reported that his notorious crimes exceeded the dayes of his age which I ouerpasse as examples necessary for other purposes and vnto this impious parte I will ioyne this following crueltie Upon a day one tolde this naughtie Emperour that his cosen Mamertius Antomenes resembled him in comelynesse of bodie and magnanimitie of minde vpon which report Commodus pronounced death both vpon the reporter and his innocent cousen holding it for reason that it appertained to no man to vaunt lesse to resemble him and in my opinion if Antomenes resembled him in deuilish qualities death was too easie a scourge for so lewde a life Mulla Abdula father of Moley Mahumet commonly called the blacke king in whose cause the mortall battaile betwéene the king of Portugall and Amoley Muluco king of Fees was fought the 5. of August 1578. as in the alteration of the latter common weales by enuy shal be more largely shewen vpon an enuious suggestion that his brethren by the priuity in nature and bloud loked to liue in greater liberty then subiectes by the assistaunce of a noble man of the countrey called Alcatho Alley caused the throates of a eleuen of his brethren to be cut in one morning Now to conclude these particular tyrannies of enuye vnto which millions of notorious examples may be enserted the monstrous murders of king Richard the third a tyrant of our nation is worthy note in whose wretched end yet worthy his wickednes the happines of Englande began againe to florish and enioyed her auncient renowne This tyraunt at such time as he was Duke of Glocester with an enuious eye behelde the soueranity of king Edwarde the 4. his brother and yet inforced by necessity obeyed him For annoynted kinges with weake policies are not depriued but vnable to hold his hand from their throates who for their dignities toke the vpper hand of him against the lawes of honor with his impious handes he stabbed Prince Edward to the hart beeing taken prisoner at the battaile of Tewksbury Next like an Alehouse ruffen with his dagger he slew the infortunate good king Henry the sixt in the tower of London Then heaping murder vppon murder he caused George Duke of Clarence his naturall Brother to be drowned in a Butte of Malmesey And last though not the least to rowle vp a number of noble subiectes endes with the death of king Edward the fift and Richard Duke of Yorke the kinges brother his nephewes whom he caused to be murthered in the Tower and buried without honor to infame the name of king Edward the fourth and his posterity he pronounced his mother like a filthy harpye to be a strumpet and that the sayd king Edward was a Bastard and him selfe onely legitimate as I think sonne of the diuel for it séemeth wonderful that so inhumane a creature should take life of humane séed CHAP. 3. Enuy originall of warre and capitall cause of the destruction of the first Monarchies MAny yéeres after the beginning euery king qui etly enioyed the countries in his own possession vntil Ninus king of the Asserians enuying the soueranity of his neighbour kings put him self in armes vnlawfully to inlarge his owne dominions by deposing other froÌ„ their kingdoms Thus byenuy froÌ„ the bottom of hell came war by war confusion of deuine humaine blessings the aduauncement of thousandes of diuelish iniquities For whereas lawes giue place to armes the honor of God is wounded his word is misprised Iesus Christ is blasphemed and persecuted his Gospell is reiected and his Sacraments are prophaned fire is put to the house of the lord Wolues are thruste into his stéepefolde and wilde Bores among his vines truth and equity is peruerted charity is cold innocents and the iust are oppressed youth bee ill instructed publicke orders are broken discipline and rules of good life are abolished ignoraunce is raysed knowledge is abased proud ambitious and men of leaste estimation doe gouerne the learned wise and vertuous are disofficed as ideots and men of no merite countries bee vnpeopled fayre Cities are burned peaceable citizens are murthered their wiues and daughters are rauished their groundes lye vntilled goods compassed by the trauels of a mans whole life in one hower doe become the spoyle of a riotous souldiour And to conclude though short of a number of other curses which follow warre vice mounted in her chariot of triumph arrogaÌ„tly treadeth pore vertue vnder foot therby they that shold cry out of this outrage against God and man are dumb and the reformers of these enormities deafe these vengeances by war the enuious eye and ambitious hart of Ninus bred in the worlde which died not with the destruction of Th'asserian monarchy Notwithstanding enuy the erecter was the destroyer therof For Arbactus leiftenant of the Meades enuiyng the soueranity of Sardanapalus a man more effeminate then a woman by the assistaunce of other lords gaue battaile vnto the king Sardanapalus discomforted â—…led into his pallas there enuiyng the fortune of Arbactus more to reaue him of the glory of his triumph then moued by sorrow of his own defeat Sardanapalus set fire of his Pallas his wealth him selfe so by the prodigall spoyle of his life recouered the reputation of a man for manhood is most truely tried by constancy in the trembling passage of death The like enuious part was committed by Ariathes king of Capidocia who being ouercome in battail by Perdicas one of Alexanders successors fled into the Citye enuiyng Perdicas good fortune more then he lamented his owne mischance caused the city to be set on fire incouraged his souldiers citizens to slay their wiues children holding it lesse euill to die by the violence of friends then to liue a seruile life vnder the controlment of their enemies And by this means in truth he reaued Perdicas of the spoyle of his victory but did both vnto him selfe and countrey an iniury against nature and reason against nature in committing wilful murder vpon him selfe posterity against reason in that time was able to repaire his ruines of fortune But to kéep an order in discoursing the actions of enuy by the victory which Arbactus had ouer Sardanapalus the empyre of Th'asserians was traÌ„slated into the Meades which corse most conquerors adopted Princes euer since haue taken to crown their natiue countrey with imperiall title to leaue the places conquered or by other meanes gayned to the tyrannye of leifetenants Well this monster enuy which mortifieth the naturall affection of a father robbeth dutifull obedience from the son made the one of these the cause the other the ouerthrow of this second empire For Astiages the last king of the Meades receauing answer of the Oracle that his daughters sonne should gouerne his empire as it were to despight the Gods that had fore destined this honor vnto his daughters sonne vpon an enuious thought first
man the Emperour made many great offers to Megolo all which he refused and answered him that he was not come thither for the couetousnes of goods but for his owe the name of the Genowaies honour and that he demaunded of him none other thing then that in remembrance hereof he would build at Trebisonde a fayre shop for the marchandise of the Genowaies about which should be painted this historie which the Emperour accomplished and vsed the Genowaies with greater fauour then before and so Megolo returned to Genowaie gratified and receiued of euery man with great honour CAAP. 11. The contention that enuie set betweene the Emperour of Constantinople the Lord of Bulgarie and other Princes was the first grounde and sure foundation of the great TVRKES Empire THe puissant kingdome of the Turkes at this day so much renoumed and feared together with the linage and familie of their Ottomans and kings are of late yeeres sprung vp as a scourge sent and suffered by God for the sins and iniquities of the Christians It is not yet 300. yeeres since the first beginning of their kingdome which at this day is multiplied to the terrour of the whole world the name of the Turks are neuerthelesse auncient but to say that they came of the ancient Troians because they are called Teucres is a manifest errour Plinie and Pomponius Mela in the ende of his first booke say that their originall cōmeth frō the Sarmats which are of the confines of Scythia néere vnto the sea Caspia who in ancient times were called Turaci and now Turkes these Scythians or Turkes liuing before as sauadge men came forth of Scythia into Asia Minor which is by reason of their name to this day called Turkie where they robbed and conquered certaine prouinces these as barbarous infidell people receyued the damnable sect of Mahomet as the first that was presented vnto them which best agréed with their wicked customs these people wtout gouerner or head but being a multitude fiercely ioyning together setled thēselues in the lesse Asia in fine they chose one Soliman of the kingdom of Cilicia for their K. whom Godfrey of Bolloine other christian Princes vtterly ouerthrew so discomfited the Turkes that of long time after they had neyther K. nor captaine of account In the end Ottoman a man of base linage got the fauor of the people was made their K. and by vertue great valor somewhat inlarged their dominions he raigned 28. yéeres dyed An. 1308. whose K. continueth to this day in the ligne of the heire males Orkan succéeded his father Ottoman a man as valiant and more industrous then his father he was a great inuenter of militarie engins magnanimous liberal who after he had raigned 22. yéeres dyed of a hurt which he receiued at the assault of a city he had by the K. of Cilicias daughter a Christian whō he married a son named Amurat that sucéeeded him a man farre vnlike his father in vertues of the mind or strength of body yet very ambitious desirous to inlarge his Empire to compasse which enuy presented him a faire occasion at that time the E. of Constantinople was at controuersie with certain Princes his subiects which fauoured the L. of Bulgarie who charged the E. so hard as he was driuen to demaūd succour of this Amurat K. of the Turkes who sent him 15000. chosen men by the aid of whom the E. vanquished his enemies which done he kept the greater part of the Turks in his owne dominions Amurat vnderstanding the disposition of the coūtrie vnder the colour to ayd the E. against his enemies came into the dominions of the E. with 60000 footemen and a great number of horsemen in despight of the E. made himselfe L. of the cities of Calipoli Andronople he ouercame Marke the grandmaster of Bulgarie and Lazarus the despos of Seruia with a great number of Christians and Malgre the E. possessed himselfe of the gretest part of Thracia Greece in the end a slaue of Lazarus slew him when he had liued 23. yéeres which was An. 1373. Amurat left 2. sons Soliman Baiazet Baiazet slew his brother Soliman and made himselfe King in the beginning of his raigne he prepared great wars against the Christians to reuenge the death of his father and with a great armie he incoūtred in battaile with Marke L. of Bulgaria and with the greatest part of the nobilitie of Bulgaria and Seruia whom he slew and vtterly defeated 3. yéeres after this victorie he returned a newe vpon the Christians in Hungarie but chiefely in Albania and Valaschia and from thence sente many Christians slaues into Turkie and being possessed of the greatest parte of Greece to wit of the ancient countries of Athens Boetia and Arcania he laid siege vnto the great Citie of Constantinople which draue the Emperor in proper person to desire aid of the westerne Princes in which behalfe K. Charles the 7. succoured him with 2000. launces among whome there were two french gentlemen of great expectation who ioyned with Sigismond K. of Hungarie afterwards Emperour who for the same purpose raised a great armie with whome also ioyned the grandmaster of the Rhodes the Despos of Seruia and a great number of other christian Princes whereupon Baiazet leauing his siege at Constantinople sodeinly with 300000 men set vpon the Christians who were about a 100000. men betweene whom there was a most bloudy battaile in fine the Christians were ouerthrowne and the greater part slaine the King of Hungarie and the grandmaster of Rhodes hardely escaped by flight and the Frenchmen were neere all slaine or taken this battell was Anno 1395. vpon Michaelmas euen After which victorie Baiazet returned againe to his former siege of Constantinople and had surely won the same if the newes of Tamberlaines entrie into his countrey and that he had already gained many townes cities and prouinces constrained him to trusse vp his baggage and with his full power to go finde his enemie in Asia now two of the mightiest princes of the world encountered eache other in battaile where Baiazet was ouercome and taken who endured the most vile and hard prisonment that euer was heard of for Tamberlain still carried him with his armie in an iron cage and alwayes when he moūted vpon his horse he set his foot vpon his shoulders moreouer at meales he tyed him vnder his boorde and like a dog fedde him with fragments in this sorte ended this Prince his life who had bene the most aduentrous the most renowmed and the most feared Prince of his time The sons of Baiazet which escaped the battaile where their father was ouerthrowne in their flight taken vpon the seas by certaine galleis of the Christians and certainely at that instant a faire occasion was offered the Christians to haue kept vnder for euer their capitall enemie the Turke but their sinnes forbad
him Saul that slew the Sacrificatures to the number of 85. as also the wiues and yong children of Nobe vpon an ouerthrow in battaile slew himselfe Athalia the mother of Ochosias to reuenge her sons death slew al the race of the house of Iuda except Ioas who saued by Iehosaba was crowned in the temple and the wicked Athalia was slaine at the entrie of the Pallace Achas an Idolatrer and Paricide was deliuered vnto the hands of the king of Asiria The like vengeance was inflicted vpon the Tyrant Manasses The miserable vengeance that lighted vpon the séede and people of Ieroboam is set downe by the Prophet Abias how that the dogs should eate those that died in the Citie and the fowles of the aire those that died in the fielde which threatnings were soone executed for Nadab succéeding both in the principallitie and tyrannie was slaine by Baasa who according to the words of the Prophet rooted out the whole race of Ieroboam Baasa was slaine by Zamri which Zamri left not a kinseman or knowne friend of Baasaes aliue Zamri hauing raigned but seauen daies was pursued as a murtherer who séeing the Citie to be taken set fire of the roiall pallace and so burned himselfe Achab and his wicked wife Iesabell who caused Naboth to be slaine to be possessed of his Uineyarde according to the prophesie of Elia the dogs that licked vp the blood of Naboth also licked vp Achabs and of Iesabell the dogs deuoured flesh and all and further the vengeance of Ieroboam raigned vpon Achabs séede his sonne Ocozias died of a hurt and for that he sought succour of the Diuell to be healed Ioran his sonne was slaine by Iehu who by his letters caused the princes of Israell to slay the 70. sonnes of Achab which Iehu also rooted out the false prophets of Baal Zacharia raigned but sixe moneths and was slaine for hys tyrannie Sellum who slew Zacharia raigned but one moneth and was slaine by Manahem Pekahia the sonne of Manahem was a Tyrant and was slaine by Pekah Pekah was slaine by Hoseas and Hoseas was lead captiue by Salmanasar into Asiria this was the confusion of the Tyrants of Israell The effeminate Sardanapalus by the sharpe war of two of his princes Belochus and Arbaces fired his pallace and in the same burned himselfe and his concubines Senacherib by the Angell of the Lord had his armie ouerthrowne and 185000. of his hoast were slaine and he fléeing vnto Niniuy was in the temple of his idols slaine by his two sonnes Adramalech and Sarasar Ptholomy the thunder bolt that slew Seleuchus and maried his sister Arsâ—…a to sley her two sonnes was himselfe in most reprochfull manner slaine by Brennus and the Frenchmen Ptholomy Philopator so called in mockerie because he slew his father and his mother liued and died in great slauerie while his Curtisane Agathoclea and the baude Oenantus gouerned the affaires of his kingdome Ptholomy Phiscon so called because of his gluttonie for his crueltie called the great Tyrant who slew his brothers children and two of his owne sonnes and in the Colledge of Alexandria burned a great number of yong schollers as he liued he died like a beast Ptholomy Lamirus or the babler and Ptholomy Auletus so called for his flatterie were both cruell Tyrants and had dishonorable and beastly endes The ingratefull Ptholomy Dionisius that stroke off the head of his Gouernour Pompeius was for practising against Caesar ouerthrowne and drowned in Nylus Esay speaking of the plagues that shoulde raigne vppon Babylon figured how odious the Persian Tyrants were in Gods sighte vppon whome hys vengeance continuallye lighted Cyrus his whole army were slaine by Quéene Thomiris The cruel Cambises slew his brother Smirdis through enuy that he should raigne after him and by his sword falling foorth of his sheath slew himselfe The Tyrant Xerxes that slew his brother Masistes was slaine by his vncle Artabanus Ochus slew fourescore of his brethren and in the end was slaine by one of his Captaines named Bagoas and his carkasse throwne to the dogs The Monarkie of Alexander and the Gretians together with the tyrannie and violent ends of his successors is sufficiently showne before in the Conquests of enuie Nicocrates put to death most of the principall Citizens and was himselfe slaine by Leander Leander succéeded Nicocrates both in rule and tyrannie and therefore was put into a sacke of leather and throwne into the Sea Zela Prusias and Pharaces all Tyrants were violentlie slaine Aristotimus the Archtyrant was so odious as the people slew him in the temple of Iupiter and by the iudgement of the people his wife and two daughters readie to be maried were strangled Phraates King of the Parthians who slewe thirtie of hys brethren and strangled his father had his throte cut by hys bastard Eucratides King of the Bactrians slew his father draue his Coach through his blood and caused his carkasse to bée throwne vnto beasts but by the vengeance of God in one day he lost his kingdome his owne life and the liues of his whole race Archias Philippus Leontidas and Hyppias cruell Tyrants of Thebes were all foure slaine by Pelopidas and hys associates The Kings of Sicile were generally such Tyrants as they are specially thus registred The Tyrants of Sicile of whome horror and cruelty continually attended and as it appeareth in the question betwéene the Tyrant Dionisius the elder and the Orator Damocles the ende of a Tyrant is not only violent but his life is wretched and miserable so that leauing to shew the infamous ends of Caligula Nero Heliogabalus other Romaine Tyrants as also those of our age I will conclude this Chapter with a summarie of Damocles historie that princes séeing the best estate of Tyrants to be miserable may be counselled to hate tyranny as much as they are bound to loue their honor and safetie Damocles on a time praised the riches of Dionisius and maintained that the sunne neuer shined vppon a more happie prince wherevpon Dionisius to make him partaker of thys felicitie made him to be set vpon a magnificent bed caused the tables to be couered and furnished with vessels of golde and siluer and in them most delicate viandes and to attend vpon him he appointed many beautiful pages poudered with most comfortable perfumes and vppon euerie side of this mignion Damocles all manner of swéete musicke was placed but in the middest of his glorie Dionisius caused a naked sword with the point directly vppon Damocles head to bée fastned only with the hayre of a horse tayle who sodainely forgetting the felicitie that he so highly praised humbly beséeched the Tyrant to deliuer him from it which scourge of conscience or rather liuing death neuer punisheth the good Prince but as the Psalmist
married her to a meane man of Persia for that following the course of nature the father beeing base the sonne should not haue a generous minde But not so satisfied he be thought him of a common speache that the father may bequeath the sonne his liuinges but not his vertues neither is he sure to ingraft in him his vices And therefore as Astiages imagined to make sure worke he commaunded his familiar seruant Harpagus so soone as his daughter was deliuered to murder the childe But note by this example how vainelye the greatest Princes striue that striue to frustrate the determination of God Harpagus departed with a resolution to do the kinges commaundement and ready to strike the stroke the childe regarded him with such an affable countenance as his hart was not able to strengthen his hand to commit so impious a murder and therefore he left the vengeance of the kinges will to be executed by sauage beastes as an office vnséeming a ciuill creature Thus God by his wonderfull prouidēce to rebate Harpagus sword armed this infants face with the vertues of the two noblē Romanes Marius Crassus who by the assurednes of their countenaunces made the executioners weapons to fall from their handes so that they forsaking their determination the other ouer liued that hard destiny And in aduauntage contrary to kinde he made a shée Wolfe to nourish the child with an affection as great as that where with the Lions intertained Daniell And last Cyrus hauing knowledge of his Grandfathers cruell intent he subiected him to his mery and possessed him selfe in his empyre who being a Persian borne changed the Empire of the Meades into the empire of the Persians During the continuaunce of which gouernement many enuious partes were exercised among thē selues which being the lesse I conclude in the great ouerthrow of their monarchy which happened in the time of Alexander the great who so enuied the glory of the Persians as when their king Darius offered him an honorable accorde with his daughter in mariage Alexander would graunt vnto no peace vnlesse Darius would giue him soueranity and take him selfe the second place Uppon which refusall the armies ioyned Darius was defeated and the Empire translated into Macidonia By which fortunate battaile Alexanders power was great and his enuie greater For he held no countrey sufficiently conquered that the people were not ransomed with the mercy of his swoorde But yet this enuy which gaue him in his life time heate hastened his death And he that tamed the pride of mighty kinges was poisoned to death by the enuie of Antipater his familiar subiect Who as some aucthors affirme enuying his absolute power or rather his seuere iustice for that in heat he put Alexander of Lyncest and other of Antipaters kinse-men and friendes to death And which wrought the greatest impression of hatred for that his owne noble enterprises achieued in Greace were ouer blowne with light regard For some of these causes although all sufficed not to excuse so great an impietie Antipater bribed the Phisicion Theslatus to poyson Alexander who in the traiterous execution of his vnlawfull promise hath left a warning to all Princes of two notable mischiefes the first to beware how in not rewarding or regarding good seruices they kill the louing affection of their subiects for although all the trauelles of a subiect in the seruice of his king be but duty and the least reward of a king is liberalitie Yet is a Prince were he vniust bounde to the one for his safetye as well as the subiect is thraull to the other of dutie For where the subiect onely obeyeth through feare the Prince cannot raigne but in feare and when men are in bondage they will spare no aduantage of libertie which is the cause that few tyrauntes make peaceable endes Uppon which ordinary fortune when the tyraunt Hippias told a Philosopher of Athens that if he liued one yeare to an ende he would make the intrailes of dogs the sepultures of an number of his fellowes Wherevpon the Philosopher boldly prophesied that it would not bee so for hell could not spare Hyppias so long The second regarde that a Prince who alwayes hath mighty enemies intertaine for his Phisition a man that feareth God For if onely for reward he minister medicine it may be feared that for a greater gayne he will giue poyson To which purpose a Gentleman of Vennis one a time supping with a Phisition in Padua marueiled that the Phisitions who in shorte space finde a remedie for the most violent newe disease that raigneth can not cure as well as giue ease to the Gowt an auncient maladie Which doubt the Doctor thus pleasauntly resolued O Sir quoth hée the Gowte is the proper disease of the riche and wée liue not by the poore it maye suffice that they finde ease But to prescribe a cure to begger anye facultye were great follye Well though the Doctor spake merrilye it often times falleth out that the riche mans wealth is moste enemye vnto his health And the better to aucthorise this question Ferdinando the good kinge of Aragon among manye of his weightye preceptes sayde it is greatly requisite that a Prince make choyce of an honest Phisition For quoth hee the strength of a Princes garde can not defende a Phisitions treason And certainlye the negligent couetous or traiterous Phisition is the moste daungerous murtherer of the worlde some one of which faultes are so conuersaunt with moste Phisitions as experience teacheth that exercise cureth the moste parte of poore mens surfettes when Phisicke killeth by small distemperatures as often times the riche And therefore it is necessary for all men to follow the counsell of this olde and approoued Prouerb Honor and vse the Phisition for necessities sake Which importeth extreame daunger and not euery trifling distemperature which nature exercise and orderly dyet will cure But agayne to Alexander who after he had receiued this mortall portion the venime therof tormented him so much aboue his patience that to be eased he often times assayed to murther him selfe Notwithstandinge in his death bedde lying in this extreametie his friendes requiring to know who should be his heyre he stoutly aunsweared the worthiest So great was the courage of his hart as he priuiledged not his sonne Hercules his Brother Arideus nor the infant in his Wife Roxanes wombe before a stranger of better desert But although this bequeste proceeded from the magnanimitie of Alexanders minde yet the incertayne succession in the Empyre coulde not but as it did worke the ruine thereof For wheras this liberty was giuen the one enuyed that another shoulde pryse his vertues at a higher rate then his Hercules claymed as heyer Arideus as Brother and one that coulde beste manadge the affayres of the Empyre Perdicas challenged it by military testament for that the king when he was spéechlesse gaue him a
put the empire into his fathers hands now because of his inabilitie to gouern he alledged that of right he should returne it vnto him againe The old man was greatly perplexed with these matters especially with the disobedience of his sons this diuision of the brethren was the death of many of their adherents but Selim the yongest had euer the better hand who vnder the color to craue pardon of his father to defend him against his eldest brother Acomat so won the fauor of the Ianissaires the other men of war as by their help he tooke the empire from his Father banished him from Constantinople afterward poysoned him An. 1512. This traitour Paracide Selim caused him self to be crowned with great solemnitie which don he highly rewarded the Ianissaires men of war which strengthned him Soone after he went into Turkie againste his brethren where he slew the Children of his brethren which were fledde before his comming and with all so pursued his brother Corcut as falling into his handes he killed him Acornat the eldest by the helpe of the Sophy and the Soudan gathered a great power whome Selim ouerthrewe and tooke prisoner and afterward caused him to be strangled This wicked Paracide hauing thus slayne all those of his â—…loud was rid of the ielous feare of his Empire and disdayning the Soudan and the Sophy he confirmed the league with the Venetians and made peace with Ladislas king of Hungarie and so with a great power he went towarde the Sophy who nothing dismayed abid the battayle which was sharpe on both sides but in the ende the Sophy was vanquished hurt and driuen to flye greatly to the increase of the Turkes honor and reputation the yeare following the Turke make war vppon a great prince which gouerned vpon the mountaine Taurus whome he slewe and got possession of all his dominions this done Selim prepared his forces againste the Soudan and approching the coastes of Surie with his armye he caused a brute to be spead abroad that he would wage warre againste the Sophy But the Soudan suspecting his pollicie prepared a great power vnder the colour to suppresse the rebellion of a great Lorde in Surie In fine these two puissaunt Princes affronted each other neare vnto the City of Damas in Surrie and after many skyrmiges on either side their powers ioyned the 24. of August 1516. the same two yéeres after the ouerthrow of the Sophy This battaile was sustained a long time valiauntly of either partie in the ende the Turkes had the victorye and the Soudan was found dead hauing neuer a wound other then by treading of the horses beeing of the age of 76. yéeres after his victory he seased vpon all Surie the Palestine and Iudea those which escaped the former battail chose for their Soudan the gouernour of Alexandria named Tamonuey betwéene whom Selim was fought the cruellest battaile that euer was heard of notwithstanding ouercharged with the multitude of the Turkes Tamonuey was vanquished in th' end betraied into the hands of the Turk who caused him to be slayne after the death of Tamonuey the Turk soone tooke possession of the auncient puissant kingdom of Aegypt where as also in Surie he left a good order for the gouerment afterward in great triumph he returned vnto Constantinople where he died of an impostume An 1520. in the 8. yeare of his raigne 46 of his age this tirant was of so gret a courage as he was neuer known to be afraid of any thing Soliman his onelye sonne succéeded Selim who was crowned Emperour Soliman hauing subdued Gazellus that vsurped the segniorie of Tripoli and other domestick rebels the yeare following in proper person he made wars vppon the Christians and besieged Belgrade the port strength of Hungarie which with vaine successe had béen attempted by manye of his predecessours But Lewes then king beeing very young and gouerned by the Princes of his countrey by negligent defence suffred the City to be taken by the Turkes Soliman retyred from this exployte in proper person contrary to the mindes of his Bassas layde siege vnto Rhodes with an innumerable power of men and artillerie both by land and sea during this siege the notable feates of armes of either parties can not be sufficiently praised But at the 6. monethes end the Grand maister of Rhodes named Phillip de Villiers a French man was driuen to yéeld the City vnto Soliman who retourned to Constantinople proud of so great an enterprise Three yeeres after which was An. 1526. he entred Hungarie with a maruailous army with whom king Lewes ill aduised encountred with a small power betweene Buda Belgrade where the sayde Lewes was vanquished and founde drowned in a ditch after which the Turke tooke Buda and other bordering townes and as a conqueror retourned After this Soliman came with a huge army of sixe hundred thousand men into Hungarie and Astria with a desire and determination to conquer all Christendome to withstande whose enterprise Charles the 5. presented him selfe in proper person with lesse then halfe the number of the Turkes through feare of whome the Turke forsooke his purpose with the losse of many of his people as he did An. 1537. when both by lande and Sea he came into Italie and had taken certaine places in the kingdome of Naples Sultan Selim succéeded Soliman in the Empire During his raigne the Venetians loste the famous City Famagosta and a great part of the Isle of Cipres In which conquest of Famagosta there were slaine and taken prisoners a great number of Christian noble men and captaines amongst the rest the tiraunt Mustafa Bassa by the traine of fauourable vsage intrapped the noble Bragadino go uernour of Famagosta and contrary to his own faith the law of honor and humanitye he first caused his eares to be cut off and then to bee cruellye stretched foorth vppon the grounde to whome the tiraunt thus blasphemouslye spake where is now thy Christ that he helpeth thee not to which the patient Gentle man made no aunswere After this the noble Bragadino after manye vile and spitefull disgraces was in the market place tacked to the pillory and fleaed a liue whose skin béeing stuffed with straw was hanged vpon a bowsprite of a foyste and so carried along the port Townes of Siria Amurathe that now raigneth succéeded his father Selim by murther of fiue of his yonger brethren of him selfe he is afraid of the noise of armour and therefore committed the charge of his wars to his Bassas he is politicke and in the East wonderfully feared the Sophy occupieth him with harde warres and yet the king of Spaine from whom he hath won the kingdom of Tunis nor yet the Venetians whose seignorie he almoste possesseth dare not but be in league with him when he waiteth but oportunitie to spoyle not onely them but all Christendom I would to God his
blesse with you be peace and loue Christ thus the wicked Iewes doth curse peace shall from you remoue Christ is the authour of all peace the sacred word doth say day Christ will haue peace throughout the world against the iudgement Much more may be said although no man can say ynough in the commendation of peace saue such as haue felt the worst vengeance of warre for as Cicero sayeth the goodnesse of a thing is knowne by the depriuement thereof If our neighbours harmes may make vs héedfull or our owne prosperitie make vs thankefull to God true to her Maiesty and obedient to her graue Ministers of publike benefite we may beholde our countrey as a beautifull Towre on euery side enuironed with a consuming fire and yet miraculously preserued from the least vengeance thereof But experience teacheth that examples of miserie moueth many times coÌ„miseration in the beholders but seldome impresseth any déepe sorrow in theyr harts The Romaines many yeares saw the bloody vengeances of war inflicted vpon sundry kingdoms yea many times sorrowed to sée their owne conquests When Pompeyus was murthered his enemy Caesar shed teares vpon his head and Alexander gaue the mighty Darius a royall funerall Which compassion may be more properly tearmed a motion of pitie than any worke of charitie for they still followed the fortune of warre without consideration of the pretious blessings of peace But when the stout Romaines whose couetousnes of rule the whole world could not glut by ciuill and most pernicious factions in the triumuirate of Cesar Crassus and Pompeius and afterward in the triumuirate of Octauius Anthonius and Lepidus felt in their owne bowels the scalding furie of war when they saw the fathers throte a sheath for the sonnes sword when the mother beheld the rauishment of hir daughter and the sister mingled teares with hir brothers blood when the Senate house was no Sanctuary for Cesar nor Pater patriae a protection for Cicero when the fountaines were turned from the Cities and the chanels flowed with the best burgesses blood when the faire buildings were fired by the houshold seruant and the rascally maysters of the richest merchants goods wheÌ„ Iustice was painted without a mouth and oppression with a hundred hands when law gaue place to launces and Orators to the braying of horsses when vnciuill souldiers iudged Senators and the nobilitie were suppliants vnto the vnconstant multitude when religion was mispraised youth ill instructed gray heares vnreuerenced discipline vnused a famine with vertue and nothing publike but disorder when the vineyards lay vnordered vnprofitable briers ouerran the fruitefull fieldes wheÌ„ the plow was laid in fire and fire hurled into the husband mans barne I say when these proude Romaines beheld in their owne cities these hauocks of diuine and humane blessings they were in tymes past neuer so forward souldiers in following of war as they were now humble suters for peace they neuer attributed so much honor to Cesar for conquering of kingdoms as they gaue reuereÌ„ce to Octauian for determining of the ciuil broiles In perpetuall remembrance of Octauian they added to hys name Augustus and decréed that all the following Emperors should be called Augusti and after death both Augustus and the good Emperors succéeding in most solemne manner they deifyed and placed among the number of their Gods The great Cane of Cathaya is so called in honor remembrance of their first Emperour Chanius who being aged the meanest and poorest of the seauen linadges which gouerned or rather tirannized the prouinces of this Empire as the historie saith by the reuealement of a white Knight tooke knowledge that the wil of God was that he should be Emperour peace-maker of and among the seauen linadges vpon which comfort and the faithfull obedience of the people he obtained this blessed conquest The mightie Emperour of Aethiopia is called Preter Iohn and in their language beldugian which signifieth ioy and power only in remembrance of one of his auncestors who notwithstanding he was the soueraigne of seuenty Kings yet he established peace through his whole Empire These glorious monuments remaine of peacemakers are like to liue vntill the world end when the violeÌ„ce of death the vnconstancy of fortune and iniurie of time haue enterred the haughtiest conquerors returned back their conquests and of their huge colonies haue left no signe at all But so setled are the vertues of peacemakers and so precious are the blessings of peace as these heathen that had no other guide than naturall reason annexed their good Princes names vnto the honour of the crowne as men that hoped the name would make the vertue her editorie or at the least instruct succéeding Princes of the worthinesse of their auncestours And questionlesse men are greatly incouraged to weldoing when good demerites are fully rewarded and good mens liues are faithfully registred For albeit the soule of man traueileth without a guyd to bring foorth that which is good yet in as much as the corruption of fleshe is néerer our sensible motions the deuine workes of the soule are darkned as is the brightnesse of the Sunne by the Moone the most inferiour Planet being opposite betwéen the same the earth and therefore to helpe our infirmitie next vnto the sacred scriptures the histories of time are the moste visible lights to shew vs the way to happines where the names of good men liue which taketh away a great part of our feare to dye And truely if for the worthines of some one king of that name the Aegiptian kinges were called Pharaoes the Bethinian Ptholomies the Albian Siluies the Romane emperours Augustes the Ethiopian Preter Iohn the Cataian the great Caan by farre larger warrant the Englishe kinges ought to be called Henries For of 8. Kings named Henrie sithens the conquest cronicles coÌ„demne no one of theÌ„ to be irreligious notably wicked or tirannous oppressors of their subiâ—…s but as images and patterns of kinglye magnanimitie of wâ—…nderfull prowesse of peaceable gouernment and of many other deuine and heroicall vertues euerye of them hath left a rare monument of a noble gracious and good Prince as if by heauenlye prouidence an especiall blessing had béene ioyned vnto the name of Henry But albeit the heathen ceremonially thus named their Princes as the Cardinall of Rome doe newe christen their Popes yet true Christians estéeme of this adoption as of the image of Iesus engraued in a wodden crosse which is as full of holinesse as a painted fire of heat and both a like The fayrest tree that beareth no fruite is fit for the fire and the best named Christian without the exercise of christianitie is méet for hell So that I alleadge the examples of these worthy persons as instructions for their posteritye and attribute no greater honor vnto them then that they were the ministers of Gods goodnes and mercy of peace and prosperity to their subiects which are the greatest
so precious a blessing The one of Baiazets sonnes named Calapin was deliuered who seeing the incapacities and contention of Tamberlaines sonnes and taking with al other aduantages that time offered proclaimed himselfe Lord of his fathers Empire and by strong hand kept Greece and Thracia The Emperour Sigismond both to keepe Calapin vnder and to be auenged of the ouerthrowe which his father gaue him offered him battalle in which Sigismond was ouerthrowne narrowly escaped by flight Calapin raigned 6. yéeres and dyed leauing behinde him two sonnes the eldest named Orcan and the other Mahomet Orcan was slaine by his Unckle who thought thereby to haue had his kingdome but Mahomet behaued himselfe so well as he slew the murtherer of his brother and recouered the Empire he made cruell warres vpon the Christians in Valachie and reconquered the lands and prouinces which Tamberlaine wonne from his grandfather in Turkie and Asia in which conquest he spent 14. yeeres and dyed in the yéere 1420. Amurat his sonne succeeded Mahomet whome fortune so fauoured as by maine force in despight of the Emperour of Constantinople who offered to resist him he broke vpon the Christians and wonne certaine Townes in Seruia he conquered the country of Epire at this day named Romaine he made many courses into Hungry and Albania he besieged Belgrade vppon Danuby but left it againe with great losse of men Ladislas king of Polonia and Hungarye encountred and ouerthrew one of his Captaines and slew a huge number of the Turkes Amurat vpon newes that the king of Carimaine made warres in Asia was neuerthelesse driuen to be at peace with Ladislas who while Amurat was occupied about resistaunce in Turkie by the perswasion of the Emperour brake the league who ioyntly with the ayde of Pope Eugenius the Venetians and Phillip Duke of Burbon promised so to stop the passage of the Sea betweene Europe and Asia as Amurat shoulde not land his men to succour his landes vpon which oportunity Ladislas might peaceably conquer the same who put in execution their counselles but Amurat made a short retourne and in despight of the christians passed the straight and offered battayle to Ladislas where the victory was so doubtfull as Amurat was vpon the point to flye but being stayed by one of his Bassas he obtained the victory and slew Vdislas vpon Saint Martins day An. 1440. after this victory he greatly damaged Hungary he entred vppon the Mores where sometimes stood the auntient Cities of Lacedimonia and Corinth he broke the wall vpon the entrie of Prouince containing sixe miles betweene the sea Ionigne and the sea Egea all which he conquered saue certaine marish places he was the first which erected the band of the Ianissaires which are reuerted Christians and now the greatest strength of Turkie he raigned 31. yéeres and dyed An. 1450. his sonne Mahomet succéeded him in the Empire this Mahomet excelled in all good quallities saue that he was too cruell In the beginning of his raigne desirous to doe some exploite aunswerable to the greatnesse of his hart he besieged Constantinople with all other places subiect to this Empire This done he besieged Belgrade from whence he was driuen with dishonor besides the losse of many men much artillery by that valiant Hungarian captaine Iohn Vainode after this he sent one of his Bassas to destroy the Mores who rebelled in fauor of the Venetians also to destroy the Isles of Negropont Mitelene Lemnus After he entred into the prouince of Bossina where he took beheaded the king hauing these victories against the christians he passed into Asia against Vsancusan the mighty king of Persia with whom he fought 2. battailes in the first he was ouerthrown in the 2. had the victory after this expedition he made war vpon the emperor of Tribisonde whō he vanquished slewe so determined the siegniorie of the Christians in those parties He sent a great army into Italy passed into Carintia Istria euen vnto the territories of the Venetians discōforted the christians slew of the nobility of Italy He sent a great army vnto the Isle of Rhodes where he was resisted he then sent a great army into the kingdome of Naples by one of his Bassas named Aconiat who tooke the city of Ottranta which was gouerned more then a yeere by the Turkes to the scandale domage of al Italy he so feared the states of Italy as Sixtus then being pope determined to retire into France the old refuge of the Romane church as one out of hope to defend Rome In fine in his iourney against the Soudan of Aegipt hauing in his army by land 300000. men by sea 200. gallies 300. armed ships he died by the way in the yéere 1480. by whose bloddy wars there were destroyed more then 300000. men vppon whose death the city of Ottranta was recōquered which was no smal comfort to al Italy Mahomet left behind him 2. sons the one named Baiazet the other zizim who contended for the empire by reason that their eldest brother was dead zizim was ayded by the Soudan certaine Bassaes the other Bassaes the Ianissares fauored Baiazet with al his son named Corcut was created Grand seigniour of Constantinople by whose renoūsing he attained the empire with spéed hasted into Turkie chased his brother into Italy where he died Baiazet being sole gouernor made hot wars vpon the Soudan against whome he was wroth for aiding of his brother but the Soudan obtaining victory cōstrained him vnto peace Baiazet made then hot wars vpon the christians he won the city of Duras in Albania Valona vpon the frontiers of Pouilla in the ende he so scourged the Hungarians as they were driuen to craue the aid of Lewes duke of Millaine Lewes king of France who but chiefly the Duke of Sessa a Spanish captain so delaied Baiazets fury as he accor ded to peace being old tyred with wars In histime in Persia began the empire of Sophy who is to this day a bridle to the Turke a hindrer of dammage to the christians which empire began by one Ismael the named him self a Prophet published an Alcoran contrary to Mahomets by which meanes he assēbled many people by whose aide he ouerthrew certaine Bassas of Baiazet made him selfe lord of Pertia other prouinces whose kingdom from time to time hath bene augmented But returning to our purpose Baiazet had 3. sons the eldest named Acomat the 2. Corcut who as is shown renoūced the empire the 3. Selim who although he was the yongest yet was he the most valiant This Selim seing the age decrepednes of his father sought how to make him self emperor the better to cōpas which he married the daughter of the great Tartarian His 2. brethren perceiuing his intent aymed likewise at the Empire Acomat because he was eldest Corcut because he first