expeditions hee had alwayes a steele bow ready bent and what souldier soever but stept out of his ranke hee instantly strooke him dead with an arrow glorying to himselfe that he was so good a marks-man But after these and infinite other cruelties hee that delighted to see men die like Beares was himselfe in the end torne in pieces with wilde Wolfes being paid in the like though not in the same coyne which hee lent to others Suiting to which is that story of Perillus who hearing that Phalaris the Tyrant over the Agrigentines was much delighted in the severall wayes of tormenting men and presuming that nothing could better comply with his cruelty then to present him with some rare and unheard of machine to that purpose he devised and forged by his Art a brazen Bull to open on the one side and shut againe at pleasure which being brought to Phalaris he demanded of him the use for which it was made who answered him again he had forged it to punish offendors of high nature for saith he let the naked body be put in at this doore and then an hot fire made under it the person tormented will not utter the voyce of a man to put a telenting commiseration upon you but the sound will appeare like the bellowing of a Bull to make it the lesse terrible which Phallaris hearing and grieving in his ambitions evill that any should offer to out-doe him in his cruelty He told the workeman that he accepted of his gift but commanded withall that he should make proofe of his owne worke which was instantly done and he most miserably tormented in his owne engine for who more fit to taste of tortures then they that have the inhumanity to devise them and they by Gods Justice meritedly suffer themselves what they devise for others of which Oâ—id speakes thus Ipse Perillaeo Phalaris permisit in are Edere mugitus bovis ore queri The purpose this All that the Workeman by his Art did gaine He in his owne brasse bellowed out his paine Amongst these bloudy minded men let me give you a taste of some no lesse cruell women Parisatis the mother of Cyrus Iunior not content with inflicting ordinary and common torments upon the bodies of men devised with her selfe a new and unheard of way how to put men to a lingring death by putting wormes unto them being alive and so to beâ—d evoured And Irene the Empresse and wife of Leo the fourth caused her owne sonne Constantinus Sextus first to be cast in prison next to have his eyes torne out of his head and lastly to die in a dungeon Fulvia the wife of Antony one of the Triumuirat after her husband had caused the head of Marcus Cicero to be cut off he commanded it to be brought home to him and plac't upon his Table and when he had for a whole day glutted his revengefull eyes with the sight thereof he sent it to his wife Fulvia who no sooner saw it but as if it had still enjoyed the sence of hearing rail'd upon it with many bitter and despightfull words and having tyred her selfe with maledictions and womanish taunts she tooke the head into her lap and calling for a knife she with her owne cruell hands cut out the tongue once the pride and glory of Eloquence and with the pinnes from the tyre of her head prickt it full of holes as if it had still beene sensible of paine till she had fully â—â—ted her spleene and cruelty Tomyris Queene of the Scythians after she had taken Cyrus King of Persia in battaile when he was brought unto her presence she first caused a great and large Tombe to be filled with the bloud of his slaine subjects and then commanded his head to be cut off and cast there in which done she tauntingly said Now Cyrus drinke bloud enough in thy death which in thy life time thou hast so much thirsted after Dirce a Theban woman when she understood that her husband Lycâ—s was inamored of Antiope the daughter of Nictâ—â—s in her pestilent jealousie she caused the Virgine to be surprised and being in her power she commanded her to be first bound unto the head of a wilde Bull and then made fire to be fastened to his hornes by which he being the more inraged ran madly through woods and over rocks untill her body was miserably torne in pieces Alike if not more bloudy minded was Amos 〈…〉 the wife of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jealous of the wife of Masista president over the Baâ—â—rians in his absence most cruelly butchered her causing first both her breasts to bee cut off which she cast to the dogges to be eaten then her nose eares lippes and tongue to be throwne into the fire and all these torments she endured being yet alive Progne the daughter of Pandion King of Athens having by her husband Terenus King of Thrace a sweet young Prince called Itis because her husband had ravished her sister Philomel and cut out her tongue because shee should not reveale the incestious Act of this having notice she in an unworthy revenge slew her sonne whom the King much loved and having cookt his limbes with sundry sawces she set them before his father who eate thereof and after because he should be sensible of what he had done in the last course she served in his head Tullia the wife of Tarquinus sirnamed Superbus the proud and daughter to Servius then King of the Romans when her father was by her consent slaine in the Capitoll and his body throwne in the streets she riding that way in her Chariot when the horses stopt their course and the driver stood amazed she compelled him to drive over her fathers body with whose bloud and braines her coach-wheeles were stained yet was shee so farre from being daunted that she was said to rejoyce highly in the Act. Yet for this accident so hatefull it shewed to all the multitude that the very street where this was done is called Vicus sceleratus the impious or wicked street even to this day Now if any shall taxe my promise in the title of this worke and say True it is that these were very bloudy and cruell women and their horrid Acts worthy both to be condemned and hated of all people whatsoever but where are the Judgements or what were the punishments inflicted upon them I answer It is not to be doubted but all or most of these suffered by the heavy hand of God in this life and that remarkably howsoever the ancient Remembrancers and Chronologers of those times forgot to leave the manner and particular circumstances of their ends in that to give the World a more full satisfaction But howsoever of this I am assured that no greater Judgement can be imposed upon any man-slayer or murderer than to have his or her name branded to all posterity Their actions as they were prodigious so their very memories are to be made hatefull and abhorrid of all Caligula the Roman Emperour when his
of Augustus Caesar was a man of a most perdit obscenenesse practised in that superlative degree of filthinesse that scarce any age could produce a prodegy to paralell him modesty will not suffer me to give them name And Tegillinus according to Tacitus lib. 17. was a man of a most corrupted life who soothed and humoured Nero in all his ribaldries his sirname was Othonius by whose flattery and calumny many a noble Roman was put to death and when Otho who succeeded Nero came to wear the Imperiall purple and to be instated Emperour he sent amongst other malefactours for him to suffer as a putrified and corrupt member of the State and when the executioner with other lictors and officers came to surprise him in his house they found him drinking and rioting amongst his catamites and harlots where without limiting any time either to settle his estate or to take leave of any of his friends he was instantly slain and his wounded body cast into the open streets Crassus the richest of the Roman fathers after the death of one of his brothers married his wife by whom he had many children And Surinus the wealthiest and most potent of the Parthians next to the King had in his tents two hundred concubines at one time And Xerxes King of Persia was so given over to all licentiousnesse and luxury that he hired pursuivants and kept Cursors and messengers in pay to inquire and finde out men who could devise new wayes of voluptuousnesse and to them gave great rewards for so Valerius Maximus reports of him And Volateranus remembers us of one Vgutius a Florentine Prince who was slain of his Citizens and Subjects for stuprating their wives and vitiating their virgins Thus seldom we see this vice to go unpunished Nor is it particular to the masculine sex as the sole provocatours hereof but women have been equally and alike guilty We reade in Genesis of Potiphars wife who solicited Ioseph to her adulterate embraces who because he refused to commit such villany and to offend both God and his master she accused him to his Lord that he would have done to her violence for which he lay two years in prison But from prophane Histories we have many examples For Iulia Agrippina the mother of Nero was said to have unlawfull congresse with Domitian for so Iuvenal saith nay more after feasting and banqueting in the heat of her cups when she with her son were together topt with wine they commonly used incestuous consociety the conclusion of which impious lust was that the son in the end having caused his mother to be slain commanded her body to be dissected and ript open before his face as longing to see the bed wherein he lay when he was an unborne infant She was the daughter to Germanicus sister to Caligula the wife first of Domitius after of Clodius whom she poysoned for no other cause but to make Nero her son Emperour and you hear how well he requited her A chicken of the same brood was Messalina the daughter of Messala and the wife and Empresse of Claudius Caesar a woman of a most insatiate lust whose custome was to disguise her selfe like a private Gentlewoman so that she might not be known and with her pandor ushering her to walke unto common stewes and brothell-houses and there prostitute her selfe to all commers whosoever nay she was not ashamed to contend with the ablest and strongest Harlot in the City for masterie whence also shee returned rather tyred then satisfied nay more she selected out of the noblest Wives and Virgins to be eye witnesses and companions in her filthinesse whither men also were not denied accesse as spectators against all womenly shame and modesty and if any noble Gentleman of whom she seemed to be enamoured refused or despised her profered imbraces shee would feigne and devise some crime or other to be revenged on him and his whole familie Pliu. lib. 29 tels us That one Vectius Valius a notable Physitian was nobilitated meerly for pandthering to her luxuries Fabia the Wife of Fabrius Fabricanus grew greatly besotted on the love of a faire young Gentleman call'd Petroninus Valentinus who the more freely to injoy in her petulant imbraces caused her husband to be traiterously murdred But being in regard of the high measure of the fault complain'd upon by her husbands Kinred and Friends shee was convicted by the Iulian Law and suffered according to the penalty thereof Martiall reckoneth up as notorious Strumpets and Adulteresses Leviana Paula Proculina Zectoria Gallia as Catullus remembreth us of Austelina and Iuvenall of Hyppia Zoe one of the Roman Empresses caused her husband Arginopilus to be slaine to adulterate her selfe with Michael Paleologus but who shall read of both their ends shall finde that they were most wretched and miserable As these for Scortation and Adultery so others have been notoriously infamous for Incest Giddica the Wife of Pomminius Laurentinus grew into such an extreme dotage of her sonne in law Comminius that not able to compasse her unchaste desires and her Incestuous love being discovered to her husband shee dispairingly strangled her selfe of which death also Phoedra alike besotted on her husbands sonne Hippolitus perished Papinius the sonne of Papinius Volucris had a beautifull Sister whose name was Canusia These two spending their childhood together as their yeares so their naturall affection increased insomuch that the one thought nothing to deer for the other their love being mutuall and alternate not guilty of the least Impious thought or immodest apprehension but when they came to maturity new thoughts began to grow and fresh temptations to arise to which in their minority they were altogether unacquainted and now they could not sollace themselves without sighing nor frame any mirth but mixt with melancholly both were sick and of one disease but neither had the boldnesse to discover the nature of their malady and thus they continued for a season In the meane time the Father had found out a noble match for his Sonne but he put it off with evasions and could not bee wonne to lend a willing eare to the motion The Mother also had sought an Husband for her daughter to which shee was quite averse alledging her youth and unripenesse of yeares and so both the motions had a cessation for a time without any suspition in which interim the incestuous fire burst out into a flame which in the end consumed them both for the Sister was found to be great with Childe by the Brother which a length comming to the knowledge of the Father he grew inraged beyond all patience neither could his wrath be mitigated or appeased by the teares of the Mother or mediation of any friend but his constant resolution was they both should die yet not willing to imbrue his own hands in their bloud he devised another course causing two swords to be made the own he sent to his son Papinius the other to his
he suffer deeds of such horrid nature to passe unpunished in this world what vengeance soever he without true repentance reserveth for them in the world to come as it is observable in this present History for Lewis the fourth the thirty third King of France by lineall discent comming to the Crowne being the sonne to the before-named Charles the simple and loath that so grosse a treason committed against his father should be smothered without some notable revenge being very ingenious he bethought himselfe how with the least danger or effusion of bloud in regard of the others greatnesse and alliance how to bring it about and therefore he devised this plot following He caused a letter to be writ which he himselfe did dictate and hired an English-man who came disguised like a Poste to bring it unto him as from the King his Master at such a time when many of his Peeres were present and amongst the rest this Herebert was amongst them this suborned Poste delivereth the letter to the Kings hands hee gives it to his principall Secretary who read it privately unto him who presently smiling said openly Most sure the English-men are not so wise as I esteemed them to be for our Brother of England hath signified unto me by these letters that in his Countrey a labouring-man having invited his Lord and Master to dine with him at his house and he vouchsafing to grace his Cottage with his presence in the base requitall of so noble a curtesie he caused him to be most treacherously slaine and now my Brother of England desireth my counsell to know what punishment this fellow hath deserved In which I desire to be instructed by you my Lords that hearing your censures I may returne him the more satisfactory answer The King having ended his Speech the Lords were at first silent till at length Theobant Earle of Bloyes was the first that spake and said that hee was worthy first to be tortured and after to be hanged on a Gibbet which sentence all the Lords there present confirmed and some of them amongst the rest much aggravating the punishment which also Herebert Earle of Vermendoys did approve and allow of whereupon the Kings Officers who by his Majesties appointment then waited in a with-drawing roome of purpose seised upon him with an armed guard at which sudden surprise hee being much amazed the King raising himselfe from his seat said Thou Hebert art that wicked and treacherous labourer who didst most trayterously insidiate the life of my father thy Lord and Master of which felonious act thine owne sentence hath condemned thee and die thou shalt as thou hast well deserved whereupon he was hanged on a Gibbet on the top of a Mountaine called Lodan which since his execution is called Mount Hebert to this day Bajazet the great Emperour of the Turkes who in his mighty pride thought with his numerous Army to drinke rivers dry and to weight the mountaines in a ballance who had made spoyle of many Nations and with tyranny persecuted the Christians dispersed through his vast dominions who compared the world to a Ship and himselfe to the Pilot who commanded the sayles and secured the helme yet afterwards being met in battaile by Scythian Tamberlaine and his Army being quite routed his person also taken prisoner in the field the Conquerour put this untamed beast into an iron cage and caused him to be fed from the very fragments and scraps from his table and carried along with him whither soever hee marched and onely then released him from his imprisonment when he was forced to stoope and humble his body as a blocke to tread upon whilest Tamberlaine mounted upon his steed but here ended not Gods visible Judgements against this Usurper Persecutor and Tyrant who in despaire rayling upon his Prophet Mahomet in whom he had in vaine trusted against the Iron grate in which he was inclosed beate out his owne braines and wretchedly expired Infinite are the examples to the like purpose but I will leave those Forraine to come to our Domestick extracted out of our owne Chronologers and first of King Bladud Who was the sonne of Lud Hurdribras and after the death of his father was call'd from Rome where hee had studied darke and hidden Arts and was made Governour in this Isle of Brittain in the yeare of the world foure thousand three hundred and eighteene For so testifieth Gualfride Polichronicon and other ancient remembrancers This Bladud was altogether devoted to the study of Magick and Necromancy and very expert in Judiciall Astrology by which he is said to make the hot Baths in the Towne then called Caerbadon but now Bath which Citie he is said to have erected This King caused the Art of Magick to be taught through his Realm and ordained Schooles and Schoole masters to that purpose in which hee tooke such pride and presumption as that he thought by it all things were possible to be done so much the Devill the first master and founder of that Art had deluded him so farre that at the length having called a great confluence of his people about him he made an attempt to flie in the arre but fell upon the Temple of his god Apollo where he brake his neck his body being torne and bruised after he had raigned twenty yeares leaving a sonne called Leire to succeed him and continue his posterity Goodwin Earle of west Saxon in the time of Edward the sonne of Egelredus was of that insufferable ambition by reason of his great revenues and numerous issue for he had five sonnes and one daughter that he swayed the whole Kingdome and almost compulsively compelled the King his Soveraigne to take his daughter Edith to wife After rebelling against the King and forced with his sonnes to depart the Land yet after he made such meanes that hee mediated his peace and was reconciled to him 〈◊〉 but amongst all his other insolencies he was accessary to the death of the Kings brother or at least much suspected to be so which was the first breach betwixt his Soveraigne and him But so it happened in the thirteenth yeare of the raigne of this King Edward Earle Goodwin upon an Easter Monday sitting with diverse other Lords and Peeres of the Kingdome at the Kings table in the Castle of Windsor it happened one of the Kings Cup â—eaâ—â—â—s to stumble and yet well to recover himselfe without falling and not spilling any of the wine which Earle Goodwin observing laughed aloud and said There one brother helped the other thereby intimating that the one leg or foot had well supported the other from falling To which words the King instantly replyed and so might my brother Alphred have bin still living to have helped and supported me had not Earle Goodwin supplanted him by death At which words being startled as conceiving that the King suspected him of his brothers murder thinking to excuse himself of that horrible act he said to the King Sir I perceive
length Antoninus grew so sicke of his brothers generall love and welfare that his ambition is now to be the sole possessour of the whole Empire and therefore in the dead of night with other of his assasinates he violently broke open his brothers chamber and basely murdered him even in the sight and presence of their mother not thinking hee was throughly dead till he had cut the head from the body This done he excused the fact to the Souldiers and with large donatives so insinuated into their favours that never was found who so much as repined at what was done nor was he sooner well seated in the Throne Imperiall but he caused all the friends well-wishers and acquaintance of Geta to be most cruelly put to death sparing neither degree age nor sex so that not one remained alive in the Common-weale of Rome most of the rich Senatours he caused to be slaine and their forfeited wealth he distributed amongst his Souldiers who supported him in all his villanies he slew his owne wife the daughter of Plantianus and the sonne of Pertinax and such was his hatred to Geta being dead that he destroyed all the Praefects Proconsuls Governours and Officers throughout Asia who had by him beene promoted to honour But after all his rapes incests and ryots murders and massacres as possest with all the horrid and abhominable vices that have any name As his life was detestable so was his death remarkable being in the midst of his sinnes without any repertance was most wretchedly slaine by his Souldiers at the instigation of Macrinus after Emperour Supplantation is one of the branches of Envy concerning which I have read an History to this purpose A Roman Emperour in those dayes before any Christianity was professed amongst them living in peace and tranquillity and no sedition or insurrection being made in any of his dominions so that the practise of Armes was quite left off and almost forgot This Emperour had a noble Prince to his sonne naturally inclined to prowesse and manhood and wholly addicted to martiall exercises But finding no imployment at home he had a great desire to know what milâ—tary exercises were abroad wherefore making choyce of one Gentleman to be his friend and companion whom hee valued as a second selfe furnisht with gold and treasure sufficient unknowne to any betooke themselves to sea and after much perillous navigation they landed in Persia at such time as the Soldan had warres with the Caliph of Aegypt The Prince with his companion concealing his birth and Countrey put himselfe under the Soldans service in which he so bravely demeaned himselfe that he grew remarkable through the Army and none in all the hoast was able to compare with him in daring or doing he so farre transcended them all insomuch that by his valour the Soldan had many brave victories and having but one onely daughter a Lady of incomparable beauty he had a secret purpose to take an advantage to bestow her upon him with all the Royalties of Scepter Sword Crowne and Dominion after his decease In processe it so happened that in a dreadfull battaile fought betwixt the Persians and Aegyptians the Soldan was mortally wounded in the eye with an arrow yet his body he yet living was safely brought to his Tent by this Roman Prince who before his death drew out a ring of great value and gave it unto him saying my onely daughter upon my paternall benediction hath vowed and sworne that whosoever shall deliver this ring from me to her shee will without any scruple or evasion accept him for her husband and this I freely bestow on thee and with these last words he expired Whose funerall being performed and by his death the warres ended the Prince with this ring retires himselfe with his companion towards Grand Kayre and by the way revealed unto his friend all that had past betwixt him and the Soldan concerning the Princesse and withall shewed him the ring who most perfidiously watching his opportunity in the night whilest the Prince was fast sleeping he stole away the ring and poasting to the Court presented it to the Lady who accepting both of it and him the false Imposter had her to wife and was crowned King of Persia. For which affront not able to right himselfe his great spirit was so afflicted that he grew into a dangerous and deadly feaver yet before his death he writ a Letter and sent it to his Father and the Senate in which he discovered the whole passage of the businesse as is before related and then died who by Embassadours informing the Queene and the State of Persia the truth of all which was confirmed by the dying Princes Letter The Impostor at length confessed all but because he had been their King the State would not put him to death or torture but delivered him to the Roman Embassadors to dispose of him at their pleasure who carrying him to Rome with the body of the dead Prince he was doomed to be shut alive into the Princes Sepulchre where the trayterous wretch most miserably finished his dayes A second to the like purpose wee reade in the History of the Popes which tells us that Pope Nicholas being dead one Celestine a man of a sincere and innocuous life and conversation was by a common suffrage advanced to the Papacie who bore himselfe with all humility and piety whose godly life one of the proud Cardinals envying and ayming to supplant him hee preferred a young kinsman of his to waite in his chamber who growing in favour with his Holinesse the Cardinall gave him a long trunke of brasse through which hee whispered in the Popes eare divers times when he was slumbering that it was Gods will and for his soules safety to resigne the Father-hood over to some others and himselfe to lead a private religious life which being often done took in him such impression as in a publike Consistory he told them what revelation he had from Heaven humbly desiring that with their good love and leave he might resigne his great charge and betake himselfe to a private and monastick life which motion this Cardinall seconded and by bribery and gifts having many friends and partisans on his side by his voluntary resignement was elected Pope in his steed by the name of Boniface Who now attaining to the height of his wishes and being feised of the tripple Diadem was not ashamed openly to boast how fraudulently hee came to that high Ecclesiasticall honour growing therewith more proud haughty and insolent insomuch that he pickâ— a quarrell with Lewis King of France and would have forced his personall appearance to acknowledge him for his supreame Father and Master which because the King denyed he excommunicated his Clergy and interdicted his Realme curfing him and his Subjects with Bell Booke and Candle But at length the King troubled and tyred with his so many contumacies sent a Knight called Sir Guillam de Langaret with a troope of
prevent the judgement of reason but the consent followeth not when we are too spleenfull and chollerick within or when the signes of our outward indignation too manifestly appeares outwardly That which is called Capitall ariseth either from the heart the mouth or the act that from the heart is rather cal'd indignation when him whom we suppose to have injur'd us we hold base and unworthy and upon that wee animate and incourage our revenge or Tumor mentâ—â— the pride and haughtinesse of the minde by which he that is incensed is still devising severall wayes how to be avenged by which his fancies are molested and his thoughts much troubled That which ariseth from the mouth is either clamour when by confused and inordinate speeches without a modest restraint of the tongue we openly expresse our spleene and envy or blasphemy when being vehemently incensed we breake into words which tend to Gods dishonour or contumely when being angry with our neighbour we use slanderous and despightfull language against him In Act that is called Râ—xa which is rayling and scoulding In which are understood all the nocuments and dammages which through wrath we can possibly doe to our neighbour Of the fourth called Generall there be three species Acuta which is that anger which ariseth upon small or no occasion at all Amara or bitter when for an injury done we keepe it long in remembrance and stile a fit opportunity for revenge Gravis or Difficilis when we never remit an injury till we satisfie our rage by punishment Against all these there be Texts in the Holy Scripture Genesis 27. 21. Therefore Esau hated his brother Iacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him and Esau thought in his minde the dayes of mourning will come and then will I slay my brother Iacob Prov. 22. 29. Make no friendship with an angry man neither goe with the furious man least thou learne his wayes and leave destruction to thy soule 29. 22. An angry man stirreth up strife and a furious man aboundeth in transgression Eccles. 6. 11. Be not thou of an hasty spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles Matth. 5. 22. But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly shall be culpable of Iudgement c. Ephes. 4. 31. Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and evill speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnesse Coloss. 3. 8. But now put yee away all these things wrath anger malitiousnesse cursed speaking filthy speaking out of your mouthes Tim. 1. 2. 8. I will therefore that the men pray everywhere lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting Tit. 1. 7. For a Bishop must be unreproveable as Gods steward not froward not angry not given to wine no striker not given to filthy lucre We reade in the fourth of Luke that when Jesus came to Nazareth where he had beene brought up and as his custome was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to reade at which divine Sermon it is said Vers. 28. Then all that were in the Synagogue when they heard it were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the edge of the hill on which their City was built to cast him downe headlong but he passed through the midst of them and went his way Many other Texts are to this purpose to reprove and condemne wrath and anger the fruits and effects whereof are for the most part manslaughter murder and the like of which by reason of their consanguinity and alliance I am tyed to speak something though briefly Of Homicides these amongst others are named in the Scriptures Cain Simeon and Levi Abimelech Doeg the Edomite Ioab Baanah and Rechab who slew Ishboseth the sonne of Saul who looking for a reward David commanded his young men and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them up over the poole in Hebron c. In King David himselfe who wrote thus in his letter Put you Vriah in the fore-front of the strength of the battaile and recoile ye backe from him that hee may be smitten and die Absalom in killing his brother Ammon Athalias the servants of Ioash King of Iudah who slew him in the house of Millo with infinite others who as they were inhumane in their practises so were their ends miserable and abortive even all of them who have not truely repented But I come now to Ethnick Histories and first of them most forraigne In handling of which I will give you to begin with a Catalogue of such as have beene most cruell Ptolomaeus Pisco one of the Kings of Aegypt caused his owne sonne Memphites whom he had begot of his wife and sister Cleopatra to be slaine and then commanded his head hands and feet to be cut off and to be shut in a curious casket made for the purpose and sent them unto her as a present on his birth-day and then after when he perceived that by his barbarous tyranny he was growne odious unto all his subjects that he might the better oppose the danger hee caused a Schoole where most of the Nobilities children with others were doctrinated to be beset and round environed with swords and fire and so suddenly assaulted them that some by steele others by the flame were all destroyed not one of them escaping But that which hee thought to be his refuge proved his ruine For the people were so much incenst with this barbarous and bloudy Act that with an unanimous consent they fell upon him and tore him in pieces The like if not greater cruelty was practised by a woman one Cycenis the daughter of Diogerides King of Thrace who greatly delighted to behold living men cut in the middle and invite parents to feast with their owne murdered children cookt and drest severall wayes but she was after deposed from her principality and none of her former subjects relieving her so hatefull were her inhumanities she was famisht to death and died of hunger Thus Artaxerxes caused her who was his wife and mother in law for his marriage was incestuous to have her head parted from her shoulders though nothing worthy death could be alleadged against her nor did his tyranny end there for after his father had resigned the Kingdome to his charge like an unnaturall paracide he caused him with an hundred of his children Nephewes and Kinsmen to be cruelly murdered nor did hee escape unpunished for the Kingdome tyred with his insolencies and the World weary with his horrible murders made him in his death remarkable for as some write he died by the stroake of lightening Vitoldus Prince of Lituania studied divers sorts of tortures and torments for men upon any sleight cause condemned to death one of which was he would command them to be sewed in Beares skinnes and then made it his sport to behold them torne in pieces with fierce Mastiffes Moreover in all his warlike
himselfe to have the like congresse with them being a young man he was a scandall to all those whom he made his companions and they reciprocally were scandalized by being in his company These with infinite others of his licentious irregularities are recorded by Lampridius Hee had also as the same Author testates three hundred Concubines of selected forme and feature chosen out of the families of the Senatours and Patritians and as many choice young men of sweet aspect and undespised proportion taken out of the best of the Nobility and with these hee did continually riot drinke and wanton in his Pallace where were used all immodest postures and uncomely gestures that the very Genius of lust could devise so that his Court shewed rather a common stewes then the royall dwelling house and mansion of a Prince Gordianus Iunior who wore the Imperiall purple with his father absenting himselfe from all warlike imployment lived in lazinesse and ease giving himselfe solely to voluptuousnesse and carnall concupiscence having at once two and twenty Concubines and by every one of them three or foure children at the least for which by some he was called the Priamus of his age but by others in scorne the Priapus And Proculus the Emperour in one expedition besides many other spoyles tooke captive an hundred Sarmatian Virgines all which hee boasted not onely to have vitiated and deflowred but to have perpetrated or more plainly got with childe within fifteene dayes for so Flavius Vopiscus reports of him as also Sabellicus in Exemplis Heliogabalus that Monster of nature gathered together Bawdes Whores Catamites Pimps Panders Rounsevalls and Stallions the very pest and poyson of a Nation or People even till they grew to a great multitude to which he added all the long-nos'd vagabonds and sturdy beggars he could finde for these they say have the greatest inclination to libidinou filthinesse and these he kept together and maintained at his great charge onely to satisfie his brutish humour Therefore Lampridius writing to the Emperour concerning his prodigious Venery useth these words Who can endure a Prince who committeth lust in all the hollowes of his body when Roomes Cages and Grates the receptacle and dennes of wilde beasts cannot amongst them all shew a beast like him He also kept cursors and messengers who had no other imployment but to ride abroad and seek out for these Masuti and to bring them to Court that he might pollute and defile himselfe amongst them But these whose dissolute and floath-infected lives have growne to such an execrable height of impudence have not escaped Gods terrible Judgements by miserable and tragick ends as you may read in the premises where I have had occasion to speake of the same persons though to other purpose I will prosecute this further by example wherein the effects of this dull and drowsie vice of idlenesse and sloath shall be better illustrated and in none more proper then that of â—Egistus and Clitemuestra for Agamemnon King of Mycena and brother to Menelaus King of Sparta the husband of Helena ravisht thence by Paris one of the sonnes of King Priam being chosen Generall of the Grecian Army in that great expedition against Troy for the rape of that Spartan Queene In his absence he left Aegistus to governe his family and mannage his Domesticke affaires who lull'd in ease and loytring in idlenesse and she a lusty Lady and lying in a widdowed and forsaken bed such familiarity grew betwixt them that at length it came into flat adultery of whom the Poet thus ingenuously writes Quaeritur Aegistus quare sit factus adulter In promptâ— causa est Desidiosus erat c. Aske any why Aegistus did Faire Clitemnestra woe 'T is answer'd he was idle and Had nothing else to doe Now this Egistus was before espoused to a young Lady the daughter of Phocas Duke of Creophen whose bed he repudiated and sent backe to her father For the love of this Queene of Micena of whom he begot a daughter called Egiona and in the absence of his Lord and Master supported by the Queene tooke upon him all regall authority and was obeyed as King Now Agamemnon had a young sonne called Orestes who was then under the tuition or guardianship of a worthy Knight called Fultibius who fearing lest the adulterer and the adulteresse might insidiate his life he conveyed him out of the Land and brought him to Idomeneus King of Creet a pious and just Prince who undertooke to bring him up educate and instruct him like the sonne of such a father and protect him against all his enemies whatsoever Imagine now the ten yeares warres ended Troy sackt and spoyled rak't to the earth and quite demolished and Agamemnon at his returne the very first night of his lodging in the Palace cruelly murdered in his bed by Egistus and the Queene By this time Orestes being of the yeares able to beare Armes and having intelligence how basely his father was butchered and by whom he made a solemne vow to avenge his death upon the Authors thereof and to that end besought aide of the King Idomeneus his foster father and protector who first made him Knight and furnisht him with a competent Army To assist whom came Fultibius his first Guardian with all the forces he could levy as also Phocas whose daughter Egistus had before forsaken These sped themselves so well that in few dayes they entred the Land and after laid siege to the chiefe Citie called Micene where the Queen then lay for Aegistus was at that time abroad to solicit aâ—d against invasion which he much feared but finding the gates shut and the wals manned and all entrance denied they made a fierce assault and though it was very couragiously and valiantly defended yet at length the City was taken and the Queen surprised in the Palace who being brought unto the presence of her son all filiall duty set apart and forgetting the name of mother he saluted her onely by the title of Adulteresse and Murderesse and when he had thundered into her eares the horridnesse and trocity of her crime having his sword drawn in his hand he suddenly transpieâ—â—'d her body and left her dead upon the pavement as an explaâ—ion or bloody sacrifice to appease the soul of his dead farher Some would aggravate the fact and say that he caused her breasts to be torne off she being yet alive and cast to the dogges to be eaten but that had been a cruelty beyond nature for a son to exercise upon a mother now whilest these things were in agâ—â—ation Aegistus had gathered an Army for the raising of the â—â—ege and reclaiming the City of which Orestes having intelligence ambuâ—hed him in his way and had such good successe that having incompassed him in he set upon his Forces both before and behinde routed them and took Aegistus prisoner whom after he had put to the greatest tortures that humane apprehension could invent or devise he commanded his body
betwixt man and man and hath walked in my statutes and hath kept my judgements to deal truly he is just and shall surely live saith the Lord. Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two masters for either he shall hate the one and love the other or else he shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and riches Luke 12. 15. Wherefore he said nnto them take heed and beware of covetousnesse for though a man have abundance his life standeth not in his riches Iohn 12. 4. Then said one of his Disciples even Iudas Iscariot Simons son which should betray him Why was not this oyntment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor now he said this not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thiefe and had the bag and bare that was given It is Radix omnium malorum 1 Tim. 6. 10. For the desire of money is the root of all evill which whilest some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrowes for they that will be rich fall into many temptations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction Covetous men are contemners of Gods Word Matth. 13. 22. And he that received the seed amongst thornes is he that heareth the Word but the cares of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choak the Word and he is made unfruitfull It is no better than idolatry Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affections evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry They are miserable and vain Iob 20. 19. He hath undone many he hath forsaken the poor and hath spoiled houses which he builded not surely he shall feel no quietnesse in his body neither shall he reserve of that which he desired there shall none of his meat be left therefore none shall hope for his goods when he shall be filled with his abundance he shall be in pain and the hand of the wicked shall assail him he shall be about to fill his belly but God shall send upon him his fierce wrath and shall cause to rain upon him even upon his meat c. They are not capable of everlasting life Col. 6. 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Many more Texts there are to the like purpose but I come nearer to shew you examples of Covetousnesse and the punishments thereof out of the sacred Scriptures We reade Iosh. 7. 20. And Achan answered Ioshua and said I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus I have done I saw amongst the spoiles a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight and I covered them and behold they lie hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it It followeth Verse 24. Then Ioshua took Achan the son of Zerah and the silver and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sonnes and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tents and all that he had and all Israel with him brought them to the valley of Achor and Ioshua said in asmuch as thou hast troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day and all Israel threw stones at him and burnt them with fire and stoned them with stones c. It was also punished in Nabal 1 Sam 1. 25. who was churlish gripple and covetous and ungratefull to David and his servants for which the Text saith Verse 36. And about ten dayes after the Lord smote Nabal that he died who not onely lost his life hut had his wife Abigail given unto David whom he before despised Ahab King of Israel for coveting of Naboths vineyard and by the meanes of his wife Iezebel putting him to death that her husband might take possession thereof hear his terrible judgement that followed 1 Kings 21. 17. The Word of the Lord came to Eliah the Tishbite saying Arise go down to meet Ahab King of Israel which is in Samaria lo he is in the vineyard of Naboth whither he is gone down to take possession of it therefore shalt thou say unto him thus saith the Lord hast thou killed and also gotten possession and thou shalt speak unto him saying thus saith the Lord in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs licke even thy blood also behold I will bring evill upon thee and will take away thy posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut up as him that is left in Israel and I will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation whereby thou hast provoked and made Israel to sin and of Iezebel spake the Lord saying the dogs shall eat Iezebel by the wals of Iezreel the dogs shall eat him of Ahabs stocke that dieth in the City and him that dieth in the fields shall the fowles of the air eat c. Now what more fearfull judgement could have been pronounced against them all which punctually happened unto them according to the Prophets saying Further we reade Esay 1. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widows cause come before them therefore saith the Lord God of hostes the mighty One of Israel Ah I will case me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Ier. 22. 17. Thine eyes and thine heart are but onely for thy covetousnesse and to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for destruction even to do this Therefore thus saith the Lord against Iehoiakim the son of Iosiah King of Iudah they shall not lament him saying ah my brother and ah my sister neither shall they mourne for him saying ah Lord or ah his glory he shall be buried as an asse is buried and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem Ezech. 22. 27. Her Princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood and to destroy soules for their own covetous lucre In thee have they taken gifts to shed bloud thou hast taken usury and the increase and thou hast defrauded thy neighbour by extortion and hast fogotten me saith the Lord God behold therefore I have smitten mine hands upon thy covetousnesse that thou hast used and upon the blood which hath been in the midst of thee I will scatter thee amongst the heathen and disperse thee in the countries c. Amos 4. 1. Hear this word ye kine of Baashan that are in the mountaines of Samaria which oppresse the poor and destroy the needy c. The Lord God hath sworne by his holinesse that loe the dayes shall come upon you that
the best friends about him lest they should supplant him from the Imperiall dignity of which he grew the more timerous in regard of divers ominous dreames for there appeared unto him in his slumbers a blazing-starre like a sword and a Monke running with a sword drawn to the Emperours Statue inrag'd and crying out aloud Imperatorem ferrâ— periturum iâ— That the Emperour shall perish by steele Hee dreamed also That he was given to be murdered to one Phocas upon which he sent for one Philippicus out of prison a man whom hee much trusted and asked him Qualis sit Phocas What kinde of man is that Phocas To whom Philippicus answered Centurio ambitiosus sed timidus To whom the Emperour againe replyed If he be a coward he is then a murderer In conclusion he grew into such a great contempt of the Army that they sought to depose him and the Legions and men of Warre about Istrus chose Phocas a barbarous and bloudy Thracian to be Emperour who made all the haste possible to Constantinople where he was crowned in the Suburbs by Cyprian the Patriarch Mauricius in this interim was with his wife and children at Chalcedon where through griefe and trouble of minde he fell sicke thither Phocas sped him with all expedition who first caused his two youngest Sons to be slaine in his sight and then his three daughters and next their mother Constantina the daughter of Tiberius the second the next Emperour before Mauricius who beheld the deaths of his sonnes and daughters with great patience but when he saw his wife in the hand of the tormentor he burst forth into these words acknowledging his faults O Lord God thou art just and and thy Iudgements are right Lastly Phocas commanded his head to be cut off whose body with his wives and children were cast upon the shore to be a publike spectacle for all the people where they lay upon the ground till one of the enemies which had belonged to Mauricius caused them to be interted Achaeus a King of the Lydians was much branded with this vice of covetousnesse who when he had accumulated much riches and that too by sinister meanes not therewith contented hee proceeded further and put new and unheard of taxes and exactions upon his subjects when they knew his Treasury abounded with all fulnesse and plenty In hate of whose extreame avarice they conspired together and made an insurrection against him and having surprised him in his Palace they haled him thence and hanged him on a Gibbet with his heeles upward and his head drowned in the waters of Pactolus whose streames as sundry Authors write are of the colour of gold and hath name amongst the golden rivers an Embleme of his avarice Thus you see this deadly sinne seldome or never escapes without Judgement Neither did Iustinianus the second the sonne of Constantinus Barbatus escape the aspersion of this horrid vice he was the last of the stocke of Heraclius a man covetous unquiet cruell and unfortunate He had two Sycophants who furnisht his coffers and for that were graced by him with all Imperiall power and authority the one Theodosuis a Monke the other Stephanus the Emperours Chaplaine who was in such credit with his Master that he durst beate the old Empresse These two not onely exercised extortion and oppression amongst the Subjects but great cruelty upon the Princes Dukes and Captaines keeping one of them called Leontius two yeares in prison who after escaping by the helpe of the Patriarch was made Emperour and cut off the nostrils of Iustinian and sent him as an Exile to Chersonesus Which Leontius being after surprised by Tiberius Apsimarus he cut off his nostrils and sent him into a Monastery After Iustinian returned being ayded by the Bulgarians and suprising both Leontius and Apsimarus he caused them to be led bound through the Market-place and having first trod upon their necks cut off their heads then hee pulled out the eyes of Callinious the Patriarch and hanged up Heraclius the brother of Apsimarus But at what time he sent his Army against Chirson the Host made Philippicus Bardanes Emperour who made all speed to Constantinople and taking Iustinian and his sonne Tiberius from the Sanctuary commanded them most miserably to be slaine Nay even your greatest Prelates and in the primest places of Episcopall dignity have not beene excluded from this generall sinne of Avarice Martinus Papa was of that gripple and penurious condition that he commanded the ends of wax-candles left after Masse and the other Service to bee brought him home to his Palace to save him light in the nights for his houshold and family And Pontanus writes of one Agolastus a Priest and Cardinall who though he allowed liberally meat for his horses after repenting him of the charge would in the night steale privately into the stable and take the provender out of their mangers which hee used so long that being watcht by the master of his horse and knowing him beate him soundly as if he had beene a common theefe But contrary to these Alexander the first Pope was of that bounty and munificence that scarce any meriting man but tasted freely of his liberality who used to say unto his friends in sport I will tell you all my fortunes I was a rich Bishop I was a poore Cardinall and am at this present a beggarly Pope A great example of this vice of desiring to get and have was that of Alcmaeon the son of Megaclus who when he had entertained some of the chief Nobility of Croesus King of Lidia in their way to Delphos with great humanity and curtesie the King loth to remain indebted to him or at least not some way to correspond with his bounty invited him to his Palace and having abundantly feasted him for some dayes when he was ready to depart and take his leave of the King Nay saith he you shall not part thus empty-handed from me before you have seen my Treasury and take from thence as much gold as you are able to carry who being of the craving and having condition presently provided himselfe of large garmenrs and wide cloathes with deep and spatious pockets and thought not all sufficient for comming to the Magazine having taken thence as much as it was possible for him to dispose of in any place about him he then filled his mouth and crammed it to the very teeth and had conveyances in hair and so swearing under this burden disguised like a man distracted and quite out of his senses he appeared before the King who when he saw him so estranged from himselfe burst into a loud laughter and in contempt of his covetousnesse with great scorne and derision let him depart Thus far Herodotus Neither hath the Feminine sexe been altogether free from the same aspersions but most justly taxed for when Brennus our Countriman and brother to Belinus King of this Land being then Captain of the Gauls besieged Ephesus with his Army a great Lady of
and laid in prison fettered with heavy chaines and after being condemned the morning before the execution the father strangled himselfe and the mother was carried by the Devill both out of the Tower and Dungeon and her body found dead in a muddy ditch with her necke broken asunder Sorry I am that I can paralell this inhumanity arising from the insatiate desire of Gold out of our owne Countrey thus it hapned An Inne-keeper in a knowne City of this Kingdome whose wife was living and they having betwixt them lost one onely sonne and a sole daughter the sonne he made meanes to be put to an East-India Merchant who imploye him to Sea and to trade and traffick in that Countrey where he stayed long some ten yeares or thereabout insomuch that there was great doubt of his life and to his parents and friends it was credibly reported that he was dead and therefore they gave over the care for him dead to provide for the daughter living and at convenient age provided her of an husband and gave her a competent portion so that the young couple lived well and thriftily together in the Countrey some two miles distant from their fathers house In this interim the Climate had much changed the young mans complexion who being but a beardlesse stripling when hee went his voyage after ten yeares was growne hairy and a full man and might be easily out of knowledge who returning into England with a good stocke as having the best part of a thousand markes in his purse after he had dispatched his businesse here about the Towne he had a great minde to travell downe into the Countrey to see how the good old folke his father and mother did and having trust up his money in a port mantuan he provided himself of a good Nag and fastning it safe behinde him and being well accommodated for his journey he set forward and in few dayes sped him so well that he came within some six or seven miles of his fathers but all the way as he was travelling alone he was meditating with himselfe that his father and his mother were growne aged and he was now as willing as able to furnish them in any necessities whatsoever or if his sister were living and unmarried hee had wherewithall to give her a sufficient portion to see her well bestowed and these were his true filiall and fraternall conceptions to depart liberally of what he had unto them He further apprehended that because every body tels me that knew me in my minority I am so altered and growne out of knowledge I will conceale my selfe at the first that when after I shall open and discover my selfe to them I shall finde the more kinde and loving welcome at their hands By this time comming to the next thorow-fare Towne in the way to the Citie he alighted and called for wine and the host to keepe him company of whom he demanded earnestly if such a man were in health and how his wife fared who answered they were passing well and able to live in very good and fashionable manner Then demanded he of their daughter and what was become of her who replyed that she was honestly married to a thrifty and carefull husband and that she lived in the next village just in his way to the Citie of all which being exceedingly joyfull hee tooke horse againe and found the house where his sister lived whose husband being from home after some discourse past betwixt them and she ingeniously confessing to him that he was a stranger and no way knowne to her he at length told her what he was her brother whom they supposed to bee dead withall the successe of his fortunes 〈…〉 at which when by circumstance she found true she was extreamely extasied and first would have him to alight and stay till her husband came home which he would not by any meanes doe then she would have accompanied him to her fathers but he would yeeld to neither telling her his conceit how he meant to carry himselfe to the two old people intreating her of all loves to conceale his comming for a day or two and then to come and aske for him at their fathers where she should finde what welcome hee would give her to which though unwilling she assented and he rid forward and an houre before sunne-set came to his fathers Inne and calling to the hostler bad him to take off his port-mantuan and after to walke his horse well and then put him into the stable and then he called for mine host who presently appeared like a joviall old lad hee called then for his hostesse and gave her the port-mantuan saying to her good hostesse lay this up till I call for it for here is that which I hope will make us all merry then hee desired to have the best chamber in the house and bespake supper telling them he was alone and desired them both to keepe him company yet all this while they not so much as suspected what he was and whilest he was gone into the stable to see his horse the woman feeling what weight the port-mantuan had told her husband and the Devill presently put it into their mindes to murder the stranger for his money supper-time came and they accompanied him much discourse at randome past amongst them but covetousnesse and the Devill so blinded their eyes that all this while they knew him not After supper they tooke their leaves to plot what they before had apprehended To bed he went and in the dead of night they both entred his chamber and murdered him sleeping then they conveyed his body into a backe place and buried it his horse they tooke out of the stable washt the bloud out the chamber and shifted a new bed in the place so that all things were handsome as if nothing had beene In the morning when they thought the worst had beene past comes the sister with her husband she askes for such a stranger they stifly deny that any such lodged there which they did so constantly that she entreated them not to keepe her owne brother and their sonne from her who was come out of the Indies with such a summe of money to relieve all their necessities at first they are both strooke silent but questioning her further when by all circumstances whatsoever she said they found it to be true not able longer to containe themselves they fell into a loud exclamation weeping and wringing their hands Briefly for this they were both publickly executed and the strangenesse of the accident by all that heard it admired I have read strange reports concerning the death of grating Usurers who though by their broking exactions and corroding oppressions doe not visibly imbrue their hands in the bloud of the indigent and needy yet by their horrible extortions have put them to more lingering and torturing deaths as to starve famish and perish not beggering private persons who are compelled to come within their griping clutches only but
daughter with no other message then this you must not live which the wretched creatures understanding knowing the austeritie of their Father and his constancy in his resolutions hee fell upon the one and shee on the other and so miserably ended their lives Iulia was the step-Mother of Antonius Caracalla Emperour of the Romans who having cast many wanton glances towards her and she reciprocally answering them at length when they were in familiar discourse together he brake forth into these words vellem si liceret I would if it were lawfull whose meaning she soone apprehending suddenly answered again and without pause si lubet licet leges dat Imperator non accipit if you like it is lawfull Emperours make Lawes but are tide to none with which words being emboldned he first contracted and then publikely married her notwithstanding some few dayes beforehe had caused her owne sonne Geta to be put to death and this is related by Sextus Aurelius and by Aeliâ—â— Spartanus Amongst these Incestuous is listed Capronia the vestall Virgin who for her offencâ— was strangled Semiramis was the wife of Ninus King of Assyria who after she had caused her husbands death and fearing lest so great and warlike a people would not be govern'd by one of her Sex shee tooke upon her the masculine shape of her Sonne whom she had altogether brought up in delicacie and effeminacy and in his name she raigned for the space of fourtie two yeares conquering the most part of Asia and erecting many famous Cities But Babylon she made her chiefe place of residence who also hedged or walled in the vast River Euphrates turning the channell and compelling it to run through the great City yet according to Diodorus lib. tertio shee grew to bee of that venerious and libidinous disposition she did not onely admit but hire and inforce divers of the youngest and ablest Souldiers to her lascivious and incontinent imbraces and further as Trogus Pompeius lib. 2. hath left remembred shee laboured to have Carnall congression with her sonne Ninus whom she concealed in her Pallace and whose shape she adulterated for which setting all Filiall respect and obedience aside hee slew her with his owne hands and after raigned in her stead A young Spanish Maid having prostituted her selfe to a Gentleman upon promise of marriage she being of meane parentage he married another which comming to her eare she vowed his death and the better to effect it preswaded him by flattering Letters to come againe and see her which he did and although at first she received him with teares and cornplaints yet seeming at last to be satisfied with some reasons he alledged she permitted him to use the same privitie with her as before and so to bed they went together but when he was asleepe she cruelly murdered him having first bound him so fast with a Cord that he could not make any resistance using also divers cruelties against the dead body before the heat of her rage could be extinguished For the which she also suffered death having first voluntarily accused her selfe A Gentleman of Millan a Widower tho of 60 yeares of age fell in love with a young Wench Daughter to a Farmer his Tenant whom he bought for ready money of the wretched Father to serve his Lust. This Strumpet growing impudent after a while fell in love with the eldest son of this Gentleman being about twentie yeares old and in the presence of a Cousin of hers who was her Baud she discovers her whole heart to him seeking by teares and sighs to draw him to commit Incest But the Gentleman having more grace sharply reprehended and threatned both her and her Companion Wherefore to excuse this her shamelesnesse as soone as the Father returned she complaines to him saying That his sonne had sought three or foure times to corrupt her which he beleeving and meeting his sonne at the staires head ranne furiously at him with his sword drawne and the sonne to shun that danger leapt backward downe the staires and brake his neck The Father following and finding him dead after cryes of fury and despaire in detestation of his former wicked life fell upon his owne sword and so dyed The Strumpet hearing by the fearfull cryes of the servant what had hapned pursued by the just judgement of God she runnes toward a Well neere the house into which she threw her selfe and was drowned The she Baud being apprehended and racked confesseth the whole plot and was therefore justly executed her body and the young Strumpets being hanged in the open aire as a prey for ravenous Birds Nicholas Prince of Opolia was so monstrously given to corrupt wives and maids that none were safe that came neere him for which God punished him in this manner Being at Nice in an assembly of the States of Silesia called by Cassimer Prince of that Countrey it hapned that one in his presence brought a packet of Letters to Prince Cassimer which being opened he delivered to the Bishop of Nice to read Which Nicholas seeing and his former beastly wickednesse causing him to imagine it was some partie made against him to seize upon his life suddenly drew his Dagger and desperately runnes against Cassimer and the Bishop whom he wounded tho but lightly for that being in open Court many Nobles and Gentlemen defended them Nicholas failing of his purpose saves himselfe in the Sanctuary from which he was drawne by the Bishops command and brought backe into the assembly by whom he was justly condemned for this and many other notorious Crimes and the next day was publiquely beheaded and his naked body as a reproch of his former wickednesse exposed to the view of all men A Burgesse of Ulmes finding his wife wantonly given did often advise her to carry her selfe in a more modest and civill sort But she not regarding his admonitions and he more and more suspecting her dis-honesty on a time he made a shew to goe into the Countrey but suddenly slipt back into his house without discovery and privately hid himselfe yet so that he saw his servants busied in preparing a feast and the Adulterer and his wife imbracing each other Yet he retained himselfe till after supper when seeing them enter the chamber to goe to bed together using filthy speeches the witnesses of their wickednesse he suddenly stepping out first killed the Adulterer and then his wife and having justified his proceedings before the criminall Judges he obtained pardon for the same An Advocate of Constance having had the carnall knowledge of an Atturnies wife of the same Citie which the Atturney suspecting pretends a journey into the Countrey but returning at night he heard they were together in a Hot-house in an old womans house that dwelt by him whereupon he goes thither with three of his friends which he left in the street to hinder any that should come to helpe them then entring the house with a strong Curry-combe in
which destroyed the Beasts and Cattaile He proved likewise a great enemy to the Church being ungracious in the beginning wretched in the middle of his life and hatefull in the end thereof Neither could some Church-men cleare themselves of those Capitall Crimes which they very bitterly reproved in others For Sigandus made Bishop of Shirburne about the twelfth yeare of Edward sirnamed the Confessor shortly after usurped the Bishoprick of Winchester by strength who was a lewd and unlearned man as most of the Prelates of England were in those dayes and wholy devoted to Avarice Lust and Vaine-glory who could not containe himselfe within the Lists of keeping variety of Concubines which in those dayes was held but a veniall or quotidian sinne but he imploy'd his Panders to corrupt married women to his lustfull embraces thinking no wickednesse could be truely committed till hee had ascended the highest branch thereof and when it was openly spoken that he was unworthy the name of a Priest who made such boast of the pompe of the World the use of Voluptuousnesse Gluttony and Luxury whilst in the interim there was no care of instructing mens soules in the way towards Heaven Hee had learn'd from some one of his Chaplaines a better Scholler then himselfe this poore and slight Answer to evade it Nunc aliud tempus alii pro tempore mores Now the times are chang'd and wee have learnt to suit our Manners and Conditions to the present a notorious Church-temporizer in those dayes But though he reign'd long in great pompe and prosperity he was in the time of William the Conquerour deprived of all his Ecclesiasticall honours and confined to Winchester and there kept prisoner till he dyed who in that extreame dejection when he should onely have repented him of his former Avarice and studied newnesse of life would usually sweare he was a very poore man and not worth one peny and that hee was free from all Concupiscence of Lust both which were proved untrue For after his death a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 found about his necke by which in divers places of the earth was discovered much Treasure and those Women that ministred unto him were no other then Prostitutes and Concubines Henry the second was a potent and most victorious Prince But after he had falne into the libidinous embraces of the Lady Rosamond Daughter to the Lord Fitzwaters he was never quiet but continually afflicted with Warres both forraine and domestick insomuch that both his Queene and Sons rebelled against him and put the whole Realme into great combustion and for her part shee did not escape a due scourge for her offence for though the King provided all meanes possible for her security and safety by building the intricate Labyrinth at Woodstock and gave her in charge to a most trusty Guardian yet the Queen at length by her Spies found her out and with more then a womanish chastisement which should ever savour of some mercy tore off those delicate locks with which the King had been so much intangled and forced her to drinke a draught of deadly poyson by which her life was compell'd out of her body and thus Lust ever carryeth her rod at her owne girdle To descend unto these latter times how many strange and bloudy murders have beene committed through Lust I will give them but a meere nomination because most of them have beene Staged Book'd and Balleted and disperst abroad through the Kingdome As Master Arden of â—eversham slaine by his wife and her adulterous Companion Cosby the act it selfe being committed in his owne house by a barbarous and inhumane villaine most commonly knowne by the name of Black Will who after the deed done and his reward received fled into the Low-Countries where he thought himselfe secure But Gods hand reached him even thither where for some other deed of the same nature he was burnt on a Stage in Flushing and shee her selfe with Cosby and his Sister together with a Gentleman Master Green who had carried Letters betwixt the two Adulterers though hee took it upon his death he knew not the intents of them were all publikely executed at the Gallowes The like murder was committed on the person of one Master Page of Plymouth by his young wife and one Master George Strangwidge who as the common voice went were privately contracted together before her inforc'd Marriage But howsoever as they were convicted of the murder so for the same they were condemn'd and publikely executed And but of late dayes those two bloudy Ministers of the Devill most commonly knowne by the names of Countrey Tom and Cambury Besse who made a trade to have her his Whore walke in the evening into the Fields and where she saw any Gentleman or other likely to have money about him or good cloathes on his backe shee would insinuate into his Company and with her libidinous allurements offer her selfe to his prostitution which if he accepted of that arch-limbe of the Devill who hid himselfe privately for that purpose and stealing upon them with a Bastinado hooped and plated with Iron beate out his Braines even in the very act of Lust neither having pitty of body or soule Then rifled they their Pockets and stript them of their cloathes of which they made profitable chaffer being vendible at the Brokers for the last of which being committed upon a young Gentleman of good quality by his cloathes they were discovered and apprehended hee being executed neare unto the place where the last Fact was committed and after being thence removed to a more remote place his body hangs in chaines upon a Gibbet even to this day and shee was hang'd in Clerken-well fields over against Islington If any would have further inspection into the cursed fruits of Lust let him but enquire after the monethly Sessions at New-gate where scarce one passeth without those that goe for Maid-servants either strangling their Bastard-Issue or putting them downe into privities not caring to save their smal credit in this world to hazard everlasting perdition in the world to come yet notwithstanding all their close packings they are in the end found out and brought to the Gallowes I am loath to be more tedious in this then the rest therefore I conclude with this Distick as a generall Caveat unto all libidinously addicted Quid facies facies veneris cum veneris ante Non Sedeas sedeas ne pereus pereus What wilt thou doe when thou before Loose Venus shalt appeare Stay not but take thine heeles lest her Allurements cost thee deare CHAP. VII Gods Judgements against the Sinne of Gluttony TThis Sinne of Gluttony tooke its originall in our great Grandam Eve as we read Genesis 2. 16. And the Lord God commanded the man saying thou shalt eat freely of every Tree of the Garden but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the