two and thirty thousand footmen and foure thousand fiue hundred horsemen marched thorow all Asia In the seuenth yeare of his Monarchy he was poysoned in Babylon Read his life set downe in Plutarch and Iustine lib. 11. After his death there grew dissention betwéene the Captaines and Macedonian Lordes who should be successour of this great Empyre At length it was resolued on the person of Arideus sur-named Phillip the Brother of Alexander Perdiceas was created Captaine General Soone after the Prouinces and Gouernments were distributed among Alexanders Captains who immediately appropriated them to themselues each one enioying the title and quality of a king Thus this great Monarchy was deuided into many parts and kingdomes all which neuerthelesse were in short while reduced into three principall kingdomes Macedon Syria and Egypt Of Macedon and the succession of Kings there raigning ARideus Phillippus the Brother of Alexander who had bin elected successor raigned in Macedon six yeares gouerning wholy by Antipater who managed all the affaires of the kingdome This king was slain by Olympias the mother of Alexander Cassander the Sonne of Antipater after the death of Arideus inuaded Macedon hauing caused the Mother and wife of Alexander to be slain Olympias and Roxana hee raigned eightéene yeares Antipater and Alexander the sons of Cassander raigned together foure years Antipater slew his Mother Alexander made warre vpon Antipater calling Demetrius to his aide who caused him to be slaine Demetrius after the death of Alexander raigned seauen yeares But hauing attempted to recouer the Empire of his father Antigonus in Asia-minâ—r which Seleucus then held he was vanquished and taken by Seleucus and dyed in prison Antigonus Gomathes the Sonne of Demetrius raigned afterwarde in Macedoâ— for the space of 36. yeares hauing recouered the kingdome which after his Fathers death had béene inuaded by many that held it for the space of eight yeares For Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes held it first Lysimachus next tooke it from him while he was seriously busied with the Romaines Lysimachus being dead Prosomâ—us Ceraunus invaded it but in short while after this Ptolomie was slaine by the Gauâ—â—s who came into Macedon and by this meanes Antigonus re-entred vpon the kingdome of his Father Demetrius who raigned eight yeares left his Sonne named Phillip verie young in years and one Antigonus was made his Tutor or Gouernor who marrying with the Mother of his Pupill by that meanes made himselfe king Antigonus Doson raigned twelue yeares Aratus chiefe of the Achaian line hee called to his aide against Cleomines King of the Lacedemonians who was vanquished by Antigonus and tooke the Cittie of Sparâ—â— Phillip the son of Demetrius raigned 44. years and hauing made warre against the Romaines he was vanquished vnder the conduct of T. Quintus Flaminius and all taken from him that he inioyed except the sole kingdome of Macedon wherein succeeded Persâ—us who raigned eleuen yeares Hée was vanquished and taken prisoner by Paulus Aemilius Consull and Captaine Generall of the Romaines and led in triumph to Rome the yeare of the Citties building 587. And then was Macedon reduced into the forme of a Prouince Of Syria and the Succession of the Kings there raigning AFter the death of Alexander the Great Seleucus was the first king of Syria Perdiccas being dead he regained the Cittie of Babylon part of the Indiaes Soone after by the helpe of Ptolomy king of Egypt hee made warre against Antigonus who commaunded in the lesser Asia and hauing ouercome him laid claime to the kingdome and was made King thereof and in short time after he ioyned al Asia-minor to Syria Antigonus being slaine in battaile And thus by him was established the great Empire of Syria Hee vanquished also Lysimachus and took from him the kingdom of Macedon But soon after he was slaine by Ptolomeus Cerannus hauing raigned 32. yeares in Syria Antiochus Soter that is to say Sauior or Preseruer the Son of Seleucus raigned 19. yeares to whom succéeded Antiochus sur-named Deos that is to say God who raigned 15. yeares Seleucus Callinicus the son of Antiochus raigned twentie yeares In his time Arsaces the Parthean reuolted from his obedience hauing vanquished manie of his neighboring Nations hee founded the kingdom of the Partheans which afterward became most potent Seleuchus sirnamed Cerannus that is to say Lightning raigned thrée yeares And after him came Antiochus the great who raigned 36. yéers He was conquered by the Romans vnder the Scipioes conduct in two foughten battailes with whom afterward he made peace on condition that he should leaue the lesser Asia from the mountaine Taurus to the Romans After whom succéeded his sonne Seleuchus Philopater that is to say A Louer of his Father who reigned twelue yeares Antiochus Epiphanes that is to say Famous who also was sonne to great Antiochus raigned twelue yeares This is the King that took Ierusalem and did so much harme to the Iewes polluted and contaminated the Temple and would constraine them to change their Religion He put the seauen brethren most cruelty to death made a most famous Martyrdome of them His Army was vanquished by Iudas Machabeus and after him his sonne Antiochus Eupator raigned two yeares In which time Demetrius the Sonne of Seleuchus Philopater who had béene giuen in Hostage to the Romans for the peace of Antiochus the great his Graundfather being fled from Rome come into Syria caused a great number of the people to reuolt that afterwarde deliuered him into the handes of the said King Antiochus who caused him immediatly to be put to death Demetrius Soter after the death of Antiochus raigned x. yeares In this time the Iewes were gouerned by the Machabees Alexander the naturall sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes hauing gathered an Army and being seized of some Citties in Syria vanquished Demetriu in battaile and slew him This Alexander raigned fiue yeares Demetrius Nicanor the sonne of Demetrius Soler came into Syria with an Army and being ayded by the King of Egypt he invaded the kingdome Alexander fled into Arabia where he was slaine and Demetrius raigned two yeares Antiochus Sedectes the sonne of Alexander assisted by Triphon expulsed Demetrius and inuaded the kingdome which he held 3. yeares Triphon slew Antiochus and possessed himself of Syria where he raigned three yeares Demetrius being yet liuing who was in short while after taken by the Partheans Antiochus surnamed Soter and Pinus Brother of Demetrius Nicanor vaÌ„quished Tryphon who afterward was slaine And hauing raigned twelue yeares he died in a battel against the Partheans Demetrius Nicanor who before had raigned two yeares was let go by the Partheans raigned afterward foure yeares more But being ouercome in battaile by Alexander Zebin he was slaine Alexander Zebin whome the King of Egypt had sent to the Syrians complaining of the cruelty of Demetrius raigned
three yeares Antiochus Grypus the sonne of Demetrius hauing vanquished and slaine Alexander Zebin in battell raigned 29. yeares During which time his Brother Antiochus the Cyzicenian made warre vpon him without intermission After the death of this Antiochus Grypus mightie troubles were in Syria for some time because they of the royall race were in continuall warres killing and maâ—sacring one another Vntill such time as one Antiochus the sole remainder of that race dying without any successor Tigranes K. of Armenia inuaded this great kingdom wherevpon he was not long after surprized by the Romaines vnder the conduct of Pompey and the Countrey was then reduced into the forme of a Prouince the yeare of the Citty of Rome 693. Of Egypt and the Succession of the Kings there raigning PTolomeus Lagus Soter the most excellent man of all Alexanders Captains was made King raigned fortie yeares ouer Egypt Theophrastus Zeno Theocritus and Menander then liuing and the Romaines made Warre agaynst Pyrrhus Read more of this King in Iustine lib. 13 14 15. Orosius lib. 3 cap. 23. Fergusius was the first king of Scotland Ptolome Philadelphus raigned 38. yeares He first appointed that great Library in Alexandria and caused the Bookes of the Bible to be translated into the Gréeke tongue by the seauentie two Interpreters Aristeus Phalaris Chrisyppus Carneades and Aratus then liued and at Rome happened the first Punick warre Regulus Ptolomey the Liberall husband to his owne Sister raigned 26. yeares At Rome then grew the second Punick War and then liued the Scipioes Fabius Maximus and Marcellus Hanniball was vanquished by Scipio Affricanus the eldest And in this time liued the Authour of the Booke of Wisedome Ptolomey the Parricide raigned 17. yeares He slew his Mother and his Sister who also was his wife At Rome began the warre of Macedon against King Phillip and the war of Asia against the great Antiochus and Hanniball the Fugitiue Then liued great Cato Ennius Neuius Plautus Panetius And Iesus the Sonne of Syrach Author of the Booke of Ecclesiasticus Simon the Iust being Byshop of the Iewes Ptolomey Epiphanes vnder the tutelage of the Romaines raigned 24. yeares The Brethren Macchabees did then valiantly withstande Antiochus the most cruell Tyraunt of Syria his great repentance is to be read in the second Booke of Macchabees the ninth Chapter Ptolomey called Matricide raigned 35. yeares Paulus Aemilius hauing taken the Persian king made Macedon a Prouince to the Romaynes Then happened the third Punicke Warre The warre of Achaia and of Numantia in Spain vnder Scipio Affricanus the younger and Lelius Terence then liuing Ptolomey the Liberall otherwise called Physcus a verie detestable man beeing Brother to Ptolomy the Matricide raigned nine twentie yeares He married his Brothers wife and afterward her Daughter The Sects of the Pharisies Sadduces and Esseans then arose At Rome was the seruile warre And the lawes for actions of the field by the Gracchi Ptolomey Alexander hauing expelled his brother Lathyrus raigned seauentéene yeares Afterward he was thrust out himselfe by his owne people for the death of Cleopatra a wicked woman At Rome was the Iugurthine warre and three Sunnes visibly séene in this time Functius doth attribute these seauentéene yeares and this raigne to Ptolomey Lathyrus preferring him before Ptolomey Alexander Ptolomey Lathyrus beeing repealed to rule againe raigned eightéene years At Rome was the Cimbrian warre Mithridates warre and the ciuill warre betwéene Marius and Sylla Then li Lucullus Antonius and Crassus Orators Lucretius the Poet Varro Sylla dominéered cruelie who retyring himselfe to liue sollitarilie in the fields dyed of Vermine engendred in his owne bodie Ptolomey Auleâ—es raigned thirty yeares Being excluded by his owne people vnder Pompeyes authority he was reseated by Gabinius Pompey ouer-came Hieras and Sertorius the Pyrates as also Tigranes and Mithridates Then was the conspiracy of Cataline Caesar vanquished the â—aules Cicero liued in exile and Crassus was foyled by the Partheans Ptolomey Dionysius the last King raigned 8. yeares he caused great Pompeyes head to bée cut off Then liued Catullus Hortensius Salust Diodorus Siculus Cato Vtican M. Lepidus Marcellus and Marke Anthony Cleopatra helde the kingdome a-while with her Brother and afterward wholly by her selfe two and twentie yeares Shee vnderstanding that Marke Anthonie was vanquished by Augustus slew her selfe Now was the ciuil warre between Pompey and Caesar And that goodly Library that contained two hundred thousand Volumes was burned in this time Plutarch in vit Antoni The Monarchy of the Caesars or Romaines IVlius Caesar a very gracious Prince and one of the Worlds chiefest Captaines raigned fiue yeares He vanquished Pompey and his confederates Ptolomy hee slew restored Cleopatra his friend Sister to Ptolomy to the kingdom of Aegypt Returning home to Rome he was slaine in the Senate house by Brutus Cassius and other Conspirators Dioscorides then liued but if you would haue more of Caesars life read Suetonius Florus in the life of Caesar Octauius Augustus the last Nephew of Iulius by the Sisters side and his adopted Sonne raigned 56. yeares he was happy in war moderate in peace and liberall to euery one Then liued Virgill Horace Tibullus Propertius Vitruuius Mecenas And then dyed Cleopatra and her husband Marke Anthony Aegypt being then reduced into a Prouince Herod a stranger fauoured by Augustus was then King of Iudea So the Scepter being wholly taken from Iuda Iesus Christ God and man the Sauiour of the world was then borne of a Virgin in Bethlehem according to the Prophesies of Iacob Genes 49 Esay 7 Micheas 5. Iesus Christ came in the yeare of Augustus forty two and of the world 3963. Ouid was then in exile the Citty of Lyons founded and then liued Titus Liuius Valerius Maximus Strabo and Francus King of the Sicambrians in the lower Allemaigne Aquila Tuberus Galba Labeus and Caius were then Law-giuers or Law-Makers Herod the great murderer of Innocents and there were numbred then at Rome foure hundred sixty foure thousand men Claudius Tiberius the Sonne of Liuia afterward Wife to Augustus raigned 23. yeares beginning very well but proouing afterward to bée most wicked Iesus Christ for our saluation was then crucified in Hierusalem vnder Pilate the Prouost of Iudea he said that A good Shepheard should clip his Sheepe and not deuour them C. Caligula Sonne of Germanus a most wicked Man raigned thirtéene yeares This beast the ruine of men made himselfe to bee adored as God hee poysoned his Vnckle Tiberius and defloured all his Sisters leauing them then to others like abusing T. Claudius Vnckle of Caligula and Monster of Men raigned fouretéene yeares He preferred Nero before his owne Son by the treason of whom hee was poysoned with a Mushrome Messalina his first wife peerelesse in all labricity and wickednes then flourished And Saint Peter the Apostle liued reported
forenamed Peter so soone as he heard the tidings of his fathers hard aduenture departed presently from Fraunce and went directly to Constantinople where he was receyued as Emperor in the yeare 1220. There hee carried himselfe valiantly vntill such time as hée tooke to wife a young Lady who was promised troth-plighted to a Gentleman of Burgundy that neither could or would endure such a shame But he boldly comming into the Pallace did cut off the Ladies nose and threwe hir mother into the Sea because she had béen the procurer of this vniust marriage To all which the Emperour durst not say one word but went to Rome to receiue the Crowne And returning thence not long after with an intent to bee revenged he died of a strange disease in Achaia Baldwine the second sonne to the said Robert succéeded his Father in the Empire of Constantinople in the yeare 1228. But because he was ouer-young Brennus King of Ierusalem in title onely was sent from Italy to be ioyned with him as his gouernour whose daughter hee married making none account of the daughter of the king of Pontus whereby great warres ensued Baldwine being but barely stored of money for these warres and very hardly pressed engaged his son to the Venetians and to the King S. Lewes a peece of the true Crosse as it was reported to be and many precious Reliques of the Church So leuying a great Army he planted it at the entrāce of the straite of Constantinople But in the meane while by secret intelligence Michaell Paleologus had gotten into the Citty Then Baldwin flying thence with the Patriarch betooke themselues to Negropont dreading only the outward harmes while they within were ten times worse Then did the Greekes recouer the Empire of Constantinople which the French hadde helde almost the space of thréescore yeares Michaell Paleologus hauing thus cunningly seized on the Empire and got it into his owne possession held it stil very manfully for the space of two and twenty yeares But hee ran into his peoples hatred for making agréement with pope Gregory the tenth in the Councell at Lyons and acknowledging duty to him After him his son succéeded Andronicus who within a while after tooke his sonne Michaell to be his associate in the empire But Michaell being dead his sonne Andronicus the younger made warre vpon his graundfather Andronicus and compelled him to accept him as companion with him in the Empire Whereat the Emperour Andronicus conceiued such inward dislike that he soone after died hauing raigned 43. yeares Andronicus the yonger carried himselfe both wisely and valiantly in gouerning the Empyre He died of a burning Feauer hauing raigned 33. yeares his sonne succéeding Iohn Cantacuzen who was Schoolmaister to Iohn Paleologus and fellow also with him in the Empires gouernment of whom more shal be said in the life of Iohn Paleologus Iohn Paleologus called also Caloian succéeded his father in the Empire of Constantinople the yeare 1341. He being very young had for his Tutor and companion in the Empire Iohn Cantacuzen who was expulsed by the seditious deuises sleights of a man of meane birth but yet quicke dexterious and full of courage which made him the better accepted in Court It is said also that the ambition of the Patriarch of Constantinople was thereto a great furtherance But he being impatient at such an iniurie made war for fiue yeares against the mother of Iohn Paleologus and against Iohn the said Emperour and was the first man that brought the Turkes in Armes into Europe At length Constantinople yeilded it selfe vnto him and when he tooke it he did no wrong to any one but carried himselfe as fellowe Companion of the Empire giuing his daughter in marriage to the said Emperour Iohn Afterward he made warre vpon the Genowaies spéeding one while well and another ill hauing neuerthelesse with him the Venetians and the men of Arragon Then Iohn Paleologus whoe had béene banished made warre vpon him being principally ayded by the Turkes and to whome hee gaue first habitation in Europe by which meanes he cunningly entred Constantinople in the yeare 1357. And then Cantacuzen forsaking the Empire entred into a monastery and liued there as a Monke But Matthew his sonne séeking to be Competitor with Paleologus was constrained to desist So Paleologus hauing had the victory in diuers warres died in the yeare 1384. hauing raigned sixtéene yeares with his Tutour Cantacuzen and 27. yeares alone by himselfe in all 43. yeares After him was Emperour for the space of thrée yeares Andronicus the eldest sonne who neuerthelesse is not set in the number of the Emperors Manuell by some called Emanuell son to the said Iohn Paleologus held the Empire of Constantinople in the yeare 1387. And the most remarkable matter in his life was that he left seauen sonnes of which Iohn the eldest succéeded in the Empyre in the yeare 1421. Iohn eldest sonne to Manuell entred on the Empire after his fathers decease He being more addicted to peace and quietnesse then War gaue his assistance in the Councell at Ferrara which was afterward transferred to Florence Eugenius the fourth then being Pope As Emperour of the East he was graciously welcommed by both the Churches the Greek and Latine which were then made one Returning home to his Empire he liued no long time after but died not leauing any posterity of him in the yeare 1445. Constantine the eleauenth and sonne of Manuell after the death of his brother Iohn held the Empire called the Greeke Empire in the yeare 1445. He hauing bin King of Morea before was called Draco for the cruelty which hee exercised against the Turkes But when Constantinople was taken by Mahomet the second son to Amurath the second Then all trembling and hee retiring to a gate of the Citty to escape by flight was stifled to death in the prease and confusion of people that likewise fled away the 29. day of May 1453. His head was carried on the point of a Launce to be shewn through the enimies camp in derision And vndoubtedly it is a matter worthy note as also of some meruaile that Constantinople edified or re-edified enriched and exalted by Constantine the first sonne to S. Helena and after the manner of Rome shoulde vnder this Constantine the eleauenth hauing his mother to beare the same name of Helena likewise bee surprized and kept vnder the power of the Turkes euen to this instant A briefe History or summarie of the Othomans or Emperors of the Turks for the space of three hundred yeares OThoman the sonne of Orthogules was Emperor of the Turkes in the yeare of our Saluation 1300. He was the first of this Nation that carried this name which he had in regard of a Castle that he took in Galatia And he was the first also that renewed the glory and honor of his Nation For these people hadde taken Ierusalem in the yeare 1008. but they were
kindes of Théeues as formerly hath bin saâ—â— who name themselues Sarracenis not in regard of Religion or bloud but by an auncient appellation of the said people of whome Ptolomey makes mention and saith that their liuing is in Idumea Amianus Marcellinus in the History of Iulian the Apostat Emperour makes a description of them and saith that Those places more than two hundred yeares before the Originall of Mahomet or of his Alcoran were fully furnished with the said Sarrazins and Assyria afterward euen so farre as the Cataracts of Nylus or the kingdome of Prester Iohn where they vsed the same courses violences thefts vpon merchants and inhabitants of the neighboring Countries according as the Arabes or Alarbes doe at this day Whereupon because that their chiefest habitation was in the Desarts and Mountaines which are in Arabia and the neighbouring quarsers or Countries as Chaldaea Assyria Mesapotamia Suria and Aegipt when the Arabes arose with their new Religion and had frequented the foresaid Regions the néerer Countries supposed that these people were those former Sarazins by ignorance of their Language as also by rashnesse of some Writers who liued then in Suria and since that time in Spaine séeming to haue good knowledge of those people and therefore continually then called Sarazins Moreouer to confirme that vaine appellation those Interpreters in Spaine who by commandement of S. Bernard were appointed to interpret the Alchoran in euery place where they found the vocable Mulsulman which is as much to say in the Arabian tongue as Peaceble and faithfull towards God they interpreted the same Sarraceniâ— or Sarazins This Mulsulman then is the vocable whereby al that beléeue in the Alcoran will be called whether they bee Arabes Syrians Persians Tartars Turks or Moores Whosoeuer then would enter into any peaceable and friendly conference with them albeit none doe hate their name more than the Turks must call them Mulsulmans as we do our selues Christians or faithfull people So are they all named by the Author of the Ismaell or Ismaelitish race and by their Bastard Prophet After our manner and in respect of Religion they term a man Mulsulmam and a woman Mulsulmina or Mulsulminet albeit some say Mussim by a corrupt pronunciation As we may well conceiue by our owne selues who do vse to call those disfigured wanderers that walke among vs with deformed faces and long ilfauored lockes vsing all subtle Thefts piâ—â—eries and legerdumaines they can deuise we nick-name them to be Sarrazins Aegiptians or Gypsies I thus conclude then that when Hystorians write that the Sarrazins inuaded and made vse of Rhodes next of Thrace then of Italy Spaine and other Countries it is to be vnderstood of the Orientall people and Affricanes that were of the Mahometan Religion because they vsed the selfe same cruelties thefts and robberies as the Sarazins of rockie Arabia did And to speak truly all Europe wold at this instant haue bin haunted with those people if they had not béene formerlie expelled and spoiled It remaineth yet freshe in memory that the great Graundfather to Phillip king of Spaine not long since deceased named Ferdinand expulsed them out of the Kingdom of Granado with their king called Melen and he bestowed six whole years together in stout wars onely in foiling them And then the dominion which the Sarazins and Moores held in Spaine had finall conclusion After which time those faith lesse Mahumetists durst neuer presume any more vpon Spaine where they had held the Kingdome of Granado eight hundred yeares Before the said Ferdinand king Alphonsus in the yeare of our Lord 1233. slew in diuers places aboue two hundred thousand of them when they held strong forts and Citties in Spaine which he forced them to forsake and since then haue béene vtterly ruined Henry the Emperour made another great massacre of them in the yeare of Iesus Christ 1010. in Italy expelling them wholy out of that Countrey Among the Sarazins there were not only very generous persons but likewise some men of great learning as Auicen Mesuus Isaac Mansor Auerroes and many others Now as all things haue their vicissitude and alteration by courses so after that the Sarazins had raigned in Africa and partly in Europe for about the space of eight hundred yeares there came a people from diuers parts of Scythia which at this day we call Turks who in lesse than twoe hundred yeares ouercame in Armes those people called Sarazins with many other Christians beside not onely in Asya but in Europe and Affrica And albeit that those Turks were of the same Religion to wit Mahumetists yet did they not abstaine from vexing and troubling them with warre euen in like manner as they did the Christians For in the yeare 1012. they took Ierusalem and all Iudaea from them but the Sarazins of Aegipt recouered them againe and held them for three hundred yeares after Neuerthelesse they were yet againe deiected thence in the year 1517 by the Turks the Sarazins loosing then not onlie Palestine and the Holy-land but likewise Egipt Syria Arabya and the very same Countrey of Idumea where as the Sarazins had their original and are there subiect to the Turkes nowe at this instant For Campson their King lost the daie against Selim Emperor of the Turks and Tomombeus his successour being next chosen to bee King in his place was taken and afterward ignominiouslie strangled in the graund Caire the very principall Citty of Egypt where we may behold the end of the Sarazins not any part of them now remaining except such few as are in the Turks seruility This short discourse giues vs to vnderstand that Sarazins were not all such as are called Mahumetists but they that had their beginning in the Countries of Idumea and the desart or rockie Arabia and all those that being ioined with them commanded vnder them in diuers Countries rendring other Nations subiect to them by Armes Vncill such time as they were exterminate by the people whose Countries they vniustlie vsurped and planted their Religioâ— by war As also at length by the Turkes although they be of the same Religion For warre is maintained among them for desire of soueraignty and ambition euen as well as among vs that are Christians ¶ A briefe Collection of the Byshops and Popes of Rome from the yeare 44. to this instant 1611. With the seuerall Ages of the Church since the Ascension of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ vp into Heauen OVr Lord Iesus Christ the Nazarite God and man Messias Sauiour of the world Holy of holies Soueraigne and Eternall Highe Priest head of the Church 1 Peter called Cephas borne in Bethsaida the sonne of Iohn and first called of the Apostles is said to hold his seat seauen yeares at Antioch and afterward at Rome xxiiij yeares vnder the Empire of Claudius and Nero who caused him to be crucified in the same place Simon Magus being reputed to be
of a prize so signale and beneficiall to all christendome Pope Anastasius the fourth gaue and granted verie great priuiledges to the Order of these Knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem the first day of Nouember in the same yeare exempting them from the iurisdiction and controule of the East Ecclesiasticall Prelates which was the cause of great troubles betwéene the Bishops of the country there and the knights of this order albeit the Pope and his Cardinals maintained them still stoutly Some haue held that this Great M. Raymond was a Florentine but the most credible opinion is that hee was a French-man a Natiue of Daulphine issued of a verie Noble house called du Puy whereof namelie â—acques Bosius the Italian who hath amplie written the historie of this order is an ingenuous witnesse Hee died in the yeare 1160. with this reputation that hee had bin a man of good and vertuous life fearing god valiant wise and aduised in the affaires of the world and one wel approued in warlicke exercises 3 After that Raymond was deceased there succéeded in the Maister-ship and gouernment of the Order F. Auger de Balben of whome there is found nothing deseruing memorie but that in his time died King Baldwin the third who was not onlie much bemoaned of the christians but likewise of the Infidelles who saide That the Christians had iust cause to lament for the death of Baldwine because they had lost a Prince that had not his equall in the world This Great-Maister Auger after he had gouerned his charge in peace and repose about thrée yeares died in the yeare 1163. 4 Arnold de Comps was next elected Mayster in his place who was a man of great spirite valour and councell And in short time after his election he entered into Egypt with Amaulrie the new King of Hierusalem who made warre vpon the Califfe of Egypt because he refused to continue and pay the anuall tribute wherein hée had bound himselfe to King Baldwine the third for a perpetuall payment to the Kinges of Hierusalem Arnold after he had with great wisedom and courage gouerned the Hospitall of S. Iohn about foure yeares died in the yeare 1167. and then succeeded him 5 Gilbert d'Assaly or de Sailly who was of stout mind and so liberall that hee flowed in bounty especially to his Souldiers so that he fel into great expences and wasted the whole treasure of the house Insomuch that hee was enforced to borrow Money at interest with conditiâ—ion that if he tooke from the Infidels the Citty of Belbeis anciently called Pelusium he should stand acquitted to his Brother-hood as indéed he did and victoriously performed his promise the third day of Nouember 1168. In which yeare he held a Chapter generall in Hierusalem where perceiuing that he was greatly indebted and had charged the Hospitall with more than an hundred thousand Crownes of méere debts beeing also much grieued that his attemptes found not equall Issue to his high desires hee determined to renounce his great Maistership which he did in the yeare 1169. 6 By his resignation or renunciation rather another Knight was chosen Great Maister named F. Gastus or Castus of whom there is nothing found that makes to any purpose of this our briefe History And the breuity of his time of gouernment was the cause by reason he was not a full yeare in the charge but dyed in the very same yeare of his election and had 7 F. Ioubert a very religious man for his successor who in the yeare 1176. ioyned himselfe with Phillip Earle of Flanders that was then come into Syria to assist King Baldwine the fourth against Saladine who had a very powerfull Army miraculously vanquished by the Christians that were but few in number in the moneth of Nouember 1177. at which time the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Alexander the third were reconciled together At length Saladine with-drew himselfe from the Countrey of Damas in the year 1179. And then dyed Ioubert Maister of the Hospitallers a man very charytable to the poore and sickly It is saide that méere conceite of griefe to behold so manyfestly the ruine of christian affaires in Syria with the shamefull and damageable truce made betwéene the King of Ierusalem and the Earle of Tripoli by his example with Saladine was the onely cause of abridging his dayes hauing gouerned the Order of Saint Iohn about tenne yeares 8 In his stead was elected Roger de Molins a man of high discretion and courage In his time happened a great dissention betwéene the Prince of Antioche and the Patriarch of the said place and this Roger was chosen to be mediator of peace and agréement betwéene them which followed in the yeare 1181. This Roger with Heraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem and Arnald de Trogo Master of the Knights Templers was sent by the King of Hierusalem in quality of an Ambassador into the West to require ayde of the Christian Princes These Ambassadours were kindly entertained by the Emperour King Phillip Augustus Gods gift sirnamed the Conquerour the Kings of Sicily England and Hungary they returned back againe into Syria all but the Maister of the Templers who dyed by the way In the yeare 1187. the Earle of Tripoli being leagued and confederated with Saladine graunted him passage and reléeued his Army with victuals And Saladine hauing besiedged the citty of Ptolomais the Knights of Saint Iohn and the Templers ioyning together disordered the whole Army and Roger the great Mayster fighting valiantlie there dyed with the fall of his Horse vpon him and smothered in his Armour as also being much troden on with the enemies Horses His body being afterward found among the dead was buried with great woe and sorrow And notwithstanding this losse of the great Maister yet the Knights of Saint Iohn and the Templers won the day of battaile against the Turkes and Sarrazins of whom died then in the field about fiftéen thousand the first day of May in the yeare 1187 After whom 9 F. Garnier of Naples in Syria which was the ancient cittie of Sichem in Canaan was elected great Maister In his time was a bloudy battaile fought betwéene the Christians and Infidels wherein the King of Hierusalem named Guy de Lusignan was taken Prisoner with the very chiefe Lordes of his Kingdome It is said also that the Christians had then the true Crosse in the battell but it was taken from them by the Infidels and almost all the Knightes of Hierusalem and the Templers were one part slaine in the battaile and the rest beheaded in cold bloud F. Garnier after he had fought verie manfully yet being mortally wounded in many places of his body by the goodnesse and swiftnes of his Horse escaped into the Citty of Ascalon where ten daies after hee departed into a better life the fouretéenth of Iuly hauing béene great Maister but two months and sixe daies 10 The twenty day of the saide moneth of Iuly 1187. the Knights
all the trobles and mollestations The Great Maister hauing gouerned his Order about eighteene yeares and an halfe departed this life in the yeare 1373 31 In the same yeare Robert de Iuliac or of Gulich great Priour of Fraunce was chosen Great-Maister who at the time of his election had the charge of his Priory but vnderstanding the newes he went forthwith to Auignon where he was receiued with great honor an assemblie general of this Knightly Order being then there held and the Great Maister had the gouernment of Smyrna imposed vpon him vnder paine of excommunication At his comming to Rhodes he qualified all the contentions which had hapned in the time of his absence At this time went the Pope to hold his seat at Rome againe which he and his predecessors had kept at Auignon for the space of seauenty one yeares 1376. In which yeare the 29. of Iune dyed the Great Maister and then 32 In his place came Iohn Fernandes d'Heredia a Natiue of Arragon in the Citty of Valentia who was Prior of Cathalognia and Castillian d'Emposta Twice he had bin marryed and chancing to be a Widdower he was made a Knight of Rhodes in the time of Villeneufue who was then Great Maister Being then but a simple Knight hee went to visite the holy Sepulchre and other memorable places in the holie Land He was also Ambassador from Pope Clement the sixt to the Kings Phillip 6. of France and Edward the third of England and did verie good seruice to King Phillip in the yeare 1346. For he being dismounted from his horse on a day of battaile against the English he gaue him his owne horse whereby the King escaped to a place of safety In like manner he fortified the Bastions and new wals of Auignon whereof hee was made Gouernor by the Pope Being great Maister hee tooke his way to Rhodes in the yeare 1377. and being required by the Generall of the Venetians Army to vnite their forces together they went to Morca in the yeare 1378. where they besiedged the Citty of Patras and tooke both it and the Castle The great Maister fighting man to man with the Gouernor of Patras slewe him manfully Afterwarde in an ambuscado of Turkes hee was taken prisoner by reason hee was too well knowne to them Whereuppon to worke his liberty Patras and other places which had bin won from them were re-deliuered to the Turkes And yet notwithstanding they would néeds carrie him with them into Albania where they kept him as a slaue thrée yeares In the year 1381. the great Maisters fréedome was bought with money and hee returning to Rhodes the Ambassadors of Smirna came to desire succour of him In the yeare 1391. Baiazeth Emperour of the Turkes made some preparation to besiege Rhodes whereupon Phillebert de Naillac Priour of Aquitaine was sent by his fellow knights to Auignon with Letters to the great Maister to require aide against Baiazeth Naillac returning to Rhodes in the yeare 1396. Heredia the great Maister died and was buried at Caspa 33 Newes beeing brought to Rhodes that Heredia the great Maister was dead Phillebert de Naillac grand Priour of Aquitaine borne in France succéeded in his roome At the Spring time he was inuited by Sigismond King of Hungaria to come and assist him with his Knights against Baiazeth which hee did in person in the yeare 1397. And then was a battaile fought at Nicopolis where Baiazeth had the victorie the K. of Hungary being glad to saue himselfe and with the Great Master retyred to Rhodes Thither also did the Emperor of Constantinople send all his precious Iewelles to be kept by the Great Maister fearing least Baiazeth shoulde surprize Constantinople But hee was disappointed by Tamberlain who ouercame Baiazeth and kepte him captiue in a Cage of yron so long as he liued and the siege of Constantinople being raised the great Master sent home again the Emperors Iewels After the foyle of Baiazeth the great Maister de Naillac sailed with an army into Caria there builded an inexpugnable fortresse which he named S. Peters Castle in the year 1399. vnder the raigne of Charles the sixt king of France In the yeare 1403. there happened wars betweene the k. of Cyprus and the Genewayes which was pacified and ordered by the wisedome and authority of the great Maister to whom the Soldan of Egypt sent an Ambassador for request of peace In the yeare 1409. the Great Maister gaue his personall assistance in the Counsell of Pisa assembled to quench the Schismes which were then crept into the Church and the guard of the Conclaue was committed to the great Maister when Alexander the fift was elected Pope The sayde Maister was likewise at the generall Counsell of Constance where thrée Popes were deposed and Martine 5. elected an 1414. the guard of the Conclaue being then againe giuen to the great Maister Trauelling into France he held a general assembly of his knights at Auignon afterward at Florence and last at Ancona whence returning to Rhodes an 1420. he held there a general chapter and in the beginning of Iune 1421. he dyed 34 And then in the deads place Anthony de Fluuiano or de Riuers reported to be a natiue of Arragon but more say of England was created Great Maister In his time began the generall Counsell of Basile 1430. And not long after the Soldan of Egypt puft vp with the victory which he wonne at Cyprus brake the Truce and prepared a great Armye with intent to besiedge Rhodes But when hee heard that the Great Maister was prouided of sufficient strength to withstand him he left off his determination and so the Order that way remained in quiet This Great Master founded and endowed a Chappel in the Citty of Rhodes which afterwarde hee made a Church for his Knights And the 29. of October hee died after hee had gouerned in his place with much wisedome 16. years an halfe 35 The sixt of Nouemb. in the same year 1437 Iohn de Lastic borne in Auuergne was elected Great Maister albeit he was absent at his election remained in Auuergne whereof he was prior Before he wold go to Rhodes he made a general assembly of his knightes at Valentia in the month of Decem. 1438. when he cam to Rhodes he began to build the new hospital for sick people which the precedent great M. by his wil had appointed to be done at his expences In his time Pope Eugenius 4. was deposed by the Counsell of Basile and Foelix the fift created in his place who was held at Rome to be an Antipope In the yeare 1440. the Soldane of Egypt beeing come néer to the port of the isle of Cast-Lerouge which appertained to the Knights and from thence turning towards Rhodes he was put to flight by an army of the Knights who had but eight Gallies and in the Soldanes army there were eightéene and there were slaine about seauen hundred Sarazins beside a
Knights had not any assured place of abyding vntill the Isle of Malta was giuen theÌ„ by the Emperor Charles the fift For they departed first into Candie from thence they went into Sicilie and Italy where the Pope sent them the City of Vitterbo and where they held a generall Chapter Afterward they soiourned for some small time at Cornetto then at Villefranche and at Nicea While they remained at Nicea the great Maister made a voyage into England and from thence to France where being at Lyons a great sicknesse tooke him but after his recouery he went to Cambraye to hold the Baptisme Font for Phillebert Emmanuell sonne to Charles Duke of Sauoy Afterwarde comming with his Brethren-Knights to Malta on Wednesday morning the sixt of Octob 1530. he caused a Pallace to be there erected for the abiding of him and his successors calling it Castell Angelo building another pallace also in the old Citty of Malta When he had gouerned his Order thirtéene yeares and seauen months being aged seauenty yeares the 21. of Aug. 1534. he died at Malta and was buried in a Chappell which he had builded néere to Castel Angelo and then succéeded him by election 44 Pierrin du Pont a Natiue of Ast and an Italian by language Before the taking of Rhodes he was Gouernor of the Isle of Lango and after the â—osse thereof he departed with al the knights vnder his gouernment and ioyned his power in Candie with the armye of the Order In his time Charles the fift Emperor attempted to go in person to the kingdome of Tunis in Affrica where he was assisted by the Gallies belonging to the Order and the Knights also who performed there great exploits of Armes especially in the surprizing of Goletta which was helde to be a Fort vnconquerable This war being ended the great Maister aged seuenty and thrée years dyed hauing gouerned onely fourtéene months and 22. daies and was buried by his predecessor Villiers 45 Desirê or Didier de S. Iaille de Tolon borne in Prouence and Priour of Tholossa was next made great Maister when lifting vppe his eies to heauen he vsed these words O my God if thou thinkest me fit for this great charge I wil not refuse the paine and labour In his trauayling towards Malta being very aged so soone as he arriued at Mont-pellier he fel into an extream sicknesse whereof he died the 26. of September 1536. and was buried with much solemnitie in the church of the Commandery of S. Gilles without the gates of Mont-pellier when the knights were aduertised of his decease the eightéenth of October in the same yeare they procéeded to the election of 46 Iohn d'Homedes a natiue of Arragon who being then in Spaine made hast to Malta where he was ioyfully receiued Albeit he was discontented that they had not sent some of the gallies nor the great Carrack of the Order for his conduct thither wherefore he disarmed and destroied the great Carrack which caused manie complaints against him Very often would hee discourse of the siedge at Rhodes because hee gaue generall notice thereby that there he had lost one of his eies He made a goodly Parke of Dear and a very beautiful Garden in the Isle of S. Michael there would he spend the greater part of the day which raised occasion of murmuring against him that he was slacke in his publicke gouernement and no way carefull to prouide the Isle of Malta of needfull supplies against the Turks forces for he trusted too much in the strength of Castell Angello In his time the Citty of Tripoli in Barbary was lost by the Knights of the Order taken by the Turkes which droue him to no little feare and amazement In the year 1552. Leo Strozzi an especiall Commander of the Order made an attempt vpon the Isle of Zoara which had very hard successe because many Knightes were then slaine there of all Nations especiallye many French Auuergnacs and Prouenceals It being declared to the Great Mayster he grieued extraordinarily thereat and sayde That a greater losse had not happened to the Order since the surprizall of Rhodes Hee builded the Castles of Saint Elme and Saint Michaell and being eighty yeares old died the sixt of September 1558. hauing gouerned sixtéene yeares ten months and xv daies and was buried in the Great Maisters Chappell 46 Claudius de la Single borne in Fraunce was next created Great Maister and at his election there were then present at Malta aboue 400 Knights of the Order Hee gouerned verie discréetly by Counsell of fiue woorthie Knights his Officers and attendaunts to witte by his Steward Mayster of the Houshold Maister of the Horsse the Treasurer and Secretary So that the Order was in great happynesse during the time of his Maister-ship hauing obtayned the priuiledge of Neutralitie of King Henry the second and Charles the fifte Emperor who made Warre against him Hee was verye valiant Religious and a most profitable Administrator of the Orders reuennewes in whose Treasurie he left abundant store dying of a Catarrhe which had much suffocated him after he had attained to the Climacteriall yeare 63. of his age 47 F. Iohn de Valette borne in Prouence succéeded next as great Maister and his election was very pleasing to all the Order of S. Iohn because he was generally beloued of all the Nations and vniuersally desired as most woorthie of that charge and dignity In lesse space then two yeares hee was Generall of the Gallyes Bayliffe of Lango Great Commander Priour of S. Gilles and Lieutenant to the great Master and now at length great Maister also He did so affect his Knights Order that after the day he first entred in it he wold neuer more return into his country So that by making continuall residence therwith them he passed thorow al the degrées offices of honor in the profession apearing still in all his actions to bee of rare iudgement perfect integrity and incomparable valour So soone as he was aduanced to this soueraigne dignity he resolued to builde a new Citty at Malta vpon the Mountaine of S. Elme knowing that al the other Forts were not sufficiently mumted to endure the battery of a potent enemy yet this desseigne was deferred till a further time Hee fortified the Castle of the Isle of Goza and forsaking his abiding at the Castle of S. Angello came and dwelt within the Towne of Malta which he defended most valiauntly agaynst the siedge of the Emperor Sultan Soliman when he was gréeuously wounded in his leg in the yeare 1565. But the siedge being raised to the shame and confusion of the Turkes hee greatly strengthened the Isle of Malta and began to builde the new Citty which was called Valette according to his sur-name and whereof himselfe solemnely laide the first stone on Monday the eight and twenty of March 1566. And by the sollicitude of the Great-Maister the building thereof continued on still eight thousand persons being
Language is as much to say as plaine smooth or éeuen and so much the rather is it to bee credited because all the Countrey is plaine spacious full of thicke woodes and verie few hilles or mountaines in it The Earth is colde and fréezing whereby it produceth little store of Wine or Oyle but contrarywise it yéeldeth much Graine and diuers other kindes of Pulse c. Zechus and Lechus or Leschus were the first that euer gouerned in Polonia or there builded any Citty Castle They both gouerned for some time but after the whole race of Lechus was extirpated the Barons of the kingdome assembling to giue succession to Leschus concluded to liue at liberty and without any farther checke or controule Neuerthelesse that Iustice might be administred to the people and they gouerned as necessity required they ordained twelue Vaiuodes or Paladines which order hath continued in that kingdome euen to our daies but not without great hurt to the whole land For there was no change of these Officers but the dignitye lasted their life time although they carried them-selues badly in their authority despising their betters and euill entreating their Inferiours Such as among these Vaiuodes were Castillians Commaunders of Castelles Captaines Iudges and such like great Magistrates did what themselues pleased whereby ensued that this Kingdome could neuer haue any great progression in armes being oppressed by such petty and no mightie or potent Lords But in no long while after the faction of Lechus growing in hatred of the Vaiuodes or Paladines gouernment would néedes haue one peculiar Prince and therefore they made choise of a worthy and valiant man named Gracchus who dwelt at the foote of the Sarmatian Mountaines néere vnto the Riuer Vistula He builded a Citty calling it Graccouia which is nowe corruptly named Cracouia a Cittie greatly blessed both in beautie and Scituation as also infinite Marchandizes which is there Trafficked from all Nations of the worlde it being the Metropolis of the whole kingdome The race of Gracchus fayling it returned againe to the gouernement of twelue Paladines but with much infelicity because in contending for Competitors diuers factions grewe amongst them and consequently insurrections in armes to withstand one another wherby great damage happened to the whole lande Among these turbulent spirits there was a Polander named Pâ—â—arislaus a man expert in armes of quicke apprehension and one that could well fish in such troubled Waters The people reuolted all to his faction they made him their King and he was the fift Gouernour of that Prouince after the firste Lechus or Leschus After his death another gallant young man succéeded him tearmed by the Polacks Leschus the second who proued to be a man of singuler prudence but made olde with time and dying he left it to his Sonne Leschus the third This man made his Sonne Pompilius Legittimate but deuided the Kingdome among twenty other that were his Bastards to the great detriment of the Country But Pompilius being legittimate entred into the gouernment and leauing Cracouia appointed his seate in another City called Gneza but finding it too mollestuous he transferred the State to another Citty named Crusuicza In this Citty he died of the Stone according as himselfe had continually foretold And the chiefe Lords being assembled in Counsell they determined that no more of Pompilius his successours shoulde raigne ouer them but with one consent made choise of a Countreyman named Piastus one of no great stature but strong and well sinnewed This was the first branch of those Kings that continued to the time of Casimirus the second of Lodwick of which selfesame race were also descended the moderne Princes of Slesia This Piastus accepting the Gouernement tooke vpon him the Title of Duke onely whose succession comming at length to Boleslaus in the yeare D. CCCC XC IX hee was then made King by Otho the third Emperour But the Kingdome comming to another Boleslaus successour to the former hee was expulsed thence and dyed Whereupon the Polonians aduaunced in his place his Brother Vladislaus in the yeare MLXXXII by the Title of Duke But in the yeare MCCXCV the Title of King was taken againe by Primislaus the second who at first was Duke of the greater Poland and of Pomerauia or Pomerland and so continued the succession euen to Ladislaus the first begotten sonne of Cassimirus who while his Father liued was designed to bee King of Hungaria and of Bohemia He tooke in Marriage Anne Daughter to the King of Fraunce by whom hee had Lodwick and Anne Lodwicke succéeded his Father in both his Kingdomes and tooke to Wife Marie Sister to Charles the Emperour But in the yeare of Christ 1492. the Barons of Polonia at a dyet elected after the Death of Cassimirus his Sonne Iohn Albertus His continuaunce was but a while therefore by the greater part of the Barons Alexander Great Duke of Lithuania was elected who going in Armes agaynste the Tartares dyed in Vilua aged fiue forty yeares Sigismond his younger Brother succéeded him Anno 1500. who hadde the Title of King Anno 1506. and made great Warre vppon the Neighbouring Nations especially on the Moscouites of whom he slew thirty thousand in the yeare 1514. He deceasing Augustus Sigismond tooke his place and after him Henry the thirde Brother to Charles the ninth King of Fraunce was chosen and made King But his Brother dying and he affecting his paternall kingdome more then the other forsooke Poland and went into France to his rightfull Inheritance The Polanders being thus forsaken they made choise of Maximilian the second being Emperour to be their King But he not resoluing to accept it and the Kingdom standing on some doubtful tearms Stephanus Battori Prince of Transiluania being a man of great valor came into Poland with a slender power where he was created King and so continueth A briefe Suruay of sundry other kingdomes as they were by commaund of the Emperor Iustinian set downe in the Romaine Bookes de Iuris-prudentia THe Romaine Emperors in their Imperiall Titles of honour and renowne did not onely obserue giue to themselues the names of those Prouinces wonne by them or reduced vnder the yoke of their Empire but likewise of such Nations and people as lefte theyr owne Countreyes in abounding multitudes and entered vppon the possessions of others to expell and chase thence the Naturall Inhabitauntes to plant there their owne abyding by bidding them many Battailes in some surmounting and in others spéeding according to the Fortune of Warre Of those Nations I intend to speake in some measure of their Originall and howe they succeeded because at length they ruined the greate Romayne Empyre whereto I am the rather induced to instruct such as are little skilled in Histories not onelye Cosmographicall but likewise Geographicall and to shewe them apparantly howe much they haue iniured the greater part of our Hemisphere Wee will first beginne with the Gothes
doe affirme aboue two hundred thousand men At length he iournyed into Italy which he well-néere vtâ—erly ruined and retiring afterward into his owne Countrey of Hungary he died within fewe following moneths and on the day of his nuptials which was in the yeare of Iesus Christ 443. The Lombards were a Northerne people decended out of Denmarke as Eusebius maintaineth and no other reason had they to leaue their Countrey but onely a desire to win some other There happened in the time of Seno or Sweno as some call him King of Denmark a very great dearth or scarsity in the Land of victuals and because the people endured it very impatiently it was concluded by the King and his Councell to ease the Countrey of so many men as were ready to famish that all such persons as were vnable either for war or labor of the ground should be slaine whether they were old or young But this seuere Edict being reuoked they then resolued to make a leuy of all sorts of people that by the help of armes might trauaile to find out some other dwelling so to disburthen the charge of the Countrey This being put in execution they trauailed so far and carried themselues so couragiously in trauersing diuers lands that they came at last into Italy and there conquered the Countrey which was called Istria making themselues absolute Maisters thereof Now because these people were long and tall of stature the Italians and Istrians called them long Barbarians which by corruption of the word and succession of times made them tearmed Longbards or Lombardes Some are of opinion that vnder the raign of Valentinian the Emperor they began to make theÌ„selues first knowne which was about the yeare of Christ 385. and that they became commaunders in Istria in the yeare 570. Likewise according to Diaconus the Emperours made peace with them in the yeare 730. and euer since they haue held that Country which at this day is named Lombardy Let it here be further noted that where in any History mention is made of people tearmed Daces or Danians the Nation of Denmarke is thereby vnderstood out of which countrey many great Armies haue trauailed at sundry times and haue mightily troubled diuers kingdomes among which they continued long time in England but were thence expelled about the yeare 860. The Normanes were people of Norduegia or otherwise called Normania or Norwey a Countrey in the North being much addicted to crueltie and inhumanitie because they vsed many great Piracies on the Sea An hundred and fifty thousand men of this Nation bestowed themselues in vessels on the Sea and took possession of that part of Gaule or Fraunce which was then tearmed Neustria now Normandie which was doone in the yeare of Iesus Christ 600. others saie 884. and in the time of Charles le Gros. But bée it howsoeuer they haue since then kept it against all encounters of the Emperours Kings of France and England preseruing it still by the Name of Normandy and themselues reckoned to bee people of vndaunted courage There are diuers others that doe sauour of this their first originall and doe yet proule vppon the Seas committing many cruell Robberies The Nation which we call Swesses Zuitzers or Sweues who at this daie are auxiliarie to the French came out of Sweuia or Sweueland a Northerly Region like vnto the other They likewise by the dearth of food among them departed forth of their Countrey about the yeare of Grace 800. and went so farre as the Rhine which they would haue passed but were hindered therein by the Franconians Thence went they to the Land of the Heluetians who dispising the Suessians because they were poorely and wretchedly apparelled rude in their féeding and not looking like souldiers suffered them to wander about their Countrey At length perceiuing the kinde sufferaunce of the Heluetians they sought to abide in a certaine Canton of their Land Which when the Heluetians noted they demaunded of them to what ende they thus wandered about the World They answered that they were poore people and sought but to weare out their liues in trauaile by deluing or labouring in the Earth And séeing that there was wast Ground in those partes vnlaboured or any vse made of it béeing Hilles and Vallies enuironed with Lakes they desired the Heluetians to permit them to woorke in those rough Fieldes as yet not cultiue and they should receiue the benefit thereof onely allowing them but nourishment for their pains This was all that they séemed to pretend iustifying their requests with solemne oathes and protestations Theyr desire was graunted and not long after the Countrey wherein they liued was not onely called Suesia in regarde of the Swesians there dwelling but likewise the ancient Inhabitants had the same name giuen then and yet the country is very hilly and vnapt for Ryding Howe afterward it came to be called the Lande of Cantons or Leagues shall at large be shewne in our Generall history Iustinian and other Emperors both before after him entitled themselues Lordes of the Allemaignes for hauing receiued some victories ouer the Allemaignes But this may not be said as some doo that those victories were obtayned against the Germaines For euen at this daye when we speake or write of Allemaigne therein is comprehended all the Nations which are contained throughout Germany and that do speake the Language of the Tentones But as for Allemaigne or Almaines the Romains neuer vnderstood or meant any other people then those of Suaba And to speake vprightly they haue euer bin the true and ancient Allemaines as Cornelius Tacitus plainely confirmeth Drusus Nero was the first that styled himselfe Germanicus for hauing rather angered the Germaines then foyled them as diuers other Emperours afterward did Moreouer by Germany is to be vnderstood nine and forty great Prouinces as well of the lower part as the higher part of the sayde Germany comprizing the Countrey of the Suisses and Heluetians Now concerning the Alaines or Alans many haue supposed them to be a people of Germanie But therein they were and are deceiued for Ptolomy knew them whom he placeth in a parte of Scythia Capitolinus bestowes them in Dacia Marcelinus Plinie Dionisius the Poet giues them a being in Sarmatia of Europe Iosephus in his last Booke affirmes their aboade to bee betwéene the Riuer Tanais and the Palus Moeotides And saith moreouer that in his time the Alaines or Alanes accompanied with the Hyrcanians both robbed and spoyled all the Region of the Medes As for my selfe by that which I haue gathered from such as haue written on the actions of the Gothes I am perswaded that those Alaines were theyr companions and that oftentimes in their warres for their owne aduantage they sundered them-selues from them as one while they did with the Vandales But questionlesse their discent was from Scythia according to Ptolomies affirmation If we shall speake of the Gepides Girpedes
or Iupedes what people they were there are opinions enow concerning them Some say that they were at first of Scythia and came thence as the Lombards did into Italy But hauing made a more curious and dilligent search I finde that they were a people of Germany and called then Gepudij or Sepusij and according to Ptolomeus Matauastus now at this day Siebemburgs that followed the Gothes the Vandals and the Normands also beeing erring and Vagabonde people till at length they ventured on the Seas and went to inhabite the Isles of the Orchades whereof Thylle is the latest inhabited as Volateranus auoucheth and they are now subiectes to the King of Scotland In speaking of so many Nations who are all said to be deriued from the Scithians we may not forget the Picts who by most Writers opinion are said to be a people of Germany that had their Originall out of Scythia descending of the Agathyrsi in Sarmatia who vsed to paint and collour their faces thereupon were named Picts Before they entred into Britaine they inhabited the Isle of Orkeney for a long time together ferrying ouer into Cathnesse daily so multiplying both in power number that getting vp further into the land they possessed Rosse Murrey-land Merne Angusse whence passing into Fife and Louthian they droue thence the Brittain Inhabitantes who were onely poore people that liued by nourishing breeding Cattle This their entrance into Albion for so was it then called was in the year of the worlds creation 3633. Cruthneus Camelonus is said to be the first king of the Picts that he builded a famous Citty on the bank of the Riuer called Caron appointing it to be the chief City of all the Pictish kingdom He builded also the town of Agneda afterward called Edenbrough of Ethus king of the Picts and the Castle named The Castle of Maydens because the Pictish kings kept their daughters there vnder strict custody in all good exercises til their yeares of mariage Concerning the warres strifes and bloody contentions betwéene the Albion Scots and Picts thorough all their Kings raigns til their vtter ouerthrow and quite desolation of Pict-land by Kenneth the victorious King of Scots I referre it to our larger discourse Only letting you know that this subuersion and vtter ruine of the Picts hapned in the year of our redemption 839. in the sixt yeare of King Kenneths glorious raigne 1168. yeares after their first plantation in Albion The Getes haue bin and yet are a warlick people mollested greatly by the Turkes at this instant and yet they found the Romain work sufficient These are the Transyluanians Valachians Moldauians their country is neere to the Riuer Ister where it falleth into the Pontick sea The Bourguignons are helde by Orosius to come forth of Germany and Volatteranus saith that Iouinianus the Emperour vanquished some such people that liued by the Riuer of Rhine But there is nothing more certaine according as I haue gathered by the Germaine Histories then that they yssued from some remaynes of the Gothes Vandals and Hunnes who beeing altogether chased by the Romains threw themselues on that part of Gaule which is called after theyr name and there perforce enthroned themselues For afterwarde they coulde so well resist the Romaines that they were constrained to yéelde them tolleration and let them liue in the saide Countrey amongst the first Inhabitants There they builded Fortes Villages and Townes which they called then Bourgs of the Gothes Hunnes but being soone corrupted into one word from Bourgs-Goth-Hunnes they are now called Bourguignons as much to say as a martiall people Aetius Lieutenant to the Emperor Theodosius gaue them a battel in the yeare of Christ 435. and won the day But it cost him so deare that he would neuer after meddle any more with them About the yeare 430. they receiued and embraced the Christian fayth This people in these dayes are become very ciuill and are as much addicted to Learning as to Armes For they haue a goodly Vniuersitie founded by one of the Dukes of Bourgougne wherein many Lectures are read of all the Sciences to Schollers of all Nations at Dola the Capitall Cittye of that parte of Bourgougne which is vnder commaund of the house of Austria and there they hold a Parliament also As for the other part of Bourgougne in obedience to the Crowne of France Digeon is the Metropolitane Citty thereof where likewise is helde another Parlament And these two Bourgougnes are maintained in very good peace albeit they are in obeysance to diuers Princes We wil conclude this discourse with the kingdome of Naples which is a Citty very auncient and Noble in all respects and giueth the Title of kingdome to the whole Prouince by her owne proper name As concerning the name of Kingcome I do not hold it to be of any great antiquity because the Normanes took it from the Grecians who possessed this Prouince in diuers partes thereof and then it was entitled the Earldome of Apulia or Puglia as some do yet tearme it Robert Guiscard a verie valiant and woorthy man expulsed suddenly the Grecians thence and tooke Sicilie also from the Sarrazins entitling himselfe Duke of Apulia and of Calabria and Earle of Sicilie In no long time after his nephew Ruggiero or Roger hauing conquered the Citty of Naples which till that time had béene in the Grecians Gouernment receiued the Title of King of both the Scicilies by Anacletus the Anti-Pope in the yeare of our Lorde 1130. which afterwarde was confirmed vnto him in good and lawfull manner And from that time forwarde it was called the kingdome of Scicilie on this side Pharos vntill the raigne of Charles the first when it became deuided from Sicilie by occasion of that famous accident called Vesro Sciciliano the Scicilian Euening wherein so many of the French were slaine I finde moreouer in many good Historians that Naples hath had three seuerall Names to wit the Kingdome of Naples the Kingdome of Apulia and the Kingdome of Scicilie on this side Pharos ¶ Of the Kingdome of Portugall THe Kingdome of Portugall beganne in the yeare of Christ M.C.X. after this manner Henry Earle of Lorrayne comming thether performed many valiant déedes against the Sarrazins And his high deseruings mooued Alphonsus the sixte King of Castile to giue him a Bastard daughter of his in mariage named Tiresia and in way of Dowrye assigned him also that part of Galicia which then was contained in Lusitania Of this marriage was Alphonsus borne who was the first that euer stiled himselfe K. of Portugall and he was the first also that tooke the Citty of Lisbone from the Sarrazins For he hauing conquered fiue of their kings in seueral battels caused his Armes to bee adorned with fiue seuerall Crownes and Coat-Armors which euer after continued the Ensigne of the kings of Portugall in perpetuall memory of his valour But he quickly
Common-wealth This man was of the league with the Christian Princes againste the Turke and in his time were sixty seuerall Ambassadors at Venice He gouerned ten yeares and ten months 55 Bartolomeo Gradenigo Atturney of Saint Marke was made Duke at 76. yeares of age by the intercession of Andrea Dandolo and his cessation In his time was Venice myraculously deliuered from a mighty imminent invndation Candie rebelled and the Rebelles were seuerely punnished There happened a great Dearth in the Cittie which droue the people to discontentment Hee died in his fourth yeare 54 Andrea Dandolo who had before resigned his place to Gradenigo caused the dearth for to cease by sending for great store of Corne out of Sicilie Hee obtained of the king of Babylon frée Nauigation into Egypt Zara rebelled the seauenth time and was reprized The Warre betwéene them of Genes and the Citty was trobled by two great accidents One was an earthquake verie dreadfull and the other was a gréeuous Pestilence Hee gouerned twelue yeares wanting some few months 55 Marino Faliero was elected Duke being then Ambassador at Rome Hauing receyued an iniurie by some perticulers which was not reuenged according vnto his owne desire he determined in the eighty yeare of his age to make himselfe absolutely Lorde without any controule The Conspiracy beeing discouered by Nicholo Lion he had his head smitten off within the Pallace And it was ordayned that his Picture shoulde not bee placed among the other Dukes but the place being left voyde had onely this Writing This is the place of Marino Faliero who for his greeuous offence had his head cut off he was Duke but ten moneths 56 Giouanni Gradenigo had an excellent spirite but a much mishappen countenance The Warre was renewed againste the Genes which tearmined with a mutuall peace Hee had warre against the King of Hungarie for Dalmatia Treuisa was besiedged in his time and thether hee went in person He gouerned one yeare thrée moneths and fourtéene daies 57 Giouanni Delfino was elected Duke when he was in Treuisa defending it against the King of Hungary The Senat sent to demand free passage for him which being denied he came foorth with 200. horse to beard the enemy so attained to Margliera where the Senat in person receiued him In short time he gaue end to this war recouered Conciliano Serualla Asola He made peace for the soueraignty of Dalmatia and died aged 45. yeares hauing gouerned foure yeares two months eleuen daies 58 Lorenzo Celso vpon a false bruit of a victory against them of reuolted Genes was made duke in concurrence of Pietro Gradenigo Leonardo Dandolo Marro Cornaro Candie rebelled again it was regained with very great difficulty On this occasion a Iusts and feast was publickly made in the place of S. Mark he died 2. dayes after the fourth yeare of his Principality 59 Marco Cornaro a man very wise learned was sent into Candie which was rebellious and there he made a cruel bloody war the Pope granting plenary Indulgence to al such as went thether The Rebels being seuerely punished the commonwealth sent to Pope Vrbane 5. a certain nuÌ„ber of their Gallies He gouerned 2. years 5. moneths and 24. daies 60 Andrea Contarini â—led to the Paduans fearing to be elected Duke and as presaging the ruine which in his time wold betide the common-wealth First of all he made warre with them of Triesta then soon after with Carrara for the confines of Padua and such was the fortune that Chioggia beeing taken the Cittie of Venice found it selfe to bee in extreame daunger But in the ende hee went and opposed him-selfe in person against the Enemies vanquished them and regained Chioggia Hee dyed hauing gouerned fiftéene yeares foure months and fiftéene daies 61 Michele Morisini was a man well furnished with Learning and Wisedome Some say that in his time the Isle of Thenedes was taken and not in the time of his Predecessour Contarini There were diuers Lawes then made and amongst others it was ordayned that Homicides who formerly had beene hanged should afterwardes haue their heads smitten off He liued but four months fiue dayes in his Dignity and died in the 74. yeare of his age 62 Antonio Veniero was a rigorous obseruer of Iustice He confined one of his owne Sonnes in exile because he had ouer-lightly offended the Familie of a Noble Venitian Hee made league with Galeazzo the Vicounte against Carrara whereupon hee tooke Padua Hee assisted the Emperour Emmanuell against the Turke and gaue ayde also vnto Sigismond King of Hungaria who afterward came to the Empire The place of Saint Marke and that of the Rialto were greatly beautified in his time He died two months and thrée daies after the 18 yeare of his rule 63 Michele Steno had the dignity of Atturney of Saint Marke with that of Duke Hée wonne an important battaile against the Genewaies Carrera was now the last time vanquished and Padua and Verona surprized They of Vicenza to frée themselues from his tyranny yéelded themselues to the Common-wealth Ladislaus King of Hungaria did likewise for-goe Zara. He died hauing gouerned 13. yeares and thrée daies 64 Thomaso Mocenigo was first Generall of the Goulfe Hee embraced peace to the ende that the Cittizens might Traffique Vdina became obedient to the Common-wealth with the Countrey of Friuoli by meanes of the Lordes of Sauorguani who were made Noble-men of Venice The Florentines were also succoured against the Duke of Milaine In his tenth yeare he died 65 Francesco Foscari did stoutly represse the Duke of Milaine who procéeded too farre on the liberties of Italy Brescia Bergamo and other Citties of Lombardie were then won among which were Loda and Parma and Rauenna in Romania Hée made also a large progresse on the Seas euen into Morea The Senate assisted Paleodogus the Emperour against the Turkes who vsurped Constantinople in the yeare 1453. Hée was made Arbitratour by the Duke of Milaine in certaine differences of neighbour-hood The King of Dacia was made a Noble Venitian And afterward the Duke in regard of his age and infirmities was dismissed hauing gouerned 34. yeares and sixe months 66 Paschale Malapiero was appointed in the place of Foscari being Atturny of S. Mark who died two daies after his dismission Hee made a Law that in following times the Duke should not be deposed In his daies the famous Arte of Printing was brought into Venice The Arsenall was greatly encreased And hee maintained the people in peace during foure years 6. months and fiue daies that he gouerned 67 Christophoro Moro of Procuratour of S. Marke was made Duke He liued for some time in peace till the second yeare of his gouernment and then the Turke proud of his surprizall of Constantinople declared Warre against the Venitians He made heace with Pope Pius the fift and the Duke of Burgundy But the Pope dying they remained alone and maintayned war which lasted twenty yeares And yet he dyed hauing raigned 9
yeares and sixe months 68 Nicholo Tâ—ono had such good happe that in his time the common-wealths affaires went well against the Turke Pietro Mocenigo General in the Archipelagus vnited his power with the Popes The King of Naples they of Rhods sent 85. Gallies together and tooke Satalia a cittie of Pamphilia He made league likewise with the King of Persia against the Turke Iames King of Cyprus comming to Venice espoused Catharina Cornara adoptiue Daughter of S. Mark He gouerned one year eight months and fiue daies 69 Nicholo Marcello Atturney of S. Matk after some lawes made by the Correctours was elected Duke In his time there was a conspiracie in Cyprus to haue the Kingdome fall into the power of Ferdinand King of Naples Pietro Morcenigo went thither with a great Armie where hee appeased all troubles and seuerelie chastised the Rebelles Scutari a Cittie in Liburnia was besiedged by the Turke and valiantly defended by Antonio Loredano This Duke gouerned one yeare foure monthes and 17. daies 70 Pietro Mocenigo was elected Duke in desert of all his worthy deeds Lepanto was besiedged in his time by the Turke vertuously maintained by Antonio Loredano They brought their power likewise before the Isle of Stalimena but the same Loredano by his valour defended it The Daughter to King Ferdinand came to Venice with the Cardinall her Brother where they were roially entertained This Prince caused a Mony to be stamped which he sirnamed by his owne name And gouerned but two yeares and nine months 71 Andrea Vendramino had such ill hap in his gouernment that the Venitian Army was two seuerall times put to flight by the Turkes Once néere to Croya in Albania and the other in the Countrey of Friuli He was a goodly man of person and had a most beautifull Ladie to his Wife by whom hée had as goodlie Children whom he allyed in marriage with the chéefest Families He gouerned one yeare and eyght months 72 Giouanni Mocenigo Brother to Pietro Mocenigo hauing continued the Warre against the Turke in the ende made peace with him Ordering the matter so that hée left Scutari and Stipula in libertie of commerce and power to kéepe a Deputie at Constantinople Hée made Warre against Ferdinand King of Naples at the instance of Pope Sixtus the fourth which occasioned the long Warre called Sociale In the ende peace was made the Common-wealth hauing gotten Rouigo and Polesano The Cittie became much disgraced by fire and a pestilent sicknesse The Prince dyed hauing raigned seauen yeares and six moneths 73 Marco Barbarigo the Plague béeing ceased caused all to bée new builded which the Fire had defaced in the Pallace Hee was greatly differing from from all other Princes to wit in pardoning and forgetting perticuler iniuries doone vnto him but such as were committed against the State he would haue reuenged with stricttest seueritie The Grand Signeur or Turke sent a perticular Ambassadour vnto him to congratulate his election He gouerned but nine months 74 Agostino Barbarigo withstood the progresse of Charls 8. King of France when he made war against them of Arragon for the kingdome of Naples which he conquered The Turke vsurped on the Common weales of Lepanto Modona and Corona The Kingdome of Cyprus was brought vnder the tutelage of the Senate and Quéen Catharina brought thence to Venice The Office de la Sante was created by occasion of the Pestilence The Duke gouerned 15. years and 21. daies 75 Leonardo Lauredano sustained a very rigorous war against the chiefest Princes of the world there being a league made at Cambray betwéene the Emperor Maximilian the King of France them of Naples and the Dukes of Sauoy Ferrara and Mantua incited thereto by Pope Iulius the second All the whole estate of firme land was surprized except Treuisa but in the end it was recouered He liued in the Principality ninetéene yeares eight months and 20. daies 76 Antonio Grimani being Generall had a most infamous disrout or foile by which occasion he was dismissed of the charge of Procurator of S. Marke and confined to Cherso Hee brake his limitation and with-drewe himselfe to Rome to the Cardinall his Sonne where hee had so many woorthy Offices imposed vppon him as not onely he was re-established in his Atturnies place againe but hée was likewise made Duke at the age of eighty two yeares and gouerned but one yeare ten monthes and two daies 77 Andrea Gritti gaining best part of the glory for the reprisall of Padua was in very great estéeme Hee dealt so with the King of Fraunce to whom he was Prisoner that his Maiesty allyed himselfe with the Common-wealth and Brescia and Verona were reconquered Hee knew very well how to make his carriage pleasing to the Senate during the warres betwéene Charles the fift Emperour and King Fraunces the first as also against Solyman Hee gouerned fiftéene yeares seauen monthes and eyght daies 78 Peitro Lando continued the defence of the Common-wealth against the Turk with whom at last he made a peace knowing how to make vse thereof maintaine his owne charge while the war continued betwéen Charles the fift and King Frances the first He gouerned sixe yeares and eight months 79 Francesco Donato making benefit also of this peace beautified the Citty with many goodly buildings besides that of the Pallace He sent succour to the Emperour against certain Rebels in Germany The Princes of Guise comming to Venice in his time were entertained as fitted their dignity He gouerned seauen yeares and six months 80 Marco Antonio Treuisano a Man altogether deuoute laboured that the Common-wealth might abound in goodnesse and ciuill manners preuenting by his owne worthy example that vices should not be winekt at as in too many Countries they are He gouerned a yeare wanting thrée daies 81 Francesco Veniero could so well skill of gouerning the Common-wealth that albeit the Turke in his time made Warre in Apulia and the King of Fraunce in Tuscanie yet all was well at Venice and the Quéene of Poland Royallie welcommed thither Hée gouerned two yeares one moneth and twentie daies 82 Lorenzo Priuli was sollicited by the Pope to make Warre against the Emperor But hée being a Friend to the Common-wealth by no meanes would offend him but mediated a pacification of those affaires In his time peace was made betwéene Fraunce and Spayne and Charles the fift dyed This Prince gouerned thrée yeares eleauen months and eyght daies 83 Girolamo Priuli Brother to the precedent Prince enioyed those great Honours which Pope Pius the fourth gaue to the Common-wealth And all his delight was to heare Ambassadours in the Hall of Kinges In his time the Councell of Trent was concluded whither he sent as Ambassadors Nicholo de Ponte and Matheo Dandolo The Common-wealth held at Baptisme the Sonne to the Duke of Sauoy bâ— a Deputie borne of Marguerite of France He dyed hauing gouerned eight yeares two monthes and foure daies 84 Pietro Loredano by the concurrence of two others was elected Duke
euen in his Baptisme and all his successours at their Coronations haue in like manner béene sacred Clouis changed his former Coate of Armes taking thrée Golden Floure-de-luces in a fielde Azure where-with hée first warred vppon Gondebant King of Burgundy who was Vnckle to his Wife and discomfited the Vuisegothes before Poictiers hauing slaine with his owne hand Alaric theyr King and wonne from them the Countrey of Aquitaine so farre as the Pyrenean Mountaines and almost all Gaule and Allemaigne Héereuppon the Emperour Anastasius sent him a Crowne of Golde with th◠Title and vesture of Patritius and Consull He made a choyse of Paris for his ordinarie abyding and commaunded it to bée the chéefe Cittie of his Kingdome where he dyed in Anno 514. béeing aged eyghty yeares And was buryed in the Church of S. Geneuiefue du mont de Paris which himselfe had founded in memory of Saint Peter and Saint Paul leauing four Sons and two daughters 6 Childebert succéeded his Father Clouis in the yeare fiue hundred fiftéene but not in the whole kingdome For he leauing foure Sonnes liuing it was deuided into foure partes among them and each one was King of his seuerall portion Childebert hadde for his part Paris where hée held his Seate royall with other dependaunces as Poictu Maine Touraine Champaigne Aniou Guienne and Auuergne Clothaire was King of Soissons Clodomire King of Orleaunce and Theodorick the Bastard béeing the eldest was King of Metz. They made Warre by the procurement of Clotilda their Mother on Sigismond King of Burgundy who was slaine with his Wife Child by Clodomire king of Orleaunce who likewise in another battaile was kild himselfe by Gondemar vnder a feigned pretence of friendshippe but for this in the end Burgundy was taken and destroied Clothaire assisted by Childebert possessed himselfe of the Kingdom of Orleaunce and slew his Nephewes Clothaire and Childebert had great wars together which in the ende was accorded and they passed with their armies into Spaine against Almarick who vsed their Sister very hardly because she would not bee an Arrian And killing him in the battaile they brought her backe with them into France Hée raigned 45. yeares and dyed without any Children hee lieth buried at S. Germaine des Prez which he founded by the name of S. Vincent 7 Clothaire the Sonne of Clouis succéeded his Brother Childebert in the yeare 559. or as some say 560. hee had before béene King of Soyssons fortie fiue yeares and suruiued all his Brethren and their Children so that at length he remained sole-king of France He was luxurious and cruell in the death of his two Nephews Children to Clodomire King of Orleaunce He likewise with much disgrace vpon a Good-Friday slewe Gauliter d'Yuetot in a Church For reparation of which wrong he aduanced or erected the Land of Yuetot which is in Normandy into a kingdome to the heires of the said Gaultier Clothaire séeing himselfe Sole-Monarch of the Gaules would néedes leuy the third part of the Churches reuennewes Against which the Arch-bishop of Tours made resistance telling the King boldly that the reuennewes of the Church were the goods of the poore He lost a battaile against the Saxons and Thuringians because hee would not take them to mercie and suffer them to depart with their liues saued Hee ouercame in warre Cran his Bastard Sonne who rose in armes against him causing him his wife and Children to be burned hauing also formerly slaine the Duke of Bretaigne whom he had caused to reuoult Hee raigned 51. yeares dyed at Compeigne and lieth buryed at S. Medard de Soyssons Anno 567. 8 Cherebert or Aribert succéeded his Father Clothaire in the yeare 567. Paris fell to him by partage He was very vnchast of life repudiated his Wife to entertaine two of her waighting women for which Germaine Byshoppe of Paris excommunicated him Hee raigned nine yeares died without any heires And lieth buried at Saynt Romaine néere Blaye in Gascoigne 9 Chilperick succéeded his Brother Cherebert in the year 577. hauing before raigned nine yeares King of Soissons He had thrée wiues the first whereof he diuorced from him compelling her to enter into Religion The second beeing named Audoüera he banished And the thyrde called Athanagilde he caused to be strangled in her bedde All which was done by the procurement of Fredegonde his Concubine whom hée then married and had a Sonne by her named Clothaire His Brethren warred againste him for his inhumanities and woulde haue deposed him but in the ende they were pacifyed Chilperick perceiuing his Brother Sigibert king of Metz to be much molested by the Allemaigns tooke many Citties from him whereat Sigibert being iustly offended neuer ceased till by the helpe of Gontran hee recouered all that was taken from him pursuing him still in such sort that Theodebert his Son was slaine and hee glad to saue himselse in Iournay where Sigibert besieged him Sigibert was slaine in his Tent by two Traitors hyred thereto by Fredegonde In short while after Fredegonde knowing that the king had noted ouermuch familiarity betwéene her and Landry Maire of the Pallace her adulterer she caused the king to be murdered by the said Landry at Chelles néere Paris as hee returned somewhat late one night from hunting hauing raigned in all 23. years and lieth buried at S. Germaine des Prez 10 In the year 587. Clothaire second of that name the son of Chilperick Fredegonde being but foure months old was acknowledged for Legitimate and made king vnder the gouernement of Gontran King of Orleans his Vnckle who made Landry Maire of the Pallace Tutor to the young King and because he should bee norished with his Mother Fredegonde Childebert King of Metz endeuoured by Armes to get the gouernment of the kingdome and as much as in him lay to haue Fredegonde punished for the death of his Father Sigibert and of his Vnckle Chilperik whom she had caused to be both murdered Gontran appeased him by making hym his heire yet notwithstanding in short while after he began war againe against which Landry with Fredegonde who was a woman of admired courage opposed themselues And she to imbolden the French carried the young king hir son in her armes walking so with him thorough the thickest of the battell and shewing him vnto the soldiors she would say Fight for your younge King and defend his kingdom by which means Sigibert was foiled and driuen to flight Brunehault hauing put to death many children of the bloud Royall was deliuered to Clothaire who caused her to be torne with four horses He reuenged himselfe on the Saxons leauing no male child aliue that was taller then his sword He raigned 44. yeares and lyeth buried at S. Germaine des Pres. 11 Dagobert first of that name succéeded his Father Clothaire in the yeare 631. he gaue to his brother Aribert the kingdom of Aquitaine in partage which
conquered the Frisons with their Duke and made them to receiue the Christian faith He raigned foure yeares and his buriall is not recorded 17 Childebert second of that name succéeded his Brother Clouis in the yeare 698. Of his déeds there is little set downe in writing for Pepin Heristell Maire of the Pallace ruled then the whole kingdome and mannaged all the affayres of Fraunce at his pleasure He heard Ambassadors and gaue them aunswere according peace or truce as to himselfe séemed best In these raignes the Maires of the Pallace held such authority as it was not lawful for any to contradict them And yet Lambert Bish of Vtrecht whom Pepin had reuoked from bannishment notwithstanding al his power did not forbeare to reproue his adultry but it cost him his life for hee was slaine by Dodon brother to his concubine Pepin made his own son Grimoald Mair of the palace in which office he was soone after slaine Then he made his bastard son called Charls Martel duke of Austrasia and Maire of the pallace Pepin died in the 17. year of his gouernment as Maire of the Pallace And Plectrude his wife being desirous to rule with her young sonne Thibaulte caused Charles Martel to be imprisoned at Colougne Childebert die◠hauing raigned 18. yeares and lieth buried at S. Stephens of Naucy as some haue supposed that his brother Clouis doth also 18 Dagobert second of that name succéeded his father Childebert in the yeare 716. He was gouerned by Plectrude widdow to Pepin Heristel and by Thibaulte Sonne to his sonne Drogon Some French men Crowned as their King one named Daniell or Chilperick hauing the Counte Hermanfroy Maire of the Pallace that had slaine the cruell Ebroine Charles Martell was still kept Prisoner at Coulongue by Plectrude who hindred him by that meanes from enioying his Dukedome of Austrasia Thibault the youngest Sonne of Plectrude aspyring to bee Sole-Maire of the Pallace as also to expell Hermanfroy and his King Chilperick raysed an Army against them But Hermanfroy withstood him so couragiously néere to the Forrest Charboniere that Thibaulte was glad to fly with losse of his people By this meanes Hermanfroy like a Conqueror supported the raign of Chilperick vntill that Charles Martell was escaped out of Prison Dagobert raigned foure years leauing two Sons who by the factions of diuers Princes affecting the gouernment were made Monkes 19 Clothaire fourth of that name was king in Anno. 720. After that Charles Martell had escaped out of Prison wherein he had béene detained by Plectrude his Step-mother he came presently into Fraunce with a strong Army to re-seaze his Lordship of Maire of the Pallace and to exclude Chilperick called Daniell with duke Hermanfroy Maire of the Pallace who hadde made him King of France after the death of Dagobert the second They encountred together and by the ayde of the Duke of Frise hée was discomfited and fled But yet his courage was not quailed for afterward hee foiled Chilperick néere to Cambray who hauing revnited his forces with the helpe of Eudo Duke of Aquitaine was once more vanquished in Champaign The Duke of Aquitaine retyring tooke Chilpericke home with him into his Country Hermanfroy called by some Rainfroy was pursued and taken in the Cittye of Angiers where Martell in kindnesse left him to finish his daies Charles Martell hauing preuailed against all disaduantages was receiued in Fraunce for Maire and great Gouernor After the first victory which he had against Chilperick he made Clothaire the fourth King of France whom some do tearme to be Brother and others Vnckle to Dagobert the second He raigned two yeares and lieth buried at Nancy 20 Chilperick second of that name otherwise called Daniel hauing bin nourished young in a Monastery had formerly raigned two yeares before Clothayre the fourth Charles Martell after the death of the said Clothaire sent for him out of Gascoigne and acknowledging his lawfull right caused him to be constituted King in the yeare 722. This did he the rather nowe in the fresh Sun-shine of his reconfirmed power to hold him as King in apearance onely that he dying without issue might leaue the Crown to his Brother He raigned almost fiue yeares and lyeth buried ot Noyon 21 Theodorick second of that name or Thierry as some call him eldest sonne of Dagobert the second was made King in the yeare 727. Charles Martell sent to fetch him forth of a Monastery whereinto he had bin put when he was young and created him King in bare Title only For Charles Martell beeing Maire of the Pallace did mannage the whole businesse of the Kingdome and carried himselfe therein with very good credit Thus did the Maires take such aduantage of the Kings carelesnesse as in the end they expelled them from the Royall dignity and vsed it only for themselues Charles Martell subdued the Saxons and those of Bauaria that entred into rebellion Eudo Duke of Aquitain raised the Sarrazins who then bare great sway in Spayne to come with him and Warre in France making open passage for them They came thether to the number of foure hundered thousand persons with Women Children and Seruaunts with purpose to inhabite the Country wasting it al along as they went But Charles Martell met them néere Tours where hee vanquished and slew 350000. with very small losse of his owne followers Afterward hee preuailed against the Frisons and once more hee foyled the Sarrazins before Auignon expelling them in the ende quite out of Fraunce This king hauing raigned fiftéene yeares dyed and lieth buried at S. Denis 22 Childerick thirde of that name Surnamed the Insensible in regard of his blockish neglect and carelesnesse beeing likewise brought from the Monastery succéeded his brother Theodorick in the yeare 741. In which yeare Charles Martell Maire of the Pallace and Gouernour of Fraunce after many famous and woorthy victories by him obtained dyed and was in Royall habite interred at Saint Denis in the ranke of Kinges albeit hee neuer had the Name nor Title He left thrée Sonnes Pepin Carloman and Griffon Pepin being Maire of the Pallace lost not a iotte of that authoritie which his Father hadde formerly exercised ouer the Kinges but gouerned the Realme with his Brother Carloman Griffon thinking himselfe not sufficiently remembered by his Father seazed Laon to himselfe and helde it stronglie but in the ende hee was constrained to agree with his Bretheren Carloman contemning the goodes and honours of this Worlde went to Rome to Pope Zacharie and receiued the habite of Religion at his hands Pepin succéeding as heyre to that which Carloman had forsaken and hauing the fauour of the chiefest in the Kingdome sawe occasion smile vppon him to make himselfe a King and therefore woulde not let slippe so fayre an opportunity Héereupon by his Ambassadors hee gained the consent of Pope Zachary whom hee thorowly acquainted with the pusilanimity and dissolute life
was then in Aquitaine hardly brooking this disgrace mooued great warre against Charles the Simple which continued for long time Neuerthelesse at the houre of his death hee entreated the Princes of Fraunce that they should restore the saide Charles to the Kingdome because in true right it appertained to him This Odo brought vp as a noueltie to haue a great many Floure-de-Luces without any direct number in the Armes of Fraunce which continued so till the time of Charles the sixt He raigned nine years and lieth buried at S. Denis 31 Charles the third sirnamed the Simple son of Lewes le Begue or the Stammerer began to raigne soly in the yeare 900. After his Tutours death who had held the kingdome in the minority of his yeares The warre of the Normans continued stil yet the king fel into acquaintance with Raoull or Rollo their Duke and gaue him his daughter in marriage endowed with all the Land which then was called Neustria and afterward made a dutchy and named Normandy with especial condition that he should be baptized Robert Earle of Paris Brother to Odo lately deceased pretended to vsurp the kingdom and drawing many Lords into his faction crowned himselfe King But Charles with the ayde of the Emperour Henrie gaue him battaile néere to Soissons wherein the saide Robert was vanquished and slaine Héereat Hebert Earle of Vermandois his Brother in Law was highlie displeased yet hee dissembled it for an apt time and one day pretending to feast the King he entreated him to lodge in his castle of Peronne No sooner was he entred but he did shut him vp in a Tower where hee dyed compelling him to resigne the Kingdome to Raoull Brother to the Duke of Burgundy Hee left by Theargina his Wife a Sonne named Lewes who fledde for his safetie into England This King raigned alone 14. yeares and lyeth enterred at Peronne 32 Raoull of Burgundy Sonne to Richard Duke of Burgundy was made King in the year 917. This man not being of the linage of kings would néedes bée crowned at Soissons as well by fauour of Hugh the great Earle of Paris as also of Hebert Earle of Vermandois who then kept King Charles the Simple Prisoner seazing his person vnder coulour of feasting him and constrayning him before his death to resigne his Kingdome in presence of many Lords and to giue it as a frée guift to the sayde Raoull which yéelded the greater authority to his raigne The Quéene Theargina wife to King Charles the Simple séeing such troubles in France made her retirement into England to the King her Brother with her Son Lewes called Lewes of beyond the Sea Raoull made a voyage into Italy pretending to get the Empire which was then in strife and there he vanquished Berengarius an Italian Prince who laide some claime thereto But finding himselfe not wel affected of the Italians hee with-drew thence into France where hee dyed of a very strange disease béeing eaten with wormes notwithstanding all remedies applied by his Phisitions He raigned about tenne yeares died at Auxerre and was buried at S. Colombe néere Sens. 33 Lewes fourth of that name sir-named Lewes d'Outre-mer or of beyond the Sea Son of Charles the Simple was made K. in the yeare 929. being then in England with the K. his vnckle the Princes Prelats and Barons of France sent for him into England whither his Mother Theargina had carried him for refuge when Hebert had betraied King Charles her Husband he was crowned at Laon. The King had debate with Raoul of Burgundy about the Kingdome and made warre vppon the Emperour Otho for the Dutchy of Lorraine but peace being made betwéene them he tooke to Wife Herberge Sister to the said Emperour At his returne home into Fraunce hee caused Hebert Earle of Vermandois to bee hanged who had procured his Father to dye in Prison Hugh the great Earle of Paris who then held the full sayle of the kingdome raised the Normans to rebell against the King But the King drawing him to his side he rebelled from him again because he had made an agréement with the Normans without him and caused them also to alter their purpose with a fresh begunne warre wherein the King was taken Prisoner and carried to Rouen Afterward he was deliuered to the great Earle Hugh who detained him at Laon but the Emperour Otho came to his succour deliuered him Lewes raigned twenty seauen yeares and lieth buryed at S. Remy of Rheimes 34 Lothaire Sonne of Lewes d' Outremer or of beyond the Sea was made King in the yeare 956. At the beginning of his raigne Hugh the great Earle of Paris gouerned all the affaires of France but he dyed soone after leauing thrée Sonnes to wit Hugh Capet who afterward vsurped the kingdom Otho and Henry who were successiuely Dukes of Burgundy and was sumptuously enterred at Saint Denis Lothaire raigned 31. yeares and lieth buried at S. Remy of Rheimes 35 After King Lothaire Lewes his Sonne fift of that name succéeded in the gouernment in the yeare 986. He raigned but one yeare died without any heire and was the last King of the race or linage of Charles the great his burial was at Compeigne Charles Duke of Lorraine who was his Unckle and néerest Heire hearing of his death would néedes passe into France to make himselfe King But the French hated him extreamely as well because he had continually pertaken with the Allemaignes sworne enemies then to the French as also in regard hee was a bad Prince to his owne Subiectes So that they would not receiue him for their King but wholy ranne to Hugh Capet then Maire of the pallace a very wise and woorthy man Hee perceiuing that the French fauoured and affected him knew well enough how to sow both in their eares and hearts an vnliking opinion of Charles Duke of Lorrain to make him the more hatefull to them He first laid before them how hee had permitted the Allemaignes frée passage when they came and warred on France Next that he had maintained the chéefe enemies to the crown of France wherein hee stood guilty of high treason And so by consequent was disabled of any succession to the said Crowne ¶ Heere endeth the second generation of the Kinges of France in the ligne Masculine being the race of the Carlouingians and which continued after Pepin for the space of 233. yeares HVgh Capet Sonne to Hugh the great Earle of Paris possessed himself of the Crown of France in the yeare 987. He was by some of the French proclaymed King at Noyon first of al soone after in the Citty of Rheimes partly by fauour and partly perforce Crowned King of Fraunce and made his entrance into Paris whereuppon Charles Duke of Lorraine took Rheimes Laon and Soissons Hugh Capet with a potent Armie besiedged Laon where hee tooke Charles with his Wife and Children by Treason in the Byshop of
the said place and sent them Prisoners to Orleaunce where they were very strictly kept and died Capet being the Conqueror maintained that the kingdome should wholy appertaine to him because Raoull of Burgundy his vnckle had formerly possessed himselfe thereof by the voluntary resignation of Charles the Simple Hée caused his son Robert who had followed his studies to be crowned at Orleaunce and to associate him in the kingdomes regiment taking away the authority of the Maire of the Pallace when thus he aduanced his son whom he had by Adela daughter to Edward King of England Hee appointed also the twelue Peeres againe beganne the dignity office of Constable and established the Marshals of France He raigned alone with his Son 9. yeares He founded the Abbay of S. Magloire at Paris and lieth buried at S. Denis 37 Robert the sonne of Hugh Capet béeing Crowned King in the life time of his Father began to rule alone in the yeare 997. as true inheritour both of the Crowne and likewise of his Fathers vertues He raigned worthily béeing a Man very deuout and méeke the Kingdome continuing peaceable and without warre This King was very wise and could compose in Latine very learnedlie for he made many Proses Himnes and answeres which yet to this day are sung in the Church He was also well skild in Musique and would oft-times sing among the Channons and weare a Coape for companie with them liuing as religiously as royally Henrie Duke of Burgundy his Vnckle by the Mothers side made him Heire of his Dutchie leauing it vnto him by his Testament and incited him against Landry Duke of Neuers béeing beloued and supported by the Burgundians who insulted vppon his right in which attempt they foyled him and droue him to flight Hée ioyned the Cittie of Sens to the Crowne by confiscation for a certaine delict doone by the Counte Reynard He sent his Armie against the Valentians with Richard Duke of Normandy to assist the Earle of Flanders his Kins-man against Henry the Emperor He had thrée wiues Luthard Bertha whom hee forsooke vppon some occasion and Constance by whom hee had thrée sons one whereof died during his raigne In his time was an vniuersal famine and mortality He dyed hauing raigned 34. yeares and lieth buried at S. Denis 38 Henry the first succéeded in the kingdome after his Father Robert in the yeare 1030. In his beginning to gouerne his younger Brother Robert warred against him béeing allied to the Earles of Champaigne and Flaunders who stroue to make him King by the procurement of his Step-mother but he assisted by the Duke of Normandy and the Earle of Corbeile mayntained his owne quietnesse He ioyned Meulanc to his Crowne by rebellion of the Earle of that place Raoull king of high Burgundy being dead the Emperor Conrade seazed on that part thereof which wee call La Franche Conte And the Dutchy béeing Roberts Brother to the King the kingdome of Burgundy which had so contied an hundred and thirtie yeares was then abolished The King seated young William the Bastard Duke of Normandy to whom he had béene Guardian peaceably in his Dutchy because some of his Subiects would haue depriued him thereof as beeing vnwilling to entertaine him He founded Saint Martine des Champs in the same place where his Pallace was without Paris By Anne his wife daughter to George or Gaultier king of the Russians he had Phillip and Hugh and a Daughter married to the Duke of Normandy Féeling himselfe to waxe weeke he caused his Sonne Phillip to bee crowned King of France And before his death he left Baldwine Earle of Flanders as Guardian of his Children He reigned 31. yeares and lieth buried at Saint Denis 39 Phillip the first succéeded after his Father in the year 1061. During his time William the Bastard Duke of Normandy conquered the Realme of England and Godfrey of Bullen was made King of Ierusalem also the Countrey of Gastinois came then to the Crown This king raigned 48. yeares and lyeth buried at S. Bennets on Loire 40 Lewes the sixt sir named le Gros immediatly after the death of King Phillip his Father in the year 1110. was sacred at Orleaunce by the Bishoppe of Sens the way of Rheimes not beeing then secure Some Princes and Lordes assisted by the King of England in the beginning of his raigne did giue him many molestations but still it was his happe to be Conquerour and the Warre of the English verie many times appointed was at last ended Pope Gelasius fled for refuge into France where hee was succoured against the Emperour In the yeare 1129. the King caused his Sonne Phillip to bée Crowned who two yeares after dyed at Paris by reason of a Hogges running betwéene the Legges of his Horse that threwe him violently on the Pauement and dying of that hurt he was buryed at Saint Denis Afterward hée had his other Sonne Lewes crowned and it was done by Pope Innocent he béeing then in France At this time were a great company of Lazers and Leapers in Fraunce who would haue infected all the rest of the people but they were all taken and burned The order of the Knights Templers Chartreux Monks began in this kinges raigne and the winds were so rough and impetuous in the yeare 1135. that they ouer-turned many Towers Castles Trées in Forrests and Mils This King appeased the troubles in Flanders Bouâ—bonnois Auuergne he builded the Abbay of Saint Victor néere Paris raigned 28. yeares died at the age of sixty leauing six Sons and a daughter and lieth buried at S. Denis 41 Lewes the seauenth sir-named the Young man beganne to raigne after his Father in the yeare 1138. He made war on Thibault Earle of Champaigne tooâ—oâ— him the Citty of Vitry And in a great â—age burned the Church with 13 hundred persons in it that had fledde thither for safety By the solicitation of S. Bernald he went to Hierusalem with his Queene and with the Army of the Emperour Conrade where besiedging Damas thorough discord in the Army hée could boast of no aduauntage but retyring thence had not the Shippes of Sicily befriended him and his they hadde remained Prisoners there Beeing returned into Fraunce hée made a separation betwéene him and Queene Aelianor his wife Dutchesse of Aquitaine and Aniou vppon two suspitions conceiued against her Henry Duke of Normandie who afterward was King of England married her with her Patrimony of the saide two Dutchies and there-about followed great Warres betwéene France and England The King married Constance Daughter to the K. of Spayn who dyed soon after And then he remarried Alice daughter to the Earle of Blois by whom he had Phillip Dieu-donne Gods gift Then happened great disturbance in England betwéene the King and his son who making his recourse to Lewes caused thereby a very troublesome war without any aduantage to either side But in the end they were accorded
and a marriage concluded of Alice the daughter of Lewes to the son of England The King died at Paris hauing raigned 43. yeares and lieth buried in the Abbay of Barbeau which was founded by him 42 Phillip Augustus sir-named Dieu-donne Gods gift succéeded after his Father in the year 1181. He banished all the Iewes out of Fraunce and yet afterward permitted them entraunce againe ordaining many Edicts against Blasphemers as also the vsury of the Iewes He did put to death the Albigeois Heretiques and them of Besiers augmenting greatly the Cittie of Paris instituting Sheriffes and Alder-men commaunding the stréetes to be paued building also the Halles for Studentes and the Church-yard of S. Innocent and enclosing with wals the Vniuersity side Hée went to recouer the Citty of Hierusalem with Richard Cueur de Lyon King of England and falling off from him returned home into France Hee hadde afterward great wars against the said K. Richard and Iohn without Land his brother who succéeded him about the titles of Normandy Aquitain Poictu Maine Aniou Auuergne He won the battaile at Bouines against the Emperor Otho and other French Lords who were entred into rebellion against him In which battell perished fifty thousand men and Otho himselfe was enforced to flight the Earle of Flanders and the Earl of Bolongne being taken Prisoners by which reason the king was called the Conqueror He raigned 43. yeares died at Mante aged 59. lieth buried at S. Denis leauing two sons and a daughter 43 Lewes the eyght succéeded after his Father in the yeare 1224. In the life time of his Father hee crossed the Seas and made Warre in England attayning to no such successe as hee expected Hee renewed kindnesse and Brotherhood betwéene the French and Germaines tooke Auignon and warred vpon the Albigeois He raigned thrée yeares and lyeth buryed at Saint Denis 44 Lewes the ninth succeeded his Father Lewes the eyght in the yeare 1227. Blaunche his Mother in regard of his young yeares was appointed to bée Regent whereat some Lords were discontented but she tooke order sufficiently with them She maintained the warre against the English and agréement was made with them vpon solemne Oath to holde Aquitaine doing homage and to yéelde vp Normandie Ponthieu Maine and Poictiers The king being in peace exercised himselfe to liue Religiously building Churches Hospitals and Monasteries enriching them with rents reuennues In the 24. yeare of his raigne hee went to recouer the Holy Land descended into Egypt and tooke Damieta He was afterward so rudely assayled that he was taken by the Soldane but deliuered againe vppon his restoring Damieta and paying a great ransome Hee bought of the Venetians the Crown of Thornes as was supposed with other Relickes of the passion caused them to be safely kept in the holy Chappel at Paris Many Shepheards vnderstanding that the King was prisoner arose vp in armes and made great spoile in France but they were foyled by them of Orleance and Bourges The king at his returne did very seuerely chastise blasphemers And passing afterward into Affrica tooke Carthage and assailed Thunis where the Pestilence happening in his Campe he died of a flux of blood He raigned 34. yeares and lieth buried at S. Denis Behold briefely the life and death of King Lewes ninth of that name who afterward by Pope Boniface the eight in the time of Phillip le Bel was cannonized among the number of Saints in Romes Kalender and called S. Lewes His raigne was truely in piety religion sanctitie and iustice His youth was much tormented with rebellions subleuations seditions of some Lords but his manly yeares did disperse them as the Sunne doth dimme clouds Hee was deuoute vpright valiant liberal seuere and yet clement vsing all these Vertues according as hee knewe them to be néedfull 45 Phillip the third Son of S. Lewes was proclaimed King in the Campe before Thunis in the yeare 1271. but was afterward Sacred at Rheimes He was Sur-named Phillip the hardie and at his comming back into France he had many difficulties about the death of Phillip his impoysoned Sonne in the Warres of Foix and Terracon Vpon an Easter day in the euening houre all the French being then in Sicily were euery one slaine whereon grew the By-word of the Sicilian Vespres or Euening The king died at Parpignan in the fortith yeare of his age and lieth buried at Saint Denis hee married Isabel Daughter to Peter of Arragon by whom he had Phillip Charles and Marie And then remarrying Marie Daughter vnto Henrie Duke of Brabant he hadde by her Lewes and Margaret 46 Phillip the fourth Sur-named le Bell or the Fayre Sonne to the fore-named Phillip succéeded his Father in the yeare 1286. both in the Kingdome of France and Nauarre in right of his wife In his younger daies he had a Schoolemaister a Roman borne and a great Diuine named Gilles who caused the King to write an excellent worke yet to be séene called The Institution of Princes As the King was at Paris being returned from his Corronation at Rheimes this Diuine according to the Vniuersities ancient custome which was to make a learned spéech after the kings sacring made a singuler Oratiō to him to encrease his desire in following Vertue piety preseruing his subiects in peace and tranquility He built the sumptuous Pallace of Paris subdued the Flemings who had forsaken his part giuen aide to the English against him the Earle of Flanders and his two sons beeing then taken prisoners The King left a Garrison in the countrey but they were slaine in a commotion of the people Whereupon the Earle of Flanders hauing giuen his faith to the King was sent thyther with one of his sons but being able to do no good he returned backe againe to the King and died soon after at Compeign The k. went thither himselfe in person at the first had no better successe but at length he charged them so furiously that he foiled 36000. wheron they were constrained to make attonement and pay him 200000. Crownes The day of Coutray was afterward fauourable to the Flemmings but deplorable to the French the English preuayling mightily against them Then came the Bulles of Pope Boniface against Phillippe but they were burned in the Court of the Pallace which made Boniface to excommunicate the King but Bennet his Successour absolued him againe In his time was the Papall See trans-ferred to Auignon where it continued thréescore ten yeares Rome being then gouerned by Legates The king died at Fountainebleu which was the place of his byrth hauing raigned 28. years and lieth buried at S. Denis 47 Lewes the tenth Sur-named Hutin after the conformity of his manners succéeded his Father in the yeare 1314. and had his right also after his Mother in the kingdome of Nauarre Enguerrand de Marigni General of the Finances being accused to haue robbed the
kings treasury was hanged at Mont-faucon which hee himselfe first caused to be made Lewes tooke first to wife Margaret Daughter to Robert Duke of Burgundy by whom he had a Daughter Next he married Constance whom he left with child of a Sonne named Iohn that liued but eyght daies This King raigned but xviij months died at Boys de Vinciennes and is buried at S. Denis 48 Phillip the fift Surnamed the Long succéeded after his Brother Lewes Hutin in the kingdome being called Long in regard of his tal stature and slendernesse The Duke of Burgundie would haue troubled his possession of the crown in regarde of his Daughters Daughter but the Salique Law did not fauour him therein This King Phillip married Iane Daughter to Otholine Earle of Burgundy by whom hee had three daughters The first married with the Sonne to the Duke of Burgundy the second the Sonne to the Earle of Flaunders and the thirde to the Daulphine of Viennois by which marriages all Warres were asswaged in Fraunce During his raigne diuers Leapers and Lazers procured thereunto by the Iewes poysoned all the welles which caused a great Pestilence thorough the Kingdom but both the one and other were grieuously punnished therefore Neuer coulde this King obtaine of his people any impost or Taxation by him leuied He made a Law that there shold be in his kingdom but one kind of weight one measure and one money commanding that it should be duely kept But while this was in execution he died without any heires male hauing raigned fiue yeares in peace and lieth buried at S. Denis In these times certaine Troopes of Countrey people that were called Pastors and Shepherds arose againe in Fraunce as formerly some had done in the time of King Lewes the ninth These men made their vaunt that they would crosse the Seas and go warre against the Infidels They had two chiefe men of marke among them and wel beseeming such an assembly to wit a Priest that for his mis-behauiour was expulsed his Church and an Apostata Monke of the Order of S. Bennet These two fellowes so abused the hearts and beléefe of the poore popularity that silly Shepheards left their Flocks and Laborers their Manuall trades to follow these two impostures who made them verily beleeue that the Holy Land could be recouered by none but them In conclusion this heape of Rascality was quailed in Languedoc because in stead of preparing their fury against the Infidels and passing the Seas they fell vpon the Iewes whom the king had repealed into France 49 Charles le Bell Son to Phillip the fourth succéeded after his Brother in the year 1321. and likewise was King of Nauarre as his thrée predecessors had bin He had thrée wiues Blaunch whom he diuorced for her adultery Marie and Margaret Iourdain de l'Isle albeit hee was Nephew to Pope Iohn the two and twentieth was hanged and strangled at Paris for his strange offences This King fel to concord with the English appeased the Earle of Flaunders and drewe his people to a mutuall Reconciliation He was a great Iusticer raigned seauen yeares dyed at Boys de Vinciennes and is buried at Saint Denis By his death the second branch of the Capets called De Valois came to the Royalty and began in 50 PHillip de Valois Coozin Germaine to the thrée precedent Kings dying without heire male his succession was in the yeare 1328. His right to the Crowne was dearely disputed betweene him and King Edward the third of England Son to the Sister of the thrée forenamed Kings who preferring his Mothers Title would néeds be King of France contrary to the Decrée of the Law Salique and consent of al the States He did king Phillip homage for Guyenne and Ponthieu but being not well pleased therewith cut him off quite from Flanders Bretaigne Germany Crecy where Phillip lost the day with the very flower of al the French Nobility taking Calais also by their flight Truce being taken betwéene both the Kings Edward of England had both the Title of king and Armes of France or conquest which euer after was attributed to him his Phillip raigned 22. yeares died at Nogent and lieth buried at S. Denis 51 Iohn Sonne to Phillip de Valois succee-his Father in the yeare 1350. proouing as vnfortunate in those tempestuous times as his father had done before him He married Ioane Countesse of Bolongne by whom he had foure sonnes and one Daughter Raoull the Constable of France was beheaded in prison In the day at Poictiers King Iohn was taken by the English and carried into England which imprisonment of his caused many pittifull Tragedies the most furious whereof were acted in the chiefe Citties of France Foure yeares after King Iohn passed into England for the fréedome of his Ostages but there he died at London hauing raigned 13. yeares His sonne caused his body to be brought to S. Denis 52 Charles the fift Sonne to King Iohn succéeded his Father in the yeare 1364. Hee sustained very great troubles during the captiuitie of his father by a commotion which the k. of Nauar raised at Paris who was aided by the merchants of the saide Citty and woulde haue had the Regency but that Charles being then Daulphine made opposition against him He dealte for the ransome and deliueraunce of his Father after whose decease he was crowned King Hee tooke to Wife Ioane Daughter to Charles Duke of Burbon by whom he had three Sonnes and one daughter He maintained great warres against the English hauing at one instant fiue seueral Armies in field against them because they were such potent enemies And to supply so mightie a charge he was faine to lay a heauie taxation vpon wine and Salt Bertrand de Guesclin a most worthy Knight was then his high Constable And the Bastille at Paris was then builded A sedition happened at Montpellier and six hundred of the seditious were executed This King was surnamed the Wise for his deep discretion goodnesse and gouernment He so loued Learning that he caused the Holy Bible to be translated into the French Language which remaineth yet in the Royal Cabinet of the Louure with many other good Bookes beside Hee had stil an eye to Iustice sitting daily to hear causes and ordering all his affayres by Counsel With much adoo he regained some Townes from the English in Poictu and Xaintonge Hee raigned sixteene yeares yeelded his soule to God at Chasteau de Beaute and lieth buried at S. Denis The Sect of the Turlupins was then abolished See Emil. Lib. 9. 52 Charles the sixt sonne of Charles the fift was crowned King at the age of fouretéen years being vnder the gouernment of his Vnckles the Dukes of Berry Burgundy and the Duke of Aniou who got into their custody many millions of Gold left by the King deceast And then no Money being to bee found the people were charged with heauy
impositions whereby great seditions happened at Paris Rouen and Orleaunce The King tooke into the Armes of France againe the thrée Floure-de-Luces onely and fell sicke of a Phrenzy by reason of two factions in his Court the Dukes of Berry and Burgundy against the Dukes of Orleaunce and Bourbon whereby many lamentable mishaps ensued The Princes tooke the gouernment into their hands and diuision happening concerning the treasure the Duke of Burgundy caused the Duke of Orleaunce to bee slaine at Paris and the Duke of Burgundy was slaine at Montereau Phillip his Sonne craued ayde of the English who presently tooke well neere all Normandy beside the vnhappy day to the French of Agincourt or Azincourt where many woâ—ull Tragedies were acted on the Theater of France by the English Burgundians and the Kings Mother who was imprisoned at Paris The King of England maried Madame Katherine of France The Duke of Burgundy deliuered him the King the Quéene and the Citty of Paris where he caused him to be crowned King and many other Citties and Towns were deliuered him beside King Charls hauing raigned forty two yeares died at Paris and lieth buried at Saint Denis His raigne was long but full of calamity 54 Charles the seauenth Sonne to Charles the sixt was made King in the yeare 142. Hée found his Kingdome possessed in all partes by the English Paris and the greater part of the Realme beeing then commaunded by the Duke of Bedford Regent for young Henry King of England who called himselfe King of Fraunce held his Parliament at Paris was there crowned king and made the Seale and Monies also in his own name King Charles hauing nothing else but the Countries of Poictu Berry and Orleaunce whereon the English in a mockery called him the king of Bourges They went to besiedge the Cittie of Orleaunce but they were thence repulsed by the French Captaines For they had a Maide in their Company who was called Ioan the Pucelle and they verily beléeued that she was sent of God for the succour of King Charles and to chase the English out of France The King after the discomfiture of the English néere to Partenay was conducted to Rheimes and there crowned But the English got the Pucelle and burned her at Rouen The King made peace with the Duke of Burgundy who foorthwith left the English and afterward recouered Paris and Normandy from them King Charles raigned 38. yeares and lieth buried at S. Denis 55 Lewes the eleuenth succéeded his Father in the yeare 1461. beeing then in Burgundy whence the Duke conuayed him to Rheimes where he was crowned Hée found a number of notable Enemies both Domesticall and Forraigne For his Lords made warre against him which they tearmed The Weale-publike warre he lost the day to them at Montle-hery Gransson Nancy and Guinegaste The order of S. Michaell was then instituted and Iacques d'Armaguac beheaded His raigne was full of feare suspition and treachery which so pierced his hart that in a long time of dismay after 33. yeares gouernment he died and lieth buried at Nostre Dame de Clery 56 Charles the eight succéeded his Father Lewes in the yeare 1484. being crowned at the age of 14. yeares yet the States méeting at Tours appointed that hee should not haue any Regent Hee sustained a long warre in Bretayne which termined by his marriage with Anne eldest Daughter to Fraunces Duke of Bretayne by whom he had three Sons but could not long enioy any one of them At the request of his Confessour hee rendered to the King of Spaine the Earledomes of Roussillon and Parpignan which his Father had won Being in peace he aduentured to recouer the kingdom of Naples which he did without striking one stroke in full conquest K. Alphonsus and his son Ferdinand being thence retired left Glibert de Montpensier Vice-Roy there Returning home into France he was assailed on the way by the Romans Venitians and them of Milleyne at Fornouë where his person was in great danger the enemies being tenne to one Neuerthelesse hee charged them with such courage that he bare thence the victory He deliuered the Duke of Orleaunce béeing besiedged in Nouarre and made peace with the Duke of Millaine He returned home into France where hee dyed within a yeare after at Amboise as hée stood and beheld the Princes playing at Tennis He raigned fouretéene yeares and lieth buried at S. Denis Thus ended in him the direct ligne of Valois he dying without any heires Masle and then followed the collaterall Issue which began in 57 LEwes the twelft néerest of Kinne to Charles the eight in the yeare 1499. Hée beeing Duke of Orleaunce and also of Valois He repudiated Ioane Daughter to King Lewes the eleauenth whom hee had married perforce and espoused Anne of Bretaigne Widdow to the King his Predecessour He established a Parliament at Rouen gaue orders to the Uniuersitie of Paris sent his Army into Italy tooke Genes and Millayne and Lewes Sforza Duke of Milleyne who dyed a Prisoner in France The Kingdome of Naples was re-taken vnder the conduct of Monsieur d' Aubigny And the King vanquished the Venetians Army at Agnadell where hée tooke Bartholmew their Leader albeit the Pope banded with the Venetians against him Gaston de Foix tooke Boulongne and wonne the battaile néere to Rauenna where he was slaine by chasing the enemies ouer-far and yet notwithstanding the victory remained to the French with surprizall of the Cittie and many Captaines and great persons taken Prisoners Hereupon the Pope raised many heauy enemies against him whom in the ende hee woorthily vanquished He raigned 17. yeares and lieth buried at S. Denis 58 Frances de Valois as néerest of Kin succéeded King Lewes in the yeare 1515. This King bare such affection to learning that he was sir-named The Father and Restorer of the Sciences At his beginning he ouercame the Switzers took Millaine and Fontarabie Afterward being desirous to winne the Townes belonging to the Dutchy of Millaine and to bring his siedge before Pauia hee was taken Prisoner in the yeare 1524. and carried Captiue into Spaine Fraunce was then very greatly afflicted not only by this disaster but by a great Famine because the Corne was frozen vppe in the Earth The King was deliuered by a treaty holden at Madrill and married Elianor Sister to Charles the fift Emperour peace beeing then concluded in the yeare 1535. The King possessed himselfe of Sauoy Piedmont repulsing the Emperour out of Prouence But peace beeing made for tenne yeares the Emperour passed thorough Fraunce with very great entertainement War began in the Low-Countries which after many alarmes was accorded in the yeare 1544. euen then when the English won Bullen The King deceased at Rambouillet hauing raigned 32. yeares an lieth buried at S. Denis 59 Henry the second succéeded his father Frances de Valois in the yeare 1547. No way degenerating from the laudable
Prinâ—es in hope of his daughters mariage The French K. and the duke sought to deceiue each other and the Constable of S. Paul waxing hatefull to them both they resolued his ruine and on a truce taken for 9. years betwéen the King and Duke the Constable was beheaded at Paris The Duke warred against the Swisses and was defeated by them both at Granson and Morat wherewith the Swisses were enriched The Duke besiedged Nancie and was there slain in battel by the Treason of the Earle of Campobachio an Italian where being engirt with a great troupe of Lanciers he receiued thrée wounds one in the head the second in the thigh and the third in the fundament He left one onlie Daughter and heire 32 Mary Daughter and Heire to Duke Charles the warlike Duke of Bourgogne succéeded her Father in al his Countries being but 18. yeares old when he was slaine before Nancy wherefore shee remained vnder the charge of the Duke of Cleues and his Brother the Lord of Rauestein The French King seized Piccardie and Arthois she happening into the Ganthois power endured much trouble by putting her chiefest seruants and Councellers to death the Flemings were defeated and the young Duke of Gueldres slaine Afterward a marriage was concluded betwéene Maximilian Arch-duke of Austria Son to the Emperor Frederick and the Lady Marie of Bourgogne albeit shee would more gladly haue matched with the house of France 33 Maximilian Arch-Duke of Austria and Son to the Emperour Fredericke marrying the Princesse Mary of Bourgogne was thereby wedded to much war and trouble For first the Gueldres reuolted from the house of Bourgogne Next happened the battel of Guinegate wherein the Arch-Duke was the Conquerour Then Turnay yéelded to him truce was taken betwéen him and the French King and the new tumults of the Cabillaux and Hoecks were likewise by him pacified Dordrecht was surprized by the young Lord of Egmont also many Townes in Guelders yéelded to the Arch-Duke and not long after followed the death of the Arch-Dutchesse Mary who had the first yeare of her mariage a Sonne named Phillip Father to Charls the fift the second yeare a Daughter called Margaret betroathed in her infancye to Charles the Dolphin of France Sonne to King Lewes 11. and the third year a Sonne named Frances according to the name of Fraunces Duke of Brittaine his Godfather Maximilian beeing chosen King of the Romaines he made Engelbert Earl of Nassau Gouernour of the Netherlands in his absence And afterward vpon the bold insolency of the Ganthois and Bâ—ugois kéeping the King of Romaines prisoner Albert Duke of Saxonie was made second Gouernor of the Netherlands and General for the Emperor Frederick against the Flemings But Frederick dying his Sonne Maximilian succeeded him in the Empire by which meanes Phillip of Austria son to the said Maximilian inherited his right in Holland Zeland Frizeland c. 34 Phillip second of that name being but 16. yeares olde and succeeding his father Maximilian Emperor in the Netherlands had these Titles Phillippe Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Bourgogne Lothier Brabant Styria Carinthia Lembourg Luxembourg and Guelders Earle of Haspourg Flaunders Arthois Bourgogne Ferrette and Kiburch Palatine of Henault Holland Zeland Namur and Zutphen Marquesse of the Holie Empyre and of Bourgan Landtgraue of Elsaten Lorde of Windismarke Portenau Salynes and Macklyn Vpon his full possession of the Netherlandes peace was made betwéen him Charles the 8. King of France warre happening betwixt the Arch-duke and the Duke of Guelders great inconueniences followed thereon but Duke Albert beeing slaine before Groningen the Arch-Duke inherited the realme of Spain by his wife being made King of Castile and George Duke of Saxonie being then made gouernor of the Netherlands for the Arch-Duke Phillip continued the warres in Frizeland For vpon the death of Isabell Q. of Castile Iane her daughter being onely heyre and married to the Arch-Duke Phillip she héerby inuested him in the Realmes of Spain Leon Granado c. as absolute King But he enioyed that dignity not long for in the yeare 1506. the 27. of September hee died suddenly in the Citty of Bourgos suspected to be poysoned After the death of Phillip King of Castile the Emperour Maximilian tooke vppon him the gouernement of the Netherlandes as Guardian vnto Charles and Ferdinand his Grand-children being the Sons of Phillip and Iane King Quéen of Castille 35 Charles of Austria second of that name succéeded rightfully in all his Fathers Landes and Seigneuries and by the Emperors appointment his daughter the Ladye Margaret Dowager of Sauoy and Aunt to the Princes Charles and Ferdinand was Regent of the low countries Afterwarde Prince Charles tooke possession of the Netherlands and being crowned K. of Spain and Arragon soone after followed the death of the Emperor Maximilian and in an assemblye at Francfort for choise of a new Emperor Charles King of Spaine had frée election by the name of Charles the fift Then was Ladye Margaret Widdow both of Castile and Sauoy and Aunt to the Emperour Charles accepted as sole Gouernesse of the Netherlandes in her Nephewes absence Troubles happened in Spaine by reason of the Kings departure thence and not onelie warre in Frizeland but likewise betweene the French and Bourguignons as also the warre of Boores or Peazants in Germany and the Groningeois reiecting the Du. of Guelders did yeild themselues to the Emperor then hapned the 2. bloody edict froÌ„ the Emp. against the Netherland protestants then was the imperial diet at Ausbourg wher the protestant princes presented the confession of their faith After followed the deuouring inundation in the Netherlands the death of the Lady dowager Margaret whereby Mary of Austria 2. daughter to K. Phillip and Q. Iane of Castile succéeded in the gouernment of the Netherlands Warre happened betwéene the Emperor and the French King but vppon the comming of Quéene Elenor of Fraunce to the Emperor her Brother peace was concluded betwixte them 36 While Mary of Austria gouerned the Netherlands for the Emperor Charles her brother great troubles happened to the Protestantes by opposition of the Pope and Emperour againste them The Emperor affected the Empyre for Prince Phillip his Sonne which bred a quarrel betwixt the Emperor and his brother Ferdinand King of Hungary to whome the Princes of the Empire were more enclined then to Phillip and then the Protestantes denied their comming to the Counsell of Trent Phillip King of Spaine married Mary Quéene of England And not long after the Emperor resigned the Netherlands to his Sonne King Phillip whereby he was reckoned the 36. Earle of Holland Zeland c. and the Empire to his Brother Ferdinand K. of the Romans and Hungary departing out of the Netherlands to end his daies quietly in a Monastery not far from Placentia He reserued 100000 Crownes yearely to himselfe employing
crowne of England and after much contention being taken and committed Prisoner vnto Cardiffe Castle in VVales after 26. yeares imprisonment hee there dyed and was buried at Glocester Maud King Henries Daughter was maried to the Emperor Henry but his other children William Duke of Normandy his Sister Marie Countesse of Perch Richard Earle of Chester with his Brother Otwell Gouernor to Duke William and the saide Earle of Chester his wife the Kinges Neece with diuers others to the number of 140. persons beside 50. Marriners following the king out of Normandie were all drowned King Henry raigned 35. years died in the Forrest of Lyons in Normandie and was buried in the Abbey of Reading which he had founded In this king Henry first of that name ended the line of the Norman kings concerning their heires male who had raigned about 69. yeares and then began the French by Title of the heyres generall Stephen Earle of Bullen and Mortaigne son to Stephen Earle of Bloys by Adela Daughter to king William the Conquerour vsurped the crowne from Maud the Empresse and her young sonne Henry which caused great Warres betweene him and her and very miserable times to the people till by an assembly of the Lordes at Winchester Articles of peace and agreement were concluded King Stephen raigned eyghteene yeares ten moneths and three and twenty dayes and was buried in the Abby of Feuersham in Kent Henry sur-named Fitz-Empresse and Shortmantle succeeded next in the crown of England He expelled strangers out of the Land and had a long and troublesome contention with Thomas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterburie Hee crowned his sonne Henry as fellow-King with him which procured him much mollestation by meanes of his Quéene and his other sonnes In his time was the conquest of Ireland Dublin and Waterford being woon by Earle Strongbow He had diuers Concubines but especially fayre Rosamond whom he kept in a Labyrinth at Woodstock where she was poysoned by Q. Elianor King Henry the second raigned 34. yeares nine months and two dayes and dying was buried at Font-Euerard in the Dutchy of Alanson In him ended the raigne both of the Normans and French-men ouer the Realme of England Richard Earle of Poictiers and second Son to King Henry was crowned King at Westminster He went to the Holy-land and performed many worthy seruices there his brother Iohn in his absence aspired to rule the whole land being prouoked thereto by the French king As King Richard besiedged the Castle of Chalus Cheuerel he was wounded with an impoysoned quarrell shot at him by one Barturam de Gurden or Peter Bazile whereof he dyed hauing raigned nine yeares nine moneths and odde daies and was buried at Font-Euerard Iohn Lord of Ireland Earle of Mortaign and Glocester brother to king Richard was crowned at westm He had long tedious contentions with his Barons as also with the pope by whose meanes Lewes the French kinges sonne was drawne into the businesse had the crowne offered him by the Lords whereon he wrought great spoile in the Land King Iohn raigned 17. years six months and 27. dayes and dying by poyson was buried at VVorcester Henry third of that name and eldest Son to King Iohn succeeded immediately after his Father albeit he was but nine yeares old the Barons and French Lewes being still very mollestuous against whom VVilliam Marshal Earle of Pembroke was chiefe Generall of the Kings forces and preuayled worthily This King Henry raigned 56. yeares and 27. dayes and was buried at Westminster Edward eldest Sonne to King Henrie and Surnamed Long-shankes was crowned at Westminster after his returne home from the Holy Land This King conquered Wales and deuided it into Shyres and banished the Iewes for euer out of England Hauing raigned 34. yeares seauen months and twenty dayes hee dyed and was buried at VVestminster Edward of Carnaruon sonne to King Edward the first succeeded in the kingdome after his Father This king did ouermuch affect an Esquire of Gascoigne called Pierce Gauaston and disshonoured many of his Lords to aduance him as he did the like by the two Spensers the Father and Sonne At length he was imprisoned by his Barons with helpe of the Queene and Prince and then deposed when he had raigned nineteene yeares sixe months and seauenteene dayes Edward the third son to king Edward the second was crowned at Westminster in his Fathers life time Flanders yeelded themselues all their Townes to King Edward and laying claime to the Crowne of France in right of his Mother Queen Isabell he entred that land with a puissant army and quartered the Armes of France with his owne of England He deuised the woorthy Order of the Garter and Prince Edward Surnamed the Blacke Prince beside his famous victories in Fraunce reseated Don Peter king of Castile in his kingdom which his bastard Brother Henrie vsurped against him K. Edward the third raigned fifty yeares and fiue monethes and dying at Sheene was buried at Westminster Richard second of that name son to Edward the Blacke Prince being about eleauen yeares old succeeded after his Grand-father King Edward the Duke of Lancaster and the Earle of Cambridge being Protectors of the yong kings person The rebellion of Iacke Straw and Wat Tyler with the Essex and Kentishmen then hapned and the worthy act of William Walworth Lord Maior of London in arresting the traitor Great stormes arose betweene the king and hys Nobles because he had let to Farme the realme of England to Lords that abused the king and much misgouerned him sending abroad blanke Charters c. Whereupon in the end Articles were framed against the king and he committed to the Tower of London Henrie Surnamed Bullingbrooke sonne to Iohn of Gaunt being proclaimed king and Richard quite depryued when he had raigned 22. years three months nine dayes Dying hee was buried at Langley Henry Plantagenet borne at Bullingbroke in the County of Lincolne beeing Cosin-Germaine to king Richard the second succeeded next by Richards depriuation and entailed the crown to him and his heires Owen Glendoure with his VVelchmen entered into Rebellion against the king and did put him in great daunger of his life by Treason by conueying a Caltrop into his bed This king Henry raigned 13. yeares and odde months and was buried at Canterburie with great solemnity Henry of Monmouth sonne and heire to king Henry the fourth succeeded after his father Hee vrged his title to France and fought the famous battell at Agin-court Hee raigned nine yeares sixe months and foure daies and dying at Boys de Vinciennes in France was buried at Westminster Henry of windsore being but nine moneths olde did yet succeed in his lawfull right He was also crowned king of France at Paris and had his time troubled with many grieuous combustions both abroad and at home as also diuers foughten battailes
third moneth of his raigne was led captiue into Egypt and his Brother constituted king in his place by the king of Egypt Iocim raigned eleauen yeares For his abhominations he was chained and led captiue to Babylon by Nabuchadonoser the great king of the Assyrians Tarquinius Priscus was fift king of the Romains In Greece then liued Sapho Stesichorus Pherecydes Draco Solon and others of the Sages Ioachim otherwise called Ieconias being 18. yeares old and besiedged by the Assyrians yeelded himselfe with his Mother his Princes and the greater part of his people to Nabuchadonoser and was transported into Babylon where in prison he begat Salathiell Father to Zorobabell then liued Ezechiell Baruch and Daniell Sedechias his Vnckle was constituted king in the place of Ieconias by Nabuchadonoser by whom after the eleuenth yeare of his raigne hée was taken as a Rebell his eyes were pluckt out and then he was led with the rest of the people to Babylon In this time the Temple and City of Ierusalem was miserably burned by the Assyrians Then happened that lamentable captiuity of Babylon fore-told by the Prophets and continued seauentie yeares all which was occasioned by the contempt of Gods word false Doctrine and auarice in the Priests and Prophets conioyned with the tirrany of their Kings and sinnes of the people but especially idolatry as appeareth in Ieremy Cap. 19 22 23 29 32. Baruch 6. Ezechiell 13 22. And then was this great Nabuchadonoser for his arrogancie thrust out of his kingdome and fed with the Beasts Seruius Tullius was sixt King of the Romaines Croesus in Lydia Balthazar in Babylon and for abusing the Vessels of the Temple hee was slaine The kingdome then deuolued to Darius the Medean Vnckle of Cyrus King of Persia and Medea The Monarchy of the Caldeans Assyrians or Babylonians NAbuchadonoser the great King of Babylon in the 24. yeare of his raign and of the world 3362. was he that established the great and first Monarchy described with that of the Persians Grecians and Romaines by Daniell compared to the head of gold and to the Eagle flying It endured but seauenty eight yeares in three Kings and he that raigned longest it was but 43 yeares Euilmerodach whom Herodotus calleth Labynitus raigned thirty yeares Thales Clito Pittacus Bias Cleobulus and Periander wisemen of Greece are all referred to this time And it is an error to seperate them otherwise as some haue done Soloâ— being the most ancient Balthazar the contemner of God and renewer of the olde Caldean idolatry abolished before abusing in his feasts those vesselles which had bin taken from the temple of Ierusalem and making a mockery at the true God of the Iewes was put to death by the Medes and Persians who possessed them-selues of the Monarchy in the tenth yeare of his raigne There is great difficulty about this Monarchie which cannot heere bee declared The Monarchy of the Persians CYrus sent home the Iewes into their country with Zerobabell their conduâ—er to repayre the Temple He made warre against the Scythians for the space of sixtéene yeares in which time raigned his Son Câ—mbyses Daniell then foretolo the passion of Iesus Christ and the desolate ruine of Ierusalem vnder Vespasian after seauenty Wéekes were passed ouer which were 490. yeares after the repayration of the Citty Tarquine the proude for the violation of Lucretia was then chased out of Rome Consulles were created the year 244. after the building of Rome Cyrus raigned 29. yeares Read more of Cyrus his sonne Herodotus lib. 1 3. Xenophon 8. Cambyses raigned alone eight yeeres being a cruell man he slew his Brother and Sister and caused a Iudges skin to be flayed off because hee had iudged falsely Pythagoras the great Phylosopher sailed into Egypt to learne Diuinity and to Babylon for Astrologie and the course of the starres Many doo referre the History and ouerthrow of Holofernes to this time but according to Genebrard it is reputed to the time of Nabuehadonoser Darius the sonne of Hidaspes otherwise called Ahasuerus the husband of Hester raigned 36 yearee He entred into Greece with sixe hundred thousand fighting men afterward vanquished Miltiades being accompanied onely with eleuen thousand men Coriosanus the Romaine was now put into exile and Esope composed his booke of Fables Now liued also Anacharsis Anâ—ximenes and Heracâ—â—â—us Phylosophers Anaximander invented the Horoâ—oge and Spheare strong Milo was in this time Read more of Darius in Herodotus and Iustine Lib. 1. Xerxes raigned twenty yeares Hee assayled the Grecians with a far greater Army then that his Father had which was repulsed by Themistoâ—les In meane while his Sonne Artaxerxes hold the Kingdome by whose commaundement Eâ—â—râ—s restored the Common-weale of the leâ—es and Nehemias by strong hande repayred the walles of the Citty Now liued Câ—mon Aristedes and Pindarus the Poet as also Pericles that wise and valiant Athenian Captaine of whom read more in his life set downe by Plutarch Artaxerxes or Darius Long-hand helde the kingdom aboue twentie yeares Now did the ten men write the law of the twelue tables at Rome and now liued Empedocles Sophocles Gorgias Anacreon Democritus Euclides Hippocrares and Herodotus Greece became diuided into two factions by reason of a great contentious war Read more thereof in Thucidides Xenophon Darius the Bastard raigned 19. years in whose time liued Socrates Aristophanes Thucidides Alcibiades Lysander Conon Epaminondas Architas Timon Dionisius of Siracusa the Tyrant And now was the kingdome of the Sicambrians and Francus in Franconia according to Trithemius where raigned forty Kings Artaxerxes Mnemon raigned fortie yeares and exercised acts of Armes with his Brother Cyrus Thrasibulus chased the Lacedemonian Tyrants out of Athens Rome was taken by the Gaules vnder the conduct of Brennus that bold warriour Then liued Xenophon the Captaine Phylosopher and Orator Plato Phocion Isocrates Polybius Praxiteles Metasthenes Camillus and Crates Occhus a most cruell Tyrant raigned sixe and twenty yeares Phillip King of Macedon oppressed the liberty of all Greece At Rome was then Curtius Torquatus Decius Corinnus the hundred and sixty Matron Sorceresses Iadus was High-Prâ—est of the Iewes and then liued Berosus the Historian Arses or Arsaces raigned thrée yeares His tyrrannicall actions were the cause that all the race of great Cyrus perished Alexander the great the Son of Phillip then vanquished and demolished the Citty of Thebes And then were Demosthenes Diogenes and Epicurus Darius the last King was ingrateful and disloyall hee was also ouer-come by Alexander in the sixt yeare of his raigne The Samnites then subdued the Romaines and then was Ceius Papyrius Cursor M. Curius Dentatus triumphing in his humility of minde refused the treasures of the Samnites and he would neither be vanquished in warre nor corrupted with money Valer. Max. lib. 2. cap. 3. The Monarchy of the Graecians ALexander the great hauing one onely Army of
the sonne of Seuerus and Iulia borne at Milaiu After the Parthian warre wherein he wan great fauour was called Caesar Antoninus in the life time of his father Op. Macrinus with his sonne Diadumenus raigned one yeare Both the one and other had their heads smitten off by their men of warre Macrinus was learned and seuere but withall detestable and craftie causing his predecessor to be murdred Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Heliogabalus the Bastard of Caracalla who was a dishonest whore-hunter and most abhominable in life beside gaue great estates to wicked Bawds Pandors Iesters c. And being generally despised he was slaine by his souldiors in the fourth year of his raigne both his owne bodie and his mothers being dragd along the stréets and cast into the common laystall Alexander Seuerus raigned peacebly without eâ—â—usion of bloud 13. years He was a good prince and did vtterly forbid the selling of Offices Vlpianus Paulus Pomponius Alphenens Affricanus Callistratus and other excellent Ciuill Lawyers the schollers of Papinian then liued with Dion the Historian and Philostratus The Kingdome of the Persians was then founded by Artaxerxes and after transported to the Sarazens and now commanded by the Sophi Maximinus a persecutor of the Christians raigned three yeares Being at first but a silly shepheard he was made Emperor by the Souldiors without authority of the Senate and then by them slaine Gordianus a Prince of a Noble spirite with his sonne named Gordianus the younger a good Prince raigned six yeares and was slaine by Phillip his successor In his time was a woonderfull Ecclipse of the Sunne Read I. Capitolinus who placeth also Pupienus and Balbinus created by the Senate with Gordianus the elder Pupienus Maximus a new man and sonne to a Smith gaue himselfe alwaies to vertue and Military seruices prouing fortunate against the Polonyans and Germans M. Caelius Babynus and Pupienus after they had béene Consuls and that the Gordians were slaine in Affryca were created Emperors by appointment of the Senate against Maximinus and both of them were vndeseruedly slaine Gordianus the second yongest sonne of Gordianus by his daughter born at Rome was slain in a sedition of souldiers by Phillip Prefect of the Pretorians C. Valens Hostilianus is not placed in this ranke by some Historians because immmediately he died smitten with the Pestilence so that scarsly there remaineth any memory of him Phillip an Arabian by Nation was the first Christian of the Caesars and raigned fiue yeares He gaue by his Testament all his rightes and treasures to Pope Fabian And heere began the riches of the Roman Church Hee was likewise slaine by his successour as he had kilde his Predecessour Decius Triaan a persecuter of the Christians reigned two yeares S. Saturnine the Byshop was martyred at Tholouse S. Laurence Hippolita Cecily Agatha and Appollina Q. Herennius Hetruscus is not by any Historian placed among the Emperours Neuerthelesse in this ranke is his picture found in the booke of Hubert Goltzius and there it is recorded of him that he was the sonne of Decius that he was slaine in Hungaria in a Battel againste the Gothes Vibius Gallus with his sonne Volusianus reigned two yeares Being persecutors of the Church were both slain by the souldiors At this time there was such a contagious pestilence and almost so generally dispearsed that in many places there was left no Creature liuing This pestilence continued fiftéene yeares and séemed to be partly occasioned thorough the wicked gouernment of this Emperor Aemilianus Lybienus borne in Mauritania in his yong yeares followed Armes and soon after he was made Emperor He was slain at Spoleta being aged 40. yeares Licinius Valerianus with his sonne Galien persecuting the Church raigned fiftéene yeares He was Captiue to Sapor King of Persya whoe vsed him as a footstool when he mounted on horsbacke S. Cyprian and S. Cornelia were then martyred Porphirius wrote against the Christians The thirty Tyrants vsurped the Empyre Read Trebellius Polyo c. S. Paul the first Hermite began the solitary life Galien the son of Valerian suffered the Christians to liue in quiet and reigned nine years alone after that his father was ledde captiue into Persia by Sapor He was excéeding wise but addicted to Lust Saloninus Valerianus the sonne of Galien was slain with his Father being retired to Millain and was but ten yeares old Cassius Labienus Posthumus from beeing a simple souldior attained to great dignities and being in France was made Emperor in the time of Galien where he was slaine Flauius Claudius of whom yssued the familie of the Constantines a good Prince of Noble lignage and highly estéemed reigned two yeares Dyonisius being then Pope deuided the Diocesses and Parishes of the Christians Tom. 1. de Concil Iamblicus Plotinus and Iuvenâ—us priest reduced the foure Gospels into Hexameter verses Aurelius Quintillius brother to Claudius after the death of his brother was saluted as Emperor by the Senate and slaine 17. daies after Valerius Aurelianus a cruell man reigned six yeares He tormented the Christians and repulsed the Franconians entring out of Germanie into Gaul He was the first that wore an Emperial Crowne a louer of Military discipline and one that rigorously punnished the vices of his Souldiors He vanquished Zenobia a very Warlike Lady holding the Empyre of the East Tacitus was slain the sixt moneth of his empyre This good Prince caused the books of Cornelius Tacitus to be receiued into all Libraries The Manicheans began from the time of Aurelianus to infect the Church Annius Florianus brother to Tacitus being desirous to raigne vsurped the Empyre as by inheritance but in a short time hee was slaine at Tharsus by his souldiors Probus a good Prince the Author of peace in the high and lower Germany or Almain reigned six yeares and foure moneths He said That hee had no need of Warriors hauing no enemies and that the souldior not doing any thing ought not to eate vp publike prouision Carus a good and wise Prince reigned two yeares with his sonnes Carinus and Numerianus two brethren of very different nature The first was most wicked and full of cruelty The other full of goodnesse valour and knowledge Then liued Volcatius Herodian Lampridius Spartianus Pollio Vopiscus and Capitolinus Historians Dioclesian with Maximianus Herculius reigned 20. yeares he was a most cruell persecutor of the Christians and would haue himselfe to be worshipped Katharine Lucy Agnes Barbus Sebastian Vincent Cosmo and Damian and innumerable other Martyrs through the world in his raigne to the number of 17. M. were put to death in thirty daies Valerius Maximus sir-named Herculius a man of fierce and cruell nature was very outragious in lust especially with his owne Sisters blockish in giuing councell without ciuillity and gouernment and therfore had Dioclesian to assist him in the Empire Constantius Chlorus father of Constantine and Galerius the one gouerned in the East the
and Charles the Bald. After a warre no lesse great and sharpe then vnhappy and lamentable he remained Conqueror and reigned fifteene yeares Lewes the second son of Lotharius raigned 21 yeares hee was at continuall discord with his Vncle Charles the Bald for the Kingdom of Austrasia Charles the Bald sonne to Lewes the Meeke was Emperor and king of France two yeares Lewes the Stammerer was made Emperour by the meanes of Pope Iohn the second hee died at Compeigne vpon a good-friday Charles the Grosse Emperor and k. of France who degenerated from the Noble race of Charlemain reigned ten yeares Arnold whose body was full of vermine by the iust iudgement of God he being addicted to so many seuerall rapines He raigned 12. years Lewes the third or rather the fourth sonne of Arnold raigned x. years Som do hold that after Arnold vntill the time of Otho there was no true Emperour of Rome but vacation of the empyre for the space of thréescore yeares Conrade being the last of the race of Charlemain reigned seauen yeares Henry the first called the Faulconer whoe brought peace to all Germany reigned 18. years He was expert in Armes beganne the pence or small money among the Almaynes and subdued the Vandals who then receiued the Christ faith Otho his sonne reigned â—6 yeares It was said of him that he made good proofe that he whoÌ„ God will helpe no man can harme for hee had innumerable enemies and yet very easily he subdued them all Otho the second his sonne too seuere raigned ten yeares He re-seated Nicephorus his Godfather Emperor of Greece after hee had bin driuen out of his Empire Otho the third raigned ninetéene yeares Hee was called for his spirite the wonder of the world In his time began the institution of the Princes Electors of the Empire in the yeare 1002. This is the common opinion which neuerthelesse the learned Onuphrius declareth to be erronious verifying by certaine authorities and testimonies of the Authors of times that the Emperors after this Otho were elected not by seauen Princes but in generall by voyce of all the Arch-bishops Byshops Princes Lords and Gentlemen of Germany and continued so till the time of Rodolphus the first which was in the yeare 1280. And he saith that it cannot bee certainely gathered at what time the seauen Electors were instituted not finding any one of the auncient Authors that speakes thereof And yet notwithstanding hee is of the minde that they were established in the Interim of the interregnum and schisme of the Empire which continued twenty three yeares after the death of Frederick the second which was in the yeare 1250. vntill the election of Rodolph of Haspurge Henry of Bauaria the second raigned twentie two yeares Hee was a prudent and victorious Prince and hee expulsed the Sarrazins out of Italy Conrade the second raigned fiftéene yeares In this time the name of a Cardinall as is saide came first in vse Henry the third surnamed the Black raigned 17. yeares hee laboured earnestly to take away the Schismes of the Church happening by the plurality of the Popes whereof hee deposed three as vnwoorthy and ordayned that there should bee no more created without his permission Henry the fourth raigned fifty yeares He was present in 62. battels and great troubles happened betwéene him and Gregory the seauenth touching the power to elect and confirme the Pope Then was Ierusalem taken by Godfrey of Bullen and the floure of Christendomes Nobility Henry the fift raigned twenty yeares Hée tooke Rome and the Pope who would not crown him except hee would ordaine his election to bée without the Emperor and contrary to the order of Henry the third Now began the Kingdomes of Portugal Naples and Sicily Lotharius the second raigned 11. years being very much respected for his great valour in war his loue to religion reparacion of good laws c. Conrade the third raigned fiftéene years a good Prince and made warre against the Sarrazins with King Lewes the young Frederick the first called Barbarossa a Prince addicted to hardines magnanimity and Iustice raigned 37. yeares This is the man vpon whose ouer-much humility Pope Alexander the third declared the insolency of his Luciferian pride in treading on the Emperors back and then he began to sing Super Aspidem Basiliscum ambulabis Then liued Auicen Auerroes Mesuus Phisitions And Changius was first King of the Tartares Henry the sixt raigned tenne yeares a good Prince he subdued the kingdome of Pouilla or Apulia Phillip brother to Henry a good Prince raigned nine yeares In his time beganne the Frier orders of Mendicants or begging Friers Iacobins and Gray Friers Ab. Vspergens hist Otho the fourth raigned foure yeares He came to the Empyre by the meanes of Innocent the 3. and afterward lost it by his owne occasion being murdred in the end as he had done his predecessour Fredericke the second reigned 37. yeares being both wise and magnanimious He was expulsed the Empire by the meanes of Pope Innocent the fourth This Prince was the restorer of Astronomy by helpe of the Almagist of Ptolomy The factions of the Guelphes and Gibelines now caused great harmes in Italy Conrade the fourth reigned thrée yeares a good Prince He was excommunicated by Pope Innocent the fourth according as by him his Father was depriued of his Empire Willielmus raigned two yeares a good prince Albertus Maguus Lullius and Alphonsus King of Spaine were then great Astrologers There was interregnum 17. yeares Rodulphus reigned 19. yeares He made Austria the Imperiall seat ordaining his sonne Albert first Duke there of whom is the house of Austria desceaded Adolphus raigned six yeares He was expulsed for his vices by the Princes Electors and slain afterward in warre by Albertus his successor Albertus raigned ten yeares Pope Boniface the eight gaue him the Realme of France the Papall chaire was transferred to Auignion 72. yeares New was Othoman the first Emperour of the Turkes Henry the seauenth reigned six yeares a very graue and prudent Prince But a Iacobine frier being suborned by a Florentine poisoned him with the consecrated Host Lewes of Bauaria reigned 33. yeares He vsed very great clemency towards his enemy and prisoner Frederick of Austria restoring him to his Dukedome Now began the Sects of the Flagellanti or Whippers Bartholomeus Petrarch and Boccace then liuing Charles the fourth Author of the golden Bull raigned 32. yeares Dante then liued Wenceslaus reigned 22. yeares very carelesly He was taken by his brother Sigismund and put into prison at Vienna They were both sonnes to Charles the fourth Lithuania then receiued the Christian Faith Robert or Rupert reigned ten yeares then liued Chrysolaras Laurentius Valla Poge the Florentine and Tamberlain the Tyrant of the Tartares led an Army of a
King of Bulgaria affiancing him vnto hir sister wherby both he and his Subiects were conuerted to the Christian Religion At length Michaell being able to guide the reynes of the Empyre his mother Theodora entred into Religion and left him to rule alone in the yeare 856. Michaell the sonne of Theophilus succéeded his father in his infancy his mother and Gouernesse Theodora holding for him the Empire of Constantinople But when Michaell grew to greter strength hee tooke the charge of the Empire himselfe whereto his mother gladly consented He more resembled his Graundfather then his Father both in negligence and prodigallity spending great riches which his warres brought him in He was sometimes so addicted to the Circeiensian sports as hardly he could be drawne from them He made Basilius the Macedonian his equall companion in the Empyre by whome hee was soone after slaine hauing reigned eleauen yeares nine moneths and fiue daies after that his mother Theodora had entred into Religion which with his former time of rule compleated 25. yeares ten moneths and fourtéen daies Basilius of Macedon who had slaine the Emperor Michaell entred presently vpon the empire of Constantinople and was receiued and approoued of all in the Imperiall Pallace When hee was a yong infant he had bin brought among other captiues to Constantinople to be there sold Neuerthelesse he was in the end Emperor and Fortune so fauoured him that his children and his childrens children were also Emperors after him First of all he caused those summes of monie to be restored backe againe which Michaell his Predecessor had prodigally giuen away and so they were deliuered into the Treasurie He instituted his thrée sonnes heyres to the Empire He had many battailes against the Sarazins still proued victorious Many Iewes and Scythians by his meanes receiued the Christian faith yet such was his hard hap to bee slaine in hunting by a Hart that ran his hornes into his bellie Leo the sixt of that name sirnamed the Philosopher began his raigne in the yeare 886. first with the helpe of the Turkes he vanquished the Bulgarians who had reuolted from him but soon after being abused by the Turkes thorow vaine suggestions he sustained great losse Notwithstanding he failed not to leauy an Army against the Sarazins whereby vnder the conduct of Nicetus he brought away a triumphant Victorie He was very vigillant ouer the Common-weal and oftentimes would walke alone in the night disguised in habit only to try his watches who did beate him soundly and also carried him to prison whom the next day he rewarded both with money and honors Alexander brother to Leo the forenamed Emperour sucâ—éeded him in the Empire Hee was quite contrary in manners both to Basilius his father and Leo his brother for he was of badde gouernment giuen wholy to his pleasures and committed the charge of his State affaires to Flatterers and Iesters who were his daily complices and companions in all naughty and wicked actions He died of a fluxe of bloud issuing from his Nose and priuy-members after he had gurmandized and excessiuely played at the Tennis For mounting in an extreame heat vpon his horsse and violently stretching himselfe hee brake a veine whereof he died Constantine the seauenth sonne to Leo the sixt of whom we haue already spoken was at the age of seauen yeares left by his father vnder the care and charge of his mother Zoa And he began to holde the Empire of Constantinople after his forenamed Vnckle Alexander the yeare of our Saluation 906. A certaine man named Romanus Lecapenus made great resistance against him for space of 26. yeares and purposed to deiect him quite But in the end Lecapenus was seized by his owne sonnes and shut vp into a Monastery for he was the sole cause that Zoa the mother of Constantine was likewise made a recluse in a Monasterie Now when the sonnes of Lecapenus had deuised to doe the like to Constantine as they had done vnto their father the same stratagem happened to themselues and they were inclosed in a Monastery So Constantine recouered his Empire which he gouerned alone very sufficiently suppressing some Tyrants and inducing diuers Princes of the Turkes to the Christian Faith He made learning to shine in Greece and left a Booke vnto his sonne discoursing the affaires of the Empire which the Venetians do yet kéepe as an especiall Iewell He raigned fourtéen yeares with his mother Zoa with Lecapenus 26. yeares and about fifteene yeares alone which was in all néere 55. yeares Romanus Lecapenus a man of base descent wrought so much trouble to Constantine the seauenth in his Empire that he was constrained to receiue him as companion in the Imperiall dignity in the yeare 920. and Constantine accepted his daughter Helena in marriage But neyther the sacâ—ed Oath which he had sworne vnto him nor yet the néere alliance in kindred with Constantine could restraine him from vsurpation of the Empire for himselfe and Christopher his son but he sought to thrust Constantine wholy out of all But he was deceiued in his owne disseigns for vpon the bad successe in warre which he had against the Bulgarians and Simeon their Duke he was taken by his owne sonnes Stephen and Constantine who despoiled him of his Emperie and carried him to a Monastery in a néere neighbouring Island there to plâ—te the Philosopher alone by himselfe Then practising to worke the like deuice vpon Constantine Fortune turned hir back towards them and in the same snare which they laid for another themselues were cunningly caught for they were shut vp within a Monastery and so Constantine remained a peaceable Emperour Romanus the yong sonne of Constantine the 7. held the Empire of Constantinople after his Father But he was gouerned vnder the disposition and order of Nicephorus Phocas This Emperor Romanus excluded his mother and his sisters who in gréefe and despight that they should fall from so great pompe and estate concluded to support theâ—r weake condition by the worst meanes that could be euen the prostitution of their bodies And as for him he being addicted to sports and Epicuâ—isme died poisoned Nicephorus Phocas ruled the Empire of Constantinople in the yeare 963. He fought often very fortunatly against the Sarazins who vsurpingly held Calabria Scicily Cyprus Candy and Cilicia which at this day is called Caramania In Scicily the affaires were not well mannaged by his Committées and Lieutenants But concerning himselfe he recouered Cilicia and the greater part of Asia for a good beginning And soone after he went powerfully vpon Antioche which hee surprised in the night and forced the Sarazins to fly for refuge This man was hated of all his Subiects because that vnder the coulour of Warre which he then had he laide great Imposts exactions and polings vpon them He caused also a corrupt kind of money to be forged and diminished likewise the waight by meanes whereof being so out of fauour with the
Cittizens he was the easiâ—r slaine sleeping in his chamber by Iohn Zimiscus and Theophila wife to Nicephorus gaue fauourable entrance to the murtherer and all the stranglers that were with him Iohn Zimiscus the murderer of Nicephorus was Emperor of Constantinople after him Hee was a man valiant in warre he recouered all Bulgaria which the Roxalians held and Sphendollanus their king submitted himselfe vnto him But after this victory being returned to Constantinople with triumph he was poisoned He made fellowes with him in the Empire Basilius and Constantine brethren who were sonnes to Romanus the predecessor of Nicephorus Phocas Basilius the second and Constantine the eight being brethren and sonnes to the yong Romanus were Emperors of Constantinople after Iohn Zimiscus in the yeare of Saluation 976. Barda Sclerus made ciuill warre vpon them intending to vsurpe the Empire but being foiled in the battell he fled to the Persians The like did Phocas when he was ouercome and for the same cause for taking it in scorn to be misprized after he had well declared his duty against Sclerus he sought to make himselfe Emperor Basilius afterward vanquished the Bulgarians in many battels and as a punnishment for their Rebellion he caused the eies of fiftéen thousand Captiues to be pulled out reseruing onely but one of them to guide the rest to Samuell their Duke For they had ouerrun the Country of Thrace Macedon Greece and put all to fire and sword Now was all Bulgaria subiected to the Empire of Constantinople which till then had euermore béene Rebellious Duke Samuell liued not long after but died with méere grèefe and vexation Constantine was companion with his brother Basilius in the Empyre more in Honor then power But after his death he was sole Emperor almost thrée yeares and died swallowed vp in his pleasures and vaine voluptuousnesse Romanus of Argyra or as he was commonlie called Argyropilus kinsman to Constantine the eight succéeded him in the Empire At the beginning he changed many bad matters into better But being vnable to make head against the Sarazins hee gaue his minde to gather a huge masse of money Afterward by the Treason of Zoa his wife and her Adulterate companion he was drowned as he bathed himselfe in his stoue or Hot-house Michaell the Paphlagon the Adulterat friend of Zoa the Empresse and who had suffocated her husband Argiropilus bathing in his Stoue was by her made Emperor of Constantinople in the yeare 1034. He had béene a seruant-straunger hauing his head very vnfashionable and euerie houre he was subiect to the falling sicknesse foaming at the mouth In briefe whatsoeuer deserued any respect in him only was that he hadde a pleasing Complexion which made Zoa extreamly doate vpon him she being well stept into age Yet for all this he did not misgouerne the Empyre but tooke truce with the King of Aegipt for thirty yeares He deliuered the Citty of Edessa which was besieged and was very benigne to all them of his Court excepâ— to Zoa for the horride lewdnesse he knew by her At length being full of the Dropsie he appointed Michaell Calaphates the adopted sonne of his Wife Zoa to be his immediate successor Michaell Calaphates the adopted son of Zoa after the death of Michaell the Pâ—phlagon prostrated himselfe at her feete swearing that he intended not to hold the Empire but in name only and that all the power should remaine in her By which flatteries coyned speeches he was made Emperour of Constantinople in the yeare 1042. Soone after he laid a plot against Zoa imposing falsely vpon her that she had deuised to poison him Whereupon her head was shauen and she commaunded to a Monastery But the People growing mutinous against him made Theodora sister to Zoa Empresse repealed Zoa from the Monastery pursued Calaphates and plucked out both his and his sonnes eies He was called Calaphates because his father was a maker of ships or a Ship wright Zoa repealed from her exile and Monastery by the people was re-placed in the Soueraigne Estate of Constantinoples empire to enioy the same with her sister Thedora which was in the same yeare when as Michaell Caliphates had raigned but foure moneths Thus the bad gouernement of Emperors raised an opinion that the Empire might be better ruled by Women then by men But as a woman is euermore variable and vnconstant according to the Poets iudgement Euen so Zoa albeit she was a woman and aged thréescore yeares did yet neuerthelesse burne in carnall and voluptuous concupiscence Wherevppon shee re-called Constantine Monamachus from exile and taking him to be her husband made him Emperour These two women hauing then held the Empire scarsely three moneths Constantine the ninth sirnamed Monamachus who likewise being of the Imperiall line race was made Emperor by his wâ—â—e Zoa at Constantinople in the yeare 1042. He was very carelesse and full of his owne pleasures and kept a beautifull Strumpet in stead of his Wife neuerthelesse hee maintained and got the victory in two great ciuill warres and some others beside It was then that the Turkes began to extend theyr powers very farre in Asiaâ— and yet no withstanding they were vanquished with the Roxalians and Patzinaces which were two Nations of the Scythians Zoa died beeing threescore and tenne yeares old and Constantine being ful of the gout hauing also a pluriâ—ie died thereof some few years after Theodora sister to Zoa who had formerly held the Empire of Constantinople as hath beene already declared in our speaking of Zoa entred vpon the Empires rule againe but alone by her selfe after Constantine Monomachus in the year 1055. and gouerned about two yeares And we hold it no shame to place her in the rancke and number of the Emperors considering that she did not declare her authority in the Empire with an effeminate or negligent spirite But gaue so good orders and caried her selfe so manly that she maintained peace and tranquility as well towardes strangers as among her owne people Moreouer all goodnesse and quietnesse so aboundantly flourished in the time of her gouernment as no occasion can bee alleadged neither will any man of wisedome misprise the Empire and Dominion of such a Woman But as sicknesse with age did ouer-charge her by the pleasing perswasions and remonstrances of her ordinary seruants she made partaker with her in the Empires sway a certaine man some-what too aged named Michaell and then she liued not long after Michaell sir-named the Auncient was Emperour of Constantinople after the saide Theodora and onely by her meanes Hee was renowmed both for Noblity and riches but in other affaires concerning the support and charge of the Empire he was very vnapt in regard of his many years which made him burthenous and in-sufficient And when he had scarsely ruled one yeare Isaac Comnenes both dismissed and deposed him from the State of the Empire So liuing solitarily and like a priuate man he died
country all about the sacred Sepulchre of our Lorde which was ruined about the yeare of saluation 1012. by the commandement of Equin Califfe of the Sarrazins and continued so ruined vntill the time of Constantine Monomachus Emperor of Constantinople who at the intreaties of the christians which then dwelte in Ierusalem with the consent of Bomensor Elmonius Stensabus Califfe or Soldane of Egypt built it againe at hys owne charges in the yeare 1048. About which time certain Gentlemen and Italian Merchants of the Citty of Melphes frequenting the Portes and Maritane Citties of Syria and Egypt and bringing good Marchandizes into those Countries woon themselues much loue and liking not onelie of the citties Gouernours but also of the Califfe of Egypt and being wel disposed christians they would oftentimes goe to Ierusalem to visit the holy memorable places and hauing no place of retirement in the citty they obtained fauour and permission of the Califfe to builde there a Church and a Pallace for their owne vse and habitation as also for others of their Nation in that quarter of the cittie where the christians might dwell neere to the holy Sepulchre There they erected two Monasteries one in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary called S. Maria de la Latina differing from the Greeke churches whych were in Ierusalem and placed there an Abbot of Mont-Cassina and was builte to lodge christian Pilgrims therein The other was dedicated to S. Mary Magdalen as a place of entertainment of all such women as should aduenture thither in pilgrimage they being both Religiously gouerned Not long after they builded an Hospital wherein to lodge as well all sickly trauaylers as any other Pilgrimes of honest disposition with a Church also thereto belonging beeing both dedicated to S. Iohn Baptist These Monasteries Churches and Hospitals were long time mayntained by the care and cost of the Amalphitanes who founded them and vntill such tune as the Citty was conquered by the Christians from the Infidels and that Godfrey of Bullen was there elected King which was in the yeare 1099. 1. The Citty being thus woonne F. Gerard was the first Rector or Gouernor of the hospital of S. Iohn who when the Citty was besiedged by the Christians was very ill dealt with by the Infidels was long time by them kept a captiue prisoner because they distrusted that he had some secret intelligence with the Christians which beleagered the Citty But after that the Christians were maysters thereof he was delyuered out of prison and gouerned both wisely and charitably the Hospitall of S. Iohn perswading and induring Christian Kinges and Princes to enrich and endow it with their liberality which indéed they did in bountifull manner so that in France Italy Spaine and other Prouinces of christendome the Hospitall of S. Iohn founde good Benefactors and attained in short time to great reuennewes and possessions In the yeare 1113. Pope Paschall the second receiued F. Gerard and the Knights of S. Iohn vnder protection of the Apostolique Seate and graunted them great priuiledges ordayning that after the decease of F. Gerard they shold proceed cannonically to the election of another Rector or Gouernour who was afterward called Great Mayster of the Order or military hospitall of S. Iohn of Ierusalem a name which continueth yet to this present after fiue hundred yeares from the beginning thereof 2 In the yeare 1118. F. Gerard departed out of this life in the Papacie of Gelasius the second and when as the order of the Knights Templers began After his decease there succéeded him by election F. Raymond de Puy who was a professed Knight of the Order Albeit some holde opinion that F. Roger succéeded deceased Gerard and gouerned the hospitall of S. Iohn from the yeare 1118. vntill the death of Baldwine second of that name King of Ierusalem who died in the yeare 1131. F. Raymond in a generall Chapter assembled in Ierusalem with aduise of the other Knights made Statutes for the Order formed and instituted a rule of life which all the following Knights were to obserue Hee was called Great Maister of the Order and yet he qualified that Title by calling himselfe Seruant vnto the poore of Christ Iesus and Guardian of the hospitall of Ierusalem This Great Maister perceiuing that the reuennewes of the Hospitall did daily encrease and that hee could not better employ such wealth then against the Infidelles by making war vpon them he made offer to the K. of Ierusalem of himselfe his strength and all his Knightly Brethren who bare in their streamers Ensignes a Crosse Argent in a fielde Gules And thence forward these religious brethrē were distinguished into thrée degrees for one company were knights another Captains the third Seruants not hauing from the beginning any other difference among them but that some were Ecclesiastical persons the other Layicks And from that time forward there was not any enterprize in Palestine against the Infidels but the Great-Maister was present thereat in person with his religious Knights who were first called knights Hospitallers or of the hospital of S. Iohn of Ierusalem afterward knights of the Rhodes lastly knights of Malta They grew into so great credit and reputation that they were employed in the managing guiding al affaires of chiefest importance Among others Gerard Gebert Knight of this Order was sent by Foulkes K. of Aniou into England to treat on the marriage of Constance Princesse of Antioch Néere to the Q. Melisenda daughter to Prince Boemond with Raymond son to the Earle of Poicters who was then in the Court of Henry King of England In like maner this mariage being thus concluded by the ingenuity of this knight at the same time Raymond Berengarius earl of Barcelona Prince of Cathalonia who had cōquered the isles of Maiorica Minorica from the Mores in single combat defended the chastity honor of Mahauld wife to the Emperor Henry the fift against two Allemaigne Knights that had falsely accused her of Idolatry to shut vp the conclusion of his dayes resolued to take the habite of this famous Brother-hood and in that sacred profession he perseuered al his life time after which was in the year 1131. Not much differing from this time it is reported that three Knights of this Order beeing natiue Frenchmen of Picardie detained then by the Soldan of Egypt in captiuity were admirably deliuered and trans-ported out of Egypte with Ismeria daughter to the saide Soldane to the place where at this instant is the church of Nostre Dame de Liesse and this hapned in the yeare 1139. In the yeare 1153. Raymond the Great Master caused the siedge to be continued before the cittie of Ascalon which the Infidelles had defended against the christians more then fiftie yeares and at length it was yeilded to the saide Maister the 12. day of August 1154 which was in the tenth yeare of King Baldwine the 3. In acknowledgement
great number that were wounded This foile did so highly offend the Soldan that he leagued himselfe with Amurath Emperor of the Turkes with intention to make himselfe Maister of the Isle of Rhodes and to kill or expell thence that famous Order of Knight-hood Héereupon in the yeare 1444. he came and besiedged Rhodes which was vertuously defended by the Rhodian Knights and in the moneth of September the same yeare a generall assembly was held at Rhodes to helpe the ensuing necessities of the Order So the yeare following the Great Maister by aduise of the Pope and the King of Cyprus made peace with Amurath and helde a generall Chapter at Rhodes At whiche time the Duke of Cleues passed by Rhodes in his returne from Ierusalem where he had visited the holy places In the yeare 1451. a general assembly was made at Rhodes wherein the administration and gouernment of the Treasure and whole Fraternity was giuen to the Great Maister who in anno 1452. after the death of Amurath renewed the peace with Mahomet the second his sonne And yet the yeare following Mahomet became Maister of the Cittye of Constantinople the 29. of May when beeing not a little proude of this fortunate successe hee sent to the great Maister of Rhodes that he shold pay him yearly two thousand Ducats in name of tribute otherwise he purposed not to hold any longer the peace sworne betwéen them Wherevnto the great Maister made a couragious aunswere to wit That neither his Religion the Isle of Rhodes nor himselfe were subiectes to any but God and his Church and that he would neuer pay Turke any tribute being rather resolued to dye both he and all his Knights then to indure Christian liberty which euer had bin free to come now by his meanes into thraldome Whereupon he sent Ambassadors to the Pope and Christian Princes to entreat supplye from them against the periured Mahomet And in the yeare 1454. the 19. day of May he died hauing valiantly gouerned his Order sixtéene years sixe months and thirtéene daies 36 Iacques de Milly borne in Auuergne whereof he was Prior succéeded as Great Mayster the first day of Iune 1454. being in his Priory when he was elected his Nephew George de Boisrond brought him first tydings thereof Whereuppon hee immediatly went to Rhodes and helde a generall Chapter the same yeare in the month of Nouember In the yeare 1456. the Isle of Rhodes was greatly afflicted with Pestilence and Famine whereby it became halfe desert and to re-people it againe many generall citations were sent abroad to all the Knightes to méete there at a certaine time The yeare 1457. Mahomet besiedged the Isle of Lango and the Castle of the Isle des Singes but he was couragiously repulsed the Knights hauing a very happy and signat victory against him which caused Charles the seauenth King of France to send the Knights as a gift sixtéene thousand Crownes The Bailiffes Commaunders and other Officers of the Order being then enioyned by a generall Chapter to come to Rhodes for more secure and strong defence thereof The seuentéenth of August 1461. the Great Maister dyed hauing with much prouidence gouerned his charge in hard and troublesome times seauen yeares two months and sixteene daies He was greatly lamented because he was very benigne affable and humaine desirous to preserue peace and vnity among his worthy Bretheren 37 Peter Raymond Zacosta born in Arragon and Castileon d'Emposta was created Great M. next he being then absent in Spaine but at his comming to Rhodes by a generall Chapter there holden the eight language of Castile and Portugall was then admitted into the Order For till that instant there were but seauen languages there before to wit three of Fraunce Auuergne and Prouence one of Italy one of Arragon one of England and one of Allemaigne or Germany The yeare 1464. the Venetians Army besiedged the Citty of Rhodes but the siedge was soone raised and the Venetians returned home to their Countrey the warre beeing appeased by the wisedome of the Great-Maister who caused the Tower of Saint Nicholas to be built at the mouth of Rhodes Port in the very same place where in elder times the great Colossus of the Sunne numbred among the seauen wonders of the world had stood As a helpe to this building Phillip Duke of Burgundy gaue tenne thousand Crownes of Gold The yeare 1465. the great Turke sent Ambassadours to Rhodes to mediate a peace betwéen him and the Knights Hospitallers but they worthily refused it and in presence of the Ambassadours denounced Warre against the Turke The generall Chapter beeing then transferred from Rhodes to Rome and the Great Maister béeing present in person thereat he died there the twenty one of February 1467. and was buried in the Church of Saint Peter 38 Baptista Orsino Prior of Rome an Italian by Nation and tongue succéeded the Great-Maister Zacosta No sooner was hee come to Rhodes but hee receiued intelligence that the great Turke prepared a puissant Army purposing to besiedge either Rhodes or Negropont Wherfore he sent for a great number of the Knightes that were then absent to come forth-with for defence of the Island Moreouer hee leagued himselfe with the Seigneury of Venice against the Turke Neuerthelesse in the yeare 1470. Mahomet forcibly tooke the Citty of Negropont the last day of Iuly committing very great and horrible cruelties killing in cold blood all the Latines there to be found and by sound of Trumpet he proclaimed open war against the knights of Rhodes which enforced them to séeke all meanes for their best defence prouiding euerie way to withstand the Turkish Army But in this time of preparation the eight day of Iune the Great Maister died of a long lingering disease which had afflicted him a whole yeare together and after him succéeded 39 Peter d'Aubusson borne in Auuergne Prior there Captaine of the Citty of Rhodes He being chosen Great Maister solemnely took his oath according to custom to kéep the statutes of the Order He visited the whole Isle of Rhodes and made very great prouision to defend it against the Turkes Army sending for all knights and Commaunders appertaining to the Order to repaire thither for defence of the Isle and renewing peace with the Soldane of Egypt The same yeare King Lewes preuailed to haue a Iubilie in Fraunce in fauour of the Knightes of Rhodes taking order that the Monies thereby arising should soly be imployed for their defence And by this Iubily came great store of Money wherewith Castles and fortifications were builded in the Isle Truce also was taken betwéene the Knightes and the King of Tunis for thirtie yeares and the Knights of the Sepulcher at Ierusalem were ioyned with the Rhodians of S. Iohn In the yeare 1479. Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turkes held a solemne Councell that Rhodes should bée besiedged with a powerfull Army as indéede soone after it was in which siedge many sallies forth were made
and the Turkes daily repulsed and chased albeit they were an hundred thousand fighting men and the Army consisted of 160. Saile The Great maister was much succoured by Messire Antoine d'Aubusson his Brother Vicount of Montelis who was a great Warriour and a most skilfull Captaine he was elected Captaine Generall for the besiedged In fewe daies the Turkes gaue thrée thousand and seauen hundred shot with the Cannon against the Citty Wals and a maruailous assault was made of forty thousand Turks who neuerthelesse were valiantly resisted albeit the Great Maister receiued in this fight fiue great woundes one whereof was thought to bée deadly In the end so worthily were the assaylants withstood that they were enforced to raise their siedge hauing lost a great number of theyr Souldiers and the Army of Turkes returned with mighty shame and disgrace to Constantinople after they had besiedged the Citty for the space of 89. dayes After this siedge Mahomet the second concluded to com in person to Rhodes whereupon a generall assembly of the Knightes was made But the death of Mahomet hindered this designe and his Sonnes Baiazeth and Zizime performed the Warre after the decease of their Father which gaue some breathing time of rest to the Knights of Rhodes And yet Zizime in person came to assist the Great Mayster with-drawing himselfe to Rhodes in the yeare 1482. where he was receiued with great honour and from thence conducted into France In the time of this Great Maister d'Aubusson the statutes of the Order were reformed and brought into one volume peace being concluded betwéen the Knights and the Great Turk Baiazeth The Great Maister was made a Cardinall by Pope Innocent the eight and Legate also into Asia with honour of Legate and Generall of the leagued Army against the Turke Finally he dyed at Rhodes An. 1503. the third day of Iuly full of honour and reputation and was interred with great Funerall pompe He had liued 80. yeares thrée moneths and foure daies and gouerned the Order twenty seauen yeares and sixtéene daies 40 There were 387. Knightes assembled at Rhodes when the Great Maister d'Aubusson dyed who elected for his successor Emery d'Amboise Brother to George d' Amboise Cardinall and Legate in France Arch-Bishop of Rouen He was a French-man by birth and great Priour of France at the time of his election Guy de Blanchefort comming into France to accompany him in his voyage to Rhodes where hée was receiued with much applause and reioycing because the Kinges of France and Spaine hadde written very fauourable Letters on his behalfe to the Knights of the order Hee was no sooner there arriued but hee helde a generall Chapter wherein was concluded that a sumptuous tomb of Brasse should be made for the deceased Cardinall Great Maister In the yeare following they obtained a very famous and nauall victory against the Soldane of Egypt vnder the conduct of Phillip de Villiers of the Isle Adam a French Knight of the order and afterward he was great Maister But this Maister Emerie d'Amboise dyed at Rhodes An. 1512. 41 And the same yeare 410. of the knights were assembled at Rhodes where they chose Guy de Blanchefort borne in Auuergne and Nephew to the deceased Maister d'Aubusson to be Great Maister In his time the generall Laterane Councel was holden at Rome where Fabritio Carretto Admiral and Procurator for the Order of Rhodes was Captaine of the Guard to the saide Councell This great Maister de Blanchefort embarking himselfe at Nicea in Prouence to make for Rhodes was surprized by the way with a dangerous sicknesse wherof hee dyed the 24. of Nouember a yeare and two daies after his election 42 In his stead Fabritio de Carretto borne in Geneway and an Italian by language was treated Great Maister in an assembly helde at Rhodes the fifteenth of December 1513. where were then present 550. Knightes of the Order the said Carretto hauing formerly béen Admiral of Rhodes In the yeare 1516. peace was made betwéene the Knights of Sain◠Iohn and Tomombeus Soldane of Egypt successor to Campson Gaury who but a short while before was slaine in a battaile wherein Selim Emperour of the Turkes had the victory against him And Tomombeus was as vnfortunate for in the yeare 1517. he was taken and strangled at one of the Portes of the great Cayre by the appointment of Selim. And this was the cause that the great Maister fortifyed the Isle of Rhodes to his vttermost power sending Ambassadours to the Christian Princes to let them vnderstand the great victoryes of Selim the sooner to take order for sending succour But Selim dying his son Sultan Soliman succéeded him and in Ianuary 1521. the Great Mayster Carretto finished his daies at Rhodes leauing great prouision and Munition for warre which soone after did seruice to his successor 43 Phillip de Villiers of the Isle Adam great Priour of France and there borne where because hee also was at the time of his election Gabriell de Pomereux great Commander was chosen Lieutenant to the great Maister till hée came The very same yeare of his election the twenty two day of Ianuary 1521. Sultan Soliman resolued to besiedge the Isle of Rhodes executing the last will of his Father Selim whereof the Great Maister being aduertised hee made his preparation by all possible meanes to withstand the Turkes enterprise Diligently did hee strengthen the Citty of Rhodes sending for supply into Christendome which as then hée could not haue by reason of the warre happening betwéene Frances the first King of France and the Emperor Charles the fift In the month of Iune 1522. began the memorable siedge of the Cittie of Rhodes which was besiedged with an Army of two hundred thousand Turkes and afterward the army encreased to thrée hundred thousand men The besiedged defended themselues most couragiously and very worthy exploits of warre were there performed especially by the Great Maister who during the siedge did neuer put off his Armour The assaylants were in many attemptes repulsed and in one of them twentie thousand Turks remained dead in the place Soliman hauing then a purpose to raise his siedge but that there were some close Traytours who hindered him from so dooing and yet they did not escape vnpunished At length the Great Mayster receiuing no succour was enforced to surrender the Cittie vppon composition the twenty foure day of December 1522. the Turkes hauing lost more then an hundered thousand men Soliman would néedes sée the Great Maister and when he beheld him tears issued from his eyes in méere compassion of him So the first day of Ianuary 1523. the Great Maister with 50. sayle departed from Rhodes and tooke his way towards Candie after that the Isle of Rhodes had beene in the power of the Knights Hospitallers for the space of 213. years to wit from the yeare 1309. to the ende of the yeare 1522. After this losse of Rhodes the great Maister and his valiant Religious
get fooling raigning ouer the Regions of Fez as Beni Zeiren did in Telensm and in Granado These two great Potentates beganne to warre vppon each other and to contend for priority of State But by this their discord the power of the Lordes of Tunis encreased so that they went with an Army against Telensi and compelled them to pay them tribute Whereupon the King that new arose from the House of Marino and had béene at surprizall of Marocco sent many rich presents to the Gouernour of Tunis recommending both himselfe and his whole State vnto his fauour The Gouernour accepted him as a Friende alwaies prouided that hee should be inferiour to him And so he returned in tryumph to Tunis causing himselfe to bée called King of Affrica which Tytle was thought very desertfull for him because as then there was not a more powerfull Prince in all Affrica then hée He began then to ordaine his Court Royall with Secretarie Councellers and a Captaine Generall vsing all those Ceremonies that the Kinges of Marocco formerly had done And from the time of this Prince euen to our dayes Tunis held on the same encreasing Dignity as well in habitations as ciuility so that it became the onely and singular Cittie of Affrica Where now wee leaue her to our larger History as also the Kingdome of Fez because the Originall of the one came from the other and therefore they are the more capable of an intire discourse which aryseth to a very spacious and large quantitie There also will we relate the condition and originall of sundry other remote Kingdomes which for the reason before alleadged are in this briefe Chronicle purposely omitted ¶ Of the great Prouince of Moscouia As also the Manners Religion and power of the Prince their ruling MOscouia is a very great Northerly Region containing more then fiue hundered leagues in length The principall Citty thereof beeing called Mosca or Moscuua greater then the Citty Paris in Fraunce and seated on the Riuer Mosqua There is a large Stone squared in the middest of the Cittie whereon whosoeuer can mount himselfe without beating down in the vacancy of the Crowne he is held as Prince of the Countrey and obtayneth the principality For very great fightes and combates the Inhabitants haue had one against another about the mounting on that stone Hée that comes to be Prince of the Countrey dooth not call himselfe King but Duke being contented with that popular name and differeth not in Garments from the other Noble-men of the land saue only that he weareth a higher bonnet It is a Countrey rich in Siluer and so stronglie guarded thorow out that not onely straungers but their owne natiue people likewise can passe no way without the Princes Letters The countrey is flat and plaine without any Mountains therefore that which is saide of the Ryphean Mountaines and that they are in this Countrey is méerely fabulous for there is not any such hill at all There are great store of Forrests abounding with wilde Beasts which are daily chased and great profite is made by Trafficke for the skinnes of those Beasts as of Harts Wolues Ermines Martines Zubelines Fouoynes and diuers others This Prouince confineth Liuonia on the one side Tartaria on the other on the third quarter it hath the Euxine Sea containing many other Prouinces to it so that the Prince can in very few daies leuie foure hundered thousand men on foote to begin warre withall They drinke nothing but a kinde of Béere and yet none but the rich may drinke thereof for they haue no Wine but what is broughte from other countries They be subiect to drunkennes as all other Northerly people are and Winter is there so sharpe long and extreame that if any Water be hurled vp into the Ayre it fréezeth before it can fall to the earth Their Corne â—â—uer perfectly ripens but when they haue reaped it they dry it in their stoues or hot-houses and then grinde it The Spring time is very colde with them and their Summer which lasteth but two months onely is extreamly hot They haue not any vse of money but instead thereof they haue Plates of Gold or siluer squared without anie marke or stampe thereon which is taken for as much as it weigheth in merchandize As for their Garments they go cloathed like Turks in long Gownes or Robes hauing narrow sléeues and girded about their middle Their buildings and manner of life differeth very little from them of Poland and Bohemia They are Christians like vnto the Greekes receiuing order of Priest-hood from the Patriarche of Constantinople saying Seruice in their Temples in their vulgar toong which is the Sclauonian Language and theyr Carracters are Greeke The abiding of the Prince is in a goodly great Pallace in the Citty of Moscuna built after the Italian manner being so strong and spacious as in our times the like is not to be found There are in the fore-named Citty as also in diuers other places men very learned and wise that did make their aboad whereas the Schooles be The Muscouite is Tributary to the King of Tartaria who ouercame them in the yeare of the Worlde 6745. according as their Annales doo deliuer their Chronologies are not according to our Obseruation in accounting after the yeares of Iesus Christ When the Tartarian Ambassadors doo come before the Moscouite Prince hee standeth bare headed before them and they sit couered He hath wel-néere daily Warres against the Polonois and Scythian who albeit they are subiects to other Kings yet doth he much enlarge his dominions ouer them Now although as we said at the first these Princes contented them-selues with the name of Duke vntill the time of hys Father now raigning yet would he néeds vsurp the name of King giuing himselfe these ensuing Titles as his Son also doth the same The great Lord Basilius by the grace of God king Prince of Russia Great Duke of Volodimeria Moscouia Nouogardia Plescouia Sureluchia Tuueria Iugaria Permia Vraquia Bulgaria Great Lord and Duke of the Lands in Nouagadia the lower of Cyeruigouia Rezauia Riscouia Belloya Iaroslauia Bierosolia Vdoria Obdoria Condidia c. By which large plurality of Titles it appeareth that he is farre more potent then some haue immagined him to be But concerning his vassailage to the King of Tartars he holdes it no dishonor to him for he doth it to this end That while hee kéepeth peace with him hee bringeth much more easily vnder his obedience all the néere neighboring people and with the power of the great Tartare he is ten times stronger then of himselfe For the saide Tartare bringes ordinarily a Million of men with him to the field al well appointed for warre with two or thrée hundered péeces of Cannon and thrée hundred thousand horsse c. Of the Kingdome of Poland POlonia in elder times called Sarmatia is said to receiue that name of the worde Pole which in that
that it hath bin gouerned first by Consuls then by Tribunes and lastly by Dukes Maisters of warlicke power yet notwithstanding al these Dignities being but electiue and not hereditary the election should in right appertain to the most Noble Islanders and Gentlemen of name by whose aduise the Common-weal ought to be managed euen as it hath bin and still continueth to this day Consuls to the number of thrée were chosen for two yeares and albeit that this kinde of Gouernment lasted for about the space of thréescore yeares yet we finde only but thrée consecutiue or succéeding elections of them The first Consuls were Albertus Phalarius Thomas Candianus and Zeno Daulo These men first gouerned the Citty in her Nonage and some are of the minde that they were the first Authors of the Padnaus slight and their retyrement to the Lakish or marshie Isles as also of their first building there The second Consuls were Lucianus Graulus Maximus or Marinus Lucius and Hugo Fuscus The third were Marcus Aurelius Andreas Claudius Albinus Maurus The names of such as were elected after these are not to be found in any Histories After that the Isles about the Rialto were filled with Inhabitants in sted of Consuls Tribunes were created and for their creation the matter was first debated priuately by fewe people afterwarde it was ordained and resolued in open assembly of the Islanders that in each Isle there should be a Tribune and he shoulde bee a yearely Magistrate to render Iustice to the Cittizens and with seuerity to punnish their offences But the remainder which concerned the generality of the Common-weale was referred to the generall assembly of the Islanders to bee by them determined Afterward there was but one Tribune created for gouernement of the Isles which continued for some yeares Finally they concluded to create tenne whereunto were added two more who should dwell in Heraclea And this Tribunary dignity held place for more then two hundred yeares Héere is to be noted that the Tribunes of the Isles abusing their authorities did so trouble the State with ciuill dissentions as it plainly appeared that the maine bodie of the Citty would bee dissolued without some good and immediate remedy Which gaue occasion that to heare the complaints of euery one a generall assembly of the Isles was published and their méeting to be in Heraclea In this assembly Christophero Bish of Grada was President accompanied with a great number of the Clergy after diuine seruice was performed the first proposition which he made was that for good of the commonwealth each man might complain of the future Tribune which being done and the offences no longer to be indured for publick benefit of the state in general resolution was set down to make election of a Duke who should represent all honor and Maiesty in the State or Siegneurie and he should haue power to assemble the generall counsell when questions were to be made of any important matter concerning the Common-wealth He should haue power also to elect yearly Tribunes or Magistrates in euery Isle and their appellations to bee brought before him Moreouer if any should obtaine any dignity Prelacy or benefice by Suffrages of the Cleargie or people that he should not enioy it or be possessed thereof without the good liking and consent of the Duke whose power also ended with his life This being thus concluded in the yeare 697. Paullucio was created the first duke and so hath that Ducal dignity continued euer since Saue only that in the yeare 737. after the death of the third Duke Orso it was determined that no Duke should be elected for six yeares but that a Master of the armed troopes or soldiors should bee established and his authority to be annual which lasted no longer then fiue yeares For in the yeare 742 they procéeded againe to a Dukes election since that time the Commonwealth of Venice hath euermore had Dukes and Princes of the Seigneury by whose wisedome and his Counsell assisting it hath bin preserued in an euer flourishing estate euen to this instant yeare 1611. ¶ A short Summary of the liues of the Dukes and Princes of Venice and a breuiate also of the most remarkable actions in the times of their gouernment PAuluccio Annapesto was firste Duke of the people chosen in Heraclea Hee tooke his Oath before Christophero patriarch of Grada to gouerne according to the Lawes and to regard nothing more then the weale publicke He pacified the difference which Luitprand k. of the Lombards had with king Aribert and made friendship with them both As well by his authority as by armes He brought the rebellious Aequilius vnder obedience encreased the Citties customes and reuennewes and dyed hauing bin Duke xx yeares vi months and viij daies 2 Marcello Tegaliano of the same place of Heraclea was elected his successour by common voyce of the people Hee was deuoute modest and affable but much lesse diligent in gouerning then his predecessor The Patriarchat of Grada was trans-ferred into Aquileia in hys time by Luitprand and there he had great wars about the dissentions of the Byshops whereinto he would not interpose himselfe but died hauing bin Duke nine yeares and xxi dayes 3 Orso Hipato a Noble-man of Heraclea woon himselfe great Reputation by his famous déedes Paulo the Exarcho had recourse to him the Grecian Army being broken and siedge laid to Rauenna by Luitprand He regained Rauenna made the Kings Nephew his prisoner slewe the Duke of Vicenza and reseated the Exarcho in his due rights Hee brideled the Aquileians who troubled the publicke peace and put courage into the soules of the younger sort He was slain by reason of the dissentions of Iesolo the xi yeare and fift month of his Principality 4 Theodato Hipato sonne of Orso was proclaimed Duke fiue yeares after the death of his Father during which time the people were gouerned by a Marshall or Maister of the soldiors and forsaking Heraclea he brought the State to Malamocco There he was the first created and limitted his confines with Astolpho king of the Lombards He was also slaine by Galla a citizen of Malamocco in the 13. year of his principality 5 Galla de Malamocco a wicked and seditious man yet shewing himselfe as Protector of publick peace he was established in the place of Theodato But his wickednesse being knowne and that being but a subiect he would néedes make himselfe absolute Lord hauing before slaine his chiefe Maister Theodato the people pluckt out his eies and tooke from him the dignity which he had a yeare vsurped 6 Dominico Monegario of Malamocco was seated in the sted of Galla. Somewhat to bridle his Dukes authority the people ioined two yearly Tribunes with him But he being a man audacious and arrogant sought to tiranize ouer the people whereat they growing into fury pluckt out his eies the 8. yeare of his Principality 7 Mauritio Galbaio a Noble Heraclean for his Iustice wisedome
and wealth was chosen to this dignity Hee made his sonne Duke with him and they gouerned together In his time the church of Grada being mollested he sent an Ambassador to pope Stephen to accord the difference The Bishopprick of S. Peter de Castello Oliuolo was then erected And he died hauing gouerned 23. yeares 8 Giouanni Galbaio hauing bin Duke 9. years with his father gouerned the commonwealth yet 9. yeares more and after the said time hee made Mauritio his Sonne companion with him in the Principality But they being both of wicked and vnsufferable life hauing murdered Iohn Patriarchat of Grada throwing him downe headlong from an high tower Fortunatus successor in the Patriarchate made a conspiracy against them another was elected Duke Wherat being not a little confounded the Father fled into France the son to Mantua the xvi yeare of their rule 9 Obelerio being elected Prince by them that had intelligence with Fortunatus tooke his Brother Beato as his associate and Valentine beside being their thirde brother was admitted with them in the same dignity And it is worth note that of these thrée brethren Beato is onely placed in the rank of Dukes in the Counsell chamber of Venice where as Obelerio incited Pepin king of Italy to make war on the Venetians and Beato maintained the cōmonwealth raigning 5. years 10 Angelo Participatio after he had well born himselfe in the warre against Pepin was elected Duke the people being summoned to the Rialto He founded the Dukes Palace in the same place where that now built standeth The deuision of the Empire was made in his time the Venetians left in their own liberty The City was diuided into wards stréets and precinctes The Pregadi the Ouaranta who for criminal offences was then instituted among them He gouerned eightéen yeares 11 Giustiniano Participatio hauing bin an associate in the dignity with his father was after his death confirmed by the people He repealed home his brother Iohn who was then at Constantinople accepted him as his fellow ruler he made the peoples authority greater than before gaue aid to Michael the Emp. against the Sarazins The body of S. Mark was in his time broght from Alexandria accepting into his protection the church remaining at this day was cōsecrated in his memory He died the 2. year of his dignity 13 Giouanni Participatio remained in the royaltie inlarged the Church of S. Marke placing therein a great number of priests Canons and appointing a Primicerio to gouern them He caused the head of Obelerio to be cut off whom hee had besiedged in the Isle of Curtia He made war vpon the Nauratines and ouercame them In the end a conspiracy was deuised against him and being confined to Grada in the eight yeare of his Principality he shaued his head and bearde and made himselfe a Monke in which estate he died 13 Pietro Tradonico of Pola hauing carryed himselfe to the peoples contentment in the wars against Pepin was elected duke He ioyned Iohn his son in rule with him gaue succor to the Emp. of Constantinople who made request thereof by Theodosius Patricius He was made Protospatary of the empire in help whereof he sent 60. gallies Lewes 2. granted him many priuiledges in the end he was slain by a sedition in his 27. year 14 Orso Participatio hauing appeased the sedition was made Duke The Turkes hauing spoiled Dalmatia euen so far as Grada wer vanquished by him Giouanni Participatio his son whom he had made associate with him in his gouernment Basilius the Emperor highly honored him for that good Seruice and made him Protospatarie of the Empire He gouerned 17. yeares 15 Giouanni Participatio beeing confirmed in his dignity tooke and burned Comachio wasted the County of Rauenna to reuenge himselfe on the Count of Comachio who had imprisoned and wounded to death his Brother Badoario He growing much ouercome with sicknesse caused the Church of Saint Cornelius and S. Cyprian to be built at Malamocco and hauing gouerned fiue yeares and sixe monthes renounced the Dignitie 16 Pietro Candiano was elected after the voluntarie dismission of his Predecessour Hée was a valiaunt Man and expert in Armes and yet notwithstanding greatlie addicted to deuotion He went in person with tenne Gallies against the Narantines who as Théeus robbed and purloined from the Venitians Fighting valiantlie against them hee died at the second time with the weapons in his hands He gouerned no longer then fiue months Dominico Tribuno is set by some in rank with the Dukes but others lesse curious in search of the History haue omitted him because hee was Duke but thrée months and thirtéen daies and nothing is remarkeable in his time but a certaine priuiledge granted by him to Chioggia 17 Pietro Tribuno Sonne of Dominico was elected Duke He obtained of Guydo Emperour and King of Italy a confirmation of all auncient Priuiledges The Barbarian Hunnes came againe into Italy and burned Heraclea Capo de Arger and Chioggia This Prince ouercame them with very much honour and this was the third time that those Strangers sought to vsurpe on that State Hee gouerned twentie foure yeares 18 Orso Badoaro called himselfe Participatio and was the first that changed his name He sent for his Son Pietro to Constantinople and he was made Protospatarie In the yeare 920. he obtained of Rodolphus Emperour and King of Italy the confirmation of the Venitians auncient authority to stamp Monies He addicted himselfe wholy to piety and in his 20. yeare hee renounced the Dignity to make him-selfe a Monke and liue priuately 19 Pietro Candiano the second was a worthy man and made war on Lauterio Marquesse of Istria who hindred the Traffique of the Venitians he ouer-came him and reconquered the people of Capo d'Istria He vanquished Albertus Son to the Emperour Berengarius who impatronizing himself of Rauenna impeached the passage of the Venitians Ships In his time Maydens were stolne by the Testaines to ioyne in marriage with them but they were soone recouered He gouerned seauen yeares 20 Pietro Badoaro the Sonne of Orso was redéemed by him from the Sclauonians Hée gouerned but two yeares and seauen moneths alwaies in peace which he much affected Berengarius the Emperour did him many fauours for his great deserts 21 Pietro Candiano the third Sonne to the second Candiano associated himselfe in his dignity with his son Pietro at two seuerall times armed 33. Shippes against the Narentines but at the second time he made peace with them His son being reproued by him for his bad behauior reuolted from him and against the Common-wealth The people would haue slaine him but he was sent into exile where ioyning with Guydo Sonne of Berengarius hee endangered the Common-wealth Whereat his father grieuing died in his fiftéenth yeare of his gouernment 22 Pietro Candiano the fourth being repealed from exile albeit the people had sworne neuer to receiue him was made prince with very great
contrarie to the hope of all or his owne expectation The Arsenall was burned in his time and there then also happened a very great dearth of all thinges Selim Successour to Solyman tooke occasion to breake peace with the Common-wealth demaunding of them the Kingdome of Cyprus and mooued Warre vppon this Subiect He gouerned foure yeares fiue monthes and eight daies 85 Luigi Mocenigo Warre beeing kindled against the Turke lost the Kingdome of Cyprus Nicosia béeing taken and Famagosta surrendered The Common-wealth made league with Pope Pius the fift and Phillip King of Spayne so that their Armies béeing ioyned together in the yeare 1571. they obtayned a woorthy victorie against the Turkes Soone after Henry the third King of Fraunce came to Venice where hee was magnyficently entertayned This Prince dyed in his seauenth yeare 86 Sebastiano Veniero was elected by common voyce and with such applause that dyuers Turkes ranne to him and kissed his féete Hée created fiue Correctours of the Lawes for ruling the affaires of the Pallace The Citty was deliuered of a dangerous plague and the Pallace was againe very greatly defaced by fire This Prince gouerned not aboue one whol yeare 87 Nicholo de Ponte was created Duke a man very learned in al the Sciences and whereof he had made publicke profession in Venice He passed thorow all the honours of the Common-wealth wherewith the Cittizens coulde possibly gratifie him The Seminary of S. Marke was instituted by him Certaine Princes of Iapponia arriuing then at Venice were by him most honourably entertained He builded the Bridge of Canareggio and gouerned seauen yeares nine months and thirteene daies 88 Paschale Cicogna Procurator of S. Mark was elected when he was at diuine seruice in the Church In his time there was great warres betwéene France and Spaine about Piedmont and betwéene the Emperor and the Turke for some parts in Hungaria He caused the Town of Palma to be builded in the confines of the countrey of Friuli and a newe Castle or Fortresse in the Isle of Cephalonia He hadde the honour of the wonderfull Bridge of the Rialto which hee builded And gouerned ten yeares or thereabout 89 Marino Gâ—imini Procurator of S. Mark was so highly in grace and fauour of the people that on the day of his election they declared extraordinary signes of ioy and continued them for many following daies The second yeare of his Principality he caused the Dutchesse his Wife to be crowned in great Triumph At which time Pope Clement the eight sent hir the Rose of gold In his time much ioy and triumph was made for the peace concluded betwéen the Kings of France and Spayne Vppon occasion of the Popes comming to Ferrara obtained by the Ecclesiasticall Estate the Cardinall Aldobrandino passed thence to Venice where he was most honorably welcommed with diuers other Cardinals There was such an extraordinary ouer-flow of waters in the fift yeare of his Principality that the Barks Boats and Gundeloes floated on the place of S. Marke euen as if they had béen in a ful maine riuer He dyed and was much bemoaned of the people hauing gouerned ten yeares and eight moneths 90 Leonardo Dandolo hauing by his woorthy deseruings singuler wisedom and dexterity managed passed affaires and gone through al honors of the Common-wealth giuing euident testimony of his care and faithfulnesse was aduanced in the place of Grimani the tenth day of Ianuary 1606. He had bin sent Ambassador to Constantinople to Mahomet hee being newlie come to the Empire of the East in the common-wealthes-name to salute him with accustomed complements He hath such a practiue brain and so happy a memory seated in a soule so religiously zealous for common benefite that the Senate hath referred more to him then to any other of his Predecessors The Citty hath in his time béene excommunicated by Paulus Quintus now pope about some pretentions appertaining to his Sée But it may well be saide of this Prince that against such Thunder-clappes and lightning flashes he hath shewne himselfe like an immooueable Rocke in defence of that estate in generall In like manner two principall Pillers of Christendome threatned great disaster and ruine buâ— that most Christian Henry the fourth King of Fraunce embracing those two Collombes vpheld both the one and other redressed all discontentment by the entermise of his Ambassadors and hath erected a Triumphall Arche to the immortality of his glorie This Prince now liuing happily in peace doth dayly acknowledge to Fraunce his particular affection for such fauour and may in time much better declare it God long preserue him and all other good Princes ⧠Of the Kingdome of Spaine SPaine was in her yonger daies held by sundry petty Kings and Tetrarches and afterward became deuided into many Commonweals The Carthiginians a people of Affrica hazzarding their fortune thither helde one part thereof and possessed themselues of many Citties Townes and places vntill they were expelled thence by the Romaines in the time of the Punick warres Since when it was continually subiect vnto the Commonwealth of the Romaine reduced into forme of a Prouince only in the raign of the Emperor Augustus So it remained till the Emperor Honorius in whose daies the Vandales a people of the North parts broght it vnder their command But they were soone after chased thence by the Gothes who established there the seate of their kingdom which in that kind they maintained for the space of about two hundred years nor were they then called kings of Spaine but kings of the Goths In the raigne of Roderick king of the Goths the Moores of Affrica entred Spaine in the yeare 715. they beeing brought thither by one named Iulian in very despightfull indignation and to shape out a way to his bloody reuenge because King Roderick had dishonoured his Sister or as some others say his daughter And so did the Moores possesse themselues wel-néer of al Spain seizing the city of Tolledo which was theÌ„ the capital city Thus ended the kingdom name of the Goths in Spain Nor rested they so but pursued on their conquest still there remained none but Galitia the Asturies Leon which countries king Pelagius Vnkle successor of Roderick had fled to for refuge there shut vp himself in regard that those places were inuironed with Mountaines might wel defend shelter him for some time But his successors being hardly pressed by the Sarrazins could no longer resist wherefore vnder the raigne of Alphonsus the seconde they were forced to craue the helpe of Charlemaigne King of Fraunce by whose valour and Vertue the Moores were beaten thence a great way and had bin quite cast out of the Country if the Spaniards mallice had bin no hinderance thereto Afterward the kings of Leon and Galicia for such were then their only titles being so formerly preserued began somwhat to increase in power And in regarde of this expedition performed by the French the strength of the Moores was
of k. Childerick with other his predecessors In like maner he layed open to him the paines and Trauayles of his Father and himselfe only in defence of the Kingdome and how it was more conuenable that hee who attended the charge of publicke affaires should likewise beare the name of king rather then hee that waited not thereon at all but followed his own delights and voluptuous pleasures which being considered by the Pope by the intermise of Bruchard Byshop of Bourges and Folrad Chaplaine vnto the saide Pepin it was ordained that Childerick should be shauen and sent vnto his Monastery againe where he dyed with Gisala his wife hauing raigned nine years And then was Pepin with ful consent of the Nobility and generall sufferages of all the people proclaimed King of France Heere ended the first generation of the Kinges of Fraunce in the ligne Masculine beeing termed the race of the Merouingians which lasted from Pharamond to this Pepin 331. yeares And heere beginneth the second generation called the race of the Carlouingians PEpin surnamed Le Bref or Short Son of Charls Martel was made king of France in the year of grace 751. hauing bin nine years Maire of the Pallace from the raigne of Chilperick the third This man as well by consent of Pope Zacharie as fauour of the French Nobility his former good gouernment also especially considered was sacred King the first of that race Pope Stephen who succeeded Zacharie withdrew himselfe into France to haue succour against Astulphus King of the Lombards Pepin being acquainted therewith tooke part with the holy sée of Rome promising to restore that which was vsurped from it In requitall whereof the Pope sacred him againe with his two Sonnes And Pepin marching with his Armie into Italy sent the Pope home to Rome againe for Astulphus was besiedged in Pauia and constrained to make agréement with the Pope Pepin gaue to the Sée of Rome the Exarchate of Rauenna and many other Citties and Towns by him conquered He had many victories against Gaiser or Waifer Duke of Aquitaine who in the ende was slaine and his Country conquered in a battaile which he won néere to Perigord He subdued the Saxons who were reuolted from their allegeance And he instituted the Court of Parlament in France He died at Paris in the eyghteenth yeare of his raigne leauing two Sonnes and seauen Daughters which hee had by Bertha his Wife In his time was Robert Surnamed the Deuill Sonne vnto Aubert Duke of Normandy 24 Charles the Great called Charlemaigne son of Pepin le Bref succéeded in the kingdome the yeare of Grace 768. and was Crowned at Wormes after he had made partage with Caroloman his Brother when hee had raigned 32. yeares King of France by consent of the Cleargie and Romaine people in regarde of the great good done by him to Christendome the Church of Rome he was proclaimed and crowned Emperor of Rome in the year 800. vpon Christmas day the people crying aloud thrée seuerall times To Charls Augustus crowned of God the great and peaceable Emperor life victory He was the first called Most Christian King being a man of great stature admirable strength eloquent in many languages studious affecting to heare the reading of histories a great louer of learning and the learned as Parls and Pisa can well witnesse Nicephorus he deuided the Empire agreeing that the one shold be called Emperor of the East and the other of the West He quailed the commotion raised in Guiâ—nne by the procurement of his Brother Caroloman who therefore went in a rage to Rome and returning thence died soone after To please his Mother he married Theodora Sister or daughter to Didier k. of the Lombardes whom he quickly diuorced and remarried Hildegrande Daughter vnto the Duke of Swethen by whom he had Charles Pepin Lewes Rotrude Bertha and Gilette Hauing pacified the broyles in Aquiâ—aine at the request of Pope Adrian he went inâ—o Italy against Didier whom he subdued and so gaue ending to the Lombards kingdome sending the king his wife and children into exile He conquered the Saxons against whom he warred thirty yeares hauing twelue seuerall Battailes against them He repulsed the Sarrazins that wasted Spaine and lost one battaile in dealing with them wherein perrished thirtie thousand of his men but returning on them the second time he won a famous victory But too true it is that bringing his armie home into Fraunce and passing by Ronceuaux his arrieregarde was rudely assayled by the Gascoignes and there he lost a great number of his Knights among whome were Rowland and Oliuer He conquered the Hâ—nnes Sclauonians Bauarians and Danes loosing his two best Sonnes Charles and Pepin accomplishing many déedes woorthy of memory as well in war as peace He founded the Vniuersities of Paris Pauia and Bolongne apointing also Orders for Ecclesiasticall personnes called Capitula Caroli Magni and caused the Counselles of Maience Rheimes Tours Chaalons Arles Francfort to bee holden ordaining withall the twelue Péeres of Fraunce Such was the raygne of this great Charles till beeing crazed with a Feauer hee dyed in the sixe and fortyeth yeare of his Kingly Gouernement the fouretéenth yeare of his Empyre the seauenty one of his age and lyeth buried at Aix la Chapelle 25 Lewes Surnamed the Debonnaire or méeke succéeded his Father Charlemaigne both in the Romaine Empyre and Kingdom of Fraunce but not in his Vertue and greatnesse of courage for hee was so Nick-named in regarde of his ouer-much readinesse and facility which made his authority despised both of his owne people and straungers in the yeare 816. Many debanches hapned vnder his raigne as well on behalfe of Bernard his Nephew king of Italy his wife and children whom he caused to be put to death as also in his war against the Bretons who would not bee brought vnder his obedience He had thrée sonnes by his first wife to wit Lothaire whom he made King of Italy Pepin King of Aquitaine and Lewes King of Bauiere In second marriage hee had Iudith daughter to the Count of Altorfe by whome he had Charles the Balde who after him was K. of France Hee endeuoured to reforme the ouer-great pompe and dissolutions in them of the Churche by a Counsell holden at Aix la Chapelle His three first Sonnes made diuers wars vppon him being thereto prouoked as well by the Ecclesiastickes as by the partage which hee had made to Charles the Balde his yongest son In their first attempte they besiedged him at Compeigne where they tooke their second mother Iudith whom when they had shorne vayled they sent her in Religion to Poictiers leauing their Father then without any administration or royall charge But afterward beeing recouered from such seruility and causing his wife to be brought him againe he was so milde and méeke that he pardoned the Rebels all their offences A seconde time his Sonnes arose against
being named Donald of the Isles twelue yeares Crathlint Son to King Findock twenty foure yeares Fincomarke the Vncles sonne to Crathlint 47. yeares Romacus Nephewe to King Crathlint foure yeares Angusianus Nephewe to King Crathlint two yeares Fethelmachus Cozin to Angusianus thrée years Eugenius the Sonne of King Fincomarke thrée yeares Ferguse Sonne to Erthus who was Sonne to Ethodius Brother to Eugenius and borne in Denmarke 16. yeares Eugenius the Son of Ferguse in whose time the Wall called Adrians Wall was vndermined and ouerthrowne Also the Brittaines were made tributary to the Scots and Pictes which was about fiue hundred yeares after that Iulius Caesar had brought them in subiection to the Romaines after our Sauiours birth 446. and the seauenth of Eugenius his raigne Then was the Isle of Albion sore infected with the Pelagians Heresie and Paladius tearmed by some the Apostle of Scotland was sent by Pope Celestine to the Scots and Picts This Eugenius raigned 30. yeares and aduanced the State of his Countrey to more wealth and felicity then any of his Predecessors had done before him Dongard brother to Eugenius raignd 5. years Constantine Brother also to Eugenius 17. yeares Dongall or Congall Nephew to Constantine and son to his Brother Dongard 20. years Conranus Brother to Congall in whose time the great K. Arthur was borne and S. Germane preached among the Souldiers in the Camp and bare the Kings Standard in the field wben with the cry of Alleluia thrée tunes together the Saxons were miraculously discomfited This Conranus died in the 20. yeare of his raigne the 16. of Arthurs ouer the Brittaines and fift of the Emperor Iustinian An. Christi 531. Eugenius his Nephew and son to his brother Congall in whose time was the bloudy battell betweene the Britaines Scots and Picts wherein aboue 20000. men were slain with Mordred K. Arthur Gawan or Gauan brother to Mordred and most part of the Brittish Nobility This Eugenius raigned 38. yeares Conuall Brother to Eugenius in whose time S. Colme or Colombe came from Ireland into Scotland This Conuall raigned ten yeares and then Kinnatill his Brother being enthroned at Argile by free election liued but twenty dayes after his Coronation Aldan Sonne to King Conran was crowned by the holy Father Saint Colme and raigned thirty seauen yeares In this Aidans time the Saxons hauing driuen the Brittaines into Wales and insulting ouer their lands and Countries deuided the kingdome into seauen parts or deuisions ordaining seuen seuerall Kings to rule ouer them In this King Aidans rule died Saint Colme at Dune in Ireland whereon his toomb these verses were found engraued Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in vno Brigida Patricius at que Columba pius Saint Colme Saint Patrick and Brigetta pure These three in Dune lies in one Sepulture Kenethus Keir Son of Conuall or Conwall raigued foure months Eugenius fourth of that name Son to King Aidan and by some called Brudus according to S. Colmes prophecy of him was crowned King of Scotland He raigned 15. yeares Ferquhard Son to Eugenius 13. yeares Donald or Donwald the third son of Eugenius 15. yeares Ferquhard the second Nephew to Donwald 18. yeares Maldwin Sonne of king Donwald in whose time was a grieuous Pestilence through most part of the World consuming a greater number of Men before it ceased then were left aliue for it continued the space of three yeares together He raigned twenty yeares Eugenius the fift Nephew to Maldwin foure yeares Eugenius the sixt the Sonne of Ferquhard ten yeares In this Kinges raigne were many wonderfull visions séen in Albion In the Riuer of Humber to the apparant view of a multitude of men a number of Ships appeared vnder saile as ready furnished for the war In the Church at Camelon a noyse was heard like the clattering of Armour Milke was turned into bloud in dyuers places of Pict-land and Chéese conuerted into a bloudie Masse or Cake Corne as it was gathered in Haruest time was all bloudie and it rained blood in the further partes of Scotland as the Scottish Chronicles doe make mention Ambirkeleth Nephew or Son as some say to Eugenius the fift raigned not fully two years Eugenius the seauenth Brother to Ambirkeleth who caused the Histories of his Ancestours liues to be written in Books and volumes for example to posterity appointing those Monuments to bee carefully kept in the Abbay of Iona now called Colmekill he raigned 17. yeares and dyed much lamented Mordacke Nephew to Eugenius In whose time according to venerable Bede foure seueral people liued in peace and quietnesse within the boundes of Albion though differing in manners language lawes and ordenaunces Saxons whom hee called English-men Brittaynes Scots and Picts In which time also Bede concluded his history with the ending of King Mordacks life Ethfine Son to Eugenius the seauenth who had foure Gouernors vnder him in his Realme Donald Treasurer of Argile Collane of Athol and Mordake of Galloway his Lieutenants Conrath the Thane of Murreyland He raigned 30. yeares Eugenius the eight Son of King Mordacke thrée yeares Ferguse the third Son of King Ethfine thrée yeares Soluathius Son of Eugenius the eight twenty yeares Achaius Sonne of King Ethfine in whose time was a perpetuall league confirmed betwéen him and the Emperor Charlemaigne of France And then had Hungus the Pictish King the vision of Saint Andrew and his Crosse as is reported whereby S. Andrew became Patron both of the Scots and Picts This Achaius raigned 32 yeares Conuall the Brother of King Ethfine fiue yeares Dongall Sonne of King Soluathius fiue yeares Alpine the Sonne of King Achaius foure yeares Kenneth the Sonne of Alpine This is that famous and renowmed King in whose time the Pictish Nation were vtterly destroyed the Cittie of Camelon cast downe the Castle of Maidens forsaken by the Picts and none or verie few of them left liuing in Albion Which happened after their first beginning to raigne there 1173. yeares 1166. from the enterance of Fergusius eight hundred thirty nine after our Sauiours birth and from the Worldes Creation 4806. In memorie of this his famous victorie King Kenneth brought the Marble Stone out of Argile where till then it hadde béene kept into Gourie and placed it at Scone néere to the place where he preuailed against the Picts This roiall K. died in the yeare 856. hauing raigned 20. yeares in great renowne and glory Donald Brother to King Kenneth died in the sixt yeare of his raigne which was much mollested by the Danes vnder Cadane King of Denmarke pretending a Title to the Picts lands Constantine the Sonne of King Kenneth a very worthy and famous king who redressed al disorders in his Land appointing Priests to apply their vocation and not to meddle with
any seculer businesse going to warre or kéeping any Horses Haukes or Hounds The youth of his land to auoide wantonnesse and idlenesse were appointed but one meale a day and drunkennes either in man or Woman was punnished with death He raigned 13. yeares Ethus brother of Constantine who was a man of such swiftnesse of â—oot that he could match and make way in running with Harts and Hounds whereupon he was sir-named Light-foot Hee gouerned scarce two yeares Gregory the son of Dongall that raigned before Alpine in whose time liued Iohn Scot the famous Clerke This Gregory raignd 18. years Donald the fift Sonne of Constantine the second in whose time Gormond and his Danes were baptized and Gormonds name was changed to Athelstane He raigned almost 11. years Constantine the third Son of Ethus the swift 40. yeares He gaue ouer his kingly dignity and entred into Religion as Hector Boetius affirmeth Malcolme the Sonne of Donald 15. yeares Iudulph Sonne of Constantine the third and prince of Cumberland he raigned about 9. years Duffe the Sonne of King Malcolme foure yeares Culene Prince of Cumberland and Sonne of King Iudulph raigned not fully fiue yeares Kenneth Sonne to King Malcolme the first 25. yeares Constantine the Sonne of King Culene not three yeares Grime Nephew to King Duffe not fully nine yeares Malcolme the Son of Kenneth and Prince of Cumberland 25. yeares Duncane Nephew to Malcolme 6. yeares In his time was Banquho Thaine of Lochquaber of whoÌ„ the house of the Stuarts is descended euen to his Maiesty now raigning And then was England deuided betwéene Canutus King of Denmarke and Edmund Ironside after a valiant Combate fought betwéene them Mackbeth son to Sinell Thaine of Glammis raigned 17. yeares Malcolme Cammore Sonne of King Duncane hee changed the name of Thaines into Earls being tâ—en the first that euer were among the Scots according to their owne Histories At this time did William the Bastard duke of Normandy make his Conquest of England This King Malcolme raigned 36. yeares And after some difference for the Crown betwéene Donald Bane Brother to King Malcolme and Duncane a Bastard Son to King Malcolme which vsurpation continued for the space of thrée years Edgar the rightfull Prince attayned to his due claime Edgar Son to King Malcolme was the first that euer was annointed King in Scotland now was the generall passage to the Holy land vnder Godfrey of Bullen and many other Christian Princes This King Edgar raigned nine years Alexander Brother to Edgar being sir-named Alexander the fierce for his stearne valiancy in pursuing Théeues and Robbers Dauid Brother to King Alexander being in England married Maude Daughter to Waltheof Earle of Huntingdon and Northumberland in right of his wife was made Earle of Huntingdon and Northumberland with inheritance of the lands to them belonging In this King Alexanders time who raigned 17. yeares compleate the order of the Knightes of Rhodes beeing formerlie Knightes of Saint Iohn of Hierusalem tooke beginning and the order of the white Monkes Then liued also the Holy Man Richard de sancte Victore beeing a Scot borne but lyuing the more part of his time at Paris in Fraunce where hee died and lieth buried in the Abbey of S. Victore hee being a Brother of the same house Dauid Brother to Alexander succéeded as lawfull heire and ruled 29. yeares and two moneths It is recorded of this King that he excelled in Noble Vertues and sober conuersation of life being very pittifull to the poore and somewhat ouer-bountifull to the Church For when King Iames the first came to his Tomb at Dunfirmling he saide That hee was a sore Saint for the Crowne leauing the Church ouer-rich and the Crowne too poore He purged his Court so cleane of al vicious behauiour and disordered customes that it appeared to be a schoole of vertue No riotous banquetting surfetting cheare or lasciuious word could be herd there or any wanton signes whereby to kindle lust or idle concupiscence All the words workes and whole demeanor of his seruants tended euer to some good conclusion frée from moouing strife or a thought of sedition the Kings owne life and example seruing for their guide and direction He builded 15 Abbeyes viz Holy-Rood house Kelso Iedburgh Melrosse Newbottell Holmecultrane Dundranane Cambuskenneth Kinlois Dunfirmling Holme in Cumberland Also two Nunneries one at Carleill and the other at Northe Berwike with two Abbeyes beside New-Castle one of S. Benedictes order and the other of white Monks He erected likewise foure Bishoppricks in his Realme Rosse Brechin Dunkeld Dublane endowing them with rich rents faire lands and very commodious possessions Malcolme Sur-named Malcolme the Maid because his conuersation delight both in minde and body was so chaste from his verie infancie that he liued single al his daies and without mariage Hee was Son to Prince Henry that was sonne and heire to King Dauid and raigned not fully twelue yeares William Brother to King Malcolme and for his singuler Iustice Sur-named the Lyon In this Kings time Richard King of England sur-named Cueur de Lyon went his voyage to the Holy-Lande King William raigned nine and forty yeares Alexander the second Sonne to King William the Lyon who caused his Fathers death to be mourned for thorow his whole kingdom hee raigned 35. yeares Alexander the third sonne to the former King Alexander in whose time was a generall Counsell at Lyons in France He raigned 42. yeares and by reason of his dying without any issue the controuersie betweene Iohn Ballioll and Robert Bruse then happened which was heard and censured by Edward the first king of England albeit they maintained both their claimes vpon their Titles seuerally Balioll descending of Margaret eldest Daughter to Dauid Earle of Huntington Brother vnto William the Lyon and Bruse comming of Isabell second daughter of the saide Earle Dauid and the next heire male to William the Lyon for want of succession in the right line By which Title how euer Balioll is saide to be crowned King Robert Bruse inioyed the royal dignitie in the year 1305. He had issue Dauid that left no posterity and Margery maried to Walter Greate Stewarde of Scotland descended lineallie from the Princes of Wales by Neste Daughter to Griffithâ—ap Lhewlyn Mother to VValter the sonne of Fleance made Great Stewarde of Scotland by Malcolme the fourth Of whom came Robert the second first of the sur-name of Stuart that bare dominion in Scotland Robert Stuart being called Robert the second was crowned King with Royall solemnitie at Scone in the 47. yeare of his age on the Annuntiation day of our Lady in Lent 1370. he raigned ten years It is recorded of this K. Robert the 2. that hâ—s Captaines commanders were alwaies fortunat in war neuer returning but with spoils and victories He was a Prince of such
the battell wâ—s fought whereon was engragen Marij victoria The Stone was set vppon Stanesmoore and the whole Country thereabout taking name of this Marius was cald Westmaria now Westmerland Marius raigned 53. yeares and was buried at Carleill Coilus Sone of Marius was after his Fathers death King of Britaine hauing bin educated among the Romaines which made him pay them the tribute all the time of his raigne Hee builded the Towne of Colichester in Essex now called Colchester he raigned 55. yeares departed this life at Yorke and lieth there buried as some say but others at Coâ—lchester Lucius sonne of Coilus succéeded King after his Father being a very godlye and Vertuous Prince And because since the comming of Ioseph of Arimathia into the land there was much talke about Christ and Holy Religion whych many had begun to embrace he sent to Pope Eleutherius that hee would send some more learned men to him whereby both he and his might fully be enstructed in the faith of Christ Eleutherius sent vnto him Dâ—ianus and Faganus by some called Fugatius and Damianus two woorthy learned Clearkes who at theyr comming conuerted the King and his people from Paganisme There were in those dayes within the bounds of Britaine 28. Flamines and 3. Ach-flamines that were as Byshoppes and Arch-byshoppes of the Pagan Religion in whose place King Lucius appointed the 28. Byshoppes and thrée Arch-Byshops of Christian Religion Oâ—â— of which Arch-byshops held his Sée at London another at Yorke and the thirde at Caerleon Arswike in Glaumorganshire To the Arch-byshop of London was subiect Cornewall and all the middle part of England euen vnto Humber To the Arch-Byshoppe of Yorke all the North parts of Britaine from the Riuer of Humber to the furthest parts of Scotland And to the Arch-Byshop of Caerleon was subiect all wales within which countrey were then seauen Byshoppes where now there are but foure This King Lucius is saide to builde the Church of Saint Peter at VVestminster and Saint Peters Church of Cornehill in London This Lucius raigned 12. yeares and dying without issue the Brittaines fell at variance by which meanes the Romaine Lieutenants go on againe with their Gouernement the Emperor Adrian comming in person into Britain then the wal of Adrian was built from the mouth of Tine to the Water of Eske containing thirty miles in length Adrian hauing quieted all disturbances in Britain Lollius Vrbicus Calphurnius Agricola Vlpius Marcellus Pertinax Clodius Albinus and Heraclitus succéeded each other as Lieutenantes ouer the Brittaines for the Romaines which manner of Gouernement so continued to the yeare of our Lord 207. Seuerns Emperor of Rome did now beginne his rule in Britaine causing a Trench to bee cast from Sea to Sea Hee raigned not fullye fiue yeares and was buried at Yorke His Sonnes Geta and Bassianus contended for the Gouernment Geta was slaine in battell and Bassianus ruled sixe yeares but hee was likewise slaine by one Caransius a Britaine of vnknowne Byrth whom the Britaines accepted as their King till Alectus was sent from Rome with his Legions of Souldiors who conquered Caransius in field and slewe him Aesclepiodotus Duke of Cornwall preuayling in fight against Alectus and Liuius Gallus or Wallus whom when he had slaine he threw into a Brooke which tooke name of him and was called Wallus Brooke nowe Walbrooke was admitted to raigne ouer the Britaines And discord being afterward raised betwéene the King and one Coell Earle of Colchester they met in a fielde of battaile where Asclepiodotus was slaine after he had raigned thirty yeares At this time was Britaine in cruell persecution vnder the bloody tyrants Dioclesian and Maximus Alban a Cittizen of Werlamchester being the first that suffered martirdome in Britaine hee being conuerted to Christian faith by zealous Amphibilaus and because he would not sacrifice to their false Gods he was beheaded on the top of the hill ouer-against VVerlamchester where a Church and Monastery was builded in memory of hys martyrdom and VVerlamchester being destroyed the place tooke name of him and is to this day called S. Albanes A number of Christians were likewise assembled at another place to heare the word of life preached by that vertuous man Amphibilaus but they were all there slaine by the Pagans and the place in their memory named Lichfield The fielde of dead bodies It is also recorded that in the dayes of these Tyrants Dioclesian and Maximus of godly men and Women professing the faith of Iesus Christe there were martired in sundry place aboue 17000. Coell Earle of Colchester began his rule ouer the Britaines in An. Dom. 262. But Constantius being sent from Rome to suppresse him hee couenanted to pay the tribute gaue his daughter Helena a Noble and learned Lady in marriage to Constantius King Coell raigned 27. yeares and is said to be buried at Colchester or rather at Glocester Constantius succéeded in the rule of Britain after Coell and had by his wife Helena a Sonne named Constantine that was afterwarde Emperor and sir-named Constantine the Great In this Constantius dayes Amphibliaus was apprehended and suffered martyrdome at Redburne néere to VVerlamchester fiftéene yeares after the death of S. Alban Constantius raigned eleuen yeares Constantine sonne of Constantius and Helena and sir named the Great was King after his Father and created Emperor in Britaine His Mother Quéene Helena went to IerusaleÌ„ where she found the Crosse that our Sauiour was crucified on and the Nailes which shee gaue to her Sonne Constantine who did set one of them in the Crest of his Helmet another in the bridle of his horse and the third he threw into the Sea to asswage a rough Tempest Octauius or Octauian beganne his raigne ouer the Britaines in Anno 329. being called Duke of VVindsore He assembled a great companye of people and fought with the Gouernours of the Land which Constantine had heere appoynted yet was he expelled by Traherne into Norway and Traherne being slaine by treason afterward Octauius sent Maximianus Cosin to the Emperor Constantine to whom he gaue his daughter in marriage Octauius raigned 54. years About this time the Empresse Helena Mother to Constantine for loue she bare to Colchester and London did newly engirt them both with Walles rounde about causing great Bricke and huge Tyles to be purposely therefore made which are yet to be seene in the Towne and Castle of Colchester Maximianus or Maximus vsurped in Brittaine the Title of the Empyre and assembling all the men of Warre and youth of the Realme he went into France expelled the French-men out of Armorica and placed Brittaines there vnder Conon Meridoc Duke of Cornewall whereon it was euer after called Britayne the Lesse This Maximus or Maximianus hauing slayne the Emperour Gratian at Lyons in France was slaine himselfe at Aquileia by the Emperor
to bee the first Byshop of Rome then liued likewise Philo the Iew Perseus Mela Pliny the elder and Columella Saint Paule the Apostle went then thorow the World proclaiming Iesus Christ accompanyed with Saint Luke Then liued Dionisius Areopagita And then was the first Councell of Ierusalem Nero the Sonne of Agripina afterward the Wife of Claudius raigned thirtéene yeares Hee was the first Persecuter of the Church and did put Saint Peter and Saint Paule to death hee slew likewise his Maister Seneca also his owne Mother and Lucan the Poet. Then liued Simon Magus and Appolonius Nero beeing erpulsed from Rome slew himselfe after hee had set Rome on fire to make himselfe pastime of a Bon fire Sergius Galba the seauenth month of his Empire was slaine by Otho Suetonius Egesius Lib. 4. Cap. 21. M. Siluius Otho he also most wickedly slewe himselfe in the third month of his Empire confessing that he had cruelly tormented the spirit of Galba According to Suetonius and Tacitus Lib. 7. Aulus Vitellius brought vp at Bourdeaus de Caprea being a vicious Man and a glutton was hewed in péeces and cast into Tyber hauing raigned eight months He caused himselfe to bée serued at his Table with two thousand seuerall kinds of Fishes and seauen thousand of Foules all at one supper Suetonius Lib. 9. Iosephus Lib. 5. de Bel. Iudas Vespasian a modest and gracious Prince a louer of skilfull men and good Artisans raigned ten yeares accompanied with his Sonne Titus who ruinated Ierusalem Iosephus Proclus Epictetes This ruine was the most lamentable that euer happened for therein dyed 110000. men read Iosephus in his sixe and seauen Bookes of the Iewish wars and Egesippus Titus the delight and sollace of mankind raigned two years He vsed to say That no man ought to depart from a Prince with a sad countenance Casstus Neracius Proculeius and Pegasus were then Lawyers and Saint Bartholmew was then martired in India Saint Matthias in Iudea S. Andrew in Scythia Saint Mathew in Aethyopia Saint Thomas in Bragmania Hierusalem was then taken the Famine beeing so extreame as Mothers were compelled to eate their owne children Domitian Brother to Titus was a most wicked man and persecuter of the Christians hee raigned fiftéene yeares then liued Martiall Iuuenall Statius Trogus and saint Iohn wrote the Gospell as also Iosephus did the Warres of the Iewes Domitian would néedes afterward bée called God and Lord of his people wherfore being hated of all men he was slaine Nerua a good Prince and the adopted father of Traian raigned one yeare he gaue more than an hundred thousand Crownes to reléeue poore Cittizens He tooke away extreame taxations and wanting mony he sold his garments plate and Pallace esteeming his owne Parents and kindred much lesse then he did the publick benefit The Christians were in great quyet vnder him and the banished repealed among whome was S. Iohn Traian a good Emperour but that he persecuted the Church reigned 19. yeares Being admonished that he was ouer gracious to all men he answered That he was such to his Subiects as he could wish others should be to him if he were a Subiect Then liued S. Ignatius S. Eustachius Pliny the yonger Plutarch Aulus Gellius Suetonius Tacitus Solinus Aelius Adrianus a man studious and skilfull in all Sciences and the first Emperour that suffered a beard on his face raigned 21. yeares Iulius Celsus Iulian and Neracius Priscus were Lawyers councellors to the Emperour Then were liuing Ptolomy the great Astrologer Phanorinus Dionisius the Milesian and Heliodorus Hierusalem was repaired by Adrian who therefore had his name chaunged and was called Helias Antoninus Pius reigned 23. yeares He was a Prince of such estéeme as straunge Nations would resort vnto him and make him Iudge of their differences for hee had alway this saying ready I had rather saue one Cittizen then kill a thousand Enemies In this time were Polycarpus Ireneus Iustine Martire Egesippus Appian Florus Macrobius Iustine Gallen and Palladius Lucian the Atheyst also was then torne with Dogs This Emperour tooke awaie the wages or hire of strumpets punnished idle Magistrats and was called Father of his country Read Eutropius Lib. 8. Thelesphorus the ninth Pope as some report did then institute or rather restore the time of Lent M. Antoninus the Phylosopher called Aurelius borne in Gaule with L. Commodus Verus and called Brethren in the Bookes of the Pandectes raigned 19. yeares This good prince being vnwilling to oppresse his subiectes made sale of all his fairest and richest Iewels plate wearing garmentes belonging vnto him and his wife Eutrop. lib. 8. Lucius Aurelius Verus gouerned the empyre with his brother Marcus Antoninus the space of eleauen yeares By some Authors he is set down in order before his brother by others after him L. Commodus the most wicked sonne of good Antoninus raigned 13. yeares He was strangled by his Concubine and other Conspirators Eutrop. lib. 8. Orosius lib. 8. cap. 18. Lampridius doth most amply describe his life at large Aeâ—ius Pertinax raigned six moneths He had refused the Empire and beeing desirous to reforme the gouernment he was slaine by Iulian his successour who bought the name of Caesar of the Warriors The people much bemoaned this Prince crying out aloud O father of goodnesse Father of the Senate Father of al bounty Farewell V. Iulian raigned seauen moneths and being hated of all men for sleying his predecessor him selfe was also slaine by appointment of the Senate Dissention grew amongst the Christians for the celebration of Easter And the second Councell appointed the day of Sunday and fiue other after Euseb lib. 5 cap. 24. Metianus Sâ—euola Martianus and Cassius were now Iurisconsultes Aphrodiseus and Aphronius Sophysters Pescennius Niger or Nigerius the sonne of Annius Fuscus indifferently lerned fierce proud and inclined to all vice was saluted as Emperour by the souldiors of Syria where he commanded and was slaine by Seuerus L. Septimâ—us Seuerus raigned 18. yeares He was a Persecutor of the Church but otherwise a valiant Prince addicted both to good letters and Armes He was so well beloued and gouerned so nobly that the Senate said of him Eyther he should neuer haue bin borne or else hee deserued neuer to die Read Spart and Vict. Then liued Origen Tertullian Philostrates the Sophister and Apuleyus Cl. Albinus issued of the Romaines families of the Posthumians and Albines made himselfe Emperour in France He was surprised by the Souldiers and brought halfe aliue to Souerus where hauing his head smitten off he was hanged on a gibbet and being torne with dogges he was throwne into the Riuer A. B. Caracalla the sonne of Seuerus and husband to his stepmother raigned seuen years He slue Geta his brother and Papinian the great and famous Lawyer with diuers other At last himselfe was slaine by a souldior of his Guarde Herod lib. 4. Antoninus Geta
him and accompanied with manie other Traytours leuied a great Army wherein Pope Gregory tooke part with them and then they compelled their Father to come and submit himselfe to their mercy bereauing him of his imperiall Ornaments and giuing him the habite of a Monke they caused him to be strictly guarded in the Abbey of Saint Medard de Soissons His Wife they sent as an exile into Italy and his Sonne Charles as a Prisoner to Prouence The Lordes of Fraunce and Allemaigne béeing vnwilling to suffer that such shame and indignity should bee done to an Emperour in the following yeare they gaue him his liberty bringing his Wife and Son againe vnto him Lothaire chéefe causer of his Fathers captiuity was glad to fly thence into Italy The Emperor constrayned his Sonnes to séeke his mercy and then hée fréely forgaue them At Mayence hée dyed hauing raigned twenty sixe yeares and was interred at Metz. 26 In the yeare 843. Charles the Baulde Sonne of Lewes the Méeke was made King by a diuision or partage made with his Bretheren Charles remained King of France Lewes king of Germany and Lothaire had Italy with the Empire Prouence and Austrasia whereof he made a Dutchy calling it Lorraine after his owne name Before the saide partage they had a great battaile néere to Auxerre wherein almost all the Nobility of France lost their liues Which was the cause that the Normans who were risen vnder conduct of two valiant leaders were become Maisters well-néere of all France but in the ende they were expelled by the King who was â—rowned Emperour by Pope Iohn after the decease of his Nephew Lewes the Son of Lothaire In this time he became very high minded contemning the French manner of habite anâ— wearing the Graecian fashion with a Dalmatian garment hanging down to his héels beside other strange pompous attires Hauing raigned two yeares in the Empire he was poysoned by his Phisition dying at Mantua and buried at Verceillis but seauen years after his body was transported to S. Denis He raigned in all 38. yeares 27 Lewes the second sirnamed the Stutter or Stammerer Sonne of Charles the Bauld succéeded his Father both in the Empire and Kingdome in the yeare 879. Charles the Bauld had thrée sons the first was named Charlon whose eyes hee caused to bee puld out in regard of his wicked gouernment The second was called Charles who dyed before him And the third was this Lewes sir-named the Stammerer because his tongue was somewhat short and made him to falter in his spéech Pope Iohn came into France being escaped out of prison because heâ— stood against the crowning of Charles le Gros Sonne to Lewes of Bauaria Emperour He Crowned King Lewes the Stutter Emperour which hée enioyed not long in regard of his sicklynesse for he dyed in the second yeare of his raigne leauing his Wife Richeult Sister to the King of England and who was returned home to her Brother great with Child of a Son that was afterward called Charles the Simple He appointed as his Guardian Odo Sonne to the Earle of Aniou hoping great comfort of the fruit in her Womb. Hee left also two Bastard Sons Lewes and Carlon During his raigne the Normans were valiantly repulsed hee lyeth buried at Compeigne 28 Carlon and Lewes the illegitimate sons of Lewes le Begue were Kings after his decease in the yeare 881. not hauing any other heire to succéed him Some sought to giue the kingdom to Boson King of Prouence and others to Charls the Emperor king of Germany Carlon Lewes neuerthelesse were crowned Kings and carried themselues valiantly against the Normans who for fiue years space made very great enterprises on France In the battaile which they had néere to Chinon they fought manfully vpon the riuer of Vienna there nine thousand were slaine beside them that were drowned in flight They expelled also the fore-named Boson and Charls the Emperor séeking to make themselues Kinges of France These two brethren died strangely Lewes pursuing a wilde Beare with his Iaueling was shot thorow with an arrow which one of his traine did let fly at the beast so he died in the 4. yeare of his raigne Carlon died a yeare after as vnluckily for hee being one day very pleasant on horse-back galloping after a faire Damsell who ran for her safety into a small Country cottage he not staying his horse nor minding the impossibility of his passage brake his necke at the doors entrance Now because he was the eldest and suruiued his Brother the name of King is atttibuted to him as if that he had raigned alone They were both buried at S. Denis 29 Lewes the third sirnamed Fai-neant Do nothing after the death of Carlon his Father was made King in the yeare 886. This man being altogether carelesse albeit hee hadde a great number of men which his Father had assembled to resist the Normans who wasted the kingdome very much would not vse any resistance but like one fearefull and negligent made agréement with them and promised to giue them 12. thousand pounds of Money yearely till twelue yeares should bee expired Whereuppon the French disdaining to bée tributary to the Normans deposed the said Doe nothing and made him a shauen Monke at Saint Denis And the rather they did it because he had taken a Nunne from Challes S. Baudour néere Paris married her whether she would or no. To resist the Normans the French sent for Charles le Gros Emperor of Rome Nephew also to Charles the bald and him they made King The Normans kept Paris besiedged with forty thousand men who were in such sort foyled as not a man of them escaped aliue Neuerthelesse to containe them in some more moderation hee made alliance and agréement with their Dukes Which raised such strange garboiles in the Realme so displeased the people and incensed them with such hatred against him that they expulsed him both out of the Empire and Kingdome and hee dyed in a poore Village of Suauba very poore and miserably Yet the fiue yeares of this raigne are attributed to him and not to Lewes Doe nothing 30 Odo or Eudes Sonne to Robert Earle of Angiers was made King in the yeare 891. after Charles le Gros by aduise of the Princes albeit hee was not of the race of Charlemaigne but onely Tutour to Charles the Simple and he was preferred by Arnould the Emperour successour to Charles le Gros who would haue had the Kingdome himselfe During his raigne the Normans breaking their agréement made with Charles le Gros began to warre againe much more cruelly then before and now the second time besiedged Paris But Odo carried himselfe so vndauntedly that he ouer-came them manie times In this while certaine Barons of the Realme had sent for Charles the Simple into England and Crowned him King of Fraunce at the age of fouretéene yeares Odo who