74 Galeatius the first duke of Millan fol. 97 Hanniball poysoneth hym selfe fol. 21 Heliogabalus fol. 38 Hieromes sentence fol. 49 Heraclius victorie fol. 60 Henry the seconde fol. 77 Henry the thyrde idem Iulius Cesar ouerthroweth the Swicers fol. 28 Inconstantie of Cicero fol. 32 Iesus Christes byrth fol. 34 Iesus Christes death fol. 36 Iulianus fol. 47 Iouinianus idem Iustinus Emperour of Grecia fol. 56 Iohn kyng of Fraunce taken of the Englishe men fol. 97 Iohn of Bourgony delyuered by a straunge meanes idem Lysimachus fol. 12 L. Luculus against Mithridates fol. 27 Leges Iuliae fol. 32 Litorius against the Gothes fol. 32 Leo Emperour fol. 54 Lyes and falsholde in the Popes Histories fol. 56 Long warre against the Saxons fol. 69 Ludouicus the Maffler fol. 73 Learning and good letters reestablisshed fol. 99 Melius slayne for his ambition fol. 14 M. Antonius the Philosopher fol. 37 Maximinus Empe. fol. 38 Martianus Empe. fol. 52 Mauritius Empe. fol. 59 Mahomets Alchoran the beginning of his authority fol. 60 Mariage forbidden to Priestes fol. 64 Nimrod the first Kyng of Chaldea fol. 1 Nabuchodonozors power fol. 5 Notable Iurisconsulles fol. 16 Nestorius condemned fol. 5 Narses the Eunuche fol. 57 Odoacer subdueth Italy fol. 54 Ottomanus the first Emp. of the Turkes fol. 66 Otho first of that name fol. 75 Otho displaceth the Pope idem Otho the seconde fol. 76 Otho taken by Pyrates idem Otho the thyrde idem Ptolomeus Philadelphus father of good letters fol. 12 Papyrius Cursor fol. 15 Pyrchus against the Romaines fol. 16 Persta king of the Macedonians taken prisoner fol. 21 Probus and the cause of his death fol. 43 Phocas fol. 59 Pipine king of Fraunce aydeth the Pope fol. 64 Priuileges of the Emperour fol. 75 Printing inuented fol. 99 Quintus Fabius a most prudent captaine fol. 17 Resination of the Empyre fol. 43 Rome taken by the Gothes fol. 51 Rome taken by the Wandales fol. 53 Rome taken by Totilas fol. 57 Rome robbed by Constans fol. 61 Robert king of Fraunce fol. 77 Robert Palatine Emperour fol. 98 Reuelation of Antichrist fol. 104 Semiramis and her noblenes fol. 2 Sardanapalus and his ende fol. 3 Socrates the fountaine of Philosophie fol. 15 Scipios victorie in Affrike fol. 19 Septimus Seuerus fol. 38 Sapor king of Persia fol. 39 Synode or counsell at Constantinople fol. 49 Strife betwene the Grekes and the Latines fol. 88 Sigismundus Emperour fol. 98 The wynnyng of Ierusalem fol. 4 The warre of the Persians fol. 8 The Penoponicall warre against the Athenians fol. 8 The ouerthrowe of the Athenians in Sicilia fol. 9 The beginning of the fourth Monarchie fol. 12 The tyme in which Rome was buylte fol. 13 The warre of Troye eodem The beginning of the Romaines eodem The first gouernement at Rome eodem The Fabiens slaughter eodem The thyrde mutation of the Romain policie fol. 14 The first warre of Carthage fol. 16 The seconde warre of Carthage fol. 17 The thirde warre of Carthage fol. 22 The warre of Numance fol. 23 The warre of bondmen and slaues eodem The byrth of Cicero fol. 24 The lawes of Sylla fol. 26 The first pleadyng of Cicero eodem The exile of Cicero fol. 29 The fourth and last monarchie fol. 32 The yerely reuenewe of Egipt fol. 33 Tyrants fol. 44 The counsell of Nice against Arrius fol. 45 The Emperour excommunicated by the Pope fol. 50 The sixte counsell of Carthage eodem The deceipt of the bishop of Rome disclosed eodem The treason of Stilico eodem The Wandales enter into Affricke fol. 51 The Britons driuen out by the Englyshe men fol. 52 The first foundation of Venice fol. 53 The number of the dukes of Venice eodem The counsell of Calcedon eodem The West Empyre sore afflicted fol. 54 The Lumbards enter into Italy fol. 59 The fourth counsell of Toletanum fel. 60 The sixte counsell of Constantinople fol. 62 The beginning of the turkes fol. 66 The number of Emperours murdered fol. 67 The great Maisters of Fraunce and their credit fol. 68 The Empyre renued by Charlemaine fol. 70 The seuen electours of the Empyre instituted fol. 77 The sonne against the father fol. 85 The counsell of Latran fol. 88 The euenings of Sicilia fol. 93 The ouerthrow of the templers fol. 94 Two Emperours crowned fol. 95 The first tenthes eodem The golden Bull. fol. 96 The king of Hungarie defeited by the turke fol. 97 The Popes court transferred into Fraunce fol. 98 The Papacie as Cerberus hath thre heads fol. 99 The counsell of Constance eodem The prophecie of Daniel expounded fol. 101 The foure beastes eodem The tenne hornes fol. 102 The wicked doctrine of Mahomet eodem The Ramme and the Goate eodem The Pope and the Turkes enemies of them pyre fol. 103 There shal be no fifte monarchie eodem The thre hornes of the turkes fol. 104 The fury of Sathan at the ende eodem Victorie of Pompeius against Mithridates fol. 27 Victorie of Cesar in Affricke fol. 31 Vlpianus Iurisconsull fol. 38 Valerianus fol. 40 Vitigis king of the Gothes taken prisoner fol. 57 Vsurpation of the Popes ouer the Empyre fol. 63 Vitories of Charles the fifte in Affricke fol. 100 Vnstabilitie of the Lords of Millan fol. 101 Victories of Alexander fol. 102 Warre against Philippe of Macedonia fol. 19 Warre against Antiochus kyng of Siria eodem Warre against Iugurtha fol. 24 Warre against Mithridates fol. 25 Warre against the Pyrates fol. 27 Warre in Alexandria against Cesar fol. 30 Warre of the Romains in Dutchland fol. 34 Warre betwene the Frenchmen the Englishmen fol. 96 Xerxes the fourth Emperour fol. 8 Xerxes ouerthrowen by the Grecians eodem Zenobia the valiaunt wyfe of Odenatus fol. 4◠Zeno Isauricus fol. 54 FINIS To the Reader SIth no mans doings can auoyde Reproch at Momus hand I iudge it nedeles to craue ayde The same for to gaine stand Wherefore I will contented be The same to ouerronne With silence and simplicitie As many moe haue donne Trusting that such as be of skill Hereat wyll not disdayne But it in gre they accept will To recompence my payne ¶ Faultes escaped in the prynting Note that a. signifieth the first side of the page and. b. the second Follio 1. b. line 17 Affrica read Asia fol. 2. a. line 15 brought out read were brought out fol. 6. a. line 12. haue these two read leaue these two fol. 14 b. line 7. surmounte read surmounted fol. 14. b. line 8. was bannished read he was bannished fol. 15. a. line 22. it hathe bene read as it hathe bene fol. 19. b. line 1. to be read is to be fol. 23. b. line 3. sure read seuere fol. 28. a. line 23. adde next to thys worde grauen were molten fol. 28. a. lyne 24. the molten image read the image fol. 39. b. lyne 5. Persians held read the Persians held fol. 43. a. lyne 4. short stand read shortly stande fol. 50. a. lyne 9. Priestes read bishop fol. 90. a. lyne
was elected Emperour A litle before this time occasioÌ„ of great warre did arise betwen the Frenchmen the Englishemen Charles yâ— fourth For as Charles the faire king of FrauÌ„ce was disceased without men children the which befell the yere a M. CCC XXVII Edward the third of that name king of England contended that the kingdome appartained vnto him Warre betwene the FrenchmeÌ„ and the Englishemen because that he was sonne of Isabel the sister of Charles The chiefe of the kingdome who are named Petes elected king Philip of Vallois cosin of king Charles disceased excluding not only Edward soÌ„ne of the sister but also the kinges daughter who was borne after the dyscease of her father For they sayd that the heritage of that kyngdome dyd nothyng appartayne vnto daughters Herevpon sprong a terrible warre the which yet at this day is not wel appeased The affaires of the Emperour Charles were very troublesome at the beginning Edward king of England was also chosen Emperour but he wold not accept it as it is reported because of the war where in he was occupied against the Frenchmen The Emperour Charles hauing appeased diuers innimities thorow Germany drew into Italy at the consent of Pope Innocent the .vi. who was in Fraunce was crowned at Rome by certain Cardinalls vnder conditioÌ„ that he shuld not soiourne neither at Rome nor in Italy Institution of the viccaires of the Empyre Wherfore he returned to Millan where he graunted to the family of Vicontes who then were of great power in that towne that they shuld be perpetual Viccaires of the Emperour through Lomberdie For the which benefite he receiued a great summe of monny of them not of them only but also of other people vnto whom he had gyuen certaine priueledge The which dyd greatly weaken the powers of the Empire in that country After he was returned from Italy he assembled the Princes made the decree of the Empire which is coÌ„monly called the bul of gold Last of all he declared Wenceslaus his sonne successour of the Empire The goldeÌ„ bull the which he obtained as the bruit goeth by great summes of money Shortly after he disceased In the time of his Empire Iohn king of Fraunce son of Philip of Vallois gâ—ue battaile against the Englishe men who then held the most parte of Aquitania and the towne of Bourdeaux He was taken in the battaile very nere Poitiers with Philip the least of his sonnes Iohn kyng of Fraunce taken of the Englyshe men who was afterwards duke of Bourgony surnamed the Hardy Diuers of the chiefe nobilitie were slain in that battaile They that haue writen the Annales witnes that the EnglishemeÌ„ were no more then vii thousand and on the coÌ„trary that that FrenchmeÌ„ were come thether in an infinite nuÌ„ber euen about sixtie M. This came to passe the yere a M. CCC L. VI. the xx of September The king was led captiue into England where he died .vii. yeres after Wenceslaus as writtings do mentioÌ„ was very vitious aswel of his nature and bringing vp Wenceslaus as of his maner of liuing toke no care of the publike weale He hauing receiued peÌ„ce of Iohn Galeatius who was of the house of Vicontes Galeatius the first duke of Millan he made him duke of Millan of Lomberdy notwithstanding that he was a couetous and cruell man In his raigne Iagello duke of Lituanie was elected by the will and consent of the Princes king of Polonia after the death of king Ludouicus He was then fyrst baptised and named Vladislaus He is the double great grandfather of Sigismondus the .ii. who now raigneth The king of Hungarie defeicted by the Turcke Sigismundus King of Hungarie was vainquished nere vnto Nicopole by Baiazeth Emperour of the Turcks the last of SepteÌ„ber The king of Fraunce Charles the .vi. of that name had sent a braue cheuallry vnto the succour of the Hungarians wherof Iohn sonne of Philip the Hardie duke of Burgony had the conduction who was taken in the battaile presented vnto the greate Turke being in extreme danger of his person not withstanding he escaped after a straunge maner Iohn of Bourgonie deliuered by a strang meanes which reciteth the Annales of Fraunce Baiazeth had one of his familiares who was of them that make profession bost themselues to know the dispositions natures of meÌ„ in beholding the body the eyes the visage the forhead He hauing cast his eye sight vpon the prisoner perswaded that Emperour to let him go safe seing that at his returne into his country it would so come to passe that he shuld kindell a fier wherewith the most part of Europa or of Christendome shuld be enflamed Baiazeth beleued him let go the prisoner with the other gentill men after he had receiued their ransome which did amount vnto CC. M. crownes Iohn being returned into Fraunce begaÌ„ne to set himself against Ludouicus duke of Orleans who was the kings brother For he seyng the king his brother to be holden wyth an incurable disease would handle the affaires haue gouernment be cause that he was his nerest kinsman Iohn of Bourgony on the contrary perceauing himself to be the kings cosin and greater in age Philip his father being dead would goe before Their quarel increased dayly in such sort that the duke of Orleans was at length slaine at Paris as he returned to his lodging after supper The murderers were hired by the Duke of Bourgonie the whiche he denyed not and likewyse approued that whych was done this befell in the yeare a M. CCCC VII the ninth of December Twelue yeares after when the said duke of Bourgonie came to the place appointed for the parising of the matter The death of Iohn of Burgonye not withstaÌ„ding the assurance made vnto him he was dispatched bi certain familiars of the aforesaid duke of Orleans who had conspired against him The murder was done in the presence of the Dolphine who preseded in the leading of the matter This is the original beginning of the war which from that time hath not ceased euen vnto this day to be renued from time to time betwene these two famalies Because that the Emperour Wenceslaus was dispised for his vnmanlines the princes dyd put him from besides his estate elected in his place Robert Palatin Robert Palatin Emperour This maÌ„ forthwith applied his mind to correct that which Wenceslaus had done amise would not ratifie the graunt that his predecessor had made vnto Iohn Galeatius so that he was minded to bring LoÌ„bardy again in the obedience of the Empire But as he forcasted to go into Italy aswel for this cause as for others he was letted yea repulsed by the aboue said Galeatius The estate of Italy was then very troublesome through the faute chieflye of Charles Wenceslaus who had ouermuch licenced graunted vnto those people For besides Galeatiê° who of late was
A briefe Chronicle of the foure principall Empyres To witte of Babilon Persia Grecia and Rome Wherein very compendiously the whole course of histories are conteined Made by the famous and godly learned man IOHN SLEIDAN and englished by Stephan Wythers AFTER DARCKNES LIGHT POST TENEBRAS LVX PRINTED AT LONDON by Rouland Hall dwellyng in Gutter Lane at the signe of the halfe Egle and the Keye 1563. To the right honorable Lord the Lord Rushell Earle of Bedford c. Stephan Wythers wisheth prosperous health long lyfe with encrease of godly honour CAlling to mynde right honorable the bonde that Nature hath layd as it were vpon euery mans shulder to wit that eche man to his power and abilitie should diligently labour to benefite his natiue countrey I thought it therefore my bounden dutye to gratifie your Lordship at this present and also as proceding from your honour the residue of my countrey men with this my simple labour Whiche though many might haue done it better yet I haue done my good wyll being not only incited and encouraged therevnto by the vulgare report of your clementie and gratefull accepting of diuers other mens labours in such lyke enterprises but also by the worthines of the worke and splendent fame of the authour whose worthy Chronicle as touching the estate of religion and the weale publike vnder the Emperour Charles the fifte for as muche as the custodie thereof in our Englishe tongue was exhibited vnto your honour I thought I could not chose a more fitter Patron for this litle booke then him who had alreadie by thankfull accepting of the foresaide Chronicle declared his good will to the Authour To make discourse vnto your Lordship concerning the goodnes and excellentnes thereof and the benefite that may therefrom redounde vnto all such as are studious I thynke I shuld as the prouerbe is but powre water into the sea for as much as the same is farre better described in the authours own preface as also the causes that moued him to take in hand the same then I should haue bene able to haue penned it Not withstanding this much I may well say with Thucidides that amonges all other writtyngs histories is a treasure which neuer ought to be out of our hands to the end that being ayded thereby we might the better handle such lyke busynesses and chaunces in the common weales for albeit that the persons are chaunged and haue geuen place to nature yet the same or the lyke accidents and chaunces happen dayly Yea I maye boldly affirme that it much auayleth them that be in authoritie to marke diligently in the reading of histories the actes of all ages to the end that they hauing examples layed before their eyes both of good and euyll regiment and of the blessing of God vpon good gouernours and of the iuste wrathe of God diuersly powred vppon the contrary sort may learne to folow the good and eschewe the euyll Nowe briefely to finishe my humble request is first that it wold please you to accept in no worse part this my simple and smale offer then as the present of one that earnestly wisheth you all felicitie who woulde haue geuen better yf his abilitie had to his good wyll bene correspondant and consequently to pardon my boldnes and to beare with the rudenesse of my style And in so doing I shal thynke my selfe not onely much bound vnto your honour but also be earnestly moued to praye vnto God to maintaine you in your estate to prosper and further all your good purposes to encrease you in vertue and keepe you in good health and prosperitie Your honours humble Stephan Wythers A Table of the principall things treated of in this booke ARtaxerxes longhand the fifte Emperour Follio 9 Alexanders victorie against Darius Fol. 10 Alexander beginner of the third monarchy Folio 11. Alexanders liberalitie Idem Alexanders successours Folio 12. Appius Claudius and hys wicked cupiditie fol. 14 An act worthy of memorye fol. 17 Attilius Regulus and hys cruell death idem Archimides an excellent Mathematicion fol. 17 Asdruballes ouerthrowe fol. 18 Ariminius ouerthroweth the Romains fol. 34 Augustus victorie idem Ausonius Poet. fol. 49 Albin chief founder of the vniuersitie of Paris fol. 71 Albertus Emperour fol. 99 Belochus the first king of Assiria in the new monarchie fol. 3 Balthazar the last Emperour of Babilon fol. 6 Bishoppes resist Pope Iulius fol. 47 Belizarius miserie in his olde age fol. 58 Berengarius and hys sedicion in Italy fol. 74 Cyrus and hys death fol. 7 Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus idem Camilius and hys vertue fol. 14 Cicero treasurer of Sicilia fol. 18 Cato enuious against Scipio fol. 20 Ciuill warre betwene Sylla and Marius fol. 25 Conspiratie of Catilinâ— fol. 27 C. Octauius byrth fol. 28 Crassus slayne by the Parthians fol. 29 Ciuill warre betwene Pompeius and Cesar idem Cesar vanquisheth Pompeius fol. 30 Cesar slayne in the Senate fol. 31 Cicero slaine by Antonius fol. 33 Corruption of the Latine tongue fol. 35 Confusion in the Romaine Monarchie fol. 36 Cyprianus complaint fol. 40 Constantinus the great fol. 44 Constantinus Constantius Constans brethren idem Clodoueus the first christian king of Frannce fol. 56 Constantinople besieged by the Saracenes fol. 63 Charlemaine taketh the kyng of the Lumbards fol. 65 Clarlemain proclamed Emperour idem Constantinus Monomachus fol. 66 Constantinople taken by Mahometh idem Charlemains authoritie aboue the Pope fol. 70 Counsells holden in Fraunce fol. 72 Charles the great fol. 73 Constantie of Papinianus fol. 38 Charles the fourth fol. 96 Constantinople taken by the Turke fol. 100 Charles the fifte Emperour idem Darius the thyrd kyng of Persia fol. 7 Darius ouerthrowen by the Athenians idem Darius the Bastard the .vi. Emperour fol. 9 Darius superfluities and his ende fol. 12 Denis the Tirant and his actes fol. 15 Distruction of Carthage fol. 22 Distruction of Corinthus fol. 33 Decre of marcellus Bishop of Rome fol. 43 Decre of Anacletus fol. 44 Decre of Valentinianus and Valens fol. 48 Dinelshe ambiton of Bonifacius the second fol. 58 Dissipation of the Romaine Empyre fol. 100 Daniel alledged by christ fol. 105 Eulmerodach Nabuchoâ—onâ—zors successor fol. 6 Excellent captaines of Grecia fol. 10 Excellent captaines of Rome fol. 14 Excellent Consulles Fol. 17 Excessiuenes of Antonius and Cleopatra Fol. 34 Excellent Iurisconsulles Fol. 39 Euyll hap of the Emperour and Empyre Fol. 67 Eginardus Charlemains Secretary Fol. 70 Fabricius faithfulnes Fol. 16 Flauius Cladius Fol. 41 Forcastes of Athila king of the Hunnes fol. 52 Ferce and terrible warre in Campania idem Flateries of the Papistes fol. 56 Fyne interpretation of Sainct Paule fol. 64 Falshode in the great decre of Gratianus fol. 73 Fridericus redbeard fol. 86 Great authoritie of the Romains fol. 20 Gracchus dreame fol. 24 Great expences of Octauius fol. 35 Gordianus fol 39 Gallus Hostilianus fol. 40 Gallienus fol. 41 Gallus slaine for abusing of his authoritie fol. 46 Graues forbidden to be solde fol.
Sennacherib folowed after him Sennatherib who kept hys dwellyng in Nineue He condemned kyng Ezechias in a great summe of money afterwards he came and befeged Ierusalem with a mighty army and by the Embassadours that he dyd sende he exhorted the people to yelde and guye ouer and rayled on the kung who hoped for succour at the hand of God But he remayned not vnpunished for euen in one night he loste an hundred foure scoure and fyne thousande men that were kylled by the Angell the whiche God euen a lytle before had fyrmely promised by Esay vnto Ezechias the kyng And beyng retourned home from thence he was murthered euen of his owne children Hitherto the Babilonians were subiect to the Assirians after the ouerthrowe of Sardanapalus but after that Sennacherib as it is sayde was so euyll handled nere vnto Ierusalem and shortly slayne of hys chyldren thynges were greatly chaunged and the kyngdome was diuided For the two brethren that had done the murther Adramelech and Sarasar dyd flye and yet not wythstandynge dyd put them selues in armes Assaradon and made out theyr power agaynst Assaradon theyr brother who dyd vsurpe the kyngdome after the death of hys father for as muche as before he dyd gouerne the publyke weale in hys fathers absence Merodach lieutenant of Babilon fyndyng thys occasion fitte for hys purpose dyd rebell Merodach and after that he had by lytle and lytle partly by fayre meanes and partly by threates gotten vnto hym self the countreys there about he defied Assaradon and finally hauyng vanquished hym in the twelfth yere of hys raygne he ioyned the whole Empyre of the Assirians vnto the Babilonians and raygned fourty yeres After him certain authours do place Benmerodach Nabuchodonozor the first of that name Benmerodach Nabuchodonozor but for asmuch as the holy scriptures make no mencion of him seing also we ought not rashly to beleue other writings we wil here place that Nabuchodonozor of whom the holy scripture so largely speaketh next after Merodach He then shortly after the beginning of his raigne made war against the Egiptians toke from them the whole coūtrey which is from Euphrates vnto Pellusiū He layed tribute vpon Ioachim king of Iudea the .viii. yere of his raigne he brought his sonne king Ieconias captiue into Babilon with the chief lords artificers not onely of the citie of Ierusalem but also of the whole coūtrey The .xviii. yere of his raign after that he had layed siege for the space of two yeres before the citie of Ierusalem he toke it The wynning of Ierusalem spoyled it brunt it he brake down the walls he led the most part of the people away captiue he put out the eyes of king Zedechias slew his children with the princes Ieremy did foreshew this miserie in the first yere of the raign of Nabuchodonozor from that time is to be rekened the .lxx. yeres of the captiuitie in Babilon About the .xxiiii. yere of hys Empyre after that Nabuchodonozor had vanquished the kyngs of the Amonites Moabites he led his army into Egipt hauyng gotten the whole countrey he afterwards began his Monarche The second yere of his sayd Monarche as the learned men of our tyme do recken he saw in hys dreame a merueylous great Image whose head was of gold his breast armes of syluer Nabuchodonozor saw a monstrous great image his belly thyghes were of brasse his legges were of yron hys fete partly of yron and partly of clay Vho after he was awaked because he had forgotten his dreame and yet not withstandyng was greatly astonished therwith he called together all the sothsayers and charmers whome he commaunded to declare vnto him what his dreame was the which yf they dyd not he threatened to put thē to death Daniel yong Daniel who was thither led captiue with the residue from Ierusalem knowyng thys he gaue to vnderstand that he could satisfie the kyngs desyre who beyng presented he first of all shewed what the kyng had dreamed then afterwards he declared what the dreame dyd signifie saying that the ymage did signifie the foure principall Empyres of the world which should orderly follow one after another Herevppon he spake on this maner vnto the kyng saying Thou truly art that head of gold thou I say whome God hath endued with power and maiestie vnto whome he hath geuen domination ouer all men ouer all beastes of the fielde and ouer the foules of the ayre After thee shall aryse another kyngdome of syluer that is to saye worse than thys of thyne The thyrde shall be of Brasse whyche shall haue domination farre abroade The fourth shall bee of Iron for euen as Iron bruseth and breaketh all thynges so shall that fourth and laste kyngdome beate downe all the others and shall make them subiect vnto it Beholde then the first prophecie and neuer hard of before touchyng the foure Empyres the whiche God hath reueyled vnto vs by Daniell a thyng worthy to be perfectly prynted in memorye for as much as in fewe wordes it comprehendeth the history of all tymes euen vnto the end of the world as I wyll hereafter declare It suffiseth for thys tyme to know how that God onely from that tyme dyd declare vnto vs the order and mutations of kyngdomes Nabuchodonozors power Now great Nabuchodonozars power was it is more manifest out of that place of Daniel where the scripture compareth hym to a tree whose heyght reacheth vnto heauen couerynge wyth hys shadowe the whole vniursall world whose leaues are excedyng fayre and fruite so pleasant that it was meate for all beasts in whose bowes and braunches all sortes of byrdes buylte theyr nestes and tooke theyr rest Thys then is the fyrst Monarche the whych vnder thys kynge was greatlye angmented and lyfted vp in soueraygne dignitie on the contrarye parte it tooke an ende and was altogether brought to ruine in his childrens childrens tyme as God had before shewed by Daniell and by other prophetes Nabuchodogozor raigned .xliii. yeres It is nedeful that al men but specially the kings princes shuld attentiuely read consider with what horrible monstruous example god punished his pride as sayth Daniel to the ende that they may haue the maiestie of god in reuerence and do their duetie towardes the people commytted vnto their charge Euilmerodach Nabuchodonosors successour Euilinerodach hys sonne folowed after hym who reigned thirtie yeres and had Assur for hys successour who reigned but three yeares Labassarbach folowed after him who kepte the kyngdome seuen yeres He being dead Balthasar dyd enioye the Empyre for fyue yeres Certaine doe count them after this sort but the learned men of our time haue these twoo and place nexte after Euilmerodach Balthasar his sonne they holde that he reigned fourtene yeres The which truely is necessary that it should so be for to furnishe the number of thre score and tenne yeres duryng the which the people
discribe thys warre of the Persyans Cicero doth call hym the father of Historyes but he sayeth that he was fylled wyth innumerable fables The Lacedemonians beynge displeased wyth this fortifycation of their Citye they for because they colde doe nothing elles dyd onelye grudge there agaynst Synce that tyme bothe they and the other Grecians wyth the Athenians ioynynge together theyr power toke Cypria and the towne of Bizance whych before the Persyans dyd keepe There was then amongest the other Dukes of the Lacedemonians Pausanias who beynge conuicted of treason after hys retourne homeward and beynge fledde to a certayne place of Freedome he was there constrained to dye for hunger Themistoles beyng accused of the lyke crime dyd flye From that tyme after the Grecians were tourmented with sundry and diuers warres and dissentions partly cyuill and partlye forren the whyche Thucydides doth lyghtlye touche But fynallye fyftye yeares after the departure of Xerxes oute of Grecya Cicero accordynge to Thucydides sayeth that that warre was greatlye enflamed The Peloponnicall Warre against the Athenians at suche tyme as the whole countrye of the Peloponesyans dyd conspyre against the Athenyans of whom Perycles the Discyple of Anaxagoras the Philosopher was principall Captayne in that warre Aristophanes speaketh of hym saying that he in makynge hys oration dyd kyndell set a fyer and bourne Pericles the whole countrye of Grecia For then they were both maysters of vertues and of Eloquence On the other syde Archydamus the Kynge of the Lacedemonians had the pryncipall gouernement Thucydides was the compaynion of Pericles and he sought narrowlye to folow hys doynges whoo also dyd putte thys warre in writting Pericles beynge chosen pretour had for hys Adherante Sophocles a Tragian poet as Cicero dothe declare Let vs nowe retourne vnto Xerxes He hauing so yll handled hys affayres fell into suche a contempte Artaxerxes longhand the 5. Emperour Darius the bastrard the syxte that he was slayne of hys owne men Hys sonne Artaxarxes long hand succeded him towards whome Themistocles of whō we haue spoken a litle before being bannished did returne there finished his life and was buried in Magnesie Darius the Bastarde reigned after longhand whose sister he had in mariage The a boue said warre of the Peloponesians fell duryng his raygne and albeit that the Athenians had alreadye ynough to doe yet neuertheles the fourth yeare of thys warre they sente an armie by Sea vnto Sycilia faynynge to helpe the Leontins agaynst the Saragossens but of trewth it was for nothing els then to assubiecte that I le vnder them the whych yf they dyd they might the better vainquishe all Grecia But as they did often times come and skermishe against them Hermocrates Siracusanus counceiled the Sicilians to agree amongest themselues and to forget all yll will and inimites consydering that the Athenians sought to bring them al to subiection so then he perswaded them in the seuenth yere of this warre Thre yeares after the Athenians and the Peloponesiens made peace for fiftie yeres but it lasted not seuē whole yeres For they beganne to make diuers manful skermishes And albeit that the treatise of peace was not altogether broken and that often tymes the offences were appaised by Truce neuertheles in the tenth yere they dyd put themselues in armes againe fought outrageously with al their strēgth and power and this other warre lasted seuētene yeares Then the Athenians dyd agayne send a nauie verye well appointed vnto Sicilia The chiefe captaines amongest the residue were Alcibiades and Nicias Alcibiades Nicias of whom the last to wite Nicias did by certaine orations greatly disswade the people from that sayling against the will of Alcibiades The Peloponesians dyd giue succour to the Sicilians at length the Athenians ioyned battayle wyth the enemyes in the heauen of Sarrogosa The ouerthrowe of the Athenians in Sicilia but after diuers varieties and sondrie changes of fortune they were al ouerthrowē and slayne As this was doing the Lacedemonians with their Confederats dyd ioyne themselues in league with Darius the King of the Persians against the Athenians Tissaphernes was the Embassadour of Darius Moreouer after Codrus Polydore the Lacedemonian and Aristomenes of Messene these that folow of whome some of them did diuers notable actes in the defence of the whole countrey of Grecia other some also in the defence of theyr owne natiue countrey are commonly numbred amongest the principall and most notable Captaines of the Grecians The excellent captens of Grecia To witte Miltiades Leonidas Themistocles Pericles Aristides Pausanias Xantippus Leotychidas Cimon Conon Epaminondas Leosthenes Aratus of Clarentia Philopemen Diuers of these were exiled and banished Cicero doth describe the hauen of Sarrogosa and he sayeth that it was neuer heard of that euer any nauie by sea dyd enter therein by force of armes except that of the Athenians whiche was to the number of thre hundred shyppes and was destroyed in the same hauen by the nature of the same place and hauen which was the cause that euen then firste of all the strength and power of the towne were ouerthrowen and broken down so that theyr noblenesse empyre and glory peryshed in the sea Thucydides sayth that Sicilia is in compasse as much as a great shyppe can saile round about in .viii. dayes and that it is twenty furlonges distant from sure and firme grounde Artaxarxes the. 7. Darius had two sonnes Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus of whome the first succeded hys father after hys death Cyrus had to hys dominion and gouernment Ionia and Lydia But he not content with that which he kept he made warre agaynst the kyng his brother wherin he had the ouerthrow and was slayne Marcus Portius Cato doeth call this latter Cyrus king of Persia and as it is written in Cicero excellent both in witte and in noblenes of Empyre and folowyng also Xenophons wrytyng he praiseth him for the care and diligence that he toke in husbandrye For Xenophon put hymself in armes for hym and he was his very familier which was cause that afterwards the Atheniās whose frend Mnemon was did banyshe hym the countrey Ochus raigned after Mnemon who was the last of Darius thre sonnes Ochus 8. Darius 9. and the last Darius the last folowed hym agaynst whome Alexander the sonne of Philippe kynge of the Macedonians made warre beyng come by force of armes into Asia after he had taken the towne of Thebes and pacified Grecia He wanne thre battayles of Darius in such sort that he drew so nere that he toke his mother and his wife and his chyldren Darius truely dyd offer hym faire offers yea a part of his Empyre euen vnto the ryuer of Euphrates But alexander did reiect them and cessed not tyll he had altogether vanquished hym The victories of Alexander agaīst Darius For Darius seyng that it was not possible for hym to obteyne peace vnder these conditions he dyd gather a most myghty armye for to
offer the thyrde battayle in the which he was cleane ouerthrowen and murthered of hys owne Souldyours in flyinge and strayghte wayes after hym the kyngdome of Persia whiche had endured two hundred yeres and vpwards was plucked vp by the rootes By these noble victories Alexander brought vnder hys obedience almost all the East countrey dyd tranferre the dignitie of the Empyre of Asia into Europa so that he dyd constitute the thyrde Monarche Alexander the beginner of the thirde Monarchye After that also he made warre agaynst the Indians but he coulde not moderatelye beare so great aduauncement and clemencye of Fortune suche is the infirmitye of men And therefore as he dyd many thyngs insolently and would almost be worshypped as a GOD he beyng arriued at Babilon dyed of an ague or as others say of poison when he was thyrty yeres old and had raygned twelue yeres Calanus Indus as Cicero sayeth dyd foreshew hym the ende of hys lyfe For euen as he was readye to caste hym selfe into a burnynge fyer and that Alexander dyd aske hym yf he had anye thynge to saye All goeth verye well sayeth he I shall see thee shortelye And shortely after Alexander dyed Hys discease is referred to the hundreth and fourtene Olympiades and to the foure hundreth and nyne and twentye yere of the foundation of Rome Three hundreth and two and twenty yere before the natiuitie of Christ He was a feruent great louer of good letters Alexander a louer of good letters and verye liberall towards the learned men For the cause whereof he hath been greatly praysed of diuers He had the poesie of Homere in great dilectation In such sort that albeit that he had with hym as it is sayde diuers that did wryte his actes not withandynge when he came into Sigia standyng by Achiles tombe O thou happy yong man sayeth he that hast founde Homere for to wryte and magnifie thy vertue For euen as he would chiefely be paynted by Apelles and hys Image to be grauen by Lisippus so in lyke maner he would be praysed and commended to the remembraunce of hys posteritie by them who in praysyng hym might obteyne honour and fame for the excellentnes of their spirite He gaue Aristotle his maister charge to put in wryfyng the nature of all beastes And to thys end he appoynted certaine thousands of men throughout all Grecia Asia to witte vnto Heard kepers Hunters Fishers Marchaunts of fishe Byrdcatchers and such lyke who should playnly informe hym of all thynges It is sayd moreouer that he gaue the sayd Aristotle in recōpence of hys payn eyght hundred talents which amount accordyng to the reckenyng of the learned men of our tyme The liberalitie of Alexander towards learned men to CCCC LXXX thousand crownes courrant He sent to Xenocrates the Philosopher by his Embassadours fiftie talentes which amounteth to xxx thousande crownes but he refusynge them sayd that he had no nede of so great a summe the Embassadours beyng returned what sayd Alexder hath he no frendes for to do hym pleasure Cicero sayeth that in his youth when he was the disciple of Aristotle he declared hym self to be of a very good spirite and to be greatly modest but after he was made kyng he behaued himself proudly cruelly and altogether vnmoderatly The Historiographers do mencion merueylous things of the magnificence dilicatnes and superfluitie of Darius The superfluitie of Darius For to the ende that his body should wāt no voluptousnes he had in his campe expert Cokes that could dresse all maner of meates make all maner of dilicates with makers of oyntmentes Diuers also haue described how great the magnificence and preparations of the kynges of Persia was in theyr ordinary eatyng and drynkyng Their custome was as Cicero sayeth to haue many wiues vnto whome thei did bequeth certain cities to the ende that the one myght furnyshe their head tyer others such and such an ornament Such therefore as I haue sayde was Darius end and in flying when he had dronke troubled water and which was infected wyth dead mens bodies he affirmed that in hys lyfe tyme he neuer dranke more sweter drynke Darius end for he dyd neuer absteyne so longe from drynke that he coulde be drye After the death of Alexander thys great Empyre was diuided amongest hys chyefe Lordes To wytte Ptolomeus Laomedon Antigonus Cassander Leonatus Eumene Python The successors of Alexander Lysimachus Antipater Meleager and Seleucus Amongest them the pryncipall was Seleucus kyng of Assiria Ptolomeus of Egypt Antigonus of Asia the lesse Cassander after the he had oppressed all Alexanders kynsfolkes was synce made kynge of Macedonia and of Grecia Lysimachus is he with whome Alexander beyng on a certayne tyme angrye Lysimacus dyd cause hym to be shutte vp wyth a Lyon But vnderstandyng that he had kylled the sayde Beast he had hym afterwarde in great honoure and estimation Furthermore great warres were moued as wel amongest the sayd successours the whych doeth commonly happen as also amongest theyr sonnes and theyr sonnes sonnes for as muche as these outragious Spirites coulde not for ambition keepe theym selues in Peace but dyd seeke to encrease theyr powers in doynge others wronge By these warres whyche remayned a longe whyle The beginning of the fourth Monarchy all these countreys were greatly spoyled so that by lytle and lytle they fell into the Romaynes handes who enlarged so theyr dominion that they established the fourth last Monarche Of the whyche at thys present it is requisitte we shoulde entreate of Nowe amongest the Kynges of Egypt Alexanders successours Ptolomeus Philadelphus the father of good letters Ptolomeus Philadelphus a Prynce of great name is also numbred For he loued peace as much as was possible for him and he dyd styrre vp and awaken the liberall Artes and instituted rewardes and gyftes for the same and caused a large and a greate Librarye to be made so that also he caused the Bookes of Moyses and of the Prophetes to be translated into the Greke tongue The begynnynge of Rome was at that tyme as the Kynge Salmanasar of whome it hath been spoken dyd raygne ouer the Assyrians The time in whiche Rome was builte To witte in the fyrste yeare of the seuenth Olympiades accordynge to Plutarchus the thre thousande two hundreth and twelue yeare aboute foure hundreth yeares after that Eneas had begonne to raygne ouer the Romaynes after the warre of Troye whyche Homere dyd describe of the age of whome The warre of Troye no moore then of the Countrey we fynde nothynge mencioned of anye certentye excepte that Cicero sayeth The age of Homer vncertayne that he was longe tyme before the foundation of Rome and before Romulus Howe be it so it is that there remayneth no prophane Wryter moore auncient then his Poesie For as Horatius sayeth Before the tyme of stronge Agamemnon Many were of vertues and of renown But all vnwaylde were shut vp in the nyght For
Grecia most learned men For Socrates did then florishe Of whom as out of a fountaine proceded Aristippus Plato Antisthenes Speusippus Aristotels Dicearchus Xenocrates Heraclides Thophrastus Polemo and Strato who were all phisitions and according to the saying of Cicero contemplators and searchers out of nature There was also oratours of greate fame as Gorgias Protagoras Prodicus Hippias Isocrates Lisias Demosthenes Hiperides Aeschines Phalereus Demetrius Demochares But of the Historiographers Xenophon whom Cicero doth call Socraticus and Calisthenes the compaynion of Alexander the great were the chiefest Denis the tyrante of Saragosse lyued at that tyme vnto whom Plato beyng come and hauing freely spokē of the duety of a prince he was in very great danger of his life as Cicero reciteth The actes of Denis the Tirante This is he who did not committe the sauegard of his body to his kinsfolkes but vnto cruel and barbarous men gathered here and there who taught his daughtours to shaue for feare of putting his necke in the barbers hands who toke from them the handling of Iron and steelle when they were come to age taught thē to bourne awaye hys bearde and his heare wyth nuttes shells who came not in the night to hys women before that he had sought and searched through out who forasmuch as he durste not propound his oration in the ordinarie feates and skaffoldes he did the same from oute of a tower who declared vnto Damocles the flatterer what was his felicitie which he did esteme so greatlye when he caused him to sytte at hys table where wanted no maner of delicates and where was excessiue abondance of all thinges and yet in the meane time he caused a sword to descēd from out of a planke or beame right ouer his head holding only but by the heare of an horses taile Pyrrhus against the Romains About two and fourtie yeres after the death of Alexander Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes made warre against the Romains and went into Italie The second yeare of the warre he solicited the Senate to enter into a certayne traities of peace and alliaunce but Appius Claudius being of a verye great age and blind who before seuentene yeares was twise Consul as Cicero sayeth he came in Parlament and did disswade the Senate other wise inclyned therto to agree or make peace with hym for he was of so great a courage that for his misfortune he did not leaue of from doing all endeuour both priuatly and publikely The oration that he made concerning Pirrhus for to hynder the peace was found yet in Ciceros tyme as 1 he himselfe witnesseth C. Fabricius Luscinus did good seruice then to the publike weale The faythfullnes of Fabricius Who beyng solicited of Pyrrhus for to rebell dyd nothing regard his great presents nor promises Moreouer he sent againe vnto him prisoner a certaine Fugitiue who did assure him to poisō the king Cicero doth compare him to Aristides of Athens Manius Curius Dentatus did altogether ouerthrowe Pirrhus at his second retourne into Italye and triumphed ouer him Pirrhus was the first the did euer bring Elephantes into Lucania The Romaines hetherto almost for fyue hundreth yeres space did onely make war with the people of Italie amongest whom the Latins Veientes Eques Falisques Samnites the Toscanes did stoutly resyst and did often times rebell being sometimes vanquished and sometimes getting the victorye who finally beinge ouercome and pacifyed there brust forth a longe great warre against the Carthagians whose Citie was much more auncient then Rome The fyrste warre of Carthage as it is most euident Thys warre beganne amongest them in the yeare of Rome foure hundred foure score and fiue in the which the fortune of M. Attilius Regulus is worthy of Memorie For he beyng taken of the Carthagians and sent to Rome for to treate for peace and for the change of prisoners vpō charge and condition that yf he dyd obtayne nothinge he should render himselfe againe prisoner after he was thether ariued An acte worthye of Memorie he gaue cleane contrarye counsell to the Senate and declared that it was not for the prosite of the publyke weale so to doe Afterwardes folowing hys opinion that fayth ought to be kepte euen vnto the enemie The cruell death of Attilius Regulus he retourned vnto Carthage where he was put to death after the moste cruellest maner in the world for they did cutte of hys eye liddes and being bound to an ingine he was killed wyth ouerwakyng During this warre the Romaines at the fyrste did fyght luckelye by sea in Sicilia against Hanno vnder the conduction of Plubius Duillius Consull Thys Duillius and Manius Curius Excellent consulls C. Fabricius Attilius Calatinus Cuee and publius Scipiones Aphricanus with Marcellus Fabius are named of Cicero amongst the excellent Captaines of Rome The yere folowing L. Cornelius Scipio dyd take the Illes of Corsica and of Sardinia This warre of Affricke which had endured twenty and three yeares was pacifyed vnder Quintus Luctatius Catule Circus and Auleus Manlius Consulls Twoo yeares after Ennius was borne whoo was fyue yeares elder then Marcus Portius Cato whome he dyd call hys familier frende The Romaius weare then agayne occupyed wyth neewe warres agaynste the Faliscyans Geneneens Sclauoniens Frenche men them of Bauiers and the Lombardes The second warre of Carthage Who beyng vaynquished there bruste forth another warre of the Carthagiens foure and twenty yeares after the peace was made vnder P. Scipio and Titus Sempronius Longus Consuls Haniball was the head captaine who assaulted the towne of Sagonte passing through Spayne into Fraunce from thence into Italy he wanne thre battailes one after another against the Romains The fyrste at Ticinum A Citie in lumbardy called nowe Pauia Quintus Fabius a most prudēt Captaine the other at the floode of Trebia the thyrd at the lake Trasimenus But Quintus Fabius beyng made dictator and goyng to mete the enemy he by his lingring did stoppe and breake his violence and inuasyon It is he in the praise of whom Ennius writeth One man by his slackinge only Restorde vs the thinge intierly Cicero doth Iudge him to be of a verye subtyll minde and that he could easely concele holde hys peace disemble spye out and preuent the enterprises of enemyes Since the Romain people did receaue a great ouerthrowe in the place called Cannes the which gaue such occasion of feare to the Citie that diuers of the chiefest were mynded to forsake it and to flye awaye But they were comforted and kepte backe by P. Cornelius Scipio the sonne of Publius Archimedes excellēt in Algorisme musike Geometrie Astro nomie a verye hardye and manfull yonge man who was then but goynge into xxv yeres Foure yeares after M. Marcellus dyd winne the towne of Saragosse after long seyge Archimedes an excellent Mathematicion was killed in the assaulting of the towne who making certayne fygures in the dust dyd
his kinsman The cause and beginning hereof was that Cesar shuld be put out of his Consulship Ciuill war betwene Pompeius and Cesar if he did not out of hand discharge his armie geue ouer the prouince But he was persuadid in himselfe that he could not be in safety if he did dismisse his souldiars Notwithstanding he made this offer that both he Pompeius shuld yeld vp their souldious and for asmuch as this was not accepted he toke his iourney with an vncredible swiftnes he came out of France into Italy with his hoste entred into Flaminia where he tooke diuers townes Which being knowen Pompeius the two consuls to wit C. Marcellus L. Lentulus did flye frō Rome went to Ranusiū of the coūtrie of Puell bordering on the sea Cesar came thither also but the cōsuls had alredy passed the sea wer ariued at Durazo whether also shortly after Pmopeius fled And for because that Cesar being excluded by the time and destititute of vessels of warre could not folow or pursewe them he returned vnto Rome where he holding a courte made a complainte of the iniuries done against him and did propound certaine conditions of peace But because that the Senate dyd shewe themselues slacke and colde herein he went vnto Massilia where the gates were shute against him Wherfore he hauing prepared an army by sea he beseiged the towne both by Sea and by Land The Captaines of Pompeius yelde vnto Cesar leauing there his lieutenauntes he toke his iournie towardes Spaine where finally Petreius Afranius the captaines of Pompeius dyd yelde vnto hym wyth all theyr armie Whiche beinge done he retourned backe again vnto Massilia the which then beyng voyde of all hope did yelde vnto his deuotion Straight waies after this he returned vnto Rome hauing in his absence bene made dictatour by M. Lepidus Pretor where he made an assembly of the people and was chosen Consull with P. Seruilius Isaurico Afterwardes hauinge lefte and gyuen good order of his affaires he went into Grecia to conclud he ouerthrew Pōpeius in a great battaile in the contry of Thessalia wanne his campe yea albeit his armie was much greater Pompeius vanquished by Cesar Pōpeius flying away went into the countrie of Egipte at which time raygned Ptolomeus Dionisius the sonne of Ptolomeus Auleta whome as we haue sayde Pompeius beynge Consull dyd by A. Gabinius reestablyshe in hys Kyngdome whereof he was depryued Pompeius hoped that in partye recompence of hys good deede he should finde some helpe succour in that country But the king was then but a childe Wherthrough it befell that his famillier frendes dispisynge the present state of Pompeius or at the least fearing certayne motions and vprores The death of Pompeius dyd slaye him by treason Cesar pursewing him ariued at Alexandria accompained with three thousand and two hundreth men where he was first of al aduertised of the death of the sayd Pompeius Cicero giuing his Iudgement of them both sayth on this wise If so be that Pompeius had demissed somewhat of his great grauitie and that Cesar had greatly refrained from hys couetousnes we myght haue had some certaine assured peace and some publike weale The king of Egipte was then in armes against his syster Cleopatra Cesar beynge in Alexandria would that they shoulde pleade their controuersyes rather by ryghte before hym then by armes seyng that he was Consull of the Romaines and that certaine yeares before amitie was contracted by lawe and consent of the Senate wyth Ptolomeus the kinges father The gouernours toke this thyng very greuously and complayned that the royall maiestie was greatly empeched lesned in that they were caused to appeare and pleade their cause Warre in Alexandria againste Cesar Their hartes then were so enflamed with wrath that they put themselues in armes against Cesar who after great and sondry dangers reinained victorious Notwithstanding the king being dead he ordained not neither made the kingedome of Egipte in maner of a prouince but left the kingdome vnto Cleopatra and to hys yonger brother From thence he toke his iournye into Syria and afterwardes into Pont where he defyed the king Pharnaces the sonne of Mithridates and did pacifye Cappadocia Armenia Gallograecia Pont and Bithynia This beynge done he came agayne into Italye and after that into Rome And in the middest of the winter yea in the shortest dayes therof he toke shyppe in Sicilia for to sayle into Affrike albeit that the pryncipalest and chiefest diuinor had aduertised him not to take his iournie till winter were past After the iourney of Pharsalica Scipio and Cato sōnes of the Nephewes of A. Portius Cato were retyred in to the sayd coūtry of Affrike and hauing raised a great band of men of warre they had assubiected and brought the king Iuba vnder theyr gyrdell Cesar then ariued there and beseyged and ouer threwe them both Cesar victorious in Afrike But as concerning Cato he slew himself at Vtica for feare of falling into the handes of Cesar The which Cicero approueth beyng of opinion that considering the incredible grauitie that he naturallye had it behoued hym rather to dye suche a death then to behold the face of the Tirante Cato was of the Stoical secte and sometimes he did defend in the open Senate certaine brutishe and horrible sentenses as if he had bene in the politike gouernaunce of Plato according to the saying of Cicero and not in the affaires of Rome Ceser was retourned vnto Rome hauing triumphed ouer the Galles Egiptians those of Pont and of Affrike he stirred vp warre agaynst Sext. Pompeius in Spaine where he also gaue him the ouerthrowe So therefore all his enemies beyng vanquished and the people beynge pacifyed in all parties he returned to Rome .v. yeares after the beginning of the ciuil warre And after that he had triumphed ouer Spaine he fell out of fauour and was hated of diuers forbecause that he had always kept retayned to himself the name power of Dictatour which was offered him for that also he did electe such Senatours as semed good to his fantasye and almost onely dyd conferre the honours offices of the weale publike vnto whom it pleased him After then that the estate of the publike weale was changed and that the gouernement therof was reducted vnder the power auctority of one only the cōspiraties which were made against him were so enflamed that v monthes after his returne vnto Rome Cesar slayn in the Senate the xv of March he was murdered in the court of Poinpeius where the parliment was kept euen by thē who were greatly boūd vn to him for his clemencye gentilnes lately before shewed vnto thē For he had pardoned thē theyr putting on of armes against him in the war of Pompeius The muderers were M. D. Brutus C. Cassius Cn. Domitius C Trebonius Q. Tullius Cimber the two Seruilians Casca Hala dyuers others M.
and pastymes And notwythstandyng they ended theyr lyues in the manner before sayde Marcus Antonius was the Nephewe of Marcus Antonius the most renoumed oratour of whom mention hath bene made Warre of the Romains in Duchelande During the raigne of C. Octauius the Romaine host made first of all warre against the Germaines yea euen in their countrye Truth it is that Iulius Cesar had twise ouerthrowen the Germains but that was in Fraunce To wit Ariouistus at Lyons in Fraunce and after that at the place where the ryuer called the Maze and the Rheyne mette together That iourny beyng wōne he made a brydge wheron he passed ouer the Rheyne but remaining not long there he incontinently brought agayne his armie into Fraunce brake down the bridge The expedition of Cesar in Germanie Two yeres after he passed ouer the Rheyne againe vpon a bridge a little aboue that place where he had before conducted ouer hys army and then he purposed to march into Swane But being well instructed certified of al things by the spies and fearing the danger difficulty yea euen the want of munitions he retired into Fraunce and brake downe one part of the bridge on the other part he built a tower with a litle bulwarke where he left good garnison for to kepe his enemies alwaies in feare of hys retourne Iulius Cesar dyd no other thing vnto the Germains euen as he himself saith But Octauius did war against the Grisons thē of Ausburgh by Tiberius Drusus bretheren from out of the country of Colaine Tiberius Drusus whych was in leage with the Romains he inuaded assalted that part of Duchland which is called Westphalia by his captaine Quintilius Varus But Ariminius the conductor of the Chiruscorans did put them almost al to the sword betwen the riuers Amisia and Luppia Horatius comforteth Vergill in a most eloquent song Ariminius ouerthroweth the Romaynes because that he was verye sore greued with the death of Varus Drusus died in Ducheland leauing behind him two sōnes of whom one was named Germanicus was a mā of singuler vertue the other Claudius Horatius prayseth Drusus in a most learned verse as it hath bene said doth refer hys originall ofspring to Claudius Nero who beyng for the second time consull with Marcus Liuius Salitor saccaged Asdruball the brother of Hannibal The victories of Augustus who conducted a new armie neare the floode Metaurus Augustus dyd assubiect moreouer the Gascons the Calmates the Sclauonyans wyth the Salassyans who dwell in the Alpes It is said that he was dyuers times minded to discharge himself of the bourden of the Empyre But consideryng on the other side that yf he did returne againe to his owne priuate estate he should not be in safetye forasmuch as he sawe it would be very dangerous to put the pub-weale into so many mens hands he changed his mind and opinyon The death of Herodes kynge of Iudea The thre and thirtye yeare of hys raygne Herodes surnamed the great whom he and Marcus Antonius had established kynge of Iudea in the third yere of their triumuiriship departed out of this lyfe and thre yeares after also hys sonne and successour Archelaus deceassed who was sent in exill to Vienna in Dolphenye there for to end hys lyfe It is found in writing that for the garrisons of the prouinces of the Empyre Octauius did kepe maintayne forty foure legyons thre in Egipt as many in Spaine eyght in Duchland Certaine haue cast the some of the yearely expenses whyche was necessarye for the payment of so manye Souldyours The great expenses of Octauius and they brynge the totall to syxe score hundreth thousande crownes couraunte so that for euerye Legyon they assygne twoo hundrethe three scoore and twelue thousande Crownes Now they counte euerye Legion to be syxe thousande footemen and fyue hundreth horsemen Octauius is greatly praised for the good affectiō and liberalitie which he shewed towards the learned The Poetes of fame were at that time Varius Virgile Plotius Galgius Fuscus the two Gisques Pollio Messala the Bibules Seruius Furnius and Horatius who desyreth that hys Verses might be approued of the aboue named caringe lyttle or nothyng for the Iudgement of others Truely from Portius Cato and Aphricanus the first there was alwaies at Rome hetherto a continuall succession of excellent spirites But that time of Augustus is almost the last that euer helde the naturall sauour substaunce and collour of the Latin tounge Corruption of the Latin tounge without any corruption For afterwards by succession of time the tounge waxed more and more corrupt euen till such time as it be came altogether barbarous as it hath continued euen vnto our age Cicero sayeth that the natiue Poetes of Corduba spake somewhat grosely and strangely but what would he haue said or iudged of them that liued an hundreth yeres after I meane not onely of them who were borne and nourished at Corduba but euen of Rome it selfe After Augustus Tiberius his sonne in law toke the charge of the Empyre The Emperour Tiberius 3. but sore against his will as he seemed and after that in the end he was ouercome and perswaded by the supplications and requests of the Senate At the first he would enterprise nothinge hymselfe alone but dyd consulte with the Senat of al things that were of any importance Neuertheles shortly after he laid cleane a syde the care and respecte of the publike weale and gaue himself ouer vnto all maner of voluptuousnes In his raigne the Parthians did vsurpe the country of Armenia the Dacians and Sarmatians spoiled the country of Masia and the Germains the country of Faunce but he being careles was nothyng moued therwith Certaine yea euen of them that are of great reputatiō in Theologie The yeare of the death of Christ do hold that our sauiour Christ was crucifyed the fyuetene of his raygne notwithstanding Luke writeth that he was baptised of Ihon the selfe same and yere M. Cocceius Nerua florished then the father the sonne and Cassius Longinus Iurisconsulls Tiberius was the sonne of Tiberius Nero who fought in battayle for Iulius Cesar in the warre of Alexandria C. Cesar Caligula a most wicked monstrous sonne of a very good father named Germanicus succeded him Durīg the thre twentye yeres that Tiberius had the gouernement of the Empyre it is said that he had heaped and gathered an infinite number of gold al the which Caligula spent euen in one yeare About the seconde yere of his raigne Herodes Antipa Herodes Antipa Herodes Agrippa Claudius Cesar sonne of Herodes the Great and murderer of Ihon Baptise was sent in exyll to Lions had to his successour Herodes Agripa who beheaded Iames the Apostle After that Caligula was slain Claudius his Vncle was placed in his roume Who marched in to England because that the I le was reuolted hauing recouered
third booke How the Almaines are entred into frauÌ„ce BEFORE that we begyne to speake of Charlemayne vnto whom according as we haue sayd the West Empyre was bequethed it behoueth to declare somewhat of the Germaines of whom he proceaded Fyrst of all it is most euident that the Germayns haue oftentymes passed the Rheine and haue entred into the French dominioâ—s to the end there to make their inhabitition because of the goodnes of the country For the Teuthons did pierce into Prouince where they were defeicted by the Consull C. Marius Synce as the Auuergnaes and they of Autun did stryue and contâ—nd for the principalitie certain bands of Almaynes hyred of the Auuergnaes and tâ—â—y of Sens came thether By litle and lytle they so encreased that vnder the king Ariouistus they possessed the most part of the country Iulius Cesar defeicted them in plaine battaâ—le And certayn yeres aâ—ter as he made war against them of Liege which is a people beyond Brabant the Germains passed again ouer the Rheine for to assaile the Romain host But they were ouerthrowen where the Maze and the Rheyne meteth Many yeares after they held theÌ„selues within their limites because that the Romain Emperours made war vpon theÌ„ But hauing gotten a certayn apt commodious time they loked vnto theyr aduantage and forraged Fraunce without ceasse So likewise in the Emperour Gallienus time a voluptuous man and of no worthines they did inuade and oppresse it by succession of time became so mightie that the Emperour Probus the fourth after Gallienus draue them out with great difficultie Iulianus also Lieutenant of the Emperour Constans dyd ioyne in battaile with them Synce in the Emperour Honorius time the Gothes entred by force of armes into Fraunce who beyng encoumbred with diuers wâ—rres graunted them the country of Aquiâ—ania to dwell in On the other syde the French Almayns entryng in armes through the country called Gallia Belgica suppressed them of Trire GilderlaÌ„d Cleaue with them of Liege of Terouane of Turney of Amiens of Beauuoys of Soissonois Which done they toke their habitatioÌ„ in that part of Gallia Paris the head Citie of FrauÌ„ce the which yet at this day beareth the name of Fraunce Wherof Paris is the head Citie nere wherto is the town of S. Denis the which was afterwards consecrated to bury the kings as it is yet at this present They being so enlarged and holding also before a great part of Germanie to witte al the country about the riuer of Mein and of Rheyne did not onely defeÌ„d themselues if any came to assaile them but also set vpon others And as the Romain Empire fel dai by day into decay in Asia Afrike the Lombards also waistig Italy they maruelously enlarged their limites in Fraunce Afterwardes manye of their kings raigned there vntil such time as the kyngdom fel into the hands of Pipine of Charlemaine his sonne Charles Martellus was the father of Pipine who was not king but one of the princes great maisters as they are commonly called He vanquished them of Bauiers of Swaine For according as the writters of the * Histories of Actes yerely done Annales of Fraunce do mention the time hath bene that the kynges haue had but only the tytle and the name as touching the whole aucthorie it was in the hands of the great Maister The Great maisters of Fraunce their credit For they were altogether degenerated from the vertue manlines of their ancestours and being addicted vnto pleasures voluptuousnes they toke no care of the publike weale Wherfore the Great maister had the administration and dyd increase so much the more hys power as the lithernes carlesnes of the king did abound Pipine who was great maister in the raigne of Childericus came to the crowne vnder such occasion The kyngs suffer the pope to displace them the thing hauing bene debated vpon before pope Zachary as they say MentioÌ„ is made hereof in the decree which they intitill of Gratianus where it is said to be lawfull vnto the popes to put the kynges out of their thrones But the tytle inscriptioÌ„ of that place is false For albeit that there haue ben two Emperours named Anastasius notwithstaÌ„dyng it cannot be attributed neither to the one nor to the other forasmuch as the first raigned more then two C. yeres before the befell the other .xxxvii. Moreouer in the last mans daies there was neuer any pope named Gelasius I thought it necessarye to adde this Contraritie in the writinges of Popes for to aduertise the readers to read intentiuely warly the writigs of popes For we find in diuers places that their chiefe end is to put their lawes in credite auctority by falsly giuing to vnderstand that they are very ancient Ouer besides this that Pipine did suppresse the Lombards in Italy at the request of the pope as is before said he made warre agaynst the Saxons and moreouer against them of Aquitania whose Duke beynge taken he slewe After the death of Pipyne they oftentymes rebelled But Charlemayne hys sonne putte ende vnto the twoo warres to wytte that of Saxonye and of Aquitania but not wyth oute greate trauayle LoÌ„g warre against the Saxons He had warre with the Saxons for thre thirtie yeares space and during this warre he was also occupied with others For he did subdue the country of Bauier the which did rebell vnder the conduction of the Captain Tassilon and made two iournies against the Lombards and passed euen into the land of Lauor in such sort that he subiected all Italy and ordayned lawes as touchyng policie He constrained also the cities of Gallia situated about the Ocean sea in times past named * The auncient name of Britaine in FrauÌ„ce Armorica and now comprehended vnder the name of lytle Britayne to do their duety Because that they refused to pay the tribute that was yerely dew vnto the kings of FrauÌ„ce He went also into Spain where he was victorious against the Saracenes but at his returne the Gascons a people of Aquitania did lay waite for him in the forestes called * Mountaines which do diuide Fraunce froÌ„ Spaine Pirenees discomfited him Finally at the eyght yeres end he vainquished the HuÌ„nes who held the country of Hungaria pacified Bohemia by hys LieutenaÌ„ts His last war was against the Danois or Normanes who wasted all that side of Germanye and of Gallia with their sea armie Through these so great actes he was surnamed the Great For before tyme the French kings did hold but that part of Germany which is betwen Saxony and Dunowe betwen the Rheyâ—e the riuer of Sala betwene Swane and Bauieres But he annexed the whole country of Saxonie moreouer the two Hungaries Demnarbe or the great Westphalyâ— Ireland and the mediteran cost of Dalmatia The aboue sayd French kings did possesse in Gallia the part which is betwene the Rheine and Loire
established duke of Millan the Venitians Florentins Geneuois made warre vpon theyr neighbours in such sort that all right and equitie did consist in armes and power Moreouer by the long absence of the Popes out of Rome diuers in nimites very daungerous were ingendred Galeatius duke of Millan made then war vppon the Florentins who desiring to auenge theÌ„selues called the Emperour into Italy vnder great promises He being arriued at Padua by the will of the Venitians who loued smally Galeatius seyng that he had nothing prepared accordyng to the large promises he retourned into Germany casting froÌ„ him all care of Italy the which afterwards was more subuerted by inward tumulis and troubles Sigismundus Sigismundus Emperour brother of Wenceslaus Kyng of Hungarie synce of Bohemia succeded Robert At that time were thre Popes Iohn the xxiii Gregory the xii Benedictus the xiii by whose strifes and practises almost all the prouinces of the world were deuided For synce Innocent the iii as their bokes report about CC yeres space there was no general counsell the ecclesiasticall estate was extremly corrupted For such an vnsatiablenes of vices disseases was disbordered in such sort that the euill was almost incurable Bonifacius the .viii. had bene before who attributed vnto himself the Papal and imperiall dignitie After him caine Element the v. of Bourdeaux who at the request of the king of Fraunce The popes court transferred into Fraunce Philip the faire forsoke Rome transferred his court into FrauÌ„ce After his death the seat was vacant certayn yeres because of the variaunce that was amongst the Cardinalls At length pope Iohn the xxii of * A towne in Fraunce Cahors in Querci was elected at Lions The fyfth after hym who was Gregory the xi returned to Rome after that the court of the Papacy had remained in Fraunce lxxvii yeres He being dead Vrbanus the vi of Naples Clement the vi of Sauoy straue for the pope dome The first did leane vpon the aide of the Italians dwelt at Rome the second rested vpoÌ„ the Frenchmen and had his seat in Auignon These here being dead the thre aboue said put theÌ„selues in their place who had bene elected by diuers opinions so hereby the Papacie had iii heads The Papacie as cerberius hath thre heads Many learned men aswell of Italy as of Fraunce lamented then meruelously the poore estate of the Church and spake sufficient sharply against the corruptions and maners of that time asmuch as they could vnderstand in the darcknes which then raigned Amongst theÌ„ Petrarca called the towne of Auignon The horishe Babilon at such time as the pope and the Cardinalls dwelt there To the end then to pacifie this scisme The couÌ„sell of ConstaÌ„ce a generall couÌ„sel was assembled at Constance in Germany by the aucthoritie wherof the thre aboue said were put downe and Martin the v. elected In this counsell Iohn Hus and Iherome of Prague were burned albeit that they were come thether vnder the Emperours safe conducte The Emperour Sigismundus is greatly praised for that for the publike felicitie he weÌ„t vnto diuers Christian kings exhorted them to loke vnto the publike weale The thyngs appeased in Germany he came into Italy The Venitians Florentins made warre then by sea and by land vpon the duke of Millan Philip Maria son of Iohn Galeatius From thence the Emperour drew to Rome where he was crowned by Pope Eugenius the .iiii. Which don he returned to Basill where there was then another counsell assigned Albertus duke of Austrich Albertus Emperour king of Hungarie and of Bohemia was his successour who was so occupied in ciuill warres against the Turckes that he had no leasure to come into Italy About this time learned wits did again awaken Learning good letters reestablisshed who began to set vp exercise the arts languages good letters The Italians aided with the studies of the Grekes began first afterwards the Germanyns Frenchmen other nations And by the meanes of the art of printing then inueÌ„ted the which brought with it great coÌ„modities Printing inuented it is vncredible what a prosperous desirable progression was made For since that time vnto this day the studies haue had in such sort their course that this our age may compare it self with the most learnedst time that euer were And in this namely is it more happy that god hath illustrated this science of singular profitable artes of tounges by the true knowledge of his holy name where as the ancient learned men how indued soeuer they were with good most eloqueÌ„t letters The knowledge of god renued in this time were neuertheles plonged in most deepe darknes and sought in vaine the souerain goodnes wherof they haue so much written Fridericus the iii of that name duke of Austrich succeded Albertê° who went peasible to Rome was crowned by pope Nicolas the v. Which done he retired home The king of Hungary slaine in battaile without attempting any thing in Italy The iiii yere of his Empire Vladislaus sonne of Wadislaus Kyng of Polonia and of Hungarye hauing brokeÌ„ the trewes at the motion of pope Eugenius the iiii was vanquished nere vnto Varne or Dionisiopoli by Amurathes Emperour of the Turkes the ii of that name and slain in the battaile the xi of Nouember Nyne yeres after Mahomet sonne of Amurathes toke Constantinople by assault Constantinople taken by that turcke the which hys Heyres haue possessed already an C. III. yeres and haue there placed their court and royall seat Vladislaus being dead Casimirus hys brother inherited the kyngdome of Polonia and Ladislaus who was borne after the discease of the Emperour Albertus the second the kingdome of Hungarie Maximilianus succeded Fridericus hys father As Fridericus laye in hys death bead Ferdinand Kyng of Spaine hauing dryuen out the Moores added to his dominion Betique commonly named the kingdome of Grenate Maximilianus amongest other had war agaynst the Venitians Charles son of Philip hys son and .v. of that name Charles that v. Emperour Folowed him who raigneth at this dai hath meruelous power By the things that we haue recited it euideÌ„tly appereth how the romain Empire which hath surmouÌ„ted all others that haue bene or shal be is almost altogether dissipated brought to noght Dissipation of yâ— romain Empyre For in Asia we haue not somuch as one foote of ground or the bredth of an nail as saith the prouerbe The Turks Tartarians other enemies of our religion possesse al. We haue lost al Affrike except that which the emperour Charles the v. the yeres past coÌ„quered when he toke the kingdome of Tunes froÌ„ Anobarbus lieutenant of the Turke hauing obtained a glorious victorie established there a king tributarie vnto him Victories of Charles the v. in Affrike Fiftene yeres after he toke also by assault the towne of Affrike Portingall Spaine England