The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. 1. Cruelties at Rome.

THIS year began at Rome with a fatal Omen. For on the first of January, Ma∣chaon a Servant went up to the shrine of Jupiter Capitolinus, and there having presaged and prophecied many fearful and terrible things, first he slew a whelp that he had with him, and then he slew himself.

These beginnings had answerable sequels, for Caius addicted himself wholly to bloodi∣ness, sometimes for his sports, sometimes in cruel earnest: He commanded sword-plays to be made, in which he set not man to man, but multitudes to multitudes to slaughter each other: He slew in the same manner six and twenty Roman Knights, with great content∣ment taken by him in the effusion of their blood: He set also another Knight to the same terrible sports, and when he came off victorious, he caused him, and his father to be slain, and divers others with them inclosing them in a strong Chest or Press: When once there were not enough of poor condemned wretches to cast to the wild beasts, he caused divers that stood upon the Scaffolds for spectators to be cast unto them, causing their tongues first to be cut out, that they might not cry or complain: yet did he with these cruelties mingle some plausible actions tending to popularity, as creating of Knights, priviledging the commons, and lavishing in gifts, that strengthing himself with these curtesies in the hearts of some men, he might with the more confidence be cruel to other.