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.

Augustus.

WHan Iulius was deade, rose greate commotions at Rome. Marcus Ci∣cero* 1.1 counselled to make a peace on thys wyse: that thence foreward no∣man should laye handes on the fauou¦rers of Iulius, & that all they lyke∣wyse, whych had slayne Iulius should be wythout daunger or feare: but all discorde layde doune on both sydes, they shoulde prouide for common and perpetuall peace: none otherwyse than of late dyd Thrasybulus make a concorde at Athenes, the whych they called Amnistia, that is, that▪ ether parte shoulde forget the iniury done, and that ne∣ther of them shoulde inuade the other afterwarde. Thys was very gentely and handsomly counceled and consydered of Cicero, but thys contynuall peace coulde not endure longe. For whan afterwarde euerye man woulde rule, it was ne∣cessarye that factions shoulde ryse. The Se∣nate drue Octauius Augustus to it, agaynst An∣thonius.

For Anthonius coueted y^• raygne. But the souldi∣ours* 1.2 conspyryng against the Senate, slew manye of the chefe men of the citye, among the which was* 1.3 Cicero beheaded also. But the empyre remayned by Octauius Augustus only, which was kynsman to Iulius: for Iulia syster of Iulius had spoused Accius Balbus, but theyr doughter was Accia, whose husband was Octauius: of them was borne* 1.4 Octanius Augustus, whom Iulius had appointed and chosen hys heyre, whereby he was surnamed Cesar, and that name remayned euer afterwarde by the successors, euen as though by ryght of succes¦sion, they dyd entre into Cesars kynred: as it was wont to be, whan successors were first adopted and chosen. Nether was Iulius called Cesar fyrste by* 1.5 reason of the empyre, but many of his kynred were so surnamed before. For the old & approued Gram∣marians do wryte that the name of Cesar cōmeth of the worde or name Cesaries, whiche signifieth goodly heare or a bush of fayre heare: and of that gat the Iulies fyrst that name, because that one or other happelye had a fayre heare in that kyn∣red.

As for the name Augustus dyd the Senate adde to Octauius, for hys luckynesse and prospe∣ritye* 1.6 in hys affayres. Augustus commeth of Auguruim, (that is, a diumation or soythsay∣enge by the crye or slighte of byrdes) and betoke∣neth fortunate, and he whom God doeth prospere by lucky sygnes or tokens.

This addition, is a right geuen to a supreme gouer¦nour of y^• world: for god is with y^• ciuil power, & the

gouernaunce of an empyre, is the gyfte and ordi∣naunce of God.

Augustus raygned syxe and fyfty yeares, but he gouerned not the empyre alone the twelue fyrst yeares. For beyng yong, not passyng nyneten yea∣res of age, was he set in the gouernaunce: he was made counsul, because he stack by the Senate, of of the which he was made consul, in despyte of An∣tonius. But the souldiours agreyng wythin them selues, set them agaynst the Senate and his adhe∣rentes. But for so much as thys concord could not be durable, Augustus was fayne afterwarde to be at variaunce and stryue also wyth hys felowes, and so optayned he the whole empyre alone. But whan the gouernaunce was stablyshed with peace, he vsed moost hygh moderation in all thinges, and confirmed the whole empyre wyth honeste lawes and statutes: in so much that it is reported, he shuld haue sayd: The kyngdome shall last for euer, yf these ordinaunces be not auoyded and disanulled. But what shall I saye much? Augustus is scasely coun¦ted the fyrste and chefest a∣mong the sage and mo∣derate princes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Marcus Cicero.
• * 1.2

  Anthonius.
• * 1.3

  Anno. ••l. be∣fore Christes 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.4

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.5

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.6

  〈…〉〈…〉