in derogatyng and takyng away the aucthoritie of Emperours at his pleasure Wherfore they made congregacions also and reiectyng the byshop of Rome excommunicacion excommunicated hym lykewyse Now went the Emperoure into Italy to treate and finish this controuersy In the meane season was Rudolfus duke of Schwaben chosen Emperour of y ◠contrary party in the town Phorcen whych was about the yere of oure lorde M. lxxvii The byshop of Rome sente Rudolfus a crowne wherein was wrytten thys verse Petra dedit Petro Petrus dyadema Rudolfo That is Chryst the Stone gaue the crowne to Peter Peter geueth to Rudolfe both crowne and septer Whereby he wolde sygnyfye that Christe gaue the Empyre to the byshoppe of Rome and that he lykewyse geueth it to princes Therfore came Henry haystely agayn into Germany droue Rudolfus out of Schwaben into Saxonye and foughte some battayls wyth hym by the ryuer Vnstrote in the which were slayne the byshops of Worms and Magdeburg The yeare M. lxxx was foughten the laste felde agaynste Rudolfe by Mersburge and in the same battayll was Rudolphus ryghte hande stryken of Whan euerye man nowe fled into the cytye Marsburge the hande was brought to the new Emperoure lyenge in hys bedde where the byshops stoode aboute The whyche as he sawe he sayde Lomy Lordes ye byshops thys ys the hande wherewyth I haue promysed my lord Henrye sayeth and loyaltye iudge ye your selues now howe godly ye haue counseled me to decyner from him Thys is a very myserable complaynte whyche declareth the troubled mind of the prince to haue iudged it self gilty of vprour Of this wise dyed Rudolfus about the .iiij. year of his election Whome I praye you would it not moue wythout he be of yron this so dredefull example to obey hys magistrate to beware of vproure Yet were not the byshops in the meane tyme in reste and set the sonne also against the father Hiltebrand the byshop boasted to haue sene a vision in his slepe that an vnlawfull Emperoure should dye that same yeare But thys was Caiphas prophecye for the punishment fell not vpon Henry but on the byshop of Romes adherentes After this victory came Henry to Rome and takyng in the citie by force he toke Hiltebrand the byshop and put hym from his office and in his steade was chosen the byshop of Rauenna called Clemēs and of hym was Henry the fourth crowned As for Hiltebrand died not longe after in exile Sigebertus the history writer doth not greatly prayse Hiltebrande and doth reprehende the man◠dedes that he did disquiet the peaceable state of the churche and empyre without greate cause and writeth also that Hiltebrande when he was dyeng should hymselfe haue complayned it and should haue required of Henry by embassage forgeuenesse of hys trespasse Hiltebrande forbade the priestes of Germany to mary and many that were maryed caused he to be diuorced The yeare of Christe M. ciij. when Henry had vāquished the Saxons the erle of Misen Erbert was slayne whome the byshops made to truste to be Emperoure after Rudolfus Besides that when al maters of Germany and Italy were set at a stay was Henry the fyft chosen Emperoure by Henry the fourth hys father Wherefore dyd the byshoppes procure by this Henry that he shoulde ryse against his father and driue hym out of the empyre But this greued the good prince greatly Wherefore Henry the sonne makyng a leage the yeare M C. v. dyd fyrst besyege his father at Mentz but the princes refusyng to assault it Henry the sonne was fayne to departe and leauyng Mentz went with the hoost to Norinberg and gat and spoyled it in the space of two monethes The father persued the sonne and on both sydes were they a while in their campes by Regensburg but they came neuer to playne felde by reason the princes went alwaye betwene But the sonne warned the father to beware of hys owne seruauntes wherefore he fled priuely to Ludich and dyed there that same yeare But when he had lyen vnburied fyue yeares by reason of the excommunicacion or course of the Romyshe byshop he optayned absolucion and was buried at Spire There are yet wrytynges at thys houre that were sent to the kynge of Fraunce by Henry the father treatyng of the iniury of the sonne and their malice which set the sonne against the father Reade more of this tragedy in the life of Hiltebrād prynted seuerally in Englyshe Of the takyng in and possessyng the citie Hierusalem IN the tyme of this Henry the fourth began the settyng forth to warre into Iewry against the Saracens and Turkes The fyrst capitayne was Godfre of Bilion prince of Lothringe or Lorain Hym accompanied the best princes and lordes of Gallia The yere M. xcix Godfre wan the citie Ierusalē and was straight waye made kyng But he refused to be crowned with a golden crowne there where Christes was crowned with a crown brayded of thornes This happened foure hundreth thre score and eight yeres before that Hierusalem was taken out of the Perses power by Heraclius But not muche aboue thirtene yeres after became the Saracens lordes of Hierusalem Many yeares after were the Saracens dryuen out of Hierusalem by the Turkes About this tyme gat the Christiās Ierusalem again and subdued many cities contreis there about They had the realme of Ierusalem lxxxviij yeares vntyll the yere of Christ a thousand one hundreth foure score seuen The Souldane wanne Ierusalem againe in the tyme of Frederick Barbarossa The chaunge of many duchyes in Germany HOw many miseries the inwarde warre of Germany whiche was sturred by the byshop of Rome wylenesse hath brought with it may easely be gathered thereby that when the princes and great men were slayne the lord shyppes and dominions were chaunged Henry the fourth gaue to the Catuly Lordes of Schwaben the lande of Baier After Rudolphus death gaue Henry the fourth the duchy of Schwaben to Frederick of Stauffen hys sonne in lawe that had maried hys daughter The auncetry or kynred of the Frankes dyed in a very shorte space Ecbertus erle of Misnia was slayne Gebhardus the father of that Lotharius whiche became afterward Emperoure was slayne also in a battaill and to conclude the power of Germane is wholy made feble and turned vpsyde downe by this debate of the princes Whan Hiltebrande was deade a byshop called Victor the third of that name was chosen out of the citie of Rome by his companions in spete of Clement But when Victor was deade a litle after by them was Vrbanus the ij chosen byshop of Rome The same returned to Ro. by their ayde that were ▪ now appointed to go to Ierusalem Being restored in the see he droue out Clemens Paschalis the ij succeded Vrbanus the .ij. Thissame was first taken by Henry the fyft Afterward did he constrayne hym to crowne hym Emperoure Henry the fyft the xvij Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christe M.
and founde in a great corne felde harde packed in belles as though they had bene stamped and beaten into them with pestelles whiche belles were conueyed thether out of the churche steples by the violence and outragiousnes â—o the saied tempest Besides this there were men and women taken vp in the stretes caried a great way of into y â— feldes In the houses were in dyuers places the dores and wyndowes lifted of from the hynges the tables subuerted and great holes made and beaten in the walles So that there was neuer suche a tempest sene before Besides this there was the same yere in the parties of DuchelaÌ„d in Sommer very many sodaine fearfull tempestes with hayle lightenyng and thoÌ„der more then euer was hard of before with great colde and muche rayne which also was an occasion that the wines in many places had no good successe This yere the .viij. day of Ianuary died in Englande the lady Katherine Dowager which had ben diuorsed from the kyng by due proces of the lawe two yeres before This yere in England was Anne bulleyne quene of Englande the lorde Rochiford Nores Weston BrutoÌ„ and Markes beheaded And the kyng maried lady Iane Seimour This yere also in October began in Englande a foolysh commotion in Lincolinshyre and in yorke shyre whiche by the kynges wysedome and his prudent couÌ„saill were appesed without bloud sheding I In the yeare of oure lorde 1536. The byshop of Geneue the duke of Sauoy besieged the citie of Geneffe because thinhabiters of the same had receiued the Gospell And when they of Genneffe admonished thinhabitantes of the towne of Berne of their coÌ„federacioÌ„ they of Berne sent their imbassadours to the Duke exhorting and admony shyng hym to remembre al loues faithfulnesses and confederations that had ben betwene them of a loÌ„g tyme and requiring hym to departe from the citie of Genneffe But in as muche as their request dyd not onely take no place but also the saied duke main tayned and defended their open enemy and aduersary called Mussy Castellanus and in al this nogeÌ„tyll exhortacion could serue nor preuayle they of Berne aduertised hym that they would visitie him with warres and renounced the bonde of coÌ„federation whiche had bene made betwene them before in so muche that they sent their capitaine called Iohn Frauncis Clauicula with an host of men wel apointed into the lande of Sauoy whiche ouercame all the lande within fewe dayes whiche the said Duke had inpossession euen from the mouÌ„taines of Switzerland vnto the fortresse of Rodani with the two bisâ—oprikes of Genneffe and Lausanâ—a Wherein they coÌ„stituted and established ministers to preache the gospell and ordeined rulers and magistrates accordingâ—y So that now the Switzers reposed againe their olde coastes which they had in their power many yeres before But there were within the space of a moneth very many Castelles and strong-holdes destroied by the Switzers among the wiâ—h also the olde strong clausa Rodani builded by the Emperour Iulius otherwise called Iulius Cesar â–ª to stoppe vp barre the way of the Switzers for commyng into Fraunce and had bene hetherto inuincible was quite ouerthrowen and destroied Of this battaill of y â— citesens of Berren apeared a good sygne a litle before where about .iiij. hundreth men of Berne Newebourgh other quarters of Switzerlande preuely beyng called together were sent thorough by pathes to ayde and strengthen the citie of Geneue which helde a notable battaill conflict with the men of Sauoy For when they were for lacke of victuals coÌ„strained to come forth out of the mouÌ„taines they were assaulted by their aduersaries being strong about .xv. hundreth men which moued the said .iiij. hundreth men to battaill constrained them to fyght Insomuche that they as huÌ„gry faint as they were layde so about them defended themselues in such sorte as they slew about iiij huÌ„dreth of their enemies put the rest to flight with the hoste which was not farre of being in nombre about .v. hundreth men so that they obtained a fre and a sure passage to accomplishe their iourney hauing lost on their side ten meÌ„ one womaÌ„ which was slayne with her sonne as she was fighting be sydes her husbande Here must I make mencion al so of the constancie that was in the people of Berne â–ª in that they coulde neither by power be feared nor yet by prayers and great giftes be prouoked to leaue the defence of their confederates For when the Emperour very earnestly offred them peace and attempted dyuers and sundry wayes to brynge them to an vnitie and by threatenynges and minaces to mollyfie them they proceded neuertheles to assiste their frendes and to set them at libertie But when Fraunces the Frenche kyng studied by many giftes to allure them and by great promyses to prouoke them to assiste him in his warres be gonne against themperoure and the Dukedome of Mylan they caused his imbassadours and messengers to auoyde out of their citie declaring vnto theÌ„ that the kyng ought to content hymselfe with the couenaunt and confederation whiche he had with them already that is that they should not endamage hym These thynges passed in Swicherlande Sauoy in the beginning of the sayd yere But the Frenche kyng proceded with his army to recouer the lande of Sauoy and to take possessioÌ„ of all that he came nygh for he pretended to clayme the heritage of the same Dukedom by his mothers syde Then fled the duke to the Emperour who at that season intended to kepe his Easter at Roome with the Pope as he did For vpon maundy thursday he wasshed the fete of twelue pore meÌ„ as their costume is yet at this day fed them and serued theÌ„ at the boorde in his owne person and in fine gaue them the vessels and disshes being of syluer wherwith they were serued Thus do suche Lordes and potentates counterfaith the outwarde actes dedes of our sauiour Christe after thexample of Apes But in their hartes where Goddes worde ought to be earnestly embraced learned and folowrd and not the preceptes and tradicions of men they are vtterly against Christ and clene contrary to his doctrine God graunt them ones to be illumined with the lyght of his Gospell that the poore flocke and congregation of Christe may be brought to a perfect vnitie Amen Now when the feaste of Easter was past the Emperours maiestie made his complaint before the Pope and his Cardinalles concernyng the greate iniuries whiche the Frenche kyng had inferred and committed againste hym all ready and yet pretended to do by the reason whereof he was vtterly coÌ„strayned against his will to defende his quarel and to warre against hym And to moue the Popes moste holy fatherhoode God forgeue me that I do hym wronge to holde on his syde and to take his parte he rehearsed vnto hym all the euilles and wicked feates whiche Fraunce had
thinhabitances of thesayd contry of Coppenhagen denyed them their requsst kyng Christiane beseged the sayd citye wyth such power and troubled them so sore on euery syde that no victualles might come at them by no maner of meanes In so muche that wythin short space victualles waxed so scant and famme so increaâ—led wythin the cyty that they were glad to vse dogges fleshe for theyr meate and also cattes And when thys prouisyon dyd also fayle them and no deliueraunce eppeared of no part for they hoped that Frederike the Palatine who had taken to wyfe the doughter of kyng Christierne as before is mentioned should haue moued battayll agaynst the Duke of Holstone whyche came not to passe they yelded vp the cyty to the chosen kynge Christian aboue mencyoned Durynge thesayed siege the kynges souldiours ouercame Warborough and toke that false Capytayne of the Lubekes called Markes Mayer prysoner who wyth hys brother Gerard Mayer and a Danysh pryeste was quartered shortly after After that thesayd Christian had ouercome and subdued the hole kyngdome of Denmarke accordyng to the duety of all godlye kynges and prynces he directed all hys doynges and procedynges to thys ende that the worde of God myghte be purely and syncerely preached and taughte to hys pore subiectes in all partes of hys dominions But when he perceyued the preuy practises which the Bishoppes of that lande for they were in a maner the mightyest of both the kyngdomes of Denmarke and Norway imagined and purposed to worke against hym to hyndre his godly enterprise and to mayntayne their Idolary he toke them all seuen for so many were they in nombre and deposed them from their power and dignitie so that they were not able any more to make diuision sedicion or commotion within his kyngdome as they were wonte to do When this was done he sent messengers to Wit tenbourgh and called for the right honorable and well learned doctor Iohn Bugenhaghe borne in the dominion of Pomerlande who is yet at thys daye preacher of Goddes worde and minister or curate at the parysh Churche at Wittenbourgh as he was then This godly man came at the kynges request and by the helpe of God establyshed in bothe the kyngdomes the preaching of the Gospell and the true ministracion of the Sacramentes very frutefully so that within the space of thre yeres for so long was he by about the kyng all the paryshes of the lande which were aboue .xxiiii. thonsande in nombre were prouided and furnyshed with preachers and ministers hauing Super attendenres ordeyned and appointed ouer them to haue the ouersyght of them and to haue an earnest respecte and a watchefull eye to their doctrine and conuersation of lyuing He crowned also kyng Christian at Coppenhaghe in the presence of all his nobles with the kyngly crowne of the land of both the kyngdomes And after this at the kinges request he prouided and furnyshed the high Scole or vniuersitie of Coppenhaghe with Lecures and Reders of holy scripture and of all other laudable sciences For the better increase and furnyshyng whereof he called for certayne learned men froÌ„ Wittenbourgh although the lande was not all voyde of suche men before To the mayntenaunce of whiche Godly order and institucion of doctrine as wel in the Churche as in the vniuersytie the kyng gaue large gyftes and appoynted great liuynges And he set such an order in both the kyngdomes that his subiectes may be glad and geue God hygh thankes that of his goodnes he woulde sende them suche a kyng God sende hym longe to reigne among them and styrre vp the like in many other regions to the praise and sanctifycacion of hys moste holy name Amen Henry the eyght kyng of Englande had his imbassadours certayne monethes at Wittenbourgh whiche accordynge to the kynges request caryed wyth them in Englande certayne wel learned doctours to preache the Gospell of Christ within hys Realme and dominions whereof the hole congregacion of Christ thoroughout all Germany conceiued a speciall reioysynge and comforte But alas their ioye was not longe permanent for the saied kyng within two yeares after repelled them and caused some of them to be put to death as here tikes And Englyshe men haue had a certayne prophecy of great antiquitie that when saynt Georges daye should fall on good frydaye whiche is in the yeare of oure lorde MD. xlvi the worde of God shoulde myghtely increasse and taken place among them which I praye God graunt vnto theÌ„ to his prayse and glory This yere in England also the lorde Darcy syr Fraunces Bygot Syr Robert Constable other began a newe conspyracy whiche were attaynted and put to death in Iune This yere in October in England also on saynt Edowardes euen was Prince Edowarde borne at Hampton Court whiche was proclaimed anoynted kyng of Englande the .ix. yere of his age as shal be declared hereafter in due place This yere the .xiiij. daye of October also dyed Quene Iane mother to the saied Prince Edward and was buried at Winsor This yere did Iames the kyng of Scotlande puyssaunt kyng Iohn of Portingale Sonne to the excellent kyng Emanuell had a great conflicte and victory agaynst the infideles in the Realme of Cambaia or Guzuratum lyeng in the Indes For after that he had by his capitaines specially by Nonne a Cugria who was ruler and gouernour of the kinges army in the Indes destroyed the coastes lieng towardes the Indysh sea subiecte to the kyng of Cambaia and when the same kyng was not able to resyste hym although he was of power to brynge foure hundred thousand men in Campe he made a gentle agrement with the Portyngalles and delyuered them two mighty cities with all their abilyties priuiledges liberties and dominions whereof the one is called Bazaim and the other Dium this the stronger and the other the rycher Whiche haue both vnder them about a syx hundreth Villages with certayn smal townes and srutesul landes contayning in length about a .lxxx. myles or leaques wherof the king hath yerely an C. thousand crewnes at the least in bare tribute besydes the woode whence for the mooste part all the prouision is takeÌ„ that is occupied for the shyppes in the Indes with other aduauntages In those partes caused the kyng of Portingall the Christian fayth to be planted and at the last kyng Badur of Cambaia for so was he called when he was inuaded by kyng Dey who was kynge of the Scythians and of the Tartares fled with all his treasure mother wyfe and chyldren into the Cytie of Dyum whiche he had geuen vp before desyrynge succour and defence against his enemy So that by this meanes the king of Portyngall had obtayned the moste parte of all the lande of the Indes vnder his tuition and defence without any notable shedyng of bloude These actes are described at large by the sayed kyng in a
seuen Cardinalles with .xlij. Prelates Then folowed an hundred valiaunt launceknyghtes for his defence With this army entred the shepehearde of Christes shepe if I do hym no wrong at that tyme into Nice after thexample of Christe on Palmesondaye and according to hys coÌ„maundement in the twenty Chapiter of Mathew After this â—ode the Pope in the same ordre to the chiefe Minister of the citie to make his prayer whiche beyng ended he caused hymselfe to be borne in to his Palice where themperoures maiestie came vnto hym and kissed hys fete whome the Pope lifted vp embraced hym and kyssyng hym on the toppe of his heade by lyke for a witnes that he is lorde ouer the Emperours head And after they had ben a good whyle together themperoure retourned agayne to his lodgyng Not long after this arryued the Frenche kyng at Villa Noua whiche is a place of his owne dominion lyeng not farre from Nice and shortely after repayred towarde the Pope where in fine a sted fast peace was concluded betwene both the parties that is to saye betwene themperours maiestie and the Frenche kyng to continue for the space of tenne yeres accordyng to the promyse made betwene them although it lasted scant two yeres as shalbe sayde hereafter whiche peace was restored the .xviij. day of the moneth of Iune and afterwarde at the commaundement of bothe thesaide heades all the pointes and articles of the same were described and published as yet apeareth by the copies thereof remainyng in printe In the meane season Leonora the Frenche quene â–ª Syster to themperours maiestie prepared her selfe very sumpteously to come towardes Nice â–ª where she commoned many wordes with her brother themperours maiestie abidyng there certayne dayes But when the peace was made and concluded she came the ther agayn and was receyued bery honourable of the Emperours maiestie And afterwarde on Corpus Christ day she retourned agayne with great solace The same daye at nyght the Pope and the Emperoures maiestie toke shippynge towardes Genua Where the Emperoures Counsayls remained with the kynge and the kynges with the Emperour intreating of matters concernyng the sayde peace But when the Emperoure coulde not tary long in Italy by the meanes of his haâ—t whiche he made to retourne into Spayne it came to passe that both the high Potentates the Emperoure and the Frenche kyng dyd lonyngly agree and come together For when the Emperoure arryued at the Porte and Citie called the dead waters lyeng not farre from Marsilia which was the fourtenne daye of Iuly the Frenche kyng came thyther also with hys wyfe and with his sonnes And when the Emperonr abode in his Gallee the king went vnto him in his owne person after they had embraced and kissed eche other according to the maner and custome of noble men they talked louyngly together The next daye folowynge the Emperoure went a lande and rode into the sayde Citie where he was receyued of the kyng the Quene and the kyngs Sonnes very ioyfully And wheÌ„ muche honoure and greate triumphe was declared and shewed towardes hym he abode there vntyll the tewesdaye at nyght and then takynghys leaue of the kynge and his affinitie he commended them to God and returned to hys shyppe wherewith he sayled luckely towarde Spayne trusting assuredly that thesaied peace should be firme and stable and also durable to the profite and furtheraunce of the Christen common welth After this also the lady Mary regent of the lower partes of themperoures maiesties dominions accompanied with the kynge came into Camerike the viij day of October And the next day folowing they went to the Citie of S. Quintine where the sayed Quene Mary was receiued with great pompe and intreated very honorably But when she had remayned there .vi. dayes she retourned again to her owne dominioÌ„ So that this yere there was thre honorable assembles of the mightiest in Europa But what folowed thereof shalbe meÌ„cioned her after in place conuement While these thynges were in doinge the aboue named Estates of confederation prepared their naures against the Turke and first inuaded Castell Nouo whiche is a Castell lyeng in the Duchye of Sabe â–ª sometyme pertaynyng to the crowne of HuÌ„gary and ouercame it by violent assaulte destroyeng aboue .iiij. hundred and about .viij. hundred on horsebacke whiche were come to rescue them But when Barbarossa hearde of this he sayled out of the sea Ambraâ—ike where he had kept hymself a longe tyme intendyng to preserue the Cities and Townes of the Turke lyeng in the Coastes of Sla uony and Macedony from the assaultes and inuasions of the Christianes For he feared least they should be serued as Castell Noua was serued In the meane season was also the Citie of Bisana ouercome of our men in lyke maner But when they lacked aud prouander they were constreined of necessitey to separate them selues In suche sort as y e Prince of Aurea wyth the shippes pertayning to themperoures Maiestye was constrayned to runne into Brundysh which is a port and City in Apulia Lyeng ouer agaynste Grece and the Popes Legate into Ancona which is a port and Citie lyeng ouer agaynste the coastes of Slauony So that onelye the Venetianes remained and kept y e Seas And as touchynge Castello Nouo they dyd fortifye it with foure thusande spanyardes sixe hundreth light horsemen whiche dailye put the Turke to muche losse in the Lande of Bosen When Barbarossa had knoweledge of his seperatyon and diuision of our shippes he toke his waye towardes Duracho somtime called Durachium and lyeng in Albany which was somtime called Epyrus to encourage thinhabitauÌ„tes of the same Citie and to make them harty that he might the better ouercome the Venetianes in the sea of Risana But when he sayled towardes Duracho with a Southeast wynde which bloweth from the rysynge of the Sunne in winter the same winde accordinge to his nature and property chaunged sodaynely into a ful easterly winde blewe so outragiously y e Barbarossa lost aboue fyftye shippes and about a two .c. thousand men with his best mariners After the which naufrage and shipwracke when he sayled back agayne eastwarde with the remnaunt of his shippes wich for the moost parte were lecke and wetherâ—ea ten there came suche a mortalitye and pestilence amonge them that were remayning and left in the shippes that euen in the greateste shippes were scant left tenne men able to rule the helme and as many apt for the voarres So y e God dyd specially declare his helpe to our men Whyle these thinges passed betwene themperour the Pope Fraunce Venice and Barbarossa as is before mencyoned they of Nurremborough began theyr strong holde or Castell wyche lyeth in the vpper parte of the Toune vpoÌ„ a mighty rocke and is a lodging for themperour and the king of the Romaynes defenced with a strong Bul warke and amyghty wyde dyche which buylding as concerning the walles was finished in the yeare of our Lord M. D.
gaue the priestes their tenthes agayne And because these are true feates of good princes therfore hath God geuen hym noble victories For when the kynge of the Assyrians besyeged HierusaleÌ„ he called vpon God for aide the citie was deliuered of the syege by the angel slaing the enemies Esaye the prophete was in the time of this kynge in great worshyp by whome the kynge was instructed in suche thinges as pertayne to the feare of God But in the syxte yeare of Ezechias gat the king of the Assyrians the citye of Samaria and led awaye the ten tribes of Israel in bondage The moost parte of thys were the people of God that were fallen from Iuda and had set vp a propre kyngdome But whan the kynges of Samaria were afrayed lest the people shoulde fall agayne to the kyngdome of Iuda the which was ordeined of God yf they shuld somtyme resorte to Hierusalem feastly to do theyr sacrifyce and to heare the word of God accordinge to the ordinaunce of the lawe they set vp a certayne peculiar or propre Gods seruice a propre doctrine and a sacrifice agaynst Gods worde and so haue they abused all thinges against the worde of God vnder pretence of Gods name to entertayne the priuate power of their kyngdome Agaynste this worship of God are sometyme sent prophetes to the sauegarde and conseruation of many in the meane season haue the mighty with al stubbernes kept their false gods seruice Wherfore God hath greuously punished these kinges wyth warres and vproures neither lasted the raigne of this empyre longe by any kyndred in so much also that at the last God suffred the kynges and people to be led away Duely oughte this example make vs afrayde that we learne to feare God For if god spared not the posterite of Abraham vnto the which happened so manifest promises and so great but hath sodenlye ouerthrowen theyr kingedome and cast them out who is so sure minded which can beleue that we shall escape fre But in myne opinioÌ„ that part of Samaria â–ª semeth to beare the figure of the churche of the East and of the Grekes for lyke as Israel caried away by the Assyrians into Samaria came neuer agayne euen so also the churche or congregacion of the East is vtterly destroied by the Saracens and Turkes And as it happened to the tribe of Iuda afterwarde I feare me lest it chaunce lykewyse also to the West parte It is to be feared truely that God shal handle vs more rygorously because of the greatnesse of our mysdedes Houbeit God woulde in the meane season blesse the sede of Abraham before all natioÌ„s Wherfore ought the godly reader consider this example by hymselfe and pray God that he wyll chasten vs with mercy and not to cast vs vtterly away This kyngdom dured only two hundreth and foure and fourty yeares That tyme verely was very shorte specially seyng thys people had soo excellent promises euen of outwarde goodes also and in the meane season had they warre also and vproures So litle doth God suffre the wicked seruice of God vnpunished The wastyng of the kyngdom of Samaria was done the thre thousande two hundreth and fourtieth yere after the creation of the world Manasse the sonne of Ezechias succeded his father in the kyngdom of Iuda and reigned fyue and fifty yeres The same restored the false Gods seruice for false zele of godlinesse he burned in sacrifice his own childreÌ„ He persecuted the prophetes Esay y â— most holy prophet hath he caused to be cut asunder with a sawe and slayne at the last was he taken oâ— his enemies and caryed awaye Howbeit whan he knowledged his trespasse and called hartyly vpon the Lorde he was taken frely to mercye and God hath set him for an example to synners that they doute not but that God shall haue mercy and asswage hys wrath vengeaunce if they turne from their wyckednesse Amon raigned two yeare he was a wycked kynge wherefore he dyed with the swearde of hys seruauntes Iosias raigned thyrty one yere he toke away the wicked worship of God He ouerthrew the chappels and Idols he coÌ„maunded to burne the bones of false prophetes In his tyme were the bokes of Moses found again which had many yeres be lost That truely is a notable example that wickednesse mens traditions doth grow so excedingly preuayle that holy scripture is so greatly despysed y â— euen the very bokes be lost But God so prouiding for seynge she is neuerthelesse at the last restored and brought to lyght This history no doute doth shewe the figure of the last times in the church to y â— which the true and sincere knowledge of the word shalbe opened euen before the ende of the worlde But though Iosias was a verye godly kynge yet wanted not he finally his errour For whan he had now liued in good peace a great whyle had done many noble actes beyng waxen hardy he thought he might haue no misfortune by reason of his godlynesse Wherfore he warred vpon the kyng of the Egiptians the whiche neuerthelesse demaunded condicions of peace But because he toke that warr by trust of mans power he dyed of a greâ—â— wounde that he had gotten in y â— battayll Ioachas raigned thre monethes and was caried awaye into Egipt Ioakim raigned two yeares In his time inuaded Nabuchodonosor kyng of Babylon all Iewry whose tributary he became many men were led away among the which was also Dauiel yet yonge Afterward whan Ioakim kepte not the bonde or treaty Nabuchodonosor came againe and takyng Ioakim caused him to be slayne at Hierusalem his body to be cast amongs y â— other dead carcases without the citie according to y â— prophesye of Ieremy which prophesyed that he shuld be buried as an asse Ioachim or Ieconias was kyng thre monethes Nabuchodonosor about this tyme beynge come agayn beseged the city Ieconias yelded him selfe frely through the counsel of Ieremy the prophet vnto whom God had reueled that HierusaleÌ„ shuld be destroyed the people caried away howbeit he shuld not wholy be destroied but y â— he shulde once come agayn Hierusalem shuld be buylded agayn Ieconias was kept in BabiloÌ„ by god because he had obeied y â— voice of the prophet the which we shall note hereafter The best of the people were led in captiuite at Babilon with â–ª Ieconias and also all the moost costlye vessels and ornamentes that were in the temple at Hierusalem Sedechias raygned eleuen yeres he fell from the kyng of Babilon whome he wolde not geue tribute for which cause Nabuchodonosor came again besieged the citie And though Ieremy counseled hym that he shuld yelde him self for it were so foreseen of god y â— the people â–ª shuld be led away and Iuda punyshed yeâ— would not he obey â—oldened and trustynge too Gods promyse that the people of Iuda should not perishe
longe after Cesar was olde syxe and fyftye yeare whan he was slayne and ruled fyue yeares and the beginninge of rulynge was in the consulshyppe in the which he beganne the warre agaynst Pompeius This is the begynnynge of the Romane monarchye the whych God hath paynted very horribly in the prophet Daniell and wytnesseth that the world shalbe much more heauely oppressed by thesame than euer it was before Item that Christ shall come in the same monarchye and therfore shal it be the last For all these thynges are prophesyed before by God to stablyshe the fayth of the godly concerninge the certayntie of Christes comming Besydes thys also that it mighte be knowen that the world shall not endure foreuer but shall once peryshe and that the vngodlye shalbe punyshed but the Godly shall loke at Gods hand for a lyfe euerlastynge I suppose verely that the prophecy of the Heythen prophetes and sayenges of the Sybilles of the durablenesse of the Romane empyre are pertaynynge to thys as is the sayenge of Virgil I haue geuen an endlesse empyre the whych seme to be taken of this whiche the scrypture sayeth that the empyre of Rome shalbe the laste monarchye on earth Though the scripture doth in the meane season teache also that thys monarchy shall decaye yet shall parte of the same last euer wherein shall re remayne the name and hygnesse of an Emperour vntyll the worldes ende These thynges are to be knowen that wee maye be assured that thys empyre can not be ouerthrowen whyche the examples of histories wytnesse also For after that the hyghnesse of an Emperoure was translated to the Germanes hath thys kyngdome suffred many assaultes and hath oft bene weakened but yet coulde it not be abolyshed by nomans power but remayned allwaye stable and restored it selfe otherwyles For it had nowe Emperours of small power than very puyssaunt Emperours To consydre these thynges in historyes maketh greate matter chefely to knowe the wyll of God aryghte in suche chaunces Augustus WHan Iulius was deade rose greate commotions at Rome Marcus Cicero counselled to make a peace on thys wyse that thence foreward noman should laye handes on the fauourers of Iulius that all they lykewyse whych had slayne Iulius should be wythout daunger or feare but all discorde layde doune on both sydes they shoulde prouide for common and perpetuall peace none otherwyse than of late dyd Thrasybulus make a concorde at Athenes the whych they called Amnistia that is that ▪ ether parte shoulde forget the iniury done and that nether of them shoulde inuade the other afterwarde Thys was very gentely and handsomly counceled and consydered of Cicero but thys contynuall peace coulde not endure longe For whan afterwarde euerye man woulde rule it was necessarye that factions shoulde ryse The Senate drue Octauius Augustus to it agaynst Anthonius For Anthonius coueted y ◠raygne But the souldiours conspyryng against the Senate slew manye of the chefe men of the citye among the which was Cicero beheaded also But the empyre remayned by Octauius Augustus only which was kynsman to Iulius for Iulia syster of Iulius had spoused Accius Balbus but theyr doughter was Accia whose husband was Octauius of them was borne Octanius Augustus whom Iulius had appointed and chosen hys heyre whereby he was surnamed Cesar and that name remayned euer afterwarde by the successors euen as though by ryght of succession they dyd entre into Cesars kynred as it was wont to be whan successors were first adopted and chosen Nether was Iulius called Cesar fyrste by reason of the empyre but many of his kynred were so surnamed before For the old approued Grammarians do wryte that the name of Cesar cōmeth of the worde or name Cesaries whiche signifieth goodly heare or a bush of fayre heare and of that gat the Iulies fyrst that name because that one or other happelye had a fayre heare in that kynred As for the name Augustus dyd the Senate adde to Octauius for hys luckynesse and prosperitye in hys affayres Augustus commeth of Auguruim that is a diumation or soythsayenge by the crye or slighte of byrdes and betokeneth fortunate and he whom God doeth prospere by lucky sygnes or tokens This addition is a right geuen to a supreme gouernour of y ◠world for god is with y ◠ciuil power the gouernaunce of an empyre is the gyfte and ordinaunce of God Augustus raygned syxe and fyfty yeares but he gouerned not the empyre alone the twelue fyrst yeares For beyng yong not passyng nyneten yeares of age was he set in the gouernaunce he was made counsul because he stack by the Senate of of the which he was made consul in despyte of Antonius But the souldiours agreyng wythin them selues set them agaynst the Senate and his adherentes But for so much as thys concord could not be durable Augustus was fayne afterwarde to be at variaunce and stryue also wyth hys felowes and so optayned he the whole empyre alone But whan the gouernaunce was stablyshed with peace he vsed moost hygh moderation in all thinges and confirmed the whole empyre wyth honeste lawes and statutes in so much that it is reported he shuld haue sayd The kyngdome shall last for euer yf these ordinaunces be not auoyded and disanulled But what shall I saye much Augustus is scasely counted the fyrste and chefest among the sage and moderate princes ¶ The thyrde boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the tyme sence Christes byrth BEfore in the begynnynge of thys worke haue we diuided thys whole Cronicle and tymes of the worlde in thre partes and that accordinge to the sayenge of Elias that both the moost alterations of thynges in the world and order of the tymes myght be knowen more surely Besydes thys that we shoulde also knowe that the worldes end is nowe not farre of Howbeit we haue nowe dispatched allmoost foure thousand yeares and about that time nearehande was Christ borne the whyche Elias had prophecyed Now in this thyrd boke shall we lyke wyse treate of the thyrde parte of Elias meanynge and begynne thys boke wyth the same And how lytle Elias had fayled in the order of the yeares truely it maye be perceaued verye easely for CHRISTE our LORD very God and man was borne into thys lyfe of the virgin Mary euen the two and fortyeth yeare of Augustus raygne and thys was thre thousande nyne hundreth and foure and fortyeth yeare sence the creation of the worlde But to counte the yeares exactely and narowly there is somewhat requisite in the nombre of the yeares For the foure thousande yeares are not fulfilled But the prophete sayde moreouer that God wold preuent and come spedely before the tyme of hys comminge because the ende of all thinges myght be more neare Howbeit the thynges that are concernyng the knowledge of Christes natiuyte Passion and Resurrection for euerye Godly man the same maye all be searched in the Euangelistes But as concerning the tyme whan
and settyng the order of the tyme before seme onely to aduertyse the wyse reader to marke some of the notablest thynges Whiche thinge we haue done also in this Cronicle we haue only drawen those thinges as it were in a pathwaye whiche semed moste best and haue other whyles shewed their occasions to the intent we maye learne to marke and forse so much thenarower suche lyke thynges in like chaūces Howbeit what profites otherwise besides this do Cronicles bryng that same haue we declared before in the preface Truely I muste before the ende of this wryting put the reader agayne in remembraunce of the sayeng of Elias the whiche we haue set in the begynnyng of this treatyse that he may so much the more easyer marke both the order of the tyme and also the dedes of the histories Item that he thinke that also that the ende of mens affaires is at hande accordynge to the sayeng of Elias that the worldes age conteyneth .vi. M. yeares and that the same space shall not he fully expyred for God shall preuēt it because of the worldes corrupte maners Now seyeng there are expyred .v. M. and .v. C. yeares sence the worlde beganne as may clerely be gathered out of the table folowing it is no doute but that the worldes age is nerehand come to the ende that Christe our lorde do rayse vp the death by his commyng and iudge the whole worlde and that more is also appoynt the deuels and wicked men euerlastynge fyre but take the very godly out of al sorow and set them into the euerlasting fruition of God blesse Besydes this do the wonderfull mutacions and chaunges of all kyngdomes nearehande wytnesse that the worlds ende is not farre of For with in fewe yeares euen by our remembraunce we haue perceaued the hyghnesse of the Romish byshop Fraunce Hungary and Dennemarckes kingdoms to haue greucously fallen and lyke chaūce are shortly to be loked for in other kyngdomes also Daniel witnesseth that shortely after that the Turkes powers be minyshed shall the ende of all thynges of the worlde be at hande But the Turkysh kyngdōs decaye shall doutlesse be sene wythin few yeares if Goddes wyll be so and after that our Emperoure Charles shalbe deceassed it can not be but that the empire also shalbe miserably toren of the Germans themselues For I feare me two wyll then greatly stryue for the monarchye Almighty God of his infinitie mercy swage so horrible commotions turne the princes hartes to concorde and peace The toren tranquillitie and spoiled peace in the churche maye also be a signe and token and it is to be feared lest the same do also growe and sprede farther by warres and negligence of Romish by shops But seyeng Christe hymselfe aduertiseth vs in the Gospel of the perils that shalbe at hande in the latter dayes not only in those thinges that pertayn to the body but also those that belong to the sprete yea the heauen itselfe also threateneth with horryble darkeninges and coniunctions I wil passe ouer to speake of those tokēs that be rehersed in the scripture cōcernyng the latter dayes so that at the last we maye learne to beware take hede to our selues and doute not to demaunde and loke for ayde and comfort of God onely in so greate misere of al thinges Wherefore I willed the reader to be admonyshed in this place to call to remembraunce that those tymes full of peryls wretchednesse are at hand and that the same peryls ought not to be despised with a rechelesse mynde For it is no lyght thynge and suche one as all maner of men do proue wyth their harme and damage that realmes are chaunged empires pulled out of their frames and concorde of religion is spoyled The buyldynge or fabrike of the worlde semeth to represente a greate and moste olde buyldynge whyche oftentymes is more and more ready to fall when nowe doth one wall fall downe then the other Likewise doth the world seme to be ready to fal at this time doth by litle and litle bryng a more greuous fal with it one and other kyngdomes falling down and decayeng Nether let any man thynke that so greate a buyldyng shall fall without a moste excedynge commotion God lyghten oure myndes that we beyng admonyshed with the earnest threatenynges of the Gospell maye seke at onely Christe consolation and refreshynge and that greate princes maye vse no lesse wysedome in the feare of God then mekenesse to assuage the occasions of all euels For thereto are they ordeined of God that with their care and wisedom they maye gouerne and defende mankynd that is weake wretched And yf they do their duetye in the feare of God God shall lykewyse be with them and prosper their enterpryses Amen A Table of the worldes yeares out of the Bible and Philo. M. vi C. lvi vntyll the floude CC. xcij. vntyll Abraham was borne CCCC xxv vntyll Moses was borne Lxxx. vntyll the goyng out of Egipt CCCC lxxx vntyll Salomons tempel C. xxxviij vntyll Ioas the kyng CC. xci vntyll Ieconias was remoued into Babylon xi vntyll Ierusalē was waysted by Nabuchodonosor Lxx lasted the captiuitie of Babilō C. xci lasted y ◠monarchie of the Perses after that the captiuitie of Babylon was finyshed vij was Alexander after Darius death C. xlvi lasted the kyngdō of the Grekes vntil Iudas Machabeus C. xxxvij dured the kyngdō of the Machabeis vntyll Herodes the fyrste tyme after Iosephus xxx raigned Herodes for Christe was borne the thirtieth yeare of Herodes MD. xxxij sence Christ our saueour was borne The yeare of the was Christ borne worlde iii M. ix C. lxxiiij This present yeare MDxxxii are accomplished sence the worlde was made .v. M. CCCC lxxvi yeares The citie Rome as witnesseth Eutropius stode before Christe was borne .vij. C. liij yeares and yf the yeares shoulde be counted a ryght it can in a maner be no better rekened by true histories This present yere of oure lorde MDxxxij are past sence the citie Rome was builded ii M. CClxx xv yeres Babylon was not so olde before Alexander For from Abraham vntyll Alexanders tyme are M. vi C. lxxxvi yeares But now seyeng Rome is elder then Babylon it is no doubte but that her ende shalbe shortely also after the twoo Monarchies Nether doth the nomber of the yeares that is in the Bible greately disagre from the order of the Monarchies that is in the chefe aucthors of the Greke histories Herodotus wryteth that the Assyrians kept the Monarchie Dxx. yeares and sence that tyme to haue bene no certayne Monarchye vntyll the tyme of the Medes He rekeneth the Medes to haue ruled vntyll Cyrus tyme C. xxx yeares And the same as it can not seme false euen so do I greatly alowe it for yf any man do waye it aryght the same shall easely perceaue that it doth not disagre wyth the Bible That he sayeth the monarchy of the Assyrians to haue stand Dxx. yeares that wyll he doubtlesse
oriental corner stretchyng her blasyng tayle towardes the southwest The second day of Nouember was there a great inundacion of water brokē in into Freeseland Holland Seeland and Flaunders which was very damageable to the said countreis and to thinhabiters therof Also Christerne kyng of Norway being retourned into his said kyngdome the yeare before from the parties of lowe Ducheland where he had kept hym selfe by the space of ten yeres was required by the counsayll of Denmarke to come to Copmanhauen otherwyse called Coppenhagen against kyng Fredericke whiche was put in there by the helpe of the towne of Lubeke when the said Christerne fled out of the Realme that he myght there receyue and take in possession the kyngdome of Denmarke but when he suspected no guyle relented and put away hys souldiours and came into Denmarke the Counsayll of the Lande toke hym prisoner not regardinge the promises and saulf conduit by them made vnto hym And so they kept hym in the castel of Sunderborough oute of the whiche he came neuer as yet So that after this kinge Frederick did peaceably enioye his kingdome vntyll he dyed At Lindowe by the sea coaste was in thys yeare borne a dubble calfe wyth two heades foure eares and eighte feete hanginge alltogether In the yere of our Lord M. ccccc xxxiij when y e Emperour namely Charles the fift had stablyshed vnity and concord among the Princes and Cities of Italy and Lumbardy he departed wyth a competent and wel appointed Armada or Nauye from Genua and hauynge a prosperous passage arryued within fewe dayes after in Spayne where he was receyued of hys subiectes wyth great ioye After this by the counsayll and instigation of themperours Maiestye the Shypmaiesters and maryners of Spayne founde oute certayne Indes or Ilandes in the sea beynge vnknowen before whyche do so excedynglye abounde in ryches of golde and syluer that it is vnspeakeable These toke they in by force of armes and subdued them vnder the subiection of the emperours Maiestye In thys yeare the Pope and Frauncys the Frenche kynge helde a solempne communycatyon together at Massylya whyche lyeth in the Prouynce of Fraunce where after manye and dyuers consultacyons it was concluded that Henry Duke of Orleans sonne to the sayde Frenche kynge shuolde marye Pope Clementes cosyne the doughter of Laurence Medyce Duke of Vrbyne wyth whome the Pope hadde promysed a ryche dowrye Thus hath thys Pope Clemente alwayes endeuoured hym selfe to allure and drawe vnto hym the hyghe Potentates and Rulers of the worlde by the helpe of whome he myghte extyrpate and roote oute the pore Chrystyans whome they call Lutheryans and Heretykes But God woulde not suffer it longe as it is wrytten There is no deuice nor counsayll agaynste the Lorde but it shall come to naughte In the same yeare the myghtye bond and confederatyon of the Germayne Natyon which was called the Euangelycall confederacyon or the bonde of the Gospell beynge kepte secrete of manye was at the prouocatyon of the Frenche kynge opened and disclosed There apeared also another Comete or blasynge starre from the ende of the moneth of Iune vnto the begynnynge of Auguste in the Northe and in the sygnes of Gemyny Taurus and Aryes thoroughe the whyche sygnes she made her course in her goynge backewarde hauyng her tayle extended towardes the South And thys was the thyrde Comete or blasynge starre that hadde appered wethyn those two yeres What they portended or sygnyfyed or what alteracyon of Estates and other thynges they broughte wyth them maye a dyscreete reader gather and perceyue by the Storyes herafter folowing For suche wonderfull workes of God althoughe they come by the course of nature yet are they not wythoute theyr specyall workynge It is sayde also that in this yeare of M. CCCCC xxxiii the Deuyl burned a lyttell Toune in Germanye called Shyltagh downe to the grounde by the meanes of a certayne wythche on maundy thursdaie The fyfte daye of October in the nyghte burned at Andwarpe the Churche called our ladye Churche beynge sodaynly sette on fyre At Nurrenboroughe and in manye other places of thempyre lyenge there aboute reygned thys yeare a greate Pestylence in so muche that at Nurrenboroughe onelye from S. Margretes daye vntyll S. Martins day folowinge dyed ten thousande persons The sixtene day of Nouember was a great earthquake and an horryble tempeste of wynde whyche plaged and troubled the Townes in hygh Germany verye sore namely Cu◠Feldechurche S. Gall wyth other townes and vyllages lyenge nyghe vnto them by the Ryuer called the Rhene Thys yeare Henrye the eighte kynge of Englande c. for certayne consyderacyons hym therevnto mouynge was dyuorced from hys wyfe whiche had bene fyrste maryed to hys brother prynce Arthur and maryed another on wytsonday In the yeare of our Lorde M. CCCCC xxxiii in the moneth of Ianuary The Anabaptistes whyche had gathered them selues together out of Hollande and Freselande by preuy subteltyes and conspyracyes whych they had made with certayne burgeouses of the Cytye of Mynster in Westphale inuaded the same Cytye toke possessyon of it and expelled from thence al the Burgeoules and inhabytauntes therof that woulde not take parte wyth them and folowe theyr facultye They chose them also a kynge that was a Taylloure named Ihon of Leyden whyche ordeyned for hym selfe two specyall Counsayllours the one called Knypperdullynge and the other kreghtynge and in conclusyon they made suche a dysorder and confusyon whytin the sayde Cytye that not wythoute a cause all the people of Westephale dyd ryse agaynste them But when the ryghte noble Prynce Philyppe Landgraue of Hessen toke in hande to accorde the matter betwene the sayde Anabaptystes and the Byshoppe whome they had expelled he coulde nothynge preuayle so sore hadde the Deuyll blynded that Anabaptystycall generatyon Wherefore the sayde Byshoppe compassed the sayde Cytye wyth a greate power on euerye syede to thyntent he myghte ouercome and subdue them ether wyth the sworde or elles by famyne And althoughe there was greate scarcyte and lacke of vyctualles wythyn the saide Cyrye in so muche that at the laste they were sayne to eate lether and couerynges of bookes yet dyd they sustayne bearcoute prolonge and holde oute the sayde syege vntyll the next yeare folowynge wherof we shall speake more in place conuement In the meane season dyd Philip Landgraue of Hessen prepare hymselfe after the best maner to restore hys Vncle Duke Hulderyke of Wyrtenbergh agayne to hys Dukedome from whence he was expelled fyftene yeares before durynge the whyche tyme kynge Ferdynando had the gouernaunce and vse therof But fyrste because the sayde prince of Hessen woulde do nothynge presumptuously nor temeraryouslye he sente worde to themperoures Mayestye in Spayne and to the kynge in Austryche desyrynge them to restore hys said Vncle Duke Hulderyke to hys Landes agayn for so muche as he had nowe suffered sufficient punyshemente for hys
ease allthough by the reason of theyr foolyshe Phantasyes and hardened hartes they coulde not nor yet woulde not perceyue it vntyll they were vtterlye destroyed For notwythstandyng that the sayed syege pressed them and an horrible and importunate famine as was mencioned before in the last yeare reygned among them Yet were they by the comfortable persuasyons of theyr false Prophetes so hardened that they mynded nothynge lesse then to yelde by the Towne and saue theyr lyues notwythstandynge that thereunto they were often tymes requyred wyth lyberall and gracyous promyses But contrary wyse they defended themselues the longer the fearcer and shot out of the Towne with ordinaunce as though the deuell had bene among them to the great auoyaunce of their aduersaries in so muche that not a fewe valiaunt warriours in the Campe were slayne with their ordinaunce And to declare the madnes of the said Anabaptistes I haue thought it mete not to omitte a folysh acte done by a certayne woman among them Forasmuche therfore as they within the towne had this opinion of the saied towne of Mynster that it was that new Ierusalem mencioned in the Apocalipse thorough the whiche all the heathen should be destroied so that the christians should reigne in peace a thousand yeres whiche sayeng although they must be vnderstande spiritually were they expounded by them carnally the said folysh woman would counterfette the acte of Iudith which slewe holofernes and deliuered her Citie Wherefore she made her boaste that if she myght be costely arayed and decked she woulde go furth if she were permitted into the hooste of her aduersaries and easely ouercome the byshop Whyle nowe the kyng the other in the town were so foolysh and made not only to beleue her but also to further her in the said affayres trustyng that their deliueraunce was at hand she went out and behaued her selfe in all pointes as though she had bene escaped and fled out of the citie But her dissimulacion beyng espied perceyued she was taken and brought before the Byshop and after her confession rewarded wit death accordyng to her deseruyng For asmuche nowe as the saied craft and practise bad no good successe the Anabaptistes within the citie ought to haue consydered that there was no fortune in their doyng seyng they were yet oppressed to the vttermost But they dyd herein resemble the Iewes in their last destructiōat Ierusalem for the more God plaged them with famine and dissention among them selues the more hard harted and stifnecked they were vntill at the last one escaped priuely out of the saied citie and brought in certaine of the byshops souldiours at the gate called the holy crosse gate which souldiours after they had slain the watchemen opened the gate and so made away into the citie for the other Thus was the citie of Mynster taken in again and deliuered from the powere of the Anabaptistes at the feast of S. Iohn the baptiste in the night And the next day folowing whatsoeuer would make any resistaūce being slayn with the sworde the kyng with his chief counsayllours craftyng and knipperdulling were taken prisoners These three were aftewarders for the space of certayne monethes caryed about in the countrey from place to place for a spectacle and example to all men And at the last on S. Vincentes day in the yere of our lorde MDxxxvi they were put to death with fyry tonges and their dead bodies hanged vp in yron baskettes or grates out of the steple of S. Lamberts Churche within the saied citie of Mynster the kyng in the middes somewhat hyer then his said two coūsailers for a perpetual memoriall and warning to all commocioner raysers of tumulte rebelles against y e lauful magistrates ordeined of God Thus toke this kyngdom of the Anaba pristes a shameful ende according to their desertes In Denmarke raged the duke of Oldenborough with the capitaines of Lubeke as he had begonne the yere before but the moste part of the germayne counsayll chose Christiane Duke of Holston to be kyng in Denmarke desyring hym to assiste them against the saied duke of Oldenborough and them of Lubeke While nowe the said request was easy to be graunted and the said duke of Holston had taken Iudland in possession all ready whiche is no small porcion of the kyngdome of Denmarke abutting vpon the lande of Holstone he passed with his army into the Ile of Funa ▪ otherwyse called Fion and ouercame the citie of Asnites But when the duke of Oldēborough with them of Lubeke assaulted him with an hoost of men well appointed both on horsebacke and on foote the said Christian obtayned the victory so that the duke of Oldēborough lost much people where among other was slayne Iohn count of Hoya and an Erle of Teckelburgh in Westphale and euen the same daye whiche was the .xi. daye of Iune they of Holstone toke from them of Lubeke an Armada of shippes and put the men of Lubeke whiche they founde in the same in captiuitie In somuche that the said Christiane had the ouerhande on euery syde whiche was vnto him a witnes from God that he should be kyng in Denmarke In Hungary and Austrich were diuers louedayes kept betwene Ferdinando and Iohn Weyda kinges of Hungary and the Turkes imbassadour to wete if Hūgary might be brought to apeaceable estate neuer theles there was nothing concluded that was notable and profitable Also in this yere 1535. there was a mariage cōcluded betwen y e king of Poles the king of Boheme For Sigismonde kyng of Poles maried Sigismūde his sonne to Elisabeth the daughter of Ferdinando kyng of Bohemy whiche in the yere of oure Lorde MDxliij folowyng was celebrated with great solempnitie as shalbe mentioned hereafter in place conuenient In the moneth of Nouember the second day the duke of Mylan departed out of this world And immediatly after Frauncis the Frenche kyng prepared hym selfe with all his power to recouer the dukedome of Mylan and entred into the land of Sauoy whereof ensued great warres the yere next folowyng in those quarters Frederike Duke of Baier Palatine by the Rene now electour imperiall toke to wyfe the right excellent princesses Dorothee daughter to Christierne late kyng of Denmarke whiche he had begotten of Izabel syster to Charles themperour the solempnitie whereof was kept at Bruxelles in Brabant In England in the moneth of Iune the byshop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More which had bene lorde chauncellour of Englande and in great aucthoritie vnder the kyng was beheaded for denieng the kyng to be supreme heade of the churche of Englande And in this yeare were there thre monkes of the Charter house executed in Englande for the same offence In the partes of Shlesy about and within the the towne of Olse arose the same yeare on Sainct Gyles day an horrible tempest in suche sorte that the bookes whiche were newely prynted were taken out of the Iewes houses
whollye wrytten and put out in prynte Nowe when that communicacion was ended ther was another appoynted by the Emperoures and the kinges maiesty at Spiers But in as much as ther was at that tyme a great pestylence there that day was appointed to be holdē at Haganouw to entreate of matters of relligyon whether those myghte be ended and vtterlye finyshedde and concluded or nott ▪ And thoughe manye greate lordes oute of all the coostes of dutchelande were come in wyth the kynge Ferdynandus partely in theyr awne personnes partelye throughe their embassadours yet ther was no specyall thynge concluded but that ther shulde a nother assembly beholden the next yeare at Regensburg at which the Emperoures maiestye hym selfe shulde be where all matters concernynge Rellygyon and also concernynge warre agaynst the Turcke shulde be agreed of Afterward vpon the .xx. daye of Septembre the Emperoure caused a commaundemence to be putt oute wher in besyde other statutes concernynge hys inheretable landes in the netherlande he forbodde all his subiectes vpon payn of great punyshemente that they shulde not reade theyr bokes that haue nowe in these laste dayes brought vnto lyghte the truethe of the Gospell But what he wanne wyth hys commaundemente dayely experience teacheth as to wytte that ther be many goode Christen men found that rather lese their lyues than to forsake the woord of God that the persecutoures of Chryste pryestes and monckes myght still betray and shedde Christen bloude whyche thyng God wyll fynde a time horrybly to puysh But in asmoche as Gods woorde was so ouerpressed in netherland God raised it vp so moch the moar in another place For Ioachim the Marquesse of Brandenburge elector after hys father was ded which cared not much for any relligion and he knewe that it was neadefull to leade hys subiectes the ryghte waye to saluacyon and also to kepe them thereyne receaued the doctryne of the Gospell had ordeyned in all Cytyes and parishes good preachers to preache the woord of God with diligence vnto the sympel people He also redressed the vniuersity of Franckford vpon the Odder and sent for learned Men in all Sciences which when they came he augmented and amended theyr wages He also ordeyned Newe stipendes for poare Scolers of the lyuings of the vnprofytable Massynge priestes to thintent that suche lyuinges might from hence forth be bestowed to y ◠true seruyce of God But in what an horrible blindnesse that Lande was before and how euel it was prouided for with the word and doctryn of God wytnesseth an history which I although it appeare but simple wyll therfore tell that it may be so knowen what maner of teachers the popedome coulde suffre and what they yet haue As I at that tyme came by chaunce with the visiters to Stēdel in y ◠old marquiship to enquere after a seruice for me it chaunsed that the admission into al the offices of the Church was differred the space of syxe wekes In the meane whyle were the parsons and the paryshenars enquired after what facyon they hadde taughte and had bene taught Then came ther forthe a Parson wyth his Congregation whyche beynge demaunded of my goode Frynde Thomas Mathyas the Mayeres sonne of Brandenburge to whome that office was committed by the Vysytours what he had preached to his Parishners He answered y ◠belefe And being asked again what y ◠belefe is begā to rehearce Thys I could not chose but tel to the counfort of the Christen that they shulde learne that God defendeth preserueth his thorough his holy aungels and that although the deuell and his soart be neuer so woode that they yet be able to do nothing if we but abyde in the confessyon and acknowledging of Christ and in the obedience of his woorde These burning mortherers that were taken in the Electours dukedome of Saxon and in other places suffred an horrible death For ther was a thing made muche lyke a crosse therupon was the gyltye fastned aboute the necke wyth an yron coller or rynge and aboute the body with yron Chaynes and then a fyer made wyth strawe and other glowing matter a farre of and so the Gylty roasted tyll he dyed In thys fourtyest yeare also vpon the vii daye of Aprill ther was an horryble Eclipse of the sonne in the mornynge at the sonne rysynge whyche endured two goode houres longe After thys Eclypse and the blasynge sterre that appeared in the yeare before folowed ther an excydyng drye and a hoate somer wherin corne was yet meately well taken but hey and fother for beastes was cleane burnt vp Wyne was so well taken y ◠yeare and so good in all places y ◠many dronck them selues to deeth therwith and was therto verye good cheape Thys yeare in Iune the Turcke sygnyfyed vnto the kynge of Hungarye that he shuld pay him tribute for y ◠kingdō or elles loke for warr The Emperouer therfor sent Cornelius sceperus consailed thē to pay no tribut promesing that he would shortely bring an armye against the Turke wherewith he would defende the Hungars and the other princes their neighbours But the kyng of Hungary being vnpaciēt could not tary so long but required a tribute of his subiectes by the meanes whereof many of the chief of the nobilitie fell from hym whome he persequited with warre At the last when he had geuen the tribute to a tertayne Moncke to beare it to the Turke he sodenly dyed But the Moncke retourned quickly agayne as whiche beyng a loyterer was not farre proceaded in his iourney sending the Chaunselour and a certain byshop on the forwarde Embassage a foresayde to the Turke where they dyed The Monck dissemblyng the deeth of the kyng made a leaghe with those princes that had rysen agaynst the kyng and when they had al sworne to be true to the Quene and her Sonne went and toke Offen and laye there When Ferdinandus the kyng of the Romaines hearde that he set all other thynges asyde and got hym into Ostenrike to take in the kyngdome of Hūgary He toke in Weissenburg Pest and other cities of Hungary and afterwarde beseaged Offen At the last when helpe came out of dutcheland agaynst the Turck to helpe the kyng of Hungaries sonne he was compelled to returne home agayne into Ostenrick not without the great losse and dammage of his subiectes IN the yeare MDxli came the Emperoures maiestie first to Norenberg and was receiued with great honoure and leadde into the citie and into the Castell rydyng vnder a hyghe cannape of Veluet whiche foure of the Alder men bare In all the streates where through he roade were hys cognisaunces and badges sett vp and other goodly triumphant thynges and on both sydes of the streates the Cytesens standyng one by another all Iolyly arayed in their harnesse from the Spitell Gate vnto the Castell betwene them rode the Emperoure And aboue by the Castell there was a
shamefully misused them they were ether kylled or caried awaye into a strauÌ„ge countrey into extreame mysery and wretchednesse After this the Turke caused the Quene and her Sonne and the Moncke and many other of the Courtyers to bee sent vnto Lyppa whyche is a stronge Castell And then sent oute three Companies into thre coastes of Hungerlande to robbe and steale in euery companye twelue thousande men of whiche the fyrste coulde do no great harme for they coulde not come into Mehrer lande by the meanes of the Water where their purpose was to haue made hauock The second Company came all moste as farre as Vienne The third made hauock in the landes of the lordes of Balassa and kylled many poore men and caried many awaye for prysoners In the meane whyle sent kyng FerdinaÌ„dus his Ambassadours the Lorde Nicolas the Earle of Salme and the lorde Sigismundt of Harmonstone to Offen to the Turke to Take a Truce And when they had obtayned the same for an half yeare â–ª and made it sure on both the sydes the Ambassadours toke their way home againe to the kyng And the Turke when he had furnyshed Offen wyth twenty thousand men tooke his Iourney to Constantinople But the Turkes that were left in the Cytye of Offen kept not the Truce longe but fell often oute and toke the Christen prysoners at Vnwares whyche thynge caused oure men also to do the same with them whereupon there folowed a coÌ„tinuall Robbing and Roauing on both the sydes the whole wynter ouer so that some tyme the Turkes somtyme our men had the victory The Turke as he departed toke valeÌ„tyne Tereck thorou whose helpe he gatt Offen and caused an yeron chayne to be put about his necke and cast him in to the Tonaw by Grekes weissenburg and so rewarded hym for his true seruice He also sodenly fell vpon these Castels and toke them in zeckzaart zeckehen Baranianara and other that laye by them He also toke his pleasure vpon the citie of Fyuechurches and assaulted it but founde lytel pleasure there For the Indwellers de fended themselues well But they that were left within Offen fell twyse out at vnwares vpon Grane and the towne Kakat that lieth ouer against Grane on this syde the Tonaw they pitifully cleane robbed and pulled doune so that there was an excidyng myserable worke in Hungary this yere Besyde this Armie in Hungary had the Turck an other myghtie armie at this time both by water and by lande in the Ile Peloponesus nowe called Morea wherewith he droue the Venecians from all the Cities that they had there and tooke them in The whyle the Turck was thus woode dyd the Emperoure Charles prepare hym selfe in Italy Spayne Sycyll and other of hys landes and Iles with a notable great Nauye wherein he had a good armye well foure and twenty thousand men of whiche syxe thousande were dutchemen whose chefe Capitaine was Master George of Regensburg and sayled into Affrica vnto the Citie of Algier whiche Barbarossa had in And although the Poape disswaded the Emperoure that he shoulde not take suche an vntymely shyppyng as to wytt in Wynter at Luke where they were both together â–ª yet must the Emperoures purpose forward For he hoped to haue dryuen Barbarossa oute of that hauen and so to haue had none Enemy whom he should haue neaded to feare the somer folowing by the meanes whereof he coulde the better haue withstandeth the Turke by Sea Nowe when he hauyng a prosperouse wynde was come with the aforesayde Armie to Algier and brought his Sowdiars oute of the Shyppes and gotten them on lande than beganne sodenly suche an horryble tempest to aryse vppon Sea with wynde and rainne and lasted three dayes longe wythout ceassyng that not onely the Sowdiars wacksed doussye in the heed and syck but also through the violence of the Storme there were more than an hundreth and thyrtye Spyppes beaten shaken to geather and peryshed wherein many men and specially all their packes and baggage and all their vyttalles and the ordinaunce to beseaghe the Cytie wythall was lost of whiche thynges our men had no great Ioye Nowe when they of Algier sawe that oure men were in suche greate necessitie they fell oute of the Cytie and kylled them that kept the watche and fell vppon them that were in the Tentes with shaâ—tes and hagbushes but were yet dryuen back agayne into the Cytie of the Spanyardes Afterwarde they laye in the waye to hynder certayne knightes of the Rodes in a strayte waye of whome and hundreth folowed the Emperoure agaynsie the vnfaythfull tyll the Emperoure came and helped them with the doutch Sowdiars But when the Enemies had shott seuen thousand of the Itatalians thorou wyth hagbushes and the reast were dryuen to flye than the Emperoure exhorted the dutchemen to withstande and saide ye beloued dutchemen helpe your Emperoure thys daye or elles neuer And euen as he spake those woordes were they that stoode next by hym in order kylled with a gonne whiche thynge yet nether feared nor Amased hym any thynge at all When the dutche sowdiars perceaued that they gat a Courage and althoughe they coulde not shote for the greatnes of the raynue yet they droue the Enemies backe agayne into the Cytie wyth Speare and sworde But for as muche as all their victualles were spente and as is before sayde destroyed wyth the violence of the Storme the Emperoures Maiestie made prouision to departe and to the entent that the sowdiars myght haue some what to eate the whyle they shoulde sayle they toke the horsses oute of the Shyppes kylled them and ate them and afterward brought the sowdiars into the shyppes that were left and sayled from thence And in the saylyng homewarde they were also in greate Ieopardy and perel vpon the sea and many of the shippes and men were drowned Let this muche bee ynough of this viage He that wyll knowe further thereof may reade the whole history whiche Nicolas Villagagnome a knyght of the Rhodes hath diligently written which also was present thereby hymselfe In the meane whyle dyed the Godly Christen prince Duke Henry of Saxon Duke Georges brother and his sonne Maurice whiche after maryed the Landgraue of Hesses daughter succeded in the gouernaunce The pestilence reigned greuously in many places this .xli. yeare and specially at Vien in Ostenrick there dyed well .xviij. thousande the whole somer all moste was weete and rayne by the meanes whereof also the wyne could not come at his due sea son and was very sower And yet was this yeare more wyne wacksen then in the three yeares folowyng Wherein the grapes were all dryed vp and wythered vndoubtedly for oure vnthanckfulnesse sake and for the mysuse thereof THe yeare MDxlij in the beginning of the yeare there came certayn souldiours Italians borne into a towne in Histria called Maran not farre from Tryest belonging to Ferdinandus There were about thre hundreth of them
both them selues and the Castell vnto the Prynces Afterward was the Castel and the wholle lande sett in an order and the Gospell whyche before was kepte from it throughe that tyranne the Duke of Brunswycke ordeyned to be preached therinne And when they hadde ordeyned all thynges after the beste facyon and the Duke of Brunswycke appeared no where wyth any sowdyars and the Empyre requyred But the Emperoure coulde smell what the Pope meante Wherefore he vtterlye refused that councell and exhorted hym by wrytyng that he woulde rather see thatt the Frentch kyng kepte peace to thynthent that the Turcke myghte be wythstanded than to call a councel at suche an Vnmeete time which might be an hynderaunce to the other purpoose to make peace Afterwarde the Emperoures Mayestye prepared hymselfe after the beste facyon to wyth stand the Frentche kynge and hys partetakers Aboute thys tyme dyd the a boue mencyoned Prynces Duke Otho Henrycke and Phylyppe hys brother bothe countye palatynes on the rhyne and the cytyes Regensburgh and Swyneforthe receaue the Gospell for whyche thynge they were compelled to take muche harme and specyallye they of Regensburge to whome Duke Wyllyam of Bayer did al the hurte that the could and forbadde all hys subyâ—ctes that none of them shulde carye anye thynge to Regensburge or by or sell wyth them or yf anye man dyd he muste nott come agayne in to hys lande and must leese all hys goodes Thys was a greate hyndraunce to the cytye of Regensburge For it lyeth in the myddes of the lande of Bayer Yeth hath God gracyously preserued it In the begynnynge of the herueste ther came oute of Lyâ—towe thorou the land of pole and through schlesye and vnto the land of myssen great multytudes of Grassehoppers flyinge and layed them downe in the aboue mencyoned landes by greate multytudes an hundreth dutch myle long and aâ—e vppe all that was grene in the felde and lo we medowes They were as greate as a mannes fynger and some of them greater they hadde scales as it hadde bene harnesse vpon them and as it were an hatte vpon theyr heades lyke an olde rowstye year on sallet and were harde lyke an horne so that a man coulde skante treade them in sonder They had four winges as it wer which wereread speckelde some of them were yellowe and gray and of other speckelde coloures And where so euer they layed them downe in the felde there they laye well a foate thycke from the grounde And specyallye in the lande of Pole they saye that they laye an halfe elne thick from the grounde When the sunne beganne to schyne then they flewe vppe by greate heapes in battell order so thycke to gether that they shadowed the sonne lyke a clowde They flewe also as swystlye as other birdes a wholl dutche myl befor they reasted In the lande of myssen they came as farre as to the water Mylda for ther they came nott Euerye man thoughte that then shoulde a greate deathe haue folowed in the same landes where as yet hyther to ther hath none bene hearde of Haplye it was a warnynge as certen learned men wryte that we should take hiede that we myght be able to withstande if the Turck came in wyth suche a multitude of people from whyche thynge God gracyously defende vs. In Italye vpon the .xiii. daye of Iune ther was a fearfull and an horryble Earthquake by Florence whyche threwe downe manye Chymneyes in Florence and almooste a wholle lytell towne lyinge not farre from it called Scharbarya and destroyed many men They wryte also that in Turckye a lytell towne lyinge not farre from Solonychyo from whence the Saffren cometh was destroyed wyth men and women and all that was ther in wyth an Earthquake They saye also that ther stode ouer Constantynople an horryble blasynge sterre .xl. dayes longe and that in the same dayes in Iune and Iulye there was there an horryble weether and an Earthquake They saye also that a Dragon burnt the Turckes Castell and treasure and that ther came a greate multitude of wolues rennynge into the cyty whyche dyd men muche harme And many suche wounders done at that tyme were wrytten oute of Constantynople wherof as me semeth some be but lyes Howe beit I lett euerye man thynck ther in as shal please hym and beleue what he wyll Let thys be ynoughe of thys yeare The Brabanters beyng prouoked of Marten van Rosheyme rusch et in to the lande of Gulyck â–ª and burne certen Castels lytel townes or robbe and make hauocke of them They manne Duren Gulycke â—yttard Sustern and Hynsberg which were yelded vp vnto them On the other syde the Duke of Cleue after he hath gathered an armye round aboute oure all places wythstandeth the power of the Brabanders Whyche after they had made Hensburg stronge entended also to Fence Duren entred into fyght wyth hys Enemyes Wherein when there were many kylled on both partyes the fyght was ended Syttard and Gulyck because the walles were ouerthrowen of the Brabanders the Duke of Cleue causeth to be strongly walled agayne and beseaged Duren and compelleth them to yelde vp the towne in the ende of December Thys yeare Iames the fyft kynge of Scottland beyng .xxxiij. yeare of age dyed in December leauyng but one onely doughter alyue of two yeare of age borne of hys second wyfe ouer whom he ordeyned tutors and gouerners of the Realme the Cardynall of S. Andrewes and the lorde Hamelton IN the yeare of our Lord 1543. euen in the begynnynge of the yeare was a conuocation or Counsell kept at Nuremburgh at the whyche conuocation was present kyng Ferdinandus wyth hys two eldest sonnes and besydes them the moost parte of the Ambassadours and deputies of the other princes of the Empyre And when all theyr actes and doynges were prolonged vntyll after Easter ther was another day appoynted to be kept at Spyer where the Emperours Mayestye shoulde personally appeare hym selfe In the moneth of Ianuary the Emperours maiesty sent out of spain a mighty army bothe on horsback on foot wherof the erle of Aultete was capitaine into y e land of the Mores called Mauritania â—â—enge in the coastes and borders of Afryca ouer agaynste Spayne to inuade the kynge of the cytye of tremetz wherof also the kyngdome hath hys name because that by the helpe of the Moores he hadde proflygated and expelled hys brother vnto whome the gouernaunce of the kingdome by right dyd appertayne whyche soughte redresse and succour at the handes of themperours maiesty This armye arryued the .xxvii. daye of Ianuary at the cytye of Tybyda lyenge by the sea syde where they founde a greate multytude of Mores which soone auoyded and lefte y e cyty vnto the Spanyardes After thys they marched from Tybyda towardes tremetz and endamaged the Mores by the waye whyche were departed from Tybyda vntyll at the laste they tourned them selues again and made a conflycte
departed homeward to his owne syr Ierome Bomegardener a learned maÌ„ y â— feared god being sent to the said couÌ„sail froÌ„ the towne of NurreÌ„ myght haue ouercome subdued all Fraunce with out any notable losse of his men For the warriours of the Frenche kyng were become so faintharted y t they durst in no place resist their enemies To the which act themperour might haue ben greatly aduaunced by the meanes that the kyng of Englande saye also in Fraunce with a great power Howbeit through great intreataunce mediation of y e chiefe lordes of the parliamen at Paris the duke of Orleans the kinges sonne who did specially fauoure y e Emperour the matter was brought to a staye but on what coÌ„dicion I haue no certaintie of knowledge as yet for somuch as some say one thing some another Wherfore I wil rather write nothing theÌ„ I shuld therof affirme any thing vncertaine In this yere chaunced foure horrible Eclpses or darkenings The first of the Moone the .x. daye of Ianuary about .vi. of the clock in y e morning which lasted .iii. houres .xxviii. minutes the Moone was hidden .xii. pointes .xlvi. minutes The second of the SuÌ„ne the .xxiiii. day of Ianuary about ix of the clock before noone lasting .ii. houres .vi. minutes â–ª the SuÌ„ne was darkened about .xi. pointes .xvii. minutes when this darkenes was at the hiest it was so darke euerywhere as it is coÌ„monly at night wheÌ„ the Sunne is newely set insomuch that all fowles cattaile whiche were mery before became still sad as though they had mourned had compassion with the Sunne being darkened The third Eclipse was of the Moone the .xiiii. day of Iuly about half an houre after eight whiche lasted .iii. houres .xlii. minutes the Moone was darkened â–ª xvii â–ª pointes and .xxv. minutes The fourth was of the Moone the .xxix. day of december in the morning about half an houre befor seuen lasted .iii. houres .xxxvi. minutes the mone being depriued of her light by the shadowe of y e earth about .xiiii. pointes and .xviii. minutes But what effecte and operation the sayde Eclipses and darkenynges brought with them maye euery wyse man partely perceyue by the contentes of the Story of the yere next folowyng and partely by the dayly discourse and exercyse bothe of magistrates and of subiectes For without special alteration of earthely creatures suche constellacions are not wont to passe as experience doth sufficiently teache and declare This yere henry the eight king of England sent an armye into Scotlande in the moneth of May whiche landed at Lyth in Scotlande and so went burnyng and destroyeng the countrey about sparyng nether castel towne pyle nor vyllage vntyll they had ouerthrowen and destroyed many of theÌ„ as the borough and towne of Edenborough with the Abbey called Holy Rodehouse and the kynges Palice adioyned to the same The towne of Lyth also with the hauen and peyre The castell and vyllage of Cragmyller the Abbay of Newbottell and parte of Muskelborowe towne the Chappel of our lady of Lawret. Preston towne and the castell Harintowne wyth the Freres and Nunery and castell of Oliuer Sancklers the towne of Dunbar Laurestone wyth the Graunge with many other townes castels vyllages and pyles Also this yere thesayd kynges maiestie prepared an army into Fraunce thither he went his owne person beseged the stroÌ„g towne of Bullen in Fraunce and there wanne the watch toure otherwyse called the olde man the .xxviij. day of Iuly And the .xxix. day of the same moneth Basse Bullyn was wonne the .xiij. day of September the towne of hygh Bullyn was victoriously coÌ„quered by the said kyng of England whiche after the entreaty humble peticion made of the French men gaue them licence to take bag bagage with them so departe the .xiiij. day of SepteÌ„ber at .iii. of the clocke at after none y e towne gate was opened the people began to come out they helde on vntill .vij. of the clocke at night And there were in nombre of men women children iiiâ— M. of them .xv. C. able meÌ„ of warre they had with them as muche as they could cary both men women children that was able to beare any thing and their horses kine were loded with as much stuffe as they could beare away And they had .lxxv. wagens laden with them IN the yere of our lord 1545. was another couÌ„cell kept at Wormes where many thinges were discussed entreated as the breakyng vp of the same publyshed maketh mencion There was also coÌ„cluded as touching matters of religion that a coÌ„munication disputacion shuld be kept at Rainsburgh the next yere whereunto y e estates of the Gospel or Euangelical princes shoulde appointe viiâ— learned men on their partie and likewise the Papistes eyght men on theyr syde whose mutuall agreementes and conclusyons shoulde bee propounded and declared vnto the Emperoure That afterwarde he might coÌ„sulte vpon suche thinges as shuld seme to make for an vnitie concorde Whyle these and suche other matters were debated and determined at Wormes in the presence of the Emperoure and the kyng of the Romaines the ryght high and myghty Prince and lorde Frederike Palatine and Electour Imperiall by the Rene coÌ„sideryng pondring the necessitie of his princely graces poore subiectes wherein they lay miserably captiuated and clogged vnder the yoke of that wicked and detestable Papacy and how many soules might be lost and brought to dampnacion or euer such vnitie as should be made at Raynsburgh could be brought to passe And also howe many consultacions and disputacions had bene kept before this tyme wherein alwaies the papisticall secte had bene conuinced and ouercome â–ª and yet neuertheles had alwayes persisted in their Idolatry and defended it the longer the more violently whereby it myght be easely perceiued and concluded what hope of amendement or agreement there was to be loked for He determined and coÌ„cluded with hymselfe furth with to forsake all popysh abhomination and not to tarye the yssue or ende of the sayde conuocacion and disputacion but in asmuche as thorough the grace and mercy of God he had obtained knowledge of the truthe and lyght of the Gospell to canse the same without delay to be ministred and declared to his poore subiectes Wherefore he ordeyned and constituted in all his iurisdictions that the Popish abhominacion should be put downe and that in stede of the same the Gospell of Christ should be frely preached that his pore coÌ„mons might be taught and brought into the right and true way of saluacion Our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe preserâ—e hym and all the fauourers of his worde to procede and go forwarde in the settyng furth of hys wyll to the glory of his blessed name Amen This yere also died the doughter of kyng Ferdinando whiche was maried to Sigismunde the younge king of Pooles
appurtenaunces belongyng to the Landgraue whiche also kylled certain husbandmen at the takyng of them But the Landgraue and his men were quiete and peaceable vntyll the tewesday the .xx. daye of October within night And then about midnight the watche worde was geuen that euery man shoulde be ready with his weapon and so the hole hoste which after the common sayeng of warriours contained an huÌ„dreth thousand men a great noÌ„bre to be assembled within the space of one moneth marched ouer a certain water called the Rume which the Landgraue had caused to be furnished ouer with brydges accordingly For what Henry of Brunswike had caused to be concluded and determined in the meane season was refused for diuers good causes and early in the mornyng they came to an hill not farre from the Brunswykers Campe by a landmarke whiche the Landgraue caused hastely to be dygged vp and cast downe in many places that he myght brynge thorough his armye without stoppe or let For the Brunswykers intended there to stoppe theÌ„ of their passage whome the Landgraue at the last was fayne to beate away with his ordinaunce Nowe wheÌ„ the armis of y e Landgraue of the other were both brought through y e LaÌ„dmarkes vpoÌ„ the plaine of y e hil ther were also brought through into y e felde thre great slynges certain Canons whiche as sone as the enemies were espied were discharged shot among the thickest of them But as soone as the Brunswykers sawe this they dyd furthe withseke meanes to flee and turned theÌ„ selues towardes an hyll lyeng by a wood whome the horsemen folowed without delay When duke Henry sawe thys that there was suche shuting towardes his hooste and that they were put to flyght â–ª all his bolde courage was done and his proude harte fainted wherfore he sent incontinently to Duke Maurice desyryng to impetrate some grace fauour for hym at y e handes of the Landgraue And although the LaÌ„d graue shewed hymselfe gentyll ready yet would he not trust hym for he suspected y â— Duke Henry hys Sonne sought wayes to escape but marched strayghtwayes wyth his hooste and artyllery towardes hys enemies and shot among them fearcely vntyl suche tyme as Duke Henry and his sunne Charles victor thorough the Counsayll of Duke Maurice yelded and submitted them selues into the handes of the Landgraue At whiche tyme the Landgraue made vnto Duke Henry this sharpe oration Yf thou myghtest haue somuche power ouer me as I haue nowe ouer the surely thou wouldest not saue my lyfe But I wyll vse my selfe better towardes the then thou hast deserued at my hande Why hast thou presumed to disobeythe Emperoures maiestie and to refuse sequesâ—racion For if thou haddest obeyed thou shouldest not haue brought thy selfe into thys trouble neyther should so many poore men haue bene endamaged vndone and destroyed And furth with he committed hym and hys Sonne to the kepynge of certayne of hys chyef geÌ„tylmen which toke them both into their custody Whyle these thynges were a doyng betwene these two prynces the Landgraues company both on horseback and on fote pressed in among the company of Duke Henry in suche sort that but fewe of them should haue bene left on lyue yf Duke Maurice had not the sooner aduertysed the Landgraue thereof who as then rode hastely among them and with much a do stylled and pacifyed hys men and turned them backe from fyghtyng and shutyng Nowe when the people was qualifyed and pacified the Landgraue called Duke Henryes company before hym and required theÌ„ to sweare that within the space of thre moneths next ensuing they should worke nor pretende nothyng agaynst the Euangelicall confederation Whiche some of them promysed without delay but the horsemen departed by heapes with opeÌ„ banners without any othe or promyse made whom the Landgraue pursued in haste and ouertoke the next day wherefore they attempted to make resistaunce but when they sawe that they were ouermached they layed downe their banners and made an othe not to enterpryse ought agaynst the sayde confederacion within the space of syxe monethes When this was done both the father and the sonne of Brunswyke was with a strong garde caried to Cassell and the father from thence into the Castell of Zigenheim After thys dyd the Landgraue take in agayne the lande of the sayde Duke Henry and caused thinhabitauntes of the same to sweare agayne of newe to the confederation of the Gospell and consequeÌ„tly turned hym selfe agaynst the Erles Ihon of Shauenburgh Otto of Rithbergh whiche are both lonemen to the Landgraue and yet had succoured them of Brunswyke with men artillery and other necessaryes insomuche that Iohn Erle of Shauenburgh was deposed from his stronghold BuckeÌ„bourgh which was geuen to his brother and other of the stocke to enioye on this conditioÌ„ that they should not suffre hym to come in agayne oneles he were before sufficiently agreed with the sayde confederation for all hys offences committed against them But Ritbergh was geuen vp to the Landgraue by the possessours thereof When all this was done and by Goddes grace finysshed without greate bloudshedyng the warriours being honestly contented and payde were licensed to departe euery man home to his owne All these actes haue I drawen and extracted out of the Copie of the Land graue therfore described them so muche the more at large while suche writynges whiche are called newes are coÌ„monly soone dilated Neuertheles consideryng that thereby the common sorte of people and our posteritie may haue a shorte and sure information and declaration of these marciall affayres I truste that no wyse man will mislyke this my labour and diligence About Mighâ—lmas dyed Albert Archebyshop of Mentz whiche was Marquis of the Marke brother to the olde Marquis Ioachim In whose rowme was elected by the chapiter sir Sebastiane of Housenstone a Doctor of a notable stock whose dwelling and mansion was betwene Aschaburgh and Franckeforde Also not long after this Albert the sonne of Casimire lorde Marquis of Brandenburgh assaulted Onoldesback which is coÌ„monly called Onesback w t 600. horses in the name of one of knobelsthorp who was the chefe amoÌ„g the rulers of the land which y e lord Marquis George deaceassed a littell before had left to his young sonne whome he had by the daughter of Duke Henry sister to Duke Maurice of Saron and requyred the same to be deliuered vnto hym But the Ruler of Knobelsthorpe beyng warned of thys gate hym out of the way So that thesayd Lord Marquis was fayne to departe not hauing his purpose In Hungary raged the Turke with roauyng spoylyng of the pore subiectes of Ferdinando whoÌ„ he put to muche losse and hynderaunce This yere also dyed the younge Duke of Orleans the Frenche kynges Sonne Of wondres and sygnes happened this yere one in especial to be noted is come to my knowledge whiche chaunced in the lande of Poles and myght be sene of
Capitayne â–ª and the .xxvij. daye of August it was ended foure thousand beyng slayne the victory geuen through goddes grace by the handes of Iohn the noble Erle of Warwyke At the same tyme the Cornysh and Deuonshyre men were ouercome and very many of them slayn besydes many of their gentilmen taken This yere also Bonner byshop of London was put from his byshoprike for his stubborne Popyshnes the first day of October and for certainte obstinate articles coÌ„mitted to the Marshalsee the people muche reioysyng at it In this moneth the Duke of Somerset was coÌ„mitted to the toure to the great lamentacion of very many In this moneth also died the Pope of Rome called Paule the thyrde This yere the weke before Whitsontide thre honest marchauntes and a younge lad beinge honest mens sonnes of Brunswyke yourneyed from Andwarpe to Brunswyke there to heare at that feast goddes word preached And as they rode on Whitson euen after midnight halfway betwene Celle Brunswyke on a heath ouer gainst a certayn farme they nor yet Christ hymselfe dyd knowe namely howe a man can serue twoo maisters at ones God and the wicked worlde Item howe we can be good Christianes yet knowledge not Christ nor helpe hym to beare his crosse yea rather persecute hys poore membres God geue vs grace to knowledge his son ne a ryght suffre paciently all miuries and endure to the ende that he may also at the great and fearefull day of the lorde knowledge vs before hys heauenly father and hys vniuersal churche and before all hys aungels Amen IN the yere of oure Lorde 1550. the xix daye of Ianuary Capitayne Gambolde who was Capitayne of the Spanyardes that serued the kyng of Englande in his warres and an other Capitaine was slayne without Newe gate in an euenyng by a Spanyarde whiche was taken and hanged the. xxiiiâ— daye of Ianuary and thre more with hym the .xxviij. day of the same moneth was Humfrey arundell and Bury with two other mo drawne hanged and quartered for because they were the these capitaynes and mayntayners of the rebellion among the Cornyshe and Deuonshyre men The sixt day of February came the Duke of Somerset out of the Tower with greate reioyiyng of muche people In the same moneth went out of Englande certayne lordes of the counsaill to Buileine where certayne of the Frenche counsayll met with them and after long consultacion had and dyuers metynges betwene them there was a generall peace conciuded whiche peace was proclaimed the .xxix. daye of Marche folowyng Also about the .xxv. day of Apryll folowyng the towne of Bullayne with the fortresses thereto belongyng was delyuered by the Englyshemen into the Frenchemens handes The second daye of May was brent at London in smythfielde a certayne woman called Ione Boocher otherwyse called Ione of Barkyng for the horrible heresy of the Apellites Cerdonians proclianites Valentinians Manichees Timotheans Apolinarianes Nestorianes sedicious Anabaptistes of our tyme whiche she helth commen with all them of a set wilfulnesse for all those hereticall patriarkes was she sure to haue as maisters and doctours of her pernicious errour that Christ toke no fleshe of the virgine as largely apeareth in the cronicles About this tyme there were certayne lyght persones pretendyng a newe commotion in Kent but they were appreheÌ„ded and dyuers of them for that trespas hanged It is sayde that this yere the .xxi. daye of Marche in the countie of Carinte besydes the Lande of Bauariam Austryche by and aboute a lyttel towne called Claghenforth it rayned corne out of the element by the space of two houres which rayne stretched in lenght .vi. Germayn myles and in breedth halfe a Germayne myle in some places so that the sayd corne beyng some white and some browne lay in some places the thickenes of an hand broade vpoÌ„ the grouÌ„de WhereupoÌ„ the people of the lande came and gathered of the sayde corne and brought it to the mylles and baked thereof good sauery bread the significacion of whiche mistery is reserued to God alone to whome be honoure glory and prayse in all thynges for euer and euer Amen This yere the kyng of Spayne went home agayne out of Flaunders This yere also there was a cruel proclamatioÌ„ set furth by the vniuersitie of Louayne in the name of the Emperoures Maiestie for the persecution of the faithfull Christianes condempning al maner of scripture bookes as well Bibles as other in what tonge so euer they were written or translated that had bene printed within the space of .xxx. yeres before with moste extreme death prosecutinge all the fauourours of the doctrine set furth by Martine Luther Iohn Ecolampadius Hulderike zwinglius Iohn Caluine or their ad herentes and condempning them for heretikes and their doctrine for moste pernicious and pestilent heresy without any probable argumentes or good reasons After this themperoure went vp agayne into Germany The ende of this cronicle The conclusion THus haue I Christen reader brefeâ—â— comprehended the principall Storie â— whiche I haue founde and thought necessary as they haue bene done here there thoroughout Christendom these xviij yeres last past Howe be it if ought seme to be omitted and left out whiche is a thyng that may lyghtely chaunce to any man I beseche you that it be not interpretated in the worst parte coÌ„sideryng that I haue done my diligence to set furth y â— truthe Wherfore yf I haue bene truely infourmed it is wel Also if it fortuned y â— in the sayd Story were made meÌ„cion of any man vnto whoÌ„ it might apeare that iniury were done vnto hym in that he is not so muche coÌ„mended as some other woulde therefore be angry let hym remembre iâ— at the faulte is not in me but in hymselfe For it becometh an historiographer or Story writer to declare the truthe in all thynges Wherfore if men vse honestie their prayse shalbe the more but if they walke inordinately they deserue no prayse at all For the actes and histories that are written ought to edifye and profyte them that come after that they maye thereby learne what ought to bee eschued and what to be folowed whiche thynge without sure and certayne declaracion of the truth can not be done Therefore let suche men be angry wyth them selues yf they bee greued at the matter consideryng that they haue done nothyng and â—thy of commendacion And let them from henthe â—rth endeuoure them selues by honest conuersathe siâ— and Christen behaueour to couer their shame Godâ— then shall all thynges be counted vnto them coÌ„uâ—â—endable for somuche as euery thynge that is past is rather imputed to the tyme and to fortune then to the will of the person when the same is perceiued and knowen to haue forsaken the euyll whiche he vsed in tymes past and to folowe honestie and goodnes And although I haue abstayned from all that myght be tedious and bitter as muche as the truth myght suffre
vs of the promyse made and of thys wyse hath he set before vs tokens of beneuolence and mercy to exercyse the fayth He hath also than permitted the lybertye to cate flesh the which the holy fathers before the floude dyd neuer vse Besyde thys gaue God a new commaundement of outwarde administration and commaunded more playnly that mansleyers shoulde lykewyse be putt to death by those that be lawfullye permittted that is by the officers Of thys wyse than is a new state of the worlde ordeyned agayn All these thynges haue I brefely recyted specially that euery man may call to minde and waye by hymselfe how great Gods wrath is for synne For God would cause the worlde to be more ware by this example because he wyliudge and auenge it is also shewed that God shall once iudge the whole worlde for he will not that synne be vnreuenged or vnpunished Some haue written that seynge the worlde hath fyrst be drowned with waters it maye be gathered by naturall reasons that it shall after thys be consumed wyth fyre Yea and this is worthy to be marked that they whiche belong to god are kept of him though they be few abiect and despised This is also to be noted in thys place that the ciuyll power is ordeined and punishment for manslaughter For that is nerehande the heade of all ciuill exercise of iustice after the which all other cases and trespaces ought to be iudged Of the Tower of Babel AFter the floude whan mankynd was now encreased the Tower of Babel and the citie of Babilon was begon to be buylded by the Chaldees that they might begyn a kyngdome ther and subdue to them other nations or people But thys enterpryse hath God ouerthrowen For whan they all vsed before one language it befell that after the commune speche was chaunged they spake one one maner of language another another so that they vnderstode not eche other Wherfore there was a diuision of speches and the worke it selfe was left vnperfect The posterite of Noe than was strowed here and ther in the world the which the fygure folowynge shall declare Sem the eldest sonne of Noe of whose kynred is Christe hath wyth hys childeren possessed that parte of Siria whiche is towarde the Easte For of Aram hys sonne came the Syrians of Assur came the Assyrians of Arphaxat came the Chaldeis of Elam are the Persyans spronge Cham the seconde sonne of Noe hath optayned that countrye whyche goeth towarde the South Of Canaan are come the Chananeis of Mizraim came the Egyptyans of Chus came the Ethiopians of Saba came the Arabians Iaphet the longest sonne of Noe went to the North and West and this is the father of vs all and therefore his name founde by the Poetes whych haue called him Iapetus Of his sonne Iauan or Iaon are the Grekes whiche are called Iones for they be the first Grekes And the voice Ianan or Iaon is no doute the same whom the Latines do call Ianus They vsed to paynte him with a double vysage before and behinde because that of hym be sprouge both the nations the Grekes and the Latines and as oft they would begynne any thinge they worshipped him wyth a spngulare honour by the whyche they wytnessed that they counted Iaon their father Iaons sonne was Cethim of whome are called the Macedones and thys confyrmeth the fyrste boke of the Machabees and the worde Machetim sygnifyeth in Hebrue of Cethim of the whiche is spronge the worde Macedo For Stephanus the expounder of Greke wordes wryteth that the auncient dyd saye Macetis Iaon had manye chyldren Elisa and Dodanim of the whiche haue their beginninge the Aeoles or Hellas and the Dodoneies all these are the first of the Grekes Of Tarsis Iaons sonne is Tharsus in Cilicia called Iaphet had other chylderen also Gomer Magog Tyras and Mesech Of Gomer are the Cunerij or Cimbry as witnesseth Eusebius Of Ascanes Gomers sonne came the Tuiscones that is the Germanes Of Magog are spronge the Scythe and of them are begonne the Turkes Of Thyras come the Thraces I haue brefelye shewed what part of the worlde eche of Noes chylderen hath possessed the which doeth greately auayle better to vnderstande many hystoryes Of the fyrst Monarchye THat it maye be vnderstande how the worke of God muste be knowen and honored in those thynges that the magistrate or superiorite doeth we haue aduertysed before in the preface that God willed to entertayne the world by foure Monarchies to the intent that policye iustice and correction mighte be entertayned amonge men for this cause are many thynges spoken here and there of these Monarchies in holy scripture God hath proposed them to Daniel two maner of waye First vnder the figure of a greate man whose heade was golden the brest of syluer the belly of copper the legges of yron the fete partely of earth partly also of yron And lest we should not know that then finally shal y â— end of the world be there is added how that the stone Christ doeth breake his fete that the man hymself do fall and so do the world cease Daniel hym self hath expounded this vision of the foure monarchies For he saieth that the head doth signifie the first kyngdome that is the Monarchie of the Assyrians The brest of siluer sygnifieth the kyngdome of the Persians The belly of copper signifyeth the kyngdome of the Grekes The legges of yron signifyeth the kyngdome of the Romanes The fete of yron and earth signifyeth the state of the Empire of Rome at this tyme namely that now a dayes is much lesse and weaker than it was wont to be The foure beastes shewed vnto Daniel do also pretende these foure kyngdomes The Lyonesse sygnifyeth the force of the Assyrians The Beere sygnifieth the Persian empyre The Leoparde signifieth Alexander By the fourth beast are the Romanes signifyed And there is added that besyde the Romaine empyre there shall ryse an other empyre full of cruelnesse and suche one that shall make a new lawe agaynst Gods worde And that is the Mahometish and Turkysh empyre now a dayes God wyll haue vs so truely warned that as we knowe the histories of al the worlde we should consyder that the tyme of finishyng be not farre of and that of this wise we should haue wherewith to confirme our faith In the Bible it is manifest that the fyrst kingdome beganne by Nemrod amonge the Babylonians and the scripture calleth him a valyaunt hunter before God that is a mighty prynce which wyth force subdued men to obeye And he is called a hunter before the Lorde as Gods hunter whereby it is signifyed that the ciuill power is ordeyned of God as a vengeaunce and that she be a minister of God Wherfore the fyrst Monarchye beganne by the Chaldeis as wytnesseth also Xenophon and the successors of Cham raygned fyrst of the whyche dyd Nemroth yssue For though Noe had cursed
or yeares But her of is ynough The table of the yeares of the worlde whiche sheweth the tyme poynted by Daniel M De. lvi vntyll the floude C C xciii vntyll Abraham was borne C C C C xxiij vntyll Moses was borne L xxx vntyll the goyng out of Egipt C C C C lxxx vntyll Salomons temple was buylded C C xxxviii vntyll kyng Ioas. C C xci vntil Ieconias was caried into Babylō Xi vntyll the wastyng of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor L xx dured the captiuite of Babylon C xci dured the monarchy of the Perses after the captiuitie of Babylon Vii was Alexander after Darius C xlvi dured the rule of the Grekes vntyll Iuhas Machabeus C xxvij dured the kyngdom of the Machabees as wryteth Iosephus XXX Herodes In the thyrtyeth yeare of Herode was Christe borne M. D. xxxii sence Christe our lorde and Sauiour was borne Our of this table is easely gathered the reason and maner of the yeares in Daniels wrytynge But I fynde by the Grekes the tyme after Alexanders death of this wyse In the .cxiiii. Olympias dyed Alexander Clxxxiiii Olympias began the rule of Augustus after the death of Iulius The xlii yeares of Augustus was Christ borne These yeares together sence the death of Alexāder make about cccxx yeares This nomber doth not so greatly disagre wyth the other aboue rehersed and can easely be made to gre of learned men Of Esdras A Certayne space after the cōmaundement publyshed dyd kynge Artaxerxes let Esdras the scribe returne to Ierusalem And duely not without a cause ought mētion to be made of this man in the histories for the bookes of the holy scripture that were now scattered and strowed dyd he gather agayne and set in order For this worke was worthy to be the duety of a true byshop Because that without holy scripture cannot be maynteined the true religion and worshyp of God In the tyme of this Artarerxes Longimanus began the great warre of Peloponnesus whiche the Grekes had amonge themselues in the whiche the citie of Athens at the last was vtterly destroyed This warre lasted neare hande vntyl the ende of the Persian monarchy and therfore I wyl first brefely reherse in their order the Persian kyng s. suche as are yet behynde Of Darius the bastarde DArius the bastarde reigned after Longimanus and of truth he was not the sonne of Lōgimanus but had his sister to wife and was his brother in lawe He had two sonnes At taxerxes whom they cal Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger Artaxerxes succeded his father in the empire Cyrus was made most puissaunt in Ionia Of Artaxerxes Mnemon AS Darius was deade Cyrus began to take falsly to hym the kyngdome for besyde that he ruled in a most puissaunt duchy he was apte also for all manner of thing and delited chefely in warre and therfore armed he hymself with great power against his brother Beside this had his mother more affection to hym than to his brother whiche had a modest and gentle mother wit But God did not prosper this wicked enterprise of Cyrus for in a battaill where he tought against his brother was he slaine Artaxerxes declared hymselfe not without courage in this battaill for he was greueously wonded of Cyrus and lept vpon another horse that he shoulde knowe that the victory came to hym afterwarde by God only Of Ochus OChus the sonne of Artaxerxes was moste gredy of mans bloud for beside the great tyranny that he vsed he slew also his own brothern He buylded the citie Sidon and brought Egypt againe to the Persian monarchy but they kept the loyalte of their yeldyng not very longe At the last was he slayn of one of his gouernours Of Arsames ARsames was the sōne of Ochus the same was made kyng being yet yonge by the capitain of the host which flew his father Ochus But when Arsames began now to wax great the capitain of the hoost fearyng by reason of the wycked dede that he had done he slew by a disceat this Arsames also Afterward makyng a league with Codomanus prince of Armenia he toke to hym the kyngdome also and called hym Darius Thus was the kynred of the noble prince Cyrus quenshed and the kyngdome of the Persians beyng translated from Cyrus posterite came to a foren prince Nether is that onely to be lamented that suche power and honour and so hygh gyftes of God were deleyed and put out of remembraunce within so few yeares but muche rather that Cyrus folowers beyng strayght waye vnlyke hym dyd declare their father to haue no maner of vertue the whiche appeareth in Ochus whose feates of tyranny gaue occasion that the whole kynred of Cyrus was abolyshed Of the last Darius The same was straunge from Cyrus but he was made prince of Armenia by kyng Ochus for his noble actes of chyuairy for the whiche actes also he was chosen kyng by them that had slayne Arsames left he should be reuenged of Ochus that had done hym good But being blynded by this occasion and with the hope of the kyngdome that was offered hym he forgat all the benefites that he had receaued of Ochus and hauyng the kyngdome he called hymselfe Darius that nothyng should be wanting to the royall dignitie But he was greuously punished for his vnkynonesse and disloyaltie For when he was vanquyshed of Alexander losynge all his landes and kyngdome he lost also his lyfe the whole monarchie of Persia But we shall treate more largely hereof in the begynning of the third monarchie and when we shall speake of Alexander The Warres of the cities of Grece WE haue touched before how the Grekes waxed welthy and presumptuous when the Perses were driuen out of their landes for pride and presumption do commonly folow after great prosperitie Wherfore duryng this monarchie they had great and durable warres among themselues by the whiche whole Grece went finally to naught insomuche that after ward it was open for euery man to breake in And also for the most honest gouernaūce lawes which they vsed in their cōmon welth succeded filthinesse and most corrup maner of behaueour And whome would it not greatly pitie to reade that so many great commodities or yuels and so durable and wicked warres are raysed of so lyght causes They be examples herely not onely to be wondered at but also most worthyest to be marked for they may admonyshe men that they take no warre in hand lightely and for euery lyght cause but only constrayned by great necessitie seing the warre raised amonge the Grekes for a small occasion could be in no maner nor meanes be swaged and layed downe tyll finally straunge people fallyng into Grece oppressed both partes It is not my mynde here to describe this whole warre for Theucidides Xenophon and afterward other haue written therof whole bokes But I wil reherse one thyng among all other namely what fall the citie of Athens hath had in this warre and what
Christ suffred and rose agayne from death also how the Gospell is spred abroade in the worlde and by what meanes also the holy Gospell began in the worlde vnyuersall we shall intreate afterwarde Of the Germanes IN the tyme of Augustus were the Germanes first attempted of the Romanes Tiberius and hys brother Drusius were wyth an hoost in high germany and inuaded those coastes that are ioyninge to Rhetia and Vindelicia But they dyd not wholy subdue those contryes vnder theyr empyre The Rheti are those that dwell in the valley of the floude Enus or Ihn they of Tyrol vntyll Bregetium or Rab Kempte and dounwarde vntyll Nordlingen where yet remayneth the name Ryes They of Vindelicia are Augspurg and vpper Beyerlande Drusus went doune vntyll Mentz and there gettynge a disease he lost hys lyfe Aboute that tyme made the garnyson of the Romanes that was appoynted at Colen an assaulte vpon Westphalen and Saxony But one called Hermannus was captayne of Saxony whō the historyeus do call Arminius lord of Cherusia As for the Cherusci are euen the Saxons Thurynges dwellynge by the wood called Schwartzwalde of that syde that stretched beneth by the floude Wesurgus vntyll the citye Breme And by my iudgement is that called Cherusci whych now is communely called Hertzishe This Arminius oppressed the Romanes vnwarres and slew about one and twenty thousand of them Besydes also a great army of the ayders and confederates of the Romanes whych warred wyth them as Frenchmen do wyth the Scottes Quintilius Varus the captayne of the Romane hoost slew him self wyth hys swearde Tacitus the historyographes sheweth at larg of the battayl that was had namelye betwene the floudes Lyppia and Amisia that is beneth the toune Cassel not farre from the toune Padeborne in Westphalen For thus sayeth Tacitus They ployled so much as lyeth betwene the floudes Amisia Lyppya not farre from the woode of Teutoburgum where the residue of Varus hooste and legions is sayde to lye vnburyed As for this slaughter made the Romanes no lesse afrayde that in tymes paste whan the Cimbriwaysted Italy For the Romanes were afrayde lest Arminius wyth force of armes had inuaded the Romane empyre and come vntyll Rome Augustus was in suche distresse by reason of the feare of the greate daunger that he caused euery man to be euery where in armes It is also sayed that he sayed of wepyng with great crye Quintily restore the legions But when the Romanes were dryuen out of Saxony they brought to passe that Arminius was inuaded with war of his neighbors there was at that tyme the Swedes and Belhems dwelling by the ryuer Albis but Arminius ouercame them also and takyng in their contreis he had Westphalen Shwartwald Saxony Marck Misen and Bohemy He reigned about twelue yeare and finally was he slayne by the oppression of his But this is ynough sayed of Augustus tyme. Tiberius the third Emperoure The yeare of the worlde iii M. ix C. lx The yeare of Rome .vii. C. lxix The yeare of Christe .xvi. THough many excellent Emperours haue bensence the time of Augustus for when God kepeth the common welthes he geueth also suche men that are mete to do great thynges yet haue the in the meane seasō now and than princes dissolute and wicked so that a mery conceated man semeth to haue sayed very true that the ymages of al good princes may be grauē in one rynge It is very profitable to beholde in histories the thynges that are declared and the examples of wycked princes that we may drede y ◠wrath of God by the feare of the punishment wherewith they are punyshed Tiberius was not the sonne of Augustus but for somuche as the true heyres of Augustus were deade he toke in steade and chose for heyre Tiberius the sonne of Liuia whiche was already maried to Augustus and because Tiberius was a valiaunt man of armes Augustus vsed hym alway for a captain This Tiberius was the first Emperour to whome the senate of Rome did yelde it selfe He reigned thre and twenty yeares The fyuetenth yeare of Tiberius was Christe our Lorde thirty yeare olde and that yeare was he baptised of Ihon Baptiste and beganne the preachyng of hys Gospell of penaunce of remission of synnes and lyfe euerlasting This was sence the creation of the worlde the .iiii. M. ix C. and lxxv yeares But after the beginning of Alexanders Monarchie the CCC and .xl. yeare Adde an hundreth and fyue and fourty yeares vntyll the second yeare of Longimanus Thus haue ye the foure hundreth and foure score and fyue yeares and these are the thre score and nyne wekes of the whiche is spoken by Daniel whiche thynge we haue treated at length before In the eyghtenth yeare of Tiberius was Christ oure Sauioure crucified dyed and rose agayn the thyrde daye But after his resurrection he commaunded his disciples that they should preache the Gospell thorowe all the worlde the whiche they began strayght way when they had receaued the holy ghost from heauen vpon Wytsonday and after the visible ascension of Christ into heauen Therfore is now the worde of God and spiritual kyngdom and also the churche or congregacion of the faithful or christen people not only in the Iewish kyngdom but in the whole worlde where the Gospell is preached by the Apostles and where theyr writinges are brought For God promised to worke by preaching of his worde Moreouer where Gods worde is taught ther is it necessary to be some that pertaine to Gods kingdom where Christ is ruling and workyng accordynge to that sayenge I shalbe with you vntyll the worldes ende To this oure Lorde Christ our sauiour and true God be prayse glory and thankesgeuyng for euer Amen But now it remayneth that we do shew further how greate and heuy assaultes the churche of christenmen hath suffered both by outwarde persecutions of enemies and also chefely by heretikes whiche haue nowe and than toren wretchedly the vnitie of the churche with wicked doctrines which thynge hath brought a farre more dammage and despysynge to the Churche or congregacion than any outwarde persecutions The nyntenth yeare of Tiberius after Christes resurrection was Steuen the fyrst martyr stoned and the same yeare was Paule conuerted to the fayth And this befell The yeare of the worlde .iii. M. ix C. lxxviij The yeare of Rome .vii. C. xcii The yeare of Christe xxcix CAius Caligula the fourth Emperoure reigned thre yeare and ten monethes he was of a veri dissolute and vmbrideled lyfe he defyled all his systers with an vnnamed or an vnnaturall medling Fynally was he slayn by the chefe of hys hoost through a preuy conspiracy This Caligula caused his ymage to be set in the temple at Ierusalem to be worshipped whiche thyng was also prophecied by Daniel namely When Israell shall se an Idoll set in the temple then shal the ende be at hād This happened The yeare of the worlde
and afterwarde coueted the gouernaunce of whole Italy And though other prynces dyd also stryue for the souerayntye of Italye yet dyd Berengaryus excellynge in power kepe Italye tyll the thyrde heyre The same toke vpon hym the tytle of Emperoure and vsed greate crueltye in Italye The Italyans requyred ayde and succoure of Otho agaynste hys tyrannye Wherefore Otho goynge into Italye he inuaded Lombardye and gat it Berengarius wyth yeldynge himselfe frely optained of Otho that grace that he shuld not wholy be dryuen out of Italy but should retayne a duchy to possesse After twelue yeares was Otho called into Italy agayne to defende or clayme the Italians wyth the clergye and byshop of Rome from the tyranny of Berengarius which thynge he also dyd valyauntly For whan he came agayne into Italy he toke Berengarius and hys sonne Alberte and bannished them for theyr disloyaltye the father wyth hys wyfe to Bamberge in Germany wher they spent theyr liues also as outlawes but the sonne sent he to Constantinople Otho entrynge into Rome in thys settynge forth was crowâ—ed of Ioannes the .xii. This Otho was the fyrste Emperour that made an othe to y e bishop of Rome wherof the maner and tenor is in y e canon lawes begynnynge Tibidomino Ioanni .iii. ce After that is Otho come the second tyme to Rome to rebuke Ioannes bish of Rome because he was accused of many fautes Wherfore the bishop knowynge himselfe gyltye fled for feare of Otho And therfore was Leo the .viij. made bishop in his stead But before that Otho went from Rome Ioannes commynge to Rome thrust Leo out agayne Leo fled to the Emperoure But the moost wyse Emperoure vsed greate policy lest he shoulde geue an occasion of debate He suffred Ioannes to vse the bishopryck so longe as he lyued But so sone as he was deade to take Leo as lawfully chosen bishop but the Romanes wolde not alowe it whych refusyage Leo chose another called Benedictus in spete of the Emperoure Otho than returnynge inuaded the possessyons of the Romyshe byshops and dyd much hurte He besyeged also the citye of Rome vntyl the cithesins constrayned by famine necessity opened the gates frely to Otho He than puttynge to death manye Romanes and banny shinge the Consuls restored Leo whan he had apeased al thynges returned into Germany leadynge wyth hym Benedictus who was kept at Hamborowe Otho goynge the thyrde tyme to Rome droue the Saracens and Grekes out of the farther coastes of Italy Than chosynge Otho hys sonne to be partener in the Empyre bringyng hym wyth hym commaunded to crowne hym and caused the Emperour of Constantinoples doughter to be geuen hym in mariage By all these thynges maye it easely be gathered that this Otho was one also of these princes which God hath now and than geuen to repayre the decayed state of the worlde For he set vp agayne the decayed empyre of Rome and set all Europa in quiet by hys succour hath he defended whole Italy and Germany He subdued the Hungarians and Frenchmen To be shorte he hath restored the maiestye of the empyre to hys former bryghtnesse and set it in order afterward dyed he at Quedelnburg in great quyetnesse It is written also that he found fyrst the syluer mines in Misen He gaue also muche good to the churche to maynteine religion and to promote the doctryne of godlynesse to which intent he made also not a fewe byshops as at Magdeburg Misen Brandenburg Mersburg and Ceitz Martinus the .iij. was the .cxxxij. byshop after Stephanus Agapetus the .ii. succeded Martinus Ioannes the .xiii. the C. xxxiiij bishopp was after Agapetus The same crowned Otho the fyrst afterwarde fled he from Rome fearynge leste for hys vnclennesse of lyfe he shulde be caste from the offyce by Otho Leo the .viii. was chosen in Ioannes steade But whan Ioannes was returned to Rome Leo fled to the Emperour but whan IoaÌ„nes was deade was Leo restored agayne Ioannes the .xiiii. and C. xxxvi bishop succeded Leo. Of hym was Otho the seconde crowned Otho the seconde the .xi. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxiiii raygned Otho y â— .ii. after hys fathers deceasse ten yeares against him was an vprour raysed also For Henry duke of Baier hys cosyn coueted y e empyre This Henry is not the brother of Otho the firste of whome is spoken before which conspiringe rose agaynst his brother Otho and afterward reconciled again to his brother gat the duchy of Baier Thys fyrst duke of Baier that was of the Saxons bloude dyed .xv. yeare before Otho But thys fyrste Henryes sonne is the same whyche set hymselfe agaynste Otho the seconde but Otho had soone tamed this newe enterpryser Afterwarde dyd the Frenchemen fall sodenlye vpon the Emperoure at Aken and he dyd searcely escape theyr intrap But Otho repayring an army went into Fraunce and spoyled euery where vntyl Paris constrained the Frenchmen to demaunde peace whyche dyd than bynd them wyth an othe that they wold neuer claime Lorain any more Whan he had set Germany at quyet he went into Italy There did he fight wyth the Grekes and Saracens in Apulia but hys hoost beyng vanquyshed he was taken by mariners as he fled But because he was vnknowen to the mariners by reason he could the greke language nether was he taken for a Germane prince he redemed himselfe with an easy price and comming to Rome he gouerned the empyre as he dyd before It is sayd that the Italians poisonned hym for his rigoure that he vsed in the gouernaunce Benedictus the .v. the C. xxxvii bysh of Rome was after Ioannes the .xiiii. Donus the .ii. succeded after Benedictus Bonifacius the .vii. the C. xxxix bysh succeded Donus Benedictus the vi succeded Bonifacius In his tyme became Otho the thyrde Emperour Otho the .iii. the .xii. Germane Emperoure THe yeare of Christ .ix. C. lxxxiiij raygned Otho the thyrd after hys fathers deceasse .xix. yeares He was yonge scarcely passed xii yeres whan hys father dyed wherefore Henry duke of Bayer cosyn to thys Otho caused him to be kept at Rome and beganne agayne to vsurpe the Empyre Some Italians counseled to make Crescentyus Emperoure that the emperyall maiestye myghte be broughte agayne to the Italyans But the Germane princes beynge loyall to theyr lorde called the yonge Otho agayne from Henry and made hym Emperoure wyth commune assent whereto Benedictus the byshop of Rome gaue his consent also The fyrste warre that he hadde was wyth the Frenchmen whyche forgettynge theyr othe that they had made inuaded Lorayne agayn takynge in many cityes but Otho dryuyng out the French men kept Lotharyng or Lorayn In the meane tyme a Romane prince called Crescentius takyng vpon hym the name of an Emperoure vsed great crueltye in Italy Wherefore Otho commynge to Rome enuyrouned wyth a greate army and takyng Crescentius cutt of hys nose and eares set hym arswarde vpon an asse caused
haue referred to that tyme when the kyngdome of Babilon and Niniue the citie were not yet diuided euen when the Assyrians reygned only at Babylon Agathias wryteth in the seconde booke of the Gothian warre that Ctesias set the nomber of the yeares and the order of the Monarchies of thys wyse As for Ctesias was a Grecian who when Artaxerxes Mnemon and Cyrus the yonger warred with eche other he was also in the army and was a Phisician Beynge taken in warre he was at the last caried to Babylon where he was honestly entreated and then readynge the hystoryes of Babylon he set the nomber of that kyngdome in an order of this wyse From Ninus vntyll the begynnyng of the Medes kyngdome wiche did deciuer from the Assyryans the fyrste are M. CCC lx yeares and this order do all those obserue that wrote afterwarde Diodorus Siculus and Iustinus Diodorus Siculus wrote of this wyse in his thyrde booke Lyke wyse also the resydue of the kynges thyrty in nomber helde the kyngdome vntyll Sardanapulus by whose tyme the kyngdome of the Assyrians which had lasted M. CCC lx yeares as wryteth Ctesias in the seconde booke fell to the Medes Iustinus sayeth of this wyse The assyrians who afterwarde were called Syria had the gouernaunce M. CCC yeres Herodotus doth passe ouer somthynge in the meane tyme that the decayeng kyng dome of the Assyrians came to the Medes I thynke this also that these yeares of Ctesias concernyng the begynnyng of Babylon to be vnderstand from the tyme of Nembroth not Ninus The Medes reigned after the fallyng from the Assyrians vntil Cyrus about thre hundreth yeres as Agathias gathereth out of Ctesias The kyngdome of the Perses vntill Alexander dyd last CCxxviij yeres as witnesseth Agathias and some Grecian wryters Alexander and his posteritie kept Babylon vntyll the tyme that the power of the Parthians beganne to grow and Agathias setteth CCC yeres seuen lesse and that is from Alexander vntyll Augustus tyme. Afterward raigned the Parthians in the Easte hundreth yeares vntil the tyme of Alexander Seuerus the Emperoures and then dyd Artaxerxes the Persian stick through and slaye Artabanus the last kyng of the Parthians And of this wyse came the East kyngdom agayne to the Perses which were myghty vntyll Mahomets tyme. For the successors of Mahomet inuaded the Perses and teke in the empire of whole Arabia But the Turkes toke from them afterwarde Syria and Asia the lesse And thus were the kyngdomes of the Easte tossed finally with diuerse mutaciōs the one people was oftymes remoued to the other It is greatly necessary to ouerlaye all these thynges and often to consyder them that the order of all tymes and histories may be knowen aryght An addition vnto the Cronicle of Iohn Carion contaygnyng the actes and histories come to passe in dyuers and sundry partes of the worlde from the yere of our lorde MDxxxij vnto the yeare of our lorde MD. L. excerpted and gathered out of the best historiographers by Iohn Funke of Nourenborough And caused to be translated by Gwalter Lynne AT the entraunce or beginning of the conuocation holden at Ratisbone or Raynesborough in the yere of our lorde MD. xxxij in lent ther lay at Nurrenborough certayn princes electours with many other nobles of the empire among whom were as principall Albert Archebyshop of Mogunce or Mence Lodowike Palatine of the Rhyne Iohn Frederike duke of Saxon and electour imperiall whiche princes nobles did there treate and consulte vpon matters of religion and about the establishing of kyng Ferdinandus to whose election as to be king of the Romains the said Iohn duke of Saxō electour imperiall would not accorde nor consent and after much intreataunce they obtayned of themperours maiestie a graunt and promes of a sure and stedfast peace vntil the next general coūsail that was to come yea and is to come yet euen at this day Other notable actes cōcerning matters of religiō was there none concluded in that conuocation For Soliman Emperoure of the Turkes was vp with all his power and inuaded the lande of Hungary wherefore the Christian princes were constrained with all spede and strenght possible to prepare themselues to resist the said aduersary Insomuche that there was prepared suche an armie and hoost of men of diuers nacions as neuer was sene before in all Germany y ◠beginnyng wherof was about the feast of S. Iohn the baptist the warriours of the towne of Nurenburgh beinge the firste that arryued at Weene in Austriche for there was all the whole hoost appointed to assemble and come together the same assembling continued vntil the feast of saint Bartholome we next ensuyng The nombere of Duche pietons or footemen was about foure score thousande stoute and valiaunt fyghting men And of the horse men there was about .xxiiij. thousand The Bohemes were in the nomber aboue twenty thousande All these lay about Wyene by the ryuer called the Danube a lycle myle frō the towne Their chefe capitaine was the right noble and mighty prince lord Frederick Palatine of the Rene c. nowe being electour imperiall About the said towne laye also vpon a fifty thousand Spanyardes whiche in these affayres vsed but small kyndnesse towardes the germaynes For in their passage from the Countie of Tyroll ouer the Eye and the Danube into Austrich they burned certayn strong holdes and townes well inhabited and some they pylled and with women and maydens they wrought suche vylanye and enormitie whiche is horrible to be spoken that many of them dyed thorough their said outtragiousnes The goodly and plesaūt Citie of Krembes was vtterly by thē subuerted and brent vp except fourtenne houses wyth certayne walles After this when they lacked vitualles in their campe for the space of one daye they russhed with violence before the Cytie of Wyene wherein the Emperoure and the kyng had theyr beyng wyth a great nombre of other greate men of armes and warriours whiche were come thether wyth them and would haue assaulted and ouerrunne the same towne if the Germaynes had not the sooner resysted them and letted their enterpryse In the meane season the Turke layde syege to a certayne lytle Towne called Guns whiche lyeth about twelue or thirtene myles from Wyene in the coastes of Hungary and assaulted the same most fiercely by the space of twelue dayes during the which tyme he sought all meanes possyble to subuerte and ouerthrowe the same But the right noble and worshypfull Syr Nicolas Iuristhi knight and Ruler of the sayed towne dyd so manfully and valiauntly behaue hymselfe in those affayres wyth hys cytesens or bourgeouses beyng in nombre about eight hundreth men and one hundred souldiours whiche were layde there in garnison for the sauegarde of the same towne that the Turke maruayled not a lyttell of it Wherefore he promised vnto the sayed Ruler fre passage and saulf conduct and hauing personally himself talked w t him did highly prayse him for his
certayne letter by hym to Pope Paule directed Also this yeare in the Moneth of Iuly dyed at Basill that excellent Clarke Erasmus of Roterdame beyng about the age of .lxx. yeares who was a special instrument of God to restore the Greke and Latine tonges agayne to their puritie Whiche also hath done no small seruice with his writinges towardes the settyng furth of the Gospell the true lyght of our soules as euery wyse man may right well perceyue and gather by his wrytynges wherof he hath left behynde hym a greate sorte and in a maner innumerable bookes IN the yeare of our lorde MDxxxvij euen in the begynning of the yere began certayne preuy practyses and conspiracies to be wrought agaynst the Euangelicall Princes and their confederates For the Pope sought all the meanes possible to stirre vp some commotion and dissention in Germany and had procured all ready by the meanes of the Duke of Brounswike called Henry the younger and brought to passe by certayne byshops namely the byshippe of Mence with other that the Duke George of Saxon shoulde assiste the Duke of Brunswyke with money to inuade Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxon and electour imperiall and Philippe Land graue of Hessene whiche Practise and conspiracy was begonne so preuely and kept so close that if God had not specially preserued the fauoures of hys worde it myght haue turned them to muche wo and trouble For the Duke of Brunswyke had all ready assembled a competent nombre of men within his lande and that so preuely that many dyd afterwarde wonder at it But when he thought with hys adherentes that the matter had bene sure almyghty God red their treasurer Duke George out of the way by death sodaynely or euer any man suspected hys infirmitie And so succeded Duke Henry into his brothers heritage whiche had kept hys Court poorely many yeares at Fryburgh in the lande of Myssene beyng a good laudable and Euangelicall Prince And albeit that Duke George brother to the sayed Duke Henry was also in his actes and gouernaunce a very wyse and circumspecte Prince and experte in cyuyle policies as his buyldynges and townes which he hath left behynde hym beare wytnes yet had he this faulte that he as it happeneth commonly to suche as are worldly wyse had his prudence and hipocriticall conuayaunce so blynded â–ª that he would not cleaue vnto the Gospel where of neuertheles he was not ignoraunt for none other cause then that some Pope or some Cardinall had not set it furth and brought it to lyght but apore frere as was doctor Luther yea he was suche an enemy to the Gospell that he dyd not onely persecute and banyshe hys subiectes that embraced and fauoured the same but also woulde depriue his saied brother Henry of his heritage whyle he cleaued sted fastly to Goddes worde But God tourneth all thynges to the prophite of his bâ—leuers For when Duke George was in this minde had sought al meanes possible to disherite and dispossesse his brother all was sodaynely turned vpsyde downe For after that Iohn his sonne was departed out of this worlde leauyng no bodely heyre behynde hym in as muche as it was not well possyble for hym to procreate chyldren beyng continually geuen to superfluitie and dronkennes he had yet an other sonne not being endued with to muche witte called Henry vnto whome not withstanding that by the reason of his â—oolysh behaueour he was vnmete to haue the rule gouernauÌ„ce of the lande he gaue hym a wyfe of a basse stocke and lowe degree to thende that by this meanes he myght if it were possible obtayne an heire for the lande and defraude his brother of his heritage commaundyng his Phisicians to geue his sayd Sonne good prouisions whereby hys lust myght be the better stirred and prouoked towardes his wyfe But what was the ende Thys hope and expectation continued but a small tyme for within the space of two monethes thesaed yong maried man died Many wyll say and affirme that the Phisicians kylled hym with their confortatiues But it was the worke of God who would haue the Gospell to reigne in the sayed Duchye by the administracion of the sayed Duke Henry For the saied Duke George dyed also shortely after the deceasse of his saied sonne as before is mencioned When nowe the Papistes were thus destitute of their comforte hauyng lost all their hope and expectacioÌ„ in that the land and the treasures wherwith they intended and trusted to haue resysted the Gospell was nowe fallen into the handes of hym that would therewith auaunce and promote the same their capitayne Duke Henry of Brunswycke was faine to geue ouer and disperse his army for the money wherwith the souldiours should haue bene paied was now withdrawen Wherfore as it was reported the saied Duke should say that he had rather lost God in heauen then this man Wherby euery Christen man may easely perceyue wheron the hope of the Papistes is grounded But let vs learne here that a Christian may not truste in any man nor feare any mans threatenyng nor yet dyspayre in pouertie and tribulation but must onely put al his trust and confidence in God who is able to breake and ouerthrowe the imaginacions of the proude and to exalte the pore according to the song of Mary he trusteth downe the proude from their seates and lifteth vp the lowely When God had on this wyse deliuered his littel flocke in the lande of Saxon and of Hessen from the craftes and enterpryses of their enemy the said duke Henry succeding in the rowme of his brother deceassed abolyshed the abhominacion of Popysh Idolatry thoroughout all his iurisdiction and dominion and coÌ„maunded Goddes worde to be preached in all places sincerely and purely for the maintenaunce whereof he sought all about for learned men to geue dilygent attendaunce to the settynge furth of the same After this he dyd also erecte and restore the Scoole of Lipsigh whiche was sore decayed before to the mayntenaunce whereof he dyd institute and appointe speciall priuileges and newe stipendes and ordeined the excellently learned man Ioachim Camerary of Bambery reder in liberall sciences and prouided for other faculties also sage men well learned so that both gods worde also learnyng dyd myghtely increase and florysh agayn in thys lande God graunt it may long continue to the prayse of his mooste holy name In Fraunce was not the warres yet ceased whiche was begonne the yere before For the king was yet mightely armed and came furth in the moneth of Marche towardes the west into the Duchye of Artois whiche is called Picardy where he dyd great harmâ— and about the .xviij. daye of the same moneth he beseged y â— towne of Hedin which was yelded vp vnto hym the .xiij. day of Aprill next folowing When he had ouercome the sayde towne he furnyshed it and other places lyeng there about with meÌ„ and so retourned home again In the meane
xlv nexte folowynge When George Marquys of Brandenburghe perceyned theyr sayde enterpryse and intent he thought that they dyd hym great iniury for he asscribed vnto hymselfe certayne ground â–ª and laude wythout the towne of Nurremborough which is neuer theles pertayning to the Empyre and claymed it as hys owne heritage wherfore he marched somtime by â–ª day as farre as the Landmark and by night vnto the towne euen hard by the forsayd buylding But when they of the towne feared some great malice and mischief they fenced theyr building with much ordenaunce and artillery kept great watch vpon the walles and in theyr turrettes When thys hyndered the people of the Marquys of theyr purpose some of them went toke certayne inhabytauntes of Nurremborough as they went a fowlynge or byrdyng in the woode and stopped certayne of theyr wagens or cartes commyng from Lipswyke and other places laden with goodes and marchaundyses and broughte them to the Castell of Bayerthorp Wherfore they of Nurremburgh being occasyoned and moued to displeasure â–ª and indignatyon by the reason of the sayde cruelues assembled a certaine nombre of â—oul dyours and layde them in the countree rounde about the town and furnished the smal townes and vyllages about them after the best mauer purposyng in case the sayd Marquys or hys men would persiste in theyrfrowardenes as they had begon to be in a readynes to defend themselues from such iniuris But yet thorough intreataunce of certaine Potentates and Princes of the Empyre the matter was qualified put in arbitrement so y e in conclusion the sayde Marquys suffered them of Nurrenburgh wythout contradiction and molestation accordynge to the tenoureof theyr lybertyes and priuyledges to buylde on the grounde of the Empyree This yeare dyed Charles Duke of Geldres in his place succeded William Duke of Cleue although he did not long enioye it as shalbe declared in place conuenient Thys yeare dyd Godde so punyshe the auaryce of marchauntes whyche occupye by the scasyede whyle they do so enhaunce the goode creatures of God in pryces that the poore are not able to bye them that thoroughe oute all the coastes of Denmarcke in harueste whyche is the best time of the yeare no hering could be taken In the kingdom of Naples y e .xxviii. day of Septemb. The Sea decreassed and fell away about the space of eight Italyan myles so that al the grounde was drye which afterwarde dyd cast certayn holes out of the which for the space of many dayes continually ascended fyre wyth ashes which dyd great hurt in many places there about at the falling do wne therof For the sayde ashes fell downe lyke snowe rounde about Naples for the space of thenne Itali an myles vntyll they lay on the grounde the thickenes of thre fingers Which is a fearful argument of Goddes wrath towardes vs wherby we ought al to be warned and specyally Italy to forsake our sinfull liuynge yf any warning would helpe But it is not regarded vntill Gods wrath lighteth vpon vs by heapes and then men would fayne repente but it is to late Wherfore let vs repente in time and lyue according to our professyon In Inglande thys yeare in December was the Lorde Marques of exceter the Lorde Montacute and Syr Edwarde Neuell beheaded for high treason duely proued IN y e yeare of our lord 1539. ThecoÌ„fede rat of y e Romane league prepared theÌ„sel ues wyth all theyr power to warre agaynst the Turcke by water but they profyted not muche For ther was greate lacke of vyctual a great dearth in Italy and at Venice â–ª For Barbarossa came wyth a great army and robbed vpon the sca and toke all that he might laye hand on so that ther myght no coarne be shypped vnto Venyce nether out of Cypers nor out of Can dye And there was also nomore prouisyon in Italy That done he shipped with a great power vnto the strong newe Castell which oure Christen men had wonne in the yeare before fortified it after the best facyon there vnto he layed seage in thre places and shot daye and night ther at wythoute ceassynge and yet wanne nothyng tyl certen of the dal macyans fell to fliyng awaye and ranne oute vnto the Turkes and tolde them where they myghte best and â—onest hurt our Christen men Then the enemye dyd accordyng to theyr councell and shotte both for tresses and walles doune so that the could assaulte them on euen grounde And although the spanyardes and the Italyans that were in the Castell defended themselues manfullye and couragy ously and slewe at the least syxtene thousand of the enemyes yet at the last because they werewery the enemyes gat euer fresch men they forsoke the Castell and loste bothe the Castell and the assault and althoughe they were ouer manned yet they fought and defended them selues so longe tyll they were all mooste all slayene Thys was done in August In the meane whyle Isabel the Emperoures Mayestyes wyfe the kynge of Portugalles doughter dyed of chylde the fyrste daye of maye the chylde was a sonne whyche lyued not longe She leaft behynde her lyuynge a sonne called Philyppe and two doughters whyche she hadde by the Emperour A none after ther was an insurreccyon ray sed at Gent amonge the commens of the Cytye so that it apeared that the cytye shulde haue bene destroyed By occasion wherof the Emperoures Mayestye was compelled to come oute of Spayn into Flaunders to appease that dissencion And as he was mynded to take his iorney toward Italy the Frenche kyng Fraunches sent an embassage to hym desyrynge hym amyably to come thoroughe Fraunce promysing that all that was in his kyngdome shulde be at his pleasure But the cause was for that they had concluded a peace to gethers as is aboue remembred the one shulde haue suspected the other if they hadde not kept frendshippe to gether And for as moche as the Frenche kyng had often broken the leaghe hys myssedoyng myghte thesoner be for gotten if the Emperoures mayesty woulde seke frendshyp at hys hande Thys thinge could by nomeanes be better or easelier done than that his maiesty for this once shuld iorney through hys lande By thys mocyon was the Emperours maiestye wyllyng to iorney thoroue Fraunce and sent hys chefe Counseller Granduel in Nouembre oute of Spayne into Fraunce to signyfye hys commyng and folowed shortlye after And when he came to S. Sebastians ther the Duke of Orliens the kynges youngest Sonne reaceaued hym And not farre from the city of S. Iohn was also the dolphyn wyth the chefe of y â— nobles of Fraunce whyche receaued the Emperoures maiesty wyth al due reuerence and dyd leadde him thorowe the lande till he came to Lochias the tenneth day of December There was the kynge in hys awne personne and Helenour hys wyfe tarynge for the Emperoure and receaued hym as it appeared for it was not all golde that
glyttered cleare as here after wyll appeare wyth all ioye and reuerence and were to gether tyll the ende of the xxxix yeare The inhabytoures of the nether parte of Austeryche of the erldome of Goertz hadde sente forth theyr ambassadours the laste daye of December from Vyenne wyth a pityfull and humble requeste and petycyon to the states and degrees of the kingdome of Behame which were at that time assembled at Preslowe that they woulde vouchesafe to helpe them agaynste the turcke whych had two yere before taken in the marqueship of Woendon and that present yeare manned it and caried from thence foureskore thousande chrysten men in to his lande and laie at that tyme hard vpon their neckes the chefe ambassadours of thys ambassage were M. Vlryche of boskawyts and. M Tscher nafor whyche were of the kynge of the Romaynes councell But what they obtayned wyth theyr peticion I can not tell at thys tyme but I suppose that they obtayned an honeste promesse and helpe For so pytyfullye as they made theyr petycyon it woulde haue made a stonye herte to meltte specially if men consider that yf they be suffred to be destroyed wythoute helpe that then theyr aduersity will be at the next time our awne In the somer in Iuly ther was a blasing ster in the eauening in y ◠Northwest in the signe of the virgin It was elles a metely good yere as touching wether other thinges y ◠happened therin but in the winter euery full mone ther was muche raine speciallye about the elue and other waters that ronne therinto Here I must sett to new tidynges that are counted true of many whych I take to be a speeyall myracle if it be so It is sayde and it is openly putt oute in prynte That the Emperour of Turckye in Iune caused all hys chefe and best learned priestes to come before hym and commaunded them vpon a great payne to tell hym whyche is the ryght true and best belefe vpon earth And when they had for feare excused themselues they had a tyme appoynted to remembre them and after were called before hymagayne Now when they were agayne monished to saye the trueth of theyr conscyence and heard the commaundement of the Tyrant they answered one after another wyth one assent that the Christen beliefe is the best and that it is a ryght and a true belefe albeit it is very much misused of the Christen For it teacheth the beste poyntes that can be as to wytte loue toward God and man whych is not so well taught in any other belefe And forther that they haue wytnesse in their lawe and alkorane that Mahomet must go to Christ for grace c. And that Christe is therefore better than Mahomet Whē they now had thus answered wythout feare the Tyrant waxed angrye and caused them all which were aboue fyfiye to beheaded And in the same place was there a syght sene as though all the headed priestes had bene together and lighted clearer than manye candellyghtes in the nyght through which miracle manye of the other priestes of Mahomet folowed theyr confessyon belefe also many of y ◠Lay people which acknowledged openly and wythout feare that those priestes were vniustly kylled for the truethes sake All thynges are possible to God so that it may well be For God cā raise vp a Daniel or an Ezechiel amōg the Babilonians Howbeit no man shall be compelled to beleue this but at his pleasure IN the yeare of our lord M. D. XL. in the beginning of the yeare dyd the Emperoures Maiestye ryde to Paris and as he rode in was excedyng royally conducted and receaued and afterwarde great and pryncely Banckettes made wyth great momeryes and daunces And the second daye after there were great Iustynges and fyghtynges made `to do hym pleasure and honour wyth all There his Maiesty abode tyll the second day after the twelueth daye Then he departeth into Flaunders wyth al his company and was conducted vnto Camerick of bothe the kynges sonnes and there with great royalty receaued of the Bishop of Camerick From thens they iorneyed to Valencyne there taryed the ladye Marye Quene of hungarye for them There also toke the kynges sonnes theyr leaue of the Emperoures mayestye and tourned home agayn But as the Emperoures Mayestye was in all places royallye receaued so was ther wayte layde falslye pryuelye and craftelye to kyll hym For as the Emperoure shulde sayell from corbe to Paryse and hadde wyth hym a Cardynall the Duke of Albuge and the kynges Marschalle to beare hym companye the water men rowed the shyppe vpon a pyele so that the shyp turned round aboute and he that hylde the rother fell oute of the boot what that meant it is easy to gesse wherof the Emperour complayneth in a letter written to Paule the thyrde byshoppe of Rome whereyn he sheweth the cause why he could not come to the councell appointed to be holden at Trente that he had perfect knowledge that the kynge of Fraunce was mynded at that tyme to take hym presoner and kepe hym in holde as it also afterwarde sufficyently appeared by the affaires of the sayde king But after the Emperours mayestye was comen in to hys awne lande he wente streyghtwayes vnto Gent and after he was suffred to come in to the cytye he fyrste earnestlye punyshed the insurrecty on raysers and caused a great parte of the citye to be broken downe and a stronge Castell to be buylded in the same place A none after cam Ferdinādus in to Flaūders to y ◠Emperours maiesty to consult with him after whatt maner they myghte wythstande the turcke and howe hys greate tyrannye agaynste vs poor Chrystyans myghte be resysted and auoyded Euen whyle these thynges were done in Flaunders ther was a communycacyon holden at Wormes at the Emperours commaundement concernynge Relygyon and the speakers of both sydes were master Philip Melanthon myne enterelye beloued master of the Gospellers syde and Doctor Iohn Ecke of Ingolstadt whyche wolde haue defended the Byshoppe of Romes parte Thys communycacion beganne the fourtenne day of Ianuarye there the Artycle of orygynall synne was specyallye intreated of whether the same syn abyde and remayne in Chrysten and holy men after baptyme And was concluded that ther yet abyede remnauntes of synne in the saynctes althoughe they raygne nott or haue the ouerhande As. S. Paule sayth let not synne raygne in your mortall bodyes But suche synnes are not imputed to the saynctes for Christes merytes sake as the Apostle forther saythe ther is nowe no condemnacyon to them that are in Chryste Iesu c. After thys treatye was that communycacyon so ended and dyffered tyl the Emperoures and the kynges mayestyes of the Romaynes were personallye presente But what sutteltye and craft Eccyus vsed in dysputacyon to adourne and garnysh hys cause maye euerye wyttye manse by the treaty it selfe whych is
the administracion of the Germaynes had preserued in Ferdinandus kyngdom the same was by his owne Capitaynes and seruauntes betrayed and deliuered For many Launceknyghtes of the Germayne nation sawe with their eyes that the chief Capitaine of the Castell called Salamancko deliuered letters to the Turke with his owne handes ouer the walles at the tyme of the said assault Whereupon the Turkes came by heapes the .xix. day of August next folowyng to take the Castell in possession accordyng to the promise whiche the vpper Capitayne had made them whiche notwithstaÌ„dyng were put of agayn by the violence and power of the Germaines that knewe not of the sayde conspiracy commaunded the same sincerely and purely to bee preached thoroughout all his diocese and iurisdiction But this greued the Chapiter and the Citie of Collyn very sore wherfore they haue also hither to endeuoured them selues to worke vnto hym muche wo sorowe and persecution here and there by the hier powers God vouchsafe to preuente their bloudy counsailes and deuices and graunte them to be taken in their owne snares that his name in them may be sanctified Amen This yere also dyed at Ingolstade doctor Iohn Eckius a faithfull seruaunt and chaÌ„pion of the Pope and a defender of the abhominable Papacy But as his lyfe was full of all vngodlynes vnclennes blasphemy so was his ende myserable harde and pitifull insomuche that his laste worde as it is noted of many credible persones was this in case the foure thousand guldens were ready the matter were dispatched Some say that the Pope had grauÌ„ted hym a certaine Deanerych whiche he shoulde haue redemed from the courte of Rome with the saied summe And although some of his adherentes would fayne haue extolled hym into heauen wherfore also the sayde rumour was myghtely resisted with vayne excuses yet haue they not preuayled but opened his shame so muche the more the .xxvi. day of Nouember a certayn woman besydes Basell in a village called Renach brought furth a wonderfull burthen namely twoo chyldren fast together and double from the nauell vpwarde so that both their bellyes and brestes were growen together vnto their neckes their heades beyng parted lokinge one vpon an other and embrasing eche other with their armes FroÌ„ the nauel downeward it was but one childe wyth one arse membres of a manchilde â–ª two legges and two fete the one was alyue when it came into the worlde but it lyued not past an houre Also the fourth day of Iune were sene at WhiteÌ„ dall not far froÌ„ S. Ioachinis valley many sundry visions As .ii. cities against whoÌ„ 〈…〉 many LyoÌ„s with gonnes the reapeared many visages figures of men w t wonderful beardes one prayeng after the shape of Christ an other striking of a maÌ„s head an other sitting vpon a Camell was destroied of a lyon There apeared also .ij. maidens the one of theÌ„ playeng on a lute with other like wonderfull fantasies whiche altogether after my iudgement may represent vnto vs the pore flock of Christ scattered through out Germany DuchlaÌ„d which is assaulted persecuted of many lyons that shede much in noceÌ„t bloud yet is alwaies preserued enlarged through the earnest prayer of faithfull Christians according to the significacion of the lesser citie of theÌ„ both which increassed became larger larger the more she was assaulted of the lyons IN the yere of our lord 1544. the Emperoure Charles came againe into Germany heloâ— a councell at Spier as it was apointed at Nurrenburg the yere before but what was there done concluded may all men perceiue by the breakyng vp of the same councell In the meane season dyed y â— right peaceable prince Lodowike Palatine by y â— Rene electour imperial c. who as touchiÌ„g his peaceable behaueours might be called the father of the Empire For the celebration of whose buriall themperour the kyng went to Heidelbergh And after this was the election by the Rene graunted by the Emperours mai to duke Frederike palatiâ—e which had the daughter of Christierne king of DeÌ„mark had hitherto kept his court at Newemarke This â—andable prince after y â— he had aspired to this digniâ—â—â— endeuoured himselfe to y â— vtermost of his power to solowe the steppes of his brother of laudable memory Almighty God vouchsaue of his grace to preserue increase hym all lyke peaceable princes to the welfare of the christen common welth While this passed about the Rene themperoure caused his capitaines to take vp a great multitude of meÌ„ in the coÌ„treis of Germany BurguÌ„dy Spaine a sent first 7600. Germayns 4800. Spanyardes 12800. Italians with 1500. horses of whoÌ„ was chief capitain markes de quassâ— to inuaded the Frenche kyng through Piemont And where the said army came within a duche myle of Carniol for so it is called of the warriours they were assaulted of the kynges hoste whiche was but litell stronger then themperours hoste Wherfore they brought themselues bothe at once in battellraye stode on two hilles whence the one might well beholde the other betwene them beneth was a depe muddy valley with dyches full of foul water Nowe when neither part would geue ouer his holde aueÌ„ture through the mudde the dyches there was many a shot made betwene them vntyll at the last the said Markes put furward the Spanyardes promising them comfortably to assiste them with the Italians and with the horsemen insomuch that they attempted with their armures and artillery to wade thorough the mudde and myre against their enemies whereupon the sayde enemies stoode styll vntyll they sawe the Emperours hooste troubled and pestered in the myre in suche sorte as they could kepe none ordre for euery man had ynough to do to saue hymselfe out of the mudde Then went they downe easely with their ordinaunce fell vpon theÌ„ that were entangled toke certaine horsemeÌ„ whiche had brokeÌ„ the aray that was made agayn And vpon this they russhed among them without violence Nowe when the Duchemen and the Spanyardes trusted that theyr superiours woulde succour them wyth the Italians and the horsmen the sayde bolde and stoute champion turned hys backe with them and fled sufferyng thesayde poore men to perysh without any succour So that in this battayll were slayne about .viij. M. Dutchemen and Spanyardes among whom were many olde expert warriours and .ij. M. of them were taken prysoners whiche were well intreated of the Swychers as prysoners by them coÌ„ducted out of the kynges dominions vntill they came within a littell dayes yourney of Geneue And if the Swychers had not shewed them suche kyndnes they had bene all kylled of the Frenchemen besides that they were so taken spoyled of all thinges euen to their shertes Wherfore they be herein muche bounde to thanke the Swytchers After this when the conuocatioÌ„ or counsaill was coÌ„cluded at Spyers euery prince
all thinhabitauntes of the same on sonday the .xxix. day of Marche which was on Palmesonday about .viii. of the clocke in the mornyng At what tyme there was heard suche a fearefull thonderclappe that the hole lande trembled After that there apeared in the east thre red crosses twoo of them aboue and the third vnder them both In the middes whereof apeared a man armed with a fyry sworde agaynst whom came a great multitude of warriours on horseback and on fote which fought with hym vntyll one of the clocke at after none and were in fine ouercome of hym that they al peryshed and vanyshed awaye he remaynynge alone in the fielde betwene the crosses Immediately after this came a terrible Dragon behynde the man and deuoured hymwith the sworde When this visiōwas past the skye waxed all red and of a fyry coloure whiche lasted about an houre euen vntyll twoo of the clocke or there about then arose there suche blacke cloudes vnder the skye that it was as darke as though it had bene nyght whiche continued so vntyll the next daye the thyrty daye of Marche in the mornyng about .ix. of the clocke And then the skye wyth the day appeare dagayne There appeared also thre goodly well fauoured Raynebowes one aboue another whereon sate an holy Aungell whiche appeared by the space of an houre and a half And after this it was fayre wether for the space of certayne dayes These thyngs were written out of the Lande of Pooles and afterward set furth in printe openly but the interpretacion thereof wyll I committe to the iudgement of other The rest of the Sommer of this yere was very propice and warme the frutes of the earthe were competent and the wynes had good successe and chaunced very good so that they caused muche dissentiō and debate and also manslaughter betwene suche as abused them This yere in the lande of Bullenois there camped in Iannuary on the West syde of Bullyn beyōd the hauen an army of Frenchemen to the nombre of 18000. lay there the space of .x. dayes the .vi. day of Febru they were all put to flight by the erle of Harforde the lorde Admirall with a small company of men and without any bloudshedyng on the Englyshe syde but diuers of the other were slayne they left al their ordinaunce with bagge and baggage behynde them This yere about the .xx. day of Iuly the Frenchmē with a greate nauy of shyppes muaded the Ile of wight in England where as they were driuen back and a great nomber slayne In the yere of our Lorde 1546. euen in the beginning of the yere was a conuocation of the Euangelicall confederation kept at Francke sorde on the mayne the disputacion to be kept at Raynsburgh was also begonne c. This yere was doctor Martyn Luter and doctor Iustus Ionas called too Isleven of the Erle of Mansfelde to caste of and accorde certayne debates and dissentions that were happened betwene them Where doctor Martyn Luter was ouercome with the olde impedimentes and diseases of his body whiche renewed vpon hym whereby he felt and perceiued his ende to be at hande Wherfore he called hartely vpon the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe and with open confession commended his soule into the handes of God oure heauenly father In so muche that the eighten daye of February he departed out of this miserable worlde into the handes of God with Christ whome he had boldely confessed before the worlde all moste thyrty yeares aswell by his paynfull preachyng and teachyng as by continuall wrytyng Hys body was at the commaundement of the Princely Electour caried from Isleven by the Erle of Mansfelde accompanied with fyfty horses to Wittenburgh and of all estates of the Princely Electours Court bothe of high and lowe degrees of the vniuersitie of the citie he was sorowfully but yet honorably brought into the Castell and reuerently buried besydes the burials of the Electours of Saxon the .xxii. day of February the .lxij. yere of his age This man so highly endued with knowledge from God was apointed and ordeined of our heauenly father to be a minister and teacher of his churche and a preacher of his Gospell euen as in al ages he hath raised and ordeined some to be Prophetes some to be Apostles and some to be teachers of hys congregacion For he opened and declared vnto the worlde by Gods grace the necessary and holsome doctrine of the Gospell and taught the true repentaunce and comfort of the harte whiche is feared with the knowledge of Goddes wrath He hath godly set furth the doctrine of Paule whiche saith That a man is iustified and made ryghteous by the faith in Christe He hath also declared the difference betwene the Lawe and the Gospel betwene the rightousnes of y ◠spirite of the outward workes He brought to light agayne the true worshypping of God whiche had bene vnknowen to the moost parte of the worlde by the space of a thousand yeres And brought the vniuersall Church from that fonde opinion whiche imagineth that God is worshypped although y ◠minde of man being suppressed with perpetual doubting abhorreth to come to god He taught also howe we ought to pray in faith with a good concience and ledevs to the only mediatour Christ the sonne of God ▪ whiche sytteth at the right hand of the father euerlastyng and maketh intercession for vs And not to the soules of dead men as the vngodly Papistes haue taught with fyre and fagot He declared also what good workes were acceptable to God He hath so garnisshed and establyshed the temporal lawes and gouernaūce that sence the Apostles tyme it was neuer so confirmed by Scriptures He dyd also abolysh the chyldysh custome and ceremonies of mans tradicion whiche hyndered true prayer and seperated them from the necessary workes To thyntent also that the heauenly doctrine should extende to hys posteritie and that the people whiche shall come after myght haue knowledge he translated the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures into Dutch with suche lyght and clarite that the reder maye haue more knowledge thereby then by some mens expositions He made also many expositions whiche do farre excell many other as Erasmus of Roterdame witnesseth in his writynges And as it is writen of them whiche repayred Ierusalem that they buylded wyth one hande and helde the swoorde in the other Euen so warred Doctor Martine Luter with the enemies of the true doctrine and buylded neuertheles the heauenly doctrine Besydes thys he dyd helpe many mens conciences with good coūsayll And whylest a greate parte of his doctrine is aboue mans reason as the doctrine of remission of synnes and of faith it must nedes be graunted that he was taught of God In prayer for the vniuersall Churche of Christe was he very earnest and dilygent He dyd also eueryday chose a certaine houre to recite certayne Psalmes wherin also he mixed his prayer with great deuotion
earth In the moneth of Aprill came the Emperoures maiestie to Raynesburgh on Saturday after mydlent Sonday where he founde but fewe princes of the Empyre besydes a small nombre of certaine byshoppes Consequentely after Easter when certayn princes and Ambassadours or Legates of other were come thither the conuocation was begonne and the propositions were of the agreement of the Articles in controuersy in religion of the ordre and establyshment of the chamber court and of the Coyne Item howe the Turke myght be resisted But in the meane season when there was great prouision and preparation made to take vp men warriours in the name of themperours Maiestie thoroughout all Duchelande the Electours princes and estates of the confession of Ausbourgh desyred moste humbly at Whitsontyde to knowe of the Emperours Maiestie against whome suche preparation of warre was intended whereupon they receiued this darke aunswere that the Emperoures Maiestie woulde punishe certayne rebelles of the Empire After this darke aunswere when many thyngs were feared and the sayde warriours were in a redynes the conuocacion toke an ende and another was instituted and appointed against the next yere to begynne the fyrst day of February Forasmuche therfore as Duke Iohn Frederike Electour in Saxon and Lorde Phylyppe Landgraue of Hessen with the other Princes Lordes estates and townes of the confession and confederation of Ausburgh perceiued that the saide great preparacion of warres was enterprised and intended against no man but against them they prepared also an hoste of men for their necessary defence for the mayntenaunce and preseruacion of the pure and sincere doctrine of the Gospell for the defence also of their Landes dominions and subiectes and for the continuacion of the liberties and priuiledges of the Germaine nacion and went furth in the moneth of Iune ouerthrowen and destroyed Fyftely the Postmaysters house where themperour was wont to haue hys posthorses when he had nede of them wyth the stables and the horses in the same at that tyme was quyte stryken awaye by the thonder and burned vp Syxtely Saynt Barnardes place wherin the Abbot of S. Barnarde had hys lodgyng when he came to Meghlyne was vtterly destroyed by the thonder and the cloyster of the Augustyne freers was a great parte ouerthrowen and destroyed Seuently The Voogstrete which was a fayre large strete was also in lyke maner ouerthrowen that there remayned neuer a house standyng nor yet as they sayd block nor stone Eightely The Palace of Hyghstrete whyche was an excedyng fayre and strong buyldynge belongyng to a certayn great lorde was quyte and clene ouerthrowen and destroyed And as the inhabitauntes of the sayd towne of Meghlyne do affyrme yf the sayd Palayce of Hyghstrete wyth other places and greate buyldynges had not bene there standynd The hole towne of Meghlyn must nedes haue ben vtterly ouerthrowen and destroyed so that nether house stycke nor stone shuld haue remayned in the same For the sayd hygh and strong buyldynges were a greate defence to the towne Besydes thys there were also other places and great buyldinges whose names to auoyd prolyxite are not here rehearsed whych were in lyke maner ouerthrowen destroyed of the thonder as the other together with seuen hundred houses Insumme almoost all the houses of the towne were endamaged fewe or none excepte that hadde not some hurte done by the thonder Nyntly the nexte daye after when the sayde piteous calamite was done whiche was the. 8. day of August when they beganne to make rowme there were founde about thre hundred persons men women and children which were slaine by the meanes of the thondre whome they loded in wagens cartes and buryed them in great holes that were digged for the same purpose There were also founde aboue 150. persons sore wounded and harmed And there happened one thing in the sayd toune specyally to be meruayled at which is that certayn gestes sate in theyr hostes hous drynkynge to gether and plaieng at the cardes and while they called for drynke and theyr hostesse went doune into the seller to drawe them a pot of byre in the meane season was the house stryken awaye by the thonder and the players found dead wyth the cardes in theyr handes as though they had ben styll playeng but the hostesse saued her lyfe by the meanes y ◠she was in the seller whan the sayd hurt was done Tenthly There was also a man founde in a corner the thyrd daye after that the sayde hurte was done hauyng no harme whych asked whether the world were yet standyng or not There was also a woman founde dead beynge great wyth chylde whych was afterwarde cut opē and the chylde taken out of her belly was baptised Muche harme was there done besydes not onely within the towne of Meghline but also without the towne as in the townes villages castels and boroughes lyeng there about where thesaide wether hath done much harme and there were many innumerable fearfull and wonderful sygnes and to kens sene so that bothe the Emperoure and the lady Mary had nede to remembre them selues for it is to be feared that God will beginne to reuenge the innocent bloude whiche is very piteously shed in the lower partes of Duchelande for the Gospels sake for it crieth into heauen and so fylleth the boso me of Gods high matestie that he can suffre it no lōger yea he wyll laye on yet greater loades oneles they repente and amende in tyme for he hath suffered them long ynough When this warre betwene themperour the electour of Saxon the Landgraue of Hessen had continued into the first moneth themperour had declared hymself an open enemy both to the forsaid princes onely of his owne mynde without either right reason or warnyng and without the knowledge consent of the estates membres of thempire In the meane seasō did Maurice duke of Sax on with great feruentnes prepare a great nōbre of horsemen pietons wherefore al men stode in great feare not knowing against whom he made the same preparation And forasmuche as the electour of Saxon was out of his lande duke Maurice was next of hys bloude and his nere kisman bothe on the fathers the mothers syde was also by bym brought vp had receiued many benefites at his hand many were of this hope iudgemēt that thesaid preparatiō was made for the defence succour of the landes subiectes of the electour so that fewe or none suspected any gyle in duke Maurice In the meane season did kyng Ferdinando also endenour hymselfe to stirre vp the Lusenitianes Bohemianes against the lande of the Electour of Saxon but with honest vertuous men coulde he litle preuayle notwithstāding by the meanes of his importunate labour and instaunt intreataūce he assembled a sorte of Pietons in Boheme being in nōbre about eyght thousand men in Hungary aboue a thousand husbandmen a wicked rauenish generation to destory waste the landes
their lande the flyeng sorte couered that lyght of the Sune in so muche that thinhabiters of the lande were cōmaunded to go furth and to take gather thē that crept on the grounde which they did continually during the space of thre wekes gatheringe euery daye about 2400. quarters in a quarter of a myle for in euery quarter of a myle were appointed thre hundreth persons men and womē and euery hundreth persons gathered euery day 800 quarters during the space of 3. wekes And they came into Isebredge ouer the brydge with such a power as though they had ben an hoste of warriours that woulde haue entred into the towne In so much that the Magestrates commanded the inhabitauntes of the same towne to make resistaunce agaynst them before the gate with besomes and bromes and to swype them into the water as they came whiche they ded in suche sorte as they couered all the water with grasherppers that no water coulde be sene Thus did they resiste them kept them also from the brydge by the space of .iii. wekes after this the said locustes or grashoppers turned into the fieldes and there destroyed and wasted the corne and the grasse vndoynge in a maner all the people of the lande so that after thys the peopel resysted them no moore butt onelye trusted to the mercy of god with instaunt feruēt prayer The sayde Locustes or grashoppers were littell at the begynnyng and krepyng but afterwarde they grewe and began to flye doyng great hurte throughout the sayde lande In the meane season the Emperoures maiestie and the kyng of the Romaynes set furth a commaūdement that noman shuld be founde in dronkenes horedome aduoutery vsury and blasphemy but he should be punyshed by death and forfayte all hys goodes In a littell towne called Albers lyeng besydes Lyndawe in the Dukedome of Zweyburgh was this yere founde two clusters of grapes growynge vpon one braunce hauyng a long read bearde whiche was a wonderfull syght The same yere in flaunders and the countrees there about was a great scacitie of corne so that there was a great dearth in the lande And there dwelled besydes Beke aboue Gand a certayne farmer well prouided and stored with corne vnto whome his neyghbours came lamentyng and intreatyng hym to sel them some of his corne who refused so to do neuertheles he sent none away comfortles that had nede for he lent and delyuered vnto euery man accordyng to their necessite on this condicion that they should rendre and repaye hym agayne at the next haruest on this condicion did he lende corne to dyuers nedy persons After whiche tyme it chaunced that his corned fyelde beyng sowed was by Gods grace so multiplied and increassed that on euery stalke grewe an exceding nombre of eares laden with corne so that thorough the blessyng of God he was well rewarded By this may we see that the sayeng of Salomon is an vndoubted verite namely he that taketh pitie on the pore lendeth vnto the Lorde vpon vsury and loke whatsoeuer he layeth out it shalbe payd hym agayne There was also this yere a wonderfull vision sene and heard of many within the towne of Wittenbourgh in the Lande of Saron the .xviii. daye of September early in the mornyng betwene foure fyue of y ◠clocke For there appeareth in the ayre a figure and lykenes of a dead corse or beere couered ouer with blacke cloth and a read ribband auer the same and there went before the coarse six men with trompettes and a greate multitude of people folowed with croked instrumentes and trompettes blowyng whyche made a greate noyse in the ayre insomuche that many in the towne whiche laye yet in their beddes were thereby awaked out of theyr slepe thynkyng that the sayde trimblyng had bene in the towne After this the black cloth vanyshed awaye from the boere whiche then was couered ouer with awhyte cloth then appeared besydes the beare a man armed in harnas shewyng hym selfe very angry and pullyng the whyte clothe from the beere he rent it in twaine wynding the one half about hys arme and so pressyng it harde to hys body Wyth this the coarse vanyshed away The man armed dyd also apeare a lyttell whyle after so in lyke maner banished away After this were althynges quiet as before God graunte euery Christen man to remembre thys wonderfull sygne with feare for it is to be feared that it is a fearefull warnyng sent vs of God In Englande the nyntene day of Ianuary was the Erle of Surrey beheaded as was mencioned the yere before The seuen and twenty daye of the same moneth Henry the eyght kyng of Englande c. ended hys lyfe and was buried at Windsore Edwarde the syxt kyng of Englande c. succeded his father in the gouernaunce of his royalmes and dominions and was crowned the nintene day of February in the nyneth yere of hys age Vnder the sayde kyng in the tyme of his minorite his vncle Edwarde Duke of Somerset was made lorde Protectour of all hys Royaulmes dominions and subiectes and Gouernour of his maiesties persone who with the residue of his maiesties Counsayll gouerned the realme with great mercy and gentilnesse by whome to the surtheraunce of goddes worde and true religion cōmissioners were sent into al partes of the Realme with commaūdement to cause all Images to be taken out of churches for auoydyng of Idolatry and to wyll men women to leaue the vse of beades hauyng with thē also godly and learned preachers assigned whiche do exorted them to geue them self to true and vnfained worshippyng of God in the hart and minde with due obedience to their prince Richard Smith a doctour of diuinite recāted opēly at Paules crosse within y e citie of Lōdon diuers articles cōtained in two bokes which he had made one for the defence of the sacrifice of the Masse an other to proue vnwritten verities to be beleued vnder payne of damnacion This yere also in Enland commaundement was geuen that processions should be no more vsed This yere also in England the duke of Somerset then Lorde Protectour and the Erle of Warwyke went into Scotlande with a strong army requiring the Scottes to fulfyll their promyse made before to kyng Henry concernyng the mariage of their younge Quene with the younge kynge of Englande but the Scottes stubbournely came agaynst them with great puissaunce And not longe after the two armyes encountred in the fieldes of Muscleborough at a place called Pinker slough The Englyshe part not thynkyng as than to haue battayle at whiche tyme because the front of the Scottyshe armie was so terrybly set wyth pykes the Englyshe horsemen which gaue the fyrst onset were fayne to recule backe with losse of certayn gētylmen whiche reculing much abasshed the English footemen but yet by the great wysedome and dilygence of the Lord Protectours grace and the valiaunt hart and courage of the Earle of Warwike they
fo lvij So dome is become a marysh x. Thrâ—e sâ—â—ns seen together xâ—â— Solon the graâ—e and wryghte seâ—â—â—nce of hym to Cresus â—o xxxiiâ— the author and begyâ—â—ar of common lawes fo xxxvij Solituan wyth hys great hoste be seged Uirâ—â—a clxxxviij the â—econd breakyng of hym into Germany fo cxâ—vi Sophi prince of the Perspaâ—â—s â—â—adeth the Turke ccv Soraâ—â—s wrote the lyfe of Hypocrates fo ivij Soter fo lxvi Sparta and Athens two â—yes of Grece iv Spaâ—yards found new Iâ—des plâ—â—tyâ—ull of gold and syluer CC. When Spayn and part of Gallia was traâ—slated â—roÌ„ the empyre cxv the â—ynges of Spayn â—o come of the Gothes fo cxi Spâ—ches fo iiij Spyre fo ccxxxv ccl Stephen Gardener byshop of Winchester cclxxviij Stewes put donne at London fo lxx Stephan was confirmed of Lewes fo câ—â—xiij Sâ—â—phan was stoned xc kynge of the Hungaayans cxlviij Stillâ—â—o fo cviij cx Straw haâ—s cxlij Sultan or Soldan cxxij Swedeners rebell agaynst ther kyng câ—xlix Swines moâ—th was the fyrste â—yshop of Rome that chaunged hys â—â—me cxxxiiij The Swytzers and there league clxxv the power of them agayâ—â—t the Dolphin clxxxij the warre agaynst there neyghbours them of Eastenriche clxxxvi the warre within themselues clxxxix Sibilla is not the proper name of a woman xxiiij they were worshyppars of Idols ibid. Silla lxxxi he feareth the inconstancye of fortuâ—e lxxxij he was more cruell than nede reâ—uyred ibidem Spluester Byshop of Rome a worker wyth euyll spirites fo cxlix T Twelf tables of the law lix a table of the worlds end cxciiij Tacitus fo x Tamerlanes a tyraunt of Tartary fo clxxvij Tarquinius Priscus xxvij Superbus ibid. Tassilo duke of Bayerlande was ouercome of Charles fo cxxx Teia the last kynge of the Gothes fo xv Thelesporus xcv An example of temperance xl An horrible tempest CCxx Thales a begynner of philosophi in Grece xxxvij he and Solon were both at one tyme xxxvij Thare fo ix Thebes the occasion of the battayll xxi the Thebanes destroye the Phocyans lvij the The warre ouercome spoyled nether were restored agayâ— fo l vij Thefe taken ccxxxi Themisâ—ocles a defendor of the liberte of the country â–ª xlv his subtyl denyce xlvi he flieth tâ— Artaxerxes xlvij he is euyll rewarded xlvij Theodotius ouercometh the Gothyans cviij cx cxxv hys godlynes toward the church cix the yonger cxv Theodatus fo cxij Theramenes is putt to death fo lvi Theos fo lxvi Thomas Aqiunas clxviij Miâ—ter ci clxxxviij moor ccix author of Anabaptistes clxxxviij Thomas duke of Norfolk committed to the Tower cclxx Thrasibulus and hys prayre fo lvi Thuryngen the begynnynge of the Erldome aâ—d whence the lords therof fo cxlix Thâ—â—ydydes xxix hys sage â—ayenges conâ—ernyng hystoryes * iiij Tyberius Arimarus lxxxviij lxxxix cxx cxxv Tigranes is slayn by Pompeius fo lxx Titus sonne to Vespasian befeged Hierusalem xcij. tenne hundreth thousande persones were in the cytie when Ierusalem was besyeged xcij. hys gentelnes fo xciij Tyraunts are to be marked * vi Thyrty ty rannts were ordeyned at Aâ—hâ—us lv Totilas cxi he was taught by Beâ—et called the Sayâ—t cxiiij he fyghteth â—â—ckely cxiij Traianus was of greate honesty xciij hys sage sayng wheÌ„ he gaue hys head offycer tâ—e power of the sworde xciiij Persequâ—tion of Christen men vnderneth hym xciiij hys age xciiij Transiluania called Seuenburgh fo Cxxxi Tremâ—tes fo CCxlvi Tribunes were deposed by Sylla lxxxij they are restored agayne by Pompeius lxxxij Truce taken CCxcvi Tullus Hostilius fo xxvi Thâ—â—esse CCvi CCvij Turck what it sygnyfyed cxxiij the Turkes were Cartarians Cxxiij when they beganne to haue dominion ibid. he prepareth an arâ—â—ye to inâ—ade the the Christians CCxix they are beastes and not tyrauntes Clxxxiij Turke carâ—eth away eight thousand Christians in to Turky CCxxvij Turkes pastâ—â—â—e wyth Christians ccxxxvij they in Turkey acknowledge our Christian religion to be the beste CCxxvij CCxxxv CCxl CCxlviij CClix the Turks eldâ—st sonne maketh insurrection agaynst hys father CClxxiiij Trust is not to be put in the hâ—lp of man fo lxxij Tyriâ—thâ—s xxi Twelue artycles of sedicions râ—stickes Clxxxviij V Valens an Arrâ—an Cviij Valâ—otinianâ—s Cvij Cxvi Valâ—râ—aâ—â—s xcix Vandallâ—s came into Affrica Cxv thâ—re faythâ—ulluâ—s Cxvi whâ— they came â—yrst into Germany fo Cxvi Varius Hehiogabalus xcvij. Vardam battel Clxxxi Vision of S. Vdalryke Cxxxix Venece buylded fo Cxvij Vengeaunce how it is forbydden fo Cvij Vertue of noble Dames in the cytie of Wenisburg clviij Vespasianus fo xci Vibius Gallus Cxcix Victoria a cyte Clxvi Vindelicia fo lxxxviij Vitellius fo xcvi Vngodlynesse xxiij how much an vngodly doth differ from a Christian ibid. Vnkyndnesse toward God and doughty persons Clxxvij Vladislaus kyâ—g of Poole xcvij. Vlpianus ibidem Vâ—lâ—siaâ—â—s fo xâ—â—x Vrof the Caldeis fo ix Vrbinas sayeng Clxxxiiij W Wanderers in Germany and Gallia scourgyng themselues fo clxxiiij Waalles of wood answere xlv Warre of the Peloponneses lij the occasion of it was lyghte and how long it lasted â—â—â— of Cyrâ—s agayâ—st hys grandsather xxxâ—â— of the â—yâ—pes Clxxxij of lyght matters liij the occasion of cyuyl warrâ—s lxxxij WillyaÌ„ of Rogendorp ccxxxvi William duke of Bayre ccxliij Wencelaus kyng of Bohemies made a sainct Clxix Emperoure Clxxvi Weâ—uherus a restorer of the lawes fo Clvi Wertenberge Duchy when it beganne Clxxxv Willyam of Sicilie Clviij Emperour fo Clxviij Wittichus fo Cxiij Wonders sene in the tyme of y e Germaines warre liiij Wolfenbâ—tel CCxli CClv Wonderfull vicious CCl. CClxxi CClxxv Wormes CClxxiij Wryters of Histories and Cronicles cxcij Seke peace and ensue it Psál xxxiij i. Pet. iij. WL The feare of the lord is the beginnyng of Wysedome Psalm cxi b. Prou. ix b. Iob. xxviij c Eccle. i. c Imprynted at London for Gwalter Lynne dwellynge on Somers Keye by Byllinges gate In the yeare of our Lord M. D. L. ¶ And they are to be solde in Paules church yarde nexte the great Schole at the sygne of the sprede Egle. Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Histories are bokes of kynges and prynces Historyes of holy scrypture Historyes of the Heythen What muste be marked in the exaÌ„mples of princes What is to marked in y e examples of tirauntes The say sayeng of Then cidides coÌ„cerning histories How hystoryes do profyâ—e prynate 〈…〉 A Christenman muste searche the commaundementes of sayth and feare out of hystoryes The distreÌ„ce of holy and prophâ—â—â— histories What holy histories do teache Ely hath dyuyded the woâ—lde into 〈…〉 ages The fyrst age The second age What Monarchyes â—â—â— and of 〈…〉 hat pups 〈…〉 There â—e only â—oure Monarchyes The honor of the Emâ—â—re remay 〈…〉 h by the 〈…〉 s. The empyre must be saued and kept by all meanes The thyrd age The kyngdome of the worlde and Christes Kyngdome â–ª Adam and Heua The institution of ciuill power and of all lawes The beginninge of the churche The fyrste preaching of the Gospell The begynnyng of temporall afflicâ—ions Persecution for the true gods seruice The cytye Enoch Adam and Seth finders of