rose controuersy and dissension by the Romanes For seynge they vsed not yet a certayne iustyce or lawes men were oft vniustlye wronged in and out of iudgemente for noman knewe yet perfectly what was ryght And whan the multitude dyd for this cause murmure it was ordeined that a certayne lawe should be written Wounder it is of what importaunce be written lawes to entertayne commune peace and concord in the commun welath the which this example doth witnesse manifestly For this thing were ten men chosen whiche beinge sente into Grece searched oute and espyed the maners and lawes of the greatest cities and in gathering together the beste lawes dyd vse the counsell of Hermodorus of Ephesus and other Philosophers Twelue tables were written the which were hanged vp openlye before the court of Rome This is the begynning of the written lawe of the Romanes the which they haue fyrst borowed of the Grekes The Ten men ruled thre yeare for it behoued that the lawes were euery daye declared But Appius one of the Ten men dyd abuse hys power which caused one Virginius a cite sins doughter to be demed for another mans bondewoman that by that cloke of lawe he might drawe her to hym and destore her The whiche as the father perceaued and sawe that by reason of Appius power his doughter coulde not be delyuered he slewe her himself in the iudgement lest his stocke shoulde be stayned with such a reproche Afterward gathering an army he made ready an ayde against Appius the tyraunt Than deposynge the Ten men from their office a new dignitie was ordeined Appius beyng taken and cast into pryson slew him selfe Thys example sheweth that tyranny and iniustice remayne not vnreuenged The thre hundreth and thre score yere after the foundacion of the citye fell into Italy an army gathered of the Frenchmen and Germanes whyche brent Rome But Camillus whom the commune people had before dryuen out of the citye played y ◠part of an honest man for coloring wholy the iniury the which he had suffred vnworthely gathering an army out of the next contryes he oppressed the Frenche men and Germanes wythin the citye kepyng the castel from besyegynge and the residue of the citesins that were escaped The dammage had the citye in the tyme of Artaxerxes Mnemon and about that tyme nearehande was Athenes taken and spoiled In this hystory is the first mencion made of the Germanes and this was not wholy four hundreth yeares before Christes byrth Of these Germanes was Milane and other cityes in Italy buylded Of the thyrde Monarchye THe thre thousand syxe hundreth and foure and thyrtyeth yeare after the worldes creation whan the dominion of the Perses had lasted an hundreth and nynety yeares that is thre hundreth and twenty yeares before Christes byrth began the thyrd Monarchy the whych we call the monarchy of the Grekes and nowe is the dominion of the worlde translated from the coastes of the East into the West and oute of Asia into Europa From that time began Asia by lytle and lytle more and more to dekeye not onelye in those thynges that were concerninge the power of the empyre but also in those thynges that concerned modestye of maners vertues gouernaunce of cōmune welthes and good learning And though these thyngs are in a maner redressed and restored by the Romanes yet at the last came by violence the Barbarians into Asia and dyd spoyle it in so much that thesame parte of the worlde whiche was wont to bee the moost excellentes by reason of the pleasauntnesse of situation wysedome honestye of men and puyssaunce of countryes is now turned nearehand altogether into a synke of fylthinesse and murthurous denne And contrary wyse those hyghest giftes are nowe in the Weste seynge the worlde doth drawe by lytle and lytle to the ende This monarchy beganne at Alexander kyng of the Macedonians whom we do worthelye call the Great For he was so excellent not only in power of gouernaunce but also in all other princelye vertues that one woulde suppose he haue had but few that were equall to him He is praysed in Ieremye and Daniel the prophetes because he was a most sharpe and happy gouernoure Daniel describeth a buck of whom is a ramme ouercome ouer throwen and doth expounde manifestlye that the buck is the kyng of the Grekes and the ramme the Persian kynge The vertues and notable victories wherewyth God had garnished kynge Alexander gaue some men occasyon to falle fayne muche of hys ofsprynge but I passe them ouer But this is certayne that great and fortunable princes are gouerned and kepte of God and that they are endued only of God wyth those ▪ vertues and gyftes For God wyll haue the maiestye of gouernaunces to be kept and maynteyned by those whych are noble by noblenesse of aunceters and florishing of kynred and it is euident that Alexander was borne of this sorte Hys father was kyng Philippe and hys mother was Olympias And that nyght whan Alexander was conceaued it is sayde that Philippe sawe in hys slepe that he had a seale on Olympias belly wherin was karued the ymage of a Lyon It was expounded that by that dreame was signifyed that Olympias hauynge conceaued of Philippe should brynge forth a moost puyssaunt kynge As for Philippe and Olimpias both of them were borne of the hyghest and moost noblest kynred of all Grece at that tyme. For Philippe if wee maye geue credet to the moost true wrytynges of hystoryes came of Hercules and Olympias of Achylles the valiaunt captayn before Troye These are the aunceters of whose stocke the renowmed prince Alexander is borne The kynred of Alexanders father The battail of Troye Hercules Hyllus Cleodeus Aristomachus Temenus Perdicas Argeus Philippus Eropus Alcetas Amyntas Alexander Amintas Philippus Alexander the great Thys was the fyrst kyng of Macedony whose ofspringe doth Herodotus describe And Alexander the great was borne about eight hundreth yeares after the Troian warre The kynred of Olympias mother to Alexander Achilles Pyrrhus Molossus kynge of Epyrus and Pielus they were both borne of Andromachus Of Pielus doth Pausanias in the Atticall wrytinges draw the other kings of Epyrus folowing Tarymbas Alcetas Neoptolemus and Arymbas Olympias Neoptolemus doughter mother to to Alexander This is the genealogy of Alexander gathered out of moost certayn hystoryes the whiche wytnesseth that the ofsprynge of Alexander was of the posterytye of very great men Whan Philippe was stayne because he left the wicked dede of a great man that had shamfully defloured a noble chylde vnpunished strayght waye after rebelled the Illyrians and Grekes and fell from the Macedonians and the kyngdome of the Macedonians stode in greate daunger For whan his father Philippe was slayne Alexander was only twenty yeare olde This was in the beginning of the hundreth and eleuenth Olympias after the rekening of the Grekes But wha◠Alexander had takē to him the
sayenge of Helias house THe worlde shall stande syxe thousand yeres and after shall it falle Two thousande yeares wythout the Lawe Two thousande yeares in the lawe Two thousande yeares the tyme of Christ And yf these yeares be not accomplyshed oure synnes shall be the cause whyche are greate and many That is to saye the worlde shall stande two M. yeres without any prescript admynistration certayn lawe of the word of God but whan these be gone there shalbe geuen the circumcysyon and lawe besydes thys shall a certayne polytique lawe and seruice of God be institute out of Gods worde and thys state shall laste two thousande yeares After thys shall Christ folowe and the tyme of the gospell shall lykewyse stande aboute two thousande yeares but here shall some yeares want For God shall wyth the hayste of hys commynge preuent it that the yeres of this age shal not be accomplished the whiche Christe hymselfe in the xxiiii chapiter of S. Matthewe sayeth Wythoute those dayes had ben shortened all fleshe shulde not be saued We shall in wrytynge of the hystorye vse thys order and diuide the boke in thre partes whereof the fyrst shal comprehende those thinges which are chaunced betwene the tymes of Adam and Abraham For those are the fyrste thousande yeares Of these is not much written but suche thynges as are moost worthy of memory and of these times there is no certainte but of that which is found wrytten in the Byble The nexte age of two thousand yeares shalbe counted from Abraham vntill Christis commyng all though concerninge to the full numbre of the yeares the tyme is not accomplyshed For as we haue sayde before God maketh hayst to the latter day As for thys age is the propre and bery age of the worlde in the which the moost myghtye kyngdomes and monarchies haue succeded ech other by a certayn order nether hath the worlde euer so declared hys force and myght as in this age Wherfore we shall deuide thys tyme in foure monarchyes For it semeth that God wolde the worlde to be maintened by a certaine gouernaunce in hys place that a certen means of shame and honesty might be conseruid and the wicked mighte be punished and for that cause hath he institute Monarchies Such Monarchies are kingdomes where the chefe and vpper power of al thinges pertaineth to one alone for the conseruation of commune peace and ryght Such a monarchy was of so great puissaunce that the exterior of foren kinges could not withstande or oppresse it And by a certain ordinary succession were only four such monarchies The fyrst was of the Assirians y â— second of the Persians after them the Grekes at the last y â— Romanes And to the honor of such an empire or superiorite hath God exalted y â— Germanes before other nations in these latter times For though the Roman empire be some deal minished now a daies for as it was prophecyed before it was y â— pleasure of god that y â— monarchies shuld finally decay neuerthelesse the maiesty remaineth by the Romane empire nether is ther any king but he hath a respect towardes y t kingdome Moreouer though we haue not alway alyke mighty Emperoures neuerthelesse God prouidinge so there happeneth somtime an Emperour of such power y t the maiesty of the empire may be conserued and that to hold vp the religion and concorde of al natyons The Germane princes and chefely the electors ought to estime grearly this their honour that they haue such high autoritye coÌ„mitted them of God to preserue religyon iustice and commune peace For verely it is of great force that thys monarchy be preserued thoug it be not so very great Therfore ought y â— princes to beware lest ther ryse any sedes of sedition discord among them which might geue occasion to cause this empire to decay For whan this empire wyich is the head of al good gouernaunce or administratioÌ„ in the worlde now a daies shuld be diuided pulled asunder or waisted it could not be but that ther shuld folowe a perturbation of al degrees in euery part of Christendom the which is gretly to be doubted without God do preuent such misery with his last coÌ„ming For holy scripture doth coÌ„forte vs teach openly that after y t this Germaine empire shal decay faile y t latter day shal straight waye folowe This is sufficient to be spoken of monarchies lest any man be ignoraunt that al histories and al thinges done in the world must be referred to these monarchies And besides that y â— obseruing of the order doth ayde y â— memory it doth also not a litle helpe thervnto y t one may se how for what causes kingdomes are chaunged wherby is to be learned how al those things are to be eschued which coÌ„munely bring chauÌ„ges of kingdomes The last age froÌ„ y â— natiuite of Christ vntyll the worldes ende doth like wise contayne two M. yeres although we haue said before that the yeres of this age shulde not be whole that the two thousand yeres may be complete This seÌ„tence of Elias truely conteineth many notable doctrines is chefely to be considered therfore because that from the natiuite of Christe it speaketh also of that tyme in the whiche the ende of al thinges is to be loked for and therefore haue â–ª I sett it in the begynnynge of the boke that it myghte be commytted to euery mans hearing But howe that the Rhomane monarchye dyd begynne after the incarnaâ—yon of Christ and how the succession came to the Germanes also how the Mahometysh or Turkysh empire beganne and howe the Popyshnesse hath gotten encrease offoren power all these thynges shall we shewe in thys thyrde parte But thys also is chefely to be noted with diligence in readyng of histories that God hath institute two maner of kyngdomes the one a worldly kingdome the other a kyngdome of Christ and therefore it is necessary to marke here â–ª howe that the churche hath begonne euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and by whatt maner God hath alwayes kept her Therfore that godly myndes maye haue a confyrmation of theyr fayth we shall note by the state the tyme of eche of the kingdomes where and by whome the kyngdome of Christ was and what state it was in than the knowledge of whiche thinge bringeth no small profite to godlye readers Adam is sett in a Paradyse of pleasure to whome is forbyden the tree of lyfe Genesis ij Adam and Heua are deceyued by the suttelty of the serpent Thence comthe transgressyon of the commaundement and Synne The firste boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the fyrste two thousande yeares From Adam vntyll Abrahams tyme. HOly scrypture doeth teache vs that God created heauen and earth after that man Adam and Heua and sat them in paradyse that is that they beynge set oute of daunger of death and synne mighte lyue in the earth happely but when they forgat
he comaunded also to sley in contynently all the mankynde that were borne God sent Moses to leade the people of Israel out of Egypte the whiche after many wonders brought the people to the redd see Pharao folowed them wyth great force trustynge to optayne hys mynde that he myght sâ—aye them for ther was no place to escape seynge of the one syde they were closed in wyth hylles of the other syde wyth the see and Pharao the tyrauÌ„te laye vpon them behynde But here declared God that whan extreme necessite lieth vpon them that be hys he is nere by them and heareth them For the water went back and gaue the people waye a great space that they myght passe wythout any daunger but the tyraunt folowed into the sea vnhappely which was drowned wyth the water that returned into hys fyrst course and wyth hym the choyse of the people of Egipt Here theÌ„ hath God sett forth again a new example to the worlde that he wil iudge and be reuenged of wycked tyrauntes and all that despyse godlynesse What time the ten commaundementes were geuen THe fyftyeth daye after that the chylderen of Israel were gone out of Egypt whan they iournyed through thee desert by mount Suiai were the ten commaundementes geuen wyth incredible magnificence and maiestye namely wyth a voice out of heauen full of feare and drede Thys worke of God is such as none higher dyd euer happen to men at any tyme in the worlde For the doctrine of the ten coÌ„maundementes conteygneth the suÌ„me of the godly wysedome and in a brefenesse doth comprehende all maner of lawes and constitutions that can be any wher Therfore is it nedefull to know the tyme in the whiche suche a wayghtye lawe was geuen of God namely the yeare from the creation of the worlde two thousande foure hundreth and foure and fyfty Seuen hundreth foure score and eyghtene after the floude S. Paull sayeth that the lawe was geuen after that the promyse was made foure hundreth and thyrtye yeares For the same is the nombre of the yeres sence the tyme whan Abraham beynge olde thre score and fyftene yeare receaued the promyse vntyll that tyme whan Israel was brought out of Egypte by Moses And thesam that is redde in the xii chapiter of Exodus that Israel dwelt in Egypt foure hundreth and thyrty yeares the same maye not be rekened from the tyme that Iacob weÌ„t into Egypt seynge Ioseph was than in his floure And that thys was not the nombre after Iacob only maye easely be gathered here by that Caath went wyth Iacob And he begat a sonne Aâ—ram whose sonne was Moses Now can it not be that betwene Caath and Moses haue ben foure hundreth yeares Wherfore the foure hundreth and thyrty yeares whereof ther is redde in Exodus are to be couÌ„ted from that tyme wheÌ„ Abraham came fyrst from Mesopotamia into Canaan and was afterwarde conuersant hymselfe in Egypte And that the mynde of S. Paul may the better be vnderstaÌ„d I shall gather the noÌ„ber of y â— yeares soÌ„what more dilgeÌ„tly There are fyue and twenty yeares vntyl the byrth of Isaac from the tyme that Abraham came fyrst in to the lande of Canaan what tyme he hymself was thre score and fyftene yeare olde Isaac begat Iacob when he was thre score yeare olde The foure score and tenth yeare of Iacob was Ioseph borne Ioseph lyued an hundreth and ten yeares After Ioseph vntyll Moses was borne are thre score and fyue yeares And this nombre of the yeares doth Philo note also Moses was foure score yeare old when he ledde the people out of Egypt If these yeres be numbred together they mount to the nombre of foure hundreth and thyrty So muche tyme was there sence that the promyse was firste made to Abraham vntyll that tyme that Israell came out of Egypte and after that was the lawe geuen Now hath God geuen this Israelitysh people a certayn policy and a seuerall kyngdome in the whiche can nothyng bee requyred that pertayneth to Gods seruice to the presthode also to the ciuyll iustice that finally there myght be a certayn people whiche should haue the worde of God and of the whiche Christ shoulde fynally be borne By this people than hath alwaye bene the churche Gods kyngdome and hystrue word vntil that christ had suffered the which must be marked so that no man bee ignoraunt that she churche hath alway bene and that God hath sence the begynnyng of the worlde reueled his worde and to haue kept it alway with vs. Of the princes or rulers of Israell FRom the departyng out of Egypte vntyll the begynnyng of Sauls kyngdome were thre hundreth thre score and nyne yeres the which the texte of the syxt chapiter of y â— third boke of kynges doth declare Now had this people after Moses deceaseÌ„ princes whiche partely were created by the aucthorite of wyse men partely were by a singular callynge raysed vp of God by the whiche are notable thynges done and of this wyse declared God that he is faithfully with them that be his and to defend them though they seme somtyme to be tossed with the waues of peryls These princes by an Hebrue costume were called Iudges Howbeit for somuche as their histories be written in the Bible we shall only rehearse their names that the order of thee Cronicles and course of the yeares maye the better be obserued Moses raygned .xl. yeares Iosue xxvij Othoniel xl Ehud lxxx Barach with Debora the prophetisse xl Gedeon xl Abimelech iii. The same committed murther vpon his owne brother and gotte thee kyngdome too hymselfe by sedition and therfore was he not long after vnpunyshed hymselfe also Chola xxiij Iair xxiâ— Iephthe vi Abessan vij Abdon viij Sampson xx After these gouerned y â— people these hygh priestes Ely xl yeares Samuel xl yeares The Kynges of Israel THe iudges of the people of Israel wer not succedyng by enheritaunce therefore was not the gouernaunce among that people firme or certayne saue only with the hygh priestes but God ordeined somtyme wyse princes amonge theÌ„ in steade of a garnison those raysed God now here now there But the people euell coÌ„tented with this incertaintie of gouernaunce required of Samuel the hygh priest too haue a certayne kyng the whiche might gouerne the kyngdom Samuel willyng to do nothyng rashly asked counsayl of God god shewed that he was very wroth with that wilfulnesse of the people demaundyng a newe kyng commaunding y e people to bee greuously punyshed therfore Neuerthelesse God dyd in the meane season graunt to the makyng of the kyng and institutyng and continuance of a kyngdome The power of the kyngdom and administration of it is confirmed here with wordes of no small importaunce the whiche must chefely be consydered Moreouer it is to bee marked that God is not dyspleased because he doth mysprayse the gouernaunce of a kyng for he doth manifestly coÌ„firme it but hee is displeased with
vttermost part of Italy which bendeth to Sicilia and was sometyme Grece In the tyme of Pythagoras raigned at Rome Seruius Tullius his scole was not occupied in Phisick and Astronomy as the other but in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Pythagoras liued a very solytary lyfe wyth his disciples and vsed sundry ceremonies taught many inconuenient thinges of the soules nature that mens soules remoue into beastes to be punyshed The Pythagorians taughte their doctrines priuatly amonge themselues and it was commaunded amonges them that noman shoulde publishe them lest by reason of a doctryne not accustomed the commune sort of men mighte be sturred ether to discorde or to a despisynge of good maners But such kynde of phylosophers dured not longe nother is it now necessary to speake more of the begynnyng of philosophers I would onely shewe iâ— here lest any man might be ignoraunt what tyme the connyng of sciences began and encreased wee shall hereafter in hys due place speake of them whych haue before all other garnyshed and had in reuerence Philosophye whereof there is not so great nomber For very few are ther that be worthy to be called wyth so excellent a name Phylosopher and therfore shall we not rehearse so many of them Of Solon THough wee studye to be brefe here yet wyll not I passeouer Solon vnrehearsed for of hym hath the ciuyll lawe of the Romanes whych is yet in vse his oryginall begynnynge Thys Solon lyued about thys tyme and was very familyar wyth Thales But whan at Athenes were spronge great debates because that the greatest of the citye had made bonde men of theyr creditours that were not able to pay them euen of pryuate wylfulnesse the whole citye of Athenes dyd agree to Solon that he shoulde take order and correcte thys wyllynglye of the greatestmen and the other misvses of the commune wealth Solon toke thys wyllynglye vpon hym and set forth manye excellente constitutions and lawes the whych are yet manyfest Now was Draco the law geuer by the Athenians before Solons lawes were not ordered with anye mercye at all for he ordeyned that all transgressions and trespasses shoulde be punished wyth the swearde and for thys cause sayde one that Dracons lawes were wrytten wyth bloude and not wyth yâ—â—k So hard and cruell constitucions were in the worlde at the begynnynge But nothyng can be durable that is to extreme and is not mitigate with the temperaunce of mercy or iustice As for Solon made a difference in these thynges or degrees and ordeined that some synnes shoulde accordynge to reason be punyshed greueously and other more mercyfullye ordeined also of geuinge trybute of weyghtes and of the seasoÌ„s of the whole yeare And specially is this lawe praysed in the whiche he ordeined that euery man should certyfy the higher officers once in the yeare how great his substaunce were and of what maner crafte he were where with he gat hys lyuynge and if there were any ydle fellow or vagabounde too dryue the same out of the cytie Of Cambyses CAmbyses began to raygne whan hys father Cyrus went to warre agaynst the Scythians He ioyned the kyngdome of the Egiptians to his fathers domynion But he was greatly vnlyke his father in vertues Whan Prexaspes one of hys chefe counselers had admonyshed hym somewhat boldelye and sayde that the Perses dyd alow hym greatly but that the same myslyked them that he was geuen to dronkennesse He caused the Peeres of hys realme to be called together and demaunded whether he might worthely be blamed in any thynge But they answered No but that he also surmounted hys father Cyrus in vertue for by hys actiuenesse was Egypte also ioyned to his kyngdome But Cresus to whom Cyrus had chefely commended his sonne Cambyses to be taughte nortured in honesty sayd the coÌ„trary CaÌ„byses quod he can not yet be compared to hys father Cyrus for he hath not left such a sonne of his begettinge as Cirus hath left Cambyses This delectable sayenge pleased Cambises at that tyme. But as the counsel departed whan none of the princes had blamed ought in him he commaunded Prexaspes to be called to him and bad him bringe his yongest sonne to him For he woulde declare howe sobre he myghte seme to be euen whan he were droncken For he woulde shute wyth a bowe at his chylde whan he was droncken and if he coulde hyt his harte with the darte than he might thynke that in drinkynge he were not besyde the capacite of his reason but if not â–ª than he might worthely be sayde to be geuen to dronkennesse But what nedeth many wordes Whan Cambyses had well dronken he shott at the chylde as at a marke and as the darte was pearced thoroughe he caused it to be rypt vp and shewed to hys father Prexaspes that the harte was shot thorough a ryght sayenge that thereby he might haue euydence that he was not dronken So barbarous cruel and tyrannicall maners bringeth dronkennesse into mens mindes though they be well taught before euen as no doute was that kynge Cambyses was from hys youth brought vp in moost honest nourture And though a dronken man can hytt a right in shoutinge yet in the meane whyle can he not vse the ryght counsels of reason and wanteth those vertues whiche communely steare men to modestye and auancement of glory Such lyke examples ought to be shewed to yonge men whiche sometyme be enclyned and geuen to dronkennesse for what ende folowed of these shall we shewe shortely hereafter He slew also hys own brother Smerdis whome he caused priuely to be put to death lest he shuld raygne at any tyme. He maryed also hys owne syster where neuerthelesse nature doth abhorre such kynde of maryage It fortuned vpon a tyme that whan kynge Cambyses sat at borde wyth the quene at y â— meale tyme set he a lyons whelpe and a strong dogge together to make a game and whan the lyon had the ouerhande by reason of hys fearcenesse strength another dogge of no lesse fearcenesse brake wyth great strength the bandes y â— he was bounde withal and holpe his brother the dogge and so was the lyon ouercome The kyng had great delyte at that game because of the faythfulnesse of the dogges But the quene moued wyth the same dede began to wepe very bytterly and whan the kynge toke that sorowfully and asked the cause of her weping she answered To my brother happened nothynge lesse than such faythfulnesse as I haue sene in these dogges helping eche other The kyng taking this answere wrothfully caused her strayght waye tâ— be had out of hys syght and â—lew her But such coâ—dicions can not longe prosper For God sayeth in the scryptures The bloud thyrsty and deceatfull shall not lyue oute halfe theyr dayes vpon earth Wherfore God stroke hym not longe after wyth a greueous and heauy vengeaunce For as he should come out of Egypte into Persia as he sat vpon
sciences and dyd institute a very good forme of the common welth To hym drew wyse men out of all contryes the which he maynteyned gently and liberally He had a library as there was none better furnished in the whole worlde and for thys cause toke he acquaintaunce of the Iewes For whan he diligently searched for the begynnynge of all nacions religions and sciences he founde that the people of the Iewes to be the eldest and that they onely had the surest historyes of the worldes begynninge or creation Wherefore he required to be sent to hym from Ierusalem thre score and twelue men by whose diligence the wholy Bible myght be translated oute of the Hebrue into his language by this occasion were the Bibles syrste translated into straunge speches And no doubt it is but that Ptolome was conuerted to the true fayth by this same meane iii. Ptolomeus Euergetes inuaded Syria dyd reuenge the death of his syster Berenice iiij Ptolomeus Philopater ouercame Antiochus the great afterwarde beyng become more sensuall and dissolute he beganne to be enamoured vpon a wenche insomuch that he caused also hys quene to be put to death for the loue shewed to that wench v. Ptolomeus Epiphanes whom Antiochus the great dyd inuade the same Antiochus gaue to him hys doughter vi Ptolomeus Philometor the same dyd hys vncle Antiochus Epiphanes inuade But the Romanes defendyng Ptolome commaunded Antiochus to auoyde out of Egypt the which we haue shewed before vii Ptolomeus Euergetes restored Demetrius that was dryuen oute of hys realme into the same agayne viii Ptolomeus Physco the same resembled more a beast than a man by reason of hys vylaynous crueltye He wedded hys syster and begatt chylderen of her Afterwarde slayenge hys sonne set him before hys mother to eate fynallye was he dryuen out of the realme The residue ensuynge were notable of lyke shameful behaueour as of beastly medlynge and of farre more cruell tyranny ix Ptolomeus Alexander x Ptolomeus Latyrus xi Ptolomeus Auletes whome Gabinius the Romane captayne restored agayne into hys kyngdome xii Ptolomeus Dionysius which commaunded to slaye Pompeius and afterwarde was also vnfaythfull to Iulius wherefore Iulius droue hym out of the kyngdome and gaue it to his syster Cleopatra the whiche finally slew herselfe whan Antonius whom she entertayned was ouercome of Augustus After that came Egypte to the Romanes and so was the moost noble kynred of Ptolomeus quenched Of the Iewes WE haue sayde before that the superiorytie of gouernaunce remayned by the posteritie of Dauid after the returne of the Iewes oute of Babylon only that they wanted the dignitie of the kynges name and were only called Prynces And the same rayned tyll the tyme of Antiochus S. Luke doeth also make mencion of them in the genealogye of Christe i. Zorobabel lviij yeares ii Resa Miseolam lxvi iii. Iohanna Ben Resa liij iiii Iudas the fyrst Hircanus xiiij in the tyme of Alexander After Alexander v. Ioseph the fyrst vij vi Abner Semei xi vii Eli Matathia xii viii Aser Maath ix ix Nagid Artaxat x. x. Hagai Eli viij xi Maslot Naum vii xii Amos Syrah xiiij xiij Matathia Siloa xviij xiiij Ioseph the yonger l. The same had greate familiarite wyth Ptolomeus Euergetes and by Eusebius is he called Arses xv Iaanna the seconde Hircanus xvi He had greate warres agaynst the Arabians and had oft victory But whan he was besieged in a castell by Antiochus Epiphanes nether coulde he defend hymself any lenger wyth his garnyson yet woulde he not yelde him selfe but wythstode his enemies valiauntly fightynge in battayl tyll he was slayne This was the laste prince amonge the Iewes of kyng Dauids bloude After hym ruled the Machabees whyche were of the priestly kynred But after these was the kyngdome of the Iewes translated to Herods kynred whyche was a Gentyle but he was circumcised Thys thynge truely had God prophecyed before that the ceptre and royall maiestye shoulde be taken from Iuda and Dauids successors before the comminge of the promysed Christe Nether was the kyngdome altered from Dauids posteritye aboue an hundreth thre score yeare before Christe was borne so that it exceded not mens memory what kinred had raigned Of this wyse doeth Lucas rehearse the princes of the Iewes vntyll the last Ianna Hircanus and after the same doth he counte the residue also which ruled not vntyll Christe Wherefore I wyll brefely adde of the Machabees and Herodes kynred Of the Machabees kynred MAtathias exhorted hys chylderen to resist Antiochus and these raygned in order by successiō as princes Iudas Machabeus the first vanquyshed the capytaynes of Antiochus Epiphanes and recouered the temple wythin thre yeare and had notable victories But assone as he had conspyred wyth the Romanes makyng a league wyth them he was slayn and dyed For God wyll not haue vs to leane to mans helpe but that we shoulde sett oure truste in hym He raygned v. yeares Ionathas raygned nyneten yeare he toke part wyth Alexander which vsurped the kyngdome in Syria Afterwarde was he slayne of Triphon very vnfaythfully He had an vnhappye ende for because he trusted too the ayde of naughty and seditious men Simon reigned eight yeare he ouercame Antiochus Gryphus He was at the last slayn by treason of his owne brother in lawe Ioannes Hircanus was Simons sonne the same reigned syx and twenty yeare In his tyme besieged Antiochus Gryphus Ierusalem but by geuyng of mony was he apeased and breakyng vp the syege left the citie Afterward gat Hircanus Samaria The Machabeis kynges Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus reigned one yeare and woulde be crowned with a kyngely crowne He was the first kyng in Ierusalem after that the Iewes were returned out of Babylon He slew his brother Antigonus because he feared lest he woulde couet the kyngdome Alexander the yonger sonne of Hircanusreigned seuen and twenty yeare his wyfe Alexandra reigned after hym nyne yeare Alexander left two sonnes after hym Hircanus and Aristobulus Though Hircanus were the elder yet was he dryuen out of the kyngdom by hys brother Aristobulus whiche by violence caught from his brother the dignitie of the kynges name But Antipater prince of Idumea and the father of Herodes and Areta kyng of Arabia ayded Hircanus against Aristobulus Nether was there a lesse barbarous state at that tyme in Iewry after the Heythen maner then in the kyngdomes of other nations Afterward when Pompeius toke in Ierusalem he made Hircanus high priest and taking Aristobulus prisoner with his two sonnes Alexander and Antigonus brought thē to Rome But by the way as they went to Rome escaped Alexāder and commyng againe into Iewry he became mighty againe But then was he vanquished by Gabinius y ◠Romane capitaine in Syria and afterward by the commaundement of Scipio was he beheaded at Antiochia Antigonus was released at Rome
iii. M. ix C. lxxxvii The yeare of Rome vii C. lxix The yeare of Christe .xliij. CLaudius the fyft Emperour reigned thyrtene yeare and nyne monethes he was poysoned The secōd yeare of Claudius came Peter the Apostle to Rome who had preached before certayn yeares at Antiochia and here begynneth the Romyshe churche The yeare .xliiij. After Christes natiuite The yeare .iii. M. ix C. lxxxviij after the worldes creation The yeare .vii. C. xcvii after the buyldynge of Rome The yeare of the worlde iiii M. The yeare of Rome .viii. C. ix The yeare of Christe lvi NEro the syxt Emperour reigned fourten yeare At the begynnyng lyued he honestly fyue yeares afterwarde was he moste vngratious by reason of hys intemperancy of maners and tyranny He put to death his own mother his wyfe and also many noble men amōg whom was also Seneca Finally whan his officers was gone from hym whan he was sought to be put to deaht by the Senate of Rome he fleing slew himselfe before he was founde out by the souldiours and this was done the two and thirtyeth yeare of his age But the kyngdom of the Romanes is now wholy remoued from the posteritie and kynsmen of Augustus and Leuia In the tyme of Nero was saint Peter crucifyed at Rome After hym was Linus made byshop and afterwarde was Paule the Apostle beheaded also And yf ye counte the yeares of Paule hee preached the Gospell about foure and thyrty yeares In the tyme of Nero appeared a comete syxe monethes contrary too all cometes whiche are not wont to be sene so longe There was also a comete sene before in the tyme of Claudius and three sonnes whiche sygnyfyeth doutlesse that three princes shoulde shortely striue for the empire In lyke maner do I suppose that their great Comete dyd sygnifye not onely the sedicion and vproure but also the mutacion and chaunge in the Romane empire and specially the lamentable decaye of the Iewysh kyngdom Sergius Galba Otho and Vitellius AMong these thre was a stryfe for the empyre after Neroes death As for Galba was slayn in y e marketplace of Rome by y ◠layenge wayte of Otho Afterward was Vitellius chosen Emperoure in Germany of the hoost and sent some men of armes into Italy The whiche metyng Otho he fought foure feldes with them thre tymes dyd he ouercome them but in the fourth was his hoost ouerthrowen And though the souyldiours drue frely to hym yet would hee warre no more For it is reported that he shoulde haue said that he set more by the comon peace then by his owne lyfe or priuate glory and the fourth moneth after Galbas death slew he hymselfe with a daggar In the meane season was Vespasianus chosen Emperoure in the Easte by the souldiours thesame sent an hoost into Italy the whiche ouerthrewe Vitellius men of armes Of that rose vproures at Rome and Vitellius was taken his handes bound vpō his backe and with a halter cast about his neck he was drawen through the myer in the stretes and fynally was he slayne as he had deserued For he was suche one that deserued rather to bee called a cruell beaste than a man This was the fyrst vproure that was in the Empyre for the election or chosyng after Augustus The yeare of the worlde .iiii. M. xvi The yeare of Rome .viii. C. xxv The yeare of Christ .lxxij. VEspasianus the Seuenth Emperoure reigned nyne yeares It was a man renowmed in wysedome and honesty and a prince moste worthy of the Empyre For where Caligula Claudius and Nero dyd nott onely suffre all intemperancy out of measure in other but dyd it themselues also this man contrarywyse restored at Rome the nourture of modestie and honest lawes He augmented also the Empyre with all maner of victuals and in the prouinces ordeined he necessary aydes Besides this ordeined he also at Rome common pensions for professers of phisyck and other sciences Of the last destruction of Ierusalem IN the seconde yeare of Vespasianus began Titus the sonne of Vespasian to besyege the cytie Ierusalem whan Easter began to be kept in the moneth of Apryll and afterwarde in the moneth September dyd he spoyle and burne it But in the meane tyme was so great mysery in the cytie for hunger vproure and inwarde manslaughter as neuer was red to haue bene in any cytie The mothers dyghted their owne chyldren to satisfye their hunger but inuayne For the souldyours tooke them awaye from them par force and deuoured them and the mothers dyed with hunger the whyles Many slew themselues Iosephus wryteth that in the cyty were about ten hundreth thousand persons For because it was Easter a very great multitude came together into the cytie Besydes this they that dwelt here and there in villages in all Iewry drue all together to Hierusalem for none other cause but that they trusted to bee in saue garde by the defence of so well afortified citie In so great nōber of people the moste parte nere hande dyed with hunger pestilence and sworde Titus sent syxtene thousand to Alexandria to do seruice none other wyse then slaues He brought twoo thousand with hym whiche hee shewed in a triumphe and caste them to wylde beastes in common games to be toren in peces But what shall I saie muche nomans oraciō can be sufficient to expresse so great a mysery For God woulde propose to men a new and syngular example wherein myght be sene the greatnesse of Gods wrath against despisers of Godlynesse For it must be a very stony and harde harte whiche shoulde not be sore afrayed at so dredefull an example And it is aboue all thynges to be ouerloked in this hystorye that yf God vsed no mercy towarde thys people in punyshynge them for their wyckednesse whome he called hys peculiar people whyche also was come of so holy fathers He shall muche lesse spare the Heythen And God in threatenynge thys declareth also in the same example the shewe of mercy and Godly beneuolence namely that we do not doubt that after that the Iewysh kyngdom is ouerthrowen we that are Gentyls are truely the chosen people and Gods chyldren yf we do truly beleue in Christe This destruction of Ierusalem befell in the secōd yeare of Vespastanus and it was the threscore and fortene yeare after Christes natiuite the fortieth yere after that Christ had suffered his passion But from the creation of the worlde the foure thousand and eightenth yere And this temple dyd stande after the second yere of Longunanus fyue hundreth and syx and twenty yeares Many dredefull tokens signifyed this destructiō afore which for shortnesse we can not here reherse A burnyng sworde was sene aboue the temple nearehande a whole yeare I haue added thys therfore lest no man do rashly despyse the tokens which pretende the euidēces of Gods indignacion by the which we are called to repentaunce that the wrath of God maye be ether auoyded
the Pandectes of the ciuyll lawe He wrote also whole bookes wherof we haue sene some Moreouer in his tyme lyued Ptolomeus the astronomian of whom we do worthely make mencion For it hath pleased God that so excellent doctrines should be kept and reserued vntyll these our tymes through this man Nether truely was this Ptolomeus a kyng for at that tyme had Egypte ceaâ—sed of hauyng kynges but was a philosopher at Alexandria in Egypte For God had garnyshed Egypte with mathematicall sciences sence the tyme of Ioseph the sonne of Iacob the patriarke by whome Egypte had fyrst receaued them and kept them vntyll this Ptolomeus and that is about twoo thousande yeares For first Alexander afterwarde the Romanes also had Egypte in greate estimacion for thys cause and lest so noble sciences should perishe they bestowed muche cost to entertayne the Schole whiche then finally wente too nought also whan the kyngdome of Egypte was translated from the Romanes and was myserably spoyled by Mahomet But that at the least some remnaunt of so necessary sciences should remayne no doubt but God would them to be set in an order by this man that they maye be kept of them that come after â–ª for the whiche thyng God is greatly to be thanked But how litle they of Mahomets secte are worthy to be called men ye that they may be rather called beastes than men doth it appeare thereby that they willed so auncient a scole to peryshe be lost whiche had nowstande and floryshed aboue two thousand yeres being kept by so noble princes in the whiche were taught all maner of wysdome and learnynge not wythout the hygh benefite of God Soter the xij byshop of Rome succeded Anycetus who ordeined that they that were spoused shoulde be wedded openly before the Churche or congregacion The yeare of Christe C. lxxxiij COmmodus the .xv. Emperoure gouerned xij yeare and was equall euen to Nero in cruelnesse Eleuterius succeded Soter in the byshopricke The yeare of Christe C. xcv Aelius Pertinax the .xvi. Emperoure reigned syxe monethes He was slayne of Iulianus who had bought the name of an Emperoure of the souldiours The yeare of Christe C. xcvi Didius Iulianus the .xvii. Emperour reigned vii monethes He was very wel learned in y â— lawe He was slayne by Seuerus The yeare of Christ C. xcvi SEuerus the .xviij. Emperoure reigne eightene yeres The same restored agai 〈…〉 the empire that was decaied wyth sundry perels Victor the .xiiij. byshop of Rome succeded Eleâ—therius in the byshopryke Zepherinus the .xv. succeded victor In his tyme was Origene who taught the holy scripture at Alexandria This mans bokes were afterwarde refused because he brought in vnprofitable disputations and allegoryes Afterwarde was it the common fashion to mengle the phylosophy of Plato with holy scripture whereof the churche had great dammage and inconuenience For the phylosophy of Plato is farre from the common trade of lyuing and contrary wyse the philosophy of Aristotel hath a beawtiful and ryght order and yf she be wel vsed exercised and vnderstande she may verely brynge muche profite to Christen men that be learned The yeare of Christe .cc. xiiij ANtonius Bassianus Caracalla the .xix. Emperoure reygned syxe yeares He commaunded hys brother Germane Geta to be slayne He was wedded to his stepmother He required of Papinianus the great lawier to excuse the manslaughter that he had done with hys brother to the whiche Papinian aunswered It were not so easy to defende a manslaughter as to committe or do it Wherfore dyd Antonius cause to slaye Papinianus also which was worthy to be reputed taken for a lawier namely because for righteousnesse and honesties sake he woulde rather yeoparde his lyfe than to alowe a dishoneste dede Not longe after the Emperoure Bassianus was duely rewarded for his tyranny whan he lykewyse was slayne Calistus the .xvi. byshop of Rome succeded Zepherinus Macrinus the .xx. Emperoure wyth hys sonne Diadâ—â—menus raygned but one yeare and two monethes They were both slayne The yeare of Christ CC. xxâ— VArus Heliogabalus the .xxi. Emperour raigned foure yeares He left no remembraunce of him saue of a moost fylthye beaste at the last was he slayne by the souldyours The yeare of Christ CC. xxv ALexander Seuerus the .xxij. Emperoure his mother was called Mammea He raigned xiâ—â— yeares He was made Emperoure beyng no more than twelue yeare old ordeined by the souldiours and that dyd the Senate alowe He is greately praysed for hys diligence and Godlynesse In all thinges vsed he the counsell of Vlpianus the lawier only nether spake he wyth anye man alone saue wyth the same But the souldiours toke that in euyll worth and specially because that by thys mans counsel they were kepte more straytely in their duety by the Emperoure And whan for thys cause vpon a tyme the souldyours rushynge vpon hym threatened to slaye hym the Emperoure stept forth and set his bodye in the daungers of Vlpianus and couered hym wyth his cloake that the souldiours myghte vnderstande that the Emperour cared for Vlpianus health Thys was a notable example of Emperyall vertue whereby is euidentlye declared that greate men ought not to regarde theyr lyfe and body for the mayntenaunce of iustice and ryhteousnesse Vrbanus the fyrst of that name the .xvij. bishop of Rome succeded Calistus Pontianus the .xviij. succeded Vrbanus The yeare of Christ CC. xxxviij MAximinus the .xxiij. Emperoure raygned thre yeares The same whan he was yonge was a shepeherde in Thracia afterwarde folowed he the warre and for the vnacustomed greatnesse of hys bodye wyth the whyche he had a syngular boldnesse ioyned he mounted by processe of tyme so hygh that he was chosen Emperoure of the army wythout anye consent or authoritie of the Senate He subdued Germany vntyll the wood Hercinia and the vpper parte of it vntyll the Frankes He vsed greate tyrannye wherefore ordeyned the Senate other Emperoures agaynste hym and for that cause were somtyme feldes foughten amongest the Romanes in the which the yonger Gordianus was slayne and the elder Gordianus hanged hym selfe But fynally was Maximinus slayne of the souldiours wyth hys sonne by Aquileia Autherus the xviij byshop of Rome succeded Pontianus The yeare of Christe CC. xli GOrdianus the .xxiiij. Emperoure raygned syxe yeares He was ordeyned Emperoure by the Senate wyth Pupienus and Balâ—â—nus against Maximinus Whan Pupienus and Balâ—â—nus refused to graunt y e souldiours all their requestes they were slayne of them at Rome and by thys meanes optayned the yonger Gordianus the empyre alone He brought home the victory of the Perses in the East and restored some cityes agayne to the empyre But whan the hoost suffred hunger Philippus was made vpper captaine by whose commaundement Gordianus was slayne Whan Gordianus was made Emperoure there happened an Eclypse of the Sunne so great that durynge the same men were fayne to vse
boughes of ether of the trees and than lettynge the trees louse dressynge themselues agayne shulde wyth a greate violence teare the yonge man in peces Thys Aurelianus was also a greate persecutor of the Christians Of the Manicheis the heretykes STrayghte waye after the Gospell was preached rose sectes and dissensyous among Christen men But I am not minded to rehearse y â— erronious opinions of euery one in this treatise I wyll only recyte the moost greatest which haue infect and troubled many and greate cityes and contryes wyth theyr venâ—m that the reader maye knowe nothynge to be more venimous in this commune lyfe of man than false doctrine and that all heretikes are desyrous of vproure nether couet ought els but that they maye defende and spreade abrode theyr erroure by vprour and commune ryot For Sathan their chefe doer is both a lyar and manslayer Ether of theÌ„ truely is euident in all scismatickes which both teache false and are wonte to rayse manslaughter through sedysyon and perâ—urbatyon of commune welthes In the tyme of Aurelyanus beganne fyrst the Manycheis and one Manes borne in Persya was begynner of them Thyssame spred hys venim abrod largely fyrst by y â— Arabians afterward in Africa the which went so spedely on that it coulde not be swaged the space of two hundreth yeares afterwarde â–ª The chefe of theyr doctryne was that ther were two goddes â–ª the one good the other euel and both lyke euerlastynge This doctrine semed vnto mans reason alowable For seynge God is good by nature and that in the meane season the euell hath such power it is necessary there be also a peculiar God â–ª which is author and doer of euels equall to the other God wyth power and euerlastyngnesse Besyde these had they other opinions that they taught namely that Christe was no true God nether receaued they the bokes of the Apostles but fayned there seuerall doctrines the which they called Christes Gospel also they boasted also of seuerall illuminations of heauen and sayde they gaue the holy ghost They ordeyned sundrye ceremonies they vsed also choyse of meates they forbadde wedlocke â–ª sayenge that thereby is optayned the holy ghost They taught also to reiect ciuil power For matrimony and gouernaunce of communwelth they sayde to haue theyr ofspringe from the euell God and not to be ordeined of the good God Thomas Monetarius or mynter at Thuringen was playnly falleÌ„ into the same heresy in our daies The yeare of Christ CC. lxxx TAcitus y â— .xxxij. Emperour raigned vi monethes Probus y â— .xxxiii. Emperour ruled syxe yeares and foure monethes Thissame is rekened among the most worthiest princes he was chosen by the souldiours and confirmed by the Senate He was the cause that peace was made both in the lower and hygher Germany He ouercame y â— Frankes them of Thuringen â–ª in the histories of thys Emperour is the fyrst mencion made of the nacioâ— of Thuringen Felix the .xxv. bysh of Rome succeded Dionisâ—us Eutichianus the .xxvi. succeded Felix Caius the .xxvij. succeded Eutichianus in the byshopryke The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxvii LArus the .xxxiiij. Emperoure raygned two yeare He made hys sonnes Carinus and Numerianus emperours wyth hym Numerianus was excellent in honestye and learninge But Carinus was equall wyth Nero for his wickednesse The yeare of Christ CC. lxxxviij DIocletianus the .xxxv. Emperoure raygned twenty yeare He was a prince of rype wysedome and garnished wyth manye noble dedes He restored Egypt to the Empyre But he was a very fearce enemy to Christes religion For be endeuoured to restore the olde state of the empyre and olde fashyon of the commune welth And for as muche as he dyd all thynges by the iudgement of reason he woulde not suffre the opinions of religion that were disagreynge And whan he perceaued that in so greate trouble of warres he coulde not entertayne alone the largenesse of so great an empyre besydes that that it had oft fortuned other to couet the empyre by vproure and to ben made Emperours he willingly willed Maximianus to raygne wyth hym and to be of lyke power and the same warred in Gallia As for these two were a lyke called Augusti in the empire These two Augusti chose other two â–ª which were not egall of power but were as successors nether were they called Augusti but Cesares Diocletianus chose Galerius Maximianus chose Constantius But ether of them both Diocletianus and Maximianus were called Augustus Afterwarde layenge aparte the gouernaunce of the empyre they returned both to the quietnesse of a pryuate lyfe But Maximianus woulde fayne haue returned to the gouernaunce that by thesame occasion he myght haue promoted hys sonne Maxentius to the gouernaunce and for that cause dyd Constancius hys brother in lawe cause hym to be slayn Communely doth it so befal that whan great empyres shall decaye all shalbe fyrste fylled wyth vproures and inwarde debates the whyche thys example doth wytnesse Diocletianus lyued manye yeares priuate or withoute rule at the last dyd he slaye hym selfe whan he was afearde for Licinius and Constantinus whyche suspected hym that he woulde take Maxentius theyr enemyes parte The yeare of Christ CCC viij COnstantius the .xxxvi. Emperoure wyth Galerius Maximinus and was ether of them Emperoure wyth greate prayse After Diocletianus death raygned Constantius foure yeares The contryes of Fraunce and Germany were subiect to hym and he set them at quiet He ouercame the Frankes and Almaynes For of thys wise is Germany diuided The Frankes toke that part of Germany to them which is about y e Rene They that be called Alemanni are y e hygher Germanes Constantius dyed in England in whose stead was ordeined for to rule the empyre Constantinus hys sonne The yeare of Christ .iij. C. xij COnstantinus the .xxxvij. Emperoure raigned thyrty yeares He restored the empyre to his former rest and tranquillitye For whan Maxentius had cruelly vsed tyranny at Rome beynge ouercome by Constantinus he was in a flyghte drouned in the ryuer Tybur and receaued worthy punishment for hys tyranny the whyche he vsed both agaynst other men and speciallye agaynst Christen men And so dyd Constantinus and Licinius gouerne the empyre together certayne yeres wyth greate concorde and Constantinus wedded hys syster to Licinius But we see somtyme to befall in a great empyre such causes wherin two doo seldom agree It is saide that the cause of the disagremente betwene Constantinus and Licinius shoulde thence haue spronge that Licinius shoulde haue ben enemy to the Christians and to haue oft required Constantinus to enterprise such thynges nomore Finallye Constantinus beynge compelled wyth great necessitye ouercame Licinius howbeit left him alyue vpon this condicion that he layenge awaye the rule of the empyre should lyue pryuately Wherfore Constantinus gouerned the empyre afterwarde alone and broughte all thynges into peace and honeste lawes The emperour was the
great When he was nowrenowmed throughout all the worlde of all these vertues peace stablyshed y â— lawes restored the state of religioÌ„ set in order because he might auoyde the occasion of great euels he appoynted hys sonne Lewis before hys death to be an heyre and successour in the empyre afterward dyed he at Aken the two and seuentyeth yeare of his age Before his death the brydge that was layde ouer the Rene by Mentz burnt whiche was made in the space of ten yeres at Charles greate costes Thys burnynge sygnyfyed that Germany shoulde not long after be separated from Fraunce Lewis the gentle the second Emperoure of the Germanes THe yeare of Christ .viij. C. xv began Lewis the gentle to gouerne the empyre he reigned syx and twenty yeares Charles had many chyldren whiche dyed before the fathers deceasse Lewis renewed the peace that his father had made with them of Constantinople in the begynnyng of hys reigne and wylled it to be stablyshed After â—hose he hys sonne Lotharius for a party ruler in the empyre that he shoulde rule in Italy Beyng sent to Rome he was crowned Emperoure of Paschalis byshop of Rome and was called Augustus or full of maiestie Sence that tyme kept Lewis a parliament at Aken for the reformation of the state of the Churche and he brought to pasâ—e wyth greate diligence that to the ministers of the Churche shoulde bee geuen necessary relefe to maynteyne their lyues An agrement was also made betwene hym and the byshop of Rome that suche as came after them myght be sure what part is pertaynyng to the byshop and what to the empyre Thys Godly or gentle Emperoure was taken prisoner of his sonne Lotharius through the counsayll of the Byshops and some princes because he was afrayed lest by hys stepmothers inspiracion hys father would remoue the empyre from hym to hys younger brother But Lewis beyng delyuered returned to thempyres gouernaunce and caused Lotharius hys sonne by force to go into Italy but at the last was he reconciled wyth hys father agayne After Leo was Stephanus the fourth made the hundreth byshop of Rome The same demaunded the confirmacion of his byshopryke of Lewis the Emperoure Paschalis the hundreth and one byshop of Ro. succeded Stephanus Thyssame sent also for hys confirmacion to Lewis Eugenius the C. iâ— byshop succeded Pascalis Valentinus the C. iij. byshop succeded Eugenius Gregorius the .iiij. the C. iiij byshop succeded Valentinus He refused to take the byshoprycke before he were confirmed of the Emperour Lewis Lotharius the fyrst of thys name the thyrde Germane Emperoure THe yere of Christ .viij. C. xli after y e death of Lewis the Godly or gentle reygned Lotharius hys sonne fyften yeares But now hath the golden worlde of this progeny an end Lotharius had many brethren Lewis Germanicuâ— and Charles the balde amonge the whiche was debate for the departynge whereof grewe no lesse greate then a dolefull warre For in Fraunce dyd the brethren mete with suche a fyghtyng that as histories recorde the power of the FraÌ„kes was so febled that afterward they could neuer wholy recouer it Lewis Germanicus Charles the balde had the ouerhand After so great manslaughter when truce was made amoÌ„g the princes they fell to an atonement Lewis had for his parte Germany Schwaben Bayerlande Boheme EasteÌ„ryche East Fraunce Thuring Saxen and all that was vntil y â— ryuer Rene. This Lewis is called the Germane kynge and greate prayses are spoken of hym The residue of the dukes of the Frankes folowyng are his successours in bloude He brought Bohemy also to receaue the Christen faith Charles the balde optained by conuenant hereditare the greatest part of FrauÌ„ce or Gallia the FreÌ„che kynges folowyng haue their ofspringe of hym Lotharius kept Italy and Prouentz that part that hetherto is called Lothring or Lorain and by this man remained the hyghnesse of the Emperiall maiestie By this occasion thefore was Gallia or Fraunce separated from Germany Lotharius toke afterwarde the gouernaunce of the empyre to his second sonne Lewis and he beyng aged went into a religion and became a monke Not few Cometes were sene this yeare before this dissencion and warre of the brethren After Gregory the .iiij. was Sergius the second made the .cv. byshop of Rome The same was the first that chaunged his name for it is sayde he was called before Swines mouth Of hym was Lewis the second the sonne of Lotharius crowned at Ro. Leo the .iiij. the .cvi. byshop succeded Sergius The same buyldded Castel Angel at Rome He was accused by Lotharius that he went about to optain the hyghnesse of the Emperiall maiestie from the Frankes to the Grekes Wherfore wheÌ„ Lotharius was come to Rome the byshop did declare hymselfe vngylty After Leo was Iohannes the .viij. The same is said to be borne at Mentz that she was a woman Benedictus the .iij. was made the .cvij. byshop of Rome after Iohannes the .viij. In his tyme were raysed greate stryfes and rumours for the election of the byshop of Rome but Lotharius swaged them Lewis the seconde the fourth Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe .viij. C. lvi toke Lewis the .ij. the sonne of Lotharius the empyre he reigned twenty yeares He restrayned the Saracens coÌ„myng into Italy with a greate violence and ouercame them When he had restored peace again in Italy he died and is buried at Milane Nicolaus the fyrste the .cviij. byshop of Rome succeded Benedictus the .iij. Adrianus the .ij. chosen of the priestes and common people succeded Nicolaus Iohannes the .ix. was made the .cx. byshop after Idrianus The same by a conspiracy made wyth the kynges of Gallia or Fraunce endeuoured to transferre the maiesty of the empyre from the Germanes vpon Charles the balde afterward vpoÌ„ Lewis the stammerer his sonne but the Germanes kept the empyre par force whiche thynge we shall saye afterwarde In the meane season that the byshop goeth aboute this was he taken but beyng escaped he fled into Fraunce to Lewis the stammerer Charles the bald of Fraunce THe yeare of Christe viij C. lxxvj came Charles the balde at Rome and by the ayde of the byshop of Rome Iohannes the .ix. was made Emperoure Charles the balde was Lotharius brother sonne to Lewis the gentle whose part in deuydyng became Fraunce or Gallia Now went the byshop of Rome about to transferre the maiesty of the Empyre from the Germanes vnto the Frenchemen but that the sonnes of Lewis woulde not suffâ—e the Germanes Which thyng when Charles the balde had herde he threatened to bryng so many hoostes of enemies ouer the Rene that the horses drynkyng vp the Rene the hoost should go thorow it drye shodde O the ouerfolysh maners of the Frenchemen But they met hym at Colen with fyfty thousand where he was ouerthrowen of the two sonnes of Lewis the Germane not farre from Aâ—bâ—â—â—ach The next yeare after went
right as a certayne line or carpenters rule for it is moste nearest applyed to common honestie Secōdly do thees restored Romane lawes not a lytle profyte thereto that they gyue commaundementes of the common behaue ours of this lyfe and best maners whiche are no where founde better I passe ouer that the purenesse of the Latine tungue began to florysh agayn by restoryng of this lawe as borne again But when this study of the lawe was institute straightwaye were become great and many excellent lawers whiche busied both to interprete the lawes and to set them againe in vre Truely I can not maruaile ynough that men became so well learned at that tyme wherein the vse of the Latine tunge the histories finally al the auncient Romane disciplines were left of for the whyle so that it may easely be supposed that those fyrst lawers were not onely men of greate diligence in studies but also greate and wyse men exercysed with muche experience of common matters For wythout exercyse had it bene impossible to knowe the Roman lawes Wherefore are the same doctors of the lawe to bee iudged no lesse than those auncient lawiers Vlpianus Seruius and other Azo whiche is euen the chefe of the expounders of the lawe lyued in the tyme of this Lotharius After the same lyued Accursius the same also lyued vntil the time of Frederick the second In the tyme of Henry of Lucelborowe were many and notable doctors as Bartholus and other Gratianus who gathered the Decrees of the common lawe was also in the tyme of Lotharius But before were suche bookes also For of this sorte was a lytle booke written by a byshop of Wormes whiche at that tyme was vsed we also haue sene it in our daies But when the studies of the lawe floryshed now euery where and that the best learned embraced them as it happeneth moste commonly in a new thing the monkes perceauyng that the knowledge of holy scripture beganne to coule and be despysed for studieng the lawe they also beganne a studye of Theology or diuinitie and ordeyned scole disputations in diuine matters as the lawers dyd in ciuyll matters Thus beganne the diuinitie scole wherof we shall saye more hereafter Cunradus a Schwabe the .xix. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ M. cxl succeded Conradus borne duke of Schwaben Lotharius the Saxon in the empyre who was made prince of the Frankes by Henry the fyft He reigned fourten yeres It is no where red that he was crowned of the Romysh byshop This Cunradus as we said before rose against Lotharius but he was constrained to yelde himself vnder the Emperours power But when Lotharius was deade the succession of the empire fell vpon Conradus though Henry duke of Baier Saxony that had marted Lotharius daughter coueted the empire and besyeged Conradus at Auspurg But Conradus the Emperoure minished Henries power gaue the duchy of Baier to the Erle of Eastenrich Howbeit this warre was not very long for not lōg after died Henry in Saxony and was laide in Lotharius his wiues fathers graue After that dyd a prince of Catuli warre with the duke Emperour Cōradus for the duchy of Baier but inuain Wherfore he was afterwarde reconciled againe with the Emperoure through Frederick that became Emperoure afterward Conradus with many princes and a great hoost went to Hierusalem againste the Saracens Christes enemyes through the counsail of sainct Bernarde against the whiche also toke wapen Lewis kyng of Fraunce but many souldiours dyed thorough the disloyaltie of Emanuel Emperoure of Constantinople Yet had our men many and great battails in Asia and at Hierusalem in the meane season Cunradus returned the fourth yere after into Germany died and was buried in the towne Lorch by Gemund In the warre that Conradus had with the Catulies he toke the castel and town Weinsburg that lyeth not farre from the riuer Necehar Then commaunded the Emperour to take al the gentlemen but the gentle women shoulde be letten go with so great packe of goodes as they could cary Thē the gentlewomen forsakyng the goodes would rather cary away their chyldren Whiche thing when som did blame whiche would haue the yong children be prisoned sayeng the graunt was to cary goodes not men The Emperour delited so in the vertue of the noble women that he gaue them leaue not only to cary away their childrē but also al their goodes Celestinus the .ij. was byshop of Rome after Innocencius the .ij. Lucius the .ij. was byshop after Celestinus Eugenius the third was made byshop after Lucius Against the same was another byshop chosen by the Romanes of whom Eugenius was driuen out but gatheryng a Frenche ayde he returned ouer came his aduersary and was restored againe Anastasius the .iiij. succeded Eugenius Adrianus the .iiij. was byshop after Anastasius Of hym was Frederick Barbarossa or with the reade bearde crowned Emperoure but afterward sticked he to William of Sicily which kept Naples and made the Lombardes obedient to hym by a moost haynous coniuracion against the empyre He did excōmunicate Frederick raysed most haynous warres in Italy It is written y t he shuld haue saied not long before he died there is no more wretched state in earth then the byshoprick of Rome and to get that byshopryck by bloude is not to succede Peter but Romulus rather who flew his owne brother that he myght haue the monarchy and reigne alone These wordes wytnesse sufficiently that it repented hym of the debate that he had begonne against the Emperoure After Adrianus began a greate diuision Some Cardinals chose Octauianus who was called Victor Some chose Alexander the .iij. Frederick Barbarossa helde Octauianus for the true byshop of Rome But yet in the meane season commaunded he by a counsayll to enquire who shoulde abyde byshop But Alexander refusyng the aucthoritie of the counsayll kepeth hymselfe in Fraunce and accurseth Frederick At the last gat Alexander the by shopryck by the ayde of the Italians and returned to Rome where Frederick came then also But Alexander beyng afrayed fled to Venice where at the last peace was made But hereof shall we speake more in the history of Frederick Frederick the .i. called Barbarossa or wyth the red bearde the .xx. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M. C. lij was Frederick chosen Emperour the fyrst of that name surnamed Barbarossa He gouerned the Empyre .xxxvij. yeares He was a borne duke of the noble house of Schwaben Conradus y e Emperours brothers sonne a most renovmed prince of hardinesse valiauntnesse and iustice So farre as I can perceaue by his dedes it semeth that Frederick as a gentle Schwabe could not paciently beare these iniuries that the byshops of Rome dyd hym and I thynke it came by this that he was more harde againste them In the begynnyng of his empyre set he Baierlande and Eastenriche at one and restored to Catulus Henry duke of Saxony
and founde in a great corne felde harde packed in belles as though they had bene stamped and beaten into them with pestelles whiche belles were conueyed thether out of the churche steples by the violence and outragiousnes â—o the saied tempest Besides this there were men and women taken vp in the stretes caried a great way of into y â— feldes In the houses were in dyuers places the dores and wyndowes lifted of from the hynges the tables subuerted and great holes made and beaten in the walles So that there was neuer suche a tempest sene before Besides this there was the same yere in the parties of DuchelaÌ„d in Sommer very many sodaine fearfull tempestes with hayle lightenyng and thoÌ„der more then euer was hard of before with great colde and muche rayne which also was an occasion that the wines in many places had no good successe This yere the .viij. day of Ianuary died in Englande the lady Katherine Dowager which had ben diuorsed from the kyng by due proces of the lawe two yeres before This yere in England was Anne bulleyne quene of Englande the lorde Rochiford Nores Weston BrutoÌ„ and Markes beheaded And the kyng maried lady Iane Seimour This yere also in October began in Englande a foolysh commotion in Lincolinshyre and in yorke shyre whiche by the kynges wysedome and his prudent couÌ„saill were appesed without bloud sheding I In the yeare of oure lorde 1536. The byshop of Geneue the duke of Sauoy besieged the citie of Geneffe because thinhabiters of the same had receiued the Gospell And when they of Genneffe admonished thinhabitantes of the towne of Berne of their coÌ„federacioÌ„ they of Berne sent their imbassadours to the Duke exhorting and admony shyng hym to remembre al loues faithfulnesses and confederations that had ben betwene them of a loÌ„g tyme and requiring hym to departe from the citie of Genneffe But in as muche as their request dyd not onely take no place but also the saied duke main tayned and defended their open enemy and aduersary called Mussy Castellanus and in al this nogeÌ„tyll exhortacion could serue nor preuayle they of Berne aduertised hym that they would visitie him with warres and renounced the bonde of coÌ„federation whiche had bene made betwene them before in so muche that they sent their capitaine called Iohn Frauncis Clauicula with an host of men wel apointed into the lande of Sauoy whiche ouercame all the lande within fewe dayes whiche the said Duke had inpossession euen from the mouÌ„taines of Switzerland vnto the fortresse of Rodani with the two bisâ—oprikes of Genneffe and Lausanâ—a Wherein they coÌ„stituted and established ministers to preache the gospell and ordeined rulers and magistrates accordingâ—y So that now the Switzers reposed againe their olde coastes which they had in their power many yeres before But there were within the space of a moneth very many Castelles and strong-holdes destroied by the Switzers among the wiâ—h also the olde strong clausa Rodani builded by the Emperour Iulius otherwise called Iulius Cesar â–ª to stoppe vp barre the way of the Switzers for commyng into Fraunce and had bene hetherto inuincible was quite ouerthrowen and destroied Of this battaill of y â— citesens of Berren apeared a good sygne a litle before where about .iiij. hundreth men of Berne Newebourgh other quarters of Switzerlande preuely beyng called together were sent thorough by pathes to ayde and strengthen the citie of Geneue which helde a notable battaill conflict with the men of Sauoy For when they were for lacke of victuals coÌ„strained to come forth out of the mouÌ„taines they were assaulted by their aduersaries being strong about .xv. hundreth men which moued the said .iiij. hundreth men to battaill constrained them to fyght Insomuche that they as huÌ„gry faint as they were layde so about them defended themselues in such sorte as they slew about iiij huÌ„dreth of their enemies put the rest to flight with the hoste which was not farre of being in nombre about .v. hundreth men so that they obtained a fre and a sure passage to accomplishe their iourney hauing lost on their side ten meÌ„ one womaÌ„ which was slayne with her sonne as she was fighting be sydes her husbande Here must I make mencion al so of the constancie that was in the people of Berne â–ª in that they coulde neither by power be feared nor yet by prayers and great giftes be prouoked to leaue the defence of their confederates For when the Emperour very earnestly offred them peace and attempted dyuers and sundry wayes to brynge them to an vnitie and by threatenynges and minaces to mollyfie them they proceded neuertheles to assiste their frendes and to set them at libertie But when Fraunces the Frenche kyng studied by many giftes to allure them and by great promyses to prouoke them to assiste him in his warres be gonne against themperoure and the Dukedome of Mylan they caused his imbassadours and messengers to auoyde out of their citie declaring vnto theÌ„ that the kyng ought to content hymselfe with the couenaunt and confederation whiche he had with them already that is that they should not endamage hym These thynges passed in Swicherlande Sauoy in the beginning of the sayd yere But the Frenche kyng proceded with his army to recouer the lande of Sauoy and to take possessioÌ„ of all that he came nygh for he pretended to clayme the heritage of the same Dukedom by his mothers syde Then fled the duke to the Emperour who at that season intended to kepe his Easter at Roome with the Pope as he did For vpon maundy thursday he wasshed the fete of twelue pore meÌ„ as their costume is yet at this day fed them and serued theÌ„ at the boorde in his owne person and in fine gaue them the vessels and disshes being of syluer wherwith they were serued Thus do suche Lordes and potentates counterfaith the outwarde actes dedes of our sauiour Christe after thexample of Apes But in their hartes where Goddes worde ought to be earnestly embraced learned and folowrd and not the preceptes and tradicions of men they are vtterly against Christ and clene contrary to his doctrine God graunt them ones to be illumined with the lyght of his Gospell that the poore flocke and congregation of Christe may be brought to a perfect vnitie Amen Now when the feaste of Easter was past the Emperours maiestie made his complaint before the Pope and his Cardinalles concernyng the greate iniuries whiche the Frenche kyng had inferred and committed againste hym all ready and yet pretended to do by the reason whereof he was vtterly coÌ„strayned against his will to defende his quarel and to warre against hym And to moue the Popes moste holy fatherhoode God forgeue me that I do hym wronge to holde on his syde and to take his parte he rehearsed vnto hym all the euilles and wicked feates whiche Fraunce had
all thinhabitauntes of the same on sonday the .xxix. day of Marche which was on Palmesonday about .viii. of the clocke in the mornyng At what tyme there was heard suche a fearefull thonderclappe that the hole lande trembled After that there apeared in the east thre red crosses twoo of them aboue and the third vnder them both In the middes whereof apeared a man armed with a fyry sworde agaynst whom came a great multitude of warriours on horseback and on fote which fought with hym vntyll one of the clocke at after none and were in fine ouercome of hym that they al peryshed and vanyshed awaye he remaynynge alone in the fielde betwene the crosses Immediately after this came a terrible Dragon behynde the man and deuoured hymwith the sworde When this visiōwas past the skye waxed all red and of a fyry coloure whiche lasted about an houre euen vntyll twoo of the clocke or there about then arose there suche blacke cloudes vnder the skye that it was as darke as though it had bene nyght whiche continued so vntyll the next daye the thyrty daye of Marche in the mornyng about .ix. of the clocke And then the skye wyth the day appeare dagayne There appeared also thre goodly well fauoured Raynebowes one aboue another whereon sate an holy Aungell whiche appeared by the space of an houre and a half And after this it was fayre wether for the space of certayne dayes These thyngs were written out of the Lande of Pooles and afterward set furth in printe openly but the interpretacion thereof wyll I committe to the iudgement of other The rest of the Sommer of this yere was very propice and warme the frutes of the earthe were competent and the wynes had good successe and chaunced very good so that they caused muche dissentiō and debate and also manslaughter betwene suche as abused them This yere in the lande of Bullenois there camped in Iannuary on the West syde of Bullyn beyōd the hauen an army of Frenchemen to the nombre of 18000. lay there the space of .x. dayes the .vi. day of Febru they were all put to flight by the erle of Harforde the lorde Admirall with a small company of men and without any bloudshedyng on the Englyshe syde but diuers of the other were slayne they left al their ordinaunce with bagge and baggage behynde them This yere about the .xx. day of Iuly the Frenchmē with a greate nauy of shyppes muaded the Ile of wight in England where as they were driuen back and a great nomber slayne In the yere of our Lorde 1546. euen in the beginning of the yere was a conuocation of the Euangelicall confederation kept at Francke sorde on the mayne the disputacion to be kept at Raynsburgh was also begonne c. This yere was doctor Martyn Luter and doctor Iustus Ionas called too Isleven of the Erle of Mansfelde to caste of and accorde certayne debates and dissentions that were happened betwene them Where doctor Martyn Luter was ouercome with the olde impedimentes and diseases of his body whiche renewed vpon hym whereby he felt and perceiued his ende to be at hande Wherfore he called hartely vpon the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe and with open confession commended his soule into the handes of God oure heauenly father In so muche that the eighten daye of February he departed out of this miserable worlde into the handes of God with Christ whome he had boldely confessed before the worlde all moste thyrty yeares aswell by his paynfull preachyng and teachyng as by continuall wrytyng Hys body was at the commaundement of the Princely Electour caried from Isleven by the Erle of Mansfelde accompanied with fyfty horses to Wittenburgh and of all estates of the Princely Electours Court bothe of high and lowe degrees of the vniuersitie of the citie he was sorowfully but yet honorably brought into the Castell and reuerently buried besydes the burials of the Electours of Saxon the .xxii. day of February the .lxij. yere of his age This man so highly endued with knowledge from God was apointed and ordeined of our heauenly father to be a minister and teacher of his churche and a preacher of his Gospell euen as in al ages he hath raised and ordeined some to be Prophetes some to be Apostles and some to be teachers of hys congregacion For he opened and declared vnto the worlde by Gods grace the necessary and holsome doctrine of the Gospell and taught the true repentaunce and comfort of the harte whiche is feared with the knowledge of Goddes wrath He hath godly set furth the doctrine of Paule whiche saith That a man is iustified and made ryghteous by the faith in Christe He hath also declared the difference betwene the Lawe and the Gospel betwene the rightousnes of y ◠spirite of the outward workes He brought to light agayne the true worshypping of God whiche had bene vnknowen to the moost parte of the worlde by the space of a thousand yeres And brought the vniuersall Church from that fonde opinion whiche imagineth that God is worshypped although y ◠minde of man being suppressed with perpetual doubting abhorreth to come to god He taught also howe we ought to pray in faith with a good concience and ledevs to the only mediatour Christ the sonne of God ▪ whiche sytteth at the right hand of the father euerlastyng and maketh intercession for vs And not to the soules of dead men as the vngodly Papistes haue taught with fyre and fagot He declared also what good workes were acceptable to God He hath so garnisshed and establyshed the temporal lawes and gouernaūce that sence the Apostles tyme it was neuer so confirmed by Scriptures He dyd also abolysh the chyldysh custome and ceremonies of mans tradicion whiche hyndered true prayer and seperated them from the necessary workes To thyntent also that the heauenly doctrine should extende to hys posteritie and that the people whiche shall come after myght haue knowledge he translated the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures into Dutch with suche lyght and clarite that the reder maye haue more knowledge thereby then by some mens expositions He made also many expositions whiche do farre excell many other as Erasmus of Roterdame witnesseth in his writynges And as it is writen of them whiche repayred Ierusalem that they buylded wyth one hande and helde the swoorde in the other Euen so warred Doctor Martine Luter with the enemies of the true doctrine and buylded neuertheles the heauenly doctrine Besydes thys he dyd helpe many mens conciences with good coūsayll And whylest a greate parte of his doctrine is aboue mans reason as the doctrine of remission of synnes and of faith it must nedes be graunted that he was taught of God In prayer for the vniuersall Churche of Christe was he very earnest and dilygent He dyd also eueryday chose a certaine houre to recite certayne Psalmes wherin also he mixed his prayer with great deuotion
gaue a newe onset and without any notable fyght discomfited the Scottes and obtayned the victory At this tyme were slayne of the Scottes betwene thirtene and fourtene thousand and not passyng an hundred Englyshemen After Michâ—lmas a Parliament was holden in England wherein chaunteries were geuen into the kynges handes to be altered and disposed at hys pleasure It was also ordeined that the sacrament or communion should be receiued of all men vnder bothe kyndes of breade and wyne This yere also anone after the kynges coronatioÌ„ Maister Hughe Latimer a famous preacher who had bene long detayned in miserable captiuite for y e Gospels sake by the procurement of the Popishe by shoppes was deliuered and set at lybertie In this yere the last day of Marche FrauÌ„cis the Frenche kyng ended his lyfe in the .xxxiii. yeare of his reigne after that he had admonyshed his onely sonne Henry of the thynges pertaining to his kingdome and commended hym to true officers and seruauntes After whome succeded the same Henry being the seconde of that name His body was caried after .x. dayes to the brydge of S. Clodoalde and from thence to the suburbes of Paris into the Churche called the virgine of the fieldes where by the commaundement of the kyng were brough the bodyes of Frauncis the Dolphyne Duke of Britaigne who dyed in the yere of 1536. before in the moneth of August And of Charles his brother Duke of Orleans whiche dyed in the yere of our lorde 15 45. in the moneth of September that they myght accompany the body of their father to his buriall And so were the sayde thre bodyes brought with great pompe and solempnitie into the Churche of the blessed virgin at Parys and from thence to S. Denis where they were buried the body of the father being layde betwene his sonnes This Frauncis the Frenche kyng was hyghly commended for diuers singular giftes bothe of the mynde and of the body wherewith he was endued but chiefly for his humanite and clemencie whiche he vsed towardes all men He was beneficiall to meÌ„ endued with vertue and liberall to men of lernyng For by his benefite were the Latine Greke and He brue tonges restored agayn to their puritie in FrauÌ„ce whereof he entertained norished publike professours ordeining for them most ample stipendes â–ª his other actes are here omitted to auoide prolixâ—â—e In the moneth of December at Paris was S. Michaels bridge broken by the great power violence of the waters so that the East part thereof fel downe quite the houses which were built theron were ouer throwen with a great parte of them that were annexed vnto them IN the yere of our Lorde 1548. in the moneth of Iuly themperour sent an army of Spanyardes priuely to inuade the citie of Conitaunce â–ª while the legates of Constaunce that were sent to August vnto themperour to intreate for peace were not yet retourned homewarde For he intended quite to extinguish the citie because they professed y â— Gospell Wherfore the sixt day of August early in y â— mornyng the said army inuaded y â— citie ouercame the basse towne which ioyneth to y â— great bredge coÌ„monly called Peter housen When this was obtayned and ouercome at their first assaulte some fell to spoiling and rouing some to deflouring of virginâ—s and honest matrones some gat theÌ„ to the bridge and there made a bartaill with the citesens whiche were constrained to reâ—ule back into the citie being ouerpressed with the multitude of their enemies vnto whoÌ„ they barred y â— gates of the bredge The bridge was ful of Spanish warriours against whoÌ„ the citesens could nothing preuayle vntil many peces of artillery whiche kept the bridge being losed by chaunce but yet not without the will of God per sed the gate ouerthrewe the enemies put theÌ„ in such feare y t they fled euerychone setting the bridge on fyre also Peterhousen least the citesens should haue folowed pursued after them So that Constaunce sawe in one daye y â— iuste punishmeÌ„t of pride the singular benefite of God towardes his electe would to God they had not vnthankefully forgotten this great benefite Themperour after that he had in Germany set all thinges in ordre propounded a certain fourme in religion after the prescripte whereof they should liue while a counsaille were decreed hauing committed the Landgraue of Hessen in safe custody re retourned into Flaunders bringing with hym the Duke of Saxon captiue Thither came Leonora Themperours sister late Quene to the Frenche king departed This yere Maximiliane the first sonne of Ferdinandus king of the Romaines toke to wife themperours daughter This yere also y â— king of Spayne leauing his brother Maximiliane as gouernour in his absence departed out of Spayn into Italy went froÌ„ thence to Trident into Germany so at y â— last came into FlauÌ„ders to his father theÌ„perour The same yere towardes the spring time the first begotteÌ„ sonne of y â— Turke which was gone ouer to y â— king of y â— PersiaÌ„s because he thought his brother should be by his father promoted before hym to the Empyre assembled an army of Persianes and made insurrection against his father and inuaded the borders of Turkie nere vnto the lande of Persia and had ouercome many places vntyll his father beyng armed with fyue hundred thousande souldiours came thither and caused the Persianes being striken with feare to recule But they hauyng set on fyre all the townes and villages by the whiche they fled the space of fyue dayes brought their enemy whiche folowed and pursued after them too greate pennury in so muche that an hundred thousande of his men being dead thorough pouertie famine and pestilence he was constrained of necessitie to returne thither agayne from whence he came â–ª A certayne king in Aphrica toke Argieres and the other places there about with certayne castels and strong holdes whiche themperoure vsed for the defence of Spayne and also certaine strong holdes in the coastes of Portingall towardes the sea occeane In Englande at Easter was there a great coniunction of rustikes in Cornuall by pâ—pysh priestes There was also great disputation in the ParliameÌ„t that yere for putting downe of the masse And Images were put downe in al churches thorough out Englande to auoyde Idolatry This yere the last daye of Iuly Stephen Gardiner byshop of Winchester in Englande was committed to the Towre of London for papisme and this sedicious opinion that the kynges maiestie in his minoritie or none age coulde not make or ordeine any lawes in his Realme as did Iosias other godly vertues princes and gouernours in their dominions This yere the mariage of priestes was graunted lawfull in England by the Lawes of God to the vtter abolyshement of all Papisticall sodomitry This yere in august was a great insurrection of rustikes at Norwiche one kite a rustike beyng their