left order by his wil that neither of them should be buried in his Sepulcher Moreouer her sonne Agrippa Posthumius whom he had adopted and ordeyned for his successour in the Empire did he for his vile and cruell nature disinherite and banish vnto Surrentum But afterward when he saw that for all this he would not become more tractable but euery day more madder then other hee transported him into an Island where he was kept with a guard of souldiours and prouided by a decrée of the Senate that hée should be kept there during his life and at all mention made of him or the two Iuliae he would sigh déepely and breake out into a Gréeke verse O would to God I had neuer wedde wife And without children had ended my life And vsed neuer otherwise to call them then his thrée botches and eating cankers Of diseases he had store the dropsie swelling sides the impetige thoroughout all his bodie his left hippe thigh and legge so ill that hée oftentimes halted and was lame thereof and also hée sometimes felt the forfinger of his right hand so weake that being benummed and contracted with cold hee could scarce bring it for to write yea with the helpe of a ring of horne He fell into many great and daungerous sicknesses throughout all partes of his life but his greatest fitt was immediately after hee had conquered the fierce Cantabri at what time sayth Plinie the greatest part of death was receiued into his body his liuer was quite marde with distillations so that hée being brought into despaire of recouerie entered of necessitie into a contrarie and doubtfull kinde of cure because hot fomentations had done no good he was constrayned to be cured by cold thoroughe the aduise of Musa his Physician Some other sicknesses had he that did take him euery yeare and would returne alwayes at a certaine time For mostly he was sicke about that time of the yeare that hée was borne and at the beginning of the Spring his sides would be swolne in Southerne tempestes hee was troubled with the Rheume wherewithall his body being sore shaken and weakened hée could not well endure either cold or heate In the winter hee was defended with foure coates and a thicke gowne and all the forepart of his shirt that couered the bulke of his body was wollen he woare also breches netherstockes thinges very rarely vsed in those dayes But in the sūmer he would lie with his chamber doore open yea oftentimes in open galeries where spoutes of cold water should continually runne a man stoode by him stil fanning his face But the Sunne was he not able to abide no not in the winter nor euer walked abroad yea at home but in a great broad hall Moreouer hee neuer trauelled but in a licter and mostlie in the nighte but so softly and with so smal iournyes that hée would bee two dayes in riding to Tibur or Prenest twelue miles from the citie Besides all those daungerous diseases was his life often assaulted with a great number of perillous conspiracies first of younge Lepidus then of Varro Murena Fannius and Cepio and anon after of Marcus Egnatius and then of Plautius Rufus Lucius Paulus and besids all these of Lucius Audasius a verlet that had béen cōdemned for forging of false writings one impotent both by nature and yeares and of Epicadus a mungrell hauing a Parthian to one of his parentes and last of all of Telephus a bondslaue and nomēclator vnto a woman to tell her the names of men for he was not frée from the daunger of men of the most vilest condition This rascall roge had practised to murther him and the Senate because the foole had surely thought and beleft that the Empire was allotted to him by the louing Ladies of destinie Moreouer once was there taken néere vnto his chamber hauing deceiued the watch and porters a drudge of the Illyrian armie being armed with a woodknife And besides these conspiracies rehearsed by Suetonius wée read in other of one made by Cornelius Cinna and his complicies Vnto these infortunities Plinie addeth the great suspicion that hée had of Fabius and the disclosing of his secreates and his last care the cogitations and counselles of his wife and her sonne Tiberius who are thought to haue poysoned him with figges fearing lest that if he liued longer hee would haue disherited Tyberius or els haue ioyned yong Agrippa with him finally he died leauing to be heire of his large Empire not his owne sonne but his enimies Tyberius sonne to Domitius The xxxij Chapter Of Traiane TRAIANE that conquered the fierce Daces with their valiaunt king Decebalus that had foiled many Romane Capitaines and also subdued the Armenians and Parthians a great part of Arabia and went so farre Eastward with victorious ensignes as neuer did Romane either before or since and wrote vnto the Senate that he had conquered such nations as they neuer heard off before nor could name yet deserued not the name of an happie man For streight after his returne out of Armenia and Parthia into Syria was he in great daunger of death at Antioche by an earthquake the which ouerthrewe and quite destroyed the whole citie and infinite were the number of them that were slaine with the fall of the houses scarce one or two men escaped vnslaine or vnhurt And so great was the Emperours armie and so great the resort of Embassadours and other out from all nations vnto him that there was scarse any nation or citie that escaped scotfrée from this detriment and massacre that in very déede all the whole world and the nations that were vnder the Romane Empire receiued thereby a mightie calamitie The Emperour himselfe was merueylously saued being taken out at a windowe by one of a straunge stature and farre passing mans measure And afterward also when he following Alexanders the great his steppes aduaunced still further and further his cōquering Eagles sailing the redd sea the Armenians and Parthians whome he had before subdued reuolted sleaing the garrisons that he had placed amonge them and also in battell Maximus whome hee had sent with a power to reduce them vnto their duetie yea and in the end the Parthians forced him to let them haue a king of their owne nation the whiche did make frustrate all his toile taken in the East Also the Iewes that dwelt about Cyrene reuolted and taking armes slue of Romanes and Greekes with more then barbarous crueltie two hundreth and twentie thousand and doing the like also in Cyprus and Aegypt murthered two hundreth and fourtie thousand Hereunto will I adde his great peril at the siege of the citie of the Agarenes where the enimies directed all their shott against him killing euery man that stoode nere vnto him Then followed fearefull prodigies terrible thunder lightenings whirlewinds monstrous haile and that whiche of all other is most miraculous as ofte as euer the Romanes assaulted or encountred the enimie they were
boasted of their felicitie and finally no other notable conquerour or fondling of fortune hathe deserued iustly to be accounted happie but that they often felt the roughnesse of frowning fortunes bitte and had often admonitions of their miserable mortalitie And firste speaking of my Gods I wil beginne with Alexander the great both for the honour of his antiquitie and also for the largenesse of his Empire the surpassing greatnesse of his conquestes and the rare felicitie in them The xxi Chapter A discourse of the brittle blisse of Alexander the great AS it was singular in Alexander neuer to besiege citie which he wonne not neuer to fight battel wherein he vanquished not neuer to inuade countrie whiche he conquered not so I think was it singular vnto him of all kinges to be often wounded and endaungered of life by his enimies neuer liuing long without perill of death His owne father had nailed him to the wall with a iauelin if that he had not happely auoided the deadly stroke with swift leaping aside Euen almost at his first entrie into Asia had he béen doubtlesse slaine in the first battel with Darius his power at Granike if that Clitus running vnto his reskue had not fortunately warded the blowe And anon after into how great danger of death fell he by bathing himselfe in the riuer of Sydnus when his enimie Darius was euen at hande with a mightie host the liuely heate was so mortified in all partes of his bodie that his seruants tooke him vppe and carried him being senselesse at the extreeme point of death Neither were his paines afterward any lesse nor his danger séemed to be abated when he woulde néedes desperately take a medicine whiche should presently vpon a souden ridde him of his sickenesse being at the first more like to haue bereft him of his life was he not twise woūded at Gaza and at the first time so sore that he fainted and fell downe and was taken vp by his souldiers and carried into his tent Howe long time I pray you passed but that he was like to be murthered by Dimnus vnder colour of whiche conspiracie he put to death the moste approued captein that euer serued Prince Parmenio with his valiant sonne Philotas About the riuer of Oxus was he stricken in the legge with an arrow which being pulled out the head was left behinde the anguish whereof was such that he was forced to forsake the fielde and to be carried on his souldiours backes vnto his tent He had also suche a blowe in the necke with a stone at the siege of the citie of the Memacenes that his sight failing him he fel downe and was taken vp senselesse for dead all the whole host making loude lamentation for him as thoughe he had surely béen slaine I can not with words expresse the agonie he was in when the Scythians went about to destroy his newe citie of Alexandria built by him vppon the Riuer of Tanais as Curtius saieth or more truely on Oxus or Ochus as Plutarche and Strabo haue and Ptolomey maketh mention of Alexandria vppon Oxus but not of any by that name vppon Tanais and to destroy his fortifications on the Riuers side to remoue from thence the Macedons When he sawe that he was to enter into a wars for the which he was not prouided his enimies to ride vp and downe in his sight he himselfe so grieued with the paine of the wound of his necke and also through long abstinence that his spéeche failed him called his fréendes to counsel to whō he declared that he was not troubled with any feare of his enimies but with the iniquitie of the time the Bactrians rebelling and the Scythians prouoking him when he was neither able to stand on the ground nor strong inough to ride on horsebacke nor in case to giue aduise or exhortation vnto his souldiours Therefore in consideration of the doubtfull danger he saw himselfe wrapped in he blamed the Gods complaining that he was inforced to lye along like a blocke whose swiftnesse before time none was able to escape The matter grewe so greate that his owne fréendes beléeued that he had counterfeited his sicknesse for feare And therefore hée who thinking himselfe a God had euer since the ouerthrow of Darius left consultation with the Diuinours and Propheciers feare made religious and them commaunded his southsayers to trie out by sacrifices what his successe should be But who can worthily vtter the anguish sorrow and grief that griped him for the drunken murthering on his ale benche of Clitus his foster brother an olde souldier of his Father a valiant Capteine of his and the sauiour of his life and a selly olde man yea for praysing of his father for the which duetie woulde he shoulde haue commended and rewarded him He pluckt out the bloudy speare out of the guiltlesse corps and iustly would haue thrust it into his own guiltie hart if the standers by had not letted him and wroung it out of his hande That done they tooke him vppe and carried him vnto his lodging where he fell flatte downe vpon the floure filling all the Court ful of the pitifull noise of his howling and lamentation hée tare his face with his nayles and desired such as stoode about him that they woulde not suffer him to liue in suche shame and dishonour In these complaintes and requestes was all that night spent Then another toye toye came into his head to aggrauate his gréefe hée thought that his fréendes being astonied at his cruelty would not resort vnto him and talke familiarly with him as they were wont to doe and that then he should liue like vnto a wilde beast in a wildernesse bothe making other afraide and being also afraide himselfe He commaunded diligent searche to be made whither it were the yre of the Gods that had caused him to commit so heynous an outrage and nothing so muche asswaged his sorrowe sayes Plutache and brake off his wilful refusall of al kinde of nutriment wherein he had continued thrée dayes shut vp in his chamber continually lamenting wéeping as that Aristander the chiefe soothsaier affirmed that this mischéef happened because that the yerely sacrifices feastes vnto Bacchus were not done kept at their due time manifestly bewraying Alexanders weake Godhead that was not able to resiste that drunken God. And howe néere was this counterfeite GOD vnto deathe anone after his vngodly practise at a banquet with his flatterers Hagis and Cleon to be adored of the Macedons for a God for if he had not very deuoutly serued his brother Bacchus with drinking euē vntil two houres after the dawning was broken he had lost both life and Godhead by a great conspiracie made by Hermolaus his felowes At the first citie of the Indians that he assaulted was he hurt with an arrowe Afterward at the siege of Mazace was he stricken in the thigh with a dart which he pulled out without wrapping of the wound called for
almost in euery conflicte but yet neuerthelesse was sore vexed with lack of victuals and also pasture and forage for his horses as he that trauelled through countries that were not his fréendes and to make vp the mischiefe he lost a great part of his armie in the passing ouer of the riuer of Lycus they missing the forde and being drowned in the deapth So that what by this infortunate chaunce and also through famine and pestilence about eight thousand of his souldiers being lost he turned his course into Cilicia where he staied the furie of his souldiours from spoyling of Tharsus lest that he should haue incurred the displeasure of Seleucus vnder whome Cilicia was where he hardly obteined of Seleucus for to winter there Agathocles hauing taken the streights whiche he should passe But Seleucus remained not long in his good minde but béeing persuaded by certaine of his counsellours that he did vnwisely to foster in the middes of his Realme the armie of so martial and vnquiet a Prince came downe with a strong armie into Cilicia Then Demetrius when he coulde obteine no friendeshippe of him by intreatie and prayers like vnto a wilde beast inclosed in a toile with men weapons and snares turned his lenitie into furie and with souden violence sacked certaine Cities of Cilicia and anon after taking harte of grace fought with Seleucus and ouerthrowing his chariots and putting to flight the rest of his armie he obteined a notable victorie and opened the streightes of Cilicia expelling the garisons of Seleucus in euery place And by this luckie successe was he come into great hope of better fortune when he fell into an vnfortunate sicknesse wherwith he beeing long time afflicted lost a great parte of his armie many reuolting vnto the enimie and starting some this way and some that as euery mannes soudein force carried him a great part of whome wandering they wyst not where and missing their way through ignorance of the countrie perished by diuerse chaunces But when he was recouered of his sickenesse he marched with those that had remained in their dutiful obedience within the sight of his enimie hauing spoyled no small part of Cilicia And then passing ouer Amanus he came wasting and spoiling vnto Cyrrestes where thinking to haue set vpon Seleucus who nowe was at his backe in the night time he missed of his purpose and also being foiled in fight was forced to flie backe againe amaine vnto the portes of Amanus and there to hide himselfe and those fewe that he had about him in the thicke wooddes and assayed to goe thorough the desart and blinde wayes vnto Caunus where he hoped to finde a fléete But when that the streightes of the countrie were kept and set with armed men and of his small traine many hourely dropped away he by the adhortation of his fréendes sent certaine vnto Seleucus to yéelde vppe vnto him his life and afflicted state Men reporte that Seleucus had commaunded a roial pauilion to be set vp for him and that he had minded to enterteine him in all respectes not as a prisoner but as a guest being in his most florishing state yea many noblemen thinking that he should in short time haue béen in greate fauour authoritie with Seleucus rode foorthe for duties sake to méete him But in the meane space before he coulde come Seleucus being chaunged thorough suspicions put into his head by his counsell hée sent Pausanias with 1000. horse against him who should take him and carrie him into the Chersonesus of Syria and there should diligently kéepe him it being a countrie of a small compasse Wherewithall Demetrius being dismaid although by Seleucus his cōmaundement he was in all points intreated like a king with singular honour and courtesie handeled of his kéeper yet he sent one vnto his sonne Antigonus to tell him that he should take his Father for a dead man and neuer after giue any credit to letter or seale of his Antigonus dolefully lamented at this heauie newes and incessantly commended vnto all Princes by letters the life and safetie of his Father yea and offered vnto Seleucus that he and all that euer cruel fortune had left him shoulde remaine pledges with him if that he woulde vouchesafe to set his Father at libertie But for all this earnest sute Seleucus perseuered still in kéeping of Demetrius who hauing alwayes vsed from his childehode to hunt and to ride muche and also to exercise his bodie with great trauel and labour nowe as one wearie of this present life drowned himself in gourmandise and drunkennesse and so died within thrée yeares after his captiuitie being of the age of lxiiij yeares and one that in all that long time after that he came to mans state neuer remained thrée yeares in one state before his captiuitie when doubtlesse for tranquillitie and rest if his proude hart coulde haue béene contented therewithall he did drawe néerest vnto the quiet and restful order of the Gods as Horace termes it The xxiij Chapter Of Iulius Caesars greatnesse and also his great mishappes and troubles and of a worthie saying of Charles the fift DEmetrius doth Iulius Caesar succéede a verie martial Gentleman and also fortunate in warres suche an one as wel deserued to be a GOD after the manner of the Romane Deification for he had slaine of his enimies eleuen hundreth and lxxxij thousande besides them that he had killed in the ciuil warres the whiche were doubtlesse a mightie number of whome he was ashamed to boaste as he might also haue béene of the other to be accounted so cruel an enimie to mankinde But although fortune was fréendly vnto him yet did she often make him féele her ficklenesse For in his youth he being accounted one of the Marian faction was depriued by Sylla of his office of flamen Dialis his wiues dowrie and all his owne landes yea and moreouer forced to hide himselfe from the tyrante who sought his death yea and to chaunge his lodging euery night although he were very ill molested with a quartane and yet all this would not haue saued his life if that he had not often corrupted with money those that were sent to search for him vntil at the length through the earnest and incessaunt suite of the vestall virgines and certaine of his fréendes great fauourers of Sylla his pardon was hardly obteined the tyraunt being so exasperated against him that when he was ouercome by the importunate prayers of thē who would haue no nay he brake out into this loude spéeche take him to you who will one day be the destruction of the nobilitie whome ye so muche fauour For in this one boy be there many Marij But after he had escaped this daunger within fewe yeares after fell into an other almost as great being taken by pyrates as he sayled to Rhodes out of whose hands he redéemed himselfe when they knewe him not for 50. talents that is 9375. pounds After this when he was Pretor was he
hée wold not only be very curiously clipped shauen but also would haue diuerse haires pulled out But as the prouerbe saith pride must néedes haue a fal so he in the middes of his maiestie was slaine in the Senate house with 23. woundes yea in the Courte of his enimie Pompey to aggrauate the griefe of his dolefull death which was foretolde vnto him by many sundrie prodigies also the conspiracie was disclosed all vnto him which he contemned as one that was werie of life séeing that he could not inioy his olde wonted health nor securitie frō deadly conspiracies The xxiiij Chapter Of Marcus Antonius THE fourth in order of time is Marcus Antonius an other Bacchus a méete potcompanion for the two Gréeke Gods as he that being Magister Equitum dranke so hard ouer night at Hippias his marriage that the next daye at an assembly of the people he ouerflowed all the stately benche with vomited wine and gobbets of fishe In his youth he was so vnthriftie and so giuen both to suffer and doe all vncleannesse that he brought him selfe in debt sexagies that is sixe and fourtie thousande eight hundreth thrée score and fiftéene pounde wherefore his father did forbid him his house the which forced him to follow the warres in Syria and Egypt vnder Gabinius And afterward being made Tribune of the commons he stubbernely held Caesars part against the Senate both for that he was of kinne vnto him by his mother and also bycause he was moued by him For this pertinacie he was commaunded to auoyde the court or senate house or else to stand vnto his aduentures whervpon he fled out of the citie contrarie vnto the auncient Romane lawes the which did forbid the tribune of the commōs to lodge one night out of the citie and hasted vnto Caesar who was glad to take this slender occasion of inuading his countrie bycause the Senate had violated the inuiolable maiestie of the Tribune In the which wars Caesar obteining the victory aduaunced Antonius who had neuer before that time come vnto the honour of being Pretor to the office of maister of the horsmen the next dignitie vnto him selfe the Dictator and the very same yeare contrarie vnto the auncient ordinaunces made him Consul in the which yeare Caesar was slaine whiche did so amase Antonius that he casting away his Consularie robes and ensignes hid him selfe vntill such time as he hearde that Marcus Lepidus the maister of the horsmen had taken the forum or market place with a great power of souldiers and then came Antonius abroade againe as bragge as a body louse and he and Lepidus made this atonement with the murtherers of Caesar that all should be well and that nothing before time done eyther by the one or the other faction should euer be called into question but al quite forgiuē forgotten Wherby Antonius grew into great fauor with the senat and anon after into farre greater with the people for the duetifull funerals of Caesar and his seditious Oration in his prayse and hatred of his murtherers so that he obteined as a popular man a guard of sixe thousand to defend him against the awaites of the Senate And then at pleasure he solde immunities to cities and Prouinces he remitted Tributes he nominated Kinges and alies he gaue liberties and priuileges but to no man any thing fréely and all these thinges he sayde he did by Caesars Commentaries the whiche being confirmed by the Senate no man had but him selfe He also obteined to haue Macedonie allotted for his Prouince with a goodly armie with the which he besieged all Mutina Decius Brutus the lieftenant of Gallia Cisalpina the which he against all right and order would of selfe will and force haue Wherefore he was proclamed enimie by the Senate and the two Consuls with Octauian Caesars heire whose authoritie was very greate with his vncles souldiers were sent against him who gaue him two ouerthrowes and forced him to rayse his siege and brought him and his armie into great miserie For when they marched on the Alpes to ioine with Lepidus they fell into such lacke of victuals that Antonius him selfe did eate the barke of trées and dranke corrupt and foule stinking water and rode in miserable and filthy habite his heade and beard all vntrimmed and let to growe long like vnto a wilde man vnto Lepidus his campe who had a great power whome Antonius with his teares and wretched habite wonne to receiue him when that his olde friend Lepidus had commaunded the trumpets to be blowne that the souldiers shoulde not heare the lamentable oration of poore Antonius least he might moue them to compassion as he did in very déed with them incontinently after ioyned Plancus and Pollio with both their armies and then also Octauian being feared with the great power that the murtherers of Caesar had then in Asia and Greece Whereof ensued that proude and cruell Triumuirate the which aduaunced Antonius vnto the dignitie of a god But this brittle blisse of his was crased the next yeare with the siege of his brother and deare wife at Perusium by Octauian and they forced to yeald vnto him But who can number vp the manifold daungers difficulties that he susteined when he inuaded the Parthians with 15. legions suche an armie as before that time the Romanes neuer led the euent whereof was nothing but dishonour and shame hauing lost aboue 20000. footmen and 4000. horsmen yea and if he had not for the space of a great number of dayes vsed singular wisedome vigilancie paines and courage he had neuer brought one man backe and also if that a Parthian had not friendly warned him to kéepe the hard hilles and not to come downe into the plaine countrie they had bene slaine euerie mothers sonne One night there was suche an vprore in the campe that Antonius had surely thought the enimie had inclosed them and that he and all the whole armie should haue perished with the sword of the einmie who woulde graunt them no rest neither day nor night Wherefore being in vtter desperation he sware one of his libertes that he should thrust his sworde into him when so euer he woulde commaunde him and then cut off his heade and conuey it away that he might not be a laughing stock vnto his enimies as Crassus had bin I doe thinke there was neuer God euer brought into such an agonie Not many yeares after this brake out that fatall warres betwéene Octauian and him wherein he was discomfited by sea and besieged in Alexandria whether he fled And to augment his sorrowe he sayling out of the citie with a great power took a hil to beholde the fight betwéene his nauie and Octauians sawe his men friendly to ioyne with Octauians immediatly the armie also that he him selfe conducted reuolted to Octauian and he was forced fearefully to flée into the citie being forsaken of all men But hereof also grewe a greater griefe for he thought that
was his feare and hofulnesse howe hee might honourably administer these perilous warres against Maxentius the whiche he thought that of him selfe he was vnable to doo and therefore carefully studied day and night what Gods fauour it were best for him to obteine by deuout seruice that was able to aduaunce his true worshippers vnto all honour and also kéepe them from falling at what time it pleased of his accustomed vnutterable goodnesse Christe the true God to manifest and shewe him selfe vnto him and tolde him that if he woulde vanquish he should serue vnder his banner trophey of the crosse The xxxâ— Chapter Of Iustinian the Emperour IVstinian recouered froÌ„ the Vandales Africa Italie and Sicyle from the Gothes all the which countries had béene loÌ„g possessed by these Barbarians and valiantly repressed within their fines with many discoÌ„fitures the vnquiet Persians and all other Barbarians so that he onely of all the Constantinopolitane Emperours deserueth the name of a frée Emperour sayes Agathius yea and not beeing contented with martiall glorie wanne no lesse honour by reducing the two thousand confuse tomes of the lawe into fiftie orderly bookes yea and furthermore by suppressing of all false sectes thoroughout the Empire and establishing in all places the one and onely true sounde faith of Christ finally for his sumptuous buyldings of cities churches palaces burses baines to be short of all kindes of priuate publique edifices he farre surpassed the praises of all Princes either before or since him yet deserueth he not to be accoÌ„pted among the nuÌ„ber of the happie For the Persian often foyled in fight his capteines and as for him selfe he was neuer in the field and often forced him to redéeme peace with money yealding vpp of Castels and townes Yea in one voyage the Persian ouercame a greate parte of Syria and all Cilicia wanne the cities of Surum Berrhea and Antioche the mightiest citie of all the East except Alexandria the which he wholly consumed with fire except the greate churche and also constreined a great number of cities to redéeme their safetie with greate summes of money as also Apamea Edessa and Sergiopolis were deliuered from his rage by miracle and to augment the vnworthinesse thereof Iustinian did not onely not reuenge this outrage but also procured his spéedie returne with fiftie thousand gyldens presently payed and so many yerely to be paide for euer Moreouer the yere before this wofull waste the Hunes passing ouer the riuer of Hister miserably spoyled and burnt a greate parte of Europe and neuer did any nation so much hurte in those partes for they wasted all from the Ionian gulfe euen vnto the Suburbes of Constantinople and razed two verie strong castels in Illyricum and the citie Cassandrea and returned home with infinite treasure and sixescore thousande prisoners not one man once resisting them And afterward returning againe they wanne the Chersonesus and passed by the streight of Abydos Sestos ouer into Asia where when they had spoyled at pleasure they returned home in safetie after this breaking out the thirde time into Illyria they wanne by assault the strong citie of Thermopolis and wasted all Greece except Peloponesus and then reduced their power home without impeachement or dammage Furthermore in the latter ende of his reigne they againe with their wonted crueltie lecherie and impietie wasted all Thrace euen vnto Melantis a village within twelue miles of Constantinople where they incamped them selues The which did not onely make the common people to flye thicke and thrée folde out of the citie for feare of siege but also appauled the hearts of the magistrates and the Emperour him selfe who hauing not aboue thrée hundreth souldiers commaunded that all the ornaments of the Churches neare aboutes in all places from Blacerne vnto Pontus Euxinus and Bosphorus should be eyther brought into the citie or else transported ouer into Asia And althoughe that his olde approued capteine Belisarius putting on againe his long left armour as one whose strength withering age had long before wasted discomfited them in fight and caused them hauing no great harme to retire a little backe yet could they not be expelled out of the countrie but by a great summe of Gréeke gold And before this time had the Misians slaine with his capteine Sotyris with his armie and tooke the great treasure that he carried to pay the army that serued against the Persians and to mainteine those warres Moreouer the destruction of the two Sées of the Empire did much diminish his felicitie Rome being taken by Totylas king of the Gothes and thrée partes of the walles broken downe and all the houses in the whole citie burnt and all the people driuen out of it and no man suffered to inhabite there but Constantinople was set on fire in a rebellion of the people against the Emperour for his crueltie and couetousnesse the whiche fire consumed all the Churches Palaces baines court houses market places Burses and all notable places and monuments that were left after that cruell fire that happened in the reigne of Leo the first The rebelles also did put the Emperour into such feare that at their request he put away and banished two wise and faithfull Counsellours the capteine of the guarde and that famous Lawyer Tribonianus his high chauncellour yet could not this appease their furie but that they adorned with the Emperial Diademe one Hypatius a neare cousen of Anastasius that was Emperour before Iustinians vncle the which so dismayd Iustinian that he had sâ—ed out of the citie if he had not bene stoutly reteined by his proude wife who sayde that she woulde indure to liue one day in banishment and without the name of Empresse and flatly affirmed that she would doubtlesse dye there Empresse These wordes of his wife made him to prepare him selfe to tarrie out the storme the which he ouercame shortly after very fortunately what through his wise winning by money of the blewe faction for this citie as a great many of other was diuided into the blewe and gréene factions who were continually enimies one vnto the other before that his tyrannie had caused them to ioyne together to oppugne their common enimie and also by the valiancie of Belisarius who sayling out of the palace the porche whereof was burnt slue thirtie thousande of the rebels with their newly created Emperour and his brother and had quite quieted the citie if that the Emperour had not mainteined the furie of the blewe faction againste the gréene letting them not onely to dispossesse them of all that euer they had but also not to permit any man to receiue them into their houses wherefore they were forced to forsake the citie and to stande in the high wayes and kyll robbe and spoyle all men that trauelled But beside these manifolde mischiefes there happened also many earthquakes to put him in mynde of his maker twice was Constantinople sore shaken but the second time did farre passe all that
the puisance of whose armes the Almaines the Italians the Lumbardes the Hispaniardes the Moores the Bohemians the Bauares the Hunnes the Slauoines the Saracenes the Greekes did féele of whom did he triumphe Moreouer he reigned fourtie seuen yeres and liued thréescore and twelue and had thrée valiaunt sonnes and with rare felicitie loued also to haue the triall of the valiancie of their sonnes and yet was he forced to féele the manifolde incommodities of wretched man First the Colonie of Eresburg was won by the Saxons and almoste all the Garison slaine that was placed there to bridle their irruptions and the Prouinces adioyning wasted and the sacred churches euery where burnt All the heauie carriages of his armie as wel his owne priuate plate and housholde stuffe as of all the whole armie were lost in his returne out of Hispaine in his first voiage thither Guielo his highe Constable was slaine with all his power by the Saxons eight thousande horses were lost by contagion in an expedition againste the Hunnes Two daungerous conspiracies were there made to murder him the one by certaine noble men of the house of Austratia the other by his owne base sonne Pipine and his adherents Then at one time were foure heauie messages brought him that the commissioners that he had sent to take vppe souldiers in Saxon to serue against the Hunnes and also his olde officers there were slaine by the rebelling people and that a power of the Abrodites a fierce nation in armes comming to staie this tumult was slain with their King Vizen by an ambushe that his souldiers that kept the frontiers of Hispaine had a great ouerthrowe at the siege of Burselona finally that Gerolde Liefetenant of Bauare was slaine with a chosen bande of fiue hundrethe horse by the rebelling Hunnes Moreouer he coulde come no farther from his creation and Coronation of Emperour at Rome then Spoleto but that an horrible earthquake tooke him aboute the seconde houre of the nighte to the greate terrour and dammage of Italie Fraunce and Germanie For some hilles suncke into the ground in other places newe mountaines were raised vppe by prodigious casting vp of the earth some towns were throwen down other swallowed vp with hideous gulfe the swifte course of Noble riuers was driuen backe the Sea in some places ranne backward and forsooke the shore but in other ouerflowed and drowned al the countrie The citie of Rome was fowly deformed with ruines and the Churche of Saint Peter almoste quite destroyed The times seasons of the yeare were also turned into their contraries for the winter was warme and of the temperature of the spring and vpon Midsummer day was there a hoare frost hard frosen as if it had beene at Christmas and after this trembling of the earth and the threttes as it were of pleasant Summer taken away from the worlde did there a pestilent Autumne or haruest folow to shew vnto this new Emperour the power of the almightie Emperour that his aduancement vnto the highest degree of earthly honour shoulde not make him forget the reuerence seruice due vnto the heauenly highenesse Then foure yeres before he died buried he almost with continuated funerals his two valiaunt sonnes Pipine and Charles the one at Millan the other in Bauier And two yeres after this domestical incomparable dammage followed the cutting off of the thirde battel of his armie at Ronceual at their returne out of Hispaine no place is more famous for the discomfiture of the Frenchemen nor more celebrated in bookes and songes in all countries of christendome namely for the death of his cosen Rouland and other the floures of Fraunce and that whiche doth heape the harme he was nowe so worne with withering age that he was not able to stirre to séeke the reuenge therof but died in this dishonour The xxxix Chapter Of Charles the fift CHarles the fift was the mightiest Emperour since Charles the great bothe for his large dominions and also Martiall actes His fortunate byrth gaue him the kingdomes of the Hispaines Mallorca Minorca Sardina Sicyl Naples and of the West Indies and the riche and large dominions of base Germanie or the lowe countrie and his great towardlinesse the Empire but his valiaunce the Duches of Mylan and Placentia with the rich and mightie kingdomes of Mexico and Peru in the North and South parts of the West Indies with many other countries in those regions and the kingdome of Tunes in Africa He sacked the proude Ladie of the world Rome he subdued the Florētines and the Senese depriuing them both of libertie and brought the stately states of all Italie to be at becke He made the stout Almanes to stoupe and atchieued an absolute conquest of Germanie he recouered the Duchie of Geldres and the Earldome of Zulphen from the Duke of Cleaue and forced him suppliantly to sue for pardon and peace He often discomfited the french power made many honourable voyages into Fraunce and valiantly with great detriment repelled the Turke when with a huge power of seuen hundreth thousande men as it were with monstrous gaping iawes he thought to haue deuoured all Germanie yea and with rare felicitie he tooke prisoners almost all the Christian princes that were or had bene his enimies Frauncis the french king Henrie the king of Nauarre Clemens the Pope Ihon Frederick Prince electour of Saxon Eruest Duke of Brunswicke the lustie Lantgraue of Hessen and William duke of Cleaue came in and yealded them selues vnto his mercie And yet did this fondling of fortune as it may yet séeme often féele her ficklenesse For his Admirall that brought him out of Hispaine into Italie to be crowned Emperour at Bologna was in his returne taken with all his fléete by Turkishe pyrates then made he in person a frustrate and fruitlesse expedition into Prouince where he lost aboue 20000. men and afterwarde a more infortunate vnto Angier in Africa from whence he departed the citie not won losing by tempest a great parte of his nauie yea within fewe houres 140 shippes and 15. galleys and almost all his ordinaunce and Martiall furniture and prouision and hardly susteyning the incessant inuasions of his fierce enimies and more hardly the violent surges of the raging sea which now againe drowned many and threwe thereon the pernicious of the enimie in so much that it was the newes in all places that the Emperour was drowned and also during all the time of his aboade on the land it rayned continually so that the souldiers could not rest their tyred bodies on the wet and ouerflowed ground but only a little refreshed their decayed strength by slumbering on their weapons and also the shippes in whom their victuals were being lost by tempest they were forced to kyl many of their horses to sustaine their starued bodyes and to cast the rest into the sea at their departure for lacke of shipping After this followed the great discomfiture in battell giuen vnto his valiaunt capteine the Marques
vp with gréet made a faire caulsey ouer thē like vnto the Appian calsey and this wonderful bridge made he for no other vse but that the people might two dayes together beholde him galloping from the one end of it vnto the other the first day on his horse very richly trapped his garlande of oken leaues on his heade with his sword his battell axe his cetra and souldiers mantell of golde but the next and last day apparelled like vnto a chariot man and in his chariot drawne with two goodly horses Yet more magnificent was the bridge built by Traiane ouer the mightie riuer of Danubie but yet to be numbred among ryotous workes bycause it was not commodious and therefore broken downe by his wise successour Adrian and made by Traiane onely to shewe the magnitude of his mynde whiche was able to doe those things which were thought impossible The arches of this bridge were in number twentie all of square stone euery arche standing without any foundation a hundreth and fiftie foote highe and sixtie broade one distant from the other a hundreth seuentie foote and were ioyned together by vaultes The charges of the which worke although it were wonderfull yet hath it the greater admiration bycause that it was made on a riuer ful of gulfes and with a very slimie chanell and also for that the course of the riuer coulde not be turned an other way Moreouer the bridge being built at the narrowest place of the riuer did cause it to be the more hardly and painefully done by reason that the riuer running from a broade channell into a narrowe did runne the more violētly and was also the déeper there But we will not suffer Traiane to inioy this glorie of fame for we wil shew you that this magnificent madnesse of an Emperour was passed by the workes of Marcus Scaurus a priuate man whose Edilitie sayes Plinie I knowe not whether of all other things it most destroyed the manners of the citie or whether Sylla did more mischief by proscribing of so many thousand citizens or by aduaūcing his sonne in law to so great riches Who when he was Edilis made the greatest péece of worke of all that euer were made by mans hande not only for to serue and endure for a time as his was but also being builte to continue for euer this was a Theatre The scene whereof was thréefolde of the height of 360. pillers in that citie which had not suffered sixe of Hymettian marble with out the reproch of the noblest man in the common wealth The lowest part of the scene was of marble the middle of glasse a kinde of riot neuer heard of no not after his time the highest pillers hauing their boords guilted the lowest being of 38. foote Betwéene the pillers stoode there 3000. Images of brasse On this Theatre might 80000. people sit whereas Pompeyus his amphitheatre the citie being so often multiplyed and consequently so many the more people serueth very well and yet could not there aboue fortie thousand set But so great was the rest of the furniture of hangings of purple and gold called Attalica of tables painted and the rest of the furniture which appertained vnto the players and musicians that after the playes were ended whiche lasted thirtie dayes and the Theatre pulled downe it being carried backe vnto his house at Tusculum and the house set a fire by his angered bondmen the stuffe there burnt was valued at bis millies sestertium 1562500. l. I reade also that Murena and Antonius made Theatres with scenes of siluer and Pompeyus made one of stone whiche Nero guilted all ouer Whereby we maye gather the wonderfull charges that the Ediles and other were at that did set foorth playes or games of sword players at Rome fetching a great number of wilde beastes out of Asia and Africa as Lyons Lybards Elephants beares Panthers tygers Vnicornes Rhinocerotes Hippotami suche other who were slaine vpon the amphitheatre before the people Pompey had at one time eightéene Eliphants and fiue hundreth Lions and the Emperours after him many moe Traiane exhibited vnto the people spectacles 120. dayes vppon some of them were 1000. and on other 10000. wilde beastes and tame slaine The charges of which playes and games may yet most manifestly appeare by that Cicero doth signifie sayes Paedianus that Milo spent on them thrée patrimonies and Cicero writing vnto his brother Quintus of the games and playes giuen vnto the people by Milo affirmes that he had bestowed 300. sesterties 234375. l. whereby he thought he had quite vndone him selfe Then what an inestimable masse of money spent Iulius Caesar and other of the emperours who exhibited plaies and games of all sorts yea and digged mightie ponds and so great that in them might at ease fight galleys and brigantines and Domitian in so great number that they might rightly seeme to be great fléetes their feasting of al the whole people giuing vnto euery man corne and money in that mightie citie which was worthily called an abridgement of the whole worlde As this magnificence and munificence which did commonly accompany triumphes were of inestimable charges so neyther can the costes of the bare triumphe it selfe be declared or being tolde be beléeued The trumpeters went before clothed in cloth of golde all the souldiers brauely apparelled and gorgeously set foorth the forum with al the temples were richly hanged and perfumes with continuall burning of swéete pretious odors tables filled with all kynde of daintie dishes set in euery streate of the citie for the souldiers to eate of as they went along through the citie vnto the Capitol a mightie number of oxen with guilted hornes yea and sometimes with garlandes guilt about their neckes which should be offered in sacrifice all the martiall surniture treasure plate noble Images and pictures of the conquered enimies were carried the Images of all the shippes and townes gotten which in Pompeyes triumph were of shippes 949. of townes 1538. then lastly the riche robes of him that triumphed with his chariot plated ouer with siluer yea and golde his seate of gold and pretious stones Before whome also were a great number of crownes of golde adorned with pretious stones and pearles carried with a thousand more suche magnificence I reade in Plinie that in Pompeyus triumph ouer the East were there carried before him a payre of tables with dice made of two precious stones thrée foote broade and foure long A Moone of golde of thirtie pounde weight and thrée banquetting beds of golde nyne cupbords of plate of golde and pretious stones thrée Images of gold one of Minerua the second of Mars the thirde of Apollo thirtie thrée crownes of pearles a fouresquare mount of golde with deare and Lions and fruite of al kinds inclosed about with a vine of golde A closet or studie of pearles on the toppe whereof was there a dyall The Image of Pompey of pearles being as truely sayes Plinie
speck by fishing with nettes of golde twyne and ropes of purple and scarlet by neuer wearing one garment twise by neuer traueling with fewer then a 1000 wagons a great number of whome were of siluer and finally by his madde buildings and works had brought himselfe bare and quite without money that he was not able no not to pay the souldiers their wages nor the Veteranes their rewards and pensions he bent his minde to false accusations robberies First of al he decréed that he should for halfe haue thrée partes of all the goods of suche libertes as without probable cause were called by the name of any family or stocke that was of kin or aliance vnto him the Caesars Furthermore that the Testaments of all men vnthankfull vnto the Emperour should apperteine vnto the Eschequer of the Prince And neyther that those whiche had written them or tolde other what they should write shoulde escape scotfrée and also that all actes wordes to whom there was any promooter should be within the compasse of the statute of highe treason the penaltie wherof is agréeable to ours And when that he had forbidden the vse of purple colour and hadde suborned a verlotte vppon a markette day to sell of it two or thrée ounces he imprisoned all the merchauntes of the citie forcing them to fine at his pleasure Moreouer as he was busie in singing he espying out of the spectacles a matrone appairelled in purple which was forbidden he shewed her vnto his atturneis and agentes and turned her not only out of her gowne but also out of all the goods she had He reuoked also al the rewards of crownes which the cities had giuen him before at any time at playes and games He neuer gaue office vnto any man but he said vnto him thou knowest what I lacke and let vs this do that no man may haue any thing Hée robbed a great number of Temples of their giftes he melted their Images of golde and siluer and among them also the Images of the housholde Gods of Rome whom Galba afterward made againe Finally when he had wilfully set on fire the citie which burnt seuen dais and seuen nightes continually consuming beside an immeasurable number of faire palaces the houses of the auncient captaines which yet at that time were adorned with the spoiles of their enimies the Temples of the Goddes built by the kings ye and those which were afterward vowed and dedicated in the warres with the Carthaginians and Galles and to be shorte all that had remained of the antiquitie worthe either the séeing or memorie and the people for feare of being burnt had forsaken their houses he woulde suffer no man to come againe vnto his goodes whiche was saued and with subsidies and collections almoste quite beggered bothe the Prouinces and also all priuate men ye and murdered most of the citie which were of any notorious wealthe But leauing Nero these are Suetonius his woordes of Domitian that he beeing brought quite out of money through the charges of his workes and games and the augmenting of his souldiours wages attempted to abate the charges of the warres diminishing the number of the souldiers But when he perceiued that by so dooing he was obnoxious to the Barbarians neither was he in lesse difficultie to dispatche other charges he had no regarde but by all sinister meanes tooke the goodes in all places aswel of the dead as the liuing at euery varlots accusation for euery light offence were men put to death and their goodes escheated But of the tygerlyke tyrannie of Caesar Borgia bastard vnto Pope Alexander the sixt the daily proportion of whose tables was 200. ducates that gaue 1000 sutes of apparell to Parasites that continually kept in wages 8000. souldiours I shal haue occasion to speake hereafter Yet nothing that I haue rehearsed doth more euidently set foorth vnto vs the tormentes of riot then doth the example of Cheopes king of Egypt who lacking money to finishe his follie begon in building a pyramis and being destitute of all other meanes beastly against nature abandoned the beautifull bodie of his deare daughter and the kings childe to the filthy and shameful abuse of euery slaue that would giue her a stone readie hewed to helpe builde the Pyramis I reade also in Seneca and Albidian that when Apitius had spent in reueling and buried in his bellie millies sestertium 781250. l. and vnderstoode that he had but centies sestertium 78125. poundes left then perceiuing that he must néedes appaire his port for extreeme gréefe poisoned himselfe The eleuenth Chapter The tormentes of loue the inordinate lust of man both before after and against nature of an harlotte that saide she neuer remembred that she was a maide how Salomon and Achaz begat children at eleuen yeares of age of a Camel that killed his keeper for deceiuing him in horsing his damme of a man in Germanie in one daye that begat a childe vppon his mother which childe he afterward married of an horse that killed himselfe after that he perceiued that he had serued his damme of diuerse that burned in the loue of them whom they neuer sawe of diuerse that raged in lust vpon statuies of stone With no fewer nor lesse tormentes is man torne by that daughter and as all men do holde companion of riot and her lackey loue in whom sayes the schoolmaister of that wicked art there be as many sorrowes gréefes as there be heires vpon Athon bées on Hiblus berries on the Oliue trée and shelles on the Sea shoare No liuing thing doth rage so inordinately in loue as doth a man not onely naturally but also before nature after nature and against nature Well knowen is the saying of the harlot in Arbiter Petronius who sware déepely that she coulde not remember that euer shée was a maide And I would to God we had not rife examples daily of suche lecherie in both sexe Wée reade in the scriptures that Salomon and Achaz begat their heires at the age of eleuen yeares But that as Iuuenal saies the lust and lecherie of those aged persons is worthily suspected that attempt venerie without abilitie to do it it hath euer béene and also is also nowe in our dayes alas to to common The abhominable glasse also of Horace whiche with false representation augmented the deuelishe delight of his beastly maister may they that list finde in Seneca but it shall not come in my booke who vnwillingly write the man spareth not his sister his daughter no nor his mother which Aristotle the diligent sercher of the nature of things affirmeth the camel to do and telleth of a camel that hauing horsed his mother or damme his kéeper hauing couered her with a cloth that the stallion should not knowe her but after he had serued her knowing by the falling off of the clothe that it was his damme for iust anger killed his kéeper with his teethe Any auncient example of this beastlike lust wil I rehearse
shadowes of the Sunne the length of the dayes and nightes He added moreouer vnto his tumbe a porticus or walking place of a thousand foote long and gardens of pleasure with wonderfull beautifull and goodly groues yet coulde not the sumptuousnesse thereof cause it to continue fiue hundreth yeares for Theodorite affirmes that in his time it was not to be seene this tumbe he called Mausoleum by the name of a famous tumbe built in Syria by Quéene Arthemisia for her husband Mausolus accounted among one of the wonders of the world The whiche monument was from the South to the North sixtie thrée foote but shorter in the frontes The whole compasse of it about was 411. foote and 25. cubites highe inuironed round with 36. pillers The east part was ingrauen and cut by Scopas the south by Timotheus the north by Bryxaxis the west by Leochares Before they had finished it the Quéene dyed yet they departed not before it was done iudging that it would be a monument of their glory and cunning and at this day sayes Plinie the handes contend and no man can iudge which péece is best wrought There came vnto them also the fift workeman for a Pyramis drawing it selfe in stil lesse and lesse with xxiiij stayres like vnto a stéeple being built vpon the vnder side wall the whiche they called Pteron doth make it equall with the rest of the worke Vpon the very top of all is there a chariot drawen with foure horses of marble whiche Pythis made the whiche being sixe score foote highe dothe inclose the whole worke I reade in Paulus Venetus of a sumptuous tumbe made by a king of Mien whiche countrie is nowe vnder the great Cham which was couered all ouer with plates of gold and siluer and at the heade of it a Pyramis of marble 70. foote high and as thicke on the toppe whereof was a sphere all the whole pyramis or sphere was couered with plates of golde a finger thicke so that a man coulde sée nothing but golde The sphere had a great number of belles hanging on it whiche when the winde blew did ring Such an other like pyramis was there also erected at the féet which was couered al ouer with plates of siluer Ye haue heard before of the tumb of Porsena and also of the labyrinthes and pyramides were the tumbes of their builders Yet I can not moderate my selfe but that I must néedes relate vnto you out of Diodorus Siculus who sawe it the tumbe of Symandius king of Egypt At the comming in thereof was there a porche or gate built of speckle stone the lengthe whereof was two acres and the height 45. cubites After this was there a square roome set round with pillers of square stone euery side of it conteining foure acres In it for pillers were there set vp beastes made of one stone a péece of sixtene cubites built after the auncient fourme The roofe aboue was made of stones two paces broade and garnished with diuers blewe starres Out of this roome was there an other entrie in and at that a gate like vnto the first but with greater store of carued worke At the comming in were thrée mightie statuies set of one stone a péece made by Memnon One of whom be made fitting with a foote aboue seuen cubites and did in greatnesse excéede all the statuies of Egypt The other two were as her daughters lesse then the mother and came vp but to her knées one standing on the right hande the other on the left This péece of worke was not onely worthy to be séene for the greatenesse but also was excellent for the wonderfull arte and nature of the stones bycause in so mightie a masse and pyle there was neyther clift nor spot There was written in it I am Simandius the King of Kings if any man would knowe what maner of man I was and where I lye let him excell one of my workes They say that there was also an other statuie of the mother of twentie cubites made of one stone hauing ouer her heade thrée Quéenes to signifie that she had bene daughter wife and mother of a king After this gate was there an other quadrant more excellent then the former with diuers ingrauings among the which was the warres kept against the reuolted Bactrians ouer whome the kings sonnes reigned In this armie whiche he diuided into foure hostes was there foure hundreth thousande footemen and twentie thousande horsmen The first part of the wall did conteine ingrauen the siege of the citie on that side where the riuer ranne close by the wall Afterward the king encoūtering with a part of his enimies a Lyon also entering with him the field and they fighting together did put the enimies to flight Some writers say it was a true historie that the king was wont to vse in fight the help of a lion that he had brought vp at home Other that he woulde by the likenesse of a Lyon shewe his singular strength of body and mynde The second wall was cut and ingrauen with prisoners without priuities and handes led by the king whiche was a marke that they were vile in mynde and weake in body The thirde side adorned with diuers ingrauings and gorgeous pictures did conteine the sacrifices of the kings and his triumph of his conquered enimies At the middle side of the square roome lay two mightie statuies made of two stones eyther of them being of seuen and twentie cubites at the which Images there were thrée wayes out of the quadrant Neare vnto these statuies there was a house whiche stoode vpon pillers euery side whereof conteined two acres In it were there set vp statuies of wood not fewe in number representing both them whiche went to lawe as also the Iudges which should giue sentence They being thirtie in number were ingrauen at one part of the wall and in the middle of them was the chiefe Iustice on whose necke there hanged downe trueth and the Iudge was pictured with his eyes halfe shut and with a great heap of bookes lying about him These Images did shew that Iudges ought to be vpright that the chiefe Iustice ought to looke vpon trueth only After this there was a walking place ful of houses and in them were diuers kinds of fine fishes very pleasant in taste prepared Then was there the king ingrauen sitting on highe in diuers kinds of colours offring vnto God gold siluer cōming out of the mines of gold siluer which he yerely receiued There was engraued the summe of the whole béeing reduced into siluer which was thirtie hundreth pounds and two hundreth thousand thousandes Then folowed a sacred librarie wherein was ingrauen these wordes the medicine of the soule In this librarie were the images of all the Gods of Egypt also of the king bearing vnto euery one of the Gods such giftes as were conuenient for them and moreouer shewing that both Osiris the kinges after him had
greene boughes and within the tent do the moste honourable and honest women assemble all clothed in blacke hauing euerie one of them a fanne made of palme leaues the rest of the women the parentes of the deade are in the house wéeping and sighing then one of the womē that is of greatest estimation aduaunceth her selfe and cutts off the haires of the deade man during the which time his wife remaineth all dismall and wéeping bitterly ouer the coorse of her husband ofte kissing his mouth handes and féete But whē that al the haires be shorne off this wéeping wife raiseth vp her selfe and falles to singing with a countenaunce as merie and laughing as it was before monstruously sadde These things beeing done they put into a vessel of purcellane wherin is fire Myrrhe frankincense Storax and other suche odoriferous things perfuming therewith both the bodie and the house in the whiche ioy and perfuming they continue fiue or sixe dayes after which terme expired they do annoynt the bodie with camphore a certeine time which béeing ended they inclose him in a cofine the which is nayled with wodden pinnes and after wardes lay him in the grounde in some place where no bodie dwelleth But when the king is departed out of life the greatest and moste honourable men of the realme assemble to celebrate the obsequies and haueing apparelled clothed the bodie verie honourably and reuerendly they cutte off the heades or snatche certeine greate personages of the chiefe of the men of warre or the best of the souldiours or some merchauntes of the retinue and certeine of the kinges best horses to the ende they may wayte vpon the kinge in the other worlde and when they do pute them to death they do say Goe in the name of our Goddes to serue our kinge in our paradise euen as ye haue attended on him in this worlde and as ye haue bene faithfull vnto him here beneth in the earth so also shal ye be in the glorie of our Gods. Those that be slaine be nothing sorie or dismaide therfore but take their death in very good part laughing reioycing no lesse then they doe among vs that goe vnto a marriage When one dieth in Siam a countrie of India beyond Ganges his fréendes and kinsmen for to honour him do take his body and carrie it into the middes of a fielde where they do driue into the ground two postes of wood lay a third vpon thē vnto this crosse post do they fasten a chaine with two hookes in whom they do lay the dead man and make a great fire vnder him and as long as the body rosteth his children and kinsfolks stand round about the fire wéeping howling and sighing bothe as pitifully also as loude as they can for their liues But when the the body is well rosted they take out their goblets and fill them with their kinde of wine and ordinarie drinke made of rice and sugar and euery one also draweth his knife and beginnes to cutte off the fleshe of the man the which they do eate and drinke of their goblettes and yet they ceasse not to sighe and lament And the first that beginneth to eate of the dead mans flesh is the person that is nearest of his kin neither do they departe out of the place before that they haue eaten al the fleshe vnto the very bones the whiche they doe burne a rite vsed by all the Orient And they do say that it is impossible to giue vnto their fréendes a more honourable tumbe and where he shal be better then their owne bodies who loue him best and are also of equal dignity vnto his person In the citie of Fesse in Aphrica they vse to bury the dead men in a common fielde without the towne setting vpon the graue a great stone made of the fashion of a triangle But notable men and of great reputation haue at the head a table of marble and an other at their féete in whom are séene ingrauen proper verses in comfort of hard and vnhappie chances passed And a litle beneath the name of him that lieth there and the name of the house he was off with the day yeare of his death There is also without the towne vpon a hil a palace where are séene the tumbes of the kinges made of marble with fine and wittie epitaphes ingrauen in them and the tumbes are garnished with suche surpassing workmanshippe and beautified with the finest colours of the worlde so that it woulde make a man astonied to beholde the excellencie of them At Ormus in the Arabian gulfe vseth the wife of the deceased man once in a day for the space of foure monethes to make a pitifull solemne wéeping and howling and sometime to hyre an other woman to do it for her The like manner saies Bel Forest the author hereof haue I séene in Perrigord a Prouince of Fraunce among the peasaunts The fifteenth Chapter The confuse and causelesse feare of man and particularly of the Romanes three times of Augustus Caesar of the Greekes at Patras Philocrene and Trapezonda of the league called the cōmō wealth in Fraūce before Paris of the Emperials at Villa Francha of Pysander of one that died with the sight of Hercules of Artemon of Saint Vallier of Cassander at the sight of Alexanders Image and other ANd this is enough ye and I feare me too too much touching mans care for his burying Which hofulnesse doeth the confuse feare of man muche augment which Plinie rightly putteth as a miserie of man and truely affirmeth that no liuing thing hath greater Hereof came the prouerb among the Gréeks Latines a Panik chance whereby they signifie a soudaine vaine and causelesse tumult of mens hartes and it is so called because that the Ethnickes did thinke that the God Pan did send into men such souden terrours and consternations of minde making them like madde men so impotent and vnstaied that for the time they be not only void of reason but also of common sense Such vaine feares according to the prouerbe often happen in warrs many in Alexander the great his voiage and twise vnto the Saracenes in that famous expedition of Godfrey de Bolloigne whiche chaunces be of suche force that the famous Poet Pyndarus holdeth that it ought not to be accounted a reproche and dishonor if that the sonnes of the Gods or the most valiant men flie out of the fielde in suche tumultes I read in Liuie that Claudio Sulpicio and Aemilio Ceritano Conss there arose suche a feare one night in the citie of Rome that alarum was cried throughout all the whole citie such a tumult was raised as though euery streat had béene full of the enimies But when it waxed day there appeared authour neither of the noise or yet of the feare And in his third decade he telleth that when the Fragellans had brought newes that Hanibal drewe neere vnto the citie all the Citizens fell into a marueilous feare
and the women running out of their houses sweeped the Temples of the Goddes and the sacred altars with the haires of their head and on their knées holding vppe their handes to heauen besought the Gods with aboundant teares loude shriches that they wold kéepe the citie and people of Rome in safetie But after that he was come and incamped within thrée miles of the citie he approched almoste to the harde walles with a chosen band of two thousand horse to viewe the citie with whom Fuluius one of the Consuls skirmished in the mids of the fight one thousād two hundreth Numidians which had reuolted frō Hanibal vnto the Romans were at the houre on the Auentine hil were commanded to march frō thence into a part of the citie called Exquiliae Nowe they running apace from the hil into the plain séemed vnto them which were ignorant of the counsell to be their enimies and thereof did such tumult arise in the whole citie and such a feare and trembling that if Hanibal had not incamped him selfe so néere vnto the citie that they could not flie but into the lappes of the enimie the dismayed multitude had quite forsaken the citie Yea Augustus whom all the world stoode in dreade of was put into such a feare with the newes of the ouerthrowe and slaughter of Q. Varus with thrée legions in Germanie by the Cherusi that although they were many hundreth miles off and the monsterous Alpes betwéene them and the losse were nothing in comparison of his great power yet as in almoste a desperate state he commaunded straight watche and warde to be kept that no tumult should arise within the citie he also prolonged vnto the gouernours of the prouinces the time of their charge that they might be kept in obedience by men of skil and suche as had béene vsed vnto them he vowed great playes vnto Iupiter Optimus Maximus if that of his woonted goodnesse he woulde chaunge the publique weale into a better state The people also following their prince were so afraide that they made their wils and conueyed away their goodes as though there had surely béene but one way with them and yet the Germanes neuer did set foorth on foote towardes Italie This people which conquered all nations were so affrighted with this one discomfiture that they would not go into Germanie vnto Tyberius aide who with great felicitie warred there so that the Emperour was forced to confiscate the goodes of them as the lot fell vpon them to note them with ignominie but when that neither would serue to reuoke the courages of the cowards but that many refused to go he put them to death that assured death might make them to winne doubtfull victorie Also I reade in Gregoras that when Iohn the brother vnto Michael Paleologus the Emperour of Constantinople besieged with a mightie armie the despote of Thessalie in the strong castle of Patras whither he had driuen him the Despote being almost in despaire howe to get him selfe and his out of this present perill attempted this way the whiche yet he durst not to communicate vnto any man in the world it was so desperate In a very darke night he did let downe him selfe from the wall by a rope and priuily went through the campe of the Emperials for other way had he none in clothes all to torne and ragged crying and gaping with a loude and boystrous voyce and with words halfe barbarous and clownish as though he had sought a horse which he had lost the souldiers laughing and flouting of him as some poore lob of the countrie By this meanes he escaping them came into Attica where vppon promise of much money and the marriage of his faire daughter he obteined of the Duke fiue hundreth souldiers with whome he marched towardes Patros where he founde many of the Emperialles abroad in the fieldes taking their pleasure of whome some he did take other of purpose hoping that which in déede happened he coursed into the campe By his souden and vnlooked for comming arose there such a tumult in the campe they imagining some mightie power had come vnto the Despotes ayde that before he could come vnto the munitions the Emperials were all fled some one way some an other leauing all the carriages and furniture of the campe behinde vaine feare making them to flée which twentie thousand men could not haue done And in his sixt booke writes he the like Andronicus Paleologus the yonger Emperour of Constantinople went with an army against Archanes the great Turke who inuaded his dominions in Asia and before Philocrene a litle towne not farre from Nicea they fought vntill that the night parted them the Gréekes returning into their fortified campe but the Turke who by tryall made that day of the prowesse of the Gréekes thought that they woulde goe farther vp into the countrie the next day marched forwarde that night to take before hande the wayes for passage leauing yet behinde him neare vnto them a bande of thrée hundreth horsmen to watch what they would doe The emperour who had bene a little wounded in his foote in the sight went into the towne to haue his wound dressed Now the Gréekes who were ignorant wherefore he went thither thought that he had bene fled away for feare then also came this imagination into their braines that the Turke woulde be there that nighte with a mightie armie and that not one man of them shoulde escape and sée the sunne the nexte day Wherevpon they that had brought small boates thither for the towne stoode by the water side went aboard their boates leauing all their baggage behinde them other hasting to get into the towne some of them trode vppon and smouldered an other some standing one vpon an others shoulders got into the towne but other were pulled and other thrust downe by their fellowes and slaine in the fall There were some also that in this outragious feare dyed as they stoode But in the morning when the sunne was vp those 300. Barbarians beholding that incredible discomfiture of the Gréekes and in their campe horses armour and weapons without men yea and also the Emperours owne horses with red saddles two hundreth of them tooke the spoyle and went away the other hundreth came nearer and with many a shot galled and killed the poore Gréekes that were left An other such historie finde I in him when Ziges lay in siege before Trapesunt a poore woman that thought her hempe and flaxe whiche was all her wealth lay not safe enough in a bastil neare vnto the wall remoued it thence and brought it by night into the great castle where by misaduenture it falling a fire did also set on fire the house the chiefe of the citie and the people seing the fire thought that some traytors had betrayed the citie wherevpon they all fled out of the towne some by sea and some by land leauing the king in the citie
alone with about a fiftie men who yet kept the citie Yea this foolish feare makes men to affirme stedfastly that they hearde and sawe that whiche they neuer did As when the Turke besieged the mightie rich citie of Argos assaulting it on two sides they whiche were in the one parte of the citie immagined that they hearde one say that the towne was taken in the other side wherefore they all ranne thether leauing at their owne part an easie entrie for the enimie When that the Dukes of Berry and Britaine the Earle of Charolois and the rest of the league whiche called them selues the publike good or the common wealth were incamped against Lewes the eleuenth before Paris in the dead time of the night the watch of the camp hearde the voyce of one that sayde that he was sent by certaine of the citie that fauoured the confederates and willed it to be shewed vnto them that the king had determined in the very dawning of the next daye to assault their campe with all his power being diuided into thrée battelles or companies that the watchmen should with all possible spéede certifie the Dukes that they were not oppressed vnwares Incontinently all the whole armie is raysed vp the souldiers commaunded to arme them selues Before it was day all things were in a readinesse both to defende the campe and also to fight the battell and the scoutes that were sente foorth when the Sunne was vp brought newes backe that they had séene a mightie number of pikes speare men The light was somewhat troubled and not good by reason of a thick mist which arose that morning againe the horsmen being sent foorth confirme the first newes Now was the enimie looked for as though they woulde euen at that very instant salie out but there was not one man in very déede for the scoutes had conceiued a vaine and false sight both feare and also the voyce and mocking vsed in the night representing vnto their eyes false things for true At the length when it was farre foorth dayes a clearer light opened the errour and it was merily iested among them that the thistles with whom the fieldes about the citie are clothed séemed vnto the fearefull to be pikes and speares But Iouius will match this historie with an other more ridiculous Anno. 153 S. Charles the Emperour Frauncis the french and Paulus Tertius the byshop of Rome were appointed to méete at Nicea a towne belonging vnto the Duke of Sauoy and during the colloquie there the Emperour lying at Villafrancha whither Andrewe Doria had brought him out of Hispanie one after noone the idle Courtiers and Mariners walked along the sea side and on the high hilles that runne along there and chaunced to sée beside a farme house built with towers a great thicke smoke to ascend euer and anon incontinently the foolish multitude imagined that it was Barbarosha the Turks high Admirall with a great fléete traiterously procured to come thether by the French king to take the Emperour and the Byshoppe and with this fearefull newes they came running into the citie Immediately was there a mightie vprore in all the whole towne with Out alas we be all betrayd Barbarossa is at hande with a mightie nauie The tale was so credited that the valiant and prudent Marques of Guasto who lay in camp on a hill aboue the citie with a band of souldiers for the Emperours safegard in all haste clapped on his heade péece caught his target commaunded all his souldiers with all spéede to be in a readinesse and with all his power descended downe into the towne vnto the Emperour appointing euery man where he should stande on the cliffes and higher places to beate downe with shot and stones the landing Turkes Andrew Dori also an other Neptune with great tumult makes the mariners to wey vp their anchors to turne about their galleyes and with all spéede sendes out foistes to certeinly espie where their enimies are and in what number They went foorth and not one galley or ship could they sée at length they sayled vnto the towred farme house where this fléete was reported to haue bene séene and there could learne of neuer a ship but vnderstoode that the good husbande that dwelt there had that day béene making cleane and fanning of his beans in diuers places the dust of whome flying vp nowe and then with a space betwéene as ye know hapneth in making cleane of al corne was taken not only of the rude multitude but also of the expert souldiers and skilful mariners for to be 36. galleys for so many times they had marked the dust to flye vp and all men trembled and shoke for feare except only the Emperour him self such was his hardy courage and yet could no man of them al sée from the highe houses and mightie mounteines in that verie open broade sea eyther mast sayle or sayle yard And least I should be tedious I omit in this place how that the olde expert capteine Iames de Caldora with greate vprore aranged his battels in Puglia against a greate heard of déere whome he did take for a mightie hoast of his enimies and how within fewe yeares after Ferdinand the first king of Naples retyred backe with his whole armie to the walles of Barletta for feare of an hearde of déere which was supposed by the fearefull to be a great armie of armed men a thousande such like examples Of this foolish vaine fearefulnesse of men came the prouerbe I thinke among all nations he is afraide of his owne shadowe and among the Gréekes more fearfull thē Pysander who was continually afraid that he shuld méete with his owne soule that he dreamed it had forsaken him while he was yet liuing and more feareful then he that looked out of the caue which prouerb arose of a man who being strucken with great terrour of the same of Hercules who men sayd would come that way hid him selfe in a caue and popping out and in his head as it is the maner of the feareful to sée if he could espy him chaunced vnluckily to sée him in very déede passing by wherwithal he was so affrighted that he dyed presently I read also of one Artemon a man so fearfull if he be not to be accounted madde that as long as he liued two of his seruaunts did continually holde ouer his heade a target of brasse that nothing should fall downe vppon him and if he happened to go foorth any whether out of the doores he was carried in an horslitter séeled ouer thereof was surnamed Periphoretes And in our dayes S. Vallier Duke of Valentinois in Fraunce being condemned to dye for not disclosing the treason of Charles the duke of Burbon the king sent him his pardon at that very instant that the executioner was about to strike of his head but the kinges pardon could not saue his life For the vehement feare of death conceiued brought him into a
THe next of these proud Gods in aunciencie of yeares is Demetrius sonne vnto Antigonus a capteine of Alexander the great one whom I am not able to charge to be so ambitious for Godlike honor as was Alexander yet doe I blame him for accepting of those diuine honours whiche the flattering Atheniens prodigally heaped on him whereby he beganne to fall into all incontinencie ryot and pryde in so muche that he ware garments wouen of purple and golde a rare thing in those dayes and golden shoes Very hard accesse was there vnto him and very rough were his answeres The Legates of the Atheniens who might doe most with him followed him and daunced attendance two yeares and then at the last he dismissed them home not once hearing their message There was neuer man with whom fortune sported more and shewed her mutabilitie that worthily that sentence of Aeschylus was often heard in his mouth Thou fortune exaltedst me thou also doest cast me downe full lowe When he was but 22. yeares of age he fought a field with greater courage then cunning with the auncient politike capteine long practised in Alexanders warres Ptolomey where he lost 13000. mē of whom 3000. were slaine and the rest taken with the campe also But hauing the royal tent with all the furniture thereof and also the prisoners princely restored vnto him without raunsome by Ptolomey who sayd that princes ought not to contend for al things at once but only for empire and glory he repayred his power and inuaded Mesopotamia then being subiect vnto Scleucus the which he conquered with one halfe also of mightie Babylon the riuer of Euphrates runneth in the midst of the citie parteth it in two but douting that he was not able to abide the force of Seleucus who hasted homeward out of India to the rescuse of Mesopotamia he brake vp his siege tooke the sea sayled vnto Halicarnassus where he remoued by force the siege o◠Ptolomey fortune still fauouring he entered Greece to set them at libertie who were then in subiection vnto Cassander his fathers and his enimie At his first arriual at Athens all the citizens reuolted vnto him only there remained a garrison of Cassanders in a part of the citie called Munichia From thence he marched to Megara where the intemperate young man leauing his armie went vnto a famous harlot called Cratesipolis giuen by Alexander vnto Polypercon the whiche woman it was tolde him was in loue with him But being come to the place appointed he had neare ben taken by his enimies who had intelligence therof with his minion being together in a tent the whiche he had caused to be set vp a little out of the sight of his armie that he might couer the more cleanly the accesse of his harlot Yet as it hapned he escaped by shewing a faire paire of héeles and returned in safetie vnto his armie wan the town of Megara and returning vnto Athens tooke Munichia razed the castle restoring vnto the Atheniens their auncient liberties and lawes Whervpon ensued that impudent flatterie that I spake of before But before he could finishe his exploite purpose of setting of all Greece at libertie he was sent for from thence by his father to aide Cyprius the which Ptolomey had inuaded In his voyage thetherward he discomfited Menelaus brother vnto Ptolomey afterward in Cyprus before Salamina Ptolomey him selfe who had a mightie fleet of 150. ships also a great army by land He tooke 60 ships drowned al the rest only 8. escaping with Ptolomey Demetrius hauing thus won the victory wherby he got all the kings retinue with a mightie masse of monie warlike furniture had also shortly after Menelaus with the citie of Salamina the fléet and 1200. horsmen 12000 footemen yealding vnto him all which prisoners he sent home without raunsome also honourably buried the dead This notable victorie did set Antigonus in such a pride that he with his son would be called kings from the which name the capteines of Alexander had absteined vntil that time But to pul downe their puffed pride whē that Demetrius after the victory at Salamina sailed about to strike terrour into the harts of his enimies by souden tempest he lost the greatest part of his shippes and Antigonus who led a flourishing army along the sea cost fel into such difficulties that he returned home like vnto a vanquished man hauing lost almost his whole army Yet after this Demetrius besieged Rhodes where he lay vntill he was wearie and could do no good and to saue his honour there was ioyfull newes brought him that he should hast to the succour of Athens then streightly besieged by Cassander whome he repelled persuing him euen vnto Thermopile and going yet farther he wanne Heraclea and being from thence returned into Gréece he made almost all Peloponesus frée expelling the garrisons of Cassander Wherefore in the memorie of this benefite he was in a parliament of the Gréeks elected and proclamed the capteine or Duke of Gréece as Philip king of Macedone had in time before ben Immediately vpon this was he sent for to repaire into Asia to aide his father against Seleucus his confederates who led a mightie armie of 40000. footemen 10000. horsmen 400. Elephants and 1200. hooked chariots with whome they incountring with no lesse power were ouerthrowne and Antigonus slaine and Demetrius forced to flée vnto Ephesus with onely 5000 footemen and 4000. horsmen with whome being there imbarked he directed his course vnto Athens his only refuge But when he was come vnto the Islandes Cyclades the ambassadours of the Athenians met him requesting him in the name of the whole citie that he would not sayle vnto Athens for the citie had made a decrée that he who had bene lately expelled out of a kingdome should in no case be receiued into a frée citie Although this vnlooked for message did inwardly sore chafe him yet séeing that presently to be reuenged neyther time nor power wold serue him he gaue them fayre wordes and desired that he might haue the ships that he had left in their hauen the which being gently deliuered with his wife and all his royall furniture of houshold he sayled into Peloponesus But when he sawe that his faction in those quarters waxed woorse and woorse the cities dayly reuolting vnto his enimies he leauing there Pyrrhus sonne to Aeacus to kéepe the cities in their obedience sayled into the Thracian Chersonese to inuade Lysimachus kingdom where his affaires prosperously succéeding he maruellously increased his nauie and armie And not long after he marryed his daughter vnto Seleucus and he him selfe hauing buryed his first wife married Ptolomeyes daughter Wherby he being againe recouered besieged Athens and forced them for famine to yealde the citie vnto him The famin was so great that the father and the sonne fought with bloudie swordes for a mouse that fell downe from an house and men diuided beanes into
suffering no man longer to inioy the gladsome gale of good fortune then he doeth humbly acknowledge God to be the giuer thereof not glorying therein but thinking lowely of him selfe as a player doth not take to him any Princely pride because he beareth some times the person of a Monarche as he the knoweth he shall soone after lay it downe If that the French King himselfe had béene ignoraunt of all antiquities me thinkes his learned confessours who had taken on them the charge of his soule might haue tolde him that when Philip king of Macedonie heard that vpon one day his seruant Tetrippo was victor at the games of all Greece helde at Olympus and his capteine Parmenio had discomfited in battell the Dardarences and his wife Olympias had brought him foorth a sonne lifted vp his handes vnto heauen and saide And O fortune for these so many and so great good happes strike me with some light mishappe The wise Prince did not insolently exulte for this rare successe of thinges but had the fawning of fortune in suspicion whose nature he knewe to be to fleare vppon them a litle before with a flattering face of vnwoonted prosperitie of things when she intended incontinently to destroy them they might also haue rehersed vnto him out of Liuie that when Paulus Aemilius had taken prisoner Perseus the mightie king of Macedonie who fell downe at his féete with aboundant teares desiring him to take compassion on his afflicted state after he had curteously comforted the king he vsed this spéech vnto the Romanes ye sée here presently before your eyes a notable example of the mutabilitie of mannes state I speake this specially vnto you young men and therefore it doeth not become vs to do any thing in our prosperitie violently and proudly against any man nor to giue credit vnto present fortune séeing that it is vncertaine what the euening may bring He shal be a man in déede whose minde neither prosperitie shall with her brittle blast lift vppe nor aduersitie breake And also that when he had buried the one of his sonnes fiue dayes before he triumphed of Perseus and the other thrée dayes after he spake among other these graue wordes vnto the people of Rome at the burial of the yonger Nothing did I feare more déere coūtrie men from the beginning of this most prosperous course of mine actes then some vnthought of chaunce of insidious and false fortune neither did my feare for the publique weale cease before that the violent seas of her cruelly raging had priuately inuaded me the whiche thing I had oftentimes before hartily desired of almightie God eftsoons praying that if any cursed mishappe did hang ouer the people of Rome for this felicitie that he would vouchesafe to turne it al wholy vpon me and mine house My two most sweete sonnes whome I had appointed to be mine heires and successours haue I buried with almoste continuated funerals so that nowe I seeme to be deliuered out of all daunger and doe put my selfe in good hope that the fortune of the people of Rome wil abide still without all staine séeing that shee hathe inflicted hatred enoughe on mée and mine by these two incomparable incommodities and losses Who nowe will maruell that Philip firste brought the kingdome of the Macedons to great power and renoune and that Aemylius ouerthrew and destroyed it that doth cōsider how warie and circumspect they were against all priuie awaites of false Fortune Furthermore they should not haue left vntold how that Camillus when he had taken the mightie and riche citie of Veij and sawe that the spoyle and praye was farre greater then any man thought with trickling teares besought the Gods that if the fortune of the people of Rome did séem to be greater then could be corrected without some great mishap that what so euer incommoditie did for that enuie hang ouer the Romane name that it might be wholy turned vppon his head and then not long after Camillus the capteine was banished by the vnthankfull people and also the citie of Rome the conquerour taken sacked and burnt by the Galles Morouer they might haue shewed him that it was the auncient vsage of the Romanes at their triumphes that a slaue a physician of enuie sayes Plinie should ride behinde in the chariot with the triumpher least he should like him selfe to wel as writeth Iuuenal and holding ouer his heade a great crowne of golde set with precious stones did often cal to the triumphant to looke behind him also by Zomoras his report a whip a bell were hanged at his chariot to admonish him that he might for all that present proude pompe fall into so greate calamities that he might be scourged with a whip and put to death for all that were executed at Rome did vse to weare belles least any man as they went to executiō might defile him self as they thought by touching them But if that the negligent friers had fayled to admonishe him of a thing that did so greatly apperteine vnto his soules health and also to his long felicitie on the earth whereof some are farre more carefull then for their euerlasting blisse yet might he haue bene put in mynde of his dutie by that rare example of moderation of mynd in Charles the fift his perpetuall enimie Who neither when newes was brought him that Frauncis the mightie and flourishing king of France was taken prisoner by his capteines before Pauia in a bloudy battell where a great parte of the nobilitie of France were eyther slaine or taken neither when he vnderstoode that his souldiers had sacked that proude citie of Rome the which had in time past ruled and reuiled the whole world and that they besieged in the castle of S. Angelo the which could not for lacke of victuals holde out yea a fewe dayes his bitter enimie Clemens the 7 byshop of that See who was not contented spitefully to haue laboured to set all the princes of Christendome in his top but also had earnestly incessantly solicitated his subiects and renouned capteines namely the valiant Marques of Pescara to reuolt from him at neither newes I say of such rare felicitie did he giue either publikely or priuately any signe of reioycing but onely commaunded for the firste deuout supplications vnto God to be holden seuen dayes fortie for the Pope that he might escape the cruell handes of his souldiers without any bodily harm misusage I read also in Manlius his common places that the citizens of Antwerp long after presented him with a very faire péece of Arras wherin was set foorth very sumptuously liuely the battel of Pauie where the french king was taken prisoner by the Emperials There was also expressed the names of Frauncis the king of Fraunce of all the noble men that were taken or slaine at that battel But when this modest Emperour had viewed it he refused to accept it least he should séeme
of Guasto at Ceresoles in Piemont And fiue yeares after he had tamed the Almanes they through the reuolting of his capteines Morice Duke of Saxon and Albert Marques of Brandenburge who then besieged Mayndenburg and the helpe of the French king Henrie not onely recouered their libertie and forced him to set frée Iohn Duke of Saxon and the Lantgraue but also to saue him selfe by flying ouer the mountaines of Tyroll by torche light Immediately after this dishonour ensued the frustrate siege of Metz wonne in this tumult from the Empire by the Frenche men the whiche he brake vp before he had euer assaulted it casting a wonderfull masse of Martiall furniture into the ryuer that he might thereby more easily reduce his armie brought very weake by many incommodities The common opinion is that he lost there aboue fortie thousand men besides the incomparable detriment of excellent horses and innumerable other things the acerbitie whereof did not so muche vexe his mynde as the losse of his fame and estimation So that the sorrowe conceiued for this most greuous iniurie of spiteful fortune did quite breake his heart whiche at other times had béene inuincible and specially séeing that the exployt was not atchieued whereof he him selfe was precisely the onely author and conductour Wherefore after this cruell chaunce he for the most part lay hidden and was sicke both in bodie and mynde and within thrée yeares after gaue vp all his inheritaunces conquestes and purchases vnto his sonne Philip and the gouernement of the Empire vnto his brother Ferdinando and vtterly lothing the worlde inclosed him selfe in an house of religion where he dyed at the age of fiftie and eight yeares The xl Chapter Of Solomon king of the Israelites SOlomon passed for renoune of wisedome riches and largenesse of dominions all the kinges that euer reigned ouer the peculiar people of god For he is sayd to haue extended his kingdome from Euphrates to the Syrian and the Aegyptian seas and to haue subdued by armes the Cananites that inhabited vpon and about mount Lybanus who vntill that day had neuer bene subiect vnto the Israelites but Solomon made them all bondmen and from thence along time after did the Israelites fetch all their slaues He also built many great cities as Asotus Magedon Zazarum and Palmyra and walled all the townes in Israell that were not before defensed he kept continually fortie thousand horses for field chariots vnlesse there be a fault in the number for in the thirde of the Kinges are numbred but a hundreth and fortie chariots and 12000 horsmen He built him also a great fléete the which he vsed to sende vnto Ophir for golde and precious stones and at one voiage they brought him foure hundreth and fiftie talents of golde and at an other seuen hundreth thrée score and sixe Yea there was yearely brought vnto Solomon sixe hundreth thrée score and sixe talents of golde the whiche doe amount séeing that at the least euery one of their talents were seuentie poundes fourtéen hundreth and sixe fiftie thousand eight hundreth seuentie fiue pounde of our monie besides that whiche they that were appointed to gather vp the kings reuenues customes and tributes and the merchants the legates of all countries all the kings of Arabia yea al the princes of the world did vse to present him which was with precious stones horses spices swéete odors and what so euer was accounted pretious So that not only all the vessels belonging vnto his table were of golde hee also had his statelye throne of Iuorie adorned with manie grieces and Lyons of golde but siluer was in no estimation in the citie of Hierusalem where it was as common as stones and the sumptuous Cedar as wilde Mulberie trees that grew in euery hedg and the Israelites became so riche that not one of them did anie bodily labour but their necessitie therein was altogether wholy supplied by straungers they only folowing armes But nothing did so muche declare the greate riches of the kinge as the sumptuous temple that he built of twētie cubites broad three score long an hundreth twentie high of white stone faire glistering Cedar al guylt with verie fine gold both within and without and his péerelesse palace of the same stuffe and garnishing and finally the riche furniture of the temple wherein were many tables of Golde and siluer and namely the greate table whereuppon the holy loaues were sette was of cleane golde the rest béeing not muche vnlike neither in stuffe nor workemanshipp on whome stoode twentie thousande cuppes and boles of golde and fourtie thousande of siluer tenne thousande candlestickes of golde and double as manye of siluer eight thousande dishes of golde to put in fine flower to offer at the altar and double as manye of siluer and also thréescore thousande standing cuppes of golde in whome they did incorporate the flower oyle and double as many of siluer ten thousande of golde of the measures called Hin which conteined of our measure about two gallons and a quart and double as many of siluer twentie thousande shippes of golde to carrie incense into the temple and fiftie thousande of the same metall to carrrie Franckincense from the greate altar vnto the little of trumpets two hundreth thousande and foure hundreth thousande of musicall instruments the one and the other beeing of Electrum that is a metall where a fifte parte of siluer is mixed with golde and two hundreth thousand roabes of Bissine for the Leuites In this wealth and iolitie led he his life a long time farre from any mishappy or feare of foe but in continual peace and tranquilitie vntil his latter dayes when that ouer greate felicitie had made him to forgett God and to fall to ydolatrie as he him selfe had feared long before that it would do wherefore he had requested of God neither aboundaunce nor scarcitie as both hurtfull to Godlinesse When he had thus vnthankfully reuolted from him who had made him to like so well of him selfe God sent him this mournefull message by his Prophet that because he had broken couenaunt with him hee woulde also breake and teare into péeces his kingdome and giue it vnto his seruaunt but not in his dayes for his father Dauides sake but in his sonnes to whome yet he would leaue one Trybe for the loue that he bare vnto his graundfather Dauid and the citie of Hierusalem neither was the iust wrath of God asswaged by this dradfull denunciation the which no doubt did thoroughly pierce the heart of sorrowfull Solomon but that he also stirred him vp enimies of vile persons incessantly to vexe him First Adan an Idumean who hauing escaped the hastie handes of Dauid embrued with the bloud of all the males of Idumea after he had long lurked in Aegypt returned into Idumea to be a continuall terrour and trouble vnto aged Solomon then Adadezer who of a fugitiue seruaunt became a capteine théefe and after king of Damascus and with his
citie of Mauus out of the whiche hée fearefully fledde and left that citie which of all other he best loued to be won with Toures by his fierce enimies for which he was cast into such a chafe that he opeÌ„ly said that he would for euer after wholly withdraw his heart froÌ„ God séeing that he had suffered his delight to be taken and deformed with fire but anon after he came vnto him selfe and acknowledged his errour and wickednesse and suppliantly sued vnto the Frenche king for peace the which he could by no meanes obteine Wherfore despairing of the safetie of his estate hee died rather oppressed by this cruell concourse of calamities then worne with sickenesse The li. Chapter Of Edwarde the thirde AS Fortune was vnto Edwarde the thirde a louing and cocklinge mother in his youth in giuing him the famous victories at Sluse Cressey Poyters and Durham with the taking prisoners of the Frenche and Scottishe kinges and the restoring of Peter king of Castill and augmenting his dominions with the towne of Calaice and the Earledome of Guisnes and sending of him so many valiant sonnes and to so long life to haue proofe of their prowesse so was shée no lesse cruell stepdame vnto him in his age for the reuolting of the Earles of Armeniacke and Petiagors whiche brought the losse of Ponthiew Poitou Caoars Limosin Xantoigne Perrigort and finally almost all Gascoigne except Baron and Burdeaux and all Britaine vnlesse it were Brest and the discomfiture and taking of Iohn Earle of Penbruche and his greate Fléete comming to the rescuse of Rochell the vncourteous disobedient deniall of subsidie by Parliament in that his greate necessitie and the licentious complaint against him in open Parliament for kéeping of Alice Piers and the proude appointing of him Tutors as though he had béene a pupil who in his nonage was thought méete to hurle his father from the helme of the common wealth and rule the rudder him selfe and finally the vntimely deathes of his two valiant sonnes Leonell and the onely staye and staffe whereon his worne age did leane and holde vpp it selfe Prince Edwarde the sorrowe wherof quite brake the heart of the wofull father which was before sore wasted with age and the griefe conceiued for his vnwonted froward Fortune And to make vp the mischiefe hee left the realme to be ruled by an vnthriftie pupill who could neuer learne lesse all the dayes of his life then howe hee shoulde rule him selfe This worthie Prince doeth proue that to be true that Paulus Aemilius noteth in Charles the great that Fortune doth thinke it a goodly thing to shewe vnto men both her powers in kings of long life and that those Capteines which are saide neuer to haue found Fortune but fauourable in great attemptes lightely dyed young men for so saith hee I do thinke it hath séemed good vnto God lest that humane thinges may séeme to bee able to giue true and sound felicitie The lii Chapter Of Henrie the fift IN that perfect patterne of prowesse Henrie the fift I blame his vnthriftie youth and his being committed to the kinges benche by the Lorde chiefe Iustice for his misdemeanour such a president as I think is hardly to be founde in all the recordes of antiquities his wounding at the battell of Shrewesburie the daungerous conspiracie to murther him made by the Earle of Cambridge and other in his first voyage into Fraunce his greate hofulnesse for Agincourt fielde and almost vtter despaire of escape the disfomfiture in fight and also the death of his brother the duke of Clarence and last of all his owne vntimely death the which did not onely corrupt all his former victories and lost the duchie of Guian whereof his auncestours had béene possessed euer since Henrie the seconde but also did so wrappe the realme in such ciuil discorde that it is almost a miracle that it was not quite destroyed for euer So that if wee do duely consider the euent it had béene much better for this land that he had neuer béene borne then to haue prouoked the Frenche men and not to haue quite subdued and tamed them and to haue begotten to succéede him one so vnfit to gouerne although he were otherwise a Prince of singular pietie and godlinesse But as for Henrie the fourth Edwarde the fourth and Henrie the seuenth who gott the crowne by the swoorde they kept it with so much and so greate trouble that I thinke no wise man would take vpp the crowne if it laye vpon a dounghill to weare it in such continuall perils and molestations as Antigonus did vse to saye The Conclusion THEN séeinge that the miseries of mankinde are so manye and so greate and with so manifolde and grieuous calamities haue all they béene oppressed whome fickle Fortune hath seemed moste to fauoure what maye they promise vnto them selues that doe thinke that they are now carried with the most blisfull blast of worldly felicitie Let them like wise men persuade themselues that they are made of the same lamentable lump that other men are and also as much subiect vnto sondeine sorrowes as they that haue béene before them Wherfore let them thinke moderately of them selues let them make accompt of the guylefull giftes of false Fortune as though they should be incontinently taken from them let them not proudly despise the wretched whome lowring lott hath laide lowe séeing that the vnstablenesse of their owne tottering state maye shortly cast them into the same sincke of shame as they do thinke it finally let them attribute all honour and glorie vnto God the onely author and also conseruer of their brittle blisse whome let them serue moste lowly if that they desire to continue aloft in the ruling of other FINIS Symonides his wise answere Plato his opinion of God. The Persians brake downe all Images of God. What wordes doe best declare Gods essence God is no essence de Diui. No. In one sense God is moste properly an essence Hier. ad Marcel Aug. super Ioan. tract 99. Why bodily limmes and affectes are attributed vnto God. God onely vnchaungeable The singlenesse of Gods essence August de tri lib. 6. No qualitie in God. We do speake vnproperly of God by adiectiues Scal. de subti exâ—r 365. God is comprehended in none of the predicamentes August de Trinit lib. 5. The omnipotencie of God wherein it doth consist August lib 15. de Trinitate August lib. 1. de symbolo Cap. 10. Com in Psal. 7 Lib. 2. de Stil laud. Of Psapho A worthy order taken by Philip. Of horsmen Of Commodas Of Alexander A wittie decree of the Lacedemonians A woorthie saying of Antigonus Of Caligula The free speeche of a Botcher The impudent flattery of Vitellius Vitellius his wittie answer The constant pietie of the Iewes Caligula his great hatred vnto mankind Of Domitian Lact. de fals relig The Original of worshipping of false Gods. The first cause why the Gentiles did make men Gods. Lact. de fals
forced by lightening sent from heauen to retyre Then soudenly came there to remoue the siege a monstruous might of flies the which plagued the Romanes in their cupps and dishes leauing neither drinke nor meate frée from their filthie contamination and corruption The which forced the Emperour to breake vp the siege and to depart out of the countrie and immediatly after fell sicke and then the Parthians deposed the king that hée had appointed them and chose an other according vnto their auncient orders to reuenge the whiche dishonour Traiane was not able waxing euery day worse and worse and finally fell into a dropsie whereof hée dyed not leauing behind him a child to vphold his house and name The xxxiij Chapter Of Seuerus Emperour of Rome SEVERVS that got the Romane Empire by sleaing of his thrée competitors and foure bloudie battels and entered Parthia taking Babylon Seleucia and Ctesiphon where the king narrowly escaped with the losse of his children wiues mother treasure and furniture of householde and also made great conquestes in Arabia and Arobenica and forced the kinges of the Armenians and Osrhoenes to submit themselues vnto his mercie felt also the tickle turning of fortunes whéele For that I may omit his youth full of furies and crimes and often accusations and howe hée was to his great shame openly arreigned for adulterie and the open bitcherie of his shamelesse latter wife Iulia whome hée witting and knowing did suffer more then either the maiestie of an Emperour yea or the honestie of a man could beare was hee not forced for lacke of victualles and necessaries and the great sickenesse in his campe spéedily to forsake the countries and places that hée had conquered in the Easte and to returne home contented onely with the spoile the whiche he dearely bought with the losse of infinite of his souldiours liues Furthermore hee twice besieged the pelting towne of Atrae in Arabia and twice was constrained to depart with great dishonour and losse his souldiours being either so affrighted or else so disobedient that not one of the Europian souldiours could be gotten to the assault when that a great part of the walles laie flat to the ground moreouer when one of his Capitaines told the Emperour that he would vndertake to winne the towne with 550. Europians and the Emperour did bid him take them the captaine aunswered in the hearing of all the armie But where shall I haue them Neither had his ambition any better successe in Britaine For when that hée would not receiue the submission of the rebells but would néeds tame them by the sword that he might obteine the glorious title of Britannicus or conquerour of Britaine he reaped almost no other fruite by marching with his victorious ensignes euen vnto the furthest part of the East then the losse of fiftie thousand men thorough sicknes lack of victuals the inclemencie of the aire and diuers other chaūces finally endamaging the Britaines who wisely still fledd before him into their safe bogges and marrishes Adde hereunto how at the battell at Lions against Albinus who fought for the Empire hée was vnhorsed and fled out of the field casting away his coate armour that hée might not be knowen and hidd himselfe in a marrishe Spartianus sayth that in this battell hée fell into great perill by the foundering of his horse and then had such a blowe with a pellet of leade that his armie thincking that he had béene slaine were about to choose an other Emperour Furthermore what intollerable torments did the great discord of his two sonnes bring vnto him when that the one neuer liked of any thing that did please the other and in al quarels controuersies games finally in all thinges they were extréeme aduersaries one vnto the other neither could their hatefull hearts euer be reconciled although that their woful father fearing that their discord would be either the destructiō of the Empire or of his house or both sought al meanes to agrée their dissenting minds putting also to death many that were about thē by whose flatterie lewd coūsel he thought them to be corrupted But in what continuall feare he led his life his immesurable murdering of aboue fourtie Senatours and infinite meane men without arreigning of them doth manifestly bewray This Africane is truely said to haue reuenged in his gowne the cruell destruction of his countrie of Carthage by the Romanes Whereof arose that saying of the Senate after his death that it had béene well for the people of Rome if that he had either neuer béene borne or else neuer had died the one being spoken for his cruelties the other for his valiancie and good gouernement But among all other put to death for suspicion of treason I cannot forget two the one Plautianus to whome he had as it were in a manner imparted the Empire yet lost his life vppon a verie vnlikely accusation and onely credited because that the Emperour had dreamed that Albinus some time his competitour was aliue the other Apronianus who was condemned absent because that one had heard his Noursse saye that shée had dreamed that he should be Emperour So fearefull was he left his good childe Antoninus should be put from the Empire who drewe his swoorde to haue thrust his father in at the back as he roade with him if that his seruaunts that roade behinde had not cried out vnto him to take héede of his sonne who was about to murder him And finally he dyed not of his olde torment of the goute but as men thought helped forward by his wicked sonne Antonine and so was helde in an earthen pot whome all the worlde had not holden as he him selfe saide a litle before his death when that he had commaunded his sepulchrall pott to be brought vnto him The xxxiiij Chapter Of Constantine the greate THE greatenesse of Constantine who reduced into one Monarchie the distracted partes of the Empire and to the vnspeakable profite of mankinde first established by Emperial power the faith of Christ throughout the world the foule vnworthie murthering of his owne wife Fausta his sonne Crispus and his sisters sonne and no smal number of his friendes the vngodly restitution of the archeheretike Arius and the more wicked banishmēt of that piller of the church Athanasius whome yet some holde he reuoked by testament and if some belye him not his filthie disease of the dropsie did much diminishe whereof he was by a byworde called Tracala the first ten yeres of his reigne a verie good and excellent Prince the ten next a théefe and a murtherer but the ten last a pupill for his immoderate expences But as his Martial actes but onely against his coparceners in the Empire Licinius and Maxentius were not greate so was his daunger verie great when that his father in lawe Herculeius came vnder colour of friendshipp vnto him trayterously to haue killed him but it being disclosed vnto Constantine by his wife cost her father his life And no lesse also
foūdation do kingdoms stand on so tottering a stoole do princes sitt that sporting Fortune séemes oftentimes to put them into the hand of a madd man But nothing did more manifestly shewe vnto him his brittle blisse then the reuolting of all the noble men of the farther Hispaine except the duke of Alua vnto Philip duke of Burgogie who had maried his eldest daughter and heire at his arriual in Hispaine after the death of Quéene Isabell they eftsones saying that they would rather adore the sunne rising then going downe The griefe of this shamefull forsaking of him did so gripe the aged princes heart that not being able to endure the dishonour to be a subiecte where hee had long reigned he left Hispaine and sailed with his newe wife vnto Naples chosing rather to cōmit himselfe vnto the doubtfull faith of the gouernour and conquerour of that flourishing kingdome whom the report was minded to reuolt make himselfe king of Naples the which hée might easily haue done then vnto the open ill wills and rebellion of the vnfaithful Hispaniards And doubtlesse hee was in very great danger of being vtterly excluded out of his kingdomes of Castill Lions if that God had not shortly after taken out of the world his sonne in lawe who was so alienated from him that when the courteous king laden with wearisome yeares had taken a lōg paineful iourney to receiue him at the water the proud and vnciuil duke would not vouchsafe to shew him any countenaunce But after he had giuen him scornefully a word or two and them too in French which the king vnderstood not he flange away from him al the nobilitie with him The xlix Chapter Of William Conquerour BVt nowe after that wee haue romed long abroad in all forreigne lands let vs returne home vnto our owne countrie take a view of such Princes as haue by dint of sword atteined the imperial crowne thereof or enlarged the dominions least we may be thought to be like vnto the Lamiae in Poets whome they do faine to sée very exactly when they are abroad but to be starke blinde at home William bastard sonne vnto Robert duke of Normandie who left him his heire although by puissance he cōquered this land discomfited in battel the king of Denmarke forced the king of Scotland for feare to do him homage sweare him fealtie yet the often rebellions and secrete treasons of the Englishmen Normans the perfidiousnes of his owne déere brother Odo in whom he reposed his greatest trust the wicked reuolting of his eldest sonne Robert vnto the French king with his aide his daungerous inuasion of Normandie his arme thrust through in fight and his vnhorsing by that vnnaturall child and his bowelles sore brused by a leape off his horse in his last voyage against the French king of the intollerable torments whereof he died will not suffer him to be enrolled among the happie But nothing in my mind doth more manifestly bewray his infelicitie then that he had not so much ground at his death as could couer his carcase without doing an other man wrong and that which the begger hath without contradiction was denied and forbidden this mightie king Hée had built S. Stephens Church at Cane in Normandie where he would be buried vppon an other mans ground and had not payed the owner for it who being then a very poore man yet nothing fearing the funeral pompe and the great number of nobles attending on the corps did thrust through the thickest thronge of the solemne traine like vnto a madd man and got him to the Church doore wherein he stoode stoutly to withstand the bearing into the Church of the kings body crying out with a lowde voice Hée that in his life time oppressed kingdomes by his furious force hath hitherto with feare also oppressed mee but I that do suruiue him that hath done me the wronge will not graunt rest and peace vnto him now he is dead The place whereinto ye doe carrie this dead man is mine I claime that it is not lawfull for any man to lay a dead body in an other mans ground But if that the case do so stand that when as now at the length through the grace of good God the author of this so vnworthie a wrong is extinguished yet force still doth flourish I do appeale vnto Rhollo the founder father of this nation who alone is of greater power by the lawes which he ordeyned then is any mans iniurie And therewithal I know not whether by hap or mans fraud there soudeinly was séene a great fire which raged on the Church the houses neere adioyning then euery body spéedily running to quench the fire left the kinges corps desolate all alone onely Henrie the kings youngest sonne could not be gotten frō his fathers body who being feared with as it were the manifest wrath of God presently paid the poore mā for his ground discharged his fathers iniurious spirite But these blisselesse bones of his which so hardly obteined entumbing did afterward as vnluckily againe lose it in Anno Domini 1562. when Chastillion conducting reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achillis those that had escaped at the battell at Dreax toke the citie of Cane For certaine sauage souldiours accompanied with foure Capteynes did beate downe and vtterly deface the noble tumbe and monument of that renowmed conquerour and victorious king and pulled out all his bones which they spitefully threwe away when that they could not finde the treasure that they falsly surmised had béen layed vp there as I haue béene certainly enformed by Englishmen of very good credite faithfull fauourers of the reformed who sawe this sorrowfull sight scarse without distilling teares And also Theuet maketh mention of this matter in his vniuersall Cosmographie writing of Cane The l. Chapter Of Henrie the second HENRIE the second had by his father the Earledomes of Aniow Toures and Maine by his mother the kingdome of England and the duchie of Normandie and by his wife the mightie duchie of Aquitane and the earledome of Poitow conquered the kingdome of Ireland and toke prisoner in battell the king of Scottes but this his glistering glorie was fouly darkened by the shamefull submission of his crowne vnto the Romane Sée as Platina their recorder doth report or certes by binding himselfe vnto vnreasonable conditions to abate the enuie of the murther of Thomas the archbishop of Canterburie as our Chronicles do record and by the daungerous and wicked warres a long time kept in Normandie Fraunce and England with al his vngodly sonnes Henrie Richard Gefferie and Iohn yea and his owne wife and their mightie confederats the kings of Fraunce and Scotland with a great number of the English nobilitie and after the death of his vngracious sonne Henrie by the second reuolting of his sonne Richard vnto the French king who wan from him in those warres a great part of the duchie of Normandie and besieged him in the