set forth in their proper apparell and habite and after them all his noble actes conquestes and victories The hearse being set downe at the Rostra Drusus his adopted sonne read an Oration in writing but at Rostra Iulia by the decrée of the senate Tyberius had an eloquent spéeche vnto the people in his praise whiche beeing ended they that brought the hearse thither did take it vppe and bare it out at the triumphal gate There attended on the corse the Senate the horsemen with their wiues the Pretorian souldiers of the guard and almoste all men that were then at Rome After that his body was laid vpon the roge or pyle of wood which should burne it first of al the priests went rounde about it after them the horsemen then the legionarie and also the other souldiours and lastly they which had had any charge of custodie throwing vpon him all the rewardes that euer they had receiued of him for their noble actes in the warres After this the Centurions or petie capteines taking firebrandes did set on fire the roge which being absumed an Eagle was let to go who flying out of the roge did as they woulde say carie Augustus soule into heauen When all these thinges were done the rest departed but his wife Liuia with the chiefest of the horsemen tarying in that place fiue dayes gathered together his bones and laide them in a tumbe The men did not mourne for him many dayes but the women by decrée an whole yeare as they had done before time for Brutus Publicola and other Moreouer at Rome the wiues vsed to mourne for their husbandes tenne moneths in white within the whiche time if that they maried Numa made a lawe that they shoulde offer vppe a cowe with calfe but afterwarde it was enacted that they should be reputed infamous But nowe leauing the Romanes I do finde that the Iewes vsed to annoynt their dead all ouer with precious ointments and then wrapping them in a shéete full of swéete odours lay them in a sepulchre or graue as wée reade that Ioseph of Arimathea buried our Sauiours bodie embaulming it with a mixture of Aloe and myrrha of an hundreth weight Iosephus in his first booke of the warres of the Iewes telleth this of the burying of Herodes All the hearses were garnished and set with golde and precious stones but the bedde it selfe was spotted with purple the bodie also was couered with purple But a Diademe was sette on his head but ouer it a crowne of golde and a scepter at his right hand and aboute the bed attended his children with his kinsfolkes Moreouer the guarde and the bande of the Tetrarchie the Germanes and the Galatae went all before in battell araye and furniture But the rest of the souldiours did decently folowe armed the capteines and chiefe of their orders But fiue hundreth bondemen and libertes carried odors The bodie was with this pompe carried two hundreth furlonges to Herodian where it was buried Hee was mourned for seuen dayes for the vsage of the countrie would allowe no longer whiche is agréeable vnto that saying of the Sonne of Syrach the mourning for a dead man is seuen dayes Yet I reade no certaine time appointed by the lawe and also I finde that the Israelites mourned for Moses thirtie dayes for Aaron other 30. But why we doe not reade that Iosue was mourned for as wel as Moses and Aaron Ierome in his consolation vnto Paula for the death of Blesilla affirmes the cause to be for that Aaron and Moses presignified the time before the comming of Christ but Iosue figured Christ and the time after In the which Epistle also he doth report that the Iewes in his time did vse at the death of their fréendes to go barefooted and tumbled in Ashes to lye on hayre clothe and least that any thing should want vnto superstition by a lewde rite of the Pharisées the first meate the they did eate was lentilles Furthermore these rites I note out of the sacred Scriptures to be vsed by the Iewes in their solemn mournings to rent their clothes to go barefooted ye sometimes all their bodie half bare to lye prostrate on the ground and vpon haire clothe to shaue their heads and beardes and cast dust and ashes on their heades to sit in ashes to couer their face with a whoode to apparel them selues in haire cloth ye to cut the brawnes of their fleshe whiche thing although I finde forbidden in Leuit. 19. yet this to be commonly vsed among the Iewes may we probably gathere by the sixtéenth of Ieremie and Ierome vppon that place doth affirme that diuerse Iewes still vsed it in his time I finde also that they vsed to go a gossiping as we do nowe terme it vnto them that mourned carrying with them breade and wine and making them good cheare This also is worthie to be remembred that the Nazarenes might not be present at the funerals no not of their parentes brothers nor sisters the high Priest only of his parentes children brothers sisters so she were a virgin but at no buriall else no not of the Prince and yet was it not lawfull for him to passe by a dead bodie and leaue it vnburied for the lawe commaunded the Iewes to burie their enimies And thus muche of the Iewish funerals But this was common vnto all ciuil nations to erect vpō the graue namely of noblemen Princes a tumbe but they began to be so sumptuous at Athens that the citie was forced to make a lawe that no man shoulde builde other tumbe then suche an one as tenne workemen could make in three dayes vpon the whiche neither might there be any Image of Mercurie which they called Hermes Also Demetrius Phalereus prohibited by statute any piller to be set vp vppon any graue aboue thrée cubites high or any table but pillers were not set vpon the graues of none but very noble and famous men whereby was signified that they did excéede other men which nowe adayes sayes Plinie is done by Arches a new inuention It was not lawful at Lacedemonia to ingraue any mās or womans name on a tumbe but only of them whiche had valiauntly dyed in the warres Plutarche in the liues of the tenne Rhetoricians writeth that there was ingrauen in Isocrates his sepulchre a Ramme of thirtie cubites wherein was a Syren of seuen cubites for a mysticall signification and also neare vnto it a table which had the Poetes and his scholmaisters among whome was also Gorgias beholding an Astronomicall sphere and Isocrates standing by him Augustus in his life time built for him selfe in Mars his field a tumbe of wonderfull workmanshippe with twelue doores in memorie of the twelue Sages and an obelisce wherein was ingrauen the interpretation of the nature of things out of the philosophie of the Aegyptians Vnto the which obelisce August added an other maruellous good vse that was to finde out by it the
troupes from all partes of the towne assaulted the house wherin the imbassaders lay requested to haue him deliuered vnto them that he might be executed vtterly neglecting the greatnesse of the Romane name and the memorie of the friendshippe lately made and doubtlesse they would haue put him to death if that the king and the officers had not rather conueyed then deliuered him out of the present perill Diodorus also doth affirme that these baggage Goddes are kept and nourished about the Temples by men of good reputation who féede them with fine manchet Alica a kinde of furmament deintie dishes made with milke Moreouer they do set euery day before them géese bothe boyled and also rosted and for those that eate rawe flesh they cause byrdes to be caught finally they kéepe them with great care and charges Furthermore they doe washe them with warme water and very good and odoriferous ointments They also make for them sumptuous beddes costly garnished they mourne for their death as muche as they were their children and burie them more sumptuously then their abilitie can cleare After the death of Alexander the great when that Ptolomeus Lagi held Egypt an Oxe being dead at Memphis for age he that tooke vpon him the charge to kéepe him bestowed vpon his buriall a great masse of money the whiche had béene giuen for the charges of the funeralles and also fiftie talentes that is 9375. lent by Ptolomey Also in our age which was in the time of Ptolomeus Dionysius the laste king certaine that had the keeping of suche beastly Goddes bestowed vpon their funeralles no lesse then 100. talentes that is 18750. pound In what house soeuer saies Herodotus cattes do dye by nature al they that do dwell in them do shaue their ey-browes onely but if that a dogge die all their whole bodies and heades are shauen Dead cattes are caried by the people howling and beating their brestes vnto the temples to be salted and from thence into the citie Buleastis to be buried but they lay dogs in sacred cophines in those temples where they happen to die but dead shrewe mise and hawkes they do carrie vnto the citie of Butis all these baggages doe they by the reporte of Diodorus wrapp in fine shéetes and embaulme with the precious liquor of Cedrus and odoriferous ointments but dead beares and wolues do they burie where they finde them Moreouer Iuuenal in his xv Satyre doth charge them with farther follie in that they make léekes and onyons their Goddes wherefore he frumping them sayes O holie nations that haue Goddes growing in their gardens I haue béene the longer in declaring the madnesse of the Egyptians to make men vnderstande from whence the Israelites had their wonderfull pronenesse vnto idolatrie and worshipping of false Goddes But as I sayd before it is not so greatly to be maruelled at if that heathen men who accounted those to be Gods whō they knewe to be most renouned for vertue and valiancie did when that when fortune fauned on them forget them selues and inuaded wrongfully the godhead yet who wold beléeue that so absurd a thought coulde come into their myndes to whome God had reuealed his trueth and the knowledge of him selfe if we did not reade the like of Herodes Agrippa in the moste true recordes of the Actes of the Apostles Whiche historie is in these wordes related more at large by Iosephus in the .xix. booke of his antiquities When Herodes Agrippa did set foorth at the citie of Caesaria magnificent spectacles vnto the people in the honour of Caesar vpon a day vowed for the life and safetie of the Emperour to the which came also the worshipfull and honourable of the whole Prouince the second day of the shewes the king putting on a glittering robe wrought with wonderfull workmanship of cleane siluer about Sunne rising came foorth vnto the theatre Nowe when that the Sunne at the first rising did shine vpon the siluer garment the glistering of the mettall did cast foorth with the reuerberated beames suche a double and diuine brightnesse that the tenour of the sight did dazell the eyes of them that behelde it striking in them a veneration with honour Incontinently was there hearde the flatterie of the common people pratling out wordes which sounded to honour but brought destruction He was saluted from all partes of the Theatre by the name of a God and supplyantly prayed vnto to be mercifull and good vnto them the people saying vntill this time we haue euer feared thée as a man but from hencefoorth we doe nowe confesse thée to surmount and be aboue mans nature But the king did not suppresse nor blame their lewde exclamations neither abhorred the vngodlinesse of vnlawfull flatterie vntill suche time as a little while after he looking vp sawe an Owle sitting vppon a rope that went crosse the Theatre ouer his head and immediately withall he felt him to be the minister of his destruction whome he had knowne before to be his purueyour of good thinges and so was he soudenly tormented with incredible peines about his heart belly and small guts and looking backe vpon his friendes sayde behold ye I that God of yours am presently tumbled downe from life the power of God presently prouing those wordes to be false whiche you euen very nowe bestowed and hurled on me And I whome but very nowe you called immortall am out of hande at this instant carried headlong to death but I must abide and receiue the sentence whiche God hath pronoūced on me for I haue liued not in miserie but in so great felicitie that al men cal me a blessed mā When he had spoken those words he being more grieuously vexed with the violence of the peine was incontinently borne into the palace But shortly after when it was bruted abroad that he was vpon the point of death a great multitude of al ages sects came vnto the palace who lying on the ground grouely clothed in hairecloth after their countrie guise made incessant supplications vnto God for the kings recouerie all the kinges palace ringing with their dolful cries and lamentations whē as in the mean time the king lying in a chamber aboue and looking downe and beholding them lying flatte on their faces with lamentable wéeping could not abstein from teares him selfe but being fiue dayes thus tormented incessantly with griping peines of his bellie at the lengthe brake in sunder the tedious thread of lothsome life Thus by this long narration of those whose prosperitie made them to forget their maker yea and them selues too that saying of Augustines is verified that as all fruites all graines all woodes haue their worme and euery one a diuers worme the one from the other so the worme of riches power and prosperitie is pryde which doth corrupt and quite consume them as all other wormes do the substaunces wherein they are bred neuer dying vntill that they haue chaunged the names turning woods to rottennesse yron to lust and
the kinges sayes he séeking to féede his humour and to followe his affection caused Images to be made of yuorie golde and other pretious stuffe But Alexander him selfe gathered together a great number of Architects and the excellentest workmen to adorne his funeralles And first of all did he cast downe ten furlongs of the wals of Babylon all the bricks being gathered together caused he to be carried away the the ground might be leuel to build the roge or funerall fire vpon the which he erected foure square euery side being one furlong long the rest of the plot he diuided into 30. edifices the which were built with stories boorded with palme trée at the lowest part were set 240. béekes of quinqueremes or galleies with fiue ranckes of oares of golde and vpon euery one of them as it were vpon the stemme of a galley stoode two archers two cubites high resting on their knée in the middes stoode fiue statuies in armour of fiue cubites high and all the places betwéene them were couered with drawne courteins of purple On the second storie were fiftéene lampes whose féete were inclosed with crowns of gold In the top or highest story where the fire should be put and kindled were Eagles portraytured spreading abroade their winges and looking downe vpon the dragons that stoode beneath staring vppe vppon them The third storie was filled ful of a mightie number of wild beasts wrought for that purpose The fourth had the fight of the Centaures made in golde The fifth had Bulles and Lyons of golde first a Bull and then a Lyon and so stil in like order Aboue all this was the highest storie hanged round about with the weapons of the Macedons and also of all the Barbarians bothe to shewe the vallor of the Macedons and also to signifie what nations they had conquered Then vpon the toppe of al did there stand holow Myrmaides in whom were hidden certaine men that sang the funerall Nenia or song The height of the whole work was estéemed to be 130. cubites And when that the capteins the souldiers the embassadours and the inhabitants did to the vttermost of their power helpe to furnishe and adorne the pompe there was bestowed aboue 12000 talentes that is 572500. And after the rate and proportion of this magnificence were all other thinges celebrated in the funerals and buriall with surpassing brauery And last of al were men commanded to sacrifice vnto him as vnto a God president To furnish the funerals of so déere a beleued Alexander gaue commandement vnto all the cities néere to helpe and garnish the pompe by all meanes and with al things that they could possible He also gaue commandement to al the cities of Asia that they should put out the fire which was kept in the Temples and casted the holy fire the which thing was neuer vsed to be done among the Persians but at the death of their king In this place also although somewhat out of order will I set downe out of Thucidides the publike obsequies the which the Atheniens kept for their countrimen that were slain in the Pelopâ—a â—stan wars folowing the auncient manner of their countrie Thrée dayes before the buriall was there made a great tabernacle within the which were laide the bones of them that were dead that their parents fréends might lay vpon them what they thought good Afterward euery linage or tribe of the towne had a great cofer or cophin of cypresse into the which they did put the bones of al them of that tribe which were dead and carried it in a chariot to the vsuall place of buriall And after all the cofers was there carried in aâ— other chariot a great bedd ready made garnished without any body lying theron the which represented these deadmen whose bodies could not be found These chariots were conducted and accompanied by all sortes of people citizens or other those that would go vnto the sepulchre where the wiues parents of the diseased wept bitterly and made great lamentation Then did they lay all the cofers or cophins in a publike sepulchre or monument made for the purpose in the fairest suburbe of the citie the which sepulchre is called Ceramicon wherin they vsed to but iâ— al thâ—se that died in the warres except it were they that were slaine at the battel of Marâ—â—â—n In memorie of whose singular â—â—wesse they had willed a â—â—â—â—â—ar sepulchre to be 〈◊〉 â—s the selfe same pâ—â—e And after the bodies were buried the vsage was the some notable personage of the citie both for knowledge honour should make an Oration vnto the people in the praise of the persons departed the which being unded euery body departed home But for to make the oration at that time was the vallaint and â—â—quent Petâ—â—teâ— appointed And nowe to 〈◊〉 vnto the Rominâ—â— I do finde in Plinie 〈◊〉 was not vsed among them 〈…〉 for to burne the deaâ— bodies 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 them in the earth but afterward when that they vnderstood the those which were ouer whelmed by warres farre from home were oftentimes taken vp an ordinaunce was made that all should be burnt yet they kept the auncient rite diuersly for they do report that none of the house of the Cornelij were burnt before Sylla the Dictator who feared lest he himselfe should be taken vp and handled after his deathe as he in his life time had dealt with Marius his dead body Learned Volaterranus doth holde that after the time of the Antonines of whome Heliogabalus was the last they burnt no corses at Rome And before that time I read in Tacitus that when Nero had slaine in his madde moode his wife Poppea he burnt not her body but stuffing it ful of odours after the maner of forreigne kings buried it in the sepulchres of the Iulij but the solemne accustomed funerals were kept Furthermore laying of the dead bodie in the earth doth Cicero truely thinke to be the most ancient kinde of burial for the Patriarches were so buried wherunto Xenophon also séemeth to asseÌ„t making Cyrus to will his sonne to lay him neither in gold siluer nor in any thing else but only to restore him vnto the earth This also was common bothe vnto the Greekes and Romanes to burie the dead with great lameÌ„tations and teares without which saies Seruius they thought that they were not orderly duely buried wherof procéedes that complaint of Drances against Turnus the we an vnbewept multitude may be slaine in the fielde for the which cause they vsed to hire women to wéepe houle at burials whereof Chrysostome doth make mention in many places Horace also toucheth in his booke De Arte Poetica Chrysostome in his 69. sermon vnto the people of Antioche blameth in them the tearing of their haires the baring of their armes the dissipating of their eyes and the wearing of blacke apparell and vpon the first vnto the Philippians scratching of their faces he rebuketh their
immoderate and vndecent mourning so sharply that he threatneth to excōmunicate them which would not ceasse to vse it And not without good cause For by Bellonius his report it is vsed among the Greekes euen at this day that when one is dead all the women of the towne or hamlet wil assemble together euen at the hard morning and there continue vntil night making a very piteous howling and wofully tearing their hairs renting their faces and thumping their breastes And that their pauses as the musicians terme them may be the better vnderstoode they hyre a woman that hath a good wide and a cleare throte to leade the song whom all they follow singing al the actes and life of the deceased euen from his natiuitie But the auncient Germanes did soone wipe drie their teares leaue off their lamentations but remained somewhat longer in sorow and sadnesse It was also permitted onely vnto the women to mourne and vnto the men no more but to haue them in memorie There was no ambition of funerals amōg them this only was obserued that the bodies of famous men were burnt with certaine woddes neither did they make high the pile of the funeral fire either with garments or odors as did the Romanes but euery man had onely his armour and weapons caste into the fire with him some of them their horses the graue was raised vp with gréen turfes they despising abhorring the painfull and laboursome honour of tumbes monumentes as heauy and grieuous vnto the deceased But I read in Curtius the Alexander in his great mourning for Ephestion commanded the manes of al the horses mules in the campe to be shorne the pinnacles of al the cities nere about to be beatē down neither pipes nor other instrumēts of musick to be vsed for a time in the campe Herodotus writeth in his ninth booke that it was the manner of the Persiani when that their king or any of consanguinitie or familiaritie with him died to poule themselues and to share the manes of their horses and other beasts eyther for burthen or the saddle But the vsage of the Romanes was quite contrarie for they in all kynde of mourning and sorrowe did let their head beard grow long whereof came the merrie iest of Sabinus who being offered by the Cretes bycause they sawe the Proconsul Appius singularly to fauour him to beare the chiefest office among them which officer must beare his beard and the haire of his heade long thanked them heartily for their good willes but he would none of it for he had borne it twice already at Rome for he had bene twice accused of notorious crimes But to shame their beards in mourning maye séeme to haue béene a fashion in Fraunce yea of late yeares for in Frosard the Earle of Foix shaueth his beard for the death of his sonne Moreouer Suetonius reporteth in the life of Caligula that whē the Romanes hearde of the death of the noble Germunious they battered their temples with stones they threw downe the altars of their Goddes some did hurle their housholde Gods into the streates and finally other did cast away their children lately borne Also the Barbarians that had eyther forreigne or ciuil warres as in a common heauinesse consented to truce Some of the kings shaued their beards and the heads of their wiues for a token of supreame mourning The king of the Parthians commanded a Megistanū which is to abstein from hunting setting at meate together like vnto the Romane institium whiche Caligula commaunded to be kept so straightly for the death of his sister Drusilla that during the time it lasted no man vppon paine of death might laugh wash or sup yea with his parents his wife or children Moreouer this I thee in Seranus that men at the first did vse to burie the beade at home at their houses and I dead that it was permitted the Lacedemonians to burie within their citie yea and to set vp tumbes and monuments about the temple but afterwarde the Romanes were mostly buried in Appia Via without the citie and Vulpian rehearseth an Edict of Adrian the Emperour that no man vpon paine of fourtie aurei which I take to be twentie poundes shoulde burie any man within the citie with a penaltie also on the officers that suffered it yet I reade in Plutarche that it was graunted vnto noble and famous capteins and their posteritie to be buried in the Romane forum or market place but the Romane Emperours were well neare all buried in Mars his fielde where they were made Goddes Furthermore this I note out of Appian that the greatest cause that the rich men did alledge against the lawe for diuision of landes among the people was bycause they sayde it was a wicked thing for to haue the sepulchres of their auncestours to passe vnto strangers albeit Pomponius the lawyer doth hold that the Owners of lands vpon whom they haue builded sepulchres haue right to resort vnto and visite thē after that the landes be alienated Moreouer sayes Sernius it was the maner among the auncient Romanes that where soeuer a man dyed he was brought home vnto his owne house or of his kinsfolkes and there kept seuen dayes and the eight burnt so he were aboue thrée yeares olde and the ninth buried whereof the playes that were kept in the honour of the deade were called Ludi nouensiles Euery day of these seuen was the bodie annoynted with pretious oyntments and washed with hote water and called vnto with a lowde voyce to sée if he would come vnto him selfe againe for many had returned to life in the middes of their burning could by no means be saued After this was he carried foorth vpon a highe bed with his féete forwarde to be burned the people following although afterwarde in the time of Hierome they went before with torches tapers candles and trumpets sounding pipes and other musical instruments playing also many boughes of Cypres were borne before the béere the which were sticked down rounde about the fire bicause sayes Varro the people which stoode about should not be annoyed with the smel of the burning of the corps the people continued there answering vnto the wéeping words gestures doings of the Prefica or leader of the lamentations vntil that at the length the last word was pronounced ilicet ye may be gone if ye list Polybius wryteth that when a noble man died in Rome they carried the coorse vnto a place in the citie where orations were vsed to be made vnto the people called the Rostra where his son or else some other of his kin did make an oration in his praise of his noble actes then they buryed him then did set vp his Image in the noblest parte of his house built about it litle chappels of wood But when any notable man died there rode round about the coorse diuers men that
pernicious feuer the which within few days maugre all Physicke bereft him of life Whereof came the French prouerbe La fieure de Saint Vallier The feuer of Saint Vallier for a strong apprehension Cassander did so feare Alexander the great that comming to Delphos long time after Alexanders death to behold the statuies that were set vp there and chauncing to sée one of his old prince Alexander with the sight thereof was he that had won Macedonie and Greece shaken with suche feare that he could not in long time leaue trembling come againe vnto him selfe In the like agony wil many be with the sight of a toade other of a snake as the Gentleman of late yeares that durst not goe by a writhed hat bande of white and blacke that laye on the floore bycause he had thought it had bene an adder but many are more foolishe then Syr Thomas Moores ape whiche fell into an ague with séeing vppon a scuden a snayle putting out her hornes for they wil be in a colde sweate with the sight of many meates and diuers of a cat and some swoone with the sight of their bloud or beholding of other letten bloud It is common that many men otherwise of good courage and hardinesse dare not lie alone for feare of spirites no nor goe alone in darke places taking euery thing they sée heare or féele to be a diuell I haue shewed the more examples of mens confuse feare bycause that the great clearke Ludouicus Viues séemeth to doubt whether that Plinie hath charged man truly with it or not wherin I dare say Plinie hath not belyed him no nor yet in the nexte that no liuing thing hath more extreme rage The sixteenth Chapter Of the furious rage of man and specially of Walter Earle of Breme and Matthias king of Hungarie FOr the proofe hereof will I only alledge two exāples among sixe hundreth namely séeing that daily experience doth continually giue vs a great number that of them that moued with wrath and inflamed with yre doe in that raging fit many things which bring them assured destruction indeleble dishonestie and sorrowfull repentance Walter the Earle of Breme hauing to wife the eldest daughter of Tancredi late king of both Sicyles but then prisoner vnto the Emperour as next heire vnto his father in lawe his kingdome inuaded Naples with onely foure thousande souldiers and had what through fortunes rare fauour and his owne prowesse recouered almost the whole realme but at the last he was taken prisoner in a skyrmishe before Sarno by one Thebald an Almaine who within thrée dayes after he was taken offered to set him and also his father in lawe Tancredi at libertie and to restore him vnto his kingdome which he had lost so that he woulde confirme vnto him the townes which he then possessed in the kingdome Walter bewitched with rage considering nothing at all eyther the recouerie of the kingdome or his owne seruile captiuitie out of the which he might easily rid him selfe like a madde man answered him that he would neuer take at such a stinking scabs hand eyther that Thebald had offered him or things much greater The Almaine being iustly moued to be so currishly answered by his prisoner threatened that he would make him repent those vilanous wordes of his whiche as soone as Walter had hearde he fell immediately into such a rage that renting off the clothes and rolles with whome his woundes were bound he cryed out the fire flying out of his eyes that he woulde liue no longer séeing that he was come into suche a villaines handes as woulde deale with him by threates and therwithall like a Tygre tare his woundes bowels with his cruell hands neuer after wold either eate meate or suffer any thing to be applyed vnto his woundes so within a fewe dayes violently draue his furious soule out of his tormented body leauing his only daughter destitute of al friends to be a laughing stocke vnto the worlde who if she had gotten a modest father should haue bene Quéene of the flourishing kingdome of both Sicyles Neither could that bulworke of christendome Matthias king of Hungarie who valiantly euer ouercame the Turkes who neuer could be vanquished since ouercome his owne ire and he that had so often slaine in the fielde so many of his fierce forreigne foes was killed at home at his owne table by an inward enimie For he sitting very merrie at dinner vpon a Palme Sunday accōpanied with honourable Embassadours sent frō the French king called for figges but when it was tolde him that they were all eaten he became so angrie and raging that he incontinently fell into an apoplexie and neuer spake word afterward but roaring out like vnto a Lyon died the nexte day Was it not thinke ye nowe wisely fained of the Poets that Promotheus lacking clay to finishe his man was forced to make it vp with parts cutte off from other liuing thinges and among other did put the heart of a woode and madde Lion into mans brest And truely saide Cato that anger differeth not from madnesse but onely in this that it continueth not so long Wherfore wisely doth Plutarche wil men to loke in a glasse when they be angrie and to behold them selues well and then will they be afraide euer afterward to deforme themselues againe in suche sorte Yea when they shall beholde their fierie eyes theyr swolne vaines and arteries their terrible Lionlyke looke they will be no lesse afraide of themselues then was poore transformed Io in Ouid when she behelde her horrible hornes in the water But how hurtful it is vnto the body doe Physicians shewe who define it to be a setting on fire of the vitall spirites in the hart whereby it is of néere aliaunce vnto an ague But that which foloweth this perturbation be long pining consumptions which inféeble the bodie The seuenteenth Chapter Of the great troubles that religion and superstition do inflict into man of the vnutterable sorrowe for sinne of Dauid Marie Magdalene Fabiola king Edgar the gryping griefs of a guiltie conscience and the vaine imaginations of the Melancholike AS no man doth doubt but that these troubles do happē vnto man only so I think no man will denie but that all whiche haue reason doe féele the molestation of them We are willed by the Apostle to worke our saluation in trembling and feare the wiseman accounted that man happie which is always fearful so that according vnto saint Paules counsel good men are very carefull that they fall not when they be fallen are hartely heauie and sorrowfull therefore And as God doth excéed in tender loue towards vs the kindest parentes and in gentle gouernment the mildest Princes and as the pleasing of him doth bring vnto vs vnutterable ioyes and the displeasing of him vnspeakable paines so doubtlesse doth the hofulnesse of the godly for to please him passe all worldly studie and the torments that teares
towardes him who so obstinately refused the Empire that when the Legions in Germanie would néedes force him to take it he would haue killed him selfe if they had not desisted from their rebellious purpose this yong colte his sonne was brought vp with his mother who being banished and his two brothers put to death remained with his great graundmother Liuia widdowe of Augustus after whose death he went vnto his grandmother Antonia with whom he remained vntil he was ninetéene yeares of age at what time he was sent for by Tyberius to come vnto him into his slaughter house at Capreas where he remained without any honour There was he assaulted and vndermined tenne thousand ways groped prouoked ye and in a manner forced to complaine of the wronges done vnto his Father and his fréendes but neuer could there be any holde taken of him as though he had quite forgotten the fal of his fréendes as though no ill had happened vnto any of them but all those villanies of whom he suffered innumerable he passed ouer with incredible dissimulation and was so seruiceable vnto Tyberius and those that were néere aboute him that it was not without iust cause cōmonly spokē that neuer was there a better seruant nor a worse maister In this slauerie continued he all the reigne of Tyberius whom he succéeded wherby it is greatly to be marueyled howe he that had béene so long time one of the most wretched men of the worlde could for so shorte a fickle felicitie thinke him self soudenly translated into a god But that he was alwayes guiltie in conscience of his owne infirmities his straunge spitefull enuie towards all men that excelled in honour good fortune and finally in any thing did manifestly declare For firste he brake downe all the statuies of famous men that were set vppe in the Court of the Capitol by Augustus he thought also to haue destroyed quite all Homers works and there lacked litle but that he had taken out of all libraries all the Images and workes of Liuie and Virgil and also he often boasted that he would burne al the bookes of the Lawe Moreouer he tooke from all the Noble men the auncient ensignes of their houses from Torquatus his cheine from Cincinnatus his haire from Pompey the surname of the great Yea Ptolomey king of Mauritania his cosin whom he had sent for receiued and interteined very honourably because that at a publique spectacle he had through the glistring of his purple robe caused the people to gaze vppon him he soudenly strucke him on the face with his fist As often as he mette with any beautiful personage or that had a goodly bushe of haire he would incontinently deforme him with the shauing off the hinder parte of his head There was one Esius Proculus whose Father had béene Primipile this Proculus for his tall and bigge stature and beautiful and good making thereof was called Collosers this mans goodly personage did so spite the Emperour that soudenly as Proculus was beholding of the playes he commaunded him to fight first with a Thracian and then with an armed man with a shielde souldiour like and being victor in bothe conflictes the enuious wretch commanded him without all delay to be bound and clothed in olde patched garments to be carried throughout euery stréete of the citie and shewed vnto the women a villanie of all other moste great as thoughe he had béene a man altogether effeminate and then to haue his throte cutte Finally there was no man of so base a state nor of so abiect and beggerly calling whose commodities he obtrected not in so muche that when at a publique game one Porius a chariot man had made his slaue frée because he had had good lucke in running that day and the people commending well of the maister for so doing had giuen a great shoute Caligula was brought into suche a choler that he incontinently flang vppe and woulde be gone the whiche he did with suche haste that treading vppon his gowne he wente tumbling downe the steppes of the Theatre chasing and crying out that the Lord of nations the people of Rome did for a very light a matter giue more honour vnto a slaue chariot man then vnto consecrated Princes and vnto him selfe being present Furthermore the thinnesse of the haires of his head and his balde crowne bereft him of blisse séeing that he did take it for such a deformitie that to looke out at a windowe aboue him whereby his baldenesse might be espied for in Rome at those dayes men went bare headed or vppon any occasion to name a goate was present death Yet was there a greater breach made in his blisse by the death of his sister and harlot Drusilla for it made him almoste starke madde in so muche that he did let his beard and haire growe long and often vpon a souden and that also in the night time woulde he for no cause fling on galloppe along all the Sea ceast of Italie and ouer into Sicyl where when he had done the like he woulde come backe againe as faste vppon the spurre He proclaimed for her a Iustitium during the whiche time it was deathe for a man to laughe washe or suppe either with parentes wife or children and yet was he also angrie with them that made lamentation for her because as he saide she was of a gillet become a Goddesse and to affirme this lie he gaue vnto two men Deries sestertium that is 7812.l 10 s̄ Who sware that they sawe her ascending vp into heauen Moreouer to put him in minde of his mortalitie he inioyed health neither of bodie nor minde For he was a childe he was troubled with the falling sicknesse after he was growen to mannes state he woulde otentimes be so taken that he could neither go stand nor stay vpon himselfe And that his wittes were not wel he himself perceiued and therfore would euer and anon thinke to separate himselfe from companie and purge his braine But most was he vexed with lacke of sléepe for he neuer could take aboue thrée houres rest in a night neither them quietly but in great feare through diuerse terrible dreames and visions And therefore a great part of the night did he for tediousnesse of watching and lying vse nowe sitting in his bed and then walking vp and down in long galleries euer and anon to call looke for daye Once in his short reigne was he very dangerously sicke in so muche that of a foolishe flatterie Publius Africanus Potitius sware that if that the Gods woulde vouchsafe of their woonted goodnesse to graunt life vnto Caligula the then he would gladly léese his life for him and Secundus a horseman of Rome vpon the same condition vowed to fight at a game of sword players bothe whiche vowes did Caligula when he was recouered make them to fulfil least they shuld be forsworne worthily though ingratefully forcing them to die who would wickedly though feignedly wish his life that
did daily take away life frō so many good men But Suetonius writes that he made the horseman to fight in his sight and would not let him go before he had vanquished no nor then neither but after great intercession but the other madde man who made no great haste to perfourme that whiche he had rashely sworne he caused to be whipped and clothed in a sacrificeng robe and then deliuered him vnto Boyes who still requesting of him as they went the perfourmaunce of his vowe shoulde driue him alonge throughout all the Stréetes vntil that at the length they brake his necke off from a rampire Moreouer this Godlesse man that contemned all GODS and as I haue before alledged out of Dion woulde thunder againste thunder doeth Suetonius affirme would oftentimes be so afraide of a small thunder and lightening that he would winke and blindefolde him selfe but if it were great créepe out of his bedde and hide him vnder it And also he was so feared in Sicyl with the smoke and noise of the hil Aetna that soudenly in the night he fledde out of the citie of Messana And also hearing that Germanie had rebelled he prepared to runne away from Rome and rigged shippes in a readinesse to carrie him thence resting in this one only comfort that he shoulde haue left vnto him the Prouinces beyond the Sea if that the Germanes did take the toppes of the Alpes as in olde time the Cymbri had done or else the citie as had the Seuones He liued onely twentie nine yeares whereof he reigned but thrée yeares and tenne monethes and eight dayes and those in howe great feare and hofulnesse his continual putting of men to death for treason against him and his curious searching for Oracles and prophesies do declare all the which yet could not saue him frō being slaine with his wife and his daughter whose braines were dashed out against the wall His bodie for feare lest that some villanie should be done vnto it was priuily conueied away and being but halfe burnt was couered ouer with a fewe turues so that he that woulde be honoured for a God whilest he liued coulde not be buried like a man when he was dead The xxvi Chapter Of Domitian NEyther were Domitians actes any thing greater as one that had no delight in armes and in whose reigne the Daces reuolted and oppressed Appius Sabinus their Lieftenaunt with his whole armie and anon after also Cornelius Fussus captein of his guard an office in those dayes of all other the greatest and sent thether with a power to reduce them vnto their duetie Then Domitian went against them him selfe or more truly made as though he had gone for as Dion affirmes he neuer during all his reigne gouerned armie or administred warres as he that was a man impatient of all bodily labour for in the citie he woulde neuer goe on foote and in the field sildome ride on horse but alwayes be carried in a lieter and was also of a faint and fearefull heart but he staying by the way out of danger sent his capteines against them who fought with no greater felicitie then had their predecessours and shamefully lost a great parte of their armie and yet this shamelesse God sent lying letters vnto Rome that he had conquered and subdued them wherevppon there were so many and so honourable decrées made for him that almost in all places of the world that were vnder his dominion statuies of gold and siluer were set vp But he might in déede haue truely triumphed of flies of whome he doubtlesse flue innumerable For at the beginning of his reigne he vsed to haue euerie daye a secrete houre to catch flies and to thrust them through with a long péece of yron made for the nonce so that it was as merrily as wittily answered of Vibius Craspus when one desiering to speake with Domitian asked him who was within with the Emperour he answered not so much as a flie for then he had béen as busie as if the whole Senate had bene with him He also deserued a iust triumph ouer wilde beasts of whom he would kil vpon the Theatre an hundreth in a day with his bowe bestowing his arrowes so artificially that they séemed to be hornes growing out of their heads For he was so good an archer that he would oftentimes cause a boy to stand a great distance off hold vp his hand abroad and he would shoote betwéene euery finger and neuer hurt them But séeing that not great conquestes but only riches left vnto him did make him to conceiue so highly of him selfe my thinkes he might well haue ben put in minde of his mortalitie by calling to memorie his youth passed in greate pouertie and infamie as he that had not one péece of plate and did shamefully prostitute his body so that there were at Rome that did often shewe after he came to the Empire his hande and seale for a nights lodging What shall I rehearse his great daunger in the warres against Vitellius Competitor in the Empire with his father when he his vncle Sabinus being ouercome in fight fled into the Capitol but his enimies breaking into the temple setting it on fire he lodged al that night priuily in great feare with the sextene and in the morning being disguised in the apparell of a priest of Isis he passed the riuer among the priests of that vaine superstition vnto the mother of one of his schoole fellowes who hid him selfe so closely that they whiche following his foote diligently searched for him could by no meanes finde him What torments may we thinke tore him when he vnderstoode the adulterie of his deare wife Domitia by whom he had a sonne and had proclamed her Augusta or Empresse with Paris a common player whome she loued as openly as she did feruently Whervpon he did put her away but within short time after being impatient of the diuorce tooke her againe séeking to colour his ignominie in so doing with a feigned tale that the people had desired him to do it I do omit what griefe his bald head brought him who would draw vnto his own reproch if that the like were obiected vnto any other man eyther in earnest or sport and also his often infirmities through whome he became deformously spindle shanked But in what continuall feare he led his life his often murthering of many vnder colour of treason against him whereby he became hatesome to all men makes manifest but much more the ouercasting of the wals of his gallerie wherin he vsed to walke with a shining kynd of marble wherin as in a glasse he might sée who was behind him Yet this strange kinde of hofulnesse could not kéepe him frō being murthered by a conspiracie of his nearest friends liberts and wife although that he had long time before suspected feared the yeare the day yea the houre and the kind of his death when he had reigned fiftéen yeres a long and a rare time for
to vpbraide vnto other their calamities miseries Wherof they that presented it being admonished tooke home the arras with them caused the names to be taken out then being brought againe he with heartie thankes receiued it commended the worke This his singular moderation of mynde and conquering of him selfe and insolencie the which very fewe of them that haue vanquished al other men could euer attaine vnto was farre more famous then the taking prisoners of the two mightie Princes then the sacking of the citie that had ben Ladie of the world and at this day also the greatest citie of Christendome then the conquest of the kingdome of Tunes in Afrike then the subduing of the Germanes and the passing ouer beyond Albis the which the proud Romanes when they were in al their greatest roialtie were neuer able to do for this victorie might he iustly vse his word Plus vltra passing not only the bounds of Hercules the Romans but also of cursed enuie the which after all earthly victories remaineth still inuincible and can not be subdued but by this sword of modestie and humilitie The xxx Chapter Of the vnfortunate fall of many great conquerours founders of Empires AND nowe that I haue declared the fearefull fall of those that I knowe not whether more wickedly or foolishly would be accounted Goddes and also of them that proudly vaunted of their victories without humble confession and acknowledging that they receiued them from heauen I prosecuting my purpose will shewe that all those that haue ben famous for victories and the fawning of fortune haue also had often admonitions of their fickle frailtie brittle blisse and tottering state Wherfore passing ouer in silence Cyrus the greate the founder of the Persian Empire who was slaine with his whole armie of two hundreth thousand by a weake woman Tomyris Quéene of the Massagets and the greate Mithridates Eupator king of Pontus who after he had augmented his fathers kingdome with the conquest of two and twentie nations and had won a great part of Gréece and the signorie of the sea from Cilicia to Thracius Chersonesus had kept warres fourtie yeres with the Romanes and vanquished their capteines Cassius Murena Cotta Fabius Triarius Sylla restrained him within his fathers kingdome Lucullus so afflicted him that for despaire he murthered his two wiues and sisters and finally Pompey quite euerted who woulde not graunt vnto him humbly desiring it of his two and twentie kingdomes not so much as the poore one of Pontus and for that also to paye a yerely tribute wherefore after that foure of his sonnes were taken by Pompey and the eldest reuolted vnto him and also one of his daughters taken and the other two poysoned by him selfe he desperately caused a Barbarian to kill him least he should haue come aliue into the hands of the Romanes and to be carried in the triumphe as a laughing stocke and an other Mithridates the great king of the Parthians who augmented the Empire with the accesse of many kingdomes and oftentimes discomfited in battell the valiant Scythes but whē he was in his greatest ruffe being returned out of Armenia the Parthians expelled him out of the kingdome for his crueltie and his owne brother inuaded the emptie siege and taking him prisoner at Babylon caused him vnnaturally to be slaine in his sight and Antiochus the great king of Syria who after great conquestes atchieued in Syria Asia and Greece was ouerthrowne in battell by the Romanes and forced to buye peace with the losse of all his dominions on this side the mountaine Taurus and the payment and the paymente of suche a mightie masse of money that not beeing able to leuie it of his owne possessions he attempted to robbe the riche temple of Iupiter Dyndemenus or as sayes Strabo of Belus where he and all his armie were slaine by a soudeine incursion of the inhabitauntes of the countrie and Pompey the Greate who more augmented the dominions and reuenues of the Romaine Empire then all the capteines before and after him was after the greate ouerthrowe giuen him by Caesar trayterously slaine by the boy kinge Ptolomey and his geldinges and Mathewe the Greate Lorde of Mylan who amonge other his variable chaunces was expelled out of the citie and constreyned twelue yeares to get liuinge by fishinge and beeing restored was at the age of seuentie yeares forced to abandon the citie of Mylan and to resigne his Empire vnto his sonne Galiazo who had vnnaturally not longe before reuolted from him and dying of this anguishe and griefe the bodie of him beeing excommunicated by the Pope was buried in a priuie and vile place his death beeing longe time kepte close leste his carcasse in the aduerse fortune of the warres mighte haue bene subiecte vnto the reproches and vilanies of the Popes cruel Legate and the greate Sforza who besides his ouerthrowes in fight at Viterby at Crixta at Aipua and his beeing taken prisoner in fight at Casaleccio and also twice in captiuitie through treason firste by Pandulpho Alepo the Queene of Naples darlinge and then kepte foure monethes in the newe castell of Naples lookinge euerie day when his breath shoulde be stopped by that effeminate lecher after wardes by Iames Earle of Marchia who had maried the Queene where he escaped as narrowly and his manie other greate daungers was at the laste drowned in the riuer of Lyris or Gariliano by the vnfortunate founderinge of his horse and the greate Gonsalues who only of all the famous warriours of our age the whiche haue yet excelled for noble chiefteines obteined the proude name of the greate this victorious gentleman after that he had cōquered out of the hands of the French men the riche kingdome of Naples for his Prince Ferdinando the kinge of Hispaine was by him ingratefully put from the gouernemente therof and almost also from his life for false suspicion of treason and euer afterwarde kept from all honour and office to leade a lothsome life farre from the courte and fielde at home as it were in an honest banishemente and there for to sée his eldest brothers heire for a light occasion banished the courte for euer and to his greater griefe his owne natiue place his nephues chiefe castle razed downe to the grounde notwithstandinge his most suppliant sute the whiche was also furthered by the earnest prayers of the French kinges honourable Ambassadours for the implacable Prince by all meanes sought to spite him and to empaire his Princely Porte and riches as one whome he suspected to be to greate so that he was aptly compared by a noble man of Hispaine vnto a greate shippe in a shalowe water the which abides in continuall feare to be loste by strikinge and sticking on the flattes and Cresus the mightie kinge of Lydia whose inestimable riches haue euer synce bene a prouerbe throughout the worlde berefte of all by Cyrus and forced to ende his long
they had supped together merrily abroade and threwe his bodie into Tyber for no other cause but for that his fathers minde was that Frauncis shoulde marrie and increase the name of the Borgiae the which he would make honourable with large dominions but Caesar he had as it were banished into the cloyster of religion disguising him with a redde hatt the whiche was farre inferiour vnto his royal harte and immesurable desire of earthly honours who bare in his ensigne this worde Aut Caesar aut nihil an Emperour or nothinge the which insatiable thirst of his the Colonnese fearinge that he would quenche with their bloude abandoned all their dominions and landes and fledde away folowing the Castor who some say bites off his owne stones when hee is hardly persued knowing that for them onely his death is sought but the Orsines allured with his liberal interteinemente to serue him in the warres were almoste all murdered Baptista the cardinall at Rome Frauncis the Duke of Grauina and Paulo in the territorie of Perugia Liberto Prince of Firma Vitelloccio Vitelli one of the Princes of Ciuita de Castello at Senogallia the which caused all the rest of the Vitelli to flie and by their liues with the losse of their liuinges And also the noble men of the house of Gaieta who possessed the towne of Sermoneta in Campagna di Roma Iames Nicholas and Bernardine beeing slaine some one way and some an other yealded their castels lands and goodes vnto Caesar And also the Dukes of Camerino Caesar Anibal and Pyrrhus were expelled their dominions and strangled Astor Manfredi Prince of Fauenza yealdinge the towne and himselfe vppon promisse of safetie was slaine and cast into Tyber Furthermore Pandulpho Malatesta Iohn Sforza and Guido Vbaldo had rather by flight leaue their dominions of Rimini Pesaro and Vrbine vnto the inuading tyranne then be murdered And also Iames Appiano let him haue the principalitie of Piombino But Catharine Sforza who reigned at Forly and Imola hauing lost by force her dominions being taken prisoner was brought in triumphe to Rome But while by this bloudy way he encroched on al the principalities about him he also commaunded the prince of Beselio base sonne vnto Alfonse kinge of Naples yea and his sisters husbande to be slaine in her chamber yea in her bed being before wounded in the Courte of the church of Saint Peter but so that it was thought he woulde escape And by the same meanes he dispatched the yonger Borgia the Cardinal because he had seemed to fauour the duke of Candia his brother he also sauagely slue as he came from supper Iohn Cerbellion a man of greate nobilitie both at home and also in the warres because he had seuerely kept the honestie of a gentlewoman of the house of Borgia He did also put to death Iames Santatrucio a noble man of Rome theÌ„ whome there was no man more friende and familiar with Caesar neither for anie other cause but for that he was able vpon a soudeine to gather together a stronge bande of lustie felowes of the Orsine faction make them couragiously to atteÌ„pt anie exploite But wheÌ„ for this cursed and vnquenchable desire of Empire he and his father had appointed to poyson at a feast certeine noble and riche princes his man mistaking the flagon gaue thereof vnto the vngratious father and worse sonne whereof the father beeing olde died but his blessed byrde a lustie younge man was by manie medicines conserued to greater punishmente for after the deathe of Alexander the Colonese and the Orsines that were lefte returned vnto Rome Then Caesar that he might not be ouermatched by haueing warres with both the families restored vnto the Colonese all their possessions on whome in diuerse places he had sumptuously buylt Guido Defeltrie recouered Vrbine Iohn Sforza Pesaro excepte the castle Malatesta Riminie but the castle was stil retayned by Caesar and the Baleones Perugia through the helpe of the Orsines who also toke Tuderto with the castell and put to shamefull deathe the capteine and with like successe at Viterby Ameria and all the cities there aboutes either they restored the Princes of their owne faction or else strengthened them and had also beesieged Caesar in Nepe if hée had not fearefully fledde into Rome the whiche hee obteyned of the newe Pope Pius as a safe refuge but Pope Pius dying within twentie seuen dayes the Orsines also entered the citie with a greate power whome the greatest parte of the citizens fauoured and the Orsines requested that Caesar might according to iustice be put to death for his manifolde murthers or els kept in sure warde in the castell vntill that his cause were hearde But while the matter was prolonged with outragious altercations Caesar being afrayde stale away out of his house in the Suburbes into the Popes palace then his souldiours who vntil that time had valiantly guarded him perceiuing that their Capteines courage quayled and that he sought for hyding holes fled also awaye some to one place and some vnto another leauing him guardlesse among the cruell companies of his enimies and forceing him because hee could otherwise stande in no suretie of his life to desire as a greate benefite to be cast into the castell of Sainct Angelo vntil that a new Pope were created the which béeing Iulius the seconde would not set him at libertie before that he had deliuered vp all the Castels and townes that he had in the territorie of Rome Romandiola and the duchie of Spolieto But not long after preparing at Naples an expedition into Romandiola he was at the Popes earnest suite imprisoned in the newe castell and shortly after carried into Hispanie where he brake prison and fledde vnto the kinge of Nauarre whose néere cousine he had married and there was slaine in a skirmishe with this euent that not béeing knowen he was spoyled of all his armour and clothes and left starke naked and so brought by one of his seruauntes vnto the citie of Pompelona where he had sometimes béene Bishoppe a notable document of mannes miserie But as I saide before I passing ouer in silence all those greate worldlinges whome Fortune at the last ouerthrewe will examine the liues and infortunities onely of those whome the worlde doth account most fortunate and search whether that God did not ofteÌ„ make them to féele his force and to confesse their owne frailtie The xxxi Chapter The vnluckie chaunces of Augustus AND first I will beginne with him that thought so well of his owne fortune that when he sent his nephue Caius into Armenia against the Parâ—thians he wished that the loue good will of Pompey the hardinesse prowesse of Alexander the Fortune of him self might accompanie him Neither had hee alone this opinion of his good Fortune but it was also generally receiued of all men in so muche that it was decréede and also kept vntil the time of Iustinian that the people shoulde crie at the creation of a
newe Emperour Augusto felicior melior Traiano God make thée more fortunate then Augustus and a better Prince then Traiane In Augustus sayes Plinie whome all men do call happie if that all thinges in him be rightly estéemed shal great ficklenesse of Fortune be found First his repulse in the office of the maister of the horssemen vnto his vncle Iulius Caesar and against his will Lepidus preferred thereunto The enuie and hatred of all men yea and of the posteritie for the proscribing of Cicero his aduauncer and college in the Consulship that he had to bee his colleges in the Triumuirate verie naughtie men Neither was his portion equall for Antonius had farre the greater At the battell of Philippi his sicknesse and discomfiture by Cassius and running awaye and hiding of him selfe being sicke thrée dayes and hyding of him selfe in a marrish thrée dayes being sore sicke The cares that he was wrapped in after his returne from Philppi to Rome where going about to allot landes throughout all Italie vnto the souldiours the auncient possessours with great exclamations and complaintes repined thereat wherein they had their earnest fauourer Lucius Antonius the Consul and brother vnto Antonius the Triumuir who would haue the souldiours paid out of the goods of those that were proscribed and did also put them in hope of the spoyle of riche Asia the which did make their téeth to water Octauian being thus besett on all sides with troubles coueted to please bothe the Senate and people and also the souldiours but in verie déede he offended them both in so muche that he had béene almost slaine by the souldiours for commaunding at a playe a common souldiour to be taken vpp that sate vppon one of the xiiii greeces where by the law no man might sitt vnder the degrée of an horseman of Rome Hereunto addeth Plinie the famine that was in Italie by reason that Sextus Pompeyus and Domitius woulde suffer nothing to be brought thether by Sea. Then Lucius Antonius and Fuluia wife vnto Marcus fell out with Octauian and wrote vehement letters vnto Antonius the Triumuir against him as though he had attempted to murder his children Lucius had seuentéene legions the amitie aide of Ventidius Asinius Pollio Calenus who had either of thē a great power on the other side Octauian had the il wil of the Senate of al Italie for his diuision of the lāds among the souldiours the which brought him into this agonie and extremitie that debaseing him selfe he earnestly sued to haue the olde souldiours to sit in iudgement and heare the controuersies betwéene Antonius and him and afterwarde when for all his labouring to haue the matter taken vp the warres brake out he was almost intercepted at the siege of Perugia by a band of sword players that sallied out while he was sacrificeing vnto the Gods. After this followed two incomparable losses of two mightie fléetes by tempest in the Sicylian warres against Sextus Pompeyus and then another hyding of him selfe in a caue And also he being vanquished by fight on the Sea his enimies so egerly pursued him that for feare he should be taken he earnestly desired Proculeus to slea him Also Pompeyus capteines Demochares and Appolophanes soudenly oppressed him from whome he hardly escaped at the last with one only shippe and afterwarde walking on foote from Locrie to Rhegium he sawe certeine brigantines of Pompeyus dragging along the shoare then he thinking them to be his owne went downe vnto the water side vnto them and was almost taken and forced to séeke his safetie by flying thorough blinde pathes where hée was welnéere slayne by a bondman of Aemylius who thought that he had then good occasion offered him now he was alone to reuenge the death of his maister vniustly proscribed by Octauian and his fellowes In his Dalmatian warres was he twice wounded once in fight on the right knée with a stone and at the siege of a towne on both his armes and legges with the fall of a bridge Twice also was he greately endaungered by tempest all the tacklinges of the shipp wherein he was béeing broken all into péeces and the rudder cleane strucken off And two great foiles had he in Germanie one vnder Lollius the which was more shamefull then hurtfull and the other vnder Varus the which was almost pernicious thrée legions with the General and the capteines and all the ayde of the strangers being slaine When newes was brought him of this great ouerthrowe hée commaunded watche and warde to be kept in the citie that no tumult should arise therein and proroged vnto the Presidents of the prouinces the time of their gouernment that the alies might be kept in their obedience by men of experience and them that the Prouinces knew He also vowed playes which were called the great vnto Iupiter Optimus Maximus to turne the cōmon wealth into a better state as it had béene done before at Rome in the Cymbrian and Sociall warres when the citie stoode in great daunger of sacke and destruction For he was so dismayed that for the space of many moneths after he letting the haires of his head and beard growe long would euer and anon crie out Quintili Vare redde legiones Quintilius Varus render thy legions and that day did he euer afterward kéepe for an heauie and mournefull day Plinie rehearseth also for incommodities and infortunities lack of monie to pay his souldiours their wages and lacke of able men to serue in the warres and therfore was he forced contrarie vnto the auncient orders to presse foorth 20000. bondmen a great pestilence in the citie and sundrie defacinges thereof by fire a great famine and thirste throughout all Italie often dangerous mutinies of the souldiours the foule scorning and scoffing of the people at his Maiestie the incomparable losse of his good and noble adopted sonnes the valiaunt Drusus and Marcus Agrippa and the towardly yonge gentleman Marcus Marcellus his sisters sonne and Caius and Iulius his daughters sonnes by Agrippa but greater griefe for the lewde disposition of other of his children his onely naturall child Iulia conspiring his death and openly playing the harlot wherfore he banished her but her infamous life was such a shame vnto him that he brake the matter touching her punishment vnto the Senate by libell being absent and a long time after absteyned from al companie and oftentimes was hee minded to put her to death but continued still so seuere against her that hee could neuer be entreated to reuoke her although that many great men made great sute for her and also the whole people of Rome did oftentimes request it but being at one time very importunate they so chafed him that in his choler he wished them all such wiues such daughters The like rigour also did hee vse towardes her daughter Iulia who followed her mothers steppes gaue comaundement that the child wherof she was deliuered after her condemnation should be destroyed and also
forced by lightening sent from heauen to retyre Then soudenly came there to remoue the siege a monstruous might of flies the which plagued the Romanes in their cupps and dishes leauing neither drinke nor meate frée from their filthie contamination and corruption The which forced the Emperour to breake vp the siege and to depart out of the countrie and immediatly after fell sicke and then the Parthians deposed the king that hée had appointed them and chose an other according vnto their auncient orders to reuenge the whiche dishonour Traiane was not able waxing euery day worse and worse and finally fell into a dropsie whereof hée dyed not leauing behind him a child to vphold his house and name The xxxiij Chapter Of Seuerus Emperour of Rome SEVERVS that got the Romane Empire by sleaing of his thrée competitors and foure bloudie battels and entered Parthia taking Babylon Seleucia and Ctesiphon where the king narrowly escaped with the losse of his children wiues mother treasure and furniture of householde and also made great conquestes in Arabia and Arobenica and forced the kinges of the Armenians and Osrhoenes to submit themselues vnto his mercie felt also the tickle turning of fortunes whéele For that I may omit his youth full of furies and crimes and often accusations and howe hée was to his great shame openly arreigned for adulterie and the open bitcherie of his shamelesse latter wife Iulia whome hée witting and knowing did suffer more then either the maiestie of an Emperour yea or the honestie of a man could beare was hee not forced for lacke of victualles and necessaries and the great sickenesse in his campe spéedily to forsake the countries and places that hée had conquered in the Easte and to returne home contented onely with the spoile the whiche he dearely bought with the losse of infinite of his souldiours liues Furthermore hee twice besieged the pelting towne of Atrae in Arabia and twice was constrained to depart with great dishonour and losse his souldiours being either so affrighted or else so disobedient that not one of the Europian souldiours could be gotten to the assault when that a great part of the walles laie flat to the ground moreouer when one of his Capitaines told the Emperour that he would vndertake to winne the towne with 550. Europians and the Emperour did bid him take them the captaine aunswered in the hearing of all the armie But where shall I haue them Neither had his ambition any better successe in Britaine For when that hée would not receiue the submission of the rebells but would néeds tame them by the sword that he might obteine the glorious title of Britannicus or conquerour of Britaine he reaped almost no other fruite by marching with his victorious ensignes euen vnto the furthest part of the East then the losse of fiftie thousand men thorough sicknes lack of victuals the inclemencie of the aire and diuers other chaūces finally endamaging the Britaines who wisely still fledd before him into their safe bogges and marrishes Adde hereunto how at the battell at Lions against Albinus who fought for the Empire hée was vnhorsed and fled out of the field casting away his coate armour that hée might not be knowen and hidd himselfe in a marrishe Spartianus sayth that in this battell hée fell into great perill by the foundering of his horse and then had such a blowe with a pellet of leade that his armie thincking that he had béene slaine were about to choose an other Emperour Furthermore what intollerable torments did the great discord of his two sonnes bring vnto him when that the one neuer liked of any thing that did please the other and in al quarels controuersies games finally in all thinges they were extréeme aduersaries one vnto the other neither could their hatefull hearts euer be reconciled although that their woful father fearing that their discord would be either the destructiō of the Empire or of his house or both sought al meanes to agrée their dissenting minds putting also to death many that were about thē by whose flatterie lewd coūsel he thought them to be corrupted But in what continuall feare he led his life his immesurable murdering of aboue fourtie Senatours and infinite meane men without arreigning of them doth manifestly bewray This Africane is truely said to haue reuenged in his gowne the cruell destruction of his countrie of Carthage by the Romanes Whereof arose that saying of the Senate after his death that it had béene well for the people of Rome if that he had either neuer béene borne or else neuer had died the one being spoken for his cruelties the other for his valiancie and good gouernement But among all other put to death for suspicion of treason I cannot forget two the one Plautianus to whome he had as it were in a manner imparted the Empire yet lost his life vppon a verie vnlikely accusation and onely credited because that the Emperour had dreamed that Albinus some time his competitour was aliue the other Apronianus who was condemned absent because that one had heard his Noursse saye that shée had dreamed that he should be Emperour So fearefull was he left his good childe Antoninus should be put from the Empire who drewe his swoorde to haue thrust his father in at the back as he roade with him if that his seruaunts that roade behinde had not cried out vnto him to take héede of his sonne who was about to murder him And finally he dyed not of his olde torment of the goute but as men thought helped forward by his wicked sonne Antonine and so was helde in an earthen pot whome all the worlde had not holden as he him selfe saide a litle before his death when that he had commaunded his sepulchrall pott to be brought vnto him The xxxiiij Chapter Of Constantine the greate THE greatenesse of Constantine who reduced into one Monarchie the distracted partes of the Empire and to the vnspeakable profite of mankinde first established by Emperial power the faith of Christ throughout the world the foule vnworthie murthering of his owne wife Fausta his sonne Crispus and his sisters sonne and no smal number of his friendes the vngodly restitution of the archeheretike Arius and the more wicked banishmēt of that piller of the church Athanasius whome yet some holde he reuoked by testament and if some belye him not his filthie disease of the dropsie did much diminishe whereof he was by a byworde called Tracala the first ten yeres of his reigne a verie good and excellent Prince the ten next a théefe and a murtherer but the ten last a pupill for his immoderate expences But as his Martial actes but onely against his coparceners in the Empire Licinius and Maxentius were not greate so was his daunger verie great when that his father in lawe Herculeius came vnder colour of friendshipp vnto him trayterously to haue killed him but it being disclosed vnto Constantine by his wife cost her father his life And no lesse also
vnchaste members were so conuulsed vpward that his vncleane yarde standing continually stiffe did whensoeuer he made water defile his face and blasphemous mouthe vnlest that a broade boorde were tyed aboue his nauel to kéepe downe the filthie spouting Vrine The xxxvij Chapter Of Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople MIchael Paleologus recouered from the Latines or the christians of the west churche the French men and Venetians the Empire of Constantinople and was a Prince by the reporte of the Gréeke chronicles inferiour to none of his predecessours in goodly personage strength of bodie Princely Maiestie skilfulnes in armes prudence eloquence valiaunce and spéedinesse in dooing of al exploits and yet found he fortune a false flatterer rather then a faithfull fréende For that I may omitte his great daungers of deathe for suspicion of treason in the reigne of Iohn Ducas and also afterward in the time of Theodorus Lascaris when for feare of death procured vnto him by spitefull enuie he fledde vnto the Turke that reigned at Cogin in shorte time after that he had wrongfully gotten the Empire deposing the rightful yong prince whose gouernour he was and fortunatly recouered the citie of Constantinople from the Latines and all suche countries of the Empire as they then helde was Alexius Caesar his delight his trustie fréende through whose valiance he had taken Constantinople and the rest of the Empire and therefore had heaped vppon him so many and greate honours as neuer were giuen vnto any priuate man this his fortunate capteine was taken prisoner by the Despote of Epirus Aetolia hauing lost in battel his mightie armie Then also began he to fal into feare of loosing the Empire the which he had wickedly wonne and therfore to establish it he contrarie vnto thrée othes for so often was hee sworn to be true shamfully depriued the true Emperour young Iohn Lascaris of his sight whome he had before bereft of his Empire for the whiche detestable facte to abate his swelling pride was he excommunicated by Arsenius the Patriarche and a greate number of dayes stoode before the Churche porche in suppliaunt manner and habite pitifully praying the hardened Patriarch to restore him vnto the communion of Christes church but al in vaine vntill that by craft he had caused a counsell to depose the Patriarch And also for the reuenge of this cruel wrong done vnto the yong Emperour Constantine the Prince of the Bulgares who had married his sister made a lamentable rode into the Empire in the which he so spoiled all Thrace so that in that whole mightie Prouince there could for a time scarse be one husbandeman or Oxe séene he also slewe and tooke prisoners all the whole armie of the Emperour returning out of Thessalie not one man horse or cattel fléeing from his fingers except the Emperour him selfe who escaped almoste miraculously by priuie stealing away ouer the mounteines vnto the Sea side Where as it were by Gods prouidence he happened vppon two Latine galleis who were sailing vnto Constantinople but then were happely come a landed in that place for freshe water a boorde one of whome he wente chusing rather to truste their doubtful faithe then to fall into the handes of the bloudie Bulgares And after this followed a shamefull losse of a flourishing armie vnder the conducte of his brother the whiche was discomfited by the Dispote of Thessalie with fiue hundreth men the Emperials being afraide of their owne shadowe But afterward a farre more harmefull feare tooke him of inuasion and losse of his Empire by Charles the king of Naples to preuent the which mischiefe after that he had by large gyftes stirred vppe the king of Sicyl and other of his neighbours against him at the length he was gladde to sue for help vnto the Bishop of Rome and contrarie vnto the lawes of his countrie to submitte himselfe and his Empire vnto his iurisdiction graunting thrée articles the firste that at their diuine seruice mention shoulde be made of the Bishoppe of Rome among the foure Patriarches the seconde that it should be lawfull for all men to appeale in matters Ecclesiastical vnto olde Rome for they vsed also to cal Constantinople Rome but with this addition new the which should be accepted for the highest and more absolute Court the third that in all spiritual thinges the principalitie should be giuen vnto it By this cowardly submission as he escaped the thretened daunger of the Neapolitan so fell he into a farre greater perill of the displeased people who did so abhorre him for this degenerate subiectiō that he looked euery day to be deposed or slaine by them in the whiche hofull state he continued all his lifes time the peoples indignation hatred towardes him being nothing by long processe of time appeased And on the other side the Turke scourged him in Asia miserably wasting burning his Doninions in those partes subdued all the Countries from Mare Ponticum and Galatia euen vnto Mare Lycium and the Riuer of Eurìmedon Furthermore I can not omitt his great anguishe of hart and the déepe sighes that he fette when that he fell sicke in his voiage againste the vnquiet despote of Thessalia at a village called Pachonius the whiche place putting him in mournefull memorie of his vngodly and vniust bereauing the godly man Pachonius of his sight made him incontinently truely to despaire of his recouery Neither was frowning fortunes spite satisfied with his dolefull death but also she caused his onely sonne vnto whom he had with rare benignitie imparted the Empire while he liued himselfe ingratefully to denie him not only Emperial funerals but also christian burial in sacred place this only did childes duetie extort of him that he commanded him to be carried foorth priuily in the night time out of the campe and great store of earth to be hurled vppon him that the wilde beastes and byrdes should not teare into péeces his Fathers the Emperours bodie The cause of this vncourteous dealing with the blisselesse bodie of this noble Emperour procéeded not of any wicked stomache of the sonne against his father who was inferiour vnto no childe in pietie toward his parent but because the countrie lawes and the states of the Empire wold not suffer him to be buried in any of their churches who had they said wickedly reuolted from the true church vnto the false and malignant of Rome The xxxviij Chapter Of Charles the great CHarles the great did for princely personage rare strength of bodie valiant courage and martiall prowesse and glorie farre passe any Christian Prince that euer was and also was inferiour vnto none in learning wisedome pietie and all vertues vnto him came there Embassadours out of all partes of the worlde to desire either peace or fréendship yea out of Afrike Persia Greece he had restored again into the west the Empire which had béene transferred wholy into Thrace and Constantinople and largely reigned ouer Gallia Germanie Italie Hungarie Slauonie
enimies Cassius lieftenaunt in Syria But not long after that he had fortunately escaped this doubtful perill fell hée into a greater when that the Parthian tooke Hierusalem with king Hyrcanus and placing there in his roome Antigonus forced Herodes his brother Phaselus to dashe out his owne braines against a wall that he might not come aliue into their bondage and Herodes himselfe very hardly escaped their hands and fearefully fledde vnto Rome where he was created king of Iudea The whiche he had not long enioyed but that he was sent for to come before Antonius at Seleucia to be arreigned for the vnworthie murther of his wiues brother Alexander the high priest at what time he knowing the great hatred towards him of Antonius his swéete heart Quéene Cleopatra who insatiably thirsted for his kingdome he was almost in vtter despaire of returne But not long after he fell into greater perill of his state through ayding of Antonius against Octauian wherefore after that Antonius was ouercome he sailed into Rhodes vnto Caesar and there in priuate apparell without diademe suppliantly desired pardon of Caesar the which being happely obteined and his kingdom also by his liberalitie augmented hée fell in his old age into many domesticall dolours the beginning whereof came thorough his wife Mariemne one descended of the auncient bloud royal whom he loued as immoderately as shee hated and abhorred him both hartily and openly vpbrayding him often with the cruell murthering of her graundfather and brother but in the ende hee did wrongfully put her to death for sinister opinion of adulterie betwixte her and his vncle Iosippus and then as immoderately bewailed and lamented her death as before he had rashly slaine her This vnworthie murther of their mother did her two sonnes whome Herodes had appointed to bee his successours in the kingdome stomache in so much that they fled to Rome and accused their father vnto Augustus who made an attonement betwéene the wretched father and his wicked sonnes but it was not long but that Herodes accused them for treason against his person before Archelaus king of Cappadocia whose daughter the one of them had married but Archelaus againe reconciled them but the ill patched friendshipp brake out againe not long after to the destruction of the two innocent sonnes After the dolefull death of his two déere sonnes Alexander Aristobulus the wofull father found out the treason of his sonne Antipater whome he had nominated his heire and how he not onely had caused him by suborning of false witnesses wrongfully to murther his two brothers Alexander and Aristobulus and exasperated him also against two other of his brothers Archelaus Philippe the poison was brought where with Antipater had gone about to poison him whereuppon he obteyned of the Emperour that he might worthily be put to death This domestical calamitie and continual treasons and murtherings of his sonnes did so afflict the aged father that hee ledde a lothsome life wrapped all in wailefulnesse taking no ioy at all in his large Empire great heapes of treasure and beautifull and pleasaunt buildinges And this heauinesse was heaped by long cōtinuance of many dolefull diseases He had no smal ague and an intollerable itche thoroughout all his body then was he also vexed with a painefull torment in his necke and his féete were swollen with the dropsie and his bellie as bigge as a barrell with winde the whiche griefes were augmented with a filthie putrefaction of his priuie parts the which bred aboundance of stinking wormes Moreouer he was very short winded sighing often and had al his lymmes contracted and cramped the tormentes were so intollerable that he thought his friendes did heynously iniurie him when that they did let him to ende his wofull life by friendly stroke of fatall meate knife And then to double his tormentes came this toy into his heade that all the Iewes and people woulde reioyce at his desired death wherefore he commaunded that out of euerie village and towne of the Iudea should the gentlemen be brought into the castell and be all slaine when he shoulde yelde vp his cruell and gastly ghoste that all the whole lande yea and euerie house might weepe and lamente at his death against their willes The xl Chapter Of Mahumet MAhumet the first founder of the secte of the Mahumetanes who possesse nowe farre the greatest parte of the worlde of a beggers bratt and slaue became conquerour and kinge of all Syria and Aegypt and by the consente of the moste of the beste approued authors of the whole Empire of Persia and yet had he also sowre often mingled with his swete for when he firste preached his seditious superstition at Mecha he was driuen by armes out of the towne with his bande of bondmen Neither founde he fortune more friendely at Medina Thalnabi whether he fledde for the Iewes taking armes against him discomfited him in manie skirmishes in one of whom they wounded him in the face strucke out his fore teeth and hurled him into a diche And afterward also in his first inuasion of the Persian was he foiled in fight and forced to retire home where entring in societie with the Sinites that had lately for reprochfull wordes reuolted from the Greekes and returninge with them into Persia fortunately atchiued his exploite But howe pitifully he was tormented with the terrible fallinge sicknesse I thinke it vnknowen vnto fewe Moreouer verie shorte was his reigne for sixe yeares after he beganne his conquestes he died and in the fourtéenth yeare of his age But what cause did depriue this furious fierbrand of mankinde of his enuied life authors do not agrée Some holde that he was poysoned by a Greeke other that he died madde But the cōmon opinion in the East saies Theuet that he was sicke thirty daies of a Pleuresie in seuen of whom he was distraught of his witts but comminge vnto him selfe a little before hee died he tolde his friendes that within three dayes after his death his bodie shoulde be assumpted into heauen The which wordes did witnesse that he was starke madde still as the euente did after proue for when his illuded sectaries had longe time in vaine expected his assumption at last they washing embaulminge his stincking bodie were forced to burie it The xliii Chapter Of Hismaell the Sophie HIsmaell who beganne in our age a newe secte of Mahumetanes amonge the Persians whereof he and all his successors are called Sophies as we shoulde say the wise men thorough the helpe of his folowers threwe downe from the Emperiall siege of Persia the auncient bloude royall and placed himselfe therein making also subiect therevnto manie other countries borderinge there on but Selim the Turke plucked this Pecockes taile discomfiting and woundinge him in a bloudie battell fought in the boweles of his realme the which he himselfe had caused to be all wofully wasted that his fierce enimies shoulde finde nothinge to susteine the necessities of them selues and their horses and also takinge his
Argier a longe iourney by lande thorough the Alarbes and Africanes who beeinge his cruell enimies woulde neuer haue suffered him to haue come to Argier longe time after to trouble and spoile the Christians The xlvi Chapter Of Tamerleyne the Tartar. AMounge these roge kinges will I inrolle Tamerlaine the Tartar. This man whome Theuet calles Tamirrhan and Tamerlanque Sigismundus Liber Themirasscke and Chalcondilas Temer was sonne vnto a poore man called Sangalis a Massaget sayes Chalcondilas but a Parthian affirmes Theuet borne at Samerchanden At the first he was the heardeman of a towne for horses but after warde conspireing together with other heardmen he became a strong théefe stealinge horses and other cattell But climinge one nighte a wall to enter into a stable and beeing espied of the good man of the house he was forced to leape downe from the wall and brake his legge Campofulgoso sayes that he brake his thighe whereof hee had his name for in his countrie language Temer is a thigh and Lang is lame or maymed the which two wordes beeing put together make Temerlang but the Latines keeping the proprietie of their owne tounge corruptly call him Tamerlan But Sigismundus Lyber saies that one whose shéepe he was aboute to steale brake his legge with a greate stone and because hee bounde the bones together with a hoope of yron he was called Themerassacke of yron and halting for Themer in the Tartarian tounge is yron and Assacke halting But whether hee had his name of the one thing or the other herein they do both agree that hee could not when hee came to be Lorde of all the Orient and a terrour vnto the whole worlde steppe foorth one foote but that he felt his infirmitie nor record his owne name but that he was put in minde of his infortunitie But after this mishappe he waxing wiser fortified a place where he and his might haue safe refuge when that they were persued At length he being meruailously enriched by robbing of all men that trauailed within his walke and also by stealing of all kinde of cattell hee gathered together a faire bande of Souldiours and associatinge him selfe with two capteines called Chardares and Myrxes did set vpon a power of the enimies whiche spoyled the countrie and gaue them a greate ouerthrowe the like whereunto he also often times did afterwarde whereby he became so famous that the king of the Massagetes made him capteine generall ouer his armies the which office he administred both valiantly and fortunately and namely a little before the kinges death hauing driuen his enimies into the cities of Babylon and Samarchen and then the king dying he marryed the Quéene and tooke Samarchen or Semerchanda and enioyed that mightie kingdome and also Babylon yea and then with continued course conquered Hiberia Albania Persia Media both Armeniaes Mesopotamia Syria Damascus Aegypt euen vnto Nilus and Capha vppon the coast of the Euxine Sea Cilicia Asia the lesse where hee discomfited in battell Baiazett the Turke with tenne hundreth thousande Turkes neither was his owne ordinarie armie any thing inferiour in number But while he was busied in those partes about taking of the Turkishe townes heauie newes was brought him that one of his confederates a kinge of India called the kinge of Tzachataa passing ouer the riuer Araxis had subdued a greate parte of the countrie thereaboutes which were subiect vnto Tamerlane And amonge all other manifolde detrimentes had miserably defaced the citie of Cheria and had taken Tamerlanes his treasure and returned home but yet so that hee still threatened that hee woulde bee his confederate no longer This sorrowfull message did put Tamerlane in greate feare least that the kinge of India woulde returne againe and sweepe him out of all his dominions at hoame while hee was busied abroade with forreigne warres and herewithall the cursed condition also of humaine affaires and mannes tickle state the which doeth not suffer any man long to enioye here on earth the blisful blast of friendly Fortune appalled his hearte wherefore hee hasted homewarde and whereas before hee iniuried al men nowe did hee not onely put vpp cowardly the Indian wrong but also made greate sute to recouer his auncient friendshippe But after that Tamerlane had thus recouered his countries loste and quieted them and buylt that renowned citie of the worlde Samarchanden in the village where hee was borne whiche hee beautified and enriched with the spoyles of the whole Orient and had throughly peopled it hee prepared a voyage against the Turkes and Christians from the goyng forwarde wherewith hee was stayed bothe by a mightie Earthquake and also two celestiall signes and prodigies the one of a man appearinge in the ayre holdinge in his hande a Lauâ—â—â— and the other of a blasinge Starre terrible for his greatenesse the whiche stoode directly ouer the citie by the space of fiftéene dayes Hee consultinge with the Southsayers and Astrologians about these wounders was tolde by them and namely by one Bene-iaacam a man of greatest authoritie and credite amonge them that they were tokens either of his owne death shortlye after to ensue or else of the vtter ruine and bringinge to naught of his Empire But muche more was he in short time after amazed by a vision that hee had one night the whiche was the cause of his fatall sickenesse and in the ende of his death For hee dreamed one night that Baiazeth the Turke whome hee had made to die miserably in an yron cage came vnto him or else the diuell in his likenesse with a countenaunce sterne and terrible to beholde and saide vnto him nowe it shall not be long villaine but that thou shalt worthilye bee payde for thy manifolde outrages and I too shall be reuenged for the werisome wrong that thou diddest vnto mee making mee to die like vnto a beast in mine own doung And when hee had thus sayed Tamerlane thought that Baiazeth did beate him verye grieuously and troade and trampled vppon him with his féete sore brusing his belly and bowelles in so muche that the nexte morninge when hee had thought to haue risen hee remained still attainted with the apprehension conceiued in his sleape the whiche did néere quite bereue him of his wittes and so rauinge al wayes vppon Baiazeth dyed leauynge his large Empire vnto his two sonnes begotten of diuers venters who consuming them selues with ciuill wars one vppon another left an easie way for all those princes and countries whome their father had spoyled and conquered to recouer all that which they had before lost The xliiii Chapter Of Mahumet the second the greate Turke MAhumet the seconde the greate seigniour of the Turkes that wanne Constantinople Pera Capha and the Empire of Trapezonda the kingdome of Cilicia or Caramania and Bosna and pierced Illyria or Slauonia euen vnto Forum Iulij nowe Friali where he discomfited the Venetians with the flower of al Italie began his reigne with the murthering of two infants his brothers so fearefull was he of