The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 40
CHAP. XL. More examples of the same subject.
AIstulphus the nineteenth King of Lumbardy, was not onelyonly a most cruell Tyran, but also a grievous oppressour Platina invita Zacharia.of his subjects with taxes and exactions; for he imposed this upon every one of them, to pay yearly Phil. Melanct. lib. 1.a Noble for their heads: against this man Pope Stephen provoked King Pepin of France, who comming with an Army drove the Tyran into Tycinum, and constrained him to yeeld to partiall conditions of peace. Howbeit Pepin was no sooner gone, but he returned to his old byas; wherefore the second time he came and drove him to as great extreamity; insomuch as another peace was concluded: after the accomplishment whereof, perverse Aistulph still vexing his subjects, was plagued by God with an Apoplexy, and so died.
Iustinian the Emperour, as he was profuse and excessive in spending, so was he immoderate and insatiable in gathering together riches, for he exercised Zonar. lib. 3.his wit in devising new tributes and payments, and rejoyced his heart in nothing more; for which causes there arose a grievous sedition at Constantinople against him; wherein not onelyonly the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned, but also forty thousand men slain; and this was no small punishment for his oppression.
At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market, a certaine monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke, which conveyeth away all the filth Eras. in linguaout of the City; the occasion whereof is reported to be this: A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure, counselled him to exact of every countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny, and that but for two yeares together: which when the King put in practise, and found the exceeding commodity thereof, he not onelyonly continued that tax, but also invented divers others, to the great dammage of the common-wealth, and enriching of his owne treasurie. Wherefore he that put it first into his head, when hee saw that he had not so much authority in dissuading, as he had in persuading it, to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed; and to warne others from attempting the like, he commanded by his testament, that his body should be buried in that common sinke, to be an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof.
Barnabe, Vicount of Milan, by the report of Paulus Iovius, was an unconscionable oppressor of his subjects and tenants: for he did not onelyonly extort Tom. 2. Virerum illustrium.of them continuall imposts and payments, but enjoyned them to keepe every one a dogge: which if they came to any mishap, or were either too fat or too leane, the keeper was sure to be beaten, or at least some fine to be set on his head. This Tyran was taken by Iohn Galeacius, and after seven moneths imprisonment poysoned to death.
Archigallo, brother to Gorbonianus in nature, though unlike in conditions Lanquet.(for he was a good Prince, whereas this was a tyran) was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671: we may well place him in the ranke, of oppressours; for he deposed the Noblemen, and exalted the ignoble, he extorted from men their goods, to enrich his treasure; for which cause the Estates of the Realme deprived him of his royall Dignity, and placed his younger brother Elydurus in his room, after he had raigned five yeares.
Hardiknitus King of Denmarke, after the death of Harold was ordained The same.King of England, in the year of our Lord 1041. This King as he was somewhat cruell (for he caused the body of Harold to be taken up out of the Sepulclire, and smiting off his head, to be cast out into the River Thames, because he had injured his mother Emma when he was alive;) so he was burdensom to his Subjects in tributes and exaction: for which cause growing into hatred with God and his Subjects, he was strucken with sudden death, not without suspition of poysoning, after he had raigned three yeares.
William Rufus, second son of William the Conquerour, succeeded his father, as in the Kingdom of England, so in disposition of nature: for they The same.were both cruell, inconstant, and covetous, aud burdened their people with unreasonable taxes; insomuch, that what by the murraine of men by postilence, and oppressions of them by exactions, the tillage of the earth was put off for one year, being the year 1099, whereby ensued great scarcity the year following throughout all the Land: but for the oppression William was justly punished by sudden death, when being at his disport of hunting he was wounded with an arrow glauncing from the bow of Tyrill a French Knight, and so his tyranny and life ended together.
And here is further to be noted, that the place where this King was slain, was called New Forest; in which same place Richard, the Cousin germane of King William, son to Duke Robert his brother, was likewise slain. This New Forest was made by William the Conquerour their father, who plucked downe and depopulated divers Townes and Churches the compasse of 30. miles about, to make this a Forest for wilde Beasts: a most beastly sin, yea a bloudy crying sin, too too much practised in these dayes, and that by great persons, that make no conscience to turne Townes into pastures, and men into sheep: but let all them behold the just vengeance of God upon this Kings posterity: for when then either cannot or will not revenge, then God revengeth either in them or their posterity.
In the year 1548. the Commons of Guyenne, Santonge, and Augoulemois fell into a great Rebellion, by reason of the extortions of the Customers Annales of France, Henry 2.and Farmours of Salt: the Rebels in a few weekes grew to the number of fourty thousand men, armed with clubs and staves; who joyning with the Islanders, by a generall consent ran upon the Officers of the Custome, and with extreme sury put to sword all that they could take, notwithstanding the King of Navarre sought by all meanes to appease them. About the same time the Commons of Gascoigne rose in divers places, upon the same causes, and notwithstanding all that the Lord of Monneins, the Kings Lieutenant, and all other Officers could do, they made a great spoil of many honourable Houses, and massacre of much people: insomuch, that the Lord of Moneins himselfe was slain by them, whilest he was making an Oration to them to pacifie their rage: but at length these Rebels were suppressed by Francis of Lorraine, Earle of Aumale, and Anne of Mommorancye, high Constable of France, and the chief Kingleaders and Captaines of them executed according to their deserts. La Vergne was drawne in pieces by four horses: L'Estonnac, and the two brothers of Saulx, had their heads cut off: Tallemoigne and Galefer…, the two Colonels of the Commons, were broken upon the Wheele, being first crowned with a crowne of burning iron, as a punishment of the Soveraignty which they had usurped. Thus the Lord punished both the one and the other, and the one by the other; the exactors for their oppression, and the tumultuous Commons for their Rebellion.
Neither doth the Lord thus punish oppressours themselves, but also they that either countenance, or having authority, do not punish the same; as Lanquet.it appeareth by this example following. In the year of our Lord 475. there lived one Corrannus a King of Scots; who though he governed the people in peace and quietnesse a long space, and was indeed a good Prince, yet because his Chancellour Tomset used extortion and exaction amongst his Subjects, and he being advertised thereof, did not punish him, he was slain traiterously by his owne Subjects.
It is not unworthy to be noted, how Edward the Third, King of England, prospered a long while in the warres against France, and got many worthy and wonderfull victories: but when Prince Edward, son unto the aforesaid Edward, after conditions of peace concluded, began to set taxes and impositions upon the Country of Aquitain, then did King Edwards part begin to incline, and the successe of war, which the space of fourty yeares never forsook him, now frowned upon him; so that he quickly lost all those lands which by composition of peace were granted unto him.