The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. More examples of the like subject.
BVt let us adde a few more examples of fresher memory, as touching this ungodly Perjury: And first King Philip of Macedony, who never made reckoning of keeping his oathes, but swore and unswore them at his pleasure, and for his commodity: doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why he and his whole Progeny came quickly to destruction (as testifieth Pausanias) for hee himselfe being 46 yeeres old, was In Areadicis.slaine by one of his owne servants; after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes, Anideus, and another which he had by Cleopatra, Attalus his neece, whom she sod to death in a Cauldron: his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished: and lastly, Alexander after all his great victories, in the middest of his pompe, was poysoned at Babylon.
Gregorie Tours maketh mention of a wicked Varlet in France among the people called Averni, that forswearing himselfe in an unjust cause, had his De confessoribus.tongue so presently tyed, that he could not speake but roare, and so continued, till by his earnest prayers and repentance the Lord restored to himselfe the use of that unruly member.
There were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi, whereof the memory remaineth onelyonly at this day, for they were utterly destroyed Liv. lib. 3:by Q. Cincinnatus. These having solemnely made a league with the Romanes, and sworne unto it with one consent, afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their Captaine, and under his conduct spoyled the Fields and Territories of the Romanes, contrary to the former league and oath. Wherupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius, P. Volumnius, and A. Posthumius Embassadors to them, to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction: but their Captaine so little esteemed them, that he bad them deliver their message to an Oake standing thereby, whilest hee attended other businesse. Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the Oake, spake on this manner: Thou hallowed oake, and whatsoever else belongeth to the gods in this place, heare and beare witnes of this disloyall part, and favor our iust complaints, that with the assistance of the gods wee may bee revenged on this injury. This done they returned home, and shortly after gathering a power of men, set upon and over came that truce-breaking Nation.
In the yeer of Rome built, 317, the Fidenates revolted from the friendship and league of the Romans, to Toluminus the king of the Veyans, and adding cruelty to treason, killed foure of their embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection: which disloyalty the Romans not brooking, undertooke war against them, and notwithstanding all their private and forrein strength, overthrew and slew them. In this battell it is said, that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus bravely galloping up and down, and incouraging his souldiers, and the Romans trembling at his approch, said, Is this the breaker of leagues, and violater of the law of nations? If there be any holinesse on earth, my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine embassadours; and therewithall setting spurres to his horse, he unhorst him, and fastening him to the earth with his speare, cut off his perfidious head: whereat his army dismaied, retired, and became a slaughter to the enemies.
Albertus Duke of Franconia having slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia, Melanct. Chr. Lib. 4brother to Lewis the fourth, then Emperor, and finding the Emperors wrath incensed against him for the same, betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg; from whence the Emperour neither by force nor policie could remove him for seven yeares space, untill Atto the Bishop of Mentz by trecherie delivered him into his hands. This Atto under shew of friendship repaired to the castle, and gave his faith unto the earle, that if he would come downe to parle with the Emperor, he should safely return into his hold: the Earle mistrusting no fraud, went out of the castle gates with the Bishop towards the Emperour; but Atto (as it were suddenly remembring himselfe, when indeed it was his devised plot) desireth to returne back and dine ere he went, because it was somewhat late: so they do, dine, and returne. Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperor, but he caused to be presently put to death, notwithstanding he urged the Bishops promise and oath for his returne: for it was answered, that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine, as he had promised. And thus the Earle was wickedly betrayed, though justly punished. As for Atto the subtill traitor, indeed he possessod himselfe by this meanes of the Earles lands; but withall, the justice of God seised upon him, for within a while after he was stricken with a thunderbolt, and as some say, carried into mount Aetna, with this noyse, Sicpeccatalues, atque ruendorues.
Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia making warre upon the Argives, surprised Comp…fulgos. Lib. 7. c. 3.them by this subtilty, he tooke truce with them for seven dayes, and the third night whilest they lay secure, and unwarie in their truce, he oppressed them with a great slaughter, saying, (to excuse his trecherie, though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof) that the truce which he made was for seven dayes onelyonly, without any mention of nights: howbeit for all this, it prospered not so well with him as he wished: for the Argie vwomen, their husbands slaine, tooke armes like Amasons, Tolesilla being their captainesse, and compassing the citie walls, repelled Cleomenes, halfe amased with the strangenesse of the sight. After which he was banished into Aegypt, and there miserably and desperatly slew himselfe.
The Pope of Rome with all his heard of Bishops, opposed himselfe against Chron. Carion.the Emperor Henry the fourth; for he banished him by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church, discharged his subjects from the oath of fealty, and sent a crowne of gold to Rodolph king of Suevia, to canonize him Emperor: the crowne had this inscription, Petra dedit Petro, Petrus diadema Rodulpho; that is, The Rocke gave unto Peter, and Peter gave unto Rodolph the crown: Notwithstanding Rodolph remembring The Rocke is Christ. 1 Cor. 10.his oath to the Emperour, and how vile a part it was to betray him whom he had sworne to obey and defend, at first refused the Popes offer: howbeit by the persuasion of the Bishops sophistrie, he was induced to undertake the name and title of Caesar, and to oppugne the Emperor Henry by armes, even by foure unjust battels, in the last of which Rodolph being overcome, lost his right hand, and was sore wounded otherwise: wherefore being ready to die, when one brought unto him his hand that was cut off in the battell, he in detestation of the Popes villanie, burst forth into these termes, (many Bishops standing by) Behold here the hand wherewith I swore fealtie to the Emperor, this will be an argument of my breach of faith before God, and of your traiterous impulsion thereunto. And thus he deceased, justly punished even by his owne confession for his perjurie. Howbeit for all this manifest example, the Pope and Bishops continued to persecute the poore Emperor, yea and to stir up his owne sonnes, Conrade and Henry, to fight against him; so hardned are their hearts against all Gods judgments.
Narcissus Bishop of Ierusalem, a man famous for his vertues, and sharpe Euseb. li. 6. c. 8.in reproving and correcting vice, was accused by three wicked wretches of unchastity, and that falsly and maliciously; for to prove their accusation true, they bound it with oaths and curses on this wise; the first said, If I ly, I pray God I may perish by fire: The second, If I speake aught but truth, I pray God I may be consumed by some filthie and cruell disease. The third, If I accuse him falsely, I pray God I may be deprived of my sight, and become blinde. Thus Calumniation Lib. 2. Cap. 24.although the honesty and chastity of Narcissus was so well knowne to all the faithfull, that they beleeved none of their oaths, yet the good Bishop, partly mooved with griefe of this false accusation, and partly with desire of quietnesse from worldly affaires, forsooke his bishopricke, and lived in a desart for many yeares. But his forsworne accusers by their death witnessed his innocencie, which by their words they impugned: for the first, his house being set on fire extraordinarily, perished in flame, with all his family and progenie. The second languished away with an irkesome disease that bespread his bodie all over. The third seeing the wofull ends of his companions, confessed all their villanie, and lamenting his case and crime, persisted so long weeping, till both his eyes were out. Thus God in his just judgement sent upon each of them their wishes, and thereby cleered his servant from shame and opprobry.
Burghard Archbishop of Magdeburg, though in regard of his place and Chron Er…esti, Brotanff.profession, he ought to have given good example of honestie in himselfe, and punish perjurie in others; yet he thrice broke his promise and oath with his owne Citisens, the Senat and people of Magdeburg: for first hee besieged them with a power of men, and though they redeemed their liberty with a summe of money (he swearing not to besiege them any more) yet without respect of truth and credit he returned afresh to the siege: but his persidie was soone tamed; for they tooke him prisoner at that assault: howbeit he so asswaged their angrie mindes, with his humble and lowlie entreaties and counterfe it oathes, never to trouble them any more, but to continue their stedfast friend, that they not onelyonly freed him from imprisonment, but restored him to all his dignities with solemnitie: neverthelesse the traiterous Archbishop returning to his old vomit, got dispensation for his oath from Pope Iohn the xxiij, and began afresh to vex, molest, and murther them whom he had sworne to maintaine: but it was the will of God that he should be once againe caught, and being enclosed in prison, whilest his friends sought meanes to redeeme him, the gaoler beat him to death with a dore barre, or as some say, with an yron rod taken out of a window; and so at last, though long, his perjurie found its desert.
The small successe that the Emperor Sigismund had in all his affaires, (after the violation of his faith given to Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague Theatr. histor.at the Councell of Constance, whom though with direct protestations and oathes he promised safe conduct and returne, yet he adjudged to be burned) doth testifie the odiousnesse of his sin in the sight of God. But above all, this one example is most worthie the marking, of a fellow that hearing perjury condemned in a pulpit by a learned preacher, and how it never escaped unpunished; said in a braverie, I have oft forsworne my selfe, and yet my right hand is not a whit shorter than my left. Which words he had scarce uttered, when such an inflamation arose in that hand, that he was constrained to go to the Chirurgion and cut it off, lest it should infect his whole bodie; and so his right hand became shorter than his left, in recompence of his perjurie, which he lightly esteemed of.
About the yeare of our Lord 925, when King Ethelstane, otherwise called Adelstane, raigned here in England, there was one Elfrede a Nobleman, who with a faction of seditious persons conspired against the King presently after the death of his Father, and at Winchester went about to put out his eyes: but the King by the good providence of God escaped that danger; and Elfrede being accused thereof, fled to Rome, to the end to purge himself of the crime by oath before the Pope: who beeing brought to the Church of Saint Peter, and there swearing, or rather forswearing, himself to be cleere, when indeed he was guilty, behold the Lords hand on him, suddenly as soon as his oath was pronounced, he fell down in a strange sicknesse; and from thence being brought to the English house in Rome, within three daies after departed this life. The Pope sent word hereof to King Ethelstane, with demand, Whither he would have him buried among Christians or no: Who through the perswasions of his friends and kinsfolke, granted, that though he neither lived nor died like a Christian, yet he should have Christian buriall.
In the towne of Rutlinquen a certaine passenger came into an Inne, and Joh. le Gall. 1 vol. of his Table-talk.gave a budget to his hoast to be kept, in the which there was a great sum of money: but when he demanded it againe at his departure, the host denied it, and gave him injurious words, with many mocks and taunts. Whereupon the passenger calleth him in question before the Iudge, and because he wanted witnesses, desireth to have him sworne: who without all scruple offered to sweare and protest, That he never received or concealed any such budget of money from him; giving himselfe to the Devill if he swore falsely. The passenger seeing his forwardnesse to damne himself, demanded respit to consider of the matter, and going out, hee meets with two men, who enquire the cause of his comming thither, and being informed by him, offer their help unto him in his cause: thereupon they returne before the Iudge, and these two unknowne persons justifie that the budget was delivered unto the host, and that hee had hidden it in such a place: whereat the host being astonished, by his countenance and gesture discovered his guiltinesse: the Iudge thereupon resolved to send him to prison, but the two unknowne witnesses (who were indeed two fiends of hell) began to say, you shall not need, for we are sent to punish his wickednesse; and so saying, they hoisted him up into the ayre, where he vanished with them, and was never after found.
In the yeare of our Lord 1055, Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table Stow. Chron.with King Edward of England, it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled, and yet fell not: whereat Goodwine laughing, said, That if one brother had not holpen another (meaning his legs) all the wine had been spilt: with which words the King calling to mind his brothers death, which was slaine by Goodwine; answered, So should my brother Alphred have holpen me had not Goodwine been: then Goodwine fearing the Kings new kindled displeasure, excused himselfe with many words, and at last eating a morsell of bread, wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds bloud. But he swore falsly, as the judgement of God declared, for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the King, ere he removed one foot from that place; though there be some say he recovered life againe.
Long time after this, in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth, there was in the city of London, one Anne Averies widow, who forswore her selfe for Stow Chron.a little money that she should have paid for six pounds of tow at a shop in Woodstreet: for which cause being suddenly surprised with the justice of God, shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith, and cast up at her mouth in great abundance, and with horrible stinke, that matter which by natures course should have been voided downewards, and so died, to the terrour of all perjured and forsworne wretches. There are in histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernitious sin, exercised by one nation towards another, and one man towards another, in most prophane and villanous sort, neither shaming to be accounted forsworne, nor consequently fearing to displease God and his majesty. But forasmuch as when we come to speak of murtherers in the next book, we shall have occasion to speake of them more, or of such like, I will referre the handling thereof unto that place: onelyonly this, let every man learne by that which hath been spoken, to be sound and fraudlesse, and to keep his faith and promise towards all men, if for no other cause, yet for feare of God, who leaveth not this sin unpunished, nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus taketh his name in vaine.