Tarentum against Pirrhus vsed the like stratagem shewing a bloudy sword in his hand saying to his souldiers that it was the bloud of Pirrhus whom he slew with his owne hand thereby to moue the souldiers to greater courage to fight more manfully Souldiers ought not to be terrified with the multitude of enemies with slaughters of their Armies wherby Cities Townes and Countries reuolt to the enemies as at the battell at Canne the report of Varro the Consul of the ouerthrow of the Romanes caused all the citie of Capua to reuolt to Haniball Againe the report in Praeneste of the ouerthrowe of Sylla by Telesinus at the battell of Antemna and of the marching of Telesinus towards Rome with all his whole Army it so affrighted Offella one of Syllas Colonels that he at that time besieging Praeneste thought to raise his siege hearing such hard newes of Sylla the Generall Skilfull Generalls and wise Captaines vsed euer to couer and conceale the multitude of enemies as Milciades Themistocles and other Greeke captaines kept the innumerable multitude of the Persian Armies secret from the souldiers So did Mardonius conceale from Xerxes the great slaughter of the Persians in Greece The Romanes being besieged by the Gaules many of the chiefe Romanes to the number of a thousand fled into their Capitoll The Gaules hauing possessed the Cittie of Rome for seuen moneths expecting the yeelding of the Capitoll the Romanes also within the Capitoll hauing welnigh consumed their victuals vsed this stratagem to throwe loaues of bread in euery place out of the Capitoll in such abundance though at that time they wanted prouision of bread that the Gaules were amazed suspecting they had prouision inough to hold out that they presently fell to composition with the Romanes The Thracians beeing besieged on such a straight hill where their enemies could haue no accesse to come vnto them and readie to die for famine vsed this stratagem to feed certaine beasts with wheate and cheese and to let the beasts goe downe towards their enemies Camp which being takē of the enemies and killed they found wheate and cheese in the bowels of the beastes thinking thereby that the Thracians had bin well victualled and prouided remoued their siege Clearchus the Lacedemonian vnderstanding that the Thracians had caried sufficient prouision of victuals for themselues vp to the mountaines to their Campe the Thracians sent their Embassadors still expecting when Clearchus for want of victuals would remoue his siege Clearchus knowing that the Thracian Embassadors were comming vsed this stratagem commaunded one of the captiues to bee slaine to bee deuided in peeces and to be distributed betweene him and other tenne of his captains in his pauiliō in the very sight of the Thracian Embassadors the sight whereof made the Thracians so astonished and thereby to yeeld thinking that they that could feed on such foode might continue too long for the Thracians to endure it But the Sonne of God gaue himselfe to be slaine for his souldiers to bee their spirituall foode to feed them both in body and soule to wearie Satan which still continueth his siege against Ierusalem I shall haue occasion to write of more stratagems hereafter and therefore I returne to the battels of the Hebrewes against the Canaanites CHAP. XIII Of the great victorie had ouer fiue Kings in the plaine of Moab by Ioshua Of their vnthankfulnesse afterward disobedience and of their marshall punishment therefore A Great battell was fought in the plaine of Moab commaunded by the Lord vnto Moses where fiue Kings of the Madianites were slaine their names you may read in the margeant all their villages and citties burnt with fire all their people slaine with the sword the Hebrewes tooke all the spoile and all the pray both of men and beasts and Moses was angry with the Captains of the host for sparing the women as Samuel was with king Saul for sparing Agag king of the Amalekites and Elizeus with Achab for sparing Benhadad and caused all women that had knowne men carnally to be slaine with the sword and to saue those that were virgins that knew no man which were two and thirtie thousand whereby it appeared that innumerable was the slaughter of men women and children in this battell where two and thirtie thousand virgins were found and reserued to liue whereby also the spoyle and pray was very rich in this battell to the Hebrewes In this battell was not one slaine of Ioshuas souldiers All the Captains and Colonels of the Army came before Moses saying thy seruants haue taken the number of all the men of warre which are vnder our authoritie and there lacketh not a man of vs. This was a stratagem of Ierusalem in the battels of the Lord that not one man died of the army in so great a victory The Lacedemonians reioyced much that Archidamus had obtained a great victorie got great spoile and slew many of his enemies without the loosing of one of his souldiers and therfore called it Bellumsine lachrimis Yet the Hebrewes for their three former victories at Riphidim at Horma and in the plaine of Moab were vnthankfull vnto the Lord and murmured and rebelled against Moses and Aaron and after against Ioshua Caleb as at Taberah where they so murmured against Moses their Generall that the Lord was so displeased with them that he executed martiall lawes vpon them for the fire of the lande burnt them and consumed the vtmost part of theyr Army because of their disobedience Moses sister Myria for that she spake against the Generall and began to rebel in the campe martiall laws were executed vpon her she was not spared for that she was Moses sister nor Moses himselfe when he had offended the Lord at the water of Meribah shee was made leaprous and shut out of the host seuen dayes vntill shee had due punishment for her seditious mutinie and prayers made by Moses before she was receiued into the host Againe Coreh Dathan and Abiron conspired and rebelled against their Generall with two hundred and fiftie souldiers that were famous in the Congregation and men of renowme but the lawe of armes was most terribly executed the ground claue asunder vnderneath them and opened her mouth and swalowed them aliue with all their treasures and wealth and all their families Againe they murmured against Ioshua and Caleb that the whole multitude would haue stoned Ioshua Caleb so seuere was the Lord against his owne people the Hebrewes for their disobedience and murmuring that he vsed martiall lawes vpon them that all they that came out of Egipt sixe hundred thousand for their disobedience against the Lorde and rebellious mutinies from time to time from place to place at Horeb at Taberah at Massa at Riphidim at Meribah died in the wildernesse for the Lord accepteth obedience more then sacrifice And therefore Noah for that he obeyed the Lord in
the Towne to his father Though the Israelites fell to Idolatrie after Ioshuahs death who during the time of Ioshua serued the Lord and neuer forsooke him yet the Lorde at all times though they alwaies offended him deliuered them frō their enemies when they cryed vnto him for his ayde and helpe So being now vexed with their euemies the Lord sent Ehud as a Iudge and Captaine to leade them and to gouerne them as their Generall beeing a stout and a valiant Captaine who was wont to say to his souldiers follow me went boldly to Eglon king of the Moabites vsed this stratagē told the king that he had some secret from the Lord to tellhim wherevpon the chamber being auoyded and the doore shut hee out with his dagger slew Eglon the king and came out and shut the doore after him and after slew ten thousand Moabites at that time yet Ehud was left-handed and vnable to fight and therefore it was a stratagem of the Lord. Iabin king of Canaan an other enemie of the Israelites sent his generall Cisera a mightie captain with nine hundred chariots of Iron and a huge Army of souldiers to fight against Israel yet the Lord still prouided for his people and deliuered the Canaanites into the hand of Deborah a woman and Barac euen the whole Army of the Canaanites at the battell at Meroz where euen the starres in their courses from heauen fought against Cisera as Deborah confessed in her song of thanksgiuing to the Lord for the victorie For all the battels that the Lord had fought for Israell yet they sinned more and so offended the Lord that they were deliuered seuen yeares into the hands of the Madianites for their wickednesse that Israell made themselues dennes and caues in the Mountaines for feare of the Madianites and Amalekites whose tents were as thicke as Grasse-hoppers in multitude so that they their cattels and their camels were without number Yet the Lord when Israell cryed for helpe raised vp sound Iudges as Othoniel Ehud Barac and Deborah who ouercame their enemies and had many victories ouer them but still Israel offended the Lord and therefore the Lord left Sidonites Canaanites and Philistines to afflict and vex the Israelites for that they still offended the Lorde Hee left these Nations among them with their gods and Idols that should be as snares vnto Israel and as thornes in their sides and needles in their eies to trie them and to force them to call vpon the name of the Lord. The Hebrewes as they offended the Lord so were they punished by the Lord who often gaue them ouer into their enemies hands for their rebellious sedition and disobedience and therefore the Lord made choise of a wise and discreet generall whom he strengthned to rule his people sent his messenger to Gedeon a husbandman threshing his corne to bee their captaine before them who with the three hundred souldiers that laped the water by putting their hāds to their mouthes as the Lord had commaunded him by that signe and had appointed the number for him to take the Lords battel in hand to let the rest which were one and thirtie thousand and seuen hundred returne to their home which were by proclamatiō discharged The generals that the Lord made choise of to rule his people were but shepheards heardmen and husbandmen as Moses Ioshua Gedeon Saul and Dauid and of the like men he made choise for his Prophets Gedeon obeyed the message of the Lord called at the Lords hand for strength and courage to fight his battel and after deuided the three hundred men into three seuerall bands and vsed this stratagem gaue euery man a Trumpet in his hand with an emptie pitcher and lampes within the pitchers signifying by these weake meanes which the Lord vsed that the whole victorie should come from the Lord and not from man So Gedeon their generall comming to the side of the enemies with his threee bands he commaunded all the souldiers at once to sound al the trumpets together to break their pitchers and to shout crie the sword of the Lord and of Gedeon the enemies were so frighted the Lord set euery mans sword vpon his neighbour and caused the Madianites to kill one an other He made the Moabites the Ammonites Edomites in like sort one to destroy an other They tooke in that battell two Princes of the Madianites called Oreb and Zeb whom they slew and brought their heads to Gedeon from beyond Iorden as they fled from the sword of Gedeon The slaughter was an hundred and twentie thousand that were slaine with three hundred men as the Lord had commaunded Obserue the stratagem of Gedeon who commanded his three hūdred souldiers at once to sound al the trumpets together to breake their pitchers and to shout and crie the sword of the Lord and of Gedeon It so amazed the Madianites that the victory was Gedeons Ioshuah in like sort was by the Lord commaunded after he had carried the Arke round about Iericho seuen times vpon the seuenth day that the Priests should blow the rammes hornes and all the souldiers to crie aloude and to shout out all together at once that the walles of Iericho fell With a stratagem also Ioshua deceiued the king of Ai who came out of the Citie to fight with Ioshua who tooke vpon him to flye from the king but hauing laide ambushes vpon the way and about the Towne the Lord gaue both the Towne and the King to Ioshuas hand So did the Israelites deceiue the Beniamites with the like stratagems as Ioshua did who tooke vpon them to flye to draw the Beniamites from the Citie to the high wayes vntill they were compassed round about with the Israelites who destryed 25. thousand and 100. men These are diuine stratagems and to be attributed vnto the Lords doings Pericles generall of the Athenians besieging a certain Citie in Greece who vpon the sudden in the night time caused all the Trumpets to be sounded at once and all the souldiers to shout and cry as loud as they could it so terrified the Citizens within that they ranne from all parts of the Cittie vnto that place where Pericles commanded the trumpets to be sounded and that loud crye to be made thinking thereby that the enemies had entred the Citie Pericles without resistance made an entrie into the Citie in an other place Antiochus vsed the like stratagem against the Ephesians commanded certaine Rhodians which were of his Army to shout out loud and to make a sudden out crie in the dead time of the night their feare and terror was such that all went to defend that place of the Towne and left the other side of the Towne without defence to let Antiochus enter in Luc. Cornelius after he had besieged and taken many Townes in Sardinia he vsed this stratagem to take a populous strong Citie made a great number of
that day the feast of the Lorde was kept the virgins of Siloth came abroad to daunce to sing and to play the Beniamites caught the maides of Siloth to the number of 200. and brought them to the land of Beniamin So the abuse of one woman the Leuites wife by the Beniamite cost sixtie foure thousand mens liues and more in Israel For by the taking away of Viriahs wife by Dauid Israel was plagued with the death of seuentie thousand men and the taking away of Menelaus wife from Greece cost the liues of many millions of men and the warres of tenne yeares betweene the Greekes and the Troians And for that the time of the taking away of Vriahs wife by Dauid agreeth with the historie of the taking away of Menelaus wife by Alexander otherwise called Paris After the death of Dauid and Salomon his sonne the kingdome of Israel was established vpon Rehoboam Salomons sonne he forsooke the law of the Lord and reiected his fathers wise and graue counsellors and followed rash young mens counsell and therefore the Lord raised Shesak king of Egipt against Israel and he came with twelue hundred chariots three score thousand horsemen and his footemen were without number for from Egipt came with him the Lybians the Troglodites and the Aethiopians he tooke the strong cities of Iudah and Ierusalem and all the treasures of the Lords house and all the treasures of the kings house and he carried away two hundred targets and three hundred shields of gold which Salomon made and returned to Egipt with a great spoile because Rehoboam forsooke the Lord and therefore was forsaken of the Lord. The temple that Salomon his father builded was spoiled by the negligence of Rehoboam Salomons sonne This was the first victorie that was had ouer Ierusalem by Shesak king of Israel and here began the first battell of the ciuill warre betweene the kings of Iudah and the kings of Israel and such ciuill warre if you consider the slaughter betweene Iudah and Israel and the continuance of their warres you must needs confesse that in one battell betweene Abiah and Ieroboam were more slaine of the Israelites then among the Romanes in fortie yeares to talke of the Romanes ciuill warres which was fortie yeares betweene Sylla and Marius betweene Caesar and Pompey and last betweene Octauius and Marc. Antonius or the ciuill warres of the Greekes called the Peloponesian warre which endured seuen and twentie yeares it was nothing in respect of the murther and bloud betweene Iudah and Israel for in the ciuill warres of the Romanes histories doo not record aboue the deaths of three hundred thousand Romanes Where in this battell being the first ciuill battell betweene Ieroboam king of Israel against Abiah king of Iudah at what time was slaine in the field fiue hundred thousand of king Ieroboams souldiers in one battell which neither Tamberlane nor Xerxes though they could match them in number yet could they neuer match thē in slaughter For as the Romanes were full fiue hundred yeares in conquering the Sabines the Latines the Vients the Fidenates the Samnites Tarentines Hetruscans others frō Romulus time to Scypio Affrican before the Romanes could be Lords of Italy The like may bee spoken of the Israelites in conquequering the Moabites Ammonites Amalekites Philistines and others from Moses time vnto Dauid welnigh fiue hundred yeares and as the Romans held their Empire so long a time as they were in winning of it frō Scypio Affrican who conquered Haniball and Italy vnto the Emperor Probus which was fiue hundred years at what time the whole Empire fell by degrees to decay So Israel as they subdued their enemies from Moses to Dauid fiue hundred yeares as you read before so after Dauid by ciuill warres of Iudah and Israel vnto Zedechias time which was fiue hundred yeares they lost both the kingdomes Iudah and Israel the one taken captiue by Salmanasser vnto Niniuie the other by Nabuchodonozer vnto Babilon so that now the land of Iudah called the land of milke and honey is become Athisme subiect to Pagans Infidels which continued from Abraham the first father of the faith vntill Titus Vespasian two thousand and odde yeares and al through disobedience and contempt of their Lord and God Euen so the Romanes which were wont to be called lords of the world whose Consuls at that time ruled and gouerned the most kingdomes of the world are now left without King Emperor or Consull and many cities in Italy at this day preferred before Rome now gouerned by the Pope a Bishop as Ierusalem is gouerned by the Turk an Infidel so that in all things the Romanes and the Hebrews may be compared for as the greatest enemie that euer Rome had was Italy and the dangerousest foes that the Romanes had were Italians for the Gaules the Cymbres the Carthaginians and the Affricans vexed not the Romans as the Italians did their own country men and next neighbors So Iudah had no enemies but the house of Israel So Israel had no enemies but Iudah for Ierusalem could not away with Samaria for their two Idols the one at Dan the other in Bethell so Samaria could not brooke Ierusalem for the great solemnitie of Salomons temple CHAP. III. The great battell betweene Abia king of Iudah and Ieroboam king of Israel where 500000. were slaine on Ieroboams side Of the victories of Asa and Iosaphat kings of Iudah ouer Zerah king of Aethiopia ouer the Edomites Ammonites and Maobites AS it seemed by the long oration which Abiah made to Ieroboam and his army vpon mount Zemaraim before the battell ioyned together to disswade them from the battell saying that the Lord had giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid and to his house but Ieroboam contemned Abiahs counsel and thought by his policie and subtill stratagem to haue ouercome the host of Iudah but he himself was deceiued to the losse of fiue hundred thousand of his souldiers that his power and force failed that he was not able during his life to preuaile against Iudah for Ieroboam had gathered to encrease his army all leaud idle and wicked vnthrifts to fight this battell against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon like Cinna in Rome that made open proclamation that al bondmē wicked doers and banished men should come to Cinna the Consul they should be restored to their former libertie freedome and thus Cinna gathered al the leaud and wicked men within all Italy he then being Consul taking part with Cai. Marius against his other fellow Consull Octauius which helde with Sylla slaine at that time a number more of the citizens of Rome but between Sylla and Marius one reuenging vpon an other fomi◅g in their countries bloud that all the streetes of Rome anne of bloud These two Marius and Sylla began the first Romane ciuil warres as Ieroboam and Rehoboam did and yet were they both compared to
battels his watch-word was Venus genitrix These were his vsuall watch-words in 52. set battels which he had The Romaine Consul Sylla in all the warres which he had in Asia and in Greece his watch-word was to his souldiers Appollo Cn. Pompeius in all his warres which hee had vnder Sylla in Affrica against Sertorius his watchword was among the Romanes Pietas while yet he was a young man but when his victories and his triumphes grew great ouer Affrica Europe and Asia and that hee was called Pompey the great hee gaue his watch-word to his souldiers according to his greatnesse Inuictus Hercules King Demetrius in diuers warres which he had with many kings and princes after his father king Antigonus dyed hee still vsed one watch-word in all his warres against Zeleucus Pirrhus Lysimachus and Cassander Iupiter Victoria Antiochus surnamed Soter leading a great Armie against the people Galatae his watch-word was Beneualere C. Caligula a beast and not an Emperour gaue accordingly a beastly watch-word to his souldiers Priapus Venus Other Emperours of Rome as Sept. Seuerus a noble captaine gaue his watch-word to his souldiers Laboremus And so Pertinax the Emperour his watchword was Militemus And the good Emperour Antoninus his words was euer to his souldiers Aequanimitas After these comparisons betweene the Romaines and the Greekes in all military discipline it were also fit to compare some of their stratagems As Darius king of Persia to escape the daunger by flight which he was in from the Scythians vsed a stratagem left dogges and asses barking and braying in his tents to deceiue the Scythians which the Scythians supposed by barking braying of dogges and asses to haue found Darius in his tents The like stratagem vsed the Lygurians to escape the hands of the Romanes who bound diuers wilde oxen and buffes to certaine trees to deceiue the Romaines which made such a roaring noise that the Romanes thought therby the Lygurians to be in their campe and in their tents when they escaped secretly away Hannibal being most busie in plaguing Italy Scypio Affrican vsed a stratagem passed with a great Romaine armie to Affricke to drawe Hannibal from Italy who was forced streight to follow after to succour the Carthaginians The like pollicie vsed Themistocles to drawe the armie of Xerxes from the land into a sea battell knowing the Athenians farre vnable to answere Xerxes armie on land sent all the wiues children from Athens to Troxaena and to other cities of Greece and left Athens emptie The Persians hearing that Themistocles left Athens followed hard after him whereby Themistocles by this stratagem got a noble victorie ouer the Persians at Salamina Cities besieged suffered as though they were ready to yeeld and where they found the enemies so carelesse that they expected nothing but yeelding they sodenly issued out with great fury and ouerthrew theyr enemies So did Furius the Consull so did Caesar with the like stratageme so did Labienus So doth Sathan when he findes men without watching and praying liuing slothfull and carelesse and as men suppose in securitie then Sathan vseth this stratagem finding them vnarmed without spirituall weapons ouerthrowes them takes them and brings them as prisoners captiues to his tents CHAP. XI Of two ouerthrowes of the Romanes by the Parthians and by the Cymbrians and their Generall Crassus slaine Of diuers other battels both of the Romanes and the Greekes and of many Libraries destroyed by warres THe Romainas flourished at that time with victories and triumphes ouer all nations yet had some of the best of them many shamefull ouerthrowes as Mar. Crassus a noble Romane equall in force and power to Caesar or to Pompey after many great victories was among the Barbarians and Parthians ouerthrowne by Carres a famous citie in Mesopotamia and the more famous for that Abraham dwelt there at what time many noble captaines slue themselues for verie shame and sorrowe after their Generall Crassus his sonne were slaine by Surena Lieutenant of the Parthians This Surena was the second person next the king in Parthia his greatnesse was such that he had a thousand camels to carry his sumpters a thousand men of arm◅s armed two hundred Coaches of Curtizans that his whole traine made aboue tenne thousand horse Censorius Octauius Petronius and diuers other Romaine Gentlemen slue themselues and Surena after he strake off Pub. Crassus head the sonne and sent him to the king his maister in the very selfe same day was slain also Crassus the father In this battell twentie thousand Romains were slain and ten thousand taken prisoners for he had seuen legions in his army of footemen and after that Surena had bathed Crassus head in blood and had melted golde into his mouth to the great reproach of the Romanes he sent both the heads of Crassus his sonne to Horodes king of Parthia at which time the king of Parthia and his nobles laughed and scorned the other captiue Romanes making rimes verses and enterludes of both Crassus heads This ouerthrow was one of the most ignominious that euer the Romaines had sauing the ouerthrow of Valerianus the Emperour by Pazaites the Turke whose army was quite ouerthrowne and himselfe taken prisoner and vsed as a block for the Turke to goe on horse And another ouerhthrow which the Romaines had by the Cymbrians Teutōs by the riuer of Roan where C. Manilius Q. Scaepio were Generalls of the Romaine armies had such an ouerthrow that of foure score thousand Romanes and of their associats scant ten escaped with their liues away the newes thereof made Rome so to quake and the Senators to feare that they were so amazed so terrified as they were at their ouerthrow at the battel at Canne but Cai. Marius fully reuenged and requited vpon the Cymbrians at the riuer Xextus the ouerthrow of the Romaines with such a victory ouer the Cymbrians that neither man woman nor childe escaped In like sort was M. Crassus reuenged vpon the Parthians by Pub. Ventidius vice-Consull vnder Mar. Antonius hauing done great exployts in subduing the inhabitants about mount Taurus and also hauing wonne diuers victories ouer the Parthians a stout and hardie Nation whom the Romanes plagued sundrie times in reuenge of Mar. Crassus death which was the third man of reputation in Rome Pub. Ventidius was suffered to haue both the triumphes vnder Mar. Antonius who chiefly at that time was Generall of the Romane Army appointed by the Senators and people of Rome But Ventidius better deserued to haue this triumphe then Mar. Antonius who began to esteeme and attend Cleopatra more then his Romane Army Ventidius wonne more victories ouer the Parthians then any Romane Captaine else did and yet the Romaines had eighteene pitcht battells against the Parthians for the Parthians had eighteene kingdomes vnder them These were stout Nations and called theyr king king of kings as the Persians called their kings the great kings and the
in Athens to lust another to shame They had also straunge kinde of altars in Delos one to Apollo made onely of the right hornes of all kinde of beastes and an other altar made of the ashes of the sacrificed men and beasts like Belesus who raised vp a promontorie in Babilon of the ashes of the citie of Niniuie destroyed to giue light to passengers that sayled by Babilon on Euphrates in the which ashes Belesus carried secretly all the wealth gold siluer and all other rich mettals melted of Niniuie into Babilon Numa Pomp. a verie prophane religious king put vp a temple to Faith another to Terminus and decreed a law for that Terminus was the god of peace and a Iudge of meares and markes betweene neighbours that whosoeuer would plough any of his neighbors markes and meares both hee and his oxen should be sacrificed and slaine to god Terminus vpon the very meare where the offence was done This temple which king Numa builded to Terminus was made vncouered and open aboue as the Greekes did vse to build their temple to Iupiter and to Anfidius which the Greeks called Hypaethra both the Romanes and the Greekes thought it not fit that that these gods should be honored and serued in close couered temples and vpon their altars no sacrifice of blood should be offered but according to Pythagoras lawes fruits cakes hony flowers and such because they were gods of peace Againe the Romanes the Greekes and the Egiptians vsed in olde time to build temples out of the cities to those gods that should watch guard the cities from the enemies And therefore Romulus builded a temple to Vulcan out of the walles of the citie of Rome so his successor king Numa builded two temples the one to Bellona the other to Mars foure miles from the gate Caâ—…ena out of Rome The Athenians to that purpose as the Romains did builded a temple to Hercules out of Athens named Cynosarges Neither would the Egiptians allow the temple of Esculapius to be in any city of theirs neither wold they allow any temple to Saturne or to Serapis within the citie supposing by their watching garding abroad they might liue more safe and sure from the enemies So among other Gentiles temples were builded to the gods of feare of pouertie and of olde age because they might pray to these gods to escape the wants and miserie of pouertie and old age and thus the Gentiles tooke patterne of the Iewes who had so many Synagogues and but one Temple for the Iewes afterwards became so Idolatrous as the Gentiles that as Ieremy said euery citie in Iudah had a god euery where in groues and hils were seuerall altars that mount Oliuet thereby was called the mount of corruption because they had made altars vnder euery groue and vnder euery greene tree to honour their Idols But now let vs returne to the Hebrues vnder Moses in the wildernesse Moses leading the armie of the Hebrewes in the wildernesse from Egipt marched with sixe hundred thousand and hauing diuers battels giuen him by the king of Arabia by Arad king of the Canaanites by Zeon king of the Ammorites and Og the king of Basan after them hauing battel with the king of Madianites and the king of Moabites whom hee conquered before Ioshua had charge of the armie and because the battels of the Lord were most miraculous in Egipt gotten by a white rod by the which Moses obtained ten victories and ten tryumphs ouer the Egiptians in Egipt So Moses in the wildernesse had the like successe not by deuised stratagems of their owne heads but by following the commandements of the Lord which are the onely stratagems of all victories After that Moses had brought the Hebrues out of Egipt into the wildernesse as to a schoole to instruct them in military discipline and to be acquainted with martiall lawes to arme themselues ready souldiers to fight the Lords battels at Ioshuahs commaundement who in the battell at Riphidim was against the Amalekites at what time Moses Aaron and Hur went vp to the top of mount Horeb and Moses held vp the rod of the Lord in his hand and praied for victorie for the battell continued vntill Sun setting and when Moses hand was weary Aaron and Hur held vp Moses hand betweene them and Ioshua preuailed ouerthrew Amelech and all his army wanne a great victorie for Moses praiers and Ioshuahs sword were both meanes by the Lords appointment to obtaine the victory for while Moses hand was vp the Hebrewes preuailed and when hee let downe his hand Amelech preuailed this great victorie was commanded by the Lord to Moses to be written in the booke of the lawe for a remembrance of so great a victorie And all other victories which they had aswell against Pharao before they came out of Egipt and against the Canaanites before they passed ouer Iorden were obtained by stratagems of the Lord in the behalfe of his people which the Lord had determined to place in Canaan King Arad hearing of the great ouerthrow that the Hebrues gaue the Amalekites their friends and neighbours came with a great army and fought against the Hebrues and for that the Hebrues serued not the Lord and were thanklesse for the last victorie king Arad preuailed slue and tooke of them many prisoners When the Hebrues cried vnto the Lord and made a vow to destroy the Canaanites if they might haue the victory the Lord vpon their promise vow deliuered the Canaanites their king Arad their cities and townes and the people vnto the hands of the Hebrues that the Canaanites were slain vtterly destroied this was the battel of the Lord for the Hebrues vanquished king Arad and the Canaanites according to their vowes which they made to the Lord. These were lawfull vowes to destroy the enemies of the Lorde by the vow of Cherim of which vowe the Lord himselfe is the author the Lord himselfe determined and commaunded the Hebrues to destroy the Canaanites as his enemies So the Prophet published a commaundement saying Vow vnto the Lord performe it the same Prophet saith Thy vowes are vpon me ô Lord I will render praise vnto thee hauing that which I required I am bound to pay my vowes of thansgiuing as I promised thee ô Lord. CHAP. XII Of the vowes and feasts of the Gentiles Of espialls sent to the land of Canaan by Ioshua with diuers other Stratagems IN all Countreys of the world as well the Gentiles as the Iewes were wont to make vowes vnto their Gods with praiers and promise to performe those things which they vowed if their gods would graunt victories in warres against their enemies or health to their Kings and Princes or to remooue any plague or sicknes from the people The Persians when they vowed any thing to the Sunne the King with his councel called Magi ascended vpon a high hill or mountaine where
his souldiers to hide themselues in ambush he hauing but fewe souldiers prouoked them of the Towne to come out faining himself to flye the enemie following with great furie after Luc. Cornelius with all his hidden souldiers returned vpon the sudden with such a terrible crye that the enemies turned theyr backes and fled to the Towne and the Romanes followed after them close at the heeles and entred the Towne with them all together So Pompey the Consull Generall for the Romaine Army in Albania perceiuing the enemies both in horsmen and in footemen to be farre more in number then the Romanes practised this stratagem placed his footemen behind the horsemen being in a straight and commaunded his horsemen to couer their helmets least by the sight of the helmets they should be seene of the enemies and to take vpon them to flye to draw the enemies forwards into the midst of the Army of footemen and then the Romane horsemen to turne backe and deuide themselues and to set on both sides of the enemies By this stratagem Pompey got a great victorie ouer the Albanians Iphicrates the Athenian compared an Army in this sort the light horsemen to the hands the men of armes to the feete the battel of footemen to the stomacke and breast the captaine to the head But the Hebrewes for all the victories of Ioshuah of Iudah and of Gedeon were still vnthankful and wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord for all the battels that the Lord fought for them they were so well acquainted with the gods of the Gentiles yea they serued the gods of Acron the gods of Sydon the gods of Moab and the gods of the Philistines and forgat the god of Israel they serued straunge gods and attributed victories vnto their Idols and honoured them and gaue no glory vnto the Lord of Israel and therefore the Lord gaue them ouer and solde them to their enemies and were eighteene yeares sore tormented and vexed by the Ammonites and Philistines and the enemies proudly went ouer Iorden to fight against Iudah against Beniamin and against the house of Ephraim but they cryed vnto the Lorde according to theyr custome in extremitie and were aunswered by the Prophet from the Lorde Let the Gods whome you serue saue you and whom you trust vnto defend you for you waigh not me neither will I defend you and then they put away their straunge gods from among them Thus the Israelites did not onely rebell vpon the death of Ioshuah but also vpon the death of Iudah Ehud Deborah and others neither did they esteeme the victories which they got by Deborah a woman and by Gedeon a Husbandman who with three hundred souldiers slew a hundred and twentie thousand but euer forgetfull and vnthankefull to the Lord more willing to returne to Egipt to be slaues vnto Pharao then to stay in Canaan to serue the Lord. The name of Leonidas was famous among the Lacedemonians for his victorie at Thermopyle where Leonidas with three hundred ouerthrew twentie thousand of Xerxes Army being innumerable The Athenians gloried much for theyr great victorie at Marathon by Milciades and Callimachus hauing but 10000. Grecians in their army ouerthrew the generall of king Darius Army and made a great slaughter of the Persians to the number of two hundred thousand The Romanes bragge much of the victorie of Marius with fewe souldiers ouer the Cymbrians at the riuer of Xextas of Sylla ouer Mithridates at the battell of Orchomenon and of Lucullus ouer Tigranes king of Armenia being three great victories with infinite slaughter with the losse of fewe Romanes The very Schythians can boast and bragge of the ouerthrow of Cyrus hauing two hundred thousand in his Army and that by a woman which encreased the fame of the Scythians to the greatest infamy of the Persians All Nations can bragge and boast of theyr victories and be thankfull vnto their Idols and to their gods with sacrifices with vowes with games and playes with rearing of Aultars and building of Temples but the Hebrewes and the people of the Lord who had greatest cause and occasions to remember theyr victories and triumphes that they had ouer so many Kings and so many Nations before they came to the Land of Canaan by fire haile-stones thunder and great stones from heauen and though the Lords presence went before them in the Arke and the Arke among them in the midst of the campe yet were the Israelites stiffe necked people euer offensiue to the Lord seditious against theyr leaders and enuious one towardes an other so the Lord cryed out against them and said I haue nourished and brought vp children and they are fallen away from me the Oxe knoweth his Lord and the Asse his Maisters stall but Israel knoweth not me wicked children sinfull people a froward generation which are ouerladen with blasphemies Nothing could instruct them to obey the Lord neither the Arke of couenant neither the Tabernacle of Moses neither the pillar of fire where the Lord appeared vnto them and after the vse of the Tabernacle neither the Temple of Salomon nor the Prophets to whom the Lord manifested himselfe in Ierusalem yea euen in Samaria among the wicked Samaritans they had the Prophets of the Lord Elias and Elizeus to instruct them CHAP. XVIII Of Iepthas victories ouer the Ammonites and Ephraimites the ciuill warres the tyrannie of Sylla and Marius in Rome Of the slaughter of the Philistians by Sampson the reuenge of pulling out his eyes and of the battell of Saul at Mich-mash NOw after Gedeon the Lord sought out Ieptha beeing fledde and chased by his bretheren from his countrey to the Land of Tob from whence hee was called by the Lord who alwayes appointed a generall ouer Israell while they serued him to leade his people against the Ammonites which the Lord deliuered into Iepthas hand At that time Ieptha made a rash vowe to the Lorde that if hee should haue victorie ouer the Ammonites that which came out of the doores of his house when he returned home in peace shal be the Lords and he wil offer it vp a burnt offering He foolishly performed that which he rashly vowed Though some of the Rabines do excuse Ieptha that his daughter died not but was seperated to dwell by her selfe from common conuersation in a solitary place to bewaile her virginitie according to the custome and manner of the virgins of Israel to liue in prayers and to consecrate her selfe vnto the lord Yet some of 〈◊〉 best diuines as Augustine Ambrose which both were of a cōtrary opiniō that she was sacrificed according to Iepthas vow But the Lord gaue the victory to Ieptha ouer the Amonits with the ouerthrow of twentie cities and with exceeding great slaughter Ieptha againe after his first victory ouer the Ammonites had another victory ouer the Ephraimites who enuied the former victory of Ieptha most ambitiously as they before did vnto
So by these meanes Dauid and Ioshua before him brought the Moabites the Edomites and the Philistines and all theyr enemies round about to be vnder their gouernment So after Dauid all nations did the like a principall point in all good Generalls to strengthen themselues with garrison in strong places Herein the Remanes excelled all nations that whersoeuer or whosoeuer they subdued there they placed Romane Magistrates to gouerne As Scypio and Pompey the great did in Asia Titus and Sylla in Greece this made the Romanes to be feared and dreaded among all nations of the worde For after the Romaines had subdued the Carthagineans they made Carthage a prouince to bee gouerned vnder a Proconsull of Rome After they had subdued Numidia and Lybia they were made prouinces and gouerned vnder a Consul of Rome So Egipt and Mauritania were in like sort gouerned vnder Romane Presidents So Sardinia Cicilia Achaia and many others were made Praetorian prouinces and gouerned vnder the Romanes But wee will proceede forward with the warres of Dauid euery where vnder his Generall Abishai Ioabs brother who slue eighteene thousand of the Edomites in the salt valley and he put garrion in Edom and all the Edomites became Dauids seruants so that Dauids enterprises and his battels which hee fought against the enemies of the Lord had wheresoeuer he went good successe Dauid euer vsed martiall lawes vpon the Lords enemies when Rabbah was taken by Ioab he was presently commaunded by Dauid the king to put all the people to cruell death and for that they were malicious enemies vnto the Lord he put them to such tortures as vnder sawes Iron harrowes Iron axes and cast them into the tylekilne so cruell and greeuous were the punishments of the Lord vpon the cities of the Ammonites The fame of Dauid grew so great that all the kings about him enuied him much that Hamnon king of the Ammonites prepared an army against Dauid vnderstanding that Dauid would reuenge the iniury hee did vnto his Embassadors whome Dauid sent to Hamnon of meere kindnesse and courtesie the cause was that Dauids Embassadours by the King of Ammon and the counsell of his Princes and Lords had the halfe of their beards shaued and their garments cut off in the middle euen vnto their buttockes and so sent them away which among the Israelites was the greatest reproach that might be Thus the Embassadors of Dauid against the law of armes were disfigured to make them odious vnto others but they were commaunded by Dauid to stay in Iericho to auoid the obloquy of so fowle a fact vntill they were prouided for Alcibiades Generall ouer the Athenians laying siege to the chiefe citie of the Aggregentines which was so strongly euery way defended with forts and trenches that Alcibiades deuised a new stratageme and thereby sought meanes to haue a conuenient place of parley to talk with them before he would lay siege to the towne which being graunted Alcibiades appointed certaine captaines while hee held the Aggrentines in parley of peace to take the citie Ionathan after that Iud. Machabaeus his brother was slaine in the field by Bacchides and after that the children of Amri tooke Iohn Ionathans brother he vsed this pollicie to reuenge his brother vpon the mariage day of a daughter of one of the noblest Princes of Canaan Ionathan his men hid themselues and laie in ambush vnder the couert of a mountain that when the children of Amri came out of Medeba with tymbrels Instrumēts of musicke and great pompe Ionathan set vpon them slue the most part and the rest fled so that their mariage was turned into mourning and the noyse of their melodie to lamentation thus Ionathan reuenged his brother at Medeba Cymon the sonne of Milciades a noble Greeke Captaine at the besieging of a citie in Caria vsed this stratagem to burne the temple of Diana which goddesse the Carians most religiously worshipped the temple being builded without the walles of the towne all the citie ranne to defend Dianaes temple from burning Cymon with his Athenian armie entered and obtained the citie while they were busie about the temple The like policie vsed Demetrius to deceiue Ionathan who hearing that Ionathan came in the night time with his men armed Demetrius and all his armie feared and trembled in their hearts and kindled great fires in theyr Tents and fled away which Ionathan suspected not that they fled because they saw the fire burning in the tents and so Demetrius by this strageme of fire passed ouer the flood Eleutherus and escaped from Ionathan Many such stratagems haue bene vsed by fire to deceiue the enemie as Hannibal by fire tyed to Oxens hornes in the night time against the Romaines Sampson by tying of firebrands to Foxes tayles to burne the corne of the Philistines So Absolon vsed the like stratagem against Ioab with many such Now hauing heard that Ioabs chiefe captains came in that Dauid was comē ouer the riuer Iorden fiue kings came against Ioab and pitched their tents before Medeba a citie of the Tribe of Ruben but when the battell ioyned together the Ammonites and the Aramites fled and fell before Israel so that the victorie was Ioabs and yet had they two and thirtie thousand chariottes and fiue kings set in battell-raie to fight against Dauid but it was the Lords battell and therefore too fewe if they had had tenne times as many And therefore the Aramites the Ammonites were sore greeued at the good successe of Dauid that they gathered their whole force and power together and sent messengers beyond Iorden to draw all the enemies of Israel to fight another battell against Dauid and Dauid hearing of their great armies came ouer Iorden to Hel◅ and fought with them and the Aramites fled before him and Dauid destroyed of the Aramites seuen hundred chariots fortie thousand footemen and killed Sophach Generall of the hoste Dauid at length made a generall conquest of the Philistines destroyed the Ammonites and theyr chiefe citie Rabbah slue their King and Princes and cut the people in peeces with sawes with harrowes of Iron and with axes and Dauid requited fully the spitefull malicious wrong they did vnto his Embassadors And as Ioshua brought them ouer Iorden and placed them in Canaan and destroyed their enemies before them and gaue the Hebrewes the possession of Canaan so Dauid rooted these nations out and made a full conquest of them and left Israel in peace and quiet to his sonne Solomon and Salomon to his sonne Rehoboam so that the Edomites Moabites and Ammonites became Dauids seruants and paied tribute vnto Solomon during his whole life CHAP. II. Of tributes paide to the kings of Egipt And what manner of tributes the old Romanes and Persians receiued The rewards of adultery SO Ioseph made a lawe in Egipt that the first part of all the land of Egipt should be as a yearely
of Lucullus triumph staied in Rome takē his rest as Lucullus did his head had not bin sent to Herodes by Surena But I wil return to military rewards of the Persians among whom diuers military gifts were appointed for souldiers The king gaue them a golden girdle and rings of gold that had either by pollicie or manhood gained fame by seruice whereby they were knowne to be in the kings fauour and therfore to be accepted and reputed among the Persians as gallant souldiers in any prouince of the Persians Among the Romanes and the old Gaules as among the Persians the greatest honour that they could giue their souldier was to giue them girdles and the greatest infamy and dishonour that might be was to loose their girdles from them which was as great a dishonour as to take their speares out of their hands or their horse from vnder them The Kings of Persia herein followed the Hebrewes for in the time of Absolon in his warres against his father in the wood of Ephraim where he hanged by the haire of his head between two oakes at what time Ioab would haue giuen the messenger that brought these tidings tenne sickles of siluer and a souldiers girdle if hee had killed Absolon and therefore girdles were giuen to souldiers among the Hebrews in the time of the kings of Israel before the kings of Persia. Among the Hebrewes before the time of the kings after they came to the land of Canaan from Egipt the souldiers had lands townes cities countreys and what spoile soeuer they gained by the sword for all that they wonne in the land of Canaan and other countreys was equally diuided between the Hebrew soudiers and the twelue tribes The Kings of Asia so esteemed the olde and chiefe souldiers of Alexander the great called Argyraspides that they sate in counsell with the kings of Asia as Iudges ouer other souldiers to direct and instruct them in military discipline and after if occasion required to correct them for military faults and martiall offences hauing their allowance out of the kings treasury for these captaines after the death of Alexander the great contemned to serue vnder Antigonus Seleucus Demetrius or Lysimachus which during the time of Alexander were named but Argyraspides themselues In Egipt the chiefe and auntient souldiers called Calasiries had after good seruice done besides their martiall allowance a certaine proportion of bread and flesh and a measure of wine by the king appointed in seuerall cities and garrisons of warre in Egipt to instruct the Egiptian youthes in martiall affaires Euen so the Aethiopian kings imitating the manner of the Egiptians obserued the like law their old chief souldiers being bruised and broken in the warres called Hermothibij with a certaine proportion of allowance of bread and flesh The Grecians very carefull to maintaine their good souldiers they met together at the temple of Neptune in Isthmos and there the Iudges of Greece called Amphictions did consult with iudgement discerne throughly examine the deserts and seruice of euery well deserued souldier with such rewards gifts as were appointed for them accordingly by martiall law The Amphictions as you heard were wont twise a yeare in March and September to meete the one in Isthmos the other in Trozaena wherein the one seuen cities appeared and in the other twelue to consult of martiall causes So that it was not lawfull among the barbarous Scythians that any souldier should claime or challenge any martiall reward by the law of Scythia vnlesse hee had brought an enemies head slaine by himselfe in the field vpon his speare vnto the campe and presented it before his captaine he might not be partaker of any bootie or pray among other souldiers without some exploit done worthy of it CHAP. VII Of prouisions and maintenance of souldiers Of the honourable burials of them that were slaine in the field and of diuers Monuments AMong all Nations of the world the greatest care they had was to prouide meanes to maintaine souldiers that Solon made a lawe in Athens that the rewards due vnto those valiant souldiers that died in the warres should bee distributed vnto their children being aliue and those gallant Captaines that died in the field should be honourably buried with pillars and arches set vpon their graues and their names written vpō them in Ceramicus and such other places This law of Solon was reuiued two hundred and three score yeares after by Alexander the great who so much honoured and aduanced the worthinesse of martiall men that he caused to be buried in the field Adrasteis one hundred and twentie knights that died valiantly in the field and caused strong arches and pillars of marble to be made ouer their graues with their statues and Images and their names written vpon them with their due commendation as an honourable monument of their perpetuall fame Licurgus lawe was that no dead man should put his name in brasse in Iuorie or otherwise vpon his Tombe vnlesse hee had bene slaine in the field like a valiant souldier fighting for his countrey These Funerall monuments were vsed long time before the Greekes among the Hebrewes who vsed to set vp pillars and monuments on the graues of the dead the auntient Fathers did it to testifie the hope they had of the resurrection not as the Gentiles did it for pompe and pride of their triumphes and victories but as monuments and vertuous visions Iacob after his vision had in his dreame tooke the stone that he had laid vnder his head set it vp and made a pillar of stones in that place and after hee had annointed the same with oyle which was the first annointing wee read of in scripture hee named it Bethel which was Luz before which name continued vntill Ieroboams time 784. yeares at what time Ieroboam erected a golden calfe to be worshipped and therfore was named Bethauen as mount Olyuet for that it was full of Images Idolls and Aultars in the time of the Kings of Iudah was named the mount of corruption After this Iacob when his wife Rachel dyed at the birth of her sonne whom she named Benoni which Iacob after his wiues death called Beniamin on whose graue hee pitched vp a pillar of stones as Ioshua had the picture of the Sunne on his graue So Samuel tooke a stone and pitched it betweene Mazphah and Sene and called the name thereof the stone of help as a marke and a trophey of victory which the Israelites had ouer the Philistines Yet Absolon following the Gentiles of very pompe and pride reared vp a pillar saying I haue no male childe and therefore I will pitch vp a pillar as a monument to haue my name in remembrance and he called it after his owne name Absolons pillar to haue his name great There was euer care in former age of holy mens burials long before Ceramicus in Athens
battell Cleombrotus the king with all his captains and chiefest of the Lacedemonians was slaine and that noble Greeke Cleomenes was slaine at the kinges foote with a thousand of the most valiāt Spartans about him at that time there was a great feast at Sparta when this newes came to the Ephories of the victorie of the Thaebans This battel was thirtie yeares after the ouerthrow of Athens by Lysander the Lacedemonian and now the ouerthrowe of Sparta by Epaminondas the Thaeban These two cities were named the two eyes the two legges of Greece and yet Sparta could not abide Athens nor Athens abide Sparta there was neuer such a victory heard of in Greece that the stout Lacedemonians the most skilfull souldiers warlikest people of all the Grecians should haue their king slaine in the field and the chiefe captaines and citizens of Sparta In this battell Pelopidas being neither Generall nor gouernour but Captaine of the holy band deserued as much honour and glorie of this victorie as Epaminondas did being then Generall of the whole armie and gouernor of Baeotia this great ouerthrow of the Lacedemonians fel iustly through the malice enuy that Agesilaus their king bare to the Thaebans being therevnto mooued by the stout answere of that most noble Captaine Epaminondas giuing no place to king Agesilaus greatnesse nor to his stout Lacedemonians Pelopidas the Thaeban laying siege to two great cities of Greece at one time wrought this stratageme caused foure Captaines to come all crowned with garlands of mirtle on their heads hauing brought some of their owne souldiers as fained captiues to Pelopidas and withall caused a whole wood which was betweene the two cities to be burnt as though it had bene that citie which they besieged which so terrified the towne that vpon the sight of that fire they yeelded to Pelopidas Epaminondas being readie to enter battell with the Lacedemonians his seate where he sate after he rose vp fell downe which the souldiers tooke for no good signe which he perceiued and said We are forbidden to sit going about to win victorie We must watch and pray we must not be idle for Satan is most busie when we thinke our selues most sure We must say as Epaminondas saide to his souldiers Vetamur sedere so Christ speakes vnto vs Videat qui stat nè cadat You that stand take heed lest you fall Another famous victorie at Mantinea the chiefe citie of Arcadia the glorie thereof fell to the Thaebans by the prowesse and courage of Epaminondas their General and yet died he of a wound he had in that battell When Epaminondas died died the honor and glory of the Thaebans for before him no great fame was heard of Baeotia and after him nothing esteemed so litle he weighed glorie as hee weighed wealth and so little he esteemed wealth that when Epaminondas died hee wanted mony to burie him In so much that Cicero said that he wondred that so great a Philosopher and so singularly learned should become so noble a captain that all Greece preferred him for both Many sought to imitate Epaminondas for Philopomen followed Epaminondas steppes in all his actions but chiefly in three things hee followed his hardinesse to enterprise any thing hee followed Epaminondas wisedome to execute all great matters and followed his integritie from corruption bribery and taking of money hereby came Philopomen to be the most renowned captaine of all Greece in his time Philopomen was eight times Generall of the Achaians being then seuentie yeares olde for Philopomen delighted from his youth in warre and martiall exercise and loued alwaies souldiers and armes for he was in his time one of the best and one of the last Captaines of Greece and therfore reputed a better Captaine for war then a wise gouernour for peace For at the battell by the riuer of Larissus Philopomen being Generall of the Achalans against the Aetolians where hee slue Demophantus Generall of the Aetolians in a combat fought betweene them both in the sight of the armie and after ouerthrew the whole hoste Philopomen grew so great in Greece that the name of Philopomen made the Baeotians to flie for feare from the siege of Maegara and made the Spartans after he had rased the towne to forsake Licurgus lawe and compelled the Lacedemonians to follow the Achaians maner and customes The Grecians so loued and so esteemed this Philopomen that Titus Flaminius enuyed him for his fame and greatnesse in Greece beeing then Consull of Rome and had restored all Greece to her former libertie Philopomen turned all curiositie and daintie fare to braue and rich armour to gallant and warlike horses Philopomen was the last famous man of the Grecians after whose death Greece decaied Hee was wont in his youth to reade Homers Illiads and especially Euangelus bookes of the discipline of warres for by reading and talking he became an excellent souldier So Lucullus by talking with souldiers by reading of bookes and by exercising of military discipline became one of the noblest Captaines that the Romaines had for at the battell at the riuer of Rindacus hee gaue the ouerthrow to Mithridates souldiers that fortie thousand were slain in the field fifteene thousand taken and sixe thousand horse of seruice besides an infinit number of beasts for carriage the ouerthrow was such that they which came frō the citie Appolonia had as great a spoyle while both armies were a fighting as Lucullus and his souldiers had after the victory was gotten Lucullus fought with Mithridates another battell at the riuer Granicus where Alexander the great gaue the first battell to Darius king of Persia. Here also Lucullus in a very great battell fought with his Romane armie so fiercely and with such courage that both the riuer of Granicus and the riuer of Asapus ranne all of blood and the number that were slaine of Mithridates souldiers as mentions are made were welnigh three hundred thousand men of all sorts of people This Mithridates was the greatest enemy that the Romanes had after Hannibal and yet Hannibal and all Affrica was subdued within seuenteene yeares by the Romanes and that most noble captaine Pirrhus who fought with the Tarentines Samnites others against the Romanes hee was driuen out of Italy within foure yeares but Mithridates endured the fury of the Romans fortie yeares vntill he was weakened by Sylla wearied by Lucullus and at last subdued by Pompey the great Mithridates king of Pontus fearing much the power and pollicies of the Romanes frequented hunting that he vsed no house in towne or country for seuen yeares that thereby he was able to endure any labour and to preuent any stratagem of his enemies So did Sertorius with many other Romane Greek captaines that Xenophon maketh a catologue of theyr names that became noble souldiers by hunting Hannibal laying siege to Tarentum beeing agreed with one Eoneus a Tarentine for a certain
sum of money to betray the citie Tarentū Eoneus vsed this stratagem by the counsel of Hannibal to go out a hunting in the night time for feare of the enemies and to bring to Liuius the gouernour of Tarentum buckes boares and such other wilde beasts as Hannibal himselfe deliuered vnto him who taught him the stratageme Hannibal seeing that Eoneus was nothing suspected for that he vsed hunting caused Affrican souldiers of his to be cloathed like these hunters and to enter with these hunters into Tarentum who assoone as they entered into the Towne kilde the watch and opened the gates to Hannibal to come in Lysimachus king of Macedonia vsed the like stratagem laying siege to Ephesus the chiefe citie of the Ephesians hauing corrupted one Mandro an arch pyrate for money who often vsed to come to Ephesus with a shippe loaden with praie to relieue the Ephesians and by his often comming being not suspected brought certaine Macedonian souldiers fast bound to his shippe as Captiues taken to please the Ephesians which afterward betrayed and deliuered the towne to Lysimachus So did Marcellus take the citie Syracusa by solliciting of one Sosistratus a Syracusan whom hee wanne with money to be his friend who counselled him to be readie and to come vnder intreatie of peace vpon the Syracusans feast day called Epicides by this meanes through the counsell of Sosistratus Marcellus obtained Syracusa This great Romane enemy Mithridates king of Pontus so hated the Romanes that hee gathered together all the poore banished Romains scattered euery where in Asia Romain marchants others busied about their traffiques caused them to be slaine to the number of 50000. in one day to satisfie his wrath vpō the Romains Lucullus had also two of the most famous and renowned victories ouer two of the most mightiest greatest princes of Asia Tigranes king of Armenia Mithridates king of Pontus at mount Taurus for Tigranes armie as Lucullus himselfe wrote vnto the Senate was two hundred three score thousand men of the which number aboue a hundred thousand footemen were slaine and fewe of all the horsemen were saued and the king driuen in his flight to throwe his Diademe to some of his friends who was taken with the Diademe and brought to Lucullus It is written by Plutarche that the Sunne sawe not the like ouerthrow So Lucullus reuenged the great spite of Tigranes king of Armenia and Mithridates king of Pontus for the spite and hatred they bare to the Romanes as Cai. Marius reuenged vpon the Cymbrians and Almaines and as Camillus reuenged vpon the Gaules Ca. Marius reuenge was such and that in time for that the Cymbrians Teutons Ambrons Tygurins and Germanes had conspired and ioyned their force together after the ouerthrow of both the Consuls to the slaughter of fourescore thousand Romanes that they ioyntly marched together towards Rome at what time Cai. Marius and Luctatius his fellow Consull gaue them such a meeting that two hundred thousande of them were slain foure score thousand taken prisoners Lugius Boiorex two kings slain in the battell besides innumerable that fled from the battell hangd themselues on trees and for want of trees they tyed slipping halters about their neckes vnto the hornes and feete of their oxen and prickt them forwards with goades that they might tread trample them vnder their feete vntil they were killed besides the horrible crueltie of the womē which was most terrible in strangling their young babes with their owne handes they cast them vnder their Cartes wheeles and betweene the horses legges and at last slue themselues At what time Marius for his great fortune victories and seruice was called Pater patriae the father of the countrey After Marius had bene seuen times Consull in Rome and called the father of the counrey which was so great a name among the Romaines that none but Romulus Cicero and himselfe had it and had shewed himselfe a valiant noble captaine in diuers and sundry great battels and wanne many victories besides the victories ouer the Cymbrians Teutons and the rest ouer the Spaniards Numantines and Affricans open proclamation was made by the Senate throughout all Italy that they should apprehend Marius and either kill him wheresoeuer they found him or to bring him before the Senators of Rome aliue This was the ende of Marius marching which if you compare him with Sylla you shall finde them both firebrands to their countrey for the harme they haue done to their countrey and yet both great benefactors to their countrey before their ciuill warres For Sylla was either another Hannibal in doing harme to his countrey or another Scypio in doing good to his countrey And as concerning Marius Scypio himselfe spake that he was the only next man that should do great good or great harme to the Romains after Scypio The like words spake king Antigonus of Pirrhus that if Pirrhus should liue till he were an old man he should proue so great a captaine that he should be feared of all nations CHAP. XII Of the maners and forme of warres denounced by the Prophets of the Lord against the Canaanites and other nations which were enemies to the Hebrewes THe order and manner of the Prophets by the Lord cōmaunded to denounce warres to the Canaanites Edomites Ammonites Philistines and all other natiōs that were enemies to Israel was in this sort The Lord commaunded the Prophets as his heraulds to denounce warre after this manner Set thy face against the Idumeans and say behold ô mount Seir I come against thee and will stretch my hand out against thee I wil make thee desolate and wast all Idumea And so against the Egiptians Ezechiel was commanded as an herauld from the Lord to set his face against that dragon Pharao to publish warre and to say I will water with thy bloud all the land of Egypt and as Nilus ouerfloweth Egipt with water so will I make the bloud of thy Army to ouerflowe Nilus Against Tyre in like sort Ezechiel was commaunded with the like words Set thy face against Tyre say behold ô mount Tyre I will come vpon thee and will bring Nabuchodonozer king of kings against thee and wil make thee a desolate citie So likewise as the Prophet Ezechiel was commanded by the Lord to publish warre against the Idumeans the Egiptians and against Tyre so against Gog and Magog the Prophet was sent with the like words for it was the charge and commaundement of the Lord to all his prophets being his Heraulds to proclaime warre against the great monarches and Polymarchies of the earth enemies to his church and to his people as to the Chaldeans the Assirians Egiptians Affricans Lybians and Persians shewing vnto them their destruction before the sword of the Lord came vpon them So the Lord sent Moses his first Prophet and his Herauld long before this time to Pharao in Egipt with the like words as he did
the soundest and surest testimony of peace and friendship that could be The Armenians vsed to draw bloud euery man out of his thumbe that euery man should licke an others bloud in witnesse that all should liue in peace and loue therafter so did Radamistus king of Hiberia with Mitrates king of Armenia But in the place where the Scythians concluded peace they had a great bowle of wine before them and there euery man letting a vaine to bleed into the bowle of wine then dipping a sword and an arrow into this bowle dranke one to another this mingled wine and bloud in token of peace and friendship between them In like maner the Carmanes people in Persia when they met together at a banquet they would strike a vain in their forehead to draw bloud to mingle their bloud with wine to drinke that one to an other which was among them the greatest oath the surest bond of loue that could be The ceremonies of the Arabians whē they were to be agreed with their enemies they would drawbloud with a sharp flintstone out of their fingers into a dish therin dip white wooll certain small thin stones with the which stones wooll they would rub and die their garments to continue as a perpetuall league of peace betweene them The old and auntient manner of the Persians was to bring their wiues their children their dearest friends and at their banquets calling their hospitall gods to bee their witnesses and their friends then present to bee as pawnes and pledges of their faith peace by drinking one to an other The Thracians and the Egiptians also had their ceremonies in contracting conditiōs of peace which was to drink wine out of an oxe horn one to an other being an old ceremoniall custome among them of great antiquitie for without drinking out of that oxe horne no composition of peace could be taken in Egipt or in Thracia for the horne was an auntient monument reserued for that purpose Clearchus generall of the Lacedemonians at what time the Persians and the Greekes were at composition of peace Clearchus sacrificed a bull a wolfe a boare and a ramme and in the bloud of these sacrified beasts the Greekes dipt their swords the Persians their launces as a full record before the gods of peace and amitie Aristides labouring much for vniuersall peace among the Greekes after long ciuill warres at the concluding of the peace hee threw hotte fierie Iron bowles into the sea praying vnto the gods that as those fiery bowels were extinguished by water euen so they that would breake this league of peace and liue in Greece with all their friends and confederates should be rooted out of Greece or quite destroyed in Greece Had Agesilaus bene so willing as Aristides was with Epaminondas when all Greece came to Lacedemon to make a generall peace Sparta had not bene so plagued at the battell of Leuctres where King Cleombrotus was slaine and a thousand of the best souldiers and citizens of Sparta Fabius Max. being sent by the Romanes as an Embassador to the Carthagineans vsed these words I bring you here in the lap of my gowne warre or peace wherof you must make present choise The like embassage the Romane Popilius carried frō Rome to Antiochus Epiphanis opening the whole cause of his embassage Antiochus seeming to cast off time with delayes Popilius made a circuite with his rod round about him saying you must answere the Senators of Rome before you goe out of this round circuite whether you will haue warre or peace so valiant and stout the Romanes euer were that they offered peace and warre together and the enemies to make the choise Now hauing opened the maner order of denouneing warres and concluding of peace before I proceed forward to military discipline taught in all countreys and among all nations I will set downe the maner and order how diuers nations were wont in olde time to yeeld and to seeke peace at their enemies being in the enemies hands without hope of life and readie to be ouerthrowne CHAP. XIIII The manner of yeelding among all nations Of diuers battels and victories and how the Romanes and the Greekes esteemed their weapons THe maner of yeelding of diuers nations in old time was either in the field to their enemies or else by entreaty of peace they should come in base and simple apparell to offer theyr lands their waters their liuings their cattels their Temples and their Citties So the Egiptians came with poore simple garments without weapons to seeke peace at the enemies and to yeeld themselues their Priests carrying their gods before them with sacrifice So the cittizens of Alexandria came to yeeld themselues to Caesar. So the Iewes came out of Ierusalem with theyr high Priest to meete Alexander the great yeelding vnto him all dignitie and honour submitting themselues vnto him So the Gibeonites came to Ioshua faigned themselues Embassadors tooke olde sackes vpon their asses and olde clowted shooes vpon their feete and said vnto Ioshua we be thy seruants we be come from a far countrey so Ioshua consented vnto peace made a league with them and suffered them to liue So the Sabine Embassadors when they came to yeeld themselues to the old Roman kings were demanded by Torquin Do you your people come to yeeld your selues to me my people at Rome your lands your waters your cities your temples your wealth your liberties and all that you haue the Embassadors answered wee do and I king Torquine accept and receiue your yeelding The Greekes likewise came as the Egiptians did in sad mourning apparell and offered boughes of Oliues and branches of Lawrell to the enemies as signes and tokens of submission in yeelding and in seeking of peace The Persians maner was to offer land and water to the conquerour as a signe of yeelding for so the Persians sought of others when they tooke warres in hand before they conquered which was their pride brag But the Athenians according to the lawe of armes put the Persian Embassadors to death for that they sought land water before any warre was denounced or battell giuen The Assirians also according to their wonted manner when they come to yeeld themselues their Priests come with their labels miters and holy ornaments to seeke peace at the enemy The Syrians came to yeeld themselues with halters about their necks to Achab to entreat for peace for Benhadad their king who said a litle before that the dust of Samaria was too little for euery one of his souldiers to haue a handfull With the Frenchmen and Spaniards it was their custome and maner to yeeld to their enemies in shewing their hands and armes naked to the enemy The Lacedemonians when they sought peace and yeeded to the enemies they threw their shields away from them and tooke the
would make his souldiers beleeue the victory should be his So Cai. Marius in his warres against the Cymbrians caried in his coach an olde woman of Scythia named Martha by whom he had often secret conference and perswaded his souldiers that all the victories he had was by the instructions of this Martha which Marius made his souldiers beleeue she was a prophet and therefore not to doubt of any battell but to haue victorie Scipio Affrican in like maner would take no publike matter in hand before he had gone to the Capitoll and consulted with Iupiter whereby the souldiers were perswaded and hee also enformed them before he entered into any battell that they need not doubt of victories for so hee himselfe was instructed by a messenger from Iupiter Thus were the souldiers of the Gentiles blinded with their owne superstitiousnesse that they would beleeue their captaines in any thing they spake that their lawes were made and victories were gotten by the false oracles of their Idolls So Sertorius did by his white hinde Sylla by consulting with Appollo Cai. Marius with his prophetesse of Scythia and Scypio Affrican by his messenger from Iupiter these meanes which they vsed as stratagemes was to perswade theyr souldiers forwards with more courage to take the battel in hand so religious were the Gentiles towards theyr Gods that they thought nothing coulde happen amisse if theyr gods were well pleased Diagoras the Philosopher was therefore banished out of Athens because hee confessed that hee doubted whether there were any gods or no. So was Archilocus banished from Sparta for that he said I had rather loose my shield then my life The Israelites were charged not to vse these Idolatrous meanes and forbidden to seeke forren helpes eyther of the Egiptians or of the Babilonians Romanes or Syrians but of the presence of the Lord in the Arke and from the mercie seate to take their answere what they might doo and after the vse of the Arke in the Temple of Salomon at Ierusalem but the Israelites after consulted with Milcom and Moloch the gods of the Gentiles and the house of Ephramites ioyned their force with the Syrians and sought helpe against Iudah It seemed by the instructions of the Gentiles to their souldiers set forth in their lawes of Armes that they were most carefull to haue them brought into such straight obseruations by obedience to their chiefe generalls and officers for it was no small reproach nor little shame but for euer publike infamy amōg the Romains for any souldier captain collonel or any other officer to be disauthorised reiected from his former dignitie of seruice to disarmor him of his weapons to take his horse frō vnder him to be vnspurd to take his speare out of his hand his shooes from his feete his gyrdle from his middle to giue him barley for wheate to goe barefooted and to begin againe to be Agrarius miles to be a meane souldier so seuere were the Romanes against disobedient souldiers It was an auntient lawe among the olde Romanes that the Captaines and Centurions that fled from their company should stand with their garments loose and their swords drawne in their hands in the midst of the campe which was one of the greatest infamousest punishments among the Romanes for a Romane captain The penall law they had in Sparta against those that fled from the battell they were compelled to weare old tattered rags and to shaue the one side of their beards and to bee reuiled and flowted of euery man that met them that it was not lawfull for them to giue any word of answering And if they were captaines or any great officers in the field they should weare an olde patched gowne of diuers colours they should beare no office in the common-wealth after that time they might haue no mans daughter to marriage neither would any marrie theyr daughters but as men left to liue in shame without any credite forsaken and refused to come into any Spartans company for euery man liued in that warlike towne Sparta as in a campe where each souldier knew his allowance and what he had to do for the bondmen called Helotes did till their ground and yearely yeelded thē certaine reuenues to maintaine their warres for Sparta was not walled as other strong cities be but walled with valiant souldiers readie alwaies in armour to fight with their enemies for as the Romanes said Membra militum arma so the Lacedemonians said Vrbis maenia milites The Lacedemonians of all people so honoured martiall discipline that they studied nothing but to endure all labours to sustaine any paine and to be ready alwaies to fight and when they marched in battell ray to any set battell they put theyr garlands of flowers on theyr heads in the very face of the enemie and sung a song to Castor and Pollux commaunding their warlike instruments to sound and to agree with the Dittie of theyr song called Pirricha and so with motions and gestures of their bodies in their armour they marched forwards towards the enemie wearing tawny short cassocks least the enemie should see any bloud vpon them The Massagets went also vnto any battel in such coloured cassocks as best resembled the colour of bloud least the sight of bloud should terrifie some cowardly faint hearted souldier of their army The Aethiopians held a cleane contrary opinion to the Massagets they went into the warres all in white colour because they might the more be encouraged by the sight of bloud to reuenge bloud and as the Aethiopians would often say that bloud should be reuenged when they sawe their bloud Artaxerxes king of Persia came with an army of nine hundred thousand all in red iackets against his brother Cyrus to the battel of Conoxa where Cyrus gaue him battell with a great army all in white cassockes So also sundrie nations came into the field with diuers coloured shields and targets as Alexander the great his souldiers came all with white siluered shields and therefore called Argyrasipides The Romane Emperour Alex. Seuerus came with golden gilted shields and therefore called Chrysoaspides the Romains came with diuers coloured shields but neuer with white vnlesse for the first yeare to young souldiers The Carthagineans neuer vsed any other shields but white and the rather because the Romans refused white shields for the Romanes and the Carthagineans could neuer agree CHAP. III. Of the forme and manner of military oathes in diuers countreys ministred vnto souldiers AFter the mustering and numbring of souldiers and their names written in tables they were also sworne before they went into any warres The Persians for that they preferred the faith of their souldiers before any profit they were compelled to sweare by the Sunne sometime by fire called their god Orimasdes to obey and follow the comman dements of their Generals according to the martiall law of Persia.
that Pompey had subdued all Sertorius captains and at last Sertorius himselfe he tooke king Iarbas who fought on Domitius side one of Sertorius captaines and brought him prisoner to Rome in his triumph So that within fortie dayes Pompey ouercame all the Marians which tooke Marius part which were enemies to Sylla subdued Affrike and established all the affaires of all the kings and kingdomes of all that country that Sylla named him Pompey the great Yet Sylla sawe Pompeys greatnesse growe on so fast that he went about to hinder Pompeys triumphes which Pompey spake to Syllas face that men honour more the sunne rising then the sunne setting Pompey hauing bene neither Praetor Consul or Senator had his triumph granted him against the lawe when he was but 24. yeares of age Pompey gaue an other ouerthrow to Sertorius captaines at a set battel hard by the citie of Valentia slew ten thousand men of Sertorius souldiers and at that battell Pompey slew Herennius and Perpenna both notable souldiers and Sertorius Lieftenants and so obtained the victorie and ended all this warre for the most part of Sertorius captaines were slaine in the field at that battell Yet had Pompey his hands full with Sertorius at the battell of Lauron a noble and valiant captaine on Marius side and one that galled Pompey more then all the rest for Pompey could do no good though hee sawe the citie of Lauron burnt before his face where Sertorius shewed himselfe a most skilfull and valiant captaine In like sort at the battell hard by the Riuer Sucron Pompey had his hands full with Sertorius where Pompey was forced to take his horse and driuen from his horse to flye and in his flight to forsake his horse to take his feete and to leaue his horse for a pray to Sertorius Affricans souldiers being so rich a spoile to stay the enemies who fought for the horse and let Pompey goe The Gaules hauing a great battell to fight with Attalus king of Asia deliuered all their gold and siluer to be kept that if they were driuen to flye they should scatter the gold and siluer vpon the way that by staying the enemies to gather vp the gold siluer so dispersed they themselues might escape The like stratagem vsed Mithridates king of Pontus to saue himselfe who fled from the enemies that followed hard after him who left a Mule laden with golde and siluer a bootie which Mithridates knew would please the Romanes to stay them and to saue himselfe from Lucullus souldiers So did Triphon king of Syria to escape from king Antiochus horsemen scattered money euery where on the way to stay Antiochus souldiers that Triphon might escape so did Alaricus king of the Goates and others saue themselues by the like policies Fewe great captaines hardly escaped with their liues from diuers dangers and perils Sylla hardly escaped from Telesinus at the battell of Antemna and Caesar himselfe after he had lost 32. Ensignes a thousand of his best souldiers escaped hardly the hand of Pompey at Dirachium and after in the battell at Munda in Affrica from the Pompeyans CHAP. V. Of Pirrhus warre against the Romanes of diuers stratagems of the marchings of diuers nations of the ouerthrow of Torquine last king ouer the Romanes of the praise of Porsenna and Mutius Scaeuola PIrrhus the great captaine in the battell hard by the riuer Siris after he had giuen to Leuinus the Consull a great ouerthrow before and made vp a trophey in the temple at Tarentum to Iupiter yeelding thanks for his victories being demaunded of the Tarentines to haue one battell more with the Romanes sith he had subdued the Romanes in two battels before he answered If I stay to giue the third battell to the Romanes I shal haue neuer a souldier to return from Italy to Epyre. Thus Pompey vnder Sylla Sylla vnder Marius Marius vnder Scypio and Scypio vnder his father whom hee rescued in the battell at Canne from the Affricans as Alexander the great rescued his father Philip at the battell at Cheronea being but eighteene yeares of age as Scypio was when he rescued his father at Canne While Pompey flourished in Rome after Syllas death that all the Romane Empire rung out Pompeys fame Caesar practised among the Gaules his secret ambitiō which was such that he went as a Romane captain with his army far from Rome to practise his stratagems where he conquered the Gaules with the weapons of the Romanes and wonne the Romanes with money of the Gaules fewe in Rome knew this but such as he fed with money in Rome to be his friends Hence grew the malice and enuie betwneene Pompey and Caesar for Pompey could not abide his equall in Rome nor Caesar his superiour Caesar was suspected to be confederate with Cateline in his conspiracie not onely to ouerthrow the state of the Common-wealth but also to destroy the whole Empire of Rome for the which cause Cato and Piso fell out with Cicero for that hee then beeing Consull had not bewrayed Caesar when Cicero well might haue done it for many sawe the greatnesse of Caesar farre from Rome before hee came to Rome they sawe his courage and minde to bee inuincible his martiall skill to bee singular that such was his conquests ouer the Gaules in tenne yeares that hee tooke aboue eight hundred Townes and hauing such an infinite number of enemies of thirtie hundred thousand souldiers Gaules Germaines Teutons and diuers others he slew of them at seuerall times aboue tenne hundred thousand So that Caesars praise his warres his battels his victories and conquests had excelled all the strongest kings and princes of Europe had he not onely shewed himselfe an enemie to his Countrey in the battell at Pharsalia where Pompey the great the Senators and the most part of the noble men of Rome were slain ouerthrowne and taken Had Caesar bene in the time of Hanibal of whom Scypio demanded who had bene and were the greatest captaines of the world to whom he answered Alexander was the first Pirrhus the second and Hanibal himselfe the third Then Scypio demaunded of Hanibal what if Hanibal had subdued Scypio Hee aunswered that then Hanibal should not haue bene the second nor the third but the first For what Pirrhus could not bring to passe in foure yeares nor Hannibal in seuēteen yeares that could Caesar bring to passe within threescore dayes he was Lord of all Italy Emperour of Rome and conquerour of all the Romane Empire and therefore worthily to be preferred before Pirrhus or Hannibal had he spared his countrey Such was the celeritie of Caesars victories ouer Pharnaces king of Pontus at the battell by the citie of Zela that hee wrote but three words to his friend Anitus to Rome from Pontus Veni vidi vici Againe he tooke three campes in one day and slue fiftie thousand of his enemies and lost but fiftie of his
The vnthaÌ„kfulnesse of the Israelites The Israelites forget their victories Leonidas The victory at MarathoÌ„ The Romanes The Scythians The vnthaÌ„kfulness of the Hebrewes Esai 1. The Arke of couenanâ—…t Iepthas rash vow The opinion of some of the Rabines of Iepthas vow Ieptha the Generall threatned to be burned Iudg. cap. 12. Fortie two thousande slaine of the Ephraimites The tyrannie of Cinna and Marius 〈◊〉 Oros. ca. 19. and 20. Iphygenia Prolixena Molech The oath of Saul Differences of sacrifices Iud. cap. 6. Iudg. 15. The reuenge of Sampson vpoÌ„ the Philistines for his eyes Iudg. 16. Dagan Sampsons sacrifice The Priesthood taken froÌ„ the house of Eâ—…i 1. Reg. 2. cap. Ioseph lib. 6. cap 3. de Antiq The gouernment taken froÌ„ the house of Samuel 1. Reg. 8. cap. Ten Tribes forsooke Rhehoboam Philip of Macedon Cyrus Antigonus The kings of Persia. Gemma Platonis Alexander Sertorius Israel cried for a king Samuel expoundeth to the people the nature of a king The frogs would haue a king Reg. 9. The appollogy of Iothan Plyni lib. 13. cap. 7. The battel of Saul at Michmash The victory of Ionathon The rash law of Saul The victory of Saul Saâ—… cap. 5. The disobedieÌ„ce of Saul Saul slew himselfe in mount Gilboa Sam. 51. cap. Sauls head set vp in the temple of Dagon Traitors had euer like rewards Darius head brought to Alexander Trechery inâ—…y rewarded Causâ—… Treason hath better successe then traitors haue Iezabell Traitors odious to the old Romanes Oros. lib. 5. cap. 4. Viriatus named the second Haniball Timocheres Camillus Vniust and vnnecessary warres The battel of Dauid at Baal Pharazim 2. Sam. cap. 5. Iamnites The victorie of Dauid at Rephaim 2. Sam. 5. Gath the bridle of bondage Policies of Generalls Antiochus Europe scant inhabited in Dauids time Hadarezer The number iâ—… lesse in the 2. of Sam. cap. 5. The Aramites Philistins broght vnder Dauid The Romain gouernours ouer diuers prouinces 1. Chron. 18. Garrison in Edom. 2. Sam. ca. 12. Martiall lawes The lawe of armes broken Alcibiades Ionathans stratagems 1. Mac. 9. Cymons stratagem Front lib. 3. cap. 2. Demetrius stratagem 1. Machab. 12. The battell at Medeba The number of the chariots and men are otherwise set down in the 〈◊〉 of Sam. ca. 10. and 18. A full conquest ouer the Canaanites by Dauid Tributes to the kings of Israel by Dauids meanes Tributes to the kings of Egipt by Ioseph Steuech com in Uiget lib. 3. cap. 5. The old Romanes tributes and tryumphes Tributes paide to the Persians Composition between Scipio and the Carthagineans Appian in Lybico Veget. lib. 3. cap. 3. Horreâ—… Romanum The offences of Dauid Ephes. 6. The rewards of adultery and murther The tragical ende which Dauid sawe on his childreÌ„ 2. Reg. 16. Dina Iacobs daughter Gen. 34. The Sabino virgins The virgins of Syloth The sacking of IerursaleÌ„ and many cities of Iudah by Shesak 2. Chron. cap. 12. The first battel of ciuill warres betweene Iudah and Israel 500000. Israelites slaine 2. Paralip cap. 13. The comparison of the Hebrewes with the Romanes The sinne of Israel The enemy of Rome was Italy The enemy of Iudah was Israel Abiahs oration in mount Zemaraim 2. Chron. 13. Cinna The crueltie of Marius and Sylla in Rome Oros. Iudie 20. Good counsel not obeyed The great victorie of Asa king of Iudah ouer the Aethiopians Good kings praied for victories The victorie of Iosaphat 2. Chron. 20. Beracha Gentiles Plut. in Licurgo Veget. lib. 1. cap. 6. Three hundred FabiaÌ„s Minutia Oros. lib. 3. cap. 9. Praiers both commended and also compared Esters praiers Iudiths praiers Susannas prayers Iud. Machabaeus Achas The Idolatry of Achas Sixe score thousande slaine Iudah vexed by the Aramites c. The blasphemy of Senacherib punished Chron. ca. 19. Adramelec Sharaser Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias 2. Reg. ca. 17. The Samaritan woman Ieremy and Micha both striken put in prison Iere. cap. 20. Iere. 18. Iere. 11. Elias Ionas 4. Reg. Ioseph lib. 7. â—…ap 6. Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 6. 32. Kings came with Benhadad against Achab 1. Reg. 20. Achabs words to Benhadad Diuers great blasphemers punished 2. Reg. 8. The second victorie of Achab ouer Benhadad The great victorie of Achab ouer Benhadad at Aphec The two great victories of Achab Iere. 17. Iere. 18. The Idolatry of Israel Amos 9. Ezechi 24. The valley of vision Ierusalem Iere. cap. 16. Iere. 13. 33. Noah Iere. cap. 51. Ezechiel Zach. 12. Zachary Semyramis stratagem in India Diod. sic lib. 3. cap. 5. The victory of Cyrus in Scythia Tomyris stratagem against Cyrus Tomyris Stratagem Iud 16. Moses stratagem Alex. his victorie ouer king Porus. Diod. fic lib. 17. The infinite treasure which Alexander found in Persia. Xerxes pallace burnt in Persepolis Elephants the onely strength of India Front lib. 2. cap. 4. Plyni lib. 7. cap. 30. Cic. pro Archis Hannibals trophies in Italy Oros. lib. 4. cap. 1. The Romans stratagem against Pirrhus Oros. lib. 4. cap. 2. Curius Detat his tryumphe 1. Machab. 6 Archidamus slaine in Italy Bellum sine lachrimis Pirrhus speech of the Romanes Deuers kinds of combats The battel of Chastidium 600000. bushels of corne daily speÌ„t in Xerxes army Herodot li. 7. Cic. de finibus 2. Front lib. 4. cap. 5. Themistocles stratagem Front lib. 2. cap. 6. Front lib. 2. cap. 9. Diuers stratagems The originall of military discipline froÌ„ the Hebrues Golden girdles giuen by the Hebrues and by the Persians to their souldiers as rewards of seruice The order and lawe of the Scythians Old souldiers of Alexander and Caesar much esteemed Collers of gold c. Crownes and garlands of the Romains Suet. in vita Calignlae Murales coronae Aulus Geli lib. 5. cap. 6. The custome of the knights of Rome Xerxes Romanus Foresight iâ—… great wisedome Vlpian de infamia militum 2. Reg. 18. In Dauids time girdles giuen to souldiers The honor of the souldiers Argiraspides in Asia The allowaÌ„ce of the kings of Egipt to their souldiers Calasiries The Aethiopians The Iudges Amphictions consulted of the publike warres in Greece The Scythians law for souldiers The law of Solon for souldiers 120. knights buried in the field Adrasteis by Alex. Alex. Neapolit lib. 6. cap. 4. Bethel the house of God Gen. 25. BethaueÌ„ the house of iniquitie Osee. 10. Monuments of vertuous men The stone of helpe 2. Reg. 18. Ceramicus in Athens Mars field in Rome Abraham bought a field for his buriall The care of burials of the Gentiles The houor of the AtheniaÌ„s to their generals for victories Alex. Neapolit genial lib. 6. cap. 19 Cic. de natura deoz li. 1. Alex. Neapolit Achilles Themistocles honoured of the Grecians The maner of the Scythians to honor good souldiers in the field The 3. triumphs of Pompey The triumph of Scypio Asiaticus The triumph of Lu. Sylla Caesars triumph The noble triumph of Pau. Aemilius The Image of Asdrubal The Image of Cleopatra Iuba brought in tryumph to Rome Iugurth The
yeares space gaue diuers ouerthrows to some Romane Praetors Consuls as Cai. Vetulius Cai. Plantius and others that he waxed so proud and insolent of his victories ouer the Romans that he hanged vp the Romane Ensignes on high hilles and mountaines as trophies to shewe his victories ouer the Romanes but Viriatus was betrayed and slaine by some of his souldiers by meanes of Caepio the Consul against the manners of the olde Romanes which neuer allowed trechery thinking to haue a great reward of the Romanes for his trechery but they according to their manners sent him backe bound vnto Hispaine as a traytor to his captaine and countrey as they did to Timocheres Pirrhus Phisition who offered the Romanes if they would to poison his maister Pirrhus So Camillus sent the schoolemaister of the Phaelicians who brought all his schollers beeing noble mens sonnes to betray the Towne backe naked before his schollers euery scholler hauing a rodde in his hand to whip his master for betraying their fathers their frends and the citie so that neither Viriatus seruant that slew his maister neither Pirrhus Phisition that would haue poisoned his maister nor the schoolemaister that would betray his citie could get any rewards at the Romanes hands for trechery Now to Dauid whose example of warres and victories vpō the Amalekites Canaanites and the rest as in this the next booke shal be mentioned The end of the first booke The second Booke of the Stratagems of Ierusalem CHAP. I. Of Dauid the second King of Israel and his great victories and good successe which hee had in all his warres against the Canaanites Edomites Moabites Ammonites Philistines and others DAuid a man whom the Lord found to his owne heart a second Ioshuah of Israel hee fought many battels of the Lorde and wonne many victories for when the Philistines heard that Saul was dead they sought for Dauid to fight with him and Dauid asked counsell of the Lord before hee would take any battel in hand which made his victories so many and himselfe so famous that all his enemies feared him So should all Kings Generalls and Captaines hold that rule for a principall part of theyr charge and not to commence warre without a iust cause and lawful meanes to be executed Iosias had no good cause to fight with Necho king of Egipt who commaunded his souldiers not to fight with Iosias but against Charchemish a citie of the Assirians So the King of Syria charged his souldiers to fight with none but with Achab king of Israel at what time Iosaphat king of Iudah was spared and therefore returned safe and sound to Ierusalem by the counsell of the king of Syria Had Iosias followed the counsell of Necho king of Egipt as Iosaphat followed the counsell of the king of Syria Iosias had saued his life as Iosophat did Dauid fought with the Philistines smote scattered them and slew them that they fled before Dauids face in the valley of Gyants which is the plaine of diuision because of their victories and there they left their Images and Idols and Dauid burned them much like to the Iamnites who carried the Images of their Idols in theyr bosomes to the battell and tyed them about theyr neckes for they were so found after the Iamnites were slaine as in auntient time the Egiptians carried their gods and their Idols painted on their Ensignes and Banners into the field as their standarts Againe the Philistines gathered their force against Dauid at Rephaim which is called the valley of Gyants and Dauid ouerthrew the host of the Philistines chased them from Geba vnto Gazar An other battell of the Lord against the Philistines fought by Dauid and he againe subdued them tooke the strong citie of Gath which they called the bridle of bondage out of the hands of the Philistines This citie kept the countrey round about in subiection and bondage Thus all wise and skilfull generals ought to imitate Dauid herein to seize by all warlike policie vpon those strong citties and fortes that can commaund the countrey So Hanibal thought himself sure of Rome hauing gottē Capua and Tarentum two of the strongest citties in Italy into his hand So the Romanes hauing gotten Syracusa doubted not to take Carthage and hauing Carthage in their hands they soone cōquered all Affrike and hauing Affricke they made no account to win Asia for at that verie time the best souldiers of the worlde were in the West kingdomes For Antiochus the great the greatest king at that time in all Asia was soone ouerthrowne by a Consull of Rome So Dauid went forward in his victories after he had gotten the strong citie of Gath he smote Moab and measured them with a cord he slue them cast them down to the ground he ouercame whom he would and saued whom hee listed so that the Moabites became Dauids seruants and brought him gifts and presents that the Lord made Dauid famous throughout all the world During the time of Dauids warres against the Canaanites and other nations their associates there was no great warre then among the Syrians neither in any part of Asia and especially in Europe which was scant throughly inhabited in Dauids time and therfore there was no such warre to be written of as was thē between the Israelites and the Canaanites in the time of Dauid For as Ioshua slue the Canaanites and gaue the possession of the land vnto Israel so Dauid rooted them out slue their gyants and brought all the land tributary vnto Salomon his sonne who gouerned Israel fortie yeares in peace and quietnesse without warre Hadarezer king of Zobah hearing of the name and fame of Dauid went to establish his borders by the riuer Euphrates with a great army with him where Dauid gaue him battell fought with him ouerthrew him and tooke from him a thousand chariots seuen thousand horsmen and twentie thousand footemen Dauid destroyed all the chariots and hought all the horses but reserued an hundred chariots for himselfe so that the Lorde was with Dauid wheresoeuer he went and whatsoeuer he tooke in hand The Aramites hearing what great ouerthrow Hadarezer king of Zobah had by Dauid came from Damascus with a very great army to succor the king of Zobah for they knitted themselues against Israel with all theyr force and power but they had the like welcome as the Philistines the Moabites and the king of Zobah had Dauid slue of the Aramites two twenty thousand Dauid put a garrison in that part of Syria where Damascus was and the Aramites became Dauids seruants and brought him presents gifts Dauid so plagued the Aramites which are also named Siriās that they bare such mortall hatred to Iudah for they euer ioyned themselues after with the Ephraimites against ' the Tribe of Iudah Obserue the martiall proceedings of the Israelites to put garrison in euery strong Citie and fort where they had subdued