prowd for those things whych no man is able to assure himself that they shall coÌ„tinue with him vntill night Thus doth an Historye make vs bothe more wyse and more modest in our dooinges And therfore ryght reuerend father I determined to dedicate these Bookes vnto you as well to thentent you might vnderstaÌ„d my entier loue and affection to wardes you as also that you myghte be as a Iudge of my worke and trauel the which I shal thinke very well bestowed if so wyse and wel learned a maÌ„ as you are doe allow them and take them in good worthe Whereuppon I wyll take occasion to goe in hand with the processe of myne Historye Farrewell The fyrst Booke of Leonard Aretine concernyng the warres in Italy against the Gothes ⧠The first Chapter ¶ The dispotition of Agustulus the diuision of the landes through Italy the cause of the commyng of the Gothes thither and of their encounâ—er with Odoacers Captaines IN the tyme that Zeno was Emperour of Rome the Gothes vnder the leading of Theodorich determined to inuade Italy lately before soore afflicted with diuers rodes and inuasions of barbarous people and at that tyme oppressed with the tyranny of Odoacer of the which thinges I purpose to entreate repeatyng somewhat deper the state of those tymes to the intent it may be knowen from whence the Gothes first came and what hope moued them to inuade the Empyre After the death of the yonger Ualentinian who as it is well ynough knowen was â—ayne at Rome of hys owne Subiectes the Empyre of the West beganne to wauer and to bée as it were without lyfe or soule Nowe there were at the same tyme in Italy great armyes of forreyners raysed latelye before by Ualentinian for feare of Attila and afterwardes associated by the Romaynes agaynst the Uandales These forreyners perceyuynge the empoueryshemente and weakenesse of the Empyre and therevppon takynge courage conspired together and demaunded to haue the thyrde parte of the landes through all Italye deuyded amonge them The name of the Empyre remaynÌ„ed at that tyme in one Augustnlus who beynge but a verye â—ylde was gâ—uerned by hys father Orestes a Senatour of Rome Therefore at suche tyme as the menne of warre demaunded a partition of the landes and that Orestes beynge a wyse and sage personne wythstoode theyr request the Souldyours â—ewe hym and fourthewyth folowynge theyr Captayne Odoacer camme to Rome and deposed Augustulus By meanes whereof hauynge nowe the lawe in theyr owne hande they deuyded the thyrde part of the landes among them Odoacer hauynge by thys meanes gotten the Soueraygnytye in hys owne name and in the name of the armye ruled the Cytyes at hys owne luste and pleasure Zeno also Gouernour of the East Empyre lying at Constantynople beganne to dread soore the power of Theodorich For the Gothes that inhabited the vpper coaste of Thracia hadde alreadye begonne to vere and disquiett the Countreys borderynge vppon them And it was none other lyke but that they woulde make some insurrection against the Romain Empyre Whervppon to the entent to delyuer hymself and the countreys there aboutes from feare of the Gothes He persuaded Theodorich to passe into Italy and to delyuer the cities there oute of the hands of the wrongfull withholders of them Induced with these persuation Theordorich remouyng out of Thrace and leadyng with him the Gothes with their wyues and children and al that euer they had through Syrmium and Illyricum went toward Italy where at hys fyrst entraunce the Captaines of Odoacer camme against him with their armies The first battell betwirt them was fought not farre from the Citie of Aquileia vppon the riuer Fontius In the which conflict after a long and sharpe encouÌ„ter the Gothes gate the victorye and putte the 〈◊〉 of Odoacer to flyght ⧠The. ij Chapter ¶ Theodorich kyng of the Gothes besiegeth Odoacer in Rauenna the matter is ended by composition 〈◊〉 of them lyeth in wayre to destroye other Theodorich preuenting Odoacer kylleth hym at a banquet by meanes whereof he obteyneth the soueraignitie of Italy of the actes of Theodorich and of hys death AFter this when the Gothes had wonne the cities there aboutes and vanquysshed the power of their enemyes in other places also at length they besieged Odoacer in the Citie of Rauenna The siege held the Gothes tack lenger then thei thought it woulde haue done at the firste and that happened by reason of the situation of the place For neyther can Rauenna bee easlye besieged vppon that syde that is towarde the sea because it standeth hard vppon the shore neither vppon that syde that is towarde the land because it hath a diche cut from the riuer Po and is enuyroned wyth certaine standyng waters and marisses By meanes whereof the Gothes laye well nye full thrée yeres at the siege thereof and could not wynne it But yet in the meane season thei won all the townes nere aboute sauynge Cesena the which also was kept with a stronge garrison of Odoacers At the last as well the Assaylaunts as the Defendauntes beinge weryed the matter was decided by composition that Theodorich and Odoacer should be Comperes and Felowes in Empyre After that thynges were thus set at a staye Theodorich and hys Gothes entered into Rauenna neyther was there any parte of all Italy that was not content to receyue hym But thys copertnershyppe in the Empyre lasted not longe For when as the one bare grudge in hys heart preuelye agaynst the other Theodorich preuentyng Odoacer badde hym to a Banquet and there kylled hym and so with hâ—s Gothes â—are all the 〈◊〉 alone in Italy Howe be it to saye the trueth hys gouernement was not verye intollerable albeit he reteyned for hys people y e thyrde part of the lands in suche sort as Odoacer had lately before deuyded them For he suffered the cities to bée gouerned by their own lawes and by theyr owne citizins Appoyntyng Rauenna to bée the Sea of hys kyngdome where he also planted hym selfe Thyrtye and seuen yeres raygned Theodorich in Italye neyther sate he styll Idellye lyke a cowarde all the whyle For he bothe annexed Sicill wyth all the Ilelandes about it vnto hys kyngdome and also subdued Dalmatia Moreouer duryng the sayde tymâ— of hys raygne he led an huge hoste ouer the Alpes and the ryuer Rhone into Fraunce agaynste the Frenche men Thus dyd thys Kynge manye noble 〈◊〉 and hys name was famous and 〈◊〉 sauynge that in hys latter dayes he was noted of â—rucltye and outrage for puttyng to death of Symmachus and Boetius Senatours of the citie of Rome with certain other noble men onely vppon suspition that they sought to set the citie at libertic ⧠The. iij. Chapter ¶ Amulusuentha the doughter of Theodorich with her sonne Athalaricke succede in the kingdome the seueritie of the Quene in executing of iustice the wilfulnesse of the Gothes in the education of theyr kyng the vntimely death
of the said Arhalarick the great frâ—dship of the Quene toward Theodatus the ingratitude of him towards her agayn themperour Iustâ—an sendeth Belisarius against the Gothes and he conâ—uereth all Sicill THeodorich being deceased with out issue male his doughter Amulusuentha as then a Widow with her sonne Athalaricke succeded in the kyngdome This Athalaricke was but a chyld to speake of and therefore all the whole care of the gouernment lay in the Queenes necke Who hauyng great regard of her infant immediatly dyd put hym forth to be broughte vp in learnynge and good nurture For she gaue hym learned men to be his teachers and appoynted certaine Lordes of the Gothes men auncient of great grauitie and good bringyng vp to be continually aboute hym And she her selfe looked verye straightlye to the gouernement of the Empyre prohibiting the Gothes as well to do wronge as to take wronge and also repealyng diuers actes of her father Theodorich reducyng them to a moore gentlenesse and clementie Amongest the whiche this was one that she restored to the sonnes of Boetius and Symmachus their fathers goods and inheritaunce which Theodorich had lately before confiscate affirming that they were wrongfully con dempned through false accusations whereto the kyng vnaduisedly had geuen lyght credit Furthermore she compelled her cosyn germaine Theodatus who hauyng great possessions in Thuscane had takâ—n many fermes and maners violently from hys neighbours lyke a tyrant to make restituition of the harmes he had done with a sharpe rebuke for hys great misbehauiour This seueritiâ— of the Queene made many of the Gothes to become her enemyes And therefore certayne of the chief of them conspiring together determined to bring vp her sonne contrary to her disposition maâ— gre her power Wherevpon thei came vnto her saying it lyked not the Gothes that their kynge shoulde lyue in subiection vnder tutors and teachers or that he should be kept in awe of his elders they sayd it was meete for a Kyng of such pusaunce as he should be to set hys mynde vppon cheualrye and feates of armes and to exercise hymsâ—f among lusâ—y yong gentlemen rather than to learne to wayâ—e vppon a maister or to sit glummyng amonge a sort of old Dotards For by this meanes both the body the mynde of their Kyng shoulde bee effeminated But through thother he should encrease as well in strength and courage as also in conning and experience For he was not made kyng to thentent to instruct his people in learnyng but to enlarge his dominion by knighthod cheualry The Queene albeit she were not igno rauÌ„t to what end purpose al this drift was driuen yet not withstanding because she would not seme to be vtterly against their requests she coÌ„descended vnto theÌ„ The yong prince being deliuered to the coÌ„pany of as youthfull as himself w tin a litle while after fell to a more lasciuius trade of liuing folowiÌ„g altogether y â— lust of y e flesh such other kinds of filthy pleasures And against his mother he became so stoberne self willed through thâ—nticement of ill couÌ„ sell that he disdeined to go vnto her or speake to her The Queene when she saw her self by such pollicies assaulted of her aduersary and bereâ—t of her kyngdome being a woman of a stout courage could no lenger beare with their doynges but sent certaine of her officers priuely and put to death thrée of the châ— of the Gothes whiche were the ryngleaders and counsaylers of her sonne vnto all noughtinesse And so hauyng reconciled hym vnto her she tooke vppâ—n her the gouernement again But Athalaricke beyng fallen into diuers surffetts and diseases through the disorder of hys former lasciuious lyuyng deceased in the. 〈◊〉 yere of hys age when he had raigned with his mother x. yeres after the death of Theodorich The Queene after the decease of her soÌ„ne thinking that she shuld be the bet ter able to wade through w t the weightye affayres of the realme yf so be she had some partaker assistent tooke her cousin Theodatus of whome I made mencion before to be her pertner in the kyngdome Thys Theodatus was excellently well learned both in Latyne and in Greke and had geuen himself much to the readyng of Plato and other philosophie Neuerthelesse beyng of nature féeble and vnconstant he was distayned wyth many vices Through whych where as the quéene of her mere bountie good wyll had raysed hym from a subiect to the state of a kynge he forthwyth requited her with the greatest ingratitude and trea cherie that could be For he conspired secretly with her enemyes and tooke and sent her as a banyshed persone into the Ilelande in the lake of 〈◊〉 And ere it was long after he suffered her to be kylled by the kynsfolke and chyldren of them whome she had put to death in the tyme of the obstinat rebellion of her sonne agaynst her This so great vntrueth and treacherye of Theodatus dyd greatly disquiet many of the Gothes lamenting the vnworthy mischaunce of the Queene to see the posteritie of Theodorich so wickedly destroyed in so much that it wanted but litle but that the Gothes had made insurrection against him Whereof as soone as â—he Emperour Iustinian had intelligence for after Zeno Anastasius Iustine the Empyre descended vnto him thinking that the tyme now scrued to set Italy at libertie he applied all his whole mynde and study how to compasse and bring the same to effect Herevnto his prospe rous successe since he was Emperour prouoked him in as much as lately before by his captain Belisarius he had â—anquished the Uandales and wrested Affrick out of their hands And therefore hâ— thougâ—t it was not to be abidden that contrary to the honour of the Romain Empyre Italy shuld be held in subiection by the barbarous Induced with these reasons he sent Ambassadours to Theodatus requiring him to surrender vp Italy Sicill in recoÌ„pence whereof he profered him other dignities promotioÌ„s the which offer yf he refused then he denounced open war against him Upon the refusall of these offers made by Theodatus the Emperour entending to make no further delay coÌ„maunded Belisarius to passe into Italy with his army Howebeit whiles he was making preparatioÌ„ he preteÌ„ded as though he would haue sent his nauy into Affricke not into Sicill About the same time also he coÌ„maunded another of his captaines called Mundus to inuade Dalmatia with another power to the entent that the Gothes beyng assayled on all sides at once might the easlyer be oppressed MuÌ„dus entering into Dalmatia won Salons set al the countrey on an vprore Belisarius hauing rigged hys shippes embarked hys Souldyours sayled toward Sicill He had of footemen a sufficient number all tall men and pyked Souldiours and his Horsemen were conueyed wyth him by water also Captaines of his footemen were Con stantine Bessas and Herodian
all the Gothes and all the Italians that fauored the Gothyshe parte should at a daye appoynted meete all togyther readye furnished with armour at Pauye His armye at y e beginning was verye slen der but it coÌ„tinually encreased euery daye was in better hope and comforte then other The couetousnesse and wrongful dealing of their aduersaries dyd not a lytle helpe the Gothish part For the collectours of Iustinian vnder the colour of forfeytures and arrerages began to vexe the people of Italy maruelous bytterlye and to compell theym to the payment of summes that were neuer due For by calling an accounpt of all thyngs that the Italians had taken charge of in the tyme of Theoderich fyrste kynge of the Gothes or of anye other of the Kynges that succeded hym togyther wyth the accompte of all suche offices as anye Italyan had borne durynge the sayde tyme and moreouer by makyng inquisition for the money lately promysed by the Cytyes to the Gothes the whyche they chalenged to the Emperour as due by the name of forfeyture they broughte euerye man priuatelye and all the Cytyes generallye in suche a despayre that they wyshed y e Gothes to be lordes of all againe therevppon many of their owne frée will reuolted to Ildouade helpinge to augment the number strength of his armie The lyke grudge was also in themperours armie For loke with what greadines the money that was neuer due was exacted of the Italians with like pinching were the souldiers restrayned of theyr due deserued wages There was no regarde had of any thyng but one which was to satisfye the Emperours vnsatiable coustousnes by gathering of money and spendinge none againe And therfore as well the souldyers as the Italyans beyng constrained with so great wronges sought to bryng the Empyre to decaye By mea nes whereof Ildouade daylys growynge stronge brought vnder hys obeysance all the Cyâ—es beyonde the â—uer Po and all the Cytyes perteyâ—ynge to the estate of Uenicâ— and â—armye was fullye furnished with number both of Italians and Gothes Through the whyche within a whyle he was so encouraged that he was not a â—ayde to leade hys armye into open â—ld to try the fortune of battel This 〈◊〉 was fought not farre fâ—oÌ„ Taruisium against Uitalis one of the Emperours Captaines In the which Ildoâ—ade gerting â—hupper hand made 〈◊〉 a slaughter of Uitalis army y â— whiles the captaâ—e himself w t a few sted away all the rest were â—ither slain or taken prisoners by the Gothes Through this â—ictorie being so great so notable it is a wonder to see how the gothes were encouraged how much the power of their aduâ—rsaries was abaâ—d In so much y â— not only beyonde the Ryuâ—r Po and vnder the dominion of Uenice but also all suche as on thys syde the Po helde of the Gothy she part were throughly strengthened and the name of Ildouade grewe famous euen in the Emperour Iuâ— Court and amonge foreine nations also It was not long after but that he pursued to y â— death Uraias a man of much aucthoritie and estimation among the Gothes vpon presumption y â— he should conspâ—re with his enemies This cause was pretended Howbeit somme were of opinion that he tooke prytch agaynst Uraias bycause that latly before there had bene altercation betwen his wife and the Quéene But surely I cannot thiâ—ke that Ildouade being a graue wyse man would be so farre ouersene as to be induced with brablinge matters of women to kill suche a man as was Uraias I beleue rather that the cause why Ildouade dyd putte him to death was that he feared his power aucthoritie For it is manifest that the Gothes in generall are of nature very mistrustfull and scarce sufficientlye faithfull toward their kinges Many of the Gothes dissalâ—wed the death of Uraias and openly detested it as a 〈◊〉 and wicked acte By meanes wherof it came to passe that Ildonade himself was â—ayne by one of his owne 〈◊〉 whiles he sate at his meate In his stead was Ataricus created King but he raigned not long For w tin fiue monethes after his election he was slain by his owne subiectes for his euil behauiour misgouernement Thus hauing killed two of their kinges w tin two yeres space they offered the kingdome with one consent vnto Totilas This man before he was made kynge had borne great aucthority at Tarui siner which is a citie of the Uenetians and hys father was brother to 〈◊〉 late Kynge The. iii. Chapter ⧠A larger declaration of the election and â—ation of Totilas mencioned brieflye in the Chapter before The Emperours Câ—ptaines through their insaciable grediâ— of pray stryuing for the bootie before they had gotten it lose the Citiâ— Veron â—hiche was deliuered into their handes and betâ—ay their â—wne companie AFter that Ildonade as I shewed before was sâ—aine Totilas dreading to be in daun ger bycause 〈◊〉 was so nere of his kinne sent priuely to Kauenna made compact with themperours captaines to turne vnto them with such as he had rule of to yeld vp y â— town of Taruisium into their haÌ„ds A day was limited for performans of y â— matter But ere euer y â— day came the Gothes repentiâ—g y â— they had 〈◊〉 in y â— death of Ildouade that they had made 〈◊〉 their king a 〈◊〉 nether of wisdome nor courage able to defend y â— Gothes against so great strength of their enemies began to encline to To tilas the nere kiâ—sman of â—douade to wishe that he were their king In coÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the way made Toâ—ilas king in dede 〈◊〉 hauing intelligence of these things y â— had â—appened in Italy found great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—oward nes of his captaiâ—s y â— in al the 〈◊〉 y â— their eâ—mies were 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 among themselues among so many alterations chaunges they hauing so great oportunity for y e speÌ„ding of their matters had done nothing at al. The captaines moued w t this dishonorable rebuke asseÌ„bled togither at Raueâ— There when it came to â—onsul as concerning the war it was thought best first formest to send an armye against y â— citie Ueron For they had 〈◊〉 secretly put in hope of 〈◊〉 of y â— towne The captaines were in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whoÌ„ the thieâ—e were 〈◊〉 AleraÌ„der lately sent thither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perour for the collection of his money Therfore setting forth wyth a greate armye when they approâ—hed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ueron they determyned to putte in tryall the hope that was lately geuen theym For there was one Martine a noble man of that Countrie that had a Castle not farre from â—eron 〈◊〉 for as much as in his â—rt he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had allured the keâ—r of one of the gates to let in y â— emperoâ—s army â–ª The matter being in this wyse closely agreed vpon when the captaines came thither with their