without Justice or Reason among others he caused a Nobleman to be fasâ—ned to a Stake and beaten almost to death with Clubs which monstrous Cruelty so incensed the People against him that there wanted not hands to take part with this abused Nobleman against this Tyrant his Enemy whereupon they laid wait for him as he came one day from hunting and killed him together with his Wife great with Child no man either daring or being willing to defend him Beards Theatre XXII John Cameron Bishop of Glasgow was much given to violence and oppression and committed many deeds full of Cruelty and Covetousness especially upon his own Tenants Vassals is reported to have made a fearful and unhappy end for in the year 1446. the night before Christmas day as he lay asleep in his House about seven miles from the City of Glasgow he seemed to hear a voice summoning him to appear before the Tribunal of Christ thereupon he awaked and being greatly terrified called to his Servants to bring lights and fit by him he himself took a Book in his hand and began to read but the voice being again heard struck all the Servants with amazement the same voice calling the third time far louder and more fearfully the Bishop after an heavy groan was found dead in the Bed his Tongue hanging out of his mouth this is reported by Buchanan almost in the same words which I thought good to remember as a notable example of Gods Judgment against the crying sin of Oppression Spotswoods Ch. Hist XXIII To conclude Diomedes the Thracian King fed his Horses with Mans flesh as with provender but was made at last provender himself for his own Horses by Hercules Clephes the Second King of the Lumbards for his savage Cruelties toward his Subjects was slaughtered by one of his Friends Damasippus that Massacred so many Citizens of Rome was cut off by Scylla Ecelinus that played the Tyrant at Taurisium gelding Boys deflouring Virgins cutting off Womens Breasts ripping Children out of their Mothers Wombs and killing twelve hundred Patavians at once who were his Friends was himself at last killed in a Battle in a word if we read and consult the Histories of all Countries and times we shall feldom or never find any notorious Tyrant or Oppressor of his Subjects that came to any good end but generally some notable and fearful Judgment fell upon them Beards Tâ—eatre XXIV In the aforementioned examples we have given an Account of the flagitious actions and ends of Murderers and Tyrants by whole-sale as being Persons of great power and without restraint whereby they had opportunity to do the greater mischief to mankind but Divine Justice has not spared those of meaner quality but hath both wonderfully discovered and revenged those crying sins of Murder and Cruelty as the following instances do fully demonstrate XXV Bothwell who was the chief contriver and actor of the Murther of King Henry of Scotland Father to our King James fled into Denmark where being discovered he was apprehended and imprisoned by the King and disparing of recovering his liberty he fell mad and ended his life most miserably the Archbishop of St. Andrews also who had a hand in the murther of that King being taken in the Castle of Dumbarton was carried to Sterling and hanged publickly on a Gibbet erected for that purpose In the year 1584. Whilst our King James was in Scotland there were two Gentlemen of good credit the one called John Cuningham and the other Malcolm Douglas who was much feared for his valour and manhood these two were falsly accused by some about the King and one Robert Hamilton was suborned to swear against them when the Indictment of Douglas was read he denied all and fully cleared himself by the unlikelyhood of the accusation so that all that heard him did in their minds believe him innocent yet were they both condemned and hanged at Edenburgh these Gentlemen were much pitied especially Douglas Hamilton the false Accuser lived ever after this in continual fear and abhorred of all men but at last he was slain by one James Johnston who had vowed to revenge the death of Douglas Spotswoods Hist Scotland XXVI Sir James Tyrril John Dighton and Miles Forrest who were procured by Richard the Third called Crack-back to murder King Edward the Fifth and his Brother in the Tower by entring their Chamber about midnight and wrapping them up in the cloths keeping down the Feather-beds and Pillows hard upon their mouths till they were smothered These three Murderers did not long escape the Vengeance of God for Miles Forrest rotted away by piecemeal Dighton lived at Calais so disdained and hated of all men that he died there in much misery And Sir James Tyrril was beheaded on Tower Hill for Treason Act. Mo. The Cardinal of Winch. commonly called the Rich Cardinal who procured the death of the good Duke of Glocester in King Henry the Sixth's Time was shortly after struck with an incurable Disease who understanding by his Physicians that he could not live murmuring and repining thereat he cryed out Fie Will not Death be hired Will Money do nothing Must I die that have so great Riches If the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by Policy to get it or by Riches to buy it But all would not prevail for he died miserably soon after Speeds Chron. XXVII The Duke of Suffolk also did not long escape unpunished for in a Parliament holden soon after he was accused as a Traitor to the Kingdom a Murderer of the Duke of Glocester and a Robber of the King's Treasury for all which he was banished for five years he took Shipping in Suffolk intending for France but by the way being encountred by a Man of War that belonged to the Tower he was taken and carryed into Dover Road where on the side of a Ship-boat one cut off his head 1450. Speeds Chron. XXVIII In 1618. there lived a man at Perin in Cornwall who was blessed with ample Possessions and a fruitful Issue unhappy only in a younger Son who growing Extravagant went to Sea in a small Vessel with several like himself where they made Prize of all that they could master and at last venturing into the Streights they set upon a Turks Man of War which they took and got great booty but their Pouder by chance taking fire blew up the Ship and our Gallant being a skilful Swimmer got to shoar upon the Isle of Rhodes with the best of his Jewels where offering some to sale to a Jew he knew them to be the Governours of Algiers whereupon he was seized and condemned to the Gallys for a Pyrate among other Christians whose miserable Slavery made them use their wits to recover their Liberty and watching their opportunity they effected it by killing some of their Officers After which this Young Man got aboard an English Ship and came safe to London where his former misery and some skill he had gotten
Death-bed his heart was so set on fire of Hell and so exceedingly filled with enraged madness against Heaven that he desperately desired the standers by to help him with Oaths and to Swear for him though he himself in the mean â—ime swore as fast and furiously as he could Mr. Robert Bolton XXIV One hearing Perjury condemned by a Minister and how it seldom or never escaped unpunished he in a bravery said I have often forsworn my self and yet my Right Hand is no shorter than my Left which words he had scarce uttered when such an Inflamation arose in that Hand that he was forced to have it immediately cut off lest it should have infected the whole Body whereby it soon became shorter than the other Clarks Examples 1 p. A young Lady of a considerable Estate in Saxony promised Marriage to a handsom Young Man but of a mean Fortune he foreseeing that Wealth and Inconstancy might alter her mind freely discovered his thoughts to her whereupon she made a thousand Protestations of her Constancy to him and as many Imprecations upon her self wishing That if ever she Married another the Devil might take her away on the Wedding day yet afterwards a Person of more Wealth making his Addresses to her she was contracted and Married to him a great Marriage-Feast was provided but while they were at Dinner two Men on Horseback came to the House and as Strangers were invited to the Feast after Dinner one of them desired to lead the Bride a Dance and taking her by the Hand led her a turn or two and then in the presence of her Bridegroom and all her Friends he caught her up in his Arms crying in vain for help and going out of the Gate he hoisted her up into the Air and vanished away together with his companions and Horses so that she was never seen more Sword for Swearers A Blasphemer turn'd into a black Dog pa. 4. A Woman torn in peices by the Devil pa. 14. XXVI Godwin Earl of Kent in the Reign of Edward the Confessor 1055. sitting at Table with the King it happened that one of the Cup-bearers stumbled but did not fall whereat Godwin laughing said That if one Brother had not helpt another meaning his Leggs all the wine had been spilt With which words the King calling to mind his Brothers death who was slain by Godwin answered So should my Brother Alfred have helped me had it not been for Godwin whereat Godwin fearing the King 's new kindled displeasure excused himself by many words and at last said If I be any way guilty of Alfred 's Death I pray God I may never six allow down a morsel of bread more but he swore falsly as the Judgment of God declared for he was immediately choaked in the presence of the King before he stirred one foot from the place Beards Theatre In the daies of Queen Mary John Cooper an honest Religious Man was falsly accused by one Grimwood for Treason in speaking some words against the Queen and was accordingly put to Death but this Perjured Villain did not long escape divine Vengeance for being shortly after about his Labour in the Harvest and in good health his bowels suddenly fell out of his Body and so he miserably died Acts. and Monuments XXVII In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth Thomas Lovelace by forged Letters sought to have three of his Cousin Germans brought into question for their Lives about Matters of High Treason but the Malice and Forgery of this wicked business being found out the false Accuser had Judgment to be carryed on Horse-back about Westminster-Hall with his Face to the Horse Tail and a Paper on his Back containing his Offence from thence to be carryed in the same manner and set on the Pillory in the Pallace Yard and there to have one of his Ears cut off also to be set on the Pillory on a Market day in Cheapside with the like paper after that to be carried into Kent and at the next Assizes there to be set on the Pillory with the like Paper his other Ear to be there cut off also to stand in the Pillory one Market day at Canterbury another at Rochester and in all these Places his Offence to be openly Read which Sentence was accordingly Executed and may be rather thought too mild against such Villains as by Forgery Perjury and False Swearing shall endeavour to destroy Innocent Persons Stows Annals XXVIII Narcissus Bishop of Jerusalem though a man famous for his Virtues and Faithfulness in the Reproof and Correction of Vice was yet maliciously and falsly accused of Incontinency There were three of these wicked and Suborned Varlets who bound their Accusations with Oaths and fearful Imprecations upon themselves The first of these at the close of his Testimony added If I say not the Truth I pray God I may perish by Fire The second said If I speak any thing of falshood I pray God I may be consumed by some filthy and cruel Disease And said the third If I accuse him falsly I pray God I may lose my sight and become blind This wicked charge although it was not believed by such as knew the greâ— Integrity of the Bishop yet the good man partly foâ— grief to lye under such a scandal and partly to retiâ—â— himself from worldly Affairs left his Bishoprick anâ— lived privately But his forsworn Accusers escaped noâ— the All-seeing Justice of Heaven for the first according to his Imprecation had his House set on fire it 〈◊〉 unknown how and was therein himself together with his Family burnt to Ashes The second languished away under a soul and loathsom Disease The third seeing the woful ends of his Companions confessed all the complotted Villany and lamenting his case and crime be continued weeping so long till he utterly lost his sight and thus God said Amen to all that they had wickedly and presumptuously wished upon themselves Eusebius lib. 6. XXIX Vladislaus King of Poland and Hungary had fortunatey sought against the Turks at the Mountain Hamus and taken Carambey the General of their Army by means of which Victory he occasioned Amurath Emp. oâ— the Turks to sue for Peace which was agreed to upon honourable and advantagious Terms and was solemnly sworn to by the King of Poland upon the Holy Evangelists and by Amuraths Ambassadors in behalf of their Master upon the Turkish Alcoran This being known to the Pope and other Christian Princes they said it was unseasonable unprofitable and dishonourable whereupon the Cardinal Julian is sâ—nt by the Pope as his Legate to break the Peace and to absolve the King from his Oath The young King therefore by their persuasion breaks the League and undertakes the War with greater preparations and vigour than sormerly advancing with his Army to Varna a City upon the Pontick Shore doing all the mischief he was able to the Enemies Country which as soon as the Great Turk understood he returns out of Cilicia and enters Battel
the Battels Sieges and other remarkable Transactions Revolutions and Accidents which have happened from the beginning of â—he Reign of King Charles the First in 1625. to his Maâ—esties happy Restauration 1660. And among other parâ—iculars The Debates and Proceedings in the Four First Parliaments of King Charles the First with their Dissoâ—utions The Siege of Rochel The Petition of Right The Murther of the D. of Buckingham by Felton The Tunults at Edinborough in Scotland upon Reading the Common-Prayer The Et caetera Oath The Cursed Plots and Designs of the Jesuits and other Papists for imbroiling â—hese Three Kingdoms The Insurrection of the Apprentices and Seâ—men and their Assaulting of Archâ—ishop Laud'â— House at Lambeth Remarks on the Tryâ—l of the E. of Strafford and his last Speech The horâ—id and bloody Rebellion of the Papists in Ireland and â—heir Murthering above Two Hundred Thousand Proâ—estants in 1641. The Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom with the King's Answer thereunto The Proâ—eedings about the Five Impeached Members An Acâ—ount of the Parliament at Oxford January 22. 1643. with their Proceedings and Dissolution An Abstract of â—he Fights between the King and Parliament The Death of A B. Laud Mr. Chaloner and Tomkins Sir John Hoâ—haâ— Sir Aleâ—ander Carew Duke Hamilton Earl of Holâ—and Lord Capel and others The Illegal Tryal of King Charles the First aâ— large with his last Speech at his Sufâ—ering Jan. 30. 1648. Together with the most consideâ—able matters which happened till the Year 1660. Illustâ—ated with Pictures of several Remrkable Accidents â—uriously engraven on Copper Plates Price One Shilling III The Protestant Scool-Mister Or THE Protestant Instructed wherein the most Considerable Errors of the Papists are discovered and the Protestant Religion is vindicated from Hereâ—â— and Novelty 2. The Image of Antichrist or the Usuâ—pation of the Pope and Church of Rome over King and Emperours in several Examples of the Tyranny 〈◊〉 the Pope over several Kings of England c. 3. Thâ— Cruelties and Persecutions of the Papists against thâ— Waldenses in Piedmont Bohemia Germany Poland Lithuaniâ—â— and France with an Account of the bloody Massacre aâ— Paris and the terrible Sieges of Sancerre and Rochâ—â— 4. The Cruelties of the Papists in Italy Spain Portugaâ— and the Low Countries with a Relation of the Originâ—â— Practices and cruel Tortures of the Spanish Inquisition 5. The Persecution of the Protestants in Scotland and Irâ—land With a Prophecy thereof by Dr. James Vsher Archbishop of Armagh forty years before it came to pasâ— which exactly fell out 6. The Persecution of the Prâ—testants in England for near six hundred years with the Plo's and Conspiracies against the Life of Queen Elizâ—beth Likewise the Spanish Invasion The Gunpowder-Treâ—son The Burning of London The Late Horrid Popish Ploâ— and the Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey 7. Plaâ—â— and easie Directions for Spelling and Reading of Englisâ— with all necessary Rules for reading the English Tongue more useful than any other Book of this kind 8. God Judgment upon Popish Persecutors discovered in somâ— eminent Examples 9. A Prayer of King Edward thâ— Sixth a while before his Death against Popery 10. 〈◊〉 Speech of Queen Elizabeth to her Army at Tilbury-Canâ— in the Spanish Invasion 1588. Concluding with Prayer and Graces The whole being illustrated with manâ— Pictures curiously engraven in Copper describing thâ— variety of Torments and Cruelties exercised by the Papists upon Protestants in most Countries in Europe Priâ—one Shilling All three Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell nexâ— to the Widdow Kemps Coffee-House in Exchange-Alleâ— over against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill
Pearl that she had seen him fall from a great Precipice that she had lost one of her Eyes But he answered These were but Dreams arising from the many thoughts and cares of the day and therefore marched on and fought with the English and was slain in Flodden Field with a great number of his Nobility and common Souldiers upon Sept. 9. 1513. Bakers Chronicle V. The Lord Hastings was arrested by Richard the Third called Crook-back because he would not joyn with him against the young King Edward the Fifth and in making Richard King who was already Protector And being charged with High Treason Richard wished him to make haste to be confessed for he swore by St. Paul his usual Oath That he would not touch Bread or Drink till his head was off whereupon he was led forth unto the Green before the Chappel within the Tower where his Head was laid upon a log of Timber and there stricken off In this man's death we may observe how inevitable the blows of Destiny are for the very night before his death the Lord Stanly sent a secret Messenger to him at midnight in all haste to acquaint him with a Dream he had in which he thought that a Bore with his Tushes so goared them both in the heads that the blood ran about their shoulders And because Richard Protector gave the Bore for his cognizance in his Arms the dream made so fearful an impression upon his heart that he was throughly resolved to stay no longer and had made his Horse ready desiring the Lord Hastings by all means to go with him presently thereby to be out of the danger before day-light But the Lord Hastings answered the Messenger Good Lord doth your Master lean so much to such Trifles to put such faith in Dreams which either his own Fear fancieth or else do rise in the nights rest by reason of the daies thoughts Go back therefore to thy Master and commend me to him and pray him to be merry and have no fear for I assure him I am as sure of the man be thinketh of as of mine own head The man he meant was one Catesby who deceived him and was himself the first mover to rid him out of the way Another warning he had the same morning in which he was beheaded his Horse twice or thrice stumbled with him almost to falling which though it often happen to such to whom no mischance is towards yet hath it of old been observed to be many times a foregoing token of some great misfortune Bakers Chronicle VI. There was an Italian called David Risio who had followed the Ambassador of Savoy into Scotland and in hope of bettering his Fortune gave himself to attend the Queen Mary at first in the Quality of a Musician afterward growing into more favour he was admitted to write her French Letters and in the end was preferred to be Principal Secretary of State had only the Queens Ear and Governed all Affairs at Court Yea to that excess of Pride and Arrogancy was he grown that he would out-brave the King in his Apparel in his Houshold-furniture in the number and forts of his Horses and in deed in every thing else This man had warning given him more than once by Joh. Damiot a French Priest who was thought to have some skill in Magick to do his business and be gone for that he could not make good his part nor stand against those that opposed him to whom he answered disdainfully The Scots are given more to brag than fight Some few daies before his death being warned by the same Priest to take heed of the Bastard he replyed That whilst be lived he should not have credit nor Power enough in Scotland to do him hurt for he thought the Earl of Murray to be the man of whom he was advertised to take heed but being found one day in the Queens Bed-Chamber the first stroke was given him by George Douglas base Son to the Earl of Anges after whom every man inflicted his wound till he was dispatched this was in the year 1565. Spâ—â—swoods Hist of Scotland VII Dr. Hâ—ylin in the Life of William Laud Arch. Bishop of Canterbury mentions these as the strange Presages of his fall and death On Friday night the 27th of Decemh 1639. there happened such a violent Tempest that many of the Boats which were drawn to Land at Lambeth were dasht one against another and broke to pleces the Shafts of two Chimneys were blown down upon the Roof of his Chamber and beat down both the Lead and Rafters upon his Bed in which Ruine he must needs have perished if the roughness of the Water had not forced him to keep his Chamber at Whitehall The same night at Croydon a retiring place belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury one of the Pinnacles fell from the Steeple beating down the head and roof of the Church above twenty foot square The same night too at the Cathedral Church in Canterbury one of the Pinnacles upon the Belfry Tower which carryed a Vane with this Archbishops Arms upon it was violently strucâ— down but carryed a great distance from the Steeple and fell upon the roof of the Cloister under which the Arms of the Archbishops See it self were engraven in stone which Arms being broken in pieces by the former gave occasion to one that loved him not to collect this Inference That the Arms of the present Archbi hop of Canterbury breaking down the Arms of the See of Canterbury not only presaged his own fall but the Ruine of the Metropolitical Dignity by the weight thereof But of these he took not so much notice as he did of an Accident which happened on St. Simon and Judes Eve not above a week before the beginning of the Long Parliament 1640. which drew him to his fatal Ruine On which day going to his upper Study to send some Manuscripts to Oxford he found his Picture which was at full length and taken as near the Life as the Pencil could express it to be fallen on the floor annd lying flat on its sace the string being broke by which it was hanged against the Wall yet the sight whereof he took such a sudden apprehension that he began to fear it as an Omen of that Ruine which was coming toward him and which every day began to be threatned to him as the Parliament grew nearer and nearer to consult about it These things occasioned him to look back on a former misfortune which chanced Septemb. 19. 1633. being the very day of his Translation to the See of Canterbury when the Ferry Boat transporting his Coach and Horses with many of his Servants in it sunk to the bottom of the Thames Heylins Life A.B. Land VIII Duncan King of Scots had two principal Men whom he imployed in all matters of Importance called Mackbeth and Banquo these two travelling together through a Forrest were met by three Witches or Wizards as the Scots call them whereof the first