of Iudea were captiues amongst the Babilonians especially seyng that the beginning of this captinitie is counted from the nyntenth yeare of Nabuchodonosors reigne They that folowe thys order of reckning and let passe those two kinges before mentioned do cleaue vnto the holye scripture but chiefly vnto the testimonye of Ieremie who did prophecie that the Iewes shuld serue the kinge of Babilon hys sonne and hys sonnes sonne But it is fre for euery man to iudge herein as they shall thinke good Notwithstanding so it is that Balthasar according to the holye scripture was the last Emperour of Babilon Balthasar the laste Emperour of Babilō and euery one doe agre therein Diuers do write after what fort Babilon was takē but Daniel maketh mention how that god did foreshewe vnto the king the calamitie which did not onely threaten him but euē already did assalt hym sayth that the principal part of the Empyre was transterred to Daryus of Medea Darius beyng then LXII yeres olde The Historiographers do call thys Daryus Cyaxares and he was the sonne of Astiages the eyght king of the Medes whom Daniell doth cal Assuerus who hauing neuer a sonne Assuerus gaue his daughter vn to Cyrus of Persia hys systers sonne and beyng afterwardes assaulted by the king of the Assyrians Cyrus he required Cyrus to succour him Who after that he was arriued wyth his armie chosen chiefe Captayne of the hoste he prosperously behaued himself in his charge for he wanne the most mightye Citye of Babilon After thys victorye Darius is not found to haue liued passing one yeare and yet then when Daryus lyued after the taking of the Citye and that the people of Israel had bene almoste LXX yeares Captiue in Babilon God reueiled to Daniel things of much more importance as he prayed and redde with diligence the prophecye of Ieremye the foreshewer of that Captiuitye For he dyd not onelye assure hym of the delyuerance whyche was at hande but also dyd shewe vnto hym in what tyme the Messyas who shoulde make satysfaction for the fynnes of the worlde shoulde come Daryus veynge deade the Empyre came into the handes of Cyrus and thys is the begynning of an other Monarchye For Cyrus onely dyd enioye the countryes of Assyria Media and of Persya euen vnto the sea of Ionia as Thucydides sayeth moreouer also before the taking of Babilon he dyd take Cresus prysoner in battaile the most myghtye Kynge of Lidia The second Monarchie of Persia Cyrus then is the fyrste Kynge of Persya and the begynner of the seconde Monarchye hauyng vainquyshed the Babilonians he made warre agaynst the Scithians and went euen hymselfe wyth hys armye to meete them where he a moste worthye prynce The death of Cyrus was cyrcumuented by layinge of wayte and beynge taken was kylled In the begynnyng of hys reygne after he had taken Babylon he perinytted the people of Iudea whych were Captiues to returne into theyr countrye and there to buylde agayne the temple and the Citie of Ierusalem for the accomplishing wherof he commaunded to giue liberally towardes the expenses God had exprestye foreshewed these thinges namely by Esaye certaine hundred yeres before that euer he was borne Xenophon doth alledge the same in disputing before his death in the presence of his children of the immortalitie of the soule as it is recitited in Cicero who hath eloquently translated that place as also al others Cyrus liued vnto the age of thre score and tenne yeares he reygned thyrtye yeares for he was fortye when he came to the crowne Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus He had a sonne named Cambyses whō he made gouernour of the kingdome when he toke his iournie for to go and make warre against the Scithians He in the absence of his father who was greatly incombered conquired Egipte being truly an experte warriar but otherwise vitious and retayning none of his fathers vertues Amongest al other his vnhonest shameles and cruell actes he caused his brother traiterously to be slaine Plato saith in the bookes which he writte concerninge lawes The sōnes of Cyrus were yll instructed that Cyrus erred greatly in that that he made hys children to be delicatly broughte vp amongst women whereof came to passe that they being waxed great and being corrupted by flatterers forasmuch as diuers did seke nothing ells but to please them they sought to slaye one an other after their fathers decease Darius the thirde king of Persia Darius the sonne of Histaspos succeded Cambises the second kinge of Persia who had reigned but a while after hys father And for because after the death of Cyrus after that hys armie was so greatly ouerthrowen certaine people and amongest them the Bavilonians did refuse to be subiect to the Persians as sone as he came to the crowne he put himselfe in armes and dyd agayne bringe them vnder his Empyre hauing after long seige taken Babilon by the meanes of Zopirus After that he toke vpon him to make war against the Athenians who not waiting for the helpe of the Lacedemonians dyd out of hād gather an hoste of men to the number of tenne thousand by the which hoste of men vnder the conduction of Miltiades they dyd ouerthrowe that hys great armye in the place called Marathon Darius ouerthrowē by the Athenians Darius thought to renue againe his armie Xerres the fourth Emperour but he died in that enterprise Xerxes his sōne was his successour who .x. yeres after the said iournye of Marathon as Thucidides writeth went into Grecia with an innumerable armie to bring it vnder his subiection Wherefore with one common consent the gouernement principal charge was geuen vnto the Lacedemonians who were then the most mightiest of all Grecia But the Athenians folowing the counsell of Themistocles dyd leaue their Citye and hauynge caryed theyr wiues and childrē hether and thether they toke shipping and they dyd ouercome the enemie nere the I le of Salamis Xerxes ouerthrowē by the Grecians This victorie dyd saue the countrie of Grecia for Xerxes being also discomfited by land he did flye vilanously and vnprosperously homewardes The Grecians also dyd returne after his departure except the Athenians for hauing in armie aboute a. C.C.C.C. vessells they sailed further and gyuing the assault wōne the towne of Sestes in Hellespontus which the Persians did before kepe and after that they had wintered there tourninge homeward vnto their countrie they gathered together their wiues children and did build agayne the walles of theyr Citie which was taken and brunt by the enemy and they did fortifie the porte Cicero writeth that this warre of the Persians The warre of the Persians or as Thucidides calleth it of the Medes fell almost in the selfe same time that that of the Volsciens did wherein was Coriolanus that was bannished from Rome This fell in the yeare of the foundation of Rome CCLXVI. Herodotus which was before Thucidides dyd
nothyng doubt of the takynge of the countrey Marcellus was greatly wrathe at hys death when he vnderstode it and commaunded to bury hym As concerninge the towne he dyd not onelye leaue it whole and sounde as Cicero sayeth but also in such sort decked that it might haue bene a perpetuall monument of hys victorye gentlenes and clemencie And lykewyse he sayeth that in the victorye of Marcellus there was not so manye men slayne as there were gooddes spoyled at the commyng of Verres Pretor into the sayde Cyty But Titus Liuius saith that it was a very pituous thinge to see the villanies that were there committed by angre enuye and couetousnes A hundred thyrtie and seuen yeres after Cicero beyng Treasurour of Sicilia Cicero treasurour of Sicilia did shewe Archimedes sepulchre vnto the Senate of Saragosse the whiche he knewe by a certaine discription all be it that it was altogether ruinated and so couered with Briers and Thornes that euen they of the Citie knewe not where it was The sayde Cicero sayeth that the towne of Sarragosse is the greatest and fayrest of all the townes of Grecia and is compacte and made of foure great townes of the I le where the fountayne of Arethusia is full of fishe of Acradina where is the market place and the couered Galleries with the Palaice or Parlement house of Tyche where the temple of Fortune is of the newe towne which was laste of all buylte and it hath a very large Theatre Now amongest all other nacions the countrey of Sicilia dyd first of all encline vnto the amitie and loyaltie of the Romaines Sicilia the first ê“uince and was the first that was named a Prouince as witnesseth the sayde Cicero After the victorye of Cannes Hanniball tooke all Campania which yelded vnto hym His armie also wyntered at Capua where it was effe minated and corrupted through the abundance and superfluitie of all thynges Superfluitie wantonnes vnprofitable in an armye Thre yeres after the takyng of Sarrogosse Capua was geuen to the Romains by composition There was great and long deliberation for to know whether the towne should be rased but finally it was concluded that it shoulde be kept Not withstandynge for to take from them all meanes for euer of rebellion theyr territorie was taken from them and al office and Senate with the publyke counsell To be short they had no forme of a publyke weale left them but it was ordeyned that the towne should serue as a berne and place for to holde and house the fruite of the whole territorie there about and for to lodge the labourers Two yeres after The ouerthrowe of Asdruball Asdruball brought freshe souldiours into Italy to the succour of Hanniball but he was ouerthrowen neare the flood called Metaurus by the consulles M. Liuius Salinator and C. Claudius Nero. In the meane tyme P. Cornelius Scipio of whome mencion hath bene made prospered luckely in Spaygne albeit that his father and his vncle had bene there slaine And after that he had recouered the whole Prouince retourned to Rome where he was chosen consull He required that the countrey of Affricke might be assigned hym for to make warre there But Q. Fabius Maximus beynge of a great age dyd sharpely withstand hym and was of opinion that it behoued not to go into Affricke but that it was mete and conuenient to make warre with Hanniball Scipio was of a contrary opinion because that yf they did make warre agaynst the Carthagians in their countrey they shoulde be forced to call agayne Hanniball from Italy as he vppon whome lay all theyr helpe and succour After long stryfe the Senate assigned Sicilia vnto Scipio and did permitte hym to take the spoyle of Affricke yf it were for the commoditie of the publyke weale He then tooke his iourney from Sicilia vnto Affricke and dyd proue by effect that which he had before forshewed vnto the Senate For the Carthagians hauynge lost certaine battayls against hym and beyng greatly endomaged The victory of Scipio 〈◊〉 Affricke dyd call agayne Hanniball So that by thys meanes he who for sixtene yeares space had not ceassed to hunt through Italy who also had encamped his army nere the walles of the cytye of Rome was constrained albeit it was soore against his will to retyre homewarde to hys countrey Finallye Scipio wan a great battaile of hym who afterwards by the wyll of the Senate made peace with the enemy herevppon the surname of Affricus was gyuen vnto hym But here to be consydered from howe great troubles the Romaines were delyuered for euen alreadye by the space of certaine yeares all their fortune hunge by a very small threde but it was before predestinated that they shoulde come to an ende of all violence and calamitie and shoulde be Lordes of the worlde The which as some saye Hanniball did foresee when his brother Asdruball was vanquished Horatius reciteth his very wordes which he then sayde in the verse by the which he prayseth Drusus and his familie And for because that the said Verse is most learned and elegant it doth well deserue that the youth should learne the same by harte The peace being concluded with the Carthagiens besides the other warres wherewith the Romains were incombred to witte in Italy Istria and Portingale they made another great warre also against Philippus kyng of Macedonia Warre agaynst Philip of Macedonia who had afflicted and oppressed the countrey of Grecia Titus Quintus Flaminius was the chief captaine of this warre who after the ouerthrow of the enemie reestablished the countrey of Grecia in her libertie by the consentinge of the Senate And amongest all other articles he charged king Philip not to go a warfare without the limites of Macedonia vnlesse he had permission of the Senate This warre ended Another war against Antiochus king of Syria another folowed it against Antiochus king of Siria Who being passed into Europa was ouercome by M. Galabrio and driuer out of Grecia For the accomplishing whereof the aboue said Philip kyng of Macedonia did geue succour to the Romaines These kinges of Asia of Syria and of Macedonia did descend of them who after the death of Alexander the great dyd diuide amongest them the Prouinces as it hath been said For after that Carthage was pacified and all Italye brought vnder the subiection of the Romains The greate authority of the romainâ— and that they had also conquered the other countreys of Europa more nearer both by Sea and by land they were growen to such power that euen the Kynges and the peoples farre of dyd craue succour and helpe of them Whiche amongest others the Egiptians did For because that their Kyng Ptolemeus Epiphanes being then but of fewe yeares was not apt to the gouernment of the publyke weale and for that they stood in great feare of Antiochus they sent Embassadours to Rome by whome they did desyer the Senate to take the lytle king into their safegard This being agreed
Capadocia and Asia and beyng embarked on the sea Euxinus they entred into the ryuer Ister and saylyng vpwards they did great violence vppon the confederates and aliauntes of the Romaines The meane whyle Gallienus was so negligent and voyde of all care that hauyng worde and newes brought hym of the prouinces whych did rebell and of the publyke miseries he made but a laughyng stocke thereat and contemptuously answered as yf notwithstanding these accidents the publyke weale dyd remaine firme and stable and entertayned in her dignitie her state and condition beyng nothyng lessoned or diminished Wherethrough he grewe into contempt as well of hys owne countrey as of straungers for hys fylthy lyuyng In such sort that dyuers enemies dyd ryse vp agaynst the publyke weale At that tyme the Gothes and Scithians were in armes with diuers other people mingled amongest them who had all conspired against the Romaynes and they were aboute three hundred and twenty thousand men Flauius Claudius But Flauius Claudins Gallienus successour who was slaine put them all to the edge of the sword as he was a man of great vertue worthy of longer lyfe After him Aurelianus raigned forbecause that his vertue was knowen manifest Aurelianus For in the tyme of Claudius raigne he had shewed a profe and triall thereof against the enemye in diuers places He had sundry warres in Lumbardy and fought against the Marcomanes dangerously and doubtfully at the begynnyng but luckely and fortunatly after that at his request the Senate had made the bookes of Silla to be searched and had done the things requisite for to pacifie the Goddes From thence he macched to Rome where he caused certain rebells who had conspired in his absence to be punyshed Which being done he tooke in hande for to recouer again the Prouinces that are in the East and in Syria Zenobia y◠valiāt wyfe of Odenatus the which Zenobia a valiaunt and couragious woman murderer of her owne chyldren dyd possesse who were left vnto her by her owne husbande Odenatus who in Gallienus tyme had made diuers skermishes assaultes in his dominiōs In euery coast as the sayd Aurelianus passed through he saccaged the enemyes of the Romains as in Sclauonia Thracia and other places and finally beyng entred into the enemyes countrey after doubtfull and daungerous fyghte he remained Victour in suche sorte that he tooke the Queene prisoner who trusting and hopyng vppon the succour of the Persians and Medians had stoutly and manfully resisted him The principall citie of the countrey which he had subdued was Palmyra whose inhabitantes dyd rebell at such time as the Emperour passed frō Asia into Europa and slew the garrison with theyr captayn He then retourned agayne thither and after he had taken the citie he destroyed spoiled it puttyng them all in such sort to the edge of the sword that he pardoned neither man woman nor chylde Afterwards he conquered againe Egypt whych was reuolted from the subiection of the Romaines This done he triumphed at Rome from thence passing through Sclauonia he defied the Persians But he was murthered in the way by his familier frends After his death the Empyre was vacant for a certayn space a thynge whych neuer befell afore since Romulus tyme. At length Tacitus succeded Tacitus who raigned a few monethes in the which he did nothyng worthy of memory The Senate had made request vnto him that at his disceasse he woulde not leaue the charge and gouernment of the Empyre to his children but that he would chose some valiaunt and god man whose vertue should be vnto them well knowen By this meanes Probus was elected Probus who being confirmed both of the hooste and of the Senate he recouered Fraunce and vanquished the French Almains in diuers conflictes In Sclauonia he slew and cut in peces the Sarmatians and other nations Afterwards hauyng made passage through Thracia he subdued the barbarous people and made them by feare of the name of the Romains and by his great valiauntnes become obedient vnto him He pacified Asia and moued the king of the Parthians onely through his fame and renoume to demaund defier peace of him He made agrement with the Persians forthwith retourned into Thracia and transported certain straunge people vanquished by him into the countrey of the Romains of whom some remained faithful other sone vnfaithful rebellious Whome he afterwards suppressed for the most part After hauing pacified the sedicions styrred vp in Fraunce Spaigne England he marched by Sclauonia for to go inuade the Persians but he was circūuented slain of his mē by treason The publyke weale then florished because that the nations round about were euery where peaceable quiet in such sort that on a certayn tyme Probus brast forth in these wordes saying we shall short stand in no nede of Legions and garrisons The cause of Probus death The souldiours beyng offended with these words consulted for to hinder the peace Carus was placed in his roume who saccaged the Sarmatians Carus which were become more arrogant and presumptuous through the death of Probus they threatned Italy Afterwards in the iorney against the Persians he toke Mesopotamia proceading further he was apprehended by death His yonger sonne named Numerianus folowed the battaill straight after him for he had left Carinus in Fraunce for to be gouernour of the countrey Numerianus was slaine by his father in law Diocletianus tooke his roume Diocletianus with whō Carinus made battaill on a certain tyme for the Empyre but beyng vanquished he dyed Diocletianus seyng the troubles and tumultes whych rose vp in sundrye places tooke Maximianus for hys adherent He pacified Fraunce Maximianus whyche was vnquiet and Affricke lykewyse Diocletianus for hys part dyd pacifie Egypt puttyng to death the authours of the tumultes and conspiraties He conquered also England ten yeres after their reuoltyng And to the end that the state of the publyke weale myght be moore stable and that no moore tumultes myght be raysed as touchyng the succession Galerius a Constātius he adopted Galerius and Maximianus Constantius Chlorus Galerius beynge sent by Diocletianus againste Marses kyng of the Persians had vnhappye lucke in battaill for he lost the most part of his armye But hauyng commaundement to renewe agayn the fyght he ouerthrew the enemyes in a great battell and entred further into those parties then euer dyd any Emperour except Traianus For he tooke the towne of Othesiphon and subdued all Assiria Moreouer he put vnder hys subiection fyue Prouinces beyonde the floud Tiger which were reuolted in the tyme of the Emperour Traianus All thyngs beyng well ordered in Asia Diocletianus retourned into Europa where at that tyme the Scythians Sarmatians Alains Bastarnes Carpians and they of Hesse and of Franconia were peaceable and kept them selues quiet A resignation of the Empyre And shortly after he and Maximianus did renounce the Empyre assigning it into
who was of a base byrth Iustinus Emperour of Grecia and as it is wrytten of a Swyne keper he was made a souldyour He was at variaunce wyth Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes and lord of Italy through the diuersitie of religion but not wythstandyng they dyd not put them selues in armes After the disceasse of Theodoricus Alaricus his Nephew succeaded hym to the great contentation feruent desyre ioy of the Gothes Iohn the fyrst of that name was then Byshop of Rome who was sent to Constantinople by the king Theodoricus where he was receyued as their bookes declare very honorably Flatteries of the Papists not only of the people but also of the Emperour For they say that they triumphed for for ioye in that then the countrey of Grecia had obteyned so great felicitie as to see and receyue the Vicar of S. Peter such is their style a thing which had not bene since Constantine the great and since Siluester It is merueyll why they say that of Siluester seyng that he neuer entred into Grecia as it is moste certain for euen then when he oughte chiefly to haue remoued when great nede did require to wit to the counsell of Nice he stirred not forth but sent Victor Vincentius his ambassadours thither Afterwards Lyes falshode in histories of popes he held another counsell at Rome as they say by the which he confirmed that which the counsell of Nice had decreed There remaineth yet an epistle of Iohn the first directed vnto the bishops of Italy for to comfort them wherein he admonisheth them to perseuer in their purpose to remain feruent albeit that the king Theodoricus infected with the heresie of the Arians do threaten to destroy them all Italy Iustinianus After Iustinus Iustinianus Iustinus sisters son was made Emperour He employed himself to put in order establysh the publyke weale in the beginning coÌ„mitted the charge to Belisarius who wan the great battayls against the Persians Belisarius which were issued out of their couÌ„trey and did molest the subiectes of the Romains Herecouered Sclauonia spoyled destroyed by the Gepides BulgariaÌ„s He made a league with the Parthians who wer in armes He defeited a great army of Wandales in Affricke tooke theyr king reconquered Carthage From thence he went into Sicilia wheÌ„ce shortly after he retourned into Affrick being certified of the rebellion in that countrey He handled his affayres there very prosperously Finally beyng agayn ariued in Italy he vanquished the town of Naples sacked it and defeited the Gothes of whom Theodatus was than kyng Afterwards he went to Rome where he was louingly honorably receiued of al. Being departed thence he subdued towns stroÌ„g holds in diuers places amongest others the towne of Perouse This done he layed seige before Rauenna wher Vitigis kynge of the Gothes fought agaynst hym But hauing lost his army Vitigis Kig of the Gothes taken prisoner he was taken led captiue into Constantinople by the sayd Belisarius The Gothes did renew their power and in the region beyond Papia did elect Hildebrand to be their king Two others succeaded him and finally Totilas who in the absence of Belisarius forraged all Italy beseiged Rome Rome taken by Totylas the which he subdued sacked and brunt Wherefore Belisarius hauinge made an end of the warre whyche he hadde wyth the Parthians who hadde agayne oppressed Syria He retourned into Italye and dyd reestablyshe the Cytye of Rome whyche was almoste desarte Whyche done he went to encounter the enymye against he whom he had good successe And as he sayled into Sicilia for to gyue order as touchyng the munitions he was called home by Iustinianus through whych occasion Totilas renewed hys power and retourned to Rome Afterwards Narses the Eunuche the Emperour gaue the conduction of the Italian war vnto Narses the Eunuche who draue the Gothes out of all Italy Which he dyd the easiyer for that they had lost Totilas theyr kyng who dyed with a wound that he had receyued Thys war agaynst the Gothes lasted ten yeares Iustinianus hauyng recouered Italy and Affryke and hauyng taken Iustinus hys doughters sonne to be companion of the Empyre he shortly after dyed Some are of opinion that he was a man of a faynte heart that he was subiect to Theodora hys wyfe Tribonianus collected the Pandects Tribonianus Iurisconsull was in hys great fauour who hauynge abolyshed the wrytynges disputations of the auncetours dyd collect out of them certayn workes of diuers fragmentes of verses whiche are now called Pandects the which only remayne vnto vs. He was helped by certain to finishe this worke who are here and there named Afterwardes he dyd the lyke vnto the letters and lawes of Prynces which before were conteyned in three bookes to wit in the bookes called Gregorianus Hermogenianus and Theodosianus All the which he comprehended in one volume and called it Iustinianus booke beyng ayded by other mens helpe whom the Emperour nameth in the Preface of the saide booke Certayne Authours saye that Trebonianus was a couetous man and that for money he established lawes and eftsones disalowed them as Virgill sayth In the aforesaid bookes are found diuers lawes In the 6. of Encidos the which do minishe and derogate from those in times past They added moreouer a perticuler booke of new ordinaunces the which altogether beareth the name and title of Iustinian The Emperour delt very cruelly with Belisarius vnder whose coÌ„duct he had woÌ„ne so many glorious and notable victories The misery of Belisarius in hys olde age For he caused his eyes to be put out at such tyme as he crouched for age In Iustinians raign dyuers Sinodes were holden at Constantinople at the whych MeÌ„na patriarche of the towne preceded who is called most holy most blessed vniuersall as their bookes report In the beginning of the booke there is an Epistle of the Emperour directed vnto Iohn Archbishop of Rome wherin he nameth hym head of all Churches assubiecteth all vnder him Now albeit that the learned men do Iudge it to be couÌ„terfaited notwithstandyng put the case it were true yet it is certayne that thys quarell did remayn many yeares after vntil such tyme as the Byshops of Rome beyng waxen rych The meanes whereby the Romishe churche was buylte got the vpperhand buylt theÌ„ a strong hold in the possession of the Church The which beyng buylt by the hands fauour of meÌ„ is at this day in reputation as yf God had established it We haue before declared how that in Augustins time the syxt Counsell of Carthage was holden The discâ—â—â— of the Popes surprâ—â—sed wherin the deceipt of Pope Bonifacius the fyrst and of Celestinus was disclosed For they affyrmed that it was ordained at Nice that they should be appeald vnto from al places The denilyshe ambition of Bonifactus the seconde In Iustinianus time Bonifacius the
second was byshop of Rome There remaineth a certain Epistle of him wherin he sharply rebuketh taxeth Aurelius who at the foresayd counsell was bishop of Carthage sayth that by the motion instigation of the deuyll he wyth hys fellow Byshops straue against the church of Rome Also he giueth god thanks the Eulatius Aurelius successour then Byshop of the sayd place was reconciled with the Church of Rome Moreouer he reciteth a certayn writting of Eulatius by the which he protesteth that he coÌ„demneth aswel his elders as his successors who haue gone or shal go about to subuert deminyshe the priueleges of the holy and apostolike church Agapetus successour of Bonifacius the second did dysplace Authemius patriarch of CoÌ„stantinople who denied two natures in Christ Theodora the Emperours wyfe was sore displeased therewyth and by Belisarius warned Syluerius Agapetus successour to reestablyshe hym And because that the sayd Agapetus was accused of certayne other matters Belisarius dysplaced hym and putte Vigilius in his towne But because that he beyng called to Constantinople The Bysshoppes of come were in the Emperours power would not restore Authemius to hys offyce he was serued wyth the lyke Whereby it is euydent ynoughe that then the Byshoppes of Rome weare in the Emperours power In the raigne of Iustinus the second the Parsian warre was renued And because that it went yll and vnfortunallye on the Emperours part Auchelaus his Lieutenant did again make peace Narses the other Lieutenant of the Emperour dyd enioye Italy for .xvi. yeares space after he had driuen out the Gothes and that Totilas was disceassed Afterwards he beyng called from thence by the Emperour and hauyng receyued vnpleasaunt letters and conceauing great ingratitude in them he not onely not returned but also to auenge hymself he sent Ambassadours for to entyse and draw the Lombardes into Italye in propoundyng vnto them great profytes and commodities and declaryng vnto them that Italy exselled all other counttryes in beauty and fertilitie The Lomberds enter into Italy They had at that tyme taken their inhabytation in Hungaria At such tyme as they were thether ariued they dyd possesse that parte of Italy which beareth theyr name euen to thys day The Hystoriographers wrytte that thys Iustinus dyd instytute a Magystrate in Italye named * That is to say lorde or gouernour Exarche who was as the Vicemperour He remayned for the most parte at Rauenna not passyng for Rome and placed in euery City and Towne a gouernour The Italyen wrytters sayd that thys new institution was cause of the ruyne of Italye and of Rome Narses afterwardes dyed at Rome Tiberius Emperour Tyberius who had allreadye bene made compaynyon of the Empyre succeaded Iustynus He ouerthrewe the Parsyans in twoo battayls He made peace with the Lombardes who raigned from the * A couÌ„try in Italy called now Aprucium Samnites eueÌ„ to the Alpes the City of Rome excepted the which they had straightly beseiged for a certayn tyme but fynally were coÌ„strained to raise their campe through the greatnes of teÌ„pests vnseasonable weathers great raynes Mauritius Mauritius Tiberius sonne in lawe was Emperour and in certayn battayles vanquished the Parsians by his Lieutenants fynally he made peace with them Afterwards hauing called back agayn hys army he draue the Scythes from Misia He kept the Lombards vnder by force in Italy displaced the HuÌ„nes out of Hungaria He grew in hatred of hys souldiours because of hys couetousnes Wherfore he was constrayned for to auoyde the sedition begoÌ„ne to fly to Chalcedon where fynally he was slayne wyth hys wyfe and chyldren and all his race by a certayn centurion named Phocas who afterwards was choseÌ„ Emperour by sediâ—ioâ— Phocas In Mauritius raign there appeared a blaysyng starre for syxe Monthes space And as certayn writings do mention Mahomet was then borne of whom we wyll shortly hereafter speake At that time Iohn Byshop of CoÌ„stantinople dyd name himself the vniuersall Patriarch Quarells for the supremacie Gregorie the fyrst against the ambitioÌ„ of the Pope Whom the Byshop of Rome Pelagius the second did stroâ—gly and stoutly withstand pronounced his decrees to be of no vallewe Gregorius the fyrst his successor doth sharply reprehend that in him and saith that this title and honour was attributed to his ancestours at the counsell of Carthage howbeit neuer any of them would euer vse it He wryting also vnto Mauritius the Emperour he exhorteth him to restrayne and kepe him vnder inas much as it lyeth in his aucthoritie the whych is sore minished by the power that the other vsurpeth It is sayd that Bonifacius the thyrd who folowed Gregorye dyd obtayne the supremacye of Phocas Wherof he published patents laws The entry of the popes In Phocas raygne the Persians did greatly endomage the publike weale For they possessed Mesopotamia and Assyria passed euen into Asia the lesser so great was the negligence of the Prynce Moreouer Germany Fraunce Spaine and the most part of Italy dyd reuolte The Saracenes spoyled and proyed Egipt Wherof it befel that he was slain for his cruelty for neglecting the publike weale In Heraclius tyme hys successour Heraclius the Parsians made great roades From Egipt they marched into Affrike the whych they subiected vnto them The Scithes dyd dismember rent Europa in pieces diuers sondry wyse Heraclius fynally toke iourney into Asia and seyng that he could not obtain peace no not in offering meanes finally râ—douÌ„ding to the Romayns honour Heraclius victorie he entred eueÌ„ almost by constraint into plaine battaile against the sayd Persians who then spoyled oppressed Iudea and ouerthrew them in two battailes From thence forthwith passed the floode Tiger spoiled the whole country of Persia vntyll such tyme as he made aliaunce wyth Sirochus the kyng of Persyans sonne who hauyng killed his father had made himself king By thys meanes the country of Affrike Egipt all that the Parsians had subdued was rendred and it was agreed that the flood Tiger should seperate the Parsians dominioÌ„ from that of the Romains About that time a great multitude of Saracenes who were at the wags of Heraclius did reuolt because they were defrauded of their payment robbing proiyng in Siria vnder the conduct of Mahomet they possessed Damascus proied Egipt subdued Arabia fought luckly agaynst the Parsians The beginning of Mahometes authoritie Mahomet proceded from out of a poore towne familie notwithstanding he was subtil audacious afterwardes was enriched by his mariges being had in estimatioÌ„ for the proÌ„ptnes dexterity of his spirit The Alchoran of Mahomete he propouÌ„ded a new doctrine very pleasant to humaine reason but worthy to be mocked and laughed at and also wicked for the most part to the end that therby he myght more more allure mens minds vnto him fortifye his kyngdome And albeit that at the first it was very
third booke How the Almaines are entred into frauÌ„ce BEFORE that we begyne to speake of Charlemayne vnto whom according as we haue sayd the West Empyre was bequethed it behoueth to declare somewhat of the Germaines of whom he proceaded Fyrst of all it is most euident that the Germayns haue oftentymes passed the Rheine and haue entred into the French dominioâ—s to the end there to make their inhabitition because of the goodnes of the country For the Teuthons did pierce into Prouince where they were defeicted by the Consull C. Marius Synce as the Auuergnaes and they of Autun did stryue and contâ—nd for the principalitie certain bands of Almaynes hyred of the Auuergnaes and tâ—â—y of Sens came thether By litle and lytle they so encreased that vnder the king Ariouistus they possessed the most part of the country Iulius Cesar defeicted them in plaine battaâ—le And certayn yeres aâ—ter as he made war against them of Liege which is a people beyond Brabant the Germains passed again ouer the Rheine for to assaile the Romain host But they were ouerthrowen where the Maze and the Rheyne meteth Many yeares after they held theÌ„selues within their limites because that the Romain Emperours made war vpon theÌ„ But hauing gotten a certayn apt commodious time they loked vnto theyr aduantage and forraged Fraunce without ceasse So likewise in the Emperour Gallienus time a voluptuous man and of no worthines they did inuade and oppresse it by succession of time became so mightie that the Emperour Probus the fourth after Gallienus draue them out with great difficultie Iulianus also Lieutenant of the Emperour Constans dyd ioyne in battaile with them Synce in the Emperour Honorius time the Gothes entred by force of armes into Fraunce who beyng encoumbred with diuers wâ—rres graunted them the country of Aquiâ—ania to dwell in On the other syde the French Almayns entryng in armes through the country called Gallia Belgica suppressed them of Trire GilderlaÌ„d Cleaue with them of Liege of Terouane of Turney of Amiens of Beauuoys of Soissonois Which done they toke their habitatioÌ„ in that part of Gallia Paris the head Citie of FrauÌ„ce the which yet at this day beareth the name of Fraunce Wherof Paris is the head Citie nere wherto is the town of S. Denis the which was afterwards consecrated to bury the kings as it is yet at this present They being so enlarged and holding also before a great part of Germanie to witte al the country about the riuer of Mein and of Rheyne did not onely defeÌ„d themselues if any came to assaile them but also set vpon others And as the Romain Empire fel dai by day into decay in Asia Afrike the Lombards also waistig Italy they maruelously enlarged their limites in Fraunce Afterwardes manye of their kings raigned there vntil such time as the kyngdom fel into the hands of Pipine of Charlemaine his sonne Charles Martellus was the father of Pipine who was not king but one of the princes great maisters as they are commonly called He vanquished them of Bauiers of Swaine For according as the writters of the * Histories of Actes yerely done Annales of Fraunce do mention the time hath bene that the kynges haue had but only the tytle and the name as touching the whole aucthorie it was in the hands of the great Maister The Great maisters of Fraunce their credit For they were altogether degenerated from the vertue manlines of their ancestours and being addicted vnto pleasures voluptuousnes they toke no care of the publike weale Wherfore the Great maister had the administration and dyd increase so much the more hys power as the lithernes carlesnes of the king did abound Pipine who was great maister in the raigne of Childericus came to the crowne vnder such occasion The kyngs suffer the pope to displace them the thing hauing bene debated vpon before pope Zachary as they say MentioÌ„ is made hereof in the decree which they intitill of Gratianus where it is said to be lawfull vnto the popes to put the kynges out of their thrones But the tytle inscriptioÌ„ of that place is false For albeit that there haue ben two Emperours named Anastasius notwithstaÌ„dyng it cannot be attributed neither to the one nor to the other forasmuch as the first raigned more then two C. yeres before the befell the other .xxxvii. Moreouer in the last mans daies there was neuer any pope named Gelasius I thought it necessarye to adde this Contraritie in the writinges of Popes for to aduertise the readers to read intentiuely warly the writigs of popes For we find in diuers places that their chiefe end is to put their lawes in credite auctority by falsly giuing to vnderstand that they are very ancient Ouer besides this that Pipine did suppresse the Lombards in Italy at the request of the pope as is before said he made warre agaynst the Saxons and moreouer against them of Aquitania whose Duke beynge taken he slewe After the death of Pipyne they oftentymes rebelled But Charlemayne hys sonne putte ende vnto the twoo warres to wytte that of Saxonye and of Aquitania but not wyth oute greate trauayle LoÌ„g warre against the Saxons He had warre with the Saxons for thre thirtie yeares space and during this warre he was also occupied with others For he did subdue the country of Bauier the which did rebell vnder the conduction of the Captain Tassilon and made two iournies against the Lombards and passed euen into the land of Lauor in such sort that he subiected all Italy and ordayned lawes as touchyng policie He constrained also the cities of Gallia situated about the Ocean sea in times past named * The auncient name of Britaine in FrauÌ„ce Armorica and now comprehended vnder the name of lytle Britayne to do their duety Because that they refused to pay the tribute that was yerely dew vnto the kings of FrauÌ„ce He went also into Spain where he was victorious against the Saracenes but at his returne the Gascons a people of Aquitania did lay waite for him in the forestes called * Mountaines which do diuide Fraunce froÌ„ Spaine Pirenees discomfited him Finally at the eyght yeres end he vainquished the HuÌ„nes who held the country of Hungaria pacified Bohemia by hys LieutenaÌ„ts His last war was against the Danois or Normanes who wasted all that side of Germanye and of Gallia with their sea armie Through these so great actes he was surnamed the Great For before tyme the French kings did hold but that part of Germany which is betwen Saxony and Dunowe betwen the Rheyâ—e the riuer of Sala betwene Swane and Bauieres But he annexed the whole country of Saxonie moreouer the two Hungaries Demnarbe or the great Westphalyâ— Ireland and the mediteran cost of Dalmatia The aboue sayd French kings did possesse in Gallia the part which is betwene the Rheine and Loire
It is saide that at that tyme the ciuill law which we haue sayde to haue bene gathered together by the commaundement of Iustinian and which since had bene put in obliuion through the tumults of warre was called again into lyght The ciuill law restored Henry surnamed the proud was then duke of Bauiers duke of Saxonie by contract of mariage because that he was the emperour Lothariê° son in law He coueting the Empyre hauing conspired sundry thyngs agaynst the Emperour was bannished hys possessions parted geuen vnto others But Henry recouered the couÌ„trey of Saxonie and as he drewe towards Bauiers he died leauyng a lytle sonne for whose sake the Saxons rebelled agaynst the Emperour And moreouer Welpho the brother of Henry diseassed conquered with sword the countrey of Bauiers draue out Lupoldus whome the Emperour had made lord of the countrey We haue a lytle before sayd Roger king of Sicilia that themperour did thrust out Roger king of Sicilia But he taking oportunitie of this that Germany was so troubled set vpon Sicilia defeited the Emperours lieutenant Afterwards he incited Welpho by meanes of great promises to offer alwayes occasions of war vnto the said Emperour so to kepe him occupied The kyng of Hungary who also feared him did the lyke And as the Emperour thought to go into Italy hauing all things in readines he died at Bamberg And Conrad duke of Swane succeded him Conrad Emperour who went a warfare against the Saracenes but hauyng lost his army retourned home where he ended his life Fridericus redbeard the first of that name Fridericus redbeard his nephew and duke of Swane was Emperour after him a man of noble industrie He in the beginning of his raigne appeased the princes of Germany and tooke away the variaunce that was touching Saxonie Bauiers Afterwards went into Italy with a great armie where he chastised them of Verone for that they had contemned him and for example he caused certen of the chief to be haÌ„ged About Placentia he coÌ„mauÌ„ded al the princes vassals of the Empyre to make him watche He besieged Millan brake downe Ast destroyed Dertone Beyng arriued at Rome he was crowned of Adriane the fourth He suppressed the citizens that did rebel ouerthrew Spolet and made great slaughter He subdued the Lumbards and hauyng surmounted the ambushmentes which they of Verone had layed for hym retourned into Germany He punisshed ignominiously the Prince Palatine who in his absence had styrred vp troubles and debates He made the duke of Bohemia kyng The meane whyle the Millanes dyd diuers wronges vnto theyr neyghbours and reestablished Dartone that the Emperour had destroyed Therefore he returned with a great army and vanquished the Millanes by the ayde of them of Cremone The Millans rebell against the Emperour Pauia and of Noaire The towne being taken pardon was graunted vnto the common sort at the request of the Princes of Germany who had bene required of them All Lumbardie beyng brought agayn in to obedience the town of Millan ordered by his pollicie he went vnto other people thereaboutes But after his departure the Millanes rebelled contemning the lawes that he had made destroyed the fortes bulworkes by him buylt Againe he returned spoyled the whole couÌ„trey putting all to sack that apperteyned vnto them In the meane time great coÌ„spiraties were kindled against him in Italy the pope Adrianus of whome we haue spoken was a doer herein who died beyng fully minded to excommunicate him The Emperour came into Italy the thyrde tyme The towne of Millan ouerthrowoâ— and raised vp the foundation of Millan made the authour of the rebellion to be beheaded and sent in exile the rest of the people Afterwards hauing layed siege before Rome he lost the most part of his armye by contagious sickenes Wherefore he raised the siege and left garrison of men in Toscane at Spolet Ancone Rauenna apoynting men at his pleasure who shuld gouerne the publyke weale This done he tooke his way into Germany After the dissease of pope Adrianus two dyd stryue for the popedome These two were Victor Alexander the thyrde The Emperour was more affectioned to Victors but Alexander excommunicateth his aduersarie Strife for the popedome after as the quarell dyd enflame he dyd the lyke vnto the Emperour The Millanes seyng the oportunitie did rebell and draue the Emperours lieutenants froÌ„ diuers places of Italy of whome they hanged certain The Emperour beyng retourned into Italy fought against them vnknowing who had the better The Pope companion of armes did flye to Venice At length there was trewes betwene them the Emperour tooke in hand the viage of Asia agaynst the enemyes of the christian religion where he was drowned by the rudnes of a riuer into the which he cast hymselfe for to swimme Fridericus redbeard drowned His sonne Henry the .vi. of that name succeded him He came the second time into Italy after the dissease of William king of Sicilia sonne of Roger where he conquered Puel Calabria toke also Naples subdued Sicilia leauing there great garrison because of the vnstablenes of the men of that couÌ„trey Then he ordened gouernors at Rauenna Ancone in Puel Toscane Afterwards at the coÌ„sent of the princes of Germany hauing declared Fridericus his son then a childe successor of th empyre he went into Sicilia where he ended his life And because that Fridericus was to yong diuers were of opinion to haue Philip his vncle take the place But pope Innocent the thirde stifly wythstood it This diuision of the Princes styrred vp also great tumults for that some of theÌ„ did elect Philip other some Otho duke of Saxonie The great tempest was chiefly nere the Rhene But Philip so behaued the matter partly by armes partly by singuler humanitie Philip Emperour slain in his chamber Otho emp. that he brought hys aduersaries to reason then made peace with the Pope whoÌ„ he had tryed to be his enemie euen to the vttermost Afterwards he was slayn in his chamber the abouesayd Otho duke of Saxonie succeaded hym who entred in the Popes displeasure albeit that before he had bene his frend as much as could be possible Briefly he was excommunicated by him the princes electours solicited of the sayd Pope for to elect another held their assemblie called from Sicilia Fridericus son of Henry the .vi. vnto whom they had sworne wheÌ„ he was yet a childe as we haue sayd herebefore The Emperour Otho came wyth his army to encounter hym nere the Rhene for to stop him of his way But he was driuen back in such sort that beyng retourned into Saxony he died of displeasure as it is thought By this meanes Fridericus the .ii. of that name was Emperour vnto whom Fridericus The Emperour louer of peace sought the same by Ambassadours which at length with great difficultie he obteyned afterwards he retourned into
signified foure kingdoms that should arise and spring out of this Empyre but that they shoulde not be able to compare neyther in strength nor power with the abouesaid first king Let vs then se how properly Daniel hath paynted forth Alexander the great CC. yeres and more before that he raigned for he sayth that the Goate shuld not touch the ground Victories of Alexander that is to say he should dispatch his warres with great speede and that none coulde saue the Ramme from his hands For Alexander raigned but .xii. yeres and in so litle a tyme he subdued almost al Asia as we haue here abouesayde And albeit that the power of the Persians Medes was vncredible not withstanding Darius was vanquished of him in thre battells one after another lost his life Empyre Certain say that when Alexander came into Ierusalem the chiefe priest recited vnto him this place of Daniel wherwith he greatly reioysed As touching that another horne shuld come out of these foure the which at the first was very litle but afterwards became merueylous great which shuld greuously afflict the most holy places he sayeth that hereby is signiâ—ied the horrible persecutions that the Iewes shuld suffer of the posteritie of Alexander the great to wit of the kings of Egipt Syria betwene that which countreys Iudea is situated Truely the Iewes haue experimented this horne sprong out of the foure to wit Antiochus the noble king of Syria most cruel destroyer Here is also to be applied the .xi. chapter where he spâ—aketh againe of Alexander and of his successours so effectualy that it seemeth no prophecie but some historie Finally let vs come to the image of Nabuchodonozor The image of Nebuchodonozor wherof we haue spoken in the first booke because that occasion was offered I wil not repete thinterpretatioÌ„ touching the thre first empyres forasmuch as it is altogether manifest approued by the course of times I wil speake only somwhat of the fourth because it toucheth vs who liue therin is more seriously discribed by Daniel He sayth that it shuld be of iroÌ„ and that it shuld beat down subdue al other Empyres It nedeth not many words to shew this for the thing it self maketh the profe by the histories that I haue recited The fete the toes are partly of iron partly of clay EueÌ„ as the fote of maÌ„s body is clouen into toes so after that the romain empire shal be set vpoÌ„ his leggs of iron haue had his dominioÌ„ through the hole earth he shal end in toes this huge body shal be dissolued It is altogether manifest that this is come to passe and it nedeth no expositioÌ„ For is there any thing more disparsed at this day then the body of thys great Empyre And although it be so notwithstanding because that the sole of the fote is of iron as he sayth it shal remain always stable the romaine empyre shal endure vnto the end it can not be altogether broken But the remnant the name and dignitie shall abide vntill such time as Christ shall ende all humain thynges by his comming We can in no wyse doute it is more cleare then the nooneday that this Empyre is brought extremely thinne and lowe That high tree is fallen down neuerthelesse the roote doth yet abide and perseuer not with such iuyce that it can spreade forth or encrease but it is altogether drye Howbeit there shal be no humain power that can pluck vp thys roote or plant of the nature of iron but it shal haue always roote in the earth vntil such time as the workmanship of this world be destroyd We haue experience thereof For diuerrs haue employed their powers to roote vp this litle strayght possession of the Empyre amongest whome haue bene the popes the Turks And albeit that thei haue done many enterprises â–ª forcast to do more The pope the Turkes enemies of th empyre notwithstanding they shal neuer come to the point to compare or make their power equall let them do what they wyll with the greatnes of that of the Romains neither shal they ouerthrow that litle remnaÌ„t of the empyre although it be dry without iuyce There shal be no fifte monarchie For it is not possible to establishe a fifte monarchy Trewe it is that Germany only hath the title and possession of th empyre but if she knit together her powers courages it shal be easie for her to represse al outward violence a thing proueable by diuers examples A few yeres past the Turkes passed the straight of Thracia and proyed and spoyed all ouer Europa and at this present haue so enlarged them selues that theyr dominion bordereth vpon Germanye Wherethrough she is in great daunger aswell as Italy for the nearenes Howbeit if we marke Daniel more narowly it is to be hoped that their strength power is come euen to the vppermost steppe For Daniel attributeth vnto them but only thre hornes as we haue sayd the which they now obtain The three hornes of the Turkes first of al in possessing the dominion of Asia afterwards of Grecia of Egipt The whole countrey of that regioÌ„ may be comprehended vnder the name of Grecia euen almoste vnto Sclauonia And albeit that in our tyme they occupie a great part of Hungary that they possiblie may vexe and trouble Germany or the couÌ„treys thereabout not withstanding because their dominion is to be enclosed within certaine limittes maye not be comparable with the romaine power as we haue already shewed it is very lykely that these Prouinces shall not be assubiected vnto theÌ„ as are thother three Grecia Egipt and Asia They shall make warre against the saincts exercise all maner of crueltie against the christians and their fury shal endure euen vnto the end of the world as Daniel plainly witnesseth This is the principall cause of his prophesie to the end that beyng aduertised and certified of the calamities miseries of the last time we shuld not be discouraged but shuld waite for deliuerance by the coÌ„ming of Christ who will come shortly after these afflictions as he saith will carie his into a sure peasible place wyping al teares from their eies Certain places of Daniell do properly appertaine vnto the Iewes vnto whom the deliuerance froÌ„ the captiuitie is promised the time that the Messias promised vnto the fathers shuld come is noted signified The other prophecies touching the last age of the world them that shall liue at such time as the litle Horne Reuelation of antichrist which is the posteritie of Mahomet shal make war vpoÌ„ the saincts that that wicked abominable man of sinne who sytteth in the temple of god shewing himself as if he were god shal be reueled opened For eueÌ„ Daniel hath forshewed his tirannie as Paull expresly interpreteth in his epistles The fury of Sathan at the ende Sathan whom Christ himself calleth the prince of this world shal alwaies rage but chiefly in the last age of the world shal slacke louse all bridles of fury stirring vp aduersaries vnto Christ who shall not only be tiranous and cruel by power of armes but also by false doctrine shal draw men into deceipt and error in such sort that the very elect shall hardly escape their snares This truly is the time that daniel signifieth in the .xii. Chap. which should be so miserable desolate as neuer hath ben the like nor shal be For he promiseth vs not any thing pleasant but horrible persecutions when he saith that the calamities whereof he speaketh shal endure vntil the dispersioÌ„ of the hand or assembly of holy people be accoÌ„plished The people of God then shal be vexed through the whole earth And the godly meÌ„ shal be afflicted in diuers places as long as the world shall endure The which testimony of the prophet or rather of the Angell doth cut of froÌ„ vs all hope of coÌ„iunction recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ For he alwaies speaketh of dispersion dissipation putteth the end when the discords shal be raised for cause of the religion at whych tyme Christ shal appeare But for to comfort lyft vp sustayne them that shall then liue he incontinently after these miseries addeth the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead And we ought earnestly to pray vnto god that we may proue and fele it ioyfull comfortable The meane while Christ himself autoriseth daniel Daniell alledged by Christ Math .xxiiii. who in a certayn sermon of his aledgeth a place of him and putteth him in credit towards the auditours Seing then that these present times are very troublesome and miserable this prophet ought diligently to be vnderstanded who preacheth vnto vs that are horne in the end of the world And he ought studiously to be red and marked to the end that in these present euills we myght be fortified as wyth a trench or bulwarke and indued wyth assured consolation against the stormes and tempestes which threaten vs. FINIS
within these limites but for to giue them the taste of that which they shall read afterwards to the end the being allured or enticed by the diuersitie of things they might be stirred vp sometimes diligently to search the Authours the bookes out of whom these things are gathered But seing that this kinde of studye doth properly appertaine as it hath bene said in the beginning vnto them who ought to haue the gouernement of the people I thought I should doe according to your age and estate Duke Eberard if I did make you partaker of this my litle labour to the end that yf it be possible other yonge men mighte take some profite by your meanes as it were by your hands For albeit that Iohn Sigismond Sebastian Coccius your most honozable maisters doe with all diligence employe thēselues to instructe teach you Yet notwithstanding as our accustomed maner is whan a garden is to be dressed which we desire to be exquisite and decked with sondry flowers not to despyse the litles plantes herbes brought vnto vs from other places so likwise I hope that the litle present which I offer vnto you to garnishe the ground of your wytte shal be very acceptable vn to you And truely I present it onely vntil such time as hauing gotten more strength as it hath bene said you might rightlye walke through the wide fieldes grene places Which to doe you haue an example of your owne kinred to witte the vertue of your father a prince of most worthy praise who hath greatly augmented and decked the noblenes of his race by an eloquent doctrine and which is the chiefest he hath brought thys knowledge to her right ende The trewe scope of all sciences that is to saye that the name of of god might be sainctified that the Churches scholes might be well ordered that good teachers scholers might be nourished and interteined This is the duetie that god requireth chiefly of them of your estate and as he auengeth the neglecting thereof with great plagues so likewise he doth rewarde them with great giftes that behaue themselues therein as faithfull stuardes Diuers lessons might be recited of the godlines constancie valiantnes of your most noble father but you shall hereafter read them handled more at large and shall know the ornamentes of your noblenes For how can it be the he who so much fauoureth good wittes should not finally receiue of them such fruite of their thankfulnes as he deserueth and should not be renoumed in the time to come Seing then that he vnderstandeth the worthines of his estate the charge that god hath committed vnto him his chiefe care hath bene the your mind shuld be instructed in godlines and in learning frō your youth neither can any thing happen more pleasant vnto him such is the affection motion of his fatherly loue then to sée his expectation inferiour to your diligence The office of a true father I doubte not but you are thereto inclined of your owne accord as muche as this age may suffer that your instructours do their whole indeuours Wherefore goe forewarde in good time Prince Eberard and seing that you are borne to minister the publyke weale get you suche helpe and ayde as is perpetuall Aydes which serue vnto the gouernemētes of publike weales and as giueth certaine sure succour yea such that not onely lighten the labour whiche you muste hereafter beare when you shall come to gouerne the coūtrie of your ancesters but also make it pleasant and easie fare well The first booke of the foure soueraygne empyres BEfore that I begynne to speake of the foure soueraygne and principall Empyres to witte of Babilon Persia Grecia and Rome I must briefely say Discorde in numbryng of the yeres that there is great discorde in the numbring of yeres since the creation of the world for both the Hebrues Eusebius Augustinus Alphonsus and Mirandula do greatlyvary among them selues Notwithstanding because that almoste all the learned men of our tyme doe herein frame themselues according to the numbrynge of the Hebrues I wyl followe them steppe by steppe when neede shall require The Hebrues are to bee folowed in countyng the yeres And first of all to come to my purpose to witte vnto the first Empyre omittinge that whiche came to passe in the firste age omitting also to speake of the vniuersal flood for as muche as all these things are comprehended in the holy scriptures neyther is it possible better to describe them I wyl begynne from that tyme in the whiche after that the abundaunce of waters were retyred and the earth dryed mankynde then beyng brought to a very smale number beganne agayne to multiplie The vniuersall flood is referred to the M. CCCCCC LU I. yere after the creation of the worlde The yere the flood Methusalah the seuenth from Adam died in that tyme at the age of nyne hundred sixtie nyne yeres Noah the nephew of Methusalah by Lameth his sonne liued then beyng sixe hundred yere olde he with his familie was preserued by the singular grace of God And after that the number of men beganne by lytle and lytle to encrease he perswaded his chyldren others of his posteritie to scatter them selues in diuers countreys to fyll the earth to buyld cities townes and to that ende he appoynted vnto euery one by lot hys Prouince aboute an hundreth yeares after the flood At that time Nimrod sonne to Noahs nephew abode with his people in the land of the Chaldees And finally as diuers through the great multitude of persons were forced to depart and to seke diuers habitations they would before theyr departure leaue behynde them a perpetuall sygne of theyr memorye Men couet to buylde in theyr perpetuall memorye and hauyng Nimrod to be theyr captain they beganne to buyld a citie and therein a towre of a wonderfull hyght And forgettyng the wrath of God which had but euen a lytle before swallowed vp the whole world and whereof there is no doubt but Noah did diligently and often tymes put them in memorie they thought to get them a perpetuall name by sumptuous proude works Wherewith the lord being angry did bring theyr enterprise to nought by confusion of language God resisteth the proude the which before was but one kynde of speche vsed of al men Wherefore being cōstrained to leaue of their worke they dyd scatter thēselues into diuers partes of the world The towne tooke her name of this confusion of tongues for it was called Babell And from that tyme to witte an hundreth and one and thyrtye yeres after the flood is gathered the begynnyng of the raygne of Chaldea and of Babilon Nowe the first kyng was the aforesayde Nimrod Nimrod the first kinge of Chaldea who as it is sayde raygned sixe and fiftie yeares The holy scripture calleth hym a mighty hunter and doeth attribute vnto hym power and violence
vpon the Senate did will Antiochus not to meddle or make with Egipt Whereat he being displeased especially because that Hanniball the fugitiue did incite him as much as was possible Antiochus vanquished and spoyled to make warre he sailed into Grecia with his armie where he was ouerthrowen as we haue before saide After that the Romaines made a new armie by Sea for to folowe and pursue him and being sayled into Asia they dyd vanquishe and gette a great Battayle of him and dyd putte hym to flyght from beyond the mounte of Taurus After hys ouerthrowe he was wont to saye as Cicero reciteth that the Romaine people had done hym a great pleasure in easynge hym from ouer great charge and in leauing him so straight limittes of hys countrey L. Cornelius Scipio the brother of P. Scipio Affricanus did conduct this warre who for this cause was surnamed Asiaticus Shortly after M. Fuluius surnamed Nobilior dyd subdue the Etolians and triumphed ouer them And when P. Scipio Affricanus who in that warre had been lieutenant for his brother was retourned to Rome the Tribunes of the people beganne to trouble and torment hym Wherefore he departed from thence and went into Laterne to hys Towne and there as certaine saye thys noble man dyed beyng nine and fourty yeres olde The deathe of Pub. Scipio no yonger nor elder then M. Portius Cato Cicero in the Dialogue which he wrote of olde age doth introduct Cato speaketh louyngly and honorablye of the age of them bothe and of theyr studyes But aboue all he magnifieth the greatnes of courage that was in Scipio Titus Liuius sayth that Cato did beare hym enuy that he vsed to take this hys fortune and prosperitie in euyll parte Cato enuious agaynst Scipio Cicero affirmeth that he was prompt and quicke in all his affayres In that tyme floryshed Ennius Plautus and Nenius Poetes Antiochus beynge ouerthrowen Hanniball dyd flye vnto Prusias kynge of Bithinia And for because that the Romaynes dyd require that he shoulde be rendered vnto them Hanniball poysoneth hym selfe he droncke poyson and so kylled him selfe Antiochus the noble succeaded this Antiochus He also dyd deliberate to gette the kyngdome of Egypte for as muche as he was the Vncle of Ptolomeus Philometor Kyng of Egypte who beyng yet but a chylde had succeaded hys father deceassed Wherefore he declared hym selfe to be hys Protectour myndynge by thys meanes to oppresse hym and to take to hym selfe the chyefe dignitie But hys enterpryses beynge knowen the Romaynes whome the Egyptians had agayne solicited to succour them dyd hasten to sende C. Popilius Lenas in Embassage Who beynge comme to speake face to face with Antiochus he wylled hym in the name of the Romaine people to departe from Alexandria whyche he kept beseiged but as Antiochus did aske respit to aduise therevppon Popillius made a rounde circle before hym with the rodde that he helde and did commaunde him to declare what he mynded to do before he departed from thence By thys meanes he who was not ignoraunt of the power of the Romaines was so affrayed that he promysed to leaue all thinges in peace Popilius maketh Antiochus affrayed These thinges are recited to the ende to declare howe by litle and litle the Romaines are waxed greate of small beginninges and howe they did so aduaunce them selues that they assubiected almost all countryes For euen alreadye theyr valyauntnesse was passed through Italy and had inuaded diuers parts of the world Not withstanding there was yet many lettes and inconueniences in such sort that they had no lytle a do for to establyshe thys so great an Empyre which should comprehend and compasse the principall part of the world as I wyll here after orderly and briefly declare Philip kyng of Macedonia of whome mencion hath been made beinge very wroth for that he was so enclosed by the Romaynes purposed to begynne to make warre agayne But he was preuented by death and Persea hys sonne succeaded hym who of long tyme was so eneduraged agaynst the Romaynes in such sort that he tooke in hand as it were the heritage of makyng warre But L. Emylius Paulus who had been twyse Consull finally dyd gyue hym the ouerthrow in playne battaylle Persea king of the Macedonians taken prisoner and tooke hym Prysoner wyth hys Wyfe hys Mother and hys Chyldren whome also he ledde away in triumphe And for thys victory he was surnamed Macedonicus From that tyme also Macedonia was made a Prouince of the Romaynes In the former laste yeare Ennius beynge three score and tenne yeares olde accordynge to the sayinge of Cirero departed oute of thys lyfe Fewe yeares after P. Cornelius Nasica dyd assubiect the Dalmatians The thirde warre of Carthage And incontinently after the thirde warre of Affrike beganne to brust forth For because that the Carthagiens who could not liue in rest did moue warre and oppresse their neyghbours but chiefly Massinisse king of Numidie the compainion and frend of the Romaines the Romaines beyng required to succour them purpossed to put themselues in armes aboute the sixe hundreth and foure yere after the foundation of Rome Diuers iudgments as touching the preseruation or distructiō of Carthage But their opinions were diuers to wytte whether it were more conuenient to breake downe and destroy the Citie then to preserue it The saying of them who were of opinion that it was not conuenient that it should be destroied was that if Carthage were once taken away they would afterwardes euen amongest themselues make hurliburlies by seditions ciuill warres But M. Portius Cato did counsell the contrary declaring the great danger which did threatē the publike weale of Rome if thys Citie were not vtterlye rooted vp and destroied His opinion gotte the victorie albeit that he disceased in thys deliberation The death of P. Cato hauynge lyued foure score and fiue yeres Cicero doth name hym amongest the auncient oratours and doth place hym nexte vnto Marcus Cornelius Cethegus who he saith was renoumed of Ennius He sayth moreouer that an hundreth and fyftie of Catos orations were found full of learned wordes and notable matters and rebuketh the nicenes of hys time because they did not regarde to reade them diligently ouer He compareth him to Lysias the Scriuener of Athenes P. Scipio Aemilianus the sonne of Paulus Macedonicus and the nephew by adoption of P. Scipio Aphricanus had the charge and gouernement of the thyrde warre of Carthage And foure yeres after that certain others had begonne the war he came and assaulted Carthage wyth suche force that hauyng constrained them to yelde he spoiled it brunte it and beate it downe to the ground The distruction of Carthage By reason wherof he was also surnamed Aphricus aswell as he who dyd vanquishe Hanniball as it hath bene sayde And behold here the end of a most myghtie Citie whose foundation was more ancient then that of the City of Rome and being nothing inferrior in
his kinsman The cause and beginning hereof was that Cesar shuld be put out of his Consulship Ciuill war betwene Pompeius and Cesar if he did not out of hand discharge his armie geue ouer the prouince But he was persuadid in himselfe that he could not be in safety if he did dismisse his souldiars Notwithstanding he made this offer that both he Pompeius shuld yeld vp their souldious and for asmuch as this was not accepted he toke his iourney with an vncredible swiftnes he came out of France into Italy with his hoste entred into Flaminia where he tooke diuers townes Which being knowen Pompeius the two consuls to wit C. Marcellus L. Lentulus did flye frō Rome went to Ranusiū of the coūtrie of Puell bordering on the sea Cesar came thither also but the cōsuls had alredy passed the sea wer ariued at Durazo whether also shortly after Pmopeius fled And for because that Cesar being excluded by the time and destititute of vessels of warre could not folow or pursewe them he returned vnto Rome where he holding a courte made a complainte of the iniuries done against him and did propound certaine conditions of peace But because that the Senate dyd shewe themselues slacke and colde herein he went vnto Massilia where the gates were shute against him Wherfore he hauing prepared an army by sea he beseiged the towne both by Sea and by Land The Captaines of Pompeius yelde vnto Cesar leauing there his lieutenauntes he toke his iournie towardes Spaine where finally Petreius Afranius the captaines of Pompeius dyd yelde vnto hym wyth all theyr armie Whiche beinge done he retourned backe again vnto Massilia the which then beyng voyde of all hope did yelde vnto his deuotion Straight waies after this he returned vnto Rome hauing in his absence bene made dictatour by M. Lepidus Pretor where he made an assembly of the people and was chosen Consull with P. Seruilius Isaurico Afterwardes hauinge lefte and gyuen good order of his affaires he went into Grecia to conclud he ouerthrew Pōpeius in a great battaile in the contry of Thessalia wanne his campe yea albeit his armie was much greater Pompeius vanquished by Cesar Pōpeius flying away went into the countrie of Egipte at which time raygned Ptolomeus Dionisius the sonne of Ptolomeus Auleta whome as we haue sayde Pompeius beynge Consull dyd by A. Gabinius reestablyshe in hys Kyngdome whereof he was depryued Pompeius hoped that in partye recompence of hys good deede he should finde some helpe succour in that country But the king was then but a childe Wherthrough it befell that his famillier frendes dispisynge the present state of Pompeius or at the least fearing certayne motions and vprores The death of Pompeius dyd slaye him by treason Cesar pursewing him ariued at Alexandria accompained with three thousand and two hundreth men where he was first of al aduertised of the death of the sayd Pompeius Cicero giuing his Iudgement of them both sayth on this wise If so be that Pompeius had demissed somewhat of his great grauitie and that Cesar had greatly refrained from hys couetousnes we myght haue had some certaine assured peace and some publike weale The king of Egipte was then in armes against his syster Cleopatra Cesar beynge in Alexandria would that they shoulde pleade their controuersyes rather by ryghte before hym then by armes seyng that he was Consull of the Romaines and that certaine yeares before amitie was contracted by lawe and consent of the Senate wyth Ptolomeus the kinges father The gouernours toke this thyng very greuously and complayned that the royall maiestie was greatly empeched lesned in that they were caused to appeare and pleade their cause Warre in Alexandria againste Cesar Their hartes then were so enflamed with wrath that they put themselues in armes against Cesar who after great and sondry dangers reinained victorious Notwithstanding the king being dead he ordained not neither made the kingedome of Egipte in maner of a prouince but left the kingdome vnto Cleopatra and to hys yonger brother From thence he toke his iournye into Syria and afterwardes into Pont where he defyed the king Pharnaces the sonne of Mithridates and did pacifye Cappadocia Armenia Gallograecia Pont and Bithynia This beynge done he came agayne into Italye and after that into Rome And in the middest of the winter yea in the shortest dayes therof he toke shyppe in Sicilia for to sayle into Affrike albeit that the pryncipalest and chiefest diuinor had aduertised him not to take his iournie till winter were past After the iourney of Pharsalica Scipio and Cato sōnes of the Nephewes of A. Portius Cato were retyred in to the sayd coūtry of Affrike and hauing raised a great band of men of warre they had assubiected and brought the king Iuba vnder theyr gyrdell Cesar then ariued there and beseyged and ouer threwe them both Cesar victorious in Afrike But as concerning Cato he slew himself at Vtica for feare of falling into the handes of Cesar The which Cicero approueth beyng of opinion that considering the incredible grauitie that he naturallye had it behoued hym rather to dye suche a death then to behold the face of the Tirante Cato was of the Stoical secte and sometimes he did defend in the open Senate certaine brutishe and horrible sentenses as if he had bene in the politike gouernaunce of Plato according to the saying of Cicero and not in the affaires of Rome Ceser was retourned vnto Rome hauing triumphed ouer the Galles Egiptians those of Pont and of Affrike he stirred vp warre agaynst Sext. Pompeius in Spaine where he also gaue him the ouerthrowe So therefore all his enemies beyng vanquished and the people beynge pacifyed in all parties he returned to Rome .v. yeares after the beginning of the ciuil warre And after that he had triumphed ouer Spaine he fell out of fauour and was hated of diuers forbecause that he had always kept retayned to himself the name power of Dictatour which was offered him for that also he did electe such Senatours as semed good to his fantasye and almost onely dyd conferre the honours offices of the weale publike vnto whom it pleased him After then that the estate of the publike weale was changed and that the gouernement therof was reducted vnder the power auctority of one only the cōspiraties which were made against him were so enflamed that v monthes after his returne vnto Rome Cesar slayn in the Senate the xv of March he was murdered in the court of Poinpeius where the parliment was kept euen by thē who were greatly boūd vn to him for his clemencye gentilnes lately before shewed vnto thē For he had pardoned thē theyr putting on of armes against him in the war of Pompeius The muderers were M. D. Brutus C. Cassius Cn. Domitius C Trebonius Q. Tullius Cimber the two Seruilians Casca Hala dyuers others M.
Antonius Consull fellow in offyce with Cesar doth charg Cicero also before the Senate as consenting therto forasmuch as incoÌ„tinently after Cesar was slaine M. Brutus holding vp the bloudy sword cried out naming hym was thankful vnto him for the libertie recouered Some there be that say that Cesar spake in Greke to M. Brutus euen in the very instant that he fell vpon him to slay him and that he called him soÌ„ne I caÌ„not wel tell how they vnderstand the same Notwithstanding so it is that it is manifest by Cicero that Brutus was but fiften yeres yonger then Cesar The said Cesar had made certain lawes partly in hys consull ship partly when he was Dictatour Leges Iulae the which in his respect are called IuliaÌ„ lawes They are as concerning feildes iudgements violence requiring againe of the polings extorsions of gouernors of benifites of vsurie There are certaine other of the same name but they were made by Octauius Euery one doth coÌ„fesse that Cesar was very clement mercifull Cicero moreouer doth prayse him for his spirite for his subtilitie reason memorie instructioÌ„ ripe thoughts diligence yet neuer theles he was greatly greued and wroth that he did raigne beare rule albeit that he couÌ„terfeted the contrarye He writeth in a certaine epistle to Atticus Thou shalt vnderstaÌ„d that this raigne caÌ„not endure aboue half a yere Now in al these doinges Cicero was greatly variable incoÌ„stant For in the war he ioyned himselfe to the campe of PoÌ„peius toke his part albeit that he did reprehend his faint hart his negligence Moreouer besides this The inconstancye of Cicero in the epistles to his frends he called Cesar during the war tirant monster But after that PoÌ„peius was dispatched that Cesar pardoned diuers he changed his time note and in three orations whiche he made he exalted him euen to the verye heauen so greatlye dyd he prayse and magynifye hym And sence that Ceser had bene aduertised that he was conspired against and that oftentimes he brast forth in these words that he had lyued long ynough Cicero prayed and besoughte hym to put away that fantasye For althoughe that he had gotten as much glory as was possible that in respecte hereof he had lyued long ynough for himself notwithstanding he had liued to lytle a whyle for the publike weale the which could not well want or be destitute of his succour and defence Moreouer saith he thou hast no occasion to feare any daunger at all for all as many as we are of vs doe promyse the not onelye to make good watche for to kepe the but also to present and put our owne persones in readines before thee After that Ceser was slaine he triumphed for ioye said that the mourderers had obtained so great glory that the verye heauen could not comprehend the same This then is the fourth and last Monarchie The fourth and last Monarchye Wherin we must note how of small beginninges that Citye hath encreased and mounted by lytle and litle to souerain power For beyng buylt by shypheards fynallye it became Maisteris of the whole world Hereafter folowyng I wyll declare as briefely as shal be possyble lowe she is sence decayed and fallen daye by daye from that hyghnes and greate domination and hath bene ruined The second booke Octauius Antonius Lipidus C Cesar beynge slayne C. Octauius hys Nephewe by hys Systers syde drewe the legions vnto him and pursewed most sharpely the mourderers At the beginninge it semed that he put himselfe in armes agaynste Marcus Antonyus in fauour of the publike weale but finally he hauinge parted the Empyre betwene hym and M. Lepidus he established the dominion of thre Triumuiri named Triumuiri Cicero slaine by Antonius vnder whom M. Cicero who had made vehement warre againste Antonius was slaine by his commaundement beyng then thre score and thre yeares olde eyght yeres after the decease of Q. Hortentius who was eyghte yeares elder then he as it hath bene sayd here before It is certain that Cicero was fouly deceiued in his enterprises For because that after the death of Cesar Antonius did trouble the publike weale he commaunded vnto the Senate C. Octauius Cesars kinsman beyng then a yonge man of the age of twenty yeares whom he meruelously exalted to the Senate And not content herewyth he put in their heads to create him Consull hauyng no respecte to his age alledging to the perswation therof diuers auncient examples by the whych he would proue that the thing were lawefull Moreouer he confuted the argumentes by the which certaine causes of feare and danger might be alledged and swore vnto the Senate by hys fayth that Octauius shoulde alwayes remayne such a citezin as he was at that time sayd that they ought both to wishe him and desyre him Sence that Octauius did resyste and withstand him and committed him into the hands of Antonius M. Brutus also doth grauely rebucke him for that he flattered Octauius Now as it oftentimes commeth to passe the gredy desire of bearing rule and aucthoritie did engender raise vp dyssentions amongest theÌ„ Warre botwene the in such sort that Lipidus being deposed from the office of the Triumuiri and beyng bannished Triumuiri for hauing conspired against Octauius he sought to reuenge himself vpon Antonius who was his other compaynion and fellow in office And after the victorie of ActiacaÌ„ he ouerthrewe him with Cleopatra of whom mention hath ben made herebefore nere vnto Alexandria and constrayned them to kyll themselues Afterwards he made Egipt a prouince of the Romains The Historiographers say that in the raigne of Ptolomeius Auletes the yerely reuenue of Egipt did mounte to twelue thousand fyue hundreth talentes The yerely reuenew of Egypte the which summe according to that counte of the learned men of our time doth amounte vnto three score and fyuetene hundreth thousande crownes courrante Sence that the sayd country was vnder the aucthoritie of the Romaines it is estemed and Iudged to haue bene of farre muche greater reuenue by reason of the trafike of India and Ethiopia After the death of Antonius Octauius kept alone the Empyre fortye fower yeares And the twenty ninthe of his Empire the yeare of the creation of the world three thousand nyne hundreth fiftye and foure as diuers counte oure Sauiour Iesus Christ was borne The byrth of Iesus Christ seuen yeres after that Herodes surnamed the Great had sumptuously reedifyed the temple of Ierusalem altogether ruinated M. Antonius had married Octauius Syster but falling in loue wyth Cleopatra at such time as he visited the country of Asia he forsoâ—e hys sayd wyfe and toke Cleopatra The which gaue partly occasion of the warre The excesciuenes of Antonius Cleopatra Bothe of them were excessyue in all manner of sumptuousnes and the Authours haue written things almost incredible of their feastes delicacies pleasures
a certayn part therof which yealded vnto hym he retourned to Rome in hys raigne there was a great famaine in al places the which as witnesseth saint Luke the Euangelist Agabus had before prophecyed Nero Claudius the successor of Claudius gaue manifestly to vnderstand that he would once vtterly break the order of the Senators Nero. 6. In his time England had a great ouerthrow discomffiture for that they oppressed robbed in the said I le the citezens aliaunts of the romains The legions also that were in Armenia were brought vnder subiection with great dificulty could Siria be kept maintained Moreouer Fraunce did rebell through the perswasyon counsell of Iulius Vindix gouernour of the country afterwards Spaine by the motion conduction of Sergius Galba Iulius Vindix Sargius Galba And as he minded to recouer his losses and purpossed to take hys Iourny into Fraunce the other armyes which he had heare there through out the prouinces dyd rebell It is manyfest by the Historyes what a cruell wylde beast he was Whereof beynge Iudged of the Senate to be an enemye of the weale publyke he slewe hym selfe by the helpe of a certayne Lackey At that tyme floryshed ouer and besydes Seneca Lucanus Persyus Silius Italycus Poetes of whom the last was Consull in the laste yeare of Neros raygne Confusion in the Romayne Monarchie The state of the publyke weale was then broughte to suche dysorder that it was in the power and pleasure of the armyes and Legions to electe and create the Emperour Vespasianus became Emperour by such meanes Vespasianus 7. For the armyes whych were in Masia and Hungarye in Indea and Syria dyd reuolte from Aullus Vitellius and made their othe vnto Vespasianus promysing hym fidellitie and obedience He put Achaia Lycia Rhodes Byzantia Samos Thracia Sicilia and Comagena into prouinces vnder the Romains he quite and cleane rooted vp the Citie of Ierusalem Titus his sonne guyding and conducting the warre Domitianus 8. Flauius Domitianus dyd oftentymes skermyshe and make war with them of Hell wyth the Dacians and Sarmatians ouer whom at last he triumphed Statius Inuenalis and Martialis Poetes liued at that time Traianus 9. Vlpius Traianus was adopted of Nerua Coccius and afterwardes made Emperour who twyse saccaged the Dacians that rebelled and made them subiecte the Romaynes He broughte thether also newe inhabitauntes Afterwardes he Marched wyth hys Hoste into Armenia and Parthya whome he subdewed easelye and wyllyngelye in such sorte that they yealded vnto hym and after that he was surnamed Parthycus Notwythstandinge dyuers people in the ende dyd rebell agaynste theym especially they of Armenya and Mesopotamya The Parthyans also woulde not accepte the Kynge that he had assygned theym Adrianus 10. as soone as hys backe was tourned for to returne into Italye Elius Adrianus did assubiecte the country of Iudea whiche had rebelled The cause of the warre was that he had buylt a Temple vnto Iupiter Olimpius in Ierusalem the which he had permitted to be agayne inhabited The Iewes were greatly wroth and displeased with that Temple He visited also Fraunce Duchland England and Spayne and from thence to the country of Mauritania Parthia Asia and Grecia and he returned by Sicilia vnto Rome For the second tyme he went into Aphrica and returned to Rome from whence yet again he toke his voyage into Grecia and Asia and from thence he drewe into Arabia and afterwards into Egipt He held a parliment and commended vnto the Senatours Antonius Pius who after him did enforce himself to kepe the things in peace Antonius Pius 11. and studiyng to do good vnto eueryone he maintained the farreyn kings in theyr obedience by letters and humanitye In hys time there were excellent Iuriconsulls as Alburnius Valeus Tuscianus Vindius Verus Vlpius Marcellus Arrianus Tertullianus Saluius Iulianus L. Volusius Metianus After Antoninus Pius hys Sonne Marcus Antonius surnamed the Philosopher M. Antoninus the Philosopher succeded him who toke L. Aurelius Verus his brother for to be conioyner to the Empyre By whose meanes he had happye successe of the warre of Parthya whileste that he gaue order to the publyke weale in hys Palayes and in the Cytye After the death of Verus he gouerned hym selfe alone the affayres of the Empyre and had good successe agaynst the Germaines He saccaged also the Marcomes Sarmatians Vandalians and Boemians who had oppressed the countrey of Hungaria For then the most parte of the people from Sclauonia vnto France had conspyred against the Romaines Commodus Antonius a moste wycked sonne of thys moste excellente Prynce Cōmodus Antonius 13. dyd vanquishe the Mauritains and Dacians by hys Lieutenauntes He pacified the the countrey of Hungaria Germanye and Englande countreys whiche woulde not be vnder hys subiection He in the meane whyle spent hys tyme in all maner of sylthynes and crueltye Septimus Seuerus did make ciuill warre wyth Niger Septimus Seuerus who dyd procure and entise the countrey of Asia to rebell and also with Albinus who hadde done the lyke practyse in Fraunce He foughte luckely agaynste the Parthians He subdued the Iewes that were in Syria He assubiected Agabatus kyng of the Persians He receyued the Arabians who yealded vnto hym He fortified Englande causynge a walle to be made ouerthwart the I le euen vnto the Ocean Sea from one syde to another And hauynge subdued the people of Englande who were verye fearce enemyes he deceased at yorke Antonius Bassianus Caracalla dyd styrre vp warre agaynste the Parthians and agaynst the Armenians This is he who caused Papinianus Iurisconsul to be murdered The constātie of Papianus for that he would not defend nor approue the murder of his own naturall brother which he had committed At that tyme florished diuers Iurisconsulls almost euery one of them the schollers of Papinianus Excellent Iuriscōsuls to wit Tarruntius Paternus Macer Terentius Clemeus Menander Archadius Ruffinus Papyrius Fronto Anthius Maximus Hermogenianus Africanus Florentinus Tryphoninus Iustus Calistratus and Venuleius Celsus After that Caracalla was slain Macrinus Macrinus succeded hym who had but vnhappy lucke in battel against Artabanus kyng of the Parthians Heliogabalus Alexander Seuerus And vnderstanding that the souldiours were affectioned vnto Heliogabalus Bassianus he concluded peace Alexander Seuerus successour of that most wicked and filthy man Heliogabalus was a valiaunt man He wanne a great battail against Artaxerxes king of the Persians He recouered Mesopotamia which was lost vnder Heliogabalus He had very good fortune of the warres which he conducted by hys Lieutenantes in Mauritania Sclauonia and Armenia Afterwards goyng against the Germains who spoyled and oppressed Fraunce he was slayne by certain of his souldiours Vlpianus Iurisconsul Vlpianus Iuriscousull who was Papinianus disciple was his familier frend At that tyme also lyued Paulus Pomponius and Modestinus Maximinus Emperour Maximinus was Emperour after Alexander who employed hys whole force power against the
a certaine part of Affrike was assigned thē to dwell in The Gothes who by the good will permissiō of the Emperour Honorius did possesse Aquitania in Fraunce as we haue sayde not beyng content with their limites they did wrong violence vnto their neighbours and kept Narbona straightly beseiged But Litorius beynge sent thether with an armie he made the seige to be raised Litorius against the Gothes vittelled the town He was also prosperous in the fyrst battaile But afterwards he was takē almost all hys armie put to the sword The ouer throw was so great that the Romains were constrained to demād peace On the other syde Gensericus king of the Wandales violating the peace which he had as we haue sayde made in Affrike with the Romaines he toke Carthage suddenly being vnloked for wherin he did dyuers sondry cruelties This Citie had bene vnder the Romains for the space of fiue hundreth foure score yeares After he had gotten Carthage he passed into Sicilia where he did exceding much hurt Where through Theodosius did then prepare furnishe hys nauye for to goe and warre agaynst the Wandales But forasmuch as at the same instant the Hūnes dyd spoyle and oppresse Thracia and Sclauonie the armie was called frō Sicilia for the tuition defence of those countries At that time the Scottes Pictes dyd enter Perce into great Britaignie forasmuch as the inhabitants did despaire of the Romain helpe succour they demanded aide of the Englishe mē a people of Saxonia But they dyd so affectionate the plentifullnes fearnes of the coūtry that by litle lytle landyng new souldiours and increasyng their armye The Britons dryuē out by the Englyshemen they at the last dyd assubiecte the most part of the I le after they had defeicted the Britons Shortly after Theodosius the second dyed at Constantinople In his raigne the sūne was obscured or darkned as certayne say almost from the fyfetenth of Iuly vnto the month of Septēber appeared a blaysing starre Martianus Emperour Martianus succeded Theodosius in the regimēt of the East partes We haue herebefore spoken of Gensericus king of the Wandales Valentinianus entred in leadge wyth him and dyd deuide part Affrike betwen them The forcastes of Athila king of the hunes About thys tyme Athila kyng of the Hūnes who hauing violenly possessed Dacia Hungarie most cruelly assaulted the next countries there about to wytte Macedonia Mysia Thracia purposed to bring vnder his subiection that part of the Romaine Empyre which lyeth towards the Weast But because he perceaued that this warre should be very difficil yf the Gothes who were in peace with the Romains and did inhabite a part of Fraunce as it hath bene sayd should ayde and succour theym he hastened out an ambassadour towards them for to require them to be his frend and aliaunte but Atius the Lieutenant of Valentinianus the Emperour preuented hym by fyrst ariuing thether and hauyng confyrmed the allyaunce with Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes he prepared hymself to the battayle wyth all his power Athila neuertheles pursewed that which he had taken in hand and they fyersly ioygned in battayle in the playne of Chalons in Campania which is at this day so named through the great slaughter that was there committed Terrible warre in Cāpania It is said the there remained slain in that battaile almost foure score thousand men amongst others Theodoricus king of the Gothes Athila seyng himself van quished thought to slay hymself fearing to fall a lyue into hys enemyes handes But as king Theodoricus sonne folowyng the coūsell of Etius dyd retyre homewards with his armie for to succede his father disceassed Athila had leasure to take agayne hys breath and to retourne into Hungaria where hauing gathered a new armye he entred very furiously into Italy and beseiged long tyme Aquileia which fynally he subdued spoyled and brunt At one voyage he toke Concordia Padua Vicentia Verona Brixia Bergome Myllane and Pauye From thence spoyling all thorow out Flaminia he fynally encamped ouer agaynst the floode Mincius and that of Apia In the which place as he consulted whether he weare best goe to Rome with hys army the Byshop of Rome Leo the fyrst of that name came vnto hym leo pacifieth Athila so handled the matter that he not onelye wyth drew himself from goyng to Rome but also leauing the country of Italy he retourned into Hungarye where shortly after he dyed This is that Leo of whom diuers Epistles are yet found wryten vnto Theodosius the seconde and vnto Martianus Emperours wherein he partly excuseth hymself for that he could not be assystaunte at the Councells by theym published desyryng theym not to be offended in that he sendeth thether Ambassadours and partly he requyreth and prayeth theym to assygne the place of the Counsell rather in Italye then in Asia But he obtayned nothing The fyrst foundation of Venise At such tyme as Athila dyd in such fort vexe and trouble Italye The towne of Venise was built because that dyuers Ryche and noble men of the countrye there aboutes dyd retyre as into a place of resuge into that arme of the Sea Iles and hylly places The begynnynge then of this towne was pitifull poore and almoste in dyspayre and at thys present it is growen to suche greatnesse as we see it The number of the Dukes of Venise The number of their Dukes are hetherto counted to be foure score fyue of whom Paulus Anazatus was the first in the yere of saluation seuen hundreth syxe two hundreth fyfty two yeres after the foūdation of the towne Valentinianus was afterwards slaine and Gensericus Kyng of the Wandales passed forth from Affrike into Italy wyth a most myghtye armye beyng ayded of the Maures he went to Rome toke the towne beyng destitute and abandoned almost of all her inhabitants Rome takē by the Wandales Notwithstanding he beyng intreated by the Bishoppe Leo who had also pacifyed Athila as it hath bene sayd did not put the towne to fyer and sword Howbeit he proied it caried a great nūber captiue into Carthage Afterwards the enemies did much cruelty to the coūtry of Lauor and did ruinate Capua Nola Naples and other Townes byndyng them in cheynes whom they left a liue That is great Campania And beyng loden with the proy of Italy they retourned into Affrike Martianus who was Emperour in the East dyd kepe hym self in peace accordyng to his quiet peaceable nature He vsed to say that it was not decent nor honest for a Prince to put himselfe in armes A notable sentence as long as he myght lyue in peace In hys raygne a very great Coūsell was assigned at Chalcedon by his commaūdement The coūsel at Calcedō where Eutiches who confoūded the two natures in Christ was condemned There amongst other thinges it was ordayned that no clerke as they
By this meanes the gouernment of the Empyre retourned to Irene hys mother Who was driuen out foure yeres after and sent in exile and in her roume the aboue sayde Nicephorus was placed About the tyme of these tumults and troubles of Constantinople the fame of Charles kyng of Fraunce was very great For he hauing put ende to the warre of Spayne came into Italy wyth his armie at the request of Adrianus Byshoppe of Rome And euen as Pipine hys father had suppressed Aistulphus king of the Lombards so likewyse he after long seyge toke Desiderius the successour of Aistulphus The kyng of the Lombards takeÌ„ by Charlemayne who greatly molested Italy and Adrianus the fyrst of that name Moreouer he banished Adalgisius his sonne from the kingdome and out of al Italy For since Constantinus the great the Romain Emperours were placed very farre of to witte in Constantinople and were not only encumbred with forren warres but also with ciuill and domesticall dissentions tumultes and debats Wherthrough it befell that they toke no great care of Italy or that they could not well defend it especially after that the Lombards threaned to enter the country Moreouer the most part of them were at great strife wyth the Byshoppes of Rome and for spyte they bare them they did not greatly withstand the aduancement of the Lombards For this cause the Popes sought forren aide and succour And because that at that time there was no family more noble nor more mighty then that of the French Kyngs the refuge of the popes vnto the kinges of Fraunce Charlemaine proclamed Emperour for the excellentnes of their actes the said popes had refuge thether as vnto a certayn Hauen On this sort Leo the thyrd Adrianus successour hauyng fyerce and myghtye enemies at Rome demaunded ayde of Charles the sonne of Pipine He beyng for the fourth tyme come to Rome was saluted Emperor by the pope and all the people The which came to passe at such time as Constantinople was encombred wyth hurlye burlies great stormes and diuisions in such sort that it semed that the tyme and state of the publike weale dyd offer meanes and gyue occasion vnto thys mutation So therfore the Weast Empyre fell into the Germayns hands for it is not to be doubted whether Pipyne and Charles weare Germayns Thys fell in the eyght hundreth and one yere after the natiuitie of Christ As touching the East Emperours it is certayn that synce Nicephorus they haue bene alwaies tormented and troubled wyth warres For in the begynning the Bulgates had often times battaile against them Afterwards the Saracenes beyng marched froÌ„ Affrike occupyed the Iles of Candy and of Sicilia and destroyed Asia through out Whych also fynally the Turckes dyd who weare yssued out of Scithia Now from Nicephorus vnto ConstaÌ„tinus Paleologus the last there are reckened about fyftye Greke Emperours and amongst theÌ„ certayne women They were for the most part meÌ„ of no worthynes And in the raygne of Constantinus Monamachus who is the twentith from Nicephorus Constantinus Monomachus the Turckes beyng of a small begynning beganne to enlarge their dominions by lyâ—le and lytle and to assault Asia in such sort that encreassing daily their power The beginning of the turckes at length they haue establyshed a Monarchye but no newe one or fifth in order but engendred of that part of the Romayn Empyre whych was in the East The first of this Monarchye was Ottomanus Ottomanus the firste Emperour of the Turckes about the yeare of Christ a thousand thre hundreth Afterwardes Mahomette the second of that name and great grande father vnto Solimanus who raigneth at thys present hauing taken Constantinople and slayne the Emperour Constantinus Paleologus wyth all hys race Constantinople taken by Mahomette he vtterly rooted vp in those places the name and succession of the Emperours of our religion Now vnto thys day the Turckes hold and possesse Asia Syria Egypte Mesopotamia Iudea Rhodes and all Grecia Thracia Bulgaria Macedon Sclauonye and the two Mysies and of freshe memorye one of the Hungaryes and a certayne part of Barbarye Diuelyshe ambition of the Bisshoppes As touchyng the supremacye in tymes past the Churches of Ierusalem of Antioch of Constantinople and of Rome haue bene at great strife and variaunce especially the two laste as it hath bene sayd But the Turcke toke away the debate and in such sort confounded all thynges in those thre fyrst places that at thys day there is no apperaunce there of any Church or Christian assembly As concerning that whych remayneth and whych triumpheth beyng freed from the others that bare her enuye the thyng it selfe doth shewe in what state and disposytion she is After then that we haue declared how that part of the body of the Romayne Empyre whych lyeth towardes the East is altogether perished and fallen into other mennes handes It resteth to declare how that whych lyeth towardes the West is ruinated beynge brought vnder new gouernours It is here nedefull to consyder as in by passyng the meruelous mockyng of fortune in that that the Honour and so hygh dygnytye of the Empyre hath bene transferred from the auncient Romayne famylyes vnto straungers The euyll happe of the Emperours and Empyre yea vnto certayne vyle and shamelesse personnes amongest theym For somme of theym were Spaynyards others natyue of Hungarye Pannonia Dacia Dardanya Dalinatia Fraunce Thracia or Cappadocia Chyefely it is requysyte to contemplate how greatly the estate of the Emperours hath bene doubtfull and myserable for theyr prosperitye and dygnyty dyd not consyste in the defence or power of the Senate or of the people but of the Legions and souldiours in such sort that it was meruel that euer any wold take vpon them an offyce so daungerous and subiecte to so many calamytyes For synce Iulius Cesar who was murdered in the presence of the Senate vnto Charlemayne The number of Emperours murdered there are founde about thirtye that were slaine and foure that slewe theym selues wyth theyr owne handes There was alwayes somethynge in theym that dyd mislyke the souldyours neyther coulde they beare any more wyth the good then wyth the bad and conspyrynge for the least accasyon in the world they cutte their throttes whome they had enforced to take vppon theym that hyghe estate as it is manyefest It so befell vnto Elius Pertinax The Senate stoode in awe of the Emperour but he dyd depend almost vppon the wyll and pleasure of the vyle souldiours They toke vpon them thys aucthoritye after the death of Iulius Cesar especyally the olde bandes and leâ—yons whose ayde he had vsed in Fraunce Spayne and Affryke Cicero lamentyng the same sayth they are valiaunt but for the Memorye of thynges whych they haue done in fauour of the lybertye of the Romayn people and dignity of the publyke weale they are ouer much arrogant and drawe all our councells vnto their fellonie and violence The ende of the seconde Booke The
betwen the Ocean sea and Baleaire But he adioyned all Aquitania and the ridge of the hylles Pirenees vnto the riuer of Ebro yea euen all Italy which should haue bene before sayd from the Alpes vnto the vttermost partes of * A couÌ„trâ— ioyning to Naples Calabria Finally beyng gone for the fourth tyme to Rome he was saluted Emperour Augustus by Leo the third and by all the people the xxxiii yeare of hys raigne By this meanes then the Romayne Empyre towards the West the which was rent and torne sondrywyse especiall synce that the Emperours had placed their chiefe seat in Constantinople as it is easy to be sene by the former discourse was renued agayn by the Emperour Charlemaine and as a new body toke agayne hys collour and beautye The Empire renued by Charlemayne in that so many and so great countryes were assubiected vnder the power of one man only Nicephorus the other Emperour of the East parts was greatly wroth with thys election but Charlemaine did mollifie him by his humanity modestie and by presents entertained themselues in amitie and they did assygne the compasse and limites of both the Empyres Besydes the other assemblyes Charlemayne caused a counsell to be holden at Reims at the which it was ordayned amongst many other statutes that the Byshops shuld diligently study the holy scriptures preach the word of god Another Synode was assembled at Mense the yere before hys death before another at Tours at Caalon vpon the Saone at Arles for the râ—formation of Churches as the writers of that time say The eyght huÌ„dreth fourtenth yere after the natiuitie of Christ the lxx yere of hys age he died at Aix in Germany Ludouicus the sonne of Charlemaine 2. Emperour after he had appointed Ludouicus his sonne heritor of his raign and Empire xiiii yeres after that he had ben first declared Emperour of the Almains At that time there was only xxi Metropolitan Cities as they are called in Italy Germany Fraunce to wyt Rome Rauenna Millane * A Citye or Country in Italye so called Forumiulii Grade Colon Mense Salisbourg Trire RouaÌ„ Sens Besonzon Lions Reims Arles Vienna Tarentasia EbrodunuÌ„ Burdeux Tours Bourges Pipine his father had taken away the Exarchship from the LoÌ„bars had left it in the custodie of the bishop of Rome as we haue said as it is found in writing But Charlemaine gaue it wholy vnto him as some say wherof notwithstanding dyuers do doubt Eginardus his secretary sworne writter Eginardus secretarye to Charlemayne who was familier with him wrytteth that aboue all he loued the Church which they call of S. Peter wherinto he caused much Golde Syluer and precious stones to be broughte For he studyed aboue all thynges to reestablyshe the Citye of Rome in her fyrst credyte and aucthoritye and that the Churche of Saynct Peter shoulde not onely be in safegarde vnder hys protectyon but also that amongest others it should abounde in ryches Eginardus sayeth thys and no more not makynge anye mention that he dyd gyue so mighty Townes and so many in number whych dyd appertayn to the Empyre yea he being made Emperour at the fourth entrye whych he made into Rome he gaue order according as we fynd in writting not onely vnto the affaires of the Citie of Rome of the Pope and of all Italy but also vnto Ecclesiasticall and perticular things Also before he was Emperour Aucthoritie of Charlemaine aboue the Pope at such time as he was but onely King of Fraunce after he had discomfyted Desiderius king of the Lombards as it hath bene sayd he came to Rome and held a counsell whereat as theyr one Bookes do mentian the Pope Adrianus the fyrst and all the Sinode dyd gyue hym the ryghte and power to electe the Pope to ordayne the Apostolyke Sea as they terme it and to confyrme the Bishops Eginardus doth attrybute vâ—to Charlemaine dyuers vertues worthye of a greate Prynce to wytte temperaunce modestye sobriety affectyon towardes relygyon Learnynge Eloquence wyth knowledge not onely of the Latine tounge but also of the Greeke Besydes thys he reporteth hym to haue bene verye circumspect and diligent to see hys Chyldren taught and instructed in the knoweledge and experyence of these selfe same thinges Albin the schole Maister of Charlemayne chiefe founder of the vniuersitye of Paris He instituted the vniuersytye of Paris aswell thorowe hys owne proper motyon and Good wyll as by the instigatyon and sute of Albin hys Master who was hys instructour in sciences as saith Eginardus He named the monthes and twelue wyndes in the Duch tounge the which names are yet vsed Before tyme as sayeth the same writter the French men vsed names partlye Latyne partelye Barbarous Hetherto I hauing made as it were a preface of Charlemaine and of the Almains from henceforth I wil briefly rounne ouer and declare how that part of the Romayn Empyre whych is towards the West the which was recollected and reestablyshed by Charlemaine is agayn fallen into decaye and beyng deuided into diuers Prouinces hath bene vnto diuers who possesse those countryes neither more nor lesse then their owne proper Heritage without considering their ofspring in such sort that this venerable and so renoumed hyghnes of Romayn Empyre is at this day no other thing then a lytle shadow of a great body synce that of so great a large compasse it hath bene enclosed in a small part of Europa to wytte in Germanie Last of all I will in few words declare how Daniell hath for shewed these mutations of Empires and the fall of the Romain monarchie Ludouicus then the sonne of Charlemaine the second Germayn Emperour renued the amitie wyth Leo of Armenia Emperour of Grecia The third yere of his raigne Pope Leo disceassed and his successour Stephan the fourth went into FrauÌ„ce and consecrated the Emperour at Reims Paschal came after to be Pope And forasmuch as the aucthoritie of the Emperour was not interposed he excuseth circumspectly and diligently that fact declaryng that he against his will was there placed The bookes of the Popes containe that the Emperour Ludouicus ratifyed vnto Paschal and to hys successours the possession of goods that he permitted the election frely vnto them so that he should be counted and holden for Pope whom all the Romains should haue Iudged worthy of that estate I cannot tell what credite a man should giue vnto such writtings for they agree so yll are placed in so yll order that none can vnderstand that whych ought to folow Ludouicus had thre sonnes Lotharius whom he toke to be compaynion of the Empyre of the kingdome Charles who succeaded in Aquitania his brother Pipine disseased he made Ludouicus lord of Bauieres Conspiraty of children agaist their father His soÌ„nes dyd conspire against him by whom he was taken and depriued of his kingdome and was constrayned to take a monasticall lyfe at Compienue a town of the
companions with a terrible and shamefull punishement and put out the eyes of Iohn the seuententh of that name And for because that there was always dissention for the succession of the Empyre he ordayned by the popes help that from thence forth certain princes of Germany shuld haue the ryght and aucthoritye to elect the Emperours for feare lest that any in the tyme to come should attayne to thys dignitye as by inheritaunce The seuen electours of the Empire instituted Thys decree was made about a thousand yeares after the natiuiry of Christ Robert was then kyng of Frannce a louer of peace of letters The Annales do renoume hym for that he buylt dyuers Temples vnto the which he gaue great reuenewes Robert kig of FrauÌ„ce and that he weÌ„t a pilgrimage vnto Rome The Emperour Otho did conferre the roiall dignitie and franches vnto Bolellaus Duke of Polonia as it is in their Annales This then is the beginnyng of that kyngdome Otho died in returninig from Italy Henry the second of that name was Emperour after hym Henrye the second who was Duke of Bauieres nexte kynsemen of Otho the Great of the Duke of Saxonye and of the Emperour He appeased the affayres in Germany and drew to hys frendshype a part of the enemyes by syngular humanitye the other part was dyscomfyted by hym Whyche done he passed into Italye and hauyng plucked the country of Puel from the handes of the Saracenes he restored it to the Empyre Afterwards he was crowned by Benedictus the eyght sending his host into Germany he toke his way by Bourgony and communed with Robert Kyng of Fraunce and they confyrmed theyr amitie together This Emperour was greatly in the fauour of the Churchmen because he was very benificiall vnto them Henry beyng dead the Empyre was vacant a certayn time because that the Princes Electours dyd not agree At length Conrad Duke of Franconie was elected Conrad Emperour He brought Stephan king of Hungaria to agrement and conditions of peace And hauyng geuen order vnto the affaires of Germany he drew into Italy where diuers were ready to reuolt At the fyrst entrye he assalted Milan and from thence passed to Rome where he was consecrated by Iohn the xviii and was saluted Augustus by the acclamations of the people He appeased Italy after punishemeÌ„t made of the tumulte raisers Notwythstandyng beyng retourned into Germany he was constrained to make the second viage in Italy for the new troubles that were brust forth where he did iustice vpon the authours of the conspiratie amongest whom was the archbyshop of Milan and ceassed not tyll he had reducted all vnder his obedience These thinges finished being retourned he dyed at Vtrec which is a towne in the confynes of Holand Hys sonne Henry the thyrd of that name succeded him by the consent of the princes Henry the thyrde He subdued the Bohemiens who rebelled and made them become tributorie He reestablished Peter king of Hungarie whom his subiectes had on a certayne tyme bannished and pacified the whole countrey not wythout great losse of his men At that time great tempests were raysed at Rome by reasoÌ„ that thre dyd contend who should be pope Three at stryfe who shoulde be Pope and dyd aspire there vnto by all vnlawfull meanes These were Benedictus the nynth Siluester the third and Gregorye the syxt The Emperour went thether for to giue order and hauing layd seige before Rome â—e toke it by force Afterwards hauing made assembly of the estates he ordained Suitgerus Byshoppe of Bamberg to be Pope who changed hys name and was called Clemens the second of whom also the Emperour was crowned Then the Cityzens of Rome did againe swere that in the electioÌ„ of the Pope they would do nothing but what shuld please the Emperour Italy beyng againe appeased and the Emperour retourned into Germany Pope ClemeÌ„s died and was buried at Bamberg This knowen the Emperour ordayned Boppo Byshoppe of Frisingen to be Pope It is he who was named Damasus the second and lyued in the estate but xxiii dayes Wherfore the Byshoppe of Tulles Leo the nynth succeaded hym by the commaundement of the Emperour A Pope or litle abode There is found the remnant of a certaine epistle of him where he sayth that it is not lawfull for a byshop priest nor Deacon to leaue his wyfe for religion sake but that reason requireth he should norishe her not so notwithstandyng that it is lawfull for hym to haue her compainye seyng that sainct Paull saith that it is lawfull for him aswell as vnto the other Aposties to lead a wife hether thether The which he enterpreteth in this sense that the Apostles haue had alwaies their wiues with theym to the end that they shuld be norished with their husbands by theÌ„ whom the said husbands did instruct in the religion of Christ not for to lie together and exercise the act of matrimony and that by reason therof Paul did vse this word of leading to fro and not of embrasing The Emperour presedeth at the Counsell The yere M. L. Leo departed from Rome came to Mense where he held a counsell of xlii Bishops at the which the Emperour preseded He being dead thre yeres after at the consent of the Emperour the bishop of Eistet succeaded hym He was named Victor the .ii. The Emperour went into Italy hauyng there set al thigs in order he returned into Germany Afterwards hauing coÌ„muned with the French king Henry the first of that name he dyed in Saxonye and was buryed at Spire The Pope diuers princes were assistant at his death He had a very younge sonne named Henry who notwithstaÌ„ding was already before elected Emperour wherfore the charge did he vpon his mother and vppon the Byshoppe of Ausbourg Shortly after Pope Victor the second dysseased hauyng preseded a lytle aboue twoo yeres Fridericus of the house of Loraine named Stephan the nynth succeaded hym who a few monthes after dyed at Florence And here vppon one Benedictus the tenth of that name dyd vsurpe the Popedome wythout the Emperours leaue by the help of hys men The Romayns did myslyke thys facte therefore they sent an Embassadour for to purge them offeryng the Emperour to kepe lyke fidelitye towards hym as they dyd vnto hys father praying hym that he would ordayne a lawfull Pope Thys vnderstode the Emperour displaced this Benedictus and appointed theÌ„ Gerardus Byshop of Florence who was called Nicolas the second Benedictus vsurpeth the Popedome and is shortlye after displaced by Henry the Emperour The Princes of Germany dyd take great displeasure that the publike weale was gouerned by a woman the Emperours mother Wherfore they consulted to take her sonne from her Whych done the administration fell vpon the archbishops of Mense and of Coloigne before al others They somtimes vsed the aide of Adelbertus the archbishop of Breme who was very a greable vnto the yong Emperour He being
so far in fauour and gouernyng all he addicted to hymself to his the church goods and chiefly the abbies Notwithstanding to the end he might be the lesse hated he perswaded the Emperour to bequyeth them also vnto other Princes In the meane while Nicolas the second died vnto whom the Emperour substituted the Byshoppe of Parme but forasmuch as he dyd communycate nothyng vnto the Romayne Senate and that here through great troubles weare lyke to be raysed the Bysshoppe of Lucens was elected and was called Alexander the seconde They stroue togeather earnestly Twoo popes fight together â–ª but fynally Alexander had the vpper hand by force of armes Whilest the Archbishop of Breme gouerned all about the Emperour the other Byshops his companions bare deadly hatred agaynst hym who at length draue him out of the court And albeit that he was reestablished in his estate notwithstanding he liued not longe after The Emperour beyng constrained by necessitie because that diuers did complayne of the estate of the publyke weale praied Annon Archbishop of Coloigne to take the charge of the publike weale But he perceiuing that many things were done insolently and wickedly excused hymself vppon hys olde age and for that he was sickly Wherfore he rendred vnto hym the charge Then the younge Emperour being at the age of XXII yeres and naturally inclined vnto vice Euyll gouernement of the Emperour began to losse himself the bridle And because that he bare no affection vnto hys wyfe Bertha he norished great store of concubines Afterwards makinge many stronge holdes in Saxonye he thought to bring them of the country into bondage In the meane while he did not represse his officers who did sondry whoredomes insolencies They then of Saxony aswell nobles as Byshops dyd consult together to maintayne their libertye and put themselues in armes the which scarsely they would lay downe after great intercession made when that the Emperour had satisfied theyr requestes He flying away by nyght escaped wyth great difficultye Hâ—dedrand Necromancien wycked Pope After the dyssease of Alexander the second the Lords of Rome dyd substitute Hildebrand without the aduise of the Emperour and without his consentment who was named Gregory the .vii. of that name This knowen the Emperour made complaint by letters and forthwith admonished the Pope to satisfye him as touching the said fact The Pope made aunswere that against his will and without his expectation he was draweÌ„ to that office neither would he haue accepted that estate before that he and the other Princes of Germany should haue had approued the election By this meanes he pacifyed the Emperour and was synce confirmed by his consentment Afterwards he sent certain byshops Embassadours into Germanye by whom he would haue held a counsell But the Byshops of the said nation would not consent thervnto aledging that to be against the custome and priueledge of the country Wherfore in asmuch as he could not bring this his purpose to passe he held certain counsells in Italy in the which he forbadde that Priests should haue wiues but that they should either demisse theÌ„ Mariage forbeddeÌ„ vnto Priestes or ells forgoe their places He sent vnto the Bishops of Germany this his decre and charged vpon paine that it should be ratifyed and approued But the clergy as they call them and the whole band of priests did stoutly and fyrmely withstand the same calling him Heritike because he dyd put forth so wicked an ordinaunce seyng that Christ had said that al were not capable of this word Strife for the Mariage of Priestes and that the saying of Paull was let them marrie that cannot abstayne This man on the contrary litle regarding the word of Christ and despisyng say they the aucthoritie of Paull wil constraine men to forsake the vse of lawful mariage and established of God for to kyndell vyle and vnhonest flames and to runne headlong into manifest infamies On their part they had rather forgo the ministry of the Church then to be depriued of Matrimony Thys Pope notwithstanding ceassed not to vrge his affaires by messengers and did so straightly prease on that the archbyshop of Mense dyd mind to obey hym He first of al gently admonished his subiects And afterwards he held the counsell at Erphurd where he thought to accomplishe the commaundement But litle wanted it that he was not slayne in the tumult which did arise Henry Emrour agaist the Saxons In the meane while the Emperour mindyng to auenge the ignominye and shame of the yere past when the Saxons had so narrowly assalted him that he was constrayned for his sauegard to fly away by night put himself in armes the treatise of peace of the former yere beyng broken he gathered as many men as he could possible The army beyng in readynes he went and set vpon the Saxons who had sent vnto him diuers Embassadours to entreat for peace and defeicted theÌ„ not wythout great slaughter of hys for the most part of the nobilitye remayned on the feyld After the vyctorye he went on further and proyed theyr country requiryng them by herauds to yeld theym selues and to looke for all gentylnes and clemencye at hys handes But he obtayned nothyng albeit that certayn dyd obey therevnto The Byshop of Halberstat wyth Bucco and Otho Duke of Bauieres who was defeicted of the Emperour conducted thys war of Saxony The Archbyshop of Mense was in such wife solicited of Gregory the seuenth that he held another counsell where agayne he propouÌ„ded of the singlenes of the clergy but he was excepted as of late was in great dauÌ„ger of his life wherfore he purposed to medle no more therwith The Emperour had broken his army and sent backe the Princes that were come to his succour after the discomfitour of the Saxons but vnder condition that they should ariue towards him all in armes the .xxiiii. of October The day come dyuers were there present and amongst theÌ„ a great many of Byshops but not in such number as before There again the Saxons beyng encamped before Northuse sent Embassadours for to obtaine peace Vnto whoÌ„ the Emperour aunswered that they could by no meanes haue peace vnlesse they dyd yeld theÌ„selues vnto hys deuotion The Saxons albeit they knew what was better to be don then to accord thervnto notwithstaÌ„ding because that many great Lords auaunced of the Emperour and sent by him did conduct the affaire and promysed theym mountaynes and wounders to wytte that neyther theyr lybertye nor theyr Gooddes shoulde be mynyshed at length they consented and there became subiecte vnto hym the Byshops of Magdebourg and of Halberstat The Saxons yelde Otho duke of Bauieres the great duke of Saxony Fridericus Palatinus with diuers gentillmen The Emperour at the beginning put them in sufficient honest gard but afterwards breakyng the couenants he caused them to be ledde hether and thether into sondry places Synce he not onely deliuered Otho Duke of Bauieres
but also toke him into great familiaritie As touching the resydue he deliuered theym not and besydes thys he gaue their goods in pray to others Moreouer he buylt new bulwarks and stronge holdes in such sort that he held his foote as it were vppon the Saxons throts and had almost vtterly destroied their libertye In his absence he gaue the whole administratiō vnto Otho of Bauieres who was issued out of Saxony Furthermore he ordayned a Byshop vnto them of Bamberg of Coloigne and an abbot vnto them of Fulden He had bene already accused vnto the pope of this chiefly that he solde the ecclesiasticall iurisdictions Wherethrough it befell that the Pope did summon him by his Embassadours The Emperour summoned by the Pope that within a certayn day he should appeare in Rome for to plead his cause He on the other syde made an assembly of Byshops Abbates at wormes wherin it was concluded through consideration of the wicked practises by that whych Hildebrand attayned to be Pope that he shuld be displaced Which was published at Rome by Embassadours The Pope was nothing astonished therewith yea so litle that he fained not to excommunicate the Emperour The Emperour excōmunicated by the Pope with the Bishops of Mense of Vtter and of Bamberg chiefly prouided that before he had excommunicated certain of the Emperours familiers through whose coūcells he thought hym to be incited to enterpryse such things Now it came to passe that certayne Prynces of Germany beyng greuously offended with the maner doings of the Emperour chiefly for that against his faith he dyd pursew the Saxons wyth so deadly an hatred conspired agaynst hym so much the more boldly in that he was excommunicated and vnder this title let goe the captyues that were yelded and of whom the Emperour had geuē them the custody assuring thēselues that they were no more bound vnto the Emperour for any former othe The Princes rebel agaynste the Emperour At the same tyme certayne nobles of Saxonie hauyng conspyred and drawen the resydue to take their parts toke the strong holdes that had bene buylt wherof some they toke by force and power other some rendred and yelded vp and let go the souldiours that were there in ward whole and safe after they had takē othe of theym that from thenceforth they should not beare weapon against the country of Saxony This knowē the Emperour by a certayn subtilitie did willingly demisse the Princes that he held captyue to the end that they beyng retourned into Saxony should faithfully ayde him to punishe the rebells For he saw that there was no better way to attayn to hys purpose then to sowe dyssentions amongst them and to seperate thē one from another Subtilitie agaynste subtilitye But fortune failed him and it befell cleane contrary For they beyng refourned home and knowyng hys disposition dyd delyberate to vnite theyr powers and courages to the end to fyght for their libertye Duke Otho did the lyke and forsoke him Now the Emperour fylled wyth good hope passing though Bohemia and aided wyth the souldyours of the country was entred wythin the regyon of Misenum where hauyng receaued newes of the common accord of the Saxons and of the armye euen then in all readynes he losing all hope departed thence Then the Princes of Germany came together in a very great number on a certayne day that was assigned Thether also arriued the Popes Embassadour He hauyng declared the causes for the whych the Emperour was excommunicated incited theym to elect another the whych they would not haue let to haue done of theyr owne accord An assembly for to displace the Emperour For they remembryng the Emperours lyfe from hys chyldhod called hym the spotte shame and dyshonour of the Empyre and agreed that he ought to be dysplaced because of the great domages and hurts that he had done to the Empyre He being in such distresse beganne to entreat and make requests by hys Ambassadours But after diuers procedings these cōditions were propounded vnto hym Hard conditions he should represent hymself in Iustice and should submitte hymself vnto the iudgement of the Pope whom they would cause to come to Ausbourg about the fyrst day of February He should demaund and obtayne absolution before that the yeare of the excommunication be expired If he doe it not he shall lose wholly hys cause He should breake hys armye The meane whyle he should lyue pryuatly at Spyre wyth small trayn not medlyng wyth any publyke affayre He should not haue hys gard and should not beare any scepter nor any other marke of the Empyre vntyll suche tyme as the Proces should be voyde The Emperour accepted these conditions and as he was at Spire it came in his brayne to goe into Italy for to appease the Pope in Good tyme. He put hymselfe then in Iourny wyth hys wyfe and hys lyttle sonne in the sharppest of the wynter The miserable vsage of the Emperour and passing through Bourgony and Sauoy wyth great dyfficulty and daunger of hys lyfe at length he came into Italy where the Prynees and Bysshoppes of the Country louyngly accepted hym supposyng that he was thether comme in dyspleasure agaynst the Pope In the meane while the Pope had taken hys Iourny at the request of the Prynces of Germany and beyng already gonne on wardes a lyttle waye he was aduertyssed of the Emperours commyng Therfore he stayed to know the cause Here vppon the Emperour hastned forthe a gorgeous and honourable Ambassage in the whyche were certayn noble women of whom one of theym as the common reporte goeth was a lyttle to muche at the Popes commaundement He prayed that he woulde voutsaufe to gyue hym absolution The Pope at the beginning made the matter very strang saying that he could do nothing vnlesse the accusers were present But after long proces he was wonne by supplications and agreed thervnto Howbeit before that euer the Emperour could haue entraunce vnto him The ignominius homage of the Emperour vnto the Pope he remained thre whole dayes in the court and gate of the castell where the Pope was clothed very simply wyth out any marke or appearaunce of Emperour bare fote and without drinking or eating vntil night The fourth day finally he was admitted then the Pope propounded vnto him these lawes he should represent himself to be examined he should aunswere vnto the accusations of the Princes If he were conuicted he should for goe the Empyre should not conspire any vengaunce The meane whyle he should liue as a priuate man and should do nothing in publike person He should quite his subiects of their faith and othe He should put frō him his counsellers and famillier frends If he do any thing to the cōtrary the grace which is now shewed vnto him shal be of no vallew and it shal be in the lybertye of the Prynces to substitute incontinently another These lawes beyng approued of the
was elected Emperour A litle before this time occasioÌ„ of great warre did arise betwen the Frenchmen the Englishemen Charles yâ— fourth For as Charles the faire king of FrauÌ„ce was disceased without men children the which befell the yere a M. CCC XXVII Edward the third of that name king of England contended that the kingdome appartained vnto him Warre betwene the FrenchmeÌ„ and the Englishemen because that he was sonne of Isabel the sister of Charles The chiefe of the kingdome who are named Petes elected king Philip of Vallois cosin of king Charles disceased excluding not only Edward soÌ„ne of the sister but also the kinges daughter who was borne after the dyscease of her father For they sayd that the heritage of that kyngdome dyd nothyng appartayne vnto daughters Herevpon sprong a terrible warre the which yet at this day is not wel appeased The affaires of the Emperour Charles were very troublesome at the beginning Edward king of England was also chosen Emperour but he wold not accept it as it is reported because of the war where in he was occupied against the Frenchmen The Emperour Charles hauing appeased diuers innimities thorow Germany drew into Italy at the consent of Pope Innocent the .vi. who was in Fraunce was crowned at Rome by certain Cardinalls vnder conditioÌ„ that he shuld not soiourne neither at Rome nor in Italy Institution of the viccaires of the Empyre Wherfore he returned to Millan where he graunted to the family of Vicontes who then were of great power in that towne that they shuld be perpetual Viccaires of the Emperour through Lomberdie For the which benefite he receiued a great summe of monny of them not of them only but also of other people vnto whom he had gyuen certaine priueledge The which dyd greatly weaken the powers of the Empire in that country After he was returned from Italy he assembled the Princes made the decree of the Empire which is coÌ„monly called the bul of gold Last of all he declared Wenceslaus his sonne successour of the Empire The goldeÌ„ bull the which he obtained as the bruit goeth by great summes of money Shortly after he disceased In the time of his Empire Iohn king of Fraunce son of Philip of Vallois gâ—ue battaile against the Englishe men who then held the most parte of Aquitania and the towne of Bourdeaux He was taken in the battaile very nere Poitiers with Philip the least of his sonnes Iohn kyng of Fraunce taken of the Englyshe men who was afterwards duke of Bourgony surnamed the Hardy Diuers of the chiefe nobilitie were slain in that battaile They that haue writen the Annales witnes that the EnglishemeÌ„ were no more then vii thousand and on the coÌ„trary that that FrenchmeÌ„ were come thether in an infinite nuÌ„ber euen about sixtie M. This came to passe the yere a M. CCC L. VI. the xx of September The king was led captiue into England where he died .vii. yeres after Wenceslaus as writtings do mentioÌ„ was very vitious aswel of his nature and bringing vp Wenceslaus as of his maner of liuing toke no care of the publike weale He hauing receiued peÌ„ce of Iohn Galeatius who was of the house of Vicontes Galeatius the first duke of Millan he made him duke of Millan of Lomberdy notwithstanding that he was a couetous and cruell man In his raigne Iagello duke of Lituanie was elected by the will and consent of the Princes king of Polonia after the death of king Ludouicus He was then fyrst baptised and named Vladislaus He is the double great grandfather of Sigismondus the .ii. who now raigneth The king of Hungarie defeicted by the Turcke Sigismundus King of Hungarie was vainquished nere vnto Nicopole by Baiazeth Emperour of the Turcks the last of SepteÌ„ber The king of Fraunce Charles the .vi. of that name had sent a braue cheuallry vnto the succour of the Hungarians wherof Iohn sonne of Philip the Hardie duke of Burgony had the conduction who was taken in the battaile presented vnto the greate Turke being in extreme danger of his person not withstanding he escaped after a straunge maner Iohn of Bourgonie deliuered by a strang meanes which reciteth the Annales of Fraunce Baiazeth had one of his familiares who was of them that make profession bost themselues to know the dispositions natures of meÌ„ in beholding the body the eyes the visage the forhead He hauing cast his eye sight vpon the prisoner perswaded that Emperour to let him go safe seing that at his returne into his country it would so come to passe that he shuld kindell a fier wherewith the most part of Europa or of Christendome shuld be enflamed Baiazeth beleued him let go the prisoner with the other gentill men after he had receiued their ransome which did amount vnto CC. M. crownes Iohn being returned into Fraunce begaÌ„ne to set himself against Ludouicus duke of Orleans who was the kings brother For he seyng the king his brother to be holden wyth an incurable disease would handle the affaires haue gouernment be cause that he was his nerest kinsman Iohn of Bourgony on the contrary perceauing himself to be the kings cosin and greater in age Philip his father being dead would goe before Their quarel increased dayly in such sort that the duke of Orleans was at length slaine at Paris as he returned to his lodging after supper The murderers were hired by the Duke of Bourgonie the whiche he denyed not and likewyse approued that whych was done this befell in the yeare a M. CCCC VII the ninth of December Twelue yeares after when the said duke of Bourgonie came to the place appointed for the parising of the matter The death of Iohn of Burgonye not withstaÌ„ding the assurance made vnto him he was dispatched bi certain familiars of the aforesaid duke of Orleans who had conspired against him The murder was done in the presence of the Dolphine who preseded in the leading of the matter This is the original beginning of the war which from that time hath not ceased euen vnto this day to be renued from time to time betwene these two famalies Because that the Emperour Wenceslaus was dispised for his vnmanlines the princes dyd put him from besides his estate elected in his place Robert Palatin Robert Palatin Emperour This maÌ„ forthwith applied his mind to correct that which Wenceslaus had done amise would not ratifie the graunt that his predecessor had made vnto Iohn Galeatius so that he was minded to bring LoÌ„bardy again in the obedience of the Empire But as he forcasted to go into Italy aswel for this cause as for others he was letted yea repulsed by the aboue said Galeatius The estate of Italy was then very troublesome through the faute chieflye of Charles Wenceslaus who had ouermuch licenced graunted vnto those people For besides Galeatiê° who of late was