in the Isle of Anglesey These saith J. Caesar in his Commentaries had the office of sacrificing of discussing points in Religion of educating youth determining differences with full power to exclude those from Sacrifice who disobeyed their precepts and sentence To make the people valiant they strove to arm them against the fear of death by teaching That mens Souls could not dye but passed out of one body into another They were likewise Astrologers and not altogether ignorant of one Eternal and Almighty God All their Learning was written in the Greek Tongue of which the Brittish language retains many words to this day But as all things degenerate so these Druides in time grew very barbarous for they use to stab men to death and by their falling bleeding or dismembring pretended to foretel things to come for which and many other wicked practices this Sect was extirpated in Gallia and long after in Brittain by King Lucius when he had received the Gospel Bardus the Son of Druis succeeded and was much admired by his People for inventing Songs and Musick and such as excelled therein he constituted into an Order of Philosophical Poets or Heraulds calling them by his own name Bards and J. Caesar reports he found some of them here at his arrival Their business was to record the noble exploits of their valiant Captains in Songs and Ditties which they sung to their Instruments at the solemn Feasts of their Grandees and were so highly esteemed that when two Armies were even ready to ingage if a Bard had stept between both Parties would have held their hands to hear his advice till he were out of danger of whom Lucan thus sings Vos quoque qui fortes animas belloque peremptus c. Then you brave Bards securely sung The Praises of dead Peers In lofty strains so to prolong Their Fame for many years And because these Poets were neither repugnant to the Roman civility nor the Christian Religion they alone above all other Sects were suffered to continue long after the birth of Christ nay some report there are many of them to be found in Wales to this day still called Barthes and an Island near that Countrey is named Bardsey upon that account After Bardus death the people neglecting the Laws of their Predecessors and falling into Luxury were easily subjected by Albion the Giant said to be the Son of Neptune the Sea God and the same with Naphthuim mentioned by Moses the Son of Cham who had by his wife Amphitrea four Sons to each of whom he gave an Island Albion the youngest landed in England which he quickly subdued arriving in light Ships covered over with beasts skins and called the Countrey by his own name so that the race of the Samotheans being extinguished the Succession was changed from the Family of Japhet to that of cursed Cham Having named the Isle Albion he and his Companions were called Giants though not as some think from their stature which yet was much larger than now but Gigantes or Sons of the Earth many huge bones discovered in our age demonstrating that they were much taller than we are now As Albion conquered Brittain so his Brother Berguin commanded in Ireland and the Orkneys These two had notice that the Great Hercules their Cozen after he had subdued Spain resolved to pass into Italy against their Brother Lestrigo to revenge the murther of his Father Osyris whom these Sons of Cham had slain though he was their uncle as being Brother to Neptune and to add to their barbarity had divided his carcase each preserving a piece of his flesh as a monument of their victory Upon this account Hercules whom Moses calls Laabin proclaiming War against them having first destroy'd the Tyrants Tryphon and Busiris in Egypt Anteus in Mauritania and the Gerions in Spain he leads his Armies thence toward Italy both the Brothers joined to oppose him and near Rhodanus a terrible Battel was fought wherein Hercules doubting of success his Souldiers having spent all their arrows he commanded them to throw stones whereof there were plenty at their enemies by which they obtained an entire victory killing Albion and Berguin in the field with most of their Forces which made the Poets feign that Jupiter assisted his Son Hercules by throwing down stones from Heaven Albion being thus slain the people at home having no Governor fell into all kind of disorders and seemed to differ little from wild beasts till the arrival of the daughters of Danaus of whom ancient Historians give this Account Belus the son of Epaphus had two sons Danaus and Egyptus both Kings of Egypt Danaus ruled the upper Region and by divers wives had fifty daughters and his brother Egyptus happened likewise to have 50 sons who desiring the Dominion of the whole Countrey earnestly required the daughters to be married to his sons But Danaus having notice by an Oracle That he should receive his death by a son in law refused the proposal whereupon his brother made War upon him and drove him out of his Kingdom who imbarquing himself and his daughters in some small Boats arrived in Greece and dispossessing Gelenor King of Argos of his Realm by the assistance of his own subjects who hated him he reigned there with so much glory that the Greeks were after called Danai from his name Egyptus his brother vext that he should escape sent his Sons with a great Army to pursue their uncle with commission not to return till they had either slain Danaus or obtained his daughters in marriage who thereupon coming into Greece were so successful that he was forced to give them up and married they were but Danaus bent upon revenge gave every one a dagger charging them after their husbands were asleep to kill them all and that he would certainly be the death of her who should refuse They all obey his will but Hypermenestra over whom love prevailed more than fear of her Fathers severity who awake't her husband Lynceus and advising him to fly back to Egypt for safety Danaus having notice of the disobedience of Hypermenestra resolved to have put her to death but was hindred by the Argives yet kept her close Prisoner He then endeavoured to get husbands for his daughters but they were so abhored for their treachery that it was hard to procure them Lynceus arriving safe in Egypt his Father was so incensed at the murder of his other sons that he sent him back with strong Forces against his uncle who prevailed and soon dispatcht him setting his wife at liberty and subduing the whole Kingdom of the Argives and then sending for Danaus daughters he judged them not worthy to live for their cruelty yet being his wives sisters he would not put them to death but commanded they should be put into a Ship without Sails or Oars and so left to the mercy of the wide Ocean Who after many dangers were at length cast happily upon this Isle of Albion where getting ashoar and
unfortunate Lucretia go for revenge To the Kings Family It is they have injur'd me To my own Friends It is I have injured them O ye Gods of Hospitality it is you I call upon but to what purpose call I on you since you have permitted it Revenge me you Infernal Powers but why invoke I you since you were his assistants in this horrid crime I my self will revenge my self and will by my own death take greater vengeance on this my Enemy than by living I will dye not to lessen my own faults but to aggravate his villany not because I have sinned but to shew that she did not subject her self to sense who voluntarily deprives her self of sense I will die that I may not live in such wretched times that make life a shame and to be born is the greatest misfortune my fall shall ease your thoughts and make my revenge happy and I who will not live an example of dishonour to Women will die an example of courage to men Ah poor Lucretia what a cruel Guest Didst thou receive How was thy House unblest And by mistake how sadly didst thou prove Thy Table fed a Serpent not a Dove As she uttered these last words she plunged a knife into her breast and fell down dead thereon Her Father and Husband surprized at this sudden stroke set out a loud cry Daughter Dear Daughter old Lucretius cryes That life was mine which thou hast here depriv'd If in the Child the Fathers Image lyes Where shall I live now Lucreece is unliv'd Collatinus her husband seconds these Lamentations My Dear Lucretia in whose breast doth lye My Life is fled unto Eternity She 's dead She 's dead and Oh! if that were all In time I might endeavour to recall My Grief but she 's ah what I speak's too true Ravisht by Death ay and by Tarquin too Brutus while they where full of greif drew forth the bloudy knife out of Lucretia's wound and said I swear by this bloud which was so chast before the wicked Ravisher stained it and ye Gods be ye all witnesses of my vow and resolution that I will endeavour to extirpate Tarquin the proud his wife and all his Race with sword fire or any other violent means that I have power to use nor will suffer them nor any other King to have any Authority or Dominion in Rome At these words Collatine and Lucretius the husband and Father and likewise Valerius were even astonished to see the dull disposition of Brutus so soon altered they therefore threaten nothing but revenge and their Laments are turned into indignation resolving to follow the resolutions of Brutus who thus incited them to endeavour to root out the wicked Family of the Tarquins from among them In prosecution whereof they carried the body of the bleeding Lucretia into the Market place where they endeavoured to inflame the people with the prefence of so dismal an object which occasioned every one to exclaim against the cruelty and violence of the Tarquins yet had not this woful sight nor the doleful cryes of her Father and husband so much effect upon them as the earnest excitations of Brutus who with all manner of eloquence and zeal perswaded them to act as became men and Romans who were sollicitous for the liberty of their Countrey by taking Arms against their common Enemy Upon which the brisk young men immediately assembled ready armed and having left sufficient Guards at the Gates of Collatia to prevent any Intelligence from going to Tarquin the rest followed Brutus their Commander to Rome where being arrived the people of that City were much alarm'd and seeing such considerable Persons command them thought it was no rash attempt they had undertaken So that the multitude running from all parts to the Market place the Cryer summoned them to appear before the Tribune which Office Brutus himself at that time happened to bear Being assembled he made a very ingenious and pathetick speech to them wherein he discovered much more sense and understanding than he had ever before pretended to in words to this effect Most Noble Romans will you still suffer this ravenous cruel lustful tyrant To what end do you bring up your Sons To what purpose do you give education to your daughters Wherefore do you heap up riches for a Cruel wretch which will kill your Sons for a Lascivious Tyrant to debauch your daughters for an avaritious taskmaster who will rob you of your wealth If you bear with Tarquin or any of his Race in hopes they may amend 't is vanity If because you fear him 't is madness A Tyrant is a Monster who is by nature intended only for a scourge to men and therefore none can be safe under him he equally fears and hates both good and wicked men and despiseth lukewarmness and indifferency What is it you expect perhaps the old kings death Who can imagine the Sons will be better than the Father Their tempers are composed of the bloud of two wicked ones They are educated by a Tyrant born in the proud commanding family of the Tarquins and therefore like to be altogether as insupportable as their parents Tarquins lust is not extinguished by Lucretias death 't will be more raging if it remain unpunish't the calamities of other persons may be a lesson to you and he who can learn by others harms though he may want experience yet he is certainly more happy Let your bosoms then be no more exposed to the loss of bloud for increasing the grandeur and dominion of that City which belongs to another And for which you will be rewarded with nothing but bloud and wounds Are you not aware that you conquer Nations only to reduce them under Tarquins tyranny That by bringing others into bondage you make your own slavery the greater No longer then suffer your hands which were formerly accustomed to noble deeds and to bring home glorious Triumphs for adorning your Capitol to be basely imployed in emptying Vaults and removing Uncleanness Courage Noble Citizens deceive your selves no longer through ignorance of your own power but henceforth learn to know your own strength delay no longer in such an enterprize wherein delaying may be your ruin Now you have one to lead you need not fear to want followers all mens wills are alike opposite to Tyrants only few are so daring as to begin I will be your Head to drive out Tarquin I will be your companion in forming your liberty I will be the first in danger and the last in happiness Brutus his words make a sudden impression upon the People and he who would have them follow him need use no other inchantment but the name of Liberty which carries an universal influence with it though very few truly understand what it is The incensed multitude unanimously resolve to abrogate Tarquins power and banish him with his Wife and Children Whilst Brutus and his youthful Volunteers went to Ardea to inflame the Army against the King He
in the Woods leaving two Sons Mempricius and Manlius He is said to have built Madan Castle now Doncaster IV. Mempricius at the beginning of his reign had much trouble from his brother Manlius who out of an ambitious mind of ruling provoked the Brittains to rebellion and the war was long and bloudy But Manlius under pretence of treating being slain he reigned more peaceably which yet produced as bad an effect for being quiet he ran into all manner of debauchery ravishing the Wives and daughters of his Subjects and at length grew so unnatural in his lust that he forsook his wives and Concubines and fell into the abominable sin of Sodomy Whereby he became odious to God and man and met with the fate of his Father being slain by Wolves in the forrests after twenty years reign V. Ebrank his Son by his lawful wife was his Successor he had as is said twenty one wives on whom he begot twenty sons and thirty daughters He built many Cities in his own kingdom and elsewhere He sent his daughters into Italy to be married to some noble Trojans whom his sons conducted thither and in their return conquered part of Germany that impeded their passage and planted themselves there Ebrank built Caerbrank now York and Maidens Castle in Scotland now Edenburgh After which he invaded Gallia now France and subduing the Galles returned home with great riches and having reigned forty years died and was buried at York VI. Brute Greenshield his Son was King after him in the year of the world 2009. Asa being then King of Judah and Baasha of Israel He always wore a Green Shield from whence he took his Sirname and prosecuted his Fathers Conquests in France which he wholly subdued and then dying VII Leil his Son built the City of Carleil after his own name and repaired Caerleon now Chester which was built before Brutes coming by a famous Giant named Leon Gaur In the beginning of his reign he was very good and virtuous but afterward degenerated into all kind of voluptuousness whereby he caused great divisions and disturbances among his Subjects which continued during his life He was buried at Carlisle and left the Government to his Son. VIII Lud or Hudibras who appeased the dissentions raised in his Fathers reign and reduced the Realm to quietness he built Kaerkin now Canterbury Câ—â—rguent now Winchester and Mount Palondour now Shaftsbury In his reign Aquila a learned man writ his Prophecies of which some fragments now remain in Latin. Having reigned thirty nine years he left his kingdom to his Son. IX Bladud who was famous for Astronomy and Necromancy by which means he is reported to have made those hot Baths in the City of Caerbran now called Bath and was so addicted to the study of Magick and other strange practices that he taught them to his people and to magnify his Skill therein undertook to fly in the air but his Skill failing he fell upon the Temple of Apollo in Troynovant now London and was dasht to peices after he had reigned twenty years X. Lear his Son undertook the Government after him a Prince of a gallant temper and ruled with much justice He built the Town of Caerlier now Leicester upon the River Sore It is related he had three daughters named Gonerilla Regan and Cordilla whom he loved very tenderly especially the youngest and growing aged without an Heir he resolved to try the affection of his daughters and to leave the Kingdom to her who should express most fatherly kindness to him He therefore demanded of the first how much she loved him who with great earnestness called Heaven to witness That she loved him above her own life was very ready to lose it for preserving his With which reply he was well satisfied and askt the same question of the second who with mighty attestations assured him That her affection was beyond expression and that she valued him above all things in the World Lastly he required Cordilla the youngest to declare what kindness she had for him who replied Knowing the extream love and parental indulgence you have always born to me I do solemnly and from my conscience protest I ever did and ever shall love you as a natural Father and no otherwise Lear was much discontented at her answer and therefore soon after married his two eldest daughters one to the Duke of Cornwall and the other to the Duke of Albany and ordained that after his death the Kingdom should be divided between them but reserved nothing for Cordilla Yet it happened that Aganippus King of Gallia now France hearing of her beauty wisdom and virtue sent to her Father to desire her in marriage who answered He might marry if he pleased without a Dowry since all his land was already disposed to her elder sisters Aganippus notwithstanding for her excellent qualities made her his Queen He was one of the twelve Kings that then ruled in Gallia Lear was now very aged and the two Dukes thinking it very long before they enjoyed the Kingdom taking arms deprived him of the Government only allowing him a certain revenue during life but after a while they grew weary and much diminished his allowance yea his two daughters who made such zealous profession of love now thought much of what their Father enjoyed so that he went from the eldest to the second to whom he represented the unnaturalness of her sister who used him as ill as the other and at last reduced him to so mean a condition that he had not one servant to wait on him At length wearied with their affronts and abuses he fled secretly into France to seek relief of his youngest daughter Cordilla having notice of the arrival of her Father in so mean and wretched a state she sent him privately some money to provide necessaries and to retain a number of servants that he might appear at Court honourably attended according to his former dignity whither being come he was received with all manner of respect and honour by the King and his daughter wherewith he was exceedingly comforted and gave them an account of the bad treatment he had received from his other daughters upon which Aganippus raised a great Army and conveyed them over into Brittain in a gallant navy of Ships together with King Lear for recovering his Kingdom who had made an agreement that Cordilla should succeed after his decease since her sisters by their disobedience had forfeited their former right In short time they landed in Brittain Cordilla being with them and meeting with the two Dukes they ingaged in battel and put them to flight the Dukes being both slain and Lear thereupon restored to his Kingdom who reigned two years after and then died after he had ruled in all forty years and was buried in a vault under the Chanel of the River Soar near Leicester XI Cordilla being admitted Queen of the Realm reigned very happily five years at the end of which her two Nephews
beheaded at Antioch and Herod thereby secured in the Throne Hyrcanus being carried Captive to the Parthians he there continued peaceably little moved with all the horrible changes he had met with However he was much respected by the Jews that fled thither for security from their own Countrey who gave him as great reverence as if he were still their King though now in Captivity in a strange Land Herod hearing of it and fearing the consequence sends great gifts and earnest Letters to the Parthian King beseeching him to send home Hyrcanus his Father and Benefactor that he might share the Scepter with him and have the comfort of so faithful a Friend and Counsellor The King of Parthia sensible what interest Herod had with the Romans give Hyrcanus leave to go whither he pleased who resolved to return to Jerusalem though disswaded by his most faithful friends and was there received with much seeming kindness by Herod who had now all the Royal Family of Judea in his own power Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus a woman of an imperious Spirit was Wife to Alexander aforementioned by whom she had two Children Aristobulus and Mariamne This daughter was reckoned one of the greatest beauties in the World and admired by many Neighbour Princes and therefore could hardly escape the observation of Herod who required her in marriage of her Grand-father and Mother who having neither courage nor power to deny and hoping she might incline him to be kind to the Royal bloud gave her to him for a Wife though she her self were sensible that she was hereby delivered into the paw of the Lyon who might seem to take delight in her beauty but would at length destroy her Yet perferring obedience to her Parents before her own safety she seem'd contented with their determination But though this marriage might seem somewhat to fortifie his Title to the kingdom yet Herod was unquiet whilst so many others appeared to have more right thereto and already shewed his disaffection to these his new Allies For Hyrcanus being uncapable of holding the High Priest-hood because of his deformity in the loss of his ears all mens eyes were upon Aristobulus brother to Mariamne a Person of excellent hopes and bred up in the Court whereby he was accomplished for this great Office But Herod doubting he had already too much favour with the People designed to prefer another Jew named Ananel whom he had found out beyond Euphrates Mariamne perceiving by this how her family was affronted and what an indignity it would be for her brother to be deprived of that honour which by nature and kindred he seemed designed for being of a generous mind addressed her self to Herod telling him That her brother was the only hope of her house which yet was so decayed that he had no reason to be suspected of attempting the Crown If he would bestow the High Priests Office on him he would make him his Creature who was yet so young that any impression might be made upon him and that this act would indear him in the affections of his Subjects to be so kind to a Grandson of Hyrcanus whose virtue they had always admired Herod was perswaded by these pressing reasons from so sweet a Tongue and constituted young Aristobulus High Priest dismissing Ananel who at present did officiate Alexandra the mother was so transported at the news that she wept for joy and freely declared to Herod That she was ambitious of no more advancement for her Son and did absolutely renounce all pretensions to the kingdom and could now dye very well satisfied since she was so happy to see her daughter a Queen and her Son High Priest At the feast of Tabernacles Aristobulus then but seventeen years old entred into his Office and was much reverenced by the Jews who had a great opinion that he would equal if not exceed his Predecessors They remembred that his Grandfather Hyrcanus was but like a Statue and Aristobolus was carried in Chains to Rome like a Gally-slave and his Father Alexander and Uncle Antigous had lost their lives by opposing forreign Servitude and hoped that this young Prince who had escaped so many Shipwracks was reserved for some notable Service to his Countrey Herod whose jealousy never slept observing with what affection the people received him caused Spies to be set upon him his Sister and Mother so that they could not stir out of the Palace but he had notice of it Mariamne was so discreet as not to discover much resentment at this unkind usage but her mother Alexandra not enduring this Royal confinement resolved to endeavour her freedom and therefore writes to Cleopatra the renowned Queen of Egypt who upon many accounts had an aversion to Herod complaining of the calamities she suffered from him and intreating her assistance in order to their deliverance or that she would afford them a sccure retreat into her kingdom till the storm of Herods jealousy was over-blown Cleopatra invited her to come with all speed into Egypt with her Son and that she should think it her glory to be instrumental in serving so great a Princess whereupon she resolved secretly to depart with Aristobulus her Son not daring to impart the secret to her daughter Mariamne least the tenderness of her Nature should divert her from so perillous an attempt She then caused two Coffins to be made in which she contrived her self and Son should be carried out in the night and put into a Bark prepared for that purpose which should instantly sail into Egypt but one of her Servants discovering the design to Herod he took no notice thereof till it was put in execution and then seizing the Coffins surprized them both yet seemed not much concerned but pretended to pardon her out of the greatness of his Spirit though the chief cause was the fear of disobliging Cleopatra whom he knew would highly resent it however he inwardly resolved to make away Aristobulus after some time that it might not be suspected to be any act of revenge in him When the Feast was over Herod went to Jericho where he was entertained at the house of Alexandra and feigned to have buried all past actions in oblivion entertaining Aristobulus with much endearedness and playing like a young man with him at several sports wherewith they exercised themselves so long that being all in a great heat they concluded to cool their bodies in the adjoining River which was shaded with Trees and pleasant Arbors Aristobulus by the persuasions of Herod went in likewise when Herods Confederates whom he had hired to commit the murther came toward him and pretending to hold him in sport under water they never left him till he was stifled therein The news coming to Jerusalem the whole City was drowned in tears and the women made woful lamentations over the dead body and all thought themselves concern'd in this publick loss but especially Alexandra the mother who was so inraged at this unspeakable mischief especially since
and this sudden discomfiture struck such terror into the other German Princes that they speedily sent to desire Peace and became Tributary to him The Queen was very joyful at this notable success but much more at the devout resolution of her husband and therefore went several miles to meet him in his return accompanied by a renowned Bishop called Remigius a person famous for piety in that age Clovis no sooner approached the Queen but even ravished both with her presence and his great Victory he told her That he had indeed triumpht over the Almains but she had conquered him and that he would now defer his Baptism no longer The Queen extreamly pleased at the news told him that the glory of his Conquests was only due to the God of Battels to whom he could not make a more pleasing return than by giving up himself to his worship and service and that she had brought an Holy person with her to perform that acceptable duty to the Almighty Soon after he was accordingly Baptized with great Solemnity at Rhemes and it is said that his Children his Sisters and above three thousand Courtiers Gentlemen Commanders and Souldiers were made partakers of the like blessing at the same time After which Clovis publishing a favourable Edict toward the Christians almost all the French Nation were converted and with much Zeal threw down the Idols and Altars of their former Superstition The Queen to prosecute this blessed work she had so happily begun persuaded Clovis to build divers Christian Churches and endow them with considerable revenues after which he subdued Burgundy and united it to his Kingdom together with Provence Dauphine and Savoy and then marches with his Victorious Army into Langudoc against the Visegoths where he slew Alarick their king with his own hand and obtained a remarkable Victory seeming irresistible in all his attempts and having extended his Empire from the Rhine to the Sein and from the Pyrenean Mountains to the Ocean he at length submited to the fate of all other Mortals and died leaving his dominions divided between his four Sons Clotilda was very sensibly afflicted for the loss of so indulgent an husband and so great a Conqueror but time having in some measure abated her sorrows she resolved to wear out the remainder of her days in a devout and retired life but however was much disturbed in this her recluse condition by hearing of the horrible confusions and disorders among her Sons who not content with their Fathers allotment raised dreadful wars against each other till at length after the destruction of all the rest Clotair the third Son alone enjoyed the whole kingdom Clotilda used her utmost endeavours to have appeased their quarrels and one time among the rest prevented a battel ready to begin by her prudent advice saying My Dear Children I had great expectation that after the death of my loving Lord I should have reaped much comfort from your mutual agreement and never expected that you could believe it a worthy matter to unpeople the World or that you ought to violate the law of nature and brotherly love for inlarging your power or to establish your Thrones by the bloud of each other Return then my Children to the waies of peace which you have forsaken and be united in an indissoluble affection do justice to your people and live now as you expect to dye I give you my last farewel and pray remember the words of your dying Mother and bury me in the Sepulcher of the King your Father as I have ever desired At which words they laid by all their anger and were at present made Friends After this being sensible of her death approaching she continued in sweet extasies of Soul and praises to God for her deliverance out of this troublesom World and about midnight uttering with much earnestness these words To thee O Lord I commit my Soul O God I have put my trust in thee therefore let me never be ashamed She gave up the ghost Her name and memory being in much reverence in France to this very day The History of Andegona Princess of Spain SWeet Andegon the most endeared wife Of Ermangild who lov'd her as his life Though of Great Sufferings she did partake Yet the true Faith by no means would forsake Neither could all the Wiles nor cruelty Of a Step-mother shake her constancy Which o're her husbands Soul such power did gain He the same Faith with zeal did entertain And with such courage doth the same profess His bloudy Father could not dispossess His mind thereof But with unnatural rage Puts him to death his fury to asswage OUr Ninth and last Feminine Worrhy I shall fetch from Spain her name Andegona who in the year of our Lord 486. was married to Ermangild Son to Lenigild King of Spain an Arrian she was one of the most accomplisht Princesses in the World in whom virtue grace and beauty made an admirable harmony Her native Countrey was France being the daughter of Sigebert grand-child of the pious Clotilda our former Heroine At her arrival in Spain her husband Ermangild was surprized with her graces and his Soul was transported with a sweet violence toward a person of such extraordinary endowments so that never were Nuptials more full of content nor amities more faithful than between these two endeared Lovers which yet in a short time met with some Clouds of discontent and trouble Lenigild her Father in Law was about this time married to a second Wife an Arrian named Gosintha as deformed in body as mind who notwithstanding had obtained such Soveraignty over the heart of this old King that she had the sole management of his affairs and all was acted according to her will and pleasure However she pretended an extraordinary contentment at the consummation of this marriage and went in Person to wait upon and entertain the Princess seeming to overwhelm her with kindness and courtesy Yet at length out of an envious or malicious disposition she seemed much disturbed at the chast dalliances between them especially since she saw Ermangild wholly transported with love to his excellent Lady so that he could hardly endure her out of his fight whereby their discourses conversation and pleasures became as troublesom to Gosintha as if she had been one of those Infernal Spirits that possess and torment poor mortals Though Andegona had the greatest passion in the World for her Lord yet she durst not refuse the company of this troublesome Creature whereby her husband to his great regret was deprived of it who told her That she ought to be satisfied with the power and interest she had in affairs of state and not pry into nor interrupt his converse with his dearest spouse Gosintha repled That the frequent Conferences she had with his Princess were only in order to convert her to the Arrian Faith so called from Arrius Bishop of Alexandra the author of a wicked and blasphemous Heresy against the Divinity of our
Letters to him full of fair promises and invitations to return to Court not without some sharp reflections upon the change of his Religion without his consent and that he had put himself into a posture of War and rebellion against his own Father which no pretence to Piety could possibly justify Ermangild seemed doubtful what answer to return but his young Councellors too warmly alledged That there was now no place to retire since he had to do with a Prince who was both imperious and turbulent and with a Mother in Law altogether irreconcileable and revengeful who would never be satisfied but in his utter destruction and that if he did not now take arms to secure his life he would be chased like awild Beast and hardly find security even in the desarts He therefore sent back to his Father That his Religion had taught him to bear patiently the sharpness of his words to whom he was bound by immortal obligations but that he could not think his life safe in a place where his wife for whose sake only he lived had received such horrible abuses and as for his changing his Religion he ought to know That a Father requireth imnatural obedience when he exacteth it of a Child against his conscience and therefore humbly desired that he would suffer him to repose peaceably at Sevil least their arms might be as shameful to the Conquerour as miserable to the vanquished Lenigild more exasperated now than before especially by the constant aggravations of the wicked Step-mother resolved to reduce his son by force and acts of Hostility were begun till at length Ermangild was besieged in Sevil where he had continued three years since his departure from Court The Religious Andegona apprehending the sad effects of these impending distractions besought her husband with the utmost tenderness and tears in her eyes to reconcile himself to his Father who unable to resist such potent pleaders seemed wholly changed at her motion and told her that since she desired it he was resolved to submit to his father but advised her That to prevent falling again into the hands of the merciless Gosintha he should retreat to Constantinople for safety till she faw what entertainment he should meet with Andegona was extreamly afflicted at this proposal and wept bitterly at the thoughts of being separated from the chief object of her love But however necessity compelling them Ermangild took his little Son that hung at the breast and told her See here Madam the most precious pledge of our marriage which I recommend to your care Let God dispose of it as he please but you must bring it up as a King At which redoubling her sighs they parted with violent convulsions of grief Andegona at her last farewel adjuring him that by no means he should lose his faith which he assuring her to maintain to the last moment they were then separated never to meet again in this World. The King understanding his Son was inclined to peace rejoiced thereat and dispatcht his younger brother Ricardo to his Camp who arriving there and seeing his brother Ermangild cried out O my brother before I imbrace thee I desire to know whether I am come to a friend or an enemy Ermangild imbraced him tenderly in sight of the whole Army assuring him of the great affection he had ever born both to his Father and himself and instantly both hasten to the Court where the Prince prostrating himself at the feet of the King he with all kind of submission declared That he was ready to live or dye at his feet The King either feignedly or in earnest told him that he found he had been much misrepresented but that this action had cleared all his suspicions and that he was very welcom inquiring where his wife was Who replyed she would speedily be at Court Gosintha then present seemed mightily pleased shewing him all manner of kindness upon which Ermangild banishing all suspition resolved to send for Andegona to Court But all her pretences were only pernicious flatteries for much doubting if he should gain his Fathers heart her faction might be disturbed she forged Letters and suborned witnesses to swear that all this submission of his Son was only a trick and design to bereave him of the Kingdom which she seemed so clearly to demonstrate that the old doting King was in a greater fury than before and commanded him to be arrested for treason and committed him close Prisoner loaden with irons and clothed in Sackcloth The Prince by this violent procedure perceiving his hour was nigh renounced all the concernments of this World and couragiously prepared himself for death when the King coming to visit him was so far transported with rage as to call him Ingrateful wicked wretch To whom the Prince mildly answered that he could not possibly imagine what he was guilty of and therefore must dye in silence and without making any defence His father told him his own evil conscience sufficiently accused him if he would be so just as to acknowledge his vile intentions and of which he should be very glad to find him innocent Hereupon Ermangild made a large Apology wherein he fully cleared himself from all things charged upon him So that the King being convinced had nothing to charge him with but the change of his Religion which the Prince freely acknowledged and vowed That he would dye a thousand deaths rather than reneunce that True faith which he had now imbraced The father called him fool and remanded him back to Prison wherewith some difficulty he writ a letter to his dear Andegona wherein he returns her many thanks that from her he had received the true knowledge of God and was resolved to suffer the utmost extremity in defence of the same advising her after his death to make her escape to Constantinople Mean while Ricardo his younger brother was extreamly troubled that by being a mediator for peace he had been the occasion of this deplorable Tragedy and seeing Ermangild covered with sackcloth and loaded with chains he stood at first mute like a statue and then breaking forth into tears said Ah brother it is I that have betrayed you it is I who have fettered you like an ignominious slave take therefore my dagger and revenge your wrongs upon my guilty head for being accessary though against my will to your destruction His brother endeavoured by gentle words to appease his passion and told him it was no fault of his and that he would most willingly lay down his life for his Religion which was the only charge his enemies had against him Riccardo went to the King and by all manner of intreaties endeavoured to mollify his bloudy mind but the Faction of Gosintha much doubting the resentment of the brothers sounded nothing in his ears but the danger of so great an Offender who shewed himself so insolent in his misery that nothing could be expected but his utmost vengeance in his prosperity The credulity of the unfortunate