A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 6.

For they haue made readie their heart like an ouen, whiles they lie in waite: their baker sleepeth all the night: in the morning it burneth as a flame of fire.

* 1.1THe second amplification of the former wickednes, taken from the Consequent or that which followeth hereupon. In the ende these Nobles do so boile and burne with all kind of hainous sinnes, as an ouen or furnace is glowing hote, beeing most extreamely heated by the baker, and from whom the fire through negligence hath not beene remooued. Nay in the end they lie in waite against

their Kings and Princes. And in deede these commonly are the degrees, whereby at the last these courtly-nobles doe come vp and clime vnto this treacherousnes, that they lie in waite euen for their King himselfe, to take him away, and to destroy him, and to enter into conspiracies against him. First of all, they binde the King vnto them through their lewdnes, and besot him with all kinde of vices. Secondly, they cause him to become a mocker, that there may re∣maine in him no sparke of goodnes and honestie. Furthermore, when he will not be ruled by them in all points, then doe they af∣terwards disdaine & despise him, as a blockish person, and a dūme image. And finally, they in the ende conspire against him: or they set their minde against him, being now in such sort become a man infected and past all hope of recouerie in all kinde of sinne, that they doe lie in waite for him the selfe same their King. For looke in what common-wealthes or kingdomes such Courtiers and Nobles are,* 1.2 as in this place be described, there neuer wanteth store of con∣spiratours, seede of ciuill warres, and causes of seditions, the which by these parties are scattered and spread abroad. The which thing fell out in the kingdome of Israel, in the last times of the Kings of Israel. For Sellum killed Zacharias, Phaceias slewe Sellum, Phacee the sonne of Romelias killed King Phaceias. 2. King. 15.

Moreouer, the wicked minde of these Nobles is described by the metaphor taken from a furnace or ouen, as before ver. 4. that it may plainly appeare that these doe exceedingly boile and burne within themselues in all kinde of sinnes:* 1.3 and so long as they are and continue such, it is manifest that they themselues are burned of their owne sinnes. So Otho corrupted Nero, as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth. So the drudges and slaues of the Court spoiled and spil∣led the Emperour Commodus, the sonne of Marcus, as Herodianus writeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The second am∣plification of their former wickednes.
• * 1.2

  The author or the printer mi∣staketh in the report of these histories, for Menahem, and not Phaceias or Pekakiah, kil∣led Sellum.
• * 1.3

  What a Meta∣phor is, see A∣mos, cap. 4.12.