way addicted to any martiall exercise hee put into a religious house called Saint Swithens Abbey and made him a Monke his two other sonnes were Aurelius Ambrosius and Vter sirnamed Pendragon But Constantine the father being trayterously murdered one Vortiger who then was the most potent Peere in the Land tooke Constantine the eldest sonne out of the Monastery and made him King onely in name for he himselfe swayed the government of the Kingdome with all the power that belonged to a Crowne and Scepter Yet not with that contented he envied the state of the innocent King and though he had all the power yet he could not content himselfe without the title and therefore placed a guard of an hundred Picts and Scots about the Kings person and having ingrossed into his hands the greatest part of the Kings Treasury hee was so bountifull to those strangers that they feared not to say openly that be better deserved to be King then Constantine and waiting their best advantageous opportunity murdered him Whose head being presented to Vortiger then at London he made much seeming sorrow for his death and to acquit himselfe of the act caused all those hundred Knights to be beheaded by which the people holding him innocent crowned him King when the other had raigned about five yeares and this his coronation caused those that had the keeping of the two younger brothers Aurelius and Vter to flie with them into little Brittain where they remained long after but as a just reward of this trayterous supplantation hee was never after in any peace or quietnesse his Land being alwayes in combustion and trouble his Peeres suspecting him of the death of the King made insurrection against him insomuch that he was forced to sollicite aide of the Saxons who though they helped him for the present after of his friends they grew to be his enemies and were too mighty for him so that when he had raigned in great molestation and trouble sixteen years the Brittaines deprived him of all Kingly dignity and crowned his eldest sonne Vorâ—imerus in his stead Who when he had in many battailes overcome the Saxons and had almost quite expulsed them the Land he was poysoned by his stepmother Râ—waine when he had gloriously and victoriously seaven yeares governed the Land and his father Vortimer was againe made King who was after twice taking prisoner by Hengest King of the Saxons and his Peeres and Nobles cruelly butchered in his presence At length the two younger brothers of Constantine invaded the Land being aided by the distressed Brittains and pursued him into Wales where hee and divers of his complices fortified themselves in a strong Castle which Castle the two brothers with their Army besieged and after many vaine assaults it being valiantly defended with wilde-fire they burned and consumed the Fort together with Vortiger and all his souldiers and servants Worthy it is to observe by how many severall kinde of Judgements this sinne of Envy hath beene punisht as in the former examples is made apparant namely by the single sword by battaile by poysoning strangling heading torturing by murdering and cutting to pieces by being swallowed up of monsters the living to be buried with the dead by famishing in prison by being torne piece-meale and the bleeding limbes cast into common privies some burnt with ordinary fire others with wilde-fire the brother murdering the brother and the mother the sonne the bondage and vassalling of Nations c. which sinne though for the commonnesse and familiarity it hath amongst us is scarce minded or thought upon because many who are envious may so hide it that they may appeare honest withall yet is this hypocrisie no excuse for you see how hatefull it is in the eyes of the Creator by so many visible punishments thereof But I proceed After many dreadfull battailes fought and not without great effusion of bloud betwixt Edmund sirnamed for his strength and valour Iron-side the sonne of Ethelstane and Canutus the sonne of Swanus during this warre betwixt those martiall Princes to the great desolation of the Realme and mortality of the people It was agreed betwixt the two Generals to conclude the difference in a single duell The place where this should be performed was in an I le called Olney neare unto Glocester incompast with the water of the Severne In which place at the day appointed both the Champions met without any company or assistance and both the hoasts stood as spectators without the Isle there awaiting the fortune of the battaile where the Princes first proved one another with sharpe speares and they being broken with keene cutting swords where after a long fierce combate both being almost tyred by giving and receiving of hard and ponderous blowes at length the first motion comming from Canutus they began to parle and lastly to accord friendly kissing and embracing each other and soone after by the advise of both their Counsels they made an equall partition of the Land betwixt them and during their naturall lives lived together and loved as brothers But there was one Eâ—riâ—us Duke of Mercia of whom my Author gives this character A man of base and low birth but raised by favour to wealth and honour subtile of wiâ— but false of turning eloquent of speech but perfidious both in thought and promise who in all his actions complyed with the Danes to the dammage of his owne Countrey men and yet with smooth language protestations and false oathes could fashion his excuse at his pleasure This false Traytor in whose heart the serpent of envy and base conspiracy ever burned â—t length breaking out into flame against his owne Prince Iron-side for what cause is not knowne and thinking to get the grace and favour of Canutus he so awaited his opportunity that hee most treacherously slew his King and Master Iron-side Which done thinking thereby to be greatly exalted he poasted in all haste to Canutus shewing him what he had done for his love and saluted him by the stile of sole King of England which when the Prince of Danes had well understood and pondering what from his owne mouth he had confest like a just and wise Prince he answered him after this manner Since Edâ—â—câ—s thou hast for the love thou sayest thou bearest unto me slaine thy naturall Lord and King whom I most loved I shall in requitall exalt thy head above all the Lords thy fellow Peeres of England and forthwith commanded him to be taken and his head to be strook off and pitcht upon a speares head and set upon the highest gate of London a just judgement inflicted upon Envy which hath alwayes beene the hatcher of most abâ—ominable treason Unparalleld was that piece of Envy in Fostius one of the sonnes of Earle Goodwin and brother to Harold after King hee in the two and twentieth yeare of the raigne of Edward the Confessor upon some discontent betwixt him and his brother Harold came with a company of Ruffins and rude Pellowes and
he suffer deeds of such horrid nature to passe unpunished in this world what vengeance soever he without true repentance reserveth for them in the world to come as it is observable in this present History for Lewis the fourth the thirty third King of France by lineall discent comming to the Crowne being the sonne to the before-named Charles the simple and loath that so grosse a treason committed against his father should be smothered without some notable revenge being very ingenious he bethought himselfe how with the least danger or effusion of bloud in regard of the others greatnesse and alliance how to bring it about and therefore he devised this plot following He caused a letter to be writ which he himselfe did dictate and hired an English-man who came disguised like a Poste to bring it unto him as from the King his Master at such a time when many of his Peeres were present and amongst the rest this Herebert was amongst them this suborned Poste delivereth the letter to the Kings hands hee gives it to his principall Secretary who read it privately unto him who presently smiling said openly Most sure the English-men are not so wise as I esteemed them to be for our Brother of England hath signified unto me by these letters that in his Countrey a labouring-man having invited his Lord and Master to dine with him at his house and he vouchsafing to grace his Cottage with his presence in the base requitall of so noble a curtesie he caused him to be most treacherously slaine and now my Brother of England desireth my counsell to know what punishment this fellow hath deserved In which I desire to be instructed by you my Lords that hearing your censures I may returne him the more satisfactory answer The King having ended his Speech the Lords were at first silent till at length Theobant Earle of Bloyes was the first that spake and said that hee was worthy first to be tortured and after to be hanged on a Gibbet which sentence all the Lords there present confirmed and some of them amongst the rest much aggravating the punishment which also Herebert Earle of Vermendoys did approve and allow of whereupon the Kings Officers who by his Majesties appointment then waited in a with-drawing roome of purpose seised upon him with an armed guard at which sudden surprise hee being much amazed the King raising himselfe from his seat said Thou Hebert art that wicked and treacherous labourer who didst most trayterously insidiate the life of my father thy Lord and Master of which felonious act thine owne sentence hath condemned thee and die thou shalt as thou hast well deserved whereupon he was hanged on a Gibbet on the top of a Mountaine called Lodan which since his execution is called Mount Hebert to this day Bajazet the great Emperour of the Turkes who in his mighty pride thought with his numerous Army to drinke rivers dry and to weight the mountaines in a ballance who had made spoyle of many Nations and with tyranny persecuted the Christians dispersed through his vast dominions who compared the world to a Ship and himselfe to the Pilot who commanded the sayles and secured the helme yet afterwards being met in battaile by Scythian Tamberlaine and his Army being quite routed his person also taken prisoner in the field the Conquerour put this untamed beast into an iron cage and caused him to be fed from the very fragments and scraps from his table and carried along with him whither soever hee marched and onely then released him from his imprisonment when he was forced to stoope and humble his body as a blocke to tread upon whilest Tamberlaine mounted upon his steed but here ended not Gods visible Judgements against this Usurper Persecutor and Tyrant who in despaire rayling upon his Prophet Mahomet in whom he had in vaine trusted against the Iron grate in which he was inclosed beate out his owne braines and wretchedly expired Infinite are the examples to the like purpose but I will leave those Forraine to come to our Domestick extracted out of our owne Chronologers and first of King Bladud Who was the sonne of Lud Hurdribras and after the death of his father was call'd from Rome where hee had studied darke and hidden Arts and was made Governour in this Isle of Brittain in the yeare of the world foure thousand three hundred and eighteene For so testifieth Gualfride Polichronicon and other ancient remembrancers This Bladud was altogether devoted to the study of Magick and Necromancy and very expert in Judiciall Astrology by which he is said to make the hot Baths in the Towne then called Caerbadon but now Bath which Citie he is said to have erected This King caused the Art of Magick to be taught through his Realm and ordained Schooles and Schoole masters to that purpose in which hee tooke such pride and presumption as that he thought by it all things were possible to be done so much the Devill the first master and founder of that Art had deluded him so farre that at the length having called a great confluence of his people about him he made an attempt to flie in the arre but fell upon the Temple of his god Apollo where he brake his neck his body being torne and bruised after he had raigned twenty yeares leaving a sonne called Leire to succeed him and continue his posterity Goodwin Earle of west Saxon in the time of Edward the sonne of Egelredus was of that insufferable ambition by reason of his great revenues and numerous issue for he had five sonnes and one daughter that he swayed the whole Kingdome and almost compulsively compelled the King his Soveraigne to take his daughter Edith to wife After rebelling against the King and forced with his sonnes to depart the Land yet after he made such meanes that hee mediated his peace and was reconciled to him 〈◊〉 but amongst all his other insolencies he was accessary to the death of the Kings brother or at least much suspected to be so which was the first breach betwixt his Soveraigne and him But so it happened in the thirteenth yeare of the raigne of this King Edward Earle Goodwin upon an Easter Monday sitting with diverse other Lords and Peeres of the Kingdome at the Kings table in the Castle of Windsor it happened one of the Kings Cup â—eaâ—â—â—s to stumble and yet well to recover himselfe without falling and not spilling any of the wine which Earle Goodwin observing laughed aloud and said There one brother helped the other thereby intimating that the one leg or foot had well supported the other from falling To which words the King instantly replyed and so might my brother Alphred have bin still living to have helped and supported me had not Earle Goodwin supplanted him by death At which words being startled as conceiving that the King suspected him of his brothers murder thinking to excuse himself of that horrible act he said to the King Sir I perceive
fourty mares with their coltes one hundred and threescore drawing horses for the teame two thousand hogges three hundred bullockes in his cellar fourty tonnes of wine he had moreover six hundred bacons and fourscore carcases of Martinmasse beeves six hundred muttons in larder ten tonnes of sider besides his provision of ale for beer in these dayes was not known thirty six sackes of wooll with a fair library of bookes and other rich and costly utensils his armour plate jewels and ready money amounting to more than an hundred thousand pounds but what in the end became of all this magâ—zine This Spencer being after called home by the King and restored to all his former estate mauger the Queen and the chief Peeres of the Realme she with an Army pursued the King with these his proud favourites the father she surprised in Bristow which Town the King had fortified and left unto his charge himselfe for his better safeguard flying with his son into Wales whither she pursued them and seâ—sed upon them both bringing Sir Hugh the elder and Sir Hugh the younger to Hereford where upon the morrow following the Feast of Simon and Iude at Bristow Sir Hugh Spencer the father upon a publique scaffold lost his head and his body was after buried at Winchester and upon Saint Hugh's day following being the eighteenth of November was Sir Hugh his son drawn hanged and quartered at Hereford and his head sent to London and was set upon a pole amongst other Traitours of whom a Poet of those times made this short Epitaph Funis cum lignis à te miser ensis ignis Hugo securis equus abstulit omne decus And thus paraphrased or interpreted in old English suiting these times With ropes wert thou bound and on the gallowes hunge And from thy body thine head with sword was kit Thy bowels in the fire were thrown and burned long Thy body in four parts eke with axe was slit With horse before drawn few men pittying it Thus with these torments for thy sinnes sake From thee wretched Hugh all worldly wealth was take And these were remarkable judgements of such as being raised from humble and mean fortunes to high and eminent posture through pride and vainglory attributed that to their own merit which is onely due to their Maker I come next to Sir Roger Mortimer who being highly puft up with the favour that he had from Queen Isabel who in the minority of her young son Edward swayed all during the imprisonment of her husband Edward the second whether by the Queenes consent or no I dare not say but of most assured truth it is that this Roger caused the King to be removed from Kenelworth Castle to the Castle of Barkley where by his direction and command he was most bloodily and inhumanely murdered After which Edward his son the third of that name at the age of fifteen yeares was crowned King but for a time kept in a kinde of pupillage under the Queen and Mortimer betwixt whom there was suspected to have been too much familiarity in whose power was all the management of State and many things past by them to the great dishonour of the Kingdom This Mortimer was by the King made Earle of March who imitated King Arthur by keeping so many Knights of the Round Table to whom he allowed both meat and meanes and bore himselfe in that high straine that he had in contempt the greatest Peeres in the Land but in processe of time he was surprised in Votengham Castle and from thence sent prisoner to the Tower of London when a Parliament being called in the fourth year of the King He was convicted of five Articles first of the murder of the King next that he had dealt perfidiously betwixt our Nation and the Scots thirdly that he received certain summes of money from Sir Thomas Duglas and caused to be delivered unto them the Church called Rugium to their great advantage and Englands prejudice fourthly that he had got unlawfully into his possession much of the Kings treasure and wastfully mispent it and lastly that he was more private with the Queen than was to Gods pleasure or the Kings honour of all which being convicted by the said Parliament upon Saint Andrews day next following he was drawn upon an hurdle to the common place of execution since called Tiburne and there like a Fellon and Traitour upon the Gallowes hanged such is the end of greatnesse when it abandons goodnesse and honour and opposeth it selfe against humility Great also were the arrogancies and insolencies of Sir William Scroop Earle of Wiltshire and Treasurer of England Sir Iohn Bushey Sir Henry Green and others in the time of Richard the second who by him greatly animated and incouraged greatly vexed and oppressed the people men advanced from the cottage to the Court and from basenesse to honour who through their great pride forgetting from whence they came in their surplus of wealth and height of ambition were surprised in Bristow by Henry Duke of Lancaster as cankers and caterpillars of the Common-wealth the son of Iohn of Gaunt who then laid claim to the Crown and by him caused to be executed on a publike scaffold Infinite are Gods threatning judgements to this purpose of which there be infinite examples but being loath to tire the Reader with too much prolixity I will conclude this Tract against pride with one notable president as much if not more remarkable than any of the former In the time of King Henry the eighth Thomas Wolsey Archbishop of Yorke and Cardinall had in his hall daily three Tables or Boards mannaged by three principall Officers a Steward who was alwayes a Priest a Treasurer no lesse degreed than a Knight and a Controwler who was by Place an Esquire he had also a Cofferer who was a Doctor of Divinity three Marshals three Yeomen Ushers in the Hall besides two Groomes and Almners in his Kitchen belonging to the Hall two Clerkes of the Kitchin a Clerke Controller a Surveyour of the Dresser a Clerke of the Spicery and these kept a continuall messe in the Hall two master-cookes and of other Cookes Labourers and Children of the Kitchen twelve persons four Yeomen of the ordinary Scullery four Yeomen of the silver Scullery two Yeomen of the Pastry with two or three Pastulers under the Yeomen In his Privy Kitchin he had a Master-cook who wore alwayes Satten and Velvet with a great chain of gold about his necke with two other Yeomen and a Groom in the Scalding-house a Yeoman and two Groomes in the Pantry two Yeomen in the Buttery two Yeomen two Groomes and two Pages in the Chandry two Yeomen in the Wafery two Yeomen in the Wardrobe of Beddes the Master of the Wardrobe and ten other persons attending in the Laundry a Yeoman and a Groom thirty Pages two Yeomen-purveyours and one Groom in the Bake-house a Yeoman and two Groomes in the Wood-yard a Yoman and a Groom in the Barne one in
9. Inquisition shall be made for the thoughts of the ungodly and the sound of the words shall come unto God for the correction of his iniquities Therefore beware of murmuring which profiteth nothing and refraine thy tongue from slander for there is no word so secret that shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lyes slayeth the soule It is the counsell of the Wise man Eate not the bread of him that is envious or hath an evill eye neither desire his d 〈…〉 meates for as though he thought it in his heart bee will say Eate and drinke but his heart is not with thee thou sh 〈…〉 t vomit the â—arselâ— that thou hast 〈◊〉 and thou shalt lose thy sweet words c. The booke of Wisdome 〈◊〉 us that through Envy of the Devill came death into the world and they that hold of his side prove it therefore let us be advised by Saint Peter who in the second chapter of his first Epistle saith Wherefore laying aside all malitiousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and envy and evill speaking as new borne babes desire that sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby c. But from the discovery of the foulenesse of the sinne I come now to shew what severall judgements have beene inflicted upon it And first to search forraine Histories before we come to fearefull and tragicall Examples moderne and domestick of our owne that the one may the better illustrate and set off the other I begin with that incestuous brood of Thebes the two brothers Eteocles and Polynices whose father Oedipus ignorant of his owne naturall parents and having first most unfortunately slaine his owne father and after retyring himselfe to Thebes by the solution of Sphinxes riddle married with his owne mother Iocasta neither of them knowing their proximity in bloud and by that match swayed the Kingdome together with those two before-named sonnes and two daughters Antigone and Ismene which he had by her But at length having knowledge of that incestuous match made with his mother he in griefe thereof with his nayles pulled out his owne eyes and she in despaire strangled her selfe after which the Kingdome falling to the two brothers They first agreed to raigne monethly and then yearely by turnes but soone after there grew such malitious envy betwixt them that whatsoever the one did in his regency the other when the power came into his hands utterly abrogated and disanull'd making new lawes to the former quite contrary which also lasted but a moneth for then the succeeder paid the resigner in his owne coyne Upon this grew faction and divers partisans on either side some favouring the one and some affecting the other in the end from threatnings and braves it came to battaile and blowes in which the two brothers encountering hand to hand in a single duell they interchangably slew one another whose envy in life was so irreconcilable and invererate that it appeared after their deaths for their two bodies being brought to be burnt in one funerall pile the very flame was seene to divide it selfe and burne in two parts suting to their opposite soules and contrary conditions Another Example of Gods Judgements against Envy Greece affordeth us Perseus the sonne of Philip King of Macedon but not that Philip who was father to Alexander the Great hee had an elder brother whose name was Demetrius a man of most approved honesty and imitable condition whose knowne vertues his younger brother of a malevolent and cumbred spirit much envying framed a most scandalous and detracting inditement against him pretending that he had privately insidiated his fathers life and Kingdom and sold them both unto his enemies the Romans of which by suborned witnesses he had made such proofe and bribing to that purpose prevailed so farre that he was convented convicted and condemned and most innocently suffered the rigout of the Law by having his head strooke off But the King having had notice of these barbarous and injust proceedings surprised with excesse of griefe died not long after and this malicious fratricide succeeded in the Kingdome who now having all things answerable to his own desires thinking Macedonia too narrow a limit for his unbounded ambition he in great presumption not onely opposed but invaded the Roman Empire whose envy and detraction against his brother God thus punished He drew him with all his puissant Army neare unto the river of Danubius where being encountred by the Roman Consul Aemilius he and his whole hoast were cut to pieces and utterly ruined insomuch that the power of the Macedonians being utterly confounded it became after subject and tributary to the Roman Empire and thus his defamatory destruction conspired against another fell upon his owne head and is still registred to his perpetuall shame and inflamy It is reported of the Roman Emperour Caligula who was a man of infinite vices that he never spared man in his rage not woman in his lust to whom sisters and strangers were alike he was so infected with this vice of envy that in contempt of the most noble families in Rome from the Torquati hee tooke the honour of wearing golden chains from the Cinâ—innats so called for their crisped and curled looks he tooke their haire and caused them to be shorne to the skull and so of others besides from 〈◊〉 Pompeâ—â—s he caused the denomination of Great to be taken away and Aesius Proculeus a very beautifull young man because hee was for feature and favour preferred before him he caused to be murdered for which and other like vices hee was deposed from the Imperiall purple and put to a most base wretched and ignoble death Antoninus and Geta were the two sonnes of the Emperour Severus betwixt whom he divided the Empire after his death To Antoninus was all Europe allotted and whole Asia was the possession and patrimony of Geta. Bizantium kept a great Garrison of Souldiers for Antoninus and Caloedon a Citie of Bythinia was the place of strength to which Geta trusted besides the two great Cities of Antioch and Alexandria were the Royall and Kingly feats for Geta and Mauritania and Numidia for Antoninus who was of a dangerous and divelish nature but Geta of a very curteous and affable temperature for which he was the more envyed by the Elder and his attrocities and inhumanities as much disaffected by the younger By which mutuall enmity those glorious victories which Severâ—s atchieved and after by concord and peace enjoyed to the great advancement of the Empire were now almost wholly ruined The Empresse their mother fore-seeing some great and eminent disaster gave them often very matron and pious admonitions exhorting them to unity and concord but her indulgent and wholesome counsell nothing prevailed with them for daily their discord hatred and bloudy practises increased and the one was so jealous of the other that they durst not eate nor drinke together for feare of poyson In this mutuall feare they continued till at the
the City called Dominica sent to parle with him and made a covenant for a mighty great sum of money to betray it into his hands which Brennus according to the composition entred and after sacked and spoiled and standing at one of the great gates to receive the reward he willing to keep his promise and yet in his heart detesting the avarice of the woman caused so much gold and treasure to be thrown upon her till under the huge masse she was buried alive Near allied to the former is the story of Tarpeia one of the vestall virgins in Rome who having covenanted with Sabine the enemies to the Romans to betray unto them the Capital for the bracelets they wore on their left arme which were very rich and costly they when they were entred and had possession of the place in stead of their bracelets and carcanets threw upon her their shields and targets worne of their left armes and so stiâ—â—ed smothered and pressed her to death in memory of whose soul and traiterous act grounded on Covetousnesse the Hill where she was buried is called The Tarpeian Mountain even to this day and this hapned in the year of the world 2305. Europhites was likewise the wife of Amphiâ—rus who for a carcanet of gold given her by Pâ—linyces betrayed her husband and discovered him in the place where he had hid himselfe because he would not go to the The 〈…〉 warres because it was told him by the Oracle that there he should assuredly die for which he left a strict charge with his son Alemaâ—â— that he should no sooner hear of his death but he should instantly kill his mother which Orestes-like he performed and proved a Maâ—â—icide to performe the will of his deceased father Thus you see not one of these three escaped a fearfull judgement Of contrary disposition to these was the virgin Placidia daughter to the Emperour Valentintanut and Eudosia who neglecting all her fathers riches and honours abandoned the vanities of the world and betook her selfe to a devout and sequestred life As the like did Elburga daughter to Edward King of England a Saxon and had the sirname of Seignior or the elder Edward And if we look no further than to this City London the Metropolis of the Kingdom how many pious and devout matrons hath it yeelded even from antiquity to this present who have contributed largely to the erecting and repairing of Temples building of Almes-houses and Hospitals erecting schooles for learning maintaining poore Ministers in preaching in giving liberally towards Halls leaving stockes to set up young beginners and bequeathing legacies for poor maides marriages and these not for the present but to the end of the world For which God be praised and daily increase their number but this is directly averse to the argument now in agitation which is Covetousnesse If it be dangerous to be rich even to him that knowes how to use his wealth how much more fearfully perillous then for him that hath abundance of all worldly fortunes and knows only how to abuse them Caesar being in Spain extorted great summes of money most injustly from the Proconsul there and certain Cities of the Lusitanians though they neither offended him nor violated any covenant with them yet when they friendly set open their gates to receive him as their patton and defender he spoiled their houses made seisure of their goods and even the Temples of the gods he sacrilegiously robbed it being his custome to rifle Cities not for any fault committed but for the certain prey expected In the first year of his Consulship he stole for no better attribute my Author giveth it 〈◊〉 thousand pound weight of gold out of the Capitol he moreover sold societies liberties and immunities nay even Crownes Scepters and Kingdomes for gold he also defrauded King Pâ—olomeus of six thousand talents at one time in his own name and Pompeys before they were at distance Eutropius writes that Flavius Vespatianas was wretchedly corrupted with this vice and evermore gaping after gold who at his comming to the Empire called in all those debts and impositions which were remitted or forgotten by his predecessour Galba to which he added new taxes more grievous and burdensom than the former he increased all the tributes in the Provinces and in some doubled them and for the avidity of money would sit upon all triviall and common causes such with which a private man would have been ashamed to have troubled himselfe to the â—anditates 〈◊〉 fold honours and to the guilty of any notorious act pardonâ— his custome was to raise procurators such as were the most â—apacious to great and gainfull Offices for no other cause but that 〈◊〉 they were â—â—ll he like a spunge might squeeze them by forfeiting their whole ill-gotten estate into his own hands neither was he ashamed to raise money out of urine for so saith Suetonius Thus we see what a monster money can make of the most mighty and potent men Sergius Galba who was Emperour in the year of our Redemption 71. Those Cities of Spain and France who were most constant to the Roman Empire upon them he imposed the most grievous exactions and tributes he rob'd the statâ—e of Iupiter of his crown of fifteen pound weight in gold the souldiers who desired the Roman Eagle and military Ensignes he decimâ—ted and tythed dismissing nine parts and to save charges reserved the tenth onely the German Cohorts appointed by the Caesars to be the Guard of their bodies as most intrusted next their persons he quite dissolved and sent them empty handed into their Countries without any reward at all he was moreover of that parsimony that if at any time he had at his table more fare than ordinary he would horribly repine at it forgetting the state of an Emperour and say that it was money expended in waste he said openly for his own part he could content himselfe with a dish of pulse or pease as sufficient to content nature Of the like penurious disposition was Didius Iulianus Emperour who made a Law called Did 〈…〉 x to restrain the excesse in banqueting who for his Imperiall table would make a pig or an hare to serve him for three severall suppers when his dinner was nothing else but a few olives and herbes Which abstinence had been very commendable had it been for continence sake and not the avaritious desire to save money And Aelius Pertinax was of that frugality that he would set before his guests onely an halfe sallad of lettice and thistles two sops and a few apples or if he would exceed at any time in his diet he would feast them with a leg or a wing of a hen And these two last Emperours may compare with the former who notwithstanding all his masse of wealth wrestingly and injuriously purchased was wretchedly murdered by his souldiers in the sixty third year of his age after he had reigned onely seven moneths and seven dayes Many others are for this sin
noise not so much as a sigh or groane hee began to imagine that shee was dead and so indeed it prov'd hee then more incivilly then before rapt at his Ladyes chamber-doore and wakned her telling her that shee had now the event of her bloudy and cruell desires for by reason that there was a still silence in the Dungeon hee perceived the poore Virgin had expired her life At which words being startl'd and strangely mov'd she rose from her bed and calling for store of lights caused the Dungeon doore to be opened where they might behold a most ruthfull and samentable spectacle the maid throwne upon her backe and foure great Snakes wrapt about her one of an extraordinary bignesse wound about her neck another had twinde it selfe encompassing both her legges a third like a girdle imbrac'd her waste or middle a fourth stuck upon her jawes stretching its selfe to its utmost length which no sooner taken thence but was found dead having so ingorg'd it selfe with her bloud that it swel'd and burst asunder At whichsight the Lady strook with the horrour thereof from a suddaine melancholy grew into a meere madnesse and in a raging fit soon after dy'd Strange were that act abroad which cannot in some sort be parallel'd with us at home At Gainsborough in Lincolnshire it happened that a Gentleman of the Town had occasion to ride up to London about his Term businesse and as the custome is in the Countrey the night before a man takes his journey his neighbours and friends will send in their meat and sup with him and drinke to the hope of his safe returne and so they did to him Now this Gentleman had in his house a young gentlewoman sent thither to bee tuter'd and withall to learne good huswifrie and was about the age of fourteen or fifteen yeares at the most The next morning before hee tooke horse when hee call'd for water this maid brought him the Towell and Bason and held it till hee had wash'd onely in rubbing of his hands he sprinkled a little water on her face which his wife observed after Breakfast the Gentleman road on his journey and the woman in whom this slight accident strooke a deepe impression of devillish Jealousie soon after call'd to the maid to deliver her an account of her linnen us'd the night before which was her charge she having hid a Napkin or two out of the way of purpose to pick a quarrell with her The Girle sought in every roome and could not finde them then she bid her looke in the next Chamber but shee was no sooner up staires but after followes the Mistresse like an incens'd Virago and shut the doores fast upon her then casts her upon the Bed and threw another Feather-bed upon her and spying a Scotch Pocket-Dagger hanging by the Walls shee tooke out one of the knives and casting her selfe upon the upper bed turn'd up the bottome where she fell most unwoman-like to worke with her maid making her quite uncapable of future marriage and this was done withinin memory for to the womans great ignominy and shame in the same Towne I have heard it reported and been shewne the very house where the deed was done The horridnesse of which Act makes me that I cannot conceale her name shee was call'd Mistris Brig house In this intrim a Serving-man comming in and hearing his Mistris was in great displeasure and distemperature gone up with her maid and knowing her froward and hasty disposition he went to the doore and knockt but hearing none but one as it were miserably forcing breath for life he lookt in either at some chinke or the key-hole where he saw his Mistris in the same posture I before described with a knife in her hand and one pittifully bleeding under her He broke open the doore being Wainscot and casting her off from the Bed to the floore tooke up the Maid nigh stifled and carried her to a neighbours house where Chyrurgeons were sent for and she in time recovered of life though shee had made her utterly unable of Conception But what gain'd shee by this her uncivill cruelty she was after abhorr'd by all good and modest women asham'd to looke out of her owne doores neither would any of fashion converse with her but held it a scandall to be but seen in her company But now to return to the Judgments inflicted upon adultery and to shew what our own countrey relates as those perpetrated and committed in this Land King Locrine who succeeded his Father Brute in the Kingdome tooke to his Bride Guendolina daughter to Corinaus Duke of Cornwall who lived in great conjugall love together having a young Prince to their issue call'd Madan but after the King having rest and ease in his age with which his youth was scarce acquainted with he was greatly enamoured of a delicate faire Lady whose name was Estrild the daughter of one Homber a Dane who with a great power invading the Land the King gave him battaile and having routed their whole Army they were forc'd to take that great River which parteth Lincoln-shire and Holdernes and runnes up to Hull in which he with his people being drowned left to the same River his name unto this day To returne to the matter Locrine had by this Lady Estrild a daughter call'd Sabrina but this close packing could not be long conceal'd but by some who thought to insinuate into the favour of the Queen who was of a haughty and masculine spirit all was told her for which being mightily incensed no mediation could appease her implacability but she first incensed her Father and then all her owne particular friends whom by her bounty or favour shee had before obliged to make Warre upon her Husband and prevailing in her purpose shee gave the King Battaile in which his party was discomfited and he himselfe slaine in field This revenge to any of reason might seeme sufficient but here her anger rested not but shee caused the faire Estrild and her Daughter Sabrina to be brought unto her Tent where having reviled them both one with the name of Whore the other of Bastard shee in her heat of bloud and height of rage commanded them both to be throwne into the River neare unto the place where the Battaile was late fought where they were both drowned the River upon that accident losing the name and after the Daughter Sabrina hath beene called Severne even to this day Brithricus the first King of the West Saxons began his Reigne in the yeare of our Lord seven hundred threescore and eighteen and the tenth of Charles the Great then King of France who took to Wife Ethelburge one of the Daughters of Off a King of Mercia he was a valiant Prince and renowned for many Warlike exploits but especially for beating the Danes and compelling them to avoid the Land But what can Valour or Prowesse availe against a wicked and cursed woman who the more freely to