cut downe For no free delivery of all the prisoners taken in the late battle and fully re-invested in their greatnesse no over liberall allowance no solemne protestations of a Father could winne authoritie with the Sonne New disgusts on the least grounds were built by his owne unquiet spirit and the suggestions of cunning instruments For he wanted that absolute power his title challeng'd from which he was debar'd by his fathers life and fortune they who had adherd heard to his disobedience expected recompence for mischeife and hee unable to pay them for their sinnes rewarded their humour with discontent His disease of minde was incapable of cure for no Phificke without the mixture of his Fathers vitall blood could minister releefe that the old King preserved against all practise And to a resignation of Empire no Argument could perswade him not willing to encoffin himselfe in a Church solitude till death enforc't him At length unquiet thoughts destroy'd the young King who disdain'd to live and not to raigne and since he could be onely the mockery of his owne title he was willing not to bee at all For while with his brother Geoffrey he was in armes against his Father and found no successe to his designes a violent fever with a flux seiz'd and admonisht him he was to dye which he entertain'd with little horrour till at last the conscience of his many crimes frighted him with apprehension of that world he was suddenly to travaile to The racke which put his soule to the extreamest torture was the injurie hee had contriv'd against his father which hee redeem'd by humble penitence for the old King sent his signer whether he durst not trust his person and assured his sonne a pardon which gave courage to his death and made him with lesse trouble resolve for his last account Having by his preposterous association into the Soveraigne title created to his father disquiet and repentance and to himselfe onely enlarg'd the shadow The death of Richard the first King of England THe severall parts of humane life are distinguisht by our vices The smoothnesse of youth is tyranniz'd by sensuall pleasure the body growing to more strength ambition engageth to action but when age inclines toward the grave Avarice preposterous to reason forceth man then to reckon upon treasure when death threatens to cancell all the bonds and Out him from the world with no more gaietie than at his birth hee entred Thus are we mockt by our owne sinnes vainely providing for the safetie of life when the tombe layes claime to our wrinckles and infirmitie holds before our eyes Times houre-glasse with the last graine of sand readie to fall downe The soule busying its thoughts with setting long leases when it is suddenly to be turn'd out of its owne weak cottage Richard the first of England varied not from this common path having stain'd his youth with lust honour'd his maturer yeares with triumphs but leaning now toward age permitting Avarice to be night the glory of his former actions And so vainly did this wretched vice mis-governe him that as wandring by the conduct of an ignis fatuus hee followed the acquisition of an imaginary treasure For vvhile he pursued the punishment of some Rebell Lords in Poitou vvho had assisted contrary to alleigance the French Kings affaires during the late vvarres hee vvas inform'd that Widomer a Vicount of base Britaine had possest himselfe of much vvealth fortune unavvares to his endeavours having leade him to a secret cave vvherein foolish Avarice or feare of some sudden surprise had buried vast treasures This severe pursute thrust the distracted Lord into severall passions vvhich councel'd him rather to foregoe his alleigance than his fortune and knovving hovv safe even innocence and integrity are against the assault of povver hee having no such vvarrant fled into Limosin a Country which owed to King Richard no obedience but what his just title and sharpe sword did force and in the strongest towne there hee inclosed himselfe and the purchase of that treasure which created him so many feares and so little safety By the communication of his gold he brought the townesmen into association of his danger for where they are interested in a regard to profit what tye hath fealtie upon the conscience and how little is a life esteem'd when money that supreame felicitie of fooles is concern'd The King disdained thus to be opposed threatning ruine and devastation to that place which could so easily sell its homage and in the heate of rage and power he assaulted it ventring for a poore bargaine the Crowne of England and his principalities in France and Ireland For if his life miscarried in the attempt what interest could death reserve for him to Empire who wanting children despair'd even to survive in that imaginary vanitie But when did passion take advice of truth Or when powerfull Avarice inclined to revenge what reason could give a bound to mischiefe But the Towne resolv'd to oppose since no conquest could bring more desolation than to yeeld to that passion which hath no affinitie with mercie And while the King when violence receiv'd repulse labourd by Art to master the place an envenomed Arrow shot by a revengfull hand strucke him into the shoulder Which wound being drest by a rude unskilfull Surgeon made the anguish insupportable to any man whom rage arm'd not with a new kinde of patience For neglecting all complaint he so seriously used his wit and courage to prosecute his designe that within twelve dayes he brought the towne to yeeld to mercie Where after narrow search hee found the treasure hee so vainely followed a deceitfull vision that misled him to his ruin This conquest finisht he began to acknowledge he was but man for death commanded him away and hee obeyd the summons Then hee found another law to over-rule his spirits and being to appeale from the severity of the eternall Iustice hee laboured in himselfe to practise mercie And in this short intervall betweene the glorious thoughts of life and his last houre hee left his vertue an example to the most religious as his valour had beene an envie in the most ambitious For when the Paracide in a pride of the high mischiefe hee had committed refused to lay fault on errour but impiously aver'd hee did that great sinne to revenge his Father and two brothers slaughtered by the King the King forgave him with so much pietie that hee rewarded even the Executioner and conjured his servants that this unhappie man might enjoy the comfort of his revenge and survive a Trophee of so eminent a mercy But this pious Testament had no obedient Executors the King no longer obey'd than he had liberty from death to command For justice then unsheath'd her sword and least the example of too much favour might afterward become an injurie the Paracide was fleade and hang'd upon a gibbet In the horrid silence of his punishment more effectually expressing his owne treason and the
Kings mercie Before this holy Prince parted with his life by much penitence he parted with his sins For highest courages fall lowest when overcome by supernaturall grace And how vast a progresse toward heaven can a soule so illuminated make even in a moment For the immence bountie is not tyed to measure and how can the quantities of time prescribe to the Eternall His testament beares evidence to posteritie that his minde was no way dazel'd looking downe on death from the highest precipice of Empire For discreetly he made distribution of his command and treasure to John his brother he bequeath'd his Kingdome neglecting the weaker yeares of Arthur and having more regard to the peoples safety than the right of blood To his Nephew though then Emperor he left one part of his treasure the other to his servants and the third to the poore whom the wealthy never thinke their friends till death His bodie hee disposed too though corruption still challengeth that legacie and commanded it at Fonteverard to be layd prostrate at his fathers feete that even after death hee might crave him pardon whom in life hee had unnaturally offended To Roane in testimony of his love hee gave his heart that great undaunted heart which being more valiant than that of man and the heavenly spirits wanting proportion for the comparison was forc't to permit it selfe to bee call'd a Lyons heart But his entrailes he bequeath'd to Poeters to obrey'd it to posterity with its ingratitude as which by many treasons was rendred unworthy to receive any Nobler part of so great a Prince The battell of Varna between Vladislaus King of Hungary and Amurath the sixt King of the Turkes 1444. THe prevailing vertue of Iohn Huniades the greatest Captaine of that age by continuall victory humbled the proud Monarch of the Turke so low that peace was sued for to the Christians Which Vladislaus condescended to imposing such conditions as if Fortune had made him Conquerour And indeed it was sought with an earnestnesse so farre beneath their former arrogance that it was receiv'd at first either as a high contempt or dangerous stratagem But when time assured this overture to bee no counterfeite Vladislaus demanded that Amurath should withdraw all his Forces and Garisons out of Servia and restore it to George the Despot delivering with that Country to the long exil'd Prince his two sonnes whom the Turke kept prisoners and whose eyes in hatred to the father had beene put out That he should never after make claime to Moldavia and Bulgaria which Countries the fate of the last warre had won to the Christians That he should no way molest the Hungarians or invade any part of their dominions And that hee might not onely part with territory but even with money to purchase this peace hee was to pay forty thousand Duckets to the King and in recompence have Carambey his Bassa not long before taken prisoner by Huniades restored This peace the most honourable that ever Christian Prince made with the Turkish Sultan was interpreted ill and Vladislaus thought rather to have sought his owne quiet than the glory of the Christian name For in so high a tide of victory it could not be but a poore designe to secure his fortunes by treatie with an Infidell whom necessitie could onely make religious and whom want of power could onely preserve a friend This consideration incited Iulian the Popes Legat and agent for other Christian Princes in this cause to perswade Vladislaus to repent his former peace and to settle his Conscience without scruple to prosecute the war For what Religion could obleige him to preserve an oath of faith with him who onely endeavour'd by pretence of fidelity to entrap him Or why should a nice pietie hinder the growth of Religion Or to what purpose should only one party be obleig'd when experience instructed him that the Turke never swore but to tye the Christian and enlarge himselfe But now was it more than ever impious to have peace when all men concur'd to advance a warre so holy where victory was an increase of Religion and even to be overcome the highest triumph of the soule since it assured a Martyrdome And beside the assistance of heaven whose cause they fought and whose souldiers they were all polliticke regards concur'd to assertaine the ruine of the Ottoman Empyre which not to doe upon the too tender conscience of a league was an injurious pietie which onely merited reproach for a reward For Iohn Paleologus Emperour of the East was then prepared with mighty Forces and protested that in religion to the Christian cause hee had refused by making peace to endeavour his owne safety Many Princes likewise of the Turkes invited the Hungarian to this warre desirous rather to abate the overgrowne Empire of Amurath then to continue the splendor of their Sect with danger to their state For religion hath but a slender tye upon that soule which is over-ruled by ambition or private interest And where maintenance of command was concern'd what wonder if Mahometans labour'd the Christians common enemies of their law into association Moreover all the States of Italy had prepared for the present warre sending their fleete into the Hellespont to joyn with the Grecian Emperour that the Turke on both sides assaulted might in neither meete with any thing but ruine As for Amurath himselfe age and evill fortune had throwne him into despaire and that confin'd him to a solitude where in an impious pietie with certaine Monkes counterfeite base coyne of the right Christian stampe he tyred his time away and expected an ugly death The whole government of that usurped Empire now by resignation of the Father under Mahomet but fifteene yeares of age fitter for a Schoole and obedience to Tutors than the manage of warre against as able Souldiers as the most warlike age ever boasted But these regards onely look'd on pollicie that which made the Conscience free from obligation to preserve this league Sacred was a former made with the Princes of Christendome With whom to breake faith was Sacriligious and to maintaine it with an Infidell sinfull and ruinous Vnlawfull oathes being vicious in the making but far more in the performance Hee who sweares the burning of an Altar commits a crime but his absolution comes farre easier if repentance make him perjured then if obstinacie render him sacrilegious Easily was the conscience of Vladislaus untyed from his former league the appetite of glory and extent of Empire oftentimes taking as soone away all scruple from the soule as the most sober resolution of Divines For Huniades upon whose valour and fortune the successe of the warre depended had promise of the Kingdome of Bulgaria and who not miraculously awed by vertue will not endanger to bee but a bad Christian to become a powerfull Monarch The Despot of Servia had his hopes too of a more setled principalitie and some extent of power and that made his Religion which never much troubled his
great a danger Sixe thousand Graecians he prest in whom he hoped the sence of liberty would quicken the sence of honour and three thousand Venetians Genowayes and other of Europe he entertain'd making choyce of Iustinianus an adventurer of Genoa who with two tall ships man'd with foure hundred Souldiers having scowred the Seas by accident came to Constantinople to be Generall of all the Forces destin'd for the last defence of that Empire And certainely while the least probabilitie of successe gave life to courage no man perform'd more acts of great direction and admirable resolution But when fortune absolutely forsooke the Citie he forgot his Spirit and gave proofe to the World that no humane vetue can long triumph over ruine unlesse by heaven miraculously supported For while there was any sparke glowing of the ancient Roman fire with which the Citie first became the glory of the East Iustinius made victory incline from the vast Turkish multitude to the defendants strong onely in honour of that cause they were to fight So farre did courage despise number that Mahomet enter'd into sober councell whether the attempt might not end in losse and the chiefe Bassa perswaded safetie in a retreate by the example of his great progenenitors But emulation in the inferiour Bassas urged young Mahomet to danger to which the ambition of a proud nature violently forced him As if heaven had forsooke the defence of whatever place the lust of his pride had desire to violate And indeede such fortune at that time prosper'd mischiefe that the Earth appear'd abandon'd to his tyrannie For when the vast labour of this seige threatned the Turkes to expire in reproach of the Assailants the Haven keeping one side of the Citie secure from ruine and open to releefe in regard a strong chaine and many great shippesbarr'd the enemies fleete all admittance A Christian wittie to invent highest treason against that Majestie his professision obleig'd him to observe instructed the Turke upon certaine engines by Land to conveigh his Navie into the Port of Constantinople Which passage opposite both to Nature and Religion extended first to the terrour then to the overthrow of the poore defendants Who perceiving the Earth made Navigable and the enemies vessels to saile upon dry land became astonisht and submitted their courages to the miracle of that power which triumpht o're the Elements Yet in the hourely expectation of death the wretched inhabitants of the Citie omitted not the trades of life and the enemie readie even to make prey of all their substance the Merchant busied his thoughts in continuance of his bargaines and congratulated the smallest gaine the builder rais'd up his glorious piles as if not threatned to bee his monument and the rich man reckon'd upon the unnaturall generation of his monies as if no insolent theefe endanger'd the principall For though the Emperour fearing so fierce a warre from the most formidable Prince of the earth labour'd to make his peace with heaven by prayers and fasts and all those humble acts to which ancient pietie instructs us yet no commanded devotion could expiate the vices of a licencious Citie some fondly beleeving it a point of valour to dare in so visible a danger to be vicious As if there were a cowardize so abject as that captivates the minde to sinne While any hope remain'd the Emperour disdain'd to give his courage over to despaire and exhorted the tradesman to forsake unseasonable labour to worke his owne defence who fullenly made answere that it was to no purpose to fight upon the walls and afterward to starve in his house And the Corne masters upon a generall complaint for want of bread brought their graine in to the Emperour to be divided indifferently among the people with so averse a minde as if they had design'd it onely to supply the enemie when at his entrance into the Towne they were to be enroul'd his slaves But the private wealth of the inhabitants was on no conditions to be borrowed in the generall cause every man desirous to admit the barbarous insolencies of a new government rather than to part with that treasure which they were shortly for ever to forseite and which then well order'd might have prevented so famed a desolation But the Emperour at so sad a necessitie for got the ceremonies of Religion and made bold with the wealth of Churches to pay the Christian Souldier least it might be destinated to a more prophane abuse But no endevours could support an Empire ruin'd by the battery of an over-powerfull enemie and undermin'd by its owne vices For the Turke made frequent breaches and gain'd even when repulst with losse for if the slaughter of five Turkes procured the death of one Christian considering the inequalitie of the number yet had the Emperour justice to complaine For his men lost were irrecoverable whereas the Infidell as Cadmus is fabled seem'd to have sowed the dragons teeth upon any repulse new armed men growing up out of the earth in his defence Frequent assaults on every side brought the Citie to hope no honour but in ruine for to servive it selfe and become the seate of blasphemie were to resemble the punishment of a soul in hell grow more miserable than not to be That subsistance far more horrid than to suffer the labourer to plough up the rubbish of the most envied Pallaces But this happinesse was denyed a long continuance in vice prepared the way to the most powerfull impietie that ever swayd the world This Citie like a ship overcome by tempests yeelded at length to a Sea of enemies which enter'd through the breaches and suncke it for ever In one of which Iustinianus having receiv'd a wound lost his spirit and by flight endeavour'd a poore reprieve of a disgraced life for who that was interess'd in the quarrell could out-live that siege and retaine his honour Constantine the sonne of Helena allied in name and title but not in fortune to the first Constantine in the throng of those who yeelded to the violence of the Turkish Armie perisht undistinguisht among eight hundred who pressing for life became their owne murderers But the narrow scrutinie of the Turke and his owne ill fate denyed him even the honour of being unknown so that as his life was more eminent his death had greater ignominie For having that day his imperiall habit on it onely serv'd to obrey'd his ruin and sequester him for more scorne from the vulgar His head they presently sever'd from his body to make a common reproach of what had beene so awfull in its diadem And in the crueltie of that mirth all hope and courage of the defendants perisht The Citie three dayes lay prostitute to the licence of the conquerours who were wittie to invent new mischiefes to please their barbarous wantonnesse And well might they congratulate the fortunes of their victories for never did so much treasure become a prey to so much rapine and never did such ancient greatnesse fall