophers I would onely shewe iâ— here lest any man might be ignoraunt what tyme the connyng of sciences began and encreased wee shall hereafter in hys due place speake of them whych haue before all other garnyshed and had in reuerence Philosophye whereof there is not so great nomber For very few are ther that be worthy to be called wyth so excellent a name Phylosopher and therfore shall we not rehearse so many of them Of Solon THough wee studye to be brefe here yet wyll not I passeouer Solon vnrehearsed for of hym hath the ciuyll lawe of the Romanes whych is yet in vse his oryginall begynnynge Thys Solon lyued about thys tyme and was very familyar wyth Thales But whan at Athenes were spronge great debates because that the greatest of the citye had made bonde men of theyr creditours that were not able to pay them euen of pryuate wylfulnesse the whole citye of Athenes dyd agree to Solon that he shoulde take order and correcte thys wyllynglye of the greatestmen and the other misvses of the commune wealth Solon toke thys wyllynglye vpon hym and set forth manye excellente constitutions and lawes the whych are yet manyfest Now was Draco the law geuer by the Athenians before Solons lawes were not ordered with anye mercye at all for he ordeyned that all transgressions and trespasses shoulde be punished wyth the swearde and for thys cause sayde one that Dracons lawes were wrytten wyth bloude and not wyth yâ—â—k So hard and cruell constitucions were in the worlde at the begynnynge But nothyng can be durable that is to extreme and is not mitigate with the temperaunce of mercy or iustice As for Solon made a difference in these thynges or degrees and ordeined that some synnes shoulde accordynge to reason be punyshed greueously and other more mercyfullye ordeined also of geuinge trybute of weyghtes and of the seasoÌ„s of the whole yeare And specially is this lawe praysed in the whiche he ordeined that euery man should certyfy the higher officers once in the yeare how great his substaunce were and of what maner crafte he were where with he gat hys lyuynge and if there were any ydle fellow or vagabounde too dryue the same out of the cytie Of Cambyses CAmbyses began to raygne whan hys father Cyrus went to warre agaynst the Scythians He ioyned the kyngdome of the Egiptians to his fathers domynion But he was greatly vnlyke his father in vertues Whan Prexaspes one of hys chefe counselers had admonyshed hym somewhat boldelye and sayde that the Perses dyd alow hym greatly but that the same myslyked them that he was geuen to dronkennesse He caused the Peeres of hys realme to be called together and demaunded whether he might worthely be blamed in any thynge But they answered No but that he also surmounted hys father Cyrus in vertue for by hys actiuenesse was Egypte also ioyned to his kyngdome But Cresus to whom Cyrus had chefely commended his sonne Cambyses to be taughte nortured in honesty sayd the coÌ„trary CaÌ„byses quod he can not yet be compared to hys father Cyrus for he hath not left such a sonne of his begettinge as Cirus hath left Cambyses This delectable sayenge pleased Cambises at that tyme. But as the counsel departed whan none of the princes had blamed ought in him he commaunded Prexaspes to be called to him and bad him bringe his yongest sonne to him For he woulde declare howe sobre he myghte seme to be euen whan he were droncken For he woulde shute wyth a bowe at his chylde whan he was droncken and if he coulde hyt his harte with the darte than he might thynke that in drinkynge he were not besyde the capacite of his reason but if not â–ª than he might worthely be sayde to be geuen to dronkennesse But what nedeth many wordes Whan Cambyses had well dronken he shott at the chylde as at a marke and as the darte was pearced thoroughe he caused it to be rypt vp and shewed to hys father Prexaspes that the harte was shot thorough a ryght sayenge that thereby he might haue euydence that he was not dronken So barbarous cruel and tyrannicall maners bringeth dronkennesse into mens mindes though they be well taught before euen as no doute was that kynge Cambyses was from hys youth brought vp in moost honest nourture And though a dronken man can hytt a right in shoutinge yet in the meane whyle can he not vse the ryght counsels of reason and wanteth those vertues whiche communely steare men to modestye and auancement of glory Such lyke examples ought to be shewed to yonge men whiche sometyme be enclyned and geuen to dronkennesse for what ende folowed of these shall we shewe shortely hereafter He slew also hys own brother Smerdis whome he caused priuely to be put to death lest he shuld raygne at any tyme. He maryed also hys owne syster where neuerthelesse nature doth abhorre such kynde of maryage It fortuned vpon a tyme that whan kynge Cambyses sat at borde wyth the quene at y â— meale tyme set he a lyons whelpe and a strong dogge together to make a game and whan the lyon had the ouerhande by reason of hys fearcenesse strength another dogge of no lesse fearcenesse brake wyth great strength the bandes y â— he was bounde withal and holpe his brother the dogge and so was the lyon ouercome The kyng had great delyte at that game because of the faythfulnesse of the dogges But the quene moued wyth the same dede began to wepe very bytterly and whan the kynge toke that sorowfully and asked the cause of her weping she answered To my brother happened nothynge lesse than such faythfulnesse as I haue sene in these dogges helping eche other The kyng taking this answere wrothfully caused her strayght waye tâ— be had out of hys syght and â—lew her But such coâ—dicions can not longe prosper For God sayeth in the scryptures The bloud thyrsty and deceatfull shall not lyue oute halfe theyr dayes vpon earth Wherfore God stroke hym not longe after wyth a greueous and heauy vengeaunce For as he should come out of Egypte into Persia as he sat vpon
many also were taken prisoners This discomfiture made the Romanes so sore afrayd that many nobles gathered together began to deuise to flye into Grece leaue the cytie But wheÌ„ Scipio the yonger harde of that he went to them exhorted theÌ„ to sted fastnesse in defending the contrary and sayed yf he perceiued any man to flye out of the contrey he would straightway strike him thorow with his sworde Wherfore he compelled the young noble men to bynde themselues with an holy othe that they shoulde not leaue the citie but that they would frely abyde euery chaunce for loue of the countrey As for this same Scipio made an end of this warre when it had lasted syxten yeres For he ouercame Hanibal in Aphrica and compelled the CarthaginiaÌ„s to require peace and peace was concluded vpon this condition that they of Carthago should yelde Hannibal to the Romanes But he beyng escaped fled to kyng Antiochus the greate whome he prouoked to ordeine a great and dredefull warre against the Romanes But kyng Antiochus was slayne whiche we haue sayde before It may easely be gathered out of this what tyme this seconde warre of Carthago was namely twenty yeare before Iudas Machabeus Of the warre of the Romanes in Macedonia ABout the fyue hundreth and fyue and fortyeth yere rose first the warres in Macedonia First with Philippe and that because of the league made with Hanniball against the Romanes For kyng Philippe hated greatly the name of Rome For he perceaued that the same citie crept vp to the destruction of all kynges and moste myghty Monarches in so muche also that he shoulde haue sayed somtyme He feared lest a tempest shoulde once come out of Italy into Grece whose vehemency shoulde be so greate that all these slaughters and discomfitures whiche Grece had suffered of the Perses and othet compared to it might be called but a triful toie Wherfore when he was inuaded of the Romanes with warre he required the coÌ„dicions of peace not vnwittingly made a treaty of peace concord with the Rom. But afterward Perseus his sonne as one y t was more coragious and of a more vnrestly minde gathered an army and made aliaunce with many kynges and inuaded those cities of the Romanes that were in Grece and the Romanes were also greatly vanquyshed of hym at the first But not loÌ„g after this battayll he required frely the condicions of peace howbeit the Romanes refused to graunt the same and sent Paulus Aemilius into Macedony of whom Perseus was ouercome and taken prisoner with his mother wyfe and children Of this wyse were kynges tamed by the Romanes subdued This Perseus was the last of the Macedonian kynges and with hym is that noble kynred of Demetrius gone to naught where of we haue spoken before Howbeit the sonne of this Perseus became a secretary at Rome and the kyngdom of Macedony was afterwarde alwaye gouerned by Romane gouernours This warre with Perseus began not long before when Antiochus Epiphanes inuaded the Iewes Of the Spoylyng of Carthago THe syxe hundreth and seconde yeare after the fouÌ„dacion of the citie began the third last Carthaginian warre by this occasion The citie Carthago was at variaunce with the countreis adioynynge to it as somtyme ryse debates betwene cities and princes and these required ayde of the Romanes againste the Carthaginians After long reasonyng it was disputed in the senate whether Cartago shoulde be wholy spoyled because that it beyng restlesse could not lyue in peace For Scipio Nasica counsailed that Caâ—chago should not be ouerthrowen first because it were not honest that the Romanes shoulde vse so great tyranny and shoulde slaye so muche people Beside this that it wer not profitable also without that citie could not Aphrica be entertayned too do her duetie without it were wholy spoyled Thyrdly that it were moost necessary for the Romanes to haue suche a citie contrarieng them by the whiche they should be sturred to lustinesse and courage or els should they rayse warre within themselues yf they feared no foren enemy Contrary wise did Cato bring this argument among other as the chefest that the Romanes dyd by lytle and lytle become vn lyke their auncetours in vertues prowes Wherfore if the moost myghty citie Carthago remaining in her estate knewe the cowardnesse negligence sloughtfulnesse feblenesse of the Romanes there were nothyng more surer but that she would striue againe for the empire and high gouernaunce and oppresse the Romanes and bryng them vnder her power Wherfore lest this shoulde be it were moste profitable and necessary to destroye Carthago Nether would the senate geue any certayn sentence or verdice vpon this at that tyme but they ordeined Cato the aged and certaine other to be sent with hym to Carthago to trie out all the matter whether any daunger were to be feared of the Carthagineans that then at the last they might earnestly deuise what were to be done But what nedeth muche to be sayed Cato beyng returned shewed that more daunger were to be feared of the Carthaginians than euer was before For though they of Carthago were depriued of their dominions yet could they easely perceaue that the citie were both myghty and also cruell whiche coulde not rest but must by processe of tyme assay some thinge to reuenge her selfe Besyde this brought Cato with hym grene fygges of exceadyng bygnesse the whiche he shewed openly in the senate And when he was demaunded whence he had brought those fygges he aunswered within thre dayes may be saâ—â—ed thither He said moreouer they growe in the lande of your enemies So neare dwel your enemies and they that couet your empire The senate being sturred with these so many persuasions ordeined that Carthago should be assaulted with warre should be roted out by the ground that there should be no hope of restoring it afterward To accomplish this warre was Scipio the yoÌ„ger the sonne of Paulus Aemilius made capitaine and in the fourth yeare after the coÌ„tinuall assault of syx daies was Carthago taken And though Scipio permitted euery man a space to flye frely yet was a miserable slaughter in the citie wheÌ„ it was dispoiled Afterward by the coÌ„maundement of Scipio was the citie set on fyre and burned syxtene dayes continually This is that myserable decaye of Carthago the moste noble cytie in the whiche neare hande alwaye haue so many renowmed princes gouerned of whome to speake by reason of their worthinesse wyll not the brefenesse of writtynge suffre at this tyme. Carthago stode continued about seuen huÌ„dreth yeares The godly reader may aboue all thynges behold here a dredeful example of Gods vengeauÌ„ce in so truely ouerthrowyng of so mighty and very excellent a citie It is sayed also that after that it was set on fyre Scipio came rydyng to the place of the citie and sawe the myserable case of Carthago that was spoiled and destroyed and beyng moued with a
Christ suffred and rose agayne from death also how the Gospell is spred abroade in the worlde and by what meanes also the holy Gospell began in the worlde vnyuersall we shall intreate afterwarde Of the Germanes IN the tyme of Augustus were the Germanes first attempted of the Romanes Tiberius and hys brother Drusius were wyth an hoost in high germany and inuaded those coastes that are ioyninge to Rhetia and Vindelicia But they dyd not wholy subdue those contryes vnder theyr empyre The Rheti are those that dwell in the valley of the floude Enus or Ihn they of Tyrol vntyll Bregetium or Rab Kempte and dounwarde vntyll Nordlingen where yet remayneth the name Ryes They of Vindelicia are Augspurg and vpper Beyerlande Drusus went doune vntyll Mentz and there gettynge a disease he lost hys lyfe Aboute that tyme made the garnyson of the Romanes that was appoynted at Colen an assaulte vpon Westphalen and Saxony But one called Hermannus was captayne of Saxony whō the historyeus do call Arminius lord of Cherusia As for the Cherusci are euen the Saxons Thurynges dwellynge by the wood called Schwartzwalde of that syde that stretched beneth by the floude Wesurgus vntyll the citye Breme And by my iudgement is that called Cherusci whych now is communely called Hertzishe This Arminius oppressed the Romanes vnwarres and slew about one and twenty thousand of them Besydes also a great army of the ayders and confederates of the Romanes whych warred wyth them as Frenchmen do wyth the Scottes Quintilius Varus the captayne of the Romane hoost slew him self wyth hys swearde Tacitus the historyographes sheweth at larg of the battayl that was had namelye betwene the floudes Lyppia and Amisia that is beneth the toune Cassel not farre from the toune Padeborne in Westphalen For thus sayeth Tacitus They ployled so much as lyeth betwene the floudes Amisia Lyppya not farre from the woode of Teutoburgum where the residue of Varus hooste and legions is sayde to lye vnburyed As for this slaughter made the Romanes no lesse afrayde that in tymes paste whan the Cimbriwaysted Italy For the Romanes were afrayde lest Arminius wyth force of armes had inuaded the Romane empyre and come vntyll Rome Augustus was in suche distresse by reason of the feare of the greate daunger that he caused euery man to be euery where in armes It is also sayed that he sayed of wepyng with great crye Quintily restore the legions But when the Romanes were dryuen out of Saxony they brought to passe that Arminius was inuaded with war of his neighbors there was at that tyme the Swedes and Belhems dwelling by the ryuer Albis but Arminius ouercame them also and takyng in their contreis he had Westphalen Shwartwald Saxony Marck Misen and Bohemy He reigned about twelue yeare and finally was he slayne by the oppression of his But this is ynough sayed of Augustus tyme. Tiberius the third Emperoure The yeare of the worlde iii M. ix C. lx The yeare of Rome .vii. C. lxix The yeare of Christe .xvi. THough many excellent Emperours haue bensence the time of Augustus for when God kepeth the common welthes he geueth also suche men that are mete to do great thynges yet haue the in the meane seasō now and than princes dissolute and wicked so that a mery conceated man semeth to haue sayed very true that the ymages of al good princes may be grauē in one rynge It is very profitable to beholde in histories the thynges that are declared and the examples of wycked princes that we may drede y ◠wrath of God by the feare of the punishment wherewith they are punyshed Tiberius was not the sonne of Augustus but for somuche as the true heyres of Augustus were deade he toke in steade and chose for heyre Tiberius the sonne of Liuia whiche was already maried to Augustus and because Tiberius was a valiaunt man of armes Augustus vsed hym alway for a captain This Tiberius was the first Emperour to whome the senate of Rome did yelde it selfe He reigned thre and twenty yeares The fyuetenth yeare of Tiberius was Christe our Lorde thirty yeare olde and that yeare was he baptised of Ihon Baptiste and beganne the preachyng of hys Gospell of penaunce of remission of synnes and lyfe euerlasting This was sence the creation of the worlde the .iiii. M. ix C. and lxxv yeares But after the beginning of Alexanders Monarchie the CCC and .xl. yeare Adde an hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares vntyll the second yeare of Longimanus Thus haue ye the foure hundreth and foure score and fyue yeares and these are the thre score and nyne wekes of the whiche is spoken by Daniel whiche thynge we haue treated at length before In the eyghtenth yeare of Tiberius was Christ oure Sauioure crucified dyed and rose agayn the thyrde daye But after his resurrection he commaunded his disciples that they should preache the Gospell thorowe all the worlde the whiche they began strayght way when they had receaued the holy ghost from heauen vpon Wytsonday and after the visible ascension of Christ into heauen Therfore is now the worde of God and spiritual kyngdom and also the churche or congregacion of the faithful or christen people not only in the Iewish kyngdom but in the whole worlde where the Gospell is preached by the Apostles and where theyr writinges are brought For God promised to worke by preaching of his worde Moreouer where Gods worde is taught ther is it necessary to be some that pertaine to Gods kingdom where Christ is ruling and workyng accordynge to that sayenge I shalbe with you vntyll the worldes ende To this oure Lorde Christ our sauiour and true God be prayse glory and thankesgeuyng for euer Amen But now it remayneth that we do shew further how greate and heuy assaultes the churche of christenmen hath suffered both by outwarde persecutions of enemies and also chefely by heretikes whiche haue nowe and than toren wretchedly the vnitie of the churche with wicked doctrines which thynge hath brought a farre more dammage and despysynge to the Churche or congregacion than any outwarde persecutions The nyntenth yeare of Tiberius after Christes resurrection was Steuen the fyrst martyr stoned and the same yeare was Paule conuerted to the fayth And this befell The yeare of the worlde .iii. M. ix C. lxxviij The yeare of Rome .vii. C. xcii The yeare of Christe xxcix CAius Caligula the fourth Emperoure reigned thre yeare and ten monethes he was of a veri dissolute and vmbrideled lyfe he defyled all his systers with an vnnamed or an vnnaturall medling Fynally was he slayn by the chefe of hys hoost through a preuy conspiracy This Caligula caused his ymage to be set in the temple at Ierusalem to be worshipped whiche thyng was also prophecied by Daniel namely When Israell shall se an Idoll set in the temple then shal the ende be at hād This happened The yeare of the worlde
and afterwarde coueted the gouernaunce of whole Italy And though other prynces dyd also stryue for the souerayntye of Italye yet dyd Berengaryus excellynge in power kepe Italye tyll the thyrde heyre The same toke vpon hym the tytle of Emperoure and vsed greate crueltye in Italye The Italyans requyred ayde and succoure of Otho agaynste hys tyrannye Wherefore Otho goynge into Italye he inuaded Lombardye and gat it Berengarius wyth yeldynge himselfe frely optained of Otho that grace that he shuld not wholy be dryuen out of Italy but should retayne a duchy to possesse After twelue yeares was Otho called into Italy agayne to defende or clayme the Italians wyth the clergye and byshop of Rome from the tyranny of Berengarius which thynge he also dyd valyauntly For whan he came agayne into Italy he toke Berengarius and hys sonne Alberte and bannished them for theyr disloyaltye the father wyth hys wyfe to Bamberge in Germany wher they spent theyr liues also as outlawes but the sonne sent he to Constantinople Otho entrynge into Rome in thys settynge forth was crowâ—ed of Ioannes the .xii. This Otho was the fyrste Emperour that made an othe to y e bishop of Rome wherof the maner and tenor is in y e canon lawes begynnynge Tibidomino Ioanni .iii. ce After that is Otho come the second tyme to Rome to rebuke Ioannes bish of Rome because he was accused of many fautes Wherfore the bishop knowynge himselfe gyltye fled for feare of Otho And therfore was Leo the .viij. made bishop in his stead But before that Otho went from Rome Ioannes commynge to Rome thrust Leo out agayne Leo fled to the Emperoure But the moost wyse Emperoure vsed greate policy lest he shoulde geue an occasion of debate He suffred Ioannes to vse the bishopryck so longe as he lyued But so sone as he was deade to take Leo as lawfully chosen bishop but the Romanes wolde not alowe it whych refusyage Leo chose another called Benedictus in spete of the Emperoure Otho than returnynge inuaded the possessyons of the Romyshe byshops and dyd much hurte He besyeged also the citye of Rome vntyl the cithesins constrayned by famine necessity opened the gates frely to Otho He than puttynge to death manye Romanes and banny shinge the Consuls restored Leo whan he had apeased al thynges returned into Germany leadynge wyth hym Benedictus who was kept at Hamborowe Otho goynge the thyrde tyme to Rome droue the Saracens and Grekes out of the farther coastes of Italy Than chosynge Otho hys sonne to be partener in the Empyre bringyng hym wyth hym commaunded to crowne hym and caused the Emperour of Constantinoples doughter to be geuen hym in mariage By all these thynges maye it easely be gathered that this Otho was one also of these princes which God hath now and than geuen to repayre the decayed state of the worlde For he set vp agayne the decayed empyre of Rome and set all Europa in quiet by hys succour hath he defended whole Italy and Germany He subdued the Hungarians and Frenchmen To be shorte he hath restored the maiestye of the empyre to hys former bryghtnesse and set it in order afterward dyed he at Quedelnburg in great quyetnesse It is written also that he found fyrst the syluer mines in Misen He gaue also muche good to the churche to maynteine religion and to promote the doctryne of godlynesse to which intent he made also not a fewe byshops as at Magdeburg Misen Brandenburg Mersburg and Ceitz Martinus the .iij. was the .cxxxij. byshop after Stephanus Agapetus the .ii. succeded Martinus Ioannes the .xiii. the C. xxxiiij bishopp was after Agapetus The same crowned Otho the fyrst afterwarde fled he from Rome fearynge leste for hys vnclennesse of lyfe he shulde be caste from the offyce by Otho Leo the .viii. was chosen in Ioannes steade But whan Ioannes was returned to Rome Leo fled to the Emperour but whan IoaÌ„nes was deade was Leo restored agayne Ioannes the .xiiii. and C. xxxvi bishop succeded Leo. Of hym was Otho the seconde crowned Otho the seconde the .xi. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxiiii raygned Otho y â— .ii. after hys fathers deceasse ten yeares against him was an vprour raysed also For Henry duke of Baier hys cosyn coueted y e empyre This Henry is not the brother of Otho the firste of whome is spoken before which conspiringe rose agaynst his brother Otho and afterward reconciled again to his brother gat the duchy of Baier Thys fyrst duke of Baier that was of the Saxons bloude dyed .xv. yeare before Otho But thys fyrste Henryes sonne is the same whyche set hymselfe agaynste Otho the seconde but Otho had soone tamed this newe enterpryser Afterwarde dyd the Frenchemen fall sodenlye vpon the Emperoure at Aken and he dyd searcely escape theyr intrap But Otho repayring an army went into Fraunce and spoyled euery where vntyl Paris constrained the Frenchmen to demaunde peace whyche dyd than bynd them wyth an othe that they wold neuer claime Lorain any more Whan he had set Germany at quyet he went into Italy There did he fight wyth the Grekes and Saracens in Apulia but hys hoost beyng vanquyshed he was taken by mariners as he fled But because he was vnknowen to the mariners by reason he could the greke language nether was he taken for a Germane prince he redemed himselfe with an easy price and comming to Rome he gouerned the empyre as he dyd before It is sayd that the Italians poisonned hym for his rigoure that he vsed in the gouernaunce Benedictus the .v. the C. xxxvii bysh of Rome was after Ioannes the .xiiii. Donus the .ii. succeded after Benedictus Bonifacius the .vii. the C. xxxix bysh succeded Donus Benedictus the vi succeded Bonifacius In his tyme became Otho the thyrde Emperour Otho the .iii. the .xii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxxiiij raygned Otho the thyrd after hys fathers deceasse .xix. yeares He was yonge scarcely passed xii yeres whan hys father dyed wherefore Henry duke of Bayer cosyn to thys Otho caused him to be kept at Rome and beganne agayne to vsurpe the Empyre Some Italians counseled to make Crescentyus Emperoure that the emperyall maiestye myghte be broughte agayne to the Italyans But the Germane princes beynge loyall to theyr lorde called the yonge Otho agayne from Henry and made hym Emperoure wyth commune assent whereto Benedictus the byshop of Rome gaue his consent also The fyrste warre that he hadde was wyth the Frenchmen whyche forgettynge theyr othe that they had made inuaded Lorayne agayn takynge in many cityes but Otho dryuyng out the French men kept Lotharyng or Lorayn In the meane tyme a Romane prince called Crescentius takyng vpon hym the name of an Emperoure vsed great crueltye in Italy Wherefore Otho commynge to Rome enuyrouned wyth a greate army and takyng Crescentius cutt of hys nose and eares set hym arswarde vpon an asse caused
nede of an other mans helpe and mercye After thys commaunded he Cresus to be brought to him and had him in greate reuerence as a great prince and vsed hys counsel in gouernaunce Cyrus demaunded of hym also by what cause he had taken this warre whether he were moued by the answer of Apollo whome he had asked counsell before To this answered Cresus sayenge That Apollo counselled him right well with these wordes Knowe thy selfe and all thyng shall prospete He dyd not refuse thys counsell of Apollo For whan his hoost had gotten the worsthande in aydinge the Assyrians he had purposed thenceforth to lyue in rest and peace chefely for so muche as he sawe Cresus to haue such prosperitie and power in bringinge all thinges to passe But whan he was praysed of the cityes that laye rounde aboute and of his great princes for his power and conning of warrfaringe he was agayne deceaued by pryde and vaine glory of him selfe and was so by the other princes made capitaine of the warre agaynst Cyrus And that by these praises he was brought to take the answer of Apollo otherwyse and that he thought he was suche a one in dede as he was praised namely that he was no lesse in power than king Cyrus and by these meanes had he taken the warres in hande But hetherto is ynough spoken of Cresus Hereof maye notable examples be taken that princes be oft brought to warre by no constraynt of necessytie and to theyr greate hynderaunce by the counsell and flattery of them which can falsely persuade and extolle with vaine prayses theyr power and vertues In king Cirus is chefely to be considered that in so great prosperities of all thynges he vsed great moderation of minde and that in so great violence of victories he swaged tyranny wyth mekenesse Cyrus than toke in all the kyngdomes from Persia vntyll the fyrste borders of Ionia from thence beynge returned he besieged the cytye Babylon which semed moost strongest against all force of mans power But Cyrus wanne her and that by this meanes The floude Euphrates runneth through the citye by some ryuers dyggynge thorough hys caucyes he ledde the course of the water another waye and as the floud was dryed men myght safely go into the toune on foote Besyde that had he hys espyals whych shewed what tyme the Babylonians were at reste and so broughte he hys army into the cytye in the styll of the nyghte whan they douted nothyng lesse But what nedeth here to prayse and auaunce much the prosperytie of Cyrus seynge it maye easely be thought and consydered that it is Goddes worke and not of mans wysedome or power that so many and so stronge tounes and kynges be subiect to hys kyngdome vnto whome it semeth no mans power nearehande myght wythstande For those hygh monarchies are ordeined conserued by an heauenly power for to preserue the state of a coÌ„mune wealth agaynst the will of Satan Moreouer after that Babylon was wonne than began that kyngdom of the Perses fyrst to be called a monarchy For the heade citye or see of the monarchy was Babylon and the kyngdomes of Chalde Assyria Medes and Persians be now brought vnder one empyre The moost parte of Asia was ioyned thereto also and other great countries which border vpon these kyngdomes Cyrus gouerned these kyngdomes with great prayse insomuch that no princes prayses wherof historyes do make mencyon can be compared wyth his commendacions and â—uauncementes I suppose that thys monarchy began after that Babylon was wonne in the thre score and tenth yeare after that the Iewes were ledde into captyuyte in Babilon But sence the creation of y â— world the yere of thre thousand foure hundreth and thre and forty and before Christus byrth the fyue hundreth and one yeare Whereby it maye easely be gathered that those histories of the Grekes that begynne at Cyrus be not very olde Of the Iewes delyuered out of the Babylonycall captiuite HEtherto haue we spoken of the state of the commune wealth and empyre of those tymes nowe resteth it that we speake also of the spyritual kingdome of God and of the churche After that Cyrus had subdued the Babylonians he set the Iewes free and at libertye out of all his kyngdomes and restored them into the kyngdome of Iewry This example wytnesseth howe muche God doeth care for the church or congregacion of the godly and howe lytle he doth forget them For that the church myght be released from the seruice bondage it was necessary that Babilon the citye shuld be taken and peryshe For a prince must not be a cowarde to represse the force of his enemies Herodotus wryteth also that some do suppose otherwise of Cyrus death and Xenophon writeth that he dyed in his bedde and that before his death he exhorteth his childeren to the feare of God to vnitie and loue to eche other and that with a greate relation and manye wordes he admonished them to remembre that mens soules dye not with the bodies but that they remayne immortall and that the godlye after thys lyfe enioye an euerlastinge reste wyth God and that contrary wyse the wicked shalbe greueously punished And to this is it saied that he shoulde haue added a substanciall euidence of mans reason concerning euyll doers the which in this lyfe haue a great inwarde drede in their minde for the conscience of theyr wicked dedes and that therby may be gathered that the soule hath a certayne beynge and that seynge this feare is beaten in by God it is euidente that God will be reuenged of all thynge that is vniustly committed Hetherto is ther ynough saide of thys moost holy kinge Cyrus In what tyme the Philosophers were fyrst in Grece BEfore haue we shewed that by the Grekes were the Poetes fyrst in high reputation by reason of ther learning afterwardes in Cyrus tyme began another kynd of learned men whiche were called Philosophers of them were two sectes at one time for some were philosophers of Ionia some were called philosophers of Italy The philosophers Ionici were in Ionia they vsed greate diligence in naturall thinges and searchinge out the course of starres The beginner of them was Thales which diuided first for the Grekes the yere in thre hundreth and thre score daies For though they had before twelue monethes yet were they constrayned to brynge the mouynge of the sonne to the course of the mone Thales did also shew first of the Eclypse in Grece and found the poynte whan the daye and nyghte are equall the which was no small conning He had learned these thinges of the Egiptians with whom God had kept this science These Thales taught also that the soules are ymmortall and he is the fyrste and true begynner of the philosophers of Grece The other parte of the philosophers whyche are called the Italians began by Pythagoras for the same lyued also aboute the tyme of Cyrus in that
administration of the royalme he fyrst broughte the Illyrians agayne vnder the yock after that wente he to Thebe For they of Thebe besyeged the garnyson of men that his father Philippe had set in there castell and also made a league wyth the Perses the whiche inuaded the kyngdome of Macedony In the meane season that Alexander besyeged them of Thebe dyd the Athenians sende ambassadours to hym for to optayne peace Alexander receaued them fauourably They of Thebe in the meane season beyng obstinate nother soughte for grace nor conditions of peace And whan it was proclamed by the coÌ„maundement of Alexander before the assaulte that whoso of them of Thebe that woulde yelde them frely and go oute of the cytye shoulde saue theyr lyues They of Thebe caused to be proclamed contrarye wyse that they that would haue the libertye of the Grekes wyth theirs saued and the kynge of the Perses against the tyraunte Alexander shoulde drawe to them Alexanders myâ—de beynge chafed wyth that reproche the citye was assaulted and wholy spoyled and was neuer restored afterward Thys was the fyrste greate citye that Alexander subdued For we se most communely come to passe that God ordeineth puysâ—aunt monarches for the destruction of great cityes Whan Alexander had now made a peace in Grece he went into Asia with â—n hoost of fourty thousand â—oote men but of horssemen onelye foure thousand The army that was in Asia the whiche his father had sent afore was but lytle With this small hoost falleth he vpon the Perses and maketh very great feldes and taketh many mighty cityes with strong hande amonge the whyche was Sardis Miletus and Tyrus In conquering of the whiche Alexander was in many haâ—ardes Vanquyshyng also in battaill Darius the kynge he put him to flighte and takyng hys mother hys wyfe the quene hys doughters and sonne he entreated them gentely and as it besemed there royall kynred The queâ—e that was aged called he mother he entertayned her sonne none otherwyse than if it had bene hys owne Wounder it is what prayse Alexander deserued for these vertues in all Asia and with Darius himselfe insomuch that frely he offred hymselfe to treate of peace offerynge to be content to delyuer vnto him euen the half of his royalme To this answered Alexander that this worlde can not be ruled wyth two sonnes but yf he were content to yeld frely him selfe and hys royalme he wold gently take him to grace But Darius renewynge an hoost was vanquyshed and was thrust through in the flight by his own seruaunt and guyde Bessus Alexander comming vpon Darius founde him very greueously wounded and nearehand dead and had pitye vpon him promised him that this vnfaythfulnesse of Bessus against his owne lord shuld not be vnpunished Wherfore Bessus beyng taken afterward he caused him to be hanged betwen two trees that were bowed doâ—â—ward the which whan they were suffred to dresse themselues agayne wyth a great swynge they tare hym paynfully Of thys wyse was Alexander become gouernoure of Asia and toke in farther the residue of the contryes and cityes as Babylon Susa c. The beginnynge of thys monarchye of Alexander was after the death of thys last Darius that is in the begynnyng of the seuenth yeare after that Alexander began to raygne Alexander beynge become proude by thys victory began to be dissolut in excesse of dronkennesse He caused some of hys frendes and counsellers to be put to death which was the moost excellent and sage captayne the aged Parmenion Besyde thys in hys wrath he slew hys valiant captayne Clytus in a banket because he preferred Philip his father before Alexander his sonne But whaÌ„ his maners were chaunged fortune chaunged also though the mynde was not peasable Ho warred also vpon the Iudyans and Scythians but he liued not long after that For he dyed the two and thyrtyeth yeare and eleuenth moneth of hys age He raygned after hys father Phylyps departure no lenger than twelue yeare and seuen monethes and wythyn so lytle space had he dispatched so many and great warres so that suche a multytude of men coulde scarce haue yournyed throughe so many contryes and realmes euen whan it had bene peace and tranquyllyte He raygned at Babylon after Daryus only fyue yeare and eleuen monethes Such hystoryes declare that greate kynges and princes are guyded by a certayne heauenly power or will Alexander was endued with many and excellent princely vertues the examples whereof to set forth here by reaâ—on of oure industrye to be short hath no place I will recite only one amonge so many As oft as the playntyfe in iudgement layde ought against any gylty man the same beynge absent he gaue only the one eare to the plaintyfe and was wont to shut y â— otherwyth his hand that he might signifie he would kepe the other for the gylty man and that both partes oughte to be herde alyke the which pertaineth to an office of a good prince and true iudge Alexander gaue here a notable example for greate princes that not onely the one parte should be admitted to speake and laye for him selfe but both partes euen as at Athens they were wont to sweare the iudges that were chosen that they should geue sentence accordinge to the lawe written and that they shoulde heare both partes alyke Of the moderation and godlynesse that Alexander dyd vse agaynst the Iewes WHan Ierusalem was now builded agayne the Iewes lyued in greate peace vnder those Godlye kinges of the Perses But whan Alexander besieged the citye Tyrus he requyred ayde of thâ— Iewes which answered that they coulde do it by no honeste meane because they were subiectes to the kynges of Persia whyche also had receaued many and great benefytes of them Whan Alexander had hearde thys excusation he was wroth and whan he had wonne Tyrus he came wyth hys hoost towarde Ierusalem But Iaddus the hygh prieste puttinge on the prestly apparell and other aged men went oute of the citye to mete Alexander for to aske peace WhaÌ„ he sawe y â— hygh prest in that apparel he lept incontinently from his horsse and fallinge vpon his knees before the preste he promysed hym peace frely All hys princes maruayled that he vsed so greate lowlynesse agaynst a priest of a straung nacion and also that he had swaged the rage of hys mynd in so lytle space Parmenio which was entierly beloued of the kynge by reason of his age and wysedome demaunded of him what reuerence moued hym that he fell so lowly before the prest To the whiche he aunswered that in Macedony he sawe a lykenesse in hys slepe semblable to thys prest that stode before him and admonished hym that he should go into Asia and promysed to ayde him and that he dyd the honour to the verye same God that than had appeared vnto hym At that tyme went Alexander peaceably into the citye hearynge also reuerentlye the prestes reasonynge of the doctryne
But in the seuenth moneth after thys victory was Seleucus slayne by Ptolome Ceraunus brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus These are dredefull examples of the settynge vp and fall of so great kynges which worthely oughte to styrre vs to feare God lest we thynke to do great thynges by mans counsell and oure wysedome Antiochus Soter the sonne of Seleucus raigned in Syria after the death of his father Antiochus Theos his sonne had fyrst to wife Laodice wherof he had two sonnes Seleucus Callinicus Antiochus which was surnamed Hierax Ptolomeus Philadelphus gaue to the same Berenice his doughter afterward to wyfe But whan Antiochus was deade Laodice constrayned Seleucus her sonne to take the kyngedome and to take his stepmother Berenice Seleucus folowed his mothers counsell besieged hys stepmother finally brought her to yelde willyngly wyth great promises But kepynge no promyse he caused that the quene was put to death very cruelly For Daniel had prophesyed openlye that the quene of Egypt should suffre such a thynge and that the kyng of Egypt should reuenge the same For whan thys cruel dede was done Ptolemeus Euergetes brother to Berenice went into Syria droue Seleucus out of the kyngdome and takynge in many cytyes returned into Egypte Afterward whan Seleucus had recouered some harte he woulde recouer the kyngdome agayne and requyred ayde of hys brother Antiochus Hierax he was very yong and trusted by this occasyon to optayne the whole kyngdome For whan peace was made betwene Ptolomeus Seleucus Hierax inuaded his brother Seleucus kyngdome to the which thynge he vsed the ayde of straunge souldyours For the Galathians which Brennus brought out of Germany into Grece went farther into Asia beynge hyred wyth those kynges wages which had diuerse warres agaynst eche other These Galathians had thaÌ„ geuen them those landes in Asia that they dwelled in Of whom they be called Galathians vnto whom S. Paule the apostle preached the Gospell Nether is it anye doubte but that they were Germanes For the Grekes dyd calle wyth one worde the Germanes and Gallies Celte by chaungyng of the worde was the name Galate set for Celte Finally ouercame Antiochus his brother Seleucus with the ayd of the Galathians but Antiochus was lykewyse vanquyshed of the kyng of Asia lesyng a great deale of the kyngdome of Syria than was he constrayned to flye to king Ptolomeus Euergetes whan he was so receaued of hym that he should go no wher he wold haue fled but whan thys counsell was perceaued he was put to death This ende finally gat Antiochus Hierax Aboute y â— tyme nearehand fell Seleucus his brother from a horsse dyed This miserable fortune end had these two bretheren which had done many wicked dedes Antiochus the great inuaded the kynge of Egypt Ptolome Philopater wyth warre but he was dryuen back Afterwarde whan Philopater was deade he returned into Egypt with an army but the Romanes had taken the child Ptolomeus Epiphanes into their wardshyp to whom he was committed as a warde This was an occasion of a great warre which was betwene the Romanes Antiochus Hanniball toke part with Antiochus which was captaine in this warre a certayn space and many more contries of Grece dyd stycke to Antiochus But beynge weakened by reason of some mishappe he was dryuen to demaunde conditions of peace Than left the Romanes hym only y â— parte of the royalme whiche lieth beyond the hyll Taurus besyde this was he constrayned to sende his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes to Rome in hostage But at the last whan Antiochus spoyled the ryche temple of Belus in Siria he was oppressed of the communalty inhabityng there whych slew hym hys company euery one This was the ende of Antiochus the great Hierusalem had metely good rest sence the tyme of Alexander vntyll Antiochus the great But whan the warre betwen these two kynges was raysed by reason the Iewes laye betwene them both they were a lytle oppressed vexed of both parties And though Ierusalem dyd hetherto stycke more to Egypte yet was it nether subiecte to Syria nor Egypte Howbeit Ptolomeus Epiphanes sent a capitayne one Scopa against Antiochus which toke in certayne townes of Syria and part of Iewry Howbeit whan Antiochus had vanquished the same by y e Iordane he went farther tyll he came at IerusaleÌ„ Than did the Iewes kneling yelded theÌ„selues frely to him makyng also a commune league betwene them and the kyng for thys cause dyd the kyng Antiochus suffer them to lyue in peace asysted them in repayryng y e citye Ierusalem And of this wyse though they semed to be in daunger in the tyme of this warre by reason of the neighburhead â–ª yet lyued they quietly vnder this Antiochus Antiochus the great left after him thre sonnes Seleucus surnamed Philopator Antiochus Epiphanes Demetrius After y e fathers death raygned Seleucus a few yeres the other two brethren were kept in hostage at Rome Whan Antiochus Epiphanes knew of his fathers death he â—led priuely froÌ„ Rome as he was come againe into Syria he was made king For Seleucus was vnmete to rule nether liued he long after his fathers death This Antiochus Epiphanes truely was a man of much subtelty hardinesse had well learned by the example of the Romanes to apply himselse to the tyme and maners of euery man For he could easely forbeare and suffre euery man that he was with he was a wyse man wyth y e wyse â–ª agaynwyth vnbrydeled youth he folowed such exercise as he knew them to delyte in He procured the fauour of the comon people with familiaritye beneuolence and whan he made any costly banket he caused great summes of mony to be cast among y e people For his vnbrydeled maners was he called Epimanes for Epiphanes For Epimanes signifieth madde but Epiphanes signifieth noble His raigne began the hundreth seuen and thyrtyeth yeare after Alexanders death And whan he possessed now hys kingdomes that came to hym by heretage he went into Egypte For about y e tyme dyed Ptolomeus Epiphanes the same had to wyfe Cleopatra the syster of Antiochus Epiphanes the which vnder that pretence began to vsurpe y e kingdome of Egipt as if he were tutor of the yong king called Ptolomeus Philometor Nether shewed he himself otherwyse but with all gentlenesse beneuolence toward his cosin willed that Memphis other great cities shuld yeld them to the kyng y â— vnder suche a pretense he mighte by lytle and lytle draw to him the whole realme Whan he had now finished all thinges he left the kingdome and went to Ierusalem that at the request of Iâ—â—oâ— which coueted the dignitye of the hygh presthode by the meane of Antiochus For so stode the case thaÌ„with the Iewes that they myghte optayne the hyghe priesthode by decepte by conspiracion offoren kynges oppressinge slayenge in the meane season
worthynesse yt is my mynde to praise some princes aboue the other For I iudge it to be pertaynynge to the duety of euery history wryter that he do nowe and than turne asyde into the rehearsall of the most best vertues and shewe them to the reader for a shewe as an example to folow Now in mens assaires can nothinge â—e more honeste nor more pleasaunt than the consyderacion and knowledge of princely vertues in great men Wherfore I woulde oure Germane Emperours were so set before the eyes of our Germanes that they myght know theyr vertues and wonder at them wonder it is how greatly the same wolde helpe and further to the amendement and also rayse a flame in the hartes of good men to folowe In my iudgement are these princes doutelesse suche whyche be worthy farre to be preferred before the auncient Romanes whether ye wyll regarde wysedome or strength or finally the endeuour of honesty and modestye The rehearsall of the Germane Emperours Carolus magnus Ludouicus pius the sonne of Carolus magnus â–ª After the syxe Saxons Henricus the fyrste Otho the greate Otho the second Otho the thyrd Henricus y â— .ij. which is buried at Bamberch Lotharius the Saxon. Item these Frankes Cunradus Henricus the sonne of Cunradus Item these Schwaben Fridericus Barbarossa Fridericus the second Afterward Rodolphus Sigismundus Maximilianus Of Germany and occasyon of the kyngdome of the Frankes ALl Germany was not subiecte to the empyre but had onely those contryes that are betwene the Rene and the Danow And much worke had the Emperoures before oure nacion could be subdued and kept For in the tyme of Augustus had Drusus warres and Germanicus afterwarde Caius and after him Vitellius Domitianus Traianus had subdued the lower Germany vntyll Moganus Maximinus was come vntyll Schwartzwald Valerianus was wyth an hoost in hygh Germany After hym vnder Galienus the Frankes beynge sett in a commotion began to ryse but by the Emperoures folowynge were theyr violences sometyme assuaged For Aurelianus vanquyshed them by Mayntz Probus had many and noble victoryes in lowe Germany Constantinus buylded the citye Spyre Iulianus Valentinianus and Theodosius dyd lykewyse subdue the Alemans Frankes and the contries that lye by the Rhene and toke in Schwaben land also But after that the power of the Frankes and Alemans begonne to encrease the Emperours returned not into Germany Some fable diuersly of the fyrst begynnynge of the Frankes but it is certayne that they were hyghe Germanes in Augustus tyme. For we haue no certaynty of the Germanes estate out of histories before Augustus But that the Frankes were in suche estimacion by the hygh Germanes that it can easely be proued out of Strabo who wrote an history in the tyme of Auguste and warrefared wyth the Romanes As for Strabo sayeth that the Frankes were ioynyng to the Vindelici that is Bayerlanders vpon the which they border partly at thys tyme also The commotion of the Frankes beganne by thys occasyon In the tyme of Galianus the Emperoure was Posthumus captayne in Germany the same was made Emperoure by the people for hys syngular honestye and vertues in gouernynge the empyre Galienus in the meane season lyued in ydelnesse and pleasure at Rome But whan Galienus hearde that Posthumus was made Emperoure he sent against hym an apointed army Posthumus likewyse commaunded his men to be in a readinesse among the whiche were euen the Frankes the principall And though Posthumus was afterwarde slayne priuely by an intrap yet the Frankes once prouoked to weapons remayned alway in the settyng forth to warre and came downe from Moganus to the Rene and ouer the Rene toke they first the citie Trier from the Romanes and afterwards went into fraunce But after that they had foughteÌ„ against Attila with the Romanes they were alway in great fauour wyth the Emperours in so muche â–ª that Iustinianus the Emperoure through a conuenaunt made with the Frankes suffred them to haue and inhabite that parte of Gallia whiche at this tyme is yet called Francia or Fraunce Wherefore the Frankes toke in both the contreis of the Ryne and parte of Fraunce and both the contreis were maynteined by one common kyngly gouernaunce The histories make euery where mencion of great prayses of the Frankes partely for their goodly polycy and prosperitie in gouernyng their kyngdome but specially because they embraced the Christen religioÌ„ in the begynnyg of the kyngdome and wylled it to be publyshed and spred abrode In the meane tyme dyd the Alemans decyuer from the Romyshe empyre also The Alemans were the hygh Germanes whiche now are called Schwaben Schweitzer Baier Therefore when the Romane Monarchy was sundered then was Germany first deuyded in Alemanes and Frankes But in the time of Pipine father to Charles the greate became the Frankes lordes of the Almaines and therfore as the empyre was thus deuided they called hygh Germany the Easte kyngdome and lowe Germany wyth Fraunce the West kyngdome And by thys partynge of the kyngdomes remayne the names yett in Germany The elders of Charles the greate were princes of Germany and Lordes of the courte and that more is the chefe gouernours by the kynges of the Frankes and by the commission of their office were called Grande maysters It is also sayed that thesame was theyr duchy dominion by enheritaunce where now is the countyshyp of Palatine about the Rene syde For certayne it is that the fyrst sprynge of the stocke of the Palatine commeth of Charles the greates yssue But at the last when the kyngly progeny decreassed and fayled by processe of tyme more and more and that these princes became more myghtyer it came topasse by the consent of the byshop of Rome that the gouernaunce of the kyngdome was brought ouer to the princes and Pipinus beyng made kyng of thys wyse gouerned both Germany and Fraunce When Pipinus was deade Charles surnamed the greate was kynge of the Frankes two and thyrty yeares before he was Emperoure and after that he was made Emperoure he reygned fourtene yeares Of this wyse reygned he both in the kingdome and empyre together .xlvi. yeares when they be counted together He was boren in Ingelheim in the county of Palatine not farre from the cytie Mentz In the begynnynge of his reigne warred he agaynst the Saracens in Gascon afterward warred he about thirty yeares with the Saxons the whiche he subdued at the last and made them to obeye the empyre embrace the ChristeÌ„ faith besyde other many and great battails whiche he had in the meane season also Desiderius kyng of the Lombardes coueted the dominion of whole Italy goyng to Rome caused some of the chefe cytesens to be put to death Wherfore Adrianus the byshop of Rome sendyng ambassadours to Charles desyred he woulde come and rydde Italy and Rome out of daunger For Pipinus the father of Charles had also before delyuered Rome from the tyranny
to excommunicate them only but also to put them from the empyre so that one can thynke no honestye in these dedes of the Romysh byshoppes specially yf ye ponder and way all the causes and reasons All these were excommunicated in a rowe and yet were they myghtye and wyse Emperoures that haue brought to passe great and notable thinges Henry the fourth a Franke. Henry the fyfth a Franke. Friderick the fyrst a Schwabe Philippe sonne to Frederick the fyrste Otho the iiii duke of Brunswig Friderick the .ii. Henry the .vi. sonne Conradus Fridericks sonne The yeare of Christe M.CC.xii. Otho beyng come agayne into Germany though he knew that the princes myndes were set agaynst him yet poynted he a day of parlament at Norinberg and admonyshed the princes that they shulde not graunt the bishops of Ro. that authoritye that they shulde put downe Emperoures at theyr pleasure for the empyre pertayneth not to Romysh byshops but to the Germane princes He brought some princes to his mynd with this admonition and fell vpon Herman erle of Thuryngen the father of erle Lewys to whome S. Elysabeth was spoused For erle Herman to do the Byshoppe of Rome pleasure set hymselfe agaynst the Emperour as a man condemned wyth byshoppe of Romes excommunicatyons and curses But afterwarde was Otho forsaken of all the princes except one erle of March in Misen For Fryderycke the yonger enemy to Otho was alreadye come into Germany besyde that by the byshoppe of Romes procurynge was the Frenche kynge in armes agaynste Otho But whan tydynges came to Otho of Frideryckes commyng he prepared hym to go agaynste hym into Alsasse and was wyth hys hooste at Brysacke howe beyte beynge destytute of all the ayde of hys he was constrayned to flye into Saxony But than repayring an hooste and beyng holpen of the kynge of Englande he went into low Germany agaynst the Frenche kynge of whome he was ouercome and dyed afterwarde the yeare M. CC. xviij He lyued wythout the tytles of thempyre .v. yeares Friderick the .ij. the .xxiiij. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CC. xiij was chosen Emperoure Friderick the .ii. of that name the sonne of Barbarossa kinge of Naples and Cicily and duke of Schwaben whan Otho was put downe and was crowned Emperoure at Achen He raygned seuen and twenty yeares Yet before he dyed was he depryued fyue yeares of the Empire by Innocentius the Bysh of Rome Noman can pitye ynough the case of thys laudable Emperoure that he was endued wyth many and noble vertues and yet in the mean season suffred he moost extreme and heuy persuinges of Romane byshops He was verye well learned in many languages For he knew perfectly the Latine Greke Germane and Saracens languages Besydes thys set he forth also the disciplines of good sciences He brought to passe that the boke of Ptolome called Almagestū was translated out of the Saracens language into Latyn and by that meanes the doctryne of Astronomye whyche noman had taughte many yeares before in Europa was brought to lighte Hys fyrste warre had he in Germanye agaynste Otho the .iiii. by the bishop of Romes counsel but he had the same rewarde for it that other Emperours afore him haue had The seconde warre had he in Brabant agaynste the duke of Brabant and Othoes adherentes and restored Lorain againe to the Germane empyre The yeare of oure lorde M. CC. xx was Fridericke crowned of Honorius the .iii. Emperoure Two erles in Tuscia had taken in some cityes that belonged to the empire the which whan Friderick had taken agayne the erles that were driuen out fled to Honorius bysh of Ro. who toke them in hys defence and commaunded Friderick to restore thē into the possession of the cityes that he had taken from them But whan Friderick refused that Honorius excommunicated hym settyng asyde all the former loue The yeare M. CC. xxii came Friderick again into Germany and holding a parlamēt at Wyrtzpurg he made Henry his yonger son felowgouernoure of the empyre and was crowned at Achen But afterwarde was the same Henry taken by his father because he had made a leage with certayn cityes of Lombardy agaynst the father while the father liued yet died he of y e filthinesse of the prison Though the city Hierusalem was now loste yet possessed the Christians other great and mighty cytyes in Siria But whan the power of the Turkes grewe dayly more more and the fortune of y e Christiās went back Ioannes came to Rome who had yet the title of y e king of Hierusalē and desyred ayde of Honorius the byshop of Rome and optayned by Honorius that Friderick who was accursed was absolued Wherefore Fridericke and the Germane princes consented frelye to make an armye for the delyueraunce of the cytye Hierusalem and the kyng of Hierusalem gaue Iole hys doughter in maryage to Friderick the Emperoure Whereby it commeth that yet at this houre the kynges of Sicily ascrybe to them the title of the realme of Hierusalem Fridericke the Emperour than went wyth a great army well furnyshed to Hierusalem and wyth hym many princes of Germany among the which was also Lewis y ◠landtgraue to whom S. Elisabeth was maried the same dyed in that settynge forth at Brundusium The yeare M. CC. xxviij went Fridericke to Hierusalem and dyd hys busynesse so that the Souldane gaue hym frely agayne not only Hierusalem but many other cytyes there about Friderick was crowned at Hierusalem the yeare M. C C. xxix He caused the citye Hierusalem to be made sure agaynste the power of the enemyes He made treuce with the Souldane for ten yeres All thys shewed he by a letter to the byshop of Ro. and requyred absolucion of the curse for by thys Gregorye was he accursed also I wote not for what title in the kingdome of Sicily But it was a small matter for the byshop of Rome to deny to the Emperoure the absolution for this gyle also or rather iniury had he done to Frederick being absent For he set y ◠Italian cities against him toke in by force some cityes in his patrimonial realme Naples By thys constraynt was Friderick driuē to come back agayn into Sicilye and to rescue his realme come by inheritaunce from feare of daunger Although the bysh of Ro. had ben sore dissoial against the Emperour in his absence yet required he absolution so lowly that he promysed he wolde holde the kyng dome of Sicily of him by fealtye Besydes this also caused he the princes of Germanye to come into Italy that at the least by them myght the debate betwen hym and the Emperour be alayed Therfore dyd Gregorius absolue the Emperour agayne the yeare of Christe M. CC. xxx After y c came the Emperour Friderick the thyrd time into Italy and warred in Eastenrich agaynst the Hungarians toke the eyty Vienne the which that she shuld be remain an emperial city he wold haue
season Mary quene of Hungary syster vnto the Emperours maiestie and lady RegeÌ„t of the lower partes of his dominioÌ„s prepared her selfe and wheÌ„ she had assembled a mighty company of pietons or footemen as well of the partes of hygh Germany as of the lower partes of Duchelande with an army of horsemen well appointed she marched with power into Picardy and hauyng destroyed that whiche was left in the lande she went and beseged the towne called S. Paule whiche lyeth in the borders and was also furnyshed by the kyng at his departyng from thence with foure thousand souldiours and certayne hundredes of horsemen And when they that were within y e towne made resistauÌ„ce against her she ouercame it with a strong assault and caused to be destroied whatsoeuer was a lyue within the towne except two of the chefe Capitaines which were caried away captiues But as touchyng the towne after it was spoyled by the souldiours it was set on fyre and burned downe to the grounde The seuen and twenty daye of Iune they went to the citie of Turwyne beseged the same But when the Frenche men dyd pryuely brynge into the Towne certayne Souldiours for the sanegarde of the same Towne and the Capitayne of the same retourned agayn by lyke to fetche more helpe they were takeÌ„ by y â— lady Maries warrious Anone violently destroyenge all that made resistaunce againste them murtheryng the men and viciatyng the women and the virgines whom also they caried away captiues with them After that they came also to the Ilande called Naxus wherein dwelled a Prince called Iohn Crispus who also wrote the sayde affaires to oure Potentates in Europa wyth a certayne exhortacion and warning there unto annexed whenche I also haue taken thys story But when the Turke offered peace vnto the sayde Prince promisyng not to hurte nor trouble hys subiectes in case he woulde gentely and wyllyngly yelde hym selfe vnder the obedience of the Turke the sayde Prince consideryng that he was to weake and notable to resyste suche great power not knowyng any helpe or assistaunce to bee loked for yelded hymselfe and hys subiectes to the Turke the eleuenth daye of Nouember on thys condition that he shoulde yearely paye vnto the Turke a tribute of fyue thousand guldens of gold When this was done the Turkyshe Armada retourned homewarde with a greate spoyle and abreption of Golde Syluer and many poore imprysoned Christians There was also the sayde yere of our lord God a thousand fyue hundreth thyrty and seuen an horrible and fearefull tempest at Heydelbery on the Necker lyeng in the Lower partes of the Palatines iurisdiction where the Electour by the Rhene kept his Courte For on Sainct Markes daye when euensonge was done rose a sodayne darkenyng of cloudes with an horrible noyse of wynde and immediately folowed a wether of Thonder and Lyghtenyng whiche lyghted within a Tower lyeng by the olde Castell of Heydelbergh wherein was muche gon poulder kept insomuche that the sayde poulder beyng set on fyre by the power of the sayde Thonder and Lyghtening the sayd Tower and Castell brast in sunder in y e twinkling of an eye and made suche an earthquake that within the Towne the dores and wyndowes were moued and flewe from the hinges so that the people thought none other but that the daye of dome had bene come And the stones of the walles were throwen here and there in the Towne by the reason whereof dyuerse persones runnynge out into the stretes and forsakynge theyr houses for feare least they shoulde fall downe on theyr heades were sore hurte and harmed There dwelled also in the olde Castell a couple of folkes wyth seven chyldren whereof fyue were hurte and two slayne out of hande And not farre from the newe Castell came a stone of the wall flyeng and slewe a man and cut awaye a foote of another man that was by hym In Englande was thys yeare begonne a collection for the poore and a greate nombre cured of many greuous diseases thorough the charitie thereof There was also in Englande a certayne frere called frere forest hanged and burned for treason and heresy IN the yeare of ourelorde MDxxxviij The eight day of February assembled at Rome Pope Paule with certayne Cardinalles Syr Iohn Mantry Marquys of Angilaria Oratour of themperous maiestie and atturnay for the same the kynges maiestie of the Romaines Syr Markes Anthomus Contarenus knight the imbassadours and attournays of the Duke and rulers of Venice in the name and power of their superiours whiche there coÌ„sulted together howe and by what meanes the Turke who did mightely enlarge hys empyre by his power myght be resisted Whereit was agreed and concluded that they would altogether prepare a great power both by lande and by water out of Italy whereof the Pope should main tayne and laye the syxt part the Emperours maiestie the ene half the Venetians the other third part and that there should by water be armed foure hundreth shyppes and gallees And to thintent that the Turke myght be so muche the easier ouercome kyng Ferdinando should with a strong army inuade hym in Hungary Besydes this should the Pope moue and exhorte Sigismonde kyng of the Poles to do his parte likewyse But as thesayde contracte and agreement was made with great preteÌ„ce â—o proceded it to small effect for it went forwarde very slenderly slowely as ye shall heare herafter The same yere when the Counsails betwene the Emperours maiestie the French kyng departed and could not agree of any durable stedfast peace the Pope himself toke y e matter in hand apointed both parties to mete in y e coastes of Italy orloÌ„bardy at the Citie of Nice Into the which themperours maiestie made his entraunce with great triumphe the .xv. day oâ— May. The next day entred the Pope into the saied citie also whose entraunce I do here gladly descrybe that al men may see and knowe howe that holy father folowed the steppes of hys predecessour Peter and of his maister Christ Fyrst there rode before hym two hundred men vpon the goodliest mules that migt be founde very gorgiously apparelled Then folowed .lx. Trompetters in yackettes of veluette costly sylkes and scarlette After them folowed hys garde and footemen with pertisanes apparailled in yelowe hauyng on their heades black veluer cappes with goodly Eastryche fethers After this folowed the Lorde great Maister of the Popes moste holy housholde very costely apparelled Then came the ryght swarme and rable in a long procession that is to say a great nombre of Monkes Freres and priestes with many relyques of dead sainctes And the last of them bare a lx burnyng candels of white waxe to lyghte before the blynde Idoll of Rome the Pope whiche was borne of many men in a Chayre garnyshed with fine golde and the Sacrament as they cal it in their abuse was borne before hym On both sydes of the borne Pope were
the administracion of the Germaynes had preserued in Ferdinandus kyngdom the same was by his owne Capitaynes and seruauntes betrayed and deliuered For many Launceknyghtes of the Germayne nation sawe with their eyes that the chief Capitaine of the Castell called Salamancko deliuered letters to the Turke with his owne handes ouer the walles at the tyme of the said assault Whereupon the Turkes came by heapes the .xix. day of August next folowyng to take the Castell in possession accordyng to the promise whiche the vpper Capitayne had made them whiche notwithstaÌ„dyng were put of agayn by the violence and power of the Germaines that knewe not of the sayde conspiracy commaunded the same sincerely and purely to bee preached thoroughout all his diocese and iurisdiction But this greued the Chapiter and the Citie of Collyn very sore wherfore they haue also hither to endeuoured them selues to worke vnto hym muche wo sorowe and persecution here and there by the hier powers God vouchsafe to preuente their bloudy counsailes and deuices and graunte them to be taken in their owne snares that his name in them may be sanctified Amen This yere also dyed at Ingolstade doctor Iohn Eckius a faithfull seruaunt and chaÌ„pion of the Pope and a defender of the abhominable Papacy But as his lyfe was full of all vngodlynes vnclennes blasphemy so was his ende myserable harde and pitifull insomuche that his laste worde as it is noted of many credible persones was this in case the foure thousand guldens were ready the matter were dispatched Some say that the Pope had grauÌ„ted hym a certaine Deanerych whiche he shoulde haue redemed from the courte of Rome with the saied summe And although some of his adherentes would fayne haue extolled hym into heauen wherfore also the sayde rumour was myghtely resisted with vayne excuses yet haue they not preuayled but opened his shame so muche the more the .xxvi. day of Nouember a certayn woman besydes Basell in a village called Renach brought furth a wonderfull burthen namely twoo chyldren fast together and double from the nauell vpwarde so that both their bellyes and brestes were growen together vnto their neckes their heades beyng parted lokinge one vpon an other and embrasing eche other with their armes FroÌ„ the nauel downeward it was but one childe wyth one arse membres of a manchilde â–ª two legges and two fete the one was alyue when it came into the worlde but it lyued not past an houre Also the fourth day of Iune were sene at WhiteÌ„ dall not far froÌ„ S. Ioachinis valley many sundry visions As .ii. cities against whoÌ„ 〈…〉 many LyoÌ„s with gonnes the reapeared many visages figures of men w t wonderful beardes one prayeng after the shape of Christ an other striking of a maÌ„s head an other sitting vpon a Camell was destroied of a lyon There apeared also .ij. maidens the one of theÌ„ playeng on a lute with other like wonderfull fantasies whiche altogether after my iudgement may represent vnto vs the pore flock of Christ scattered through out Germany DuchlaÌ„d which is assaulted persecuted of many lyons that shede much in noceÌ„t bloud yet is alwaies preserued enlarged through the earnest prayer of faithfull Christians according to the significacion of the lesser citie of theÌ„ both which increassed became larger larger the more she was assaulted of the lyons IN the yere of our lord 1544. the Emperoure Charles came againe into Germany heloâ— a councell at Spier as it was apointed at Nurrenburg the yere before but what was there done concluded may all men perceiue by the breakyng vp of the same councell In the meane season dyed y â— right peaceable prince Lodowike Palatine by y â— Rene electour imperial c. who as touchiÌ„g his peaceable behaueours might be called the father of the Empire For the celebration of whose buriall themperour the kyng went to Heidelbergh And after this was the election by the Rene graunted by the Emperours mai to duke Frederike palatiâ—e which had the daughter of Christierne king of DeÌ„mark had hitherto kept his court at Newemarke This â—andable prince after y â— he had aspired to this digniâ—â—â— endeuoured himselfe to y â— vtermost of his power to solowe the steppes of his brother of laudable memory Almighty God vouchsaue of his grace to preserue increase hym all lyke peaceable princes to the welfare of the christen common welth While this passed about the Rene themperoure caused his capitaines to take vp a great multitude of meÌ„ in the coÌ„treis of Germany BurguÌ„dy Spaine a sent first 7600. Germayns 4800. Spanyardes 12800. Italians with 1500. horses of whoÌ„ was chief capitain markes de quassâ— to inuaded the Frenche kyng through Piemont And where the said army came within a duche myle of Carniol for so it is called of the warriours they were assaulted of the kynges hoste whiche was but litell stronger then themperours hoste Wherfore they brought themselues bothe at once in battellraye stode on two hilles whence the one might well beholde the other betwene them beneth was a depe muddy valley with dyches full of foul water Nowe when neither part would geue ouer his holde aueÌ„ture through the mudde the dyches there was many a shot made betwene them vntyll at the last the said Markes put furward the Spanyardes promising them comfortably to assiste them with the Italians and with the horsemen insomuch that they attempted with their armures and artillery to wade thorough the mudde and myre against their enemies whereupon the sayde enemies stoode styll vntyll they sawe the Emperours hooste troubled and pestered in the myre in suche sorte as they could kepe none ordre for euery man had ynough to do to saue hymselfe out of the mudde Then went they downe easely with their ordinaunce fell vpon theÌ„ that were entangled toke certaine horsemeÌ„ whiche had brokeÌ„ the aray that was made agayn And vpon this they russhed among them without violence Nowe when the Duchemen and the Spanyardes trusted that theyr superiours woulde succour them wyth the Italians and the horsmen the sayde bolde and stoute champion turned hys backe with them and fled sufferyng thesayde poore men to perysh without any succour So that in this battayll were slayne about .viij. M. Dutchemen and Spanyardes among whom were many olde expert warriours and .ij. M. of them were taken prysoners whiche were well intreated of the Swychers as prysoners by them coÌ„ducted out of the kynges dominions vntill they came within a littell dayes yourney of Geneue And if the Swychers had not shewed them suche kyndnes they had bene all kylled of the Frenchemen besides that they were so taken spoyled of all thinges euen to their shertes Wherfore they be herein muche bounde to thanke the Swytchers After this when the conuocatioÌ„ or counsaill was coÌ„cluded at Spyers euery prince