The thre bokes of cronicles, whyche Iohn Carion (a man syngularly well sene in the mathematycall sciences) gathered wyth great diligence of the beste authours that haue written in Hebrue, Greke or Latine Whervnto is added an appendix, conteynyng all such notable thynges as be mentyoned in cronicles to haue chaunced in sundry partes of the worlde from the yeare of Christ. 1532. to thys present yeare of. 1550. Gathered by Iohn Funcke of Nurenborough. Whyche was neuer afore prynted in Englysh. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

Of Cambyses.

CAmbyses began to raygne whan hys fa¦ther Cyrus went to warre agaynst the* 1.1 Scythians. He ioyned the kyngdome of the Egiptians, to his fathers domy∣nion. But he was greatly vnlyke his father in ver∣tues. Whan Prexaspes one of hys chefe coun∣selers* 1.2 had admonyshed hym somewhat boldelye, and sayde that the Perses dyd alow hym greatly,

but that the same myslyked them, that he was ge∣uen to dronkennesse. He caused the Peeres of hys realme to be called together, and demaunded whe¦ther he might worthely be blamed in any thynge. But they answered, No, but that he also surmoun¦ted hys father Cyrus in vertue: for by hys actiue∣nesse was Egypte also ioyned to his kyngdome. But Cresus (to whom Cyrus had chefely commen¦ded his sonne Cambyses to be taughte & nortured* 1.3 in honesty) sayd the cōtrary: Cābyses (quod he) can not yet be compared to hys father Cyrus, for he hath not left such a sonne of his begettinge, as Ci∣rus hath left Cambyses. This delectable sayenge pleased Cambises at that tyme. But as the counsel departed, whan none of the princes had blamed ou¦ght in him, he commaunded Prexaspes to be called to him, and bad him bringe his yongest sonne to him: For he woulde declare howe sobre he myghte seme to be, euen whan he were droncken. For he woulde shute wyth a bowe at his chylde, whan he was droncken, and if he coulde hyt his harte with the darte, than he might thynke that in drinkynge he were not besyde the capacite of his reason: but if not▪ than he might worthely be sayde to be geuen to dronkennesse.

But what nedeth many wordes? Whan Camby∣ses* 1.4 had well dronken, he shott at the chylde as at a marke, and as the darte was pearced thoroughe, he caused it to be rypt vp, and shewed to hys fa∣ther Prexaspes, that the harte was shot thorough a ryght, sayenge, that thereby he might haue euy∣dence, that he was not dronken.

So barbarous, cruel and tyrannicall maners brin∣geth dronkennesse into mens mindes, though they* 1.5 be well taught before: euen as no doute was that kynge Cambyses was from hys youth brought vp in moost honest nourture. And though a dronken man can hytt a right in shoutinge, yet in the meane whyle can he not vse the ryght counsels of reason, and wanteth those vertues, whiche communely steare men to modestye and auancement of glory. Such lyke examples ought to be shewed to yonge men, whiche sometyme be enclyned and geuen to dronkennesse: for what ende folowed of these, shall we shewe shortely hereafter. He slew also hys own brother Smerdis, whome he caused priuely to be put to death, lest he shuld raygne at any tyme. He maryed also hys owne syster, where neuerthelesse nature doth abhorre such kynde of maryage.

It fortuned vpon a tyme, that whan kynge Cambyses sat at borde wyth the quene, at y^• meale tyme, set he a lyons whelpe and a strong dogge to∣gether to make a game: and whan the lyon had the ouerhande by reason of hys fearcenesse & strength,* 1.6 another dogge of no lesse fearcenesse brake wyth great strength the bandes y^• he was bounde with∣al, and holpe his brother the dogge, and so was the lyon ouercome. The kyng had great delyte at that game, because of the faythfulnesse of the dogges. But the quene moued wyth the same dede, began to wepe very bytterly, and whan the kynge toke that sorowfully, and asked the cause of her weping, she answered: To my brother happened nothynge lesse, than such faythfulnesse, as I haue sene in these

dogges helping eche other. The kyng taking this* 1.7 answere wrothfully, caused her strayght waye t•• be had out of hys syght, and ••lew her. But such co••¦dicions can not longe prosper. For God sayeth in the scryptures: The bloud thyrsty and deceatfull shall not lyue oute halfe theyr dayes vpon earth. Wherfore God stroke hym not longe after wyth a greueous and heauy vengeaunce. For as he should come out of Egypte into Persia, as he sat vpon his horsse, hys ••wearde fell out of hys sheeth, and woun¦ded hym so sore in the one syde, that he dyed. This example sheweth, that God suffreth tyrauntes not* 1.8 very longe. For he lyued not much more than one yeare after Cyrus, nother left he anye heyre after hym: and of thys wyse is he cleane deade. It is truely a pyteous thynge and greatly to be beway∣led, that in so lytle a space the kingdome of the Per¦ses is taken from the posteritie of Cyrus. The rule of the empyre remayned neuerthelesse wyth Cy∣rus bloude. For Darius had wedded Cyrus dou∣ghter the whyche neuerthelesse was also of Cyrus bloud.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cambyses▪
• * 1.2

  Prexaspes.
• * 1.3

  The 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.4

  The 〈…〉〈…〉 of Cam¦byses.
• * 1.5

  Dronken∣nesse bryn∣geth in most wycked ma∣ners.
• * 1.6

  The fayth∣fulnesse of dogges.
• * 1.7

  The cruel∣nesse of Cam¦b••ses toward ••is ••••••ster the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.8

  〈…〉〈…〉.