should be immortal euen as the CHRISTIANS and SARAZENS beleeue OF THE NOBILITIE AMONGST the Egiptians Persians Assyrians Indians Scythians Thracians and other auncient and moderne Nations THey indeed were reputed noble in Egipt Persia Scythia Iberia Assyria India Thrace and other auncient Nations which made profession of Armes and medled not with mechanicall arts to whom according to the qualitie of the Countrie were appointed lands rents and reuenewes out of the publike for their honest intertainment and to the end they might not be constrained by want to exercise any other questuarie gainfull and base maner of liuing It was not lawful in EGIPT for men of warre called Culasyres and Hermotiuies to vse any other art but militarie which they taught and deliuered from hand to hand and from the father to the sonne LICVRGVS forbad the LACEDEMONIANS all Mechanical arts and occupations yea euen merchandize and traficks accounting such vocations to belong to bondmen or strangers or to men of base condition and putting Armes onely in the hands of his Citizens whom he would haue altogether free and truely militarie HER ODOTVS writeth that the PERSIANS honoured valiant men of warre more then all other Nations and that they made no account of marchandise Moreouer that not onely the Persians but also the Egiptians Thracians Scythians Lydians and almost all the barbarous Nations esteemed artisans the basest of all men yea euen their children and their whole race That the GREEKS also and aboue all the Lacedemonians and Corinthians made little reckoning of the artificers And Plato in the second and eight booke of his Common wealth and in the beginning of his Timaeus willeth the Nobles and men of warre to abstaine from tilling the ground and from Mechanicall artes and other questuarie occupations At this day the ARABIANS do vtterly detest all Mechanicall sciences And the Nobilitie or Gentlemen of FRANCE are forbidden by the auncient ordinances of the Countrie to exercise merchandize or any other questuarie art on paine of beeing depriued of their nobilitie and to pay taxe as those of the common sort The like do the NOBLES and Gentlemen of Spayne Lumbardie Naples England Germanie Hungarie and Poland holding it a thing not onely vnworthy of Nobilitie but also to be an act derogating from the priuiledge thereof to exercise in steede of Armes a mechanicall art or to vse trade of marchandize if it be not of things of their owne growing of which the traficke is permitted them The Nobles of Persia vse it in like maner possessing fees and vnderfees with vassals relieuing of them also landes castels townes and Countries which they hold either by succession of their parents or by giftes and benefites of the SOPHI their Prince for the which they are bound to serue him in his warres furnishing a number of men according to the value of their reuenewes And in INDIA the Naires are held in such reputation as the Gentlemen in these parts being constrayned ordinarily to beare swords targets bowes lances and such other armes vsed amongst them otherwise they should lose the name and priuiledge of nobilitie In TVRKIE there is no distinction of Nobilitie drawen from the auncestours but he onely amongst the Turkes is reputed noble who in matter of warre hath giuen many proofes of his valiancie When the OTTOMAN conquereth any Countrie he extinguisheth the great ones and the nobilitie and sendeth thither his Sangiacques Subassis and Spachis giuing them the fruites of the fees and appointing rents on the reuenew of his lands which are called Timarly Euery SPACHI is bound to haue so many horses and men as he hath fiue or six Aspers a day to spend both of his pay and of his Tymar or yearely rent They cannot make ouer the fees which they hold to their children without the expresse permission of the great SIGNOR And none enioyeth the nobilitie of any father whose sonne he is vntill by industrie he represent the person of his father and not in word None there possesseth any villages castles or townes after the maner of the Persians or of vs or inhabiteth strong houses or dareth to build aboue one storie or higher then a douecote In ENGLAND at this day the Nobilitie do not dwell in castels or houses of strength closed with motes and diches neither haue they any iurisdiction ouer men which is in the kings hand be it high base or meane The dignities themselues as Dukedomes Marquisats and Earledomes are but titles which are giuen at the kings pleasure whereas they which haue them possesse nothing oftentimes in those places whereof they beare the name but haue their lands lying elswhere The Gentlemen in FRANCE possesse in high base and meane iustice villages boroughes townes castels fortresses Baronies Earledoms Marquisats Dukedoms Principalities and Peereships patrimoniall with vassals holding and vnderholding of them bound by faith and homage which iurisdiction notwithstanding dependeth on that of the king and aunswereth at the last appeale to his soueraigne Courts or Parliaments In the ROMAIN EMPIRE the lands were first giuen in reward of seruice to the men of warre for terme of their liues as they are at this day in Turkie after they were made and became patrimoniall and hereditarie to their children And because they were giuen them to liue on in recompence of their seruices they were termed benefits and they which were recompenced in such sort were said to be beneficed or benefited Then by this example the Church comming to be rich by the almesdeeds and foundations of Princes and great Lords they called the Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbeies Priories and Cures by the name of benefices because the Ecclesiastical persons possessed them after the same maner as the auncient men of warre did their fees and benefices The Emperour ALEXANDER SEVERVS was the first that permitted the heires of those men of warre to inioy theis fees prouided that they followed Armes and not otherwise ordayning most expresly that such heritages should neuer fall but into the hands of such as made profession of armes And a while after him CONSTANTINE the great at the beginning of his Empire gaue to his principall Captaines and to those by whose meanes he thought most to preuaile against his aduersaries a perpetuitie in the lands which were assigned them Whereby one may know that the estate of the Turke resembleth in many things the Romain Empire and the auncient kingdom of Persia in which the whole gouernment was in the disposition of one onely Lord seruing himselfe with meane fellowes which may without danger easily be aduanced to great charges and honours and without tumult or enuie abased withdrawen or put to death But the FRENCH king is placed in the midst of an auncient Nobilitie and companie of Princes Earles Barons and other gentlemen hauing subiects peculier to themselues and holding their preheminence in the kingdom of which they can hardly be depriued without sedition The estates also of lands which were but for life were made perpetuall vnder the last kinges
OF THE INTERCHANGEABLE COVRSE OR VARIETY OF THINGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND THE CONCVRRENCE OF ARMES AND Learning thorough the first and famousest Nations from the beginning of Ciuility and Memory of man to this Present MOREOVER WHETHER IT BE true or no that there can be nothing sayd which hath not bin said heretofore And that we ought by our owne Inuentions to augment the doctrine of the Auncients not contenting our selues with Translations Expositions Corrections and Abridgments of their writings Written in French by Loysle Roy called Regiusâ— and Translated into English by R. A. Inest rebus omnibus quidam velut orbis vt quemadmodum Temporum vices ita Morum vertantur nec omnia apud priores meliora sed nostra etiam aetas multa Laudis Artium laudanda Posteris tulit Tacitus AT LONDON Printed by Charles Yetsweirt Esq. at his house in Fleetestreete neere the Middle Temple gate 1594. CVM PRIVILEGIO Regiae Maiestatis TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD Sir Iohn Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England HAuing heretofore for the great liking which I saw generally conceiued of this worke perused allowed and at my better leisure translated it into English for the benefit of such as were not sufficiently acquainted with the French I was bold ere the Translation were fully finished to acquaint your L. with the Argument who concurring with the rest in good liking and Iudgment my intent to publish it vnder your L s. Patronage was thereby fully confirmed SO that the Picture which it pleased your L. to like of heretofore being in his first lineaments but rudely shadowed is now presented with all his principal colours perfected and accomplished I haue bin carefull to perfect it by the Paterne and to limme it according to life yet when I haue all don it is but a Counterfait which wanteth much of the perfection of the Principal THE substance is none of mine I challenge nought but the shadowe wherein if the substance be truely represented I hope it may be allowed of though it be not curiously beautified I CONFES it were better to put forth his owne Inuentions for him that hath means to do it and that which this Author affirmeth namely that Translations are more painful then praise-worthy is by me also acknowledged For diligence assisted with iudgement is herein chiefely requisite and not any excellent knowledge thereunto required which appeareth more in inuenting of it selfe then in translating out of others Which though it be done neuer so faithfully and elegantly yet cometh alwaies short of the good grace of the Original as this Author acknowledgeth notwithstanding Theodore Gaza an excellent Translator affirme the contrary BVT mine owne wit and Inuention being vnable to write or inuent any thing worth the reading yet my wil being a welwisher to all good Inuentions I thought it more commendable to commend and communicate to others that which other men haue excellently inuented being not able myselfe to attaine to so much excellency then in publishing any fabulous fancy of mine owne or matter of meane account as many do now adaies to shew some arrogancy ioyned with my insufficiency THIS worke is a Comparison of this later age with all antiquity in Armes in Learning and all other Excellency There was neuer any mighty Empire or Monarchie Kingdom or Common-wealth but is here represented no famous Founder or Gouernor of State no learned Law-maker or worthy Warriour but is here mencioned and ech of them to the other in all conueniences and contrarieties compared which being don by a man of great learning and iudgment to men of much businesse and employment as to your L. especially who haue no time to fetch euery thing from the Fountaine search all Antiquitie and read the Histories of all nations must needs be much auaileable and the pleasure thereof to all sorts of men accordingly answerable MY duety to your L. to whom this hath bin long intended hath at length commanded an Intermission of mine ordinary studies and exercises for the reuiewing and publishing hereof vnder whose fauourable protection it is now communicated vnto all who continually partaking of your L. equity goodnes and benignitie are bound with me to pray for the continuance of your honour health and happines euerlastingly From the Middle-Temple the 6. of October 1594. Your L s. in seruice humbly deuoted Robert Ashley THE SVMMARIE OF THIS WORKE BECAVSE the Discourse following is long and somewhat difficult to comprehend by reason of the diuersitie of matters contained therein I haue gathered and set downe first The Summarie of the whole worke Then of euery Booke in order to giue more light vnto the Readers for the vnderstanding therof In the whole worke therfore are represented the successiue or rather alternatiue changes of the whole world aswell in the higher or superiour as lower and inferiour part thereof and how by the concurrence of Armes and Letters thorough the most renowmed Nations of the world all liberall Sciences and Mechanical Arts haue flourished together fallen and bin restored diuers times in proces of Age With a comparison of such Nations as haue excelled both in power and knowledge of the great Empires and renowmed Monarkes vnder whom these notable mutations of mankind haue hapned and conferring of this our present with the famousest former Ages to know wherein it is either inferiour superiour or equall to any of them THE FIRST BOOKE THE Enterchangeable course or Variety obserued in the motions of Heauen and the Heauenly Spheares whereon are depending the Changes which happen in this inferiour World are declared in the first Booke The Vicissitude which the fower Elements haue one with an other and euery one by himselfe How all things in the World are tempered and conserued by others that are contrarie and dislike The Intercourse of Shadowes Daies and Seasons of the yeare and the Diuersitie of habitations of the Earth and other thinges according to the difference of places The Variety and Vicissitude of Men of Nations Cities Common weales Kingdomes and Empires THE II. BOOKE THE Variety of Tongues vsed thorough out the world both Learned and Vulgar The Beginning of them Continuance Perfection Corruption Chaunge and Losse of the old Introduction of new Translation out of one into an other Imposition of Names to things Inuention and profit of Letters Diuersitie of Characters and Writings Instruments and Matters to write with Of Printing Orthographic and Pronunciation THE III. BOOKE THE Vicissitude and Inuention of Arts And how Men from their first simplicitie and rudenesse haue attained to the Commoditie Magnificence and Excellencie of this time THE IIII. BOOKE THe Intercourse of Armes and of Letters concurring in the coniunction of Power and Wisdome amongst the most renowmed Nations of the world And who haue bin the first and Auncientest of all that haue excelled in both The Power Knowledge and other Excellencie of the Egiptians Assyrians and Persians A Comparison of the great Monarchies
Plescouians Smolnians and Ohalicians begin to speake Slauonian It was also familiar amongst the Mammelucs as it is at this present in the Turkishe Court. In Asia the Tartarian is vnderstoode thoroughout the Northe and a part of the East The Moorish thoroughout Africke and the Brasilian in the newe found Lands YET haue not tongues any better estate then other humane things but euen as buildinges habites maners customes lawes Magistrates maners of liuing both publicke and priuate armes engins and instruments are changed so are wordes and languages which perishe at length not leauing by succession of time any apparance of their manner of writing We haue now no knowledge at all of the Oscian and Hetrurian tongue The Prouencal in times past so much celebrated amongst famous writers is not vnderstood of the Prouencals at this day The auncient Gaulish Spanish Persian and Punick languages are lost THE HEBREW hath lost much of his integritie by the calamitous exiles and often mutations hapned to the Iewes vnder diuers Lords For the Assyrians Egyptians Greekes and Romains raigning ouer the Iewes assaied for the hatred they bare to their religion to distroy the Hebrew tongue and the books of the Law which they caused all to be burned as many as they could get into their hāds namely the Assyrians But they were miraculously restored againe by Esdras or Iesus his sonne the high priest which knew then by hart and changed the Hebrew letters to hinder the Iewes from being mingled with the Samaritans which came of the Gentils in Iury as Eusebius reporteth These letters which the Iewes haue sithence vsed differ onely by figures and points from those of the Samaritans which are those that were giuen asore time by Moyses But being so many times dispersed hither and thither into diuers Countries and mingled with strangers whose Captiues and tributaries they were as they are yet at this present in what part soeuer they dwell they haue kept few words pure amongst which are found some ambiguous signifying contrary things not to be vnderstood but by continuance of the speach or by the addition detraction or inuersion of the points holding the place of vowels Their phrases are obscure and full of metaphors parables and riddles to bee construed diuersly Neuertheles it is profitable for Christians and especially for Diuines to know this tongue as well for the better vnderstanding of the scriptures as to refute more certainly the Iewes if they happen to dispute against them As also the Arabian is necessary for the conuersion of Mahometistes by reason whereof it was ordeined at the Counsell of Vienna that these two tongues should be publickly taught in the chiese Vniuersities of Christendome THE SARAZENS spreading abroad by armes with their religion lordship the Arabian tongue first they destroied the Persian with the letters and learning thereof and by the commandement of their Caliphes they caused the bookes written therein to be burnt imagining that while the Persians contending before with the Greekes in armes and learning should haue these bookes contayning naturall sciences lawes of the Countrey and auncient cerimonies they could not be good Mahometists as before the Christians had indeuoured to abolish the bookes of the Gentils and vtterly to deface the memorie of their diuinitie After these Sarazens going into Egipt they banished out of Alexandria the Greek with the disciplines written therein and out of Africk the Latin as the Romaines before had banished the African tongue with the learning and letters thereof So that nations passing out of one Countrey into another do change the maners tongues religions and dominions the victors spoyling whatsoeuer they thinke good in the land of the vanquished defacing their titles and destroying for enuy that which they cannot cary away to th end to abolish the honour and vertue of others and that none but their owne may be celebrated and spoken off So do the Turkes at this day to the Christians they rule ouer and so did in auncient time the Goths Alans Hunnes Vandales Seruiens Turules and Lombards who diuers times conquering Countries whose languages they disdained neither vnderstanding them nor knowing how to read them corrupted them in making new by mixtion of their own with those which they found insomuch as the poore people remayning after such transmigrations did learne the languages of the cruel and inhumane vsurpers to vse in speach vnto them that they might be thought the fitter subiectes Moreouer these barbarous people referring all vnto warre and contemning all other disciplines burnt the libraries and all the bookes in them vnto which the learned had recommended all their memorials in so much that with the losse of the tongues there ensued also the losse of the sciences which were written in them from whence there arose great ignorance in the world which lasted a long time In this maner of the Grammaticall Greeke proceeded the vulgar Of the Latin the Italian French and Spanish in which are found many Arabian words by reason that the Sarazens held Spaine a long time Of the grammaticall Arabian the Vulgar and Moorish vsed from Syria vnto the straights of Marocco and comming as neere vnto it as the Italian doth to the Latin Of the Almaygne and French the English The Moore which commeth of the Arabian and the Turke of the Tartarian vnderstanding on an other as the Italian and Spanyarde And so of those which are nowe in vse are others made and of them others will bee made in time to come But howbeit they change vncessantly and that in the same Countrey and language there appeareth in short time a difference both in speaking and pronouncing yet euery where there are somethat speake finer and purer then the rest such as were the Athenians in Greece the Romains in Italy and the Tuscans there at this day The Castilians in Spaine the Saxons in Germany The Persians in Asia The Nobles and Courtiers in France whereby the question is decided which hath bin debated betweene some learned men namely whether the auncient Greekes and Romaines had two languages and whether Plato Aristotle and Demosthenes in Greeke and Cicero Salust and Cesar in Latin did write in their mother-tongues It is certaine that in Athens there was but one language and in Rome one other yet the speach of the common people was not so pure as that of men of calling and the ciuiler sort as one may see by the Latin of Vitruuius who was a chiefe Mason and Cicero who was Consull Which elegancie and purity of speech is preserued longer amongst women which conuerse not so much with strangers as the men and commonly are more curious to speake well Tully in the third booke of his Oratour writeth that in his time the learning of the Athenians was lost in Athens only remaining in that towne the school or house of studies which was not cared for of the Citizens and the strangers enioyed it which were drawen thither in some sort by the name and authority of
land which we hold is little hard and barren and we must go from it to win a better elswhere There are many neere about vs and many farther remoued from vs of the which if we once possesse but one we shall be admirable to many others And surely men that rule ought to think on these things for when shall we haue better occasion then when we are Lords ouer many men and ouer all Asia CYRVS hearing these words commaunded they should be put in execution but in commaunding warned them also to prepare themselues not to rule but to be ouerruled for it is so that soft Countries make soft people because it is not proper to one land to beare both delectable fruits and valiant warriours Then the Persians repented them chosing rather to rule dwelling in an vnfruitfull land then to serue others sowing and labouring of the faire fieldes The same CYRVS in Xenophon showeth his people that watching and trauayling enduring of labour and vsing of diligence had enriched them Wherfore saith he it behoueth also that hereafter you be vertuous holding for certaine that great goods and great contentments will come vnto you by obedience constancie vertue paines-taking and hardines in vertuous and perilous interprises CYRVS then is he which first put the Persians in reputation making them Lords ouer the Medes whose vassals and tributaries they were before But as in all the great effects of nature and notable mutations of mankind God raiseth vp ordinarily great and excellent Princes adorned with rare vertues lifted vp in great aucthoritie to found Kingdomes and Empiers to bring in good lawes and maners of liuing in Religion and politike gouernment and to further the arts and sciences whose birth and death are foretold long time before by oracles prophecies and signes in Heauen and earth and after their death reuerenced with diuine honours So GOD meaning then to establish in Asia a most mightie Monarchie and to bring Philosophie into the world at the same time he raised vp CYRVS as praise-worthie a Prince as any other hath bin either afore or after him It is he alone amongst all the great Lordes and Captaines of whom histories do make mencion that could obserue modestie in all his prosperities and victories and bridle his absolute power and aucthoritie with equitie and clemencie But from whence may wee haue a more certaine testimonie of his excellencie then from the Propher Esay where he was named two hundred yeares before he was borne and is called of GOD his king promising to hold his right hand that hee might take stronge Townes and subdue mightie Nations and humble the great Kings of the earth And he chose him amongst all the Princes of the Gentils to reedifie the Temple of Ierusalem and deliuer the Iewes from the Captiuitie of Babylon in the which they had long remayned restoring them to their full libertie and vse of the true Religion The words of Esay are these The Lord saith thus to CYRVS his anoynted I haue taken the right hand that I may subdue the Nations before his face and that I may weaken the raines of Kings that the dores may be opened before him and that the gates be not shut I will go before him and make the crooked waies straight I will breake the gates of brasse and will bruse the barres of yron and will giue the treasures laied vp and the thinges hid in secret places that thou maist know that I am thy Lord the God of Israell calling thee by thy name for my seruant Iacobs sake and for Israell my chosen I haue named thee by thy name though thou neuer knowest me But though fortune were verie contrarie to him at the beginning yet did GOD neuer forsake him but following the prophecie deliuered him from many dangers and inconueniences ASTYAGES king of the Medes had a daughter called Mandana of whom he dreamt in his sleepe and it seemed vnto him that he saw her make water in such abundance that she filled all the Citie of Ecbatane and from thence watered and ouerflowed all Asia He proposed this vision to some of his Mages expounders of dreames and was afraied with that which he learned of them Wherefore when Mandana was of yeares to be maried hee would not giue her to any Median Lord but gaue her to a Persian whom he found of a good house and of sweet and peaceable maners though he esteemed him lesse then a Median of meane estate Mandana beeing maried to this Persian called Cambyses the first yeare of their mariage Astyages had an other vision and dreamed that he saw a Vine comming out of the wombe of his daughter and spreading ouer all Asia which he proposed to the deuiners as before and hearing them sent into Persia for his daughter being alreadie with child who being come he commaunded she should be carefully kept purposing to put her child to death because the Mages had told him that the sonne of his daughter should one day raigne in his place Wherefore as soone as she brought forth a child who was called CYRVS he appointed Harpagus his greatest fauorite and trustiest seruant to put him to death who gaue him to a Shepheard to be exposed for a pray to wild beastes which the shepheard did and left him in the midst of a forest wrapped in a blanket of cloth of gold and a mantle of diuers colours whither retourning afterward he found a bytch by the child which gaue him suck and defended him from the beastes Wherefore beeing moued with the same pitie which moued the bitch he brought the cradle into his Cabin and nourished the child as his owne till he was ten yeares of age when he was chosen king amongst the children In which charge bearing himselfe more brauelier then the estate of a shepheards sonne yeelded in appointing to euery one their offices and estates some to buyld him houses and castles others to be of his gard one to be as the eye of the king another ordayned to make report vnto him of the gouernment of his affaires and chastising roughly such as disobeyed him he became knowen and was brought back againe to Astyages who brought him vp thinking his dreame to be accomplished in this childish royaltie But being woxen greater he became most warlike and hauing at the beginning of his conquests but thirtie thousand fighting men afterwards as he increased in Lordships he augmented his forces and gathered togither sixe hundred thousand footemen sixe score thousand horsemen and aboue two thousand chariots armed with hookes His Empire being the greatest and the fairest that euer king had in Asia bounded towards the East with the red sea towards the North with the sea Euxinus on the West with Cypres and Egipt and on the south with Ethiopia He conquered first the Countrie of the Medes and the Hircanians which yeelded themselues vnto him of their owne free will then subdued by force the Assyrians the Arabians and Capadocians the inhabitants of th one and
thother Phrygia the Lydians Carians Phenicians and Babylonians He ouercame the Bactrians Indians and Cilicians Moreouer also the Saques Paphlagonians Magadides and many other Nations Likewise he made himselfe Lord of the Greeks dwelling in Asia and passing the sea he vanquished the Cyprians and Egiptians He besieged and tooke Babylon which it was incredible that it might either be built by mans workmanship or distroyed by humane power And neuerthelesse he assailed it as an enemie spoiled it as vanquishour and disposed of it as Lord. He brought vnder his obedience so many Nations which were not of his language nor vnderstood not one an other and stretched his dominion ouer so many Regions by the feare of his name In such sort that he astonied all the world and none durst resist him This notwithstanding he made himselfe so much beloued that they desired neuer to haue any other Lord and they reuerenced him as a father gouerning so great an Empire and of such largenes by a meruailous order which he set downe when he was in peace Prouiding for his residence counsail audiences his gards the estate of his house the seruice exercise and health of his person the traine and followers of his Court diuision of his prouinces and gouernments of garrisons in fortresses and frontiers his reuenew iustice and souldiery Showing himselfe religious venerable magnificent liberal and worthie to be imitated in all actions by the Princes that followed after him It is said that Alexander hauing found the sepulcher of Cyrus vncouered and defaced caused him to be put to death which had done it And hauing read the inscription which was in Persian letters and words he willed hit also to be written in Greeke vnderneath and the substance of the inscription being this O Man whatsoeuer thou art and whence soeuer thou comest for I am assured that thou wilt come I am Cyrus he which conquered the Empire for the Persians and I pray thee do not enuie me this little earth which couereth my poore bodie These words moued greatly the hart of Alexander to compassion when he considered the vnstabilitie of things XENOPHON vnderstanding Cyrus to haue bin a Prince so admirable in his deedes and excellent in gouernment of men he chose him to expresse in his person the image of a iust and moderate raigne writing of his institution which is one of the best bookes that is to be read in Greeke Plato acknowledging him for a worthy and valiant Prince said that he failed greatly in bringing vp of his children for beginning from his youth to make warre and being busied all his life therein he neuer thought on the gouernment of his house but left his two sonns CAMBISES and SMERDES to the Ladies of the Court and to the Eunuches to bring vp who brought them vp as children that were borne happie not suffering any to gainsay them in any sort and constrayning all to praise whatsoeuer they did or said As Cyrus then was a Maister of a great multitude of men and beasts and of many other things he did not consider that they to whom he was to leaue so many good things were not brought vp in the auncient Persian discipline but in the corrupt discipline of the Medes which was the cause of making them such as commonly they are which are brought vp with so much libertie Succeeding their father then after his decease first th one slew the other not being able to endure an equal and then like a mad man through dronkennesse and ignorance he lost his estate by reason of the contempt which men had of his follie Then DARIVS the first of that name came to the Empire who was no kings sonne nor brought vp in Courtly delights who gouerned himself by the Lawes bringing in a common equalitie and making friendship amongst them all whom he won with good deedes So being beloued of his subiects he conquered no fewer Countries then Cyrus had left him ordayning thorough out all the Countries landes and Lordships vnder his obedience twentie gouernments called in the Persian language Satrapies and taxing the annuall tributes which euery of them ought to pay in siluer after the waight of the Babylonian talent or in gold according to the Euboick for during the raigne of Cyrus and his sonne Cambyses there was no tribute imposed but the Countries brought certaine presents and gaue certaine gratuites and giftes to the king by reason of which imposition the Persians said that DARIVS was a Merchant CAMBISES a Lord and CYRVS a father because that Darius was too good a husband drew profit out of euery thing Cambises proude and cruel but Cyrus soft kind gentle and gratious hauing procured all good things vnto the Persians The first Satrapie comprehended the Iouians the Magnetians which are in Asia the Eolians Carâ—ans Lycians Melyans and Pamphylians all which made but a tribute of fortie talents of siluer The second was of the Mysians Lydians Alysonians Cabalians and Higennians which paied fiftie talents of siluer The third of the Hellespontins Phrygians Paphlagonians Mariandines and Syrians taxed at CCClx. talents The fourth of the Cilicians which were bound to furnish euery yeare CCClx. white horses which was for euery day in the yeare a seueral horse paying moreouer fiue hundred talents wherof a hundred and fortie were appointed for the finding of the said horses and the other three hundred three score went into the kings cofers The fifth began at the Citie of Possidea situated in the mountains of Cilicia and Syria and stretched out vnto Egipt except Arabia which was exempted This parcel of land wherin were comprehended Phenicia Palestina and the Isle of Cypres yeelded CCCL talents The sixth consisted in all Egipt and the bordering Africans with Cyrene and Barce which contributed with them so that the annual reuenew was of seuen hundred Talents besides the fishing of the poole Meris and without reckoning of the Wheat which was prouided for six score thousand Persians and their auxiliaries keeping garrison within the white wals of Memphis The seuenth was of the Sattagidians Gaudarians Dadiques Aparites which was Clxx. taleÌ„ts The eight contained the towne of Sourses and an other portion of the Cysses yeelding CCC The ninth consisted in the Citie of Babylon and the rest of Assyria finding a thousand talents of siluer fiue hundred gelded boies Of the tenth ordained for Ecbatane the rest of Media with the xj consisting of the Paricanians Orthocorimbantes were receiued CCCCL talents The twelfth reached from the Bactrians to the Egles and was charged with CCClx. talents The thirteenth began at Pactica with the Armenians and other bordering lands and was bounded with the greater sea being taxed at CCCC talents The fourteenth consisted in the Sagarties Sarangres Thamanees Thiries Meces and in the people of the Islands of the red sea the tribute amounting vnto six hundred talents In the fifteenth were the Saces and Caspians which yeelded CCL In the sixteenth the Parthians Chorasmians Sogdians
had the principall charge vnder him who put him in a golden cage and cast him on a chariot meaning to carry him to Bactria then seeing that Alexander approached caused him to bee killed with darts and Iauelins and left him dead in the midst of the way Such was the end of a king so mighty in people in possessions and reuenews who called him selfe Lord of all the world from the East vnto the West hauing raigned onely sixe yeres in all delicacies exceeding the common magnificence of Princes Which luxurious maner of liuing was cause of his vtter ouerthrow as humane things being variable haue their fatall inclination so ordained by the diuine prouidence to fall then when they are mounted highest and that the Lords thinke themselues to be most assured sleeping therefore in carelesnes and ouerweening conceits For he suffered himselfe to slide so farre into deliciousnes and superfluous riches that he slept alwaies in a chamber betweene two great chambers most richly furnished in such sort that the Kings bed being sumptuously spred in his chamber and couered with a vine of gold in manner of a grate or lettis enriched with precious stones gathered togither in manner of hanging clusters of grapes the beds head was placed towards the wal of one of the great chambers in which ther was fiue thousand talents of gold and this great roome was called the kings beds head whereunto right opposite was the wall of the other great chamber against his beds foote in the which there was alwaies three thousand talents of siluer and was called the kings beds foote which summes are esteemed after our maner to be worth thirty millions of Crownes Going to war he caried with him in his host for his pastime and delight cccxxxix women as Concubines singers dauncers and such as were skilfull in all kinde of Musicke xlvj workmen to set flowers in order and to make garlands nosegaies chapelets and other sweete smelling things cclxxvij cookes xxix potters making euery day vessels of earth to serue the kitchin xiij bakers of tarts and such other licorous and delicate bakemeates Cellerers cupbearers bruers and minglers of wines makers of spiced cupps and of all artificiall lycours and drinkes xvij of th one sort and lxx of the other Perfumers and makers of sweete smelling sauours and odours both wet and dry xl If then the king of Persia vsed so much delicacy being in warr and nourished himself with so many delights in the field what did he wheÌ„ he remained in peace at Persepoli or in Babylon a city abounding in all superfluities and in all vices that proceed of great plenty Yet notwithstanding in the flower of his fortune he being dronken with prosperity and aboundance of goods was spoyled of his riches which had bin heaped togither by many kings his predecessours losing his life and his kingdome which was clymed to the top of the worldy power and felicity where ariseth the spring of pride arrogancy ouerweening and extreme insolency And there is the slippery path whereon standeth the enuy of fortune and where soueraigne felicity falleth headlong into great calamity By this so magnificent victory ouer him ALEXANDER brought vnder his obedience almost al the countries of the East and transported the Monarchy out of Asia into Europe So the Macedonians tooke away the Empire of the East from the Persians and the Parthians from the Macedonians by the conduct of Arsaces a Captaine of an vncertaine birth but of a most approued vertue and no lesse memorable amongst them then Cyrus among the Persians and Alexander among the Macedonians by whose name they called the succeeding Kings because of the reuerence which they bare vnto him They became so mighty that for a time they ruled ouer all Asia possessing not onely the vnmeasurable plaines but also the abrupt dounfals of the mountaines and placing the bounds of their Empire where either the heate or the cold staied them with snowes or immoderate and burning heates They possessed eighteene kingdomes deuiding in this maner their prouinces as hauing respect to the two Seas that is the red Sea towards the South and the Caspian toward the North where of eleuen which were called the superiour or higher began at the confines of Armenia and at the bankes of the Caspian Sea extending euen to the Scythians Thother seauen were termed the inferiour or lower They seemed to diuide the world with the Romaines th one ruling in the East and thother the West Their dominion from ARSACES to ARTABANVS endured cccc yeres which was brought backe againe into Persia by ARTAXERXES and after cccxviij yeres was taken againe from the Persians by the Arabians or Sarazens Amongest whom the CALIPHES residing at Bagdet raigned in the East ccccxviij yeres after them the first TVRKS from the yere of Christ M.L.I. vntill M.cc.xj when the Tartarians came out of their countrey who in a little time seised on the greatest part of the north the East the south of whoÌ„ came the inuincible TAMBERLAN who made the whol habitable earth afraid And since they being retired the Persians who are reputed the ciuâ—lest people of the East being ingenious valiant and there are amongst them excelleÌ„t Philosophers Physitions Astrologers very good Artisans in all misteries occupations Their king is called SOPHI which is as much to say as wise and the Interpreter of God because that ISMAEL the first that was so named vnder the colour of expositions new ceremonies brought in by him into the religion of Mahomet got no longe time since a great Empire in the East hauing driuen away the race of Vsun-Cassanus king of Persia to whom he was allied by his mothers side and made many Princes and Lords of the East his vassals or tributaries The chiefe prouinces vnder his obedience were Armenia the great Persia Media Assyria with iiij capital or head Cities Tauris in Armenia Samach in Persia Scyras in Media Bagdet which was somtimes Babylon in Assyria There are gentlemen amongst them after the maner of Italy France Spaine which vse barded horses in the wars vnto which they go welarmed bearing great lances and good cymeters being also very good archers The Sophi is opposite on the one side to the Ottoman to the Zagathain on thother Thus haue the kingdoms of Asia of the East varied But before we go out of this quarter we must speak of the MAGES which were far different from other natioÌ„s in their religion wisdom They had no temples Images nor altars neither was it permitted by their law to make any esteeming them fools which had them accounting it impiety to inclose the Gods within wals which ought to haue al open free whose temple and house was the whol world For this cause they perswaded Xerxes warring in Greece to burne al the Temples which he should find there And when they would sacrifice they went vp into high mountaines where it was not lawful for him that
children to bee safe kept to the King of the City of Niniuy Concerning the PERSIAN Monarchy CYRVS who founded it had infinite wealth hauing spoiled all Asia where he got fiue hundred thousand talents of siluer which is the greatest summe or quantity of siluer that was euer found gathered togither at one time rysing to three hundred millions of crownes and a sixth part ouer which are fifty milions And it is not to be meruailed that he had so much for he got into his power the treasure of CRESVS of DAVID and SALOMON the auncient riches of Assyria which were translated into Media and of many other Countries As DARIVS the first of that name ordained the tributes they might come to ten milions of gold euery yere besides the gifts of great value which were giuen by the nations subiect vnto him and without speaking of such as were exempted The Queene had certaine townes and prouinces assigned her for her intertainment one furnished the attire of her head another this or that ornament which wealth was alwaies augmented by the Kinges that followed euen to Darius the last in so much that in his raigne it was already become intollerable in destiny and to luxurious and was therefore the ruine of him and of his estate For in the conquest which Alexander made hee founde meruailous great Treasures in diuers Countries of his kingdome namely at Susa and Persepoli as Quintus Curtius writeth one hundred and seuenty thousand talents of siluer in masse sixe thousand in Damasco an other summe in Babylon and fifty thousand talents of purple Strabo writeth that the most common opinion was that there were found forty thousand talents in Persia besides that which was elswhere and that some esteemed the whole at nine-score thousand talentes which is an incredible summe and as great as hath euer bin numbred or gathered after that foresaid treasure of CYRVS For the hundred thousand talents are esteemed at threescore milions of Crownes and the fourescore thousand remaining woulde come by this estimation to more then forty millions which would be in al about a hundred millions This king vsed to make bankets to such as were of best reckoning in his Court to the number of fifteen thousand and for euery supper he appointed in expence of table fower hundred talents valued at twelue score thousand Crownes The bed wheron he slept was sumptuously set forth and couered with a vine of gold in maner of a grate or lettice enriched with precious stones hanging like clusters of grapes He had at his beds-head in treasure fiue thousand talents of gold and at his beds-foote alwaies three thousand talents of siluer Such was the dominion and riches of the Persians whereunto their power was correspondent for CYRVS assembled an armie of six hundred thousand fighting men on foote six thousand on horseback and about two thousand chariots of warre DARIVS the first of that name going to fight against the Scythians led eight hundred thousand men XERXES came into Greece hauing by sea fiue hundred and seuenteen thousand six hundred men by land a Million seuen hundred thousand foote and fower score thousand horsemen with twentie thousand Africans Arabians to whom there ioyned of Europe three hundred thousand the whole multitude comming to aboue two Millions six hundred seuenteen thousand fighting men Since that time the PARTHIANS obtayning the Empire of the East and ruling ouer all Asia between the red sea and the Caspian came not to so great riches and power as the PERSIANS for the greatest force which I find they euer had was of Cxx. thousand men on foote and horseback notwithstanding they found themselues so strong that being in three warres assailed by great Romain Captaines in the vigour and flower of their Empire amongst all the Nations of the world they not onely remained equall but also were sometimes superiours The length of all INDIA from the East vnto the West is of seuenteen hundred Leagues and from the North to South of two thousand Leagues It excelleth aboue all others in beautie fertilitie being diuided into many parts by the riuers which do water it Where is found great quantitie of Gold Siluer Brasse precious stones and all other things concerning riches and delicacies STAVROBATES raigning there in the time of SEMIRAMIS who inuaded it indeuoured to exceede the forces of the ASSYRIANS opposing as mightie an Armie against her as she had brought with her being three Millions of foote and fiue hundred thousand horsemen and constrayned her to retire with great losse of her people and without doing any thing The ETHIOPIANS beleeued that by reason of their deuotion towards their Gods they were neuer wholy ouercome by any straunger and therefore remaine alwaies free At this day PRESBITER IOHN raigneth there farre and wide hauing fortie kings tributarie and commaunding ouer infinite people of diuers colours of whom shal be spoken hereafter in due place The SCYTHIANS faine that in old time in their Countrey there was borne of the earth a virgin which was a woman from the nauel vpward and the rest a snake who begate a sonne called SCYTHA which named the SCYTHIANS after his owne name hauing made himselfe the most triumphant Prince of all that euer were before him And that amongst the successors of this king there were two brothers of great vertue who did many thinges worthie of praise whose lyne being long time greatly increased by vertuous acts and militarie aduentures subdued the Countries beyond the riuer Tanais euen vnto Thrace And turning afterward their armies on the other side came as farre as the Nile of Egipt making themselues Lords of all the people between them stretching out their dominion from the great Ocean which is toward the sunne rising euen to the Caspian sea and to the poole Meotis Of these people thus fortified and increased many Nations haue discended and amongst the rest the Sares Massagetes Assyrians Medes and Parthians Then the Lordship of the SCYTHIANS fayling through length of time that the women called AMAZONS began to raigne there whose power and vertue was so great that they subdued not onely the Nations neere vnto them but also a great part of Europe and of Asia The greatest fairest and most magnificent Cities of the world were NINIVIE and BABYLON in Assyria THEBES and MEMPHIS and afterwardes ALEXANDRIA in Egipt But the Medians transferring to them selues the Empire of the Assyrians destroied and razed the Citie of Niniuie carying to ECBATANA a citie of Media all the gold and siluer and other ornaments which they found there In like sort the Persians taking the Empire from the Medes caried away all the riches which they found in Babylon and the castels palaces and other ornaments and singularities were either distroied by them or consumed by succession of time The same Persians in the time that Cambyses conquered Egipt did not onely transport the ornaments of the singularities of Egipt into Asia but also their artisans by whose
industrie they built their magnificent palaces both in PERSEPOLI and in SVSA And the Macedonians vnder Alexander burned Persepoli to the ground and tooke away all the treasures precious moueables other ornaments of Persia. But as these great Lordships were begun and maintained by vertuous Princes accompanied with men at armes on horseback and on foote hardned vnto all labours accustomed to watch to endure hunger and thirst paciently to drink water being skilfull and exercised in armes so ended they vnder loose and voluptuous Lords hauing their subiects depraued and corrupted by deliciousnes proceeding of too much riches NINVS interprising the Conquest of Asia exercised the strongest and lustiest young men of his kingdom long before vnto armes to the perils and dangers of warre and to endure paciently all paines and trauailes The father of SESOSTRIS being aduertised by reuelation that the sonne which should be borne vnto him should be King of the whole world gathered together out of all Egipt all the children that were borne the same day that he was and caused them all to be taught and brought vp in the same discipline and exercises accustoming them to paine to make them endure it continually and to abstain from eating and drinking and to make them by such bringing vp both stronger of bodie and hardier of courage then the rest of whom as being from their youth giuen to vertuous things he was in all his conquests serued valiantly with fidelitie and affection CYRVS being by nature noble and valiant was brought vp after the auncient Persian maner with the young Persian gentlemen called Omotimes because they were all equall in honours in all sobrietie and laborous exercises afterwards when he went to warre making choise of them to accompanie him they were a great helpe vnto his greatnes ARSACES being accustomed to liue on pray in the mountaines and forests with people of like bringing vp established the kingdom of the Parthians Such were the Authors or promotours of these Monarchies alike in vertue and education euen as they also in whose raignes they ended resembled one another in pleasure and pusilanimitie and died wretchedly SARDANAPALVS burning himselfe with all his treasures ASTYAGES vanquished and taken in warre afterward bound with chaines of gold DARYVS the last hauing lost three great battailes and seen prisoners his mother his wife and two daughters as he thought to gather together his forces taken prisoner by thē in whom he had most confidence being in prosperitie then miserably slaine with iauelins and left dead in the way As then these later Princes ran by their vices into most piteous fortunes and little differing th one from thother so the other by their vertues got great praises NINVS was the first that established the greatnes of that domination which was gotten by continuall possession where the former sought not the Empire for themselues but for the glorie of their people and being content with the victorie let alone the Lordship and Seignorie CYRVS is thought alone amongst all the Lords that haue sodainly growen great to haue knowen how to obserue modestie in his prosperities and to bridle his absolute power and aucthoritie with equitie and clemencie SESOSTRIS was so braue and haughtie that whensoeuer he went to the Temple or any whether in publike he caused his chariot to be drawen by fower tributarie kings or other great Lords in steed of horses shewing thereby that none of the other Kings or Captaines was to be compared to him in vertue and prowesse Also the goings of CYRVS out of his pallace which haue since bin imitated by the kings his successors were most magnificent and seruing much to the honour of a Prince and his gouernment SEMIRAMIS as soone as she was borne was cast out into a desert place and full of rockes where there was great store of birds by whom through the will of God she was nourished almost a yeare then found by the Shepheards and brought vp by them In like maner CYRVS euen in his cradle was exposed to the beasts and left in the midst of a forest where a bitch gaue him suck and kept him till such time as a shepheard finding him brought him to his Cabin SEMIRAMIS purposing to conquer the Indies and knowing how great an interprise it was and that to put it in execution it behoued her to leuy great forces she assembled an armie of three Millions of foote fiue hundred thousand horsemen and one hundred thousand chariots with which going into India she was put to flight and lost many of her people returning without doing any thing XERXES also going out of Asia into Greece with two Millions three hundred seeuenten thousand fighting men whereof there were fower score thousand on horseback fiue hundred seuenteene thousand on sea was constrained shamefully to retire himselfe seeing his Armie discomfited in many places Likewise DARIVS his father assailed the Scythians accompanied with eight hundred thousand men without reaping any praise of that voiage And CYRVS warring against the Massagetes was by THOMYRIS their Queene discomfited with two hundred thousand Persians and slaine the thirtieth yeare of his raigne SEMIRAMIS and THOMYRIS amongst the women of this former age deserue to be accounted chiefe th one hauing ruled the kingdome of Assyria thother that of the Massagetes and they hauing surmounted in glorie and great deeds all other Queenes that euer were SESOSTRIS diuided Egipt into six and thirtie Prouinces establishing in each of them a Gouernour aswel to receiue the reuenewes of the Crowne and royal tributes as to take careful heed of the affaires concerning the good and conseruation of them DARIVS the first diuided the kingdom of Persia into twentie Satrapies and in euery of them established a Satrape or gouernour parting betweene them his yerely tributes where and how the contribution should be made This Darius going about to set vp his statue aboue that of Sesostris in the Citie of Memphis was put back by the high Priest saying that his deeds were not yet equall vnto those of Sesostris The armies of Cyrus and Sesostris were equall in number of footemen each of them hauing six hundred thousand But Cyrus exceeded Sesostris in horsemen assembling together six score thousand where Sesostris had but fower and twentie thousand but he had xxviij thousand armed Chariots whereas Cyrus had but two thousand OF THE EGIPTIAN PRIESTS or Prophets and of the Chaldees Mages Brachmanes Druides and other Religious and learned people among the Auncients IN auncient time Religion onely was counted wisdom and there were no other esteemed wise but such as deliuered and interpreted it vnto men for ordinarily three things follow each other RELIGION WISDOM and POWER and little would either Lawes or Armes preuaile if they were not holpen by Religion which is the foundation establishment and conseruation of euery common wealth RELIGION imprinteth and retaineth in mens harts the reuerence of GOD and loue of their neighbour ruling the exposition of the holie books and the charges of
of the race of Charlemaigne and shortly vpon the comming of Hugh Capet Then such Lords as held the great fees of the kings they subdiuided them to other persons of whom they expected seruice and both th one and thother gaue their lands to the peasants with dueties of rents and with condition to receiue iustice of them Wherehence are come the termes of fees and vnderfees of vassals and vndervassals for a difference from them which relieue directly and without any meane of the king Consequently of Ban arriereban and of liege or bond men who without exception do promise all duetie of fidelitie to their Lords and of those which are not bond or liege which do onely promise a duetie by reason of superiour estate or fee of which theirs which is inferiour dependeth And although at the beginning it was not lawfull for any Roturier or common person to possesse any fee simple but to meddle onely with his traficke tillage or husbandrie and to pay his Lords dueties notwithstanding by succession of time the fees contrarie to their first and auncient institution fell without any difference or distinction into the hands of men of armes and such as were estranged from the exercise of armes of noble and vnnoble of gentlemen and vngentle as merchants practicioners and other rich commoners that had meanes to buy them Moreouer whereas many fees with their dueties were giuen by Kings Princes Lords and Gentlemen to Bishoprickes Abbeies monasteries couents priories chanonries commaunderies hospitals spittels and to other Ecclesiasticall persons which are people of Mortmaine and altogether estraunged from armes the Ban arriereban hath bin much weakned thereby and at length is so low brought and so dispised that euen they which are bound therevnto thinke themselues dishonoured if they appeare there and so send thither their seruants or other mercenarie folkes the most part so euill appointed and in such poore equippage that it is a mockerie to see them whereas in times past the chiefest of Fraunce accounted it a great honour to be there themselues in person So farre haue these sees and vnder fees straied or so ill bin imployed which were erected and ordained for the safetie of the Countrie to the end that such as held them should in all occurrents of businesse be readily furnished with armes men and horses in such number and order as is requisite either to resist the approches of the enemie or to set vpon him if need were By reason whereof the forces of the kingdom are lessned and the Lawes militarie by little and little brought to naught in such sort that the Kings haue bin constrained to ordainè those companies of waged men of armes called ordinances and for their intertainment to impose on the people taxe and tallage Moreouer it is seuen or eight hundred yeres since the Nobilitie hath taken vp the vse of Armes and scutchions with figures of beastes and other things blazoned with diuers colours with termes fitting therunto to th end to discerne and make difference betweene them of their Nobilitie and the antiquities thereof their alliancies and kinreds Which maner was not in vse before CHARLEMAIGNE and hath not gon out of EVROPE being yet vnknowen throughout AFRICKE and ASIA where their Religion forbiddeth them to make the pourtraitures of beastes The Armes in the which ther are Lyons Leopards Tygers Eagles Kytes Faulcons and other rauenous beastes are accounted more noble then those which haue but trees flowers starres barres files or which are onely distinguished with colour or taken from the names of families because they seeme not to haue bin gotten by militarie prowesse or any other vertue To make them correct and expound them are appointed the Herauldes and kings of Armes curiously discoursing of the figures and colours which are in them euen to the mingling and accomodating according to the measure of their vnderstanding and knowledge both Physicke Astrologie and Diuinitie THE ARTISANS AND EXQVI site workes of the Auncients IN EGIPT INDIA and elswhere the gouernment being diuided into many orders or estates it was not lawfull for any to take a wife of other estate but his owne nor to change his vocation because it seemed not reasonable vnto them that a man of armes should labour the earth or that a learned man should become an Artisan Then the Artisans there wrought their workes seuerally euery one by himselfe and not indifferently mingling one occupation amongst the other The like did the husbandmen fishermen and huntsmen and it was not lawfull for one to exercise many trades As then they applied not themselues but vnto such workes as were permitted by the law and which they had learned of their fathers continuing the same all their life they became excellent therein Especially the EGIPTIANS whose workes were meruailously well wrought and euen come to their perfection The great and magnificent buildings made at that time both in ASSIRIA EGIPT and elswhere do euidently show the abilitie of their architects masons statuaries imagers grauers painters caruers carpenters and smithes The same distinction of the multitude by diuers orders and kindes of exercise is vsed at this day at CAIR FEZ MARROCCO and in many other great Cities of Asia and Africk Others account the maner of PARIS more commodious where the Artificers dwel intermingled one amongst the other At this day the Artisans of CATHAY and of CAIR and of PERSIA are found verie exquisite making works so neere approching vnto those of nature that they seeme to be naturall The end of the fowerth Booke OF THE LEARNING POESY Eloquence Power and other excellencie of the Grecians The fifth Booke AT the same time that the Persians swaied by their armes in Asia and that Cyrus founded the Persian Monarchie good letters and Learning were raised vp in Greece and the Countries there about aswell in the Isles as in the maine land and by the learned and renowmed Pythagoras began Philosophie First of all men considering the admirable ornament of the whole world the continuall and peâ—durable motion of the Heauen the varietie and distinction of the starres the intercourse of daies and nights of monethes and yeares continually succeeding the vital power of fire diffused thorough out the whole world the variable aire sustayning with spiration and respiration all liuing creatures the sea beating the bankes with his reciprocal waues receiuing and casting out the other waters without ouerflowing or diminishing the earth which is heaped together on each side thereof for a bound vnto it The vicissitude and order of things both simple and compounded contayned in the circuit of the world being innumerable in multitude and meruailous in beautie They indeuored to search out their properties conueniences and contrarieties as to know whereof they were made and engendred how long they indured what became of them when and how they perished what in them was mortall and corruptible what diuine and perpetual They obserued the course of the starres and the power which they haue heer
honestie In somuch that Plato and Aristotle haue not better plaied the Philosophers in their schooles then he did in publike assemblies and iudgements But as this age was admirable in power and wisdom and in all arts so was it also full of wickednes extraordinarie changes As if it had bin of necessitie that the same age must bring forth horrible monsters notable wonders for it is commonly seen that where mens wits are most excellent there are found together men notably vicious vertuous the authours of great good things of euil as if vertue and vice which are things so contrary repugnant had their extremities neer one an other In such sort that where th one is the other estsoons accompanieth it they leaue not one the other for euen as noble generous natures being duly instructed becom perfectly good are causes of great good things In like maner those that are euill brought vp become exceeding euill and do great mischiefes by reason that the exorbitant wickednesse and extreme vices proceede not of weake and simple natures but of the noble and generous being depraued by institution As appeared in this season replenished with all good artes and excellent wits by the extraordinarie mutations which happened therin Wherof the Orator AESCHINES complayning cried out that they led not then the life of men but that they seemed to be born to that end that their posterity might tel of thē strange and vnlooked-for maruailes And DEMOSTHENES answering him acknowledged the fortune of his time to be verie aduerse and hard and that there was neither Greeke nor Barbarian but had suffered much for not onely euery one in particuler but publickly the kings Cities and Nations receiued great calamities First of all what troubles raised king Philip thorough out all Greece corrupting by giftes the Magistrates and Gouernours of Townes and nourishing amongst the Greekes diuisions and parcialities In such sort that he himselfe confessed that he had much more inlarged his kingdom by gold and siluer then by armes And albeit the Athenians hauing alwaies in suspition his greatnes were exhorted continually by DEMOSTHENES to take vpon them the protection of the common libertie and to punish with death those Citizens whom they should find to go about to betray the common wealth Notwithstanding this great Orator could not with all his diligence refraine the euill inclination of some particulars which sought but how to sell their Countrie Such abundance of Traitours there were found in that season Afterwards as Philip being become proud by many prosperities for the greatnes of his power placed himselfe amongst the twelue Gods he was killed by Pausanias a Macedonian gentleman to whom he had denied iustice at the mariage of his daughter Cleopatra which he solemnized with great triumphe beholding the plaies which were made and euen in the midst of his guard betweene the two Alexanders the one being his sonne and thother his sonne in law whom he had made king of Epirus The fault of which murther was for the most part imputed to the Queene Olympias who being diuorced from him stirred vp the youngman boyling before with anger to do it But there was also some suspition which touched Alexander doubting least he would leaue the kingdom to an other Who likewise after he had turned all topsie turuie in Europe and in Asia because of his insolencie was poisoned by his most familiar friends Olympias wife of the one and mother to the other was massacred by Cassandra for the great arrogancie which was in her and cruelties which she had committed Seneca calleth Alexander a furious young man hauing in steed of vertue a fortunate temeritie and that from his youth he was a theese and a distroier of people being the ruine both of his enemies and friends who placed his soueraign felicitie in astonishing and making himselfe feared of all men Furour saith he stirred vp the wicked man to vndoe other men and made him to march thorough vnknowen places Account you him wise that began with the ruines of Greece in the which he had bin bred and brought vp taking from euery one that which was his good He constrained Lacedemon to serue and Athens to be silent Not content with the ruine of so many Cities which Philip either bought or ouercame he ouerthrew others also and beareth armes thorough out the world without satisfying his crueltie after the maner of sauage beastes which bite being not pressed with honger He hath alreadie gathered many Kingdomes into one alreadie the Greekes and Persians do feare one king and notwithstanding passing beyond the Ocean he is sorie and loath to bound his victories by the footsteps of Hercules and of Bacchus but will force nature and can not stay as heauie things which do not cease to roule vntill they meete with some stop or hinderance He saith that Philip and Alexander and other such like renowmed thorough the ruine of people haue bin no lesse plagues vnto men then the deluge by which the earth was drowned or then the burning which consumed by heat and drougth a great part of lyuing creatures Lucan thinketh that he gaue a pernicious example to the world shewing the meanes how to reduce so many Countries vnder one Lord calling him the fat all euil of the world and a lightning which strook all Nations whose insatiable ambition could not be staied but by death Therefore the Scythians spake thus vnto him What neede hast thou of riches which constraine thee alwaies to desire Thou art the first which of abundance hast made indigence to the end that by possessing more thou mightst more earnestly desire that which thou hast not Who would euer haue thought that the Greekes should haue ruled Asia and that so meane a king as that of Macedon could haue ouerthrowen the Monarchie of Persia of inestimable largenesse and power both by land and sea In like maner the Lordship of DIONISE in Sicile was ouerthrowen by DION with little meanes against the opinion and expectation of all the world which was the greatest and mightiest that was then in Europe for who could haue beleeued that he which arriued in Sicile onely with two ships of burden should haue ouercome a Lord that had in his disposition fower hundred vessels with oares a hundred thousand foote and ten thousand horsemen with prouision and munition of armes corne and money as much as was needfull for intertainment of so great power and who aboue all the forenamed things had vnder his obedience one of the greatest and most mightie Cities which was then in all Greece which had-so many ports so many arsenals or store-houses so many impregnable castles and who besides all this was allied with many great and mightie confederates But that which gaue DION the victorie in this interprise was principally his magnanimitie and greatnesse of courage with the loue and good will which was borne him of those whom hee came to set free And that which holpe him
for the most part to other nations And although Philip by his trauailes and labours magnified them greatly notwithstanding his authoritie neuer went out of the countrie of Greece Touching the Empire of Alexander it is most certain that it was glorious and excellent both for the greatnes thereof as also for the celeritie of his conquests But after it was once come to an infinite degree and impossible to imitate it diuided it selfe soone into many parts Euen as a flash of lightning which giueth sodainly a great light and runneth hither and thither and then is extinguished But if the great God saith Plutarch which sent the soule of Alexander here below had not sodainly called it vnto him againe peraduenture there had bin but one only law which had gouerned all men and all this world had bin ruled vnder one selfesame Iustice euen as by one light But as soone as he was deceased his Armie and power wandering and hurting it selfe was like vnto a man who hauing lost his sight feeleth euery where with his hand without knowing whether he goeth so the greatnes of his power he being dead went astray and wandered hither and thither reeling and stumbling at euery thing because there was not any to whom it obeyed Or rather as the bodie when the soule is once out of it the parts do not sustaine one another neither find themselues vnited one to the other but they leaue each other and disioine themselues one from the other and withdraw themselues So the Armie of Alexander after it had lost him did nothing but tremble and shake in a continuall feuer vnder Perdiccas Meleager Seleucus Antigonus Eumenes Lysimachus Ptolemeus Lacomedon Antipater Philotas and Leonatus his successours which were euen as spirits yet warme and poulses beating sometimes here sometimes there by spaces and fits vntill that finally comming to waste and perish in it selfe it crauled all with wormes which were the chiefe Captaines being become kings by vsurpation of his Lordships not like to him in valure and generositie Amongst whom and their offspring arose great ciuill warres a long time continued whereof followed the desolation of their kingdomes so that by little and little they fell into the hands of the Parthians or of the Romains or had particular Lordes A COMPARISON OF ALEXANDER the great vnto Cyrus Agesilaus Themistocles Pericles Agamemnon Achilles Vlisses Diomedes Bacchus Hercules and others IF we consider in Alexander his deuotion towards the Gods affiance in his friends his suffisance with a little his continencie beneficence contempt of death magnanimitie humanitie gratious intertainment easie accesse frank disposition of nature not counterfaited nor fained his constancie in counsailes readines in executions his will to be the chief of men in glorie and resolution to do whatsoeuer his will commaunded we shall find that God who composed him of many vertues gaue him the courage of Cyrus the temperance of Agesilaus the sharp vnderstanding of Themistocles the experience of Philip the hardines of Brasidas and the sufficiencie of Pericles in matters of state and gouernment And in respect of the more auncients that he was more continent then Agamemnon who preferred a captiue prisoner before the loue of his lawfull wife and he would neuer once touch a captiue vntill he had first maried her more magnanimious then Achilles who for a little ransom sold the body of Hector being dead wheras he bestowed a great summe of money in burying that or Darius and the other to appeale his choler as being mercenarie tooke presents of his friends for his hire and this man being victorious enriched his enemies He was more religious then Diomedes who was readie to fight with the Gods them selues and he accounted that all his victories and happie successes came vnto him by fauour of the Gods He was more charitable to his parents then Vlisses whose mother died for sorrow whereas the mother of his enemie for loue and good will which shee bore vnto him died with him for griefe of his death Solon ordained at Athens an abolishment of all debts Alexander paied his souldiers debts to their creditors Pericles hauing taxed the Greekes of the money which came of this taxe beautified the Citie of Athens with faire Temples especially the castle on the contrarie Alexander hauing taken the treasure of the Barbarians sent into Greece the summe of six Millions of gold to build temples for the Gods in steed of those which they had ouerthrowen Brasidas got great reputation of valiancie amongst the Grecians because he trauersed and passed thorough the enemies host from th one end to the other being incamped before the Towne of Methona along the sea shore whereas the meruailous leape which Alexander made in the Citie of the Oxydraques to those which heare it told is incredible and to those which saw it most terrible when he threw himselfe from the height of the walles into the midst of his enemies who receiued him with darts and arrowes pikes and swords Whereunto might one compare this deede but vnto the flash of lightning which breaketh forceably out of the cloude and being caried by the wind striketh on the earth euen as an apparition shining out of flaming armour Insomuch that those which saw him at the instant were so frighted therewith that they retired back but when they saw that it was one man alone assailing a great many then they returned to make head against him That which led Alexander against all Nations was nothing but a desire of glorie and of rule hauing proposed vnto himselfe by iealousie and emulation to surpasse the deedes of Bacchus and of Hercules by making his armes to be seen yet farther then they had made theirs Moreouer it was a great happines vnto him and such as neuer hapned to any other Monarke to haue in his time the most excellent men in all knowledge and the best worke men that euer were towards whom he was verie liberal as also to them it was a great aduantage to haue such a beholder who knew most ingeniously to iudge of that which they had done and to recompence it most liberally For euen as the humanitie the honour and liberalitie of the Prince is that which prouoketh and setteth forward the aduancement of arts and of good inuentions so on the contrarie all that languisheth and is extinguished by the enuie and nigardnes of those that rule Then as Alexander after his Conquests had in treasure a hundred thousand Talents and thirtie thousand of yearely reuenew which iâ— eighteene Millions of Crownes by the yeare he vsed these great treasures magnificently with meruailous and well ordered liberalitie hauing respect to the merits of men and bestowing his benefits in those places where he thought the memorie of them could not be lost He gaue charge vnto Aristotle to reduce into writing the natures of all liuing creatures and for this effect caused to be deliuered to him eight hundred Talents comming to CCCClxxx thousand Crownes of our money commaunding many
headlong on all daunger with such furye that none was able to abide them And being borne to do all great things and his hart being by nature desirous of great honour the prosperities of his passed prowesses and conquestes did not inuite him to be desirous to enioy in peace the fruict of his labours but rather kindeled him and encouraged him to bee willing to vndertake others engendring alwaies more and more an ymagination in him of greater enterprises and a desire of newe glory as if that which he had already had bin wasted and worne out Which passion was nothing else but a iealousie and emulation of himselfe as if hee had bin some other man and an obstinate desire alwaies to ouercome himselfe the hope of that which was to come fighting still with the glory of what was passed and the ambition of that which hee desired to doe with that which hee had all ready done For hee had purposed and already made preparation to goe fight against the Parthians and after he had subdued them to passe thorough Hircania and to enuiron the Caspian sea and the mountaine Caucasus and returning to win the kingdome of Pontus that hee might afterwarde go into Scythia and hauing ouerrun all the Countrey and bordering prouinces of great Germany and Germanie it selfe to retourne in the end thorough Gaule into Italy and so to spread the Romaine Empire round about in such fort that it should on eche side be bounded with the great Ocean That great fortune and fauour of heauen that had accompanied him all his life long continued in the auengement of his death pursuing by land and by sea all those which had conspired against him insomuch that there remained not one vnpunished of all those which either in deed or in counsaile were partakers of the conspiracy of his death But of all things which haue happened to men on earth the most wonderful was that of Cassius who after he had bin defeated lost the day in the battaile of Philippi slue himselfe with that very sword wherewith he had stricken Caesar. And of those which happened in heauen the great comet which appeared was euident for seuen nights continually after his death and shortly after also the darkening of the light of the Sunne the which in sight of all that army arose alwaies pale and neuer with his sparkling and shyning brightnesse whereby his heate was also very feeble annd weake and the aire consequently all the yeare long very darke and thicke by reason of the imbecillitie of the heate which could not resolue and clarifie it which was the cause that the fruictes on the earth remayned vnripe and vnperfect perishing before they were rypened by reason of the coldnes of the aire But aboue all the vision which appeared to Brutus shewed euidently that the slaughter was not acceptable to the Gods Suetonius also witnesseth that at Capua was found in the sepulcher of Capys a Tablet of brasse signifying the death of Iulius the maner howe he shoulde die and be slaine which sepulcher and tablet had bin made a thousand yeres before The people sorowed much for him after his death because he was most skilfull and experienced how to rule and caused his body to be brought into the midst of the market place building a Temple for him neere vnto the place where hee was buried and worshipped him as a God OCTAVIAN his nephew and successour had such hap that of a simple Citizen or Knight of Rome hee obtained the Empire of the whole worlde which hee ruled about fiftie and sixe yeares being whiles heeliued and after his death honoured as a God by consecrating of Temples vnto him erecting of statues and ordayning of Priestes with great foundations to doe seruice there Before he was borne it was foretolde by Iulius Marathus vnto the Senate and people of Rome that nature shortly would bring them forth a King And P. Nigidius a very learned Astrologer and Philosopher hauing knowen his natiuity affirmed that there was a Lorde of the worlde borne Which Cicero foresawe in a dreame seeming vnto him that the children of the Senatours were called vnto the Capitoll because Iupiter had appointed to shewe which was he that should one day bee head and Prince of Rome And that all the Romaines of a great desire which they had to know who he should be were all come round about the Temple and that all the children were likewise attending there in their purple garments vntill that sodainly the gates of the Temple were opened and then the children arose one after another and passed along before the statue of Iupiter who looked vpon them all sauing the young Caesar to whom when he passed before him hee reached out his hand and said Ye Romaine Lordes this child here is he that shall make an end of your ciuill warres when he commeth to be your head It is said that Cicero had this vision while he slept and that he imprinted firmely in his memory the forme of the childs countenance but that he knew him not And that on the morow he went of purpose into the field of Mars whither the yong folke were wont to goe to play and sport themselues where he found that the childdren hauing ended their exercises were retourning home-ward and that amongest them the first which he perceiued was he whom he had seen in his dreame and he remembred his fauour well Whereof being yet more astonished he asked him whose child he was who aunswered that he was the sonne of one Octauian a man not much renowmed and of Actia the sister of Iulius Caesar which Iulius Caesar hauing no children made him by testament his heire leauing him his goods and his house It is told of him that soone after he began to speake being not farre from the citie in a house of his fathers where the froggs did nothing but crie and trouble men with their noise he commaunded them to cease and be still which they did and neuer afterwards were heard in that place He was a gentle gracious and ciuil personage proper comely and faire throughout all his body But especially his eyes which shined as faire starres when hee moued them In such sort that they which looked on him winked as at the sun-beames And when a certaine Souldiour tourning away from his face was asked why he did so hee aunswered because hee coulde not abide the shyning of his eyes and wee doe yet doubt that there bee from aboue certaine personages ordained to rule and commaund ouer mankinde and to do great and strange maruailes But IVLIVS CESAR hauing ouercome his Citizens made himselfe the first Monarck of the Romain empire to whom Augustus succeeded who gouerned it most happely after he was absolute Lorde thereof In such sort that there is not found any time wherein it hath bin so wealthy and well ordered and established in peace and obedience as it was in his time And according to the forme of gouernment which he brought
armes now into Spaine against Sertorius now against the Pyrates vnder colour of pacifying the sea He pretended these causes to th end he might continue his power What led him into Africk and into the North against Mithridates and into Armenia and against all the kings of Asia but onely an infinite desire of increasing in greatnes seeming only to himselfe that he was not great enough What did put Iulius so far forward into these publike euils glorie and ambition and a desire which he had without measure to excell aboue others He could not suffer one to be before him where the common wealth endured two What think you that Marius being once Consul indeed hauing taken away by force the six other Consulships when he defeated the Theutons and the Cymbrians and when he pursued Iugurtha thorough the deserts of Africa did aduenture these dangers by the instinct of vertue These men mouing all things were also moued themselues after the maner of whirle-winds which carrie away whatsoeuer they catch and thereby become more impetuous and can not be stil. Hauing then bin mischieuous vnto many they finally feele in themselues their pernicious mischiefe whereby they haue bin hurtfull vnto many The same Seneca It is all one saith he whether Cato ouercome or be ouercome in the battaile of Pharsalia The good being in him which could not be vanquished when his partie was ouercome was equall with the good which he should haue caried victorious into his Countrie haue pacified the affairs Wherefore should it not be equall seeing that by the same vertue euill fortune is ouercome and good fortune well ordered The vertue can not be greater nor lesser It is alwaies after one sort But Pompey shal lose his armie but the honest pretence of the common wealth and the Senate with the chiefest Lords of Rome following the part of Pompey being placed in the first rank of the battaile shall be ouerthrowen in one onely battaile and the ruines of so great an Empire shall be dispersed ouer all the world one part shall fall into Egipt an other into Africk an other into Spaine This miserable common wealth can not all fall at one time Let them do all they can The knowledge of the places doth not help the king Iuba in his kingdom nor the obstinate vertue of his subiects and the fidelitie of the Vticians being broken with so many euils faileth And should Scipio be abandoned in Africk of the fortune of his name It was already prouided that Cato should receiue no harme And yet he was ouercome Certainly the calamities were verie great in that conuersion of the world and there were strange aduersities mingled with the prosperities There was neither Countrie Citie Lordship or personage any whit renowmed but endured much The ruine of Carthage first presenteth it selfe which Citie seuen hundred yeares after it was founded had bin so flourishing and excellent in all things had borne rule ouer so many seas and lands and Islands and ships and so much riches and so many armes as nâ—ne more and had courage more then any other Fourteene yeares after the Numantines being besieged by Scipio AEmilian seeing that for want of victuals they were not able any longer to endure the siege themselues burned theiâ— Citie of Numantia and killed themselues part by the sword part by fire part by poison Cicero nameth Carthage and Numantia the two astonishments of the people of Rome Shal I tel how Syracusa was spoiled Corinth rased Antioch and Hierusalem taken Athens besieged and sacked Marsâ—illes borne in triumph how Rome saw her Senate flying her treasures taken away Alexandria found Cesar fighting in her and her king the yong Ptolomey dead how Thebes in Egipt was destroied Thirteen towns in Peloponesus swalowed vp with an earthquak wherwith Caria Rhodes also were shaken How ther came extraordinary inundations of the sea of riuers and of raines of tempestuous winds Monsters hideous in all nature signes in the aire comets eclipses of the sun and of the moone and other horrible things in the celestiall motions whereof ensued famins plagues and other diseases which were before vnknowen Cicero writeth that there appeared then not onely fierie impressions by night in the heauen flashes of of lightning and tremblings of the earth but moreouer that the thunder fell on the high towers of the Temples many Images of the Gods were remoued out of their places many statues of famous men throwen downe the tables of brasse wherein the Lawes were ingrauen were melted The Image also of Romulus the founder of Rome who was made as he were sucking and waiting at the tears of the wolfe striken with thunder Shall I tell of fower-score thousand Romains and their allies defeated by the Cymbrians and a hundred fortie thousand Cymbrians slaine by the Romains the armies of the Heluetians and Germains ouerthrowen the bondmen vp in armes and allies mutining And not onely the good townes and mightie armies did suffer but also the rich seignories and noble kingdomes were distroied the free nations either trauailed with warres or were brought vnder subiection As the Spanish French British Germain Pannonian Illyrian Armenian and Thracian Italie it selfe after it had about some fiue hundred yeares valiantly defended it selfe was in the end subdued Moreouer there were scarce any famous men either in armes or learning but either receiued notable iniuries or suffered violent death Scipio Africanus being returned out of the Senate was found the next day stifled in his bed which was thought to haue bin done by his neerest kinred Hannibal being driuen out of Italie and banished Africa poisoned himselfe in the Court of king Prusias The king Mithridates being besieged by his sonne Pharnaces slew himselfe and Pharnaces was in a moment ouercome by Cesar. Antiochus the great was depriued of the greatest part of Asia whereof he thanked the Romains And the king Prusias cald himselfe their slaue Perseus the last king of Macedonia was ouercome led in triumphe and died in captiuitie and one of his sonnes was the scribe of the magistrates Tigranes king of Armenia prostrated himselfe before Pompey and asking pardon he lifted him vp and put the Diademe on his head which he had throwen downe Ptolemey king of Cypres threw himselfe head-long into the sea knowing that by the instance of Clodius the Tribune Cato was sent thitherto carie away his treasures Syphax Iugurtha and Iuba being great kings in Africke ended vnhappely Sertorius was slaine by treason Marius flying from Rome in extreme danger of his life hid himselfe in the marish about Minturnes and went to sea in a squiffe without victuals to the fortune of the windes and the waues afterwards being returned he died being three score and ten yeares olde and almost mad His sonne slew himselfe at Preneste Sylla died eaten with wormes and lyce Crassus being ouercome beyond Euphrates by the Parthians was slaine as he parlied on safeguard Pompey was beheaded in the shore of Alexandria Cesar
thereon it wil bee founde by true reason of Cosmography that they neuer possessed the twelfth part of the earth ZENON the first authour of the secte of the Stoickes ymagined an vniuersall forme of gouernement tending to this that all men should not liue by townes peoples and nations being separated by particular lawes rightes and customes but that they should account themselues fellow citizens and that there was but one sorte of life as there is but one world no otherwise then as if it were but one flocke feeding vnder one shepheard in common pastures PLATO also wished that there were on earth but one king as there is in heauen but one God to th end that the humaine gouernement might therein resemble the diuine which Lord of the world as a true shepheard of mankind should loue al men indifferently as his naturall subiectes maintayning them with good maners lawes iudgements and assured entercourse both by sea and lande so great a prince not bearing enuy to any person and hauing no occasion to enlarge his frontiers by ambition which would be the cause of ceasing so many enmities warres slaughters spoiles and robberies happening amongst men through the pluralitie and dissentions of gouernements Which matters being by them grauely and magnificently propounded are much more easie to bee wished then effected considering the diuersity of tongues dissimilitude of maners and customes varietie of sects and vanity of opinions that raigne amongest men and make them to lose that loue which is wished amongest them hindering the establishing of one vniuersall common wealth of all and consequently a Monarchie of people so much differing in estimation of diuine and humaine right and the religion and seruice of God One man alone can not possesse all the earth the greatest part of it being drowned by the sea and in some places where it is vncouered of waters being vnhabitable thorough excessiue heate or cold And if he should possesse it hee would straight forget himselfe in so great authoritie and libertie and become proud beyond measure waxing tyrannicall and insupportable as it happened to Cambyses to Nero to Sesostris to Attila to Tamberlan and to Alexander the great who thorough extreeme ouerweening would be accounted and called the sonne of God and for his insolencie was poisoned by his most familiar friends and as it happened to OCTAVIAN AVGVSTVS who suffered Temples to be consecrated to him and diuine honours to be giuen him in his life time Considering also that there is a certaine measure and proportion of greatnes in Townes Cities and States euen as in liuing creatures plantes and instruments which when it exceedeth loseth his nature and vse As it befell vnto this ROMAINE EMPIRE which being clymed vp to an incomparable greatnesse and inestimable wealth did fall est soones into great calamities and was finally ouerthrowen as others had bin before it which we wil compare togither setting downe their similitudes and differences A COMPARISON OF THE ROMAIN Empire with the Assyrian Median Persian Macedonian and Parthian AMongest the great auncient kingdomes the ASSYRIAN was excellent in nobility mighty in armes large in compasse of land and in continuance admirable which being augmented by Belus Ninus and Semiramis and enlarged by the spacious countries of Asia was the first that amongest all other Empires which it farre exceeded obtayned the name of an established Monarchie and for the space of a thousand three hundred and threescore yeres vnder thirtie eight kinges florished greatly After followed that of the MEDES which vnder nine kings continued CClxj yeres well gouerned in peace and warre Then raigned the PERSIANS who hauing added Egypt vnto their dominion and increased their strength and riches when they had prospered two hundred and thirtie yeres they lost their state vnder Darius their fourteenth king From that time forwarde the MACEDONIANS by the successe and conduct of Alexander obtained the rule ouer Asia which they lost one hundred and twenty yeres after giuing occasion by their ciuill dissentions to the Parthians in the East and to the Romaines in the West to increase and grow great Then the Romaines towardes the West seasing the Macedonian Seigniorie which though it were great indeed yet was but weake by the diuision of the princes who had parted it betweene them established the greatest and fairest Empire that euer was For if all the famous Monarckes amongest the straungers bee compared vnto the Romaine Emperours there will not bee founde any amongest them that haue done greater thinges either in peace or warre or that haue more enlarged their Empire and longer maintained it The AssyriaÌ„s went not out of Asia The Medians endured only cclx yeres the Persians hauing ouercome the Medes obtained almost al Asia but when they assailed Europe they little preuailed And the Persians being ouerthrowen the Macedonian Empire was greater then al the former but it endured but a whiles For incontinently after the death of Alexander being deuided into many Lordships it was easily supplanted by the Romaines And although it were very â—arge yet it went not into spacious Africk sauing where it reacheth vnto Egypt neither possessed all Europe being bounded on the north with the countrey of Thrace and towards the West with the Adriaticke sea But the ROMAIN EMPIRE extended into Europe Asia and Africk from the Orcades and Thule on the one side Spaine and Mauritania on the other euen to the hill Caucasus and the riuer Euphrates and the higher Ethiopia trauersing the countrey of Egypt and of Arabia euen to the East sea being the first and only which to this present hath made the East and West his limits and hath endured longer then any other excepting the Assyrian Touching the PARTHIAN which was at the same time when the Romain opposed against it being encreased with the ruines of the Macedonian in the East as the Romain was also in the west albeit it was very great and terrible vnto all the East as comprehending eighteene kingdomes betweene the Caspian and the red sea and being far stretched out towarde the Indies and famous by many ouerthrowes which it had giuen to the Romaines as namely by the death of Crassus and shameful retreat of Antonius yet obtained it but one part of Asia and receaued some kings from Rome which being begon by Arsaces endured only cccclxiij yeres vnder twenty and seanâ—n kings And the second PERSIAN also was of no greater circuit which was set vp by the Persian Artaxerxes hauing ouercome in three battailes and in the end slaine Artabanus the last king of the Parthians and ended cccxiij yeres after it was restored being ouerthrowen vnder Hormisdas the xxviij king by the Arabians THE BIRTH OF ROME AND CONTI nuance thereof compared to the foure Ages of mans life AS the Astrologers say that cities haue their reuolutions and prefixed times of continuance which is knowen by the situation of starres at the day of their natiuities For this cause Tarucius a Romaine in the time of Cicero and of
their confidence in them which tourned them vnto euill A COMPARISON OF THE POWER of Alexander the great with that which the Romains had in his time and if hauing conquered Asia he had tourned his forces into Europe what might haue happened by the iudgement of Liuie LIVIE in the ninth booke of his first Decade speaking of PAPIRIVS CVRSOR sayth that in that time being as fertile of vertues as any other there was no man on whom the state of Rome did more depende then on him and which is more they accounted him matchable in courage with Alexander the great if hauing subdued Asia he had tourned his armes into Europe Nothing lesse sayeth he may seeme to haue bin sought from the beginning of this worke then that I shoulde wander farther then appertaineth to the order of thinges and that beautifying the worke with varieties I should recreate the readers with pleasant digressions and giue my minde some rest Yet the mention of so great a King and Capitaine maketh mee set downe here the secrete thoughtes which sometyme haue come into my head as to knowe what had happened to the Romaines if they had made warre against Alexander the great Often times in warre the multitude and valiancy of Souldiours may doe much as also the wisedome of Captaines and fortune which is mighty in all humaine and especially in military affaires Considering these things both seuerally and togither I finde that they made the Romain Empire inuincible against this King as against all other Kings and Nations First beginning by the comparison of Capitaines I denye not that Alexander was an excellent Capitaine but hee is the more renowmed because hee was alone and dyed young vpon the augmentation of his affaires hauing not yet tasted of aduerse fortune not speaking of other Kinges and famous Capitaines that haue â—in notable examples of humaine accidents What made Cyrus so much celebrated by the Greâ—ians to fall into the aduersities of contrary fortune but his long life as not long sithende it happened vnto Pompey the great I will not speak of the Romain Captaineâ— which were at other seasons but of those with whom as being Consuls or Dictatours Alexander had fought namely M. Valerius Coruinus â— Marcus Rutilius C. Sulpitius Titus Manlius Torquatus Qu. Publius Philo Lucius Papirius Cursor Quintus Fabius Maximus and the two Decij Lucius Volumnius Marcus Lucius and other great personages following if he had preferred the Punick warre before the Romain and then being of more yeares had passed into Italie In euery of which there was the same vigour of spirite and mind that was in Alexander and militarie discipline from the beginning of the Citie successiuely deliuered from hand to hand and ordained in forme of an art by the principall precepts thereof Thus did the Kings fight and thus they that draue them away namely the Iunij and Valerij Thus consequently the Fabij Quintij and Cornelij Thus Furius Camillus who being old saw the two yong ones that should haue fought with Alexander To whom also Manlius Torquatus would not haue giuen place if he had met him equally in battaile neither Vaserius Coruinus both of them notable souldiers before they were Captaines Neither would the two Decij haue yeelded any whit vnto him who marching against the enemie disaduowed their bodies and bequeathed them to death Papirius Cursor would not haue yeelded to him with that strength of bodie and courage that was in him And that I may not stand to name euery one this Senate accounted to consist of Kings would not haue suffered it selfe to be supplanted by the counsaile of a yong man And he that so esteemeth it comprehendeth the true forme of the Romain Senate But peraduenture it is to be feared that he would haue pitched his campe better then any of those whom I haue named conuoyed his vittailes conducted his carriages kept himselfe from ambushes chosen the time of fight aranged the battaile and assured himselfe of succours But he should no more haue said that he had met with Darius accompanied with women and Eunuches armed betweene purple and gold effeminated and weakned by the pompe of his fortune rather a pray then an enemie whom he ouercame without bloudshed happie in this that he dared to so good purpose despise such vanities He should haue found Italie much different from India thorough which he went banqueting with his dronken armie when hee should haue heere seene the forrestes of Apulia and the Mountaines of Leucania and the traces or foote-stepps of the ouerthrowe of his auncestours where his vncle Alexander lately king of Epirus had bin ouercome We speak of Alexander not yet plonged in prosperitie wherein he showed himselfe as insolent as euer did any Prince Who if he be considered by the state of his new fortune and by that new minde which he caried after his victories hee had comen into Italie more resembling Darius then Alexander and had brought thither his host not remembring Macedonia any longer and alreadie degenerating into the manners of the Persians It is grieuous to me to recite iâ—â—o great a king the proud changing of his garment and the desired flatteries of those which cast them selues prostrate on the ground before him being not onely â—â—k some to the vanquished but also euen to the victorious Macedonians and the shameful punishments and murders of his friends amongst his cuppes and the vanitie of his supposed and fained race And if from that time forward he had become a greater drunkard more â—â—uâ—l and more sodaine in his anger which are vndoubted things amongst those that haue written of him would not these viâ—â—s haue much endamaged and hindred the Imperiall vertues Is that to be feared which some light persons amongst the Greeks namely fauouring the glorie of the Parthians against the Romain name haue accustomed to say that the people of Rome could neuer haue sustayned the maiestie of the name of Alexander who I think was neuer knowen to them not so much as by â—ame Against whom some in the Citie of Athens whiles they yet beheld before their eies the smoking ruine of Thebes supplanted by the armes of the Macedonians dared in full assemblies to speak freely as appeareth by the writings of their Oratours would none amongst so many Romaine Lords haue spoken freely Let his greatnes be of so great reckoning yet shall it be but the greatnes of a man gotten by the felicitie of little more then ten yeares And they which extoll him for asmuch as the people of Rome hauing not bin ouercome in any warre yet hath had the worst in sundrie battailes and that Alexander had the better in all they do not consider that they compare the acts of one man being yet yong with those of a people which hath alreadie warred for the space of eight hundred yeares Do we then meruaile if on this side be more ages then yeares on the other that fortune hath bin more variable in this long space then in
the common wealth of Rome Hannibal to Italy and the countrie of Lybia TAMBERLAN brought the Turks to a piteous state out of which they soone arose and became more mighty then before as the Greekes and Romaines oppressed by Xerxses and Hannibal when they thought themselues vtterly ouerthrowen came to greater glory A COMPARISON OF THE KING doms Empires or Monarchies and common weales of these daies with those of auncient time IT is mencioned in the holy scripture how Nabuchodonosor saw an Image of an exceeding greatnes the head whereof was of gold the brest and armes of siluer the belly and thighes of brasse the leggs of yron the feete part of yron and part of earth And when he was awaked because he could not remember his dreame and yet founde himselfe sore troubled and fryghted therewith hee called togither his deuinours before him whom he commanded to expound vnto him what his dreame was and the meaning thereof and if they failed herein he threatned to put them to death Which being vnderstood by Daniel a yong man that had bin brought thither as a Captiue from Hierusalem he made it knowen that he could fulfill the kinges desire and being presented to the king he declared first what the king had dreamed and then interpreted the meaning of his dreame saying that the Image signified the foure soueraigne Empires of the world which should succeed in order one after another namely the Babylonian Persian Greeke and Romain Thereupon he spake vnto the king in such termes Thou art certainly the golden head of this Image thou I say whom God hath decked with supreme power and glorie to whom he hath giuen dominion ouer all men ouer the beastes of the field and the birds of the aire And after thee shall come another kingdome of siluer that is to say worse then thine which is present The third shall be of brasse which shall be stretched out farr and wide the fourth of yron for as yron bruseth and ouercommeth al things so likewise this fourth shal bruse all the rest and subdue them to it selfe The power of Nabuchodonosor is compared to a high tree reaching vnto heauen and couering the vniuersall world with the shadow thereof whose leaues are singularly faire and the fruit so plentiful that all beastes are fed and fatted therewith In whose boughes and branches all sorts of birdes do build their nestes and make their resorte Whereby the scripture signifieth the Assyrian Monarchie which was augmented vnder this King and exalted to the highest Daniel also sawe in a dreame foure beastes comming out of the sea a Lyon a Beare a Leopard and the fourth being terrible and horrible to behold The Lyon signifieth the raigne of the Assyrians and the two winges which hee giueth him are as the two members of this Empire Babylon and Assyria By the Beare is meant the kingdome of Persia by which that of Babylon was destroyed The three ribbes which he sayth were betweene his teeth are the principall Kings of this Monarchie Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes excelling aboue the rest which haue eaten much flesh that is to say haue ioyned many nations to their dominion The Panther or Leopard is the Empire of Alexander the great or of the Grecians The foure winges and heades are the foure kingdoms issued out of this Monarchie after the death of Alexander The fourth and last beast is the Romain Empire the ten hornes are the members or parts thereof Syria Egypt Asia the lesser Greece Africke Spayne France Italy Germany and England for the ROMAINS ruled ouer all these Nations Amongst these ten hornes ariseth and groweth vp another little horne which taketh away three of the otherten whereby is vnderstood the kingdome of MAHOMET or of the TVRKES which being risen from a small beginning in the Romaine Monarchy hath seized the three principall partes thereof Egypt Asia and Greece Moreouer this little horne hath eies and is iniurious against God for Mahomet proposed new Doctrine hauing the appearance of wisedome which is signified by the eies and yet notwithstanding blasphemeth God abolishing the Christian doctrine and outraging of his Saincts vntil such time as the Auncient which hath neither beginning nor ende commeth vnto Iudgement Whereby is euidently to bee vnderstood that the course of this world shal end in this Empire that there shal not folow any other But that al principalities of the world being abolished that euerlasting kingdome shal come whereof CHRIST is the Author and conductour Thus haue some Diuines expounded Daniel Others accommodate it onely vnto Babylon which fell vnder the dominion of the Persians Medes Greeks and Parthians which hath bin often desolate and finally ouerthrowen not thinking it good to reduce all Empires vnto foure considering there haue bin others of great power and largenes As of the Medes who supplanted the Assyrians of the Parthians which ouercame the Macedonians oftentimes vanquished the Romains as hauing parted the world with thē obtained the East ruled al Asia between the red sea and the Caspian a good way toward the Indies Of the Egyptians whose kings excelled in praise of valiancy deeds of armes al other nations which would blot out deface the great excellent victories of the Persians Macedonians Romains if the long course of yeres would permit their renown to endure till this time the rest no way surpassing them but in the happines of their Historiographers who are more read by a fresher memory of their antiquitie Of the Arabians or Sarasens which possessed Persia Babylon destroying the Romain Empire in the East and enioyed a great part of Asia Africke and Europe planting there not onely their armies and seigniories but their religion also and their tongue Of the Gothes who inuaded not onely the prouinces of the Romaine Empire in the West but tooke and sacked Rome the seate of the Empire raigning in Italy lxx yeres although Alexander who ouerthrewe the kingdome of the Persians raigned but twelue yeares who like a lightening thunder leaped into diuers parts leauing his state to many successours disagreeing amongst themselues who lost it incontinently Finally of the Tartarians who may be compared with all the former who won Bactriana and Sogdiana the prouinces of the Babylonian Persian and Parthian Empire and destroied Babylon it selfe vnder the conduct of their Lord Halao At this day there are great estates namely toward the East Of Cathay or of China in the Northren India and of Narsingue in the Southern whereunto the Persian is neere That of the Moscouite in the North and the Abyssin or Ethiopian in the south In the West the Spanish and French The Turkish is as it were in the middest of all very great and riche which notwithstanding is not to be compared to that of the Romaines who ruled from the Orcades and Thule on the one side Spaine and Mauritania on the other as far as the hill Caucasus and to the riuer Euphrates and the higher Ethiopia trauersing
oftentimes of the falling euil to excuse himselfe of this disease he affirmed that the Angell Gabriel spake vnto him and brought him the Law which he published as spoken by the mouth of God and reuealed from aboue albeit it be ful of iniquitie and of lies He gaue men to vnderstand that God first sent Moises vnto mankinde then IESVS CHRIST with miracles and because they had not obeyed him that he sent at that time Mahomet with strong hand to the end that such as were not moued by miracles should be constrained by armes And that the Mosaical and Christian law being to rigorous he was sent to soften them by the publication of more easie precepts That there should come no other messenger and that he was the last that was foretolde by Christ in the ghospel And so hath established a new sect and most pernicious mingled of the old and new testament whereof he hath peruerted many places endeuouring to subuert the holy Trinity and to abolish the diuinity of Iesus Christ and the misteries of his death passion and resurrection But those of his side which wil be called Musulmans doe speake much otherwise and do exalt him infinitely as the most excellent parsonage of the world hauing maliciously inuented many lies of his pretended excellency to make him the more admirable and to drawe the more people to his beliefe Amongst others they haue dreamed of a prophetical light which appeared first in Adam then was continued from prophet to prophet vntil Mahomet shyning in their faces euen as the sun in faire weather and the moone when it is full That as soone as a new prophet was conceiued it passed from the husband to the wife and the child borne of her and remained with him til being waxen great he had ingendred another As soon then saith he as Adam was created as he stood vp his braine shaked and made a noise as the leaues do which are shaken with the wind and that Adam wondring thereat God said vnto him The sound which thou hast heard and whereat thou meruailest is the signe of the prophets and messengers which shall preach my commandements and therefore thou shalt take heed that the same seed of light be not put but into a cleane wombe And when he had ingendred Seth who is the father of the prophets and the chiefe of the messengers of God at the instant that light passed from the face of Adam into the face of Eue who while she was with child shined in such sort that the birdes of the aire and beastes of the earth wondered at the beauty and brightnes of her face Adam himselfe was astonied therewith Euery day the Angels saluting her brought her odours of Paradice till such time as shee brought forth Seth alone because that afore shee alwaies had two at a burden male and female brother and sister Seth being borne caryed in his face the shyning of that light which before his mother bare which light remained straight betweene heauen and earth the Angels descending thereby vpon Seth and crying alwaies Reioyce thou earth worthy of the light of Mahomet on him bee the praier of God and the saluation When his father Adam drew neere to his end he declared vnto him by his Testament the mystery of the light and the genealogie of the prophetes Then descended Gabriel accompained with lxx thousand Angels bearing euerie one of them a white leafe and a pen which signed the writing saying that His voice was exalted and that the will of God was that the order of the propheticall generation should be continued So Seth receiued the writing signed and was clothed by the Lord with a doublered garment shyning as the sunne and soft as the violet floure They affirmed that this light passed after this maner from Adam to Seth from Seth to Enoch and from Enoch by continuall succession to Noe and Sem then to Abraham at whose birth two lights comming out of the East and the west met togither in the middest of the earth enlightning the whole world in one and the Angels were heard singing that it was the light of the Prophet Mahomet who should be borne of his seede whose word should be in the vertue of God This light passed from Abraham to Ismael and from Ismael to Amofre to whom it seemed that their grew forth of his loines a tree whose branches shyned and reached vnto heauen and that by the boughes thereof there went white men vp and downe He vnderstood of the deuinours that this high tree signified a great lignage which should lighten the earth and clime vp into heauen From Amofre it came to Abdamutalib the Graundfather of Mahomet a personage replenished with all vertue and when there was any drought as soone as this light shined on the earth it presently rained there An elephant prostrated himselfe before him speaking with the voice of a man said Saluation be on you and on the light that shineth out of your reines Dignity fame honour and victory be on you and that there shoulde proceede forth of him a king greater then al the kings of the earth An other time sleeping on the stone which was placed by Abraham in his Oratorie at Mecha he dreamed that there issued out of his reines a chain parted in foure on one side stretched toward the East on thother side towards the west vpwards as high as heauen and downewards to the botome of the depth and that sodainly it was all wound vp togither and then changed into a great herbe greene and florishing such as was neuer seene amongest men That in the meane time there stood by him two olde men towards whom tourning he asked them who they were and they confessed that the one of them was Noe and thother Abraham prophets of the most high God and tolde him that out of his reines should come a man by whome the heauen and earth should beleeue and all nations should be conuerted vnto Iustice and trueth The Magicians Sorcerers deuinours conspired against Abdalle the sonne of Abdamutalib and father of Mahomet for to kill him because that al their practise was to be ouerthrowen by his seed and to him was giuen a Tutour as a defender who seemed as a man but was none who perpetually watching ouer him tourned away al their mischieuous deuises Also the Iewes conspired against him and he was preserued from them by lxx Angels which seemed men and were not Leauing all other women he wedded Emina and when the time was come which God had foreseen and prescribed to put finally into the worlde the light of the prophet Mahomet the voice of the Lorde was heard saying The gates of Paradise should be opened and the innermost of his secret manifested for it pleaseth me this night to transport the light of my prophet from the reines of Abdalle into the wombe of Emina and that it come into the world This being done as Abdalle the Iudge and Lord of the Arabians
went vnto the house of praier he perceiued a great light to lighten from his house vp towardes heauen and by and by he dyed leauing his wife with childe And within twelue daies after Mahomet was borne Then all Idoles fel and became blacke All kingdomes were destroied from the East vnto the West and not one stood vpright Lucifer was cast into the bottome of the sea where he remained fortie daies and with much a doe came out therehence then calling all his fellowes he shewed them that Mahomet was borne who would take away all their power and therefore they should determine to corrupt the worlde with hypocrisie riotousnes and pleasure At the same hower God made it to bee vnderstood thoroughout heauen and earth that hee had a faithfull and happy friend borne vnto him His mother witnessed that in bearing and bringing him forth in her child-birth she felt not any paine at all and that from aboue there were sent to nourish him flockes of birdes with beakes of Emerauldes and winges of hyacinth who lifting vp their eies from the East toward the West and looking towards the child perceiued that he was almost fledged and helde out his handes as it were to pray vnto God There came also a man clothed in white rayment presenting him with three keies like vnto pearles which hee tooke namely the key of victory the key of the lawes and the key of prophecy And afterwarde came three persons with their faces shyning of whome the first caried a cawderon of Emeraudes with foure handles of pearles well appropriated and offering it vnto him said This is the world and his foure corners East West North and South Mahomet accepting it all it was foretolde him that hee should commaund ouer all the worlde And when this man had washed him thrice hee kissed his forehead speaking thus Be glad O Mahomet for that is reserued for thee which hath bin denyed vnto the prophets which surmountest all in wisedome and magnanimity And the key of victorie being especially giuen thee thou shalt be without feare and there shall bee none remayning in the worlde but shall tell of thy name And then assembled all sorts of birdes the cloudes and the windes and finally the companies of Angels striuing for the nourishment of the child The birdes said that they were fittest considering that they could gather fruites from diuers places The windes that they could fill him with odours The cloudes that they would nourish him most conueniently hauing meanes to imparte vnto him the sweetenesse of waters The Angels being angred said that there remained nothing for them But a voice from aboue appeased the debate declaring that he should not be taken out of the handes of men and that happie shoulde bee those brestes which shoulde giue him sucke happie the handes which should handle him and happie should be his house and his bed An asse being almost famished with honger kneeled downe to worship him and hauing him on her backe lift vp her head and went beyond the others which had gotten before her And when as euery one meruailed thereat the asse answered for her selfe speaking in the voice of man Thus hath God restored me as I perished and hath raised me from death to life O if you knew what I beare It is the seale of the prophets the Lord of the messengers better then all the former friends of God Three men caried him vp to a mountaine and ript vp his belly without griefe or harme The first opened him from the brest vnto the nauell and washed his entrailes with snowe The seconde cleaued his harte in the midst and tooke out thereof a blacke graine saying it was the portion of the deuill The third clensing the place made him whole againe Hee was then thus nourished according to their fabulous saying and grewe in such sorte that hee neuer gaue any cause of trouble or griefe to those which nourished him Seraphin kept him three yeares and Gabriel ninteene who gaue vnto him the Lawe in the fortieth yeare of his age and caried him to heauen Wherehence being descended and associated with Eubocara Haly and Zaid hee calleth him selfe the prophet of God preaching publicklie And not onely maketh himselfe beleeued by his worde but also by force considering that the sworde preuaileth more with people then reason fighting often against his aduersaries in so much that they reckon twentie and two expeditions of his hauing bin present in person at nyne and in his life time giuen eighteene battailes in which hee obtayned victorie conquered Mecha with the places rounde about and possessed the rest of Arabia Then seeing himselfe fortified hee wrote to the Princes of other languages as to the King of Persia the Emperour of the Romaines the king of Ethiopia and others that they would willingly receaue his Law They haue forged many other lies of him like vnto these which I wil purposely omitt fearing tedious prolixity and least in reciting of scandalous blasphemies I should offend Christian eares As touching his death they say he died of a Plurisie or of the falling euill the Lxiij yeare of his age and that hauing foretold in his sicknesse that the third day after his death he should be caried into Heauen the people expecting it kept him so long that by the stinch of his carion they were constrayned to burie him at Medina surnamed since of the Prophet Such then was the beginning of the Algier of MAHOMET that is to say of his raigne which endured ten yeares after the which his followers do recken their yeares as we do ours after the Natiuitie of Christ. His parents and successours continuing the enterprise haue persisted till this present in the publication of that Lawe by preaching and by force making their power verie great and spreading with their Empire the Arabian religion and language almost in all parts of the habitable earth Then the Mahometists made at the beginning great conquests vnder the gouernment of one only Lord called the Caliphe which was king priest together hauing the superintendence and conduct of all their affaires concerning not onely pietie and iustice but also armes and reuenewes all possessions sacred or prophane libertie and bondage life and death But as they increased in countries so they entred into partialities and while this schisme endured they created in Egipt an other Caliphe leauing him of Bagdet as too superstitious and rigorous who excommunicated them and declared them Hereticks The Caliphe of Bagdet commaunded in all the East And thother of Egipt who diminished his authoritie had but little lands at the first But he conquered in proces of time all Barbary and a great part of Spaine For the Saracens vnder his obedience passed into Africk where they tooke Carthage Maiorca Minorca and following their good fortune marched as far as Mauritania And still endeuouring to increase they passed into Europe at the perswasion of an Earle a western Gothe called Iulian who beeing much moued with the