after heard of This history is recorded in the Annales of the aforenamed city and avouched to be most true being a notable and fearefull admonition to all parents to set their children to learning and instruction and to withdraw them from all such vaine and foolish pastimes CHAP. II. Of those that rebell against their Superiors NOw as it is a thing required by law and reason that children beare that honour and reverence to their naturall parents which is commanded so it is necessary by the same respect that all subjects performe that duty of honour and obedience to their Lords Princes and Kings which is not derogatory to the glory of God the rather because they are as it were their fathers in supplying that duty towards their subjects which fathers owe their children as namely in maintaining their peace and tranquility in earthly things and keeping them under the discipline of Gods Church to which two ends they were ordained For this cause the Scripture biddeth every man to be subject to the higher powers not so much to avoid the punishment which might befall the contrary as because it is agreeable to the will of God And in another place To honour the King and To give unto Caesar that which is Caesars as unto God that which is Gods So also in Moses law wee are forbidden to detract from or speake evill of the Magistrate or to curse the Ruler of the people Yet for all this the children of Israel were not afraid many times to commit this sin but then especially when they charged Moses with conspiring the murther of those Rebels that under Corah Dathan and Abiram Captaines of that enterprise set themselves against him and Aaron whom not he but God for their pride and stubburnnesse had rooted out and destroyed and thus they backbited and slandered Moses and mutined against him being their soveraigne Magistrate and Conductor that so meekly and justly had brought them out of Egypt even by the speciall commission of Almighty God But the fury of Gods displeasure was so stirred up against them for this their fact that they were scourged with a grievous plague whereof dyed about foure thousand and seven hundred persons In the time of King Davids flight from Absalom who pursued him to bereave him of his kingdome there was one Semei a Ieminite that in his wicked and perverse humour in stead of service done unto his Soveraigne especially in that extremity not only presented not himselfe unto him as a subject but as a railer cursed him with most reproachfull tearmes as of murtherer and wicked man and also threw stones at him and his followers in most despightfull manner for which his malitious and rebellious act though whilest David lived he was not once called in question yet was he not exempted from punishment therefore for in the end his wickednesse fell upon his owne head and destruction overtooke him by desert of another fault at the commandement of Solomon The punishment of Shiba the sonne of Bichri tarried not all so long who having also with a proud and audacious heart stirred up the greatest part of Israel to rebell against David then when he thought to have been most at quiet enjoyed not long his disloyall enterprise for being speedily pursued by Davids servants and besieged in the city Abel his head was cut off by the citizens and throwne over the wall as a just reward for his rebellious act But let us passe over these sacred histories and come to prophane yet probable and more neere examples When Camillus besieged the Phalischi a people in Hetruria neere to mount Floscon a Schoolemaster of the city who had the rule over the chiefe mens sons both touching instruction and governance led them out of the city gates one day in shew to walke but indeed to betray them into Camillus hands which unfaithfull dealing Camillus did not onely mislike but detest and refuse thinking it an unhonest part by such finister meanes to bring even his enemies in subjection and therefore reproving the trustlesse Schoolmaster and binding his hands behind his back he gave every one of his schollers a rod with commandement to whip him backe unto the parents whom hee had pretended so to deceive A most noble act in Camillus would wee could finde the like among Christians and a most deserved punishment of the Schoolmaster would no traitor might be served better Neither might that worthy Romane repent his deed for the Phalischi in admiration and love of this notable justice freely yeelded themselves and their city to him which otherwise in long time and without great effusion of bloud he could not have atchieved Did Tarpeia the daughter of Sp. Tarpeius speed any better when shâ—t betrayed the tower whereof her father was the overseer to Tatius King of the Sabines who at that season besieged Rome upon condition of a summe of gold or as other writers say of all that the souldiers wore on their left hands No verily for the Sabines as soon as they had obtained their purpose overwhelmed her with her left hand gifts to wit their shields and not their rings and bracelets which she hoped to the end to leave an example to the posterity how no promise nor oath ought to be of force to traitors to keep them from punishment Neither did these noble young men of Rome amongst whom were the Consull Brutus sonnes come to any better issue when they conspired to receive King Tarquinius into the city by night who by the vertue and valour of their father was worthily expulsed for their secret and wicked counsell being bewrayed to the Consuls Iunius and Pub. Valerius by Vindicio a bondslave they were apprehended having letters about them written to Tarquinius to the same effect and being condemned were first shamefully scourged with rods and after executed to death Pausanias King of Sparta having conspired with the Persians against his own countrey and as it were offered violence to his owne bowels fled into the Sanctuary of Pallas for reliefe when he saw the Ephori to go about to call him in question for his treason Now whereas it was irrelegious to take him from thence by violence they agreed to shut him up there continually and so to pine him to death Which when his mother understood she was the first person that brought a stone to stop up the doores to hinder him from getting forth and therein shewed a notable example of godly cruelty to her childe and cruell pitty to her countrey approving that saying of Aristippus who being demanded why hee neglected his sonne being borne of his body answered Doe wee not cast from us lice and flegme which are also bred of our bodies Insinuating That they which have nothing to commend them to their parents but generation are not to be esteemed as children much lesse they that degenerate When Brennus Captaine of the Gaules brother to Belinus and sonne to
the world are Idolaters and full of superstition worship Images stockes and stones and pray to creatures in stead of the Creator God forbiddeth us to sweare by his name in vaine and yet what is more rise than that so that a man can heare nothing else but oaths and blasphemies Many for the least trifle in the world sticke not to sweare and forsweare themselves God forbiddeth theft murther adultery and false witnesse bearing and yet nothing so common as backbitings slanders forgeries false reports whoredomes cousenings robberies extortions and all manner of envies enmities God hath commanded that we love our neighbours as our selves but we in stead of love hate despise and seeke to procure the hurt and damage of one another not regarding any thing but our owne peculiar profit and advantage Is not this a manifest and profest disobedience and intolerable rebellion against our Maker What childe is there that is not bound to honour and reverence his father What servant that is not bound to obey his master and to doe all that he shall will him What subject that is not tied in subjection to his Prince and Soveraigne Yet there is not one which will not confesse yea and sweare too with his mouth That God is his Lord and Father Which if it be true what is then the cause that in stead of serving and pleasing him they doe nothing else but displease and offend his Majesty Is not this the way to provoke his wrath and stirre up his indignation against them Is it any marvell if he be incensed with anger if hee be armed with revenge and send abroad his cruell scourges upon the earth to strike and whip it withall Is it any wonder if hee pile up the wicked ones on heaps and shoot out his revengefull arrowes against them and make them drunken with their owne bloud and make his sword of justice as sharp as a rasor to punish those Rebels that have rebelled against him For vengeance is mine saith he and belongeth only unto me Whosoever therefore he be that followeth the desires and concupiscence of his owne flesh and this wicked world and shall lead a life contrary to the instruction and ordinance of the law of God yea although he never heard thereof yet is hee guilty thereof and worthy to be accursed for so much as his owne conscience ought to serve for a law unto himselfe by the which he is condemned in those evill actions which hee committeth even as Paul saith All that have sinned without the Law shall likewise perish without the Law CHAP. VI. How the greatest Monarchs in the World ought to be subject to the Law of God and consequently the Lawes of Man and Nature EVery man confesseth this to be true That by how much the more benefits and dignity he hath received from another by so much he is the more bounden and beholden to him now it is so that Kings and Princes are those upon whom God hath bestowed more plentifully his gifts and graces than upon any other whom hee hath made as it were his Lievtenants in the world for hee hath extolled and placed them above others and bedecked them with honour giving them power and authority to rule and raigne by putting people in subjection to them and therefore so much the more are they bound to re-acknowledge him againe to the end to doe him all honour and homage which is required at their hands Therefore David exhorteth them to serve the Lord even with reverence This then their high and superintendent estate is no priviledge to exempt them from the subjection and obedience which they owe unto God whom they ought to reverence above all things Yee Princes and high Lords saith the Prophet give you unto the Lord eternall glory and strength give unto him glory due unto his name and cast your selves before him to do him reverence If they owe so much honour unto God as to their Soveraigne then surely it must follow that they ought to obey his voice and feare to offend him and so much the rather because hee is a great deale more strong and terrible than they able to cause his horrible thunderbolts to tumble upon their heads they being not able once to withstand his puissance but constrained very often to tremble thereat In all that prescription and ordinance ordained and set down by God concerning the office of Kings there is no mention made of any liberty he giveth them to live after their owne lusts and to doe every thing that seemeth good in their own eyes but hee enjoyneth them expresly to have alwaies with them the booke of his Law delighteth to reade and meditate therein and thereby to learne to feare and reverence his name by observing all the precepts that are contained in that booke As for civill and naturall Lawes insomuch as they are founded upon equity and right for otherwise they were no Lawes therein they are agreeable to and as it were dependents on the Law of God as is well declared by Cicero in the first and second booke of his Lawes for even they also condemne theeves adulterers murtherers parricides and such like If then Princes be subject to the Law of God as I am about to shew there is no doubt but that they are likewise subject to those civill Lawes by reason of the equity and justice which therein is commended unto us And if as Plato saith the Lawes ought to be above the Prince not the Prince above the Lawes it is then most manifest that the Prince is tyed unto the Lawes even in such sort that without the same the government which hee swayeth can never be lawfull and commendable And if it be true that the Magistrate is or ought to be a speaking Law as it is said and ought to maintaine the authority and credit thereof by the due and upright administration of Iustice for if hee did not this he were a dumbe Law and without life how is it possible that he should make it of authority and force with others if hee despiseth and transgresseth it himselfe David did never assume so much to himselfe as to desire to have liberty to doe what hee listed in his Kingdome but willingly submitted himselfe to that which his office and duty required making even then when he was installed and established King over the whole Land a Covenant of peace with the Princes and Deputies of the people and we know that in every covenant and bargaine both parties are bound to each other by a mutuall bond to performe the conditions which they are agreed upon The like is used at the coronation of Christian Kings whereas the people is bound and sworne to doe their alleagance to their Kings so the Kings are also solemnely sworne to maintaine and defend true Religion the estate of Iustice the peace and tranquillity of their subjects and the right and priviledges which are nothing but the Lawes of the Realme
maintained the truth should be banished suddenly he was stroken with an inward and invisible plague which took away his life and forestalled his wicked and cruell determination from comming to the desired effect In all which examples we may see how God doth not onely punish heretiques themselves but also their favorers and supporters yea the very places and cities wherein they lived and broached their blasphemies as by the destruction of Antioch is seene which being a very sinke of hereticks was partly consumed with fire from Heaven above in the seventh yeare of Iustinus the Emperour and partly overthrowne with earth-quakes below wherein Euphrasius the Bishop and many other were destroyed Moreover besides those there were under Pope Innocent the third certaine heretickes called Albigenses or Albiani which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were affirmed that there were two Gods the one good and another evill they denied the Resurrection despised the Sacraments and said that the soules of men after their separation passed either into hogs oxen serpents or men according to their merits they would not spare to pollute the Temples appointed for the service of God with their excrements and other filthy actions and to defile the holy Bibles with ruine in despight and contumely This heresie like an evill weed so grew and increased that the branches thereof spread over almost all Europe a thousand cities were polluted therewith so that it was high time to cut it short by violence and the sword as it was for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter that an hundred thousand of them were slaine partly by war partly by fire at one time Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall Monk of Bordeaux that by the help of Magicke wrought miracles and tooke upon him the name and title of Christ saying hee could cure diseases and restore those that were past help by physick unto their healths hee went attired with garments made of goats haire and an hood professing an austerity of life abroad whereas he plaid the glutton at home but at length his cousenage was discovered and he was banished the city as a man unfit for civill society In the yeare of our Lord God 1204 in the Empire of Otto the fourth there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the Sacrament and said that God spake as well in prophane Ovid as holy Augustine he scoffed at the doctrine of the Resurrection and esteemed heaven and hell but as an old wives fable Hee being dead his disciples were brought forth into a large field neere Paris and there in the presence of the French King degraded and burnt the dead carkasse of Almaricus being taken out of the Sepulchre and burnt amongst them it fell out that whilest they were in burning there arose so huge a tempest that heaven and earth seemed to move out of their places wherein doubtlesse the soules of these wicked men felt by experience that hell was no fable but a thing and such a thing as waited for all such Rebels against God as they were Anastasius Emperour of Constantinople being corrupted with the heresie of Eutiches published an Edict wherein all men were commanded to worship God not under three persons as a Trinity but as a Quaternity containing it in foure persons and could not by any counsell be brought from that devillish error but repelled from him divers Bishops with great reproach which came to perswade him to the contrary for which cause not long after a flash of lightning from Heaven suddenly seised upon him and so hee perished when he had raigned twenty eight yeares Iustinus the second also who after the death of Iustinian obtained the Imperiall Crowne was a man of exceeding pride and cruelty contemning poverty and murthering the Nobility for the most part In avarice his desire was so insatiate that he caused iron chests to be prepared wherein he might locke up that treasure which by unjust exactions he had extorted from the people Notwithstanding all this he prospered well enough untill he fell into the heresie of Pelagius soone after which the Lord bereft him of his wits and shortly aster of his life also when hee had raigned eleven yeares Mahomet by birth an Arabian and by profession one of the most monstrous hereticks that ever lived began his heresie in the yeare 625. His off-spring was out of a base stocke for being fatherlesse one Abdemonoples a man of the house of Ismael bought him for his slave and loved him greatly for his favour and wit for which cause he made him ruler over his merchandise and other businesse Now in the meane while one Sergius a Monk flying for heresie into Arabia instructed him in the heresie of Nestorius a while after his Master died without children and left behinde him much riches and his wife a widow of fifty yeares of age whom Mahomet married and when she died was made heire of all her riches So that now what for his wealth and cunning in Magick he was had in high honour among the people Wherefore by the counsell of Sergius hee called himselfe the great Prophet of God And shortly after when his fame was published he devised a Law and kinde of Religion called Alcaron wherein hee borrowed something almost of all the heresies that were before his time with the Sabellians he denied the Trinity with the Maniches he said there was but two persons in the Deity he denied the equality of the Father with the Sonne with Eunomius and said with Macedone that the Holy Ghost was a creature and approved the community of women with the Nicholaits he borrowed of the Jewes circumcision and of the Gentiles much superstition and somewhat he tooke of the Christian verity besides many devillish fantasies invented of his owne braine those that obeyed his Law he called Sarazins Now after he had lived in these monstrous abuses forty yeares the Lord cut him off by the falling sicknesse which he had dissembled a long time saying when he was taken therewith that the Angell Gabriel appeared unto him whose brightnesse hee could not behold but the Lord made that his destruction which be imagined would be for his honour and setting forth his Sect. Infinite be the examples of the destruction and judgement of private Heretiques in all ages and therefore we will content our selves with them that be most famous In the yeare of our Lord 1561 and the third yeare of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth there was in London one William Geffery that constantly avouched a companion of his called Iohn Moore to bee Christ our Saviour and could not bee reclaimed from this mad perswasion untill hee was whipped from Southwarke to Bedlam where the said Moore meeting him was whipped also untill they both confessed Christ to bee in Heaven and themselves to bee sinfull and wicked men But most strange it is how divers sensible and wise men
King of England sonne of Geffrey Plantagenet and Maud the Empresse after he had raigned twenty yeares was content to admit his young sonne Henry married to Margaret the French Kings daughter into participation of his Crowne but he like an unnaturall son to requite his fathers love sought to dispossesse him of the whole for by inciting the King of France and certaine other Nobles hee tooke armes and raised warre against his owne naturall father betwixt whom divers strong battels being fought as well in England by the Deputies and friends of both parties as also in Normandy Poytou Guian and Britain the victory alwayes inclined to the father so that the rebellious son with his allies were constrained to bend to his fathers will and to desire peace which he gently granted and forgave his offence Howbeit the Lord for his disobedience did not so lightly pardon him but because his hasty mind could not tarry for the Crowne till his fathers death therefore the Lord cut him short of it altogether causing him to die six yeares before his father being yet but young and like to live long Lothair King of Soissons in France committed the rule of the province of Guian to his eldest son Cramiris who when contrary to the mind of his father he oppressed the people with exactions and was reclaimed home he like an ungratious and impious son fled to his uncle Childebert and provoked him towarre upon his owne father wherein he himselfe was by the just vengeance of God taken and burned with his wife and children to death Furthermore it is not doubtlesse but to a very good end enacted in the law of God That he which curseth his father or mother should die the death and that rebellious children and such as be incorrigible should at the instance and pursuit of their owne parents by order of law be stoned to death As children by all these examples ought not onely to learne to feare to displease and revile their parents but also to feare and reverence them lest that by disobedience they kindle the fire of Gods wrath against them so likewise on the other side parents are here advertised to have great care in bringing up and instructing their children in the feare of God and obedience to his will lest for want of instruction and correction on their part they themselves incurre a punishment of their carelesse negligence in the person of their children And this is proved by experience of the men of Bethel of whose children two and forty were torne in pieces by Beares for that they had been so evill taught as to mocke the holy Prophet Elizeus in calling him bald-pate Heli likewise the high priest was culpable of this fault for having two wicked and perverse sonnes whom no feare of God could restraine being discontent with that honourable portion of the sacrifices allotted them by God like famished and unsatiable wretches fell to share out more than was their due and by force to raven all that which by faire meanes they could not get and that which is worse to pollute the holy Tabernacle of God with their filthy whoredomes in such sort that the Religion of God grew in disgrace through their prophane dealings And albeit it may seem that their father did his duty in some sort when he admonished and reproved them yet it is manifest by the reprehension of the man of God that he did no part of that at all or if he did yet it was in so carelesse loose and cold manner using more lenity than hee ought or lesse severity than was necessary that God turned their destructions when they were slaine at the overthrow of Israel by the Philistins to be his punishment for understanding the dolefull newes of his sonnes death and the Arkes taking at once he fell backewards from his stoole and burst his necke being old and heavy even fourescore and eighteene yeares of age not able either to help or stay himselfe David also was not free from this offence for hee so much cockered some of his children that they proved the greatest plagues and scourges unto him especially Absolon and Adonijah for the one openly rebelled against him and almost drove him out of his kingdome the other usurped the title and honour of the kingdome before his fathers death of this it is recorded That David so cockered and pampered him that he would never displease him from his youth But see how he was punished in them for this too great lenity both of them came to an untimely death and proved not onely the workers of their owne destruction but also great crosses to their father Ludovicus Vives saith That in his time a certain woman in Flanders did so much pamper and cocker up two of her sonnes even against her husbands will that she would not suffer them to want money or any thing which might furnish their roiotous life both in drinking banquetting and dicing yea she would stoale from her husband to minister unto them but as soone as her husband was dead she was justly plagued in them both for they fell from royoting to robbing which two vices are commonly linked together and for the same one of them was executed by the sword and the other by the halter she her selfe looking on as a witnesse of their destructions whereof her conscience told her that her indulgence was the chiefest cause Hither may we referre that common and vulgar story and I suppose very true which is almost in every childes mouth of him that going to the gallowes desired to speake with his mother in her care ere he dyed and when she came unto him in stead of speaking bit off her care with his teeth exclaiming upon her as the causer of his death because she did not chastise him in his youth for his faults but by her flatteries established him in vice which brought him to this wofull end and herein she was doubly punished both in her sonnes destruction and her owne infamy whereof she carried about her a continuall maâ—ke This ought to be a warning to all parents to looke better to the education of their children and to root out of them in time all evill and corrupt manners lest of small sprigs they grow to branches and of qualities to habits and so either be hardly done off or at least deprave the whole body and bring it to destruction but above all to keep them from idlenesse and vaine pleasures the discommodity and mischiefe whereof this present example will declare At a towne called Hannuel in Saxony the Devill transforming himselfe into the shape of a man exercised many jugling trickes and pretty pastime to delight young men and maids withall and indeed to draw after him daily great companies one day they followed him out of the city gates unto a hill adjoyning where he played a jugling tricke indeed with them for he carried them all away with him so that they were never
many more whose hearts are passionate with love are blindfolded after the same sort like as poeticall Cupid is fained to be that not knowing what they take in hand they fall headlong into destruction ere they be aware Let us then be here advertised to pray unto God that he would purifie our drossie hearts and divert our wandring eyes from beholding vanity to be seduced thereby CHAP. XXXVI Of unlawfull gestures Idlenesse Gluttony Drunkennesse Dancing and other such like dissolutenesse LIke as if we would carry our selves chastly and uprightly before God it behoveth us to avoid all filthinesse and adultery so we must abstain from uncivill and dishonest gestures which are as it were badges of concupiscence and coales to set lust on fire and instruments to injure others withall From hence it was that Pompey caused one of his souldiers eyes to be put out in Spaine for thrusting his hand under a womans garment that was a Spaniard and for the same or like offence did Sertorius command a footman of his band to be cut in pieces O that we had in these daies such minded captaines that would sharply represse the wrongs and ravishments which are so common and usuall amongst men of war at this day and so uncontrolled they would not then doubtlesse be so rise and common as in these daies they are Kissing is no lesse to be eschewed than the former if it be not betwixt those that are tyed together by some bond of kindred or affinity as it was by antient custome of the Medes and Persians and Romanes also according to the report of Plutarch and Seneca and that which is more Tiberius Caesar forbad the often and daily practise thereof in that kinde as a thing not to be freqented but rather utterly abhorred though it be amongst kinsfolkes themselves It was esteemed an indignity among the Graecians to kisse any maid that was not in blood or assinity allyed unto them as it manifestly appeareth by the earnest suit and request of the wife of Pisistratus the Tyran of Athens to put to death a young man for kissing her daughter in the streets as he met her although it was nothing but love that moved him thereto Saint Augustine also affirmeth That he which wantonly kisseth a woman that is not his wife deserveth the whip It is true that the holy Scripture often mentioneth kissing but either betwixt father and childe or brethren or kinsfolkes or at least in a manner of salutation betwixt one another of acquaintance according to the custome of the people of God and sometimes also it is mentioned as a token of honour and reverence which the subject performeth to his superiour in this action In the former ages Christians used to kisse also but so that it was ever betwixt parties of acquaintance and in such sort that by this manner of greeting they testified to each other their true and sincere charity peace and union of heart and soule in the Lord. Such chearings and loving embracings were pure and holy not lascivious and wanton like the kisses of prophane and leacherous wretches and strumpets whereof Solomon maketh mention Furthermore every man ought to shun all meanes and occasions which may induce or entice them to uncleanenesse and amongst the rest especially Idlenesse which cannot chuse but be as it were a wide doore and passage for many vices to enter by as by experience we see in those that occupy themselves about no good nor profitable exercises but mispend their time in trifling and doing nothing and their wits either upon vaine and foolish conceit to the hurt of others or upon lascivious and unchaste thoughts to their owne overthrow whereas on the contrary to them that are well employed either in body or minde no such thing betideth wherefore wee ought to be here advertised every one of us to apply our selves to some honest and seemly trade answerable to our divers and severall estates and conditions and not to suffer our selves to be overgrowne with Idlenesse lest thereby we fall into mischiefe for whom the adversary that malicious and wicked one findeth in that case he knowes well how to fit them to his purpose and to set them about filthy and pernitious services Next to idlenesse the too much pampering the body with dainty and much food is to be eschewed for like as a fat and well fed horse winceth and kicketh against his rider so the pampered flesh rebelleth against God and a mans owne selfe This fulnesse of bread and abundance of â—â—shly delights was the cause of the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrah and therefore our Saviour to good purpose warneth us to take heed to our selves that we be not oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and the Apostle to take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof but to walke honestly not being given to gluttony and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse and in another place not to be drunke with wine wherein is excesse for besides the losse of time and mispence of goods the grievous diseases and pangs of the body and dulling and besotting of the wit which spring from intemperance many other great evils depend and wait thereon as whoredomes adulteries uncleannesses quarrels debates murders with many other such like disorders and mischiefes Noah that holy Patriarch by drinking too much wine not only discovered his owne shame but also was the occasion of that cruell curse which the Lord sent upon the posterity of Cham which even to this day lyeth heavy upon them Lot though he hated the sin of Sodome and escaped the punishment of Sodome yet being overcome with the wine of the mountaines he committed incest with his owne daughters and made a new Sodome of his owne family Balthasar rioting and revelling amongst his pots had the end both of life and kingdome denounced against him by a bodilesse hand-writing upon the wall the Lords decree Whilest Holofernes besotted his sences with excesse of wine and good cheare Iudith found meanes to cut off his head The Emperours Septimius Severus and Iovinianus dyed with eating and drinking too much Likewise a certaine African called Donitius overcharged his stomacke with so much food at supper that he dyed therewith Gregory of Tours reporteth of Childericke a Saxon that glutted himselfe so full of meat and drink over night that in the morning he was found choked in his bed In our memory there was a Priest in Rovergne neare Milan that dining with a rich farmer for his yeares dinner cheared himselfe so well and filled his belly so full that it burst in two and he dyed suddenly Alexander the great having invited many of his favourites and captaines to supper propounded a crowne in reward to him that should drinke most now the greatest drinker swallowed up foure steanes of wine and woon the prize being in value worth six hundred crownes but lost his life a jewell of greater