where Gods word is generally despised not regarded nor profited by there some notable destruction approcheth Philip Melanc in collectaneis Manlij In a certain place there was acted a tragedie of the death and passion of Christ in shew but indeed of themselues for hee that plaied Christs part hanging vpon the crosse was wounded to death by him that should haue thrust his sword into a bladder full of blood tied to his side who with his fall slew another that plaied one of the womens part that lamented vnder the crosse his brother that was first slaine seeing this slew the murderer and was himselfe by order of iustice hanged therfore so that this tragedie was concluded with four true not counterfeit deaths and that by the diuine prouidence of God who can endure nothing lesse then such prophane and ridiculous handling of so serious and heauenly matters In the Vniuersitie of Oxford the historie of Christ was also plaied and cruelly punished that not many years since for he that bore the person of Christ the Lord stroke him with such a giddinesse of spirit braine that he became mad forthwith crying when he was in his best humour that God had laid this iudgement vpon him for playing Christ Three other actors in the same play were hanged for robbing as by credible report is affirmed Most lamentable was the iudgement of God vpon one Iohn Apowel somtimes a seruingman for mocking iesting at the word of God this Iohn Apowell hearing one William Malden reading certaine English praiers mocked him after euery word with cōtrary gauds flouting termes insomuch that at last he was terribly afraid so that his hair stood vpright on his head and the next day was found besides his wits crying night and day without ceasing The deuill the deuill Acts and monuments pag. 2103. O the deuill of hell now the deuill of hell there he goeth for it seemed to him as the other read Lord haue mercie vpon vs at the end of the praier that the deuill appeared vnto him and by the permission of God depriued him of his vnderstanding this is a terrible example for all those that bee mockers at the word of God to warne them if they do not repent least the vengeance of God fall vpon them in like manner Thus wee see how seuerely the Lord punisheth all despisers and prophaners of his holy things and thereby ought to learne to carrie a most dutifull regard and reuerence to them as also to note them for none of Gods flocke whosoeuer they be that deride or contemne any part of religion or the ministers of the same CHAP. XXXV Of those that prophane the Sabboth day IN the fourth last commandement of the first table it is said Remember to keep holy the sabboth day by which words it is ordained and enioined vs to seperate one day of seuen from al bodily and seruile labor not to idlenes loosenes but to the worship of God which is spirituall and wholesome Which holy ordināce whē one of the childrē of Israel in contempt broke as they were in the wildernesse Numb 15. by gathering stickes vpon the sabboth he was brought before Moses Aaron the whole congregation by them put in prison vntill such time as they knew the Lords determination concerning him knowing well that he was guiltie of a most grieuous crime And at length by the Lords owne sentence to his seruant Moses condemned to be stoned to death without the host as was speedily executed wherin the Lord made known vnto them both how vnpleasant odious the prophanation of his Sabboth was in his sight and how seriously and carefully euery one ought to obserue and keepe the same Now albeit that this strict obseruation of the sabboth was partly ceremoniall vnder the law and that in Christ Iesus wee haue an accomplishment as of all other so also of this ceremonie hee being the true sabboth and assured repose of our soules yet seeing wee still stand in need of some time for the instruction and exercise of our faith it is necessarie that we should haue at least one day in a weeke to occupie our selues in and about those holy and godly exercises which are required at our hands and what day fitter for that purpose then sunday Which was also ordained in the Apostles time for the same end and called by them Des dominicus that is The day of our Lord Because vpon that day he rose from the dead to wit the morrow after the Iewes sabboth being the first day of the weeke to which sabboth it by cōmon consent of the church succeeded to the end that a difference might be put betwixt Christians Iews Therfore it ought now religiously to be obserued as it is also commanded in the ciuil law with expresse prohibition not to abuse this day of holy rest in vnholy sports pastimes Cod. lib. 3. tit 12. leg 10. of euill example Neuerthelesse in steed hereof we see the euill emploiance abuse and disorder of it for the most part for beside the false worship and plentifull superstitions which raigne in so many places all manner of disorder and dissolutenesse is in request beareth sway in these daies this is the day for tipling houses and tauernes to be fullest fraught with ruffians and ribalds and for villanous and dishonest speech with lecherous and baudie songes to be most rise this is the day when gourmandise and drunkennesse shew themselues most frollick othes blasphemies flie thickest and fastest this is the day when dicing dancing whoring and such noisome and dishonest demeanours muster their bands and keep ranke togither from whence fome out enuies hatreds displeasures quarrels debates bloodsheddings and murders as daily experience testifieth All which things are euident signes of Gods heauy displeasure vpon the people where these abuses are permitted and no difference made of that day wherin God would be serued but is cōtrarily most dishonored by the ouerflow of wciked examples And that it is a thing odious and condemned of God these examples following will declare Gregory Turonensis reporteth that a husbandman who vpon the Lords day went to plow his field as he cleansed his plowshare with an iron the iron stucke so fast into his hand that for two yeeres hee could not be deliuered from it but carried it about continually to his exceeding great paine and shame Discipulus de tempore ser 117. Another profane fellow without any regard of God or his seruice made no conscience to conuey his corne out of the field on the Lords day in sermon time but hee was well rewarded for his godlesse couetousnesse for the same corne which with so much care he gathered togither was consumed with fire from heauen with the barne and all the graine that was in it A certaine noble man vsed euery Lords day to go a hunting in the sermon while Theatr. hist which impietie the Lord punished
the prime of his yeeres with all his strength had assaied to do it And when a certaine Cardinall came to visit him in this extremity hee could not abide his sight his paines encreasing therby but cried out assoone as he perceiued him departed that it was the Cardinall that brought them all to damnation When hee had bene thus a long time tormented at last in extreme anguish and feare he died Sleidan lib. 9. Sir Thomas More L. Chancellour of England a sworne enemy to the Gospell and a profest persecutour by fire and sword of all the faithfull as if thereby hee would grow famous and get renowme caused to be erected a sumptuous sepulchre and thereby to eternize the memory of his profane cruelty to be engrauen the commendation of his worthy deeds amongst which the principall was that hee had persecuted with all his might the Lutherens that is the faithfull but it fell out contrary to his hope for being accused conuicted and condemned of high treason his head was taken from him and his body found no other sepulchre to lie in but the gibbet Cardinall Croscentius the Popes ambassadour to the Councill of Trent in the yeere of our Lord 1552 being very busie in writing to his master the Pope and hauing laboured all one night about his letters behold as he raised himselfe in his chaire to stirre vp his wit and memory ouerdulled with watching a huge blacke dogge with great flaming eies and long eares dangling to the ground appeared vnto him which comming into his chamber and making right towards him euen vnder the table where he sate vanished out of his sight wherat he amazed a while senslesse recouering him selfe called for a candle when he saw the dog could not be found he fell presently sicke with a strong conceit which neuer left him till his death euer crying that they would driue away the blacke dogge which seemed to clime vpon his bed and in that humour he died 27 booke of his histories Albertus Pighius a great enemy of the truth also in so much that Paulus Iouius calleth him the Lutheranes scourge beeing at Bologne at the coronation of the Emperour vpon a scaffold to behold the pompe and glory of the solemnization the scaffold bursting with the weight of the multitude hee tumbled headlong amongst the guard that stood below vpon the points of their halberds piercing his body cleane through the rest of his company escaping without any great hurt for though the number of them which fell with the scaffold was great yet very fewe found themselues hurt thereby saue only this honourable Pighius that found his deaths wound and lost his hearts blood as hath bene shewed Poncher 2. Booke of martyrs The burning chamber was a court in France which adiudged the Christians to be burned Archbishop of Tours pursuing the execution of the burning chamber was himselfe surprised with a fire from God which beginning at his heele could neuer be quenched till member after mēber being cut off he died miserably An Augustine frier named Lambert doctor and Prior in the city of Liege one of the troope of cruell inquisitours for religion whilst he was preaching one day with open mouth against the faithfull was cut short of a sudden in the midst of his sermon beeing bereaued of sense and speech in so much that he was faine to be carried out of the pulpit to his cloister in a chaire and a few daies after was found drowned in a ditch In the yeere of our Lord 1527 there was one George Hala a Saxon minister of the word and sacraments Luther and a stout professour of the reformed religion who being for that cause sent for to appeare before the Archbishop of Mentz at Aschaffenburge was handled on this fashion they tooke away his owne horse and set him vpon the Archbishops fooles horse and so sent him backe homewards conducted by one appointed for the purpose who not suffering him to ride the common and beaten way but leading him a new course thorough by and vncoth pathes brought him into an ambush of theeues placed there by the bishops appointment who set vpon him and murdred him at once but it is notoriously knowen that not one of that wicked rable came to a good end but were consumed one after another In a city of Scotland called Fanum Ianius the chiefe mart towne of that countrey foure of the chiefest citizens were accused by a monke before the Cardinall for interrupting him in a sermon and by him condemned to be hanged like heretiques when no other crime could be laid to their charge History of martyrs part 7. saue that they desired the monke to tie himselfe to his text and not to roue vp and downe as he did without any certen scope or application of matter Now as they went to execution their wiues fell downe at the Cardinals feete beseeching and intreating pardon for their husbands liues which he was so farre from graunting that hee accused them also of heresie and especially one of them whose name was Helene for hee caused her young infant to be pulled out of her armes and her to be put to death with her husband for speaking certaine words against the virgine Mary which by no testimonies could be prooued against her Which doome the godly woman taking cheerefully and desiring to hang by her husbands side they would not doe her that last fauour but drowned her in a riuer running by that it might truly be said that no jot of mercy or compassion remained in them But ere long the cruell Cardinall found as little sauour at another butchers hands that slue him in his chamber when hee dreamed of nothing lesse and in his Cardinals robes hanged him ouer the wall to the view of men And thus God reuenged the death of those innocents whose bloods neuer ceased crying for vengeance against their murder vntill he had justly punished him in the same kind and after the same fashion which he had dealt with them Theatrum historicum Thomas Blauer one of the priuie counsellours of the king of Scots was a sore persecutour of the faithfull in that land for which cause lying on his death bed he fell into despaire and said hee was damned Refer this also to hypocrisie Lib. 1. cap. 22. and a castaway and when the monkes came about him to comfort him hee cried out vpon them saying that their Masses and other trash would doe him no good for he neuer beleeued them but all that he did was for loue of lucre not of religion not respecting or beleeuing there was either a God or a deuil or a hel or a heauē and therefore he was damned there was no remedy And in this miserable case without any signe of repentance he died But let vs come to our homebred English stories and consider the iudgements of God vpon the persecutors of Christs Gospell in Queene Maries time And first to begin with Steuen
sort for his amendment and our example Albert Krantz chron 〈◊〉 lib. 6. Henry Earle of Schwartburge through a corrup◠custome vsed commonly to wish he might be drowned in a priuie and as he wished so it happened vnto him for he was so serued murdered at S. Peters monasterie in Erford in the year of our Lord 1148. Cyriac. Spangenb in elegantijs veteris Adami The like befell a young courtier at Mansfield whose custome was in any earnest asseueration to say the Deuill take me if it be not so the Deuill indeed tooke him whilest hee slept and threw him out of a high window where albeit by the good prouidence of God hee caught no great hurt yet he learnt by experience to bridle his tongue from al such cursed speeches this being but a tast of Gods wrath that is to fall vpon such wretches as he Theat histor At Oster a village in the Duchy of Megalopole there chanced a most strange and fearefull example vpon a woman that gaue her selfe to the Deuill both body and soule and vsed most horrible cursings and othes both against her selfe and others which detestable manner of behauiour as at many other times so especially she shewed at a marriage in the foresaid village vpon S. Iohn Baptists day the whole people exhorting her to leaue off that monstrous villany but shee nothing bettered continued her course till all the companie were set at dinner and very merry Then loe the Deuill hauing got full possession of her came in person and transported her into the aire before them all with most terrible outcries and roarings in that sort carried her round about the town that the inhabitants were ready to die with feare and by and by tore her in foure peeces leauing in four seuerall high waies a quarter that all that came by might be witnesses of her punishment And then returning to the marriage threw her bowels vpon the table before the Maior of the towne with these words Behold these dishes of meat belong to thee whome the like destruction awaiteth if thou doest not amend thy wicked life The reporters of this hystorie were Iohn Herman the minister of the said towne with the Maior himselfe and the whole inhabitants being desirous to haue it knowne to the world for example sake In Luthers conferences there is mention made of this story following Luther diuerse noble men were striuing together at a horse race and in their course cried the deuil take the last Now the last was a horse that broke loose whom the deuill hoisted vp into the aire and took clean away Which teacheth vs not to call for the deuill for hee is readie alwaies about vs vncalled and vnlooked for yea many legions of them compasse vs about euen in our best actions to disturbe and peruert vs. A cettaine man not farre from Gorlitz prouided a sumptuous supper inuited many guests vnto it Iob. Fincelius who at the time appointed refusing to come he in an anger cried then let all the Deuils in hell come neither was his wish friuolous fot a number of those hellish fiends came forthwith whome he not discerning from men came to welcome and entertain but as he tooke them by the hands and perceiued in steed of fingers clawes all dismaied he ran out of the dores with his wife and left none in the house but a young infant with a foole sitting by the fire whome the deuils had no power to hurt neither any man els saue the goodly supper which they made away withall and so departed It is notoriously knowne in Oundle a town in Northamptonshire amongst all that were acquainted with the partie namely one Hacket of vvhome more hath beene spoken before hovv he vsed in his earnest talke euer to curse himselfe on this manner If it be not true then let a visible confusion come vpon me Now hee wanted no◠his wish for hee came to a visible confusion indeed as hath ben declared more at large in the 20 chap. of this booke At Witeberg before Martin Luther and diuerse other learned men a woman whose daughter was possessed with a spirit confessed that by her curse that plague was fallen vpon her for being angry at a time she bad the deuil take her she had no sooner spoken the word but he tooke her indeed possessed her in most strange sort No whitlesse strange and horrible is that which happened at Neoburge in Germany to a son that was cursed of his mother in her anger with this curse Theat histor shee praied God shee might neuer see him return aliue for the same day the yoong man bathing himselfe in the water was drowned and neuer returned to his mother aliue according to her vngodly wish Theat histor But aboue all this is most strange which happened in a Towne of Misina in the yeere of our Lord God 1552 the eleuenth of September where a cholletick father seeing his sonne slacke about his businesse wished he might neuer stirre from that place Let not the strangenes of this example discredit the truth therof seeing wee read how Lots wife was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19. and Corah with his company swallowed of the earth Num. 16 which are more strange than this Acts and monuments pag. 2101. for it was no sooner said but done his sonne stucke fast in the place neither by any meanes possible could bee remoued no not so much as to sit or bend his body till by the praiers of the faithfull his paines were somewhat mitigated though not remitted three yeare he continued standing with a post at his backe for his ease and foure yeares sitting at the end whereof he died Nothing weakened in his vnderstanding but professing the faith and not doubting of his saluation in Christ Iesus When he was demanded at any time how he did he answered most vsually that hee was fastened of God and that it was not in man but in Gods mercy for him to be released Iohn Peter sonne in law to Alexander that cruel keeper of Newgate being a most horrible swearer and blasphemer vsed commonly to say If it be not true I pray God I may rot ere I die and not in vaine for he rotted away indeed so died most miserably Hether we may ad a notable example of a certain yoong gallant that was a monstrous swearer who riding in the company of diuerse gentlemen began to swear and most horribly blaspheme the name of God vnto whom one of the company with gentle words said hee should one day answere for that the yonker taking snuffe thereat why said hee takest thou thought for mee Acts and monuments pag. 2105. Take thought for thy winding sheet Well quoth the other amend for death giueth no warning as soone commeth a lambes skinne to the market as an old sheepes Gods wounds said he care not thou for me raging still on this manner worse and worse till at length passing
Heraclius hauing raigned Emperour but one yeere was poisoned by his stepmother Martina Zonoras tom 3. to the end to install her owne sonne Heraclon in the crowne but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to haue her or her sonne raigne ouer them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the city Fausta the wife of Constantine the Great fell in loue with Constantine her sonne in law begotten vpon a concubine Zonoras 3. Annal. Sex Aur. whom when she could not persuade vnto her lust shee accused vnto the Emperour as a sollicitour of her chastitie for which cause hee was condemned to die but after the truth was knowen Constantinus put her into a hote bath and suffered her not to come forth vntill the heat had choaked her reuenging vpon her head his sonnes death and her owne vnchastitie CHAP. XII Of Subiect Murderers SEing then they that take away their neighbours liues doe not escape vnpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs folow that if they to whom the sword of iustice is committed by God to represse wrongs and chastise vices doe giue ouer themselues to cruelties and to kill and slay those whome they ought in duty to protect and defend must receiue a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to haue bene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody minded as contrary to all iustice to put to death Abimelech the high priest with fourescore and fiue other priests of the family of his father 1. Sam. 22. onely for receiuing Dauid into his house small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied herewith h◠vomited out his rage also against the whol city of the priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any Hee slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that lād yet because they were receiued into league of amity by a solemne oth and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not haue bene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore he tyranizing and playing the butcher amongst his own subiects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter practising many other foul enormities he was at the last ouercome of the Philistims sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall aliue into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands vpon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sonnes and they that followed him of his owne houshold were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body despoiled among the carcasses beheaded it and caried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung vp the trunke in disgrace in one of their cities to be seene lookt vpon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in king Dauids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause whereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed vpon the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. wherefore Dauid deliuered Sauls seuen sonnes into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is euen to hanging Amongst all the sinnes of king Achab and Iezabel which were many and great 1. King 21. the murder of Naboth standeth in the forefront for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserue death yet by the subtill and wicked deuise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the warre which hee made with the king of Siria receiued so deadly a wound that hee died thereof the dogges licking vp his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked 2. King 9. according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whome her owne seruants at the commandement of Iehu whome God had made executour of his wrath threw headlong out of an high window vnto the ground so that the walls were died with her blood and the horses trampled her vnder their feet and dogs deuoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing sauing only her scull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iudah being after his fathers death possessed of the crowne and scepter of Iudah 2. Chron. 21. by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many princes of the realme for which cause God stirred vp the Edomites to rebell the Philistims and Arabians to make war against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wiues and children the yongest only excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned king but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his owne brethren hee committed crueltie against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeeres that his very entrails issued out with torment and so died in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we haue already touched the pride and arrogancie of king Alexander the Great yet wee can not pretermit to speake of him in this place his example seruing so fit for the present subiect for although as touching the rest of his life hee was verie well gouerned in his priuat actions as a monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeeres but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not only towards strangers as the Cosseis whome he destroied to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loued hi◠and diuers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neare friends he had put to death neuer ceased vntill he both ministred a deadly draught vnto himselfe Iustine whereby he depriued him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wiues and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full reuenge Phalaris the tyrant of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes Oros then horrible cruelties exercised vpon his owne subiects inuenting euery day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus an artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry fauour with him deuised a new torment
slew the sonne and heire of the Emperour Emanuel shutting him in a sacke and so throwing him into the sea after which by violence he tooke possession of the Empire of Constantinople and like a strong theefe seazed vpon that which was none of his owne but assoone as hee had gotten his desire then began his lusts to rage and raue then hee fell to whoring and forcing women and maids to his lust whome after hee had once robbed of their chastities hee gaue ouer to his bauds and ruffians to abuse and that which is more than all this he rauished one of his owne sisters and committed incest with her moreouer to maintaine and vphold his tyranous estate hee slew most of the nobilitie and all else that bore any shew of honestie or credit with them and liued altogither by wrongs and extortions Wherefore his subiects prouoked with these multitudes of euils which raigned in him and not able to endure any longer his vile outrages and indignities rebelled against him and besieged him got him into their mercilesse hands and handled him on this fashion following first they degraded him and spoiled him of his imperiall ornaments then they pulled out one of his eyes and set him vpon an asse backeward with the taile in his hand in steed of a scepter and a rope about his necke instead of a crowne and in this order and attire they led him through all Constantinople the people shouting and reuiling him on all sides some throwing durt others spittle diuers dung and the women their pispots at his head after all which banketting dishes he was transported to the gallowes and there hanged to make an end of all Charles king of Nauarre Froyss vol. 3. chap. 100. whose mother Ieane was daughter to Lewes Lutton king of France was another that oppressed his subiects with cruelty and rough dealing for hee imposed vpon them grieuous taxes and tributes and when many of the chiefest of his common wealth came to make knowne vnto him the pouertie of his people and that they were not able to endure any more such heauy burdens he caused them all to be put to death for their boldnesse he was the kindler of many great mischiefes in France and of the fire wherewith diuers places of strength and castles of defence were burned to ashes he counselled the Countie of Foix his sonne to poison his father and not only so but gaue him also the poison with his owne hands wherewith to doe the deed Nich. Gilles Moreouer aboue all this leacherie and adultery swaied his powers euen in his old age for at threescore yeeres of age hee had a whore in a corner whose company he daily haunted and so much that she at length gaue him his deaths wound for returning from her company one day as his vse was entring into his chamber hee went to bed all quaking and halfe frosen with cold neither could hee by any meanes recouer his heat vntill by art they sought to supply nature and blew vpon him with brasen bellows aquauitae and hote blasts of aire but withall the fire vnregarded flew betwixt the sheets and inflamed the dry linnē togither with the aquauitae so suddenly that ere any helpe could be made his late quiuering bones were now halfe burned to death It is true that hee liued fifteene daies after this but in so great griefe and torment without sense of any helpe or asswagement by phisicke or surgerie that at the end thereof hee died miserably and so as during his life his affection euer burnt in lust and his mind was alwaies hot vpon mischiefe and couetousnes so his daies were finished with heat and cruell burning Lugtake king of Scots succeeding his father Galdus in the kingdome was so odious and mischieuous a tyrant that eueryman hated him no lesse for his vices Lanques than they loued his father for his vertues hee slew many rich and noble men for no other cause but to inrich his treasury with their goods he committed the gouernment of the realme to most vniust and couetous persons and with their company was most delighted hee shamed not to defloure his owne aunts sisters daughters and to scorne his wise and graue counsellours calling them old doting fooles all which monstrous villanies with a thousand more so incensed his nobles against him that they slew him after he had raigned three yeeres but as the Prouerb goeth seldome commeth a better another or worse tyrant succeeded in his kingdome namely Mogallus cousen germane to Lugtake a man notoriously infected with all manner of vices for albeit in the beginning of his raigne he gaue himselfe to follow the wisdome and manners of his vncle Galdus yet in his age his corrupt nature burst forth abundantly but chiefly in auarice lechery and cruelty this was hee that licensed theeues and robbers to take the goods of their neighbours without punishment and that first ordained the goods of condemned persons to be confiscate to the kings vse without respect either of wiues children or creditours for which crimes he was also slaine by his nobles Besides these there was another king of the Scots called Atherco in the yeere of our Lord 240 who shewed himselfe also in like manner a most vile and abominable wretch The same for hee so wallowed in all manner of vncleane and effeminate lusts that hee was not ashamed to go in the sight of the people playing vpon a flute reioycing more to be accounted a good fidlar than a good prince from which vices hee fell at last to the deflouring and rauishing of maids and women in so much as the daughters of his nobles could not bee safe from his insatiable and intollerable lust Wherefore beeing pursued by them when he saw no meanes to escape he desperately slew himselfe The great outrages which the Spaniards haue committed in the West Indies are apparant testimonies of their impiety iniustice crueltie insatiable couetousnesse and luxurie and the iudgements wherewith God hath hunted them vp and downe both by sea and land as late and fresh histories doe testifie are manifest witnesses of his heauy anger and displeasure against them amongst all which I will here insert none but that which is most notorious and worthy memory as the wretched accident of Pamphilus Nauares and his companie This man with sixe hundred Spaniards making for the coast of Florida to seeke the gold of the riuer of Palme trees Benzoni Mil. were so turmoiled with vehement winds and tempests that they could not keepe their vessels from dashing against the shore so that their ships did all split in sunder and they for the most part were drowned saue a few that escaped to land yet escaped not daunger for they ranne rouing vp and downe this sauage countrey so long till they fell into such extreame pouerty and famine that for want of vittails twelue of them deuoured one another of the whole sixe hundred that went forth there neuer yet