St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of the succession of the Kingdome in Israell after the Iudges. CHAP. 20.

SOone after (in those Kings times) the Iudges ceased, and Saul was anoynted first King of Israel, in Samuel the prophets time: and now began the Latine

kings to be called Syluij of Syluius Aeneas his sonne: all after him, had their proper names seuerall, and this sur-name in generall, as the Emperors that (a) succeeded * 1.1 Caesar, were called Caesars long after. But Saul and his progeny being reiected, (b) and he dead, Dauid was crowned, (c) forty yeares after Saul beganne his reigne. (d) Then had the Athenians no more kings after Codrus, but beganne an Aristo∣cracy. (e) Dauid reigned forty yeares, and Salomon his sonne succeeded him, hee that built that goodly Temple of God at Ierusalem. In his time the Latines built Alba, & their kings were thence-forth called Alban kings, though ruling in Lati∣um. * 1.2 (f) Roboam succeeded Salomon, & in his time Israel was diuided into two king∣domes, and either had a king by it selfe.

L. VIVES.

THat (a) succeeded Caesar] Not Iulius, but Augustus (and so haue some copies) for it was from him that Augustus, and Caesar became Imperiall surnames. He was first called C. Octa * 1.3 uius, but Caesar left him heire of his goods, and name. (b) Hee dead,] Samuel had anointed him long before, but he began not to reigne vntill Sauls death, at which time God sent him into Hebron. 2. Sam. 2. (c) Forty yeares] So long ruled Saul, according to the scriptures, and Iosephus. But Eupolemus that wrote the Hebrew gests, saith, but 22. (d) Then had the] They set a rule of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, princes, magistrates, or what you will. The Latines call them Archons, vsing the Greeke. Cic. 1. de fato. Spartian. in Adriano. Vell. Paterc. &c. They had nine magistrates at A∣thens * 1.4 (saith Pollux. lib. 8.) first the Archon, elected euery yeare new. Then the president, then the generall for war: then the chiefe Iustice, and fiue other Counsellors or Lawiers with him. These last heard and decided matters in the Court. The Archon, he was to looke to the or∣dering of Bacchus his sacrifices, and Appollo's games in the spring: commanding all then: hee was chiefe also of the Court where causes of violence, slander, defraudations of wards, electi∣ons of guardians, letting out of the fatherlesse childrens houses, &c. were dispatched, all these must passe his seale. Thus Pollux. Before Solons lawes, they might not giue iudgement but each in a seuerall place. The president, hee sat at the Bucolaeum, not farre from the Councell∣house. The Generall in the Lycaeum, the Counsellours in the Thesmotium. The Archou at the brazen statues, called Exonimi, where the lawes were fixed ere they were approued (e) Dauid] There was neuer such a paire of men in the world, princes or priuate men as were these two, * 1.5 Dauid and Salomon, the father and the sonne, the first for humility, honesty, and prophecy: the second for wisdome. Of him and of the Temple hee built, Eupolemus and Timochares, (prophane Authors) doe make mention. Lact. Inst. diu. lib. 4. saith that hee reigned one hun∣dered and forty yeares before the Troyan warre: whereas it was iust so long after it ere hee beganne to reigne. Either the author, or the transcriber are farre mistaken. (f) Roboam. In him, was the prouerbe fulfilled, a good father hath often-times a badde sonne: for hee like a * 1.6 foole, fallen quite from his fathers wisdome would needes hold the people in more awe then his father had done before him, and so lost tenne tribes of his twelue; and they chose them a King, calling him King of Israel, leauing the name of the King of Iuda to him and his posteri∣ty, that reigned but ouer that, and the tribe of Beniamin: for Leui, belonging to the temple of God, at Ierusalem, was free.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Slyuii.
• * 1.2

  Alba.
• * 1.3

  The Caesars whence.
• * 1.4

  Archons, a kinde of Magistrates
• * 1.5

  Dauid.
• * 1.6

  Roboam.