what warres he made doth Titus liuius wryte I wyll only shewe brefely the ordre of the tymes and what notable chaunges of realmes are happened in the meane whyle that euery man maye knowe what is chefely to be marked in readynge of all hystoryes nother shall we also passcouer these wonders that are happened by some heauenly prouideÌ„ce that we may se that vnryghteousnes is punyshed of God and for what causes coÌ„mune wealthes and Kyngdomes are chaunged Pomponius Atticus and some other whych reken the nomber of yeares mooste dyligently doeth affirme that the citye of Rome was begonne to be buyldeth in the begynnynge of the thyrde yeare of the syxte Olympias that is the tenth yeare of Ioathan Kynge of Iuda but after the creation of the worlde the thre thousand two hundreth and one Rome was before Christes byrth seuen hundreth and nyne tweÌ„tyyeare I wyl also adde that Varro wryteth the twelue great rauens to sygnifye the tyme and lastyng of the citye namely a thousande and two hundreth yeare For euery great raâ—en shulde sygnifye a Seculum that is a hundret yeare and this is no euyll interpretacion For from the begynnynge of the cityes buyldynge vntyll the tyme of Honorius and Archadius whan it was destroyed of the Gotes was a thousand and thre hundreth yeares The kynges raygned at Rome two hundreth and foure and forty yeares as wytnesseth Liuius Eusebius addeth also two yeares Romulus xxxviij Numa xliij Tullius hostilius xxxij Alha the citye and punyshed theyr gouernoure which was a true breaker wyth dew punyshment He gaue anotable example to men therin how traytours ought to be punyshed For he caused hym to be bounde and stretched out betwene two wagons and with horsses dryuen sundery wayes to be pulled insunder and toren to peces The kyngdome of Alba ceasyd here and this happened alytle before that tyme whan Manasses raygned in Iewry Whan Alba was ouerthrowen the posteritye of the Troyans chefely of Iulius the sonne of Eneas write to Rome leauynge Alba the whych after warde became myghty by the Romanes toke all the monarchy alone in the tyme of Iulius Cesar Therfore was it well prophecyed of Homerus concernynge Eneas that hys posteritye should haue dominion euerlastingly and that is no doubte to be vnderstande of the Romane dominion for theyr monarchy is the last But we shall speake more larger of these thynges hereafter after Tullus Hostylius succeded in the kyngdome and raygned Ancus Martius xxiiij Tarquinius Priscus xxxviij Seruius Tullius xliiij In his tyme began the monarchy of the Persians and for because I myght be brefe therfore wylled I also to comprehende here the kynges of Rome because they for the moste parte all reygned before the monarchy of the Perses durynge the whiche few thynges worthy of remembraunce are befallen by the Romanes vndoutedly whose puyssaunce was not great before that tyme. Tarquinius Superbus raygned xxv yeares was dryuen out of the kyngdom for the abhominacion of his sonne Sextus Tarquinius the which did by violence misvse the moste honeste wyfe Lucrece whiche moued with shamfastnes of such wickednes pearced herself with a swearde eueÌ„ through the hart Her kynsfolke moued with the wickednes of the dede droue out the kynge This example doth also witnesse for what causes God doth suffre kyngdomes to be changed and tyranny to be punished This is ynough spoken of the beginnyng of the foundacion of the citie and whence happened the first chaunge of the common wealth ¶ Of the second Monarchye WHen the Iewes had bene thre score and ten yeares in exile by the Babylonians as we haue sayde before the kyng of Babylon Balthasar was punyshed of God â–ª because he blasphemed the God of Israel and vsed the vessels that were ordeined for the tempels vse in his bankettes For the Medes and Perses were fallen into his kyngdome and toke the citie of Babylon with the kyngdomes of Chaldee and Assyrya Worthely therfore is this to bee called the seconde monarchye For the greatest kyngdomes of the worlde began now to growe together too the whiche all Asianearehande was ioyned afterward by the Persians Here ought y â— godly mynd before all thynges to consyder these noble benefytes and workes of God whiche brought agayne all thee worlde in one certayn body and a lawfull empyre that iustice and honestie myght be mainteined For it were necessary that all ciuilitie and good lawes should peryshe amonge men without God chose and ordeined somtyme myghty monarchyes and puyssaunt princes the whiche might defende them and if they were decayed to restore them agayne This monarchy of the Persians was knowento the Grekes and for the moste parte are happened in this monarchies tyme whatsoeuer notable and greate fetes are done in Grece And thereby commeth that the Grekes begyn their histories at the Persians the whiche it semeth to haue litle knowledge what hath bene done in other kyngdomes before the Persians tymes As for the order of the yeres in histories I must here aduertyse the reader that I haue hetherto borowed the rekenyng of the yeares out of holy scriptures the whiche shewe by order the counte of the yeares euen from the creation of the worlde untyll these seuenty yeares in the which the Iewes were kept in the Babylonicall bannyshment Moreouer in the holy Bibels are conteyned certayne Cronicles of the yeares vntyl the tyme of the Perses but after that is thee order of the yeres not so wel kept saue that Daniel saith that there are four hundreth and seuenty yeares from that tyme that it was graunted to the Iewes to repare the citye Ierusalem vntyll Christ was borne And of so easy a thynge some men maketh a great question of countinge these yeares a ryght in the which we shall shewe to be no difficultye For Daniel hath very well expressed and marked the tyme of Christes coÌ„minge The begynnynge of the Monarchye of the Persians BUt that the nombers do agre wyth the seuenty yeares aforesayde we shal reken in the Monarchy of the persyans a hundreth nynety and one yeare Although the Grekes do reken the nomber of these yeares greater in the Monarchy of the perses Howbeyt thys is come thereby that the Grekes haue not begonne fyrst to reken whan these seuenty yeares were expyred but that about a twenty yeares before And of this wyse must the rekenynge of Philo and other Grecians be made equal For the Iewes begynne in the yere of Cyrus after that he had wonne the cytie Babylon But the Grekes reken those yeares wythal also the which he had reygned before but they are not to be referred to the yeares ensuynge Moreouer that the matter maye the better be vnderstande accordynge to the order of Philo we shall fyrst rehearce the high priestes after that shall we also adioyne the Persian kynges as the Grekes do reken them But he that vnderstandeth Cyrus kyngdome to beginne after the conquerynge of Babylon
This did Sedechias boaste and the hygh priests did interpretate the promyse of God peruerfly For God could neuerthelesse saue his people though he dyd suffre them to bee caried awaye and to be punished a certain space And thus was Ieremias prophecy despysed specially because it was so long differed nother did it so come to passe Beside this had the king of Babylon bene now thre times in Iewry yet had not profited in besieging the citie of HierusaleÌ„ Moreouer it was now y â— eleuenth yeare in the which many were fled out of the cytie the toune yet saued These thinges were the cause that after maÌ„s iudgement they stifly trusted that nothyng lesse shoulde be then that general destruction which Ieremy had prophecied Also was the citie euery where fortified with fortresses against the power of the enemies But Nabuchodonosor destroyed them wyth hunger for whan he besyeged the citie a yeare and an halfe it is saied that there was suche hunger that many did eate their owne children So stony hartâ—ed is mans nature in her purpose that where she was coÌ„strained with so great necessitie yet refuseth she to come and take succoure and consolacion of God For if they had yelded themselues after the prophetes counsayll though the banyshement had bene harde to them yet myght they haue had peace at the least waye with the aliens Finally when Sedechias toke the flyght he was taken after that sawe he his chyldren slayne in his presence but his iyes were put out the citie of Ierusalem was destroied the temple that God caused to be buylded was burnt the best of the people of the Iewes was caried awaye to Babylon into bondage this example ought earnestly admonyshe vs that God wyl not spare other kyngdomes and princes but that he wyll greueously punyshe synne seynge he hath vsed so greate rigour agaynst this kyngdome the whiche he hym selfe dyd set vp for the scripture witnesseth that God hath punyshed Iuda with innumerable kyndes of punishmentes for his synnes and added thoose synnes whiche were the chefest synnes namely despysyng of Gods worde the wicked worshyp of God tyranny agaynst the true preachers of Gods worde and prophetes The destruction of the citye happened the thre thousand thre hundreth and thre score and therten yeare sence the creation of the worlde The yeares From Dauid vntyll this spoylynge of the citie Ierusalem are fiue hundreth and sixten Hytherto remayned the kyngly name by the posteritie of Dauid amongest the whiche were many notable and renowmed kynges as the lyke in none other kyngdome For that kyngdome of Iuda had God specially created and gouerned it but because they were not without synne therfore were they punyshed of God and the kyngdome was chaunged For the kyngdome of Iuda was kept in captiuite in Babylon thre score and ten yeares howbeit in the meane season dyd God declare hymselfe so that it myght bee perceaued that hee cared for hys people and churche and that he neuer would forsake her For he sent notable prophetes as Daniel amongest the Babilonians whiche conuerted also Nabuchodonosor ye kyng For whan he was punyshed by Gods iudgement for his vngodlynesse and was become madde woodde so that he differred nothinge from a beast Daniel prayed God for him and he was restored afterward comminge to hys ryght mynde agayn from hys wyckednesse he renounced hys Idolatry and as he was taughte of Daniell he toke vpon him Gods true seruice After Nabuchodonosor raygned his sonne Euilmerodach The same commaunded to entreate Iechonias the kyng honestlye and accordinge to hys kyngly dignitye the which by the coÌ„maundemente of Ieremy the prophete yeldynge him selfe frely went also in exyle And after this wise dyd god fortunate this kyng which beleued the wordes of the prophete though he was in daunger for a season Of this wyse verelye was Dauids kynred saued from destruction by God through gods prouidence the which we shall declare at large hereafter After Euilmer odach succeded Balthasar in the kingdome The same was a despiser of godlinesse Gods word he restored of a new the old abrogate Idolatry of the Chaldeis he vsed the vessels that were caried from the temple of IerusaleÌ„ at his bankettes he mocked the God of the Iewes and for a reproche he caused to be songe that the God of the Chaldeis was a true God greater than the God of the Iewes But what happened These blasphemous voices brought the destruccion of the whole kyngdome For ther was clerely sene a hande that wrote vpon the wall that Balthasar should perysh with all his kingdome The same happened the very same night for the Medes and Persians fell sodenly vpon the Babylonians and gat the kyngedome and killed the kynge Balthasar This example witnesseth also that the blasphemies agaynste God remayne not vnreuenged Now hath the tyme of the first monarchy an ende vntyllthe Perses and kynge Cirus Betwene the byrth of Abraham and kyng Cirus are a thousand foure hundreth and four scor and fyften yeares in the which was y â— monarchy first by the Chaldeis after that by the Assyrians But whan it beganne to be alienated now preuailed the Assyrians than the Babilonians vntill the Medes and Perses dyd growe and finally gat Cyrus Babylon recouering the Monarchy and makyng all one It is chefely to be consydered that the whole kingdome of the Iewes is coÌ„prehended vnder the tyme of this fyrst monarchy where by it is euident that the Iewes are most auncient people and that only their histories are certayn and true of the first kyngdomes of the worlde Of the Grekes WE shall now note brefely the state of the Grekes in the tymes of the fyrst Monarchye where by it shalbe easely gathered that the histories of the Iewes are much more auncient than the Grekes for all their histories are written after the fyrst Monarchy Nether can the Grekes rehearse any thyng certayue or of longer space than that theyr Olympiades do shewe But the Olympiades began the eyght thertyth yere of kynge Osias And if that be diligently rekened it shall appeare to be about two hundreth yeare before the monarchye of the Peries But because of vnlearned readers I shall leaue the Olympiades and shewe brefely what hath happened by the Grekes in the tyme of the fyrste monarchye The country of Grece had no certayne kyng as other nacions but there were in it partly many prynces partly also mighty cityes sundry greate chaunges happened with the princes For the cityes encreasyng in puyssaunce coulde not well suffre Princes as we haue sene in Italy in oure dayes and as I shall afterward set some examples which are profytable to know and haue true wytnesse of hystoryes For there are fewe historyes withe the Grekes before the battayl of Troye Of the battayl of Troye THE battayll of Troie happened before the tyme of Dauid the whiche maye be proued by the
misery she hath suffered when she was taken in And agayne how she was at the last restored againe by the vertues moderation and pacience of some good men For as hautnesse hardinesse presumption brought the state of the citie in decay euen so dyd pacience and mekenesse of maners restore the same agayne The begynnyng of the warre was aforen cause the whiche the Athenians myght easely haue esthued For the Corinthians were enemies to the citie Corcyra the which required ayde of the Athenians and optained it the easier because that the Athenians which were already strong on the see hoped that through the league and confederation of theÌ„ of Corcyra which had also great puissauÌ„ce vpon the see they should become lordes of whole Grece On the other syde y â— CorinthiaÌ„s required assistauÌ„ce of the Lacedemonians and of this wyse was Grece diuided The Lacedemonians did ioyne them selfs with the Perses of whome they were assisted with mony and victuals howbeit the Perses vsed in the meane season disloyalte or falshode lest the LacedemoniaÌ„s should become to mighty And this warre dured as sayth Xenophon eight twenty yere froÌ„ the tyme of Longimanus vntil Axtarerxes Mnemon and many cities peryshed myserably in thys warre Also may be sene a wonderfull alteration of fortune in the examples of this warre For when Alcibiades was captayne of the Athenians were the Lacedemonians greately put to the worse and slayn and that in the foure and fyue and twentieth yeare so that they despayred euer to come to their former abilitie Howbeit shortely after in the nexte yere was the worlde turned For when Alcibiades was driuen out of the citie though the enâ—â—e of some malepart or euel men were the Athenians slayen of Lysander by the citie Egos of Potanus where had happened a straunge wonder in the begynnynge of this warre For in the ayre was sene a great fyre the space of thre score and fyftene dayes Afterward fell a great stone from aboue into the cicie After this battaill was the citie of Athens enuironed with a heuy syege Many died of hunger Being demauÌ„ded to yelde them vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dicion that they should breake downe the towres fortresses of the citie they refused malepartly the coÌ„dictoÌ„s of peace remained by their purpose geuing also a common commaundement that who so should couÌ„saill to make a league of agremeÌ„t with the enemies shold be put to death As lately is happened with y â— Florentines about .ii. yeres past But after fyue monethes were the Athenians coÌ„strained with huÌ„ger to sende Ambassadours into the hoostes tentes too demaunde peace Wherevpon when they had taken deliberacion in the counsaill of thoos that had conâ—ederated themselues the Corinthians and Thebanes did constantly counsail that the citie of Athens should be ouerthrowen euen out from the foundacion and that of all their dominion should be made commune pastures But the Lacedemonians reproued that supposyng to be not honest to quenche and cast it away at once of suche wyse and to forgett the remembraunce of suche benefites wherewyth this citie had holpen whole Greke against the Medes and Perses Moreouer could not also so excellent a state of this citie be ouerthroweÌ„ without the incredible hurte of all the Grecians For they sayd that Grece seyeth with two eyes whereof the one was Sparta the other Athenes Wherfore hede must be taken lest Grece haue but one eye Wherevpon it was concluded finally that Athenes beyng saued onely the towres and walles shoulde bee cast downe and a certaine gouernaunce should bee prescribed the Athemans after the whiche they should lyue and so should peace be made on both parties The Athenians yelded themselues frely vpon these condicions and the walles were cast downe with great triumphe for with minstrelsy dyd they dauÌ„se also Part of their nauy was brent and part caried they with them This happened about the seuen twentyeth yeare when this warre had lasted Neuerthelesse were the Lacedemonians alrayd of one Alcibiades whiche was sled to the Perses when he was driuen out of Athenes Wherfore the Lacedemonians required of the Perses that they would slayn Alcibiades whiche the Perses did by a trap though the Perses had receaued Alcibiades according to the office of hospitalitie and that he had put all his trust in the faith of the Perses But it chauÌ„seth so with men that were fortune doth incline her self that waye doth mans fauour loue also Therefore ought he chefely to be ware euen of the vnfaith fulnesse offrendes whiche is out of prosperitie and he whom men do enuie and yrke for hatred of hys vertues This Alcibiades was hyghly furnished with feates of warre or chiualry but of an vnquiet minde he was cause of the breche of the peace that was many yeares before concluded betwene the Lacedemonians and Athenians He had vsed in all Grece so many wyles and so sundry craftes that it was euen commonly sayde If there had happened to be borne two Alcibiades in Grece it must nedes haue gone wholy to naught Howbeit suche endeuoure can not prosper therfore died Alcibiades fynally of this sorte And though the warres of the cities were now synyshed yet began now fyrst the destruccion of men at Athenes For seyng the citie of Athens was full of rebellions there were ordeyned of the Lacedemonians thirty men whom they called Tiranny to whom was committed aucthoritie that they should punishe the sedicious rebelles without law or iudgement and lest any man should withstande this aucthoritie with any sedicion they layed a great garnison of souldiours in the castell Of the restoryng of Athens after the destruction of it THe Lacedemonians vsed this sharpnesse to punish the common commotions and hygh necessitie constrayned them to do that The thirty men vsed their aucthorite at the first against no man saue the sedicious afterward did the olde hatred of some of them bruste out against y e best of the citie but good men did they put to death semblable examples of y e like we haue knowen in oure dayes And whan this displeased one of them named Theramenes a doughty man and iust they slew him also to cause other to be afrayed and that more is thei parted the goodes of theÌ„ that were put to death among their compainions The best of the citesens fled to Thebe and Argos where for pitie of so vnworthy mysery the were receaued euen agaynst the commaundement of the Lacedemonians whiche was that no man shoulde receaue the Athenians that fled or were banyshed Amonge these bannyshed men was one that was doughty and valiaunt in the common wealth called Thrasybulus the same ioynynge with hym the residue of the bannyshed men and a preuy ayde or subsydy of them of Thebe taketh in the castell by Athens and afterwarde goyng to Athens and pychyng a felde vanquisheth the thyrty Tyrannos â–ª and recouereth the citie The citesens that were fled were restored by this
chafed by Stillico their kinge Radagasus brought two hundreth thousand Gotthies into Italy the same yeare that we haue specified a fore And as histories do make mencion here that at Rome wer great cōplaintes against Christ because that so lamentable decaye of the empyre they supposed to come of the despisynge of the goddes and small regarde of the worshyppe and honour of the former religion As for Stillico vanquished and ouercame Radagasus and hys hoost in the straytes comminge from the citye Florence goynge to Apenninum This is the fyrst history of the Gotthies in Italy After Radagasus came another hooste of Gotthies into Italy whose captayne was Alaricus With the same dyd Honorius agree that he should depart out of Italy go into Gallia the whyche at that tyme was awaystynge of y ◠Frankes Burgundions Vandales insomuche that Honorius mistrusted he could kepe Gallia no lenger therefore thought he to bringe to passe that the Barbarians shuld stryue among thēselues for it But what happened Whan Alaricus taketh his yourney vpon him Stillico doth fall vpon him vnwarres vpon Easter daye whyle the truce did yet last The next day after doth he lykewise wyth an appointed army ouerthrowe and vanquyshe Stillico and being angry vpō him he besyeged Rome Honorius was at Rauenna caused Stillico to be putt to death as one y ◠had not done faithfully willed y e empyre to be taken frō Honorius to be geuen ouer to him Wherfore there was now no captayne mete to delyuer the citye of Rome from the syege Therfore dyd Alaricus take in Rome after two yeres syege and that was about the xv yeare of Honorius the foure hundreth and twelft yeare of Christ and the thousand hundreth and thre score and fourth yere after the building of Rome That Var ro writeth of the xij rauens whiche Romulus sawe to signify that Rome should last a thousand and two hundreth yeares though thys nombre of the yeares be not farre from this rekening yet I suppose their interpretation rather to pertayne to Totilas who afterwarde in the tyme of Iustinianus dyd set Rome in fyre wholy spoyled it and that was an hundreth and syxe and thyrty yeares after Alaricus For Alaricus dyd not spoyle the citie but rather gaue a commaundement that they should be spared whyche fled to the temples of the Christians Alaricus drue back agayne out of the citie and not longe after dyed Whan he was deade Ataulphus was made kyng of the Gotthies the same came agayne to Rome and takynge to wyfe Placidia Honorius syster beynge pacified by her he spared Rome and wente into Fraunce and afterwarde into Spayne and of this wyse did finally the Gotthies leaue Italye and went into Spayne For Alaricus had before inuaded y ◠Spaniardes the Gotthies remaining in Spayne afterward had y e dominion ther. The Vandali came into Spayne after that the Suein but the Gotthies remaining ther the Vandali came into Aphrica Of these Gotthies are borne the Christē kinges in Spayne of whom hath his of springe the most famous Emperoure that now is Charles the fyft of y ◠name For though y ◠Sarraceni inuaded Spaine afterward became mighty in it yet could thei not destroy the residue of the other kinges of y ◠linage The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi The yeare of Rome M. CC. vij came out of Aphrica to Rome Genserichus the Vandall and spoiled the citye haynously But what was y ◠cause of Genserichus comminge shall we shew whan we shall haue occasyon to treate of the Vandalies Dietrichus of Berna THe Gotthies came nomore into Italy afterward saue in the tyme of Zeno the Emperoure whan Othacarus was become mighty at Rome The same was a Barbarian borne in Rugia was a souldiour vnder Augustulus being become puissaunt by that meanes he vsed great tyranny at Rome insomuch y e the Romanes required ayde against him Than was sent by Leno into Italy Dietrichus surnamed of Berna The same slayenge Othacarus raigned two thyrty yeares in Italy he loued peace out of measure and had most deserued to haue the fauoure of Italy insomuch that as histories do make menciō Italy neuer had a foren prince more frendelier and gentlyer He gaue also much goodes to the churches vse to entertayne the ministers of the word to mainteyne the doctrine of religion But he was infect with the heresy of Arrius as also the reste of y ◠Gotthies For whan y ◠Gotthies required of Valens y e Emperours prestes of whom they might be instructed in y t Christen religion he sent them Arrian doctors Howbeit y ◠most noble vertues of this Dietrichus deserued those praises which cōmonly are songe in those dityes as are vsed now adayes In thē is made mencion of giauntes which signifieth the Barbarous whō Dietrichus hath vanquished slayne He is surnamed of Berna because he was wonte to be muche at Verone wyth the court Besydes this man was also another Dietrichus a Gotthian lykewyse by whose valiauntnesse Attila was slayne but he dyed in the same felde He was so great a man that besyde him noman coulde lyghtely haue enterprysed oughte against Attila The same Dietrichus was not surnamed of Berna but he was his cosyn He was fyue and forty yeare before the tyme of Dietrichus of Berna Kynges of the Gotthies in the West in Spayne Alaricus Ataulphus Mallia Kynges of the Gotthies in the East in Hungary Dietrichus Hermerichus Ditmarus Dietrichus of Berna HImelsuitha the doughter of Dietrichus of Berna had a sonne called Adelrichus thesame raygned eight yeres at Rome in Italy after the death of Dietrichus of Berna and the mother ruled with great praise Whan her sonne was deade she delyuered the gouernaunce to her nephew Theodatus but the same not remembrynge the benefyte that he had optayned caused by a trayne her to be slayn in the tyme of Iustinian the Emperoure Dietrichus of Berna had mo doughters besydes this he had also geuen hys systers doughter in mariage to the kynge of Thuringen whyche thynge I would not passeouer here without the syngular prayse and commendacyon of the princes of Thuringen THeodatus raigned ii yeres was worthely punished For whan the moost honeste quene Himelsuith a had commended herselfe and her sōne to Iustinian the Emperoure Iustinian toke an occasion to reuenge the murther and sent Bellisarius into Italy against the Gotthies Now was Theodatus suspected because he withstode not Bellisarius as though he would betray the Gotthies the whiche Gotthies made Wittichus kyng by whose commaundement was Theodatus slayne VVitichus reigned thre yeares Against hym warred Bellisarius with greate policy For Wittichus had an appoynted army of more then twoo hundreth thousand men Bellisarius kept hymselfe within the walles of Rome whome Wittichus besyeged a whole yeare and there was a great
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
haue referred to that tyme when the kyngdome of Babilon and Niniue the citie were not yet diuided euen when the Assyrians reygned only at Babylon Agathias wryteth in the seconde booke of the Gothian warre that Ctesias set the nomber of the yeares and the order of the Monarchies of thys wyse As for Ctesias was a Grecian who when Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger warred with eche other he was also in the army and was a Phisician Beynge taken in warre he was at the last caried to Babylon where he was honestly entreated and then readynge the hystoryes of Babylon he set the nomber of that kyngdome in an order of this wyse From Ninus vntyll the begynnyng of the Medes kyngdome wiche did deciuer from the Assyryans the fyrste are M. CCC lx yeares and this order do all those obserue that wrote afterwarde Diodorus Siculus and Iustinus Diodorus Siculus wrote of this wyse in his thyrde booke Lyke wyse also the resydue of the kynges thyrty in nomber helde the kyngdome vntyll Sardanapulus by whose tyme the kyngdome of the Assyrians which had lasted M. CCC lx yeares as wryteth Ctesias in the seconde booke fell to the Medes Iustinus sayeth of this wyse The assyrians who afterwarde were called Syria had the gouernaunce M. CCC yeres Herodotus doth passe ouer somthynge in the meane tyme that the decayeng kyng dome of the Assyrians came to the Medes I thynke this also that these yeares of Ctesias concernyng the begynnyng of Babylon to be vnderstand from the tyme of Nembroth not Ninus The Medes reigned after the fallyng from the Assyrians vntil Cyrus about thre hundreth yeres as Agathias gathereth out of Ctesias The kyngdome of the Perses vntill Alexander dyd last CCxxviij yeres as witnesseth Agathias and some Grecian wryters Alexander and his posteritie kept Babylon vntyll the tyme that the power of the Parthians beganne to grow and Agathias setteth CCC yeres seuen lesse and that is from Alexander vntyll Augustus tyme. Afterward raigned the Parthians in the Easte hundreth yeares vntil the tyme of Alexander Seuerus the Emperoures and then dyd Artaxerxes the Persian stick through and slaye Artabanus the last kyng of the Parthians And of this wyse came the East kyngdom agayne to the Perses which were myghty vntyll Mahomets tyme. For the successors of Mahomet inuaded the Perses and teke in the empire of whole Arabia But the Turkes toke from them afterwarde Syria and Asia the lesse And thus were the kyngdomes of the Easte tossed finally with diuerse mutaciōs the one people was oftymes remoued to the other It is greatly necessary to ouerlaye all these thynges and often to consyder them that the order of all tymes and histories may be knowen aryght An addition vnto the Cronicle of Iohn Carion contaygnyng the actes and histories come to passe in dyuers and sundry partes of the worlde from the yere of our lorde MDxxxij vnto the yeare of our lorde MD. L. excerpted and gathered out of the best historiographers by Iohn Funke of Nourenborough And caused to be translated by Gwalter Lynne AT the entraunce or beginning of the conuocation holden at Ratisbone or Raynesborough in the yere of our lorde MD. xxxij in lent ther lay at Nurrenborough certayn princes electours with many other nobles of the empire among whom were as principall Albert Archebyshop of Mogunce or Mence Lodowike Palatine of the Rhyne Iohn Frederike duke of Saxon and electour imperiall whiche princes nobles did there treate and consulte vpon matters of religion and about the establishing of kyng Ferdinandus to whose election as to be king of the Romains the said Iohn duke of Saxō electour imperiall would not accorde nor consent and after much intreataunce they obtayned of themperours maiestie a graunt and promes of a sure and stedfast peace vntil the next general coūsail that was to come yea and is to come yet euen at this day Other notable actes cōcerning matters of religiō was there none concluded in that conuocation For Soliman Emperoure of the Turkes was vp with all his power and inuaded the lande of Hungary wherefore the Christian princes were constrained with all spede and strenght possible to prepare themselues to resist the said aduersary Insomuche that there was prepared suche an armie and hoost of men of diuers nacions as neuer was sene before in all Germany y ◠beginnyng wherof was about the feast of S. Iohn the baptist the warriours of the towne of Nurenburgh beinge the firste that arryued at Weene in Austriche for there was all the whole hoost appointed to assemble and come together the same assembling continued vntil the feast of saint Bartholome we next ensuyng The nombere of Duche pietons or footemen was about foure score thousande stoute and valiaunt fyghting men And of the horse men there was about .xxiiij. thousand The Bohemes were in the nomber aboue twenty thousande All these lay about Wyene by the ryuer called the Danube a lycle myle frō the towne Their chefe capitaine was the right noble and mighty prince lord Frederick Palatine of the Rene c. nowe being electour imperiall About the said towne laye also vpon a fifty thousand Spanyardes whiche in these affayres vsed but small kyndnesse towardes the germaynes For in their passage from the Countie of Tyroll ouer the Eye and the Danube into Austrich they burned certayn strong holdes and townes well inhabited and some they pylled and with women and maydens they wrought suche vylanye and enormitie whiche is horrible to be spoken that many of them dyed thorough their said outtragiousnes The goodly and plesaūt Citie of Krembes was vtterly by thē subuerted and brent vp except fourtenne houses wyth certayne walles After this when they lacked vitualles in their campe for the space of one daye they russhed with violence before the Cytie of Wyene wherein the Emperoure and the kyng had theyr beyng wyth a great nombre of other greate men of armes and warriours whiche were come thether wyth them and would haue assaulted and ouerrunne the same towne if the Germaynes had not the sooner resysted them and letted their enterpryse In the meane season the Turke layde syege to a certayne lytle Towne called Guns whiche lyeth about twelue or thirtene myles from Wyene in the coastes of Hungary and assaulted the same most fiercely by the space of twelue dayes during the which tyme he sought all meanes possyble to subuerte and ouerthrowe the same But the right noble and worshypfull Syr Nicolas Iuristhi knight and Ruler of the sayed towne dyd so manfully and valiauntly behaue hymselfe in those affayres wyth hys cytesens or bourgeouses beyng in nombre about eight hundreth men and one hundred souldiours whiche were layde there in garnison for the sauegarde of the same towne that the Turke maruayled not a lyttell of it Wherefore he promised vnto the sayed Ruler fre passage and saulf conduct and hauing personally himself talked w t him did highly prayse him for his
both them selues and the Castell vnto the Prynces Afterward was the Castel and the wholle lande sett in an order and the Gospell whyche before was kepte from it throughe that tyranne the Duke of Brunswycke ordeyned to be preached therinne And when they hadde ordeyned all thynges after the beste facyon and the Duke of Brunswycke appeared no where wyth any sowdyars and the Empyre requyred But the Emperoure coulde smell what the Pope meante Wherefore he vtterlye refused that councell and exhorted hym by wrytyng that he woulde rather see thatt the Frentch kyng kepte peace to thynthent that the Turcke myghte be wythstanded than to call a councel at suche an Vnmeete time which might be an hynderaunce to the other purpoose to make peace Afterwarde the Emperoures Mayestye prepared hymselfe after the beste facyon to wyth stand the Frentche kynge and hys partetakers Aboute thys tyme dyd the a boue mencyoned Prynces Duke Otho Henrycke and Phylyppe hys brother bothe countye palatynes on the rhyne and the cytyes Regensburgh and Swyneforthe receaue the Gospell for whyche thynge they were compelled to take muche harme and specyallye they of Regensburge to whome Duke Wyllyam of Bayer did al the hurte that the could and forbadde all hys subyâ—ctes that none of them shulde carye anye thynge to Regensburge or by or sell wyth them or yf anye man dyd he muste nott come agayne in to hys lande and must leese all hys goodes Thys was a greate hyndraunce to the cytye of Regensburge For it lyeth in the myddes of the lande of Bayer Yeth hath God gracyously preserued it In the begynnynge of the herueste ther came oute of Lyâ—towe thorou the land of pole and through schlesye and vnto the land of myssen great multytudes of Grassehoppers flyinge and layed them downe in the aboue mencyoned landes by greate multytudes an hundreth dutch myle long and aâ—e vppe all that was grene in the felde and lo we medowes They were as greate as a mannes fynger and some of them greater they hadde scales as it hadde bene harnesse vpon them and as it were an hatte vpon theyr heades lyke an olde rowstye year on sallet and were harde lyke an horne so that a man coulde skante treade them in sonder They had four winges as it wer which wereread speckelde some of them were yellowe and gray and of other speckelde coloures And where so euer they layed them downe in the felde there they laye well a foate thycke from the grounde And specyallye in the lande of Pole they saye that they laye an halfe elne thick from the grounde When the sunne beganne to schyne then they flewe vppe by greate heapes in battell order so thycke to gether that they shadowed the sonne lyke a clowde They flewe also as swystlye as other birdes a wholl dutche myl befor they reasted In the lande of myssen they came as farre as to the water Mylda for ther they came nott Euerye man thoughte that then shoulde a greate deathe haue folowed in the same landes where as yet hyther to ther hath none bene hearde of Haplye it was a warnynge as certen learned men wryte that we should take hiede that we myght be able to withstande if the Turck came in wyth suche a multitude of people from whyche thynge God gracyously defende vs. In Italye vpon the .xiii. daye of Iune ther was a fearfull and an horryble Earthquake by Florence whyche threwe downe manye Chymneyes in Florence and almooste a wholle lytell towne lyinge not farre from it called Scharbarya and destroyed many men They wryte also that in Turckye a lytell towne lyinge not farre from Solonychyo from whence the Saffren cometh was destroyed wyth men and women and all that was ther in wyth an Earthquake They saye also that ther stode ouer Constantynople an horryble blasynge sterre .xl. dayes longe and that in the same dayes in Iune and Iulye there was there an horryble weether and an Earthquake They saye also that a Dragon burnt the Turckes Castell and treasure and that ther came a greate multitude of wolues rennynge into the cyty whyche dyd men muche harme And many suche wounders done at that tyme were wrytten oute of Constantynople wherof as me semeth some be but lyes Howe beit I lett euerye man thynck ther in as shal please hym and beleue what he wyll Let thys be ynoughe of thys yeare The Brabanters beyng prouoked of Marten van Rosheyme rusch et in to the lande of Gulyck â–ª and burne certen Castels lytel townes or robbe and make hauocke of them They manne Duren Gulycke â—yttard Sustern and Hynsberg which were yelded vp vnto them On the other syde the Duke of Cleue after he hath gathered an armye round aboute oure all places wythstandeth the power of the Brabanders Whyche after they had made Hensburg stronge entended also to Fence Duren entred into fyght wyth hys Enemyes Wherein when there were many kylled on both partyes the fyght was ended Syttard and Gulyck because the walles were ouerthrowen of the Brabanders the Duke of Cleue causeth to be strongly walled agayne and beseaged Duren and compelleth them to yelde vp the towne in the ende of December Thys yeare Iames the fyft kynge of Scottland beyng .xxxiij. yeare of age dyed in December leauyng but one onely doughter alyue of two yeare of age borne of hys second wyfe ouer whom he ordeyned tutors and gouerners of the Realme the Cardynall of S. Andrewes and the lorde Hamelton IN the yeare of our Lord 1543. euen in the begynnynge of the yeare was a conuocation or Counsell kept at Nuremburgh at the whyche conuocation was present kyng Ferdinandus wyth hys two eldest sonnes and besydes them the moost parte of the Ambassadours and deputies of the other princes of the Empyre And when all theyr actes and doynges were prolonged vntyll after Easter ther was another day appoynted to be kept at Spyer where the Emperours Mayestye shoulde personally appeare hym selfe In the moneth of Ianuary the Emperours maiesty sent out of spain a mighty army bothe on horsback on foot wherof the erle of Aultete was capitaine into y e land of the Mores called Mauritania â—â—enge in the coastes and borders of Afryca ouer agaynste Spayne to inuade the kynge of the cytye of tremetz wherof also the kyngdome hath hys name because that by the helpe of the Moores he hadde proflygated and expelled hys brother vnto whome the gouernaunce of the kingdome by right dyd appertayne whyche soughte redresse and succour at the handes of themperours maiesty This armye arryued the .xxvii. daye of Ianuary at the cytye of Tybyda lyenge by the sea syde where they founde a greate multytude of Mores which soone auoyded and lefte y e cyty vnto the Spanyardes After thys they marched from Tybyda towardes tremetz and endamaged the Mores by the waye whyche were departed from Tybyda vntyll at the laste they tourned them selues again and made a conflycte
the administracion of the Germaynes had preserued in Ferdinandus kyngdom the same was by his owne Capitaynes and seruauntes betrayed and deliuered For many Launceknyghtes of the Germayne nation sawe with their eyes that the chief Capitaine of the Castell called Salamancko deliuered letters to the Turke with his owne handes ouer the walles at the tyme of the said assault Whereupon the Turkes came by heapes the .xix. day of August next folowyng to take the Castell in possession accordyng to the promise whiche the vpper Capitayne had made them whiche notwithstaÌ„dyng were put of agayn by the violence and power of the Germaines that knewe not of the sayde conspiracy commaunded the same sincerely and purely to bee preached thoroughout all his diocese and iurisdiction But this greued the Chapiter and the Citie of Collyn very sore wherfore they haue also hither to endeuoured them selues to worke vnto hym muche wo sorowe and persecution here and there by the hier powers God vouchsafe to preuente their bloudy counsailes and deuices and graunte them to be taken in their owne snares that his name in them may be sanctified Amen This yere also dyed at Ingolstade doctor Iohn Eckius a faithfull seruaunt and chaÌ„pion of the Pope and a defender of the abhominable Papacy But as his lyfe was full of all vngodlynes vnclennes blasphemy so was his ende myserable harde and pitifull insomuche that his laste worde as it is noted of many credible persones was this in case the foure thousand guldens were ready the matter were dispatched Some say that the Pope had grauÌ„ted hym a certaine Deanerych whiche he shoulde haue redemed from the courte of Rome with the saied summe And although some of his adherentes would fayne haue extolled hym into heauen wherfore also the sayde rumour was myghtely resisted with vayne excuses yet haue they not preuayled but opened his shame so muche the more the .xxvi. day of Nouember a certayn woman besydes Basell in a village called Renach brought furth a wonderfull burthen namely twoo chyldren fast together and double from the nauell vpwarde so that both their bellyes and brestes were growen together vnto their neckes their heades beyng parted lokinge one vpon an other and embrasing eche other with their armes FroÌ„ the nauel downeward it was but one childe wyth one arse membres of a manchilde â–ª two legges and two fete the one was alyue when it came into the worlde but it lyued not past an houre Also the fourth day of Iune were sene at WhiteÌ„ dall not far froÌ„ S. Ioachinis valley many sundry visions As .ii. cities against whoÌ„ 〈…〉 many LyoÌ„s with gonnes the reapeared many visages figures of men w t wonderful beardes one prayeng after the shape of Christ an other striking of a maÌ„s head an other sitting vpon a Camell was destroied of a lyon There apeared also .ij. maidens the one of theÌ„ playeng on a lute with other like wonderfull fantasies whiche altogether after my iudgement may represent vnto vs the pore flock of Christ scattered through out Germany DuchlaÌ„d which is assaulted persecuted of many lyons that shede much in noceÌ„t bloud yet is alwaies preserued enlarged through the earnest prayer of faithfull Christians according to the significacion of the lesser citie of theÌ„ both which increassed became larger larger the more she was assaulted of the lyons IN the yere of our lord 1544. the Emperoure Charles came againe into Germany heloâ— a councell at Spier as it was apointed at Nurrenburg the yere before but what was there done concluded may all men perceiue by the breakyng vp of the same councell In the meane season dyed y â— right peaceable prince Lodowike Palatine by y â— Rene electour imperial c. who as touchiÌ„g his peaceable behaueours might be called the father of the Empire For the celebration of whose buriall themperour the kyng went to Heidelbergh And after this was the election by the Rene graunted by the Emperours mai to duke Frederike palatiâ—e which had the daughter of Christierne king of DeÌ„mark had hitherto kept his court at Newemarke This â—andable prince after y â— he had aspired to this digniâ—â—â— endeuoured himselfe to y â— vtermost of his power to solowe the steppes of his brother of laudable memory Almighty God vouchsaue of his grace to preserue increase hym all lyke peaceable princes to the welfare of the christen common welth While this passed about the Rene themperoure caused his capitaines to take vp a great multitude of meÌ„ in the coÌ„treis of Germany BurguÌ„dy Spaine a sent first 7600. Germayns 4800. Spanyardes 12800. Italians with 1500. horses of whoÌ„ was chief capitain markes de quassâ— to inuaded the Frenche kyng through Piemont And where the said army came within a duche myle of Carniol for so it is called of the warriours they were assaulted of the kynges hoste whiche was but litell stronger then themperours hoste Wherfore they brought themselues bothe at once in battellraye stode on two hilles whence the one might well beholde the other betwene them beneth was a depe muddy valley with dyches full of foul water Nowe when neither part would geue ouer his holde aueÌ„ture through the mudde the dyches there was many a shot made betwene them vntyll at the last the said Markes put furward the Spanyardes promising them comfortably to assiste them with the Italians and with the horsemen insomuch that they attempted with their armures and artillery to wade thorough the mudde and myre against their enemies whereupon the sayde enemies stoode styll vntyll they sawe the Emperours hooste troubled and pestered in the myre in suche sorte as they could kepe none ordre for euery man had ynough to do to saue hymselfe out of the mudde Then went they downe easely with their ordinaunce fell vpon theÌ„ that were entangled toke certaine horsemeÌ„ whiche had brokeÌ„ the aray that was made agayn And vpon this they russhed among them without violence Nowe when the Duchemen and the Spanyardes trusted that theyr superiours woulde succour them wyth the Italians and the horsmen the sayde bolde and stoute champion turned hys backe with them and fled sufferyng thesayde poore men to perysh without any succour So that in this battayll were slayne about .viij. M. Dutchemen and Spanyardes among whom were many olde expert warriours and .ij. M. of them were taken prysoners whiche were well intreated of the Swychers as prysoners by them coÌ„ducted out of the kynges dominions vntill they came within a littell dayes yourney of Geneue And if the Swychers had not shewed them suche kyndnes they had bene all kylled of the Frenchemen besides that they were so taken spoyled of all thinges euen to their shertes Wherfore they be herein muche bounde to thanke the Swytchers After this when the conuocatioÌ„ or counsaill was coÌ„cluded at Spyers euery prince
gaue the priestes their tenthes agayne And because these are true feates of good princes therfore hath God geuen hym noble victories For when the kynge of the Assyrians besyeged HierusaleÌ„ he called vpon God for aide the citie was deliuered of the syege by the angel slaing the enemies Esaye the prophete was in the time of this kynge in great worshyp by whome the kynge was instructed in suche thinges as pertayne to the feare of God But in the syxte yeare of Ezechias gat the king of the Assyrians the citye of Samaria and led awaye the ten tribes of Israel in bondage The moost parte of thys were the people of God that were fallen from Iuda and had set vp a propre kyngdome But whan the kynges of Samaria were afrayed lest the people shoulde fall agayne to the kyngdome of Iuda the which was ordeined of God yf they shuld somtyme resorte to Hierusalem feastly to do theyr sacrifyce and to heare the word of God accordinge to the ordinaunce of the lawe they set vp a certayne peculiar or propre Gods seruice a propre doctrine and a sacrifice agaynst Gods worde and so haue they abused all thinges against the worde of God vnder pretence of Gods name to entertayne the priuate power of their kyngdome Agaynste this worship of God are sometyme sent prophetes to the sauegarde and conseruation of many in the meane season haue the mighty with al stubbernes kept their false gods seruice Wherfore God hath greuously punished these kinges wyth warres and vproures neither lasted the raigne of this empyre longe by any kyndred in so much also that at the last God suffred the kynges and people to be led away Duely oughte this example make vs afrayde that we learne to feare God For if god spared not the posterite of Abraham vnto the which happened so manifest promises and so great but hath sodenlye ouerthrowen theyr kingedome and cast them out who is so sure minded which can beleue that we shall escape fre But in myne opinioÌ„ that part of Samaria â–ª semeth to beare the figure of the churche of the East and of the Grekes for lyke as Israel caried away by the Assyrians into Samaria came neuer agayne euen so also the churche or congregacion of the East is vtterly destroied by the Saracens and Turkes And as it happened to the tribe of Iuda afterwarde I feare me lest it chaunce lykewyse also to the West parte It is to be feared truely that God shal handle vs more rygorously because of the greatnesse of our mysdedes Houbeit God woulde in the meane season blesse the sede of Abraham before all natioÌ„s Wherfore ought the godly reader consider this example by hymselfe and pray God that he wyll chasten vs with mercy and not to cast vs vtterly away This kyngdom dured only two hundreth and foure and fourty yeares That tyme verely was very shorte specially seyng thys people had soo excellent promises euen of outwarde goodes also and in the meane season had they warre also and vproures So litle doth God suffre the wicked seruice of God vnpunished The wastyng of the kyngdom of Samaria was done the thre thousande two hundreth and fourtieth yere after the creation of the world Manasse the sonne of Ezechias succeded his father in the kyngdom of Iuda and reigned fyue and fifty yeres The same restored the false Gods seruice for false zele of godlinesse he burned in sacrifice his own childreÌ„ He persecuted the prophetes Esay y â— most holy prophet hath he caused to be cut asunder with a sawe and slayne at the last was he taken oâ— his enemies and caryed awaye Howbeit whan he knowledged his trespasse and called hartyly vpon the Lorde he was taken frely to mercye and God hath set him for an example to synners that they doute not but that God shall haue mercy and asswage hys wrath vengeaunce if they turne from their wyckednesse Amon raigned two yeare he was a wycked kynge wherefore he dyed with the swearde of hys seruauntes Iosias raigned thyrty one yere he toke away the wicked worship of God He ouerthrew the chappels and Idols he coÌ„maunded to burne the bones of false prophetes In his tyme were the bokes of Moses found again which had many yeres be lost That truely is a notable example that wickednesse mens traditions doth grow so excedingly preuayle that holy scripture is so greatly despysed y â— euen the very bokes be lost But God so prouiding for seynge she is neuerthelesse at the last restored and brought to lyght This history no doute doth shewe the figure of the last times in the church to y â— which the true and sincere knowledge of the word shalbe opened euen before the ende of the worlde But though Iosias was a verye godly kynge yet wanted not he finally his errour For whan he had now liued in good peace a great whyle had done many noble actes beyng waxen hardy he thought he might haue no misfortune by reason of his godlynesse Wherfore he warred vpon the kyng of the Egiptians the whiche neuerthelesse demaunded condicions of peace But because he toke that warr by trust of mans power he dyed of a greâ—â— wounde that he had gotten in y â— battayll Ioachas raigned thre monethes and was caried awaye into Egipt Ioakim raigned two yeares In his time inuaded Nabuchodonosor kyng of Babylon all Iewry whose tributary he became many men were led away among the which was also Dauiel yet yonge Afterward whan Ioakim kepte not the bonde or treaty Nabuchodonosor came againe and takyng Ioakim caused him to be slayne at Hierusalem his body to be cast amongs y â— other dead carcases without the citie according to y â— prophesye of Ieremy which prophesyed that he shuld be buried as an asse Ioachim or Ieconias was kyng thre monethes Nabuchodonosor about this tyme beynge come agayn beseged the city Ieconias yelded him selfe frely through the counsel of Ieremy the prophet vnto whom God had reueled that HierusaleÌ„ shuld be destroyed the people caried away howbeit he shuld not wholy be destroied but y â— he shulde once come agayn Hierusalem shuld be buylded agayn Ieconias was kept in BabiloÌ„ by god because he had obeied y â— voice of the prophet the which we shall note hereafter The best of the people were led in captiuite at Babilon with â–ª Ieconias and also all the moost costlye vessels and ornamentes that were in the temple at Hierusalem Sedechias raygned eleuen yeres he fell from the kyng of Babilon whome he wolde not geue tribute for which cause Nabuchodonosor came again besieged the citie And though Ieremy counseled hym that he shuld yelde him self for it were so foreseen of god y â— the people â–ª shuld be led away and Iuda punyshed yeâ— would not he obey â—oldened and trustynge too Gods promyse that the people of Iuda should not perishe
him Afterward y e Babilonians trusted him with the whole army the which he betrayed to Darius and made also that he recouered the whole citye the whiche he had nowe besieged syxe monethes and a whole yeare As for Darius gaue hygh thankes to thys zopyrus for hys faithfulnesse for he set hym afterwarde before all the princes of his kyngdome And as a pomgranate was geuen hym he sayde He woulde wysh him no better thinge in this lyfe than that if he might get so many zopyries as there are graines in this apple For therby would he signifie that a kynge can haue no worthier treasure nor no stronger fortresses than faythful frendes and counsellers Of Darius Warres in Grece THE Persians assayed to drawe by claime to them the kingdomes of Macedony and Grece because they bordered vpon Persia But because God hath prefixed euerye royalme as it were certayne boundes the whyche it can not passe therfore coulde the Persian kinges subdue nor make subiectes to theyr empyre nother the Macedonians nor the Grekes Wherfore happened about that tyme in Grece many and greate chaunces the which as they are many euen so to rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse them all ordely were to longe but I shall rehearse some of them howbeit none saue the very best and that brefely The Persians sendinge Ambassadours to Amyntas kynge of Macedouy desyred that he woulde yelde hymselfe to them Amintas being afrayd because of the Persians power graunted willingly to do their request in a maner prostrate treated messengers very courteously And whan a royall banket was ordeined for y â— Ambassadours after their wil they desired to haue brought to them noble women and ladyes for to garnyshe the banket Amyntas which durst denye them nothynge commaunded to brynge them Whan the Persians were now droncken they dalyed wyth the gentle women vncourteously insomuch that theyr vnmanerelynesse yrked and displesed kyng Amyntas and his sonne Alexander the yonge king and by reason of the shamefulnesse and reuerence of age desyred Alexander his father the kynge Amintas that departing out of the company he would go to bed he wold remayne with the gestes As the father went now away Alexander faynyng myrth he suffred the Persians to daly and playe more frelier wyth the women at the last he prayed them all to ryse and suffre the ladyes to go a lytle apart for they should strayght way returne better trymmed The nobles of the Persians suffred that wyllingly In the meane season caused Alexander the fayrest yongmen apparelled wyth womens garmentes to returne into the banket and hyde sweardes vnder theyr garmentes wherewyth in daylienge they should slaye the Perses the which was done For the Persyans were kylled of euery one of these yonge men and thus was theyr vnshamefulnesse greueouslye punished This Alexander is rehearsed amonge the greate grauntfathers of Alexander After this rebelled the Grekes also which were vnder Darius in the forepart of Asia and taking the citye Sardis burned it and to this dyd the Athenians ayde them For one Histieus a noble prince sente a seruaunt to their captayne and lest the matter should be disclosed polyng his seruauntes heade he prynted vpon hys heade letters conteynynge this sentence that they should disceuer and rebell to the kynge afterward as the heare was growen agayne he sent no letters but this seruaunt to the capitaine wyth this message only that he should klyppe of his heare and loke vpon his heade the whiche whan the capitaine had done straight waye fell he from Darius But thys traytour was kylled and Histieus was hanged and the commotion beynge swaged wyth these remedies went no farther This and other lyke gaue Darius occasion to gather a great hoost namely a hundreth thousand footemen and ten thousand horsemen and to sende them into Grece to be reuenged of the Athenians for the sedition and vproure They pytched their tentes two myle from Athenes Whan nowe some counseled not to wythstande the enemies but yf they besieged the citye to defende it manly onely Miltiades counsellinge the contrary shewed that the syege should be heauy and verye intolerable for the communalty but with a sodayn inuasyon myght the enemyes be lyghtely vanquyshed They folowed Miltiades counsell whom also they made captayne of the warre the Athenians made an army agaynst the enemies of ten thousande nother had they any succourse out of the other cyties saue of one thousand men that the city Platea had made out And wyth thys small army was that greate and chosen company of the Persyans discomfyted and layed doun and thys battayll deserued a very great prayse for it deliuered all Grece from a great and incredible feare where wyth she was no lesse taken at that tyme than yf at oure tyme the turke shulde inuade Germany We must not ouerpasse here what recompense the Athenians haue made finallye to Miltiades and how they haue requyted hym for thys good dede For besyde this victory had he done other great actes for the commune welth Wyth chyualry had he added other cities and yles wherewyth he augmented the empire and dominion of the Athenians But because greate vertues can not want the enuy and detractions of euell men it was procured by the people and broughte to passe that Mâ—ltiades was cast into the commun preson vntyll he payed to the communalty thre hundreth thousande crownes But whan he was not able to paye that summe and beganne nowe to be sycke of the longe presonment and stenche his sonne Cymon went into preson to delyuer the father at the last whan the father was deade a very ryche citysin maryed Myltiades doughter and disbursynge out the summe of money he delyuered Cymon out of preson Can not good men be duely rewarded of the communaltye on thys wyse Of Kyng Xerxes DArius had two sonnes the elder was begotten ear he had the kingdome offred but the yonger called Xerxes was in yâ— tyme of the kyngdome of hys mother Atossa that was Cyrus doughter The same by reason he was of both parentes of the kynges bloude â–ª he succeded his father beyng dead in the royalm that the kingdome myght remayne by the yssue of Cyrus The elder brother suffred this wyth a great modesty of mynde stryuynge in no manere wyth his brother Xerxes As now the hoost of y â— Persians was ouer throwen in Grece Darius assembled a new army but in thys appoyntynge dyed he Wherfore Xerxes straight before hys raygne accomplished the preparation that hys father had begonne and entred into Grece with a moost puyssaunt army insomuch that some haue writteÌ„ that neuer was so great an army assembled before at one tyme as was kynge Xerxes armie Iustine sayeth that of his own kingdomes were seuen hundreth thousand men in armoure and of the other that were confederat with hym thre hundreth thousand men Though it semeth not wel to
Thrasybulus and as cōcernyng gouernaunce of policy iudgementes and lawes the state of the whole common wealth was chaunged after the olde custome Thrasybulus deserued chefely a greate prayse for his moderation of the mynde that after so notable a victory wherein he had also taken many of the enemies prisouers he woulde rather spare them then by good ryght to slaye them And when he considered that there should be no ende of puttyng to death yf thee goodes of the citesens that were taken away should be restored to euery man agayne or to the true heyres namely that were already come to the third or fourth possessor he bande them euery one with such a bande amonge themselues that no man shoulde thenceforth remembre any vengeaunce or iniury done but that euery man should kepe that he had kepyng the common peace euery man to be content with his portion or lot By this meanes and moderation was a quietnesse set in the common wealth And this is a noble example that with beneuolēce and forgenyng is procured a more durable concord in suche cinyll commotion then that euery man wyl go forth with rigour and force Afterward were the Lacedemonians become proude and haut also with this lucky chaunce For they would dryue Perses out of Asia whiche had succoured them But the Perses for that tyme made Codon capitaine of their hoost whiche was fled from Athens in the ciuill commotion of hym were the Lacedemonians discomfyted The Lacedemonians takyng greueously their misfortune layde al the fault vpon them of Thebe because they had entertained the bannyshed Athenians wherfore they fell into their contryes of the whiche rose a new occasion of warre in the whiche the Lacedemonians beyng ouercome were wholy vndone the Thebane power encreased Whan this warre was finished the Thebanes toke another warre againste the Phocians the whiche were wholye abolyshed and the residue were bannished Finally dyd Philippe kyng of Macedony discomfite and tame them of Thebe And thus were fyrst Athens after that Sparta finally Thebe destroyed and al that power of the Grekes came to naught Howbeit whan the Athenians and Thebanes dyd not kepe the conditions and appointementes of peace made with kinge Philippe he was cōstrained to inuade for to take in al Grece This is ynough spoken in brefe maner of the dolefull warres of Grece the whiche were an hundreth and thyrtye yeares after Xerxes durynge which space was lytel peace These warres are at large written by Thucidides and Xenophon and some other We haue thought it therfore sufficient yf we had opened and declared the example of the Athenians y ◠which is the principal in that history Of the Philosophers IN the meane tyme that thys befell dyd learnynge also florysh Hippocrates the Phisicion lyued from the tyme of Longimanus vntill Ochus an hundreth and foure yeares And besyde that all Grece had hym in greate estimacion he was also muche made of by the kinges of Macedony by the which also he spent great part of his lyfe Soranus wryteth that Hippocrates was sent for by kynge Perdicas because many iudged that the kynge was fallen into a consumption and was forsaken of other Phisitions But whan Hippocrates was come he perceaued that the kynge was not sycke for feblenesse of bodely strength but that he pined for loue and inwarde sorowe For he loued out of measure the handemayden of his father as oft as he sawe her chaunged both the mynde and colour in the kynge Of thys wyse perceaued Hyppocrates the cause of the sycknesse and gaue remedy to dryue it awaye Besyde this whan the pestilence raigned he caused a great woode to be sett on fyre agaynste the infect ayer whence the infection of the ayer came and of thys wyse kept he the whole contry Thessalia safe from the pestilence He was also renoumed of naturall miracles Vpon his graue were bees a greate season with whose hony were sycke chylderen healed that were anoynted therewyth About the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon was Socrates whych by the enuy of hys aduersaryes was poysoned and dyed in the preson He was accused to be a brynger vp of a newe learninge in the citye But by the prouidence of God were the aduersaries not longe after punished worthelye for they were put to death also Of Plato Eudoxus Aristoteles AFter these were Plato and Eudoxus a very connynge Astrologian whych also brought this science oute of Egypte into Grece After thys man was Aristoteles I suppose these to be the chefe amonge the Philosophers and after my iudgement are the chefe of thē Eudoxus Aristoteles namely because they were not only garnished with pleasaunt wordes or reasons but studious of the very thynges For they accustomed that kynde of learning as is most profytable partely to knowe the propertie of naturall thynges and partly to learne what waye men may lyue honestly It is a moost pleasaunt thyng to beholde howe God hath sett all kynde of vertues in oure owne nature Aristotele was borne of parentes not of the bafest or lowest condicion His father was Nicomachus a man of very great authoritye by Amyntas kynge of Macedony for he was hys Phisicion Hys ofspring was of Hippocrates kynred for thys cause had kynge Philippe that was sonne to Amintas Aristotele in suchreputacion afterwarde he gaue vnto him Alexander hys sonne to be taught of him his discipline and was taught of Aristotle the learninge of Philosophie that he might become more ready and wyser to make a relacion and to geue counsell Hetherto haue we spoken ynough of the Grekes affeares which happened about the tyme of thys monarchy Of Rome WHan the kynges were dryuen out of the citie the state of the common welth was chaunged The Counsuls beganne to beare rule and yearly were two chosen whose authoritie in that office was one yeare This chaunge of the commune welth happened in the tyme of Cyrus the fyrste monarche of the Perses the yeare after the worldes foundacyon thre thousande foure hundreth and fyftye and the seuenth yeare after that Babylon was wonne by Cyrus But besyde other great and innumerable affeires that befell at Rome were also horrible sedityons and chaunges in the commune wealth in the whych are examples geuen vnto vs that great cicyties and commune wealthes do endure seldome without great alterations Howbeit in this maner y t two Counsules wer chefe rulers lasted perpetually vntyll the tyme of Iulius which vsurped the monarchye There were betwene the beginnyng of the Counsels rulyng vntyl Iulius raigne foure hundreth and thre score and fyue yeares It were to long to rehearse here the Romane histories I will only recite the tyme of two notable chaunces that were befallen at Rome in the tyme of thys Monarchye In the hundreth and second yeare after that the citye was builded that is not longe after Xerxes warre aboute the beginninge of Longimanus raigne
rose controuersy and dissension by the Romanes For seynge they vsed not yet a certayne iustyce or lawes men were oft vniustlye wronged in and out of iudgemente for noman knewe yet perfectly what was ryght And whan the multitude dyd for this cause murmure it was ordeined that a certayne lawe should be written Wounder it is of what importaunce be written lawes to entertayne commune peace and concord in the commun welath the which this example doth witnesse manifestly For this thing were ten men chosen whiche beinge sente into Grece searched oute and espyed the maners and lawes of the greatest cities and in gathering together the beste lawes dyd vse the counsell of Hermodorus of Ephesus and other Philosophers Twelue tables were written the which were hanged vp openlye before the court of Rome This is the begynning of the written lawe of the Romanes the which they haue fyrst borowed of the Grekes The Ten men ruled thre yeare for it behoued that the lawes were euery daye declared But Appius one of the Ten men dyd abuse hys power which caused one Virginius a cite sins doughter to be demed for another mans bondewoman that by that cloke of lawe he might drawe her to hym and destore her The whiche as the father perceaued and sawe that by reason of Appius power his doughter coulde not be delyuered he slewe her himself in the iudgement lest his stocke shoulde be stayned with such a reproche Afterward gathering an army he made ready an ayde against Appius the tyraunt Than deposynge the Ten men from their office a new dignitie was ordeined Appius beyng taken and cast into pryson slew him selfe Thys example sheweth that tyranny and iniustice remayne not vnreuenged The thre hundreth and thre score yere after the foundacion of the citye fell into Italy an army gathered of the Frenchmen and Germanes whyche brent Rome But Camillus whom the commune people had before dryuen out of the citye played y ◠part of an honest man for coloring wholy the iniury the which he had suffred vnworthely gathering an army out of the next contryes he oppressed the Frenche men and Germanes wythin the citye kepyng the castel from besyegynge and the residue of the citesins that were escaped The dammage had the citye in the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon and about that tyme nearehande was Athenes taken and spoiled In this hystory is the first mencion made of the Germanes and this was not wholy four hundreth yeares before Christes byrth Of these Germanes was Milane and other cityes in Italy buylded Of the thyrde Monarchye THe thre thousand syxe hundreth and foure and thyrtyeth yeare after the worldes creation whan the dominion of the Perses had lasted an hundreth and nynety yeares that is thre hundreth and twenty yeares before Christes byrth began the thyrd Monarchy the whych we call the monarchy of the Grekes and nowe is the dominion of the worlde translated from the coastes of the East into the West and oute of Asia into Europa From that time began Asia by lytle and lytle more and more to dekeye not onelye in those thynges that were concerninge the power of the empyre but also in those thynges that concerned modestye of maners vertues gouernaunce of cōmune welthes and good learning And though these thyngs are in a maner redressed and restored by the Romanes yet at the last came by violence the Barbarians into Asia and dyd spoyle it in so much that thesame parte of the worlde whiche was wont to bee the moost excellentes by reason of the pleasauntnesse of situation wysedome honestye of men and puyssaunce of countryes is now turned nearehand altogether into a synke of fylthinesse and murthurous denne And contrary wyse those hyghest giftes are nowe in the Weste seynge the worlde doth drawe by lytle and lytle to the ende This monarchy beganne at Alexander kyng of the Macedonians whom we do worthelye call the Great For he was so excellent not only in power of gouernaunce but also in all other princelye vertues that one woulde suppose he haue had but few that were equall to him He is praysed in Ieremye and Daniel the prophetes because he was a most sharpe and happy gouernoure Daniel describeth a buck of whom is a ramme ouercome ouer throwen and doth expounde manifestlye that the buck is the kyng of the Grekes and the ramme the Persian kynge The vertues and notable victories wherewyth God had garnished kynge Alexander gaue some men occasyon to falle fayne muche of hys ofsprynge but I passe them ouer But this is certayne that great and fortunable princes are gouerned and kepte of God and that they are endued only of God wyth those ▪ vertues and gyftes For God wyll haue the maiestye of gouernaunces to be kept and maynteyned by those whych are noble by noblenesse of aunceters and florishing of kynred and it is euident that Alexander was borne of this sorte Hys father was kyng Philippe and hys mother was Olympias And that nyght whan Alexander was conceaued it is sayde that Philippe sawe in hys slepe that he had a seale on Olympias belly wherin was karued the ymage of a Lyon It was expounded that by that dreame was signifyed that Olympias hauynge conceaued of Philippe should brynge forth a moost puyssaunt kynge As for Philippe and Olimpias both of them were borne of the hyghest and moost noblest kynred of all Grece at that tyme. For Philippe if wee maye geue credet to the moost true wrytynges of hystoryes came of Hercules and Olympias of Achylles the valiaunt captayn before Troye These are the aunceters of whose stocke the renowmed prince Alexander is borne The kynred of Alexanders father The battail of Troye Hercules Hyllus Cleodeus Aristomachus Temenus Perdicas Argeus Philippus Eropus Alcetas Amyntas Alexander Amintas Philippus Alexander the great Thys was the fyrst kyng of Macedony whose ofspringe doth Herodotus describe And Alexander the great was borne about eight hundreth yeares after the Troian warre The kynred of Olympias mother to Alexander Achilles Pyrrhus Molossus kynge of Epyrus and Pielus they were both borne of Andromachus Of Pielus doth Pausanias in the Atticall wrytinges draw the other kings of Epyrus folowing Tarymbas Alcetas Neoptolemus and Arymbas Olympias Neoptolemus doughter mother to to Alexander This is the genealogy of Alexander gathered out of moost certayn hystoryes the whiche wytnesseth that the ofsprynge of Alexander was of the posterytye of very great men Whan Philippe was stayne because he left the wicked dede of a great man that had shamfully defloured a noble chylde vnpunished strayght waye after rebelled the Illyrians and Grekes and fell from the Macedonians and the kyngdome of the Macedonians stode in greate daunger For whan his father Philippe was slayne Alexander was only twenty yeare olde This was in the beginning of the hundreth and eleuenth Olympias after the rekening of the Grekes But wha◠Alexander had takē to him the
administration of the royalme he fyrst broughte the Illyrians agayne vnder the yock after that wente he to Thebe For they of Thebe besyeged the garnyson of men that his father Philippe had set in there castell and also made a league wyth the Perses the whiche inuaded the kyngdome of Macedony In the meane season that Alexander besyeged them of Thebe dyd the Athenians sende ambassadours to hym for to optayne peace Alexander receaued them fauourably They of Thebe in the meane season beyng obstinate nother soughte for grace nor conditions of peace And whan it was proclamed by the coÌ„maundement of Alexander before the assaulte that whoso of them of Thebe that woulde yelde them frely and go oute of the cytye shoulde saue theyr lyues They of Thebe caused to be proclamed contrarye wyse that they that would haue the libertye of the Grekes wyth theirs saued and the kynge of the Perses against the tyraunte Alexander shoulde drawe to them Alexanders myâ—de beynge chafed wyth that reproche the citye was assaulted and wholy spoyled and was neuer restored afterward Thys was the fyrste greate citye that Alexander subdued For we se most communely come to passe that God ordeineth puysâ—aunt monarches for the destruction of great cityes Whan Alexander had now made a peace in Grece he went into Asia with â—n hoost of fourty thousand â—oote men but of horssemen onelye foure thousand The army that was in Asia the whiche his father had sent afore was but lytle With this small hoost falleth he vpon the Perses and maketh very great feldes and taketh many mighty cityes with strong hande amonge the whyche was Sardis Miletus and Tyrus In conquering of the whiche Alexander was in many haâ—ardes Vanquyshyng also in battaill Darius the kynge he put him to flighte and takyng hys mother hys wyfe the quene hys doughters and sonne he entreated them gentely and as it besemed there royall kynred The queâ—e that was aged called he mother he entertayned her sonne none otherwyse than if it had bene hys owne Wounder it is what prayse Alexander deserued for these vertues in all Asia and with Darius himselfe insomuch that frely he offred hymselfe to treate of peace offerynge to be content to delyuer vnto him euen the half of his royalme To this answered Alexander that this worlde can not be ruled wyth two sonnes but yf he were content to yeld frely him selfe and hys royalme he wold gently take him to grace But Darius renewynge an hoost was vanquyshed and was thrust through in the flight by his own seruaunt and guyde Bessus Alexander comming vpon Darius founde him very greueously wounded and nearehand dead and had pitye vpon him promised him that this vnfaythfulnesse of Bessus against his owne lord shuld not be vnpunished Wherfore Bessus beyng taken afterward he caused him to be hanged betwen two trees that were bowed doâ—â—ward the which whan they were suffred to dresse themselues agayne wyth a great swynge they tare hym paynfully Of thys wyse was Alexander become gouernoure of Asia and toke in farther the residue of the contryes and cityes as Babylon Susa c. The beginnynge of thys monarchye of Alexander was after the death of thys last Darius that is in the begynnyng of the seuenth yeare after that Alexander began to raygne Alexander beynge become proude by thys victory began to be dissolut in excesse of dronkennesse He caused some of hys frendes and counsellers to be put to death which was the moost excellent and sage captayne the aged Parmenion Besyde thys in hys wrath he slew hys valiant captayne Clytus in a banket because he preferred Philip his father before Alexander his sonne But whaÌ„ his maners were chaunged fortune chaunged also though the mynde was not peasable Ho warred also vpon the Iudyans and Scythians but he liued not long after that For he dyed the two and thyrtyeth yeare and eleuenth moneth of hys age He raygned after hys father Phylyps departure no lenger than twelue yeare and seuen monethes and wythyn so lytle space had he dispatched so many and great warres so that suche a multytude of men coulde scarce haue yournyed throughe so many contryes and realmes euen whan it had bene peace and tranquyllyte He raygned at Babylon after Daryus only fyue yeare and eleuen monethes Such hystoryes declare that greate kynges and princes are guyded by a certayne heauenly power or will Alexander was endued with many and excellent princely vertues the examples whereof to set forth here by reaâ—on of oure industrye to be short hath no place I will recite only one amonge so many As oft as the playntyfe in iudgement layde ought against any gylty man the same beynge absent he gaue only the one eare to the plaintyfe and was wont to shut y â— otherwyth his hand that he might signifie he would kepe the other for the gylty man and that both partes oughte to be herde alyke the which pertaineth to an office of a good prince and true iudge Alexander gaue here a notable example for greate princes that not onely the one parte should be admitted to speake and laye for him selfe but both partes euen as at Athens they were wont to sweare the iudges that were chosen that they should geue sentence accordinge to the lawe written and that they shoulde heare both partes alyke Of the moderation and godlynesse that Alexander dyd vse agaynst the Iewes WHan Ierusalem was now builded agayne the Iewes lyued in greate peace vnder those Godlye kinges of the Perses But whan Alexander besieged the citye Tyrus he requyred ayde of thâ— Iewes which answered that they coulde do it by no honeste meane because they were subiectes to the kynges of Persia whyche also had receaued many and great benefytes of them Whan Alexander had hearde thys excusation he was wroth and whan he had wonne Tyrus he came wyth hys hoost towarde Ierusalem But Iaddus the hygh prieste puttinge on the prestly apparell and other aged men went oute of the citye to mete Alexander for to aske peace WhaÌ„ he sawe y â— hygh prest in that apparel he lept incontinently from his horsse and fallinge vpon his knees before the preste he promysed hym peace frely All hys princes maruayled that he vsed so greate lowlynesse agaynst a priest of a straung nacion and also that he had swaged the rage of hys mynd in so lytle space Parmenio which was entierly beloued of the kynge by reason of his age and wysedome demaunded of him what reuerence moued hym that he fell so lowly before the prest To the whiche he aunswered that in Macedony he sawe a lykenesse in hys slepe semblable to thys prest that stode before him and admonished hym that he should go into Asia and promysed to ayde him and that he dyd the honour to the verye same God that than had appeared vnto hym At that tyme went Alexander peaceably into the citye hearynge also reuerentlye the prestes reasonynge of the doctryne
sciences and dyd institute a very good forme of the common welth To hym drew wyse men out of all contryes the which he maynteyned gently and liberally He had a library as there was none better furnished in the whole worlde and for thys cause toke he acquaintaunce of the Iewes For whan he diligently searched for the begynnynge of all nacions religions and sciences he founde that the people of the Iewes to be the eldest and that they onely had the surest historyes of the worldes begynninge or creation Wherefore he required to be sent to hym from Ierusalem thre score and twelue men by whose diligence the wholy Bible myght be translated oute of the Hebrue into his language by this occasion were the Bibles syrste translated into straunge speches And no doubt it is but that Ptolome was conuerted to the true fayth by this same meane iii. Ptolomeus Euergetes inuaded Syria dyd reuenge the death of his syster Berenice iiij Ptolomeus Philopater ouercame Antiochus the great afterwarde beyng become more sensuall and dissolute he beganne to be enamoured vpon a wenche insomuch that he caused also hys quene to be put to death for the loue shewed to that wench v. Ptolomeus Epiphanes whom Antiochus the great dyd inuade the same Antiochus gaue to him hys doughter vi Ptolomeus Philometor the same dyd hys vncle Antiochus Epiphanes inuade But the Romanes defendyng Ptolome commaunded Antiochus to auoyde out of Egypt the which we haue shewed before vii Ptolomeus Euergetes restored Demetrius that was dryuen oute of hys realme into the same agayne viii Ptolomeus Physco the same resembled more a beast than a man by reason of hys vylaynous crueltye He wedded hys syster and begatt chylderen of her Afterwarde slayenge hys sonne set him before hys mother to eate fynallye was he dryuen out of the realme The residue ensuynge were notable of lyke shameful behaueour as of beastly medlynge and of farre more cruell tyranny ix Ptolomeus Alexander x Ptolomeus Latyrus xi Ptolomeus Auletes whome Gabinius the Romane captayne restored agayne into hys kyngdome xii Ptolomeus Dionysius which commaunded to slaye Pompeius and afterwarde was also vnfaythfull to Iulius wherefore Iulius droue hym out of the kyngdome and gaue it to his syster Cleopatra the whiche finally slew herselfe whan Antonius whom she entertayned was ouercome of Augustus After that came Egypte to the Romanes and so was the moost noble kynred of Ptolomeus quenched Of the Iewes WE haue sayde before that the superiorytie of gouernaunce remayned by the posteritie of Dauid after the returne of the Iewes oute of Babylon only that they wanted the dignitie of the kynges name and were only called Prynces And the same rayned tyll the tyme of Antiochus S. Luke doeth also make mencion of them in the genealogye of Christe i. Zorobabel lviij yeares ii Resa Miseolam lxvi iii. Iohanna Ben Resa liij iiii Iudas the fyrst Hircanus xiiij in the tyme of Alexander After Alexander v. Ioseph the fyrst vij vi Abner Semei xi vii Eli Matathia xii viii Aser Maath ix ix Nagid Artaxat x. x. Hagai Eli viij xi Maslot Naum vii xii Amos Syrah xiiij xiij Matathia Siloa xviij xiiij Ioseph the yonger l. The same had greate familiarite wyth Ptolomeus Euergetes and by Eusebius is he called Arses xv Iaanna the seconde Hircanus xvi He had greate warres agaynst the Arabians and had oft victory But whan he was besieged in a castell by Antiochus Epiphanes nether coulde he defend hymself any lenger wyth his garnyson yet woulde he not yelde him selfe but wythstode his enemies valiauntly fightynge in battayl tyll he was slayne This was the laste prince amonge the Iewes of kyng Dauids bloude After hym ruled the Machabees whyche were of the priestly kynred But after these was the kyngdome of the Iewes translated to Herods kynred whyche was a Gentyle but he was circumcised Thys thynge truely had God prophecyed before that the ceptre and royall maiestye shoulde be taken from Iuda and Dauids successors before the comminge of the promysed Christe Nether was the kyngdome altered from Dauids posteritye aboue an hundreth thre score yeare before Christe was borne so that it exceded not mens memory what kinred had raigned Of this wyse doeth Lucas rehearse the princes of the Iewes vntyll the last Ianna Hircanus and after the same doth he counte the residue also which ruled not vntyll Christe Wherefore I wyll brefely adde of the Machabees and Herodes kynred Of the Machabees kynred MAtathias exhorted hys chylderen to resist Antiochus and these raygned in order by successiō as princes Iudas Machabeus the first vanquyshed the capytaynes of Antiochus Epiphanes and recouered the temple wythin thre yeare and had notable victories But assone as he had conspyred wyth the Romanes makyng a league wyth them he was slayn and dyed For God wyll not haue vs to leane to mans helpe but that we shoulde sett oure truste in hym He raygned v. yeares Ionathas raygned nyneten yeare he toke part wyth Alexander which vsurped the kyngdome in Syria Afterwarde was he slayne of Triphon very vnfaythfully He had an vnhappye ende for because he trusted too the ayde of naughty and seditious men Simon reigned eight yeare he ouercame Antiochus Gryphus He was at the last slayn by treason of his owne brother in lawe Ioannes Hircanus was Simons sonne the same reigned syx and twenty yeare In his tyme besieged Antiochus Gryphus Ierusalem but by geuyng of mony was he apeased and breakyng vp the syege left the citie Afterward gat Hircanus Samaria The Machabeis kynges Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus reigned one yeare and woulde be crowned with a kyngely crowne He was the first kyng in Ierusalem after that the Iewes were returned out of Babylon He slew his brother Antigonus because he feared lest he woulde couet the kyngdome Alexander the yonger sonne of Hircanusreigned seuen and twenty yeare his wyfe Alexandra reigned after hym nyne yeare Alexander left two sonnes after hym Hircanus and Aristobulus Though Hircanus were the elder yet was he dryuen out of the kyngdom by hys brother Aristobulus whiche by violence caught from his brother the dignitie of the kynges name But Antipater prince of Idumea and the father of Herodes and Areta kyng of Arabia ayded Hircanus against Aristobulus Nether was there a lesse barbarous state at that tyme in Iewry after the Heythen maner then in the kyngdomes of other nations Afterward when Pompeius toke in Ierusalem he made Hircanus high priest and taking Aristobulus prisoner with his two sonnes Alexander and Antigonus brought thē to Rome But by the way as they went to Rome escaped Alexāder and commyng againe into Iewry he became mighty againe But then was he vanquished by Gabinius y ◠Romane capitaine in Syria and afterward by the commaundement of Scipio was he beheaded at Antiochia Antigonus was released at Rome
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
many also were taken prisoners This discomfiture made the Romanes so sore afrayd that many nobles gathered together began to deuise to flye into Grece leaue the cytie But wheÌ„ Scipio the yonger harde of that he went to them exhorted theÌ„ to sted fastnesse in defending the contrary and sayed yf he perceiued any man to flye out of the contrey he would straightway strike him thorow with his sworde Wherfore he compelled the young noble men to bynde themselues with an holy othe that they shoulde not leaue the citie but that they would frely abyde euery chaunce for loue of the countrey As for this same Scipio made an end of this warre when it had lasted syxten yeres For he ouercame Hanibal in Aphrica and compelled the CarthaginiaÌ„s to require peace and peace was concluded vpon this condition that they of Carthago should yelde Hannibal to the Romanes But he beyng escaped fled to kyng Antiochus the greate whome he prouoked to ordeine a great and dredefull warre against the Romanes But kyng Antiochus was slayne whiche we haue sayde before It may easely be gathered out of this what tyme this seconde warre of Carthago was namely twenty yeare before Iudas Machabeus Of the warre of the Romanes in Macedonia ABout the fyue hundreth and fyue and fortyeth yere rose first the warres in Macedonia First with Philippe and that because of the league made with Hanniball against the Romanes For kyng Philippe hated greatly the name of Rome For he perceaued that the same citie crept vp to the destruction of all kynges and moste myghty Monarches in so muche also that he shoulde haue sayed somtyme He feared lest a tempest shoulde once come out of Italy into Grece whose vehemency shoulde be so greate that all these slaughters and discomfitures whiche Grece had suffered of the Perses and othet compared to it might be called but a triful toie Wherfore when he was inuaded of the Romanes with warre he required the coÌ„dicions of peace not vnwittingly made a treaty of peace concord with the Rom. But afterward Perseus his sonne as one y t was more coragious and of a more vnrestly minde gathered an army and made aliaunce with many kynges and inuaded those cities of the Romanes that were in Grece and the Romanes were also greatly vanquyshed of hym at the first But not loÌ„g after this battayll he required frely the condicions of peace howbeit the Romanes refused to graunt the same and sent Paulus Aemilius into Macedony of whom Perseus was ouercome and taken prisoner with his mother wyfe and children Of this wyse were kynges tamed by the Romanes subdued This Perseus was the last of the Macedonian kynges and with hym is that noble kynred of Demetrius gone to naught where of we haue spoken before Howbeit the sonne of this Perseus became a secretary at Rome and the kyngdom of Macedony was afterwarde alwaye gouerned by Romane gouernours This warre with Perseus began not long before when Antiochus Epiphanes inuaded the Iewes Of the Spoylyng of Carthago THe syxe hundreth and seconde yeare after the fouÌ„dacion of the citie began the third last Carthaginian warre by this occasion The citie Carthago was at variaunce with the countreis adioynynge to it as somtyme ryse debates betwene cities and princes and these required ayde of the Romanes againste the Carthaginians After long reasonyng it was disputed in the senate whether Cartago shoulde be wholy spoyled because that it beyng restlesse could not lyue in peace For Scipio Nasica counsailed that Caâ—chago should not be ouerthrowen first because it were not honest that the Romanes shoulde vse so great tyranny and shoulde slaye so muche people Beside this that it wer not profitable also without that citie could not Aphrica be entertayned too do her duetie without it were wholy spoyled Thyrdly that it were moost necessary for the Romanes to haue suche a citie contrarieng them by the whiche they should be sturred to lustinesse and courage or els should they rayse warre within themselues yf they feared no foren enemy Contrary wise did Cato bring this argument among other as the chefest that the Romanes dyd by lytle and lytle become vn lyke their auncetours in vertues prowes Wherfore if the moost myghty citie Carthago remaining in her estate knewe the cowardnesse negligence sloughtfulnesse feblenesse of the Romanes there were nothyng more surer but that she would striue againe for the empire and high gouernaunce and oppresse the Romanes and bryng them vnder her power Wherfore lest this shoulde be it were moste profitable and necessary to destroye Carthago Nether would the senate geue any certayn sentence or verdice vpon this at that tyme but they ordeined Cato the aged and certaine other to be sent with hym to Carthago to trie out all the matter whether any daunger were to be feared of the Carthagineans that then at the last they might earnestly deuise what were to be done But what nedeth muche to be sayed Cato beyng returned shewed that more daunger were to be feared of the Carthaginians than euer was before For though they of Carthago were depriued of their dominions yet could they easely perceaue that the citie were both myghty and also cruell whiche coulde not rest but must by processe of tyme assay some thinge to reuenge her selfe Besyde this brought Cato with hym grene fygges of exceadyng bygnesse the whiche he shewed openly in the senate And when he was demaunded whence he had brought those fygges he aunswered within thre dayes may be saâ—â—ed thither He said moreouer they growe in the lande of your enemies So neare dwel your enemies and they that couet your empire The senate being sturred with these so many persuasions ordeined that Carthago should be assaulted with warre should be roted out by the ground that there should be no hope of restoring it afterward To accomplish this warre was Scipio the yoÌ„ger the sonne of Paulus Aemilius made capitaine and in the fourth yeare after the coÌ„tinuall assault of syx daies was Carthago taken And though Scipio permitted euery man a space to flye frely yet was a miserable slaughter in the citie wheÌ„ it was dispoiled Afterward by the coÌ„maundement of Scipio was the citie set on fyre and burned syxtene dayes continually This is that myserable decaye of Carthago the moste noble cytie in the whiche neare hande alwaye haue so many renowmed princes gouerned of whome to speake by reason of their worthinesse wyll not the brefenesse of writtynge suffre at this tyme. Carthago stode continued about seuen huÌ„dreth yeares The godly reader may aboue all thynges behold here a dredeful example of Gods vengeauÌ„ce in so truely ouerthrowyng of so mighty and very excellent a citie It is sayed also that after that it was set on fyre Scipio came rydyng to the place of the citie and sawe the myserable case of Carthago that was spoiled and destroyed and beyng moued with a
candel lyghte There were also earthquakes wherewyth some cities were euen destroyed The yeare of Christ CC. xlvij PHilippus the .xxv. Emperoure raigned fyue yeares He was an Arabian and had bene longe tyme captayne of the hoost This same toke vp his sonn Philippe also to the gouernaunce of the Empyre But they were both slayne by the procurement of Decius for takynge vpon them baptyme and knowledgyng of the name of Christ For thus raged the Emperours amongest themselues wyth manslaughter by the sufferaunce of God whyche thyng ought duely cause vs to drede and feare God The yeare of the worlde â–ª foure thousande one hundreth and two and nynety The yeare of Christe two hundreth and eighte and fourty In the tyme of theyr gouernaunce was it a thousanth yeare sence Rome was buylded whych was feasted and celebrate wyth a moost renoumed pompe of playes that wer had once man hundreth yeares called Ludiseculares Fabianus the ninetenth byshop of Rome succeded Antherus It is sayde that he baptysed Philippus the Emperoure and that Philippus was the fyrst Emperoure that acknowledged the Christen fayth The yeare of Christ CC. L. iij. DEcius the .xxvi. Emperoure raygned two yeares He was no lesse a wyse prince than a doughty warriour He sett vp hys sonne also in the empyre wyth him They were both slayne of the Gotthies after that they had inuaded Thracia and after that wended them towarde Hungary And though the Romanes had to do wyth the Gotthies before also yet wyll I begynne the Gotthian history here For at that tyme they had an army of thre hundreth thousande and they dyd a renoumed acte in vanquy shynge Decius so valiaunt a prince But God woulde at the laste be reuenged of that tyrannye wherein he commaunded by an open commaundemente to putt all them to death that worshipped Christ He putt to death Fabianus the byshop of Rome and Cyprian in Aphrica and many other holy men As for the Gotthies and other straunge nacions breakynge into the Romishe dominion pulled awaye by violence thesame because of sheddynge of Christen mennes bloude And this same had Sybilla prophecyed for to come Besyde that is it clerely expressed in the Apocalypse Cornelius the .xx. byshop of Rome succeded Fabianus who condempned the heresye of Nouatius concernynge the peruerse doctryne of penaunce For he taughte that they whyche had receaued baptysme and fell agayne into synne â–ª coulde not come agayne to saluacyon and wyth thys erroure broughte he manye to desperacyon and spoyled the concorde of the churche or congregatyon The yeare of Christ CC. lv VIbius Gallus the .xxvij. Emperoure raygned two yeare wyth hys sonne Volusianus For whan Decius was slayne Gallus was saluted Emperoure of the hooste Afterwarde were they both slayne of the souldyours Lucius the .xxi. byshop of Rome succeded after Cornelius The yeare of Christ CC. lvâ—â— VAlerianus the .xxviii. Emperoure raygned syxe yeares He was chosen Emperoure of the hoost in hygh Germany and the Senate confirmed the same For he was borne of a moste noble kynred at Rome and had behaued hymselfe valiauntly in Germany At the laste was he taken of kynge Sapores by the Perses and lyued in moost vyle seruyce For the barbarus king was so haut and presumptuous that whan he had taken the Emperoure he vsed hym for a chayre and whan he wolde ride he trode vpon the backe of Valerianus lyenge on hande and fete and so stept on hys horse backe But Sapores was lykewyse punyshed by Odenaâ—us the Romane captayne GAlienus sonne to Valerianus the xxix Emperour gouerned y e Empyre with his father â–ª after that the father was taken he raigned nyne yeares He was learned in good sciences but lyuynge in greate excesse and dronkennesse he gouerned but slowly the empyre wherefore it mynyshed in many contryes In the meane season was Posthumus made captayne of the hooste in Germany whofor the singular endeuour to accomplysh his duety â–ª was made Emperour of the hoost But whan Galyenus had sent hys army agaynst Posthumus he appoynted amonge the rest the Frankes to be in the hooste And by thys occasyon were the Frankes fyrst steared to warre the which afterwarde also whan Posthumus was slayne by sayenge of wayte and treason remayned stylle in harnesse the whyche we wyll also treate of here after whan we shall treate of Carolus magnus But we wolde lyghtely shew thys lest the reader shulde be ignorant what was the occasyon why the Frankes dyd fyrst set them selues agaynst the Romanes and by the same meanes became they myghty in Germany and Fraunce Of thys maner than beganne the Gotthyes fyrste to destroye the Romane domynyon afterwarde the Frankes and so forth other nacyons so that I passe ouer in the meane season that great slaughter that the Perses in the East haue done The yeare of Christe CC. lxxij Flauius Claudius the xxx Emperoure raigned two yeares Thyssame deserued mooste greatest prayses For hys notable and very princely vertues Wherfore was the empire offred vnto hym both by Galyenus before hys death â–ª after that of the hooste and senate wyth one consente of them all Agaynst the Gotthyes foughte he in Hungary and Macedonya aboue mans thynkyng and euer had the victorye He ouercame also the Germanes that were fallen into Italy He restored Egypt to the Empyre But Claudius desteny suffred hym to lyue no longer happely because the Romanes were not whorthy of suche a prince For it behoued the empyre of Rome now to begynn to decay the which was somwhat repared restored by Claudius and thre or foure of hys successors Constantinus the great was of thys Claudius kynred which we shall shewe hereafter Valerianus a debite put Lucius the byshop of Rome to death by martyrdome whome succeded in the byshoprycke Stephanus the fyrste of that name the xxij byshop Xystus the seconde of that name the .xxiij. byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Dyonysyus the xxiiij byshope of Ro. succeded Xystus The yeare of Christ CC. lxâ—iiij AVrâ—lianus the xxxi Emperoure raygned fyue yeare and â—yxemone thes He was taken vp to the gouernaunce of the empyre by Claudius for hys excellent prowises and feates of chyualry He ouercame the Frankes in a sore battayll not farre from Mentz afterwarde the Gotthyes also in Illyrycus Besyde thys ouercame he in the East the quenezenobya the which did great actes aboue womanly nature and had great warre with the Romanes He is worthy no small prayse also because that in the hoost and amonge the souldyours he wolde alwaye haue strayhgtly kepte and maynteyned modesty and discipline of warre For it befel vpon a tyme that a souldiour forced hys hostesse and had to do with her of which thing whan Aurelianus had knowledge he wolde haue hym punyshed wyth a moost greueous kind of punyshment He commaunded two trees to be bowed doâ—â—e to the earth and to binde the myâ—doer to the
fyrst that openly knowledged the name of Christe Nether is it to be doubted but that he was a true godly prynce for he had the holy Gospell in such reuerence that to the open wytnesse of hys fayeth he caused the boke of y e Gospel to be boren alway openly before hym He commaunded also bokes of the Bible to be written at his owne coste and caused them to be sent into all contryes here and ther. He brought to passe that the holy and profytable councell of Nicene was gathered that so in hys tyme he might set the state of the churche in a quietnesse These finally are actes worthye for a good prince which deserue a farre greater prayse than that it is sayde he haue geuen to the bishop of Rome many gyftes Although the good Emperoure is worthy to be praysed for that that he gaue almesses benefyces to mainteyn Euangelycall doctryne and ministers of the churche But that Constantinus should haue be so liberall toward the byshop of Rome that he shoulde haue geuen hym for his vse the citye of Rome and the halfe part of the empyre as some do fable no historyes that be alowed do wytnesse the same The city Constantinopolis was builded by this Emperour and hath the name of him whan before the citye of marchaundise that was in that place was called Bâ—zantium The see of the empyre was afterward brought to Constantinople as the histories folowinge do testifye Moreouer seing it is â–ª no doubt that this prince is one and that of the chefest of those princes which God hath garnished wyth great vertues we shall worthely recyte the ofspringe of hys kynrede that it maye be knowen those most great and noble vertues to be syngularly geuen of God to greate and noble families or houses Claudius the Emperour of most commendable name had two brethren Quintilius and Crispus Claudia the doughter of Crispus was wedded to the noble prince Eutropius And these are the ofspringe of Constantinus kynred Eutropius a chefe gouernour at Rome Claudia the brothers doughter of Claudius Constantius the Emperour had Helena her sonne was Constantinus y e greate hys wyfe was Fausta the doughter of Maximianus whose chylderen were Constantius Constantinus and Constans Theodora the stepedoughter of Maximianus her sonne was Constantinus thesame had sonnes Gallus and Iulianus Of Arrius the heretyke ARrius lyued in the tyme of Constantinus He was an open reader in the scole of Alexandria in Egypte The churches concorde was miserably spoiled wyth hys error and heresy For he taught y t Christ was not truely and naturallye God But what practyse and vicious pleasauntnesse of persuasyons he dyd vse to confyrme this error it were to longe to rehearse Howbâ—it it pleased the world so wel that great learned bishops and neare hande the whole churche of the Easte wyth manye also in the Weste dyd embrace hym Neuerthelesse in the meane season wythstode heauely this heresy two bishops of notable godlynesse The fyrst was Alexander who optayned of Constantinus to gather the councell of Nicene wherein was condemned the heresye of Arrius Wherfore was Arrius forsaken and bannished out of the dominion But whan Constantinus was deade a certayne preste was in fauoure wyth Constantius whom also he committed al his counsels the same broughte to passe wyth his persuasyon by the Emperoure that Arrius beyng called agayne was sett in hys former office The fyre that was metely well quenched afore began nowe agayne to burne more fearcely insomuche that the Emperoure Constancius beganne also to embrace thys erroure of Arrius Whan at the last a daye was appointed by Constantius wherein Alexander and Arrius shoulde openly reason of the scrypture concerninge this learninge Alexander spent the whole nyghte in prayenge in the temple prayenge God that the secte of Arrius should crepe no farther Wherfore in the morninge before the appoynted houre of the disputation whan Arrius went to the place he beganne as he went to haue payne in the bellye and went to a preuye to do hys easement where he aboue all mens estimacion dyed incontinent Howbeit whan Arrius was of this wyse deade yet ceased not the sede of his poysoned doctrine to be sowed larger abroade because that they that were conspyred together of this secte beganne to sprede it more vehemently At the laste whan Alexander was deade also Athanasius hys successor disputed hymselfe agaynste the Arryans but the same beynge banyshede by Constantius he fled from Egypt vntyl the citye Tryere in Germany And though thys was a very farre flyghte yet was the bannyshed man fayne to hyde hymselfe secretly at Tryere vntyll the eyght yeare In the meane season was that heresy fearcely growen thorough out in the East churche euen so muche that for a season a greate part of Christen men did leane to the Arrian secte and out of thys secte sprange by lytle and lytle other sectes many Fynally whan the name of Arryans was by the decrees of many councels quenched yet was it now and than renewed againe in the churche vnder other names In one citye were sundery opinions and diuerse sectes persecuted eche other insomuche that the one running vpon the other in theyr temples made ryots and committed man slaughter At that tyme was the state of the church very wretched and pyteous the which worthely gaue an occasioÌ„ of slaunder not only to the Gentyls why they dyd not embrace the word of God but dyd offende other also that they went from the Christianity to the Idolatry of the Heythen among the which was also Iulianus the Emperoure In the tyme of this so myscheuous heresy came vp finally Mahomet to whoÌ„ by Arrius was as it were a window handsomly opened was the forerunner of this most cruel Antichrist For whan the myndes of men went astray in so great dissension of opinions came Mahomet inuented very wysely the thirde way wherwith he should heale the variete diuersyty of errours For he toke awaye all disputacions whiche thinge men dyd alowe But hereof shall we speake afterwarde And let thys suffise to be rehearsed of the Arryans erroure and other lyke heresyes of the whiche we haue here made mencyon therfore that it may be sene how greate dammages manslaughters seditions ryotous heresyes do brynge both to the commune welth and to the churche Marcellynus the .xxviij. byshop of Rome succeded Cains Marcellus the xxix succeded Marcellinus Eusebius the xxx bysh succeded Marcellus Melciades the .xxxi. succeded Eusebius Syluester the xxxij succeded Melciades Marcus the xxxiiâ— was bysh after Syluester Not long before Constantinus death was a very greate comete sene certayne monethes whiche signifyed the greate warre and commotion that folowed after Constantinus death The yeare of Christe CCC xliâ— COnstantynus the .xxxviij. Emperoure raygned xxiiij yeares But the father had so ordeyned the empyre that the thre bretheren shulde raigne together Constantinus in Fraunce Spayne and Germany Constantius
derth not onely at Rome but also in al Italy But as the Gotthies fled and strayed here and there without order by reason of the great derth Bellisarius folowed vpon them and ouerthrue theÌ„ and enclosyng in Wittichus by an intrap toke him But in y â— meane seasoÌ„ could not the Gotthies be vtterly weded out but Iustinianus making peace w t them graunted them to dwell in the contreis from the Alpes vntyll the ryuer Padus nether shoulde passe these bondes He called Bellisarius back agayne for he feared lest he being made Emperour he should take to hym the empyre of Italy though Bellisarius trustyd in his affayres went not about suche thynges Wherfore beyng returned to Constantinople he brought Wittichus and other of the greatest nobilitie prysoners with hym in a greate triumphe Totilas was made king of the Gotthies after the depar THus was Rome foure tymes taken of the Gotthies and Vandalies within an hundreth and nyne and thyrty yeres First by Alaricus vnder the Emperour Honorius The yere of Christ CCCC xij After that by Genserichus the Vandal in the tyme of Martianus The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi THyrdly by Totilas kyng of the Gotthies and this oppression of the citie was the moste heuiest of all For she was both taken and burnt the .xxi. yeare of Iustinianus the yeare after the buyldyng of her a thousand and thre hundreth The yeare of Christ CCCCC xlviij Fourthly the third yeare after this destruction The yeare of Christe CCCCC li. After this spoylyng beganne Totilas to restore agayne the citie of Rome and suffered the cytesens to returne agayne into her But what fauoure he shewed and how gently he behaued hymselfe wytnesse the wordes that are written concernyng hys frendlynesse that he bare suche an affection toward his subiects and specially the Romanes as becommeth a father to haue toward his chyldren and it is sayde that Totilas learned by saynt Benets doctrine and admonition to beare rule of that sorte Afterwarde sent Iustinianus a prince of syngulare wysdom called Narses into Italy against Totilas The same called the Lombardes to ayde him The same were Saxons whiche with appoynted armies had brought themselues to the coastes of Austria the same brought Narses into Italy and by their ayde ouercame he Totilas and after ward Teia whiche was the last kyng of the Gotthies in Italy And this is the ende of the Gotthies kyngdome by the Italians whiche had last sence Dietrichus of Berna vntyll Teia thre score yeares That Dietrichus Totila and Teia were both very wyse and doughty princes testifye their dedes and noble actes insomuche that if ye wyl esteme them by their vertues they ought not to be called Barbarians When the Gotthies were ouercome the power and rychesse of the Lombardes beganne to growe and gatte one of the kyngdomes of Italy howbeit they possessed not whole Italy but onely that part of Italy that yet is called Lombardy The kyngdome of Lombardy lasted vntyll the tyme of Carolus magnus Though the Gotthies were dryuen out of Italy yet were they myghty in Spayne and ruled there vntyll this oure tyme. And of this wyse was at the last Spayne and part of Fraunce translated from the empyre of Rome vnder Homorius As for Italy was restored to his tranquilitie while Honorius lyued yet For the Gotthies drue partly into Lombardy partly into Spayne besyde this were the Frankes myghty in Fraunce After Innocentius was Sosimus made the xliiij byshop of Rome Bonifacius the first of that name and xlv byshop of Rome succeded Sosimus After Bonifacius death was Celestinus the first of the name made byshop of Rome The yere of Christe CCCC xxvij THeodosius the yonger the sonne of Arcadius the .xlv. Emperoure reigned at Constantinople seuen and twenty yeares after the death of Honorius He made Valentinian the sonne of Constantius and Placidia whiche was the daughter of Theodosius fellow in the Easte empyre Of the Vandalies IN the tyme of this Theodosius the yere of Christ CCCC xxxiij came the VaÌ„dali into Aphrica by this occasion Thos two capitaines of the Romanes hated eche other and fought other whiles with playn fielddes Wherfore the one called bonifatiâ—s entyced busely the Vandalies that were in Spayne at that tyme to come into Aphrica which thyng they did gladly For the Gotthi beyng myghty in Spayne coulde not suffre the VaÌ„dalies For as we shewed before the Vandalies moued by Stillico against the Gotthies toke in the contreis that be about Hungary namely Walachia Illyricus where the Gotthies dwelt afore Besyde that were they also in Germany from whence as they went into FrauÌ„ce they did much hurte howbeit they were driuen out of FrauÌ„ce by the Frankes and Gotthies Afterward beyng come into Spayne they vere constrayned to fyght agayne with the Gotthies but in Aphrica beganne the power of the Vandalies to growe and encrease S. Augustine also died about that time when Genserichus kyng of the Vandalies besieged the towne Hippo wherein S. Augustine was byshop When Valentintanus was dead one Maximus made hymselfe Emperoure at Rome of his owne mynde But the quene Eâ—doxia because she would haue the heires that were left to succede in the empyre sought ayde by Genserichus againste Maximus by whose helpe the citie of Rome was taken spoyled But the Vandall vsed a Vandalians faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse with the quene for he lede her with her two daughters away with hym into Aphrica prysoner For so doth it somtyme befall when we call foren ayde to defende oure goodes Howbeit afterwarde vnder Iustinianus though the Vandalies were not vtterly roted out in Aphrica yet were they brought to suche strayghtnesse that they could neuer floryshe any more For Gelimerus the kyng was taken by Bellisarius Aphrica beyng subdued obeyed the Empyre agayne But not loÌ„g after began the Saracens to haue dominioÌ„ in Aphrica Let this suffise to speke of the VaÌ„dalies Of the Boemes IT is also to be noted that about this time came fyrst of all in Germany the Vandali wherein they haue yet a great part nowe a dayes namely the kyngdom of Boeme whiche was in tymes past part of Germany which the word Boeme which is a Germane worde doth testifie sufficiently whiche was before the Vandali came into these countreis The worde hath his sygnificacion of the Bauaries or Beyers to whoÌ„ it was wont to be subiect wherfore it is properly called Boienheim Nether wyll the Vandali of Boeme be called Boemes but zeski after their capitayne by whose guyde they were fyrst brought into Boeme But these auncient Boemes the Germanes were in greate admiracion and confederacion with the Romanes and by Cornelius Tacitus the history writer they are highly praised By this occasioÌ„ also is Germany translated from the Roman empyres monarchy For in low Germany were the Frankes puyssaunt in hygh Germany Alemanni and in Boeme the Vandali But what is
byshop succeded Ioannes The yeare of Christ vi C. lxxxvii IVstinianus the son of Constantinus the lxii Emperour raygned xvi yeres but not contynually For whan he had ruled ten yeare he was put downe and driuen out by Leontius who raigned thre yeare after that Iustinianus was chaced oute Leontius was taken prisoner of Tiberius Apsimarus who raigned after him seuen yere But thenceforth was Iustinianus restored agayn and dyd tread both vpon Leontius and Tiberius that were prisoners beyng cast downe before hym and caused openly to be cried out Thou shalt tread vpon the serpent aspis and the coccatryce Afterward were they beheaded Sergius the lxxxvii bishop of Rome was after Conon and than was great dissencion for the election In his tyme lyued Beda in England Ioannes y â— vi was after Sergius y â— lxxxviij bish Ioannes the vii was after Ioannes the vi Zosimus the xc bysh succeded Ioannes the vii Constantinus was byshop after Zosimus The yeare of Christe vij C. xiii PHilippus Bardesanes y â— lxv Emperour raigned one yeare and sixe monethes Beyng taken of his marshall was depriued of the Empyre and hys eyen put out The yeare of Christe vii C. xv ANastasius the lxvi Emperoure raygned one yeare thre monethes The same was also taken of his captayn Theodosius and depriued of the empyre and that he mighte lyue solitarely was he putt into a monastery The yeare of Christe vii C. xvii THeodosius the lxvii Emperour raigned only one yeare He forsoke the empyre whan he perceaued that he was inuaded of Leo and mystrusted he coulde not kepe the Empyre He became a monke and dyed in a priuate lyfe The yeare of Christ .vij. C. xviij LEo the .iij. the .lxviij. Emperour raigned twenty yeares He was surnamed Iconomachus that is assaulter of ymages because he had coÌ„maunded to take oute of the tempels the ymages of saynctes and to burne them The citye Constan tinopole was besyeged viij yeare longe of the Saracens in his time y t which suffered great misery in that fyege by reason of the greate hunger and pestilence Yee and were also slayn of the Bulgaries whych ayded the emperoure Besydes that also were the Saracens shippes burnt wyth fyre that was craftely made vnder the water After Constantinus was Gregorius the second made the .xcij. byshop of Rome in the tyme of Leo Iconomachus Gregorius the .vij. succeded Gregorius the .ij. The yeare of Christ .vii. C. xlii COnstantinus the sonne of Leo the .lxix. Emperoure raygned thyrty yeare he was surnamed Copronymus because that at his baptysynge he dyd hys casement in the founte He also was a destroyer of ymages The yeare of Christ .vii. C. lxxvii LEo the .iiij. the sonne of Copronymus the lxx Emperour raygned fyue yeare The yeare of Christ .vii. C. lxxxiii LOnstantinus Leo the fourth sonne the lxxi Emperoure raygned wyth hys mother Irene ten yeares She was of Athens and ruled moost sagely aboue the vnderstandyng of woman kynne and wyth the alowance of euery man After her raygned her son fyue yeares she beynge put from the gouernaunce But they of Constantinople not sufferyng hys wickednesse called the mother agayne from the aexile whych raygned after warde thre yeare Of thys wyse were Irene and Constantinus gouernynge the empyre together xviij yeares vntyll the yeare of Christ .viij. C. and i. But though the Christen Emperours were allwaye at Constantinople whiche called themselues Emperours of Rome also vntyll at the last the citie was taken in of the Turkes yet in y e meane season whan the power of the empyre began so to faid that the Emperours were notable to defende nother theyr tytle nor Italy the Romanes were constrayned to seke ayde at the Frankes whose power was than the greatest Wherefore came the maiestie of the Emperours name to Carolus And because oure Emperours haue alwaye maynteyned and defended Italy wyth stronge hande we wyll aduysedly passe ouer here the Greke Emperours for some were tangled with want on pleasure effeminate and wholy vnapt to haue gouernaunce recite orderly our Emperours which are worthy to be coÌ„meÌ„ded for their notable vertues prowesses Zacharias was the .xciiij. bish after Gregoriê° y e iij. This same wynkyng at the matter was the olde Hilderichus kyng of Fraunce pryued of the empire and put into a monastery and Pipinus was made kyng in his stead For all the power was come to y e princes by reason the kynges were enpoueryshed In the tyme also of thys zachary dyd S. Bonifacius preache in Germany Stephanus the ii succeded zachary The same prouoked Pipynus into Italy agaynste the Lombardes whose kynge he besyeged and compelled him to require peace Paulus the fyrste was after Stephanus the xcvi byshop Stephanus the thyrde was after Paulus In hys tyme happened greate stryfes and rumors at Rome for the chosynge of theyr byshop One Constantynus was chosen byshop by force and agayne putte downe and all they that he had consecrated were destitute and forsaken Adrianus the fyrste succeded Stephanus The same enticed Carolus the great to come into Italy agaynste Desiderius kynge of the Lombardes Leo the thyrde the .xcix. byshop folowed after Adrianus Whan a seditious vproure was raysed against him at Rome he fled to Carolus the great or Charlemayne by whom he was restored And the same ordeyned Charlemayne Emperoure and crowned hym ⸪ ¶ Of the Germanes Emperours Charles the greate The yeare of Christ viij C. i. The yere of the worlde .iiij. M. vii C. xlv The yeare of Rome M. v. C. li. CArolus magnus was crowned Emperour of Leo the iij. the very Christmasse daye Thys was the begynnynge of translatinge the empyre to the Germanes and by this translatynge happened vnto Italy and the Best kyngdome a moost mightye heade and a moost sure fortresse For though the Emperours of Germany were not alway of lyke power as in no kyngdome the kynges were alwaye of lyke power or lyke fortunate yet in prowesse were they such somtyme that they dyd rydde Italy out of daungers and preserued not onely in the Weste quietnesse in the commune welth but also kept the Christen religion sound in the churche And if ye wyll ponder the feates dedes and maners of oure Emperours ye shall iudge them to haue ben excellent wyse princes and not barbarous and in nothing to be estimed lesse than those excellentand allowable Emperours Augustus Traianus Adrianus and Constantinus yee yf ye do aduisedly ponder all thynges ye shall saye that ther hath bene more honestye and modestye in oure Emperours than in them Thys shall ye fynde also that ours haue enterprysed no warre of any ambicion or priuate profyte but only of necessitie to mayntayne religion to defende the liberty of the empyre and the sauegarde of the subiectes As for me beynge certayne of myne owne vnablenesse though I can not iudge nor speake of the vertues of greate men acrording to theyr
worthynesse yt is my mynde to praise some princes aboue the other For I iudge it to be pertaynynge to the duety of euery history wryter that he do nowe and than turne asyde into the rehearsall of the most best vertues and shewe them to the reader for a shewe as an example to folow Now in mens assaires can nothinge â—e more honeste nor more pleasaunt than the consyderacion and knowledge of princely vertues in great men Wherfore I woulde oure Germane Emperours were so set before the eyes of our Germanes that they myght know theyr vertues and wonder at them wonder it is how greatly the same wolde helpe and further to the amendement and also rayse a flame in the hartes of good men to folowe In my iudgement are these princes doutelesse suche whyche be worthy farre to be preferred before the auncient Romanes whether ye wyll regarde wysedome or strength or finally the endeuour of honesty and modestye The rehearsall of the Germane Emperours Carolus magnus Ludouicus pius the sonne of Carolus magnus â–ª After the syxe Saxons Henricus the fyrste Otho the greate Otho the second Otho the thyrd Henricus y â— .ij. which is buried at Bamberch Lotharius the Saxon. Item these Frankes Cunradus Henricus the sonne of Cunradus Item these Schwaben Fridericus Barbarossa Fridericus the second Afterward Rodolphus Sigismundus Maximilianus Of Germany and occasyon of the kyngdome of the Frankes ALl Germany was not subiecte to the empyre but had onely those contryes that are betwene the Rene and the Danow And much worke had the Emperoures before oure nacion could be subdued and kept For in the tyme of Augustus had Drusus warres and Germanicus afterwarde Caius and after him Vitellius Domitianus Traianus had subdued the lower Germany vntyll Moganus Maximinus was come vntyll Schwartzwald Valerianus was wyth an hoost in hygh Germany After hym vnder Galienus the Frankes beynge sett in a commotion began to ryse but by the Emperoures folowynge were theyr violences sometyme assuaged For Aurelianus vanquyshed them by Mayntz Probus had many and noble victoryes in lowe Germany Constantinus buylded the citye Spyre Iulianus Valentinianus and Theodosius dyd lykewyse subdue the Alemans Frankes and the contries that lye by the Rhene and toke in Schwaben land also But after that the power of the Frankes and Alemans begonne to encrease the Emperours returned not into Germany Some fable diuersly of the fyrst begynnynge of the Frankes but it is certayne that they were hyghe Germanes in Augustus tyme. For we haue no certaynty of the Germanes estate out of histories before Augustus But that the Frankes were in suche estimacion by the hygh Germanes that it can easely be proued out of Strabo who wrote an history in the tyme of Auguste and warrefared wyth the Romanes As for Strabo sayeth that the Frankes were ioynyng to the Vindelici that is Bayerlanders vpon the which they border partly at thys tyme also The commotion of the Frankes beganne by thys occasyon In the tyme of Galianus the Emperoure was Posthumus captayne in Germany the same was made Emperoure by the people for hys syngular honestye and vertues in gouernynge the empyre Galienus in the meane season lyued in ydelnesse and pleasure at Rome But whan Galienus hearde that Posthumus was made Emperoure he sent against hym an apointed army Posthumus likewyse commaunded his men to be in a readinesse among the whiche were euen the Frankes the principall And though Posthumus was afterwarde slayne priuely by an intrap yet the Frankes once prouoked to weapons remayned alway in the settyng forth to warre and came downe from Moganus to the Rene and ouer the Rene toke they first the citie Trier from the Romanes and afterwards went into fraunce But after that they had foughteÌ„ against Attila with the Romanes they were alway in great fauour wyth the Emperours in so muche â–ª that Iustinianus the Emperoure through a conuenaunt made with the Frankes suffred them to haue and inhabite that parte of Gallia whiche at this tyme is yet called Francia or Fraunce Wherefore the Frankes toke in both the contreis of the Ryne and parte of Fraunce and both the contreis were maynteined by one common kyngly gouernaunce The histories make euery where mencion of great prayses of the Frankes partely for their goodly polycy and prosperitie in gouernyng their kyngdome but specially because they embraced the Christen religioÌ„ in the begynnyg of the kyngdome and wylled it to be publyshed and spred abrode In the meane tyme dyd the Alemans decyuer from the Romyshe empyre also The Alemans were the hygh Germanes whiche now are called Schwaben Schweitzer Baier Therefore when the Romane Monarchy was sundered then was Germany first deuyded in Alemanes and Frankes But in the time of Pipine father to Charles the greate became the Frankes lordes of the Almaines and therfore as the empyre was thus deuided they called hygh Germany the Easte kyngdome and lowe Germany wyth Fraunce the West kyngdome And by thys partynge of the kyngdomes remayne the names yett in Germany The elders of Charles the greate were princes of Germany and Lordes of the courte and that more is the chefe gouernours by the kynges of the Frankes and by the commission of their office were called Grande maysters It is also sayed that thesame was theyr duchy dominion by enheritaunce where now is the countyshyp of Palatine about the Rene syde For certayne it is that the fyrst sprynge of the stocke of the Palatine commeth of Charles the greates yssue But at the last when the kyngly progeny decreassed and fayled by processe of tyme more and more and that these princes became more myghtyer it came topasse by the consent of the byshop of Rome that the gouernaunce of the kyngdome was brought ouer to the princes and Pipinus beyng made kyng of thys wyse gouerned both Germany and Fraunce When Pipinus was deade Charles surnamed the greate was kynge of the Frankes two and thyrty yeares before he was Emperoure and after that he was made Emperoure he reygned fourtene yeares Of this wyse reygned he both in the kingdome and empyre together .xlvi. yeares when they be counted together He was boren in Ingelheim in the county of Palatine not farre from the cytie Mentz In the begynnynge of his reigne warred he agaynst the Saracens in Gascon afterward warred he about thirty yeares with the Saxons the whiche he subdued at the last and made them to obeye the empyre embrace the ChristeÌ„ faith besyde other many and great battails whiche he had in the meane season also Desiderius kyng of the Lombardes coueted the dominion of whole Italy goyng to Rome caused some of the chefe cytesens to be put to death Wherfore Adrianus the byshop of Rome sendyng ambassadours to Charles desyred he woulde come and rydde Italy and Rome out of daunger For Pipinus the father of Charles had also before delyuered Rome from the tyranny
of the Lombardes Charles goyng into Italy besyeged Desiderius at Pauye and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe But when Charles perceaued in dede that the vprouryshnacion of the Lombardes coulde not rest for he had assayed the matter with them afore also that they beyng content with their borders shoulde remayne within their owne realme and that there myght be a sure peace thoroweout Italy Charles toke in whole Lombardy and in the same as in hys owne kyngdome set he gouernoures and capitaynes As for Desidexius with his wyfe the quene chyldren led he with hym prysoners and commaunded them to be kept at Ludick or Liege Thys was the end of the kyngdome of the Lombardes in Italy whiche had lasted two hundreth and thre yeres from the yere of Christ CCCCC lxxij when Iastinus reigned vntyll the yeare of Christ .vij. C. lxxv thys was the syxte yeare before Charles opteined the empyre For though Charles was gone to Rome in this settynge forth and had set at quiet not onely Lombardy but also that parte of Italy that is beiond Rome yet would he not vsurpe for hym the title of Imperiall maiestie lest he should robbe the Grekes of their honoure and this dignitie He graunteth the Emperours cities in Italy to enioye their former lybertie wythout any hynderaunce but he kept the kyngdome of the Lombardes as his owne for long ago was it not subiect to the Emperours Tassilo duke of Baierland raysed warre against Charles but he was ouercome of Charles the tweÌ„tieth yeare of his reigne and takyng in the duchy Tassilo wyth his sonne was put into a monastery Nether did Charles vse so great rigour against his cosyn rashly for Tassilo raysyng an vprour against hym afore and taken to mercy kept no promyse Charles goyng to Rome the two and thirtieth yeare of his reigne restored Leo the byshop of Rome against whome the Romanes had raysed vpâ—ours insomuche that the byshop was compelled to flye But when now Charles â—erceyued certeynly that no peace could be satteled in Italy vntyll suche cyties in Italy as had fraunchyses graunted them dyd ceasse to do all thynges accordyng to their appetite he was constrayned by necessitie to take to him the dominion of whole Italy But he betoke to the byshop of Rome some cities and contreis for the mayntenaunce of ministers in the churche In the Christmasse nyght cryed the byshop of Rome Charles to be Emperoure of Romanes and alwaye full of maiestie And it is sayde that Charles shuld haue aunswered to this yf I had knowen that any suche thyng should haue happened to me I would not haue entered into the temple Nether would he accept the title of Emperoure wythout the consent and alowaunce of them of Constantinople Wherefore IreÌ„ne the mother of Constantinus and Nicephorus consented that Charles should be Emperoure in the West to that dyd they consent frely for these countreis dyd not obey to the Emperours of Constantinople any more But as sone as Charles was made Emperoure and that the state of Italy was nowe satled with great trauaile he determined to warre vpon the Hungarians And this warre lasted eight yeares wherein the Hungarians were in a maner rooted out He set also garnysons of Germanes in Hungary to kepe the realme by the whiche occasion do vntyll this tyme Germanes dwel in the coastes of HuÌ„gary whiche is called Seuenburge It is mencioned in histories that Charles brought great ryches out of Hungary and that is lyke ynough for the HuÌ„garians had bene occupied in warrefarre and robbery aboue two hundreth yeares they ledde prayes of al nacions nerehande in the meane season was their realme inuaded of no foren nacioÌ„s wherby no doubt were great and precious treasures founde by them In the meane tyme dyd Charles the sonne of Charles the great subdue Bohemy vanquyshyng Lecho their kyng and thus was charles at the last a moost myghty prince of all Italy Fraunce Germany Bohemy and Hungary and brought the whole West empyre in a quiet estate kept it in the same Wherfore for these vertues and thys strength of courage whiche he vsed in all his enterpryses is Charles worthy to be counted amonge these princes which God hath now and than geuen to the worlde to repayre common welthes iustice equitie shamefastnesse â—â—ally to restore amonge men the bandes of modestie and common peace as were in tymes past Dauid Hercules Cyrus Alexander Iulius Augustus Constantinus The odosiâ—s In Charles affaires is chefely worthy to be noted how kynges and great men make â—umors among them For God sendeth sometyme the chefe monarches to represse them Euen as in oure tyme Charles the fyfte hath brydeled the excesse and want oâ—nesse of the Romanes and the Venetian power But it is expedient for moste hygh princes to be excellent not onely in feates of warre and handlyng of weapon but also to enforme common welthes with honest lawes and dectrine of religion And this was Charles chefe care He caused some counsails to be kept at Rome and Franckforde and some tyme in Fraunce He founded also thre vniuersities to spreade abrode and maintayne the doctrine of Christenreligion namely at Bonony in Italy Paris in Fraunce and at Paduam Italy In Germany dyd he lyke wyse founde many monasteries for to teache youth in steade of scoles Besyde thys dyd he set the lawe of the Frankes morder and caused the bokes of the lawe to be written For that olde lawe of the Romans was long before put out of â—re throug the Lombardes and Frankes He caused also to gather together the olde histories of the Germanes and songes wherein it is said he had suche pleasure that he learned them by rote He was excellently well sene in the Germane toungue and Latine he coulde also speake Greke for he herde the Greke messangers and aunswered them in Greke but in along and durable relacioÌ„ did he speake Latine There are yet verses that be not greatly vnsemely whiche is sayde he dyd make at the death of his cousin Roulande In his olde age he gaue hymselfe to Astronomy At diner and supper at home delyted he in hearyng reade the bokes of saincte Augustine In the temple dyd he syng the canonicall houres and also lessons with the pristes and he woulde other princes to do likewyse after his example whoÌ„ he prescribed lessons which semeth to pertain to his and their amendemeÌ„t For he was an exciding louer of christen doctrine In all maners of liuyng dyd be haue hym so as nomaÌ„ might passe him in godlinesse Beside this sent he succours of mony to the christiaÌ„s in straunge contreis and obteined by the Saracen kynges that the christians should be more easely entreated He gaue the wyndes and monethes those names whiche remayne yet now a dayes so that by these thynges may easely be gathered that thys prince was garnyshed of God with greate vertues and hygh happenesse by hys studyes so that he may worthely be surnamed
hym to be caryed about the city Rome to wonder at and at the last to be hanged Of the begynnynge and institution of the Electors in Germany WHan Otho was nowe eyghte and twentye yeares olde he was endued wyth so ready wytt that for hys syngular wysedome he was called the Worldes wonders Besyde that knewe the Saxons readye wytted and valyaunt men the deceatfull traynes of the Frenchmen Wherfore whan they perceaued that great and dangerous commotions were raysed by the. Ro. byshoppes bothe agaynste Emperoures and also in the commune welth Otho chose Bruno a Saxon his cosin to be byshop of Rome who was called Gregorius the fyft after that he had the byshopryke Of hym was Otho the thirde crowned Besyde this when the wyse prince consydered that the Frenchemen and Italians raged euer to transfer the emperiall maiestie from the Germanes and that among the aunceters of him was now and thā strife also for the election and that in the meane tyme is so greatly requisite a myghty monarche to the Christiantie for to defende the bishop of Rome and libertie of Italy yea to maynteyne concorde of religion in whole Europa But that the same monarchy could not last long and be stable euermore without the ayde and succourse of some peculiar moste mighty nacion Therfore with the assistence and ayde of Gregorius the byshop of Rome who because he was a Germane did lyghtely consent to so necessary a thyng dyd make the ordinaunce of the princes Electors for to choyse an Emperoure And that concorde might be had in the election because of religion among the prelates spirituall and princes temporall the aucthoritie to chose an Emperoure is committed to seuen Germane princes the Archebyshops of Mentz Colen and Trier To these are ioyned the prince of Boheme for at that tyme had Bohemy yet no kynge the County Palatine of the Rene the duke of Saxony the Marques of Brandenborowe I maruayll verely why so hygh a dignitie is not bequyethed to other princes which at that tyme were farre more puyssaunt as namely to the dukes of Baier of Schwaben of the Frankes and specially the duke of Baier who was nearer of kynred to Otho than the other and more greater of domynyon For he had subiect to hym Bayerland and Eastenryche vntyll Aglar or Aquitanya the whyche Henry brother to Otho the fyrste had wonne The duke also of Schwaben was neare kynsman to Otho the Emperoure For whan Herman duke of Schwaben vnder Otho the fyrste had no heyre male He gaue his doughter in maryage to Ludolfe sonne to Otho the fyrste agaynste whome hys father Otho dyd warre for hys rebellyon Of this Ludolfe come the dukes of Schwaben Therefore maye it be maruayll what was the occasion to orden that institutyon of prynces Electors The Germane history wryters seme to be so voyde of all iudgment that it may of good ryght lothe any man to reade them Ihon Stabius the astronomer of Maximylyan shewed me oft that Maximilian was went to complayn vpon the rudenesse of the Germane hystorye wryters that they dyd not only wryte the dedes of so noble and wyse princes that God had sent wythoute order but dyd also corrupte them wyth euell wrytynge And he had commaunded to compile in a short Cronycle orderly the mooste notableste thynges out of all hystorye wryters whych thynge doutlesse had ben done yf the mooste wyse Emperour had ether lyued longer or had not left it by reason of the care of more weyghty matters As for me though I might seme to be rash yf I allege or shewe what me thynketh yet wyll I declare what gessynge I haue wherewyth I maye shewe some certayntye of so great a thynge Bohemy no doute is come in the election for his cōmodyous sytuatyon because yt is fensed round about To the Saxons hath Otho that was a prince of the Saxons bloud worthely geuen that honour for at that time was the same duchy most puissaunt The princes of Saxony kept Brandenburg at that time also the Emperours kinsmen and it may easely be gathered that Otho dyd fauer those contryes more than other duchyes I suppose that to y ◠countyshyp of Palatyn was geuen thys prerogatiue more than other princes dominions for none other cause than that to Charles the greatest posterity myght rebound thys honor so that it shuld be not only by the Saxons but part thereof shuld also be sent ouer to the Frankes for the countyes of Palatine were at that tyme of the kynred of Charles the greate What prayses thys ordinaunce of the princes Electors is worthye that can I not now sufficiently declare according to the worthynesse of it the dede proueth yt selfe what profite it hath broughte For by thys ordinaunce hath the Empyre remained in Germany aboue fyue hundreth yeares Besydes that is nothyng so good nor wholsome in mens estates than those counsels and ordinaunces whereby is auoided the occasion to alter of tymes the gouernaunce of Empyres whyche thynge by the goodnesse of God is done by thys instytutyon of the Electors By thys meanes is yt come to passe that the Empyre is prouyded that the traynefull and secrete conspiracyons of the byshoppe of Rome and Frenche kynge dyd not prospere whiche endeuoured oft to transferre the hyghnesse of the Empyre from the Germanes to the Frenchemen The Emperoure also hath more sauegarde or defence of the princes when he is chosen by their cōsent and lesse stryfe can ryse for the election when the desyres of the chefe princes consent to one Besydes this also forsomuche as the maiestie of the empyre is remitted to many princes together it is to be trusted that the state of the empire shalbe both stronger and more durable then if it dyd stycke by the succession of one bloude All these thynges make for that purpose that no great stryfe come by reson of the election or choysyng and also that the heade of the West empyre be in some certayn place and that because the concorde and tranquillitie of the religion in all this West kyngdome be maynteined vnder one certayne heade The Athenians in tymes past auaunced their ordinaunce of the Areopagites with great prayses lykewyse dyd the Lacedemonians their statutes of the Ephories and that worthely for by them remained their common welthes stedfaste a great while But forsoth this in stituciō of Otho made of the Electors as it is farre more profitable so it is worthy muche more prayse and auauncement as by the whiche stablenesse of the empyre and constant religion are mainteyned many yeares not onely in one or other citie or contrey but in the whole Weste And the princes Electors ought worthely make muche of this their prerogatiue First because of the whole Christiantie that by them is this hyghnesse set aparte For they are as a stedfast heade wherewith foreuer all this Weste kyngdome is kept and bounde together for they maye be called
the very route out of the which emperoures must euermore growe Moreouer also can no hygher dignitie happen them in this lyfe then that worthynesse is geuen them lawfully whiche passeth farre the hyghnesse of kynges and princes Then must this ordinaunce be estemed a hygh gyft and an ordinaunce of God Wherefore also it must greatly be made of and kept without blemysh least any occasion bee geuen to dissolue so Godly and wholsome yee and moste fayre harmony in this lyfe For by them standeth the summe of the Romane Empyre And therfore whan the Electours are seuered it is necessary that the kyngdome or empyre fayle and that the last iudgement is at hande For the worlde shall ende vnder thys empyre It is written that the institucion of the Electours was The yeare of Christe M. ij The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. ix C. xlvi The yeare of Rome M. vii C. lij The yeare after Charles the greate his coronacion .ij. C. i. When this ordinaunce was made the Italians made diuers vproures against Otho the .iij. insomuche that he could not be safe at Rome and when he went towarde Germany Crescentius wyfe sending hym poyson by an intrap was kylled the thirtyeth yeare of his age Iohannes the .xv. the cxli. byshop of Rome succeded Bonifacius the .vi. He was taken by Bonifaciê° father because he wold not consent to Bonifacius election Iohannes the .xvi. succeded Iohannes the .xv. Iohannes the .xvii. succeded Iohannes .xvi. Beynge taken and dryuen out by Crescentius he â—ought ayde of Otho After Iohannes the .xvii. was Gregorius the fyft made the C. xliiij byshop of Rome a prince of the Saxons bloude and that for the same cause as we haue declared a lytle before For the Italians deuised now and then newe thynges agaynste the Emperours nether dyd they euer want matters of vproures Therefore semed it a necessary thyng to maynteyne common quietnesse that a Germane shoulde be made byshop of Rome But yet in the meane season was Gregorius driuen out by the Italians ordeinyng in hys steade one Iohannes but Otho returning to Rome with a great power restored Gregorius kynsman againe Siluester the .ij. succeded Gregorius the .v. It is sayde he was an Inchaunter After this sorcerer was Iohannes the .xviii. made the C. xlvi byshop of Rome In hys tyme appeared towarde the South a comete of a dredefull syght the whiche folowed no lesse hunger then pestilence Hrnry the .ij. surnamed the Haultynge the. â—iij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. iij. was Henry the secoÌ„d of that name duke of Bayer chosen Emperoure We haue sayd before that Otho the fyrst gaue his brother Henry the duchy of Baier But I reken this Emperoure Henry was the brothers sonne of that Henry For HeÌ„ry Otho the first brother died .xv. yeares before Otho deceased The Germane history writers were so negligent that out of their writynges I can not saye for a certayne whether he were that Henries sonne or his brothers sonne Truely that is wonder that the chanons of Bamberg knewe not certaynly the genealogy of their founder This Henry was the first that was chosen Emperoure by the Electors and raygned .xxii. yeres He was famous by wysdome and noble victories he made many and greate warres with maruaylous luckinesse Fyrst making werry y â— Bohemes Vandalies wyth warre he subdued and made theÌ„ tributaries to hym He besyeged Metz and Gaunt he wanne also Lorain and Flaunders He â—ought in Italy agaynst the Saracens and droue them out of Italy Then was he crouned victoriously at Rome by Benedictus the seueÌ„th He brought the Hungaryans to the Christen fayth and gaue to Steuen the Hungarian kyng his syster in mariage Before his death optayned he of the Electors lawfully that Cunradus the .ij. of that name a Franke should succede hym in the empyre He fouÌ„ded the byshopryck of Bamberge and is buryed there Iohannes the .xix. the C.xlvii byshop succeded Iohannes the .xviii. Sergius the C.xlviii bish of Ro. succeded Ioh. Benedictus the .vii. folowed Sergius Of hym was Henry the Emperoure crowned Iohannes the .xx. the .cl. byshop of Rome succeded Bedictus Of hym was Cunradus crowned â–ª Cunradus the .ij. the .xiiij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christe M. xxv was Cunradus a Franck chosen Emperoure who dwelt in the Limburg castell by the citie Spire and gouerned the empyre fyftene yeares But in the begynnyng of hys reigne when he perceaued all thynges in a rumour euery where he brought to passe that hys sonne should be chosen a party ruler with hym lest when he were gone in to Italy the subiectes in Germany shoulde make a rumour without a certayn heade Ernestus duke of Schwaben and the Catuli for the Catuly were also lordes in Schwaben These I saye were rebelles to the Emperoure but he dyd so assuage them that they dyd strayghtwaye obeye frely From thence went he into Hungary and redressed that also He toke Bourgundy and Liege or Ludich he toke the realme of Orleaunce agayne and gouerned it vnder his dominion Afterwarde going into Italy he besieged Milan and commyng to Rome he was crowned of Iohannes the .xx. The Romanes about that tyme rysynge agaynst Cunradus were fearcely slayen of the Emperours men But the Romane affaires were apeaced In the meane tyme whyles this was done in Italy Ernestus duke of Schwaben raysed a newe commotion wherfore Cunradus in hys returne droue hym awaye and pearsed hym through Cunradus gaue the duchy to Herman hys brother This Cunradus made many lawes which are yet now a daies Vnder this Emperoure was a couusaill kept at Tribur by Mentâ— He builded wyth great costes the Churche of Spire wherein he is buried with his quene Gisela Greate prayses are of this Gisela She was a quene of Bourgundy of Charles the greates poste ritie Her first husbande was Ernestus duke of Schwaben of whom she had two chyldren Ernestus that was driuen out and Herman afterward was she wedded to Cunradus the Emperoure Here do the writers make the first mencioÌ„ of the marqueshyp in Eastenriche whiche at that tyme possessed Albert duke of Schwaben brother to Ernestus the elder Nether was Eastenryche yet at that time a duchy but the Schwaben kept it which had taken it from the Hungarians by strong hand The Erldome also of Thuryngen beganne in the tyme of thys Cunradus For Lewis the Bearded of the lynage of Charles the greate was cosin to Gisela The same because he had longe bene conuersaunt in the courte of the Emperoure and had bene diligent in many thynges was made Earle of Thuringen And by this meanes haue the Lordes of Thuringen their ofsprynge of Charles the greates bloude Benedictus the .vij. was made the C.li. byshop of Rome after Iohannes the .xx. who beynge driuen out one Syluester bought the byshoprycke with money Therefore Benedictus beyng returned to the intent he myght rayse factions or commocions agaynst Syluester he solde hys ryght of the
in derogatyng and takyng away the aucthoritie of Emperours at his pleasure Wherfore they made congregacions also and reiectyng the byshop of Rome excommunicacion excommunicated hym lykewyse Now went the Emperoure into Italy to treate and finish this controuersy In the meane season was Rudolfus duke of Schwaben chosen Emperour of y ◠contrary party in the town Phorcen whych was about the yere of oure lorde M. lxxvii The byshop of Rome sente Rudolfus a crowne wherein was wrytten thys verse Petra dedit Petro Petrus dyadema Rudolfo That is Chryst the Stone gaue the crowne to Peter Peter geueth to Rudolfe both crowne and septer Whereby he wolde sygnyfye that Christe gaue the Empyre to the byshoppe of Rome and that he lykewyse geueth it to princes Therfore came Henry haystely agayn into Germany droue Rudolfus out of Schwaben into Saxonye and foughte some battayls wyth hym by the ryuer Vnstrote in the which were slayne the byshops of Worms and Magdeburg The yeare M. lxxx was foughten the laste felde agaynste Rudolfe by Mersburge and in the same battayll was Rudolphus ryghte hande stryken of Whan euerye man nowe fled into the cytye Marsburge the hande was brought to the new Emperoure lyenge in hys bedde where the byshops stoode aboute The whyche as he sawe he sayde Lomy Lordes ye byshops thys ys the hande wherewyth I haue promysed my lord Henrye sayeth and loyaltye iudge ye your selues now howe godly ye haue counseled me to decyner from him Thys is a very myserable complaynte whyche declareth the troubled mind of the prince to haue iudged it self gilty of vprour Of this wise dyed Rudolfus about the .iiij. year of his election Whome I praye you would it not moue wythout he be of yron this so dredefull example to obey hys magistrate to beware of vproure Yet were not the byshops in the meane tyme in reste and set the sonne also against the father Hiltebrand the byshop boasted to haue sene a vision in his slepe that an vnlawfull Emperoure should dye that same yeare But thys was Caiphas prophecye for the punishment fell not vpon Henry but on the byshop of Romes adherentes After this victory came Henry to Rome and takyng in the citie by force he toke Hiltebrand the byshop and put hym from his office and in his steade was chosen the byshop of Rauenna called Clemēs and of hym was Henry the fourth crowned As for Hiltebrand died not longe after in exile Sigebertus the history writer doth not greatly prayse Hiltebrande and doth reprehende the man◠dedes that he did disquiet the peaceable state of the churche and empyre without greate cause and writeth also that Hiltebrande when he was dyeng should hymselfe haue complayned it and should haue required of Henry by embassage forgeuenesse of hys trespasse Hiltebrande forbade the priestes of Germany to mary and many that were maryed caused he to be diuorced The yeare of Christe M. ciij. when Henry had vāquished the Saxons the erle of Misen Erbert was slayne whome the byshops made to truste to be Emperoure after Rudolfus Besides that when al maters of Germany and Italy were set at a stay was Henry the fyft chosen Emperoure by Henry the fourth hys father Wherefore dyd the byshoppes procure by this Henry that he shoulde ryse against his father and driue hym out of the empyre But this greued the good prince greatly Wherefore Henry the sonne makyng a leage the yeare M C. v. dyd fyrst besyege his father at Mentz but the princes refusyng to assault it Henry the sonne was fayne to departe and leauyng Mentz went with the hoost to Norinberg and gat and spoyled it in the space of two monethes The father persued the sonne and on both sydes were they a while in their campes by Regensburg but they came neuer to playne felde by reason the princes went alwaye betwene But the sonne warned the father to beware of hys owne seruauntes wherefore he fled priuely to Ludich and dyed there that same yeare But when he had lyen vnburied fyue yeares by reason of the excommunicacion or course of the Romyshe byshop he optayned absolucion and was buried at Spire There are yet wrytynges at thys houre that were sent to the kynge of Fraunce by Henry the father treatyng of the iniury of the sonne and their malice which set the sonne against the father Reade more of this tragedy in the life of Hiltebrād prynted seuerally in Englyshe Of the takyng in and possessyng the citie Hierusalem IN the tyme of this Henry the fourth began the settyng forth to warre into Iewry against the Saracens and Turkes The fyrst capitayne was Godfre of Bilion prince of Lothringe or Lorain Hym accompanied the best princes and lordes of Gallia The yere M. xcix Godfre wan the citie Ierusalē and was straight waye made kyng But he refused to be crowned with a golden crowne there where Christes was crowned with a crown brayded of thornes This happened foure hundreth thre score and eight yeres before that Hierusalem was taken out of the Perses power by Heraclius But not muche aboue thirtene yeres after became the Saracens lordes of Hierusalem Many yeares after were the Saracens dryuen out of Hierusalem by the Turkes About this tyme gat the Christiās Ierusalem again and subdued many cities contreis there about They had the realme of Ierusalem lxxxviij yeares vntyll the yere of Christ a thousand one hundreth foure score seuen The Souldane wanne Ierusalem againe in the tyme of Frederick Barbarossa The chaunge of many duchyes in Germany HOw many miseries the inwarde warre of Germany whiche was sturred by the byshop of Rome wylenesse hath brought with it may easely be gathered thereby that when the princes and great men were slayne the lord shyppes and dominions were chaunged Henry the fourth gaue to the Catuly Lordes of Schwaben the lande of Baier After Rudolphus death gaue Henry the fourth the duchy of Schwaben to Frederick of Stauffen hys sonne in lawe that had maried hys daughter The auncetry or kynred of the Frankes dyed in a very shorte space Ecbertus erle of Misnia was slayne Gebhardus the father of that Lotharius whiche became afterward Emperoure was slayne also in a battaill and to conclude the power of Germane is wholy made feble and turned vpsyde downe by this debate of the princes Whan Hiltebrande was deade a byshop called Victor the third of that name was chosen out of the citie of Rome by his companions in spete of Clement But when Victor was deade a litle after by them was Vrbanus the ij chosen byshop of Rome The same returned to Ro. by their ayde that were ▪ now appointed to go to Ierusalem Being restored in the see he droue out Clemens Paschalis the ij succeded Vrbanus the .ij. Thissame was first taken by Henry the fyft Afterward did he constrayne hym to crowne hym Emperoure Henry the fyft the xvij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M.
to excommunicate them only but also to put them from the empyre so that one can thynke no honestye in these dedes of the Romysh byshoppes specially yf ye ponder and way all the causes and reasons All these were excommunicated in a rowe and yet were they myghtye and wyse Emperoures that haue brought to passe great and notable thinges Henry the fourth a Franke. Henry the fyfth a Franke. Friderick the fyrst a Schwabe Philippe sonne to Frederick the fyrste Otho the iiii duke of Brunswig Friderick the .ii. Henry the .vi. sonne Conradus Fridericks sonne The yeare of Christe M.CC.xii. Otho beyng come agayne into Germany though he knew that the princes myndes were set agaynst him yet poynted he a day of parlament at Norinberg and admonyshed the princes that they shulde not graunt the bishops of Ro. that authoritye that they shulde put downe Emperoures at theyr pleasure for the empyre pertayneth not to Romysh byshops but to the Germane princes He brought some princes to his mynd with this admonition and fell vpon Herman erle of Thuryngen the father of erle Lewys to whome S. Elysabeth was spoused For erle Herman to do the Byshoppe of Rome pleasure set hymselfe agaynst the Emperour as a man condemned wyth byshoppe of Romes excommunicatyons and curses But afterwarde was Otho forsaken of all the princes except one erle of March in Misen For Fryderycke the yonger enemy to Otho was alreadye come into Germany besyde that by the byshoppe of Romes procurynge was the Frenche kynge in armes agaynste Otho But whan tydynges came to Otho of Frideryckes commyng he prepared hym to go agaynste hym into Alsasse and was wyth hys hooste at Brysacke howe beyte beynge destytute of all the ayde of hys he was constrayned to flye into Saxony But than repayring an hooste and beyng holpen of the kynge of Englande he went into low Germany agaynst the Frenche kynge of whome he was ouercome and dyed afterwarde the yeare M. CC. xviij He lyued wythout the tytles of thempyre .v. yeares Friderick the .ij. the .xxiiij. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CC. xiij was chosen Emperoure Friderick the .ii. of that name the sonne of Barbarossa kinge of Naples and Cicily and duke of Schwaben whan Otho was put downe and was crowned Emperoure at Achen He raygned seuen and twenty yeares Yet before he dyed was he depryued fyue yeares of the Empire by Innocentius the Bysh of Rome Noman can pitye ynough the case of thys laudable Emperoure that he was endued wyth many and noble vertues and yet in the mean season suffred he moost extreme and heuy persuinges of Romane byshops He was verye well learned in many languages For he knew perfectly the Latine Greke Germane and Saracens languages Besydes thys set he forth also the disciplines of good sciences He brought to passe that the boke of Ptolome called Almagestū was translated out of the Saracens language into Latyn and by that meanes the doctryne of Astronomye whyche noman had taughte many yeares before in Europa was brought to lighte Hys fyrste warre had he in Germanye agaynste Otho the .iiii. by the bishop of Romes counsel but he had the same rewarde for it that other Emperours afore him haue had The seconde warre had he in Brabant agaynste the duke of Brabant and Othoes adherentes and restored Lorain againe to the Germane empyre The yeare of oure lorde M. CC. xx was Fridericke crowned of Honorius the .iii. Emperoure Two erles in Tuscia had taken in some cityes that belonged to the empire the which whan Friderick had taken agayne the erles that were driuen out fled to Honorius bysh of Ro. who toke them in hys defence and commaunded Friderick to restore thē into the possession of the cityes that he had taken from them But whan Friderick refused that Honorius excommunicated hym settyng asyde all the former loue The yeare M. CC. xxii came Friderick again into Germany and holding a parlamēt at Wyrtzpurg he made Henry his yonger son felowgouernoure of the empyre and was crowned at Achen But afterwarde was the same Henry taken by his father because he had made a leage with certayn cityes of Lombardy agaynst the father while the father liued yet died he of y e filthinesse of the prison Though the city Hierusalem was now loste yet possessed the Christians other great and mighty cytyes in Siria But whan the power of the Turkes grewe dayly more more and the fortune of y e Christiās went back Ioannes came to Rome who had yet the title of y e king of Hierusalē and desyred ayde of Honorius the byshop of Rome and optayned by Honorius that Friderick who was accursed was absolued Wherefore Fridericke and the Germane princes consented frelye to make an armye for the delyueraunce of the cytye Hierusalem and the kyng of Hierusalem gaue Iole hys doughter in maryage to Friderick the Emperoure Whereby it commeth that yet at this houre the kynges of Sicily ascrybe to them the title of the realme of Hierusalem Fridericke the Emperour than went wyth a great army well furnyshed to Hierusalem and wyth hym many princes of Germany among the which was also Lewis y ◠landtgraue to whom S. Elisabeth was maried the same dyed in that settynge forth at Brundusium The yeare M. CC. xxviij went Fridericke to Hierusalem and dyd hys busynesse so that the Souldane gaue hym frely agayne not only Hierusalem but many other cytyes there about Friderick was crowned at Hierusalem the yeare M. C C. xxix He caused the citye Hierusalem to be made sure agaynste the power of the enemyes He made treuce with the Souldane for ten yeres All thys shewed he by a letter to the byshop of Ro. and requyred absolucion of the curse for by thys Gregorye was he accursed also I wote not for what title in the kingdome of Sicily But it was a small matter for the byshop of Rome to deny to the Emperoure the absolution for this gyle also or rather iniury had he done to Frederick being absent For he set y ◠Italian cities against him toke in by force some cityes in his patrimonial realme Naples By thys constraynt was Friderick driuē to come back agayn into Sicilye and to rescue his realme come by inheritaunce from feare of daunger Although the bysh of Ro. had ben sore dissoial against the Emperour in his absence yet required he absolution so lowly that he promysed he wolde holde the kyng dome of Sicily of him by fealtye Besydes this also caused he the princes of Germanye to come into Italy that at the least by them myght the debate betwen hym and the Emperour be alayed Therfore dyd Gregorius absolue the Emperour agayne the yeare of Christe M. CC. xxx After y c came the Emperour Friderick the thyrd time into Italy and warred in Eastenrich agaynst the Hungarians toke the eyty Vienne the which that she shuld be remain an emperial city he wold haue
it confirmed with letters geuen there vpon The yeare M. CC. xxxviij Whan Fridericke went agayn into Italy they of Milan rose agaynst him and many other strong cityes To Milan dyd Friderick great harme for the which cause the city es makynge an aliance wyth the byshop of Ro. con spired against Friderick the Emperour whome for this cause Gregorius the Romysh byshop doth excommunicate the third time and condemneth him for an heretike stearing also the Venecians to war vpon him Friderick with opē writynges dyd complain of the iniury done to hym and in the meane tyme dyd he also humbly require absolution of the byshop of Ro. Ther were many of the Cardynals whiche alowed not the bysh of Romes counsels But whan Frederick could by no meanes optayne pardon of Gregorius necessitye compelled Frederyck to defende hymselfe he had also his faction or diuision For at that tyme was Italy diuyded in Guelphies and Gibelines the Gibelini were for the Emperoure and the Guelphi were wyth the Byshop of Ro. Ether name beynge brought vp in Germany was translated and brought ouer into Italy For the kynred of the Guelphi had continuall hatred agaynst Fredericks bloude Whereof also they were called Guelphi as alwaye hatefull enemyes of Fredericke As for the spring of Fredericks kynred was of the Weiblings whereof they are called Guiblings which the Italians chaunginge the name do call Gibelini The bysh of Ro. constrayned by great necessitie dyd proclayme the crosse and pardon agaynst Friderick the Emperoure as though he were manyfestly vngodly and destroyer of the religion Friderick toke that very euell he besyeged Rome but drue back agayne wythout takyng it and toke the citye Rauennas The yeare of Christ M. CC. xlv Innocentius the iiij holding a councel at Lyons in Fraunce deposed Friderick of the empyre vsynge therto the Frenchmens ayde and by letters he shewed the princes Electors to choyse another Emperoure But they made Emperoure Henry the Landtgraue of Thuringen The same was slayne before the citye Vlme wyth an instrument of warre Friderick buylded a new citye in Italy whiche was called Victoria Whan he wanted syluer he caused to make a coyne of lether y ◠he mighte haue where wyth to pay his men of warre but so soone as he had gotten syluer he shulde geue them good and lawful mony for the lether coyne which thing he dyd liberally But now whā he could loke for no more ayde out of Germany and that besydes thys hys sonne Encius was taken who also dyed in the preson he was sore distressed and went into Apulia were he also dyed the yeare M. CC. l. Some wryt that he was poisonned Yee surely the moost holy fathers coulde not rest without they sawe the good prince clene rydde out of the waye The kingdome of Naples left he to hys sonne heyre Cunradus As for Italy remayned alwaye after diuyded For one part helde wyth the empyre another wyth the byshop of Rome vntyl the powers of the Venecians and of them of Mylane beganne after to growe and increase Honorius the .iij. succeded Innocentius the .iij. of whome Friderick the .ii. was crouned and after warde excommunicated Gregorius y ◠.ix. was after Honorius of whome was Friderick lykewyse accursed After Gregorius was Celestinus the .iiij. bysh of Rome After Celestinus was Innocentius the .iiij. Thesame deposed Friderick from the empyre and accursed hys sonne Cunradus Cunradus the .iiij. the xxv Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. CC. l. raigned Conradus the sonne of Fridericke after hys fathers deceasse but he was excommunicated by Inocentius the .iiij. Henry the Landtgraue of Thuryngen ouercame hym by Francoforde whyle hys father Frederick was yet alyue Some wryte that thys warre was after hys fathers death by Wyllyam the Landtgraue But whan Conradus perceaued that he was destitute of the Germane princes ayde he gat him into his hereditary kyngdome Naples and there he dyed the yeare M. CC. liij The ende of the dukes of Schwaben CVnradus of whome we haue now spoken had a wyfe of the Baiers bloude of the whiche he had a sonne Conradinus who was nouryshed and brought vp in hys hereditary duchy of Schwaben and after hys fathers deceasse wolde go to Naples hys heredytary kyngdome But Clemens the bishop of Rome called Charles the Frenche kynges brother into the realme of Naples agaynst hym Conradynus for so muche as he was duke of Schwaben had a greate bende and hooste of Germanes about hym and at the begynnynge had he greate vyctoryes But at the laste were Conradinus the sonne of Conradus and Fryderyck duke of Eastenriche taken by a trayne Besydes thys were they entreated more vnsemelye than was pertaynynge and put to shame At the laste were they beheaded throughe the counsell of the Romyshe byshop O notable crueltye He must be euen as harde as a stone verely whome the examples of so great cruelty dyd not moue namelye so noble a kynge borne ofso many Emperoures to be so shamefullye put to death by Clemens the Romysh byshop without any ryghte or reason Ther are yet euen at thys houre writinges which were written at that time in the which the good prince complayneth of the iniury and rehearseth at length the whole matter orderly so that it is no doute the bishoppes of Rome haue vsed playne tiranny against Conradinus Wiliam the xxvi Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. C. C. liiij was chosen Emperoure Wylyam counte of Holland It is sayde he was an honest manered prince and of notable innocency of life but he was slayn by the Friselanders the yerre 1256. Vacation of the Empyre WHan thys Wiliam was dead the empire stode with out a certayne emperoure seuentene yeares and that not wythout great destruction of the Germane nacion Thys mischaunge grewe by the cyuyl warres that were raysed in the empyre by the bysh of Ro. Now whan the debate was rysen amonge the Electors for the choyse some chose Alfonsus kyng of Spayne Emperoure because he was a very wyse man and endued with notable vertues As for thys Alfonsus is he who not only had hys pleasure in the science of Astronomye but also augmented and amēded the study thereof with many bokes wrytten Thoughe Alfonsus was admonyshed by the byshop of Rome to take vpon hym the Emperyall maiestye yet refused he it earnestly because of the vncertayn faythfulnesse and vnstable concord of the Romysh Byshops wyth the Emperours The other parte of the Electors chose Richard the king of Englandes brother and brought hym vntyll Basyll but he was not accepted of the Empyre Alexander the .iiij. succeded after Innocentius At thys time lyued Albertus the greate and Thomas Aquinas Vrbanus the .iiij. was after Alexander Clemens the .iiij. succeded Vrbanus Thyssame caused Conradynus Conradus sonne to be beheaded Whan Clemens was deade was the see voyde two yeares through the dissension of choysynge a Byshop at the last was Gregorius the .x. chosen
The same admonyshed the Electors in the begynnynge of hys byshopryck to choyse agayne an Emperoure wyth egall consent leste the state of the empyre dyd wholy decaye Rudolfe the .xxvij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. CC. lxxiij was Rudolfe chosen Emperour the erle of Habisburge and counte prouincial of Alsace He raygned .xix. yeares He was confirmed of the Byshopp of Ro. For the Emperoure and byshop of Rome came together at Lausana euen accordyng to the saieng of these two verses of auncient men Twelue hundreth thre score and thertene yere dyd stande Lausana tyll the pope and the kyng came thether into that lande Howbeit Rudolfe went not into Italy nether receaued he the Imperiall crowne He was wont to reherse Esops fable of the Foxe which said to the Lion sicke in his denne she were afrayd to come in therefore because she sawe the footsteppes of beastes that were gone in but not of beastes that were come out That lykewyse he dyd consyder how his aunceters went oft into Italy with greate hoostes but mooste commonly returned home euell intreated Yet in the meane season sent he a Lieutenaunt into Italy who was receiued of the bestpart of the Italian cities The Bohemies and Baier withstode Rudolfe at the fyrst but he subdued Baierlande forth with Othacarus kyng of the Bohemies wold not obey and besydes that helde Eastenriche that was now without heire belongyng to the empyre against ryght and reason Wherfore Rudolphe sent the Burggraue of Norenberg into Bohemy to shewe the kyng on the Emperours behalfe to obeye and to voyde out of Eastenryche but Othacarus refused both Wherfore after muche reasonynge vpon the matter brought Rudolphe armed hostes into Eastenryche and toke it in He besieged the citie Vienne fought a great battaill by Nidersbrug â–ª in the yeare M. cclxxviij In that battayll was Othacarus slayne Of this wyse was Eastenriche at the last brought vnder Rudolphes dominion and after that made he Albert his sonne duke there so that henceforth Eastenriche by this meanes is holden of the empyre by fealtie or benefite Moreouer the princes of Eastenriche haue their offpringe of this Alberte vntyll the moste prayse worthy Charles the Emperoure that now is his brother kyng Ferdinande Rudolphe the Emperoure shewed high fauour and gentlenesse towarde Wenceslaus Othacarus sonne for he left hym the kyngdome of Bohemy and gaue hym his daughter in mariage This Wenceslaus is canonisated for a saynt and is worshypped Rudolphe subdued the Bourgundians also In Alsace dyd he take by violence those cities that rebelled and conspyred agaynst hym and punyshed them worthely amonge those were Hagenoâ— Colmar Tzurig and Berne The yeare M. cclxxxvi dyd he inuade the Erle of Wirtenberg and besyeged the citie Studtgard at the laste was an accorde made by the byshop of Mentz The yeare M. ccxc had Rudolphe a great parliament at Erfurde â–ª and by the aide of the citie Erfurde did he spoyle cast downe about .iij. score holdes in Thuringe Oâ— this wyse fynally dyd Rudolfe bryng the troubled full of sedicion estate of Germany whyle it had no certayn Emperours to a peaceablenesse and dyd in a maner set vp the decayed empyre He dyed the yere of Christ M. ccxcii Innocencius the .v. succeded Gregorius the .x. Adrianus the .v. succeded Innocencius Iohannes the .xxi. a phisicion succeded Adrianê° When Iohannes was deade Nicolaus the .iij. was made byshop of Rome He went about to geue his two cosins the two kyngdomes of Italy that the one should be kyng of Hetruria the other kyng of Lombardy For the Romysh byshop sawe that Rudolphe had more then ynough to do in Germany and thought he coulde not therefore come into Italy But the imperiall cities wythstode the byshop of Romes enterpryses that they could not prosper and Rudolphe sent a Lieutenaunt into Italy also Honorius the .iiij. was byshop after Nicolaus Nicolaus the .iiij. was byshop after Honorius Adolfe the .xxviii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. ccxcij was Adolfe counte of Nassau chosen Emperour The same was before in greate estimacion by Rudolphe Besydes that was his brother byshop of Mentz and by his voyce in the election was he holpen to be made Emperoure He raygned syxe yeares and was deposed from the empyre by the Electours For hys substaunce was not sufficient to sustayne the costes of the Emperyall hyghnesse Besydes that was he very in fortunable in dispatchynge greate thynges The warre worthy of remembraunce that he hath had was that he brought an army into Thuryngen For Albert Landtgraue of Thuringen had a stryfe wyth his sonne Dieterus and Frederick surnamed Gnawed cheke And the same solde to Adolfe the Emperoure the prouinciall Erldome of Thuringen He also endeuoured to make his kynreds nobilitie more renowmed and went into Thurinvan and dyd much harme to it He besyeged Crutzberg Frankenstein and Friburg But Frederick droue him back agayn Howbeit to apeace sundry many perturbacions that were at that tyme in the empyre it was requisite to haue a more puyssaunter heade in Germane And therefore the princes Electors makyng an assembly at Mentz they chose Albert duke of Eastenrich sonne to the Emperour Rudolphe But for asmuche as Adolfe would kepe the empyre by force duke Albert went against hym with an army and they fought fearcely together by Worms In that battayll was Adolfe slayne the yeare M. ccxcviij as these verses folowynge do witnesse The yeare thousand thre hundreth two lesse Was through the swearde kynge Adolfes deceasse After Nicolans the .iiij. was Celestinus the .v. made byshop of Rome The same leauynge the byshoprycke became an heremite After Celestinus became Bonifacius the .viij. Byshop of Rome It is sayde that Celestinus was begyled by thys man with a voyce spoken to hym through a rede or pype as though it wer come out of heauen that he should forsake the byshopricke ordeyne Bonifacius He raysed greate warres in Italy He dyd excommunicate the Frenche kyng and gaue the tytle of the Frenche kyngdome to Alberte the Emperoure that by this meanes at the last the Garmanes and frenchemen might come to strokes At the last was Bonifacius taken and dyed in the pryson And hereby commeth that it is sayde of hym He entred as a Foxe he reygned as a Wolfe or Lion he died as a Dogge Albert the .i. xxix Germane Emperoure _the M .cc. xcviij yere of Christ began Alberte duke of Eastenriche sonne to Rudolphe the Emperoure to raygne He ruled the empire ten yeres he ouercame in battaill Adolfe the Emperoure At the first would not bonifacius confirme Albertus empyre afterwarde did he frely coÌ„firme it to do the Frenche kyng a spite and geuyng Albert the title of the kyngdome of Fraunce he set hym agaynst the Frenche kynge But the kyng of Fraunce geuyng hys daughter to Alberts sonne he appeased hym that he should enterpryse no enimitie agaynst hym He made a settynge forth agaynst
Bohemy and made his sonne kyng of Bohemy He dyd so tame Bohemy and Mentz whiche made fyndely confederacions together that they obeyed the empyre At the last was he slayne of his brothers sonne some erles of Eastenryche It was happely Gods pleasure so lest the manslaughter that he had done against Adolfe the Emperoure should be vnpunyshed For though he was not of lyke power yet in the meane season ought he to haue worshipped him as his lorde ordeyned of God The kyllers of hym were punyshed also For God letteth not manquellers vnpunyshed Benedictus the .x. was byshop of Rome after Bonifacius the .viij. The remouing of the Romysh byshops se from Rome into Fraunce WHen Benedictus the .x. was deade Clemens the .v. was made byshop of Rome The same dwelt at Lions in Fraunce absolued the Frenche kyng of the excommunication Wherfore sence that tyme which was the yeare M. cccv was the byshop of Romes see translated from the citie Rome to Auinion in Prouence a contry of Fraunce .xvii. yeres At this tyme were the Fratriâ—elli whiche were euen of lyke opinion with the Anabaptistes that in oure dayes go astraye their opinion was that noman should haue ought propre or of hys owne that Christen men should not gouerne coÌ„mon welthes and suche lyke madde opinions had they Of the Turkes IN the tyme of Albert of Eastenriche began the kynred of Othomanus to grow among the Turkes in power and estimacion of whose bloude are spronge those kynges of the Turkes that raygne at this tyme. Henry the .vij. called of Lucelburg the .xxx. Germane Emperoure THhe yere of Christ M. cccix was chosen Emperoure Henry the prince of Lucelburg He reigned .vi. yeares For in the meane tyme that the Romish bishop was in Fraunce the Frenche kyng desyred inordinatly the dignitie of the empire and trusted to obteayne his request througe the consent of the Romish byshop But the coÌ„corde was not long durable betwene the byshop the Frenche kyng Wherfore the byshop aduertised the princes Electours whiche had now long disagreed for the electioÌ„ to hayste to choyse an Emperoure with one consent the prince of Lucelburg who at that time was demed a most renowmed prince for his wysdome ioyned with hygh grauitie As he was chosen strayght waye dyd the byshop of Rome coÌ„firme hym And thus was the FreÌ„che kyng disapointed of his request endeuoure â–ª to remooue the dignitie of the Romish empire to him First toke he from the duke of Wirtenberg al his goodes because he was a rebel to the empyre To his sonne Iohn gaue he the kyng of Bohemies daughter in mariage by this meanes became Iohn prince of Lucelburg the father of Charles the iiij kyng of Bohemy Afterward went he into Italy with a great army and made Italy so afrayde of hym as no Emperoure had done a greate whyle before hym Some cities woulde not yelde them to hym without they were compelled by force namely Cremona and Brixia the residue obeyed frely At Rome was he crowned Emperoure He besyeged Florence with a heuy and strayght syege at the whiche tyme as it is reported a frere of y â— preachers order or Black freres that was made out of the Florentines destroied Henry with venim whiche he strake vpon the syngynge breade yea and the byshop of Rome hymselfe also beynge now armed with hys weapons threatened Henry wyth the dart of excommunicacion as he perceaued that he began to be sett by in Italy Ludouicus or Lewis the Baier the .xxxi. Germane emperoure And agaynst hym was chosen Emperour Frederick Duke of Eastenriche THe yere of Christ M. cccxiiij were assembled together at Franckforde the princes Electors the bysh of Mentz â–ª Trier and Colen Ihon kyng of Bohe my Rudolphe counte Palatine of the Rene Rudolphe duke of Saxony Volcmarus marques of Brandenburg On saynct Lucies daie was chosen Emperoure Lewis the Baier by the byshops of Mentz Trier the kyng of Bohemy and Marques of Brandenborowe And agaynst hym was chosen Friderick duke of Eastenriche be the byshop of Colen the cunte Palatine and duke of Saxony Lewis was crowned Emperoure at Aken Frederick at Bonne This controuersye in chosynge brought an occasion of greate inwarde or ciuyll warre in Germany The duke of Eastenriche had fauourers the byshop of Rome the kynges of Fraunce and Bohemy the Schwabes the counte of Palatine them of Strasborow and other cities many But God prospered Lewis who was lesse of power destitute of mans ayde He raygned .xxxiij. yeares The yeare M. cccxxiij dyd they stryke a felde by the floude Nechare whereof both sydes many were slayne The yeare M. cccxxv on saynt Michaels euen gaue Lewis a greate battaill to Frederick Frederick did ayde Lupoldus hys brother ioyned wyth hym the Schwaben and Switcers and a greate parte of the Hungarians As for Lewis dyd folow the kyng of Bohemy and the erle of Norenberg and some other princes Now when Lupoldes taried so long that he could not passe the water y â— host of Eastenriche was slayne and Friderick was taken by a Franke whose name was Ebrarde Mosbach the same led hym to the erle of Norenberg who sent hym to Lewis But when Lupoldus sawe he coulde not helpe hys brother he was so angry and ragious that he had in a maner vndone hymselfe had not hys men refrayned hym whiche also consayled hym to withdrawe nether dyd rashly cast hymselfe into the daunger Afterwarde assayed Lupoldus many thynges inuayne both by the byshop of Rome and also the Frenche kyng that he myght take his brother awaye by force for the FreÌ„che kyng made no greate force of a strange matter Friderick was a prysoner the space of thre yeares in a castel in Baierlande at the last when the controuersy was brought to a poynt he was let louse vpon this condicion that he shoulde renounce the empyre whiche thing when he had frely promised he was restored into Eastenriche by Lewis Of this wyse behaued Lewis hymselfe very gently toward his enemy Lupoldus yet in the meane tyme not ceassynge of raysynge commocions euen after that Frederick was deliuered Afterwarde dyd Iohannes the .xxij. cast hys thonder boltes of coursyng agaynst Lewis the Emperoure because he vsed the Imperyall aucthoritie and empyres gouernaunce in Italy before hys coronacion Thereof rose an occasion of a greate diuision in Germany and that lasted about .xxiiij. yeares In the meane tyme rose here and there greate sedicions in the empyre and cyties and one parte busyed to dryue out and oppresse the other by conspiracion And though Lewis desyred absolution not once but often of the byshop of Rome yet could he not obtayne it wyth any prayers so that both Benedictus that was after Iohannes and other many and honest men dyd refuse the processe There are yet now a dayes wrytynges of the controuersie wherein the Romyshe byshop Iohannes the .xxii. is not ashamed to boaste
that he hath the full power and aucthoritie to make and depose not onely kynges but also all Emperoures at hys pleasure By thys it maye be gathered easely that the Romyshe byshop vsed so greate hatred agaynste the Emperoure for no very weyghty cause There were also about that tyme some learned men whiche openly blamed the Romyshe byshops writynges amonges these was Occam one ▪ the princes of Germany euery one as wel ecclesiasticall as of the nobilitie helde with the Emperour at the last were some compelled by the byshop of Rome to fall back and also to choyse another Emperoure Lewis had very greate vproures in Italy Galeacius of Milan and the counsayll of Rome longed for Lewis commyng into Italy Wherfore he went thether with the Emperesse which also was delyuered of a chylde at Rome that was called Lewis the Romane and was afterwarde by the Emperoure made marques of Brandenborowe At Milan was Lewis crowned of the bysh there and at Rome of the Cardinall de Columna He made also Peter of Corbaria byshop of Rome who was not longe after caried bounde to Auinion in Fraunce to Iohannes the .xxii. who cast hym into pryson wherein he dyed But whyle allthys was adoynge Lewis by no requestes coulde optayne to be released of the excōmunicacion by the byshop of Rome But forsoeth the Romysh byshop brought that to passe wyth his busy laboure at length that in an assembly or daye holden at Lucelburg the byshops of Mentz Trier and Colen the kyng of Bohemy and duke of Saxon dyd choyse another Emperour There was chosen Charles the fourth erle prouincial of Morauia the sonne of the kyng of Bohemy The same was then confirmed by Clemens the .vi. byshop of Ro. But for as muche as the cities of Aken and Colen would not knowe hym for an Emperoure he was crowned at Bon. Of Nicolaus Augustus that is Nicolas the noble that was at Rome ABout this tyme happened at Rome an example of a notable folye There was at Rome one Nicolas a towne clarke or recorder of Rome of suche power and aucthoritie that one would haue sayde he had the rule of the whole citie for at that tyme were the Romysh Byshoppes yet in Fraunce This Nicolas called hymself Tribunus Augustus that is the noble hygh officer and with open scriptures wytnessed that Rome is yet the true heade of the empyre and therfore by y e citie of Romes aucthoritie had he the hyghest power to handle maters of the empyre And by reason of this aucthoritie called he Lewis and Charles to appeare before hym and to cōmitte their matter to his arbitremēt or iudgement Lyke folyshnesse vsed he oft agaynst other cities and kynges y e space of two yeares At the last this pore Augustus being driuē out by the byshop of Romes partie fled to Charles the fourth But Charles sent the rash man to the byshop of Rome at Auiniō of whom he was kept in pryson The yeare of Christ M. cccxlv died Lewis the Bayer And then came Charles with a great hoost out of Bohemy to Regenspurg where he was knowen for an Emperoure From thence was he also receaued at Norenberg for Charles made thē beleue he had gotten a fauourable absolution of the bishop of Rome to put out the great offences wherwith they had offended in that they were adherent to Lewis When they of Basyl sent out their Burgemaisters to Charles that he in the name of the citie should aske absolution he answered he thought they had not done amisse in that they had Lewis for an Emperoure nether thought he that Lewis was an heritike yet in the meane tyme if they could be absolued of their trespasses he wold be content And thus were they absolued The yeare of Christ M. cccxlviij when Lewis was now deade there rose yet a greater discorde the byshop of Mentz the counte Palatine the marques of Brādenburg and the duke of Saxony his sonne that hath chosen Charles Emperoure assembled and refusyng the election of Charles they chose Edward the third kyng Englande to take vpon hym the maiestie Emperiall but he refused it as a thyng ful of cumbraunce After that chose they Frederick Erle prouinciall of Misen But he also forsoke that title of the empyre for he would not fyght and warre with his neyghbours the Bohemies to vndoe his countrey Guntherus Erle of Swartzburg is chosen Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. cccl. was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Gunterus Erle of Schwatzburg yet not with consent of all the Electors Thesame accepted the gouernaunce of the empyre and garnyshed with all defence to retayne the empyre he was armed ynough againste the force of Charles who then abode at Mentz But shortly after died Gunterus at Frāckforde sodenly poysoned Wherefore Charles was Emperoure alone He came to Franckforde and was receiued for an Emperoure After Clemens the .v. became Iohannes the xxii byshop of Rome who without a iuste cause dyd excommunicate the good Emperoure Lewis Benedictus the .xi. was made byshop of Rome after Iohannes The same neuer alowed the action of Iohannes against the Emperoure Lewis and when he was made byshop of Rome he had frely absolued hym had not the kynges of Fraunce and Naples with their threatenynges withstande hym When in the relacion the orators or embassadors of the kinges alledged that Lewis had enterprysed many haynous thynges against the byshop of Rome Benedictus answered yea we haue done against hym He liued not long in the byshopricke therefore dyd al the causes hang vndispatched Clemens the .vi. was made byshop after Benedictus The same renewined the thonder boltes cast against Lewis and persued hym moste fearcely though in the counsayll of Vienne in Fraunce were treated in the meane tyme of the condicions of peace and that Lewis declared hymselfe humble This Clemens bought the citie Auenion of Ioanna quene of Sicily and so hath the byshop of Ro. aucthoritie vpon this citie Moreouer at this tyme went about here therin in Germany and Fraunce a great nomber of men whiche did beate themselues with roddes Many of them came to Spire when the day or parliamēt was holden there pretending great holynesse For their holinesse sake were they bidden to the meales of the citesens And as the deceate of the erroure dyd not differ from the Anabaptistes supersticious opinion euen so was that secte no lesse daūgerous in those daies But at the last it was condemned Innocentius the .vi. succeded Clemens In his tyme was Charles the .iiij. crowned at Rome Charles the .iiij. the .xxxij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. cccl. began Charles y ◠iiij to raigne after y e death of Guntherus of Schwartzburg He was a prince of y e bloud of Lucelburg the sonne of Ihon kyng of Bohemy for Iohn was y e sonne of Henry of Lucelburg Frō this yere of M. cccl. reigned Charles xxvii◠yeres The yeare M. ccclv went Charles downe into Italy
was gently receaued of the cities At Ro. the senate all the best metyng Charles did receaue hym with all reuerence He likewyse to declare to the Romanes his gentlenesse lyghted from his horse receaued on fote the yelding of the citie Afterward was he crowned of the cardinal of Hostia The cities of the bysh of Rome in Italy that were rebels subdued he to do the Romysh byshop a pleasure so that they repyned nomore I fynde none other thynges that he dyd in this iourney They yeare M. ccclx. he ouercame and spâ—yled Ebrardus erle of Wirtenberg with a great army But at the last was the debate layde downe by the byshop of Ausburg Strasburg and Spire The yeare M. ccclxvi went Charles agayne in to Italy in the whiche iourney he assuaged and subdued some cities desyrous of vproure Charles besyeged also y â— citie Vlme but I reade no where for what cause For oure Germanes not knowyng the propertie of histories haue not taken hede to the circumstaunces and causes of thynges Charles hath deserued greate thankes for the golden bulle that he made wherein he hath handsomly comprised many thynges that make to entertayne common peace He did chefely endeuoure procure the affayres of Bohemy He ordeined the vniuersitie of Praga Some there are that disalowe that he gaue the French kyng ryghtes in the kyngdome of Orleaunce The yeare M. ccclxx caused Charles his sonne Wenceslaus to be made Emperoure To his other sonne Sigismundus gaue he the Erldome of the marques of BraÌ„denburg the which he had bought of Lewis the Romane The yere M. ccclxxvii fought Vdalricus Erle of Wirtenberg mishappely before the citie Rutlingen In that battaill dyed many and noble men Switzer league ABout this tyme began the Switzer league and first the citie Lucerna then Berna at the last Tzurich dyd ioyne themselues to the Switzers and the noble prince Lupoldus duke of Eastenriche was ouercome and slayne by the Switzers the yere M. ccclxxxv But for as muche as there are in mans handes euery where histories of the Switzers dedes I reken it neoelesse to make longe rehersall of their actes in this lytle boke Vrbanus the v. succeded Innocentius the vâ— Gregorius the xâ— was byshop of Rome after Vrbanus The same remoued y â— see out of Fraunce to Rome agayne the yeare MCCCLXXVI A diuision AFter Gregorius the xi rose a greate diuisioÌ„ in the spiritualtye The Italians made an Italian Byshoyp of Rome called Vrbanus the vi and the same remayned at Rome The Frenchmen also chose a Byshop of Rom. in Italy whome they called Clemens the vii The same gat hym to Auinion Thus was Rome diuided and ther were two byshoppes of Rome the one dyd accurse the other Truely Italy Germany and Hungary dyd hange to Vrbanus the byshops of the Romanes Thys diuision lasted vntyll the councel of Constance .xxxix. yeares Wenceslaus the .xxxiii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccc lxxviij after Charles deceasse began Wenceslaus his sonne to raygne and raygned after hys fathers death .xxii. yeares At thys tyme began Ihon Husse opeÌ„ly to teache at Praga agaynst the byshop of Romes pardones and by thys occasion rose hurteful insurrections in Bohemy agaynst prestes and religious men Wenceslaus was at the laste taken by hys brother Sigismundus and kept at Vienne in preson Other thinges do I not fynde of this Wenceslaus that I iudge worthy to be put in writynges Rupertus the xxxiiij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CCCC was Rupertus the counte Palatine made Emperour He raigned tenne yeares But seynge the Emperours had now ben long from Italy the power of the kynred of Galeacyus was waxen greate at Milan and the Florentins were become ryche also and warred agaynst them of Milane The Florentins asked ayde of Rupertus the Emperoure to represse the power of the Galacians Wherefore Rupertus went vppe into Italy to helpe the Florentius and toke Galeacins Howbeit Rupertus beyng destitute of the assistaunce of the duke of Eastenriche and bishop of Colen was to weake than that he coulde haue brought so greate thynges to passe and though he had assayed many thinges yet was he constrayned to returne agayne into Germanye hys bussinesse beyng not disâ—pâ—rched Bonifacius the .ix. was made bishop at Rome after Vrbanus And against him was made bish after Clemens y e .vii. Petrus de Luna called Benedictus the .xii. After Bonifacius was Innocentius y â— vii made byshop at Rome After InnoceÌ„tius was Gregorius the xii made byshop at Rome The same promysed y â— he woulde renounce the byshoprycke yf Benedictus lykewise dyd not refuse to renounce also But whaÌ„ Benedictus fled into Spayne leauyng Auinion Gregorius reuoked hys promise concernyng to resigne the byshoprycke Wherefore was a councell gathered at Pysis whereyn bothe Gregorius and Benedictus were deposed of the byshoprycke and in theyr steade was the thyrde Romysh byshop chosen Alexander the .v. Gregorius fled to Ariminum where he remayned vntill the counsel of Constance was Alexander the .v. dwelt at Bonony for the Hungarians hauing than taken in Rome vsed incredible tiraÌ„ny warred with the Frenchmen for Naples After Alexander the .v. was Ioannes the .xxiii. made byshop of Rome at Bonony And of this wise were a lyue vntil the general councel of Constance thys Ioannes the .xxiii. at Bonony Gregorius at Ariminum and Benedictus in Spayne But they were all thre set besyde y â— Romyshe byshopryck in that councel Of Tamerlanes the tyraunt of Tartaria IN the time of Rupertus the Emperour lyued the passynge cruell tyraunte Tamerlanes the Tartarian who by greate spoylynge wente aboute nearehande al y â— East and Asia with an armye of tenne hundreth thousande men He spoyled the Perseans Armenians and Syrians He inuaded also the lesse Asia and toke Paiasetus the Turkysh Emperoure and caryed hym in a cage as a byrde aboute wyth hym for a wonder and mockage Sigismundus the .xxxv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC after Rupertus the Emperours deceasse was Sigysmundus made Emperoure He was the sonne of Charles the fourthe marques of Brandenburg kynge of Hungary and Bohemye He was Emperour seuen and twentye yeares He was a moost famous prince in wisedome learnyng and honestye suche one of stature as was semynge a lyke prince His countrefaytoure very connyngly made is to be sene yet this daye by the erle Hoier of Mansfelde He had greate warres in Hungary agaynst the Hungaryans of the whyche he was taken He fought oft agaynst the Turkes But whan he was made Emperoure he made a greate settyng forth agaynst the Turkes with the ayde of all nacions whereof we shall speake hereafter Of the councell of Constance IN the beginnynge of Sigismundus raygne he went vp into Italye and toke counsell with Ioannes the bysh of Ro. of callinge a generall councel for to auoyde the diuision He went also to the Frenche kynge and compelled hym to agre to
the callynge a general councell Wherefore by the consent of the byshop of Ro. Ioannes the Emperoure and also the kynges of Fraunce Spayne and England was the councell of Constance begonne the yeare M. C C C C. xiiii to the whiche came Ioannes the Byshop of Rome hymselfe The Emperoure Sigismundus came to Constance before Christmasse and at masse songe he the gospell as Deacon Ther went oute a commaundemente from Augustus the Emperoure c. Afterwarde was ther treated of Ihon Husse and hys doctryne beyng condemneth he was burneth wyth Hieronimus of Praga After that treated they to a peace the diuisyon and deposyng the byshoppes of Rome Ioannes the .xxiij. Gregorius and Benedictus was chosen in the see Othode Columna who was called Martynus the fyfte But whan it repented Ioannes the .xxiii. that he had consented frelye to the renouncynge of the Byshoprycke of Rome he wente aboute to flye pryuelye wyth the ayde of Frederyck duke of Eastenryche But in the flyghte Ioannes was had backe agayne by the Emperoures men And the duke of Eastenryche was bannyshed by the Emperoure and some of hys townes taken in hys duchye At the last was the debate layed downe of thys wyse It was coūselled Frederyck that he frely yeldyng to the Emperoure all hys landes shulde humblye requyre forgeuenesse of hys offence Wherefore by the Emperoures gentlenesse and fauoure he was restored in the duchy of Eastenryche But Ioannes the byshoppe of Rome was delyuered to the counte Palatyne to be kepte Thesame caried him int y e castel Māheym not farre frō the citye Heidelberg there was he kepte the space of thre yeare After y t was he receaued to grace by Martinus the Romish bish and made a Cardinal Whan of this wise that hurteful diuision that was betwene the bishops of Rome was anoyded peace and reste was restored to the churche and that by the endeuoure and procurement of Sigismundus the Emperoure who therefore deserued greate prayses The residue that were done in that assemble or councel is no nede to rehearse for whole bokes are wrytten thereof Of the prouincial erles of the marqueship of Brandenburg THe yeare of Christ M. C C C C. xvii the fyrste sondaye after Easter dyd Sigysmundus the Emperour in the councell geue to the mooste prayse worthy prince Fridericke Burgraue of Norinberg the ryghte of Imperyall election and the prouincyall marqueshyp of Branbenburge and that for hys excellent vertues and greate truste that he had shewed in dispatchinge great causes of the empyre But truely it were long to rechearse here how noble princes haue ben both before thys dignitye was gotten also afterward in this progeny of Burgraues yee and before hath oft ben made mēcion of them But after that they were made Electors they were diligente euer in treatynge the greateste and mooste weightyest matters of the empyre for the whyche thynges sake shalbe oft made mēcion of thē hereafter Wherfore in the histories of our time is Albertus the Marques praised before al other who for his vertues sake is surnamed y ◠germane Achilles It is also not vnknowen in oure dayes y ◠Marques Ioachim of Brandenburg Elector my moost gentle lorde and his brother Albert Cardinal and Elector Archebyshoppe of Mentz and Magdenburge c. are garnyshed with hygh wysedome and all princely vertues and that therfore theyr counsel ayde is requyred before other in hyghe and harde matters not only concernynge the empyre but also to y ◠whole Christiantie Nother cā it other wyse be in gouernaunces and dominions y ◠whych so longe as they haue theyr beynge must be deserued and maynteyned by the wysedome of men of greate authoritye whiche thynge the Wysedome her selfe wytnesseth in holye scriptures sayenge By me kynges do raygne Whan the councell was broke vp many settyng forth were appoynted agaynst the seditions and euell disposed men whiche spoyled and robbed both churches monasteryes after Ihon Husses death Theyr captayn was called zyscha Greate manslaughter was of both sydes of the Bohemes and Germanes which went against them yet was not that brunt of vproure so quenched Sigismundus as we sayd before had prepared brought vntill Adrianopolis a verye greate army of Germanes Frenchmē Italians Hungarians against y ◠Turkes In this setting forth were most greatest princes y ◠Emperour Sigismundus Philippe duke of Burgundion But by reason the Frenchemen stroue sayenge they must haue the foreward in the army y ◠orders were broken not without an incredible losse of Christen men for theyr enemyes vanquyshed them and the duke of Burgundy was taken Sigismundus the Emperour fled to Constan tinople After longe season after was the duke of Burgundy delyuered A mery story is recited of Sigismundus He had a seruaunt y ◠was many yeares familiar wyth him whom he had not greatly rewarded though in the meane season he was a liberal free prince which thing Leonardus Aretinus also doth write who sawe Sigisinūdus the Emperour had done many messages to him on the bysh of Ro. behalfe It fortuned that whā he was ridden into a water hys horse dyd stalle Whyche thinge whan the seruaunt that went strayght before the Emperoure did see he sayd in sporte The horse was of lyke nature that hys lorde was The Emperour hearyng it by chaunce maruayled commaunded to shewe him what he saide The seruaunt aunswered The horse pourech out water into the ryuer where as is water ynough alredy Euen so is the Emperour lyberall to those whych haue ryches plenty nede them not greatly Sigismundus the Emperoure perceaued that he was aduisedly touched or taunted that he had not rewarded hys olde seruaunt with some peculyar or greate rewarde and sayd He neuer wanted the wyll to recompense but that princes gyftes are not properlye theyrs that deserue them but theyrs that they are appoynted by Goddes prouydence and dysposycyon The same sayde he that he woulde proue wyth the dede so soone as he shulde be at leasure and reste Afterwarde whan the Emperour had gotten leasure he caused to make two boxes of one bygnesse and fashion In the one he put golde in the other leade of lyke weyght and callyng the seruaunt he bad hym take one of the boxes The seruaunt being abashed weyed now the one boxe than the other douting y ◠whiche he myghte rather take at the laste he toke y ◠boxe wherein the leade was Which whan he had opened the Emperour sayde It may be sene openly that hys wyli was not in the faute why he was not rewarded hetherto but hys misfortune This dede wythnesseth verely that the Emperoure dyd wysely consyder that the fortunable prosperity of thynges commeth of God Sigismūdus the Emperour had no heyre mankynne he gaue hys only doughter to Albert duke of Eastenryche who became kyng of Hungary and Bohemy by that meanes The yere M. CCCC xxxiiii whyle Sigismundus was yet alyue began the councel of Basil For
it was ordeyned in y ◠councel of Constance that of a newe coūcel shulde be gathered after twelue yeares But after that Sigismundus was deade the bysh of Ro. holdinge a councell fyrste at Ferraria and from thence at Florence letted y ◠furtheraūce of the councel of Basill and that had he so muche the more easy a do because ther was no monarche or noble prince that defended the decree of y ◠councel of Basill After that Martinus was deade Eugenius the iiii was made bysh of Ro. The same crowned Sigismundus Emperour at Rome Albert the .ii. of that name the .xxxvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christe M. cccc xxxviii after the death of Sigismundus was Alberte a prince of the bloude of Eastenryche kyng of Hungarye Bohemye made Emperoure He dyed in the seconde yeare of hys raygne Parte of Bohemy dyd cleue to the kyng of Polen endeuoured to drawe y ◠kyngdome of Bohemy to Polony The Poles brought a great army into Bohemy drew into their faction the vprourysh kynde of men called Thaborites Agaynst thē sent Albert y ◠Emperour Albert marques of Bran denburg The same brought to passe wyth manye battayls that the matter was agreed betwene the Emperoure and the Poles Albert the Emperoure came wyth a greate army into Hungary agaynst Amurates the Turke who at that tyme was fallen into Hungary Whan Albert the Emperoure came he fled backe and besye gynge the cytye Sinderouien he returned into Grece and wann the city Thessalonica In this settynge forth fell Albert into a sycknesse and beynge broughte agayne to Uyenna dyed wythyn few dayes Friderick the .iii. the .xxxviij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. CCCC xl after Albertus deathe was Fridericke the thyrd duke of Estenrich made Emperoure He raygned .liii. yeares The doughter of Sigismundus wyfe to Albert the Emperoure was now bygge wyth chylde but some of the Hungaryans despayrynge of an heyre of the realme chose Vladislaus the yonger kynge of Polen for a kyng The kings gouernour in Hungary was Ioānes Huniades father to Mathias The same had weakened the power of the Turkes wyth a great battail and compelled Amurates to demande peace But so soone as Vladislaus was come into the realme the Hungariās trusted that yf they the Poles powers were ioyned together they shuld easely gett great prayse yf they inuaded the Turke And happely had the yonge kyng Vladislaus pleasure in thys prayse Wherfore Iulianus the Cardinall brake the treuce made wyth the Turke vnder thys pretence and coloure that it were not lawfull to make peace wyth the Turkes wythout the Bish of Romes consente seyng y ◠case is belonging to whole Christendome Thus Vladislaus gathering an hoost went against Amurates vntill Varnam which is not farr from Cōstantinople though Ioannes Humades in y ◠mean season dissuaded to take warre because that he knew well the weakenesse of his men the power of the Turkes also had he made peace with the Turke not without necessitie It is also sayd that Vladislaus desyred ayde of Dracoles y ◠Malache but he also dyd counsell to leaue y ◠setting forth to warre Yet dyd he send his sonn with him to aide king Vladislaus with two thousand horsemen to whom he shuld haue said He gaue hym a couragious and swyft horse suche one as he wold geue to his sonn also for his mynd gaue that they shuld lose the feld and therefore shuld they haue these horses at hand that as nede shulde requyre the myghte troughe theyr swyftnesse escape the daunger As for the Turkes dyd forse themselues wyth nolesse carfulnesse than wysedome and were euery where appoynted in a readynesse before the Hungaryans were set in an order Wherefore thoughe the Hungariās fought fearcely for y e glory of Christes name and ouerthrwe verye great hoostes of the enemyes yet dyd the Turkes at the last ouercome wyth the multitude stayeng Vladislaus the yong kinge and afterward was Iulianus the Cardinal slayen also in the flyght Humades as he was a ware soul dioure toke hede to hymselfe by tymes and escaped This felde was the yeare M. CCCC xliiii the tenth daye of Nouember Amurates became a Mahometyshe monke after thys vyctorye supposynge to haue accomplyshed hys duetye in the empyre after so greate prosperitye in vanquyshynge hys enemyes leste he rashely trustynge smylynge fortune farther dyd stayne hys glorye wyth some euell But Hunyades dyd inuade and fell vpon the Turkes agayn and dyd hurt them so sore that they called Amurates agayn to the realme to resist Hunyades their enemy and shuld driue him out of Hūgary Afterward whā Cōstantinople was lost Huniades ouercame Mahomet y e Turkishe Emperour bringing into Hūgari an hurtful army with a great discōfitur deliuered whole Europa from y e fear of daūger For yf that setting forth had lucked Mahomet y e Turkish Emperour he had now takē in not only Italy but other contryes also Whan Vladislaus was deade the Hungarians receaued the chylde Ladislaus the heyre of the realme borne of Sigismundus doughter for theyr kyng Thys Ladislaus whan he was ful growen dyed at Praga the haed citye of Bohemy The yeare M. CCCC xliiij broughte the Dolphin with the Armeniakes an army into Elsace vntyll Basil not wythout a greate and horible manslaughter of the Germanes Some thynke that Eugenius the bysh of Ro. sent hym into Germany to trouble the councel of Basil The Dolphyn had aboute fyue and twenty thousand men The Switzers sent foure thousand men against them to rescue the citye Basel out of theyr handes They sett vpon the enemyes wyth so greate strengthe and corage that none of them gaue backe and thoughe they coulde not ouercome them by reason of the multitude of thē yet left they theyr enemies a bloudy dolefull victorye For the Dolphin lost in that battayl about ten thousand men and was fayne to flye out of Germany with the residue y ◠remayned The yeare M. CCCC xlix dyd Albert marques af Brandenburg warre agaynst imperial cityes Norinberg and some other Thys was called the warre of the cityes Many princes dyd ioyne themselues to ether syde and thys warre lasted ii yeares Albert the marques ouerthrue them of Norinberg wyth .viii. battayls The yeare M. cccc lii went Friderick into Italy and was receaued of euery man wyth seastly honoure In the citye Sena dyd he acomplyshe hys weddynge wyth Leonora hys spouse doughter to the kynge of Portingale Commynge to Rome he was crowned of Nicolaus the fyfte wyth hys quene the .xviij. daye of Marche Returnyng from Rome at Ferraria made he Borsius of Esta duke From thence shipped he ouer to Venice and abode there ten dayes I haue herde of a man of greate renowme that it was tolde him of the prince of Venice who beynge Senator serued the Emperour Fridericke and the prince of Venice at the table that Frederick shulde haue sayd at
the meale that he truely wold be a frende to the Venecians continually but they shulde haue muche trouble and dāmage of hys successours Of Constantinople Wonne by the Turkes THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC liiii y e xxix daye of Maye after longe syeggat Mahometes the Turkysh Emperoure the citye Constātinople at y e laste with a very strong assaulte and vsed thereyn so muche cruelnesse that it can not be expressed wyth no wordes Constantinus the Emperoure was slayne by the gate of the cytye in the flyghte whose heade caused the Turke to be smytten of stycked vpon a pole to be caryed thorow out the citye He commaunded also to set vp an image of the crucyfyed Christe in the citye and towrytte vpon it The same is the God of the Christians But he commaunded to moke it and caste fylthe vpon it and all to defyle it The Emperours wyfe and doughters wyth other honest matrones were drawen to a banket and there were they fyrst misused after that hewed to peces These examples and other mooste cruel dedes of y e Turkes ought duely to rayse and styrre our mindes that we shulde earnestly fight agaynst those enemyes whyche one nede not to call tyrauntes but rather cruel beastes The yeare M. CCCC lxi dyd the bysh of Ro. depose Dietericke of Isenburge from hys byshoprycke and in hys steade was made Adolphe of Nassau This chaunce gaue an occasion of greate warres in the Empyre Friderick the counte Palatyne toke vpon hym to defende retayn byshop Dieterych Agaynste the same dyd the Emperour sturre the erles of Wyrtenberg and Baden and the bysh of Mentz Whan these spoyled y e contry of y e count Palatine they were taken by Frideryck count Palatine about the yeare M. CCCC lxii The same yeare dyd contrarye wyse Adolfe the byshop take in the citye Mentz The yeare M. CCCC lxiij was Friderick the Emperoure strongly besieged in the castel at Vienna by hys cityesins and the doer of thys was Albert the Emperours brother but George kyng of the Bohemes delyuered the Emperoure driuing awaye the cityesins The yere M. CCCC lxxiiii dyd Charles prince of the Burgundyons besyege the towne Nuce a whole yeare and that because the chapiter chanōs of Colen had dryeuen out Rupert byshoppe of Colen whome Charles wold haue restored agayne But whan he went about to turne the byshopryck of Colen from the empyre haue gotten it to him the Emperour appoynteth an army agaynst hym The captayne of the hoost was Albert marques of Brandenburg and the empyres standardebearer Albert duke of Saxony At the last whan diuersly was treated of alayenge the debate Charles gaue place and it is sayde that at y ◠tyme was fyrst treated of geuyng Maximilian the doughter of Charles of Burgundy The yeare M. CCCC lxxvii was the duke of Burgundy vanquished by Nansen by them of Lotayn and the Switzers and slayne For Charles had taken from them of Lorain Nansen in Switzerland had he taken in Gransen and other small townes besides that also caused he in the towne of Gransen to be hanged .v. C. and .xii. Germanes Whan Charles was deade the Frenchemen enterprised to ioyne Flaunders and Brabant to theyr kingdom this desyre of the Frenchmen brought the cause of great warres But whan the Burgundions wold not that theyr duchies shuld be straunged or alienated from Charles doughter they delivered to wedde Charles doughter to Maximilian son to Friderick the Emperour Wherfore Maximiliane went wel appointed into Brabāt the yeare M. cccc lxxvii and wedded Mary Charles doughter whereby it came to passe that he augmēted not a litle the glory of the Eastenrychs name and that Maximiliā did many renowmed prowesses to defende those countryes agaynste the assaulte of the Frenchemen The yeare M. cccclxxxvi was Maximilian made Emperoure at Aken he was crowned the tenth daie of Apryll When he was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Albert marques of Brandenburg dyed there whome the Italian history writers also do geue the prayse of a sage and wyse prince and also a doughty man of armes The yeare M. cccclxxxvii was Maximiliane taken of his subiectes at Brudgis in Flaūders by a preuy trayne of the Frenchemen But when Frede rick came downe into lowe Germany furnyshed wyth the ayde of the whole empyre Maximilian was letten fre of them of Brudgis The yeare M. ccccxc he asked agayne and toke possession of his hereditary landes of the duchy of Eastenriche the whiche Mathy kyng of Hungary had taken in The yere M. ccccxciii dyed Frederick the third Emperonre in the towne Lyntz and was buried at Vienne The same yeare dyd the Turkes fall in to Croacia but they were dryuen backe agayne by Maximiliane that then was in Eastenriche surnyshed wyth an army of fyftenth ou saude men When Eugenius the .iiij. was deade Nicolaus the .v. was made by shop of Rome Friderick the Emperoure was crowned of hym and he entertayned with moste hygh liberalitie not onely learned men of Italy but also suche as were fled from Con stantinople to Rome namely Gaza Trapezontius Argyropylos by whose procurement al good sciences are renewed and amended Calistus the .iij. was bysh of Ro. after Nicolaus Pius the .ij. before called Eneas Syluius succeded Calistus He was Frederick the Emperoures Chaunceller He had gathered a greate army of all nacions against the Turkes but while the army is demissed without doynge any thyng Paulus the .ij. was after Pius Xystus the .iiii. was by shop of Rome after Paulus In his tyme the yeare M. cccclxxx dyd Mahometes the Turkysh Emperour besyege Hydruntum in Italy and wanne it vsyng therein incredible tyranny Italy was so asrayed that Xystus the Romysh byshop made hrm reade to flye into Fraunce But Mahometes died the same time when Hydruntum was a takynge and that by some destiny lest he should straie farther into Italy Moreouer whyle this was dayng Alfonsus kyng of Naples warred with them of Sena but when he harde the tydyngs of Hydruntum he haisted to returne into his kyngdome and getteth the besyeged citye Hydruntū out of the Turkes handes For whyle Mahometes was deade and that the Turkes haysted now to returne home lest any variaunce myght ryse in their kyngdome Alfonsus obteined the citie easely driuyng the Turkes out of Italy After Xystus was Innocētius the .viii. by of Ro. Alexander the the .vi. was made byshop of Ro. after Innocentius The same had a sonne duke of Valencia whom he made prince of Vrbinas Hys sayeng it was O Cesar o nullo that is Ether Emperoure or nothyng At the last was he nothyng For he was slayne for his sundry craftes that were mengled with gite and deceate The beginning of the science of printyng is sayd to haue bene vnder Frederick the thyrd and thys science of boke printing they saye to haue ben found fyrst at Mentz the yeare M. cccc xl The craft of the gonnes
is much elder it is supposed that the same was also founde in Germany by a frear the yeare M. ccc lxxx Maxi milianus the .xxxviii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccccxciiii began Maximilianus hys raygne when his father was deade with whome he gouerned the empyre his lyfe tyme .viii. yeres But after hys fathers deceasse raygned he .xxv. yeares Though the begynnynges of the empyre were lowe and weake yet at the last turned they to hygh auauncement and encrease of the Germane kyngdome In the begynnynge of Maximilanus raygne brought Charles wyth the crooked backe an army into Italy and toke Naples But a yeare after when he was returned into Fraunce gat FerdinaÌ„dus the yonger Naples agayne with ayde of Maximilian dryuynge the Frenchemen out of Italy whiche the Frenche kynge had left at Naples for a garryson Maximilian had many and great battails First in low Germany Flaunders and Brabant in the whiche it is sayd he dyd many noble actes with his owne hande where of I haue herde some but I know not the very truth thereof And would God there would once come one that is sure of such thynges who would writh all those histories in a coÌ„plet boke to the prayse of so greate a prince and myght auaunce worthely before the worlde the puyssaunce and vertues of so doughty an Emperoure I myselfe haue herde of Pyrcamer of Norenberg that Maximiliane hymselfe had written some of his dedes for certayne yeares For he sayde He sayled from Lynda to Constance with Maximilian the Emperoure and when Maximilian was nowe at leasure in saylyng he called his Scribe to hym and rehersed to hym in Latine hys dedes of one yeare in a moste feate order with the declaracion of all the circunstaunces and occasions But when Pyrcamer thought the Scribe should note some secrete thynge and therefore would auoyde the Emperoure coÌ„maunded hym to remayne and lysten Yea and at euening he toke it to Pyrcamer that he had rehersed to rede and asked whether that souldiours Latine dyd lyke hym and should haue sayde moreouer He were mynded to comprehende those thynges so brefely and clerely that afterwarde learned men might declare them so muche the more diligently by their causes and circumstaunces And Pyrcamer sayde that no Germane history writer had vsed so pure a stile as was that of Maximilian And that after maximilianus death he had asked after this writynge but he coulde not obteine it But let this suffyse to be spoken of low Germany The yeare M. ccccxcv was in the parliament holden at Worms of the earldome of Wirtenberg made a duchy and erle Ebrarde was made the fyrst duke The yeare Mccccxcix toke the Switzers warr against their neyghbours them of Eastenrich the whiche to rescue Maximiliane came haystely out of Gelderlande where at that tyme he had to do al so Wherefore hauing many skyrmyshes of both sydes it is certayn that .xx. thousand meÌ„ were slayn at the last was an agrement made The yeare MDi. were euery where figures of crosses sene vpon mens garmentes But suche lyke was oft happened before also The yeare MDiiij was the warre of Baierlande wherein the Emperoure Maximilianus defended the princes of Baier agaynst Philip count Palatine of the Rene and duke Ruperte sonne to Philippe the Palatine For the same maryeng the daughter of George duke of Baier woulde haue Landshut and thatsame parte of Baier to be geueÌ„ ouer to hym by a tytle of inheritaunce But Rupertus dyed with his spouse whyle this warre was in hand the count Palatine was put besyde a great parte of his lordeshyppe by the Emperoures men and them of Wirtenberg Yea and a great army of the Bohemyes that came to helpe the count Palatine were ouerthrowen of the Emperoure At the last neuerthelesse Maximilian vsyng no lesse wysdoÌ„ than fauoure toke the count Palatine to mercy lest any perturbacion myght be raysed in the ryght of the election in the empyre that long sence was alowed and approued The yeare MDv. besyeged the army of the Emperoure the duke of Gelders in the citie Arnheym and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe The yeare MDvi. died Philippe sonne to Maximilian kyng of Spayne and duke of bourgundy beyng of age .xxviii. yeares The yeare MDvii beganne Maximiliane the warre againste the Venecians no lesse greate then durable in the whiche befell both many bloudy battails and wonderfull mutacions Lewis kynge of Fraunce was first with the Venecians afterwarde fell he from them to the Emperour Contrary wyse the byshop of Rome Iulius was first of the Emperoures syde afterwarde toke he parte with the Venecians The Venecians lost in this warretheir best cities Verona Pauy Teruas other many Howbeit when the Romysh byshop deciuered and fell to the Venecians the Frenche kyng began to warre vpon hym also seyng he had yet the Emperours souldiours in Italy Now feared the Emperoure lest if he had the victory he shuld fall into Naples also and do also some euell at Rome to the empyres destruction Wherfore he sent the Cardinall Matheus Langius bishop of Saltzburg one of his counsaill to Iulius the byshop of Ro. to demaunde peace before the Ro. byshop and the Frenche kyng had foughten a felde Iulius for asmuch as he was very well appoynted with the ayde of Spaniardes and Italians he thought to be sure of the victory therfore refused he the peace The battail was vpoÌ„ Easter daie the yeare MDxii by Rauennas The byshop of Romes host lay vnder there were slain in that battaill syxtene thousand Nether is there red of a more greuous felde to haue ben about this tyme wherein men haue fought so fearcely But after this victory lost dyd Iulius frely demauÌ„de peace Howbeit lest the French kyng enterprisedought farther in Italy dyd Maximilian and the bysh of Rome set the kyng of Englande Germany and the Switzers against hym and of this wyse was the Frenche kyng at the last constrained to leaue Italy The Venecians were afterwarde reconciled to to the Emperoure also The yere MDxix dyed Maximilian the Emperoure and thatsame yere the princes Electors Albert Cardinall byshop of Mentz Herman byshop of Colen erle of Wida Richarde byshop of Trierlorde of Grieffenklau the deputie of Lewis kyng of Bohemy Lewis couÌ„t Palatine of the Rene. Frederick duke of Saxony Ioachim marques of Brandenburg did chose lawfull and with great wisdom at FraÌ„ckford Charles duke of EasteÌ„ ryche and Bourgundy and kyng of Spayne the xxviii daye of Iune Pius the iij. was bysh of Ro. after alexander the vi The same died shortely after Iulius the .ij. succeded Pius Against him wrote Bernardinê° the Cardinal in the tyme of the Venecian warre of kepyng a counsail The matter shuld haue geuen an occasion of a diuision had not Maximilian preuented it by his syngulare wisedome Leo the .x. sonne to Laurence Medices was made byshop of Rome after Iulius In the tyme of this Leo
y â— yere MDxvii wrote Martin Luther fyrst against the Romysh byshops pardons from thence rose many disputacioÌ„s after ward whiche thynge caused no small alteracionin the churche by the Germanes Charles the .v. the .xxxix. Germane Emperoure â—He yeare MD. xix was Charles the .v. chosen Emperoure the nepheu to Maximilians kynge of Spayne prince of Eastenryche and Burgundy The Electors sent into Spayne to shewe Charles of this election Friderick count Palatine Wherfore the next yeare after he came into Germany and was crowned Emperoure at Aken The yeare MDxxv was Frances the Frenche kyng taken by Pauy in Lombardy by the Emperoures souldiours in a felde and afterwarde brought into Spayne Charles vsed a very incredible gentlenesse moderacion of mynde in so great prosperitie of victory For he dyd not onely let fre the Frenche kyng restoryng hym to his kyngdom but also bounde hym with affinitie to hym geuing hym his syster Leonora to wyfe The capitaines of the battail whereof we saied euen now were Nicolas couÌ„t of Salma George of FruÌ„sberg knight Mark Sittich duke Burbon the marques Piskerame The same yeare were raysed in Germany horrible and neuer afore herde comotions by vplandishe men in Elsace Schwaben FrankenlaÌ„d ThuringeÌ„ and in those contreis that lye by the Rhene This commotion was alayed by the great force armes of the princes so that within the space of thre monethes nere hande were slame in battaill aboue hundreth thousand vplaÌ„dysh men none other wyse theÌ„ as beastes Moreouer one called Schapler wrote xii artickes of the ChristeÌ„ libertie among the whiche this was euen the chefest Tribute ought not to be geuen to the magistrate or superioritie By thys doctrine vpon hope to get libertie the gretest part of the rustikes beyng enflamed it is saide to haue taken weapons agaynst their lawfull magistrate In the towne of Thuringen called Mulhausen was a preacher called Thomas Mynter The same preached openly that he shoulde restore the decayed state of the churche and dyd boiste that reuelacions were priuely shewed him and that Gedeons sword was geuen hym to roote out the tyranny of the vngodly He led forth by heapes the vplandish men and commaunded the houses of gentlemen to bee spoyled and the goodes of monasteries to be polled and waisted But when the rustical armies spoiled euery where without order the prince of Saxony and Landgraue of Hesse destroied them Thomas Mynter and some of his felowes were takeÌ„ and beheaded and were punyshed for their enterpryse This Mynter was the first begynner of the madde erroure of the Anabaptistes which yet causeth muche ado in Germany The yere MDxxv dyd Iohn Oecolampadius at Basel and Huldrich zwinglius in zwizerlande fyrst of all with there writing renewed the doctrine of Berengarius that in the bread and wyne was not really present the body and bloude of Christe though the yeare before the learned man Andrew Carolostadius had proposed the same argument The yeare MDxxvi was Lewis kyng of HuÌ„gary 〈…〉 ayne by Solyman the Turkysh Emperour The yere MDxxvij dyd duke Burbon brynge the Emperoures hoost to Rome the citie was besieged and taken and also spoyled The byshop of Ro. constrayned by necessitie into the Castell angel yelded hymselfe to the Emperoures men but the Emperoure of his gentlenesse let hym fre agayne and restored hym to hys former dignitie that the common peace of Christendome were nothyndered The yere MDxxix went Charles into Italy was receaued of all princes and cities with moste hygh honoures The same yeare in the moneth of October the Turkysh Emperoure Solyman brought about a hundreth and fourty thousand men into Germany whiche nomber they shoulde afterward haue boasted themselues in the citie Cracowe in Polen and besieged the citie Vienne certayn wekes and assaulted it greueously But Friderick count Palatine apointed by the empire captaine of the souldiours gatheryng an army with all spede sent it to VieÌ„ne thre dayes before the Turke besieged it Philippe counte Palatine was with them in the citie VieÌ„ne Wherfore by the gracious fauoure of God was the citie Vienne so strongly defended that the Turkish tyrauÌ„t was fayne to turne backe agayn with great shame and losse of hys host The messaunger of the Poles is reported to haue sayde that in the assault of Vienne were slayne about foure score Turkes and partely to haue dyed by the waye for lacke of â—itayls and fearcenesse of the colde The yeare MDxxx. the .xxij. daye of February was Charles crowned Emperoure at Bonony by Clemens the byshop of Rome with a great solemnitie and coste After that went he agayne into Germany and came on Corpus Chist euen at Ausborow wherthe parliament was adiourned The chefe princes of Germany came thether of whom Charles the Emperoure was receaued with high honour Though the Emperour assaied many waies to appeace y â— debates in the religion to restore them into a quietnesse yet could no certayne thynge be brought to passe or ordeined in so great diuersitie of myndes At the last commaunded he by an open commaundement to retaine and kepe the accostumed maners of ceremonies and the doctrine afore vsed The same yeare the eight daye of October was an ouerflowynge at Rome so greate as no man coulde remembre to haue bene sene and the same lasted about foure and twenty houres and when thys ouerflowynge stode styll in the place called Campo Flore the hyght of a longe moryshpycke many buildynges walles houses and goodes were destroyed When Leo was deade Adrianus alowe Germane borne at Vtrecht was made byshop of Rome After Adrianus was Clemens the .vij. chosen by of Ro. The same was taken by the Emperours hoost at Rome for makyng a confederacy with the Frenche kynge whome also he sent ayde agaynste the Emperor But the same iniury dyd y â— very good Emperoure dissemble with hygh softnesse and lest any occasion myght ryse of a greueous debate in Christendom he set the byshop of Rome ClemeÌ„s the .vij. at libertie of whome he was afterwarde crowned at Bonony Ferdinande the .xl. Germane Emperoure THe yeare MDxxx. was FerdinaÌ„de king of Hungary and Bohemy Archeduke of Eastenriche c. brother to Charles the Emperoure made kyng of the Romanes and that after the example of the auÌ„cient Emperours which were wont to take to them other that the empyre myght haue a successor and that when the other were deade no debate or occasion of warre myght ryse amonge the princes of the empyre This election was at Colen the yeare MDxxx. The yeare MDxxxi was Ferdinande after the election crowned at Aken in Ianuary The same yeare was a Comete sene in Germany Italy Fraunce and Englande about the syxte daye of Auguste and fyrst appeared it certayne dayes in the morning before Sunne rising after that folowed it the Sunne and was sene the space of iij wekes about the euenyng after Sunne sett vntyll the thyrd daye of September Hys
course was through the celestiall or heauenly sygnes Cancer Leo Virgo and Libra where it was sene nomore nether appeared any more after that Not long after in October rose a warre in Switzer lande For to they of Tzurich stopped the passages that to their neghburs of zugia Vria Suicia Siluia and Lucerne noman coulde bryng corne salte and other victuals Wherfore they armed theÌ„ against those of Tzurich They met eche other w t displaied banners they of Tzurich beyng vanquished with thre fieldes had the worst In the fyrst battayll was slayne the preacher of Tzurich Huldrich zwinglius In the meane tyme endeuoured they of Stralborow and Constance their neighbours to make an accorde among the coÌ„federated And thus after .viij. monethes and .vi. wekes was the vproure alayed Of theÌ„ of Tzurich died about fyue thousande of the other syde a fewe The yeare M D. xxxii came Charles the Emperoure againe out of Brabant into Germany and came in Marche with his brother kyng Ferdinand to Regenspurg to kepe a parliament Thithercame the deputies sent froÌ„ the Imperial cities There came also many princes or at the leaste their Ambassadours Not very long before that Constantinople was taken by the Turkes I reade there was a solitary man not farre from the citie Constantinople and he shuld haue prophecied that the Turkes in dede should winne Constantinople and should roote out the kyngdom of the Grekes but anone after foure score yeres should they lose Constantinople agayn and that the Turkes should be rooted out of Europa But that tyme sence CoÌ„stantinople was wonne is expired the last yeare A most connyng Astronomer also at Naples called LaureÌ„tius Miniatensis scholemaister to Pontanus wrote these verses in his boke .lx. yeres ago concernyng the coniunction of Iupiter and Saturnus in the sygne Cancer the whiche he sayeth shall be and was in the yeare thousande fyue hundreth and foure last past That age succedyng oures vpon the heles Shalbe better and more prayse worthy Lytle of oure lawe shall it disanull scarcely But the greueous and harde to suffer thynges In holy matters shall it auoyde doubtlesse All kynd of wickednesse and also holy pryde A kyng also shall it geue vs harmelesse Who shall the worlde ende and peoples represse Rebellyng nacioÌ„s shall he subdue to the empyre And the whole worldes dominioÌ„ shall he possesse These verses are moste worthy to be marked and I woulde not passe them ouer because of the renowme of the moste famous Emperour For what hygher prayse can be in the Emperour then that he calleth hym a Harmelesse kyng euen as Iohn Lichteberg sayde of hym The shamefast of visage shall raygne euery where At Magdeburg is founde C. yere ago a Latine cronicle wherin are these wordes Of the bloude of Charles the Emperour and the kynges of FrauÌ„ce shalbe borne an Emperoure called Charles thesame shal haue dominion in all Europa by whom also the decayed estate of the church shalbe repared and the auncient glory of the empyre shalbe restored For there shall come a people that shalbe called people without heade and than we to the priestes Peters lytle shyppe shall suffre greate force but the waues shall crasse at the last and it shall haue victory Greate and dredefull mutacions of al kyngdomes are at hande and the settyng store by monkes shall peryshe The Beaste of the West and the Lion of the Easte shall haue dominion of the whole worlde and the Christians shallwander through Asia in sauegarde fyftene yeares but after that shal dredeful thynges be herde of Antichriste Abbas Ioachim saieth in the ende of Ieremye A great Egle shall come whiche shall ouercome euery man saue one who at the last beynge despysed shalbe for saken of the people I fynde also another prophecie whiche is renowmed The Emperoure shalbe awaked as a man fallen into a swete slepe The same shalbe counted of men as deade and shall go vp vpon the greate sea and inuade the Turkes and shall ouercome them he shall leade their wyues and Chyldren captiues Greate feare and drede shall ouerwhelme the Turkes their wyues and chyldren shall wepe and lamente all the Turkes landes shalbe geuen ouer in to the Emperours handes of Rome I haue herde a Portingale saye that an Astronomer should haue sayde to Ferdinandus oure Emperoures greate graundefather that the Turkysh empyre shoulde be subdued and ouerthrowen by a kyng of Spayne and that the same should haue interpretated the kyng to be Ferdinande But Ferdinande should haue answered That he shoulde not do it but hys heyres that should succede hym Other emdences more that are yet restyng wyl I at this tyme passe ouer God the father of mercy geue and graunte Christendom victory and grace for the glories sake of his godly name Amen Moreouer the thinges that shal yet happen shal doutlesse marke greate and wyse men whiche are now in this settyng forth of warre As for me I haue onely rehersed suche thynges of this preparacion of the settynge forth to warre as I was sure of and therefore do I now make an ende of wrytynge In the moneth of September this yeare was a Comete sene agayne certayn wekes two houres before Sunne rysyng and toward the Easte WheÌ„ I sawe it it was in Virgo to my iudgemen stretched his brandyshynge tayll betwene the South West But by reason of the gloumynge and cloudy ayer in these contreis coulde it not be sene here Howbeit who wil not iudge it to be a fearfullthing that two Cometes haue bene sene in the space nerehande of twelue monethes and seyng the Comete of the last yere namely of the yere M D. xxxi dyd not appeare without the hurte of Easte and North for it semed to threaten those partes For the tyrannyshe Turke fell into Hungary and Eastenryche kyng Christiernus goyng into Dennemarck with a greate nauy to demaunde againe his kyngdome yelded hymselfe into Frederick hys fathers brothers the kyng of Denmarck handes Christiernus also his sonne that was brought vp in the Emperours court dyed Veryly it is to be feared also that the Comete of this yeare of M D. xxxij do signifye greate euell to the partes of Italy and the Rene. The ende of the Cronicle The coÌ„clusion of this Cronicle of Iohn Carion A boke of Chronicles ought to coÌ„prehende moste greatest thynges in a feate order so that the rekenyng of the yeares and the chefe alteracions that befall into the religion and other greate thynges may be ryght obserued and knowen For it can not be that all thynges that are done in one realme can be written in one boke though it were great by reason of the sundry circumstaunces and occasions of y â— businesses the whiche must chefely be consydered Of this wyse truely wrote Herodotus Theucydi des Xenophon Titê° Liuius histories The other are onely to be called Cronicle writers whiche also ought not to take vpon them the name of History wryters For they do brefely shewe thynges done
constauncy faithfulnes which he had vsed towards his prince in y â— he had so coÌ„stantly resisted and repelled his aduersary and after that he had endued hym with great giftes he sent hym againe to his owne Assone nowe as the Turke with his armie was departed from the saied towne and had geuen ouer the sayed syege the wall of the sayed Towne fell downe to the grounde by it selfe whereby it may appeare that the same was afore preserued and defended from that violent power of the Turke by the myghty hande and assistence of God Nowe when the Turke perceiued suche a great power of the germayne nation commynge agaynst hym â–ª he retyred backwarde againe with his power whiche all ready entred into Stewermarke as farre forth as Graytes and made his arryr to marche and passe alonge by the sayed Towne of Graytes euen from the dawnyng in the mornyng vntyll the next morowe folowyng whereof it maye easely be gathered with what power he was come thether But yet to thyntent he myght not seme to haue bestowed all his laboure in vayne and to haue â—led without any harme done to the Germayne nation he left behynde hym not farre from the newe towne in Austriche about xiâ— thousande â–ª some say xvi thousand men to destroie the borders of Steyermâ—â—â—â—â— and Austrych as sone as the Germayne warriours shoulde haue remoued Howbeit after muche searchyng thesaied nomber of men was espyed and theyr â–ª enterpryse brought to lyght For thys cause Duke Frederike chief Capitayne toke vnto hym a certain nomber of launce knightes or Pietons and a certayn nomber of heauy horsemen with whome he vndertoke and attempted to smite the said multitude of Turkes and compassed them on euery syde besydes the montaynes by a great cawssy and caused certain dubble souldiours well armed to folowe them at their hyles to barre them in for turnyng backwarde agayne of the whiche dubble souldiours was Capitayne one Sebastiane Skartell of Ausborongh insomuch that the saied Turkes were first assayled with two heapes against whom they defended them selues stoutely but yet they lost ther about a thousand of their own men whereupon eftsones they toke their flyght but as they would haue fled out of the mountaines the other heapes of our men were in their neckes by whom also they were all discomfited and slaine so that no Turke might escape Some of them they founde afterwarde on the mountaynes and in wodes and some vpon trees where they were fled to saue their lyues amonge whome some were shot-down with gonnes lyke byrdes or wyldefoule and some were taken and deliuered to the Trosse to cut and mangle them at their pleasures whiche were very pyteously chopped and carued of the younger sorte of people After that this alarme was ceassed and qualified the Emperoure and the kyng roade forth into the campe of the Germaines and the Emperoures maiestie beholdyng the people as they stode in aray maruayled excidyngly coÌ„cernyng the nombre and multitude of them insomuche it was reported that he should aske of duke Frederick the vpper capitain whether suche an other multititude of men might be founde and assembled thoroughout all Duchelande whereunto thesaide Duke made aunswere that it was scant perceyued in the townes of Ducheland that any man there was missing or lackyng after this as some do affyrme there should be takeÌ„ a certayne truce and agrement with the Turke for a certayne tyme but how after what sorte and maner or on what condition this hangeth yet within the penne â–ª and is lyke also there to remayne yet a whyle Some are of this opinioÌ„ that the cause why the Emperoures maiestie made no haste to pursue after the Turke was this that winter was at haÌ„d and that therefore the warriours were dismissed and sent away so that with the saied innumerable multitude of warriours littel good was donesauig that muche money was vnprofytably wasted and expended Wherfore I suppose after myne owne iudgement that in case the Emperours and the kinges maiestie had proceded and gone forward with that armye or multytude whiche was there at that tyme assembled and gathered together and had made sure certayne townes in Hungary which would gladly haue rendred and yelded themselues again while the Turkes fled and had at the going out of winter be gonne agayne to seke the Turke at home in his owne lande the Turkysh tyraunt woulde no more so spitefully plage vs in our coÌ„treis But thus wold God punysh vs yet loÌ„ger for our wickednes for the whiche cause also God did suffre the best couÌ„ sail to be hindred by one man only for it is thought that the Emperours maiestie was by the only coun sayll of Anthony de Leua turned from thesaid pur sewte so that the Turke had a free and sure passage home agayne into his owne dominions and remained vnharmed in Hungary for somuche as he was not there put to any losse or hynderaunce by our men or on our behalf While these thynges were a doing in Austriche and Steirmarke Andrew de Aurea chief capitain of themperours maiesties nauy vpon the seas weÌ„t at themperours coÌ„maundement with an exceding great Armade or navy vnto the citie of Corona whiche lieth in the Ilonde of the Grekes somtyme called Poloponesus and nowe Morea whiche citie he did ouercome and expelled from thence all the Turkes But the Christians did not longe enioye the same for within two yeres after the Turkes obtayned the possession of the saied towne agayn smal to our reioysing When the matter was nowe in Austriche qualified and all thinges quiet the Emperour Charles the fift returned thorough the mountaines of Stiermarke namely thorough kerint and Frioulesonttyme called Forum Iuly and so through Mantua into Italy agayne to the Pope Clement by name who came to mete hym at Bononia with greate pompe and solempnitie in so muche that he continued in Italy all the winter of this yere stablishing the same in order peace and tranquilitie In EnglaÌ„d was also in this yere moued a battel For kyng Henry the eight sent men into Scotland against Iames the fift kyng of the Scottes where in coÌ„clusion they slew a great nomber toke many prisoners and so returned Also in the same yere dyed the ryght hygh and myghty prince â–ª Iohn duke of Saxon and electour imperiall c. and was honorably buried at Wittenborough in the Castel churche whose sonne and heire is the ryght noble and christen Prince Iohn Fredericke whiche after the deceasse of his saied father succeded in the gouernaunce of the saied dukedome of Saxon as electour imperiall rulynge the same moste honorably in the feare of God muche to his prayse and commendacion There was also a Comete or blasyng starre sene this yere in the moneth of September whiche appeared early in the morning two houres before the risyng of the Sunne by the space of certayn wekes in the sygne of Virgo Libra and Scorpius at the
and founde in a great corne felde harde packed in belles as though they had bene stamped and beaten into them with pestelles whiche belles were conueyed thether out of the churche steples by the violence and outragiousnes â—o the saied tempest Besides this there were men and women taken vp in the stretes caried a great way of into y â— feldes In the houses were in dyuers places the dores and wyndowes lifted of from the hynges the tables subuerted and great holes made and beaten in the walles So that there was neuer suche a tempest sene before Besides this there was the same yere in the parties of DuchelaÌ„d in Sommer very many sodaine fearfull tempestes with hayle lightenyng and thoÌ„der more then euer was hard of before with great colde and muche rayne which also was an occasion that the wines in many places had no good successe This yere the .viij. day of Ianuary died in Englande the lady Katherine Dowager which had ben diuorsed from the kyng by due proces of the lawe two yeres before This yere in England was Anne bulleyne quene of Englande the lorde Rochiford Nores Weston BrutoÌ„ and Markes beheaded And the kyng maried lady Iane Seimour This yere also in October began in Englande a foolysh commotion in Lincolinshyre and in yorke shyre whiche by the kynges wysedome and his prudent couÌ„saill were appesed without bloud sheding I In the yeare of oure lorde 1536. The byshop of Geneue the duke of Sauoy besieged the citie of Geneffe because thinhabiters of the same had receiued the Gospell And when they of Genneffe admonished thinhabitantes of the towne of Berne of their coÌ„federacioÌ„ they of Berne sent their imbassadours to the Duke exhorting and admony shyng hym to remembre al loues faithfulnesses and confederations that had ben betwene them of a loÌ„g tyme and requiring hym to departe from the citie of Genneffe But in as muche as their request dyd not onely take no place but also the saied duke main tayned and defended their open enemy and aduersary called Mussy Castellanus and in al this nogeÌ„tyll exhortacion could serue nor preuayle they of Berne aduertised hym that they would visitie him with warres and renounced the bonde of coÌ„federation whiche had bene made betwene them before in so muche that they sent their capitaine called Iohn Frauncis Clauicula with an host of men wel apointed into the lande of Sauoy whiche ouercame all the lande within fewe dayes whiche the said Duke had inpossession euen from the mouÌ„taines of Switzerland vnto the fortresse of Rodani with the two bisâ—oprikes of Genneffe and Lausanâ—a Wherein they coÌ„stituted and established ministers to preache the gospell and ordeined rulers and magistrates accordingâ—y So that now the Switzers reposed againe their olde coastes which they had in their power many yeres before But there were within the space of a moneth very many Castelles and strong-holdes destroied by the Switzers among the wiâ—h also the olde strong clausa Rodani builded by the Emperour Iulius otherwise called Iulius Cesar â–ª to stoppe vp barre the way of the Switzers for commyng into Fraunce and had bene hetherto inuincible was quite ouerthrowen and destroied Of this battaill of y â— citesens of Berren apeared a good sygne a litle before where about .iiij. hundreth men of Berne Newebourgh other quarters of Switzerlande preuely beyng called together were sent thorough by pathes to ayde and strengthen the citie of Geneue which helde a notable battaill conflict with the men of Sauoy For when they were for lacke of victuals coÌ„strained to come forth out of the mouÌ„taines they were assaulted by their aduersaries being strong about .xv. hundreth men which moued the said .iiij. hundreth men to battaill constrained them to fyght Insomuche that they as huÌ„gry faint as they were layde so about them defended themselues in such sorte as they slew about iiij huÌ„dreth of their enemies put the rest to flight with the hoste which was not farre of being in nombre about .v. hundreth men so that they obtained a fre and a sure passage to accomplishe their iourney hauing lost on their side ten meÌ„ one womaÌ„ which was slayne with her sonne as she was fighting be sydes her husbande Here must I make mencion al so of the constancie that was in the people of Berne â–ª in that they coulde neither by power be feared nor yet by prayers and great giftes be prouoked to leaue the defence of their confederates For when the Emperour very earnestly offred them peace and attempted dyuers and sundry wayes to brynge them to an vnitie and by threatenynges and minaces to mollyfie them they proceded neuertheles to assiste their frendes and to set them at libertie But when Fraunces the Frenche kyng studied by many giftes to allure them and by great promyses to prouoke them to assiste him in his warres be gonne against themperoure and the Dukedome of Mylan they caused his imbassadours and messengers to auoyde out of their citie declaring vnto theÌ„ that the kyng ought to content hymselfe with the couenaunt and confederation whiche he had with them already that is that they should not endamage hym These thynges passed in Swicherlande Sauoy in the beginning of the sayd yere But the Frenche kyng proceded with his army to recouer the lande of Sauoy and to take possessioÌ„ of all that he came nygh for he pretended to clayme the heritage of the same Dukedom by his mothers syde Then fled the duke to the Emperour who at that season intended to kepe his Easter at Roome with the Pope as he did For vpon maundy thursday he wasshed the fete of twelue pore meÌ„ as their costume is yet at this day fed them and serued theÌ„ at the boorde in his owne person and in fine gaue them the vessels and disshes being of syluer wherwith they were serued Thus do suche Lordes and potentates counterfaith the outwarde actes dedes of our sauiour Christe after thexample of Apes But in their hartes where Goddes worde ought to be earnestly embraced learned and folowrd and not the preceptes and tradicions of men they are vtterly against Christ and clene contrary to his doctrine God graunt them ones to be illumined with the lyght of his Gospell that the poore flocke and congregation of Christe may be brought to a perfect vnitie Amen Now when the feaste of Easter was past the Emperours maiestie made his complaint before the Pope and his Cardinalles concernyng the greate iniuries whiche the Frenche kyng had inferred and committed againste hym all ready and yet pretended to do by the reason whereof he was vtterly coÌ„strayned against his will to defende his quarel and to warre against hym And to moue the Popes moste holy fatherhoode God forgeue me that I do hym wronge to holde on his syde and to take his parte he rehearsed vnto hym all the euilles and wicked feates whiche Fraunce had
seuen Cardinalles with .xlij. Prelates Then folowed an hundred valiaunt launceknyghtes for his defence With this army entred the shepehearde of Christes shepe if I do hym no wrong at that tyme into Nice after thexample of Christe on Palmesondaye and according to hys coÌ„maundement in the twenty Chapiter of Mathew After this â—ode the Pope in the same ordre to the chiefe Minister of the citie to make his prayer whiche beyng ended he caused hymselfe to be borne in to his Palice where themperoures maiestie came vnto hym and kissed hys fete whome the Pope lifted vp embraced hym and kyssyng hym on the toppe of his heade by lyke for a witnes that he is lorde ouer the Emperours head And after they had ben a good whyle together themperoure retourned agayne to his lodgyng Not long after this arryued the Frenche kyng at Villa Noua whiche is a place of his owne dominion lyeng not farre from Nice and shortely after repayred towarde the Pope where in fine a sted fast peace was concluded betwene both the parties that is to saye betwene themperours maiestie and the Frenche kyng to continue for the space of tenne yeres accordyng to the promyse made betwene them although it lasted scant two yeres as shalbe sayde hereafter whiche peace was restored the .xviij. day of the moneth of Iune and afterwarde at the commaundement of bothe thesaide heades all the pointes and articles of the same were described and published as yet apeareth by the copies thereof remainyng in printe In the meane season Leonora the Frenche quene â–ª Syster to themperours maiestie prepared her selfe very sumpteously to come towardes Nice â–ª where she commoned many wordes with her brother themperours maiestie abidyng there certayne dayes But when the peace was made and concluded she came the ther agayn and was receyued bery honourable of the Emperours maiestie And afterwarde on Corpus Christ day she retourned agayne with great solace The same daye at nyght the Pope and the Emperoures maiestie toke shippynge towardes Genua Where the Emperoures Counsayls remained with the kynge and the kynges with the Emperour intreating of matters concernyng the sayde peace But when the Emperoure coulde not tary long in Italy by the meanes of his haâ—t whiche he made to retourne into Spayne it came to passe that both the high Potentates the Emperoure and the Frenche kyng dyd lonyngly agree and come together For when the Emperoure arryued at the Porte and Citie called the dead waters lyeng not farre from Marsilia which was the fourtenne daye of Iuly the Frenche kyng came thyther also with hys wyfe and with his sonnes And when the Emperonr abode in his Gallee the king went vnto him in his owne person after they had embraced and kissed eche other according to the maner and custome of noble men they talked louyngly together The next daye folowynge the Emperoure went a lande and rode into the sayde Citie where he was receyued of the kyng the Quene and the kyngs Sonnes very ioyfully And wheÌ„ muche honoure and greate triumphe was declared and shewed towardes hym he abode there vntyll the tewesdaye at nyght and then takynghys leaue of the kynge and his affinitie he commended them to God and returned to hys shyppe wherewith he sayled luckely towarde Spayne trusting assuredly that thesaied peace should be firme and stable and also durable to the profite and furtheraunce of the Christen common welth After this also the lady Mary regent of the lower partes of themperoures maiesties dominions accompanied with the kynge came into Camerike the viij day of October And the next day folowing they went to the Citie of S. Quintine where the sayed Quene Mary was receiued with great pompe and intreated very honorably But when she had remayned there .vi. dayes she retourned again to her owne dominioÌ„ So that this yere there was thre honorable assembles of the mightiest in Europa But what folowed thereof shalbe meÌ„cioned her after in place conuement While these thynges were in doinge the aboue named Estates of confederation prepared their naures against the Turke and first inuaded Castell Nouo whiche is a Castell lyeng in the Duchye of Sabe â–ª sometyme pertaynyng to the crowne of HuÌ„gary and ouercame it by violent assaulte destroyeng aboue .iiij. hundred and about .viij. hundred on horsebacke whiche were come to rescue them But when Barbarossa hearde of this he sayled out of the sea Ambraâ—ike where he had kept hymself a longe tyme intendyng to preserue the Cities and Townes of the Turke lyeng in the Coastes of Sla uony and Macedony from the assaultes and inuasions of the Christianes For he feared least they should be serued as Castell Noua was serued In the meane season was also the Citie of Bisana ouercome of our men in lyke maner But when they lacked aud prouander they were constreined of necessitey to separate them selues In suche sort as y e Prince of Aurea wyth the shippes pertayning to themperoures Maiestye was constrayned to runne into Brundysh which is a port and City in Apulia Lyeng ouer agaynste Grece and the Popes Legate into Ancona which is a port and Citie lyeng ouer agaynste the coastes of Slauony So that onelye the Venetianes remained and kept y e Seas And as touchynge Castello Nouo they dyd fortifye it with foure thusande spanyardes sixe hundreth light horsemen whiche dailye put the Turke to muche losse in the Lande of Bosen When Barbarossa had knoweledge of his seperatyon and diuision of our shippes he toke his waye towardes Duracho somtime called Durachium and lyeng in Albany which was somtime called Epyrus to encourage thinhabitauÌ„tes of the same Citie and to make them harty that he might the better ouercome the Venetianes in the sea of Risana But when he sayled towardes Duracho with a Southeast wynde which bloweth from the rysynge of the Sunne in winter the same winde accordinge to his nature and property chaunged sodaynely into a ful easterly winde blewe so outragiously y e Barbarossa lost aboue fyftye shippes and about a two .c. thousand men with his best mariners After the which naufrage and shipwracke when he sayled back agayne eastwarde with the remnaunt of his shippes wich for the moost parte were lecke and wetherâ—ea ten there came suche a mortalitye and pestilence amonge them that were remayning and left in the shippes that euen in the greateste shippes were scant left tenne men able to rule the helme and as many apt for the voarres So y e God dyd specially declare his helpe to our men Whyle these thinges passed betwene themperour the Pope Fraunce Venice and Barbarossa as is before mencyoned they of Nurremborough began theyr strong holde or Castell wyche lyeth in the vpper parte of the Toune vpoÌ„ a mighty rocke and is a lodging for themperour and the king of the Romaynes defenced with a strong Bul warke and amyghty wyde dyche which buylding as concerning the walles was finished in the yeare of our Lord M. D.
whollye wrytten and put out in prynte Nowe when that communicacion was ended ther was another appoynted by the Emperoures and the kinges maiesty at Spiers But in as much as ther was at that tyme a great pestylence there that day was appointed to be holdē at Haganouw to entreate of matters of relligyon whether those myghte be ended and vtterlye finyshedde and concluded or nott ▪ And thoughe manye greate lordes oute of all the coostes of dutchelande were come in wyth the kynge Ferdynandus partely in theyr awne personnes partelye throughe their embassadours yet ther was no specyall thynge concluded but that ther shulde a nother assembly beholden the next yeare at Regensburg at which the Emperoures maiestye hym selfe shulde be where all matters concernynge Rellygyon and also concernynge warre agaynst the Turcke shulde be agreed of Afterward vpon the .xx. daye of Septembre the Emperoure caused a commaundemence to be putt oute wher in besyde other statutes concernynge hys inheretable landes in the netherlande he forbodde all his subiectes vpon payn of great punyshemente that they shulde not reade theyr bokes that haue nowe in these laste dayes brought vnto lyghte the truethe of the Gospell But what he wanne wyth hys commaundemente dayely experience teacheth as to wytte that ther be many goode Christen men found that rather lese their lyues than to forsake the woord of God that the persecutoures of Chryste pryestes and monckes myght still betray and shedde Christen bloude whyche thyng God wyll fynde a time horrybly to puysh But in asmoche as Gods woorde was so ouerpressed in netherland God raised it vp so moch the moar in another place For Ioachim the Marquesse of Brandenburge elector after hys father was ded which cared not much for any relligion and he knewe that it was neadefull to leade hys subiectes the ryghte waye to saluacyon and also to kepe them thereyne receaued the doctryne of the Gospell had ordeyned in all Cytyes and parishes good preachers to preache the woord of God with diligence vnto the sympel people He also redressed the vniuersity of Franckford vpon the Odder and sent for learned Men in all Sciences which when they came he augmented and amended theyr wages He also ordeyned Newe stipendes for poare Scolers of the lyuings of the vnprofytable Massynge priestes to thintent that suche lyuinges might from hence forth be bestowed to y ◠true seruyce of God But in what an horrible blindnesse that Lande was before and how euel it was prouided for with the word and doctryn of God wytnesseth an history which I although it appeare but simple wyll therfore tell that it may be so knowen what maner of teachers the popedome coulde suffre and what they yet haue As I at that tyme came by chaunce with the visiters to Stēdel in y ◠old marquiship to enquere after a seruice for me it chaunsed that the admission into al the offices of the Church was differred the space of syxe wekes In the meane whyle were the parsons and the paryshenars enquired after what facyon they hadde taughte and had bene taught Then came ther forthe a Parson wyth his Congregation whyche beynge demaunded of my goode Frynde Thomas Mathyas the Mayeres sonne of Brandenburge to whome that office was committed by the Vysytours what he had preached to his Parishners He answered y ◠belefe And being asked again what y ◠belefe is begā to rehearce Thys I could not chose but tel to the counfort of the Christen that they shulde learne that God defendeth preserueth his thorough his holy aungels and that although the deuell and his soart be neuer so woode that they yet be able to do nothing if we but abyde in the confessyon and acknowledging of Christ and in the obedience of his woorde These burning mortherers that were taken in the Electours dukedome of Saxon and in other places suffred an horrible death For ther was a thing made muche lyke a crosse therupon was the gyltye fastned aboute the necke wyth an yron coller or rynge and aboute the body with yron Chaynes and then a fyer made wyth strawe and other glowing matter a farre of and so the Gylty roasted tyll he dyed In thys fourtyest yeare also vpon the vii daye of Aprill ther was an horryble Eclipse of the sonne in the mornynge at the sonne rysynge whyche endured two goode houres longe After thys Eclypse and the blasynge sterre that appeared in the yeare before folowed ther an excydyng drye and a hoate somer wherin corne was yet meately well taken but hey and fother for beastes was cleane burnt vp Wyne was so well taken y ◠yeare and so good in all places y ◠many dronck them selues to deeth therwith and was therto verye good cheape Thys yeare in Iune the Turcke sygnyfyed vnto the kynge of Hungarye that he shuld pay him tribute for y ◠kingdō or elles loke for warr The Emperouer therfor sent Cornelius sceperus consailed thē to pay no tribut promesing that he would shortely bring an armye against the Turke wherewith he would defende the Hungars and the other princes their neighbours But the kyng of Hungary being vnpaciēt could not tary so long but required a tribute of his subiectes by the meanes whereof many of the chief of the nobilitie fell from hym whome he persequited with warre At the last when he had geuen the tribute to a tertayne Moncke to beare it to the Turke he sodenly dyed But the Moncke retourned quickly agayne as whiche beyng a loyterer was not farre proceaded in his iourney sending the Chaunselour and a certain byshop on the forwarde Embassage a foresayde to the Turke where they dyed The Monck dissemblyng the deeth of the kyng made a leaghe with those princes that had rysen agaynst the kyng and when they had al sworne to be true to the Quene and her Sonne went and toke Offen and laye there When Ferdinandus the kyng of the Romaines hearde that he set all other thynges asyde and got hym into Ostenrike to take in the kyngdome of Hūgary He toke in Weissenburg Pest and other cities of Hungary and afterwarde beseaged Offen At the last when helpe came out of dutcheland agaynst the Turck to helpe the kyng of Hungaries sonne he was compelled to returne home agayne into Ostenrick not without the great losse and dammage of his subiectes IN the yeare MDxli came the Emperoures maiestie first to Norenberg and was receiued with great honoure and leadde into the citie and into the Castell rydyng vnder a hyghe cannape of Veluet whiche foure of the Alder men bare In all the streates where through he roade were hys cognisaunces and badges sett vp and other goodly triumphant thynges and on both sydes of the streates the Cytesens standyng one by another all Iolyly arayed in their harnesse from the Spitell Gate vnto the Castell betwene them rode the Emperoure And aboue by the Castell there was a
Gate of triumphe sett full of goodly sayenges and Latyne verses made for the Emperoures pleasure and to his honoure And aboue vppon the toppe of the Gatether was asplayed Eegell made whiche a man gouerned and when the Emperoures maiestie came to the Gate the Egell plucked in his Whynges and bowed hymselfe to the Emperoure reuerently with his body And dyd lykewise on the other syde when the Emperoure was ridden through the Gate The day folowyng did the Emperour ride to the counsail house There was a royal seate cloth of estate set vp in the streate ouer against the shewing place whereuÌ„to the Emperour was leadde by certen of the Aldermen Thether came the comens of the citie before the councell house whiche after the priueledges liberties of the citie were coÌ„firmed made better did there sweare vnto y e Emperour After that y â— Emperours maiestie toke his iourney to Regensburg where the parliament was appointed Thither came many dukes lordes both spirituall temporall the kyng Ferdinandus And when the most part was come together the Emperours maiestie deliuered vnto the states degrees of thempire a boke wherein y e articles of our christen beleue were contained willing theÌ„ to shewe it to their learned meÌ„ that they might agree in all these Articles but with this condicion that all that was said done on both sydes should againe be deliuered vnto the Emperour in writing And after the states degrees of the Empire had willingli agreed thereuÌ„to werther learned meÌ„ chosen to coÌ„men together to agree therein On oure syde were chosen Phillipe Melanthon Marten Bucer Iohan Baker superintendent of Nidda And on the other syde Doctor Eckius Doctor Iulius pâ—â—ng and Iohan Groepper These after muche and long disputacion agreed concernyng the most part and chefe of the Articles of the Boke as of these folowing The first of the power of the fre wil of man both before and after the regeneration newe birth The second of the byrth synne or Original sinne The thrid of Iustificacion and righteous making before God which is the summe and the chefe and principall pointe The fourth of the new birth and of the working of the holy ghost in them that be newe borne The fyfth of belefe of the grace of God and of the merytes of Christ The syxth of good woorkes and their merites The seuenth of the churche of Christ and of the tookens thereof and also of the falsse membres of the churche The eigth of the Cannonical scripture and their aucthoritie The nyneth of the aucthoritie of the churche and of the counsayls that is to saye that they must alwayes agree with the holy scripture The tenth of the power and vse of the Sacramentes The leuenth of Repentaunce The twelueth of the ministers of the churche their aucthoritie The thirteÌ„neth of the Ceremonies of y â— church The fourtenneth of the commemoracioÌ„ and remembraunce of the Sainctes The fyftenneth of Images The syxtenneth of the Masse The seueÌ„tenneth that the SacrameÌ„t of the supper ought to be deliuered vnder both the kindes to the laye people The eighteÌ„neth of the discipline and Nourtour of the churche both of the spirituail and temporall the .xix. Of the visitacion of the Christen The tweÌ„tyeth that euery nacion should holde a counsayll among them selues euery yeare to the coÌ„seruacton of relligion and condempnacion of Errowers Of all these Articles they agreed on both parties as appeareth by the â—reatie thereof whiche is put out in prynte And when the treatie and consul tacion of both partes was desiuered to the Empetours maiestie he she wed it to Gaspar Contarenus Cardinall S. Apolinaris the byshop of Romes Ambassadour and desyred hym to coÌ„sent therunto But forasmuche as it is not the byshop of Romes incanyng to haue any agrement made accordyng to the scripture the Cardinal wold no nother wyse consent â–ª but so that the Articles should be sent vnto the Byshop of Rome that he myght conclude therein what should please him at the next general Counsaill that should be holden And in as muche as many of the States and de grees of the Empyre were discontent there wyth for they knewe that the Pope woulde neuer be contented wyth that Agreement seyng it woulde do no small barme and dammage too hys kyngdome they desyred the Emperoures Maiestie to geue them leaue that they myght haue those Articles that were agreed of to bee openly taught in their Churches whiche thynge also was graciously graunted them to do as the dissolycyon of thesame Parliament declared Whereupon also the Princes hereafter named caused the sayd Articles to be preached in their landes and dominions Fyrst Duke Otho Henrick of Bayer Countie Palatine on the Rene. Phillip his brother The Citie of Regensburg The Citie of Swyneforth Whom the Cytie of Rottenburg on the Tawber folowed in the yeare of oure lorde a thousande fyue hundreth fourty and foure And there woulde vndoubtedly moa haue folowed if the deuell had not hyndered them thorou hys membre Doctour Eckius For he after he had all the whyle the disputacion lasted done all hys diligence to disanulle the whole booke that the Emperoure gaue theim to agree of as Erroneouse but coulde not brynge his purpose aboute and yet muste bee affraied of the Emperoures Maiestie whiche had caused the Booke to be diligently wrytten thorowe the counsall of hys learned men or muste elles hane bene proued a lyer wyth the playne truthe thoroughe the wytnesse of the disputers of oure syde and of his awne felowes wrote vnto those states and degrees that leyned to the Byshoppe of Rome after this soarte That vnmeete Booke neuer lyked me ner yet dothe nor euer shall wherein I haue founde so many errours and fawtes Wherefore I wyll geue this sentence that it shall not bee receaued of the Catholikes as whiche dispyseth the veyne of the old fathers and smelleth vtterly of Melancthon And I Eccius haue not agreed thereunto nor haue also seene the Booke that was delyuered to the Emperours maiestie but that certer of the Lutherians Articles were read vnto me much lesse haue I agreed vnto the wrytyng that was as I heare saye delyuered to the Emperoures Maiestie with the Booke whiche I neuer sawe This wrote Eccius as is mencioned but howe vntruely his awne companions in a supplication wrytten vnto the Vmpeeres and presidentes of the disputacion wyt nesse wherein they complayne of Eccius and of hy sfalsheede excusyng them selues besydes that the presydentes also as the Lorde Frederick Countie Palatyne Electour on the Rhene and the Lord Granuell one of the Emperoures Maiesties counsayll and the Emperoures Maiestie hym selfe excused Eccius companyons and praysed them that they had done truely and honestly and confessed that Eccius had agreed and consented to that that they dyd as then all these thynges maye suffyciently be sene in the treatye it selfe Nowe the whyle the matter stoode thus as touchyng Rellygion
all thinhabitauntes of the same on sonday the .xxix. day of Marche which was on Palmesonday about .viii. of the clocke in the mornyng At what tyme there was heard suche a fearefull thonderclappe that the hole lande trembled After that there apeared in the east thre red crosses twoo of them aboue and the third vnder them both In the middes whereof apeared a man armed with a fyry sworde agaynst whom came a great multitude of warriours on horseback and on fote which fought with hym vntyll one of the clocke at after none and were in fine ouercome of hym that they al peryshed and vanyshed awaye he remaynynge alone in the fielde betwene the crosses Immediately after this came a terrible Dragon behynde the man and deuoured hymwith the sworde When this visiōwas past the skye waxed all red and of a fyry coloure whiche lasted about an houre euen vntyll twoo of the clocke or there about then arose there suche blacke cloudes vnder the skye that it was as darke as though it had bene nyght whiche continued so vntyll the next daye the thyrty daye of Marche in the mornyng about .ix. of the clocke And then the skye wyth the day appeare dagayne There appeared also thre goodly well fauoured Raynebowes one aboue another whereon sate an holy Aungell whiche appeared by the space of an houre and a half And after this it was fayre wether for the space of certayne dayes These thyngs were written out of the Lande of Pooles and afterward set furth in printe openly but the interpretacion thereof wyll I committe to the iudgement of other The rest of the Sommer of this yere was very propice and warme the frutes of the earthe were competent and the wynes had good successe and chaunced very good so that they caused muche dissentiō and debate and also manslaughter betwene suche as abused them This yere in the lande of Bullenois there camped in Iannuary on the West syde of Bullyn beyōd the hauen an army of Frenchemen to the nombre of 18000. lay there the space of .x. dayes the .vi. day of Febru they were all put to flight by the erle of Harforde the lorde Admirall with a small company of men and without any bloudshedyng on the Englyshe syde but diuers of the other were slayne they left al their ordinaunce with bagge and baggage behynde them This yere about the .xx. day of Iuly the Frenchmē with a greate nauy of shyppes muaded the Ile of wight in England where as they were driuen back and a great nomber slayne In the yere of our Lorde 1546. euen in the beginning of the yere was a conuocation of the Euangelicall confederation kept at Francke sorde on the mayne the disputacion to be kept at Raynsburgh was also begonne c. This yere was doctor Martyn Luter and doctor Iustus Ionas called too Isleven of the Erle of Mansfelde to caste of and accorde certayne debates and dissentions that were happened betwene them Where doctor Martyn Luter was ouercome with the olde impedimentes and diseases of his body whiche renewed vpon hym whereby he felt and perceiued his ende to be at hande Wherfore he called hartely vpon the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe and with open confession commended his soule into the handes of God oure heauenly father In so muche that the eighten daye of February he departed out of this miserable worlde into the handes of God with Christ whome he had boldely confessed before the worlde all moste thyrty yeares aswell by his paynfull preachyng and teachyng as by continuall wrytyng Hys body was at the commaundement of the Princely Electour caried from Isleven by the Erle of Mansfelde accompanied with fyfty horses to Wittenburgh and of all estates of the Princely Electours Court bothe of high and lowe degrees of the vniuersitie of the citie he was sorowfully but yet honorably brought into the Castell and reuerently buried besydes the burials of the Electours of Saxon the .xxii. day of February the .lxij. yere of his age This man so highly endued with knowledge from God was apointed and ordeined of our heauenly father to be a minister and teacher of his churche and a preacher of his Gospell euen as in al ages he hath raised and ordeined some to be Prophetes some to be Apostles and some to be teachers of hys congregacion For he opened and declared vnto the worlde by Gods grace the necessary and holsome doctrine of the Gospell and taught the true repentaunce and comfort of the harte whiche is feared with the knowledge of Goddes wrath He hath godly set furth the doctrine of Paule whiche saith That a man is iustified and made ryghteous by the faith in Christe He hath also declared the difference betwene the Lawe and the Gospel betwene the rightousnes of y ◠spirite of the outward workes He brought to light agayne the true worshypping of God whiche had bene vnknowen to the moost parte of the worlde by the space of a thousand yeres And brought the vniuersall Church from that fonde opinion whiche imagineth that God is worshypped although y ◠minde of man being suppressed with perpetual doubting abhorreth to come to god He taught also howe we ought to pray in faith with a good concience and ledevs to the only mediatour Christ the sonne of God ▪ whiche sytteth at the right hand of the father euerlastyng and maketh intercession for vs And not to the soules of dead men as the vngodly Papistes haue taught with fyre and fagot He declared also what good workes were acceptable to God He hath so garnisshed and establyshed the temporal lawes and gouernaūce that sence the Apostles tyme it was neuer so confirmed by Scriptures He dyd also abolysh the chyldysh custome and ceremonies of mans tradicion whiche hyndered true prayer and seperated them from the necessary workes To thyntent also that the heauenly doctrine should extende to hys posteritie and that the people whiche shall come after myght haue knowledge he translated the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures into Dutch with suche lyght and clarite that the reder maye haue more knowledge thereby then by some mens expositions He made also many expositions whiche do farre excell many other as Erasmus of Roterdame witnesseth in his writynges And as it is writen of them whiche repayred Ierusalem that they buylded wyth one hande and helde the swoorde in the other Euen so warred Doctor Martine Luter with the enemies of the true doctrine and buylded neuertheles the heauenly doctrine Besydes thys he dyd helpe many mens conciences with good coūsayll And whylest a greate parte of his doctrine is aboue mans reason as the doctrine of remission of synnes and of faith it must nedes be graunted that he was taught of God In prayer for the vniuersall Churche of Christe was he very earnest and dilygent He dyd also eueryday chose a certaine houre to recite certayne Psalmes wherin also he mixed his prayer with great deuotion
their lande the flyeng sorte couered that lyght of the Sune in so muche that thinhabiters of the lande were cōmaunded to go furth and to take gather thē that crept on the grounde which they did continually during the space of thre wekes gatheringe euery daye about 2400. quarters in a quarter of a myle for in euery quarter of a myle were appointed thre hundreth persons men and womē and euery hundreth persons gathered euery day 800 quarters during the space of 3. wekes And they came into Isebredge ouer the brydge with such a power as though they had ben an hoste of warriours that woulde haue entred into the towne In so much that the Magestrates commanded the inhabitauntes of the same towne to make resistaunce agaynst them before the gate with besomes and bromes and to swype them into the water as they came whiche they ded in suche sorte as they couered all the water with grasherppers that no water coulde be sene Thus did they resiste them kept them also from the brydge by the space of .iii. wekes after this the said locustes or grashoppers turned into the fieldes and there destroyed and wasted the corne and the grasse vndoynge in a maner all the people of the lande so that after thys the peopel resysted them no moore butt onelye trusted to the mercy of god with instaunt feruēt prayer The sayde Locustes or grashoppers were littell at the begynnyng and krepyng but afterwarde they grewe and began to flye doyng great hurte throughout the sayde lande In the meane season the Emperoures maiestie and the kyng of the Romaynes set furth a commaūdement that noman shuld be founde in dronkenes horedome aduoutery vsury and blasphemy but he should be punyshed by death and forfayte all hys goodes In a littell towne called Albers lyeng besydes Lyndawe in the Dukedome of Zweyburgh was this yere founde two clusters of grapes growynge vpon one braunce hauyng a long read bearde whiche was a wonderfull syght The same yere in flaunders and the countrees there about was a great scacitie of corne so that there was a great dearth in the lande And there dwelled besydes Beke aboue Gand a certayne farmer well prouided and stored with corne vnto whome his neyghbours came lamentyng and intreatyng hym to sel them some of his corne who refused so to do neuertheles he sent none away comfortles that had nede for he lent and delyuered vnto euery man accordyng to their necessite on this condicion that they should rendre and repaye hym agayne at the next haruest on this condicion did he lende corne to dyuers nedy persons After whiche tyme it chaunced that his corned fyelde beyng sowed was by Gods grace so multiplied and increassed that on euery stalke grewe an exceding nombre of eares laden with corne so that thorough the blessyng of God he was well rewarded By this may we see that the sayeng of Salomon is an vndoubted verite namely he that taketh pitie on the pore lendeth vnto the Lorde vpon vsury and loke whatsoeuer he layeth out it shalbe payd hym agayne There was also this yere a wonderfull vision sene and heard of many within the towne of Wittenbourgh in the Lande of Saron the .xviii. daye of September early in the mornyng betwene foure fyue of y ◠clocke For there appeareth in the ayre a figure and lykenes of a dead corse or beere couered ouer with blacke cloth and a read ribband auer the same and there went before the coarse six men with trompettes and a greate multitude of people folowed with croked instrumentes and trompettes blowyng whyche made a greate noyse in the ayre insomuche that many in the towne whiche laye yet in their beddes were thereby awaked out of theyr slepe thynkyng that the sayde trimblyng had bene in the towne After this the black cloth vanyshed awaye from the boere whiche then was couered ouer with awhyte cloth then appeared besydes the beare a man armed in harnas shewyng hym selfe very angry and pullyng the whyte clothe from the beere he rent it in twaine wynding the one half about hys arme and so pressyng it harde to hys body Wyth this the coarse vanyshed away The man armed dyd also apeare a lyttell whyle after so in lyke maner banished away After this were althynges quiet as before God graunte euery Christen man to remembre thys wonderfull sygne with feare for it is to be feared that it is a fearefull warnyng sent vs of God In Englande the nyntene day of Ianuary was the Erle of Surrey beheaded as was mencioned the yere before The seuen and twenty daye of the same moneth Henry the eyght kyng of Englande c. ended hys lyfe and was buried at Windsore Edwarde the syxt kyng of Englande c. succeded his father in the gouernaunce of his royalmes and dominions and was crowned the nintene day of February in the nyneth yere of hys age Vnder the sayde kyng in the tyme of his minorite his vncle Edwarde Duke of Somerset was made lorde Protectour of all hys Royaulmes dominions and subiectes and Gouernour of his maiesties persone who with the residue of his maiesties Counsayll gouerned the realme with great mercy and gentilnesse by whome to the surtheraunce of goddes worde and true religion cōmissioners were sent into al partes of the Realme with commaūdement to cause all Images to be taken out of churches for auoydyng of Idolatry and to wyll men women to leaue the vse of beades hauyng with thē also godly and learned preachers assigned whiche do exorted them to geue them self to true and vnfained worshippyng of God in the hart and minde with due obedience to their prince Richard Smith a doctour of diuinite recāted opēly at Paules crosse within y e citie of Lōdon diuers articles cōtained in two bokes which he had made one for the defence of the sacrifice of the Masse an other to proue vnwritten verities to be beleued vnder payne of damnacion This yere also in Enland commaundement was geuen that processions should be no more vsed This yere also in England the duke of Somerset then Lorde Protectour and the Erle of Warwyke went into Scotlande with a strong army requiring the Scottes to fulfyll their promyse made before to kyng Henry concernyng the mariage of their younge Quene with the younge kynge of Englande but the Scottes stubbournely came agaynst them with great puissaunce And not longe after the two armyes encountred in the fieldes of Muscleborough at a place called Pinker slough The Englyshe part not thynkyng as than to haue battayle at whiche tyme because the front of the Scottyshe armie was so terrybly set wyth pykes the Englyshe horsemen which gaue the fyrst onset were fayne to recule backe with losse of certayn gētylmen whiche reculing much abasshed the English footemen but yet by the great wysedome and dilygence of the Lord Protectours grace and the valiaunt hart and courage of the Earle of Warwike they