The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. Of such as are divorced without cause:
BY these and such like judgements, it pleaseth God to make knowne unto men how much he desireth to have the estate of marriage maintained and preserved in the integrity, and how much every one ought to take heed how to deprave or corrupt the same: now then to proceed. If it be a sin to take away, ravish, or intice to folly another mans wife, shall we not thinke it an equall sin for a husband to forsake his wife, and cast her off to take another, she having not disanulled and cancelled the bond of marriage by adultery? Yes verily; for as concerning the permission of divorce to the Israelites under the law, our Saviour himselfe expoundeth the meaning and intent thereof in the Gospell, to be nothing else Matt. 19.but a toleration for the hardnesse and stubbornnesse of their hearts, and not a constitution from the beginning; upon which occasion speaking of marriage, and declaring the right and strength of the same; he saith, That whosoever putteth away his wife, except it be for adultery, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and he that marrieth her that is put away, committeth adultery also. All which notwithstanding the great men of this world let loose themselves to this sin too licentiously, as it appeareth by many examples: as of Antiochus Theos, son of Antiochus Soter, King of Syria, who to the end to goe with Ptolomie Philadelphus, King of Aegypt, and marrie his daughter Bernice, cast off his wife Laodicea, that had borne him children, and tooke Bernice to be his wife: but ere long he rejected her also, and betrayed her to her enemies (namely his son Callinicus) who slew her with one of her sons, and all that belonged unto her: and then he tooke againe his old wife, for which cause Ptolemie Euergetes (son to Philadelphus) renewed war upon him.
Herod the Tetrarch was so bewitched with the love of Herodias his brother Joseph. of the Jewish antiquity, lib. 18. cap. 7. 9.Philips wife, that, to the end he might enjoy her, he disclaimed his lawfull wife, and sent her home to her father King Aretas; who being touched and netled with this indignity and disgrace, sought to revenge himselfe by armes: and indeed made so hot war upon him, and charged his army so furiously, that it was discomfited by him: after which shamefull losse, he was by the Emperour Caligula's commandement banished to Lions, there to end the residue of his daies.
Among the Romanes Marcus Antonius was noted for the most dissolute and impudent in this case of divorce, for albeit that in the beginning of his Plutarch.triumvirship he forsooke his first wife to marry Octavius his sister, yet hee proceeded further, not content herewith, but must needs forsake her also, to be with Cleopatra the Queen of Aegypt, from whence sprung out many great evils, which at length fell upon his owne head, to his finall ruine and destruction: for when he saw himselfe in such straits, that no meanes could be found to resist Octavius, be sheathed with his owne hands his sword into his bowels, when all his servants being requested, refused to performe the same; and being thus wounded, he fell upon a little bed, intreating those that were present, to make an end of his daies; but they all fled and left him in the chamber crying and tormenting himselfe, untill such time that he was conveighed to the monument wherein Cleopatra was inclosed, that he might die there. Cleopatra seeing this pittifull spectacle, all amased let downe chaines and cords from the high window, and with the help of her two maids drew him up into the monument, uniting their forces, and doing what they could to get his poore carkasse, though by a shamefull and undecent manner, for the gate was locked and might not be opened; and it was a lamentable sight to see his poore body all besmeared with blood, and breathing now his last blast (for he dyed as soone as he came to the top) to be drawne up on that cruell fashion. As for Cleopatra, who by her flattering allurements ravished the heart of this miserable man, and was cause of his second divorce, shee played her true part also in this wofull tragedy, and as she partaked of the sin, so she did of the punishment: For after she saw her selfe past hope of help, and her sweet-heart dead, she beat her owne breasts, and tormented her selfe so much with sorrow, that her bosome was bruised, and halfe murdered with her blowes, and her body in many places exulcerate with inflamations: she pulled off her haire, rent her face with her nailes, and altogether infrensied with griefe, melancholie, and distresse, was found fresh dead, with her two maids lying at her f…t: and this was the miserable end of those two, who for enjoying of a few foolish and cursed pleasures together, received in exchange infinite torments and vexations; and at length, unhappy deaths together in one and the same place: verifying the olde proverbe, For one pleasure a thousand dolours.
Charles the eighth, King of France, after he had been long time married to the daughter of the King of the Romanes, sister to the Archduke of Austria, Philip. de com.was so evill advised as to returne her home againe upon no other occasion but to marrie the Dutchesse of Britaine, the sole heire to her fathers Dukedome: wherein he doubly injured his father in law the Romane King; for he did not only reject his daughter, but also deprived him of his wife the Dutchesse of Britaine, whom by his substitute (according to the manner of great Princes) he had first espoused. Bembus in his Venetian history Bembus.handling this story, somewhat mollifieth the fault, when he saith that the Romane Kings daughter was never touched by King Charles in the way of marriage all the while she was there, by reason of her unripe and overyoung yeares. After a while, after this new married King had given a hot alarme to all Italy, and conquered the Realme of Naples; as the Venetians were deliberating to take the matter in hand of themselves, and to resist him, Maximilian the Romane King solicited them in the same, and thrust them forward, as well that he might confederate himselfe with the Duke of Milan, as that he might revenge the injury touching his repelled daughter: so that by this meanes the French K. was fore troubled at his returne, having to withstand him all the Venetian forces, with the most part of the Potentates of Italie: notwithstanding he broke through them all, after he had put the Venetians to the worst: but being returned after this victorious and Phil. de Com.triumphant voyage, it happened that one day as he led the Queen to the Castle of Amboise, to see some some sport at Tenise, he stroke his forehead against the upper door-poste of the gallery, as he went in, that he fell presently to the ground speechlesse, and died incontinently in the place, Surs…vil.from whence (though the filthiest and sluttishest place about the Castle) they removed not his body, but laid it on a bed of straw to the view of the world from two of the clocke in the afternoon till eleven at midnight, and this good successe followed at last his so much desired divorce.