thus subdued sued for pardon and release at the conquerours hand but he was so farre from pitying his estate that hee corrupted one Iringus a noble man and Irminfrides subiect to murder his master which he perfourmed kneeling before Theodoricke running him through with his sword at his backe which traiterous deed assoone as it was finished Theodoricke though the setter of it yet hee could not abide the actour but bad him be packing for who could put trust in him that had betraied his owne master At which words Iringus mad with anger and rage ran at Theodoricke also with purpose to haue slaine him too but his hand missing the marke returned his sword into his owne bowels so that he fell downe dead vpon his masters carkasse What more notable and wonderfull iudgement could happen surely it is an example worthy to be written in golden letters to be read and remembred of euery one to teach men allegiance and obedience to their princes and superiors least more sudden destruction than this fall vpon them Tit. Liuius After the death of Ieronimus king of Siracusa Andronodorus and Themistius prouoked by their wiues descending of the blood roiall affected an vsurpation of the crowne and wrought much hurt to the common wealth but their practises being discouered the Pretours by the consent of the Seniours slew them both in the market place as rotten members of their common body and therefore fit to be cut off And when they vnderstood how their wiues Damarata and Harmonia were breeders and incensers of this mischiefe they sent to kill them also yea and Heraclia Harmonia her sister guiltlesse and witlesse of the crime for no other cause but because shee was sister vnto her was pluckt from the altar and slaine in the tumult with two of her daughters that were virgins And thus is treason plagued not only in traitors themselues but also in those that are linked vnto them in friendship and affinity The glory and reputation of Fabritius the Romane is eternized by that noble act of his Cic. offic lib. 9. in sending bound to Pyrrhus a traitour that offered to poison him For albeit that Pyrrhus was a sworne enemy to the Romane Empire and also made warre vpon it yet would not Fabritius treacherously seeke his destruction but sent backe the traitour vnto him to be punished at his discretion What notable treasons did Hadrian the fourth Pope of Rome practise against the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa yet all was still frustrate for the Lord protected the Emperour and punished the traitour with a sudden and straunge death for he was choked with a fly which went downe his throat and stopped his breath and could by no meanes be pulled out till it made an end of him Besides many others that went abour the same practise were brought to notable destructions as that counterfait foole whome the Italians set on to murder Fredericke in his chamber which had beene perfourmed had he not leaped out of a window into a riuer and so saued his life for the foole being taken was throwne headlong out of the same window and broke his necke As also an Arabian doctor a grand poisoner who going about to infect with poison his bridle his saddle his spurs and stirrops that assoone as hee should but touch them he might be poisoned was discouered and hanged for his labour In the yeere of our Lord 1364 Albert. Crantz when as the Emperour Charles the 4 and Philip duke of Austria were readie to ioine battaile in the field Charles distrusting his owne power vndermined his foe by subtilty on this fashion he sent for three of duke Philips captains priuily perswaded them with promises of rewards to worke some means to terrifie the duke dissuade him from that battell which they performed with all diligence for they told the duke that they had stolne into the Emperors tents by night viewed his power which they found to exceed his by three parts and therefore counselled him not to trie the hazard of the battell but to saue his souldiers liues by flight which if they tarried they were sure to loose Wherewithall the Duke mistrusting no fraud sore affrighted tooke the next occasion of flight returned home with dishonour Now when these three traitours came to the Emperour for their compacted rewards he caused them to be paid in counterfait mony not equiualing the summe of their bargaine by the twentieth part which though at first they discerned not yet afterwards finding how they were cousened they returned to require their due and complaine of their wrong But the Emperor looking sternly vpon them answered That counterfait mony was good enough for their counterfait seruice and that if they tarried long they should haue a due reward of their treason CHAP. III. More examples of the same subiect WHen Manuel the Emperour of Constantinople lay about Antioch with an army prepared against the Turke Otto Frisingensis de rebus Freder prin lib. 1. cap. 47. one of his chiefest officers namely his Chancellour put in practise this notable piece of treason against him he waged three desperate yong men with an infinite summe of mony to kill him on a day appointed and then with a band of souldiers determined to possesse himselfe of the crowne and of the city and to slay all that any way crossed his purpose But the treason being discouered secretly to the Empresse shee acquainted her lord with it who tooke the three traitours and put them all to cruell deaths and as for the Chancellour he first bored out his eyes and plucking his tongue through his throat tormented him to death with a rigorous and most miserable punishment When the Turke besieged Alba Graca certaine souldiors conspired to betray the citie into his hands Bonfiâ—â—us lib 3. Decad. 5. for hee had promised them large rewards so to doe howbeit it succeeded not with them for they were detected and apprehended by Paulus Kynisius gouernour of Hungarie who constrained theÌ„ to eat one anothers flesh seething euery day one to feed the other withall but hee that was last was faine to deuour his owne body Scr bonianus a Captaine of the Romanes in Dalmatia rebelled against the Emperour Claudius Lanquet chron and named himselfe Emperour in the â—rmy but his rebellion was miraculously punished for though the whole army fauoured him verie much yet they could not by any meanes spread their banners or remoue their standerds out of their places as long as hee was called by the name of Emperour with which miracle being mooued they turned their loues into hatred and their liking into loathing so that whome lately they saluted as Emperour him now they murdered as a traitor To rehearse all the English traitors that haue conspired against their kings from the conquest vnto this day Lanquet it is a thing vnnecessarie and almost impossible Howbeit that their destructions may appeare more euidently and the cutse of God vpon traitors bee made
Heraclius hauing raigned Emperour but one yeere was poisoned by his stepmother Martina Zonoras tom 3. to the end to install her owne sonne Heraclon in the crowne but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to haue her or her sonne raigne ouer them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the city Fausta the wife of Constantine the Great fell in loue with Constantine her sonne in law begotten vpon a concubine Zonoras 3. Annal. Sex Aur. whom when she could not persuade vnto her lust shee accused vnto the Emperour as a sollicitour of her chastitie for which cause hee was condemned to die but after the truth was knowen Constantinus put her into a hote bath and suffered her not to come forth vntill the heat had choaked her reuenging vpon her head his sonnes death and her owne vnchastitie CHAP. XII Of Subiect Murderers SEing then they that take away their neighbours liues doe not escape vnpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs folow that if they to whom the sword of iustice is committed by God to represse wrongs and chastise vices doe giue ouer themselues to cruelties and to kill and slay those whome they ought in duty to protect and defend must receiue a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to haue bene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody minded as contrary to all iustice to put to death Abimelech the high priest with fourescore and fiue other priests of the family of his father 1. Sam. 22. onely for receiuing Dauid into his house small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied herewith h◠vomited out his rage also against the whol city of the priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any Hee slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that lād yet because they were receiued into league of amity by a solemne oth and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not haue bene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore he tyranizing and playing the butcher amongst his own subiects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter practising many other foul enormities he was at the last ouercome of the Philistims sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall aliue into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands vpon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sonnes and they that followed him of his owne houshold were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body despoiled among the carcasses beheaded it and caried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung vp the trunke in disgrace in one of their cities to be seene lookt vpon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in king Dauids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause whereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed vpon the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. wherefore Dauid deliuered Sauls seuen sonnes into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is euen to hanging Amongst all the sinnes of king Achab and Iezabel which were many and great 1. King 21. the murder of Naboth standeth in the forefront for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserue death yet by the subtill and wicked deuise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the warre which hee made with the king of Siria receiued so deadly a wound that hee died thereof the dogges licking vp his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked 2. King 9. according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whome her owne seruants at the commandement of Iehu whome God had made executour of his wrath threw headlong out of an high window vnto the ground so that the walls were died with her blood and the horses trampled her vnder their feet and dogs deuoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing sauing only her scull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iudah being after his fathers death possessed of the crowne and scepter of Iudah 2. Chron. 21. by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many princes of the realme for which cause God stirred vp the Edomites to rebell the Philistims and Arabians to make war against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wiues and children the yongest only excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned king but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his owne brethren hee committed crueltie against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeeres that his very entrails issued out with torment and so died in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we haue already touched the pride and arrogancie of king Alexander the Great yet wee can not pretermit to speake of him in this place his example seruing so fit for the present subiect for although as touching the rest of his life hee was verie well gouerned in his priuat actions as a monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeeres but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not only towards strangers as the Cosseis whome he destroied to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loued hi◠and diuers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neare friends he had put to death neuer ceased vntill he both ministred a deadly draught vnto himselfe Iustine whereby he depriued him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wiues and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full reuenge Phalaris the tyrant of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes Oros then horrible cruelties exercised vpon his owne subiects inuenting euery day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus an artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry fauour with him deuised a new torment
sole possessor of the whole Island after this he inuaded many other Islands besides many cities in the same land he raised the Lacedemonians from the siege of Samos which they had begirt And when hee saw that all things fell out so well to his owne wish that nothing could be more fearing so great prosperity could not but carry in the taile some terrible sting of aduersitie and mischance attempted by voluntary losse of something of value to preuent the mischiefe which he feared to ensue and this by the aduise of his deare friend and ally the king of Aegypt therefore hee threw a ring which hee had in great price into the sea to the end to delude fortune as he thought thereby but the ring was after found in a fishes belly and offered as a present vnto him and this was an euident presage of some ineuitable misfortune that waited for him neither did it proue vaine and friuolous for hee was hanged vpon a gibbet of Sardis by the commandement of Orates the gouernour of the city who vnder pretence of friendship and coulor of rendering his treasure into his hands and bestowing vpon him a great part thereof promising also to passe the rest of his daies vnder his wing for fear of the rage of Cambises drew him to come priuately to speak with him and so easily wrought his will vpon him Aristodemus got into his hands the gouernment of Cuma Dionâ—s Halicar lib. 7. after hee had made away the principall of the citie and to keepe it the better being obtained hee first won the vulgars hearts by presents then banished out of the Citie their children whome hee had put to death and entertained the rest of the youth with such varietie of pleasures and delights that by those deuises hee kept himselfe in his tyrannous estate many yeares but assoone as the children of those slaine Citizens were growne to ripe yeares of strength and discretion being desirous to reuenge their fathers deaths they set vpon him in the night so at vnawares that they put him and all his family to the slaughter Plutarch Tymophanes vsurped a principality power and rule in Corinth a free citie and became so odious thereby to the whole people yea and to his owne brother Tymoleon also that laying aside all respect of nature hee slew him with his owne hands preferring the libertie of his countrie before any vnity or bond of bloud When the cities of Greece sayth Orosius would needes through too greedie a desire and Ambition of raigne Lib. 3. cap. 12. get euery one the maisterie and soueraigntie of the rest they altogither made shipracke of their owne liberties by encroching vpon others as for instance The Lacedemonians how hurtfull and vncommodious the desire of bringing their neighbour adioining citties vnder their dominion was vnto them the sundrie discomfitures and distresses within the time of that warre vndertaken vpon that onely cause befell them Oros lâ—b 3. ca. 2. beare sufficient record Seruius Tullus the sonne to a bondman addicted himselfe so much to the exploits of warre that by Prowesse hee got so great credite and reputation among the Romanes that hee was thought worthie to bee made the sonne in law of king Tarquinius by marrying one of his daughters Titus Liuius after whose death hee also vsurped the crowne vnder colour of the Protectorship of the kings two yong sonnes Who when they came to age and bignesse maried the daughters of their brother in law Tullius by whose exhortation and continuall prouokement the elder of them which was called Tarquinius conspired against his father in law and practised to make himselfe king and to recouer his rightfull inheritance and that by this means he watched his oportunitie when the greatest part of the people were out of the citie about gathering their fruit in the fields and then placing his companions in readinesse to serue his turne if need should be he marched to the pallace in the roiall robes guarded with a company of his confederats and hauing called a Senate as hee began to complaine him of the trecherie and impudencie of Tullius behold Tullius himselfe came in would haue run violently vpon him but Tarquinius catching him about the middle threw him headlong down the staires and presently sent certaine of his guard to make an end of the murder which hee had begun But herein the cruelty of Tullia was most monstrous that not only first moued her husband to this bloudy practise but also made her coach to be driuen ouer the body of her father which lay bleeding in the middest of the street scarce dead Manlius after hee had maintained the fortresse of Rome against the Gaules glorying in that action Parricide lib â— cap. 11. and enuying the good hap and prosperity of Camillus went about to make himselfe king vnder pretence of restoring the people to their ancient entire libertie but his practise being discouered he was accused found guiltie and by the consent of the multitude adiudged to be throwne headlong downe from the top of the same fortresse to the end that the same place which gaue him great glory might bee a witnesse and memoriall of his shame and last confusion for all his valiant deedes before done were not of so much force with the people to excuse his fault or saue his life as this one crime was of weight to bring him to his death In former times there liued in Carthage one Hanno Oros lib. 4. c. 6. who because hee had more riches than all the Commonwealth beside began to aspire to the domination of the citie which the better to accomplish he deuised to make shew of marrying his only daughter to the end that at the mariage feast he might poyson the chiefest men of credit and power of the citie whome hee knew could or would any waies withstand or countermand his purpose but when this deuise tooke no effect by reason of the discouerie thereof by certain of his seruants he sought another meanes to effect his will He got togither a huge number of bondslaues and seruants which should at a sodaine put him in possession of the citie but being preuented herein also by the citizens hee seased vpon a castle with a thousand men of base regard euen seruants for the most part whither thinking to draw the Affricanes and king of the Moores to his succour he was taken first whipped next had his eies thrust out and then his armes and legs broken in peeces and so was executed to death before al the people his carcas being thus mangled with blows was hanged vpon a gallowes and all his kindred and children put to death that there might not one remaine of his straine either to enterprise the like deed or to reuenge his death That great and fearefull warriour Iulius Caesar one of the most hardie and valiants peeces of flesh that euer was after he had performed so many notable exploits ouercome all his enemies
his princes and his wiues and concubines might drinke therein exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of heauen boasting in his Idols of earth therfore God being stirred vp to wrath against him appointed his destruction euen whilst he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his iolity and caused a strange and fearfull signe to appeare before his eies a bodilesse handwriting vpon the wall ouer against the candlestick The words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdom which presently ensued for the very same night he was murdred and the scepter seased vpon by Darius king of Media CHAP. XI Of the kings which in hatred to the law and religion of God afflicted the Iewes in the time of the Machabees 1. Mach. 2. 6. ANtiochus by sirname Epiphanes or excellent though by truer report of people contemptuously intituled the furious king of Asia being venimously enraged against the Iewes began at the first marueilously to oppresse them to rob and spoile their temple and to slaughter the people About ten yeeres after deceiuing the poore people with faire and smooth words couers of most vile and wretched treason whilst they imagined no mischiefe he set vpon them in such cruell sort that the losse desolation which they endured at that time was inestimable for besides the destruction of Ierusalem their city the slaughter of infinite multitudes of their people and the captiuitie of women and infants as if all these were not enough there was yet another misery to make vp the full sum worse then all the rest which was this The cursed tyrant seeing his purpose not to take the full effect commaunded euery where that all his subiects I meane the Iewes should forsake and abiure the law of God be vnited into one religion with the infidels By meanes of which edict the religion of God was defaced the bookes of his law rent and burned and those with whome any such books were found rigorously put to death Which fearfull crueltie when the Iewes perceiued it caused many of them to wax faint hearted to giue themselues ouer to wallow in the durty fashions of the vncircūcised idolaters in their madnes to subscribe to the vniust lawes of the vile monster Now after he had committed all these outrages he was repulsed with dishonour frō the city Elymais in Persia which he went about to spoile rob and forced to fly to Babylon where after tidings of the ouerthrow of his two armies in Iudea with grief despite he ended his daies Antiochus the sonne of this wretched father 1. Mach. 6. succeeding him as in his kingdom so in wickednes periury disloialty when to the end to consult about his own affaires he cōcluded a peace with the Iewes by solemne oath as well of himselfe as his princes confirmed the free exercise of their religiō behold suddenly he falsified his plighted sworn faith vndid all that euer he had done but it was not long ere he also was ouertaken by the army of Demetrius togither with Lysias his gouernor put to death A while after reigned Alexander his brother 1. Mach. 11. who whilst hee was encumbred with the troubles of Cilicia that reuolted from him the king of Aegypt his father in law came traiterously to forestall him of his kingdome tooke his wife gaue her to his deadliest enemy and afterward gaue him battell discomfited his forces and droue him to flie into Arabia for safety where in stead of help he found an hatchet to chop off his head which was sent for a present to gratifie the king of Aegypt withall Not long after Antiochus his son recouered 1. Mach. 13. the scepter of his father but alas his reign endured but a small space for being yet but a yong child he was slaine by Triphon in the way as he led him to war against the Iews and thus perished the cursed race of Antiochus which felt Gods wrath vpon it euen to the third generation Antiochus the son of Demetrius of whom mention was made but a litle before after he had chased Triphon from the kingdome of Asia which he vsurped 2. Mach. 5. and broken the league which he had made with the Iewes gaue himselfe wholly to worke them misceiefe Therfore comming against Ierusalem he tooke it by force commanding his souldiers to put all to death that were within the same So that within three daies there was such a massacre of young and old men women and children that the number of the slaine arose to fourescore thousand carcasses After this hauing executed many more villanies against this people in so much as to make them renounce the lavv of God putting them cruelly to death that did not obey his commandement It came to passe that this cruell tyrant was first of all pur to flight by the inhabitants of Persepolis a city of Persia for going about to rob their temple of their treasures next endamaged by an ouerthrow of his armie in Iudea which he no sooner vnderstood but he tooke counsell in his fury how to be reuenged on Ierusalem and belched forth bitter threats against it But in the meane while the Lord stroke him with a sudden incurable plague surprised him with a horrible torment of his entrails Howbeit for all this he ceased not his malitious enterprisse but hasted forward his iourny towards the Iews with such egernesse that in the way he fell out of his charriot bruised so his body that it became putrified so full of corruption that very vermine scrawled out therof and the rotten flesh dropped peecemeale away no man no nor himselfe being able to endure the stinch therof Then was he constrained in the midst of his torments to confesse that it was meet that he should submit himselfe vnto God that he which is mortall ought not to exalt himselfe so high as to compare with the immortall God and in this estate this reprobate ended his wicked daies by a strange and most miserable kind of death CHAP. XII Of those that persecuted the sonne of God and his Church IF they who in the law iniured and persecuted the Church of God were punished according to their deserts as we haue already heard is it any maruell then if the enemies persecuters of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus which labour by all meanes to discountenance and frustrate his religion and to oppresse his Church do feele the heauy fearfull vengeance of God vpon them for their wickednes vnbeliefe No verily for he that honoreth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him and is guilty therfore before God of impiety prophanesse From this hamous crime king Herod in no wise can be exempted that caused all the infants of Bethlehem of two yeres old vnder to be cruelly murdred Mat. 2. in hope therby to put the true Messias and sauiour of the world to death For which deed accompanied
images or pictures and such other outward and corruptible meanes which hee hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproouing the folly and vanity of idolatours saith Chap. 40.18 To whome will you liken God or what similitude will you set vp vnto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that vnder pretence and colour of his owne name any image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconuenient but also absurd and vnseemely much lesse can he abide to haue them worshipped vnder the name and title of any creature whatsoeuer And for this cause gaue he the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. which prohibition the Israelielits brake in the desert when they set vp a golden calfe bowed themselues before it after the maner of the Painyms giuing it the honour which was only due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almightie God Exod. 32. who is strong and iealous of suffering any such slander to be done vnto his name wherefore hee caused three thousand of them to be stroken wounded to death by the hand of the Leuits at the commaundement of Moses to make his anger against idolatrie more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his reuenge who were ordained for the ministery of his Church and the seruice of the altar and tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell backe into the same sinne and bowed themselues before strange gods through the allurements of the daughters of Moab ioyned themselues to Belphegor Num. 25. for which cause the Lord being incensed stroke them with so grieuous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise hee had forbidden and threatned them for cleauing to the idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serue Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was enflamed against them and hee gaue them ouer to be a spoile and prey vnto their enemies on euery side so that for many yeeres sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and euer after the death of any of their Iudges and rulers which God raised vp for their deliuerance some grieuous punishment befell them for then being without law or gouernment euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to haue some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenessâ— of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God then any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore wee place them in this rancke as well as they that haue beene alwaies brought vp and nuzled in Idolatrie 2. Chron. 22. One of this crew was Ochosias king of Iuda sonne of Ioram who hauing before him an euill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing vp of his mother Athaliah who togither with the house of Achab pricked him forward to euill ioyned himselfe to them and to their idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment destruction with Ioram the king of Israel whome Iehu slew togither with the princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath bene the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially vnder Ioachas sonne of Iosias 2. King 23. that raigned not aboue three moneths in Ierusalem before hee was taken and led captiue into Aegypt by the king thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the king of Aegypt And not long after it was vtterly destroied by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and caried king Ioaâ—him with his mother his princes his seruants and the treasures of the temple and his owne house into Babylon And finally 2. King 24.25 tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eies caused his sonnes to be slaine which assoone as he had beheld commaunded him also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of iron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the princes of Iuda to the sword consuming with fire the temple with the kings pallace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogatiue consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was neuer reestablished by God but begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calues Vide lib. 1. c. 19. which as his successours maintained and fauoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured vp in Idoll worship after the example of his father 1 King 15.27 receiued a condigne punishment for his iniquitie for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the offspring of Ieroboamâ— house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better then those whome he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whome Zambri one of his seruants slew And this againe vsurping the crowne enioyed it but seuen daies at the end whereof seeing himselfe in daunger in the citie Tirza taken by Amri whome the people had chosen for their king went into the pallace of the kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab hee multiplied idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse then all his predecessours wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against hiâ— and his for hee himselfe was wounded to death in battaile by the Sitians his sonne Ioram slaine by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their gouernours and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Aboue all a most notable and manifest example of Gods iudgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had beene his spurre and prouoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuches and most trustie seruants at the commandement of Iehu shee was thrown downe out of a window and trampled vnder the horse seer and last of all deuoured of dogges Moreouer the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murdered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the king of Assyria and afterward inuaded and subuerted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they neuer returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abominable idolatrie which ought to be a lesson to all people princes and kings that seeing God spared not these two realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroied and rooted them out from the earth
touching Murder which is by the second commaundement of the second table forbidden in these words Exod. 21. Thou shalt not kill the Lord denounceth this iudgement vpon it that he which striketh a man that hee dieth shall die the death And this is correspondent to that edict which he gaue to Noah presently after the vniuersall flood to suppresse that generall crueltie which had taken root from the beginning in Cain and his posterity being carefull for mans life Gen. 9. saying That hee will require the blood of man at the hands of either man or beast that killeth him adding moreouer That whosoeuer sheddeth mans blood by man also his blood shall be shed seeing that God created him after his owne image which he would not haue to be basely accounted of but deare and pretious vnto vs. Exod. 21. If then the bruit and vnreasonable creatures are not exempted from the sentence of death pronounced in the law if they chance to kill a man How much more punishable then is man endued with will reason when maliciously and aduisedly he taketh away the life of his neighbour But the hainousnes greatnes of this sinne is most liuely expressed by that ordinance of God set downe in the 21 of Deuteronomie where it is enioyned That if a man be found slaine in the field Deut. 21. and it be not knowen who it was that slue him then the Elders and Iudges of the next towne assembling togither should offer vp an expiatorie sacrifice by the hands of the priests to demand pardon for that cruell murder that the guilt of innocent blood might not be imputed vnto them And if by ouersight or negligence without any malice hatred or pretence one killed another yet was he not exempted from all punishment Num. 35. but suffered to fly to the citie of refuge to be kept and as it were inclosed vntill his innocencie were made manifest or at the least vntill the death of the high priest From this it may seeme arose the custome of Painyms in the like case which was that if a man vnwillingly had committed murder hee did presently auoid the countrey and go vnto some man of power and authority of a straunge nation and present himselfe at his gate sitting with his face couered humbly intreating pardon and reconciliation for his murder and for one whole yeere hee might not returne into his owne counrrey On this manner was the sonne of a certaine king of Phrygia entertained in king Craesus court Herod lib. 1. who vnaduisedly had slaine his owne brother Whereby it is manifest how odious and execrable in all ages and all places and all people this homicide and murder hath beene insomuch that men did shun their very meeting and companie and abandon them out of their temples and publicke assemblies as people excommunicate and prophane And yet for all this mankind for the most part like sauagde beasts hath by the instigation of that wicked spirit who was a murderer from the beginning bene too too addicted to this kind of cruelty not being afraid to offer violence to nature and shed innocent blood Such was the franticke peruerse crueltie of the second man Cain Gen. 4. when without any occasion but only through enuy he slew his only brother Abel and that traiterously which deed albeit it was done in secret and without the view of men yet it could not shun the piercing eie of God who reprooued him for it saying That the blood of Abell cried for vengeance from the earth And although this cursed and wicked murderer receiued not immediatly a condigne punishment answerable to his crime God to the end to spare mans blood vsing vndeserued fauour towards him yet escaped he not scotfree for he was pursued with a continuall torment and sting of conscience togither with such an incessant feare that he became a vagabond and a runnagate vpon the earth and seeing himselfe brought into so miserable an estate he fell to complaining that the punishment was greater then he was able to beare Thus God permitted this wretch to draw out his life in such anguish that for a greater punishment he might pine away the rest of his daies without comfort A man may find in this world many such brother-murdering Cains who for no occasion sticke not to cut their throats whom for the bond of common nature wherein all men are linked togither as branches of one root they ought to acknowledge for their brethrē friends vpon whome the heauie hand of God hath not beene more slacke to punish either by one means or other then it was vpon their eldest brother Cain But seeing the number of them is so great and it is not so conuenienr to heap vp here so huge a multitude togither it shall suffice only to recount the most famous and notablest of them as of those that haue ben men of note and reputation in the world or that through an ambitious desire of raigning haue by armes sought to atchieue their purposes for these for the most part are the greatest murderers and butchers of all that through their wicked affections worldly pomp or desire of reuenge haue no remorse of making the blood of men runne like riuers vpon the earth making no more account of the life of a man then of a fly or a worme Iudg. 9. Such an one was Abimelech one of the sonnes of Gedeon who to the end to vsurpe the regiment of the people which his father before him refused got togither a rout of rascall vile fellowes by whose aid comming to his fathers house hee slew seuenty of his brethren euen all except Ioathan the yongest that stole away and hid himselfe After which massacre hee raigned in iollitie three yeeres and at the end thereof was cut short by God togither with the Sichemites his prouokers and maintainers who were also guiltie of all the innocent blood which hee had shed for God sent the spirit of diuision betwixt them so that the Sichemites began to despise him and rebell against him but they had the worst end of the staffe and were ouercome by him who pursuing the victory tooke their citie by force and put them all to the edge of the sword And after hee had thus destroied their citie put fire also to the castle wherein he consumed neere about a thousand persons of men and women that were retired thither to saue their liues And thus God brought vpon them the mischiefe which they had consented and put their hands vnto For as they had lent him aid and furtherance to the shedding of his breethrens blood so was their own blood with their wiues and childrens shed by him yet this tyrant not content therewith made warre also with the inhabitants of Tebez and tooke their city and would haue forced the tower also wherein the citizens had inclosed themselues but as he approched to the wall a woman threw downe a peece of a milstone vpon
by the Romans after he had made war vpon them six yeares At his returne to Epire he reentred by violence Macedonia tooke many places ouercame the army of king Antigonus that resisted him and had all the whole Realme rendered into his hand Being intreated by Cleominus to make warre vpon Sparta to the end to reinstall him in his kingdome which hee was depriued of forthwith he mustered his forces besieged the city and spoiled and wasted all the whole country Afterwards there being a sedition raised in the city Argos betweene two of the chiefest citizens one of the which sent vnto him for aid hee what issue soeuer was like to ensue whether victorie or vanquishment could not abide in peace from disquieting others and himselfe but must needes goe to take part in that sedition but to his cost euen to his destruction For first in his way hee found an euill-fauoured welcome by an Ambush placed of purpose to interrupt his iourney amongst whom he lost his sonne which mishap nothing dismaied him nor abated any whit of his purpose or courage from pursuing this iourney to Argos though the citizens themselues intreated him to retire and though he had no businesse there saue only to looke ouer the towne being arriued by night finding a gate left open for him to enter by by the means of him that had sent for him to his aid hee put his souldiors in and possessed himselfe of the towne incontinently But the city being aided by Antigonus and the king of Sparta charged and pressed him so sore that he sought meanes to retire out of the same but could not At which time being about ro strike a yoong man of the citie that had done him some hurt his mother being aloft vpon the roofe of an house perceiuing his intent threw downe a tile with both her handes vpon his head and hat him such a knocke vpon the necke through default of his armour that it so brused his ioints that hee fell into a suddaine sound lost his sight his raines falling out of his hand he himselfe tumbling frō his saddle vpō the ground which whē some of the souldiors perceiued they drew him out of the gate there to make an end of the tragedy cut off his head The cruelty of the Ephori was maruellous strange when being vnwilling once to heare the equality of lands and possessions to be named Plutarch which Agis their king for the good of the Common-wealth according to the ancient custome and ordinance of Licurgus sought to restore they rose vp against him cast him in prison and there without any processe or form of law strāgled him to death with his mother grandfather But it cost them very deare for Cleomenes who was ioint king with Agis albeit he had consented to the weauing of that web himselfe to the end hee might raigne alone yet ceased hee not to prosecute reuenge vpon them which hee did not only by his daily vsual practises openly but also priuily for taking them once at auantage being at supper all togither he caused his men to kill thē sodainly as they sat And thus was the good king Agis reuenged But this last murderer which was soullied and polluted with so much blood he went not long vnpunished for his misdeeds for soone after Antigonus king of Macedonia gaue him a great ouerthrow in a battaile wherein hee lost Sparta his chiefe citie and fled into Aegypt for succour where after small abode vpon an accusation laid against him he was cast into prison and though he scaped out with his company by cunning craft yet as he walked vp down Alexandria in armour in hope that through his seditious practises the citizens would take his part helpe to restore him to his liberty when he perceiued it was nothing so but that euery man forsooke him that there was no hope left of recouerie he commanded his men to kill one another as they did In which desperate furie and rage he himselfe was slaine and his body being found was commanded by king Ptolomy to be hanged on a gibbet and his mother wiues and children that came with him into Aegypt to bee put to death And this was the tragicall end of Cleomenes king of Sparta Alexander the tyrant of Pheres neuer ceased to marke spie out al occasions of war against the people of Thessaly Plutarch to the end to bring thē generally in subiectiō vnder his dominiō he was a most bloody cruel minded mā hauing neither regard of reason or iustice in any action In his cruelty he buried some aliue others he clothed in beares bores skins then set dogs at their tailes to rent thē in peeces others he vsed in way of pastime to strike through with darts and arrows And one day as the inhabitāts of a certain city were assembled togither in counsel he caused his guard to inclose thē vp sodainly to kil them all euen to the very infants He slew also his owne vncle and crowned the speare wherewith he did that deed with garlands of flowers and sacrificed vnto him being dead as to a god Now albeit this cruell Tygre was guarded continually with troopes of souldiors that kept night day watch about his body wheresoeuer hee lay and with a most ougly terrible dog vnacquainted with any sauing himselfe his wife and one seruant that gaue him his meat tied to his chāber dore yet could he not escape the euill chance which by his wiues meanes fell vpon him for shee taking away the staires of his chamber let in three of her owne brethren prouided to murder him as they did for finding him asleep one took him fast by the heeles the other by the haire wringing his head behind him and the third thrust him through with his sword shee all this while giuing them light to dispatch their businesse The citizens of Pheres when they had drawn his carcasse about their streets trampled vpon it their bellies full threw it to the dogs to bee deuoured so odious was his very remembrance among them Iugurth son to Manastabal brother to Micipsa Salust king of Numidia by birth a bastard for he was born of a cōcubine yet by nature disposition so valiant full of courage that he was not only beloued of al men but also dearly esteemed of by Micipsa that he adopted him ioint heir with his sons Adhorbal Hiempsal to his crowne kindly admonishing him in way of intreaty to continue the vnion of loue concord without breach betweene them which he promised to performe But Micipsa was no sooner deceased but he by by not content with a portion of the kingdome ambitiously sought for the whole For which cause he found means first to dispatch Hiempsall out of his way by the hands of his guard who in his lodging by night cut his throat and then by battaile hauing vanquished Adherbal his other brother
obtained the sole regiment without controlment Besides hee corrupted so by bribes the Senators of Rome that had soueraigne authority in and ouer his kingdome that in stead of punishment which his murder cried for he was by the decree of the Senat allotted to the one halfe of the kingdome Wherevpon being growne yet more presumptuous hee made excursions and riots vpon Adherbals territories and did him thereby much iniurie and from thence falling to open war put him to flight and pursued him to a citie where hee besieged him so long till hee was constrained to yeeld himselfe And then hauing gotten him within his power put him to the cruellest death he could deuise which villanous deed gaue iust cause to the Romanes of that warre which they vndertooke against him wherein he was discomfited and seeing himselfe vtterly lost fled to his sonne in law Bochus king of Mauritania to seeke supply of succour who receiuing him into safegard prooued a false guard vnto him and deliuered him into the hands of his enemies and so was he carried in triumph to Rome by Marius fast bound being come to Rome cast into perpetual prison where first his gowne was torne off his back by violence next a ring of gold pluckt off his eare lap and all and lastly himselfe starke naked throwne into a deep ditch where combating with famine six daies the seuenth miserably ended his wretched life according to the merits of his misdeeds Orosius saith he was strangled in prison Oros Sabel Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. Methridates king of Parthia put to death the king of Cappadocia to get his kingdome and after vnder pretence of parlying with one of his sons slew him also for which cause the Romanes tooke vp the quarrell and made warre vpon him by means whereof much losse and inconuenience grew vnto him as well by sea as by land After his first ouerthrow where one of his sisters was taken prisoner and when he saw himselfe in so desperate a case that no hope of helpe was left he slew two other of his sisters with two of his wiues hauing before this war giuen his fourth sister who also was his wife a dram of poison to make vp the tragedie Afterward beeing vanquished in the night by Pompey the Romane and put to flight with onely three of his company as hee went about to gather a new supply of forces behold tidings was brought him of the reuolt of many of his Prouinces and countries and of the deliuering vp of the rest of his daughters into Pompeis hand and of the treason of his yoong sonne Pharnax the gallantest of his sonnes and whome hee purposed to make his successour who had ioined himselfe to his enemie which troubled and astonished him more then all the rest so that his courage being quite dashed and all hope of bettering his estate extinguished his other two daughters he poysoned with his owne handes and sought to practise the same experiment vpon himselfe but that his body was too strong for the poison and killed the operation thereof by strength of nature but that which poyson could not effect his owne sword performed Though Pompey the great was neuer any of the most notorious offenders in Rome Plâ—tarch yet did this staine of cruelty ambition and desire of rule cleaue vnto him for first he ioining himselfe to Silla dealt most cruelly vnnaturally with Carbo whom after familiar conference in shew of friendship hee caused sodainly to be slaine without shew of mercie And with Quintius Valerius a wise and well lettered man with whome walking but two or three turnes hee committed to a cruel and vnexpected slaughter He executed seuere punishment vpon the enemies of Silla sepecially those that were most of note and reputation and vnmercifully put Brutus to death that had rendered himselfe vnto his mercie It was he that deuised that new combate of prisoners and wild beasts to make the people sport withall a most inhumane and bloodie pastime to see humane and manly bodies torne and dismembred by brute and sencelesse creatures which if we will beleeue Plutarch was the only cause of his destruction Now after so many braue gallant victories so many magnificent triumphs as the taking of king Hiarbas the ouerthrow of Domitius the conquest of Africa the pacifying of Spaine and the ouerwelding of the commotions that were therein the clearing of the sea coasts from Pyrates the victory ouer Methridates the subduing of the Arabians the reducing of Siria into a prouince the coÌ„quest of Iudea Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia I say after all these worthy deeds of armes and mighty victories he was shamefully ouercome by Iulius Caesar in that ciuil war wherin it was generally thought that hee had vndertaken the better cause in maintaining the authority of the Senat defeÌ„ding the liberty of the people as he pretended to do being thus put to flight making towards Aegypt in hope the king for that before time hee had ben his tutor would protect furnish him that he might recouer himselfe again he found himself fo far deceiued of his expectation that in stead thereof the kings people cut him short of his purpose of his head both at once sending it for a token to Caesar to gratifie him withall Neuerthelesse for all this his murderers betraiers as the yong king all others that were causers of his death were iustly punished for their cruelty by the hands of him whom they thought to gratifie for as Cleopatra the kings sister threw her selfe downe at Caesars feet to intreat her portion of the kingdome and he being willing also to shew her that fauor was by that meanes gotten into the kings pallace forthwith the murderers of Pompey beset the pallace went about to bring him into the same snare that they had caught Pompey in But Caesar after that he had sustained their greatest brunt frustrated their purposes recouered his forces into his hands assailed them with such valor prowesse on al sides that in short space he ouercame this wicked traiterous nation Amongst the slain the dead body of this young and euill aduised king was found ouerborn with durt Flor. lib. 4. Theodotus the kings schoolemaster by whose instigation and aduise both Pompey was slaine and this war vndertaken being escaped fled towards Asia for his safety found euen there sufficient instruments both to abridge his iourney shorteÌ„ his life As for the rest of that murdering felowship they ended their liues some here some there in that merciles element the sea and by that boisterous element the wind which though senslesse yet could not suffer them to escape vnpunished Although that Iulius Caesar concerning whom more occasion of speech will be giuen in the 39 chapter did tyranously vsurpe the key of the Romane common-wealth Plutarch intruded himselfe into the Empire against the lawes customs and authority of the people and Senat yet was it accounted a
Oracle from their God which when hee approched neere vnto the Alexandrians prepared to entertaine him most honourably and being entered hee went first to visite their Temples where to cast more colours vpon his trecherie hee offered many sacrifices and in the meane while perceiuing the people gathered togither from all quarters to bid him welcome finding oportunity fitting his wicked and traiterous enterprise bee gaue commandement that all the young men of the city should assemble together in one place saying that hee would acquaint them to range themselues in battaile after the manner of the Macedonians in honour of king Alexander But whilest they thus assembled together in mirth and brauerie hee making as though hee would bring them in aray by going vp and downe amongst them and holding them in talke his army enclosed them on all sides then withdrawing himselfe with his guard hee gaue the watch-word that they should rush vpon them which was performed with such outrage that the poore credulous people beeing surprised at vnawares were all most cruelly massacred There might you see the most horrible barbarous and incredible butcherie of men that euer was heard of for besides those that were actors in this bloody Tragedy there were others that drew the slaine bodies into great ditches and very often haled in them that were scarse dead yea and sometimes that were altogether aliue which was the cause that diuerse souldiours perished at the same time when those that hauing some strength of life left being haled to the ditch held so fast by the halers that diuerse times both fell in together The blood that was shead at this massacre was so much that the mouth of the riuer Nilus and the sea shore were died with the streames thereof that ran down by smaller riuers into those plaine places Furthermore being desirous to obtaine a victorie ouer the Parthians that hee might get himselfe fame and reputation thereby hee passed not at what rate he bought it He sent therefore Embassadors with letters and presents to the king of Parthia to demand his daughter in marriage though hee neuer entended any such thing and being nonsuted at the first with a deniall yet pursued he his counterfeit purpose with much earnestnesse and with solemne oath protested his singular good affection and loue that he bore vnto her so that in the end the match was condiscended vnto by all parties whereof the Parthian people were not a little glad in hope of so durable a peace which by this marriage was like to be established betwixt thē The king therefore with all his subiects being ready to entertaine this new bridegroome went out with one consent to meet him in the midway their encounter was in a fair plain where the Parthians hauing sent backe their horses being vnarmed and prepared not for a day of battaile but of marriage and disport gaue him the most honourable welcome they could but the wicked varlet finding oportunity so fit set his armed souldiors vpon the naked multitude hewed in peeces the most part of them and had not the king with a few followers bestirred him well he had ben serued with the like sauce After which worthy exploit Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. and bloody stratageme he took his voiage backward burning and spoiling the towns and villages as he went till hee arriued at Charam a city in Mesopotamia where making his abode a while hee had a fancie to walke one day into the fields and going apart from his companie to vnburden nature attended vpon by one onely seruant as hee was putting downe his breeches another of his companie ranne in and stroke him through with his dagger Thus God blessed the world by taking out of it this wicked Tyrant who by treason and trechery had spilt so much innocent blood Seturus Galba another bird of the same feather exercised no lesse perfidious cruelty vpon the people of three cities in Lusitania for he assembled them togither in colour of prouiding for their common affaires but when hee had gotten them into his hands vnarmed and weaponlesse he took nine thousand of the flower of their youth and partly committed them to the sword and partly sold them for bondslaues The disloiall and treacherous dealing of Stilico towards the Gothes how deare it cost him and all Italy beside Iornand Paul Aemil histories doe sufficiently testifie for it fell out that the Gothes vnder the conduct of Allaricus entred Italy with a puissant and fearefull army to know the cause why the Emperour Honorius withheld the pension which by vertue of a league and in recompence of their aid to the Empire in time of war was due vnto them which by riper iudgement and deliberation of the councill was quieted to preserue their countrey from so imminent a tempest Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. offer was made vnto them of the Spaniards and Frenchmen if they could recouer them out of the hands of the Vandales which vsurped ouer them so that incontinently they should take their iourney ouer the Alpes towards them and depart their coasts Which offer and gift the Gothes accepting did accordingly fulfill the condition and passed away without committing any riot or any dammage in their passages But as they were vpon mount Cinis making towards France behold Stilico Honorius his father in law a man of a stirring stubborne and rash spirit pursueth and chargeth them with battaile vnawares and dreaming of nothing lesse whereat they being at the instant amazed quickly gathered their spirits togither and putting themselues in defence fought it out with such courage and eagernesse that the traitours army was wholly discomfited and he himselfe with one of his sonnes slaine The Gothes hauing gotten this victory broke off their voiage to France and turned their course backe againe to Italy with purpose to destroy and spoile And so they did for they laid wast all the countrey of Piemont and Lumbardy and elsewhere and besieged Rome itselfe so that from that time Italy neuer ceased to be scourged and tormented with the Gothes for the space of eighteene yeeres Moreouer whosoeuer else haue bene found to follow the steps of these truce peace promise breakers void of truth and regard of reputation alwaies vnderwent worthy punishment for their vnworthy actes and fell headlong into confusion and ignominy making themselues subiects worthy to be curst detested of all men CHAP. XIIII Of Queenes that were Murderers IF these and such like cruelties as we haue spoken of before be strange and monstrous for men what shall wee then say of wicked and bloody women who contrary to the nature of their sexe addict themselues to all violence and bloodshedding as cursed Iezabel Queene of Israel did of whome sufficient hath beene spoken before Athaliah Achabs daughter and wife to Ioram king of Iuda was a bird of the same feather for shee was possessed with such a spirit of fury and rage 2. King 11. that after the death of her
and consent of parties is committed bee condemned how much more greeuous and hainous is the offence and more guiltie the offendour when with violence the chastity of any is assailed and enforced This was the sinne wherwith Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Leuit is marked in holy scripture for hee rauished Dina Iaacobs daughter Gen. for which cause Simeon and Lui her brethren reuenged the iniury done done vnto their sister vpon the head of not onely him and his father but all the males that were in the citie by putting them to the sword It was a custome among the Spartanes Messenians during the time of peace betwixt them to send yearely to one another certaine of their daughters to celebrate certaine feasts and sacrifices that were amongst them now in continuance of time it chanced that fiftie of the Lacedemonian Virgines being come to those solemne feasts were pursued by the Messenian gallants to haue their pleasures of theÌ„ but they iointly making resistance and fighting for their honesties stroue so long not one yeelding themselues a prey into their hands till they all died wherevpon arose so long miserable a warre that all the countrie of Messena was destroied thereby Aristoclides a Tyrant of Orchomenus a city of Arcadia fell enamoured with a maid of Stymphalis who seeing her father by him slaine because hee seemed to stand in his puâ—poses light fled to the Temple of Diana to take Sanctuarie neither could once bee pluckt from the image of the goddesse vntill her life was taken from her but hir death so incensed the Arcadians that they fell to armes sharpely reuenged her cruell iniury Appius a Romane a man of power and authoritie in the city â—â—us Liuius enflamed with the loue of a Virgin whose father hight Virginius would needs make her his seruant to the end to abuse her the more freely whilst he endeuoured with all his power and pollicie to accomplish his immoderate lust her father slew her with his own hands more willing to prostitute her to death than to so foule an opprobrie and disgrace but euery man prouoked and stirred vp with the wofulnesse of the euent with one consent pursued apprehended and imprisoned the foule lecher who fearing the award of a most shamefull death killed himselfe to preuent a further mischiefe In the yeare of our Lord 1271 vnder the raign of the Emperour Rodolphe Nic. Gil. vol. 1. the Sicilians netled and enraged with the horrible whoredomes adulteries Rapes which the Garrisons that had the gouernment ouer them committed not able to endure any longer their insolent outragious demeanor entred a secret coÌ„mon conspiracy vpon a time appointed for the purpose which was on Easter sunday at the shutting in of the euening to set vpon them with one accord and to murder so many as they could as they did for at that instant they massacred so many throughout the whole island that of all the great multitude there suruiued not one to beare tidings or bewaile the dead At Naples it chaunced in the Kings pallace Bâ—mb lib. 3. hist Venet. as young King Fredericke Ferdinands sonne entered the priuie chamber of the Queene his mother to salute her and the other Ladies of the court that the Prince of Bissenio waighting in the outward chamber for his returne was slaine by one of his owne seruants that suddainely gaue him with his sword three deadly strokes in the presence of many beholders which deed hee confessed that hee had watched three yeares to performe in regard of an iniurie done vnto his sister and in her to him Benzoni Milan of the new found land whome hee rauished against her will The Spaniards that first tooke the Isle Hispaniola were for their whoredomes and Rapes whhich they committed vpon the wiues and Virgins all murdered by the inhabitants The inhabitants of the Prouince Cumana when they saw the beastly outrage of the Spanish nation The same author that lay along their coasts to fish for pearle in forcing and rauishing without difference their women young and old set vpon them vpon a Sunday morning with all their force and slew all that euer they found by the sea coasts Westward till there remained not one aliue And the fury of the rude vnciuill people was so great that they spared not the Monkes in their cloisters but cut their throates as they were mumbling their Masses burnt vp the Spanish houses both religious and priuate burst in peeces their belles drew about their Images hurld downe their crucifixes and cast them in disgrace and contempt ouerthwart their streetes to bee trodden vpon nay they destroyed whatsoeuer belonged vnto them to their very dogges and hennes and their owne Countriemen that serued them in any seruice whether religious or other they spared not they beate the earth and cursed it with bitter curses because it had vpholden such wicked and wretched caitifes Now the report of this massacre was so fearefull and terrible that the Spaniards which were in Cubagna doubted much of their liues also and truly not without great cause for if the Indians of the Continent had beene furnished and prouided with sufficient store of barkes they had passed euen into that Island and had serued them with the same sauce which their fellows were serued with for they wanted not will but hability to doe it And these are the goodly fruits of their adulteries and Rapes which the Spanish nation hath reaped in their new found land The great calamity and ouerthrow which the Lacedemonians endured at Leuctria wherein their chiefest strength and powers were weakened and consumed was a manifest punishment of their inordinate lust committed vpon two Virgines â—i Mel. lib. 2. whome after they had rauished in that very place they cut in peeces and threw them into a pit and when their father came to complaine him of the villanie they made so light account of his words that in stead of redresse he found nothing but reproch and derision so that with griefe hee slew himselfe vpon his daughters sepulchre but how greeuously the Lord reuenged this iniurie hystories doe sufficiently testifie and that Leuctrias calamitie doth beare witnesse Pausan lib. 2. Brias a Grecian captaine being receiued into a Citizens house as a guest forced his wife by violence to his lust but when he was asleepe to reuenge her wrong she put out both his eies and afterward complained to the citizens also who depriued him of his office and cast him out of their city Macrinus the Emperour punished two souldiours that rauished their hostesse on this manner hee shut them vp in an oxes bowels with their heads out and so partly with famishment and partly with wormes and rottennesse they consumed to death Iohan magnus Rodericus king of the Gothes in Spaine forced an Earles daughter to his lust for which cause her father brought against him an army of Sarasens and Moores and not onely slew him
who vpoÌ„ condition of hir yeelding to his lust and payment of 200 duccats promised safe deliuerance for him the poor woman seeing that nothing could redeeme her husbands life but losse shipwrack of her owne honesty told her husband who willed her to yeeld to the captains desire not to pretermit so good an occasion wherfore she consented but after the pleasure past the traiterous and wicked captaine put her husband to death notwithstanding which iniury when she complained to Gonzaga duke of Ferrara hee caused the captaine first to restore backe her 200 dukats with an addition of 700 crowns secondly to marry her to his wife and lastly when hee hoped to enioy her body to be hanged for his trecherie O noble Iustice and comparable to the worthiest deeds of antiquitie and deseruing to be held in perpetuall remembrance As these before mentioned excelled in punishing this sin so this fellow following excelled in committing it and in being punished for it Theat histor his name is Nouellus Cararius Lord of Pauie a man of note and credite in the world for his greatnesse but of infamy and discredit for his wickednesse This man after many cruell murders and bloodie practises which he exercised in euery place where he came fell at last into this notorious and abhominable crime for lying at Vincentia hee fell in loue with a young maid of excellent beautie but more â—ent honestie an honest citizens daughter whome hee â—anded her Parents to send vnto him that hee might haue his pleasure of her but when they regarding their credit and shee her chastitie more then the Tyrants command refused to come he tooke her violently out of their house and constrained her body to his lust and after to ad crueltie to villanie chopt her into small peeces and sent them to her Parents in a basket for a present wherewith her poore father astonished caried it to the Senate who sent it to Venice desiring them to consider the fact and to reuenge the cruelty The Venetians vndertaking their defence made war vpon the Tyrant and besieging him in his own city took him at last prisoner and hanged him with his two sons Francis and William Diocles sonne of Pisistratus Tyrant of Athens for rauishing a maid Lanquet was slain by her brother whose death when Hippias his brother vndertooke to reuenge and caused the maidens brother to be racked that he might discouer the other conspirators he named al the tyrants friends which by commandement being put to death the Tyrant asked whither there were any more none but only thy selfe quoth hee whome I would wish next to be hanged wherby it was perceiued how abundantly he had reuenged his sisters chastitie by whose notable stomacke all the Athenians being put in remembrance of their libertie expelled their tyrant Hippias out of their city Mundus a young Gentleman of Rome Lanquet chron rauished the chast Matron Paulina in this fashion when he perceiued her resolution not to yeeld vnto his lust hee persuaded the priests of Isis to say that they were warned by an Oracle how that Anubius the god of Aegypt desired the company of the said Paulina to whome the chast Matrone gaue light credence both because she thought the Priests would not lie and also because it was accounted a great renowne to haue to do with a god and thus by this meanes was Paulina abused by Mundus in the temple of Isis vnder the name of Anubius which thing being after disclosed by Mundus himself was thus iustly reuenged the Priests were put to death the temple beaten downe to the ground the image of Isis throwne into Tiber and the young men banished In the yeare of our Lord 955 Edwine succeeding his vncle Eldred was king of England Lanquet This man was so impudent that in the very day of his Coronation hee soddainely withdrew himselfe from his lords and in sight of certaine persons rauished his owne kinswoman the wife of a Nobleman of his realme and afterward slew her husband that he might haue vnlawfull vse of her beautie for which act he became so odious to his subiects and nobles that they iointly rose against him and depriued him of his crowne when hee had raigned foure yeares CHAP. XX. Other examples of Gods Iudgements vpon Adulterers AMongst all other things this is especially to bee noted how God for a greater punishment of the disordinate lust of men stroke them with a new yet filthy and stinking kind of disease called the French pocks though indeed the Spaniards were the first that were infected therewith by the heat which they caught among the women of the new found lands Paulus Iouius Ben. b. sowed the seeds thereof first in Spaine and from thence sprinkled Italy therewith where the Frenchmen caught it when Charles the eight their king went against Naples Guicciardine froÌ„ whence the contagion spread it selfe throughout diuers places of Europe Barbary was so ouergrowen with it that in all their cities the tenth part escaped not vntouched nay almost not a family but was infected From thence it ranne to Aegypt Siria and to the great Cair and it may nerehand truly be said that there was not a corner of the habitable world where this not only new and strange for it was neuer heard of in ancient ages but terrible and hideous scourge of Gods wrath stretched not it selfe They that were spotted with it and had it rooted in their bodies led a languishing life full of aches and torments and carried in their visages filthy markes of vncleane behauiour as vlcers boiles and such like that greatly disfigured them And herein we see the words of S. Paul verified 1. Cor. 6.18 That an Adulterer sinneth against his owne body Now for so much as the world is so brutishly carried into this sinne as to none more the Lord therefore hath declared his anger against it in diuers sorts so that diuers times hee hath punished it in the very act or not long after by a strange death Sabell Of which Alcibiades one of the great captaines of Athens may stand for an example who being polluted with many great and odious vices and much giuen to his pleasures and subiect to all vncleannesse ended his life in the middest thereof for as he was in companie of a Phrigian strumpet hauing flowne thither to the king of Persia for shelter was notwithstanding set vpon by certaine guards which the king induced by his enemies sent to slay him but they though in number many through the coÌ„ceiued opinion of his notable valor durst not apprehend him at hand but set fire to the house standing theÌ„selues in arms round about it to receiue him if need were Hee seeing the fire leaped through the midst of it and so long defended himselfe amongst them all till strength failed in himselfe and blowes encreasing vpon him constrained him to giue vp his life amongst them Plinie telleth of Cornelius Gallus and Q.
heauen with all his strength behold the dagger vanished away and fiue drops of blood distilled vpon the table before them and without all delay the deuill came in place and carried away that blasphemous wretch with such force and noise that the whole citie was amazed and astonished thereat the other two halfe beside themselues with feare stroue to wipe away the drops of blood out of the table but the more they wiped it the more clearely it appeared the rumour of this accident flew into the city and caused the people to flocke thicke and threefold vnto the place where they found the other two gamsters washing the boord whome by the decree of the Senat they bound with chaines and carried towards the prison but as they passed with them through a gate of the citie one of them was stroken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of lice and wormes creeping out of him that it was both wonderfull and lothsome to behold the third they themselues without any further inquisition or triall to auert the indignation which seemed to hang ouer their heads put incontinently to death the table they tooke and preserued it for a monument to witnes vnto posterity both how an accursed a pastime dicing is and also what great inconueniences and mischiefes grow thereby But that wee may see yet more the vanity mischieuous working of this sport I will report one story more out of the same author though not equall to the former in strangenesse and height of sinne yet as tragicall and no lesse pitifull Iob. â—incel lib. 2. In the yeere 1550 their liued in Alsatia one AdaÌ„ Steckman one that got his liuing by trimming pruning dressing vines this man hauing receiued his wages fell to dice lost all that he had gotten insomuch that he had not wherwith to norish his family so that he fell into such a griefe of mind withall into such paines of the head that hee grew almost desperate withall one day his wife beeing busie abroad left the care of her children vnto him but he tooke such great care of them that he cut all their throats euen three of them whereof one lay in the cradle and lastly would haue hanged himselfe had not his wife come in in the meane while who beholding this pitifull tragedy gaue a great outcry and fell downe dead whereupon the neighbours running in were eie witnesses of this wofull spectacle as for him by law hee was iudged to a most seuere and cruell punishment and all these pitiful euents arose from that cursed root of dice-play Wee ought therefore to learne by all these things that haue bene already spoken to abstaine not only from this cursed pastime but also from extortion robberies deceit guile and other such naughty practises that tend to the hurt and detriment of one another and in place thereof to procure the good and welfare of each one in all kindnes and equitie following the Apostles counsel where he saith Let them that stole steale no more Ephes 4.28 but rather trauaile by labouring with his hands in that which is good that hee may haue wherewith to succour the necessitie of others for it is not enough not to do euill to our neighbour but we are tied to doe him good or at least to endeauour to doe it CHAP. XLII Of such as haue bene notorious in all kind of sinne WEe haue seene by these foreplaced examples These exaÌ„ples of this chapter may be referred to all the commaundements for the most part how heauy the iudgements of God haue beene vpon those that through the vntamednesse of their owne lusts and affections would not submit themselues vnder the holy and mighty will of God but haue countremanded his commandements and withstood his precepts some after one sort and some after another now because there haue beene some so wicked and wretched that being wholly corrupted and depraued they haue ouerflowed with all maner of sinne and iniquitie and as it were maugred God with the multitude and hainousnesse of their offences wee must therefore spend some time also in setting forth their liues and ends as of the most vile and monstrous kind of people that euer were In this ranke wee may place the ancient inhabitants of the land of Canaan an irreligious people void of all feare and dread of God and consequently giuen ouer to all abominable wickednesse as to couiurings witchcrafts and vnnameable adulteries for which causes the Lord abhorring and hating them did also bring them to a most strange destruction for first and formost Iericho the frontier citie of their country being assaulted by the Israelites for bindering their progresse into the countrey were all discomfited not so much by Iosuah his sword as by the huge stones which dropped from heauen vpon their heads and least the night ouerraking them should breake off the small and full destruction of this cursed people the day was miraculously prolonged the sunne made to rest himselfe in the midst of heauen the space of a whole day so these fiue kings hiding themselues in a caue were brought but their necks made a footstoole to the captains of Israel were hanged on fiue trees Semiramis queene of Assyria was a woman of an ambitious spirit Sabell who through her thirst of raigning counterfaited her sexe and attired her selfe like a man to get more authority and reuerence to her selfe shee was the destruction of many thousand people by the vniust warre which the stirred vp besides that shee was a notorious strumpet and withall a murderer of those that satisfied her lust for still as they came from her bed some lay priuily in watch to kill them least they should bewray her villany yea and it is reported that shee was so vile and past shame that shee sollicited her owne soone to commit incest with her who in detestation of her filthinesse raised a power against her and conquering her in one great battaile caused her to be put to death The tyrant Periander vsurped the gouernment ouer Corinth Sabell after he had slaine the principall of the city hee put to death his owne wife to the end to content and please his concubine nay and was so execrable as to lie with his owne mother he banished his naturall sonne and caused many children of his subiects to be gelded finally fearing some miserable and monstrous end and want of sepulchre in conscience of his misdeeds hee gaue in charge to two strong and hardie souldiers that they should guard a certaine appointed place and not faile to kill the first that came in their way and to bury his body being slaine now the first that met them was himselfe who offered himselfe vnto them without speaking any word and was soone dispatched and buried according to his commaundement but these two were encountred with foure other whome hee also had appointed to doe the same to them which they had done to him
In this ranke deseruably we may place the second Dionysius his sonne Sabell that for his cruelties and extortions was slaine by his owne subiects who though at the first made shew of a better and milder nature than his father was of yet after he was installed in his kingdome and growne strong his wicked nature shewed forth it selfe for first he rid out of the way his owne brethren then his nearest kindred and lastly all other that but any way displeased him vsing his sword not to the cutting downe of vice as it ought but to the cutting the throats of his innocent and guiltlesse subiects with which tyrannie the people being incensed began to mutiny from mutinies fell to open rebellion persecuting him so that he was compelled to flie and to take harbour in Greece where notwithstanding he ceased not his accustomed manners but continued still freshly committing robberies and doing all manner of iniuries and outrages in wronging men and forcing both women and maids to his filthie lust vntill hee was brought vnto so low and so base an eb of estate that of a king being become a begger and vagabond he was glad to teach children at Corinth to get his poore liuing and so died in misery Clearchus another tyrant after hee had put to death the most part of the Nobles and chiefe men of account in the citie Heraclea vsurped a tyrannous authoritie ouer the rest Sabel amongst many of whose monstrous enormities this was one that hee constrained the widdowes of those whome hee had slaine against their wils to marry those of his followers whom hee allotted them to in so much that many of them with griefe and anger slew themselues now there were two men of stouter courage than the rest who pittying the miserable condition of the whole citie vndertooke to deliuer the same out of his cruell handes comming therefore accompanied with fifty other of the same mind and resolution as though they would debate a priuat quarell before his presence assoon as conuenience serued they diuerted their swords from themselues into the tyrants bosome and hewed him in peeces in the very midst of his guard Agathocles king or rather Tyrant of Sicile Sabel from a potters sonne growing to be a man of warre tooke vpon him the gouernment of the countrie and vsurped the crowne contrarie to the consent of his people he was one giuen to all maner of filthie and vncleane pollutions in whome trecherie crueltie and generally all kind of vice raigned and therfore was worthely plagued by God first by a murder of his yongest sonne committed by his eldest sonnes sonne that aspired vnto the crown and thought that he might be an obstacle in his way for obtaining his purpose and lastly hauing sent his wife and children into Aegypt for safetie by his own miserable and languishing death which shortly after ensued Romulus the first king of Rome was as Florus Florus testifieth transported by a deuill out of this earth into some habitation of his own for the monstrous superstitions coniurings thefts rauishments and murders which during his pompe hee committed and moreouer hee saith that Plutarch Plutarch the most credible learned writer among Historiographers both Greek and Latine that euer writ auoucheth the same for true that hee was carried away one day by a spirit in a mightie tempest of thunder and lightning before the view of the whole multitude to their great astonishment insomuch that they fled at the sight thereof What shall wee say of Silla that monster in cruelty that most odious and execrable Tyrant that euer was by whom all ciuill order and humane pollicy was vtterly defaced and all vice and confusion in steed thereof set vp Did hee not procure the death of sixe thousand men at one clap Plutarch at the discomfiture of Marius and hauing promised to saue the liues of three thousand that appealed vnto his mercy did he not cause them to be assembled within a parke and there to haue their throats cut whilest hee made an oration to the Senate It was hee that filled the channels of the streets of Rome other cities in Italy with blood slaughters innumerable and that spared neither altar temple or other priuiledged place or house whatsoeuer from the pollution and destainement of innocent bloud husbands were slain in their wiues armes infants in their mothers bosomes and infinite multitudes of men murdered for their riches for if any were either rich or owners of faire houses or pleasant gardens they were sure to die besides if there were any priuate quarrell or grudge betwixt any citizen and some of his crue hee suffered his side to reuenge themselues after their owne lusts so that for priuate mislike and enmitie many hundreds lost their liues hee that saued an outlaw or proscribed person in his house of which there were too many of the best sort in his time or gaue him entertainement vnder his roofe whether hee were his brother sonne or parent whatsoeuer was himselfe for recompence of his courtesie and humanity proscribed and sold and condemned to death and hee that killed one of them that was proscribed had for reward two talēts the wages of his murder amounting in value to twelue hundred crownes whether it was a bondslaue that slew his master or a son that murdered his father comming to Prenest he began to proceed in a kind of iusticiall form amongst the citizens as it were by law and equitie to practise wrong and iniury but ere long either being wearie of such slow proceedings or not at leisure to prosecute the same any further he caused to meet together in one assembly two thousand of thē whom he committed al to the massacre without any maner of compassion as he was sitting one day in the midst of his pallace in Rome a souldior to whom he had granted the proscription of his dead brother as if he had been aliue whom he himselfe before the ciuill war had slain presented him in lieu of thāks for that great good turn the head of one Marcus Marius of the aduerse factiō before the whole city with his hāds al embrued in bloud which he also washed in the holy waterstack of Apolloes temple being neer vnto that place and all this being cōmended countenanced by Sill◠he decreed a general disanulment abrogation of all titles and rights that were passed before his time to the end to haue more libertie both to put to death whō he pleased to cōfiscat mēs goods also to vnpeople to repeople cities to sack pull down build to depose make kings at his pleasure the goods which he had thus seazed he shamed not to sell with his own handssitting in his tribunall seat giuing oftentimes a faire woman a whole country or the reuenues of a city for her beauty and to plaiers iesters iuglers minstrels and other wicked effranchised slaues great and vnnecessary rewards yea
returned aboue ten all the rest beeing either drowned or pined to death Francis Pizare a man of base parentage for in his youth he was but a hogheard and of worse qualities and education Benzoni for he knew not so much as the first elements of learning giuing himselfe to the West Indian warres grew to some credite in bearing office but withall shewed himselfe very disloiall trecherous and bloudy-minded in committing many odious and monstrous cruelties entering Peru with an army of souldiours to the end to conquer new lands and dominions and to glut his vnsatiable couetousnesse with a new surfet of riches after the true Spanish custome hee committed many bloudie and traiterous acts and exercised more than barbarous crueltie for first vnder pretence of friendship faining to parle with Artabaliba King of Cusco the poore king comming with fiue and twenty thousand of vnarmed men in ostentation of his greatnesse not in purpose to resist he welcommed him and his men so nimbly with swords and courtelaxes that they had all soone their throats cut by a most horrible slaughter the king himself was taken put in chains yea and the city after this massacre of men abroad felt soone the insolences of these braue warriors within in fine though Pizarre promised Artabaliba to saue his life in regard of a ransome amounting to more than two Millians of gold yet after the receit thereof hee traiterously caused him to bee hanged contrary to both his oth and all equitie and reason but this cruel perfidie of his weÌ„t not long without punishmeÌ„t for both he and all the rest that were any waies accessary or consenting to the death of this king came to a wretched end but especially his foure brethren Ferdinand Gonzall Iohn Martin of Alcantara and Diego of Almagro who as they were principall in the action so were they in the punishment the first that was punished was Iohn Pizarre who with many other Spaniards was surprised in the citie Cusco and slaine by the men of warre of Mangofrem and Artabaliba next after that there arose such a deuision and heartburning betwixt the Pyzarres and Almagro their partakers that after they had robbed and wasted and shared out the great and rich countrie of Peru they slew one another by mutuall strokes and albeit that there was by common consent an agreement accorded betwixt them for the preseruing of their vnity and friendship yet Francis Pizarre enuying that Almagro should be gouernour of Cusco he not interrupted all their agreâ—ments by starting from his promises and rekindled the halfe quenched fire of war by his own ambitioÌ„ for he presently defied Almagro sent his brother Ferdinand before to bid him battaile who so well behaued himselfe that he tooke Almagro prisoner and deliuered him bound to his brother Francis who caused him to bee strangled in prison secretly and after to be beheaded in publicke now Ferdinand being sent by his brother towards Spaine with a great masse of gold to cleare himselfe of the death of Almagro could not so well iustifie the fact as that all his treasure could saue him froÌ„ the prison what became of him afterwards knowne it is to God but not to the world A while after the fellows and friends of Almagro whose goods the Pizarrists had seazed vpon tooke counsell with Don Diego Almagro his sonne to reuenge the death of his father therefore being in number but twelue with vnsheathed swords they desperately burst into Francis Pizarres house then Marques and gouernor of Peru and at the first brunt slew a captaine that guarded the entrance of the hall and next him Martin of Alcantara with other moe that kept the entrance of the chamber so that hee fell dead euen at his brother the Marquesses feet who albeit his men were all slaine before his eies himselfe left alone amidst his enemies yet gaue not ouer to defend himselfe stoutly and manfully vntill all of them setting vpon him at once he was stabd into the throat so sel dead vpon the ground and thus finished he his coÌ„plices their wretched daies answerable to their cruell deserts but their murderers though they deserued to be thus delt withal yet for dealing in this sort without authority were not faultlesse but receiued the due wages of their furious madnes for Don Diego himself after he had ben a while gouernor of Peru had his army ouercome discoÌ„fited by the Emperors force was betraied into their haÌ„ds by his own lieutenant of Cusco where he thought to haue saued himself right soon lost his head with the greatest captains and fauourits that hee had who were also quartered Now of the fiue brethren wee haue heard foure of their destruction onely one remaineth namely Gonzalle Pyzare to bee spoken of who being sent for by the conquerors to be their chiefetaine and Protector against the Viceroy that went about to make them obserue the Emperours lawes and decrees touching the liberty of the Indian Nation was betraied and forsaken by the same men that sent for him and so fell into his enemies hands that cut off his head the Generall of his army a couetous and cruell man that in short space made away aboue three hundred Spaniards and all as it were with his owne hand was drawne vp and downe at a horse taile the space of halfe a quarter of an houre and then hanged vpon the gallowes and quartered in foure parts The Munke of Vauuard called Vincent who with his crosse porteise had encouraged Pizarre his army against Artabaliba and was for that cause treated bishop of Peru when Diego came to the gouernement fled into the Island Puna to escape his wrath but in seeking to auoid him hee fell into as great a snare for the Islanders assaulted him one night and knockt him to death with staues and clubs togither with fortie Spaniards of his fellowship that accompanied him in his flight and started not from him in his death And thus the good and holy Monke for medling with and setting forward the murder of so many poore people was for his paines and good deeds iustly rewarded by the Indians of that Island Moreouer after beside al these troubles seditions ciuill wars of Peru all they that returned from Spaine suffered shipwrack for the most part for their fleet had scarse attained the midst of their course wheÌ„ there arose so terrible a teÌ„pest that of 18 ships 13 so perished that they were neuer heard of after of the fiue which remained two were tuÌ„bled back to the coast of S. Dominick al berent shiuered in peeces other three were driuen to Spain wherof one hitting against the bay of Portugal lost many of hir meÌ„ the admiral hir selfe of this fleet perished neere vnto S. Lucar de barra meda with two hundred persons that were within her and but one onely of them all got safe into the hauen of Calix without dammage Here we may see how
be of Greece there is no question but that they are so much the more blameable for glutting and ouercharging themselues with sins by how much the more they abound with temporable goods and commodities and that at length they tumble into vtter ruin and desolation for in steed of being a patterne and direction vnto others of wisdome and good gouernement as they ought they are for the most part examples of folly and vanity for where is there more euils and dissolutenesse raigning than in them the principall cause whereof is that greedy worme Auarice which begetteth in al estates much fraud coosening other naughtie practises with many such like children for through it euery man looketh to prouide for his owne affaires and to get any commoditie or ease whatsoeuer to himselfe euen with all his power not caring who be damnified so he be enriched the plenty of riches which there aboundeth instilleth pride and haughtinesse of mind into some maketh others dissolute and effeminate and besotteth others with carnall and vnhonest pleasures from which head spring riuers of euils as enuies quarrels dissention debates and murders all which things happeÌ„ to theÌ„ that being transported distracted with the furious contrariety of their disordinate affection can find no contentment nor agreement with themselues but must needes burst out into some outward mischiefes hence is that wonderfull pompe and brauery aswell of aparrell as other things hence all gourmandise and drunkennesse are so common yea and adulteries so much frequented wherefore the anger of the almighty must needs be kindled to consume theÌ„ in their sins One of the notablest cities of the world for greatnesse and antiquity was Niniue the capitall and chiefe citie of the Assyrian Empire howbeit her greatnesse and power could not so protect her but that after she had once been spared by the means of the Prophet Ionas who foretold her of her destruction being returned to her former vomit againe to wit of robberies extortions wrongfull dealings and adulteries shee was wholly and vtterly subuerted God hauing deliuered her for a prey into the hands of many of her enemies that spoiled and pilled her to the quicke and lastly into the hands of the Medes who brought hir to a final vnrecouerable desolation as it was prophecied by the prophet Nahum Babilon was wont to be the seat of that puissant monarchy vnder Nabuchadnezzar where flourished the famous Astrologers and notable wise men of the world where the spoiles and riches of many nations and countries were set vp as trophies kept as the remembrance of their victories where also vices raigned al maner of excesse and villany ouerflowed Lib. 5. of the actes of Alexander for by the report of Q. Curtius the city did so exceed in whoredome and adulteries that fathers and mothers were not ashamed to bee bauds vnto their daughters no nor husbands to their wiues a thing most strange odious Oros lib. 2. wherefore it could not chuse but in the end to bee sacked and quite destroied with an extreame ruin destruction Paul Jou com 2. lib 33. the signs and appearance whereof yet are seene in the ruine of old wals and ancient buildings that there remaine Amongst sea-bordring cities for renown of merchandise Tire in former ages was most famous for thither resorted the marchants of al countries for trafficke of Palestina Siria Aegypt Persia Assyria they of Tarshis brought thither yron lead brasse siluer the Sirians sold their Carbuncles purple brodered worke fine linnen corrall pearle the Iewes hony oile triacle Cassia and Calamus the Arabians trafficked with lambs muttons goats the Sabeans brought merchandise of all exquisit spices and apothecary stuffe with gold and pretious stones by means whereâ—â— it being grown exceeding wealthy enriched by fraud deceit being lifted vp to the height of pride plunged in the depth of pleasures it was at leÌ„gth by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God so sacked ruinated Sabel that the very memory thereof at this day scarce remaineth The like iudgemeÌ„t fell vpon Sidon vpon that rich renowned city of Corinth which through the coÌ„modiousnes of the hauen was the most frequented place of the world for the entercourse of merchants out of Asia Europe Thuciaides for by reason of hir pride corruption of maners but especially for her despising abuse of thy heauenly graces of Gods spirit which were sowed planted in hir Contempt of the word lib. 1. cap. 34. Eutrop. Oros lib. 9. she vnder went this punishment to be first finally destroied and brought into cinders by the Romans and then after her reedification to be debased into so low and vile an estate that that which remaineth is no wise comparable to hir former glory Again Athens the most florishing famous city of Greece for hir faire buildings large precincts multitude of inhabitants but especially for hir philosophy by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her as the fountaine welspring of arts the schoole vniuersity of the whole world whose pollicy and manner of gouernment was so much esteemed by the Romans that they drew from thence their laws but now she lies dead and buried in forgetfulnesse not carrying any of hir former proportion or appearance Carthage that noble city mistresse of Africa and Paragon to Rome may not brag of any better issue than hir fellowes for though shee resisted and made her part good with Rome for many yeares yet at length by means of hir own inward ciuill iars shee was vtterly destroied by theÌ„ for the inhabitaÌ„ts not able to stand any longer in defence Oros Eutrop. were constrained to yeeld theÌ„selues to the mercy of their enemies the women to the number of 25 thousand marching first forth after theÌ„ the meÌ„ in number 30 thousand following al which poor captiues were sold for bondslaues a few only of the principal excepted then fire was put to the city Eutrop. which burnt 17 daies without ceasing eueÌ„ till it was clean consumed It is true that it was reedified after this but which lasted not long for it was againe brought to destruction that at this day there remaineth nothing but old rotten ruins and thus fared many other cities Nunc seges est vbi Troia fuit of which may be verified that which was spoken of Troy that fields and corne are where cities were Numantium in Spain being besieged by the Romans after it had borne the brunt of war and sacking a long while made many desperate sallies vpon their enemies and lastly seeing theÌ„selues consumed with famine rather thaÌ„ they would bow their neckes to the yoke of seruitude barring their gates set fire on all and so burning themselues with their whole citie left the enemy nothing but ashes for his prey and triumph Titus Liuiuâ— as the Saguntines not long before serued Anniball It is a maruellous and