those that were the true successors For which cause was this people greueously punished agayne of God This was the fyrst yourney of Antiochus to Ierusalem in the whiche he ordeined a hygh priest and spoyled the temple â–ª slew many This happened the syxte yeare of Antiochus the which was the hundreth and thre and fortyeth yeare after Alexanders death Two yeare after which was the hundreth and fyue and fortieth yeare after the death of Alexander made Antiochus ready hys seconde yourney into Egypt For the cities had yelded themselues agayne to the yonge kynge the which also had sought for ayde of the Romanes Nowe whan Antiochus inuaded Egypte the Romanes sente an ambassador Popilius which shuld shew Antiochus in the name of the Romanes to auoyde out of the coastes of Egypte nether to warre vpon the yonge kynge Philometor For the Romanes were mynded to retayne him in the kyngdome wyth theyr ayde Wherevpon answered Antiochus he would deuise wyth him selfe what he would do But Popilius wold graunt hym no space to deuise but makyng a rynge wyth hys speare aboute Antiochus commaunded hym to saye strayght waye before he went out of the cyrcle whether he wold auoyd out of Egipt or no. Antiochus being abashed with this seuerite constance of Popilius for he knew was afeared of the Romane power he promised frelye to go out of Egipt â–ª Wherfore he was constrayned to leaue Egypt the second tyme with great shame But inflamed with â—re for the impacience of the grefe he went agayne to Ierusalem and this was hys seconde yourney to Ierusalem for he was there twise and than vsed â—e his tyranny much more cruelly than before For he commaunded the Iewes to worshyp the Idols of the Heythen he commaunded to burn the bokes of the Bible and left a great deale of noughtypackes to possesse the citye Ierusalem in steade of a garnyson the which tormented then very cruelly that wolde not fall from theyr fayth and to thys thinge dyd they assist them that were deceuered from the Iewysh religion The temple also was turned to a prophane vse fore an image was sett therein of the Gentils superstition But what nedeth many wordes They busyed to roote out the worde of God and the whole lawe and in steade thereof to bringe in the maners of the Gentyls Nether dyd Antiochus vse that counsel rashly but with a great wytt policye For he perceaued that the Iewes wythstode the Heythen kynges because of theyr religion and therfore wolde he auoyde the diuersitye of religion Of thys wyse do mens thoughtes dalye in matters concernyng God and wyll set vp religion after theyr wyll iudgement Moreouer vnder y e example and figure of thys Antiochus doth Daniel also describe Antichriste that such a kyngdom shuld be where in Christen men shuld be put to distresse and Gods word shuld be quenched and lykewyse shuld be set vp a religion for a shewe which might be contrary to gods word by y â— which may be had an occasyon to optayne power great ryches Euen as it is euident that Mahomet hath set vp a false religion and vnder pretence thereof haue ordeyned a newe kyngdome And this religion semeth to be folysh religion for it doeth greatly flatter mens reason For passing ouer nearehande all the hygher sentences and articles of the fayeth it hath kept onely that doctryne whyche teacheth morall vertues Wonder it is verely howe muche that same doth flatter mans reason wherefore also it doth vse to crepe more easely into mens mindes than the doctryne of fayth As for the tyranny of Antiochus thereof is written in the bokes of the Machabees Danyel wytnesseth that the people of the Iewes had deserued thys punyshment because of theyr synnes And allthoughe God dyd punyshe hys people yet for all that he dyd not destroye them vtterly For God raysed Iudas Machabeus whych gatheryng a small army inuaded Antiochus captaynes and by Gods assistaunce ouerthrowynge the enemyes he recouered the temple the thyrd yeare after that Antiochus had sett an Idoll therein Daniel hath comprehended all this tyme of the Iewysh affliccion in two thousande and thre hundreth dayes whych make syxe yeares and syxe monethes and some dayes ouerplus For the persecution lasted from the thyrde yeare of Antiochus vntyll the eyght yere some monethes Daniel dyd vse thys diuision of the tyme also that the Idoll should stande in the temple a thousande two hundreth and nynety dayes whyche make thre yeare and syxe monethes And y â— temple was recouered an hundreth eyght and forty yeares after Alexanders death Thys was the thre hundreth and eight and fortieth yere after that the Iewes were delyuered oute of the Babylonicall bondage and the hundreth and two and fyftyeth yeare before Christes byrth But Antiochus deserued wyth hys vngodlinesse and blasphemy agaynst God not only the vtter extinguishment of hys kynred but also the ouerthrowynge of the whole kyngdome of Syria For after Antiochus death there was euer warre betwene one or other and after manye tymes for the succession in the kyngdome That it maye be playnely sene by thys example ho we begynneth matters to sprynge for the whyche kyngdomes be ouerthrowen as we se nowe a dayes to befall in Hungary Antiochus Epiphanes dyed in that yourney whyche made readye agayne to come agaynst the Iewes to reuenge the dammage done After hys death hys brother Demetrius fled from Rome toke in the kingdome kylling the yong Antiochus surnamed Eupator sonne to Antiochus Epiphanes Alexander the capitayne raysyng a sedition agaynst Demetrius slewe hym Demetrius left two sonnes after him Demetrius and Antiochus Sedetes Of this Demetrius verely was Alexander slayne lykewyse Afterward was a sedition raysed by one Tryphon agaynst Demetrius the whych droue him out of the kyngdome but Demetrius came agayne into the kyngdome and dyed stryken thorough wyth a sworde Antiochus Sedetes was slayne of the Parthes As for this Demetrius had a sonne Antiochus Gryphus Antiochus Sedetes left after him a sonne Antiochus Cyzicenus These stroue for the kyngdome of Syria and were both slayne Afterward dyd their children warre one agaynst the other for y â— kindome wyth no lesse stryfe than their elders and had at the last so febled eche other that Syria was constrayned to yeld it selfe to foren kinges For it ioyned it selfe to Tigranes kyng of Armenia And of this wyse is the kyngdome of Syria transferred from Seleucus posterity to foren princes But finally whan Tigranes was slayne by Pompeius Syria was broughte vnder the Romane power Hetherto is ynough spoken of the kyngdome of Syria Of the kynges of Egypt after Alexander PTolomeus the sonne of Lagus wherof Pausanias wryteth whych calleth hym the bastarde of Philippe father to Alexander ij Ptolomeus Philadelphus Greate prayses are of thys kynge by reason of his endeuour of peace and also because he delyted in all kynde of
that he hath the full power and aucthoritie to make and depose not onely kynges but also all Emperoures at hys pleasure By thys it maye be gathered easely that the Romyshe byshop vsed so greate hatred agaynste the Emperoure for no very weyghty cause There were also about that tyme some learned men whiche openly blamed the Romyshe byshops writynges amonges these was Occam one ▪ the princes of Germany euery one as wel ecclesiasticall as of the nobilitie helde with the Emperour at the last were some compelled by the byshop of Rome to fall back and also to choyse another Emperoure Lewis had very greate vproures in Italy Galeacius of Milan and the counsayll of Rome longed for Lewis commyng into Italy Wherfore he went thether with the Emperesse which also was delyuered of a chylde at Rome that was called Lewis the Romane and was afterwarde by the Emperoure made marques of Brandenborowe At Milan was Lewis crowned of the bysh there and at Rome of the Cardinall de Columna He made also Peter of Corbaria byshop of Rome who was not longe after caried bounde to Auinion in Fraunce to Iohannes the .xxii. who cast hym into pryson wherein he dyed But whyle allthys was adoynge Lewis by no requestes coulde optayne to be released of the excōmunicacion by the byshop of Rome But forsoeth the Romysh byshop brought that to passe wyth his busy laboure at length that in an assembly or daye holden at Lucelburg the byshops of Mentz Trier and Colen the kyng of Bohemy and duke of Saxon dyd choyse another Emperour There was chosen Charles the fourth erle prouincial of Morauia the sonne of the kyng of Bohemy The same was then confirmed by Clemens the .vi. byshop of Ro. But for as muche as the cities of Aken and Colen would not knowe hym for an Emperoure he was crowned at Bon. Of Nicolaus Augustus that is Nicolas the noble that was at Rome ABout this tyme happened at Rome an example of a notable folye There was at Rome one Nicolas a towne clarke or recorder of Rome of suche power and aucthoritie that one would haue sayde he had the rule of the whole citie for at that tyme were the Romysh Byshoppes yet in Fraunce This Nicolas called hymself Tribunus Augustus that is the noble hygh officer and with open scriptures wytnessed that Rome is yet the true heade of the empyre and therfore by y e citie of Romes aucthoritie had he the hyghest power to handle maters of the empyre And by reason of this aucthoritie called he Lewis and Charles to appeare before hym and to cōmitte their matter to his arbitremēt or iudgement Lyke folyshnesse vsed he oft agaynst other cities and kynges y e space of two yeares At the last this pore Augustus being driuē out by the byshop of Romes partie fled to Charles the fourth But Charles sent the rash man to the byshop of Rome at Auiniō of whom he was kept in pryson The yeare of Christ M. cccxlv died Lewis the Bayer And then came Charles with a great hoost out of Bohemy to Regenspurg where he was knowen for an Emperoure From thence was he also receaued at Norenberg for Charles made thē beleue he had gotten a fauourable absolution of the bishop of Rome to put out the great offences wherwith they had offended in that they were adherent to Lewis When they of Basyl sent out their Burgemaisters to Charles that he in the name of the citie should aske absolution he answered he thought they had not done amisse in that they had Lewis for an Emperoure nether thought he that Lewis was an heritike yet in the meane tyme if they could be absolued of their trespasses he wold be content And thus were they absolued The yeare of Christ M. cccxlviij when Lewis was now deade there rose yet a greater discorde the byshop of Mentz the counte Palatine the marques of Brādenburg and the duke of Saxony his sonne that hath chosen Charles Emperoure assembled and refusyng the election of Charles they chose Edward the third kyng Englande to take vpon hym the maiestie Emperiall but he refused it as a thyng ful of cumbraunce After that chose they Frederick Erle prouinciall of Misen But he also forsoke that title of the empyre for he would not fyght and warre with his neyghbours the Bohemies to vndoe his countrey Guntherus Erle of Swartzburg is chosen Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. cccl. was chosen Emperoure at Franckforde Gunterus Erle of Schwatzburg yet not with consent of all the Electors Thesame accepted the gouernaunce of the empyre and garnyshed with all defence to retayne the empyre he was armed ynough againste the force of Charles who then abode at Mentz But shortly after died Gunterus at Frāckforde sodenly poysoned Wherefore Charles was Emperoure alone He came to Franckforde and was receiued for an Emperoure After Clemens the .v. became Iohannes the xxii byshop of Rome who without a iuste cause dyd excommunicate the good Emperoure Lewis Benedictus the .xi. was made byshop of Rome after Iohannes The same neuer alowed the action of Iohannes against the Emperoure Lewis and when he was made byshop of Rome he had frely absolued hym had not the kynges of Fraunce and Naples with their threatenynges withstande hym When in the relacion the orators or embassadors of the kinges alledged that Lewis had enterprysed many haynous thynges against the byshop of Rome Benedictus answered yea we haue done against hym He liued not long in the byshopricke therefore dyd al the causes hang vndispatched Clemens the .vi. was made byshop after Benedictus The same renewined the thonder boltes cast against Lewis and persued hym moste fearcely though in the counsayll of Vienne in Fraunce were treated in the meane tyme of the condicions of peace and that Lewis declared hymselfe humble This Clemens bought the citie Auenion of Ioanna quene of Sicily and so hath the byshop of Ro. aucthoritie vpon this citie Moreouer at this tyme went about here therin in Germany and Fraunce a great nomber of men whiche did beate themselues with roddes Many of them came to Spire when the day or parliamēt was holden there pretending great holynesse For their holinesse sake were they bidden to the meales of the citesens And as the deceate of the erroure dyd not differ from the Anabaptistes supersticious opinion euen so was that secte no lesse daūgerous in those daies But at the last it was condemned Innocentius the .vi. succeded Clemens In his tyme was Charles the .iiij. crowned at Rome Charles the .iiij. the .xxxij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. cccl. began Charles y ◠iiij to raigne after y e death of Guntherus of Schwartzburg He was a prince of y e bloud of Lucelburg the sonne of Ihon kyng of Bohemy for Iohn was y e sonne of Henry of Lucelburg Frō this yere of M. cccl. reigned Charles xxvii◠yeres The yeare M. ccclv went Charles downe into Italy
it was ordeyned in y ◠councel of Constance that of a newe coūcel shulde be gathered after twelue yeares But after that Sigismundus was deade the bysh of Ro. holdinge a councell fyrste at Ferraria and from thence at Florence letted y ◠furtheraūce of the councel of Basill and that had he so muche the more easy a do because ther was no monarche or noble prince that defended the decree of y ◠councel of Basill After that Martinus was deade Eugenius the iiii was made bysh of Ro. The same crowned Sigismundus Emperour at Rome Albert the .ii. of that name the .xxxvi. Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christe M. cccc xxxviii after the death of Sigismundus was Alberte a prince of the bloude of Eastenryche kyng of Hungarye Bohemye made Emperoure He dyed in the seconde yeare of hys raygne Parte of Bohemy dyd cleue to the kyng of Polen endeuoured to drawe y ◠kyngdome of Bohemy to Polony The Poles brought a great army into Bohemy drew into their faction the vprourysh kynde of men called Thaborites Agaynst thē sent Albert y ◠Emperour Albert marques of Bran denburg The same brought to passe wyth manye battayls that the matter was agreed betwene the Emperoure and the Poles Albert the Emperoure came wyth a greate army into Hungary agaynst Amurates the Turke who at that tyme was fallen into Hungary Whan Albert the Emperoure came he fled backe and besye gynge the cytye Sinderouien he returned into Grece and wann the city Thessalonica In this settynge forth fell Albert into a sycknesse and beynge broughte agayne to Uyenna dyed wythyn few dayes Friderick the .iii. the .xxxviij. Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ M. CCCC xl after Albertus deathe was Fridericke the thyrd duke of Estenrich made Emperoure He raygned .liii. yeares The doughter of Sigismundus wyfe to Albert the Emperoure was now bygge wyth chylde but some of the Hungaryans despayrynge of an heyre of the realme chose Vladislaus the yonger kynge of Polen for a kyng The kings gouernour in Hungary was Ioānes Huniades father to Mathias The same had weakened the power of the Turkes wyth a great battail and compelled Amurates to demande peace But so soone as Vladislaus was come into the realme the Hungariās trusted that yf they the Poles powers were ioyned together they shuld easely gett great prayse yf they inuaded the Turke And happely had the yonge kyng Vladislaus pleasure in thys prayse Wherfore Iulianus the Cardinall brake the treuce made wyth the Turke vnder thys pretence and coloure that it were not lawfull to make peace wyth the Turkes wythout the Bish of Romes consente seyng y ◠case is belonging to whole Christendome Thus Vladislaus gathering an hoost went against Amurates vntill Varnam which is not farr from Cōstantinople though Ioannes Humades in y ◠mean season dissuaded to take warre because that he knew well the weakenesse of his men the power of the Turkes also had he made peace with the Turke not without necessitie It is also sayd that Vladislaus desyred ayde of Dracoles y ◠Malache but he also dyd counsell to leaue y ◠setting forth to warre Yet dyd he send his sonn with him to aide king Vladislaus with two thousand horsemen to whom he shuld haue said He gaue hym a couragious and swyft horse suche one as he wold geue to his sonn also for his mynd gaue that they shuld lose the feld and therefore shuld they haue these horses at hand that as nede shulde requyre the myghte troughe theyr swyftnesse escape the daunger As for the Turkes dyd forse themselues wyth nolesse carfulnesse than wysedome and were euery where appoynted in a readynesse before the Hungaryans were set in an order Wherefore thoughe the Hungariās fought fearcely for y e glory of Christes name and ouerthrwe verye great hoostes of the enemyes yet dyd the Turkes at the last ouercome wyth the multitude stayeng Vladislaus the yong kinge and afterward was Iulianus the Cardinal slayen also in the flyght Humades as he was a ware soul dioure toke hede to hymselfe by tymes and escaped This felde was the yeare M. CCCC xliiii the tenth daye of Nouember Amurates became a Mahometyshe monke after thys vyctorye supposynge to haue accomplyshed hys duetye in the empyre after so greate prosperitye in vanquyshynge hys enemyes leste he rashely trustynge smylynge fortune farther dyd stayne hys glorye wyth some euell But Hunyades dyd inuade and fell vpon the Turkes agayn and dyd hurt them so sore that they called Amurates agayn to the realme to resist Hunyades their enemy and shuld driue him out of Hūgary Afterward whā Cōstantinople was lost Huniades ouercame Mahomet y e Turkishe Emperour bringing into Hūgari an hurtful army with a great discōfitur deliuered whole Europa from y e fear of daūger For yf that setting forth had lucked Mahomet y e Turkish Emperour he had now takē in not only Italy but other contryes also Whan Vladislaus was deade the Hungarians receaued the chylde Ladislaus the heyre of the realme borne of Sigismundus doughter for theyr kyng Thys Ladislaus whan he was ful growen dyed at Praga the haed citye of Bohemy The yeare M. CCCC xliiij broughte the Dolphin with the Armeniakes an army into Elsace vntyll Basil not wythout a greate and horible manslaughter of the Germanes Some thynke that Eugenius the bysh of Ro. sent hym into Germany to trouble the councel of Basil The Dolphyn had aboute fyue and twenty thousand men The Switzers sent foure thousand men against them to rescue the citye Basel out of theyr handes They sett vpon the enemyes wyth so greate strengthe and corage that none of them gaue backe and thoughe they coulde not ouercome them by reason of the multitude of thē yet left they theyr enemies a bloudy dolefull victorye For the Dolphin lost in that battayl about ten thousand men and was fayne to flye out of Germany with the residue y ◠remayned The yeare M. CCCC xlix dyd Albert marques af Brandenburg warre agaynst imperial cityes Norinberg and some other Thys was called the warre of the cityes Many princes dyd ioyne themselues to ether syde and thys warre lasted ii yeares Albert the marques ouerthrue them of Norinberg wyth .viii. battayls The yeare M. cccc lii went Friderick into Italy and was receaued of euery man wyth seastly honoure In the citye Sena dyd he acomplyshe hys weddynge wyth Leonora hys spouse doughter to the kynge of Portingale Commynge to Rome he was crowned of Nicolaus the fyfte wyth hys quene the .xviij. daye of Marche Returnyng from Rome at Ferraria made he Borsius of Esta duke From thence shipped he ouer to Venice and abode there ten dayes I haue herde of a man of greate renowme that it was tolde him of the prince of Venice who beynge Senator serued the Emperour Fridericke and the prince of Venice at the table that Frederick shulde haue sayd at
ease allthough by the reason of theyr foolyshe Phantasyes and hardened hartes they coulde not nor yet woulde not perceyue it vntyll they were vtterlye destroyed For notwythstandyng that the sayed syege pressed them and an horrible and importunate famine as was mencioned before in the last yeare reygned among them Yet were they by the comfortable persuasyons of theyr false Prophetes so hardened that they mynded nothynge lesse then to yelde by the Towne and saue theyr lyues notwythstandynge that thereunto they were often tymes requyred wyth lyberall and gracyous promyses But contrary wyse they defended themselues the longer the fearcer and shot out of the Towne with ordinaunce as though the deuell had bene among them to the great auoyaunce of their aduersaries in so muche that not a fewe valiaunt warriours in the Campe were slayne with their ordinaunce And to declare the madnes of the said Anabaptistes I haue thought it mete not to omitte a folysh acte done by a certayne woman among them Forasmuche therfore as they within the towne had this opinion of the saied towne of Mynster that it was that new Ierusalem mencioned in the Apocalipse thorough the whiche all the heathen should be destroied so that the christians should reigne in peace a thousand yeres whiche sayeng although they must be vnderstande spiritually were they expounded by them carnally the said folysh woman would counterfette the acte of Iudith which slewe holofernes and deliuered her Citie Wherefore she made her boaste that if she myght be costely arayed and decked she woulde go furth if she were permitted into the hooste of her aduersaries and easely ouercome the byshop Whyle nowe the kyng the other in the town were so foolysh and made not only to beleue her but also to further her in the said affayres trustyng that their deliueraunce was at hand she went out and behaued her selfe in all pointes as though she had bene escaped and fled out of the citie But her dissimulacion beyng espied perceyued she was taken and brought before the Byshop and after her confession rewarded wit death accordyng to her deseruyng For asmuche nowe as the saied craft and practise bad no good successe the Anabaptistes within the citie ought to haue consydered that there was no fortune in their doyng seyng they were yet oppressed to the vttermost But they dyd herein resemble the Iewes in their last destructiōat Ierusalem for the more God plaged them with famine and dissention among them selues the more hard harted and stifnecked they were vntill at the last one escaped priuely out of the saied citie and brought in certaine of the byshops souldiours at the gate called the holy crosse gate which souldiours after they had slain the watchemen opened the gate and so made away into the citie for the other Thus was the citie of Mynster taken in again and deliuered from the powere of the Anabaptistes at the feast of S. Iohn the baptiste in the night And the next day folowing whatsoeuer would make any resistaūce being slayn with the sworde the kyng with his chief counsayllours craftyng and knipperdulling were taken prisoners These three were aftewarders for the space of certayne monethes caryed about in the countrey from place to place for a spectacle and example to all men And at the last on S. Vincentes day in the yere of our lorde MDxxxvi they were put to death with fyry tonges and their dead bodies hanged vp in yron baskettes or grates out of the steple of S. Lamberts Churche within the saied citie of Mynster the kyng in the middes somewhat hyer then his said two coūsailers for a perpetual memoriall and warning to all commocioner raysers of tumulte rebelles against y e lauful magistrates ordeined of God Thus toke this kyngdom of the Anaba pristes a shameful ende according to their desertes In Denmarke raged the duke of Oldenborough with the capitaines of Lubeke as he had begonne the yere before but the moste part of the germayne counsayll chose Christiane Duke of Holston to be kyng in Denmarke desyring hym to assiste them against the saied duke of Oldenborough and them of Lubeke While nowe the said request was easy to be graunted and the said duke of Holston had taken Iudland in possession all ready whiche is no small porcion of the kyngdome of Denmarke abutting vpon the lande of Holstone he passed with his army into the Ile of Funa ▪ otherwyse called Fion and ouercame the citie of Asnites But when the duke of Oldēborough with them of Lubeke assaulted him with an hoost of men well appointed both on horsebacke and on foote the said Christian obtayned the victory so that the duke of Oldēborough lost much people where among other was slayne Iohn count of Hoya and an Erle of Teckelburgh in Westphale and euen the same daye whiche was the .xi. daye of Iune they of Holstone toke from them of Lubeke an Armada of shippes and put the men of Lubeke whiche they founde in the same in captiuitie In somuche that the said Christiane had the ouerhande on euery syde whiche was vnto him a witnes from God that he should be kyng in Denmarke In Hungary and Austrich were diuers louedayes kept betwene Ferdinando and Iohn Weyda kinges of Hungary and the Turkes imbassadour to wete if Hūgary might be brought to apeaceable estate neuer theles there was nothing concluded that was notable and profitable Also in this yere 1535. there was a mariage cōcluded betwen y e king of Poles the king of Boheme For Sigismonde kyng of Poles maried Sigismūde his sonne to Elisabeth the daughter of Ferdinando kyng of Bohemy whiche in the yere of oure Lorde MDxliij folowyng was celebrated with great solempnitie as shalbe mentioned hereafter in place conuenient In the moneth of Nouember the second day the duke of Mylan departed out of this world And immediatly after Frauncis the Frenche kyng prepared hym selfe with all his power to recouer the dukedome of Mylan and entred into the land of Sauoy whereof ensued great warres the yere next folowyng in those quarters Frederike Duke of Baier Palatine by the Rene now electour imperiall toke to wyfe the right excellent princesses Dorothee daughter to Christierne late kyng of Denmarke whiche he had begotten of Izabel syster to Charles themperour the solempnitie whereof was kept at Bruxelles in Brabant In England in the moneth of Iune the byshop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More which had bene lorde chauncellour of Englande and in great aucthoritie vnder the kyng was beheaded for denieng the kyng to be supreme heade of the churche of Englande And in this yeare were there thre monkes of the Charter house executed in Englande for the same offence In the partes of Shlesy about and within the the towne of Olse arose the same yeare on Sainct Gyles day an horrible tempest in suche sorte that the bookes whiche were newely prynted were taken out of the Iewes houses
thinhabitances of thesayd contry of Coppenhagen denyed them their requsst kyng Christiane beseged the sayd citye wyth such power and troubled them so sore on euery syde that no victualles might come at them by no maner of meanes In so muche that wythin short space victualles waxed so scant and famme so increaâ—led wythin the cyty that they were glad to vse dogges fleshe for theyr meate and also cattes And when thys prouisyon dyd also fayle them and no deliueraunce eppeared of no part for they hoped that Frederike the Palatine who had taken to wyfe the doughter of kyng Christierne as before is mentioned should haue moued battayll agaynst the Duke of Holstone whyche came not to passe they yelded vp the cyty to the chosen kynge Christian aboue mencyoned Durynge thesayed siege the kynges souldiours ouercame Warborough and toke that false Capytayne of the Lubekes called Markes Mayer prysoner who wyth hys brother Gerard Mayer and a Danysh pryeste was quartered shortly after After that thesayd Christian had ouercome and subdued the hole kyngdome of Denmarke accordyng to the duety of all godlye kynges and prynces he directed all hys doynges and procedynges to thys ende that the worde of God myghte be purely and syncerely preached and taughte to hys pore subiectes in all partes of hys dominions But when he perceyued the preuy practises which the Bishoppes of that lande for they were in a maner the mightyest of both the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Norway imagined and purposed to worke against hym to hyndre his godly enterprise and to mayntayne their Idolary he toke them all seuen for so many were they in nombre and deposed them from their power and dignitie so that they were not able any more to make diuision sedicion or commotion within his kyngdome as they were wonte to do When this was done he sent messengers to Wit tenbourgh and called for the right honorable and well learned doctor Iohn Bugenhaghe borne in the dominion of Pomerlande who is yet at thys daye preacher of Goddes worde and minister or curate at the parysh Churche at Wittenbourgh as he was then This godly man came at the kynges request and by the helpe of God establyshed in bothe the kyngdomes the preaching of the Gospell and the true ministracion of the Sacramentes very frutefully so that within the space of thre yeres for so long was he by about the kyng all the paryshes of the lande which were aboue .xxiiii. thonsande in nombre were prouided and furnyshed with preachers and ministers hauing Super attendenres ordeyned and appointed ouer them to haue the ouersyght of them and to haue an earnest respecte and a watchefull eye to their doctrine and conuersation of lyuing He crowned also kyng Christian at Coppenhaghe in the presence of all his nobles with the kyngly crowne of the land of both the kyngdomes And after this at the kinges request he prouided and furnyshed the high Scole or vniuersitie of Coppenhaghe with Lecures and Reders of holy scripture and of all other laudable sciences For the better increase and furnyshyng whereof he called for certayne learned men froÌ„ Wittenbourgh although the lande was not all voyde of suche men before To the mayntenaunce of whiche Godly order and institucion of doctrine as wel in the Churche as in the vniuersytie the kyng gaue large gyftes and appoynted great liuynges And he set such an order in both the kyngdomes that his subiectes may be glad and geue God hygh thankes that of his goodnes he woulde sende them suche a kyng God sende hym longe to reigne among them and styrre vp the like in many other regions to the praise and sanctifycacion of hys moste holy name Amen Henry the eyght kyng of Englande had his imbassadours certayne monethes at Wittenbourgh whiche accordynge to the kynges request caryed wyth them in Englande certayne wel learned doctours to preache the Gospell of Christ within hys Realme and dominions whereof the hole congregacion of Christ thoroughout all Germany conceiued a speciall reioysynge and comforte But alas their ioye was not longe permanent for the saied kyng within two yeares after repelled them and caused some of them to be put to death as here tikes And Englyshe men haue had a certayne prophecy of great antiquitie that when saynt Georges daye should fall on good frydaye whiche is in the yeare of oure lorde MD. xlvi the worde of God shoulde myghtely increasse and taken place among them which I praye God graunt vnto theÌ„ to his prayse and glory This yere in England also the lorde Darcy syr Fraunces Bygot Syr Robert Constable other began a newe conspyracy whiche were attaynted and put to death in Iune This yere in October in England also on saynt Edowardes euen was Prince Edowarde borne at Hampton Court whiche was proclaimed anoynted kyng of Englande the .ix. yere of his age as shal be declared hereafter in due place This yere the .xiiij. daye of October also dyed Quene Iane mother to the saied Prince Edward and was buried at Winsor This yere did Iames the kyng of Scotlande puyssaunt kyng Iohn of Portingale Sonne to the excellent kyng Emanuell had a great conflicte and victory agaynst the infideles in the Realme of Cambaia or Guzuratum lyeng in the Indes For after that he had by his capitaines specially by Nonne a Cugria who was ruler and gouernour of the kinges army in the Indes destroyed the coastes lieng towardes the Indysh sea subiecte to the kyng of Cambaia and when the same kyng was not able to resyste hym although he was of power to brynge foure hundred thousand men in Campe he made a gentle agrement with the Portyngalles and delyuered them two mighty cities with all their abilyties priuiledges liberties and dominions whereof the one is called Bazaim and the other Dium this the stronger and the other the rycher Whiche haue both vnder them about a syx hundreth Villages with certayn smal townes and srutesul landes contayning in length about a .lxxx. myles or leaques wherof the king hath yerely an C. thousand crewnes at the least in bare tribute besydes the woode whence for the mooste part all the prouision is takeÌ„ that is occupied for the shyppes in the Indes with other aduauntages In those partes caused the kyng of Portingall the Christian fayth to be planted and at the last kyng Badur of Cambaia for so was he called when he was inuaded by kyng Dey who was kynge of the Scythians and of the Tartares fled with all his treasure mother wyfe and chyldren into the Cytie of Dyum whiche he had geuen vp before desyrynge succour and defence against his enemy So that by this meanes the king of Portyngall had obtayned the moste parte of all the lande of the Indes vnder his tuition and defence without any notable shedyng of bloude These actes are described at large by the sayed kyng in a
whollye wrytten and put out in prynte Nowe when that communicacion was ended ther was another appoynted by the Emperoures and the kinges maiesty at Spiers But in as much as ther was at that tyme a great pestylence there that day was appointed to be holdē at Haganouw to entreate of matters of relligyon whether those myghte be ended and vtterlye finyshedde and concluded or nott ▪ And thoughe manye greate lordes oute of all the coostes of dutchelande were come in wyth the kynge Ferdynandus partely in theyr awne personnes partelye throughe their embassadours yet ther was no specyall thynge concluded but that ther shulde a nother assembly beholden the next yeare at Regensburg at which the Emperoures maiestye hym selfe shulde be where all matters concernynge Rellygyon and also concernynge warre agaynst the Turcke shulde be agreed of Afterward vpon the .xx. daye of Septembre the Emperoure caused a commaundemence to be putt oute wher in besyde other statutes concernynge hys inheretable landes in the netherlande he forbodde all his subiectes vpon payn of great punyshemente that they shulde not reade theyr bokes that haue nowe in these laste dayes brought vnto lyghte the truethe of the Gospell But what he wanne wyth hys commaundemente dayely experience teacheth as to wytte that ther be many goode Christen men found that rather lese their lyues than to forsake the woord of God that the persecutoures of Chryste pryestes and monckes myght still betray and shedde Christen bloude whyche thyng God wyll fynde a time horrybly to puysh But in asmoche as Gods woorde was so ouerpressed in netherland God raised it vp so moch the moar in another place For Ioachim the Marquesse of Brandenburge elector after hys father was ded which cared not much for any relligion and he knewe that it was neadefull to leade hys subiectes the ryghte waye to saluacyon and also to kepe them thereyne receaued the doctryne of the Gospell had ordeyned in all Cytyes and parishes good preachers to preache the woord of God with diligence vnto the sympel people He also redressed the vniuersity of Franckford vpon the Odder and sent for learned Men in all Sciences which when they came he augmented and amended theyr wages He also ordeyned Newe stipendes for poare Scolers of the lyuings of the vnprofytable Massynge priestes to thintent that suche lyuinges might from hence forth be bestowed to y ◠true seruyce of God But in what an horrible blindnesse that Lande was before and how euel it was prouided for with the word and doctryn of God wytnesseth an history which I although it appeare but simple wyll therfore tell that it may be so knowen what maner of teachers the popedome coulde suffre and what they yet haue As I at that tyme came by chaunce with the visiters to Stēdel in y ◠old marquiship to enquere after a seruice for me it chaunsed that the admission into al the offices of the Church was differred the space of syxe wekes In the meane whyle were the parsons and the paryshenars enquired after what facyon they hadde taughte and had bene taught Then came ther forthe a Parson wyth his Congregation whyche beynge demaunded of my goode Frynde Thomas Mathyas the Mayeres sonne of Brandenburge to whome that office was committed by the Vysytours what he had preached to his Parishners He answered y ◠belefe And being asked again what y ◠belefe is begā to rehearce Thys I could not chose but tel to the counfort of the Christen that they shulde learne that God defendeth preserueth his thorough his holy aungels and that although the deuell and his soart be neuer so woode that they yet be able to do nothing if we but abyde in the confessyon and acknowledging of Christ and in the obedience of his woorde These burning mortherers that were taken in the Electours dukedome of Saxon and in other places suffred an horrible death For ther was a thing made muche lyke a crosse therupon was the gyltye fastned aboute the necke wyth an yron coller or rynge and aboute the body with yron Chaynes and then a fyer made wyth strawe and other glowing matter a farre of and so the Gylty roasted tyll he dyed In thys fourtyest yeare also vpon the vii daye of Aprill ther was an horryble Eclipse of the sonne in the mornynge at the sonne rysynge whyche endured two goode houres longe After thys Eclypse and the blasynge sterre that appeared in the yeare before folowed ther an excydyng drye and a hoate somer wherin corne was yet meately well taken but hey and fother for beastes was cleane burnt vp Wyne was so well taken y ◠yeare and so good in all places y ◠many dronck them selues to deeth therwith and was therto verye good cheape Thys yeare in Iune the Turcke sygnyfyed vnto the kynge of Hungarye that he shuld pay him tribute for y ◠kingdō or elles loke for warr The Emperouer therfor sent Cornelius sceperus consailed thē to pay no tribut promesing that he would shortely bring an armye against the Turke wherewith he would defende the Hungars and the other princes their neighbours But the kyng of Hungary being vnpaciēt could not tary so long but required a tribute of his subiectes by the meanes whereof many of the chief of the nobilitie fell from hym whome he persequited with warre At the last when he had geuen the tribute to a tertayne Moncke to beare it to the Turke he sodenly dyed But the Moncke retourned quickly agayne as whiche beyng a loyterer was not farre proceaded in his iourney sending the Chaunselour and a certain byshop on the forwarde Embassage a foresayde to the Turke where they dyed The Monck dissemblyng the deeth of the kyng made a leaghe with those princes that had rysen agaynst the kyng and when they had al sworne to be true to the Quene and her Sonne went and toke Offen and laye there When Ferdinandus the kyng of the Romaines hearde that he set all other thynges asyde and got hym into Ostenrike to take in the kyngdome of Hūgary He toke in Weissenburg Pest and other cities of Hungary and afterwarde beseaged Offen At the last when helpe came out of dutcheland agaynst the Turck to helpe the kyng of Hungaries sonne he was compelled to returne home agayne into Ostenrick not without the great losse and dammage of his subiectes IN the yeare MDxli came the Emperoures maiestie first to Norenberg and was receiued with great honoure and leadde into the citie and into the Castell rydyng vnder a hyghe cannape of Veluet whiche foure of the Alder men bare In all the streates where through he roade were hys cognisaunces and badges sett vp and other goodly triumphant thynges and on both sydes of the streates the Cytesens standyng one by another all Iolyly arayed in their harnesse from the Spitell Gate vnto the Castell betwene them rode the Emperoure And aboue by the Castell there was a
thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth which he him selfe had instituted For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes whiche are ordeined by hym Also are we admonished by thys example that we eschue any mutacion at all In this historie are there many other notable commaundementes the whiche for shortnesse I must ouerpasse This one thyng wyll I only reherse that the ciuill gouernaunce the aucthorite of princes and kynges is here coÌ„firmed of God when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng Saul reigned fourty yere and was destroied for his vngodlynesse all his kynred was destroted Dauid reigned forty yeare and God punished hym for aduoutry committed and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon But God restored him into the kyngdom and punyshed the sedition greuously Absalon died a straunge death Salomon was forty yeres kynge but after his decease was the kyngdom deuided in sundery partes for the aduoutry of Dauid Of the Kynges of Iuda of Salomons linage and kynred ROboam kynge raygned seuenten yeres And when hee woulde not obey thee Counsayll of the elders in minyshynge the charges and exactions of the kyngdome he caused wyth hys rygorousnesse that a chaunge of the kyngdome is casued For he â—â—â—owed the counsaill of younge men nother wolde release ought according to right Wherfore deciuered from him the moost part of the kyngdom and dyd begynne a new kyngdome in Samaria the whiche was the occasion of many greate battayls on both partes As for the posteritie of Dauid retained the kyngdome in Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin folowed that kyng Abia reigned thre yeare and in battayll vanquished the kyng of the ten tribes in Israel Asa reigned fourtene yeare The same obtained great praise because he rooted out the wicked worshyp of God which was institute against the worde of God in so muche that he fauoured not his owne mother in this behalfe for she also folowed a sundery worship of God For this cause gaue him God good fortune agaynst the Arabians the whiche he vanquished in battayll At the last was he punished also of God for a certayn conspiration that he had made leauyng the trust in God The mydde or half part of the worldes age ABout the twelft yere of this kyng Asaes raigne are accomplyshed there thousand yeares of the worlde that is the mydde or half part of all the worldes age accordyng to Elias saynge the whiche we haue noted in the beginnyng of the boke Henceforeward may be marked that in coÌ„tinently after happened moost greatest and sodayn chaunges in all kyngdomes that there dyd aryse battayles and man slaughter for the last tyme of the worlde dyd drawe on Thys is also to be noted that the publike well the Iewes are elder than of the Grekes and Romanes wherby it maye easely be gathered that all other nacions haue their spring of the Iewes auncetry and that the eldest doctrine yea euen Gods word hath ben by the Iewes fathers or auncetres Iosaphat raygned fyue and twenty yeares he is alowed for hys endeuour of religion and that he hath exercised all kinglye duetyes wyth great diligence And for that cause dyd god â–ª geue hym excellent victories Elias the prophet was in his tyme which was taken vp quieke into heauen so rayseth God a prophet euen in the myddes of the worldes age no lesse of famous doctrine then miracles that the word and promise of Christ might be sometyme renewed The rest than of the thre M. yeares of the worlde began vnder thys Elias After Elias succeded Eliseus the prophet As for these two prophetes how they haue reproued the wycked seruice of God and what miracles they haue done is sufficiently treated in the Bible Ioram reigned eight yeares he commaunded to kyll his brethren euen the eldest was a beginner of a new Idolatry wherfore he was also worthely punished of God he dyed vanquished of the Philistenes the which caryed away his wiues and chylderen saue Ochosias which was the yongest Ochosias raigned only one yeare and accordynge as his father dyd he permitted the false seruice of God to be set vp wherfore he was slayne But whan his mother Athalia saw that her sonne was dead she caused to be slayn all them that were a lyue of the kynges bloud of this wyse was the kyngdome translated from Salomons posterite that hereby we maye learne how rygorously God doth punish synne Before all thinges must princes consider and marke this that God doeth rout out the kynred of great princes because of wickednes Athalia the mother of Ochosias kept the kyngdome with violence and vsed seueÌ„ yeares great tyranny At the last she was worthely punished when through the commaundement of the high priest she was slayn Of Nathan and his posteritie IN the rehersall of y â— fathers of the which Christ is borne hath Luke the euangelist est out Salomon For Salomons poste rite was destroied neuertheles Dauids posteritie succeded in the kyngdome accordyng to the promise of God Dauid had also a sonne NathaÌ„ of whom Luke maketh meÌ„cion Of his kynred wer these kynges of Iuda folowyng namely Ioas reigned fourty yeres the same was of notable godlinesse so long as Ioiada y â— high priest liued whom he obeyed afterward fell he to vngodlinesse and Idolatry and caused zachary the prophete the sonne of Ioiada to bee slayne before the temple of whom Christ doth also make mencion in the .xxiij. chapiter of Mathew Wherfore God willed to punysh hym by the Syrians and finally was he slayn by his owne seruauntes Amasias was kyng nyne and twenty yeares this also was conuersant in Godlynesse at the fyrste and herkened to the prophetes whereby he dyd luckely vanquyshe thorough God the Idâ—means But heyng after become haut and presumptuous he made war of pure wilfulnesse and with out constraynt in the whiche he was taken and fynally dyed Ozias raygned twoo and fyfty yeares the same was also called Azarias The same was at the fyrst also Godly and ouercame the Philisthines Afterwarde whan he woulde hymselfe offre in the temple agaynst the ordinaunce of God he was stryken with leprosy In his tyme lyued Oseas Amos and Micheas whiche prophecied agaynste either kynges of Samaria and Iuda Ionas was â—lso at this tyme whiche was sent to preache to the kynge of the Assirians Ioatham reygned lykewyse syxten yeares thesame was Godly fought luckely against Ammon Achas reygned lykewyse syxten yeares hee set vp false worshipping of god of ouer great superstition and peruerse opinion of godlinesse he buylded euery where throughout al the lande chappels and altars wherfore God suffered hym and all his royalme to be greuously punyshed and spoyled Ezechias reigned nyne and twenty yeares Hewas a Godly kynge he restored Gods worshyp auoidyng Idolatry he
of the floudes Of thys wyse dyd God turne the fortune of the dice and punyshed the pryde Great princes haue here an example sett before them whereby they must learne not to truste in their puyssaunce but that in the feare of God and trust to God must great thynges be taken in hande That he had thys shamefull ende for because this expedicion made euery man amased and also for because Xerxes dyd brynge on to Grece such a great multitude and power none otherwise than in oure tyme the Turke was constrayned to forsake the city of Vienne with great shame which came into Germany with an hoost of two hundreth thousande men Howbeit Xerxes departynge out of Grece left Mardonius the capytayne there wyth thre thousande souldyours and that for thys cause because the kynge persuaded by Mardonius counsell wente into Grece agaynste the mynde and wyll of the other Lordes And because it happened not as Mardonius promysed therefore dredinge lest beynge returned home he might lose hys heade because of the mischaunce of the warre he desyred that he might be left in Grece wyth that army to assaye all fortunes of warre yf by chaunce he coulde make feble the affayres of the Grekes Xerxes than suffred that and betoke hym to hys fortune Fyrst beganne Mardonius frendely to entreate the Grekes that hauing layde before them tolerable condicions of peace they woulde willingly yeld themselues But the Grekes beynge become more couragious by reason of the victory refused vtterly all dominion of the Perses and denyenge the leage asked that he shoulde defende hym selfe with force and fyghtynge hande Than toke Mardonius and burnt the citye of Athenes and wente thorough vntyll Thebe for they of Thebe were fallen to the Perses The Athenians and Lacedemonians makyng than agayn a fresh army by land of an hundreth thousand men met at sundry times with Mardonius in battayll at the laste Mardonius constrayned for faut of vytayls made an ende Alexander kyng of Macedony was wyth the Perses of whom we made mencion before the same shewed the Grekes before the euenynge that they should make them ready in armes on the next day for Mardonius was determined to pyche hys last felde and that was so done but the Perses beyng ouercome lost the felde Mardonius beyng slayne also whiche thynge the other counsellers of kyng Xerxes tolde him before the warre began But this was the ende of so great a settyng forth to warre and whan this warre was ended the cities of Grece began too encreace in power and enlargynge of their dominion subduyng many yles of the Perses whiche they adioyned to their dominion Moreouer the Grekes beyng become puyssauÌ„t waxed also haut and presumtuous and for desyre of dominion they procured also inwarde sedicion warre with in themselues and beyng ouercome with mutuall damages that eche had done to the other they were constrayned fynally to yeld themselues to straunge princes quenchynge and destroyeng all the estate of their common wealth and the vertues whereby they floryshed before But of this shall we treate a lytle hereafter It is necessarye to knowe Themistocles example before any thyng the whiche for so muche as he was the man by whose prouisse and counsail whole Grece was saued for the whiche thynge also hys prayses are auaunced more then of any valeaunt captaine whiche Grece had yet was he euel rewarded of his citesens for they droue him out of y â— citie This thanke geueth the commoÌ„ people for the most worthye vertues yea the deuell hymselfe blyndeth men that they do not acknowledge so hygh gyftes of God Wherfore it behoueth the best and excelleâ—t men to haue pacience before all thynges for it can not bee but they must haue grefes and all vnthankfulnesse in that state of lyfe After that fled Themistocles to Artaxerxes by whome he was had in greate honor in all thynges equall to the princes and peeres of his royalme It is wrytten also that Artaxerxes should haue sayde he coulde wyshe his enemies no more euyll but that they blinded with such madnesse dyd put awaye wyse men from them Of Artaxerxes with the longe hande AS Xerxes was deade raigned his sonne Artaxerxes whose right hande was longer than the left whereof he gat the surrname wyth the long hand Thys kynge is chefely praysed for his syngular wysedome and gentlenesse of maners and endeuour of peace Therefore do I rehearse his historye here nomore at length that wee maye finallye returne to the Iewysh hystories lest we be ignoraunce what state was in the church and spyrytuall kyngdome Of Zorobabel the Iewysh capitayne WE haue shewed before that in the Bible is one of the Persian kynges called Assuerus but the same was Darius Histaspis and as I suppose thys Darius is Assuerus which had quene Hester Herodotus doth also make mencion of Artistona the whiche Darius had besyde quene Atossa and sayeth that the same Artistona was very well beloued of Darius and it appeareth that thys same was Hester Philo writeth also that the history of Iudith happened in the tyme of this Darius and that Arphaxad whereof the history of Iudith maketh mention was captayn of y â— Assyrians after that they were now fallen from Cyrus whâ— was ouercome of the Scythyes I do not disalow thys meanynge of Philo but verely as I do suppose the history of Iudith was now already fulfilled before that Iuda was led into bondage and also before the Persians monarchy For Arbaces kynge of the Medes was before the monarchy of the Perses and Ninius was destroyed in the tyme of the Persians kyngdome and whan the Perses had the monarchy nether Ninius nor the Medes had theyr kynge Howbeit I graunt here euery man to defende hys meanynge After Darius Histaspis setteth Philo Artaxerxes wyth the longe hande passynge ouer king Xerxes but doutlesse for none other cause saue as is shewed before namely than whaÌ„ Xerxes was gone into Grece Darius wyth the long hand gouerned the royalme in the East in the meane season And this is that Darius with the longe hande whiche gaue the Iewes leaue the seconde tyme to buylde agayne the temple For though Cyrus had permitted the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem for to tyll theyr lande and to restore the kingdome the worship of God neuerthelesse in the meane season after Cyrus death â–ª were they letted by the borderers y â— the building could not goo forewarde vntill the seconde yere of Artaxerxes with the long hand whoÌ„ Philo calleth Darius with the longe hande Thesame commaunded in the second yeare of his king 〈…〉 by a commune proclamation commaundement that Ieruâ—alâ— the temple shuld be repared This was the occasion by the whiche the Iewysh natioÌ„s was restored to his libertie instituted again the gouernaunce of the royalme with the Gods seruice and builded agayne the temple and cities And though Iuda had not hetherto his kynges yet had they princes
or yeares But her of is ynough The table of the yeares of the worlde whiche sheweth the tyme poynted by Daniel M De. lvi vntyll the floude C C xciii vntyll Abraham was borne C C C C xxiij vntyll Moses was borne L xxx vntyll the goyng out of Egipt C C C C lxxx vntyll Salomons temple was buylded C C xxxviii vntyll kyng Ioas. C C xci vntil Ieconias was caried into Babylō Xi vntyll the wastyng of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor L xx dured the captiuite of Babylon C xci dured the monarchy of the Perses after the captiuitie of Babylon Vii was Alexander after Darius C xlvi dured the rule of the Grekes vntyll Iuhas Machabeus C xxvij dured the kyngdom of the Machabees as wryteth Iosephus XXX Herodes In the thyrtyeth yeare of Herode was Christe borne M. D. xxxii sence Christe our lorde and Sauiour was borne Our of this table is easely gathered the reason and maner of the yeares in Daniels wrytynge But I fynde by the Grekes the tyme after Alexanders death of this wyse In the .cxiiii. Olympias dyed Alexander Clxxxiiii Olympias began the rule of Augustus after the death of Iulius The xlii yeares of Augustus was Christ borne These yeares together sence the death of Alexāder make about cccxx yeares This nomber doth not so greatly disagre wyth the other aboue rehersed and can easely be made to gre of learned men Of Esdras A Certayne space after the cōmaundement publyshed dyd kynge Artaxerxes let Esdras the scribe returne to Ierusalem And duely not without a cause ought mētion to be made of this man in the histories for the bookes of the holy scripture that were now scattered and strowed dyd he gather agayne and set in order For this worke was worthy to be the duety of a true byshop Because that without holy scripture cannot be maynteined the true religion and worshyp of God In the tyme of this Artarerxes Longimanus began the great warre of Peloponnesus whiche the Grekes had amonge themselues in the whiche the citie of Athens at the last was vtterly destroyed This warre lasted neare hande vntyl the ende of the Persian monarchy and therfore I wyl first brefely reherse in their order the Persian kyng s. suche as are yet behynde Of Darius the bastarde DArius the bastarde reigned after Longimanus and of truth he was not the sonne of Lōgimanus but had his sister to wife and was his brother in lawe He had two sonnes At taxerxes whom they cal Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger Artaxerxes succeded his father in the empire Cyrus was made most puissaunt in Ionia Of Artaxerxes Mnemon AS Darius was deade Cyrus began to take falsly to hym the kyngdome for besyde that he ruled in a most puissaunt duchy he was apte also for all manner of thing and delited chefely in warre and therfore armed he hymself with great power against his brother Beside this had his mother more affection to hym than to his brother whiche had a modest and gentle mother wit But God did not prosper this wicked enterprise of Cyrus for in a battaill where he tought against his brother was he slaine Artaxerxes declared hymselfe not without courage in this battaill for he was greueously wonded of Cyrus and lept vpon another horse that he shoulde knowe that the victory came to hym afterwarde by God only Of Ochus OChus the sonne of Artaxerxes was moste gredy of mans bloud for beside the great tyranny that he vsed he slew also his own brothern He buylded the citie Sidon and brought Egypt againe to the Persian monarchy but they kept the loyalte of their yeldyng not very longe At the last was he slayn of one of his gouernours Of Arsames ARsames was the sōne of Ochus the same was made kyng being yet yonge by the capitain of the host which flew his father Ochus But when Arsames began now to wax great the capitain of the hoost fearyng by reason of the wycked dede that he had done he slew by a disceat this Arsames also Afterward makyng a league with Codomanus prince of Armenia he toke to hym the kyngdome also and called hym Darius Thus was the kynred of the noble prince Cyrus quenshed and the kyngdome of the Persians beyng translated from Cyrus posterite came to a foren prince Nether is that onely to be lamented that suche power and honour and so hygh gyftes of God were deleyed and put out of remembraunce within so few yeares but muche rather that Cyrus folowers beyng strayght waye vnlyke hym dyd declare their father to haue no maner of vertue the whiche appeareth in Ochus whose feates of tyranny gaue occasion that the whole kynred of Cyrus was abolyshed Of the last Darius The same was straunge from Cyrus but he was made prince of Armenia by kyng Ochus for his noble actes of chyuairy for the whiche actes also he was chosen kyng by them that had slayne Arsames left he should be reuenged of Ochus that had done hym good But being blynded by this occasion and with the hope of the kyngdome that was offered hym he forgat all the benefites that he had receaued of Ochus and hauyng the kyngdome he called hymselfe Darius that nothyng should be wanting to the royall dignitie But he was greuously punished for his vnkynonesse and disloyaltie For when he was vanquyshed of Alexander losynge all his landes and kyngdome he lost also his lyfe the whole monarchie of Persia But we shall treate more largely hereof in the begynning of the third monarchie and when we shall speake of Alexander The Warres of the cities of Grece WE haue touched before how the Grekes waxed welthy and presumptuous when the Perses were driuen out of their landes for pride and presumption do commonly folow after great prosperitie Wherfore duryng this monarchie they had great and durable warres among themselues by the whiche whole Grece went finally to naught insomuche that after ward it was open for euery man to breake in And also for the most honest gouernaūce lawes which they vsed in their cōmon welth succeded filthinesse and most corrup maner of behaueour And whome would it not greatly pitie to reade that so many great commodities or yuels and so durable and wicked warres are raysed of so lyght causes They be examples herely not onely to be wondered at but also most worthyest to be marked for they may admonyshe men that they take no warre in hand lightely and for euery lyght cause but only constrayned by great necessitie seing the warre raised amonge the Grekes for a small occasion could be in no maner nor meanes be swaged and layed downe tyll finally straunge people fallyng into Grece oppressed both partes It is not my mynde here to describe this whole warre for Theucidides Xenophon and afterward other haue written therof whole bokes But I wil reherse one thyng among all other namely what fall the citie of Athens hath had in this warre and what
misery she hath suffered when she was taken in And agayne how she was at the last restored againe by the vertues moderation and pacience of some good men For as hautnesse hardinesse presumption brought the state of the citie in decay euen so dyd pacience and mekenesse of maners restore the same agayne The begynnyng of the warre was aforen cause the whiche the Athenians myght easely haue esthued For the Corinthians were enemies to the citie Corcyra the which required ayde of the Athenians and optained it the easier because that the Athenians which were already strong on the see hoped that through the league and confederation of theÌ„ of Corcyra which had also great puissauÌ„ce vpon the see they should become lordes of whole Grece On the other syde y â— CorinthiaÌ„s required assistauÌ„ce of the Lacedemonians and of this wyse was Grece diuided The Lacedemonians did ioyne them selfs with the Perses of whome they were assisted with mony and victuals howbeit the Perses vsed in the meane season disloyalte or falshode lest the LacedemoniaÌ„s should become to mighty And this warre dured as sayth Xenophon eight twenty yere froÌ„ the tyme of Longimanus vntil Axtarerxes Mnemon and many cities peryshed myserably in thys warre Also may be sene a wonderfull alteration of fortune in the examples of this warre For when Alcibiades was captayne of the Athenians were the Lacedemonians greately put to the worse and slayn and that in the foure and fyue and twentieth yeare so that they despayred euer to come to their former abilitie Howbeit shortely after in the nexte yere was the worlde turned For when Alcibiades was driuen out of the citie though the enâ—â—e of some malepart or euel men were the Athenians slayen of Lysander by the citie Egos of Potanus where had happened a straunge wonder in the begynnynge of this warre For in the ayre was sene a great fyre the space of thre score and fyftene dayes Afterward fell a great stone from aboue into the cicie After this battaill was the citie of Athens enuironed with a heuy syege Many died of hunger Being demauÌ„ded to yelde them vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dicion that they should breake downe the towres fortresses of the citie they refused malepartly the coÌ„dictoÌ„s of peace remained by their purpose geuing also a common commaundement that who so should couÌ„saill to make a league of agremeÌ„t with the enemies shold be put to death As lately is happened with y â— Florentines about .ii. yeres past But after fyue monethes were the Athenians coÌ„strained with huÌ„ger to sende Ambassadours into the hoostes tentes too demaunde peace Wherevpon when they had taken deliberacion in the counsaill of thoos that had conâ—ederated themselues the Corinthians and Thebanes did constantly counsail that the citie of Athens should be ouerthrowen euen out from the foundacion and that of all their dominion should be made commune pastures But the Lacedemonians reproued that supposyng to be not honest to quenche and cast it away at once of suche wyse and to forgett the remembraunce of suche benefites wherewyth this citie had holpen whole Greke against the Medes and Perses Moreouer could not also so excellent a state of this citie be ouerthroweÌ„ without the incredible hurte of all the Grecians For they sayd that Grece seyeth with two eyes whereof the one was Sparta the other Athenes Wherfore hede must be taken lest Grece haue but one eye Wherevpon it was concluded finally that Athenes beyng saued onely the towres and walles shoulde bee cast downe and a certaine gouernaunce should bee prescribed the Athemans after the whiche they should lyue and so should peace be made on both parties The Athenians yelded themselues frely vpon these condicions and the walles were cast downe with great triumphe for with minstrelsy dyd they dauÌ„se also Part of their nauy was brent and part caried they with them This happened about the seuen twentyeth yeare when this warre had lasted Neuerthelesse were the Lacedemonians alrayd of one Alcibiades whiche was sled to the Perses when he was driuen out of Athenes Wherfore the Lacedemonians required of the Perses that they would slayn Alcibiades whiche the Perses did by a trap though the Perses had receaued Alcibiades according to the office of hospitalitie and that he had put all his trust in the faith of the Perses But it chauÌ„seth so with men that were fortune doth incline her self that waye doth mans fauour loue also Therefore ought he chefely to be ware euen of the vnfaith fulnesse offrendes whiche is out of prosperitie and he whom men do enuie and yrke for hatred of hys vertues This Alcibiades was hyghly furnished with feates of warre or chiualry but of an vnquiet minde he was cause of the breche of the peace that was many yeares before concluded betwene the Lacedemonians and Athenians He had vsed in all Grece so many wyles and so sundry craftes that it was euen commonly sayde If there had happened to be borne two Alcibiades in Grece it must nedes haue gone wholy to naught Howbeit suche endeuoure can not prosper therfore died Alcibiades fynally of this sorte And though the warres of the cities were now synyshed yet began now fyrst the destruccion of men at Athenes For seyng the citie of Athens was full of rebellions there were ordeyned of the Lacedemonians thirty men whom they called Tiranny to whom was committed aucthoritie that they should punishe the sedicious rebelles without law or iudgement and lest any man should withstande this aucthoritie with any sedicion they layed a great garnison of souldiours in the castell Of the restoryng of Athens after the destruction of it THe Lacedemonians vsed this sharpnesse to punish the common commotions and hygh necessitie constrayned them to do that The thirty men vsed their aucthorite at the first against no man saue the sedicious afterward did the olde hatred of some of them bruste out against y e best of the citie but good men did they put to death semblable examples of y e like we haue knowen in oure dayes And whan this displeased one of them named Theramenes a doughty man and iust they slew him also to cause other to be afrayed and that more is thei parted the goodes of theÌ„ that were put to death among their compainions The best of the citesens fled to Thebe and Argos where for pitie of so vnworthy mysery the were receaued euen agaynst the commaundement of the Lacedemonians whiche was that no man shoulde receaue the Athenians that fled or were banyshed Amonge these bannyshed men was one that was doughty and valiaunt in the common wealth called Thrasybulus the same ioynynge with hym the residue of the bannyshed men and a preuy ayde or subsydy of them of Thebe taketh in the castell by Athens and afterwarde goyng to Athens and pychyng a felde vanquisheth the thyrty Tyrannos â–ª and recouereth the citie The citesens that were fled were restored by this
But in the seuenth moneth after thys victory was Seleucus slayne by Ptolome Ceraunus brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus These are dredefull examples of the settynge vp and fall of so great kynges which worthely oughte to styrre vs to feare God lest we thynke to do great thynges by mans counsell and oure wysedome Antiochus Soter the sonne of Seleucus raigned in Syria after the death of his father Antiochus Theos his sonne had fyrst to wife Laodice wherof he had two sonnes Seleucus Callinicus Antiochus which was surnamed Hierax Ptolomeus Philadelphus gaue to the same Berenice his doughter afterward to wyfe But whan Antiochus was deade Laodice constrayned Seleucus her sonne to take the kyngedome and to take his stepmother Berenice Seleucus folowed his mothers counsell besieged hys stepmother finally brought her to yelde willyngly wyth great promises But kepynge no promyse he caused that the quene was put to death very cruelly For Daniel had prophesyed openlye that the quene of Egypt should suffre such a thynge and that the kyng of Egypt should reuenge the same For whan thys cruel dede was done Ptolemeus Euergetes brother to Berenice went into Syria droue Seleucus out of the kyngdome and takynge in many cytyes returned into Egypte Afterward whan Seleucus had recouered some harte he woulde recouer the kyngdome agayne and requyred ayde of hys brother Antiochus Hierax he was very yong and trusted by this occasyon to optayne the whole kyngdome For whan peace was made betwene Ptolomeus Seleucus Hierax inuaded his brother Seleucus kyngdome to the which thynge he vsed the ayde of straunge souldyours For the Galathians which Brennus brought out of Germany into Grece went farther into Asia beynge hyred wyth those kynges wages which had diuerse warres agaynst eche other These Galathians had thaÌ„ geuen them those landes in Asia that they dwelled in Of whom they be called Galathians vnto whom S. Paule the apostle preached the Gospell Nether is it anye doubte but that they were Germanes For the Grekes dyd calle wyth one worde the Germanes and Gallies Celte by chaungyng of the worde was the name Galate set for Celte Finally ouercame Antiochus his brother Seleucus with the ayd of the Galathians but Antiochus was lykewyse vanquyshed of the kyng of Asia lesyng a great deale of the kyngdome of Syria than was he constrayned to flye to king Ptolomeus Euergetes whan he was so receaued of hym that he should go no wher he wold haue fled but whan thys counsell was perceaued he was put to death This ende finally gat Antiochus Hierax Aboute y â— tyme nearehand fell Seleucus his brother from a horsse dyed This miserable fortune end had these two bretheren which had done many wicked dedes Antiochus the great inuaded the kynge of Egypt Ptolome Philopater wyth warre but he was dryuen back Afterwarde whan Philopater was deade he returned into Egypt with an army but the Romanes had taken the child Ptolomeus Epiphanes into their wardshyp to whom he was committed as a warde This was an occasion of a great warre which was betwene the Romanes Antiochus Hanniball toke part with Antiochus which was captaine in this warre a certayn space and many more contries of Grece dyd stycke to Antiochus But beynge weakened by reason of some mishappe he was dryuen to demaunde conditions of peace Than left the Romanes hym only y â— parte of the royalme whiche lieth beyond the hyll Taurus besyde this was he constrayned to sende his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes to Rome in hostage But at the last whan Antiochus spoyled the ryche temple of Belus in Siria he was oppressed of the communalty inhabityng there whych slew hym hys company euery one This was the ende of Antiochus the great Hierusalem had metely good rest sence the tyme of Alexander vntyll Antiochus the great But whan the warre betwen these two kynges was raysed by reason the Iewes laye betwene them both they were a lytle oppressed vexed of both parties And though Ierusalem dyd hetherto stycke more to Egypte yet was it nether subiecte to Syria nor Egypte Howbeit Ptolomeus Epiphanes sent a capitayne one Scopa against Antiochus which toke in certayne townes of Syria and part of Iewry Howbeit whan Antiochus had vanquished the same by y e Iordane he went farther tyll he came at IerusaleÌ„ Than did the Iewes kneling yelded theÌ„selues frely to him makyng also a commune league betwene them and the kyng for thys cause dyd the kyng Antiochus suffer them to lyue in peace asysted them in repayryng y e citye Ierusalem And of this wyse though they semed to be in daunger in the tyme of this warre by reason of the neighburhead â–ª yet lyued they quietly vnder this Antiochus Antiochus the great left after him thre sonnes Seleucus surnamed Philopator Antiochus Epiphanes Demetrius After y e fathers death raygned Seleucus a few yeres the other two brethren were kept in hostage at Rome Whan Antiochus Epiphanes knew of his fathers death he â—led priuely froÌ„ Rome as he was come againe into Syria he was made king For Seleucus was vnmete to rule nether liued he long after his fathers death This Antiochus Epiphanes truely was a man of much subtelty hardinesse had well learned by the example of the Romanes to apply himselse to the tyme and maners of euery man For he could easely forbeare and suffre euery man that he was with he was a wyse man wyth y e wyse â–ª agaynwyth vnbrydeled youth he folowed such exercise as he knew them to delyte in He procured the fauour of the comon people with familiaritye beneuolence and whan he made any costly banket he caused great summes of mony to be cast among y e people For his vnbrydeled maners was he called Epimanes for Epiphanes For Epimanes signifieth madde but Epiphanes signifieth noble His raigne began the hundreth seuen and thyrtyeth yeare after Alexanders death And whan he possessed now hys kingdomes that came to hym by heretage he went into Egypte For about y e tyme dyed Ptolomeus Epiphanes the same had to wyfe Cleopatra the syster of Antiochus Epiphanes the which vnder that pretence began to vsurpe y e kingdome of Egipt as if he were tutor of the yong king called Ptolomeus Philometor Nether shewed he himself otherwyse but with all gentlenesse beneuolence toward his cosin willed that Memphis other great cities shuld yeld them to the kyng y â— vnder suche a pretense he mighte by lytle and lytle draw to him the whole realme Whan he had now finished all thinges he left the kingdome and went to Ierusalem that at the request of Iâ—â—oâ— which coueted the dignitye of the hygh presthode by the meane of Antiochus For so stode the case thaÌ„with the Iewes that they myghte optayne the hyghe priesthode by decepte by conspiracion offoren kynges oppressinge slayenge in the meane season
by Iulius but longe after was he commaunded to be put to death at Antiochia by Antonius euen the third yeare when Herode was made kyng And yf the whole tyme that Hircanus was high priest bee wel rekened it shalbe euen foure and thirty yeares finally was he put to death by Herode It is a dredful thyng verely to senerehande in al histories that not only the moste renow medest kynreds and families amonge men decay but that also the successours of holy men cleane doth degenerate from the honestie of there elders and fall to all fylthynesse of mische ue and synne What tyme the Phariseys and the other sectes began with the Iewes WHen now the soueraintie and priesthode by the Iewes began to be toren and pulled asunder by the tyraÌ„ny the warres of Antiochus I passe ouer that the Machabees ioyned them with Heythen kynges the which ordeined or deposed princes high priestes at their pleasure the whiche cared for nothing lesse then the endeuour of the religioÌ„ it could not be â—â—â—t that sectes and sundry dissensions must yse in the Iewysh religion For uedes must it happen so wheÌ„ether we want a certain head in the religion or wheÌ„the heades of the churche or congregatioÌ„ do not regarde the studies of Godlinesse and seke onely outward puyssaunce as prophane nacions do The sectes that were sprong vp were of thre sores the first wer called Phariseis that is Seuered of the word Phares These vsed for they were better learned then the other certain constitutions of men aboue the lawe of Moses whereby they were seuered from the other people Howbeit their doctrine was a litle better righter theÌ„ the other For they taught immortalitie after this life that God will punysh synnes they beleued also that Messias should come a saueour for the faithfull and a iudge for the synnes To the men of this secte also was coÌ„mitted the coÌ„mon welth before other and they wee of more aucthoritie The second secte was of the Sadduceis These hidde their wickednesse with a very noble not able callyng theÌ„selues For zaddik signifieth righteous Sadducei they that be righteous or holy So is it moste commonly receaued in vsage in this worlde that those that be moste wycked of all do cloke their couetousnesses wyth moste honeste names They taught that after death was no lyfe That God had onely geuen the lawe to the intent we shoulde liue honestly quietly receiuing of God in y â— meane season in this lyfe the rewarde of righteousnesse They did expounde y â— scriptures wholy according to mans iudgemeÌ„t nether would they heare ought els as concernyng for the maners that appertaâ—ned vnto man very Epicures that is to saye suâ— as did put the principall goodnesse in voluptuoâ—â—tie as Epicurus the Philosopher dyd And thaâ— more is when they at the length had gotteÌ„ power â–ª they troubled not a litle the Phariseis It is a fearfull thyng verely to heare that among the peculiar and chosen people of God are crept in euen heythenysh doctrines insomuche that coÌ„stantly they were not ashamed euen openly to teache and saye that after this lyfe was none other lyfe The thirde were Essey the whiche when they perceiued that both the Phariseyes and Sadduceyes folowed their appetites vnder the coloure of honest titles nether did ought in a maner that were worthy their profession therfore semed it them good to declare the straitnesse and seueritie of lyfe with the dede and would be called Essey that is workers or doers For Assa whence the name Essey commeth sygnifieth to worke as in these times the Anabaptistes do reproue bothe the Lutherians and papistes and endeuour to seme more holier then ether of them For the Essey lyued in a maner in all thinges as the Anabaptistes lyue they maryed not and woulde haue all thynges common among them This was an vtter foolysh and dotish supersticion of monkerye and whiche could not last long Of this wyse nerehand is the church deuided in thre partes also now a dates for because y â— second commyng of Christe also is harde by The Anabaptistes resemble the Esseyes and on the other parte some be Phariseyes some are Sadduceyes For the thniges that happened amoÌ„g the Iewes â—â—e a figuce of the ChristeÌ„ religion These sectes rose first among the Iewes vnder Ioannes Hircamus the sonne of Simon before the byrth of Christ an hundreth and fyue and twenty yeares Of Herodes kynred WHen Iulius Cesar had warre in Egypt that was euery where full of daunger Antipater prince of Idumea ayded him very faithfully and for a remembraunce of this benefite made hym Iulius gouernoure of Iewry the whiche was now constrayned to obey foren and straunge princes in her owne royalme The Iewes set themselues agaynst it with great force at the first sufferyng very disdainfully the rule of the Idumean prince insomuche that he was poysoned at the last by a Iewe called Malchus and dyed Herodes reuenged the death of his father Antipater and demaunded the succession of the Iewysh kyngdome of Augustus and Antonius in the hundreth foure score and seconde Olympias and this was after Alexander two huÌ„dreth foure score and twelue yeares This was the occasion wherby Iewry receuied foren kynges out of Idumea and afterlong siege compelled Herode them of Ierusalem to yelde theÌ„selues nether was there litle bloud shedde before the Iewes yelded themselues frely to Herodes dominion As for Christ was borne in the thirtieth yeare of Herode These are nerehand the greatest and chefest mutations of the kyngdom brefly comprehended the whiche happened in Iewry in the tyme of this monarchie vntill the last monarchie and the tyme of Christes birth And though it is euident ynough that the Iewysh kynges after Christes birth were of Herodes kynred yet wyll I set them euery one orderly that the reader may more easely knowe how the one is borne of the other and haue ruled the kyngdome lawfully by a certayn succession vntyll the destruction of the citie Ierusalem though as concernyng the iust order of the historie I am not come so farre For I haue yet to reherse these thynges of the Romanes which happened in the tyme of the Grecian monarchie Herode the first whiche was also called Ascalon had many children among the whiche he hymselfe caused thre to be slame Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater by reason of a conspiracy that they had made against their father But after him remained aliue Archelaus Herodes whiche was surnamed Antipas and Philippus These parted the kyngdome amonges them Archelaus was chosen by a testament to succede his father Herode in the kyngdome but Augustus the emperour would not confirme or ratifye thys wyl of the father but made hym prince howbeit vnder this hope that he should be made kyng yf he ruled honestly And so ruled he nyne yeares and vsed great tyranny he set vp and deposed high priestes and rauyshed his
or mitigated which thynge of mercy happened to the Niniuites The yeare of the worlde iiii M. xxv The yeare of Rome viij C. xxxii The yeare of Christe lxxxi TItus the eyght Emperoure reigned two yeare He was the sonne of Vespasianus endued wyth all kynde of princely vertues wherefore he was praysed of euery man and called The loue and delite of man kynde But when he perceaued that some went about to optayne the Emperyall dignitie agaynst hym he commaunded to admonyshe them frendly to abstayne from suche enterpryses For all theyr labour was inuayne in suche thinges and that the gouernaunce is a gyft of God whiche befalleth to hym whome it pleaseth hym to geue He dyd nothynge more rygorously to them Titus as some suppose dyed of poyson After that Linus was deade was Anacletus made the third byshop of Rome The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xxvij The yeare of Rome viii C. xxxvj The yeare of Christe .lxxxiij. DOmitianus the nynth Emperoure the brother of Titus reigned fyftene yeares He had warres in Germany and ceâ—sely agaynst the Catti that now a daies are called the Hesses He vsed incredible intemperancy and great tyranny at Rome wherfore he was fynally slayne He droue out of Rome the Mathematicos that is teachers by demonstracion and Philosophers He persecuted the Christen and put them to death lyke as Nero dyd Whan Anacletus was deade Clemens the fyrst of that name was made Byshop of Rome The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xliij The yeare of Rome .viij. C. lij The yeare of Christe .xcix. NErua the tenth Emperoure reigned one yeare and foure monethes He adopted and made heyre apparant Traianus who was as then capitaine in Germany about Collen Nerua dyed being olde .lxviij. yeare The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. xliiij The yeare of Rome .viij. C. liij The yeare of Christe C. TRaianus the Emperoure reigned nynetene yeares and syxe monethes This same was the fyrste of the straunge Emperours For he was no Italian but a Spanyarde by kynred He was of suche notable honestie that euer afterward as oft as an Emperoure was electe he dyd wyshe with open requeste that he might be lyke to Traianus in honestie Augustus in happenesse When he had made the principall officers of his court he gaue hym a sworde in hys hande sayeng these wordes Vse this sworde agaynst myne enemies in iuste causes If I do not iustly then drawe it vpon myselfe The Romane empyre was neuer so large as in the tyme of Traianus and aboue the examples of other Emperours possessed he the realmes of the East most largely He had very great warres in Hungary and Germany Ihon the euangelist that was driuen out by Domitian returned agayne to Ephesus out of the yle Pathmos If ye wyll reken the noÌ„bre of the yeres it shalbe founde that Sainct Ihon hath preached aboue thre score yeares Good Lorde howe many myseries hath Sainct Ihon sene in so longe space among the whiche was euen the greatest the destruction of Hierusalem hys countrey I wyll passe ouer how greueously hee hath stryuen wyth many and euen peruerset heretikes For we reade that vpon a tyme Sainct Ihon came into a bath and founde Cherinthus the Heretike sittyng with hys company and disputynge earnestly amonge them and the vnshamefast blasphemer denyed Christe to be man But Sainct Ihon rysynge bad hys frendes that were set wyth hym to departe with hym from thence For God woulde not suffre any lenger so vnshamefast blasphemies But strayghtwaye as he was gone out the house fallyng downe slewe Cherinthus wyth hys company It is a dredefull example of Gods wrath agaynst them whiche blaspheme the name of GOD wyth open and manifest vngodlynesse howe litle he wyl suffre them to be vnpunished at length Euaristus the fift B. of Rome succeded ClemeÌ„s After Euaristus death succeded the .vi. B. of Rome Alexander the first of that name Vnder Traianus were many Christen men tormented But afterwarde was a sentence ordeined that they shoulde not be brought into iudgement without they were fyrst openly accused and then shuld they be punyshed and this was gotten by the benefite of Plinius Traianus died of a flyxe in the belly The yeare of the worlde .iiij. M. lxiiij The yeare of Rome .viii. C. lxxiij The yeare of Christe C. xx ADrianus the .xii. Emperoure reigned twenty yeares He was adopted of Traianus He was a prince of greate wysdome he was not geuen too warre after the example of Traianus but was geuen to common peace by al maner of meanes and of this wise restored he the Empyre in moste best fashion wherfore he also deserued moste hygh prayse with euery man Ther was neuer a more profytable Emperour to the Romysh kyngdome sence Augustus then this Adrianus He was excellently learned in astronomy and composed euery yeare a pronostication for hymself Vnlearned readers of sciences put he out of wages howbeit he prouided of hys own coste for theÌ„ that they had no nede in the meane season and set other learned and profitable meÌ„ to teache in their steade He furnished also excellent libraries for he was reakened to be very well learned in Greke and Latin In the tyme of Adrianus began the Iewes to restore their kyngdom fyndyng also out one Messias among theÌ„ But Adrianus ouercame them though it was not without great busynesse Afterwarde commaunded he to repayre Ierusalem and called her Elia after his name Elius At the fyrst was he sore against the Christians and commaunded to torment them but afterward when some learned Christen men wrote bokes to the Emperoure the whiche are yet now adayes a brode he chaunged his mynde and commaunded that from thence foreward no man should be attached for his religion Xystus the fyrst of that name and seuenth B. of Rome succeded Alexander After Xystus succeded Thelesphorus the eyght B. of Rome He is reported to haue ben the instituter of Lent The yeare of Christe .i. C. xl ANtonius the Godly the .xiii. Emperour was adopted by Adrianus He reigned xxiij yeres that with so great modesty and endeuoure of peace that he shoulde oft haue sayed that it were more honest to saue one citesyn by an Emperoure than to slaye a thousand enemies Hyginius the nyneth B. of Rome succeded Thelesphorus Pius the .x. succeded Hyginius Anicetus the xi B. of Rome succeded Pius The yeare of Christe .c. lxiij MArâ—â—s Anthonius the philosopher the xilij Emperoure reigned .xix. yeares The same gouerned the Empyre by good ryght with hys brother Lucius Verus and these two were the first that ruled the Empyre together But Verus liued not loÌ„g in the gouernauÌ„ce Marcus was lyke excellent both in vertue and learnynge He had also warre in Germany agaynste them that dwelt in Morauia and Slesia and also against the Vandali He wrote many excellent lawes the whiche are yet to be red in
chafed by Stillico their kinge Radagasus brought two hundreth thousand Gotthies into Italy the same yeare that we haue specified a fore And as histories do make mencion here that at Rome wer great cōplaintes against Christ because that so lamentable decaye of the empyre they supposed to come of the despisynge of the goddes and small regarde of the worshyppe and honour of the former religion As for Stillico vanquished and ouercame Radagasus and hys hoost in the straytes comminge from the citye Florence goynge to Apenninum This is the fyrst history of the Gotthies in Italy After Radagasus came another hooste of Gotthies into Italy whose captayne was Alaricus With the same dyd Honorius agree that he should depart out of Italy go into Gallia the whyche at that tyme was awaystynge of y ◠Frankes Burgundions Vandales insomuche that Honorius mistrusted he could kepe Gallia no lenger therefore thought he to bringe to passe that the Barbarians shuld stryue among thēselues for it But what happened Whan Alaricus taketh his yourney vpon him Stillico doth fall vpon him vnwarres vpon Easter daye whyle the truce did yet last The next day after doth he lykewise wyth an appointed army ouerthrowe and vanquyshe Stillico and being angry vpō him he besyeged Rome Honorius was at Rauenna caused Stillico to be putt to death as one y ◠had not done faithfully willed y e empyre to be taken frō Honorius to be geuen ouer to him Wherfore there was now no captayne mete to delyuer the citye of Rome from the syege Therfore dyd Alaricus take in Rome after two yeres syege and that was about the xv yeare of Honorius the foure hundreth and twelft yeare of Christ and the thousand hundreth and thre score and fourth yere after the building of Rome That Var ro writeth of the xij rauens whiche Romulus sawe to signify that Rome should last a thousand and two hundreth yeares though thys nombre of the yeares be not farre from this rekening yet I suppose their interpretation rather to pertayne to Totilas who afterwarde in the tyme of Iustinianus dyd set Rome in fyre wholy spoyled it and that was an hundreth and syxe and thyrty yeares after Alaricus For Alaricus dyd not spoyle the citie but rather gaue a commaundement that they should be spared whyche fled to the temples of the Christians Alaricus drue back agayne out of the citie and not longe after dyed Whan he was deade Ataulphus was made kyng of the Gotthies the same came agayne to Rome and takynge to wyfe Placidia Honorius syster beynge pacified by her he spared Rome and wente into Fraunce and afterwarde into Spayne and of this wyse did finally the Gotthies leaue Italye and went into Spayne For Alaricus had before inuaded y ◠Spaniardes the Gotthies remaining in Spayne afterward had y e dominion ther. The Vandali came into Spayne after that the Suein but the Gotthies remaining ther the Vandali came into Aphrica Of these Gotthies are borne the Christē kinges in Spayne of whom hath his of springe the most famous Emperoure that now is Charles the fyft of y ◠name For though y ◠Sarraceni inuaded Spaine afterward became mighty in it yet could thei not destroy the residue of the other kinges of y ◠linage The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi The yeare of Rome M. CC. vij came out of Aphrica to Rome Genserichus the Vandall and spoiled the citye haynously But what was y ◠cause of Genserichus comminge shall we shew whan we shall haue occasyon to treate of the Vandalies Dietrichus of Berna THe Gotthies came nomore into Italy afterward saue in the tyme of Zeno the Emperoure whan Othacarus was become mighty at Rome The same was a Barbarian borne in Rugia was a souldiour vnder Augustulus being become puissaunt by that meanes he vsed great tyranny at Rome insomuch y e the Romanes required ayde against him Than was sent by Leno into Italy Dietrichus surnamed of Berna The same slayenge Othacarus raigned two thyrty yeares in Italy he loued peace out of measure and had most deserued to haue the fauoure of Italy insomuch that as histories do make menciō Italy neuer had a foren prince more frendelier and gentlyer He gaue also much goodes to the churches vse to entertayne the ministers of the word to mainteyne the doctrine of religion But he was infect with the heresy of Arrius as also the reste of y ◠Gotthies For whan y ◠Gotthies required of Valens y e Emperours prestes of whom they might be instructed in y t Christen religion he sent them Arrian doctors Howbeit y ◠most noble vertues of this Dietrichus deserued those praises which cōmonly are songe in those dityes as are vsed now adayes In thē is made mencion of giauntes which signifieth the Barbarous whō Dietrichus hath vanquished slayne He is surnamed of Berna because he was wonte to be muche at Verone wyth the court Besydes this man was also another Dietrichus a Gotthian lykewyse by whose valiauntnesse Attila was slayne but he dyed in the same felde He was so great a man that besyde him noman coulde lyghtely haue enterprysed oughte against Attila The same Dietrichus was not surnamed of Berna but he was his cosyn He was fyue and forty yeare before the tyme of Dietrichus of Berna Kynges of the Gotthies in the West in Spayne Alaricus Ataulphus Mallia Kynges of the Gotthies in the East in Hungary Dietrichus Hermerichus Ditmarus Dietrichus of Berna HImelsuitha the doughter of Dietrichus of Berna had a sonne called Adelrichus thesame raygned eight yeres at Rome in Italy after the death of Dietrichus of Berna and the mother ruled with great praise Whan her sonne was deade she delyuered the gouernaunce to her nephew Theodatus but the same not remembrynge the benefyte that he had optayned caused by a trayne her to be slayn in the tyme of Iustinian the Emperoure Dietrichus of Berna had mo doughters besydes this he had also geuen hys systers doughter in mariage to the kynge of Thuringen whyche thynge I would not passeouer here without the syngular prayse and commendacyon of the princes of Thuringen THeodatus raigned ii yeres was worthely punished For whan the moost honeste quene Himelsuith a had commended herselfe and her sōne to Iustinian the Emperoure Iustinian toke an occasion to reuenge the murther and sent Bellisarius into Italy against the Gotthies Now was Theodatus suspected because he withstode not Bellisarius as though he would betray the Gotthies the whiche Gotthies made Wittichus kyng by whose commaundement was Theodatus slayne VVitichus reigned thre yeares Against hym warred Bellisarius with greate policy For Wittichus had an appoynted army of more then twoo hundreth thousand men Bellisarius kept hymselfe within the walles of Rome whome Wittichus besyeged a whole yeare and there was a great
of Dauids posterite vntil that tyme that the Machabees began to reigne Firste reigned zorobabel whose posteritie what fortune they had and how finally the whole kyngdome is translated from Dauids posteritie shall we shewe hereafter For so was it prophecied afore by the prophetes that Christe should be borne about that tyme of Dauids bloude that foren princes shoulde vsurpe to them the kyngdome of the Iewes that was now already alienated The rekenynge of the seuenty wekes out of Daniel IT was shewed Daniel by heauenly reuelacion of Christus commynge and howe long the Iewysh people should last Ther is a notable wytnesse in this prophecy to confirme the certaynte of our faith against the Iewes whiche striue and contende that Christ is not yet come and wayte yet for another Messias Verely the rekenyng of the tyme appointed by Daniel is easy and specially it is pleasaunt to know thereby that Christe was surely come about that tyme the whiche Daniel hath prescribed For though other do count diuersly yet if ye go not froÌ„ the order of the histories there shall bee found no great dissention wherfore ye could doubt For the diligent rekening of the tyme is requisite to repete out of Ptolome these Eclipses that are happened and to gather out of them ordely euery yeare but that were not one mans laboure And diligently ought Byshops to occupie them in these thynges with doyng costes that the vnderstandynge of so notable prophecies myght bee clerely had in the churche I truely wyll gather here out of the best histories the nombre of the yeares and endeuoure to make the rekenyng there of very playne Daniel sayeth Seuenty wekes are concluded vpon this people and specially accordynge to the commaundement of buyldyng agayne Ierusalem shalbe syxty and nyne wekes vntill Christes kyngdome and than shall Christ be put to death Fyrst must it be knowen what that the wekes do yearly signifye so that euery weke make seuen yeares the whiche maye easely be proued Wherefore the seuenty wekes make foure hundreth and nynety yeares Secondly sayeth Daniel Christe shalbe put to death after thre score and nyne wekes but so that he teache the half weke and afterward bee put to death The tyme and office of Christ is notable expressed of this maner Thyrdly must the nyne and seuenty wekes bee rekened from the seconde yeare of Darius Longimanus that is wyth the long hande For then dyd God sende Zachary and Aggeus the prophetes that they shoulde comforte and certaynely assure the people of repairyng Ierusalem hereafter without any hynderaunce And of this worde that is of this reuelacion are the aungels wordes to be vnderstande Because then was made the sure promyse to the people of the furtheraunce of the temples repayryng Besyde that commaunded Longimanus that self same yeare by an open commaundement that â—he Iewes shoulde not be hyndered of their purpoâ—â—d worke of buyldynge the citie and temple as it was done before But all this is to be red in the bodies of Eldras And surely to this same delaye of tyme in repairyng of the temple had saint Ihon respect in the seconde chapter of his gospell where the Iewes said that in buyldyng of the temple were spent syx and fourty yeares for that is the nombre of the yeares from the seconde yeare of Cyrus vntyll the syxte yeare of Longimanus wherein the worke of the temple was accomplyshed But now is it gathered out of the booke of the Machabees and out of Iosephus that from the begynnyng of Alexander after the death of the last Darius vntyll Christe was borne to be thre hundreth and ten yeares From Christes byrth vntyll hys baptyme thyrty yeares Summa from the begynnynge of Alexander vntyll the baptyme of Christe thre hundreth and fourty yeares To these put the tyme from the seconde yeare of Longimanus vntyll Alexander after the death of the laste Darius and as Metasthenes counteth there shall be a hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares Summa from the second yere of Longimanus vntill the baptisme of Christe are foure hundreth foure score and fyue yeare And therfore thre score and nyne yearly wekes make euen foure hundreth and foure score and two wekes Whereby it is manifest that when Christe was baptysed were fulfylled three score and nyne yearly wekes and in the weke folowynge taught Christ in the same half weke was he put to death For Christe was put to death the fourth yeare after that he was baptised Wherfore when this weke that foloweth is added to the thre score and nine there shalbe seuenty wekes and this is the maner to count the tyme appoynted by Daniel For after Christes death are the Iewes nomore Gods people and their temple was afterward an abominacion the whiche Daniel witnessed playnly Besyde this are other notable doctrines and consolacions of troubled coÌ„sciences in this prophecy of Christes office and kyngdome that he came to preache forgeuenesse of synnes but to expounde all this maketh to no purpose here nother is it here taken in hande I haue truely sought out with so great diligeÌ„te as I could the maner of countyng the seuenty wekes of Daniel nother do I fynde that it can greatly varye if ye wyll folowe the fourme of histories For though ye wyll not folowe Metasthenes yet doth the rekenyng of the Grekes agre very well here with For after the countyng of the Grekes are betwene the death of Alexander and the beginnyng of Augustus twoo hundreth and foure score yeares the whiche I can proue with very stronge reasons If ye do now take the yeares of the Persians after thee seconde yeare of Longimanus by the Grekes ye shall fynde the same also After Alexander vntyll Christes byrth are thre hundreth and two and twenty yeares After Christes birth vntyl hys baptysme thyrty yeares Put therto the nomber of the Persians from the second yeare of Longimanus an hundreth and two and thyrty yeares after the Grekes Summa of this is foure hundreth foure score and foure yeares So perfectly do the hystories of the Grekes agre with the tyme that is founde in Iosephus and Philo that ye maye openly perceaue the tyme of Christes commynge to be moste fyttly appoynted by Daniel And truely I doubte not but wyse and learned men will alowe and testifye that both these rekenynges that we haue set here maye bee very well proued by wytnesses of hystoryes And without it were to longe I coulde brynge yet other more rekenynges whyche shoulde agre with these also So that it is no doubte but that Daniel hath moste ryghtely hytt thee tyme of Christes commynge It hath also no small pyth of consolacion or comfort though the maner of the tyme do not agre so iustly with euery minute that we may be certyfyed that the tyme prophecyed of Daniel be longe sence past Wherfore are the Iewes in manifest erroure whiche can by no reasons proue that the same tyme is not yet past though they wyll vnderstande the wekes of dayes
administration of the royalme he fyrst broughte the Illyrians agayne vnder the yock after that wente he to Thebe For they of Thebe besyeged the garnyson of men that his father Philippe had set in there castell and also made a league wyth the Perses the whiche inuaded the kyngdome of Macedony In the meane season that Alexander besyeged them of Thebe dyd the Athenians sende ambassadours to hym for to optayne peace Alexander receaued them fauourably They of Thebe in the meane season beyng obstinate nother soughte for grace nor conditions of peace And whan it was proclamed by the coÌ„maundement of Alexander before the assaulte that whoso of them of Thebe that woulde yelde them frely and go oute of the cytye shoulde saue theyr lyues They of Thebe caused to be proclamed contrarye wyse that they that would haue the libertye of the Grekes wyth theirs saued and the kynge of the Perses against the tyraunte Alexander shoulde drawe to them Alexanders myâ—de beynge chafed wyth that reproche the citye was assaulted and wholy spoyled and was neuer restored afterward Thys was the fyrste greate citye that Alexander subdued For we se most communely come to passe that God ordeineth puysâ—aunt monarches for the destruction of great cityes Whan Alexander had now made a peace in Grece he went into Asia with â—n hoost of fourty thousand â—oote men but of horssemen onelye foure thousand The army that was in Asia the whiche his father had sent afore was but lytle With this small hoost falleth he vpon the Perses and maketh very great feldes and taketh many mighty cityes with strong hande amonge the whyche was Sardis Miletus and Tyrus In conquering of the whiche Alexander was in many haâ—ardes Vanquyshyng also in battaill Darius the kynge he put him to flighte and takyng hys mother hys wyfe the quene hys doughters and sonne he entreated them gentely and as it besemed there royall kynred The queâ—e that was aged called he mother he entertayned her sonne none otherwyse than if it had bene hys owne Wounder it is what prayse Alexander deserued for these vertues in all Asia and with Darius himselfe insomuch that frely he offred hymselfe to treate of peace offerynge to be content to delyuer vnto him euen the half of his royalme To this answered Alexander that this worlde can not be ruled wyth two sonnes but yf he were content to yeld frely him selfe and hys royalme he wold gently take him to grace But Darius renewynge an hoost was vanquyshed and was thrust through in the flight by his own seruaunt and guyde Bessus Alexander comming vpon Darius founde him very greueously wounded and nearehand dead and had pitye vpon him promised him that this vnfaythfulnesse of Bessus against his owne lord shuld not be vnpunished Wherfore Bessus beyng taken afterward he caused him to be hanged betwen two trees that were bowed doâ—â—ward the which whan they were suffred to dresse themselues agayne wyth a great swynge they tare hym paynfully Of thys wyse was Alexander become gouernoure of Asia and toke in farther the residue of the contryes and cityes as Babylon Susa c. The beginnynge of thys monarchye of Alexander was after the death of thys last Darius that is in the begynnyng of the seuenth yeare after that Alexander began to raygne Alexander beynge become proude by thys victory began to be dissolut in excesse of dronkennesse He caused some of hys frendes and counsellers to be put to death which was the moost excellent and sage captayne the aged Parmenion Besyde thys in hys wrath he slew hys valiant captayne Clytus in a banket because he preferred Philip his father before Alexander his sonne But whaÌ„ his maners were chaunged fortune chaunged also though the mynde was not peasable Ho warred also vpon the Iudyans and Scythians but he liued not long after that For he dyed the two and thyrtyeth yeare and eleuenth moneth of hys age He raygned after hys father Phylyps departure no lenger than twelue yeare and seuen monethes and wythyn so lytle space had he dispatched so many and great warres so that suche a multytude of men coulde scarce haue yournyed throughe so many contryes and realmes euen whan it had bene peace and tranquyllyte He raygned at Babylon after Daryus only fyue yeare and eleuen monethes Such hystoryes declare that greate kynges and princes are guyded by a certayne heauenly power or will Alexander was endued with many and excellent princely vertues the examples whereof to set forth here by reaâ—on of oure industrye to be short hath no place I will recite only one amonge so many As oft as the playntyfe in iudgement layde ought against any gylty man the same beynge absent he gaue only the one eare to the plaintyfe and was wont to shut y â— otherwyth his hand that he might signifie he would kepe the other for the gylty man and that both partes oughte to be herde alyke the which pertaineth to an office of a good prince and true iudge Alexander gaue here a notable example for greate princes that not onely the one parte should be admitted to speake and laye for him selfe but both partes euen as at Athens they were wont to sweare the iudges that were chosen that they should geue sentence accordinge to the lawe written and that they shoulde heare both partes alyke Of the moderation and godlynesse that Alexander dyd vse agaynst the Iewes WHan Ierusalem was now builded agayne the Iewes lyued in greate peace vnder those Godlye kinges of the Perses But whan Alexander besieged the citye Tyrus he requyred ayde of thâ— Iewes which answered that they coulde do it by no honeste meane because they were subiectes to the kynges of Persia whyche also had receaued many and great benefytes of them Whan Alexander had hearde thys excusation he was wroth and whan he had wonne Tyrus he came wyth hys hoost towarde Ierusalem But Iaddus the hygh prieste puttinge on the prestly apparell and other aged men went oute of the citye to mete Alexander for to aske peace WhaÌ„ he sawe y â— hygh prest in that apparel he lept incontinently from his horsse and fallinge vpon his knees before the preste he promysed hym peace frely All hys princes maruayled that he vsed so greate lowlynesse agaynst a priest of a straung nacion and also that he had swaged the rage of hys mynd in so lytle space Parmenio which was entierly beloued of the kynge by reason of his age and wysedome demaunded of him what reuerence moued hym that he fell so lowly before the prest To the whiche he aunswered that in Macedony he sawe a lykenesse in hys slepe semblable to thys prest that stode before him and admonished hym that he should go into Asia and promysed to ayde him and that he dyd the honour to the verye same God that than had appeared vnto hym At that tyme went Alexander peaceably into the citye hearynge also reuerentlye the prestes reasonynge of the doctryne
owne brothers Alexanders wyfe Finally he was accused before Augustus for his wicked dedes who depriued hym of the dominion and in steade of a punishmeÌ„t was he bannished into Gaâ—â—le that he should leade the rest of his lyfe there in exile But that parte of Iewry was afterward gouerned by Romane gouernours first by Cyrenius afterward by Pilate Herodes surnamed Antipas y â— brother of Archelaus was made prince of Galile by his father Herode The same toke hys brother Philips lawful wife from hym he being yet aliue the which happened by this occasion Herode went to Rome by the way he lodged by chaunce with his brother Philip who dwelled in y â— fore part of Iewry As Herodes and Herodias had now made acquaintaunce which Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and sister to Herodes Agrippa they were agreed that he coÌ„ming froÌ„ Rome should leade her with him the which was done afterward Ihon Baptist rebuketh this wicked dede who was therfore beheaded Howbeit Herodes went not vnpunyshed at the last for it For by Caius Caligula was he sent in exile at Leonia in Galile with Herodias the whiche constrained hym to go to Rome require a kyngdome but commyng home without doyng ought he lost that part also of the kyngdom whiche he possessed before He reigned foure and twenty yeare in Galile Herodes Agrippa was the sonne of Aristobulus of whom we haue mencioned before for he was the sonne of the first Herode was slayn by his father But Herode Agrippa was prisoner at Rome in the tyme of Tiberius afterward was he in high fauour by Caius Caligula the emperour For he optayned by request of hym fyrst the parte of Philippe his brother and the name of a kyng afterwardâ— that lande also whiche Herodes Antipas had He optayned of Claudius Samaria and Iewry and by this occasion was whole Iewry subiecte agaynâ— to one mans dominion The Apostle Iames thâ— greater was put to death by this Herode the whiche is meÌ„cioned in the twelfe chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen yeares Agrippa the sonne of Herodes Agrippa was yet very yonge whan the father dyed for the whiche cause the Romanes Pretores or debites gouerned Iewry now agayne But Claudius gaue Agrippa afterward that part of Syria whiche is called the kyngdome of Chalcis he gaue hym that part also which Philip had possessed by Iewry Nero the emperour gaue hym also some cities of Iewry In the tyme of this Agrippa was IerusaleÌ„ destroyed and of him is mencion made in the xxi chapter of the Actes He reigned seuen and twenty yeares Philo the history Ographer sayeth that this Agrippa had a sonne whiche reigned with Ben Cosban who vsurped a kynges dominion vpon the Iewes and raysed great vproure in Syria and Iewry in Hadrian the emperours tyme. This is all Herodes kynred vntil the ouer throwyng of Ierusalem the whiche we haue brefely gathered therfore that it maye clerely bee knowen in what order they haue succeded in the kyngdoÌ„ And to know this is very necessary in the Bible Sence the tyme of the first Herode vntyll the destruction of Ierusalem are an hundreth and thre yeares Of Rome IN the thyrd Monarchie haue we made mencion brefely of the decaye of the Perses the prosperitie fall also of the Grekes and also the sundry mutatioÌ„s disturâ—nces of the Iewes Now remaineth that with yke brefenesse we reherse the tymes of the moste reatest battails that the Romanes haue had sence the great Alexander For it I woulde reherse thee whole histories it would be to great a worke We haue noted aboue that hygh monarchies are sometyme ordeined to that intent that great and moste mighty princes may be tamed that ryght should be set against great tyranny For this may be sene in all monarchies whiche are encreased by none other meanes in a maner then that they haue subdued moste mighty kynges Euen so the Romanes as sone as they began to be very mighty in Italy they inuaded first the Spanyardes and Carthaginians and had moste cruell and durable warres althoug they themselues in the meane tyme were somtyme greuously vanquished Of the Carthaginian Warre SIcily was cause of the CarthaginiaÌ„ war For kyng Hieron required helpe and aide of the Romanes against them of Carthag the whiche for as muche as they occupied now a great part of Sicily a long season they raysed many commotions Wherfore the foure hundreth and foure score yeare sence the foundacion of Rome did the Romanes appointe the first setting forth against the Carthaginians and this warre lasted twenty yeares continually As for the fyrste disconfiture whiche was very myserable suffered the Romanes when Regulus was taken This Regulus truely was sent to Rome by them of Carthago to entreate with the senate for the deliuery of the prysoners for if he could obtayne it he should be set fre at libertie If not according to his promise he should returne agayn to Carthago As sone as Regulus came to Rome it was sayed that he hymselfe counsailed in the senate that they would not suffre the exchaunge of the prysoners to be done for his sake but that they woulde rather consyder hee were an old man and feble of body whiche could lyve not muche longer What nedeth many wordes The senate at the last folowed his mynde and hee went to Carthago agayne where he was tormented with sundry and new maners of tormeÌ„tes And among the rest of his tormentes is this rehersed also that his eye lyddes beyng cut of he was trauayled with continuall wakyng First is the principall loue of this man toward the commoÌ„ welth alowed namely whose profite he regarded more than the health of hym or his His trust and faithfulnesse is praysed also because he went agayn to Carthago specially seyng he knew that moste cruel punishmeÌ„tes were appointed for hym But at the last were the Carthaginians constrained to demaunde conditions of peace of the Romanes By the Ile Egusa was a very sore felde foughten and the Romanes slew thirtene thousand Cartaginians and two and thyrty thousand taken prysoners But whan the Carthaginians required peace the prysoners were frely were dismyssed without mony These thynges happened after Alexander whan Ptolomeus Euergetes ruled in Egipt Of Haniball THe fyue hundreth and .xxxvi. yeare sence the foundation of the citie of Rome began the second warre of Carthago against the Romanes The occasioÌ„ of this warre was begonne by reason of Spayne the which whan the Cartaginians had once lost Hannibal had now subdued it agayn Nether truly had y e Romanes euer any greater discomfiture then in this warre For fortune was so contrary to them that Hannibal beyng come into Italy dyd thre tymes ouerthrowe them though the most part of the Romanes was slayn in the two first battails yet was it not to be coÌ„pared to the third battail wherin were slayn about fourty thousand Romanes
candel lyghte There were also earthquakes wherewyth some cities were euen destroyed The yeare of Christ CC. xlvij PHilippus the .xxv. Emperoure raigned fyue yeares He was an Arabian and had bene longe tyme captayne of the hoost This same toke vp his sonn Philippe also to the gouernaunce of the Empyre But they were both slayne by the procurement of Decius for takynge vpon them baptyme and knowledgyng of the name of Christ For thus raged the Emperours amongest themselues wyth manslaughter by the sufferaunce of God whyche thyng ought duely cause vs to drede and feare God The yeare of the worlde â–ª foure thousande one hundreth and two and nynety The yeare of Christe two hundreth and eighte and fourty In the tyme of theyr gouernaunce was it a thousanth yeare sence Rome was buylded whych was feasted and celebrate wyth a moost renoumed pompe of playes that wer had once man hundreth yeares called Ludiseculares Fabianus the ninetenth byshop of Rome succeded Antherus It is sayde that he baptysed Philippus the Emperoure and that Philippus was the fyrst Emperoure that acknowledged the Christen fayth The yeare of Christ CC. L. iij. DEcius the .xxvi. Emperoure raygned two yeares He was no lesse a wyse prince than a doughty warriour He sett vp hys sonne also in the empyre wyth him They were both slayne of the Gotthies after that they had inuaded Thracia and after that wended them towarde Hungary And though the Romanes had to do wyth the Gotthies before also yet wyll I begynne the Gotthian history here For at that tyme they had an army of thre hundreth thousande and they dyd a renoumed acte in vanquy shynge Decius so valiaunt a prince But God woulde at the laste be reuenged of that tyrannye wherein he commaunded by an open commaundemente to putt all them to death that worshipped Christ He putt to death Fabianus the byshop of Rome and Cyprian in Aphrica and many other holy men As for the Gotthies and other straunge nacions breakynge into the Romishe dominion pulled awaye by violence thesame because of sheddynge of Christen mennes bloude And this same had Sybilla prophecyed for to come Besyde that is it clerely expressed in the Apocalypse Cornelius the .xx. byshop of Rome succeded Fabianus who condempned the heresye of Nouatius concernynge the peruerse doctryne of penaunce For he taughte that they whyche had receaued baptysme and fell agayne into synne â–ª coulde not come agayne to saluacyon and wyth thys erroure broughte he manye to desperacyon and spoyled the concorde of the churche or congregatyon The yeare of Christ CC. lv VIbius Gallus the .xxvij. Emperoure raygned two yeare wyth hys sonne Volusianus For whan Decius was slayne Gallus was saluted Emperoure of the hooste Afterwarde were they both slayne of the souldyours Lucius the .xxi. byshop of Rome succeded after Cornelius The yeare of Christ CC. lvâ—â— VAlerianus the .xxviii. Emperoure raygned syxe yeares He was chosen Emperoure of the hoost in hygh Germany and the Senate confirmed the same For he was borne of a moste noble kynred at Rome and had behaued hymselfe valiauntly in Germany At the laste was he taken of kynge Sapores by the Perses and lyued in moost vyle seruyce For the barbarus king was so haut and presumptuous that whan he had taken the Emperoure he vsed hym for a chayre and whan he wolde ride he trode vpon the backe of Valerianus lyenge on hande and fete and so stept on hys horse backe But Sapores was lykewyse punyshed by Odenaâ—us the Romane captayne GAlienus sonne to Valerianus the xxix Emperour gouerned y e Empyre with his father â–ª after that the father was taken he raigned nyne yeares He was learned in good sciences but lyuynge in greate excesse and dronkennesse he gouerned but slowly the empyre wherefore it mynyshed in many contryes In the meane season was Posthumus made captayne of the hooste in Germany whofor the singular endeuour to accomplysh his duety â–ª was made Emperour of the hoost But whan Galyenus had sent hys army agaynst Posthumus he appoynted amonge the rest the Frankes to be in the hooste And by thys occasyon were the Frankes fyrst steared to warre the which afterwarde also whan Posthumus was slayne by sayenge of wayte and treason remayned stylle in harnesse the whyche we wyll also treate of here after whan we shall treate of Carolus magnus But we wolde lyghtely shew thys lest the reader shulde be ignorant what was the occasyon why the Frankes dyd fyrst set them selues agaynst the Romanes and by the same meanes became they myghty in Germany and Fraunce Of thys maner than beganne the Gotthyes fyrste to destroye the Romane domynyon afterwarde the Frankes and so forth other nacyons so that I passe ouer in the meane season that great slaughter that the Perses in the East haue done The yeare of Christe CC. lxxij Flauius Claudius the xxx Emperoure raigned two yeares Thyssame deserued mooste greatest prayses For hys notable and very princely vertues Wherfore was the empire offred vnto hym both by Galyenus before hys death â–ª after that of the hooste and senate wyth one consente of them all Agaynst the Gotthyes foughte he in Hungary and Macedonya aboue mans thynkyng and euer had the victorye He ouercame also the Germanes that were fallen into Italy He restored Egypt to the Empyre But Claudius desteny suffred hym to lyue no longer happely because the Romanes were not whorthy of suche a prince For it behoued the empyre of Rome now to begynn to decay the which was somwhat repared restored by Claudius and thre or foure of hys successors Constantinus the great was of thys Claudius kynred which we shall shewe hereafter Valerianus a debite put Lucius the byshop of Rome to death by martyrdome whome succeded in the byshoprycke Stephanus the fyrste of that name the xxij byshop Xystus the seconde of that name the .xxiij. byshop of Rome succeded Stephanus Dyonysyus the xxiiij byshope of Ro. succeded Xystus The yeare of Christ CC. lxâ—iiij AVrâ—lianus the xxxi Emperoure raygned fyue yeare and â—yxemone thes He was taken vp to the gouernaunce of the empyre by Claudius for hys excellent prowises and feates of chyualry He ouercame the Frankes in a sore battayll not farre from Mentz afterwarde the Gotthyes also in Illyrycus Besyde thys ouercame he in the East the quenezenobya the which did great actes aboue womanly nature and had great warre with the Romanes He is worthy no small prayse also because that in the hoost and amonge the souldyours he wolde alwaye haue strayhgtly kepte and maynteyned modesty and discipline of warre For it befel vpon a tyme that a souldiour forced hys hostesse and had to do with her of which thing whan Aurelianus had knowledge he wolde haue hym punyshed wyth a moost greueous kind of punyshment He commaunded two trees to be bowed doâ—â—e to the earth and to binde the myâ—doer to the
boughes of ether of the trees and than lettynge the trees louse dressynge themselues agayne shulde wyth a greate violence teare the yonge man in peces Thys Aurelianus was also a greate persecutor of the Christians Of the Manicheis the heretykes STrayghte waye after the Gospell was preached rose sectes and dissensyous among Christen men But I am not minded to rehearse y â— erronious opinions of euery one in this treatise I wyll only recyte the moost greatest which haue infect and troubled many and greate cityes and contryes wyth theyr venâ—m that the reader maye knowe nothynge to be more venimous in this commune lyfe of man than false doctrine and that all heretikes are desyrous of vproure nether couet ought els but that they maye defende and spreade abrode theyr erroure by vprour and commune ryot For Sathan their chefe doer is both a lyar and manslayer Ether of theÌ„ truely is euident in all scismatickes which both teache false and are wonte to rayse manslaughter through sedysyon and perâ—urbatyon of commune welthes In the tyme of Aurelyanus beganne fyrst the Manycheis and one Manes borne in Persya was begynner of them Thyssame spred hys venim abrod largely fyrst by y â— Arabians afterward in Africa the which went so spedely on that it coulde not be swaged the space of two hundreth yeares afterwarde â–ª The chefe of theyr doctryne was that ther were two goddes â–ª the one good the other euel and both lyke euerlastynge This doctrine semed vnto mans reason alowable For seynge God is good by nature and that in the meane season the euell hath such power it is necessary there be also a peculiar God â–ª which is author and doer of euels equall to the other God wyth power and euerlastyngnesse Besyde these had they other opinions that they taught namely that Christe was no true God nether receaued they the bokes of the Apostles but fayned there seuerall doctrines the which they called Christes Gospel also they boasted also of seuerall illuminations of heauen and sayde they gaue the holy ghost They ordeyned sundrye ceremonies they vsed also choyse of meates they forbadde wedlocke â–ª sayenge that thereby is optayned the holy ghost They taught also to reiect ciuil power For matrimony and gouernaunce of communwelth they sayde to haue theyr ofspringe from the euell God and not to be ordeined of the good God Thomas Monetarius or mynter at Thuringen was playnly falleÌ„ into the same heresy in our daies The yeare of Christ CC. lxxx TAcitus y â— .xxxij. Emperour raigned vi monethes Probus y â— .xxxiii. Emperour ruled syxe yeares and foure monethes Thissame is rekened among the most worthiest princes he was chosen by the souldiours and confirmed by the Senate He was the cause that peace was made both in the lower and hygher Germany He ouercame y â— Frankes them of Thuringen â–ª in the histories of thys Emperour is the fyrst mencion made of the nacioâ— of Thuringen Felix the .xxv. bysh of Rome succeded Dionisâ—us Eutichianus the .xxvi. succeded Felix Caius the .xxvij. succeded Eutichianus in the byshopryke The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxvii LArus the .xxxiiij. Emperoure raygned two yeare He made hys sonnes Carinus and Numerianus emperours wyth hym Numerianus was excellent in honestye and learninge But Carinus was equall wyth Nero for his wickednesse The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxviij DIocletianus the .xxxv. Emperoure raygned twenty yeare He was a prince of rype wysedome and garnished wyth manye noble dedes He restored Egypt to the Empyre But he was a very fearce enemy to Christes religion For be endeuoured to restore the olde state of the empyre and olde fashyon of the commune welth And for as muche as he dyd all thynges by the iudgement of reason he woulde not suffre the opinions of religion that were disagreynge And whan he perceaued that in so greate trouble of warres he coulde not entertayne alone the largenesse of so great an empyre besydes that that it had oft fortuned other to couet the empyre by vproure and to ben made Emperours he willingly willed Maximianus to raygne wyth hym and to be of lyke power and the same warred in Gallia As for these two were a lyke called Augusti in the empire These two Augusti chose other two â–ª which were not egall of power but were as successors nether were they called Augusti but Cesares Diocletianus chose Galerius Maximianus chose Constantius But ether of them both Diocletianus and Maximianus were called Augustus Afterwarde layenge aparte the gouernaunce of the empyre they returned both to the quietnesse of a pryuate lyfe But Maximianus woulde fayne haue returned to the gouernaunce that by thesame occasion he myght haue promoted hys sonne Maxentius to the gouernaunce and for that cause dyd Constancius hys brother in lawe cause hym to be slayn Communely doth it so befal that whan great empyres shall decaye all shalbe fyrste fylled wyth vproures and inwarde debates the whyche thys example doth wytnesse Diocletianus lyued manye yeares priuate or withoute rule at the last dyd he slaye hym selfe whan he was afearde for Licinius and Constantinus whyche suspected hym that he woulde take Maxentius theyr enemyes parte The yeare of Christ CCC viij COnstantius the .xxxvi. Emperoure wyth Galerius Maximinus and was ether of them Emperoure wyth greate prayse After Diocletianus death raygned Constantius foure yeares The contryes of Fraunce and Germany were subiect to hym and he set them at quiet He ouercame the Frankes and Almaynes For of thys wise is Germany diuided The Frankes toke that part of Germany to them which is about y e Rene They that be called Alemanni are y e hygher Germanes Constantius dyed in England in whose stead was ordeined for to rule the empyre Constantinus hys sonne The yeare of Christ .iij. C. xij COnstantinus the .xxxvij. Emperoure raigned thyrty yeares He restored the empyre to his former rest and tranquillitye For whan Maxentius had cruelly vsed tyranny at Rome beynge ouercome by Constantinus he was in a flyghte drouned in the ryuer Tybur and receaued worthy punishment for hys tyranny the whyche he vsed both agaynst other men and speciallye agaynst Christen men And so dyd Constantinus and Licinius gouerne the empyre together certayne yeres wyth greate concorde and Constantinus wedded hys syster to Licinius But we see somtyme to befall in a great empyre such causes wherin two doo seldom agree It is saide that the cause of the disagremente betwene Constantinus and Licinius shoulde thence haue spronge that Licinius shoulde haue ben enemy to the Christians and to haue oft required Constantinus to enterprise such thynges nomore Finallye Constantinus beynge compelled wyth great necessitye ouercame Licinius howbeit left him alyue vpon this condicion that he layenge awaye the rule of the empyre should lyue pryuately Wherfore Constantinus gouerned the empyre afterwarde alone and broughte all thynges into peace and honeste lawes The emperour was the
fyrst that openly knowledged the name of Christe Nether is it to be doubted but that he was a true godly prynce for he had the holy Gospell in such reuerence that to the open wytnesse of hys fayeth he caused the boke of y e Gospel to be boren alway openly before hym He commaunded also bokes of the Bible to be written at his owne coste and caused them to be sent into all contryes here and ther. He brought to passe that the holy and profytable councell of Nicene was gathered that so in hys tyme he might set the state of the churche in a quietnesse These finally are actes worthye for a good prince which deserue a farre greater prayse than that it is sayde he haue geuen to the bishop of Rome many gyftes Although the good Emperoure is worthy to be praysed for that that he gaue almesses benefyces to mainteyn Euangelycall doctryne and ministers of the churche But that Constantinus should haue be so liberall toward the byshop of Rome that he shoulde haue geuen hym for his vse the citye of Rome and the halfe part of the empyre as some do fable no historyes that be alowed do wytnesse the same The city Constantinopolis was builded by this Emperour and hath the name of him whan before the citye of marchaundise that was in that place was called Bâ—zantium The see of the empyre was afterward brought to Constantinople as the histories folowinge do testifye Moreouer seing it is â–ª no doubt that this prince is one and that of the chefest of those princes which God hath garnished wyth great vertues we shall worthely recyte the ofspringe of hys kynrede that it maye be knowen those most great and noble vertues to be syngularly geuen of God to greate and noble families or houses Claudius the Emperour of most commendable name had two brethren Quintilius and Crispus Claudia the doughter of Crispus was wedded to the noble prince Eutropius And these are the ofspringe of Constantinus kynred Eutropius a chefe gouernour at Rome Claudia the brothers doughter of Claudius Constantius the Emperour had Helena her sonne was Constantinus y e greate hys wyfe was Fausta the doughter of Maximianus whose chylderen were Constantius Constantinus and Constans Theodora the stepedoughter of Maximianus her sonne was Constantinus thesame had sonnes Gallus and Iulianus Of Arrius the heretyke ARrius lyued in the tyme of Constantinus He was an open reader in the scole of Alexandria in Egypte The churches concorde was miserably spoiled wyth hys error and heresy For he taught y t Christ was not truely and naturallye God But what practyse and vicious pleasauntnesse of persuasyons he dyd vse to confyrme this error it were to longe to rehearse Howbâ—it it pleased the world so wel that great learned bishops and neare hande the whole churche of the Easte wyth manye also in the Weste dyd embrace hym Neuerthelesse in the meane season wythstode heauely this heresy two bishops of notable godlynesse The fyrst was Alexander who optayned of Constantinus to gather the councell of Nicene wherein was condemned the heresye of Arrius Wherfore was Arrius forsaken and bannished out of the dominion But whan Constantinus was deade a certayne preste was in fauoure wyth Constantius whom also he committed al his counsels the same broughte to passe wyth his persuasyon by the Emperoure that Arrius beyng called agayne was sett in hys former office The fyre that was metely well quenched afore began nowe agayne to burne more fearcely insomuche that the Emperoure Constancius beganne also to embrace thys erroure of Arrius Whan at the last a daye was appointed by Constantius wherein Alexander and Arrius shoulde openly reason of the scrypture concerninge this learninge Alexander spent the whole nyghte in prayenge in the temple prayenge God that the secte of Arrius should crepe no farther Wherfore in the morninge before the appoynted houre of the disputation whan Arrius went to the place he beganne as he went to haue payne in the bellye and went to a preuye to do hys easement where he aboue all mens estimacion dyed incontinent Howbeit whan Arrius was of this wyse deade yet ceased not the sede of his poysoned doctrine to be sowed larger abroade because that they that were conspyred together of this secte beganne to sprede it more vehemently At the laste whan Alexander was deade also Athanasius hys successor disputed hymselfe agaynste the Arryans but the same beynge banyshede by Constantius he fled from Egypt vntyl the citye Tryere in Germany And though thys was a very farre flyghte yet was the bannyshed man fayne to hyde hymselfe secretly at Tryere vntyll the eyght yeare In the meane season was that heresy fearcely growen thorough out in the East churche euen so muche that for a season a greate part of Christen men did leane to the Arrian secte and out of thys secte sprange by lytle and lytle other sectes many Fynally whan the name of Arryans was by the decrees of many councels quenched yet was it now and than renewed againe in the churche vnder other names In one citye were sundery opinions and diuerse sectes persecuted eche other insomuche that the one running vpon the other in theyr temples made ryots and committed man slaughter At that tyme was the state of the church very wretched and pyteous the which worthely gaue an occasioÌ„ of slaunder not only to the Gentyls why they dyd not embrace the word of God but dyd offende other also that they went from the Christianity to the Idolatry of the Heythen among the which was also Iulianus the Emperoure In the tyme of this so myscheuous heresy came vp finally Mahomet to whoÌ„ by Arrius was as it were a window handsomly opened was the forerunner of this most cruel Antichrist For whan the myndes of men went astray in so great dissension of opinions came Mahomet inuented very wysely the thirde way wherwith he should heale the variete diuersyty of errours For he toke awaye all disputacions whiche thinge men dyd alowe But hereof shall we speake afterwarde And let thys suffise to be rehearsed of the Arryans erroure and other lyke heresyes of the whiche we haue here made mencyon therfore that it may be sene how greate dammages manslaughters seditions ryotous heresyes do brynge both to the commune welth and to the churche Marcellynus the .xxviij. byshop of Rome succeded Cains Marcellus the xxix succeded Marcellinus Eusebius the xxx bysh succeded Marcellus Melciades the .xxxi. succeded Eusebius Syluester the xxxij succeded Melciades Marcus the xxxiiâ— was bysh after Syluester Not long before Constantinus death was a very greate comete sene certayne monethes whiche signifyed the greate warre and commotion that folowed after Constantinus death The yeare of Christe CCC xliâ— COnstantynus the .xxxviij. Emperoure raygned xxiiij yeares But the father had so ordeyned the empyre that the thre bretheren shulde raigne together Constantinus in Fraunce Spayne and Germany Constantius
in the Easte Constans in Italy and Illyrieus But the yonger brother Constantinus was not content wyth the dominion of his empyre but woulde raygne alone and wente into Italy agaynste his brother Constans trustynge to his puyssaunce because he had valyaunt souldyours But God suffred not thys rashnesse longe vnpunished for thys Constantinus was slayne not longe after And by this occasion optained Constans y â— whole empyre of the West the which he gouerned luckely Moreouer had he a captayne called Magnentius at Ausburch whose life he had once saued The same slewe his most gentle mayster and made hym selfe Emperoure and made a settyng forth of war vpon Constantius Constantius made hys nepheu Gallus Emperoure of the Easte and went wyth an army agaynst the seditious captayne and ouercame hym The manslaughter in thys stryfe was so great that as it is redde y â— power of the empyre was so abated that many yeares after they coulde not come to theyr former strength because the best and chosen part of the people was so slayne that the empire could not a great while resist and withstand the Barbarians After that this manslaughter was done the mooste myscheuous man Magnentius slew himselfe and so punished God the death of Constans the good prince Iulius the fyrst of that name the .xxxiiii. bysh of Rome came after Marcus But whan this Iulius was deade was Lyberyus the .xxxv. made byshop who because he wythstode the heresye of Arryus was dryuen awaye by Constantius and Felix was ordeyned in hys steade who for feare of the Emperoure dyssembled the erroure of the Arryans At that tyme was Conuocatyons hadde at Mylane and Arimium playn contrary to the decrees of the councel of Nicene but theyr mindes were nothing set by These examples wytnesse y â— the state of the church was piteous and miserable at that tyme. The yeare of Christ CCC lxv IVlianus the Apostata or forsaker of his profession the .xxxix. Emperoure raygned two yeares He was the nephew of Constantius brother to Gallus the which we haue spoken of before He was of so greate learnyng that beynge yong he taught holy scripture openly in the church of Nicomedia afterwarde goynge to Athenes he learned philosophy But whan hys brother Gallus was slayn Constantius sent hym into Fraunce and Germany and not farre from Strasburch he vanquyshed thyrty thousande Almanes for whych cause he was sodenly by the fauoure of the souldyours made Emperoure at Strasburch Moreouer whan greate dyssensyons were amonge the Christyans by reason of the varyetye of opinyons for the whyche some dispayred some dyd wholy decyuer from the Christen fayth to the worshyppinge of Idols Iulianus became an apostata also for he was yet yonge and vsed the company of Rhetoricyans and Phylosophers whiche disputed of God after the vnderstandynge or meanynge of mans reason Yet dyd he not persecute Christen men by open force but he thought rather to destroye them by suttelltye For openly he forbadde them to haue scoles that they myght not be taughte thynkynge as it is in dede that whan teachyuge were auoyded the doctrine of relygyon shulde easely go to nought He forbadde also that Christen men shulde haue no authoritye to vse warrefaringe wyth the Romanes that by no occasyon they might come to the gouernaunce of the commune welth He toke the goodes of the churches with laughter sayenge he dyd Christen men a pleasure namely that they beynge become poore might thesooner come to heuen seynge the Gospell promyseth heauen to the poore He dyd assault the Christian fayeth fearcely euen with wrytinges also Agaynst those hath Cyrillus the bishop of Alexandria written whose boke is yet founde among the remembraunces or monimentes of Ihon Reuchlin in the toune Pforsa in Germanye not vnprofytable veryly to be redde Gregorius Nazanzenus hath answered him also but very easely for he was not effectual ynough to put of those reproches which Iulianus vsed in confutinge the Gospell For he intreated moost chefest vpon that seyng the Gospel teacheth that man ought not to reuenge that thereby is taken awaye and forbodden ciuill vengeaunce in iudgementes and gouernaunce of commune welthes wythoute the which mans estates can by no meanes endure And this same false accusation doth he treate wyth many wordes where as yet euerye Godlye studyant of true godlynesse doeth knowe that the same vengeaunce whiche euery office vseth is not forbydden in the Gospell but only the forâ—yng of pryuate vengeaunce which is done withoute officers authoritye These suttyll forged and slaunderous reproches of Iulianus were very greueous to Christen men insomuche that they prayed openly against so pernisius hostilitie of the Gospell And therfore whan he was gone into Persya he was slayne in a wyldernesse It is wrytten that whan he was wounded and laye vpon the ground dyenge he shulde haue taken hys hande fulle of bloude and castynge towarde heauen to haue sayde Thou Galylean hast vanquyshed at the laste â–ª Meanynge Christe whome he called a Galylean Therfore it is come by Iulyanus vngodlynesse that the Empyre is remoued and translated from the mooste noble stocke of Constantynus The yeare of Christe CCC lxvii IOuinyanus the â–ª xl Emperoure raygned seuen monethes It was a noble prince of godlynesse He called agayne the bishops that were bannyshed by Constantyâ—us and Iulyanus he commaunded also the tythes to be payed to the churches He was taken wythan ague gotten by ouermuche weerynesse of trauaylle whereof he dyed The yeare of Christe CCC lxviii VAlentynianus the .xli. Emperoure raygned twelue yeares He ordeyned hys brother Valens a companion in the empyre Valens ruled in the Easte Valentinyanus went into the Weste Ether of them was a Christian Valentinyanus had ben a captayne of the louldyours vnder Iulianus but he forsoke him because he wolde not forsake y e integrity or soundnesse of Christen religion beside also because he had geuen a Heithen prest a blowe by whom he was biddeÌ„ to do sacrificy with reachynge hym water of Idolatrye whan he taryed for the commynge of Iulyanus But God recompensed hym afterwarde wyth the honoure where he came to for the iniurye that Iulyanus dyd hym He had greate warres in Germany he subdued the Saxons and Burgunnyons For they also are counted amonge the Saxons whiche aboute that tyme went by the floude Rheâ—e And though they were vanquyshed by Valentinian yet afterwarde recouerynge strenghte they passed the Rhene and toke in these contryes whych yet hetherto are called Burgundy But of these shall we speake hereafter VAlens raygned after his brothers death two yeare He was a defender of Arriaâ—s heresy But for thys vngodlynesse was he punished whan he was â—layne by the Gotthyes by Constantinople For whan Valens beinge put to flyghte gat hym into a lytle towne the Gotthyes set it on fyre and burnt hym Whan Valens was deade the Gotthyes dyd muche harme to them of Constantynople but the
quene Valens wedowe geuynge them large mony refrayned them from the destructyon of it Whan Liberius was dead Damasus was made the xxxix byshoppe of Rome By this man was S. Hierome in his youth lyke a notarye After Damasus was Siricius bysh the xl The yeare of Christe CCC lxxxiii GRatyanus the xlii Emperoure raygned after the deathe of Valens syxe yeares This same was the eldest sonne of Valentynianus and taken in the felowshype of the empyre by hys fathers lyfe But whan the father was deade he toke for hys companyon into the empyre hys yonger brother Valentinianus But seynge the empyre was here and there troubled by reason of many vproures nether couldbe gouerned without some sage and fortunable prince he chose Theodosyus for a companion in the empyre and sente hym into the Easte where he ouercame the Gotthyes by Constantynople and droue them out of Thracya Gratyanus was slayne by intrappe in Fraunce of hys gouernoure Maximus who made hymselfe Emperour by tyranny Gratyanus was a prince excellente both in honestye and learnynge and a true maynteyner of Christen relygyon he sent the knowledge of his fayth in wrytyng to S. Ambrose Valentinianus hys brother was also slayne by a trayne of hys gouernoure Arbogastes but Theodosyus gatheryng a greate army ouerthrew both Maximus and Arbogastes Maximus beynge taken was put to execucyon Arbogastes slew hymselfe Wherfore Theodosius had the Empyre alone The yeare of Christe CCC lxxxviij THeodosyus the xliij Emperour raygned after that Gratianus was slayn by Maximus xi yeares He was a spanyarde and set all the Empyre in quyet from Germany vntil Egipt He was fyrst in Germany but beynge called into Thracya by Gracyanus afterwarde was Styllico sent in to Germany by Theodosyus who compelled the Frankes and Saxons to kepe peace Besides this restored he peace also to the church He gathered commune conuencyous and willed the doctrine of relygyon to be publyshed in all contryes S. Ambrose bewayled his death amonge other wordes he sayeth I loued the man whan he dyed for he was more combred for the state of the churches than for hys owne daungers To be combred so greatly wyth cares for the relygyon that be verily true vertues worthy for goode princes Anastasius the fyrst of that name the .xli. bysh of Rome succeded Syricâ—us Innocentius the fyrst of that name the xlii bysh of Rome succeded Anastasius Of Pelagius the heretike IN the tyme of thys byshop of Rome one Pelagius liued in Britanne The same taughte that we are not iustyfyed and saued by the mercy of God for Christes sake wythout our deseruynge but by oure owne workes and naturall vertues is true and sounde ryghteousnesse purchased by God and remyssyon ofsynnes optayned not by the fayth of Christe but by oure workes and procuracyons Agaynste thys man hath S. Augustine wrytten moost substancially and hath bickered fearcely wyth this sentence and hath defended it agaynst hym that we are saued by fayth wythout oure deseruynge and that we optayne remyssyon ofsynnes by the mercy of God only yf we do truste to it For yf remyssyon or forgeuenesse of synnes came by oure workes the conscience should neuer be in quâ—er and assured but should alwaye be in doubte For mans endeuoure is to weake than that God beynge displeased can be apeased therewyth and the drede of death taken awaye Neuerthelesse God requyreth of vs obedience and good worckes and that the conscyences be sure we doo please God that he wyll heare them that call vpon hym and saue vs. Howbeit that thys doth not stande in the worthynesse of oure worckes but in the promyse and mercy of God Thys mynde of S. Augustyne whan it is knowen doth brynge greate comfort to the consciences of the godlye and teacheth what the true fayth is and that God in the meane season requireth good workes of vs. The same veryly doth he requyre of vs but by fayeth onely wyll he haue vs to receaue the forgeuenesse ofsynne without regarde of oure deseruynges The doctryne of Pelagius is condempned in some councels of our tyme. The spoylyng of the fourth Monarchy The yeare of Christ CCC xâ—viij ARcadius the sonne of Theodosius raigned thyrtene yeare in the East at Constantinople Honorius hys brother raygned in the Weste wyth lyke authoritie nyne and twenty yeares â–ª both whyle hys brother was alyue and whan he was deade for whan Arcadius was deade Honorius was yet alyue Of the Gotthies The yeare of Christe CCCC v. The yeare of Rome M. C. lvii The yeare of the worlde MMMM CCC xlix ABout thys tyme came the Gotthy fyrste into Italy wyth a greate and dredeful army But for asmuche as euerye where is made muche mencyon of the Gotthyes â–ª we shall here summarely draw the histories of theyr of spryng and actes The Gotthi Vandali Rugiani and Hunni be not estimed to be one people but the Gotthi are Dutchmen out of the Ile Godtlande which dwelt in a parte of Lislande and Littowe For ether of these contryes lyeth ouer against Godtland by the seasyde And therefore doth Procopius call them aryght Cimmeâ—ij and Gethe These than in the time of the Romanes were gone into Thracia and Hungary and the Romysh Emperours assayed to dryue them out agayne but all was in vayne In the rehearsall of Decius haue we touched the begynnyng of their history For the fyrst great battail of the Romanes agaynst them was vnder Decius wherein also Decius was slayne But afterwarde though the Romane Emperours made the Gotthies haue much ado yet remayned they in Thracia and Hungary and in Asia about Constantynople they toke in certayn contryes It is sayde that yet now adayes dwell Gotthy in the half Ile Taurica which speake Dutche and call themselus Gotthi Howbeit they lefte Hungarye and also Thracia so at the laste that of theyr free wyll they went fyrst into Italy and afterward into Spayn Afterwarde were the rest of the Gotthies destroyed by the Vandalyes and Hunmes commyng out of Scythya The Hunny made theyr dwellinge place in Hungary But the contryes that lye partly vnder partly aboute Hungary haue the Vandaly taken in But in the tyme of Arcadius and Honorius are the Gotthy come into Italy The mooste noble Emperoure Theodosius ordeined to his sonnes two capitaines Rufinus and Stillico and wylled them to care for the Emperours yong sonnes but the one was disloyal to hys lorde Rufinus was of Gallia the same enticed the Gotthies against Arcadius and hoped to optayne the kyngdome by that meane but he was frustrated of his purpose for he was slaine by Stillico As for Stillico was a Vandale and whan some of the Gotthi were come agaynst Arcadius Stillico broughte to passe that the Gotthi which Theodosius hadde taken in wages were letten go Beside that did Stillico sett the Vandalies against the Gotthies and so whan the Gotthies were fyrste angered thorough Rufinus and than
derth not onely at Rome but also in al Italy But as the Gotthies fled and strayed here and there without order by reason of the great derth Bellisarius folowed vpon them and ouerthrue theÌ„ and enclosyng in Wittichus by an intrap toke him But in y â— meane seasoÌ„ could not the Gotthies be vtterly weded out but Iustinianus making peace w t them graunted them to dwell in the contreis from the Alpes vntyll the ryuer Padus nether shoulde passe these bondes He called Bellisarius back agayne for he feared lest he being made Emperour he should take to hym the empyre of Italy though Bellisarius trustyd in his affayres went not about suche thynges Wherfore beyng returned to Constantinople he brought Wittichus and other of the greatest nobilitie prysoners with hym in a greate triumphe Totilas was made king of the Gotthies after the depar THus was Rome foure tymes taken of the Gotthies and Vandalies within an hundreth and nyne and thyrty yeres First by Alaricus vnder the Emperour Honorius The yere of Christ CCCC xij After that by Genserichus the Vandal in the tyme of Martianus The yeare of Christe CCCC lvi THyrdly by Totilas kyng of the Gotthies and this oppression of the citie was the moste heuiest of all For she was both taken and burnt the .xxi. yeare of Iustinianus the yeare after the buyldyng of her a thousand and thre hundreth The yeare of Christ CCCCC xlviij Fourthly the third yeare after this destruction The yeare of Christe CCCCC li. After this spoylyng beganne Totilas to restore agayne the citie of Rome and suffered the cytesens to returne agayne into her But what fauoure he shewed and how gently he behaued hymselfe wytnesse the wordes that are written concernyng hys frendlynesse that he bare suche an affection toward his subiects and specially the Romanes as becommeth a father to haue toward his chyldren and it is sayde that Totilas learned by saynt Benets doctrine and admonition to beare rule of that sorte Afterwarde sent Iustinianus a prince of syngulare wysdom called Narses into Italy against Totilas The same called the Lombardes to ayde him The same were Saxons whiche with appoynted armies had brought themselues to the coastes of Austria the same brought Narses into Italy and by their ayde ouercame he Totilas and after ward Teia whiche was the last kyng of the Gotthies in Italy And this is the ende of the Gotthies kyngdome by the Italians whiche had last sence Dietrichus of Berna vntyll Teia thre score yeares That Dietrichus Totila and Teia were both very wyse and doughty princes testifye their dedes and noble actes insomuche that if ye wyl esteme them by their vertues they ought not to be called Barbarians When the Gotthies were ouercome the power and rychesse of the Lombardes beganne to growe and gatte one of the kyngdomes of Italy howbeit they possessed not whole Italy but onely that part of Italy that yet is called Lombardy The kyngdome of Lombardy lasted vntyll the tyme of Carolus magnus Though the Gotthies were dryuen out of Italy yet were they myghty in Spayne and ruled there vntyll this oure tyme. And of this wyse was at the last Spayne and part of Fraunce translated from the empyre of Rome vnder Homorius As for Italy was restored to his tranquilitie while Honorius lyued yet For the Gotthies drue partly into Lombardy partly into Spayne besyde this were the Frankes myghty in Fraunce After Innocentius was Sosimus made the xliiij byshop of Rome Bonifacius the first of that name and xlv byshop of Rome succeded Sosimus After Bonifacius death was Celestinus the first of the name made byshop of Rome The yere of Christe CCCC xxvij THeodosius the yonger the sonne of Arcadius the .xlv. Emperoure reigned at Constantinople seuen and twenty yeares after the death of Honorius He made Valentinian the sonne of Constantius and Placidia whiche was the daughter of Theodosius fellow in the Easte empyre Of the Vandalies IN the tyme of this Theodosius the yere of Christ CCCC xxxiij came the VaÌ„dali into Aphrica by this occasion Thos two capitaines of the Romanes hated eche other and fought other whiles with playn fielddes Wherfore the one called bonifatiâ—s entyced busely the Vandalies that were in Spayne at that tyme to come into Aphrica which thyng they did gladly For the Gotthi beyng myghty in Spayne coulde not suffre the VaÌ„dalies For as we shewed before the Vandalies moued by Stillico against the Gotthies toke in the contreis that be about Hungary namely Walachia Illyricus where the Gotthies dwelt afore Besyde that were they also in Germany from whence as they went into FrauÌ„ce they did much hurte howbeit they were driuen out of FrauÌ„ce by the Frankes and Gotthies Afterward beyng come into Spayne they vere constrayned to fyght agayne with the Gotthies but in Aphrica beganne the power of the Vandalies to growe and encrease S. Augustine also died about that time when Genserichus kyng of the Vandalies besieged the towne Hippo wherein S. Augustine was byshop When Valentintanus was dead one Maximus made hymselfe Emperoure at Rome of his owne mynde But the quene Eâ—doxia because she would haue the heires that were left to succede in the empyre sought ayde by Genserichus againste Maximus by whose helpe the citie of Rome was taken spoyled But the Vandall vsed a Vandalians faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse with the quene for he lede her with her two daughters away with hym into Aphrica prysoner For so doth it somtyme befall when we call foren ayde to defende oure goodes Howbeit afterwarde vnder Iustinianus though the Vandalies were not vtterly roted out in Aphrica yet were they brought to suche strayghtnesse that they could neuer floryshe any more For Gelimerus the kyng was taken by Bellisarius Aphrica beyng subdued obeyed the Empyre agayne But not loÌ„g after began the Saracens to haue dominioÌ„ in Aphrica Let this suffise to speke of the VaÌ„dalies Of the Boemes IT is also to be noted that about this time came fyrst of all in Germany the Vandali wherein they haue yet a great part nowe a dayes namely the kyngdom of Boeme whiche was in tymes past part of Germany which the word Boeme which is a Germane worde doth testifie sufficiently whiche was before the Vandali came into these countreis The worde hath his sygnificacion of the Bauaries or Beyers to whoÌ„ it was wont to be subiect wherfore it is properly called Boienheim Nether wyll the Vandali of Boeme be called Boemes but zeski after their capitayne by whose guyde they were fyrst brought into Boeme But these auncient Boemes the Germanes were in greate admiracion and confederacion with the Romanes and by Cornelius Tacitus the history writer they are highly praised By this occasioÌ„ also is Germany translated from the Roman empyres monarchy For in low Germany were the Frankes puyssaunt in hygh Germany Alemanni and in Boeme the Vandali But what is
great When he was nowrenowmed throughout all the worlde of all these vertues peace stablyshed y â— lawes restored the state of religioÌ„ set in order because he might auoyde the occasion of great euels he appoynted hys sonne Lewis before hys death to be an heyre and successour in the empyre afterward dyed he at Aken the two and seuentyeth yeare of his age Before his death the brydge that was layde ouer the Rene by Mentz burnt whiche was made in the space of ten yeres at Charles greate costes Thys burnynge sygnyfyed that Germany shoulde not long after be separated from Fraunce Lewis the gentle the second Emperoure of the Germanes THe yeare of Christ .viij. C. xv began Lewis the gentle to gouerne the empyre he reigned syx and twenty yeares Charles had many chyldren whiche dyed before the fathers deceasse Lewis renewed the peace that his father had made with them of Constantinople in the begynnyng of hys reigne and wylled it to be stablyshed After â—hose he hys sonne Lotharius for a party ruler in the empyre that he shoulde rule in Italy Beyng sent to Rome he was crowned Emperoure of Paschalis byshop of Rome and was called Augustus or full of maiestie Sence that tyme kept Lewis a parliament at Aken for the reformation of the state of the Churche and he brought to pasâ—e wyth greate diligence that to the ministers of the Churche shoulde bee geuen necessary relefe to maynteyne their lyues An agrement was also made betwene hym and the byshop of Rome that suche as came after them myght be sure what part is pertaynyng to the byshop and what to the empyre Thys Godly or gentle Emperoure was taken prisoner of his sonne Lotharius through the counsayll of the Byshops and some princes because he was afrayed lest by hys stepmothers inspiracion hys father would remoue the empyre from hym to hys younger brother But Lewis beyng delyuered returned to thempyres gouernaunce and caused Lotharius hys sonne by force to go into Italy but at the last was he reconciled wyth hys father agayne After Leo was Stephanus the fourth made the hundreth byshop of Rome The same demaunded the confirmacion of his byshopryke of Lewis the Emperoure Paschalis the hundreth and one byshop of Ro. succeded Stephanus Thyssame sent also for hys confirmacion to Lewis Eugenius the C. iâ— byshop succeded Pascalis Valentinus the C. iij. byshop succeded Eugenius Gregorius the .iiij. the C. iiij byshop succeded Valentinus He refused to take the byshoprycke before he were confirmed of the Emperour Lewis Lotharius the fyrst of thys name the thyrde Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ .viij. C. xli after y e death of Lewis the Godly or gentle reygned Lotharius hys sonne fyften yeares But now hath the golden worlde of this progeny an end Lotharius had many brethren Lewis Germanicuâ— and Charles the balde amonge the whiche was debate for the departynge whereof grewe no lesse greate then a dolefull warre For in Fraunce dyd the brethren mete with suche a fyghtyng that as histories recorde the power of the FraÌ„kes was so febled that afterward they could neuer wholy recouer it Lewis Germanicus Charles the balde had the ouerhand After so great manslaughter when truce was made amoÌ„g the princes they fell to an atonement Lewis had for his parte Germany Schwaben Bayerlande Boheme EasteÌ„ryche East Fraunce Thuring Saxen and all that was vntil y â— ryuer Rene. This Lewis is called the Germane kynge and greate prayses are spoken of hym The residue of the dukes of the Frankes folowyng are his successours in bloude He brought Bohemy also to receaue the Christen faith Charles the balde optained by conuenant hereditare the greatest part of FrauÌ„ce or Gallia the FreÌ„che kynges folowyng haue their ofspringe of hym Lotharius kept Italy and Prouentz that part that hetherto is called Lothring or Lorain and by this man remained the hyghnesse of the Emperiall maiestie By this occasion thefore was Gallia or Fraunce separated from Germany Lotharius toke afterwarde the gouernaunce of the empyre to his second sonne Lewis and he beyng aged went into a religion and became a monke Not few Cometes were sene this yeare before this dissencion and warre of the brethren After Gregory the .iiij. was Sergius the second made the .cv. byshop of Rome The same was the first that chaunged his name for it is sayde he was called before Swines mouth Of hym was Lewis the second the sonne of Lotharius crowned at Ro. Leo the .iiij. the .cvi. byshop succeded Sergius The same buyldded Castel Angel at Rome He was accused by Lotharius that he went about to optain the hyghnesse of the Emperiall maiestie from the Frankes to the Grekes Wherfore wheÌ„ Lotharius was come to Rome the byshop did declare hymselfe vngylty After Leo was Iohannes the .viij. The same is said to be borne at Mentz that she was a woman Benedictus the .iij. was made the .cvij. byshop of Rome after Iohannes the .viij. In his tyme were raysed greate stryfes and rumours for the election of the byshop of Rome but Lotharius swaged them Lewis the seconde the fourth Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .viij. C. lvi toke Lewis the .ij. the sonne of Lotharius the empyre he reigned twenty yeares He restrayned the Saracens coÌ„myng into Italy with a greate violence and ouercame them When he had restored peace again in Italy he died and is buried at Milane Nicolaus the fyrste the .cviij. byshop of Rome succeded Benedictus the .iij. Adrianus the .ij. chosen of the priestes and common people succeded Nicolaus Iohannes the .ix. was made the .cx. byshop after Idrianus The same by a conspiracy made wyth the kynges of Gallia or Fraunce endeuoured to transferre the maiesty of the empyre from the Germanes vpon Charles the balde afterward vpoÌ„ Lewis the stammerer his sonne but the Germanes kept the empyre par force whiche thynge we shall saye afterwarde In the meane season that the byshop goeth aboute this was he taken but beyng escaped he fled into Fraunce to Lewis the stammerer Charles the bald of Fraunce THe yeare of Christe viij C. lxxvj came Charles the balde at Rome and by the ayde of the byshop of Rome Iohannes the .ix. was made Emperoure Charles the balde was Lotharius brother sonne to Lewis the gentle whose part in deuydyng became Fraunce or Gallia Now went the byshop of Rome about to transferre the maiesty of the Empyre from the Germanes vnto the Frenchemen but that the sonnes of Lewis woulde not suffâ—e the Germanes Which thyng when Charles the balde had herde he threatened to bryng so many hoostes of enemies ouer the Rene that the horses drynkyng vp the Rene the hoost should go thorow it drye shodde O the ouerfolysh maners of the Frenchemen But they met hym at Colen with fyfty thousand where he was ouerthrowen of the two sonnes of Lewis the Germane not farre from Aâ—bâ—â—â—ach The next yeare after went
it confirmed with letters geuen there vpon The yeare M. CC. xxxviij Whan Fridericke went agayn into Italy they of Milan rose agaynst him and many other strong cityes To Milan dyd Friderick great harme for the which cause the city es makynge an aliance wyth the byshop of Ro. con spired against Friderick the Emperour whome for this cause Gregorius the Romysh byshop doth excommunicate the third time and condemneth him for an heretike stearing also the Venecians to war vpon him Friderick with opē writynges dyd complain of the iniury done to hym and in the meane tyme dyd he also humbly require absolution of the byshop of Ro. Ther were many of the Cardynals whiche alowed not the bysh of Romes counsels But whan Frederick could by no meanes optayne pardon of Gregorius necessitye compelled Frederyck to defende hymselfe he had also his faction or diuision For at that tyme was Italy diuyded in Guelphies and Gibelines the Gibelini were for the Emperoure and the Guelphi were wyth the Byshop of Ro. Ether name beynge brought vp in Germany was translated and brought ouer into Italy For the kynred of the Guelphi had continuall hatred agaynst Fredericks bloude Whereof also they were called Guelphi as alwaye hatefull enemyes of Fredericke As for the spring of Fredericks kynred was of the Weiblings whereof they are called Guiblings which the Italians chaunginge the name do call Gibelini The bysh of Ro. constrayned by great necessitie dyd proclayme the crosse and pardon agaynst Friderick the Emperoure as though he were manyfestly vngodly and destroyer of the religion Friderick toke that very euell he besyeged Rome but drue back agayne wythout takyng it and toke the citye Rauennas The yeare of Christ M. CC. xlv Innocentius the iiij holding a councel at Lyons in Fraunce deposed Friderick of the empyre vsynge therto the Frenchmens ayde and by letters he shewed the princes Electors to choyse another Emperoure But they made Emperoure Henry the Landtgraue of Thuringen The same was slayne before the citye Vlme wyth an instrument of warre Friderick buylded a new citye in Italy whiche was called Victoria Whan he wanted syluer he caused to make a coyne of lether y ◠he mighte haue where wyth to pay his men of warre but so soone as he had gotten syluer he shulde geue them good and lawful mony for the lether coyne which thing he dyd liberally But now whā he could loke for no more ayde out of Germany and that besydes thys hys sonne Encius was taken who also dyed in the preson he was sore distressed and went into Apulia were he also dyed the yeare M. CC. l. Some wryt that he was poisonned Yee surely the moost holy fathers coulde not rest without they sawe the good prince clene rydde out of the waye The kingdome of Naples left he to hys sonne heyre Cunradus As for Italy remayned alwaye after diuyded For one part helde wyth the empyre another wyth the byshop of Rome vntyl the powers of the Venecians and of them of Mylane beganne after to growe and increase Honorius the .iij. succeded Innocentius the .iij. of whome Friderick the .ii. was crouned and after warde excommunicated Gregorius y ◠.ix. was after Honorius of whome was Friderick lykewyse accursed After Gregorius was Celestinus the .iiij. bysh of Rome After Celestinus was Innocentius the .iiij. Thesame deposed Friderick from the empyre and accursed hys sonne Cunradus Cunradus the .iiij. the xxv Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. CC. l. raigned Conradus the sonne of Fridericke after hys fathers deceasse but he was excommunicated by Inocentius the .iiij. Henry the Landtgraue of Thuryngen ouercame hym by Francoforde whyle hys father Frederick was yet alyue Some wryte that thys warre was after hys fathers death by Wyllyam the Landtgraue But whan Conradus perceaued that he was destitute of the Germane princes ayde he gat him into his hereditary kyngdome Naples and there he dyed the yeare M. CC. liij The ende of the dukes of Schwaben CVnradus of whome we haue now spoken had a wyfe of the Baiers bloude of the whiche he had a sonne Conradinus who was nouryshed and brought vp in hys hereditary duchy of Schwaben and after hys fathers deceasse wolde go to Naples hys heredytary kyngdome But Clemens the bishop of Rome called Charles the Frenche kynges brother into the realme of Naples agaynst hym Conradynus for so muche as he was duke of Schwaben had a greate bende and hooste of Germanes about hym and at the begynnynge had he greate vyctoryes But at the laste were Conradinus the sonne of Conradus and Fryderyck duke of Eastenriche taken by a trayne Besydes thys were they entreated more vnsemelye than was pertaynynge and put to shame At the laste were they beheaded throughe the counsell of the Romyshe byshop O notable crueltye He must be euen as harde as a stone verely whome the examples of so great cruelty dyd not moue namelye so noble a kynge borne ofso many Emperoures to be so shamefullye put to death by Clemens the Romysh byshop without any ryghte or reason Ther are yet euen at thys houre writinges which were written at that time in the which the good prince complayneth of the iniury and rehearseth at length the whole matter orderly so that it is no doute the bishoppes of Rome haue vsed playne tiranny against Conradinus Wiliam the xxvi Germane Emperour THe yeare of Christ M. C. C. liiij was chosen Emperoure Wylyam counte of Holland It is sayde he was an honest manered prince and of notable innocency of life but he was slayn by the Friselanders the yerre 1256. Vacation of the Empyre WHan thys Wiliam was dead the empire stode with out a certayne emperoure seuentene yeares and that not wythout great destruction of the Germane nacion Thys mischaunge grewe by the cyuyl warres that were raysed in the empyre by the bysh of Ro. Now whan the debate was rysen amonge the Electors for the choyse some chose Alfonsus kyng of Spayne Emperoure because he was a very wyse man and endued with notable vertues As for thys Alfonsus is he who not only had hys pleasure in the science of Astronomye but also augmented and amēded the study thereof with many bokes wrytten Thoughe Alfonsus was admonyshed by the byshop of Rome to take vpon hym the Emperyall maiestye yet refused he it earnestly because of the vncertayn faythfulnesse and vnstable concord of the Romysh Byshops wyth the Emperours The other parte of the Electors chose Richard the king of Englandes brother and brought hym vntyll Basyll but he was not accepted of the Empyre Alexander the .iiij. succeded after Innocentius At thys time lyued Albertus the greate and Thomas Aquinas Vrbanus the .iiij. was after Alexander Clemens the .iiij. succeded Vrbanus Thyssame caused Conradynus Conradus sonne to be beheaded Whan Clemens was deade was the see voyde two yeares through the dissension of choysynge a Byshop at the last was Gregorius the .x. chosen
was gently receaued of the cities At Ro. the senate all the best metyng Charles did receaue hym with all reuerence He likewyse to declare to the Romanes his gentlenesse lyghted from his horse receaued on fote the yelding of the citie Afterward was he crowned of the cardinal of Hostia The cities of the bysh of Rome in Italy that were rebels subdued he to do the Romysh byshop a pleasure so that they repyned nomore I fynde none other thynges that he dyd in this iourney They yeare M. ccclx. he ouercame and spâ—yled Ebrardus erle of Wirtenberg with a great army But at the last was the debate layde downe by the byshop of Ausburg Strasburg and Spire The yeare M. ccclxvi went Charles agayne in to Italy in the whiche iourney he assuaged and subdued some cities desyrous of vproure Charles besyeged also y â— citie Vlme but I reade no where for what cause For oure Germanes not knowyng the propertie of histories haue not taken hede to the circumstaunces and causes of thynges Charles hath deserued greate thankes for the golden bulle that he made wherein he hath handsomly comprised many thynges that make to entertayne common peace He did chefely endeuoure procure the affayres of Bohemy He ordeined the vniuersitie of Praga Some there are that disalowe that he gaue the French kyng ryghtes in the kyngdome of Orleaunce The yeare M. ccclxx caused Charles his sonne Wenceslaus to be made Emperoure To his other sonne Sigismundus gaue he the Erldome of the marques of BraÌ„denburg the which he had bought of Lewis the Romane The yere M. ccclxxvii fought Vdalricus Erle of Wirtenberg mishappely before the citie Rutlingen In that battaill dyed many and noble men Switzer league ABout this tyme began the Switzer league and first the citie Lucerna then Berna at the last Tzurich dyd ioyne themselues to the Switzers and the noble prince Lupoldus duke of Eastenriche was ouercome and slayne by the Switzers the yere M. ccclxxxv But for as muche as there are in mans handes euery where histories of the Switzers dedes I reken it neoelesse to make longe rehersall of their actes in this lytle boke Vrbanus the v. succeded Innocentius the vâ— Gregorius the xâ— was byshop of Rome after Vrbanus The same remoued y â— see out of Fraunce to Rome agayne the yeare MCCCLXXVI A diuision AFter Gregorius the xi rose a greate diuisioÌ„ in the spiritualtye The Italians made an Italian Byshoyp of Rome called Vrbanus the vi and the same remayned at Rome The Frenchmen also chose a Byshop of Rom. in Italy whome they called Clemens the vii The same gat hym to Auinion Thus was Rome diuided and ther were two byshoppes of Rome the one dyd accurse the other Truely Italy Germany and Hungary dyd hange to Vrbanus the byshops of the Romanes Thys diuision lasted vntyll the councel of Constance .xxxix. yeares Wenceslaus the .xxxiii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccc lxxviij after Charles deceasse began Wenceslaus his sonne to raygne and raygned after hys fathers death .xxii. yeares At thys tyme began Ihon Husse opeÌ„ly to teache at Praga agaynst the byshop of Romes pardones and by thys occasion rose hurteful insurrections in Bohemy agaynst prestes and religious men Wenceslaus was at the laste taken by hys brother Sigismundus and kept at Vienne in preson Other thinges do I not fynde of this Wenceslaus that I iudge worthy to be put in writynges Rupertus the xxxiiij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. CCCC was Rupertus the counte Palatine made Emperour He raigned tenne yeares But seynge the Emperours had now ben long from Italy the power of the kynred of Galeacyus was waxen greate at Milan and the Florentins were become ryche also and warred agaynst them of Milane The Florentins asked ayde of Rupertus the Emperoure to represse the power of the Galacians Wherefore Rupertus went vppe into Italy to helpe the Florentius and toke Galeacins Howbeit Rupertus beyng destitute of the assistaunce of the duke of Eastenriche and bishop of Colen was to weake than that he coulde haue brought so greate thynges to passe and though he had assayed many thinges yet was he constrayned to returne agayne into Germanye hys bussinesse beyng not disâ—pâ—rched Bonifacius the .ix. was made bishop at Rome after Vrbanus And against him was made bish after Clemens y e .vii. Petrus de Luna called Benedictus the .xii. After Bonifacius was Innocentius y â— vii made byshop at Rome After InnoceÌ„tius was Gregorius the xii made byshop at Rome The same promysed y â— he woulde renounce the byshoprycke yf Benedictus lykewise dyd not refuse to renounce also But whaÌ„ Benedictus fled into Spayne leauyng Auinion Gregorius reuoked hys promise concernyng to resigne the byshoprycke Wherefore was a councell gathered at Pysis whereyn bothe Gregorius and Benedictus were deposed of the byshoprycke and in theyr steade was the thyrde Romysh byshop chosen Alexander the .v. Gregorius fled to Ariminum where he remayned vntill the counsel of Constance was Alexander the .v. dwelt at Bonony for the Hungarians hauing than taken in Rome vsed incredible tiraÌ„ny warred with the Frenchmen for Naples After Alexander the .v. was Ioannes the .xxiii. made byshop of Rome at Bonony And of this wise were a lyue vntil the general councel of Constance thys Ioannes the .xxiii. at Bonony Gregorius at Ariminum and Benedictus in Spayne But they were all thre set besyde y â— Romyshe byshopryck in that councel Of Tamerlanes the tyraunt of Tartaria IN the time of Rupertus the Emperour lyued the passynge cruell tyraunte Tamerlanes the Tartarian who by greate spoylynge wente aboute nearehande al y â— East and Asia with an armye of tenne hundreth thousande men He spoyled the Perseans Armenians and Syrians He inuaded also the lesse Asia and toke Paiasetus the Turkysh Emperoure and caryed hym in a cage as a byrde aboute wyth hym for a wonder and mockage Sigismundus the .xxxv. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. CCCC after Rupertus the Emperours deceasse was Sigysmundus made Emperoure He was the sonne of Charles the fourthe marques of Brandenburg kynge of Hungary and Bohemye He was Emperour seuen and twentye yeares He was a moost famous prince in wisedome learnyng and honestye suche one of stature as was semynge a lyke prince His countrefaytoure very connyngly made is to be sene yet this daye by the erle Hoier of Mansfelde He had greate warres in Hungary agaynst the Hungaryans of the whyche he was taken He fought oft agaynst the Turkes But whan he was made Emperoure he made a greate settyng forth agaynst the Turkes with the ayde of all nacions whereof we shall speake hereafter Of the councell of Constance IN the beginnynge of Sigismundus raygne he went vp into Italye and toke counsell with Ioannes the bysh of Ro. of callinge a generall councel for to auoyde the diuision He went also to the Frenche kynge and compelled hym to agre to
is much elder it is supposed that the same was also founde in Germany by a frear the yeare M. ccc lxxx Maxi milianus the .xxxviii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. ccccxciiii began Maximilianus hys raygne when his father was deade with whome he gouerned the empyre his lyfe tyme .viii. yeres But after hys fathers deceasse raygned he .xxv. yeares Though the begynnynges of the empyre were lowe and weake yet at the last turned they to hygh auauncement and encrease of the Germane kyngdome In the begynnynge of Maximilanus raygne brought Charles wyth the crooked backe an army into Italy and toke Naples But a yeare after when he was returned into Fraunce gat FerdinaÌ„dus the yonger Naples agayne with ayde of Maximilian dryuynge the Frenchemen out of Italy whiche the Frenche kynge had left at Naples for a garryson Maximilian had many and great battails First in low Germany Flaunders and Brabant in the whiche it is sayd he dyd many noble actes with his owne hande where of I haue herde some but I know not the very truth thereof And would God there would once come one that is sure of such thynges who would writh all those histories in a coÌ„plet boke to the prayse of so greate a prince and myght auaunce worthely before the worlde the puyssaunce and vertues of so doughty an Emperoure I myselfe haue herde of Pyrcamer of Norenberg that Maximiliane hymselfe had written some of his dedes for certayne yeares For he sayde He sayled from Lynda to Constance with Maximilian the Emperoure and when Maximilian was nowe at leasure in saylyng he called his Scribe to hym and rehersed to hym in Latine hys dedes of one yeare in a moste feate order with the declaracion of all the circunstaunces and occasions But when Pyrcamer thought the Scribe should note some secrete thynge and therefore would auoyde the Emperoure coÌ„maunded hym to remayne and lysten Yea and at euening he toke it to Pyrcamer that he had rehersed to rede and asked whether that souldiours Latine dyd lyke hym and should haue sayde moreouer He were mynded to comprehende those thynges so brefely and clerely that afterwarde learned men might declare them so muche the more diligently by their causes and circumstaunces And Pyrcamer sayde that no Germane history writer had vsed so pure a stile as was that of Maximilian And that after maximilianus death he had asked after this writynge but he coulde not obteine it But let this suffyse to be spoken of low Germany The yeare M. ccccxcv was in the parliament holden at Worms of the earldome of Wirtenberg made a duchy and erle Ebrarde was made the fyrst duke The yeare Mccccxcix toke the Switzers warr against their neyghbours them of Eastenrich the whiche to rescue Maximiliane came haystely out of Gelderlande where at that tyme he had to do al so Wherefore hauing many skyrmyshes of both sydes it is certayn that .xx. thousand meÌ„ were slayn at the last was an agrement made The yeare MDi. were euery where figures of crosses sene vpon mens garmentes But suche lyke was oft happened before also The yeare MDiiij was the warre of Baierlande wherein the Emperoure Maximilianus defended the princes of Baier agaynst Philip count Palatine of the Rene and duke Ruperte sonne to Philippe the Palatine For the same maryeng the daughter of George duke of Baier woulde haue Landshut and thatsame parte of Baier to be geueÌ„ ouer to hym by a tytle of inheritaunce But Rupertus dyed with his spouse whyle this warre was in hand the count Palatine was put besyde a great parte of his lordeshyppe by the Emperoures men and them of Wirtenberg Yea and a great army of the Bohemyes that came to helpe the count Palatine were ouerthrowen of the Emperoure At the last neuerthelesse Maximilian vsyng no lesse wysdoÌ„ than fauoure toke the count Palatine to mercy lest any perturbacion myght be raysed in the ryght of the election in the empyre that long sence was alowed and approued The yeare MDv. besyeged the army of the Emperoure the duke of Gelders in the citie Arnheym and constrayned hym to yelde hymselfe The yeare MDvi. died Philippe sonne to Maximilian kyng of Spayne and duke of bourgundy beyng of age .xxviii. yeares The yeare MDvii beganne Maximiliane the warre againste the Venecians no lesse greate then durable in the whiche befell both many bloudy battails and wonderfull mutacions Lewis kynge of Fraunce was first with the Venecians afterwarde fell he from them to the Emperour Contrary wyse the byshop of Rome Iulius was first of the Emperoures syde afterwarde toke he parte with the Venecians The Venecians lost in this warretheir best cities Verona Pauy Teruas other many Howbeit when the Romysh byshop deciuered and fell to the Venecians the Frenche kyng began to warre vpon hym also seyng he had yet the Emperours souldiours in Italy Now feared the Emperoure lest if he had the victory he shuld fall into Naples also and do also some euell at Rome to the empyres destruction Wherfore he sent the Cardinall Matheus Langius bishop of Saltzburg one of his counsaill to Iulius the byshop of Ro. to demaunde peace before the Ro. byshop and the Frenche kyng had foughten a felde Iulius for asmuch as he was very well appoynted with the ayde of Spaniardes and Italians he thought to be sure of the victory therfore refused he the peace The battail was vpoÌ„ Easter daie the yeare MDxii by Rauennas The byshop of Romes host lay vnder there were slain in that battaill syxtene thousand Nether is there red of a more greuous felde to haue ben about this tyme wherein men haue fought so fearcely But after this victory lost dyd Iulius frely demauÌ„de peace Howbeit lest the French kyng enterprisedought farther in Italy dyd Maximilian and the bysh of Rome set the kyng of Englande Germany and the Switzers against hym and of this wyse was the Frenche kyng at the last constrained to leaue Italy The Venecians were afterwarde reconciled to to the Emperoure also The yere MDxix dyed Maximilian the Emperoure and thatsame yere the princes Electors Albert Cardinall byshop of Mentz Herman byshop of Colen erle of Wida Richarde byshop of Trierlorde of Grieffenklau the deputie of Lewis kyng of Bohemy Lewis couÌ„t Palatine of the Rene. Frederick duke of Saxony Ioachim marques of Brandenburg did chose lawfull and with great wisdom at FraÌ„ckford Charles duke of EasteÌ„ ryche and Bourgundy and kyng of Spayne the xxviii daye of Iune Pius the iij. was bysh of Ro. after alexander the vi The same died shortely after Iulius the .ij. succeded Pius Against him wrote Bernardinê° the Cardinal in the tyme of the Venecian warre of kepyng a counsail The matter shuld haue geuen an occasion of a diuision had not Maximilian preuented it by his syngulare wisedome Leo the .x. sonne to Laurence Medices was made byshop of Rome after Iulius In the tyme of this Leo
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
certayne letter by hym to Pope Paule directed Also this yeare in the Moneth of Iuly dyed at Basill that excellent Clarke Erasmus of Roterdame beyng about the age of .lxx. yeares who was a special instrument of God to restore the Greke and Latine tonges agayne to their puritie Whiche also hath done no small seruice with his writinges towardes the settyng furth of the Gospell the true lyght of our soules as euery wyse man may right well perceyue and gather by his wrytynges wherof he hath left behynde hym a greate sorte and in a maner innumerable bookes IN the yeare of our lorde MDxxxvij euen in the begynning of the yere began certayne preuy practyses and conspiracies to be wrought agaynst the Euangelicall Princes and their confederates For the Pope sought all the meanes possible to stirre vp some commotion and dissention in Germany and had procured all ready by the meanes of the Duke of Brounswike called Henry the younger and brought to passe by certayne byshops namely the byshippe of Mence with other that the Duke George of Saxon shoulde assiste the Duke of Brunswyke with money to inuade Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxon and electour imperiall and Philippe Land graue of Hessene whiche Practise and conspiracy was begonne so preuely and kept so close that if God had not specially preserued the fauoures of hys worde it myght haue turned them to muche wo and trouble For the Duke of Brunswyke had all ready assembled a competent nombre of men within his lande and that so preuely that many dyd afterwarde wonder at it But when he thought with hys adherentes that the matter had bene sure almyghty God red their treasurer Duke George out of the way by death sodaynely or euer any man suspected hys infirmitie And so succeded Duke Henry into his brothers heritage whiche had kept hys Court poorely many yeares at Fryburgh in the lande of Myssene beyng a good laudable and Euangelicall Prince And albeit that Duke George brother to the sayed Duke Henry was also in his actes and gouernaunce a very wyse and circumspecte Prince and experte in cyuyle policies as his buyldynges and townes which he hath left behynde hym beare wytnes yet had he this faulte that he as it happeneth commonly to suche as are worldly wyse had his prudence and hipocriticall conuayaunce so blynded â–ª that he would not cleaue vnto the Gospel where of neuertheles he was not ignoraunt for none other cause then that some Pope or some Cardinall had not set it furth and brought it to lyght but apore frere as was doctor Luther yea he was suche an enemy to the Gospell that he dyd not onely persecute and banyshe hys subiectes that embraced and fauoured the same but also woulde depriue his saied brother Henry of his heritage whyle he cleaued sted fastly to Goddes worde But God tourneth all thynges to the prophite of his bâ—leuers For when Duke George was in this minde had sought al meanes possible to disherite and dispossesse his brother all was sodaynely turned vpsyde downe For after that Iohn his sonne was departed out of this worlde leauyng no bodely heyre behynde hym in as muche as it was not well possyble for hym to procreate chyldren beyng continually geuen to superfluitie and dronkennes he had yet an other sonne not being endued with to muche witte called Henry vnto whome not withstanding that by the reason of his â—oolysh behaueour he was vnmete to haue the rule gouernauÌ„ce of the lande he gaue hym a wyfe of a basse stocke and lowe degree to thende that by this meanes he myght if it were possible obtayne an heire for the lande and defraude his brother of his heritage commaundyng his Phisicians to geue his sayd Sonne good prouisions whereby hys lust myght be the better stirred and prouoked towardes his wyfe But what was the ende Thys hope and expectation continued but a small tyme for within the space of two monethes thesaed yong maried man died Many wyll say and affirme that the Phisicians kylled hym with their confortatiues But it was the worke of God who would haue the Gospell to reigne in the sayed Duchye by the administracion of the sayed Duke Henry For the saied Duke George dyed also shortely after the deceasse of his saied sonne as before is mencioned When nowe the Papistes were thus destitute of their comforte hauyng lost all their hope and expectacioÌ„ in that the land and the treasures wherwith they intended and trusted to haue resysted the Gospell was nowe fallen into the handes of hym that would therewith auaunce and promote the same their capitayne Duke Henry of Brunswycke was faine to geue ouer and disperse his army for the money wherwith the souldiours should haue bene paied was now withdrawen Wherfore as it was reported the saied Duke should say that he had rather lost God in heauen then this man Wherby euery Christen man may easely perceyue wheron the hope of the Papistes is grounded But let vs learne here that a Christian may not truste in any man nor feare any mans threatenyng nor yet dyspayre in pouertie and tribulation but must onely put al his trust and confidence in God who is able to breake and ouerthrowe the imaginacions of the proude and to exalte the pore according to the song of Mary he trusteth downe the proude from their seates and lifteth vp the lowely When God had on this wyse deliuered his littel flocke in the lande of Saxon and of Hessen from the craftes and enterpryses of their enemy the said duke Henry succeding in the rowme of his brother deceassed abolyshed the abhominacion of Popysh Idolatry thoroughout all his iurisdiction and dominion and coÌ„maunded Goddes worde to be preached in all places sincerely and purely for the maintenaunce whereof he sought all about for learned men to geue dilygent attendaunce to the settynge furth of the same After this he dyd also erecte and restore the Scoole of Lipsigh whiche was sore decayed before to the mayntenaunce whereof he dyd institute and appointe speciall priuileges and newe stipendes and ordeined the excellently learned man Ioachim Camerary of Bambery reder in liberall sciences and prouided for other faculties also sage men well learned so that both gods worde also learnyng dyd myghtely increase and florysh agayn in thys lande God graunt it may long continue to the prayse of his mooste holy name In Fraunce was not the warres yet ceased whiche was begonne the yere before For the king was yet mightely armed and came furth in the moneth of Marche towardes the west into the Duchye of Artois whiche is called Picardy where he dyd great harmâ— and about the .xviij. daye of the same moneth he beseged y â— towne of Hedin which was yelded vp vnto hym the .xiij. day of Aprill next folowing When he had ouercome the sayde towne he furnyshed it and other places lyeng there about with meÌ„ and so retourned home again In the meane
their lande the flyeng sorte couered that lyght of the Sune in so muche that thinhabiters of the lande were cōmaunded to go furth and to take gather thē that crept on the grounde which they did continually during the space of thre wekes gatheringe euery daye about 2400. quarters in a quarter of a myle for in euery quarter of a myle were appointed thre hundreth persons men and womē and euery hundreth persons gathered euery day 800 quarters during the space of 3. wekes And they came into Isebredge ouer the brydge with such a power as though they had ben an hoste of warriours that woulde haue entred into the towne In so much that the Magestrates commanded the inhabitauntes of the same towne to make resistaunce agaynst them before the gate with besomes and bromes and to swype them into the water as they came whiche they ded in suche sorte as they couered all the water with grasherppers that no water coulde be sene Thus did they resiste them kept them also from the brydge by the space of .iii. wekes after this the said locustes or grashoppers turned into the fieldes and there destroyed and wasted the corne and the grasse vndoynge in a maner all the people of the lande so that after thys the peopel resysted them no moore butt onelye trusted to the mercy of god with instaunt feruēt prayer The sayde Locustes or grashoppers were littell at the begynnyng and krepyng but afterwarde they grewe and began to flye doyng great hurte throughout the sayde lande In the meane season the Emperoures maiestie and the kyng of the Romaynes set furth a commaūdement that noman shuld be founde in dronkenes horedome aduoutery vsury and blasphemy but he should be punyshed by death and forfayte all hys goodes In a littell towne called Albers lyeng besydes Lyndawe in the Dukedome of Zweyburgh was this yere founde two clusters of grapes growynge vpon one braunce hauyng a long read bearde whiche was a wonderfull syght The same yere in flaunders and the countrees there about was a great scacitie of corne so that there was a great dearth in the lande And there dwelled besydes Beke aboue Gand a certayne farmer well prouided and stored with corne vnto whome his neyghbours came lamentyng and intreatyng hym to sel them some of his corne who refused so to do neuertheles he sent none away comfortles that had nede for he lent and delyuered vnto euery man accordyng to their necessite on this condicion that they should rendre and repaye hym agayne at the next haruest on this condicion did he lende corne to dyuers nedy persons After whiche tyme it chaunced that his corned fyelde beyng sowed was by Gods grace so multiplied and increassed that on euery stalke grewe an exceding nombre of eares laden with corne so that thorough the blessyng of God he was well rewarded By this may we see that the sayeng of Salomon is an vndoubted verite namely he that taketh pitie on the pore lendeth vnto the Lorde vpon vsury and loke whatsoeuer he layeth out it shalbe payd hym agayne There was also this yere a wonderfull vision sene and heard of many within the towne of Wittenbourgh in the Lande of Saron the .xviii. daye of September early in the mornyng betwene foure fyue of y ◠clocke For there appeareth in the ayre a figure and lykenes of a dead corse or beere couered ouer with blacke cloth and a read ribband auer the same and there went before the coarse six men with trompettes and a greate multitude of people folowed with croked instrumentes and trompettes blowyng whyche made a greate noyse in the ayre insomuche that many in the towne whiche laye yet in their beddes were thereby awaked out of theyr slepe thynkyng that the sayde trimblyng had bene in the towne After this the black cloth vanyshed awaye from the boere whiche then was couered ouer with awhyte cloth then appeared besydes the beare a man armed in harnas shewyng hym selfe very angry and pullyng the whyte clothe from the beere he rent it in twaine wynding the one half about hys arme and so pressyng it harde to hys body Wyth this the coarse vanyshed away The man armed dyd also apeare a lyttell whyle after so in lyke maner banished away After this were althynges quiet as before God graunte euery Christen man to remembre thys wonderfull sygne with feare for it is to be feared that it is a fearefull warnyng sent vs of God In Englande the nyntene day of Ianuary was the Erle of Surrey beheaded as was mencioned the yere before The seuen and twenty daye of the same moneth Henry the eyght kyng of Englande c. ended hys lyfe and was buried at Windsore Edwarde the syxt kyng of Englande c. succeded his father in the gouernaunce of his royalmes and dominions and was crowned the nintene day of February in the nyneth yere of hys age Vnder the sayde kyng in the tyme of his minorite his vncle Edwarde Duke of Somerset was made lorde Protectour of all hys Royaulmes dominions and subiectes and Gouernour of his maiesties persone who with the residue of his maiesties Counsayll gouerned the realme with great mercy and gentilnesse by whome to the surtheraunce of goddes worde and true religion cōmissioners were sent into al partes of the Realme with commaūdement to cause all Images to be taken out of churches for auoydyng of Idolatry and to wyll men women to leaue the vse of beades hauyng with thē also godly and learned preachers assigned whiche do exorted them to geue them self to true and vnfained worshippyng of God in the hart and minde with due obedience to their prince Richard Smith a doctour of diuinite recāted opēly at Paules crosse within y e citie of Lōdon diuers articles cōtained in two bokes which he had made one for the defence of the sacrifice of the Masse an other to proue vnwritten verities to be beleued vnder payne of damnacion This yere also in Enland commaundement was geuen that processions should be no more vsed This yere also in England the duke of Somerset then Lorde Protectour and the Erle of Warwyke went into Scotlande with a strong army requiring the Scottes to fulfyll their promyse made before to kyng Henry concernyng the mariage of their younge Quene with the younge kynge of Englande but the Scottes stubbournely came agaynst them with great puissaunce And not longe after the two armyes encountred in the fieldes of Muscleborough at a place called Pinker slough The Englyshe part not thynkyng as than to haue battayle at whiche tyme because the front of the Scottyshe armie was so terrybly set wyth pykes the Englyshe horsemen which gaue the fyrst onset were fayne to recule backe with losse of certayn gētylmen whiche reculing much abasshed the English footemen but yet by the great wysedome and dilygence of the Lord Protectours grace and the valiaunt hart and courage of the Earle of Warwike they
rayse an vproure thorough one Messias xcv are mooste auncient xx Ierusalem the state of it vnder Antiochus lxvij the destruction xix xcij. straunge thinges seen before the destruction of her xciij Iesus the hygh priest fo xxxv Ioachas xviij Ioachim or Ieconias ibid. Ioakim ibidem Ioachim the yong marques of Branden borough CCxxix Ioiada xv Ioachim xv Ioas. xv Ioathain xvi Ihon Hercanus lxxiij Iohn Baptist lxxvi Iohn the Apostle returneth out of Pathmos fo xciiij Ihon Stabius an Astronomer fo cxlv Ihon the eyght byshop of Ro. a woman fo cxxxiiij Ihon Chrispus fo ccxx Ihon the twelfth byshop of Ro me bostede fo clxxiij Ihon kynge of HierusaleÌ„ clxv Ihon Husse teacheth openly agayust pardons fo clxxvi clxxviij Ihon Cassels burned cclxx Ihon Humyades fo clxxxi Ihon OecolaÌ„padius clxxxviij The death of Iohn duke of Saxon. fo cxcix Ihon Wida kyng of Hungary fo ccxxxij Ihon Diasy fo cclxiij Ihon Ecke fo ccxxviij Iohaune bocher fo cclxxvij Ihon Frederike duke of Saxon taken captyue fo cclxxiiij Images and beades put doune in England fo cclxxij Iusurrectiou at Gent ccxxvi Ionas fo xvi Iona has fo lxxij Ioram a setter vp of new idolatry fo xv Iosaphat studiose in religion fo xv Ioseph a man sage and holy x. Iosias fo xvij Iones are the fyrst Grekes iiij Iouiâ—ianus a godly Emperour fo cvij Irene daughter to the Emperour of Constahtynople clxij Iren cxxv Irnerius the restorar of the lawes clvi Isake a figur of Christ fo x Ismael fo x Iuda a kyngdom fo xix Iudges at Athens dyd sweare fo lxiij Iudas Machabeus power lxix lxxij Iudyth xlviij Iulianus Apostata cvi â–ª he is made Emperour ibidem â–ª at Strasborough cvi he forbad Christen men the authorytye of warrfare cvij. hys death is an exaÌ„ple of veugeauuce cvij Iulyau the Cardynal fo clxxxi Iulius a man aduysed and a louer of peace lxxxiij he is called Cesar lxxxvi The orderyng of the yeare was begoen lxxxiiij Iulius byshop of Rome was discomfyted in a battayl by the cyte Raueunas vpon Easter day fo clxxxvi Iupiter called vpou agayust tempests xxiij Iustmus cxviij the second cxx Iustinianus cxviij cxxiiij he restored the lawes fo cxix K The kyngdome of the worlde and Christes kyngdome * xvi Queâ— Katheryn dowager dyeth fo ccx The institution of kyngdomes and of kynges is of God xiij The chaunsyng and reâ—â—ynge of kyngedomes displeaseth God riiij What the mutations of them do signifie cxcij Kyng of Anabaptilles Knypperdullynge Crafting fo CCviij L Lacedemonians valiauntnes xlv they fyght with the Thebaus and are discoâ—syted lvi Landersey Landtgraue fo CClvij Latiâ—er at libertye fo cclxxiij Latium fo Cxxi The institution of cyupâ— power and of all lawes i. clvi Lawes cyuyll restored by Iustinianus fo Cxix Law was geuen fo xi Lawes of Solou concernyng vagabounds fo xxxviij Lawes of the Romaynes lviij the occasion of them lviij Lawes of Draco xxxviij Lawfull callyng must be ensued fo lxv Leâ—t fo xcv Leo the thyrde named Leouomachus fo Cxxv Leo the fourth Cxxv. Leoâ—tâ—â—s ibidem Lewes the gentyll cxxxij he is taken by hys sonne Cxxxiij Lewes the seconde buryed at Mylan Cxxxiiij Lewes the thyrd Cxxxvi. he is restored to y e realme of frauÌ„ce Cxlij Lewes the berdyd Cxliâ— Lewes the Landtgraue Clxv Lewes the Bayer fo Clxxi Lewes is excoÌ„municated clxxij Lewes the Romayn Clxxiij Lewes king of FrauÌ„ce clxxxvi Liberius bysh â–ª of Rom. cvi Linus bysh â–ª of Rom. xci Lombardy fo Cxv Longimanus wyth the long haud fo xlviij Lothoâ—ius Cxxxij the Saxon Cxv. the brethren of hym were these Lewes Germanicus Charles the bolde Cxxxiij Lothring ibidem Laurentius Miniatensis an astronomer fo Cxc Lubâ—cke fo Clix Lucius Warrus fo xcv Lucrece xxvij Lupoldus â–ª Clxxij duke of Eastenryche Clxxv. was slayne by the Swytzers ibid â–ª Luxsborough parliamente foâ— fo CCxlij Lysander fo liiij M The Macedonians iiij the occasyon of the warre of Macedonia lxxviij Machabees lxxiij the power of them lxix ther kyngs lxxiij Macrinus fo xcvij Magi fo iiij Magog fo Cxxiij Magnentius an example of vn kyndnes Cvi he slayeth hym selfe fo cvi Mahomete xcvi wounders seen in Italy before hys commyng Cxx. the occasions of hys kyngdome Cxxi why his religion is accepted lxix the form of his relygioÌ„ Cxxij an ArabiaÌ„ prophet Cxxi he subdued Arabia Cxxij Why he wold be called a Saraâ—en for an Agaren ibidem they besieged Hadriantum Clxxxiiij the place of Danyel of Mahomet Cxxij what he sygnifyeth fo Cxxiij Manfyld battayll Câ—â—iij Manasse a wycked kyng xvij an example of repentaunce fo xvâ—â— Manes begynner of the Manacheâ—s sect borne in Persia Ci. hys doctryne ibidem Manichei ibidem Mantua fo cxcix Marcus Cicero fo lxxxvi Marcus Antonius fo xcv Mardonius a capitayne xlvij Mariages of priestes CClxxv Maran fo CCxxxix Mary lady Regent fo Cxivi Marques of Brandenborough receaueth the gospell CCxxx Marius was made captayn agaynst the Cimbry lxxxi he was causser of an vproure lxxxi hys tyranny lxxxij Martyn Luther Clxxxvij dyeth fo CCix Marten of Rosheim CCxliij Mary Lady Regent enuadeth Picardy fo CCxix Mathathâ—â—s fo â—xxâ—j Mathematica ars dryuen oute of Rome fo xciij Maurice duke fo CCxl cclvi cclxviij Mauritius Emperour Cxx. Maximianus fo Cii Maxentius ibid. he was drowued in the Tybur fo Ciij Maximilian Clxxxiij is taken at Brudges Clxxxiiij he war râ—eth agaynst the Venetians fo Clxxxvi Maximinus subdued Germany fo xcvij Maximinus and Arbogastes are examples of disâ—oyalte Cviij he warreth agaynst the Venetians fo cviij Meghlyne burned fo cclxv Moâ—taâ—â—te behedded ccxxv Melanthon Eckius ccxxxiij the reason concernyng religion ccxxviij Men tenne in nomber were sent to Grece lviij they were deposed fo lix Metasthenes fo xxix Mesius suffesius death xxvij Micheas fo xvi Melciades counsell xliij He was yll entreated of the Athenians xliij hys renowmed victory ibidem Mylane Clix ccxi the duke maryeth y â— kyng of Denmarkes daughter CCvi ccxi Minia fo xxij Myns of syluer in Misia who found them fyrst cxliij Mithridates fo lxxxi Monarchies what they are and of what puissance* xiiij there be onely foure Monarchyes xiiij they are propoued to Dauyell v. the ende of the fyrste Monarchy xx a monarchye is the best forme of an empyre or realme xl the begynnynge of the thyrde Monarchy lix Wherefore Monarchyes are chefly ordeyned of God cxxâ—i Wherfore Monarchyes and princes are sent of God lxxvij Monasteryes were scholes in tyme past fo cxxxi Syr Thomas Moore Chauncelor of England and the byshop of Rochester behedded fo ccix The bâ—â—es of Moses are found fo xvij Moonkes are brought to wryte clvij Maurus duke fo ccxl cclvi cclxviij N Nabuchodonesor xviij He was conuerted by Danyell fo xix Narses fo cxiiij cxviij Nathan Dauid sonne â–ª fo xv Nauâ—â—u fo clxxxiij The Counte of Nasowe ccxiii Naxus ccxx 〈…〉 oth gods hooâ—ter vi Nero fo xc 〈◊〉 fo xciij Nyce Counsell fo ciij The Emperour enterteyned at Nyce fo ccxxij Nicolaus the
Maximilian d 〈…〉 th Maximilian warreth against the Venecians Lewis kyng of Fraunce Iulius the by shop of Rom. was discomfited in a battaill by the citie Rauennas vpon Easter daye What Electors chose Charles that now is Emperoure Martine Luther â–ª Charles y â— Frances the French king taken The commotion of vplanâ—yâ—h mâ—n Schapler Twelue articles of the sedicious rustikes Thomas Mynter Iohn Ocalâ—padius Huldrich Zwinglius renew the doctrine of Berengarius â—ndreas â—arolestadius Rome taken by Burbon With what an â—â—ost Sol 〈…〉 yd be 〈…〉 ge â—ieÌ„nâ— Charles is crowned Emperour at Bonony by the bysh of Ro. The parliament of â—usborow An ouerflowyng at Ro. Clemens the vij is taken Ferdinande kyng of Hungary A Comete sene The Switzer warre within themselues The parliament holden at RegeÌ„spurg Prophecies of recouering Constantinople and of roting the Turkes out of Europa Laurentius Miniatensis an Astronomer A Comete sene Writers of Histories Cronicles What the mutacions of kyngdomes de signifye Agathias Ctesias The conuocation or counsaill holden at Ramsburgh The duke of Saxon agreeth not to the election of y e kyng of the Romaines The seconde breakyng in of Soliman into Germany Guns assaulted of the Turke by the space of .xij. daies The wall of 〈◊〉 falleth 〈…〉 e by it â—elfe Anthony de Leua Andrewe de Aurea The citie of Corona takeÌ„ The Emperourre turned into Italy to the Pope The Pope meteth themperour at Bononia Battell moued in England against the Scottes The death of Iohn duke of Saxon. Iohn Frederick duke of Saxon. A Comete or blasing starre â—â—â—â— A great inâ—â—â—cion of watâ—â— in HollaÌ„d Seeland c. Christerne kâ—nâ— of Dâ—◠〈…〉 ke after hâ—â— returâ—â—ta 〈…〉 oure 〈…〉 e 〈…〉 l. A moÌ„struous Calfe borne by y e sea coste aboute Lindowe The Emperour Charles retourneth from Genua into Spaine Newe Indes or Ilandes plentyfull of golde and siluer founde out by the SpaÌ„yardes A soleÌ„pne coÌ„munycacyon holdeÌ„ at Massilia betwene y e Pope the French kinge The duke of Orleans marieth the Popes cosyn The Euangelycal boÌ„d is opened by y e french kyng Another Comete or blasing starre apeared Shiltagh burned downe to y e ground A great Pestilence in Germany A great earthquake tempest of wind Kynge henry the .viii was dâ—uorsed froÌ„ hys fyrste wyfe maried to an other 1534. The Anabaptystes tâ—ke the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale The Anabaptystes make them a kyng Knypperdullynge c. kregh tynge Philip Landgraue of Hessen The Citie of Minster besieged by y â— biâ—hop Scarcitye of victualles in Mynster The Anabaptistes eate lether couerynges of bookes Philip landgraue of Hessen goeth about to set his vncle into his owne land agayn Philip y â— palatine put to flyght and wounded Hulderike duke of wiâ—teÌ„berg restored to his oâ—â—â— d 〈…〉 oÌ„ A peace grauÌ„ted vnto y â— â—anâ—gâ—a â—e on them perours behalf The laÌ„dgraue retourneth into his owne lande A coÌ„meÌ„datioÌ„ of liberalyty boldenes in y e landgraue a coÌ„meÌ„datioÌ„ of pacience mekenes in theÌ„perour y e kyng of Hungary The death of Frederike kyng of DeÌ„marke A straunge thing or tokeÌ„ happened about y â— dead corps of the kynge The erle of OldeÌ„boroughe â— y â— Lubekes inuade y â— dukedom of hâ—lsaâ—es The death of George weuer markes mayer A peace concluded betwene the towne of Lubeke and the dukedom of ho sure The captaynes of Lubeke desyrous to inuade deÌ„marcke A newe war â—â— A woÌ„derfull apparitioÌ„ in DeÌ„marke Henry king of Ingland excoÌ„municated by the pope The Pope hath â—â— authority ouer Ingland king HeÌ„nry forsaketh y t Pope A bokt sett furth vp kinge henry againste the primacpe of y e Pope King Henry ioined in coÌ„federatinÌ„ with y t Princes mayntainers of â— gospel Ireland rebeâ—â—eth against their prince Pope Clement dyeth Paule y â— â–ª iii. chosen to be Pope Sophi pâ—inâ—â— of y â— Persians â—â—â—â—â—beth y â— Turk Imbrai bassa Imbray bassa with hys host slayne The Turke cometh againste y â— sayde Sophy The turke coÌ„passed aboute of the Periyans The Turke escapeth â—a roâ—eâ—â— with a lewe Barbarossa inuabeth the kyngdome of Tunyse Barbarossa suodueth Affryca the lesse Kynge Altzachenus expelled from Tunyse The 〈◊〉 of Breda burned Great tempestes of wind Waters ryuers excedingly increassed â—â— y â— â—ande of Pole The duke of MillaÌ„ marieth y â— doughâ—â—r 〈…〉 y â— kyng Denmarke Themperour prepareth an armada towardes Affrica The kingdoÌ„ of Tunise recâ—â—â—red bâ— the peâ—our Barbarossa exâ—â—lled froÌ„ Tunise Kyng Altzachenus restored to hys kyngdome of Tunise The castell of Golleta reserued for themperour Themperour returneth froÌ„ Affrica Barbarossa inuadeth the Ile of Minorca The Affricanes attempte rebellion Andrewe â—e Aurea apointed to kepe y e Affricanes in awe The sect of the Anabaptistes in creasâ—eth The Anabaptistes â—â—kemâ—â—â—w 〈…〉 â— go naked The Anabaptistes within 〈…〉 e â—ppâ—â—lled The madnes of the Anabaptistes The Anabaptistes beleued that Minster was new Ierusalem A woman would conterfet Iudith The kynge 〈…〉 ing and knipperdulling taken The kyng of the â—â—baptistes with his coÌ„sellers put to death Christian duke of Holston chosen to be kyng in Denmarke The count of Hoya and the Erle of Teckelborough slayne Louedayes kept in Hungary The kyng of Poles maried the daughter of â—erdâ—â—anto kyng of Bohemy The death of the Duke of Mylan The duke of â—aâ—er marieth the daughter of Denmarke â—ir Thomas more Chauncelour of England and y â— byshop of Rochester beheaded The monkes of the charter house A wonderful tempest Neuer suche a teÌ„pest sene Quene Katherine dowâ—ger dieth Quene Anne Bullyn be headed Que. Iane Semour maried to the kyng of Enland The citie of Geneue besieged Preachers of the Gospel ordeyned â—â— Saâ—â—â— Iulius Lesar builded Clausa Rodani The French kyng claymeth the succession of Milaâ—e It is the condicion of an apâ— to countrâ—faite all y â— is done in his â—â—ght Apraiâ—â— of the author The Emporoures complaynt to the Pope agaiÌ„st the Frenche kyng The Empeperoures request The Popes aunswere The Emperoures retourne from Rome A trapâ—one put to death at â—poâ—s The Count of Nassowe Perone besyeged The Euangelical bond The Synode or conuocatioÌ„ of Wittenborough Swinglius coÌ„senteth not with Luter in the opinion of the SacrameÌ„t A new peace concluded betwene the sea townes of Eastlande Denmarke The citie of Copenhage beseged by y â— kyng Dâ—gâ—es and 〈…〉 Coppenhagh yelded vp toâ— kyng Warborough taken Markes mayer taken and quartered Agâ—â—ly eâ—â—ple for all kynges and conquerours The practise of papistes All the byshoys of DeÌ„marck deposed Iohn Bugen hagh Thepreachig of the gospell instituted in Denmarke xxiiij thousaÌ„d parishes in Denmarch Norway furnyshed with preachers The coronation of Lhristiane siyng of Denmarck The vntuersitie of Luppenhaghe furnyshed with meÌ„learned in y â— scripturs Liuinges appointed for preachers â—â—dâ—â—s in DeÌ„ 〈…〉 Thimbassadours of England at Wittenbourgh Doctour â—â—nâ—â— An olde prophecy of Enland The Lorde Darcy with other Edwarde the syâ—t borne The death
to be remembred in choysynge of counsuls for it must be pertayned to him that it shoulde be so broughte to passe For if he had returned to Rome wythout there should be a consull hys enemyes were minded to oppresse him and to brynge to passe that he shoulde be exiled from Rome But Cesar brought to passe wyth the ayde of the Tribunes that the dignity of Consulshyp was promysed him the which was done wyth the consent of Pompeius the consul also But whan the tyme came to appoynte the consuls some haue stered the Senate to set themselues agaynst him nother suffre Cesar to be made consul the same alured Pompeius to be of their syde and droue out the Tribunes whyche fled to Iulius Cesar But whan Iulius perceaued that they woulde oppresse and betraye hym he laye sore vpon the promyse that was made hym and demaunded the consulshyppe besyde thys would he haue the Tribunes restored into theyr place Duryng this controuersye there were diuerse consultations Marcus Cicero brought the moost vehementes reason whiche were to be borne of ether parte For he wylled that Cesar and Pompeius should forsake theyr hoostes and that Pompeius should goo into Spayne as he was also determined and Cesar so sone as he had forsaken the hoost shoulde be consul Iulius Cesar agreed to thys but Pompeius refused it Wherfore dyd Cesar come to Rome wyth an army appoynted Pompeius takyng the flyght doth lykewise appoynt an hoost wyth all hys power But Cesar taketh in Italy Spayne and persued Pompeius vntyll Grece And though Iulius refusyd not hetherto the condicions of an appointment of peace but dyd also offre them frelye yet Pompeius ceased not to make aunswer that he would graunt nor admitte no condicions of peace before he sawe the heade of Iulius cut of and brought to hym But whan Cesar heard that he was greatly moued Though Pompeius had a more righteous cause yet oughte he to haue vsed more gentlenesse agaynste so noble a prince that offred condicions of peace and sought onelye that he might haue ben fre and withoute daunger of feare Therfore whan Cesar sawe that he muste vse counsel by constraynt he inuaded Pompeius and ouercame hym Pompeius fled into Egypte where he was slaine by an entray of the yong king whose father he hym selfe had set into the kyngedome Afterward toke Cesar Asia and Aphrica together insomuche that he alone had in all the empyre of Rome wyth great puyssaunce Thys so great alteration and misery in the commune welth of Rome began of a moste lyghte thynge for this warre was dolefull both to hygh and lowe estates of men For histories report that ther were slayne aboue thre hundreth thousand men in thys ciuill warre ⸪ The fourth and laste Monarchy namely of the Romane empyre Iulius Cesar THre thousand yeares eight hundreth and foure score and seuentene were sence the creation of the worlde Seuen hundreth and syxe yeares sence the buyldyng of Rome Seuen and forty yeares before Christ was borne began fyrst the Romane monarchy whan Iulius was made Consul and the warr agaynst Pompeius whereof we haue euen nowe spoken dyd begynne That the warre lasted fyue yeares For whan Pompeius was deade Iulius had yet much busynesse to do in Egypte Asia and Aphrica where Cato had slayne hym selfe and in Spayne where he had also slayne one of Pompeius sonnes But whan all contryes were sett in peace returned Iulius to Rome and that was in the moneth October and after that in the begynnynge of Marche was he stycked through in the Senate of Cassius and Brutus wyth their companyons Wherfore raigned Iulius in peace nomore but fiue monethes and in that season caused he the yeare to be ordered throughout all the Romane empyre according to the course of the sonne He brought also with him out of Egypt a notable and most conning man in sciences which taught by demonstracyons called a Mathematicus ▪ and was the fyrst autor◠cause that those sciences were taughte in Italy And this ordering of the yeare which is handsome and that we vse yet now at this tyme was begon◠fyrst by Iulius But how dishonestly and very cruelly those that kylled Iulius that is playn ynoug◠by theyr dedes For Cassius Brutus wyth they companions fauoured Pompeius But by the mercyfulnes of Cesar were they take in agayne into the citye and restored into their former dignitye possession of goodes For what shall I be prolixe The worlde had neuer a prince so mighty that euer vsed more gentlynesse towarde hys enemies that frely yelded thēselues He neuer shewed anye notable wrath agaynst anye man wythoute it had ben in a battaill where necessitie to fighte dyd requyre where neuerthelesse before him Marius Sylla neuer ceassed of murtheringe euen in tyme of peace But Iulius did no such thinges ye he frely toke to mercy euen the best of the cōmune welth that were Pompeius adherentes nether toke ought from them He brought agayn also the true maner of gouerning the commune welth whiche was decayed by sedition and restored it wyth no lesse wysedome than he kept it vp with authoritie But how great a thinge this is maye be gathered therby that in ciuill commotions wee se iudgementes lawes and all modestie of maners go to wrack and to nought Iulius truely was one of the most doughtyest princes whiche beynge garnished of God with most greatest vertues aboue other men that haue gouerned very great dominions Besyde this was it not possyble to retayne commune peace long after that Iulius was deade for there was noman after Iulius that had ether such authoritie or power that with very force could enterteyn the quyetnesse of the empyre for to retaine the same in great kingdomes is requisite a greate and syngular puyssaunce Moreouer it is reported that he should haue sayde That he feared not for for his lyfe but that his death should be mischeueous and deadly to the commone welth empyre But all this refrained not them from the cursed enterpryse of whom by a cōiuracion he was slaine The first beginner of this wicked dede was Cassius and that only by enuy because for Cesars sake he could not obtayne those prouinces which he coueted Brutus was a man of great wytt and therfore suffred he him lightely to be made a companyon of this wicked dede cloking it with this colour that it were not honest for the Senate of Rome to suffre a lord greater in the empyre then he Item that Cesar also was a tyraunt and that it was lawfully permitted to slaye tyrauntes With such lyke inconuenient argumentes whiche are oft wont to begyle yong and vnlearned men in lyke cases was Brutus inflamed for without his helpe had Cassius brought nothynge to passe This is the summe of this history But God suffred so great a mischeuousnesse not longe vnpunished For as manye as had conspyred to the death of Iulius were also slayne themselues not
longe after Cesar was olde syxe and fyftye yeare whan he was slayne and ruled fyue yeares and the beginninge of rulynge was in the consulshyppe in the which he beganne the warre agaynst Pompeius This is the begynnynge of the Romane monarchye the whych God hath paynted very horribly in the prophet Daniell and wytnesseth that the world shalbe much more heauely oppressed by thesame than euer it was before Item that Christ shall come in the same monarchye and therfore shal it be the last For all these thynges are prophesyed before by God to stablyshe the fayth of the godly concerninge the certayntie of Christes comming Besydes thys also that it mighte be knowen that the world shall not endure foreuer but shall once peryshe and that the vngodlye shalbe punyshed but the Godly shall loke at Gods hand for a lyfe euerlastynge I suppose verely that the prophecy of the Heythen prophetes and sayenges of the Sybilles of the durablenesse of the Romane empyre are pertaynynge to thys as is the sayenge of Virgil I haue geuen an endlesse empyre the whych seme to be taken of this whiche the scrypture sayeth that the empyre of Rome shalbe the laste monarchye on earth Though the scripture doth in the meane season teache also that thys monarchy shall decaye yet shall parte of the same last euer wherein shall re remayne the name and hygnesse of an Emperour vntyll the worldes ende These thynges are to be knowen that wee maye be assured that thys empyre can not be ouerthrowen whyche the examples of histories wytnesse also For after that the hyghnesse of an Emperoure was translated to the Germanes hath thys kyngdome suffred many assaultes and hath oft bene weakened but yet coulde it not be abolyshed by nomans power but remayned allwaye stable and restored it selfe otherwyles For it had nowe Emperours of small power than very puyssaunt Emperours To consydre these thynges in historyes maketh greate matter chefely to knowe the wyll of God aryghte in suche chaunces Augustus WHan Iulius was deade rose greate commotions at Rome Marcus Cicero counselled to make a peace on thys wyse that thence foreward noman should laye handes on the fauourers of Iulius that all they lykewyse whych had slayne Iulius should be wythout daunger or feare but all discorde layde doune on both sydes they shoulde prouide for common and perpetuall peace none otherwyse than of late dyd Thrasybulus make a concorde at Athenes the whych they called Amnistia that is that ▪ ether parte shoulde forget the iniury done and that nether of them shoulde inuade the other afterwarde Thys was very gentely and handsomly counceled and consydered of Cicero but thys contynuall peace coulde not endure longe For whan afterwarde euerye man woulde rule it was necessarye that factions shoulde ryse The Senate drue Octauius Augustus to it agaynst Anthonius For Anthonius coueted y ◠raygne But the souldiours conspyryng against the Senate slew manye of the chefe men of the citye among the which was Cicero beheaded also But the empyre remayned by Octauius Augustus only which was kynsman to Iulius for Iulia syster of Iulius had spoused Accius Balbus but theyr doughter was Accia whose husband was Octauius of them was borne Octanius Augustus whom Iulius had appointed and chosen hys heyre whereby he was surnamed Cesar and that name remayned euer afterwarde by the successors euen as though by ryght of succession they dyd entre into Cesars kynred as it was wont to be whan successors were first adopted and chosen Nether was Iulius called Cesar fyrste by reason of the empyre but many of his kynred were so surnamed before For the old approued Grammarians do wryte that the name of Cesar cōmeth of the worde or name Cesaries whiche signifieth goodly heare or a bush of fayre heare and of that gat the Iulies fyrst that name because that one or other happelye had a fayre heare in that kynred As for the name Augustus dyd the Senate adde to Octauius for hys luckynesse and prosperitye in hys affayres Augustus commeth of Auguruim that is a diumation or soythsayenge by the crye or slighte of byrdes and betokeneth fortunate and he whom God doeth prospere by lucky sygnes or tokens This addition is a right geuen to a supreme gouernour of y ◠world for god is with y ◠ciuil power the gouernaunce of an empyre is the gyfte and ordinaunce of God Augustus raygned syxe and fyfty yeares but he gouerned not the empyre alone the twelue fyrst yeares For beyng yong not passyng nyneten yeares of age was he set in the gouernaunce he was made counsul because he stack by the Senate of of the which he was made consul in despyte of Antonius But the souldiours agreyng wythin them selues set them agaynst the Senate and his adherentes But for so much as thys concord could not be durable Augustus was fayne afterwarde to be at variaunce and stryue also wyth hys felowes and so optayned he the whole empyre alone But whan the gouernaunce was stablyshed with peace he vsed moost hygh moderation in all thinges and confirmed the whole empyre wyth honeste lawes and statutes in so much that it is reported he shuld haue sayd The kyngdome shall last for euer yf these ordinaunces be not auoyded and disanulled But what shall I saye much Augustus is scasely counted the fyrste and chefest among the sage and moderate princes ¶ The thyrde boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the tyme sence Christes byrth BEfore in the begynnynge of thys worke haue we diuided thys whole Cronicle and tymes of the worlde in thre partes and that accordinge to the sayenge of Elias that both the moost alterations of thynges in the world and order of the tymes myght be knowen more surely Besydes thys that we shoulde also knowe that the worldes end is nowe not farre of Howbeit we haue nowe dispatched allmoost foure thousand yeares and about that time nearehande was Christ borne the whyche Elias had prophecyed Now in this thyrd boke shall we lyke wyse treate of the thyrde parte of Elias meanynge and begynne thys boke wyth the same And how lytle Elias had fayled in the order of the yeares truely it maye be perceaued verye easely for CHRISTE our LORD very God and man was borne into thys lyfe of the virgin Mary euen the two and fortyeth yeare of Augustus raygne and thys was thre thousande nyne hundreth and foure and fortyeth yeare sence the creation of the worlde But to counte the yeares exactely and narowly there is somewhat requisite in the nombre of the yeares For the foure thousande yeares are not fulfilled But the prophete sayde moreouer that God wold preuent and come spedely before the tyme of hys comminge because the ende of all thinges myght be more neare Howbeit the thynges that are concernyng the knowledge of Christes natiuyte Passion and Resurrection for euerye Godly man the same maye all be searched in the Euangelistes But as concerning the tyme whan