they which from their birth were called to Sovereignty should be used both to Cold and Heat and should be exercised to Arms betimes and not be brought up idly and delicately reprehending those which brought him up for using him so tenderly asking them if they meant to make a Woman of his Son They replying that he was tender If he be not born said he to be strong and valiant he will not be worthy to succeed me for he must not be an effeminate Prince that must preserve the Parthian Empire About this time his Empress was brought to bed of another Son at Samercand for joy whereof he made Feasts with Tiltings and Pastimes fifteen dayes together Then did he visit all the Sea-Towns near to Quinsay hunting all manner of Games yet often saying That the Recreations which he used were only helps to ease him in the pains of his publick affairs which God had called him to And when Prince Axalla told him that that City was a fit place for his abode O my friend said he it is not so For it 's a Maxime that the Lord of this great City must not come to it above once in ten years and when he is here he must temper his Actions as if he were upon a stage with Gravity and a good grace before the people who are apt to receive good or evil impressions according as their Princed eporteth himself Having setled his affairs in that part of his Empire he returned to Samercand where three times a Week he administred Justice publickly unto the meanest of his Subjects as well as to the greatest which made him much beloved of all over whom he did command On other dayes he gave secret audience and disposed of the affairs of his estate which were concluded daily in his presence In his Council he used such severity that none durst deal untruly or passionately in his presence Yet shewed he such courteousness in his conversation that he was both beloved and feared of his people He never changed his Servants except they committed some great faults against him All the servants of the late Emperour his Uncle he never changed one of them but increased their Pensions making them sensible of his liberality in that change The like bounty he used to strangers thereby to oblige them to him He drew great store of money yearly from the Muscovite by way of Tribute which yet he distributed in the same Country to maintain his authority there winning those to him who otherwise might have hurt him He had great care of his Revenues wherein he was so expedite that in one hours space he could see his Estate from three months to three months together with his ordinary and extraordinary expences they were presented to him so well digested But after all his publick affairs so well managed and his private businesses so well ordered Sickness arrested and Death conquered this Great Conquerour leaving his Empire to Sautochio his Eldest Son now nineteen years old who was proclaimed Emperour within two hours after his Fathers death Tamerlane from his childhood was well instructed in the Arabian learning wherein he was very studious insomuch as when they thought him to be in the Baths wherein they are very curious in that Contrey being their chiefest delight he was retired to the contemplation and study of Heavenly things He had within his eyes such a Divine beauty and radiancy full of Majesty that one could hardly endure the sight of them without closing of his eyes so that some that talked with him and beheld him were stricken dumb for the present which caused him with a comely modesty to abstain from looking upon them that talked with him All the rest of his Visage was courteous and well-proportioned He wore his hair long and curled contrary to the custome of his Countrey-men who used to shave their Heads He went almost alwayes bare-headed saying that his Mother came of the Race of Sampson who therefore advised him to honour long hair His hair was of a dusky colour inclining somewhat to a Violet the most beautiful that any eye could behold His stature was of a middle sort somewhat narrow in his shoulders He had a fair and strong leg his bodily strength and agility was such as none did surpass and often on Festival dayes he made trial of them with the strongest yet did he it with such a Grace mixt with Humanity that he whom he overcame held himself therein most happy though it was a great disgrace amongst the Tartarians to be thrown to the ground in wrestling In the time of his Wars against the Turks a Souldier of his found buried in the ground a great Pot of Gold which he brought to Tamerlane who asked him if it had his Fathers stamp upon it But when he saw that it had the stamp of the Romans he would not own nor meddle with it THE LIFE and DEATH OF CHARLES the GREAT King of FRANCE And Emperour of GERMANY PEPIN sirnamed The short the twenty third King of France a wise and valiant Prince had two Sons Charles and Caroloman and five Daughters Birthe who was married to Milon Earl of Mans by whom she had great Rowland Hiltrude married to Rene Earl of Genes by whom she had the renowned Oliver Rohard Adeline Idubergue Ode and Alix Pepin being toiled out with great Wars much broken with the care of publick affairs and now grown Old that he might imploy his last days in the maintenance of Justice and Peace the burden of War he laid upon his Eldest Son Charles a wise and valiant young Prince of whose modesty and obedience he was well assured And then retiring to Paris he was not long after surprised with sickness in which he recommended his two Sons to the Estates of France to give them portions at their pleasures and so ended his days Anno Christi 768. He was a Religious Prince wise moderate valiant loving to his Subjects and beloved of them happy in his Father and his Children and in his Government An excellent Pattern for other Princes who by his Example hold it for an undoubted Maxim That the strongest Fortress and best security for a Prince is the love of his Subjects and the surest bond of his Authority a respect gotten and preserved by virtue Pepin being dead the Estates of France assembled together and by their joynt consents divide the Kingdom betwixt his two Sons Charles and Caroloman by equal portions Brother 's these were of divers humours who had certainly ruined each other by this equality of power had not the death of Caroloman within three years after divolved the Government of the whole Realm upon Charles Charles was endowed with singular gifts both of Body and Mind which were much improved by the sedulous care of his Prudent Father manifested in the virtuous education of him For which end he procured Paul of Pisa a
not hear his Ambassadours but dismissed them without an answer The Trachonites and Arabians taking hold of this occasion molested the Garison of the Idumaeans that Herod had set over them but Herod being affrighted with Caesars anger was fain to connive at it About this time Obodas King of Arabia Nabathaea dyed and one Aeneas succeeded him who changed his name into Aretas which Syllaeus hearing of at Rome endeavoured by false accusations to have him thrust from the Kingdom and to get it to himself bestowing much money upon the Courtiers and promising great things unto Caesar whom he knew to be offended with Aretas for assuming the Kingdom without his consent In the mean while Aretas sent Letters and rich presents unto Caesar and amongst them a Crown worth many Talents But Caesar would not hear his Ambassadours and scorned his Presents and dismissed them without any thing done Herod being continually vexed with the insolencies of the Arabians sent Nicholas Damascene to Rome to see if by the mediation of his Friends he could get Justice from Caesar But in the mean time the discord with his Sons that he had by Mariamne was greatly heightned by the artifices of Eurichus a Lacedemonian which occasioned Herod to find out their supposed Treachery to put to death by various torments many both of his own and of his Sons Friends yet could he find no other evil by them but some too free complaints of improvident young men concerning their Fathers immoderate cruelty and his too easie hearkning to base pick-thanks of the wicked deceits of their Brother Antipater and of the faction that was combined against them and that to free themselves from these mischiefs they were said to think of flying to Archelaus King of Cappadocia which thing indeed they did not deny Hereupon Herod cast them into Prison as if they had been convicted of Treason against their Father resolving to punish them according as his affairs went at Rome and concerning this business he sent Letters to Caesar by Volumnius the Roman General and Olympius his Friend At Rome Nicholas Damascene joyned himself to the Arabians that came to accuse Syllaeus professing that he was his accuser also before Augustus and not Herods defender and this he did lest he should be repulsed as others had been before him When by this means he had gotten access into Caesars presence he indeed laid open many of Syllaeus his crimes and withall added that Caesar was circumvented with his lyes in the cause of Herod which he confirmed by certain authentick records This so prevailed with Caesar that he condemned Syllaeus and remanded him into the Province that when he had satisfied the debt he might be punished From this time Augustus was reconciled to Aretas and Herod and then received the Presents that before he had so often rejected and confirmed the Kingdom of the Arabians to Aretas He advised Herod also by his Letters to call a Council of his Friends at Berytus and joyning the Presidents of Syria with Archelaus the King of Cappadocia by their joynt advice to determine of the business about his Sons About this time the Angel Gabriel who long before had foretold to Daniel the coming of the Messias by a certain number of Weeks appeared at the right side of the Altar of incense to Zachary the Priest of the course of Abia telling him that there should be born to him now in his old age his Wise Elizabeth also being well stricken in years and barren a Son Called John a Nazarite and the forerunner of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias which he not believing was made dumb Luke 1. 5. 22. Herod having received Augustus his Letters rejoyced exceedingly both because he was returned into his favour and for that he had granted him power to do what he would with his Sons and hereupon he convened by messengers all those that Caesar had appointed to Berythus except only Archelaus and kept his Sons not far from the place in a City of the Sidonians and the Case being opened Saturninus one that had been Consul delivered his opinion but moderated with circumstances that Herods Sons were to be condemned but not to be put to death After him his three Sons that were his Lieutenants delivered their opinions to the same purpose But Voluminus pronounced that they were to be punished with death whose opinion the major part followed and so the Council being ended Herod took his Sons with him and meeting with Nicholas Damascene at Tyrus they went together to Caesarea Here whenas a certain old Souldier named Tyro had smartly reprehended Herod for his wickedness determined against his Sons and told him that three hundred more of his Captains were of the same opinion Herod commanded him to be cast into Prison Trypho the Kings Barber taking this occasion accused Tyro for that he had often sollicited him to cut the Kings throat with his razor as he was trimming him and immediatly both Tyro and his Son and the Barber were tortured and Herod bringing those three hundred Captains and Tyro and his Son and the Barber accused them before the People against whom the people throwing any thing that came next to hand slew them every one Then were Alexander and Aristobulus led to Sebaste and there strangled by their Fathers command and their bodies were buried in the Castle of Alexandrion where Alexander their Grandfather by the Mothers side and many of their Progenitors had been buried Antipater when his Brethren were now dead intended to remove his Father also out of the way and knowing that he was hated by many in the Kingdom he endeavoured by Bribes to get the good will of his Fathers Friends both at Rome and in Judea but especially of Saturninus the President of Syria and of Pheroras and Salome the Brother and Sister of Herod At this time Herod sent home Glaphira the Widow of his Son Alexander to her Father Archelaus the King of Cappadocia and gave her a Dowry out of his Treasury lest some controversie should arise concerning it and withall he took great care of the young children of Alexander and Aristobulus which Antipater took very heavily fearing lest when they should come to age they would hinder his designs he sought therefore their destruction and he so overcame Herod by his flatteries that he suffered him to marry the daughter of Aristobulus and his Son to marry the daughter of his Unkle Pheroras About this time Herod invited Zamaris a Babylonian Jew and gave him a Countrey in Trachonis to inhabit and this he did that he might be a guard to that Countrey against Thieves and Zamaris coming with five hundred Horse and an hundred of his Kinsmen erected Castles in divers places of that Country by which means he secured the Jews that came from Babylon to the Feasts at Jerusalem from the Thieves Antipater working Treason against his Father drew in his Unkle Pheroras and some
purchased it by his Noble and Valiant deeds The time for his Triumph being come the stateliness and magnificence was such that though he had two days to shew it yet lacked he time to produce all For there were many things prepared for the shew which were not seen and would have set forth another Triumph First the Tables were carried wherein were written the Names of the Nations for which he Triumphed as the Kingdoms of Pontus Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Media Colchis Iberia Albania Syria Cilicia and Mesopotamia As also the People that dwell in Phoenicia Palestina Judaea and Arabia And all the Pirats that he had overcome by Sea and Land In all these Countries he had taken a thousand Castles and neer nine hundred Towns and Cities Of Pirats Ships eight hundred Moreover he had replenished with Inhabitants thirty nine desolate Towns These Tables also declared that the Revenue of Rome before these his conquests arose but to five thousand Myriads but now he had improved them to eight thousand and five hundred Myriads Besides he now brought into the Treasury to the value of twenty thousand Talents in Silver Gold Plate and Jewels besides what had been distributed already among the Souldiers of which he that had least had fifteen hundred Drachma's for his share The Prisoners that were led in this Triumph were the Son of Tygranes King of Armenia with his Wife and Daughter The Wife of King Tygranes himself called Zozime Aristobulus King of Judaea The Sister of Methridates with her five Sons And some Ladies of Scythia The Hostages of the Iberians and Albanians as also the Kings of the Commagenians Besides a great number of Marks of Triumph which himself and his Lieutenants had won in several Battels But the greatest honour that ever he wan and which no other of the Consuls ever attained to was that his three Triumphs were of the three Parts of the World to wit his first of Africk his second of Europe And his third Asia and all this before he was forty yeards old But from this time forward Pompey began to decline till with his Life he had lost all his Honour Lucullus at his return out of Asia was well received by the Senate and much more after Pompey was come to Rome For the Senate cncouraged him to deal in affairs of State being of himself slow and much given to his ease and pleasure because of his great Riches So when Pompey was come he began to speak against him and through Catoes assistance gat all things confirmed which he had done in Asia and which had been undone by Pompey Pompey having such an afront put upon him by the Senate had recourse to the Tribunes of the People the vilest of whom was Clodius who closed with him and had Pompey ever at his Elbow ready to second what motion soever he had to make to the People He also desired Pompey to forsake Cicero his ancient Friend but Clodius his utter Enemy By this means Cicero was brought into danger and when he required Pompey's assistance he shut the door against him and went out at a back-door whereupon Cicero was forced to forsake Rome At this time Julius Caesar returning from his Praetorship out of Spain laid such a plot as quickly brought himself into favour but tended to the ruin of Pompey He was now to sue for his first Consulship and considering the enmity between Pompey and Crassus he considered that if he joyned with one he made the other his Enemy he therefore made them Friends which indeed undid the Commonwealth For by this means Caesar was chosen Consul who strait fell to flattering of the People and made Laws for their advantage distributing to them Lands which embased the Majesty of the chief Majestrate and made a Consulship no better than the Tribuneship of the People Bibulus his Fellow Consul opposed him what he could and Cato also till Caesar brought Pompey into the Pulpit for Orations where he asked him whether he consented to the Decree which he had set forth Pompey answered That he did und that he would defend it with the Sword This gat him much ill will Not many days after Pompey married Julia the Daughter of Caesar formerly betrothed to Servilius Caepio and to pacifie Caepio Pompey gave him his own Daughter in marriage whom yet he had promised to Faustus the Son of Sylla Caesar also married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso. Afterwards Pompey filling Rame with Souldiers carried all by force For as Bibulus came to the Market place accompanied with Cato and Lucullus they were basely abused and many were wounded and when they were driven away they passed the Act for dividing of the Lands as they pleased The People being encouraged hereby never stuck at any matter that Pompey and Caesar would have done And by this means all Pompey's former Acts were confirmed though Lucullus opposed what he could Caesar also was appointed to the Government of both Gauls with four whole Legions Then were chosen Consuls Piso Father in Law to Caesar and Gabinius Pompey's great flatterer Pompey now so doted on his young Wife that he suffered himself wholly to be ruled by her and leaving all publick affairs he went with her to Country Houses and places of pleasure which encouraged Clodius a Tribune of the people to despise him and to enter into seditious attempts For when he had driven Cicero out of Rome and sent away Cato to make War in Cyprus and Caesar was occupied in Gaul finding that the people were at his beck because he flattered them he then attempted to undo some things that Pompey had established Amongst others he took young Tygranes out of prison and carried him up and down with him and continually picked quarrels against Pompey's Friends Pompey coming abroad one day to hear how a matter of his was handled this Clodius having gotten a company of desperate Ruffians about him gat up into a high place and asked aloud Who is the most licentious Captain in all the City They answered Pompey And Who said he is he that scratched his head with one finger They again answered Pompey clapping their hands with great scorn This went to Pompey's heart who never used to be thus abused and he was yet more vexed when he saw that the Senate was well pleased with this his disgrace because he had forsaken and betrayed Cicero Upon this a great uprore was made in the Market place and many were hurt whereupon Pompey would come no more abroad whilst Clodius was Tribune but advised with his Friends how he might ingratiate himself with the Senate they advised him to put away his Wife Julia to renounce Caesars Friendship and to stick again to the Senate Some of these things he disliked yet was content to call home Cicero who was Clodius his mortal Enemy and in great favour with the Senate Hereupon Pompey brought Cicero's Brother into the Market place to move the matter to
was contrary to an express Law But when he perceived that many of the Senators being Caesars Friends favoured his request he cunningly sought all he could to prevent them whereupon Caesar resolved rather to give over his suit for the Triumph than to lose the Consulship So he came into the City and outwitted all but Cato His device was this Pompey and Crassus were the two greatest Persons in Rome and at jar between themselves Caesar affecting to make himself greater than either of them sought to make them Friends and thereby to get the power of them both For indeed they both affected his Friendship that by his help they might supplant one another And in the end by his endeavours a peace was concluded betwixt them yet being still jealous one of another and fearing to lose Caesar they both sought to gratifie him and by this means he made himself equal to either of them and that power which they two had formerly usurped was now divided between three and in the end Caesar hereby got the sole command This league being made betwixt them Caesar demanded the Consulship being brought into the Assembly for the Election betwixt these two Noble Persons and was there chosen Consul together with Calphurnius Bibulus without the contradiction of any And when he was entered into his Office he began to put forth Laws meeter for a sedicious Tribune than for a Consul because by them he preferred the division of Lands and distributing Corn to every Citizen Gratis and all to please the People And vvhen the Senators opposed it he took the advantage Protesting that the Senate by their austerity drave him against his will to cleave to the People and thereupon he asked Crassus and Pompey in the open Assembly if they gave their consents to his Laws They answered yea Then he prayed them to stand by him against those that threatned to oppose him with the Sword Crassus said he would and Pompey did the like adding that he would come with his Sword and Target both against such which gave great offence to the Senate but the common People much rejoyced Caesar to oblige Pompey more to him gave him his Daughter Julia in Marriage who was made sure before to Servilius Caepio promising him in her stead Pompeys Daughter who also was made sure unto Faustus the Son of Sylla And shortly after Caesar himself Married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso whom he caused to succeed him in the Consulship Cato then cryed out and called the Gods to witness that it was a shameful thing that they should make such havock in the Commonwealth by such horribly Bawdy matches hereby dividing amongst themselves the Government of Provinces and great Armies And Bibulus perceiving that he did but contend in vain Caesar being too potent for him and that his Life was in danger for opposing these Laws he kept his House all the rest of his Consulship Pompey having married Julia he filled the Market-place with Souldiers and by open force authorised the Laws which Caesar had made in favour of the People He procured also that Caesar had both the Gauls and all Illyria with four Legions granted him for five years and when Cato stood up to speak against it Caesar bad his Officers to lay hold on him and carry him to Prison thinking that he would have appealed to the Tribunes but Cato said no more but went his way And Caesar seeing that not only the Nobility but the Commons also were offended at it out of respect to Cato's virtues he secretly prayed one of the Tribunes that he would take Cato from his Officers which was done accordingy Many of the Senators refused to be present in the Senate under him but left the City because they could not endure his doings whereupon one Considius an old man told him that the Senators durst not meet because of his Souldiers Why then said Caesar dost not thou also keep home out of the same fear Because said he My age takes away my fear from me for having so short a time to live I care not to prolong it further Caesar preferred Clodius a base fellow to be Tribune who sought the Office for no other end but to destroy Cicero who had discovered his Villanies and Caesar would not go to his Province till he had set them two together by the ears and driven Cicero out of Italy Yet did he deserve the name of as brave a General as any that went before him if we consider the hard Countries which he adjoyned to the Empire of Rome The multitude and power of the Enemies whom he overcame The rudeness and Valour of the men with whom he had to do whose manners yet he molliâ—ied and civilized His courtesie and clemency to those whom he overcame His great bounty and liberallity to those that served under him As also if we consider the number of Battels that he fought and the multitude of Enemies that were slain by him For in less then ten years he took by assault above eight hundred Towns He conquered three hundred Nations and having at several times above thirty hundred thousand Souldiers against him he slew a Million of them and took as many more Prisoners He was so intirely loved of his Souldiers that to do him service and to advance his honour they were invincible As appears by the example of Acilius who in a Sea-fight before the City of Marseiles boarding one of the Enemies Ships had his right hand cut off and yet he ran upon his Enemies thrusting them in their faces with his Target on his left hand and so prevailed that he took their Ship One Cassius Scaeva also in a fight before the City of Dyrrhacium having an eye put out with an Arrow his shoulder stricken through with a Dart and his thigh with another having received thirty Arrows upon his Shield called to his Enemies as if he would yield to them but when two of them came running to him he cut off one of their armes by the shoulder and wounded the other in the face and made them give back till he was fetched off by some of his fellows In Brittain also when some of his Captains were driven into a bog full of mire and dirt the Enemies fiercely assaulting them there Caesar viewing the Battel he saw a private Souldier thrust in amongst the Captains where he fought so valiantly that at length he forced the Barbarous People to fly and thereby saved the Captains who otherwise had perished there And then this Souldier being the hindmost of all the Captains marched through the bog sometimes swimming and sometimes on foot till he gat to the farther side only he lost his Target Caesar wondring at his valour ran and imbraced him But the poor Souldier hanging down his head with tears in his eyes fell at Caesars feet begging pardon for leaving his Target behind him In Africk also Scipio having taken one of Caesars Ships slew all
and considered it will plainly appear that in none of those things aforesaid nor in any other that may be said of him there hath been any Heathen King or Captain that ever excelled him And setting apart his Ambition and desire of Rule he was onely noted and blamed for being too much given to Women Caesar was thus slain in the fifty sixth year of his Age a little more than four years after the Death of Pompey in the seven hundred and tenth year after the building of Rome and about forty and two years before the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar left behind him neither Son nor Daughter legitimate at that time of his Death For though he had been four several times married yet he had but one only Daughter named Julia that was married to Pompey and died before him Wherefore by his last Will he adopted for his Son and made his Heir in the Dodrant that is in nine parts of twelve of his goods his Nephew Octavius Caesar afterwards called Octavianus Augustus who was the Son of Acia his Neece and of Octavius Praetor of Macedonia which Octavius at this time was by the commandment of his Uncle in the City of Apollonia in the Province of Epirus where he applied himself to his studies staying for him there thence to go with him to the Parthian War being now about seventeen years of age Caesar being thus slain the news of it ran presently all over the City and the tumult therein was so great that no man knew what to do or say All Offices ceased the Temples were all shut up and every man was amazed Caesars Friends were afraid of those that slew him and they as much feared his Friends Brutus Cassius and the other Conspirators and others that joyned with them seeing the great tumult durst not go to their Houses nor prosecute their other designs for fear of Mark Anthony and Lepidus whereof the one was Consul and the other General of the Horsemen but presently from thence they went to seize upon the Capitol crying by the way as they went Liberty Liberty and imploring the favour and assistance of the People The rest of that day and all next night Mark Anthony and Lepidus who took Caesars part were in Arms and there passed sundry messages and treaties between them and the Conspirators At last it was agreed that the Senate should sit whither Brutus and Cassius came M. Anthonies Sons by the perswasion of Cicero a great lover of Liberty remaining as Hostages for them In the Senate they Treated of Peace and concord and that all that was past should be buried in perpetual oblivion whereunto Anthony who was Consul and the whole Senate agreed and the Provinces being divided there was a great likelihood of Peace For the Senate approved and commended the murther and the People dissembled their thoughts For on the one side the authority of Brutus and Cassius and the name of Liberty seemed to give them some content and on the other side the hainousness of the fact and the love they bare to Caesar did move and excite them to hate the murtherers and so all was quiet for the present But Mark Anthony who affected the Tyranny took every opportunity to incense the People against them and Caesars Testament being opened wherein besides the adopting of his Nephew Octavius and making him his Heir besides other bequests he bequeathed to the People of Rome certain Gardens and Lands near to the River of Tiber and to every Citizen of Rome certain Gardens and Lands neer to the sum of mony to be divided amongst them which being known much encreased their love to Caesar and made his death more grievous to them Caesars Funeral being agreed upon his Body was burnt with great solemnity in the Field of Mars and Mark Anthony made the Funeral Oration in his Praise and took the Robe wherein Caesar was slain being all bloody and shewed it to the People using such Speeches as provoked them both to wrath and commiseration so as before the Funeral solemnity was fully finished they all depart in great fury taking Brands in their hands from the fire wherein Caesar was burned and went to burn the Houses of Brutus and Cassius and if they could have found them and the rest of the Conspirators they would certainly have slain them and in their fury they unadvisedly slew Elius Cinna by mistaking him for Cornelius Cinna who was one of the Conspirators This tumult put Brutus and Cassius and their confederates into such fear that they all sled from Rome into several parts and though the Senate having appeased the tumult inflisted punishment upon some of the seditious and had already committed some of them to Prison yet Brutus and Cassius durst not return to Rome but after a while went into Greece to Govern those Provinces which Caesar in his Life time had allotted unto them which were Macedonia to Brutus and Syria to Cassius And truly this was very remarkable that within the space of three years all the Conspirators died and not one of them a natural death Caesar in his fifth and last Consulship made an Edict that thanks should be returned to Hyrcanus the High-Priest and Prince of the Jews and to the Nation of the Jews for their affection to himself and the People of Rome And decreed also that the said Hyrcanus should have the City of Jerusalem and repair the Walls of it which Pompey had beaten down and should Govern it as he pleased himself He also granted to the Jews that every second year there should an abatement be made out of their rents and that they should be free from Impositions and Tributes His Name of Caesar was so honourable that all his successors to this present day have assumed it into their Title and esteemed it an honour to be called Caesars THE LIFE and DEATH OF OCTAVIANUS AUGUSTUS In whose Raign our LORD CHRIST WAS BORN OCtavius Caesar who was afterwards called Octavianus Augustus was by the Fathers side descended of the Antient Family of the Octavij which was of great account in Rome even from the time of Tarquin their King By the Mothers side he was descended from the Regal Line His Mother was Accia the Daughter of Accius Balbus and Julia the Sister of Julius Caesar which Accia was married to the Father of Octavius He was born in the year of the Consulshp of Cicero and Caius Antonius He was but four years old when his Father dyed and at twelve years old he made an Oration at the Funeral of his Grand-mother Julia. When his Uncle Julius Caesar was Warring in Spain against the Sons of Pompey Octavius though he was but young followed him thither through many and great dangers and when that War was ended Julius Caesar intending to take him with him to the Parthian War sent him before to the City of Apollonia where he plyed his Book very diligently and on
gave direction and was very diligent in all things touching Justice Customes Religion and publick buildings so as in all things his Reign was happy peaceable and quiet during all his Life Yet in this so happy a time some People and Nations still affecting Liberty laboured to shake off the Roman yoke and thereby molested and disquieted the Empire as the Spaniards the Inhabitants of Illyricum and the Pannonians In Spain the Cantabrians the Asturians and part of Gallicia passing their bounds began a War against the Empire Augustus being informed hereof judging it to be a doubtful War and of importance commanded the Temple of Janus to be opened and determined to go against them in Person and to send other Captains to follow his other Wars And accordingly Augustus went into Spain and with three Armies made War against the People aforementioned which proved very doubtful and desperate and lasted five years and though he suppressed the Cantabrians and Asturians and drave them to their Rocks and Mountains yet before he could wholly subdue them he was fain to bring a great Navy upon the Coast of France to invade the Sea coasts of Cantabria and Galizia by which means he drave them to such extremities by Land that they were at last forced to submit to his obedience Augustus his great favourite Agrippa served him faithfully in this War whom therefore he married to his Daughter Julia who was the Widow of his Nephew Marcellus the Son of his Sister Octavia And thus he brought all Spain into subjection to him above two hundred years after the Comans began to make their first Wars there So as no Province cost Rome more Treasure more bloud nor more time than Spain This long and doubtful War being so happily finished Augustus was so pleased with it that he gave commandment that the Temple of Janus should again be shut and came to Rome in great Triumph But this Temple continued not long shut for some Nations of the Germans rebelled so that it was again opened These were the Inhabitants of Noricum now Bavaria and the Pannonia's now Austria and Hungary and the two Missia's now Bulgary and Servia as also Illyricum now Sclavonia and the Province of Dacia now Transylvania and Walachia and some others though at several times Against these Augustus sent his Generals and Armies amongst which were his Sons in Law the Sons of Livia Tiberius Nero who succeeded him in the Empire and his Brother Drusus Nero of whom Livia was with child when Octavian married her and these two Brothers though the War lasted somewhat long vanquished those Nations and obtained great Victories in Germany and the confines thereof especially Tiberius who in three years space subdued the Pannonia's Illyricum and Dalmatia for which Victories he afterwards entred into Rome in an Ovation Triumph with great Pomp and Honour Marcus Crassus also overcame and put to flight the Missians a People who had never seen the Romans before And when they were ready to give Battel they said Tell us who you are that seek to molest and disquiet us We are said they Romans the Lords of Nations whereupon they replied It shall be so if you overcome us which fell out accordingly But Augustus obtained not these Victories without some crosses For in these Wars died his Son in Law Drusus who was highly esteemed for his Noble acts and great Victories for the loss of whom both Augustus and Livia were much afflicted But yet his grief was greater for the mishap which befell Quintilius Varro who was General of three Legions in Germany and being careless was surprized by the Almans and himself his Legions and all his Auxiliaries were slain and two Standards with the Imperial Eagles taken for which he was so immoderately grieved that he knocked his Head against the Wall and cryed out unadvisedly Quintilius Varro Give me my Legions again For certain months also he suffered the hair of his Head and Beard to grow carelesly And the very day of this unhappy accident he did every year observe mournfully with sorrow and lamentation Of his Son in Law Drusus there remained two Sons Germanicus and Claudius which he had by Antonia Augustus his Neece and Daughter of his Sister Octavia and Mark Anthony of which Claudius was Emperour And Germanicus married Agrippina the Daughter of Julia Augustus his Daughter by whom he had Caius Caligula who also was afterwards Emperour Augustus after many notable Victories compelled his Enemies at length to sue for Peace whereupon again he commanded the Temple of Janus to be shut up and from thenceforth all things succeeded prosperously with him The Subjects of the Empire were now very obedient to him and all other sent their Ambassadours seeking his Favour and Friendship The Indians in the remotest parts of the East and the Scythians that inhabited the North and the Parthians an untamed People sent their Ambassadours to him giving security to keep the Peace and restoring to him the Standards and Eagles which were taken when Marcus Crassus was slain There came also Kings who were Friends and Subjects to the Roman Empire to do him Homage laying aside their Ensignes and Royal Robes and many of them bult Cities to his Name and for his Honour calling them Caesaria So did Herod the Great in Palestine King Juba in Mauritania and others The World being thus at Peace and quietness forty and two years being expired since that Augustus after the Death of Julius Caesar came to Rome In the time of this general Peace was the Prince of Peace our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ born in Bethlem of the Virgin Mary Herod being King of Judea placed there by the Romans of whose blessed Life and bitter Death as also of the order of his Ministry and Miracles see his Life published by me Anno Christi 1664. At which time there came forth a command from Caesar Angustus that all the Roman World should be taxed which taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria Luk. 2. 1. Out of which a little Book was made by Augustus in which all the publick riches were contained as also how many Citizens and Allies in Arms what Navies How many Kingdomes and Provinces what Tribute and Customes there were what necessary charges and Pensions went out Shortly after Augustus was called Lord by the People but he did not only refuse that Title but forbad it by a publick Edict Augustus enjoying so great prosperity was yet nothing altered in his qualities and behaviour as often it happens in other Princes but rather became more mild just and affable more courteous liberal and temperate He established very good Laws and Orders for the reformation and abuses and evil customes He erected both within and without Rome many stately and sumptuous Edifices which made him to boast concerning Rome Latericiam inveni Marmoream reliqui I found it built with Brick and left it built with Marble He bestowed great gifts
and favours upon all sorts of People He delighted the People with Feasts and Playes of sundry kinds going himself in person to honour them He sent Colonies into sundry parts and Provinces He made excellent good Orders for the Governours and Government of the whole Empire The like he did also for the Wars and Martial Discipline He shewed himself loving and sociable to his Friends and Familiars whom he honoured and loved much Some conspiracies against him which were discovered he punished without rigour being more prone to pardon than to punish Of murmurings and defamatory Libels he never desired to know the Authors but answered them with gravity giving satisfaction and purging himself from those things which were charged upon him He was much addicted to and affected with Learning and himself was very Learned and Eloquent and compiled some notable Books He much honoured and rewarded Wise and Learned men yet he escaped not the tainture of some Vices growing through humane frailty and his great liberty especially he was much given to Women though in his diet apparel and ornaments he was very sparing and modest He gave himself also excessively to play at Dice and other Games then in use Thus though in many things he was very happy yet besides his troubles and dangers he was very unhappy in his Children and Successours For by his four Wives to whom he was married he had only one Daughter called Julia by his third Wife Scribonia and she proved exceeding wanton and unchaste yea she left nothing undone in Luxury and Lust that was possible for a Woman to do or suffer accounting every thing lawful that pleased her Yea she came to that height of lasciviousness that she kept her Feasting even in the Courts of Justice abusing those very places with lascivious acts in which her Father had made Laws against Adulterers Hereupon her Father was so enraged that he could not contain his anger within his own House but published these things yea and communicated them to the Lords of the Senate He kept himself also a long time from company for very shame He had thoughts of putting his Daughter to death but at last he banished her into Pandataria an Island of Campania her Mother Scribonia of her own accord accompanying her in her banishment Julia being at this time thirty eight years old For want of Sons to succeed him Augustus first adopted his Nephew Marcellus the Son of his Sister Octavia to whom he first married his Daughter Julia and Marcellus dying without Issue he then married her to his Favourite Agrippa who also left her a Widow but yet he had by her three Sons and two Daughters Two of these Sons having been adopted by Augustus died before him whereupon he adopted the third who bore his Fathers Name Agrippa the which adoption he afterwards revoked for some displeasure conceived against him and lastly he adopted his Son in Law Tiberius Nero and made him his Heir whom also he married to his Daughter Julia the Widow of Agrippa yet this he did more through the importunity of his mother than for any good liking that he had of him being sorry that such an one should succeed him Not long after the first Letter of his Name that was upon the Inscription of his Statue that was set up in the Capitol fell down being struck with a flash of Lightning whereupon the Southsayers foretold that he should live only one hundred dayes after which was denoted by the Letter C. and that he should be Canonized for a God because Aesar which remained of his Name in the Hetruscan Tongue signified a God Hereupon he wrote a Catalogue of his doings which he appointed to be engraven in Tables of Brass and to be set over his Tomb. Things being thus done Caesar Augustus being now seventy six years old and odd dayes having Reigned above fifty six and being the best beloved and the best obeyed Prince in the World Death overtook him which was occasioned by a Flux which held him for some dayes and so Augustus died at Nolla in Campania in the same House and Chamber wherein his Father Octavius died being the nineteenth day of August upon which day he was first made Consul and in the fifteenth year after the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. He was generally lamented and there was a universal sorrow and heaviness over the whole Empire for him For he did wisely and uprightly Govern that Monarchy which he had gotten by force and fraud He was of a mean stature of a very good shape and proportion of Body of an exceeding fair face mixed with modesty and gravity His eyes were very clear and bright He was very advised in his speeches and loved to speak quick and briefly His last Will and Testament was written a year and four moneths before he died and left in the custody of the Vestal Virgins In his life time he vvas very desirous to reform abuses in Rome and in the first place he corrected some disorders in the Senate vvhom he reduced to the number of six hundred He reformed vvhat vvas amiss in their Playes and Games in the Knights and in their manner of suing for publick Offices He set Fines upon their Heads that vvould not marry and bestovved much upon those that had Wives and Children He gave unto Hortensius tvventy five thousand Crovvns to procure him to marry that he might raise up issue to that Noble Family of the Hortenses He ordained that Maids should be at least twelve years old before they married and suffered them to kill Adulterers that were taken in the fact and condemned the Sodomites without pardon He gave order that none should be put in nomination for Offices but such as were vertuous and of good repute He tied not himself to any certain hours for his meals but used to eat when he was hungry and that which he fed upon was neither dainty nor delicate and he drank little Wine Instead of a Looking-glass he used to read or write whilst his Barber was trimming him He never spake to the Senate or people or to his Souldiers but what he had first written and premeditated though he had words at command He delighted to read good Authors but gathered nothing more than sentences teaching good manners and having written them out word for word he gave Copies thereof to his familiar Friends and sent them about to the Governours of Provinces and to the Magistrates of Rome He was too much addicted to Divinations and was marvellously afraid of Thunder and Lightning Our Saviour christ being born all the Devils Oracles ceased and the Oracle of Delphos was fain to confess it and ever after remained Dumb whereupon Augustus being astonished caused a great Altar to be set up in the Capitol with an Inscription signifying that it was the altar of the God first born To prevent the great abuse of Usury which undid many Families he put into
Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Artaxerxes Alexander Epaminondas Herod Hanibal Pompey Iulius Caesar. Augustus Charlemain Tamberlain THE LIVES DEATHS Of most of those EMINENT PERSONS WHO By their VIRTUE and VALOUR Obtained the Sirnames of MAGNI OR THE GREAT Whereof divers of them give much Light to the Understanding of the Prophecies in Esay Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel concerning the three first Monarchies And to other Scriptures concerning the Captivity and Restauration of the Jews The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged By Samuel Clark Minister of the Gospel Longum iter per pracepta breve per Exempl Hierom. LONDON Printed by J. R. for W. B. and are to be sold by Tho. Sawbridge at the three Flower de Luces in Little Britain and by W. Birch at the Peacock at the lower end of Cheap-side 1675. THE LIFE and DEATH OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE GREAT First Emperour of the CHALDEANS NEbuchadonazar or Nebuchadnezzar was the Son of Nebuchadonazar or Nabopolaser of Babylon who was made General of the Army by Saraco King of Assyria and Chaldea after whose death Nabopolaser took into his hands the Kingdom of Chaldea which he held by the space of one and twenty years At the same time Astyages was made Governour of Media by Cyaxares his Father and the better to strengthen themselves they entred into affinity by Astyages his giving his Daughter Amytis to Nebuchadnezzar the Son of Nabopolaser and thereupon joyning their Forces together they took Ninive together with Seraco the King thereof placing a Vice-Roy in his stead Shortly after the Governour of Coelosyria and Poenicia revolting from Nabopolaser he sent against him his Son Nebuchadnezzar having first associated him with himself in the Kingdom of Babylon with a great Army which was in the latter end of the third and the beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim King of Juda as appears Dan. 1. 1. compated with Jer. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar was no sooner thus associated with his Father in the Kingdom but the things which he was to act were presently revealed to the Prophet Jeremy the first whereof was the overthrow of the Egyptians First at the River Euphrates then in their own Country Jer. 46. The first of these came to pass presently Pharaoh Necho's Forces which he had left at Carchemish being cut off by Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth year of Jehojakim Jer. 46. 2. The second was not till after the taking of Tyre in the seventeenth year of the Captivity of Jechonia Ezek. 29. 17 18 19. In the third year of Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar the second his Father being yet alive entred Iudaea with a great Army who besieging and forcing Ierusalem made Iehoiakim his Vassal in despight of Pharaoh Necho who had made him King and took with him to Babylon for Pledges Daniel who was yet a Child with Ananias Misael and Azarias He took also part of the Treasures belonging to the Temple but stayed not to stayed not to search throughly for all For Necho hasted with his Army to the relief of Iehoiakim hoping to find Nebuchadnezzar in Iudea But this great Babylonian had no mind to hazard himself and his Army against the Egyptian Iudaea being so ill affected towards him and himself far from all succour or sure place of retreat If he had as may be supposed any great strength of Scythian Horsemen it was wisely done of him to fall back out of that rough Mountanous and hot Country into places that were more even and temperate And besides these reasons the Death of his Father happening at the same time gave him just occasion to return home and take possession of his own Kingdom before he proceeded in the second care of adding more unto it And this he did at reasonable good leisure For the Egyptian was not provided to follow him so far and to bid him Battel until the new year came in which was the fourth of Iehoiakim the first of Nebuchadnezzar and the last of Necho In this year the Babylonian lying upon the Banks of Euphrates his own Territories bounding it on the North-side attended the coming of Necho there after a cruel Battel fought betwixt them Necho was slain and his Army forced to save it self by a violent retreat wherein it suffered great loss This Victory was so well pursued by Nebuchadnezzar that he recovered all Syria and whatsoever the Egyptians held out of their proper Territories towards the North. The Egyptians being thus beaten and altogether for the present discouraged Iehoiakim held himself quiet as being in heart a Friend to the Egyptians yet having made his peace with the Chaldeans the year before and Mebuchadnezzar was contented with such profit as he could there readily make he had forborn to lay any Tribute upon the Iews But this cool reservedness of Iehoiakim was on both sides taken in ill part Whereupon the Egyptian King Psamnis who succeeded Necho began to think of restoring Iehoahaz who had been taken prisoner by his Father and carried into Egypt and of setting him up as a Domestical enemy against his ungrateful Brother But to anticipate all such accidents the Iudaean had put in practice the usual remedy which his fore-fathers used For he had made his own Son Iechonia King with him long before in the second year of his own Reign when the Boy was but eight years old As for this rumour of Iehoahaz his return the Prophet Ieremy foretold that it should prove a vain attempt saying He shall not return thither But he shall die in the place whither they have led him Captive and shall see this Land no more Jer. 22. 11 12. The Egyptians having lost their Mercenary Forces and received that heavy blow at Carchemish had more Gold than sharp Steel remaining which is of small force without the others help Besides the Valour of Necho was not in Psamnis Apries who reigning after Psamnis did indeed once adventure to shew his face in Syria but after a big look he was glad to retire without adventuring the hazard of a Battel Wherefore this declining Nation fought only with brave words telling such frivolous tales as men that mean to do nothing use boasting of their former glorious acts against Iosias and Iehoahaz And truly in such a time and case it was easie for Iehoiakim to give them satisfaction by letting them understand the sincerity of his affections towards them which appeared in time following But Nebuchadnezzar went more roundly to work For he sent a peremptory message to Iehoiakim requiring him not to stand upon any nice points but presently to acknowledge himself his subject and to pay him Tribute Adding thereunto such terrible threatnings as made the poor Iudaean lay aside all thoughts of adhering unto Pharaoh and to yield to do as the more powerful would have him Thus he continued in Obedience to Nebuchadnezzar three years During which time the Prophet Jeremy cryed out against the Impiety of the Jews putting them in mind that he had
under their Leader Zorobabel the Son of Salathiel and Nephew to King Jeconias and Joshua the Son of Josedech the High Priest were about fifty thousand And as soon as they arrived at Jerusalem they built an Altar to the living God and sacrificed thereon according to their Law and afterwards bethought themselves how to prepare materials for the building of the Temple Cyrus having set all things in order at Babylon returned through Media into Persia to his Father Cambyses and his Mother Mandanes who were yet living and from thence returning again into Media he married the only Daughter and Heir of Cyaxares and for Dowry had the whole Kingdom of Media given him with her And when the Marriage was finished he presently went his way and took her with him and coming to Babylon from thence he sent Governours into all his Dominions Into Arabia he sent Megabyzus into Phrygia the greater Artacaman into Lydia and Ionia Chrysantas into Caria Adusius into Phrygia Helle spontiaca or the less Pharmicas But into Cilicia and Cyprus and Paphlagonia he sent no Persians to Govern them because they voluntarily and of their own accord took his part against the King of Babylon yet he caused even them also to pay him Tribute Cyrus having spent one whole year with his Wife in Babylon gathered thither his whole Army consisting of one hundred and twenty Thousand Horse and two Thousand Iron Chariots and six hundred Thousand Footmen and having furnished himself with all necessary provisions he undertook that Journey wherein he subdued all the Nations inhabiting from Syria to the Red Sea The time that Cyrus enjoyed in rest and pleasure after these great Victories and the attainment of his Empire is generally agreed upon by all Chronologers to have lasted only seven years In which time he made such Laws and Constitutions as differ little from the Ordinances of all wise Kings that are desirous to establish a Royal power to themselves and their Posterity which are recorded by Xenophon The last War and the end of this Great King Cyrus is diversly written by Historians Herodotus and Justin say That after these Conquests Cyrus invaded the Massagets a very Warlike Nation of the Scythians Governed by Tomyris their Queen and that in an encounter between the Persians and these Northern Nomades Tomyris lost her Army together with her Son Spargapises that was the General of it In revenge whereof this Queen making new levies of men of War and prosecuting the War against Cyrus in a second sore Battel the Persians were beaten and Cyrus was taken Prisoner and that Tomyris cut off his Head from his Body and threw it into a Bowl of Blood using these words Thou that hast all thy time thirsted for blood now drink thy fill and satiate thy self with it This War which Metasthenes calls Tomyrique lasted about six years But more probably this Scythian War was that which is mentioned before which Cyrus made against the Scythians after the Conquest of Lydia according to Ctesias who calleth Tomyris Sparetha and makes the end of it otherwise as you may see before The same Ctesias also recordeth that the last War which Cyrus made was against Amarhaeus King of the Derbitians another Nation of the Scythians whom though he overcame in Battel yet there he received a Wound whereof he died three dayes after Strabo also affirmeth that he was buried in his own City of Pesagardes which himself had built and where his Epitaph was to be read in Strabo's time which he saith was this O Vir quicunque es undecunque advenis neque enim te adventurum ignoravi Ego sum Cyrus qui Persis Imperium constitui pusillum hoc Terrae quo meum tegitur Corpus mihi ne invideas O thou man whosoever thou art and whensoever thou comest for I was not ignorant that thou shouldst come I am Cyrus that founded the Persian Empire Do not envy me this little Earth with which my Body is covered When Alexander the Great returned from his Indian Conquests he visited Pesagardes and caused this Tomb of Cyrus to be opened either upon hope of great Treasure supposed to have been buried with him or upon a desire to honour his dead Body with certain Ceremonies when the Sepulchre was opened there was found nothing in it save an old rotten Target two Scythian Bows and a Sword The Coffin wherein his Body lay Alexander caused to be covered with his own Garment and a Crown of Gold to be set upon it Cyrus finding in himself that he could not long enjoy the World he called unto him his Nobility with his two Sons Cambyses and Smerdis and after a long Oration wherein he assured himself and taught others about the Immortality of the Soul and of the punishments and rewards following the ill and good deservings of every man in this life He exhorted his Sons by the strongest Arguments he had to a perpetual Concord and Agreement Many other things he uttered which makes it probable that he received the knowledge of the true God from Daniel whilst he Governed Susa in Persia and that Cyrus himself had read the Prophesie of Isay wherein he was expresly named and by God pre-ordained for the delivery of his people out of Captivity which act of delivering the Jews and of restoring of the Holy Temple and the City of Jerusalem was in true consideration the Noblest work that ever Cyrus performed For in other actions he was an Instrument of Gods power used for the chastising of many Nations and the establishing of a Government in those parts of the World which yet was not to continue long But herein he had the favour to be an Instrument of Gods goodness and a willing advancer of his Kingdom upon Earth which must last for ever Cyrus had issue two Sons Cambyses and Smerdis and three Daughters Atossa Meroe and Artistona At his Death he bequeathed his Empire to his Eldest Son Cambyses appointing Smerdis his younger Son to be Satrapa or Lieutenant of Media Armenia and Cadusia He reigned about one and thirty years and died aged The Greek Historians wholly ascribe the Conquest of Babylon to Cyrus because that he commanded the Army in Chief yet the Scriptures attribute it to Darius King of the Medes whose General Cyrus was For when Babylon was taken and Belshazzar slain It 's said Dan. 5. 31. that Darius the Median took the Kingdom being about sixty two years old It was Darius also that placed Officers over the several Provinces thereof as we read Dan. 6 1 2. It pleased Darius to set over the Kingdom an hundred and twenty Princes which should be over the whole Kingdom and over these three Presidents of whom Daniel was the first c. And thus was it Prophesied by Isay long before Behold I will stir up the Medes against them c. And by the Prophet Jeremy The Lord hath raised up the Spirit of the King of
the Medes for his device is against Babylon c. Jer. 55. 11. And again verse 28. Prepare against her the Nations with the Kings of the Medes the Captains thereof and all the Rulers thereof and all the Land of his Dominion But certain it is that the Honour of that great Victory over Babylon was wholly given to Cyrus who was the Instrument pre-ordained and forenamed by God himself not onely for this Action but also for the delivery of his Church Yet Daniel makes it plain that himself not onely lived a great Officer under King Darius but that he continued in that estate to the first year of Cyrus which was not long after which also was the year of Daniels Death As for the Age of Cyrus we are beholding to Tully for it who in his first Book de Divinatione Cites it out of one Dionysius a Persian Writer in this manner The Sun saith Dionysius appeared unto Cyrus in his sleep standing at his feet which when Cyrus thrice endeavoured to take in his hands the Sun still turned aside and went away and the Magi who were the most learned men amongst the Persians said that by his thrice offering to take hold of the Sun was portended to him that he should reign thirty years which came to pass accordingly For he lived to the Age of seventy years and began not to reign till he was forty In the first year of Belshazzar Daniel had the Vision shewed him of the four Beasts signifying the four Monarchies and of God delivering over all power and Sovereignty to the Son of man Dan. 7. In the third year of Belshazzar the Vision of the Ram and Goat foreâ—â—ewing the destruction of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander the Great and the great misery which Antiochus should bring upon the People of God was shewed to Daniel living then at Susa in the Province of Elam upon the Bank of the River Ulai which environed the Castle of Susa and parted the Provinces of Susa and Elemais Dan. 8. whence we may collect that at that time the Province of Susa was not in the hands of the Medes and Persians but of the Babylonians under whom Daniel then lived Darius the Mede son of Cyaxares or Ahasuerus the Son of Astyages took upon him the Kingdom which was delivered over to him by Cyrus the Conqueror Dan. 5. 31. and 9. 1. The Angel in this first year of his Reign is said to have confirmed and strengthened him in his Kingdom Dan. 11. 1. After which he reigned two years Towards the end of the first year of Darius the Mede the seventy years of the Babylonish Captivity expired which began under Jehoiakim in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar at which time God promised that they should return into their own Countrey Jer. 29. 10. Thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place Upon consideration of which very time now so near approaching it was that Daniel poured out that most fervent Prayer for the Remission of his own sins and of his Peoples and for that promised deliverance out of their Captivity Whereupon the Angel Gabriel brought him an answer not only concerning this but also for the spiritual deliverance of the Church to be wrought at last by the Death of the Messias uttering that most famous and memorable Prophesie of the seventy Weeks Dan. 9. 12 c. The Samaritans by the means of some Courtiers about Cyrus whom they had bribed for that purpose disturbed the Jews in their building of the Temple Ezra 4. 5. Whence proceeded that three weeks mourning of the Prophet Daniel which Fast he begun about the third Day of the first Moneth in the third year of Cyrus Dan. 10. 1 4. After which upon the four and twentieth Day of the first Moneth that Vision of the Kings of Persia of Alexander the Great and his Successours and their Kingdoms was shewed and revealed unto Daniel as he stood upon the Bank of Hiddikel or Tygris All which is contained in the three last Chapters of Daniel which as may be collected out of the close thereof was the last Vision that ever he had and that but a little before his Death THE LIFE and DEATH OF ARTAXERXES MNEMON One of the Great MONARCHS OF PERSIA THere were two Artaxerxes's that were Monarchs of Persia the first was called Artaxerxes Longimanus or Long-hand because his right hand was longer than his left The second whole Life we are now setting forth was called Artaxerxes Mnemon from his excellent Memory This Artaxerxes was the Son of Darius Ochus begotten by him on the Body of Parysatis before he came to be King And Parysatis was the Daughter of the first Artaxerxes Darius had by his Wife Parysatis four Sons of the which the eldest was this Ataxerxes the second was called Cyrus the two younger Ostanes and Oxathres This Artaxerxes before he came to the Kingdom was called Arsaces but after he came to the Kingdom he assumed the name of Artaxerxes Darius Ochus raigned Nineteen Years and dyed at Babylon When he lay on his Death-bed his Son Artaxerxes asked him by what Wisdom and Policy he had maintained his State so long To the end said he that having learned by you I may follow your steps therein To whom Darius answered That he had done it by doing right to God and man Cyrus from his Childhood was of an hot stirring disposition and Artaxerxes on the contrary was alwayes mild and gentle Wherefore Parysatis always loved her Son Cyrus more than the Elder and therefore often urged her Husband Darius Ochus to follow the example of Darius Hystaspes to leave him to succeed in the Kingdom who was first born after he came to be King and not him who was born before This indeed did help Xerxes to the Kingdom Wherefore she urged this Example to induce her Husband to leave the Kingdom to Cyrus who was born after his Father was Crowned King and not unto Arsaces who was born before Yet could she never prevail For Darius by his last will gave the Kingdom to his eldest Son Artaxerxes and made Cyrus Governour of Lydiae and the King Leiutenant General of all the lower Countries of Asia next to the Sea side Shortly after the Death of Darius the new King Artaxerxes went unto Pasargades there to be Consecrated and Aâ—ointed King by the Priests of Persia At this place was a Temple dedicated to Minerva where the new Kings must be Consecrated after this manner When he came into the Temple he must put off his own Gown and put on that which the first and great Cyrus wore before he was King Then he must eat of a certain Tart or Fricacy made of Figs with Turpentine Then he must take a Drink made with Vinegar and Milk besides some other secret Ceremonies which none knew but the Priests themselves
him in his absence and the King grew angry and was sorry that he had trusted him so far But at length he returned and his Son also and either of them brought with him the Ambassadours of the Cadusians and so Peace was concluded with them both Then was Tiribazus highly in favour again and so departed with the King Artaxerxes at this time made it evident that cowardliness doth not always proceed from Pomp and curiosity which some think to effeminate mens hearts but rather from a base and abject mind that commonly follows evil and the worst counsel For neither the Jewels of Gold nor Kingly Robe not other sumptuous Ornaments which the King ever wore about him valued at twelve thousand Talents did hinder him at that time to travel and to take as much pains as any man in all his Army For he himself marched on foot the fore-most man carrying his knapsack in a scarf upon his Shoulders and his Target on his Arm with which he travelled over high stony Mountains so that his Souldiers seeing the Kings courage and the pains that he took they marched so nimbly as if they had wings about two hundred Furlongs a day At length the King by hard travel came to one of his own Houses where were stately Arbours and Parks with goodly Trees curiously planted but all the Countrey beside was naked and barren having no other Trees near and the weather was very cold the King therefore suffered his Souldiers to hew down the goodly Pines and Cypress Trees in his Parks and to embolden them he himself took an Axe in his hand and began to hew the goodliest Tree of them all The Souldiers seeing that fell every man to work so that in a short time they had wood enough and the Parks were filled with fires by which the Souldiers sat all night In this expedition Artaxerxes lost many valiant men and most of his Horses wherefore thinking that his men would mock him for his miscarriage he grew distrustfull of all and suspected the chiefest Nobles about him so that in a rage he put many of them to death and yet was not satisfied therewith For there is nothing more cruel nor a greater Bloud-sucker than a cowardly Tyrant as on the contrary there is nothing more courteous and less suspicious than a valiant and couragious man After this King Artaxerxes being grown very old heard that there were great contentions between his Sons which of them should inherit the Kingdome after his Death and that the same was diffused amongst his Kindred and Nobles The wisest of them desired that as he himself came to the Kingdom as his Fathers eldest Son so that he also should leave it to his eldest Son called Darius But the younger who was called Ochus being valiant and of a stirring nature had some in the Court that took his part and himself hoped to obtain the Crown by the means of his Sister Atossa whom he much loved and promised to marry her and to make her Queen if he came to the Kingdom after his Fathers Death Now Artaxerxes because he would put Ochus out of all hope to succeed him lest his expectation might put him to go about to practice that which Cyrus did and by this means his Realm should fall into factions and Civil Wars he proclaimed his Son Darius who was now fifty years old King after his Death and gave him leave from henceforth to wear the point of his Hat upright as the Persian Kings used to do Moreover the custome in Persia was that when any came to be proclaimed Heir apparent to the Crown that he should request a gift of him that Proclaimed him his Successor which the other grants whatsoever it be if it be possible Darius then asked his Father for his Concubine Aspasia who was first Concubine to Cyrus but now the King kept her for his own use She was born in Ionia of Free Parents and was brought up virtuously and amongst other beauties she was brought one night to Cyrus as he was at Supper those others without making nice of it sat down by him and were glad when Cybegan to play and be merry with them answering him pleasantly again But Aspasia stood on her feet by the Table and spake never a word and though Cyrus called her yet would she not come at him And when one of the Grooms would have forced her to him The first said she that shall lay hands on me shall repent it whereupon all that were present said she was a foolish thing and meanly brought up and knew not what belonged to Courtship But Cyrus being glad of it passed it over with laughter and said to him that brought them to him Dost thou not see that of all those that thou hast brought me there is not an honest woman but she After this Cyrus made much of and loved her very well and called her Aspasia the wise She was taken in the Camp of Cyrus amongst his spoils after his overthrow and now Darius begged her of his Father who was very angry in his mind for it For the Persians of all other things were very jealous of their Women and he was to be punished with Death that durst but speak to or touch any Concubine of the Kings though but in sport yea if they come near them or near their Coaches as they went abroad The Kings Daughter Atossa whom he had married against the Law was yet living and besides her he had three hundred and sixty Beautiful Concubines and yet when Darius asked Aspasia of him the King answered that she was a Free-woman born and if she would he was content that he should have her but if she was unwilling he would not by any means have him to force her So Aspasia was called and she was asked with which of them she would choose to be She answered with Darius This was contrary to the expectation of Artaxerxes who both by custome and Law was forced to let him have her But shortly after he took her from him again saying that he would place her in a Nunnery of Diana in the Country of Ecbatane there to serve the Goddess and to live chaste all her dayes Darius took this very impatiently either for that he was deeply in love with her or because he thought that his Father mocked him Tiribazus perceiving it he laboured to aggravate Darius his anger and he every day buzzed it in his ears that it was in vain for him to wear his hat upright if his affairs also went not right forward and that he deceived himself much if he did not know that his Brother by means of the women he kept secretly aspired to the Crown and that his Father being so inconstant as he was he must not expect to succeed him in the Kingdom For said he he that for a Grecian woman hath broken and violated the holiest Law that was in Persia thou must not think he will
Persian Empire that then it would please them to confer it on so just chast an enemy as was Alexander to whom once more before the last tryal by Battel he offered these conditions of peace That if he would marry his Daughter he would deliver and resign up to him all Asia the less with Egypt and all those Kingdoms between the Phaenician Sea and the River Euphrates That he would pay him for the Ransom of his Mother and other Daughters thirty thousand Talents and that for performance thereof he would leave his Son Ochus in Hostage and they sought by sundry Arguments to perswade Alexander to accept hereof Alexander causing the Ambassadors to withdraw advised with his Councel yet heard no man speak but Parmenio who was the very right hand of his good Fortune and he perswaded him to accept of such fair conditions He told him that the Empire between Euphrates and the Hellespont was a large addition to Macedonia That the retaining of those Persian Prisoners was a great cumber to him and that the Treasure offered for them was of far better use than their Persons with divers other Arguments yet Alexander rejected all though it was very probable that if he had followed his advice and set bounds to his ambition within those limits he might have been as famous for his virtue as he was for his great successes and might have left a successor of fit age to have enjoyed his estate which afterwards indeed he much enlarged rather to the greatning of others than himself who to assure themselves of what they had Usurped left not one of his issue alive within a few years after Besides Alexander by going so far into the East left behind him the reputation which he brought with him out of Macedonia of a just and prudent Prince A Prince temperate advised and grateful and learned by abundance of prosperity to be a lover of Wine of Flatterers and of extream cruelty But the Persian Ambassadors waited for their answer which was to this effect that what curtesies soever he had bestowed upon the Wife and Children of Darius proceeded from his own natural clemency and magnanimity without all respect to their Master but thanks to an enemy was improper That he made no Wars against adversity but against those that resisted him Not against Women and Children but against armed enemies And also that by the reiterated practices of Darius to corrupt his Souldiers and by great sums of money to debauch his Friends to attempt something against his Person he had reason to doubt whether the peace offered were really intended yet could he not were it true and faithful resolve in hast to accept of it seeing Darius had Warred against him not as a King vvith Royal and over forces but as a Traytor by secret and base practices Besides the Territories which he offered him were already his own and if Darius could beat him back again over Euphrates he would then believe that he offered him something that was in his power to give Otherwise he propounded to himself as a reward of his enterprizes all those Kingdoms which Darius as yet had in his possession wherein vvhether he was abused by his own hopes or no the Battel vvhich he meant to fight the day following should determine And in conclusion he told them that he came into Asia to give Kingdoms and not to receive them That the Heavens could not hold two Suns and therefore if Darius could be content to acknowledg Alexander his Superiour he might perchance be perswaded to give him condition fit for a second Person and an Inferiour The Ambassaders being returned with this answer Darius prepares to fight and sent Mazeus to defend a Pass which yet he never dared so much as to hazzard Alexander consulting with his Captains Parmenio perswaded him to force the Camp of Darius by night that the multitudes of his enemies might not affright his Macedonians being comparatively but a few But Alexander replied that he scorned to steal a Victory and resolved to bring with him Daylight to witness his Valour Indeed the success commended Alexanders resolution though the Counsel given by Parmenio was more sound Yet when he came to view the multitude of his enemies he began to stagger and entrenched himself upon a Ground of advantage which foolishly the Persians had abandoned And when as Darius for fear of a Camizado had stood with his men in Armour all the day and forborn all sleep in the Night Alexander on the contrary gave his men rest and store of food knowing that Souldiers do better stand to it in fight if they have their bellies full of meat and drink for hunger within fights more eagerly than steel without The numbers which Alexander had were about forty thousand Foot and seven thousand Horse which were of the Europaean Army And besides these he had Aegyptians Syrians Judaeans and Arabians which followed him out of those Countries He used but a short speech to his Souldiers to encourage them neither need he For one Victory begets another and puts courage into the Conquerors and taketh away spirits from those that have been beaten Some make large descriptions of this Battel fought at Gaugamela but in conclusion they tell us but of three hundred of Alexanders men that were slain and some say less but of the Persians there fell forty thousand But what can we judg of this great encounter other than as in the two former Battels at Granick and in Cilicia that the Persians upon the first charge ran away and that the Macedonians pursued them For if that every man whom Darius brought into the Field had but cast a Dart or a Stone the Macedonians could not have bought the Empire of the East at so easie a rate as six or seven hundred in three such notorious Battels Certainly if Darius had fought with Alexander upon the Banks of Euphrates and had Armed but fifty or sixty thousand of this great multitude only with Spades for most of his men were fit for no other Weapon it had been impossible for Alexander to have passed that River so easily much less the River of Tygris But as a man whose Empire God was putting a Period to he abandoned all places of advantage and suffered Alexander to enter so far into the bowels of his Kingdom as all hope and possibility of escaping by retreat being taken from the Macedonians they were put to the choise either to Die or Conquer to which Election Darius could no way constrain his men seeing they had many large Regions to run into from their Invaders Darius after the rout of his Army fled to Arbela that Night better attended in his flight than in the fight and to them that fled with him he propounded his purpose of retreating into Media perswading them that the Macedonians who were greedy of spoil and riches would rather attempt Babylon Susa and other Cities filled with
Souldiers and sent them home well rewarded by which means he procured the love of the Citizens but the greater hatred of the Tyrant Shortly after Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus Brother to Hyrcanus invaded Judea being assisted by Ptolomei the son of Menaeus and Fabius the Governour of Damascus and Masion the Tyrant of the Tyrians who adhered to him for the hatred that he bore to Herod whom Herod meeting when they had scarce entred the borders of Judea overcame them in Battel and drave them thence whereupon Hyrcanus honoured him with Crowns as soon as he returned to Jerusalem For he was already accounted as one of the Family of Hyrcanus being to marry Mariamne or Mary the daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus the Brother of Hyrcanus and of Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus M. Anthony having overcome Brutus and Cassius there met him Ambassies from all Nations in Bythinia and amongst the rest some of the Rulers of the Jews to accuse Phasaelus and Herod alledging that Hyrcanus ruled only in shew but in truth all the power was in the two Brothers Yet Anthony highly honoured Herod who was come thither to wipe of all those objections whereby it came to pass that his Adversaries were not so much as admitted to speak with Anthony and this Herod had obtained by his Bribes Yet not long after there came an hundred of the most honourable amongst the Jews to Daphne near Antioch in Syria to Anthony to accuse Phasaelus and Herod having chosen out of their whole number the most Eloquent to manage their business But Messala undertook the defence of the two Brothers with whom also Hyrcanus joyned who had betrothed his Grand-daughter to Herod Both Parties being heard Anthony asked Hyrcanus whether of the two parties were fittest to Govern a Commonwealth who speaking for the young men Anthony that loved them for their Fathers sake his old Friend he made them both Tetrarchs leaving to them the Government of all Judea writing his Letters to the same purpose and clapped fifteen of their Adversaries into Prison and would have put them to death had not Herod intreated for them But when the People did nothing but rail upon Herod Anthony in displeasure slew them all Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus hired the Parthians to translate the Kingdom from Hyrcanus to himself and to kill Herod who coming along with him and some Jews also joyning themselves to him he came to Jerusalem and they set upon the Kings House But Phasaelus and Herod defended it against them and in the Market place overcoming them in a fight forced them to fly into the Temple where they shut them in and placed sixty men in some adjoyning houses to prevent their flight but the people hating the two brethren set fire on those Houses and burnt the men in them which so inraged Herod that he slew many of the people and each laying wait for the other every day some were murdered The day of Pentecost being come many thousands of men as well armed as unarmed gathered together about the Temple from all parts of the Country and seized upon the Temple and City all but the Kings House which Herod kept with a few Souldiers as Phasaelus did the walls These brothers assisting each other assaulted their enemies in the Suburbs forced many thousands of them to flie some into the City and some into the Temple and others into a rampire that was near the City Hereupon Antigonus desired that Pacorus the General of the Parthians might be admitted to make peace between them which Phasaelus assented to and Pacorus perswaded him to go with him as an Ambassador to Barzapharnes another General of the Parthians laying an ambush for him by the way Phasaelus assented though much against the mind of his Brother Herod and was willing to go with Pacorus and took Hyrcanus along with him Pacorus leaving two hundred Horsemen with Herod and ten whom they called Eleutheri went along with the Ambassadors And as soon as they were come into Galile Barzapharnes entertained them with a cheerful countenance and bestowed gifts upon them but watched an opportunity to intrap them and so Phasaelus was brought with his Company to a place near the Sea-side called Ecdippon where Ophellus a rich Syrian understanding of the treachery intended against them offered Phasaelus some Ships to carry him away But he unwilling to leave Hyrcanus and his Brother Herod in danger expostulated with Barzapharnes about the injury offered to them who were Ambassadors who swore that these things were not true and presently went to Pacorus No sooner was he gon but Hyrcanus and Phasaelus were clapped up in Prison much detesting the perfidiousness of the Parthians and an Eunuch also was sent to Herod with a command to surprize him if he could get him out of Jerusalem Herod having intelligence what had happened to his Brother taking with him such forces as he had in readiness and his Mother Cybele his Sister Salome his Wife Mariamne and his Wives Mother Alexandra the Daughter of Hyrcanus and his yougest Brother Pheroras with their Servants he privately by Night took his flight into Idumaea In their journey his Mother by the overthrow of her Coach was in great danger of death and Herod fearing least the enemies should overtake them whilest they stayed there drew forth his Sword thinking to kill himself But being restrained by those which stood by he went towards Massada a very strong place which is seated in Arabia and Palestine by the nearest way that he could possible The Parthians first and also the Jews pursuing him by that he was sixty furlongs from the City but he repelled them both in fight The next day after Herod had fled from Jerusalem the Parthians plundered the City and the Kings House only the Treasure of Hyrcanus which was three hundred Talents remained untouched A great part also of Herods substance which he had not carried away with him they siezed upon and not satisfied therewith they harrized all the Country also and razed the rich City of Marissa Antigonus being thus setled in Judaea by the Parthians he received into his custody Hyrcanus and Phasaelus who were Prisoners yet he was much grieved that the Women were got away whom he had intended to deliver to the Parthians together with the money which he had promised to give them Being afraid also lest Hyrcanus should again by the favour of the People be restored to his Kingdom and Priest-hood he cut off his ears thereby rendring him unfit for the Priest-hood the Law forbidding that any one who wanted a member should approach to the Altar Lev. 21. 17 c. Phasaelus knowing that his death was determined sought to lay violent hands upon himself but being hindred by reason of his chains he dashed out his brains against a stone Yet before he was quite dead hearing by a Woman that his Brother Herod was escaped he
slain Antigonus being in a rage caused the dead body of Joseph to be whipped though Pheroras his Brother offered fifty Talents to have redeemed it After this loss the Galileans revolting from their Governours drowned those that were of Herods party in the Lake In Idumaea also there were many innovations Anthony having made peace with his enemy commanded Caius Sosius to assist Herod against Antigonus with two Cohorts When Herod came to Daphne the Suburbs of Antioch he heard of his Brother Josephs deah which caused him to hasten his journey and coming to Mount Libanus he took thence with him eight hundred men and one Cohort of the Romans and so came to Ptolemais from whence in the night he passed with his Army through Galilee Here his enemies met him whom he overcame in fight and forced them into the Castle from whence they had issued the day before Them he assaulted but was compelled to desist by reason of the extremity of the weather and to retreat into some neighbouring Villages but upon the coming of another Cohort from Anthony they in the Castle were so affrighted that they forsook the same by night Herod then hastned to Jericho purposing to revenge his Brothers death and being come thither he feasted his Nobles and the feast being ended and his guests dismissed he retired into his chamber and presently the room wherein they had supped being now empty of company fell down without hurting any which made many to think that surely Herod was beloved of God who had so miraculously preserved him The next day six thousand of the enemies came down from the Mountains to fight with him and their forlorn-hope with darts and stones so terrified the Romans and some of Herods Souldiers that they fled and Herod himself received a wound in his side Antigonus desiring to have his strength seem greater than it was sent one of his Captains named Pappus with some forces into Samaria whilst himself went against Machaeras In the mean time Herod took in five Towns and therein put two thousand of the Garrison Souldiers to the sword and setting the Towns on fire he went against Pappus and was strengthened by many that came to him out of Jericho and Judea yet was the enemy so confident that he would joyn battel with him but in fight Herod overcame them and being inflamed with a desire to revenge his Brothers death he pursued them that fled slew many of them and followed them into a Village and there slew many more of them who retreated into houses the rest fled After which Victory Herod had presently gone to Jerusalem and put an end to the war had not the sharpness of the Winter hindred him for now Antigonus bethought himself to leave the City and fly elsewhere for safety Herod in the evening when he had dismissed his Friends to refresh themselves as yet hot in his Armour went into a chamber attended with one only servant to wash himself wherein some of his enemies armed whom fear had forced thither were hidden and whilst he was naked and washing himself first one and then a second and a third ran out armed with naked swords in their hands so astonished that they were glad to save themselves without profering the least hurt to the King The next day Herod amongst others cut off Pappus his head and sent it by way of revenge for his Brothers death to his Brother Pheroras for it was Pappus that with his own hand had slain Joseph Herod in the beginning of the third year after he had been declared King at Rome coming with an Army to Jerusalem encamped near the City and from thence removing to that place where the Walls were fittest to be assaulted he pitched his Tents before the Temple intending to attempt them as Pompey had done in times past and having encompassed the place with three Bulworks by the help of many workmen he raised his batteries fetching materials from all places thereabouts and appointing fit men to oversee the work and then himself went to Samaria to solemnize his Marriage with Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus who was formerly betrothed to him The Marriage ceremony being over Sosius came with an Army of Horse and Foot being sent by Anthony to the aid of Herod and Herod also took a great party with him from Samaria to Jerusalem so that the whole Army being come together consisted of eleven Legions of Foot and six thousand Horse besides the Syrian Auxiliaries which were very many and so they pitched on the North-side of the City Over this great Army were two Generals Sosius and Herod who purposed to displace Antigonus as an enemy to the people of Rome and to establish Herod in the Kingdom according to the Decree of the Senate The Jews being gathered together out of the whole Countrey and shut up within the Walls made a valiant resistance boasting much of the Temple of the Lord and saying that the Lord would not forsake his people in the time of danger By secret sallies also they burnt up and spoiled all provision without the City both for Man and Horse whereby the Besiegers began to be pinched but Herod provided against their excursions by placing ambushments in convenient places and sending parties to fetch in provision from afar off so that in a short time the Army was well furnished with all necessaries By reason of the multitude of Workmen the three bulworks were soon finished it being Summer time so that no untemperateness of weather hindred them and with his Engines Herod often battered the Walls and left nothing unassayed but the besieged fought valiantly and were every way as active and subtile to make void his endeavours often sallying forth and firing their Works both those that were finished and others that were but begun and coming to handistrokes with the Romans they were nothing inferiour to them but only in Martial skill The Sabbatical year now coming brought a Famine upon the besieged Jews notwithstanding which they built a new Wall within that which was beaten down by the battering Rams and so countermined the Enemies mines that many times they came to Handystrokes under ground and making use of despair instead of courage they held it out unto the last though Pollio the Pharisee and Samias his Disciple advised them to receive Herod into the City saying that they could not avoid his being their King by reason of their sins They held out the siege for five moneths space though there was so great an Army before the City but at length twenty of Herods choicest Souldiers got upon the Wall and after them the Centurions of Sosius So that the first Wall was taken on the forti'th day and the second on the fiftieth and some Galleries about the Temple were burnt down which Herod charged though falsly upon Antigonus thereby to bring him into hatred with the people When the outward part of
Alexandra the Daughter of Hyrcanus the Wife of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus and Mother-in-Law of Herod took in ill part for that Aristobulus her Son and Brother of Mariamne was neglected and another from a strange place should be made High-Priest whereupon she wrote to Cleopatra Queen of Egypt and Anthonies darling that she would procure the High-Priesthood of Anthony for her Son Cleopatra neglected her request but shortly after Dellius a friend of Anthonies coming into Iudea perswaded her to send the Pictures of her Son Aristobulus and of her Daughter Mariamne to Anthony who then would deny her nothing This she assented to and sent them by Dellius who told Anthony that they seemed rather to be of a Divine than of a humane race Anthony was much inflamed herewith yet thought it undecent to send for a Lady that was married to Herod shunning also the jealousie of Cleopatra whereupon he wrote to Alexandra to send her Son to him under some honest pretence But these things coming to the ears of Herod he thought it not safe that Aristobulus now in the flower of his age being but sixteen should be sent to Anthony the most potent man amongst the Romans and very much given to his Lusts. Wherefore he wrote back that if the youth did but step out of the Kingdom all the Country would be up in Arms the Iews hoping for some innovations under a new King and by this means he satisfied Anthony Herod being continually molested with the intreaties of his Wife Mariamne that he would give the High-Priesthood to her Brother Aristobulus it being his right he called a Council of his Friends to whom he inveighed against his Mother-in-Law Alexandra as if she had privately wrought Treason against his Kingdom and had endeavoured by Cleopatra's means to translate it to young Aristobulus yet lest he should seem to neglect both his piety to her and the rest of that Kindred he told them he would now restore the Priesthood to her Son which hitherto Ananelius had supplied by reason of the young mans tender years Alexandra being herewith overjoyed and withall grieved that she was suspected fell a weeping clearing her self of those accusations and gave him many thanks for her Sons honour promising that hereafter she would be most obedient unto him And thus Herod in the life-time of Ananelius gave the High-Priesthood to Aristobulus being then but seventeen years old Yet Herod fearing lest his Mother-in-Law Alexandra should seek occasion to raise new troubles confined her to the Palace and commanded her to do nothing by her own authority yea he set so strict a guard over her that nothing was concealed from him of all she did to the very expences of her Table This she took very heavily and wrote to Cleopatra complaining of her hard condition and desired her to yield her assistance Cleopatra advised her with her Son to fly to her into Egypt which she liked and therefore provided two Coffins the one for her self the other for her Son commanding her servants that were privy to the plot to carry them out by night and to convey them to a ship that was ready prepared to carry them into Egypt This business Aesopus one of her servants blabbed to Sabbation a friend of Alexanders supposing that he had known all before which as soon as Sabbation knew though hitherto he was an enenmy of Herods as being suspected to have been in the plot of poysoning his Father Antipater he took this occasion of being reconciled to the King by discovering the matter Herod being thus informed of the plot dissembled the matter till it was in execution and then surprized her in her flight and brought her back Yet did he pardon her fault not indeed daring to punish her lest thereby he should discontent Cleopatra that was willing to take any occasion against him wherefore under a colour of a magnanimous spirit he made shew as if he pardoned her out of meer clemency The Feast of Tabernacles being now come the new High-Priest Aristobulus being just past seventeen years old was to offer Sacrifice according to the Law and being clad in his Pontifical attire he came to the Altar and performed the Ceremony with all Decency whose excellent beauty and stature being higher than was usual for his age and carrying in his countenance the honour of his Lineage drew the eyes and love of all the multitude upon him every one calling to mind the worthy and memorable actions of his Grand-father Aristobulus and therefore as overcome with affections towards him they were so over-joyed that they could not contain themselves but openly prayed for him and wished him all joy and that more freely than was meet in those jealous times under such a King proclaiming openly both the memory and thanks they owed to the Family for all the benefits they had received from it As soon as the Feast was ended Aristobulus was entertained at a Banquet by his Mother Alexandra Herod also pretended favour to him and enticed him into a convenient place to sport with him after the manner of young men and when they were hot and weary and left their sport they walked out to the Fish-ponds which were near the Court to take the fresh air where also they beheld some of the servants that were swimming At last by the perswasion of Herod Aristobulus undrest himself and went in amongst them Then they who were suborned by Herod as it were in sport and jest ducked him as he was swimming holding him under water and never left off till they had drowned him This was the end of Aristobulus in the eighteenth year of his age and in the first year of his High-Priesthood which immediately returned to Ananelus The report of these things coming to the Women they were all on an uprore and did nothing but weep and howl over the body of the young man Yea sorrow overspread the whole City every one bewailing the calamity as if it had been his own But Herod endeavoured by all means to make the people believe as if it had faln out by chance without his privity not only feigning sorrow but tears and grief also and that he might the more comfort the Women he buried the body in a most magnificent manner being liberal in prodigality in adorning his Monument and in perfumes and other precious things But his Mother Alexandra knowing the Treason though she was oft ready to lay violent hands upon her self yet repressed her passion seeming not to be suspicious till an opportunity of revenge might offer it self And shortly after she wrote to Cleopatra of the treachery of Herod and of the lamentable death of her Son Cleopatra pitying her misfortune took a particular care of this business as if it had been her own and never rested from perswading Anthony to revenge the young mans death telling him that it was an unpardonable crime that he who by his help enjoyed
fearing storms the Winter noâ— drawing on he hasted to sail into Jonia both he and his Friends having been honoured with great presents by Herod As soon as the Spring came Herod hearing that Agrippa was going with an Army to Bosphorus made hast to meet him and taking his way by Rhodes and Chios he came to Lesbos thinking there to find him But Agrippa being driven back by contrary North-winds Herod stayed at Chios to whom many came privately to salute him upon whom he bestowed many princely gifts and when he perceived that the Gate of the City that was thrown down in the War against Methridates as yet lay buryed in its ruins and that by reason of the poverty of the Inhabitants it could not by them be restored to its former beauty and greatness he bestowed upon them so much mony as would abundantly suffice to finish it and exhorted them to hasten the restoring of their City to its former beauty and grandure As soon as the wind served he left Chios and sailed to Mytilene and from thence to Byzantium and there understanding that Agrippa had already passed the Cyanian Rock he followed him with all speed and overtook him at Sinopi a City in Pontus where beyond Agrippa's expectation he arrived with his Navy His coming was yery grateful to him and they embraced each other with singular affection Agrippa looking upon it as an evident argument of his fidelity and friendship that leaving his manifold occasions he would come to him in so seasonable a time Wherefore Herod still abode with him in the Army was Companion with him in his labours and partaker of his counsels He was also present with him when he went to be merry and was the only man that he used in difficult matters for the love that he bore unto him Agrippa having forced the Bosphorans to lay down their Arms in his whole journey thorough many Countries and Cities he gratified Herod in many things and at his intreaty relieved the necessities of many If any one needed an Intercessor to Agrippa Herod was the only man by whom he could obtain his suit and assisted many in whatsoever they had need of When they were come into Jonia a great multitude of Iews that inhabited that Country complained of the great injuries that they suffered from the Jonians who would not permit them to live after their own Laws but that upon their Festival days they haled them before their Tribunals and forbad them to send holy money to Ierusalem which also they perverted to secular affairs contrary to the priviledges granted them by the Romans Herod took care that Agrippa should hear their complaints and allowed them Nicholas Damascene one of his Friends to plead their cause which when he had largely performed before Agrippa many honourable Romans and some Kings and Princes being present the Grecians denyed the thing excusing themselves that the Iews were troublesom to them But they on the contrary proved that they were free-born Citizens and that they lived according to their own Laws without injuring of any wherefore Agrippa answered that both for his Friend Herod's sake as also because that which they demanded was just he would gratifie them therein He ordered therefore that the priviledges which were formerly granted them should remain inviolable and that none should molest them for living after their Country Laws Then Herod rose up and gave him thanks in the name of them all and so after mutual embraces they took their leave each of other and departed from Lesbos Herod in a few days after having a prosperous Gale arrived at Caesarea and from thence went to Ierusalem where calling all the People together he gave them an account of his Journey and told them what immunities he had procured for the Jews in Asia and to win them the more to his friendship he professed that he would remit to them the fourth part of his Tribute with which bounty they being exceedingly taken wished him all happiness and departed with great joy Presently after his return he was greatly incensed by the false accusations and artifices of his Sister Salome and his Brother Pheroras against his two Sons that he had by Mariamne Alexander and Aristobulus whereupon to take down their spirits he began to use them more hardly and publickly he put hopes of the Kingdom into his Son Antipater whom he begat when he was a private man his Mother also being a woman of mean Parentage whom formerly he had banished the City in favour to his two other Sons and writing often unto Caesar for him privately he gave him great commendations and at the intreaties of Antipater he recalled also his Mother Doris whom he had put away when he married Mariamne Agrippa after his ten years Government in Asia being now to depart Herod sailed to salute him taking with him of all his Sons only Antipater whom he delivered to Agrippa with many gifts to be carried to Rome and to be brought into Caesars favour Antipater was much honoured at Rome being commended to all his Friends by his Fathers letters and though he was absent yet desisted he not by writing to incense his Father against the Sons of Mariamne pretending his great care of his Fathers safety but in truth to make way for his succession in the Kingdom About this time Agrippa died and being brought into the Market-place of Rome Augustus commended him in a Funeral Oration Herod being now incensed against his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus he sailed with them to Rome to accuse them before Augustus and not finding him there he followed him as far as Aquileia before whom he accused them of treachery against him but the young men satisfied all that were present by their Apology for themselves mixed with prayers and tears so that they were reconciled to their Father After which giving thanks unto Caesar they departed together and with them Antipater also who pretended much joy that they were received into favour again A few days after Herod gave Caesar three hundred Talents and again Caesar gave him half the revenues of the mettal Mines in Cyprus and the other half also he committed to his oversight and having honoured him with other gifts of Hospitality he gave him leave to choose which of his Sons he pleased to be his successor or if he liked it better to divide his Kingdom amongst them which when he vvas about to do Caesar told him that he vvould not suffer but that he should have his Kingdom during his life in his ovvn povver as vvell as his Sons In Herods absence there vvas a rumour spread in Judea that he vvas dead vvhereupon the Trachonites revolting fell to their old trade of Thieving but by the diligence of his Captains that he had left in his Kingdom they vvere subdued and forty of the chief of them being terrified by the punishment of those that vvere taken left their Country and fled
into Arabia Nabathaea vvhere they vvere entertained by Silaeus vvho vvas an enemy to Herod because he had denyed him his Sister Salome to Wife vvho gave them a place to dvvell in that vvas vvell fortified Herod and his Sons sailing homvvard arrived at Sebaste in Cilicia vvhere they met vvith Archelaus King of Cappadocia vvho courteously entertained Herod much rejoycing that his Sons vvere reconciled to him and that Alexander had fairly ansvvered the crimes that vvere objected against him and so giving royal gifts each to other they parted Herod being returned into Iudea called the people together and told them what he had done in his Voyage and declared to them that his Sons should Reign after him first Antipater and then Alexander and Aristobulus that he had by Mariamne About this time in the year of the world 3994 Agrippa the first King of the Iews of that name was born who dyed when he was fifty four years old being struck by an Angel Act. 12. 23. Also that lame man was now born who being above forty years old was healed by Peter at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple Act. 4. 22. Herod having finished Caesarea Stratonis in the twenty eighth year of his Reign he dedicated it with great solemnity and many sports and pastimes After which he began to build another Town in a field called Capharsala which he called Antipatris after his Fathers name and a Castle also which he called Cyprus after his Mothers name In honour also of his dead Brother he built in Ierusalem a very fair Tower not inferiour to the Egyptian Pharos and called it Phasaelus and afterwards he built a Town of the same name in the Valley of Iericho from whence the Countrey thereabouts is called Phasalus Herod having wasted his wealth by his great Prodigality and now wanting mony after the example of John Hyrcanus in the night without the knowledg of the people he opened Davids Sepulchre where though he found no money yet he found great store of precious things and ornaments of gold which he took away for the expiation of which fact he afterwards built a most sumptuous Monument of white Marble at the entrance of the Sepulchre Antipater suborning other men falsly to accuse his Brethren Alexander and Aristobulus takes upon him their defence that making a shew of good will to them he might the easier oppress them and by these subtilties he so wrought upon his Father that he thought him to be his only preserver Hereupon Herod commended his Steward Ptolomy unto Antipater and communicated all his Counsels with his Mother Doris so that all things were done as they pleased and still the King was imbittered against those whom it was their profit that he should be angry with About this time Pheroras Herods Brother fell so madly in love with his own servant that he refused marriage with Cypros the Kings Daughter that was offered him by his Brother He also accused Herod to his Son Alexander as if he had been greatly in love with his Wife Glaphyra for both which Herod was highly displeased with him In the year of the world 3996 he began to be diseased who lying at the Pool of Bethesda was after thirty eight years restored to health by Christ Joh. 5. 5. Alexander by the subtilties of his adversaries being even driven to desperation was at this time reconciled to his Father by Archelaus King of the Cappadocians who came to Jerusalem to visit Herod and being accounted one of Herods chief Friends received great gifts from him and when he departed Herod brought him as far as Antioch Not long after Herod went a third time to Rome to visit Caesar in whose absence those Thieves of Trachonis whom Sylloeus had entertained with their inrodes infested not only Judaea but all Coelosyria Syllaeus affording them both impunity and security Herod being returned from Rome celebrated the Dedication of the Temple re-edified by him in the space of nine years and a half on the very Birth-day of his Kingdom which he was wont to celebrate with great joy at which time he Sacrificed unto God three hundred Oxen and other of the people offered an innumerable company of Sacrifices every one according to his ability Herod finding that in his absence his People had sustained much dammage by those Thieves of Trachonis and seeing he could not subdue them being under the protection of the Arabian he therefore entred Trachonis and destroyed their Families which yet did but incense them the more so that contemning all dangers they molested Herods Countries with continual excursions driving and carrying away the peoples Goods Herod hereupon sent to the Presidents of Syria Saturninus and Volumnius desiring that he might have the punishing of the Thieves of Trachonis who by their incursions had often wasted his Country They when they heard hereof being increased to the number of a thousand began to waste both Fields and Villages cutting the throats of all that fell into their hands wherefore Herod demanded those Thieves to be delivered over to him and withall required the sixty Talents that he had lent Obodas upon Syllaeus his security who had thrust Obodas from the Government and now ruled all himself But Syllaeus denied that the Thieves were in Arabia and deferred also to pay the money whereupon the business was debated before Saturninus and Volumnius and in conclusion it was determined by them that within thirty dayes space both the money should be repaid and the runawayes of both Countries should be delivered up and Syllaeus swore by the Fortune of Caesar before the Presidents of Syria that he would perform what was enjoyned But when the time was expired Syllaeus being unwilling to stand to the agreement went to Rome and in the mean time Herod by the permission of Saturninus and Volumnius to punish those obstinate people raised an Army entred Arabia and marched as far in three dayes as they used to do in seven and when he came to the Castle where the Thieves kept he took it at the first assault and demolished a Fortress also called Raeptu and when a Captain of the Arabians came to their aid they joyned Battel in which few of the Herodians were slain but there dyed twenty five of the Arabians together with their Captain whereupon the rest â—led Being thus revenged of the Thieves he brought three thousand Idumaeans into Trachona to restrain the Thieveries committed there and certified the Roman Generals that he had only used that power which they had granted against those obstimate Arabians which upon enquiry they found to be true There were Letters posted away to Rome to Syllaeus that related matters far otherwise aggravating every thing after their manner by which Lyes Caesar was so much incensed against Herod that he wrote threatning Letters to him because he had marched with an Army out of his own Kingdom without his leave and he was so far provoked that he would
of the Kings women that were most addicted to the Sect of the Pharisees except Salome who constantly adhered to her Brother Herod These Pharisees were a crafty people arrogant and enemies to Kings and they only of the whole Nation of the Jews refused to swear allegiance to Herod and Caesar and were about six thousand For which cause Herod fined them and the Wife of Pheroras paid their fine for them to whom by way of requital they foretold that the Kingdom should be taken from Herod and his children and be transferred upon her Husband and Her and their children these things Salome made known to Herod who examining the business put some of the Pharisees to death and with them the Eunuch Dagoas and his darling Carus who was commended to him for his handsomness and besides these all the rest of his Family whom he found to have conspired with the Pharisees Herod having punished the Pharisees called a Council of his Friends and before them began an accusation against the Wife of his Brother Pheroras and when Pheroras though to gratifie his Brother would not forsake her he forbad Antipater Pheroras his company and Antipater that he might remove all suspition from himself procured by his Friends that his Father should send him immediately to Augustus and accordingly Herod sent him with great Presents and his Will in which he declared that Antipater should succeed him in the Kingdom But if he died before him then his Son that he had by Mariamne the Daughter of Simon the High Priest In the sixth moneth after John was conceived the Angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth in Galilee to the blessed Virgin Mary betrothed to Joseph of the same Tribe with her viz. of the stock of David and declared to her that she should bring forth the Son of God and call his name Jesus and she being more fully taught of his admirable conception by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her with great Faith said Be it to the Handmaid of the Lord according to thy word Luk. 1. 26 38. and presently after she went into the Hill-Countrey into a City of Judah viz. Hebron a City of the Priests scituated in the mountains of Judea Josh. 21. 10 11. where when she entred into the House of Zachary and saluted her Cousin Elizabeth the Babe sprang in her womb and she being filled with the Holy Ghost declared that Mary was blessed c. Luk. 1. 39 56. Herod banished his Brother Pheroras into his Tetrarchy because he would not part with his Wife who swore that he would never return till he heard of Herods death so that a little after Herod falling sick and often sending for him to receive some private instructions he refuled to come for his Oathsfake When Elizabeths time was come she brought forth a Son who was called John and Zacharies speech being restored to him he prophesied saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. Luk. 1. 57 58. and Joseph finding his betrothed wife to be with child thought of putting her away privily but being warned by God in a dream he took her to wife Mat. 1. 24. Pheroras falling sick and Herod beyond expectation being recovered went to visit him and very kindly sought help for him but he died within a few dayes after whose Body was brought to Jerusalem and interred by Herod who honoured him with publick mourning At this time two of Pheroras's freed men declared to Herod how he was killed by poyson given him by Doris the Mother of Antipater which whilst Herod enquired into by little and little he found out greater Villanies and the manifest Treasons of his Son Antipater who when he went to Rome had delivered a deadly poyson to Pheroras that was sent him out of Egypt from his Unkle Theodore the Brother of Doris wherewithall to make away his Father that so the suspition of the Parricide should not lye upon him being so far absent Hereupon Herod put Doris out of the Palace and took from her Jewels that were worth many Talents He also put from him his Wife Mariamne the Daughter of the High Priest as a Partner of all these secrets and blotted her Son out of his Will and deprived her Father of the High Priesthood and substituted in his room Matthias the Son of Theophilus that was born at Jerusalem Presently after came Bathillus Antipaters freed man from Rome who being tortured confessed that formerly he had brought poyson and given it to Doris and Pheroras that if the first proved too weak they should be sure to dispatch Herod with the second There came also Letters from his Friends at Rome to the King written by the entreaty of Antipater in which Archelaus and Philip Herods Sons were accused for often complaining of the death of Alexander and Aristobulus pitying the misfortune of their murthered Brethren For these young men were studying at Rome and their Father had now commanded their return whereupon Antipater by great gifts corrupted those Friends that by their Letters they might make the young men suspected to their Father who if they lived might be an hindrance to his hopes About this time Augustus taxing all the Roman world our Lord Christ was born Luk. 2. 4 5. Shortly after there came Wise men from the East the Star being their guide to Herod at Jerusalem and there being taught that the birth-place of Christ was Bethlehem of Judea thither they went and entring into the house which was shewed them by the Star that stood over it they found the Child and fell down and worshipped him c. Mat. 2. 1. 12. After the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream warning him to fly into Egypt where he remained till the death of Herod Mat. 2. 13 14 15. Herod thinking that the Child was still at Bethlehem that he might destroy him amongst the rest killed all the children which were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time of the Star first seen in the East that he had enquired of the Wise men Mat. 2. 16. Herod receiving Letters from Antipater from Rome in which he signified that having dispatched all his business according to his own mind he would shortly return into his own Countrey he wrote back to him again dissembling his anger that he should make haste lest any thing should befall him in his absence that he should not like of and also gently complaining of his Mother he promised that he would remit all differences at his return Antipater heard uo news all this while either of the death of Pheroras or of those things that were on foot against him though there were seven months space between the wickedness proved against him and his return For in his journey at Tarentum he met with a Letter of the death of Pheroras and in Cilicia those Letters of his Father that
a Boy that came from School but the other day must now in hast be a Captain the rest of the Citizens were so incensed against him that they ran upon him and slew him Thus Pompey being but twenty three years old not tarrying for Commission from any man took upon himself Authority and causing a Tribunal to be set up in the midst of the Market place of Auximum a great and populous City he commanded the two Brethren called the Ventidians the chiefest men of the City but his Enemies presently to avoid the City Then began he to leavy men to constitute Captains Lieutenants Sergeants and such other Officers as appertain to an Army And from thence he went to the other neighbouring Cities where he did the like so that in a short space he had gotten three compleat Legions together as also Ammunition Carts and all other necessaries for them In this sort did Pompey advance towards Sylla not in hast as a man that was afraid to be met with by the way but by small Journeys lodging still where he might have the best advantage against an Enemy causing the Cities wheresoever he came to declare against Carbo and for Sylla Yet three Captains who adhered to Carbo Carinna Caelius and Brutus did in three several places compass him in on every side thinking to have destroyed him Pompey was nothing amazed hereat but marshalling his Army he first set upon Brutus having placed his Horsemen amongst whom himself was in Person before the Battel of his Footmen and when the Men at Arms of his Enemy who were Gauls came to charge upon him he singled out the chiefest amongst them and ran him through with his Spear and slew him The other Gauls seeing their Champion slain turned their backs and in their flight over ran their own Footmen so that at last they all fled for their lives Then the Cities round about being terrified with this overthrow came in and yielded themselves to Pompey Afterwards Scipio also the Consul coming against Pompey to fight him when the Battels were ready to joyn before they threw their Darts Scipio's Souldiers saluted Pompey and went over to his side whereupon Scipio was faign to fly And lastly Carbo himself sending divers Troops of Horse against him by the Riuer Arsis Pompey charged them so furiously and drave them into such a place of disadvantage that being neither able to fight nor fly they delivered up themselves with their Horses Arms and all to his mercy Sylla all this while heard nothing of these overthrows which Pompey had given to his Enemies but understanding his danger being environed with so many Arms fearing lest he should miscarry he made hast and marched to his relief Pompey being informed of Sylla's approach commanded his Captains to Arm themselves and to set their Army in good array that their General Sylla might see how bravely they were appointed For he expected that Sylla would do him great honour as indeed he did even beyond his expectation For when Sylla saw him afar off coming towards him and his Army marshelled in such good order of Battel and his men so bravely advancing themselves being elated with their late Victories he allighted from his Horse and when Pompey came to do his duty to him and called him Emperour or Soveraign Prince Sylla resaluted him with the same Title which made all that were present to wonder that he would give so honourable a name to so young a man as Pompey was who as yet was not made a Senator Considering also that Sylla himself did now contend for that Title and Dignity with Marius and Scipio The intertainment also that Sylla gave him afterwards was every way answerable to the first kindness that he shewed him For when Pompey at any time came to him he would rise up and put off his Cap to him which he did not to any other Noble Man that was about him Yet was not Pompey puffed up with all this nor the prouder for it Shortly after Sylla would have sent Pompey into Gaul now France because that Metellus the Roman General there was thought to have done no exploit worthy of so great an Army as he had with him But Pompey answered that there was no reason to displace an ancient Captain that was of greater fame and experience then himself Yet said he if Metellus himself be contented and will desire it of me I will willingingly go and help him to end this War Metellus being informed hereof wrote for him to come Pâ—mpey then entering Gaul did of himself wonderful exploits and so revived the courage and valour of old Metellus that the War prospered exceedingly in their Hands But these were but Pompey's first beginnings and were wholly obscured by the luster of those many Wars and great Battels which he fought afterwards When Sylla had overcome all Italy and was proclaimed Dictator he rewarded all the great Captains and Lieutenants that had taken his part and advanced them to honourable places and Dignities in the Commonwealth freely granting whatsoever they requested of him But for Pompey highly esteeming him for his Valour and thinking that he would be a great support to him in all his Wars he sought by some means to ally him to himself Metella his Wife being also of the same opinion they both perswaded him to put away his Wife Antistia and to marry Aemilia who was Daughter to Metella by a former Husband though she was married to another and now with child by him These marriages were wicked and Tyrannical fitter for Sylla's time than agreeable to Pompey's nature and condition And truly it was a shameful thing for Pompey to forsake his Wife Antistia who for his sake a little before had lost her Father that was murthered in the very Senate House upon suspition that he took part with Sylla for his Son Pompey's sake and to take Aemilia from her lawful Husband by whom she was great vvith child and to vvhom she had been married not long before vvhich also caused the Mother of Antistia to lay violent hands upon her self seeing her Daughter to receive such open and notorious wrong But God who hates such injustice and cruelty followed Pompey vvith this Judgment that his Wife Aemilia died miserably presently after in childbirth in his House About this time news was brought to Sylla that Perpenna was gotten into Sicily and had brought all that Island into subjection to him where he might safely intertain all Sylla's Enemies That Carbo also kept the Seas thereabouts with a certain number of Ships That Domitius was gone into Africk to whom resorted many other Noblemen who were escaped from the proscriptions and outlaries of Sylla Against all these was Pompey sent by his Father in Law with a great Army who no sooner was arrived in Sicily but Perpenna fled and left the Island to him Then did Pompey deal friendly and favourably with all the Citizens vvhich before
till by degree he was grown very great and powerful So that though some of them foresaw that his power would at last turn to the destruction of the Commonwealth of Rome yet now they knew not how to prevent it Indeed Cicero was the first man who mistrusting his dealings found out his subtilty and malice which he cunningly cloaked under a shew of courtesie and familiarity Yet said he When I consider how finely he combeth his fair bush of hair and how smooth it lyeth and that I see him scratch his Head with one finger my mind gives me then that such a man should not be so wicked as to design the ruin of the Commonwealth The first time that he made proof of the good will of the People was when he stood in competition with Pompey to be chosen a Collonel of a thousand Foot Souldiers and carryed it against him but a more manifest proof of it was at the Death of his Aunt Julia the Wife of Marius the elder For then he solemnly made an Oration in her commendations in the Market place and at her Burial did boldly shew forth the Images of Marius which was the first time that they were seen after Syllas Victory over him at which time Marius and all his partakers had been proclaimed Traytors and Enemies to the Commonwealth And whereas some cryed out upon Caesar for doing it the People on the other side applauded and thanked him for it And whereas there was an ancient custom that the Romans used to make Funeral Orations in commendation of old Ladys but not of young Women Caesar was the first that praised his own Wife in an Oration at her Funeral which much engaged the People to him seeing him of so kind and loving a nature Shortly after he was made Treasurer under Antistius Vetus the Praetor for which he ever after honoured him so that when he himself came to be Praetor he made his Son Treasurer under him and when he came out of that Office he married his third Wife whom was Pompeia and married his Daughter Cornelia which he had by his first Wife to Pompey the Great He further ingratiated himself with the People by disbursing a great sum of his own mony in mending the Appian way vvhen he was made Overseer thereof as also for that vvhen he was chosen an Aedile he shewed the People the pastime of three hundred and twenty couple of Sword Players and exceeded all others in the sumptuousness of his Feasts and sports vvhich he made for the delight of the People vvhich made them daily to give him new Offices by way of requital Not long after the High Priest Metellus died and Isauricus and Catulus two of the chiefest men and of the greatest authority in Rome contended for the place Caesar also presented himself to the People and sued for it and Catulus fearing the event sent a great sum of money to Caesar to procure him to leave off his suit Caesar sent him word that he vvould disburse a greater sum than that to maintain the suit against him and vvhen the Day of Election came his Mother bringing him to the Door Caesar vveeping kissed her and said Mother This day thou shalt see thy Son chief Bishop of Rome or banished from Rome and accordingly he carried it by the suffrages of the People insomuch as the Senate and Noble men vvere all affraid of him judging that from henceforth he vvould make the People do vvhat he pleased Afterwards Caesar going into the Senate to cleer himself of some accusations that vvere brought against him the Senate keeping him somewhat longer than ordinary the People come to the door and called for him bidding them let him out Whereupon Cato fearing an insurrection of the poor and needy Persons who put all their hopes in Caesar moved that a frank distribution of Corn for a month should be made amongst them vvhich indeed put the Commonvvealth to the charge of fifty five hundred Myriads but it quenched the present danger and did haply scatter the best part of Caesars strength and that at such a time vvhen he was made Praetor and had thereby opportunity of doing much mischief Yet all the the time of that Office he never attempted to make alteration in the Common-vvealth About this time Clodius vvas suspected of too much familiarity vvith Pompeia vvherefore Caesar put her avvay The Government of Spain being faln unto Caesar as he vvas Praetor his Creditors came with great importunity calling for their debts But he being unable to satisfie them went to Crassus the richest man in Rome who stood in need of Caesars bloldness and courage to withstand Pompeys greatness who became his surety to his greadiest Creditors for eight hundred and Thirty Talents whereupon he was suffered to depart to his Province As he passed over the Alps he came to a little poor Village where his Friends that did accompany him asked him merrily if there were any contending for Offices in that Town and whether there were any strife amongst the Noble-men for honour Caesar answered I cannot tell but for my part I had rather be the chiefest man here than the second person in Rome Another time in Spain reading the History of Alexander he was sorrowful a good while after and at last burst out into weeping His Friends marvelling at it asked him what was the cause of his sorrow He answered Do you not think that I have good cause to be sorry when Alexander being no older than my self had conquered so many Nations and Countries whereas hitherto I have done nothing worthy of my self When he first came into Spain he followed his business close and in a short time had joyned ten new Ensigns of Foot Souldiers unto the other twenty which he had before Then marching against the Gallicians and Lusitanians he conquered all before him as far as to the Atlantick Ocean subduing those People which before knew not the Romans for their Lords and then did as wisely take order for the establishing of Peace For he reconciled the Cities together made them Friends But especially he pacified all suits of Law betwixt Debtors and Creditors which arose by usury Ordaining that the Creditors should take yearly two parts of the revenew of their Debtors till such time as they had paid themselves and that the Debtors should have the other third part to live upon By this he won great estimation to himself and returned from his Government very wealthy his Souldiers also were full of rich spoils The Romans had a custom that such as desired the honour of Triumph should stay without the City whereas they that sued for the Consulship must of necessity be there in Person Caesar coming home just at that time when Consuls were to be chosen he sent to request the Senate that he might be permitted to sue for the Consulship by his Friends Against this Cato at first did vehemently invey alleadging that it
went towards him and at the same time Mark Anthony departed from Alexandria in Aegypt and came to the Isle of Rhodes where he was informed of all that had happened to his Brother Lucius From thence he went into Greece and at Athens he found his Wife Fulvia sick yet vehemently inveighing against Octavian wherefore leaving her there he went with two hundred Gallies into Italy and landed at Brundusium where the Wars began between him and the Forces of Octavian who was yet at Rome But news coming of Fulvia's death some Friends interposed to reconcile them and at last it was agreed that Arbitrators should be chosen to compose their differences Octavian chose Mecoenas and for Mark Anthony was Asinius Pollio and these brought it to this issue that Mark Anthony should have all the East from Italy beginning from the Jonian Sea which is the entry into the Venetian Gulph unto the River of Euphrates wherein were included all the Provinces of Graecia and Asia with all the Islands within these limits To Octavian was allotted from the said Jonian Sea to the Western or Spanish Sea wherein were contained Spain France Italy Germany and Britain To Lepidus was confirmed Africa where he then was with all the Provinces thereof And for the strengthening of this League Mark Anthony now a Widower was to marry with Octavia the Sister of Octavian by the Fathers side formerly married to Marcus Marcellus by whom she had one Son called also Marcellus whom Octavian adopted And this marriage was dispensed with by the Senate because in Rome Widows were not permitted to marry till they had lived ten months in Widowhood which she had not done This being concluded Octavian and Mark Anthony went to Rome where the Wedding was solemnized and they were seemingly good Friends but their Peace was disquieted by the Neighbourhood of Sextus Pompeius who commanded the Seas from Sicily where he lived and with his Ships and Pyrates he disquieted Caesars Friends who thereupon resolved to ruine him But at the request of the Senate and of Mark Anthony he hearkened to Peace and by the mediation of Friends it was agreed that all matters past should be forgotten and that they should live like good Neighbours and Friends and that Sextus Pompey should enjoy Sicily Sardinia and Corsica which he had in possession and that he should clear the Seas from Pyrates that Merchants and Passengers might pass safely and that he should furnish Rome yearly with a certain quantity of Corn. This being concluded they agreed upon a meeting of all three upon the Sea side in the Straight of Messina in a Fortress built for that purpose which reached into the Water whither Sextus Pompey might come with his Galleys and be in safety which accordingly was performed with great joy and solemnity and Sextus Pompey feasted them in his Galleys and they likewise him by Land From hence Sextus Pompey returned into Sicily and Octavian and Mark Anthony to Rome where for a while they remained in great Familiarity and then Mark Anthony preparing for his journey into the East sent Venditius before him with a great Army against the Parthians wherein he had so good success that he overcame and defeated Pacorus the Parthian Kings Son and slew twenty thousand of his men and thereby sufficiently revenged the Death of Marcus Crassus for which he afterwards Triumphed at Rome Mark Anthony departed from Rome with his new Wife and wintered with her in Athens Octavian in the mean time in Rome growing mighty and in high esteem was yet very pensive being troubled at the Neighbourhood of Sextus Pompey in Sicily attending an occasion to War against him for which purpose he prepared a great Fleet pretending that Sextus with his Ships and Gallies hindred the coming of Corn into Italy These Sicilian Wars continued for some years in the beginning whereof Octavian had ill success yet more from storms and tempests than from the force of his Enemies and if Sextus Pompey had been as prudent and able to offend his Enemy as he was to defend himself and as he was Valiant if he had been as Wise and Politick he might have greatly distressed Octavian in all matters concerning Italy yet the matter was so handled that at Octavians request Mark Anthony came twice out of the East into Italy to assist him in these Wars The first time he came to Brundusium where not finding Octavian according to appointment he returned without seeing him upon some jealousies which grew betwixt them But Octavian having lost most of his Fleet in a storm he sent his intire Friend Mecenas to Mark Anthony at whose intreaty he returned into Italy with three hundred Ships and Gallies giving it out that he came to Caesars aid And though there were some difference between them yet Octavia so laboured between her Husband and Brother that she reconciled them and so they met in the mouth of the River near Tarentum where Mark Anthony gave to Octavian one hundred and twenty of his Gallies for his Wars and Octavian gave to him some of the Italian Souldiers and they renewed their Triumvirat for other five years Which done Mark Anthony returned to the East to prosecute his Wars against the Parthians his Wife Octavia and her Children remaining in Rome Anthony being gone Octavian resolving to prosecute the Wars against Sextus Pompey with all his Forces armed two Navies whereof Agrippa was the Admiral of the one and himself of the other He sent also to Lepidus intreating his aid who accordingly came and brought with him a thousand Ships little and great and eighty Gallies wherein he transported five thousand Horse and twelve Legions of Foot Souldiers Sextus Pompey hearing what great preparations were made against him did strongly fortifie all the Sea-coasts of Sicily and on the frontiers of Africk near to Lilibaeum he placed Plinius a good Captain with good Companies of Souldiers and his whole Fleet by Sea he drew into the Port of Messina purposing to mannage his Wars by Sea having neither experience nor power to do it by Land and so he attended the coming of his Enemies Lepidus loosing with his whole Fleet from Africk was encountered with a tempest wherein with the loss of a great part of his Navy he with the rest landed at Lilybaeum and took in certain places thereabout but having small judgment and experience in the Wars he made a greater noise then did hurt to Pompey Octavius also being at Sea in a tempest lost thirty of his Gallies besides small Ships and with much difficulty returned to Italy and Taurus who commanded the Gallies which Anthony left landed at Tarentum though with great loss and danger Octavian was so grieved at these losses that he had thoughts of giving over the War for that year but changing his mind he repaired his Fleets and ordered Agrippa with one of them to pass into Sicily and there to make War both by Sea and land and
himself following with the other Fleet did the like About this time Octavian divorced himself from Scribonia though he had a Daughter by her called Livia and then he married Livia Drusilla Wife to Tiberius Nero by whom she had a Son called also Tiberius hereupon Tiberius was forced to leave her to please Octavian though at this time she was with Child of a Son This Livia he loved dearly and continued with her till his Death Agrippa assaulted and took in some places in Sicily which Pompey hearing of departed from Messina with one hundred and seventy five Gallies to relieve them and Agrippa being advertised of his coming prepared to meet him his Gallies being almost equal in number and so they joyned Battel which for a time seemed to be equal but at last Agrippa prevailed and Pompey retreated in time his Gallies and Foists withdrawing themselves into some Rivers near at hand whither Agrippa with his bigger Vessels could not follow them In this fight Pompey lost thirty of his Gallies Agrippa the next day went to a City called Tindaria thinking to surprise it by reason of intelligence which he had with the Citizens and Pompey in the Night gave secret order to his whole Fleet to retire to Messina Octavian in the mean time imbarked a great part of his Army which he landed in Sicily and set them on shore under the command of Cornificius little thinking that Pompey had been so near who if he had taken this opportunity might have defeated Octavian But loosing it Octavian imbarking again intended to determine the quarrel by a Battel at Sea leaving Cornificius with his men fortified on the Land Then did Pompey sail out of Messina with his whole Fleet and neither Parties refusing it they came to a Battel in which Octavian was overcome and all his great Fleet scattered and lost and himself driven to flie into Italy in a Brigandine where through many dangers he at last came to the Army whereof Mesalla was General and being nothing discouraged with this loss he presently took order for all that was needful To Rome he sent his intire Friend Mecenas to take order that this news should breed no alteration there and then presently sent to Agrippa the Admiral of his other Fleet that he should with all speed succour Cornificius and his Army in Sicily and to Lepidus he sent to desire him to make his present repair to the Isle of Lippari which is between Sicily and Calabria His diligence and good order about these affairs was such that in a short time by the help of Lepidus and Agrippa in dispite of Pompey he landed all his Forces in Sicily and joyning with Lepidus he encamped near to Messina where began a most cruel War both by Sea and Land wherein the power and sufficiency of Pompey did wonderfully appear in that he was able to grapple with so potent adversaries Yet seeing himself oppressed he sent a challenge to Octavian that to avoid the further effusion of blood he would try it out with him in a Naval fight so many Ships and Gallies against so many Octavian delayed him at the first but afterwards they agreed that with three hundred Ships and Galleys on either side they would meet in such a place and there fight it out and accordingly they prepared for the Battel Octavian leaving Lepidus with his Land Army embarked himself in his Fleet and Pompey did the like and so they joyned Battel which was one of the cruellest that ever was considering the Commanders and the strength on either side where Pompey after he had performed all the Offices of a good and Valiant Captain and after the slaughter of multitudes on both sides was overcome by Octavian and all his Fleet was burnt and sunk or taken saving sixteen sail which escaped by flight and he in one of them and these entered into the Haven of Messina And though the City was sufficiently fortified and Pompey knew that Plinius his General was coming to his rescue yet in a dark night he imbarked and with those sixteen Ships which had escaped he fled into the East to Mark Anthony hoping to find relief from him But after much toil and many accidents which happened to him he was slain by one Titius at the command of Mark Anthony and in him failed the House and memory of his Father Pompey the Great In this War Octavian escaped many dangers For having transported part of his Army into Sicily and sailing back to fetch the rest he was suddenly surprised by Demochares and Apolaphanes two of Pompeys Captains from whom he escaped with much difficulty with one only Ship Then travelling by Land to Rhegium he saw some of Pompeys Gallies near to the Shore and supposing them to be his own he went down to the Sea side where he had like to have been taken by them and then seeking to escape by unknown passages he met with a slave of Aemilius Paulus who remembring that he had proscribed his Master Paulus Father to this Aemilius he attempted to kill him Octavian having obtained this great Victory aforesaid though with very great loss he went to Land with the remainder of his Ships and Army commanding Agrippa to joyn with Lepidus and to go to Messina whither Pliny Pompeys General had retired himself But not thinking good to stand upon his defence now that his Master was fled he yielded himself to Lepidus with all his Legions This made Lepidus so proud that affecting to have Sicily to himself he contended with Octavian about it and entering into the City of Messina he placed a Garrison in it to hold it for his own use The like he did in many other places of the Island and when Octavian came he desired to speak with him greatly complaining of his proceedings But in Rule and Dominion equallity is intollerable whilst either of them coveted this Isle for himself they fell at variance and Octavian made his Navy to draw neer to the shore So that both Armies began to stand upon their guard the one against the other and many messages passed between them yet could they not agree But Octavian was far better beloved and esteemed by the men of War for his many vertues and Nobility and for his Name-sake Julius Caesar then the other and the Souldiers began to lay all the fault upon Lepidus Octavian understanding this laboured secretly to corrupt Lepidus his Souldiers to draw them to himself and one day with a great Troop of Horse he rode neer to Lepidus his Camp and parlying with his Souldiers justified himself and laid all the fault upon Lepidus insomuch that many of them began to come over to his side Lepidus being informed hereof caused an Alarm to be given and commanded his men to sally out against Octavian but when they came forth most of them joyned with him so that Lepidus seeing himself in danger of being forsaken of his whole Army
the Exchequer twenty five hundred thousand Crowns and suffered private men to take of it for three years without Interest putting in good security for the paying back of the principal and condemned such Usurers as had taken more than the Law allowed to pay four times as much to those who had been oppressed by them THE LIFE and DEATH OF TAMERLANE THE GREAT WHO FLORISHED ANNO CHRISTI 1400. TAMERLANE was born at Samercand the chief City of the Zagatajan Tartars His Father was called Zain-Cham or as others will Og Prince of the Zagatajans of the Country Sachithays sometimes part of the famous Kingdom of Parthia third in descent from Zingis the great and successful Captain of the Tartars which Og being a Prince of a peaceable nature accounting it no less honour quietly to keep the Countries left him by his Father than with much trouble and no less hazard to seek how to enlarge the same long lived in most happy peace with his Subjects no less happy therein than himself not so much seeking after the hoording up of Gold and Silver things of that Nation not regarded nor valued as contenting himself with the encrease and profit of his Sheep and herds of Cattel then and yet also the principal revenues of the Tartar Kings and Princes which happily gave occasion to some ignorant of the manner and customs of those Northern Nations and Countries to account them all for Shepherds and Herdsmen and so also to have reported of this mighty Prince as if he had been a Shepherds Son or Herdsman himself vainly measuring his Nobility by the homely course of life of his People and Subjects and not by the honour of his House and Heroical Vertues hardly to be paralelled by any Prince of that or the former Ages His peaceable Father now well stricken in years and weary of the World delivered up his Kingdom to this his Son not yet past fifteen years old joyning unto him two of his most faithful Councellours Odmar and Ally to assist him in the government of his State whom Tamerlane dearly loved whilst they lived and much honoured the remembrance of them being dead The first proof of Tamerlanes Fortune and Valour was against the great Duke of Mosco or Emperour of Russia for spoiling of a City which had put it self under his protection and for entring his Country and proclaiming War against him whom he in a great Battel overthrew having slain twenty seven thousand of the Muscovites Footmen and between fifteen and sixteen thousand Horsemen with the loss of scarce eight thousand Horsemen and four thousand Footmen of his own After which Battel Tamerlane beholding so many thousands of men lying dead upon the ground was so far from rejoycing thereat that turning himself to one of his familiar Friends he lamented the condition of such as commandâ— over great Armies commending his Fathers quiet course of life accounting him happy in seeking for rest and such most unhappy which by the destruction of their own kind sought to procure their own glory protesting himself even from his heart to be grieved to see such sad tokens of his Victory Alhacen in his Arabick History of Tamerlane makes this Narrative of the Battel The Muscovites saith he had a great Army which he had gathered together out of sundry Nations and Tamerlane intending not to put up such wrongs and indignities assembled all his Forces and those of his Allies The Muscovites forces were such as had been well trained up in the Wars For having lately concluded a Peace with the King of Poland he had from thence ten thousand very good Horsemen There were also with him many Hungarian Gentlemen under the conduct of one Uladislaus who brought with him more than eight thousand Horse so that he had in his Army about eighty thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Footmen Tamerlane had in his Army about one hundred and twenty thousand Horse and one hundred and fifty thousand Foot but not so good Souldiers as the Muscovites for his Subjects had been long trained up in peace under his peaceable Father and though they had been sometimes exercised yet they wanted the practical part of War Tamerlanes order in his march was this He caused all his Army to be divided into Squadrons each consisting of six thousand Horse save his own which consisted of ten thousand so that he made eighteen Squadrons besides his own The Avantguard was conducted by Odmar who led eight Squadrons which were flanked by forty thousand Footmen divided on the right and left sides who shot an infinite number of Arrows The Battel was conducted by Tamerlane who with his own led ten Squadrons and fifty thousand Footmen the best and choicest Souldiers of his whole Army The Prince of Thanais his Kinsman led the Arereward with six Squadrons of Horse and forty thousand Foot his forlorn Hope consisted of some three thousand Horse adventurers The Muscovites fought by double Ranks with Lances and they seemed to be a greater number than Tamerlanes making a great noise but Tamerlanes skill and multitude at length overcame the force and valour of the Muscovites the Victory bending to the Parthians side which they pursued hotly In this Battel Tamerlane was hurt on the side of the left Eye and had two Horses slain under him and indeed that day Odmar was the safeguard of the Prince but he lost Ally who was slain with an Arrow The Battle being ended Tamerlane returned thanks to God publickly for his Victory and the next day reviewing his Army he found that he had lost between seven and eight thousand Horsemen and between three and four thousand Footmen The Muscovites lost about twenty seven thousand Foot and fifteen or sixteen thousand Horse The Prince slacked no time after so great a Victory but marching on came into the borders of the Muscovites whom he enforced this agreement That they should become his Tributaries paying yearly one hundred thousand Duckats That the great Duke should defray all the charges of the Wars amounting to three hundred thousand Duckats That he should withdraw his Army and send back all the Prisoners and that for the performance hereof he should give pledges which should be changed every year All which being agreed to he returned with great content and glory to his Father Shortly after the great Cham of Tartary his Fathers Brother being grown old and out of hope of having any more Children moved with the Fame of his Nephew after this Victory sent him divers presents and withal offering him his only Daughter in Marriage sent him word that he would proclaim him Heir apparent to his Empire as indeed in right he was being his Brothers Son and the Daughters not using to succeed in those Empires Which so great an offer Tamerlane gladly accepted and so the marriage was afterwards with great Triumph at the old Emperours Court solemnized and consummated and our Tamerlane
to him But these his fair shews continued not long There was at this time at Rome a Governour for the Eastern Emperour called Paul Ephialte him Didier corrupted and the administration of Justice being in his hands he made use of him so cunningly as that in the presence of Pope Steven he caused him to seize upon two of his chief Secretaries Christopher and Sergius whom Didier accused of some pretended crimes and presently to hang them in an infamous manner Their greatest offence was because they favoured the French Neither did he rest here but caused all the principal Citizens to be banished whom he observed to be of the French faction that so having removed all hinderances he might be Master of Rome in despite of the Pope Steven was not so dull but he discovered the Lombards practice exceedingly to tend to his prejudice whereupon he sent to Charlemagne beseeching him to prepare an Army against Didiers force This Charlemagne easily assented to and fully resolved upon But Didier had provided a divertisement in France by the means of Caroloman to stop Charles his passage into Italy making work for him in Guienne where there arose a perilous War upon this occasion Though the Country of Guienne depended upon the Crown of France yet were there many Tumults raised by the practices of some Noblemen of the Country who frequently stirred up the people mutinous enough of themselves to Rebellion The cause of these Troubles was the abuse of the former Kings Clemency and Bounty who suffered such people as he conquered to enjoy their priviledges and liberties Eudon a Nobleman of Guienne began first under Martel Jeffery and Hunalt his Children and heirs of his discontent had continued it under Pepin and Jeffery being now dead Hunalt succeeded him with the like hatred which Caroloman fomented that he might imploy him against his Brother Charles Guienne was a part of Charles his portion But Hunalts design was to withdraw that Country wholly from the Crown of France and for that end he pretended a Title to the Dukedom thereof labouring to procure the people to Elect him having the promise and assistance of Caroloman to further him therein Indeed the countenance of Caroloman could do much but the wisdom and courage of Charlemagne prevailed more For being advertised of Hunalts practice and of his Brothers secret designs he armed with such speed as that he surprised the Towns of Poictiers Xante and Angoulesm and all the Country adjoyning Hunalt who had reckoned without Charles finding himself thus prevented fled to a Noble man of that Country called Loup whom he held not only to be firm to his faction but also his trusty and affectionate friend Charlemagne being informed hereof sent presently to Loup requiring him to deliver Hunalt into his hands who was guilty of high Treason and in the mean time he built a Fort in the midst of the Country where the Rivers of Dordonne and Lisle do joyn which he called Fronsac the better to secure his Country against such Invaders Loup not daring to refuse delivered up Hunalt and all his Family into the hands of Charles who pardoned Loup and all that obeyed him thus ending a dangerous War without blows And to Hunalt he granted life and liberty and the enjoyment of his goods leaving a memorable example to all Princes how to carry themselves in a Civil War preventing a mischief by prudence and diligence and not to thrust their vanquished Subjects into despair by rigour Caroloman seeing his practices against his Brother to succeed so ill undertook a journy to Rome with an intent to cause some alterations there which yet he covered with a pretence of devotion He also took his Mother Berthe along with him and in their passage they were hourably entertained by Didier King of the Lombards where Berthe treated and concluded a marriage between her Son Charlemagne and Theodora Sister or Daughter to this Didier who was one of the greatest enemies to her Sons good fortune Yet Charlemagne to please his Mother received his Wife but soon after put her away as neither suiting with his affects or affairs and so that which was intended as a cause of love bred a greater hatred betwixt these two Princes Caroloman having affected nothing at Rome answerable to his desire but only discovered his foolish and malicious jealousie too apparent under his feigned devotion returned into France and there soon after died Anno Christi 770. Leaving the intire Kingdom to his Brother who had how no Corrival Charlemagne having put away his Wife Theadora upon suspition of incontinency he married Hildegard or Ildegrade Daughter to the Duke of Sueve his Vassal by whom he had Charles Pepin and Lewis and three Daughters Rotrude Berthe and Gille who were the Nursery of his Noble Family But Carolomans jealousie died not with him but survived in his Wife Berthe who being impatient of her present condition and thrust headlong with a spirit of revenge against her Brother in Law Charles retired with her two Sons to Didier King of Lombardy as to the most bitter and irreconcilable enemy of her Brother Charles Didier intertained her and her Children very courteously hoping by them to promote his design But it proved the leaven of his own destruction His practice together with the Widows was to procure the present Pope who Steven being dead was one Adrian a Roman Gentleman to Crown and confirm the Sons of Caroloman for Kings of France wherein the Lombard had two designs First by this means to bring the Pope in disgrace with Charlemagne that he might the easilier suppress him being destitute of the French aides whereon he chiefly relyed and Secondly to set France in a flame by setting up new Kings in it Didier therefore earnestly besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake besought the Pope to grant this favour to the Sons of Caroloman for his sake But Adrian well acquainted with the Lombards humour was so resolute in denying his request as that they fell into open hatred And Didier being much displeased with this repulse took Arms and with his Forces entred into the Exarchy being a Signory under the Popes jurisdiction and besieged Ravenna the chief City of the Exarchy Whereupon the Pope sent his Nuncio to him to expostulate the cause of this so sudden War against his Subjects desiring him to restore what he had taken and not to procced in this Hostile manner without any reasonable cause and that upon the pain of Excommunication At the same time there fell out a great occasion to encrease the hatred between Charlemagne and Didier For that Hunalt who had been before vanquished in Guienne and to whom Charles had shew'd so much favour very ingratefully retired himself to Didier who did not only receive him courteously but honoured him by making him General of his Army which he had raised against the
time Pope of Rome against whom there was strange Sedition raised by Sylvester and Campul men of great credit in the Court of Rome These men with their adherents upon a solemn day of Procession seized upon Leo before St. Lawrence Church whom they stripped of his Pontifical Robes cast him unto the ground trod him under their feet and bruised his face with their fists and having dragged him ignominiously through the dirt they cast him into Prison where yet he stayed not long being freed by a Groom of his chamber called Albin and so having recovered St. Peters Church he sent to Vingise Duke of Spoleto intreating him to deliver him from this miserable Captivity Vingise failed him not but came to Rome and carried the Pope along with him to Spoleto where yet he stayed not long but from thence went to Charlemagne into France whom he found full of troubles He complained that many of the Romans sought to usurp his Power into their hands and advised the King to exact an Oath of Fidelity of them Paschalis was there soon after him and accused the Pope of Adultery and other gross crimes Charlemagne dismissed them both and promised to be at Rome within a few months and accordingly prepared for his Journey In December Anno Christi 800. Charlemagne was received in Rome with all shews of Honour and within eight dayes he went into St. Peters Church and in the presence of all the People and Clergy he asked who had any thing to say against Pope Leo Paschalis or Paschasires and Campalus had published the Popes crimes by Writ but knowing how Charlemagne stood affected towards both parties they appeared not so none prosecuting these crimes against him the Pope was absolved upon his Oath wherein he swore by God and the four Evangelists that all these things were false which they layed to his charge Whereupon the King declared him innocent and condemned his accusers and within few dayes three hundred of them were beheaded in the Lateran Field for their presumption and affectation of liberty on the eighteenth of December and shortly after Charles was chosen Emperour But before I speak of that I must represent you with a brief view of the present estate and condition of the Emperour of Constantinople The seat of the Roman Empire since the time of Constantine the great remained at Constantinople a City of Thrace situated in a convenient place for the Guard of the Eastern Provinces After which all the West being full of new Guests who had expelled the Romans the name authority and power of the Empire remained in the East where now the State was in a strange confusion the Mother being banded against her Son and the People amongst themselves Constantine the Son of Leo the Fourth was Emperour at this time who from his Infancy was governed together with the Empire by his Mother Irene But being now come to the age of twenty years he assumed the Government into his own hands There was then a great division in the East which had been continued from Father to Son for fourscore years together about bringing Images into the Churches The Bishops would needs bring them in But the Emperours together with the greatest part of the People opposed themselves against them This contention had its beginning under Philip Bardanes was continued under Leo Isaurus and from him was derived to his Son Constantine sirnamed Copronimus and to Leo the Fourth Son to the said Constantine This filled all the East with infinite scandals The same fire of contention continued in the minority of our Constantine who was yet governed by his Mother a Woman of a violent spirit who had undertaken the protection of Images and held a Counsel of many Bishops for the defence thereof But the people growing into a mutiny by force expelled them from Constantinople where there Assemhly was held But Irene being resolved to carry on her design assembled another Councel at Nicea City of Bithinia honoured for having entertained the first general Councel under Constantine the Great the first of that name where it was Decreed that Images should be placed in Churches for devotion But Charlemagne did not allow of this Decree and either himself or some other by his Command did write a small Treatise against this Councel the which bears this Title A Treatise of Charlemagne touching Images against the Greek Synode This crafty Woman made choise of the City of Nicea that the name of the ancient first Council held there might honour this new invention with the pretext of Antiquity For there are some that confound the first Council of Nicea with the second and Constantine the fourth with the first Constantine continued in the hereditary hatred of his Father and Grandfather against Images so as being of age and in absolute possession of his Empire he disannulled all these new decrees and caused the Images to be beaten down in all places Yet did he make all shews of respect to his Mother yielding unto her a good part of his authority and command which respect was the cause of an horrible Tragedy For this Woman being transported for two causes both by reason of her new opinion and for despight that she had not the whole Government in her own power grew so unnatural that she resolved to dispossess her Son of the Empire and to seize upon it herself And indeed the authority which her Son had left her and the free access which she had unto his Person gave her opportunity for the execution of her design For having corrupted such as had the chief Forces of the Empire at their command and won them to her with her Sons Treasure she seized on his Person put out his eyes and sent him into Exile where shortly after he died of grief and took possession of the Empire These unnatural and Tragick furies were practised in the East whiles that Charlemagne by his great Valour built an Empire in the West Irene in her Son Constantines life time would have married him with the eldest Daughter of Charlemagne but this accident crossed that design After the Death of Constantine Irene sent to Charlemagne to excuse her self of the murther disavowing it and laying the blame upon such as had done it as she pretended without her command And to win the good liking of Charlemagne she caused him to be dealt withall about marriage for at that time Festrude was dead with promise to consent that he should be declared Emperour of the West and that she also would resign unto him the Empire of the East But Charlemagne would not accept of her profers The Nobility and People of the Greek Empire did so hate Irene as having suffered her the space of three years in the end they resolved to dispossess her This Woman the unnatural murtheress of her own Child being thus publickly hated and detested Nicephorus a great and Noble man of Greece assisted by the
other Doctors of the Church He resided also at Paris that he might have opportunity of conferring with learned men There he erected a goodly University which he furnished with as learned men as those times could afford and endowed it with great priviledges For he had an exceeding great care to make it a Nurcery for the holy Ministry that from thence the Church might be supplied with able Teachers whence also grew so many Colleges of Cannons with sufficient revenues annexed thereunto Thus Charlemagne spent three years happily in the only care of his Soul leaving an illustrious example to all Princes to moderate and ennoble their greatness with Piety and so to enjoy their Temporal estates as in the mean time not to neglect their eternal concernments and to think of their departure out of this Life in time Foreseeing his Death whereunto he prepared himself by these exercises he made his last Will and Testament leaving his Son Lewis the sole Heir unto his great Kingdoms and bequeathed to the Church much Treasure But all things and Persons in this World have an end His Testament was but the Harbinger to his Death for presently after he was taken with a pain in his side or Plurisie and lay sick but eight days and so yielded up his Spirit unto God that gave it Anno Christi 814. and of his Age seventy one and of his Reign forty seven including fifteen years of his Empire His Body was interred in a sumptuous Church which he had caused to be built in the City of Aquisgrave or Aix la Capelle where he was born and his memory was honoured with a goodly Epitaph He was one of the greatest Princes that ever lived His virtues are a pattern to other Monarchs and his great successes the subject of their wishes The greatness of his Monarchy indeed was admirable For he quietly enjoyed all France Germany the greatest part of Hungary all Italy and a good part of Spain At the time of his Death he was in peace with the other Kings of Spain as also with the Kings of England Denmark Bulgary with the Emperour Leo of Constantinople and with all the Princes of that time This Noble Prince was endued with so many excellent Virtues that we read of very few in antient Histories that excelled him so that he may be justly compared with the best of them For in Martial Discipline in Valour in Dexterity in Feats of Arms there are none that exceeded him He obtained as many Victories fought as many Battels and subdued as many fierce and Warlike Nations as any one we read of and that both before and after that he was Emperour He was tall of Stature very well proportioned in all his members passing strong of a fair and grave countenance valiant mild merciful a lover of Justice liberal very affable pleasant well read in History a great Friend of Arts and Sciences and sufficiently seen into them and a man who above all loved and rewarded Learned men He was very charitable in his Kingdoms yea in his very Court he harboured and relieved many Strangers and Pilgrims In matters of Faith and Religion he was very zealous and most of the Wars which he made were to propagate and enlarge the Christian Faith He being mis-led by the darkness of the times wherein he lived superstitiously honoured and obeyed the Church of Rome and the Pope that was Bishop thereof together with other Bishops and Prelates commanding his Subjects also to do the like He was also very devout and spent much of his time in Prayer Hearing and Reading In his Diet he was very temperate and a great enemy to riot and excess and though he was Rich and Mighty yet fed he his Body with what was necessary and wholesome not rare costly and strange And yet his Virtues were not without their blemishes as the greatest commonly are not without some notable Vices For in his younger dayes he was much given to Women adding Concubines to his lawful Wives by whom he had divers children but this was in the time of his Youth For afterwards he contented himself with his Wife and for a remedy of this imperfection though he was three or four times a Widower yet he ever married again the Daughter of some great Prince or other To conclude all he was an excellent Emperour that loved and feared God and died when he was very Old and full of Honour leaving Lewis the weakest of his Sons the sole heir of his great Empire but not of his Virtues So that this great building soon declined in his posterity He had engraven upon his Sword Pro Deo Religione For God and Religion He used to set his Crown upon the Bible as our Canutus sometime put his Crown upon the Rood both of them thereby intimating that as all honour was due to God so true Religion was the best Basis of Government and that Piety was the best Policy The Epitaph which I spake of was this Sub hoc conditorio situm est Corpus Caroli Magni atque Orthodoxi Imperatorisqui Regnum Francorum nobiliter ampliavit per annos Quadraginta septem foeliciter tenuit Decessit Septuagenarius Anno Domini 814. Indicti one 7. Quinto Calend. Febr. Under this Tomb lieth the Body of Charles the Great and Catholick Emperour who most Nobly enlarged the Kingdom of the French and most happily ruled it for the space of forty and seven years He died in the seventy and one year of his Age In the year of our Lord eight hundred and fourteen the seventh Indiction on the fifth Calend of February He had five Wives the first was called Galcena the Daughter of the King of Galistria by whom he had no Children The second was Theodora the Sister or as others say the Daughter of Didier King of Lombardy whom he kept not long but repudiated her for sundry reasons The third was Hildebranda Daughter of the Duke of Suevia whom he loved exceedingly and had by her three Sons viz. Charles his Eldest whom he made King of the greatest and best part of France and Germany Pepin his Second whom he made King of Italy Bavaria c. Lewis his Youngest to whom he left the Empire intire his Brothers being both dead in their Fathers Life time This Lewis was sirnamed Debonaire or the Courteous He had also three Daughters the Eldest was called Rothruda the Second Birtha and the Youngest Giselia who would never marry His fourth Wife he had out of Germany called Fastrada And his fifth and last was also a German Lady called Luithgranda of the Suevian Race by whom he had no Children He shewed his love to Religion by having one during his Meal-times that either read to him some part of the Holy Scriptures or else some part of Saint Augustines Books especially that De Civitate Dei or some History He was also a great Friend to Learning and therefore erected three
Darius his second message Rejected by Alexander Gaza besieged and taken Alexanders cruelty He goes to Jerusalem and Worships the High Priest His Vision His favour to the Jews Egypt delivered to him Zach. 14. 18. His Pride The power of the Gospel Alexandria built He passeth Euphrates And Tygris Base cowardize Darius his new Army An Eclipse frightens the Macedonians Darius his Wife died Proposals to Alexander Alexanders answer His Ambition His Valour They prepare to fight A Battel Darius beaten and flies Arbela taken and much Treasure Babylon taken Base cruelty Susa taken Gross folly Alexander beaten Barbarons cruelty Persepolis taken A foolish enterprize Alexander turns Drunkard Persepolis burnt Darius his last Army The Treason of Bessus The fidelity of the Greeks Darius Discharges his Attendants Darius made a Prisoner and abused Gods Justice Alexander pursues him Darius is wounded His last words Alexanders Ambition He goes into Hircania Divers submit to him Queen of the Amazons comes to him He affects a Deity For which he is scorned of his Friends He burns all the spoils Rebellion against him Treason against him It 's discovered to Alexander Philotas accused Alexander's dissimulation Philotas accused by the King Philotas condemned and tortured to death Alexanders cruelty Parmenio mutthered Alexander marches forward Builds a City Wants water Bessus taken Alexanders 〈◊〉 Bessus slain He is wounded He is wounded again He builds a City Menedemus slain A Rebellion Clytus slain The effect of Drunkenness Deadful storms His Ambition Calisthenes speaks against it And is tormented to Death He marches into India His Feasts to Bacchus He conquers many Countries His Proâ—ligality He sends to Porus. A Battel Porus beaten He is restored to his Kingdom His Policy He builds two Cities His Conquest He builds a City He wants food His debauchedness He punishes his Officers He visits the Sepulchre of Cyrus His cruelty Calanus burnt himself His Marriage and Feasting Harpalus slain His Army discontented He sends for Antipater Ephestion dyes Alexander dyes His Will The vanity of all earthly things The confusions after his death Gods Justice His character His love to his Mother His Ambition Flattery He degenerated after his victories His bounty His Temperance His Chastity His Parentage Education His Parts He exercises and studies His Discourse with a Philosopher His contempt of Riches His Poverty His Charity His Sobriety His Vigilance His Valour Tyrants in Thebes His prudence The Tyrants slain His Modesty He is advanced to Honour The Spartans beaten A Batâ—el The Spartans beaten Peace among the Greeks The Thebans are excepted Plataees destroyed His Wisdom His Courage His Prudence Fat men cashired His Prudence And Policy A Battel The Spartans beaten His Humility He plunders Laconia He bravos the Spartans Messina reedified Pallene destroyed Peloponnesus fortified He beats the Spartans His Clemency He is envied His prudence Heis accused and abused Pelopidas imprisoned by a Tyrant His Policy His Prudence Pelopidas released His witty Speeches Hâ—s Humility Megalopolis built The Thebans build a Navy New Wars A notable attempt Another but frustrated A Battel He is deadly wounded The Spartans beaten His advice to the Thebans His Death His Character His Poverty Herods Pedegree Herod is made Governour of Galilee He puts Esekias to death He is cted before the Sanhedrim Appears with his Guard Sameas his boldness A prediction Herod slyes Refused to appear when again cited Is made Governour of Calosyria Is confirmed in it Antipater poysoned Herod goes to Jerusalem He is excited to revenge his Fathers death Malichus slain A sedition at Jerusalem Herod's valour His Policy He overcomes Antigonus Herod accused to Anthony But acquitted War between Antigonus and Herod Herod prevails The Parthians falshhood Herod flies from Jerusalem He would have killed himself Jerusalem plundered Anigonuâ— made King of the Jews Cuts off Hyrcanus ears Phasaelus kills himself Herod flies to Melchus King of Arabia Is rejected by him Herod goes in to Egypt From thence into Italy He comes to Rhodes So into Italy Anthony favours him And Caesar. The Senate make him King Herods Family besieged A special providence He returns homeward Herods Kingdom enlarged Herod relieves Silo. He takes Joppa Besieges Jerusalem Herod takes Jericho His activity He pursues the Thieves Subdues Galile Alexandrium rebuilt Ptolomy slain Herod beats the Thieves Machaeras his cruelty Herod goes to Anthony Joseph is slain Herod overcomes his enemies A special providence Herod beats his enemies A special providence Pappus slain Herod besieges Jerusalem Marries Mariamne Herods great Army The Jews fight valiantly A Famine in Jerusalem Jerusalem taken by Herod Cruelty Antigonus imprisoned Herod sayes the City Rewards the Romans Herods cruelty Who were spectators of it Anthony slew Antigonus Hyrcanus honoured in Babylon Herods subtilty Hananeel made High-Priest Alexandra takes it ill Anthony sends for Aristobulus Aristobulus made High-Priest Alexandra confined She complains to Cleopatra She is surprized by Herod Aristobulus highly honoured He is drowned Herods subtilty Alexandra complains to Cleopatra Herod questioned by Anthony But cleared by his Bribes Herods return Ioseph put to death Gardens of Balsom Herod prepares to assist Anthony A great Earthquake Herod overcomes the Arabians Alexandra's restlesness Herod goes to Caesar. His cruel command Caesar honours him His Wife and Mother are full of discontents Herods bounty to Caesar and his Army Herod is jealous of his Wife He meets Caesar Caesar enlarges his Government Herods suspicions of his Wife are enencreased Mariamne condemned to death Her Mothers Hypocrisie Mariamnes Death Herods excessive grief for her A great Plague follows Herods Melancholy and sickness Alexandra's Treason and Death Herod grows cruel Salome leaves her Husband and comes to Herod Herods cruelty He instituted Games to the discontent of the Jews A conspiracy against Herod The Conspirators are put to Death Herods cruelty He fortified Samaria and built a Temple there He built several Castles Plague and Famine Herods care to provide for the People His bounty to strangers He sends aid to Caesar He built himself a Pallace He makes a new High Priest and marries Mariamne He built another Pallace And Sebaste and a stately Haven He sent his Sons to Caesar. Caesar enlarged his Kingdom He represented the Thieves He went to Agrippa 〈…〉 Caesar still enlarged his Dominions Herod builâ— a Temple and eased his Subjects His jealousies He rebuilt the Temple at Jerusalem Nine years it was in building He goes into Italy His bounty Herods Sons married Herod entertains Agrippa Herods great bounty His love to Agrippa Agrippa's love to him Herods favour to the Jews in Jonia Herod ingratiates himself with the Jews He is incensed against his Sons He visits Agrippa Antipaters subtility Herod accuseth his Sons Caesars favours to Herod Thieves subdued Herod returns with his Sons Agrippa born Herods great bnildings He robs Davids Sepulchre Antipaters sâ—btilty Alexander reconciled to his Father Herod goes again to Rome He returns and dedicates the Temple Thieves do much mischief Herod destroys thâ— Thieves Caesar
the Gauls His Policy He overcomes the Belgae A Battel His Policy He overcomes the Germans He passes over the Rhine And went into England Julias death He beats the French The French rebel Caesar overcomes them Non vult Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem Disorders at Rome Pompey sole Consul Pompey deluded Factions 〈◊〉 Rome Caesar goes against Pompey He passes Rubicon Pompey flies and the Senate Caesar pursues him He is Lord of all Italy And went to Rome He went into Spain And conquered Pompeys men And other places He takes Marcelleis His Captains had ill success Pompey prepares for War Caesar goes against him Now Brindez Skirmishes betwixt them Caesars rashness Caesar is beaten Caesars policy Pompeys good resolution Pompey beaten and slain Caesars clemency He pursues Pompey He comes into Aegypt Vanity of vanities His Wars iâ—â— Aegypt His danger His Victory He passes into Asia Overcomes Pharnaces He comes to Rome He passes into Africk He overcomes Scipio Cato kills himself He returns to Rome His Triumphs He goes into Spain A cruel Battel His Victory He returns to Rome His power His clemency and Magnanimity Discontents arise Base flattery His great projects His Pride His dissimulation A Conspiracy against him His Death foretold He is slain His Character His Will Peace concluded A tumult He favoured the Jews His Parentage His first imployment He comes into Italy Many resor to him He comes to Rome M. Anthony's Pride And falshood Caesar raises 〈…〉 Anthony leaves Rome His Parsimony Caesars Policy Anthony declared an Enemy Caesar overcomes him He flies into France Caesar makes himself Consul A Triumvirate efected Many proscribed Ingratitude Cicero flies And is slain Horrid cruelty Sons unnatural Sons dutiful and good Wives good Wives bad Servants bad Servants good A good Son A Jezabel Base Covetousness Valour Oppression They go against Brutus and Cassius Prodigies A Spectrum Brutus beats Caesar. M. Anthony beats Cassius Brutus beaten Kills himself Anthony with Cleopatra Troubles in Rome Caesars Victory Anthony comes into Italy Peace made betwixt them Anthony marries Octavia They are reconciled with Sextus Pompey The Parthians beaten Caesar envies Sextus Pompey Wars against him Caesar marries Livia Pompey beaten Caesar beaten Pompey beaten And flies And is slain Caesars dangers He falls out with Lepidus Caesars Policy Lepidus overcome Caesar returns to Rome Anthony besotted with Cleopatra Caesar seeks a quarrel with him Caesars new troubles Quarrels betwixt them Preparations for War Anthony imprudence Caesars message Anthonys answer They meet They prepare to fight A Battel Anthony flies His mens fidelity His Army yields to Caesar. Anthony lives privately Casar highly honoured Anthony prepares for War Caesar pursues him into Aegypt Prodigies Cleopatras treachery Anthony kills himself Caesar bewails his Death Caesar pardons the Aâ—gyptians Cleopatras Passion She kills her self Caesars Triumpas Caesars commendations Flatâ—â—ry Janus Temple shut up New troubles Spain subdued Augustus his crosses Many Ambassadours come to him Our Saviour Christ born His Prudence and Justice His Vices His Crosses A Prodigy His Death His Character He was a Friend to marriage His temperance His Prudence The Devils Oracles dumb His Charity His Parentage His Fathers peaceable disposition He resigns his Kingdom to his Son Tamerlanes war against the Muscovites His Victory His merciful disposition His Battel with the Muscovites His Victory He is wounded in the Baâ—tel Ally slain Tamerlanes Piety The Articleâ— of Peace His marriage to the great Chams Daughter His Prudence His agility and strength His Piety His Justice His preparations against the King of China The King of China's Pride His Piety towards his Father His sickness His Policy The Rebellion of Calix The Rebels subtilty Tamerlanes Prudence His march against Calix Calix leaves Cambalu The number of Calix Army Tamerlanes Prudence The Battel between Tamerlane and Calix Calix beaten and taken prisoner Calix condemned and executed Tamerlanes march into Cathay Cambalu yielded to him His departure from Cambalu His Policy Odmars good Counsel Tamerlanes Speech to his Army His Piety His march towards China A Chinois Lord comes to Tamerlane His Speech to Tamerlane Calibes speech to Tamerlane Tamerlanes confidence of success Forces sent into Chini The wall forced His first victory in China The King of China's fear The King of China's superstition The wall beaten down Tamerlanes courtesie His gratitude His Policy He besieges Paguinfou Formerly taken from the Tartars A Suburb taken by storm The wall won Tamerlanes Prudence The City surrendred Axallas modesty Tamerlanes Piety The riches of the Chinois Tamerlane prepares for the Battel The Battel begins The Scythians charge the Chinois Tamerlanes Constancy Calibes wounded retreats The Parthians chargethorow The Foot charge Axalla valour Tamerlane chargeth The King of China beaten Tamerlanes temperance His humility and modesty His Piety The King of China brought before him The King of China's proud speech Tamerlane's Courtesie The riches of China Quantou besieged Odmars policy The King of China's brother overthrown Quantou surrendred Tamerlanes Policy The Ambassadours proposals Tamerlane's proposals Peace concluded The King of China delivered Odmar made Governour Tamerlane's gratitude His Prudence His possessions in China His return into Tartary His liberality His entertainment at Cambalu His presents to the old Emperour He is stirred up against Bajazet He sends Ambassadors Bajazets proud answer Tamerlanes preparations against him Tamerlanes speech His entertainment at Samercand Envy attendâ— vertue His march towards Bajazet His Auxiliaries His Prudence The Georgians assist him His strict Discipline His huge Army Bajazets Pride Bajazet advanced towards him Tamerlanes moderation He passeth the River Euphrates Turkish Pride Turks beaten Sebastia taken Bajazets arrogance Note Tamerlanes favour to the Christians Bajazets approach Sennas surprized by Tamerlane His Policy An Ambush Two thousand Turks overthrown The Bassa of Natolia taken His Speech to Tamerlane Tamerlanes reply His release He commendâ— Tamerlane Preparations for the Battel Tamerlanes prudent practice His prudent Speech His direction for the Battel The Battel begins Bajazets great Army The Prince of Ciarchan slain A furious Battel Tamerlane himself chargeth Many revolt to Tamerlane The Turks overthrow Bajazet wounded Bajazet taken The valour of the Christians The Despot of Service Speech Tamerlane releaseth him Bajazets proud behaviour Leoncla in edit Annal. Turk Note Lex Talionis Tamerlanes Piety The dead buried Tamerlanes Policy The number of the slain The uncertainty of worldly greatness Bajazet kept in a Cage Pride goeth before destruction Tamerlane prosecutes his Victory The Turks fly Prusa taken The Greek Emperour â—ends Ambassadours The Greek Empire yielded to Tamerlane It 's refused by him Tamerlanes fidelity The Ambassadours dismissed The Greek Emperour comes to him Tamerlane goes to Constantinople He highly commended it He sends his Army to thei◠〈◊〉 quarters Bajazets Pride Tamerlan's Justice He marcheâ— towards Egypt His battel with the Sultan The Sultan beaten flyeth Damasco taken by storm Tamerlane goes to Jerusalem His Piety He marcheth into Egypt Damietia taken Tamerlane marched to Cair Caire besieged Tamerlanes policy Caire stormed Axalla enters Caire taken The Sultan â—lyeth Tamerlane pursueth A brave retreat of the Mamelukes Fidelity rewarded Caire plundered Tamerlane goes to Alexandria The Sultan flyes Axalla pursues him Many Kings submit to Tamerlane Tamerlane desires to return home He secures his new conquests Calibes made Governour Tamerlane goes to Jerusalem Bajazet's Character Tamerlanes Devotion He enlargeth Samercand His love to his Souldiers He goeth towards Quinsay Odmar's Victory in China Tamerlane gives him his sister in marriage The old Emperour buried His Son brought up at Quinsay The King of China comes to him Tamerlane's â—lain apparel Quinsay described It was one hundred miles in compass His directions about the breeding of his Son His second Son born Recreations rightly used His Prudence His return to Samercand His Justice His love to his servants His bounty His frugality His Death His Character Note Pepins Children Pepins Death His Character Charles made King His Education His Valour and other vertues His Endowments Carolomans Envy The State of Rome Several Popes chosen Steven confirmed Didiers Policy The Popes Secretaries hanged The Pope sends for King Charles Troubles in Guienne Charles subdues Hunalt Charles his Policy and Glemency Charles his marriage Carolomans death Charles his second marriage Pope Adrian Didiers Policy He makes War against the Pope Hunalts ingratitude The Pope sends to Charles for aid Charles Arms against Didier Didier prospers in his Wars Charles calls a Parliament Enters Italy and heats Didier Charles besieges Pavia and Verona The Italians submit to him Veronaâ— taken And Pavia Didier taken Prisoner Charles his moderation A Counsel at Rome New troubles in Italy But suppresed Charles his Wars with the Saxons The cause of it Charles calls a Parliament The Saxons overcome And converted Charles his Wars in Spain Charles circumvented Charles calls a Parliament His great preparations His entry into Spain Pampelune taken Milon defeated Aigoland entred France Charles returns Aigoland's Policy Aigolands dissimulation Charles returns into Spain Aigoland overthrown and slain The Sarazins rally A Gyant slain A Treaty of Peace A Traytor Charles returns into France Rowland assaulted His Valour His Death Charles overcomes the Sarazins Returns into France A Rebellion in Italy His Wars in Bavaria His Victories His education of his children A Sedition in Rome The Pope freed out of Prison Flies to Charles Charles goes to Rome Clears the Pope upon his Oath The State of the Eastern Empire Contention about Images A Counsel from them Charles against Images An unnatural Mother Irene trears with Charles Irene hated and deposed Nicephorus succeeds her He treats with Charles His large Dominions His Title to the Empire Naucler An Agreement betwixt Charles and the Pope Charles is envied Zonas Nicephorus is slain The Saxons oft rebell Charles his Prudence Crantz in Saxon. Bishopricks erected Troubles is Italy War with the Venetians Charles makes his Will He gives Laws to his Subjects Infidels beaten And the Bohemians and Polanders His War with the King of Denmark Pepin dies And Charles New enemies rise up His love to the Church He called five Councels His Ecclesiastical Constitutions A Counsel at Frankfort His Temperance His Exercises His Charity His last Wars His preparation for Death He makes his Will His virtues His large Dominions His Character His Zeal His blemishes His Epitaph The time of his Death His Wives and Children His Devotion His care of his Children His League with Scotland