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.

§. 8. His demeanor at his beginning.

Agrippae had perswaded him to deal gently with the Senate, but he either perswaded not or prevailed not with him for the like towards the conspirators of his nephews death. Chereas and Sabinus the slayers of Caius, and Lupus the Executioner of Cae∣sonia and her child were not like the Senate, either perswaded by reasons, or affright∣ed by forces to accept of Claudius, or to owe him homage, but they boldly and resolutely gainsay his election even to the death. Claudius therefore causeth Chereas to be slain, and Lupus with him, which doom they underwent with different de∣meanours, Chereas stoutly, but Lupus weeping, Chereas at one blow, for he met death half the way, but Lupus at many, for he shrunk it all he could. But Sabinus, fool∣hardy as he was, when Claudius had granted him his pardon, and not only so but al∣so restored him to his former honors, he disdaining to be singled from his fellow con∣spirators in their end any more than in their design, fell upon his own sword and died. Such a beginning did the new made Emperor make into his Empire, mingling severity and clemency together in the censure of offendors of the same knot, that he might also mingle fear and love in the hearts of the people. This Claudius was the son of Drusus the son of Livia, a man dull and diseased even from his childhood, and for that brought up most in the converse with women or nurses: hence his effemi∣nacy and luxuriousness at all times, and his readiness to be led away by the counsel of women at some. He was now about fifty years of age when he began to reign, at the very ripeness of all the discretion he had, but that it was often blasted with fearful∣ness, drunkenness and wicked counsel. When he was set quietly in the Throne, the first thing he did was to get the two days in which the agitation was about the change of the Government, quite out of memory, and for that end he made an Act of Ob∣livion of all things that had passed either in Words or Actions of all that time: yet had he not wrought his own security so far, but that he caused all that came near him to be searched for weapons, and while he sat at any meal, he had a strong guard about him. For the motion that had been so lately and so strongly carried for the abolition of Monarchy, and the other which proposed others thereto when Mo∣narchy was agreed upon, and would have excluded him, had taken such an impression upon him, that he reputed no safety in his holding of the Royalty, but by that strong hand and power by which he had gotten it. Yet tried he fair and gentle dealing though he durst not trust it: Those from whom he had received any affront, in the days of Tiberius and Caligula (for sometimes in those days to abuse Claudius, was to cur∣ry favor) he freely pardoned if he found them guilty of no other crime, but if he did he paid them then for all together. The unjust fines of Caius he remitted, his illegal de∣crees he revoked, his innocents imprisoned he released, and his causless banished he called home.

The poisons which he had prepared for the Nobles, and a list of their names for whom they were prepared, being found in the Palace, though Caius had preten∣ded to have burnt them, he shewed publickly to the Senate and then burnt them indeed. He forbad any one to adore him or to sacrifice to him, he restrained the great and loud acclamations that were used to be made to the Emperor, and car∣ried himself with such sweetness and moderation, that happy had the Republique been in the continuance of the Monarchy, had he been so happy as to have continued in this his first demeanor. But his wicked Empress Messallina, and her wicked consorts first provoked him to mischief, and his too much delight in the bloody sports did by degrees habituate him unto cruelty. He had recalled Julia and Agrippina the two sisters of Caius out of banishment, whither they had been sent by their own Brother after he had defloured them, and he restored them to their Estates and Revenues again. But

Messallina stomacking that Julia did her not honour and homage enough, and envying her beauty, and being jealous of her privacy with Claudius, she caused her to be banished again, and in a short time she compassed her death.

These were but ominous beginnings, when Caesars love to his own neece was cause enough to work her ruine, but was not strong enough to stand between her and the fury of his own wife: And it did but fatally presage what mischief her wretched coun∣sels would work the cowardize and indiscretion of her husband to, when their first ef∣fect was upon one so near allied: Nor did cruelty and bloodiness enter thus only in at his ears, by the suggestion of his cursed wife, but the like it did also at his eyes, by his frequent and delightsom beholding of the bloody sports: that growing by degrees to be his delight to act, which had grown by degrees also to be his delight to see. Some∣times beasts with beasts, as twelve Camels and Horses at one time, and 300 Bears, and 300 African wild beasts at the same: sometimes beasts with men, and sometimes men with men, and at all times hideous bloodshed, that he that can look upon such barba∣rousness and slaughter with content, it may be suspected that he in time will grow to act the like with the same delight.