Hellen a British Princess he claimed a Succession to the Roman Empire and would e're long come with an Army to Rome subdue it and make it Tributary to Britain which stout Answer so dashed the Legate that he return'd much troubled and some write but upon what Certainty I know not that this King passed the Seas with a Fleet of 1000 Sail of Ships and a mighty Army subduing France Germany the Netherlands and Italy Soon after the Saxons were expelled Loth King of the Picts dyed and the Britains unwilling a Stranger should Reign over them in a manner by their Importunity compelled King Arthur to exclude Mordred now King Pictland from the Succession and to Adopt Constantine the Son of Cador Duke of Cornwal a valiant and virtuous young Man which Disappointment so vexed Mordred that after many threatning Messages finding no Redress he raised the Power of his whole Kingdom to which many Scots joyned themselves and ravaged the Northern Parts slaying and burning all in his way And tho' several Bishops on either Part laboured for a Reconciliation they could not prevail so that to decide the Controversie a dreadful Battle was fought near the River Humber and the Britains being entangled among the Bogs and Quagmires a Place that had been ever fatal to them tho' they fought like Lions yet in the end both Kings with most of their Nobles being slain with 20000 Picts and Scots and 30000 Britains the Day fell to the Picts and Scots by a crafty Device of a Scot who getting among the Britains cryed in the British Tongue Our King and his Nobles are slain every Man shift for himself which wrought such a Fear in the Army that it fell in Rout before there was any Cause for it and this Loss was so great that neither Nation recovered it in many Years The Body of King Arthur being found covered with the Heaps he had slain was honourably buried in Glastenbury Church-yard in Summersetshire and after his Death the Saxons came again and drove the Britains into the Mountains taking strong Possession of all the plain Country The Life and Glorious Actions of Charlemagne or Charles the Great who restored the Roman Empire in the West WHen the barbarous Nations as Goths Huns Sarazens Vandels Lumbards c. had torn the Roman Empire in pieces and divided it among themselves grievously Persecuting all that professed the Name of Christ GOD hearing the Cries and Groans and seeing the abundant Tears of his afflicted People raised them up Deliverers And first Charles Martell a French Prince who taking Courage to rescue his oppressed Country raised an Army of 60000 French and Germans who gave Battle to Abderamen a King of the Sarazens who had over run Franco with an Army of 400000 Men and overthrew him with the slaughter of 375000 of his Men and found him overwhelmed with a Heap of the Slain and tho' not wounded his Men in their Flight from the pursuing French Men pressed him to Death and soon after overthrew with great Slaughter another King of the Sarazens who was coming to Aid the former with an Army of 300000 Men utterly driving the Sarazens out of France and Germany for which worthy Service after his Death his Son Pepin a valiant Prince was made King and Childrick a lazy vicious Prince of the Race of Pharamond laid aside This Man did many great Actions much enlarging his Kingdom and dying divided his vast Dominions between his two Sons viz. Charles or Charlemagne and Caroloman the first being crowned at Wormes and the last at Soissons but long they agreed not for Charles being of a mild Temper and Caroloman of a turbulent Spirit he laboured to supplant him and to that end after some Contests he joyned with the Enemies of Charles went to Rome under a Pretence of Devotion labouring to make the Pope his Friend and to League himself to Didier a powerful King of the Lombards in Italy which wrought much Trouble to Charles from the Lombard and Pope But within three Years after his being crowned Caroloman dyed and then after strugling with some Rebels the whole Inheritance fell to Charles who warred with the Saxons Bavarians and other Nations sixteen Years and overcame them making them his Tributaries And when Didier the King of the Lombards went to Rome and hanged the Pope's two Secretaries for siding with Charles and caused the Pope to be deposed Charles having over come the Sons of Caroloman who raised Disturbances in France to put themselves in Possession of their Father's Estate he raised an Army and passing the Alps entered into Italy and in two great Battles defeated the Lombards besieging them and their King in Pavia which was soon surrendred to him and Didier their King was sent Prisoner to Lyons in France and so ended the Lombard Kingdom in Italy which had long flourished and been the Terror of all that Country and for this great Service Pope Adrian in a Councel held at Rome decreed That Charles should have a Right of Disposing of all the Ecclesiastical Benefits that became Vacant throughout Christendom Charles no sooner returned into France but Aldegise Son to Didier raised Commotions in Italy by the Helpe of Rogand to whom Charles had given the Country of Friuli but by the Care and Vigilence of the French Governours Rogan was taken and by the King's Command lost his Head which ended the Sedition And being now at Leasure he resolved to War on the Sarazens and Moors who coming over to Africa had strongly possessed themselves of all Spain and overthrew them in several Battles taking the Cities of Pampelona and Saragosa and many other strong Places putting those he found therein to the Sword for their Cruelty towards the Christians but Agoland a Sarazen King taking the Advantage of streight Passages in the Mountains fell upon Milon the Brother of Charles and slew him with most Part of his Army and elevated with this Victory he marched into France and besieged Agen in Gascoine but Charles soon overtook him yet his Troops with long Marches were so weary that they were not at that time in a Condition to fight yet Agoland propos'd a Way to decide the Difference viz. That a Troop on either Party should fight it out and the Sarazen promised to turn Christian if his was beaten and his Troop being worsted and mostly slain he did become a Christian in Shew but seeing the King at Dinner and a Table in the same Room at which many poor Men fed of the King's Bounty he demanded what they were to which Charles answered They were God's Ministers Nay then said the impious Sarazen your God must needs be very poor himself seeing his Ministers are so very poor and contemtible and so departed But Charles to be revenged of him followed him into Spain overthrew him in a great Battle and brought away his Head as a Trophy of his Victory Thus this great Man having extended his Dominions very largely was by Pope Leo whom he
desperately rushing on slew a Multitude with his own Hand and restored the Battle but having taken a King in rich Armour Prisoner as he cast his Shield behind him to lead him out of the Ranks his Breast being Defenceless Achilles suddenly came upon him inclosed him with his Men and run his Spear into his Body so that he fell down dead and with him dyed all the Hopes of Troy for though Achilles was soon after slain by Paris Phyrrus his Son no less in Strength and Courage arriving in the Camp Paris and Tragilus King Priamus's Sons being slain and the Palladium which was the Safe-gaurd of Troy stole by Vlysses and Diomede who slew the Warders of the Tower who kept it the City was soon after taken by the means of a mighty Wooden-Horse the Greeks dedicated to Pallas to attone as they feigned for the Theft of the Palladium which upon the supposed Departure of the Enemy was by the Perswasion of one Sinon a crafty Greek drawn into the Gity and the Walls broke down to give it entrance when in the Night he let out the armed Men in the Belly of it who seized the Gate called in their Companions slew the King laid the City in Ashes and carried the Queen her Daughters and most that escaped the Sword Captives to Greece II. The Life Actions and Death of Alexander the Great King of Macedon who conquered the World c. ALexander from his many glorious Exploits and amazing Victories Sir-named The Great was the Son of Philip King of Macedon by Olympius his Queen this Philip before his Death brought all Greece under his Subjection and intended to war on the Persian Monarchy then flourishing in Asia and Part of Africa of vast Extent governed by King Darius but being slain before he put his Intendments in Execution his Son Alexander assembled the Grecian States at Corinth and was by them chosen General of their Armies in his Father's stead but soon after by the Perswasion of Demosthenes the Orator corrupted with the Gold of Persia the Lacedemonians Athenians and Thebans revolted from him and made an Alliance with Darius but Alexander soon reduced them to Obedience levelling the City of Thebes to the Ground and selling the Citizens for Slaves Thus having settled his Affairs in Greece and put to Death all those he suspected could disturd its Quiet in his Absence distributing his Treasure amongst his Commanders and Soldiers reserving nothing but Hope of the World's Empire for himself he passed into Asia with an Army of 30000 Foot and 4500 Horse mostly of Soldiers who had served his Father which small Number Darius so much despised that he sent to his Lieutenant in the Lesser Asia to fall upon and destroy them but to take Alexander alive to scourge him and send him bound in Chains to Babylon where he resided But it fell out much otherwise than he expected for with his handful of Men he overthrew several Armies commanded by the Persian Lieutenants with almost incredible Slaughter taking most of the strong Places in the Way as he marched which rouzed King Darius from his Ease and Luxury of his Court to raise the whole Strength of his Kingdom in hopes to drive out an Enemy now grown so formidable to him and a mighty Battle was fought between the Plains of Abrastum where he overthrew an Army 600000 Persians with the Loss only of 9 Foot-men and 100 Horse-men and taking exceeding rich Plunder having buried the Dead and erected several Monuments in Token of his Victory upon which a great Part of Asia submitted to him After this Battle he marched to the City of Gordium where in the Temple of Jupiter he cut the Gordian Knot in two with his Sword of which there went a Prophesie That whoever could unfold it should be King of that Country and having garrisoned that City marched on but fearing to be entangled in the narrow Passages of the huge Mountain Taurus he marched speedily over it his Foot marching five hundred Furlongs without Respite and so he came to Tursus where being taken with the pleasant River Cydnus he plunged into it to cool and refresh himself when hot which caused an Ague-fit and when Philip his Physician presented him a Portion he took it boldly though he had a Letter sent him that Philip was bribed by Darius to poison him which Letter he delivered to Philip whilst he was drinking the Potion who read it undauntedly and soon after Alexander recovered And now Darius approached with a recruited Army of 300000 Foot 100000 Horse when Alexander encouraging his Soldiers and extolling their Valour who had broke through so many Nations and been ever victorious he caused the Charge to be sounded and the two Armies rushed together with great Fury and Violence but after a bloody Encounter in which both Kings were wounded the Persians gave way after 30000 Foot and 10000 Horse were slain and 4000 taken Prisoners with the Loss of no more than 130 Foot and 150 Horse of the Macedonians and all Darius's Treasure of Gold Silver Jewels c. fell into the Hands of the Victors and among the Captive were the Mother Wife and two Daughters of Darius who fell on their Knees with piteous Cries before Alexander expecting no less than Death or worse Treatment but he kindly raised and comforted them causing them to be honouaably attended and well-used and falling into Love with the beauteous Barsione one of the captive Ladies he got a Son on her whom he named Hercules and after that married Statira the eldest Daughter to Darius giving Parisatis to his dear Friend Haephston and seizing on the Persian Fleet marched unto Syria where many of the Eastern Kings who had been tributary to Darius came and layed their Crowns at his Feet most of them receiving them again as his Bounty to be tributary under him Then he passed from Syria into Egypt taking all the Cities in his Way and having been reputed to be the Son of Jupiter Ammon and not of King Philip who had put away his Mother upon her confessing Jupiter came in the Shape of a Dragon and got him in the Absence of Philip he enquired of that and other Events at the the Temple of Ammon where the flattering Priests declared him to be the Son of Jupiter Ammon and that both Victories in all Wars and the Possession of all Lands were granted to him charging his Followers to adore him as a God which puffed him up with such Pride which together with the Luxury of Asia utterly debauched his Virtues for complaining of which Parmenio one of his greatest Captains was by his Command flead alive and his Son Philotes slain After this he built a City on the Sea-coast of Egypt calling it Alexandria from his own Name and settled a Colony of Macedonians in it And here Darius writ to him to part his Empire with him and that he should freely enjoy his Part with his Daughter also he offered him a vast Sum to redeem
his Mother Wife and Daughters but he refused all unless he would surrender up the whole Empire of Persia Upon which Darius resolving to try another Field raised an Army of 400000 Foot and 100000 Horse but in his March heard his Wife was dead and that Alexander had buried her very honourably and wept at her Funeral using the rest very courteously which made him confess he was truly conquered since after so many Battles his Enemy had overcome him in Kindness and that it was some Comfort to him in his Misery to be subdued by so noble an Adversary However another bloody Battle was fought on the Plains of Arbella where the Persians and Scithians at first prevailed and with barbarous Shouts run on the Plunder but suddenly an Eagle hovering over the Head of Alexander it was taken by his Men as a Presage of Victory which reviving their fainting Spirits made them fall on so desperately that with the Battle they won him the Empire of the East for Darius flying was taken by Neorbarzanes and Bessus two of his own Princes bound in Chains and laid on a Waggon thinking with the Head of their King to purchase their own Conditions with Alexander but being hotly pursued they mortally Wounded him and left his Body on the Land where he expired and was magnificently buried by Alexander who took Possession of the Persian Empire Alexander having gotten the Empire of Darius warred on many Nations and coming to the great Indian Sea after he had overcome King Porus who made a stout Resistance he wept because as he supposed there were no more Countries to conquor and in his return Kings submitted every-where to him and Thelestus Queen of the Amazons came with 5000 Virgins arm'd to request him to lye with her that she might have a Son by so Great a Conquerour and had her Wish Peace being now pretty well settled Alexander laying aside the Macedonian Fashion followed the Persian Mode as well in Apparel as in Riot and Luxury making many drunken Banquets in one of which he killed Clytus an aged General who had done him great Service in his Wars but being sober he exceedingly mourned his Death refusing Food for four Days but afterward putting many of his Lieutenants to Death upon little Pretences and growing Outragious in his Actions Antipater Lieutenant of Macedon fearing his own Life caused his Son Cassander who waited on the King to Poison him at one of his Banquets and so dying without an Heir his mighty Empire was divided amongst his great Captains and his Body carried to Egypt and there buried III. The Life and glorious Actions of Julius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome JVlius Caesar the great Roman Captain and Emperour of the World descended of the Julian Family so called from Julius Ascunius the Son of Aeneas of Troy and Caesar from his being cut from his Mother's Womb began very early to climb to the highest Honours being made Priest of Jupiter at sixteen Years of Age and though he was grievously persecuted by Syla who foreseeing his rising to Greatness labour'd to destroy him often saying There were many Mariuses in that Boy he escaped his Hands and studied at Rhodes under A. Molon the famous Orator where he grew so perfect that on all Occasions he had moving Words at Command which mightily favoured his Purpose and once appeas'd a Mutiny in his Army when the Soldiers in their Rage and Fury sought his Life And having passed the Offices of Questor in Spain and Tribune of the People he gained by his fair Speeches and Liberality so much Love amongst the Vulgar that they every-where extolled him to the Skies especially when he had successfully fought against and overthrown the Lieutenants of Mithridates King of Pontus and turned many to their Alliance who were wavering and ready to Revolt And to strengthen his Alliance he married Cornelia Daughter to Cinna who had been four times Consul by whom he had a Daughter named Julia after married to Pompey the Great when coming to the Temple of Hercules and seeing the Statute of Alexander the Great he wept because he had lived to his Age and had done nothing to compare with him And ever after it put such an Aspiring into his Mind that he grew restless till he subdued to himself the Roman Empire far larger in Extent than that that Alexander had possessed After he had done many obliging things to bind the Affection of the People of Rome to his interest he was made Consul with Bibulus and soon so prevailed over his Partner that he laid him aside and acted alone in all Publick-Affairs managing the Farms and Revenues of the Roman People to great Advantage causing Cato to be violently pulled out of the Senate house and committed for interrupting him for which he incurred his mortal Hatred ever after And his Wife dying he married Calphurnia Daughter of Piso which so strengthen'd his Alliance that he awed the Senate Soon after he went with the Consullary Army over the Alps subdued France then Gallia and a great part of Germany and sailing over into Britain after many dangerous Battles fought with the Britains he subdued a great Part of this Island in his three Expeditions and laid a Tribute of 3000 Pound Weight of Silver on the Natives to be paid Yearly to the Romans And when he had warred ten Years successfully abroad hearing that Pompey had made a great Party against him in the Senate and that they were about to divest him of all his Honours and calling him home as a private Man appointing Domitius his Successor in Gallia he was much disturbed and setling his Affairs as well as he could resolved to march with his Army to Rome though upon a Table of Brass placed on the other side the River Rubicon whereon was engraven an Act of the Senate that no Roman should pass that River homeward Armed when encamping on the Bank of that River he paused a while saying to those about him Thus far we are safe and may return if we please If we pass this Bridge we shall have nothing to trust to but our Arms. When he had spoke these Words there appeared a Person of remarkable Stature and Beauty playing melodiously on a Reed which made many flock about him when snatching a Trumpet out of one of their Hands he stalked through the River sounding a Charge whereat Caesar seemed to be much amazed though it was thought to be a Device of his to draw on his Men more willingly and crying out Come then it is decreed 〈◊〉 go where the Progenies of the Gods and the Iniquities of our Enemies 〈◊〉 and immediately causing his Eagles to advance he passed the forbiddes River at the Terror of whose Approach Petreus Affâ—â—nas young Syla and most of Pompey's Lieutenants in Italy deserted the Towns and fled and the Massilians and some others that made Resistance were reduced into which Towns Caesar putting Garrisons marched to Rome for Fear of whom Pompey and the
Senate fled with the greater Part of the Inhabitants whereupon he 〈…〉 without Resistance and was received by his Friends with joyful Acclamations then he seiz'd on the vast Treasure sent by all Nations as Tribute in the Temple of Saturn enriching his Soldiers and having settled Affairs and hearing Pompey was gathering forces in Greece and other Easter Countries he hasted after him with Part of his Army leaving Mark Anthony with the rest in Calabria who lingering behind Caesar impatient of Delay in a stormy Night stole from his Army and in a little Fisher-boat passed the Seas to fetch them a Danger the meanest of his Soldiers would not have ventured And then having his full Army after some Skirmishes and taking of Towns and drawing a Bullwark about Pompey's Army of fifteen Miles in Circuit both Armies upon the Plains of Thessaly joyned in a dreadful Battle where Crastinus an old Soldier crying out O Caesar I shall so behave my self this Day praise me alive or dead threw the first Pile and was himself slain being run through the Mouth with a Sword In this Battle Caesar as in all others was victorious most of the Senators and noble Romans with 40000 others being slain and Pompey fled to Egypt for Succour from King Ptolomy and being invited on Shore with great Promises of Kindness was treacherously slain e're he landed by Achilles and Septinus and his Head cut off and that Embalmed for Caesar's fight but he coming into Egypt not only detested the base Murther but wept over the Head causing it with the Body honourably to be buried But soon Phatinus and others of the Court conspired to take his Head but by his Courage and Fortune were prevented by his firing the Ship-house and swimming to his own Fleet after which he conquered all Egypt and the King in his Flight being drown'd in the River Nilus he made Cleopatra his Sister Queen and begot on her a Son named Cesaria afterwards slain by the Command of Octavius Augustus Having settled Affairs in Egypt he overthrew Pharnaces who had rebelled in Asia and in the Field of Thapsus in Africa in a bloody Battle overthrew Cipio the Roman General and Juba King of Mauritania who joyned his Forces with him Then coming to Rome had all the Honours he could wish heaped on him But Pompey's Son raising a War in Spain drew him thither where in the fatal Battle of Munday he overthrew them Then returning to Rome was decreed by the Senate Perpetual Dictator ever Augustus and Father of his Country had Temples and Statues erected to his Honour and without Controul whatever he pleased But attempting to be made a King that he might overcome the Parthians Brutus and Cassius with other Senators conspired against him and though several unlucky Dreams and Omens fore-run his Death as his Dreaming he was taken up into the Clouds and shook Hands with Jupiter his Wife 's dreaming the Night before he was slain she found him stabbed and bloody in her Arms a little Wren flying with a Laurel-branch to Pompey's Theatre was pulled to pieces by other Birds and all the Sacrifices appearing unlucky yet undaunted he went to the Senate-house and pocketed by the way a Scrole presented him unread that revealed the whole Conspiracy but no sooner had he taken his Seat but Cimber rudely took him by the Shoulders and the rest stabbed him with twenty three Wounds he in vain resisting such a Multitude And thus this Worthy never overcome but always fortunate in Wars fell a Sacrifice to the inraged Gown-men but his Death was severely revenged on them IV. The famous Life and Renowned Acts Joshua Captain General of the Israelites who subdued thirty Kings with the whole Land of Canaan AFter Moses by the mighty Hand of God with many Signs and Wonders had brought the Children of Israel out of their Egyptian Bondage fed and instructed them forty Years in the Wilderness he having Notice to prepare for his Death by the Appointment of God chose Joshua the Son of Nun to succeed him as Captain General of the People and utterly to subdue the Canaanites on the other side Jordan as he had done on this side When going up into Mount Abarim Moses died and was buried by God in a Valley least the Israelites who had a great Veneration for him knowing the Place of his Burial should have builded an Alter there and committed Idolatry in Worshipping him Upon Notice that Moses was dead Joshua encamped two Days before the River Jordan and on the third the Priests entered with the Ark of God when immediately the Waters retreated and stood like a Wall on either Hand so that the whole Army whilst the Priests stood in the middle passed over on dry Ground and then they took twelve Stones according to the Tribes and raised as a Monument to succeeding Ages And no sooner were the Priests come out of the River but the Waters returned to their full Forces before And the Princes of the Tribe of Gad and Rhuben and the Half Tribe of Manasses to whom the Land of the Amorites being the seventh Part of Canaan fell as a Lot of Inheritance having sent 50000 fighting Men to assist their Brethren in conquering the rest Joshua sent Spies to Jerico to view that strong fenced City who had been destroyed upon Notice of their coming had not Rahab the Harlot hid them under Bundles of Linnen till the Search was over and then let them down by the Wall in a Basket so they escaped to Joshua by which good Office she saved herself and her Houshold when the City was utterly destroyed for Joshua immediately went against it and by the command of God the Priests encompassed it six Days blowing Trumpets of Rams-horns and on the seventh Day seven times when by the mighty Power of God the Walls fell flat to the Ground and the whole Army marching into the City destroy'd all the People Rahab and her Houshold accepted and burnt it with Fire laying up the rich Spoil as the First-fruits of their Victory as a Dedication to God Almighty except a Wedge of Gold and a rich Babilonian's Garment which Achan with-held and hid in his Tent but going against Aii a strong fenced City and the Men of Israel being there discomfitted and thirty of them slain this Fraud was discovered to be the Cause of it and Achan stoned to Death after which they took Aii and put all to the Sword except the King who taken alive was hanged on a Tree as the like also they did by the City of Bethel and the rich Spoil was divided amongst the People The Gibeonites who dwelt in a Town near Jerusalem hearing how Joshua destroyed all before him dealt craftily sending Ambassadours pretendedly from a far Country wearing old Shooes and Cloaths with rent Bottles and mouldy Bread to make a League which they did but for this Deceit they were nevertheless punished by being made Slaves to hew Wood and draw Water for the Camp And
when the King of Jerusalem and other Confederate Kings assembled a mighty Army utterly to destroy them for making this League with the Enemies of their Country upon their Supplication Joshua made a hard March to their Relief and utterly in a terrible Battle discomfited the Kings and their Armies and to lengthen out the Day for their Distruction at the Prayer of Joshua the Son and Moon that were hastening to set stood still for the space of a whole Day so that there was no Day like that Day in which God fought for Israel by destroying Multitudes of their Enemies with mighty Hail stones that fell upon them yet hurt not one of the pursuing Israelites and their five Kings being found hid in the Cave Mukkedaâ— Joshua pulled them out and caused the People to set their Feet upon their Necks in Token of Subjection slew them and hanged them on five Trees burning 2000 War-charriots with Fire and then marched through all the Land of Canaan taking Cities and Strong holds and in five Years utterly subdued it unless some few strong Garrisons and having caused is to be viewed divided it amongst the Tribes by Lot of 〈…〉 as Moses had appointed setting up the Tabernacle of God 〈◊〉 Shiloe This famous War as it was thus finished the fifty Thousand whose Lot was in the Land of the Amorites returned with great Riches to their Wives and Children and that the parting of the River Jordan might not in time to come make them be taken for another People they erected an Altar there which by a Misunderstanding had like to have created a bloody War between their Bretheren and them but the real Cause being known it was prevented And now Joshua having Governed successfully twenty Years and grown Old finding the time of his Death approaching assembled the Princes and Heads of the ePple and gave them a strict Command to Obey the Lord their God in all things that he had commanded by the Mouth of his Servant Moses and to walk uprightly in his sight that it might be well with them and their Children for ever And soon after he died greatly lamented of the People in the 110th Year of his Age and from â—â—e World's Creation 2560. and before the coming of Christ 1500. V. The Life and glorious Reign of David King of Israel DAvid the renowned King of Israel and Captain of the Peple of the Lord of Host was the Son of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah who in his young Years kept his Father's Flocks and was then very Daring and Valiant as appears by his fighting with and killing a Lion and a Bear who came to devour his Sheep and when Saul King of Israel sinned against God in disobeying his Commands this Striplin was appointed to Reign over Israel and by a special Command was annointed King by Samuel the Prophet And the first of his publick Appearance to make himself known and to rise to Greatness was when Saul and his Armies were defied by Goliah the great Giant of Gath whom he slew with a Sling and a Stone and had Michol the King's Daughter in Marriage as it had been promised to him that should overcome that daring Champion of the Philistines who had been a Man of War from his Youth upward and highly was he favoured in the Court of Saul by Abner the Captain of the Host with the Giant 's Head in his Hand But after his many Victories the Virgins in their Songs ascribed to him ten Thousands of Slain and to Saul but one which stirred up his Jealousie and Envy against him without his deserving it David no sooner became renowned at Court and throughout all the Land of Israel but Jonathan Saul's eldest Son and a very vertuous Prince made a very strict League of Friendship with him insomuch that they became as own Brothers he labouring to pacifie his Father's Wrath towards David till he incurred it himself and narrowly escaped Death as David had often done Saul by this time having Notice that by God's Appointment David was to be King of Israel his Spirit was so troubled that at times he fell into a melancholy Madness so that an evil Spirit possessed him and when David was playing before him on his Harp as he often did to drive away the Spirit Saul falling into one of his Fits narrowly mist slaying him by throwing a Javelin at him with such Force that it stuck in the Wall and David fled for his Life and Saul sent Soldiers to pursue him and beset his House where he had been taken but that his Wife let him down a Back-way and laid an Image in his Bed pretending he was sick till he escaped to the City of Nob where of Abimelech the High-Priest he obtained Shew-bread for his Sustenance and the Sword of Goliah kept there as a Monument for his Defence of which Doeg the Edomite informing all the People belonging to that place were slain by Saul's Command as Abettors to his Enemy which News greatly grieved David who then made his aboad in the Woods and Mountains And many were the Persecutions he endured from that time till Saul and his Sons being discomfitted by the Philistines fell on their Swords and died on Mount Gilboa After the Death of Saul Abner his Uncle after some Battles fought against David on the behalf of Ishosheth Saul's Son upon a Quarrel between them about Rispha one of Saul's Concubines deposed his Master and made an Agreement with David to settle him in the Kingdom which he performed by drawing the Tribes of Israel to his Party and David was saluted King but Joab Captain of David's Host envying a Man that had such great Power with the People and become a new Favourite with the King to his Prejudice secretly sent for him to treat about Affairs at Hebron and there in the Gate treacherously killed him whose Death David greatly lamented but Joab being powerful in the Army he durst not punish him for it And soon after Ishosheth the late King of Israel was murthered whose Murtherers David caused to be put to a cruel Death And soon after the Philistines invading the Land he overthrew them in two great Battles and extended his Borders by Victories over the Moabites and Ammonites and Westward upon the Phoenetians warring with the Arabians Syrians Humeans Amalekites and Messopotamians and much enlarged his Kingdom to which it was in the time of Joshua or ever before his Reign and settling his Affairs in Peace and Plenty the great Decayers of Virtue he unhappily cast his Eyes from his Tarras on the beautiful naked Body of Bersheba Wife to Vriah one of his faithful Captains as she was Bathing in a Fountain sent for her and lay with her and when she had told him she was with Child he sent for her Husband to cover the Shame but he refusing to lie with her he sent Letters by him to Joab to have him destroy'd who as he was directed set him in the Front of the Battle and retired
from him so that he sell by the Sword of the Ammonites And David took Barsheba to be his Wife and after the Prophet had reproved him he wept bitterly but that Child dying he begot on her Solomon who after was King of Israel Yet God punished him for this Sin by the Ravishment of his Daughter Tamar the Murther of his Son Amnon and lastly by the Rebellion of his Son Absolom who drove him almost out of his Kingdom and was contrary to the King's Command after a great Defeat slain by Joab as he hung by the Hair of the Head in an Oak whose Death David lamented in a very sorrowful manner till Joab rebuked him and compelled him to speak comfortably to the People whose Sorrow had utterly disheartened them After this Victory won David was carried back with the Consent of all the People to Jerusalem where having pardoned Shimei that cursed him in his Flight angry with Joab he made Amasa Captain of his Host who had headed Absolom's Army but Joab slew him in the way as they were marching in pursuit of Sheba a Captain who had rebelled whom he besiged in Adelda where his Head by the Perswasion of a Woman of that City was cut off and thrown over the Wall upon which Joab raised the Siege Yet David having numbred the People against the Advice of his Councellors to know what Strength he had God was displeased and sent a Pestilence that consumed a great number of them And now David having reigned eleven Years in Peace betook himself to Piety and Devotion writing his Hymns and Psalms in the Praise of God and preparing Materials to build the Temple and when he had reigned forty Years he died in the seventy second Year of his Age appointing his Son Solomon to succeed him in the Throne VI. The Life and valiant Actions of Judas Maccabeus Captain of the Israelites against Atiochus the Persecuting King of Syria AMong other famous Worthies of the World who stood as a Bulwark in the Defence of their Country and by true Valour with small Numbers got almost incredible Victories over the Multitude of their Enemies I must worthily rank Judas Maccabeus the renowed Captain of the Jews In the youthful Days of this valiant Heroe some of the looser sort of the Jews being punished for their Disorders and the Neglect of their Religion fled to Antiochus Epiphanius who reigned over Syria and a great part of Asia being one of those Greek Captains who had parted Alexander's Empire amongst them This cruel King they earnestly solicited to invade Jerusalem who in the Year of the World 3796 sent a great Army to invade the Land of Judea who slaughtered all that fell in their way burning and destroying their Towns and Strong-holds and had Jerusalem betrayed to him by the Factious Party who over-powering the others open'd the Gates and let in the Army where they sacrilegiously robbed the Temple carrying away the Golden Table Candlesticks and Censures with all other Vessels and Things of Value dedicated to the Worship of God raising a cruel Persecution against the believing Jews who refused to fall down and Worship their Idols fleying some alive roasting and broiling others boiling some in Cauldrous and putting the seven Sons of the Maccabes to horrible Torments by broiling them on Grid-irons and frying them in Brass Pans alive c. which Torments they overcame with a admirable Patience Constancy and Courage till Death eased them and gave lasting Joys for short Pain He 〈◊〉 threw the Altars slew the Priests and strangled their Children in the Arms of their weeping Mothers and prophanded the Temple of God with abominable Sacrifices In the time of this Dissolation in the Holy City and others God stired up the Spirit of Matthias Father of Judas Maccabeus to begin the Deliverance of his People from the Cruelties of the Heathen Tyrant This Man was a Priest who with his valiant Sons and other Godly Jews retired to the City of Modin where he was soon summoned to surrender and submit himself and all with him to the Tyrant's Mercy but he refused and calling the People together repeated all the miseries and Cruelties the Nation of the Jews had suffer'd exhorted them to be couragious and trust in God as he and their Fathers had done in the like Distress and revenge them on their Merciless Enemies with other encouraging Words which made them take Heart and resolve to stand in Defence of their Religion and Lives and fight on the Sabbath-day if they were assaulted which before they had refused for fear of breaking it suffering their Throats to be cut without Resistance their Enemies hunting 'em out in Woods and Caves whether they were fled and chusing for that Purpose to fall on them on that Day And whilst they were thus consulting an irreligious Jew to please the King's Commissioners prâ—â—â—â—tly stept forth and slewis Swine on the Altar to do Sacrifice to Jupiter when Matthias in his Zeal slew the Jew and overthrew the Altar and slaying Appolonius the King 's Captain and other Soldiers that resisted he cryed out All you that are affected to the Law of your Fathers and to the Service of God follow me Upon this he assembled a great Company overthrew his Enemies Armies and slaughter ed Multitudes of them putting to Death many of the Apostate Jews but being very aged he recommended to them as their Captain his Son Judas Macchabeus and when he had exhorted them to be Couragious and expect the Divine Assistance he gave up the Ghost Judas after his Father's Death took on him the full Command and overthrew Antiochus his Lieutenant of Samaria and slew him with most of his Army taking great Spoil After this Seron Governour of Coelosyria came upon him with a great Army when Judas encouraging his Men to trust in God who with a small Force could confound the Mighty and to fight like valiant Men he fell like a Tempest on the General and in a bloody Battle slew him and 800 Syrians getting great Spoil of their Tents and Armour These unexpected Defeats so enraged Antiochus that he commanded Lysias Governour of Egypt to march with all the Power of that Country and utterly destroy the Jews or sell them for Slaves to those that would give most and utterly to lay Jerusalem wast Upon this Lysia raised a huge Army and sent them under the leading of Ptolomy Nicanor and Georgias three prime Captains and Men of great Authority with the People whereupon Judas and his Men called on God for Assistance proclaiming a Fast and humbling themselves before him and then fell upon their Enemies with great Fury with only 3000 Men so that he soon put them to the Rout covering the Field with dead Bodies and slew them in the Pursuit to the Plains of Idumea and then returned to the Spoil and soon after overthrew Lysias who invaded Judea with an Army of 60000 Foot and 5000 Horse with a mighty Slaughter so that Lysias returned to