The history of the world

¶ To the Reader.

THe vse of Chronologicall Tables is needfull to all Histories, that reach to anie length of time; and most of all, to those that are most generall: since they cannot, like Annales, yearely set downe all Occurrences not cohoe∣rent. This heere following, may serue as an Index to the present Part of this Worke; pointing vnto the seuer all matters, that hauing fallen out at one time, are farre disioyned in the Relation. Certainely it is not perfect: nei∣ther [unspec 10] doe I thinke, that anie can be. For howsoeuer the yeares of the first Patriarchs may seeme to haue beene well-neere compleat, yet in the raignes of the Kings of Iuda and Israel, wee finde manie fractions, and the last yeare, or yeares, of one King reckc∣ned also as the formost of another. The same is most likely to haue fallen out in manie other; though not so precisely recorded. Hereto may be added the diuerse and imperfect formes of the yeare, which were in vse among sundrie Nations: causing the* 1.1 Summer Moneths, in processe of some Ages, to fall into the Winter; and so breeding extreme confusion in the reckoning of their times. Neither is it a small part of trouble, to 〈◊〉〈◊〉, out of so manie, and so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 disagreeing computations, as haue alreadie gotten au∣thoritie, what may probably be held for truth. All this, and a great deale more, is to be [unspec 20] 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in excuse of such error as a more intentiue and perfect Calculator shall happen to finde herein. It may serue to free the Booke, and likewise the Reader (if but of meane iudgement) from anie notorious Anachronicisme; which ought to suffice. The Booke in∣deed will need it, euen in that regard; not onely for some errors of the Presse, in the num∣bring of yeares, but for some hastie mis-reckonings of mine owne; which I desire to haue hereby reformed, in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that the printing of this Table shall not want carefull diligence. The Reader, if he be not offended with the rest, shall finde reason to be pleased with this, as tending wholly to his owne ease.

The Titles ouer the Columnes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reference to that which followes vnder them; as will readily be conceiued. Where two Titles, or more, are ouer the head, as* 1.2 [unspec 30] there doe the numbers vnderneath answere proportionably, the higher to the higher, the lower to the lower. For example: The walls of Ierusalem were finished in the 319. yeare from the building of Rome, and in the 314. from NABONASSAR. In like manner it is to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉, That IEHOSOPHAT began his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the 3774. of the IVLIAN Aera, in the 3092. of the World, and in the 99. yeare os the Temple. This needes not more illustration; nor indeede so much, to those that are acquainted with workes of this kinde. To auoid prolixitie, I haue forborne to insert those yeares, which I finde not signed with some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 accident: as with the birth or death of some Patriarch; the beginning of some Kings Raigne; some change of Gouernment; some Battaile fought; or the like. So, of the 13. yeares wherein SYLVIVS CAPETVS [unspec 40] raigned ouer the Latines, I note onely the first; that is, omitting 〈◊〉〈◊〉 betweene the 4. of IEHOSOPHAT, wherein CAPETVS began, vnto the 17, wherein SYLVIVS A∣VENTINVS succeeded, and wherein IEHORAM 〈◊〉〈◊〉 st raigned with IEHOSOPHAT his father. For I thouht it vaine to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 filled vp a Page with 12. lines of idle cyphers; numbring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 2. 3. 4. 5. and so still onwards, till I had come to the first of AVENTI∣NVS, and 17. of IEHOSOPHAT. In setting downe the Kings, there is noted ouer the head of euerie one, what place he held in order of Succession; as whether he were the first, second, fift, seuenth, or so forth, in ranke, of those that raigned in his Countrey, with∣out notable interruption: Before the name is the first yeare of his raigne; at the end, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the name (as the space giues leaue) is the whole number of yeares in which he raigned; in [unspec 50] the spaces following 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are those yeares of his, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 concurrent with the be∣ginning of some other King, or with the yeare of anie remarkable accident. Where two numbers, or more, are found before one Kings name, there is it to be vnderstood, that the same yeare belonged, not onely to the King then beginning, but vnto some one, or more, of

his fore-goers: as the first yeare of IEHORAM King of Isracl was the same with the se∣cond of his brother AHAZIA, and the 22. of his father AHAB. So, where two or three names are found in one space; as in the 3077. yeare of the World, ZIMRI, TIBNI, and OMRI: it is meant, that euerie one of them raigned in some part of the same yeare; which is reckoned the second of ELA, and the first of OMRI. Particularly, vnder the yeares of the Aegyptian Kings are set downe the yeares of those DYNASTIES, which it was thought meet to insert; as likewise, otherwhiles, the day of the moneth vpon which NABONASSARS yeare began: which, how it varied from other yeares, may be found in the place last aboue cited.

Concerning the Aera, or accompt of yeres, from IPHITVS, who began the Olympiads, [unspec 10] from Rome built, from NABONASSAR, and the like; as much as was thought conueni∣ent hath beene said, where due place was, in the Booke it selfe: so as it remaineth onely to note, that vnder the title of Olympiads is set downe first the number of the Olympiad, and beneath it, the yeare of that Olympiad: as that CYRVS began his raigne in Persia, in the 55. Olympiad, and the first yeare thereof.

Now, for that the yeares of the World, of the Olympiads, of Rome, of NABONAS∣SAR, and other, had not beginning in one month, but some of them in March, some in A∣pril, some about Midsummer, and some at other times: the better to expresse their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beginnings, some painefull Chronologers haue diuided them proportionably in their seue∣rall Columnes; opposing part of the one yeare to part of the other: not (as I haue here done) [unspec 20] cutting all ouer thwart with one streight line, as if all had begun and ended at one time. But this labour haue I spared, as more troublesome than vsefull; since the more part would not haue apprehended the meaning, and since the learned might well be without it. It will onely be needfull to obserue, that howsoeuer the Aera of the Olympiads be 24. yeares elder than that of Rome, and 29, than that of NABONASSAR, yet the raigne of some King may haue begun at such a time of the yeare as did not sute with this difference. But hereof I take little regard. The more curious will easily finde my meaning: the vulgar will not finde the difficultie. One familiar example may explane all. Queene ELIZABETH began her raigne the 17. of Nouember, in the yeare of our LORD 1558: Shee was crowned; held a Parliament; brake it vp; threw downe Images; and reformed manie things in Re∣ligion; [unspec 30] all in her first yeare: yet not all in that yeare 1558, but the greater part in the yeare following; whether we begin with the first of Ianuarie, or with the 25. of March. The like may be otherwhiles found in this Table; but so, as the difference is neuer of a whole yeare.

The IVLIAN Period, which I haue placed, as the greater number, ouer the yeares of the World, was deuised by that honorable and excellently learned IOSEPH SCALIGER: being accommodated to the IVLIAN yeares, now in vse among vs. It consisteth of 7980 yeares; which result from the multiplication of 19. 28. and 15, that is, of the Cycle of the Moone, the Cycle of the Sunne, and the yeares of an Indiction. Being diuided by anie of these, it leaues the number of the present yeare; or if no fraction remaine, it shewes the last [unspec 40] yeare of that Cycle to be current. For example: in the 4498. of this Period, when was fought the great battaile of Cannae, the Prime or Golden number was 14, the Cycle of the Sunne 18, and consequently the Dominicall letter F. as may be found by diuiding the same number of the IVLIAN Period 4498, by 19. for the Prime, by 28. for the Cycle of the Sunne. This IVLIAN Perioà, after the present accompt, alwayes exceedes the yeares of the World by 682. Besides the former vses, and other thence redounding, it is a better Character of a yeare, than anie other Aera (as From the beginning of the World, From the Floud, From Troy taken, or the like) which are of more vncertaine po∣sition.

More I shall not need to write, as touching the vse or explication of these Tables. Nei∣ther [unspec 50] was thus much requisite to such as are conuersant in workes of this kinde: it sufficeth if hereby all be made plaine enough to the vulgar.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Lib. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Chap. 3. §. 6.
• * 1.2

  Rome Nabonassar