The History of the Church Since the Days of Christ, Book 1 · History of century 14
CENTVRIE XIV.
Albertus the first.
AFter the slaughter of Adulph, Albert the first, Duke of Austria was made Emperour, and raigned ten yeeres: and in the end was killed by his Brothers sonne. In his dayes sprang vp Otthoman the first King of the Turkes,The death of Albert. Otthoman first King of the Turkes. who being a conragious warriour, by spoyles and robberies enriched himselfe, and subdued a great part of Bythinia, and of the countrey lying about Pontus Euxinus, and tooke vponupon him the name of a King, to be called the King of the Turks.
Henricus the seventh.
NExt to Albert, raigned Henrie the 7. A Prince, wise, iust, honest, and beloved of all men, neither puft vp with pride in his prosperity, neither deiected in mind for any kind of adversity. After hee had pacified the countrey of Germany, hee tooke his iourney toward Italy, to reforme the abuses there, but was hastily cut off by the wicked malice of the Florentines, as is supposed, for they hyred a certaine Monke to poyson the Emperour, which thing hee performed, and mixed poyson with the bread of the Eucharist,Henry the 7. poysoned by a Monke. wherewith the noble Emperour was impoysoned in the Castell of Bonconvent, after hee had raigned foure yeeres and eight moneths.
Ludovicus the fift.
Lewis the fift was chosen Emperour after the death of Henry the 7. and raigned 32. yeeres. Hee was Duke of Bavaria, against whom others had elected Fredericus Pulcher, Duke of Austria to be Emperour, which was the ground of cruell warrs betwixt the two new chosen Emperours,Warre betwixt Lewis and Fredericus Pulcher about the Empire. but Fredericke was vanquished in battell, and taken prisoner himselfe. During the time of these warres, the burgesses of Vren, Switz, and Sylvania, or Vnderwalden, assisted Lewis of Bavaria, and would not acknowledge the Emperour Fredericke Duke of Austria, for which cause they were continually vexed by him, so that at last they assembled themselues in the towne of Vrania, and there entered into a mutuall league of perpetuall society amongst themselues. To whom afterward were ioyned Lucernates,A league made amongst the Cantons of Helvetia. then Tugani, then the Tigurines, then the Bernates. The last almost of all were the Basilians, after whom followed other seven pages, who now by a generall name are called the Switzers, or the Cantons, or Pages of Helvetia.
The Emperour Lewis after hee had subdued his competitor, fell into a greater trouble, for hee was excommunicate by Pope Clement the sixt,Lewis excommunicated by the Pope and Charles the 4. chosen Emperour. and the Princes Electors were commanded to choose another Emperor, which commandement they also obeyed, and assembled themselues at a certaine towne of the Diocie of Trevers, called Bens, and chose Charles the fourth, sonne to Iohn King of Bohemia.
Carolus the fourth.
CArolus the fourth was chosen Emperour, after that his predecessor Lewis was excommunicated by the Pope, and raigned 32. yeeres.Amurath King of the Turkes conquereth Thracia. In his time Amurathes the King of the Turkes, passed over Hellespontus, and tooke the townes of Cestus and Callipolis, which was the first beginning of the conquest of Thracia, and all other regions of Europe which are now subiect to the Turke. This Charles procured at the hands of the Princes Electors, that his sonne Vinceslaus should be proclaimed King of the Romans in his owne time.
Vinceslaus.
TO Charles the fourth succeeded his sonne Vinceslaus, and raigned two and twenty yeeres. A man very vnlike his father, for hee was sluggish and carelesse, more enclined to ryot, excessiue drinking and voluptuous pleasures, then to any princely vertue. In his time Baiazeth King of the Turkes,The Battell of Nicopolis betwixt the Christians & Turkes. fought a cruell battell against the Christians at Nicopolis, a towne of Thracia, at the side of Ister: and albeit many moe of the Turkes were slaine then of the Christians, yet at length the Turkes prevailed against the Christians, and put them to flight. This is that King of the Turkes, who afterward was overcome by Tamberlaine King of the Sythians, and being inclosed in a cage of yron was carried about all Asia,Baiazethes ouercome by Tamberlane and carried about in a Cage Vinceslaus depriued of his Emperiall dignitie. Emperours of the …ast. as a mocking stocke to men, and as a spectacle of the wrath of God against all cruell Tyrants. The Emperour Vinceslaus for his beastlines was depriued of his Emperiall dignitie by the Princes Electors, and Rupertus Duke of Bauaria chosen to be Emperour in his steed.
In the East during the raigne of those foresaid Emperours, ruled Andronicus the sonne of Michael, Paleologus, and after him Michael, and after him Andronicus the younger, after whom followed Ioannes, Catecunzenus, and Calo Ioannes and his sonne Manuell… these are all the things worthy of rememberance, are left in writing.