Heraclius hauing raigned Emperour but one yeere was poisoned by his stepmother Martina Zonoras tom 3. to the end to install her owne sonne Heraclon in the crowne but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to haue her or her sonne raigne ouer them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the city Fausta the wife of Constantine the Great fell in loue with Constantine her sonne in law begotten vpon a concubine Zonoras 3. Annal. Sex Aur. whom when she could not persuade vnto her lust shee accused vnto the Emperour as a sollicitour of her chastitie for which cause hee was condemned to die but after the truth was knowen Constantinus put her into a hote bath and suffered her not to come forth vntill the heat had choaked her reuenging vpon her head his sonnes death and her owne vnchastitie CHAP. XII Of Subiect Murderers SEing then they that take away their neighbours liues doe not escape vnpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs folow that if they to whom the sword of iustice is committed by God to represse wrongs and chastise vices doe giue ouer themselues to cruelties and to kill and slay those whome they ought in duty to protect and defend must receiue a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to haue bene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody minded as contrary to all iustice to put to death Abimelech the high priest with fourescore and fiue other priests of the family of his father 1. Sam. 22. onely for receiuing Dauid into his house small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied herewith h◠vomited out his rage also against the whol city of the priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any Hee slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that lād yet because they were receiued into league of amity by a solemne oth and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not haue bene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore he tyranizing and playing the butcher amongst his own subiects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter practising many other foul enormities he was at the last ouercome of the Philistims sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall aliue into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands vpon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sonnes and they that followed him of his owne houshold were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body despoiled among the carcasses beheaded it and caried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung vp the trunke in disgrace in one of their cities to be seene lookt vpon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in king Dauids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause whereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed vpon the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. wherefore Dauid deliuered Sauls seuen sonnes into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is euen to hanging Amongst all the sinnes of king Achab and Iezabel which were many and great 1. King 21. the murder of Naboth standeth in the forefront for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserue death yet by the subtill and wicked deuise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the warre which hee made with the king of Siria receiued so deadly a wound that hee died thereof the dogges licking vp his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked 2. King 9. according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whome her owne seruants at the commandement of Iehu whome God had made executour of his wrath threw headlong out of an high window vnto the ground so that the walls were died with her blood and the horses trampled her vnder their feet and dogs deuoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing sauing only her scull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iudah being after his fathers death possessed of the crowne and scepter of Iudah 2. Chron. 21. by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many princes of the realme for which cause God stirred vp the Edomites to rebell the Philistims and Arabians to make war against him who forraged his countrey sacked and spoiled his cities and tooke prisoners his wiues and children the yongest only excepted who afterwards also was murdered when he had raigned king but a small space And lastly as in doing to death his owne brethren hee committed crueltie against his owne bowels so the Lord stroke him with such an incurable disease in his bowels and so perpetuall for it continued two yeeres that his very entrails issued out with torment and so died in horrible misery Albeit that in the former booke we haue already touched the pride and arrogancie of king Alexander the Great yet wee can not pretermit to speake of him in this place his example seruing so fit for the present subiect for although as touching the rest of his life hee was verie well gouerned in his priuat actions as a monarch of his reputation might be yet in his declining age I meane not in yeeres but to deathward he grew exceeding cruell not only towards strangers as the Cosseis whome he destroied to the sucking babe but also to his houshold and familiar friends Insomuch that being become odious to most fewest loued hi◠and diuers wrought all meanes possible to make him away but one especially whose sonne in law and other neare friends he had put to death neuer ceased vntill he both ministred a deadly draught vnto himselfe Iustine whereby he depriued him of his wicked life and a fatall stroke to his wiues and children after his death to the accomplishment of his full reuenge Phalaris the tyrant of Agrigentum made himselfe famous to posterity by no other meanes Oros then horrible cruelties exercised vpon his owne subiects inuenting euery day new kinds of tortures to scourge and afflict the poore soules withall In his dominion there was one Perillus an artificer of his craft one expert in his occupation who to flatter and curry fauour with him deuised a new torment
Iulia adulterers were without difference adiudged to death insomuch that Iulius Antonius a man of great parentage and reputation among the Romanes Lib. 4. Annal. whose sonne was nephew to Augustus sister as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth was for this crime executed to death Aurelianus the Emperour did so hate and detest this vice that to the end to scare and terrifie his souldiers from the like offence he punished a soldier which had committed adultery with his hostesse in most seuere manner euen by causing him to be tied by both his feet to two trees bent downe to the earth with force which being let goe returning to their course rent him cruelly in pieces the one halfe of his body hanging on the one tree and the other on the other Yea and at this day amongst the very Turkes and Tartarians this sinne is sharply punished So that we ought not wonder that the Lord should ordaine death for the adulterer If a man saith the law lie with another mans wife â—euit 20.10 if I say he commit adultery with his neighbours wife the adulterer and the adulteresse shall die the death Deut. 22.22 And in another place If a man be found lying with a woman married to a man they shall die both twaine to wit the man that lay with the wife and the wife that thou maist put away euill from Israel Yea and before Moses time also it was a custome to burne the adulterers with fire Genes 38. as it appeareth by the sentence of Iuda one of the twelue Patriarchs vpon Thamar his daughter in law because he supposed her to haue plaied the whore Beside all this to the end this sinne might not be shuffled vp and kept close there was a meanes giuen whereby if a man did but suspect his wife for this sin though shee could by no witnes or proofe be conuinced her wickednesse notwithstanding most strangely and extraordinarily might be discouered Numb 5. And it was this The woman publikely at her husbands sute called in question before the priest who was to giue iudgement of her after diuers ceremonies and circumstances perfourmed and bitter curses pronounced by him her belly would burst and her thigh would rot if shee were guilty and she should be a curse amongst the people for her sinne but if she was free no euill would come vnto her Thus it pleased God to make knowne that the filthinesse of those that are polluted with this sinne should not lie hid This may more clearely appeare by the example of the Leuites wife of whome it is spoken in the 19 20 and 21 chapters of Iudges who hauing forsaken her husband to play the whore certaine moneths after hee had againe receiued her to be his wife she was giuen ouer against her will to the villanous and monstrous lusts of the most wicked and peruerse Gibeonites Rape li. 2. c. 19. that so abused her for the space of a whole night togither that in the morning shee was found dead vpon the threshold which thing turned to a great destruction and ouerthrow in Israel for the Leuit when hee arose and found his wife newly dead at the dore of his lodging hee cut and dismembred her body into twelue pieces and sent them into all the countries of Israel to euery tribe one to giue them to vnderstand how vile and monstrous an iniurie was done vnto him whereupon the whole nation assembling and consulting togither when they saw how the Beniamites in whose tribe this monstrous villanie was committed make no reckening of seeing punishment executed vpon those execrable wretches they tooke armes against them and made warre vpon them wherein though at the first conflict they lost to the number of forty thousand men yet afterward they discomfited and ouerthrew the Beniamites and slew of them 25000 rasing and burning downe the city Gabea where the sinne was committed with all the rest of the cities of that tribe in such sort that there remained aliue but sixe hundred persons that saued their liues by flying into the desart and there hid themselues foure moneths vntill such time as the Israelites taking pitty of them least they should vtterly be brought to nought gaue them to wife to the end to repeople them againe foure hundred virgins of the inhabitants of Iabes Gilead reserued out of that slaughter of those people wherein man woman and child were put to the sword for not comming forth to take part with their brethren in that late warre And forasmuch as yet there remained two hundred of them vnprouided for the Ancient of Israel gaue them libertie to take by force two hundred of the daughters of their people which could not be but great iniury and vexation vnto their parents to be thus robbed of their daughters and to see them married at all aduentures without their consent or liking These were the mischiefes which issued and sprang from that vile and abominable adultery of the wicked Gabaonites with the Leuits wife One sin punished with another whose first voluntary sinne was in like manner also most iustly punished by this second rape and this is no new practise of our most iust God to punish one sinne by another and sinners in the same kind wherein they haue offended When king Dauid after hee had ouercome the most part of his enemies 2. Sam. 11. and made them tributaries vnto him and enioyed some rest in his kingdome whilst his men of war pursuing their victory destroied the Ammonites and were in besieging Rabba their chiefe citie hee was so inflamed with the beauty of Bathshabe Vriahs wife that hee caused her to be conueied to him to lie with her to which sinne hee combined another more grieuous to wit when he saw her with child by him to the end to couer his adultery he caused her husband to be slaine at the siege by putting him in the vantgard of the battaile at the assault and then thinking himselfe cocksure married Bathshabe But all this while as it was but vaine allurements no solid ioy that fed his mind and his sleep was but of sinne not of safety wherein he slumbered so the Lord awakened him right soone by afflictions and crosses to make him feele the burden of the sinne which hee had committed 2. Sam. 12. first therefore the child the fruit of this adultery was stricken with sicknesse and died next his daughter Thamar Absoloms sister was rauished by Ammon one of his owne sonnes 2. Sam. 13. 2. Sam. 15. thirdly Ammon for his incest was slaine by Absolom and fourthly Absolom ambitiously aspiring after the kingdome and conspiring against him raised warre vpon him and defiled his concubines and came to a wofull destruction All which things being grieuous crosses to king Dauid were inflicted by the iust hand of God to chastise and correct him for his good not to destroy him in his wickednesse neither did it want the effect in him for he was so farre from swelling
put to death by the hand of a woman That which hapned to the Madianites in the time of Gedeon Iudg. 7. is admirable and very strange who being furnished with a mighty army of soldiers with the Amalekites other their allies to destroy Israel were so scarred scattered at the sound of the trumpets brightnes of torches of three huudred men at the most that were with Gedeon that through the marueilous astonishment they were in they turned their blades into their owne bosomes murdred one another till the greatest part of them were destroied and the residue being put to flight and pursued by the men of Ephraim two of their kings Oreb Zeb were taken and slaine A while after it came to passe that the princes of the Philistims Iudg. 16. who had oppressed the people of God by the space of 40 yeres being assembled togither with all their people in the temple of Dagon their god euen then whē after their sacrifices they thought to make themselues most sport pastime with poore Samson whose eies in mockery contemp◠they had put out were altogither massacred by the fall of the house which Samsō by his strength pulled vpon their heads which was the greatest ouerthrow that beforetimes by his means they had receiued In the reigne of Saul king of Israel 1. Sam. 15. Agag king of Amalech the posterity or those that laid wait for Israel in the desart as they came out of Aegypt were by Saul following the commandemēt of the Lord set vpon who running vpon him his people made a great slaughter butchery of them not sparing man woman nor child except the king only whom he tooke to mercy led captiue which he ought not to haue done This captaine being thus spared by one that was but little better then himselfe could not so escape for the Prophet Samuel became the executioner of Gods vengeance vpon him since Saul refused it with his own hand slue him euen then when he thought he should liue A litle while after Golia a gyant of the Philistims who as well through the hugenes of his stature strength of body 1. Sam. 17. as thorough the horrible cruelty which appeared in him seemed in mans eies inuincible proudly presumptuously defied the army of the liuing God offring daring any one mā of Israel to enter combat with him this proud fellow was notwithstanding all his brags by yong vnarmed Dauid saue a litle stick a few stones which he had in his hands vanquished trode vnder foot for he gaue this great beast such a knocke with one of his stones on the forhead that at the first blow he tumbled him groueling on the earth quickly leaping vpon him caught hold of his huge sword therwithall cut off his monstrous head which the Philistims perceiuing turned thair backs and fled and were pursued and slaine by the Israelites CHAP. X. More examples like vnto the former IN the time of Achah Benhadad king of Syria accompanied with two and thirty kings 1. King 20. came very proudly against Israel as it were in despight of God to bid him battaile but it turned to his owne shame and confusion being first dishonourably put to flight by two hundred thirty seruants of the Princes of Israel a small handfull to encounter so mighty an army And secondly returning to seeke reuenge found the losse of an hundred thousand footmen at one clap besides seuen and twenty thousand which escaping by flight were crushed in peeces by the ruine of a wall in the city Aphec And so this braue gallant that earst bragged that the gold and siluer of Israel yea their wiues and children were his was now glad to flie for his life among the rest and in his returne to hide himselfe all dismaid in a little chamber and from thence being aduised thereto by his seruants to send to intreat Achab for his owne life which a little before thought him sure of the liues of all Israel Yet for all this ere long he enterprised a new practise against the Prophet Elizaeus 2. King 6. 2. King 7. and besieged also the city of Samaria so long that certaine women constrained by extreme famine deuoured their children but in the end hee was compelled through fearfull terrour which God sent into his army by the noise of infinite chariots and horses which sounded in their eares as if some puissant host of men of warre had bene marching towards them to forsake the siege and flie with all his forces leauing behind them their tents horses cariages vitailes and munitions to be a prey for them that pursued them not And lastly falling sicke Hazael one of his own seruants that succeeded him in the kingdome 2. King 8. to the end he might dispatch him quickly and without tumult early in the morning tooke a thicke cloth dipt in water and spreading it ouer his face stifled him to death 2. Chron. 20. When the Moabites and Ammonites rose vp in arms against Iehosaphat king of Iuda assoone as this good king humbled him selfe togither with all his people before the face of God by fasting and praier forthwith God sent such a giddinesse of spirit amongst his enemies that they killed one another and the men of Iuda without being troubled with fighting gathered the spoile which they had scattered and enriched themselues with their reliques Aman Ester 7. 9. promoted in honour and credit aboue all the Princes of the court of king Assuerus conceiued so deadly an hatred against the poore dispersed Iewes being at that time the onely Church of God that malitiously he conspired in one day to destroy and put to death the whole nation to the very women infants and in accomplishing this his purpose he mightily abused the authoritie of the king whome he falsly enformed that this nation would not be subiect to his ordinances and lawes which his other people were subiect vnto and that therefore he ought not to permit suffer them any longer But God that carieth alwaies a watchfull eie ouer his Church and knoweth how to breake dash all the enterprises of his enemies brought all this wretches purposes to nought by preseruing miraculously those whome he would haue destroied making him doe reuerence to Mardocheus whom he especially sought to bring to infamy and for whome he had of purpose prouided a gibbet to hang him on but was hanged thereon himselfe with ten of his sonnes beside all those which had conspired with him against the Iewes were vpon the same day which they had set downe for their massacre by the kings commandement slaine by the hands of them whom they had appointed to the slaughter Balthasar king of Babylon as he was feasting among his princes Dan. 5. commanded amidst his cups the golden and siluer vessels which Nabuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple of Ierusalē to be brought that both he
Gardiner who was one of the graund butchers in this land what a miserable end came hee vnto Euen the same day that B. Ridley and M. Latimer were burnt at Oxford hee hearing newes thereof reioiced greatly and being at dinner eate his meat merily Acts and Monuments pag. 1788. But ere hee had eaten many bits the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell vpon him in such sort that immediatly he was taken from the boord and brought to his bed where hee continued fifteene daies in intollerable anguish by reason hee could not expell his vrine so that his body being miserably inflamed within who had enflamed so many godly martyrs was brought to a wretched end with his tongue all blacke and swollen hanging out of his mouth most horribly a spectacle worthy to be beholden of all such bloody burning persecutours Bonner Pag. 2114. bishop of London another archbutcher though hee liued long after this man and died also in his bed yet was it so prouided of God that as he had beene a persecutor of the light and a child of darkenesse so his carkasse was tumbled into the earth in obscure darkenesse at midnight contrary to the order of all other Christians and as he had beene a most cruell murderer so was hee buried among theeues and murderers a place by Gods iudgement rightly appointed for him 2099. Morgan bishop of S. Dauids sitting vpon the condemnation of the blessed martyr bishop Farrar whose roome he vniustly vsurped was not long after stricken by Gods hand after such a strange sort that his meat would not go downe but rise and picke vp againe sometime at his mouth sometime blowne out of his nose most horrible to behold and so continued to his death Where note moreouer that when maister Leyson being then sherife at bishop Farrars burning had fetcht away the cattell of the said bishop from his seruants house into his owne custodie diuers of them would neuer eat meat but lay bellowing and roaring and so died Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Douer another grand persecutor comming vpon a Saturday from the chapter house at Canterbury and there vpon the Sunday following looking vpon his men playing at bowles fell suddenly into a palsie and died shortly after But hee that will read more hereof I referre him to the latter end of the Acts and Monuments of the English Church where he shall find a whole catalogue of such like histories The ouerthrow of many mighty ones in our age serue for a looking glasse to represent the high exploits of the wonderfull iudgements which the king of kings hath sent vpon those that haue in any place or countrey whatsoeuer resisted and stroue against his truth whereof some after great victories which their singular dexteritie and worldly wisdome in the managing of their affaires haue atchieued by a peruerse and ouerthwart end contrary to their former prosperity haue darkened and obscured the renowme and glory of all their braue deeds their good report dying with their bodies and their credit empaired and buried with them in their graues Others in like manner hauing addressed all their forces laid their battery and placed all their peeces and canons against the wals of Sion and thinking to blow it vp and consume it to ashes haue made many breaches into the sides thereof yea they haue so bent all their strength against it and afflicted it with such outragious cruelty and vnmerciful effusion of blood that it is pitifull and lamentable to remember howbeit after all their pollicies and practises their courage hath bene at length abated and themselues raked one after another out of this world with manifest markes of the iust vengeance of God vpon them For though it may seeme for a time that God sleepeth and regardeth not the wrongs and oppressions of his seruants yet he neuer faileth to carry a watchfull eie vpon them and in his fittest time to reuenge himselfe vpon their enemies Along the verdant fields all richly dide With natures paintments and with Floraes pride Whose goodly bounds are liuely chrystall streames Begirt with bowres to keepe backe Phoebus beames Euen when the quenchlesse torch the worlds great eie Aduanc't his rayes orethwartly from the skie And by his power of heauenly influence Reuiu'de the seeds of springs decaied essence Then many flockes vnite in peace and loue Not seeking ought but naturall behoue Past quietly vncharg'd with other care Saue of their feed within that pasture faire These flockes a shepherd had of power and skill To fold and feed and saue them from all ill By whose aduise they liu'd whose wholsome voice They heard and feard with loue and did reioice Therein with melodie of song and praise And dance to magnifie his name alwaies He is their guide they are his flock and fold Nor will they be by any else controld Well knowing that whome he takes care to feed He will preserue and saue in time of need Thus liu'd this holy flocke at hearts content Till cruell beasts all set on rauishment Broke off their peace and ran vpon with rage Themselues their young and all their heritage Slitting their throats deuouring lambes and all And dissipating them that scapt their thrall Then did this iolly feast to fast transforme So askt the fury of that ragefull storme Their ioyfull song was turn'd to mournfull cries And all their gladnesse chang'd to welladaies Whereat heauen greeuing clad it selfe in black But earth in vprore triumpht at their wrack What profits then the sheepehooke of their guide Or that he lies vpon a beacons side With watchfull eie to circumscribe their traine And hath no more regard vnto their paine To saue them from such dangers imminent Say some as are so often incident T is not for that his arme wants strength to breake All proud attempts that men of might doe make Or that he will abandon vnto death His owne deare bought with exchange of his breath Nor must we thinke that though they die they perish Death dies in them and they in death reflorish And this liues losse a better life renews Which after death eternally ensues Though then their passions neuer seeme so great Yet neuer comfort wants to swage their heat Though strength of torments be extreame in durance Yet are they quencht by hopes and faiths assurance For thankfull hope if God be grounded in it Assures the heart and pacifies the spirit To them that loue and reuerence his name Prosperity betides and want of shame Thus can no tyrant pull them from the hands Of mightie God that for their safety stands Who euer sees and euer can defend Them whom he loues he loues vnto the end So that the more their furie ouer floweth The more ech one his owne destruction soweth And as they striue with God in policie So are they sooner brought to miserie Like as the sauage bore dislog'd from den And hotely chased by pursuit of men Runnes furiously on them that come him neare And gores himselfe
his head wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death he commanded one of his souldiers to kill him outright And thus this wicked murderer that had shedde the blood of many men yea of his owne brethren had his braines knockt out by a woman and died a most desperate death The bloody treacherie of Baana and Rechab 2. Sam. 4. chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth Sauls sonne in conspiring against and murdering their master whilst hee slept abode not long vnpunished for hauing cut off his head they presented it for a present to king Dauid hoping to gratifie the king Treason lib. 2. cap. 3 4. and to receiue some recompence for their paines But Dauid beeing of an vpright and true kingly heart could nor endure such vile treachery though against the person of his enemie but entertained them as most vile traitours and master murderers commaunding first their hands and feet to be cut off which they had especially imploied as instruments about that villany and afterwards caused them to be slaine and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like For the like cause was Ioab generall of king Dauids host for killing Abner traiterously who forsaking Ishbosheth had yeelded himselfe to the king cursed of Dauid with all his house Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. with a most grieuous and terrible curse And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe as to murder Amasa one of Dauids chiefe captaines making shew to salute and imbrace him 2. Sam. 20. For which cruell deed albeit that in Dauids time he receiued no punishment yet it ouertooke him at last and the same kind of crueltie which hee had so traiterously and villanously committed towards others fell vpon his owne head being himselfe also killed as he had killed others which happened in king Salomons raigne who executing the charge and commandement of his father put to death this murderer in the tabernacle of God 1. King 2. and by the altar whither he was fled as a place priuiledged for safety CHAP. VII A suit of Examples like vnto the former LEauing the Scripture wee find in other writers notable examples of this subiect Herod lib. 1. As first of Astyages king of the Medes who so much swarued from humanitie that hee gaue in straight charge that young Cyrus his owne daughters sonne now ready to be borne should be made away by some sinister practise to auoid by that meanes the danger which by a dreame was signified vnto him Notwithstanding the yong infant finding friends to preserue him aliue and growing vp by meanes of the peeres fauor to whom his grandfather by his cruell dealings was become odious obtained the crowne out of his hands and dispossessing him seated himselfe in his roome This Cirus was that mighty and awfull king of Persia whome God vsed as an instrument for the deliuery of his people out of the captiuity of Babylon as he foretold by the Prophet Isaiah who yet following kind made cruell war in many places for the space of thirty yeres and therfore it was necessary that he should tast some fruits of his insatiable and bloodthirstie desire as hee indeed did for after many great victories and conquests ouer diuers cuntries atchieued Oros lib. 2. going about to assaile Scithia also hee and his army togither were surprised ouercome and slaine to the number of two hundred thousand persons and for his shame receiued this disgrace at a womans hand who triumphing in her victory threw his head into a sacke full of blood with these tearmes Now glut thy selfe with blood which thou hast thirsted after so long time Cambyses Cyrus sonne was also so bloody and cruel a man Herod lib. 3. that one day he shot a noble mans sonne to the heart with an arrow for being admonished by his father of his drunkennes to which he was very much giuen which he did in indignation and to shew that hee was not yet so drunken but he knew how to draw his bow Hee caused his owne brother to be murdered priuily for feare hee should raigne after him and slew his sister for reproouing him for that deed In his voiage to Aethiopia when his armie was brought into so great penury of victuals that they were glad to feed vpon horse flesh hee was so cruel and barbarous that after their horses were spent hee caused them to eate one another But at his returne from Aegypt the Susians his chiefe citizens welcomed him home with rebellion and at last as hee was riding it so chanced that his sword fell out of the scabberd and himselfe vpon the point of it so that it pierced him through and so hee died After that Xerxes by his ouerbold enterprise had distuâ—bed the greatest part of the world Diodor. lib. 11. passed the sea trauersed many countries to the end to assaile Greece with innumerable forces he was ouercome both by sea by land and compelled priuily to retire into his countrie with shame discredit where he had not long beene but Artabanus the captaine of his guard killed him in his pallace by night who also after that many other mischiefes committed by him was himselfe cruelly murdered The thirtie gouernours which the Lacedemonians set ouer the Athenians by compulsion were such cruell Tyrants oppressors and bloodsuckers of the people that they made away a great part of them vntil they were chased away themselues violently and then being secretly dogged pursued were all killed one after another Pirrhus King of Epire that raigned not long after Alexander the great was naturally disposed to such a quicknesse heat of courage that he could neuer be quiet but wheÌ„ he was either doing some mischiefe to another or when another was doing some vnto him euer deuising some new practise of molestation for pastimes sake This his wild and dangerous disposition began first to shew it selfe in the death of Neoptolemus who was conioined King with him whom hauing bidden to supper in his lodging vnder pretence of sacrifice to his gods he deceitfully slew preuenting by that meanes Neoptolemus pretended purpose of poisoning him when occasion should serue After this he conquered Macedonia by armes and came into Italie to make warre with the Romanes in the behalfe of the Tarentines and gaue them battaile in the field and slew fifteene thousand of them in one day he took their campe reuoked many cities from their alliance spoiled much of their country euen to the wals of Rome and all this in a trice without breathing Againe by Ascoly he encountred them the second time where there was a great ouerthrow of ech side of fifteen thousand meÌ„ But the Romans had the worst took their heeles WheÌ„ he was intreated by the Sicilian Embassadours to lend them aid to expulse the Carthaginians out of their isle hee yeelded presently and chased them out Being recalled by the Tarentines into Italy for their succour hee was conquered
herewith he poisoned also the heires of Fredericke to the end hee might attaine vnto the crowne as Conrade his elder brother and his nephew the sonne of Henry the heire which Henry died in prison now only Conradinus remained betwixt him and the kingdome whome though he assailed to send after his father yet was his intention frustrate for the Pope thundered out his curses against him and instigated Charles duke of Angiers to make warre against him wherein bastard and vnnaturall Manfred was discomfited and slaine and cut short of his purpose for which he had committed so many tragedies Luther Martin Luther was wont to report of his owne experience this wonderfull history of a locksmith a young man riotous and vicious who to find fuell for his luxury was so bewitched that he feared not to slay his owne father and mother with a hammer to the end to gaine their mony and possessions after which cruell deed he presently went to a shomaker and bought him new shoes leauing his old behind him by the prouidence of God to be his accusers for after an houre or two the slaine bodies being found by the magistrate and inquisition made for the murderer no manner of suspition being had of him hee seeming to take such griefe thereat But the Lord that knoweth the secrets of the heart discouered his hypocrisie and made his owne shoes which he had left with the shoemaker rise vp to beare witnesse against him for the blood which ran from his fathers wounds besprinkled them so that thereof grew the suspition from thence the examination very soone the confession last of all his worthy lawfull execution From hence wee may learne for a generall truth that murder neuer so secret will euer by one means or other be discouered the Lord will not suffer it to goe vnpunished so abominable it is in his sight Another sonne at Bosil in the yere of our Lord God 1560 bought a quantitie of poison of an Apothecary Casp Hed. 4. part chron ministred it to none but to his owne father accounting him worthiest of so great a benefit which when it had effected his wish vpon him the crime being detected in stead of possessing his goods which he aimed at hee possessed a vile and shamefull death for he was drawne through the streets burnt with hot irons and tormented nine houres in a wheele till his life forsooke him As it is repugnant to nature for children to deale thus cruelly with their parents so it is more against nature for parents to murder their children insomuch as naturall affection is of greater force in the descent then in the ascent the loue that parents beare their children is greater then that which children redound to their parents because the child proceedeth from the father and not the father from the child as part of his fathers essence and not the father of his Can a man then hate his owne flesh or be a rooter out of that which himselfe planted It is rare yet sometimes it commeth to passe Howbeit as the offence is in a high degree so it is alwaies punished by some notable and high iudgement as by these examples that follow shall appeare The ancient Ammonites had an idoll called Moloch to the which they offered their children in sacrifice this idoll as the Iewes write was of a great stature and hollow within hauing seuen chambers in his hollownesse whereof one was to receiue meate another turtle doues the third a sheepe the fourth a ram the fift a calfe the sixt an oxe and the seuenth a child his hands were alwaies extended to receiue gifts and when a child was offered they were made fire hot to burne it to death none must offer the child but the father to drowne the cries of it the Chemarims for so were the priests of that idoll called made a noise with bels cymbals and hornes thus it is written that king Achab offered his son yea many of the children of Israel beside as the Prophet Dauid affirmeth They offered saith he their sonnes and daughters to deuils shed innocent blod Psal 106 37 38. euen the blood of their children whom they offered vnto the idols of Canaan and their land was defiled with blood this is the horrible crime Now mark the iudgemēt touching the Canaanites the land spued them out for their abominations Achab with his posterity was accursed himselfe being slaine by his enemies and the crowne taken from his posterity not one being left of his off-spring to pisse against the wal according to the saying of Elias as for the Iewes the Prophet Dauid in the same place declareth their punishment when he saith That the wrath of the Lord was kindled Vers 40. and he abhorred his inheritance and gaue them into the hands of the heathen that they that hated them were lords ouer them In the yeere of our Lord 1551 in a towne of Hassia called Weidenhasten Iob. Fincel llb. 1. de mirac the 20 day of Nouember a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut vp all her dores and began to murder her foure children on this manner shee snatcht vp a sharpe axe and first set vpon her eldest sonne being but eight yeeres old searching him out with a candle behind a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints claue his head in two peeces and chopped off both his armes next shee killed her daughter of fiue yeeres old after the same manner another little boy of three yeeres of age seeing his mothers madnes hid himselfe poore infant behind the gate whome assoone as the tygre espied she drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the youngest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeere old him shee without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the deuill incarnate for certen no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit shee suruiued nine daies and confessing her fault died with teares and repenrance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of his vengeance Theatr. hist The like tragicall accident we read to haue happened at Cutzenborff a city in Silesia in the yeere 1536 to a woman and her three children who hauing slaine them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like maner also to make vp the tragedie Concerning stepmothers it is a world to read how many horrible murders they haue vsually practised vpō their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their owne brood or at least to reuenge some iniury supposed to be done vnto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a tast out of many hundred leauing the residue to the iudgement and reading of the learned Constantius the sonne of