The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.

Of what countrie Pilate was, and how he died, as also of a riuer so called, and of the propertie of thesame, and finally, of a certain caue, or denne in Dalmacia. Chap. 2.

PIlate of all the iudges that euer wer, or shall be, the moste dete∣stable and accurst, was a Frēche manne borne, and of the Citie of Lions, how bee it diuers of the saied countrie deny it, saiyng: that this name Poncius, descen∣ded out of a certain familie in I∣talie, from Poncius Freneus, I meane, capitain of the Samnites, which also did to slight, and vanqnished the Romaines. Whiche howe so euer it was, this Pilate (either for the onely respecte of his per∣sonage, either in consideration of the familie, whence he issued) aspired to moste honorable estate emong the Ro∣maines, and being familiarly acquainted with Tyberius

successour vnto Octauian, as of hym recorde bothe Iose∣phus, and Eusebius, was sente by hym, in the twelueth yere of his Empire, as lieutenaunt generall, to the citie of Hierusalem, whiche titled there hymself, proctour of the Empire. So gouerned Pilate then this holie citie, as also all the Prouince of Iudea, called Palestina. He conti∣nued, in this office .x. full yeres, in the seuenth of whiche, whiche was the .xviij. of the Emperours raigne, as ac∣compte Beda, and Euseblus, he gaue sentence of death, a∣gainst the sauiour, and redemer of mankinde, our Lorde and maker Iesus Christe, bothe God and manne, when came to passe these thynges, whiche the holie Euangeli∣stes remember vs of, in his death and passion: whose re∣surrection was suche, and so manifest in Hierusalem, al∣though thei laboured, what in them was to obscure it, that it was well perceiued of Pilate (were he though a wretche, of all others moste impious) that this resurrec∣tion, and other miracles wrought by Christ, were not by man doen, but by God onely. For whiche cause, as recor∣deth Paulus Orosius, Eusebius, and Tertulian in his Apo∣logies, he aduertised the Emperour at length of the mat∣ter: for it was the maner that the Consuls, and Procon∣suls, should continually write, to the Senate, at leaste, or to the Emperour, of all matters, whatsoeuer, with in the compasse of their Prouince, or territorie. These nouelties then muche troubled Tiberius, whiche with∣out staie, communicated them to his Lordes of the Se∣nate, aduisyng hym with them, whether it were expe∣diente, to honour, and adore, this Prophete for a GOD. Whiche he for this cause onely did, for that without the aucthoritie of the Senate, he could admitte no new God in Rome, besides, or beyonde their supersticious Idoles. But as the diuinitie nedeth not, nor yet can confirme it self, by the sole, and onely approbation of manne, so God here in permitted, that the Senate should then dooe no∣thyng. Yea, on the contrary rather (as sondrie good wri∣ters

haue) thei helde them ill contented, for that Pilate had not to them hereof writen also, as he then did to the Emperour. This notwithstanding Tiberius ordained by Proclamation, that no man should be so hardy, to touche or laie hande, on any professed christian. Now after this Pilate arrested hym in Rome, confirmed by the deuell, as his assured seruaunt, did neuer any thyng iustly, in a∣ny his charge or office. Of whiche, accused before Caius Caligula, successour to Tiberius, as also to haue propha∣ned the temples, and churches, erecting vnlawfull Ima∣ges and Idolles, and farther that he had robbed the com∣mon coafers, and threasories, with other greate crimes, and intollerable treacheries, was banished in fine, and sent home againe to Lions. Others saie to Vienna, and that he was there borne, where his intertainment was suche, and so muche pleasing, that he incontinently mur∣thered hym self: whiche thyng assuredly chaunced hym, by diuine, & heauenly permission, to the intent he sham∣fully might dye, by the handes of hym self, the moste vi∣leste and vniuste wretche in the whole worlde. These that hereof haue written, are the aboue remembred au∣thours, Beda in his booke De temporibus, and in his Ec∣clesiasticall historie, on thactes of the Apostles Eusebius reporteth that he thus slue hymself, the eighth yere after the death of the innocente lambe, Iesus, iudged to death, and deliuered to the bloodie Iewes, by hym. Of whose death, and passion, this accursed deuill, neuer soughte by any meanes his remission, or pardon, but paste hence in dispaire, to Sathan his patron: for the bountie of God is suche, and so greate, that though in deede he had senten∣sed his onely soonne to death, yet if he had repented hym of that his synfull crime, the verie same whom he had condemned to the crosse, had not withstandyng yet graū∣ted hym his portion in ioye with Christe. Farther a lake there is, or riuer, whiche also menne call Pilate, within the territories of Sueuia, adioynyng to Lucerna, in a cer∣taine

plaine, inuironed on all sides with high, and greate mountaines, from the highest of which (as some affirme for truth) he threwe hymself doune, and was drouned in that water. The cōmon opinion is, that euery yere ones he maketh there shewe of hym selfe, in the habite of a iudge: but who so euer he be, manne, or woman, that by happe then shall see hym, dieth assuredly, or the yere bee fully expired. For proofe whereof, I referre you to Ioa∣chimus Vadianus, a man singulerly learned, whose com∣mentaries writen on Pomponius Mela are extant: who also of this lake reporteth yet, an other thyng, no lesse knowen for true, then verie straunge and meruailous. He saieth that this water, is of this nature or propertie, that who so casteth into it, either a stone, clotte of yearth a pece of woode, or any other the semblable, this water forthwith so rageth, and rolleth with suche violente, and tēpestious impetuositie, that it passeth his bandes, drou∣neth and annoieth the whole countrie aboute it: whence the inhabitauntes are often tymes indomaged, in their corne, fruites, trees, and cattell. And againe that whiche moste straunge is, if these thynges bee not throwen in willingly, and of pretensed purpose, but by happe, or for∣tune, as least though one do slide in, it then neither alte∣reth, nor rageth in any kinde of maner. Further also saieth this foresaied Ioachiamus, a Swiser borne, that there are lawes, and constitutions, forbiddyng all men, vnder paine of death, to caste, or conueigh any thyng, in∣to the saied lake: and that diuers haue been executed, for infringyng this ordinaunce. Whiche whither it bee na∣turall, or miraculous, I durst not affirme, although wa∣ters haue straunge, & meruailous proprieties. For some of whiche it should not, be harde to yelde good reason, but for others difficill, or rather I iudge, impossible. The semblable vnto this, reciteth Plinie, saiyng that there is in Dalmacia, a verie deepe darke dungion, or denne, into whiche if any throwe, any stone, or weightie matter,

there issueth thence immediatly suche a violente, or blu∣steryng aire, or rather if I so mighte saie, a whirlyng winde, that it tourneth into a daungerous tempest, gre∣uyng, and annoiyng all the inhabitauntes of that coun∣trie. It maie bee, whiche I dare not to affirme, that the bodie of Pilate was throwen into that hole, and that the deuill there, by diuine permission, to his euerlastyng shame and ignomine, executeth these straunge, and in∣credible effectes.

Notes

• Poncius Fre∣neus.
• Beda in his booke of time. Eusebius in his first booke of time.