not respecting or beleeving there was either a God or a Devill or a hell or a Heaven and therefore he was damned there was no remedy And in this miserable case without any signe of repentance he dyed But let us come to our homebred English stories and consider the judgments of God upon the persecutors of Christs Gospell in our own countrey And first to begin with one Doctor Whittington under the raigne of King Henry the seventh who by vertue of his office being Chancellour to the Bishop had condemned most cruelly to death a certaine godly woman in a town called Chipping sadberry for the profession of the truth which the Papists then called Heresie This woman being adjudged to death by the wretched Chancellor and the time come when she should be brought to the place of her martyrdome a great concourse of people both out of towne and country was gathered to behold her end Amongst whom was also the foresaid Doctor there present to see the execution performed The godly woman and manly Martyr with great constancy gave over her life to the fire and refused no paines or torments to keep her conscience cleere and unreproveable against the day of the Lord. Now the Sacrifice being ended as the people began to returne homeward they were encountred by a mighty furious Bull which had escaped from a Butcher that was about to kill him for at the same time as they were slaying this silly Lamb at the townes end a Butcher was as busie within the towne in slaying of this Bull. But belike not so skilfull in his art of killing of beasts as the Papists be in murthering Christians the Bull broke loose as I said and ranne violently through the throng of the people without hurting either man or childe till he came to the place where the Chancellour was against whom as pricked forward with some supernaturall instinct hee ranne full butt thrusting him at the first blow through the paunch and after goaring him through and through and so killed him immediately trayling his guts with his hornes all the street over to the great admiration and wonder of all that saw it Behold here a plaine demonstration of Gods mighty power and judgement against a wretched persecutor of one of his poore flocke wherein albeit the carnall sence of man doth often impute to blinde chance that which properly pertaineth to the only power and providence of God yet none can be so dull and ignorant but must needs confesse a plaine miracle of Gods almighty power and a worke of his own finger Stephen Gardiner also was one of the grand butchers in this land what a miserable end came hee unto Even the same day that Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer were burned at Oxford he hearing newes thereof rejoyced greatly and being at dinner ate his meat merrily but ere he had eaten many bits the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell upon him in such sort that immediately he was taken from the board and brought to his bed where he continued 15 dayes in intolerable anguish by reason he could not expell his urine so that his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many Godly Martyrs was brought to a wretched end with his tongue all blacke and swolne hanging out of his mouth most horribly a spectacle worthy to be beholden of all such bloudy burning persecutors Bonner Bishop of London another arch butcher though he lived long after this man and dyed also in his bed yet was it so provided of God that as he had been a persecutor of the light and a child of darknesse so his carkasse was tumbled into the earth in obscure darkenes at midnight contrary to the order of all other Christians and as he had been a most cruell murtherer so was he buried amongst theeves and murtherers a place by Gods judgement rightly appointed for him Morgan Bishop of S. Davids sitting upon the condemnation of the blessed Martyr Bishop Farrar whose roome he unjustly usurped was not long after stricken by Gods hand after such a strange sort that his meat would not go downe but rise and picke up againe sometime at his mouth sometime blowne out of his nose most horrible to behold and so continued unto his death Where note moreover that when Master Leyson being then Sheriffe at Bishop Farrars burning had fetcht away the cattell of the said Bishop from his servants house into his owne custody divers of them would never eate meat but lay bellowing and roaring and so dyed Adde unto this Bishop Morgan Iustice Morgan a Judge that sate upon the death of the Lady Iane this Iustice not long after the execution of the said Lady fell mad and being thus bereft of his wits dyed having ever in his mouth Lady Iane Lady Iane. Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Dover another grand persecutor comming upon a Saturday from the Chapter-house at Canterbury and there upon the Sunday following looking upon his men playing at bowles fell suddenly into a palsey and dyed shortly after And being exhorted to remember God in his extremity of sicknesse So I do saith he and my Lord Cardinall too c. After him succeeded another Suffragan ordained by the foresaid Cardinall and equall to his Predecessor in cruell persecuting of the Church who injoying his place but a short time fell downe a paire of staires in the Cardinals chamber at Greenwich and broke his necke and that presently let it be noted after he received the Cardinals blessing The like sudden death hapned to Doctor Dunning the bloudy and wretched Chancellour of Norwich who after he had most rigorously condemned and murthered a number of simple and faithfull servants of God was suddenly stricken with death even as he was sitting in his chaire The like also fell upon Berry Commissary of Norfolke another bloudy persecutor who foure dayes after Queene Maries death having made a great Feast whereat was present one of his concubines as he was comming home from the Church where he had ministred the Sacrament of Baptisme fell downe suddenly to the ground with a heavy groane and never stirred after thus ending his miserable life without any shew of repentance So Doctor Geffrey Chancellor of Salisbury another of the same stampe was suddenly stricken with the mighty hand of God in the midst of his buildings where he was constrained to yeeld up his life which had so little pitty of other mens lives before and it is to be noted that the day before he was thus stricken he had appointed to call before him ninety poore Christians to examine them by inquisition but the goodnesse of God and his tender providence prevented him Doctor Foxford Chancellor to Bishop Stockesley dyed also suddenly So did Iustice Lelond the persecutor of one Ieffery Hurst Alexander the Keeper of Newgate a cruell enemy to those that lay in that prison for Religion dyed very miserably being so swollen that he was more like a monster than a man and
them back homewards conducted by one appointed for the purpose who not suffering him to ride the common and beaten way but leading him a new course through uncoth paths brought him into an ambush of theeves placed there by the Bishops appointment who set upon him and murthered him at once but it is notoriously knowne that not one of that wicked rabble came to a good end but were consumed one after another In a City of Scotland called Fanum Ianius the chiefe mart Towne of that countrey soure of the chiefest citizens were accused by a Monke before the Cardinall for interrupting him in a Sermon and by him condemned to be hanged like heretickes when no other crime could bee laid to their charge save that they desired the Monke to tie himselfe to his text and not to rove up and down as he did without any certain scope or application of matter Now as they went to execution their wives fell downe at the Cardinals feet beseeching and intreating pardon for their husbands lives which he was so farre from granting that hee accused them also of heresie and especially one of them whose name was Helene for hee caused her young infant to be pulled out of her armes and her to be put to death with her husband for speaking certaine words against the Virgin Mary which by no testimonies could be proved against her Which doome the godly woman taking cheerfully and desiring to hang by her husbands side they would not doe him the least favour but drowned her in a River running by that it might be truly said that no jot of mercy or compassion remained in them But ere long the cruell Cardinall found as little favour at another Butchers hands that slewe him in his Chamber when hee dreamed of nothing lesse and in his Cardinalls robes hanged him over the wall to the view of men And thus God revenged the death of those innocents whose blouds never ceased crying for vengeance against their murtherer untill he had justly punished him in the same kinde and after the same fashion which hee had dealt with them Of this Cardinall called David Beton Buchananus reporteth many strange acts of Cruelty both in the Common-wealth of Scotland in matters of State as also in the Church in questions of Religion how he suborned a false testament in the dead Kings name whereby hee would have created himselfe chiefe Governour of the whole kingdom had not his knavery bin soon detected and how he set many together by the eares of the chiefest sort not caring which of them soonest perished so that they perished glutting himselfe thus with bloud But amongst all his cruelties the least was not extended towards the professors of the Gospell whom hee endeavoured by all means possible not to suppresse only but even utterly to extinguish Many he put to death with fire divers he forced to revolt with extreame torments and many he punished with banishment among whom was George Buchanan the reporter of this history who being taken and imprisoned escaped through a window whilest his keepers slept out of this Lions jaws Amongst the rest there was one George Sephocard a most learned and sincere Preacher of the word of God in whom his savage cruelty was most eminent This man abiding at one Iohn Cockburns house a man of no small reckoning account about 7 miles from Edenborough was first sent for by the Cardinall after being not delivered he together with the Vicegerent beset all the passages that he might not escape so that Cockburn was constrained to deliver him into their hands upon the assurance of Earl Bothuel who promised to protect him from all injuries How be it notwithstanding the Earles promise and the countermand of the Vicegerent refused to meddle with that innocent man yea and gave command That no proceedings should be made against him yet the bloudy tyrant condemned him tobe put to death also caused the condemnation to be executed and that which doth more aggravate his cruelty he caused a place to be prepared for him and his company hung with tapestry and silke very sumptuously that he might be a joyfull spectatour and eye-witnesse of his torments But marke how the just vengeancee of God shewed it selfe even in that place for as it is in the former story not long after this vile butcher was murthered in his owne house by the conspiracy of Normanus Leslius son to the Earle of Rothusia who early in a morning surprised his porters and all his servants in their sleepe and murthered him in his bed that had murthered so many Christians and to stop the rage and fury of his friends hung out his body for a spectacle unto them in the same place where a little before he had with such triumph beheld the tortures of that guiltlesse Martyr Insomuch that almost all did not only acknowledge the just view of Gods judgement herein but also remembred the last words of that constant Saint who being ready to give up the ghost urtered this speech in effect He that sitteth and beholdeth us so proudly in that high place shall within few dayes as reproachfully lye as now arrogantly he sitteth A story not much unlike in manner of punishment happened in the raign of King Henry the eighth to one Sir Ralph Ellerker Knight marshall in the towne of Calice when as Adam Damlip otherwise called George Bucker a sincere Preacher of the word of God was condemned to be executed as a traytour in pretence though indeed for nothing but defending the truth against the dregs of Popery would not suffer the innocent and godly man to declare either his faith or the cause he dyed for but said to the Executioner Dispatch the knave have done not permitting him to speake a word in his owne defence to cleere himselfe from the treason that was objected not proved against him but this cruell Tyrant swore he would not away before he saw the trayterous heart out Now this said Sir Ralph in a skirmish or road betweene the French and us at Bulloine was amongst others slaine whose only death sufficed not the enemies but after that they had stripped him starke naked they cut off his privy members and pulled the heart out of his body so lefthim a terrible example to all bloudy and mercilesse men for no cause was knowne why they should use him so rather than the rest but that it is written Faciens justitias Dominus judicia omnibus injuria pressis Thomas Bâ—aver one of the Privy Councellors of the King of Scots was a sore persecutor of the faithfull in that land for which cause lying on his death bead he fell into despaire and said he was damned and a cast-away and when the Monkes came about him to comfort him he cryed out upon them saying That their Masses and other trash would do him no good for he never beleeved them but all that he did was for love of lucre and not of Religion
and sufficiently he was confuted and that he was reputed an accursed and confounded wretch for his labour in terrible despaire and anguish of soule he died Iulian the Emperour sirnamed the Apostate cast himselfe headlong into the same gulfe for having been brought up and instructed from his childehood in the Christian faith and afterward a while a profest reader thereof to others in the Church as soone as he had obtained the Empire malitiously revolted from his profession and resisted with all his power the Faith and Church of Christ endeavouring by all means possible either by force to ruinate and destroy it or by fine sleights and subtilties to undermine it And because his purpose was to doe what hurt hee could to Christians therefore he studied by all he could to please content and uphold the contrary party I meane the Painims he caused their temples first to be opened which Constantine his predecessor had caused to be shut up he tooke from the Christian Churches and their Ministers those priviledges liberties and commodities which the said Constantine had bestowed upon them and not content with this he confiscated the Church revenues and imposed great taxes and tributes upon all that professed the name of Christians and forbad them to have any schooles of learning for their children And yet more to vexe and grieve them he translated many orders of the Church discipline and policy into Paganisme After he had thus by all means striven to beat down the Scepter of Christs kingdome it turned quite contrary to his expectation for in stead thereof the scepter of his owne kingdome was broken and brought to nought at that time when making warre upon the Persians he was wounded with an arrow which pierced his armour and dived so deep into his side that he died thereof When he undertooke this voyage he was furnished with such bravery both of apparell and all things else as it might seeme it appertained to him and none else to overwhelme and oversway the world still belching out threats against poore Christians whom he hed determined at his returne from Persia utterly to destroy and leave none alive as was afterwards reported by one of his Councell The number of his souldiers was so innumerable and his strength so impregnable that he made no other reckoning but to be lord of Persia in a very short space But loe how the Lord overturneth the attempts of his enemies This great army as S. Chrysostome reporteth against the Heathen in which he put so much confidence seemed ere long to be rather a vaste and weak multitude of women and infants than an host of Warriours for by evill and foolish conduct and government there rose so great a famine amongst them that their horses which were provided for the battell served for their bellies yea and for want of that too many hundreds died for hunger and thirst Even when he skirmished his owne side came to the worse doing more scath to themselves than to their enemies and lastly leading them so undiscreetly they could not by any means escape out were constrained after he was slaine to intreat the Persians to suffer them to retyre and so as many as could escaped and fled away to save their lives And thus this brave army was thus miserably dismembred and discomfited to the everlasting shame of that wicked Apostate One of the Treasurers of this wicked Emperour who to please his Master forsooke also the Religion of Christ being on a time mocking and deriding the ministry of the holy Word died miserably on a sudden vomiting his owne bloud out of his mouth and as Chrysostome saith his privy parts being rotten and purrified and consumed with lice for all that ever he could doe to remedy the same It is recorded of Trebellius the first King of the Bulgarians that being converted with his people to the faith of Christ to the end to give himselfe more quiet to the meditation and exercise of Religion resigned over his kingdome to his eldest sonne whom when hee perceived to renounce the Faith and to follow strange gods he not only deprived of all his Royall dignity but also caused his eyes to be put out for a punishment of his Apostacie and bestowed the kingdome upon his other sonne shewing thereby that he that abandoneth the true light of salvation is not worthy to enjoy the comfortable light of the world During the heptarchy of the Saxons here in England there raigned in Northumberland two Kings one called Ostrich who was King of the Deirians and the other Eaufride King of the Bernirians for into those two Provinces was that countrey antiently divided These two Kings before they came to their Crownes were by the preaching of Paulinus converted to the Faith of Christ and baptised into the same Faith but as soone as God advanced them to their Kingly dignities presently they expelled the King of Glory out of their hearts and renouncing Christ betooke themselves againe to their filthy Idols But they joyed not long in this their Apostacie for within one yeare they were both slaine by Cedwalla King of the Britaines the one in battell the other comming to sue for peace And so they forsaking Christ in their prosperity were forsaken by him in their adversity and given over to be a prey into the hands of their enemies This yeare wherein these two Kings thus revolted and were slaine hath upon it the marke of vengeance to this day for by the common consent of all Chronicles that the memory of these Apostates might be utterly defaced and blotted out it was reckoned in the account of the next Kings raigne to wit Oswold a holy and religious man and so both the name of the Kings and the time of their raigne is in detestation of the Apostacie utterly left out of our English stories as if they were unworthy to have a place among men much more among Kings that forsooke Christ of their owne accord without any constraint or compulsion thereunto A Divine at Louvaine one Iames Laâ—onus who was well instructed at the first in the knowledge of the Truth afterwards renouncing the same endeavoured with all his power to oppugne and oppresse it This man being on a time mounted into a pulpit to preach before the Emperour Charles the fifth was at the very instant so amased and astonished that no man could perceive what he said and so made himselfe a laughing stocke to all that audience Seeing himselfe thus disgraced he returned from Brussels to Louvaine where he fell into such griefe and sorrow of minde for the dishonour which he had gotten that it turned at length into despaire and in his dayly Lectures these or like words oftentimes escaped after that goodly Sermon That he had impugned the truth of God which when divers of his owne Coat heard they caused him to be shut up fast in a house where in desperation he died telling every man he was damned and that he could
of Alphonsus King of Arragon and Sicily in an Isle towards Africa a certain hermit called Antonius a monstrous and prophane hypocrite that had so wicked a heart to devise and so filthy a throat to belch out vile and injurious speeches against Christ Iesus and the Virgin Mary his mother but hee was strieken with a most grievous disease even to be eaten and gnawne in pieces of wormes untill he died CHAP. XXX Of those that by cursing and denying God give themselves to the Devill AS concerning those that are addicted to much cursing and as if their throats were Hell it selfe to despightings and reviling against God that is blessed for ever and are so mad as to renounce him and give themselves to the Devill truely they worthily deserve to be forsaken of God and given over to the Devill indeed to go with him into everlasting perdition which hath been visibly experienced in our time upon certaine wretched persons which have been carried away by that wicked spirit to whom they gave themselves There was upon a time in Germany a certain naughty packe of a most wicked life and so evill brought up that at every word he spake almost the Devill was at one end if walking he chanced to tread awry or to stumble presently the Devill was in his mouth whereof albeit he was many times reproved by his neighbors and exhorted to correct and amend so vile and detestable a vice yet all was in vaine continuing therefore this evill and damnable custome it happened that as he was upon a time passing over a bridge he fell downe and in his fall gave these speeches Hoist up with an hundred Devils which he had no sooner spoken bat the Devill whom he called for so oft was at his elbow to strangle him and carry him away with him A certain souldier travelling through Marchia a country of Almaigne and finding himselfe evill at ease in his journey abode in an Inne till hee might recover his health and committed to the hostesses custody certaine money which he had about him Now a while after being recovered of his sicknesse required his money againe but she having consulted with her husband denied the receit and therefore the returne thereof and accused him of wrong in demanding that which she never received The souldier on the other side fretted amaine and accused her of cousenage Which stir when the goodman of the house understood though privy to all before yet dissembling tooke his wives part and thrust the souldier out of doors who being throughly chaâ—ed with that indignity drew his sword and ran at the doore with the point hereof whereat the host began to cry Theeves theeves saying that he would have entred his house by force so that the poore souldier was taken and cast into prison and by processe of law ready to be condemned to death but the very day wherein this hard sentence was to be pronounced and executed the Devill entred into the prison and told the souldier that he was condemned to die howbeit neverthelesse if hee would giue himselfe bodie and soule unto him he would promise to deliuer him out of their hands the prisoner answering said That he had rather die being innocent and without cause than to be delivered by that meanes againe the divell replied and propounded unto him the great danger wherein he was yea and used all cunning meanes possible to perswade him but seeing that he lost his labour he at length left his suit and promised him both helpe and revenge upon his enemies and that for nothing advising him moreover when he came to judgement to plead not guiltie and to declare his innocencie and their wrong and to intreat the Iudge to grant him one in a blew cap that stood by to be his advocate now this one in a blew cap was the Divell himselfe the souldier accepting his offer being called to the barre and indicted there of Felonie presently desired to have his Atturney who was there present to plead his cause then began the fine and craftie Doctor of the lawes to plead and defend his client verie cunningly affirming him to be falsly accused and consequently unjustly condemned and that his host did withhold his mony and had offered him violence and to prove his assertion he reckoned up every circumstance in the action yea the verie place were they had hidden the mony The host on the other side stood in deniall very impudently wishing the divell might take him if he had it then the subtill lawyer in the blew cap looking for no other vantage left pleading and fell to lay hold of the host and carrying him out of the Sessions house hoisted him into the ayre so high that he was never after seen nor heard of And thus was the souldier delivered from the execution of the law most strangely to the astonishment of all the beholders that were eye witnesses of that which happened to the for sworne and cursing host In the yere of our Lord 1551 at Megalopole neer Voildstat it happened in the time of the celebration of the feast of Pentecost the people being set on drikingng and carousing that a woman in the company commonly named the Devill in her oathes till that he being so often called on came of a sudden and carried her through the gate aloft into the ayre before them all who ran out astonished to see whither he would transport her and found her a while hanging in the ayre without the towne and then falling downe upon the ground dead About the same time there lived in a City of Savoy one that was both a monstrous swearer also otherwise very vicious who put many good men to much fruitlesse paines that in regard of their charge employed themselves often to admonish and reprove his wicked behaviour to the end he might amend it but all in vaine they might as well cast stones against the wind for he would not so much as listen to their words much lesse reforme his manners Now it fell out that the Pestilence being in the City he was infected with it and therefore withdrew himselfe a part with his wife another kinswoman into a garden which he had neither yet in this extremity did the Ministers forsake him but ceased not continually to exhort him to repentance and to lay before his eyes his faults and offences to the end to bring him into the right way But he was so farre from being touched or moved with these godly admonitions that he strove rather to harden himselfe more and more in his sinnes Therefore one day hasting forward his owne mishap as hee was swearing and denying God and giving himselfe to the Devill and calling for him with vehehemency behold even the Devill indeed snatched him up suddenly and heaved him into the aire his wife and kinswoman looking on and seeing him fly over their heads Being thus swiftly transported his cap tumbled from his head and was found at Rosne
got a band of souldiers to defend himselfe yet hee was surprised by the Earles sonnes who tormenting him as became a traitor to bee tormented at last rent his body into foure quarters and so his murder and treason was condignely punished Above all the execution of Gods vengeance is most notably manifested in the punishment and detection of one Parthenius an homicide treasurer to Theodobert king of France who having traiterously slaine an especiall friend of his called Ausanius with his wife â—apianilla when no man suspected or accused him thereof he detected and accused himselfe after this strange manner As hee slept in his bed suddenly hee roared out most pittifully crying for helpe or else hee perished and being demanded what he ailed he halfe asleepe answered That his friend Ausanius and his wife whome hee had slaine long agoe summoned him to judgement before God upon which confession hee was apprehended and after due examination stoned to death Thus though all witnesses faile yet a murderers own conscience will betray him Pepin and Martellus his sonne kings of France enjoying prosperity and ease fell into divers monstrous sinnes as to forsake their wives and follow whores which filthynesse when the Bishop of Tungâ—ia reproved Dodo the harlors brother murdered him for his labor but hee was presently taken with the vengeance of God even a lousie and most filthie disease with the griefe and stinke whereof being moved hee threw himselfe into the river of Mosa and there was drowned How manifest and evident was the vengeance of God upon the murderers of Theodorick Bishop of Treverse â— Conrade the author of it dyed suddenly the souldier that helped to throw him downe from the rocke was choaked as he was at supper two other servants that layd to their hands to this murder slew themselves most desperatly About the yeare of our Lord 700. Geâ—lian the wife of Gosbere prince of Wurtiburg being reproved by Kilianus for incest for shee married her husbands brother wrought such meanes that both hee and his brethren were deprived of their lives but the Lord gave her up to Satan in vengeance so that shee was presently possessed with him and so continued till her dying day A certaine woman of Millaine in Italie hung a young boy and after devoured him instead of meat when as she wanted none other victuals and when she was examined about the crime she confessed that a spirit perswaded her to doe it telling her that after it she should attaine unto whatsoever she desired for which murder shee was to râ—â—â—nted to death by a lingring and grievous punishment This Arlunus reporteth to have happened in his time And surely how soever openly the Divell sheweth not himselfe yet he is the mover and perswader of all murders and commonly the doctor For hee delighteth in mens blouds and their destruction as in nothing more A gentleman of Chaleur in Fossignie being in the Duke of Savoyes army in September the yeare of our Lord 1589 and grieving to behold the cruelties which were exercised upon the poore inhabitants of that countrey resolved to depart from the said army now because there was no safer nor neerer waie for him than to crosse the lake to Bonne he entreated one of his acquaintance named Iohn Villaine to procure him meanes of safe passage over the lake who for that purpose procured two watermen to transport him with his horse apparell and other things being upon the lake the watermen whereof the chiefest was called Martin Bourrie fell upon him and cut his throat Iohn Villaine understanding hereof complained to the magistrates but they being forestalled with a present from the murderer of the gentlemans horse which was of great value made no inquisition into the matter but said that hee was an enemy which was dispatched and so the murderers were justified but God would not leave it so unpunished for about the fifteenth of Iuly 1591 this Bourrie going with divers others to shoot for a wager as hee was charging the harquebuse which hee had robbed the gentleman of when hee murdered him it suddenly discharged of it selfe and shot the murderer through the heart so that hee fell downe starke dead and never stirred nor spake word In the first troubles of France a gentleman of the troups which besieged Moulins in Bourbonnois was taken with sickenesse in such sort that hee could not follow his company when they dislodged and lying at a Bakers house which professed much friendship and kindnesse to him hee put such confidence in him that hee shewed him all the money that he had but so farre was this wretch from either conscience or common honestie that assoone as it was night hee most wickedly murdered him Now marke how God revenged it it happened not long after that the murderer being in sentinell one of his owne fellowes unawares shot him through the arme with a harquebuse whereof he languished the space of three moneths and then died starke mad The town of Bourges being yeelded by Monsieur D'yvoy during the first troubles in France the inhabitants were inhibited from talking together either within or without the towne or from being above two together at a time under colour of which decree many were most cruelly murdered And a principall actor herein was one Garget captaine of the Bourbonne quarter who made a common practise of killing innocent men under that pretence But shortly after the Lord that heareth the crie of innocent bloud met with him for hee was stricken with a burning fever and ranne up and downe blaspheming the Name of God calling upon the Divell and crying out if any would goe along with him to hell hee would pay his charges and so died in desperate and franticke manner Peter Martin one of the Queries of the King of France his stable and Post-master at a place called Lynge in the way towards Poyctou upon a sleight accusation without all just forme of lawfull processe was condemned by a Lord to bee drowned The Lord commanded one of his Faulkners to execute this sentence upon him upon paine to bee drowned himselfe whereupon he performed his masters command But God deferred not the revenge thereof long for within three daies after this Faulkner and a Lackey falling out about the dead mans apparell went into the field and slew one another Thus he that was but the instrument of that murder was justly punished how much more is it likely that the author escaped not scot free except the Lord gave him a heart truely to repent It hath beene observed in the history of France since the yeare of our Lord 1560 that of a thousand murders which remained unpunished in regard of men not tenne of them escaped the hands of God but came to most wretched ends In the yeare of our Lord 1546 Iohn Diazius a Spaniard by birth living a student and Professor in Paris came first to Geneva and then to Strasbrough and there by the
and the whole Army of threescore thousand men by bare eight thousand English discomfited divers great Lords were found slain in the field and divers others with the King himselfe carried Prisoners into England which was a great shake to the whole Realme and the occasion of many tumults and disorders that ensued afterwards Moreover as it is a rash part to hazard the doubtfull event of battell indiscreetly and without cause so it is a point of no lesse folly to thrust ones selfe voluntarily into any action of war without charge not being particularly called and bound thereunto or having a body unsufficient and unfit for the same And this was also one of the warlike points of Discipline which the antient Romans used That none should presume to fight for his Countrey before he had been admitted by some Captain by a solemne Oath Of all the Histories that I ever read I know none more strange in matter of war than this which I now go about to recite of Henry of Luxenbourg Emperour of Germany who when he heard that his son Charles King of Bohemia was in the French Army and that Philip of Valois King of France was ready to give battell to the English albeit he was blinde and consequently unfit for war yet would needs take part with the French and therefore commanded his men at Armes to guide him into the place where the Field was to be fought that he might strike one blow They as foolish as himselfe not willing to crosse his minde and fearing to lose him in the prease tied him faste to the raines of their bridles being by this meanes so coupled together as if they meant all to perish together if need were as indeed they did for they were overcome in battell and the next day found all dead horse and men faste bound together This accident befell at Crecy neer Abrevile in which journey the French King sustained an inestimable damage for he lost fifteen of his chiefest Princes fourscore Ensignes twelve hundred Knights and about thirty thousand men In the yeer 1455. the Hungarians without any just cause or pretence made war upon the Emperour Otto onely moved with a desire of bringing under their subjection the Germane powers and the rather at this time because they supposed the Emperours strength of war to be weakened and his power of men lessened by those continuall troubles and wars which he had been daily occupied in notwithstanding Otto as by his former deeds of Armes he deserved the sirname of Great so in this exploit especially for he conscribed eight Legions of men out of Franconia Bavaria and Bohemia and with that small valiant handfull overturned and destroyed the huge unchristened multitude of his enemies for albeit the Bohemians being placed in the Rereward were as suddenly and unexpectedly assaulted by the enemy that craftily passed over the River Lycus to set upon them behinde as unhappily put to flight with the losse of the carriages and victuals which they were set to protect yet Otto with his other Legions renuing the battell and encouraging his souldiers gave the enemy such an encounter and repulse that he put them to flight and slew them with a miserable slaughter three of their Kings he took Prisoners and few of that vaste Army escaped with their lives On the Emperours side died many worthy men among whom Conrade the Emperours son in law and Burghard Duke of Suevia were two beside many other In this successive battell it is to be noted above the rest how religiously the Emperour both began and finished it the day before the Fight he enjoyned a Faste in his Army and directed his prayers to the Almighty relying more upon the presence of Gods helpe than his owne power after the Conquest gotten he caused solemne thankes to be given in all Churches to God for the great deliverance I would our moderne Generals and Captaines would learne by this example to follow his footsteps and not to make their prayers quaffings and their thanksgiving carousings as they use to do even as it were purposely to tempt the Lord and to stir up his wrath against them Penda King of middle England making war upon Anna King of East Angles slew him in open field with which victory being puffed up by pride he sent defiance to Osway King of Northumberland also who hearing of his approach proffered him great gifts and fair conditions of peace which when Penda obstinately refused he was slain in battell with thirty of his most noble Captaines although he had thrice the number of people which Osway had And thus the heathen and bloudy Pagan ended his cruelty and paid dear for his too much forwardnesse in war CHAP. XVIII Of such as please themselves overmuch in seeing Cruelties THe Romanes were so accustomed by long use of war to behold fightings and bloudshed that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith for they would compell poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutuall blowes or to enter combate with savage and cruell beasts to be torne in pieces by them The first according to Seneca that devised and put in practice this unkindely Combate of Beasts and Malefactours was Pompey who provided an Army of eighteen Elephants to fight with men and thought it a notable and commendable spectacle to put men to death after this new and strange fashion Oh how mens mindes are blinded with over much prosperity He esteemed himselfe at that time to be higher in dignity than all other when he thus threw to wilde beasts people of farre Countries and in the presence of the people caused so much bloud to be shed but not long after himselfe was betrayed by the treachery of the Alexandrians and slain by a bondslave a just quittance for murdering so many of that condition thus much of Seneca Now it is manifest that this was an ordinary pastime among the Romans albelt it is strange that any pastime or pleasure could arise by seeing poor Creatures interchangeably strike one another to death and humane bloud to run like water along the streets It was not then without cause but by a speciall will of God to revenge cruelty that the bondslaves conducted by Spartacus the Fencer rebelled against their masters in Rome after they had broken through the guards of Lentulus his house and issuing out of Capua gathered together above ten thousand fighting men and encamped themselves in mount Vesuvius where being besieged by Clodâ—us Glaber they sallied so rudely and boisterously upon him that the victory and spoil of their enemies tents remained on their sides after this they ran over all the Land forraged the Countrey and destroyed many Villages and Townes but especially these four Nola Nocera Terrenevae and Metaponte were by them sacked and spoiled with a strange and bloudy overthrow after all which having encountred two Consuls they overcame Lentulus on mount Appennine and discomfited Gaiuâ—
â—â— these murdering 〈…〉 together in the market Place the same cranes appearing unto 〈…〉 they whispered one another in the care and said â—onder 〈…〉 which though secretly spoken yet was overheâ—rd 〈…〉 they being examined and found guilty were put to death for their 〈◊〉 The like story Martin Luther reporteth touching a traveller only 〈…〉 in this that as Cranes detected the former so Crowes laid open the latter In the yeare 138â— when as all Saxony was so infested with Theeyes that no man could travell safely in the countrey the Princes calling a Councell for downe this order That not only the Theeves themselves should be severely punished but all that did protect or harbour any of them which 〈…〉 as Theodoricke Country of Weâ—ingrâ—de impugned the body of 〈◊〉 Councell sent for him and adjudged him to a most cruell and shamefull 〈◊〉 In the yeare 1410 Henry Duke of Luneburg a most just and severe Prince went about to purge his Countrey from all thefts and robberies insomuch that the least offence committed in that kinde he suffered not to go unpunished now it hapned as the Duke went towards Lunâ—burge he sene before him one of his chiefest officers to provide necessaries against his comming who riding without a cloak the weather being cold 〈◊〉 a ploughman to lend him his cloak till his returne which when the clowne refused to do he took it without leave but it cost him his life for â—â— for the ploughman awaited the Dukes comming and directed his complaint unto him on this manner What availeth iâ— Oâ— most noble Princeâ— to seek to suppres the courage of thieves and spoilers when as thy chiefest officers dare commit such things uncontrolled aâ— the Lieutenant of 〈◊〉 but now taken from me my cloak The Duke hearing this complaint and considering the cause dissembled his counsell 〈◊〉 his returne 〈◊〉 from Luneburge unto the same place where calling for his Lieutenant and rating him for his injury he commanded him to be hunged upon a tree A wonderfull severity in justice and worthy to be commended for what hope is it to root out small and pity thieves if we suffer grand thieves to go uncorrected There is another kinde of these practised of them that be in authority who under the title of confiscation assume unto themselves stollen goods and so much the reâ—dilier by now much the value of the things amounteth to more worth an action altogether unjust and contrary to both divine and humane lawes which ordain to restore unto every man his owne and truly he that in stead of restitution withholdeth the goods of his neighbour in this manner differeth no more from a 〈◊〉 than that the one stealeth boldly without fear the other â—nâ—orously and with great danger and what greater corruption of justice can there be than this For who would follow the Law upon a thiefe when he knoweth he shall rather run into further charge than recover any of his old losse Beside this it hapneth that poor small theeves are often drawne to the whip or driven to banishment of sent to the gallowes when rich grand theeves lie at their case and escape uncontrolled albeit the quality of their 〈◊〉 be far unequall according to the Poet The simple dove by law is censured When ravenou◠〈◊〉 escape unpunished The world was ever yet full of such ravenouâ— Raâ—ens so nimble in pilling others goods and so greedy of their owne gain that the poor people in stead of being maintained and preserved in the peaceable enjoying of their portions are gnawne to the very boneâ— amongst them for which cause Homer in the person of Agamemnon calleth them devourers of men Likewise also the Prophet David in the 〈◊〉 Psalme calleth them Eaters of his people and yet want they not flatterers and 〈◊〉 friends canker wormes of a Common-wealth that urge them forwards and devise daily new kinde of exactions like horse-leadâ—es to suckt out the very bloud of mens purses shewing so much the more wit and deceit therein by how much the more they hope to gain a great part 〈◊〉 of unto their selves being like hunger-starved Harpeis that will never be fortified but still match and catch all that commeth near their 〈◊〉 and these are they that do good to no man but hurt to all of whom the Merchant findeth himselfe agrieved the Artificer trodden under foot the poor labourer oppressed and generally all men endammaged CHAP. XXXVIII Of the excessive burdenings of the Comminalty AS it is a just and approved thing before God to do honour and reverence to Kings and Princes and to be subject under them in all obedience so it is a reasonable and allowable duty to pay such tributes and subsidies whereby their great charges and honourable estate may be maintained as by right or equity are due unto them and this is also commanded by our Saviour Christ in expresse words when he saith Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars And by the Apostle Paul more expresly Pay tributes render unto all men their due tribute to whom tribute belongeth and custom to whom custom Marke how he saith Give unto all men their due and therein observe that Kings and Princes ought of their good and just disposition to be content with their due and not seek to load and overcharge their subjects with unnecessary exactions but to desire to see them rather rich and wealthy than poor and needy for thereby commeth no profit unto themselves Further it is most unlawfull for them to exact that above measure upon their Commons which being in mediocrity is not condemned I say it is unlawfull both by the law of God and man the Law of God and man is tearmed all that which both God and man allow and agree upon and which a man with a safe conscience may put in practise for the former we can have no other schoolmaster nor instruction save the holy Scripture wherein God hath manifested his will unto us concerning this very matter as in Deuteronomy the eighteenth speaking of the office and duty of a King he forbiddeth them to be hoorders up of gold and siluer and espousers of many wives and lovers of pride signifying thereby that they ought to contain themselves within the bounds of modesty and temperance and not give the raines to their owne affections nor heape up great treasures to their peoples detriment nor to delight in war nor to be too much subject to their owne pleasures all which things are meanes of unmeasurable expence so that if it be not allowable to muster together multitudes of goods for the danger and mischief that ensueth thereof as it appeareth out of this place then surely it is much lesse lawfull to levy excessive taxes of the people for the one of these cannot be without the other and thus for the Law of God it is clear that by it authority is not committed unto them to surcharge and as it were trample downe their poor subjects by
the squadron of Switzers now joyned to the French in attire and armour like a Switzer thinking by this tricke to save his life but all his counterfeiting could not save him from being taken and from lying ten yeares prisoner in the Tower of Loches where he also died and so all his high and ambitious thoughts which scarcely Italie could containe were pend up in a strait and narrow roome With the like turbulent and furious spirit of ambition have many Roman Bishops been inspired who what by their jugling trickes cousenages and subtill devises and what by force have prospered so well that of simple Bishops which they were wont to be they are growne temporall Lords and as it were Monarchs having in their possessions lands cities castles fortresses havens garrisons and guards after the manner of Kings nay they have exalted themselves above Kings so intollerable is their impudence and made them subject to their wils and yet they call themselves the Apostles pedigree whom Christ forbad all such domination But what of that It pertaineth not to them to succeed in vertue but in authoritie the Apostles for if that charge had concerned them then Pope Lucius the second would never have beene so shamelesse as to request in right of his Popeship the soveraigntie over Rome as hee did neither when it was denyed him to have gone about to usurpe it by force and to bring his minde about to have layed siege to the Senat house with armed men to the end that either by banishing or murdering the Senatours then assembled together he might invest himselfe with the Kingly dignitie but what got he by it Marry this the people being in an uprore in the Citie upon the sight of this holy fathers proud attempt tooke themselves to armes and ran with such violence upon master Pope that they forthwith stoned his Holinesse to death but not like Stephen the Martyr for the profession of Christ Iesus but like a vile and seditious theefe for seeking the Common-wealths overthrow Pope Adrian the fourteenth a monkes sonne succeeding Lucius both in the Papacie and also in ambition tooke in hand his omitted enterprises for he excommunicated the Romanes untill they had banished Arnold a Bishop that gave them counsell to retaine the power of electing their magistrate and governing their citie in their hands a thing repugnant to his intent and after hee had degraded the Consuls to make his part the stronger he caused the Emperour Fredericke to come with an armie to the citie whom notwithstanding hee handled but basely for his paines for hee did not onely checke him openly for standing on his feet and holding the stirrop of his horse with his left hand but also denied him the crowne of the Empire except hee would restore to him Poville which he said pertained unto him how beit he got the Crowne notwithstanding and before his returne from Rome into Germanie more than a thousand citizens that would not yeeld nor subscribe unto the Popes will were slaine After Frederickes departure the Pope seeing himselfe destitute of his further aid first excommunicated the King of Sicilie that in right of inheritance possessed the foresaid Poville but when this served him to small purpose he practised with Emanuel the Emperour of Greece to set upon him which thing turned to his finall confusion After this through his intollerable pride hee fell out with Fredericke the Emperour and to revenge himselfe upon him discharged his subjects from their fealtie to him and him from his authoritie over them Now marke his end As he walked one day towards Aviane a flie got in at his mouth and downe his throat so farre that it stopped the conduit of his breath so that for all that his physitions could do hee was choked therewith And thus he that sought by all the meanes he could to make himselfe greater than he ought to be and to get the masterie of every thing at his owne will and pleasure and to take away other mens rights by force was cut short and rebated by a small and base creature and constrained to leave this life which he was most unworthy of Hither may be referred that which befell the Emperour Albert Duke of Austria and one of his lievtenants in Switzerland for going about to usurpe and appropriat certaine lands and dominions to him which belonged not unto him This Emperour had many children whom he desired to leave rich and mighty and therefore by all meanes possible he endeavoured to augment his living even by getting from other men whatsoever he could and amongst all the rest this was one especiall practise wherein he laboured tooth and nayle to alienate from the Empire the land of the Switzers and to leave it for an everlasting inheritance to his heires which although the Switzers would in no case condiscend nor agree unto but contrariwise sued earnestly unto his Majesty for the maintenance of their antient liberties and priviledges which were confirmed unto them by the former Emperors and that they might not be distracted from the Empire yet notwithstanding were constrained to undergo for a season the yoke of most grievous tyranny and servitude imposed by force upon them and thus the poore communaltie indured many mischiefes and many grievous and cruell extortions and indignities at the hands of the Emperours officers whilest they lived in this wretched and miserable estate Amongst the rest there was one called Grislier that began to erect a strong fort of defence upon a little hill neere unto Altorfe to keepe the countrey in greater awe and subjection and desiring to descrie his friends from his foes he invented this devise He put a hat upon the end of a long pole and placed it in the field before Altorfe where were great multitudes of people with this commandement That everie one that came by should do but dieth ere he awaketh so mony taken in usurie delighteth and contenteth at the first but it infecteth all his possessions and sucketh out the marrow of them ere it be long Seeing then it is abhominable both by the law of God and nature let us shun it as a toad and flie from it as a cockatrice But when these persuasions will not serve let them turne their eyes to these examples following wherein they shall see the manifest indignation of God upon it In the Bishopricke of Collen a notable famous Usurer lying upon his death-bed ready to die moved up and downe his chaps and his lips as if he had bin eating something in his mouth and beeing demanded what hee eat hee answered his money and that the divell thrust it in his mouth perforce so that hee could neither will nor chuse but devour it in which miserable temptation he died without any shew of repentance The same author telleth of another Usurer that a little before his death called for his bags of gold and silver and offered them all to his soule upon condition it would not forsake