Hellen a British Princess he claimed a Succession to the Roman Empire and would e're long come with an Army to Rome subdue it and make it Tributary to Britain which stout Answer so dashed the Legate that he return'd much troubled and some write but upon what Certainty I know not that this King passed the Seas with a Fleet of 1000 Sail of Ships and a mighty Army subduing France Germany the Netherlands and Italy Soon after the Saxons were expelled Loth King of the Picts dyed and the Britains unwilling a Stranger should Reign over them in a manner by their Importunity compelled King Arthur to exclude Mordred now King Pictland from the Succession and to Adopt Constantine the Son of Cador Duke of Cornwal a valiant and virtuous young Man which Disappointment so vexed Mordred that after many threatning Messages finding no Redress he raised the Power of his whole Kingdom to which many Scots joyned themselves and ravaged the Northern Parts slaying and burning all in his way And tho' several Bishops on either Part laboured for a Reconciliation they could not prevail so that to decide the Controversie a dreadful Battle was fought near the River Humber and the Britains being entangled among the Bogs and Quagmires a Place that had been ever fatal to them tho' they fought like Lions yet in the end both Kings with most of their Nobles being slain with 20000 Picts and Scots and 30000 Britains the Day fell to the Picts and Scots by a crafty Device of a Scot who getting among the Britains cryed in the British Tongue Our King and his Nobles are slain every Man shift for himself which wrought such a Fear in the Army that it fell in Rout before there was any Cause for it and this Loss was so great that neither Nation recovered it in many Years The Body of King Arthur being found covered with the Heaps he had slain was honourably buried in Glastenbury Church-yard in Summersetshire and after his Death the Saxons came again and drove the Britains into the Mountains taking strong Possession of all the plain Country The Life and Glorious Actions of Charlemagne or Charles the Great who restored the Roman Empire in the West WHen the barbarous Nations as Goths Huns Sarazens Vandels Lumbards c. had torn the Roman Empire in pieces and divided it among themselves grievously Persecuting all that professed the Name of Christ GOD hearing the Cries and Groans and seeing the abundant Tears of his afflicted People raised them up Deliverers And first Charles Martell a French Prince who taking Courage to rescue his oppressed Country raised an Army of 60000 French and Germans who gave Battle to Abderamen a King of the Sarazens who had over run Franco with an Army of 400000 Men and overthrew him with the slaughter of 375000 of his Men and found him overwhelmed with a Heap of the Slain and tho' not wounded his Men in their Flight from the pursuing French Men pressed him to Death and soon after overthrew with great Slaughter another King of the Sarazens who was coming to Aid the former with an Army of 300000 Men utterly driving the Sarazens out of France and Germany for which worthy Service after his Death his Son Pepin a valiant Prince was made King and Childrick a lazy vicious Prince of the Race of Pharamond laid aside This Man did many great Actions much enlarging his Kingdom and dying divided his vast Dominions between his two Sons viz. Charles or Charlemagne and Caroloman the first being crowned at Wormes and the last at Soissons but long they agreed not for Charles being of a mild Temper and Caroloman of a turbulent Spirit he laboured to supplant him and to that end after some Contests he joyned with the Enemies of Charles went to Rome under a Pretence of Devotion labouring to make the Pope his Friend and to League himself to Didier a powerful King of the Lombards in Italy which wrought much Trouble to Charles from the Lombard and Pope But within three Years after his being crowned Caroloman dyed and then after strugling with some Rebels the whole Inheritance fell to Charles who warred with the Saxons Bavarians and other Nations sixteen Years and overcame them making them his Tributaries And when Didier the King of the Lombards went to Rome and hanged the Pope's two Secretaries for siding with Charles and caused the Pope to be deposed Charles having over come the Sons of Caroloman who raised Disturbances in France to put themselves in Possession of their Father's Estate he raised an Army and passing the Alps entered into Italy and in two great Battles defeated the Lombards besieging them and their King in Pavia which was soon surrendred to him and Didier their King was sent Prisoner to Lyons in France and so ended the Lombard Kingdom in Italy which had long flourished and been the Terror of all that Country and for this great Service Pope Adrian in a Councel held at Rome decreed That Charles should have a Right of Disposing of all the Ecclesiastical Benefits that became Vacant throughout Christendom Charles no sooner returned into France but Aldegise Son to Didier raised Commotions in Italy by the Helpe of Rogand to whom Charles had given the Country of Friuli but by the Care and Vigilence of the French Governours Rogan was taken and by the King's Command lost his Head which ended the Sedition And being now at Leasure he resolved to War on the Sarazens and Moors who coming over to Africa had strongly possessed themselves of all Spain and overthrew them in several Battles taking the Cities of Pampelona and Saragosa and many other strong Places putting those he found therein to the Sword for their Cruelty towards the Christians but Agoland a Sarazen King taking the Advantage of streight Passages in the Mountains fell upon Milon the Brother of Charles and slew him with most Part of his Army and elevated with this Victory he marched into France and besieged Agen in Gascoine but Charles soon overtook him yet his Troops with long Marches were so weary that they were not at that time in a Condition to fight yet Agoland propos'd a Way to decide the Difference viz. That a Troop on either Party should fight it out and the Sarazen promised to turn Christian if his was beaten and his Troop being worsted and mostly slain he did become a Christian in Shew but seeing the King at Dinner and a Table in the same Room at which many poor Men fed of the King's Bounty he demanded what they were to which Charles answered They were God's Ministers Nay then said the impious Sarazen your God must needs be very poor himself seeing his Ministers are so very poor and contemtible and so departed But Charles to be revenged of him followed him into Spain overthrew him in a great Battle and brought away his Head as a Trophy of his Victory Thus this great Man having extended his Dominions very largely was by Pope Leo whom he
when the King of Jerusalem and other Confederate Kings assembled a mighty Army utterly to destroy them for making this League with the Enemies of their Country upon their Supplication Joshua made a hard March to their Relief and utterly in a terrible Battle discomfited the Kings and their Armies and to lengthen out the Day for their Distruction at the Prayer of Joshua the Son and Moon that were hastening to set stood still for the space of a whole Day so that there was no Day like that Day in which God fought for Israel by destroying Multitudes of their Enemies with mighty Hail stones that fell upon them yet hurt not one of the pursuing Israelites and their five Kings being found hid in the Cave Mukkedaâ— Joshua pulled them out and caused the People to set their Feet upon their Necks in Token of Subjection slew them and hanged them on five Trees burning 2000 War-charriots with Fire and then marched through all the Land of Canaan taking Cities and Strong holds and in five Years utterly subdued it unless some few strong Garrisons and having caused is to be viewed divided it amongst the Tribes by Lot of 〈…〉 as Moses had appointed setting up the Tabernacle of God 〈◊〉 Shiloe This famous War as it was thus finished the fifty Thousand whose Lot was in the Land of the Amorites returned with great Riches to their Wives and Children and that the parting of the River Jordan might not in time to come make them be taken for another People they erected an Altar there which by a Misunderstanding had like to have created a bloody War between their Bretheren and them but the real Cause being known it was prevented And now Joshua having Governed successfully twenty Years and grown Old finding the time of his Death approaching assembled the Princes and Heads of the ePple and gave them a strict Command to Obey the Lord their God in all things that he had commanded by the Mouth of his Servant Moses and to walk uprightly in his sight that it might be well with them and their Children for ever And soon after he died greatly lamented of the People in the 110th Year of his Age and from â—â—e World's Creation 2560. and before the coming of Christ 1500. V. The Life and glorious Reign of David King of Israel DAvid the renowned King of Israel and Captain of the Peple of the Lord of Host was the Son of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah who in his young Years kept his Father's Flocks and was then very Daring and Valiant as appears by his fighting with and killing a Lion and a Bear who came to devour his Sheep and when Saul King of Israel sinned against God in disobeying his Commands this Striplin was appointed to Reign over Israel and by a special Command was annointed King by Samuel the Prophet And the first of his publick Appearance to make himself known and to rise to Greatness was when Saul and his Armies were defied by Goliah the great Giant of Gath whom he slew with a Sling and a Stone and had Michol the King's Daughter in Marriage as it had been promised to him that should overcome that daring Champion of the Philistines who had been a Man of War from his Youth upward and highly was he favoured in the Court of Saul by Abner the Captain of the Host with the Giant 's Head in his Hand But after his many Victories the Virgins in their Songs ascribed to him ten Thousands of Slain and to Saul but one which stirred up his Jealousie and Envy against him without his deserving it David no sooner became renowned at Court and throughout all the Land of Israel but Jonathan Saul's eldest Son and a very vertuous Prince made a very strict League of Friendship with him insomuch that they became as own Brothers he labouring to pacifie his Father's Wrath towards David till he incurred it himself and narrowly escaped Death as David had often done Saul by this time having Notice that by God's Appointment David was to be King of Israel his Spirit was so troubled that at times he fell into a melancholy Madness so that an evil Spirit possessed him and when David was playing before him on his Harp as he often did to drive away the Spirit Saul falling into one of his Fits narrowly mist slaying him by throwing a Javelin at him with such Force that it stuck in the Wall and David fled for his Life and Saul sent Soldiers to pursue him and beset his House where he had been taken but that his Wife let him down a Back-way and laid an Image in his Bed pretending he was sick till he escaped to the City of Nob where of Abimelech the High-Priest he obtained Shew-bread for his Sustenance and the Sword of Goliah kept there as a Monument for his Defence of which Doeg the Edomite informing all the People belonging to that place were slain by Saul's Command as Abettors to his Enemy which News greatly grieved David who then made his aboad in the Woods and Mountains And many were the Persecutions he endured from that time till Saul and his Sons being discomfitted by the Philistines fell on their Swords and died on Mount Gilboa After the Death of Saul Abner his Uncle after some Battles fought against David on the behalf of Ishosheth Saul's Son upon a Quarrel between them about Rispha one of Saul's Concubines deposed his Master and made an Agreement with David to settle him in the Kingdom which he performed by drawing the Tribes of Israel to his Party and David was saluted King but Joab Captain of David's Host envying a Man that had such great Power with the People and become a new Favourite with the King to his Prejudice secretly sent for him to treat about Affairs at Hebron and there in the Gate treacherously killed him whose Death David greatly lamented but Joab being powerful in the Army he durst not punish him for it And soon after Ishosheth the late King of Israel was murthered whose Murtherers David caused to be put to a cruel Death And soon after the Philistines invading the Land he overthrew them in two great Battles and extended his Borders by Victories over the Moabites and Ammonites and Westward upon the Phoenetians warring with the Arabians Syrians Humeans Amalekites and Messopotamians and much enlarged his Kingdom to which it was in the time of Joshua or ever before his Reign and settling his Affairs in Peace and Plenty the great Decayers of Virtue he unhappily cast his Eyes from his Tarras on the beautiful naked Body of Bersheba Wife to Vriah one of his faithful Captains as she was Bathing in a Fountain sent for her and lay with her and when she had told him she was with Child he sent for her Husband to cover the Shame but he refusing to lie with her he sent Letters by him to Joab to have him destroy'd who as he was directed set him in the Front of the Battle and retired
The Famous and Renowned HISTORY OF THE Nine Worthies of the World VIZ. I. Hector Son of Priamus King of Troy II. Alexander the Great who first Conquered the World III. Julius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome IV. Joshua Captain-General of Israel V. David King of Israel VI. Judas Maccabeus a valiant Jewish Commander VII Arthur the famous British King VIII Charles the Great Emperour of Germany IX Godfrey of Bulloigne King of Jerusalem Giving a true Historical Account of their Glorious Lives Victories and Deatâ—â— London Printed by W. O. and are to be sold by the Booksellers of Pye-corner and London by The History of the Nine WORTHIES c. I. The Noble Actions Life and Death of the Famous and Renowned Hector Prince of Troy c. I Suppose there is few who have not heard of the famous Siege of Troy once a renowned City in Asia the Less against which all the Power of Greece fought ten Years e're they could subdue and utterly destroy it But being now to write of the glorious Actions of the Nine Worthies of the World whose famous Valour has made Men stand amazed and transmitted their Names and worthy Deeds to Posterity I must however say something of that War which has employed so many Pens Antient and Modern to set forth the Life and noble Atchivements of the Every-renowned and Valiant Hector the eldest Son of Priamus King of Troy This famous City commanding once so many Realms in Asia stood on the Coast of the Aegean-Sea on the Asian side near the Helespont called now the Streight of Constantinople over-against the Chersonesus of Thrace water'd by the famous Rivers Scamander and Simois after changing his Name till at length it was called Illium and Troy and was twice subdued by Hercules and Priamus Son to King Laomedon and Hesione his Daughter were carried Captives into Greece the first of them was ransom'd but the latter being very beautiful King Telamon Father to Ajax kept her for his Pleasure and would by no Entreaty consent to restore her though Priamus after the Death of his Father Laomedon coming to the Crown sent Antenor one of his chief Nobles to Telamon's Court to solicite her Delivery by whom and other Princes of the Greeks he was dismissed with Scorn and terrible Threats But Priamus concluding himself now strong enough to be revenged on the Greeks for the Injury and Affront done to him in the detaining his Sister called his Sons and Nobles to Councel laying the matter before them and requiring Advice All the Nobles approved of the Design but Hector and Helenus two of his Sons perswaded him from it as an Attempt full of Danger as likewise did Cassandra his Daughter who was a Prophetess and ever spoke Truth but never could have any Credit to be believed However the King being stedfastly bent on the matter ordered his Son Paris at whose Conception Queen Hecuba his Mother dreamed she brought forth a Fire-brand that set all Troy in a Flame was with his Brother Diophebus sent to Sparta with many Ships and armed Men where King Manelaus reigned and there being entertained as Guest they in his Absence stole away his Queen the fair Hellena Daughter to Ledea with many of her Ladies and laying the City wast brought with them great Riches to Troy where Paris was married as Venus had promised him to Hellena the most beautiful Lady in the World King Menelaus no sooner heard of this great Injury done him but he consulted with King Agamemnon his Brother and other Princes of Greece who looking upon it as an insufferable Affront done to all the Estates resolved upon a War vowing once more to level the Walls of Troy appointing Agamemnon General over all the Forces So with a thousand Ships passed from Europe to Asia and took Tenedos after a stout Resistance made by the Trojans who garisoned the strong Castle then coming near the City they Landed but not without great Effusion of Blood on both sides so that the Sea became red for Hector who by his Father 's Appointment was General of the Trojans advancing to Succour his Men that fainted with a mighty two-handed Sword levelled all in his way killing King Protesilaus as he came with a huge force to stop his Fury and soon after King Patarocleus who came upon him with two thousand Men whose rich Armour he coveted to take but was hindred by King Menon with a great Power which King after the Slaughter of Multitudes of his Men he slew in Revenge of that Disappointment driving many of the Greeks into the Sea but at last the strong Achilles Menelaus Agamennon Ajax Diomed Vlysses Idumeus and other valiant Princes and Captains getting on Shore so encouraged their Men that the Fight continued exceeding bloody till Night parted them and then the Trojans retired to the City Early the next Morning the Trojans took the Field and found the Greeks encamped not far from the City when the Trumpets sounding to Battle the two Armies joyned more furiously than before and Hector fell on like an impetuous Storm making whole Lanes of Dead before him at every stroke giving Death making Heads and Limbs to fly about the Plain till he came where King Humerus fought successfully him he encountered and soon overthrew with the slaughter of most of his Men and pressing forward came where Achilles and his Mirmydons made great Destruction overthrowing that strong Champion and slaying his Horse and had surely slain Achilles had not his Men rushed violently to his Succour and lost many of their Lives to save him and so pressing on he threw flaming Brands on the Grecian Fleet and set part of it on Fire and this Day he had gained assured Victory had he not met Ajax in the fierce Encounter and knowing him spared his Life and by him was perswaded to a Sessation of Arms for that time and making a Truce so that the Retreat was sounded much against the Will of the Conquering Trojans which Over-sight cost him his Life and the Destruction of his Family with the Ruin of the City The Greeks having gained a Truce recruited with fresh Forces secured their Fleet with Trenches and after this and some other dreadful Battles they plainly perceived unless Hector was slain all their Hopes of winning Troy was in Vain and that they should rather perish with their whole Army they then held a Consult how to bring it to pass by any means and in the Conclusion that Task was imposed on Achilles the Fiercest and Strongest of all the Greeks who watched many Opportunities but was as often worsted and wounded in all the fair Encounters and most of his Mirmydons the valiantest of the Soldiers slain till one Day contrary to the Intreaty of his Wife Andromache who dreamed if he went that Day to the Field he would be slain as also the King and the Tears of his Mother and Sisters hearing Margetton his natural Brother was slain and the Trojans in Rout he armed and