earnestly to desire to know the day wherein hee should die which also his schoolemaster the deuill reuealed vnto him but vnder such doubtfull tearmes that he dreamed in his foolish conceit of immortalitie and that he should neuer die It chanced on a time as he was singing masse at Rome in a Temple called Ierusalem which was the place assigned for him to die in and not Ierusalem in Palaestina as he made himselfe falsly beleeue he heard a great noise of deuils that came to fetch him away A note worthy the noting note that this was done in masse while whereat hee being terrified and tormented and seeing himselfe not able any waies to escape he desired his people to rend his body in pieces after his death and lay it vpon a charriot and let horses draw it whether they would which was accordingly perfourmed for as soone as hee was dead the pieces of his carkasse were carried out of the Church of Laterane by the wicked spirit who as he ruled him in life so he was the chiefe in his death and funerals By like means came Benedict the ninth to the Popedome for he was a detestable magitian Benno Balleus and in the ten yeres wherin he was Pope hauing committed infinite villanies and mischiefes was at last by his familiar friend the deuill strangled to death in a forrest whither he went to apply himselfe the more quieter to his coniurings Gregorio the sixt scholler to Siluester as great a coniurer â—s his master wrought much mischiefe in his time Bal. but was at last banished Rome and ended his life in misety in Germany Iohn the two and twentieth being of no better disposition then these we haue spoken of but following iudiciall astrologie fed himselfe with a vaine hope of long life whereof hee vanted himselfe among his familiars one day aboue the rest at Viterbum in a chamber which hee had lately builded saying that hee should liue a great while hee was assured of it presently the flore brake suddenly in pieces and hee was found seuen daies after crushed to pieces vnder the ruines thereof All this notwithhanding yet other Pope eased not to suffer themselues to be infected with this execrable poison as Hildebrand who was called Gregorie the seuenth and Alexander the sixt of which kind we shall see a whole legend in the next booke and 43 chapter do but marke these holy fathers how abominable they were to be in such sort giuen ouer to Satan Cornelius Agrippa a great student in this cursed Art and a man famous both by his owne workes and others report for his Necromancie Iouius in elogijâ— vtrorum illustrium went alwaies accompanied with an euill spirit in the similitude of a blacke dog but when his time of death drew neare and he was vrged to repentance he tooke off the enchaunted collar from the dogs necke and sent him away with these tearmes Get thee hence thou cursed beast which hast vtterly destroied mee neither was the dog euer after seene some say hee leapt into Araris and neuer came out againe Agrippa himselfe died at Lions in a base and beggerly Inne Zoreastres king of Bactria is notified to haue beene the inuentor of Astrologie and Magicke Theat hist but the deuill whose ministerie he vsed when he was too importunate with him burned him to death Charles the seuenth of Fraunce put Egidius de Raxa marshiall of his kingdome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 1. to a cruell and filthie death because hee practised this arte and in the same had murdered an hundred and twenty teeming women and young infants he caused him to be hanged vpon a fâ—â—ke by a hote fire and rosted to death Bladud the sonne of Lud king of Britaine now called England in the yeere of the world 3100 hee that builded the citie Bath as our late histories witnesse and also made therin the hote bathes addicted himselfe so much to the deuilish arte of Necromancie that he wrought wonders thereby in so much that hee made himselfe wings and attempted to flie like Dedalus but the deuill as euer like a false knaue forsooke him in his iourney so that he fell downe and brake his necke In the yeere of our Lord 1578 one Sâ—mon Penbrooke dwelling in S. Georges parish in London being a figure setter and vehemently suspected to be a coniurer by the commaundement of the iudge appeared in the parish Church of S. Sauiour at a court holden there where whilst hee was busie in entertaining a proctour and leaned his head vpon a pew a good space the proctour began to lift vp his head to see what hee ailed and found him departing out of this life and straight waies hee fell downe rattling in the throat without speaking any one word this straunge iudgement happened before many witnesses who searching him found about him fiue deuilish bookes of coniuration and most abominable practises with a picture in tinne of a man hauing three dice in his hand with this writing Chance dice fortunately and much other trash so that euery one confessed it to be a iust iudgement against sorcerie and a great example to cause others to feare the iustice of God Now let euery one learne by these examples to feare God and to stand firme stedfast to his holy word without turning from it on any side so shall he be safe from such like miserable ends as these wicked varlets come vnto CHAP. XXXIIII Of those that through pride and vainglory stroue to vsurpe the honour due vnto God A Forgetfull and vnthankfull mind for the benefits which God bestoweth vpon vs is a braunch of the breach of this first commaundement as well as those which went before and this is when we ascribe not vnto God the glory of his benefits to giue him thanks for them but through a foolish pride extoll our selues higher then we ought presuming aboue measure and reason in our owne power desire to place our selues in a higher degree then is meet With this fond and foolish affection I know not how our first fathers were tickled and tainted from the beginning to thinke to empaire the glory of God Gen. 3. and they also were puffed vp with the blast of ambition that I know not with what fond foolish rash and proud conceit went about after the flood to build a city and tower of exceeding height by that meanes to win fame and reputation amongst men Gen. 11. In stead whereof they ought rather to haue praised God by remembring his gratious goodnesse in their miraculous deliuerance in their fathers persons from that generall deluge and shipwracke of the world but forasmuch as with a proud and high stomacke they lifted vp themselues against God to whome onely all glory appertaineth therefore God also set himselfe against them and against their ouer bold practises interrupting all their determined presumptuous purposes by such a confusion and alteration of tongues which he sent amongst them that one could not
vpon the hunters speare The gentle puissant lamb their champion bold So helpes to conquer al that hurts his fold That quickly they and all their progenie Confounded is and brought to miserie This is of Iuda the couragious Lion The conquering captaine and the rock of Sion Whose fauour is as great to Iacobs line As is his fearfull frwone to Philistine CHAP. XVII Of Apostataes and Backsliders that through infirmitie and feare haue fallen away IT is a kind of Apostasie and Backsliding condemned by this first commandement of the law when as hee that hath beene once enlightned by the word of God in the knowledge of saluation and nourished instructed therin from his cradle doth afterward cast behind his backe the grace of Gods spirit or disallow thereof exempt himselfe from the seruice of God to serue idols or make any outward shew to doe it which kind of sinne may be committed after two sorts either through infirmitie and feare or willingly and with deliberation when not being pressed or constrained thereto by any outward meanes a man dooth clearely and of himselfe abandon and forsake the true Religion to march vnder the banner of â—â—than and Antichrist and this also of two sorts either when a man dooth simply forsake the profession of the truth to follow superstition and idolatrie without attempting any thing beside the meere deniall of his faith or when after his reuolt he professeth not onely the contrarie religion but also endeuoureth himselfe by all meanes possible to aduance it and to oppresse and lay siege to the doctrine of Gods truth in those that maintaine the same By this it appeareth that there are three kinds of apostasie one as it were enforced and compelled the second voluntarie the last both voluntary and malicious which though they be all very hainous and offensiue in the sight of God yet the second and third sort are most dangerous of them also one more hurtfull and pernicious then the other as wee shall perceiue by that which followeth Now as all these kinds are different one from another so I wil referre the examples of each sort to his seuerall place that the efficacy therof may be the better perceiued And first of those which haue fallen away through feare and infirmitie and afterward in order of the rest Although that they who by the conceit and feare of tortures presented before their eies or of speedy and cruell death threatned against them do decline and slide backe from the profession of the Gospell may pretend for excuse the weakenesse and feeblenes of the flesh yet doubtlesse they are found guiltie before the throne of God for presetting the loue of this transitorie and temporarie life before the zeale of his glorie and the honor which is due to his only begotten sonne especially at that time when they are called out of purpose by their Martyrdome to witnesse his sacred truth before man and he desireth most to bee glorified by their free and constant perseuerance therin to the which perseuerance they are exhorted by many faire promises of eternall life and happinesse and from the contrarie terrefied by threats of death and confusion and vpon paine to bee discarded froÌ„ the presence of Christ before God because they haue denied him here before men which is the miserie of al miseries the greatest that can happen to any man for what shall become of that man whome the sonne of God dooth not acknowledge Now to prooue that God is indeed highly offended at this fainthearted cowardlinesse hee himselfe hath made knowne vnto vs by the punishments vvhich diuerse times hee hath sent vpon the heades of such offenders As in the time of the Emperour Valerian the eighth persecutor of the church vnder whose persecution albeit that many champions bestirred themselues most valiantly in that combate of faith yet there wanted not some whose hearts failing them and who in steed of maintaining and standing for their cause to the death as they ought haue done retired and gaue vp theÌ„selues to the enemie at first assault Amongst the number of which doubtie souldiors there was one that went vp into the Capitall at Rome in that place where Iupiters temple in old time stood Ciprian in his sermons de lapsu multorum to abiure and recant Christ and his profession which he had no sooner done but he was presently strooke dumbe and so was iustly punished in that very member wherewith he had offended A woman likewise hauing renounced her profession Ciprian and feeling in her selfe no remorse of conscience for her fal went as she was wont to doe in the time of her rest and prosperitie to the bathes and whot houses to refresh her selfe as if al had gone well with her but shee was so seased vpon and possessed by an euill spirit that in stead of pleasure which shee sought for she fell to lamenting and tormenting her owne flesh and chopt in peeces with her dainty teeth her rebellious tongue wherewith she had spoken wicked wordes and dishonoured God and tasted meates offered to idols and so this poore wretch whereas she should haue washed her selfe in teares of true repentance and in the true bath of grace and mercie because she had more care of clensing her body from filth theÌ„ her soule from sin became corrupt and filthy both body and soule by the meanes of that vncleane spirit which God had giuen power to afflict her and armed her own mouth which had tasted chewed and swallowed that cursed food furiously to rise against her selfe to destroy her so that shee became her owne murtherer for she suruiued not long by reason that her bowels and entrails were choked vp to the throat with paine Ciprian Another woman well stricken in yeares that in like manner had reuolted from the truth thrust her selfe notwithstanding into the assembly of the faithfull as they were receiuing the holy sacrament but that holy food which nourished the soules of them that beleeue turned to her bane Contempt of word and sacrament lib. 1. cap. 34. for she found there in steed of peace a sword in steed of nourishment deadly and mortall poyson in such sort that immediatly after the receit of that holy supper she began to bee meruelously troubled and vexed in soule and felt the hand of God so heauie vpon her for her offence committed in denying her sauiour to shun persecution that trembling and stamping she fell downe dead Cyprian There was also in like manner a certaine man that hauing renounced his faith did notwithstanding present himself at the celebration of the holy supper presuming to come eat at his table whom hee had a little before denied and receiued into his hand part of the sacrament aswell as the rest but thinking to put it into his mouth it was turned into ashes wherevpon hee stood amased Contempt of sacraments Lib. 1. cap. 34. and confounded in himselfe God manifesting in him that hee that reuoked
put to death in diuers places as well for their monstrous damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibite and set before our eies how deare precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy word the vnion of his Church is and how carefull zealous euery one of vs ought to be in maintaining and vpholding the same when as he reuengeth himselfe so sharply vpon all those that go about to peruert and corrupt the sincerity therof or which be breeders of new sects and diuisions among his people Olympus by office bishop of Carthage but by profession a fauourer and maintainer of the Arrian heresie being vpon a time in a bath washing himselfe Paul Diac. in Anastas hist Sabel lib. 5. c. 4. Blasphemie Lib. 1. cap. 31. Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. hee vttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinitie but a threefold thunderbolt came from aboue and stroke him dead in the same place teaching him by his paine and all other by experience what it is to blaspheme the Lord of heauen or with polluted lippes to mention his sacred maiestie this happened in the yeere of our Lord God 510. Cyrill hath recorded vnto vs of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God vpon an heretique then all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was neuer heard of the history is this After the decease of S. Ierome there stood vp one Sabinianus a peruerse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinctions of persons in the Trinitie and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost to be but one indistinct person and to giue credit to his heresie he wrote a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it vpon S. Ierome as being the authour of it But Siluanus the bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproued him for deprauing so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargaine with Sabinianus that if S. Ierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsnesse of his cause hee would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed vpon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted into the Temple of Ierusalem to decide the controuersie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Siluanus was commaunded to yeeld his necke to that punishment which himselfe was authour of which as hee most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Ierome in shew appeared and slaied the hangmans hand which was now ready to strike and vanishing forthwith another miracle succeeded Sabinianus head fell from his shoulders no man striking at it and his carkasse remained vpon the ground dead and senselesse Whereat the people amazed praising God claue vnto Siluanus and abiured Sabinianus heresie Wherein wee may obserue the wonderfull wisdome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whether they will stand to his truth or no and learne therby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timerously to despaire of helpe in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimeald king of Lumbardie was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with vntimely death for hauing beene let blood the eleuenth day after as he stroue to draw a bow hee opened the vaine a new and so bled to death Cabades Casp hed lib. 3. cap. 10. 15. king of Persia when hee saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place and there setting his souldiers on them slew them till there was not one left Photinus a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion Platina sub Siricio 7. and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in iustice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus iustly banished The Emperour Iustinian Niceph. lâ—b 27. cap. 31. fauouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gaue out one edict whereby Anastasius the bishop and all other that maintained the truth should be banished Zen. com 3. suddenly he was stroken with an inward and inuisible plague which tooke away his life and forestalled his wicked cruell determination from comming to the desired effect In all which examples we may see how God doth not only punish heretikes themselues but also their fauourers and supporters yea the very places cities wherin they liued broched their blasphemies Paul Diaâ— lib. 5. as by the destructioÌ„ of Antioch is seene which being a very sink of heretiks was partly coÌ„sumed with fire from heauen aboue in the seuenth yeere of Iustinus the Emperour and partly ouerthrowen with earthquakes below wherein Euphrasius the bishop and many other were destroied Moreouer besides those there were vnder Pope Innocent the third certaine heretiques celled Albigonses or Albiani which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were affirmed that there were two Gods one good and another euill they denied the resurrection despised the sacraments and said that the soules of men after their separation passed either into hogs oxen serpents or men according to their merits Contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. they would not spare to pollute the temples appointed for the seruice of God with their excrements and other filthy actions and to defile the holy bibles with vrine in despite and contumely This heresie like an euill weed so grew and increased that the braunches therof spred ouer almost all Europe a thousand cities were polluted therewith so that it was high time to cut it short by violence the sword as it was for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter that an hundred thousand of them were slaine partly by warre partly by fire at one time Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall monke of Bordeaux that by the helpe of Magicke wrought miracles and tooke vpon him the name and title of Christ saying hee could cure diseases and restore those that were past helpe by phisicke vnto their healths he went attired with garments made of goar 's haire and an hood professing an austerity of life abroad whereas he plaied the glutton at home but at length his cousenage was discouered he was banished the citie as a man vnfit for ciuill societie In the yeere of our Lord God 1204 in the Empire of Otto the fourth there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the sacrament Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. and said that God spake as well in profane Ouid as holy Augustine he scoffed at the doctrine of the resurrection and esteemed
God which they daily see with their eies and feele in themselues doe neuerthelesse striue to quench his light of nature which enlightneth and persuadeth them and all Nations of this There is a God by whom we liue moue and haue our being Acts. 17.28 who although in his essence is inuisible yet maketh he himselfe knowne and as it were seene by his workes and creatures and mighty gouernmēt of the world that he that would seeke after him may as one might say handle and feele him Therefore they that would persuade themselues that this glorious heauen massy earth wanted a guider and a gouernour haue their vnderstanding blinded from sight of things manifest their hearts peruerted from all shew of reason for is there any substance of this world that hath no cause of his subsisting Is there a day without a sonne Are there fruits and no trees Plants and no seeds Can it raine without a cloud Bee a tempest without wind Can a ship saile without a Pilote Or a house be built without a carpenter or builder If then euery part of this world hath his particular cause of being and dependance is it likely that the whole is without cause to bee to it a furnishing and gouernement Say you hogges and dogges doe you not beleeue that which you see or if your eies bee bored out that you cannot see must you thinke there is no sonne nor light because your eies are in darknesse and blindnes Can you behold all the secrets of nature Is there nothing but a voice a singing of birds or an harmonious consort of musicall instruments in the world And yet who perceiueth these small things Can you behold the wind Can you see the sweet smell of fragrant flowers along the fields Can you see the secrets of your owne bodies your entrals your heart and your brain And yet you cease not to beleeue that there are such things except you be heartlesse brainelesse indeed Why then doe you measure God by your own fight do not beleeue there is a God because he is inuisible since that hee manifesteth himselfe more apparently both to vnderstanding sence then either voice smell or wind doe not your owne othes blasphemies and horrible cursings bear witnesse against you when you sweare by despight and maugre him whom you deny to be doth not euery thunderclap constraine you to tremble at the blast of his voice if any calamity approch neere vnto or light vpon you or if death bee threatened or set before your eies doe you not then feele in spight of all your reason that the seuere iudgement of God doth waken vp your dull sleepy conscience to come to his triall There was neuer yet any nation or people so harbarous which by the persuasion and instinct of nature hath not alwaies beleeued a certain diety and to thinke otherwise is not only a detestable thing but also most absurd so cōtrary to humane reason that the very Paynims haue very little tollerated such horrible blasphemie The Athenians are witnesses hereof Cic. of the nature of gods Lib. 1. who banished Protagoras their city and countrie because in the beginning of one of his books he called in questiō the diety caused his bookes to be burned openly Neither shewed they any lesse seueritie towards Diagoras surnamed the Atheist Diodor. 13. when being as some say iniuriously and falsly accused of this crime and for feare of punishment fled away they proclaimed that whosoeuer did kill him should haue a talent of siluer in recompence which in value is as much as six hundred crownes after the rate of 35 shillings French to the crowne How much more then is the state of Christendome at this day to bee lamented which wee see in many places infected with such a contagious pestilence that diuers men inuenomed with this deadly poyson are so mischieuous and wretched as to make roome for Atheisme by forbidding and hindering by all means possible the course of the gospel wherein they make knowne what they are and what zeale they bear to the religion seruice of God with what affection they are led towards the good safety of the Commonwealth and what hereafter is to be hoped of them for where there is no knowledge nor fear of God there also is no bridle nor bond to restraine and hold men backe from doing euill wherevpon they grow to that passe to be most insolent and prophane This is the diuinity and goodly instructiō that commeth beyond the mountaines from that scientificall Vniuersitie and Colledge of the right reuerend maisters and from the excellent holinesse of some of their Popes whose manner of life is so dissolute lasciuious dishonest and Sardanapal like Vide lib. 1. cap. 20. Lucian Porphory Iulian. c Bale that thereby their Atheisme is euidently and notoriously knowne and talked of by euery one Hereof Pope Leo the tenth a Florentine by birth may serue for an example who as he was a very effeminate person giuen to all manner of delights and pleasure hauing no other care but of himselfe and his owne filthie carcasses ease so had hee no more tast at all nor feeling of God and his holy word then a dog hee made the promises and threats contained in holy scripture and all else that we beleeue matter to laugh at and things friuolous and of no waight mocking at the simplicitie the faith and beleefe of Christians for one day when Cardinall Bembus who also shewed himselfe to bee none of the best Christians in the world by his Venetian hystorie where as oft as hee speaketh of God hee vseth the plurall number after the manner of Heathen writers alleadged a place out of the Gospell his damnable impudēcie was so great as to replie That this fable of Christ had brought to him and such as hee no little profite Oh stincking and cursed throat to belch out such monstrous blasphemie doe not these speeches bewray a villanous and abhominable Atheist if euer any were Is not this to declare himselfe openlie to bee Antichrist For hee is Antichrist which denieth Iesus to bee Christ and which denieth the Father and the Sonne 1. Iohn 2.22 according as Saint Iohn sayth Albeit in the meane while this cursed caitife that had as much religion as a dog made shew to bee the protector and defendor of the Catholicke faith making warre with all his power against Christ Iesus in the person of his seruant Luther Now after hee had by his pardons and indulgences drawne out a world of money and heaped vp great treasures by the maintenance of courtizans and Whores and had enriched his bastards one day being at meat hee receiued newes of the ouerthrow of the French in Lumbardie whereat hee reioiced out of measure and for that good tidings doubled his good cheare sodainely hee was constrained to turne his coppie from ioy into sadnesse from pleasure into griefe and gnashing of teeth by a most
thus subdued sued for pardon and release at the conquerours hand but he was so farre from pitying his estate that hee corrupted one Iringus a noble man and Irminfrides subiect to murder his master which he perfourmed kneeling before Theodoricke running him through with his sword at his backe which traiterous deed assoone as it was finished Theodoricke though the setter of it yet hee could not abide the actour but bad him be packing for who could put trust in him that had betraied his owne master At which words Iringus mad with anger and rage ran at Theodoricke also with purpose to haue slaine him too but his hand missing the marke returned his sword into his owne bowels so that he fell downe dead vpon his masters carkasse What more notable and wonderfull iudgement could happen surely it is an example worthy to be written in golden letters to be read and remembred of euery one to teach men allegiance and obedience to their princes and superiors least more sudden destruction than this fall vpon them Tit. Liuius After the death of Ieronimus king of Siracusa Andronodorus and Themistius prouoked by their wiues descending of the blood roiall affected an vsurpation of the crowne and wrought much hurt to the common wealth but their practises being discouered the Pretours by the consent of the Seniours slew them both in the market place as rotten members of their common body and therefore fit to be cut off And when they vnderstood how their wiues Damarata and Harmonia were breeders and incensers of this mischiefe they sent to kill them also yea and Heraclia Harmonia her sister guiltlesse and witlesse of the crime for no other cause but because shee was sister vnto her was pluckt from the altar and slaine in the tumult with two of her daughters that were virgins And thus is treason plagued not only in traitors themselues but also in those that are linked vnto them in friendship and affinity The glory and reputation of Fabritius the Romane is eternized by that noble act of his Cic. offic lib. 9. in sending bound to Pyrrhus a traitour that offered to poison him For albeit that Pyrrhus was a sworne enemy to the Romane Empire and also made warre vpon it yet would not Fabritius treacherously seeke his destruction but sent backe the traitour vnto him to be punished at his discretion What notable treasons did Hadrian the fourth Pope of Rome practise against the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa yet all was still frustrate for the Lord protected the Emperour and punished the traitour with a sudden and straunge death for he was choked with a fly which went downe his throat and stopped his breath and could by no meanes be pulled out till it made an end of him Besides many others that went abour the same practise were brought to notable destructions as that counterfait foole whome the Italians set on to murder Fredericke in his chamber which had beene perfourmed had he not leaped out of a window into a riuer and so saued his life for the foole being taken was throwne headlong out of the same window and broke his necke As also an Arabian doctor a grand poisoner who going about to infect with poison his bridle his saddle his spurs and stirrops that assoone as hee should but touch them he might be poisoned was discouered and hanged for his labour In the yeere of our Lord 1364 Albert. Crantz when as the Emperour Charles the 4 and Philip duke of Austria were readie to ioine battaile in the field Charles distrusting his owne power vndermined his foe by subtilty on this fashion he sent for three of duke Philips captains priuily perswaded them with promises of rewards to worke some means to terrifie the duke dissuade him from that battell which they performed with all diligence for they told the duke that they had stolne into the Emperors tents by night viewed his power which they found to exceed his by three parts and therefore counselled him not to trie the hazard of the battell but to saue his souldiers liues by flight which if they tarried they were sure to loose Wherewithall the Duke mistrusting no fraud sore affrighted tooke the next occasion of flight returned home with dishonour Now when these three traitours came to the Emperour for their compacted rewards he caused them to be paid in counterfait mony not equiualing the summe of their bargaine by the twentieth part which though at first they discerned not yet afterwards finding how they were cousened they returned to require their due and complaine of their wrong But the Emperor looking sternly vpon them answered That counterfait mony was good enough for their counterfait seruice and that if they tarried long they should haue a due reward of their treason CHAP. III. More examples of the same subiect WHen Manuel the Emperour of Constantinople lay about Antioch with an army prepared against the Turke Otto Frisingensis de rebus Freder prin lib. 1. cap. 47. one of his chiefest officers namely his Chancellour put in practise this notable piece of treason against him he waged three desperate yong men with an infinite summe of mony to kill him on a day appointed and then with a band of souldiers determined to possesse himselfe of the crowne and of the city and to slay all that any way crossed his purpose But the treason being discouered secretly to the Empresse shee acquainted her lord with it who tooke the three traitours and put them all to cruell deaths and as for the Chancellour he first bored out his eyes and plucking his tongue through his throat tormented him to death with a rigorous and most miserable punishment When the Turke besieged Alba Graca certaine souldiors conspired to betray the citie into his hands Bonfiâ—â—us lib 3. Decad. 5. for hee had promised them large rewards so to doe howbeit it succeeded not with them for they were detected and apprehended by Paulus Kynisius gouernour of Hungarie who constrained theÌ„ to eat one anothers flesh seething euery day one to feed the other withall but hee that was last was faine to deuour his owne body Scr bonianus a Captaine of the Romanes in Dalmatia rebelled against the Emperour Claudius Lanquet chron and named himselfe Emperour in the â—rmy but his rebellion was miraculously punished for though the whole army fauoured him verie much yet they could not by any meanes spread their banners or remoue their standerds out of their places as long as hee was called by the name of Emperour with which miracle being mooued they turned their loues into hatred and their liking into loathing so that whome lately they saluted as Emperour him now they murdered as a traitor To rehearse all the English traitors that haue conspired against their kings from the conquest vnto this day Lanquet it is a thing vnnecessarie and almost impossible Howbeit that their destructions may appeare more euidently and the cutse of God vpon traitors bee made
in murders but to come to the fact It was on this sort When Richard the vsurper had enioined Robert Brackenbury to this peece of seruice of murdering the yo â—g king Edward the fift his nephew in the tower with his brother the duke of York and saw it refused by him hee committed the charge of the murder to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the tower by the kings commission receiued the keies into his own hands and by the help of those two butchers Dighton Forest smothered the two princes in their bed buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames node back to king Richard who gaue him great thanks as some say made him knight for his labor All which things on euery part wel pondered it appeareth that God neuer gaue the world a notabler exaÌ„ple both of the vnconstancie of worldly weale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despitefull crueltie for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at S. Martins Sir Iames Tirrell died at the tower hill beheaded for treason king Richard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more then all the rest for it is most certenly reported that after this abominable deed done he neuer had quiet in his mind when hee went abroad his eie whirled about his body was priuily fenced his hand euer vpon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleepe short and vnquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start vp and leape out of his bed and runne about the chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abominable murder CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their superiours because of subsidies and taxes imposed vpon them AS it is not lawfull for children ro rebel against their parents though they be cruell and vnnaturall so also it is as vnlawfull for subiects to withstand their princes and gouernours though they be somewhat grieuous and burdensome vnto them which wee affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and vnmeasurable oppression vpon their subiects as shall be declared in the 35 chapter of this booke more at large but wee intreat only here of their duties which are in subiection to the power of other men whose authoritie they ought in no wise to resist vnlesse they oppose themselues against the ordinance of God Therfore this position is true by the word of God that no subiect ought by force to shake off the yoke of subiection and obedience due vnto his prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publike authoritie is imposed Giue saith the Apostle tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome pertaineth feare to whome feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grieuance and not the religion and seruice of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question wee ought with all patience to endure whatsoeuer burden or charge is laid vpon vs without moouing any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that haue otherwise behaued themselues these examples following will shew how well they haue bene appaied for their misdemeanours In the yeere of our Lord 1304 Nich. Gil. vol. 1. after that Guy Earle of Flaunders hauing rebelled against Philip the Faire his soueraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subiection and constrained to deliuer himselfe and his two sonnes prisoners into his hands the Flemmings made an insurrection against the kings part because of a certaine taxe which he had set vpon their ships that arriued at certaine hauens and vpon this occasion great warre diuers battels and sundry ouerthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the king remained conquerour and the Flemmings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the last battell sixe and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeeres after this Flemish stirre The same authour there arose a great commotion and hurlyburly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whome they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the kings pallace at his lodging in the temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all that day after neither the king nor any of his officers durst once stirre ouer the threshold nay they grew to that ouerflow of pride and insolencie that the victuals which were prouided for the kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwed vnder feet in the durt trampled vpon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their paines were hanged before their owne dores and in the citie gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixt the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which hee minded to lay vpon them banded themselues and conspired togither against him they determined once saith Froissard to haue beaten downe Loure and Saint Vincents castle Vol. 2. cap. 120. all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensiue to them But the king though young in yeeres handled them so ripely and handsomly Cap. 129. that hauing taken away from them their armour the city gates and chaines of the streets locked vp their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him Cap. 130. And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Nic. Gil. vol. 2. Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewys the Earle of Flanders Froiss vol. 2. cap. 97. for diuers taxes and tributes which hee had laid vpoÌ„ them which they in no respect would yeeld vnto The matter came to be decided by blows much blood was shed many losses endured on both sides as a means appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number then fiue or sixe thousand men Cap. 98. ouerthrew the Earls army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuite of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a begger to flie the citie And thus hee
fared till king Charles the sixt sent an army of men to his succour Cap. 125 126. for he was his subiect by whose support he ouercame those rebels in a battaile foughten at Rose Be◠to the number of forty thousand the body of their chieftaine Philip Arteuill slaine in the throng hee caused to bee hanged on a tree Nic. Gil. vol. 2. And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy the countrie being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord. A while before this Froiss vol. r. cap. 182. whilest king Iohn was held prisoner in England there arose a great cōmotion of the cōmon people in France against the nobilitie and gentilitie of the realme that oppressed them this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered togither in the countrey of Beauvoisin but that small handfull grewe right quickly to an armefull euen to nine thousand that ranged and robbed throughout al Brie along by the riuer Marne to Laonoise and all about Soissons armed with great bats shod with iron an headlesse crue without gouernour fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility In this disorder they wrought much mischief broke vp many houses and castles murdered many Lords so that diuerse Ladies and knights as the Dutchesses of Normandy Orleance were faine to flee for safegard to Meaux whither when these rebels would needes pursue them they were there ouerthrowen killed and hanged by troupes In the yere of our Lord 1525 Sleid. lib. 4. there were certaine husbandmen of Souabey that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen by reason of certaine burdens which they complained themselues to be ouerlaid with by them their neighbors seeing this enterprised the like against their lords And so vpon this small beginning by a certaine contagion there grew vp a most dangerous and fearfull commotion that spread it selfe almost ouer all Almaine the sedition thus increasing in all quarters and the swaines being now full fortie thousand strong making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to couer their treason and rebellion and a pretence of their vndertaking armes to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God did not only fight with the Romane Catholikes but with all other without respect as well in Souabe as in Franconia they destroied the greater part of the nobility sacked and burnt many castles and fortresses to the number of two hundred and put to death the Earle of Helfestin making him passe through their pikes But at length their strength was broken they discomfited and torne in pieces with a most horrible massacre of more than eighteene thousand of them During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer hauing betaken himselfe to flight got ouer the mountaines to Padua where by treason hee was made away In the yeere of our Lord 1517 in the Marquesdome of the Vandales the like insurrection and rebellion was of the comminaltie especially the baser sort against the nobilitie spirituall and temporall by whom they were oppressed with intollerable exactions their army was numbred to stand of ninety thousand men all clownes and husbandmen that conspired togither to redresse and refourme their owne grieuances without any respect of ciuill magistrate or feare of Almightie God This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized euery where burning and beating downe the castles and houses of noble men and making their ruines euen with the ground Nay they handled the noble men themselues as many as they could attaine vnto not contumeliously only but rigorously and cruelly for they tormented them to death and carried their heads vpon speares in token of victory Thus they swaied a while vncontrolled for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots as beeing acquainted with what iniuries they had bene ouercharged but when he perceiued that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason but let it runne too lauish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty hee made out a certaine small troupe of mercenary souldiers togither with a band of horsemen to suppresse them who comming to a city were presently so inuironed with such a multitude of these swaines that like locusts ouerspread the earth that they thought it impossible to escape with their liues wherefore feare and extremitie made thē to rush out to battel with thē But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause for all their weake number in comparison of their enemies yet such a feare possessed their enemies hearts that they fled like troupes of sheepe and were slaine liee dogs before them insomuch that they that escaped the sword were either hanged by flockes on trees or rosted on spits by fires or otherwise tormented to death And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout which wrought such mischiefe in that countrey with their monstrous villanies that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to be seene In the yeere of our Lord 1381 Stow Chron. Richard the second being king the commons of England and especially of Kent and Essex by meanes of a taxe that was set vpon them suddenly rebelled and assembled togither on Blackheath to the number of 60000 or more which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines as Wat Tilour Iacke Straw Tom Miller but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the realme and chiefly about the citie of London where they committed much villanie in destroying many goodly places as the Sauoy and others and being in Smithfield vsed themselues very proudly and vnreuerently towards the king but by the manhood and wisdome of William Walworth Maior of London who arrested their chiefe captaine in the midst of them that rude company was discomfited and the ringleaders of them worthily punished In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seuenth Stow Chron. a great commotiō was stirred vp in England by the commons of the North by reason of a certaine taxe which was leuied of the tenth penny of all mens lands good within the land in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slaine But their rash attempt was soone broken and Chamberlaine their captaine with diuers others hanged at Yorke for the same Howbeit their example scared not the Cornish men frō rebelling vpon the like occasion of a taxe vnder the conduct of the lord Audley vntill by wofull experience they felt the same scourge for the king met them vpon blacke heath and discomfiting their troupes tooke their captains and ringleaders and put them to most worthy and sharpe death Thus we may see the vnhappie issue of all such seditious reuoltings and thereby gather how vnpleasant they are in the sight of God Let all people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselues in the feare of God to the higher powers whether they be lords kings princes or any other that are set ouer them CHAP. VI. Of Murderers AS
Austria Greg. of Tours lib 2. who being tickled with an vnsatiable lust of raigne through the deceiuable persuasions of Cleodouius king of Fraunce slew his father Sigebert as he lay asleepe in his tent in a forrest at noone time of the day who being weary with walking laid himselfe downe there to take his rest but for all that the wicked wretch was so farre from attaining his purpose that it fell out cleane contrarie to his expectation for after his fathers death as hee was vewing his treasures and ransacking his coffers one of Cleodouius factors stroke him sodainly and murdered him so Cleodouius seased both vpon the crowne and treasures After the death of Hircanus Ioseph antiq Aristobulus succeeded in the gouernmēt of Iudea which whilest he stroue to reduce into a kingdome to weare a crown contrary to the custome of his predecessors his mother other brethren contending with him about the same he cast in prison and took Antigonus his next brother to be his associate but ere long a good gratefull son he famished her to death with hunger that had fed him to life with her teates euen his naturall mother And after persuaded with false accusations caused his late best beloued Antigonus to be slain by an ambush that lay by Stratos tower because in the time of his sicknesse hee entered the temple with pompe but the Lord called for quittance for the two bloosheads immediatly after the execution of them for his brothers blood was scarse washed of the ground ere in the extremity of his sicknesse he was carried into the same place there vomiting vp bloud at his mouth nosthrils to be mingled with his brothers he fell down starke dead not without horrible tokens of trembling and despaire Nero that vnnaturall Tyrant surpassed all that liued Corn. Tacit. lib. 14. as in all other vices so in this for hee attempted thrise by poyson to make away his mother Agrippina and when that could not preuaile by reason of her vsuall Antidots and preseruatiues hee assaied diuerse other meanes as first a deuise whereby shee should bee crushed to death as she slept Sueton. cap. 33. a loosened beame that should fall vpon her and secondly by shipwracke both which when shee escaped the one by discouery and the other by swimming hee sent Anicetus the Centurion to slaughter hir with the sword who with his companions breaking vp the gate of the city where shee lay rushed into her chamber and there murdered her It is written of her that when shee saw there was no remedy but death shee presented her belly vnto the murderer and desired him to kill her in that part which had most deserued it by bringing into the world so vile a monster and of himt hat he came to veiw the dead carcasse of his mother and handled the members thereof commending this and discommending that as his fancy led him in the mean time being thirstie to call for drinke so far was hee from all humanitie and touch of nature but he that spared not to embrew his handes in her blood that bred him was constrained ere long to offer violence vnto his own life which was most dear vnto him Munst Cosmog lib. 3. Henry the son of Nicolotus duke of Herulia had two wicked cruell and vnkind sons by the yonger of whom with the consent of the elder he was traiterously murdered because he had married a third wise for which cause Nicolotus their cousin Germane pursued them both with a iust reuenge for he depriued them of their kingdome and droue them into exile where they soone after perished Phil. Melanct. chron lib. 5. Munst Cosmog lib. 4. Selimus the tenth Emperour of the Turks was so vnnaturall a child that he feared not to dispossesse his father Baiaset of the crowne by treason and next to bereaue him of his life by poyson And not fatisfied therewith euen to murder his two brethren and to destroy the whole stocke of his own bloud But when hee had raigned eight yeares vengeance found him out and being at his backe so corrupted and putrified his reines that the contagion spread it selfe ouer all his bodie so that hee died a beast-like and irkesome death and that in the same place where hee had before oppressed his father Baiaset with an army to wit at Chiurle a citty of Thracia in the yeare of our Lord 1520 the month of September Casp Hedian lib. 6. cap. 29. Charles the younger by surname called Crassus sonne to Lodouick the third was possessed and tormented with a Deuill in the presence of his father and the peeres of the realme which hee openly confessed to haue iustly happened vnto him because hee had pretended in his mind to haue conspired his fathers death and deposition what then are they to expect that doe not pretend but performe this monstrous enterprise A certaine degenerate and cruel sonne longing and gaping after the inheritance of his father which nothing but his life kept him from wrought this meanes to accomplish his desire he accused his father of a most filthy and vnnameable crime euen of committing filthinesse with a cow knowing that if he were conuicted thereof Theat hist the law would cut off his life and herein he wrought a double villany in going about not onely to take away his life which by the law of nature he ought to haue preserued but also his good name without respecting that the staine of a father redoundeth to his posteritie Mandat 8. Calumniatiō lib. 2. cap. and that children commonly doe not only inherit the possessions but also imitate the conditions of their parents but all these supposes laid aside togither with all feare of God he indicted him before the magistrate of incest that vpon his owne knowledge insomuch that they brought the poore innocent man to the racke to the end to make him confesse the crime which albeit amidst his tortures he did assoone as he was out he denied againe howbeit his extorted confession stood for euidence and he was condemned to be burned with fire as was speedily executed and constantly endured by him exclaiming still vpon the false accusation of his sonne and his owne vnspotted innocencie as by the issue that followed most clearely appeared for his sonne not long after fell into a reprobate mind and hanged himselfe and the iudge that condemned him with the witnesses that bare record of his forced confession within one moneth died all after a most wretched and miserable sort And thus it pleased God both to reuenge his death and also to quit his reputation and innocency from ignominy and discredit in this world Manfred prince of Tarentum Phil Melanct. Chron. lib. 4. No better fruit to be expected of an◠bastard im◠bastard sonne to Fredericke the second smothered his father to death with a pillow because as some say he would not bestow the kingdom of Naples vpon him not content
same cup which his predecessors did he was taken in his own snare for Darius vnderstanding his pretence made him drinke vp his owne poyson which he prouided for him and thus murder was reuenged with murder and poyson with poyson Exod. 22.24 according to the decree of the almighty who sayth Eie for eie tooth for tooth c. In the yeare of the world 3659 Morindus a most cruell and bloodie minded Prince raigned here in England who for his cruelties sake came to an vnhappie and bloodie end Stow. for out of the Irish seas came foorth a monster which destroied much people whereof he hearing would of his valiant courage needs fight with it and was deuoured of it so that it may truly here bee said that one monster deuoured another There was as Elianus Elianus reporteth a cruell and pernicious Tyrant who to the end to preuent all practises of conspiracie and treason as Tyrants are euer naturally and vpoâ— desert timorous that might bee deuised against him enacted this law among his subiects that no man should conferre with another either priuately or publickely vpon paine of death and so indeed hee abrogated all ciuill societie for speech as it was the beginning and birth of fellowship so it is the very ioint and glew therof but what cared he for society that respected nothing but his owne safety hee was so far from regarding the common good that when his subiects not daring to speake signified their minds by signes hee prohibited that also and that which is yet more when not daring to speake nor yet make signes they fell to weeping lamenting their misery he came with a band of men euen to restrain their teares too but the multitudes rage being iustly incensed they gaue him such a desperate welcome that neither he nor his fellowes returned one of them aliue And thus his abhominable cruelty came to an end together with his life and that by those meanes which is to be obserued by which hee thought to preserue and maintaine them both Childericus who in the yeare 697 succeeded in the kingdome of Fraunce Theodoricke that for his negligence and sluggish gouernment was deposed and made of a king a Frier exercised barbarous and inhumane cruelty vpon his subiects Michael Rit l b. 1. de regibus Franc. Lib. 2. cap. 46. For hee spared neither noble nor ignoble but mixtly sent them to their graues without respect of cause or iustice One of the noble sort hee caused to bee fastened to a stake and beaten with clubs not to death but to chastisement which monstrous cruelty so incensed the peoples mind against him that there wanted no handes to take part with this clubbeaten man against the tyrant his enemie Wherfore they laid wait for him as hee came one day from hunting and murdered him togither with his wife great with child no man either willing or daring to defend him Tymocrates the king or rather tyrant of the Cyrenians wil giue place to none in this commendation of cruelty for hee â—fflicted his subiects with many and monstrous calamities â—nsomuch that hee spared not the priests of his gods which commonly were in reuerent regard among the Heathen as the bloody death of Menalippus Apolloes Priest did witnesse whome to the end to marry his faire and beautiful wife Aretaphila hee cruelly put to death howbeit it prospered not with him as he desired for the good woman not contented with this sacrilegious contract sought rather meanes to reuenge her first husbands death than to please this new lechers humour Wherefore she assaied by poyson to effect hir wish and when that preuailed not she gaue a young daughter shee had to Leander the tyrants brother to wife who loued her exceedingly but with this condition that hee should by some practise or other worke the death and destruction of his brother Which indeed hee performed for hee so bribed one of the groomes of the tyrants chamber that by his helpe he soone rid wicked Tymocrates out of the way by a speedy deserued death But to abridge these long discourses let vs looke into all times and ages and to the hystories of all countries and nations and we shall find that tyrants haue euer coâ—â— to one destruction or other Diomedes the Thracian king fed his horses with mans flesh as with prouender Plut. in Dion but was made at last prouender for his owne horses himselfe by Hercules Calippus the Athenian that slew Dian his familiar friend and deposed Dionisius the Tyrant and committed many other murders among the people was first banished Rheginum and then liuing in extreame necessity Philip. Melanct. lib. 3. Valemar slaine by Leptines and Polyserchon Clephes the second king of the Lumbardies for his sauadge cruelty towards his subiects was slaughtered by one of his friends Damasippus that massacred so many citizens of Rome was cut off by Silla Ecelinus that plaied the tyrant at Taurisium gelding boies deflouring maides maiming Matrones of their dugs cutting children out of their mothers bellies and killing 1200 Patauians at once that were his friendes Sabel lib. 8. c. 3. was cut short in a battaile In a word if wee read and consult hystories of all countries and times wee shall find seldome or neuer any notorious Tyrant and oppressor of his subiects that came to any good end but euer some notable iudgement or other fell vpon them CHAP. XXIII Of those that are both cruell and disloiall NOw if it bee a thing so vnworthy and euill beseeming a Prince as nothing more to bee stained with the note of cruelty how much more dishonourall is it when with crueltie disloialtie and falshood is coupled and when hee is not ashamed not onely to play the Tyrant but also the traitor dissembler and Hypocrite to the end hee may more freely poure out the fome of his rage against those that put confidence in him This is one of the foulest and vilest blots that can bee wherewith the honour and reputation of a man is not onely stained but blasted and blotted out not euer to bee recouered for what persuasion can one haue of such Or who is so fond as to put affiance in them 2. Sam. 18. This was one of the notorious vices of king Saul when maligning the prosperity of Dauid hee cunningly promoted him to bee generall of his army and married him to one of his daughters to this end that by exposing him to the hazards and perrils of warre hee might bring him to speedy destruction seeking besides other vnlawfull meanes to put him to death by but what was the end of this vniust murderer wee haue declared in the former chapter But aboue all that by Treason and deceit made way vnto their cruelty Herodian the Emperour Antonius surnamed Caracalla was the chiefe who to reuenge himselfe more at full vpon the Citizens of Alexandria in Aegypt faigne as if hee would come see their city built by Alexander and receiue an
with his sonne but also quite extinguished the Gothicke kingdome in Spaine in this warre and vpon this occasion seuen hundred thousand men perished as hystories record and so a kingdome came to ruine by the peruerse lust of one lecher Anno 714. At the sacking and destruction of Thebes by king Alexander a Thracian captaine which was in the Macedonian army tooke a noble Matron prisoner called Tymoclea whome when by no persuasion of promises he could entise to his lust he constrained by force to yeeld vnto it Plut. in vita Alexand. Sabel lib. 5. c. 6. but this noble minded woman inuented a most witty subtile shift both to rid her selfe out of his hands and to reuenge his iniurie she told him that she knew where a rich treasure lay hid in a deepe pit whether when with greedinesse of the gold he hastened standing vpon the brinke pried and peared into the bottome of it she thrust him with both her hands into the hole and tumbled stones after him that he might neuer find meanes to come forth for which fact she was brought before Alexander to haue iustice who demanding her what she was she answered that Theagenes who led the Thebane army against the Macedonians was her brother Alexander perceiuing the maruellous constancie of the woman and knowing the cause of her accusation to bee vniust manumitted and set her free with her whole family When Cn. Manlius hauing conquered the Gallo-Grecians pitched his army against the Tectosages people of Narbonia towards the Piren mountains amongst other prisoners a very fair womā wife to Orgiagous Regulus was in the custodie of a Centurion that was both lustfull and couetous Liuiu◠lib. 38. This lecher tempted her first with faire persuasions and seeing her vnwilling compelled her with violence to yeeld her body as a slaue to fortune so to infamy and dishonor after which act somewhat to mitigate the wrong he gaue her promise of release and freedome vpon condition of a certaine summe of money and to that purpose sent her seruant that was captiue with her to her friends to puruey the same which hee bringing the Centurion alone with the wronged lady met him at a place appointed and whilest hee weighed the money by her counsaile was murdered of her seruants so she escaping caried to her husband both his money and threw at his feet the villaines head that had spoiled her of her chastitie Andreas king of Hungary hauing vndertaken the voiage into Siria for the recouety of the holy land together with many other kings and Princes committed the charge of his kingdome and family to one Bannebanius Chronica Hungariae a wise and faithfull man who discharged his office as faithfully as hee tooke it willingly vpon him now the Queene had a brother called Gertrude that came to visite and comfort his sister in her husbands absence and by that meanes soiourned with her a long time euen so long till hee fell deadly in loue with Bannebanus lady a faire vertuous woman one that was thought worthie to keepe company with the Queene continually to whome when hee had vnfolded his suit and receiued such stedfast repulse that hee was without all hope of obtaining his desire he began to droupe and pine vntill the Queene his sister perceiuing his disease found this peruerse remedie for the cure thereof shee would often giue him oportunitie of discourse by withdrawing her selfe from them being alone and many times leaue them in secret and dangerous places of purpose that he might haue his will of her but she would neuer consent vnto his lust and therefore at last when hee saw no remedie hee constrained her by force and made her subiect to his will against her will which vile disgracefull indignitie when shee had suffered shee returned home sad and melancholy and when her husband would haue embraced her she fled from him asking him if he would embrace a whore and related vnto him her whole abuse desiring him either to rid her from shame by death or to reuenge her wrong make knowne vnto the world the iniury done vnto her There needed no more spurs to pricke him forward for reuenge he posteth to the court and vpbraiding the Queene with her vngratefull and abhominable trecherie runneth her through with his sword and taking her heart in his hand proclaimeth openly that it was not a deed of inconsideration but of iudgement in recompence of the losse of his wiues chastitie foorthwith hee flieth towards the King his Lord that now was at Constantinople and declaring to him his fact and shewing to him his sword besmeared with his wiues blood submitteth himselfe to his sentence either of death in rigour or pardon in compassion but the good King enquiring the truth of the cause though greeued with the death of his wife yet acquite him of the crime and held him in as much honour and esteeme as euer hee did condemning also his wife as worthy of that which shee had endured for her vnwomanlike and traiterous part A notable example of iustice in him and of punishment in her that forgetting the law of womanhood and modestie made her selfe a baud vnto her brothers lust whose memory as it shall be odious and execrable so his iustice deserueth to be engrauen in marble with caracters of gold Equall to this king in punishing a Rape was Otho the first Albert. Krant lib. 3. for as he passed through Italy with an armie a certaine woman cast her selfe downe at his feet for iustice against a villaine that had spoiled her of her chastitie who deferring the execution of the law till his returne because his hast was great the woman asked who should then put him in mind thereof hee answered This church which thou seest shall be a witnesse betwixt mee and thee that I will then reuenge thy wrong Now when hee had made an end of his warfare in his returne as hee beheld the church hee called to mind the woman and caused her to be fetcht who falling down before him desired now pardon for him whom before she had accused seeing he had now taken her to wife redeemed his iniury with sufficient satisfaction Not so I sweare quoth Otho your compacting shall not infringe or collude the sacred ◠but hee shall die for his former fault and so he caused hi◠be put to death A notable example for them that after they haue committed filthinesse with a maid thinke it no sin but competent amends if they take her in marriage whom they abused before in fornication Nothing inferiour to these in punishing this sin was Gonzaga duke of Ferrara as by this historie following may appear in the yeare 1547 a citizen of Comun Theat histor was cast into prison vpon an accusation of murder whome to deliuer frō the iudgement of death his wife wrought all means possible therefore comming to the captaine that held him prisoner she sued to him for her husbands life
himselfe executioner of his wrath and murdered Achimelech with al the nation of the priests and smote Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword both man woman child suckling oxe and asse not leauing any aliue so beastly was his cruelty saue Abiathar only one of the sons of Achimelech that fled to Dauid brought him tidings of this bloudy massacre But did this cruel accuser escape scotfree No the spirit of God in the 52 Psalm proclaimeth his iudgement Psal 52.1.2.5 Why beastest thou in thy wickednes thou tyrant thy tongue imagineth mischeife and is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully c. but God shall destroy thee for euer hee shall take thee and pluck thee out of thy tabernacle and root thee out of the land of the liuing Next to this man 1. Kin. 21. we may iustly place Achab the king of Israel Iesabel his wife who to the end to get the possession of Naboths vineyard which being his inheritance hee would not part from suborned by his wiues pernicious councell false accusers wicked men to witnesse against Naboth that he had blasphemed God the king by that means caused him to bestoned to death but mark the iudgemēt of God denoūced against them both by the mouth of Elias for this wicked fact Hast thou killed saith he and taken possession Thus saith the Lord In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs euen licke thy bloud also as for Iezabel dogs shal eat her by the wall of Israell thy house shall be like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall c. Neither was this onely denounced but executed also as we may read 1. Kin. 22.38 2. Kin. 9.36.37 c. 2. Kin. 10.7 c. Amos. 7.17 Amaziah the priest of Bethel vnder Ieroboam the wicked king of Israel perceiuing how the Prophet Amos prophecied against the idolatry of that place of the king he falsly accused him to Ieroboam to haue cōspired against him also he exhorted him to flie frō Bethel because it was the kings chappell flie into Iudah and prophecy there but what said the Lord vnto him by the prophet Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city thy sons and thy daughters shall fal by the sword thy land shall be deuided by liue and thou shalt die in a polluted land loe there was the punishment of his false accusation Ester 7.10 How notable was the iudgement that the Lord manifested vpon Haman the Syrian for his false accusing of the Iewes to be disturbers of the Commonwealth breakers of the laws of king Ahasuerash did not the Lord turne his mischiefe vpon his owne head The same day which was appointed for their destruction the Lord turned it to the destructiō of their enemies and the same gallows which hee prepared for Mordecai was he himselfe hanged vpon Daniel 6. The mē that falsly accused Daniel to king Darius for breaking the kings edict which was that none shold make any request vnto any for 30 daies space saue only to the king himself fared no better for when as hee found Daniell praying vnto God they presently accused him vnto the king vrging him with the stability which ought to bee in the decrees of the kings of Medea and Persia that ought not to bee altered in such sort that king Darius though against his will commanded Daniell to be throwne amongst the lions to be deuoured of them but when he saw how miraculously the Lord preserued him from the teeth of the lyons and thereby perceiued his innocency hee caused his enuious accusers to be throwne into the lyons den with their wiues and children who were deuoured of the lyons ere they could fall to the ground Notorious is the example of the two iudges that accused Susanna both how she was deliuered and they punished the credit of which history because it is doubtfull I here omit to speake further of But let vs come to prophane histories Apelles that famous painter of Ephesus felt the sting and bitternesse of this venomous viper for hee was falsly accused by Antiphillus another painter an enuier of his art and excellent workmanship to haue conspired with Theodota against king Ptolomie and to haue ben the cause of the defection of Pelusium from him which accusation hee laid against him to the end that seeing hee could not attaine to that excellencie of art which he had Theat histor he might by this false pretence work his disgrace and ouerthrow as indeed hee had effected had not great persuasions been vsed and manifest proofes alledged of Apelles innocency and integrity wherefore Ptolomie hauing made trial of the cause and found out the false and wrongful practise he most iustly rewarded Apelles with an hundred talents Antiphillus the accuser with perpetual seruitude vpō which occasion Apelles in remembrance of that danger painted out calumniation on this maner a woman gaily attired and dressed with an angrie and furious countenance holding in her left hand a torch and with her right a young man by the hair of the head before whome marched an euill fauoured sluttish vsher quicke sighed and palefaced called Enuie at her right hand sat a fellow with long eares like king Midas to receiue tales and behind her two waiting maids Ignorance Suspition and thus the wittie painter to delude his owne euill hap expressed the liuely image and nature of that detracting sin Vide li. 1. ca. 12. example of Nero. Euseb li. 9. ca. 5. This tricke vsed Maximinus the tyrant to deface the doctrine and religion of Christ in his time for when he saw that violence torments preuailed not Nicep li. 7. c. 27. but that like the palme the more it was trodden and oppressed the more it grew hee vsed this subtlety and craft to vndermine it he published diuerse bookes full of blasphemie of a conference betwixt Christ and Pilate and caused them to bee taught to children in steed of their first elements that they might no sooner speake thà n hate and blaspheme Christ moreouer he constrained certain wicked and lend women to auouch that they were Christians and that vile filthinesse was daily committed by them in their assemblies which also he published farre and neer in writing howbeit for all this the Lords truth quailed not but swum as it were against the streame and encreased in despight of enuy as for these false accusers they were punished one after another with notable iudgements for one that was a chiefe doer therein became his own murderer and Maximinus himselfe was consumed with wormes and rottennesse as hath ben shewed in the former booke It was a law among the Romans that if any man had enformed an accusation against another Euse li. 5. ca. 21. either wrongfully vnlawfully or without probability both his legs should be brokē in