farre excéeded all other in wysedome and learning that Salomon was compared vnto them Darius in taking of Babilon slue King Balthasar and possessed his kingdome In the seconde yeare of his raigne he graunted the same licence vnto the Iewes to builde againe the Citie of Ierusalem and the house of God that King Cyrus had graunted to them in the first yeare of his raigne And for so much as the worke had béene much hindered from the first yeare of Cyrus vnto the seconde yeare of this King Darius he gaue a strayte commaundement that whosoeuer dyd from hencefoorth hinder or let that worke a Beame shoulde be taken from that mans house and he hanged thereon and his house made a dunghill And so the buylding went forwarde with spéede and was perfectly finished in the sixte yeare of his raigne Dathan and Abiram were the sonnes of Eliab and two of the chiefe Captaynes with Chore in the insurrection against Moses on whom God tooke such vengeance that he caused the earth to open and swallow them vp quick Reade the story of Chore. Dauid was the yoongest sonne of Isai and by Gods commaundement annoynted King of Israell Saule yet raigning of the Prophet Samuel Wherefore Saule fearing that Dauid would defeate him of his kingdome vexed hym with continuall persecution during the which tyme Dauid shewed notable examples both of pacience and true obedient seruice to Saule his soueraigne Lorde And first to shew his obedient and faithfull heart to his Prince and loue he bare to his countrey he put himselfe in daunger to fight with that great monster Goliah and slue him of whome the king and all the host of Israell stoode in great feare And after this act also when Saule of enuie that the women in their daunce had giuen to Dauid more prayse than to him threwe his Iauelin at Dauid as he stoode and played on his Harpe before him to haue nayled him fast to the wall Dauid auoyded and armed himselfe with pacience and neuer sought other meanes to reuenge In so much that when Saule by the prouidence of God came into the Caue to ease himselfe in the which Caue Dauid lay hid for feare of Saul he woulde not being prouoked put foorth his hande to hurt his mayster But cut of a péece of the hemme of his coate in token that he might haue killed him And yet after that it sore repented him that he had done so much injury vnto his soueraigne Lorde and maister although he was his most gréeuous enimy and euery houre sought his death Also when he came into the host of Saule and founde the King and his men fast a sléepe he woulde not for his owne priuate cause though Iehu slue two Kinges at Gods commaundement lay his hand vpon the Lords annointed but onely that he shoulde know that Dauid was there might haue béene reuenged tooke his speare and pot of water which stoode at his heade and went hys waye Finally when it pleased God to deliuer him of his enimie in battaile against the Philistines one to get thanke of Dauid brought vnto him Saules crowne and the Bracelet that he wore on hys arme certifying him of the Kings death and that he with his owne handes had killed him whose acte dyd so much abhorre Dauid that he thought the man not woorthy to lyue but put him to death by and by Read more of Dauids pacient suffering and obedient seruice in the story of Michol Ionathas Ahimelech Achis and Absalon his sonne Nowe when Saule was dead Dauid was admitted king and reigned ouer Iuda .vij. yeares after which time expired he reigned both ouer Israel and Iuda .xxxiij. yeares And dyd that which was good in the sight of God and put his trust confidence in the Lord God of Israel so that before nor after him was not his like He cleaued so vnto the Lord that God of him bare witnesse that he had founde a man according to his hearts desire To him God made a promise that Christ shoulde come of his séede for the which cause Christ of the Prophets is called the sonne of Dauid To this holy Prophet God gaue many victories and excellent giftes which are touched in other stories and yet among all his vertues he suffred him to fall into the abhominable vice of adulterie and homicide and most gréeuously punished him for the same who notwithstanding after earnest repentaunce was receyued agayne into the fauour of God and neuer after offended in that sinne more Finally after many conflictes with his enimies he died after he had reigned .xl. yeares leauing Salomon his sonne to succéede him Debora the wyfe of one Lapidoth was a Prophetesse and the fourth Iudge and gouernour of the people of Israel who by the power and pleasure of God and helpe of Barack the Captayne of hir armie deliuered them from the Tyrannie of King Iabyn and of Sisera his Captaine generall putting the king to a great foyle in flying of his Captain Sisera Thorow the which victorie the Israelites were restored to libertie and their enimies the Cananites vtterly confounded She iudged Israel .xl. yeares Demas was Christes Disciple a great while and a faythfull minister to Paule and neuer shranke from him nor his doctrine so long as all things prospered well with Paule But when he saw Paule cast in pryson and in daunger of his life for the Gospels sake He forsooke both him and his doctrine and imbraceing the worlde conueighed himselfe to Thessalonica Such there be that so long as pleasure profite fauour honour glory or riches doe followe the worde of God so long will they fauour the same But when affliction persecution losse of goods riches landes possessions or such like aduersities doe come then they doe as Demas dyd forsake the Gospel and followe the worlde Demetrius the sonne of Sceleucus came from Rome with a small company of men to a certaine Citie of his owne lying vpon the Sea coast and prepared an armie to go to Antioche the Citie of his Progenitours where he founde Antiochus and Lisias which both he caused to be slayne and being stablished in his kingdom he began through the wicked counsell of Alcimus whom he had made hye Priest to séeke the destruction of the Iewes sending foorth diuers armies against them in the which he spedde diuersly Finally the sonne of noble Antiochus mooued warre agaynst hym and in battell slue him Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius being in the lande of Creta at his fathers death made haste homewarde to take possession of his Kingdome And being stablished therein he began to waxe mightie â–ª â—y reason that Ptolomy King of Egipt had withdrawne his fauour from Alexander his sonne in law and taken his daughter Cleopatra from him and giuen hir to Demetrius And also for as much as Ptolomy and Alexander lyued not long after the strife
kylled hir After this hir father tooke hir from Dauid and gaue hir to * Loke in the hystorie of Psaltei howe he vsed Michol Dauids wyfe Psaltei the sonne of Lays to wyfe with whome she remayned tyll the death of Saule and then was restored agayne to Dauid by Abners meanes Finally when Dauid came dauncing before the Arke of God in his shyrte â–ª to the Citie of Dauid it chauncâ—d Michol to looke out at a window and beholding the King how he leaped and daunced before the Arke she began to despise hym in hir heart â–ª and méeting him after all thinges were done she sayde O how glorious was the King of Israel this daye which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the Maydens of his seruaunts as a foole vncouereth himselfe And for thus despising of Dauid the seruaunt of God the Lorde plagued hir with Baraynesse that she neuer â–ª had Childe ¶ Michol who is perfect 2. Reg. 4. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas was lame in his féete by reason his nurse by misfortune in his infancie let him fall to the grounde out of hir armes and was brought vp and nourished after the death of his father 9. cap. in the hâ—uie of Machir tyll Dauid comming to his Kingdome tooke him from thence and restored him to all the lande of King Saule making Ziba his seruaunt chiefe ouerséer and nâ—câ—yuâ—r of the landes and to sée Micah his maysters sonne well brought vp and cherished for so much as Miphiboseth shoulde remayne with hym and eatâ— and drincke at his owne boorde â–ª Now after this when Dauid was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his sonnâ— Miphiboseth remayned still at Ierusalem and neuer â–ª remooued But Ziba 2. Reg. 16. â— his seruaunt went after Dauid with a present and by false report of Miphiboseth his mayster got hys lande from hym â–ª And when the King was returned and come to Ierusalem â–ª agayne then Miphiboseth who had neyther 19. â— washed his féete nor dressed his bearde nor washed his clothes from the tyme the King departed vntill he returned in peace went out to méete him and when the King sawe him he sayde Wherefore wentest thou not with mée Miphiboseth He aunswered My Lorde O King my seruaunt deceyued mée for thy seruaunt sayde I woulde haue myne Asse sadled to ryde thereon for to go with the King bycause thy seruaunt is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsely accused thy seruaunt to my Lorde the King but my Lord the King is as an Angell of God Doe therefore what it pleaseth thée for all my Fathers house were but deade mâ—n before my Lord the King and yet dydst thou set thy seruaunt amonge them that dyd eate at thine owne table What right haue I to cry any more vnto the King Then sayde Dauid â–ª why speakest thou yet in thine owne cause I haue sayde Thou and Ziba deuide the lande betwéene you Yea sayde Miphiboseth let him take all séeing my Lord the King is come home in peace ¶ Miphiboseth shame or confusion from the mouth â— Reg. 21. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Rizpa King Sauls Concubine was of the Gibeonits with his brother Armony hanged for their fathers offence Exo. 6. c. Miriam was the daughter of Amram Iochebed and sister to Aaron and Moses When hir brother Moses 15. c. had brought the children of Israel thorow the redde Sea Miriam the Prophetesse tooke a Tymbrell in hir hande with other women following in like sorte and began ioyfully to sing and daunce their song was this Sing yée vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and ryder hath he ouerthrowen in the Sea. After this she grudged agaynst Moses because he had taken a Num. 12. cap. woman of Inde to his wyfe wherefore the Lorde smote hir with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pittie and partly at the intercession of Aaron his brother besought the Lorde to heale hir who made hym aunswere saying If hir father in anger had spitte in hir face shoulde she not haue béene ashamed seauen dayes Let hir be shut out of the hoste seauen dayes which being doone she was restored and receyued in agayne Finallye when 20. 2. Moses and the children of Israel were come to Cades there she dyed and was buryed ¶ Miriam exalted or reaching Dan. â— b. 3. ca. Misach first called Misael was one of Daniels companions and one of the thrée which was cast into the whote burning Ouen and myraculously preserued ¶ Misach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging 3. Esd 2. b. Mithridatus was King Cyrus treasurer at whose commaundement he deliuered all the holye vessels of golde and siluer pertayning to the house of the Lorde to Salmanasar the Deputie in Iewrie The number of which vessels was fiue thousand eyght hundred and thrée score ¶ Mithridatus dissoluing the lawe Act. 21. d Mnason was a certayne godlye man and a Cyprian borne who had of long tyme beléeued the Gospell in whose house Paul was hosted at Ierusalem ¶ Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Exod. 2. cap. Moyses the sonne of Amram and Iochebed was myraculously preserued at his byrth For where as Pharao the King of Egipt had straightly commaunded the Moses signifieth preserued from the water Mydwyues that whensoeuer they saw an Hebrue bring soorth a man chylde they shoulde cast it into the ryuer yet Moses being borne a proper childe was notwithstanding the Kinges commaundement kept secretlye thrée monthes And when his parents coulde hide him no longer they closed him in a basket made of réede or Bulrushes dawbed with slyme and pitch and layd him in the ryuer And as the childs sister stoode looking what should become of him it came to passe that King Pharaos * Hir name was Termuth daughter came awalking by the ryuer syde who séeing the basket â—leting vppon the ryuer caused one of hir folkes to take it vp â–ª And when she had opened the basket and sawe the Childe she had pittie vpon it and caused the Mayde his sister to fet hir a Nurse who went and brought his owne mother And so the childe being nursed brought vp in Pharaos house was instructed from his Childehoode in all maner cunning and wisedome of the Egiptians and became mightie in wordes and déedes Howe that Moyses impediment of speach came The king on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe in hys armes and set the crown vppon hys heade which Moses as it were chyldishly playing hurled to the grounde and with hys foote spurned it At the whiche the Priest cryed out saying that this was he of whome it was prophecied that he should destroy Egipt Then Termuth excused the chylde alleaging his infancie and sacke of discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to be put to hys mouth which the child with his tongue licked
olde and was not able to beare the burden he made his twoo sonnes Ioel and Abia Iudges ouer Israel thinking that they woulde imitate his steppes But contrarywise they were so couetous that for lucre sake they peruerted all true iustice wherevpon the Elders of Israel perceyuing Samuel to be olde and his sonnes giuen all to coueteousnesse went to Samuel desiring of him that they might haue a king to raygne ouer them as other nations had Then Samuel hearing them speake of a king was sore displeased But neuerthelesse at the Lordes commaundement who bade him make them a King hée first declared to them the office and authoritie of a King and than annoynted Saule to be their King and gouernour whome he sent to Gilgal commaunding Saule to tary him there seauen dayes and then he woulde come and tell him what he shoulde doe And on the seauenth day when Samuel came to Saule and sawe he had offered before he came he asked him what he had done Mary quoth Saule when I sawe the people begin to scatter from mée and that thou taryedst so long I offered burnt offerings least the Philistines shoulde come vpon me before I had made my supplicasion vnto the Lorde Nowe sayde Samuel thou hast played the foole For if thou haddest hep to the Lordes commaundement hée woulde haue stablished thy Kingdome for euer But now it shall not continue For the Lorde hath sought him out a man after his owne heart which shall rule the people and so Samuel departed to his house at Gibea After this when Saule had broken the Lordes commaundement in sauing Agag King of the Amalachites alyue and had made a sacrifice vnto the Lorde of their best shéepe and Cattell which hée reserued Samuel came whereof the Kinge was verye glad and tolde hym that he had fulfilled the Lordes commaundement But what meaneth then quoth Samuel the bleting of the shéepe and noyse of Oxen that I heare There are quoth he the best shéepe and Oxen that the people hath spared to sacrifice vnto the Lorde but the reast haue we destroyed Then sayde Samuel Did not the Lord when thou wert little in thine olvne eyes make thée King ouer Israel and gaue thée a charge vtterly to destroy those sinners the Amalachites And wherefore hast thou obeyed the people and not the Lorde I haue quoth he done all that the Lorde commaunded mée and saued none but Agag Hath the Lorde quoth Samuel as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offeringes as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed Beholde to obey is better than sacrifice and to harcken is better than the fat of Rammes for rebellion is as the sinne of Witchcraft and stubbornesse is as the wickednesse of Idolatrie And bicause thou hast cast away the worde of the Lorde therefore hath the Lorde cast away thée from being king Then sayde Saule I haue sinned and gone further than the saying of the Lord therefore take awaye my sinne 〈◊〉 turne againe with me that I may worship the lord Nay quoth Samuel I will not returne with thée for thou hast cast awaye the Lorde and he hath cast away thée And as Samuel was turning himselfe to haue gone away Saule â—aught him by the lap of his garment and it rent Then sayde Samuel the Lorde hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thée this day and giuen it to a neyghbour of thine better than thy selfe Neuerthelesse thorowe great intreatie of Saule Samuel went with him And when they had worshipped the Lorde Agag was brought to Samuel who tooke and hewed him in péeces and so departed to Rama where he mourned so long for Saule till the Lorde reprooued him for it and sent him to Bethleem to annoynt Dauid Which thing done he went home agayne to Rama where he remayned vntill he dyed Sanabalat the Heronite when he hearde of the graunt that Nehemias had obtayned of Artâ—â—erses for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem he was marueylously grieued therewith and sought by all meanes howe to let the Iewes of their purpose Saphira the wyfe of Ananias being of his Counsell in kéeping awaye part of the pryce of a possession which they had solde came vnto Peter about a thrée houres after hir husbande ignorant of that which was done vnto whome Peter sayde Tell me Saphira solde yée the lande for so much yea quoth she for so much Why haue ye quoth Peter agréed togither to tempt the spirite of the lord Beholde the féete of them which haue buried thy husbande are at the doore and shall carye thée out And with that she fell downe and gaue vp the ghost And the Officers came and caried hir out and buried hir beside hir husbande Saule the sonne of Cis of the Trybe of Beniamin was a goodly tall yoong man who on a tyme as he was séeking his fathers Asses and coulde not finde them happened by the prouision of God to go and séeke but Samuel to wit of him some tydinges of hys Asses And as he was going towarde the Citie it was tolde him of a great offering that shoulde be there and howe the people wayted for Samuels comming to blesse the same And when Saule was come into the middest of the Citie he met Samuel comming against him going vp to the hill And as Samuel behelde Saule the Lorde sayd vnto him this is the man which I tolde thée yesterdaye I woulde sende this daye vnto thée to be King of Israel Then Samuel tooke him vp with him to the hyll and set him in the chiefest seate amonge his guestes and made him eate with them And the feast being done he went and annoynted Saule King and told him what he should doe after his departure from him And going from Samuel the Lorde gaue him another maner of heart than he had before So that he prophecied among the Prophetes and was so greatly honoured of all men that after he had deliuered the Citie of Iabes out of the handes of Nahas King of the Ammonites the people renued his kingdome which God woulde haue stablished for euer if he had not disobeyed his commaundement in taking vpon him to offer burnt sacrifice before Samuel came and also to saue Agag whom he was commaunded to destroy And for this his disobedience the Lorde tooke hys spirite from Saule and gaue it to Dauid and gaue vnto Saule an euill spirit to vexe him withall Then Saule séeing the spirit of the Lord departed from him and gone to Dauid he sought by all meanes to destroye him but neuer coulde come to his purpose Finally Saule being sore cumbred with the Philistynes he went to an Enchaunter notwithstanding he had expelled all of that Arte before to rayse him vp Samuel who being raysed vp tolde hym that for as much as hée had disobeyed the Lorde and not executed his fierce wrath vppon the Amalachytes therefore had God forsaken hym and rent his Kingdome out of his
hande and giuen it to Dauid And moreouer sayth he to Saule the Lorde will deliuer the Israelites into the handes of the Philistines and tomorrow shalt thou and thy Sonnes be with mée And on the next day Saule being ouercome of the Philistynes and his thrée Sonnes slayne for anguishe of heart fell vpon his owne sworde and killed himselfe after he had reygned fortie yeares Sara the daughter of Aram was Abrahams wife And perceyuing that the Lorde had restrayned hir from bearing of children she gaue Abraham leaue to take Agar hir Mayden to wife But when she saw hir selfe despised of hir mayde which had conceyued she began to be so sharpe and quicke with Agar that she made hir runne awaye Neuerthelesse at the humble submission of Agar Sara receyued hir agayne Then Sara passing foorth till she came to the age of foure score and ten yeres it chaunced she hearde the Aungel of the Lorde as she stoode in hir Tent say vnto Abraham that Sara his wyfe should haue a childe which wordes séemed so impossible vnto hir that she laughed within hir selfe and sayde Is it of a surety that I shall beare a sonne Shall I now giue my selfe to lust being olde and my Lord olde also And when she had talked thus to hir selfe the Aungell of the Lorde demaunded of Abraham wherefore his wyfe dyd laugh as though it were quoth he to harde a thing for God to performe his promise Then she being asked the question denyed it for she was afrayde saying that she laughed not And so Sara iudging him faythfull which had promised brought forth a sonne at the time apointed of God and called his name Isaac And when the Childe was borne she sayde God hath made mée a laughing stocke for all that heare will laugh at mée Who woulde haue sayde to Abraham that Sara shoulde haue giuen Children sucke for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age After this when Sara perceyued Ismael the sonne of Agar as he played with Isaac to be a mocker she sayde vnto Abraham put awaye this bonde mayde hir sonne for the sonne of this bonde woman shall not be eyer with my sonne Isaac Finally when Sara had lyued one hundred and seuen an twentie yeres she dyed in Kiriat Arba Which is also called Hebron And was buryed in the double Caue which Abraham had bought of the sonnes of Heth. Sara the daughter of Raguel had seauen husbands one after an other which men before they had lyen with hir were all slayne of the Deuill Asmodius to the great discomfort and heauinesse of the yoong woman And yet the more to aggreuate hir sorowe hir fathers Maydens when she did correct them for their faults woulde slaunder hir on this wyse saying God let vs neuer sée sonne nor daughter of thée more vpon earth thou kyller of thy husbandes wilt thou kyll vs also as thou hast done them Which woordes were so gricuous to Sara that she got hir vp to an hygh chamber of hir house where she continued thrée dayes and thrée nightes in prayer beséeching God that he woulde vouchsafe to lowse hir out of that rebuke or else to take hir out of y earth For thou knowest O Lorde that I neuer had desire vnto man and that I haue kept my soule cleane from all vncleanlye lust I haue not kept companie with those that passe there time in sporte neyther haue I made my selfe partaker with them that walke in light behauiour neuerthelesse an husbande haue I consented to take not for my pleasure but in thy feare Now peraduenture eyther I haue béene vnwoorthye of them or else were they vnméete for me for thou happily hast kept me for an other husbande And thus making hir prayers to God he hearde hir and sent yong Toby to be hir husband who being ioyned togither in Matrimonie lyued all their dayes an holy lyfe in the feare and lawes of God. Seba the sonne of Bichri assoone as Dauid was restored to his Kingdome agayne begun a new insurrection and got all Israel to followe hym saue onelye the men of Iuda which stacke fast by Dauid and as he came into the Citie of Abell to the which Ioab followed hym the Gouernesse of the citie being a woman of wisedome smote off the heade of Seba and threwe it ouer the Wall to Ioab and so the commocion ceased Sceua was a Iewe borne and the chiefe Priest among the Iewes This man had seauen sonnes who for lucre sake to purchase vnto themselues a great name thereby attempted to cast out euill spirites by inuocation of the name of the Lorde Iesus as Paule dyd saying vnto the man possessed we coniure you in the name of Iesus whome Paule preacheth that ye depart out of the man To whom the spirite aunswered and sayde Iesus I knowe and Paule I knowe but who are yée and as soone as he had spoken these woordes the man in whome the euill spirite was ranne vpon them and got the ouer hande on them In so much that they had much a doe to escape with their lyues and scarce got at the last naked and wounded out of the house And this example of the sonnes of Sceua being bruted abrode among the Iewes and Gentiles many which beléeued came to Paule and confessed their offences And besyde that diuers other which had vsed suche curious craftes of Coniurasions brought their bookes and burned them before all men the price whereof were counted at fiftie thousande Siluerlinges Sela the yoongest sonne of Iuda being growen to perfect age and not giuen to Thamar in mariage according to his Fathers promise was the occasion of Thamars playing the myswoman with Iuda hir Father in lawe Sela the sonne of Arphaxad of the generacion of Sem was the Father of Eber whome he begot when he was thirtie yeares of age and lyued after the birth of Eber foure hundred and thrée yeares Which make in the whole foure hundred and .xxxiij. yeares Sem the eldest Sonne of Noe receyued prayse of his Father bycause he couered his nakednesse as he laye vncouered in his Tent. Sem at the age of an hundred yeares begot Arphaxat twoo yeares after the floud and lyued after fiue hundred yeares .2 Ense meo cecidere uiri dum uindico stuprū Germanae fracto federe quod pepig◠Hinc pater iratus Sijmeoni dira precatus Nostraque posteritas heu masedicta fuit Sennacherib King of Assiria was a mightie prince which séeing that Salmanasar his predycessour had conquered the King of Israel and made them Tributaries thought it good to set vpon the King of Iuda who at that tyme was the godly and most noble Ezechias And when Sennacherib had gotten into his handes all the chiefe Cities of Iuda and Beniamin saue onely Ierusalem he besieged that also with such might and power that Ezechias was fayne to submit himselfe to the mercie of Sennacherib offering him tribute
to Daniel which is in the Lyons denne O Lorde quoth he I neuer saw Babilon and as for the denne I knowe it not With that the Angel caught vp the Prophet by the toppe of hys head and bare him to Babilon and set him vpon the denne Then Abacuck cryed to Daniel and sayde O Daniel thou seruant of the Lord take here the breakefast that God hath sent thée Daniel hearing the voyce of Abacuck reioyced greatly and sayde O Lorde hast thou thought vpon mée Well thou neuer faylest them that loue thée And so he rose vp and did eate of such things as the Prophet had brought hym And immediatelye after that Daniel had eaten the Angell set Abacuck in his place againe Abdy the Prophet prophecyed destruction to the Idumeans which came of Esau and were vtter enimies to the Israelites which came of Iacob as at the siege of Ierusalem it did most plainely appeare where as they ioyned wyth Nabuchodonosor against their brethren whom they ought rather to haue holpen and defended against the heathen Abedmelech was a Morian borne and Chamberlane wyth Zedekia King of Iuda This man had so great a confidence in God and loue to his Prophets that when he saw Ieremie so euill intreated he went to the king and besought his grace that Ieremie the Prophet might be taken out of the filthy dungeon wherinto he was cast least he there should perishe and dye for hunger And so obtayning the Kinges good will he tooke his men and went to the prison where Ieremie lay threwe downe vnto him olde ragges clowtes which he had prouided bidding him to put them vnder his arme holes to kéepe the cordes from hurting and fretting his armes in pulling vp Nowe for this his kindenesse shewed on Ieremie and trust that he had in the Lorde he was deliuered from captiuitie and saued from the handes of Nabuchodonosor at the destruction of Ierusalem when other perished Abel was the sonne of Adam borne of hys Mother Eue next after Cain Hée was a kéeper of Shéepe and wholy dedicated to vertue and godlynesse In all hys oblations he euer gaue of the best things he had Which of the Lorde was greatly accepted And therfore Cain perceyuing his brothers offerings to be regarded and hys reiected eâ—â—yed him to death And at the last by a subtyle trayne slue hym Abia the sonne of Roboam began his reigne ouer Iuda in the xviij yeare of Ieroboam King of Israel Hys mothers name was Maacha the daughter of Abisalom He walked not in the steppes of Dauid but followed the wayes of hys father before him Yet notwythstanding for Dauids sake God gaue him a light that is to saye a sonne to reigne ouer Iuda Hée ouercame Ieroboam in battell wyth an Armie of fower hundred thousande notwithstanding the other had twise so many chosen and picked men Of the which Abia fiue fiue hundred thousande and weakened the power of Ieroboam so sore that he was neuer able to recouer hys strength againe so long as Abia reigned This King had .xiiij. Wyues by whome he had xxij Sonnes and xvj Daughters Hée reigned but thrée yeares and was buryed in the Citie of Dauid Abia the sonne of Ieroboam being sick on a time hys father called the Quéene his wyfe vnto him and bade hyr disguise hir selfe the in no wyse she might be knowne what woman shée was And so go thy way quoth hée to Sylo and there shalt thou finde the Prophet of God called Ahia which tolde me long before Salomon dyed that I should be King of Israel Make spéede and take a present wyth thée and learne of him what shall become of the Childe The Quéene did then as shée was commaunded but all was in vaine For God had reuealed the matter vnto the Prophet before the woman came In so much that as soone as the blinde olde man hearde the noyse of hir comming and entring in at the dore he sayde Come in thou wife of Ieroboam why hast thou disguised and fayned thy selfe to be another woman Thou art come to receyue some comfort for thy sonne which lyeth sicke but I am commaunded to tell thée heauye and sorowfull things It repenteth the Lorde that he hath exalted Ieroboam and rented the kingdome from the house of Dauid and giuen it to him forsomuch as he hath forsaken the Lorde and not folowed him in hys heart as Dauid did but hath made him goddes of hys owne therefore the Lorde hath determined to bring such a plague vpon the house and posterity of Ieroboam that hée wyll not leaue one alyue to make water against the walle Wherefore now get thée home and as soone as thy foote shall enter into the Citie the child shall dye and all Israel shall lament him and bring him to hys Sepulchre And so shall none of the house of Ieroboam thy husbande enioy the honour of his buryall but only thys childe bicause the Lorde sawe in him some goodnesse towarde And so when the Prophet had all sayde the wyfe of Ieroboam rose vp returned home to hir house and founde hir sonne deade as the Prophet had foretolde Abia the Daughter of Zacharia was wyfe to Ahaz King of Iuda and Mother to Hezekia Which name signifieth thus Abiathar the sonne of Achimelech priest of Nob seyng the great crueltie of Saul in putting hys Father to death for refreshing of Dauid escaped hys handes and fledde to the forest of Hareth where Dauid at that tyme laye declaring to him the great murder that Saul had done to Achimelech hys father and to all the Priestes of the Lorde for his sake Then being comforted of Dauid he abode wyth him and was his Priest and Counsayler so long as he reigned But in the ende of Dauids reigne he consented wyth Adoniah who had exalted himselfe to stablishe him in the kingdome after the death of Dauid But Salomon beyng proclaymed and the other deposed as soone as he was possessed depryued Abiathar and placed Sadock in hys rowme And so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the house of Eli for Abiathar was the last of that lyne Abigail the wyfe of Naball y Carmelite was a woman not onely bewtifull but of a singular wysedome with all For when hir husbandes denyall to Dauids men for sustenaunce in their maisters necessitie was tolde hir she then considering the great displeasure that might arise of the occasion offered hasted to lode hir Asses wyth sundrye kinde of victuals sending them forth before hir and folowing after wyth spéede And as shée was goyng the prouidence of God was so that she mette Dauid by the way vpon the side of an hyll comming to Carmell determined vtterly to haue destroyed hir husbande and all that he had by the dawning of the daye folowyng Then she perceyuing the furie of Dauid lighted downe of hir Asse falling flatte on the
lesse fauour to the sonnes of Berzelai for their fathers sake than euer he himselfe had done ¶ Berzelai Made of yron or as harde as yron 2. Reg. 11. ca. Bethsabe was the daughter of Eliam and wyfe to Urias which was with Ioab in the Kings warres On a tyme as Bethsabe was washing hir selfe in hir priuye garden alone It chaunced King Dauid to looke out at a window in his palace saw hir whose bewty so rauished the King that forthwithall he sent for the woman and committed adulterie with hir and so sent hir home againe Then shortly after she perceyuing hir selfe with chylde sent the King worde thereof who then partly to hide his owne fault and partly to saue the woman from daunger of the lawe sent for Urias to come home But when Dauid sawe that Urias woulde not company with his wyfe Bethsabe he returned him backe againe to Ioab with a letter which caused Urias quickly to be dispatched out of his lyfe after whose death Bethsabe became Dauids wyfe and brought forth the chylde conceyued in adulterie which liued not long but dyed After that she 12. f. conceyued agayne and brought forth Salomon Lastly when Dauid was fallen into extréeme age and that she sawe Adonia the son of Agith begin to aspire to the kingdome of his father yet liuing she went by the counsell of Nathan the Prophet who had taught hir hyr lesson vnto Dauid hir husbande And making hir humble obeysance vnto the King as he sate in his Chamber and Abisag the Sunamite ministring vnto him he sayde vnto hir what is the matter She aunswered my Lorde thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmayde saying assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me and he shall sit vpon my seate And behold now is Adonia King and thou my Lord the king knowest it not He hath offred Oxen fat Cattell and many shéepe and hath called all the Kings sonnes and Abiathar the Priest and Ioab the Captaine of the hoste But Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden And nowe my Lorde O King the eyes of all Israell wayte on thée that thou shouldest tell them who ought to sit on the seate of my Lorde the King after him for else when my Lorde the King shall sléepe wyth his fathers I and my sonne Salomon shall be sinners The Quéene had no sooner ended hir tale but the Prophet Nathan came and confirmed hir wordes Wherevpon the King assured Bethsabe that Salomon hir son shoulde be that daye proclaymed to reigne in his steade The Quéene then humbling hir selfe with thankes desired of God that hir Lorde King Dauid might liue for euer Looke more in the historie of Adonia ¶ Bethsabe The seauenth daughter or the daughter of an Othe Exo. 31. a. 35. d. 36. 37. and 38. cap. Bezaleel the sonne of Uri of the Tribe of Iuda and Ahaliab of the Tribe of Dan were two cunning workemen most speciallye endued with the spirite of God to worke all maner curious worke that was to be wrought in Golde Siluer Brasse Woode Stone or with Néedle worke so that by these two the Tabernacle of wytnesse with all things pertayning therevnto was most artificially made ¶ Bezaleel in the shadowe of God. Gen. 29. f. 30. a. 35. d. Bilha was a yong Damosell which serued Laban the father of Rachel and when Rachel shoulde be maried to Iacob Laban gaue Bilha his mayde to Rachel his daughter to be hâ—â— seruaunt And when Rachel perceyued she coulde bâ—â—re Iacob no children she gaue Bilha hir mayde vnto him to be his wyfe who conceyued by Iacob and brought him forth two sonnes the one Dan and the other Nephtaly ¶ Bilha Olde or fading Gen. 14. a. b. Birsa was one of the foure Kinges that fought agaynst fiue other Kings in the vale of Siddim ¶ Birsa in Euill or in iniquitie or condemned or a sonne that looketh back Reade Arioch Ruth 2. 3. 4. Boos the sonne of Salomon was a great rich man dwelling in a Citie called Bethléem within the lande of Iuda Who on a tyme going to the fieldes to looke vpon his Reapers and finding there a yong Damosell a leasing demaunded of his workemen â–ª what she was To whome answere was made she was a straunger come with Naomie out of the Countrie of Moab Then went Boos to the Mayde and sayde hearest thou my daughter Here is a notable example for all riche Farmers which bee so vnmercifull y they wil not suffer their needy neyghbour to lease in their grouÌ„d wheras Boos was so mercifull to this straunger whose nation were enimies to gods people go to no other fielde a leasing I charge thée so long as Haruest tyme endureth but to myne tary here by my Maydens and gather as much as thou wilt and spare not for no man shall let thée neither yet hurt thée And when thou art hungry and a thirst go with my Maidens and eate and drinke such as they haue for they shall not denie thée And so departing from hir he went to his men seruants commaunding them to intreate hir gentlye and to leaue some sheaues on the grounde for the nonce for hir to take vp without shame Nowe after this it chaunced Boos to haue knowledge that this yong Damosell was his kinsewoman and that it was his lot to marrie hir which he was well content to doe considering hir to be a woman of good report and of much vertue But yet for as much as he knewe another to be more neare of kinne to hir than he he could not defraude him of his right therefore to knowe what he woulde doe in this matter he went and called his kinseman before the Congregation and sayde Sir we haue here a kinswoman lately returned out of the lande of Moab one Naomie and she will sell a péece of lande which was our brother Elimelechs If thou be disposed to buie it doe if not then tell me for there is none to challenge it saue thou and I next vnto thée Then sayde he to Boos I will purchase it Well sayde Boos looke what day thou buyest the lande of Naomie thou must also take * He woulde haue the land but not the woman Ruthe the Moabite to wyfe to rayse vp the name of the deade vpon his enheritance Then he reuoking his worde agayne sayde that he coulde not purchase it for marring of his owne inheritance Therefore take thou my right and purchase it and so drew of his * The maner of purchasing â–ª shooe and gaue it to Boos for that was the custome of olde in Israel concerning purchasing and chaunging of inheritaunce to plucke of his shooe and giue it to his neyghbour in witnesse that the thing betwéene them was truely bought and solde Then Boos hauing his kinsemans shooe sayd vnto the people ye are witnesses all this day that I haue bought all that was Elimelechs all that pertayned to his two sonnes *
heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and lighted vppon him and also the voyce of the father was heard from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him And after he had finished the legacie of his father and opened the Doctrine of eternall life to the people and confirmed the same with myracles he was at the age of .xxxiij. yeares or there about betrayed of his owne disciple Iudas Math. 26. b. and by the Iewes his owne peculiar people most cruellye put to death at what tyme of his passion was a great earthquake and at sixe a clocke of the daye such a terrible Eclipse of the Sunne that for darckenesse it séemed to be very night The thirde day hée arose agayne 28. a. from death to lyfe In token he conquered sinne death and Satan And on the fourtie daye to declare himselfe Act. 1. b. to be a mightie a puissant Conquerour he ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hande of the Father And the fiftie day according to his promise he sent downe the true comforter the holy Ghost which shoulde leade the Apostles into all truth At the ende and last day of the world he shall come agayne with glorye to Iudge the quicke and the dead He suffered his passion the yeare after the creation of the Worlde 3994. or there about ¶ Iesus A Sauiour Eccl. 1. cap. Iesus the sonne of Sirach being among the Captiues in Egipt in the tyme of King Ptolomy Energets got libertie to reade and write many good things which Iesus his Graundfather had gathered and left them with Sirach his sonne which thinges this Iesus tooke and put in order in a booke which is called Ecclesiasticus or the wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Coll. 4. c. Iesus otherwise called Iustus was a Iewe borne and one of Paules workefellowes in preaching and setting foorth the Kingdome of God whome he commended to the Collossians desiring them that if he or anye such dyd come vnto them they shoulde receyue and entreate them with all gentlenesse Exod. 4. c. 18. cap. Iethro the Priest of Madian had seauen daughters of the which one was called Zephora whome he maried to Moses And when that Iethro had hearde of all the mightie déedes which God had done for Moses and howe he had deliuered the children of Israel out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharao and brought them thorow the red Sea he mette Moses in the Wildernesse and brought to him his wife and twoo children which he had sent backe before at whose comming Moses was excéeding glad Then as Iethro abode with Moses and sawe the great paynes he tooke in iudging the people from morning to night he sayde vnto him what is this that thou doest vnto the people Why sittest thou thy selfe alone and all the people stand about thée from morning vnto euen When the people quoth Moses haue any matter they come vnto mée and I iudge betwéene one and an other and declare vnto them the statutes and lawes of god Thou doest not well quoth Iethro for thou both wearyest thy selfe and the people that is with thée The thing is of The counsell of Iethro Moses father in lawe more weyght than thou arte able to performe alone Therefore heare my counsayle God shall prosper thée Be thou for the people to God warde and report the causes to him Admonish them of the ordinances and lawes and shewe them the waye wherein they must walke and the worke that they must doe Moreouer séeke out among the people men of courage and such as feare God true dealing men hating couetousnesse and appoint them to be rulers ouer thousands ouer hundreds ouer fiftie and ouer ten And let them iudge the people at all seasons and euery great matter let them bring it to thée But al small causes let them iudge themselues and so shall it be easier for thée when they shall beare the burthen with thée If thou shalt doe this thing and God so commaund thée thou shalt be able to endure and all the people shall go quietly to their place ¶ Iethro Excellent or remayning or searching foorth or a little corde 2. Reg. 2. cap. Ioab was the sonne of Zerniah Dauids Sister and the chiefe Captayne of all Dauids hoste In the first battell he made against Abner King Saules Captayne he was the victor and put Abner to flight and of malice afterwarde by treason slue him for â—he which déede Dauid 3. d. e. was fore offended that he besought God to auenge it on Ioab and that his house and posteritie might alwaies be plagued with the bloudy flixe leprosie feblenesse of bodie the swoorde or famine for the death of Abner Ioab also was the death of Absalom and slue him as he 18. d. hanged by the haire of his heade vpon the twist of a trée And when it was tolde him of the great lamentacion the King made for Absalom his sonne he went vnto him and saide Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy seruaunts 19. a. b. which this day haue saued thy lyfe and the liues of all thy sonnes and daughters the lyues of thy wiues and Concubins in that thou louest thine enimies and hatest thy friendes For thou hast declared this daye that thou regardest neither thy Princes nor seruants Therefore I doe perceyue that if Absalom had lyued and all we had bene slayne this day that then it had pleased thée well Nowe therefore vp and come out and speake comfortably vnto thy seruaunts for I sweare by the Lorde except thou come out there will not tary one man with thée this night and that wil be woorse vnto thée than all 20. cap â–ª the euill that fell on thée from thy youth hitherto Also in persecuting of Seba which had made a new insurrection against Dauid he mette Amasa his Auntes sonne by the way and * Lyra supposeth that Ioab slue Amasa of enuy bicause Dauid had made an othe in the Chapter before that Amasa shuld be his Captaine in Ioabs steade slue him and leauing him dead on the ground he followed Seba and besieged him in a Citie called Abell where the Gouernesse of the Citie being a wise woman cried vnto Ioab demaunding why he went about to destroy that Citie which was a Mother in Israel and to deuour the inheritance of the Lorde before he had offered peace To whome he aunswered saying That he went about no such matter but I come quoth he for Seba the sonne of Bichri deliuer me him and I will be gone and as soone as the heade of Seba was throwen ouer the wall to Ioab he departed Finallye after the death of Dauid who had ordeyned Salomon to reigne in hys steade Ioab tooke part with Adonia Salomons brother which vsurped the kingdome and went about with all his power to stablishe him in Dauids seate But when he hearde Salomon proclaimed
of Israel but forget them and put them cleane out of remembraunce Lornhama not obtayning Mercy S LVCAS EVANGELISTA Acta Apost Cap. 9. SAVLE SAVLE QVID ME PERSEQVERIS DOMINE QVID ME VIS FACERE ET DOMINâ— IHS Collo 4. d. Luke was a Phisition borne in the citie of Antioche 2. Tim. 4. c. and became Saint Pauls Disciple and companion in all Luke liued 84. yeares and was buried at Constautinople his traueyles He wrote the volume of his Gospell as he had learned of Paule and of the other Apostles as he reporteth himselfe in the beginning of the same worke saying As they haue deliuered them to vs which from the beginning saw them with their eyes and were ministers of the thinges that they declared But the volume called the Actes of the Apostles he composed as he had séene the story whereof came euen to Paules tyme being and tarying twoo yeares at Rome where the woorke was finished ¶ Luke his Resurrection M. MAacha the daughter of Thalmar king of Gessur was King Dauids wyfe and mother to Absalom Maacha the daughter of Absalom was wyfe to Roboam and Mother to Abia which Abia his father Roboam ordayned to raigne after hym for the loue that he bare to Maacha his mother aboue all the reast of his wyues â–ª Reade the storye of Asa Machabeus was the thirde sonne of Mathathias and after his fathers death he was made Ruler ouer the Iewes Who in the defence of the holye lawes fought most manfully against Goddes enimies during his lyfe Machir was the sonne of Amiel of Lodebar and a great friende to Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas who kept him in his house tyll King Dauid sent for hym to his preferment Manahen the Sonne of Eady besieged Sallum King of Israel in Samaria and slue him whose Kingdome he possessed and began his raygne in the nyne and thirtie yeare of Azariahu King of Iuda And because the Citie of Tiphsah woulde not receyue him as there he destroyed the Citie and all that was within it And for this great wickednesse and tyrannie God styrred vp Phul King of Assiria agaynst him vnto whom Manahen gaue a thousande Talents of siluer to breake vp his warres which money he exacted of his people taking of euerye man of substannce fiftie Sicles He raygned ten yeares leauing Pekahia his sonne to succéede him Manahen which was brought vp of a Childe with Herode and his playsere at the last forsooke him and followed Christ Manasses the sonne of Hezekia was twelue yeare olde when he began his raygne ouer Iuda and wrought much euill before the Lorde For he buylt vp the hye places agayne which his father had destroyed He erected vp Altars for Baal and made Groues as Achab dyd and woorshipped all the hoste of heauen and serued them He offered his children in fire as the maner of the Gentyles was and gaue himselfe to witchcraft and Sorcerye and fauoured Soothsayers and such as vsed familiar spirits He set the Image of the groue in the house where the Lorde sayde he woulde put his name for euer Ouer and beyonde all these euils he shed so much innocent bloude that all Ierusalem was replenished from corner to corner wrought more wickednesse than dyd all the Amorites Wherefore the Lorde gaue hym ouer into the handes of the King of Assiria who tooke Manasses and bounde him with twoo cheynes and caryed him to Babilon Where at the last he so humbled him selfe to the Lorde that he had compassion vpon hym and restored him to his Kingdome agayne Who after that became a good man and put downe all such abhominacions as he before had mayntayned and reygned fiue an fiftie yeres leauing Amon his sonne to succéede Mardocheus the sonne of Iair was a Iew borne dwelling in the Citie of Susan and one of them which were caryed away from Ierusalem with Iechonia King of Iuda by Nabuchodonosor into Babilon This man had a fayre Damosell in his house named Hester his vncles daughter whose Father and Mother being dead he brought vp as his owne daughter so long till at last for hir bewtie fayrenesse she was taken vp by the Kinges commission with other mo had to the Court there to be brought vp at the Kings charges in an house appointed for that purpose the King had called them for And euery day would Mardocheus walke before the womens house to he are and know how Hester dyd what should become of hir whose lotte in processe was to be made Quéene in the steade of Vasthi late deposed And on a time as Mardocheus sate in the Kings gate he heard an ynckling of certaine treason conspired against the Kings owne person by twoo of his pryuie Chamber Bigthan and There 's which treason he caused Hester to open vnto the King and to certifie his grace thereof in his name Vpon whose certification inquirie being made founde true the conspiratours were put to death and the matter Registred in Chronicle for a remembrance of their acte After this bycause Mardocheus would doe no reuerence to Haman both he and the Iewes shoulde all haue béene slayne in one daye Whereof Mardocheus hauing knowledge he rent his clothes and put on mourning apparell and so ranne thorow the Citie of Susan where their destruction was denised Crying out vntill he came to the Kinges gate where he might not be suffered to enter in that araye Then Hester hearing thereof was sore astonished and sent him other rayment to put on But he refusing the rayment declared vnto the messenger the whole effect of Hamans commission and working and tooke him a Copye of the same to giue to Ester charging hir to go vnto the King for the lyues and â—afegarde of hir people For who can tell quoth he whither God hath called hir to the Kingdome for that purpose or no it may be that he hath And therefore if she nowe holde hir peace the Iewes shall haue helpe from some other place and so shall she hir fathers house be vtterly destroyed And so whyle Ester went about the deliueraunce of the Iewes Mardocheus was exalted into the Kings fauour to the great reioysing of all the Iewes whose wealth he sought so long as he lyued Reade the story of Ester and Haman Marie the Virgin and mother of God whose parentes are not expressed in Scripture was affianced to a certaine good man of hir owne stocke and Tribe which was of Iuda named Ioseph And before she came to dwell with him the Angell Gabriel being sent of God came and saluted hir saying Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with thée blessed art thou among women The Virgin séeing the Angel was sore abashed at his words and mused much in hir mynde what salutation that shoulde be Then sayde the Angell feare not Mary for thou hast founde fauour with God for lo
This man in whose fielde thou hast leysed all this whyle is our nyghe Kinsman therefore doe nowe by my counsell This night he wynoweth Barley in the barne washe thy selfe therefore and annoynt thée and put thy rayment vpon thée and get thée to the Barne and kéepe thy selfe close vntill he haue left eating and drincking And when he goeth to sléepe marke the place where he layeth him downe And when he is a sléepe go and lyft vp the clothes softly at his féete and lye thée downe and he shall tell thée what thou shalt doe So when Ruth had doone all thinges according to hir Mother in lawes teaching Boos about midnight waked out of his sléepe and féeling one lye at his féete was afrayde and groping with hys hande he asked who it was I am Ruth quoth she thine handmayde spreade therefore the winge of thy garment ouer thine handemayden for thou arte next of my kinne Nowe blessed arte thou quoth Boos for thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter ende than at the beginning inasmuch as thou followedest not yoong men were they poore or riche And nowe my daughter feare not I will doe vnto thée all that thou requyrest For thou arte well knowne to be a woman of vertue Howbeit there is one néerer of kinne to thée than I if he will do the kinsman part vnto hée well let him doe it If he will not then will I. And so in the morning he gaue hir so much corne as she could carye home And shortly after she became his wyfe and in processe brought him foorth a sonne called Obed which was the father of Isai the father of Dauid Reade the story of Boos and Naomy SAdoch the sonne of Ahitob was father to Sallum and Ahimaas and one of the Priestes that gouerned the Arke of God which he caryed out of Ierusalem with Dauid what time as he sled from his sonne Absalom And when Zadock had brought the king ouer the brooke Kidron he desired him to returne againe with the Arke into the citie that from him Abiathar he might haue worde of all things that Absalom and Achitophell determined against hym And so he returned with the Arke to Ierusalem and there remained Dauids faythfull man in all thinges that he had commaunded him And when he had knowledge of Absaloms ouerthrowe he then exhorted all Israel and Iuda to remember the kyndenesse of Dauid their soueraigne Lorde and King who had so many times deliuered them out of the handes of their enimies that now like true faythfull and obedient subiects they woulde fâ—t him home againe restore him to his kingdome By whose godly exhortacion the heartes of all Iuda were bowed to Dauid euen as the heart of one man This Sadoch was euer a faythfull Priest and neuer swarued from Dauid For in the ende when Adoniah tooke vppon him to reygne as King his father Dauid being olde and alyue Zadock consented not vnto him but according to Dauids will and commaundement annoynted Salomon King who afterwarde promoted him into the roume of Abiathar which had the hye Priestes office Sallum the sonne of Iabes conspired against Zacharia and slue him and reygned in his steade In the xxxix yeare of Azaria King of Iuda began Sallum hys reigne ouer Israel and had not reygned one noneth but Menahen rose vp against him and slue him in Samaria and reygned in his steade Salmanasar King of Assiria came in the seuenth yeare of Hosea King of Israel and besieged Samaria and in the thirde yeare which was the ninth yere of Hosea he wanne it and tooke Hosea prisoner and caryed him away into Assiria Salomon the sonne of Bethsabe was ordeyned to reygne after his father Dauid â–ª and annoynted King ouer Israel by Sadock the Priest and Nathan the Prophet Who being stablished in his kingdome began to minister Iustice first vpon Adoniah his brother which had aspired to the Kingdome Secondlye vppon Ioab which had slayne Abner and Amasa and conspired with Adoniah Thirdly vpon Semei which had curssed Dauid his father This King was so dearelye belooued of God that in a dreame he appeared to him and bade him aske whatsoeuer he woulde and he shoulde haue it Then Salomon considering in himselfe that he was but yong and that being called to the office of a King howe harde a thing it was to gouerne the whole multitude of the people well desired of God to giue him an vnderstanding heart to iudge the people and to discerne betwéene good and euill Which thing pleased the Lorde so well that he gaue him not onely a wyse and an vnderstanding heart but also riches and honour wherein he excelled all other Kings that euer were before or after him And that he passed all men in wisedome and vnderstanding doth manifestly appeare by the wyse sentence he gaue vppon the liuing chylde that the two Harlots stroue for before him And also by his thrée thousande Parables and his thousande and fiftie songes wherein were declared such wise and graue sentences that all the worlde hearing thereof came to sée his presence and to heare his wysedome which did so farre excéede the wisedome of Ethan Heman Chalcal and Darda foure of the notablest men then liuing in all the worlde that they fell a woondering and sayde that the great fame that was bruted of hys wisedome and royaltie before they came forth was nothing to be compared with that they had now both heard and séene And as he did excéede all men in wisedome so he did all other in riches For he had .xij. Officers which prouided victualles for his housholde euerye moneth in a yeare And his ordinary expences euery day was thirtye quarters of Manchet floure and sixtie quarters of meale ten stalled Oxen and twentie out of the pasture and an hundred shéepe beside Hartes Buckes wylde Goates Capons and Fowles He had fortie thousande horses and .xij. thousande horsemen to kéepe them The weight of golde that came euery yere out of Ophir to Salomon was sixe hundreth thrée score and sixe talents of golde beside that which Merchantes and other men brought him Whereof he had so great abundance that he made the furniture of the Lordes Temple all of cleane golde Yea there was not so much as a drinking pot in all his owne house but it was of golde And as for Siluer he made it as plentye as stones in the streate But notwithstanding all this his wisedome and riches which God had giuen hym yet at the last he fell to louing of outlandishe women contrary to the lawe of Moses whereof he tooke so many that he had seauen hundreth Quéenes and thrée hundreth Concubines which turned his heart to strange goddes and made him of a wyse king a starcke foole and great Idolater for the which his horrible offence he lost the fauour of god And when hée had raygned fourtie yeares he dyed