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The Prince of Macedon accuseth the Nobility of Athens of Treason before Apollo, who are freed from that imputato∣on, by his Majesties Councel of war.
THe Duke of Athens dyed about the last of September, and diffe∣rence arose between the Prince of Macedon, and the Lord of Epire
touching the succession of that State. The Prince of Macedon, being cal∣led in by the people, took possession of Athens, against whom the Lord of Epire came with a numerous Army, and besieged his enemy in the City of Epire, and according to the modern way of warfare, begirt it with Trenches and Forts; and that he might bring the defendants the sooner to yield, he assaulted Macedonia with an other flourishing Army, making great progress there, and doing much harm. The Prince of Ma∣cedon, who knew he could not long maintain himself in the besieged City, and defend his own Patrimony, to keep from loosing both, resol∣ved to yield, and was contented to deliver up possession of whole A∣thens, to the enemy, upon condition he should restore such place unto him as he had taken in Macedon. As soon as the Nobility of th•…•… •…•…esieged City heard of this resolution, the chief of them came un•…•… Prince and told him, that as they had called him in to be their Lord and Ma∣ster, so would they never acknowledge any other Prince but he; and that if he would but be of good courage, he should find them ready to defend that State even to the last drop of their bloods. To this the P∣answered, that the danger of his becoming a private foot souldier, was too great, that therefore for the better security of his fortune, he was re∣solved to deliver up Athens to the Lord of Epire. Those Lords did then again beseech their Prince to confide in his subjects, who did not onely assure him that they would defend Attica, but that they would likewise recover Macedon; and lastly conjured him to remember, that they who with such readiness, and singular affection, had chosen him to be their Prince, did not deserve in this their urgent necessity, to be so ungrateful∣ly abandoned, and given up in prey to the Prince of Epire; who was much inraged against them for being rejected by them in that Election▪ The offers and intercedings of these noble men, did not only not at all incourage this Prince, but at the very self same time he dispatched away a Herald to the enemies Camp to conclude the agreed on Capitulation▪ Then the people of Athens, that they might not be sold as slaves to that their enemy, whom they knew they had so hainously offended, seised on their Prince and made him prisoner, and secured his person in the Palace putting a numerous and faithful guard upon him of the best men of the City. This mean while the deputies of the Prince of Epire came to con∣clude the agreement, to whom the Nobility of Athens answered, that it was they that must be treated with in the point of surrender, who were so far from making any agreement with the Prince of Epire, as they wil∣led him to know, that they were resolved to defend their Country, and sent away the Deputie•…•… with this resolute and stout answer. The next day the young men of Athens sallyed forth armed, and in a couragious as∣sault slew many of the enemy; and soon after making many other sallies, put the enemies Camp into such confusion, as the Prince of Epire, who thought himself before to be very sure of the business, began much to doubt the victory, and after many months siedge, in all which time the Citizens of Athens appeared to have no less resolute hearts, then ready hands, came to parley with the enemy, who had already enough of the business; and on the 11 of this present month such advantagious con∣ditions were agreed upon for the people of Athen•…•… as became free men, which being done, they sent the Prince of Macedonia home to his own State; who three days since came to Apollo, and did not only complain bitterly of the hard proceedings used •…•…to him by the Nobility of A∣thens,
but prest very hard that they should be hung up in effigies as Tray∣tors, in the great Pegasean Tower, for this their execrable rebellion. His Majesty thought this a very weighty business, wherefore he referred it to his Counsel of War: The reasons of both sides were divers times heard, and discust by the Counsel, which at last gave sentence, That the offers of the A•…•…tick Nobility being made so chearfully to the Prince of Macedon, and they being by him refused, it being apparent that he was resolved for other particular ends of his own, to give over the defence of the City, it was lawful for those Noble men, when their Prince had abandoned that protection of the people, to which all Princes stand deeply bound, to use that expedient though it were very severe. A thing done by il Signor Lodovico Oriosto, caused much wonder in all those who were present at this so signal sentence; who when he had heard the judgement given, took his hat from off his head, and like a mad man, threw it on the ground; then lifting up his eyes to heaven, and fetching a deep sigh, uttered these words in a sorrowful tone, Dii immortale, ho∣mo homini quid praestat? stulte Intelligens quid interest?