was two discents after Iacobs children but as I sayd before hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie for where true records want then coniectures of men doe grow About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard by Rebecca his wife hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly he liued one hundred eightie yeeres three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued Which Isaac liued With Sem 110. yeeres With Sara his mother 37. Arphaxat 48. Sarug one yeere Salah 78. Iacob his brother 120. Heber 139. Ismaeel his halfe brother by Abraham liued with Isaac 75 Agar 123. Thare his grandfather 35. Ioseph 29. Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau which gouerned all the land of Seir for the appointment of GOD was Maior seruiet Minori when Iacob had no certaine place in the world but tossed from one affliction to an other Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren and laied in prison in Egypt euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia Antens of Lybia Melinus of Creete with others hee killed the king vsurped the kingdome and was called thereby as Berosus affirmeth Tiphon tyrannus but he was well requited and all his confederats for they all were slaine by Orus Magnus Osiris sonne in a towne of Arabia named Anteos Rhodes was builded about this time which was named before Opheinissa the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt and in all the world began likewise about the time of Isaacs death In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king a man of the greatest fame after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne Hercules surnamed Lybius draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them and subdued them and afterward reigned peaceably 20. yeeres as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt began the Kings of Egypt to be called Pharaones a name of great dignitie not proper names but as the Romanes Alexandrians the Latines with other kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars Siluij Ptolomeis Arsaces so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pharaones which began about the latter end of Isaac Sparta a famous towne amongst the Lacedemonians was builded of Pharoneus sonne whose name was Sparta and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta Alitle after this time the going of Iacob vnto Egypt was in the 130. yeres of his age where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh and then died after Abrahams being in Egypt 215. yeeres and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph who was solde by his brethren and by his father thought to be slaine then dwelled in Iudea Hethits Iebusites Amorites Chananites Amalakites and Pheresites this land flowed with milke and hony fertile and full of all plentifulnes for after Ioseph died in Egypt Moses was borne within 65. yeeres and in the fourescore yeere of Moses age the 145. after Ioseph died and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan as it shall bee hereafter said But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large and in Iosephus and specially Frigius Mosaicus in his booke De historijs patrum leaueth nothing vntouched I will forward to the birth of Moses CHAP. II. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua which were 72. yeeres MOses the sonne of Amri being borne in Egypt in the time of Israels bondage and throwen according to the commandement of Pharaoh vnto Nilus but by the prouidence of God Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis walking for her pleasure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus beheld a thing houering vpon the water commaunded her maide to see what it was there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child she much delited in him and caused an Egyptian woman to giue him dugge which the childe refused his sister Miria said Ifan Hebrew woman were there he would sucke Thermutis willed her straight to bring one and she brought the mother of Moses to whome the Kings daughter saide Take this childe and bring him vp for me and she adopted him her sonne This childe grewe both goodly and godly of whom many things are written of while yet he was in Egypt being but a childe in Thermutis armes she put the Kings diademe vpon the childes head and he threwe it to the dirt not esteeming pompe and regall shewe But after he grewe to be a man he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Aethiopians and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians where the kinges daughter of Aethiope called Tharbis beholding his magnanimitie with admiration of his great actions fell in loue with Moses offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope the condition he accepted vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood which was done But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses disgrasing and disdaining his fortune and threatning him to the death after the killing of the Aegyptians fearing it should come to light fled vnto the Madianits wher he maried Iethroes daughter and continued fourtie yeeres vntill the Angell appearing in a flaming bush commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh to deliuer Israel from captiuitie with whome Aaron his brother which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen was ioyned with Moses in commission to execute the commaundements of God for to Moses was granted wisedome counsel and power to doe miracles to Aaron eloquence learning and power to speake what he would Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt in these wordes Sanguis Rana Culex Muscae Pecus Vlcera Grando Vermes Tenebrae Pestis primogenitorum Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Hebron by his progenitors as Ioseph had commanded when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill This
fourtie two yeeres before the Olympiads at the which time the kingdome of Macedonia began so that the Medes Macedonians began fourtie two yeeres before the Lydians and the Lydians twentie foure yeeres before the Romanes Ctesias a great antiquarie of the Persians who wrote in Artaxerxes time presently after Herodot saith that after Arbaces time a sonne of his succeeded him named Madanes who reigned 50. yeres and then followed Sosarmus which reigned 30. yeeres after him succeeded Aristeus who held long warres with the Cadusians by whom he was at length slaine but before he died he cōmanded by will that the Medes should neuer be in league with the Cadusians but with sworde and fire to persecute them vntill they were brought subiect vnto the Medes After the death of this Aristeus reigned in Media Artines 22. yeeres after him Artelanus gouerned the Medes fourtie yeeres in whose time the Parthians were subdued and brought vnder the Empire of the Medes after they had yelded them selues and the Countrey vnto the king of Saca which king both he and his Countrey after two yeeres great warres had betweene them and the Medes were vanquished both they and the Parthians when the Medes had brought the king of Parthia and the king of Saca vnder the yoke of Media at what time Artabanus reigned king ouer the Medes after whom succeeded Astiages which with some writers is named Apanda This was the last king of Media which was conquered both he his countrey by Cyrus king of Persia whose historie is at large set foorth in the Empire of Persia Diodorus with others which write of these kings as Herodot and Ctesias Great cōtrouersie there is betweene writers about the kings of Media of their succession of their reigne and of their gouernments though Strabo and Pomponius Mela doe fully describe the situation of Media yet the best Chronographers varie much of their gouernment Iustinus affirmeth that the Medes reigned 350. yeres others say 304. making their computations from Sardanapalus time whom the Medes conquered vntil the time of Cyrus by whom the Medes were vanquished so long the Empire stood Againe they vary much in the names of their kings for as I named from Arbases the first king vntill Astiages the last king and the ninth king of the Medes so some againe after this sort doe set downe the lynes of the kings of Media After Arbases reigned Sosarmus the second king of Media he reigned thirtie yeeres at what time reigned in Egypt a king of singular wisedome very courteous and gentle much commended of Herodot for many rare vertues named of Functius Osorus and of Eusebius Nicerinus About this time was Achas king of Iuda borne and Coenus the second king of Macedonia beganne with Sosarmus the second king of Media to reigne Marke the order of time for both the Macedonians and the Medes at one time began their kingdomes euen then the Lacedemonians ended their kingdomes for so God worketh by order of nature and time The Peloponesians the Athenians were so plagued one of another by continuall ciuill warres the slaughter so great on both sides the warres so long as men cōquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their coūtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians frō time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing frō so little a quarell as hereafter shal be mentioned in the historie of Greece While these warres endured in Greece Romulus and Rhemus were borne and the third king of Media beganne to gouerne the Medes his name was Medidus in the first Olympiad at which time the king of Tyre which was named Elulaeus as Menander testifieth a writer of their owne Chronicles was besieged by Salmanassar king of Assyria who after he hee had spoiled Phoenicia Samaria he turned his force against Tyre After great slaughter he tooke Sidon Arce and Paletire with many other Cities from the king of Tyre and brought the spoyle thereof vnto Niniue And yet sayth Menander for all his victorie he was the second time discomfited his Nauies so scattered that fiue hundred of his best souldiers were taken by the Cananites and by the king of Tyre whereat Salmanassar waxed full of wrath and commaunded his souldiers to stoppe all conduites and all passages of waters that for fiue yeeres they were forced to digge out water and to make welles and springes to susteine themselues withall and this historie is written in the Chronicles of Tyre About this time liued that good and learned Poete Archimus that wrote of the warres of Troy Coelius king of the Thuscans ayded Romulus the first king of Rome with men and money against the people called Cennienses and the Antenates of this kings name mount Coelius one of the seuen hilles of Rome was called Plutarch sayth that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome was borne about this time and in the twentie eight yeere of the third king of the Medes was that wicked king Sancherib with his horrible blasphemies with a hundred foure score fiue thousand of his souldiers slaine by the Angel of the Lord. After this Medidus the third king of Media had reigned fourtie yeeres succeeded him Cardiceas the fourth king who reigned thirteene yeeres During this kings gouernment the Empire of Assyria was brought by Merodach the sonne of Baladan vnto Babylon where Merodach reigned fourtie yeeres the first king of Babylon Nowe in Iudea gouerned a wicked king a great idolater a murtherer of the Prophetes and a most contemptuous despiser of God This Manasses filled all Ierusalem with blood hee martyred Esai the Prophet commaunding him to bee cutte in two pieces with a sawe for the which tyrannie God gaue him ouer to the handes of the Babylonians In Ethiop reigned about this time a king named Tarachus of whome Iosephus maketh mention that hee came to ayde Spethon king of Egypt against Senaherib in the sixteenth Olympiad About this time Nicomedia was builded Gela a Towne of Sicilia and Phaselis a Towne in Pamphilia were likewise builded All this while the Medes had no king crowned nor allowed but as a supreme Gouernour of all Media but were as you heard from Arbaces time vntill this time gouerned by a Magistrate or chiefe Gouernment euen vntill Deiocis which was the chiefe gouernour and the first king for Arbaces Sosarmus Medidus Cardiceas these foure were but gouernours though for order sake they were named kings CHAP. II. Of the first King of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last King of the Medes BVt Deiocis nowe after hee had gouerned wisely and discreetely the Medes hee through his owne pollicie and his friends councell became the first King by consent and by election When he
common weale of Athens for that Cimon was inclined to take part with the best men and with the honestest causes he was the more esteemed not onely in Athens but in all Greece and specially of the Lacedemonians who could not brooke so well Pericles who tooke a contrary course euery way to Cimon of whose seruice abroade farre from Greece somewhat I wil recite for neither Themistocles nor his successour Pericles bridled more the crueltie of that mightie Persian king then Cimon did not only in chasing him out of Greece but folowing him hard at the heeles to Persia and brought him against his wil to conditions of peace After this he entred Thracia subdued them forced those Persians that dwelt in Coronesus an Isle in Thracia to flight Cimon was made general of Athens at which time he conquered the citie of Ionia and the citie of Amphipolis and wanne the Isle of Syros he subdued Asia from Ionia vnto Pamphylia and brought them in subiection vnder the Grecians Cimon after this went against the Faselits who were Grecians borne and yet enemies vnto Greece destroyed their countrey and wanne their chiefe citie called Faselis Againe Cimon had two great victories against the Persians in one day one victorie on sea where he tooke 200. sailes prisoners at the riuer Eurymedon Ariomandes being the kings lieutenant the other victory on land with great slaughter of the barbarous people al their tents and their pauilions he caried away Plutarch saith that these victories excelled the victorie of Salamia which the Grecians wanne by sea and the other which they wan by land before the citie of Platea By this valiant man Cimon the name of Athens was reuiued for Cimons only study and care was to haue Greece not to halt and therefore his secret desire and traueile was that Greece should stand vpon two legs which was Athens and Sparta He alwayes sought meanes to keepe the Athenians and the Lacedemonians in peace for the Athenians thought themselues to be the only light of al Greece affirming them only to be bread and borne in the countrey as Indigenae seditious people vnquiet and euer desirous of soueraigntie and therefore Cimon followed the Lacedemonians maners for their sobrietie and temperancie of life and wished alwayes their prosperitie This Cimon while he liued was the onely man that Greece was beholden vnto for vnder Cimon it flourished most and specially the Athenians which Demosthenes affirmeth in diuers of his orations that they had the soueraigntie of al Greece for the space of 73. yeeres compting from the time of Cimons victories at Euridemon vntill the yeelding of Athens vnto Lisander for after Cimons death no famous acte was done by any Grecian to the barbarous people sauing that Agesilaus king of Lacedemon came fiftie yeeres after Cimons death with an armie of Grecians into Asia and beganne a small warre of no notable exploit for that hee was called home againe to Greece by occasion of newe troubles and ciuill warres risen among the Grecians Now when Cimon had brought into Greece as it were an other golden worlde such as was in Saturnus raigne and hauing brought with him to Athens the bones of Theseus 700. yeres after Theseus death for the which he wanne exceedingly the Athenians hearts he died at the siege of the citie Citium in Cyprus after whom continued Pericles his colleague in gouernment of Athens for a time About this time in Rome tenne Magistrates were appointed and first created within a while after the putting downe of Tarquinius the last king of Rome called Decem viri from whom ambassadours were sent to Athens for the lawes of the 12. tables I will now leaue to speake of Athens and I will write what other cities of Greece did what kings raigned and what gouernment they had for at this time the chiefest cities of Greece were in an vprore for Xerxes after his shameful flight from Greece to Asia slew his brother Mancistes vsed abominable incest with both his brothers wife and his daughter and himselfe was after slaine by Artabanus Now while his sonne Artaxerxes raigned he was vertuous good and liberall and fauoured peace more then warre he liued vntil the seuenth yere of the warres of the Peloponesians Agesilaus raigned king in Lacedemon The Thebans waxed strong and beganne to haue the better of the Lacedemonians Sparta was now in the declining state had sustained much losses and harmes by the Boetians and by the Thebans by meanes of Epaminondas and Pelopidas therefore they sent for Agesilaus into Asia for while hee was in Asia Lisander lost againe two great battels and in the last Lisander himselfe was slaine CHAP. VI. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philippe and after by his sonne Alexander which shal be set downe in the next Chapter THus the Thebans ioyning with the Athenians through the great courage of Cimon hauing wonne these two victories the one by land the other by sea Cimon by his prowesse and valure recouered now Athens which before hee had lost Athens beganne to lift vp her selfe and being well refreshed by the spoyles of the Lacedemonians and encouraged by the death of Lisander and by the banishment of Pausanias it was hie time for Agesilaus to returne from Asia vnto Greece for Epaminondas the Thebane captaine vsed great celeritie in his warres and many Stratagems against Sparta Conon hearing of Agesilaus comming armed himselfe and as Iustine saith was then in Asia and came that time from Asia when Agesilaus came Agesilaus was scant come into Sparta but Epaminondas came spoyling and wasting and sacking all the countrey of Lacedemon with a great armie of fourtie thousande Thebans to the riuer of Eurotas which was a great terrour vnto Sparta hauing but sixe thousande which Agesilaus disposed in secret places of the towne for Sparta was not walled and therefore the more doubted of Epaminondas Now both Agesilaùs and Epaminondas stood on either side of the riuer Eurotas one beholding another a sight not pleasant to Sparta and readie to be brought to that ruine which happened thirtie yeeres before to Athens Now after Epaminondas had continued by Sparta 4. dayes and saw that he could not enter the citie after few battels on both sides of equall losse he departed and went to Arcadia such was the magnanimitie of the Spartās though they were brought to that calamitie by the Athenians before yet they held out while these flourished in Sparta namely Euristhenes Leonidas Eurybiades Pausanias Agesilaus Lysander Cleomenes Argestratus Doristus Archelaus Agis Archidamus Cleombrotus Brasidas Metagenes Clearchus Gilippus With many like but chiefly with Lycurgus who made Sparta most famous in discipline by his lawes Epaminondas and Pelopidas were chiefe gouernours of
yeeres of age and Philip three yeeres younger then his brother to be killed and their mother forced to steale away by night into Samothracia but hee was wel requited by Belgius hackt and slaine and his head cut off caried vpō a speare in opē sight of the Macedoniās which put them in no litle feare Sosthenes was proclaimed king of Macedonia a man of great courage hee resisted the furie and rage of the Frenchmen which wasted the countrie and spoyled the Cities vntill that Brennus another captaine of the Frenchmen ioyned with Belgius with a hundred fiftie thousand footemen and fifteene thousand horsemen and easily being so many might ouerthrowe so fewe Sosthenes was faine to take a holde for that time Brennus and Belgius spoyled Cities and Countries robbed their temples and had infinite treasure from the temple of Apollo Thus the Macedonians were sore plagued and had these two great ouerthrowes by Belgius and Brennus but the third ouerthrowe fell to the Frenchmen in such extreame sort that Brennus slue himselfe After this the Frenchmen againe inuaded Macedonia while Antigonus which was Demetrius brother reigned where they were vanquished ouerthrowen in most miserable sort this gote to Antigonus great credit vntil Pyrrhus gote the victorie of him and forced him to take his flight So poore Macedonia was still by one or other put to worse Pyrrhus mocking Antigonus for his brauerie to goe in purple like a king apparelled being chased out of his countrie by him and by others yet it was Antigonus chaūce to haue Pyrrhus head brought vnto him by Alcioneus his owne sonne from the siege of the citie of Argos where this great king after many victories ouer kings was slaine at a womans hand by throwing of a tyle stone When king Antiochus sawe Pyrrhus head throwen before him by his sonne in such contempt hee layed his staffe about his sonnes backe calling him a cruell murtherer and an vnnaturall barbarous beast and turning his eyes from the sight thereof weapt remembring Demetrius hard fortune which was his father and also the miserie and ende of the first Antigonus his graundfather he most honourably caused his head and his body to be burned his ashes burned Thus thestate of princes is changed sometime in the height of good lucke and fauour and sometime forsaken of their owne friends Antigonus hauing this great victorie of Pyrrhus vsed all clemencie towardes Pyrrhus sonne named Helenus sent him vnto his Realme of Epirus with honourable conuoye seasing all Pyrrhus campe and armie vsed his friendes courteously and receiued many of Pyrrhus souldiers preferred them Thus Pyrrhus who helde out against three kings Lysimachus Demetrius and Antigonus beside his magnanimitie and prowesse shewed against the Illyrians the Cicilians the Carthagineans and against the stoute Romanes and yet neuer conquered This Pyrrhus was preferred by Hanibals iudgement to be the second souldier of the worlde next to the great Alexander after whose death Greece fell to contencions as Macodonia by Antigonus florished but a short time for assoone as Pyrrhus dyed the Peloponesians yeelded to Antigonus Pyrrhus had a sonne named Alexander who burned in furie to reuenge his fathers death beganne vpon the confines of Macedonia to quarrell with Antigonus hee was no sooner returned from Greece into Macedonia but Antigonus had both lost his kingdome and himselfe by a faire battell giuen to him by Alexander the sonne of Pyrrhus Antigonus had a brother named Demetrius after his fathers name a very young man who so reuenged likewise the ouerthrowe of his brother that hee recouered not onely Macedonia from Alexander but forced him after a great ouerthrowe to flie from his owne kingdom of Epyrus so variable is the chaunce of warre and so mutable the state of man that sometime they be kings and conquerours and straight banished men Nowe Alexander fled to Arcadia from whence hee was restored to his kingdome within short space for Demetrius after the death of his brother Antigonus continued not long king in Macedonia for by time Agas king of Cyrena died and had left for his heire one daughter named Beronices whom her father espoused to king Ptolomeis sonne of Egypt but nowe Arsinoe king Agas her husband being dead and also hearing that king Antigonus was dead shee made meanes to send for Demetrius who came with all speede from Macedonia to Cyrena and hauing a sight of Arsinoes beautie hee fell more in desire of the mother then of the daughter This Demetrius being a proud insolent young king and giuing great cause to Beronice the young ladie to hate him he little esteeming that folowed his fancie to winne Arsinoe which when it was well knowen to the daughter and to many of the Court after howe Demetrius vsed himselfe Beronice and all men beganne mortally to mallice Demetrius and to turne their mindes againe towards Ptolomeus sonne They hated him in such sort that snares were inuēted for Demetrius and watches appointed to find him in the fault and so it came to passe then when he was in bedde with the mother the daughter brought certeine armed men into the chamber cōmaunded them to kill Demetrius Beronice entred not the chamber but stood at the doore spake vnto them that they should spare her mother which when Arsinoe heard after she had done what she could to saue Demetrius cōcerning his body with her body of force she was taken from him he slaine thus Beronice reuenged the wrongs spite of Demetrius done against her selfe and her mother after maried Ptolomeis sonne according to his father king Agas cōmandement this was the end of king Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius About this time Megasthenes a Persian Chronographer wrote his histories some call him Metasthenes this time the Romanes began to florish in all kind of excesse as in wearing of rings costly tires which as Plinie saith were skant before this time seene in Rome this time also was the Bible translated by the 70. interpreters into the Greeke tongue CHAP. IIII. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrowe by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrowe of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in the last conquest of Macedonia NOwe to returne to Macedonia after that Demetrius was slaine as you heard Philip Demetrius nephewe and sonne to Antigonus succeeded in Macedonia You must take heede least you be deceiued in the names of diuers Demetrius for the first and the greatest was called Demetrius Antigonus whose life Plutarch doeth write at large another Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes who in his time destroyed a towne of Samaria which Perdicas builded vp againe and the third named Demetrius Phalerius which was gouernour of Athens vnder Cassander and the fourth Demetrius Antigonus sonne of whose death for adulterie with Queene Arsinoe you read of
Fabritius hands and this was hee that forced Pyrrhus to flee to Sicilia and after hee had subdued the Samnits and the Lucanes hee had his triumph graunted him While Pyrrhus stayed musing in Sicilia Curius Dentatus and Cornelius Lentulus being Consuls were sent to meete Pyrrhus and to giue him battel for the Romanes suffered him to haue no rest within Italy In this battell the armie of Pyrrhus was slaine his tents sackt and hee himselfe driuen to Tarentum he lost 23. thousand that day ouer whom Curius Dentatus triumphed in his Consulship hee brought foure elephants into Rome which were the first that euer were seene in a triumph at Rome for before Pyrrhus warres the spoiles and the treasures of the Volscanes and the Sabines were but cattell the spoiles which the Romanes had of the Gaules were Carpenta the spoyle of the Samnits were but armours and broken weapons The like poore spoiles and praies had the Romans ouer the Fidenats poore townes not yet wel enriched for the ciuill warres which they had with the Romanes But Pyrrhus brought the strength and treasure of a king his golde and siluer his elephants and camels that the victorie which Curius Dentatus and Fabritius then Consuls at Rome had ouer Pyrrhus so reioyced Rome that their triumph then ouer Pyrrhus was the most ioyfull and acceptable triumph that euer Rome saw at that time To this ende came the vaine hope of king Pyrrhus who thought to haue conquered Italy and thereby to be king of Rome After he had spent 6. yeeres in continuall warres with the Romans he fled after whose flight immediatly all Italy was conquered and Sicilia Not long after Pyrrhus was slaine at Argos a citie of Greece for after Tarentum was destroyed then the Picents and their towne Asculum were also subdued by Sempronius After the Picents the Salentines and their chiefe port Brundusium was conquered by Mar. Attilius and last of all the Volscanes were also ouerthrowen by Fabius Gurges Thus was all Italy soone subdued after the ouerthrowe of Tarentum At this time flourished in Greece Agesilaus a noble man of Sparta and after the death of king Agis he was elected king in Sparta ouer the Lacedemonians with whome flourished for a time Lisander a valiant captaine of Sparta and a great enemie of Athens Alcibiades was famous in Camillus time and Niceas the Athenian who during Camillus warres in Rome and before his time a litle all Greece were busie in the Peloponesian warre This time Diogenes the Cynicke Plato the Philosopher liued and his scholer Aristotle was borne In Persia raigned Artaxerxes Mnemon sirnamed the great who helde warres for a short time with his brother Cyrus whom he slew Reade of this king in Xenophon his fift booke and after his sonne Ochus raigned king in Persia. In Macedonia raigned Philippe Alexander the great his father who subdued and conquered many nations in the time of Camillus and after succeeded him his sonne Alexander the great whose renowme and fame are in all bookes manifest This time liued Mausolus king of Caria whose tombe when he died the Queene his wife Artimesia made so gorgeous and so sumptuous that it was reckoned in the nomber of the seuen wonders Alexander Pheraeus the tyrant of Thessalia raigned at this time with whom Pelopidas had battel and who by Epaminondas his friend was rescued Likewise gouerned in Egypt as reuolted kings from the Persians since Cambyses time the second king of Persia vntill Darius Ochus raigne the eight king of Persia Nepherites sixe yeres Achoris twelue yeres and Nectanabus eighteene yeeres When now that Camillus was dead there succeeded a nomber of valiant Romanes as 1 Tit. Quintius Cicinatus 2 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 3 M. Val. sirnamedCoruinus 4 Q. Fabius Maximus 5 Luc. Papyrius Cursor 9 And Curius Dentatus With many more valiant Romanes that augmented the glorie of Rome in subduing the nations about them as the warres of the Volscans Thuscans Samnits and Torentines can witnes of which you may reade in Liuie in Halicarnassaeus in Eutropius and in others During which time the kings of Egypt after Alexander the great with the kings of Syria and Asia were as well occupied with warres in their owne kingdomes as the Romanes were in Italy so likewise were the kings of Macedonia and all the states of Greece for Alexanders souldiers and his captaines had filled all the East part of the world with warres for Alexander had subdued and conquered the most part of all the kings then liuing and brought them to pay tribute to the kings of Macedonia So that after his death they fought for kingdoms and euery king sought by warres to become like vnto Alexander and so by that meanes one destroyed another that then proud Persia which had the Chaldeās Assyrians Lydians Medes Egpptians all Asia and all the world vassals and subiects vnder them were then made to yeeld to the Macedonian empire You haue read how hitherto the Romanes haue from a litle towne in the beginning crept ouer all Italy and now are readie to trie their valour abroade and so to set foote in Affrike and Lybia countreis farre from Rome for yet the Romans had neuer waged warre forth of Italy And to the end they might vnderstand what power they were able to make there was a muster had and the names of the Romanes were nombred by the pole which amounted to the nomber of three hundreth thousand citizens In the 480. yere after the building of Rome the name of the Romanes became famous insomuch that they proclaimed warres against the people of Affrike at what time Appius Claudius sirnamed Caudex and Q. Fuluius were Cōsuls This warre endured vntil Q. Luctatius Aulus Manlius consulship which was 22. yeeres Of these 3 seueral warres which the Romans had with the Affricanes I haue said some thing in the Affricane historie The first warre was against Hamilcar Hanibals father a famous Captaine at that time of the Carthagineans with whom Hanibal in his youth was brought vp in Spaine at what time the Romanes pretended warres against Hieron king of Sicilie But he together with the residue of his nobilitie made peace with the Romans and gaue them in cōsideration thereof 200. talents of siluer and then the Affricans were ouercome in Sicilia which was the second time that the Romans triumphed ouer them After ◅his the Carthagineās were discomfited on the sea in the third battel where the Romans toke 31. ships and sunke 18. beside the slaughter of 3000. and the taking of 7000. with fewin dayes after This time Caius Aquilius and Lucius Scipio were Consuls for then Scipio wanne Corsica and Sardinia and led with him many thousande prisoners and triumphed in the second battell by sea Hamilcar the generall of the Carthagineans lost 64. ships and was forced to retire backe at what time Clipea the chiefest citie in Affrike was yeelded vp to the Romanes
ciuil warres betwene themselues as betwene Marius and Silla in the first warres betwene Pompey Caesar in the second warres and betweene Mar. Antonius and Octauius Augustus in the third warrs to the ouerthrow welnigh of the whole Romane empire For histories do report that in these three ciuil warres before mentioned died more Senators Consuls magistrats noblemen and gentlemen then in the three great Affricane warres the first by Hamilcar which endured 22. yeeres most cruell the second by Hanibal which endured 17. yeeres most terrible warres the thirde and last by Asdrubal which continued foure yeeres all which annoyed not Rome so much as did these three ciuil warres But let vs returne to the happie raigne of Augustus called the Prince of peace the father of the countrey and Emperor of Rome whose happie gouernment made vnhappie Rome happie and raised vp Rome from the ground vp to the heauens To this good Emperour the Persians and the Parthians sent ambassadors with presents to this the Scythians the Indians and the Garramants people that neuer heard before any speach of the Romanes sent both Legats and presents What shal be spoken more of this Emperour In his dayes in the two and fourtieth yere of this Emperours raigne the Emperour of all Emperours and King of all kings was in Bethleem a towne of Iurie borne of the Virgine Mary the onely begotten Sonne of God and the onely Sauiour of the worlde This is the true Messias sent from Heauen to earth to satisfie the wrath of his father This was the Lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world And therefore Augustus was the happier for that in his time IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God was borne as the Prophetes had before spoken Now after that this good Emperour had liued eightie sixe yeeres whose honour and loue was such in the whole world that townes were builded and named after the name of Caesar one by king Iuba in Mauritania another by Hero in Palestina and many kings left their owne kingdomes came to Rome to do seruice to Augustus He raigned fiftie and sixe yeres Emperour he died at Atella a towne of Campania was brought to be buried at Rome and was canonized after his death as a god Augustus had three things in Rome graunted the first to be Consul of Rome before he was twentie yeeres olde the second he was freed from any decree or law of the Senators and the thirde hee had his image on horsebacke set vp in the market place which was granted to none but to Silla and Caesar In this Emperours time flourished in Rome many notable learned men whose names are here subscribed Virgil this time flourished Horace also and Tibullus Propertius and Vitrimius Titus Liuius and Ouid. Valerius Maximus And Strabo When Augustus died there was peace ouer the whole world for the Sonne of God was then borne the king of all peace whose fame by miracles filled all the earth At what time raigned Tetrarche in Iudea Archelaus the sonne of that Herode who slewe so many infants thinking thereby to kill the Sonne of God and therefore spared not his owne sonnes Aristobulus and Alexandeer I haue spoken of this more in the historie of the Church In the time of this Emperour Augustus the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to be so named after the name of one Francus the sonne of Antharius king of Sicambria This Francus after that his father died made a decree that Sicambria should be called Francia after his owne name of whom I shal speake in the historie of Fraunce And now I will returne to Tiberius Caesar who was Liuia Augustus wiues sonne and Augustus sonne by adoption the successour of Augustus and the thirde Emperour of Rome of whom we reade that he was very eloquent and well learned but a great dissembler who gouerned the Empire with auarice crueltie lust and cowardlinesse for he waged battell no where himself in person but by his deputies and lieutenants He beganne his Empire in the 768. yere after the building of Rome and in the 15. yeere after Christ was borne at what time Sextus Pompeius was Consul in Rome This Tiberius had some warres with the Germanes which were before subdued by Augustus but nowe againe rebelled and brought to subiection by this Emperor Tiberius Of these warres reade Cornelius Tacitus Hee had warres before in Illyria in the time of his father in lawe Augustus ouer whom hee triumphed In the last yeere of Tiberius Nero was Domitius borne Tiberius was certified by Pilate from Hierusalem where hee gouerned vnder the Romanes of the miracles of Christ of his fame and of his life and doings Pilats letters were shewed to the Senators and Pilate was blamed and reprooued for that he suffered that IESVS to do any miracles without the consent of the Senators for Pilate put vp the Image of Tiberius in the temple at Ierusalem But in the latter ende of his raigne hee fell to great negligence of gouernment he gaue himselfe to be idle and thereby became vntemperate with inordinate lust in so much that hee was flouted and scoffed and called Biberius Mero in stead of Tiberius Nero and after he had raigned twentie and three yeeres he died in Campania as is supposed by the meanes of Caligula who succeeded him in the Empire This Caligula was sonne to Germanicus a lewde Emperour and a wicked who farre exceeded Tiberius in crueltie and in horrible life he commaunded his Images to be put vp euery where and altars to be consecrated to him and caused his Images to haue diuine honours and hee sent to Iudea and commaunded that his Image should bee set in the temple boasting of his filthie life and gouernment naming himselfe Iupiter for his incestuous life and naming him Bacchus for his drunkennesse Hee had carâ—…all copulation with all his three sisters and with his daughter whom hee begate vpon one of his sisters he defiled noble women and chaste matrones and gaue them after to others to be defiled hee was called the beast of Rome who after hee had raigned foure yeeres vsing great crueltie auarice filthie lust and horrible incest he was slaine in his Pallace by his owne souldiers as Iosephus writeth in his nineteenth booke His birth his life and his death is set foorth at large by Suetonius who also wrote of all the liues of all the Emperours most amplie omitting nothing that belonged to the Romane historie during the time of the Emperours What were done in other countreys since the death of that good Emperour Augustus what wickednesse ensued in Rome by his successours Claudius Tiberius and Caius Caligula Tacitus Suetonius Liuie and other writers haue written very largely In the time of Tiberius Nero within two yeeres of Augustus death happened such an earthquake in the night time that twelue great cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground at what
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East coūtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
that great wisedome that he could and did name all liuing creatures and God gaue him soueraigntie and dominion ouer all the earth and all the creatures therein saying Subijcite vobis terram dominamini The possession of Adam was much to be an Emperour of the whole world a commander of all the whole earth but in the midst of this great blisse the contempt of God and vnthankfulnesse to God ouerthrew Adam for Satan taking vpon him the forme of a serpent a murtherer from his originall and a lier from the beginning the ancient enemie of Man enuying the happy estate and the great felicitie of Adam fell in friendship with Eue entising her to eate of the forbidden fruite saying If thou eate of the tree of knowledge your eies shall be open you shall know both good and bad and you shall bee as GOD himselfe Eua streight conceiued by the wordes of the serpent the destruction of man and was entised to say with the Poet Vt vidi vt perij vt me malus abstulit error tooke the fruite ate it and gaue it to Adam to eate Here sinne entered into man here death entered into the world This disobedience Ingens malorum Chaos brought Adam and all his posterities into bondage by this transgression man lost the fauour of God and the possession of Paradise for not keeping Gods commandement The image of God was obscured in man and for sinne sake the whole earth was cursed that Hinc infoelix lolium steriles dominantur auenae thus by one man sinne entered vnto the world and death by sinne This contempt of God through vnthankfulnesse lost all the benefites of God which he gaue to man in his creation The commandement broken by Adam the church deuided by Cain marriage corrupted by Lamech that which should bee a testimonie of mans obedience towards God in man was broken by man all the blessings of God which God created for man in sixe dayes Adam lost in sixe houres and for that I wrote sixe houres some of the best learned affirme that Adam fell within sixe houres after his creation some nine some twelue but all conclude that Adam fell the same day wherein hee was created and was the same day put out of Paradise for as the first man sinned and disobeyed God and became equal to the beast Caluine Plinie saith that Adam and Eue fell the same day that they were created 27. I thinke that out of Moses it may be gathered that Adam and Eue did not long retaine the dignitie they had receiued for as soone as Moses said they were created without any mention made of any other thing he passeth to the fall which was before that Adā knew his wife which is to be in Genesis read for had he dwelled with his wife any long time surely the blessings of God should not haue bene in vaine and therefore Moses signifieth they were depriued of Gods benefits before propagation of issue whereby it seemeth streight after the creation before they had accompanied their transgression fell by which they were commaunded to depart from the place of happinesse for the deuill who hath bene a murtherer a lier and a sinner from the beginning euen in the first man played his part to hasten the fall immediately after the creation of Adam and from thence neuer ceased to spred abroad his poison amongst men Diuers of the Iewes Rabbies were of opinion that Adam in Paradise continued not a night and first Abba a great doctor of the Iewes saieth when Adam and Eue were planted they were as it is written a spring of my planting the worke of my handes to be delighted in Againe it is written what day thou wast planted thou diddest wander from me for in that day they were planted in the world they were vnited and the same day they rebelled Againe in the Sabboths eue Adam was created in the which day all these things fell out in order as the Rabbie Midras setteth downe that the Sabboth comming on hastened Adam out of Paradise First God purposed the making of man Secondly that he should raigne with Angels Thirdly God gathered his clay God formed it framed and breathed life vnto it God set man in Paradise charged him with a commaundement but Adam transgressed the same day he was condemned the same day and driuen out of Paradise the same day for God came in the coole of the day to giue sentence against Adam and the Sabboth comming on did rid him thence for the Angels cried concerning him Adam in honour and dignitie will not continue a night but he became like the beast that perisheth for the same day in the which the first man was created it was committed to the extremitie The same words or the like doeth doctor Bochay rehearse The first houre Adams mould was gathered and so with those termes as Midras before rehersed the eleuenth he was iudged a transgresser the twelfth he was driuen out of Paradise and so concluded as is sayd before Adam in honour did not lodge a night he became like the beasts that perish So the Iewes Rabbies handle this in their booke called Drash at large agreeing in one opinion But some of them were more curious then need required in seeking out the very houres of Adams continuance in Paradise Some would haue it the fixt houre as Augustine writeth and holdeth it so and of this opinion is Theophilactus who saieth As man was formed the sixt day so he did eate of the tree the sixt houre Some would haue it the ninth houre as Thomas Aquinas some would haue it the twelfth houre as doctor Bochay but the day is agreed vpon and their opinion hath bene euery where receiued I will bring two or three more testimonies to confirme the wordes before Rabbi Nathan writeth thus the same day that Adam was formed the same day that his members were knit and his veines opened the same day that life was put in him the same day that he stood first on his feete the same day that Euah was maried vnto him the same day that hee gaue names to all the creatures the same day that hee entered into Paradise the same day that God gaue him the commaundement the same day Adam disobeyed and the same day he was driuen out of Paradise No doubt as soone as man was created Satan sought mans destruction and had a wicked desire to hate him he went with all his might to destroy man and working errour and rebellion in our first parents Adam and Eue hee slew all mankind The same murtherer within a while after armed Caine to destroy his brother Abel Because Adam trusted too much in his owne aboundancie and thought neuer to be mooued the Lord turned away his face from him and therefore the same day wherein Adam was made he transgressed Gods commaundement And Beda our owne countriman sayd that Adam was formed the sixt day in
Prophets but most of all in dignitie and honour for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan so called first after the land of Israel thirdly of Iudea fourthly last called after Christ our Sauiours death The holy land or the land of Palestina the inhabitants thereof were called accordingly Cananites Hebrewes Israelites Iewes of whom either to speake or to write of their lawes their Iudges their Kings or of their ceremonies or of their common wealth it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes and so affirmed by Iosephus that Demetrius Phalerius did auere before Philodelphus king of Alexandria that the Greekes nor the Latinists might translate handle or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men as Theopompus Theodecta with others which were made blind by their arrogancie and became mad An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time to write of the Hebrues histories for the greatest brag of the Greekes as Iosephus saieth and the most ancient historie of the Graecians is Homers worke they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus after that the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied and their empires lost at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus for Plato of whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens euen that learned Philosopher doth confesse that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece which was in Cyrus time at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato which was the infancie of Greece and the first schoole of their Philosophie Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people euen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres odde they inhabited the land called Syria called likewise Phoenicia and now in latter yeeres called Iudea of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the soile Hecateus the Abederit a good Philosopher and a great writer flourishing in the time of Alexander the great made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Iudea where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful description of Iudea Iosephus a Iew borne being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes a man of great industrie learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue and very expert in the Iewish histories saieth that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel for so were they called after Iacobs time which by long wrastling with the Angel of the Lord was named Israel for first they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob which was 478. yeeres and odde secondarily Israel from Iacob vntill the destruction of Samaria at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father brought captiue vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres as Bucholcerus affirmeth and from the destruction of Samaria vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such that they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres and euer after they were by God deliuered they still wrought euil against them and persecuted them with continuall hatred disliking their religion abhorring their ceremonies disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie and contemning of their false gods which the Egyptians the Chaldeans the Assyrians did adore and therfore the blessing of God was according to the promise vpon the Hebrewes first afterwards called Israel Iewes and continued frō Abraham to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias the full accomplishment of the promise So these people bathed in blisse and being but a litle countrey few people from Dan to Berseba and of no estimation became by Gods fauour strong mightie conquerors of the greatest kings of the world So he said the Lord of all out of Sion shall my Law proceed and from Ierusalem my word This litle citie of Ierusalem chosen of God to be his seate though often for sinne destroyed and the people plagued yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died Behold Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia argenti mille millia talentûm And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of Salomō for there was in the temple of Salomon as Budaeus noteth 27. millions in ready coyne This made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the Hebrewes for by iust account of Budaeus there was left before vnto Salomon by Dauid his father ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem then Darius the great king of Persia left vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it this was the promise which God performed to Abraham and to his seed for euer This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died 40. yeeres before Sodome and Gomorrha were destroied At 75. yeeres was Abraham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians Now while Abraham obeied God from time to time from place to place exercising himselfe in the obedience of GOD famine grew in the land of Canaan so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt where hee continued three yeeres at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres read Astronomie and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences as Iosephus saieth for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie with the Chaldeans where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied in
said vae mihi This Iosephus saw with his eies heard with his eares who wrote this historie A greater wonder then all these The true Messias Christ 40. yeeres before told of this yet was not beleeued Ierusalem as it was oftentimes was neuer destroied but they were warned before by the prophets of God but they would not know the time of their visitation and therfore came these euils vpon the Iewes the towne sackt and made euen to the ground their temple burned themselues slaine destroied and scattered from the face of the whole earth Now Ierusalem being thus destroyed the temple burned the people slaine and the king Zedechia taken prisoner and brought to Babylon where he died Nabuchodonosor like a fierce Lion proceedeth forward inuaded Syria subdued the Ammonites and the Moabites brought his armie to Egypt slew the king subdued the countrey and brought those Iewes backe to Babylon that had fled from Ierusalem to Egypt This was the miserie of the Iewes and the last confusion of Iuda The historie of this king concerning the last end of the Iewes no where may be better read then with the Prophets Nabuchodonosor had a sonne called Euilmerodach who after the death of his father enlarged Iechonia from prison and vsed him princely for Iechonia in respect of Ierusalem and the people therein being by Ieremie the prophet perswaded thereto yelded himself his wife his children his nobles and all the two tribes vnto the hands of Nabuchodonosor Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel haue laid downe the ful historie of Nabuchodonosor and of Euilmerodach and of Balthasar the three last kings of the Chaldeans in whose time the empire of Babylon was had away from the Chaldeans vnto the Persians by Cyrus This was the stocke of Dauid being 21. kings after Dauid lineally from his bodie descending ended whose names are these 1 Salomon 2 Rehoboam 3 Abia. 4 Asa. 5 Iosaphat 6 Ioram 7 Ochosias his mother 8 Athalia 9 Ioas. 10 Amazias 11 Azaria 12 Iotham 13 Achas 14 Ezechias 15 Manasses 16 Ammon 17 Iosias 18 Ioachas 19 Eliacim 20 Ioachim 21 Zedechias The kingdome of Iuda caried cap◅ue by Nabuchodonosor into Babylon after it had continued After the death of Salomon 395. yeeres After the flud 1709. yeeres After the natiuitie of Abraham 1416. After the burning of Sodom and Gomorrha and the other three Cities 1317. After the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt 912. After the destruction of Troy 577. From the natiuitie of Dauid 505. From the dedicating of Salomons temple 412. And after the taking of Samaria and the destruction of the ten tribes of Israel 133. yeeres CHAP. VII Of the returne of the Iewes into Ierusalem after the captiuitie first by the decree of Cyrus after by Darius and last by Artaxerxes of the second building of the Temple by Esdras Nehemia and Zorobabel and of the gouernment vnder the high priests AFter the captiuitie of the Iewes Daniel grew in great fauour with Nabuchodonosor being by God instructed to expound the dreames of the king and to vanquish Bel and all his priests and to conuert Nabuchodonosor to acknowledge God after he saw a dreame of foure beastes which came vp from the sea one differing from another The first was a Lion which had Eagles wings and the wings thereof were pluckt off and a mans heart was giuen him meaning the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which were strong and fierce and yet their power ouerthrowen by the Persians power The second beast like a Beare which had three ribs in his mouth betweene his teeth meaning the Persians which were barbarous and cruell The third was like a Leopard which had vpon his backe foure wings of a fowle this beast also had foure heads signifying Alexander the great with his foure captains which after Alexanders death had the empire among them for Cassander was king of Macedone and Antipater after him Saleucus had Babylon and Asia the great and Antigonus had Asia the lesse and Ptolomeus had Egypt The fourth beast which Daniel sawe was fearefull and terrible it had iron teeth it deuoured and brake in pieces and stampt the residue vnder his feete This was meant by their Romane empire a monster exceeding all kind of beasts for the tyrannie and greedines of the Romanes excelled the rest for that which the Romanes could not quietly enioy in other countries they would giue it to other kings vpon condicion to take them again when it pleased the Romanes To this Daniel was the vision of the 70. weekes opened by the angel Gabriel who enformed him and instructed him of the time of the Messias comming saying 70. weekes are determined vpon the people and vpon the holy Citie to finish the wickednes to seale vp sinnes to bring euerlasting righteousnes and to annoint the most holy Now at what time the 70. weekes began some controuersie there is some from the first edict of Cyrus some from Darius and some from the time that Daniel spake it and others from the 7. yeere of Artaxerxes Longimanus which was 80. yeeres after the first commandement of Cyrus The captiuitie of Babylon fell at that time when Tarquinius Priscus raigned in Rome after whom the Romanes had no more kings after but two so that the Iewes and the Romanes were gouerned by a state called Aristocratia of the Iewes The 70. weekes and the very last yeere of the captiuitie was likewise the last yere of the Assyrians Chaldeans for euen they which saw the destruction of Ierusalem sawe also the destruction of Babylon and what spoile soeuer Nabuchodonosor brought from Ierusalem vnto Babylon the same did Cyrus in the last yeere of his raigne restore with a commaundement giuen to all the princes that ruled vnder Cyrus to suffer the Iewes againe frō all places where they were scattered to returne to Iudea to builde vp Ierusalem againe and to repaire the temple and if any were not able through pouertie to returne king Cyrus commanded that they should be furnished with necessaries for God raised vp Cyrus to bee a friend to his people and hee called Zorobabel who was the chiefe gouernour of the Iewes The nomber of them that returned from the captiuitie of Iuda with the bountifulnes of Cyrus towardes them you may in the booke of Esdras reade at large For after that Cyrus was slaine by Tomiris in the warres of the Massegits his sonne Cambyses succeeded him who by the Samaritans complaint commaunded the Iewes to staye from the building and from their repairing of Ierusalem which continued 9. yeeres after Cambyses returning from Egypt died at Damascus after hee had subdued Egypt succeeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis Hee againe in the 2. yeere of his raigne authorized the Iewes to do as Cyrus had commanded them for so Darius found in a coffer of Cyrus in Ecbatana a booke wherin the acts of the kings of Medes Persians were written and the decree
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
maried Statira Darius daughter hee married in Susa eightie and two nohle men of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persia and Media vpon one day and made a braue large tent of foure furlongs about and appointed an hundreth gorgeous riche beds where also the kings bed was furnished with too much riches to be spoken of I will they should reade Quin. Curtius and Diod. Siculus of the riche and sumptuous solemnitie of this feast of the regall magnificence of Alexander of the pompe and glorie of these Macedonian mariages with these Persian Ladies After these great mariages of himselfe and of his nobles and of his sumptuous feast which continued fiue dayes hee made also a solemne feast of cōmon mariages where 9000. were maried to whom Alexander gaue a cup of gold to euery one to honour the feast He became from a famous conquerour a voluptuous man a drunkard furious and fell at last in his rage to kill and to murther his dearest friendes as Hermolaus Parmenio yea Clitus his owne foster brother who saued Alexanders life at the battel at Granicus at what time Rhosaceris a Persian captaine had slaine Alexander had not Clitus bene he slewe Calisthenes the Philosopher for his good counsell Alexander saide Odio qui sibi non sapit he could not abide to heare any praise of his owne father Philip he would be called the sonne of Iupiter disdained his noble men and olde souldiers of Macedonia that serued his father he forgote to doe good as Pindar truely said and gaue himselfe to be a tyrant after Babylon was taken Alexander was modest discreet wise iust in iudgment temperat in diet for a time but the reward of sinne fel vpon him many hated him and many conspired his death as Sostratus Philota Antipater Epimenes Nicostratus and Anticles but Epimenes disclosed his conspiracie to his brother named Eurilochus to whom Alexander gaue 50. talents for these newes and pardoned Epimenes but the rest he executed Yet still more conspiratours grewe in so much that Antipater his lieutenant in Macedonia yea as some do suspect by Aristotles counsell poyson was sent from Macedonia vnto Babylon and deliuered to Cassander which was Antipaters sonne to Iolla and to Philippe which were Antipaters brethren which were of the kings priuie Chamber and these when they sawe their time bestowe a cuppe of drinke vpon Alexander for his last farewell which when he perceiued that there was no helpe he tooke his ring from his finger and gaue it to Perdica with a commandement giuen that his body should be caried to Iupiter of Ammon Yet some write that he died of a hot feuer A little before hee died he was demaunded who should raigne king after him he answered euen he that is most worthie to come after me And then being againe asked at what time he would haue his body buried he answered when you are at rest and quietnesse And so it came to passe that hee was left vnburied in Babylon vntill Olympias his mother came from Macedonia and caused his bodie to be caried to Alexandria for assoone as Alexander died they contended to bee kings and so forgot to burie Alexander according to his commaundement Thus Alexander after hee had liued thirtie two yeeres and raigned twelue he died at what time happened the saying of Demades to be true that the kingdomes and souldiers of Alexander should be like a Ciclope without an eye surely so it came to passe that after Alexanders death the most part of the worlde was without a king for Alexander had so many kingdomes that when hee died hee left no king behinde him vntill againe they beganne with the sworde to claime kingdomes After Alexanders death who died two hundreth and eight yeeres before Iulius Caesar was slaine during twelue yeeres which Alexander the great raigned in the whole hee raigned sixe of these twelue yeeres king ouer the Chaldeans and the Assyrians ouer the Medes and the Persians leauing Roxana king Darius daughter great with childe for the which the Macedonians did her great honour for king Darius had three daughters Statira Roxana and Bersene who were all married vnto Alexander This time beganne the Romanes to flourish and had conquered the Sabins the Samnits the Latines the Fidenats the Hetruscanes the Volscanes and diuers other countreys and beganne to looke further from Rome vnto other kingdomes of the worlde For nowe had triumphed in Rome during the raigne of Alexander these many gallant fellowes 1 Marcus Valerius Corinus 2 C. Mar. Corolyanus 3 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 4 Lucius Papyrius 5 Fabius Maximus 6 Mar. Curius 7 Lucius Voluminus 8 Caius Sulpitius And 9 Caius Decius And as Liuie saith al these seemed in courage and prowesse to be yong Alexanders CHAP. III. Of the diuision and parting of the kingdomes of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sworde so many kingdomes were voide by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoyles fought nowe for kingdomes and Empires of their warres and of their continuance BVt to come to Macedonia againe where these great captaines fell at variance after the death of Alexander howe the kingdomes of Alexander might bee diuided sixe dayes they were in discoursing of these causes who should succeede Alexāder in the kingdome of Macedonia some greedie of praie some of ease some after long warres some of one thing and some of another the noble men and chiefe captaines they had an eye to the treasure of Alexander which was one hundred thousand talents beside his reuenues yerely which was three hundred thousande talents Perdiccas thought Roxana being great with childe by Alexander if it should be a sonne that he should be king of the Macedonians Meleager contraried Perdicas saying That Alexāder had a gallant youth to bee his sonne by Arsine named Hercules more fitter for the crowne of Macedonia then to expect a doubtfull chaunce by Roxana others thought that Aridaeus a bastard brother of Alexanders shoulde succeede in the kingdome Reade Q. Curtius of the orations and perswasions of seuerall Dukes and captaines concerning the succession after Alexander in the kingdome of Macedonia After long debates seuerall opinions touching Alexanders posteritie it came at last to the murthering of his wife Roxana being great with childe by Alexander to the killing of young Hercules Alexanders sonne by his wife Arsine to the slaughter of his mother Olympias and of his base brother Aridaeus it came in fine to bloodie ciuill discord that the calamitie and miserie of Macedonia after Alexanders time passed farre the felicitie and iollitie of Macedonia during the time of Alexander for after that Antipater had murthered all Alexanders stocke his wife children mother brother and all Alexanders nigh kinsemen hee armed himselfe against Lysimachus by whom Antipater was slaine
Cappadocia Iberia Syria Egypt Bactria Scythia India all Asia and welnigh all the worlde now brought by Paulus Aemilius to be a prouince of the Romanes who in one day sold as Ruffinus wote 82. cities Thus is the kingdom and monarchie of Alexander king ouer kings troden downe by Aemilius a magistrate of a citie thus is Macedonia whose empire reached into the furthest part of the world made a prouince vnto Rome which in the time of Alexander was so famous neither the Assyrians by Ninus neither the Chaldeans by Nabuchodonosor neither the Medes by Darius Medus neither the Persians by Cyrus were of such fame as Macedonia was by Alexander It is a true saying Per me reges regnant c. It was decreed aboue before God how long the Caldeans should raigne before the Assyrians the Assyriās before the Medes the Medes before the Persians the Persians before the Macedonians in like sort how long the Romans shal cōtinue This was by Daniel diuinely reueiled by the 4. great beasts that came vp frō the sea one diuers to another the first a lion which had egles wings the 2. was like a beare the 3. like a leopard the 4. was terrible and it deuoured the rest And Daniel in Susa in another dreame or rather a vision saw a battel betwene a ramme and a goat which is Persia and Greece I referre you to the 7. and 8. of Daniel for the interpretation of the same where the text is most plainly by the prophet Daniel set downe where Daniel briefly deciphered the whole world in a short historie and layde downe the ground of all the histories of the worlde I meane after Daniels time who liued and prophecied in Cyrus time after whom the Persians the Grecians and the Romanes flourished Now to returne to Aemilius whose family saith Plutarch doth proceed from Numa Pompilius the 2. king of Rome and whose diuers victories ouer the Ligurians Illyrians and other nations of Affricke others might haue chalenged triumph in Rome without contention which was resisted by Seruius Galba for that he was so long as foure yeeres in warres against Perseus Galba and diuers others thought it dishonourable to the Romanes to cōsume so long a time with king Perseus sith the Romanes made king Antiochus to forsake Asia driuen thence beyond mount Taurus within the borders of Syria before that they had ouercome king Philippe in Thessalie and deliuered Greece from the bondage of the Macedonians and had conquered Hannibal the onely enemie of Rome and souldiour of the world vnto whom no king or captaine coulde be compared and therefore not to haue a triumph But Marcus Seruilius who had bene a Consul and had fought 23. combats of life and death in his owne person and had slaine as many as chalenged him man for man hee furthered the triumph which was by the whole consent of the Senate the people of Rome graunted vnto Aemilius but I omit to speake of his triumph vntil I set downe the triumphes of the kings consuls and Emperours of Rome because he is a Romane Here I write of Macedonia of their kings and of their triumphes who ended their gouernment in Perseus time in the 153. Olympiad after the building of Rome 586. yeres and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee At what time raigned in Syria Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king to whom Pompilius was sent from the Senate to commaunde Antiochus to depart Egypt and that to answere the Romanes before he should go out of a litle circle which Pōpilius made with his white sticke which he had in his hand either yea or no. This time Prusias king of Bythinia cōmitted his sonne Nicomedes as Liuie saith to the Romanes within short space after that king Perseus was conquered by Paulus Aemilius vpon the 4. of September and that the Romanes had brought Macedonia vnder the Empire of Rome One Andrisius a meane man claimed by succession to be king after Perseus affirming himselfe to be Perseus sonne and changing his name from Andrisius to be Philippe gathered a great hoste vsurped the kingdome vntill Lu. Tremelius came from Rome and gaue him battell in the which Andrisius was quite ouerthrowen And so Macedonia after the gouernment of 36. kings as Ruffinus saith but as Functius and Trogus Pompeius say 38. kings for from Cranaus vnto Alexander the great were 23. kings from Alexander to Perseus 15. The names of those 23. kings before Alexander I wrote them before Alexanders raigne the other 15. are these following 1 Aridaeus raigned 7. yeres 2 Cassander 18. 3 Antipater and Alex. 4. 4 Demetrius 6. 5 Pyrrhus 7. moneths 6 Lysmachus 5. 7 Ptolomeus Ceraunus 1. 8 Meleager 2. moneths 9 Antipater 1. 10 Sosthenes 2. 11 Antigonus Gonatus 36. 12 Demetrius 10. 13 Antigonus Dosen 15. 14 Philip. 2. 15 Perseus the last king 10. yeeres OF THE FIRST WARRES of the kings of Asia and of Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdomes after Alexanders death AFter the death of Alexander the great the world being left without a king his princes nobles and olde souldiers who did more aduaunce the renowme and fame of the Romanes then the glorie of Macedonia or Asia after much blood shedding and great crueltie euery man fought for a kingdome it came to passe as Daniel the Prophet said that all the kingdomes of Alexander fell betwene 4. princes and were deuided into foure kingdomes which was Egypt appointed to Ptolomey the sonne of Lagi Asia to Antigonus Persia and the East part to Seleucus Nicanor and Macedonia vnto Antipater as you heard in the historie of the kings of Macedonia Now I haue in hand to speake of Seleucus the great king after Alexander for after Antigonus was slaine and his sonne Demetrius dead being taken captiue by Seleucus he entred into Asia and cōquered from mount Taurus into Ionia which before Antigonus had vnder his gouernment and had subdued all the regions of the greater Asia and made himselfe mightie and great which was in the 14. yeere after Alexanders death The Iewes doe accompt the gouernment of the Grecians in Syria from the first yeere of Seleucus Nicanors raigne which in the Machabees is obserued This king grew so great that hauing subdued all Antigonus kingdomes and hauing giuen Lysimachus the ouerthrow being of the age of 77. yeeres he thought no lesse in his minde after such great victories but to become another Alexander and to bring all the worlde vnder his gouernment for hee ouercame the Bactrians and passed to the Indians hauing alreadie vnder his Scepter all Asia Persia Syria Babylon with diuers others Of this Seleucus Iustine writeth a strange historie how his mother Laodice being maried to Antiochus seemed in a dreame to haue layen with Apollo and to bee by him with childe and of a ring which Laodice dreamed to haue of Apollo in the
neither by warre with the which hee often asfailed his Countriemen neither with treacherie which hee practised with the families of the Vitellians and the Aquillians hee coulde any way profite Then Publicola gaue himselfe fully to looke vnto Rome which was so impouerished by ciuill warres that collection of money was made for the buriall of Valerius the Consul his fellowe in office Hee first redressed thinges decayed in Rome in supplying the number of the Senators that were slaine in the warres of Tarquine in whose places hee chose newe Senators to the number of a hundred sixtie foure after he defended the Citie against Porsenna and destroyed the Countrie round about and slue of the Thuscanes fiue thousand he also vanquished the Sabines and triumphed ouer them and he subdued the Latines who were most busie against the Romanes this time for Rome was found in the time of this Publicola sore vnpeopled and poore by reason of the ciuil warres of Tarquinius and therefore all the Nations which the kings of Rome before had subdued beganne to reuoult and to wage warre freshly against the Romanes againe but they were by this valiant Romane brought to their first state and Rome much enriched by the spoyles of the Sabines Latines Thuscans and others This Publicola was Consul foure times seuerally he was a good man and a iust Romane hee made lawes and decrees within the Citie first hee ordeyned by lawe that all offendours being condemned by the iudgement of the Consuls might appeale vnto the people Hee likewise decreed that no man might exercise any office vnlesse hee came to it by the gifte of the people and he also made a lawe in the fauour of the poore Citizens that they should pay no custome nor impost whatsoeuer This hedid to winne the peoples fauour and to keepe them in hande many women then in Rome esteemed little of their life in respect of their Countrie as Cloelia Valeria and diuers others whose statues are erected vp on horsebacke in the holy streete Appius Claudius a very riche man of the Sabines came to Rome this time to dwell and brought with him fiue thousande families with their wiues and children of the most peaceable and esteemed men of the Sabines In the ninth yeere after the banishing of Tarquinius there was a newe office created in Rome called Dictatura which farre excelled in authoritie the office of the Consuls In this office Titus Largius was first instituted Dictator and in the same yeere an other newe officer called magister equitum an officer deputed to bee attendant vpon the Dictator in the which office Spurius Cassius was appointed The Dictator was not to continue in his office aboue sixe moneths for such was the authoritie of the Dictator that hee might deale in all causes and iudge of life and death without any appeale eyther to the Senate Consul or to the people and therefore the people much complaining beganne to make vproares and fel to dissension and to require for an officer to aide and defende the people and for that the Senators and Consuls as the people pretended the cause woulde haue them oppressed a cōmocion was thereby in Rome by the commons and therefore they created two men whom they called Tribuni Militum Tribunes of the people they were assigned to bee peculier Decisers and Determiners in causes belonging to the people This office continued vntil Sillas time by whom the office of Tribuneshippe was abrogated but after by Pompey the great restored In Rome dwelt a rare man of great seruice in the warres of Tarquine whom Largius the first Dictator knewe to be such as deserued great prayse then being a young man for hee was crowned with Oken leaues according to the Romanes maners in Tarquinius dayes and sithence profited Rome in diuers seruices in subduing the Volscans in winning the citie Corioles he inuaded the Antiates and often repressed the insolencie of the people insomuch that the Romanes hauing many warres in those dayes this Corolianus was at them all for there was no battell fought no warre enterprised but Coriolanus returned from thence with fame and honour But his vertue and renowme gate him much enuie for hereby hee was banished Rome by the Ediles Tribunes of the people against the Patricians will but the Romanes made a rodde to beate them selues when they banished Coriolanus for he came in armes against his owne Countrie and Citie with the Volscans being at that time their generall hee with great furie inuaded the Territories of Rome hee caused the communaltie of Rome and Nobilitie to fall to ciuill dissension hee so plagued the Romanes diuers wayes vnto the very gates of Rome he was so much moued against them that hee refused three seuerall Embassadours to heare them being his chiefe friendes sent vnto him by the Senate to entreate for peace hee refused to heare the Bishops and the Priestes Feciales He likewise denied the Augurers the sacrificers and the ministers of the goddes vntill Volumnia his mother and Virgillia his wife with their two young sonnes gotten by Coriolanus with Valeria the sister of Publicola and diuers other Ladies of Rome came to meete Coriolanus to entreate for peace vnto the Volscans campe and what time hee had compassion of his mother of his wife and of his two sonnes and of the other Ladies being his neere kinswomen then hee withdrewe his armie from Rome and yeelded to the teares of his mother but the fickle mindes of the people by the conspiracie of Tullus Aufidius were such that Coriolanus was murthered in the Citie of Antium at his very returne from that voyage What shall I say of Caius Mutius Sceuola of his noble attemptes against king Porsenna of Horatius Cocles and of diuers others whose statues at Rome and whose histories in euery booke written and in euery mans mouth can witnesse for in this very time in Rome when Cresius Fabius and Titus Virginius were Consuls three hundred noble men of the house and stocke of the Fabians tooke vpon them alone to wage battell against the Veientines offering themselues to the Senators and to the people of Rome to fight from this battell not one scaped of three hundred Fabians but one and another which was young at home not able to goe to warrefare for all the males of the Fabiaus were slaine in that battell These warres were extremely handled and prosecuted by the Hetruscans Fidenats and the Falascies against the Romanes when Rome was in most aduersitie and pouertie aswell for the late ciuill warres of Tarquine the proude as also diuers other forreigne enemies which on euery side assaulted Rome These 300. Fabians full of prowesse and valure vndertooke this warre against the Veients but being ouer charged with multitudes were all slaine sauing one to their great fame yet this followed after their death presently the Fasiliscians yeelded them selues to the Romanes the