Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 10

GAlba Seruius regned after Nero vij monethes y chosen of spaynerdys and Galles the yere of his age thre score and thyrten & had be a senatour of old nobley / his pryuy lyf was ful noble and had ofte be consul and ofte proconsul and ofte duk and leder of grete bataylles and harde He made one pysonne a noble yong man his sone adoptiuus & his heir / but by a wayte of one otho they were bothe deede in the myddel of the chepynge place ¶ Otho lucius regned thre monethes whan he herde that there was an Emperour made in gallia by relygyons of germa¦nia he arayed batayls that ben callyd bella ciuilia and hadde the vyctory in thre the fyrst bataylles and the fourth batayl / Whan he sawe his men ouer set•••• and falle to grounde. ••e sayd that he was not soo worthy that cyuyle bataylle sholde for hym aryse & so he slew hym self Vytellus regned after otho as it were se¦uen monethes and was stronge and noble / but he was soo grete a gloton that he ete somday thries som daye four sithis & somday fyue sithis / ¶At one soper were sette afore hym two thousand fysshes and seuen thousande fowles soo it is wryte ¶ This drad that vaspasianus shold regne and slewe his brother sabynus & than for d••ede he hid hym and closed hym in a celle ¶ And du¦kes that were with vaspasianus drowe hym oute and so he was openly and naked drawe thurgh the cyte and heelde vp his hede on hye and a sharp swerde was set vnder his chy nne. And alle men threwe on him dirte & du ste and so he was throwe in to tiber Vaspasianus regned as it were eyght yere / And was coueyto{us} of money but he toke it not wrongfully ¶ He wolde forgete wronges & lyghtly take chydinges of mē of lawe & of philoso∣phres This was sōtyme sēt by nero in to the iewry for to chaste

the Iewes and herde of neroes deth and left there his sonne Ti¦tus and wente agayn to Rome. He fought two and thyrtty ty∣mes manly agaynst his enemyes in germania and ellys where / ¶ Pol libro tercio capitulo 14 One buculus an old man cryed in despy•••• of vaspasianus and sayd. the foxe maye chaung. his skynne but not his wylle / ffor vaspasianus couetyse was neuer the lasse ffor the passynge of his age Me saith that he answerd in this maner. To suche men we owe lawghyng to our silf cor∣rection and payne to euil doers•• Also this more for the playne chastysyng of the peple and nacions of londes that he had won∣ne / he made prouynces of these kyngdoms Archaia licia Rhodus Samus tracia and silicia and ordeyned stywardes to gouerne the¦se londes that were rather vnder kynges that were frendes and subgettis to the romaynes ¶R Here laketh ten yere by the co∣myn cronykkes bytwene the passion of oure lord and vaspasia∣nus tyme as it is sayd afore in the prologe ¶ Ierusalem was take by titus The temple was brente and throwe adowne euen with the groūde ¶Iosephus libro septimo ¶The same monethe and day that it was fyrst brente by the calendres that was the eyghtene day of September the yere after that Salamon buylde hit fyrst enleuen honderd and thyrtty After the second byldyng that was in aggeus tyme seuen honderd yere and nyneand thyrt¦ty / ¶ But martinus and other tellen that it was taken in the estern tyme ¶Egesippus ¶ In this brennynge and des∣truction enleuen tymes an honderd thousand Iewes were slayn with swerde and with honger / ¶An honderd thousand were take prysoners and sold al way thyrtty for a peny and nyne honderd thousand fledde and were to shifte & departed

¶Ieronimus ¶That tyme was so moche folke at Ierusalem for in the estern tyme they come to the temple oute of al the Ieu¦ry ¶ Iosephus libro septimo It is no wonder that soo greete peple of Iewes was dede and take for nero somtyme wold we¦te the tale and the nombre of Iewes that were at Ierusalem / for he despysed that temple with al his myghte· & cestius the sty¦ward as he had lerned of bisshopes wrote to nero that there we¦re founde at Ierusalem in one holy day twenty C / M. and seuen honderde thousande withoute them that were pollute and perso∣nes with wemmes that hadde no leue for to offir

¶ The Bisshopes acountyd this nombre by the nombre of hoostes that were offryd / the whiche nombre was two honderd

thousand and six and fyfty thousande and fyue honderd And euery ten persones offryd one hooste In this fyghting the Romaynes had kunnynge and strengthe ¶ The Iewes hadde wodenesse and folye ¶ For the tyme was drye and Vaspasianus wente to the Cyte Iotapaten· and stopped al the water conduytes ¶ But Iosephus was withynne and founde vp a connynge crafte and henge wete clothis vpon the toun walles ¶ And for the clothis dropped they that were withoute wende and trowed that they that were with ynne had no lacke of water for to drynke while they had plente of water to wasshe their clothis ¶Than vaspasianus distourbed the wal with a stroke of an engyne / but Iosephus heng sakkis ful of strawe ayenst the strokes of the engyne and soo the stro∣kes were lette & the walles saued / For harde thynges ben better withstōde with nesche thinges thā with hard but y^e romains boū¦de hokes to long poles & kytte the ropis of the sackis / but Ioseph{us} threwe out brenning oyle vpon them and smote of al their en¦gynes & vaspasian{us} wold amēde hem & was sore woūded in the heel· After that there fyl so grete strengthe of castynge & of shote of titus side that the nolle of one iosephus felaws was smyte of with a stone & flewe ou{er} the third furlong. also a woman y^t was with childe was smyte so that the childe was smyte oute of her wombe and flewe ouer half a furlong / whan titus had broke the second wall Iosephus was founden hid among osers & had hid him thre dayes· than they that founde hym despised him in this maner / wherto wolt thou lyue while it is not couenable nother leeful nether semely / thy lyf shal be made of peryschyng & of lost other it shal be payne of seruage & of bondage / haue mynde of moyses / hym was leuer be scraped oute of the booke of lyf than lyue lenger than the peple

Also dauid was leuer take in se ipso wreche than lyue and see the peple perysshe / Who desired nought quoth Iosephus / Yf it were lawful to be delyuerd and vnboūde of soo grete wo and sorowe but he that bonde hath leue to vnbynde and none other Yf ony other vnbyndeth he doth the lord wrong ¶Than as our lordes trewe seruauntes kepe we what he hath bytake vs whyle it is his wylle ¶ Thanne he is vnkynde that wil rather be a goe other longer abyde than he wylle to whoome he is bounde ¶ Soo hit was sothe of Abraham of Iacob of Moyses / of Dauid that prayde to be delyuered of prysonne

oft his lyf / but none slowe hym self of al holy sayntes ¶ Than yf it is good to lyue it is sacrylege to forsake it vnrighlfully Yf it is glorious to dye in batayll I withsey hit not / And yf it be good to fyghte for the countray for the peple and for the cyte¦seyns and dye in batayll I put forth my heede to be smyte of yf the enemy axeth by lawe of the bataylle / Nother I flater with my self yf it is to sparyng / be he my borowe. I hadde leuer dye by here thefte than by myne owne / yf ye saye that it is sweete to dye for fredome I with say it not but is swete to dey for ••••••dome He is feerful that wyl not dye whanne it nedith It is a wo∣mans stalworthnesse for ony to slee hym self ¶Beestes conne not doo soo for they defende them self ayenste other beestes with tethe and with clawes but amonge them self they vse c••sses & likkyng and strokynge God hath take vs our lyfe to kepe But whether we doo we ben to blame. yf we throwe hit awaye withoute his axyng that gaue it vs / owther yf we warne for to take it at his axyng / whan these wordes were sayd Iosephus sawe one of them that stode by and stroue faster than other Than Iosephus sayd cast we lotte who shal dye fyrst and laste and soo forth of vs al / soo he that shal dye fyrst shal be slayne of hym that shal dye nexte. and soo euery one after other / the condi¦cion plesyd them al and it happed that they were deede al saue Iosephus and one other· ¶ Than Io sephus counceyled his felawe to forsake his lot / And therby he e scaped peryl at home and soo he was brought to vaspasianus ¶ Iose∣phus libro 6 Atte laste vaspasianus was callyd to be Empe∣rour and his sone titus was lefte at the siege of Ierusalem. And went in a daye with six honderde horsmen withoute haber∣ions aboute for to see the cyte and Iewes come oute and closed them in bihinde / & he whette his hert & will with hardines & rode māly thorough the cōpany of iewes & come to his own mē & for grete drede aledged oft grete wrethe they y^t were in wāhope in the cite cōforted to giders in the mene ty••e & many of the iewes pra¦yed pees of titus / & titus drad gyle & treson & seid to his mē· as they that ben bineth vsith waityng & aspiyng / so it nedeth bem y^t be strēger to be ware of such waiting & espiēg leste strengthe be bytrayd by fraude and by gyle / Thanne the firste wal was bro¦ke with an engyne and titus counseyled his men to fyghte wa••ly / for yf they lacked coūseyll. strēgth sholde seme but foly / also in the victory is moost drede· for yf the strenger dyeth with y^e feble••

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

that is a vyctory to hym that is ouercome / thanne the second wal that was quasched and titus proferid pees· But in the Ie∣wes side simon and Iohan withsayde· thanne fyl so grete cruel∣nes. and honger in the cyte / that byeng and sellyng seesid and so dyde rostyng and sethyng and dressyng of mete Men ete skyn¦nes of sheldes and out caste of herbes that cleued on the walles and fylthe. that men had spued and cast vp & men soughte old dyrte of skynnes of Addres and careyn of horses for to haue to mete ¶It was lyghter for to gete mercy amonge her enemyes / than among her ••wne men· galowes and gybetes were sette vpon the walles for no man shold flee / takyng deth and prysonynge withoute and honger withynne and drede in euery side Titus made a newe walle that closed fourty furlonges aboute the cy∣te and the tentes / and pauilons closed ten furlonges & wardes & watches were sette that no man shold escape Atte last the hon¦gre encreced soo that ofte he that bare the dede man to his bury∣eng was buryed rather than he· there was so grete stenche of de¦de men / for the grounde of the cyte suffysed not to beryels· that the careyns were throwe by th•• sondes ouer the wallis / whanne titus sye that and he sayd ofte that he profered mercy· but ma∣ny fled to the romayns & whan mē gaue thē mete there was no strengthe for to ete outher for to defye theyr meete that they ete Somme of them that fl••d whan they clensed theyr wombe deli¦uerd the•• of Iuels of gold· that they had swolowed afore that they ••••ed for the enemyes sholde not openly suche iuels fyn¦de One of the Asiries aspyed that doyng by one that hadde cacked gold and trowyd that al the Iewes had gold within them / than the Iewes that fled to the Romayns were opened agaynst titus heest and the wombes and bowels were slitte and c••ruen to seche gold withyn ¶Titus made Iosephus to wete yf he myghte make the Iewes yelde them withoute more harme yf he myght with wrytyng with ensamples with fayr byheestes other with teres but al was for nought Iosephus libro sexto But Symon and Iohan with her fautors stopped the weyes al aboute soo that the Iewes had no waye outward nother the ro¦mayns ynward / houses were bysily serched yf ought mighte be founde and yf ony man warned ought he was anone slayne Atte laste wyues caught mete of theyr husbondes mouthe and fader and moder of her owne children mouthe / Yf ony dore were hytste anone me trowyd that somme man ete therinne / therfore

anone the hows was broken The pore men were robbed and the ryche were accused for her money as though they wold flee other bytray the cyte and were slayne Egesippus libro sexto & Iosephus libro septi••o / than byfell that grisely dethe A straū∣ge woman that heete mary was ouercome with honger and spa¦ke to her owne lytell sone in this maner ¶ My sone thou art by set aboute with al thynge that is grisely and dredeful with ba∣taylle with hongre with fire brennynge and with theues: quyte ones thy moder and paye her that thou hast of her and tourne a∣gayne in to thy pryuey place that thou come of somtyme I dede as mildenesse wolde / do we now as honger constreyneth / thus she sethed & rosted her owne sone & ete somme and kept somme But men that made stryf come theder by the smel ef the brente flesshe but the woman stylled them and spake to them in this maner Be styll I was coueytous and vnkinde I haue kepte you your parte And she spak to the part that was lefte in this maner / Myne owne son thou art kynde to me / thou lengest my lyf / thou cesest them that wold me smyte / they that come to sle me / ben ma∣de now my frendes and gestes ••han tasteth what ye knowe that the childes moder hath tasted other ellys ye shal ete al yfere ¶ Shame you not to folowe a woman that ye haue made in this manere / Anone the cy•••• was full of the clamour of this grisely dede / And titus was soo meued therwith that he gaf vp his hon¦des in to heuen ward & sayd we co••e to a bataylle of men· but nowe I see that we fyghte ayenste beestes / yet beestes rampaunt spare theyr owne kynde be they neuer soo nedy and helpith her owne children but these men deuoure theyr own chidren / than des¦troye we them for al her dedes stynken Iosephus libro septimo Amonge the Romaynes was one of Ciria that hete sabinus an orped man and stalworth of honde and of herte and worthy for to be praysed withoute ende / this was black of hewe· and lytel of stature but a noble soule shone by vertues in that lytel bodye This with enleuen felawes wente vpon the walle first and dro∣fe awey the Iewes But atte last he was af••••lyd with a stone & he despysed & towhte not of arowes and of stones / But he defen¦ded hym with his shelde and faughte vpon his knees & woun¦ded many men alway for he was ful of Arowes and of shot & thorough shote in euery side & dyed in the place Egesippus· Atte last the engynes were remeued toward the temple / but it halp but lytil. But atte last they brent the walles of the tēple

that were heled with gold / R ¶ Here Iosephus tellith that this meschyef and destroyeng of the cyte and of the peple be fil for the deth & sleyng of Iames the rightfull But more very¦ly it fil for the sleyng of crist as the gospel sayth they shulle not leeue one / stone vpon a stone for thou knoweste not the tyme of visitacion / but our lord wol not the deth of a synful man but he wol that the synful m••n amende hym and torne to good lyfe And for the Iewes sholde haue none excusacion nowther cha∣lenge nother cause for to saye that god Almyghty toke wreche of them vnwarned. therfore god Almyghty abode fourty yere yf they wolde them amende and warned ofte by prechyng of the Apostles by dredeful signes and tokyns Egesippus and Iose∣phus libro septimo ¶ For aboute a yere byfore the destruction of the cyte / the lykenesse of a fyre swerde was seen honge in the air aboue the temple / In that Estern tyme a heffre that shold be offryd in the temple ewed a lombe· also the est gate of that tēple was soo heuy of sound brasse that twenty men were bysy ynow to lyfte it and yet many nyghtes the yren barres were broken & the yate opened by hit self as it were wylfully. So that vnneth hit myght be closed afterward ¶ Also hoostes of armed men were seen in the cloudes and charyottes fled by the eier at with sontyde preestes wente in to the temple by nyghte and herde a voys that sayd go we hens passe we oute of these seges Also Iesus Ananias sonne an vplondisch man four yere afore the destruction of the cyte come to the sacrifice of the dedicaciō of the temple / And bygan to crye in the langage of the countraye and sayd A voys oute of the est a voys oute of the west a voys oute of four wyndes. wo wo / wo is to ierusalem & the temple he cryed so day and nyghte and cessed not for· betynge nor for fayer prayenge And yet he was broughte afore Albinus the Iustyce of Rome and hard & cruelly bylad ¶ But he rought not of his wronge •• nor of his owne meschyef but he cryed that the coū¦tray shuld be destroyed and cessed not er the last day of the des¦truction and that day he wente vpon the wall and reherced the same crye and put more therto and sayde wo is me also / and he was anone smyte with a stone of a slynge and deyde ¶ R Ma¦rianus libro primo sayth / that whan the temple was brente the floore therof was ered with plowes for wreche and despyte of the Iewes ¶Ieronimus in prologo super Iosephum Whan the Cyte was destroyed titus wente to Rome and ladde

with hym Iosephus the Iewe that wrote anone in G••ue seuen bo••kes of the takynge of Iewes and titus dyde th••se bookes in to the comyn lybrary and Iosephus after his deth had an ymage at Rome made of his noble wytte Also this Iosephus wrote of doyng and dedes from the begynnynge of the world to domi¦cianus twenty bookes that ben callyd libri antiquitatum / the bo¦kes of olde▪ I•• the eyghten book therof he graunteth & know¦legeth that Iohan baptist was a very profyte & that Ierusalem was destroyed by cause of the sklaūder of Iames the rightful

Also there he sayth that crist was a wyseman and dyd many wonderful werkes and dedes and that he was doctor and techer of the Iewes and of other men and slayne atte last for enuy: and shewyd▪ hym to his disciples the thyrd day after ¶ And that cristendom and the name of cristen men failed neuer to that tyme Vaspasianus dyed in the flux aboute his owne toune aboute the sabins the yere of his age thre score and ten ¶ Me sayth that he stode vp whan he sholde dye and sayde ¶It falleth for an emperour to passe stondynge oute of erthe Giral in top / Appolinaris peters disciple that was somtime sente to Rauenna suffred deth / Euery yere in his feest day rauenes crowes and cho¦wes comen theder to gyders oute of euery side as it were by co¦uenaunt made / And that day as it were by customme is gyuen them a careyn of a dede horse ¶ Therfor somme men wol mene that by cause therof that the cyte is callyd in duche speche Raue¦nesburgh Eutropius