The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX. Of those that have used too much cruelty to wards their subjects in Taxes and Exactions.
IT is clear then by these foresaid assumptions, that a King may not impose upon his Subjects unmeasurable taxes and subsidies, least he make himselfe guilty of extortion, the root and fountain many times of many great mischiefes and inconveniences, and in very deed from whence oftner changes, seditions, and ruines of Common-wealths have proceeded, than from any other cause beside.
What hapned to Roboam King of Israel, for shewing himselfe too rigorous on this behalfe to his subjects, but the defection of the greater part of his Kingdom from him; for being come to the Crowne after the death of his father Solomon, when the people came and made a supplication to him, to be eased from his fathers burdens, he (despising the counsell of his sage 1 Kings 12.and antient. Counsellours, and following the giddy advice of his young companions) gave them a most sharpe and sowre reply; saying, That if his father had laid an heavy yoak upon them, he would encrease it; and if he had chastised them with rods, he would correct them with scourges; which when they of Israel heard, they revolted from him (all save the two Tribes of Iuda and Benjamin) and stoned to death his Collectours, and chose them another King to rule over them. Thus Roboam was deprived often parts of his Kingdom thorow his owne unadvised tyranny, and fled all amazed unto Jerusalem, where he lived all his dayes without recovery of the same.
Achaeus King of Lydia was hanged up against a hill, and his head throwne into a River running by, because of the great subsidies which he exacted of his people.
Dionysius, the first of that name, a notorious and renowned Tyran, not Plutarch. de Reg.onelyonly in regard of his exceeding cruelty, but also of his unjust rackings and exactions, was so violent in that practise of doing wrong, that alboit he well knew the griefes and vexations of the people, that ceased not to complain and lament their case continually, yet he diminished not their burdens, but multiplied them more and more, and sucked and gnew out all that ever he could, untill he left them naked, empty, and despoiled: To Frog. lib. 21.conclude, this grand theefe, that durst not trust his wife nor owne daughters, after he had been discomfited by the Carthaginians, was slain by his servants.
Of the Roman Emperours that most vexed the Commonalty with tribures and taxes, these three were chief, Caligula, Nero, and Caracalla; of whom this latter did most pill and pull the people, and would often say, That the gold and silver of the Kingdom pertained in right to none but Dion. & Xiph.him. Being reproved of his mother at a time, for his immoderate and excessive expences; saying, That there was almost not so much more treasure left as he had already spent; he made her this answer, That she should take no care for that; for as long as his hand was able to wield his sword (which he held naked before her) he would not want money. This is the sword which many now adayes (after the example of Caracalla) have taken up, to cut out (by force and violence) a way to their owne wils, and to cut the throat of equity and justice, and to compell the poor people to forgo their goods, and surrender them into their hands: Now how odious and hatefull these three were made unto the people by their owne wicked demeanours, their miserable ends do sufficiently testify; which wee have already before ment ioned, and mean afterward more at large to speak of.
The Emperour Constance, son to Constantine, whose father was Heraclius, comming at a time out of Greece into Rome, abode there but five dayes; but …ulg. lib. 9. c. 4.in that short space committed so much outrage in ransacking the Temples and other publike places, and carrying away so many rich ornaments and pictures (whereof those places then abounded) that in mans remembrance no forreigne barbarous enemy, having taken the City by force of war, ever went away with the like spoil: besides, he did so oppresse the Allies and Tributaries of the Empire (and chiefly the Sicilians) with taxes and imposts, that many of them were constrained to sell their children for money to satisfie his extortion: and by this meanes he scraped together an infinite masse of rapines and evill gotten goods; but enjoyed the sweet of them not very long; for very soon after he was murdered by his owne men of wat, in his returne out of Sicily and all that spoil which he had unjustly surprised, was suddenly taken and transported into Africa by the Sarasens, that then inhabited the City Panorme.
Lewis the eleventh, King of France, after he had overcharged his subjects with too grievous burdens of payments and taxes, fell into such a timorous conceit and fear of death, as never any man did the like; he attempted all meanes of avoiding or delaying the same; as first, during his sicknesse, he gave his Physitian monethly ten thousand crownes, by that meanes to creep into his favour: wherein he, being in all other things a very niggard and pinch-penny, shewed himself on the other side more than prodigall: next he sent into Calabria for an Hermit, reported to be an holy and devout man, to whom at his arrivall, he performed so much duty and reverence, as was wonderfull and unseemly: for he threw himselfe on his knees, and besought him to prolong his decaying life, as if he had been a God, and not a man: but all that he could do was to no purpose; no nor the reliques which Pope Sextus sent him to busie himselfe withall, nor the holy viall of the Rheimes which was brought him, could prorogue this life of his, nor priviledge him from dying a discontent and unwilling death: he suspected the most part of his nearest attendants, and would not suffer them to approach unto him in his sicknesse: after he had thus prolonged the time in hope, and yet still languished in extream distresse of his disease, it was at length told him in all speed, that he should not set his minde any longer upon those vain hopes, nor upon that holy man, for his time was come, and he must needs die. And thus he that during his Raigne shewed himselfe rough and cruell to his subjects, by too many and heavy impositions, was himselfe in his latter end thus roughly and hardly dealt withall.
Christierne the eleventh, King of Denmarke, Norway; and Suecia, after the death of King Iohn his father, reigned, the year of our Lord 1514. and was too intolerable in imposing burdens and taxes upon his subjects; for which cause the Suecians revolted from his government: whom though after many battels and sieges he conquered, and placed amongst them his garisons to keep them in awe, yet ceased they not to rebell against him, and that by the instigation of a mean Gentleman, who very quickly got fo…ting into the Kingdom, and possessed himselfe of the Crowne and government. Now Christierne having lost this Province, and being also in disdain and hatred of his owne Countrey, and fearing least this inward heat of spight should grow to some flame of danger to his life, seeing that the inhabitants of Lubecke conspiring with his uncle Fredericke, began to take armes against him, he fled away, with his wife (sister to the Emperour Charles the fifth) and his young children, to Zealand, a Province of the Emperours, after he had reigned nine yeares: after which the Estates of the Realme (aided by them of Lubecke) assembling together, exalted his uncle Fredericke, Prince of Holsatia (though old and antient) to the Crowne; and publishing certain writings, addressed them to the Emperour and the Princes of his Empire, to render a reason of their proceeding, and to make knowne unto them upon how good considerations they had deposed and banished Christierne, for the tyranny which hee exercised among them. Ten yeares after this he got together a new Army by sea, in hope to recover his losses, but contrary to his hope he was taken prisoner, and in captivity miserably ended his dayes.
Henry King of Suecia was chased from his Scepter for enterprising to Nic. Gil. vol. 1burden his Commons with new contributions: those that were devisers of new Taxes and Tributes, for the most part ever lost their lives in their labours: for proof whereof, let the example of Parchenus or Porchetes serve; who for giving counsell to King Theodebert touching the raising of new subsidies, was stoned to death by the multitude, in the City Trieves.
Likewise was George Presquon cruelly put to death by the people, for perswading and setting forward Henry of Suecia, to the vexation and exaction of his subjects.