The history of the world

§. V. Of the Kings that were in Lydia and Media, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 MANASSES raigned. Whether DEIOCES the Mede were that AR∣PHAXAD which is mentioned in the Booke of IVDITH. Of the historie of IVDITH.

ARDYS King of Lydia, and Phraortes of the Medes, are spoken of by [unspec 20] Pausanias, as raigning shortly after the Messenian warre. Ardys suc∣ceeding vnto his father Gyges, beganne his raigne of nine and fortie yeeres, in the second of the fiue and twentieth Olympiad. He fol∣lowed the steppes of his father, who encroaching vpon the Ionians in Asia, had taken Colophon by force, and attempted Miletus and Smyrna. In like manner Ardys wanne Priene, and assailed Miletus; but went away without it. In his raigne, the Cimmerians, being expelled out of their owne Countrie by the Scythians, ouerranne a great part of Asia, which was not freed from them be∣fore the time of Alyattes this mans Grand-child, by whom they were driuen out. [unspec 30] They had not onely broken into Lydia, but wanne the Citie of Sardes; though the Castle or Citadell thereof was defended against them, and held still for King Ardys; whose long raigne was vnable, by reason of this great storme, to ef∣fect much.

Phraortes was not King vntill the third yeere of the nine and twentieth Olym∣piad, which was sixe yeeres after the Messenian warre ended; the same being the last yeere of Manasses his raigne ouer Iuda.

Deioces the father of this Phraortes, was King of Media, three and fiftie of these fiue and fiftie yeeres in which Manasses raigned. This Deioces was the first that ru∣led the Medes in a strict forme, commanding more absolutely than his predecessors [unspec 40] had done. For they, following the example of Arbaces, had giuen to the people so much licence, as caused euery one to desire the wholesome 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a more Lordly King. Herein Deioces answered their desires to the full. For he caused them to build for him a stately Palace; he tooke vnto him a Guard, for defence of his per∣son; he seldome gaue presence, which also when he did, it was with such austerity, that no man durst presume to spit or cough in his sight. By these and the like ce∣remonies he bred in the people an awfull regard, and highly vpheld the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which his Predecessours had almost letten fall, through neglect of due comporti∣ments. In execution of his Royall Office, he did vprightly and seuerely admini∣ster iustice, keeping secret spies to informe him of all that was done in the King∣dome. [unspec 50] Hee cared not to enlarge the bounds of his Dominion, by encroaching vp∣on others; but studied how to gouerne wel his own. The difference found between this King, and such as were before him, seemes to haue bred that opinion which Herodotus deliuers, that Deioces was the first who raigned in Media.

This was he that built the great City of Ecbatane, which now is called Tauris; and therefore he should be that King Arphaxad, mentioned in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Indith, as also Ben Merodach, by the same accompt, should bee Nabuchodonosor the Assyrian, by whom Arphaxad was slaine, and Holophernes sent to worke wonders, vpon Phud and Lud, and I know not what other Countries. For I reckon the last yeere of Deioces to haue beene the nineteenth of Ben Merodach; though others place it otherwise, some earlier in the time of Merodach Baladan, some later, in the raigne of Nabulas∣sar, who is also called Nabuchodonosor.

In fitting this Booke of Iudith to a certaine time, there hath much labour beene spent with ill successe. The raignes of Cambyses, Darius, Hystaspis, Xerxes, and Ochus, [unspec 10] haue beene sought into; but affoord no great matter of likelihood: and now of late, the times, foregoing the destruction of Ierusalem, haue beene thought vpon, and this age that we haue in hand, chosen by Bellarmine, as agreeing best with the storie; though others herein cannot (I speake of such as faine would) agree with him. Whilest Cambyses raigned, the Temple was not rebuilt, which in the storie of Iudith, is found standing and dedicated. The other two Persian Kings, Darius and Xerxes are acknowledged to haue been very fauourable to the Iewes; therefore neither of them could be Nabuchodonosor, whose part they refused to take, and who sent to de∣stroy them. Yet the time of Xerxes hath some conueniences, aptly fitting this 〈◊〉〈◊〉; & aboue al, the opinion of a few Ancient writers (without whose iudgement the [unspec 20] authoritie of this Booke were of no value) hauing placed this argument in the Per∣sian Monarchie, inclines the matter to the Raigne of this vaine-glorious King. As for Ochus, very few, and they faintly, entitle him to the businesse. Manifest it is, and granted, that in the time of this Historie, there must be a returne from capti∣uitie lately foregoing; the Temple rebuilt; Ioacim High Priest; and a long peace, of threescore and ten yeeres or thereabout, ensuing. All these were to bee among the Iewes. Likewise on the other side, we must finde a King that raigned in Niniuie, eighteene yeeres at the least; that vanquished and slew a King of the Medes; one whom the Iewes refused to assist; one that sought to bee generally adored as God, and that therefore commanded, all temples, of such as were accounted gods, to be [unspec 30] destroyed; one whose Viceroy or Captaine Generall knew not the Iewish Nation, but was faine to learne what they were of the bordering people.

Of all these circumstances; the Priesthood of Ioacim, with a returne from Cap∣tiuitie, are found concurring, with either the time of Manasses before the destructi∣on of Ierusalem, or of Xerxes afterward: the rebuilding of the Temple a while be∣fore, and the long peace following, agree with the raigne of Xerxes; the rest of cir∣cumstances requisite, are to be found all together, neither before nor after the Cap∣tiuitie of the Iewes, and desolation of the Citie. Wherefore the briefe decision of this controuersie is, That the Booke of Iudith is not Canonicall. Yet hath Torniellus done as much, in fitting all to the time of Xerxes, as was possible in so desperate a case. For [unspec 40] he supposeth, that vnder Xerxes there were other Kings, among which Arphaxad might be one (who perhaps restored and reedified the Citie of Ecbatane, that had formerly beene built by Deioces) and Nabuchodonosor might be another. This gran∣ted; he addes, that from the twelfth yeere to the eighteenth of Nabuchodonosor, that is fiue or sixe yeeres, the absence and ill fortune of Xerxes, in his Graecian expedition (which he supposeth to haue beene so long) might giue occasion vnto Arphaxad, of rebelling: and that Nabuchodonosor hauing vanquished and slaine Arphaxad, might then seek to make himselfe Lord of all, by the Armie which he sent forth vn∣der Holofernes. So should the Iewes haue done their dutie, in adhering to Xerxes their Soueraigne Lord, and resisting one that rebelled against him; as also the other cir∣cumstances [unspec 50] rehearsed before, be well applyed to the argument. For in these times, the affaires of Iurie were agreeable to the Historie of Iudith, and such a King as this supposed Nabuchodonosor, might well enough bee ignorant of the Iewes, and as proud as we shall need to thinke him. But the silence of all Histories, takes away

beliefe, from this coniecture: and the supposition it selfe is very hard, that a rebell, whose King was abroad, with an Armie consisting of seuenteene hundred thou∣sand men, should presume so farre, vpon the strength of twelue hundred thousand foot, and twelue thousand Archers on horsebacke, as to thinke that hee might doe what he list, yea that there was none other God then himselfe. It is indeed easie to find enough that might be said against this deuice of Torniellus: yet if there were any necessitie, of holding the booke of Iudith, to bee Canonicall, I would rather choose to lay aside all regard of prophane Histories, and build some defence vpon this ground; than, by following the opinion of any other, to violate, as they all doe, the text it selfe. That Iudith liued vnder none of the Persian Kings, Bellarmine [unspec 10] (whose workes I haue not read, but finde him cited by Torniellus) hath prooued by many arguments. That shee liued not in the Raigne of Manasses, Torniellus hath prooued very substantially, shewing how the Cardinall is driuen, as it were to breake through a wall, in saying that the text was corrupted, where it spake of the destruction of the Temple foregoing her time. That the Kings Arphaxad and Na∣buchodonosor, found out by Torniellus, are the children of meere fantasie, it is so plaine that it needs no proofe at all. Wherefore we may truly say, that they, which haue contended about the time of this Historie, being well furnished of matter, wherewith to confute each other, but wanting wherewith to defend themselues (like naked men in a stony field) haue chased Holofernes out of all parts of time, and [unspec 20] 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him and his great expedition, Extra anni solisque vias, in an age that neuer was, and in places that were neuer knowne.

Surely, to find out the borders of IAPHETH, which were towards the South, and ouer against Arabia; or the Countries of Phud and Lud, that lay in Holofernes his way; I thinke it would as much trouble Cosmographers, as the former question hath done Chronologers. But I will not busie my selfe herewith; hauing already so farre digressed, in shewing who liued not with Manasses, that I think it high time, to returne vnto mine owne worke, and rehearse what others I finde, to haue had their part, in the long time of his Raigne. [unspec 30]

Notes

• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• Iudith c. 2. ver. 23. & 25.