where Gods word is generally despised not regarded nor profited by there some notable destruction approcheth Philip Melanc in collectaneis Manlij In a certain place there was acted a tragedie of the death and passion of Christ in shew but indeed of themselues for hee that plaied Christs part hanging vpon the crosse was wounded to death by him that should haue thrust his sword into a bladder full of blood tied to his side who with his fall slew another that plaied one of the womens part that lamented vnder the crosse his brother that was first slaine seeing this slew the murderer and was himselfe by order of iustice hanged therfore so that this tragedie was concluded with four true not counterfeit deaths and that by the diuine prouidence of God who can endure nothing lesse then such prophane and ridiculous handling of so serious and heauenly matters In the Vniuersitie of Oxford the historie of Christ was also plaied and cruelly punished that not many years since for he that bore the person of Christ the Lord stroke him with such a giddinesse of spirit braine that he became mad forthwith crying when he was in his best humour that God had laid this iudgement vpon him for playing Christ Three other actors in the same play were hanged for robbing as by credible report is affirmed Most lamentable was the iudgement of God vpon one Iohn Apowel somtimes a seruingman for mocking iesting at the word of God this Iohn Apowell hearing one William Malden reading certaine English praiers mocked him after euery word with cōtrary gauds flouting termes insomuch that at last he was terribly afraid so that his hair stood vpright on his head and the next day was found besides his wits crying night and day without ceasing The deuill the deuill Acts and monuments pag. 2103. O the deuill of hell now the deuill of hell there he goeth for it seemed to him as the other read Lord haue mercie vpon vs at the end of the praier that the deuill appeared vnto him and by the permission of God depriued him of his vnderstanding this is a terrible example for all those that bee mockers at the word of God to warne them if they do not repent least the vengeance of God fall vpon them in like manner Thus wee see how seuerely the Lord punisheth all despisers and prophaners of his holy things and thereby ought to learne to carrie a most dutifull regard and reuerence to them as also to note them for none of Gods flocke whosoeuer they be that deride or contemne any part of religion or the ministers of the same CHAP. XXXV Of those that prophane the Sabboth day IN the fourth last commandement of the first table it is said Remember to keep holy the sabboth day by which words it is ordained and enioined vs to seperate one day of seuen from al bodily and seruile labor not to idlenes loosenes but to the worship of God which is spirituall and wholesome Which holy ordināce whē one of the childrē of Israel in contempt broke as they were in the wildernesse Numb 15. by gathering stickes vpon the sabboth he was brought before Moses Aaron the whole congregation by them put in prison vntill such time as they knew the Lords determination concerning him knowing well that he was guiltie of a most grieuous crime And at length by the Lords owne sentence to his seruant Moses condemned to be stoned to death without the host as was speedily executed wherin the Lord made known vnto them both how vnpleasant odious the prophanation of his Sabboth was in his sight and how seriously and carefully euery one ought to obserue and keepe the same Now albeit that this strict obseruation of the sabboth was partly ceremoniall vnder the law and that in Christ Iesus wee haue an accomplishment as of all other so also of this ceremonie hee being the true sabboth and assured repose of our soules yet seeing wee still stand in need of some time for the instruction and exercise of our faith it is necessarie that we should haue at least one day in a weeke to occupie our selues in and about those holy and godly exercises which are required at our hands and what day fitter for that purpose then sunday Which was also ordained in the Apostles time for the same end and called by them Des dominicus that is The day of our Lord Because vpon that day he rose from the dead to wit the morrow after the Iewes sabboth being the first day of the weeke to which sabboth it by cōmon consent of the church succeeded to the end that a difference might be put betwixt Christians Iews Therfore it ought now religiously to be obserued as it is also commanded in the ciuil law with expresse prohibition not to abuse this day of holy rest in vnholy sports pastimes Cod. lib. 3. tit 12. leg 10. of euill example Neuerthelesse in steed hereof we see the euill emploiance abuse and disorder of it for the most part for beside the false worship and plentifull superstitions which raigne in so many places all manner of disorder and dissolutenesse is in request beareth sway in these daies this is the day for tipling houses and tauernes to be fullest fraught with ruffians and ribalds and for villanous and dishonest speech with lecherous and baudie songes to be most rise this is the day when gourmandise and drunkennesse shew themselues most frollick othes blasphemies flie thickest and fastest this is the day when dicing dancing whoring and such noisome and dishonest demeanours muster their bands and keep ranke togither from whence fome out enuies hatreds displeasures quarrels debates bloodsheddings and murders as daily experience testifieth All which things are euident signes of Gods heauy displeasure vpon the people where these abuses are permitted and no difference made of that day wherin God would be serued but is cōtrarily most dishonored by the ouerflow of wciked examples And that it is a thing odious and condemned of God these examples following will declare Gregory Turonensis reporteth that a husbandman who vpon the Lords day went to plow his field as he cleansed his plowshare with an iron the iron stucke so fast into his hand that for two yeeres hee could not be deliuered from it but carried it about continually to his exceeding great paine and shame Discipulus de tempore ser 117. Another profane fellow without any regard of God or his seruice made no conscience to conuey his corne out of the field on the Lords day in sermon time but hee was well rewarded for his godlesse couetousnesse for the same corne which with so much care he gathered togither was consumed with fire from heauen with the barne and all the graine that was in it A certaine noble man vsed euery Lords day to go a hunting in the sermon while Theatr. hist which impietie the Lord punished
the dung of oxen serued some for meate others fedde vpon the leather of old shooes and buckles and diuers women were driuen to the extremitie to boile and eate their owne children Many thinking to saue their liues by flying to the enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to find gold and siluer in their guts in one night two thousand were thus piteously dealt withall and at last the whole city was by force taken and the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable warre during which fourescore and seuenteene thousand Iewes were taken prisoners and eleuen hundred thousand slaine for within the city were inclosed from the beginning to the ending all those that were assembled togither from all quarters of the earth to keepe the Passeouer as their custome was As touching the prisoners some were carried to Rome in triumph others were here and there massacred at their conquerours wils somes lot it was to be torne in peeces and deuoured of wild beasts others were constrained to march in troopes against their fellows and kill one another as if they had beene enemies All which euils came vpon them for the despite and fury which they vsed towards the Sonne of God and our Sauiour and that was the cause why he foreseeing this desolation wept ouer Ierusalem and said That it should be besieged on euery side and rased to the ground and that not one stone should be left vpon another because it knew not the time of her visitation Likewise said he to the women that bewailed him as he was led to the crosse That they should not weepe for him but for themselues and their children because of the daies of sorrow which were to come wherein the barren and those that had no children the dugs that neuer suckled should be counted happy So horrible and pitifull was the destruction of this people that God would not suffer any of his owne children to be wrapped in their miseries nor to perish with this peruerse and vnbeleeuing nation for as Eusebius reporteth they were a little before the arriuall of these mischiefes aduertised from heauen by the especiall prouidence of God to forsake the city and retire into some farre countrey where none of these euils might come neere them This example belongeth also to the contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. The relikes of this wretched people that remained after this mighty tempest of Gods wrath were dispersed and scattered throughout all nations vnder heauen being subiect to them with whome they soiourned without king prince Iudge or magistrate to lead and guide them or to redresse their wrongs but were altogither at the discretion and commandement of the lords of those countries wherein they made their abode so that their condition and kind of life is at this day so vile and contemptible as experience sheweth that no nation in the world is halfe so miserable which is a manifest badge of Gods vengeance yet abiding vpon them And yet for all this these dispersed reliques ceased not to vomit out the fome of their malice against Christ it being so deepe rooted an euill and so inueterate that time nor reason could reuoke them from it And no maruell seeing that God vseth to punish the greatest sinnes with other sinnes as with the greatest punishment so they hauing shut their eies to the light when it shined among them are now giuen ouer to a reprobate and hardened sense otherwise it were not possible they should remaine so obstinate And albeit God be thanked wee haue many conuerts of them yet I dare say for the most part they remaine in malitious blindnes barking against despiting both our sauiour himselfe all that professe his name although their punishments haue bin still according to their deserts as by these examples following shall appeare The Iewes of Inmester a towne lying betwixt Calchis Antioch being vpon a time celebrating their accustomed plaies and feasts in the midst of their iollity as their vse is they contumeliously reuiled not onely Christians but euen Christ himselfe for they got a Christian child and hung him vpon a crosse and after many mocks taunts making themselues merry at him they whipt him to death What greater villany could there be then this or wherein could these deuils incarnate shew forth their malice more apparantly then thus not content once to haue crucified Christ the Sauiour of the world but by imitation to performe it againe and as it were to make known that if it were vndone they would do it So also handled they a boy called Simeon of two yeeres and an halfe old in the yeere of our Lord 1476 Iob Fincel lib. 3 another in Fretulium fiue yeres after that But aboue all they massacred a poore carpenters son in Hungary in hatred of Christ whom they falsly supposed to be a carpenters son for they cut in two all his veines suckt out his blood with quils And being apprehended and tortured they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna 4 yeeres before that they could not be without Christian blood for therwithall they anointed their priests But at all these times they suffered iust punishmēt for being still taken they were either hanged burned murdred or put to some other cruell death at the discretion of the magistrates Moreouer they would at diuers times buy the holy host of some popish priest and thrust it through with their kniues and vse it most despitefully this did one Eleazarus in the yere of our Lord 1492 the 22 of October but was burnt for his labour And eight and thirty at another time for the same villany by the Marquesse Ioachinus for the caitiues would suffer themselues to bee baptized for none other end but more securely to exercise their villanies Casp Hedius lib. 3. cap. 6. Another Iewe is recorded in the yeere of our Lord 147 to haue stollen the picture of Christ out of a Church and to haue thrust it through many times with his sword whereout when blood miraculously issued he amazed would haue burned it but being taken in the manner the Christians stoned him to death The truth of which story though I will not stand to auow yet I doubt not but it might be true considering that either the deuill might by his cunning so foster and confirme their superstition or rather that seeing Christ is the subiect of their religion as well as of ours though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme and that the Iewe did not so much aime at their religion as at Christ the subiect of it the Lord might shew a miracle not to establish their errour but to confound the Iewes impiety especially in those young yeeres of the Church But that their impiety may be yet more discouered I will here set downe the confession of one of their owne nation a Iewe of Ratisbone conuerted to the faith one very skilfull in the
his faith and recoiled from Christ Iesus Christ Iesus would recoile from him and giue him ouer to death by depriuing him of his grace and spoiling him of the power of his quickning and sauing spirit These are the fearefull examples of Gods Iudgements which Saint Ciprian reporteth to haue light vpon Backsliders in his time adding moreouer that besides these many vvere possessed with Deuils robbed of their wits and enraged vvith furie and madnesse and all for this offence of Apostasie Amongst all the examples of our age of Gods seuere iustice vpon Apostataes the examples of Francis Spiera an Italian Lawier a man of credite and authoritie in his countrey is most pitifull and lamentable who hauing embraced the true religion vvith maruellous zeale and made open profession of the same Sleidan lib. 21.1 feared not freely to declare his opinion of euery point of doctrine that came in question and grew in knowledge euery day more and more But it was not long ere hee was complained off to the Popes Embassadour which when hee vnderstood and saw the danger wherein hee was like to fall After hee had long debated and disputed the matter in his owne conscience the counsaile of the flesh and wordlie wisedome preuailing hee resolued at last to goe to the Embassadour to the intent to appease his wrath and doe whatsouer hee should command Thus comming to Venice and ouerruled with immoderate feare he confessed that hee had done amisse and craued pardon for the same promising euer after to bee an obedient subiect to the Popes lawes and that which is more when it was enioined him that at his returne home hee should in his owne countrie openly recant his former profession hee refused not but performed his recantation in due sort But it chaunced very soone after that this miserable man fell sicke of bodie and soule and began to despaire of Gods mercie towardes him His Phisitian perceiuing his disposition iudged that the cause of his bodies disease was a vehement conceit and thought of mind and therefore gaue aduise to minister counsaile to his troubled mind verie carefully that the cause beeing taken away the effect also might surcease To this end many learned men frequented him euery day recalling into his mind and laying open before him manie expresse places of Scripture touching the greatnesse of Gods mercie which thinges hee auouched to bee true but said that those promises pertained not to him because hee had renounced Christ Iesus and forsworne the knowne truth and that for this cause nothing was prepared for him but hell fire which alreadie in soule hee saw and felt I would said hee willingly if it were possible loue God but it is altogether impossible I onely feare him without loue These and such speeches vsed he with a stedfast countenance neither did his tongue at any time run at randome nor his answers sauour of indiscretion or want of memorie but aduisedly warned all that stood by to take heed by his example how to listen too much to worldly wisdome especially then when they should bee called before men to professe the religion of Christ And lying in this extremity he refused all manner of sustenance rebuking and being angrie with his sonnes that opened his mouth to make him swallow some food to sustain him saying Since hee had forsaken his Lord and maister all his creatures ought to forsake him I am afeard of euery thing there is not a creature that hath not conspired to worke my destruction let me die let mee die that I may goe and feele that vnquenchahle fire which already consumeth mee and which I can by no means escape And thus he died indeed pined to death in despaire and horrible torment of conscience Centur. 3 cap. 12 Nichomachus a man that stoutly professed Christ Iesus in prosperity being brought to his triall at Troas and put into torments he denied him and being deliuered by that means consented to offer sacrifice vnto idols But assone as hee had finished his sacrifice he was hoisted vp by the spirit of darknesse whose darling now he was dashed against the earth so that his teeth biting his prophane tongue wherewith hee had denied his sauour in two he died incontinently Tamerus a professour of the true religion vvas seduced by his brother to cleaue vnto Poperie Theatrum historicum and to forsake his first loue but for his defection from the truth the Lord gaue him vp into a reprobat sence so that falling into despaire he hong himselfe Richard Denton a blacksmith dwelling at Wels in Cambridgeshire hauing beene a professor of the Gospell before time when William Wolsey Martyr whome the said Denton had first conuerted vnto the truth sent him certaine money out of prison at Ely with this commendations That he maruelled hee tarried so long behind him seeing he was the first that deliuered him the booke of scripture into his hand Acts monuments pag 1717. and told him that it was the truth his answere was this I confesse it is true but alasse I cannot burne But hee that could not burne in the cause of Christ was afterward burned against his will for in the yeare 1564 his house was set on fire and whilest hee went in to saue his goods hee lost his life There was also one Burton Bailife of Crowland in Lincolnshire who pretending an earnest friendship to the gospel in king Edwards time after the kings death began lustily to set vp the Popish masse againe and would haue beaten the poore Curate if hee had not setled himselfe thereto but see how the Lords iudgement ouertooke him as he came riding from Fennebancke one day a crow flying ouer his head let fall her excrements vpon his face so that it ran from the top of his nose downe to his beard Acts monuments pag. 2101 the poisoned sent and sauour whereof so annoied his stomacke that he neuer ceased vomiting vntill he came home and after falling deadly sicke would neuer receiue any meat but vomited stil and complained of that stincke cursing the crow that had poisoned him to be short within few daies he died desperately without any token of repentance of his former life Hither may wee ad the examples of one Hendrie Smith a Lawier of the middle temple Acts monuments and Arnoldus Bomelius a student of Louaine both which hauing professed the truth a while and after being seduced by euill companie the one of Gilford the other of Maister Tileman Smith afterward hanged himselfe in his chamber in the temple in the year of our Lord 1569. Bomelius murdered himselfe with his owne dagger And thus these two Apostataes felt the heauy scourge of Gods wrath for reuolting from the truth which they once professed CHAP. XVIII Of those which haue willingly fallen away THese kind of Apostataes which wee are now to speake of are such as without any outward compulsion threats or likelihood of daunger forsake freely Gods true Religion and
heauen and hell but as an old wiues fable hee beeing dead his disciples were brought forth into a large field neere Paris and there in the presence of the French king degraded and burnt the dead carkasse of Almaricus being taken out of the sepulchre and burnt amongst them It fell out that whilst they were in burning there arose so huge a tempest that heauen and earth seemed to mooue out of their places wherein doubtlesse the soules of these wicked men felt by experience that hell was no fable but a thing and such a thing as waited for all such rebels against God as they were Anastasius Emperour of Constantinople being corrupted with the heresie of Eutiches published an edict wherein all men were commanded to worship God not vnder three persons as a trinity but as a quaternitie containing in it foure persons and could not by any counsell be brought from that deuilish errour but repelled from him diuers bishops with great reproch which came to perswade him to the contrary for which cause not long after a flash of lightning from heauen suddenly seazed vpon him and so he perished when hee had reigned eight and twentie yeeres Iustinus the second also who after the death of Iustinian obtained the Imperiall crowne was a man of exceeding pride and crueltie contemning pouertie and murdering the nobilitie for the most part In auarice his desire was so insatiate that he caused iron chests to be prepared wherein hee might locke vp that treasure which by vniust exactions hee had extorted of the people Notwithstanding all this hee prospered well enough vntill he fell into the heresie of Pelagian soone after which the Lord bereft him of his wits and shortly after of his life also when he had reigned eleuen yeeres Mahomet by birth an Arabian and by profession one of the most monstrous heretikes that euer liued began his heresie in the yeere 625 his offspring was but out of a base stocke for being fatherlesse one Abdemonoples a man of the house of Ismael bought him for his slaue and loued him greatly for his fauour and wit for which cause he made him ruler ouer his marchandize and other businesse Now in the meane while one Sergius a monke flying for heresie into Arabia instructed him in the heresie of Nestorius a while after his master died without children and left behind him much riches and his wife a widow of fifty yeeres of age whome Mahomet married and when shee died was made heire vnto all her riches So that now what for his wealth and cunning in magicke he was had in high honour among the common people Wherefore by the counsell of Sergius he called himselfe The great Prophet of God And shortly after when his fame was published hee deuised a law and kind of religion called Alcaron wherein he borrowed something almost of all the heresies that were before his time with the Sabellians he denied the Trinitie with the Maniclies he said there was but two persons in the Deity hee denied the equalitie of the Father with the Sonne with Eunomius and said with Macedone that the Holy Ghost was a creature and approoued the community of women with the Nicholaits hee borrowed of the Iewes circumcision and of the Gentiles much superstition and somewhat he tooke of the Christian verity besides many deuilish fantasies inuented of his owne braine those that obeied his law he called Sarazins Now after he had liued in these monstrous abuses fourty yeeres the Lord cut him off by the falling sicknesse which he had dissembled a long time saying when hee was taken therewith that the Angell Gabriel appeared vnto him whose brightnesse hee could not behold but the Lord made that his destruction which he imagined would be for his honour and setting forth his sect Stow Chron. Infinite be the examples of the destruction iudgement of priuat heretikes in all ages therfore we will content our selues with them that be most famous In the yeere of our Lord 1561 and the third yere of the reigne of Q. Elizabeth there was in London one William Geffery that constantly auouched a companion of his called Iohn Moore to be Christ our Sauiour and could not be reclaimed from this mad perswasion vntill he was whipped from Southwarke to Bedlam where the said Moore meeting him was whipped also vntill they both confessed Christ to be in heauen and themselues to be sinfull and wicked men But most strange it is The same how diuers sensible wise meÌ„ were deluded caried beside themselues by the subtilty of Satan in the yeere 1591 the reigne of Q. Elizabeth 33 the memory thereof is yet fresh in euery mans head and mouth and therfore I will but briefly touch the same Edmond Coppinger Henry Arthington two gentlemen being associated with one William Hacket somtimes a profane very leud person but now coÌ„uerted in outward shew though not in inward affection were so seduced by his hypocriticall behauiour the deuils extraordinary deuices that from one point to another they came at last to thinke that this Hacket was anointed to be the Iudge of the world therfore comming on a day to Hackeâ—s lodging in London Hypocrisie in regard of Hacket lib. 1. c. 22. he told them that he had bin annointed of the H. ghost then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done Go your way saith he proclaime in the city that Christ Iesus is come with his fan in his hand to iudge the earth if they wil not beleeue it let them come kill me if they can Then Coppinger answered it should be don forthwith therupon like mad men he Arthington ran into the streets proclaimed their message aforesaid wheÌ„ by reason of the concourse of people they could not proceed any further they got vp into two empty carts in Cheap crying Repent repent for Christ Iesus is come to iudge the world then pulling a paper out of his bosom he read out of it many things touching the office calling of Hacket how he represented Christ by partaking part of his glorified body c. besides they called themselues his prophets one of Iustice another of mercy And thus these simple men were strangely deceiued by a miraculous illusion of Satan who no doubt by strange apparitions had brought them into this vain conceit But let vs obserue the end of it it was thus The whole citie being in a maze tooke Hacket the breeder of this deuise and arraigning him before the Maior other Iustices found him guilty as well of this seditious practise as of speaking traiterous words against the Queene Wherefore hee was shortly after hanged on a gibbet in Cheape-side counterfaiting to his last his old deuises and at length vttering horrible blasphemies against the maiestie of God As for his Prophets Coppinger died the next day in Bridewell and Arthington was kept in prison vpon hope of repentance This though it be no
a wise man to preuent all mischiefes was found dead the day before hauing his throat cut and as most likelihood was finding himselfe guilty of the fact and too weake to ouerway the other side forestalled the infamie of a most shamefull death by killing himselfe although there be that say that the Emperour sent one of purpose to dispatch him in this manner Lib. 3. cap. 4. Of the Northren people Olaus Magnus telleth of one Methâ—tin a noble magitian in old time that by his delusions did so deceiue and blind the poore ignorant people that they accounted him not only for some mightie man but rather for some demy god in token of the honour and reuerence they bare him Refer this also to the lib. 1. cap 24. they offered vp sacrifices vnto him which he refused not but at last his knaueries and cousenages being laid open they killed him whom before they so much esteemed because his dead carkasse with filthy stinke infected the approchers they digged it vp and broched it vpon the end of a stake to be deuoured of wild beasts Chap. 18. of the foresaid book Another called Hollere as the same authour witnesseth plaied the like tricks in abusing the peoples minds as strongly as the other did insomuch that he was reputed also for a god for he ioined with his craft strength and power to make himselfe of greater authority in the world WheÌ„ he listed to passe ouer the sea hee vsed no other ship but a bone figured with certaine charmes wherby he was transported as if both sailes wind had helped driuen him forwards yet his enchanted bone was not of power to saue him from being murdered of his enemies The same authour writeth that in Denmarke there was one Otto a great rouer pirat by sea who vsed likewise to passe the seas without the helpe of ship or any other vessell sunke drowned all his enemies with the waues which by his cunning he stirred vp but at last this cunning practiser was ouerreached by one more expert in his Art then himselfe and as hee had serued others so was hee himselfe serued euen swallowed vp of the waues There was a coniurer at Saltzbourg that vaunted that he could gather togither all the serpents within halfe a mile round about into a ditch and feed them and bring them vp there and being about the experiment behold the old and grand serpent came in the while which whilst he thought by the force of his charmes to make to enter into the ditch among the rest he set vpon and enclosed him round about like a girdle so strongly that he drew him perforce into the ditch with him where he miserably died Marke here the wages of such wicked miscreants that as they make it their occupation to abuse simple folke they are themselues abused cousened of the deuill who is a finer iuggler then them all It was a very lamentable spectacle that chanced to the gouernour of Mascon a magitian whome the deuill snatched vp in dinner while and hoisted aloft carrying him three times about the towne of Mascon in the presence of many beholders to whome hee cryed on this manner Helpe helpe my friends Hugo de Clam so that the whole towne stood amazed thereat yea and the remembrance of this strange accident sticketh at this day fast in the minds of all the inhabitants of the countrey and they say that this wretch hauing giuen himselfe to the deuill prouided store of holy bread as they call it which hee alwaies carried about with him thinking thereby to keepe himselfe from his clawes but it serued him to small stead as his end declared About the yeere 1437 Charles the seuenth being king of France Sir Giles of Britaine lord of Rayes and high Constable of France was accused by the report of Enguerran de Monstrelet for hauing murdered many infants and women great with child Vol. 2. to the number of eight score or more with whose blood he either writ or caused to be written books full of coniurations hoping by that abominable meanes to attaine to high matters but it happened cleane crosse contrary to his expectation and practise for being conuinced of those horrible crimes it being Gods will that such grosse and palpable sinnes should not go vnpunished hee was adiudged to be hanged and burned to death which was also accordingly executed at Nantes by the authoritie of the Duke of Britaine Iohn Francis Picus of Mirand saith that hee conferred diuers times with many who being enticed with a vaine hope of knowing things to come were afterwards so grieuously tormented by the deuill with whome they had made some bargaine that they thought themselues thrise happy if they escaped with their liues He saith moreouer that there was in his time a certaine coniurer that promised a too curious no great wise prince to present vnto him vpon a stage the siege of Troy and Achilles and Hector fighting togither as they did when they were aliue but he could not performe his promise for another sport and spectacle more hideous ougly to his person for hee was taken away aliue by a deuill in such sort that he was neuer afterward heard of In our owne memory the Earle of Aspremont and his brother lord of Orne were made famous and in euery mans mouth for their straunge and prodigious feats wherein they were so vnreasonably dissolute and vainglorious that sometime they made it their sport and pastime to breake downe all the windowes about the castle Aspremont where they kept which lieth in Lorraine two miles from S. Michael and threw them peece meale into a deep well to heare them crie plumpe but this vaine excesse prefaged a ruine and destruction to come aswell vpon their house which at this present lieth desolate and ruinous in many respects as vpon theÌ„selues that finished their daies in miserie one after another as wee shall now vnderstand of the one the Lord of Orne a Albeit the author forget himselfe for there is no more mentioÌ„ made of him in the whole booke as for the Earle how he died wee shall see more at large in the second booke 28 chapter to which place his history properly belongeth Now it chanced that as this Lord of Orne was of most wicked and cruell conditions so he had an euil fauoured looke answerable to his inclination and name to be a coniurer the report that went of his cruelty was this that vpon a time he put the baker one of his seruants whose wife he vsed secretly to entertaine into a tunne which he caused to be rouled from the top of a hill into the bottome bounsing some times as high as a pike as the place gaue occasion but by the great mercy of God notwithstanding all this this poore man saued his life Furthermore it was a common report that wheÌ„ any Gentlemen or Lords came to see him they were entertained as they
thought very honorably being serued with al sort of most dainty fare and exquisite dishes as if hee had not spared to make them the best cheare that might bee but at their departure they that thought themselues wel refreshed found their stomacks empty almost pined for want of food hauing neither eaten nor drunk any thing saue in imagination only it is to bee thought that their horses found no better fare then their masters It happened one day that a certaine Lord being departed from his house one of his men hauing left something behind returned to the castle entering sodainly into the hal where they dined a little before he espied a Munkie beating the maister of the house that had feasted them of late very sore And there be others that say that hee hath ben seene through the chinke of a dore lying on a table vpon his belly all at length a Monkie scourging him verie strangely to whome he should say Let me alone let me alone Wilt thou alwaies torment me thus And thus he continued a long time but at length after he had made away all his subhance hee was brought to such extremitie that being destitute of maintenance and forsaken of all men hee was faine for want of a better refuge to betake himself to the hospitall of Paris which was his last mansion house wherein he died See here to how pitifull miserable an end this man fell that hauing beene esteemed amongst the mighties of this world for making no more account of God and for following the illusions of Satan the common enemie of mankind became so poore and wretched as to die in an hospitall among creeples and beggers It is not long since there was in Lorraine a certaine man called Coulen that was ouermuch giuen to this cursed Art amongst whose tricks this was one to be wondred at that he would suffer Harquebouses or a pistoll to be shot at him and catch their bullets in his hand without receiuing any hurt but vpon a certaine time one of his seruants being angry with him hot him such a knock with a pistoll notwithstanding all his great cunning that he killed him therewith Moreouer it is worthy to be obserued that within these two hundred yeeres hitherto more monkes and priests haue bene found giuen ouer to these abominations and deuilishnesses then of all other degrees of people watsoeuer as it is declared in the second volume of Enguerran de Monstrelet more at large where he maketh mention of a monke that vsed to practise his sorceries in the top of a tower of an Abbey lying neere to Login vpon Marne where the deuils presented themselues to be at his commaundement and this was in the raigne of Charles the sixt In the same booke it is recorded that in the raigne of Charles the seuenth one Master William Ediline Doctor in Diuinitie and Prior of S. Germaine in Lay hauing bene an Augustane frier gaue himselfe to the denill for his pleasure euen to haue his will of a certaine women he was vpon a time in a place where a synagogue of people were gathered togither where to the end that he might quickly be as he himselfe confessed he tooke a broome and rode vpon it he confessed also that hee had done homage to that enemie of God the deuill who appeared vnto him in the shape of a sheepe and made him kisse his hinder parts as he reported for which causes A sweet kisse doubtlesse he was placed vpon a scaffold and openly made to weare a paper containing his owne faults and afterwards alotted to liue prisoner all the rest of his life laden with irons in the bishop of Eureux his house which was accordingly executed this happened in the yeere 1453. In the reigne of the same king 1457 there was a certaine curat of a village neere to Soissons who to reuenge himselfe of a farmer that reteined from him the tenths which were appointed to the knights of the Rhodes went to a witch of whome he receiued in gift a fat tode in an earthen pot which shee had a long while fed and brought vp which shee commanded him to baptize as hee also did and called it by the name of Iohn Contempt of sacraments Lib. 1. cap. 34. albeit I tremble to recite so monstrous vile a fact yet that euery man might see how deadly besotted those sort of people are that giue themselues ouer to Satan and with what power of errour he ouerwhelmeth them and beside how full of malice this vncleane spirit is that as it were in despight of God would profane the holy sacrament of baptisme This good holy curar after he had consecrated the holy ghost gaue it also to the toad to eat and afterward restored it to the witch againe who killing the toad and cutting it in pieces with other such like sorceries caused a young wench to carry it secretly into the farmers house and to put it vnder the table as they were at dinner whereupon immediatly the farmer and his chldren that were at the table fell suddenly sicke three daies after died the witch her selfe being detected was burned but the Curat suffred only a litle imprisonment in the bishop of Paris house and that not long for what with frieÌ„dship mony he was soon deliuered Froissard who was treasurer canon of Chymay reporteth of another Curat in the countrey of Beare â—nner Charles the seuenth that had a familiar spirit which he called Orthon whose helpe he vsed to the disturbance of the lord of Corasse by causing a terrible noise to be heard euery night by him and his seruants in his castle because the said lord withheld his tithes from him and conuerted them to his owne vse In the yeere 15â—0 at Nuremberg a certaine priest studied Art magicke Wierus and being very couetous of gold and siluer the deuill whome he serued shewed him through a chrystall certaine treasures hidden in the city he by and by greedy of this rich prey went to that part of the city where hee supposed it to haue lien buried being arriued at the place with a companion whome he brought to this pretie pastime fell a searching and digging vp a hollow pit vntill he perceiued a coffer that lay in the bottome of the hole with a great blacke dog lying by it whether he was no sooner entred but the earth fell downe and filled vp the hole and smothered and crushed him to death so this poore priest was intrapped and rewarded by his master no other waies then hee deserued but otherwise then he expected or looked for Naucler vinc c. Howbeit they are not onely simple priests and friers that deale with these cursed artes but euen Popes themselues Siluester the second who as Platina and others report was first a coniuring frier and gaue himselfe to the deuill vpon condition he might be Pope as he was indeed and hauing obtained his purpose as it seemed hee began
vnlawfull an alliance though it be pronounced taken by the name and in the temple of their idols yet notwithstanding it being done with an euill conscience and to an euill purpose hee that did it can be no lesse then a periurer But for this and other vices it came to passe that ere long hee was conquered by the Gaules who taking him in battell slew him and cut off his head and hauing fastened it vpon a launce caried it in signe of victory and triumph vp and downe the host A most notable example of the punishment of periurie falshood in Vladislaus king of Hungary and his army destroied by the Turkes is set downe in Bonfinus his Hungarian history after this manner It fell out that the king of Hungary had so well bestirred himselfe against the Turkes that Amurathes was glad vpon vnequall conditions and euen to his owne hurt and their good to conclude a peace with him wherein it was agreed that certaine prouinces should be restored to the Hungarians which otherwise could not haue beene recouered but by great losse of men this league beeing made and the articles thereof engrossed in both languages with a solemne oth taken on both parties for the confirmation of the same Behold the Cardinall of Florence Admirall of the nauie which lay vpon the sea Hellespont now called S. Georges arme It is so called by the French meÌ„ but more coÌ„monly The straights of Castill which deuideth Turkie from Greece sendeth letters to the king of Hungary to persuade him to disanull and repeale this new concorded peace this practise likewise did Cardinall Iulian the Popes legate in Hungary with might and maine helpe forward which two good pillars of the Church inspired with one and the same spirit wrought togither so effectually with the king that at their instance he falsified his oth broke the peace sent to Constantinople to denounce warre afresh and forthwith whilst their Embassadours were retiring their garrisons out of Mâ—sia to bring them into their hands againe and had sent fortie thousand crownes for the ransome of certaine great men which were prisoners and had restored the realme of Rascia al their captiues according to the tenor of the late league not knowing of this new breach in the meane while I say hee set forward his armie towards the Turkes iâ— all expedition Now the Turkes secure and misdoubting nothing were set vpon vnawares by the king yet putting themselues in defence there grew a long and sharpe battell till Amurathes perceiuing his side to decline and almost ouercome pulled out of his bosome the articles of the foresaid peace and lifting vp his eies to heauen vtrered these speeches O Iesus Christ these are the leagues that thy Christians haue made and confirmed by swearing by thy name and yet haue broken them again If thou beest a God as they say thou art reuenge this iniury which is offered both thee and me and punish those truce-breaking varlets Hee had scarse ended these speeches but the Christians battell and courage began to rebate Vdislaus himselfe was slaine by the Ianissaries his horse being first hurt his whole armie was discomfited and all his people put to the sword sauing a few that fled amongst whome was the right reuerend Embassadour of the Pope who assoone as hee had thrust in others ouer the eares withdrew himselfe forsooth far enough from blowes or danger Then followed a horrible butchery of people and a lamentable noise of poore soules ready to be slaughtered for they spared none but haled them miserably in pieces and executed a iust and rigorous iudgement of God for that vile treachery and periury which was committed CHAP. XXX More examples of the like subiect BVt let vs adde a fewe more examples of fresher memory as touching this vngodly periury and first not to ouerpasse king Philip of Macedonie who neuer made reckoning of keeping his othes but swore and vnswore them at his pleasure and for his commoditie doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why hee and his whole progenie came quickely to destruction as testifieth Pausanias for hee himselfe beeing sixe and fourty yeeres old In Arcadâ—cis was slaine by one of his owne seruants after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes Anideus and another which hee had by Cleopatra Attalus his neece whome shee sod to death in a cauldron his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished and lastly Alexander after all his great victories in the midst of his pompe was poisoned at Babylon De Consessoribus Gregory Tours maketh mention of a wicked varlet in France among the people called Auerni that forswearing himselfe in an vniust cause had his tongue so presently tied that hee could not speake but roare and so continued till by his earnest praiers and repentance the Lord restored to him the vse of that vnruly member Thete were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi whereof the memory remaineth onely at this day for they were vtterly destroied by Q. Cincinnatus Liu. lib. 3. these hauing solemnly made a league of friendship with the Romans and sworne vnto it with one consent afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their captaine and vnder his conduct spoiled the fields and territories of the Romans contrary to their former league and oth Whereupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius P. Voluminus A. Posthumius Embassadours to them to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction but their captaine so little esteemed them that he bad them deliuer their message to an oake standing thereby whilst he intended other businesse Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the oake spake on this manner Thou hallowed oke and whatsoeuer els belongeth to the gods in this place heare and beare witnesse of this disloiall part and fauour our iust complaints that with the assistance of the gods wee may be reuenged on this iniurie This done they returned home and shortly after gathering a power of men set vpon and ouercame that truce-breaking nation In the yeere of Rome built 317 the Fidenates reuolted from the friendship and league of the Romanes to Toluminus the king of the Veyans and adding crueltie to treason killed foure of their Embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection which disloialty the Romans not brooking vndertooke war against them and notwithstanding all their priuat and forraine strength ouerthrew and slew them In this battell it is said that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus brauely galloping vp and downe and encouraging his souldiers the Romans trembling at his approch said Is this the breaker of leagues violatour of the law of nations If there be any holines on earth my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine Embassadours therewithall setting spurs to his horse he vnhorst him fastening him to the earth with his speare cut off his perfidious head whereat his army dismaid retired became a slaughter
truth taking the witnesse of the two women touching that which they had seene Here wee may see the strange and terrible euents of Gods iust vengeance vpon such vile caitifes which doubtlesse are made manifest to strike a feare and terror into the heart of euery swearer and denier of God the world being but too full at this day of such wretches that are so inspired with Sathan that they cannot speak but they must name him euen him that is both an enemie to God man and like a roaring lion runneth and roueth to fro to deuoure them not seeking any thing but mans destruction And yet when any paine assaileth thē or any trouble disquieteth their minds or any danger threatneth to oppresse their bodies desperately they cal vpon him for aid whē indeed it were more needful to commend themselues to God and to pray for his grace and assistance hauing both a commandement so to doe and a promise adioined that hee will helpe vs in our necessitie if we come vnto him by true hearty praier It is not therfore without iust cause that God hath propounded and laid open in this corrupt age a Theatre of his iudgements that euery man might be warned thereby CHAP. XXXIII More examples of Gods Iudgements vpon cursers BVt before wee goe to the next commandement we will adioine a few more examples of this diuellish cursing Martin Luther hath left registred vnto vs a notable example showne vpon a Popish priest that was once a professour of the sincere religion Ex colliquij◠Lutheri and fell away voluntarily vnto papisme whereof Adam Budissina was the reporter this man thundered out most bitter curses against Luther in the pulpit at a towne called Ruthnerwald and amongst the rest wished that if Luthers doctrine was true a thunderbolt might strike him to death Now three daies after there arose a mighty tempest with thunder and lightning whereat the cursed priest bearing in himselfe a guilty conscience for that he had vntruly and maliciously spoken ran hastily into the church and there fell to his praiers before the altar most deuoutly but the vengeance of God found him out and his hipocrisie so that he was stroken dead with the lightning and albeit they recouered life in him againe yet as they led him homewards through the churchyard another flash so set vpon him that it burnt him from the crowne of the head to the sole of his foot as blacke as a shoe so that he died with a manifest marke of Gods vengeance vpon him Homil. 26. in hist passionis Theodorus Beza reporteth vnto vs two notable histories of his owne knowledge of the seuerity of Gods iudgement vpon a curser and a periurer the tenour whereof is this I knew saith he in France a man of good parts well instructed in religion and a master of a family who in his anger cursing and bidding the Deuill take one of his children had presently his wish for the child was possessed immeadiately with a spirit from which though by the feruent continual praiers of the church he was at length released yet ere hee had fully recouered his health he died The like we read to haue happened to a woman whom her husband in anger deuoted with bitter curses to the deuill for Satā assaulted her presently and robbed her of her wits so that she could neuer be recouered Discipulus de tempore sermon 116. Periurie lib. 1. cap. 29. Another example saith he happened not far hence euen in this countrie vpon a periurer that forswore himselfe to the end to deceiue and preiudice another thereby but hee had no sooner made an end of his false oth but a greeuous apoplexie assailed him so that without speaking any one word he died within few daies Iob Fincelius lib. 3. de mirac In the year of our Lord 1557 the day before good friday at Forchennum a citie in the bishoprick of Bamburge there was a certain crooked priest both in body mind through age euil conditions that could not go but on crutches yet would needs be lifted into the pulpit to make a sermon his text was out of the 11 chap. of the first epistle to the Corinthians touching the Lords supper whereout taking occasion to defend the papisticall errors the masse he vsed these or such like blasphemous speeches O Paul Paul if thy doctrin touching the receiuing the sacrament in both kinds be true if it be a wicked thing to receiue it otherwise then would the deuill might take me turning to the people if the popes doctrin concerning this point be not true then am I the deuils bondslaue neither do I fear to pawn my soule vpō it these many other blasphemous words he vsed till the deuil came indeed transformed into the shape of a tall man black terrible sending before him such a fearful noise and such a wind that the people supposed that the church would haue fallen on their heads but he not able to hurt the rest took away the old priest being his deuoted bondslaue caried him so far that he was neuer heard of the bishop of Rugenstines brother hardly escaped his hands for he came back to fetch him but he defēding himselfe with his sword wounded his own body very narrowly escaped with his life Beside after this there were many visions seen about the city as armies of men ready to enter surprise them so that wel was he that could hide himself in a corner At another time after the like noise was heard in the church whilst they were baptising an infant al this for the abominable cursing and blasphemie of the prophane priest In the yeare of our Lord 1556 at S. Gallus in Heluetia Iob. Fincelius lib. 2. de mirac a certaine man that earned his liuing by making clean rough and foule linnen against the sunne entring a tauerne tasted so much the grape that his wits were drowned and his tongue so inspired that hee vomited out terrible curses against himselfe and others among the rest he wished if euer he went into the fields to his old occupation that the deuil might come break his neck but when sleep had conquered drink sobriety restored his senses he wēt again to his trade remēbring indeed his late wordes but regarding them not howbeit the deuill to shew his double diligence attended on him at his appointed houre in the likenes of a big sworthy man and asked him if he remembred his promise and vow which he had made the day before if it were not lawful for him to break his necke and withall stroke the poore man trembling with feare ouer the shoulders that his feet and his hands presently dried vp so that hee lay there not able to stirre till by helpe of men he was caried home the Lord not giuing the deuill so much power ouer him as hee wished himselfe but yet permitting him to plague him on this
fared till king Charles the sixt sent an army of men to his succour Cap. 125 126. for he was his subiect by whose support he ouercame those rebels in a battaile foughten at Rose Be◠to the number of forty thousand the body of their chieftaine Philip Arteuill slaine in the throng hee caused to bee hanged on a tree Nic. Gil. vol. 2. And this was the end of that cruell Tragedy the countrie being brought againe into the obedience of their old Lord. A while before this Froiss vol. r. cap. 182. whilest king Iohn was held prisoner in England there arose a great cōmotion of the cōmon people in France against the nobilitie and gentilitie of the realme that oppressed them this tumult began but with an hundred men that were gathered togither in the countrey of Beauvoisin but that small handfull grewe right quickly to an armefull euen to nine thousand that ranged and robbed throughout al Brie along by the riuer Marne to Laonoise and all about Soissons armed with great bats shod with iron an headlesse crue without gouernour fully purposing to bring to ruine the whole nobility In this disorder they wrought much mischief broke vp many houses and castles murdered many Lords so that diuerse Ladies and knights as the Dutchesses of Normandy Orleance were faine to flee for safegard to Meaux whither when these rebels would needes pursue them they were there ouerthrowen killed and hanged by troupes In the yere of our Lord 1525 Sleid. lib. 4. there were certaine husbandmen of Souabey that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen by reason of certaine burdens which they complained themselues to be ouerlaid with by them their neighbors seeing this enterprised the like against their lords And so vpon this small beginning by a certaine contagion there grew vp a most dangerous and fearfull commotion that spread it selfe almost ouer all Almaine the sedition thus increasing in all quarters and the swaines being now full fortie thousand strong making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to couer their treason and rebellion and a pretence of their vndertaking armes to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God did not only fight with the Romane Catholikes but with all other without respect as well in Souabe as in Franconia they destroied the greater part of the nobility sacked and burnt many castles and fortresses to the number of two hundred and put to death the Earle of Helfestin making him passe through their pikes But at length their strength was broken they discomfited and torne in pieces with a most horrible massacre of more than eighteene thousand of them During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer hauing betaken himselfe to flight got ouer the mountaines to Padua where by treason hee was made away In the yeere of our Lord 1517 in the Marquesdome of the Vandales the like insurrection and rebellion was of the comminaltie especially the baser sort against the nobilitie spirituall and temporall by whom they were oppressed with intollerable exactions their army was numbred to stand of ninety thousand men all clownes and husbandmen that conspired togither to redresse and refourme their owne grieuances without any respect of ciuill magistrate or feare of Almightie God This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized euery where burning and beating downe the castles and houses of noble men and making their ruines euen with the ground Nay they handled the noble men themselues as many as they could attaine vnto not contumeliously only but rigorously and cruelly for they tormented them to death and carried their heads vpon speares in token of victory Thus they swaied a while vncontrolled for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots as beeing acquainted with what iniuries they had bene ouercharged but when he perceiued that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason but let it runne too lauish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty hee made out a certaine small troupe of mercenary souldiers togither with a band of horsemen to suppresse them who comming to a city were presently so inuironed with such a multitude of these swaines that like locusts ouerspread the earth that they thought it impossible to escape with their liues wherefore feare and extremitie made thē to rush out to battel with thē But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause for all their weake number in comparison of their enemies yet such a feare possessed their enemies hearts that they fled like troupes of sheepe and were slaine liee dogs before them insomuch that they that escaped the sword were either hanged by flockes on trees or rosted on spits by fires or otherwise tormented to death And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout which wrought such mischiefe in that countrey with their monstrous villanies that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to be seene In the yeere of our Lord 1381 Stow Chron. Richard the second being king the commons of England and especially of Kent and Essex by meanes of a taxe that was set vpon them suddenly rebelled and assembled togither on Blackheath to the number of 60000 or more which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines as Wat Tilour Iacke Straw Tom Miller but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the realme and chiefly about the citie of London where they committed much villanie in destroying many goodly places as the Sauoy and others and being in Smithfield vsed themselues very proudly and vnreuerently towards the king but by the manhood and wisdome of William Walworth Maior of London who arrested their chiefe captaine in the midst of them that rude company was discomfited and the ringleaders of them worthily punished In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seuenth Stow Chron. a great commotiō was stirred vp in England by the commons of the North by reason of a certaine taxe which was leuied of the tenth penny of all mens lands good within the land in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slaine But their rash attempt was soone broken and Chamberlaine their captaine with diuers others hanged at Yorke for the same Howbeit their example scared not the Cornish men frō rebelling vpon the like occasion of a taxe vnder the conduct of the lord Audley vntill by wofull experience they felt the same scourge for the king met them vpon blacke heath and discomfiting their troupes tooke their captains and ringleaders and put them to most worthy and sharpe death Thus we may see the vnhappie issue of all such seditious reuoltings and thereby gather how vnpleasant they are in the sight of God Let all people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselues in the feare of God to the higher powers whether they be lords kings princes or any other that are set ouer them CHAP. VI. Of Murderers AS
battaile yet was hee encountred with another desastrous misfortune for as hee marched forward with his forces to fight with Sigismunds brother he was by him ouercome and slain and for a further disgrace his dismembred head fastened on the top of a pike carried about to the enterview of all men Hee left behind him three yoong sonnes whom his owne brethren and their vncles Clotaire and Childebert notwithstanding their yong tender yeares tooke from their grandmother Clotildes custodie that brought them vp as if they would enstall them into some part of their fathers kingdome but most wickedly and cruelly to the end to possesse their goods lands signiories bereft them al of their liues saue one that saued himselfe in a monestarie In this strange monstrous act Clotaire shewed himselfe more then barbarous when hee would not take pitty vpon the youngest of the two being but seuen yeare old who hearing his brother of the age of tenne yeares crying pittifully at his slaughter threw himselfe at his vncle Childeberts feet with teares desiring him to saue his life wherewith Childebert being greatly affected entreated his brother with weeping eies to haue pitty vpon him and spare the life of this poore infant but al his warnings and entreaties could not hinder the sauadge beast from performing this cruell murder vpon this poor child as he had done vpon the other The Emperour Phocas attained by this bloody means the emperiall dignity Nicephor lib. 18. cap. 58. euen by the slaughter of his Lord maister Mauricius whom as he fled in disguised attire for feare of a treason pretended against him hee being beforetime the leiutenant general of his army pursued so maliciously hotely that he ouertook him in his flight for his further griefe first put all his childrē seuerally to death before his face that euery one of thē might be a seuerall death vpon him before he died and then slew him also This murderer was hee that first exalted to so high a point the popish horn whē at the request of Boniface he ordained that the bishop of Rome shold haue preheminence authority oueral other bishops which he did to the end that the stain blame of his most execrable murder might be either quite blotted out or at least wincked at Vnder his regencie the forces of the Empire grew wonderously into decay France Spaine Almaigne and Lumbardy reuolted from the Empire and at last himselfe being pursued by his sonne in law Priscus with the Senators vvas taken and hauing his handes and feet cut off was togither with the whole race of his ofspring put to a most cruel death because of his cruell and tyrannous life Among all the strange examples of Gods iudgements that euer were declared in this world that one that befell a king of Poleland called Popiell for his murders is for the strangenesse thereof most worthy to bee had in memory hee raigned in the year of our Lord 1346 this man among other of his particular kinds of cursings and swearing whereof he was no niggard vsed ordinarily this oth If it bee not true would rats might deuour me Munst Cosmog Mandat 3. Cursing lib. 1. cap. 32. prophecying thereby his owne destruction for hee was deuoured euen by the same means which hee so often wished for as the sequele of his historie will declare The father of this Popiell feeling himselfe neare death resigned the gouernment of his kingdome to two of his brethren men exceedingly reuerenced of all men for the valor and vertue which appeared in them He being deceased and Popiell being growne vp to ripe and lawfull yeares when hee saw himselfe in full libertie without all bridle of gouernment to doe what he listed he began to giue the full swindge to his lawlesse and vnruly desires in such sort that within few daies he became so shamelesse that there was no kind of vice which appeared not in his behauior euen to the working of the death of his owne vncles for all their faithfull dealing towards him which hee by poyson brought to passe Which being done he caused himself forthwith to be crowned with garlands of flowers and to bee perfumed with pretious ointments and to the end the better to solemnize his entrie to the crowne commanded a sumptuous and pompous banket to be prepared wherevnto all the princes and lords of his kingdome were inuited Now as they were about to giue the onset vpon the delicate cheare behold an army of rats sallying out of the dead and putrified bodies of his vncles set vpon him his wife and children amid their dainties to gnaw them with their sharp teeth insomuch that his guard with all their weapons strength were not able to chase them away but being weary with resisting their daily mightie assaults gaue ouer the battaile wherfore counsell was giuen to make great coale fires round about them that the rats by that meanes might bee kept off not knowing that no pollicy or power of man was able to withstand the vnchangeable decree of God for for all their huge forces they ceased not to run through the midst of them and to assault with their teeth this cruell murderer Then they gaue him counsaile to put himselfe his wife children into a boat and thrust it into the middest of a lake thinking that by reason of the waters the rats would not approch vnto thē But alasse in vain for they swum through the waters amaine gnawing the boat made such chinckes into the sides thereof that the water began to run in which being perceiued of the boatmen amazed them sore and made them make post hast vnto the shore where he was no sooner arriued but a fresh muster of rats vniting their forces with the former encountred him so sore that they did him more scath then all the rest Wherevpon all his guard and others that were there present for his defence perceiuing it to be a iudgement of Gods vengeance vpon him abandoned and forsooke him at once who seeing himselfe destitute of succour and forsaken on all sides flew into a high tower in Chousuitze whether also they pursued him and climing euen vp to the highest roome where he was first eat vp his wife and children shee being guilty of his vncles death and lastly gnew and deuoured him to the very bones After the same sort was an Archbishop of Mentz called Hatto Munsteer Cosmographie punished in the year 940 vnder the raigne of the Emperour Otho the great for the extreame cruelty which he vsed towards certaine poore beggers whom in time of famine he assembled together into a great barne not to releeue their wants as he might ought but to rid their liues as he ought not but did for hee set on fire the barne wherein they were and consumed them all aliue comparing them to rats mise that deuoured good corne but serued to no other good vse Mandat 8. Auarice and vnmercifulnesse But God
betwixt whome was great strife for the soueraigne dominion but to rid himselfe of all his trouble at once hee slew his brother Manlius by treason and after continued his raigne in tyranny and all vnlawfull lusts the space of twentie yeares but although vengeance all this while wincked yet it slept not for at the end of this space as hee was hunting hee was deuoured of wild beasts In the yeare of our Lord God 745 one Sigebert was authorised king of the Saxons in Brittaine a cruell and tyrannous Prince towards his subiects and one that chaunged the ancient lawes and customes of his realme after his owne pleasure and because a certaine Nobleman somewhat sharpely aduertised him of his euill conditions he malitiously caused him to bee put to death but see how the Lord reuenged this murder hee caused his Nobles to depriue him of his kingly authority and at last as a desolate and forlorne person wandering alone in a wood to bee slaine of a swine-heard whose maister hee being king had wrongfully put to death In the yeare of our Lord 678 Childerich king of Fraunce caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any iust crime or accusation against him for which cruelty his Lords and commons being grieuously offended conspired togither and slew him with his wife as they were in hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in sheading much humane blood but hee was also iustlie recompenced in the end first he murdered king Edward the second lying in Barkley castell to the end hee might as it was supposed enioy Isabell his wife with whome hee had very suspitious familiarity Secondly hee caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonourable peace with the Scots by restoring to them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the kings of Scotland had bound themselues to be feudaries to the kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent vncle to king Edward of treason and caused him vniustly to be put to death And lastly he conspired against the king to worke his destruction for which and diuerse other things that were laid to his charge he was worthely and iustly beheaded In the raigne of Henry the sixt Humfry the good duke of Gloucester faithfull protector of the king by the meanes of certaine malicious persons and especially the Marques of Suffolke as it was suspected was arrested cast into hold strangled to death in the Abbey of Bury for which cause the Marques was not only banished the land for the space of fiue yeares but also banished out of his life for euer for as he sailed towards France he was met withall by a ship of warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast vp at Douer that England wherein hee had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called maister Arden of Feuersham was most execrable so the wonderfull discouerie thereof was exceeding rare this Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire then dishonest who being in loue with one Mosby more then her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for togither they hired a notorious ruffian one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as hee was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her own guiltie conscience and some tokens of blood which appeared in the house was soon discouered and confessed Wherfore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael maister Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feuersham Mosby and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloody action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feuersham And Blacke Will the ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a scaffold at Flushing in Zealand And thus all the murderers had their deserued dewes in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtaine mercy by true repentance it is easie to iudge CHAP. XI Of Paricides or parent murderers IF all effusion of humane blood bee both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature then is the murdering of parents especially detestable when a man is so possessed with the deuill or transported with a hellish fury that he lifteth vp his hand against his owne naturall father or mother to put thē to death this is so monstrous and inormious an impiety that the greatest Barbarians euer haue had it in detestation wherefore it is also expressely commanded in the law of God that vvhosoeuer smiteth his father or mother in what sort soeuer though not to death Exod. 21. yet he shall die the death If the disobedience vnreuerence and contempt of children towards their parents are by the iust iudgement of God most rigorously punished as hath ben declared before in the first commandement of the second table how much more then when violence is offered aboue all when murder is cōmitted Diodor. Sic. Thus the Aegyptians punished this sin they put the cōmittants vpon a stack of thorns and burnt thē aliue hauing beaten their bodies before hand with sharp reeds made of purpose Solon being demanded why hee appointed no punishment in his lawes for Parricides answered that there was no necessity thinking that the wide world could not affoord so wicked a wretch It is said that Romulus for the same cause ordained no punishment in his Common-wealth for that crime but called euery murderer a Parricide the one being in his opinion a thing execrable and the other impossible And in truth there was not for 600 years space according to Plutarchs report found in Rome any one that had cōmitted this execrable fact The first Parricide that Rome saw was Lucius Ostius after the first Punick war although other writers affirme that M. Malliolus was the first and Lucius the second howsoeuer it was they both vnderwent the punishment of the law Pompeia which enacted that such offendors should be thrust into a sack of lether an ape a cock a viper a dog put in to accōpany them then to be thrown into the water to the end that these beasts being enraged animated one against another might wreke their teene vpon them so depriue thē of life after a strange fashion being debarred of the vse of aire water earth as vnworthy to participate the very elements with their deaths much lesse with their liues which kind of punishmēt was after practised and confirmed by the constitution of Constantine the great And albeit the regard of the punishmēt seemed terrible the offence it self much more monstrous yet since that time there haue ben many so peruerse exceedingly wicked as to throw themselues headlong into that desperat gulfe As Cleodorick son of Sigebert king of
it is grounded vpon reason and equitie we find no permission giuen to kings to vse the goods of other men at their pleasures for that was far from equity neither was there any such liberty bestowed vpon them by those that first in the beginning exalted them to that degree of dignity but rather as diuers worthy authors auouch their owne vertues vnd good behauiour which woon them credit amongst the better sort installed them first vnto that honor Cic. lib. 3. de legibus Aug. de ciuitat Dei lib. 4. c. 6. And truely there is nothing more rightfull and iust in mans societie than that euery one should possesse and enioy that which is his owne in peace and quietnesse without disturbance or violence in which respect also rules of iustice are established called lawes which no good kings will euer seeke to stand against They are indeed lords of the earth as some say and truly but so that their lordships stretch no further than right and passe not the rule of equity and notwithstanding the proprietie of goods and possession remaineth vntouched Lib. 7. c. â— 5. de benefictis To kings saith Seneca pertaineth the soueraignty ouer all things but to priuat men the proprietie Tiberius Caesar being sollicited by the gouernours of the prouinces to lay heauier tributes and leuy larger subsidies from his people made though a Painym this notable answer That a good shepheard ought to sheare his sheepe not to flea them Saint Lewes that good king amongst all his otherwise and vertuous exhortations which he gaue vnto his sonne before his death this was none of the least nor last Nic. Gil. That he should neuer craue any taxe or subsidie of his subiects but vpon vrgent necessitie and very iust cause and that if he did otherwise hee should not be reputed for a king but for a tyrant CHAP. XXXVII Of those that haue vsed too much crueltie towards their subiects in Taxes and Exactions IT is cleare then by these foresaid assumptions that a king may not impose vpon his subiects vnmeasurable taxes and subsidies least hee make himselfe guiltie of extortion the roote and fountaine many times of many great mischiefes and inconueniences and in very deed from whence oftener changes seditions and ruines of common-wealths haue proceeded than from any other cause beside What happened to Roboam king of Israel for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subiects but the defection of the greater part of his kingdome from him for being come to the crowne after the death of his father Salomon when the people came and made a supplication to him to be eased from his fathers burdens hee despising the counsell of his sage and ancient counsellours 1. King 12. and following the giddy aduise of his young companions gaue them a most sharpe and soure reply saying That if his father had laid a heauie yoke vpon them hee would encrease it and if hee had chastised them with rods he would correct them with scourges which when they of Israel heard they reuolted from him all saue the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and stoned to death his collectours and chose them another king to rule ouer them thus Roboam was depriued of ten parts of his kingdome thorough his own vnaduised tyranny and fled all amazed vnto Ierusalem where he liued all his daies without recouery of the same Achaeus king of Lydia was hanged vp against a hill and his head throwne into a riuer running by because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people Plutarch apoâ—h Reg. Dionysius the first of that name a notorious and renowmed tyrant not only in regard of his exceeding cruelty but also of his vniust rackings and exactions was so violent in that practise of doing wrong that albeit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people that ceased not to complaine and lament their case continually yet hee diminished not their burdens but multiplied them more and more and suckt and gnew out all that euer hee could vntill hee left them naked empty and dispoiled to conclude this grand theefe that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters Frog lib. 21. after he had bene discomfited by the Carthaginians was slaine by his seruants Of the Romane Emperours that most vexed the comminalty with tributes and taxes these three were chiefe Caligula Nero and Caracalla of whome this latter did most pill and pull the people and would often say Dion Xiph. That the gold siluer of the kingdome pertained in right to none but him being reprooued of his mother at a time for his immoderate excessiue expences saying That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had alreadie spent hee made her this answer That shee should take no care for that for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword which hee held naked before her hee would not want money This is the sword which many now adaies after the example of Caracalla haue taken vp to cut out by force and violence a way to their owne wils and to cut the throat of equitie iustice and to compell the poore people to forgoe their goods and surrender them into their hands Now how odious and hatefull these three were made vnto the people by their owne wicked demeanours their miserable ends do sufficiently testifie which we haue already before mentioned and meane afterward more at large to speake of The Emperour Constance sonne to Constantine whose father was Heraclius coÌ„ming at a time out of Greece to Rome Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 4. abode there but fiue daies but in that short space committed so much outrage in ransacking the temples and other publike places and carrying away so many rich ornaments and pictures whereof those places then abounded that in mans remembrance noforraine barbarous enemy hauing taken the city by force of warre euer went away with the like spoile besides hee did so oppresse the allies and tributaries of the Empire and chiefly the Siciliens with taxes and imposts that many of them were constrained to sell their children for money to satisfie his extortion and by this meanes he scraped togither an infinit masse of rapins and euill gotten goods but enioyed the sweet of them not very long for very soone after hee was murdered by his owne men of warre in his returne out of Sicilie and all that spoile which he had vniustly surprised was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Saracens that then inhabited the city Panorme Lewis the eleuenth king of France after hee had ouercharged his subiects with too grieuous burdens of paiments and taxes fell into such a timerous conceit feare of death as neuer any man did the like hee attempted all meanes of auoiding or delaying the same as first during his sicknesse he gaue his phisition monethly ten thousand crownes by that meanes to creepe into his fauour wherein hee beeing in all other
slew the sonne and heire of the Emperour Emanuel shutting him in a sacke and so throwing him into the sea after which by violence he tooke possession of the Empire of Constantinople and like a strong theefe seazed vpon that which was none of his owne but assoone as hee had gotten his desire then began his lusts to rage and raue then hee fell to whoring and forcing women and maids to his lust whome after hee had once robbed of their chastities hee gaue ouer to his bauds and ruffians to abuse and that which is more than all this he rauished one of his owne sisters and committed incest with her moreouer to maintaine and vphold his tyranous estate hee slew most of the nobilitie and all else that bore any shew of honestie or credit with them and liued altogither by wrongs and extortions Wherefore his subiects prouoked with these multitudes of euils which raigned in him and not able to endure any longer his vile outrages and indignities rebelled against him and besieged him got him into their mercilesse hands and handled him on this fashion following first they degraded him and spoiled him of his imperiall ornaments then they pulled out one of his eyes and set him vpon an asse backeward with the taile in his hand in steed of a scepter and a rope about his necke instead of a crowne and in this order and attire they led him through all Constantinople the people shouting and reuiling him on all sides some throwing durt others spittle diuers dung and the women their pispots at his head after all which banketting dishes he was transported to the gallowes and there hanged to make an end of all Charles king of Nauarre Froyss vol. 3. chap. 100. whose mother Ieane was daughter to Lewes Lutton king of France was another that oppressed his subiects with cruelty and rough dealing for hee imposed vpon them grieuous taxes and tributes and when many of the chiefest of his common wealth came to make knowne vnto him the pouertie of his people and that they were not able to endure any more such heauy burdens he caused them all to be put to death for their boldnesse he was the kindler of many great mischiefes in France and of the fire wherewith diuers places of strength and castles of defence were burned to ashes he counselled the Countie of Foix his sonne to poison his father and not only so but gaue him also the poison with his owne hands wherewith to doe the deed Nich. Gilles Moreouer aboue all this leacherie and adultery swaied his powers euen in his old age for at threescore yeeres of age hee had a whore in a corner whose company he daily haunted and so much that she at length gaue him his deaths wound for returning from her company one day as his vse was entring into his chamber hee went to bed all quaking and halfe frosen with cold neither could hee by any meanes recouer his heat vntill by art they sought to supply nature and blew vpon him with brasen bellows aquauitae and hote blasts of aire but withall the fire vnregarded flew betwixt the sheets and inflamed the dry linnē togither with the aquauitae so suddenly that ere any helpe could be made his late quiuering bones were now halfe burned to death It is true that hee liued fifteene daies after this but in so great griefe and torment without sense of any helpe or asswagement by phisicke or surgerie that at the end thereof hee died miserably and so as during his life his affection euer burnt in lust and his mind was alwaies hot vpon mischiefe and couetousnes so his daies were finished with heat and cruell burning Lugtake king of Scots succeeding his father Galdus in the kingdome was so odious and mischieuous a tyrant that eueryman hated him no lesse for his vices Lanques than they loued his father for his vertues hee slew many rich and noble men for no other cause but to inrich his treasury with their goods he committed the gouernment of the realme to most vniust and couetous persons and with their company was most delighted hee shamed not to defloure his owne aunts sisters daughters and to scorne his wise and graue counsellours calling them old doting fooles all which monstrous villanies with a thousand more so incensed his nobles against him that they slew him after he had raigned three yeeres but as the Prouerb goeth seldome commeth a better another or worse tyrant succeeded in his kingdome namely Mogallus cousen germane to Lugtake a man notoriously infected with all manner of vices for albeit in the beginning of his raigne he gaue himselfe to follow the wisdome and manners of his vncle Galdus yet in his age his corrupt nature burst forth abundantly but chiefly in auarice lechery and cruelty this was hee that licensed theeues and robbers to take the goods of their neighbours without punishment and that first ordained the goods of condemned persons to be confiscate to the kings vse without respect either of wiues children or creditours for which crimes he was also slaine by his nobles Besides these there was another king of the Scots called Atherco in the yeere of our Lord 240 who shewed himselfe also in like manner a most vile and abominable wretch The same for hee so wallowed in all manner of vncleane and effeminate lusts that hee was not ashamed to go in the sight of the people playing vpon a flute reioycing more to be accounted a good fidlar than a good prince from which vices hee fell at last to the deflouring and rauishing of maids and women in so much as the daughters of his nobles could not bee safe from his insatiable and intollerable lust Wherefore beeing pursued by them when he saw no meanes to escape he desperately slew himselfe The great outrages which the Spaniards haue committed in the West Indies are apparant testimonies of their impiety iniustice crueltie insatiable couetousnesse and luxurie and the iudgements wherewith God hath hunted them vp and downe both by sea and land as late and fresh histories doe testifie are manifest witnesses of his heauy anger and displeasure against them amongst all which I will here insert none but that which is most notorious and worthy memory as the wretched accident of Pamphilus Nauares and his companie This man with sixe hundred Spaniards making for the coast of Florida to seeke the gold of the riuer of Palme trees Benzoni Mil. were so turmoiled with vehement winds and tempests that they could not keepe their vessels from dashing against the shore so that their ships did all split in sunder and they for the most part were drowned saue a few that escaped to land yet escaped not daunger for they ranne rouing vp and downe this sauage countrey so long till they fell into such extreame pouerty and famine that for want of vittails twelue of them deuoured one another of the whole sixe hundred that went forth there neuer yet