The Lyon did teare in peeces enough for his whelpes, and woried for his lyonesse, and filled his holes with praye, and his dennes with spoyle.
* 1.1A Laying open of that which was sayde before, more plainely, wherein the Prophet sheweth, why he called the Kings of the Assyrians Lyons, and what maner of liuing their life was, to wit, ful of cruelty and violence. Nemrod, by whom this Empire is suppo∣sed to haue been first founded, is called a mighty hunter, Gen. 10. ve. 9. because that he was both cruell vnto other men, and also gotte booties and prayes from other nations. For after this sort hee first framed and ordered his rule bearing: the which course and manner of liuing and rule bearing it is likely that his successours followed afterwards. Finally, when as there was no feare of the true GOD among those nations, what else was that same Empire of the Assy∣rians, albeit that it stretched neuer so farre and wide, but a great the euery? For sayth Augustine, what else are great Empires with∣out iustice, but great the eueries? Whereupon that same Alexan∣der the great,* 1.2 is by Lucanus called the Great theefe of the worlde. And surely a people can hardly arise vp, and get dominion ouer o∣thers without great force, iniurie, violence, and robbery, the which must be done vnto other nations. For it must needes be, that such a dominion must increase by the falles and ruines of other nations, as first, of those which are neere and adioyning vnto it, and after∣ward of others farther off. Such therefore were the Kings of the Assyrians also. Wherefore they are worthylie called Lyons: and their sonnes Lyons whelpes: their houses, Caues and dennes of Lyons: lastly, their goods by them heaped together, booties and spoyles. And with the same punishment, wherewith the Assyrian kings are punished, shal those kings & princes also at this day be pu∣nished