of Manasses decking her selfe in rich garmentes secretly issued foorth of the Towne into Holofernes Tent who allured with her beautie for she was exceeding faire gaue himselfe to mirth and much drinking so that through drunkennesse falling into a deadly sleepe Iudith being left with him in the Tent alone strengthned therein by the hand of God cut of his head with his owne Fawchion returning the same to Bethulia which thereby she deliuered from seruitude Sisera was Captaine general to Iabin the great king of Canaan and twentie yeeres together had vexed the children of Israell verie sore for he had with him 900. Charets of Iron at length being ouerthrowen by Barak the sonne of Abinoam he fledde into the house of Heber the Kenite whose wife Iaell taking a Naile of the Tent and a Hammer in her hand did smite the same into his temples and slue him After the death of Saule Dauid was annoynted King in Hebron but Abner that was Captaine of Saules hoste tooke Isbosheth the sonne of Saule and made him king ouer Israell Soone after Abner was ouer-throwen by Ioab the seruantes of Dauid who being in his flight pursued by Asahell the brother of Ioab turned backe and slew him For which occasion when Abner came afterwardes to reconcile himself with Dauid Ioab tooke him aside to the gate to speake with him peaceably and smote him vnto the hart with his dagger so that he died Goliath was a Giant in the Philistian armie of meruailous hugenesse and his weapons with which he was armed of vnspeakable terror in so much that there was no one in the armie of the Israelits that dared answere the prowd defiances and chalenges that he dayly made till at length young Dauid comming from the keeping of his Sheepe strengthned thereunto by the mightie hande of God encountred him with his Sling only into which putting a Stone which he pulled out of his bagge he smote the Giant therewith full in the forehead and ouerthrowing him with the blow stepped to him and with the Giants owne sword cut of his head Haman the Agagite standing highly in the fauour of great King Ahashuerus because Mardocheus the Iew did not reuerence vnto him when he passed by the Kings gate obteined of the King that all the Iewes through the Kings Prouinces might be put to death Which Ester the Queene vnderstanding made a banquet to the King inuiting Haman thereunto in which she pleased so the King with her behauiour and speeches that the King sent letters throughout all his Prouinces to reuoke the sentence which he had passed against the Iewes and caused Haman to be hanged vpon a paire of gallowes which he had made for Mardocheus the Iewe. A short discourse of the Princes of Burgundie and some other in honour of whom this Treatise was first written by the Author who bewayleth their Deaths but speaketh litle of their liues IOHN first of that name K. of France who was taken prisoner at the battaile of Poictiers by the Prince of Wales in the yeere 1356. had by his wife Bona daughter to the K. of Boheme foure sonnes and three daughters Charles which was King after him and fifth of that name Lewes Duke of Aniow Iohn Duke of Berrie and Philippe who being caried prisoner with him into England vpon his deliuerie returne thence he created Duke of Burgundie This Philippe maried Margaret daughter and heire to Malanus Earle of Flaunders and Arthois by whom he had three sonnes Iohn that succeeded him Anthony afterwardes Duke of Brabant and Philippe Earle of Neuers and Estamies which two younger were both slaine at the battaile of Agincourt by the Englishmen Duke Philippe died in the yeere 1404. Iohn succeded his father and maried Margaret daughter to Albert Duke of Bauiere and Earle of Hollande and Zeland by whom he had a sonne called Philippe which was he whom this Author serued This Iohn Duke of Burgundy caused Lewes Duke of Orleance to be murthered in Paris who was brother to Charles the sixth then K. of France In reuenge of which he was afterwarde slaine disloylly by the Dolphin of France at a solemne meeting appointed betwene them after othes and assurances taken of both sides at Montereau in the yeere 1419. Philippe surnamed the good Duke of Burgundy had three wiues the first was Michelet daughter to Charles the sixt king of France the second Bona daughter to Philippe of Arthois the thirde Isabelle daughter to Iohn first king of Portingale whom he maried at Bruges in the yeere 1429. and had by her Charles surnamed the Hardie The verie selfe same yeere of his mariage he instituted the noble order of knighthood of the golden Fleese which the king of Spaine his successor maynteineth yet in great reputation honour At this frst comming to the Dukedome which was about the latter end of the raigne of K. Henry the fifth he was a great fauourer and maynteiner of the English partie in France and did many notable seruices to the Crowne of England When the Duke of Bedford Vncle to king Henry the sixt was sent ouer to be Regent of France he met him in great loue at Amiens and hauing with him his two sisters he gaue the one of them in marriage to the Duke of Bedford But afterwards at the siege of Orleance they of the citie desired him to be a meane for them vnto the Duke of Bedford that the siege might be raised in regarde of the long emprisonment of their Lord the Duke of Orleance to whom the counsaile of England had promised in the meane time to leaue all and euerie part of his landes and townes vndisquieted whether it were so or no once Duke Philip dealt earnestly with the D. of Bedforde his brother in law in that behalfe but being therein absolutely refused he commaunded by a Heralde all the Gentlemen of his Countrey that were with the English men at that siege to depart thence from that time forwarde declined by litle and litle in affection and at length declared him selfe absolutely French He was a vertuous Prince and gouerned his Subiectes in great peace and quietnesse and finally in the extremitie of his age dyed in the yeere 1466. and was with great magnificence buried at Bruges in Flaunders Charles surnamed the Hardy sonne to Philip the good was borne at Dyion in the yeere 1433. he had likewise three wiues Katherine daughter to Charles the seuenth king of France Isabell daughter to Charles Duke of Burbon by whom he had the Lady Marie that inherited his dominions and lastly Margaret sister to Edward the fourth king of England He was a Prince that hated rest and was altogether enclined to vnquietnesse and warres His father yet liuing he ouerthrew in a bloody cruel fought feelde Lewes the. 11. king of France at the battaile of Montelhery in the yeere 1465. with whom making afterwards peace he warred vpon those of Lyege that had chased out
of the towne their Prince and Bishoppe being his kinseman spoyling their countrie and taking their townes and bringing them to such extremitie that they were constreined to receiue their Bishoppe againe withal to appease the Duke with great summes of Money Comming thence there fell out new occasion of warres betweene him and the French king for pacification of which differentes it was agreed that the king and he should meete at Peronne there to expostulat their greefes in freendly sort one with another And that he should geue vnto the king a letter of assurance vnder his hand and seale which he did But the conclusion hereof was that the Duke being aduertised how the King had by his Embassadours secretly practised with those of Lyege to rebell tooke him prisoner and led him with him to the Citie of Lyege which being by streight confederation allyed to the King he caused after all maner of rigorous crueltie executed vpon the inhabitantes to be saccaged and burnt and then vpon new agreementes to his owne aduantage he dismissed the King In the yeere 1474. the olde Duke of Guilders being vilanously and vnnaturally taken by his Sonne Adolph and imprisoned in a dungion mooued sundry Christian Princes to compassion among the rest D. Charles who earnestly laboured to make an attonmēt betweene them but his sonne arrogantly refusing to heare of pacification was by the D. of Burgundie retayned in prison whose father shortly after dying gaue his Dukedome by Testament to Duke Charles who tooke thereof vnder this title forcible possession and those which are discended of him do yet enioy it Sweetned with this Dutchie and aspiring to greater matters in Germanie he went besieged the citie of Nuz which was succoured by the Germans and Swissers vnder the conduct of Frederike the Emperour so that he was constrained to raise his siege In despite of which assistance geuen by the Swissers he entred their Countrey with his Armie but was by them ouerthrowen and vanquished at a place called Granson This day was the first of the Dukes misfortunes with which euen vntill his dying day he was perpetually pursued Encouraged with which victorie on euerie side new forces came out of Germanie to the Armie of the Swissers the D. of Lorayne him selfe in person Yet all this dismayed not the D. of Burgundie who hauing refreshed his Armie set vpon them the seconde time at a place called Morat but was as before vanquished againe and was constreyned to flie with the losse of 8000. of his men slayne in the Feelde Presently the Duke of Lorayne marched in all expedition to Nansie that helde for the Duke of Burgundie which rendred vnto him vpon composition Within two dayes after the D. Charles arriued with an vndismayed courage and full resolution to attempt Fortune agayne Among the rest that had credite about him was one Campobache an Italian Counte at home in his countrey poore and of no reuenew but by the D. aduaunced to great commaundement in his Armie and made Captaine of 400. men at armes who seeing the cruel misfortunes befallen to his Maister began presently to enter into practise with the D. of Lorayne about the merchandize of his Maisters lyfe the price of which he made 20000. Crownes and an Earldome this he promised and the same being accepted he did as villanously performe it For this battayle of Nansie was no sooner began but he with his 400. Italian Horsemen fled to the other side the amazement of which did so terrifie the Duke of Burgundies Armie being twise alredie beaten and discouraged that they presently fledde and the Duke him selfe was found in the feeld slaine mangled with many woundes for the villaine Campobache had hired 14. or 15. of his cutthrote traytors to watch the Duke at an inch to the ende that he would be sure he should not escape Mary his onely daughter and heire succeding her father in the Dukedomes of Burgundie and Brabant and the Earledomes of Flaunders Henault Artois Holland Zeland Frizland c. was by the consent of her Subiectes especially those of Gaunt in whose hands since her fathers death she had remained maried to young Maximilian Archduke of Austria and sonne to Frederike the Emperour of that name the third to whom hauing borne three children Philippe Margaret Francis who in his infancie deceassed she died in the fairest springing blossom of her youth being not aboue .xxiij. yeeres of age lies buried at Bruges Some do attribute her death to the fal of an Horse true it is she fell but the Author who was of great authoritie about her doth rather attribute it to some greeuous impression of sorow Philippe de Comines likewise seemeth to doubt whether she died of that fall or no. Don Iohn second of that name king of Castile had in first mariage Mary daughter to Ferdinand K. of Arragon by her he had a sonne called Henrie that succeded him and a daughter that died young His wife dying he tooke in second marriage Isabell daughter to Don Iohn infant of Portingale by whom he had a sonne called Alonso that died young and a daughter called Isabell and then dying in the yeere 1454. was by his sonne Henrie the. 4. succeeded in the royaltie who maried Iane daughter to Edward King of Portingale who bare vnto him a daughter likewise called Iane who though she proued a Princesse of much wisedome great beautie and many other excellent partes yet through a rumour of the Kinges impotencie in matter of generation Isabel sister to the king was by her faction proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne the young Princesse declared to be a bastard begotten vpon the Queene by Don Beltran D. of Abuquerque and by and by a mariage motioned betweene young Ferdinand Prince of Arragon and the Lady Isabell which was effected priuately in Duenas These matters were greeuous vnto the king but remedie it he could not In the ende he died and Ferdinand and Isabell were without contradiction obeyed in Castile which reprochfull iniurie the poore Princesse bearing with exceeding patience though many great mariages were offered her refused them all and betooke herselfe to a Monastery wherin she ended peaceably her dayes They began their reigne in the yeere 1474. and continued the same many yeeres in great glorie both of warre and peace They expelled the Moores out of Spaine and subdued the kingdome of Naples deliuering thereof a quiet possession to their successors which yet do enioy it They had betweene them a sonne whose name was Iohn a Prince of exceeding towardnes or rather singular perfection They maried him to Margaret daughter to Maximilian of Austria by the Lady Mary the before remembred Dutchesse of Burgundy but soone after the marriage he dyed for whom there was made such exceeding lamentation as by report of sundry Authors the like in the worlde was neuer heard of for besids the dolefull mourning of the Nobilitie Gentlemen so generall a greefe was
ouer the whole Realme that the very mechanical people abandoned ouer to sorow ceassed their trades for the space of fourtie dayes filling the ayre with pittifull cries and lamentations They had also foure daughters Isabel Ione Mary and Katherine Isabel died yong Ione was married to Philippe brother to the foresayd Lady Margaret and Katherine to Arthur prince of Wales eldest sonne to Henry the seuenth of England Queene Isabel after that by many noble and heroicall deedes she had ouer the whole world won vnto her selfe a reputation to bee one of the most vertuous and excellent princesses that euer liued in the fiue fiftieth yeere of her age ended her dayes at Medina del campo the .xxiiij. of Nouember in the yeere 1504. Twelue yeeres after died Ferdinand her Husband at a litle Vilage named Madrigalecio hard by Gaudalupe A Prince as of singular integritie and vertue so of a rare and wonderfull felicitie and happines in whatsoeuer he did vndertake Philip sonne to Maximilian and Mary being in Flaunders hearing of the death of Isabel Queene of Castile whose eldest daughter he had maried departed presently thence towards Spayne with his wyfe the Ladie Ione to take possession of the Crowne and Royaltie which at their arriuall was willingly by olde Ferdinand to them resigned Philip being now but .xxiiii. yeeres of age was with a firme constitution of body wel proportioned and beautiful and especially aboue the rest so courteous and affable in his speeches and behauiour that what with his beautie and his vertue he drue the eyes and loues of all men to him in so much that the Spanish Nobilitie and Courtiers forsaking Ferdinand who thirtie yeeres had been their King all folowed the rising sonne of young Philip so that the Court of Ferdinand was altogeather solitarie and vnfrequented no one of the Nobilitie keeping him companie saue onely the Duke of Alua who neuer did abandon him with which inconstancie of theirs he growing into an exceeding dislike and with all not pleased with his Sonne-in-lawes behauiour which by reason of whisperers that went betweene was not so kinde louing and reuerent as he expected taking with him his approued seruant the Duke of Alua he went without delay to Arragon and thence to Naples But scarsely was his backe turned when young Philip liuing in as great delitiousnesse honor and triumph as either the delight of a Crowne the pleasure of that Countrey or the dutifull loue of his Subiectes could yeelde him fell extreamely sicke of a violent hot burning Feuer of which notwithstanding the lustinesse and strength of his young floorishing yeeres he died at Burgos the .xxv. day of September in the verie yeere of his entry into Spaine Neuer Prince left behinde him a nobler issue for he had by his wife the Lady Ione two sonnes and foure daughters of which the least was adorned with a royall Diademe viz. Charles who besides his great succession of many Kingdomes and Prouinces was elected Emperour of the Romans 2. Ferdinande who after his brothers death succeeded him in the Empire and was besides created King of Hungarie 3. Leonore maried first to Emanuel King of Portugale and after in seconde mariage to Francis the French King 4. Marie maried to Lewes King of Hungarie who in a battaile against the Turkes died young and without issue 5. Katherine maried to Iohn the thirde King of Portugale and lastly Isabel maried to Christerne King of Denmarke Maximilian sonne to Fredericke the Emperour thirde of that name and Leonore daughter to Edwarde king of Portugale was in his fathers time made king of the Romanes and after his deceasse Emperour He was a Prince exceedingly well learned iust in gouernment at home and fortunate in Warre abrode He had sundry victories against Mathias Corunis King of Hungarie from whom he recouered Vienna and many other of the Prouinces of the lower Austria Likewise he recouered from the French King the Earldome of Artoys and many townes of Burgundie and ouerthrew a great Armie of his at Guignet whereby he recouered Cambray He ouerthrew harde by Regensberg in a memorable battaile a great Armie of the Bohemians that came to make warre vpon his brother in lawe Albert Duke of Bauaria He was with K. Henrie the. 8. at the siege of Terowan and receyued his wages during which siege he him selfe in honor of England ware the Rose and his men the S. Georges crosse He was an exceeding scourge vnto the Venetiās from whom when they were in the fulnesse of their glory he tooke Padwa Verona Vincentia and the greatest parte of Foro Iulio and lastly ouerthrew them in a notable battaile by Vincentia where he slue of them 5000. Taking 24. great Cannons and all their Enseignes and Standards from them In seconde mariage he tooke Blanca daughter to the Duke of Milan Finally in the. 59. yeere of his age he died in Austria some say by taking or rather mistaking a wrong Potion to preuent a sickenesse which he feared He lieth buried at Newstad in Austria 8. leagues from Vienna He left behinde him 2. children Philip whose historie you heard before and Margaret who beeing by her first husband Iohn prince of Castile left a widow was afterward maried to Philibert Duke of Sauoy It is written of Maximilian that in his sickenesse he would not suffer those that were about him to honor him with any title of dignitie but to call him simply by his name Maximilian protesting himselfe to be but a vile peece of Earth and Clay made of no better mettall then the poorest begger The last combat spoken of in this treatise is of Henrie the eyght of famous memory Whose noble and heroicall deeds being so fresh in the remembrance of all men I thinke it needlesse to make repetition of them neither if I woulde vndertake it were the labour of so high a taske in any proportion conuenient to the feeblenesse of my slender force Much lesse to speake of her Maiestie whose Princely name is lastly therein mentioned but will leaue the glorious storie of her happie reigne to those golden pennes that being dipped in the licour of the Muses may like Ariosto his siluer Swannes with a cleere flight beare vp her sacred name and in dispite of Time fasten the same to the faire pillars of Eternitie in the highest turret of the house of Fame That which I can do is to pray vnto the euerliuing Righteousnesse that as he hath with admirable goodlinesse made her shine in giftes both of body and minde aboue all the Princes of her time so he will preserue her vnto vs many long and flowrishing yeeres For so long as wee shall enioy this our precious and sacred Palladium we shall neede to feare neither the force of fierce threatning Agamemnon nor the wiles offals vndermining Sinon FINIS I haue in the margent of euerie Historie noted the names of those Authors which herein I do chiefly folow Philip de Comines in