desperately rushing on slew a Multitude with his own Hand and restored the Battle but having taken a King in rich Armour Prisoner as he cast his Shield behind him to lead him out of the Ranks his Breast being Defenceless Achilles suddenly came upon him inclosed him with his Men and run his Spear into his Body so that he fell down dead and with him dyed all the Hopes of Troy for though Achilles was soon after slain by Paris Phyrrus his Son no less in Strength and Courage arriving in the Camp Paris and Tragilus King Priamus's Sons being slain and the Palladium which was the Safe-gaurd of Troy stole by Vlysses and Diomede who slew the Warders of the Tower who kept it the City was soon after taken by the means of a mighty Wooden-Horse the Greeks dedicated to Pallas to attone as they feigned for the Theft of the Palladium which upon the supposed Departure of the Enemy was by the Perswasion of one Sinon a crafty Greek drawn into the Gity and the Walls broke down to give it entrance when in the Night he let out the armed Men in the Belly of it who seized the Gate called in their Companions slew the King laid the City in Ashes and carried the Queen her Daughters and most that escaped the Sword Captives to Greece II. The Life Actions and Death of Alexander the Great King of Macedon who conquered the World c. ALexander from his many glorious Exploits and amazing Victories Sir-named The Great was the Son of Philip King of Macedon by Olympius his Queen this Philip before his Death brought all Greece under his Subjection and intended to war on the Persian Monarchy then flourishing in Asia and Part of Africa of vast Extent governed by King Darius but being slain before he put his Intendments in Execution his Son Alexander assembled the Grecian States at Corinth and was by them chosen General of their Armies in his Father's stead but soon after by the Perswasion of Demosthenes the Orator corrupted with the Gold of Persia the Lacedemonians Athenians and Thebans revolted from him and made an Alliance with Darius but Alexander soon reduced them to Obedience levelling the City of Thebes to the Ground and selling the Citizens for Slaves Thus having settled his Affairs in Greece and put to Death all those he suspected could disturd its Quiet in his Absence distributing his Treasure amongst his Commanders and Soldiers reserving nothing but Hope of the World's Empire for himself he passed into Asia with an Army of 30000 Foot and 4500 Horse mostly of Soldiers who had served his Father which small Number Darius so much despised that he sent to his Lieutenant in the Lesser Asia to fall upon and destroy them but to take Alexander alive to scourge him and send him bound in Chains to Babylon where he resided But it fell out much otherwise than he expected for with his handful of Men he overthrew several Armies commanded by the Persian Lieutenants with almost incredible Slaughter taking most of the strong Places in the Way as he marched which rouzed King Darius from his Ease and Luxury of his Court to raise the whole Strength of his Kingdom in hopes to drive out an Enemy now grown so formidable to him and a mighty Battle was fought between the Plains of Abrastum where he overthrew an Army 600000 Persians with the Loss only of 9 Foot-men and 100 Horse-men and taking exceeding rich Plunder having buried the Dead and erected several Monuments in Token of his Victory upon which a great Part of Asia submitted to him After this Battle he marched to the City of Gordium where in the Temple of Jupiter he cut the Gordian Knot in two with his Sword of which there went a Prophesie That whoever could unfold it should be King of that Country and having garrisoned that City marched on but fearing to be entangled in the narrow Passages of the huge Mountain Taurus he marched speedily over it his Foot marching five hundred Furlongs without Respite and so he came to Tursus where being taken with the pleasant River Cydnus he plunged into it to cool and refresh himself when hot which caused an Ague-fit and when Philip his Physician presented him a Portion he took it boldly though he had a Letter sent him that Philip was bribed by Darius to poison him which Letter he delivered to Philip whilst he was drinking the Potion who read it undauntedly and soon after Alexander recovered And now Darius approached with a recruited Army of 300000 Foot 100000 Horse when Alexander encouraging his Soldiers and extolling their Valour who had broke through so many Nations and been ever victorious he caused the Charge to be sounded and the two Armies rushed together with great Fury and Violence but after a bloody Encounter in which both Kings were wounded the Persians gave way after 30000 Foot and 10000 Horse were slain and 4000 taken Prisoners with the Loss of no more than 130 Foot and 150 Horse of the Macedonians and all Darius's Treasure of Gold Silver Jewels c. fell into the Hands of the Victors and among the Captive were the Mother Wife and two Daughters of Darius who fell on their Knees with piteous Cries before Alexander expecting no less than Death or worse Treatment but he kindly raised and comforted them causing them to be honouaably attended and well-used and falling into Love with the beauteous Barsione one of the captive Ladies he got a Son on her whom he named Hercules and after that married Statira the eldest Daughter to Darius giving Parisatis to his dear Friend Haephston and seizing on the Persian Fleet marched unto Syria where many of the Eastern Kings who had been tributary to Darius came and layed their Crowns at his Feet most of them receiving them again as his Bounty to be tributary under him Then he passed from Syria into Egypt taking all the Cities in his Way and having been reputed to be the Son of Jupiter Ammon and not of King Philip who had put away his Mother upon her confessing Jupiter came in the Shape of a Dragon and got him in the Absence of Philip he enquired of that and other Events at the the Temple of Ammon where the flattering Priests declared him to be the Son of Jupiter Ammon and that both Victories in all Wars and the Possession of all Lands were granted to him charging his Followers to adore him as a God which puffed him up with such Pride which together with the Luxury of Asia utterly debauched his Virtues for complaining of which Parmenio one of his greatest Captains was by his Command flead alive and his Son Philotes slain After this he built a City on the Sea-coast of Egypt calling it Alexandria from his own Name and settled a Colony of Macedonians in it And here Darius writ to him to part his Empire with him and that he should freely enjoy his Part with his Daughter also he offered him a vast Sum to redeem
when the King of Jerusalem and other Confederate Kings assembled a mighty Army utterly to destroy them for making this League with the Enemies of their Country upon their Supplication Joshua made a hard March to their Relief and utterly in a terrible Battle discomfited the Kings and their Armies and to lengthen out the Day for their Distruction at the Prayer of Joshua the Son and Moon that were hastening to set stood still for the space of a whole Day so that there was no Day like that Day in which God fought for Israel by destroying Multitudes of their Enemies with mighty Hail stones that fell upon them yet hurt not one of the pursuing Israelites and their five Kings being found hid in the Cave Mukkedaâ— Joshua pulled them out and caused the People to set their Feet upon their Necks in Token of Subjection slew them and hanged them on five Trees burning 2000 War-charriots with Fire and then marched through all the Land of Canaan taking Cities and Strong holds and in five Years utterly subdued it unless some few strong Garrisons and having caused is to be viewed divided it amongst the Tribes by Lot of 〈…〉 as Moses had appointed setting up the Tabernacle of God 〈◊〉 Shiloe This famous War as it was thus finished the fifty Thousand whose Lot was in the Land of the Amorites returned with great Riches to their Wives and Children and that the parting of the River Jordan might not in time to come make them be taken for another People they erected an Altar there which by a Misunderstanding had like to have created a bloody War between their Bretheren and them but the real Cause being known it was prevented And now Joshua having Governed successfully twenty Years and grown Old finding the time of his Death approaching assembled the Princes and Heads of the ePple and gave them a strict Command to Obey the Lord their God in all things that he had commanded by the Mouth of his Servant Moses and to walk uprightly in his sight that it might be well with them and their Children for ever And soon after he died greatly lamented of the People in the 110th Year of his Age and from â—â—e World's Creation 2560. and before the coming of Christ 1500. V. The Life and glorious Reign of David King of Israel DAvid the renowned King of Israel and Captain of the Peple of the Lord of Host was the Son of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah who in his young Years kept his Father's Flocks and was then very Daring and Valiant as appears by his fighting with and killing a Lion and a Bear who came to devour his Sheep and when Saul King of Israel sinned against God in disobeying his Commands this Striplin was appointed to Reign over Israel and by a special Command was annointed King by Samuel the Prophet And the first of his publick Appearance to make himself known and to rise to Greatness was when Saul and his Armies were defied by Goliah the great Giant of Gath whom he slew with a Sling and a Stone and had Michol the King's Daughter in Marriage as it had been promised to him that should overcome that daring Champion of the Philistines who had been a Man of War from his Youth upward and highly was he favoured in the Court of Saul by Abner the Captain of the Host with the Giant 's Head in his Hand But after his many Victories the Virgins in their Songs ascribed to him ten Thousands of Slain and to Saul but one which stirred up his Jealousie and Envy against him without his deserving it David no sooner became renowned at Court and throughout all the Land of Israel but Jonathan Saul's eldest Son and a very vertuous Prince made a very strict League of Friendship with him insomuch that they became as own Brothers he labouring to pacifie his Father's Wrath towards David till he incurred it himself and narrowly escaped Death as David had often done Saul by this time having Notice that by God's Appointment David was to be King of Israel his Spirit was so troubled that at times he fell into a melancholy Madness so that an evil Spirit possessed him and when David was playing before him on his Harp as he often did to drive away the Spirit Saul falling into one of his Fits narrowly mist slaying him by throwing a Javelin at him with such Force that it stuck in the Wall and David fled for his Life and Saul sent Soldiers to pursue him and beset his House where he had been taken but that his Wife let him down a Back-way and laid an Image in his Bed pretending he was sick till he escaped to the City of Nob where of Abimelech the High-Priest he obtained Shew-bread for his Sustenance and the Sword of Goliah kept there as a Monument for his Defence of which Doeg the Edomite informing all the People belonging to that place were slain by Saul's Command as Abettors to his Enemy which News greatly grieved David who then made his aboad in the Woods and Mountains And many were the Persecutions he endured from that time till Saul and his Sons being discomfitted by the Philistines fell on their Swords and died on Mount Gilboa After the Death of Saul Abner his Uncle after some Battles fought against David on the behalf of Ishosheth Saul's Son upon a Quarrel between them about Rispha one of Saul's Concubines deposed his Master and made an Agreement with David to settle him in the Kingdom which he performed by drawing the Tribes of Israel to his Party and David was saluted King but Joab Captain of David's Host envying a Man that had such great Power with the People and become a new Favourite with the King to his Prejudice secretly sent for him to treat about Affairs at Hebron and there in the Gate treacherously killed him whose Death David greatly lamented but Joab being powerful in the Army he durst not punish him for it And soon after Ishosheth the late King of Israel was murthered whose Murtherers David caused to be put to a cruel Death And soon after the Philistines invading the Land he overthrew them in two great Battles and extended his Borders by Victories over the Moabites and Ammonites and Westward upon the Phoenetians warring with the Arabians Syrians Humeans Amalekites and Messopotamians and much enlarged his Kingdom to which it was in the time of Joshua or ever before his Reign and settling his Affairs in Peace and Plenty the great Decayers of Virtue he unhappily cast his Eyes from his Tarras on the beautiful naked Body of Bersheba Wife to Vriah one of his faithful Captains as she was Bathing in a Fountain sent for her and lay with her and when she had told him she was with Child he sent for her Husband to cover the Shame but he refusing to lie with her he sent Letters by him to Joab to have him destroy'd who as he was directed set him in the Front of the Battle and retired
from him so that he sell by the Sword of the Ammonites And David took Barsheba to be his Wife and after the Prophet had reproved him he wept bitterly but that Child dying he begot on her Solomon who after was King of Israel Yet God punished him for this Sin by the Ravishment of his Daughter Tamar the Murther of his Son Amnon and lastly by the Rebellion of his Son Absolom who drove him almost out of his Kingdom and was contrary to the King's Command after a great Defeat slain by Joab as he hung by the Hair of the Head in an Oak whose Death David lamented in a very sorrowful manner till Joab rebuked him and compelled him to speak comfortably to the People whose Sorrow had utterly disheartened them After this Victory won David was carried back with the Consent of all the People to Jerusalem where having pardoned Shimei that cursed him in his Flight angry with Joab he made Amasa Captain of his Host who had headed Absolom's Army but Joab slew him in the way as they were marching in pursuit of Sheba a Captain who had rebelled whom he besiged in Adelda where his Head by the Perswasion of a Woman of that City was cut off and thrown over the Wall upon which Joab raised the Siege Yet David having numbred the People against the Advice of his Councellors to know what Strength he had God was displeased and sent a Pestilence that consumed a great number of them And now David having reigned eleven Years in Peace betook himself to Piety and Devotion writing his Hymns and Psalms in the Praise of God and preparing Materials to build the Temple and when he had reigned forty Years he died in the seventy second Year of his Age appointing his Son Solomon to succeed him in the Throne VI. The Life and valiant Actions of Judas Maccabeus Captain of the Israelites against Atiochus the Persecuting King of Syria AMong other famous Worthies of the World who stood as a Bulwark in the Defence of their Country and by true Valour with small Numbers got almost incredible Victories over the Multitude of their Enemies I must worthily rank Judas Maccabeus the renowed Captain of the Jews In the youthful Days of this valiant Heroe some of the looser sort of the Jews being punished for their Disorders and the Neglect of their Religion fled to Antiochus Epiphanius who reigned over Syria and a great part of Asia being one of those Greek Captains who had parted Alexander's Empire amongst them This cruel King they earnestly solicited to invade Jerusalem who in the Year of the World 3796 sent a great Army to invade the Land of Judea who slaughtered all that fell in their way burning and destroying their Towns and Strong-holds and had Jerusalem betrayed to him by the Factious Party who over-powering the others open'd the Gates and let in the Army where they sacrilegiously robbed the Temple carrying away the Golden Table Candlesticks and Censures with all other Vessels and Things of Value dedicated to the Worship of God raising a cruel Persecution against the believing Jews who refused to fall down and Worship their Idols fleying some alive roasting and broiling others boiling some in Cauldrous and putting the seven Sons of the Maccabes to horrible Torments by broiling them on Grid-irons and frying them in Brass Pans alive c. which Torments they overcame with a admirable Patience Constancy and Courage till Death eased them and gave lasting Joys for short Pain He 〈◊〉 threw the Altars slew the Priests and strangled their Children in the Arms of their weeping Mothers and prophanded the Temple of God with abominable Sacrifices In the time of this Dissolation in the Holy City and others God stired up the Spirit of Matthias Father of Judas Maccabeus to begin the Deliverance of his People from the Cruelties of the Heathen Tyrant This Man was a Priest who with his valiant Sons and other Godly Jews retired to the City of Modin where he was soon summoned to surrender and submit himself and all with him to the Tyrant's Mercy but he refused and calling the People together repeated all the miseries and Cruelties the Nation of the Jews had suffer'd exhorted them to be couragious and trust in God as he and their Fathers had done in the like Distress and revenge them on their Merciless Enemies with other encouraging Words which made them take Heart and resolve to stand in Defence of their Religion and Lives and fight on the Sabbath-day if they were assaulted which before they had refused for fear of breaking it suffering their Throats to be cut without Resistance their Enemies hunting 'em out in Woods and Caves whether they were fled and chusing for that Purpose to fall on them on that Day And whilst they were thus consulting an irreligious Jew to please the King's Commissioners prâ—â—â—â—tly stept forth and slewis Swine on the Altar to do Sacrifice to Jupiter when Matthias in his Zeal slew the Jew and overthrew the Altar and slaying Appolonius the King 's Captain and other Soldiers that resisted he cryed out All you that are affected to the Law of your Fathers and to the Service of God follow me Upon this he assembled a great Company overthrew his Enemies Armies and slaughter ed Multitudes of them putting to Death many of the Apostate Jews but being very aged he recommended to them as their Captain his Son Judas Macchabeus and when he had exhorted them to be Couragious and expect the Divine Assistance he gave up the Ghost Judas after his Father's Death took on him the full Command and overthrew Antiochus his Lieutenant of Samaria and slew him with most of his Army taking great Spoil After this Seron Governour of Coelosyria came upon him with a great Army when Judas encouraging his Men to trust in God who with a small Force could confound the Mighty and to fight like valiant Men he fell like a Tempest on the General and in a bloody Battle slew him and 800 Syrians getting great Spoil of their Tents and Armour These unexpected Defeats so enraged Antiochus that he commanded Lysias Governour of Egypt to march with all the Power of that Country and utterly destroy the Jews or sell them for Slaves to those that would give most and utterly to lay Jerusalem wast Upon this Lysia raised a huge Army and sent them under the leading of Ptolomy Nicanor and Georgias three prime Captains and Men of great Authority with the People whereupon Judas and his Men called on God for Assistance proclaiming a Fast and humbling themselves before him and then fell upon their Enemies with great Fury with only 3000 Men so that he soon put them to the Rout covering the Field with dead Bodies and slew them in the Pursuit to the Plains of Idumea and then returned to the Spoil and soon after overthrew Lysias who invaded Judea with an Army of 60000 Foot and 5000 Horse with a mighty Slaughter so that Lysias returned to