Emperour that in his lampes hee used baulme and filled his fish-ponds with rose-water the garments which he wore were all of the finest gold and most costly silkes his shooes glistered with precious stones curiously engraven he was never two dayes served with one kinde of meat nor wore one garment twice and so likewise for his fleshly wickednesse he varyed it every time Some dayes hee was served at meales with the braines of Ostriches and a strange fowle called a Phylocapterie another day with the tongues of Popingayes and other sweet singing birds being nigh to the sea hee never used fish in places farre distant from the sea all his house was served with most delicate fish at one supper his table was furnished with seven thousand fishes and five thousand fowles At his remoovals in his progresse there followed him commonly six hundred chariots he used to sacrifice with young children and preferred to the best advancements in the Common-wealth most light persons as Bawdes Minstrels Players and such like in one word hee was an enemy to all honesty and good order And when he was fore-told by his Sorcerers and Astronomers that he should die a violent death he provided ropes of silke to hang himselfe swords of gold to kill himselfe and strong poysons in Jacinths and Emerauds to poyson himselfe if needs hee should thereto be forced Moreover hee made an high tower having the boorded floore covered with gold plate and broidered with pretious stones from the which tower he might throw himselfe downe if hee were pursued of his enemies But notwithstanding all this provision Gods vengeance not permitting him to die as hee would hee was slaine of the souldiers drawne through the citie and cast into Tiber after hee had raigned two yeares and eight moneths Tigellinus one of the Captaines of Neroes guard and a chiefe procurer and setter forward of his tyranny was the cause of the death of many great personages in Rome and being enriched by their spoyle and other such like robberies after the death of Nero whom in his extremity hee forsooke plunged himselfe and wallowed in all manner of licentious and disordinate delights Now though hee was worthy of a thousand deaths for his cruelties towards many good citizens yet by the meanes of one Iunius the Emperour Galba his chiefe minion whose favour hee had by great summes of money bought and obtained for hee gave unto his daughter at one time five and twenty thousand crownes and to himselfe at another time a carknet worth fifteen thousand crownes for a present he was spared and kept in safety but as soon as Otho was installed in the Empire his downfall and destruction began presently to follow for Otho to the end to gratifie the Romans sent to apprehend him who was then in his houses of pleasure in the field banquetting and sporting with his harlots and using all manner of riot albeit by reason of a deadly disease which was upon him hee was even at deaths doore When hee saw himselfe thus taken and that no meanes of escape was left no not by the vessels which he had prepared at the sea shore for purpose if need were to convey him away and that hee which had commission to take him would give him no advantage of escaping though he offered him great rewards for the same he entreated onely leisure to shave his beard before he went which being granted he tooke a rasor and in stead of shaving cut his owne throat CHAP. XLV More examples of the same argument HIeronymus a true Tyran of Sicily enured and fashioned to all pride and of most corrupt and rotten manners began right after the death of his father Hiero that left him a peaceable and quiet Kingdom to shew â—orth his arrogance for he quickly made himselfe fearfull to his Subjects both by his stately and proud manner of speech as also by the hardnesse of accesse unto him together with a kinde of disdainfull contempt of all men but most of all did the inward pride of his heart appeare when hee had gotten a guard about his body for then he ceased not to bait bite and devoure and to exercise all kinde of cruelty against every man and all kind of ryot and excesse of filthinesse against himselfe so that he became so odious and contemptible to his subjects that they conspired against him to deprive him both of his life and kingdome which conspiracy though it came to light yet for all that wanted not his due effect for after hee had through listning to false reports put to death unjustly his truest and dearest friends and those that would indeed have helped him in his necessity both with good advice and other succour he was surprised as he walked in a narrow and strait way and there cruelly murthered Now there was one Andronodorus his brother in law that aspired to the crowne had corrupted his manners and thrust him forward to all these misdemeanours to the end by those practises he might make him odious to his people that by that meanes he might obtaine his owne purpose as indeed he did for after his death he seised upon the Scepter though with no long enjoyance for through the troubles and commotions which were raised in the countrey by his meanes both hee his wife and whole race together with the whole progenie of Hieronymus whether innocent or guilty were all utterly rooted out and defaced Andronicus was one of the most wickedest men that lived on the earth in his time for he excelled in all kinde of evill in ambition boldnesse in doing mischiefe cruelty whoredome adulterie and incest also to make up the whole number besides he was so treacherous and disloyall that hee traiterously 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 seised upon that which was none of his owne but as soone as he had gotten his desire then began his lusts to rage and rave then he fell to whoreing and forcing women and maids to his lust whom after he had once robbed of their chastities he gave over to his bands and ruffians to abuse and that which is more than all this he ravished one of his owne sisters and committed incest with her moreover to maintaine and uphold his tyrannous estate he slew most of the nobility and all else that bore any shew of honesty or credit with them and lived altogether by wrongs and extortions wherefore his subjects provoked with these multitudes of evils which reigned 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 spoyled him of his imperiall ornaments then they pulled out one of his eyes and set him upon an asse backward with the tayle in his
with other care Save of their feed within that pasture faire These Flocks a Sheepheard had of power and skill To fold and feed and save them from all ill By whose advice they liv'd whose wholsome voice They heard and fear'd with love and did rejoyce Therein with melody of song and praise And dance to magnifie his Name alwaies He is their Guide they are his Flocke and Fold Nor will they be by any else controld Well knowing that whom he takes care to feed He will preserve and save in time of need Thus liv'd this holy Flocke at hearts content Till cruell Beasts all set on ravishment Broke off their peace and ran upon with rage Themselves their Young and all their heritage Slitting their throats devoured Lambs and all And dissipating them that seap't their thrall Then did the jolly feast to fast transforme So ask't the fury of that ragefull storme Their joyfull song was turn'd to mournfull cries And all their gladnesse chang'd to well adyes Whereat Heav'n grieving clad it selfe in blacke But earth in uprore triumph't at their wracke What profits then the sheephooke of their Guide Or that he lies upon a Beacons side With watchfull eye to circumscribe their traine And hath no more regard unto their paine To save them from such dangers imminent Some say as are so often incident 'T is not for that his arme wants strength to break All proud at tempts that men of might do make Or that he will abandon unto death His Owne deare bought with exchange of his breath For must we thinke that though they dye they perish Death dyes in them and they in death reflourish And this lifes losse a better life renues Which after death eternally ensues Though then their passions never seeme so great Yet never comfort serves to swage their heat Though strength of torments be extreame in durance Yet are they guencht by Hopes and Faiths assurance For thankefull Hope if God be grounded in it Assures the heart and pacifies the spirit To them that love and reverence his Name Prosperity betides and want of shame Thus can no Tyrant pull them from the hands Of mighty God that for their safety stands Who ever sees and ever can defend Them whom he loves he loves unto the end So that the more their fury overfloweth The more each one his owne destruction soweth And as they strive with God in policy So are they sooner brought to misery Like as the savage Boare dislodg'd from den And hotly chased by pursuit of men Run's furiously on them that come him neere And goares himselfe upon the hunters speare The gentle puissant Lambe their Champion bold So help 's to conquer all that hart 's his fold That quickly they and all their Progeny Confounded is and brought to misery This is of Iudah the couragious Lion The conquering Captaine and the Rocke of Sion Whose favour is as great to Iacobs Line As is his fearefull frowne to Philistine CHAP XV. Of Apostata's and Backsliders that through infirmity and feare have fallen away IT is a kinde of Apostasie and Backsliding condemned by the first commandement of the Law when as hee that hath been once enlightened by the word of God in the knowledge of salvation and nourished and instructed therein from the cradle doth afterward cast behind his backe the grace of Gods spirit or disallow thereof and exempt himselfe from the service of God to serve Idols or make any outward shew to doe it which kinde of sinne may be committed after two sorts either through infirmity and feare or willingly and with deliberation when not being pressed or constrained thereto by any outward means a man doth cleerely and of himselfe abandon and forsake the true Religion to march under the baoner of Satan and Antichrist And this is also of two sorts either when a man doth simply forsake the profession of the Truth to follow superstition and Idolatry without attempting any thing beside the meere deniall of his Faith or when after his revolt he professeth not onely the contrary Religion but also endeavoureth himselfe by all means possible to advance it and to oppresse and lay siege to the doctrine of Gods Truth in those that maintaine the same By this it appeareth that there are three kinds of Apostasie one as it were inforced and compelled the second voluntary the last both voluntary and malitious which though they be all very hainous and offensive in the sight of God yet the second and third sort are most dangerous and of them also one more hurtfull and pernitious than the other as we shall perceive by that which followeth Now as all these kinds are different one from another so I will referre the examples of each sort to his severall place that the efficacy thereof may be the better perceived And first of those which have fallen away through feare and infirmity and afterward in order of the rest Athough that they who by the conceit and feare of tortures presented before their eyes or of speedy and cruell death threatned against them doe decline and slide backe from the profession of the Gospell may pretend for excuse the weakenesse and feeblenesse of the flesh yet doubtlesse they are found guilty before the throne of God for preferring the love of this transitory and temporary life before the zeale of his glory and the honour which is due to his onely begotten Sonne especially at that time when they are called out of purpose by their Martyrdome to witnesse his sacred truth before men and he desireth most to be glorified by their free and constant perseverance therein to the which perseverance they are exhorted by many faire promises of eternall life and happinesse and from the contrary terrified by threats of death and confusion and upon paine to be discharged from the presence of Christ before God because they have denied him before men which is the misery of all miseries and the greatest that can happen to any man for what shall become of that man whom the Sonne of God doth not acknowledge Now to prove that God is indeed highly offended at this faint hearted cowardlinesse he himself hath made knowne unto us by the punishments which divers times he hath sent upon the heads of such offendors As in the time of the Emperour Valerian the eighth persecutor of the Church under whose persecution albeit that many Champions bestirred themselves most valiantly in that combat of Faith yet there wanted not some whose hearts failing them and who in stead of maintaining and standing for their cause to the death as they ought to have done retyred and gave up themselves to the enemy at the first assault Amongst the number of which doubty souldiers there was one that went up into the Capitoll at Rome in that place where Iupiters Temple in old time stood to abjure and recant Christ and his profession which he had no sooner done but he was presently strucke dumbe and so was justly punished
and then afterwards making shew before Constantine the Emperour with a solemne oath to recant his old errours and approve the profession of Faith which the Councell of Nice had set forth concernning Christs divinity whereunto also he subscribed his name but all that he did was in hypocrisie to the end to renew and republish the more boldly his false and pernitious doctrine But when he thought himselfe neerest to the attainment of his purpose and braved it most with his supporters and companions even then the Lord stroke him with a sudden fear in the open street and with such horrible pangs in his guts and vehement desire of disburthening nature that he was faine to come unto the publick houses appointed for that purpose taking them which were next at hand for a shift but he never shifted from them again for his breath went out of his mouth and his guts ran out of his fundament and there lay he dead upon his owne excrements As the Emperour Constantius was a great favourer and supporter of this sect and maintained it against and in despight of true Christans and by that meanes stirred up schismes and dissentions throughout all Christendome so the Lord to requite him stirred up Iulian whom he himselfe had promoted to honour to rebell against him whose practices as he went about to suppresse and was even ready to encounter a grievous Apoplexy sudenly surcharged him so sore that he died of it before he could bring his purpose to passe The Emperour Valens was infected also with this poyson wherewith likewise he infected the Gothes who by his means were become the greater part Arrians and not Christians but neither went he unpunished for when he marched forth to represse the rage of the furious Gothes who were spread over all Thracia and had given them battell he lost the day and being shamefully put to flight was pursued so fiercely that hee was faine to hide himselfe in a little house which being set on fire by the Gothes he was burnt therein As for Nestorius which would maintaine by his foolish and dangerous opinions that the divinity of Christ was divided from his humanity making as it were two Christs of one and two persons of one and so turned upside downe that whole ground-worke of our salvation escaped no more the just vengeance of God than all other Hereticks did for first he was banished into a far country and their tormented with a strange disease the very wormes did gnaw in pieces his blasphemous tongue and at length the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed him up Concerning the Anabaptists which rose up about five hundred yeares since it is evidently known how divers wayes God scourged and plagued many of them some of them were destroyed by troops and by thousands others miserably executed and put to death in divers places as well for their monstrous and damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibit and set before our eyes how deere and precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy Word and the unity of his Church is and how carefull and zealous every one of us ought to be in maintaining and upholding the â—ame when as he revengeth himselfe so sharply upon all those that go about to pervert and corrupt the sincerity thereof or which be breeders of new sects and divisions among his people Olympus by office Bishop of Carthage but by profession a â—avourer and maintainer of the Arriah heresie being upon a time in the Bath 〈◊〉 himselfe he uttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinity but a threefold thunderbolt came from above and stroke him dead in the same place teaching him by his paine and all other by experience what it is to blaspheme the Lord of Heaven or with polluted lips to mention his sacred Majesty This hapned in the yeare of our Lord God five hundred and ten Cyril hath recorded unto us of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God upon an Heretique than all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was never heard of The history is this After the decease of Saint Hierome there stood up one Sabinianus a perverse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost to be but one distinct person and to give credit to his heresie he wrot a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it upon Saint Hierome as being the Author of it But Silvanus the Bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproved him for depraving so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargain with Sabinianus That if Saint Hierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsenesse of his cause he would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed upon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted unto the Temple of Jerusalem to decide the controversie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Silvanus was commanded to yeeld his neck to that punishment which himselfe was Author of which as he most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Hierome in shew appeared and stayed the hangmans hand which was now ready to strike and vanishing forthwith another miracle succeeded Sabinianus head fell from his shoulders no man striking at it and his carkasse remained upon the ground dead and sencelesse Whereat the people amased praising God clave unto Silvanus and abjured Sabinianus heresie Whence wee may observe the wonderfull wisedome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whither they will stand to his Truth or no and learne thereby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timorously to despaire of help in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimoald King of Lombardy was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with untimely death for having been let bloud the eleventh day after as he strove to draw a bow he opened the veine anew and so bled to death â—abades King of Persia when he saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place and there setting his Souldiers on them slew them till there was not one left Photinuâ— a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in justice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus justly banished The Emperor Iustinian favouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gave out one Edict whereby Anastasius the Bishop and all other that
heathen that they that hated them were lords over them In the yeare of our Lord 1551 in a town of Hassia called Weidenhasten The twentieth day of November a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut up all her doores and began to murder her four children on this manner shee snatcht up ā sharpe axe and first set upon her eldest son being but eight yeares old searching him out with a candle behinde a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints clave his head in two pieces and chopped off both his armes Next shee killed her daughter of five yeares old after the same manner another little boy of three yeares of age seeing his mothers madnesse hid himselfe poore infant behinde the gate whom as soone as the Tygre espied shee drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the yongest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeare old him she without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the Diuell incarnate for certaine no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit she survived nine dayes and confessing her fault dyed with teares and repentance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of vengeance The like tragicall accident we reade to have happened at Cutzenborff a City in Silesia in the yeare 1536 to a woman and her three children who having slain them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like manner also to make up the tragedy Concerning stepmothers it is a world to reade how many horrible murders they have usually practised upon their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their own brood or at least to revenge some injury supposed to be done unto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a taste out of many hundred leaving the residue to the judgment and reading of the Learned Constantius the son of Heraclius having raigned Emperour but one yeere was poysoned by his stepmother Martina to the end to install her own son Heraclon in the Crown but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to have her or her son raigne over 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 love with Constantine her sonne in Law begotten upon a Concubine whom when shee could not perswade unto her lust she accused unto the Emperour as a solicitor of her chastity for which cause he was condemned to die but after the truth knowne Constantine put her into a hot bath and suffered her not to come forth untill the heat had choaked her revenging upon her head her sonnes death and her owne unchastity CHAP. XIIII Of Subject Murtherers SEeing then they that take away their neighbours lives doe not escape unpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs follow that if they to whom the sword of Justice is committed of God to represse wrongs and chastise vices do give over themselves to cruelties and to kill and slay those whom they ought in duty to protect and defend must receive 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 have beene 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 Justice to put to death Abimelech the high Priest with fourescore and five other Priests of the family of his father onely for receiving David into his house a small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied therewith he vomited out his rage also against the whole city of the Priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any He slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that land yet because they were received into league of amity by a solemne oath and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not have beene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore hee tyrannizing and playing the Butcher amongst his own subjects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter and practising many other foule enormities he was at the last overcome of the Philistims and sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall alive into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands upon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sons and they that followed him of his owne houshould were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body dispoyled among the carkasses beheaded it and carried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung up the trunke in disgrace in one of their Cities to be seene lookt upon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in King Davids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause thereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed upon the Gibeonites wherefore David delivered Sauls seven sons into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is even to hanging Amongst all the sins of King Achab and Iezabel which were many and great the murder of Naboth standeth in the fore front for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserve death yet by the subtill and wicked devise 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 he made with the King of Syria received so deadly a wound that he dyed thereof the dogs licking up his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whom her own servants at the commandement of Iehu whom God had made executor of his wrath threw headlong out of an highwindow unto the ground so that the wals were dyed with her blood and the horses trampled her under their feet and dogs devoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing saving onely her skull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat King of Judah being after his fathers death possessed of the Crowne and Scepter of Judah 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 up the Edomites to rebell the Philistines and
and stones echoed France into his eares And on this manner was his flight to Sicilie King Charles in the meane while having by force and bloodshed to terrifie the rest taken two passages that were before him the whole Realme without any great resistance yeelded it selfe unto his mercy albeit that the young King had done what he could to withstand him But at length seeing the Neapolitanes ready to rebell and himselfe in danger to be taken prisoner he fled from the Castle of Naples and with a small company got certaine Brigandines wherein he sayled to the Island Ischia thirty miles from Naples saying at his departure this verse out of the Psalmes How vaine are the watchmen and gards of that City which is not garded and watched by the Lord which he often repeated and so long as Naples was in his view And thus was cruelty punished both in Ferdinand the father and Alphonso the sonne Artaxerxes Ochus the eight King of the Persians began his raigne with thus many murders he slew two of his owne brethren first secondly Euagoras King of Cyprus his partner and associate in the kingdome thirdly he tooke Gidon traiterously and was the cause of forty thousand mens deaths that were slaine and burned therein beside many other private murders and outrages which he committed for which cause the Lord in his justice rained downe vengeance upon his head for Bagoas one of his Princes ministred such a fatall cup to his stomacke that it mortified his senses and deprived him of his unmercifull soule and life and not onely upon his head but upon his Kingdome and his sonne Arsame also for he was also poysoned by the same Bagoas and his Kingdome was translated to Darius Prince of Armenia whom when the same Bagoas went about to make taste of the same cup which his predecessors did he was taken in his owne snare for Darius understanding his pretence made him drinke up his owne poyson which he provided for him and thus murder was revenged with murder and poyson with poyson according to the Decree of the Almighty who saith Eye for eye tooth for tooth c. In the yeare of the World 3659. Morindus a most cruell and bloody minded Prince raigned here in England who for his cruelties sake came to an unhappy and bloody end for out of the Irish seas came forth a Monster which destroyed much people whereof he hearing would of his valiant courage needs fight with it and was devoured of it so that it may truly here be said that one Monster devoured another There was as Aelianus reporteth a cruell and pernicious Tyran who to the end to prevent all practises of conspiracy and treason as Tyrans are ever naturally and upon desert timerous that might be devised against him enacted this Law among his subjects That no man should conferre with another either privately or publikely upon paine of death and so indeed he abrogated all civill society For speech as it was the beginning and birth of fellowship so it is the very joynt and glue thereof but what cared he for society that respected nothing but his owne safety hee was so farre from regarding the common good that when his subjects not daring to speake signified their mindes by signes he prohibited that also and that which is yet more when not daring to speake or yet make signes they fell to weeping and lamenting their misery he came with a band of men even to restraine their teares too but the multitudes rage being justly incensed they gave him such a desperat welcome that neither he nor his followers returned one of them alive And thus his abominable cruelty came to an end together with his life and that by those meanes which is to be observed by which he thought to preserve and maintaine them both Childericus who in the yeare 697 succeeded in the Kingdome of France Theodoricke that for his negligence and sluggish government was deposed and made of a King a Frier exercised barbarous and inhumane cruelty upon his subjects for he spared neither noble or ignoble but mixtly sent them to their graves without respect of cause or justice One of the noble sort he caused to be fastened to a stake and beaten with clubbes not to death but to chastisement which monstrous cruelty so incensed the peoples mind against him that there wanted no hands to take part with this club-beaten man against the Tyran his enemie Wherefore they layed wait for him as he came one day from hunting and murdered him together with his wife great with childe no man either willing or daring to defend him Tymocrates the King or rather Tyran of the Cyrenians will give place to none in this commendation of cruelty For he afflicted his subjects with many and monstrous calamities insomuch that he spared not the priests of his gods which commonly were in reverent regard among the Heathen As the bloody death of Menalippus Apollo's priest did witnesse whom to the end to marry his faire and beautifull wife Aretaphila he cruelly put to death how beit it prospered not with him as he desired for the good woman not contented with this sacrilegious contract sought rather meanes to revenge her first husbands death than to please this new letchers humour Wherefore she assayed by poyson to effect her wish and when that prevailed not she gave a yong daughter she had to Leander the Tyrans brother to wife who loved her exceedingly but with this condition that he should by some practise or other worke the death and destruction of his brother which indeed he performed for he so bribed one of the groomes of the Tyrans chamber that by his helpe he soone rid wicked Tymocrates out of the way by a speedy and deserved death But to abridge these long discourses let us looke into all times and ages and to the histories of all Countries and Nations and we shall finde that Tyrans have ever come to one destruction or other Diomedes the Thracian King fed his horses with mans flesh as with provender but was made at last provender for his owne horses himselfe by Hercules Calippus the Athenian that slew Dion his familiar friend and deposed Dionisius the Tyran and committed many other murders amongst the people was first banished Rheginum and then living in extreame necessity slaine by Leptines and Polysperchon Clephes the second King of the Lumbards for his savage cruelty towards his subjects was slaughtered by one of his friends Damasippus that massacred so many Citizens of Rome was cut off by Scylla Ecelinus that played the Tyran at Taurisium guelding Boyes deflowring Maydes mayming Matrons of their Dugs cutting children out of their mothers bellies and killing 1200 Patavians at once that were his friends was cut short in a battell In a Word if we read and consult Histories of all Countries and times we shall find seldome or never any notorious Tyran and oppressor of his subjects that came to
above mentioned being condignely punished for her wickednesse ended her life in much penury and misery Alexius Emperour of the Greekes dying left behinde him a wicked and cruell woman his late wife now widow this widow being exhorted by the Peeres of the Empire to a second marriage and to that end choice being offered unto her of all the Nobility to chuse whom she should best affect notwithstanding refused all for she was so linked in familiarity with one of her owne houshold called Grifo who afterward when he came to be Emperour called himselfe Emanuel that for his love she refused all other matches with this Grifo this wicked woman entereth a secret and bloudy practise she consulted with him that he should bring into the Court a number of his servants secretly armed which comming in at divers times and by divers wayes to avoid suspition she disposed in the house in secret places to be ready at her call to execute her bloudy designement This being thus plotted she called together the Peeres of the Empire and demanded of them if they were content that she should chuse to her husband whom she pleased and that they would acknowledge him for their Emperour whom she should chuse when as the Noblemen hereunto consented supposing that she would have chosen one fitting for her estate she presently saluted this Grifo her old adulterous companion for her husband and Emperour and commanded them all to swear fealty unto him which when as they all utterly refused and disdained the wicked woman forthwith called the bloudy troop prepared for that purpose and caused them all to be murdered not one escaping alive Thus to satisfie her wicked lust she spared not to spill the bloud of the most part of her Nobility after a most savage and cruell manner and indeed she injoyed her desire but behold the issue of it from this time forward the race of Constantine ceased to sit in the Imperiall throne and no doubt but Gods vengeance also fell upon her and her wicked husband In the yeer of our Lord 700. Gracus the famous King of Poland being deceased the Crowne and Government descended upon his onely daughter Venda by full consent of the whole Realme This Venda being of a proud and stately nature refused to be joyned in marriage with any saying That she had rather be a Prince her selfe and governed by her owne power than the wife of the greatest Prince in the World Among many that were suiters unto her there was one Ritigerus a noble and mighty Prince of the Theutons whose suit being not onely denied but scornefully rejected and he notwithstanding greatly inflamed with her love went about to enforce her by strength to his will but she as valiant as he raised a great power to withstand his violence when the matter was ready to come to deciding by blowes Ritigerus his army perceiving the resolution of Queen Venda and the danger and losse which was like to arise to them and that upon so slight an occasion refused to fight so that Ritigerus being thus forsaken for griefe and shame slew himselfe and Queen Venda returning to Cracovia and there sacrificing to her gods for her good successe at last least her succesfull government should be stained with some disastrous misfortune and so her pride abated to prevent this fear desperately threw her selfe from an high bridge into the River Vistula and there ended her glorious and proud dayes with a shamefull and ignominious death Let every one both great and small learne by these examples to contain themselves within the limits of humanity and not be so ready and prompt to the shedding of humane bloud knowing nothing to be more true than this That he that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword CHAP. XVII Of such as without necessity upon every light cause move war AS in Surgery so in a Common-wealth we must account war as a last refuge and as it were a desperate medicine which without very urgent necessity when all other meanes of maintaining our estate against the assaults of the enemy fail ought not to be taken in hand and indeed the chief scope and marke that all those that lawfully undertake war ought to propound to themselves should be nothing else but the good and quiet of the Common-wealth with the peace and repose of every member thereof And therefore so ost as any reasonable offers and conditions of peace are propounded they ought to be accepted to the end to avoid the masse of evils as ruines bloudsheds robberies which alwayes accompany war as necessary attendants for whosoever doth not so but upon every light occasion runneth to Armes and to trie the hazard of battell they manifest their owne foolish and pernicious rashnesse and their small conscience in shedding humane bloud Amongst the good Kings of Judah Iosias for piety and zeal in the service of God was most renowned for he purged the Realme from all drosse of idolatry repaired the decayed Temple and restored it to the first glory and yet for all this for committing this one crime he lost his life for as Necho King of Aegypt was passing with an Army toward the King of Babylon in Charcamis beside Euphrates to bid him battell he would needs encounter him by the way and interrupt his journey by unprovoked war yea though Necho had by embassage assured him not to meddle with him but intreated onely free passage at his hand yet would not Iosias in any wise listen so opinionative and selfe-willed was he but gave him battell in the field without any just cause save his owne pleasure which turned to his pain for he caught so many wounds at that skirmish that shortly after hee died of them to the great griefe of the whole people and the Prophet Ieremy also that lamented his death King Iohn of France for refusing reasonable conditions of peace at the English mens hands was overthrowne by them two miles from Poytiers with a great overthrow for the Englishmen in regard of their owne small number and the huge multitude of the French to encounter with them timorously offered up a surrender of all that they had either conquered taken or spoiled since their comming from Bourdeaux and so to be sworne not to bear Armes against him for seven yeares so that they might quietly depart But the King that crowed before the Conquest affying too much in the multitude of his Forces stopt his eares to all conditions not willing to hear of any thing but war war even thinking to hew them in pieces without one escaping but it fell out otherwise for the English men intrenching themselves in a place of advantage and hard of accesse inclosed with thicke hedges and brambles disturbed and overthrew with their Archers at the first onset the French Horsemen and wounded most of their men and horses with multitude of arrowes it tarried not long ere the footmen also were put to flight on the other side
Countries to know the judgement of all the learned Divines concerning the matter in controversie who especially those that dwelt not far off seemed to allow and approve the divorce Thereupon he resolved rejecting his olde wife to take him to a new and to marrie as he did Anne of Bulloine one of the Queenes maides of honour a woman of most rare and excellent beauty Now as touching his first marriage with his brothers wife how unfortunate it was in it owne nature and how unjustly dispensed withall by the Pope we shall anon see by those heavy sorrowfull and troublesome events and issues which immediatly followed in the neck thereof And first and formest of the evill fare of the Cardinall of Yorke with whom the King being highly displeased for that at his instance and request the Pope had opposed himselfe to this marriage requited him and not undeservedly on this manner first he deposed him from the office of the Chancellorship secondly deprived him of two of his three bishoprickes which he held and lastly sent him packing to his owne bouse as one whom he never purposed more to see yet afterward being advertised of certaine insolent and threatning speeches which he used against him he sent againe for him but he not daring to refuse to come at his call dyed in the way with meere griefe and despight The Pope gave his definitive sentence against this act and favoured the cause of the divorced Ladie but what gained he by it save only that the King offended with him rejected him and all his trumpery retained his yearely tribute levied out of this Realm and converted it to another use and this was the recompence of his goodly dispensation with an incestuous marriage wherein although to speake truly and properly he lost nothing of his owne yet it was a deep check and no shallow losse to him and his successors to be deprived of so goodly a revenue and so great authority in this Realme as he then was CHAP. XXVII Of Adulterie SEeing that marriage is so holy an institution and ordinance of God as it hath been shewed to be it followeth by good right that the corruption thereof namely Adultery whereby the bond of marriage is dissolved should be forbidden for the woman that is polluted therewith despiseth her owne husband yea and for the most part hateth him and foisteth in strange seed even his enemies brats in stead of his owne not only to be fathered but also to be brought up and maintained by him and in time to be made inheritors of his possessions which thing being once knowne must needes stir up coales to set anger on fire and set abroach much mischiefe and albeit that the poore infants are innocent and guiltlesse of the crime yet doth the punishment and ignominie thereof redound to them because they cannot be reputed as legitimate but are even marked with the black coale of bastardy whilest they live so grievous is the guilt of this sin and uneasie to be removed For this cause the very Heathen not only reproved adultery evermore but also by authority of law prohibited it and allotted to death the offenders therein Abimelech King of the Philistims a man without circumcision and therefore without the covenant knowing by the light of nature for hee knew not the law of God how sacred and inviolable the knot of marriage ought to be expresly forbad all his people from doing any injury to Isaac in regard of his wife and from touching her dishonestly upon paine of death Out of the same fountaine sprang the words of queene Hecuba in Euripides speaking to Menelaus touching Helen when she admonished him to enact this law That every woman which should betray her husbands credit and her owne chastity to another man should die the death In olde time the Aegyptians used to punish adultery on this sort the man with a thousand jerkes with a reed and the woman with cutting off her nose but he that forced a free woman to his lust had his privy members cut off By the law of Iulia adulterers were without difference adjuged to death insomuch that Iulius Antonius a man of great parentage and reputation among the Romanes whose son was nephew to Augustus sister as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth was for this crime executed to death Aurelianus the Emperour did so hate and detest this vice that to the end to scare and terrifie his souldiers from the like offence he punished a souldier which had committed adultery with his hostesse in most severe manner even by causing him to be tyed by both his feet to two trees bent downe to the earth with force which being let goe returning to their course rent him cruelly in pieces the one halfe of his body hanging on the one tree and the other on the other Yea and at this day amongst the very Turkes and Tartarians this sin is sharply punished So that we ought not wonder that the Lord should ordaine death for the Adulterer If a man saith the law lie with another mans wife if I say he commit adultery with his neighbours wife the Adulterer and the Adulteresse shall die the death And in another place If a man be found lying with a woman married to a man they shall die both twaine to wit the man that lay with the wife and the wife that thou maiest put away evill from Israel Yea and before Moses time also it was a custome to burne the Adulterers with fire as it appeareth by the sentence of Iuda one of the twelve Patriarchs upon Thamar his daughter in law because he supposed her to have played the whore Beside all this to the end this sin might not be shuffled up and kept close there was a meanes given whereby if a man did but suspect his wife for this sin though she could by no witnesse or proofe be convinced her wickednesse notwithstanding most strangely and extraordinarily might be discovered And it was this The woman publikely at her husbands suit called in question before the Priest who was to give judgement of her after divers ceremonies and circumstances performed and bitter curses pronounced by him her belly would burst and her thigh would rot if she were guilty and she should be a curse amongst the people for her sin but if she was free no evill would come unto her Thus it pleased God to make knowne that the filthinesse of those that are polluted with this sin should not be hid This may more clearely appeare by the example of the Levites wife of whom it is spoken in the 19 20 and 21. Chapters of Iudges who having forsaken her husband to play the whore certaine moneths after he had againe received her to be his wife she was given over against her will to the villanous and monstrous lusts of the most wicked and perverse Gibeonites that so abused her for the space of a whole night together that in the morning she was found dead upon
together riches for he exercised his wit in devising new tributes and payments and rejoyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grievous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also forty thousand men slain and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certaine monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conveyeth away all the filth out of the City the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of every countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares together which when the King put in practise and found the exceeding commodity thereof he not onely continued that tax but also invented divers others to the great dammage of the common-wealth and enriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore he that put it first into his head when hee saw that he had not so much authority in dissuading as he had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should be buried in that common sinke to be an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Milan by the report of Paulus Iovius was an unconscionable oppressor of his subjects and tenants for he did not onely extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enjoyned them to keepe every one a dogge which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to be beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head This Tyran was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seven moneths imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature though unlike in conditions for he was a good Prince whereas this was a tyran was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in the ranke of oppressours for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted from men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the Estates of the Realme deprived him of his royall Dignity and placed his younger brother Elydurus in his room after he had raigned five yeares Hardiknitus King of Denmarke after the death of Harold was ordained King of England in the year of our Lord 1041. This King as he was somewhat cruell for he caused the body of Harold to be taken up out of the Sepulclire and smiting off his head to be cast out into the River Thames because he had injured his mother Emma when he was alive so he was burdensom to his Subjects in tributes and exaction for which cause growing into hatred with God and his Subjects he was strucken with sudden death not without suspition of poysoning after he had raigned three yeares William Rufus second son of William the Conquerour succeeded his father as in the Kingdom of England so in disposition of nature for they were both cruell inconstant and covetous aud burdened their people with unreasonable taxes insomuch that what by the murraine of men by postilence and oppressions of them by exactions the tillage of the earth was put off for one year being the year 1099 whereby ensued great scarcity the year following throughout all the Land but for the oppression William was justly punished by sudden death when being at his disport of hunting he was wounded with an arrow glauncing from the bow of Tyrill a French Knight and so his tyranny and life ended together And here is further to be noted that the place where this King was slain was called New Forest in which same place Richard the Cousin germane of King William son to Duke Robert his brother was likewise slain This New Forest was made by William the Conquerour their father who plucked downe and depopulated divers Townes and Churches the compasse of 30. miles about to make this a Forest for wilde Beasts a most beastly sin yea a bloudy crying sin too too much practised in these dayes and that by great persons that make no conscience to turne Townes into pastures and men into sheep but let all them behold the just vengeance of God upon this Kings posterity for when then either cannot or will not revenge then God revengeth either in them or their posterity In the year 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Augoulemois fell into a great Rebellion by reason of the extortions of the Customers and Farmours of Salt the Rebels in a few weekes grew to the number of fourty thousand men armed with clubs and staves who joyning with the Islanders by a generall consent ran upon the Officers of the Custome and with extreme sury put to sword all that they could take notwithstanding the King of Navarre sought by all meanes to appease them About the same time the Commons of Gascoigne rose in divers places upon the same causes and notwithstanding all that the Lord of Monneins the Kings Lieutenant and all other Officers could do they made a great spoil of many honourable Houses and massacre of much people insomuch that the Lord of Moneins himselfe was slain by them whilest he was making an Oration to them to pacifie their rage but at length these Rebels were suppressed by Francis of Lorraine Earle of Aumale and Anne of Mommorancye high Constable of France and the chief King-leaders and Captaines of them executed according to their deserts La Vergne was drawne in pieces by four horses L'Estonnac and the two brothers of Saulx had their heads cut off Tallemoigne and Galeferâ— the two Colonels of the Commons were broken upon the Wheele being first crowned with a crowne of burning iron as a punishment of the Soveraignty which they had usurped Thus the Lord punished both the one and the other and the one by the other the exactors for their oppression and the tumultuous Commons for their Rebellion Neither doth the Lord thus punish oppressours themselves but also they that either countenance or having authority do not punish the same as it appeareth by this example following In the year of our Lord 475. there lived one Corrannus a King of Scots who though he governed the people in peace and quietnesse a long space and was indeed a good Prince yet because his Chancellour Tomset used extortion and exaction amongst his Subjects and he being advertised thereof did not punish him he was slain traiterously by his owne Subjects It is not unworthy to be noted how Edward the Third King of England prospered a long while in the warres against France and got many worthy and wonderfull victories but when Prince Edward son unto the aforesaid Edward after conditions of peace concluded began to set taxes and impositions upon the Country
and the advertisement of his own wise yet he condemned Christ Iesus the just and innocent to the death of the crosse albeit hee could not but know the power of his miracles the renowne whereof was spread into all places But ere long having been constrained to erect the image of the Emperour Caligula in the Temple of Ierusalem to be worshipped he was sent for to make personall appearance at Rome to answer to certaine accusations of cruelty which were by the Iewes objected against him And in this journey being afflicted in conscience with the number and weight of his misdeeds like a desperate man to prevent the punishment which he feared willingly offered violence to his owne life and killed himselfe The first Emperour that tooke in hand to persecute the Christians was Nero the Tyrant picking a quarrell against them for setting the City on fire which being himselfe guilty of hee charged them withall as desirous to finde out any occasion to doe them hurt wherefore under pretence of the same crime discharging his owne guilt upon their backs hee exposed them to the fury of the people that tormented them very sore as if they had been common burners and destroyers of Cities and the deadliest enemies of mankinde Hereupon the poore Innocents were apprehended and some of them clad with skinnes of wilde beasts were torne in pieces by dogges others crucified or made bone-fires of on such heapes that the flame arising from their bodies served in stead of torches for the night To conclude such horrible cruelty was used towards them that many of their very enemies did pitty their miseries But at last this wretch the causer of all seeing himselfe in danger to be murthered by one appointed for that purpose a just reward for his horrible and unjust dealing hastened his death by killing himselfe as it shall be shewed more at large in the second booke The author of the second persecution against the Christians was Domitian who was so puft up and swolne with pride that he would needs ascribe unto himselfe the name of God Against this man rose up his houshold servants who by his wives consent slue him with daggers in his privy chamber his body was buried without honour his memory cursed to posterity and his ensignes and trophies throwne downe and defaced Trajan who albeit in all things and in the government of the Empire also shewed himselfe a good and sage Prince yet did hee dash and bruise himselfe against this stone with the rest and was reckoned the third persecuter of the Church of Christ for which cause he underwent also the cruell vengeance of God and felt his heavy hand upon him for first he fell into a palsie and when he had lost the use of his sences perswading himselfe that he was poisoned got a dropsy also and so died in great anguish Hadrian in the ninth yeare of his Empire caused tenne thousand Christians to be crucified in Armenia at one time and after that ceased not to stirre up a very hot persecution against them in all places But God persecuted him and that to his destruction first with an issue of bloud wherewith he was so weakned and disquieted that oftentimes he would faine have made away himselfe next with a consumption of the lungs lights which he spate out of his mouth continually and thirdly with an unsatiable dropsie so that seeing himselfe in this horrible torment he desired poison to hasten his death or a knife to make quicke riddance but when all those means were kept backe he was inforced to endure still and at last to die in great misery Whilest Marcus Antonius sirnamed Verus swayed the empire there were exceeding cruelties set abroach against the poore Christians every where but especially at Lions and Vienna in Daulphin as Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall History recordeth wherefore he wanted not his punishment for he died of an Apoplexy after he had lien speechlesse three dayes After that Severus had proclaimed himselfe a profest enemy to Gods Church his affaires began to decline and he found himselfe pestered with divers extremities and set upon with many warres and at length assaulted with such an extreme paine throughout his whole body that languishing and consuming he desired oft to poison himself and at last died in great distresse Vitellius Saturninus one of his Lievtenants in those exploits became blinde another called Clandius Herminianus Governour of Capadocia who in hatred of his owne wife that was a Christian had extremely afflicted many of the faithfull was afterwards himselfe afflicted with the pestilence persecuted wiâ—h vermine bred in his owne bowels and devoured of them alive in most miserable sort Now lying in this misery he desired not to be knowne or spoken of by any lest the Christians that were lest unmurthered should rejoice at his destruction confessing also that those plagues did justly betide him for his cruelties sake Dicius in hatred of Philip his predecessor that had made some profession of Christianity wrought tooth and naile to destroy the Church of Christ using all the cruelties and torments which his wit could devise against all those which before time had offered themselves to be persecuted for that cause But his devillish practises were cut short by means of the war which he waged against the Scythians wherein when he had raigned not full two yeares his army was discomfited and he with his son cruelly killed Others say that to escape the hands of his enemies he ran into a whirlâ—pit and that his body was never found after Neither did the just hand of God plague the Emperour onely but also as well the heathen Gentiles throughout all Provinces and dominions of the Romane Empire For immediately after the death of this Tyrant God sent such a plague and pestilence amongst them lasting for the space of ten yeares together that horrible it is to heare and almost incredible to beleeve Dionysius writing to Hierax a Bishop of Aegypt declareth the mortality of this plague to have been so great at Alexandria where hee was Bishop that there was no house in the whole city free And although the greatnesse of the plague touched also the Christians somewhat yet it scourged the heathen Idolaters much more beside that the behaviour of the one and the other was most divers for as the foresaid Dionysius doth record the Christians through brotherly love and piety did not refuse one to visit and comfort another and to minister to him what need required notwithstanding it was to them great danger for divers there were who in closing up their eies in washing their bodies and intâ—rring them in the ground were next themselves which followed them to their graves Yet all this sâ—ayed not them from doing their duty and shewing mercy one to another Whereas the Gentiles contrarily being extremely visited by the hand of God felt the plague but considered not the striker neither yet
writeth of him That the apple of his eye fell out before he died Maxentius and Licinius the one Emperour of Italy the other of the East perceiving how the Emperour Constantine that raigned in the West was had in great reputation for maintaining the cause of the Christians began also to doe the like but by and by their malice and hypocrisie discovered it selfe when they undertook to trouble and afflict those whom before they seemed to favour For which cause Constantine taking arms against them destroyed them both one after another for Maxentius thinking to save himselfe upon a Bridge on Tyber was deceived by the breaking of the Bridge and so drenched and drowned in the water Licinius was taken and put to death And thus two Tyrants ended their dayes for persecuting the Church of Christ. In the tenth yeare of the persecution of Dioclesian Galerius his chiefe minister and instrument in that practise fell into a grievous sicknesse having a sore risen in the neither part of his belly which consumed his privy members from whence swarmed great plenty of wormes engendred by the putrefaction This disease could not be holpen by any Chirurgery or Physick wherefore he confessed that it justly happened unto him for his monstrous cruelty towards the Christians and called in his proclamations which he had published against them Howbeit notwithstanding he died miserably and as some write slew himselfe CHAP. X. More examples of Persecutors SAint Bartholomew one of the twelve Apostles after hee had preached Christ Jesus unto the Indians and delivered them the Gospell written by Saint Mathew and had converted many unto the Faith albeit the miracles which he wrought were strange and supernatural for hee restored many diseased persons to their health and clensed King Polemius his daughter from an unclean spirit wherewith she was possessed yet in regard that he destroyed their Idoll Astaroth and bewraied the subtilties of Satan he was by Astyages Polemius younger brother at the instigation of the Idolatrous Priests first cruell beaten with clubs after fleyed and last of all beheaded But within thirty dayes after both the wicked King and the sacrilegious Priests were poffessed with devills and brought to a wretched and miserable death Aphraats that heavenly Philosopher going out of his Cloyster towards the Temple to feed the flocke of Christ with some wholesome food of sound Doctrine and being perceived by the Emperour Valeus and demanded whither he went he answered To pray for him and his kingdome Yea but said the Emperour it were more convenient for thee that professest thy selfe a Monke to remaine at home in contemplation than to stray abroad True answered this holy man if Christs sheep enjoyed peace but as it becommeth an honest Matron to sit still within doors nevertheles if her house were on fire and the flame inviâ—oned her should she not stirre to helpe to quench it And should I lye still and see my Countrey set on fire by the persecution Whereat the Emperour being netled threatned him with death and one of his chamberlaines taunting him for his boldnesse used him most currishly But presently as he went to the Baths to make them ready for the Emperour the hand of God stroke him with an Apoplexy that he fell downe dead into the waters Under the Empire of Iulian the Apostate all they that either conspired or practised the death of Cyrillus a Deacon of Heliopolis scituate neer to Libanus came to a miserable end for after that Constantine was deceased by whose authority the holy Martyr had broken downe many of their Images and Idoils the abhominable Idolaters did not onely murther him but also devoured his liver with bread as if it had been the sweetest morsell of meat in the world But the all-seeing eye of God saw their villany and his revengefull rod bruised them in peeces for their teeth wherewith they chewed that unnaturall food fell all out of their heads and their tongues wherewith they tasted it rotted and consumed to nothing and lastly their eyes which beheld it failed them and they became blinde And thus were they all served not one excepted bearing justly the markes of Gods wrath for so inhumane and unnaturall a deed At Tyre a City of Phoenicia under the raigne of Dioclesian many Christians that stoutly professed and maintained the Faith and Religion of Christ Jesus were after many tortures and destructions exposed to wilde beasts to be devoured as Beares Libards wilde Boares and Buls the savage basts though made fierce and furious by fires and swords yet I know not by what secret instinct resused once to touch them or to come neere them but turned their teeth upon the Infidels that were without and came to set them on upon the Saints and tore many of them in pieces in their steads Howbeit although they escaped the jawes of wilde beasts yet they escaped not the swords of them that were more savage than any beasts and though the bowels of Beares refused to entombe them yet were they intombed in the flouds and crowned with the Crowne of sacred martyrdome Processus and Martianus Keeper of the Prison wherein the Apostles Peter and Paul were inclosed at Rome seeing the miracles which were wrought by their hands believed in Christ and together with seven and forty other prisoners were baptized Which when Paulinus the Judge perceived hee injoyned them to lay aside their conscience and offer sacrifice to Idols But they readier to obey God than man could neither by threats nor violence bee brought to it but chose rather to bee beaten with clubs or consumed with fire or scourged with Scorpions as they were than to yeeld to deny their Maker by doing worship to devilish and monstrous Idols But that Judge the procurer of their martyrdomes shortly after became himselfe an object of Gods wrath when his eye-sight failed him and an evill spirit so possessed and tormented him that in the extremity of terrours and griefe he breathed out ere long his last and miserable breath Nicephorus reporteth How the Emperour Trajan having caused five holy Virgins to be burned for standing in the profession of the Truth commanded certaine Vessells to be made of their ashes mingled with brasse and dedicated them to the service of a publique Bath but the Bath that before time instilled a wholesome and healthfull vapour into mens bodies now became pernitious and fatall unto them for all that washed themselves therein felt presently such a giddinesse in their braines and such a dimnesse of sight that they fell downe dead forthwith The cause of which mischiefe being perceived by Trajan he melted againe the Virgin-moulded Vessells and erected five statues to the honour of them so choaking as it were one superstition with another to his owne eternall infamy and disgrace Agapitus a youngman of fifteene yeares of age being apprehended by the inhabitants of Preneste and grievously tormented for refusing to offer sacrifice to their Idols and when
all would not serve to shake the foundation of his Faith which was builded upon a Rocke hee was condemned and executed to death For being first scourged with whips then hanged up by the feet after having hot scalding water poured upon him at last hee was cast unto wilde beasts With all which torments being not terrified nor yet dispatched finally had his head cut off But behold the Judge called Antiochus that pronounced the sentence fell downe from his Throne before the face of the world even whilst the young man was in the mid'st of his torments and by his example made knowne to all men how odious such cruell persecutors are in the sight of Him that judgeth the Earth and controlleth the mightie Princes and Potentates of the same In the Empire of Iulian the Apostate the Lord sene such horrible earthquakes upon the world that what for the fall of houses and raptures of fields neither citie nor countrey was safe to abide in besides such an extreame drouth dryed up the moisture of the earth that victualls were very geason and deare These plagues Theodoret avoucheth to have fallen upon the world for the impietie of Iulian and the miserable persecution of Christians The Emperour Gallus had good successe in his affaires whil'st he abstained from shedding the bloud of the Christians but as soone as hee gave himselfe over unto that villany his prosperitie Kingdome and life diminished and decreased at once for within two yeares he and his sonne Vâ—lusianus in the warre against Aemylian were both slaine through the defection of his souldiers who in the point of necessitie forsooke him Beside the Lord in his time sent upon the Provinces of Rome a generall and contagious pestilence which lasted whole ten yeares without intermission to make satisfaction for the much innocens blood which was spilled amongst them Arnolphus the fourescor th Emperour raged like a Tyrant against all men but especially against those that professed the Religion and name of Christ Jesus for which cause the Lord stirred up a woman the wife of Guidâ— to minister unto him the dregs of his wrath in a poysoned cup by means whereof such a rottennesse possessed all his members that lice and wormes issuing out continually he dyed most miserably in Orâ—nge a city of Bavary the twelfth yeare of his raigne Bajazet the Turke to what a miserable and ludibrious end came he for his outragious hatred against all Christendome but especially against Constantinople which he had brought to so low an ebbe that they could scarce have resisted him any longer had not Tamberlaine the Tartarian revoked him from the siege and bidden him leave to assayle others and looke unto his owne And indeed he welcommed him so kindly that he soone tooke him prisoner and binding him with chaines of gold carried him up and downe in a cage for a spectacle using his backe for a foot-stoole to get upon his horse And thus God plagueth one Tyrant by another and all for the comfort of his chosen Gensericus King of the Vandales exercised cruell tyranny against the professors of the truth So did Honoricus the second also but both of them reaped their just deserts for Gensericus dyed being possessed with a Spirit and Honoricus being so rotten and putrified that one member dropped off after another Some say that he gnawned off his owne flesh with his teeth Authar is the twelfth King of Lombardy forbad children to be baptised or instructed in the Christian Faith seeking by that means to abolish and pluck downe the Kingdome of Christ but he raigned not long for ere six yeares were compleat he dyed with poyson at Pavia And so he that thought to undermine Christ Jesus was undermined himselfe most deservedly in the yeare of our Lord 593. When Arcadius the Emperonr through the perswasion of certain envious fellowes and his wife Eudoxia had banished Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople into Bosphorus the next night there arose such a terrible earth-quake that the Empresse and the whole citie was sore affrighted therewith so that the next morrow messengers after messengers were sent without ceasing till they had brought him backe againe out of exile and his accusers were all punished for their wrongfull accusation Thus it pleased God to testifie the innocency of his servant by terrifying his enemies Smaragdus an Exarch of Italy was transported by a Devill for tyrannizing over Christians in the first yeare of the Empire of Mauritius Maâ—â—uâ—ha a Sarasen being equall to Pharoah in persecuting the Church of God God made him equall to him also in the manner of his destruction for as hee returned from the spoyle of the Monastery of Caâ—â—ime and Mossana and the Daughter of many Christians the Lord caused the sea to swallow up his whole army even an hundred ships so that few or none escaped Another time even the yeare 719 they were miraculously consumed with famine sword pestilence water and captivitie and all for their infestuous rancour and tyranny towards Christians for whom the famine spared the sword devonred whom both these touched not the pestilence ate up and they that escaped all three yet perished in the waters and ten ships that escaped the waters were taken by the Romans and the Syrians surely an egregious signe of Gods heavie wrath and displeasure To conclude there was never any that set themselves against the Church of God but God set himselfe against them by some notable judgement so that some were murthered by their subjects as Bluso King of the Vandales others by their enmies as Vdo Prince of Sclavonia others by their wives as Cruco another Sclavonian Prince others discomfited in warre as Abbas the King of Hungaria some destroyed by their owne horses as Lucius the Emperour who first cast his owne daughter because she was a Christian amongst the same horses And generally few persecutors escaped without some evident and markable destruction CHAP. XI Of the Iewes that persecuted Christ. BY how much the offence of the Iews was more hainous not onely in despising and rejecting the Lord of glory whom God had sent amongst them for their salvation but also in being so wicked as to put him to death by so much the more hath God bestowed his fearfull indignation upon them as at many other times so especially by that great calamity and desolation which they abid at their last destruction begun by Vespasian and perfected by Titus which was so great and lamentable as the like was never heard of untill this day for if the sacking and overthrow of Ierusalem then when Ieremy the Prophet made his booke of Lamentations over it was reputed more grievous than the subversion of Sodome which perished suddainly how much more then is this last destruction without all comparison by reason of those horrible and strange miseries which were there both suddainly in continuance of time committed Neither truly is there any History which
containeth a description of so many miseries as this doth as it may appeare by Iosephus record of it For after that they had been afflicted in divers countries and tossed up and downe by the Deputies a long while there were slaine at Caesarea in one day twenty thousand At Alexandria another time fifty thousand at Zabulon and Joppe eight thousand and foure hundred besides the burning of the two Towns at Damascus ten thousand that had their throats cut As for Jerusalem when it had a long time endured the brunt of the warre both within and without it was pinched with so sore a famine that the dung of Oxen served some for meat others fed upon the leather of old shooes and buckles and divers women were driven to the extiemity to boyle and eat their owne children Many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to finde gold and silver in their guts in one night two thousand were thus piteously dealt withall and at the last the whole City was by force taken and the holy Temple conslumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable warre during which fourscore and seventeen thousand Iewes were taken Prisoners and eleven hundred thousand slaine for within the city were inclosed from the beginning to the ending all those that were assembled together from all quarters of the earth to keep the Passeover as their custome was As touching the prisouers some were carried to Rome in triumph others were here and there massacred at their conquerors wils somes lot it was to be torn in pieces and devoured of wild-beasts others were constrained to march in troops against their fellowes and kill one another as if they had been enemies All which evils came upon them for the despight and fury which they used towards the Sonne of God and our Saviour and that was the cause why he foreseeing this desolation wept over Jerusalem and said That it should be besieged on every side and rased to the ground and that not one stone should be left upon another because it knew not the time of her visitation Likewise said he to the woman that bewailed him as he was led to the Crosse That they should not weep for him but for themselves and their children because of the dayes of sorrow which were to come wherein the barren and those that had no children and the dugs that never suckled should bee counted happy So horrible and pitifull was the destruction of this people that God would not suffer any of his owne children to bee wrapped in their miseries nor to perish with this perverse and unbelieving Nation for as Eusebius reporteth they were a little before the arrivall of these mischiefes advertised from heaven by the speciall providence of God to forsake the City and retire into some far Country where none of these evils might come neer them The reliques of this wretched people that remained after this mighty tempest of Gods wrath were dispersed and scattered throughout all nations under heaven beeing subject to them with whom they sojourned without King Prince Judge or Magistrate to lead and guide them or to redresse their wrongs but were altogether at the discretion and commandement of the Lords of those Countries wherein they made their abode so that their condition and kind of life is at this day so vile and contemptible as experience sheweth that no nation in the world is halfe so miserable which is a manifest badge of Gods vengeance yet abiding upon them And yet for all this these dispersed reliques ceased not to vomit out the foame of their malice against Christ it being so deep rooted an evill and so inveterate that time nor reason could revoke them from it And no marvell seeing that God useth to punish the greatest sinnes with other sinnes as with the greatest punishment so they having shut their eyes to the light when it shined among them are now given over to a reprobate and hardened sence otherwise it were not possible they should remain so obstinate And albeit God be thanked we have many converts of them yet I dare say for the most part they remain in malitious blindnesse barking against and despighting both our Saviour himselfe and all that professe his name although their punishments have been still according to their deserts as by these examples following shall appeare The Jewes of Inmester a Towne lying betwixt Calchis and Antioch being upon a time celebrating their accustomed playes and feasts in the midst of their jollity as their use is they contumeliously reviled not only Christians but even Christ himselfe for they got a Christian childe and hung him upon a Crosse and after many mocks and taunts making themselves merry at him they whipt him to death What greater villany could there be than this Or wherein could these Devils incarnate shew forth their malice more apparently than thus not content once to have crucified Christ the Saviour of the World but by imitation to performe it againe and as it were to make knowne that if it were undone they would doe it So also handled they a boy called Simeon of two years and an halfe old in the yeare of our Lord 1476. and an another in Fretulium five years after that But above all they massacred a poore Carpenters son in Hungary in hatred of Christ whom they falsly supposed to bee a Carpenters son for they cut in two all his veines and suckt out his blóud with quills And being apprehended and tortured they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna foure yeares before and that they could not be without Christià n bloud for therewithall they anointed their Priests But at all these times they suffered just punishment for being still taken they were either hanged burned murthered or put to some other cruell death at the discretion of â—he Magistrates Moreover they would at divers times buy the Host of some Popish Priest and thrust it through with their knives and use it most despightfully This did one Bleazarus in the yeare of our Lord 1492 the 22 of October but was burnt for his labour and eight and thirty at another time for the same villanie by the Marquesse Ioachinus for the caitifes would suffer themselves to be baptised for none other end but more securely to exercise their villanies Another Jew is recorded in the yeare of our Lord 147 to have stoln the picture of Christ out of a Church to have thrust it through many times with his sword whereout when bloud miraculously issued hee amazed would have burned it but being taken in the manner the Christians stoned him to death The truth of which story though I will not stand to avow yet I doubt not but it might be true considering that either the Devill might by his cunning so foster and confirme their superstition or rather that seeing Christ is the subject of their religion as well as
of ours though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme and that the Jew did not so much aime at their religion as at Christ the subject of it the Lord might shew a miracle not to establish their errour but to confound the Jews impiety especially in those young yeares of the Church In our English Chronicles are recorded many histories of the malitious practises of the Jews against Christians in hatred of Christ Jesus our Saviour whom they in contempt call our crucified God and especially this devillish practise was most frequent amongst them here in England as in Germany France and other places where they were suffered to inhabite namely every year to steale some Christian manâ— childe from the parents and on good Friday to crucifie him in despight of Christ and Christian religion Thus they served a childe at Lincolne named Hugo of nine years of age in the yeare 1255 in the reigne of Henry the third and another at Norwich about the same time having first circumcised him and detained him a whole yeare in custody In which two facts they were apprehended and at Lincolne thirty two of them put to death and at Norwich twenty But this was not all the punishment that they endured as they proceeded and increased in their malice against Christ and his religion so he proceeded in vengeance and indignation against them First therefore at the coronation of Richard the first whereas some of them presumed to enter into the Court-gate contrary to the Kings expresse commandement a great tumult arising thereupon a number of them were slaine and their houses fired in the City of London by the raging multitude and from thence the example spred into all other countries of the Land for they following the example of the Londoners havocked spoyled killed and fired as many Jewes as they could come by untill by the Kings Writs unto the Sheriffe of every County the tumult was appeased and some few of the principall authors and stirrers of this outrage punished And it is to bee noted that this yeare the Iewes held for their Iubilie but it turned to them a yeare of confusion Neither were they thus massacred onely by the Christians but they became butchers of themselves also For in the City of Yorke when as they had obtained the occupying of a certaine Castle for their preservation and afterward were not willing to restore it to the Christians againe and being ready to bee vanquished and offering much money for their lives when as that would not be accepted by the counsell of an old Jew among them every one with a sharpe rasor cut anothers throat whereby a thousand and five hundred of them were at that present destroyed At North-Hampton a number of them were burnt for enterprizing to fire the City with wilde-fire which they had prepared for that purposes besides many grievous impositions and taxes which were laid upon them At last by King Edward the first they were utterly banished this Realme of England in the yeare 1291 For which deed the Commons gave unto the King a Fifteen And about the same time also they were banished out of France for the like practices and still the wrath of God ceaseth not to punish them in all places wheresoever they inhabit But that their Impiety may bee yet more discovered I will here set downe the confession of one of their own Nation a Jew of Ratisbone converted to the Faith one very skilfull in the Hebrew tongue This man being asked many questions about their superstition and ceremonies answered very fitly and being demanded why they thirsted so after Christian mens bloud He said it was a mystery onely knowne to the Rabbines and highest persons but that this was their custome he knew when any of them was ready to dye a Rabbine anointed him with this bloud using these or such like words If hee that was promised in the Law and Prophets hath truly appeared and if this Iesus crucified bee the very Messias then let the bloud of this innocent man that diedin his Faith cleanse thee from thy sins and help thee to eternall life Nay Epiphanius affirmeth That the Jews of Tyberias did more confidently affirme it than thus for they would whisper into a dying mans eare Beleeve in Iesus of Nazareth whom our princes crucified for he shall come to judge thee in the latter day All which declareth how impious they are to goe against their owne conscience and upon how fickle ground all their Religion standeth CHAP. XII Of those that in our age have persecuted the Gospell in the person of the Faithfull AS the Religion of Christ hath beene hitherto cruelly crossed and besieged by the mightiest captaines of this world as hath been partly declared so it hath not been any better entertained by the Potentates of this age that ceased not to disturbe the quiet and pursue to death the lives of Gods children for their professions sake and to bring them utterly to ruine to addresse all the engines and subtilties of their malicious and wicked counsels without leaving any one device unthought of that their wit could imagine or their power afford they joyned craft with force and vile treason with horrible cruelty thereby to suppresse the truth and quench that faire and cleere light which God after long time of blindnesse and ignorance had caused of his infinite mercy to shine upon us There fires were kindled every where with the bones of Martyrs whilest for the space of forty yeares or thereabouts they never ceased to burne those that were followers of that way Now when they saw that all their butcheries and burnings were not able to consume this holy seed but that the more they went about to choake it the more it grew up and increased they tooke another course and raised up troubles and seditions in all quarters as if by that means they should attaine the end of their purpose Hell vomited up all her Furies of warre the whole earth was in a tumult young and old with tooth and naile were imployed to root out the Church of Christ but God stretching forth his arme against all their practises shewed himselfe not only a Conqueror but also a most sharpe revenger of all his adversaries This is most apparent in that which happened to Thomas Arondel an English man Archbishop of Canterbury an enemy and persecutor of the Truth of Christ who having put to death divers holy and upright men thinking that all he did was gain was rooted out at last himselfe by a most strange and horrible death for he that sought to stop the mouth of God in his Ministers and to hinder the passage of the Gospell had his owne tongue so swolne that it stopped his owne mouth that before his death hee could neither swallow nor speake and so through famine died in great despaire Foelix Farle of Wartemberg one of the Captaines of the Emperour Charles the fifth being at supper at Ausburg with many of
and an extreme infection putrifying his lower parts and beginning to feele in this life both in body and soule the rigour of eternall fire prepared for the devill and his angels Iohn Martin Trombant of Briqueras in Piemont vaunting himselfe every foot in the hinderance of the Gospell cut off a Ministers nose of Angrogne in his bravery but immediately after was himselfe assayled by a mad Woolse that gnawed off his nose as hee had done the Ministers and caused him like a mad man to end his life Which strange judgement was notoriously knowne to all the countrey thereabout and beside it was never heard that this Woolfe had ever harmed any man before Caspard of Renialme one of the Magistrates of the City of Anvers that adjudged to death certaine poore faithfull soules received in the same place ere hee removed a terrible sentence of Gods judgement against himselfe for he fell desperate immediately and was faine to be led into his house halfe beside himselfe where crying that he had condemned the innocent bloud he forthwith died CHAP. XIII Other examples of the same subject ABout the same time there happened a very strange judgement upon an ancient Lawyer of Bourges one Iohn Cranequin a man of ripe wit naturall and a great practitioner in his profession but very ignorant in the law of God and all good literature and so enviously bent against all those that knew more than himselfe and that abstained from the filthy pollutions of Popery that he served instead of a Promotor to inform Ory the Inquisitor for them but for his labour the arme of God stroke him with a marvellous strange phrensie that whatsoever his eyes beheld seemed in his judgement to be crawling serpents in such sort that after he had in vaine experienced all kinde of medicines yea and used the help of wicked sorcery conjuration yet at length his senses were quite benummed and deprived him and in that wretched and miserable estate he ended his life Iohn Morin a mighty enemy to the professors of Gods truth one that laboured continually at Paris in the apprehending and accusing the faithfull insomuch that he sent daily multitudes that appealed from him to the high Court of the Palace died himselfe in most grievous and horrible torment The Chancellour of Prat he that in the Parliaments of France put up the first bill against the faithfull and gave out the first commissions to put them to death dyed swearing and blaspheming the name of God his stomacke being most strangely gnawne in pieces and consumed with wormes The Chancellour Oliver being restored to his former estate having first against his conscience renounced his religion so also now the same conscience of his checking and reclaming he spared not to shed much innocent bloud by condemning them to death But such a fearefull judgement was denounced against him by the very mouths of the guiltlesse condemned soules that stroke him into such a feare and terrour that presently he fell sick surprised with so extreme a melancholy that sobbing forth sighes without intermission and murmurings against God he so afflicted his halfe-dead body like a man robbed and dispossest of reason that with his vehement fits hee would so shake the bed as if a young man in the prime of his yeares with all his strength had assayed to doe it And when a certaine Cardinall came to visit him in this extremity he could not abide his sight his pains increasing thereby but cried out as soone as he perceived him departed That it was the Cardinall that brought them all to damnation When he had been thus a long time tormented at last in extreme angish and feare he died Sir Thomas more L. Chancellour of England a sworne enemy to the Gospell and a profest persecutor by fire and sword of all the faithfull as if thereby he would grow famous and get renowne caused to be erected a sumptuous Sepulchre and thereby to eternize the memory of his prophane cruelty to be engraven the commendation of his worthy deeds amongst which the principall was that hee had persecuted with all his might the Lutherans that is the faithfull but it fell out contrary to his hope for being accused convicted 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 Crâ—sâ—entius the Popes Embassadour to the Councel of Trent in the yeare of our Lord 1552 being very busie in writing to his Master the Pope and having laboured all one night about his letters behold as he raised himselfe in his chaire to stir up his wit and memory over-dulled with watching a huge blacke dog with great flaming eyes and long eares dangling to the ground appeared unto him which comming into his chamber and making right towards him even under the table where hee sate vanished out of his sight whereat he amazed and a while sencelesse recovering himselfe called for a candle and when he saw the dog could not be found he fell presently sicke with a strong conceit which never left him till his death ever crying that they would drive away the black dog which seemed to climbe up on his bed and in that humour he died Albertus Pightus a great enemy of the Truth also insomuch that Paulus Iovius calleth him the Lutherans scourge being at Boloigne at the coronation of the Emperor upon a scaffold to behold the pompe and glory of the solemnization the scaffold bursting with the weight of the multitude he tumbled headlong amongst the guard that stood below upon the points of their Halbards 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 few found themselves hurt therby save onely this honourable Pighius that found his deaths wound and lost his hearts bloud as hath been shewed Poncher Archbishop of Tours pursuing the execution of the burning chamber was himselfe surprised with a fire from God which beginning at his heele could never be quenched till member after member being cut off he died miserably An Augustine Frier named Lambert Doctor and Prior in the City of Liege one of the troop of cruell inquisitors for Religion whilest he was preaching one day with an open mouth against the Faithfull was cut short of a sudden in the midst of his sermon being bereaved of sense and speech insomuch that he was faine to be carried out of the pulpit to his cloister in a chaire and a few dayes after was drowned in a ditch In the yeare of our Lord 1527 there was one George Hala a Saxon Minister of the Word and Sacraments and a stout professor 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 took away his owne horse and set him upon the Archbishops fooles horse and so sent
them back 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 through uncoth paths brought him into an ambush of theeves placed there by the Bishops appointment who set upon him and murthered him at once but it is notoriously knowne that not one of that wicked rabble 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 soure 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 heretickes when no other crime could bee laid to their charge save that they desired the Monke to tie himselfe to his text and not to rove up and down as he did without any certain scope or application of matter Now as they went to execution their wives fell downe at the Cardinals feet beseeching and intreating pardon for their husbands lives which he was so farre from granting 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 Virgin Mary which by no testimonies could be proved against her Which doome the godly woman taking cheerfully and desiring to hang by her husbands side they would not doe him the least favour but drowned her in a River running by that it might be truly said that no jot of mercy or compassion remained in them But ere long the cruell Cardinall found as little favour at another Butchers hands that slewe him in his Chamber when hee dreamed of nothing lesse and in his Cardinalls robes hanged him over the wall to the view of men And thus God revenged the death of those innocents whose blouds never ceased crying for vengeance against their murtherer untill he had justly punished him in the same kinde and after the same fashion which hee had dealt with them Of this Cardinall called David Beton Buchananus reporteth many strange acts of Cruelty both in the Common-wealth of Scotland in matters of State as also in the Church in questions of Religion how he suborned a false testament in the dead Kings name whereby hee would have created himselfe chiefe Governour of the whole kingdom had not his knavery bin soon detected and how he set many together by the eares of the chiefest sort not caring which of them soonest perished so that they perished glutting himselfe thus with bloud But amongst all his cruelties the least was not extended towards the professors of the Gospell whom hee endeavoured by all means possible not to suppresse only but even utterly to extinguish Many he put to death with fire divers he forced to revolt with extreame torments and many he punished with banishment among whom was George Buchanan the reporter of this history who being taken and imprisoned escaped through a window whilest his keepers slept out of this Lions jaws Amongst the rest there was one George Sephocard a most learned and sincere Preacher of the word of God in whom his savage cruelty was most eminent This man abiding at one Iohn Cockburns house a man of no small reckoning account about 7 miles from Edenborough was first sent for by the Cardinall after being not delivered he together with the Vicegerent beset all the passages that he might not escape so that Cockburn was constrained to deliver him into their hands upon the assurance of Earl Bothuel who promised to protect him from all injuries How be it notwithstanding the Earles promise and the countermand of the Vicegerent refused to meddle with that innocent man yea and gave command That no proceedings should be made against him yet the bloudy tyrant condemned him tobe put to death also caused the condemnation to be executed and that which doth more aggravate his cruelty he caused a place to be prepared for him and his company hung with tapestry and silke very sumptuously that he might be a joyfull spectatour and eye-witnesse of his torments But marke how the just vengeancee of God shewed it selfe even in that place for as it is in the former story not long after this vile butcher was murthered in his owne house by the conspiracy of Normanus Leslius son to the Earle of Rothusia who early in a morning surprised his porters and all his servants in their sleepe and murthered him in his bed that had murthered so many Christians and to stop the rage and fury of his friends hung out his body for a spectacle unto them in the same place where a little before he had with such triumph beheld the tortures of that guiltlesse Martyr Insomuch that almost all did not only acknowledge the just view of Gods judgement herein but also remembred the last words of that constant Saint who being ready to give up the ghost urtered this speech in effect He that sitteth and beholdeth us so proudly in that high place shall within few dayes as reproachfully lye as now arrogantly he sitteth A story not much unlike in manner of punishment happened in the raign of King Henry the eighth to one Sir Ralph Ellerker Knight marshall in the towne of Calice when as Adam Damlip otherwise called George Bucker a sincere Preacher of the word of God was condemned to be executed as a traytour in pretence though indeed for nothing but defending the truth against the dregs of Popery would not suffer the innocent and godly man to declare either his faith or the cause he dyed for but said to the Executioner Dispatch the knave have done not permitting him to speake a word in his owne defence to cleere himselfe from the treason that was objected not proved against him but this cruell Tyrant swore he would not away before he saw the trayterous heart out Now this said Sir Ralph in a skirmish or road betweene the French and us at Bulloine was amongst others slaine whose only death sufficed not the enemies but after that they had stripped him starke naked they cut off his privy members and pulled the heart out of his body so lefthim a terrible example to all bloudy and mercilesse men for no cause was knowne why they should use him so rather than the rest but that it is written Faciens justitias Dominus judicia omnibus injuria pressis Thomas Bâ—aver one of the Privy Councellors of the King of Scots was a sore persecutor of the faithfull in that land for which cause lying on his death bead he fell into despaire and said he was damned and a cast-away and when the Monkes came about him to comfort him he cryed out upon them saying That their Masses and other trash would do him no good for he never beleeved them but all that he did was for love of lucre and not of Religion
not respecting or beleeving there was either a God or a Devill or a hell or a Heaven and therefore he was damned there was no remedy And in this miserable case without any signe of repentance he dyed But let us come to our homebred English stories and consider the judgments of God upon the persecutors of Christs Gospell in our own countrey And first to begin with one Doctor Whittington under the raigne of King Henry the seventh who by vertue of his office being Chancellour to the Bishop had condemned most cruelly to death a certaine godly woman in a town called Chipping sadberry for the profession of the truth which the Papists then called Heresie This woman being adjudged to death by the wretched Chancellor and the time come when she should be brought to the place of her martyrdome a great concourse of people both out of towne and country was gathered to behold her end Amongst whom was also the foresaid Doctor there present to see the execution performed The godly woman and manly Martyr with great constancy gave over her life to the fire and refused no paines or torments to keep her conscience cleere and unreproveable against the day of the Lord. Now the Sacrifice being ended as the people began to returne homeward they were encountred by a mighty furious Bull which had escaped from a Butcher that was about to kill him for at the same time as they were slaying this silly Lamb at the townes end a Butcher was as busie within the towne in slaying of this Bull. But belike not so skilfull in his art of killing of beasts as the Papists be in murthering Christians the Bull broke loose as I said and ranne violently through the throng of the people without hurting either man or childe till he came to the place where the Chancellour was against whom as pricked forward with some supernaturall instinct hee ranne full butt thrusting him at the first blow through the paunch and after goaring him through and through and so killed him immediately trayling his guts with his hornes all the street over to the great admiration and wonder of all that saw it Behold here a plaine demonstration of Gods mighty power and judgement against a wretched persecutor of one of his poore flocke wherein albeit the carnall sence of man doth often impute to blinde chance that which properly pertaineth to the only power and providence of God yet none can be so dull and ignorant but must needs confesse a plaine miracle of Gods almighty power and a worke of his own finger Stephen Gardiner also was one of the grand butchers in this land what a miserable end came hee unto Even the same day that Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer were burned at Oxford he hearing newes thereof rejoyced greatly and being at dinner ate his meat merrily but ere he had eaten many bits the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell upon him in such sort that immediately he was taken from the board and brought to his bed where he continued 15 dayes in intolerable anguish by reason he could not expell his urine so that his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many Godly Martyrs was brought to a wretched end with his tongue all blacke and swolne hanging out of his mouth most horribly a spectacle worthy to be beholden of all such bloudy burning persecutors Bonner Bishop of London another arch butcher though he lived long after this man and dyed also in his bed yet was it so provided of God that as he had been a persecutor of the light and a child of darknesse so his carkasse was tumbled into the earth in obscure darkenes at midnight contrary to the order of all other Christians and as he had been a most cruell murtherer so was he buried amongst theeves and murtherers a place by Gods judgement rightly appointed for him Morgan Bishop of S. Davids sitting upon the condemnation of the blessed Martyr Bishop Farrar whose roome he unjustly usurped was not long after stricken by Gods hand after such a strange sort that his meat would not go downe but rise and picke up againe sometime at his mouth sometime blowne out of his nose most horrible to behold and so continued unto his death Where note moreover that when Master Leyson being then Sheriffe at Bishop Farrars burning had fetcht away the cattell of the said Bishop from his servants house into his owne custody divers of them would never eate meat but lay bellowing and roaring and so dyed Adde unto this Bishop Morgan Iustice Morgan a Judge that sate upon the death of the Lady Iane this Iustice not long after the execution of the said Lady fell mad and being thus bereft of his wits dyed having ever in his mouth Lady Iane Lady Iane. Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Dover another grand persecutor comming upon a Saturday from the Chapter-house at Canterbury and there upon the Sunday following looking upon his men playing at bowles fell suddenly into a palsey and dyed shortly after And being exhorted to remember God in his extremity of sicknesse So I do saith he and my Lord Cardinall too c. After him succeeded another Suffragan ordained by the foresaid Cardinall and equall to his Predecessor in cruell persecuting of the Church who injoying his place but a short time fell downe a paire of staires in the Cardinals chamber at Greenwich and broke his necke and that presently let it be noted after he received the Cardinals blessing The like sudden death hapned to Doctor Dunning the bloudy and wretched Chancellour of Norwich who after he had most rigorously condemned and murthered a number of simple and faithfull servants of God was suddenly stricken with death even as he was sitting in his chaire The like also fell upon Berry Commissary of Norfolke another bloudy persecutor who foure dayes after Queene Maries death having made a great Feast whereat was present one of his concubines as he was comming home from the Church where he had ministred the Sacrament of Baptisme fell downe suddenly to the ground with a heavy groane and never stirred after thus ending his miserable life without any shew of repentance So Doctor Geffrey Chancellor of Salisbury another of the same stampe was suddenly stricken with the mighty hand of God in the midst of his buildings where he was constrained to yeeld up his life which had so little pitty of other mens lives before and it is to be noted that the day before he was thus stricken he had appointed to call before him ninety poore Christians to examine them by inquisition but the goodnesse of God and his tender providence prevented him Doctor Foxford Chancellor to Bishop Stockesley dyed also suddenly So did Iustice Lelond the persecutor of one Ieffery Hurst Alexander the Keeper of Newgate a cruell enemy to those that lay in that prison for Religion dyed very miserably being so swollen that he was more like a monster than a man and
all his people forsooke the law of God and gave themselves over to Idolatry and other grievous sinnes wherefore the Lord also forsooke and gave them over to the hands of Caesac King of Aegypt that raised up a mighty power of men even a thousand and two hundred chariots threescore thousand horsemen with an infinite multitude of footmen to make warre against him so that all the strong cities and fortresses of Iudah no nor Ierusalem it selfe was strong enough to repulse him from sacking and taking them and robbing the Temple of their treasures and despoyling the Kings palaces of his riches and carrying backe into Aegypt a rich prey of the best and beautifullest things that were therein And this was the first shake that ever this kingdome received since it was a kingdome whereby it began to waine and decline Notwithstanding all this yet the Lord had compassion and pitty of him and all his people and would not suffer his dignity to be troden under foot and quite suppressed but restored him once againe into an honourable estate because when he was reproved by Semeia the Prophet he humbled himselfe before the Lord and his Princes also which is a mafest signe that his sinne was not an universall Apostasie whereby hee was wholly turned aside from God and all hope of grace but it was a particular revolt such as was that of his forefathers the children of Israel when they imagined that God would be present with them in the idolatrous golden Calfe and in that figure to worship him so grosse and sencelesse were they although yet Roboams sin seemeth to exceed theirs in greatnesse and guiltinesse The Iewes that in the time of Ptolomey Philopater abode in Aegypt and willingly renounced the law and service of God in hope thereby better to provide for their worldly commodities enjoyed not long their ease and prosperity for the other Iewes which had couragiously stucke to their profession and had been miraculously delivered from their enemies being grieved and chased at their recoyle made their supplications to the King whose heart God inclined to favour their suit that he would permit them to revenge Gods quarrell upon those Apostates as they had deserved alledging that it was hard for them to be true subjects to the King who for their bellies sake had rebelled against the commandement of God The King seeing their request reasonable and their reasons which they alledged likely not onely commended them but gave authority to destroy all those that could be found in any place of his dominion without any further enquiry of the cause or intelligence of the Kings authority insomuch that they put to death all those that they knew to have defiled themselves with filthy Idols doing them before all the shame they could devise So that at that time there were dispatched above three hundred persons which when they had accomplished they rejoyced greatly CHAP XVII Of the third and worst sort of Apostates those that through malice forsake the Truth IF so be that they of whom we have spoken in the two former Chapters are in their revoltings inexcusable as indeed they are then much more worthy condemnation are they who not only in a villanous contempt cast away the grace of Gods Spirit and his holy worship but also of a purposed malice set themselves against the same yea and endeavour with all their power utterly to race and root it out and in stead thereof to plant the lies errors and illusions of Satan by all means possible Against this kinde of Monsters sentence is pronounced in the thirteenth of Deutronomy to wit That justice should be executed upon them with all extremity and no mercy and compassion shewed upon him be he Prophet or what else that goeth about to seduce others from the service of the Almighty to follow false gods This is the pitfall wherein Ieroboam the first King of Israel slipped by the perversenesse of his owne conscience who as he had by his rebellion against Rehoboam and the house of David upreared a new kingdome so by rebellion against God and his House in hope by that means to retaine his usurped state and people in subjection upreared also a new Religion for distrusting the promises of God which were made him by the Prophet Ahias as touching the Realme of Israel which he was already in possession of and despising the good counsell of God in respect of his owne inventions he was so besotted and bleared with them that just after the patterne of his idolatrous forefathers who by their Aegyptian tricks had provoked the wrath of God against themselves he set up golden calves and caused the people to worship them keeping them so from going to Ierusalem to worship God nor yet content with this hee also erected high places to set his Idols in and having restrained the Priests and Levites from the exercise of their charge hee ordained a new order of Priests to sacrifice and minister unto his gods and proclaimed a newer feast than that was in Iuda even the seventh day of the eighth moneth wherein he not onely exiled the pure service of God but also perverted and turned upside downe the Ecclesiasticall discipline and policy of Gods Church which by the Law had been instituted And that which is yet more as he was offering incense on the Altar at Bethel when the Prophet cryed out against the Altar and exclaimed against that filthy Idolatry by denouncing the vengeance of God against it and the maintainers thereof he was so desperate and sencelesse as to offer violence to him and to command that he should be attached but the power of Gods displeasure was upon him by and by for that hand which he had stretched out against the Prophet dried up so that he could not draw it backe againe and at the very instant for a manifest declaration of the wrath of God the Altar rent in pieces and the ashes that were within were dispersed abroad And although at the prayer of that holy man his hand was restored to his former strength and soundnesse yet returned not he from his unjust and disloyall dealing but obstinately continued therein till his dying day Wherefore also the fierce wrath of God hunted and pursued him continually for first of all he was robbed of his sonne Abia dying through sicknesse then he was set upon by Abia King of Iuda with an army of foure hundred thousand men of warre and though his power was double in strength and number arising to eight hundred thousand persons yet was he and his vaste army quite discomfited for he lost at that field five hundred thousand of his men beside certain cities which were yeelded to Abia in the pursuit of his victory his courage was so abated and impoverished ever after this that he could uever recover strength to resist the King of Iudah any more And so God revenged at once the Apostasie both of the King and people of Israel and last
maintained the truth should be banished suddenly he was stroken with an inward and invisible plague which took away his life and forestalled his wicked and cruell determination from comming to the desired effect In all which examples we may see how God doth not onely punish heretiques themselves but also their favorers and supporters yea the very places and cities wherein they lived and broached their blasphemies as by the destruction of Antioch is seene which being a very sinke of hereticks was partly consumed with fire from Heaven above in the seventh yeare of Iustinus the Emperour and partly overthrowne with earth-quakes below wherein Euphrasius the Bishop and many other were destroyed Moreover besides those there were under Pope Innocent the third certaine heretickes called Albigenses or Albiani which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were affirmed that there were two Gods the one good and another evill they denied the Resurrection despised the Sacraments and said that the soules of men after their separation passed either into hogs oxen serpents or men according to their merits they would not spare to pollute the Temples appointed for the service of God with their excrements and other filthy actions and to defile the holy Bibles with ruine in despight and contumely This heresie like an evill weed so grew and increased that the branches thereof spread over almost all Europe a thousand cities were polluted therewith so that it was high time to cut it short by violence and the sword as it was for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter that an hundred thousand of them were slaine partly by war partly by fire at one time Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall Monk of Bordeaux that by the help of Magicke wrought miracles and tooke upon him the name and title of Christ saying hee could cure diseases and restore those that were past help by physick unto their healths hee went attired with garments made of goats haire and an hood professing an austerity of life abroad whereas he plaid the glutton at home but at length his cousenage was discovered and he was banished the city as a man unfit for civill society In the yeare of our Lord God 1204 in the Empire of Otto the fourth there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the Sacrament and said that God spake as well in prophane Ovid as holy Augustine he scoffed at the doctrine of the Resurrection and esteemed heaven and hell but as an old wives fable Hee being dead his disciples were brought forth into a large field neere Paris and there in the presence of the French King degraded and burnt the dead carkasse of Almaricus being taken out of the Sepulchre and burnt amongst them it fell out that whilest they were in burning there arose so huge a tempest that heaven and earth seemed to move out of their places wherein doubtlesse the soules of these wicked men felt by experience that hell was no fable but a thing and such a thing as waited for all such Rebels against God as they were Anastasius Emperour of Constantinople being corrupted with the heresie of Eutiches published an Edict wherein all men were commanded to worship God not under three persons as a Trinity but as a Quaternity containing it in foure persons and could not by any counsell be brought from that devillish error but repelled from him divers Bishops with great reproach which came to perswade him to the contrary for which cause not long after a flash of lightning from Heaven suddenly seised upon him and so hee perished when he had raigned twenty eight yeares Iustinus the second also who after the death of Iustinian obtained the Imperiall Crowne was a man of exceeding pride and cruelty contemning poverty and murthering the Nobility for the most part In avarice his desire was so insatiate that he caused iron chests to be prepared wherein he might locke up that treasure which by unjust exactions he had extorted from the people Notwithstanding all this he prospered well enough untill he fell into the heresie of Pelagius soone after which the Lord bereft him of his wits and shortly aster of his life also when hee had raigned eleven yeares Mahomet by birth an Arabian and by profession one of the most monstrous hereticks that ever lived began his heresie in the yeare 625. His off-spring was out of a base stocke for being fatherlesse one Abdemonoples a man of the house of Ismael bought him for his slave and loved him greatly for his favour and wit for which cause he made him ruler over his merchandise and other businesse Now in the meane while one Sergius a Monk flying for heresie into Arabia instructed him in the heresie of Nestorius a while after his Master died without children and left behinde him much riches and his wife a widow of fifty yeares of age whom Mahomet married and when she died was made heire of all her riches So that now what for his wealth and cunning in Magick he was had in high honour among the people Wherefore by the counsell of Sergius hee called himselfe the great Prophet of God And shortly after when his fame was published he devised a Law and kinde of Religion called Alcaron wherein hee borrowed something almost of all the heresies that were before his time with the Sabellians he denied the Trinity with the Maniches he said there was but two persons in the Deity he denied the equality of the Father with the Sonne with Eunomius and said with Macedone that the Holy Ghost was a creature and approved the community of women with the Nicholaits he borrowed of the Jewes circumcision and of the Gentiles much superstition and somewhat he tooke of the Christian verity besides many devillish fantasies invented of his owne braine those that obeyed his Law he called Sarazins Now after he had lived in these monstrous abuses forty yeares the Lord cut him off by the falling sicknesse which he had dissembled a long time saying when he was taken therewith that the Angell Gabriel appeared unto him whose brightnesse hee could not behold but the Lord made that his destruction which be imagined would be for his honour and setting forth his Sect. Infinite be the examples of the destruction and judgement of private Heretiques in all ages and therefore we will content our selves with them that be most famous In the yeare of our Lord 1561 and the third yeare of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth there was in London one William Geffery that constantly avouched a companion of his called Iohn Moore to bee Christ our Saviour and could not bee reclaimed from this mad perswasion untill hee was whipped from Southwarke to Bedlam where the said Moore meeting him was whipped also untill they both confessed Christ to bee in Heaven and themselves to bee sinfull and wicked men But most strange it is how divers sensible and wise men
of Witches and Enchanters yet is he now so mad as to make them serve his owne turn and to use their counsels in his extremity adding this wickednesse to the number of his other great sins that the measure thereof might be full he went therefore to a Witch to seeke counsell who caused a Devill to appeare and speake unto him in the shape of Samuel and foretell him of Gods just judgement upon his wickednesse his utter and finall ruine and destruction An example not much unlike unto this in the event but most like in practise wee finde recorded of Natholicus the one and thirtieth King of the Scots who after he had unjustly usurped the Crowne and Seepter and installed himselfe by much bloudshed into the Throne of the Kingdome by open intrusion and no apparent shew of right sought by the same means to confirme and establish the Kingdome unto him And therefore as wickednesse is alwaies accompanied with suspition and feare hee sent one of his trustiest fâ—iends to a Witch to enquire of things to come both what successe he should have in his Kingdome and also how long he should live the Witch answered That he should not live long but should shortly be murthered not by his enemy but by his familiar friend when the Messenger urged instantly of whom she answered of him hee detesting her at first and abhorring the thought of any such villany yet at length considering that it was not safe to disclose the Witches answer and on the other side that it could not be concealed resolved for his most security rather to kill the Tyrant with the favour of many than to save him alive with the hazard of his owne head Therefore as soone as he was returned home being in secret alone with the King to declare unto him the Witches answer he slew him suddenly and gave him his just desert both for his horrible cruelty and wicked sorcery Let all them that make no conscience of running to Witches either for their lost goods or for recovery of their owne or friends health remember this example either for their instruction to amend or for their terrour if they continue that devillish practise Plutarch in the life of Romulus reporteth of one Cleomedes a man in proportion of body and cruell practises huge and gyant-like who for that he was the cause of the death of many little children and was pursued by the parents of those dead infants who sought to be revenged on him for that cruell part he hid himselfe in a coffer closing the lid fast to him but when the Coffin was broken up the Conjurer was not therein neither alive nor dead but was transported by the malitious spirit the Devill to a place of greater torment Antient Histories make mention of one Piso a man of credit and authority among the Romanes whom the Emperour Tiberius gave unto his sonne Germanicus for an help and counsellor in the mannaging of his affaires in Asia so well was he perswaded both of his sufficiency courage and loyalty towards him It chanced a while after that he was suspected to have bewitched to death the said Germanicus the signes and markes of which suspition were certaine dead mens bones digged out of the earth with divers charmes and curses and Germanicus name engraven in tables of lead and such like trash which Witches use to murther men withall were found with him Whereupon Tiberius himselfe accused him of that crime but would not have the ordinary Iudges to sit upon it but by speciall priviledge committed the enquiry thereof unto the Senate Piso when every man thought he was preparing himself for his defence against the morrow like a wise man to prevent all mischiefes was found dead the day before having his throat cut and as most likelihood was finding himselfe guilty of the fact and too weake to overweigh the other side forestalled the infamy of a most shamefull death by killing himselfe although there be that say that the Emperour sent one of purpose to dispatch him in this manner Olaus Magnus telleth of one Methotin a noble Magitian in old time that by his delusions did so deceive and blinde the poore ignorant people that they accounted him not onely for some mighty man but rather for some demy god and in token of the honour and reverence they bare him they offered up sacrifices unto him which he refused not but at last his knaveries and cousenages being laid open they killed him whom before they so much esteemed and because his dead carkasse with filthy stinke infected the approachers they digged it up and broached it upon the end of a stake to be devoured of wild beasts Another called Hollere as the same Author witnesseth plaid the like tricks in abusing the peoples minds as strongly as the other did insomuch that he was reputed also for a god for he joyned with his craft strength and power to make himselfe of greater authority in the world When he listed to passe over the sea he used no other ship but a bone figured with certaine charmes whereby he was transported as if both sayles and wind had helped and driven him forwards yet his inchanted bone was not of power to save him from being murthered of his enemies The same Author writeth That in Denmarke there was one Otto a great Rover and Pyrat by sea who used likewise to passe the seas without the help of ship or any other vessell and sunke and drowned all his enemies with the waves which by his cunning he stirred up but at last his cunning practise was over-reached by one more expert in his art than himselfe and as he had served others so was he himselfe served even swallowed up of the waves There was a Conjurer at Saltzburg that vaunted that he could gather together all the serpants within half a mile round about into a ditch and feed them and bring them up there and being about the experiment behold the old and grand serpent came in the while which whilest he thought by the force of his charmes to make to enter into the ditch among the rest he set upon and inclosed him round about like a girdle so strongly that hee drew him perforce into the ditch with him where he miserably died Mark here the wages of such wicked miscreants that as they make it their occupation to abuse simple folke they are themselves abused and cousened of the Devill who is a finer jugler than them all It was a very lamentable spectacle that chanced to the Governour of Mascon a Magitian whom the Devill snatched up in dinner while and hoisted aloft carrying him three times about the towne of Mascon in the presence of many beholders to whom he cried on this manner Help help my friends so that the whole towne stood amased thereat yea and the remembrance of this strange accident sticketh at this day fast in the minds of all the inhabitants of this country and
the Bishop of Eureux his house which was accordingly executed This happened in the yeare 1453. In the raigne of the same King 1457 there was a certaine Curate of a village neere to Soissons who to revenge himselfe of a Farmer that retained from him the tenths which were appointed to the Knights of the Rhodes went to a Witch of whom he received in gift a fat toad in an earthen pot which she had a long while fed and brought up which she commanded him to baptise as he also did and called it by the name of Iohn albeit I tremble to recite so monstrous and vile a fact yet that every man might see how deadly besotted those sort of people are that give themselves over to Satan and with what power of errour he overwhelmeth them and beside how full of malice this uncleane spirit is that as it were in despight of God would prophane the holy Sacrament of Baptisme This good holy Curate after he had consecrated the holy host gave it also to the toade to eat and afterward restored it to the Witch again who killing the toade and cutting it in pieces with other such like sorceries caused a young wench to carry it secretly into the Farmers house and to put it under the table as they were at dinner whereupon immediately the Farmer and his children that were at the table fell suddenly sicke and three dayes after died the Witch her selfe being detected was burned but the Curate suffered onely a little imprisonment in the Bishop of Paris house and that not long for what with friendship and money he was soone delivered Froissard who was Treasurer and Canon of Chymay reporteth of another Curate in the countrey of Beare under Charles the seventh that had a familiar spirit which hee called Orthon whose helpe hee used to the disturbance of the Lord of Corosse by causing a terrible noise to bee heard every night by him and his servants in his castle because the said Lord withheld his tythes from him and converted them to his owne use In the yiare 1530 at Nuremburg a certaine Priest studied Art Magick and being very covetous of gold and silver the Devill whom hee served shed him through a Chrystall certaine treasures hidden in the city he by and by greedy of this rich prey went to that part of the city where hee supposed it to have lien buried and being arrived at the place with a companion whom he brought to this pretty pastime fell a searching and digging up a hollow pit untill he perceived a coffer that lay in the bottome of the hole with a great blacke dog lying by it whither he was no sooner entred but the earth fell downe and filled up the hole and smothered and crushed him to death So this poore Priest was entrapped and rewarded by his master no otherwise than he deserved but otherwise than he expected or looked for Howbeit they are not onely simple Priests and Friers that deale with these cursed Arts but even Popes themselves Silvester the second as Platina and others report was first a conjuring Frier and gave himselfe to the Devill upon condition he might be Pope as he was indeed and having obtained his purpose as it seemed he began earnestly to desire to know the day wherein he should die which also his Schoolmaster the Devill revealed unto him but under such doubtfull tearmes that he dreamed in his foolish conceit of immortality and that he should never die It chanced on a time as he was singing Masse at Rome in a Temple called Ierusalem which was the place assigned him to die in and not Ierusalem in Palestina as he made himselfe falsly to beleeve he heard a great noise of Devils that came to fetch him away note that this was done in Masse while whereat he being terrified and tormented and seeing himselfe not able any way to escape hee desired his people to rend his body in pieces after his death and lay it upon a charriot and let horses draw it whither they would which was accordingly performed for as soone as he was dead the pieces of his carkasse were carried out of the Church of Laterane by the wicked spirit who as he ruled him in life so he was the chiefe in his death and funerals By like means came Benedict the ninth to the Popedome for he was a detestable Magitian and in the ten yeares wherein he was Pope having committed infinite villanies and mischiefs was at last by his familiar friend the Devill strangled to death in a forrest whither he went to apply himselfe the more quieter to his conjurings Gregory the sixth scholler to Silvester as great a conjurer as his master wrought much misery in his time but was at last banished Rome and ended his life in misery in Germany Iohn the two and twentieth being of no better disposition than these we have spoken of but following judiciall astrology sed himselfe with a vain hope of long life whereof he vaunted himselfe among his familiars one day above the rest at Viterbum in a chamber which he had lately builded saying that he should live a great while he was assured of it presently the floore brake suddenly in pieces and he was found seven daies after crushed to pieces under the ruines thereof All this notwithstanding yet other Popes ceased not to suffer themselves to be infected with this execrable poison as Hildebrand who was called Gregory the seventh and Alexander the sixth of which kinde we shall see a whole legend in the next booke Doe but marke these holy Fathers how abhominable they were to be in such sort given over to Satan Cornelius Agrippa a great Student in this cursed Art and a man famous both by his owne works and others report for his Necromancy went alwaies accompanied with an evill spirit in the similitude of a blacke dogge but when his time of death drew neer and he was urged to repentance hee tooke off the inchanted collar from the dogs neck and sent him away with these termes Get thee hence thou cursed beast which hast utterly destroyed mee Neither was the dog ever after seen some say he lept into Araris and never came out againe Agrippa himselfe died at Lyons in a base and beggarly Inne Zeroastres King of Bactria is notified to have bin the inventer of Astrology and Magicke But the Devill whose ministry he used when he was too importunate with him burned him to death Charles the seventh of France put Egedius de Raxaâ— Marshall of his Kingdome to a cruell and filthy death because he practised this Art and in the same had murthered an hundred and twenty teeming women and yong infants he caused him to be hanged upon a forke by a hot fire and roasted to death Bladud the sonne of Lud King of Britaine now called England in the yeare of the World 3100 hee that builded the city of Bath as our late Histories witnesse and also
sinne did not experience by certaine examples teach us the contrary As first of all the King of Tyre whose heart was so exalted with the multitude of riches and the renowne and greatnesse of his house that he doubted not to esteeme himselfe a god and to desire majesty and power correspondent thereunto For which presumption God by the Prophet Ezechiel reproved him and threatned his destruction which afterward came upon him when by the power of a strange and terrible nation his goodly godhead was overcome and murthered feeling indeed that he was no god as hee supposed but a man subject to death and misery King Herod sirnamed Agrippa which put Iames the brother of Iohn to death and imprisoned Peter with purpose to make him taste of the same cup was puffed up with no lesse sacrilegious pride for being upon a time seated in his throne of judgement and arrayed in his royall robes shewing forth his greatnesse and magnificence in the presence of the Embassadors of Tyre and Sidon that desired to continue in peace with him as he spake unto them the people shouted and cryed That it was the voice of God and not of man which titles of honour he disclaimed not and therefore the Angell of the Lord smote him suddenly because he gave not the glory to God so that he was eaten with wormes and gave up the ghost Iosephus reporteth the same story more at large on this manner Vpon the second day of the solemnization of the playes which Herod caused to be celebrated for the Emperours health there being a great number of Gentlemen and Lords present that came from all quarters to his feast he came betime in the morning to the Theatre clad in a garment all woven with silver of a marvellous workmanship upon which as the Sun rising cast his beames there glittered out such an excellent brightnesse that thereby his pernitious flatterers tooke occasion to call him with a loud voice by the name of God for the which sacrilegious speech he not reproving nor forbidding them was presently taken with most grievous and horrible dolours and gripes in his bowels so that looking upon the people he uttered these words Behold here your goodly god whom you but now so highly honored ready to die with extreame paine And so he died indeed most miserably even when he was in the top of his honour and jollity and as it were in the midst of his earthly Paradise being beaten downe and swallowed up with confusion and ignominy not stricken with the edge of sword or speare for that had been far more honourable but gnawne in pieces with lice and vermine Simon Magus otherwise called Simon the Samaritane borne in a village called Gitton after he was cursed of Peter the Apostle for offering to buy the gifts of the Spirit of God with money went to Rome and there putting in practise his magicall arts and working miracles by the Devill was reputed a god and had an image erected in his honour with this inscription To Simon the holy god Besides all the Samaritanes and divers also of other nations accounted him no lesse as appeared by the reverence and honour which they did unto him insomuch as they called his companion or rather his whore Helena for that was her profession in Tyre a city of Phenicia the first mover that distilled out of Simons bosome Now he to foster this foolish and ridiculous opinion of theirs and to eternize his name boasted that he would at a certaine time fly up into heaven which as he attempted to doe by the help of the Devill Peter the Apostle commanded the unclean spirit to cast him down again so that he fell upon the earth and was bruised to death and proved himselfe thereby to be no more than a mortall wicked and detestable wretch Moreover elsewhere we read of Alexander the Great whose courage and magnanimity was so exceeding great that he enterprised to goe out of Greece and set upon all Asia onely with an army of two and thirty thousand footmen five hundred horse and an hundred and foure score ships and in this appointment passing the seas he conquered in short space the greatest part of the world for which cause he was represented to the Prophet Daniel in a vision by the figure of a Leopard with wings on his backe to notifie the great diligence and speedy expedition which he used in compassing so many sudden and great victories with pride he was so soone infected that he would brooke no equall nor companion in his Empire but as heaven had but one Sunne so he thought the earth ought to have but one Monarch which was himselfe which mind of his he made known by his answer to King Darius demanding peace and offering him the one halfe of his Kingdome to be quiet when he refused to accord thereunto saying He scorned to be a partner in the halfe and hoped to be full possessor of the whole After his first victory had of Darius and his entrance into Aegypt which he tooke without blowes as also he did Rhodes and Cilicia he practised and suborned the Priests that ministred at the Oracle of Hammon to make him be pronounced and entituled by the Oracle The sonne of Iupiter which kinde of jugling and deceit was common at that time Having obtained this honour forthwith he caused himselfe to be worshipped as a god according to the custome of the Kings of Persia neither wanted he flatterers about him that egged him forward and soothed him up in this proud humor albeit that many of the better sort endeavoured tooth and nayle to turne him from it It hapned as he warred in India he received so sore a wound that with paine thereof he was constrained to say Though he was the renowned sonne of Iupiter yet he ceased not to feele the infirmities of a weake and diseased body finally being returned to Babylon where many Embassadors of divers farre countries as of Carthage and other cities in Africa Spaine France Sicily Sardinia and certaine cities of Italy were arrived to congratulate his good successe for the great renowne which by his worthy deeds he had gotten as he lay there taking his rest many dayes and bathing himselfe in all kinde of pleasure one day after a great feast that lasted a whole day and a night in a banquet after supper being ready to returne home he was poysoned when before hee had drunke his whole draught he gave a deep sigh suddenly as if hee had been thrust through with a dart and was carried away in a swoone vexed with such horrible torment that had he not been restrained he would have killed himselfe And on this manner he that could not content himselfe with the condition of a man but would needs climbe above the clouds to goe in equipage with God drunke up his owne death leaving as suddenly all his worldly pompe as hee had suddenly gotten it which vanished like smoake none
of his children being any whit the better for it There was in Syracusa a city of Sicilia which is now called Saragosse a Physitian called Menecrates whose folly and presumption was so great that he accounted himselfe a god and desired to be so reputed by others insomuch that he required no other wages and recompence of the patients which he tooke in hand as Aelianus witnesseth but that they should onely acknowledge him to be Iupiter and call him so and avow themselves to his service Vpon a time Denis the tyrant desirous to make some pastime with him made a feast and invited him amongst others to be his guest but because he was a god to doe him honour answerable to his name he placed him at a table all alone and set before him no dishes but only a censer with frankincense which was a proper and convenient service for the gods This honourable duty pleased the Physitian very well at the first so that he shuffed up the perfume most willingly but when this poore god saw the other guests eating and drinking indeed and himselfe not being able to be fed with smoake ready to starve with hunger arose up and went away all inraged in himselfe and derided of others having more need to purge his owne braines of their superfluous humor than others from their sicknesses Caligula the first Emperor being become an ordinary despiser and open mocker of all Religion it came presently in his braine to beleeve so drunken was he with a draught of his owne foolish conceit that there was no other God but himselfe therefore he caused men to worship him and to kisse his hands or his feet in token of reverence which honour afterwards the Popes tooke upon them yea and was so besotted that he went about by certaine engines of art to counterfeit thunder and lightnings albeit in all this pride and arrogancy or rather folly there was none so timerous and fearefull as he or that could sooner upon lighter occasion be dismaied One day as he was by mount Aetna in Sicily hearing by chance the violent cracking of the flames which all that season ascended out of the top of the hill it strucke so sudden and horrible a feare into him that he never ceased flying all night till he came to Phar in Messina Every little thunderclap put him in feare of death for he would leap up and downe like a mad man when he heard it thunder finding himselfe not able by his god head to defend himselfe from the power thereof but if there chanced greater cracks than ordinary then would not his hot bed hold him but needs must he run into the cold floore underneath the bed to hide himselfe Thus was hee compelled against his will to feare him whom willingly he would not deigne to acknowledge And thus it falleth out with all wicked miserable Atheists whose hearts imagine there is no God and therefore have so little assurance in themselves that there need no thunder and lightening to amase them for the shaking of every leafe is sufficient to make them tremble To conclude this Atheist void of all Religion and feare of God and full of all prophanenesse was according to his due desert murthered by one of his servants of the which will follow more at large in the next booke Domitian likewise was so blinded with pride that hee would be called a god and worshipped of whom also wee will speake in the second booke To these we may adde them also that to the end to make themselves feared and reverenced as gods have counterfeited the lightnings and thunders of heaven as we read of one Alladius a Latine King that raigned before Romulus who being a most wicked Tyrant and a contemner of God invented a tricke whereby to present to the eare and eye the ratling and swift shine of both thunder and lightning that by that means astonishing his subjects he might be esteemed of them for a god but it chanced that his house being set on fire by true lightning and overthrowne with the violent strength of tempestuous rain together with the overflowing of a pond that stood neer he perished by fire and water burnt and drowned and all at once Did not the King of Elide the like and to the same end also by the devise of a charâ—t drawne about with foure horses wherein were certain yron-works which with wrinching about gave an horrible sound resembling thunder and torches and squibs which hee caused to be throwne about like lightnings in such sort that hee oftentimes burnt the beholders and in this manner he went up and downe braving it especially over an yron bridge which he had of purpose built to passe and repasse over at his pleasure untill Gods long suffering could not endure any longer such outragious and presumptuous madnesse but sent a thunderbolt from heaven upon his head that all the world might see by his destruction the exceeding folly and vaine pride which bewitched him in his life time which history the Poet in the person of Sibylla setteth downe to this effect I saw Salmon in cruell torments lie For counterfeiting thunder of the skie And Ioves cleere lightning whilst with torches bright Drawne with foure steeds and brandished his light He rode triumphantly through Elis streats And made all Grecia wonder at his feats Thinking to win the honour of a god Mad as he was by scattering fire abroad With brazen engines and with courses faigning A noyse like that which in the clouds is raigning And no where else but God from thickest skie No torch but such a thunderbolt let flie At him that headlong whirld him from his Cell And tumbled downe into the deepest Hell Thus this arrogant King was punished according to the quality of his offence even in the same kinde wherein he offended which thing though it be found written in a Poet yet ought not be rejected for an old wives tale seeing it is not incredible that a King might make such pastimes and yron-crashing noises nor that he might be justly punished for the same and the rather because Caligula did the like as we have heard before And wee read also that one Arthemesius in the time of the Emperour Iustinian counterfeited by certain engines and devises in his owne house in Constantinople such earthquakes lightenings and thunders that would astonish a wise braine to heare or behold them on a sudden But above all others that by darkning the glory of God to increase their own power have proudly exalted themselves against him the Popes are the ring-leaders whose unbridled boldnes hath bin so much the more impudent and pernitious for that in terming themselves the servants of the servants of God in word in deed take unto them the authority and power of God himselfe as of pardoning and absolving sinnes creating lawes and ordinances at their pleasure in binding or unbinding mens consciences which things appertaine to God onely Nay they have been
up for their deliverance some grievous punishment befell them for then being without law or government every man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to have some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenesse of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God than any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore we place them in this ranke as well as they have bin alwaies brought up and nuzled in Idolatry One of this câ—â—w was Ochosias King of Iuda sonne of Ioram who having before him an evill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing up of his mother Athaliah who together with the house of Achab pricked him forward to evill joyned himselfe to them and to their Idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment and destruction with Ioram the King of Israel whom Iehu slew together with the Princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath been the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially under Ioachas sonne of Iosias that raigned not above three moneths in Ierusalem before he was taken and led captive into Aegypt by the King thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the King of Aegypt And not long after it was utterly destroyed by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar King of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and carried King Ioachim with his mother his Princes his servants and the treasurers of the Temple and his owne house into Babylon and finally tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eyes caused his sonnes to be slaine which as soone as he had beheld commanded them also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of yron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the Princes of Iudah to the sword consuming with fire the Temple with the Kings Palace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogative consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was never re-established by God it is no marvell then if the like hapned to the kingdome of Israel which was after a sort begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calves which as his successors maintained or favoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured up in Idoll worship after the example of his father received a condigne punishment for his iniquity for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the off spring of Ieroboams house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better than those whom he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whom Zambri also his servant slew And this againe usurping the crowne enjoyed it but seven dayes at the end whereof seeing himselfe in danger in the city of Tirza taken by Amri whom the people had chosen for their King went into the palace of the Kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab he multiplied Idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse than all his predecessors wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against him and his for he himselfe was wounded to death in battell by the Syrians his son Ioram slain by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their governors and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Above all a most notable and manifest example of Gods judgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had been his spurre and provoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuchs and most trusty servants at the commandement of Iehu she was throwne downe out of a window and trampled under the horse feet and last of all devoured of dogs Moreover the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murthered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the King of Assyria and afterward invaded and subverted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they never returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abhominable Idolatry Which ought to be a lesson to all people Princes and Kings that seeing that God spared not these two Realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroyed and rooted them out from the earth much lesse will he spare any other kingdome and Monarchy which continue by their Images and Idol-worship to stirre up his indignation against them CHAP. XXV Of many evils that have come upon Christendome for Idolatry IF we consider and search out the cause of the ruine of the East Empire and of so many famous and flourishing Churches as were before time in the greatest part of Europe and namely in Greece we shall finde that Idolatry hath been the cause of all for even as it got footing and increase in their dominions so equally did the power of Saracens and Turkish tyranny take root and foundation among them and prospered so well that the rest of the world trembled at the report thereof God having raised and fortified them as before time he had done the Assyrians and Babylonians as whips and scourges to chasten the people and Nations of the world that wickedly had abused his holy Gospel and bearing the name of Christians had become Idolaters for no other name than this can be given them that in devotion doe any manner of homage to Images and pictures whatsoever may superficially be alleadged to the contrary For be it the Image either of Prophet Apostle or Christ Iesus himselfe yet it is necessary that the law of God stand whole and sound which saith Thou shalt make thy selfe no graven Image nor any likenesse of things either in heaven above or in earth beneath thou shalt not how downe to them nor worship them c. Wherefore he performed the part of a good Bishop that finding a vaile spread in the entrance of a Church dore wherein the Image of Christ or of some other Saint was pictured rent it in pieces with these words That it was against the authority of the sacred Scriptures to have any Image of Christ set up in the Church After the same manner Serenus Bishop of Marscilla beat downe and banished all Images out of his Churches as occasions of Idolatry and to shun them the more it was ordained in the Elibertine Councell that no Image nor picture should be set up in any Church for which cause also the Emperour Leo the third by an open Edict commanded his subjects to cast out of their Temples all pictures and statues of Saints Angels and whatsoever else to the intent that all occasions of Idolatry might be
those Truce-breaking Varlets He had scarce ended these speeches but the Christians battell and courage began to rebate Vladislaus himselfe was slaine by the Iâ—nizaries his horse being first hurt his whole Army was discomfited and all his people put to the sword saving a few that fled amongst whom was the right reverend Embassador of the Pope who as soone as he had thrust in over the eares withdrew himselfe forsooth farre enough from blowes or danger Then followed a horrible butchery of people and a lamentable noyse of poore soules ready to be slaughtered for they spared none but haled them miserably in pieces and executed a just and rigorous judgement of God for that vile treachery and perjury which was committed CHAP. XXVIII More examples of the like subject BVt let us adde a few more examples of fresher memory as touching this ungodly Perjury And first King Philip of Macedony who never made reckoning of keeping his oathes but swore and unswore them at his pleasure and for his commodity doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why he and his whole Progeny came quickly to destruction as testifieth Pausanias for hee himselfe being 46 yeeres old was slaine by one of his owne servants after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes Anideus and another which he had by Cleopatra Attalus his neece whom she sod to death in a Cauldron his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished and lastly Alexander after all his great victories in the middest of his pompe was poysoned at Babylon Gregorie Tours maketh mention of a wicked Varlet in France among the people called Averni that forswearing himselfe in an unjust cause had his tongue so presently tyed that he could not speake but roare and so continued till by his earnest prayers and repentance the Lord restored to himselfe the use of that unruly member There were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi whereof the memory remaineth onely at this day for they were utterly destroyed by Q. Cincinnatus These having solemnely made a league with the Romanes and sworne unto it with one consent afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their Captaine and under his conduct spoyled the Fields and Territories of the Romanes contrary to the former league and oath Wherupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius P. Volumnius and A. Posthumius Embassadors to them to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction but their Captaine so little esteemed them that he bad them deliver their message to an Oake standing thereby whilest hee attended other businesse Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the Oake spake on this manner Thou hallowed oake and whatsoever else belongeth to the gods in this place heare and beare witnes of this disloyall part and favor our iust complaints that with the assistance of the gods wee may bee revenged on this injury This done they returned home and shortly after gathering a power of men set upon and over came that truce-breaking Nation In the yeer of Rome built 317 the Fidenates revolted from the friendship and league of the Romans to Toluminus the king of the Veyans and adding cruelty to treason killed foure of their embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection which disloyalty the Romans not brooking undertooke war against them and notwithstanding all their private and forrein strength overthrew and slew them In this battell it is said that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus bravely galloping up and down and incouraging his souldiers and the Romans trembling at his approch said Is this the breaker of leagues and violater of the law of nations If there be any holinesse on earth my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine embassadours and therewithall setting spurres to his horse he unhorst him and fastening him to the earth with his speare cut off his perfidious head whereat his army dismaied retired and became a slaughter to the enemies Albertus Duke of Franconia having slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia brother to Lewis the fourth then Emperor and finding the Emperors wrath incensed against him for the same betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg from whence the Emperour neither by force nor policie could remove him for seven yeares space untill Atto the Bishop of Mentz by trecherie delivered him into his hands This Atto under shew of friendship repaired to the castle and gave his faith unto the earle that if he would come downe to parle with the Emperor he should safely return into his hold the Earle mistrusting no fraud went out of the castle gates with the Bishop towards the Emperour but Atto as it were suddenly remembring himselfe when indeed it was his devised plot desireth to returne back and dine ere he went because it was somewhat late so they do dine and returne Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperor but he caused to be presently put to death notwithstanding he urged the Bishops promise and oath for his returne for it was answered that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine as he had promised And thus the Earle was wickedly betrayed though justly punished As for Atto the subtill traitor indeed he possessod himselfe by this meanes of the Earles lands but withall the justice of God seised upon him for within a while after he was stricken with a thunderbolt and as some say carried into mount Aetna with this noyse Sicpeccatalues atque ruendorues Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia making warre upon the Argives surprised them by this subtilty he tooke truce with them for seven dayes and the third night whilest they lay secure and unwarie in their truce he oppressed them with a great slaughter saying to excuse his trecherie though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof that the truce which he made was for seven dayes onely without any mention of nights howbeit for all this it prospered not so well with him as he wished for the Argie vwomen their husbands slaine tooke armes like Amasons Tolesilla being their captainesse and compassing the citie walls repelled Cleomenes halfe amased with the strangenesse of the sight After which he was banished into Aegypt and there miserably and desperatly slew himselfe The Pope of Rome with all his heard of Bishops opposed himselfe against the Emperor Henry the fourth for he banished him by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church discharged his subjects from the oath of fealty and sent a crowne of gold to Rodolph king of Suevia to canonize him Emperor the crowne had this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho that is The Rocke gave unto Peter and Peter gave unto Rodolph the crown Notwithstanding Rodolph remembring his oath to the Emperour and how vile a part it was to betray him whom he had sworne to obey and defend at first refused the Popes offer howbeit by the persuasion of the Bishops sophistrie he was induced to undertake the
him to prison but the two unknowne witnesses who were indeed two fiends of hell began to say you shall not need for we are sent to punish his wickednesse and so saying they hoisted him up into the ayre where he vanished with them and was never after found In the yeare of our Lord 1055 Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table with King Edward of England it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled and yet fell not whereat Goodwine laughing said That if one brother had not holpen another meaning his legs all the wine had been spilt with which words the King calling to mind his brothers death which was slaine by Goodwine answered So should my brother Alphred have holpen me had not Goodwine been then Goodwine fearing the Kings new kindled displeasure excused himselfe with many words and at last eating a morsell of bread wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds bloud But he swore falsly as the judgement of God declared for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the King ere he removed one foot from that place though there be some say he recovered life againe Long time after this in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth there was in the city of London one Anne Averies widow who forswore her selfe for a little money that she should have paid for six pounds of tow at a shop in Woodstreet for which cause being suddenly surprised with the justice of God shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith and cast up at her mouth in great abundance and with horrible stinke that matter which by natures course should have been voided downewards and so died to the terrour of all perjured and forsworne wretches There are in histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernitious sin exercised by one nation towards another and one man towards another in most prophane and villanous sort neither shaming to be accounted forsworne nor consequently fearing to displease God and his majesty But forasmuch as when we come to speak of murtherers in the next book we shall have occasion to speake of them more or of such like I will referre the handling thereof unto that place onely this let every man learne by that which hath been spoken to be sound and fraudlesse and to keep his faith and promise towards all men if for no other cause yet for feare of God who leaveth not this sin unpunished nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus taketh his name in vaine CHAP. XXIX Of Blasphemers AS touching Blasphemy it was a most grievous and enormous sin and contrary to this third Commanmandement when a man is so wretched and miseble as to pronounce presumptuous speeches against God whereby his name is slandered and evill spoken of which sinne cannot chuse but be sharply and severely punished for if so be that God holdeth not him guiltles that doth but take his name in vain must he not needs abhor him that blasphemeth his Name See how meritoriously that wicked and perverse wretch that blasphemed and murdered as it were the name of God among the people of Israel in the desart was punished he was taken put in prison and condemned and speedily stoned to death by the whole multitude and upon that occasion as evill manners evermore begat good lawes the Lord instituted a perpetuall law and decree that every one that should blaspheme and curse God of what estate or degree soever should be stoned to death in token of detestation which sentence if it might now adaies stand in force there would not raign so many miserable blasphemers and deniers of God as the world is now filled and infected with It was also ordained by a new law of Iustinian That blasphemies should be severely punished by the judges and magistrates of Commonweales but such is the corruption and misery of this age that those men that ought to correct others for such speeches are oftentimes worst themselves and there are that thinke that they cannot be sufficiently feared and awed of men except by horrible bannings and swearings they despight and maugre God nay it is further come to that passe that in some places to swearc and ban be the markes and ensignes of a Catholike and they are best welcome that can blaspheme most How much then is that good King Saint Lewis of France to be commended who especially discharged all his subjects from swearing and blaspheming within his realm insomuch that when he heard a nobleman blaspheme God most cruelly he caused him to be laid hold on and his lips to bee slit with an hot yron saying hee must be content to endure that punishment seeing he purposed to banish oathes out of his kingdome Now wee call blasphemy according to the Scripture phrase every word that derogateth either from the bounty mercy justice eternity and soveraigne power of God Of this sort was that blasphemous speech of one of King Iorams Princes who at the time of the great famine in Samaria when it was besieged by the Syrians hearing Elizeus the Prophet say that the next morrow there should be plenty of victuals and good cheap rejected this promise of God made by his Prophet saying that it was impossible as if God were either a lyar or not able to performe what he would for this cause this unbeleeving blasphemer received the same day a deserved punishment for his blasphemy for he was troden to death in the gate of the city under the feet of the multitude that went out into the Syrians campe forsaken and left desolate by them through a feare which the Lord sent among them Senaccherib King of Assyria after he had obtained many victories and â—â—odued much people under him and also layd siege to Ierusalem became â—â—proud and arrogant as by his servants mouth to revile and blaspheme the living God speaking no otherwise of him than of some strange idoll and one that had no power to help and deliver those that trusted in him for which blasphemies he soone after felt a just vengeance of God upon himselfe and his people for although in mans eyes he seemed to be without the reach of danger seeing he was not assayled but did assayle and was guarded with so mighty an army that assured him to make him lord of Ierusalem in short space yet the Lord overthrew his power and destroyed of his men in one night by the hand of his Angell 185 thousand men so that he was faine to raise his siege and returne into his owne kingdome where finally he was slaine by his owne sons as he was worshipping on his knees in the temple of his god In the time of the Machabees those men that were in the strong hold called Gazara fighting against the Iewes trusting to the strength of the place wherein they were uttered forth most infamous speeches against God but ere long their blasphemous mouths were encountred by a condigne punishment for the first day of
Christ Iesus When he was demanded at any time how he did he answered most usually That he 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 used 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 and so dyed in misery Hither we may adde a notable example of a certaine yong gallant that was a monstrous swearer who riding in the company of divers gentlemen began to sweare and most horribly blaspheme the name of God unto whom one in the company with gentle words said he should one day answer for that the Yonker taking snuffe thereat Why said he takest thou thought for me Take thought for thy winding sheet Well quoth the other amend for death giveth no warning as soone commeth a lambes skin to the market as an old sheeps Gods wounds said he care not thou for me raging still on this manner worse and worse till at length passing on their journey they came riding over a great bridge upon which this gentleman swearer spurred his horse in such sort that he sprang cleane over with the man on his backe who as hee was going cried Horse and man and all to the Divell This terrible story Bishop Ridley preached and uttered at Pauls crosse and one Haines a Minister of Cornwall the reprehender of this man was the reporter of it to Master Fox out of whom I have drawne it Let us refraine then wretches that we are our divelish tongues and leave off to provoke the wrath of God any longer against us let us forbeare all wicked and cursed speeches and acquaint our selves as well in word as in deed to praise and glorisie God CHAP. XXXII Punishments for the contempt of the Word and Sacraments and abuse of holy things NOw it is another kind of taking the Name of God in vaine to despise his Word and Sacraments for like as among earthly princes it is accounted a crime no lesse than treason either to abuse their pictures to counterfeit or deprave their seales to rent pollute or corrupt their letters patents or to use unreverently their messengers or any thing that commeth from them So with the Prince of heaven it is a fin of high degree either to abuse his Word prophanely which is the letters patents of our salvation or handle the Sacraments unreverently which are the seales of his mercy or to despise his Ministers which are his messengers untous And this he maketh knowne unto us not only by Edicts and Commandments but also by examples of his vengeance on the heads of the offendors in this case For the former look what Paul saith That for the unworthy receiving of the Sacraments many were weake and sicke among the Corinthians and many slept How much more then for the abusing and contemning the Sacraments And the Prophet David That for casting the Word of God behinde them they should have nothing to do with his Covenant How much more then for prophaning and deriding his Word And Moses when the people murmured against him and Aaron saith That their murmurings were not against them which were but Ministers but against the Lord. How much more then is the Lord enraged when they are scoffed at derided and set at naught Hence it is that the Lord denounceth a Wo to him that addeth or taketh away from the Word and calleth them dogs that abuse such precious pearles But let us come to the examples wherein the grievousnesse of this sinne willly more open than by any words can be expressed First to begin with the house of Israel which were the sole select people of the Lord whom he had chosen out of all other nations of the world to be his owne peculiar flocke and his chiefe treasure above all other people of the earth and a kingdome of Priests and a holy Nation when as they contemned and despised his Word spoken unto them by his prophets and cast his law behinde their backe he gave them over into the hands of their enemies and of Ammi made them Loammi that is of his people made them not his people and of Ruhama Loruhama that is of such as had found mercy and favour at Gods hand a nation that should obtain no mercy nor favour as the Prophet Hosea speaketh This we see plainly verified first in the ten tribes which under Ieroboam fell away from the Scepter of Iuda for after that the Lord had sundry times scourged them by many particular punishments as the famin sword and pestilence for their idolatry and rebellion to his law at the last in the ninth yere of the raign of Hoshea King of Israel he brought upon them a finall and generall destruction and delivered them into the hands of the King of Ashur who carried them away captive into Assyria and placed them in Hala and in Habor by the river of Gosan and in the cities of the Medes and in stead of them seated the men of Babel of Cuthah Ava Hamath and Sepharvaim in the cities of Samaria Thus were they utterly rooted up and spued out of the land of their inheritance and their portion given unto strangers as was threatned to them by the mouth of Moses the servant of the Lord and the cause of all this is set down by the holy Ghost 2 Kin. 17. 13. to be for that though the Lord had testified to them by al his prophets seers saying Turn from your evill wayes and keepe my commandements and my statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers neverthelesse they would not obey but hardned their necks then it followeth in the 18 ver Therfore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and put them out of his sight and none was left but the Tribe of Iuda onely Now though the kingdome of Iuda continued in good estate long after the desolation of the ten tribes for this hapned in the raigne of Ahaz King of Iuda yet afterward in the raigne of Zedekiah the great and famous citie Ierusalem was taken by Nabuchadnezzar the King of Babel and utterly ruined and defaced the glorious and stately temple of the Lord built by Salomon the wonder of the world was burnt down to ashes together with all the houses of Ierusalem and all other great houses in the land all the rich vessels and furniture of the temple of gold silver and brasse were carried to Babel by Nabuzaradan the chiefe steward The king himselfe was bound in chaines and after he had seen his owne sons slaine before his eyes had his owne eyes put out that he might never more take comfort of the light The priests and all the greatest and richest of the people were carried away in captivity and only the poore were left behind to dresse the vines
King of England sonne of Geffrey Plantagenet and Maud the Empresse after he had raigned twenty yeares was content to admit his young sonne Henry married to Margaret the French Kings daughter into participation of his Crowne but he like an unnaturall son to requite his fathers love sought to dispossesse him of the whole for by inciting the King of France and certaine other Nobles hee tooke armes and raised warre against his owne naturall father betwixt whom divers strong battels being fought as well in England by the Deputies and friends of both parties as also in Normandy Poytou Guian and Britain the victory alwayes inclined to the father so that the rebellious son with his allies were constrained to bend to his fathers will and to desire peace which he gently granted and forgave his offence Howbeit the Lord for his disobedience did not so lightly pardon him but because his hasty mind could not tarry for the Crowne till his fathers death therefore the Lord cut him short of it altogether causing him to die six yeares before his father being yet but young and like to live long Lothair King of Soissons in France committed the rule of the province of Guian to his eldest son Cramiris who when contrary to the mind of his father he oppressed the people with exactions and was reclaimed home he like an ungratious and impious son fled to his uncle Childebert and provoked him towarre upon his owne father wherein he himselfe was by the just vengeance of God taken and burned with his wife and children to death Furthermore it is not doubtlesse but to a very good end enacted in the law of God That he which curseth his father or mother should die the death and that rebellious children and such as be incorrigible should at the instance and pursuit of their owne parents by order of law be stoned to death As children by all these examples ought not onely to learne to feare to displease and revile their parents but also to feare and reverence them lest that by disobedience they kindle the fire of Gods wrath against them so likewise on the other side parents are here advertised to have great care in bringing up and instructing their children in the feare of God and obedience to his will lest for want of instruction and correction on their part they themselves incurre a punishment of their carelesse negligence in the person of their children And this is proved by experience of the men of Bethel of whose children two and forty were torne in pieces by Beares for that they had been so evill taught as to mocke the holy Prophet Elizeus in calling him bald-pate Heli likewise the high priest was culpable of this fault for having two wicked and perverse sonnes whom no feare of God could restraine being discontent with that honourable portion of the sacrifices allotted them by God like famished and unsatiable wretches fell to share out more than was their due and by force to raven all that which by faire meanes they could not get and that which is worse to pollute the holy Tabernacle of God with their filthy whoredomes in such sort that the Religion of God grew in disgrace through their prophane dealings And albeit it may seem that their father did his duty in some sort when he admonished and reproved them yet it is manifest by the reprehension of the man of God that he did no part of that at all or if he did yet it was in so carelesse loose and cold manner using more lenity than hee ought or lesse severity than was necessary that God turned their destructions when they were slaine at the overthrow of Israel by the Philistins to be his punishment for understanding the dolefull newes of his sonnes death and the Arkes taking at once he fell backewards from his stoole and burst his necke being old and heavy even fourescore and eighteene yeares of age not able either to help or stay himselfe David also was not free from this offence for hee so much cockered some of his children that they proved the greatest plagues and scourges unto him especially Absolon and Adonijah for the one openly rebelled against him and almost drove him out of his kingdome the other usurped the title and honour of the kingdome before his fathers death of this it is recorded That David so cockered and pampered him that he would never displease him from his youth But see how he was punished in them for this too great lenity both of them came to an untimely death and proved not onely the workers of their owne destruction but also great crosses to their father Ludovicus Vives saith That in his time a certain woman in Flanders did so much pamper and cocker up two of her sonnes even against her husbands will that she would not suffer them to want money or any thing which might furnish their roiotous life both in drinking banquetting and dicing yea she would stoale from her husband to minister unto them but as soone as her husband was dead she was justly plagued in them both for they fell from royoting to robbing which two vices are commonly linked together and for the same one of them was executed by the sword and the other by the halter she her selfe looking on as a witnesse of their destructions whereof her conscience told her that her indulgence was the chiefest cause Hither may we referre that common and vulgar story and I suppose very true which is almost in every childes mouth of him that going to the gallowes desired to speake with his mother in her care ere he dyed and when she came unto him in stead of speaking bit off her care with his teeth exclaiming upon her as the causer of his death because she did not chastise him in his youth for his faults but by her flatteries established him in vice which brought him to this wofull end and herein she was doubly punished both in her sonnes destruction and her owne infamy whereof she carried about her a continuall maâ—ke This ought to be a warning to all parents to looke better to the education of their children and to root out of them in time all evill and corrupt manners lest of small sprigs they grow to branches and of qualities to habits and so either be hardly done off or at least deprave the whole body and bring it to destruction but above all to keep them from idlenesse and vaine pleasures the discommodity and mischiefe whereof this present example will declare At a towne called Hannuel in Saxony the Devill transforming himselfe into the shape of a man exercised many jugling trickes and pretty pastime to delight young men and maids withall and indeed to draw after him daily great companies one day they followed him out of the city gates unto a hill adjoyning where he played a jugling tricke indeed with them for he carried them all away with him so that they were never
King of Macedonia had a minion called Cratenas whom hee loved most entirely but he againe requited him not with love but with hatred and stretched all his wits to install himselfe in his kingdome by deposing and murthering him which though he accomplished yet his deserts were cut short by the vengeance of God for he continued not many dayes in his royalty but he was served with the same sauce that he had made Archelaus before him to taste of even betraied and murthered as he well deserved Lodovicus Sfortia to the end to invest himselfe with the Dukedome of Millain spared not to shed the innocent bloud of his two Nephewes the sonnes of Galenchus together with their tutors and one Francis Calaber a worthy and excellent man but the Lord so disposed of his purposes that he in stead of obtaining the kingdome was taken prisoner by the King of France so that neither he nor any of his off spring injoyed that which he so much affected When Numerianus was to succeed â—arus his father in the Empire Arrius Axer his father in law to the end to translate the Empire unto himselfe entered a conspiracy and slew his sonne in law that nothing mistrusted his disloyalty but the Pretorian army understanding the matter discharged Arrius and elected Dioclesian in his roome who laying hold upon his competitour laied an action of treason to his charge and put him to death in the sight of the multitude Theodoricke and Fredericke conspired against their owne brother Thurismund King of the Visigothes to the intent to succeed him in his Kingdome And albeit that nature reclaymed them from the act yet they slew him without all compassion But after thirteene yeres reigne the same Theodericke was requited by his other brethren with the same measure that he before meted to his brother Thurismund And so though vengeance slept a while yet at length it wakened Aelias Antonius Gordianus Emperour of Rome though so excellent a young Prince that he deserved to be called the Love and Iewell of the World yet was he slaine by one promoted by himselfe to high honour called Philip Arabs when he was but two and twenty yeres old after whose decease this Philip got himselfe elected Emperour by the Band and confirmed by the Senate All which notwithstanding after five yeres Decius rebelled and his owne souldiers conspired against him so that both he at Verona and his sonne at Rome were slaine by them about one time After the death of Constantine the Great his three sonnes dividing the Empire betwixt them succeeded their father Constantine the eldest had for his share Spaine France the Alpes and England Constance the second held Italy Africa Graecia and Illyricum Constantine the younger was King and Emperour of the East But ambition suffered them not to enjoy quietly these their possessions for when the eldest being more proud and seditious than the other not content with his alotted portion made warre upon his brother Constance his Provinces and strove to enter Italy he was slaine in a battell by Aquileia when he was but five and twenty yeares old by which meanes all the provinces which were his fell to Constance and therewithall such a drowsinesse and Epicurisme for want of a stirrer up after his brothers death that he fell into the gout and neglected the governement of the Empire Wherefore in Aâ—sourge and in Rhetia they created a new Emperour one Magnentius whose life before time Constance had saved from the souldiers and therefore his treachery was the greater This Magnentius deprived and slew Constance but was overcome by Constantine the third brother in Illyricum yet in such sort that the conqueror could not greatly brag for he lost an infinit company of his men and yet missed of his chiefe purpose the taking of Magnentius for he escaped to Lyons and there massacring all that he mistrusted at last growing I suppose in suspition with his owne heart slew himselfe also and so his traiterous ingratefull and ambitious murther was revenged with his owne hands Victericus betrayed Lnyba king of Spaine and succeeded in his place seven yeares after another traitour slew him and succeeded also in his place Mauritius the Emperor was murthered by Phocas together with his wife and five of his children he seating himselfe Emperour in his roome Howbeit traitors and murtherers can never come to happy ends for as he had slaine Mauritius so Priscus Heraclianus and Phorius three of his chiefest captaines conspiring against him with three severall armies gave him such an alarme at once at his owne doores that they soone quailed his courage and after much mangling of his body cut him shorter by the head and the kingdome at one blow In the time of Edward the second and Edward the third in England one Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much bloud and at last King Edward himselfe lying at Barkley castle to the end that he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity After this he unjustly accused Edmund Earle of Kent of treason and caused him to bee put to death therefore and lastly he conspired against King Edward the third as it was suspected for which cause he was worthily and deservedly beheaded Among this ranke of murtherers of Kings we may fitly place also Richard the third usurper of the Crowne of England and divers others which he used as instruments to bring his detestable purpose to effect as namely Sir Iames Tirrèl Knight a man for natures gifts worthy to have served a much better Prince than this Richard if he had well served God and beene endued with as much truth and honesty as he had strength and wit also Miles Forest and Iohn Dighton two villaines fleshed in murthers But to come to the fact it was on this sort When Richard the usurper had enjoyned Robert Brackenbury to this piece of service of murthering the young King Edward the fifth his Nephew in the Tower with his brother the Duke of Yorke and saw it refused by him he committed the charge of the murther to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the Tower by the Kings Commission received the keyes into his owne hands and by the helpe of those two butchers Dighton and Forest smothered the two Princes in their bed and buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames rode back to king Richard who gave him great thankes and as some say made him knight for his labour All which things on every part well pondered it appeareth that God never gave the world a notabler example both of the unconstancy of worldly wâ—ale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despightfull cruelty for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at Saint Martins Sir Iames Tirrel died at the Tower hill beheaded for treason King Kichard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine
it was good reason that she should partake some of that punishment which they both deserved as she did for being surprised by her enemies to the intent she might not be carried in triumph to Rome she caused an aspe to bite her to death Marke here the pittifull Tragedies that following one another in the necke were so linkt together that drawing and holding each other they drew with them a world of miseries to a most wofull end a most transparent and cleere glasse wherein the visages of Gods heavy judgements upon all murtherers are apparently deciphered CHAP. VI. Other examples like unto the former AFter that the Empire of Rome declining after the death of Theodosius was almost at the last cast ready to yeeld up the ghost and that Theodorick king of the Goths had usurped the dominion of Italy under the Emperor Zeno he put to death two great personages Senators and chiefe citizens of Rome to wit Simmachus and â—oetiâ—â— only for secret surmise which he had without probability that they two should weave some she web for his destruction After which cruell deed as he was one day at supper a fishes head of great bignesse beeing served into the table purposing to be very merry suddenly the vengeance of God assailed amased oppressed and pursued him so freshly that without intermission or breathing it sent his body a senselesse trunk into the grave in a most strange and marvellous manner for he was conceited as himselfe reported that the fishes head was the head of Simmachus whom he had but lately slaine which grinned upon him and seemed to face him with an overthwart threatning and angry eye wherewith hee was so scarred that he forthwith rose from the table and was possessed with such an exceeding trembling and icle ehilnesse that ran through all his joynts that he was constrained to take his chamber and goe to bed where soone after with griefe and fretting and displeasure hee died He committed also another most cruell and traiterous part upon Odoacer whom inviting to a banquet he deceitfully welcommed with a messe of swords in stead of other victuals to kill him withall that he might sway the Empire alone both of the Gothes and Romanes without checke It was not without cause that Attila was called the scourge of God for with an army of five hundred thousand men he wasted and spoiled all fields cities and villages that he passed by putting all to fire and sword without shewing mercy to any on this manner he went spoiling through France and there at one time gave battell to the united forces of the Romans Vicegothes Frenchmen Sarmatians Burgundians Saxons and Almaignes after that he entered Italy tooke by way of force Aquilea sacked and destroyed Millan with many other cities and in a word spoiled all the countrey in fine being returned beyond Almaigne having married a wife of excellent beauty though he was well wived before he died on his marriage night suddenly in his bed for having well carowsed the day before he fell into so dead a sleepe that lying upon his backe without respect the bloud which was often woont to issue at his nostrils finding those conduits stopped by his upright lying descended into his throat and stopped his winde And so that bloudy tyrant that had shed the bloud of so many people was himselfe by the effusion of his owne bloud murthered and stifled to death Ithilbald king of Gothia at the instigation of his wife put to death very unadvisedly one of the chiefe peeres of his realme after which murther as he sate banquetting one day with his princes environed with his gard and other attendants having his hand in the dish and the meat between his fingers one suddenly reached him such a blow with a sword that it cut off his head so that it almost tumbled upon the table to the great astonishment of all that were present Sigismund king of Burgundy suffered himselfe to be carried away with such an extreame passion of choler provoked by a false and malicious accusation of his second wife that he caused one of his sonnes which he had by his former wife to be strangled in his bed because he was induced to think that he went about to make himselfe king which deed being blowne abroad Clodomire sonne to Clodovee and Clotild king France and cousin german to Sigismund came with an army for to revenge this cruell and unnaturall part his mother setting forward and inciting him thereunto in regard of the injury which Sigismunds father had done to her father and mother one of whom he slew and drowned the other As they were ready to joyne battell Sigismunds souldiers forsooke him so that hee was taken and presently put to death and his sonnes which he had by his second wife were taken also and carried captive to Orleance and there drowned in a Well Thus was the execrable murther of Sigismund and his wife punished in their owne children As for Clodomire though he went conqueror from this battell yet was he encountered with another disastrous misfortune for as hee marched forward with his forces to fight with Sigismunds brother he was by him overcome and slaine and for a further disgrace his dismembred head fastened on the top of a pike was carried about to the enterview of all men Hee left behinde him three young sonnes whom his owne brethren and their uncles Clotaire and Childebert notwithstanding their young and tender yeres tooke from their grandmother Clotildes custody that brought them up as if they would install them into some part of their fathers kingdome but most wickedly and cruelly to the end to possesse their goods lands and seigniories bereft them all of their lives save one that saved himselfe in a Monastery In this strange and monstrous act Clotaire shewed himselfe more than barbarous when he would not take pity upon the youngest of the two being but seven yeares old who hearing his brother of the age of tenne yeres crying pittifully at his slaughter threw himselfe at his uncle Childeberts feet with teares desiring him to save his life wherewith Childebert being greatly affected entreated his brother with weeping eies to have pity upon him and spare the life of this poore infant but all his warnings and entreaties could not hinder the savage beast from performing this cruell murther upon this poore childe as he had don upon the other The Emperour Phocas attained by this bloudy means the imperiall dignity even by the slaughter of his lord and master Mauricius whom as he fled in disguised attire for feare of a treason pretended against him he being beforetime the Lievtenant Generall of his army pursued so maliciously and hotly that he overtooke him in his flight and for his further griefe first put all his children severally to death before his face that every one of them might be a severall death unto him before he died and then slew him also This murtherer was he that first exalted to
so high a point the popish horn when at the request of Boniface he ordained That the Bishop of Rome should have preheminence and authority over all other Bishops which he did to the end that the staine and blame of his most execrable murther might be either quite blotted out or at least winked at Vnder his regency the forces of the Empire grew wondrously into decay France Spaine Almaigne and Lombardy revolted from the Empire and at last himselfe being pursued by his son in law Priscus with the Senatours was taken and having his hands and feet cut off was together with the whole race of his off-spring put to a most cruell death because of his cruell and tyrannous life Among all the strange examples of Gods judgements that ever were declared in this world that one that befell a King of Poland called Popiel for his murthers is for the strangenesse thereof most worthy to be had in memory he reigned in the yeare of our Lord 1346. This man amongst other of his particular kinds of cursings and swearings whereof he was no niggard used ordinarily this oath If it be not true would rats might devoure me prophesying thereby his owne destruction for hee was devoured by the same meanes which he so often wished for as the sequell of his history will declare The father of this Popiel seeling himselfe neere death resigned the government of his kingdome to two of his brethren men exceedingly reverenced of all men for the valour and vertue which appeared in them He being deceased and Popiel being growne up to ripe and lawfull yeares when he saw himselfe in full liberty without all bridle of government to doe what hee listed he began to give the full swinge to his lawlesse and unruly desires in such sort that within few daies he became so shamelesse that there was no vice which appeared not in his behavior even to the working of the death of his owne uncles for all their faithfull dealing towards him which he by poison brought to passe Which being done he caused himselfe forthwith to be crowned with garlands of flowers and to be perfumed with precious oyntments and to the end the better to solemniâ—e his entry to the crowne commanded a sumptuous and pompous banquet to be prepared whereunto all the Princes and Lords of his kingdome were invited Now as they were about to give the onset upon the delicate cheere behold an army of rats sallying out of the dead and putrified bodies of his uncles set upon him his wife and children amid their dainties to gnaw them with their sharp teeth insomuch that his gard with all their weapons and strength were not able to chase them away but being weary with resisting their daily and mighty assaults gave over the battell wherefore counsell was given to make great cole â—ires about them that the rats by that means might be kept off not knowing that no policy or power of man was able to withstand the unchangeable decree of God for for all their huge forces they ceased not to run through the midst of them and to assault with their teeth this cruell murtherer Then they gave him counsell to put himselfe his wife and children into a boat and thrust it into the middest of a lake thinking that by reason of the waters the rats would not approach unto them but alas in vaine for they swum through the waters amaine and gnawing the boat made such chinkes into the sides thereof that the water began to run in which being perceived of the boatman amased them sore and made them make poste haste unto the shore where hee was no sooner arrived but a fresh muster of rats uniting their forces with the former encountred him so sore that they did him more scath than all the rest Whereupon all his guard and others that were there present for his defence perceiving it to be a judgement of Gods vengeance upon him abandoned and for sooke him at once who seeing himselfe destitute of succour and forsaken on all sides flew into a high tower in Chouzitze whither also they pursued him and climbing even up to the highest roome where hee was first eat up his wife and children she being guilty of his uncles death and lastly gnew and devoured him to the very bones After the same sort was an Archbishop of Mentz called Hatto punished in the yeare 940 under the reigne of the Emperour Otho the great for the extreme cruelty which he used towards certain poor beggers whom in time of famine he assembled together into a great barn not to relieve their wants as he might and ought but to rid their lives as he ought not but did for he set on fire the barne wherein they were and consumed them all alive and comparing them to rats and mice that devoured good corne but served to no other good use But God that had regard and respect unto those poore wretches tooke their cause into his hand to quit this proud Prelate with just revenge for his outrage committed against them sending towards him an army of rats and mice to lay siege against him with the engines of their teeth on all sides which when this cursed wretch perceived he removed into a tower that standeth in the midst of Rhine not far from Bing whither hee presumed this host of rats could not pursue him but he was deceived for they swum over Rhine thick and threefold and got into his tower with such strange fury that in very short space they had consumed him to nothing in memoriall whereof this tower was ever after called the tower of rats And this was the tragedy of that bloudy arch-butcher that compared poore Christian soules to brutish and base creatures and therefore became himselfe a prey unto them as Popiel King of Poland did before him in whose strange examples the beames of Gods justice shine forth after an extraordinary and wonderfull manner to the terrour and feare of all men when by the means of small creatures they made roome for his vengeance to make entrance upon these execrable creature-murtherers notwithstanding all mans devises and impediments of nature for the native operation of the elements was restrained from hindering the passage of them armed and inspired with an invincible and supernaturall courage to feare neither fire water nor weapon till they had finished his command that sent them And thus in old time did frogs flyes grashoppers and lice make war with Pharaoh at the command of him that hath all the world at his becke After this Archbishop in the same ranke of murtherers we finde registred many Popes of all whom the most notorious and remarkable are these two Innocent the fourth and Boniface the eighth who deserved rather to be called Nocents and Malefaces than Innocents and Boniface for their wicked and perverse lives for as touching the first of them from the time that he was first installed in the Papacie he alwayes bent his hornes against
alone and so committed to the mercy of the sea but the sea more mercifull to him than he was to Lothebroke carried him directly to the coast of Denmarke from whence Lothebroke came as it were there to be punished for his murder Here the boat of Lothebroke being well knowne hands were lay upon him and by torments he was enquired into but hee to save himselfe uttered an untruth of King Edmund saying That the King had put him to death in Northfolke Whereupon revenge was devised and to that end an army of men prepared and sent over which was the first occasion of the Danes arrivall in this land Thus was this murther wonderfully discovered by meanes of a dog Plutarch in his book Desolertia aâ—imalium reporteth the like story of a souldier of King Pyrrhus who being slain his dog discovered the murderers for when as the dog could by no meanes be brought from the dead body but fauning upon the King as it were desiring helpe at his hand the King commanded all his Army to passe by in good order by two and two till at length the murtherers came and then the dog flew upon them so fiercely as if he would have torne them in pieces and turning to the king ranne againe upon the murderers Whereupon being apprehended and examined they soone confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for their desert Plutarch ascribeth this to the secret of Natures instinct but we must rather attribute both this and all such like to the mighty finger of God who to terrifie men from shedding humane bloud doth stirre up the dumbe creatures to be revealers of their bloudy sinne The like story the same Author reporteth of the murder of the Poet Hesiod who being slaine by the sonnes of Ganyctor the murder though secret and the Murderers though unknowne to all the world save to God and their owne conscience were discovered and brought to punishment by the means of a dog which belonged to him that was murdered The like also we reade of two French Merchants which travailing together through a certaine Wood one of them rose against the other for the desire of his mony and so slew him and buried him but the Dog of the murdered Merchant would not depart from the place but filled the Woods with howlings and cryes The murderer went forward on his journey and the Inhabitants neere the said Wood found out the murdered corps and also the Dog whom they tooke up and nourished till the Faire was done and the Merchants returned at which time they watched the Highwayes having the Dog with them who seeing the murtherer instantly made force at him without all provocation as a man would doe at his mortall enemy which thing caused the people to apprehend him who being examined confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for so foule a deed The same Author reporteth yet a more memorable and strange story of another murder discovered also by the meanes of a dogge which I may not omit There was saith hee a certaine maid neere Paris who was beloved of two young men the one of whom as he was going to visite his love happened to be murdered by the way and buried now his dog which he had with him would not depart from the grave of his master at the last the young man being missed by his father and brethren was diligently sought for but not finding him at last they found his dog lying upon his grave that howled pittifully as soone as he saw his masters brother the grave was opened and the wounded corps found which was brought away and committed to other buriall untill the murderer should be descryed Afterward in processe of time the dogge in the presence of the dead mans brethren espied the murderer and presently assaulted him with great fiercenesse Whereupon he was appreliended and examined and when by no meanes nor policy he would confesse the magistrate adjudged That the young man and the dogge should combate together The dogge was covered with a dry sod skinne in stead of armour and the murderer with a speare and on his body a thinne linnen cloth and so they both came forth to fight but behold the hand of vengeance the man offering at the dogge with his speare the dogge leaped presently at his face and caught him fast by the throat and overthrew him whereat the wretch amased cryed out to the beholders Take pity on me and pull off the dogge from my throat and I will confesse all the which being done he declared the cause and manner of the whole murder and for the same was deservedly put to death All these murders were discovered by dogges the Lord using them as instruments to reveale his justice and vengeance upon this bloudy sinne but these following by other meanes The murder of the Poet Ibycus was detected by Cranes as you may see in the 36 chapter of this booke more at large set forth Luther recites such another story as that of Ibycus of a certain Almaigne who in travelling fell among theeves which being about to cut his throat the poore man espied a flight of Crows and said O Crows I take you for witnesses and revengers of my death About two or three daies after these murdering theeves drinking in an Inne a company of Crows came and lighted on the top of the house whereupon the theeves began to laugh and say one to another Looke yonder are they which must revenge his death whom we dispatched the other day The Tapster over-hearing them told it to the magistrat who presently caused them to be apprehended and upon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers urged them so far that they confessed the truth and received their deserved punishment There was one Bessus as Plutarch reporteth who having killed his father was brought both to knowledge and punishment by the meanes of Swallowes for his guilty conscience persuaded him that the Swallowes in their chattering language did say to one another That Bessus had killed his father whereupon not able to conceale his owne guiltinesse hee bewrayed his horrible fact and was worthily and deservedly for the same put to death But of all the examples that either reading or experience can afford none in my opinion is either more admirable or a more clearer testimony of Gods providence justice than that which hapned about a Lucquois Merchant who comming out of England to Roan in France and from thence making towards Paris was in the way on a mountain neer to Argentueil murdered by a Frenchman his servant and his body throwne amongst the Vines Now as this fact was a doing a blind man ran by being led by his dog who hearing one groane asked who it was Whereunto the murderer answered that it was a sicke man going to ease himselfe The blind man thus deluded went his way and the servant with his masters money and with Papers of his takes up at Paris a good summe
of money and sets up a shop at Roane Now this Merchant being expected at Luca a whole yeare together whither he had sent word he would shortly repaire when he came not a messenger was dispatched to seeke him out and after much enquiry at London and Roan and elsewhere he learnt at last in an Inne that a Lucquois Merchant about sixe moneths before had lodged there and was gone to Paris where also not hearing any tydings of him he suspected that he was murthered made his complaint to the Court of Parliament at Roan Which imbracing this businesse being directed by Gods providence made enquiry up and downe the Towne Whether there were any that within seven or eight moneths had set up a new shop and finding one caused him to be arrested for a supposed and a pretended debt but in the end examined him upon this murther and laid it to his charge herewith the prisoner solicited partly bythe remorse of his conscience partly by hope of freeing himselfe by a bribe confessed the fact in private to the Justice but as soone as he perceived that he went about to call in witnesses to his confession hee denyed it againe in briefe the new Merchant is committed to prison and he sueth the Justice for forgerie and false imprisonment the Justice can by no meanes cleare himselfe but onely by the assurance that all men had of his honesty The matter hangs thus in suspence till at length the dead carkasse of the Lucquois was â—eard of and the blind man also came to light who heard the noyse of the murther to make short this blind man was brought to confront the prisoner and twenty men were caused to speake one after another and still the blinde man was demaunded whether hee knew their voices and said That that was the man that answered him on the mountaine This course being ofttimes re-iterated the blind man hit alwayes on the right and never missed Whereupon the Court condemned him to death and before he dyed he confessed the fact to the great glory of Gods Justice and the great amazement and strange astonishment of all men At Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1551 a certaine young woman was brained by a man with a hammer neere unto Saint Opportunes Church as she was going to midnight Masse and all her rings and jewels taken from her This hammer was stolne from a poore Smith there by the same evening who therefore being suspected of the murder was cruelly handled and put to extraordinary torture by reason of the vehement presumptions made against him in such sort that hee was quite lamed and deprived of the meanes to get his living whereby being reduced into extreame poverty he ended his life in great misery All this while the murderer remained unknowne almost for the space of twenty yeares and the memory of the murder seemed to be buried with the poore woman in her grave now marke the justice of God who hath promised that nothing shall be so hid but shall be brought to light It hapned that one Iohn Flaming Sergeant of the Subsidies at Paris being upon occasion of businesse at S. Leups a Village by Montmorency chanced among other talke at Supper to say how he had left his wife at home sicke and no body with her but a little boy there was an old man then present named Monstier and a sonne in law of his who immediatly upon this speech went away that night with each of them a basket of cherries and a greene goose and came about ten of the clock the next morning to Flamings house where they intended to murder both the woman and the boy and to possesse themselves of all the goods that they could conveniently carrie away but the Lord prevented them of their purpose for being let in at the dores by the boy pretending that they came from the husband with thâ—se remembrances to his wife they presently slew the boy thinking also to surprise the woman but she hearing the cry of the boy lockt fast her chamber dore and cried for helpe out at her window whereupon the neighbors running to the house tooke these two villaines one hidden in the funnell of the Chimney and the other in a Well in the Cellar with nothing but his nose above water Now these two wretches being thus apprehended arraigned and condemned being on the seaffold at the place of execution the old man desired to speake with the Smithes widow whose husband was suspected for the first murder of whom when she came hee asked forgivenesse saying that it was he which had killed the young woman by S. Opportunes Church Thus the Lord discovered both the innocency of the Smith and the guiltinesse of this vile murderer and that twenty yeeres after the fact was committed Not long since the like discovery of a murderer was made here in England in Leicestershire not farre from Lutterworth almost twenty yeeres after the fact committed The murder was committed by a Miller upon one in his Mill whom he buried in the ground hard by This Miller removed unto another countrey and there dwelt a long space untill at last guided by Gods Almighty providence to the manifestation of his justice he returned unto that place to visit some of his friends Now in the meane time whilest he was there the Miller that now possessed the former Mill had occasion to dig deepe into the ground where he found the carkasse of a dead man presently it was suspected that some had beene murdered and was there buried whereupon the Lord put it into their hearts to remember how about twenty yeares before a certaine neighbour of theirs was suddenly missed and could never be heard of insomuch that all supposed him to have beene dead in some strange countrey this carkasse they suspected to be his and bethinking themselves who was then Miller of that Mill behold he was there ready in the towne not having been there for many yeares before This man was suspected nd thereupon examined and without much adoe confessed the fact and received deserved punishment Who seeth not here manifest traces and footsteps of Gods providence First in reducing the murderer to that place at that time Secondly in stirring up the Miller to digge at the same time also thirdly in putting into the hearts of the people the missing of such a man whose memory was almost forgotten and lastly in causing the murderer to confesse his deed when as no proofe nor witnesse could be brought against him but here is the justice of God against all such Vengeance will not suffer the murderer to live Henry Ranzovius Lieutenant for the King of Denmarke in the Duchie of Holsace makes relation in a letter of his of an ordinary meanes of finding out Murderers practised in the kingdome of Denmark by King Christiernus the second and permitted over all his Kingdome the occasion whereof he saith was this Certaine Gentlemen being on an evening together in a
stove fell out among themselves and from words grew to blowes the Candles being put out insomuch that one of them was stabbed with a punyard Now the deed doer was unknowne by reason of the number although the Gentleman accused a Pursevant of the Kings for it who was one of them in the stove The King to finde out the homicide caused them all to come together in the stove and standing round about the dead Corps becommanded that they should one after another lay their right hand on the slain Gentlemans naked breasts swearing they had not killed him the Gentlemen did so and no signe appeared to witnesse against them the Pursevant onely remained who condemned before in his owne conscience went first of all and kissed the dead mans feet but as soone as he layed his hand on his breast the blood gushed forth in abundance both out of his wound and nosthrils so that urged by this evident accusation he confessed the murder and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheaded whereupon as I said before arose that practise which is now ordinary in many places of finding out unknowne Murders which by the admirable power of God are for the most part revealed either by the bleeding of the corpes or the opening of the eye or some other extraordinary signe as daily experience doth teach The same Authour reporteth another example farre more strange in the same letter written to David Chytreus which happened at Itzehow in Denmarke A Traveller was murdered by the high-way side and because the murderer could not be found out the Magistrates of Itzehow caused the body to be taken up and one of the hands to be cut off which was carried into the prison of the Towne and hung up by a string in one of the Chambers about ten yeares after the murderer comming upon some occasion in to the prison the hand which had been a long time dry began to drop blood on the Table that stood underneath it which the Gaoler beholding stayed the fellow and advertised the Magistrates of it who examining him the murderer giving glory to God confessed his fact and submitted himselfe to the rigour of the Law which was inflicted on him as he very well deserved At Winsheime in Germany a certaine Theefe after many Robberies and Murders committed by him upon Travellers and Women with childe went to the Shambles before Easter and bought three Calves heads which when hee put into a Wallet they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads whereupon being attached and searched by the Officers and he examined how hee came by them answered and proved by witnesses that hee bought Calves heads and how they were transformed â—hee knew not whereupon the Senate amazed not supposing this miracle to arise of naught cast the party into prison and tortured him to make him confesse what villany he had committed who confessed indeed at last his horrible murders and was worthily punished for the same and then the heads recovered their old shapes When I read this story I was halfe afraid to set it downe least I should seeme to insert fables into this serious Treatise of Gods Judgements but seeing the Lord doth often worke miraculously for the disclosing of this foule sinne I thought that it would not seeme altogether incredible Another murderer at Tubing betrayed his murder by his owne sighes which were so deepe and incessant in griefe not of his fact but of his small booty that being but asked the question he confessed the crime and underwent worthy punishment Another murtherer in Spain was discovered by the trembling of his heart for when many were suspected of the murder and all renounced it the Judge caused all their breasts to be opened and him in whom he saw most trembling of brest he condemned who also could not deny the fact but presently confessed the same At Isenacum a certaine yong man being in love with a maid and not having wherewith to maintain her used this unlawfull meanes to accomplish his desire upon a night he slew his host and throwing his body into a Cellar tooke away all his money and then hasted away but the terrour of his owne conscience and the judgement of God so besotted him that hee could not stirre a foot untill he was apprchended At the same time Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon abode at Isenacum and were eye-witnesses of this miraculous judgement who also so dealt with this murderer that in most humble and penitent confession of his sinnes and comfort of soule he ended his life By all these examples wee see how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward when the justice of man is either too blinde that it cannot search out the truth or too blunt that it doth not strike with severity the man appointed unto death then the justice of God riseth up and with his owne arme he discovereth and punisheth the murderer yea rather than he shall goe unpunished sencelesse creatures and his owne heart and tongue rise to give sentence against him I doubt not but daily experience in all places affordeth many more examples to this purpose and especially the experience of our Judges in criminall causes who have continuall occasion of understanding such matters in their Circuits but these shall suffice for our present purpose CHAP. XII Of such as have murdered themselves WHen the Law saith Thou shalt not kill it not onely condemneth the killing of others but much more of our selves for charity springeth from a mans selfe therfore if they be guilty of murder that spill the bloud of others much more guilty are they before God that shed their owne bloud and if nature bindeth us to preserve the life of all men as much as lyeth in our power then much more are we bound to preserve our owne lives so long as God shall give us leave We are here set in this life as souldiers in a station without the licence of our Captaine we must not depart our soule is maried to the body by the appointment of God none must presume to put a sunder those whom God hath coupled and our life is committed to us as a thing in trust we must not redeliver it nor part with it untill he require it againe at our hands that gave it into our hands Saint Augustine in his first Booke De Civitate Dei doth most strongly evince and prove That for no cause voluntary death is to be undertaken neither to avoid temporall troubles least we fall into eternall nor for feare to be polluted with the sinnes of others lest by avoiding other mens sinnes we encrease our owne nor yet for our owne sinnes that are past for the which we have more need of life that we might repent of them nor lastly for the hope of a better life because they which are guilty of their owne death a better life is not prepared for them These be the words of Augustine wherein he alledgeth
foure causes by which men are mooved to this unnaturall act and concludeth that for none of them nor for any other cause what soever a man ought to lay violent and bloudy hands upon himselfe yea concludeth peremptorily that a better life after death doth not receive such to wit that wilfully and desperately murder themselves and die without repentance as commonly they doe But here it is to be observed that many which seeme to make away themselves are murdered and made away by the Divell and not by themselves for otherwise it were not possible that then should perish so strangely as they doe as when some have beene hanged with their knees almost touching the ground others upon a weake twigge not strong enough to beare the weight of the tenth part of their body others beene drowned in a puddle of water which plainely sheweth that the Divell either as the principall actor or at least as a helper was the procurer of their murders and not alwayes themselves And therefore I must needs say with Luther That both charity and conscience inhibites resolutely to judge all such to be damned that seeme to have made havocke of their owne lives for the mercy of God is incomprehensible and why may he not save the soules of them whose bodies he gave leave to the Divell to torment yea to destroy Besides we read of many holy women who in the time of persecution cast themselves into the deep stream to preserve their chastity from the violence of the wicked persecutours and yet were reputed in the Church for holy Martyrs Saint Augustines judgement is worthy to be learned and imitated of all concerning this matter who thus defineth the case Of these saith he I dare avouch nothing rashly it may be the Church of God was perswaded by divine authority to receive them into the number of Martyrs or it may be they did this act not being deceived after the manner of men but being commanded of God not erring but obeying as also we are to judge of Sampson now when God biddeth and without all doubt makes knowne his will who can call this obedience a crime who can accuse a duety of piety But a little after he giveth a caveat Ne divina iussio ullo nutet incerto that is that we be sure God bids for often times the divell translates himself into an Angell of light and wil feine a message from God which proceedeth from his owne malice All this is to be conceived only touching that extraordinary case of those holy women that drowned themselves and yet were held for Martyrs in the Church of God as for others that shall wilfully and wofully shed their owne blouds and rob themselves of that precious jewell of life which God hath given them to keep no doubt but as they commit a horrible and hainous crime so they incurre a horrible and fearefull judgement yea the very act it selfe is both a crime and a judgment a crime deserving a further judgment even eternall damnation in hell fire and a judgement and punishment of some notable sinnes commâ—â—ed by them before and of an ungodly and wicked life unrepented of The drift therfore purpose of these examples following is this to shew how the Lord punisheth oftentimes in men an ungodly life with voluntary and wilfull murder of themselves and this wilfull murder of themselâ—es with eternall damnation after this life ended as a just recompence of their deserts and all to teach us repentance the onely means to prevent both these The first we reade of in holy Scripture that cruelly murdered himselfe with his owne hands was King Saul who as it is recorded of him was a most wicked man and a Tyran for being chosen from among all the people of Israel to be King by the Lords owne appointment and advanced as it were from the Plough to the Scepter he like a most ungratefull wretch kicked against his advancer and rebelled against his God that had done so great things for him yea hee not onely contemned his lawes and cast his commandements behind his backe but also proved a most cruell Tyran and shed much innocent blood amongst the rest of his cruelties this was the chiefe upon the false accusation of Doeg the Edomite he caused fourescore and five persons that were Priests and wore a linnen Ephod to bee staine at one time and Nob the Citie of the Priests to be smote with the edge of the sword both man and woman childe and suckling Oxe and Asse yea so wicked was he that when the Lord would not answer him neither by Prophets nor by dreames nor by any other meanes he went to take counsell of the Divell at the mouth of the Witch of Endor for all which his abominable wickednesse the Lord gave him over at last to so desperate a minde that rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemies he fell upon his owne sword and murdered himselfe Zimri also the King of Israel is set forth by the holy Ghost to be a wicked man and a traitor for he conspited against his master Ela the sonne of Baasha King of Israel and flew him as he was drinking in Tirza and proclaimed himselfe King in his roome but the army hearing thereof made Omri the Captaine of the hoste King who comming to besiege Tirza wherein Zimri was Zimri seeing that the Citie was taken went into the palace of the Kings house and there together with the house burnt himselfe rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemy Now the holy Ghost setteth it downe in plaine words that the Lord sent this judgement upon him for his sinnes which he had sinned in doing that which was evill in the of the Lord and walking in the way of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne Achitophel that great Counsellor of State to King David of whom it is said that the counsell which he counselled was like the Oracle of God when hee saw that the counsell which hee gave was not followed but despised hee sadled his Asse and arose and went home into his owne citie and put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe And that this was Gods just vengeance upon him for his former wickednesse it may appeare both by his conspiracie with Absalom against his liege lord king David and also that wicked counsel which hee gave unto him of going in unto his fathers concubines in the sight of the people In the second booke of the Machabees is recorded a notable story of one Raz is an Elder of Jerusalem who is there set forth to bee a man of very good report constant in religion a father of the Jewes and a lover of the citie yet notwithstanding this man rather than hee would fall into the hands of Nicanor his enemy murdered himselfe after a most fearefull and savage manner for first hee fell upon his sword and when as for haste that stroke dispatched him not hee ran
together in single fight one of Cinna's army the other of the contrary and the one having slaine the other after that the Conquerour perceived that it was his brother whom hee had slaine hee slew himselfe also to make satisfaction for his brothers blood and so they were both buried in one grave Norbanus a Consull of Rome flying from Scylla slew himselfe at Rhodes rather than he would fall into his enemies hands and so did likewise Marius the sonne at Praeneste Of the murderers of Iulius Caesar almost all became also the murderer of themselves Cassius stabb'd himselfe with the same dagger wherewith he had stabb'd Caesar Brutus the night before his overthrow at Philippi saw in his chamber a vision of a great fearefull man and he demanding who he was and what he would he answered I am O Brutus thy evill spirit and to morrow thou shalt see me at Philippi To whom Brutus with a bold courage answered I will therefore see thee there The next day Brutus being conquered by Augustus and Anthony at Philippi fell upon his own sword and slew himselfe Methridates that bloody and mighty King of Pontus being overcome of Lucullus and Pompey and set upon by his owne sonne went about to make away himselfe by poyson which when it tooke not effect by reason of his daily taking of Antidotes he forced a French souldier of his to lay violent hands upon him and so hee became a wilfull spiller of his owne blood that had caused the blood of so many thousands to be spilt His two wives Monica and Veronica hearing of the miserable end of the king made likewise themselves away for the one hanged her selfe but when the weight of her body broke the cord shee committed her selfe to Bochis the Eunuch to bee slaine the other received poyson which when it wrought not so speedily as shee desired Bochis also was made an instrument to dispatch her Most famous and notorious is the story of Lucretia who being ravished by Tarquinius the yonger and impatient of that injury and disgrace slew her selfe openly and gave cause by her death of the change of the Roman State from the government of Kings to Consuls Sophronia another Roman woman but a Christian when as she could by no meanes escape the lust of Decius the Emperour daily assaulting her chastity tooke a sword and by her husbands consent slew her selfe and so to prevent one sin she committed another farre worse than that she feared Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus hearing of the death of her husband at Philippi sought for a knife to kill her selfe which being denyed her she eat burning coales and so ended her life by a strange kinde of death Wee read of many wanton and lewd Poets that have thus made an end of themselves who as for the most they are Epicures and Atheists so seldome come to a good end Labienus the railing Poet who for that cause was called Rabienus understanding that his bookes were adjudged to bee burned by a publike Decree would not survive his own writings and therefore killed himselfe Lucretius the Atheist taking a love potion to incite his lust was by the force therof deprived of his sences and so deprived himselfe also of life in his rage Empedocles the vainglorious Poet affecting the name of a god and of immortality threw himselfe headlong into mount Aetna and so perished Silvius Italicus being taken with an incurable disease chose rather to be his owne murderer than to endure the torment of his sicknesse Cornelius Gallus an amatorius Poet having robbed the City Thebes over which he was set to be governour by Augustus Caesar and fearing to be called to account prevented the punishment of humane justice by executing the justice of God upon himselfe with his owne hands Of those that persecuted the Church of Christ very many were given over by God to be persecutors of themselves and spoylers of their owne lives as Nero for example the first Emperour that tooke in hand to persecute Christians he seeing himselfe in danger to be murdered by one appointed for that purpose to prevent the malice of the murderer murdered himselfe Magnentius another tyrant and enemy to Christs Church being overcome by Constantius brother to Constans whom he had slaine fled to Lions and there became his owne Butcher whose death as soone as his brother Decentius understood he also hanged himselfe Galerius the Emperour after he had tormented the Christians by all cruell means and left no way unattempted whereby he might root them out of his Kingdome fell into a grievous disease through the torment whereof not being able to endure any longer he thrust a sword into his own bowels and so miserably ended his dayes And to come neerer to our owne age in King Edward the sixths dayes one Clerke an open enemy to the Gospel hanged himselfe in the Tower so did Pavier Towne-clerke of London so did the sonne of one Levar a husbandman that mocked and scorned at the holy Martyr master Latymer so likewise did Henry Smith a Lawyer another open adversary to Gods truth Richard Long another enemy to Gods truth drowned himselfe at Calice in King Henry the eights dayes Iohn Plankney a Fellow of New Colledge in Oxford did the like Anno 1566. and likewise one Hanington a Fellow of the same Colledge in a well at Padua or as some thinke at Rome Of these you may reade more in the first booke Hither I might adde many examples of moderne experience as namely of a covetous wretch in the Isle of Elie who being cast in a suit of Law through impatience of griefe came home and hanged himselfe of another that had beene a great dealer in worldly matters and an undoer of a Family or two of good credit and revenue by usury and taking forfeiture of bonds and that by his owne flattering perswasion being himselfe arrested at Huntington for debt rather then he would satisfie it though he was able enough cut his owne throat after a most fearefull and horrible manner another being a man of note and good possessions threw himselfe downe headlong from the top of a Church Many such like examples I could adjoyne with their names and places of abode but I forbeare least by reporting Gods judgements upon the dead I should offend some that are alive These therefore already proposed may be a sufficient taste of this kinde of judgement inflicted by God upon wicked persons and also may serve for a caveat and warning to all men to take heed how they offer violence to their owne lives seeing it is not onely a punishment of sinne past but a fearfull sinne it selfe and a forerunner and causer of punishment to come even of eternall punishment except the Lord extraordinarily and miraculously shew mercy which none ought to presume of CHAP. XIII Of Paricides or Parent Murderers IF all effusion of humane blood be both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature
then is the murdering of Parents especially detestable when a man is so possessed with the Devill or transported with a hellish fury that he lifteth up his hand against his own father or mother to put them to death this is so monstrous and inormous an impiety that the greatest Barbarians ever have had it in detestation wherefore it is also expresly commanded in the Law of God That whosoever smiteth his father or mother in what sort so ever though not to death yet he shall die the death If the disobedience unreverence and contempt of children towards their Parents are by the just judgements of God most rigorously punished as hath beene declared before in the first commandement of the second Table how much more then when violence is offered and above all when murder is committed Thus the Aegyptians punished this sinne they put the committants upon a stacke of thornes and burnt them alive having beaten their bodies beforehand with sharpe reeds made of purpose Solon being demanded why he appointed no punishment in his Lawes for Paricides answered that there was no necessity thinking that the wide world could not afford so wicked a wretch It is said that Romulus for the same cause ordained no punishment in his Common wealth for that crime but called every murderer a Paricide the one being in his opinion a thing execrable and the other impossible And in truth there was not for 600 yeeres space according to Plutarchs report found in Rome any one that had committed this execrable fact The first Paricide that Rome saw was Lucius Ostius after the first Punicke warre although other Writers affirme that M. Malliolus was the first and Lucius the second how soever it was they both underwent the punishment of the Law Pompeia which enacted That such offenders should be thrust into a sacke of Leather and an Ape a Cocke a Viper and a Dog put in to accompany them and then to be throwne into the water to the end that these beasts being enraged and animated one against another might wreke their teene upon them and so deprive them of life after a strange fashion being debarred of the use of the aire water and earth as unworthy to participate the very Elements with their deaths much lesse with their lives which kinde of punishment was after practised and confirmed by the constitution of Constantine the Great And albeit the regard of the punishment seemed terrible and the offence it selfe much more monstrous yet since that time there have beene many so perverse and exceeding wicked as to throw themselves headlong into that desperate gulfe As Cleodoricke sonne of Sigebert King of Austria who being tickled with an unsatiable lust of raigne through the deceivable perswasions of Cleodovius King of France slew his father Sigebert as he lay asleepe in his Tent in a forrest at noone time of the day who being weary with walking laid himselfe downe there to take his rest but for all that the wicked wretch was so farre from attaining his purpose that it fell out cleane contrary to his expectation for after his fathers death as he was viewing his treasures and ransacking his coffers one of Cleodovius factors strooke him suddenly and murdered him and so Cleodovius seised both upon the Crowne and Treasures After the death of Hircanus Aristobulus succeeded in the government of Judea which whilest he strove to reduce into a kingdome and to weare a crown contrary to the custome of his predecessors his mother other brethren contending with him about the same he cast in prison took Antigonus his next brother to be his associate but ere long a good gratefull son he famished her to death with hunger that had fed him to life with her teares even his naturall mother And after perswaded with false accusations caused his late best beloved Antigonus to be slaine by an ambush that lay by Strato's tower because in the time of his sicknesse he entred the Temple with pompe But the Lord called for quittance for the two bloodsheds immediately after the execution of them for his brothers blood was scarce washed off the ground ere in the extreamity of his sicknesse he was carried into the same place and there vomiting up blood at his mouth and nosthrils to be mingled with his brothers he fell downe starke dead not without horrible tokens of trembling and despaire Nero that unnaturall Tyran surpassed all that lived as in all other vices so in this for he attempted thrice by poyson to make away his mother Agrippina and when that could not prevaile by reason of her usuall Antidotes and preservatives hee assayed divers other meanes as first a devise whereby she should be crushed to death as she slept a loosened beame that should fall upon her and secondly by shipwracke both which when she escaped the one by discovery and the other by swimming he sent Anicâ—tus the Centurion to slaughter her with the sword who with his companions breaking up the gate of the City where she lay rushed into her Chamber and there murdered her It is written of her that when she saw there was no remedy but death she presented her belly unto the murderer and desired him to kill her in that part which had most deserved it by bringing into the world so vile a monster and of him that he came to view the dead carkasse of his mother and handled the members thereof commending this and discommending that as his fancy led him and in the meane time being thirsty to call for drinke so farre was he from all humanity and touch of Nature but he that spared not to embrue his hands in her blood that bred him was constrained ere long to offer violence to his own life which was most deere unto him Henry the son of Nicolotus Duke of Herulia had two wicked cruell and unkind sonnes by the yonger of whom with the consent of the elder he was traiterously murdered because he had married a third wife for which cause Nicolotus their cousin-german pursued them both with a just revenge for he deprived them of their kingdome and drove them into exile where they soon after perished Selymus the tenth Emperour of Turkes was so unnaturall a childe that he feared not to dispossesse his father Bajazet of the crown by treason and next to bereave him of his life by poyson And not satisfied therewith even to murder his two brethren and to destroy the whole stock of his own blood But when hee had raigned eight yeares vengeance found him out and being at his backe so corrupted and putrified his reins that the contagion spread it selfe over all his body so that he dyed a beast-like and irksome death and that in the same place where he had before oppressed his father Bajazet with an army to wit at Chiurle a city of Thracia in the year of our Lord 1520. in the moneth of September Charles the younger by surname called Crassus
in many witnesseth they are intolerable in that kinde for which cause they have borâ—â— the markes of Gods Justice for their rigorous and barbarous handling of the poor West Indians whom they have brought to that extremity by putting them to such excessive travels in digging their mines of Gold as namely in the island Hispagnola that the most part by sighes and teares wish by death to end their miseries many first killing their children have desperately hung themselves on high trees some have throwne themselves headlong from steep mountaines and others cast themselves into the sea to be rid of their troubles but the Tyrans have never escaped scot-free but came alwayes to some miserable end or other for some of them were destroyed by the inhabitants others slew one another with their owne hands provoked by insatiable avarice some have been drowned in the sea and others starved in the Desart in fine few escaped unpunished Bombadilla one of the Governours of Hispagnola after he had swayed there a while and enriched himselfe by the sweat and charge of the inhabitants was called home again into Spain whitherward according to the commandment received as he imbarqued himselfe shipping with him so much treasure as in value mounted to more than an hundred and fifty thousand duckats beside many pieces and graines of Gold which he carried to the Spanish Queen for a Present whereof one weighed three thousand duckats there arose such a horrible and outragious tempest in the broad sea and beat so violently against his ships that four and twenty vessels were shivered in pieces and drowned at that blow there perished Bombadilla himselfe with most of his Captaines and more than five hundred Spaniards that thought to returne full rich into the Country and became with all their treasures a prey unto the fishes In the year of our Lord 1541. The eight day of September there chanced in the City Guatimala which lyeth in the way from Nicaragna Westward a strange and admirable judgement After the death of Alvarado who subdued this province and founded the City and was but a little before slain in fight it rained so strangely and vehemently all this whole day and night that of a sudden so huge a deluge and floud of waters overflowed the earth streaming from the bottom of the mountains into the lower grounds with such violence that stones of incredible bignesse were carried with it which tumbling strongly downewards bruised and burst in pieces whatsoever was in their way In the mean while there was heard in the air fearfull cries and voices and a blacke Cow was seen running up and downe in the midst of the water that did much hurt The first house that was Overthrowne by this tempest was dead Alvarado's wherein his widow a very proud woman that held the Government of the whole Province in her hand and had before despited God for her husbands death was slain with all her houshold and in a moment the Citie was either drowned or subverted there perished in this tempest of men and women sixscore persons but they that at the beginning of the floud â—ted saved their lives The morrow after the waters were surceased one might see the poor Spaniards lie along the fields some maimed in their bodies other with broken armes or legs or otherwise miserably wounded And thus did God revenge the monstrous Spanish cruelties exercised upon those poor people whom instead of inâ—icing by fair and gentle meanes to the knowledge of the true God and his Son Christ they terrified by extraordinary tyranny for such is the Spanish nature making them thinke that Christians were the cruellest and most wicked men of the earth In the year of our Lord 1514. happened the horrible sedition and butchery of the Croysadoes in Hungary the story is this There was a generall discontent amongst the people against the King and chiefest of the Realme because they went not about to conquer those places again from the Turke which he held in Hungary Thereupon the Popes Legate published Pardons for all those that would crosse themselves to go to war against the Turke Whereupon suddenly there gathered together a wonderfull company of thieves and robbers from every corner of Hungary who together with great multitudes of the common people that were oppressed by the insolency of the Nobility creating themselves a Generall committed a most horrible spoil almost over all Hungary murdering all the Gentlemen and Bishops they could meet withall the richest and those which were noblest descended they empailed alive This cruell rage continuing at last the King raised Forces against them and ere long they were defeated in a set battle by Iohn the son of Vayvod Stephen who having cut the most of them in pieces took their Leaders and put them to death by such strange torments as I have horrour to remember for the Generall of this seditious troop called George he caused to be stript naked and a Crowne of hot burning iron to be set upon his head then some of his veines to be opened and made Lucatius his brother to drinke the bloud which issued out of them After that the chiefest of the Peasants who had been kept three dayes without meat were brought forth and forced to fall up on the body of George yet breathing with their teeth and every one to tear away and eat a piece of it Thus he being torne in pieces his bowels were pulled out and cut into morsels whereof some being boyled and the rest roasted the Prisoners were constrained to feed on them which done all that remained were put to most horrible and languishing deaths An example of greater cruelty can hardly be found since the world was a world and therefore no marvell if the Lord hath punished the King and Realme of Hungary for such strange cruelties by suffering the cruell Turkes to make spoil of them Cruell chastisements are prepared for them that be cruell and inhumane During the Peasants war in Germany in the year 1525. a certain Gentleman not content to have massacred a great number even of those which had humbly craved pardon of him used in all company to glory of his exploits and to tell what murders and thefts he had committed But some moneths after he fell sicke and languished many dayes of an extreme pain in the reines of his back through the torment whereof he fell into despair and ceased not to curse and deny his Creatour who is blessed for ever untill that both speech and life failed him Neither did the severity of Gods justice here stay but shewed it selfe on his posterity also for his eldest son seeking to exalt the prowesse and valour of his father vaunted much of his fathers exploits in an open assembly at a banquet wherewithall a countriman being moved stabbed him to the heart with his dagger and some few dayes after the Plague fals among the residue of his Family and consumeth all that remaineth CHAP. XX. Of Adulteries IT
followeth by the order of our subject now to touch the transgression of the third Commandement of the second Table which is Thou shalt not commit Adultery in which words as also in many other Texts of Scripture Adultery is forbidden and grievous threatnings denounced against all those that defile their bodies with filthy and impure actions estrange themselves from God and conjoyne themselves to whores and ribauds This sin did the Israelites commit with the woman of Madian by means whereof they were to follow strange gods and to fall into Gods heavie displeasure who by a cruell Plague destroyed 24000. of them for the same sin And forasmuch as the Madianites through the wicked and pernicious counsell of Balaam did lay this snare for them and were so villanous and shamelesse as to prostitute and be Bauds to their owne wives therefore they were by the expresse Commandement of God discomfited their Kings and false prophets with all their men and women except onely their unpolluted virgins that had knowne no man slain and all their Cities and dwellings burned and consumed to ashes As every one ought to have regard and care to their honesty so maides especially whose whole credit and reputation hangeth thereupon for they that make no account thereof but suffer themselves to be polluted with any filthinesse draw upon them not onely most vile infamy but also many great miseries as is proved by the daughter of Hippomenes Prince of Athens who being a whore her father shut up in a stable with a wilde horse giving him no provender nor other meat to eat that the horse naturally furious enough but more enraged by famine might tear her in pieces and with her carkase refresh his hunger as he did Pontus Aufidian understanding that his daughter had been betrayed and sold into a lechers hands by a slave of his that was her schoolmaster put them both to death In like manner served Pub. Atilius Falisque his daughter that fell into the same infamy Vives reporteth that in our fathers dayes two brothers of Arragon perceiving their sister whom they ever esteemed for honest to be with childe hiding their displeasure untill her delivery was past came in suddenly and stabbed her into the belly with their daggers till they killed her in the presence of a sage matron that was witnesse to their deed The same Authour saith That when he was a young man there were three in the same Countrey that conspired the death of a companion of theirs that went about to commit this villany and as they conspired so they performed it strangling him to death with a napkin as he was going to his filthinesse As for Adulterers examples are infinite both of their wicked lives and miserable ends In which number many of them may be scored that making profession of a single life and undertaking the vow of chastity shew themselves monstrous knaves and ribauds as many of the Popes themselves have done As we reade of Iohn the Eleventh bastard son to Lando his predecessour who by meanes of his Adulteries with Theodora then Governesse of Rome came by degrees to the Papacy so he passed the blessed time of his holy Popeship with this vertuous Dame to whom he served instead of a common Horse to satisfie her insatiable and disordinate lust but the good and holy father was at last taken and castin prison and there smothered to death with a pillow Benedict the Eleventh diâ—ing on a time with an Abbesse his familiar was poysoned with certain figs that he eat Clement the Fifth was reported to be a common Bawd and a protectour of whores he went apart into Avignion and there stayed of purpose to do nothing but whore-hunt he died in great torment of the bloudy flux plurisie and grief of the stomacke In our English Chronicles we reade of Sir Roger Mortimer Earl of March in the time of Edward the Third who having secret familiarity with Isabel Edward the Seconds wife was not onely the cause to stir her up to make war against her husband but also when he was vanquished by her and deposed from his Crowne his young son being installed in his Throne caused him most cruelly to be put to death by thrusting a hot spit into his body at his fundament He also procured the Earle of Kent the Kings uncle to be arraigned and beheaded at Winchester for that he withstood the Queenes and his dealings and would not suffer them to do what they listed All these mischiefes sprung out from the filthy root of Adultery But the just judgement of God not permitting such odious crimes to be unpunished nor undetected it so fell forth at the length that Isabel the old Queen was discovered to be with childe by the said Mortimer whereof complaint being made to the King as also of the killing of King Edward his father and conspiring and procuring the death of the Earle of Kent the Kings uncle he was arreigned and indicted and by verdict found guilty and suffered death accordingly like a Traitor his head being exalted upon London-bridge for a spectacle for all murderers and adulterers to behold that they might see and fear the heavy vengeance of God CHAP. XXI Of Rapes NOw if Adultery which with liking and consent of parties is committed be condemned how much more grievous and hainous is the offence and more guilty the offendour when with violence the chastity of any iâ— assailed and enforced This was the sin wherewith Sichem the son of Hemor the Levite is marked in holy Scripture for he ravished Dina Iacobs daughter for which cause Simeon and Levi revenged the injury done unto their sister upon the head of not onely him and his father but all the Males that were in the City by putting them to the sword It was a custome amongst the Spartans and Messenians during the time of peace betwixt them to send yearly to one another certain of their daughters to celebrate certain feasts and sacrifices that were amongst them now in continuance of time it chanced that fifty of the Lacedemonian virgins being come to those solemne feasts were pursued by the Messenian gallants to have their pleasures of them but they joyntly making resistance and fighting for their honesties strove so long not one yeelding themselves a prey into their hands till they all died whereupon arose so long and miserable a war that all the Countrey of Messena was destroyed thereby Aristoclides a Tyran of Orchomenus a City of Arcadia fell enamored with a maid of Stymphalis who seeing her father by him slain because he seemed to stand in his purposes light fled to the Temple of Diana to take Sanctuary neither could once be plucked from the image of the goddesse untill her life was taken from her but her death so incensed the Arcadians that they fell to Armes and sharpely revenged her cruell injury Appius a Roman a man of power and authority in the City inflamed with the love of a virgine
her servant that was captive with her to her friends to purvey the same which he bringing the Centurion alone with the wronged Lady met him at a place appointed and whilest he weighed the money by her counsell was murdered of her servants so she escaping carried to her husband both his money and threw at his feet the villaines head that had spoiled her of her chastity Andreas King of Hungary having undertaken the voyage into Syria for the recovery of the Holy Land together with many other Kings and Princes committed the charge of his Kingdom and Family to one Bannebanius a wise and faithfull man who discharged his Office as faithfully as he took it willingly upon him Now the Queen had a brother called Gertrude that came to visit and comfort his sister in her husbands absence and by that meanes sojourned with her a long time even so long till he fell deadly in love with Bannebanius Lady a fair and vertuous woman and one that was thought worthy to keep company with the Queen continually to whom when he had unfolded his suit and received such stedfast repulse that he was without all hope of obtaining his desire he began to droup and pine untill the Queen his sister perceiving his disease found this perverse remedy for the cure thereof she would often give him opportunity of discourse by withdrawing her selfe from them being alone and many times leave them in secret and dangerous places of purpose that he might have his will of her but she would never consent unto his lust and therefore at last when he saw no remedy he constrained her by force and made her subject to his will against her will which vile disgracefull indignity when she had suffered she returned home sad and melancholy and when her husband would have embraced her she fled from him asking him if he would embrace a whore and related unto him her whole abuse desiring him either to rid her from shame by death or to revenge her wrong and make knowne unto the world the injury done unto her There needed no more spurres to pricke him forward for revenge he posteth to the Court and upbraiding the Queen with her ungratefull and abominable treachery runneth her through with his sword and taking her heart in his hand proclaimeth openly that it was not a deed of inconsideration but of judgement in recompence of the losse of his wives chastity forthwith he flieth towards the King his Lord that now was at Constantinople and declaring to him his fact and shewing to him his sword besmeared with his wives bloud submitteth himselfe to his sentence either of death in rigour or pardon in compassion but the good King enquiring the truth of the cause though grieved with the death of his wife yet acquit him of the crime and held him in as much honour and esteem as ever he did condemning also his wife as worthy of that which she had endured for her unwomanlike and traiterous part A notable example of justice in him and of punishment in her that forgetting the law of womanhood and modesty made her selfe a Bawd unto her brothers lust whose memory as it shall be odious and execrable so his justice deserveth to be engraven in marble with characters of gold Equal to this King in punishing a Rape was Otho the first for as he passed through Italy with an Army a certain woman cast her selfe downe at his feet for justice against a villain that had spoiled her of her chastity who deferring the execution of the law till his returne because his haste was great the woman asked who should then put him in minde thereof he answered This Church which thou seest shall be a witnesse betwixt me and thee that I will then revenge thy wrong Now when he had made an end of this warfare in his returne as he beheld the Church he called to minde the woman and caused her be fetched who falling downe before him desired now pardon for him whom before she had accused seeing he had now made her his wife and redeemed his injury with sufficient satisfaction not so I swear quoth Otho your compacting shall not infringe or colludo the sacred Law but he shall die for his former fault and so he caused him to be put to death A notable example for them that after they have committed filthinesse with a maid thinke it no sin but competent amends if they take her in marriage whom they abused before in fornication Nothing inferiour to these in punishing this sin was Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara as by this History following may appear In the year 1547. a Citizen of Comun was cast into Prison upon an accusation of murder whom to deliver from the judgement of death his wife wrought all meanes possible therefore comming to the Captain that held him Prisoner she sued to him for her husbands life who upon condition of her yeelding to his lust and payment of two hundred Ducats promised safe deliverance for him the poor woman seeing that nothing could redeem her husbands life but losse and shipwracke of her owne honesty told her husband who willed her to yeeld to the Captaines desire and not to pretermit so good an occasion wherefore she consented but after the pleasure past the traiterous and wicked Captain put her husband to death notwithstanding which injury when she complained to Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara he caused the Captain first to restore backe her two hundred Ducats with an addition of seven hundred Crownes and secondly to marry her to his wife and lastly when he hoped to enjoy her body to be hanged for his treachery O noble justice and comparable to the worthiest deeds of Antiquity and deserving to be held in perpetuall remembrance As these before mentioned excelled in punishing this sin so this fellow following excelled in committing it and in being punished for it his name is Novellus Cararius Lord of Pavie a man of note and credit in the World for his greatnesse but of infamy and discredit for his wickednesse This man after many cruell murders and bloudy practises which he exercised in every place where he came fell at last into this notorious and abhominable crime for lying at Vincentia he fell in love with a young maid of excellent beauty but more excellent honesty an honest Citizens daughter whom he commanded her parents to send unto him that he might have his pleasure of her but when they regarding their credit and she her chastity more than the Tyrans command refused to come he took her violently out of their house and constrained her body to his lust and after to adde cruelty to villany chopped her into small pieces and sent them to her parents in a basket for a present wherewith her poor father astonished carried it to the Senate who sent it to Venice desiring them to consider the fact and to revenge the cruelty The Venetians undertaking their defence made war upon the Tyran and
besieging him in his owne City took him at last prisoner and hanged him with his two sons Francis and William Diocles son of Pisistratus Tyran of Athens for ravishing a maid was slain by her brother whose death when Hippias his brother undertook to revenge and caused the maidens brother to be racked that he might discover the other conspiratours he named all the Tyrans friends which by commandment being put to death the Tyran asked whether there were any more None but onely thy selfe quoth he whom I would wish next to be hanged whereby it was perceived how abundantly he had revenged his sisters chastity by whose notable stomacke all the Athenians being put in remembrance of their liberty expelled their Tyran Hippias out of their City Mundus a young Gentleman of Rome ravished the chaste Matron Paulina in this fashion when he perceived her resolution not to yeeld unto his lust he perswaded the Priests of Isis to say that they were warned by an Oracle how that Anubius the god of Egypt desired the company of the said Paulina to whom the chaste Matron gave light credence both because she thought the Priests would not lie and also because it was accounted a great renowne to have to do with a god and thus by this meanes was Paulina abused by Mundus in the Temple of Isis under the name of Anubius Which thing being after disclosed by Mundus himselfe he was thus justly revenged the Priests were put to death the Temple beaten downe to the ground the Image of Isis throwne into Tiber and the young man banished A principall occasion of the Danes first arrivall here in England which after conquered the whole Land and exercised among the Inhabitants most horrible cruelties and outrages was a Rape committed by one Osbright a deputy King under the King of the West-Saxons in the North part This Osbright upon a time journeying by the way turned into the house of one of his Nobles called Bruer who having a wife of great beauty he being from home the King after dinner allured with her excellent beauty took her to a secret Chamber where he forcibly contrary to her will ravished her whereupon she being greatly dismayed and vexed made her mone to her husband at his returne of this violence and injury received The Nobleman forthwith studying revenge first went to the King and resigned to his hands all such services and possessions which he held of him and then took shipping and sailed into Denmarke where he had great friends and had his bringing up there making his mone to Codrinus the King desired his aid in revenging of the great villany of Osbright against him and his wife Codrinus glad to entertain any occasion of quarrell against this Land presently levied an Army and preparing all things for the same sendeth forth Inguar and Hubba two brethren with a mighty Army of Danes into England who first arriving at Holdernesse burnt up the Countrey and killed without mercy both men women and children then marching towards Yorke encountered with wicked Osbright himselfe where he with the most part of his Army was slain and discomfited a just reward for his villanous act as also one chief cause of the Conquest of the whole Land by the Danes In the year of our Lord 955. Edwine succeeding his uncle Eldred was King of England this man was so impudent that in the very day of his Coronation he suddenly withdrew himselfe from his Lords and in sight of certain persons ravished his owne kinswoman the wife of a Nobleman of his Realme and afterward slew her husband that he might have unlawfull use of her beauty for which act he became so odious to his Subjects and Nobles that they joyntly rose against him and deprived him of his Crowne when he had reigned four yeares CHAP. XXII Other examples of Gods Judgements upon Adulterers AMongst all other things this is especially to be noted how God for a greater punishment of the disordinate lust of men strucke them with a new yet filthy and stinking kinde of Disease called the French Pox though indeed the Spaniards were the first that were infected therewith by the heat which they caught among the women of the new-found lands and sowed the seeds thereof first in Spain and from thence sprinkled Italy therewith wherethe French men caught it when Charles the Eighth their King went against Naples From whence the contagion spread it selfe throughout divers places of Europe Barbary was so over-growne with it that in all their Cities the tenth part escaped not untouched nay almost not a Family but was infected From thence it ran to Aegypt Syria and the graund Cair and it may near hand truly be said that there was not a corner of the habitable world where this not onely new and strange for it was never heard of in antient ages but terrible and hideous scourge of Gods wrath stretched not it selfe They that were spotted with it and had it rooted in their bodies led a languishing life full of aches and torments and carried in their visages filthy markes of unclean behaviour as ulcers boyles and such like that greatly disfigured them And herein we see the words of Saint Paul verified That an Adulterer sinneth against his owne body Now for so much as the world is so brutishly carried into this sin as to none more the Lord therefore hath declared his anger against it in divers sorts so that divers times he hath punished it in the very act or not long after by a strange death Of which Alcibiades one of the great Captaines of Athens may stand for an example who being polluted with many great and odious vices and much given to his pleasures and subject to all uncleannesse ended his life in the midst thereof for as he was in company of a Phrygian strumpet having flowne thither to the King of Phrygia for shelter was notwithstanding set upon by certain Guards which the King induced by his enemies sent to stay him but they though in number many through the conceived opinion of his notable valour durst not apprehend him at hand but set fire to the house standing themselves in armes round about it to receive him if need were he seeing the fire leaped through the midst of it and so long defended himselfe amongst them all till strength failed in himselfe and blowes encreasing upon him constrained him to give up his life amongst them Pliny telleth of Cornelius Gallus and Q. Elerius two Roman Knights that died in the very action of filthinesse In the Irish History we finde recorded a notable judgement of God upon a notorious and cruell lecher one Turgesnis a Norwegian who having twice invaded Ireland reigned there as King for the space of thirty yeares This Tyran not onely cried havocke and spoil upon the whole Countrey abusing his victory very insolently but also spared not to abuse virgins and women at his pleasure to the satisfying
be whereof all they are guilty that either make up such Marriages or give their good will or consent to them or do not hinder the cause and proceedings of them if any manner of way they can Now that this confusion and mixture of Religion in Marriages is unpleasant and noysom to God it manifestly appeareth Gen. 6. where it is said that because the sonnes of God to wit those whom God had separated for himselfe from the beginning of the world to be his peculiar ones were so evill advised as to be allured with the beauties of the daughters of men to wit of those which were not chosen of God to be his people and to marry with them corrupting themselves by this contagious acquaintance of prophane people with whom they should have had nothing to do that therefore God was incensed against them and resolved simply to revenge the wickednesse of each party without respect Beside the monstrous fruits of those prophane Marriages do sufficiently declare their odiousnesse in Gods sight for from them arose gyants of strength and stature exceeding the proportion of men who by their hugenesse did much wrong and violence in the world and gained fearfull and terrible names to themselves but God provoked by their oppressions drowned their tyrannies in the Floud and made an end of the world for their sakes In the time of the Judges in Israel the Israelites were chastised by the hand of God for this same fault for they tooke to wives the daughters of the uncircumcised and gave them their daughters also In like sort framed they themselves by this meanes to their corrupt manners and superstitions and to the service of their Idolatrous gods but the Lord of heaven raigned downe anger upon their heads and made them subject to a stranger the King of Mesopotamia whom they served the space of eight yeares Looke what hapned to King Solomon for giving his heart to strange women that were not of the houshold of Gods people he that before was replenished with such admirable wisdome that he was the wonder of the world was in his olde age deprived thereof and besotted with a kinde of dulnesse of understanding and led aside from the true knowledge of God to serve Idols and to build them Altars and Chappels for their worship and all this to please forsooth his wives humours whose acquaintance was the chiefe cause of his misery and Apostasie CHAP. XXIV Touching incestuous Marriages NOw as it is unlawfull to contract marriages with parties of contrary religion so it is as unlawfull to marry those that are neare unto us by any degree of kindred or affinity as it is inhibited not only by the law of God but also by civill and politique constitutions whereunto all nations have ever by the sole instinct of nature agreed and accorded except the Aegyptians and Persians whose abhominations were so great as to take their owne sisters and mothers to be their wives Cambyses King of Media and Persia married his owne sister but it was not long ere he put her to death a just proofe of an unjust and accursed marriage Many others there were in protract of time that in their insatiable lusts shewed themselves no lesse unstaied and unbriedled in their lawlesse affections then he One of which was Antigonus King of Judea son of Herodes sirnamed Great who blushed not to marry his sister the late wife of his deceased brother Alexander by whom she had borne two children but for this and divers other his good deeds he lost not only his goods which were confiscated but was himselfe also banished out of his countrey into a forraine place from Judea to Vienna in France Herod also the Tetrarch was so impudent and shamelesse that he tooke from his brother Philip his wife Herodias and espoused her unto himselfe which shamelesse and incestuous deed Iohn Baptist reproving in him told him plainly how unlawfull it was for him to possesse his brothers wise but the punishment which befell him for this and many other his sins we have heard in the former booke and need not here to be repeated Anton. Caracalla tooke to wife his mother in law allured thereunto by her faire enticements whose wretched and miserable end hath already been touched in the former booke The Emperour Heraclius after the decease of his first wife married his owne neece the daughter of his brother which turned mightily to his undoing for besides that that under his raigne and as it were by his occasion the Saracens entred the borders of Christendome and spoiled and destroyed his dominions under his nose to his foule and utter disgrace he was over and above smitten corporally with so grievous and irksome a disease of dropsie that he dyed thereof Thus many men run ryot by assuming to themselves too much liberty and breake the bounds of civill honesty required in all Contracts and too audaciously set themselves against the commandement of God which ought to be of such authority with all men that none be they never so great should dare to derogate one jot from them unlesse they meant wholly to oppose themselves as profest enemies to God himselfe and to turne all the good order of things into confusion All which notwithstanding some of the Romish Popes have presumed to encroach upon Gods right and to disanull by their foolish decrees the lawes of the Almighty As Alexander the sixth did who by his Bull approved the incestuous marriage of Ferdinand King of Naples with his owne Aunt his father Alphonsus sister by the fathers side which otherwise saith Cardinall Bembus had been against all law and equity and in no case to be tollerated and borne withall Henry the seventh King of England after the death of his eldest son Arthur caused by the speciall dispensation of Pope Iulius his next son named Henry to take to wife his brothers widdow called Katherine daughter to Ferdinando King of Spaine for the desire he had to have this Spanish affinity continued who succeeding his father in the Crowne after continuance of time began to advise himselfe and to consult whether this marriage with his brothers wife were lawfull or no and found it by conference both of holy and prophane lawes utterly unlawfull whereupon he sent certaine Bishops to the Queene to give her to know That the Popes dispensation was altogether unjust and of none effect to priviledge such an act to whom she answered That it was too late to call in question the Popes Bull which so long time they had allowed of The two Cardinals that were in Commission from the Pope to decide the controversie and to award judgement upon the matter were once upon point to conclude the decree which the King desired had not the Pope impeached their determination in regard of the Emperour Charles nephew to the said Queene whom he was loath to displease wherefore the King seeing himselfe frustrate of his purpose in this behalfe sent into divers
the sonne and Tarquinius the father that they rebelled forthwith and when he should enter the City shut the gates against him neither would receive or acknowledge him ever after for their King Whereupon ensued war abroad and alteration of the state at homeâ— for after that time Rome endured no more King to beare rule over them but in their roome created two Consuls to be their governours which kinde of government continued to Iulius Caesars time Thus was Tarquinius the father shamefully deposed from his crowne for the adultery or rather rape of his son and Tarquinius the son slaine by the Sabians for the robberies and murders which by his fathers advice he committed against them and he himselfe not long after in the war which by the Tuscane succours he renued against Rome to recover his lost estate was discomfited with them and slaine in the middest of the rout In the Emperour Valentinianus time the first of that name many women of great account and parentage were for committing adultery put to death as testifieth Ammianus Marcellinus When Europe after the horrible wasting and great ruines which it suffered by the furious invasion of Attila began to take a little breath and finde some ease behold a new trouble more hurtfull and pernitious than the former came upon it by meanes of the filthy lechery and lust of the Emperour Valentinianus the third of that name who by reason of his evill bringing up and government under his mother Placidia being too much subject to his owne voluptuousnesse and tyed to his owne desires dishonoured the wife of Petronius Maximus a Senatour of Rome by forcing her to his pleasure an act indeed that cost him his life and many more beside and that drew after it the finall destruction of the Romane Empire and the horrible besacking and desolation of the City of Rome For the Emperour being thus taken and set on fire with the love of this woman through the excellent beauty wherewith she was endued endeavoured first to entice her to his lust by faire allurements and seeing that the bulwarke of her vertuous chastity would not by this meanes be shaken but that all his pursute was still in vaine he tryed a new course and attempted to get her by deceit and policie which to bring about one day setting himselfe to play with her husband Maximus he won of him his Ring which he no sooner had but secretly he sent it to his wife in her husbands name with this commandement That by that token she should come presently to the Court to doe her duty to the Empresse Eudoxia she seeing her husbands Ring doubted nothing but came forthwith as she was commanded where whilest she was entertained by certaine suborned women whom the Emperour had set on he himselfe commeth in place and discloseth unto her his whole love which he said he could no longer represse but must needes satisfie if not by faire meanes at least by force and compulsion and so he constrained her to his lust Her husband advertised hereof intended to revenge this injury upon the Emperour with his owne hand but seeing he could not execute his purpose whilest Actius the Captaine Generall of Valentinianus army lived a man greatly reverenced and feared for his mighty and famous exploits atchieved in the wars against the Burgundians Gothes and Attila he found meanes by suggesting a false accusation of treason against him which made him to be hated and suspected of the Emperour to worke his death After that Actius was thus traiterously and unworthily slaine the griefe of infinite numbers of people for him in regard of his great vertues and good service which he had done to the Commonwealth gave Maximusâ—it â—it occasion to practise the Emperours destruction and that by this meanes He set on two of Actius most faithfull followers partly by laying before them the unworthy death of their master and partly by presents and rewards to kill the Emperour which they performed as hee was sitting on his seat of judgement in the sight of the whole multitude among whom there was not one found that would oppose himselfe to Maximus in his defence save one of his Eunuchs who stepping betwixt to save his life lost his owne and the amazement of the whole City with this sudden accident was so great that Maximus having revenged himselfe thus upon the Emperour without much adoe not only seised upon the Empire but also upon the Empresse Eudoxia and that against her will to be his wife for his owne dyed but a little before Now the Empresse not able to endure so vile an indignity being above measure passionate with griefe and desire of revenge conspired his destruction on this manner She sent secretly into Africa to solicite and request most instantly Gensericus King of the Vandales by prayers mingled with presents to come to deliver her and the City of Rome from the cruell tyranny of Maximus and to revenge the thrice unjust murder of her husband Valentinian adding moreover that he was bound to doe no lesse in consideration of the league of friendship which by oath was confirmed betwixt them Gensericus well pleased with these newes laid hold upon the offered occasion which long time hee had more wished than hoped for and forthwith being already tickled with hope of a great and inestimable booty rigged his ships and made ready his armie by Sea lanching forth with three hundred thousand men Vandales and Moores and with this huge fleete made straight for Rome Maximus meane while mistrusting no such matter especially from those parts was sore affrighted at the sudden brute of their comming and not yet understanding the full effect of the matter perceiving the whole Citty to bee in dismay and that not only the common people but also the Nobilitie had for feare forsaken their houses and fled to the Mountaines or Forrests for safety hee I say destitute of succour tooke himselfe also to his heeles as his surest refuge but all could not serve to rid him from the just vengeance of God prepared for him for the murders which hee had beene cause of for certaine Senatours of Rome his private and secret foes finding him alone in the way of his flight and remembring their olde quarrels fell upon him suddenly and felled him downe with stones and after mangled him in pieces and threw his body into Tiber. Three dayes after arrived Gensericus with all his forces and entering Rome found it naked of all defence and left to his owne will and discretion where albeit he professed himselfe to be a Christian yet he shewed more pride and cruelty and lesse pitty than either Attila or Allaricus two heathen Kings For having given his souldiers the pillage of the City they not only spoiled all private houses but also the Temples and Monasteries in most cruell and riotous manner All the best and beautifullest things of the City they took away and carried a huge multitude of people
prisoners to Affrica amongst the which was Eudoxia the Empresse with her two daughters Eudocia and Placidia who was the cause of all this calamity but her trechery saved not her self nor them from thraldome And thus was Rome sacked and destroyed more than ever it was before insomuch that the Romane Empire could never after recover it selfe but decayed every day and grew worse and worse These were the calamities which the adultery of Valeutinian brought upon himselfe and many others to his owne destruction and the utter ruine of the whole Empire Childericke King of France son to Merouce for laying siege to the chastity of many great Ladies of his Realme the Princes and Barons conspired against him and drove him to flie for his life Eleonor the wife to King Lewis of France he that first cut through the sea surrowes towards Jerusalem against the Turkes and Saracens would needs couragiously follow her husband in that long and dangerous voyage but how Marrie whilest he travailed night and day in perill of his life she lay at Antioch bathing her selfe in all delights and that more licentiously than the reputation or duty of a married woman required wherefore being had in suspition and evill reported of for her lewd behaviour it was thought meet that she should be divorced from the King under pretence of consanguinity to the end she should not altogether be defamed The faire daughters of Philip the faire King of France escaped not at so good a rate for the King as soone as he smelt out the haunt of their unchastity caused them to be apprehended and imprisoned presently howbeit one of them namely the Countesse of Poictiers her innocency being knowne was set at liberty and the other two to wit the Queen of Navarre and the wife of Iohn de le March being found guilty by proofe were adjudged to perpetuall imprisonment and the Adulterers two brethren of the countrey of Anjou with whom these Ladies had often lyen were first cruelly flaine and after hanged Charles son of the aforesaid Philip the faire had to wife the daughter of the Earle of Artois that also offended in the like case and in recompence received this dishonour and ignominie to be divorced and put in prison and to see him married to another before her face In the reigne of Charles the sixth there befell a notable and memorable accident which was this one Iaques le Gris of the Countrey of Alanson being enamoured with a Lady no lesse faire than honourable the wife of the Lord of Carouge came upon a day when he knew her husband to bee from home to her house and faining as if he had some secret message to unfold unto her on her husbands behalfe for their familiarity was so great entred with her all alone into a most secret chamber where as soone as he had gotten her he locked the doore and throwing himselfe upon her forced her unto his lust and afterward saved himselfe by speedy flight Her husband at his returne understanding the injury and wrong which was done him by this vile miscreant sought first to revenge himselfe by justice and therefore put his cause to be heard by the Parliament of Paris where being debated it could not well be decided because he wanted witnesses to convince the crime except his owne wives words which could not be accepted so that the Court to the end that there might some end be made of their quarrell ordained a combate betwixt them which was forthwith performed for the two duellists entering the lists fell presently to strokes and that so eagerly that in short space the quarrell was decided the Lord of Carouge husband of the wronged Lady remained conquerour after he had slaine his enemy that had wronged him so wickedly and disloyally the vanquished was forthwith delivered to the hangman of Paris who dragged him to mount Falcon and there hanged him Now albeit this forme and custome of deciding controversies hath no ground nor warrant either from humane or divine Law God having ordained only an Oath to end doubts where proofes and witnesses faile yet doubtlesse the Lord used this as an instrument to bring the treacherous and cruell Adulterer to the deserved punishment and shame which by deniall he thought to escape A certaine Seneschall of Normandy perceiving the vicious and suspitious behaviour of his wife with the Steward of his house watched them so narrowly that he tooke them in bed together he slew the Adulterer first and after his wife for not all her pittifull cryings for mercy with innumerable teares for this one fault and holding up in her armes the children which she had borne unto him no nor her house and parentage being sister to Lewis the eleventh then King could not withhold him from killing her with her companion Howbeit King Lewis never made shew of anger or offence for her death Mâ—sselâ—na the wife of Claudius the Emperour was a woman of so notable incontinency that the would contend with the common harlots in filthy pleasure at last she fell in love with a faire young Gentleman called Silius and to obtaine more commodiously her desire she caused his wife Sillana to be divorced and notwithstanding she was wife to the Emperour then living yet she openly married him for which cause after great complaint made to the Emperour by the Nobles she was worthily put to death Abusahed King of Fez was with six of his children murdered at once by his Secretary for his wives sake whom he had abused And it is not long sithence the two Cities Dalmendine and Delmedine were taken from the King of Fez and brought uâ—der the Portugals dominion only for the ravishment of a woman whom the Governour violently took from her husband to abuse and was slain for his labour CHAP. XXIX Other examples like unto the former MArie of Arragon wife to Otho the third was so unchast and lascious a woman and withall barren for they commonly goe together that she could never satisfie her unsatiable lust she carried about with her continually a young lecher in womans clothes to attend upon her person with whom she daily committed filthinesse who being suspected was in the presence of many untyred and found to be a man for which villany hee was burnt to death Howbeit the Empresse though pardoned for her fault returned to her old vomit and continued her wanton traffique with more than either desired or loved her company at last she fell in love with the County of Mutina a gallant man in personage and too honest to be allured with her stale though he was often solicited by her wherefore like a Tvgre she accused him to the Emperour for extreame love converts to extreame hatred if it be crossed of offering to ravish her against her will for which cause the Emperour Otho caused him to lose his head but his wife being privy to the innocency of her husband traversed his cause
worth for he survived not three daies after the vile excesse besides the rest that strove with him in this goodly conflict of carousing one and forty of them dyed to beare him company The same Alexander was himselfe subject to wine and so distempered divers times therewith that he often slew his friends at the table in his drunkennesse whom in sobriety he loved dearest Plutarch telleth us of Armitus and Ciranippus two Syracusians that being drunk with wine committed incest with their owne daughters Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia being disposed to carouse after the manner of the Scythians dranke so much that he became and continued ever after sencelesse Anacreon the Poet a grand consumer of wine and a notable drunkard was choaked with the huske of a grape The monstrous and riotous excesses of divers Romane Emperours as Tiberius by name who was a companion of all drunkards is strange to be heard and almost incredible to be beleeved he loved wine so well that in stead of Tiberius they called him Biberius and in stead of Claudius Caldus and in stead of Nero Mero noting by those nicknames how great a drunkard he was The Earle of Aspremont after he had by infinite excesse exhausted all his substance being upon a day at S. Michael dranke so excessively that he dyed therewith Cyrillus a Citizen of Hippon had an ungracious son who leading a riotous and luxurious life in the middest of his drunkennesse killed his owne mother great with childe and his father that sought to restraine his sury and would have ravished his sister had she not escaped from him with many wounds Bonosus the Emperour is reported to have been such a notorious drunkard that he was said to be borne not to live but to drinke if any Embassadours came unto him he would make them drunke to the end to reveale their secrets he ended his life with misery even by hanging with this Epitaph That a tun not a man was hanged in that place Philostrates being in the bathes at Sinuessa devoured so much wine that he fell downe the staires and almost broke his neck with the fall Zeno the Emperour of the East was so notoriously given to excesse of meates and drinkes that his sences being benummed he would often lie as one that was dead wherefore being become odious to all men by his beastly qualities his wife Ariadne fell also in detestation of him and one day as he lay sencelesse she transported him into a tombe and throwing a great stone upon it pined him to death not suffering any to remove the stone or to yeeld him any succour and this was a just reward of his drunkennesse Pope Paulus the second beside the exceeding pompe of apparell which he used he was also very carefull for his throat for as Platina writeth of him he delighted in all kinde of exquisite dishes and delicate wine and that in superfluity by which immoderate and continuall surfeiting he fell into a grievous Apoplexy which quickly made an end of his life It is reported of him that he eat the day before he dyed two great Melons and that in a very good appetite when as the next night the Lord struck him with his heavy judgement Alexander the son of Basilius and brother of Leo the Emperour did so wallow and drowne himselfe in the gulfe of pleasure and intemperance that one day after he had stuffed himselfe too full of meat as he got upon his horse he burst a veine within his body whereat upwards and downewards issued such abundance of blood that his life and soule issued forth withall The moderne examples of Gods fearefull judgements upon drunkards not only in other countries but even in this Nation of ours are many and terrible all which if I should stand to report it would be matter for a whole booke Our reverend Judges in their severall circuits doe finde by experience that few murthers and manslaughters are committed which are not from this root of drunkennesse for when mens braines are heat with wine and strong drinke then their tongues are let loose to opprobrious speeches and thence proceed both sudden quarrels and deliberate challenges wherewith thousands are brought to their untimely ends Besides the Lord punisheth the Drunkard many waies first in his soule with impenitency and hardnesse of heart which commonly followeth this vice for as Saint Augustine saith As by too much raine the earth is resolved into durt and made unfit for tillage so by excessive drinking our bodies are altogether unfitted for â—he spirituall tillage and so can bring forth no good fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse but rather like biggest and marishes are fit to bâ—â—ed nothing but serpents frogâ— and vershine that is all manner of abominable sins and leathsome wickednesse Secondly in his body with deformednesse of feature filthy diseases and unseasonable death for excessive drinking breedeth crudities Rheumes Imposthumes Gouts Consumptions Apoplexies and such like whereof men perish before they are come to the halfe of their naturall yeares and this is one principall cause why men are now so short lived in respect of that they have â—â—en heretofore Thirdly in his estate for commonly poverty yea penury followeth this vice at the heeles as Solomon teacheth Pâ—ov 21. 27. And lastly with sudden death and destruction even in the middest of their drunken fits as wofull experience doth make manifest every day and almost in every corner of this land Within these few yeares of mine owne knowledge three not far from Huntington being overcome with drinke perished by drowning when being not able to rule their horses they were carried by them into the maine streame from whence they never came out alive againe but left behinde them visible markes of Gods justice for the terrour and example of others and yet what sin is more commonly used and lesse feared than this Concerning Dancing the usuall dependants of feasts and good cheare there is none of sound judgement that know not that they are baits and allurements to uncleanenesse and as it were instruments of bawdrie by reason whereof they were alwaies condemned among men of honour and reputation whether Romanes or Greekes and left for vile and base minded men to use And this may appeare by the reproach that Demosthenes the Orator gave to Philip of Macedony and his Courtiers in an Oration to the Athenians wherein he termed them common dancers and such as shamed not as soone as they had glutted their bellies with meate and their heads with wine to fall scurrilously a dancing As for the honourable Dames of Rome truly we shall never reade that any of them accustomed themselves to dance according to the report of Salust touching Sempronia whom he judged to be too fine a dancer and singer to be honourable withall as if these two could no more agree then fire and water Cicero in his apologie of Muraena rehearseth an objection of Cato against his client wherein
meant to have made so glorious a building came never to any good effect the one at Ipswich being cleane defaced the other at Oxford unfinished And thus much of sacriledge Now let us come and see the punishment of simple theft the principall cause whereof is covetousnesse which is so unruly an evill and so deep rooted in the heart of man that ever yet it hath used to encroach upon the goods of others and to keep possession of that which was none of its owne breaking all the bonds of humanity equity and right without being contained in any measure or meane whereof wee have a most notable example in the old world before the flood which by Moses report overflowed with iniquity and extortion the mighty ones oppressed the weak the greater trode under foot the lesse and the rich devoured the poore When the Lord saw the generall deluge of sin and disorder thus universally spread which indeed was a signe of great defection and contempt of him he like a just judge that could not endure these monstrous iniquities sent a deluge of waters amongst them by opening the windowes of heaven and breaking up the fountaines of the great deepes and giving passage to the waters both by heaven and earth so that it raigned forty daies and forty nights without ceasing and the waters prevailed upon the earth and overcovered the high mountaines by fifteen cubites the earth being reduced into the same estate which it had in the beginning before the waters were tooke away from the face thereof verily it was a most hideous and sad spectacle to see first the vallies then the hils and last the highest mountaines so overflowne with water that no shew or appearance of them might be perceived it was a dreadfull sight to behold whole houses tossed to and fro up and downe in the waves and at last to be shivered in pieces there was not a City nor village that perished not in the deep not a tree nor tower so high that could overpeere the waters as they increased more and more in abundance so feare horrour and despaire of safety encreased in the heart of every living soule And on this fashion did God punish those wicked rebels not at one blow but by little and little increasing their paine that as they had a long time abused his patience and made no reckoning of amendment so the punishment of their sin might be long and tedious Now in this extremity one could not help another nor one envy another but all were concluded under the same destruction all surprised assieged and environed alike as well he that roved in the fields as he that stayed in the houses he that climbed up into the mountaines as he that abode in the vallies the mercilesse waters spared none it was to no purpose that some ascended their high houses some climbed upon trees and some scaled the rockes neither one nor other found any refuge or safety in any place the rich were not saved by their riches nor the strong by the pith of their strength but all perished and were drowned together except Noah and his family which punishment was correspondent unto the worlds iniquity for as the earth was corrupted and polluted with abundance of sin so God sent abundance of water to purge and cleanse away the filthinesse thereof as at the latter day hee will send fire to purifie and refine heaven and earth from their dregs and restore them to their first and purest estate And thus God revenged the extortion and cruelty of that age But yet for all this those sins were not then so defaced and rooted up but that they be burnished againe and growne in time to as big a bulke for even at this day the greatest part of the world is given to practise fraud and deceit and by unlawfull meanes to incroach upon others goods which subtilties though they desire never so to disguise and cloke yet will they ever be condemned and reputed kindes of theft before God now as some are of greater power authority than others in the world so answerable to themselves is the quality of their sins and by consequence the punishment the greater of power the greater theeves and the greater judgment for if a poore man that through poverty and necessity cutteth a purse or stealeth any other trifle be culpable how much more culpable shall he that is rich be that usurpeth the goods of his neighbour Draco the lawgiver of Athens appointed death to be the punishment of sheft Solon mitigated that rigour and punished it with double restitution The Locrians put out his eyes that had stolne ought from his neighbour The Hetrurians stoned them to death The Scythians abhorred them more than all creatures because they had a community of all things except their cups the Vatoeiane used such severity towards this kinde of men that as 〈…〉 taken a handfull of 〈◊〉 he was sure to die for it 〈…〉 being Censor 〈◊〉 demeed his owne son Buteo to death being apprehended for theft Tiberius the Emperour punished a souldier after the time 〈◊〉 for stealing iâ—â—eacoâ—ke in summe there was no Commonwealth 〈…〉 was not highly detested and sharply 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 where it wâ—s permitted and tollerated 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 〈…〉 yet as 〈…〉 a just dead of Tamberlaine that mighty 〈◊〉 and Conquerour of Asia when a poore woman complained 〈…〉 of his souldiers that had taken from her a little milke and a 〈…〉 the caused the souldiers belly to be ripped to see that her 〈◊〉 had falsely accused him on no and finding the milke in his stomacke adjudged him worthy of that punishment for stealing from poore â—â— woman When Theophilus raigned Emperour in the East there was a certaine souldier possessed of a very gallant and brave horse which his Captaine by all meaâ—es possible sought to get from him but he would not in any case 〈…〉 he put him forth of pay and tooke his horse from him by force and sent him for a present to the Emperour Theophilus now it chanced that this poore souldier was slaine in the battell for want of his horse and his wife and children lest destitute of succour insomuch that through necessity she was constrained to flie to Constant inople and to complaine to the Emperour of the injury done unto her husband with this resolution entring the City she met the Emperour riding upon her husbands horse and catching the horse bridle challenged him not onâ—y for stealing the horse but also being the cause of her husbands death The Emperour wondring at the woman boldnesse examined her more narrowly and found out the whole practise of that wicked Captaine whom he banished presently his Empire and bestowed his possession in recommence upon the distressed widdow Ibicus the Poet being set upon by Theeves when he saw that they would not only spoile him of his money but of 〈◊〉 he also cryed for help and revenge to the cranes that flew over his head a while after
unmeasurable and unsupportable impositions As for that which the Prophet Samuel in the Name of God giveth notice to the Israelites of touching the right of a King wherein he seemeth to allow him the disposition of the goods and persons of his subjects I answer first That God being an immoveable Truth cannot contradict himselfe by commanding and forbidding the same thing and secondly that the word of the Text in the Originall signifieth nothing else but a custome or fashion as it appeareth by the 1 Sam. 11. 13. besides the speech that the Prophet useth importeth not a commandment but an advertisement of the subjection whereunto the people were about to thrust themselves by desiring a King after the manner of other Nations whose customes amongst them was to exercise authority and dominion as well over their goods as their persons for which cause God would have them forewarned that they might know how vile a yoak they put their owneneckes under and what grievous and troublesome servitude they undertook from the which they could no wayes be delivered no though they deâ—â—â—ed it with teares Furthermore that a King in Israel had no power in right and eqâ—ity to take away the possessions of any of his subjects and appropriate it to himselfe it appeareth by Naboaths refusall no King Achab to give him his vineyard though he requested it as it may seem upon very reasonable conditions either for his money or for exchange so that a man would thinke he ought not to have denied him howbeit his desire being thus crossed he could not mend himselfe by his authority but fell to vexe and grieve himselfe and to champe upon his owne bit untill by the wicked and detestable complot of Iezable poor Naboath was falsely accused unjustly condemned and cruelly murdered and then he put in possession of his vineyard which murder doubtlesse she would never have attempted nor yet Naboath ever have refused to yeeld his vineyard if by any pretence of Law they could have laid claim unto it but Naboath knowing that it was contrary to Gods Ordinance for him to part with his patrimony which he ought most carefully to preserve would not consent to sell over his vineyard neither for love nor money nor other recompence and herein he did but his duty approved by the holy Scripture Now how odious a thing before God the oppression of poor people is it is manifest by his owne words in the Prophesie of Ezechiel where he saith Let it suffice O Princes of Israel learn off cruelty and oppression and execute judgement and justice take away your exactions from my people and cease to thrust them from their goods and heritages Now concerning the law of man which all men agree unto because it is grounded upon reason and equity we finde no permission given to Kings to use the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed upon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as divers worthy Authours avouch their owne vertues and good behaviour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first unto that honour And truely there is nothing more rightfull and justin mans society than that every one should possesse and enjoy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of justice are established called lawes which no good Kings will ever seek to stand against They are indeed Lords of the earth aâ— some say and truly but so that their Lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the propriety of goods and possessions remaineth untouched To Kings saith Soâ—â—ca pertaineth the soveraignty over all things but to private men the propriety Tiberius Caesar being solicited by the Governours of the Provinces to lay heavier tributes and levy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painim this notable answer That a good shepherd ought to shear his sheep not to flea them Saint Lewis that good King amongst all his other wife and vertuous exhortations which he gave to his son before his death this was none of the least nor last That he should never crave any taxe or subsidie of his subjects but upon urgent necessity and very just cause and that if he did otherwise he should not be reputed for a King but for a tyran CHAP. XXXIX Of those that have used too much cruelty to wards their subjects in Taxes and Exactions IT is clear then by these foresaid assumptions that a King may not impose upon his Subjects unmeasurable taxes and subsidies least he make himselfe guilty of extortion the root and fountain many times of many great mischiefes and inconveniences and in very deed from whence oftner changes seditions and ruines of Common-wealths have proceeded than from any other cause beside What hapned to Roboam King of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subjects but the defection of the greater part of his Kingdom from him for being come to the Crowne after the death of his father Solomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens he despising the counsell of his sage and antient Counsellours and following the giddy advice of his young companions gave them a most sharpe and sowre reply saying That if his father had laid an heavy yoak upon them he would encrease it and if he had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they revolted from him all save the two Tribes of Iuda and Benjamin and stoned to death his Collectours and chose them another King to rule over them Thus Roboam was deprived often parts of his Kingdom thorow his owne unadvised tyranny and fled all amazed unto Jerusalem where he lived all his dayes without recovery of the same Achaeus King of Lydia was hanged up against a hill and his head throwne into a River running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowned Tyran not onely in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his unjust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that alboit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complain and lament their case continually yet he diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and sucked and gnew out all that ever he could untill he left them naked empty and despoiled To conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters after he had been discomfited by the Carthaginians was slain by his servants Of the Roman Emperours that most vexed the Commonalty with tribures and taxes these three were chief Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whom this latter
bloud When the Cities of Greece saith Orosius would needs through too greedy a desire and ambition of reigne get every one the mastery and soveraignty of the rest they all together made shipwracke of their owne liberties by encroaching upon others as for instance the Lacedemonians how hurtfull and incommodious the desire of bringing their neighbour adjoyning Cities under their dominion was unto them the sundry discomfitures and distresses within the time of that war undertaken upon that onely cause befell them bear sufficient record Servius Tullus the son to a bondman addicted himselfe so much to the exploits of war that by prowesse he got so great credit and reputation among the Romans that he was thought â—it to be son in law of King Tarquinius by marrying one of his daughters after whose death he usurped the Crowne under colour of the Protectorship of the Kings â—oo young sonnes who when they came to age and bignesse married the daughters of their brother in law Tullus by whose exhortation and continuall provokement the elder of them which was called Tarquinius conspired against his father in law and practised to make himselfe King and to recover his rightfull inheritance and that by this meanes he watched his opportunity when the greatest part of the people were out of the City about gathering their fruit in the fields and then placing his companions in readinesse to serve his turne if need should be he marched to the palace in the royall robes garded with a company of his comederates and having called a Senate as he began to complain him of the treachery and impudency of Tullus behold Tullus himselfe came in and would have run violently upon him but Tarquinius catching him about the middle threw him headlong downe the staires and presently sent certaine of his guard to make an end of the murder which he had begun But herein the cruelty of Tullia was most monstrous that not onely first moved her husband to this bloudy practice but also made her coach to be driven over the body of her father which lay bleeding in the midst of the street scarce dead Manlius after hee had maintained the fortresse of Rome against the Gaules glorying in that action and envying the good hap and prosperity of Camillus went about to make himselfe King under pretence of restoring the people to their antient entire libertie but his practise being discovered hee was accused found guilty and by the consent of the multitude adjudged to be throwne headlong downe from the top of the same fortresse to the end that the same place which gave him great glorie might be a witnesse and a memoriall of his shame and last confusion for all his valiant deeds before done were not of so much force with the people to excuse his fault or save his life as this one crime was of weight to bring him to his death In former times there lived in Carthage one Hanno who because he had more riches than all the Common-wealth beside began to aspire to the domination of the Citie which the better to accomplish hee devised to make shew of marrying his onely daughter to the end that at the marriage feast hee might poison the chiefest men of credit and power of the City whom he knew could or would not any wayes withstand or countermand his purpose but when this devise tooke no effect by reason of the discovery thereof by certaine of his servants hee sought another meanes to effect his will Hee got together a huge number of bondslaves and servants which should at a sudden put him in possession of the city but being prevented herein also by the Citizens he seised upon a castle with a thousand men of base regard even servants for the most part whither thinking to draw the Africans and King of the Moores to his succour he was taken and first whipped next had his eyes thrust out and then his armes and legs broken in pieces and so was executed to death before all the people his carkasse being thus mangled with blowes was hanged upon a gallowes and all his kindred and children put to death that there might not one remaine of his straine either to enterprise the like deed or to revenge his death That great and fearefull warrior Iulius Caesar one of the most hardie and valiant pieces of flesh that ever was after hee had performed so many notable exploits overcome all his enemies and brought all high and haughtie purposes to their desired effect being prickt forward with the spurre of ambition and a high minde through the meanes and assistance of the mighty forces of the common-wealth which contrary to the constitution of the Senat were left in his hands hee set footing into the State and making himselfe master and Lord of the whole Romane Empire usurped a soveraigntie over them but as he attained to his dignitie by force and violence so he enjoyed it not long neither gained any great benefit by it except the losse of his life may be counted a benefit which shortly after in the open Senat was bereft him for the conspirers thereof as soone as hee was set downe in his seat compassing him about so vehemently overcharged him on all sides that notwithstanding all the resistance hee could make for his defence tossing amongst them and shifting himselfe up and downe he was overthrowne on the earth and abode for dead through the number of blowes that were given him even three and twenty wounds The Monarchie of Assyria was at one instant extinguished in Sardana palus and of Babylon in Balthasar Arbaces being the worker of the first and Darius King of Persia of the later both of them receiving the wages not of their wickednesse but also of their predecessors and great grandfathers cruelty and oppressions by whom many people and nations had been destroyed Moreover as the Babylonian Empire was overthrowne by Darius of Persia so was his Persian Kingdome in Darius the last King of that countrey his time this mans successor overturned by Alexander Again the great dominion of Alexander who survived not long after was not continued to any of his by inheritance but divided like a prey amongst his greatest captaines and from them the most part of it in short time descended to the Romanes who spreading their wings and stretching their greedie tallons farre and neere for a while ravened and preyed over all the world and enriched and bedecked themselves with the spoyles of many nations and therefore it was necessary that they also should be made a prey and that the farre fetcht Goths and Vandales should come upon them as upon the bodie of a great Whale that suffers shipwreck upon the sea shore since which time the Romane Empire went to decay and grew every day weaker than other yea and many Princes setting themselves against and above it have robbed it of the realmes and provinces which it robbed others of before And thus wee may see how all
is one kinde of theft to usurpe any mans goods by unlawfull meanes wherefore no such sports ought to finde any place amongst Christians especially those wherein any kinde of lot or hazard is used by the which the good blessings of God are contrary to their true and naturall use exposed to chance and fortune as they tearme it for which cause Saint Augustine is of this opinion concerning them That the gaine which ariseth to any party in play should be bestowedupon the poor to the end that both the gamesters as well the winner as the loser might be equally punished the one by not carrying the stake being won the other by being frustrated of all his hope of winning Players at dice both by the Elibertine Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian were punished with excommunication and by a new constitution of the said Emperour it was enacted That no man should use Dice-play either in private or publique no nor approve the same by their presence under paine of punishment and Bishops were there appointed to be overseers in this behalfe to espie if any default was made Horace an heathen Poet avouched the unlawfulnesse of this thing even in his time when he saith that Dice-playing was forbidden by their law Lewis the eighth King of France renouned for his good conditions and rare vertues amongst all the excellent laws which he made this was one That all sports should be banished the Common-wealth except shooting whether with long bow or Crosse bow and that no Cards nor Dice should be either made or sold by any to the end that all occasion of gaming might bee taken away Surely it would be very profitable and expedient for the Weale-publique that this Ordinance might stand in use at this day and that all Merchants and Mercers whatsoever especially those that follow the reformation of Religion might forbeare the sale of all such paltry Wares for the fault in selling such trash is no lesse than the abuse of them in playing at them for so much as they upon greedinesse of so small a gaine put as it were a sword into a mad mans hand by ministring to them the instruments not onely of their sports but also of those mischiefes that ensue the same There a man may heare curses as rife as words bannings swearings and blasphemies banded up and downe there men fret themselves to death and consume whole nights in darke and divelish pastimes some lose their horses others their cloakes a third sort all that ever they are worth to the undoing of their houses wives and children and some again from braulings fall to buffetings from buffets to bloudshedding from bloudshedding to hanging and these are the fruits of those gallant sports But this you shall see more plainely by a few particular examples In a towne of Campania a certaine Iew playing at dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money unto him with which great losse being enraged and almost beside himselfe as commonly men in that case are affected hee belched out most bitter curses against Christ Iesus and his mother the blessed Virgin in the midst whereof the Lord deprived him of his life and sense and strooke him dead in the place as for his companion the Christian indeed he escaped sudden death howbeit he was robbed of his wit and understanding and survived not verie long after to teach us not onely what a grievous sinne it is to blaspheme God and to accompanie such wretches and not to shun or at least reprove their outrage but also what monstrous effects proceed from such kinde of ungodly sports and how grievously the Lord punisheth them first by giving them over to blasphemy secondly to death and thirdly and lastly to eternall and irrevocable damnation Let our English gamesters consider this example and if it will not terrifie them from their sports then let them looke to this that followeth which if their hearts be not as hard as adamant will mollifie and perswade them In the yeare 1533. neere to Belissana a citie in Helvetia there were three prophane wretches that played at dice upon the Lords day without the wals of the citie one of which called Vlrich Schraelerus having lost much mony and offended God with many cursed speeches at last presaging to himselfe good lucke he burst forth into these tearmes If fortune deceive me now I will thrust my dagger into the verie body of God as farre as I can now fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his dagger and taking it by the point threw it against heaven with all his strength behold the dagger vanished away and five drops of bloud distilled upon the table before them and without all delay the divell came in place and carried away the blasphemous wretch with such force and noyse that the whole city was amased and astonished thereat the other two halfe beside themselves with feare strove to wipe away the drops of bloud out of the table but the more they wiped it the more clearly it appeared The rumor of this accident flew into the citie and caused the people to flocke thicke and threefold unto the place where they found the other two gamesters washing the boord whom by the decree of the Senate they bound with chaines and carried towards the prison but as they passed with them through a gate of the citie one of them was stroken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of lice and wormes creeping out of him that it was both wonderfull and lothsome to behold the third they themselves without any further inquisition or triall to avert the indignation which seemed to hang over their heads put incontinently to death the table they tooke and preserved it for a monument to witnesse unto posterity both how an accursed pastime dicing is and also what great inconveniencies and mischiefes grow thereby But that we may see yet more the vanitie and mischievous working of this sport I will report one storie more out of the same authour though not equall to the former in strangenesse and height of sinne yet as tragicall and no lesse pitifull In the yeare 1550 there lived in Alsatia one Adam Steckman one that got his living by tximming pruning and dressing vines this man having received his wages fell to dice and lost all that he had gotten insomuch that he had not wherewith to nourish his family so that he fell into such a griefe of minde and withall into such paines of the head that he grew almost desperate withall one day his wife being busie abroad left the care of her children unto him but he tooke such great care of them that he cut all their throats even three of them whereof one lay in the cradle and lastly would have hanged himselfe had not his wife come in the meane while who beholding this pitifull tragedie gave a great outcrie and fell downe dead whereupon the neighbours running in
spirit in a mighty tempest of thunder and lightening before the view of the whole multitude to their great astonishment insomuch that they fled at the sight thereof What shall wee say of Silla that monster in cruelty that most odious and execrable Tyran that ever was by whom all civile order and humane policie was utterly defaced and all vice and confusion in stead thereof set up did hee not procure the death of six thousand men at one clap at the discomfiture of Marius And having promised to save the lives of three thousand that appealed unto his mercy did he not cause them to be assembled within a Parke and there to have their throats cut whilest hee made an oration to the Senate It was hee that filled the channels of the streets of Rome and other cities in Italie with bloud and slaughters innumerable and that neither spared Altar Temple or other priviledged place or house whatsoever from the pollution and distainment of innocent bloud husbands were staine in their wives armes infants in their mothers bosomes and infinite multitudes of men murdered for their riches for if any were either rich or owners of faire houses or pleasant gardens they were sure to die besides if there were any private quarrell or grudge betwixt any citizen and some of his crew he suffered his side to revenge themselves after their owne lusts so that for private mislike and enmity many hundreds lost their lives he that saved an outlaw or proscribed person in his house of which there were too many of the best sort in his time or gave him entertainment under his roofe whether he were his brother sonne or parent whatsoever was himselfe for recompence of his curtesie and humanitie proscribed and sould and condemned to death and he that killed one of them that was proscribed had for reward two talents the wages of his murder amounting in value to twelve hundred crownes whether it was a bondslave that slew his master or a sonne that murdered his father comming to Preneste hee began to proceed in a kinde of justiciall forme amongst the citizens and as it were by law and equitie to practise wrong and injurie but ere long either being weary of such slow proceedings or not at leisure to prosecure the same any further he caused to meet together in one assemblie two thousand of them whom hee committed all to the massacre without any manner of compassion As hee was sitting one day in the middest of his pallace in Rome a souldier to whom he had granted the proscription of his dead brother as if he had beene alive whom he himselfe before the civile warre had slaine presented him in lieu of thanks for the great good turne the head of one Marcus Marius of the adverse faction before the whole citie with his hands all imbrued in bloud which hee also washed in the holy water staâ—ke 〈◊〉 Apolloes temple being near unto that place and all this being commended and countenanced by Silla hee decreed a generall disanulment and abrogation of all titles and rights that were passed before his time to the end to have the more liberty both to put to death whom he pleased and to confiscate mens goods and also to unpeople and repeople cities sack pulldowne and build and to depose make Kings at his pleasure the goods which he had thus seised he shamed not to sell with his owne hands sitting in his tribunall sear giving oftentimes a faire woman a whole countrey or the revenues of a citie for her beauty and to Players Jesters Juglers Minstrâ—â—s and other wicked effranchised slaves great and unnecessary rewards yea and to divers married women also whom pleasing his eye he deprived their husbands of perforce and espoused them to himselfe maugre their wils being desirous to ally himselfe with Pompey hee commanded him to cast off his lawfull wife and taking from Magnus Gâ—abriâ— his wife Aemilia made him marry her though already great with childe by her former husband but she died in travell in his house In seasts and banketâ—ings he was too immoderate for it was his continuall and daily practise the wine that hee dranke usually was fortie yeares old and the company that hee delighted to keepe was compact of ministriss tumblers players singers and such like rascals and with these he would spend whole dayes in drinking carousing dauncing and all dissolutenesse Now this disinordinate life of his did so augment a disease which was growne in his body to wit an imposthume that in time it corrupted his flesh and turned it into lice in such sort that though hee had those that continually followed him to sweepe them off and to louze him night and day yet the encrease was still so plentifull that all would not serve to cleare him for a moment insomuch that not his apparell though never so new and changeable nor his linnen though never so fresh nor his bath nor his laver no nor his meat and drinke could be kept unpolluted from the fluxe of this filthy vermine it issued in such abundance oftentimes in a day hee would wash himselfe in a bath but to no great purpose for his shame increased the more The day before he dyed he sent for one Granius who attending his death delayed to pay that which hee ought to the Common-wealth and being come in his presence hee commanded him to be strangled to death before his face but with straining himselfe in crying after his execution his imposthume burst and vomited out such streames of bloud that his strength failed him withall and passing that night in great distresse the next day made up his wicked and miserable end After that Caligula began to addict himselfe to impiety and contempt of God presently being not curbed with any feare nor shame he became most dissolute in all kinde of wickednesse for at one time he caused to be slaine a great number of people for calling him young Augustus as if it had beene an injury to his person to be so intituled and to say briefly of all his murders there were so many of his kindred friends senators and citizens made away by his meanes that it would be too long and tedious here to recite wherefore seeing that hee was generally hated of the people for his misdeeds hee wished that they all had but one head to the end as it might seeme that at one blow hee might dispatch them all In sumptuousnesse and costlinesse of dishes and banquets he neither found nor left his equall for he would sup up most pretious stones melted by art and swallow down treasures into his belly his banquets were often served with golden loaves and golden meats in giving rewards hee was sometime too too prodigall for he would cast great summes of money amongst the people certain dayes together untill his bags were drawne drie and then new strange shifts must be practised to fill them up againe his subjects he over charged with many new-found
and unjust taxes exacting of them a tribute even for their meat if there were any money controversies to be decided the fourth part of the same was his share which way soever the matter enclined the eight penny of every Porters gaine throughout the citie which with travell they earned hee tooke into his purse yea and that which is more filthy and dishonest the very whores and common strumpets payed him a yearely revenue for their bauderies which act though most villanous and slandrous yet is made a samplar to some of our holy Popes to imitate and indeed hath of many beene put in practise but to our purpose whereas before his prodigality was so great as to scatter money like seed amidst the people now his niggardlinesse grew on the other side so miserable that hee would have the people upon the first day of the yeare every one to give him a new-yeares-gift he himselfe standing at the doore of his house like a beggar receiving the peoples almes Moreover of all that ever gave their lusts the bridle to abuse other mens wives hee was most impudent and notorious for divers times he used to feast many faire Ladies and their husbands and after his good cheare ended to overview them severally a part as Merchants doe their wares and to take her that pleased his fancie best into some secret place to abuse at his pleasure neither after the deed done to be ashamed to glory and vaunt himselfe in his wicked and filthy act He committed incest with his owne sisters forcing them to his lust and by one of them had a daughter borne whom saith Eutropius his abhominable concupiscence abused also in most filthy and preposterous manner At length many conspired his destruction but especially one of the Tribunes which office we may after the custome of our French nation rightly terme the Marshalship and the officer one of our foure Marshals as Budeus saith who shewed himselfe more eagerly affected in the cause than the rest pursued this enterprise in more speedy and desperate manner for as the Tyrant returned from the Theater by a by-way to his Pallace the third day of the feast which he celebrated in honour of Iulius Caesar the Tribune presented himselfe as if in regard of his office to import some matter of importance unto him and having received a currish word or two at his hands as his custome was he gave him such a stroke betweene the head and the shoulders that what with it and the blowes of his complices that going for the same intent rushed upon him he was â—laine amongst them no man stirring a foot to deliver him out of their hands though many looked on and might have aided him if they would he was no sooner slaine but his wife incontinently was sent after and his daughter also that was crushed to death against a wall and thus came his wretched selfe with his filthie progenie to a wretched and miserable end Nero shewed himselfe not onely an enemy to God in persecuting his Church but also a perverter and disturber of humane nature in embruing his hands in the bloud of his owne mother and grandmother whom he caused to be put to death and in killing his owne wife and sister and infinite numbers of all kinde of people beside in adulteries he was so monstrous that it is better to conceale them from modest eares than to stirre up the puddle of so stinking and noysome a dunghill for which his villanies the Senate condemned him to a shamefull and most ignominious death and his armies and forces forsooke him which when hee understood he betooke him to flight and hid himselfe in an out way amongst thornes and bushes which with great paine having past through being weary of his life hee threw himselfe downe into a pit foure foot deepe and when he could get none of his men to lay their hands upon him he desperately and miserably slew himselfe Vitellius for the murders and other outragious misdeeds which he committed was taken in his shirt and drawne through the streets with a halter about his necke and his hands bound behinde him and the point of a dagger under his chin the people casting durt and dung upon him in detestation and calling him make-bate and seditious villain with other opprobrious reproches and at last being massacred with many blowes was drawne with a hooke into Tyber like a carrion Domitian was a cruell enemy of the Christians hee rejected his owne wife to take a new and being covertly reproved by Helvidius for the same in a Play of the divorce of Paris and Enon which he presented unto him he put him to death for his labour Many worthy Senatours and chiefe men and such as had borne the office of the Consull without just cause given of reprehension were murdered by him hee spared not his owne bloud and nearest allies no nor his owne brother Titus but what with poyson and sword destroyed them all to confusion But in the end when hee saw that the world hated him for his outragious cruelties he consulted with the Astrologians and Conjurers what death did waite for him one of the which amongst the rest told him that hee should be slaine and that very shortly wherewithall being sore troubled hee first caused him that had prognosticated this evill unto him to be slaine then he compassed himselfe with a strong guard and to the end to see them that should come neare hee made his gallery walls where hee walked of such a kinde of glistring and shining stone that he might see in them all about him both behinde and before When the day and houre which was fore-calculated for his death was come one of the Conspirators came in with his left arme in a scarfe as if he had beene sore hurt feigning that he would bewray the whole treason which hee so much feared and being entred his Chamber he presented him with a long discourse in writing touching the matter and manner of the Conspiracie and when in reading the same he saw him most astonished then he tooke occasion to strike him suddenly into the belly with his dagger his owne servants making up the murther when they saw him goe about to resist And thus by all his wisedome and providence he could not rid himselfe from being surprised nor hinder the execution of Gods just fore-appointed judgement And these were the ends of those wicked Emperours who in regard of their vile lives were rather monsters than men and not onely they whom we have named but many moe also as Antonius Caracalla Heliogabalus and other like may bee worthily placed in this ranke But of all Heliogabalus is most famous of whom is recorded in histories that hee was so prodigious in all gluttonie filthinesse and ribauldrie that the like I thinke was never heard of except those monsters that went before and yet I suppose he surpassed them too Such was the exceeding and luxurious pompe of this beast-like
hand in stead of a Scepter and a rope about his necke in stead of a crowne and in this order and attyre they led him through all Constantinople the people shouting and reviling him on all sides some throwing durt others spittle divers dung and the women their pispots at his head after all which banquetting dishes he was transported to the gallowes and there hanged to make an end of all Charles King of Navarre whose mother Iean was daughter to Lewis Lutton King of France was another that oppressed his subjects with cruelty and rough dealing for he imposed upon them grievous taxes and tributes and when many of the chiefest of his Common-Wealth came to make knowne unto him the poverty of his people and that they were not able to endure any more such burthens 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 divers places of strength and castles of defence were burned to ashes he counselled the Count of Foix his sonne to poyson his father and not onely so but gave him also the poyson with his owne hands wherewith to do the deed Moreover above all this lechery and Adultery swayed his powers even in his old age for at threescore yeares of age he had a whore in a corner whose company he dayly hanted and so much that she at length gave him his deaths wound for returning from her company one day as his use was and entring into his chamber he went to bed all quaking and halfe frozen with cold neither could he by any meanes recover his heat untill by art they sought to supply nature and blew upon him with brasen bellowes Aquavitae and hot blasts of ayre but withall the fire unregarded flew betwixt the sheets and inflamed the drie linnen together with the Aquavitae so suddenly that ere any help could be made his late quivering bones were now halfe burned to death It is true that he lived fifteene daies after this but in so great griefe and torment without sence of any helpe or assuagement by Physicke or Surgery that at the end thereof he died miserably and so as during his life his affection over burnt in lust and his minde was alwayes hot upon mischiefe and covetousnesse so his dayes were finished with heat and cruell burning Lugtake King of Scots succeeding his father Galdus in the Kingdome was so odious and mischievous a Tyran that every man hated him no lesse for his vices than they loved his father for his vertues he slew many rich and noble-men for no other cause but to enrich his treasury with their goods he committed the government of the Realme to most unjust and covetous persons and with their company was most delighted he shamed not to defloure his owne aunts sisters and daughters and to scorne his wise and grave counsellors 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 yeares but as the Proverbe goeth Seldome commeth a better another or worse Tyran succeeded in his kingdome namely Mogallus cousin germane to Lugtake a man notoriously infected with all manner of vices for albeit in the beginning of his reigne hee gave himselfe to follow the wisedome and manners of his unkle Galdus yet in his age his corrupt nature burst forth abundantly but chiefly in avarice lechery and cruelty this was he that licensed theeves 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 use without respect either of wives children or creditors for which crimes he was also slaine by his nobles Besides these there was another king of the Scots called Atherto in the yeare of our Lord 240. who shewed himselfe also in like manner a most abhominable wretch for he so wallowed in all manner of uncleane and effeminate lusts that he was not ashamed to goe in the sight of the people playing upon a flute rejoycing more to be accounted a good Fidler than a good Prince from which vices he fell at last to the deflouring and ravishing of maids and women insomuch as the daughters of his nobles could not be safe from his insatiable and intollerable lust wherefore being pursued by them when hee saw no meanes to escape hee desperately slew himselfe The great outrages which the Spaniards have committed in the West Indies are apparant testimonies of their impiety injustice cruelty insatiable covetousnesse and luxury and the judgement wherewith God hath hunted them up and downe both by sea and land as late and fresh histories doe testifie are manifest witnesses of his heavy 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 Pamphilius Novares and his company This man with six hundred Spaniards making for the coast of Florida to seeke the gold of the river of Palme-trees were so turmoyled with vehement windes 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 save a few that escaped to land yet escaped not danger for they ranne roving up and downe this savage countrey so long till they fell into such extreame poverty and famine that for want of victuals twelve of them devoured one another and of the whole six hundred that went forth there never yet returned above ten all the rest being either drowned or pined to death Francis Pizarre a man of base parentage for in his youth he was but a hogheard and of worse qualities and education for he knew not so much as the first elements of learning giving himselfe to the West Indian wars grew to some credit in bearing office but withall shewed himselfe very disloyall treacherous and bloudy-minded in committing many odious and monstrous cruelties entring Peru with an army of souldiers to the end to conquer new lands and dominions and to glut his unsatiable covetousnesse with a new surfet of riches after the true Spanish custome he committed many bloudy and trayterous acts and exercised more than barbarous cruelty for first under pretence of friendship feyning to parle with Artabaliba King of Cusco the poore King comming with five and twenty thousand of unarmed men in ostentation of his greatnesse not in purpose to resist he welcommed him and his men so nimbly with swords and curtleaxes that they had all soon their throats cut by a most horrible slaughter and the King himselfe was taken and put in chaines yea and the Citie after this massacre of men abroad felt soone the insolencies of these brave warriours within in fine though Pizarre promised Artabaliba to save his life in regard of a ransome amounting to more than two millions of
gold yet after the receit thereof he traiterously caused him to be hanged contrary to both his oath and all equity and reason but this cruell perfidie of his went not long without punishment for both hee and all the rest that were any wayes accessarie or consenting to the death of this King came to a wretched end but especially his foure brethren Ferdinand Gonsal Iohn Martin of Alcantara and Diego of Almagro who as they were principall in the action so were they in the punishment the first that was punished was Iohn Pizarre who with many other Spaniards was surprised in the City of Cusco and slaine by the men of warre of Mangefrem and Artabaliba next after that there arose such a division and heart-burning betwixt the Pizarres and Almagro and their partakers that after they had robbed and wasted and shared out the great and rich Countrey of Peru they slew one another by mutuall strokes and albeit that there was by common consent an agreement accorded betwixt them for the preserving of their unity and friendship yet Francis Pizarre envying that Almagro should bee Governour of Cusco and he not interrupted all their agreements by starting from his promises and re-kindled the halfe-quenched fire of warre by his owne ambition for hee presently defied Amagro and sent his brother Ferdinand before to bid him battaile who so well behaved himselfe that hee tooke Almagro prisoner and delivered him bound to his brother Francis who caused him to bee strangled in prison secretly and after to be beheaded in publique Now Ferdinand being sent by his brother towards Spaine with a great masse of gold to cleare himselfe of the death of Almagro could not so well justifie the fact as that all his treasure could save him from the prison and what became of him afterwards knowne it is to God but not to the world A while after the fellowes and friends of Almagro whose goods the Pizarrists hath seised upon tooke counsell with Don Diego Almagro his sonne to revenge the death of his father therefore being in number but twelve with unsheathed swords they desperately burst into Francis Pizarres house then Marquesse and Governour of Peru and at the first brunt slew a Captaine that guarded the enterance of the Hall and next him Martin of Alcahtara and other more that kept the entrance of the Chamber so that hee fell dead even at his brother the Marquesses feet who albeit his men were all slaine before his eyes and himselfe left alone amiddest his enemies yet gave not over to defend himselfe stoutly and manfully untill all of them setting upon him at once hee was stabbed into the throat and so fell dead upon the ground and thus finished hee and his complices their wretched dayes answerable to their cruell deserts but their murderers though they deserved to bee thus dealt withall yet for dealing in this sort without authority were not faultlesse but received the due wages of their furious madnesse for Don Diego himselfe after he had beene a while Governour of Peru had his army overcome and discomfited by the Emperours forces and was betrayed into their hands by his owne Lieutenant of Cusco where he thought to have saved himself and right soone lost his head with the greatest Captains and favourites that hee had who were also quartered Now of the five brethren wee have heard foure of their destructions onely one remaineth namely Gonzalle Pizarre to bee spoken of who being sent for by the Conquerours to be their Chieftaine and Protector against the Viceroy that went about to make them observe the Emperours lawes and decrees touching the liberty of the Indian Nation was betrayed and forsaken by the same men that sent for him and so fell into his enemies hands that cut off his head The Generall of his army a covetous and cruell man that in short space made away above three hundred Spaniards and all as it were with his own hand was drawn up and downe at a horse tayle the space of halfe a quarter of an houre and then hanged upon the gallowes quartered in foure parts The Monke of Vauvard called Vincent who with his crosse and porteise had encouraged Pizarre and his army against Artabaliba and was for that cause created Bishop of Peru when Diego came to the governement fled into the Island Puna to escape his wrath but in seeking to avoyde him he fell into as great a snare for the Islanders assaulted him one night and knockt him to death with staves and clubs together with forty Spaniards of his fellowship that accompanied him in his flight and started not from him in his death And thus the good and holy Monke for medling with and setting forward the murder of so many poore people was for his paines and good deeds justly rewarded by the Indians of that Island Moreover after and beside all these troubles seditions and civil warres of Peru all they that returned from Spaine suffered shipwracke for the most part for their fleet had scarce attained the midst of their course when there arose so terrible a tempest that of eighteen ships thirteen so perished that they were never heard of after and of the five which remained two were tumbled backe to the coast of Saint Dominick all berent and shivered in pieces other three were driven to Spaine whereof one hitting against the bay of Portugall lost many of her men The Admirall her selfe of this fleet perished near unto Saint Lucar de Baramede with two hundred persons that were within her and but one onely of them all got safe into the haven of Calix without dammage Here we may see how mightily the hand of God was stretched forth to the revenge of those wicked deeds and villanies which were committed by the Spaniards in those quarters Peter Loys bastard son to Pope Paul the third was one that practised many horrible villanies robberies murthers adulteries incest and Sodomitries thinking that because his father was Pope therefore no wickednesse was unlawfull for him to commit He was by the report of all men one of the most notorious vilest and filthiest villaines that ever the world saw he forced the Bishop of Faence to his unnaturall lust so that the poor Bishop with meer anger and grief that he should be so abused died immediately Being made Duke of Plaisence and Parma he exercised most cruell tyranny towards many of his subjects insomuch that divers Gentlemen that could not brook nor endure his injuries conceived an inward hate against him and conspired his death and for to put in practise the same they hired certain Ruffians and Roysters to watch the opportunity of slaying him yea and they themselves oftentimes went apart with these Roysters keeping themselves upon their guards as if some private and particular quarrels had been in hand One day as the Duke went in his horse-litter out of his Castle with a great retinue to see certain Fortifications which he had prepared being advertised by his father the
unto To this Pope and these Cardinals let us adde an Archbishop and that of Canterbury to wit Thomas Arundel upon whom the justice of God appeared no lesse manifestly than on the former For after hee had unjustly given sentence against the Lord Cobham he died himselfe before him being so striken in his tongue that he could neither swallow nor speake for a certaine space before the time of his death Hither might be adjoyned the vengeance of God upon Justice Morgan who condemned to death the innocent Lady Iane but presently after fell madde and so dyed having nothing in his mouth but Lady Iane Lady Iane. In the reigne of King Henry the eighth one Richard Long a man of armes in Calice bore false witnesse against master Smith the Curate of our Lady Parish in Calice for eating flesh in Lent which hee never did but hee escaped not vengeance for shortly after he desperately drowned himselfe A terrible example unto all such as are ready to forsweare themselves on a Booke upon malice or some other cause a thing in these dayes over rise every where and almost of most men little or nothing regarded About the same time one Gregory Bradway committed the same crime of false accusation against one Broke whom being driven thereunto by feare and constraint he accused to have robbed the Custome-house wherein hee was a Clerke of foure groats every day and to this accusation he subscribed his hand but for the same presently felt upon him the heavy hand of God for being grieved in his consciene for his deed hee first with a knife enterprised to cut his owne throâ—t but being not altogether dispatched therewith the Gaoler comming up and preventing his purpose hee fell forthwith into a furious frenzie and in that case lived long time after Hitherto we may adde the example of one William Feming who accused an honest man called Iohn Cooper of speaking trayterous words against Queene Mary and all because he would not sell him two goodly bullockes which he much desired for which cause the poore man being arraigned at Berry in Suffolke was condemned to death by reason of two false witnesses which the said Feming had suborned for that purpose whose names were White and Greenwood so this poore man was hanged drawne and quartered and his goods taken from his poore wife and nine children which are left destitute of all helpe but as for his false accusers one of them died most miserably for in harvest time being well and lusty of a sudden his bowels fell out of his body and so he perished the other two what ends they came unto it is not reported but sure the Lord hath reserved a sufficient punishment for all such as they are Many more be the examples of this sinne and judgements upon it as the Pillories at Westminster and daily experience beareth witnesse but these that we have alledged shall suffice for this purpose because this sinne is cousin Germane unto perjury of which you may read more at large in the former booke It should now follow by course of order if wee would not pretermit any thing of the law of God to speak of such as have offended against the tenth Commandement and what punishment hath ensued the same but forsomuch as all such offences for the most part are included under the former of which wee have already spoken and that there is no adultery nor fornication nor theft nor unjust warre but it is annexed to and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an evill and disordinate concupiscence as the effect from the cause therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them more than may well bee collected out of the former examples added hereunto that in evill concupiscence and affection of doing evill which commeth not to act though it be in the sight of God condemned to everlasting torments yet it doth not so much incurre and provoke his indignation that a man should for that onely cause be brought to apparent destruction and be made an example to others to whom the sinne is altogether darke and unknowne therefore we will proceed in our purpose without intermeddling in speciall with this last Commandement CHAP. XLVII That Kings and Princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughty and corrupt manners NO man ought to be ignorant of this that it is the duty of a Prince not onely to hinder the course of sin from bursting into action but also to punish the doers of the Jame making both civill justice to be administred uprightly and the law of God to be regarded and observed inviolably for to this end are they ordained of God that by their meanes every one might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty to the which end the maintenance and administration of justice being most necessary they ought not so to discharge themselves of it as to translate it upon their Officers and Judges but also to looke to the execution thereof themselves as it is most needfull for if law which is the foundation of justice be as Plato saith a speechlesse and dumbe Magistrate who shall give voyce and vigor unto it if not hee that is in supreame and soveraigne authority For which cause the King is commanded in Deuteronomy To have before him alwayes the Booke of the Law to the end to doe justice and judgement to every one in the feare of God And before the creation of the Kings in Israel the chiefe Captaines and Soveraignes amongst them were renowned with no other title nor quality than of Judges In the time of Deborah the Prophetesse though she was a woman the weaker vessell yet because she had the conducting and governing of the people they came unto her to seeke judgement It is said of Samuel that he judged Israel so long till being tyred with age and not able to beare that burden any longer hee appointed his sonnes for Judges in his stead who when through covetousnesse they perverted justice and did not execute judgement like their father Samuel they gave occasion to the people to demaund a King that they might be judged and governed after the manner of other Nations which things sufficiently declared that in old time the principall charge of Kings was personally to administer justice and judgement and not as now to transferre the care thereof to others The same we read of King David of whom it is said That during his reigne he executed justice and judgement among his people and in another place That men came unto him for judgement and therefore he disdained not to heare the complaint of the woman of Tekoah shewing himselfe herein a good Prince and as the Angel of God to heare good and evill for this cause Solomon desired not riches nor long life of the Lord but a wise and discreet heart to judge his people and to discerne betwixt good and
justice and judgement upon the earth a God that loveth not iniquity â— with whom the wicked cannot dwell nor the fooles stand before his presence It is hee that huteth the workers of unrighteousnesse and that destroyeth the lyers and abhorreth all deceitfull disloyall perjurous and murdering persons as with him there is no exception of persons so none of what estate or condition soever bee they rich or poore noble or ignoble gentle or carter-like can exempt themselves from his wrath and indignation when it is kindled but a little if they delight and continue in their sinnes for as S. Paul saith Tribulation and anguish upon the soule of every man that doth evill Now according to the variety and diversity of mens offences the Lord in his most just and admirable judgement useth diversity of punishments sometimes correcting them one by one particular otherwhiles altogether in a heap sometimes by stormes and tempests both by sea and land other times by lightning haile and deluge of waters often by overflowing and breaking out of rivers and of the sea also and not seldome by remedilesse and sudden fires heaven and earth and all the elements being armed with an invincible force to take vengeance upon such as are traytors and rebels against God â— sundry times hee scourgeth the world as it well deserveth with his usuall and accustomed plagues namely of warre and famine and pestilence which are evident signes of his anger according to the threats denounced in the law tâ—â—â—hing the same and therefore if at any time hee deferre the punishment of the wicked it is for no other end but to expect the fulnesse of their sinne and to make them more inexcusable when contrary to his bountifulnesse and long suffering which inviteth and calleth them to repentance they harden themselves and grow more obstinate in their vices and rebellion drawing upon their heads the whole heape of wrath the more grievously to assaile them And thus the vengeance of God marcheth but a soft pace as saith Valerius Maximus to the end to double and aggravate the punishment for the slacknesse thereof CHAP. LII That the greatest punishments are reserved and layed up for the wicked in the world to come NOtwithstanding all which hath beene spoken and howsoever sinners are punished in this life it is certaine that the greatest and terriblest punishments are kept in store for them in another world And albeit that during this transitory pilgrimage they seeme to themselves oftentimes to live at their ease and enjoy their pleasures and pastimes to their hearts contentment yet doubtlesse it is so that they are indeed in a continuall prison and in a dungeon of darkenesse bound and chained with fetters of their owne sinne and very often turmoyled and but chered with their owne guilty conscience overcharged with the multitude of offences and fore-feeling the approach of hell And in this case many languish away with feare care and terror being toyled and tyred with uncessant and unsupportable disquietnesse and tossed and distracted with despaire untill by death they be brought unto their last irrevokable punishment which punishment is not to endure for a time and then to end but is eternall and everlastingly inherent both in body and soule I say in the body after the resurrection of the dead and in soule after the departure out of this life till all eternity for it is just and equall that they which have offended and dishonoured God in their bodies in this life should be punished also in their bodies in the world to come with endlesse torments of which torments when mention is made in the holy Scripture they are for our weake capacity sake called Gehenna or a place of torment utter darkenesse and hell fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth c. againe eternall fire a poole and pit of fire and brimstone which is prepared for the devill and his darlings and how miserable their estate is that fall therein our Saviour Christ giveth us to know in the person of the rich glutton who having bathed himselfe in the pleasures and delights of this world without once regarding or pittying the poore was after cast into the torments of hell and there burneth in quenchlesse flames without any ceasing or allaying of his griefes therefore whatsoever punishments the wicked suffer before they die they are not quitted by them from this other but must descend into the appointed place to receive the surplus of their payments which is due unto them For what were it for a notorious and cruell Tyran that had committed many foule and wicked deeds or had most villanously murdered many good men to have no other punishment but to be slaine and to endure in the houre of death some extraordinary paine could such a punishment ballance with his so many and great offences Whereas therefore many such wretches suffer punishment in this world we must thinke that this is but a taste and scantling of those torments and punishments which are prepared and made ready for them in the world to come And therefore it often commeth to passe that they passe out of this life most quietly without the disturbance of any crosse or punishment but it is that they might be more strangely tormented in another world Some not considering this point nor stretching the view of their understanding beyond the aspect of their carnall eyes have fallen into this foolish opinion to thinke that there is neither justice nor judgement in heaven nor respect of equity with the Highest when they see the wicked to flourish in prosperity and the good and innocent to bee overwhelmed with adversity yea and many holy men have fallen into this temptation as Iob and David did who when they considered the condition of the wicked and unjust how they lived in this world at their hearts ease compassed about with pleasures and delights and waxing old in the same were carried to their sepulchres in peace they were somewhat troubled and perplexed within themselves untill being instructed and resolved by the Word of God they marked their finall end and issue and the everlasting perdition which was prepared for them and by no means could be escaped And thus it commeth to passe saith S. Augustine that many sinnes are punished in this world that the providence of God might be more apparant and many yea most reserved to be punished in the world to come that we might know that there is yet judgement behinde CHAP. LIII How the afflictions of the godly and the punishment of the wicked differ WHich seeing it is so it is necessary that the wicked and perverse ones should feele the rigor of Gods wrath for the presumption and rebellion wherewith they daily provoke him against them and although with those that feare God and strive to keepe themselves from evill and take paines to live peaceably and quietly it oftentimes goeth worse here below than with others being laid open to millions
escape unpunished for his perfidie and impietie For first his warre-like affaires in the East prospered not then a little before the end of his life he grievously complained that he had innovated the faith in his kingdome At last in those sighings and complaints he parted this life with a grievous and violent disease The Unkle of Iulian the Apostata called also Iulianus at Antioch in the temple prophaned the holy table with pissing upon it And when Eusoius the Bishop rebuked him for it he stroke him with his fist Not long after he was taken with a grievous disease of his bowels putrifying and miserably died his excrements comming from him not by their ordinary passages but by his wicked mouth Under the Emperour Valence a wonderfull haile the stones being as big as a man could hold in his hand was sent upon Constantinople and slew many both men and beasts for that the Emperour had banished many famous men that would not communicate with Eudoxius the Arrian and for the same reason a great part of Germa a Citie of Hellespont was throwne downe by an earthquake and in Phrygia such a famine succeeded that the Inhabitants were faine to change their habitation and to â—lee to other places After the martyrdome of Gregory the Bishop of Spoleta Flacchus the Governour who was author thereof was strucke with an Angel and vomited out his entrailes at his mouth and died Under the Empire of Alexander Mammea Agrippitus fifteene yeares old because he would not sacrifice to their Idols was apprehended at Praeneste whipt with scourges and hanged up by the heeles and at last slaine with the sword in the middest of whose torments the Governour of the Citie fell from the Tribunall seat dead Bajazet a most cruell enemy of the Christians was taken by Tamerlane the Tartarian King and bound in golden chaines and carried about by him in an iron cage latised and shewne unto all being used for a stirrop unto Tamerlane when he got upon his horse Gensericus the King of the Vandales exercising grievous cruelty against the Orthodox Christians he himselfe being an Arrian was possessed of the Devill and died a miserable death in the yeare 477. Honoricus the second King of the Vandales having used inexplicable cruelty against the Orthodox Christians hanging up honest matrons and virgins naked burning their bodies with torches cutting off their dugges and armes because they would not subscribe to the Arrian heresie was surprised himselfe with the vengeance of God for his land was turned into barrennesse through an exceeding drought so that numbers of men women and beasts died with famine the pestilence also seised upon them and he himselfe was stricken with such a disease of his body that his members rotted off one after another Anastatius Dicorus a grievous persecutor of the Church of Christ being admonished in a dreame that he should perish with thunder built him an house wherein he might defend himselfe from that judgement but in vaine for in a great thunder he fled from chamber to chamber and at last was found dead blasted with lightning to the great horror of the beholders Chasroes the King of Persia a grievous enemy to Christ and Christians committed horrible outrages against them for first he slew at Jerusalem ninety thousand men with Zachariâ— the Patriarch of Jerusalem and also raged in like manner in Aegypt Lybia Aethiopia and would grant them no condition of peace unlesse they would forsake Christ and worship the Sunne he also put to death with most cruell torments Anastatius a godly Monke because he constantly confessed the faith of Christ. But God met with him to the full for his eldest sonne Syroes tooke him prisoner and handled him in most vile manner he hanged an iron weight upon his neck and imprisoned him in an high tower which he had built to keepe his treasure denying him food and bidding him eat the gold which he had gathered together then he slew all his children before his face and exposed him to the scoffes and railings of the people and lastly caused him to be shot to death and so that great terror of the world and shedder of Christian bloud breathed out his soule after a miserable manner Regnerus the King of Denmarke abrogating Christian Religion and setting up Idolatrie in his Kingdome anew the divine vengeance overtooke him for Helles whom he had cast out of the Kingdome returned upon him with an army of the Gaules and overcomming him in battell tooke him prisoner and shut him up in a filthie prison full of serpents which setting upon him with their venomous bitings and stings brought him to a most horrible end Lysius the Emperour gave Heriâ—a his daughter a virgin because she was a Christian to be trampled under foot of horses but he himselfe was sâ—ain by the byting of one of the same horses A Popish Magistrate having condemned a poore Protestant to death before his execution caused his tongue to be cut out because he should not confesse the truth in requitall whereof the next childe that was borne unto him was borne without a tongue CHAP. II. Of Perjurie Pâ—ilip King of Macedon who was a great contemner of all oathes and held the Religion thereof as a vain thing for this cause as all Writers affirme the vengeance of God followed him and his posteritie for when he had lived scarce forty and sixe yeares he himselfe was slain and all his whole house in short time in short time after utterly extinguished 〈◊〉 one of his sonnes was slaine by Olympias his wife Also another sonne which he had by Cleopatra the 〈◊〉 of Aâ—â—alus â—he tormented to death in a brazen vessell compassed about with fire The â—est of his sonnes periffied in like manner and at last the famous Alexander his sonne after great conquest atchieved by him in the middle course of his victories periffied miserably some thinke by poyson In the Countrey of Arbernum there was a certaine wicked man that used ordinarily to for sweare himselfe but at one time after he had thus sinned his tongue was tyed up that he could not speake but began to low like an oâ—e yet repenting and grieving for his sinne he found the bond of his tongue loosed and a readinesse of speech given unto him againe whereby we see both the Iustice of God in punishing them that sinne in this kinde and his mercy in pardoning when they truly repent At this day we have an example fresh and famous of a certaine maid that had stolne and pilfered many things away out of her mistresses house of which being examined she forswore them and wisht that she might rot if she ever touched them or knew of them but notwithstanding she was carried to prison and there presently began so to rot stink that they were forced to thrust her out of prison and to convey her to the Hospitall where she lies in lamentable miserie
and sweare the more and goe he would But he was encountred by the way with an army of infernall souldiers which beset the nobleman on all sides and threw him from his horse Now there was in his company a vertuous and valiant gentleman who set him againe upon his horse and held him on one side whom when the spirits durst not attempt by reason of his innocency they vanished out of sight and they conveyed the nobleman into a monasterie that was hard by where he lay three dayes and died such is the end of horrible and fearefull blasphemers A Vintner that accustomed himselfe to blaspheming swearing and drunkennesse and delighting to entertaine such that were like himselfe to swallow downe his wine upon the Lords day standing at the dore with a pot in his hand to call in more guests there came suddenly a violent whirlew inde and carried him up into the aire in the sight of all men and he was never seene more CHAP. VI. Of Conjucers Magitians and Witches IOhn Faustus a filthie beast and a sinke of many devils led about with him an evill spirit in the likenesse of a dog being at Wittenberg when as by the Edict of the Prince he should have beene taken he escaped by his magicall delusions and after at Noremberg being by an extraordinary sweat that came upon him as he was at dinner certified that hee was beset payed his host suddenly his shot and went away and being scarce escaped out of the walls of the Citie the Sergeants and other officers came to apprehend him But Gods vengeance following him as he came into a Village of the Dukedome of Wittenberg he sat there in his Inne very sad the host required of him what was the cause of his sadnesse he answered that he would not have him terrified if he heard a great noise and shaking of the house that night which happened according to his presage for in the morning hee was found dead with his necke wrung behinde him the Devill whom he served having carried his soule into hell This story is set downe by many in other termes but Philip Lonicerus expresseth it in this manner in his Theatre of Histories Anno 1553. two Witches were taken which went about by tempest haile and frost to destroy all the corne in the countrey these women stole away a little infant of one of their neighbours and cutting it in pieces put it into a Cauldron to be boyled but by Gods providence the mother of the childe came in the meane while and found the members of her childe thus cut in pieces and boyled Whereupon the two Witches were taken and being examined answered That if the boyling had beene finished such a tempest of â—aine and haile would have followed that all the fruits of the earth in that countrey should have been destroyed but God prevented them by his just judgement in causing them to be put to death Anno 1558. in a Village neare to Ihaena in Germany a certaine Magitian being instructed by the Devill in the composition of divers hearbs restored many unto their healths He had daily commerce with that evill spirit and used his counsell in the curing of diseases but it happened that there fell a quarrell betwixt him and a neighbour of his a carpenter who so exasperated him with his taunting words that in few dayes after he caused the Carpenter by his magicall art to fall into a grievous disease The poore Carpenter sent for this Magitian and entreated him to helpe him in his need The Magitian feigning an appeased minde but desiring to revenge the injuries done unto him gave unto him a potion confected of such venomous hearbs and roots that being taken the poore man presently died Whereupon the Carpenters wife accused the Magitian of murther the cause is brought to the Senate of Ihaena who examining the matter caused him by torments to confesse the murther and many other wickednesses for which he was fastened to a stake and burnt to death CHAP. VII Of the prophanation of the Sabbath A Certaine nobleman prophaning the Sabbath usually in hunting had a childe by his wife with a head like a dog and with eares and chaps crying like a hound Stratford upon Sluon was twice on the same day twelve-month being the Lords day almost consumed with fire chiefly for prophaning the Lords day and contemning his Word in the mouth of his faithfull Minister Feverton in Devonshire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preachers that God would bring some heavie judgement on the Towne for their horrible prophanation of the Lords day occasioned chiefly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of Aprill Anno Dom. 1598. God in lesse than halfe an houre consumed with a sudden and fearfull fire the whole Towne except onely the Church the Court-house and the Almes-houses or a few poore peoples dwellings where a man might have seene foure hundred dwelling houses all at once on fire and above fiftie persons consumed with the flame And now againe since the former Edition of this booke on the fifth of August last 1612 fourteene yeares since the former fire the whole Towne was againe fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poore people with the School-house and Almes-houses they are blinde which see not in this the finger of God God grant them grace when it is next built to change their Market-day and to remove all occasions of prophaning the Lords day Let other Townes remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13. 4. and take warning by their neighbours chastisements Feare Gods threatnings Ieremie 17. 27. and beleeve Gods Prophets if they will prospet 1 Chron. 20. 20. CHAP. VIII Of Drunkennesse AN Ale-wise in Kesgrave neare to Ipswich who would needs force three Serving-men that had been drinking in her house and were taking their leaves to stay and drinke the three ou ts first that is Wit out of the head Money out of the purse Ale out of the barrell as shee was comming towards them with the pot in her hand was suddenly taken speechlesse and sickher tongue swolne in her head she never recovered speech but the third day after died This Sir Anthony Felton the next Gentleman and Justice with divers others eye-witnesses of her in sicknesse related to me whereupon I went to the house with two or three witnesses and enquired the truth of it Two servants of a Brewer in Ipswich drinking for a rumpe of a Turkey strugling in their drinke for it fell into a scalding Caldron backwards whereof the one died presently the other lingringly and painfully since my comming to Ipswich A man comming home drunk would needs goe and swimme in the mill pond his wife and servants knowing he could not swimme dissuaded him once by intreaty got him out of the water but in he would needs goe again and there was drowned I was at the house to enquire of this and found it to be
that siâ—ted Peter and buffered Paul But to leave the Holy Scripture Philip Melancthon reporteth That he heard of two men credible and faith-worthy that a certain Bottonian young woman two yeares after her death returned againe to humane shape and went up and downe in the house and sate at meate with them but eate little This young seeming woman being at a time amongst other virgines a certaine Magitian came in skilfull in diabolicall Arts who said to the beholders This woman is but a dead carkasse carried about by the Devill and presently he tooke from under her right arme-hole the charme which hee had no sooner done but she fell downe a dead filthie carkasse Martin Luther reporteth the like of a woman at Erford in Germany who being animated by the Devill accompanied a young student that was in love with her and went up and downe divers yeares but at last the Devill being cast out by the prayers of the Church she returned to a dead and filthie carkasse The same Luther in his Colloquies telleth us how Sathan oftentimes stealeth away young children of women lying in child-bed and supposteth others of their owne begetting in their stead in the shapes of Incubus and Sucoâ—bus one such childe Luther reporteth of his owne knowledge at Halbersted which being carried by the parents to the Temple of the Virgine Mary to be cured the Devill asked the childe being in a basket upon the river whither it was going the young infant answered That hee was going to the Virgin Mary whereupon the father threw the basket and the childe into the river The like hee reporteth of another at Pessovia which representing in all lineaments a humane shape it was nothing else but a meere elusion of the Devill this childe saith he delighted in nothing but in stuffing it selfe with food and egesting the same in a filthy manner but was discovered and disrobed and cast out by the Prayers of the Church At Babylon in the Temple of Apollo a souldier breaking open a golden Chest there flew out such a pestilent spirit that infected the whole world with the plague thus Aventine lib. 2. cap. 17. Bruno the Bishop of Herbipolis accompanying the Emperour through an arme of the Sea heard this voyce sounding in his eares Ho Ho thou Bishop I am thy Malus Genius and whithersoever thou goest thou art mine at this time I have no power to hurt thee but thou shalt see me shortly againe and so it came to passe For not long after being in a roome with divers others part of the roofe fell downe and flew this wicked Bishop alone all the rest remaining safe and sound Vrbanus Regius in a Sermon at Wittenberge Anno 1538 concerning good and bad Angels relateth a storie of a certaine young maide possessed by the Devill for whom when prayers were made in the Church he seemed to be quiet for the time as if he were departed out of her watching an opportunity to do her further mischiefe as he did indeed for when as lesse care was taken of her supposing her to be found shee going to wash her hands at the brinke of a river running by the Devill tumbled her headlong in and drowned her in a fearefull manner Platina Nauclerus and other Historiographers write of Pope Bennet the ninth who died in the yeare 1405 that hee appeared or the Devill for him in a prodigious and bestiall forme like a Beare in his body and in his head and tayle like an Asse and when he was asked by some Why he shewed himselfe in so ougly a shape answered That this shape was imposed upon him for his wicked and bestiall behaviour when he was alive In the hill countries of Bohemia there used to appeare an evill Spirit in the habit and shape of a Monk whom the countrie people called Rubezall This devillish Monke used to joyne himselfe unto travellers over those hils and to bid them be of good courage for hee would lead them the right way thorow the woods but when as he had purposely led them out of the way so that they could not tell which way to turne themselves he would leapâ— into a tree and laugh at them with such a loud noyse that the whole wood would ring of him This was a morrie Devill such as our Robin-Goodfellow is said to be but yet in his mirth hee alwayes affected mischiefe Theat Hist. pag. 120. Chunibert King of Lumbardie consulted with one of his trusty counsellours about putting to death his two brothers Aldo and Grauso Whilest they were thus consulting in a by-window there sate a great flie by them one of the feet whereof the King with his knife which he had in his hand cut off in the meane while Aldo and Grauso entering into the Pallace met with a man with one of his feet cut off who told them the King was purposed to slay them if they passed on whereupon they returned and hid themselves in the Temple of Romanus the Martyr The King hearing thereof was much troubled how his Counsell might be revealed and charged his Privie Counsellours with infidelity But the Counsellour answered That hee had not departed from his presence since the matter was contrived but there sate a flie whose foot they cut off which no question was the Devill as it was had revealed this secret in the shape of a man Hereupon the King was reconciled to his brethren and embraced them with love ever after Thus the Devill sometimes doth good but it is with an intent of greater mischiefe Et sinon aliquâ nocuisset mortuus esset Cronica Hedion While certaine Mariners were sayling in the Sea a Monster was taken by them in every thing like unto a woman which being detained in the ship a good while one of the Mariners fell in love with her tooke her to his wife and begot one childe of her after three yeares they returning to the same place againe where the same Monster was taken this woman-Devill leaped into the Sea with her childe in her armes the childe was drowned but shee vanished away Thus it is easie for the Devill to take upon him the shape of a man or a woman Ex Colloquiis Lutheri A certaine Nobleman invited Martin Luther and other learned men to his house the Nobleman after dinner went out a hunting where a Hare of great bignesse and a Fox of great swiftnesse offered themselves unto his hounds The Nobleman riding upon a good horse followed them amaine but his horse falling downe under him dyed and the Hare vanished into the aire This was certainly a diabolicall delusion Luther The same Luther writeth That certaine Noblemen riding a race they cryed out let the last bee the Devils one of the Noblemen having a spare horse hasted forward with the rest of his company but his horse that was leâ—t free came softly behinde and was carried up by the Devill into the aire The Devill is not to be invited for he is ready to come uncalled Philip