Tabula

¶Incipit monarchia Persarum

DArius vncle to Ciro. felowe in y^• kyngdom with Ciro translated the kyngdomes of Babylon. Caldees in to the kyngdom of Persa{rum} & Medo{rum} Cyrus was Emperour .xxx. yere. This Cyrus helde the monarche hole at Per∣ses. Of this man prophecyed Ysayas / & he destroyed Babylon / and slewe Bal∣thasar kynge of Babylon / and he wor∣shyped gretly Danyel / the Iewes he sen¦de home ayen / that they sholde buylde the Temple of god (Vt pʐ Eldre priu{us}) ¶Babylon that stronge castell was de∣stroyed & his power was take from hym as it was prophecyed. This was the fyr¦ste cyte & the gretest of all the worlde / of the whiche Incredyble thynges are wry∣ten / and this that was so stronge in one nyght was destroyed / that it myght be shewed to the power of god / to the whi∣che power all other ben but a sperke and duste. For it is sayd forsoth that it was Incredyble to be made w^t mannes hon∣de or to be destroyed with manes streng∣the / wherof all the worlde myght take an ensample & it wolde or myght be en∣fourmed. ¶Tarquinus Superbus was the .vij. kynge of Rome / and he regned .xxxv. yere. This man conceyued firste all the tormentes whiche are orderned for malefactours. As e••le person wel∣les / & galowes / fetres & manacles thay∣nes & colours & suche other.. And for his grete pryde & cruelnes god suffred hȳ to myschyef / & in what maner of wyle it shall be shewed. He had a sone of the la∣me name / the whiche defoyled a worthy mannes wyf / they called hym Colla•••• & his wyf was called Lucres. This Tar¦quinus y^t was this .vij. kynges sone afo∣resayd came vnto the ladyes hous able••••te her husbonde to supper & to lodgynge And whan all were a slepe he rose with a swerde in his bonde / & with strengthe and fere he rauysshed the woman. And whan he was gone the next daye after / she sende vnto her fader and to her hus∣bonde / for she was of grete kynne / and thus she sayd to them. The kynges so∣ne came hyther and as frende / of whom I had no mystrust / and thus he hath de∣foylled my chastyte and loste my name for euermore. Thenne her frendes sawe her wepe and pytously complayne / and they comforted her as well as they cou∣de / and sayd it was no vylany vnto her /

for it was ayenst her wyll. She answe∣red & sayd / yet shall ther neuer woman excuse her by Lucres for though she con¦sented not to this dede / yet shall she not dye w^tout payne for y^• dede. And w^t y^• wor¦de she had a knyf redy vnder her man∣tell / w^t the whiche she smote herself to y^• herte. And for this cruelnes & this pyte∣ous deth the people of Rome arose & exi∣led the kyng for euermore & all his pro∣genye. And thus seasyd these kynges of Rome & neuer was none after.