A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII. Examples of Treachery, and Perfidiousness.
Complained of, Isa. 21. 2. & 24. 16. Jer. 9. 2. Lam. 1. 2. Mal. 2. 10.
Scriptural Examples: Men of Sechem, Judg. 9. 23. Jacobs sons, Gen. 34. 13. Gibeonites, Jos. 9. 4. Joab, 2 Sam. 3. 27. & 20. 9. Rechab, and Baanah, 2 Sam. 4. 7. Absalom, 2 Sam. 13. 23. Men of Judah, Jer. 3. 7, &c. & 9. 2. Mal. 2. 10, &c. See more in Murther. Judas, Mat. 26. 48.
The Lacedemonians having intelligence that their King Pausanias treacherously held correspondence with their enemy Xerxes, they sent for him home, and when he came back perceiving that his treason was discovered, he took sanctuary in the Temple of Pallas, and the Lacedemonians fearing to violate the priviledge of the place, durst not fetch him out to punishment, whereupon Pausanias his mother took a brick, and said it in the door of the Temple, and the other Lacedemonians seeing it, they all brought bricks, and made up the doore, whereby Pausanias perished of famine. Herod.
When the Sabines came against Rome, and besieged the Castle, where Tarpeius was Governour, his daughter Tarpeia contracted with them to betray the Castle into their hands, upon condition that they would give her all the golden bracelets which they wore upon their left armes: to this the Sabines agreed: and she in the night-time opened a posterne, and let them in: and afterwards when she challenged her reward: Tacius the Sabine General bade all his souldiers do as he did: and withall he threw his bracelet at her, and his buckler also which he wore on his left arme: and all the souldiers doing the like, she was pressed down with the weight of them; and died immediately and so received the just reward of her treachery.
Antigonus was not singular when he said, that he loved them that did betray, but hated them that had betrayed. Nor Augustus Cesar, who told Rymitalces the Thracian, that he loved the treason, but hated the traytor. Plut.
Camillus with the Romane Army besieged the strong City of the Falerians in Italy, but it was so well fortified, and furnished, that the inhabitants made little account of the siege. At this time the whole City had but one common Scholmaster, who used to lead out his Schoolars into the fields to play, and watching his opportunity, he at last led them to the Romane Guards, delivering them all up into their hands, and himself going to Camillus said: Sir, I am Schoolmaster to all these children, yet do I preferre the favour of the Romanes before my honour, and office, and therefore have I delivered up these children to you, by whom you may make the Falerians yield upon your own tearms. Camillus answered, that indeed in the Warres there were many wrongs done, yet a Noble General should rather seek victory by Valour then by wicked, or treacherous means: and therefore abhorring this vallainy, he presently commanded his Sergeants to teare off this Schoolmasters clothes, and to binde his hands behinde him, and to give the boyes whips, and rods to whip back the Traitor into the City that had so basely betrayed them. In the meane time the Falerians hearing how their children were betrayed, ran up to their City-Walls like distracted persons, but there they spied the boyes whipping the Schoolmaster starke naked towards the City, which so wrought upon them, that they presently sent forth, and made peace with the Romanes. Plut.
Aristomenes King of the Messenians being driven out of his own country by the Lacedemonians, was forced to flie to the Arcadians for succour: and being a gallant man, had purposed with a select band to have invaded Sparta whilest their Army was plundering his Country; but the King of Arcadia being privy to his designe, discovered it to the Lacedemonians, and so prevented it: for which treachery his own subjects stoned him, and cast him unburied out of their confines, setting up a Pillar by him with this inscription:
Difficile est hominem perjurum fallere Divos. Diod. Sic.
Ochus King of Persia raising a great Army, went against the City of Sidon in Phenicia, where one Tennes was King, who hearing of Ochus his purpose, hired Mentor of Rhodes with some other Grecian Auxiliaries for his aide; but when Ochus drew neere with his huge Army, he sought to provide for his safety rather then his honour, sending one privately to Ochus, proffering to betray the City to him: Ochus being glad to heare this, promised whatsoever he required; whereupon Tennes accordingly betrayed the City into his hands: But before Ochus came, the Sidonians to make their men to fight more desperately, had burnt all their ships in the haven, that so all hopes of escaping might be taken away: so that the City being thus betrayed, the Citizens seeing their desperate condition, shut up themselves with their wives and children in their houses, and so firing them, burnt themselves and all that they had, by which meanes there perished above fourty thousand persons. But Ochus now standing in no further need of Tennes, caused him to be murthered. A just reward for his treachery. Pez▪ Mel. Hist.
Philip King of Macedon going to besiege a City, one of his Captaines told him that it was so strongly fortified both by nature, and art that it was altogether inexpugnable: to whom he said: But is it impossible for gold … g…t over the walls? for I have often seen that other … which by no other meanes I could conquer, yet by my gold I have corrupted some to betray them to me. Justin.
The same Philip having married the sister of Arysbas, King of the Molossians, and thereby being chosen Tutour to the young King: most per…idiously seized upon his Kingdome, and … Arysbas, who died in …. He also treacherously getting the King o… power flew him, and annexed his Kingdome … And divers free Cities having chosen Philip for … Captaine, he perfidiously seized upon … and … them … vassales. Also the two Kings of … …alling … between themselves, those King Philip …o be the Umpire betwixt them; whereupon privacely he raised an Army, and went into Thrace, pretending to come as a Iudge; but finding them unprovided to resist him, he dispoiled them both of their kingdomes. Justin.
Before the first great battel that Darius King of Persia fought with Alexander M. he sent the greatest part of his money, and rich furniture to Damascus to be kept in safety there: but Alexander sending Parmenio against it, the Governour betrayed the City, and all those infinite riches into his hands: which treason he escaped not long with, for one of his own consorts slew him, and cutting off his head, carried it to Darius. Q. Cur.
Bessus having basely betrayed, and murthered Darius, Alexander pursued him into Bactria, and when he drew neere him, Spitamenes one of Bessus's chiefe friends, laid hands on him, bound him, stript him naked, and so putting a chaine about his neck, led him to Alexander: to whom Alexander said: What brutish madnesse seized upon thee, that thou durst lay hands on thy King, and murther him, when he had deserved so well of thee? Bessus would have made an apology, but Alexander delivered him to Darius his brother to do with him as he pleased, who leading him to the place where he had murthered Darius, cut him in peeces there. Q. Cur.
Darius having for a long time besieged Babylon in vaine, one of his Captaines named Zopyrus, cut off his own eares and nose, and with his fresh bleeding wounds fled to the Babylonians, pretending that he came to them for succour, and accused Darius for his cruelty, saying, that he had so mangled him for counselling him to give over the siege: whereupon the Babylonians, knowing his prowesse, trusted him with the greatest part of their forces: which when Zopyrus had obtained, after some small colourable overthrowes given to the Persians in …allies, spying his opportunity, he betrayed the City, and delivered it up into Darius his hand, who had laine in siege before it twenty moneths.
A wicked Varlot betrayed the Isle of Rhodes to the Great Turke, upon condition to have his daughter to wife with a great Dowry: but when the Turke had gotten the Isle, he told him, that he must not have a Christian to his son in Law; but he must first be a Musselman both within and without, and therefore he caused his Baptized skin (as he called it) to be flayed off, and appointed him to be put into a bed strewed with salt that he might get a new skin, promising that then he should be his sonne in Law: But the wicked wretch ended his life with shame, and torment: Princes love treason, but hate the traytor. Turk. Hist.
Banister servant to the Duke of Buckingham in the reigne of Richard the third, upon the promise of a thousand pound basely betrayed his Lord, and Master, from whom he had formerly received great favours; but after his base treachery, he never had the reward promised; and besides▪ had these judgements befell him: His eldest sonne fell madde, and so died in a Swine-sti…: His second sonne became deformed in his Limbs, and fell lame: His third son was drowned in a small puddle of water: His eldest daughter was suddenly struck with a foule Leprosie: and himself in his old age was arraigned, found guilty of murther, and escaped hanging very narrowly. Speed. Chron. p. 927.
John Curcy Earle of Ulster in Ireland, was betrayed by his own servants, for a peece of money given them in hand, and for a greater reward to be given afterwards, promised unto them by his mortal enemy Hugh Lacy: & accordingly the said Earl Hugh Lacy rewarded all the aforesaid Traitors with gold and silver as he had promised: but presently after hanged them all up: and took away their goods. Camb. Brit. Irel. p. 153.
Nicholas Keretschen Governour of Gyula in Transilvania, betraied the same unto the Turks for a great sum of money; but when he expected the reward, he was by the command of Selymus the Great Turke thrust into an hogshead stuck full of nailes with the points inward, with this inscription upon it: Here receive the reward of thy treason: if thou beest not faithful to thy Master, neither wilt thou be to me: and so he was rolled up, and down till he died. Turk. Hist. p. 824.
A Noble Senator in Rome being proscribed by the Triumviri, they promised a great reward to them that would discover him to them; whereupon the Senators own servant betrayed him. The Triumviri, according to their promises, first rewarded him for his service to the State, because he delivered up into their hands one that was judged guilty of treason, & then to reward him for his treachery to his Master, whom he should have preserved, they threw him down headlong from the Capitol, whereby he brake his neck.
Don Frederick sonne to the Duke of Alva, going with his Army to Naerden in Holland, was admitted into the town, and himselfe and souldiers feasted by the Bourgers, after which he commanded them with the rest of the inhabitants to go into a certaine Chappel where they should be made acquainted with such Lawes as they were to be regulated by: but when they were thus assembled, he sent his souldiers, commanding them to murther them without sparing any one: The men were Massacred: the women first ravished, and then murthered: the children, and infants had their throats cut. See my Gen. Martyr. p. 265.
Many of the chiefest of the Brittish Nobility were trained in Almsebury to treat with the chiefest of the Saxons about a peace, but being betrayed by them, they were basely murthered, whence those great stones were erected called Stoneheng. See my English Martyrology. p. 8.
The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously,
Isa. 24. 16.