the valleyes of the desarts The tenth was Albunea surnamed Tiburtina because she was borne at Tiber 15 miles from Rome The invisible Word shall be borne of a Virgine hee shall converse among sinners and shall of them bee despised Lactantius Firmianus rehearseth divers of their prophesies without making any particular mention of them they are to bee referred specially notwithstanding as it should seeme unto Sibylla Samberta who wrot 24 bookes in verse chiefly intreating of the comming miracles and life of Christ whereunto the sayings of all the other Sibyls are conformable S. Austine likewise in the 23 Chapter of his 18 booke Dâ—â—civitate dei reciteth these Prophesies as followeth Then he shall bee taken by the wicked â—ands of the Infidells and they â—hall give him buffets on his face with their sacrilegious hands â—nd they shall spit upon him with their foule and accursed â—outhes Hee shall turne unto â—hem his shoulders suffering â—hem to bee whipped yea he â—hall hold his peace without â—peaking ere a word to the end â—at none shall know from â—henee his words proceede â—ee shall also be crowned with â—hornes they shall give him â—all to eate and Vinegar to drinke Behold the feast that â—hey shall make him in so much â—hat thou ignorant and blinde â—eople shalt not know thy God â—onversing among men but â—hou shalt crowne him with â—hornes mingling for him gall â—nd vinegar then the vaile of â—he Temple shall rend and at mid-day it shall be darke night for the space of three houres So the just shall dye the death and this death or sleepe shall continue three dayes and when he shall have been in the bowels of the earth he shall rise againe and returne to life Lactantius moreover Lib. 4. Chap. 15. rehearseth these Pâ—â—phesies of them He shall raise the dead the impotent and lame shall goe and runne nimbly the deafe shall heare the blinde shall see the dumbe shall speak freeâ—ly And a little before that saith with five loaves and two fishes hee shall nourish in the Desartâ— 5000 men and the fragment thereof shall bee sufficient to satisfie many more Many otheâ— things were foretold by theâ—â— Sibyls as well of the ruins oâ— great States as of Christ. The eleventh called Epyrotica some hold her to bee the same that Phrigia was she came from Troas to Dodona where she prophesied and was as well as the other denominated from the place but the most hold that she was diverse from the other and was called Phaënni so writes Iohannes Tsetses she prophesied that the pure word should come from a Virgin how hee should willingly come down from heaven seem poore to the world yet should governe all things whose rule kingdome should never cease that he should be both God and Man and that this his kingdome should principally reside in the souls of men whom he would governe and save to another life thus Laelius Cleopassus and others affirme Colophonia Lampusia the twelfth she came out of Greece from Colophonia a City of Ioniâ— shee prophesied of the changes of Kingdomes of Inundation Earthquakes and of Warres shee told that God was onely to be adored that hee was angry at vice and punished it that hee did delight in holy and upright men shee told also that the whole World should bee burnt and wished men to adore that God while they lived here which would punish them so severely hereafter for their contempt Of India IN the Country of India they have two Summers their ayre is most gentle and pleasant and temperant great fruitfulnesse of the soyle and plenty of waters and therefore some â—â—ve 130 yeares especially the Musitanes There be others whose lives â—re longer there be marvellous â—reat beasts bred in that Counâ—rey and trees of such height â—hat a man cannot shoote to the â—op of them this commeth by â—he fertility of the soile temâ—eratenesse of the Ayre and â—lenty of waters Their reeds â—re of such bignesse and length â—hat the space betwixt every â—not may beare three men â—ometimes in a little River â—here bee store of Parrats It â—ringeth forth Nard Cinamon Pepper Calamus Aromaticus â—nd other spices and also divers Pearle and precious stones Pliny saith that in the Countrey of India all things are bredde of a greater magnitude then in any other Countrey as men beasts and trees The people have a bushy haire and a speciall decking with precious stones they are very divers 〈◊〉 apparrell some weare woollen garments and some linnen many goe naked and some cover their privy parts onely the colour of the body is commonly blacke being in their Motherâ— wombe such through the disposition of their Parents they bee of a good tall stature and strong They bethrifty in living and very continent from theft they know no Letters but doe all things by memory and for their simplicity and thriftinesse all things have prosperous successe they drinke no wine but in Sacrifice they make drinke of Rice and Barley their meate 〈◊〉 commonly rice-pottage they â—â—ve no prerogative to their old â—ge except they excell in wiseâ—ome He that is reprehended â—s a false witnesse hath the tops â—f his fingers cut off hee that â—epriveth any man of any memâ—er hath the law Talio that is â—o lose the like member and alâ—o his hand is cut off And if aâ—y man putteth out the eye or â—utteth away the hand of an Arâ—ificer he loseth his life for it If any woman killeth a drunken King she hath her reward to be conjoyned with his successour There be seven speciall orders amongst the Indians the first is of Philosophers which being few in number were preferred before the rest in honour and dignity they are free from all workes and neither serve any body nor governe or rule they take such things of private follâ—â— wherewith they doe Sacrifice and they have a care of the dead and especially know what is done in Hell and therefore many gifts and honours are bestowed upon them they profit much to the life of the Indians for they meete together in the beginning of the yeare and foretell drought raine windes diseases and other things the knowledge whereof is profitable that Philosopher which foresheweth any thing that is false hath no other punishment but to keepe silence for ever The second order is of Husbandmen which exceeding the rest in multitude being free from Wars and other worke doe onely bestow their time in tilling their ground no enemy offereth any injury to them because they are thought to be occupied about the common profit they live in the fields with their Wives and Children and come not into the City they give tribute to the King the fift part of â—heir profit The third order is Shepheards which neither inâ—abite in Cities nor Townes but have their tabernacles and â—heir nets and things for hunâ—ing and these keep the Countrey from the danger of beasts and fowles The fourth degree â—s of Artificers whereof some maketh weapons some other
and a laughing stock to the Gentiles they so thought for that he was borne in Bethlem a little village in Iudea that he lived and was conversant among simple people without pompe and glory and that he died the death of the crosse with reproach and shame supposing him to be a Carpenters son but they were deceived his birth was most glorious the appearing of the Starre prooved it â—he descending of Angels singing Gloria in excelsis did manifest it the comming of Magi from the East did confirme it his life was most Imperiall comanding Water into Wine the blinde to see the lame to go the sick to health and the dead to rise His death was most triumphant with the song of Hosanna he vanquished Devils subdued Hell and conquered the world and said ConsuÌ„matum est Therefore his nativity is to bee solemnized of all Christians his life to be worshipped and death to be glorified with Alâ—elujah Hosanna and Gloria in excelsis songs triumphant and fit for Jesus Christ our Saviour Of the ancient and strange ceremonies at the Election of the Prince of Carinthia CArinthia is a Province where the Sclavonians speach is spoken where manners and customes are most strange and the like Ceremonies not read of When any new elected Prince entreth into his goverment hee is brought into a faire large valley where was wont to bee an ancient Citty where some monuments are left as reliques so that time weare out the name of it In a wide faire medow hard by a marble stone is erected upon the which stone a Rusticall fellow standeth which by succession of blood that place and office by heritage doth possesse There he hath hard by him a deformed leane Mare and an olde leane Oxe and the Rusticall Countrey people in heapes about him On the farther side of the medowe is the new Prince with his Barons and States about him with great pompe very richly attired all in Purple having the Princes Ensignes and his Arms and 12 Banners carried solemnly before him the Prince being apparrelled like a poore simple country man in old broken garments his cap bare and his shoos worne with a countrey staffe in his hand seeming rather more like a shepherd then a Prince who comming nigh to the Clowne that standeth upon the stone hee cryeth out in the Sclavonian tongue and asketh who is this that is comming here so proude the Barons and the States answere he is a Prince of the Country then the Country man from the Marble stone demands againe Is this man a right and just Judge Doth he seek the benefit and wealth of this Countrey Is â—he of honest and vertuous condition Is he a sound Christian in religion Will he defend the true faith And is he worthy of this honour To whom al the States and Barons answere he is and shall be Againe he saith I aske you by what law and right should I bee removed from this seat The County of Goritia answereth for mony this place is bought then this Oxe and this Mare shal be thine and all the Garments which the last Prince did put off thy houâ—e shal be free without any tribute Then the countrey-man descendeth and meeteth the Prince and striketh him a little on the cheeke saying I command thee to be a good just Prince then he taketh his Mare and his Oxe and giveth the place to the Prince who streight standeth upon the Marble-stone taking a naked Sword into his hand first hee doth flourish it one way then he doth flourish it another way promising thereby equall Justice to the people there they bring water in a Countrey-mans cap to drink to signifie unto the Prince that he should abstaine from wine After these ceremonies the Prince coÌ„meth downe from the Marble-stone and is brought to the Temple called Our Ladies Chappel which was the seate sometime of a Bishop then from thence after some sacrifice which was to be used all things done and performed the Prince putteth off the rusticall garments that he put on before to performe the custome and ceremonies of the Countrey and weareth his princely wonted attire and after hee had feasted with his Barons and his Nobility he returned to the medow againe where the Marble-stone was and sitteth there on his Tribunall seat to heare causes pleaded and to give judgement according to Justice this is the manner and strange custome of the election of any Prince in Carinthia So strange were the customes and manners in old time aswell at the election and coronation of Princes as also in their ceremonies and Scepters For the first Kings of the world used for their Scepters long gilded speares The old Kings of Rome used a crooked staffe called Lituus Tarquiniuâ— Priscus the 5 King of Rome had his Scepter of Ivory The Kings of India had their Scepters of Ebony The Lydians carried before their Kings great Axes The Kings of Sicily used a silver staffe for their Scepter The Babylonians used divers kinds of Scepters with sundry figures as of Lyons Eagles c. The manner of the funerall pompe of the Grecians IN other parts of Greece they used more solemne mourneâ—ull ceremonies at the Funerall of their Kings and Princes â—hey tooke downe their Bulâ—arkes and Fortresses of Wars â—hey untile their Temples they â—â—bvert their Altars they reject â—nd depose their Idols they put â—ut their fire and the men shave â—oth their heads and beards and â—hey clip their horses and left â—othing undone that seemed â—ournefull Then al the Priests â—agistrates young Gentlemen â—nd children carryed Trophies â—nd Monuments of the dead â—ing with his Ensignes and â—rmes crowned with Garlands â—â—cording to the custome of â—reece The Noblemen carryed divers great Cups or Bowles some full of Wine others full of Milke and some full of Blood all in white Garments others carried Hony and Cakes which should be sprinkled and cast upon the funerall fire at what time they sung Hymnes Odes and songs called Ialemâ—â— in the praise of the dead Prince and lastly when the King is solemnly thus burned the Princeâ— and great men of his blood should carry his Ashes in Golden pots crowned over with all kinde of sweete flowers which should bee a memory or Trophie of the deaâ— King The Grecians had also these customes at the funerall of theiâ— deare friends as Parents Brethren Sisters both the Men and Woemen should have theiâ— long haire and offer it upon the Hearse of the dead So Achilles solemnized the funerall of his deare friend Patroclus cutting the fore locks of his haire to set it among many other of Patroclus friends upon his Hearse or Tombe Euripides funerall was of Arâ—bâ—laus King of Macedonia so honoured that hee lamented Euripides death with mourning apparrell and with a shaâ—en head and beard according to the use and custome of the Macedonians The great pompe and solemnity at the inauguration of the Pope of Rome THe Pope of Rome at his inauguration excelled all other Princes in solemnity
Oath that they should change none of those things which hee had enacted and prescribed before that he did returne againe saying that he would goe to the Oracle at Delphos to aske counsell what might be changed or added to his Lawes Hee tooke his journey to the Isle of Crete and there lived iâ— banishment He commanded also dying that his bones should be cast into the Sea left that the Lacedemonians if they were brought to Sparta should think themselves absolved and discharged of their oath that they made for the not changing of his Lawes The Ceremonies of the burials of the Kings of Lacedemonia THE Kings of Sparta when they be dead Knights and Pursevants declare the death 〈◊〉 the Prince throughout all the whole Countrey the women going round about the Citty doe beate and ring upon basons and pots And when this chanceth it is meete that out of every house two which are free the male one the female the other should make a shew of lamentation and mourning and for the not doing thereof great punishment is appointed and the lamenting crying out with miserable out-cries say that the last King ever was the best whatsoâ—ver King perisheth in war when they have set forth his picture â—mage they bring it into a bed very faire and well made and they consume ten dayes in the Funerals of him and there is no meeting nor assembly of Magistrates but continuall weeping and lamentation and in this â—hey agree with the Persians â—hat when the King is dead he that succedeth dischargeth from all debts whosoever oweth any thing to the King or the Common-wealth Among the Persians hee that was created King did remit to every Citty the tribute which was due The Lawes of Draco AL the Lawes which Draâ—â— made appointed death almost for a punishment to every offence Hee made a Law thaâ— they which were convict of idlenesse and slothfulnesse should lose their lives In like manneâ— that they which stole herbes oâ— fruit out of other mens grounds that they should dye for it Thâ—â— same Law of paracides whereupon Demades was wont to say that the Lawes of Draco weâ—â— written with blood and not wiâ—◠〈◊〉 The Lawes of Solon SOLON made a Law that those which were condemned of paracide and of affected tyranny should never be received into any office and not onely these hee excluded from all kinde of dignity but such also as would follow neither part when any tumult or sedition were in the City thinking it â—o be the part of an ill Cittizen when he had provided well for his owne safety to have care or â—espect of common affaires this â—lso was a strange decree of his making that such women as had husbands nothing meet for veâ—erous acts should take one whom they would choose of â—heir husbands kinsfolkes without danger He forbad lamentation mourning in anothers funerall and that the sonne should not give any helpe or refreshing to his Father if so bee that hee caused him not to bee brought up in some art necessary for the use of life and that there should be no care betwixt the parents them that were born bastards and in unlawfull matrimony For hee that doth not keepe himselfe chaste from the company of harlots doth plainly declare that he hath no care of the procreation of children but of libidinous pleasures doth deprive himselfe of his just reward He would have a common adulterer taken in adultery to be slaine scot free without any danger Whosoever did violently misuse any maids or virgines he would have them mulcted oâ— amerced with ten grotes the which was a great sum of mony in his coyne Whosoever had brought a wolfe by him overcome should have five groats to be gathered of the communalty and if it were a she Wolfe he should have but one groat It was a custome among the Athenians to persecute that beast which was as well hurtfull to their cattell as to their fields Hee commanded that the children of those which perished in War should be brought up and taught of the common charge wherwith many being encouraged did stoutly fight in battaile and whosoever lost his eyes in battaile should be kept of common charges He made a law also that he should not have the wardship of the childe to whom the inheritance might come after the death of the child And that whosoever thrust out another mans eye that hee should lose both his for it Another Law of his was that no man should take away that which he laid not there and if any did the contrary it should be judged a capitall offence If the Prince were taken or found drunken that he should dye for it Hee permitted honey and waxe to bee carryed into other Countries He thought no man meete to be free of a Citty but the crafts-man which came with his whole family to Athens or else was banished from his owne Countrey Of Dame Flora. THe Lady which the Poets call Dame Flora was a notable and common harlot who when shee had gotten great Riches by common ribaudry made the people of Rome her heire and left a certaine summe of money with the yearely use whereof the day of her Nativity should bee celebrated in the setting forth of goodly playes the which thing because it seemed detestable to attribute a certaine solemne dignity to a dishonest thing they feigned and surmised her to bee a Goddesse that had the rule and government of Flowers and that it was meete shee should be reconciled with Ceremonies that through her helpe Fruites and trees might florish and prosper Of the Ieat stone IN some part of England and Scotland there is great store of the best Ieat-stone If any body drinketh the pouder of this stone in water if the same body be contaminate with libidinous acts the same body out of hand shall be enforced to make urine and shall have no ability to keepe it back But if a Virgine drinketh of it there is no power to make urine follow Of the Burialls of the Turke and of divers observations and Customes WHen any dyeth amongst the Turkes they wash his Carcasse and cover it in very faire linnen clothes Afterward they carry the body out of the Citty into some place for they thinke it an hainous thing to bury one in the Temple Their monkes go before the Herse with Candles the Priests follow singing untill they come unto his Sepulcher or grave if it be for a poore man that is dead they gather mony in every street for the labour and paines of the religious and that they offer unto him The friends of the dead commeth oftentimes to the grave weeping and bewailing and they set the Sacrifice of their meats for the dead upon the monument as bread flesh cheese egges milke and the feast is of nine dayes space after the manner of the Ethnicks and all this is eaten for the soule of the dead of the poore or else of the Fowles of the ayre
saith there was a Tygre made tame at Rome in a Denne Strabo saith Magesthenes writeth that in India amongst the people called Prasij the Tigre is of double bignesse to the Lyon and of such strength that one being led with foure men if he should catch a Mule with his hinder claw he were able to draw the Mule unto him Some say when shee hath lost her yong shee is deceived and mocked in the way with a glasse set there by the stealer of her yong for shee following with her smelling and swift running and finding the glasse thinking her selfe to have found her yong tarrieth so long in vewing the glasse that he which tooke her yong hath time enough to escape The conditions and nature of the Parthians THe Parthians have their armies commonly of the greater number of Servants and Bond-men as every man is more wealthy so doth hee find a greater number oâ— horsemen to the King for his Warre They have many Wives for the avoyding of lechery and they punnish no fault more grievously then adultery Wherefore the Women may not come to the feasts of men nor in their sight They eate no other flesh then such as they get by hunting they be alwaies on horseback they ride to their banquets and to Warre they doe merchandize they common together they doe all common and private affaires sitting on Horse-backe their dead bodies are open preys for Fowles or Dogs they have a speciall care of worshipping the Gods they have fearefull wits seditious pratling and deceitfull Florus writeth that the third battaile that the Romans made against the Parthians they sent a notable strong Army whereof Marcus Crassus Consull was Lieutenant a man of wonderfull avarice and unsaturable cupidity of Gold who warring unfortunately against the Parthians lofing eleven Legions as he was flying was taken and flaine his head and right hand was cut off and brought to the King of the Parthians where in contempt and mockery Gold was melted into his mouth because he being so desirous of booties and preys refused peace being intreated Some say the Parthians when they powred in the melted Gold into his mouth said Now drinke Gold thou that hast alwayes thirsted for Gold and as yet couldest never be filled with Gold The which saying is also rehearsed of Tomyris the Queene of the Massagets in Scythia who warring with Cyrus the mighty King of the Persians deprived him of life in the revenging of her sonnes death whom he deceitfully killed being sent aforehand Wherefore she being in a wonderfull rage after the victory had against Cyrus caused his head to be cut off and put in a vessell full of blood saying these words thou hast sucked the blood of my Sonne and also thirsted after mine Cyrus but I will fill thee with blood drinke now and fill thy selfe therewith Of the people of Carmania and those which are called Icthiopagi IN Carmania no man may have a wife before he have brought the head of his enemy cut off to the King The King cutteth the tongue thereof into small parts and mingleth it with bread and afterward giveth it to be eaten to him that brought it and to his familiars and hee is accounted a notable fellow that bringeth many heads The Icthiophagi be so called because they eate fish most commonly and so doe their cattle and they drinke rainy and well-water They feede their fish with beasts flesh They make their Houses of Whales bones and Oyster-shels of their fish being dryed they make bread putting a little Wheate unto it for they have small store of Wheate It is read of this Nation that many of them going naked all their lives have their Wives and Children in common like unto beasts that have no difference of honesty and dishonesty Of the property of sundry Nations THe Tauroscites bee contentious people inhabiting the woods doing sacrifice to the divell Such enemies as they take they cut off their heads and set them upon an high pole in the tops of their houses There be also in this part of Asia certaine people that have their women in common and some so rude and beastly that they eate mans flesh obeying no Lawes There be others called Agrippaei which are bald from their nativity as well men as women And another kinde of people also called Issedones with whom the use is when any mans father dyeth all his kinsfolkes bring cattell and kill â—hem and cut and mingle the flesh of them with the flesh of the father of him that receiveth them to this banquet and so they make a Feast with these sundry kinds of flesh together they scoure and make cleane the head of him that is dead and use it as an Image offering sacrifice and ceremonies unto it yearely this doth the sonne to the Father and the Father to the Sonne Of the severall wayes that the Romans put any offender to death SEverall Nations have had severall kinds of death for malefactors the manner of the death usually being proportionable to the nature of the offence The Romans chiefly in their Judicatures for capitall offences punnished these three wayes By strangling beheading or stoning Amongst some Authors and those not of meane esteeme it is said that Pisolâ—â— the Souldier that set the Temple in Hierusalem on fire being called to a councell of Warre was by Titus and other officers adjudged for the same fact to have that hand cut off that threw the firebrand into the Temple and presently to shew how highly Titus was displeased at the hainousnesse of the fact hee made him examplary to all the company for his disobedience by strangling him to death upon a scaffold erected for the same purpose in the view of the whole Army and stayed himselfe in person to behold the full execution of the party The second sort of death was that they used to strike off the heads of such offenders as muâ—ined or committed any Rapes upon Virgines or Women in the taking of a Towne conâ—rary to expresse charge of Marâ—iall discipline especially of the Romans they beeing the strictest in this kinde of any Nation whatsoever It is said that CAIVS POSTHVMVS VEGELIVS a Cohort of a great esteeme for his Valour upon severall occasions under the conduct of POMPEY the great in the taking of a Fort upon conditions deflowred a maid and afterwards ravished the Mother so furious is lust if not kept under was presently by the Generall called to account and checked with this speech that the Romans ought to punnish vice in others not commit it themselves for which purpose he was there with his Army because therefore said hee thou hast had no care either of the honour of the Virgin nor her Mother nor thy selfe nor yet of thy Countrey I will have as little care of thy life and so committed him notwithstanding his office and experience 〈◊〉 valour into the hands of the executioner to have his Head cuâ—â— off in the same place where he acted his villany
studied much for honesty and goodnes and with their honest conversation did allure strangers and good men to come unto them â—nd to learne that which they â—ould not finde in other plaâ—es Their women in times â—ast did use Merchandize and â—ll things which appertained â—o Chapmen the men did weave and spinne within the house and carrie burdens on their heads the which the womeÌ„ did use to bear on their sholders the men did make Urine sitting but the woman did contrary They did discharge their bellies at home but their banquets they kept in high wayes they moulded bread with their feet and stirred their clay with their hands They did use to write after the Hebrewe fashion beginning their letters on the right hand When any of them met together at Dinner or Supper before they departed there came in one that brought a picture of a dead man upon a staffe made oâ— Wood of a Cubit length 〈◊〉 somewhat more and shewetâ— it to every one of the guests saying behold and looke upoâ— this drinke and bee refreshed with pleasure for such a one shalt thou be after thy death Their lawes were such that perjured men lost their lives as though they had beene guilty of two offences the one of violating piety towards God the other of breaking faith and promise amongst men which is the surest knot of humane society If any travailer found any man beaten of theeves and would not helpe him if he could he should bee found culpable of death if hee were not able to helpe him he was bound to detect the theeves and to follow the action against them and he that did neglect to doe this was punished with certaine stripes and kept without meat for three dayes If any Father killed his son there was no punishment of death appointed but for 3 daies and nights continually hee was commanded to bee about the dead body for they thought it no just thing to take away life from him that gave life to his children but rather that hee should bee punished with continuall paine and repentance of his fact that others might fear to do the like Paracides they caused to bee burned upon an heape of thornes and such as uttered any secrets to their enemies they caused their tongues to bee cut out And they that did counterfeit or clip mony had both their hands cut off so that with what part of the body the offence was made with the same hee should tollerate punishment If any had violated a free woman his naturall parts were cut off because in one fault he committed three haynous things that is an injury corruption and confusion of children He that was taken in voluntary Adultery had a thousand stripes with rods and the woman was mangled upon the nose The Priests could have but one Wife but the laity as many as they could keepe The bringing up of their children was with small cost for it came not unto the charge of twenty groats the whole Education of their full age and and this is not to bee marvelled at because Egypt is a hot Countrey and therefore they live naked without any kinde of Garment and they feed upon roots the which they eate sometimes raw and sometimes rosted in Imbers The Priests did teach their children especially Geometry and Arithmeticke They did drive away sicknesse either with fasting or with vomit the which they used every third day Their opinion was that all diseases came of superfluity of meates and therefore that to be the best cure which tooke away the matter and causes The seven Saxon Kingdomes that England was once divided into THe first was the Kingdome of Kent which had his beginning of the Saxon Hengist in the yeare of our Lord 476 and the fift yeare of Vortiger King of Britaine his last reigne for he had beene deposed the Kingdome continued 342 yeares till that Egberâ— King of Westsaxons vanquished Baldred last King thereof and joyned it to his owne Kingdome The second Kingdome was of Sussex or Southsaxons which began by the Saxon Ella in the yeare of our Lord 482 and the second yeare of Aurelius Ambrosius King of Britaine This Kingdome continued not above 112 yeares The third Kingdome was of East-angles or East-Englishmen and contained Northfolke and Suffolke it was first begunne by the Saxon Vffa about the yeare of our Lord 492 and the 11 yeare of Aurelius Ambrosius King of Britaine This Kingdome continued 376 yeares the last King whereof was Saint Edmond martyr'd by the Danes The fourth was the Kingdome of Westsaxons containing the West-countrey of England and had his beginning by the Saxon Cerdicus the yeare of our Lord 522 and the fift yeare of Arthur the great King of Britaine and endured from the first yeare of Cerdicus to the last of Alured the terme of 378 yeares The Kings of this Countrey subdued at length all the other sixe Kingdomes which Egbert beganne and Alured finished making all the South part of this Iland one Monarchy The fift was the Kingdome of Northumberland containing the Countries betwixt the river of Humber and Scotland had his beginning of the Saxon Idâ— King of Brenicia the yeare of our Lord 547 and the second or last yeare of the reigne of Aurelius Canon King of Britaine This Kingdome of Northumberland was at the first divided into two Kingdomes the one was called the Brenicia which bended towards the North and the other Deyra about the Countrey of Durham and this Kingdome continued some-while under one King sometime under two the terme of 409 years first under the Saxons and then under the Danes The sixt Kingdome was of the East Saxons or Essex which beganne by the Saxon Sebert the yeare of our Lord about 614 and continued from the beginning of the reigne of Sebert till the eighth yeare of Edward the elder 293 yeares The seventh Kingdome was of Mercia containing Huntingtonshire Hertfordshire Glostershire and others and was the greatest of all the other taking his beginning of the Saxon Penda in the yeare of our Lord 626 after the comming of Hengist 126 yeares during the reigne of Cadwan King of Britaine and continued from Penda till that Edward the Elder chased out the Danes about 280 yeares These 7 Kingdomes of the Saxons beside that of Wales and Scotland were all contained at once in this Iland of Britaine and continued a long space The foure Monarchies THe first Monarchy was of the Assyrians founded by Ninus about the yeare of the World 2220 augmented by the Queene Semiramis and after it had endured the terme of 1300 yeares it was translated by Arbactus unto the Medes and there having endured 350 years it was lost by Astyages and conquered by Cyrsu The second Monarchy was of the Persians founded by Cyrus the yeare of the World 3425 which after it had endured 191 yeares was lost by Darius and subdued by Alexander the great The third Monarchy was of the Grecians founded by Alexander the great in the yeare of