BEfore that I begynne to speake of the foure soueraygne and principall Empyres, to witte, of Babilon, Per­sia, Grecia, and Rome: I must briefely say,Discorde in numbryng of the yeres. that there is great discorde in the numbring of yeres, since the creation of the world for both the Hebrues, Eusebius, Augustinus, Al­phonsus and Mirandula, do greatlyvary among them selues. Notwithstanding, because that al­moste all the learned men of our tyme, doe herein frame themselues according to the numbrynge of the Hebrues, I wyl followe them steppe by steppe when neede shall require.The He­brues are to bee folowed in countyng the yeres. And first of all to come to my purpose, to witte, vnto the first Empyre, omittinge that whiche came to passe in the firste age, omitting also to speake of the vniuersal flood (for as muche as all these things are comprehen­ded in the holy scriptures, neyther is it possible better to describe them) I wyl begynne from that tyme, in the whiche after that the abundaunce of waters were retyred and the earth dryed, man­kynde then beyng brought to a very smale num­ber, beganne agayne to multiplie.

The vniuersall flood is referred to the .M. CCCCCC. LU I. yere after the creation of the worlde.The yere the flood Methusalah the seuenth from Adam di­ed in that tyme, at the age of nyne hundred & six­tie nyne yeres. Noah the nephew of Methusalah [Page]by Lameth his sonne, liued then beyng sixe hun­dred yere olde, he with his familie was preserued by the singular grace of God. And after that the number of men beganne by lytle and lytle to en­crease, he perswaded his chyldren & others of his posteritie to scatter them selues in diuers coun­treys to fyll the earth, & to buyld cities & townes: and to that ende, he appoynted vnto euery one by lot hys Prouince, aboute an hundreth yeares after the flood.

At that time Nimrod sonne to Noahs nephew abode with his people in the land of y^e Chaldees. And finally as diuers through the great multi­tude of persons, were forced to depart, and to seke diuers habitations: they would before theyr departure leaue behynde them a perpetuall sygne of theyr memorye,Men couet to buylde in theyr perpe­tuall me­morye. and hauyng Nimrod to be theyr captain, they beganne to buyld a citie, and therein a towre of a wonderfull hyght: And for­gettyng the wrath of God (which had but euen a lytle before swallowed vp the whole world, and whereof there is no doubt, but Noah did dili­gently and often tymes put them in memorie) they thought to get them a perpetuall name by sumptuous & proude works. Wherewith the lord being angry, did bring theyr enterprise to nought by confusion of language,God resi­steth the proude. the which before was but one kynde of speche vsed of al men. Wherefore being cōstrained to leaue of their worke, they dyd scatter thēselues into diuers partes of the world. The towne tooke her name of this confusion of [Page]tongues, for it was called Babell. And from that tyme (to witte, an hundreth and one and thyrtye yeres after the flood) is gathered the begynnyng of the raygne of Chaldea and of Babilon. Nowe the first kyng was the aforesayde Nimrod,Nimrod the first kinge of Chaldea. who (as it is sayde) raygned sixe and fiftie yeares. The holy scripture calleth hym a mighty hunter, and doeth attribute vnto hym power and violence: others call hym Saturne, & they say that in the fyue and fourtye yere of hys Empyre he sent As­sur, Mede, Magog, and Moscus, for to guyde the bandes of men whiche he sent to inhabite here and there, and for to grounde and establish king­domes of theyr names, to witte, of Assiria, of Mede, of Magog, and of Moscus: whereof the two fyrst apperteyne vnto Asia: the other two last appertayne vnto Affrica, and vnto Europa.

The holye scipture also maketh mencion of that Assur,Assur. and sayeth that the cytye of Nineue was buylded by hym.

Iupiter Belus succeded his father Nimrod, who some say did,Iupiter Belus. occupie all the West parts euen vnto Samaria on Europe, & after that he had made warre agaynst Sabatius kynge of Sag­nos, whome he could not altogether discomfite, because he was preuented by death: but Ninus his sonne vtterly vanquished him,Ninus. and hauynge spred hys dominion farre abroade, he first of all gotte the Monarcke. Thre .C. and fifty yeres af­ter the flood Noah dyed: And about eyghtene yeares after, Abraham the tenth after Noah left [Page]hys countrey by the commaundement of God, be­ing thre score and fyftene yeres olde.

Foure and twentye yeares after God made a Couenaunt with him by the Circumcision,Circūcision instituted. whi­ch he instituted. In the hundreth yere of hys age Isaac hys sonne was borne vnto him, and he ly­ued after that tyme, thre score and fiftene yeres: for the lyfe of man was euen alreadye greatlye shortened.

The holy scriptures teache vs howe, and for what cause Iacob his nephewe came into Egipt where he dyed: and howe those of hys lynage dwelt there for certeyne hundredes of yeres, and beynge oppressed with moste cruell bondage, brought out, and delyuered by the grace of God, vnder the gouernement of Moyses. Nowe thys goyng furth of Israell out of the lande of Egypt,The goyng out of egipt. is coūted to be the .MM.CCCC.LIIII. yere after the creation of the worlde .CCCC.XXX. yeres after the promise was made vnto Abra­ham, as sayeth Paule the Apostle. After Moyses the people of Israell had Iudges vntyll Saull: whome Dauid succeded, beyng the second kynge of that people.

Let vs retourne vnto the Empyre of Babi­lon. After the death of Ninus,Semiramis the widdow of Ninus. Semiramis hys wyfe raigned, who was as noble in riches, victo­ries, and triumphes, as euer was any. She en­larged the towne of Babilon,The noble­nes of Se­miramie. and made it of an indifferent bignes: also she decked it with diuers fayre buildings, and did compasse it with walls. [Page]She vanquished the countrey of Ethiopia, and also made warre agaynst the countrey of India. Zameis her sonne, the fifte kyng, did nothyng worthy of memory:Zameis. But Arius that raigned next after him,Arius. ioyned to hys empyre the Bactrians and Caspians. Aralius his succcessour was (as it is reported) borne to warre:Aralius. and yet not with­standyng, we fynde none of hys actes in wry­tyng. Baleus that folowed hym, did subiect di­uers people vnder hym,Baleus y^t was surna­med Xerxes. & did spreade hys domi­nion euen vnto the countrey of Indea: and ther­fore he was surnamed Xerxes, that is to say, vic­torious, a triumpher, and a man of warre. The nynth called Armatrites,Armatrites was altogether addi­cted vnto voluptuousnes, and ydlenes. There is nothyng found of Belochus the tenth,Belochus. but that he set hys mynde vpon prognostications and di­uinations.Baleus. Baleus the eleuenth is counted to be (next after Semiramis) the most industrious and valiant man of warre: and it is sayd that he was greatly renoumed and praysed by the wry­tyngs of learned men.

Altadas the twelue, loued to be at rest, and to liue a quiet and peaceable lyfe (as the report goth) estemyng it to be a great folly,Altadas. to be tormented and vexed with diuers labours and cares, for to encrease hys kyngdome: for as much as it did not appertayne to the health or commoditie of men, but rather to theyr domage & bondage. The .xiii. that folowed him,Mamitus. named Mamitus, did agayne stirre vp & awake his men to warfare, in such sort [Page]that his power was suspected & feared of y^e Siri­ans & Egiptians.Manchale [...]. There is nothing to be sayd of Manchaleus,Spherus. who is y^e .xiiii. Spherus y^e xv. was (as it is reported) a man of great vertue & wisdō.

There is no act mencioned of Mamelus,Mamelus. who was y^e .xvi. Merueylous thyngs are foūd to haue happened in all places vnder Sparetus the .xvii. Ascarades who was y^e .xviii. did subiect all Siria vnder his obedience.Sparetus. And here endeth Berosus,Ascarades. which is read at this day: of the which booke di­uers do greatly doute, and do iudge it to be false: and not withstanding, they obserue this order, because that herein all other writings faile vs.

Other do count .xx. kyngs vnto Sardanapa­lus,Sardana­palus. who was the .xxxviii. king of Assiria. He was the most effeminate that euer was borne: in such sort that he was always conuersant among wo­men, handling the distafe & spindle, and he was so ouerwhelmed in pleasures and voluptuousnes y^t he scarsly did at any tyme shew him self abroad. These doings of his wer y^e cause that two of his lieutenants, Belochus of Babilon,Belochus. Arbaces. & Arbaces of Medea did conspire against him, & after that thei had openly declared his filthines & dilicatenes, they made war against him. He finally presented himself in campe vnwillingly with his effeminat company: but hauing y^e worst hand, he hastely re­tired into his palace, where after that he had ga­thered a great heape of wood,The ende of Sardana­palus. he brunt him self with all his riches: whereby onely (as one wry­teth) he declared hym self a man.

These two Lieutenantes did afterwards diuide the Monarchie betwene them. Belochus was kyng of Babilon, and Arbaces of the Medes and Persians. Sardanapalus then was the laste kynge of the Assirians accordynge to the order a­boue mencioned, after that this Monarchie had continued M.CCC. yeres: for the moste parte of the kynges dyd lyue a very long tyme. Belochus, the .xxxix. or elles if it seeme better the first kynge of Assiria in the newe Monarchie,Belochus the first king of Assiria in the newe Monarche. made Mana­hem kyng of Israell become tributarie vnto hym. The holy scriptures doth not call him Belochus, but Phul. Hys successour was Phull Assur, sur­named Tiglath Pillesser: who wanne certayue townes of Iudea and led the people captiue into Assiria. It is that Tiglath, whome Achas kyng of Iudea (vnder whome Esay lyued) prayed to succour hym against the kyng of Siria, and vnto whome he sent presentes.

Salmanasar succeded hym,Salmana­sor. who wanne the towne of Samaria, after he had beseged it three yeres, and led Hosea kyng of Israell, wyth the people, captiue, & gaue them a dwellynge place in hys countrey, euen in Medea, as y^e holy scripture saith: wherof some haue opinion that he raigned also ouer the Medes. Sennacherib folowed af­ter him,Senna­therib. who kept hys dwellyng in Nineue. He condemned kyng Ezechias in a great summe of money: afterwards he came and befeged Ierusa­lem with a mighty army, and by the Embassa­dours that he dyd sende, he exhorted the people [Page]to yelde and guye ouer, and rayled on the kung, who hoped for succour at the hand of God. But he remayned not vnpunished: for euen in one night he loste an hundred foure scoure and fyne thousande men, that were kylled by the Angell: the whiche God euen a lytle before had fyrmely promised by Esay, vnto Ezechias the kyng. And beyng retourned home from thence, he was mur­thered euen of his owne children,

Hitherto the Babilonians were subiect to the Assirians, after the ouerthrowe of Sardanapa­lus: but after that Sennacherib (as it is sayde) was so euyll handled nere vnto Ierusalem, and shortly slayne of hys chyldren, thynges were greatly chaunged, and the kyngdome was diui­ded. For the two brethren that had done the murther Adramelech and Sarasar dyd flye, and yet not wythstandynge, dyd put them selues in armes,Assaradon. and made out theyr power agaynst Assa­radon theyr brother, who dyd vsurpe the kyng­dome after the death of hys father: for as muche as before he dyd gouerne the publyke weale in hys fathers absence. Merodach lieutenant of Babilon fyndyng thys occasion fitte for hys purpose dyd rebell:Merodach and after that he had by lytle and lytle partly by fayre meanes, and partly by threates, gotten vnto hym self the countreys there about, he defied Assaradon, and finally hauyng vanqui­shed hym in the twelfth yere of hys raygne, he ioyned the whole Empyre of the Assirians vnto the Babilonians, and raygned fourty yeres.

After him certain authours do place Benmero­dach & Nabuchodonozor the first of y^t name:Benmero­dach. Nabucho­donozor. but for asmuch as y^e holy scriptures make no mencion of him, & seing also we ought not rashly to beleue other writings, we wil here place that Nabucho­donozor (of whom the holy scripture so largely speaketh) next after Merodach. He then shortly after the beginning of his raigne, made war a­gainst the Egiptians, & toke from them y^e whole coūtrey which is from Euphrates vnto Pellusiū. He layed tribute vpon Ioachim king of Iudea: & the .viii. yere of his raigne he brought his sonne king Ieconias captiue into Babilon, with the chief lords & artificers not onely of the citie of Ie­rusalem, but also of the whole coūtrey. The .xviii. yere of his raign, after y^t he had layed siege for the space of two yeres before the citie of Ierusalem, he toke it,The wyn­ning of Ie­rusalem. spoyled it & brunt it, he brake down the walls, & he led the most part of the people away captiue: he put out the eyes of king Zedechias, & slew his children, with the princes. Ieremy did foreshew this miserie, in the first yere of the raign of Nabuchodonozor, & from that time, is to be re­kened the .lxx. yeres of the captiuitie in Babilon.

About the .xxiiii. yere of hys Empyre, after that Nabuchodonozor had vanquished the kyngs of the Amonites & Moabites, he led his army into Egipt: & hauyng gotten the whole countrey, he afterwards began his Monarche. The second yere of his sayd Monarche, as the learned men of our tyme do recken, he saw in hys dreame a mer­ueylous [Page]great Image, whose head was of gold, his breast & armes of syluer,Nabuchodonozor saw a monstrous great image his belly & thyghes were of brasse, his legges were of yron, hys fete partly of yron, and partly of clay. Vho after he was awaked, because he had forgotten his drea­me, and yet not withstandyng was greatly asto­nished therwith, he called together all the soth­sayers, and charmers, whome he commaunded to declare vnto him what his dreame was: the which yf they dyd not, he threatened to put thē to death.Daniel. yong Daniel (who was thither led cap­tiue with the residue from Ierusalem) knowyng thys, he gaue to vnderstand that he could satis­fie the kyngs desyre: who beyng presented, he first of all shewed what the kyng had dreamed: then afterwards he declared what the dreame dyd si­gnifie, saying that the ymage did signifie the foure principall Empyres of the world, which should orderly follow one after another. Herevp­pon he spake on this maner vnto the kyng, say­ing. Thou truly art y^t head of gold: thou (I say) whome God hath endued with power and ma­iestie, vnto whome he hath geuen domination ouer all men, ouer all beastes of the fielde, and ouer the foules of the ayre. After thee shall aryse another kyngdome of syluer: that is to saye, worse than thys of thyne. The thyrde shall be of Brasse, whyche shall haue domination farre abroade. The fourth shall bee of Iron, for euen as Iron bruseth and breaketh all thynges: [Page]so shall that fourth and laste kyngdome, beate downe all the others, and shall make them sub­iect vnto it. Beholde then the first prophecie and neuer hard of before, touchyng the foure Empy­res, the whiche God hath reueyled vnto vs by Daniell: a thyng worthy to be perfectly prynted in memorye, for as much as in fewe wordes it comprehendeth the history of all tymes, euen vn­to the end of the world, as I wyll hereafter de­clare. It suffiseth for thys tyme to know how that God onely from that tyme dyd declare vnto vs the order and mutations of kyngdomes.

Nabucho­donozors power.Now great Nabuchodonozars power was, it is more manifest out of that place of Daniel, where the scripture compareth hym to a tree, whose heyght reacheth vnto heauen, couerynge wyth hys shadowe the whole vniursall world, whose leaues are excedyng fayre, and fruite so pleasant that it was meate for all beasts, in whose bowes and braunches all sortes of byrdes buylte theyr nestes and tooke theyr rest. Thys then is the fyrst Monarche, the whych vnder thys kynge was greatlye angmented and lyfted vp in so­ueraygne dignitie, on the contrarye parte it tooke an ende, and was altogether brought to ruine in his childrens childrens tyme, as God had before shewed by Daniell, and by other pro­phetes, Nabuchodogozor raigned .xliii. yeres. It is nedeful y^t al men (but specially the kings & prin­ces) shuld attentiuely read & consider with what horrible & monstruous example god punished his [Page]pride (as sayth Daniel) to the ende that they may haue the maiestie of god in reuerence, and do their duetie towardes the people commytted vnto their charge.

Euilmero­dach Na­buchodono­sors succes­sour.Euilinerodach hys sonne folowed after hym, who reigned thirtie yeres, and had Assur for hys successour, who reigned but three yeares: Labas­sarbach folowed after him, who kepte the kyng­dome seuen yeres. He being dead, Balthasar dyd enioye the Empyre for fyue yeres. Certaine doe count them after this sort: but the learned men of our time haue these twoo, and place, nexte after Euilmerodach, Balthasar his sonne: & they holde that he reigned fourtene yeres. The which truely is necessary that it should so be, for to furnishe the number of thre score and tenne yeres, duryng the which y^e people of Iudea were captiues amongst the Babilonians: especially seyng that the begin­ning of this captinitie is counted from the nyn­tenth yeare of Nabuchodonosors reigne. They y^t folowe thys order of reckning, and let passe those two kinges before mentioned, do cleaue vnto the holye scripture, but chiefly vnto the testimonye of Ieremie, who did prophecie, that y^e Iewes shuld serue the kinge of Babilon, hys sonne, and hys sonnes sonne. But it is fre for euery man to iudge herein, as they shall thinke good. Notwithstan­ding so it is, that Balthasar, according to y^e holye scripture, was the last Emperour of Babilon,Balthasar the laste Emperour of Babilō. and euery one doe agre therein. Diuers do write after what fort Babilon was takē: but Daniel maketh [Page]mention, how y^t god did foreshewe vnto the king y^e calamitie which did not onely threaten him, but euē already did assalt hym: & sayth y^t the principal part of y^e Empyre was transterred to Daryus of Medea,Darius. beyng then. LXII. yeres olde. The Hi­storiographers do call thys Daryus, Cyaxares, and he was the sonne of Astiages, y^e eyght king of the Medes, whom Daniell doth cal Assuerus who hauing neuer a sonne,Assuerus. gaue his daughter vn to Cyrus of Persia, hys systers sonne: and beyng afterwardes assaulted by the king of the Assyri­ans,Cyrus. he required Cyrus to succour him. Who after y^t he was arriued wyth his armie, & chosen chiefe Captayne of the hoste, he prosperously behaued himself in his charge: for he wanne the most mightye Citye of Babilon. After thys victorye Da­rius is not found to haue liued passing one yeare: and yet then when Daryus lyued, after the ta­king of the Citye, and y^t the people of Israel had bene almoste. LXX. yeares Captiue in Babilon, God reueiled to Daniel things of much more im­portance as he prayed and redde with diligence the prophecye of Ieremye, the foreshewer of that Captiuitye. For he dyd not onelye assure hym of the delyuerance whyche was at hande, but also dyd shewe vnto hym in what tyme the Messyas (who shoulde make satysfaction for the fynnes of the worlde) shoulde come. Dary­us veynge deade, the Empyre came into the handes of Cyrus: and thys is the begynning of an other Monarchye. For Cyrus onely dyd [Page]enioye the countryes of Assyria, Media, and of Persya, euen vnto the sea of Ionia, as Thu­cydides sayeth: moreouer also before the taking of Babilon he dyd take Cresus prysoner in bat­taile, the most myghtye Kynge of Lidia.The second Monarchie of Persia. Cyrus then is the fyrste Kynge of Persya, and the be­gynner of the seconde Monarchye hauyng vain­quyshed the Babilonians, he made warre a­gaynst the Scithians, and went euen hymselfe wyth hys armye to meete them: where he, a moste worthye prynce,The death of Cyrus. was cyrcumuented by layinge of wayte, and beynge taken was kyl­led. In the begynnyng of hys reygne after he had taken Babylon, he perinytted the people of Iudea whych were Captiues, to returne into theyr countrye, and there to buylde agayne the temple and the Citie of Ierusalem: for the accom­plishing wherof he commaunded to giue liberally towardes the expenses. God had exprestye fore­shewed these thinges namely by Esaye, certaine hundred yeres, before y^t euer he was borne. Xeno­phon doth alledge the same in disputing, before his death in the presence of his children, of y^e im­mortalitie of the soule, as it is recitited in Cicero, who hath eloquently translated y^t place, as also al others. Cyrus liued vnto the age of thre score and tenne yeares, he reygned thyrtye yeares, for he was fortye when he came to the crowne.Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus. He had a sonne named Cambyses, whō he made go­uernour of y^e kingdome, when he toke his iournie for to go and make warre against the Scithians. [Page]He in the absence of his father (who was greatly incombered) conquired Egipte: being truly an ex­perte warriar, but otherwise vitious, and retay­ning none of his fathers vertues. Amongest al o­ther his vnhonest, shameles, and cruell actes, he caused his brother traiterously to be slaine. Plato saith in the bookes which he writte concerninge lawes,The sōnes of Cyrus were yll in­structed. that Cyrus erred greatly, in that that he made hys children to be delicatly broughte vp a­mongst women: whereof came to passe that they being waxed great, and being corrupted by flat­terers (forasmuch) as diuers did seke nothing ells but to please them) they sought to slaye one an o­ther after their fathers decease,Darius the thirde king of Persia. Darius the sonne of Histaspos succeded Cambises the second kinge of Persia, who had reigned but a while after hys father. And for because after the death of Cyrus, & after that hys armie was so greatly ouerthro­wen, certaine people, and amongest them the Ba­vilonians, did refuse to be subiect to the Persians as sone as he came to the crowne he put himselfe in armes, and dyd agayne bringe them vnder his Empyre, hauing (after long seige) taken Babilon, by the meanes of Zopirus. After that, he toke vp­on him to make war against y^e Athenians: who not waiting for y^e helpe of y^e Lacedemonians, dyd out of hād gather an hoste of men to the number of tenne thousand: by the which hoste of men vn­der the conduction of Miltiades they dyd ouer­throwe that hys great armye in the place called Marathon.Darius o­uerthrowē by the A­thenians

Darius thought to renue againe his armie:Xerres the fourth Emperour. but he died in that enterprise: & Xerxes his sōne was his successour: who .x. yeres after the said iournye of Marathon (as Thucidides writeth) went into Grecia with an innumerable armie, to bring it vnder his subiection. Wherefore with one com­mon consent the gouernement & principal charge was geuen vnto the Lacedemonians, who were then the most mightiest of all Grecia. But the A­thenians folowing the counsell of Themistocles, dyd leaue their Citye, and hauynge caryed theyr wiues and childrē hether and thether, they toke shipping, and they dyd ouercome the enemie nere the Ile of Salamis.Xerxes o­uerthrowē by the Gre­cians. This victorie dyd saue the countrie of Grecia: for Xerxes being also discomfi­ted by land, he did flye vilanously and vnprospe­rously homewardes. The Grecians also dyd re­turne after his departure, except the Athenians: for hauing in armie aboute a. C.C.C.C. vessells, they sailed further, and gyuing the assault wōne the towne of Sestes in Hellespontus, which the Persians did before kepe: and after that they had wintered there, tourninge homeward vnto their countrie, they gathered together their wiues & children, and did build agayne y^e walles of theyr Citie which was taken and brunt by the enemy, and they did fortifie y^e porte. Cicero writeth that this warre of the Persians,The warre of the Per­sians. or as Thucidides calleth it, of the Medes, fell almost in the selfe same time that that of y^e Volsciens did: wherein was Coriolanus, that was bannished from Rome.

This fell in the yeare of the foundation of Rome. CCLXVI. Herodotus which was before Thu­cidides dyd discribe thys warre of the Persyans. Cicero doth call hym the father of Historyes but he sayeth that he was fylled wyth innumerable fables. The Lacedemonians beynge displeased wyth this fortifycation of their Citye, they (for because they colde doe nothing elles) dyd onelye grudge there agaynst. Synce that tyme, bothe they and the other Grecians, wyth the Atheni­ans ioynynge together theyr power, toke Cy­pria and the towne of Bizance, whych before the Persyans dyd keepe. There was then a­mongest the other Dukes of the Lacedemoni­ans, Pausanias, who beynge conuicted of trea­son, after hys retourne homeward, and beynge fledde to a certayne place of Freedome, he was there constrained to dye for hunger, Themistoles beyng accused of the lyke crime, dyd flye. From that tyme after the Grecians were tourmented with sundry and diuers warres and dissentions, partly cyuill, and partlye forren, the whyche Thucydides doth lyghtlye touche. But fynal­lye fyftye yeares after the departure of Xerxes oute of Grecya Cicero (accordynge to Thu­cydides) sayeth that, that warre was great­lye enflamed,The Pelo­ponnicall Warre a­gainst the Athenians. at suche tyme as the whole coun­trye of the Peloponesyans dyd conspyre against the Athenyans: of whom Perycles, the Dis­cyple of Anaxagoras the Philosopher, was principall Captayne in that warre. Aristophanes [Page]speaketh of hym, saying, that he in makynge hys oration, dyd kyndell, set a fyer, and bourne,Pericles. the whole countrye of Grecia. For then they were both maysters of vertues and of Eloquence. On the other syde Archydamus, the Kynge of the Lacedemonians, had the pryncipall gouerne­ment. Thucydides was the compaynion of Pe­ricles, and he sought narrowlye to folow hys doynges: whoo also dyd putte thys warre in writting: Pericles beynge chosen pretour had for hys Adherante Sophocles a Tragian poet, as Cicero dothe declare.

Let vs nowe retourne vnto Xerxes. He hauing so yll handled hys affayres, fell into suche a contempte,Artaxerxes longhand the 5. Emperour. Darius the bastrard the syxte. that he was slayne of hys owne men. Hys sonne Artaxarxes long hand succe­ded him, towards whome Themistocles (of whō we haue spoken a litle before) being bannished did returne, & there finished his life, and was buried in Magnesie. Darius the Bastarde reigned after longhand, whose sister he had in mariage. The a boue said warre of the Peloponesians fell duryng his raygne, and albeit that the Athenians had alreadye ynough to doe: yet neuertheles the fourth yeare of thys warre they sente an armie by Sea vnto Sycilia, faynynge to helpe the Leontins agaynst the Saragossens: but of trewth, it was for nothing els then to assubiecte that Ile vnder them: the whych yf they dyd, they might the better vainquishe all Grecia.

But as they did often times come and skermishe against them, Hermocrates Siracusanus, coun­ceiled the Sicilians to agree amongest themsel­ues, and to forget all yll will and inimites, consy­dering that the Athenians sought to bring them al to subiection: so then he perswaded them in the seuenth yere of this warre. Thre yeares after the Athenians and the Peloponesiens made peace for fiftie yeres: but it lasted not seuē whole yeres. For they beganne to make diuers manful skermi­shes. And albeit that y^e treatise of peace was not altogether broken, and that often tymes the of­fences were appaised by Truce: neuertheles in y^e tenth yere they dyd put themselues in armes a­gaine & fought outrageously with al their strēgth and power: and this other warre lasted seuētene yeares. Then the Athenians dyd agayne send a nauie verye well appointed vnto Sicilia. The chiefe captaines amongest the residue, were Alci­biades and Nicias:Alcibiades. Nicias. of whom the last (to wite Ni­cias) did by certaine orations greatly disswade y^e people, from that sayling, against the will of Alci­biades. The Peloponesians dyd giue succour to the Sicilians: at length the Athenians ioyned battayle wyth the enemyes in the heauen of Sarrogosa:The ouer­throwe of y^e Athenians in Sicilia but after diuers varieties, and son­drie changes of fortune, they were al ouerthrowē and slayne. As this was doing the Lacedemoni­ans with their Confederats dyd ioyne themsel­ues in league with Darius the King of the Per­sians, against the Athenians. Tissaphernes was [Page 10]the Embassadour of Darius. Moreouer, after Codrus, Polydore the Lacedemonian, and Ari­stomenes of Messene, these that folow of whome some of them did diuers notable actes in the de­fence of the whole countrey of Grecia, other some also in the defence of theyr owne natiue countrey are commonly numbred amongest the principall and most notable Captaines of the Grecians.

The excel­lent captens of Grecia.To witte, Miltiades, Leonidas, Themistocles, Pericles, Aristides, Pausanias, Xantippus, Leo­tychidas, Cimon, Conon, Epaminondas, Leo­sthenes, Aratus of Clarentia, Philopemen. Di­uers of these were exiled and banished. Cicero doth describe the hauen of Sarrogosa, and he sayeth that it was neuer heard of that euer any nauie by sea dyd enter therein by force of armes, except that of the Athenians, whiche was to the number of thre hundred shyppes, and was de­stroyed in the same hauen, by the nature of the same place and hauen: which was the cause that euen then firste of all the strength and power of the towne were ouerthrowen and broken down, so that theyr noblenesse, empyre, and glory pery­shed in the sea. Thucydides sayth that Sicilia is in compasse as much as a great shyppe can saile round about in .viii. dayes, and that it is twenty furlonges distant from sure and firme grounde.

Artaxarxes the. 7.Darius had two sonnes, Artaxerxes Mnemon, and Cyrus: of whome the first succeded hys fa­ther after hys death: Cyrus had to hys domini­on and gouernment, Ionia and Lydia.

But he not content with that which he kept, he made warre agaynst the kyng his brother, wher­in he had the ouerthrow and was slayne. Mar­cus Portius Cato, doeth call this latter Cyrus king of Persia, and (as it is written in Cicero) ex­cellent both in witte and in noblenes of Empyre, and folowyng also Xenophons wrytyng, he prai­seth him for the care and diligence that he toke in husbandrye. For Xenophon put hymself in armes for hym, and he was his very familier: which was cause that afterwards the Atheniās, whose frend Mnemon was, did banyshe hym the coun­trey. Ochus raigned after Mnemon: who was the last of Darius thre sonnes.Ochus. 8. Darius. 9. and y^e last. Darius the last folowed hym: agaynst whome Alexander the sonne of Philippe kynge of the Macedonians made warre, & beyng come by force of armes into Asia, after he had taken the towne of Thebes, and pacified Grecia. He wanne thre battayles of Darius, in such sort that he drew so nere, that he toke his mother and his wife, and his chyldren. Darius truely dyd offer hym faire offers, yea a part of his Empyre, euen vnto the ryuer of Eu­phrates: But alexander did reiect them and cessed not tyll he had altogether vanquished hym.The victo­ries of Alex­ander agaīst Darius. For Darius seyng that it was not possible for hym to obteyne peace vnder these conditions, he dyd ga­ther a most myghty armye for to offer the thyrde battayle, in the which he was cleane ouerthro­wen and murthered of hys owne Souldyours in flyinge: and strayghte wayes after hym the [Page 11]kyngdome of Persia, whiche had endured two hundred yeres and vpwards, was plucked vp by the rootes. By these noble victories, Alexander brought vnder hys obedience almost all the East countrey, & dyd tranferre the dignitie of the Em­pyre of Asia into Europa, so that he dyd consti­tute the thyrde Monarche.Alexander y^e beginner of the thirde Monarchye. After that also he made warre agaynst the Indians, but he coulde not moderatelye beare so great aduauncement and clemencye of Fortune (suche is the infirmitye of men:) And therefore as he dyd many thyngs insolently, and would almost be worshypped as a GOD: he beyng arriued at Babilon dyed of an ague, or as others say, of poison when he was thyrty yeres old, and had raygned twelue yeres. Calanus Indus (as Cicero sayeth) dyd foreshew hym the ende of hys lyfe. For euen as he was readye to caste hym selfe into a burnynge fy­er, and that Alexander dyd aske hym yf he had anye thynge to saye. All goeth verye well (sayeth he) I shall see thee shortelye.

And shortely after Alexander dyed. Hys discease is referred to the hundreth and fourtene Olym­piades: and to the foure hundreth and nyne and twentye yere of the foundation of Rome: Three hundreth and two and twenty yere before the natiuitie of Christ. He was a feruent great lo­uer of good letters,Alexander a louer of good letters. and verye liberall towards the learned men: For the cause whereof, he hath been greatly praysed of diuers.

He had the poesie of Homere in great dilectation: In such sort, that albeit that he had with hym (as it is sayde) diuers that did wryte his actes, not withandynge when he came into Sigia, standyng by Achiles tombe, O thou happy yong man (sayeth he) that hast founde Homere for to wryte and magnifie thy vertue. For euen as he would chiefely be paynted by Apelles, and hys Image to be grauen by Lisippus, so in lyke ma­ner he would be praysed and commended to the remembraunce of hys posteritie by them, who in praysyng hym might obteyne honour and fame for the excellentnes of their spirite. He gaue Ari­stotle his maister charge, to put in wryfyng the nature of all beastes. And to thys end he appoyn­ted certaine thousands of men throughout all Grecia & Asia: to witte, vnto Heard kepers, Hun­ters, Fishers, Marchaunts of fishe, Byrdcatchers and such lyke, who should playnly informe hym of all thynges. It is sayd moreouer that he gaue the sayd Aristotle in recōpence of hys payn eyght hundred talents, which amount accordyng to y^e reckenyng of the learned men of our tyme,The libera­litie of Alexander tow­ards lear­ned men. to CCCC. LXXX. thousand crownes courrant. He sent to Xenocrates the Philosopher by his Em­bassadours fiftie talentes, which amounteth to xxx. thousande crownes: but he refusynge them sayd that he had no nede of so great a summe, the Embassadours beyng returned, what (sayd Alex­der) hath he no frendes for to do hym pleasure? Cicero sayeth that in his youth, when he was [Page 12]the disciple of Aristotle, he declared hym self to be of a very good spirite, and to be greatly modest: but after he was made kyng, he behaued himself proudly, cruelly, and altogether vnmoderatly.

The Historiographers do mencion merueylous things of the magnificence, dilicatnes and super­fluitie of Darius.The super­fluitie of Darius. For to y^e ende y^t his body should wāt no voluptousnes, he had in his campe expert Cokes y^t could dresse all maner of meates, & make all maner of dilicates, with makers of oyntmen­tes. Diuers also haue described how great the magnificence and preparations of the kynges of Persia was, in theyr ordinary eatyng and dryn­kyng. Their custome was (as Cicero sayeth) to haue many wiues, vnto whome thei did bequeth certain cities, to the ende that the one myght fur­nyshe their head tyer, others such and such an or­nament. Such therefore, as I haue sayde, was Darius end: and in flying, when he had dronke troubled water, and which was infected wyth dead mens bodies, he affirmed that in hys lyfe tyme he neuer dranke more sweter drynke,Darius end for he dyd neuer absteyne so longe from drynke that he coulde be drye.

After the death of Alexander, thys great Empyre was diuided amongest hys chyefe Lor­des: To wytte, Ptolomeus, Laomedon, Anti­gonus, Cassander, Leonatus, Eumene, Python,The succes­sors of Alex­ander. Lysimachus, Antipater, Meleager, and Seleu­cus. Amongest them, the pryncipall was Seleu­cus [Page]kyng of Assiria, Ptolomeus of Egypt, An­tigonus of Asia the lesse, Cassander after y^e he had oppressed all Alexanders kynsfolkes, was synce made kynge of Macedonia and of Grecia.

Lysimachus is he with whome Alexander be­yng on a certayne tyme angrye,Lysimacus. dyd cause hym to be shutte vp wyth a Lyon: But vnderstan­dyng that he had kylled the sayde Beast, he had hym afterwarde in great honoure and estimati­on. Furthermore, great warres were moued as wel amongest the sayd successours (the whych doeth commonly happen) as also amongest theyr sonnes, and theyr sonnes sonnes, for as muche as these outragious Spirites, coulde not for ambition, keepe theym selues in Peace, but dyd seeke to encrease theyr powers in doynge o­thers wronge.

By these warres, whyche remayned a longe whyle,The begin­ning of the fourth Mo­narchy. all these countreys were greatly spoyled, so that by lytle and lytle, they fell into the Ro­maynes handes: who enlarged so theyr domi­nion, that they established the fourth & last Mo­narche: Of the whyche at thys present it is re­quisitte we shoulde entreate of.

Nowe, amongest the Kynges of Egypt, Alexan­ders successours,Ptolome­us Phila­delphus the father of good letters. Ptolomeus Philadelphus, a Prynce of great name is also numbred. For he loued peace as much as was possible for him, and he dyd styrre vp and awaken the liberall Artes, and instituted rewardes and gyftes for the same, and caused a large and a greate Librarye to be [Page 13]made: so that also he caused the Bookes of Moy­ses and of the Prophetes, to be translated into the Greke tongue.

The begynnynge of Rome was at that tyme as the Kynge Salmanasar (of whome it hath been spoken) dyd raygne ouer the Assyrians.The time in whiche Rome was builte. To witte, in the fyrste yeare of the seuenth Olympi­ades, accordynge to Plutarchus: the thre thou­sande, two hundreth and twelue yeare, aboute foure hundreth yeares after that Eneas had begonne to raygne ouer the Romaynes, after the warre of Troye, whyche Homere dyd de­scribe: of the age of whome,The warre of Troye. no moore then of the Countrey, we fynde nothynge mencioned of anye certentye, excepte that Cicero sayeth,The age of Homer vn­certayne. that he was longe tyme before the foundati­on of Rome, and before Romulus. Howe be it, so it is, that there remayneth no prophane Wryter moore auncient then his Poesie: For as Horatius sayeth:

The begin­ning of the Romaines.Cicero is of the same opinion, and sayeth that no mencion is founde of anye Oratour be­fore Homere. The originall of the Romayne people was smale and contemptible: But for be­cause that GOD had so ordeyned it (as it shall hereafter be declared) it became merueilous great.

In the begynnynge seuen kynges dyd ragyne there for the space of two hundred fourtye and foure yeres.The first gouernement at Rome. Cicero wryteth that Solon and Pi­sistratus, lyued in Athens in the tyme of Serui­us Tullus the sixte kyng: and that Pythagoras florished in Italie at such tyme as Tarquin the proude was put to flyght. He sayth moreouer y^t in the raygne of Seruius Tullus the citie of A­thens had endured already seuen hundred yeres. The kinges beyng put downe, the gouernement was geuen vnto two Consulles,Two Con­suls gouern whose office did laste but one yere. L. Iunius Brutus the cheife Consull, was as vigillant and constant to kepe and preserue the libertie beyng gotten, as euer he was desyrous and prompte to put downe the kyngs & to establish y^e redom. For when his two sonnes Titus & Tiberius did consult wit other yonge Romaine gentlemen, for to reestablishe the Tarquins, their enterprise being disclosed by som coūsel breaker, he caused them openly to be behea­ded. He displaced Tarquiin Coleatin his felow in office: who also was companion in putting down the kynges, and to the bryngyng of the enterpri­ses to passe. Cicero doth defend thys act as iuste, and affirmeth y^t it was bothe for the vtilitie & ho­nestie of the countrey that the name of the Ter­quins shoulde be abolyshed and the memorie of the kyngdome wyped out.

The Fabi­ens slauter.Nowe, amongest the sundrye fortunes of the Romaine people, when the whole Tuscane had conspired, thre hundred of the house of the Fabi­ens [Page 14]beynge gone furthe of Rome agaynste the enemie, were al slaine and cutte in pieses, none re­maining, saue one litle child, who since renewed the familye. Thys came to passe thre and thirtye yeres after the kings were put downe. Thre hundreth yeres after the foundation of the Citie, be­cause of the tumultes & conspiraties that were in the publike weale, embassadours were sent into Grecia, for to bring lawes from thence, which the Citie shoulde vse from thence forth. At whose re­turne the state of the publike weale was changed and tenne men were chosen to haue the supreme gouernement:Tenne mē elected to be supreme gouernors. but thys estate endured not fullye thre yeres. For Appius Claudius, the one of these tenne, coueting wickedly to rauishe a yonge dam­sel 01 the doughter of L. Virginius citezen of Rome he gaue the people occasyon to abolishe the whole order of them.The wic­ked cupidi­tie of Appi­us Clau­dius. Wherefore the gouernement came againe to consuls: but thys also lasted but a lyttle time, for they did creat Tribunes of souldiours geuing them such power as the Consuls had,The thirde mutatiō of y^e Romain Policie. but these were displaced at the yeares ende, and dyd agayne gyue place to the Consuls.

In that time which was the thre hundreth and fyften yeare of the age of the Citye, L. Quintus Cincinatus, caused Spurius Melius,Melius slain for his ambition. to be slaine of C. Seruilius Hala y^e maister of Horses, because that he by the meanes of distributing of certayne corne, did seke to make him selfe king in the Citye his house also was rooted vp. Two yeares after the gouernement retourned to the Tribnus of [Page]souldiours, who since were no more elected two, but diuers together, accordinge as it pleased the people, & as the state of the publike weale did re­quire. This gouernement did enduer nere hande thre score & tenne yeres: and amongst the resydue, M. Furius Camillus was excellent in this estate,Camillus surmunted all other in vertue. and surmounte all others in vertue. After he had done good seruice to the cōmon wealth, was vā ­nished through the vngratitude of the Citezens, hauing bene alreadye foure tymes Tribun. But shortly after he was reestablished in his dignitye, for deliuering the Citie of Rome beyng taken frō the French Senoniens, whom he put to flyghte two yeres after, being made Dictator, fewe yeres after, M. Manlius, who did defend the Capitell, from the French men, was exhibited the dominiō of the rocke called Tarpeius, for suspition that he would get the kingdome to himselfe: and herevp­on a decree was made, that from thence furth after no noble man of the house of the Manlius shoulde bee called Marcus. Camillus was sence chosen for y^e seuenth time Tribune of souldiours: and he dyed of a verye great age, thre hundreth foure score and nyne yeares after the foundation of the Cytye, and one yeare before the gouerne­ment and care of the publyke weale was taken from the Tribunes and restored to the Consuls: of whome then onelye one was of the com­mon sorte.The excel­lēt captains of Rome.

That age had syngular notable Captaynes in the Cytye of Rome: To wytte M. Valerius [Page 15]Coruinus, T. Manlius Torquatus, C. Mar­tius Rutilius, P. Decius Mus, Papyrius Cur­sor, Publius Philo, L. Volumnius, and others. Amongest these here named T. Manlius Tor­quatus Consul caused his sonnes head (albeit he had gotten the victorye) to be stroken of, because he had, agaynste the lawe and out of hys order, foghten hand to hād against y^e enemy, P. Decius Mus, in the battaile against the Latins, vowed himselfe to dye for the armie of the Romaine peo­ple: and passyng throughe the thickest of the ene­myes, he was slayne: wherewith the Romaines beyng alreadye enflamed dyd agayne encourage themselues, & got the vpperhand. His sonne who bare the self same name, and was also Consul, did euen the like foure and fortye yeares after: in the battaile whych the Romaines had agaynste the Frenche Senoniens. In the tyme aboue sayde, whyche was foure hundreth and twentie yeres after the foundatyon of Rome, Alexander the great, the beginner of the thyrde Monarchye, dyd floryshe and went a warrefare,Papyrius Cursor. it hath bene sayde. Titus Liuius compareth L. Papyrius Cursor wyth hym and makynge a certayne trai­tyes for to recreate aswell hys spyrite as the readers, he shewed that amongest others he coulde resyste Alexander, yf paraduenture af­ter he had assubiected the countrye of Asya he would passe throughe Europa wyth hys armye for to make warre agaynste the Romaynes.

The said Papyrius was a man greatly vertuous for (ouermitting his other actes) when T. Ver­turius Caluinus, and Spurius Posthumius Al­binus, Consuls, weare, wyth the whole armye putte vnder subiection by the Samnites in the straightes of Candines,A place in Italie so called. and had vnhonnestly a­greed with the enemy, he beyng made Consul, he put them to flight and wanne y^e victorie. Sence beynge Dictator, he declared vpon the maister of his Horses, how narrowly the discipline of war­faire ought to be kept and executed.Socrates y^e foūtaine of Philosophi. This age & the former did bring forth in Grecia most learned men. For Socrates did then florishe. Of whom, as out of a fountaine, proceded Aristippus, Plato Antisthenes, Speusippus, Aristotels, Dicear­chus, Xenocrates, Heraclides, Thophrastus, Po­lemo, and Strato, who were all phisitions, and according to the saying of Cicero, contemplators and searchers out of nature. There was also ora­tours of greate fame, as Gorgias, Protagoras, Prodicus, Hippias, Isocrates, Lisias, Demosthe­nes, Hiperides, Aeschines, Phalereus, Demetri­us, Demochares. But of the Historiographers, Xenophon whom Cicero doth call Socraticus, and Calisthenes the compaynion of Alexander y^e great, were the chiefest. Denis the tyrante of Sa­ragosse lyued at that tyme: vnto whom Plato beyng come, and hauing freely spokē of the duety of a prince, he was in very great danger of his life as Cicero reciteth.The actes of Denis y^e Tirante. This is he who did not com­mitte the sauegard of his body to his kinsfolkes, [Page 16]but vnto cruel and barbarous men gathered here and there: who taught his daughtours to shaue for feare of putting his necke in y^e barbers hands: who toke from them the handling of Iron, and steelle when they were come to age, & taught thē to bourne awaye hys bearde and his heare wyth nuttes shells: who came not in the night to hys women, before that he had sought and searched through out: who forasmuch as he durste not propound his oration in the ordinarie feates and skaffoldes, he did the same from oute of a tower: who declared vnto Damocles the flatterer, what was his felicitie, which he did esteme so greatlye when he caused him to sytte at hys table, where wanted no maner of delicates, and where was excessiue abondance of all thinges, and yet in the meane time he caused a sword to descēd from out of a planke, or beame, right ouer his head holding only but by the heare of an horses taile.

Pyrrhus against the Romains.About two and fourtie yeres after the death of Alexander, Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes made warre against y^e Romains, and went into Italie. The second yeare of the warre, he solicited y^e Se­nate to enter into a certayne traities of peace and alliaunce: but Appius Claudius, being of a verye great age and blind, who before seuentene yeares was twise Consul (as Cicero sayeth) he came in Parlament, and did disswade the Senate (other wise inclyned therto) to agree or make peace with hym, for he was of so great a courage, that for his misfortune he did not leaue of from doing all [Page]endeuour both priuatly and publikely. The orati­on that he made concerning Pirrhus, for to hyn­der the peace, was found yet in Ciceros tyme, as 1 he himselfe witnesseth C. Fabricius Luscinus did good seruice then to y^e publike weale.The fayth­fullnes of Fabricius. Who beyng solicited of Pyrrhus for to rebell, dyd nothing re­gard his great presents nor promises. Moreouer he sent againe vnto him prisoner a certaine Fugi­tiue, who did assure him to poisō the king. Cicero doth compare him to Aristides of Athens. Mani­us Curius Dentatus did altogether ouerthrowe Pirrhus at his second retourne into Italye, and triumphed ouer him. Pirrhus was the first y^e did euer bring Elephantes into Lucania. The Ro­maines hetherto, almost for fyue hundreth yeres space did onely make war with y^e people of Italie amongest whom the Latins, Veientes, Eques, Falisques, Samnites & the Toscanes did stoutly resyst, and did often times rebell: being sometimes vanquished, and sometimes getting the victorye: who finally beinge ouercome and pacifyed, there brust forth a longe & great warre against the Car­thagians, whose Citie was much more auncient then Rome,The fyrste warre of Carthage. as it is most euident.

Thys warre beganne amongest them in the yeare of Rome foure hundred foure score and fiue in the which the fortune of M. Attilius Regulus is worthy of Memorie. For he beyng taken of the Carthagians, and sent to Rome for to treate for peace and for the change of prisoners, vpō charge and condition, that yf he dyd obtayne nothinge [Page 17]he should render himselfe againe prisoner: after he was thether ariued,An acte worthye of Memorie. he gaue cleane contrarye counsell to the Senate, and declared that it was not for the prosite of the publyke weale so to doe. Afterwardes folowing hys opinion, that fayth ought to be kepte euen vnto the enemie,The cruell death of Attilius Regulus. he retourned vnto Carthage, where he was put to death after the moste cruellest maner in the world: for they did cutte of hys eye liddes: and being bound to an ingine, he was killed wyth ouerwakyng. During this warre the Romaines at the fyrste did fyght luckelye by sea in Sicilia against Han­no, vnder the conduction of Plubius Duillius, Consull.

Thys Duillius, and Manius Curius,Excellent consulls. C. Fabri­cius Attilius Calatinus, Cuee and publius Sci­piones, Aphricanus, with Marcellus & Fabius are named of Cicero amongst the excellent Cap­taines of Rome. The yere folowing, L. Corneli­us Scipio dyd take the Illes of Corsica, and of Sardinia. This warre of Affricke (which had endured twenty and three yeares) was pacifyed vnder Quintus Luctatius, Catule Circus and Auleus Manlius, Consulls. Twoo yeares after Ennius was borne, whoo was fyue yeares el­der then Marcus Portius Cato, whome he dyd call hys familier frende. The Romaius weare then agayne occupyed wyth neewe warres agaynste the Faliscyans, Geneneens, Sclauoniens, Frenche men, them of Ba­uiers, and the Lombardes.

The second warre of Carthage.Who beyng vaynquished, there bruste forth ano­ther warre of the Carthagiens, foure and twenty yeares after y^e peace was made, vnder P. Scipio and Titus Sempronius Longus Consuls. Ha­niball was the head captaine, who assaulted the towne of Sagonte: & passing through Spayne into Fraunce, & from thence into Italy, he wanne thre battailes one after another against the Ro­mains. The fyrste at Ticinum,A Citie in lumbardy called nowe Pauia. Quintus Fabius a most prudēt Captaine. the other at the floode of Trebia, the thyrd at the lake Trasime­nus. But Quintus Fabius beyng made dictator, and goyng to mete the enemy, he by his lingring did stoppe and breake his violence and inuasyon. It is he in the praise of whom Ennius writeth.

Cicero doth Iudge him to be of a verye subtyll minde, and that he could easely concele, holde hys peace, disemble, spye out and preuent the enterpri­ses of enemyes. Since, the Romain people did re­ceaue a great ouerthrowe in the place called Can­nes: the which gaue such occasion of feare to the Citie, that diuers of the chiefest were mynded to forsake it and to flye awaye. But they were com­forted and kepte backe by P. Cornelius Scipio, the sonne of Publius,Archime­des excellēt in Algoris­me musike, & Geome­trie, & Astro nomie. a verye hardye and man­full yonge man, who was then but goynge into xxv. yeres. Foure yeares after M. Marcellus dyd winne the towne of Saragosse, after long seyge. Archimedes, an excellent Mathematicion, was killed in y^e assaulting of the towne: who making [Page 18]certayne fygures in the dust, dyd nothyng doubt of the takynge of the countrey. Marcellus was greatly wrathe at hys death, when he vnder­stode it: and commaunded to bury hym. As con­cerninge the towne, he dyd not onelye leaue it whole and sounde (as Cicero sayeth) but also in such sort decked, that it might haue bene a perpe­tuall monument of hys victorye, gentlenes and clemencie. And lykewyse he sayeth, that in the victorye of Marcellus there was not so manye men slayne, as there were gooddes spoyled at the commyng of Verres Pretor into the sayde Cyty. But Titus Liuius saith y^t it was a very pituous thinge to see the villanies that were there com­mitted by angre, enuye, and couetousnes. A hun­dred, thyrtie and seuen yeres after, Cicero beyng Treasurour of Sicilia,Cicero trea­surour of Sicilia. did shewe Archimedes sepulchre vnto the Senate of Saragosse, the whiche he knewe by a certaine discription, all be it, that it was altogether ruinated and so couered with Briers and Thornes, that euen they of the Citie knewe not where it was. The sayde Cicero sayeth, that the towne of Sarragosse is the grea­test and fayrest of all the townes of Grecia, and is compacte and made of foure great townes: of the Ile, where the fountayne of Arethusia is full of fishe: of Acradina; where is the market place, and the couered Galleries, with the Palaice or Par­lement house: of Tyche, where the temple of For­tune is: of the newe towne, which was laste of all buylte, and it hath a very large Theatre.

Now amongest all other nacions the countrey of Sicilia dyd first of all encline vnto the amitie and loyaltie of the Romaines:Sicilia the first ꝓuince. and was the first that was named a Prouince, as witnesseth the sayde Cicero. After the victorye of Cannes, Hanniball tooke all Campania, which yelded vnto hym. His armie also wyntered at Capua, where it was effe minated and corrupted through the abundance and superfluitie of all thynges.Superflui­tie & wan­tonnes vn­profitable in an armye. Thre yeres after the takyng of Sarrogosse, Capua was geuen to the Romains by composition. There was great and long deliberation, for to know whether the towne should be rased: but finally, it was conclu­ded that it shoulde be kept. Not withstandynge for to take from them all meanes for euer of rebel­lion, theyr territorie was taken from them, and al office and Senate with the publyke counsell.

To be short they had no forme of a publyke weale left them: but it was ordeyned that the towne should serue as a berne, and place for to holde and house the fruite of the whole territorie there a­bout, and for to lodge the labourers. Two yeres after,The ouer­throwe of Asdruball. Asdruball brought freshe souldiours into Italy to the succour of Hanniball, but he was ouerthrowen neare the flood called Metaurus, by the consulles M. Liuius Salinator, and C. Claudius Nero. In the meane tyme, P. Corneli­us Scipio, of whome mencion hath bene made, prospered luckely in Spaygne, albeit that his fa­ther and his vncle had bene there slaine. And af­ter that he had recouered the whole Prouince, [Page 19]retourned to Rome, where he was chosen con­sull. He required that the countrey of Affricke might be assigned hym for to make warre there.

But Q. Fabius Maximus, beynge of a great age dyd sharpely withstand hym, and was of opinion that it behoued not to go into Affricke, but that it was mete and conuenient to make warre with Hanniball. Scipio was of a contrary opinion, be­cause that yf they did make warre agaynst the Carthagians in their countrey, they shoulde be forced to call agayne Hanniball from Italy, as he vppon whome lay all theyr helpe and succour.

After long stryfe the Senate assigned Sicilia vnto Scipio, and did permitte hym to take the spoyle of Affricke, yf it were for the commoditie of the publyke weale.

He then tooke his iourney from Sicilia vnto Af­fricke: and dyd proue by effect that which he had before forshewed vnto the Senate. For the Car­thagians hauynge lost certaine battayls against hym, and beyng greatly endomaged,The victory of Scipio [...] Affricke. dyd call a­gayne Hanniball. So that by thys meanes, he who for sixtene yeares space, had not ceassed to hunt through Italy, who also had encamped his army nere the walles of the cytye of Rome, was constrained (albeit, it was soore against his will) to retyre homewarde to hys countrey. Finallye, Scipio wan a great battaile of hym: who after­wards by the wyll of the Senate, made peace with the enemy: herevppon the surname of Affri­cus was gyuen vnto hym.

But here to be consydered, from howe great trou­bles the Romaines were delyuered: for euen al­readye by the space of certaine yeares, all their for­tune hunge by a very small threde: but it was be­fore predestinated that they shoulde come to an ende of all violence and calamitie, and shoulde be Lordes of the worlde. The which (as some saye) Hanniball did foresee, when his brother Asdru­ball was vanquished. Horatius reciteth his very wordes which he then sayde, in the verse by the which he prayseth Drusus and his familie. And for because that the said Verse is most learned and elegant, it doth well deserue that the youth should learne the same by harte. The peace being concluded with the Carthagiens, besides the o­ther warres wherewith the Romains were in­combred to witte, in Italy, Istria, and Portin­gale, they made another great warre also against Philippus kyng of Macedonia,Warre a­gaynst Phi­lip of Mace­donia. who had afflic­ted and oppressed the countrey of Grecia. Titus Quintus Flaminius was the chief captaine of this warre: who after the ouerthrow of the ene­mie, reestablished the countrey of Grecia in her li­bertie, by the consentinge of the Senate. And a­mongest all other articles, he charged king Phi­lip, not to go a warfare without the limites of Macedonia, vnlesse he had permission of the Se­nate. This warre ended,Another war against Antiochus king of Sy­ria. another folowed it, against Antiochus king of Siria: Who being passed into Europa, was ouercome by M. Gala­brio, and driuer out of Grecia. For the accom­plishing [Page 20]whereof, the aboue said Philip kyng of Macedonia did geue succour to the Romaines. These kinges of Asia, of Syria, and of Macedo­nia, did descend of them who after the death of Alexander the great dyd diuide amongest them the Prouinces, as it hath been said. For after that Carthage was pacified and, all Italye brought vnder the subiection of the Romains,The greate authority of the romain [...] and that they had also conquered the other coun­treys of Europa more nearer, both by Sea and by land: they were growen to such power, that euen the Kynges and the peoples farre of dyd craue succour and helpe of them: Whiche amon­gest others, the Egiptians did. For because that their Kyng Ptolemeus Epiphanes, being then but of fewe yeares, was not apt to the gouern­ment of the publyke weale, and for that they stood in great feare of Antiochus: they sent Em­bassadours to Rome, by whome they did desyer the Senate to take the lytle king into their safe­gard. This being agreed vpon, the Senate did will Antiochus not to meddle or make with Egipt. Whereat he being displeased (especially be­cause that Hanniball the fugitiue, did incite him as much as was possible,Antiochus vanquished and spoyled. to make warre) he sai­led into Grecia with his armie: where he was ouerthrowen as we haue before saide. After that, the Romaines made a new armie by Sea, for to folowe and pursue him: and being sayled into Asia, they dyd vanquishe and gette a great Bat­tayle of him and dyd putte hym to flyght from [Page]beyond the mounte of Taurus.

After hys ouerthrowe he was wont to saye (as Cicero reciteth) that the Romaine people had done hym a great pleasure, in easynge hym from ouer great charge, and in leauing him so straight limittes of hys countrey. L. Cornelius Scipio the brother of P. Scipio Affricanus did conduct this warre: who for this cause was surnamed Asiaticus. Shortly after M. Fuluius, surnamed Nobilior, dyd subdue the Etolians, and trium­phed ouer them. And when P. Scipio Affrica­nus (who in that warre had been lieutenant for his brother) was retourned to Rome, the Tri­bunes of the people beganne to trouble and tor­ment hym. Wherefore he departed from thence and went into Laterne to hys Towne: and there as certaine saye thys noble man dyed, beyng nine and fourty yeres olde,The deathe of Pub. Scipio. no yonger nor elder then M. Portius Cato. Cicero in the Dialogue which he wrote of olde age, doth introduct Cato, & spea­keth louyngly and honorablye of the age of them bothe, and of theyr studyes. But aboue all he magnifieth the greatnes of courage that was in Scipio. Titus Liuius sayth that Cato did beare hym enuy, & that he vsed to take this hys fortune and prosperitie in euyll parte.Cato enui­ous agaynst Scipio. Cicero affirmeth that he was prompt and quicke in all his affay­res. In that tyme floryshed Ennius Plautus, and Nenius, Poetes.

Antiochus beynge ouerthrowen, Hanniball dyd flye vnto Prusias kynge of Bithinia. And for [Page 21]because that the Romaynes dyd require that he shoulde be rendered vnto them,Hanniball poysoneth hym selfe. he droncke poy­son, and so kylled him selfe.

Antiochus the noble succeaded this Antiochus: He also dyd deliberate to gette the kyngdome of Egypte, for as muche as he was the Vncle of Ptolomeus Philometor, Kyng of Egypte: who beyng yet but a chylde, had succeaded hys father deceassed. Wherefore he declared hym selfe to be hys Protectour, myndynge by thys meanes to oppresse hym, and to take to hym selfe the chyefe dignitie. But hys enterpryses beynge knowen, the Romaynes (whome the Egyptians had agayne solicited to succour them) dyd hasten to sende C. Popilius Lenas in Embassage. Who beynge comme to speake face to face with Antio­chus, he wylled hym in the name of the Romaine people, to departe from Alexandria whyche he kept beseiged: but as Antiochus did aske respit to aduise therevppon, Popillius made a rounde cir­cle before hym with the rodde that he helde, and did commaunde him to declare what he mynded to do, before he departed from thence. By thys meanes he, who was not ignoraunt of the po­wer of the Romaines, was so affrayed that he promysed to leaue all thinges in peace.Popilius maketh An­tiochus af­frayed. These thinges are recited to the ende to declare howe by litle and litle the Romaines are waxed greate of small beginninges, and howe they did so ad­uaunce them selues, that they assubiected almost all countryes.

For euen alreadye, theyr valyauntnesse was passed through Italy, and had inuaded diuers parts of the world. Not withstanding, there was yet many lettes, and inconueniences, in such sort, that they had no lytle a do for to esta­blyshe thys so great an Empyre, which should comprehend and compasse the principall part of the world, as I wyll here after orderly and briefly declare. Philip kyng of Macedonia, of whome mencion hath been made, beinge very wroth, for that he was so enclosed by the Ro­maynes, purposed to begynne to make warre agayne. But he was preuented by death, and Persea hys sonne succeaded hym, who of long tyme was so eneduraged agaynst the Romay­nes in such sort, that he tooke in hand as it were the heritage of makyng warre.

But L. Emylius Paulus (who had been twyse Consull) finally dyd gyue hym the ouerthrow in playne battaylle,Persea king of the Mace­donians ta­ken prisoner and tooke hym Prysoner, wyth hys Wyfe, hys Mother, and hys Chyl­dren, whome also he ledde away in triumphe.

And for thys victory he was surnamed Mace­donicus. From that tyme also Macedonia was made a Prouince of the Romaynes. In the for­mer laste yeare, Ennius beynge three score and tenne yeares olde (accordynge to the sayinge of Cirero) departed oute of thys lyfe. Fewe yeares after, P. Cornelius Nasica, dyd assubiect the Dalmatians.

The thirde warre of Carthage.And incontinently after y^e thirde warre of Affrike beganne to brust forth. For because that the Carthagiens, who could not liue in rest, did moue warre and oppresse their neyghbours, but chiefly Massinisse king of Numidie, the compainion and frend of the Romaines: the Romaines beyng re­quired to succour them, purpossed to put themsel­ues in armes, aboute the sixe hundreth and foure yere after the foundation of Rome.Diuers iudgments as touching the preser­uation, or distructiō of Carthage. But their opi­nions were diuers, to wytte, whether it were more conuenient to breake downe and destroy the Citie, then to preserue it. The saying of them who were of opinion that it was not conuenient that it should be destroied, was, that if Carthage were once taken away, they would afterwardes euen amongest themselues, make hurliburlies by seditions & ciuill warres. But M. Portius Cato did counsell the contrary, declaring the great dan­ger which did threatē the publike weale of Rome, if thys Citie were not vtterlye rooted vp and de­stroied. His opinion gotte the victorie, albeit that he disceased in thys deliberation,The death of P. Cato. hauynge lyued foure score and fiue yeres. Cicero doth name hym amongest the auncient oratours, and doth place hym nexte vnto Marcus Cornelius Cethegus, who he saith was renoumed of Ennius. He sayth moreouer, that an hundreth and fyftie of Catos orations were found, full of learned wordes and notable matters: and rebuketh y^e nicenes of hys time, because they did not regarde to reade them diligently ouer. He compareth him to Lysias the [Page]Scriuener of Athenes, P. Scipio Aemilianus y^e sonne of Paulus Macedonicus, and the nephew by adoption of P. Scipio Aphricanus, had the charge and gouernement of the thyrde warre of Carthage. And foure yeres after y^t certain others had begonne the war, he came and assaulted Carthage wyth suche force, that hauyng constrained them to yelde, he spoiled it, brunte it, and beate it downe to the ground.The distruction of Car­thage. By reason wherof he was also surnamed Aphricus, aswell as he who dyd vanquishe Hanniball, as it hath bene sayde. And behold here y^e end of a most myghtie Citie whose foundation was more ancient then that of y^e City of Rome: and being nothing inferrior in excellēcie of captaines, did greatly enlarge her dominiō. Ci­cero writeth that P. Scipio after the takinge of Carthage, did render vnto y^e Sicilians the Ima­ges and ornaments y^t the Carthagians had take from them aforetime: and did render vnder the Agrigentins that renoumed bul which is said to haue bene within the tyrante Phalaris denne, wherin he vsed to shut vp lyue men, for to bourne them with fier which he did kindell in the toppe therof. This Phalaris was not killed by craftye snares or intrapmentes, as diuers other tyrantes were, but all the Agrigentins on a heape did caste themselues vpon him to slay him. Cicero nameth the country of Affrike,The warre of the Ro­maines a­gainst the Acheans. the bulwarke and fortresse of all the prouinces.

About that time the Romains stirred vp warre against the Acheans, a certaine people of Grecia, [Page 23]because that they had violated & outraged theyr Embassadours. The head of this armie was the Consul L. Mummius, who also wāne the victo­rie in such sort, that al Achaia dyd yeld vnto him.The de­struction of Corin­thius. And by the wyll of the Senate he brunte Corin­thus the principall and chiefest Citie of all Grecia as sayth Cicero: & he did vtterly beate it downe to the ground, to take away all feare of euer buyl­ding or reestablishing it againe. Mummius was for the gettynge of thys vyctorye surnamed Achaicus.

Warre a gainst Vi­riatus.In y^t time also one named Viriatus, did vsurpe the kingdome of Portingall, who frō a shepharde was become a hunter, from a hunter to a theyfe, and fynally a conductour of a myghty armye. He dyd fyghte for the space of certayne yeares a­gaynst the Romaynes, and often tymes to hys owne aduantage. But at the last he was slain by treason. By thys meanes the Consul Decius Iu­nius Brutus dyd vanquishe all portingall euen vnto the Ocean sea.

The war of Numance.In the meane time during these troubles, the Romains had receiued a great ouerthrow of thē of Numance in Spaine. And therfore because o­ther wise it shuld be greatly ignominius vnto thē they mynded not to keepe the traitye of peace, whyche was made by Mancinus Consull, but dyd agayne electe, oute of order, Publius Sci­pio Aemylianus Aphricanus, to be Consul, and gaue vnto hym the charge and conductyon of the warre.

He went forth with an armie, and finding there y^e souldiours very nice and vnpatient of labour, he accustomed them vnto a more sure discipline, and euen straight out of hande he beseiged the Cytye round about. And finally he toke it and destroyed it, fourtene yeres after the destructiō of Carthage and in the DCXXII. yeare of the foundation of Rome. Cicero doth call Carthage and Numance the two terrors of the Romain Empire. In that time rose the tumult of bondmen in Sicilia:The warre of bondmē and slaues, who fynally could scarse be vanquished by the Consull C. Fuluius, yea, albeit that he had raised vppe a great armie.

Shortly after the Romaines had warre in Asya againste Aristonicus. For Attalus king of Per­game, had appointed and ordained, by hys testa­ment, the Romaines for his inheritour. But Ari­stonicus his kinsman, possessing that part of Asia, did beguile the Romaines of the will of the testa­ment. The Consul M. Perpenna dyd defye hym, and toke him captiue. The yere folowing, which was the sixe hundreth twenty and fyftye yeres of the age of the City, P. Scipio Aphricanus, lying in his house,The death of P. Sci­pio. Aphrica­nus. was smothered in the night euen of his nerest kinsfolks, as it is thought. Cicero doth praise him for his singular eloquence, loyaltie, and wisdome. He writeth that there was no information at all made of his death, albeit that y^e whole Citie was greatly sory therefore: and sayth more­ouer that the very same yere the sunne did shewe her self double. So by this meanes he who was [Page 24]most noblest & excellenst of the captaynes of warre died at the age of sixe & fiftie yeres. Cicero faineth in a certaine litle Booke, y^t Aphricanus the first of that name, dyd foreshewe hym this mishape. In thys tyme lyued Lucilius, Terentius, Pacunius, Accius, Licinius, Cecilius, and Afranius, C. Le­lius the very welbeloued of Aphricanus, doth call Pacunius hys frend, and Terence his familier.

These thinges being ended, Fabius Maximus Consul wanne a great battaile against the Sa­uoisiens, Auuergnats, and them of Rhodez, who are all Gaulles.The two Grackes. In y^e same time also C. Gracchus Tribune of the people, an eloquent man, and de­fender of the law appertaining to the deuiding of landes, was killed at Rome twelue yeres after y^t Tiberius Graccus his brother had ben slayne for the selfe same matter. Cicero doth praise thē both for their eloquence. But as for Tiberius orations he iudgeth them not to be greatly fyne in words, but sufficientlye subtill, and full of wisedome. As concerninge his brother Caius, he is of opinion y^t his doings ought to be read, but especially of the youth: for because that he cannot onely sharppen, but also nourishe and increase the wytte: and for this cause, he calleth him the most ingenious and eloquenest amongest the Romaines.Gracchus dreame. Gracchus had afore dreamed that his brother Tiberius did aduertise him that he should dye the same death that he dyed: and Cicero sayeth that before that he was chosen Tribune of the people, he declared this vnto diuers. Their lawes are yet founde as [Page]of wheate, of bringynge certayne citizens oute of Rome to place them els where, of y^e profite of soul­diours, of the administration of prouinces, of the voice of the people, of letting out to hire the lands of Attalus & of Asia. The warre of the Romaines against Iugurtha king of Numidie folowed these perturbations of Tribunes. This warre was enterprised by L. Calphurnius Bestia,The warre against Iu­gurtha. Consull, after wards continued by P. Cecilius Metellus, and fynally brought to an end by the Consull C. Ma­rius, who afore time had bene a warrefare vnder P. Scipio Bacchus, king of Mauritanie, compai­nion of Iugurtha, was causor of the fynishing of this warre. For he seing himselfe ouerthrowen in battayle, and myndynge not to hazarde hymselfe any more, he delyuered Iugurtha prisonner vnto Silla, who for that purpose was sent of Marius. At that time, to witte, syxe hundreth eyght and fourtye yeares of the age of the Citye, M. Tulli­us Cicero was borne,The byrth of Cicero. which was eyghte yeares after the byrth of Q. Hortensius, a notable Ora­tour. Durynge the warre of Iugurtha an Infy­nite number of hygh and lowe Almains dyd en­ter by violence partlye into Italye, and partly in­to Gallia, who after that they had made a great slaughter of the Romains, and had ouerthrowen in feild somtimes Proconsulls, other times lieute­nātes, finally they were al vanquished & ouercome by C. Marius,Tētones & Chimbres ouerthrowē by Marius. who was foure tymes Cōsul. The hygh Almains were ouerthrowen at Aix in pro­uince: and the lowe, at the inner borders of Lom­bardie. [Page 25]This lucke was folowed with a new trouble. For certaine countries of Italie were reuolted from the Romains, to witte the Samnites, the Pelignians, Marsians, Vestinians, Marrucini­ans, Vmbres, Picentes, & Lucains, They were foughten with all diuersely, and could scarcelye be brought agayne to subiection.

The warre against Mi­thridates.Shortly after befell an other mishap very hurt­full to the publike weale: for Mithridates kyng of Pont had driuen Ariobarzanes King of Cappa­doce, and Nicomedes King of Bithinia (the com­painions and frendes of the Romaines) oute of their kyngdomes. And herewyth not beyng con­tent, he had also vsurped Phrygia, a Prouynce of the Romaines, beyng entred wythin the coun­try of Asia. Wherfore y^e Senat concluded to make war with him. Whervpon was moued dissention because y^t certaine wold haue L. Silla, who was of a noble stocke, & other some wold haue C. Ma­rius for to be general captaine. P. Sulpitius tri­bune of y^e people held on Marius syde. But Silla had his armie, by the aide wherof he constrayned Marius to auoid out of Rome. Who afterwards was in great daunger of hys lyfe,Ciuill war betwene Sylla and Marius. and hyde hym­self in a fenne, or marishe, about Minturnes, & wēt in a smalle shippe after this sorte bannished into Afrike. But through occasion of y^e absence of Sil­la, who was a warfaire in Asia L. Cornelius Cinna, Consul, began to make hurliburlies & to raise vp new dissentions: but he was put out & banni­shed y^e Citie by Cn. Octauius his fellow in office. [Page]Who when he was bannished, renued again his power, and accompained with him C. Marius, who vpon this occasion was returned frō Afrike. Wherfore these two hauynge coupled together their souldiours, they beseiged Rome on y^t syde of y^e gate called Ianiculū. And as diuers thinges were done in the Citie not onely by negligence, but also by treason and vnfaithfulnes: and that it was not possible for these anye longer to resyste them, place of entrance was geuē them. They as sone as they were permitted to enter, did fyll the whole Citye wyth slaughters and spoyles: and straight wayes dyd electe themselues Consulls: vnto the which estate and office they dyd dyuers thinges cruelly. For Sinna caused the most excel­lent Oratour Mercus Antonius to be slaine: and Marius, Q. Catulus. These thinges beynge knowen L. Sylla, whoo by strength of armes had recouered the greatest part of the losses, and was entred in peace with Mithridates, returned backe againe into Italie. But Marius (who was then for the seuenth time Consull) was alreadye disceased oute of thys lyfe. Notwythstandynge L. Cinna had Cn. Payrius Carbo, to take hys parte. And although they prepared themselus wyth the sonne of Marius to resyste and arme themselues agaynste Sylla, neuerthelesse they were vanquished and ouerthrowen.Sylla vic­torious. In such sort that Sylla remayning victorious, dyd sharppely pursewe his enemyes, yea euen so narrowly that he propunded vnto them the table of proscriptiō, [Page 26]and did sell all the goods of the rebelles & such as were bannyshed, and tooke from theyr chyldren all tytle and ryght of euer commyng to the ho­nours of the common weale. There vppon he was made Dictatour: and then he began to rule and ordeyne al thyngs accordyng to hys fantasy: and dyd abolyshe the strength and power of the Tribunes of the people. Moreouer, when he sold the goods of the Citezens of Rome, he declared vnto the whole company that he solde hys pray. Briefely, it was not possible for any man to enioy hys goods or the countrey, yea or hys lyfe, vn­lesse it pleased hym. He was so enflamed with angre agaynst Marius, that he caused that whi­che remayned of hys dead bodye, to be throwen into the ryuer of Anio. But he fyrst of all the no­bles of the house of Cornelius, woulde haue hys bodye burned to ashes after hys death, searyng of lykelyhode, that he shoulde be so done to, as he dyd vnto Marius. Cicero sayeth that Marius was stronge and vertuous, and perseuerous in angre: and that Sylla was vehement. L. Cinna he sayeth was cruell. He calleth also Marius the terrour of the enemyes,The lawes of Sylla. the hope and succour of the countrey. Sylla publyshed foure newe lawes: Of falsholde, of Parent kyllers, of Ruffi­ans or Murtherers, and of iniuries.

The first pleading of Cicero.He beynge Dictatour, Cicero at the age of syxe and twentye yeares, proceaded to pleade causes, and dyd pleade openlye the cause of S. Roscius.

There were before hym certayne excellent Ora­tours, to wit: Q. Catulus, C. Iulius, Marcus Antonius, and L. Crassus, in whose tyme the Latyne tongue begannne to waxe rype, as Cicero sayeth. This age surely was the most learnedst of all the others. For let me omitte to speake of so many and notable Oratours:Excellent & notable Iu­risconsuls. there was not­withstandyng excellent Iurisconsuls, and amon­gest them C. Aquilius Gallus, L. Lucilius Bal­bus, C. Iuuentius, Sex. Papyrius the disciple of Q. Mutius Sceuola Pontifex, vnder whom also Cicero dyd study in hys youth. P. Seruius Sul­pitius was almost of the age of Cicero: who ha­uyng heard the aboue named, had to hys disci­ples, A. Offilius, P. Alphenius Varus, C. Titus Decius, the two Ausides, C. Atteius Pacunius, Flauius Priscus, Cinna, P. Cecilius. C. Trebata flourished also with Sulpitius, whose disciple was Antistius Labeo. Cicero praysyng honora­bly this Sulpitius after hys discease, sayeth on this maner: If all they that euer had in thys towne vnderstandyng of iudgement and ryght, weare heaped together, yet could they not in any wyse be compared with Seruius Sulpitius. For he was no lesse instructed and experimented in equitie then in ryght.

War raised in Portin­gale by Sertorius.Quintus Sertorius dyd remayne of the number of the bannyshed, a man of greate sto­macke and expert in the feate of warre. He dyd moue and styrre vp a terrible great warre in Por­tingale: and hauyng vanquished & ouerthrowed [Page 27]certayne captayns of the Romaines, subdued di­uers townes. Wherefore the charge and condu­ction of the warre on the Romaines syde, was at the last geuen vnto Pompeius. And after diuers and sundry combats, finaly Sertorius was slain by treason. And ten yeares after the begynnyng of thys war, Pompeius dyd recouer the Spani­ards. At that tyme Nicomedes kyng of Bithinia dying, had ordeyned the Romains to be hys in­heritour: but Mithridates kyng of Pont, who was entred in alliaunce with Sertorius, had vsurped and gotten Bythinia duryng the diui­sions and discordes of Marius and Silla: and be­ganne agayne to make war with all hys strength and power.L. Luculus agaynst Mi­thridrates. L. Luculus consull was sent against hym, who wanne certayn battayles by cheualry: and after beyng Proconsull, he in such sort slewe and cut in sunder hys armye, that hauyng displa­ced hym out of Bithinia, he constrayned hym to retyre to the countrey of Pont. Where hauyng lost a great battayle, he fled towards Tigranes kyng of Armenia. Lucullus pursued hym so neare that in certain conflictes he ouerthrewe the hoo­stes both of the one and of the other. And it re­sted but onely vppon the sedicions and conspira­ties of the Souldiours (which certain did crafte­ly moue) that he came not to the end of the warre and to haue caryed away the glory and triumphe of the victory. For shortly after he was called back againe, and this commission was geuen vnto Cn. Pompeius. Of the doyng whereof Cicero [Page]was also one of the perswaders, who had made the people wyllyng herevnto, by a certayne ex­cellent oratiō which he made in y^e prayse of Pom­peius. Luculus being called home again, he letted therfore not to triumphe,The sump­tuousnes of L. Luculus & made the Romains a notable and sumptuous great feast. Since that tyme he would no moore entermeddle or be occu­pyed with publyke affaires, but did leade hys lyfe at home in the study of Philosophie, beynge not withstandyng very sumptuous in hys ordi­nary lyuynge, as he was alwayes. He garnished a most ample and magnificall library, of the whi­che Cicero maketh mencion:The victory of Pompei­us against Mithridates and sayeth that he went thither often tymes to fetche certayne boo­kes. Pompeius gaue Mithridates a cleane ouer­throw, and droue hym farre of: and receyued Ti­granes who did yeld and render himself vnto his deuotion & clemencie. Cicero reciteth that Pom­peius seyng in hys campe this kyng prostratinge himself and demaunding pardon, he lifted hym vp, and put againe the crowne vppon his head, which he had cast of. Afterwarde chargyng hym with certaine thinges, he commaunded him to hold and kepe alwayes his kyngdome. Mithri­dates finally beyng beseiged of his sonne Phar­naces did slay him selfe.The warre against the pyrates. Cn. Pompeius had got­ten great credite and estimation, for the warre which he made against the pyrates, before that he went agaynst Mythridates.

The conspi­ratie of Ca­tilina.This war being ended, sodenly another fier be­gan to kindle: for L. Catilina had conspired with [Page 28]diuers others, to destroy the publyke weale. But his wickednes beyng disclosed by the dexteritie and industrie of Cicero, who was then consull, he was bannished the citie: and hauyng gathered an armie and bande of desperate Villens in the countrey of Toscane, he remained slaine in the fielde, beyng vanquished by C. Antonius consull and fellow in office with Cicero. Who through out all his writings doth praise and magnifie the paine and labour that he tooke for the publyke weale. and sayeth that than not onely appeared in the night flames of fyer, with burnyngs in the Element, thundrings and earthquakes: But al­so he applieth and maketh serue to this purpose, the straunge and vnaccustomed Sygnes, that came to passe and befell twelue yeares before that he was Consull, at such time as L. Cotta and Torquatus were in that office: In the which time vehement flames of lightning fell vppon di­uers towres in the palaice of the city of Rome, di­uers Images of gods were displaced, diuers pi­ctures of men of old tyme throwen downe: The tables of brasse wherein the lawes were grauen, the molten Image also of Romulus founder of Rome (which was as it weare sucking, and han­ging ouer the Wolfes dugges) was striken with thunder. Cicero describing the spirite and nature of Catilina, sayth that there was neuer the lyke monster in the world, that was compact and mix­ed with such couetousnes, & so many contrary & sundry cōplexiōs repugning one against another. [Page]The same yere that Cicero was consull, C. Octa­uius was borne,The byrthe of C. Octa­uius. and the countrey of Iudea was made tributary to the Romaines, after that Ie­rusalem had bene assaulted and wonne by Cn. Pompeius.

Fyue yeres after, at such tyme as Piso & A. Ga­binius were consuls, the Swicers dyd chaunge their dwellyng place, and did purpose to passe by prouince, for to enter and perce through the resi­due of Fraunce, and there to make theyr habita­tion, because of the goodnes and fertilitie of the countrey. This beyng knowen and disclosed, C. Iulius Cesar, yonger then Cicero by sixe yeares, did raise vp his army, for as much as the Senate had assigned him that Prouince: and went to mete the enemy,The Swi­cers ouer­throwen by Iulius Ce­sar. whome he ouerthrew in playne battayle. And shortly after he dyd the lyke vnto Arionistus king of the Germaines, who had op­pressed the countreys of Lions in Fraunce, but especially the Burgonions the frends and com­panions of the Romains: for he ouerthrew hym neare vnto the riuer called Rhyne, being depar­ted from Bessanson a towne of Burgonie. Which being done, he brought the whole countrey of Gallia vnder the subiection of the Romains. Af­terwards sayling into Britan, he assubiected the Ile. Cicero reciteth that Cesar did write to him out of Britan the first of September, and that he receyued the letters the .xxviii. day of the sayd moneth. About the time that Cesar was depar­ted into Gallia, Cicero was so vexed & troubled [Page 29]of P. Claudius Tribune of the people,The exile of Cicero. that he flede and went in exile, after that he had made an oration vnto the people & horsemen, by the which he commended vnto them hys chyldren and fa­milye? Certayn monethes after he was, to the great ioye and gladnes of the people, called home againe. And then he made another oration vnto the Romains, by the which he gaue thanks vnto his frends. Since he layd y^e cause of his bannishe­ment vpon L. Piso and A. Gabinius beinge then Consulls, and proued by the orations whych he pronounced against them both, that he was be­trayed by them. In one of the sayde orations, he counselleth the Senate to take from them the Prouinces of Syria and of Macedonia, and not to call backe againe C. Cesar, who prospered in the warres that he had in Gallia: but rather that they should continue him in this gouernment, to the entent y^t he might bring the warre to an end.

Ptolomeus Auletus.During these enterprises: Ptolomeus Auletus king of Egipt: beyng dryuen out of his kyngdom for his cowardnes and crueltie, he fled and rety­red vnto Rome:The king of Egipt re­established by the Ro­maines. where the Senate through the perswasion of Cn. Pompeius dyd reestablishe him by A. Gabinius, in puttyng downe Archela­us who raigned by the consent of the people. Ga­binus was afterwardes condemned to paye vn­to the publyke treasour ten .M. talents, or accor­dyng to y^e reckning of certain of our tyme .vi. mil­lions of gold, for because he had receiued as much of Ptolomeus .M. Crassus, vnto whom the com­mission [Page]of the war of Parthia had bene geuen, was also vanquished beyond Euphrates & slaine (contrary to the law of armes) as he communed and reasoned of matters.Crassus slaine by the Parthians. This is he who vsed to say that none was riche, yf he could not maintain an army with his own reuenew. In the selfsame time P. Clodius was killed of T. Annius Milo. And albeit, that Cicero did defend the cause of Milo (Pompeius being for the third time Con­sull, yea him self alone) not withstanding he was bannished. The French war beyng once ended, which was about y^e viii. yere, ciuil war was raised betwene C. Cesar and Cn. Pompeius, his kins­man. The cause and beginning hereof was, that Cesar shuld be put out of his Consulship,Ciuill war betwene Pompeius and Cesar. if he did not out of hand discharge his armie & geue ouer y^e prouince. But he was persuadid in himselfe y^t he could not be in safety if he did dismisse his souldi­ars. Notwithstanding he made this offer, y^t both he & Pompeius shuld yeld vp their souldious: and for asmuch as this was not accepted, he toke his iourney: & with an vncredible swiftnes he came out of France into Italy with his hoste, & entred into Flaminia, where he tooke diuers townes.

Which being knowen Pompeius & the two con­suls (to wit C. Marcellus & L. Lentulus) did flye frō Rome & went to Ranusiū of the coūtrie of Puell, bordering on the sea. Cesar came thither also: but y^e cōsuls had alredy passed y^e sea, & wer ariued at Durazo, whether also shortly after Pmopeius fled. And for because y^t Cesar being excluded by y^e time, and destititute of vessels of warre could not [Page 30]folow or pursewe them, he returned vnto Rome: where he holding a courte, made a complainte of the iniuries done against him, and did propound certaine conditions of peace. But because that the Senate dyd shewe themselues slacke and colde herein, he went vnto Massilia where the gates were shute against him. Wherfore he hauing pre­pared an army by sea, he beseiged the towne both by Sea and by Land:The Cap­taines of Pompeius yelde vnto Cesar. & leauing there his lieute­nauntes, he toke his iournie towardes Spaine, where finally Petreius & Afranius the captaines of Pompeius dyd yelde vnto hym wyth all theyr armie. Whiche beinge done, he retourned backe a­gain vnto Massilia: the which then beyng voyde of all hope did yelde vnto his deuotion. Straight waies after this he returned vnto Rome, hauing in his absence bene made dictatour by M. Lepi­dus Pretor: where he made an assembly of y^e peo­ple, and was chosen Consull with P. Seruilius Isaurico. Afterwardes, hauinge lefte and gyuen good order of his affaires, he went into Grecia: & to conclud he ouerthrew Pōpeius in a great bat­taile in y^e contry of Thessalia & wanne his campe yea, albeit his armie was much greater.Pompeius vanquished by Cesar. Pōpeius flying away went into the countrie of Egipte, at which time raygned Ptolomeus Dionisius, the sonne of Ptolomeus Auleta, whome (as we haue sayde) Pompeius beynge Consull dyd, by A. Gabinius reestablyshe in hys Kyngdome whereof he was depryued. Pompeius hoped that, in partye recompence of hys good deede, he [Page]should finde some helpe & succour in that country. But y^e king was then but a childe: Wherthrough it befell that his famillier frendes dispisynge the present state of Pompeius, or at the least fearing certayne motions and vprores,The death of Pompei­us. dyd slaye him by treason. Cesar pursewing him, ariued at Alexan­dria, accompained with three thousand and two hundreth men, where he was first of al aduertised of the death of the sayd Pompeius. Cicero giuing his Iudgement of them both, sayth on this wise: If so be that Pompeius had demissed somewhat of his great grauitie, and that Cesar had greatly refrained from hys couetousnes, we myght haue had some certaine assured peace and some publike weale. The king of Egipte was then in armes a­gainst his syster Cleopatra. Cesar beynge in Alex­andria would that they shoulde pleade their con­trouersyes rather by ryghte, before hym, then by armes: seyng y^t he was Consull of the Romaines, and that certaine yeares before amitie was con­tracted by lawe and consent of the Senate wyth Ptolomeus the kinges father. The gouernours toke this thyng very greuously, and complayned that the royall maiestie was greatly empeched & lesned in that they were caused to appeare and pleade their cause.Warre in Alexandria againste Cesar. Their hartes then were so en­flamed with wrath, that they put themselues in armes against Cesar: who after great and sondry dangers reinained victorious. Notwithstanding y^e king being dead he ordained not, neither made the kingedome of Egipte in maner of a prouince: [Page 31]but left y^e kingdome vnto Cleopatra and to hys yonger brother. From thence he toke his iournye into Syria, and afterwardes into Pont, where he defyed the king Pharnaces the sonne of Mi­thridates: and did pacifye Cappadocia, Armenia, Gallograecia, Pont, and Bithynia. This beynge done he came agayne into Italye and after that into Rome. And in the middest of the winter, yea, in the shortest dayes therof he toke shyppe in Si­cilia for to sayle into Affrike, albeit that y^e prynci­palest and chiefest diuinor had aduertised him not to take his iournie till winter were past. After the iourney of Pharsalica Scipio and Cato, sōnes of y^e Nephewes of A. Portius Cato, were retyred in to the sayd coūtry of Affrike, and hauing raised a great band of men of warre, they had assubiected and brought the king Iuba vnder theyr gyrdell, Cesar then ariued there, and beseyged and ouer threwe them both.

Cesar vic­torious in Afrike.But as concerning Cato he slew himself at Vti­ca, for feare of falling into the handes of Cesar. The which Cicero approueth beyng of opinion y^t considering the incredible grauitie that he natu­rallye had, it behoued hym rather to dye suche a death, then to behold the face of the Tirante. Ca­to was of the Stoical secte, and sometimes he did defend in the open Senate certaine brutishe and horrible sentenses: as if he had bene in y^e politike gouernaunce of Plato (according to the saying of Cicero) and not in the affaires of Rome, Ceser was retourned vnto Rome: & hauing triumphed [Page]ouer the Galles, Egiptians, those of Pont, and of Affrike, he stirred vp warre agaynst Sext. Pompeius in Spaine, where he also gaue him y^e ouerthrowe. So therefore all his enemies beyng vanquished, and the people beynge pacifyed in all parties, he returned to Rome .v. yeares after the beginning of y^e ciuil warre. And after that he had triumphed ouer Spaine, he fell out of fauour and was hated of diuers, forbecause that he had al­ways kept & retayned to himself y^e name & power of Dictatour, which was offered him, for y^t al­so he did electe such Senatours as semed good to his fantasye and almost onely dyd conferre the honours & offices of the weale publike vnto whom it pleased him After then that y^e estate of the pub­like weale was changed and y^t the gouernement therof was reducted vnder y^e power & auctority of one only, y^e cōspiraties which were made against him were so enflamed, y^t v, monthes after his re­turne vnto Rome,Cesar slayn in the Se­nate. the xv. of March he was mur­dered in y^e court of Poinpeius, where y^e parliment was kept euen by thē who were greatly boūd vn to him for his clemencye & gentilnes lately before shewed vnto thē. For he had pardoned thē theyr putting on of armes against him in y^e war of Pompeius. The muderers were M. & D. Brutus, C. Cassius, Cn. Domitius, C, Trebonius, Q. Tulli­us Cimber, y^e two Seruilians, Casca, Hala, & dy­uers others. M. Antonius, Consull & fellow in of­fyce with Cesar doth charg Cicero also before the Senate, as consenting therto, forasmuch as incō ­tinently after Cesar was slaine, M. Brutus hol­ding vp the bloudy sword cried out naming hym [Page 32]& was thankful vnto him for y^e libertie recouered. Some there be y^t say that Cesar spake in Greke to M. Brutus euen in the very instant y^t he fell vpon him to slay him: and y^t he called him sōne. I cānot wel tell how they vnderstand the same. Notwithstanding so it is y^t it is manifest by Cicero, y^t Bru­tus was but fiften yeres yonger then Cesar. The said Cesar had made certain lawes, partly in hys consull ship & partly when he was Dictatour,Leges Iulae the which in his respect are called Iuliā lawes. They are as concerning feildes, iudgements, violence requiring againe of y^e polings & extorsions of gouernors, of benifites & of vsurie. There are certaine o­ther of the same name: but they were made by Octauius. Euery one doth cōfesse y^t Cesar was very clement & mercifull. Cicero moreouer doth prayse him for his spirite, for his subtilitie, reason, memo­rie, instructiō, ripe thoughts & diligence. yet neuer theles he was greatly greued and wroth y^t he did raigne & beare rule, albeit y^t he coūterfeted the contrarye. He writeth in a certaine epistle to Atticus. Thou shalt vnderstād y^t this raigne cānot endure aboue half a yere. Now in al these doinges Cicero was greatly variable & incōstant. For in y^e war he ioyned himselfe to y^e campe of Pōpeius & toke his part albeit y^t he did reprehend his faint hart & his negligence. Moreouer besides this,The incon­stancye of Cicero. in y^e epistles to his frends he called Cesar, during y^e war, tirant, & monster. But after y^t Pōpeius was dispatched, & y^t Cesar pardoned diuers, he changed his time & note: and in three orations whiche he made, he exalted him euen to the verye heauen, so great­lye dyd he prayse and magynifye hym.

And sence that Ceser had bene aduertised that he was conspired against, and that oftentimes he brast forth in these words, that he had lyued long ynough: Cicero prayed and besoughte hym to put away y^t fantasye. For althoughe y^t he had gotten as much glory as was possible, & that in respecte hereof he had lyued long ynough for himself: not­withstanding he had liued to lytle a whyle for the publike weale, the which could not well want or be destitute of his succour and defence. Moreouer (saith he) thou hast no occasion to feare any daun­ger at all: for all as many as we are of vs doe pro­myse the not onelye to make good watche for to kepe y^e, but also to present and put our owne per­sones in readines before thee. After y^t Ceser was slaine he triumphed for ioye: & said y^t the mourde­rers had obtained so great glory, that the verye heauen could not comprehend y^e same. This then is y^e fourth and last Monarchie.The fourth and last Monarchye. Wherin we must note, how of small beginninges y^t Citye hath en­creased and mounted by lytle and litle to souerain power. For beyng buylt by shypheards fynallye it became Maisteris of the whole world. Hereafter folowyng I wyll declare as briefely as shalbe pos­syble, lowe she is sence decayed and fallen daye by daye from that hyghnes and greate dominati­on and hath bene ruined.

Octauius Antonius. & Lipidus. C. Cesar beynge slayne, C. Octauius, hys Nephewe by hys Systers syde, drewe the legions vnto him, and pursewed most sharpely the mourderers. At the beginninge it semed that he put himselfe in armes agaynste Marcus Antony­us in fauour of the publike weale: but finally he hauinge parted the Empyre betwene hym and M. Lepidus, he established the dominion of thre,Triumuiri. named Triumuiri: Cicero slaine by Antonius. vnder whom M. Cicero who had made vehement warre againste Antonius was slaine by his commaundement, beyng then thre score and thre yeares olde, eyght yeres after the decease of Q. Hortentius who was eyghte yeares elder then he, as it hath bene sayd here be­fore. It is certain that Cicero was fouly deceiued in his enterprises. For because that after y^e death of Cesar, Antonius did trouble the publike weale he commaunded vnto the Senate C. Octauius Cesars kinsman, beyng then a yonge man of the age of twenty yeares, whom he meruelously exal­ted to the Senate, And not content herewyth he put in their heads to create him Consull, hauyng no respecte to his age: alledging to y^e perswation therof, diuers auncient examples, by the whych he would proue that the thing were lawefull.

Moreouer he confuted the argumentes by the which, certaine causes of feare and danger might be alledged: and swore vnto the Senate by hys fayth, that Octauius shoulde alwayes remayne [Page]such a citezin as he was at that time, & sayd that they ought both to wishe him and desyre him.

Sence that, Octauius did resyste and withstand him, and committed him into the hands of Anto­nius. M. Brutus also doth grauely rebucke him for that he flattered Octauius. Now as it often­times commeth to passe, y^e gredy desire of bearing rule and aucthoritie, did engender & raise vp dys­sentions amongest thē,Warre bo­twene the in such sort that Lipidus being deposed from y^e office of the Triumuiri: and be­yng bannished,Triumuiri: for hauing conspired against Oc­tauius, he sought to reuenge himself vpon Anto­nius, who was his other compaynion and fellow in office. And after the victorie of Actiacā, he ouer­threwe him with Cleopatra (of whom mention hath ben made herebefore) nere vnto Alexandria, and constrayned them to kyll themselues. After­wards he made Egipt a prouince of y^e Romains. The Historiographers say that in the raigne of Ptolomeius Auletes the yerely reuenue of Egipt did mounte to twelue thousand & fyue hundreth talentes:The yerely reuenew of Egypte. the which summe, according to y^t counte of the learned men of our time, doth amounte vn­to three score and fyuetene hundreth thousande crownes courrante. Sence that the sayd country was vnder the aucthoritie of the Romaines, it is estemed and Iudged to haue bene of farre muche greater reuenue, by reason of the trafike of India and Ethiopia. After the death of Antonius, Octauius kept alone the Empyre fortye fower yeares. And the twenty ninthe of his Empire, the yeare [Page 34]of the creation of the world three thousand nyne hundreth fiftye and foure (as diuers counte) oure Sauiour Iesus Christ was borne,The byrth of Iesus Christ. seuen yeres after that Herodes, surnamed the Great, had sumptuously reedifyed the temple of Ierusalem, altoge­ther ruinated. M. Antonius had married Octa­uius Syster: but falling in loue wyth Cleopatra at such time as he visited the country of Asia, he forso [...]e hys sayd wyfe, and toke Cleopatra. The which gaue partly occasion of the warre

The exces­ciuenes of Antonius & Cleopatra.Bothe of them were excessyue in all manner of sumptuousnes: and the Authours haue written things almost incredible of their feastes, delicacies pleasures, and pastymes. And notwythstandyng they ended theyr lyues in the manner before sayde. Marcus Antonius was the Nephewe, of Marcus Antonius the most renoumed ora­tour, of whom mention hath bene made.Warre of y^e Romains in Duche­lande. During the raigne of C. Octauius y^e Romaine host made first of all warre against the Germaines yea, euen in their countrye. Truth it is that Iulius Cesar had twise ouerthrowen the Germains, but that was in Fraunce. To wit Ariouistus at Lyons in Fraunce, and after that at the place where the ry­uer called the Maze and the Rheyne mette toge­ther. That iourny beyng wōne, he made a brydge wheron he passed ouer y^e Rheyne: but remaining not long there, he incontinently brought agayne his armie into Fraunce, & brake down the bridge:The expe­dition of Cesar in Germanie. Two yeres after he passed ouer y^e Rheyne againe vpon a bridge, a little aboue that place where he [Page]had before conducted ouer hys army: and then he purposed to march into Swane. But being well instructed & certified of al things by the spies, and fearing the danger & difficulty, yea euen the want of munitions, he retired into Fraunce, and brake downe one part of the bridge & on y^e other part he built a tower with a litle bulwarke, where he left good garnison, for to kepe his enemies alwaies in feare of hys retourne. Iulius Cesar dyd no other thing vnto y^e Germains, euen as he himself saith. But Octauius did war against the Grisons & thē of Ausburgh by Tiberius & Drusus bretheren: & from out of y^e country of Colaine,Tiberius & Drusus. whych was in leage with the Romains, he inuaded & assalted y^t part of Duchland which is called Westphalia, by his captaine Quintilius Varus. But Ariminius the conductor of y^e Chiruscorans, did put them al­most al to y^e sword, betwen the riuers Amisia and Luppia. Horatius comforteth Vergill in a most e­loquent song,Ariminius ouerthrow­eth the Ro­maynes. because y^t he was verye sore greued with the death of Varus. Drusus died in Duche­land leauing behind him two sōnes of whom one was named Germanicus, & was a mā of singuler vertue: & the other Claudius. Horatius prayseth Drusus in a most learned verse (as it hath bene said) & doth refer hys originall & ofspring to Claudius Nero, who beyng for the second time consull with Marcus Liuius Salitor, saccaged Asdru­ball y^e brother of Hannibal,The victo­ries of Au­gustus. who conducted a new armie, neare the floode Metaurus. Augustus dyd [Page 35]assubiect moreouer the Gascons, the Calmates, the Sclauonyans, wyth the Salassyans, who dwell in the Alpes. It is said that he was dyuers times minded to discharge himself of the bourden of the Empyre. But consideryng on the other side that yf he did returne againe to his owne priuate estate he should not be in safetye: forasmuch as he sawe it would be very dangerous to put the pub-weale into so many mens hands, he changed his mind and opinyon.The death of Herodes kynge of Iudea. The thre and thirtye yeare of hys raygne, Herodes surnamed the great, whom he and Marcus Antonius had established kynge of Iudea, in the third yere of their triumuiriship, departed out of this lyfe: and thre yeares after al­so hys sonne and successour Archelaus deceassed, who was sent in exill to Vienna in Dolphenye there for to end hys lyfe. It is found in writing y^t for the garrisons of the prouinces of the Empyre Octauius did kepe & maintayne forty foure legy­ons: & thre in Egipt, as many in Spaine, & eyght in Duchland. Certaine haue cast the some of the yearely expenses whyche was necessarye for the payment of so manye Souldyours,The great expenses of Octauius. and they brynge the totall to syxe score hundreth thou­sande crownes couraunte: so that for euerye Legyon they assygne twoo hundrethe three scoore and twelue thousande Crownes. Now they counte euerye Legion to be syxe thousande footemen, and fyue hundreth horsemen.

Octauius is greatly praised for the good affectiō and liberalitie which he shewed towards the learned. The Poetes of fame were at that time, Va­rius, Virgile, Plotius, Galgius, Fuscus the two Gisques, Pollio, Messala, y^e Bibules, Seruius, Furnius, and Horatius: who desyreth that hys Verses might be approued of the aboue named, caringe lyttle or nothyng for the Iudgement of o­thers. Truely from Portius Cato and Aphrica­nus the first, there was alwaies at Rome hether­to a continuall succession of excellent spirites. But that time of Augustus is almost the last that euer helde the naturall sauour, substaunce and collour of the Latin tounge,Corruption of the Latin tounge. without any corruption. For afterwards by succession of time y^e tounge waxed more and more corrupt, euen till such time as it be came altogether barbarous, as it hath continued euen vnto our age. Cicero sayeth that the natiue Poetes of Corduba, spake somewhat grosely and strangely: but what would he haue said or iudged of them y^t liued an hundreth yeres after? I meane not onely of them who were borne and nourished at Corduba, but euen of Rome it selfe. After Au­gustus Tiberius his sonne in law toke the charge of the Empyre:The Em­perour Ti­berius. 3. but sore against his will, as he see­med: and after that in the end he was ouercome and perswaded by the supplications and requests of the Senate. At the first he would enterprise nothinge hymselfe alone, but dyd consulte with the Senat of al things that were of any importance. Neuertheles shortly after he laid cleane a syde the [Page 36]care and respecte of the publike weale, and gaue himself ouer vnto all maner of voluptuousnes. In his raigne the Parthians did vsurpe the country of Armenia, y^e Dacians and Sarmatians spoiled the country of Masia, and the Germains y^e coun­try of Faunce: but he being careles, was nothyng moued therwith. Certaine, yea euen of them that are of great reputatiō in Theologie,The yeare of the death of Christ. do hold that our sauiour Christ was crucifyed the fyuetene of his raygne: notwithstanding Luke writeth that he was baptised of Ihon the selfe same, and yere. M. Cocceius Nerua florished then, the father & the sonne, and Cassius Longinus Iurisconsulls. Tiberius was the sonne of Tiberius Nero, who fought in battayle for Iulius Cesar in the warre of Alexandria. C. Cesar Caligula a most wicked & monstrous sonne (of a very good father named Germanicus) succeded him. Durīg y^e thre & twentye yeres that Tiberius had the gouernement of the Empyre, it is said that he had heaped and gathered an infinite number of gold, al y^e which Caligula spent euen in one yeare. About the seconde yere of his raigne, Herodes Antipa,Herodes Antipa. Herodes Agrippa. Claudius. Cesar. sonne of He­rodes the Great, and murderer of Ihon Baptise, was sent in exyll to Lions: & had to his successour Herodes Agripa, who beheaded Iames the Apostle. After that Caligula was slain, Claudius his Vncle was placed in his roume. Who marched in to England, because that the Ile was reuolted: & hauing recouered a certayn part therof which yealded vnto hym, he retourned to Rome in hys [Page]raigne there was a great famaine in al places, the which (as witnesseth saint Luke the Euangelist) Agabus had before prophecyed.

Nero Claudius the successor of Claudius, gaue manifestly to vnderstand y^t he would once vtterly break the order of y^e Senators.Nero. 6. In his time Eng­land had a great ouerthrow & discomffiture: for y^t they oppressed & robbed in y^e said Ile y^e citezens & aliaunts of the romains. The legions also that were in Armenia were brought vnder subiection & with great dificulty could Siria be kept & maintained. Moreouer Fraunce did rebell through the perswasyon & counsell of Iulius Vindix gouer­nour of the country: & afterwards Spaine by the motion & conduction of Sergius Galba.Iulius Vindix. Sargius Galba. And as he minded to recouer his losses, and purpossed to take hys Iourny into Fraunce, the other armyes which he had heare & there through out the pro­uinces, dyd rebell. It is manyfest by the Historyes what a cruell & wylde beast he was. Whereof be­ynge Iudged of the Senate to be an enemye of the weale publyke he slewe hym selfe by the helpe of a certayne Lackey. At that tyme flo­ryshed ouer and besydes Seneca, Lucanus, Persyus, Silius Italycus, Poetes, of whom the last was Consull in the laste yeare of Ne­ros raygne.

Confusion in the Ro­mayne Monarchie.The state of the publyke weale was then broughte to suche dysorder, that it was in the power and pleasure of the armyes, and [Page 37]Legions to electe and create the Emperour. Ves­pasianus became Emperour by such meanes.Vespasia­nus. 7. For the armyes whych were in Masia and Hunga­rye in Indea and Syria, dyd reuolte from Aul­lus Vitellius, and made their othe vnto Vespasianus, promysing hym fidellitie and obedience. He put, Achaia, Lycia, Rhodes, Byzantia, Samos, Thracia, Sicilia, and Comagena into prouinces, vnder the Romains: & he quite and cleane rooted vp the Citie of Ierusalem, Titus his sonne guy­ding and conducting the warre.Domitia­nus. 8. Flauius Domi­tianus dyd oftentymes skermyshe and make war with them of Hell, wyth the Dacians and Sar­matians, ouer whom at last he triumphed. Sta­tius, Inuenalis, and Martialis Poetes, liued at y^t time.Traia­nus. 9. Vlpius Traianus was adopted of Nerua Coccius, and afterwardes made Emperour: who twyse saccaged the Dacians, that rebel­led, and made them subiecte the Romaynes. He broughte thether also newe inhabitauntes.

Afterwardes he Marched wyth hys Hoste into Armenia and Parthya: whome he sub­dewed easelye and wyllyngelye, in such sorte that they yealded vnto hym, and after that, he was surnamed Parthycus.

Notwythstandinge dyuers people in the ende dyd rebell agaynste theym, especially they of Armenya and Mesopotamya. The Parthy­ans also woulde not accepte the Kynge that he had assygned theym,Adrianus 10. as soone as hys backe was tourned for to returne into Italye. [Page]Elius Adrianus did assubiecte the country of Iu­dea whiche had rebelled. The cause of the warre was that he had buylt a Temple vnto Iupiter Olimpius in Ierusalem, y^e which he had permit­ted to be agayne inhabited. The Iewes were greatly wroth and displeased with that Temple. He visited also Fraunce, Duchland, England and Spayne: and from thence to y^e country of Mauri­tania, Parthia, Asia and Grecia, and he returned by Sicilia, vnto Rome. For the second tyme he went into Aphrica and returned to Rome, from whence yet again he toke his voyage into Grecia and Asia, and from thence he drewe into Arabia, and afterwards into Egipt. He held a parliment and commended vnto the Senatours Antonius Pius, who after him did enforce himself to kepe y^e things in peace:Antonius Pius. 11. and studiyng to do good vnto eueryone, he maintained the farreyn kings in theyr obedience by letters and humanitye. In hys time there were excellent Iuriconsulls, as, Alburnius Valeus, Tuscianus, Vindius, Verus, Vlpius, Marcellus, Arrianus, Tertullianus, Saluius, Iulianus, L. Volusius, Metianus. After Anto­ninus Pius hys Sonne Marcus Antonius sur­named the Philosopher,M. Antoni­nus y^e Phi­losopher. succeded him, who toke L. Aurelius Verus his brother for to be conioy­ner to the Empyre. By whose meanes he had happye successe of the warre of Parthya, whi­leste that he gaue order to the publyke weale in hys Palayes and in the Cytye.

After the death of Verus, he gouerned hym [Page 38]selfe alone the affayres of the Empyre, and had good successe agaynst the Germaines.

He saccaged also the Marcomes, Sarmatians, Vandalians, and Boemians, who had oppres­sed the countrey of Hungaria. For then the most parte of the people, from Sclauonia vnto France, had conspyred against the Romaines.

Commodus Antonius, a moste wycked sonne of thys moste excellente Prynce,Cōmodus Antonius 13. dyd van­quishe the Mauritains, and Dacians, by hys Lieutenauntes. He pacified the the countrey of Hungaria, Germanye, and Englande, countreys whiche woulde not be vnder hys subiection. He in the meane whyle spent hys tyme in all maner of sylthynes and crueltye.

Septimus Seuerus, did make ciuill warre wyth Niger,Septimus Seuerus. who dyd procure and entise the countrey of Asia to rebell, and also with Albinus, who hadde done the lyke practyse in Fraunce. He foughte luckely agaynste the Parthians. He subdued the Iewes that were in Syria. He as­subiected Agabatus kyng of the Persians: He re­ceyued the Arabians who yealded vnto hym. He fortified Englande, causynge a walle to be made ouerthwart the Ile, euen vnto the Ocean Sea, from one syde to another. And hauynge sub­dued the people of Englande, who were verye fearce enemyes, he deceased at yorke.

Antonius Bassianus Caracalla, dyd styrre vp warre agaynste the Parthians, and agaynst the Armenians.

This is he who caused Papinianus, Iurisconsul to be murdered,The con­stātie of Pa­pianus. for that he would not defend nor approue the murder of his own naturall brother, which he had committed. At that tyme florished diuers Iurisconsulls, almost euery one of them y^e schollers of Papinianus:Excellent Iuriscōsuls. to wit, Tarruntius, Paternus, Macer, Terentius, Clemeus, Menan­der, Archadius, Ruffinus, Papyrius Fronto, Anthius, Maximus, Hermogenianus, Africa­nus, Florentinus, Tryphoninus, Iustus, Cali­stratus, and Venuleius Celsus. After y^t Caracalla was slain,Macrinus. Macrinus succeded hym, who had but vnhappy lucke in battel against Artabanus kyng of the Parthians.Heliogaba­lus. Alexander Seuerus. And vnderstanding that the souldiours were affectioned vnto Heliogabalus Bassianus, he concluded peace. Alexander Seue­rus successour of that most wicked and filthy man Heliogabalus, was a valiaunt man. He wanne a great battail against Artaxerxes king of the Per­sians: He recouered Mesopotamia which was lost vnder Heliogabalus. He had very good for­tune of the warres which he conducted by hys Lieutenantes, in Mauritania, Sclauonia, and Armenia. Afterwards goyng against the Ger­mains, who spoyled and oppressed Fraunce, he was slayne by certain of his souldiours.Vlpianus Iurisconsul. Vlpia­nus Iuriscousull, who was Papinianus disciple was his familier frend. At that tyme also lyued Paulus Pomponius, and Modestinus.

Maximinus Emperour.Maximinus was Emperour after Alexander, who employed hys whole force & power against [Page 39]the Germains: and did not onely ayde himselfe with the Romain souldiours, but also with the Mauritans, Odronians, and Parthians, who had bene afore tyme in the wages of Alexander. He brunt diuers Villages of the Germains, and slew diuers, and besides this he tooke many pri­soners. Wherefore he broughte backe agayne his souldiours loden with the spoyle. When Germa­ny was pacified, he went to Syrme, purposynge to make war with the Sarmatians: and not content herewith he forecaste to assubiect vnder the romain Empyre all the countreys which are vn­der the Septentrion coast, euen vnto the ocean sea. But the army beyng offended with hym for hys crueltie, dyd elect Gordianus Emperour:Gordianus. the which the Senat (who also bare Maximinus yll wyll) ratified, and pronounced Maximinus ene­mye of the publyke weale. He myndyng to ad­uenge hym self of this iniurie, made an oration to his enemy, and drew towards Rome. Which be­yng knowen the Senate dyd declare and create Pupienus and Balbinus Emperours, gyuinge vnto Pupienus y^e conduction of the war against Maximinus, who had layd siege before Aquileia.Pupienus & Balbinus. Where he at such tyme as he tooke his rest in his tent was slain with his sonne, by his souldiours.

This beyng brought to passe, Pupienus and Balbinus remained not long after vnslaine by se­dicion of souldiours: after they had raigned two yeres, the Empyre fell into the hands of Gordia­nus beyng very yonge.Gordianus. The fourth yere of hys [Page]raigne he iournyed through Mesia and Thracia, for to go agaynst the Parthians, and there he de­feited the enemies of the Romayns. From thence he tooke his way by Syria for to go vnto Antio­che, which at that time Persians held. He made often tymes battayll against them,Sapor king of Persia. and put Sa­por theyr kyng to flyght: in such sort that the Persians, who then did affraye and trouble Italy. were enforced to retyre into their owne countrey, Finally, the sixt yere of his Empyre, he was be­traied & slain by Philippus his chief gouernour, who had moued & incited the souldiours to sedi­cion. Philippus was recompensed with the like end who had sent certain bandes of men against the Scichians,Philippus. which did molest with force of ar­mes the confederates & frends of the Romains. He had Decius to his successour,Decius. who was cho­sen Emperour by the Legions whiche were in Sclauonia, & afterwards approued by the Se­nate. He first of all appeased the conspiraties & re­bellions of Fraunce. Furthermore, hauing com­mended the publyke weale vnto the Senate, he forthwith toke his iorney against the Scithians being accompanied with his sonne, who was conioyned with him in the Emperiall dignitie. For the said Scithians did oppresse & molest the countrey of Thracia & other countreys of the Empyre both by sea & by land. Decius was victorious o­uer them in certain battails, & might haue bene altogether (seyng he had already enclosed them in a narow straight) had it not been that Gallus [Page 40]Hostilianus gouernour of the latter Mesia,Gallus Ho­stillianus. did be­wray his enterprise to the enemy: Whereof it be­fell that the father & the sonne were circumuen­ted & slain by treason. Gallus was made Empe­rour by a Legion & the residue of the souldiours, who made peace with the Scithians, but to the great dishonour & shame of the Romains, in that he promised to paye tribute vnto them: a thinge neuer harde of before, and alltogeather vndecent and vnworthie of y^e maiestye of so greate a name. The Scythiens waxced more fearce, and brea­kynge the treaties of peace, they spoyled and wa­sted Dardania, Thracia, Thessalia, and Macedo­nia yea esteming this as nothyng, they cast them selues by force vpon Asia, spoyling & destroying diuers townes. By their example diuers did de­clare them selues enemies of the Romains, & ma­ny did rebell. The Parthians did violently enter into Asia, & did subdue Armenia, putting the king Thyridates to flight. The Scithians in y^e mean whyle were so outragious that they threatened Italy. And it semed y^t thei should haue vtterly de­stroyed it, had it not bene y^t Amilianus gouernor of Mesia towards y^e side of Polonia,Amilianus. did stirre vp and encourage hys souldiours by promysyng and putting them in hope of good rewards, by which meanes he put the Scithians to flyght, and manfully pursuyng them, he entred by force in­to theyr countrey and subdued it. Vppon which occasion, he was chosen and created Emperour by the sould yours.

Whereof Gaulus beyng certified, he went forth to resist and withstand hym: But he with Volu­sianus his sonne, and fellow of the Empyre was ouerthrowen and slaine. At this tyme Cypria­nus byshop of Carthage florished:Cyprian. of whome a­mongest many other thinges are founde certaine Epistles written to Lucius bishop of Rome whō he calleth his brother and fellow in administrati­on. He writte moreouer diuers Epistles vnto Cornelius, where he complaineth amongest all other thyngs of them who beyng condemned for theyr demerites by the bishops of Affricke,The com­playnt of Cyprian. and depri­ued of their priesthood, had recourse vnto Rome for more ample knowledge in y^e matter. For (sayth he) reason requireth that the cause shuld be there pleaded where the fault hath bene committed: se­yng that to euery pastour is committed a certayn portion of the flocke, of whome they shall render an accompt vnto the Lord. Wherfore the vnitie of the byshoppes ought not to be broken, neither ought the iudgement of them of Affrike to be ne­glected or dispised, who had already gyuen abso­lute and diffinitiue sentence of the matter and cause. In the meane tyme another armye whych was in the Alpes,Valerianus dyd place Valerianus in the Emperiall dignitie, who was of a noble house. This beyng knowen, the souldiours of Emilia­nus, who feared to comme in trouble, slew theyr Emperour, and tooke Valerianus part. As soone as Emelianus was declared Emperour, he wrot vnto the Senate, promisyng to delyuer Thracia [Page 41]and Mesopotamia from the enemyes, and to re­couer Armenia, and to dryue from all places the enemies of the romain Empyre. Valerianus be­yng arriued in Persia for to offer battaill, was taken by Sapor kyng of the Persians:Sapor. who would neuer vulose or let hym go, albeit that the princes and people there aboute, dyd admonishe hym so to do, declaryng and alledgyng vnto hym the desteny of the Romans, which was that beynge vanquished they dyd resist moore stoutly and cou­ragiously. Valerianus beyng captiue,Gallienus. Gallienus hys sonne succeaded hym. He gaue hym self whol­ly vnto all maner of pleasures and dilicaties, lay­ing a syde and neglectyng the affayres of the publike weale, in such sort that the souldiours which were in diuers places throughout the prouinces dyd elect and chose them new Emperours, as in Fraunce, Spaigne, Hungary, Sclauonia, Egipt, Affricke, and other places: which euery one of them wer oppressed partly by hym, & partly by y^e dissentions and ciuill conflictes that were amon­gest them them selues. In thys tyme the Gothes held and possessed Thracia, oppressed Macedo­nia, and beseiged Thessalonica. The Scythians dyd inuade Capadocia and Asia, and beyng em­barked on the sea Euxinus, they entred into the ryuer Ister, and saylyng vpwards they did great violence vppon the confederates and aliauntes of the Romaines. The meane whyle Gallienus was so negligent and voyde of all care, that ha­uyng worde and newes brought hym of the pro­uinces [Page]whych did rebell, and of the publyke mi­series, he made but a laughyng stocke thereat, and contemptuously answered, as yf (notwith­standing these accidents) the publyke weale dyd remaine firme and stable, and entertayned in her dignitie, her state and condition beyng nothyng lessoned or diminished. Wherethrough he grewe into contempt as well of hys owne countrey, as of straungers, for hys fylthy lyuyng: In such sort that dyuers enemies dyd ryse vp agaynst the pu­blyke weale. At that tyme the Gothes and Sci­thians were in armes, with diuers other people mingled amongest them, who had all conspired against the Romaynes, and they were aboute three hundred and twenty thousand men.

Flauius Claudius.But Flauius Claudins (Gallienus successour who was slaine) put them all to the edge of the sword, as he was a man of great vertue & worthy of longer lyfe. After him Aurelianus raigned, for­because that his vertue was knowen & manifest.Aurelianus For in the tyme of Claudius raigne he had she­wed a profe and triall thereof against the enemye in diuers places. He had sundry warres in Lum­bardy, and fought against the Marcomanes dangerously and doubtfully at the begynnyng: but luckely and fortunatly, after that at his request, the Senate had made the bookes of Silla to be searched, and had done the things requisite for to pacifie the Goddes. From thence he macched to Rome, where he caused certain rebells, who had conspired in his absence to be punyshed.

Which being done, he tooke in hande for to reco­uer again the Prouinces that are in the East and in Syria,Zenobia y^• valiāt wyfe of Odena­tus. the which Zenobia a valiaunt and couragious woman, murderer of her owne chyl­dren, dyd possesse, who were left vnto her by her owne husbande Odenatus, who in Gallienus tyme had made diuers skermishes & assaultes in his dominiōs. In euery coast as the sayd Aurelia­nus passed through, he saccaged the enemyes of the Romains, as in Sclauonia, Thracia, and o­ther places: and finally, beyng entred into the enemyes countrey, after doubtfull and daungerous fyghte, he remained Victour, in suche sorte that he tooke the Queene prisoner: who trusting and hopyng vppon the succour of the Persians and Medians had stoutly and manfully resisted him. The principall citie of the countrey which he had subdued was Palmyra: whose inhabitantes dyd rebell, at such time as y^e Emperour passed frō Asia into Europa, and slew the garrison with theyr captayn. He then retourned agayne thither, and after he had taken y^e citie, he destroyed & spoiled it puttyng them all in such sort to y^e edge of y^e sword y^t he pardoned neither man, woman, nor chylde. Afterwards he conquered againe Egypt, whych was reuolted from the subiection of the Romai­nes. This done, he triumphed at Rome, & from thence passing through Sclauonia, he defied the Persians: But he was murthered in the way, by his familier frends. After his death, the Empyre was vacant for a certayn space: a thynge whych [Page]neuer befell afore, since Romulus tyme. At length Tacitus succeded,Tacitus. who raigned a few monethes, in the which he did nothyng worthy of memory. The Senate had made request vnto him, that at his disceasse he woulde not leaue the charge and gouernment of the Empyre to his children, but that he would chose some valiaunt and god man, whose vertue should be vnto them well knowen.

By this meanes Probus was elected,Probus. who be­ing confirmed both of the hooste and of the Se­nate, he recouered Fraunce, and vanquished the French Almains in diuers conflictes. In Scla­uonia he slew and cut in peces the Sarmatians, and other nations. Afterwards, hauyng made passage through Thracia, he subdued the barba­rous people and made them by feare of the name of the Romains, and by his great valiauntnes become obedient vnto him. He pacified Asia, and moued the king of the Parthians, onely through his fame and renoume, to demaund & defier peace of him. He made agrement with the Persians, & forthwith retourned into Thracia, and transpor­ted certain straunge people (vanquished by him) into the countrey of the Romains: of whom some remained faithful, other sone vnfaithful & rebelli­ous. Whome he afterwards suppressed for y^e most part. After hauing pacified the sedicions styrred vp in Fraunce, Spaigne, & England, he marched by Sclauonia, for to go & inuade the Persians: but he was circūuented & slain of his mē by trea­son. The publyke weale then florished, because [Page 43]that the nations round about were euery where peaceable & quiet: in such sort, that on a certayn tyme Probus brast forth in these wordes, saying: we shall short stand in no nede of Legions and garrisons.The cause of Probus death. The souldiours beyng offended with these words, consulted for to hinder the peace Carus was placed in his roume, who saccaged the Sarmatians,Carus. which were become more arro­gant and presumptuous through the death of Probus, & they threatned Italy. Afterwards in the iorney against the Persians, he toke Mesopo­tamia, & proceading further, he was apprehended by death. His yonger sonne named Numerianus folowed the battaill straight after him: for he had left Carinus in Fraunce for to be gouernour of y^e countrey. Numerianus was slaine by his father in law. Diocletianus tooke his roume:Diocletia­nus. with whō Carinus made battaill on a certain tyme for the Empyre, but beyng vanquished he dyed. Diocle­tianus seyng the troubles and tumultes, whych rose vp in sundrye places, tooke Maximianus for hys adherent. He pacified Fraunce,Maximia­nus. whyche was vnquiet, and Affricke lykewyse: Diocletia­nus for hys part dyd pacifie Egypt, puttyng to death the authours of the tumultes and conspi­raties. He conquered also England ten yeres af­ter their reuoltyng. And to the end that the state of the publyke weale myght be moore stable, and that no moore tumultes myght be raysed as touchyng the succession,Galerius a Constātius he adopted Galerius and Maximianus Constantius Chlorus.

Galerius beynge sent by Diocletianus, againste Marses kyng of the Persians, had vnhappye lucke in battaill: for he lost the most part of his ar­mye. But hauyng commaundement to renewe a­gayn the fyght, he ouerthrew the enemyes in a great battell: and entred further into those par­ties then euer dyd any Emperour (except Traia­nus.) For he tooke the towne of Othesiphon, and subdued all Assiria. Moreouer, he put vnder hys subiection fyue Prouinces beyonde the floud Ti­ger, which were reuolted in the tyme of the Em­perour Traianus. All thyngs beyng well ordered in Asia, Diocletianus retourned into Europa: where at that tyme the Scythians, Sarmati­ans, Alains, Bastarnes, Carpians and they of Hesse, and of Franconia, were peaceable, and kept them selues quiet.A resignati­on of the Empyre. And shortly after he and Ma­ximianus did renounce the Empyre, assigning it into the hands of their companions & fellow hel­pers. Constantius had the dominion of Fraunce, England, Spaigne, Italy, & Affrick: & Galerius of Sclauonia, Grecia, & Asia. At thys tyme Mar­cellus was Bishoppe of Rome:The degree of Marcel­lus bishop of Rome. of whome a cer­tayn decre is founde, that it is not lawfull for the byshops to assemble a Synode, or generall coun­sell, without the authoritie of the romaine Sea: nor any bishop to condemne any what soeuer he be, yf he appeale vnto Rome. This man was poore as hys predecessours were, & liued in great affliction, because that Maxentius y^e Emperour did persecut him. Wherfore it is easy to be iudged [Page 44]whether that he being so vexed & troubled, was so arrogāt & presumptuous to make such decrees. Constantius being disceased at york,Seuerus. Marimia­nus. Maxentius. Galerius adapted Seuerus & Maximianus. In the meane time y^e nobles & other souldiours of y^e gard which wer at Rome, did elect Maxentius for to be Em­perour after y^t Seuerns was slain, Maximianus toke Lucinius to be his companiō.Lucinius. Great trouble was raised betwene these: by reason whereof the nobilitie of Rome called Constantine the sonne of Constantius (who had his abiding in Fraūce) for to deliuer the citie from the tyrany of Maxentius. Cōstantinus drew into Italy with a part of his souldiours, & wan the first battel, & finaliy slew & cut a sunder the hooste of Maxentius neare vnto Rome.Constanti­nus y^e great He had also war against Lucinius, who was vāquished inbattaill, & at the last was slayn of hys owne Souldiours. Certayne holde that the cause of the warre was, because that Lucini­us dyd sharply persecute the Christiās, not with­standynge that Constantine had admonyshed & prayed hym to restrayne therefrom. For from the resurrection of Christ vntyll this tyme (almost for the space of CCC yeres) they which made profes­sion of Christ were afflicted & tormented diuers wayes. For let me omitte to speake of y^t, which y^e holy scripture reciteth of Stephen, of Iames, the brother of Iohn, of Peter prisoner, but diliuered by y^e angel: yea let me omit Paule a great persecu­ter of the church of god, who after he was cōuer­ted, did suffer infinite daūgers for y^e profession of [Page]Christ: The romain Emperours haue raised vp horrible & most cruel sortes of torments. This did Nero,Tyrantes. Domitianus, Traianus, Septimus Se­uerus, Maximinus, Decius, Valerianus, Aureli­anus, Diocletianus,Cōstantyne doth embra­ce the doc­trine of Christ. Maximianus. Constanti­nus remaining victorious embrased the true reli­gion, & serued as a port & refuge vnto the Christi­ans. And then first of all the bishops of Rome be­gan to be in safetie. For hitherto almost al of them were martyred. The number of the bishops since Peter (whom they would haue to be the first) vn­to this time, do amount to .xxxiii. Their decrees are enclosed in the bookes of the counsels: but the most part of them are so vaine & folyshe, yea & so contrary vnto the holy scriptures, that it is to be presupposed y^t long tyme after some others haue inuented & counterfeited them. But if they be ve­rily of them, & proceded of their forge, it semeth y^t the same which S. Paule prophecied might be rightly applied then this respect. To wit, y^t euen in y^e sonne of perdition, & man of synne, began to worke the mysterie of iniquitie.The decree of Anacletꝰ. There is found a certain decre which is attributed vnto Anacletus whom certain do place the fourth after Peter: by the which he affirmeth the church of Rome to be the head of all others by the commaundement & institution of Christ. Another decre is vnder the title of Alexander his successour, whereby he com­maundeth to consecrate water with salt, for to purifie the people, and to mollifie the assaults and subteltie of the deuill. I besech you what agremēt [Page 45]or likenes is there betwene these things and the maiestie of the Apostles, or the writings of Iohn the Euangelist, who almost liued euen to thys age? I haue only specified these two, to the end that the readers might iudge of the residue, who are of such like quality, & endued with such ambi­tious and couetous mynds: and euen as the lan­guage is barbarous, so likewise the sentence hath no salt, which Paule requireth in the ministers of the churche.The donation of Con­stantine is a lye forged of the papistes The bequethment or dontion of Constantine is of the lyke style: the which they haue not forgotten in theyr bookes, as the foun­dation and forti [...]ication of their power. For the cause and occasion of his excessiue liberalitie maye be reprehended by the histories and conuicted of falsholde. And put the case that this Emperour had bene so prodigall, yet could he not diminyshe his right herein, but only from hymselfe, & not frō his successors, who had like power & authoritie, & were defenders of the weale publyke. For he can not be named father of a countrey y^t doth lessen y^e right & reuenue of the Empyre, nether can he pre­scribe a lawe to the preiudice of hys companion & lyke in authoritie. At the commaundment of Constantine, there was publyshed and held a counsell at Nice in Bithinia, whereat a great multitude was present. In the sayde counsell the opinin of Arius was condemned,The coūsell of Nice a­gainst Ari­us. who denied Christ to be of equal substaunce with the father. It is foūd in writing, y^t not only the bishops of Europa & Asia wer there assistāt, but also those of Egipt & Libia. [Page]Amongst other things, it was ordeyned & decre­ed, that the auncient custome should be obserued in Egipt, Libia, & Pentapoli: to wit, that they all shuld be subiect vnto the bishop of Alexandria: al­beit the bishop of Rome vsurped & kept back this custome. Moreouer, that the priuileges should re­main vndiminished at Antioche & in other Pro­uinces & churches. After this counsell, a certayn man called Eustathius spred abroad diuers wic­ked opinions,Eustathius authour of y^e monkish su­perstition. as to flie frō marriage, to vse new & vnaccustomed maner of garments, to abstayne from eating of flesh, & to forsake their possessions. Now, for asmuch as diuers married men did se­perate themselues for their wiues, & diuers bond­men dyd forsake their maisters, & went & tooke this new & religious garment (as they call it) women also dyd the lyke, forsakyng their husbands: And because that they that dyd eate fleshe, were dispised, and estemed as defiled, and offendynge God, as also the ministers of the church that wer marryed: Vppon thys occasion a Counsell was holden at Gangre, a citie of Paphlagonie, where­in were condemned they who taught on this maner, with them that beleued the same.Eustathius opinion con­demned. After that Constantinus had been honourably saluted and gratified by the Senate and the romain people, because of the peace restored vnto the publyke weale, he set hys whole mynde vppon forreyn warres, & vanquished in diuers conflicts the Go­thes, and Sarmatians, who oppressed Thracia. In hys old age he defied the Persians, who [Page 46]spoiled the coūtry of Mesopotamia. And being ariued at Asia, & hauing takē phisycke for to recouer his health, he dyed, not without suspition of im­poisonment. This is he who is surnamed y^e great who called Bizantius, a Citie of Thracia, by his name, where he placed the seat of the Empire.Constanti­nople. He begane to raigne about .CCCXII. yeres after y^e natiuity of Christ. A blaising starre of straūge and wonderfull greatnes preceaded his death.Constanti­nus, Con­stantius & Constans bretheren. He left behind him thre sones, to wet Constantinus, Cō ­stantius & Constans, vnto Constantinus befell y^e regiment of the Alpes, Fraūce, Spaine, Englad, the Iles called Orchades, Ireland, & Thile. Vn­to Cōstans, Italy, Afrike with y^e Iles, Sclauony Macedonia, Achaia,Now cal­led Morea. Peloponesus, & Grecia: vn­to Constantius, the country of Asia, & of Thracia. Constantinus not wel content with this particiō stirred vp war against his brother Constans: and was euē already come to Aquileia, where he gaue the on set against his brothers army. But hauing lost his army, he was slain. After this victory Cō ­stans who in the meane while made warre wyth y^e Getes and Sarmatians inA coūtrye beyond Hū ­garie called now Transilianiam. Dacia, came into Italy: and hauyng passed the mountaines, he en­tered by force into Fraunce: in suche sorte that by the space of two yeares he enioyed all the do­minions of his brother disceassed.

But shortelye after he was murdered by the Ambusches and conspyratyes of Magnentius: who was chosen Emperour by the Souldiours: [...] [Page]he oftentymes repeteth, that it appertaineth to him only, who is Bishop (as he saith) of the chiefe seat, to assemble the generall coūsells: a thing commytted vnto hym by synguler pryueledge and by deuyne Commaundement.

A man myght meruyll how he could for shame write this, or the residue boste themselues therof, seyng that before his time Constantinus had as­sembled that of Nice, & more then an hūdreth yere after him the Emperour Martianus y^t of Chalce­don. He saith Moreouer y^t it appertaineth to hym onley, as beyng Bishop of Rome, to haue know­ledge of Bishops causes & other like affaires. The other Bishops could not suffer this hys arrogan­cie and presumption,The Bys­shops resist Iulius. & therfore being assembled at Antioch they vertuously answered him that it appertained not vnto him to retract the sentence by thē pronoūced, seing that they were in like degre of dignitie with him: & that the doctrine of Christ was proceded out of their country, & finally came to Rome by the meanes and trauayle of the Apo­stles. Moreouer yf that he dyd contynue in hys opinyon, and makynge of newe decrees, they woulde not onely not obey, but they woulde also neyther make nor meddell wyth hym, and they would consulte to gyue order herein accor­dynge to the wayttynesse of the matter.

In an other Synode holden in the self same Towne, where they were assembled in great­ter number, they ordayned amongeste other thynges, what was the offyce of the Byshop [Page 48]and that of the Metropolytan, yf anye Proces should happen as touchyng thynges of greate importaunce. For yf it chaunce that the Bishops doe not accorde, they commaunde that the Metropolytan take certayne of the next prouince for Iudges, & to gyue absolute and diffinityue sen­tence. If that anye Byshoppe, for hys offence or cryme be condempned by the common consent of the other Byshoppes, they wyll that the sen­tence remayne ferme and stable, and not to be re­tracted by any other. They ordayne moreouer y^t the Bishoppe employe faythfully the goods of the Church gyuen to the vse of the poore: & yf nede re­quire, that he take therof as much as shalbe nede­full for his necessitie, forasmuch as sainct Paulle sayth that we ought to be content with meate & clothing. And if it so happen that the Byshoppe employe these gooddes to hys owne perticuler profite or of his, gyuing y^e vse therof to hys kyns­folkes, they wyll that he be reprehended by the Synode.

Iouinianus hauyng the enemye at hys elbowe, he made a treaityes of Peace verye ignominius vnto the publyke weale: for he restored the fyue prouynces whyche Galeryus had conque­red beyonde Tyger, as it hathe beene sayde wyth a certayne part of Mesopotamya. More­ouer he promysed in the treatyes of Peace, that the Romayns should not succour nor helpe the Kyng of Armenia, although he were their frend and compaynyon.

Thys done, goyng on with his armye to retyre homewards, he died in the confynes of Bithinia. The armie incōtinently after elected Valentinia­nus to be Emperour:Valentini­anus. who being ariued at Con­stantinople tooke Valeus hys brother to be hys compaynion in the regiment of the Empire: and committing vnto him those countries there, he went into Germanye, where he subdued y^e Sax­ons, borderers of the Ocean sea. This brought to passe, he drew into Fraūce, where some say he died for anger. At this time his brother Valeus the o­ther Emperour,Valeus. was in Asia, for to represse and withstand the fury of y^e Parthians who forraged in Armenia, and the kinge of the Persians who stirred vp warre contrary to the couenantes. But beyng aduertised that the Hūnes, or Tartarians and Scithians, did spoyle the country of Hunga­rie, Albanie and Thessalie, he retyred into Euro­pa: & beyng vainquished in the assaulte, he was brought into a litle house very sore hurt, where y^e enemies setting the same a fyer brunt him. There is found a certaine acte, or law, made by the Em­perours, Valentinianus & Valeus,The decree of Valenti­nianus and Valeus. by the whych it is commaunded that they that follow the de­serte & monasticall lyfe, auoiding by thys meanes the publike charges & goyng a warfare, should be plucked out of their dēnes, and shuld be constray­ned eyther to serue the country, or to be frustrated of all other commodities: the whiche shoulde be transferred to them, who did sustaine daungers & trauills for the publike weale. The enemyes forth [Page 49]with encamped before Constantinople: but being pacified by the gyftes and presentes of the Empe­rour, they raised their campe and departed. When the coūtry of Saxonia was pacifyed the Empe­rour Valentinianus dyd adopte Gratianus hys sōne to be compainion of the Empyre. Now the father & the Vncle beyng dead,Gratianus. Gratianus succe­ded them both: and for as muche as the publyke weale was incombered with diuers troubles, he elected Theodosius, an excellent Captayne,Theodo­sius. & sent him towards the East coūtry. He ouerthrew and defeicted the Hūnes & Gothes about Constanti­nople, and draue thē out of y^e country of Thracia. Shortly after Gratianus was traitrously slayne in Fraunce, by a certaine Captaine of hys named Maximus, who coueted the Empire.Ansonius, Poet. Ausonius of Bourdeaux was his schole maister: of whom is found a certaine Poesie, who also was exalted by the Emperour euen to the dignye of Consull of Rome. His sone Valentinianus dyed almost af­ter the sayd sort, through the deceipte of Abroga­stus his famillier frend. But the mourderers re­mayned not long vnpunished. For both of them were slaine afterwards by the Emperour Theo­dosius. Maximus was taken and slaine in Aqui­leia: the other slewe himself. The tirantes beyng oppressed. Theodosius remayned onely Mayster, and ordained his sōnes Honorius & Arcadius for to be compainions of the Empyre. And in asmuch as they were but of tender age, he assigned them for theyr guides & as it were for their gouernors, [Page]Rufinus, and Stilico, Rufinus vnto Archadius, and Stilico vnto Honorius. Which done he dyed also shortly after.A Synode or, counsell at Constantinople. By his commaundement a coū ­sell was holden at Constantinople, in whoch the opinion of Macedonius was condemned, who denied the diuinitie of the holy Ghost. The fathers, which were foūd there assistaunt to y^e number of an hundreth and fyfty, did institute Bishops both there and at Antioche, whych they call the most auncienst & true catholyke Church: and in Ierusalem also, which they call mother of all Churches. And they sent these their actes vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome, who sought by all meanes to cal them to Rome. Iherome being but yet yong was y^e familier frend of Damasus. It is he of whō we haue this notable sentence, y^t in what place so e­uer the bishop be, be it at Rome or at Eugubia, at Constantinople,Hieromes sentence. or at Rhezo, or in Alexandria, he is of lyke merite and Priesthode. It is sayd that Theodosius was very religious, in such sort that beynge on a certayne tyme rebucked of Ambrosu­us Byshop of Milā,Theodosiꝰ patience, and excōmunicated the Tem­ple, he toke it patientlye, Arcadius ruled in the Easte, makynge hys habitatyon in Con­stantinople. Honoryus raygned at Rome.

But Rufynus, myndynge to transferre the Empyre to hym selfe, dyd entyse and incitate the Kynge of the Gothes to putte hym selfe in armes agaynst Arcadyus. But hys wickednes beyng knowen he was slayne by the souldiours. [Page 50]Innocentius Bishowe of Rome the fyrste of that name, excommunicated the Emperour Arcadius because he had consented that Ihon Chrisostome should be put out of his Church,The Em­perour ex­communicated by the Pope. as it is sayd in y^e right Canon. Then florished Angustine Byshop of Hipponen, who was assistaūt at the third coū ­sel holden at Carthage, & afterwards at y^e fourth in which amongest other things it was ordained that the Pryestes should haue a lyttle lodge, or house neare the Temple, furnished wyth symple housholde stuffe, & should liue basly.

And as concerning aucthoritie, he should obtaine the same by fayth & integritie of liuing: & that he shuld vse the goods of the Church as commytted vnto him, & not as his owne. The aforesayd In­nocentius write vnto Augustine and to Aurelius Bishoppe of Carthage, exhorting them to praye one for an other, callynge them Priestes and fel­lowe brethren.

After Innocentius the fyrst Zozimus succeded, who praisyng the decrees of the Fathers & of an­tiquitie, sayth that it is not lawfull euen to y^e Ro­main sea (so they call it) to alter any thing in them or do to y^e contrary. He rebuketh also & correcteth the custome of his tyme, for that certaine vnlear­ned, sought to attayne to the order of priesthoode. Bonifacius the fyrst succeded Zozimus: and then, The sixte counsell of Carthage was holden, wherat were a great number of Byshops, & amongest them Augustine.The syxte Counsel of Carthage.

Bonifacius sent his ambassadors thether giuing [Page]them to vnderstand that the counsell of Nice had giuen this priueledge to the Romain sea,The falls allegation of Bonifa­cius. that the general coūsells shuld be holdē there, he required then the fathers, y^t they would confirme & ratifye the same. They made aūswere, that no such thing was decreed at Nice, as farre as they knew: not­withstandyng to be certifyed of the veritye, they would aduise to send vnto the Churches of Alex­andria & of Constantinople, for to haue the true & perfect coppy of the Sinode. That being brought thether, the statute was foūd cleane contrary: for it contained that euery prouince should plead and take knowledge of their affaires, & y^t the Bishops should be called vnto the Synode prouinciall, or generall,the deceipte of y^e bishop of Rome disclosed. as they cal it. Cirillus was then Byshop of Alexandria. Before that the coppye was come Bonifacius was disceased. And forasmuch as Ce­lestinus his successour did make the like demaund he had aunswere made hym accordyng to the te­nour of the decree. Arcadius beyng deade. Hys sonne Theodosius the second succeaded hym: In whose time and at whose commaundement the Counsell of Ephesus was assembled: and Ne­storius there condempned,Nestorius condēned. who denyed that Christ, as beyng God, was borne of the Virgin Marye. Augustyne dyed aboute that tyme.

The treasō of Stilico.On the other syde Stilico, Honorius tutour dyd behaue hymselfe as vnfaythfullye as Rufy­nus. For hauyng gyuen habytatyon vnto the Gothes in Fraunce, he incited theym to come into Italye vnder the conductyon of Alarycus [Page 51]and so to take Rome: the whyche came to passe in the yere of the foundatyon of the Cyty a thou­sand one hundreth thre score & thre, foure hūdreth and twelue yeares after the natyuity of Chryst.Rome takē by the Gothes. The Gothes abode not long at Rome, but went from thence robbyng and proying to Rhezo and from thence saylyng into Sicilia, they were drowned wyth their Kyng. In the meane whylle as Stilicus ceassed not to imagyne new enterpryses and conspyraties, for to make the Empyre fall into the handes of hys sonne Eucheryus, the treason beyng knowen he was taken and executed at the commaundement of Honoryus. Alarycus the Kyng beyng deade, the Gothes toke Adolphus hys kynsman to be theyr Kyng, and vnder hys conductyon they retourned to Rome, where they consumed and proyed all that was left.

He was mourdered, and Gensericus rayg­ned after hym: and he beynge dead, Wallys helde the kyngdome, wyth whom Constanti­nus, Honoryus Lyeutenaunt in Fraunce, also hys brother in lawe, and afterwardes com­paynion of the Empyre, dyd contracte alliaunce and amitye: grauntyng hym the countrye of A­quitania, whych is a part of Fraunce, for to dwell in. The Scots andthey were the auncy­ent inhabi­tauntes of England. Who, as Ceser say­eth, vsed to paint them selues with woad to seme more terrible vn­to their ene­myes. Pictes, did vexe & trouble England, but they were defeycted by the succour that the Emperour Honoryus sent thether. The Wandales also and Albanois forraged in Spain vnder the conduct of Gensericus.

After that Honorius was disceassed in the Citye of Rome, Valentinianus his sisters sōne succeded him onely in the sayd Towne and towardes the Weast parties, forasmuch as at that time, Theo­dosius the sonne of Arcadius gouerned in Con­stātinople, the other part of the world, as it hath bene said. About this tyme the Wandales beyng moued & incited through the strifes & seditions of the Romaine Captaines, whych were in Afrike, they lanced out of Spaine into Affrike, & put the whole countrye to fyer and sworde. Sence this spoyle,The Wandales enter into Affrik a certaine part of Affrike was assigned thē to dwell in. The Gothes, who by the good will & permissiō of the Emperour Honorius did possesse Aquitania in Fraunce (as we haue sayde) not be­yng content with their limites, they did wrong & violence vnto their neighbours, and kept Narbona straightly beseiged. But Litorius beynge sent thether with an armie he made the seige to be raised,Litorius a­gainst the Gothes. & vittelled the town. He was also prosperous in the fyrst battaile. But afterwards he was takē & almost all hys armie put to the sword. The ouer throw was so great, that the Romains were constrained to demād peace. On the other syde Gen­sericus king of the Wandales, violating the peace which he had (as we haue sayde) made in Affrike with the Romaines, he toke Carthage suddenly being vnloked for, wherin he did dyuers & sondry cruelties. This Citie had bene vnder y^e Romains for the space of fiue hundreth & foure score yeares. After he had gotten Carthage, he passed into [Page 52]Sicilia, where he did exceding much hurt. Where through, Theodosius did then prepare & furnishe hys nauye, for to goe and warre agaynst the Wandales. But forasmuch as at the same instant the Hūnes dyd spoyle and oppresse Thracia and Sclauonie, y^e armie was called frō Sicilia, for y^e tuition & defence of those countries. At y^t time the Scottes & Pictes dyd enter & Perce into great Britaignie: & forasmuch as the inhabitants did despaire of the Romain helpe & succour, they demanded aide of the Englishe mē, a people of Saxonia. But they dyd so affectionate the plentifullnes & fearnes of the coūtry, that by litle & lytle landyng new souldiours and increasyng their armye:The Bri­tons dryuē out by the Englyshe­men. they at the last dyd assubiecte the most part of the Ile, after they had defeicted the Britons.

Shortly after Theodosius the second dyed at Constantinople. In his raigne the sūne was ob­scured or darkned (as certayne say) & almost from the fyfetenth of Iuly vnto the month of Septē ­ber appeared a blaysing starre.Martianus Emperour. Martianus succe­ded Theodosius in the regimēt of y^e East partes. We haue herebefore spoken of Gensericus king of the Wandales. Valentinianus entred in leadge wyth him, and dyd deuide & part Affrike betwen them.The for­castes of Athila king of y^e hunes. About thys tyme Athila kyng of y^e Hūnes (who hauing violenly possessed Dacia, & Hunga­rie, most cruelly assaulted the next countries there about, to wytte Macedonia, Mysia, & Thracia) purposed to bring vnder his subiection that part of the Romaine Empyre which lyeth towards y^e [Page] [...] [Page 52] [...] [Page]Weast. But because he perceaued that this warre should be very difficil, yf the Gothes, who were in peace with the Romains, and did inhabite a part of Fraunce (as it hath bene sayd) should ayde and succour theym, he hastened out an ambassadour towards them, for to require them to be his frend and aliaunte but Atius the Lieutenant of Valentinianus the Emperour preuented hym (by fyrst ariuing thether) and hauyng confyrmed the ally­aunce with Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes, he prepared hymself to the battayle wyth all his po­wer. Athila neuertheles pursewed that which he had taken in hand: and they fyersly ioygned in battayle in the playne of Chalons in Campania, which is at this day so named through the great slaughter that was there committed.Terrible warre in Cāpania. It is said y^e there remained slain in that battaile almost foure score thousand men: & amongst others Theodori­cus king of the Gothes. Athila seyng himself van quished thought to slay hymself, fearing to fall a lyue into hys enemyes handes.

But as king Theodoricus sonne, folowyng the coūsell of Etius, dyd retyre homewards with his armie, for to succede his father disceassed, Athila had leasure to take agayne hys breath and to re­tourne into Hungaria, where hauing gathered a new armye, he entred very furiously, into Italy, and beseiged long tyme Aquileia, which fynally he subdued, spoyled, and brunt.

At one voyage he toke Concordia, Padua, [Page 53]Vicentia, Verona, Brixia, Bergome, Myllane, and Pauye. From thence spoyling all thorow out Flaminia, he fynally encamped ouer agaynst the floode Mincius and that of Apia. In the which place as he consulted whether he weare best goe to Rome with hys army, the Byshop of Rome Leo, the fyrst of that name, came vnto hym,leo pacifieth Athila. & so handled the matter that he not onelye wyth drew himself from goyng to Rome, but also lea­uing the country of Italy he retourned into Hun­garye, where shortly after he dyed.

This is that Leo of whom diuers Epistles, are yet found wryten vnto Theodosius the seconde and vnto Martianus Emperours: wherein he partly excuseth hymself for that he could not be assystaunte at the Councells by theym published desyryng theym not to be offended in that he sendeth thether Ambassadours: and partly he re­quyreth and prayeth theym to assygne the place of the Counsell rather in Italye, then in Asia. But he obtayned nothing.The fyrst foundation of Venise.

At such tyme as Athila dyd in such fort vexe and trouble Italye. The towne of Venise was built because that dyuers Ryche and noble men of the countrye there aboutes, dyd retyre as into a place of resuge, into that arme of the Sea, Iles, and hylly places.

The begynnynge then of this towne was pitifull, poore and almoste in dyspayre, and at thys present it is growen to suche greatnesse as we see it.

The num­ber of the Dukes of Venise.The number of their Dukes are hetherto coun­ted to be foure score & fyue: of whom Paulus Anazatus was the first, in the yere of saluation seuen hundreth & syxe, two hundreth fyfty & two yeres after the foūdation of the towne. Valentinianus was afterwards slaine: and Gensericus Kyng of the Wandales passed forth from Affrike into Ita­ly wyth a most myghtye armye: & beyng ayded of the Maures he went to Rome, & toke the towne, beyng destitute and abandoned almost of all her inhabitants.Rome takē by y^e Wan­dales. Notwithstanding he beyng intrea­ted by the Bishoppe Leo (who had also pacifyed Athila, as it hath bene sayd) did not put y^e towne to fyer and sword. Howbeit he proied it & caried a great nūber captiue into Carthage. Afterwards the enemies did much cruelty to the coūtry of Lauor, and did ruinate Capua, Nola, Naples, and o­ther Townes byndyng them in cheynes whom they left a liue.That is great Campania. And beyng loden with the proy of Italy, they retourned into Affrike. Martianus who was Emperour in the East, dyd kepe hym self in peace, accordyng to his quiet & peaceable nature. He vsed to say, that it was not decent nor honest for a Prince to put himselfe in armes,A notable sentence. as long as he myght lyue in peace. In hys raygne a very great Coūsell was assigned at Chalcedon by his commaūdement,The coūsel at Calcedō. where Eutiches, who con­foūded the two natures in Christ, was condem­ned. There amongst other thinges it was orday­ned, that no clerke (as they call them) should be re­ceyued into twoo Churches. The pluralitie of [Page 54]benefices were then vnknowen, the whiche at this daye is so common as nothinge more: yea al­most euen in our memorie, amongst y^e other spots of the Churche, this allso hathe bene introduc­ted, that the Pope hathe made no dificultie to graunt two bishoprikes vnto one man. If he did agayne establishe the coustoume lately obserued herein, he shoulde do his dewtie. But in asmuche as he can not abyde that, do we thynke that he wyll euer suffer y^t the things should be refourmed accordyng to the holy scriptures, decrees of the Apostles, and of the primatiue church? No doubt they labour in vayn, who seke to rule and frame the Popes doings accordyng to the maner of the auncient religion.

Martianus dyed the seuenth yere of his raign and Leo succeded hym.Leo Emp. As touchyng, Rome and the West parties, after the taking of the said citie by Gensericus, & his retourne into Affrike, Aui­tus succeded Valentinianus, after hym Maioria­nus, and after him Seuerus, after him also Au­themius: and consequently others of small name, who slew one another by treason and ambush­ments,The Wes [...] empyre sore afflicted. so that none of them raygned long: wher­through that part of the Empyre towards the West was very soore afflicted and vexed.

There is found nothyng wrytten of the Empe­rour Leo, whych is worthy of memory, but that he made an atonement and league wyth the Go­thes, who forraged in Sclauonia. There are yet found one or two Epistles of Leo bishop of Rome [Page]which are directed vnto hym. The sayd Empe­rour had Zeno Isauricus to hys successour.Zeno Isau­ricus. Amongest them who after the death of Valen­tinianus had the domination of Rome, there was one also named Augustulus. At this tyme Odoacer bryng accompanied with a great armye of Herulois and Scyrois, passed from Hungaria into Italy by force of armes. He stewe Orestus a gentle man of the chiefe bloud of Rome, whom he had taken in Pauie, where he was retired wyth his souldiours, not content therewith he proyed and brunte the towne: and procedyng onwards, he subdued the whole countrey euen vnto Rome. Augustulus seyng these thyngs hys corage fay­led hym, and willingly, & euen of his owne ac­corde, he depriued him self of the Empyre.Odoacer subdueth Italye. Odoa­cer made his entrye into Rome, and after he had obtained the domination of Italy, he enioyed it & raigned peaceably ouer the same, for the space of xiiii. yeres. That time passed, the Emperour Zeno did send Theodoricus king of the Ostrogothes, from Constantinople. In his way he vanquished Gepides and Bulgares who did resist him.Theodori­cus king of the Ostrogothes.

Afterwards passyng by Mysia and Hungaria, he entred into Italy: and encamped before Aquileia, where Odoacer went to mete hym, and they fought earnestly together wyth all theyr myght and power. Odoacer had the worst, and was put to flyght. But he renewed his army, & presented agayne the battayll about Uerona: Where he be­ing also the second tyme ouertorowen and put to [Page 55]flight, he hastened towards Rome, leauing the greatest number of his men behind him, partly slaine in the field, and partly drowned in the ry­uer of Athese. He being excluded from Rome spoy led the fields and medowes there abouts, and re­tyred to Rauenna: where he was beseiged al­most thre yeres, and finally hauyng yelded hym­self was slain. He being dispatched, Theodoricus remained maister of Italy, and made his entrye into Rome where he held two cousells of bishops whome he had made to come thither out of di­uers Prouinces of Italy, for to iudge vppon the cause of Symnachus bishop of Rome, whome many did reiect as vnworthy and euill elected.

This Theodoricus was an Arrian, as the bokes of the Papistes report. It is he who was surna­med Veronensis, and was kinsman to that The­odoricus who (as it hath bene said) was slaine in the battell against Athila. Odoacer was a Rugi­en which is a certain people of Germany towar­des the sea ofIt is the ocesian sea, towards y^• countrey of Prusse. Balthicus. Theodoricus seking to fortifie him selfe, did ioygne the kinges of the Wandales, Visigots, and of Bourgony, in affi­nitie and league with him. Whilest these thyngs were a doyng in Italy, great tumults were rai­sed in Thracia, Affricke, and England: in which finally the Saxons were maisters.

Anastasius succeaded Zeno, who was disceas­sed at Constantinople. He mainteyned certayne,Anastasius, who helde the opinion of Eutyches.

Whereof sprong great dissention betwene hym and Gelasius bishop of Rome, who accordyng to theyr bookes, dyd admonysh hym by large and long letters not to maintayn or defend such men. For there are two principall thyngs which are concurrant in the regiment of this world, the sa­cred authoritie of bishops and the regall power. As touchyng the byshops they haue the greater charge, in as muche as they must once render an accompt for the residue. Truth it is that he prese­deth in ciuill pollicie: but not withstandyng he is subiect to the ministers of sacred thyngs, and de­pendeth vppon theyr iudgement. And seyng that the Priests do obey the polityke lawes, it is mete that he for his part do not refuse that whych the Dispensatours and Presidents of sacred thyngs do decerne. Also for as much as thys honour vn­doubtedly ought to be referred to al the ministers of the Church: How much more then vnto hym whom God fyrst of all by hys voyce, and after by the consent of the church,The arogā ­cie of the bi­shop of rome would haue to be aboue all order of Priesthode? Let hym therefore refrain and heare hym rather as an intreatour in this life then as an accusour in the other. Hys decre as touchyng the holy Byble is ioygned next after: Wherein he attributeth chief authoritie vnto the Romain sea (so they name it) secondly vnto Alex­andria, and thyrdly vnto Antioche. In Anastasi­us raigne great seditions and motions of warre were styrred vp in Cilicia: the which were asswa­ged and pacified after that the author was dis­patched. [Page 56]The Hunnes dyd then also spoyle Ar­menia and Capadocia: The Getes Macedonia, Thessalia, and Albania, in such sort that the Em­perour was constrayned to pacifie ech of them with gyftes and great losses. About thys tyme, to wit, the yere of saluation, CCCCC, Clodoue­us kyng of Fraunce receyued fyrst of all the religi­on of Christ, after he had bene long tyme solicited by hys wyfe (who was of the house of Bourgo­ny) to forsake the Idols and superstitions.Clodoueus the first chri­sten kyng of Fraunce. There remaineth yet a counsell of Orleans holden in his raigne by .xxxiii. French byshops: by the whych amongest other thyngs, it is ordeyned that if any hauing rauyshed a mayde, flye and take Sanctu­ary in the temple, yea albeit, he haue enforced her, that he should not dye: but that he should eyther be as a bondman, or els redeme hym self by her. The ryght Canon sayth, that Anastasius braste a sunder, and so dyed, others say that he was stri­ken wyth lyghtnyng. Iustinus folowed hym, who was of a base byrth,Iustinus Emperour of Grecia, and as it is wrytten of a Swyne keper he was made a souldyour.

He was at variaunce wyth Theodoricus kyng of the Gothes, and lord of Italy, through the diuer­sitie of religion: but not wythstandyng they dyd not put them selues in armes. After the disceasse of Theodoricus, Alaricus his Nephew succeaded hym, to the great contentation, feruent desyre & ioy of the Gothes. Iohn the fyrst of that name was then Byshop of Rome: who was sent to Constantinople by the king Theodoricus, where [Page]he was receyued (as their bookes declare) very honorably,Flatteries of y^e Papists not only of the people, but also of the Emperour. For they say, that they triumphed for for ioye, in that then the countrey of Grecia had obteyned so great felicitie, as to see and receyue y^e Vicar of S. Peter (such is their style) a thing which had not bene since Constantine the great, and since Siluester. It is merueyll why they say that of Siluester, seyng that he neuer entred in­to Grecia, as it is moste certain: for euen then when he oughte chiefly to haue remoued, & when great nede did require, to wit, to the counsell of Nice, he stirred not forth: but sent Victor & Vin­centius his ambassadours thither. Afterwards,Lyes & fals­hode in histories of popes he held another counsell at Rome (as they say) by the which he confirmed that which the counsell of Nice had decreed. There remaineth yet an epi­stle of Iohn the first, directed vnto the bishops of Italy for to comfort them, wherein he admoni­sheth them to perseuer in their purpose, & to re­main feruent, albeit, that y^e king Theodoricus, infected with the heresie of the Arians, do threa­ten to destroy them & all Italy.Iustinianus After Iustinus, Iustinianus, Iustinus sisters son was made Emperour. He employed himself to put in order & esta­blysh y^e publyke weale, & in the beginning cōmit­ted the charge to Belisarius: who wan the great battayls against the Persians,Belisarius. which were issued out of their coūtrey, and did molest the subie­ctes of the Romains. Herecouered Sclauonia, spoyled & destroyed by the Gepides & Bulgariās. [Page 57]He made a league with the Parthians, who wer in armes. He defeited a great army of Wandales in Affricke, tooke theyr king, & reconquered Car­thage. From thence he went into Sicilia, whēce shortly after he retourned into Affrick, being cer­tified of the rebellion in that countrey. He hand­led his affayres there very prosperously. Finally, beyng agayn ariued in Italy, he vanquished the town of Naples, & sacked it and defeited the Go­thes of whom Theodatus was than kyng.

Afterwards he went to Rome, where he was lo­uingly & honorably receiued of al. Being departed thence, he subdued towns & strōg holds in diuers places & amongest others the towne of Perouse. This done he layed seige before Rauenna, wher Vitigis kynge of the Gothes fought agaynst hym. But hauing lost his army;Vitigis Kig of the Go­thes taken prisoner. he was taken & led captiue into Constantinople by the sayd Beli­sarius. The Gothes did renew their power, and in the region beyond Papia, did elect Hildebrand to be their king. Two others succeaded him and finally Totilas (who in the absence of Belisarius forraged all Italy) beseiged Rome,Rome ta­ken by To­tylas. the which he subdued, sacked, and brunt. Wherefore Belisari­us hauinge made an end of the warre, whyche he hadde wyth the Parthians, who hadde a­gayne oppressed Syria: He retourned into Ita­lye, and dyd reestablyshe the Cytye of Rome, whyche was almoste desarte. Whyche done, he went to encounter the enymye, against he whom he had good successe.

And as he sayled into Sicilia for to gyue order as touchyng the munitions, he was called home by Iustinianus: through whych occasion, Toti­las renewed hys power and retourned to Rome. Afterwards,Narses the Eunuche. the Emperour gaue the conduction of the Italian war vnto Narses the Eunuche: who draue the Gothes out of all Italy: Which he dyd the easiyer, for that they had lost Totilas theyr kyng, who dyed with a wound that he had receyued. Thys war agaynst the Gothes lasted ten yeares. Iustinianus hauyng recouered Italy and Affryke, and hauyng taken Iustinus hys doughters sonne to be companion of the Empyre he shortly after dyed. Some are of opinion that he was a man of a faynte heart, & that he was subiect to Theodora hys wyfe.Tribonia­nus colle­cted the Pandects. Tribonianus Iu­risconsull was in hys great fauour: who hauynge abolyshed the wrytynges & disputations of the auncetours, dyd collect out of them certayn wor­kes of diuers fragmentes of verses, whiche are now called Pandects, the which only remayne vnto vs. He was helped by certain to finishe this worke, who are here and there named. Afterwar­des he dyd the lyke vnto the letters and lawes of Prynces, which before were conteyned in three bookes, to wit in the bookes called Gregorianus Hermogenianus, and Theodosianus: All the which he comprehended in one volume, and cal­led it Iustinianus booke, beyng ayded by other mens helpe, whom the Emperour nameth in the Preface of the saide booke. Certayne Authours [Page 58]saye that Trebonianus was a couetous man, and that for money he established lawes, and eft­sones disalowed them, as Virgill sayth. In the a­foresaid bookes are found diuers lawes,In the 6. of Encidos, y^e which do minishe and derogate from those in times past. They added moreouer a perticuler booke of new ordinaunces: the which altogether beareth the name and title of Iustinian. The Emperour delt very cruelly with Belisarius, vnder whose cōduct he had wōne so many glorious and notable victo­ries.The misery of Belisari­us in hys olde age. For he caused his eyes to be put out at such tyme as he crouched for age. In Iustinians raign dyuers Sinodes were holden at Constantinople at the whych Mēna patriarche of the towne pre­ceded, who is called most holy, most blessed & vni­uersall, as their bookes report. In the beginning of the booke there is an Epistle of the Emperour directed vnto Iohn Archbishop of Rome, wherin he nameth hym head of all Churches & assubiec­teth all vnder him. Now albeit that the learned men do Iudge it to be coūterfaited, notwithstan­dyng put the case it were true, yet it is certayne y^t thys quarell did remayn many yeares after, vntil such tyme as the Byshops of Rome beyng waxen rych,The meanes where­by the Ro­mishe chur­che was buylte. got the vpperhand & buylt thē a strong hold in the possession of the Church. The which beyng buylt by the hands & fauour of mē, is at this day in reputation as yf God had established it. We haue before declared, how that in Augustins time the syxt Counsell of Carthage was holden:The disc [...] of y^e Popes surpr [...]sed. wher­in the deceipt of Pope Bonifacius the fyrst and of [Page]Celestinus was disclosed. For they affyrmed that it was ordained at Nice y^t they should be appeald vnto from al places.The denilyshe ambi­tion of Bo­nifactus the seconde. In Iustinianus time, Boni­facius y^e second was byshop of Rome. There re­maineth a certain Epistle of him, wherin he sharply rebuketh & taxeth Aurelius, who at y^e foresayd counsell was bishop of Carthage, & sayth that by the motion & instigation of y^e deuyll, he wyth hys fellow Byshops, straue against y^e church of Rome. Also he giueth god thanks, y^e Eulatius, Aurelius successour, & then Byshop of y^e sayd place, was re­conciled with y^e Church of Rome. Moreouer he reciteth a certayn writting of Eulatius, by y^e which he protesteth y^t he cōdemneth aswel his elders as his successors, who haue gone or shal go about to subuert & deminyshe the priueleges of the holy and apostolike church. Agapetus successour of Bonifacius y^e second did dysplace Authemius patri­arch of Cōstantinople, who denied two natures in Christ. Theodora the Emperours wyfe was sore displeased therewyth: and by Belisarius, warned Syluerius, Agapetus successour, to reesta­blyshe hym. And because that the sayd Agape­tus was accused of certayne other matters. Be­lisarius dysplaced hym, and putte Vigilius in his towne. But because that he beyng called to Constantinople,The Bys­shoppes of come were in the Em­perours po­wer. would not restore Authemius to hys offyce, he was serued wyth the lyke. Whereby it is euydent ynoughe that then the Byshoppes of Rome weare in the Emperours power. In the raigne of Iustinus the second, the [Page 59]Parsian warre was renued. And because that it went yll and vnfortunallye on the Emperours part, Auchelaus his Lieutenant did again make peace. Narses the other Lieutenant of the Emperour, dyd enioye Italy for .xvi. yeares space: after he had driuen out the Gothes, and that Totilas was disceassed. Afterwards he beyng called from thence, by the Emperour, and hauyng receyued vnpleasaunt letters, and conceauing great ingra­titude in them: he not onely not returned, but also to auenge hymself he sent Ambassadours for to entyse and draw the Lombardes into Italye, in propoundyng vnto them great profytes and com­modities, and declaryng vnto them that Italy exselled all other counttryes in beauty and fertilitie.The Lom­berds enter into Italy. They had at that tyme taken their inhabytation in Hungaria. At such tyme as they were thether ariued, they dyd possesse that parte of Italy whi­ch beareth theyr name, euen to thys day. The Hystoriographers wrytte that thys Iustinus, dyd instytute a Magystrate in Italye, namedThat is to say lorde or gouer­nour. Exarche, who was as the Vicemperour. He remayned for the most parte at Rauenna, not passyng for Rome, and placed in euery City and Towne a gouernour.

The Italyen wrytters sayd that thys new institution was cause of the ruyne of Italye and of Rome. Narses afterwardes dyed at Rome.Tiberius Emperour. Tyberius, who had allreadye bene made com­paynyon of the Empyre, succeaded Iustynus. He ouerthrewe the Parsyans in twoo battayls. [Page]He made peace with y^e Lombardes: who raigned from theA coūtry in Italy called now A­prucium. Samnites euē to the Alpes, y^e City of Rome excepted: the which they had straightly be­seiged for a certayn tyme, but fynally were cōstrained to raise their campe, through the greatnes of tēpests, vnseasonable weathers, & great raynes.

Mauritius,Mauritius. Tiberius sonne in lawe was Emperour: and in certayn battayles vanquished the Parsians by his Lieutenants, & fynally he made peace with them. Afterwards hauing called back agayn hys army, he draue y^e Scythes from Mi­sia. He kept y^e Lombards vnder by force in Italy: & displaced the Hūnes out of Hungaria. He grew in hatred of hys souldiours, because of hys coue­tousnes. Wherfore he was constrayned (for to a­uoyde the sedition begōne) to fly to Chalcedon: where fynally he was slayne wyth hys wyfe and chyldren, and all his race, by a certayn centurion named Phocas: who afterwards was chosē Emperour by sedi [...]io [...].Phocas. In Mauritius raign there ap­peared a blaysyng starre for syxe Monthes space. And as certayn writings do mention, Mahomet was then borne, of whom we wyll shortly hereaf­ter speake. At that time Iohn Byshop of Cōstan­tinople dyd name himself y^e vniuersall Patriarch.Quarells for the su­premacie. Gregorie the fyrst a­gainst the ambitiō of the Pope. Whom the Byshop of Rome, Pelagius y^e second, did stro [...]gly and stoutly withstand, & pronounced his decrees to be of no vallewe. Gregorius y^e fyrst his successor, doth sharply reprehend that in him, and saith y^t this title and honour was attributed to his ancestours at y^e counsell of Carthage: how­beit [Page 60]neuer any of them would euer vse it. He wry­ting also vnto Mauritius the Emperour, he ex­horteth him to restrayne and kepe him vnder, in­as much as it lyeth in his aucthoritie, the whych is sore minished by the power that the other vsur­peth. It is sayd that Bonifacius the thyrd, who folowed Gregorye dyd obtayne the supremacye of Phocas. Wherof he published patents & laws.The entry of y^e popes. In Phocas raygne y^e Persians did greatly endo­mage the publike weale. For they possessed Meso­potamia and Assyria, & passed euen into Asia the lesser: so great was the negligence of the Prynce. Moreouer Germany, Fraunce, Spaine, and the most part of Italy dyd reuolte. The Saracenes spoyled and proyed Egipt. Wherof it befel that he was slain for his cruelty, & for neglecting the pub­like weale. In Heraclius tyme, hys successour,Heraclius. the Parsians made great roades. From Egipt they marched into Affrike: the whych they subiected vnto them. The Scithes dyd dismember & rent Europa in pieces diuers & sondry wyse. Heraclius fynally toke iourney into Asia: and seyng that he could not obtain peace, no not in offering meanes finally r [...]doūding to the Romayns honour,Heraclius. victorie. he entred, euē almost by constraint, into plaine battaile against the sayd Persians who then spoyled & oppressed Iudea, and ouerthrew them in two bat­tailes. From thence forthwith passed the floode Tiger, & spoiled y^e whole country of Persia, vn­tyll such tyme as he made aliaunce wyth Siro­chus the kyng of Persyans sonne, who hauyng [Page]killed his father, had made himself king. By thys meanes y^e country of Affrike, Egipt, & all that the Parsians had subdued, was rendred: and it was agreed y^t the flood Tiger should seperate the Parsians dominiō from that of y^e Romains, About y^t time a great multitude of Saracenes, who were at the wags of Heraclius, did reuolt because they were defrauded of their payment & robbing & proiyng in Siria vnder y^e conduct of Mahomet they possessed Damascus, proied Egipt, subdued Ara­bia, & fought luckly agaynst the Parsians.The begin­ning of Mahometes authoritie. Maho­met proceded from out of a poore towne & familie: notwithstanding he was subtil & audacious, & af­terwardes was enriched by his mariges: & being had in estimatiō for y^e prōptnes & dexterity of his spirit,The Alchoran of Ma­homete. he propoūded a new doctrine, very pleasant to humaine reason, but worthy to be mocked and laughed at, and also wicked for y^e most part: to the end y^t therby he myght more & more allure mens minds vnto him, & fortifye his kyngdome. And albeit that at the first it was very easye to haue ex­tinguished thys fyer: notwythstandyng because it was neglected and let slyppe, wyth in a short tyme it waxed almost vnquinshable. For then the dignytye and Empyre of the Romaynes to­wardes the East was aueanted and buryed. In Heraclius raygne,The fourth counsell of Toletanū. the fourth Counsell of Tole­tanum was holden. And because that in Spaine dyuers Priestes dyd not dayly, but on the Son­daye onely, recite the Lordes prayer, it was or­dayned [Page 61]amongest other thyngs that y^t should be remedyed, Item that y^e Apocalipse of saint Iohn the Euangelyst (as they say) should be taught in the temples from Easter vnto whitsonday.

The Gothes raygned then in Spayne: and as the Spayniards beyng anoyed wyth straunge domination (a thyng not vncommon) dyd stirre vp certayne dyssentions and conspiraties, y^e Sy­node ordayned vpon great payne that no coniu­ration should be made against the kyng or the na­tion of the Gothes: & that at such tyme as y^e kyng shuld be dead, the chiefe & heads of y^e people with the priests should electe a successour by common aduise. This same was repeted by them in certain other assemblies.Why Hal­leluia it not sounge in Lent. Constans. It was also forbydden that in the tyme of lent (so they call it) Halleluya should not be soung in the Churches: because that that is ordained to be a time of sorow and not of Ioye. Constans Constantinus Sonne, who was the sonne of Heraclius, succeaded hym: who fought vnprosperouslye by sea agaynst the Saracenes. They beyng victorious tooke Rhodes, and had entred further into the countrye, yf the dyssen­tyons whych arose amongest theym had not ge­uen Trewes for two yeares to the Romaynes. That gaue theym tyme of respyte: and then the Emperour marched into Italye for to defend it from the enemye, as he said. Beyng ariued at Tarento, he forced and destroyed Luceria, and other places in theApart of Italy, Bor­dering on y^e sea Adriat­ticum. Puell, of the Lombardes domynyons.

On the way as he went towards Naples, hys ri [...]rband was defeicted by the Lombardes.Constans robbeth Rome. He entred afterwards into Rome very peaceable, but at length he robbed and proyed the ornamentes therof: and after short abode there, he marched in to Sicilia, where he was slaine with in y^e bayne. And because that after his death strife & dissentyō was raised for y^e successiō, the Saracenes finding this occasion, entred into Sicilia with a mighty armie by sea, and dyd great slaughter. They toke Sarrogosa, and caried away with them the proy that Constans had taken out of Rome.

Constanti­tinus the bearded.Constantinus y^e fourth succeded Cōstans, who was cōmonly called y^e bearded, He fought for cer­tain yeres space against y^e Saracenes, whō final­ly he defeicted, in such sort y^t thei were constrained to require peace and trues for xxx. yeres, on condi­tion to pay yerely tribute. The enemies of the Romains, which were towards y^e West, beīg moued therwith, did also demaund peace. But the Bul­gares passyng out of the Limites, destroyed the countrye of Thracia. At length agrement was made wyth theym, and the twoo Mysyes were graunted theym to dwell in. Notwythstan­dynge perceauynge shortlye after the coward­nes and lythernes of the Romaynes, they brake peace, and dyd weaken and dymynyshe the fortes of the Empyre.Constanti­nus giueth the election to the Ro­maynes. Thys Emperour dyd fyrste of all ordayne, that he should haue all power at Rome, that shoulde be chosen Byshoppe by the Clergye, the people and the [Page 62]souldiours. For euen hetherto the dignitie of the bishope of Rome did depende vpon the confirma­tion of the Emperour, or of his Lieutenante in Italy. There is yeat sounde a longe epistile of pope Leo the seconde, wrytten vnto Constan­tinus, by the whiche he condemnethe all sortes of Heritykes, and dothe highly prayse him for the care he toke of religion and the de [...]ence therof, al­so for his lyberalitie and good dedes. He sayethe that y^e Churche triumphethe for hauinge founde such a defender in his raygne,The syxth Counsel of Constan­tinople. the sixth councell of Constantinople was holden, by an hundreth & fifty bishops. In the Actes of that Sinode about the end mention is made of y^e Canons, which are entitled of the apostles: but diffusedly & in obscure termes. Gratianus reciteth cōtrary opinions: sai­yng that some are of opinion y^t they were written by heretikes, & reiected by the auncient Church, & counted amongst y^e apocriphes. But it is said that Zepherinus the xvi. Bishop of rome approued thē and after him, y^t foresaid counsell which is sayd to haue bene ended in y^e tyme of Iustinianus the se­cond, who was y^e sōne of Constantinus y^e fourth. Briefly there is nothīg groūded on certain reasō: neither is there any accord as cōcerning y^e nūber of y^e canons. For some count L. other some sixty, & other eighty foure: in which nūber they remain at this day. Wherof it is easy to be gathered, y^t by litle and lytle diuers were added vnto them, and y^t they haue passed thorow one tytle, albeit that they weare inuented and made of dyuers.

Then also the archbishop of Rauenna, was vn­der the bishop of Rome: albeit that afore tyme, cheifly when the exarcheship was thither trans­ferred, he estemed him self nothing inferiour to y^e bishop of Rome. Iustinianus succeaded Constan­tinus his father.Iustimanus He for want of age & experience, gouerned the publike weale vndiscretly: & hauing broken the treatise of peace which his father had made with the Saracenes & Bulgares, finally he fell into such extremitie, that he was constrained to demaunde peace of them both. At length he was banyshed for his cruelty, & confined in a cer­tain place, after that his nostrels were cut.

Leontius was his successour,Leontius. who had bene pri­soner two yeres, for suspition to haue coueted the Empyre. During these troubles, the Saracenes did assault Affrik. But two yeres after they were put to flight, after that the battail was geuen.

The romain souldiours who were in garrison in the countrey of Affrick, seyng the Emperour han­dle the affaires very slowly & fayntly, fearyng al­so the Saracenes power, which was than mer­ueylous great, & fearyng also to be driuen out a­gayne by them: they elected a certayn man named Tiberius to be emperour. He marching with his army vnto Constantinople,Tiberius chosen emp. & possessing y^e town, toke Leontius, cut of hys nose, and put him in prison, and made a new Exarch in Italy. But as all these things were a doyng (not wythout great troubles) the Saracenes fauoured with the oportunitie of the tyme, and marchyng from Egypt [Page 63]with a great armye, toke againe possession of Af­frick with Lybia and almost all Spaygn. The a­boue sayd Iustinianus displaced, and sent in exile by Leontius, was succoured by Trebellius kyng of the Bulgares, and entred by strength & force in to Constantinople, where he killed Leontius and Tiberius: and for .vi. yeres after he raigned cruel­ly, & also was ingrate towards the king Trebel­lius. Finally he died with Teberius his sonne in a battaill against Philippicus Bardanes, towar­des whome the army was reuolted.Vsurpation of the popes ouer the emperours. Pope Con­stantinus pronoūced Philippicus to be a scisma­tick for the diuersitie of religion. At length Phi­lippicus had his eyes put out by his men, & had to his successour Anastasius the second. He sent a triumphant army by sea to Rhodes, for to war a­gainst the Saracenes: and ordeyned head of that army one of the ecclesiasticall order. And because y^t the souldiours would not obey him, sedicion was raised, & a certayne man of no reputation named Theodosius was elected Emperour: who retour­nyng the nauye, he came to Cōstantinople, why­ch he wan, & hauing vanquished Anastasius he made him a priest. He shortly after was displaced by Leo generall lieutenant of the army, & became a monke. At that time, which was the yere of sal­uation, D.CC. xvii. the Mauritanes rushed into Affricke with all their power, & brought it vnder their subiection, at such tyme as Rhodoricus, ele­cted by the Gothes, was kyng of Spaine. In the raygne of Leo, the Saracenes hauyng wasted [Page]Thracia, beseiged Cōstantinople by sea & by land, for thre yeres space,Constanti­nople be­seiged by y^e Saracenes. Finally the plague & pestilence cōsumed them almost all, & constrained the residue to retire into their country. Leo was greatly ani­mated against y^e byshop of Rome Gregorie the se­cond: & had cōmaunded his Lieutenāt or Exarch, to find meanes to auoide y^e peace. The Lōbards, defended y^e pope, not for any loue they bare to him but for to fyshe in troubled water, & in the meane time to enlarge their dominions by such strife and debate. The which they did. For by this meanes they possessed many townes belonging to y^e Ex: arch. Certain Epistles of the said Gregorie are yet found, writē vnto y^e clergie & people of Thuring, wherby he admonisheth theyin to profyte more & more in the knowledge of god. The others are di­rected vnto y^e Saxons: wherin he grauely conuerteth them frō idolatry.Bonifacius sent into Duchland. He vsed, in these affaires y^e aide of one Bonifacius, whō he had sent into Germany. Leo beate downe y^e images & figures of y^e saits & cast thē out of y^e Churches, & willed y^e pope to do the lik. But so farre of was it that he did any thing, that on the cōtrary he threatned him with great plagues if he dyd pursewe in his enterpryse Constantinus the fifth of y^e name, surnamed Co­pronyme, succeaded Leo, who held the same rely­gion that his father dyd. He embarcked hymselfe wyth a great armye for to goe agaynst y^e Sara­cenes, to the end to recouer Alexandria in Egipt. but hauyng receaued newes of the sedition that was raysed at home. and that Artabastus was [Page 64]elected Emperour in hys rouine, he retourned to Constantinople, toke the towne by force, and put out Artabastus eyes. Thys Constantinus had great quarell with Gregory y^e thyrd, aswel as his father: For Gregory sent dyuers messanges for to excommunicate hym. But because that his mes­sangers dyd possesse the prison, he assembled a Sinode, where he ordained, that all they who from thense forth should beate downe the Images of the saints, or dishonour them, shuld be altogether reiected from the compaynye of the Church.The Pope protectour of Idoles. Not content herewyth, he wyth great dyligence, set vppe great store of Images in dyuers Temples: and decked theym sumptuouslye. After Grego­rye the thyrde came Zacharias. There remay­neth a certayne Epystle of hym, wrytten vnto one Bonifacius Byshop, who was in Ducheland, euē to him (as it appeareth) whose ayde Gregory the second vsed, as we haue sayde a lytle before. Za­charias aunswereth to hys demaundes, and per­mytteth hym that there should be Byshoppes at Mersebourg, at Bomberge and at Erphord. He graunted hym moreouer that it was lawfull for hym to go to Carlomanus, the sonne of Charles Martel, who demaunded y^t a Synode should be holden in a certayne Towne in the kyngdome of Fraunce, and that the maners of the Church shoulde be dylygentlye reformed, but chyeflye that the adulterous Pryestes, and those that haue dyuers wyues, shoulde be dysplaced from the order of Pryesthoode.

Marriage forbidden vnto the Priestes.For seyng that after they be once entred into the sacred ministerie, it is not lawful for them to haue one only wyfe: how much lesse than is it permit­ted to haue diuers together? For y^t which Paule sayth, that the bishop be husband of one wyfe, ought not to be vnderstode as appertaynyng to thys tyme,Fine inter­pretation of S. Paule. but for the tyme paste: that is to say, that he that would be receyued into the order of priesthood, should haue had but one wyfe & no more. After thys Epistle followeth the act of Ca­lomanus, who intituleth him self duke of y^e french men: by the which he ordeyneth that a Synode should be yerely holden in his presence. He also commaundeth that the whoremongers & adulte­rous priests should be displaced. He forbiddeth them hunting & haukyng, and to entertaine any woman at all in theyr houses. But he sayth no­thing of theyr wyues.Aistulphus kyng of the Lumbards. At that tyme Aistulphus kyng of the Lumbards dyd demaund yerely tri­bute of the romains, & threatned them soore.

Stephen the .ii. of that name then bishop of rome seing that he could not pacifie that man by cle­mentie & presents, he demaunded succour of Con­stantinus the Emperour. But for asmuch as ther ariued no aide frō y^e side,Pipine king of Fraunce aydeth the Pope. he besought Pipine new kyng of Fraūce (as we shall an one declare) to giue hym ayde. Pipine entred into Italy with strong power, & besieged Papia, & constrayned Aistul­phus to receyue certayn condicions of peace. But as soone as Pipine was retyred into Fraūce, he became more fierce & proude, & put hym self again [Page 65]in armes. Wherefore Pipine was agayn solicited to come into Italy. Than Aistulphus delyuered the Exarchship to Pipine: in the which countrey the principall townes are, Rauenua, Fauencia, Cesena, Forum Liuii, Forum Populi, Bononia, Rhegium, Parma, Placentia. It is sayd that Pi­pine left all thys countrey in y^e Popes hands, al­beit, that the Emperour had before made request vnto hym to render it agayn to hym, for asmuche as it appertayned to the Empyre, and not to the romain sea. Leo the .ii. succeaded Constantinus hys father.Leo the .ij. He enterprised but one onely iourney into Syria: but beyng repulsed he retyred home­wards & dyed shortly after, beyng of one religion with his father, & leauyng behynd hym a sonne. named Constantinus the .vi. But because that he was to yonge to handle the affayres, Irene hys mother had the gouernment.Irene em­presse. He beyng come to age displaced his mother, and began to raigne insolently and cruelly. And because that there through conspiraties were wrought against him he punyshed amongest others Nicephorus hys vncle, and put out hys eyes. He at length was serued with the lyke by the counsell of hys mo­ther, & shortly after dyed for sorow. By this mea­nes the gouernment of the Empyre retourned to Irene hys mother: Who was driuen out foure yeres after, and sent in exile: and in her roume the aboue sayde Nicephorus was placed.

About the tyme of these tumults and troubles of Constantinople, the fame of Charles kyng of [Page]Fraunce was very great. For he hauing put ende to the warre of Spayne, came into Italy wyth his armie at the request of Adrianus Byshoppe of Rome. And euen as Pipine hys father had sup­pressed Aistulphus king of the Lombards, so like­wyse he after long seyge toke Desiderius the suc­cessour of Aistulphus,The kyng of the Lombards takē by Charle­mayne. who greatly molested Italy and Adrianus the fyrst of that name. Moreouer he banished Adalgisius his sonne from the king­dome, and out of al Italy. For since Constantinus the great y^e Romain Emperours were placed ve­ry farre of, to witte, in Constantinople: and were not only encumbred with forren warres, but also with ciuill and domesticall dissentions tumultes and debats. Wherthrough it befell that they toke no great care of Italy, or that they could not well defend it: especially after that y^e Lombards threa­ned to enter the country. Moreouer y^e most part of them were at great strife wyth the Byshoppes of Rome, and for spyte they bare them, they did not greatly withstand the aduancement of the Lom­bards. For this cause y^e Popes sought forren aide and succour. And because that at that time there was no family more noble nor more mighty then that of the French Kyngs,the refuge of y^e popes vnto the kinges of Fraunce. Charle­maine pro­clamed Emperour. for the excellentnes of their actes, the said popes had refuge thether as vnto a certayn Hauen. On this sort, Leo y^e thyrd Adrianus successour, hauyng fyerce and myghtye enemies at Rome, demaunded ayde of Charles y^e sonne of Pipine. He beyng, for y^e fourth tyme come to Rome, was saluted Emperor by the pope and [Page 66]all y^e people. The which came to passe at such time as Constantinople was encombred wyth hurlye burlies, great stormes, and diuisions: in such sort that it semed that the tyme and state of y^e publike weale dyd offer meanes and gyue occasion vnto thys mutation. So therfore the Weast Empyre fell into the Germayns hands: for it is not to be doubted, whether Pipyne and Charles weare Germayns. Thys fell in the eyght hundreth and one yere after the natiuitie of Christ. As touching the East Emperours it is certayn that synce Ni­cephorus they haue bene alwaies tormented and troubled wyth warres. For in the begynning y^e Bulgates had often times battaile against them. Afterwards the Saracenes beyng marched frō Affrike, occupyed the Iles of Candy and of Sici­lia, and destroyed Asia through out. Whych also fynally the Turckes dyd, who weare yssued out of Scithia. Now from Nicephorus vnto Constā ­tinus Paleologus the last, there are reckened a­bout fyftye Greke Emperours, and amongst thē certayne women. They were for the most part mē of no worthynes. And in the raygne of Constan­tinus Monamachus, who is the twentith from Nicephorus,Constanti­nus Mono­machus. the Turckes beyng of a small be­gynning beganne to enlarge their dominions by ly [...]le and lytle, and to assault Asia: in such sort that encreassing daily their power,The begin­ning of the turckes. at length they haue establyshed a Monarchye, but no newe one, or fifth in order, but engendred of that part of the Romayn Empyre whych was in the East. The [Page]first of this Monarchye was Ottomanus,Ottoma­nus y^e firste Emperour of the Turckes. about the yeare of Christ a thousand thre hundreth. Af­terwardes Mahomette the second of that name, and great grande father vnto Solimanus who raigneth at thys present, hauing taken Constan­tinople, and slayne the Emperour Constantinus Paleologus wyth all hys race,Constanti­nople taken by Maho­mette. he vtterly rooted vp in those places the name and succession of the Emperours of our religion. Now vnto thys day the Turckes hold and possesse Asia, Syria, E­gypte, Mesopotamia, Iudea, Rhodes, and all Grecia, Thracia, Bulgaria, Macedon, Sclauo­nye, and the two Mysies, and of freshe memo­rye one of the Hungaryes, and a certayne part of Barbarye.

Diuelyshe ambition of the Bis­shoppes.As touchyng the supremacye, in tymes past the Churches of Ierusalem, of Antioch, of Con­stantinople and of Rome, haue bene at great strife and variaunce: especially the two laste, as it hath bene sayd. But the Turcke toke away the debate and in such sort confounded all thynges in those thre fyrst places, that at thys day there is no ap­peraunce there of any Church or Christian assem­bly. As concerning that whych remayneth, and whych triumpheth beyng freed from the others that bare her enuye, the thyng it selfe doth shewe in what state and disposytion she is. After then that we haue declared how that part of the body of the Romayne Empyre whych lyeth towardes the East, is altogether perished and fallen into other mennes handes: It resteth to declare how [Page 67]that whych lyeth towardes the West is ruina­ted, beynge brought vnder new gouernours. It is here nedefull to consyder as in by passyng the meruelous mockyng of fortune, in that, that the Honour and so hygh dygnytye of the Em­pyre hath bene transferred from the auncient Ro­mayne famylyes vnto straungers,The euyll happe of y^e Empe­rours and Empyre. yea vnto cer­tayne vyle and shamelesse personnes amongest theym. For somme of theym were Spayny­ards, others natyue of Hungarye, Pannonia, Dacia, Dardanya, Dalinatia, Fraunce, Thra­cia, or Cappadocia. Chyefely it is requysyte to contemplate how greatly the estate of the Emperours hath bene doubtfull and myserable, for theyr prosperitye and dygnyty dyd not con­syste in the defence or power of the Senate or of the people, but of the Legions and souldiours: in such sort y^t it was meruel that euer any wold take vpon them an offyce so daungerous and subiecte to so many calamytyes, For synce Iulius Cesar who was murdered in y^e presence of the Senate vnto Charlemayne,The num­ber of Em­perours murdered. there are founde about thir­tye that were slaine and foure that slewe theym selues wyth theyr owne handes. There was alwayes somethynge in theym that dyd mislyke the souldyours, neyther coulde they beare any more wyth the good then wyth the bad, and conspyrynge for the least accasyon in the world, they cutte their throttes whome they had enfor­ced to take vppon theym that hyghe estate, as it is manyefest.

It so befell vnto Elius Pertinax. The Senate stoode in awe of the Emperour: but he dyd de­pend almost vppon the wyll and pleasure of the vyle souldiours. They toke vpon them thys auc­thoritye after the death of Iulius Cesar, especy­ally the olde bandes and le [...]yons, whose ayde he had vsed in Fraunce, Spayne and Affryke. Cicero lamentyng the same, sayth, they are va­liaunt: but for the Memorye of thynges whych they haue done in fauour of the lybertye of the Romayn people and dignity of y^e publyke weale, they are ouer much arrogant, and drawe all our councells vnto their fellonie and violence.

How the Almaines are entred into fraūce. BEFORE that we begyne to speake of Charlemayne vnto whom (accor­ding as we haue sayd) the West Em­pyre was bequethed, it behoueth to declare somewhat of the Germaines of whom he proceaded. Fyrst of all it is most eui­dent that the Germayns haue oftentymes passed the Rheine and haue entred into the French do­minio [...]s, to the end there to make their inhabiti­tion, because of the goodnes of the country. For y^e Teuthons did pierce into Prouince, where they [Page 68]were defeicted by the Consull C. Marius. Synce as the Auuergnaes and they of Autun did stryue and cont [...]nd for the principalitie, certain bands of Almaynes hyred of the Auuergnaes and t [...]y of Sens came thether. By litle and lytle they so en­creased, that vnder the king Ariouistus they pos­sessed the most part of y^e country. Iulius Cesar defeicted them, in plaine batta [...]le. And certayn yeres a [...]ter as he made war against them of Liege whi­ch is a people beyond Brabant, y^e Germains pas­sed again ouer y^e Rheine for to assaile y^e Romain host. But they were ouerthrowen where y^e Maze and the Rheyne meteth. Many yeares after they held thēselues within their limites, because that y^e Romain Emperours made war vpon thē. But hauing gotten a certayn apt & commodious time, they loked vnto theyr aduantage, and forraged Fraunce without ceasse. So likewise in the Em­perour Gallienus time, a voluptuous man and of no worthines, they did inuade and oppresse it: & by succession of time became so mightie, that the Emperour Probus the fourth after Gallienus, draue them out with great difficultie. Iulianus also Lieutenant of the Emperour Constans dyd ioyne in battaile with them. Synce in the Empe­rour Honorius time, the Gothes entred by force of armes into Fraunce: who beyng encoumbred with diuers w [...]rres graunted them the country of Aqui [...]ania to dwell in. On the other syde the French Almayns entryng in armes through the country called Gallia Belgica, suppressed them of [Page]Trire, Gilderlād & Cleaue, with them of Liege, of Terouane, of Turney, of Amiens, of Beauuoys, & of Soissonois. Which done, they toke their ha­bitatiō in that part of Gallia,Paris the head Citie of Fraūce. y^e which yet at this day beareth the name of Fraunce: Wherof Paris is the head Citie, nere wherto is the town of S. Denis, y^e which was afterwards consecrated to bury the kings, as it is yet at this present. They being so enlarged, and holding also before a great part of Germanie, to witte al y^e country about the riuer of Mein and of Rheyne: did not onely defēd themselues if any came to assaile them: but also set vpon others. And as y^e Romain Empire fel dai by day into decay in Asia & Afrike, the Lombards also waistig Italy, they maruelously enlarged their limites in Fraunce. Afterwardes manye of their kings raigned there, vntil such time as the kyng­dom fel into y^e hands of Pipine & of Charlemaine his sonne. Charles Martellus was the father of Pipine who was not king, but one of the princes & great maisters, as they are commonly called. He vanquished them of Bauiers & of Swaine. For according as y^e writters of y^e Histories of Actes yerely done Annales of Fraunce do mention, y^e time hath bene y^t the kynges haue had but only the tytle and the name: as touching the whole aucthorie, it was in y^e hands of y^e great Maister.The Great maisters of Fraunce & their credit. For they were altogether degenerated from the vertue & manlines of their ancestours, and being addicted vnto pleasures & voluptuous­nes, they toke no care of the publike weale. Wher­fore [Page 69]the Great maister had y^e administration: and dyd increase so much the more hys power as the lithernes & carlesnes of the king did abound. Pi­pine who was great maister in y^e raigne of Chil­dericus, came to the crowne vnder such occasion,The kyngs suffer the pope to dis­place them. y^e thing hauing bene debated vpon before pope Za­chary, as they say. Mentiō is made hereof in y^e de­cree, which they intitill, of Gratianus, where it is said to be lawfull vnto y^e popes to put the kynges out of their thrones. But the tytle & inscriptiō of y^t place is false. For albeit that there haue ben two Emperours named Anastasius, notwithstādyng it cannot be attributed neither to y^e one nor to the other: forasmuch as y^e first raigned more then two C. yeres before y^e befell, y^e other .xxxvii. Moreouer in the last mans daies there was neuer any pope named Gelasius. I thought it necessarye to adde this,Contraritie in the wri­tinges of Popes. for to aduertise y^e readers to read intentiuely & warly y^e writigs of popes. For we find in diuers places, y^t their chiefe end is to put their lawes in credite & auctority, by falsly giuing to vnderstand y^t they are very ancient. Ouer & besides this that Pipine did suppresse y^e Lombards in Italy at the request of y^e pope (as is before said) he made warre agaynst the Saxons, and moreouer against them of Aquitania, whose Duke beynge taken, he slewe. After the death of Pipyne they often­tymes rebelled. But Charlemayne hys sonne putte ende vnto the twoo warres to wytte, that of Saxonye and of Aquitania, but not wyth oute greate trauayle.

Lōg warre against the Saxons.He had warre with the Saxons for thre & thirtie yeares space, and during this warre he was also occupied with others. For he did subdue y^e coun­try of Bauier, the which did rebell vnder the con­duction of the Captain Tassilon: and made two iournies against the Lombards, and passed euen into the land of Lauor: in such sort that he subiec­ted all Italy, and ordayned lawes as touchyng policie. He constrained also y^e cities of Gallia, situa­ted about y^e Ocean sea, in times past namedThe auncient name of Britaine in Fraūce. Ar­morica, and now comprehended vnder the name of lytle Britayne, to do their duety: Because that they refused to pay the tribute y^t was yerely dew vnto y^e kings of Fraūce. He went also into Spain where he was victorious against the Saracenes but at his returne the Gascons a people of Aqui­tania did lay waite for him in the forestes calledMoun­taines, which do diuide Fraunce frō Spaine. Pirenees, & discomfited him. Finally at the eyght yeres end he vainquished the Hūnes, who held y^e country of Hungaria, & pacified Bohemia by hys Lieutenāts. His last war was against y^e Danois or Normanes, who wasted all that side of Germanye and of Gallia with their sea armie. Through these so great actes he was surnamed the Great. For before tyme the French kings did hold but y^t part of Germany, which is betwen Saxony and Dunowe, betwen y^e Rhey [...]e, & the riuer of Sala, betwene Swane and Bauieres. But he annexed the whole country of Saxonie, moreouer y^e two Hungaries, Demnarbe, or the great Westphaly [...], Ireland and y^e mediteran cost of Dalmatia. The [Page 70]aboue sayd French kings did possesse in Gallia y^e part which is betwene the Rheine and Loire, betwen the Ocean sea and Baleaire. But he adioyned all Aquitania and the ridge of the hylles Pirenees vnto the riuer of Ebro, yea, & euen all Italy, which should haue bene before sayd, from the Alpes vnto the vttermost partes ofA coūtr [...] ioyning to Naples. Calabria. Finally beyng gone for the fourth tyme to Rome he was saluted Emperour Augustus by Leo the third and by all the people, the xxxiii. yeare of hys raigne. By this meanes then the Romayne Em­pyre towards the West, the which was rent and torne sondrywyse, especiall synce that the Empe­rours had placed their chiefe seat in Constantino­ple (as it is easy to be sene by the former discourse) was renued agayn by y^e Emperour Charlemaine and as a new body toke agayne hys collour and beautye,The Em­pire renued by Charle­mayne. in that so many and so great countryes were assubiected vnder the power of one man on­ly. Nicephorus, the other Emperour of the East parts, was greatly wroth with thys election: but Charlemaine did mollifie him by his humanity & modestie, and by presents entertained themselues in amitie, and they did assygne the compasse and limites of both the Empyres. Besydes the other assemblyes, Charlemayne caused a counsell to be holden at Reims: at the which it was ordayned amongst many other statutes, that the Byshops shuld diligently study y^e holy scriptures, & preach the word of god. Another Synode was assem­bled at Mense the yere before hys death, & before [Page]another at Tours, at Caalon vpon the Saone, & at Arles, for y^e r [...]formation of Churches, as y^e wri­ters of y^t time say. The eyght hūdreth & fourtenth yere after the natiuitie of Christ, y^e lxx. yere of hys age he died at Aix in Germany,Ludouicus the sonne of Charle­maine 2. Empe­rour. after he had ap­pointed Ludouicus his sonne heritor of his raign and Empire, xiiii. yeres after that he had ben first declared Emperour of the Almains. At that time there was only xxi. Metropolitan Cities (as they are called) in Italy, Germany, & Fraunce, to wyt, Rome, Rauenna, Millane.A Citye, or Country in Italye so called. Forumiulii, Grade, Colon, Mense, Salisbourg, Trire, Rouā, Sens, Besonzon, Lions, Reims, Arles. Vienna, Taren­tasia, Ebrodunū, Burdeux, Tours, Bourges.

Pipine his father had taken away y^e Exarchship from the Lōbars, & had left it in y^e custodie of the bishop of Rome, as we haue said, & as it is found in writing. But Charlemaine gaue it wholy vn­to him, as some say: wherof notwithstanding dy­uers do doubt. Eginardus his secretary & sworne writter,Eginardus secretarye to Charle­mayne. who was familier with him, wrytteth y^t aboue all he loued y^e Church (which they call) of S. Peter, wherinto he caused much Golde, Syl­uer and precious stones to be broughte. For he studyed aboue all thynges to reestablyshe the Ci­tye of Rome in her fyrst credyte and aucthoritye. and that the Churche of Saynct Peter shoulde not onely be in safegarde vnder hys protectyon, but also that amongest others it should abounde in ryches. Eginardus sayeth thys and no more not makynge anye mention that he dyd gyue so [Page 71]mighty Townes and so many in number, whych dyd appertayn to the Empyre. yea he being made Emperour at the fourth entrye whych he made into Rome, he gaue order (according as we fynd in writting) not onely vnto the affaires of y^e Ci­tie of Rome, of the Pope and of all Italy, but al­so vnto Ecclesiasticall and perticular things. Also before he was Emperour,Aucthoritie of Charle­maine a­boue the Pope. at such time as he was but onely King of Fraunce, after he had discomfy­ted Desiderius king of the Lombards (as it hath bene sayd) he came to Rome, and held a coun­sell: whereat: as theyr one Bookes do menti­an, the Pope Adrianus the fyrst, and all the Si­node dyd gyue hym the ryghte, and power to e­lecte the Pope, to ordayne the Apostolyke Sea, as they terme it, and to confyrme the Bishops.

Eginardus doth attrybute v [...]to Charlemaine dyuers vertues worthye of a greate Prynce: to wytte, temperaunce, modestye, sobriety, af­fectyon towardes relygyon, Learnynge, Elo­quence, wyth knowledge not onely of the Latine tounge, but also of the Greeke. Besydes thys he reporteth hym to haue bene verye circumspect and diligent to see hys Chyldren taught and in­structed in the knoweledge and experyence of these selfe same thinges.Albin the schole Maister of Charlemayne, chiefe foun­der of the vniuersitye of Paris. He instituted the vni­uersytye of Paris aswell thorowe hys owne pro­per motyon and Good wyll, as by the instiga­tyon and sute of Albin hys Master, who was hys instructour in sciences, as saith Eginardus. [Page] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page]He named the monthes and twelue wyndes in the Duch tounge: the which names are yet vsed. Before tyme (as sayeth the same writter) the French men vsed names partlye Latyne, parte­lye Barbarous.

Hetherto I hauing made as it were a preface of Charlemaine and of y^e Almains, from henceforth I wil briefly rounne ouer and declare how y^t part of the Romayn Empyre whych is towards the West y^e which was recollected and reestablyshed by Charlemaine, is agayn fallen into decaye: and beyng deuided into diuers Prouinces, hath bene vnto diuers who possesse those countryes neither more nor lesse then their owne proper Heritage, without considering their ofspring: in such sort y^t this venerable and so renoumed hyghnes of Ro­mayn Empyre is at this day no other thing then a lytle shadow of a great body, synce y^t of so great a large compasse it hath bene enclosed in a small part of Europa, to wytte in Germanie. Last of all I will in few words declare how Daniell hath for shewed these mutations of Empires, and the fall of the Romain monarchie. Ludouicus then y^e sonne of Charlemaine, the second Germayn Em­perour, renued the amitie wyth Leo of Armenia Emperour of Grecia. The third yere of his raigne Pope Leo disceassed, and his successour Stephan the fourth went into Fraūce and consecrated the Emperour at Reims. Paschal came after to be Pope. And forasmuch as the aucthoritie of y^e Em­perour was not interposed, he excuseth circum­spectly [Page 72]and diligently that fact, declaryng that he against his will was there placed. The bookes of the Popes containe that the Emperour Ludoui­cus ratifyed vnto Paschal and to hys successours the possession of goods, & that he permitted the e­lection frely vnto them: so that he should be coun­ted and holden for Pope, whom all the Romains should haue Iudged worthy of that estate. I can­not tell what credite a man should giue vnto such writtings: for they agree so yll, & are placed in so yll order, that none can vnderstand that whych ought to folow. Ludouicus had thre sonnes: Lo­tharius, whom he toke to be compaynion of the Empyre & of the kingdome: Charles, who succea­ded in Aquitania his brother Pipine disseased: he made Ludouicus lord of Bauieres.Conspiraty of children agaist their father. His sōnes dyd conspire against him, by whom he was taken and depriued of his kingdome, and was constrayned to take a monasticall lyfe at Compienue a town of thepeople of Frannce. Soisonois. The writters of the Annales of Fraunce say that the ecclesiastical prelates (whose pride and superfluity he did reprehend) did raise & moue this tempest in an assembly that they made at Aix in Germany:Impiety of y^e bishops. and did pushe forward y^e chil­dren to enterpryse such execrable wyckednes. He notwithstanding was deliuered sixe monthes af­ter to the great ioye & contentation of the people, and y^e kingdome with all his other goods was restored vnto him. Since that he came to quietnes it is chiefly to be noted that diuers coūsells were holden in Fraunce.Counsells holden in Fraunce. The first next the abouesaid of [Page]Aix was holden at Troye in Campania, after at Reimes, at Clermoūt in Auuergne, at Tours, at Diion, at Paris, Lions, Vienne, Auignon, Viar­ron in Berry, Orleans, and truely dyuers almost in eche of the sayd places. For when the estate of thinges did so require, the kings did conuocate y^e ecclesiasticall order & the other lords for to remedy the publike inconueniences. After this sort Ludouicus the .xii. who had great enimities & debates with Iulius the second, held a counsell of his sub­iectes at Tours & at Lions y^e yere of saluation a M.D.X. & a. XI. Let vs now retourne to our purpose. Ludouicus beyng disseassed and buryed at Mets, Lotharius succeded who had warre with his brethren.Newe par­ting of the kingdome betwen the brethren. But fynally it was appeased & new particion was made. Where through Germanye, fell vnto Ludouicus lot, with a part of Fraunce, From y^e Maze to the Rheine. Fraunce befell vnto Charles from y^e Englishe sea & the hiles Pirenees vnto the Maze. Lotharius ouer and besides that he was Emperour obtayned Italy and the Pro­uince of Narbonne.

The Sara­cenes re­pressed.Ludouicus the second his sonne succeded him who did represse the Saracenes that did rushe in to Italye. In hys raygne Adrianus the seconde was Pope amongest others, yea wyth oute the Emperours consent, as theyr bookes report. And was created by the nobilitye of Rome, by the Ci­tezins and by theym whom they call the clargye. For albeit the Emperours Embassadours were in the Towne, not wythstandynge they weare [Page 73]not called to the electyon. And for as muche as they were wroth herewyth, it was aunswered them that that was not done in contempt of the Emperour: but for to take hede that hereafter the custome of wayting for the Emperours Embisa­dours should not enter in credyte as nessarye.

They say that the Embassadours were not onely pleased with this aunswere, but y^t also they dyd humble curtesy vnto the Pope. Here a man may perceiue in their writings a maruelous inconstancie & variety. For if according to their saying Lu­douicus y^e first did graunt vnto them fre election (as also we haue here aboue mentioned) why did his Nephew Ludouicus the secōd thinke iniurie to be done vnto hym? But how so euer y^e matter goeth, the title of the decree which is in the reper­tories of Gratianus, is manifestly false.False shode in the great decre of Gratianus. For it is attributed vnto Gregorie y^e fourth, albeit that he was dead two and twenty yeares before y^t Adri­anus the second came to be Pope. He being dead could he wrytte the Historye of things whych be­sell afterwardes?

Before Adrianus was Nicolas y^e first, of whom is found a longe Epistle vnto Michell Emperour of Gretia, where he maketh dyscourse of hys po­wer ouer al churches. For Ignatius was put out of his Bishoprike at Cōstantinople, and Photius placed in hys roume no mention beyng made ther of vnto the Byshoppe of Rome. yea the Images were beaten downe. He cryeth therefore there a­gaynst as muche as he coulde possyble.

Diuers of his decrees do yet remayn ful of Papall maiestie. The aboue said Charles king of Fraunce made hast to goe into Italy, albeit that his other brother Ludouicus king of Germany, who was his elder, did resyst him. There he was cōsecrated by the byshop of Rome, Iohn the eygth. He went for the second time at the Popes request, to resyst the Saracenes who again had enuaded the coū ­try of Campania:Ludouicus y^e maffler. and died at Mantua. His sonne Ludouicus surnamed the Maffler succeded hym: but he raigned but two yeres.

Charles y^e Great.The Empyre came from hym to Charles the great sōne of Ludouicus kyng of Germany: who after the death of hys twoo brethren possessed all Germany, Italy and Fraunce, and defeicted the Saracenes who troubled Italye. He made warre for a certaine space against the Normayns a people of low Germany, who forraged in Gallia Belgica. Fynally he graunted theym that part of Fraūce which beareth their name vnto this day.

Arnulphus EmperourThe Emperour Arnulphus his nephew by y^e brother syde succeaded after him, who truely was an excellent Prince. He marched into Italy for to deliuer the Pope Formosus from his aduersaries and forthwith toke the Citie of Rome, where he caused the authours of the seditiō to be punished.

In his time the Hungares beyng driuen from y^e country of Scithia cast themselues vpon Pan­nonia, and in the tyme that Ludouicus the third, sonne of Arnulphus, was Emperour, they passed into Germany: and hauing wonne a triumphant [Page 74]victorie nere the flood of Lech, they filled Bauier, Swane, Franconie, and Saxonie with slaugh­ters robberies and burnings. In the Emperour Arnulphus time there was a Counsell holden at Tribur, a towne sytuated vpon the Mein, at the which were present .xxii. Bishoppes of Germany, And amongst dyuers thyngs it was ordayned y^t none shuld sell the buriyng of y^e dead,A decree for bedding selling of Graues. Berenga­rius. and that no layman (as they call them) should be buried wyth in the church. At this time a great fyer was kind­led in Italy. For Berengarius and other great lords of Lombardie, vnto whō Charles y^e Balde had done great benefites, cōspired against Fraūce at such tyme as Charles the great was Empe­rour.Sedition in Italy by Berenga­rius. But perceauyng that they could auayll no­thinge herein, they tourned their enterprisses against Italy, and hauing skermished a long time amongst themselues (as commonly it hapneth) they did very great hurt. Finally Berengarius remaining victorious, he obtained the kingdome of Italy: and as writtings do mention, he toke and put out the Emperour Ludouicus eies, who had thether conducted his armie.

At that time also, to the end that no calamitie might be wanting, the Saracenes, Affrikans & Hungares horribly wasted and spoyled Italye. And for that the estate of Italy, so fayre a region was thus miserable and bloudy vnder the Berengareis, Hugo. Rudolphus, Lotharius, Albertus and certayn others, and that the Emperour Lu­douicus was disseassed in these hurlieburlies: y^e [Page]Almains, and chiefely the Saxons, offred y^e Em­pire to Otho prince of Saxonie & of Turing. But he being then of great age, perswaded them to e­lecte Conrad Duke of Franconie.Conrad Duch Em­perour. Who beyng in the estate dyd almost all things by the counsell of Otho. Moreouer Otho beyng dead, and he hym self lying sore sycke, he called together the chiefest of the nobilitie, and desired them to acknowledge Henry Othos sonne, for Emperour, who at that time was absent. This is that Henry whyche is commonly surnamed the Byrder. So then we see how the splendour and dignitye of the Empyre hath ben transferred from the Frenchmen & from the house of Charlemaine vnto the house of Sax­onie. These two Emperours, Conrad and Henry were not consecrated (as they call it) by the Bys­shop of Rome: and therfore dyuers omytte them without making any mention. As touching Hen­ry, it is sayd that he neglected the ceremonie of sa­cring which the Pope offred hym, saying that the Iudgementes and voice of honest and good men dyd suffyce hym.

Prudence & clemencye of the Em­perour.On a certaine tyme after Arnulphus the wic­ked, Duke of Bauieres, sought to make hymselfe Emperour: in such sort that the two armyes be­ynge in readynes encamped nyghe vnto Rentz­burgh. But the Emperour demaunded to speake vnto the Duke perticularly: and declaryng vnto hym howe he was elected Emperour by manye people of Germanye, admonyshyng hym also not [Page 75]to putte so many thousandes of men in daunger, amongest whom dyuers were innocent, and ignoraunt of the cause of the warre: He mollifyed hym in suche sorte that weapon was layd downe on both sydes. Burchartus Duke of Swane dyd also rebell. But beyng feared by the Emperours power, he yelded vnto him. The Hungares spoy­led agayn the country of Saxonye. But the ta­kyng of theyr Duke dyd cause theym to promyse trewes for nyne yeares. The Emperour more­ouer hauyng mustred hys people warred vppon the Dalmates, toke by assalt the town of Prague and Wenceslaus theyr Duke, and made Bohe­mia become tributorye vnto hym. He wanne a great vyctorye ouer the Hungares, who rushed into Saxonye, the tyme of trewes expyred: and distributed vnto the poore the tribute that the Saxons payde theym. Hys purpose was for to goe vnto Rome: but beynge lette and stopped by sycknesse he declared Otho hys eldest sonne, successour of the Empyre.Otho fyrste of y^e name. He made longe tyme warre agaynste the Bohemyans who dyd re­bell. He slewe and putte to flyghte the Hun­gares aboute Wormes: who had passed the Rheyne and were entred into Franconye there for to oppresse the Countrye of Saxonye. He subiected Bourgonye. From thence he mar­ched into Italye wyth a myghtye army, and hauynge defeycted the Berengares he toke there another wyfe named Adelheida.

Where with Luitholdus his sonne beyng displeased beganne to lay wayte and Ambushements to entrappe him, hauing diuers y^t put to their hel­ping hands: and amongst others Conrad Duke of Swane his brother in law. But beyng narowly beseiged at Rentzburgh by his father, he Humbly demaunded pardon & obtained it. After these things, the Hungares hauing oppressed and wai­sted Fraūce, rushed into Germanie in greater mul­titude then euer and encamped nygh vnto Aus­bourg in the plaine which boroweth her name of the flood of Lech. The Emperour went and en­countred them therewith y^e Saxons, Francons Swanes, them of Bauiers and of Bohomia: and after fyerce and doubtfull battayle he made such slaughter of the enemies, that there remained ve­ry few. He caused also certayn of their Princes to he hanged. He beyng retourned into Saxonye, where he gaue order vnto the affaires, he toke a­gain his iourney into Italy: but before his depar­ture he declared Otho his sonne compaynion and adherant of the Empyre.

Otho dis­placeth the Pope.When he was ariued at Rome he held a coun­sell, at the which he presided: and displaced Iohn the xii. for his crimes, in whose place he ordayned Leo the eyght of that name. There is found a certayn decree of him which is enclosed in the ryght Canon,Priueleges of the Em­perour. where by the example of Adrianus y^e first he sayeth he doth conferre vnto the Emperour Otho and to his successours the power to electe y^e Pope, to ordayne the Apostolike sea, & to confirme [Page 76]the Byshoppes. Likewise he ordayneth most gre­uous punishement vnto them that consecrate the Byshops without the approbation of the Empe­rour. Behold here another decree contrarye vnto certayn of the aboue specified. After foloweth the maner of the othe, by the which they say that the Emperour Otho was bound vnto Pope Iohn. But it is not added who was that Iohn and the how many of that name, nor how many y^t Otho was. Truely it is maruell that so great things & of such importaunce haue bene so negligently put in writing. If it be so that Otho dyd thus sweare his reprochers haue reason. For seyng that in the othe wherof we spake, he amongst other thyngs sweareth that he wyll not put the Popes lyfe in daunger, nor take from him his honour and dig­nitie: how wyll this agree with this that he dys­placed Iohn frō his estate, accordyng as we haue sayd, and placed another? Accord these matters who can. Otho made the third viage into Italy through the tumultes and dissentions that were there. And hauing all appeased he toke hys way homewards. But he dyed at y^e beginning of May and was buried at Magdebourg the yeare of sal­uatyon nyne hundreth seuentye foure. He is cal­led Great for the greatnes of hys artes, and sin­gular vertue.

Otho the second.Henry Duke of Bauiers was rebellious vnto Otho the second: but he was brought to obedi­ence by force of armes. Lotharius was then kyng of Fraunce: the brother of whom named Charles [Page]the Emperour made Duke of Loraine, on charge and condition, y^t he shuld be vassal of the Empire. For the Emperour Henry had obtained this Prouince of the king of Fraunce Charles the symple, as the Annales mention, and left it vnto hys suc­cessours by Liniall descent. Lotharius beyng dys­pleased therewith put incontinently his armie in the feyld, and came with al spead to Aix in Duch­land, & went not farre ere he suppressed the Emperour, who loked not well to his defence. The Em­perour assembled his fouldiours, fully determined to venge this outrage, & marched euē vnto Paris and finally made peace after great hurt & slaugh­ter done on both sides. He beyng retourned drew to Rome, and made war vpon y^e Greks,Otho takē by the sea robbers. who held Calabria and Puel. But his armie was discomfi­ted, and he fledde by sea: where he was taken by Pirates, and afterwards deliuered for a certayne sūme of monnie, because he was vnknowen. He returned then to Rome, and beseiged Beneuentum with the remnant of his armie: and finally toke it and brunt it. Shortly after he was hurt wyth a darte in a certayne battayle agaynst the Grekes and Saracenes, whereof he dyed, and was bu­ryed at Rome.

Otho the thyrde.At the consent of the Princes, Otho his sonne succeaded hym, who was Crowned at Aix in Ducheland. He ordayned Bruno to be Pope, who was a Ducheman: and was named Gre­gorye the fyft. But Crescentius Consull of Rome styrred hym vp for aduersarye Iohn Byshoppe of [Page 77]Placentia. The Emperour then came to Rome, and punished Crescentius and hys companions with a terrible and shamefull punishement: and put out the eyes of Iohn the seuententh of that name. And for because that there was always dis­sention for the succession of the Empyre, he orday­ned by the popes help, y^t from thence forth certain princes of Germany shuld haue y^e ryght and auc­thoritye to elect the Emperours: for feare lest that any in the tyme to come should attayne to thys dignitye, as by inheritaunce.The seuen electours of the Empire instituted. Thys decree was made about a thousand yeares after the natiuiry of Christ. Robert was then kyng of Frannce, a lo­uer of peace & of letters. The Annales do renoume hym for that he buylt dyuers Temples, vnto the which he gaue great reuenewes,Robert kig of Fraūce. and that he wēt a pilgrimage vnto Rome. The Emperour Otho did conferre the roiall dignitie and franches vnto Bolellaus Duke of Polonia, as it is in their An­nales. This then is the beginnyng of that kyng­dome. Otho died in returninig from Italy.

Henry the second of that name was Empe­rour after hym,Henrye the second. who was Duke of Bauieres nexte kynsemen of Otho the Great, of the Duke of Saxonye and of the Emperour. He appeased the affayres in Germany, and drew to hys frend­shype a part of the enemyes by syngular humani­tye: the other part was dyscomfyted by hym.

Whyche done he passed into Italye, and ha­uyng plucked y^e country of Puel from the handes of the Saracenes, he restored it to the Empyre. [Page]Afterwards he was crowned by Benedictus the eyght: & sending his host into Germany, he toke his way by Bourgony, and communed with Ro­bert Kyng of Fraunce, and they confyrmed theyr amitie together. This Emperour was greatly in y^e fauour of the Churchmen, because he was very benificiall vnto them. Henry beyng dead, the Em­pyre was vacant a certayn time, because that the Princes Electours dyd not agree. At length Conrad Duke of Franconie was elected.Conrad Empe­rour. He brought Stephan king of Hungaria to agrement and conditions of peace. And hauyng geuen order vnto y^e affaires of Germany, he drew into Italy where diuers were ready to reuolt. At the fyrst entrye he assalted Milan: and from thence passed to Rome where he was consecrated by Iohn the xviii, and was saluted Augustus by the acclamations of y^e people. He appeased Italy after punishemēt made of the tumulte raisers. Notwythstandyng beyng retourned into Germany, he was constrained to make y^e second viage in Italy, for y^e new troubles that were brust forth: where he did iustice vpon y^e authours of y^e conspiratie (amongest whom was the archbyshop of Milan) and ceassed not tyll he had reducted all vnder his obedience. These thin­ges finished & being retourned, he dyed at Vtrec, which is a towne in the confynes of Holand. Hys sonne Henry the thyrd of that name succeded him by the consent of the princes.Henry the thyrde. He subdued y^e Bohe­miens who rebelled, and made them become tri­butorie. He reestablished Peter king of Hungarie [Page 78]whom his subiectes had on a certayne tyme ban­nished: and pacified y^e whole countrey, not wyth­out great losse of his men. At that time great tempests were raysed at Rome, by reasō that thre dyd contend who should be pope,Three at stryfe who shoulde be Pope. and dyd aspire there vnto by all vnlawfull meanes. These were Bene­dictus y^e nynth, Siluester y^e third, and Gregorye the syxt. The Emperour went thether for to giue order: and hauing layd seige before Rome, [...]e toke it by force. Afterwards hauing made assembly of the estates, he ordained Suitgerus Byshoppe of Bamberg to be Pope, who changed hys name, and was called Clemens the second: of whom al­so the Emperour was crowned. Then the City­zens of Rome did againe swere, that in the electiō of y^e Pope they would do nothing but what shuld please the Emperour. Italy beyng againe appea­sed, and the Emperour retourned into Germany, Pope Clemēs died, and was buried at Bamberg. This knowen, the Emperour ordayned Boppo Byshoppe of Frisingen to be Pope. It is he who was named Damasus y^e second, and lyued in the estate but xxiii. dayes. Wherfore the Byshoppe of Tulles Leo the nynth succeaded hym by the com­maundement of the Emperour.A Pope or litle abode. There is found the remnant of a certaine epistle of him, where he sayth that it is not lawfull for a byshop, priest, nor Deacon, to leaue his wyfe for religion sake: but y^t reason requireth he should norishe her, not so not­withstandyng that it is lawfull for hym to haue her compainye, seyng that sainct Paull saith that [Page]it is lawfull for him aswell as vnto the other Aposties, to lead a wife hether & thether. The which he enterpreteth in this sense, y^t the Apostles haue had alwaies their wiues with theym, to the end that they shuld be norished with their husbands by thē whom the said husbands did instruct in y^e religion of Christ: & not for to lie together and exercise y^e act of matrimony: and that by reason therof Paul did vse this word of leading to & fro and not of embrasing.The Em­perour pre­sedeth at y^e Counsell. The yere. M. L. Leo departed from Rome & came to Mense, where he held a counsell of xlii. Bishops, at y^e which y^e Emperour preseded. He being dead thre yeres after, at y^e consent of the Emperour the bishop of Eistet succeaded hym. He was named Victor the .ii. The Emperour went into Italy, & hauyng there set al thigs in order he returned into Germany. Afterwards hauing cō ­muned with y^e French king Henry the first of that name, he dyed in Saxonye, and was buryed at Spire. The Pope & diuers princes were assistant at his death. He had a very younge sonne named Henry, who notwithstāding was already before elected Emperour wherfore the charge did he vp­on his mother, and vppon the Byshoppe of Aus­bourg. Shortly after Pope Victor the second dysseased, hauyng preseded a lytle aboue twoo yeres. Fridericus of the house of Loraine, named Stephan the nynth, succeaded hym: who a few monthes after dyed at Florence. And here vppon one Benedictus the tenth of that name dyd v­surpe the Popedome, wythout the Emperours [Page 79]leaue, by the help of hys men. The Romayns did myslyke thys facte, therefore they sent an Em­bassadour for to purge them, offeryng the Empe­rour to kepe lyke fidelitye towards hym as they dyd vnto hys father, praying hym that he would ordayne a lawfull Pope. Thys vnderstode y^e Em­perour displaced this Benedictus, and appointed thē Gerardus Byshop of Florence, who was cal­led Nicolas the second.Benedictus vsur­peth the Popedome and is shortlye after displaced by Henry the Empe­rour. The Princes of Germany dyd take great displeasure that the publike weale was gouerned by a woman the Emperours mo­ther. Wherfore they consulted to take her sonne from her. Whych done the administration fell vp­on y^e archbishops of Mense and of Coloigne be­fore al others. They somtimes vsed y^e aide of Adelbertus the archbishop of Breme, who was very a greable vnto the yong Emperour. He being so far in fauour and gouernyng all, he addicted to hym­self & to his y^e church goods, and chiefly y^e abbies. Notwithstanding to the end he might be y^e lesse hated, he perswaded the Emperour to bequyeth them also vnto other Princes. In y^e meane while Nicolas the second died, vnto whom the Empe­rour substituted the Byshoppe of Parme: but for­asmuch as he dyd communycate nothyng vnto the Romayne Senate, and that here through great troubles weare lyke to be raysed, the Bys­shoppe of Lucens was elected, and was called Alexander the seconde. They stroue togeather earnestly:Twoo popes fight together▪ but fynally Alexander had the vpper hand by force of armes.

Whilest the Archbishop of Breme gouerned all a­bout the Emperour, the other Byshops his com­panions bare deadly hatred agaynst hym who at length draue him out of the court. And albeit that he was reestablished in his estate, notwithstan­ding he liued not longe after. The Emperour be­yng constrained by necessitie, because that diuers did complayne of the estate of the publyke weale, praied Annon Archbishop of Coloigne to take the charge of y^e publike weale. But he perceiuing that many things were done insolently and wickedly, excused hymself vppon hys olde age, and for that he was sickly: Wherfore he rendred vnto hym the charge. Then the younge Emperour being at the age of .XXII. yeres, and naturally inclined vnto vice,Euyll go­uernement of the Em­perour. began to losse himself the bridle. And because that he bare no affection vnto hys wyfe Bertha, he norished great store of concubines. Afterwards makinge many stronge holdes in Saxonye, he thought to bring them of y^e country into bondage In y^e meane while he did not represse his officers, who did sondry whoredomes & insolencies. They then of Saxony, aswell nobles as Byshops, dyd consult together to maintayne their libertye, and put themselues in armes, the which scarsely they would lay downe after great intercession made, when that the Emperour had satisfied theyr re­questes. He flying away by nyght, escaped wyth great difficultye.H [...]dedrand Necromancien & wyc­ked Pope. After the dyssease of Alexander the second, the Lords of Rome dyd substitute Hildebrand without the aduise of the Emperour [Page 80]and without his consentment: who was named Gregory the .vii. of that name. This knowen the Emperour made complaint by letters, and forth­with admonished y^e Pope to satisfye him as tou­ching y^e said fact. The Pope made aunswere that against his will and without his expectation, he was drawē to that office, neither would he haue accepted that estate before y^t he and y^e other Prin­ces of Germany should haue had approued y^e elec­tion. By this meanes he pacifyed the Emperour, and was synce confirmed by his consentment. Af­terwards he sent certain byshops Embassadours into Germanye, by whom he would haue held a counsell. But y^e Byshops of the said nation would not consent thervnto, aledging that to be against the custome and priueledge of the country. Wher­fore in asmuch as he could not bring this his pur­pose to passe, he held certain counsells in Italy in the which he forbadde that Priests should haue wiues, but that they should either demisse thē,Mariage forbeddē vnto Priestes. or ells forgoe their places. He sent vnto y^e Bishops of Germany this his decre: and charged vpon paine that it should be ratifyed and approued. But the clergy, as they call them, and the whole band of priests did stoutly and fyrmely withstand y^e same calling him Heritike, because he dyd put forth so wicked an ordinaunce: seyng that Christ had said that al were not capable of this word,Strife for y^e Mariage of Priestes. and that y^e saying of Paull was, let them marrie that cannot abstayne. This man on y^e contrary litle regarding the word of Christ, and despisyng (say they) the [Page]aucthoritie of Paull wil constraine men to forsake the vse of lawful mariage and established of God, for to kyndell vyle and vnhonest flames, and to runne headlong into manifest infamies. On their part they had rather forgo y^e ministry of y^e Church then to be depriued of Matrimony. Thys Pope notwithstanding ceassed not to vrge his affaires by messengers and did so straightly prease on that the archbyshop of Mense dyd mind to obey hym. He first of al gently admonished his subiects. And afterwards he held y^e counsell at Erphurd, where he thought to accomplishe the commaundement. But litle wanted it that he was not slayne in the tumult which did arise.Henry Emrour agaist y^e Saxons. In the meane while the Emperour mindyng to auenge y^e ignominye and shame of the yere past, when the Saxons had so narrowly assalted him that he was constrayned for his sauegard to fly away by night, put himself in armes, & the treatise of peace of the former yere beyng broken, he gathered as many men as he could possible. The army beyng in readynes he went and set vpon the Saxons, who had sent vnto him diuers Embassadours to entreat for peace and defeicted thē not wythout great slaughter of hys: for the most part of the nobilitye remayned on the feyld. After the vyctorye he went on fur­ther and proyed theyr country, requiryng them by herauds to yeld theym selues, and to looke for all gentylnes and clemencye at hys handes. But he obtayned nothyng, albeit that certayn dyd obey therevnto. The Byshop of Halberstat, [Page 81]wyth Bucco and Otho Duke of Bauieres, who was defeicted of the Emperour, conducted thys war of Saxony. The Archbyshop of Mense was in such wife solicited of Gregory the seuenth, that he held another counsell, where agayne he pro­poūded of y^e singlenes of the clergy, but he was excepted as of late, & was in great daūger of his life: wherfore he purposed to medle no more therwith.

The Emperour had broken his army, and sent backe the Princes that were come to his succour, after the discomfitour of the Saxons: but vnder condition that they should ariue towards him all in armes the .xxiiii. of October. The day come dy­uers were there present, and amongst thē a great many of Byshops, but not in such number as be­fore. There again y^e Saxons beyng encamped be­fore Northuse, sent Embassadours for to obtaine peace. Vnto whō y^e Emperour aunswered y^t they could by no meanes haue peace, vnlesse they dyd yeld thēselues vnto hys deuotion. The Saxons albeit they knew what was better to be don then to accord thervnto, notwithstāding because that many great Lords auaunced of the Emperour and sent by him, did conduct the affaire, and pro­mysed theym mountaynes and wounders, to wytte that neyther theyr lybertye nor theyr Gooddes shoulde be mynyshed, at length they consented: and there became subiecte vnto hym the Byshops of Magdebourg and of Halberstat,The Sax­ons yelde. Otho duke of Bauieres, y^e great duke of Saxony Fridericus Palatinus, with diuers gentillmen. [Page]The Emperour at the beginning put them in suf­ficient honest gard: but afterwards breakyng the couenants, he caused them to be ledde hether and thether into sondry places. Synce, he not onely deliuered Otho Duke of Bauieres, but also toke him into great familiaritie. As touching the resy­due he deliuered theym not: and besydes thys he gaue their goods in pray to others. Moreouer he buylt new bulwarks and stronge holdes, in such sort that he held his foote, as it were, vppon the Saxons throts, and had almost vtterly destroied their libertye. In his absence he gaue the whole administratiō vnto Otho of Bauieres, who was issued out of Saxony. Furthermore he ordayned a Byshop vnto them of Bamberg & of Coloigne and an abbot vnto them of Fulden. He had bene already accused vnto the pope, of this chiefly that he solde the ecclesiasticall iurisdictions. Where­through it befell that y^e Pope did summon him by his Embassadours,The Em­perour summoned by the Pope. that within a certayn day he should appeare in Rome for to plead his cause. He on the other syde made an assembly of Byshops & Abbates at wormes, wherin it was concluded through consideration of y^e wicked practises by y^t whych Hildebrand attayned to be Pope, that he shuld be displaced. Which was published at Rome by Embassadours. The Pope was nothing asto­nished therewith: yea so litle that he fained not to excommunicate the Emperour,The Em­perour excō municated by y^e Pope. with the Bishops of Mense, of Vtter, and of Bamberg chiefly: pro­uided that before he had excommunicated certain [Page 82]of the Emperours familiers through whose coū ­cells he thought hym to be incited to enterpryse such things. Now it came to passe that certayne Prynces of Germany beyng greuously offended with the maner & doings of y^e Emperour, chiefly for that against his faith he dyd pursew the Saxons wyth so deadly an hatred, conspired agaynst hym so much the more boldly in that he was ex­communicated: and vnder this title let goe y^e cap­tyues that were yelded, and of whom the Empe­rour had geuē them the custody: assuring thēsel­ues that they were no more bound vnto the Em­perour for any former othe.The Prin­ces rebel a­gaynste the Emperour. At the same tyme cer­tayne nobles of Saxonie hauyng conspyred and drawen the resydue to take their parts, toke the strong holdes that had bene buylt: wherof some they toke by force and power, other some rendred and yelded vp, and let go the souldiours y^t were there in ward whole and safe, after they had takē othe of theym, that from thenceforth they should not beare weapon against y^e country of Saxony. This knowē, the Emperour by a certayn subtili­tie, did willingly demisse the Princes that he held captyue, to the end that they beyng retourned in­to Saxony, should faithfully ayde him to punishe the rebells. For he saw that there was no better way to attayn to hys purpose, then to sowe dys­sentions amongst them, and to seperate thē one from another.Subtilitie agaynste subtilitye. But fortune failed him, and it befell cleane contrary. For they beyng refourned home, and knowyng hys disposition, dyd delyberate to [Page]vnite theyr powers and courages, to the end to fyght for their libertye. Duke Otho did the lyke and forsoke him. Now the Emperour fylled wyth good hope, passing though Bohemia, and aided wyth the souldyours of the country, was entred wythin the regyon of Misenum, where hauyng receaued newes of the common accord of the Saxons, and of the armye euen then in all rea­dynes, he losing all hope departed thence. Then the Princes of Germany came together in a very great number on a certayne day that was assig­ned. Thether also arriued the Popes Embassa­dour. He hauyng declared the causes for the why­ch the Emperour was excommunicated, incited theym to elect another: the whych they would not haue let to haue done of theyr owne accord.An assem­bly for to displace the Empe­rour. For they, remembryng the Emperours lyfe from hys chyldhod, called hym the spotte, shame and dyshonour of the Empyre: and agreed that he ought to be dysplaced because of the great doma­ges and hurts that he had done to the Empyre. He being in such distresse, beganne to entreat and make requests by hys Ambassadours. But after diuers procedings, these cōditions were propounded vnto hym:Hard conditions. he should represent hymself in Iu­stice, and should submitte hymself vnto the iudge­ment of the Pope, whom they would cause to come to Ausbourg about the fyrst day of Februa­ry. He should demaund and obtayne absolution before that the yeare of the excommunication be [Page 83]expired. If he doe it not, he shall lose wholly hys cause. He should breake hys armye. The meane whyle he should lyue pryuatly at Spyre wyth small trayn, not medlyng wyth any pub­lyke affayre. He should not haue hys gard, and should not beare any scepter, nor any other marke of the Empyre, vntyll suche tyme as the Pro­ces should be voyde. The Emperour accepted these conditions: and as he was at Spire, it came in his brayne to goe into Italy, for to ap­pease the Pope in Good tyme. He put hymselfe then in Iourny wyth hys wyfe and hys lyttle sonne, in the sharppest of the wynter:The mise­rable vsage of the Em­perour. and pas­sing through Bourgony and Sauoy wyth great dyfficulty and daunger of hys lyfe, at length he came into Italy, where the Prynees and Bys­shoppes of the Country louyngly accepted hym, supposyng that he was thether comme in dys­pleasure agaynst the Pope. In the meane while the Pope had taken hys Iourny at the request of the Prynces of Germany, and beyng alrea­dy gonne on wardes a lyttle waye, he was ad­uertyssed of the Emperours commyng.

Therfore he stayed to know the cause. Here vppon the Emperour hastned forthe a gorge­ous and honourable Ambassage, in the why­che were certayn noble women, of whom one of theym (as the common reporte goeth) was a lyttle to muche at the Popes commaunde­ment. He prayed that he woulde voutsaufe to gyue hym absolution.

The Pope at the beginning made the matter ve­ry strang, saying that he could do nothing, vnlesse the accusers were present. But after long proces he was wonne by supplications, and agreed thervnto. Howbeit before that euer the Emperour could haue entraunce vnto him,The igno­minius ho­mage of the Empe­rour vnto the Pope. he remained thre whole dayes in the court and gate of the castell where the Pope was, clothed very simply, wyth out any marke or appearaunce of Emperour, bare fote, and without drinking or eating vntil night. The fourth day finally he was admitted, & then the Pope propounded vnto him these lawes: he should represent himself to be examined, he should aunswere vnto the accusations of the Princes. If he were conuicted he should for goe the Empyre & should not conspire any vengaunce. The meane whyle he should liue as a priuate man, and should do nothing in publike person He should quite his subiects of their faith and othe. He should put frō him his counsellers and famillier frends. If he do any thing to the cōtrary, the grace which is now shewed vnto him shalbe of no vallew: and it shal­be in the lybertye of the Prynces to substitute in­continently another.

These lawes beyng approued of the Emperour the Pope made him ready to say masse: and for to purge hymselfe of the crimes imputed vnto hym, he swalowed the vnleauened bread, or the cake whych they call Corpus Domini, & giuing hym­self vnto a thousand thousand deuills if all weare not fayned and inuented by hys aduersaries,The par [...] ­rie of Hil­debrand. he [Page 84]exhorted the Emperour, that yf on hys part he thought the accusations of the Princes to be false & that he had wrong done vnto hym, that accor­ding to his example he shuld swallow y^e other morsell of the bread consecrated. But as y^e Emperour did excuse hymself saying that he could not wel so doe, the Pope did no more presse vpon hym: but hauyng made hym a feast, he gaue hym leaue very courtuously. This being knowen, y^e great lords of Italy were greatly offended for y^t the Emperour had so vilely and vnhonestly submitted hymselfe vnto him who by wicked practises had vsurped y^e Papacie, who had fylled and polluted all wyth murders and adulteries.The Em­perour the aulter and defence of lawes. They had put all theyr hope in him, who is the protectour of Iustice, the aulter and defence of lawes: and had not only contemned y^e excommunication, but also were sore a­nimated agaynst the pope for hys sake: now hath done an acte for euer vnhonest, hath fyled and de­famed the Empyre with aspote that can neuer be washed away, beyng reconciled with the enemy aswell of the Church as of the publike weale.

These and such lyke rumours did runne amongst them: and not rumours only, but also they were mynded to electe the Emperours Nephewe and to bring hym to Rome for to displace the Pope.

The Emperour being informed of these things saw no way more expedient for to appease them, then to breake the couenaunt and to ioyne hym­self with them. Which doyng he brake the Popes enterpryses, so that he was cōstrained to leaue of [Page]his iourny which he had taken towards Germany. He then not able to do any other thing, decla­red vnto the Princes of Germanye by Ambassa­dours that whych had bene done and exhorted them to loke vnto the publike weale.Rudolphus elected a­gaynst Henry. This be fell the yere a thousand seuenty seuen. The Prin­ces then elected Emperour Rudolphus Duke of Swane: who was consecrated by the Byshop of Mense. Henry returning into Germany gathered souldiours, the which did Rudolphus also: who trusted chiefly vpon y^e succour of y^e Saxons. But at the thyrd conflicte he was so sore hurt that he lyued not long after. This victorie wonne, Henry assembled the estates at Brixne, where it was de­creed by y^e Bishops that there were, aswell Itali­ans as Germains, that Gregory was not lawfull Byshop of Rome: wherfore y^e Archbyshop of Ra­uenna was put in hys place,Pope Vic­tor against Hildebrād. and named Victor the thyrd. Thys decre made the Emperour draw to Rome, and assaulted Gregory: who found meanes to escape, and flye awaye. The Emperour confyrmed Victor the thyrd, and was crowned by him. Gregory being dead, Vrbanus y^e second, who was the nexte after hym, came to Cler­mount in Auuergne, where there was an assem­blye of dyuers great Lordes, at suche tyme as Philip y^e fyrst of that name raygned in Fraunce. There he perswaded the warre agaynst the Sa­racenes:The Counsell at Clermount. whereof afterwards Godfrey of Bul­lon was head, who prospered in dyuers enter­pryses, [Page 85]and recouered Iurusalem. Paschall, Vrbanus successour, was also the Emperours enemye, who myndyng by reason hereof to take voyage into Italye. He appoynted hys Sonne to be hys successour. He beyng pushed of others, and hauyng forgotte the duety whych naturally is ingraffed in vs,The sonne against the father. brought hys Father into ex­treame dystreasse, and constrayned hym to for­goe the Empyre, hauyng the Pope and dyuers Prynces of Germany that sette to theyr helpyng handes. He was then Emperour the fyfth of that name, whose Father dyed afterwardes in great myserye in the Towne of Liege. Certayn yeres after he marched into Italy wyth a migh­tye armye, for to accord the varyaunce that was betwene the publyke weale of the Empyre and the Papacye:Henrye the fyfth. and makyng hymself way be force of armes, fynally came to Rome.

The Em­perour con­ferred the benifices,Nowe synce Constantyne, the Emperours dyd conferre the ecclesiastycall honours and dig­nities. The whych at length vexed the Popes that were becomme ryche. And for as muche as they thought the thynge vnreasonable, they stirred vppe dyuers innimities agaynst the Em­perours. Thys Emperour then demaunded out of hand hys ryght and aucthoritie: wher­of was raysed a greate tumulte at Rome, in suche sorte that the Emperour was awaked by nyghte, for to succour hys menne speade­lye, who weare slayne of the enemyes on all sydes.

When the sedicious were defeyted, he toke Pas­chal y^e second, and dyd not let hym depart before that he had satisfied him,Pope Phascal taken by the Em­perour. and made alliaunce and agreed. But assoone as the Emperour was returned into Germany, the Pope brake the othe whi­ch he had made by most holy wordes, and excō ­municated y^e Emperour.Pope Phascal breaketh his othe. This offred occasiō of rebellion vnto many princes of Germanye, & chiefly vnto hym of Mense. The Emperour beyng re­tourned into Italy sent Ambassadours vnto the Pope for to make peace: but as y^t was a doyng, the Pope diseassed, and Gelasius the second suc­ceaded hym. The Emperour not content for that no mencion was made vnto him of the election,The Pope and y^e Em­perour are excommu­nicated came to Rome, and ordeyned another. Gelasius beyng dryuen out excōmunicated the Emperour and the Pope that he had constituted. And foras­much as his Ambassadours solicited them of Germany for to reuolte, the Emperour was enforced to retyre homeward. The meane whyle Gela­sius dyed, in whose place the Romaines elected Calixtus the seconde. He displaced him whome the Emperour had created in despyte of Gelasius and by y^e meanes of certain he agreed with y^e Emperour. Lotharius the third of that name succe­ded Henry the fyfth,Lotharius the third. who was of the house of the Duks of Saxony, Cōrad Duke of Swane made warre vpon him, beyng dyspleased that the Em­pire was retourned vnto the Saxons: and went into Italye for to vsurpe the Realme whilest Lo­tharius shoulde possesse Germanye. But beynge [Page 86]destitute of succour, he retourned and made peace with the Emperour. Innocent the .ii. was then Pope at Rome, who had Anacletus to his aduersary: and for asmuch as Anacletus was of a great house, Innocent was constrained to forgoe the place. Notwithstanding hauyng required them perours ayde, he was reestablished. The Emperour being retourned into Germany, and hauing there ordered his affayres, he tooke agayne hys way into Italy with a great army, where he sac­ked certayne rebellious townes, and amongest o­thers Ancone and Spoletum. He draue Ro­ger kyng of Sicill out of Puel and out of the land of Lauor: in such sort that since Charlemain there is found no Emperour that hath done more en­terprises in Italy. It is saide that at that tyme the ciuill law (which we haue sayde to haue bene gathered together by the commaundement of Iustinian, and which since had bene put in obliuion through the tumults of warre) was called again into lyght.The ciuill law restored Henry surnamed the proud, was then duke of Bauiers, & duke of Saxonie by contract of mariage, because y^t he was y^e emperour Lotha­riꝰ son in law. He coueting the Empyre, & hauing conspired sundry thyngs agaynst the Emperour, was bannished, & hys possessions parted & geuen vnto others. But Henry recouered the coūtrey of Saxonie: and as he drewe towards Bauiers, he died, leauyng a lytle sonne, for whose sake the Saxons rebelled agaynst the Emperour. And moreouer, Welpho (y^e brother of Henry diseassed) [Page]conquered with sword the countrey of Bauiers, & draue out Lupoldus whome the Emperour had made lord of the countrey. We haue a lytle before sayd,Roger king of Sicilia. that themperour did thrust out Roger king of Sicilia. But he taking oportunitie of this that Germany was so troubled, set vpon Sicilia, & de­feited the Emperours lieutenant. Afterwards he incited Welpho by meanes of great promises to offer alwayes occasions of war vnto the said Emperour & so to kepe him occupied. The kyng of Hungary, who also feared him did the lyke. And as the Emperour thought to go into Italy, ha­uing all things in readines, he died at Bamberg. And Conrad duke of Swane succeded him,Conrad Emperour. who went a warfare against the Saracenes: but ha­uyng lost his army, retourned home where he en­ded his life. Fridericus redbeard the first of that name,Fridericus redbeard. his nephew and duke of Swane, was Emperour after him, a man of noble industrie. He in the beginning of his raigne appeased the princes of Germany, and tooke away the variaunce that was touching Saxonie & Bauiers. Afterwards went into Italy with a great armie: where he chastised them of Verone for that they had con­temned him: and for example he caused certen of y^e chief to be hāged. About Placentia he cōmaūded al the princes vassals of the Empyre to make him watche. He besieged Millan, brake downe Ast, destroyed Dertone. Beyng arriued at Rome, he was crowned of Adriane the fourth. He suppres­sed the citizens that did rebel, ouerthrew Spolet [Page 89]and made great slaughter. He subdued the Lum­bards: and hauyng surmounted the ambushmen­tes which they of Verone had layed for hym, re­tourned into Germany. He punisshed ignomini­ously the Prince Palatine, who in his absence had styrred vp troubles and debates. He made the duke of Bohemia kyng. The meane whyle the Millanes dyd diuers wronges vnto theyr neyghbours and reestablished Dartone, that the Emperour had destroyed. Therefore he returned with a great army and vanquished the Millanes by the ayde of them of Cremone,The Mil­lans rebell against the Emperour. Pauia and of Noaire. The towne being taken pardon was graunted vnto the common sort at the request of the Princes of Germany, who had bene required of them. All Lumbardie beyng brought agayn in to obedience, & the town of Millan ordered by his pollicie, he went vnto other people thereaboutes. But after his departure the Millanes rebelled, & contemning the lawes that he had made, destroyed the fortes & bulworkes by him buylt. Againe he returned & spoyled the whole coūtrey, putting all to sack that apperteyned vnto them. In the meane time great cōspiraties were kindled against him in Italy: & the pope Adrianus of whome we haue spoken, was a doer herein: who died beyng fully minded to excommunicate him. The Empe­rour came into Italy the thyrde tyme,The towne of Millan ouerthrowo [...] and raised vp the foundation of Millan: made the authour & of the rebellion to be beheaded: and sent in exile the rest of the people.

Afterwards hauing layed siege before Rome, he lost the most part of his armye by contagious sic­kenes. Wherefore he raised the siege, and left gar­rison of men in Toscane, at Spolet, Ancone & Rauenna, apoynting men at his pleasure who shuld gouerne the publyke weale. This done he tooke his way into Germany. After the dissease of pope Adrianus, two dyd stryue for the popedome. These two were Victor & Alexander the thyrde. The Emperour was more affectioned to Victors: but Alexander excommunicateth his aduersarie,Strife for y^e popedome. & after as the quarell dyd enflame he dyd the lyke vnto the Emperour. The Millanes seyng the o­portunitie did rebell, and draue the Emperours lieutenants frō diuers places of Italy, of whome they hanged certain. The Emperour beyng re­tourned into Italy, fought against them vnkno­wing who had the better. The Pope companion of armes did flye to Venice. At length there was trewes betwene them: & the Emperour tooke in hand the viage of Asia agaynst the enemyes of the christian religion: where he was drowned by the rudnes of a riuer, into the which he cast hym­selfe for to swimme.Fridericus redbeard drowned. His sonne Henry the .vi. of that name succeded him. He came the second time into Italy, after the dissease of William king of Sicilia, sonne of Roger, where he conquered Pu­el & Calabria, toke also Naples & subdued Sicilia leauing there great garrison because of the vnsta­blenes of the men of that coūtrey. Then he orde­ned gouernors at Rauenna & Ancone, in Puel & [Page 88]Toscane. Afterwards at the cōsent of the princes of Germany, hauing declared Fridericus his son, then a childe, successor of thempyre, he went into Sicilia where he ended his life. And because that Fridericus was to yong, diuers were of opinion to haue Philip his vncle take the place. But pope Innocent the thirde stifly wythstood it. This diuision of the Princes styrred vp also great tu­mults, for that some of thē did elect Philip, other some Otho duke of Saxonie. The great tempest was chiefly nere the Rhene. But Philip so beha­ued the matter, partly by armes, partly by singu­ler humanitie,Philip Emperour slain in his chamber. Otho emp. that he brought hys aduersaries to reason: & then made peace with the Pope, whō he had tryed to be his enemie euen to the vtter­most. Afterwards he was slayn in his chamber, & the abouesayd Otho duke of Saxonie succeaded hym, who entred in the Popes displeasure, albe­it that before he had bene his frend as much as could be possible. Briefly he was excommunica­ted by him: & the princes electours (solicited of the sayd Pope for to elect another) held their assem­blie: & called from Sicilia Fridericus son of Henry the .vi. vnto whom they had sworne whē he was yet a childe, as we haue sayd herebefore. The Emperour Otho came wyth his army to encounter hym nere the Rhene, for to stop him of his way. But he was driuen back in such sort, that beyng retourned into Saxony he died of displeasure, as it is thought. By this meanes Fridericus the .ii. of that name was Emperour, vnto whom Fride­ricus [...] [Page]The Emperour louer of peace, sought the same by Ambassadours which at length with great diffi­cultie he obteyned, afterwards he retourned into Germany.An outra­gious Pope The Pope who could not chaūge his nature, wasted Viterbe, & again excommunicated the Emperour. Who being greatly moued there­with retourned into Italy very furiously, & puni­shed all the rebells through Toscane, Vmbrie & the syde of Pauie. By reason whereof the Pope redoubled his excommunication, & ioyned in lea­gue with the Venetians. The Emperour for­ragyng through Italy, & hauyng brought almost all vnto hys obedience, came & encamped before Rome: and as these thyngs were a doyng Pope Gregory dyed, who a lytle before had called them that toke hys part vnto the counsel at Rauenna: whether they coulde not arriue, because that the Emperour kept the wayes stopt, and that also he had taken certayn.Thauthour of the decre­tals. This is that Gregory who collected the Epistles named Decretalls, which is the greatest part of the right Canon, loded with great store of commentaries. Wherin a man may greatly meruel, y^t there are men, who apply & addict them selues wholly vnto writings euyll adapted, vnorderly placed, and lesse prudently or religiously (let me not say worthy of mockedge & derision) as if they were oracles from heauen, and employ all theyr labour & industrie to enterprete and expounde them:The folly of the Cano­nistes. so that they seme to be hyred for to defend by theyr watches and trauayles an­others foolyshnes and errour, and for to lose all [Page 90]shame in anothers inpudencie. That which they call the decre of Gracianus conteyneth among o­ther things in diuers places,The impie­ties of Gra­tianus de­cree. that the rule of the romain church ought to be folowed of all, because that it is the seat of S. Peter: that it is not law­full to hold a counsel without the popes permissiō that the lawes of the romain church ought to be obserued, fully asmuch as yf they were pronunced by the mouth of S. Peter: the yoke and bondage which the romain church doth put vpon any, yea albeit it wer not tollerable, ought to be borne: the ministers of the church ought to vowe chastitie, for feare that they marry not: and to be lawful vnto hym that hath no wyfe to haue a concubine:Whoredom permitted. that the pope who is slack & careles in his estate, hurteth aswell hym selfe as others. But not withstanding he can be iudged of any, because that he iudgeth y^e whole world: that the emperour ought to be vnder the pope and not aboue: that al other men are iudged of men, but y^t the pope S. Peters successour is iudged onely of God: that it is law­ful vnto the pope to absolue the people of the faith and othe which they owe vnto their Prynce.

Amongst other thyngs there is in the epistles de­cretals of Gregory, in the Sixtes of Bonifacius, in the Clementines and extrauagantes (as they call them) that the popes authoritie is not sub­iect vnto the Decrees of the Counsell, that it ap­pertayneth vnto the sayde Pope to approue the Emperour elected, or to reiect hym yf he be not fit or apt: that there are two great lights which go­uerne [Page]the worlde, to witte the Sunne and the Moone, & that the pope is in place of the Sunne, & the Emperour in place of the Moone: that it is lawfull vnto bishops to giue pardon vnto them, that are fallen into adultery or other crimes, but where question is of the priuileges of the romain church, none other oght to take knowledge ther­of but y^e pope: that the bones of the excommunicated, already buryed ought to be taken vp and cast farre of: that it is in the popes power to put the emperour from besides his estate & dignitie: that the Emperour is bound to promise faith and fide litie by othe vnto the pope: that the church men must be free & discharged from all charges, trou­bles & hinderances: that a man may be pronoun­ced an heretike after hys death, & his goods con­fiscate: that the children of heretikes ought not to be receyued into any dignitie either ciuill or eccle­siasticall: that for to be saued it necessarily beho­neth that all shoulde be subiect vnto the pope.

There is no man of sounde iudgement that seeth not what these few articles be, which ar takē frō out of infinite others. The definition of the lawe (as most learned men saye) is a singuler reason en­graffed in nature,Difinitiō of the law. the whych commaundeth the things that ought to be done, and forbiddeth the contrarie. Nowe euery lawe ought to be referred vnto the common vtilitie: & the lawinaker ought to be affectioned towards the publyke weale, as the father towards hys chyldren: but who seeth any such lyke in the thynges aboue sayde? Nowe [Page 91]I pray you what folly is thys (wythout speaking any sharplier) not only to excuse them,The villa­ny of the po­pish lawes. but also to decke, adorne and illustrate them with new com­mentaries, and to be carelesse what is sayde, so that theyr dignitie be not lessned? If pryde, coue­tousnes, desier of authoritie, and ignorance of let­ters hath caused thē to make such decrees: if they be of diuers opinions, and wyll not be bound the one to the others lawes, because that they are of lyke power: I pray thee why doest thou torment thy self for to accorde ouerthwarte and contrarye thyngs? I omit this sea, or rather filthy pumpe, to wit y^e part of y^e right Canon which cōteyneth the traffike & merchaundise of benefices (as they call them) and other ecclesiasticall reuenewes.Traffike of benefices. For who can number the deceipts & subtelties there­in written? Euen they truely who haue a longe tyme thereto employed their study, & are dayly oc­cupied in them, do not vnderstande nor knowe them all: seing that day by day new are inuented. But thys argument would requier other tyme and leasure, and also a whole booke. Let vs now retourne to our purpose.The king of Fraunce in Syria. The king of Fraunce Lu­douicus the ninth of that name had perced into Syria and Egypt, as well as the Emperour Fri­dericus: and afterwardes dyed at the siege of Tunes, the yeare of saluation a thousande, two hundred three score and tenne. In hys raygne Wyllyam Byshoppe of Paris propounded a que­stion of ecclesiasticall benefices.

And after that the matter had bene generally dis­puted vpō, the opinion that it was not lawful for any to haue more then one,Against pluralities of benefices. had the maisterie. But it suffiseth that such ordinaunces be only recited and written. Innocent the fourth succeded Gre­gory, who as by right of heritage entred in posses­sion of the hatred against the Emperour. Where­fore he assigned a counsell at Lyons, wherevnto he summoned the Emperour:The Emperour sūmo­ned by the pope, and because he ap­peared not excommunicated hym, depriuing hym of the dignitie: exhorting therewithall the Pryn­ces of Germany to procede to the election of ano­ther. This his decree is prynted with certaine o­thers: also there are found sundry of themperours epistles written vnto diuers kynges, by the whi­che he declareth at large on the one syde the wic­kednes of y^e pope, & on thother side his own inno­cencie. He was mynded to go to Lyons, & to ha­zard hymself: but that again there arose a commo­tion in Italy, whereagainst he employed all hys force. But because that his affayres prospered yll, being returned into Puel, he fell sick; & finally dy­ed. Some saye that he was poysoned, other saye that he was strangled by Manfredus his bastard son, who afterwards possessed Italy. Azo Iuris­consul was then in great fame,Azo Iuris. consul. after whom came this infinite band of wryters, who hauyng transgressed the act of the emperour Iustinian, no lesse graue then seuere, haue fylled the world with in­numerable bokes. Wherfrom now we must draw that which the auncient Doctours had moste a­bundantly [Page 92]and moste learnedly intreated. For they robbe one anothers wrytyngs, and there is no end nor measure of their wrytyng: and all is full of contrary opinions:infinite boo­kes of Le­gistes. in such sort that the say­ing of the olde man (who had consulted with thre aduocates) may be here very properly applyed: you haue done well, sayed he, but I am in far greater doubt then I was before. I omit the cauilati­ons that are forged daily more & more. Truly here is that accomplished which the Commodie saith by subteltie one euyll doth engender another.Terrence in the cōmo­die of Phor­ninon. Ci­cero complayneth that diuers singuler ordinaun­ces of lawes are corrupted & depraued by the dis­positions of Iurisconsuls. What woulde he now do yf he lyued, and saw these high pyles of bokes, with our practise? If he sawe this holy temple of lawes to be so vilelye poluted and so miserablye prophaned? Howbeit as God hath in our age brought again to light all arts, so he hath styrred vp diuers (who indued with good letters) haue prosperously trauayled herein, & do yet trauayle,Learned iu­risconsuls. for to reestablishe in her beauty & equitie this most excellent science & altogether necessary vnto the societie of men: which deserueth rather to be called an heauenly gyft drawen from the middest of the fountaines of Philosophie. For the which enter­prise they are not only worthy of publyke prayse, but also of reward. After the death of Fridericus, the Empyre remained vacant almoste xxii. yeres: albeit that now one & then another were elected: who coulde not haue the gouernement in that [Page]so troublesome a tyme. In the meane whyle the kingdome of Naples was plucked from the fami­lie of Fridericus, and put into the Frenche mens hands: and afterward Sicilia also. For then the popes dyd strengthen them selues wyth the suc­cour & power of Fraunce: although that through occasion of these kyngdomes great warre were raised betwene the house of Arragon, & the house of Anion in Fraunce. But question is not thereof at this present. The publike weale hauing a long tyme wauered in such sort as hath bene sayd,Rudolphus Emperour. Ru­dolphus of Habspurg was elected Emperour: who in the beginning of his raygne appeased the motions that were through Germanye. After­wards hauing holden certain counselles or assemblies: he enuaded Ottacharus kyng of Bohemia, who dyd rebell, & constrayned hym to make peace vnder conditions, which he straight ways brake at the persuation of hys wyfe: and commyng the second tyme to the conflict in Austrich, remayned slain in the field. Ladislaus kyng of Hungary ay­ded the Emperour. Finally peace was concluded wyth the Bohemians by marriage makyng: and the Emperour gaue Austrich to Albertus his son whych the kyng of Bohemia had possessed many yeres. The Emperour beyng letted with sundrye affaires in Germany, dyd neuer take vsage into Italy, neyther had he any great mynde therevn­to. For it is sayd that on a certayne tyme in spor­tyng he recited the fable of the Fore,The fable of the fore. who visited not the Lyon that fained hym selfe sicke in a caue, [Page 93]because that the trace of other beasts dyd astonish hym, who were gone in thyther and retourned not. Notwythstandyng he appoynted in Italy a Lieutenaunt and as it were a vice Emperour. Moreouer it is sayd that he confirmed Flaminia and the Exarchshyp (whereof we haue often ty­mes spoken) to the romain Church, because that no great profit dyd redounde vnto hym frō those places. For the Emperours were at length so weryed wyth the continuall hatredes and ini­mities of Popes, that by lytle and lytle they be­came nice and of faynte courage. Neyther was it possible for them to haue peace wyth the Popes, vntyll such tyme as they had cleane forgone all Italy.The popes at lēgth are maisters o­uer Empe­rours. And for asmuch as the popes dyd leane vp on the French men, and did many sedicions by y^e the bishops of Germany, whom thei allured: they came at length to thend of that which they had a long tyme forethought & forecasted. It is here nedefull to put in memorie y^e merueylous chaūge of things come to passe, when they who had bene preserued by the clemencie of y^e Emperours, and by them had found y^e meanes to maintayne thē selues in theyr place & dignitie, beyng magni­fied by their liberalitie & fre gifts, haue taken do­minion ouer thē, & also defrauded thē of their pa­trimony. For not being content to haue vsurped the moste part of Italy, they haue straight bound vnto them the Kings of Sicilia and of Naples: in such sort that these Kyngs pay them yerely tri­bute, and dare not accept the Imperiall dignitie [Page]without their licence: & do auowe this by othe a­mongest other thyngs, when by the popes they are put in possession of the sayd kingdomes. The notable ouerthrow and sackyng of the Frenchmē in Sicilia befel in Rudolphus time. For then thei held this Ile: but because that accordyng to the disordered maner of souldiours thei did many in­solences and whoredoms, thei were al suppressed by a secret conspiratie, which was assigned when thei roung vnto euenyng seruice.The Eue­nings of Sicilia. This slaughter is commonly called the Euenings of Sicilia. And it fell in the yere .M.CC.lxxxi. on Easter day.

The Emperour Rudolphus set dyuers townes at libertie for money, the which before dyd apper­tayne vnto the Empyre: to witte Boloigne the fat, Florence, Guenes, Luques, and others. Afterwards hauing assembled the Princes at Franck­ford, he could not haue his request ratified, which was to elect Albertus hys sonne to be his succes­sor. He beyng dead Adolphus of the house Nan­sau succeded him:Adolphus Emperour. who shortly after had great quarell with Albertus duke of Austrich. And for as much as by his doings he fore displeased the princes of Germany, yea euē him of Mense, by whose meanes he was made Emperour: he was displa­ced,Albertus. & Albertus duke of Austriche & sonne of Ru­dolphus put in his place. Who hauing made a le­uye of men, and beyng ayded of the princes, went to encounter Adolphus. The conflicte betwene them was aboute Spyre, where Adolphus was [Page 94]greuouslye hurt, by Albertus and afterwardes slaine by the residue of the multitude. After thys victorie, Albertus minding to assure himself, and fearing least any should say that the fyrst election was not rightly constituted, required again to be solemnly elected: the which was done, albeit that Pope Bonifacius the eight did say there against, and did not approue that which had bene done of other princes. Shortly after as a great quarell was moued betwene him & Philip the faire king of Fraunce, he confyrmed him Emperour: & spake meruelous things in y^e laud & praise of his house. At length Albertus was murdered of his kinsmē at such time as being furnished with al things he had put himself in iourny for to bring y^e Bohemi­ans to this point for to receiue Fridericus his son to be their king.bonifacius the eyght. This Bonifacius added vnto y^e epistles decretalls of Gregory the ix. contained in v. bokes, another boke named the sixte. Amongst other thyngs he ordayned that it was lawful for the Pope to forgoe his estate. For it is sayd that by subtyll and vnlawfull meanes he had perswa­ded that vnto Celestinus the fyfth hys predeces­sour. After Albertus, Henry the seuenth of that name, of the house of Luxembourg,Henry the seuenth. came to the Empyre. He founde meanes to make Iohn hys sonne king of Bohemia, by mariage makyng: and drew into Italye, whose estate was then most miserable. For since the death of the Emperour Fridericus the seconde, about fyftie fyue yeares space, the Emperours made no count of Italy.

Wherthrough befell that it was meruelously re [...]t in pieces by thē that were of most power, namely by the Gelphes and Gibellins:The Gel­phes and Gibellins. y^e which two facti­ons and seditions haue many clients in those coū tries. He first then set gouernours through the townes and fredomes of Lumbardie, & made the inhabitants swere vnto him. Afterward hauing soiourned a certayn time at Millan, he could not with his labour accord y^e factions wherof I haue spokē. And forasmuch as Turrianus, went about to take him at vnwares: after y^e conspiratie was disclosed and y^e aduersaries repulsed, he gaue the ouer sight & gouernment of the towne vnto y^e vi­coūt. All the townes of the country did yeld vnto his power and deuotion: Brixe only rebelled, the which he toke after long seige, & brake downe the walls. From thence he passed by Genes & by Pise for to go to Rome: where he was crowned by cer­tain Cardinalls, because that Pope Clement the v. had left the town, & being retired into Fraunce dwelt in Auignon.The popes in Auignō. The Cardinalls demaunded of him the oth which they said ought to be made vnto the Pope: but he refused it, & would not so make it that therby he should be bound vnto the Pope. The Pope hearing this, he declared after­wards at large this forme of othe, for to encrease alwaies his power: and regestred it wyth the other decrees which now remaine. For he also cō ­posed diuers lawes which beare his name,The ouer­throw of y^e templiers. & are called Clementines. At this time the Templiers were with y^e same fury ouerthrowē in an instant [Page 95]diuers places. Philip y^e fayre king of Fraunce toke the most part of their goods by y^e Popes permissi­on: since their name and memory was condemned and at the counsell of Vienna, which was held inA coūtry in Fraunce so called. Dauphine, their possessions were geuen vnto them who are called horsmen of the Rhodes. At this tyme also y^e vniuersitie of Orleans was erected by the aucthoritie of king Philip and Pope Clement. After y^t the Emperour Henry was dead not without great suspiciō of poison, and that he was buried at Pise, sharpe contentions were mo­ued in Germany for the election. For Fridericus duke of Austrich & son of the Emperour Albertus did contend for y^e principallitie wyth Ludouicus duke of Bauieres.Two Emperours crowned. The archbishop of Mense crowned Ludouicus at Aix in germany, but y^e bishop of Coloigne, crowned Fridericus at Rome. Herevpō pope Iohn the xxii. named thē both Emperours: howbeit he was more affectioned on Fridericus side. Which was cause to enflame the hatred, so that they came euen to take weapon in hand, and to giue earnest battaile nere vnto Eling a towne of Swane. Neuertheles they departed from the conflicte almost equall. Afterwards they fought yet again more fierslye in Bauieres: in the whych battaile Fridericus was taken, & the most part of his men put to the sword: but he was let go, and retired home, where certayn yeres after he dyed. Ludouicus then hauing gotten y^e seignorie mar­ched into Italy with his army,The Em­perour Lu­douicus, & that against the Popes wyll. There he ordayned Lieutenantes [Page]through the townes and fredomes: & was crow­ned at Millan by the archbishop. Which done he sent Ambassadours into Auignon once or twise, for to be crowned solemnely: which forasmuch as he could not obtain, he hauing left order vnto the affaires of Millan, toke iourney towards Rome. Where being ariued, he wanted no gretings and honour at his entraunce: & was crowned by one or two Cardinals. Herevpon y^e pope did redouble his excommunicatiō: Wherthrough came to passe that by y^e counsell of the princes y^e Emperour crea­ted another Pope, so by his meanes there was a deadly hatred betwene them:The fyrst tenthes. & did impute great crimes the one vnto the other. The Annales of Fraunce recite y^t Charles the faire son of Philip, permitted first of all vnto pope Iohn to leuie ten­thes vpon the ecclesiasticall reuennes: & that they shuld deuide the bootie betwen thē: for the popes purpose was no other, then to haue pence against the Emperour. After y^e Emperours retourne into Germany, y^e pope died: whose successour Benedic­tus the xii. excommunicated also the Emperour, & depriued him of his dignity. The Emperour then cōuocated y^e princes at Francfort,Oration of the Empe­rour against the Pope. where he made a trime oration, by y^e which he complained of the desloiualties of Popes, declared what was hys faith, set forth & desplaed the ancient lawes of the Empire shewed y^t the popes had nothing to do in the gouernment of y^e Empire, forasmuch as he is lawfull Emperour, who is elected by y^e consent of the princes, albeit y^t the Pope do not accord ther­vnto, [Page 96]nor wil not cōsecrate him. For al this is but a ceremony, the which by litle & litle hath crept in, & now is ouer much auctorized to the great disho­nour & domage of the Empire. Clement y^e .vi. suc­ceded Benedictus:Clement the sixth. who surmoūted all the residue in violence, & was the most terriblest. He propounded certain cōditions very ignominius: & became more enraged for y^t they were refused. Wherfore he aduertised the princes very expresly, that they shuld procede to y^e election of another, yea in such sort y^t he limited thē the time. Which if they failed to do, he would giue order y^t the church shuld not be any longer without a protector & patron. The estate of the publike weale being so mutable & va­riable, Charles king of Bohemia sonne of Iohn, & nephew of Henry the .vii. was elected Emperour. A litle before this time occasiō of great warre did arise betwen the Frenchmen & the Englishemen.Charles y^• fourth. For as Charles the faire king of Fraūce, was dis­ceased without men children (the which befell the yere a M. CCC. XXVII. Edward the third of y^t name king of England contended that the king­dome appartained vnto him,Warre be­twene the Frenchmē and y^e Eng­lishemen. because that he was sonne of Isabel the sister of Charles. The chiefe of y^e kingdome, who are named Petes, elected king Philip of Vallois, cosin of king Charles disceased excluding not only Edward sōne of the sister, but also the kinges daughter, who was borne after the dyscease of her father. For they sayd that the heritage of that kyngdome dyd nothyng appar­tayne vnto daughters.

Herevpon sprong a terrible warre, the which yet at this day is not wel appeased. The affaires of y^e Emperour Charles were very troublesome at the beginning. Edward king of England was also chosen Emperour: but he wold not accept it, as it is reported, because of the war where in he was occupied against the Frenchmen. The Emperour Charles hauing appeased diuers innimities tho­row Germany, drew into Italy: & at the consent of Pope Innocent the .vi. who was in Fraunce, was crowned at Rome by certain Cardinalls, vnder conditiō that he shuld not soiourne neither at Rome nor in Italy.Institution of the vic­caires of the Em­pyre. Wherfore he returned to Mil­lan, where he graunted to the family of Vicontes who then were of great power in y^t towne, that they shuld be perpetual Viccaires of y^e Emperour through Lomberdie. For the which benefite he receiued a great summe of monny of them: & not of them only, but also of other people vnto whom he had gyuen certaine priueledge. The which dyd greatly weaken the powers of y^e Empire in that country. After he was returned from Italy, he as­sembled the Princes, & made the decree of y^e Em­pire, which is cōmonly called the bul of gold. Last of all he declared Wenceslaus his sonne successour of the Empire:The goldē bull. y^e which he obtained (as the bruit goeth) by great summes of money. Shortly after he disceased. In y^e time of his Empire, Iohn king of Fraunce son of Philip of Vallois g [...]ue battaile against the Englishe men who then held y^e most parte of Aquitania and the towne of Bourdeaux. [Page 97]He was taken in the battaile very nere Poitiers, with Philip the least of his sonnes,Iohn kyng of Fraunce taken of y^e Englyshe men. who was af­terwards duke of Bourgony, surnamed y^e Hardy. Diuers of the chiefe nobilitie were slain in y^t bat­taile. They y^t haue writen the Annales witnes y^t the Englishemē were no more then vii. thousand: and on y^e cōtrary that y^t Frenchmē were come the­ther in an infinite nūber, euen about sixtie .M.

This came to passe the yere a M. CCC. L. VI. y^e xx. of September. The king was led captiue into England, where he died .vii. yeres after. Wence­slaus (as writtings do mentiō) was very vitious aswel of his nature and bringing vp,Wences­laus. as of his maner of liuing: & toke no care of the publike weale. He hauing receiued pēce of Iohn Galeatius, who was of the house of Vicontes,Galeatius y^e first duke of Millan. he made him duke of Millan & of Lomberdy, notwithstanding that he was a couetous and cruell man. In his raigne Iagello duke of Lituanie, was elected by the will and consent of the Princes, king of Polonia after the death of king Ludouicus. He was then fyrst baptised, and named Vladislaus. He is y^e double great grandfather of Sigismondus the .ii. who now raigneth.The king of Hunga­rie defeic­ted by the Turcke. Sigismundus King of Hungarie was vainquished nere vnto Nicopole by Baiaze­th Emperour of the Turcks, y^e last of Septēber. The king of Fraunce Charles the .vi. of y^t name, had sent a braue cheuallry vnto the succour of the Hungarians: wherof Iohn sonne of Philip y^e Hardie duke of Burgony had y^e conduction: who was taken in the battaile & presented vnto the greate [Page] [...] [Page 97] [...] [Page]Turke, being in extreme danger of his person: not withstanding he escaped after a straunge maner,Iohn of Bourgonie deliuered by a strang meanes. which reciteth the Annales of Fraunce. Baiazeth had one of his familiares, who was of them that make profession & bost themselues to know y^e dis­positions & natures of mē, in beholding the body, the eyes, the visage, & the forhead. He hauing cast his eye sight vpon the prisoner, perswaded y^t Em­perour to let him go safe, seing that at his returne into his country, it would so come to passe that he shuld kindell a fier, wherewith y^e most part of Eu­ropa or of Christendome shuld be enflamed. Baia­zeth beleued him, & let go the prisoner with the o­ther gentill men, after he had receiued their ran­some, which did amount vnto CC. M. crownes. Iohn being returned into Fraunce, begāne to set himself against Ludouicus duke of Orleans, who was the kings brother. For he seyng the king his brother to be holden wyth an incurable disease, would handle the affaires & haue gouernment, be cause y^t he was his nerest kinsman. Iohn of Bourgony on the contrary perceauing himself to be the kings cosin, and greater in age, Philip his father being dead, would goe before. Their quarel increased dayly, in such sort that the duke of Orleans was at length slaine at Paris, as he returned to his lodging after supper. The murderers were hi­red by the Duke of Bourgonie, the whiche he de­nyed not, and likewyse approued that whych was done, this befell in the yeare a M.CCCC. VII. the ninth of December. Twelue yeares [Page 98]after, when the said duke of Bourgonie came to y^e place appointed for the parising of the matter,The death of Iohn of Burgonye. not withstāding y^e assurance made vnto him, he was dispatched bi certain familiars of y^e aforesaid duke of Orleans, who had conspired against him. The murder was done in the presence of y^e Dolphine, who preseded in y^e leading of the matter. This is the original & beginning of the war, which from y^t time hath not ceased euen vnto this day to be re­nued from time to time betwene these two fama­lies. Because y^t the Emperour Wenceslaus was dispised for his vnmanlines, the princes dyd put him from besides his estate: & elected in his place Robert Palatin.Robert Palatin Em­perour. This mā forthwith applied his mind to correct that which Wenceslaus had done amise, & would not ratifie the graunt y^t his prede­cessor had made vnto Iohn Galeatius: so that he was minded to bring Lōbardy again in the obe­dience of the Empire. But as he forcasted to go in­to Italy aswel for this cause as for others he was letted, yea repulsed by the aboue said Galeatius. The estate of Italy was then very troublesome, through the faute chieflye of Charles & Wence­slaus, who had ouermuch licenced & graunted vn­to those people. For besides Galeatiꝰ (who of late was established duke of Millan) the Venitians, Florentins & Geneuois made warre vpon theyr neighbours, in such sort that all right and equitie did consist in armes and power. Moreouer by the long absence of the Popes out of Rome, diuers in nimites very daungerous were ingendred.

Galeatius duke of Millan made then war vppon the Florentins: who desiring to auenge thēselues called the Emperour into Italy vnder great pro­mises. He being arriued at Padua by the will of y^e Venitians, who loued smally Galeatius: seyng y^t he had nothing prepared accordyng to the large promises, he retourned into Germany, casting frō him all care of Italy: the which afterwards was more subuerted by inward tumulis and troubles. Sigismundus,Sigismun­dus Empe­rour. brother of Wenceslaus, Kyng of Hungarie & synce of Bohemia, succeded Robert. At that time were thre Popes, Iohn y^e xxiii Gre­gory the xii. & Benedictus the xiii by whose strifes and practises almost all the prouinces of y^e world were deuided. For synce Innocent the iii (as their bokes report (about CC yeres space there was no general counsell, & the ecclesiasticall estate was ex­tremly corrupted. For such an vnsatiablenes of vi­ces & disseases was disbordered, in such sort that the euill was almost incurable. Bonifacius y^e .viii. had bene before, who attributed vnto himself the Papal and imperiall dignitie. After him caine Element the v. of Bourdeaux, who at the request of y^e king of Fraunce,The popes court trans­ferred into Fraunce. Philip the faire, forsoke Rome, & transferred his court into Fraūce. After his death the seat was vacant certayn yeres, because of the variaunce that was amongst the Cardinalls. At length pope Iohn the xxii. ofA towne in Fraunce Cahors in Querci was elected at Lions. The fyfth after hym, who was Gregory the xi. returned to Rome, after that the court of the Papacy had remained in Fraunce [Page 99]lxxvii. yeres. He being dead, Vrbanus y^e vi. of Na­ples, & Clement the vi. of Sauoy, straue for y^e pope dome. The first did leane vpon the aide of the Italians, & dwelt at Rome: the second rested vpō the Frenchmen, and had his seat in Auignon. These here being dead, y^e thre aboue said put thēselues in their place, who had bene elected by diuers opini­ons: & so hereby the Papacie had iii heads.The Papa­cie as cer­berius hath thre heads. Many learned men aswell of Italy as of Fraunce lamen­ted then meruelously the poore estate of y^e Church and spake sufficient sharply against the corrupti­ons and maners of y^t time, asmuch as they could vnderstand in the darcknes which then raigned. Amongst thē Petrarca, called the towne of Auig­non. The horishe Babilon, at such time as y^e pope and the Cardinalls dwelt there. To the end then to pacifie this scisme,The coūsell of Constāce a generall coūsel was assem­bled at Constance in Germany: by the aucthoritie wherof the thre aboue said were put downe, and Martin the v. elected. In this counsell Iohn Hus and Iherome of Prague were burned, albeit that they were come thether vnder the Emperours safe conducte. The Emperour Sigismundus is greatly praised for y^t for the publike felicitie he wēt vnto diuers Christian kings, & exhorted them to loke vnto the publike weale. The thyngs appea­sed in Germany he came into Italy. The Veniti­ans & Florentins made warre then by sea and by land vpon the duke of Millan, Philip Maria son of Iohn Galeatius. From thence the Emperour drew to Rome, where he was crowned by Pope [Page]Eugenius the .iiii. Which don he returned to Ba­sill, where there was then another counsell assig­ned. Albertus duke of Austrich,Albertus Empe­rour. king of Hungarie and of Bohemia was his successour: who was so occupied in ciuill warres & against the Turckes, y^t he had no leasure to come into Italy. About this time learned wits did again awaken,Learning & good letters reestablis­shed. who began to set vp & exercise the arts, languages & good let­ters. The Italians aided with the studies of the Grekes began first, & afterwards the Germanyns, Frenchmen & other nations. And by y^e meanes of the art of printing then inuēted y^e which brought with it great cōmodities,Printing inuented. it is vncredible, what a prosperous & desirable progression was made. For since y^t time vnto this day the studies haue had in such sort their course, that this our age may com­pare it self with the most learnedst time that euer were. And in this namely is it more happy, y^t god hath illustrated this science of singular & profita­ble artes & of tounges, by the true knowledge of his holy name: where as the ancient learned men how indued soeuer they were with good & most eloquēt letters,The know­ledge of god renued in this time were neuertheles plonged in most deepe darknes, and sought in vaine the souerain goodnes, wherof they haue so much written. Fri­dericus the iii of y^t name, duke of Austrich succeded Albertꝰ: who went peasible to Rome, & was crowned by pope Nicolas the v. Which done he retired home,The king of Hungary slaine in battaile. without attempting any thing in Italy. The iiii. yere of his Empire Vladislaus sonne of Wadislaus Kyng of Polonia and of Hungarye, [Page 100]hauing brokē the trewes at y^e motion of pope Eu­genius the iiii. was vanquished nere vnto Varne or Dionisiopoli, by Amurathes Emperour of the Turkes, the ii. of that name, and slain in the bat­taile the xi. of Nouember. Nyne yeres after, Ma­homet sonne of Amurathes toke Constantinople by assault,Constanti­nople taken by y^t turcke. the which hys Heyres haue possessed already an .C. III. yeres, and haue there placed their court and royall seat. Vladislaus being dead Casimirus hys brother inherited the kyngdome of Polonia: and Ladislaus, who was borne after the discease of the Emperour Albertus the second the kingdome of Hungarie. Maximilianus succe­ded Fridericus hys father. As Fridericus laye in hys death bead, Ferdinand Kyng of Spaine ha­uing dryuen out the Moores, added to his do­minion Betique, commonly named the kingdome of Grenate. Maximilianus amongest other had war agaynst the Venitians. Charles son of Phi­lip hys son and .v. of y^t name.Charles y^t v. Empe­rour. Folowed him, who raigneth at this dai & hath meruelous power. By the things y^t we haue recited. it euidētly appereth how the romain Empire, which hath surmoūted all others that haue bene or shalbe, is almost alto­gether dissipated & brought to noght.Dissipation of y^• romain Empyre. For in Asia we haue not somuch as one foote of ground, or y^e bredth of an nail, as saith y^e prouerbe. The Turks Tartarians, & other enemies of our religion pos­sesse al. We haue lost al Affrike, except that which y^e emperour Charles the v. y^e yeres past cōquered, when he toke y^e kingdome of Tunes frō Anobar­bus lieutenant of the Turke: & hauing obtained a [Page]glorious victorie, established there a king tributa­rie vnto him.Victories of Charles the v. in Af­frike. Fiftene yeres after he toke also by as­sault the towne of Affrike, Portingall, Spaine, England, Denmarke, Polonia, Hungarie, Scla­uonie, and all Grecia are cut of from the Empyre with the countries there abouts, and the Iles of Sicilia, Sardinia, Corsica, the Iles of Maiorque and Minorque,Demem­bring of the dominion of the Ro­main Em­pyre. & also Sauoy. For these prouin­ces haue their seueral lords and gouernours, who acknowledge none other superiour, neyther doe aide the affaires of the Empire with asmuch as a penny. Behold now Italy, y^e which hath alwaies bene the first & auncient patrimony of y^e Romayn Empire. And what hath it at thys day common with vs? The kinges of Spaine hold Calabria, Puel, Campania, & the kingdome of Naples as by succession of their ancesters. The Popes occu­pie the Citie of Rome which was the proper seat and habitatiō of Emperours: & besides thisA coūtry in Italy o­therwise called Marca Anconitana. Pi­cenum, Flaminia, and a part of Toscane. In the meane while so far is it that they acknowledge y^e Empire, that the Emperours & the gouernours of the Empire are holden bound vnto them. The strongest Cities of the country eyther haue their lords, or ells rule within thēselues. So it is that they hold nothing of y^e Empire. What shall I say of the Venitians who hold not only faire townes and fredomes, but also singuler Prouinces? Here­vpon they are the most freest of the world, & as it were seperated from the Romain Empire. Truth it is that Lombardie holdeth somewhat more of [Page 101]the Empire: but it is little assured, and no great profite doth redound which is wel certained. For after y^t the Germain Emperours had there fyrst ordained Vicountes (as hath bene already sayd) and afterwards dukes: how hath it bene rent in pieces? What profite synce hath redounded vnto Germany? Warres did arise, which caused y^e Ger­maine Emperours not to esteme it: whiche as it were offred occasiō vnto the house of Sforces to driue out the vicoūtes and to take the dukedome to himselfe.Vnstability of the lords of Millan. Afterwards the kings of Fraunce to wyt Ludouicus the xii. and Francis the i. did dis­place thē: of whom the last held y^e country almost vi. yeres, vntill such time as the Emperour Char­les the v. did recouer it. Briefly, of al Italy there redoūded no profite vnto y^• Empire. For they of the country are not assistaunt at the Imperiall assem­blies, neither do contribute vnto the publike charges and necessities, vnles they do it of their one gentillnes, or for to gratifie the Emperour. There remaineth but Germany only, the which hauing alwaies bene aduersarie and oftētimes rebellious vnto the Romain Empire (as it appeareth by for­mer discourses) at length was gathered together by Charlemaine: and reducted into one bodi. And synce that the power of electinge the Emperour was put into the hands of the vii. electors (as we haue aboue declared) Germany hath ben the seat and habitation of Emperours.Germanye [...]e [...]at of y^e Empyr [...] It is here nedfull to consider the difficultie that was to gather to­gether this body of empire, how litle so euer it be, [Page]the which hath ben first cōpact in Germanye. For is it possible to imagin dissencions & ciuill wars, y^t hath not ben through y^e countries? All then y^t ap­pertaineth to the Empire (so behoueth to cōclude) contained at this day vnder the name of y^e empire is inclosed within y^e confines of Germany out of whose limitts there is nothing.The Em­pyre is very straightly enclosed, And yet wythin these so straight limits we se how diuers do draw backe, & withdraw aswell their owne persons as their goods frō the subiection of y^e empire: albeit y^t I hold my peace of kinges nere hand & of others, who enforce themselues daily asmuch as lyeth in thē violently to plucke from & diminish this poore litle body so defeicted y^t there resteth but the very bones, & to put into their handes y^t which apper­taineth vnto the publike weale.The prophecie of daniel expounded. But for to make an end let vs appropriate in few words Daniell, who prophicieth of al these things. We haue here before spokē of y^e image y^t Nabuchodonozor saw in his dreame: we wil returne hither herafter. Now let vs se y^e other places in y^e vii chap. he discribeth y^e iiii. beasts which bi dreame he saw come out of the Oceā sea: to wit y^e Lion y^e beare & y^e Leoparde. As touching y^e iiii. he saith y^t it was dredfull & terrible to behold.The foure beastes. The liō signifieth y^e kingdome of y^e Assi­rians. The two wings that he attributeth vnto him, are as y^e two members of thys Empire: to wit Babilon & Assiria. By the beare is signified y^e kīgdome of Persia, by y^e which y^t of babilō was destroied. The iii ribbes which he saith to haue ben betwen his other teth, ar y^e principal kīgs of this monarchy, to wit, Cirus, Darius, & Artaxerxes, [Page 102]Artaxerxes, who haue excelled aboue y^e others: & haue eaten much flesh, that is to say, haue ioyned diuers people to their dominion. The Leopard is the Empyre of Alexander the great, or of y^e Grekes. The foure wings & heads thereof are y^e foure kingdoms which issued out of this monarchy af­ter Alexanders death. The fourth & last beast is y^e romain Empyre: the ten hornes are his members or partes: as Syria, Egipt, Asia, Grecia, Afrike,The tenn [...] hornes. Spaine, Fraunce, Italy, Germany, & England. For the Romains possessed al these nations. Be­twene these ten hornes sprang vp a ly [...]le horne, which pluckt away three of the other ten: by the which is ment the mahometicall or turkishe rai­gne, the whiche being engendred of smale begin­ning in the romain monarchy, hath occupied thre partes therof, to wit, Egipt, Asia, & Grecia. Moreouer, this litle horne hath eyes, & is presūptuous against god. For Mahomet propounded a newe doctrine very pleasant to his, y^e which hath a cer­tain apearance of wisedom: these are the eyes, but vndoutedly this doctrine blasphemeth god. For it altogether abolisheth the writings of the pro­phets & apostles,the wicked doctrine of Mahomet. & doth not acknowledge any be­nifite of Christ. On the contrary it iniuriously slaundereth the whole doctrine of Christ. Furder­more, thys litle horne maketh battell against the saincts, & doth vehemently afflict them (as he sai­eth) vntil that the auncient, who hath neither be­ginning nor ending, shal come to make his iudge­ment. Whereof it plainly appeareth that y^e course [Page]of this world shal take end in this empyre, & none other shall folow: but that all principalties of the world being abolished, that perpetuall kingdome shall come, whereof Christ shalbe the head & con­ductor. In the .viii. Chap. Daniel discribeth the Ramme & Goate.The Rāme & the goate Which afterwards thangel interpreteth euidently, & sayeth that the Ramme with two hornes signifieth the kings of the Medes & Perses, but the Goate the Greke empyre, & that great horne in his forhead signifieth the first king of this Empyre: and y^t this horne being broken foure other succeded it, he sayeth that it signi­fied foure kingdoms that should arise and spring out of this Empyre, but that they shoulde not be able to compare neyther in strength nor power with the abouesaid first king. Let vs then se how properly Daniel hath paynted forth Alexander the great, CC. yeres and more before that he rai­gned: for he sayth that the Goate shuld not touch the ground,Victories of Alexander. that is to say, he should dispatch his warres with great speede, and that none coulde saue the Ramme from his hands. For Alexander raigned but .xii. yeres: and in so litle a tyme he subdued almost al Asia, as we haue here abouesayde. And albeit that the power of the Persians & Medes was vncredible, not withstanding Darius was vanquished of him in thre battells one after another, & lost his life & Empyre. Certain say that when Alexander came into Ierusalem, the chiefe priest recited vnto him this place of Daniel, wherwith he greatly reioysed. As touching that ano­ther [Page 103]horne shuld come out of these foure, y^e which at the first was very litle, but afterwards became merueylous great, & which shuld greuously afflict the most holy places: he sayeth that hereby is sig­ni [...]ied the horrible persecutions that the Iewes shuld suffer of the posteritie of Alexander y^e great, to wit, of the kings of Egipt & Syria, betwene y^t which countreys Iudea is situated. Truely the Iewes haue experimented this horne sprong out of the foure, to wit, Antiochus the noble, king of Syria, & most cruel destroyer. Here is also to be applied the .xi. chapter where he sp [...]aketh againe of Alexander and of his successours so effectualy, that it seemeth no prophecie, but some historie. Finally let vs come to y^e image of Nabuchodono­zor,The image of Nebuchodonozor. wherof we haue spoken in the first booke, be­cause that occasion was offered. I wil not repete thinterpretatiō touching y^e thre first empyres: for­asmuch as it is altogether manifest, & approued by y^e course of times. I wil speake only somwhat of the fourth, because it toucheth vs who liue therin: & is more seriously discribed by Daniel. He sayth y^t it shuld be of irō, and y^t it shuld beat down & subdue al other Empyres. It nedeth not many words to shew this: for y^e thing it self maketh the profe by the histories y^t I haue recited. The fete & the toes are partly of iron, & partly of clay. Euē as the fote of mās body is clouen into toes, so after y^t the romain empire shalbe set vpō his leggs of iron & haue had his dominiō through y^e hole earth, he shal end in toes, & this huge body shalbe dissolued [Page]It is altogether manifest y^t this is come to passe, and it nedeth no expositiō. For is there any thing more disparsed at this day, then the body of thys great Empyre. And although it be so, notwith­standing because that the sole of the fote is of iron (as he sayth) it shal remain always stable,the romaine empyre shal endure vn­to the end. & it can not be altogether broken. But the remnant, the name and dignitie shall abide vntill such time as Christ shall ende all humain thynges by his com­ming. We can in no wyse doute, & it is more cleare then the nooneday, that this Empyre is brought extremely thinne and lowe. That high tree is fal­len down, neuerthelesse the roote doth yet abide and perseuer: not with such iuyce y^t it can spreade forth or encrease, but it is altogether drye. How­beit there shalbe no humain power that can pluck vp thys roote or plant of the nature of iron: but it shal haue always roote in y^e earth vntil such time as y^e workmanship of this world be destroyd. We haue experience thereof. For diuerrs haue employed their powers to roote vp this litle & strayght possession of the Empyre: amongest whome haue bene the popes & the Turks. And albeit that thei haue done many enterprises▪ & forcast to do more:The pope & the Turkes enemies of thempyre. notwithstanding they shal neuer come to y^e point to compare or make their power equall (let them do what they wyll) with the greatnes of that of the Romains: neither shal they ouerthrow y^t litle remnāt of y^e empyre, although it be dry & without iuyce.There shal­be no fifte monarchie. For it is not possible to establishe a fifte mo­narchy. Trewe it is that Germany only hath the [Page 104]title and possession of thempyre: but if she knit to­gether her powers & courages, it shalbe easie for her to represse al outward violence: a thing proue­able by diuers examples. A few yeres past y^e Tur­kes passed y^e straight of Thracia, and proyed and spoyed all ouer Europa: and at this present haue so enlarged them selues that theyr dominion bor­dereth vpon Germanye. Wherethrough she is in great daunger aswell as Italy, for the nearenes. Howbeit if we marke Daniel more narowly, it is to be hoped that their strength & power is come euen to the vppermost steppe. For Daniel attribu­teth vnto them but only thre hornes (as we haue sayd) the which they now obtain,The three hornes of the Turkes first of al in pos­sessing the dominion of Asia, afterwards of Gre­cia & of Egipt. The whole countrey of that regiō may be comprehended vnder the name of Grecia, euen almoste vnto Sclauonia. And albeit that in our tyme they occupie a great part of Hungary: & that they possiblie, may vexe and trouble Germa­ny or the coūtreys thereabout: not withstanding because their dominion is to be enclosed within certaine limittes, & maye not be comparable with the romaine power (as we haue already shewed) it is very lykely that these Prouinces shall not be assubiected vnto thē as are thother three, Grecia, Egipt and Asia. They shall make warre against the saincts, & exercise all maner of crueltie against the christians: and their fury shal endure euen vn­to the end of the world as Daniel plainly witnes­seth. This is the principall cause of his prophesie: [Page]to the end y^t beyng aduertised and certified of the calamities & miseries of the last time we shuld not be discouraged, but shuld waite for deliuerance by the cōming of Christ, who will come shortly after these afflictions, as he saith, & will carie his into a sure & peasible place, wyping al teares from their eies. Certain places of Daniell do properly apper­taine vnto the Iewes, vnto whom y^e deliuerance frō the captiuitie is promised, & the time that the Messias promised vnto the fathers shuld come, is noted & signified. The other prophecies touching the last age of the world & them y^t shall liue at such time as the litle Horne,Reuelation of antichrist which is the posteritie of Mahomet, shal make war vpō the saincts, & that that wicked & abominable man of sinne, who syt­teth in the temple of god, shewing himself as if he were god, shalbe reueled & opened. For euē Daniel hath forshewed his tirannie, as Paull expresly in­terpreteth in his epistles.The fury of Sathan at the ende. Sathan, whom Christ himself calleth y^e prince of this world, shal alwaies rage, but chiefly in the last age of the world, & shal slacke & louse all bridles of fury, stirring vp aduer­saries vnto Christ, who shall not only be tiranous and cruel by power of armes, but also by false doc­trine shal draw men into deceipt and error; in such sort y^t y^e very elect shall hardly escape their snares. This truly is the time y^t daniel signifieth in y^e .xii. Chap. which should be so miserable & desolate, as neuer hath ben y^e like, nor shalbe. For he promiseth vs not any thing pleasant: but horrible persecuti­ons, when he saith that the calamities whereof he [Page 105]speaketh, shal endure vntil the dispersiō of y^e hand or assembly of holy people be accōplished. The people of God then shalbe vexed through the whole earth. And the godly mē shalbe afflicted in diuers places, as long as y^e world shall endure. The whi­ch testimony of the prophet, or rather of y^e Angell, doth cut of frō vs all hope of cōiunction & recōcilia­tiō. For he alwaies speaketh of dispersion & dissipation: & putteth the end when y^e discords shalbe raised for cause of the religion, at whych tyme Christ shal appeare. But for to comfort lyft vp & sustayne them y^t shall then liue, he incontinently after these miseries addeth y^e resurrectiō of the dead. And we ought earnestly to pray vnto god y^t we may proue and fele it ioyfull & comfortable. The meane while Christ himself autoriseth daniel:Daniell al­ledged by Christ. Math .xxiiii. who in a certayn sermon of his aledgeth a place of him, and putteth him in credit towards y^e auditours. Seing then that these present times are very troublesome and miserable, this prophet ought diligently to be vn­derstanded, who preacheth vnto vs y^t are horne in the end of the world. And he ought studiously to be red and marked, to the end y^t in these present e­uills we myght be fortified as wyth a trench, or bulwarke, and indued wyth assured consolation against the stormes and tempestes which threa­ten vs.