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 Darius Kyng of the Persians.

WHan Cambyses was gone into Egypte, the Magi rebelled agaynst him at Su∣sa,* 1.1 and one of the Magies toke the name of a kyng vpon him by gyle. Magi are called y^• wyse men & priestes of those contryes. But whan Cambyses made him now ready to returne into the kyngdome, that he might punish worthely those seditious Magies, euen in his yourney by a mischaunce (as we haue sayd before) he dyed. A••ter the death of Cambises the Magies beyng sla••••e, y^• Peers of the realme toke the kingdome to them: selues after that poyntyng a day of assembly, they came to treate of restoringe one into the kinge∣dome Persy for a certayn order.

The peers or Princes were seuen in nomber,

as in the Germ••ne empyre are seuen Electors: those doutlesse were chosen and poynted by greate wysedome and counsell, as the hyghest counsellers of the wh••le empyre of Persia. Whan now these se∣uen prynces were come together, to deuise for the commune health of the realme, there rose contro∣uersy in deuisynge, and of thre thynges specially.

One Othan••s counselled to chose no more kyn∣ges,* 1.2 but that the princes bounde by an aliaunce, shuld rule a lyke, libertye beynge retayned of ether¦syde: for it were euident ynough before and proued by example, that one man lord of so many and great thynges, becommeth lyghtely haut and presump∣teous, and to fall to tyranny, as it was euident that Cambyses had done.

The seconde Megabysus refusynge that coun∣sell sayde, that such lybertye shoulde be worsse than tyranny: for the princes and cityes, yf they want a Lorde, can not but misvse that libertye to priuate wylfulnesse. But lest anye suche do happen, it were good not to choyse one onely kynge, but to orde••••e some princes, by whome shoulde alwaye remayne the full power of a kynge.

The thyrd called Darius refelling the sentence of ether of them, counselled one kyng to be chosen: for though in thys poynt, as in all other thynges of men myght befall great and many inconuenien∣ces, yet is no royalme or dominion more surer than* 1.3 the Monarchy, that is, yf one raygne, in whose po∣wer and handes the chefe poynt of the raygne do consist. For though these thre counsels be a lyke ho∣nest and verye good: yet if they be conferred, toge∣ther,

it is most euident, there can no fayrer or more profytabler thynge be founde, tha•• a Monarchye, namelye, whych goeth nexte to a godly kingdome. Moreouer it can not be that concorde can be kepte longe amonge fre princes, or yf some princes be cho¦sen to gouerne some myghtye realme in steade of a kyng: and that for the diuersytye of moost weighty causes, whych myght some tyme befall in so large a dominion, in the whiche the princes coulde not all∣waye agree together. Besydes thys that there shoulde not want amongest the princes the ende∣uour of souerayntye and gouernaunce aboue the other, ouer the which he shoulde procure to rule, as ouer subiectes or inferiors. These were the cau∣ses which Darius alleged: vnto whom agreed the other foure princes, and ordeyned to choyse a kyng after the costum••ble maner.

But lest any debate myght aryse amonge the princes of the royalme they determyned to com∣mitte the lot of the kynges eleccion to God. They agreed that the princes shoulde come together ve∣ry early on horses into a certayn place, and whose horsse shuld neye fyrst, the same should be kyng. Da¦rius beynge come home, shewed thys cou••sell to the controller of hys court, whych sayde he would easely brynge it to passe. For before the euenyng of the appointed daye he dyd lead Darius horsse and a mare into the place appoynted, and there letteth he go the horsse to the mare▪ that in the mornynge the horsse comminge to the place, myghte neye for the mare beyng absent.

And as the princes came together in the ap∣pointed

a place at y^• set houre, Darius horsse neyen fyrst: & lest they might dout whether it were Gods will that Darius should be their kinge, sodenly at y^• same very tyme whan the horsse neyed, was ther a lightening in an open and cleare ayer with thon∣deringe. Forthwith the other princes lyghtynge from their horses, dyd to Darius dew reuerence.* 1.4 And by this occasion was Darius set vp in the hygh dignitie of the Persian empyre, the which he gouerned after that with great praise. He restored with great power the countries that were rebel∣led whan Cyrus dyed in Scythia, to the empyre. Babilon the citie also, refusynge now the dominion of the Perses, he recouered after longesiege, and that by this meanes:

One zopyrus the sonne of Megabysus, one of* 1.5 the seuen lordes or princes, caused willinglye hys nose, eares and lyppes to be cutt of, maketh the kinge priuy of his counsell, and falleth to the Babi∣lonians as one that were fled: he complayneth of the kinges cruelnesse, whiche caused him to be of this wyse dismayde and toren, because he gaue him counsell to forsake the cytie: nother fayned he hym¦selfe otherwyse, than to be the kynges enemy, and that he were fled to the Babilonians for cause of counsel taking. The Babilonians did frely receaue him, and as he was made capitaine of them, he slew some of Darius souldiours: for so was he agreed with Darius, that therby he might at the first aug¦ment the confidence of the Babilonians in him. Af∣terward y^e Babilonians trusted him with the whole army, the which he betrayed to Darius: and made

also that he recouered the whole citye, the whiche he had nowe besieged syxe monethes and a whole yeare. As for Darius gaue hygh thankes to thys zopyrus for hys faithfulnesse, for he set hym after∣warde before all the princes of his kyngdome. And as a pomgranate was geuen hym, he sayde: He* 1.6 woulde wysh him no better thinge in this lyfe. than that if he might get so many zopyries, as there are graines in this apple. For therby would he signifie that a kynge can haue no worthier treasure, nor no stronger fortresses, than faythful frendes and coun¦sellers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An example of a notable inte••p••••āce. Who were called Magi
• * 1.2

  •••••• ••••lib••∣•••••••••• o•• se∣•••••• ••••••••ces •••• P••r•••• of •••••• ••••••••∣〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  ••••••••rchy •••• ••he be••t •••••••• •••• of •••• ••••py•••• •• ••••••••l••e.
• * 1.4

  Darius is made kyng of Persia.
• * 1.5

  The notable ••••••thfulnesse •••• Zopyrus 〈…〉〈…〉 Da∣rius.
• * 1.6

  A graue say∣enge of Da∣rius.