himselfe sawe at Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar of bigger bodies and of taller stature then any Romane by halfe a foote for saith Strabo Vidimus puberes Britannos longissimi corporis nostris indigenis semipede celsiores But to be short as it was among the Iewes permitted to the Talmudistes to write their countrie histories to the Indians Gymnosophists to write of India the olde Gaules committed the olde recordes and Chronicles of their Countries to their wise men called Druydes the olde Hispaniards during the time of their kings and long after euen vnto the Romanes time had the antiquaries called Turdetani to write the Chronicles of their Countries and euen so among the olde Britaines were called Bardi to recorde their antiquitie and their histories men of like credite and estimation among the Britaines as were these before named in their Countries without whose consent and councell if any man wrote concerning the state and antiquitie of their countrie hee should be punished according to the custome of the Countrie It is easily spoken there was no Troy but all countries haue allowed it time hath confirmed it both Greeke and Latine histories haue written of it It is soone saide There was no such Brutus but continuance of time succession of kings possession of the countrie doe proue the contrary If neither Geraldus being of the time of Richard the second neither Gildas long before Geraldus liuing in the time of Claudius Augustus the Emperour both singularly learned if neither consent of time succession of kings the antiquitie of the historie nor the affinitie of tongues which no Grecian can denie for we holde the auncient names of riuers townes mountaines and other monuments euen from Brutus time in the selfe same tongue that Brutus spake Let them giue some credite to Pont. Varunnius Iulius Caesar who said Gens ex nostra prosapia est being proued by M. Coruinus and Halicarnassaeus lineally to descend from Aeneas What shoulde I write more Inuidia serra animae and truely is that spoken that three good vertuous mothers had three wicked vicious daughters Familiaritie the mother of contempt Peace and quietnesse the mother of idlenesse And Trueth the mother of hatred Yet in spite of that scorpion Suâ—…s ex merito quemque tuetur honor The historie of Belinus the great whose daughter named Cambra was maried to Marcomirus sonne the first king from whom the Frenchmen since their comming to Germany florished by the name of Sicambri after the name of Cambra the Britaine the historie of Brenus his brother are wel knoweÌ„ with forreigne writers so of Rodericus the great of Leoninus the great who are in the Britaine historie as much coÌ„mended as Pompey the great or Constantine the great among the Romanes for as Pyrrhus saide Italie was not to be subdued but by Italians neither Rome but by the Romanes euen so the Britaine 's were not to be ouerthrowen but by Britaines And here I end 10. Praep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 CAP. 1. 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 CAP. 1. 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 1 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 The creation of the world Isido lib. 5. â—…saedri Tetraedri Octoedri Dodecaedri Read Plato and Io. Phrig Cicero lib. denat deorum Iob 38. The creation of man Man placed in Eden â—…oph iâ—… 〈◊〉 Pisâ—…hon Giâ—…on Childekel Phrat Pytlâ—…go letter Plato in Craâ—… Iohn 7. Rom. 5. The opinion of the learned concerning Adams continuance in Paradise before his fall Clemens fol. 128 Gen. 4. Loar fol. 109. Midras 〈◊〉 Psal. 92. Rabbi Menahem fol. 9. vpon Moses Theoph. August sixe houres Thom. Aquinas nine houres Bochay twelue houres Rabbi Nathan Cedrenus Mariaenus Scotus Adam was buried in Golgatha Rabbi Isaac Our portion held by the first Adam Paul Gen. 3. The first sacrifice vnto God Gen. 4. Heb. â—…1 Henoch was borne Gen 4. Diodorus lib. 5. Iosephus Belus Image a sanctuary to all wickednes lib. 10. cap. 3. de prae Diodorus lib. 11. Genes 4. The sonnes of God maried with the daughters of men Melancthon Fregius in histo Adami Fregius in histo Adami Iud. 1. Heb 11. Henoch walked with God Genes 9. Noah the righteous preacher 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Zonaras lib. 1. Talmudists Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 14. Koâ—…rus lib. 1. cap. 4. Tabula 4. Asiae lib. 3. Genes cap. 10. Genes 1. The confusioÌ„ of tongues in the time of Peleg Sabellicuâ—… lib. 3. The antiquity of Greece The praise of Plato The infancie of Greece Ioseph lib. contra Reede Stabo 16. booke First Hebrewes 478 Then Israel 1026 Thirdly Iewish 786 A egyptians most enuious to the Iewish The mercie of God towardes his people The goodnes of God to his people 3. Regum cap. 10 De Asse 4. Ioseph 8. Abrahams age when Noah died Gene. 18. 20. 47. Abrahams going to Aegypt The bondage of Israel in Aegypt 430. yeeres Moses the fift from Abraham Gene. cap. 14. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha ouerthrown by the king of Shinar Ismael borne by Agar the the bondwoman Lot with his two daughters escaped Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 12. Lots incest with his two daughters Genes 19. The birth of Isaac Isaac the child of promise borne 14. yeres after Ismael Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 15. Sara died and is buried in Hebron A ficide doth coâ—…tune 4. Dâ—…achmes Lib. cap 16. Abraham dieth Esau and Iacobâ—… birth Iacob was the true tipe of the Church Lib. 1. cap. 18. 19. Diodo de fab 〈◊〉 lib. 2. Functius in tabula patrum Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron Isaac saw the prosperity of Esau and the affliction of Iacob Diodo lib. 1. Iustin. lib. 36. Bâ—…sius lib. 1. cap 8. Iustine lib 36. Orosius lib. 1. cap. 8. The 18. Denasâ—…na of Aegypt Sparta builded The going of Iacob vnto Egypt Ioseph died 65. yeeres before Moses was borne The maner of Moses birth Thermutis Pharaohs daughter Moses threwe the diademe of Aegypt to the dirt Moses made captaine ouer the Aegyptians against the Aethiopians Reade Fregius of Moses life Moses Aaron sent by God to Aegypt The tenne plagues of Aegypt Iosephs bones brought by Moses out of Aegypt Cancres king of Aegypt drowned in the red sea Deucalion flood The kingdome of Athens Berosus endeth his hystory Moses death Israelites toile and slauery Chiliarchi Hecatontarchi Pentecontarchi Decatarchi Ramesses was surnamed Egyptus Cornelius Tacitus lib. 2. Crosius lib. 1. cap. 11. Iosua deuideth the land of Chanaan Iosua made orders lawes Iosua coÌ„mandeth his host to passe Iorden Iordan gaue place to Iosua and to the Arke The walles of Iericho fell Iosua cap. 12. Melanthon 〈◊〉 de Hebreâ—…ruÌ„ admin The mutabiliue of the Israelites Eglon king of Moab afflicteth Israel Ehud killeth Eglon. Iabin
hee liued thirtie fiue yeeres after Abrahams dayes The tenth king of the Assyrians was Belochus Priscus and he reigned 35. yeres a righteous king of whō writers make no great mention for most of the kings of Assyria be so ancient their histories by Berosus set forth so doubtfull that authorities sufficient cannot be found to write much sauing those ten kings which are mentioned in Scripture in whose time the Assyrians and the Chaldeans florished most their histories and their tyrannies done in the Church is set downe in the Prophetes by the Spirite of God the touchstone of all trueth and reserued by the holy Ghost to the vse of his Church and the members thereof the keyes of all knowledge of whom al prophane histories haue their beginning Baleus Iunior succeeded to be the eleuenth king of Assyria hee reigned two and fiftie yeeres and was amongst the Assyrians of great fame hee excelled the rest in all his warres for his predecessors euenthe best kings as Baleus Xerxes Aralius Ninus or Belus himselfe entred not so farre conquered not so much as this king did whom all writers so cōmended and specially after Semiramis next in fame and greatnes for shee conquered vnto India this conquered India and brought the Indians vnder the gouernment of the Assyrians paying yerely tribute vnto the kings of Assyria committing themselues and their countries vnder the tuition of this king Baleus Iunior In this Baleus Iuniors time Osiris being very aged returning from all the Countries where hee had traueiled into Egypt erected vp a triumphant pillar with this inscription set vpon it I am King Osiris the sonne of Saturnus that taught in all partes of the world the vse of those things which I Osiris first found out This Trophe was kept a long time by the Priestes of Egypt in memorie of Osiris About this time Iacob and his children went to Egypt 215. yeeres after Abrahams being in Egypt and they continued so long after Abraham 215. yeeres which was the whole time of the children of Israels bondage in Egypt for from Abrahams being first in Egypt where he left to dwell in Egypt some Hebrewes after his departing vntill the comming of Moses is 430. yeeres After this reigned Altad◅s the 12. king of the Assyrians this aboue the rest became epicureall applying his whole studie to seeke out vaine men that could well instruct him to degenerate from his predecessours for hee sawe so much wealth in Niniue where the treasures of the kings of Assyria were that he could by no meanes know how to spend them hee gaue himselfe to all kind of vices and to followe young councel and moreouer he thought it a most miserable thing to toile to traueile himselfe with continuall warres hauing so much substance that hee coulde not foresee howe to consume them but by a decree of his young councelours so it was deuised that the huge treasure great substance which his predecessours by their conquestes had obteined should be with most ease and lesse danger consumed for this was Altades opinion hee thought it most fit to liue in pleasure and to enioy the benefites of his predecessours noting the miserie to bee such of his elders as coulde not spende them selues but spare them to others and therfore suum institutum fuit saith the historie to feede delicately to vse insolent attires to followe riotous company to frequent all kinde of pleasures and to liue viciously while he liued In this time liued Prometheus of whom the Poets make mention much as Ruffinus in his comentarie doth note This Altades reigned 32. yeeres Berosus writeth that one Hercules king of Celtiberia in the 19. of Altades brought his sonne named Thuscus vnto Italie where hee was created king After this Hercules returned backe from Italie vnto Celtiberia where hee died being very olde hee was honoured with statues and images after his death as a demie god this was before Hercules Amphitrion 500. yeeres this reigned in the yere of the world 2275. When Altades had ended his riotous life one succeeded him named Mamitus the 13. king of Assyria a man of a cleane contrary disposition to Altades This king againe assoone as he came to his kingdom exercised himselfe with care diligence to foresee the state of his kingdome lothing detesting idlenes bent himselfe to warres kept garisons had diuers armies abroad himselfe ready to performe in persō that which Altades his predecessor had neglected This king grewe so great so strong that Egypt al Syria stood in awe of him which Syria as Sabellicus affirmeth was once the largest kingdom of the world hauing within it self Palestina Arabia Iudea Phoenicia Coelosyria for the Syrians are people very anciēt for so Plinie saith that they were before the Assyrians Strabo would haue Syria to be al one as Assyria is for so the Grecians called them This king Mamitus reigned 30. yeres was the first king of the Assyrians that began this warre in Syria Egypt for in his dayes Syria Egypt florished There is mention made of the Syrians in Genesis where Moses saith that the Syrians descended from Charmel the sonne of Nahor Abrahās brother called also by the kings of Aram. Nowe after Mamitus succeeded Mancaleus the 14. king of the Assyrians this king did nothing worth the memorie for we reade of no warre in his time for the kings of Assyria being the first nations which had kings in the world grew frō time to time so great so mighty that they held the Monarchie of Assyria from Nimrod to Sardanapalus 1240. yeeres and more during which time fewe kings or none coulde hurt them or stand in field against them for in the East part no king of any puissance was able to encounter with the Assyrian kings for then the Assyrians onely ruled other countries were not as yet populous sauing Egypt who began to be likewise strong in processe of time none coulde resist the strength of the Assyrians but the Egyptians When Egypt grew strong these two kingdomes began to warre one with another and therefore vntill the time of Phul Belochus Salmanasser Senaherib and Nabuchodonosor mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history no great histories are written of the Assyrian kings and then it was called new Assyria therefore nothing may be read of the first kings of Assyria for they helde their kingdome all this while without any great dangers for yet the engins of war◅es were ◅ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his histor◅ vn◅ the childrē of Israel going out of Egypt few could writ◅◅erteinly of this time being of such antiquitie for from Ninus the third king of the Assyrians vntill Spherus the fifteenth king which nowe I haue in hand as Archilochus doth gather there is 451. yeeres This Spherus after 20. yeeres gouernment died the 16. king called of
and Herodotus Greece began to florish in philosophie and in all knowledge about this time In this kings time the Romanes sent to Athens for the lawes of the twelue tables at what time the Romanes created tenne men named Decemuiri to interprete the lawes About this time Titus Liuius writeth that the Frenchmen came out of Scythia first with one Marcomirus to the nomber of 489. thousand to the confines of Germanie where they were called first Nemmagi by the Saxons the second name they had of Cambra the Queene and were called Sicambri and the third name of Francus a king they were named Franci as you may reade more in the history of France But to returne to Artaxerxes whose zeale to the Church was such that he commaunded the Edict of Cyrus to be performed which was hindred by Cambyses and by Darius Histaspis his owne grandfather who after once he had permitted the Iewes to haue Cyrus decree performed a good king yet he was letted to doe that which now his sonne doeth by reason of the warres which hee had in Egypt and Greece for then warres were put to silence in Asia and in the East part At this time Artaxerxes did send Esdras with great treasures and substance to Ierusalem in the seuenth yere of his raigne to build vp againe Ierusalem to repaire the temple to restore to the Iewes their common wealth This Artaxerxes is named in Esdras to be Darius by the prophet Aggeus and Zacharie at what time a great multitude of the Iewes came from Babylon with Esdras to Ierusalem though Sisines the gouernour of Syria and Phoenicia would had hindered them had not Artaxerxes commanded to helpe them All this time Artabanus mused how he might destroy Artaxerxes to haue the kingdom for to that end before he slew Xerxes this kings father that imagination was strong with Artabanus laying the like snares to murther Artaxerxes but Artaxerxes hauing intelligence of the same and fearing Artabanus sonnes seuen stout and gallant gentlemen he gathered an armie of souldiers as though he had some secret voyage in hand amongst whom Artabanus was soonest and readiest armed and as Artaxerxes vewed his armie he spied Artabanus in armes of whom stil he stood in feare vntil he preuēted the danger with Artabanus death to saue his owne life The Iewes toke this Artaxerxes to be Darius Histaspis sonne whom they called Assuerus by queene Esther By this good king Nehemias was sent after Esdras to Ierusalem with the like rewards as before From the seuenth yeere of this Artaxerxes sirnamed the long hand some do beginne the seuentie weekes of Daniel concerning the comming of Messias About this time Pericles died a noble Captaine of Athens that succeeded Themistocles and Plato was borne whose master Socrates flourished at that time Thucydides which liued in the time of Artaxerxes saith Themistocles was driuen from Athens and banished vnto Persia yea to come to serue this king whose father he anoyed so much and whose people he vanquished in foure great battels so vngrateful Athens was towards Themistocles Aristides Alcibiades and others of whom I do speake in the historie of Greece The Iewes had some quietnes from Artaxerxes time the fift king of Persia vntill the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia. Likewise the Grecians were in rest and had the cities countreis to vse with free libertie by meanes of this king Artaxerxes for the Athenians and the Peloponesians were made friends for fourteene yeeres of whose warre afterwarde Thucydides continueth his history and writeth the calamitie of Greece which ensued the ciuill warres of the Grecians After folowed the Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrowe of all Greece In the seuenth yeere of this warre died Artaxerxes after he had raigned fourtie and foure yeres this warre began before Augustus Caesar foure hundreth yeres About this time Capua was taken of the Samnits and Macedonia was in many places wasted and burned by a Thracian captaine called Sitalices Agis was king in Lacedemonia this time and Archidamus raigned in Sparta There liued more learned men in Artaxerxes time then in any one kings time and that in euery part and coast of the world and therefore it is not amisse to put them in one place for that they were at one time I meane one age especially of Romanes Grecians Esdras and Nehemias two noble Iewes Aggeus and Zacharias two godly Prophets Empedocles and Parmenides two great Philosophers Phericides an Historiographer of Syria Cratinus a great writer of Tragedies and Comedies Sophocles and Euripides the Tragaedians And Proclitus a Philosopher Democritus and Heraclitus two Philosophers Hippocrates a famous Phisition attendant vpon king Artaxarexes Ctesias a Persian Chronographer and one of Artaxerxes houshold Socrates flourished this time and Plato his scholer was yet but yong Herodotus and Thucydides two great writers Aristophanes and Protagoras whose bookes were burned in Athens by a publique Edict And a litle after Pindarus and Diogoras the Philosopher Zeuxes and Phidias two renowmed cunning men in cutting or grauing Images statues in painting most excellent which skill amongst the Grecians was much esteemed In Artaxerxes time liued Miltiades Themistocles Cimon and Pericles foure famous Athenians In Rome Lucius Sicinius dentatus a very strong man Tribune of the people of whose strength Plinie in his seuenth booke Cap. 28. and Solinus Cap. 6. In Artaxerxes time the Romanes sent to Athens for the twelue Tables which Solon had made to be had in great reuerence amongst the Grecians In Persia after Artaxerxes succeeded Darius Nothus this maried Artaxerxes sister Bibliander thought him to bee Xerxes sonne others named him Xerxes the seconde others affirming him to be Artaxerxes sonne but it is not much material for Chronographers omit to put him amongst the kings of Persia so Ctesias himselfe a Persian writer who liued in his dayes and serued his predecessour Artaxerxes While this Darius raigned in Persia the Egyptians againe began to reuolt at what time Amartheus gouerned Egypt and Orestes raigned king in Macedonia The Athenians made this time a league with the Lacedemonians likewise they concluded a peace with the Argiues and with the people of Mantinea by the counsell of Alcibiades This time gaue the Lacedemonians a great ouerthrow to the Argiues whereupon peace was concluded Agis being then king in Lacedemonia and himselfe generall in the fielde at Tegaea The state of Greece was to be lamented from time to time for as they did thinke all the world to be barbarous beside themselues so of themselues they could not agree vntil all Greece was through ciuil warres destroyed and wasted one countrey bickering at another and one citie enuying an other that they who triumphed oft ouer the strong Persians are now troden vnder foote of their next neighbours For in this Darius Nothus time when the Athenians had giuen an ouerthrow to the Syracusans the Lacedemonians
before so likewise you shal reade of diuers Seleucus of diuers Antiochus and of diuers Ptolomeis where I speake of the kings of Asia Syria and Egypt much errour may growe hereby without heede taking Philip reigned now in Macedonia and hauing no long time to rest but at his first entrie had warres by the Romanes for whom Ti. Quintus Flaminius the Consul was in person to offer battell in the defence of Greece the rather for that Philip king of Macedon ayded Hannibal against the Romanes with all the force he could Philip prouided all things ready a man might thinke that Philip had force and power sufficient against a Consul of a citie being a king of a whole Realme and surely so he had had not Titus by his eloquence wonne al Greece against Philip and yet before this time the Grecians bare no great good will to the Romanes as Plutarch affirmeth Diuers times Flaminius offered battel to Philip but still refused by Philip auoided fearing such hard fortune as his predecessors had he kept the top of the mountaines with his armie that when the Romanes forced to gette vp the hilles they were receiued with dartes slings and shotte that lighted vpon them from the toppes of the hilles that the Romanes were sore anoyed But after they found meanes to winne the hilles by the aduise of Charopus a great man of Epirus Titus diuided his armie into three troupes and himselfe went with one of the three Philip lost then about two thousand souldiers the Macedonians fled and the Romanes spoiled their campe tooke all that they found in their tents Titus had some aduertisement that Philip fledde by Thessalia the Consul with great modestie did forbeare the spoyling and wasting of the Countrie hereby he wanne many friendes Philip was most desirous to haue peace with Titus and it was offered him vpon condition that he would that Greece should be at their libertie and remoue his garisons out of their Citie this Philip refused and thereupon all Greece came in and offered themselues vnto Titus without compulsion Nowe hauing Greece on his side he went towardes Thessalie with great hope to ouercome Philip Titus had in his armie about sixe and twentie thousande fighting men as Plutarch writeth king Philip on the other side had no lesse in number they beganne to march the one towardes the other neere the Citie of Scotusa there they determined to trie the battell where Titus gaue the ouerthrow and slue eight thousand in the fielde and tooke fiue thousand prisoners in the chase Philip was driuen to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto him vpon the condition before offered and taking one of Philips sōnes in hostage sent him to Rome to the Senate for then Hannibal of Carthage a great enemie of the Romanes was ouercome by Scipio Affricanus and banished out of his Countrie and commen to king Antiochus whom hee perswaded with all diligence to followe his good fortune and the encrease of his Empire Hanibal sought still to finde occasion to make warres with the Romanes and went about to bring Antiochus to ioyne with Philip two mightie kings against the Romanes In the meane time Titus had commissioners sent from Rome to ayde him and to assist him in the affaires of Greece willing him to looke to the Cities of Corinth of Chalcides and of Demetriade and to make sure that they should not enter into league and allyance with Antiochus and all the rest of Greece to set at libertie this was done by Titus and proclaimed by the Heralde and authorised by the Senate of Rome that all Greece should be free from all taxes impositions and subsidies After that Titus had sent Lentulus into Asia to set the Bargilians at libertie and Titillius into Thracia and Publius Iulius sent to king Antiochus to set the Grecians at libertie Titus himselfe went to the Prouince of Magnesia and from thence to Argos to set the Greekes at libertie which were vnder Philip and Antiochus from Argos returned into Rome after foure yeeres warre with Philip sauing that Pu. Sulpitius had the charge against Philip the first yeere being then Consul of Rome before Titus time who for the time of his being in Macedonia gaue two ouerthrowes vnto Philip king of Macedon and forced him to flee in great danger of his life But to returne to Titus who being called to Rome by the Senate came in solemne triumph with king Philips sonne before his chariot brought at that time saith Plutarch infinite treasures and leauing Philip to pay to the Romanes a thousand talents beside and not to molest and vexe the Cities of Greece and that it was not lawfull for Philip to warre or to fight out of his owne kingdome vnlesse he should be required thereunto by the Romanes Thus Philip being daunted of his great courage and much weakened in strength by the Romanes hauing two sonnes the one named Perseus the other Demetrius betweene them both grewe secret seditions and proceeded so in malice that though Demetrius was in Rome in hostage with Titus as you heard and Perseus in Macedonia with his father accusing his brother of his secrete treacherie towardes his father Philip and his countrey that the king was in offence against Demetrius and grewe more and more by Perseus soliciting the cause to doubt Demetrius hee coulde not quiet himselfe vntill Demetrius was had out of the way by poyson as Ruffinus sayeth but it was not long after but Philip had knowledge of the iniurie hee had done to his sonne Demetrius by the false accusation of his sonne Perseus hee studied howe to take reuenge vpon Perseus for the death of Demetrius and sawe no way vnlesse hee would leaue Macedonia without a king for then Perseus was the last of the line of Antigonus Thus poore king Philip being plagued by the Romanes for his kingdome and brought to a full weerinesse of his life at home by his two sonnes fell to a consumption and dyed afterhe had reigned king of Macedonia fourtie two yeeres Plutarch reciteth a historie of one Antigonus surnamed Doson that was cousin to the other Antigonus surnamed Gonates this Antigonts Doson reigned before Philippe fifteene yeeres As I toulde you before of the names of so many Demetrius so nowe the names of so many Antigonus may trouble the reader and therefore I will shewe the order of it The first Antigonus was taken to bee base brother to Alexander the great who after Alexanders dayes was taken to be the greatest and mightiest of all his successours This Antigonus had a sonne called Demetrius of whome came this seconde Antigonus surnamed Gonatas the third Antigonus surnamed Doson and after this Antigonus reigned Philip who dyed for sorowe and griefe for Demetrius death Nowe Perseus the last king of Macedonia succeeded his father Philip king of Macedonia in the fiue hundred seuentie fiue yeeres of the building of
chronicles is set downe by the Prophet in describing the 4. beastes and their natures signifying thereby the Monarchies of the worlde their gouernment and their continuance the onely grounde from whēce all writers make good their histories But let no man write of his coūtrey with more affection then trueth wil warrant him for his proofe as it seemeth Berosus did of Chaldea Manethon of Egypt Ctesias of Persia for that they may easily be corrected by any late writer that is seene in the Sacred histories and yet they were men of singular authoritie and credite in histories of their countreys who by conferring Prophetical histories with their prophane writings men find nothing more then fables of antiquities and errors in lieu of true histories not knowing the Centre of all certaine Chronicles I meane the Prophetical histories But haue with them for my countrey also being cōtented to be excused with them by Liui In tanta rerum vetustate multi temporis errores implicātur c. For no doubt as Greeke histories are more vncertaine then the Latins of whom Iosephus saith that they had nothing to bragge of but their lies euery man setting downe in writing his opinion rather then studying the trueth of the historie But as occasion shall serue me so shal I speake of them and of others In the meane time I marueile much howe some men are more bent without either reason or authoritie to reprooue that which in true Histories is approoued Many of the best Romane writers seemed to be ignorant of that which they knew and yet would take no notice thereof they woulde not haue vrbem omnium gentium Imperiorum dominam to bee builded by any of Aeneas stocke or any ofsprings of the Troyans neither would they allow any part of Italy to be inhabited with the Grecians whome the Romanes mortally hated They claime their antiquitie frō Noah by the name of Ianus who came from Scythia Saga presently after the flood into Italy and after Ianus from Saturnus and from Cameses This Sempronius Mar. Cato and Fabius Pictor seeme fully to prooue and they stand to it stoutly notwithstanding they haue as many Greeke writers against them in proouing the contrary affirming that the Grecians Arcadians Lacedemonians Achaians and Pelasgians first inhabited Italy So Myrsilus in the whole booke which beginneth thus Italiam primùm coluere Graeci c. prooueth the Grecians to be the first inhabitants in Italy After Myrsilus followeth Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in like order and proofe as he that readeth Halicarnassaeus readeth Myrsilius and after Dionysius Herodotus who doeth not onely fully warrant Myrsilus and Dionysius but also concludeth with more warrants of his owne This cōtrouersie riseth betweene the Grecians and the Romanes about the antiquitie of Italy the Greekes calling Italy Spurcam spuriam nouitiam and the Romanes naming Greece Mendacem fabulosam The like controuersie grewe betweene the Egyptians and the Scythians in those dayes and the like nowe about the comming of Brute vnto this countrey whose cōming hath bene receiued and confirmed by succession of kings from Brutus to Cadwalader And after the kings the line and stocke of Brutus vnto this day 2700. yeeres sed nihil magnum somnianti for they can reprooue without authoritie but they wil not allow proofs with authorities such is their credite with some people as Pythagoras was with his owne schollers who thought Pythagoras speach a sufficient warrant to proue anything only alleaging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doubt there be many Pythagoreans that stand too much in their owne conceites some dreaming the word Britania to be Pritania some imagining the Britaines to to be Picts and that the originall of the Britaines shoulde bee from the Picts and many such other reasons rather fables wherein there is neither agreement of time which is to bee noted nor affinitie with speache neither likenesse of names nor any things else like for the Pictes came but the last day to Armorica which is little Britaine in Fraunce with one Rodericke their captaine from Scythia and not with Aeneas from Phrygia to seeke where they might haue place to inhabite I confesse that these Pictes and Scots inuaded Britaine and made often irruptions into Britaine in the time of Constantine the great Iouinianus Theodosius and many other Emperours but they were repelled and compelled with many a good beating to retire I should better allowe the opinion of those that say that the Pictes are Scots for with the Britaine 's the Picts by no likenesse may bee resembled neither by time nor by tongue I will leaue the Picts for the Scots whose kingdome was subdued and translated into Scotland by Kenedus king of the Scots where I leaue them Many licencious writers haue bene and are in the world not only in matters of antiquities but in other matters also Who will beleeue Polidor a strāger in Britaine before Giraldus a singular learned man borne in Britaine who had traueiled as many countries as Polidor did and therefore was in great credite with Rich. the second who who will beleeue a forreine late writer before Gildas the Britaine that wrote of his coūtrie in Claudius Caesars time If neither Giraldus nor Gildas nor any other ex bardis Britannis are allowed let Ponticus Virunnius let Iu. Caesar in his Comment whosaid they were ex eadem prosapia be allowed For the trueth thereof I doubt not but I shall write as true as the Frenchmen shall doe of Fraunce the Hispaniard of Hispaine and so of the rest I meane of the Saxons of the Greekes and of the Romanes and my reason shall be as probable for the landing of Brutus in this Island from Italie as the Italians shall prooue Ianus to come from Chaldea into Italie or as the Frenchmen shall prooue Marcomirus to come from Scythia into Germany and so in time to come into Fraunce and so to holde the name of Francus I will not speake of Caetubales Hiberians Hesperians nor of the olde Celtiberians afterwarde called Spaniards who had their name of Hispanus neither will I speake of the auncient stocke of Brutus while yet they dwelt in Creete and after in Phrygia and after that in Albalonga and last in Rome but of the comming of Brutus vnto this land the sonne of Syluius the sonne of Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas and from the name of the Britaine 's since that time of the which if any man doubt he may aswell doubt of the antiquitie of the Latines of the Albanes and last of the Romanes which al did issue and proceede of the house of Aeneas for imperij Romaniorigo Aeneas as is prooued by Halicarnassaeus which affirmeth that Romulus the first king of the Romanes was the seuenteenth king out of the body of Aeneas lineally descending for after Aeneas died being at his death king of the Latines three yeeres after whom succeeded his sonne Ascanius and builded a towne hard by the hill Alba and named it Albalonga leauing his fathers wife Lauina in that Citie which Aeneas builded thirtie yeres before Ascanius builded Albalonga where during his life Ascanius
which he sinned and therefore died for it was meete in reason that the same day the second Adam for the saluation of mākind should sanctifie vnto himselfe his spouse the Church in which he had created the first Adam the father of mankind taking a ribbe out of his side made a woman for as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt houre so the Lord Iesus reforming man is fastened to the tree the sixt day and sixt houre and that day wherein Christ was killed and slaine in the flesh and in the which day he was made a redeemer and a Sauiour to man that had perished It is so euident that that day the Lord obeying his father suffered death wherein Adam being disobedient vnto God died for as Adam by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge brought death to the world so Christ our Sauiour dying vpon the tree of the crosse gaue life vnto man And againe as Christ was crucified in Golgotha for the sinne of man so Adam was dead and buried in that place before by transgressing the commaundements of God Looke in what day Adam transgressed in the coole of the day was hee condemned and put out of Paradise so faith Rabbi Isaac that the creating of Adam and the commandement and the fall and the driaing out of Paradise all befell the selfe same day Many of these Analogies seeme probable for the confirming of these opinions afore spoken For as it was kept in the tree which was the instrument of life and death so is it also kept in time and place But thanks be vnto God who deliuered vs from the fal from the curse from death hell damnation and from going out of Paradise which was our portion held by the first Adam but now all things are made manifest by the second Adam by the appearing of Messias who hath abolished sinne and death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light through the Gospel for as Eue being a virgin and incorrupted when she had conceiued the words of the serpent brought foorth by disobedience death so the virgin Mary full of faith and gladnesse embracing the salutation of the Angel Gabriel restored life through Christ who redeemed man from thraldome So was the promise of God before Adam was brought out of Paradise that the seed of the woman the Messias and Sauior in whom and by whom we haue eternall life should tread the Serpents head This comfort was very great vnto Adam and continued from Adam the first man vnto Abraham 1949. yeeres the first Patriarch wherein the children of God were instructed by this promise and saw through faith the redemption of man Now by the sentence of God Adam was sent from the garden of Eden to till the earth whence he was taken and being cast out at the East side of the garden of Eden the Lord God set Cherubins and the blade of a sword shaken to keepe the way of the tree of life Afterward Adam knew his wife which conceiued and bare Caine an argument to prooue of no long continuance of Adam in Paradice And againe Eue conceiued and had another sonne and called him Abel for yet the blessings of God the state of mariage and mans nature were not vtterly abolished through sinne but the qualitie and the conditions thereof was chaunged Caine was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a shepeheard they offred both to the Lord sacrifice and it is plaine by their oblation that how Adam instructed his children in the knowledge of God and how God gaue them sacrifices to signifie their saluation for so Adam confessed the Lord to be God saying I haue obtained a man by the Lord when Caine was borne God tooke not his spirit frō his elect neither did absent himselfe frō the church For the first godly Fathers had the law writē in their hearts by the spirit of God The first table where the cōmādemēts were grauē was flesh which was in Adam the secōd was giue in tables of stones to Moses But as cōcerning their oblations Caine offered vnto God of the first fruite of the groūd Abel likewise offered the first fruit of his shepe Abel with his sacrifice was accepted of the Lord and Caine with his oblations was reiected For so Paul saieth that Abel offred vnto God a greater sacrifice then Caine by the which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous because GOD receiued him to mercy and therefore imputed righteous God testifying of his gifts by the which being dead yet liueth wherefore Caine was angrie and exceeding wroth and his countenaunce fell downe because he was an hypocrite and offered onely for outward shew without sinceritie of heart yet God gaue vnto Caine the dignitie of the first borne ouer Abel But Cain contemning despising God whē he was reproued of God for the murthering of his brother Abel whom he entised to walke to the fields to be killed whose blood euen from earth cried vp vnto heauen for reuenge at Gods hand at that time the curse of God was pronounced against Caine and he went from the presence of the Lord wandring from place to place with tortures of a guiltie conscience according to Gods sentence as domesticall furies night and day seeking meanes to hide himselfe with the like guiltie conscience as Adam had when he fled from the face of God when hee was called of Iehoua in Paradise Where art thou Adam Caine went to the land of Node thinking by being farre from God he should haue lesse occasion to feare him Caine had some visible marke to be knowen of all men for God said he should not be slaine not that he loued him but for that God abhorreth murther and would haue a murtherer knowen Caine knew his wife which conceiued and bare Henoch and builded a citie and called it after his sonnes name Henoch this was the first citie of the world there hee dwelt with his wife To Henoch was borne Irad and Irad begate Mehimal and he begate Methushael and Methushael begate Lamech these children grew vngodly and wicked as most naturall and like children to Caine the last worse then the first for this contemptuous Lamech tooke to him two wiues the one named Adah the other Zillah thereby he first corrupted the lawfull institution of mariage which was that two should be one flesh Afterward he mocked scoft at Gods sufferāce in Cain saying If Cain shal be auenged seuen fold truly Lamech shall be auenged seuentie times seuen fold as though God would suffer none to punish him albeit hee was most contemptuous of good liuing most vngodly and wickedly hauing 76. children in adulterie as Iosephus writeth but by Adah he had a sonne named Iubal who was the first that taught to make tents and to dwell therein and he was the first father of such as had cattell Lamech had a sonne named Iubal who was the first
other busines of their owne they went into the Synagogues appointed and made for them and not into the temple which was onely for the citizens of Hierusalem for both were frequented in our Sauiours time proued by himselfe saying I haue taught in the temple and in so many Synagogues in Galilee Asia mentioned so that one temple was in Hierusalem and many Synagogues and so many that I finde in an Hebrew cōmentary 480. Synagogues were within the city of Hierusalem and diuers other Synagogues dispersed through all Iudea but God commanded that he should be but in one place worshipped which was first in Silo in the tribe and mount of Ephraim after in Hierusalem in mount Sion in the tribe of Iuda Of the vse of the Tabernacle after the temple was by Salomon builded the Talmudists write many fables which I omit to recite Samaria being thus the second time destroyed by Aristobulus and Antigonus the Pharisees corrupt euil and seditious men much enuied the prosperitie of Hircanus his sonnes perswading the people to hate him but Hircanus after that hee had done great seruice for the Iewes and brought all things in quietnes he foresawe things to come and after he had gouerned Israel 31. yeres leauing behinde him 5. sonnes he died All this while there was no king in Iudea since the captiuitie of Babylon 481. yeeres but now after Hircanus time Aristobulus his eldest sonne succeeded him in gouernment who by report of slaunderers and backbiters caused his brother Antigonus whom he loued very dearely to be killed being most falsly accused of his enemies he left his owne mother to perish for famine and put the rest of his brethren in close prison But after a while his conscience did accuse him and tortured him in such sort that Aristobulus commaunded to bee brought to the place where Antigonus his brother was slaine and being caried to the place hee vomited blood in such abundance that he cried and said O corpus impudens quousque retinebis animam quam materni ac fraterni manes flagitant and so with torment hee died leauing behinde him his wife Solome whome the Greekes call Alexandra shee enlarged the sonnes of Hircanus which Aristobulus layed in prison one of them named Iannaeus which was also called Alexander not well thought of by his father but nowe made king after his brothers death by the meanes of Alexandra Aristobulus wife he as soone as hee had obteined the gouernement vsed the like tricke as his brother did before him hee caused one of his two brethren to be slaine and the other hee esteemed with honour This being done he went with an armie against the citie of Ptolomais at what time Ptolome sirnamed Lathurus was driuen by his mother Cleopatra out of Egypt and being at Cyprus she forced him thence so that Ptolome the sonne and Cleopatra the mother vsed their policie and exercised their tyrannie one against another When Cleopatra had gotten the citie Ptolomais after a long siege her sonne againe being driuen out of Egypt Alexander king of the Iewes renewed friendship with Cleopatra for that her sonne Ptolome had plagued Iudea Now being ayded by Cleopatra hee tooke Gadara and a strong fort called Amathuta to whome Demetrius Euserus gaue battell and discomfited his armie and fled himselfe to the mountaines hee straight gathered some strength and hauing gotten 6000. souldiers againe in a readines pursued after Demetrius who for feare fled at that time After this the Iewes being sundry times thus afflicted by their owne crueltie and tyrannie they conspired against Alexander and were in armes oft times but still ouerthrowne Such was Alexanders hard happe that sixe yeeres he was molested afflicted and persecuted of his owne nations and subiects that hee slewe of them from time to time about 50000. and yet still moued hee them to hate him so that being demaunded by him of the people what they would haue him to doe they with one consent saide Hang thy selfe Alexander hauing taken the citie Betoma after much slaughter and blood he brought the wealthiest and chiefest men of the citie in bandes and fetters prisoners to Ierusalem where he commanded before his face where he sate in a high rome of his palace 800. of the greatest and chiefest men to be hanged and before they were hāged he likewise cōmanded that their wiues and children should be flaine before their eyes While this tragedy was played at Ierusalem by Alexander Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the falshod of Heracleon after whom succeeded his sonne Seleucus made warres with his vncle Antiochus sirnamed Cizicenus whom Seleucus tooke in battel and slew Alexander was at that time called of the Iewes for his tyrannie for his sirname Thracida for while Alexander liued 8000. Iewes liued out of their coūtrey banished came not to Iewry during the time of Alexāder which was 27. yeres The Iewes were miserably hādled vnder this king for Ptolome Lamyrus slew 30000. Iewes at one time he made the captiues and prisoners to eat the flesh of their own countreymen being slaine in the warres of Alexander Himself slew 600. of his subiects being moued allured to seditiō against their king by the Pharisees a sect of the Iewes that extremely hated Alexander Now his wife Alexandra called Salomine the time of her first husband Aristobulus she raigned quietly after her husband 9. yeres Alexander had 2. sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus and though that Hircanus was the elder brother heire to the crowne yet did Aristobulus gather an army and inuaded Iudea while yet Alexandra his mother liued Antipater the Idumean and Aretas king of Arabia tooke part to ayde the elder brother Hircanus Alexander had giuen councel to his wife before hee died to speake faire to the Pharisees who could much perswade the people and also to conceale his death vntill she had gotten the castle of Ierusalem considering his life to be offensiue to the people and to make no accompt of his burial but let the people vse their discretion She vsing this her husbands aduice became in great fauour with the people in the meane season Aristobulus fortified himselfe being by nature very quicke industrious made himselfe strong and hauing corrupted the Romane Scaurus then Pompeius the great Embassadour to be his friend to the Senators Hircanus againe sent to Rome opening his iniuries accusing and declaring the infidelitie and corruption of his Embassador crauing their ayde and helpe being the elder brother to haue his right Vpon this cōplaint Pompey being then in Armenia against Tigranes and comming to Damascus being newly by Metellus and Lolius taken he repared to Ierusalem with an hoste of souldiers at what time Caius Anthonius restored to Hircanus the gouernment and the office of the high Priest hee caried captiue with him to Rome Aristobulus with his 2. sonnes Alexander and Antigonus This furie of domesticall sedition this tyrannie and
and in Lydia Haliates their eight king Hitherunto the liues of Pharaos kings of Egypt which continued from the first Amasis in the beginning of the eighteenth Dynastia which was about the time of the going of the Patriarch Iacob into Egypt vnto his sonne Ioseph vntil the time of this Amasis the last king of that name about twelue hundreth yeeres so long continued the names of Pharaos This Amasias as the rest of the kings before him was so idolatrous and so addicted to obey Oracles that hee also imitated his predecessours in such fonde buildings to carie huge stones from Memphis and from Elephantina to builde a temple vp vnto Minerua in the citie of Sai that hee much mused how he might passe the rest with the monstrousnesse of the great huge stones to build temples images colossus wherein he in one monument excelled the rest He caused a house to be made of one stone to be brought from the citie of Elephantina to the citie of Sais which is as Herodotus writeth twentie dayes sayling two thousand chosen men were three yeeres in bringing this house to Sai of all other workes most to bee wondered for this stone was one and twentie cubites in length and fourteene in breadth and also hee made a colossus or an image in Memphis before the temple of Vulcan of seuentie and fiue foote long he builded likewise a large temple for Isis in Memphis Thus the kings of Egypt stroue one after another to excell in their workes and vaine monuments In the time of this king a lawe was made in Egypt that in euery Prouince of Egypt the President thereof should take accompt and examine the youthes of their prouinces how and after what sort they liued for to see an idle man in Egypt that could not answere for himselfe howe hee liued it was death and therefore to auoyde idlenesse they were thus compelled by the Kings of Egypt to carie stones to the building of Piramides temples Colossus Labirinthes and such like This law afterward was by Solon brought to Greece for Solon was in Egypt in the time of the last Amasis Pomponius Mela saith that in the raigne of Amasis were twentie thousand cities Herodotus saith one thousand and twentie cities for old Egypt in times past was very great and large for hard by the marches of Affricke in the shore standeth Alexandria on the borders of Arabia is the citie of Pelusium other faire cities are farre from the sea as Memphis Sai Bubastis Elephantina and and Thebes which is reported to haue an 100. brasen gates and so many princes pallaces Many good lawes are written among the Egyptians by Sasiches and by Sesostris but specially by Bocchoris of whose lawes I wil set dowme some few as Diodorus wrote them to the nomber of 17. 1. The first law was that none might violate their gods with othes the offenders herein were punished as false to God and man 2. If any ayded not a man iniuried or beaten or robbed by any man either vpon the way as he trauailed or in the place where he dwelt he was to die for it if he might haue helped it else to publish and to call for helpe 3. False witnes was so punished by a decree made for that purpose the punishment that hee that was accused should haue being proued should be for the false accuser not being proued 4. Against idlenes all the names of the citie parish or countrey are brought and recorded with the magistrates of the prouinces are examined how they are occupied how they liue of what trade or trafique he or they be of if he be found idle he shall die by the lawe in Egypt this law Solon caried with him from Egypt to Athens 5. If any man killed a freeman or a seruant death was his punishment 6. If the father killed the sonne he was free frō death but he should for three dayes be punished as the decree was made in that behalfe for the Egyptians thought not the father worthy of death for killing of his sōne quia auctor fuit 7. For the sonne that killed his father the greatest torments that might be deuised was by lawe appointed for him for to take the life of him away which gaue him life 8. If a woman with child by law be condemned to die she is reserued vntill the childe be borne for the Egyptians thinke it not fit that two should be punished when one had offended and that the giltlesse with the giltie should be condemned Iniquum enim iustum cum iniusto poenam pati This law was caried from Egypt into Greece from Greece into other countreis 9 The souldier that offended his captaine in the fielde or had transgressed the commandement of the officers he should not die but with all infamie and shame he should haue two letters printed in his forehead as cōmon markes of infamie but if hee had reuealed any secrets to the enemies the lawe had commaunded his tongue to be pluckt out of his head 10 If any had clipt any lawfull coine or counterfaited the like or diminished the weight by lawe he should die 11 If any man had counterfaited the hand of any man or had taken away any letters or had put in any letters in any writings or found faultie in forging any deede or letters he should haue both his hands cut off 12 If any had violated by force any maid or free woman he should haue that member punished that had offended his priuie members cut off if by consent the man and woman sinned it was by lawe appointed that the man should be beaten with roddes to the nūber of a thousand stripes and the woman should haue her nose cut off for a marke of a whore 13 For satisfiyng of creditors in borowing of money it was by an othe confirmed not with obligations made that the money shoulde be paide vpon the day appointed for a sacred othe sincerely inuiolated was more esteemed in Egypt then any writing or bond made for it was a wonder to see in Egypt a man forsworne 14 For it was not lawfull to arrest any man in Egypt for debtes by the lawe of Bochoris but to seize vpon the goods or substance for whatsoeuer passed in secrete writings betweene the partie and creditour no arrest was admitted for all the people of Egypt were diuided into foure partes which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards and souldiers payment was made to the creditors by the goods of the debtors and not by arrest for they thought that a man free borne shoulde for no money be imprisoned specially the souldiers which with danger of life defendeth his countrey 15 The like law was in Egypt for vsurie by Bochoris which was brought to Athens by Solon which lawe was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this lawe Solon commaunded that no Citizen in Athens should be put in prison for vsurie for the Egyptians condemned much the Grecians that had by the law
Lacedemonians he made lawes that none should dwell in Sparta This Lycurgus framed his life according to the lawes he made and for that he would know of Apollo whether his forme maner of gouernment were good he went to Delphos to consult with the oracle and before hee went he sware the Senators the Ephories the king of Sparta to keepe his institutions lawes vntill he would come againe from Delphos where hee willingly died lest he should returne to Sparta whereby they might haue occasion by his returne to breake their oth In ancient time this towne Sparta had the soueraignty rule of a 100. townes euery yere an oxe in euery of these 100. townes was sacrificed vnto Mars this sacrifice was of long time vsed in Sparta named Hecatōba as Strabo saith This was a kind of sacrifice afterward vsed in diuers coūtries Al which time Iudges gouerned in Athens from Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus vntil Eurixias time being the last Iudge for after 17. kings had reigned in Athens succeeded after iudges to the number of twentie who ruled the state of Athens from the time of Codrus the last king of Athens vntill the time of Tullius Hostilius the third king of the Romanes who reigned in the 22. Olympiad so long Iudges reigned as chief magistrates in Athens After these 20. iudges the forme of gouernment was againe altered in Athens that nine magistrates yerely should be chosen of the chiefe men of the noblest stocke within Athens which shoulde gouerne the state of Attica but as Eusebius saieth then ruled lust for lawes the libertie of Athens grew to be much offensiue vntil the time of Draco who made seuere lawes and sharpe punishments for offendors in the time of the 36. Olympiad Dracos lawes were called for their seueritie lex sanguine scripta lawes written with blood he was the first that made lawes in Athens After him succeeded in the 47. Olympiad Solon a singular man of rare vertue of great iustice he did mitigate the furie of Dracos lawes made found perfect lawes for the Athenians In this Solōs time Athens was wel gouerned florished before all other townes of Greece he instituted his lawes in Athens whē Cyrus reigned king in Persia welnigh 200. yeres before Alexander the great at what time the Greciās knew not the Persians neither did the Persians know the Grecians which seemed strange in so late a time yet Strabo writeth this an ancient writer that whereas the Romanes had at that time diuers warres with the Sabines Samnites Fidenats Thuscans and other nations about them the Greeke Historiographers tooke no notice of them neither Herodot Thucydides nor Zenophon so strange were the Romanes to the Grecians Lesse maruel it is that the Chaldeans and the Assyrians thought Spaine to be but a citie called as Iosephus saith Iberia euen so did they esteeme Fraunce and Italie being farre countries from the East where the most warres were in those first yeeres after the flood But to returne to Solon who studied by all possible meanes to furnish with good lawes and to be carefull of the state and gouernmēt of Athens for he chiefely delighted in moral Philosophie which treated of gouernment common weales which was most necessarie for those dayes for the seuen wise men which then florished in Greece sought no further knowledge then of things common for the vse of man for in those dayes he was called most wise that could handle great causes in matters of State and endeuour to haue a good witte in iudgement of gouernment which in Solons time was found rare in men and therefore Greece had but seuen wise men of great accompt for knowledge and iudgement which were named the seuen Sages whose names are these vnder written Solon of Athens Thales of Miletum Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta Cleobulus of Lindia Periander of Corinth Pittacus of Mytilena But in Athens warres grewe betweene the Magarians and the Athenians for the Isle of Salamina which was in the possession of the Magarians Solon herewith being moued fained this Stratageme to sende a trustie man of his owne to Megara fayning himselfe a reuoulted traytour and that of purpose hee came to tell them howe they might take all the chiefe Ladies and Gentlewomen of Athens together if they would follow him The Magarians easely beleeuing this man folowed him which when Solon vnderstood hee appointed certaine young men in womens apparel that should daunce on the shore side with short daggers vnder their clothes vntill their enemies were landed which being done the enemies hauing sight of these young Ladies dauncing and playing without any man with them they so greedily leapt one vpon the necke of the other to take such a faire bootie that not one escaped but were all slaine and by this meanes Salamina was gotten to the Athenians Neuerthelesse the Magarians were sharpely bent to recouer Salamina againe if by any meanes they coulde but Athens had still some great wittes who were euer most busie in bickering and quarreling with their neighbours for the Athenians coulde better perswade with their tongues then fight with their swords Solon wanne great honour and glorie for one oration hee made in the defence of the temple of Apollo Solon by subtiltie and witte set order betwixt the poore and the riche for by this time fell againe the Athenians to the olde troubles and dissencions about the gouernment of the citie so that all Atica was in it selfe diuided some taking part with the best and chiefest Citizens others with the common people Solon pacified this sedition for hee was neither partaker with the riche in the oppression of the poore nor with the poore in the necessitie of offence his equitie and vpright dealing was well knowen in Athens therefore hee was chosen gouernour by common consent of all the Countrie of Attica to reforme the rigour of the lawes and to temper the state of the cōmon weales And first he began to take away al Dracos bloodie lawes sauing for murder manslaughter for by the lawes of Dracos all kinde of offence was punished with death aswell the least fault as the greatest offence and therefore called lex sanguine scripta Then Solon erected the Councell of the Areopagites out of this Councell the citie of Athens did yeerely choose their gouernour for in Dracos time were certeine Iudges vpon life and death called Ephetes before the time of the Areopagites After this Solon established diuers lawes within the Citie of Athens and appointed three kindes of Councels to gouerne the Citie one aboue the other and then he instituted some lawes which I will briefely here recite he made a lawe for the maintenance of willes and testaments hee made an acte for planting and setting of trees an other acte he made that they shoulde not transport out of the Realme neither
huge idole of Phaebus called Colossus solis fell In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow and many other mōstrous things fel in the time of Antiochus as Liui reporteth Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time The Romans were so strong in these dayes as Carthage Numidia and all Affricke were subdued Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were conquered all kings of the world almost came then to Rome to see the maiestie of the Romanes to behold their triumphes and to offer themselues in seruice The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people as he would rob the temple of Belus he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke had this his death by his rashnesse and folly and as Melancthon saith of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of an ill beginning proceedeth an ill ending When this Antiochus so was killed he left behinde him 3. sonnes and one daughter maried to Ptolomey of whom Philometor was borne his sonnes were named in this sort Seleucus sirnamed Philopater was the eldest who raigned 12. yeeres of whom we reade nothing worth the memory a man giuen to all vices to all idlenes lust wickednes and powling of his subiects This history is onely written in the Macabees where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple and how Heliodorus was sent by the king to take them away but hee was striken of God and had the repulse with such terrible sightes and strokes that Heliodorus wished death rather then life vntill the high Priest Onias prayed for him Of this Seleucus Daniel saide In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand which should happen afterward This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria after the building of Rome 566. After this Seleucus died Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes the second sonne of Antiochus the great being a pledge then in Rome with Demetrius hearing that his father was dead hee secretly fled from Rome and came with al force vnto Syria vsurped the kingdome and draue Seleucus sonne out of his countrey this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alexander the great his death Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such as no wickednes escaped him craftie and subtile furious and ful of al mischiefe and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist Of the furie of this Antiochus and of other kings of Syria Daniel doth fully describe them and doth foreshewe their tyrannie against Iudea Reade the 11. of Daniel where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria together with the Persians Grecians Egyptians and Romanes howe all these should afflict Iudea This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne beingfully acquainted with the Romanes power hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father dissembled with the Senators and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood and had killed Onias the high priest a holy godly man he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother and made him high priest who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence duetie into Ierusalem who slew the best citizens spoiled the towne and robbed the temple this was his first voyage to Ierusalem the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made plaied the tyrants part slew his owne citizens and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen friends and kinsmen but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed shame and confusion Read the Machabees and you shal haue the historie before you that Iason after he had wandered from citie to citie like a vagabond hated of all people and beloued of none being banished from Ierusalem died most miserablie in Arabia being accused before the king then named Areta Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus who after he had dissembled with the Romans pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt being his sisters sonne for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great was married to Epiphanes who had giuen her for her dowrie Coelosyria Samaria Iudea and Phenicia by whom this Philometor was gotten This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres and by his father when he died committed to the fidelitie of the Senators of Rome whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee the yong king his nephew led an armie frō Syria vnto Egypt vnder pretence of loue care towards his nephew the yong king but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king he laied garisons in Memphis and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers specially Pelusiū and other strong cities Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fathers last wil and testament to them cōmitted they determined to send Popilius frō the Senators to cōmand Antiochus as his father before him was cōmanded to depart out of Egypt and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come Antiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Philometor which was the elder brother therfore by succession king of Egypt he shipped in Cyprus and from thence to Coelosyria thēce to Egypt and so passing ouer Nilus to Leusnies a citie not farre from Alexandria where the Romane ambassador Popilius met him and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him which being read he paused and said that he would consider further and cōsult with his friends to answere the Senators Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand made around circle about king Antiochus saying Answer the Romans before thou go out of this circle that I may declare to the Senators thy words Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of Pōpilius that he was constrained to say I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses hee burned the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped and commaunded all idolatrie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem
more then they wanne by the foure victories In the fift yeere after Regulus was taken by the Affricanes Metellus was sent from Rome to Sicilia where the Carthagineans came with 130. elephants of the which nomber Metellus got 26 he slew 2000. Affricanes as Eutropius saith but Melancthon in his chronicles saith that Metellus slew 36. elephants and tooke aliue 146. elephants which Metellus in great triumph brought with him to Rome The Affricanes after these great mischances required Regulus a Romane captaine whom the Affricanes tooke captiue and kept in prison vntill this time him they sent vnto the Senate to entreate for peace who when he came to Rome perswaded the Romanes that peace by no meanes should be granted to the Affricanes alledging that they were voyde of all hope to recouer their former estate they were quite quailed and dismayed and readie to yeeld all Affrike vp to the Romanes hee refused to tarie in Rome though the Senate sought him but returned to Carthage according to his othe promise with a denial of peace where he was with most cruel torments put to death Thus Regulus that might haue saued his life in Rome lost it in Carthage and that most willingly After this the Senate sent Publius Claudius and Caius Iunius with an armie of Romanes but not with such good successe as Metellus had for in this iourney the Affricanes ouercame the Romans so that of two hundreth and twentie sailes they saued but thirtie 89. were taken and all the men which fought in them the residue were sunke besides the Affricanes tooke 20. thousande of the Romanes prisoners Thus sometime the Carthagineans and sometime the Romanes preuailed and so still continued with mortal malice Caius Luctatius was sent presently with 300. sailes frō Rome after this great losse that they had by the Affricanes in the 9. yeere after the victories of Metellus This Luctatius with great courage perceiuing the Affricanes to be puft vp with pride of their last victorie and now againe that they sent Hamo frō Carthage with an armie by land and an other to Amilcar Hanibals father by sea Luctatius before these armies came together gaue to the Affricanes a sore battell which was fought ouer against Lylibium a citie of Sicilia with such passing valiantnes of the Romanes that they toke 73. ships of the Affricans they sunke 125. they tooke 32. thousand men prisoners and slew 13. thousand with an infinite deale of gold and siluer which Luctatius broght with him to Rome After this great ouerthrow of Hanno Luctatius hasted to the citie of Erix where Amilcar stayed with his power whom hee forced to forsake the towne to his great losse the residue of the Affricanes were by Luctatius solde for eighteeene pence a piece The Affricanes being thus spoiled and ouerthrowen by Luctatius entreated for peace which was to them by the Senate graunted which peace continued betwene the Affricanes and the Romanes 26. yeeres Thus ended the first warres of the Affricanes which endured 24. yeeres During which time Ptolomey Euergetes raigned in Egypt and Seleucus Gallinicus raigned in Syria The Parthians began to set vp a kingdome this time and Antigonus sirnamed Doson raigned then in Macedonia About this time Aratus an excellent Greeke the gouernor ouer the Achetans exempted al kinde of tyrannie out of the citie of Corinth and brought the Megereans in societie with the Corinthians About the latter end of this first warre betwene the Affricanes and the Romans came Hiero the mightie and puisant king of Sicilia to behold the enterludes at Rome where he distributed amongst the Romans two hundred thousand bushels of wheat During this first warre of Carthage M. Claudius gaue a great ouerthrow to the Frenchmen and slew their king called Viridomarus with his owne had as Eutropius saith The greatnes of the Romanes was such then that they had warres with Illyrians with the Istrians with the Frenchmen with the Affricanes and with diuers others ouer whom the Romanes triumphed at which time they concluded a peace with al nations which neuer happened to the Romanes since the first building of Rome but onely in Numa Pompilius time CHAP. II. Of the second Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which endured 17. yeeres During which time Hanibal held terrible warres with the Romanes which brought the Empire of Rome wellnigh to Carthage but at last by Scipio Affricanus the warres were ended Carthage ouerthrowen Affrica wonne and Hanibal forced to flee NOw after that Hamilcar died in Spaine a man of great skil to whom the Affricans in the first Punicke warre committed the whole gouernment of Affrike this Hamilcar made warres with the Romanes in Sicilia a longer time then it was looked for After that he kept them play in Affrike and from thence he was sent gouernour and generall for the Affricanes into Spaine This Hamilcar was sirnamed Barcha after whome succeeded Asdrubal his sonne in lawe for that Hanibal Hamilcar his owne sonne was but yong tender notwithstanding he was hardned now against the second warres of Affrike where he farre excelled his fathers doings in his first warres After the first warre ended Hamilcar Hanibals father died hee continued three yeeres in the seruice of the warres vnder the conduct of Asdrubal his brother for at what time his father had him first to Spaine he was but nine yeeres olde and after that to Asdrubals death as Polibius affirmeth seuenteene yeeres so as Plutarch and Polibius agree he was 26. yeere olde whē he was chosen lieutenant general against the Romans but Eutropius saith he was but twentie but he was no sooner chosen generall but he bent himselfe fully against the Romanes to whom he bare a secret malice for the losse of Sardinia and Sicilia but specially for his fathers Hamilcars sake who hated so the Romanes that he compelled Hanibal his sonne being but a boy to sweare at a sacrifice which Hamilcar made that hee would be a mortall enemie to the Romanes The remembrance of which things enticed Hanibal to attempt warres against the Romanes at what time Hanibal sware vpon his fathers graue that he would be an enemie to the Romans and performe the othe which he sware to his father Hamilcar This inheritable hatred made Hanibal to practise innouations and to finde occasion to begin this second warre There was a towne named Saguntum the people hereof confined indifferently betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans this towne Hanibal assaulted to whom the Romanes sent ambassadours to will him to cease from battell for the Romanes were alwayes lothe to vse force if either intreatie or courtesie might take place but Hanibal refused to speake with them The Senate sent to Carthage willing that commaundement might be giuen to Hanibal to spare the Saguntines which were in league with the Romans but they had the like answere in Carthage as they had of
vanquished them and their generall called Nabides submission was made to the Romanes and peace also graunted to them vpon the like condition as was graunted to Philippe After this ensued warres in Syria against Antiochus the great whom likewise the Romanes so pursued after diuers ouerthrowes that his tents were inuaded and Antiochus himselfe was put to flight at the battell of Magnesia by Cornelius Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus The Romanes beganne to bee in such admiration with all Asia and Europe hauing alreadie subdued all Affrica that the name of a Romane was a very terrour vnto those kings that were furthest off The Affricanes while the Romanes were busie in Asia they beganne to quarrell with king Masinissa a sure and a constant friende to the Romanes being in armes in person against the Affricanes during the time of all the second warres The Romanes hearing of these newes sent ambassadours to Carthage to require them to withdrawe from Numidia and to cease the warres from their olde friend Masinissa the Carthagineans refused to obey the Romanes whereupon the thirde battell was taken in hand against the Carthagineans in the yeere after the building of Rome sixe hundreth and foure yet Eutropius sayeth sixe hundreth and one and in the 52. yeere after the second battell finished The Consuls tooke their voyage from Rome to inuade Carthage In this iourney Scipio nephewe to Scipio Affricanus was deputed generall of the armie a man well beloued and much reuerenced for that hee was a passing and good captaine readie and very circumspect of his charge by whome the Consuls with the armie were twise saued at the besieging of Carthage to the great honour of Scipio their generall The Carthagineans being not so strong neither so able to resist the violence of the Romanes as they were in the time of Hanibal appointed two valiant men named Asdrubal and Famea to be captaines of Carthage to whom the charge of Carthage was giuen these two iolie captaines Asdrubal and Famea so much sought to auoyde the meeting of Scipio as they thought to prolong the warres by keeping off rather then by comming into battell for the names of Scipios was terrible to the Affricanes Hereby the renowme of Scipio was such that the Senate called him home to Rome to haue the honour of Consulship being yet but a very yong man and before he should be sent to assault Carthage some dissention fell betweene the Senate whether Carthage should bee quite destroyed or no. Some thought that Carthage being so strong a citie would neuer long be quiet with the Romanes others thought that Rome should want the friendship of Carthage if Carthage should be destroyed it was at last agreed that the general Scipio should doe as pleased him by occasions giuen of the enemie Vpon this Scipio was sent againe to inuade Carthage about which time Masinissa died after that he had liued ninetie and seuen yeeres who left behinde him 44. sonnes whom hee committed to the faith of Scipio and amongst whom Masinissa requested Scipio to distribute his kingdome which being done Scipio went and besieged Carthage kept out victuals from the citie hauing also giuen them many hard and sharpe battels aswell by water as by lande whose good successe happened all well at last to Scipio for after hee had conquered them both by sea and by lande then hee applied his force to destroy Carthage a towne of great strength and very populous a great and a large citie of sixe Germane miles compasse and two Germane miles diameter euery way This Carthage was first builded by the people of Tyre and was by them called Byrsa Scipio commaunded the citie to be rased from the ground giuing licence to as many as would saue themselues to goe out of Carthage at what time 50. thousand saued themselues by escaping away the rest so despaired that some poysoned themselues some killed themselues and the most part burned themselues Asdrubal their generall fled to Scipio for mercie who hearing that his wife and children would not saue themselues but willingly died within Carthage hee also killed himselfe The burning of Carthage endured 16. dayes During which time Polibius who writeth all the Affricane historie saith that Scipio beholding the ruinous state of Carthage and the lamentable destruction of the people recited a Latine verse weeping Illa dies veniet cum fato Troia peribit And being demaunded why he wept and vsed those wordes Hee answered I weepe for that I thinke others shall see of Rome that which I see now of Carthage for that shall come saide Scipio that Rome shall likewise perish such is the miserie and state of this world and so fell it to Rome in the time of Totilas king of the Gothes 700. yeeres after the burning of Carthage When Carthage was thus destroyed the rest of the Affricanes yeelded all their townes which were in the beginning of the warres in nomber 300. Also they yeelded 200. thousand armories which they had in Lybia 3000. pieces of artilleries and all other engines instruments of warres as though they would neuer againe take warre in hande yet when Carthage was by the cōmandement of the Senat reedified in Affrike 22. yeeres after that it was destroied by Scipio Aemilianus sirnamed by the victorie Affricanus the yonger thither went diuers citizens of Rome to dwel This citie was begun by Caius Grachus afterward was fully restored to her former state and beautie by Iulius Caesar and his nephew Octa. Augustus his successor in the Empire After the burning of Carthage 14. yeres was likewise Numantia a citie in Celtiberia destroyed by the same Scipio Aemilianus a citie that did much annoy the Romans of great force and power a long time insomuch that the overthrowe of Numantia was more terrible then Carthage for they were brought to that famine within the citie and yet would not yeeld themselues that some killed thēselues some with poyson some with the sword and some with fire at last like desperate people they burned the towne and themselues While Scipio laid siege to Numantia newes came from Rome that Tyberius Grachus was slaine in such seditious quarrels as Tyberius himselfe began the cause being opened to Scipio of Tyberius his death he recited a Greeke verse of Homer saying to the companie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is let him die with the like death that cōmitteth such a fault But that verse cost Scipio his life for after hee returned from Numantia home for that hee saide Tyberius was iustly slaine Scipio was found the next morning dead in his bed This was the end of Scipio Affricanus the yonger he to be killed in Rome for his seruice to his countrie as his graundfather Scipio Affricanus was banished out of Rome to die in other countries But to returne to ende this third last warres of the Affricanes with the Romanes though Carthage and Numantia
discharge his vowe made to Iupiter made his triumph ouer these nations hanging the armour weapons of king Acron about the bowe of a yong oke which Romulus caried on his right shoulder marching on foote before the army towards the citie with a royal song of victory This was the first triumph of Romulus the first entry giuē into other triumphs that folowed presētly After this triumph of Romulus the Sabines could not forget their iniurie for their daughters and virgines rauished by Romulus but elected Tatius a gallant gentleman to be Generall of the Sabines and to reuenge the wrong done by Romulus Tatius besieged Rome that time one named Tarpeius was appointed captaine of the Castle whose daughter named likewise Tarpeia betrayed the whole Citie for a reward which Tatius promised some say that Tarpeia was Tatius daughter By this treason of Tarpia the Sabines entred Rome and great warre continued betwixt the Sabines the Romanes 3. yeres But in time betwixt Romulus and Tatius peace was concluded and they both together reigned ioyntly and gouerned Rome fiue yeeres Tatius dwelling by mount Tarpeius afterwarde called the Capitoll and Romulus on mount Palatium but within a while in this fiue yeere Tatius was slaine and Romulus gouerned himselfe and ouercame the Antenates the Veients and other nations triumphed ouer them the second time And when that Romulus had reigned thirtie seuen yeres after three seuerall triumphes he died of whose death diuerse opinions are of Romulus assencion into heauen in the sight of Proclus and of a voyce heard he should be called Quirinus after his death reade Plutarch concerning his vanishing away and concerning his whole life Romulus strength his whole force exceeded not aboue two thousand footemen and not three hundred horsemen when he beganne his kingdome in Rome but when Romulus died hee left fourtie sixe thousand footemen and a 1000. horsemen During the time of Romulus gouernment reigned in Assyria Salmanasser 10. yeres by whō Samaria was subdued the 10. tribes of Israel caried captiue into Babylon Also Senaherib his sonne reigned after his father seuen yeeres he likewise wasted and spoyled Iudea in the time of king Ezechias vntill hee was vanquished al his armie to the number of a hundred twentie sixe thousand In Lydia reigned two kings during Romulus time Haliagtes the 2. king and Meles the 3. king In the beginning of the Romans kingdom the third kind of gouermēt begā in Athens after 17. kings gouernment then after 13. Iudges Now beganne the thirde alteration of the state called Decennales principes a magistrate that should continue tenne yeeres in office and then another elected into his roume Now in that time that Romulus raigned beganne in Rome diuers kinds of magistrats and officers lawes and orders were by Romulus appointed for the better gouernment of the citie of Rome as Senators Tribunes Aediles Celeres and diuers other sacred and religious offices as Flamines Bishops Foeciales Salij vestal Nunnes southsayers and others the right vse of their offices being not knowen to the reader vnlesse he be wel read in histories I haue orderly as they were appointed by Romulus here set downe as many magistrates officers and offices as were in Rome by Romulus first instituted during his raigne After that Romulus had builded Rome after the death of his brother Remus he made these many lawes 1. First he deuided the whole company of the multitude into three tribes and hee deuided the three tribes into 30. partes which were called Curiae 2. Then he elected one chiefe magistrate to gouerne Rome in his absence which was named Praefectus vrbis as Viceroy or as lieuetenant to Romulus as Iulius Caesar and Augustus 750. yeeres after Romulus time vsed the like 3. Romulus made a choise of 300. stoute and valiant souldiours called Celeres and a captaine ouer them called Tribunus Celerum these were Romulus gard the Tribune was as Esquire of the body or as captaine of the gard to defend him from any sudden assault and readie to execute the kings commandement 4. Romulus appointed 12. men officers called Lictores that should carie tipstaues or rods to make roume and way before the king 5. Hee also appointed after them 12. othermen called Caduceatores which were appointed next the kings person before him to carie axes or mases as Serieants at armes an office of great antiquitie in all countreys of the world for we reade in Homer that Agamemnon sent a Serieant at armes called Talthubius to arrest Achilles for his absēce in the warres and for his disobedience to Agamemnon being then appointed generall for the Grecians against the Troyans 6. When Romulus had prouided these officers for the sauegard of his person he likewise erected counsellers and made choise of a hundreth graue and wise men who for the honour of their place and dignitie of their calling should be named Senators to gouerne and to foresee the dangers and perils of the citie to punish vice and to reward vertue These were called by strangers princes of Rome to whom the king committed the whole direction and correction of the citie The familie and stocke of the Senators were called Patricij for all Senators were elected out of the Patricians 7. Hee appointed the place and the time where the Augurers and Southsayers should vse their diuination touching the euents and proceedings of Rome which should be before Sunne rising and after sunne setting for Romulus himselfe caried the Augurers crooked staffe for his skill in diuination 8. Then hee erected three Augurers with their orders and authorities by whom all sacrifices and religious ceremonies were solemnized These three hee elected out of the three tribes 9. He instituted that no man might enter into the Senate to heare any cause pleaded or consulted before hee were 25. yeres of age he seemed to be of Aristotles opinion that held Iuuenem non esse Philosophiae idoneum 10. After that Romulus had inuented these many good and seemely decrees to set foorth that little kingdome of Rome Now last of all he made lawes for setting foorth the dignitie of a king as to weare purple colours for Romulus ware a coate of purple in graine and vpon that a long robe of purple colour for this princely and riche colour was onely esteemed of the olde Romanes and so honoured that none might weare it but the kings of Rome and after the kings time onely the Dictators and Consuls 11. Romulus instituted a feast in memorie of Hersilia and other Sabine virgines which were rauished by whose meanes peace was concluded betwene Romulus and Tatius king of the Sabines These feasts were called Matronalia 12. He also instituted the feast called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome in memory of Romulus escape when that he slew Aemilius his father vnknowen but taken for his vncle he ranne with a naked sword in his hand from Alba
ciuil warres betwene themselues as betwene Marius and Silla in the first warres betwene Pompey Caesar in the second warres and betweene Mar. Antonius and Octauius Augustus in the third warrs to the ouerthrow welnigh of the whole Romane empire For histories do report that in these three ciuil warres before mentioned died more Senators Consuls magistrats noblemen and gentlemen then in the three great Affricane warres the first by Hamilcar which endured 22. yeeres most cruell the second by Hanibal which endured 17. yeeres most terrible warres the thirde and last by Asdrubal which continued foure yeeres all which annoyed not Rome so much as did these three ciuil warres But let vs returne to the happie raigne of Augustus called the Prince of peace the father of the countrey and Emperor of Rome whose happie gouernment made vnhappie Rome happie and raised vp Rome from the ground vp to the heauens To this good Emperour the Persians and the Parthians sent ambassadors with presents to this the Scythians the Indians and the Garramants people that neuer heard before any speach of the Romanes sent both Legats and presents What shal be spoken more of this Emperour In his dayes in the two and fourtieth yere of this Emperours raigne the Emperour of all Emperours and King of all kings was in Bethleem a towne of Iurie borne of the Virgine Mary the onely begotten Sonne of God and the onely Sauiour of the worlde This is the true Messias sent from Heauen to earth to satisfie the wrath of his father This was the Lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world And therefore Augustus was the happier for that in his time IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God was borne as the Prophetes had before spoken Now after that this good Emperour had liued eightie sixe yeeres whose honour and loue was such in the whole world that townes were builded and named after the name of Caesar one by king Iuba in Mauritania another by Hero in Palestina and many kings left their owne kingdomes came to Rome to do seruice to Augustus He raigned fiftie and sixe yeres Emperour he died at Atella a towne of Campania was brought to be buried at Rome and was canonized after his death as a god Augustus had three things in Rome graunted the first to be Consul of Rome before he was twentie yeeres olde the second he was freed from any decree or law of the Senators and the thirde hee had his image on horsebacke set vp in the market place which was granted to none but to Silla and Caesar In this Emperours time flourished in Rome many notable learned men whose names are here subscribed Virgil this time flourished Horace also and Tibullus Propertius and Vitrimius Titus Liuius and Ouid. Valerius Maximus And Strabo When Augustus died there was peace ouer the whole world for the Sonne of God was then borne the king of all peace whose fame by miracles filled all the earth At what time raigned Tetrarche in Iudea Archelaus the sonne of that Herode who slewe so many infants thinking thereby to kill the Sonne of God and therefore spared not his owne sonnes Aristobulus and Alexandeer I haue spoken of this more in the historie of the Church In the time of this Emperour Augustus the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to be so named after the name of one Francus the sonne of Antharius king of Sicambria This Francus after that his father died made a decree that Sicambria should be called Francia after his owne name of whom I shal speake in the historie of Fraunce And now I will returne to Tiberius Caesar who was Liuia Augustus wiues sonne and Augustus sonne by adoption the successour of Augustus and the thirde Emperour of Rome of whom we reade that he was very eloquent and well learned but a great dissembler who gouerned the Empire with auarice crueltie lust and cowardlinesse for he waged battell no where himself in person but by his deputies and lieutenants He beganne his Empire in the 768. yere after the building of Rome and in the 15. yeere after Christ was borne at what time Sextus Pompeius was Consul in Rome This Tiberius had some warres with the Germanes which were before subdued by Augustus but nowe againe rebelled and brought to subiection by this Emperor Tiberius Of these warres reade Cornelius Tacitus Hee had warres before in Illyria in the time of his father in lawe Augustus ouer whom hee triumphed In the last yeere of Tiberius Nero was Domitius borne Tiberius was certified by Pilate from Hierusalem where hee gouerned vnder the Romanes of the miracles of Christ of his fame and of his life and doings Pilats letters were shewed to the Senators and Pilate was blamed and reprooued for that he suffered that IESVS to do any miracles without the consent of the Senators for Pilate put vp the Image of Tiberius in the temple at Ierusalem But in the latter ende of his raigne hee fell to great negligence of gouernment he gaue himselfe to be idle and thereby became vntemperate with inordinate lust in so much that hee was flouted and scoffed and called Biberius Mero in stead of Tiberius Nero and after he had raigned twentie and three yeeres he died in Campania as is supposed by the meanes of Caligula who succeeded him in the Empire This Caligula was sonne to Germanicus a lewde Emperour and a wicked who farre exceeded Tiberius in crueltie and in horrible life he commaunded his Images to be put vp euery where and altars to be consecrated to him and caused his Images to haue diuine honours and hee sent to Iudea and commaunded that his Image should bee set in the temple boasting of his filthie life and gouernment naming himselfe Iupiter for his incestuous life and naming him Bacchus for his drunkennesse Hee had carâ—…all copulation with all his three sisters and with his daughter whom hee begate vpon one of his sisters he defiled noble women and chaste matrones and gaue them after to others to be defiled hee was called the beast of Rome who after hee had raigned foure yeeres vsing great crueltie auarice filthie lust and horrible incest he was slaine in his Pallace by his owne souldiers as Iosephus writeth in his nineteenth booke His birth his life and his death is set foorth at large by Suetonius who also wrote of all the liues of all the Emperours most amplie omitting nothing that belonged to the Romane historie during the time of the Emperours What were done in other countreys since the death of that good Emperour Augustus what wickednesse ensued in Rome by his successours Claudius Tiberius and Caius Caligula Tacitus Suetonius Liuie and other writers haue written very largely In the time of Tiberius Nero within two yeeres of Augustus death happened such an earthquake in the night time that twelue great cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground at what
to bee martyred yea some from the Emperours Court of his familie as Dor theus Gorgonius and other Courtiers yea they of the Emperours chamber his owne cousins being some but very young of great honour and great fauour loue and liking with the Emperor made more choise of this seruice and cruell death then of that Courtly and gallant life among whome I finde one named Petrus a young lustie prince who refused to bowe to Idoles or to doe any sacrifice vnto them hee was commaunded to bee lifted vp naked and there to be whipped and scourged vntill hee woulde willingly sacrifice to Idoles ◅hee stoode stout and constant vntill by beating vnto the very bones his fiesh from his body fell by pieces and then they tooke salt and vineger mingled together and powred it in purulentis corporis partibus as the historie sayth and yet hee yeelded not then th◅ brought him to the fire where they pinche◅ him with hote irons and pricked him with sharpe bodkins and perceiuing that hee would not recant he was commanded to be burned In this Dioclesians time all prisons were full of Christians and all Townes and Cities full of persecutions In Arabia multitudes of Martyrs were tormented with sundry inuentions as breaking of their legges pulling out their eyes cutting of their nostrels and their lippes knocking out their teeth and such vnchristian like torments In Antiochia with burning coles they tortured the Martyrs of Christ Iesus In Pontus the Martyrs were thus tortured with sharpe long and strong needles thrusting them vp vnder the nailes of their fingers and vnder the nailes of their toes To bee short in some places their right eye was put out and the left knee was cutte off in some other places in boyling leade they were by little and little tormented and in other places with all tortures in their priuie members most terrible to be spoken punished and martyred In all places all kinde of torments were most cruelly vsed against the Saintes and people of God When Dioclesianus had reigned twentie yeeres and had fomed like a bloody bore against the Church hee dyed in whose time the Christians multiplied by his tyrannie more then reason or sence can alleadge After him succeded Maxentius an Emperor who though hee dissembled for a while to gette the Romanes good will yet he shortly proued a tyraunt and so hatefull to good men that betweene Maximinus in the East coūtries with his hypocrisie and superstition and Maxentius in Rome with his filthinesse and tyrannie the Church againe and the members thereof were most miserably afflicted in such sort that neither Mazentius in Rome nor Maximinus abroade coulde neither stoppe nor staye the multitude that dayly came into Gods Church neither their murthering and killing in euery countrie could feare them any thing at all Maximinus one of the greatest persecutors sauing Dioclesian who in thirtie daies slue and martyred 1700. Christians by some diuine iustice of God fell grieuously sicke at Tarsus where despairing of his life feeling his cōscience accusing him for the great slaughter he vsed against the Christians he caused by an edict persecution to stay and to loose prisoners out of prison to set captiue Christians at libertie but this cōtinued not but while the emperor was sicke liketo die for whē he recouered his health he waxed more cruel thē before sparing neither man woman nor childe vsing all kinde of torments on the Byshops and learned men in all Countries so that his tyrannie ouer the Christians might bee well compared to the rage and furie of Pharao ouer the Israelites But he was cutte offrō this murthering slaughter of the Christians by Licinius the Emperour who then had maried Constantia sister to Constantine the great for at this time foure emperors were at once gouernors of Rome so a litle before Maxentius the other persecutour was discomfited and vanquished by Constantine the great at Miluius bridge Thus farre fomed tyraunts in Christian blood and the Church was sore afflicted euery where where the Romane Emperours gouerned And thus farre doth Eusebius his tenne bookes handle and set forth of those kingdomes and Countries where this persecution and affliction of the Church remained euen from the Apostles time vntill Constantine the great This Constantine was a godly Emperor who defended the Christians and the Church of Christ that in steade of persecution brought libertie to the Church and in steade of warre peace for after that Constantine the great had vanquished Licinius had gotten the Empire into his owne hand he established first religion and caused a Synod of Byshops at Rome to determine and to agree concerning the agreement in religion he wrote to Miltiades Byshop of Rome he sent to Affrike to his lieutenant Anilinus that Cecilianus Byshop of Carthage with the other tenne Byshops that accused him should be sent to Rome there further to examine the faults and errors of Cecilianus and to auoide that controuersie betweene these byshops that then in diuers places liued Hee wrote that bishops out of Fraunce and out of Affrike should againe come together to reason in causes of the Church and to moderate the same for during the time that Licinius his Collegue in the Empire reigned specially in the end Licinius beganne to hate Constantine and to persecute the Church waxed cruell against good byshops persecuted them most vehemently and threwe their Churches downe slue and murthered the people most miserably for then Licinius commenced not onely warre against Constantinus but also against God and his Church Hee caused Basilius Byshop of Amasia in Pontus to bee slaine with the sworde and a hundred other His furie continued not long and therefore God raysed vp this good Emperour to reuenge his people not onely nowe vpon Licinius but also vpon Maxentius and Maximinus two great persecutours of the Christians After this as you heard Constantinus studied howe hee might benefite the Church establish religion and ayde the afflicted members that long suffered sharpe persecution and were nowe scattered into wildernesses into mountaines and into such places where they might hide themselues from the sworde and from the fire This time florished Egypt with sundry learned and godly Philosophers Also in Mesopotamia the like godly men liued some in wildernesses and in mountaines as these whose names I lay downe as I founde them in Rufinus 1 Marcereus and another of that name liued in the wildernesse 2 Isidorus in a place called Scithi 3 Pembus in the desert of Egypt Moyses and Beniamin in a place called Nitria 4. 5. 6. Scyron and Helias and Paulus liued and hid themselues in Apeliote 7. 8. Poemen and Ioseph in Pispirihill these with many others that liued in diuers partes of Egypt true and sound Christians Nowe when Constantine the great had by his greatnesse enlarged the Empire of Rome farre more then any of his
in 5. places warres at one time The third warre of Affrike Catoes councel concerning Carthage Phanea Hamilcar and Asdrubal a great name in Carthage Andriscus named Psendophi lippus vanquished by Metellus Mummius Perseus ouerthrowen Eutrop. lib. 4. Iustine lib 37. Gellius lib. 1. cap. 13. Fiue great gifts in Crassus The two brethren Meielli triumphed Reade Salust of Iugurth warres Marius the first cause of the ciuil wars Silla and Marius two enemies 10 Italie Melancthon Chron. lib. 2. Eutrop. lib. 5. Cilla and Marius ciuil wars Norbanus the Consul slue himselfe Silla made Dictator in Rome Faces Italiae Eutrop. lib. 5. Melanct. lib. 2. Reade Val. Max. lil 3. cap. 2. de Mario Silla triumphed ouer Mithridates Pompey triumphed ouer Affrike Sertorius a valiant captaine of Marius side fled to Spaine Pub. Seruilius sent to Cilicia Mithridates infringed the league Eutrop. lib. 6. Plutarch in Pompeio Mithridates a great enemie to the Romans Iustine lib. 37. Both Luculli triumphed Mithridates vanquished by Pompey the great Tigranes yeelded to Pompey The victories of Pompey the great 3500. Myriads the reuenues of Rome augmented The triumphs of Pompey the great Catelines conspiracie Anno 689. Lentulus Cethegus and many mo of Catelins conspiracie slaine Alcetes Piracie by PoÌ„pey the great subdued Pompey called Agamemnon by Lucullus Lucullus called Xerxes Togatus by Pompey Melanct. lib. 2. Lucullus Crassus and Pompey the onely three that bare sway in Rome when Caesar came in The cause of the ciuill wars betweene Pompey and Caesar. Caesar came in armes against the citie of Rome Of this warre reade Appian lib. 5. Eutro lib. 7. Iu. Caesars request vnto the Senators The victorie of Caesar ouer Pompey in Pharsalia Plut. in Alex. Eutrop. lib. 6. Pompey slaine in Egypt Melancthon Chron. lib. 2. Pompeis sonne slaine in Affrica Caesar had a sonne by Cleopatra called Caesarion Melanct. lib. 2. Chron. Lu. Florus lib. 4. The humanitie and great courtesie of Caesar. Conspiracie against Caesar by Brutus and Cassius Calphurnias dreame Destinies hardly auoyded Caesars death Caesars fiue triumphes The glory and fame of Rome during the time of Consuls These kingdomes made Prouinces to Rome by Consuls Asia and Affrike brought subiect vnder the Romanes Aegyptus Horreum Romae The warres and victories of Caesar. Caesars greatnesse The ciuill warres betweene Caesar and Pompey continued fiue yeeres The third ciuil warre betwene Octauius Augustus and M. Antonius These were called Triumuiri Octauius at 20. yeeres made Consul Cassius slaine at Philippos Pompey welbeloued of the people The most part of Romane geÌ„tlemen died in the warres of Brutus and Cassius Antonius vanquished by Octauius Reade Oros. lib. 6. cap 19. Augustus in his fourth Consulship had three seuerall triumphes Augustus saluted of the people as Pater patriae The moneth Sextilis called August Suet. in Aug. The conquest of the Romans The fame of the Consuls of Rome Ciuill warres Augustus the prince of peace CHRIST borne the 42. yeere of Augustus Eutrop. lib. 7. Reade Suetonius in Augusto Augustus died at Atella Augustus great loue and honour in Rome at his death Vitrâ—…uius Augustus died the 14. Kalend. of October Fraunce first named Tiberius the third Emperour Suetonus is Tiberi Tacitus lib. 2. Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 2. Tiberius died the Kalend. of April Oros. 7. cap. 6. Eutrop. lib. 7. Oros. lib. 1. ca. 6. The incestuous beast of Rome Caligula Caligula slaine the ninth Kalend of Februarie Of these 12. cities reade Tacit. lib. 2. This earthquake happened in the raigne of Tib. Caesar. Tacitus lib. 2. Iosephus lib. 18. cap. 7. Ephesus Magnesia Caesarea Apollonia Dia Hircania Philadelphia Mâ—…rthina Mostheme c. Temis Cumae Sardis Himulus And Megachiero Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 7. Pilate killed himselfe Claudius Drusus Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. He triumphed in Rome ouer the Britaines Euseb lib. 2. cap. 8. Messalina an vntemperate woman Claudius tombe Of the first 5. yeeres of Neroes gouernment the saying of Traian Playes made by Nero on euery fift yere called Quinquenale Nero beganne well and ended ill Suet. in Nero. The great murther and tyrannie of Nero. Tacitus lib. 14. 15 16. Nero slewe himselfe Plini lib. 2. cap. 8. Neroes wish Galba the 7. Emperour of Rome Otho the 8. Emperour of Rome Auâ—…us Vitellius the 9. Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. The excesse of Vitellius Sabinus Vespasians brother slaine by Vitellius Vitellius drawen naked through the streetes of Rome Oros. lib. 7. ca. 8. Vespasian a good vertuous Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. Vespasian a good Emperour Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 24. Reade of the father and of the sonne in Egnat and in Sueton. Eutrop. lib. 7. The saying of a good Emperour Titus died Euseb. lib 3. cap. 12. Howe Rome florished in the time of Kings CoÌ„suls Emperors â—…lauius Domitianus 12. Emperour Sextus Aurelius Dominianus called a secoÌ„d Nero. Domitianus exercise called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade Sueto of this Emperor Domiti was vsed as Vitellius was after his death IsiuÌ„ and SerapiuÌ„ two galeries made by Domitius Iren. lib. 1. cap. 21. Ireneus lib. 5. Suetonius doth set forth the liues of these 6. Emperours at large West couÌ„tries waxed mighty and the East decayed by degrees Dion writes of these 3. good Emperours Lampridius wrote The Romane historie The conquest of the Romans Rome florished most vnder Consuls HiddeÌ„ hatred priuat wealth and yong couÌ„cel three dangerous monstersin a common wealth The reward of idolatrie is destruction Wpius Traian 14. Emperor Oros. lib. 7. cap. 11. 12. Traiane the mirrour of Emperours Eutrop. lib. 8. The affabilitie of the good Emperour Traian Traiane The Senators wordes The loue of TraiaÌ„ in Rome Traian wanne recouered many countries by his predecessors lost Traians monument in Rome to this day called Traians pillar The fourth persecution Oros. lib. 7. cap. 12. A great earthquake in Traians time Adrian sister sonne to Trai Princely qualities AdriaÌ„ praised Oros. 7. cap. 13. Ierusalem was named Aelia by Adrianus Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 6. Heretikes trouble the Church The care and trauell of Adrian Adrian died Titus Antoninus Pius Antho. Pius compared to Numa Pomp. The saying of Anto. Pius Reade Sueto of this good Emperour Alexander Seuerus borne Eutrop. lib. 8. Great oddes betweene Verus and Commodus two brethren Sueto in Antoninis Oros. lib. 7. ca. 15 M. Antoninus Reade Egnatius in Adria M. Antoninus excelled all Emperors in all kinde of knowledge Orosius lib. 6. cap. 15. These 5. Emperours were called one after another Pater patriae Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 4. The name of Antoninus much honoured in Rome Commodus 9. Emperour Reade Lampridius and Herodia lib. 1. Vices most odious in a magistrate A rare sight in Rome to see a good Emperour Pertinax Reade more of him in Eutrop lib. 8. Iulianus Lucius septimius Seuerus 22. Emperour Sept. Seuerus would be called Pertinax Albinus head sent from France to Rome Reade Polid. in lib. 2. Antoninus Caracalla 23. Reade Victor Aurel. Caracalla commanded himselfe to be called