The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 45
CHAP. XLV. More examples of the same argument.
HIeronymus, a true Tyran of Sicily, enured and fashioned Tit. Liv.to all pride, and of most corrupt and rotten manners, began right after the death of his father Hiero, (that left him a peaceable and quiet Kingdom) to shew …orth his arrogance; for he quickly made himselfe fearfull to his Subjects, both by his stately and proud manner of speech, as also by the hardnesse of accesse unto him, together with a kinde of disdainfull contempt of all men: but most of all did the inward pride of his heart appeare when hee had gotten a guard about his body; for then he ceased not to bait, bite, and devoure, and to exercise all kinde of cruelty against every man, and all kind of ryot and excesse of filthinesse against himselfe: so that he became so odious and contemptible to his subjects, that they conspired against him, to deprive him both of his life and kingdome: which conspiracy though it came to light, yet for all that wanted not his due effect: for after hee had (through listning to false reports) put to death unjustly his truest and dearest friends, and those that would indeed have helped him in his necessity, both with good advice and other succour, he was surprised as he walked in a narrow and strait way, and there cruelly murthered. Now there was one Andronodorus his brother in law, that aspired to the crowne, had corrupted his manners, and thrust him forward to all these misdemeanours, to the end by those practises he might make him odious to his people, that by that meanes he might obtaine his owne purpose, as indeed he did: for after his death he seised upon the Scepter, though with no long enjoyance; for through the troubles and commotions which were raised in the countrey by his meanes, both hee, his wife, and whole race, together with the whole progenie of Hieronymus, whether innocent or guilty, were all utterly rooted out and defaced.
Andronicus was one of the most wickedest men that lived on the earth in his time; for he excelled in all kinde of evill: in ambition, boldnesse in doing mischiefe, cruelty, whoredome, adulterie, and incest also to make up the whole number: besides, he was so treacherous and disloyall, that hee traiterously slew the sonne and heire of the Emperour Emanuel, shutting him in a sacke, and so throwing him into the sea; after which, by violence he tooke possession of the Empire of Constantinople, and like a strong theefe seised upon that which was none of his owne; but as soone as he had gotten his desire, then began his lusts to rage and rave, then he fell to whoreing and forcing women and maids to his lust, whom after he had once robbed of their chastities, he gave over to his bands and ruffians to abuse; and that which is more than all this, he ravished one of his owne sisters, and committed incest with her: moreover, to maintaine and uphold his tyrannous estate, he slew most of the nobility, and all else that bore any shew of honesty or credit with them, and lived altogether by wrongs and extortions: wherefore his subjects (provoked with these multitudes of evils which reigned in him, and not able to endure any longer his vile outrages and indignities) rebelled against him and besieged him, got him into their mercilesse hands, and handled him on this fashion following: first they degraded him and spoyled him of his imperiall ornaments, then they pulled out one of his eyes, and set him upon an asse backward, with the tayle in his hand in stead of a Scepter, and a rope about his necke in stead of a crowne; and in this order and attyre they led him through all Constantinople, the people shouting and reviling him on all sides, some throwing durt, others spittle, divers dung, and the women their pispots at his head: after all which banquetting dishes, he was transported to the gallowes, and there hanged, to make an end of all.
Charles King of Navarre, whose mother Iean was daughter to Lewis Lutton Frois. vol. 3. cap. 100.King of France, was another that oppressed his subjects with cruelty and rough dealing: for he imposed upon them grievous taxes and tributes, and when many of the chiefest of his Common-Wealth came to make knowne unto him the poverty of his people, and that they were not able to endure any more such burthens, he caused them all to be put to death for their boldnesse: he was the kindler of many great mischiefes in France, and of the fire wherewith divers places of strength, and castles of defence were burned to ashes: he counselled the Count of Foix his sonne to poyson his father, and not onelyonly so, but gave him also the poyson with his owne hands, wherewith to do the deed: Moreover, above all this, lechery and Adultery Nich. Gilles.swayed his powers, even in his old age; for at threescore yeares of age, he had a whore in a corner, whose company he dayly hanted; and so much, that she at length gave him his deaths wound; for returning from her company one day (as his use was) and entring into his chamber, he went to bed all quaking and halfe frozen with cold, neither could he by any meanes recover his heat, untill by art they sought to supply nature, and blew upon him with brasen bellowes Aquavitae and hot blasts of ayre; but withall, the fire unregarded flew betwixt the sheets, and inflamed the drie linnen together with the Aquavitae, so suddenly, that ere any help could be made, his late quivering bones were now halfe burned to death. It is true that he lived fifteene daies after this, but in so great griefe and torment, without sence of any helpe or assuagement by Physicke or Surgery, that at the end thereof he died miserably: and so, as during his life his affection over burnt in lust, and his minde was alwayes hot, upon mischiefe and covetousnesse, so his dayes were finished with heat and cruell burning.
Lugtake, King of Scots, succeeding his father Galdus in the Kingdome, Lanquet.was so odious and mischievous a Tyran, that every man hated him no lesse for his vices, than they loved his father for his vertues: he slew many rich and noble-men for no other cause, but to enrich his treasury with their goods: he committed the government of the Realme to most unjust and covetous persons, and with their company was most delighted: he shamed not to defloure his owne aunts, sisters, and daughters, and to scorne his wise and grave counsellors, calling them old doting fooles: all which monstrous villanies (with a thousand more) so incensed his Nobles against him, that they slew him after he had raigned three yeares: but as the Proverbe goeth, Seldome commeth a better; another or worse Tyran succeeded in his kingdome; namely Mogallus, cousin germane to Lugtake, a man notoriously infected with all manner of vices: for albeit in the beginning of his reigne hee gave himselfe to follow the wisedome and manners of his unkle Galdus; yet in his age his corrupt nature burst forth abundantly, but chiefly in avarice, lechery, and cruelty: this was he that licensed theeves and robbers to take the goods of their neighbours without punishment, and that first ordained the goods of condemned persons to be confiscate to the kings use, without respect either of wives, children, or creditors; for which crimes he was also slaine by his nobles.
Besides these, there was another king of the Scots, called Atherto, in the The fame.yeare of our Lord 240. who shewed himselfe also in like manner a most abhominable wretch: for he so wallowed in all manner of uncleane and effeminate lusts, that he was not ashamed to goe in the sight of the people playing upon a flute, rejoycing more to be accounted a good Fidler, than a good Prince; from which vices he fell at last to the deflouring and ravishing of maids and women, insomuch as the daughters of his nobles could not be safe from his insatiable and intollerable lust: wherefore being pursued by them, when hee saw no meanes to escape, hee desperately slew himselfe.
The great outrages which the Spaniards have committed in the West Indies, are apparant testimonies of their impiety, injustice, cruelty, insatiable covetousnesse, and luxury; and the judgement wherewith God hath hunted them up and downe both by sea and land, (as late and fresh histories doe testifie) are manifest witnesses of his heavy anger and displeasure against them: amongst all which, I will here insert none but that which is most notorious and worthy memory, as the wretched accident of Pamphilius Novares, and his company: This man with six hundred Spaniards making for the coast of Florida, to seeke the gold of the river of Palme-trees, were so Benzon. Mil.turmoyled with vehement windes and tempests, that they could not keepe their vessels from dashing against the shore, so that their ships did all split in sunder, and they for the most part were drowned, save a few that escaped to land, yet escaped not danger; for they ranne roving up and downe this savage countrey so long, till they fell into such extreame poverty and famine, that for want of victuals twelve of them devoured one another; and of the whole six hundred that went forth, there never yet returned above ten, all the rest being either drowned or pined to death.
Francis Pizarre, a man of base parentage, for in his youth he was but a Benzon.hogheard, and of worse qualities and education, for he knew not so much as the first elements of learning, giving himselfe to the West Indian wars, grew to some credit in bearing office, but withall shewed himselfe very disloyall, treacherous, and bloudy-minded, in committing many odious and monstrous cruelties: entring Peru with an army of souldiers, to the end, to conquer new lands and dominions, and to glut his unsatiable covetousnesse with a new surfet of riches (after the true Spanish custome) he committed many bloudy and trayterous acts, and exercised more than barbarous cruelty: for first under pretence of friendship feyning to parle with Artabaliba, King of Cusco; the poore King comming with five and twenty thousand of unarmed men, in ostentation of his greatnesse, not in purpose to resist, he welcommed him and his men so nimbly with swords and curtleaxes, that they had all soon their throats cut by a most horrible slaughter, and the King himselfe was taken and put in chaines: yea, and the Citie after this massacre of men abroad, felt soone the insolencies of these brave warriours within: in fine, though Pizarre promised Artabaliba to save his life, in regard of a ransome, amounting to more than two millions of gold; yet after the receit thereof he traiterously caused him to be hanged, contrary to both his oath, and all equity and reason: but this cruell perfidie of his went not long without punishment; for both hee and all the rest that were any wayes accessarie, or consenting to the death of this King, came to a wretched end: but especially his foure brethren, Ferdinand, Gonsal, Iohn Martin of Alcantara, and Diego of Almagro; who as they were principall in the action, so were they in the punishment: the first that was punished was Iohn Pizarre, who with many other Spaniards was surprised in the City of Cusco, and slaine by the men of warre of Mangefrem and Artabaliba: next after that there arose such a division and heart-burning betwixt the Pizarres and Almagro, and their partakers, that after they had robbed and wasted and shared out the great and rich Countrey of Peru, they slew one another by mutuall strokes: and albeit that there was by common consent an agreement accorded betwixt them, for the preserving of their unity and friendship; yet Francis Pizarre, envying that Almagro should bee Governour of Cusco, and he not, interrupted all their agreements, by starting from his promises; and re-kindled the halfe-quenched fire of warre by his owne ambition: for hee presently defied Amagro, and sent his brother Ferdinand before to bid him battaile; who so well behaved himselfe, that hee tooke Almagro prisoner, and delivered him bound to his brother Francis, who caused him to bee strangled in prison secretly, and after to be beheaded in publique. Now Ferdinand being sent by his brother towards Spaine, with a great masse of gold to cleare himselfe of the death of Almagro, could not so well justifie the fact, as that all his treasure could save him from the prison; and what became of him afterwards, knowne it is to God, but not to the world. A while after, the fellowes and friends of Almagro, whose goods the Pizarrists hath seised upon, tooke counsell with Don Diego Almagro his sonne, to revenge the death of his father; therefore being in number but twelve, with unsheathed swords, they desperately burst into Francis Pizarres house, (then Marquesse and Governour of Peru) and at the first brunt slew a Captaine that guarded the enterance of the Hall, and next him Martin of Alcahtara, and other more, that kept the entrance of the Chamber, so that hee fell dead even at his brother the Marquesses feet: who albeit his men were all slaine before his eyes, and himselfe left alone amiddest his enemies, yet gave not over to defend himselfe stoutly and manfully, untill all of them setting upon him at once, hee was stabbed into the throat, and so fell dead upon the ground; and thus finished hee and his complices their wretched dayes, answerable to their cruell deserts: but their murderers (though they deserved to bee thus dealt withall) yet for dealing in this sort without authority, were not faultlesse, but received the due wages of their furious madnesse: for Don Diego himselfe, after he had beene a while Governour of Peru, had his army overcome and discomfited by the Emperours forces, and was betrayed into their hands by his owne Lieutenant of Cusco, where he thought to have saved himself, and right soone lost his head, with the greatest Captains and favourites that hee had, who were also quartered. Now of the five brethren wee have heard foure of their destructions, onelyonly one remaineth (namely Gonzalle Pizarre) to bee spoken of; who being sent for by the Conquerours to be their Chieftaine and Protector against the Viceroy, that went about to make them observe the Emperours lawes and decrees, touching the liberty of the Indian Nation, was betrayed and forsaken by the same men that sent for him, and so fell into his enemies hands, that cut off his head: The Generall of his army, a covetous and cruell man, that in short space made away above three hundred Spaniards, and all as it were with his own hand; was drawn up and downe at a horse tayle the space of halfe a quarter of an houre, and then hanged upon the gallowes, & quartered in foure parts. The Monke of Vauvard, called Vincent, who with his crosse and porteise had encouraged Pizarre and his army against Artabaliba, and was for that cause created Bishop of Peru, when Diego came to the governement, fled into the Island Puna to escape his wrath; but in seeking to avoyde him, he fell into as great a snare; for the Islanders assaulted him one night, and knockt him to death with staves and clubs, together with forty Spaniards of his fellowship, that accompanied him in his flight, and started not from him in his death. And thus the good and holy Monke, for medling with, and setting forward the murder of so many poore people, was for his paines and good deeds justly rewarded by the Indians of that Island.
Moreover, after and beside all these troubles, seditions, and civil warres of Peru, all they that returned from Spaine, suffered shipwracke for the most part: for their fleet had scarce attained the midst of their course, when there arose so terrible a tempest, that of eighteen ships, thirteen so perished, that they were never heard of after; and of the five which remained, two were tumbled backe to the coast of Saint Dominick, all berent and shivered in pieces; other three were driven to Spaine, whereof one hitting against the bay of Portugall, lost many of her men: The Admirall her selfe of this fleet perished near unto Saint Lucar de Baramede, with two hundred persons that were within her, and but one onelyonly of them all got safe into the haven of Calix, without dammage. Here we may see how mightily the hand of God was stretched forth to the revenge of those wicked deeds and villanies which were committed by the Spaniards in those quarters.
Peter Loys, bastard son to Pope Paul the third, was one that practised many horrible villanies, robberies, murthers, adulteries, incest, and Sodomitries; Sleid. lib. 19. Ball.thinking that because his father was Pope, therefore no wickednesse was unlawfull for him to commit. He was by the report of all men, one of the most notorious, vilest, and filthiest villaines that ever the world saw: he forced the Bishop of Faence to his unnaturall lust, so that the poor Bishop, with meer anger and grief that he should be so abused, died immediately. Being made Duke of Plaisence and Parma, he exercised most cruell tyranny towards many of his subjects; insomuch, that divers Gentlemen that could not brook nor endure his injuries, conceived an inward hate against him, and conspired his death: and for to put in practise the same, they hired certain Ruffians and Roysters to watch the opportunity of slaying him; yea, and they themselves oftentimes went apart with these Roysters, keeping themselves upon their guards, as if some private and particular quarrels had been in hand. One day as the Duke went in his horselitter out of his Castle, with a great retinue, to see certain Fortifications which he had prepared, being advertised by his father the Pope (by the helpe of Magicke which he practised) to look diligently to himselfe the tenth day of September: in which notwithstanding he was slain; for as he returned into his Castle, the Conspiratours, to the number of thirty six, marched before him, as it were to do him honour, but indeed to do him villany: for as soon as he was entred the Castle, they drew up the drawbridge for fear of his retinue that were without, and comming to him with their naked swords, cast in his teeth his tyranny, and so slew him in his litter, together with a Priest, the master of his horse, and five Almaignes that were of his Guard: his dead body they hung by a chain over the wals, and shaking it to and fro to the view of the people, threw it downe headlong at last into the ditch; where the multitude to shew their hates, wounded it with daggers, and trampled it under their feet: and so whom they durst not touch in his life, being dead they thus abused: and this befell upon the tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 1547.
Some of the Bishops of Rome for their rare and notable vertues, and the glory of their brave deeds, may be honoured with this dignity, to be placed in this worthy ranke; for their good conditions and behaviours were such, that no tyran, butcher, thief, robber, ruffian, nor any other, ever excelled them in cruelty, robbery, adultery, and such like wickednesse, or deserved more the credit and reputation of this place than they. And hereof we have a manifest example in Iohn the thirteenth, who pulling out the eyes of some of his Cardinals, cutting out the tongues of others, hewing off the hands, noses, and privy members of others, shewed himselfe a paterne of such cruelty, as the world never saw the like: he was accused before the Emperour Otho, in a Synod, first for incest with two of his own sisters: secondly, for calling the devill to helpe him at dice: thirdly, for promoting young infants to Bishoprickes, bribed thereto by certain pieces of Gold; fourthly, for the ravishing of maids and wives, and lying with his fathers concubine: yea, and lastly, for lyingwth his own mother, and many other such monstrous villanies: for which cause he was deposed from the Papacy, though re-installed again by the suit and cunning practise of his Whores; by whom as he recovered his triple Crown, so he lost shortly after his vicious life, by the meanes of a married whore that betrayed him.
Pope Hildebrand, sirnamed Gregory the seventh, was adorned with all Benno. Ball.these good qualities, namely to be bloudy minded, a poysoner, a murtherer, a conjurer, also a consulter with spirits, and in a word, nothing but a lumpe and masse of wickednesse: he was the stirrer up of many battels against the Emperour Henry the fourth, and a provoken of his own son to depose and poyson his father, as he did: but this wicked (I would say holy) Pope, was at last banished his Cathedral City, to Salernum, where he ended his dayes in misery.
Pope Clement the sixth, of name contrary to his nature, for his inclemency, cruelty and pride towards the Emperour Lewis of Bavaria, was intolerable; he procured many horrible warres against the Empire, and caused the destruction of twenty thousand Frenchmen by the King of England, yea and poysoned the good Emperour also, so well he wished to him: Howbeit ere long himselfe was stifled to death, and that suddenly▪ not by any practise of man, as it was thought, but by the especiall hand of God, in recompence of all his notable acts.
Iohn the four and twentieth was deposed by the Councell of Constance, for these crimes following; heresie, Simony, manslaughter, poysonings, Benno. Ball.cousenings, adultery, and sodomitry, and was cast into prison; where remaining three yeares, he falsely made shew of amendment of his wicked life, and therefore was graced with a Cardinals hat, but it was not that which he expected; for which cause with despight and grief he died.
It would be too long to run over the discourse of every particular Pope of like conditions, and therefore we will content our selves in brief with the legend of Pope Alexander the sixth, reported by by two authours of credit and renown, and unsuspected; to wit, Guicciardine a Florentine Guicciard. l. 2. Bembus.Gentleman, and Bembus a Venetian Cardinal: This man (saith Guicciardine) attained to the Papacy not by worthinesse of vertues, but by heavinesse of bribes, and multitude of fair promises made to the Cardinals for his election, promising large recompence to them that stood on his side; whereupon many that knew his course of life were filled with astonishment, amongst whom was the King of Naples, who hearing of this election, complained to his Queen with teares, that there was such a Pope created that would be a plague to Italy and all Christendom: beside, the great vices which swayed in him, of which the same Authour speaking, maketh this Catalogue and pedegree in his own Language, which followeth: Costum (dit il) escensimi non sincerita, non verita, non fede, non religione; avaritia insatiabile, ambitione immoderata, crudelta pinque barbara, …o ardentissima cupidi… di escalt are in qualunque mode, i figli voli, i qualierano molti: (that is Guicciard. lib. 2.to say) He was endued with most filthy conditions, and that neither sincerity, truth, faith, nor religion, was in him, but in stead of them, covetousnesse unquenchable, ambition unmeasurable, more than barbarous cruelty, and a burning desire of promoting his own children (for he had many) by what meanes soever. He perswaded King Charles the eighth of France to undertake war against Naples, and after he had brought him to it, presently he forsook him, and entred a new league with the Venetians, and the other Princes of Italy, to drive him home again. This was he (saith Cardinal Venetian. hist. lib. 6.Bembus) that set Benefices and Promotions to sale, that he which would give most might have most; and that poysoned Iohn Michel the Cardinal of Venice at Rome, for his gold and treasure which he abounded with: whose insatiable covetousnesse provoked him to the committall of all mischief, to the end he might maintain the forces of his son, who went about to bring the whole lands & dominions of all Italy, into his possession… in adulteries he was most filthy and abominable, in tyranny most cruell, and in Magick most cunning, and therefore most execrable: supping one night with Cardinal Adrian, his very familiar friend, in his garden, having foreappointed his destruction that night by poyson; through the negligence and oversight of his butler, to whom he had given the exploit in charge, that was deceived by mistaking the bottles, he dranke himselfe the medicine which he had prepared for his good friend the Cardinal: and so he died (saith Bembus) not without an evident marke of Gods heavy wrath, in that he which had slain so many Princes and rich men to enjoy their treasures, and went now about to murder his host which entertained him with friendship & good chear into his house, was caught in the same snare which he had laid, and destroyed by the same meanes himselfe, which he had destinated for another: being thus dead, the whole City of Rome (saith Guicciardine) ran out with greedinesse and joy to behold his carkasse, not being able to satisfie their eyes with beholding the dead Serpent, whose venome of ambition, treachery, cruelty, adultery, and avarice, had impoysoned the whole world. Some say, that as he purposed to poyson certain Cardinals, he poysoned his own father, that being in their company, chanced to get a share of his drugs: and that he was so abominable to abuse his own sister Lucrece in the way of filthinesse. When Zemes the brother of Bajazet the Emperour of the Turkes came and surrendred himselfe into his hands, and was admitted into his protection, he being hired with two hundred duckets by Bajazet, gave poyson to his new Client, even to him to whom hee had before sworne and vowed his friendship: besides, that hee might maintain his tyranny, he demanded and obtained aid of the Turke against the King of France, which was a most unchristian and antichristian part: hee caused the tongue and two hands of Anthony Mancivellus (a very learned and wise man) to be cut off, for an excellent Oration which he made in reproof of his wicked demeanours and dishonest life. It is written moreover by some, that he was so affectionated to the service of his good lord and master the devil, that he never attempted any thing without his counsell and advice; who also presented himselfe unto him at his death in the habit of a post, according to the agreement which was betwixt them: and although this wretched Antichrist strove against him for life, alledging that his terme was not yet finished; yet he was enforced to dislodge, and depart into his proper place, where with horrible cries and hideous fearfull groanes he died.
Thus we see how miserably such wretched and infamous miscreants, and such pernitious and cruell tyrants have ended their wicked lives, their force and power being execrable and odious, and therefore (as saith Seneca) not In his book of the clemencie of a Prince.able to continue any long time, for that government cannot be firme and stable, where there is no shame nor fear to do evill, nor where equity, justice, faith, and piety, with other vertues, are contemned and trodden under foot: for when cruelty once beginneth to be predominate, it is so insatiable, that it never ceaseth, but groweth every day from worse to worse, by striving to maintain and defend old faults by new, untill the fear and terrour of the poor afflicted and oppressed people, with a continuall source and enterchange of evils which surcharge them, converteth it selfe from sorced patience, to willing fury, and breaketh forth to do vengeance upon the tyrants heads with all violence; whence ariseth that saying of the Satyricall Poet to the same sence; where he saith,
Few Tyrans dye the death that nature sends, Ad generum Cereris sine caede & sanguine pauc…, Descendunt reges & s…cca morte tyranni.But most are brought by slaughter to their ends.