the monumentes of the deade and to call out vnto them aloude by their names Oh arise vppe againe man come eate drinke and be merrie but on their dayes called Pandemes they did burne vnto coales their meates and offer vppe their wines bringing thereby no good at all vnto the dead and also hurting themselues But sayes Theuet although the Mahumetanes the Turkes the Persians the Arabians the Moores do dissent in diuers ceremonies yet do they all agree in the rites of buriall and the songe vsed thereat When that anie Turke dieth they washe his bodie and socke it in a verie cleane white sheete afterwarde they carie him with his heade forwarde men bearing men and women womē vnto some place without the citie to be buried for it is not lawful to burie anie bodie within a church no not the greate Turkes them selues wherefore the Bassaes do vse to founde greate mosques and hospitalles adioyning to whom they do erecte a rounde roome in forme like vnto our pigeon houses where they be buried Before the coorse go the monkes with candles but Theuet holdes it stifly that they beare no candles nor anie other kinde of lights the priestes come behinde the beare singing verie mournfully as also doeth all the people vntill they come vnto the place of his buriall eftsoones crying out abounde the greate God that made heauen and earth and had compassion of his prophetes Dauid Abraham Mahumeth and Haly will also take pitie on the soule of this poore sinner who hath offended all his life longe But if that anie of the great officers dooe die as a Bassa a Beglerbey the Aga which is capteine of the garde the Nassangibassa who is Lorde chauncellour or anie suche like the newes of his death is bruted euerie where and the day when hee shal be buried the whiche doth cause a greate number of people to stande in the streetes to beholde the funeralles They that beare the coorse are of the nearest of his kinne clothed all in white rusette cloth but the reste of the mourners haue euerie man a peece of white linnen cloth hanging downe from the toppe of his tubban whiche is his hatte vnto his knees But if he be a greate capteine that hath serued in the warres one doth lead after the coorse a horse or two into whose nostrels they do put the poulder of a roote that makes them to neese and their eyes to water the which they doe say the horse sheddeth for sorrowe that he taketh for his maisters death There do also attend on the coorse sixe or seuen Solachers they are a kinde of ordinarie souldiours and euerie one with a certeine number of Ianisars and the stewarde of his house and certeine Timariotes which be seruitours on horse backe who beare diuers banners and estanders And before the corps marcheth a Mutapharca an horseman of the turkish garde who holdes a speare in his hande vpon the ende wherof is borne the Tulban of the deade man with a taile of an horse fastened thervnto but if one of the children of the greate segniour die the pompe is verie magnificent and the maister of the ceremonies causeth manie sortes of armes to be borne before the coorse by the kinge of herhautes But to procéede in the relation of the generall ceremonies if that he that dieth be a poore man they vse to gather money through the streates for the paines of the religious men The friendes of the person departed do often resorte vnto the graue with mourning and set vpon the monumente breade fleashe egges and milke a nouendiall feast after the manner of the Ethnickes the which are eaten for the soule of the deade by poore men or birdes of the aire or els emottes for they do holde that it is a like acceptable to God to giue almes vnto brute creatures which are in lacke as it is to men seeing that it is giuen for the loue of god There be that do let flie birdes which were kept in cages paying their masters for thē and some for the loue of God do cast breade into riuers for fishes saying that they shall obteine most ample rewarde of God for such pitie shewed towardes them that do wante But the greate lordes of the Turkes or as we do here commonly call them the greate turkes lie all magnificently intumbed at Brusa a citie of Bithynia in manie chappels which do stande rounde aboute the church euerie prince hath his candlesticke of golde with a candle burning set vpon his sepulchre in the higher parts of the chappels hang there manie lampes alight Moreouer there do continually abide in that place twelue priestes of their religion who of their greene cappes are called Talismanlarie who do by course incessauntly praye in the church both day and night thrée before noone and three after three before midnight and three after But when that anie man is sicke amongst the Tartares and is neere vnto the point of death they do stick vp before the tente wherin he lyeth a speare with a blacke cloth that he that goeth by come not in for no man if he sée this signe dare goe in yea though he be called But after that he is departed this life all his householde assembles together and priuily carries the coorse out of the tent into some place chosen before and digging there a hole depe and broad enough they set vp ouer it a little tent and furnish a table with dishes of meate and setting the dead bodie verie preciously apparrelled vnto the table they ouerwhelme them altogether with earth There is also buried with him one beaste for burden and one horse trapped But the mightier sorte choose in their life time one of their seruauntes whome beeing burned with their marke they cause to be buried with them and the for this cause that they may vse them in an other worlde After this his friends take an other horse kill him eate vp the fleshe but the skinne being stuffed full of haye and sowed vp againe do they sette vpon foure postes ouer the sepulchre for a signe of a deade man The bones doe the women burne for to cleanse the soule But the men of greate power do an other thinge with the skin or hyde they cutte it in verie narrowe thonges and measure with them so much ground aboute the graue as they wil compasse for they do beleeue that the deade man shall haue so muche lande assigned him in an other worlde as his friends haue measured out for him with this hide The thirtithe day they ende their mourning But the Emperour of the Tartars the great Chame must be buried in the mountein Altay yea and thither is he caried although he die an hūdreth dayes iourney from thence All the men the horses yea if they be worth neuer so muche that they meete withal as they carrie the Emperour to the place of buriall do they kill and bidde them go into the other worlde to do seruice
that he thinks may in any poynte further his follie he curreth fauour he longeth he wéepeth he reioyceth with all men at all places at all times putting on other mens countenaunces Who hath not heard of that saying of Themistocles that the famous ouerthrowe giuen by the Atheniens vnto the Persians at Marathon would not suffer him to take rest eyther daye or night whyle he incessantly sought to matche the glory of Milciades This made Iulius Caesar plentiously to poure downe teares when he behelde the Image of Alexander the greate who at the age of thirtie thrée yeares had conquered the greatest and noblest parte of the worlde and Caesar at that age had done nothing worthy of memorie a man so desirous of the supreme place that passing by a pelting towne of Hispaine he affirmeth that he had rather be the chiefe man of that beggerly village then the seconde man in riche Rome They write also of Alexander that he shead teares aboundantly when that a Philosopher tolde him that there were innumerable worldes bycause that he had not yet throughly conquered one Caesar sayes Cicero was oftentimes hearde to rehearse and with highe commendation to like of those verses of Euripides that iustice was onely to be broken for to obteine and winne a kingdome but in all other things religiously to be obserued and kept And from what other roote I pray you doe and haue all warres wel neare both forreigne and ciuil sproung This causeth so many colde nightes to be watched abroade in the fielde so many scortching dayes abidden in smouldering armour so many intemper at countries paynefully trauelled and so many deadly daungers runne into This vice breaketh all bandes of pietie towardes friendes parentes children countrie of the whiche all histories and common life are examples as also of them who neuer left aspiring and climing vntill they had broken their neckes Yet I can not passe ouer in silence Mancinus Sabinus who for extreme sorrow and enuie that Tullius Hostilius was preferred before him vnto the kingdome of the Romanes like a madde man killed him selfe And may I aptly in this place set downe the Indian who chose rather to be hanged vp shamefully then to shoote at the commaundement of Alexander fearing bycause he had long time discontinued that exercise that he might perhappes corrupt the prayse and glorye before time won by that feate Moreouer this one thing I thinke woorthy the rehearsing that Cicero writeth vnto his brother Quintus that they which sued to be Consuls whome I doe take to be Milo Scipio and Hypseus did openly offer to giue centies sestertium 78125. l. for the prerogatiue voyce and what that was doth Ascanius Pedianus vpon Diuinatio in S. Verrem declare It was the manner sayes he that the concorde of the people might be strengthened at their Comitia or chosing of officers that there should be two Comitia held of all men which sued for office The firste tribes bycause they were firste asked whome they would haue to be officers were called the prerogatiues and the seconde they named they called of right bycause in them the people as it often happeneth following the will and mynde of the Prerogatiues all thinges were accomplished according vnto the lawe or that of lawe ought to be done And this will I make more playne vnto you out of Dionysius The people of Rome in choosing of their Consuls and their other chiefe Magistrates in their enacting of lawes and decrées touching warres for of these thrée thinges had the people chiefe authoritie did giue their voyces by the centuries or hundrethes and therefore were they called Comitia centuriata Nowe there were of all the Centuries accounting the eightéene Centuries of the equites or horsmen all the other were of footemen one hundreth ninetie and thrée who in giuing their voyces had euery one their dignitie reserued so that they which were most valued in the Censors booke and bare the greatest burthens of the warres for Seruius Tullius ordeyned that they should not pay their tributes by the pooll as they did before but euery man according vnto his wealth shoulde first giue their voyces But the first classis or companie for they were diuided into foure had in it eightie Centuries with whome also the horsmen gaue their voyces who all being in number ninetie and eight did excéede the number of halfe the voyces Whereby it came to passe that what so euer they were agréed vpon was accounted for decréed But if that the first classis or companie and the horsmen could not agrée whiche sildome times happened then were the Centuries of the second order called and so foorth other in order whereby they neuer lightly came vnto the last classis or companie Tullius his prudence vsing this equitie that they which were most charged should be requited in the suffrages and voyces from whome althoughe that no man séemed to be excluded yet all the power and sway was in the horsmen the Centuries of the first classis This order in the suffrages and gyuing of voyces doe Dionysius and Liuie write was not kept afterward in al pointes neither yet doth the one or the other expresse what order was vsed I am not ignoraunt that Gruchius and Sigonius who haue exactly written of the Romane Comitia do interpret the Prerogatiue otherwise then I haue séemed to doo wherein I will counsell no man to folow me namely séeing that I haue set it down rather to declare the auncient order of the Romane election of Officers then for that I assuredly thought that the first classes the horsmen were the Prerogatiue tribes as also I leaue vnto euery mans owne iudgement to assent either vnto Gruchius who coniectureth that Patritian officers were chosen first by Centuriata and then by Curiata Comitia But the comoner by Curiata and Tributa the first Comitia being alwayes called the prerogatiue or vnto Sigonius who thinketh that the Prerogatiue was a bande chosen out of all the tribes or else probably deuise some fourth opinion But omitting this controuersie I read in Pedianus that when Milo sued for the Consulshippe he gaue money vnto al the tribes to euery man a thousand assies that is thrée poundes now the tribes being in number xxxv If that he did corrupte but a thousande in euery tribe the summe woulde amount vnto an hundreth and fiue thousande poundes so that it is no maruell that Plinie reporteth that hee owed at his deathe Sextingenties 546875. poundes Iulius Caesar also gaue vnto Paulus the Consul to stand his fréend that he might remaine still in Office 1500. talentes whiche is 281250. poundes So swéete vnto men is the supreame swâ—y of superioritie The thirteenth Chapter Of the torments of couetousnesse ALl other earthly liuing things desire nothing but single foode to susteine their hungry bodies to haue where to shrowde them selues againste stormes colde and heate only mans immeasurable minde coueteth all that is within the compasse of heauen For fortune saies
folkes burying with them their bookes of remembrances and ordering of their affaires and businesses and also of their debtes there were some also that would willingly cast them selues into the roges or burial fires of their friends as though they should by that meanes liue with them together in an other world When the king of Lacedemonia happened to dye horsmen did carrie newes of his death thorough out all the realme and women went about the citie making a great noyse with ringing of brasen pots and basens And while this was a doing of euery house there must one man and one woman be defiled with mourning or else a great fine was set vpō their heads But at the funerals they vsed the same order that the Barbarians of Asia did at the burials of their kings For there must be at the funerals out of euery region of Lacedemonia al that were of aliaunce vnto him Of whom and also of bondmen and the Lacedemonians them selues after there were many thousandes assembled together then both men and women pricked and punched their foreheades without feare and vsed an vnmeasurable howling affirming euery last king to be the best But that king which dyed in the warres after they had made a very liuely Image of him did they carrie to be buried laying him vpon a bed gorgeously trimmed At his interring proclamation was made that no Iudges nor Magistrates shoulde sit and that there shoulde be continuall mourning but for priuate men they might mourne but eleuen dayes But I thinke this buriall was common vnto all the Greeks to burne their bodies and putting the ashes into a pot or stone to burie it in the ground setting vpon the graue a tumbe Seruius although Celius doth reprehend him for it thinkes that the vsage of burning deade bodyes was begunne by Hercules who burnt Argiuus the sonne of Lycimnius bringing his bones with him vnto Lycimnius that he might performe the promise which he had made vnto him that he woulde bring him home his sonne againe And vpon the eleuenth of the Aeneidos he sayth that Heraclitus who would haue that all things consist of fire holdes that al bodies ought to be resolued into fire but Thales who affirmes all things to be bred of moysture sayes that bodyes ought to be couered in the earth that they may be resolued by moysture And on the thirde that the Aegyptians men skilfull in all wisedome doe conserue their coorses being seasoned for sayes Mela they kéepe the deade being medicined by art at home in their houses that the soule may long time continue and remaine obnoxious and bound vnto the body that he may not soone passe into an other body the Romanes do contrarie for they burne the bodies that the soule may incontinently returne into generalitie that is to wit into her nature Herodotus writes in his thirde booke that the Aegyptians Persians think it not lawfull to burne the dead For the Persians doe holde the fire for a God and it is not méete and conuenient to offer a deade mans carkasse vnto a god But the Aegyptians be persuaded that the fire is a certaine liuing beast which doth consume and deuour all that euer it can get but when it hath eaten and absumed all that then both it and also al those things which it hath deuoured do dye together therefore the Aegyptians haue decréed neyther to burne folkes nor yet to cast them vnto beastes which many other nations did but to season them that they maye not be consumed by wormes But to returne againe vnto the Greekes Homer thus describeth the manner of their buriall when he writeth howe Patroclus was buried They made a mightie oyle of wood an hundreth foote highe vppon the which they layde the deade body pouring into the fire gallons of oyle and hony and threwe in also shéepe and oxen alwayes prouided that they were euen out of whome they had before taken the caules and talowe and layde vpon the coorse and when the carkasse with all these geare were burnt and the wood spent they did put the fire quite out with black wine and gathered vp all the bones and ashes whiche being put into a cup of gold and wrapped in two foldes of tallowe they digged a graue in which they layde the cup throwing still earth vpon it vntill they had made a great hillocke wherevpon they did set a tumbe If that a noble man were slaine in the warres they vsed to kyll and burne with him for an infernall sacrifice to appease his spirite certeine of the enimies prisoners So doth Achylles sacrifice twelue Troians vnto Patroclus and Aeneas as many Rutillians vnto Pallas and Alexander vnto Ephestion although he dyed of sicknesse all the Cussei that were aboue 14. yeares whiche in olde time to haue bene also vsed in Italie doth appeare by Seruius vpon the tenth of the Aeneidos where he hath these wordes Inferiae be the sacrifices which are payde vnto hell Indéede it was the manner in olde time for prisoners to be slaine vpon the sepulchres of valiaunt men but afterward whē that séemed to be ouer cruel it was thought good that sword players should fight before the sepulchres who thereof were called Bustiarij of the bustes or buriall fires The Greekes also vsed at burials to hold great feastes playes and all sorts of games as Achylles doth in Homer at the buriall of Patroclus and Aeneas in Virgil at the twelue monthes mynd of his father Hereof arose those incredible charges of funerals that Alexander bestowed 10000. talents that is 1875000.l vpon the funerals of Ephestion and Isidorus a Romane willed by testament his heire to bestowe vpon his funeralles xj thousand sesterties which amounts to aboue 87937. for the ryotous Romanes followed all the rites of the Gréekes in their funerals burning the body and laying the bones in a pot or stone in the ground and setting therevpon a tumbe and holding of magnificent feastes games stage playes and all such other pastimes C. Curio who sayes Plinie had no goodes to put into the Censors booke but onely the discord of Pompey and Caesar did at the funeralles of his father make two mightie Theatres of wood the one set close vnto the other eyther of them hanging by one vice so that in the forenoone they stoode backe to backe that the players in the one shoulde not with their noyse hinder the other but soudenly with all the people sitting vpō them were they turned round about so that the one stoode right ouer against the other and at the last their horns for they were made in forme of a newe moone ioyned close together and made an amphitheatre round wherevpon fought sword players But bicause I spake a little before of the great charges bestowed vpon the funeralles of Ephestion I thinke it not vnpleasant to rehearse out of Diodorus Siculus somwhat of the sumptuous manner of them All the capteines and friendes of
the kinges sayes he séeking to féede his humour and to followe his affection caused Images to be made of yuorie golde and other pretious stuffe But Alexander him selfe gathered together a great number of Architects and the excellentest workmen to adorne his funeralles And first of all did he cast downe ten furlongs of the wals of Babylon all the bricks being gathered together caused he to be carried away the the ground might be leuel to build the roge or funerall fire vpon the which he erected foure square euery side being one furlong long the rest of the plot he diuided into 30. edifices the which were built with stories boorded with palme trée at the lowest part were set 240. béekes of quinqueremes or galleies with fiue ranckes of oares of golde and vpon euery one of them as it were vpon the stemme of a galley stoode two archers two cubites high resting on their knée in the middes stoode fiue statuies in armour of fiue cubites high and all the places betwéene them were couered with drawne courteins of purple On the second storie were fiftéene lampes whose féete were inclosed with crowns of gold In the top or highest story where the fire should be put and kindled were Eagles portraytured spreading abroade their winges and looking downe vpon the dragons that stoode beneath staring vppe vppon them The third storie was filled ful of a mightie number of wild beasts wrought for that purpose The fourth had the fight of the Centaures made in golde The fifth had Bulles and Lyons of golde first a Bull and then a Lyon and so stil in like order Aboue all this was the highest storie hanged round about with the weapons of the Macedons and also of all the Barbarians bothe to shewe the vallor of the Macedons and also to signifie what nations they had conquered Then vpon the toppe of al did there stand holow Myrmaides in whom were hidden certaine men that sang the funerall Nenia or song The height of the whole work was estéemed to be 130. cubites And when that the capteins the souldiers the embassadours and the inhabitants did to the vttermost of their power helpe to furnishe and adorne the pompe there was bestowed aboue 12000 talentes that is 572500. And after the rate and proportion of this magnificence were all other thinges celebrated in the funerals and buriall with surpassing brauery And last of al were men commanded to sacrifice vnto him as vnto a God president To furnish the funerals of so déere a beleued Alexander gaue commandement vnto all the cities néere to helpe and garnish the pompe by all meanes and with al things that they could possible He also gaue commandement to al the cities of Asia that they should put out the fire which was kept in the Temples and casted the holy fire the which thing was neuer vsed to be done among the Persians but at the death of their king In this place also although somewhat out of order will I set downe out of Thucidides the publike obsequies the which the Atheniens kept for their countrimen that were slain in the Pelopâ—a â—stan wars folowing the auncient manner of their countrie Thrée dayes before the buriall was there made a great tabernacle within the which were laide the bones of them that were dead that their parents fréends might lay vpon them what they thought good Afterward euery linage or tribe of the towne had a great cofer or cophin of cypresse into the which they did put the bones of al them of that tribe which were dead and carried it in a chariot to the vsuall place of buriall And after all the cofers was there carried in aâ— other chariot a great bedd ready made garnished without any body lying theron the which represented these deadmen whose bodies could not be found These chariots were conducted and accompanied by all sortes of people citizens or other those that would go vnto the sepulchre where the wiues parents of the diseased wept bitterly and made great lamentation Then did they lay all the cofers or cophins in a publike sepulchre or monument made for the purpose in the fairest suburbe of the citie the which sepulchre is called Ceramicon wherin they vsed to but iâ— al thâ—se that died in the warres except it were they that were slaine at the battel of Marâ—â—â—n In memorie of whose singular â—â—wesse they had willed a â—â—â—â—â—ar sepulchre to be 〈◊〉 â—s the selfe same pâ—â—e And after the bodies were buried the vsage was the some notable personage of the citie both for knowledge honour should make an Oration vnto the people in the praise of the persons departed the which being unded euery body departed home But for to make the oration at that time was the vallaint and â—â—quent Petâ—â—teâ— appointed And nowe to 〈◊〉 vnto the Rominâ—â— I do finde in Plinie 〈◊〉 was not vsed among them 〈…〉 for to burne the deaâ— bodies 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 them in the earth but afterward when that they vnderstood the those which were ouer whelmed by warres farre from home were oftentimes taken vp an ordinaunce was made that all should be burnt yet they kept the auncient rite diuersly for they do report that none of the house of the Cornelij were burnt before Sylla the Dictator who feared lest he himselfe should be taken vp and handled after his deathe as he in his life time had dealt with Marius his dead body Learned Volaterranus doth holde that after the time of the Antonines of whome Heliogabalus was the last they burnt no corses at Rome And before that time I read in Tacitus that when Nero had slaine in his madde moode his wife Poppea he burnt not her body but stuffing it ful of odours after the maner of forreigne kings buried it in the sepulchres of the Iulij but the solemne accustomed funerals were kept Furthermore laying of the dead bodie in the earth doth Cicero truely thinke to be the most ancient kinde of burial for the Patriarches were so buried wherunto Xenophon also séemeth to asseÌ„t making Cyrus to will his sonne to lay him neither in gold siluer nor in any thing else but only to restore him vnto the earth This also was common bothe vnto the Greekes and Romanes to burie the dead with great lameÌ„tations and teares without which saies Seruius they thought that they were not orderly duely buried wherof procéedes that complaint of Drances against Turnus the we an vnbewept multitude may be slaine in the fielde for the which cause they vsed to hire women to wéepe houle at burials whereof Chrysostome doth make mention in many places Horace also toucheth in his booke De Arte Poetica Chrysostome in his 69. sermon vnto the people of Antioche blameth in them the tearing of their haires the baring of their armes the dissipating of their eyes and the wearing of blacke apparell and vpon the first vnto the Philippians scratching of their faces he rebuketh their
greene boughes and within the tent do the moste honourable and honest women assemble all clothed in blacke hauing euerie one of them a fanne made of palme leaues the rest of the women the parentes of the deade are in the house wéeping and sighing then one of the womē that is of greatest estimation aduaunceth her selfe and cutts off the haires of the deade man during the which time his wife remaineth all dismall and wéeping bitterly ouer the coorse of her husband ofte kissing his mouth handes and féete But whē that al the haires be shorne off this wéeping wife raiseth vp her selfe and falles to singing with a countenaunce as merie and laughing as it was before monstruously sadde These things beeing done they put into a vessel of purcellane wherin is fire Myrrhe frankincense Storax and other suche odoriferous things perfuming therewith both the bodie and the house in the whiche ioy and perfuming they continue fiue or sixe dayes after which terme expired they do annoynt the bodie with camphore a certeine time which béeing ended they inclose him in a cofine the which is nayled with wodden pinnes and after wardes lay him in the grounde in some place where no bodie dwelleth But when the king is departed out of life the greatest and moste honourable men of the realme assemble to celebrate the obsequies and haueing apparelled clothed the bodie verie honourably and reuerendly they cutte off the heades or snatche certeine greate personages of the chiefe of the men of warre or the best of the souldiours or some merchauntes of the retinue and certeine of the kinges best horses to the ende they may wayte vpon the kinge in the other worlde and when they do pute them to death they do say Goe in the name of our Goddes to serue our kinge in our paradise euen as ye haue attended on him in this worlde and as ye haue bene faithfull vnto him here beneth in the earth so also shal ye be in the glorie of our Gods. Those that be slaine be nothing sorie or dismaide therfore but take their death in very good part laughing reioycing no lesse then they doe among vs that goe vnto a marriage When one dieth in Siam a countrie of India beyond Ganges his fréendes and kinsmen for to honour him do take his body and carrie it into the middes of a fielde where they do driue into the ground two postes of wood lay a third vpon thē vnto this crosse post do they fasten a chaine with two hookes in whom they do lay the dead man and make a great fire vnder him and as long as the body rosteth his children and kinsfolks stand round about the fire wéeping howling and sighing bothe as pitifully also as loude as they can for their liues But when the the body is well rosted they take out their goblets and fill them with their kinde of wine and ordinarie drinke made of rice and sugar and euery one also draweth his knife and beginnes to cutte off the fleshe of the man the which they do eate and drinke of their goblettes and yet they ceasse not to sighe and lament And the first that beginneth to eate of the dead mans flesh is the person that is nearest of his kin neither do they departe out of the place before that they haue eaten al the fleshe vnto the very bones the whiche they doe burne a rite vsed by all the Orient And they do say that it is impossible to giue vnto their fréendes a more honourable tumbe and where he shal be better then their owne bodies who loue him best and are also of equal dignity vnto his person In the citie of Fesse in Aphrica they vse to bury the dead men in a common fielde without the towne setting vpon the graue a great stone made of the fashion of a triangle But notable men and of great reputation haue at the head a table of marble and an other at their féete in whom are séene ingrauen proper verses in comfort of hard and vnhappie chances passed And a litle beneath the name of him that lieth there and the name of the house he was off with the day yeare of his death There is also without the towne vpon a hil a palace where are séene the tumbes of the kinges made of marble with fine and wittie epitaphes ingrauen in them and the tumbes are garnished with suche surpassing workmanshippe and beautified with the finest colours of the worlde so that it woulde make a man astonied to beholde the excellencie of them At Ormus in the Arabian gulfe vseth the wife of the deceased man once in a day for the space of foure monethes to make a pitifull solemne wéeping and howling and sometime to hyre an other woman to do it for her The like manner saies Bel Forest the author hereof haue I séene in Perrigord a Prouince of Fraunce among the peasaunts The fifteenth Chapter The confuse and causelesse feare of man and particularly of the Romanes three times of Augustus Caesar of the Greekes at Patras Philocrene and Trapezonda of the league called the cōmō wealth in Fraūce before Paris of the Emperials at Villa Francha of Pysander of one that died with the sight of Hercules of Artemon of Saint Vallier of Cassander at the sight of Alexanders Image and other ANd this is enough ye and I feare me too too much touching mans care for his burying Which hofulnesse doeth the confuse feare of man muche augment which Plinie rightly putteth as a miserie of man and truely affirmeth that no liuing thing hath greater Hereof came the prouerb among the Gréeks Latines a Panik chance whereby they signifie a soudaine vaine and causelesse tumult of mens hartes and it is so called because that the Ethnickes did thinke that the God Pan did send into men such souden terrours and consternations of minde making them like madde men so impotent and vnstaied that for the time they be not only void of reason but also of common sense Such vaine feares according to the prouerbe often happen in warrs many in Alexander the great his voiage and twise vnto the Saracenes in that famous expedition of Godfrey de Bolloigne whiche chaunces be of suche force that the famous Poet Pyndarus holdeth that it ought not to be accounted a reproche and dishonor if that the sonnes of the Gods or the most valiant men flie out of the fielde in suche tumultes I read in Liuie that Claudio Sulpicio and Aemilio Ceritano Conss there arose suche a feare one night in the citie of Rome that alarum was cried throughout all the whole citie such a tumult was raised as though euery streat had béene full of the enimies But when it waxed day there appeared authour neither of the noise or yet of the feare And in his third decade he telleth that when the Fragellans had brought newes that Hanibal drewe neere vnto the citie all the Citizens fell into a marueilous feare
THe next of these proud Gods in aunciencie of yeares is Demetrius sonne vnto Antigonus a capteine of Alexander the great one whom I am not able to charge to be so ambitious for Godlike honor as was Alexander yet doe I blame him for accepting of those diuine honours whiche the flattering Atheniens prodigally heaped on him whereby he beganne to fall into all incontinencie ryot and pryde in so muche that he ware garments wouen of purple and golde a rare thing in those dayes and golden shoes Very hard accesse was there vnto him and very rough were his answeres The Legates of the Atheniens who might doe most with him followed him and daunced attendance two yeares and then at the last he dismissed them home not once hearing their message There was neuer man with whom fortune sported more and shewed her mutabilitie that worthily that sentence of Aeschylus was often heard in his mouth Thou fortune exaltedst me thou also doest cast me downe full lowe When he was but 22. yeares of age he fought a field with greater courage then cunning with the auncient politike capteine long practised in Alexanders warres Ptolomey where he lost 13000. mē of whom 3000. were slaine and the rest taken with the campe also But hauing the royal tent with all the furniture thereof and also the prisoners princely restored vnto him without raunsome by Ptolomey who sayd that princes ought not to contend for al things at once but only for empire and glory he repayred his power and inuaded Mesopotamia then being subiect vnto Scleucus the which he conquered with one halfe also of mightie Babylon the riuer of Euphrates runneth in the midst of the citie parteth it in two but douting that he was not able to abide the force of Seleucus who hasted homeward out of India to the rescuse of Mesopotamia he brake vp his siege tooke the sea sayled vnto Halicarnassus where he remoued by force the siege o◠Ptolomey fortune still fauouring he entered Greece to set them at libertie who were then in subiection vnto Cassander his fathers and his enimie At his first arriual at Athens all the citizens reuolted vnto him only there remained a garrison of Cassanders in a part of the citie called Munichia From thence he marched to Megara where the intemperate young man leauing his armie went vnto a famous harlot called Cratesipolis giuen by Alexander vnto Polypercon the whiche woman it was tolde him was in loue with him But being come to the place appointed he had neare ben taken by his enimies who had intelligence therof with his minion being together in a tent the whiche he had caused to be set vp a little out of the sight of his armie that he might couer the more cleanly the accesse of his harlot Yet as it hapned he escaped by shewing a faire paire of héeles and returned in safetie vnto his armie wan the town of Megara and returning vnto Athens tooke Munichia razed the castle restoring vnto the Atheniens their auncient liberties and lawes Whervpon ensued that impudent flatterie that I spake of before But before he could finishe his exploite purpose of setting of all Greece at libertie he was sent for from thence by his father to aide Cyprius the which Ptolomey had inuaded In his voyage thetherward he discomfited Menelaus brother vnto Ptolomey afterward in Cyprus before Salamina Ptolomey him selfe who had a mightie fleet of 150. ships also a great army by land He tooke 60 ships drowned al the rest only 8. escaping with Ptolomey Demetrius hauing thus won the victory wherby he got all the kings retinue with a mightie masse of monie warlike furniture had also shortly after Menelaus with the citie of Salamina the fléet and 1200. horsmen 12000 footemen yealding vnto him all which prisoners he sent home without raunsome also honourably buried the dead This notable victorie did set Antigonus in such a pride that he with his son would be called kings from the which name the capteines of Alexander had absteined vntil that time But to pul downe their puffed pride whē that Demetrius after the victory at Salamina sailed about to strike terrour into the harts of his enimies by souden tempest he lost the greatest part of his shippes and Antigonus who led a flourishing army along the sea cost fel into such difficulties that he returned home like vnto a vanquished man hauing lost almost his whole army Yet after this Demetrius besieged Rhodes where he lay vntill he was wearie and could do no good and to saue his honour there was ioyfull newes brought him that he should hast to the succour of Athens then streightly besieged by Cassander whome he repelled persuing him euen vnto Thermopile and going yet farther he wanne Heraclea and being from thence returned into Gréece he made almost all Peloponesus frée expelling the garrisons of Cassander Wherefore in the memorie of this benefite he was in a parliament of the Gréeks elected and proclamed the capteine or Duke of Gréece as Philip king of Macedone had in time before ben Immediately vpon this was he sent for to repaire into Asia to aide his father against Seleucus his confederates who led a mightie armie of 40000. footemen 10000. horsmen 400. Elephants and 1200. hooked chariots with whome they incountring with no lesse power were ouerthrowne and Antigonus slaine and Demetrius forced to flée vnto Ephesus with onely 5000 footemen and 4000. horsmen with whome being there imbarked he directed his course vnto Athens his only refuge But when he was come vnto the Islandes Cyclades the ambassadours of the Athenians met him requesting him in the name of the whole citie that he would not sayle vnto Athens for the citie had made a decrée that he who had bene lately expelled out of a kingdome should in no case be receiued into a frée citie Although this vnlooked for message did inwardly sore chafe him yet séeing that presently to be reuenged neyther time nor power wold serue him he gaue them fayre wordes and desired that he might haue the ships that he had left in their hauen the which being gently deliuered with his wife and all his royall furniture of houshold he sayled into Peloponesus But when he sawe that his faction in those quarters waxed woorse and woorse the cities dayly reuolting vnto his enimies he leauing there Pyrrhus sonne to Aeacus to kéepe the cities in their obedience sayled into the Thracian Chersonese to inuade Lysimachus kingdom where his affaires prosperously succéeding he maruellously increased his nauie and armie And not long after he marryed his daughter vnto Seleucus and he him selfe hauing buryed his first wife married Ptolomeyes daughter Wherby he being againe recouered besieged Athens and forced them for famine to yealde the citie vnto him The famin was so great that the father and the sonne fought with bloudie swordes for a mouse that fell downe from an house and men diuided beanes into
almost in euery conflicte but yet neuerthelesse was sore vexed with lack of victuals and also pasture and forage for his horses as he that trauelled through countries that were not his fréendes and to make vp the mischiefe he lost a great part of his armie in the passing ouer of the riuer of Lycus they missing the forde and being drowned in the deapth So that what by this infortunate chaunce and also through famine and pestilence about eight thousand of his souldiers being lost he turned his course into Cilicia where he staied the furie of his souldiours from spoyling of Tharsus lest that he should haue incurred the displeasure of Seleucus vnder whome Cilicia was where he hardly obteined of Seleucus for to winter there Agathocles hauing taken the streights whiche he should passe But Seleucus remained not long in his good minde but béeing persuaded by certaine of his counsellours that he did vnwisely to foster in the middes of his Realme the armie of so martial and vnquiet a Prince came downe with a strong armie into Cilicia Then Demetrius when he coulde obteine no friendeshippe of him by intreatie and prayers like vnto a wilde beast inclosed in a toile with men weapons and snares turned his lenitie into furie and with souden violence sacked certaine Cities of Cilicia and anon after taking harte of grace fought with Seleucus and ouerthrowing his chariots and putting to flight the rest of his armie he obteined a notable victorie and opened the streightes of Cilicia expelling the garisons of Seleucus in euery place And by this luckie successe was he come into great hope of better fortune when he fell into an vnfortunate sicknesse wherwith he beeing long time afflicted lost a great parte of his armie many reuolting vnto the enimie and starting some this way and some that as euery mannes soudein force carried him a great part of whome wandering they wyst not where and missing their way through ignorance of the countrie perished by diuerse chaunces But when he was recouered of his sickenesse he marched with those that had remained in their dutiful obedience within the sight of his enimie hauing spoyled no small part of Cilicia And then passing ouer Amanus he came wasting and spoiling vnto Cyrrestes where thinking to haue set vpon Seleucus who nowe was at his backe in the night time he missed of his purpose and also being foiled in fight was forced to flie backe againe amaine vnto the portes of Amanus and there to hide himselfe and those fewe that he had about him in the thicke wooddes and assayed to goe thorough the desart and blinde wayes vnto Caunus where he hoped to finde a fléete But when that the streightes of the countrie were kept and set with armed men and of his small traine many hourely dropped away he by the adhortation of his fréendes sent certaine vnto Seleucus to yéelde vppe vnto him his life and afflicted state Men reporte that Seleucus had commaunded a roial pauilion to be set vp for him and that he had minded to enterteine him in all respectes not as a prisoner but as a guest being in his most florishing state yea many noblemen thinking that he should in short time haue béen in greate fauour authoritie with Seleucus rode foorthe for duties sake to méete him But in the meane space before he coulde come Seleucus being chaunged thorough suspicions put into his head by his counsell hée sent Pausanias with 1000. horse against him who should take him and carrie him into the Chersonesus of Syria and there should diligently kéepe him it being a countrie of a small compasse Wherewithall Demetrius being dismaid although by Seleucus his cōmaundement he was in all points intreated like a king with singular honour and courtesie handeled of his kéeper yet he sent one vnto his sonne Antigonus to tell him that he should take his Father for a dead man and neuer after giue any credit to letter or seale of his Antigonus dolefully lamented at this heauie newes and incessantly commended vnto all Princes by letters the life and safetie of his Father yea and offered vnto Seleucus that he and all that euer cruel fortune had left him shoulde remaine pledges with him if that he woulde vouchesafe to set his Father at libertie But for all this earnest sute Seleucus perseuered still in kéeping of Demetrius who hauing alwayes vsed from his childehode to hunt and to ride muche and also to exercise his bodie with great trauel and labour nowe as one wearie of this present life drowned himself in gourmandise and drunkennesse and so died within thrée yeares after his captiuitie being of the age of lxiiij yeares and one that in all that long time after that he came to mans state neuer remained thrée yeares in one state before his captiuitie when doubtlesse for tranquillitie and rest if his proude hart coulde haue béene contented therewithall he did drawe néerest vnto the quiet and restful order of the Gods as Horace termes it The xxiij Chapter Of Iulius Caesars greatnesse and also his great mishappes and troubles and of a worthie saying of Charles the fift DEmetrius doth Iulius Caesar succéede a verie martial Gentleman and also fortunate in warres suche an one as wel deserued to be a GOD after the manner of the Romane Deification for he had slaine of his enimies eleuen hundreth and lxxxij thousande besides them that he had killed in the ciuil warres the whiche were doubtlesse a mightie number of whome he was ashamed to boaste as he might also haue béene of the other to be accounted so cruel an enimie to mankinde But although fortune was fréendly vnto him yet did she often make him féele her ficklenesse For in his youth he being accounted one of the Marian faction was depriued by Sylla of his office of flamen Dialis his wiues dowrie and all his owne landes yea and moreouer forced to hide himselfe from the tyrante who sought his death yea and to chaunge his lodging euery night although he were very ill molested with a quartane and yet all this would not haue saued his life if that he had not often corrupted with money those that were sent to search for him vntil at the length through the earnest and incessaunt suite of the vestall virgines and certaine of his fréendes great fauourers of Sylla his pardon was hardly obteined the tyraunt being so exasperated against him that when he was ouercome by the importunate prayers of thē who would haue no nay he brake out into this loude spéeche take him to you who will one day be the destruction of the nobilitie whome ye so muche fauour For in this one boy be there many Marij But after he had escaped this daunger within fewe yeares after fell into an other almost as great being taken by pyrates as he sayled to Rhodes out of whose hands he redéemed himselfe when they knewe him not for 50. talents that is 9375. pounds After this when he was Pretor was he
did daily take away life frō so many good men But Suetonius writes that he made the horseman to fight in his sight and would not let him go before he had vanquished no nor then neither but after great intercession but the other madde man who made no great haste to perfourme that whiche he had rashely sworne he caused to be whipped and clothed in a sacrificeng robe and then deliuered him vnto Boyes who still requesting of him as they went the perfourmaunce of his vowe shoulde driue him alonge throughout all the Stréetes vntil that at the length they brake his necke off from a rampire Moreouer this Godlesse man that contemned all GODS and as I haue before alledged out of Dion woulde thunder againste thunder doeth Suetonius affirme would oftentimes be so afraide of a small thunder and lightening that he would winke and blindefolde him selfe but if it were great créepe out of his bedde and hide him vnder it And also he was so feared in Sicyl with the smoke and noise of the hil Aetna that soudenly in the night he fledde out of the citie of Messana And also hearing that Germanie had rebelled he prepared to runne away from Rome and rigged shippes in a readinesse to carrie him thence resting in this one only comfort that he shoulde haue left vnto him the Prouinces beyond the Sea if that the Germanes did take the toppes of the Alpes as in olde time the Cymbri had done or else the citie as had the Seuones He liued onely twentie nine yeares whereof he reigned but thrée yeares and tenne monethes and eight dayes and those in howe great feare and hofulnesse his continual putting of men to death for treason against him and his curious searching for Oracles and prophesies do declare all the which yet could not saue him frō being slaine with his wife and his daughter whose braines were dashed out against the wall His bodie for feare lest that some villanie should be done vnto it was priuily conueied away and being but halfe burnt was couered ouer with a fewe turues so that he that woulde be honoured for a God whilest he liued coulde not be buried like a man when he was dead The xxvi Chapter Of Domitian NEyther were Domitians actes any thing greater as one that had no delight in armes and in whose reigne the Daces reuolted and oppressed Appius Sabinus their Lieftenaunt with his whole armie and anon after also Cornelius Fussus captein of his guard an office in those dayes of all other the greatest and sent thether with a power to reduce them vnto their duetie Then Domitian went against them him selfe or more truly made as though he had gone for as Dion affirmes he neuer during all his reigne gouerned armie or administred warres as he that was a man impatient of all bodily labour for in the citie he woulde neuer goe on foote and in the field sildome ride on horse but alwayes be carried in a lieter and was also of a faint and fearefull heart but he staying by the way out of danger sent his capteines against them who fought with no greater felicitie then had their predecessours and shamefully lost a great parte of their armie and yet this shamelesse God sent lying letters vnto Rome that he had conquered and subdued them wherevppon there were so many and so honourable decrées made for him that almost in all places of the world that were vnder his dominion statuies of gold and siluer were set vp But he might in déede haue truely triumphed of flies of whome he doubtlesse flue innumerable For at the beginning of his reigne he vsed to haue euerie daye a secrete houre to catch flies and to thrust them through with a long péece of yron made for the nonce so that it was as merrily as wittily answered of Vibius Craspus when one desiering to speake with Domitian asked him who was within with the Emperour he answered not so much as a flie for then he had béen as busie as if the whole Senate had bene with him He also deserued a iust triumph ouer wilde beasts of whom he would kil vpon the Theatre an hundreth in a day with his bowe bestowing his arrowes so artificially that they séemed to be hornes growing out of their heads For he was so good an archer that he would oftentimes cause a boy to stand a great distance off hold vp his hand abroad and he would shoote betwéene euery finger and neuer hurt them But séeing that not great conquestes but only riches left vnto him did make him to conceiue so highly of him selfe my thinkes he might well haue ben put in minde of his mortalitie by calling to memorie his youth passed in greate pouertie and infamie as he that had not one péece of plate and did shamefully prostitute his body so that there were at Rome that did often shewe after he came to the Empire his hande and seale for a nights lodging What shall I rehearse his great daunger in the warres against Vitellius Competitor in the Empire with his father when he his vncle Sabinus being ouercome in fight fled into the Capitol but his enimies breaking into the temple setting it on fire he lodged al that night priuily in great feare with the sextene and in the morning being disguised in the apparell of a priest of Isis he passed the riuer among the priests of that vaine superstition vnto the mother of one of his schoole fellowes who hid him selfe so closely that they whiche following his foote diligently searched for him could by no meanes finde him What torments may we thinke tore him when he vnderstoode the adulterie of his deare wife Domitia by whom he had a sonne and had proclamed her Augusta or Empresse with Paris a common player whome she loued as openly as she did feruently Whervpon he did put her away but within short time after being impatient of the diuorce tooke her againe séeking to colour his ignominie in so doing with a feigned tale that the people had desired him to do it I do omit what griefe his bald head brought him who would draw vnto his own reproch if that the like were obiected vnto any other man eyther in earnest or sport and also his often infirmities through whome he became deformously spindle shanked But in what continuall feare he led his life his often murthering of many vnder colour of treason against him whereby he became hatesome to all men makes manifest but much more the ouercasting of the wals of his gallerie wherin he vsed to walke with a shining kynd of marble wherin as in a glasse he might sée who was behind him Yet this strange kinde of hofulnesse could not kéepe him frō being murthered by a conspiracie of his nearest friends liberts and wife although that he had long time before suspected feared the yeare the day yea the houre and the kind of his death when he had reigned fiftéen yeres a long and a rare time for
to vpbraide vnto other their calamities miseries Wherof they that presented it being admonished tooke home the arras with them caused the names to be taken out then being brought againe he with heartie thankes receiued it commended the worke This his singular moderation of mynde and conquering of him selfe and insolencie the which very fewe of them that haue vanquished al other men could euer attaine vnto was farre more famous then the taking prisoners of the two mightie Princes then the sacking of the citie that had ben Ladie of the world and at this day also the greatest citie of Christendome then the conquest of the kingdome of Tunes in Afrike then the subduing of the Germanes and the passing ouer beyond Albis the which the proud Romanes when they were in al their greatest roialtie were neuer able to do for this victorie might he iustly vse his word Plus vltra passing not only the bounds of Hercules the Romans but also of cursed enuie the which after all earthly victories remaineth still inuincible and can not be subdued but by this sword of modestie and humilitie The xxx Chapter Of the vnfortunate fall of many great conquerours founders of Empires AND nowe that I haue declared the fearefull fall of those that I knowe not whether more wickedly or foolishly would be accounted Goddes and also of them that proudly vaunted of their victories without humble confession and acknowledging that they receiued them from heauen I prosecuting my purpose will shewe that all those that haue ben famous for victories and the fawning of fortune haue also had often admonitions of their fickle frailtie brittle blisse and tottering state Wherfore passing ouer in silence Cyrus the greate the founder of the Persian Empire who was slaine with his whole armie of two hundreth thousand by a weake woman Tomyris Quéene of the Massagets and the greate Mithridates Eupator king of Pontus who after he had augmented his fathers kingdome with the conquest of two and twentie nations and had won a great part of Gréece and the signorie of the sea from Cilicia to Thracius Chersonesus had kept warres fourtie yeres with the Romanes and vanquished their capteines Cassius Murena Cotta Fabius Triarius Sylla restrained him within his fathers kingdome Lucullus so afflicted him that for despaire he murthered his two wiues and sisters and finally Pompey quite euerted who woulde not graunt vnto him humbly desiring it of his two and twentie kingdomes not so much as the poore one of Pontus and for that also to paye a yerely tribute wherefore after that foure of his sonnes were taken by Pompey and the eldest reuolted vnto him and also one of his daughters taken and the other two poysoned by him selfe he desperately caused a Barbarian to kill him least he should haue come aliue into the hands of the Romanes and to be carried in the triumphe as a laughing stocke and an other Mithridates the great king of the Parthians who augmented the Empire with the accesse of many kingdomes and oftentimes discomfited in battell the valiant Scythes but whē he was in his greatest ruffe being returned out of Armenia the Parthians expelled him out of the kingdome for his crueltie and his owne brother inuaded the emptie siege and taking him prisoner at Babylon caused him vnnaturally to be slaine in his sight and Antiochus the great king of Syria who after great conquestes atchieued in Syria Asia and Greece was ouerthrowne in battell by the Romanes and forced to buye peace with the losse of all his dominions on this side the mountaine Taurus and the payment and the paymente of suche a mightie masse of money that not beeing able to leuie it of his owne possessions he attempted to robbe the riche temple of Iupiter Dyndemenus or as sayes Strabo of Belus where he and all his armie were slaine by a soudeine incursion of the inhabitauntes of the countrie and Pompey the Greate who more augmented the dominions and reuenues of the Romaine Empire then all the capteines before and after him was after the greate ouerthrowe giuen him by Caesar trayterously slaine by the boy kinge Ptolomey and his geldinges and Mathewe the Greate Lorde of Mylan who amonge other his variable chaunces was expelled out of the citie and constreyned twelue yeares to get liuinge by fishinge and beeing restored was at the age of seuentie yeares forced to abandon the citie of Mylan and to resigne his Empire vnto his sonne Galiazo who had vnnaturally not longe before reuolted from him and dying of this anguishe and griefe the bodie of him beeing excommunicated by the Pope was buried in a priuie and vile place his death beeing longe time kepte close leste his carcasse in the aduerse fortune of the warres mighte haue bene subiecte vnto the reproches and vilanies of the Popes cruel Legate and the greate Sforza who besides his ouerthrowes in fight at Viterby at Crixta at Aipua and his beeing taken prisoner in fight at Casaleccio and also twice in captiuitie through treason firste by Pandulpho Alepo the Queene of Naples darlinge and then kepte foure monethes in the newe castell of Naples lookinge euerie day when his breath shoulde be stopped by that effeminate lecher after wardes by Iames Earle of Marchia who had maried the Queene where he escaped as narrowly and his manie other greate daungers was at the laste drowned in the riuer of Lyris or Gariliano by the vnfortunate founderinge of his horse and the greate Gonsalues who only of all the famous warriours of our age the whiche haue yet excelled for noble chiefteines obteined the proude name of the greate this victorious gentleman after that he had cōquered out of the hands of the French men the riche kingdome of Naples for his Prince Ferdinando the kinge of Hispaine was by him ingratefully put from the gouernemente therof and almost also from his life for false suspicion of treason and euer afterwarde kept from all honour and office to leade a lothsome life farre from the courte and fielde at home as it were in an honest banishemente and there for to sée his eldest brothers heire for a light occasion banished the courte for euer and to his greater griefe his owne natiue place his nephues chiefe castle razed downe to the grounde notwithstandinge his most suppliant sute the whiche was also furthered by the earnest prayers of the French kinges honourable Ambassadours for the implacable Prince by all meanes sought to spite him and to empaire his Princely Porte and riches as one whome he suspected to be to greate so that he was aptly compared by a noble man of Hispaine vnto a greate shippe in a shalowe water the which abides in continuall feare to be loste by strikinge and sticking on the flattes and Cresus the mightie kinge of Lydia whose inestimable riches haue euer synce bene a prouerbe throughout the worlde berefte of all by Cyrus and forced to ende his long
they had supped together merrily abroade and threwe his bodie into Tyber for no other cause but for that his fathers minde was that Frauncis shoulde marrie and increase the name of the Borgiae the which he would make honourable with large dominions but Caesar he had as it were banished into the cloyster of religion disguising him with a redde hatt the whiche was farre inferiour vnto his royal harte and immesurable desire of earthly honours who bare in his ensigne this worde Aut Caesar aut nihil an Emperour or nothinge the which insatiable thirst of his the Colonnese fearinge that he would quenche with their bloude abandoned all their dominions and landes and fledde away folowing the Castor who some say bites off his owne stones when hee is hardly persued knowing that for them onely his death is sought but the Orsines allured with his liberal interteinemente to serue him in the warres were almoste all murdered Baptista the cardinall at Rome Frauncis the Duke of Grauina and Paulo in the territorie of Perugia Liberto Prince of Firma Vitelloccio Vitelli one of the Princes of Ciuita de Castello at Senogallia the which caused all the rest of the Vitelli to flie and by their liues with the losse of their liuinges And also the noble men of the house of Gaieta who possessed the towne of Sermoneta in Campagna di Roma Iames Nicholas and Bernardine beeing slaine some one way and some an other yealded their castels lands and goodes vnto Caesar And also the Dukes of Camerino Caesar Anibal and Pyrrhus were expelled their dominions and strangled Astor Manfredi Prince of Fauenza yealdinge the towne and himselfe vppon promisse of safetie was slaine and cast into Tyber Furthermore Pandulpho Malatesta Iohn Sforza and Guido Vbaldo had rather by flight leaue their dominions of Rimini Pesaro and Vrbine vnto the inuading tyranne then be murdered And also Iames Appiano let him haue the principalitie of Piombino But Catharine Sforza who reigned at Forly and Imola hauing lost by force her dominions being taken prisoner was brought in triumphe to Rome But while by this bloudy way he encroched on al the principalities about him he also commaunded the prince of Beselio base sonne vnto Alfonse kinge of Naples yea and his sisters husbande to be slaine in her chamber yea in her bed being before wounded in the Courte of the church of Saint Peter but so that it was thought he woulde escape And by the same meanes he dispatched the yonger Borgia the Cardinal because he had seemed to fauour the duke of Candia his brother he also sauagely slue as he came from supper Iohn Cerbellion a man of greate nobilitie both at home and also in the warres because he had seuerely kept the honestie of a gentlewoman of the house of Borgia He did also put to death Iames Santatrucio a noble man of Rome theÌ„ whome there was no man more friende and familiar with Caesar neither for anie other cause but for that he was able vpon a soudeine to gather together a stronge bande of lustie felowes of the Orsine faction make them couragiously to atteÌ„pt anie exploite But wheÌ„ for this cursed and vnquenchable desire of Empire he and his father had appointed to poyson at a feast certeine noble and riche princes his man mistaking the flagon gaue thereof vnto the vngratious father and worse sonne whereof the father beeing olde died but his blessed byrde a lustie younge man was by manie medicines conserued to greater punishmente for after the deathe of Alexander the Colonese and the Orsines that were lefte returned vnto Rome Then Caesar that he might not be ouermatched by haueing warres with both the families restored vnto the Colonese all their possessions on whome in diuerse places he had sumptuously buylt Guido Defeltrie recouered Vrbine Iohn Sforza Pesaro excepte the castle Malatesta Riminie but the castle was stil retayned by Caesar and the Baleones Perugia through the helpe of the Orsines who also toke Tuderto with the castell and put to shamefull deathe the capteine and with like successe at Viterby Ameria and all the cities there aboutes either they restored the Princes of their owne faction or else strengthened them and had also beesieged Caesar in Nepe if hée had not fearefully fledde into Rome the whiche hee obteyned of the newe Pope Pius as a safe refuge but Pope Pius dying within twentie seuen dayes the Orsines also entered the citie with a greate power whome the greatest parte of the citizens fauoured and the Orsines requested that Caesar might according to iustice be put to death for his manifolde murthers or els kept in sure warde in the castell vntill that his cause were hearde But while the matter was prolonged with outragious altercations Caesar being afrayde stale away out of his house in the Suburbes into the Popes palace then his souldiours who vntil that time had valiantly guarded him perceiuing that their Capteines courage quayled and that he sought for hyding holes fled also awaye some to one place and some vnto another leauing him guardlesse among the cruell companies of his enimies and forceing him because hee could otherwise stande in no suretie of his life to desire as a greate benefite to be cast into the castell of Sainct Angelo vntil that a new Pope were created the which béeing Iulius the seconde would not set him at libertie before that he had deliuered vp all the Castels and townes that he had in the territorie of Rome Romandiola and the duchie of Spolieto But not long after preparing at Naples an expedition into Romandiola he was at the Popes earnest suite imprisoned in the newe castell and shortly after carried into Hispanie where he brake prison and fledde vnto the kinge of Nauarre whose néere cousine he had married and there was slaine in a skirmishe with this euent that not béeing knowen he was spoyled of all his armour and clothes and left starke naked and so brought by one of his seruauntes vnto the citie of Pompelona where he had sometimes béene Bishoppe a notable document of mannes miserie But as I saide before I passing ouer in silence all those greate worldlinges whome Fortune at the last ouerthrewe will examine the liues and infortunities onely of those whome the worlde doth account most fortunate and search whether that God did not ofteÌ„ make them to féele his force and to confesse their owne frailtie The xxxi Chapter The vnluckie chaunces of Augustus AND first I will beginne with him that thought so well of his owne fortune that when he sent his nephue Caius into Armenia against the Parâ—thians he wished that the loue good will of Pompey the hardinesse prowesse of Alexander the Fortune of him self might accompanie him Neither had hee alone this opinion of his good Fortune but it was also generally receiued of all men in so muche that it was decréede and also kept vntil the time of Iustinian that the people shoulde crie at the creation of a
newe Emperour Augusto felicior melior Traiano God make thée more fortunate then Augustus and a better Prince then Traiane In Augustus sayes Plinie whome all men do call happie if that all thinges in him be rightly estéemed shal great ficklenesse of Fortune be found First his repulse in the office of the maister of the horssemen vnto his vncle Iulius Caesar and against his will Lepidus preferred thereunto The enuie and hatred of all men yea and of the posteritie for the proscribing of Cicero his aduauncer and college in the Consulship that he had to bee his colleges in the Triumuirate verie naughtie men Neither was his portion equall for Antonius had farre the greater At the battell of Philippi his sicknesse and discomfiture by Cassius and running awaye and hiding of him selfe being sicke thrée dayes and hyding of him selfe in a marrish thrée dayes being sore sicke The cares that he was wrapped in after his returne from Philppi to Rome where going about to allot landes throughout all Italie vnto the souldiours the auncient possessours with great exclamations and complaintes repined thereat wherein they had their earnest fauourer Lucius Antonius the Consul and brother vnto Antonius the Triumuir who would haue the souldiours paid out of the goods of those that were proscribed and did also put them in hope of the spoyle of riche Asia the which did make their téeth to water Octauian being thus besett on all sides with troubles coueted to please bothe the Senate and people and also the souldiours but in verie déede he offended them both in so muche that he had béene almost slaine by the souldiours for commaunding at a playe a common souldiour to be taken vpp that sate vppon one of the xiiii greeces where by the law no man might sitt vnder the degrée of an horseman of Rome Hereunto addeth Plinie the famine that was in Italie by reason that Sextus Pompeyus and Domitius woulde suffer nothing to be brought thether by Sea. Then Lucius Antonius and Fuluia wife vnto Marcus fell out with Octauian and wrote vehement letters vnto Antonius the Triumuir against him as though he had attempted to murder his children Lucius had seuentéene legions the amitie aide of Ventidius Asinius Pollio Calenus who had either of thē a great power on the other side Octauian had the il wil of the Senate of al Italie for his diuision of the lāds among the souldiours the which brought him into this agonie and extremitie that debaseing him selfe he earnestly sued to haue the olde souldiours to sit in iudgement and heare the controuersies betwéene Antonius and him and afterwarde when for all his labouring to haue the matter taken vp the warres brake out he was almost intercepted at the siege of Perugia by a band of sword players that sallied out while he was sacrificeing vnto the Gods. After this followed two incomparable losses of two mightie fléetes by tempest in the Sicylian warres against Sextus Pompeyus and then another hyding of him selfe in a caue And also he being vanquished by fight on the Sea his enimies so egerly pursued him that for feare he should be taken he earnestly desired Proculeus to slea him Also Pompeyus capteines Demochares and Appolophanes soudenly oppressed him from whome he hardly escaped at the last with one only shippe and afterwarde walking on foote from Locrie to Rhegium he sawe certeine brigantines of Pompeyus dragging along the shoare then he thinking them to be his owne went downe vnto the water side vnto them and was almost taken and forced to séeke his safetie by flying thorough blinde pathes where hée was welnéere slayne by a bondman of Aemylius who thought that he had then good occasion offered him now he was alone to reuenge the death of his maister vniustly proscribed by Octauian and his fellowes In his Dalmatian warres was he twice wounded once in fight on the right knée with a stone and at the siege of a towne on both his armes and legges with the fall of a bridge Twice also was he greately endaungered by tempest all the tacklinges of the shipp wherein he was béeing broken all into péeces and the rudder cleane strucken off And two great foiles had he in Germanie one vnder Lollius the which was more shamefull then hurtfull and the other vnder Varus the which was almost pernicious thrée legions with the General and the capteines and all the ayde of the strangers being slaine When newes was brought him of this great ouerthrowe hée commaunded watche and warde to be kept in the citie that no tumult should arise therein and proroged vnto the Presidents of the prouinces the time of their gouernment that the alies might be kept in their obedience by men of experience and them that the Prouinces knew He also vowed playes which were called the great vnto Iupiter Optimus Maximus to turne the cōmon wealth into a better state as it had béene done before at Rome in the Cymbrian and Sociall warres when the citie stoode in great daunger of sacke and destruction For he was so dismayed that for the space of many moneths after he letting the haires of his head and beard growe long would euer and anon crie out Quintili Vare redde legiones Quintilius Varus render thy legions and that day did he euer afterward kéepe for an heauie and mournefull day Plinie rehearseth also for incommodities and infortunities lack of monie to pay his souldiours their wages and lacke of able men to serue in the warres and therfore was he forced contrarie vnto the auncient orders to presse foorth 20000. bondmen a great pestilence in the citie and sundrie defacinges thereof by fire a great famine and thirste throughout all Italie often dangerous mutinies of the souldiours the foule scorning and scoffing of the people at his Maiestie the incomparable losse of his good and noble adopted sonnes the valiaunt Drusus and Marcus Agrippa and the towardly yonge gentleman Marcus Marcellus his sisters sonne and Caius and Iulius his daughters sonnes by Agrippa but greater griefe for the lewde disposition of other of his children his onely naturall child Iulia conspiring his death and openly playing the harlot wherfore he banished her but her infamous life was such a shame vnto him that he brake the matter touching her punishment vnto the Senate by libell being absent and a long time after absteyned from al companie and oftentimes was hee minded to put her to death but continued still so seuere against her that hee could neuer be entreated to reuoke her although that many great men made great sute for her and also the whole people of Rome did oftentimes request it but being at one time very importunate they so chafed him that in his choler he wished them all such wiues such daughters The like rigour also did hee vse towardes her daughter Iulia who followed her mothers steppes gaue comaundement that the child wherof she was deliuered after her condemnation should be destroyed and also
was his feare and hofulnesse howe hee might honourably administer these perilous warres against Maxentius the whiche he thought that of him selfe he was vnable to doo and therefore carefully studied day and night what Gods fauour it were best for him to obteine by deuout seruice that was able to aduaunce his true worshippers vnto all honour and also kéepe them from falling at what time it pleased of his accustomed vnutterable goodnesse Christe the true God to manifest and shewe him selfe vnto him and tolde him that if he woulde vanquish he should serue vnder his banner trophey of the crosse The xxxâ— Chapter Of Iustinian the Emperour IVstinian recouered froÌ„ the Vandales Africa Italie and Sicyle from the Gothes all the which countries had béene loÌ„g possessed by these Barbarians and valiantly repressed within their fines with many discoÌ„fitures the vnquiet Persians and all other Barbarians so that he onely of all the Constantinopolitane Emperours deserueth the name of a frée Emperour sayes Agathius yea and not beeing contented with martiall glorie wanne no lesse honour by reducing the two thousand confuse tomes of the lawe into fiftie orderly bookes yea and furthermore by suppressing of all false sectes thoroughout the Empire and establishing in all places the one and onely true sounde faith of Christ finally for his sumptuous buyldings of cities churches palaces burses baines to be short of all kindes of priuate publique edifices he farre surpassed the praises of all Princes either before or since him yet deserueth he not to be accoÌ„pted among the nuÌ„ber of the happie For the Persian often foyled in fight his capteines and as for him selfe he was neuer in the field and often forced him to redéeme peace with money yealding vpp of Castels and townes Yea in one voyage the Persian ouercame a greate parte of Syria and all Cilicia wanne the cities of Surum Berrhea and Antioche the mightiest citie of all the East except Alexandria the which he wholly consumed with fire except the greate churche and also constreined a great number of cities to redéeme their safetie with greate summes of money as also Apamea Edessa and Sergiopolis were deliuered from his rage by miracle and to augment the vnworthinesse thereof Iustinian did not onely not reuenge this outrage but also procured his spéedie returne with fiftie thousand gyldens presently payed and so many yerely to be paide for euer Moreouer the yere before this wofull waste the Hunes passing ouer the riuer of Hister miserably spoyled and burnt a greate parte of Europe and neuer did any nation so much hurte in those partes for they wasted all from the Ionian gulfe euen vnto the Suburbes of Constantinople and razed two verie strong castels in Illyricum and the citie Cassandrea and returned home with infinite treasure and sixescore thousande prisoners not one man once resisting them And afterward returning againe they wanne the Chersonesus and passed by the streight of Abydos Sestos ouer into Asia where when they had spoyled at pleasure they returned home in safetie after this breaking out the thirde time into Illyria they wanne by assault the strong citie of Thermopolis and wasted all Greece except Peloponesus and then reduced their power home without impeachement or dammage Furthermore in the latter ende of his reigne they againe with their wonted crueltie lecherie and impietie wasted all Thrace euen vnto Melantis a village within twelue miles of Constantinople where they incamped them selues The which did not onely make the common people to flye thicke and thrée folde out of the citie for feare of siege but also appauled the hearts of the magistrates and the Emperour him selfe who hauing not aboue thrée hundreth souldiers commaunded that all the ornaments of the Churches neare aboutes in all places from Blacerne vnto Pontus Euxinus and Bosphorus should be eyther brought into the citie or else transported ouer into Asia And althoughe that his olde approued capteine Belisarius putting on againe his long left armour as one whose strength withering age had long before wasted discomfited them in fight and caused them hauing no great harme to retire a little backe yet could they not be expelled out of the countrie but by a great summe of Gréeke gold And before this time had the Misians slaine with his capteine Sotyris with his armie and tooke the great treasure that he carried to pay the army that serued against the Persians and to mainteine those warres Moreouer the destruction of the two Sées of the Empire did much diminish his felicitie Rome being taken by Totylas king of the Gothes and thrée partes of the walles broken downe and all the houses in the whole citie burnt and all the people driuen out of it and no man suffered to inhabite there but Constantinople was set on fire in a rebellion of the people against the Emperour for his crueltie and couetousnesse the whiche fire consumed all the Churches Palaces baines court houses market places Burses and all notable places and monuments that were left after that cruell fire that happened in the reigne of Leo the first The rebelles also did put the Emperour into such feare that at their request he put away and banished two wise and faithfull Counsellours the capteine of the guarde and that famous Lawyer Tribonianus his high chauncellour yet could not this appease their furie but that they adorned with the Emperial Diademe one Hypatius a neare cousen of Anastasius that was Emperour before Iustinians vncle the which so dismayd Iustinian that he had sâ—ed out of the citie if he had not bene stoutly reteined by his proude wife who sayde that she woulde indure to liue one day in banishment and without the name of Empresse and flatly affirmed that she would doubtlesse dye there Empresse These wordes of his wife made him to prepare him selfe to tarrie out the storme the which he ouercame shortly after very fortunately what through his wise winning by money of the blewe faction for this citie as a great many of other was diuided into the blewe and gréene factions who were continually enimies one vnto the other before that his tyrannie had caused them to ioyne together to oppugne their common enimie and also by the valiancie of Belisarius who sayling out of the palace the porche whereof was burnt slue thirtie thousande of the rebels with their newly created Emperour and his brother and had quite quieted the citie if that the Emperour had not mainteined the furie of the blewe faction againste the gréene letting them not onely to dispossesse them of all that euer they had but also not to permit any man to receiue them into their houses wherefore they were forced to forsake the citie and to stande in the high wayes and kyll robbe and spoyle all men that trauelled But beside these manifolde mischiefes there happened also many earthquakes to put him in mynde of his maker twice was Constantinople sore shaken but the second time did farre passe all that
Argier a longe iourney by lande thorough the Alarbes and Africanes who beeinge his cruell enimies woulde neuer haue suffered him to haue come to Argier longe time after to trouble and spoile the Christians The xlvi Chapter Of Tamerleyne the Tartar. AMounge these roge kinges will I inrolle Tamerlaine the Tartar. This man whome Theuet calles Tamirrhan and Tamerlanque Sigismundus Liber Themirasscke and Chalcondilas Temer was sonne vnto a poore man called Sangalis a Massaget sayes Chalcondilas but a Parthian affirmes Theuet borne at Samerchanden At the first he was the heardeman of a towne for horses but after warde conspireing together with other heardmen he became a strong théefe stealinge horses and other cattell But climinge one nighte a wall to enter into a stable and beeing espied of the good man of the house he was forced to leape downe from the wall and brake his legge Campofulgoso sayes that he brake his thighe whereof hee had his name for in his countrie language Temer is a thigh and Lang is lame or maymed the which two wordes beeing put together make Temerlang but the Latines keeping the proprietie of their owne tounge corruptly call him Tamerlan But Sigismundus Lyber saies that one whose shéepe he was aboute to steale brake his legge with a greate stone and because hee bounde the bones together with a hoope of yron he was called Themerassacke of yron and halting for Themer in the Tartarian tounge is yron and Assacke halting But whether hee had his name of the one thing or the other herein they do both agree that hee could not when hee came to be Lorde of all the Orient and a terrour vnto the whole worlde steppe foorth one foote but that he felt his infirmitie nor record his owne name but that he was put in minde of his infortunitie But after this mishappe he waxing wiser fortified a place where he and his might haue safe refuge when that they were persued At length he being meruailously enriched by robbing of all men that trauailed within his walke and also by stealing of all kinde of cattell hee gathered together a faire bande of Souldiours and associatinge him selfe with two capteines called Chardares and Myrxes did set vpon a power of the enimies whiche spoyled the countrie and gaue them a greate ouerthrowe the like whereunto he also often times did afterwarde whereby he became so famous that the king of the Massagetes made him capteine generall ouer his armies the which office he administred both valiantly and fortunately and namely a little before the kinges death hauing driuen his enimies into the cities of Babylon and Samarchen and then the king dying he marryed the Quéene and tooke Samarchen or Semerchanda and enioyed that mightie kingdome and also Babylon yea and then with continued course conquered Hiberia Albania Persia Media both Armeniaes Mesopotamia Syria Damascus Aegypt euen vnto Nilus and Capha vppon the coast of the Euxine Sea Cilicia Asia the lesse where hee discomfited in battell Baiazett the Turke with tenne hundreth thousande Turkes neither was his owne ordinarie armie any thing inferiour in number But while he was busied in those partes about taking of the Turkishe townes heauie newes was brought him that one of his confederates a kinge of India called the kinge of Tzachataa passing ouer the riuer Araxis had subdued a greate parte of the countrie thereaboutes which were subiect vnto Tamerlane And amonge all other manifolde detrimentes had miserably defaced the citie of Cheria and had taken Tamerlanes his treasure and returned home but yet so that hee still threatened that hee woulde bee his confederate no longer This sorrowfull message did put Tamerlane in greate feare least that the kinge of India woulde returne againe and sweepe him out of all his dominions at hoame while hee was busied abroade with forreigne warres and herewithall the cursed condition also of humaine affaires and mannes tickle state the which doeth not suffer any man long to enioye here on earth the blisful blast of friendly Fortune appalled his hearte wherefore hee hasted homewarde and whereas before hee iniuried al men nowe did hee not onely put vpp cowardly the Indian wrong but also made greate sute to recouer his auncient friendshippe But after that Tamerlane had thus recouered his countries loste and quieted them and buylt that renowned citie of the worlde Samarchanden in the village where hee was borne whiche hee beautified and enriched with the spoyles of the whole Orient and had throughly peopled it hee prepared a voyage against the Turkes and Christians from the goyng forwarde wherewith hee was stayed bothe by a mightie Earthquake and also two celestiall signes and prodigies the one of a man appearinge in the ayre holdinge in his hande a Lauâ—â—â— and the other of a blasinge Starre terrible for his greatenesse the whiche stoode directly ouer the citie by the space of fiftéene dayes Hee consultinge with the Southsayers and Astrologians about these wounders was tolde by them and namely by one Bene-iaacam a man of greatest authoritie and credite amonge them that they were tokens either of his owne death shortlye after to ensue or else of the vtter ruine and bringinge to naught of his Empire But muche more was he in short time after amazed by a vision that hee had one night the whiche was the cause of his fatall sickenesse and in the ende of his death For hee dreamed one night that Baiazeth the Turke whome hee had made to die miserably in an yron cage came vnto him or else the diuell in his likenesse with a countenaunce sterne and terrible to beholde and saide vnto him nowe it shall not be long villaine but that thou shalt worthilye bee payde for thy manifolde outrages and I too shall be reuenged for the werisome wrong that thou diddest vnto mee making mee to die like vnto a beast in mine own doung And when hee had thus sayed Tamerlane thought that Baiazeth did beate him verye grieuously and troade and trampled vppon him with his féete sore brusing his belly and bowelles in so muche that the nexte morninge when hee had thought to haue risen hee remained still attainted with the apprehension conceiued in his sleape the whiche did néere quite bereue him of his wittes and so rauinge al wayes vppon Baiazeth dyed leauynge his large Empire vnto his two sonnes begotten of diuers venters who consuming them selues with ciuill wars one vppon another left an easie way for all those princes and countries whome their father had spoyled and conquered to recouer all that which they had before lost The xliiii Chapter Of Mahumet the second the greate Turke MAhumet the seconde the greate seigniour of the Turkes that wanne Constantinople Pera Capha and the Empire of Trapezonda the kingdome of Cilicia or Caramania and Bosna and pierced Illyria or Slauonia euen vnto Forum Iulij nowe Friali where he discomfited the Venetians with the flower of al Italie began his reigne with the murthering of two infants his brothers so fearefull was he of
foūdation do kingdoms stand on so tottering a stoole do princes sitt that sporting Fortune séemes oftentimes to put them into the hand of a madd man But nothing did more manifestly shewe vnto him his brittle blisse then the reuolting of all the noble men of the farther Hispaine except the duke of Alua vnto Philip duke of Burgogie who had maried his eldest daughter and heire at his arriual in Hispaine after the death of Quéene Isabell they eftsones saying that they would rather adore the sunne rising then going downe The griefe of this shamefull forsaking of him did so gripe the aged princes heart that not being able to endure the dishonour to be a subiecte where hee had long reigned he left Hispaine and sailed with his newe wife vnto Naples chosing rather to cōmit himselfe vnto the doubtfull faith of the gouernour and conquerour of that flourishing kingdome whom the report was minded to reuolt make himselfe king of Naples the which hée might easily haue done then vnto the open ill wills and rebellion of the vnfaithful Hispaniards And doubtlesse hee was in very great danger of being vtterly excluded out of his kingdomes of Castill Lions if that God had not shortly after taken out of the world his sonne in lawe who was so alienated from him that when the courteous king laden with wearisome yeares had taken a lōg paineful iourney to receiue him at the water the proud and vnciuil duke would not vouchsafe to shew him any countenaunce But after he had giuen him scornefully a word or two and them too in French which the king vnderstood not he flange away from him al the nobilitie with him The xlix Chapter Of William Conquerour BVt nowe after that wee haue romed long abroad in all forreigne lands let vs returne home vnto our owne countrie take a view of such Princes as haue by dint of sword atteined the imperial crowne thereof or enlarged the dominions least we may be thought to be like vnto the Lamiae in Poets whome they do faine to sée very exactly when they are abroad but to be starke blinde at home William bastard sonne vnto Robert duke of Normandie who left him his heire although by puissance he cōquered this land discomfited in battel the king of Denmarke forced the king of Scotland for feare to do him homage sweare him fealtie yet the often rebellions and secrete treasons of the Englishmen Normans the perfidiousnes of his owne déere brother Odo in whom he reposed his greatest trust the wicked reuolting of his eldest sonne Robert vnto the French king with his aide his daungerous inuasion of Normandie his arme thrust through in fight and his vnhorsing by that vnnaturall child and his bowelles sore brused by a leape off his horse in his last voyage against the French king of the intollerable torments whereof he died will not suffer him to be enrolled among the happie But nothing in my mind doth more manifestly bewray his infelicitie then that he had not so much ground at his death as could couer his carcase without doing an other man wrong and that which the begger hath without contradiction was denied and forbidden this mightie king Hée had built S. Stephens Church at Cane in Normandie where he would be buried vppon an other mans ground and had not payed the owner for it who being then a very poore man yet nothing fearing the funeral pompe and the great number of nobles attending on the corps did thrust through the thickest thronge of the solemne traine like vnto a madd man and got him to the Church doore wherein he stoode stoutly to withstand the bearing into the Church of the kings body crying out with a lowde voice Hée that in his life time oppressed kingdomes by his furious force hath hitherto with feare also oppressed mee but I that do suruiue him that hath done me the wronge will not graunt rest and peace vnto him now he is dead The place whereinto ye doe carrie this dead man is mine I claime that it is not lawfull for any man to lay a dead body in an other mans ground But if that the case do so stand that when as now at the length through the grace of good God the author of this so vnworthie a wrong is extinguished yet force still doth flourish I do appeale vnto Rhollo the founder father of this nation who alone is of greater power by the lawes which he ordeyned then is any mans iniurie And therewithal I know not whether by hap or mans fraud there soudeinly was séene a great fire which raged on the Church the houses neere adioyning then euery body spéedily running to quench the fire left the kinges corps desolate all alone onely Henrie the kings youngest sonne could not be gotten frō his fathers body who being feared with as it were the manifest wrath of God presently paid the poore mā for his ground discharged his fathers iniurious spirite But these blisselesse bones of his which so hardly obteined entumbing did afterward as vnluckily againe lose it in Anno Domini 1562. when Chastillion conducting reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achillis those that had escaped at the battell at Dreax toke the citie of Cane For certaine sauage souldiours accompanied with foure Capteynes did beate downe and vtterly deface the noble tumbe and monument of that renowmed conquerour and victorious king and pulled out all his bones which they spitefully threwe away when that they could not finde the treasure that they falsly surmised had béen layed vp there as I haue béene certainly enformed by Englishmen of very good credite faithfull fauourers of the reformed who sawe this sorrowfull sight scarse without distilling teares And also Theuet maketh mention of this matter in his vniuersall Cosmographie writing of Cane The l. Chapter Of Henrie the second HENRIE the second had by his father the Earledomes of Aniow Toures and Maine by his mother the kingdome of England and the duchie of Normandie and by his wife the mightie duchie of Aquitane and the earledome of Poitow conquered the kingdome of Ireland and toke prisoner in battell the king of Scottes but this his glistering glorie was fouly darkened by the shamefull submission of his crowne vnto the Romane Sée as Platina their recorder doth report or certes by binding himselfe vnto vnreasonable conditions to abate the enuie of the murther of Thomas the archbishop of Canterburie as our Chronicles do record and by the daungerous and wicked warres a long time kept in Normandie Fraunce and England with al his vngodly sonnes Henrie Richard Gefferie and Iohn yea and his owne wife and their mightie confederats the kings of Fraunce and Scotland with a great number of the English nobilitie and after the death of his vngracious sonne Henrie by the second reuolting of his sonne Richard vnto the French king who wan from him in those warres a great part of the duchie of Normandie and besieged him in the
forced by lightening sent from heauen to retyre Then soudenly came there to remoue the siege a monstruous might of flies the which plagued the Romanes in their cupps and dishes leauing neither drinke nor meate frée from their filthie contamination and corruption The which forced the Emperour to breake vp the siege and to depart out of the countrie and immediatly after fell sicke and then the Parthians deposed the king that hée had appointed them and chose an other according vnto their auncient orders to reuenge the whiche dishonour Traiane was not able waxing euery day worse and worse and finally fell into a dropsie whereof hée dyed not leauing behind him a child to vphold his house and name The xxxiij Chapter Of Seuerus Emperour of Rome SEVERVS that got the Romane Empire by sleaing of his thrée competitors and foure bloudie battels and entered Parthia taking Babylon Seleucia and Ctesiphon where the king narrowly escaped with the losse of his children wiues mother treasure and furniture of householde and also made great conquestes in Arabia and Arobenica and forced the kinges of the Armenians and Osrhoenes to submit themselues vnto his mercie felt also the tickle turning of fortunes whéele For that I may omit his youth full of furies and crimes and often accusations and howe hée was to his great shame openly arreigned for adulterie and the open bitcherie of his shamelesse latter wife Iulia whome hée witting and knowing did suffer more then either the maiestie of an Emperour yea or the honestie of a man could beare was hee not forced for lacke of victualles and necessaries and the great sickenesse in his campe spéedily to forsake the countries and places that hée had conquered in the Easte and to returne home contented onely with the spoile the whiche he dearely bought with the losse of infinite of his souldiours liues Furthermore hee twice besieged the pelting towne of Atrae in Arabia and twice was constrained to depart with great dishonour and losse his souldiours being either so affrighted or else so disobedient that not one of the Europian souldiours could be gotten to the assault when that a great part of the walles laie flat to the ground moreouer when one of his Capitaines told the Emperour that he would vndertake to winne the towne with 550. Europians and the Emperour did bid him take them the captaine aunswered in the hearing of all the armie But where shall I haue them Neither had his ambition any better successe in Britaine For when that hée would not receiue the submission of the rebells but would néeds tame them by the sword that he might obteine the glorious title of Britannicus or conquerour of Britaine he reaped almost no other fruite by marching with his victorious ensignes euen vnto the furthest part of the East then the losse of fiftie thousand men thorough sicknes lack of victuals the inclemencie of the aire and diuers other chaūces finally endamaging the Britaines who wisely still fledd before him into their safe bogges and marrishes Adde hereunto how at the battell at Lions against Albinus who fought for the Empire hée was vnhorsed and fled out of the field casting away his coate armour that hée might not be knowen and hidd himselfe in a marrishe Spartianus sayth that in this battell hée fell into great perill by the foundering of his horse and then had such a blowe with a pellet of leade that his armie thincking that he had béene slaine were about to choose an other Emperour Furthermore what intollerable torments did the great discord of his two sonnes bring vnto him when that the one neuer liked of any thing that did please the other and in al quarels controuersies games finally in all thinges they were extréeme aduersaries one vnto the other neither could their hatefull hearts euer be reconciled although that their woful father fearing that their discord would be either the destructiō of the Empire or of his house or both sought al meanes to agrée their dissenting minds putting also to death many that were about thē by whose flatterie lewd coūsel he thought them to be corrupted But in what continuall feare he led his life his immesurable murdering of aboue fourtie Senatours and infinite meane men without arreigning of them doth manifestly bewray This Africane is truely said to haue reuenged in his gowne the cruell destruction of his countrie of Carthage by the Romanes Whereof arose that saying of the Senate after his death that it had béene well for the people of Rome if that he had either neuer béene borne or else neuer had died the one being spoken for his cruelties the other for his valiancie and good gouernement But among all other put to death for suspicion of treason I cannot forget two the one Plautianus to whome he had as it were in a manner imparted the Empire yet lost his life vppon a verie vnlikely accusation and onely credited because that the Emperour had dreamed that Albinus some time his competitour was aliue the other Apronianus who was condemned absent because that one had heard his Noursse saye that shée had dreamed that he should be Emperour So fearefull was he left his good childe Antoninus should be put from the Empire who drewe his swoorde to haue thrust his father in at the back as he roade with him if that his seruaunts that roade behinde had not cried out vnto him to take héede of his sonne who was about to murder him And finally he dyed not of his olde torment of the goute but as men thought helped forward by his wicked sonne Antonine and so was helde in an earthen pot whome all the worlde had not holden as he him selfe saide a litle before his death when that he had commaunded his sepulchrall pott to be brought vnto him The xxxiiij Chapter Of Constantine the greate THE greatenesse of Constantine who reduced into one Monarchie the distracted partes of the Empire and to the vnspeakable profite of mankinde first established by Emperial power the faith of Christ throughout the world the foule vnworthie murthering of his owne wife Fausta his sonne Crispus and his sisters sonne and no smal number of his friendes the vngodly restitution of the archeheretike Arius and the more wicked banishmēt of that piller of the church Athanasius whome yet some holde he reuoked by testament and if some belye him not his filthie disease of the dropsie did much diminishe whereof he was by a byworde called Tracala the first ten yeres of his reigne a verie good and excellent Prince the ten next a théefe and a murtherer but the ten last a pupill for his immoderate expences But as his Martial actes but onely against his coparceners in the Empire Licinius and Maxentius were not greate so was his daunger verie great when that his father in lawe Herculeius came vnder colour of friendshipp vnto him trayterously to haue killed him but it being disclosed vnto Constantine by his wife cost her father his life And no lesse also