welnéere of all Italy is cleane shut out of the kingdom of Naples the Dukedom of Florence Ferrara Mantua Millaine Parma Vennis the state of Genua c. so that to come to his segniorie of Bologna he is driuen to the lower way by Racâ—…onati Maddona de Loreto Ancona and by exchange with the Duke of Vrbin patcheth a passage so that in respect of her ancient limits this proud Eagle is welniâ—…h brought into the case of Platoes cocke with neuer a feather on her back the end of this Eagle shall be confusion the text so saieth the lion shal rebuke her vnrighteousnes rent her asunder shal deliuer the rest of the people of trouble make theÌ„ ioifull The Lion of England euen King Henry the 8. and his posterity hath made a faire reuealement of this prophesie the godly expect that the Eagle shall vanish to nothing with the thundering blasts that the English Lion hath shal storme vpoÌ„ her she feareth the same therfore bendeth all her secret forces to disquiet the Lion S. Augustine long ago séeing certaine english boies to be sold as slaues in Rome thus prophesied bene vocantur angeli quia nitent vt angeli in quo regno euangelium dei florebit they are properly called English-men because they shine as Angels in which kingdome the Gospell of Christ shall floorish The learned Doctor Erasmus writing a paraphrase of the foure Euangelists dedicated the first to the Emperour the second to the french King the third to the noble King Henry and the fourth to the Emperours brother the Pope was wiped out of his trauell as one not destined to haue the protection of this pretious iewell To King Henry the eight he dedicated his paraphrase of S. Luke and in his Epistle wrote that he had sent him Luke the Physition by circumstances reputed his Maiestie through his godly and religious procéedings to be the spirituall Physition that by the working of the holy Ghost purged the soules of many from the grosse errors of Antichrist I leane not so much to these moderne prophises although there be a common Prouerbe Vox populi vox dei the Scriptures giueth light sufficient that from these partes the Gospell of our Sauiour should be visibly reuiued In the fourth Chapter of Cantica Canticorum be these words Vp thou north wind and blow vpon my Garden that the smell thereof may be caried on euery side yea then my beloued may come into his Garden and eate of the sweete fruite that growe therein This winde is vp at the Almighties call his commission is well blasted abroade This noble King Henry as it is interpreted this Lion this winde ordained and sent of God first shooke the wicked tyrant of Rome first blewe the blast that hath almost blowne his authoritie out of all Christendome The Pope in his quarrell almost armed all Christian princes against this Lion but they feared or failed to do him hurt In the Popes quarrell many seditions were sowen in England in fearing the communaltie that the King would begger them with impositions The Northerne men openlie rebelled and the whole realme was in armes readie bent against their proper intrailes but God frustrated the deuisers counsels and preserued vs from the wilfull murther of our selues When the kings power and the rebels were ready to méete he parted the armies with a suddaine swelling of the water while after a parle the Rebels were willing to acknowledge their faults and with the kings gratious pardon departed to their owne houses a wonderfull prouidence of God that would not haue the rebels perish in their ignorance nor the good subiects murthered in so vnnaturall a battaile The vngratious Cardinal Poole stirred a great power in France but the french were more afraid to venter then was king Henry in his aged daies that they woulde enter into England His mind was inuinsible and euen of God all his procéedings were blessed their happy successe testified no lesse who in the 37. yeare of his triumphant raigne ended his life in peace whose death made England vnhappy in that the most toward and godly prince Edward the sixt his only sonne and heire of the Crowne was of so tender age CHAP. 5. A sommarie of the most excellent gifts of King Edward the sixt THe godly and most toward yong Prince King Edward the sixt being but of the age of nine yeares began his raigne the 31. of Ianuarie 1546. This prince in his tender age was indued with such towardnesse wisedome learning and all goodly gifts as Europe seldome or neuer fostered the like By reason of his tender yeares the Duke of Somerset his vncle was made Protector both of the King and his Realme who for the discretnesse of his speach the wisedome of his behauiour and vertue that accompanied all his actions was worthely reputed to be better able to gouerne at tenne then many princes at thirtie yeares of age There wanted no gift of nature learning or education that might renowne a good King but that mightely grew in his yong yeares as the vndoubted heire not only of the crowne but of all the vertues of his most noble father He aduanced the Gospell to which by Gods holie spirit his godly father gaue frée passage in England whose deuout zeale witnessed that this heauenly blessing was no lesse planted by his Grace by his godly councels and wisedome By his especiall request and letters the Citizens of London erected thrée néedefull Hospitals viz. for the sicke and aged they erected S. Thomas Hospitall in Southwarke for the fatherlesse child and infant they erected Christes Hospitall and for the sturdy vagabond they erected Bridewell by his godly meanes this charitable worke was sowne His wonderfull victory against the Scots may not be forgotten where was slaine 13000. Scots and but 60. Englishmen And truly if his subiects would haue béen imitators of his pietie charitie temperance and other christian duties their enuy ambition crueltie and other gréeuous sinnes had not so highly moued Gods wrath as that his vengeance would not suffer vs in any perfect yéeres to enioy this right gratious King Edward sample of all goodnes and by his death for a time reaued vs of the fruition of the Gospell the foode of our soules and in place of both to further punish our vnthankefulnesse he sent vs a prince that held a hard hand ouer vs that not only stopped the passage of the Gospell but persecuted the godly professors thereof euen Quéene Mary good King Edwards sister part of whose actions followeth CHAP. 6. An abstract out of the proceedings of Queene Mary LADY Mary the eldest daughter of king Henry the eight began her raigne ouer the realme of England the sixt of Iuly 1553. Touching her naturall disposition she was vertuouslie and well giuen but by reason that her bringing vp was vnder Papists and her youth throughlie instructed in the superstitions of Papistrie anone after that she was setled in her
the 1. 2. daies assault the 3. day the people fed with a vaine hope of mercy set open the gates and with their wiues children cloathed all in white hauing Oliue branches in their handes they humbly beséeched grace but Tamberlaine in place of compassion caused his squadrons of horsemen to tread them vnder their féete and not to leaue a mothers child a liue and afterwardes he leuiled the city with the ground At that time there was a marchaunt of Genowa somewhat fauored of Tamberlaine pittying the cruelty boldly demanded why he shewed such cruelty to those that yéelded and beséeched pardon whō Tamberlaine with a countenance fiered with fury answered thou supposest that I am a mā but thou art deceiued for I am no other then the ire of God and the destruction of the world and therfore sée thou come no more in my sight least I chastē thy ouer proud boldnes The marchant made spéed away was neuer afterwards séene in the campe And in truth Tamberlain although he was endued with many excellencies vertues yet it séemed by his cruelty the God raysed him to chasten the kings proud people of the earth In the ende this great personage without disgrace of fortune after sūdry great victories by the course of nature died left behind him two sons euery way far vnlike their father betwéen whō enuy sowed such dissention that through their incapacities to gouern the conquests of their Father the children of Baiazet whom they kept prisoners stole into Asia so won the people to disobedience as they recouered the goods possessions that their father lost The like did other kings princes whō Tamberlaine had spoyled in so much as in small time this Empire was so abased that many dayes agoe there was no remembrance left either of him or his linage saue that Baptista Ignatius a great searcher of antiquities saith that the successors of Tamberlaines sons possessed the prouinces conquered by him about the riuer of Euphrates vntil the time of king Vsancasan according to the opinion of some writers of the heyres of this Vsancasan was chosen the first Sophy who to this day to the benefit of all christendō maintaineth mortall wars against the great Turk But it séemeth that their empire was cleane ended for as it is set down in the chapter of the great Turke one named Ismaell a false Prophet gathered a multitude of the cōmom people together of whom by continual fauor of time and fortune the Sophy is growne of power to incounter the great Turke And herein although the lightnes inconstancy of the common people be heretofore noted yet occasion here and in sundry places ministreth matter to blame their enuious and froward dispositions there was neuer inuention so fantasticke nor captaine so wicked that they refused to follow they erected the tirannous empires of the Sophy the great Turk Tamberlaine and ouer threw the famous and prudent gouernments of Athens Lacedemonia Rome c. The Swizers enuying the authority of their nobility gentlemen by generall consent slew them al euer since haue bene gouerned by that base gouerment called Democratia where mecanical people haue the only segniorie a gouermēt which resembleth a monster with many heads yet they all haue neither will nor capacitie to cherish vertue learning worthy enterprises the beauties and strength of a good common wealth Neuertheles Iosua simler of zurich in his booke of the Swizers common wealth both for their militarie discipline in war and sound administration of iustice in peace compareth the gouerment of their Cantons vnto the common wealth of the Venetians time and necessity hath much reformed the same from their originall and yet how be it he greatly praiseth their iustice yet his owne report thus much testifieth of their weaknes that to martiall and gouern their wars they haue bene oftentimes driuen to obey and follow the direction of forraine captaines which lamenes in a common wealth can neuer be but an open blemish and a secret daunger For a perfect common wealth resembleth a well proportioned man wherof the military defence resembleth his handes which being maimed or cut off bring misery to the whole body CHAP. 13. The calamitie and seruile bondage of Portugall vnder the gouernment of Phillip king of Castile c. by the aduenturous battaile and death of Sebastian king of Portugal the 5. of August 1578. and especially by the enuious malice of Henry which succeeded in suppressing the lawfull title of Don Anthonio the now reputed king THe renowne of the kingdome of Portugall both for the commodities of the naturall countrey as for the wonderfull riches of the east and west Indies with diuers cities and townes in Africa subiected annexed to the crowne equalled of lateyéeres the fame of most christian gouernments and certainely at this day the calamity and bondage of the people by the conquest and violent rule of the king of Spaine requireth the compassion and reliefe of all true Christian princes the groundes and causes of whose miseries follow By succession of time and lawful decent Sebastian was crowned king of Portugal whose vertues outward giftes promised great honor vnto his kingdom but the inconstancy of worldly dignity is liuelye figured in his much lamented death king Sebastian being about the age of 24. yéeres vpon the earnest labour suite of Mulei Mahumet king as he pretended of Fez and Marocoes who by Mulei Maluco his brother was driuen foorth of the kingdome condescended with a puissant army to passe into Africa to restore this Mulei Mahumet to his kingdome the enterprise agréed with the magnanimity and greatnes of yong king Sebastians mind besides to relieue and restore this expulsed king among indifferent iudges was a matter of great honor and vertue so that resolutely to execute his promise king Sebastian departed with his armye from Lisbone in Iune 1578. and ariued at a port in Castile called el puerto de Sancta Maria where he tried the breach of the king of Spaine his vncles promise which was the ayde of 50. Gallies and 4000. armed souldiours neuertheles the sayd king Sebastian like as he was a magnanimous prince hauing a 1000. sayle of ships in a readines pursued his voyage landed his army in Africa to the number of 15000. fighting men and on the 5. of August in the same yéere in a plaine field called Alcazar there was a most fierce battaile fought betwéen him and the enemy wherin the yong king Sebastian and Mulei Mahumet whose part he tooke were both ouer come and slaine in the field Neither did Mulei Maluco the king their enemy escape for with sicknes wearines he died during the battaile a battaile very vnfortunate wherein neither party gained and most rare and worthy of remembrance that thrée kinges were slaine in the same and aboue 600. of the chiefest nobility and Gentlemen of Portugall After the death of king
reported that his notorious crimes exceeded the dayes of his age which I ouerpasse as examples necessary for other purposes and vnto this impious parte I will ioyne this following crueltie Upon a day one tolde this naughtie Emperour that his cosen Mamertius Antomenes resembled him in comelynesse of bodie and magnanimitie of minde vpon which report Commodus pronounced death both vpon the reporter and his innocent cousen holding it for reason that it appertained to no man to vaunt lesse to resemble him and in my opinion if Antomenes resembled him in deuilish qualities death was too easie a scourge for so lewde a life Mulla Abdula father of Moley Mahumet commonly called the blacke king in whose cause the mortall battaile betwéene the king of Portugall and Amoley Muluco king of Fees was fought the 5. of August 1578. as in the alteration of the latter common weales by enuy shal be more largely shewen vpon an enuious suggestion that his brethren by the priuity in nature and bloud loked to liue in greater liberty then subiectes by the assistaunce of a noble man of the countrey called Alcatho Alley caused the throates of a eleuen of his brethren to be cut in one morning Now to conclude these particular tyrannies of enuye vnto which millions of notorious examples may be enserted the monstrous murders of king Richard the third a tyrant of our nation is worthy note in whose wretched end yet worthy his wickednes the happines of Englande began againe to florish and enioyed her auncient renowne This tyraunt at such time as he was Duke of Glocester with an enuious eye behelde the soueranity of king Edwarde the 4. his brother and yet inforced by necessity obeyed him For annoynted kinges with weake policies are not depriued but vnable to hold his hand from their throates who for their dignities toke the vpper hand of him against the lawes of honor with his impious handes he stabbed Prince Edward to the hart beeing taken prisoner at the battaile of Tewksbury Next like an Alehouse ruffen with his dagger he slew the infortunate good king Henry the sixt in the tower of London Then heaping murder vppon murder he caused George Duke of Clarence his naturall Brother to be drowned in a Butte of Malmesey And last though not the least to rowle vp a number of noble subiectes endes with the death of king Edward the fift and Richard Duke of Yorke the kinges brother his nephewes whom he caused to be murthered in the Tower and buried without honor to infame the name of king Edward the fourth and his posterity he pronounced his mother like a filthy harpye to be a strumpet and that the sayd king Edward was a Bastard and him selfe onely legitimate as I think sonne of the diuel for it séemeth wonderful that so inhumane a creature should take life of humane séed CHAP. 3. Enuy originall of warre and capitall cause of the destruction of the first Monarchies MAny yéeres after the beginning euery king qui etly enioyed the countries in his own possession vntil Ninus king of the Asserians enuying the soueranity of his neighbour kings put him self in armes vnlawfully to inlarge his owne dominions by deposing other froÌ„ their kingdoms Thus byenuy froÌ„ the bottom of hell came war by war confusion of deuine humaine blessings the aduauncement of thousandes of diuelish iniquities For whereas lawes giue place to armes the honor of God is wounded his word is misprised Iesus Christ is blasphemed and persecuted his Gospell is reiected and his Sacraments are prophaned fire is put to the house of the lord Wolues are thruste into his stéepefolde and wilde Bores among his vines truth and equity is peruerted charity is cold innocents and the iust are oppressed youth bee ill instructed publicke orders are broken discipline and rules of good life are abolished ignoraunce is raysed knowledge is abased proud ambitious and men of leaste estimation doe gouerne the learned wise and vertuous are disofficed as ideots and men of no merite countries bee vnpeopled fayre Cities are burned peaceable citizens are murthered their wiues and daughters are rauished their groundes lye vntilled goods compassed by the trauels of a mans whole life in one hower doe become the spoyle of a riotous souldiour And to conclude though short of a number of other curses which follow warre vice mounted in her chariot of triumph arrogaÌ„tly treadeth pore vertue vnder foot therby they that shold cry out of this outrage against God and man are dumb and the reformers of these enormities deafe these vengeances by war the enuious eye and ambitious hart of Ninus bred in the worlde which died not with the destruction of Th'asserian monarchy Notwithstanding enuy the erecter was the destroyer therof For Arbactus leiftenant of the Meades enuiyng the soueranity of Sardanapalus a man more effeminate then a woman by the assistaunce of other lords gaue battaile vnto the king Sardanapalus discomforted â—…led into his pallas there enuiyng the fortune of Arbactus more to reaue him of the glory of his triumph then moued by sorrow of his own defeat Sardanapalus set fire of his Pallas his wealth him selfe so by the prodigall spoyle of his life recouered the reputation of a man for manhood is most truely tried by constancy in the trembling passage of death The like enuious part was committed by Ariathes king of Capidocia who being ouercome in battail by Perdicas one of Alexanders successors fled into the Citye enuiyng Perdicas good fortune more then he lamented his owne mischance caused the city to be set on fire incouraged his souldiers citizens to slay their wiues children holding it lesse euill to die by the violence of friends then to liue a seruile life vnder the controlment of their enemies And by this means in truth he reaued Perdicas of the spoyle of his victory but did both vnto him selfe and countrey an iniury against nature and reason against nature in committing wilful murder vpon him selfe posterity against reason in that time was able to repaire his ruines of fortune But to kéep an order in discoursing the actions of enuy by the victory which Arbactus had ouer Sardanapalus the empyre of Th'asserians was traÌ„slated into the Meades which corse most conquerors adopted Princes euer since haue taken to crown their natiue countrey with imperiall title to leaue the places conquered or by other meanes gayned to the tyrannye of leifetenants Well this monster enuy which mortifieth the naturall affection of a father robbeth dutifull obedience from the son made the one of these the cause the other the ouerthrow of this second empire For Astiages the last king of the Meades receauing answer of the Oracle that his daughters sonne should gouerne his empire as it were to despight the Gods that had fore destined this honor vnto his daughters sonne vpon an enuious thought first
the Emperours Honoreus and Arcadius By the enuy of Ruffin and Stilicon two temporall magistrates but with all to approoue what I haue already sayd the Pusalanimitie of the emperors before that day gaue incouragement for the conquered Regions to reuolt and more styrred vp the barbarous Gothes to inuade Italy in so much as the Emperour Theodotius beholding the perrill of the Empyre and the rather for that his young sonnes were not capable to gouerne as he thought to prouide a remedye for the mischiefe he left these two great captaines whom he had approoued to be wise and valiant and with all had bound them with many greater aduancementes to be the protectors of his children and Empyre and to the gouernment of Ruffin appointed the East parts and to Stilicon Italy and the West But beholde the nature of ambition the impe of this miscreat enuy neither the bountye with which the deceased Emperour had tyed them that was great the trust which he had committed vnto them which was greater nor the dutye which they ought vnto the yong emperors their soueraignes which was greatest coulde stay their vnsatiable desire to rule by the breaches of all these duties so that regarding the emperours with enuious eyes they obeyed them with ruling hartes Ruffin hungring after the Empire for him selfe Stilicon in the behalfe of his sonne But as there is an old tale of a shrewd wife that ment to poyson her husband and to be sure as she thought shée put two strong poysons into the portion but contrary to her expectation the one poyson so stroue with the other as the man was preserued from death So enuy to make a ready confusion of this famous Empire euen in the hart of her glorye made her to foster two mortall enemies of her propertie but so long as they both liued neither could obtaine his purposes their pollicies were so mutuallye imployed the one to suppresse the other Ruffin too hasty of his purpose mooued straungers to make warre vpon the Romanes and béeing chosen Captaine assaied to make him selfe Emperour for which enterprise he was put to death by Honorius Stilicon wayted a better oportunitie and to auoyd suspition married his daughter to Archadius but being alwayes mindfull of his purpose secreatly solicited the Gothes Vandals and other barbarous nations to war vpon the Empire thinking for his sufficiency to be chosen captaine by reason of the tender yéeres of the emperors whose purpose tooke place the Gothes entred Italy with a strong army Stilicon being chosen captaine obtained many weak victories against the Gothes of purpose to continue the warres Alaric king of the Gothes béeing a man of good iudgement found out the dalliaunce of Stilicon and séeing small hope of successe certified the Emperour Honorius of Stilicons drift and desired him to accorde to a peace protesting that he sought but some small countrey for him and his people to dwell in the Emperour vpon diuers other suspicions beléeued the information of Alaric and assented vnto his conditions of peace assigned a part of Gawle for him and his people Neuerthelesse he desembled this knowledge with Stilicon who by the departure of the Gothes vnto their assigned habitation fearing the ende of his authoritie secreatlye practised with one Sawle a Iew a captaine of his army vnder pretence of a priuate quarrell to set vpon the Gothes vppon an Easter daye which the Gothes béeing Christians celebrated Which practise Sawle executed and made a great slaughter of the Gothes but the Gothes béeing gathered together reuenged this outrage with the death of Sawle and the most of his partakers Alaric imboldened here with set vppon the forces of Stilicon who dissembling a feare fayned to fly and sent to Honorius for more ayde The Emperour fearing the secreat drift of Stilicon more then the open force of Alaric sent a strong power to the campe by such persons as slewe both Stilicon and his sonne Honorius by this meanes thought that he had both discharged him self of Stilicons treachery and by his death supposed that Alaricks fury woulde be appeased but it fell foorth that it had bene better for the strength of the empyre that Honorius had spared Stilicon till a further time for béeing vnfurnished of a right valiaunt and worthy Captaine Alaric pursued the aduauntage that was offered and blamed Honorius as guilty of the matter and with all expedition set forwardes towards Rome and without resistaunce in his passage wasted euerye place with fire and swoorde and finally besiedged Rome on euery side Manye haue written the assault and taking of Rome by Alaric but yet so briefly or darkly that they haue giuen small light to the Reader Peter Messire sayeth that he hath founde it written in the Annales of Constantinople that as Alaric marched towardes Rome there went before him a Monke of an vnknowne place who notwithstanding that Alaric was a blouddy tyraunt yet béeing a Christian vpon audience desired him for the loue of God to moderate his ire and to remember that he him selfe béeing a Christian was in duty bound to forbeare the sheading of Christian bloud much more the destruction of Rome which had no way offended to whom Alaric thus aunsweared know thou thou man of God that of my proper desire I goe not against Rome yea further more know thou that I am thus dayly importuned by an vnknowne perswasion aduaunce thy selfe against Rome destroy it and make it desolate wherevpon the religious man sore amased durst not reply and so king Alaric followed his enterprise so that it séemeth this aduersitie of Rome was a speciall scourge of God Paule Osorius further sayeth that as God sent Lot foorth of Sodome euen so hee deliuered Pope Innocent the first from this heauy destruction of Rome but if in that suggestion he had not beene partiall he woulde haue compared the iniquitye of Rome to Sodome and Gomorrha and so by consequence the Cardinals and rest of the Cleargy as spotted as Labans shéepe The truth was the Pope was gone to Rauenna to doe his duty to the Emperor and as it séemeth shortly after dyed for Platinus sayeth that this aduersitie of Rome was in the time of Pope zozim This cruell siege by Alaric lasted two yéeres during which time the famine of Rome was no lesse then that of Ierusalem in so much as they were driuen to eat one an other and the mother was constrained to eat her one child variable are the opinions touching the winning of Rome Procopius sayth that Alaric finding his forces too weake was driuen to this pollicie he conspired with thrée hundred Romane prysoners whome he set at liberty who béeing receaued into Rome sodenly slewe the warders of one of the gates and so let Alaric and his army in some sayde by the commaundement and industrye of a great Lady this gate was open vnto the Gothes which procéeded of pittye that shée tooke of the miserable estate of the poore people
whome shée thought that the enemye coulde not afflict so much as the inhabitauntes of Rome but how so euer it was Alaric commaunded vpon payne of death that no man should hurt anye person that fledde to the Churches for safety which was obserued the rest of this Citye with an innumerable sorte of people were consumed with fire and swoord The Emperour Honorius laye all this while at Rauenna with out taking care for the reliefe of distressed Rome In derision of whome the Gothes ledde a young man vp and downe a whole daye attyred lyke the Emperour and the next daye likewise ledde him cloathed like a slaue This was the first time that Rome since her prosperity fell into the handes and power of straungers but after this sacke by the Gothes the greatnes both of the city and Empyre decreased yea manye tymes was destroyed and subiected The successe whereof briefly to touch I hold it necessarye that the Reader maye vnderstande the frailtie of kingdomes and worldlye powers About forty yéeres after the Gothes had thus sacked Rome outraged Italie the Vandals vnder the conduct of their king Genserick entred Italie without any resistāce tooke Rome the greater part of the inhabitaunts being before fledde who for the space of foure dayes spoyled and in manye places fired the Citye Twentye and seuen yeeres after the conquest by the Vandals Odoacrus king of Euryles and Toringnes came before Rome with a great power whome the Citizens not able to resist receaued louinglye and in peace who naming him selfe king of Rome raigned foreteene yeeres afterwards Theodoric king of the Gothes beeing in friendship with the Romane Emperour to recouer Rome incountred Odoacrus with a great power and not onelye chased Odoacrus from Rome but also foorth of Italie Theodoric vpon this victorye made him selfe king and raigned thirtye yeeres in peace After whose decease his sonne Artalaric with his wife Amalasonte raigned about tenne yeeres Afterwardes the Emperour Iustinian comming to the Empyre the Gothes returned againe into Italie with their most cruel king Tottil vnder the Emperour Iustinian the two moste valiaunt and hardy Captaynes Bellisarius and Nassettus gouerned in Italie who in manye moste cruell battailes foyled Tottill besiedging of Rome In fine by the treason of one of the inhabitauntes Tottill gat the Citie and although at his first entraunce by the intercession of Pelasgus then Bishop of Rome Tottill moderated his furye yet in fine vpon an vnpleasing aunsweare from the Emperour Iustinian he furiouslye destroyed the greatest part of the Citye and left not the third part of the wall standing but to be briefe after Tottill had an other time taken Rome by the valiauntnesse of the most worthy Captaine Narsettus both Tottill the whole power of the Gothes were chased out of all Italie within a while after the Longebards came into Italie who making them selues Lordes of Gawle Cilsapine of whom it hath euer since beene called Lombardie who about three yeeres after the chasing of Tottill vnder the conduct of king Clowis besiedged Rome to the great dammage of the neighbour Townes but Rome out helde both that besiedging and also an other most dangerous siege by Atanlfus likewise king of the Longebards by whose furye Rome had beene leuiled with the ground if that Pepin king of Fraunce had not succoured her distresse Further in processe of time in the time of the Emperour Lewis the Mores and Sarizins Disciples of Mahomet besieged and entered Rome who prophaning the Church of Sainct Peter and burning a great part of the Citye with many riche spoyles retourned vnto their ships But the moste greate ruine of Rome was in the time of Pope Gregorye the seuenth and Henrye Emperour of Almaigne betweene whome there was mortall warres in whose quarrelles there was at one time two contrarye armies in Rome burning and wasting the Citye But in fine the Normans in the behalfe of the Pope were victors But their conqueste made Rome almoste desolate that where there are now Uineyardes Gardens and large waste places shée was before beautified with goodly Churches and other sumptuous buyldinges And for laste example euen of late time the Emperours armye vnder the leading of the moste worthy Prince Charles Duke of Burbon Rome was taken and although the Duke vpon the enteraunce was slayne yet his souldiours as victors spoyled a great parte of the Citye These often and sharpe punishmentes hath Rome suffered as a wonder and warning to the whole worlde and which is much to be regarded there is almoste the people of no Nation which shée here to fore had subiected but at one time or other were at the sacking and spoyling of her beauty For the further and necessarye inlarging of this historye I haue adioyned this Chapter of the enuious humors of the Popes of Rome CHAP. 6. How the Popes of Rome enuiyng the soueranityes which the Emperours had in the election and confirmation of them and their successours by sundrye shiftes wrought them selues foorth of this obedience and by the aduantages of time grewe to vsurpe authoritye to approoue and confirme the election of the Emperours them selues with a supreame power to depose and establishe annoynted Kinges from and in their kingdomes A Chapter for the varietie of the matter worthy the regarde LArge and vnreprooueable are the testimonies which witnes that the bishops of Rome vnder many tirannous emperours truly professed sincerely preached the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ and to confirme the Euangelicall doctrine patiently and constantly imbraced many sharpe persecutionsand martyrdomes but O the venime of riches she no sooner entered into the Church then she poysoned her pastours and ministers with enuie pride ambition heresie idolatrie and all abhominations the riches liberties and great possessions with which Constantine the great endowed the Bishops of Rome although they eternize his name with the tytles of a good zealous deuoute and christian Emperor yet were they the causes which haue bread these soule effects or iniquities in the greater number of the Popes of Rome True it is that before the Emperours were christians the Bishops were chosen by the christian Priestes in Rome neither did any seeke that office by other meanes then vertue But after the Emperours became Christians as a witnesse that the soueraigne Bishoppe of Rome was the subiect of the Emperour the election of the Pope appertained to the cleargie ioyned with the voyce and consent of the people which done they were driuen to send to Constantinople to bee confirmed by the Emperour this was the first order of the election of the Popes after Constantinus the great which approueth a souerainitie which the Emperous had ouer them but by little and little to wind themselues out of this subiection they first made suit to be confirmed by the Emperous deputies in Rome after wardes Pope Pelagius the second administred this office without the confirmation of the Emperour but being afraid of the
only taketh that place but will thus be called Domine Deus noster Papa O Lord our God the Pope they may perceiue in him a fulfilling of the prophet Daniel that he should place himselfe aboue all things in the worlde that he should distribute lands kingdoms to such as should take him for a God worship him Leauing to write further of this monsters other damnable sinnes which being past number shall purchase him torments wtout end I will in his enuious tyrannies towards such Princes as were not the seruants of his will reueale this prophecie continue my purpose Morrall Esope reciteth a fable of a snake which being nie frozen to death was by a good husbandman pitied and brought vnto the fire but when the fire had giuen strēgth to this viper he forthwith stung the husbandmans children euen so this Apostata or reuolter from Christ did with all the venime he coulde afflict weaken the Emperiall dignitie whose rulers gaue him first earthly promotion and from time to time sustained him in all his troubles Behold how Pope Benedictus the third enuyed the soueraintie of Emperors anointed Kings who condemned for heretiques one Okan and Dant two persons blinded with al his idolatries superstitions saue that they maintained that Emperors helde their Empires of God and not of the Pope this Pope might more properly haue bene adopted Maledictus then Benedictus as one wiped out of the booke of life which it seemeth he little read and lesse regarded for if he had studied the sacred Bible the perfect mirror both of heauenly grace morrall gouernement it is like he might haue light vpon these passages of holy scripture By me kings raigne and Counsailours discerne iustice by me kinges rule and rulers iudge the earth hearken then you kinges c. for power is giuen you of the Lord. Dauid thus saith The Lord teacheth the kings hands to mannage armes and his fingers to war c. the Lord establisheth Kings hath power ouer kingdoms and disposeth them at his pleasure and to whome he please The great King Artaxerxes acknowledgeth that the most great good God gaue him his forefathers their kingdom And briefely to conclude the excellencie of imperiall and regall dignitie there is no superiour power but of God well though the least of these vnreproueable authorities suffice to condemne these tyrannous Popes to hel no wonder that they all stopped not his accursed mouth that pronounced the vniust sentence against these two innocent persons for he the Pope I meane who striueth to matche the Maiestie of God enuyeth the recordes of his power and feareth not what is writte of his vengeance much lesse can endure that Emperors Kings and such potentates should be Gods Lieutenantes on earth his pride bewrayeth the one and his enuie dayly discouereth the other The Chronicles of euery christian common wealth are testimonies that since Princes became the subiects of this proude Pope their kingdomes were neuer free from curses excommunications nor Kinges cleare from depriuement of kingdomes their subiects free from priuie seditions nor their countreyes vnoutraged with open rebellions if his worde gouerned not the sworde and his will stood not in steade of law so that it is a question whether his hypocrisie haue wrought more mischiefe in the West or the Turkes open tyrannies in the East Upon some enuious suggestions Gregory the ninth and Innocentius the fourth Pope of Rome did depose the Emperour Fredericke the second excommunicated and banished his faithfull and obedient subiects absolued the rest of their othe and furthermore graunted great indulgences and pardon to such as would rebelliously rise to confound him yea after he had with an hundred and twentie thousand markes redeemed himselfe from this excommunication he was notwithstanding that once againe banished and accursed The perfect histories of Fraunce witnesse that Pope Vrbane the fourth about the yeere of our Lord 1264. violently did depose Conradus of his kingdome of Scicilia being his right inheritance and gaue the same to Charles Earle of Angion and brother to Lodouicke the French king to frustrate which gift Pope Nicholas the thirde about the yeere 1268. caused Peter king of Arragon to come out of Italie to depriue the said Charles and to possesse him thereof hee wrought a practise that in one night all the French both men women and children within the Iland of Scicilia were murthered by the inhabitants thereof In remembrance of which crueltie to this day there is a worde called the Scicilian euensong Pope Boniface the eight enuiyng the maiesty of the Emperour Adelphus de nassan predecessor of the Prince of Orenge for challenging to be the Popes superiour stirred vp Albert the first Duke of Austriche of that name and race to take armes against the Emperour for the imperiall seate and assisted him with the secreat councell and strength of Gerrard Archbishop of Maience in which battaile the Emperour was slaine and Albert succéeded in the Empyre In so much as puffed vp with pride for the lucky successe of his vngodly practises this vngratious Pope in his Iubile caused two swoordes in triumph to be carried before him making the bearer of the one to cry O Christ see there the Vicar on earth And the other O Peter see there thy successour In so much as the French king called Philip le Bell hating his pride refused to acknowledge him for his superiour For which contempt he pronounced the recited Albert king both of Rome and Fraunce whervpon the said Phillip secreatly in the night vnder the conduct of Sarra Colomna sent out 400. horse men tooke the Pope at Anagnia and from thence ledde him prisoner to Rome To whom the king in this scoffing maner wrote Sciat fatuitas vestra c. and after his beastlye death which shortlye followed his arriuall at Rome he was long remembred with this reproch Intrauit vt vulpes regnauit vt leo morritur vt Canis Sée what large coates Pope Gregorye the 7. cut of other mens cloath because he could not make the Emperour Henry the fourth the vassaile of his will he firste excommunicated the sayde Emperour and cursed all his adherentes and after gaue Ralphe Duke of Swaben his kingdome with an imperiall crowne bended with this trim verse Petra dedit petro petrus diadema Radulpho A diadem the rocke gaue Peter and his race And Ralph receaued a royall crowne from Peters holy grace But although the Pope were prodigall in his gift yet his holines nor power could shield the vnfortunate Ralphe from the vengeaunce due vnto traitours who shortly after was pitifully slayne who hauing his handes first cut off lamentablye exclaimed before the bishops that through the Popes their prouocations he and his confederates were accursed for rebelling against his owne lord supreme head Not long after this succéeded pope Paschalis the seconde who excōmunicated the emperor a freshe
demaunded Papa cuius partis orationis sayd that papa was participii partis quia partem capit a clere partem a seculari partem ab vtroque cum totius orbis doloris significatione sine modis temporibus That is to say this word Pope is a Participle for he receiues of the spiritualitie he receiues of the temporalitie and parteth stakes on both sides without measure or ende to the great anguishe sorrow of all the world may truly be sayd somewhat I haue discoursed and much more other nations haue felt neither yet hath little England which some holde not part of the worlde bene exempt from his rauening crosses no better then curses but through his meane hath beene partaker of other countries calamities King Inas made the whole lande tributary to the Pope and further vpon suggestion that Thomas Becket archbishop of Caunterbury was slaine by the kinges consent the whole land was a great while in subiection and at the disposition of the Pope It is a wonder but that God would haue it so that no worthy Prince did vnmaske the painted village of this glorious Pope in so long continuaunce of his errour yea the continuaunce of his kingdome is a great matter of his glory and a colour that yet deceauesh many but Sainct Paule sufficiently aunsweareth the matter saying that God shoulde send such an efficacie in errour that men shoulde giue credite vnto falsehood not onely for a day but for a long continuaunce of time but as there was a beginning of all that is bisiblye seene so there shall be an ende of the greatest glorye that our eyes may behold And although the ten kinges figured by the beast with ten hornes in the seuentéene of the Apocalips which shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and that shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire is meant in that passage as a prophesie of the destruction of the Empire of Rome yet graunting the same you shall easely finde out Antichrist by the whore that sate vpon the seuen hilles before described I haue in the Chapter before touched the most of the tenne kinges which Saint Iohn speaketh of which destroyed and spoyled Rome But for that I haue not set them successiuely done in the other chapter but onely remembred those that entred Rome by force I holde it not amisse in this place breifly to remember them Radaigasus the first king of the Gothes which entred Italy with two hundred thousande Gothes can not be reckoned for one of them for that without doing any great damage he was ouercome taken prisoner and strangled by Stilicon captaine of the Emperour Honorius army 1 Alarick was then the first king of the Gothes and straunger that entred and spoyled Rome 2 Adolphus was the seconde who if the intercession of his wife Placida Honorius sister had not appeased his furye had vtterly subuerted Rome 3 Generick king of the Vandals was the thirde that spoyled Rome 4 Odoacer as some say a Saxon was the fourth king that punished Rome and first of all named him selfe king of Italy 5 Theodarich king of the Gothes was the fift who and his heyres occupied the empire 50. yeares 6 Athalarick Theodarich sonne was the sixt 7 Theodat successour of Athalarick also king of the Gothes was the seuenth 8 Vitiges was the 8. king this Vitiges left Rome naked of all her beautifull buildinges and auntient priuiledges 9 Tottill king of the Gothes was the ninth who destroyed Rome more then the rest and this wound lasted 42. moneths as it is written in the Apoc. 13. for it was three yeere and a halfe before Bellisarius repayred Rome after her first ruine by Tottill 10 Telas succéeded Tottil and was the last king of the Gothes that gouerned Rome who in the beginning of his raigne was vanquished taken prisoner and put to death by Nasetes chief of the Emperour Iustinians army In this sort did God chasten this Empire of Rome and albeit God hath appointed other then carnall weapons to confound Antichrist who being the enemy of God is threatned to be confounded by Gods owne worde yet to ioyne shame with his ouerthrow visible vengeance is séene to raigne vppon him For to what nation is not his deformitie knowne and as by peece meales he clymed to the highest degrée of worldly dignitye euen so by a lingring consumption he is almost wasted to nothing or in the best construction brought vnto a vile reputation and as I haue here showne his florishing pride and pompe euen so occasion will hereafter minister matter in sundry places of his ruine disgrace and daylye defeats whose vtter confusion God for his sonnes sake speedely graunt Amen CHAP. 7. Of the enuy of Sergius a monke of Constantinople who being banished for heresie fledde into Arabia vnto Mahomet by whose diuelish pollicies ambitious Mahomet forced the people to holde him for a Prophet which damnable sect vntil this day hath beene nourished with the bloud of many thousandes LAmentable and most lamentable are the blouddye cruelties manifested in my former discourses but this one act of enuy broched the extreamest venim of the diuell For although in my recited examples I haue published open iniuries both against God and man yet were they executed on those persons whose glory the enuious beheld or in the worst degrée to bury the remembraunce of their vertues which they imagined woulde lessen their account But this fact of Sergius was drawne many degrees more extreame who though he sufficiently bewrayed the enuie that he beare to his superiours authoritie béeng a Monke in Constantinople in that he raysed damnable heresies to make him selfe famous yet the sect of Mahomet which his accursed head first plāted in Arabia hath left an impossibility to Belzabub to scatter in the world a more blasphemy against God and iniury towardes men whose opinions buried millions of soules in hell whose bodies were to forme many hundred yéeres after his departure vnto the Diuell The actions of whom and originall of Mahomets sect ensueth Sundry are the opinions of what parentage and countrye this false Prophet Mahomet was Platinus sayeth that he sprong from noble line But Pomponius Letus a moste diligent authour in the abridgement of the Romane history affirmeth that he was of a race base vile and obscure which may the rather be credited for that a man so euill in whome was nothing worthye of memorye but malice and iniquitie may hardly be the issue of noble bloud Some saye he was a Persian some other an Arabian and both opinions not without reason for that at that time the Persians gouerned Arabia Touching his father were he noble or villayne sure it is that he was a Gentill and neither Iewe nor Christian by his mothers side the better opinion is that he descended from Abraham by the ligne of his sonne Ismaell whom he had by his Chamber mayd Agar and so as a Iewe obserued the lawe of
man the Emperour made many great offers to Megolo all which he refused and answered him that he was not come thither for the couetousnes of goods but for his owe the name of the Genowaies honour and that he demaunded of him none other thing then that in remembrance hereof he would build at Trebisonde a fayre shop for the marchandise of the Genowaies about which should be painted this historie which the Emperour accomplished and vsed the Genowaies with greater fauour then before and so Megolo returned to Genowaie gratified and receiued of euery man with great honour CAAP. 11. The contention that enuie set betweene the Emperour of Constantinople the Lord of Bulgarie and other Princes was the first grounde and sure foundation of the great TVRKES Empire THe puissant kingdome of the Turkes at this day so much renoumed and feared together with the linage and familie of their Ottomans and kings are of late yeeres sprung vp as a scourge sent and suffered by God for the sins and iniquities of the Christians It is not yet 300. yeeres since the first beginning of their kingdome which at this day is multiplied to the terrour of the whole world the name of the Turks are neuerthelesse auncient but to say that they came of the ancient Troians because they are called Teucres is a manifest errour Plinie and Pomponius Mela in the ende of his first booke say that their originall cōmeth frō the Sarmats which are of the confines of Scythia néere vnto the sea Caspia who in ancient times were called Turaci and now Turkes these Scythians or Turkes liuing before as sauadge men came forth of Scythia into Asia Minor which is by reason of their name to this day called Turkie where they robbed and conquered certaine prouinces these as barbarous infidell people receyued the damnable sect of Mahomet as the first that was presented vnto them which best agréed with their wicked customs these people wtout gouerner or head but being a multitude fiercely ioyning together setled thēselues in the lesse Asia in fine they chose one Soliman of the kingdom of Cilicia for their K. whom Godfrey of Bolloine other christian Princes vtterly ouerthrew so discomfited the Turkes that of long time after they had neyther K. nor captaine of account In the end Ottoman a man of base linage got the fauor of the people was made their K. and by vertue great valor somewhat inlarged their dominions he raigned 28. yéeres dyed An. 1308. whose K. continueth to this day in the ligne of the heire males Orkan succéeded his father Ottoman a man as valiant and more industrous then his father he was a great inuenter of militarie engins magnanimous liberal who after he had raigned 22. yéeres dyed of a hurt which he receiued at the assault of a city he had by the K. of Cilicias daughter a Christian whō he married a son named Amurat that sucéeeded him a man farre vnlike his father in vertues of the mind or strength of body yet very ambitious desirous to inlarge his Empire to compasse which enuy presented him a faire occasion at that time the E. of Constantinople was at controuersie with certain Princes his subiects which fauoured the L. of Bulgarie who charged the E. so hard as he was driuen to demaūd succour of this Amurat K. of the Turkes who sent him 15000. chosen men by the aid of whom the E. vanquished his enemies which done he kept the greater part of the Turks in his owne dominions Amurat vnderstanding the disposition of the coūtrie vnder the colour to ayd the E. against his enemies came into the dominions of the E. with 60000 footemen and a great number of horsemen in despight of the E. made himselfe L. of the cities of Calipoli Andronople he ouercame Marke the grandmaster of Bulgarie and Lazarus the despos of Seruia with a great number of Christians and Malgre the E. possessed himselfe of the gretest part of Thracia Greece in the end a slaue of Lazarus slew him when he had liued 23. yéeres which was An. 1373. Amurat left 2. sons Soliman Baiazet Baiazet slew his brother Soliman and made himselfe King in the beginning of his raigne he prepared great wars against the Christians to reuenge the death of his father and with a great armie he incoūtred in battaile with Marke L. of Bulgaria and with the greatest part of the nobilitie of Bulgaria and Seruia whom he slew and vtterly defeated 3. yéeres after this victorie he returned a newe vpon the Christians in Hungarie but chiefely in Albania and Valaschia and from thence sente many Christians slaues into Turkie and being possessed of the greatest parte of Greece to wit of the ancient countries of Athens Boetia and Arcania he laid siege vnto the great Citie of Constantinople which draue the Emperor in proper person to desire aid of the westerne Princes in which behalfe K. Charles the 7. succoured him with 2000. launces among whome there were two french gentlemen of great expectation who ioyned with Sigismond K. of Hungarie afterwards Emperour who for the same purpose raised a great armie with whome also ioyned the grandmaster of the Rhodes the Despos of Seruia and a great number of other christian Princes whereupon Baiazet leauing his siege at Constantinople sodeinly with 300000 men set vpon the Christians who were about a 100000. men betweene whom there was a most bloudy battaile in fine the Christians were ouerthrowne and the greater part slaine the King of Hungarie and the grandmaster of Rhodes hardely escaped by flight and the Frenchmen were neere all slaine or taken this battell was Anno 1395. vpon Michaelmas euen After which victorie Baiazet returned againe to his former siege of Constantinople and had surely won the same if the newes of Tamberlaines entrie into his countrey and that he had already gained many townes cities and prouinces constrained him to trusse vp his baggage and with his full power to go finde his enemie in Asia now two of the mightiest princes of the world encountered eache other in battaile where Baiazet was ouercome and taken who endured the most vile and hard prisonment that euer was heard of for Tamberlain still carried him with his armie in an iron cage and alwayes when he moūted vpon his horse he set his foot vpon his shoulders moreouer at meales he tyed him vnder his boorde and like a dog fedde him with fragments in this sorte ended this Prince his life who had bene the most aduentrous the most renowmed and the most feared Prince of his time The sons of Baiazet which escaped the battaile where their father was ouerthrowne in their flight taken vpon the seas by certaine galleis of the Christians and certainely at that instant a faire occasion was offered the Christians to haue kept vnder for euer their capitall enemie the Turke but their sinnes forbad
put the empire into his fathers hands now because of his inabilitie to gouern he alledged that of right he should returne it vnto him againe The old man was greatly perplexed with these matters especially with the disobedience of his sons this diuision of the brethren was the death of many of their adherents but Selim the yongest had euer the better hand who vnder the color to craue pardon of his father to defend him against his eldest brother Acomat so won the fauor of the Ianissaires the other men of war as by their help he tooke the empire from his Father banished him from Constantinople afterward poysoned him An. 1512. This traitour Paracide Selim caused him self to be crowned with great solemnitie which don he highly rewarded the Ianissaires men of war which strengthned him Soone after he went into Turkie againste his brethren where he slew the Children of his brethren which were fledde before his comming and with all so pursued his brother Corcut as falling into his handes he killed him Acornat the eldest by the helpe of the Sophy and the Soudan gathered a great power whome Selim ouerthrewe and tooke prisoner and afterward caused him to be strangled This wicked Paracide hauing thus slayne all those of his â—…loud was rid of the ielous feare of his Empire and disdayning the Soudan and the Sophy he confirmed the league with the Venetians and made peace with Ladislas king of Hungarie and so with a great power he went towarde the Sophy who nothing dismayed abid the battayle which was sharpe on both sides but in the ende the Sophy was vanquished hurt and driuen to flye greatly to the increase of the Turkes honor and reputation the yeare following the Turke make war vppon a great prince which gouerned vpon the mountaine Taurus whome he slewe and got possession of all his dominions this done Selim prepared his forces againste the Soudan and approching the coastes of Surie with his armye he caused a brute to be spead abroad that he would wage warre againste the Sophy But the Soudan suspecting his pollicie prepared a great power vnder the colour to suppresse the rebellion of a great Lorde in Surie In fine these two puissaunt Princes affronted each other neare vnto the City of Damas in Surrie and after many skyrmiges on either side their powers ioyned the 24. of August 1516. the same two yéeres after the ouerthrow of the Sophy This battaile was sustained a long time valiauntly of either partie in the ende the Turkes had the victorye and the Soudan was found dead hauing neuer a wound other then by treading of the horses beeing of the age of 76. yéeres after his victory he seased vpon all Surie the Palestine and Iudea those which escaped the former battail chose for their Soudan the gouernour of Alexandria named Tamonuey betwéene whom Selim was fought the cruellest battaile that euer was heard of notwithstanding ouercharged with the multitude of the Turkes Tamonuey was vanquished in th' end betraied into the hands of the Turk who caused him to be slayne after the death of Tamonuey the Turk soone tooke possession of the auncient puissant kingdom of Aegypt where as also in Surie he left a good order for the gouerment afterward in great triumph he returned vnto Constantinople where he died of an impostume An 1520. in the 8. yeare of his raigne 46 of his age this tirant was of so gret a courage as he was neuer known to be afraid of any thing Soliman his onelye sonne succéeded Selim who was crowned Emperour Soliman hauing subdued Gazellus that vsurped the segniorie of Tripoli and other domestick rebels the yeare following in proper person he made wars vppon the Christians and besieged Belgrade the port strength of Hungarie which with vaine successe had béen attempted by manye of his predecessours But Lewes then king beeing very young and gouerned by the Princes of his countrey by negligent defence suffred the City to be taken by the Turkes Soliman retyred from this exployte in proper person contrary to the mindes of his Bassas layde siege vnto Rhodes with an innumerable power of men and artillerie both by land and sea during this siege the notable feates of armes of either parties can not be sufficiently praised But at the 6. monethes end the Grand maister of Rhodes named Phillip de Villiers a French man was driuen to yéeld the City vnto Soliman who retourned to Constantinople proud of so great an enterprise Three yeeres after which was An. 1526. he entred Hungarie with a maruailous army with whom king Lewes ill aduised encountred with a small power betweene Buda Belgrade where the sayde Lewes was vanquished and founde drowned in a ditch after which the Turke tooke Buda and other bordering townes and as a conqueror retourned After this Soliman came with a huge army of sixe hundred thousand men into Hungarie and Astria with a desire and determination to conquer all Christendome to withstande whose enterprise Charles the 5. presented him selfe in proper person with lesse then halfe the number of the Turkes through feare of whome the Turke forsooke his purpose with the losse of many of his people as he did An. 1537. when both by lande and Sea he came into Italie and had taken certaine places in the kingdome of Naples Sultan Selim succéeded Soliman in the Empire During his raigne the Venetians loste the famous City Famagosta and a great part of the Isle of Cipres In which conquest of Famagosta there were slaine and taken prisoners a great number of Christian noble men and captaines amongst the rest the tiraunt Mustafa Bassa by the traine of fauourable vsage intrapped the noble Bragadino go uernour of Famagosta and contrary to his own faith the law of honor and humanitye he first caused his eares to be cut off and then to bee cruellye stretched foorth vppon the grounde to whome the tiraunt thus blasphemouslye spake where is now thy Christ that he helpeth thee not to which the patient Gentle man made no aunswere After this the noble Bragadino after manye vile and spitefull disgraces was in the market place tacked to the pillory and fleaed a liue whose skin béeing stuffed with straw was hanged vpon a bowsprite of a foyste and so carried along the port Townes of Siria Amurathe that now raigneth succéeded his father Selim by murther of fiue of his yonger brethren of him selfe he is afraid of the noise of armour and therefore committed the charge of his wars to his Bassas he is politicke and in the East wonderfully feared the Sophy occupieth him with harde warres and yet the king of Spaine from whom he hath won the kingdom of Tunis nor yet the Venetians whose seignorie he almoste possesseth dare not but be in league with him when he waiteth but oportunitie to spoyle not onely them but all Christendom I would to God his
tiranny of Princes they war without warrant that rebell against their worst kinges Were there neither authority deuine nor prophane to reprooue rebellion yet in their best quarrel destruction which is the ende of traitours sheweth their beginning to be naught God manye times suffereth both good and bad Princes to fall into the handes of their subiectes but woe be vnto those subiectes by whom either perishe We need no other torment to relish our present peace and prosperity then the remonstration of the ciuill warres bloudshed and manye grieuous calamities which for the space of 85. yéeres yea during the raignes of 6. kinges afflicted this small kingdome After the violent depriuement of king Richard the second from his crowne and dignity but in the end the Lorde hauing compassion of our manifold miseries séeing our priuate dissention ready to grow to publicke destruction euen when his wrath séemed to be moste hot euen then the beames of his mercy sodenlye comforted vs by the destruction of our arch tyraunt Richard the third who caused and committed more wicked saluadge murders then fiftéene of the most tirannous kinges of England But humbly confessing Gods prouidence with this old age Nullum violentum perpetuum This tiraunt that was giltye of the death of king Henry the 6. Prince Edward his sonne and his own naturall brother George Duke of Clarence and afterwardes within the space of thrée yéeres of his vsurped raignes caused his nephewes king Edward the 5. and Richard Duke of York his brother to be murthered in the Tower not caring for his alleageaunce towardes the one nor fearing to breake the sanctuary for the other who repudiated his owne mother offered to marry his brothers daughter as is a fore saide After these and many other murders without the procéeding of law this manifest monster the ende of Englandes ciuill misery was slaine at Boshworth field by that prudent Prince king Henry the 7. by Gods planting the root of Englandes happinesse and naked like a hog was carried vpon a bare horse backe to Lecester there buried who meriteth neither the monument of King nor Man CHAP. 3. A sommarie of the vertues of the prudent prince King Henry the seuenth THE fayrest buylding hath a foundation and the fruitfullest trée his root and albeit the beuty of either be in the outward attyre yet the strength of both consisteth in the inwarde substaunce And certainely in all discriptions the cause ought to be as well set downe as the effect that Anatomie is perfect that discouereth all the inward as well as the outward workemanship of man Uertue I grant conuayeth honor simply from a mans owne good actions yet the same is much inlarged if from desent to desent honor be issued from the monumentes of his auncestours vertues And sure the glorye of a man is much iniured or eclipsed that is blasoned but by his owne proper regardes when the same maye bee truely illustred by such auncient graces But touching my purpose some will suggest that as it is a needlesse labour to seeke a Diamonde with a torche which glimmereth in the darke so as bootelesse is the curiositie to deriue her maiesties glorye further then from her owne sacred vertues when her wicked enemies renowne her perfections and wilfully pursue their owne destruction through presumption that her excellencye is composed all of grace and mercye I am bounde reuerentlye to acknowledge that her maiesties perfection is the true discouery of imperfection and in this regarde absolute that enuye and the worste sworne enemies of God assault her prosperity yet if anye thing maye be added to extoll her name this meriteth regarde that the fruites of vniuersall comfort which her deuine and heroicall graces plentifully distributeth grow from the root of Englandes happines which no priuie conspiracy could vnplant euen king Henry the seuenth And of that gréene trée which the stinging Locustes could by no meanes wither king Henry the eight And doubtlesse who so shal zelously contemplate how that the prouidence of God euen in our greatest destructions alwaies sustained vs may easily perswade him selfe that God would haue his glory to sâ—…ine ouer the world next his word from the lights of this little Iland seperated as some write from the world or at the least ioyned to the outermost end thereof How easie a praye had we béene for the ambitious desire of some bordering king during the blouddye contention betwéene the two illustrous houses Yorke and Lancaster for imperiall dignitye but God would not our subuertion The history of Richard the thirds tiranny is a most lamentable cronicle yet the same considered by Gods prouidence assureth vs by that sharpe remembrance a remembraunce of his mercifull goodnesse in deliuering vs from a continuall calamity in she wing vs through the vnlawfull procéedings of the tirant a lawfull meanes to accord these two puissant houses But before this great blessing his incomprehensible wisedome so sharply scourged this realme as all her estates suppressed their priuate desires and hartely praied and laboured for this happy vnity who mercifullye regarding our patient bondage crowned king Henrie the 7. with title of both houses by taking to wife Lady Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the 4. And albeit the end of our ciuill destruction in the beginning of his prudent raigne be sufficient alone to crowne king Henry the 7. name with euerlasting fame yet to gouerne vs right God indued this noble Prince with vertues answerable to so great a blessing as a general peace And certainly if Alexander surnamed Seuerus be reckoned among the number of the most wise emperors King Henry the 7. meriteth semblable title as the true imitatour of Alexanders gouernment King Henry the 7. entered vpon a kingdome no lesse disordered with continuall tumults then did Alexander with the vnmeasurable voluptuousnes of Helyogabalus the necessitye of time made him a seuere executioner of his lawes and testifieth the same to be deriued from perfect iustice he punished offences without respect of persons Honor was no plea for the mighty he iudged the trespasses of Lawyers with his owne knowledge of the law he onely pardoned ignoraunt offences and graciously relieued his poore subiectes oppressions he was thought somewhat too seueere in punishment But such murmuringes were no lawfull complaints to a fore that is deepe festered with corruption sharpe corsiues are to be applyed Euen so in a disordered common wealth seueere lawes are to be ministred He was a iust vertuous valiaunt and learned Prince a true distributour of peace plentye and prosperitye to his subiectes who in his life time had had a moste liberall portion of happinesse if in his dayes the Gospell of IESVS had had a free passage But leaue we Gods will therein who would not haue his outward temple builded in Dauids time but in his sonne Salomons and yet was Dauid a righteous man after the Lord in whose hand the harts of princes are had established a setled peace
in this long disquiet realme in the 24. yéere of his raigne he peaceably called this noble king Henry vnto his heauenly kingdome and as a visible signe that he blessed the ioyninge of these two kingly houses in one hee gaue vnto this noble king by Quéene Elizabeth his wife sundrye goodly children of which as the vndoubted heyre of the kingdome by both titles was crowned the victorious king Henry the eight CHAP. 4. A sommarie of the royall vertues of king Henry the eight THe most victorious king Henry the 8. sonne of king Henry the 7. beganne his triumphaunt raigne the 22. of Aprill 1509. whose inuincible courage was feared and admired through al Europe He was a moste bountefull Prince towardes well descruing subiectes the magnanimity of his countenaunce kept them in a louing obedience In the 5. yéere of his raigne a fore presagement that he should clymbe aboue the Pope of Rome The Emperour Maximilian the Popes lawfull soueraine and all the nobilitie of Holland Braband and Flaunders receaued wages vnder king Henries banner whose puissaunce discomforted and abashed the whole power of Fraunce This royall king besides that he was Alexander in fielde he was a Philosopher in the Uniuersity And in his great learning blessed his subiectes with the fruites of this olde Prouerbe happy are those people whose king is a Philosopher And doubtlesse where the Prince is learned the people are peaceably gouerned Science which containeth all duties with varietie of examples so liberallie instructeth the louers and followers of her lore In the thirtéenth yeare of his raigne the King wrote with his owne hand a booke against Martin Luther for which the Pope named him Defender of the faith but little fore-feared he that God would make him the capitall offender of the Romish superstition Saule breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lorde receiued a speciall charge from the high Priests for the persecution of all sort of Christians at Damasco but God whose wisedome iudgeth the determinations of men wrought a wonderfull change in Saule for of a persecutor he made him a faithfull Apostle and chiefe strengthener of the Gentiles Euen so gratiousâ—…ie dealed God with this most noble King whereas the Pope imagined to haue by this title made him the sustainer of hys Idolatrie God by his holie spirit moued him to vse the same to the first capitall disgrace of Antichrist the Pope But as the good Father Latimer certified his Maiestie the title Defender of the faith simplie considered was more then was due to any earthly prince wheÌ„ his holy word deliuered by his Ministers both fostered and defended the same But in as much as it was Gods good will that vnder this kings and his offsprings authoritie the same should haue the most visible protection it may be lawfully thought that it was his will that the Pope should so intitle him as foreséeing by his wisedome that this prince in his séed should ouerthrow the Popes vsurped authoritie the most publike enimie of the true auncient and Apostolike faith Many interprete this prophesie of Esdras ecce leo concitatus de sylua rugiens c. loe a Lyon hastely running out of the wood roring who with a maÌ„s voice reprooued the saucie and misproud Eagle to figure thys noble prince Henry the 8. The rauening Eagle that had the victory ouer the foure beasts which God would haue had rained in the world that troubled the méeke c. is likewise interpreted to be Antichrist the Bishop of Rome The Armes of Rome which is the Eagle and the actions of the Pope wel approueth their interpretation Now who is more like to be this Lion that came roring out of the wood and shewed the rauening Eagles villanies to all the princes of the earth then King Henry the eight who euermore stoutly defied the Pope who euermore plainely painted his murthers deceits and abhominations then King Henry the 8. nay who first catched him by the throte but King Henry the 8. When all christian princes stood in awe of his curse he banished all his authoritie out of England when the meanest Bishops in other realmes would checke their Kings in his cause he caused the whole Cleargy by his learned Councell to be iudged in a premunire for mainteining the power legantine of Cardinall Wolsey who being called by processe into the Kings bench were glad by submission to pray pay á hundred thousand pounds for remission When other princes feared to murmur against the Pope secretly King Henry in the name of himselfe and his Nobles wrote a booke against the counsell appointed by the Pope at Mantua signifying to the whole world that the Pope had no more authoritie then an other Bishop and how that the appointment of Counsels only appertained to the Emperour and other Princes of Christendome What Lion was euer so bold with the Eagle of Rome as this Lion of England What Lion is so like to come roring out of the wood as the Lion of England The Lion of Vennice commeth out of the water The Lion of England is proper passant bowes and arrowes which are his strength commeth out of the wood I would the Popes english fauourers would wey this prophelie with the pride enuy outrage both of diuine humane blessings setled in the hart and séene in the actions of this Emperious Pope and then by allegorie they would peraduenture repute him to be this ambitious Eagle signified by the armes of his sea capitol city Rome And on the contrary part if with the like regard they would behold the wonderful disgraces that this noble king by himselfe princely children hath daily giueth this enuious Pope they should haue large cause to beléeue that our Lion signified by the armes of England with his mans voice should set this misproud Eagles head awâ—…y should vanish his wings weaken his kingdome in fine set his whole body of fire If they had any sence they might féele that our Lion in the name of the Lord thus saith hence thou misproud Eagle appeare thou no more neither thy horrible wings thy mischeuous heads thy rauening clawes nor thy hollow body coÌ„pact of vanities The cause straight foloweth that thou once gone the earth may be refreshed that thy kingdome once fallen men may returne to freedom c. I demaÌ„d what reckning they caÌ„ make of the egles 12. wings that ouerspread the earth by Gods appointment since our Lion first shoke him vp or as the text saith since the wind K. Henries thuÌ„dring voice spread abrod his wickednes Sée if EnglaÌ„d be not shronk froÌ„ him ScotlaÌ„d denieth him Hol and Brabant and Flanders delieth him Germany paints him as a moÌ„ster Denmark is parted froÌ„ him France is deuided Polland is indifferent if Spaine Italy be constant they be well paid for their frendship The Eagle the Pope that sometimes was capitalis dominus as well as summus pontifex
kingdome by suffering the bloodie Bishops to misuse her Emperiall sword she in their procéedings outragiouslie tyrannised the true professors of the Gospell which God her noble father and good brother his instruments bée therefore praysed had taken a sound holde in the hart of England whose crueltie and contrarietie in Religion may no wayes slaunder her godlie father and his off-spring We sée the Rose trée that bringeth foorth the swéete Rose lykewise bringeth foorth sharpe prickels but to come more néerer the matter the kyrnell of the best apple will growe to be a crabbe vnlesse some good fruite bee grafted on the stocke and looke what the Sience is suche will be the trée looke what is â—…owen in youth is euer séene in age the following example teacheth a good pollicie to haue an eie vnto Schoolemaisters and the education of Papistes children The séede of Idolatrie superstition and send Ceremonies were sowne in the heart of Ladie Mary béeing a childe which grewe to the disworship of God and the destruction of the godlie Ladie Mary béeing a Quéene But God no doubt suffered thys prickle to growe of thys gréene Rosier and thys irreligion to be grafted of thys religious stocke to chasten the sinnes of England who hauing a righteous Prince peace and plentie both of spirituall and temporall blessings neyther saluted the giuer of thys goodnesse with hartie thankes nor sought the continuance thereof with a dutifull regarde of the Kings Maiestie but in some of her members hauing an eye fixed vppon the Kings tender yéeres and not an hart setled vppon hys firme vertues she began to worke matters hatefull to GOD offensiue to the Prince and most hurtfull to her selfe and therefore God 〈◊〉 Englande of the most milde vertueus godlie and well disposed Prince King EDWARD the sixth and in wrath sente vs euen suche a Prince as the Prophete speaketh of that shoulde oppresse vs with most greeuous bondage that should by taxes great impositions take froÌ„ vs the fruites of the feeld vineyards oliue trees and should giue them to his lords and seruants Euen Quéene Mary that imposed many great summes of money vppon vs to enrich strange Lords that by committing the waightie affaires of the publike weale to Bishops almost wilfully lost Callis an auncient ornament belonging to England which Citie the notorious Atheist Gardener vaunted that he would kéepe with a white wand an vnlikely matter that his courage serued him to defend Callis against the power of a puissant King with a white wand that armed troupes to gard the vnresisting Martyrs to burning but which stained her gouernement with euerlasting crueltie she by her ministers in fyue yéeres tyrannouslie burned fiue times more innocent and quiet Protestants then good Quéene Elizabeth in 27. yéeres raigne by her lawes hath executed notorious Papists that committed treason when my soule durst sweare that there be double the number of the poore Protestants that then constantly professed the holie Gospell that now in their harts wish her Maiesties depriuement both of life and crowne and yet liue This persecution made many to flée the Realme for their consciences sake but they sought not libertie by rebellion they confessed this bondage and persecution to procéed from the Lords heauie displeasure and humblie awaighted his fauour for their deliuerance No one hath more cause to exclaime of this hard gouernement then our gratious Quéene Elizabeth She was not entertained like the daughter of a mightie King and heire apparant of a rich kingdome Good Lady she was emprisoned her attendance small her libertie nothing When her innocencie disprooued publike accusations the Cleargie sought her life by secret tyrannie sought it do I say yea they had wrought it had not God beyond mans expectation wonderfully deliuered her Maiestie her assured friends despaired of her worldly welfare her Maiestie that behelde the bloody knife a sharpning misdoubted not her deliuerance Her friends trembled because there was no measure in the Papists crueltie her Maiestie looked chéerefully because she knew the Diuell had no might but such as God suffered In the holie Bible the louing embracements whereof was her Maiesties persecution her excellencie had learned these pretious comforts and in them reposed The Lord sayeth Who so honoreth me him will I make honorable In another place Dauid sayeth Who so dwelleth vnder the shadow of the almighty him God couereth with his wings and keepeth safe vnder his feathers I know saith he the Lord helpeth his annointed and euen from heauen heareth them Some trust in chariots some in horsses but we in calling vpon the Lord. God can and oft times doth pine man and beast euen in the middest of plentie God where he setteth too his hand worketh wonders and sturdie strength standeth in no stead God thus speaketh to Dauid and yet by a spiritual interpretation maketh like promise to all kings and princes that hartely séeke his glorie Because thou hast set thy loue vpon me I will see thee rid from all thy troubles I will defend thee why so it followeth Thou hast knowen my name thou seekest my glorie and therefore whensoeuer thou callest vpon my name I will heare thee yea I am with thee in all thy calamities and will deliuer thee from them I will set thee higher in honor send thee long life and shew thee thy saluation Her Maiestie builded vpon these comforts her soule desired and hoped to be an instrument of his wonderfull glorie examples of Scripture told her that those whome God had appointed to any speciall seruice euen those he guided through mortall dangers he preserued Ioseph from the murthering enuy of his brethren to saue old Iacob his father his malitious brethren and al Israel from the sharp death of famine Against the tyranous decrée of Pharao which was that the Midwiues should kill all the male children of the Hebrewes his prouidence saued Moses from drowning and made him his instrument to leade the children of Israell out of the bondage of Pharao vnto the land of promise God in the deapth of the sea fetched Ionas the Prophet foorth of the Whales belly to saue Niniuey from destruction God deliuered Peter forth of the prison tirannie of Herod the Iewes that he might open the gates of faith and preach the way of saluation euen vnto his enimies God sundry waies miraculouslie deliuered Paule from the vengeance of death to preach the Gospell of saluation vnto the Gentiles at Philippos in Macedonia he caused him Sylas to be deliuered forth of prison In Lycaonia the Iewes the people stoned him and drew him forth of the City as a dead man God raised and reuiued him againe God againe redéemed him out of the hands of the Iewes when as forty of them swore they would neither eate nor drinke vntill they had slaine Paule yea God in his extremitie stood by him comforted him saying Be of good cheere Paule for as thou hast testified of me at
authoritie or dissention Yea about this time that the fall of Antichrist might be visibly séene by the taking awaie of such Christian princes as were his setled supporters when as Lodowicke Guiccerdine reporteth ther was not any where either brute of pestilence or extraordinarie disease there died within the space of one yeare the Emperour Charles the fifth the Quéene of Hungary Quéene Mary of England two Kings of Denmarke Bona Sforza Quéene of Polonia Henry the third king of France Ierolme Priuli Duke of Vennice Hercules da este Duke of Ferrara and Paule the fourth Pope of Rome a change verie vniuersall wherein Gods prouidence is not to be ouerpassed with a light consideration whose will vndoubtedly was by the change of these princes the most of them drunken with Poperie to make a ready passage through Europe for the gospel of our sauiour Iesus Christ which vpon this change began to florish in most of the recited gouernements And albeit the fall of Antichrist in many places of the scripture be liuely presaged vpon the authority whereof there is sure and sound building when the prophesies and dreames of a number are but rotten foundations yet I hope I may without iust reprehension say that God many times acquainteth the minds of some good men with an imaginatiue knowledge of things to come which many yéeres after falleth out according to their presagement and for example belōging to our matter the reformation of the Church vnder her Maiesties raigne before her noble fathers death was set downe in this following prophesie Post H sequetur E post E quod mirum M M coronabitur breue confundetur Post M sequetur E vel A Et tunc conuertetur ecclesia In English E shall follow H next E with wonder M M shall be crowned and soone confounded Next vnto M E or A shall raigne Then shall the Church conuerted be againe Noble King Henry the eight first vnmasked this proude Pope King Edward the fixt the parragon of yong princes helped to vncase him Quéene Mary fauoured but liued not to strengthen him and now our soueraigne Elizabeth hath geuen him a mortall disgrace his painted Church abideth not the tuch Gods Church is vniuersally reuerenced The multitude are more delighted to reade a fewe godly sentences written vppon the Church wall then to sée his rarest rotten reliques layde vp in a golden chest Against her Maiestie he principally warreth as the chosen instrument of almightie God to abase his imperious mind to the wonder of the world and comfort of all good Christians CHAP. 8. Of the peaceable and honorable victorie that her Maiestie had against the french forces in Scotland which were raised with a determination for the inuasion of England the second yeare of her Maiesties raigne AFTER the death of Henry King of France his sonne Frances the second succéeded in the kingdome of France a prince of the age of sixtéene yéeres who being married vnto Mary Quéene of Scots and néece to the Duke of Guise suffered the affaires of the estate to be gouerned by the ambitious policy of the Duke and family of the Guises who hauing wished successe in their practises in Quéene Maryes dayes about the winning of Callice hoped and hungred after the spoile and conquest of England And the better to colour their purpose they intituled the King of France in the right of the Quéene his wife to the Crowne of England and knowing the difference betwéene the Quéenes Maiestie of England and the Pope in matters of religion they easily obtained of Paulus the fourth a disablement of the Quéenes Maiestie and an approouement of the Quéene of Scots right but King Frances had béene well aduised if he had not accepted this gift vntill the Pope had set him in possession of the kingdome which would haue troubled both him and his whole Colledge of Cardinals This depriuation by the Pope the Guises practised to moue the Papists of England to their part taking and arming theyr purpose by degrées to worke a feare in her Maiesties loyall subiects they wrote a booke of the weakenesse insufficiencie of feminine gouernement and by their owne reasons wounded the strength of their owne title which they deriued from the Quéene of Scots This scandale of feminine gouernemente was soundlie aunswered by an vnnamed authour in an english printed book at Strasbrowgh entituled A safe harbor for good subiects And truely although the soueraigne place of rule the chiefe credit of knowledge in Artes and Mecanicall craftes together with all other giftes of grace nature and education be giuen vnto man yet there haue béene women that in all maner of artes qualities and vertues which haue equalled the perfitest of men Innumerable are the testimonies of womens profound learning pure chastitie rare constancie patient martyrdome and a number most valiant whereof Chawcer reciteth nine Woorthies aunswerable to the nine Woorthies of men And touching regall gouernement from whence this question is deriued the Iewes recorde the sage gouernemente of Quéene Alexandra with more renowne then they did the tyrannie of her husband Alexander with reproch whose bodie they were determined to haue giuen vnto the dogs as also to haue murthered his two sonnes to haue rooted out Alexanders name if that her wisedome had not redéemed out either Theodosia the Empresse of Constantinople with admired prudence ruled the whole Empire during her life The gouernement of Senobia was no lesse renowmed Dydo the Amazones and many other were absolute Quéenes Semiramis enlarged the bounds of her Empire and Quéene Tomyris slewe Cyrus and his whole hoaste c. But if the enuy of men would suppresse and murther the worthines of women yet the diuine vertues of our soueraigne Quéene Elizabeth doth and will alwaies kéepe aliue their diuine memorie Of whome Guiccerdine in his Commentaries although all his writing defendeth the pope and reproueth Religion thus reporteth The good Queene Mary being dead without issue Elizabeth her sister was proclaimed Queene c. a Princesse of great learning and ouer and aboue the Laten and her mother toong she is possessed of the French and Italian language which she eloquently speaketh a yong Lady of a hye spirit wise and endewed with rare and noble qualities He might haue added the Greeke Spanish and some other ordinarie tongues with many extraordinary vertues which may as hardly be sampled by anie other lyuing Creature as the Sunne by the fairest of the Planets The worthinesse and strength of whose Gouernment euen from the beginning confuted the scandule of this lybell which was grounded vppon noe generall Lawe of God or man There haue béene priuate Lawes in some perticular Gouernments to take away and to disable the absolute gouernment of women when the generall Lawe possessed them with Imperiall authoritie As in Rome the Law Voconia so called because Voconius Tribune of the people pronounced the same In Fraunce the law Salique which they fetch from king Pharamond which bindeth the present
cut down like the grasse and be withered like the greene hearbe The bosting of the tyrant shal be abased and the desire of the vngodly shal perish And in many other places he heapeth vengance vppon the wicked and pronounceth confusion of their Counsels Againe he promiseth millions of blessings vnto the godly and safe deliuerance out of their enimies hands England hath plentifully tasted of all this goodnesse and with the Psalmist may iustly say The Lorde will be a defence for the oppressed euen a refuge in dew time of trouble It is alredie reported what sundrie seasonable victories Noble Quéene Elizabeth where the vengance of war scarce fastined of any one person saue her enimies hath had from the first houre of her blessed raigne vntil anno 1580. which yere the Pope had prouided a Challice to drink her maiesties pretious blood the king of Spaine expected her Crowne and the Duke of Guise to be domine factotum in Scotland Regard the strength of their pollicie and easinesse of their confusion and you shall plainly sée that the wisedome of the world is folishnesse before God The king of Spaine had prouided a mighty power vnder pretence of some exploit in Aphrica for the inuasion of England Don Iohn should haue maried haue done wonders with that army with which I purpose not to medle but God be praised Don-Iohn was faire buried The yeare was not too farre spent for the king of Spaines purpose who had lost al his cost if that the old king of Portugal had not that yeare dyed with which power he inuaded that kingdom The Duke of Guise should haue occupied Scotland with martiall exercise but the troubles in Piccardy and Dalphine so weakned his strength as his purpose was more then half maimed somwhat was attempted in Scotland but not to the expected purpose The Pope he vndertooke the matter of Ireland and as he thought had laid a sure foundation he picked out a daungerous instrument for his purpose euen Iames Fitz-morice a natural Irish a man wise valiant learned and of great experience in martial affaires he was a great traueller and I may safely say to stir vp troubles which powred destruction vpon his own head This Iames Fitz-moris was sent before to make a passage for the Popes power anno 1579. he ariued in Ireland soone intised the Earle of Desmond Sir Iohn his brother to be traitors but as wise as stout as this traitor Iames Fitz-moris was he was yet peaceably confounded euen in the entrance of his mischieues for he purposing to burne the countrie of the Borkes a noble yong Gentleman in the defence of his fathers country slew him before he saw any successe of his conspired treasons The Popes malice might haue bin quailed by the presagement of euil successe hauing his ankor principall Captaine Fitz-moris thus peaceably vanquished but he incensed more with the displeasure of his death then restrained with the cogitations of Gods prouidence armed his power against Ireland and comforted his souldiers that they shoulde finde in that Countrie manie more friendes then enimies his Cappitaine Fitzmoris had seduced some of the principals and his legate Doctor Saunders had bewitched the multitude vpon a hope which hetherto hath deceiued him the Pope vnder his banner sent out of Italy dâ—…ers Capitaines and bands of souldiers of his owne furnished with treasure munition victuals ensignes banners and all other things requisite for the warre into the Realme of Ireland where the same forces with other auxillier companies out of Spaine landed and fortified themselues very strongly vpon the sea side and erecting the Popes banner proclaimed open war against her Maiesty I am bound by the duety of a true subiect to set downe the ioy and cheerefull behauiours of the English fugitiues in Rome vpon the newes of the Popes forces safe landing in Ireland to the end that those which will beleeue a trueth may knowe that the comming of these disguised Iesuites was absolutely to practise to bring the realme into a warre externall and cyuill hoping by an alteration of gouernement to bring in a change of Religion and not simply as they smothly pretend to saue their Countrie mens soules without any motion of disobedience to her Maiestie their lawfull Quéene In the beginning of Nouember 1580. I returned from Naples to Rome at which time the newes was freach in Rome of the Italians Spanyards ariual in Ireland who promised a wonderful hope of a great victorie against her Maiestie and truely the newes was not so quicke in the Romaines tongues as the ioy was fresh in the English mens faces they could not suppresse the reuealement of their traiterous hearts their common speach was The time drew on that the continuance of the heretikes prosperitie for so they termed the Protestants would make their ouerthrow more gréeuous they so assured themselues of the change of her Maiesties gouernment as in a maner euerie man painted out his owne office The matter was so sure in their owne imaginations as some few that pretended a sorrow for Englands myserie wished that the onely vengeance might light vpon her Maiestie and some of her Maiestrates but they further said that God would not haue it so his iustice could not but send a general subuertion to reuenge the iniurie done vnto so many holy Catholikes which for their Consciences were driuen forth of their countrie with these and such like words they published the wishes of their hearts no one one onely except that in word or gesture séemed to be sorie that straungers should haue dominion in their natiue Countrie wherein they shewed to haue dispositions more vilanous than the seditious Iewes when Ierusalem was beseiged by Titus who although they continually killed one another with cyuill frayes yet to withstande the assault of the Romaines they would in their egerest scyrmiges part themselues and vnite their forces to withstand the forraine enimie Nature teacheth sauage mastiues who how cruelly so euer they fight togeather at the sight of a Beare they will part themselues and fal vpon their natural enimy but these be worse then Mastiues and without they amend God send them the destinie of Dogges And now to the matter of the former newes they ceased not to importune the Pope to sucker his force in Ireland with newe supplies to which end Cardinal Forze with present Commission all along the lower way by Raconati Loretto Ancona and so to Bologna in the Popes proper dominions mustered pressed souldiers 3000. Caliuers were in a readines to be shipped at Lygorne but this preparation was not so spéedie but before al things were set forward Rome receiued newes that the most worthy Captaine the Lord Gray her Maiesties deputie then in Ireland had vanquished and put all the Italian and Spanish souldiers to the sword a few of the principall Captaines except they could not vaunt that they dyed with the
and others began new Commotions in Yorkeshire which were soone appeased with their confusions the Insurrection of Somerset shire had no better successe but which most daungerouslie touched the kings life and safetie of his good subiectes this vngratious Cardinall Poole this whirlepoole and firebrand of desencion séeing that king Henry with an easie hand appeased many and mightie insurrections at home labored an inuation by the power of Fraunce but all the daunger was not in the french forces he had drawne in the Marques of Exeter his brother the Lord Mountacute and Sir Geffray Poole and with them his kinsman Sir Edward Neuell to be traitors these labored no small matters they sought euen the change and alteration of the kings godly gouernement they were daungerous traytors not so much for their power but for that they were all so bounde vnto the king for many benefits as common reason tooke away all occasion of suspition to condemne whose vnkindnesse and monstrous ingratitude there be many examples of vnreasonable creatures Lysimachus had a dog which he much estéemed and the dog to shew his loue when he saw his maister dead and cast into the fire as the manner of buriall was then he likewise leaped into the fire and died with his maister Plinic sheweth that Hiero King of the Syracusans had a dog which did euen the same but the Romaine histories make mention of a more strange matter when Titus Fabinus and his family were slaine there was a dog that for no stripes would depart from the dead carcase of his maister and when the standers by gaue him meate he ranne and layde it at the mouth of his maister in fine when the bodie was throwne into the flood of Tyber the dog lept in after and as long as he could he kept his maister aboue the water much more might be said to reproche ingratitude a vice which our vulgar worde vnkindnesse sheweth to be against kinde or nature the former examples approoue as much but enuy and ambition the ordinarie passions of Papists are so farre from grace dutie and thankefulnesse as they contend with God and violate the bonds both of nature and frendship The Traytor Parry in his confession sayd that his accusor Neuill vsually sayde that all the aduancement that her Maiestie could giue hym should serue but for her scourge if euer time ministred occasion I knowe not whether he spake of mallice or no but experience teacheth that these persons resemble the frozen Snake which the pitifull husbandman comforted by the fire which in recompence stoong his children The Marques of Exeters father was for treason committed to prison by King Henry the seuenth King Henry the eight discharged him and with great fauour tooke his sonne into his priuie chamber and vsed him alwayes more like a companion then a seruant The King helped the Lord Mountacute from the state of a poore Gentleman to his mothers land being thrée or foure thousand markes by the yeare Sir Edward Neuill was of the Kings priuie chamber and in great fauour The Pooles were of the Kings blood and so bound with princely fauours as when Sir Geffrey Poole was apprehended the rest were not so much as suspected but God will not haue treason lye hid nor Traitors vnpunished though the Diuell and man labour in the behalfe of either The Diuell was héere set a worke but he laboured in vaine against the iustice and mercie of God the giltinesse of Sir Gefferey Pooles conscience condemned him he now only respected the safetie of the Marquesse his bréethren and Cosen Sir Edward Neuill hys conscience was witnesse against them all he feared that torture would wrest out the truth and in this doubtfull perplexitie he resolued desperately to kill himselfe and in this passion vppon oportunitie he stabbed himselfe vpon the brest with a knife the Diuell plaied his part now sée how God as he oft doth turned all the Diuels worke to his glorie and Sir Gefferayes saluation the knife was blunt and as God woulde made the wound not mortall yet the abundance of blood which followed his wound made him to feare God to feare hell and to detest the murther both of his bodie and soule and where as before he woulde haue died to saue his bréethren and Cosen he now desired life for no cause so much as to bring them to that which they worthely deserued Finallie he accused them all and by lawfull tryall the Marquesse the Lord Mountacute and Sir Edward Neuill were adiudged and executed as traytors good King Henry ioyned his mercy to Gods prouidence so pardoned Sir Gefferey whom God appointed to be the instrument of this discouerie the like blessings were heaped vpon the King and confusion vpon his enimies the residue of his triumphāt raigne which continued all the daies of his most blessed sonne King Edward the sixt In the third yéere of his raigne there were almost generall commotions through England The Papists tempted and mooued the commons to rebellion with a perswasion to throw downe inclosier and for themselues foysted in to haue their old religion and Acte of sixe Articles restored but what followed the rebels in euerie countrey were vanquished slaine and vtterly discomforted And to continue with truth in this report Quéene Mary had albeit she was superstitious the like victories against her domesticke enimies but as it is said as God gaue the Idolater Abias victorie against Ieroboam for his great Grandfather Dauids sake so he gaue the like to Quéene Mary for her godly father King Henries sake To come againe vnto the peaceable victories obtained by the Quéenes Maiestie as in the former reports it is manifest although the Diuell gaue her enimies wit to begin treasons he failed to giue them strength to effect them yea the Diuell himselfe lacketh strength where God hath any thing to do as appeareth especially in the preuention of the odious and desperate treasons of Someruile Parry To conclude the ouerthrowe of her last knowne enimies which happinesse I beséech God to continue many yeares and to the last moment of her Maiesties life the wonderfull discouerie of the dangerous treasons of Frances Frogmorton Esquire deserueth a speciall remembrance I meane a remembrance of thanksgiuing vnto almighty God in reuealing of such a couert mischiefe that threatned her Maiestie with a perticular danger and her realme and people with a generall calamitie it was no ordinary conspiracy that Frogmorton labored but an vnnaturall subuersion of his countrey by forraigne inuasion he wrought to haue brought in the Pope the King of Spaine the Duke of Guise and all he purposed her Maiesties death to possesse he knewe not whome with the Crowne perhaps such a one as would all haue béene iealous of him for those by whome they are benefited dare hardly trust a Traitor he was discouered in time but yet more by Gods prouidence then mans policie he was too subtill to lay his head vpon
visible plagues which fall vppon your Pharao the Pope you sée that iustice by generall iudgement hangeth notable murtherers in chaines that they may rot consume by péece-meales euen so Gods iustice promiseth semblable vengeance vpon this Archmurtherer your pope the most infirmed eyes sée the lingring consumption of his riches reuerence and reputation he that sometime disposed forraigne kingdomes can not kéepe his proper lands out of the possession of his next neighbors There is no frée state in Italy but of late yéeres haue fléesed him nor any Christian Prince that is his best friend which paieth his auncient tribute He that sometimes commanded the persons goods roial powers of anointed kings is now driuen to waste his substance vppon Atheists secretly to murther his supposed enimies whose counsels for the most proue the halters which hang his executioners necessity constraineth him to be in league with all men saue the professors of the Gospell the Iewes haue their sinagogue the Grecians their proper religion euen in Rome strumpets haue good law to recouer the leacherous hire of their bodies their Ladies are his possessions for they pay him rent to abuse them Atheists traitors murtherers théeues and such as the lawes of all good gouernement would consume with the gallowes are his souldiers stipendaries and pentioners and what seruice do they him they shorten their owne daies in laboring his wicked practises all to a bootelesse successe seldome but yet sometimes his instrumentes execute hys bloodie purposes but hys Machiuillians neuer escape the hands of vengeance I haue shewne the example of Fraunce Iohn Ianregui the fyrst assayler of the godlie Prince of Orange was presentlye slayne and sundrye of hys confederates were executed the odious Atheist which wickedly murthered this good prince had a seuere death but yet too milde for his execrable offence but héere in England from whence came the Lion that first plucked the prowde Eagle of Rome by the throte c. what successe hath followed all his pollicies since the noble King Henry the eight shewed his rauening to the princes of the earth he hath vomited his poisoned enuy and mallice to the chiefe destruction disgrace and shame of him and his partakers his instruments of Rebellion murther and all inhumaine mischiefes had their fortune which rid the horsse Seian which was violent death they brought buls which gored themselues and pardons whiche turned into halters and hatchets which hanged and quartered their maisters I néede not name Felton Campion Parry and the rest you haue canonized them for Saincts and we haue Chronacled them for Traitors Since the beginning of her sacred Maiesties raigne whome héere in England haue your Popes cursses harmed I know his blessings haue brought many Englishmen to the gallowes from which God blesse all good men and then I meane not you without amendment If you haue not learned by the councels of scripture to forbeare the laying of violent hands vppon the Lords annointed yet the dayly experiēce of your companions falles and their frustrate attempts sufficeth to banish the very imagination of your and our most gratious soueraignes death which all good Christians beseech almightie God many yéeres to defer You are not so wise as the Philosophers disciples whiche in the water woulde followe their maister but to the chin for you follow the Pope ouer head and eares in two dangerous seas error and rebellion You may learne instructions of safetie of Mise which runne from houses which are readie to fall or of lice that will leaue the bodie of a dying man all the world séeth that your Popes kingdome leaneth vpon a few rotten props yea that the life of his glorie is at the point of death why follow you then your owne destruction in susteining of him whome vengeance will no longer suffer to flourish Nature counselleth you to haue care of your liues and charitie warneth your enimies from wishing your deathes if you would shunne the perils that vnpolitike creatures auoid but Pharao and his host would wilfully perish in the red sea the like is your stobernesse and expected destruction Pharao was plagued and well warned before and you Papists lacke neither punishment to feare you nor perswasion to win you and vnhappy are ye that neither can profit you Mahomet to continue his irreligion by his Alcoran forbad the people to reason of it a damnable policy to suppresse truth which by disputation breaketh out of cōtrouersies as fire out of Flint by the striking of iron The people to blinde all the world with ignorance appointed the Latin toong for matters of religion which the multitude vnderstood not if one language sufficed for a generall edifying the holy Ghost in the forme of clouen and firie toongs sate vppon the Apostles in vaine which instructed euerie one in their proper language it was a policie almost as dangerous as Mahomets which manie yéeres masked the hipocriticall blasphemy of the pope when his dreames shadowed the truth your mists of error might wel arise from ignorance but now that truth hath vnmasked his hipocrisy your blindnesse can be adiudged no better than peruerse wilfulnesse His policy forbiddeth you studiously to search the scriptures it is then like his wil is that you should reade his own monuments And I counsell you to reade Platinus Aeneas Siluius the golden Legend of the actes of popes Plutarke reporteth that an Atheist gouernour of Cilicy beléeued in God by an answere of the Diuell or oracle of Mopsus which reuealed a knowne secret and it may well be these popish historiographers will let you sée paltry stuffe that the best aduise will hardly perswade you to beléeue There is an old saying Orpheus can describe hell better then Aristotle raysed vpon a fable that he fetched his wife from thence and truly in knowledge is assurance and in report may be error They are Authors that write wonders of the Pope and if your iudgements are not blinde matters in common sense vnpossible you may by grace stumble on such grose errors as shall constraine you to looke vpon the plaine truth but you haue a commandement that forbids you to looke into the liues of your Popes because it can not be denied but that they trespasse dayly as men when in their doctrine can bee no error because the holy Ghost waighteth vppon their holinesse it may well be of their holinesse and yet farre ynough from the Pope Where was I pray you the holy Ghost when Pope Marcellus sacrificed vnto the Idols of the Pagans What office had he when Syluester the second when Iohn the ninetéenth and Gregorie the seauenth were a coniuring they were successors of Simon Magus and not of Simon Peter In déede Pope Ioane the eight erred not when she fell in labor in the middest of Procession Among your owne Authors it is reported that the virgin Mary told S. Brigit that most of the Popes are in hell a small signe then that the holy Ghost is very conuersant with them
sentence that kings haue wide eares out-streached hands which is applied to this purpose that princes heare what offenders doe in secreat and can take vengance a farre off for the gaine of a princes fauour is so great as men to compasse the same giue knowledge of most hidden things The preacher saith A byrd of the ayre shal bewray thy voice and with her feathers she shall betray thy words which concerne princes all which is but a morall warning to counsaile men to say nothing or nothing but good of princes when their knowledge searcheth their subiectes wordes and their anger is a verie death But albeit this prerogatiue bee giuen vnto a Royall king to doe what he pleaseth and the duetie of a subiect restraineth him from saying what hee thinketh Yet where their murmuring procéeded more of oppression than malice manie good kings and some tyrants haue borne with the inconsiderate words of their subiectes King Antigonus lying in his Tent in the deade of the night hearde a Souldier to murmure against him of whom Antigonus tooke no other reuenge but softly in an vnknowne voice willed him to goe further from the Kings tent in the ende hée might not heare him The Athenian Ambassadors hauing audience of king Philip of Macedone after their Ambassage deliuered king Philip asked if they would any thing else yea quoth one of them named Democrates who knew that Philip hated the Athenians we would that thou wouldest hang thy self by the throat But king Philip contrarie to all expectation mildely answered You shall tell the Athenians that he that hath indured these words is much more modest than the sages of Athens which want discretion to gouerne their tongues The tyrant Dennis asked the Philosopher Plato what was said of him in the Accademy of Athens Plato boldly answered that they were not so idle in Athens as to talke either of him or his doings Dennis knew that Plaâ—…o couertly blamed his vises and therefore with great patiencie receiued his graue reprehension and truely in this clemency of pardoning the discreete libertie of the subiectes reprehension good princes many times see the faultes that they desire to amende in themselues the forenamed Philip saide it was in his power to make a man say well or euill of him deriuing his reason from this occasion Nycanor speaking euill of him Philip was moued to punish him nay quoth Philip I know Nycanor is not the worst man in my realme and so sent to know if Nycanor wanted any thing and vnderstanding hée was in great pouertie in stéede of chastisement Philip gaue him a rich present and presently the accusar brought the king worde that Nycanor spake much good of him Oppression Pouertie and such like temptations wil moue the tongue to blunder forth the griefes of the heart and questionles in such ouersights clemency beséemeth a king and in remedying of his subiectes iniuries he doubleth his renowne Pontanus saieth that libertie and clemencie maketh Princes to resemble God whose propertie is to doe good vnto all and mercifully to forgiue those that doe amisse By liberallitie Caesar woone Pompeius souldiers to bee his friends and by clemencie obtained such reuerence as in memorie thereof the people erected a Temple Mamyllus asked Caesar what thing hée had doone wherein hee helde himselfe most honoured I sweare vnto thee Mamillus by the immortall gods saide Caesar that I haue done nothing whereof I holde my selfe so much honoured and happie as for that I haue lyberallie rewarded those that haue serued me and mercifullie haue forgiuen such as haue offended me words worthy of Caesar and beséeming euerie Royal Prince for in these two vertues greatly consist their honour and safetie When Cicero saw Caesar set vp Pompeis Images he saide Beholde Caesar setteth vp Pompeis Images that his owne may stand the surer Ciceroes wisedome foresaw that clemencie worketh loue in subiectes and safetie in Princes notwithstanding with this swéete and milde vsage the maiestie of a Prince requireth a seuere grauetie for the first without the last giueth subiectes libertie without feare the last without the first feare without loue A reuerend and assured countenance is the chiefe Grace and not the least vertue in a prince for of a prince meÌ„ behold the countenance and of a common person the apparel The prouerbe is that in the Face of a prince both life and death is setled that is seuere grauitie with a mild amiablenes to chasten and cherish as occasion serueth which moueth a louing feare and not a feareful loue in subiects The people of Meroe an Iland vppon Nylus elect him for their Prince that hath the best countenance imagining that the magnanimity of the minde is discouered in the maiestie of the face King Demetrius had so honorable swéete a presence as no painter durst vndertake his counterfet for in beholding of him amiablenes terror and milde grauity wrought such sodaine impressions as the beholders at one instant were moued to loue reuerence feare him The most worthy Romain Marius had such a reuerend presence as being prisoner with his enimy Sylla a french man was sent to kill him who entring the prison with a drawne sword was so amased with Marius graue furious countenance as he returned and left the prison dore open and by this meanes Marius saued his life Crassus in the like daunger made the Axe to fal from the executioners hand with these we may very well sample our renowned Quéene Elizabeth when the archtraitor desperat Athiest Parry came with a full determination to haue slain her maiesty with his dagger had place oportunity as he wished teste se ipso the maiesty of her countenaÌ„ce made him to lose his resolution Of the contrary part the deformity of couÌ„tenaÌ„ce hath disgraced the kingly qualities of a nuÌ„ber for example of late yeares king Ferdinando of Spaine a prince both discret wise yet of shape countenaÌ„ce vgly deformed this king vpon a festiual day accompaning the sacrameÌ„t at Barcellona at vâ—…ares a Spanyard stroke him such a sound blow vppon the necke with a short sword as had it not béene for a great chaine of golde he had beheaded him The Spaniard was taken and to learne if he had any confederates he was put vnto the torture but for all the torment they coulde lay vppon him hee would confesse no otherwise but that the Phisnomie and euil grace of the king mooued him mortally to hate him But albeit this be a rare and too extreame an example Yet sure a royall Prince resembleth the sunne whose bright beames comforteth euery creature and being darkened with stormie clouds spreadeth heauinesse vpon the whole earth Learning is a great bewtie and a most necessarie vertue in a Prince for learning containeth the graue censures of wise men and wisedome is the strength and scepter of a Prince God bad king Salomon aske what he shoulde giue him and Salomon onely asked wisedome
gotten a great maâ—…e of money to make Hugh Pulath the Bishop of Durham Earle of Northumberland chiefe Iustice of England Sée quoth the King what a miracle I can do I can make of an old Bishop a yong Earle but his myracle turned to the great disworship of God and mischiefe of the whole Realme for the prelates by buying temporall honors for thys King for money made many prelates Uicounts Barons soone learned how to sell the peace and prosperitie of the Kingdome this was the sound waie to strengthen the Popes Empyre and the wicked pollicy that kepte vnder the Gospell the light and life of saluation when ambition crept into the Church zeale fled out of the hart of the Cleargie but which hath wrought the capitoll mischiefe of all the inequalitie of estates betwéene the highest and lowest of the Prelates hath brought enuie into the Church and with enuie a number of heresies and controuersies Occasion and millions of mens deathes and damnation haue opened the venome of thys passion sufficientlie in the Chapter of heresies and in sundrie other places in the Conquests of Enuy. Disvnion of the Church of all calamities is the most gréeuous because it mouéth a most mortall warre among men and eternall torment vnto the soule God for hys Sonne Iesus sake banishe thys dangerous passion foorth of the Churche and gyue the spirite of true knowledge vnto all the Cleargie that with mutuall consentes they maye teache one sounde doctrine to the glorie of GOD and vniuersall peace and comforte of his people Amen CHAP. 4. Of the most honorable calling of the Iudiciall Maiestrates of the waightinesse of theyr offices with examples of Gods heauie iustice inflicted vppon partiall Iudges IN all good gouerments necessitie hath taught princes where vertue is found to honor it and questionles so waightie are the affaires of a Common-wealth and so holie the iudgements of iustice as the nobilitie or innobilitie of the person not respected The Magistrates or Ministers of these charges ought to be chosen by the counsell that Iethro the Priest gaue vnto hys sonne in lawe Moyses which was that he shoulde choose among the people vertuous men and such as feare God true men hating couetousnesse and make them heads ouer the people and let them iudge the people at all seasons c. The waightinesse of which charge commandeth a hye honour and reuerence to be giuen to the Magistrate who in the place of iustice is the image of the Prince And in all good Gouerments the soueraigne Magistrate hath hys place next vnto the Prince In Rome the Senators were called the Fathers of the Common wealth and as the Father is honored and reuerenced of his sonne so were they of the people The Maiestrates or Philosophers of Greece were called Sages whose wisedomes were so reuerenced as nothing was done concerning warre or peace but what they allowed The office of the Magistrate according to the Psalmist is to defende the poore and fatherlesse and to sée that such as bée in néede and necessitie may haue right and as King Lamuell setteth downe they must bée aduocates for the doombe they must open theyr mouthes to defend the thing that is lawfull and right and accordyng to the counsell of Aristotle in theyr iudgementes they must bée ruled neyther by loue hatred or gaine That these duties may bée truely ministred Cicero sayeth that Sophocles counselled Pericles to make choise of Iudges that had not onely theyr handes but theyr eyes chaste and continent It behoueth that Iudges do not buy theyr offices for as Alexander Seuerus sayeth he that buieth must néedes sell and therefore sayeth he I will suffer no Merchants of Estate for if quoth he I suffer the one I must néedes indure the other as a matter too seuere to punish him that buyeth although he selleth In Fraunce all the offices of iustice are solde in Englande they are fréely geuen in the one I knowe the administration is corrupt I pray God the other be without faulte Plato was so curious in the choise of iudiciall officers as he gaue counsell to giue no dignitie or offices to the ambitious or to such as coueted or sought them but vnto such as méerely refused them and aboue all he forewarned to make choyse of none that naturally were barbarous rude or rusticke but of people that were ciuill milde iust and wise the which he figuratiuely compared vnto dogs which are ordained to defende the shéepe and to chase awaye the Wolfe In Calcydone there was a lawe that néedie and vnworthie persons shoulde beare no office but contrarywise such as contemned riches and contented to be inriched with most knowledge and such manner of men were Curius Fabritius and Phocion Alexander the Great teacheth Iudges to iudge vprightly by this obseruance when any man complained he stopped one of his eares to heare the aunswere of the defendant and truely iustice is neuer rightly administred where the Iudge giueth hys sentence before lawfull conuiction It is a place of much honor to be a Iudiciall Magistrate but the temptation of money is so swéete as when the world was nothing so corrupt in these dayes the Poet was driuen to sing Munera crede mihi capiunt hominesque deosque In English Beleeue me giftes do catch both Gods and men Diogenes béeing asked what thing an office was said it was a dangerous beast for quoth he it is as hard a matter for the Iudges of the people to kéepe theyr consciences sound as barefooted for a man to walke vpon sharpe stones vnhurt or to thrust his hand into the fire without the burning thereof In all good gouerments there euermore haue béene positiue lawes to bridle the iniustice of Iudiciall Maiestrates The false Iudges that accused Susanna were stoned to death Alexander Seuerus caused the corrupt Maiestrate Turinus to be smoothered with the smoke of wette stubble during whose execution one cryed With fume let him dye that fumes hath solde Thys Alexander defrayed the charge of all the Iudges with an honorable allowance that theyr offence might be without excuse and theyr punishmente without mercie if they did iniustice for money The sentence that King Cambyses gaue vpon a corrupt Iudge deserueth eternall memorie he caused hym to be flayed and with hys skinne he couered a iudiciall Chaire in which he placed the Iudges sonne to occupie the office of hys Father and to feare him from briberie and all partialitie besides the continuall sight of his fathers skinne Cambyses gaue hym this sharpe item Sede sedens ista iudex inflexibilis sta Sit tibi lucerna lux lex pellisque paterna A manibus reseces munus ab aure preces In English Thou Iudge that sittest in this seate firmely sit therein And for thy light take thou the light the lawe and fathers skin Superfluous bribes cut from thy ruling hand And in thy eares let no intreatie stand I néede not inlarge this Chapter with the positiue