THREE Miseries of Barbary: 

Plague.  
Famine.  
Civil war.   With a relation of the death of Mahamet the late Emperor: and a brief report of the now present Wars between the three Brothers.  
POST TENEBRAS LUX  
Printed by W. I. for Henry Gosson, and are to be sold in Pater noster row at the sign of the Sun.   

To the Right Worshipful the whole Company of the Barbary Merchants.  
Having drawn certain Collections together of some, the best and main occurrents which have now lately (and not many years past) happened in Barbary; & they being digested into a Volume (although little for quantity, yet delightful to be perused for the rarity,) I thought they could not better be bestowed, than upon such as hold commerce with that Country, and know the state and condition of the people. Amongst which number I make bold to present these my labours to you only, because you are all Brothers, and men that most worthily can judge of the Relation, and the truth thereof. The chief and farthest point that my intention seeks to arrive at in this, is to describe the horror and unheardof misery that hath fallen upon that Kingdom by a Plague: to the intent that by comparing our sins with theirs (being altogether as greet if not greater) and the hand of mercy which Heaven hath stretched forth over our Nation, above theirs, we may be alured to look into our souls betimes, lest the like Viols of Wrath be powered down upon us. It is my love that bestows this upon you, which I pray receive with such good acceptation, as with my best affection it comes unto you. And thus referring myself to your censure I take my leave.  
Devoted yours, Geo. Wilkins.   

Barbary.  
THis is a story (like a brief Chronicle) containing various and much matter in few lines: It is but a little bottom of Time, which you may hold and hide in your hand, yet being unrolled (to the length) it reacheth to the beginning of many years past. A word now must stand hear (as in a Map) for a City, and a few sheets for the Chart of a spacious Kingdom.  
Understand therefore that Abdela the Emperor being dead: Mulai Mahamet his Brother succeeded, and was crowned King of Barbary. No sooner was this dignity conferred upon him, but he revenged himself on those that in abdela's reign loved him not, and therefore by their counsels did what in them lay, to draw his Brothers (the Emperor's affection) from him, yea so far that they persuaded either to have his eyes put out, or be sent to death: of these counsellors, these three were chief, Alcade Azus, Alcade Mussa, and Alcade Bardu, from two of which he commanded their lives: but because his state needed the heads of Wisemen to hold it up, and for that he was not generally beloved of the Nobility and some of the blood Royal: he gave Alcade Azus his life, and of a prisoner and a Man in disgrace, advanced him up to higher honours than before; receiving him every day into his bosom for his counsel: which he did the rather because he knew that Azus would be provident and careful to increase the Emperors Bittelmell (that is to say) his treasury. Much and often was his mind perplexed with thoughts about settling his Empire; his cogitations fought within themselves, when sometimes he would (in his own private judgement) make such a man fit to be of his secret and chiefest counsels, and sometimes another: this he would like to day, and to morrow utterly distaste him.  
At length he resolved to trust none of his own Countrymen, but lay his heart in the breast of one of his Elkes, (that is to say, a Christian turned Moor) yet (upon sounder contemplation) him he rejected too: he would put the health of so great a Kingdom into no such dangerous Physitiaus hands: for he delivered that Mahamet (his GOD) would take all favour from him if he should do so: beside he that had forsaken his own Law and religion, could not have the temper of constancy, to serve one of a contrary religion: nay, how ever in outward show, these Elkes or Regadoes (quoth he) seem Saints, and holy ones, to me they may prove Devils, and hold it no conscience to betray my blood and Kingdom. Azus therefore was the man culled out from the rest, by the Emperor.  
This Prince flourished in as great glory, as the greatest of his predecessors: the blessed fruits of sweet peace, took away the sourness of any war (either foreign or domestic) that was served in against him: his subjects were infinite, his cities filled with Nations: He had more Wives than any of his forefathers: his Concubines were fairer and more in number; he was as happy as ever was any King in Barbary, in the flourishing multitudes of his people: and as infortunate as ever any before him, in beholding their misery. Fortune twice had her pleasure upon him, first in lifting him up high in her love, lastly in pursuing him and his subjects with her tyranny.  
Many noble and notable occurrentes, presented themselves to the eye and ear of the world, during his Reign: of which to write as they deserve, were to add a large Volume to the Chronicles of that Country. I will therefore (as one having been at a royal banquet) reserve some of it to myself, and bestow some upon others, such as I think will be sweetest in going down: of which take this as part.  
It was in his time, when that great Armada, (that brought terror in her Womb from Spain) was delivered of it, in the narrow Seas of England. At the birth (but indeed the burial) of which invincible Navy, the Spaniards that lay then in Barbary and attended on the Spanish Ambassador, beguiling themselves with a false rumour, that this land was conquered, prepared for triumphs, as (if their joy had been tamely begot) they had reason: But one Master Arnold Tomson (an english Merchant) certifying to the Emperor the truth and certain defeature of the Spanish Fleet: the English men that were there, had likewise leave of Mahamet, to express their joy in Bonfires, and other triumphs; for the King did ever love the Nation of our Country, and did many favours to our Merchants.  
The English Ambassador lying in the same street where the Spanish Ambassador lay, and our Merchants gathering together, determining to ride into the field, and there having put themselves into some gallant order, to come back into the City, in a triumphant and civil manner, to do honour to their Country for so happy and unheardof a victory: behold, before the Spanish Ambassadors gate (by which our Countrymen determined on horseback to pass) stood a company of Spaniards, (with some Moors whom they had hired) armed with pike and shot to stop their passage; between whom what happened, those english merchants the then were hurt, (of which master Arnold Tomson was one) can if they be yet living testify: and for those that were then slain outright, the Emperor (in indignation) swore not only that they who did execute this treachery upon the english Nation, should have Iron given them (that is to say, should have their throats cut) but he would also certify the King of Spain of this abuse: so willing was he to do justice even to strangers.  
Another accident (because it is worthy note for the example, and may be a warning to our Countrymen) will I set down: and this is it. An English man fallen out and struck by his master, desperately resolved (whilst the fire was in his blood) to revenge those blows on his body, by giving wounds to his own soul: and thereupon he presently went and denied his religion, forsook Christ to follow Mahomet; And from a Christian turned Moor.  
It is the custom of that Country when any Man will do so, to observe (amongst others) these ceremonies: It is signified to those Christians that are in the City, Town, etc. that such a one will be an Elk, or turn Moor, A certain equal number therefore (aswell Barbarians as Christians) are assembled in a place fit for such purposes; one part sitting (like judges) on the one side, the other, opposite directly against them: the Turncoat just in the middle of the room between them, and in presence of both, he is there then demanded, whether he will deny the law of his own religion and embrace theirs or no: It is offered unto him his free liberty to take the one or the other: nay it is lawful for those that sit there on the contrary part (being Christians) to use all the power of Argument to win him from this delinguishment. Thus did they serve this man: thus was he three several times, convented before them: and three several times did he most stiffly defend what he had done, and defy Christ: no Physic of Spiritual counsel doing good upon him, they gave him over. But note the judgement of that Captain (the Lord of hosts) whose colours of salvation he had forsaken, within a short time (after this Apostasy & rebellion of his soul) this Traitor to God, happened to kill a Man: for which fact he was adjudged by the Ladies of that Country, not to lose his life, but (which was worse) to live; But how to live? As the first Murderer that ever drew blood of Man: as Cain lived, wandering up and down, with none (on pain of death) to keep him company, but his own thoughts which were ten thousand executioners; none to give him bread, so that he fed upon despair: none to quench his thirst, so that he drunk the poison of an infected conscience, he knew he had killed a Man, and therefore even Infidels abhorred him: he knew he had forsaken his Religion, and therefore Christians would not pity him: In this wretehed state he went up and down, in this misery he pined, till he died: let that death of his teach others how to line.  
But leaving this, let us again fix our eyes upon Mahamet the Emperor, who (thinking it would be as great a glory to him, to create others, Kings, as to be a King himself) did (by the advice of his counsel, but most of all out of the working and height of his own spirit) determine to divide his large and fruitful Empire amongst his Sons.  
Of all the Wives and Concubines that this Emperor had, three only, (above the rest) had a sovereignty over his amorous affections, and of those three, he did still prefer one before the other. Lilia Isa was the fairest, and her did he love dearest: she was empress over the rest, yet were the rest Queens over others, she had the supreme command of the kings house, and none command her but the King. Lilia Ageda was a Negro, yet had she a second place in his heart. Lilia Myriem had the third: of Lilia Myriem (being a black Woman likewise) did he beget a Son, called Muly-Shem, being one of the fairest Children that ever he had, but this Muly-Shem offering some offence to a youth that attended on him, was by him slain. The youngman afterward (knowing the emperors wrath) kill himself. Lilia Agede was mother to Muly-Beferris, and Muly-Sheck, (the youngest Brother:) Lilia Isa Mother to Muly-Sidan (the eldest.) Between these three were these late civil wars in Barbary.  
And thus did Mahamet make division of his Kingdom, which afterward bred division amongst his people, and set all in a Combustion to Mulai sidan (who was given to Arms and to love a Soldier) gave he the Kingdom Tadula, and Taphalet: to Mulibefarris (whose soul lusted after nothing but sensual pleasure) gave he the Kingdom of Sus: to Muly-Sheck, the Kingdom of Fez: appointing Mustapha (that was born a Christian, and turned Moor, but a Soldier, and a Gentleman of a Noble Spirit) to attend on Sheck as his Guardian, because he was but young.  
Before we step any farther, it shall not be amiss (because I would draw this Barbary-picture, with as much life and delightful colours as I could) to set down a pretty combat between two of the emperors Wives, played before the Emperor himself. Thus it was: Mahamet sitting one morning with Lilia Ageda (the Negro) by him, talking mearily (for he took pleasure in her speech, because she was wise:) In comes Isa (his fairest bedfellow) and seeing the Blacke-one so near her beloved, she blushed and showed anger even in her eyes, (for what Woman would not be angry to see another rob her of the love of an Emperor?) At length bowing to the earth, she fell at the King's feet, and with a pretty smile began to tell a tale of the Lark and the Crow: the shutting up of her moral being, that the Lark was the Bird of the morning, and of the day, and therefore might be bold to challenge the morning's due, and all Rites of the day; But the Crow was the Bird of the night, and had nothing to do with the morning.  
The emperor understanding her sweet witty bitterness, that by the Lark thee meant herself, and by the Crow, Lilia Ageda (because of her blackness) was so delighted with the comparison, that he gave charge none should ever after presume to give the Emperor his good morrow, till Lilia Isa had been with him, and thereupon was Isa called the emperor's Lark, or his Bird of the morning.  
Let us lose one point more of our compass, and sail a little out of our intended way to find out in what fear and awful reverence the subjects of this Kingdom hold the anger of their Sovereign: to understand which, receive this only as a taste. One of the emperors officers of his Custom (whose name was Cidde Abdela cream) being an old Man, had one Son only, (called Enhamet) whom he tendered as his life, being the hope and health of his age: him had the father put into his own place: the young man coming in a morning betimes to the Customhouse, but the rest of the officers being not present, he could not enter (for every one hath a several Key, and unless all be there together, not one can get in) he determined within himself to spend an hour (till the rest met) in renewing the emperor's palace (where his Concubines lived) because he was told it was a rare and rich place, and that it was not lawful without great means to enter. That report more inflamed his desire, insomuch that in the end (watching his time) by stealth he got in.  
Where being, and staring up and down, it chanced that one of the Women saw him, who presently screeked out, and ran crying, A man, a man: for you must note, that if any one of them spy a Man, (except the eunuchs that attend them) and do not call for help, it is death to her: and what Man soever rudely presume to have a fight of them, it is death to him. It was known by inquiry, (upon her noise) that it was Enhamet the Customers Son, who had thus offended the laws: the Emperor being given to understand so much, made an oath he should die for it. Immediately upon this (by occasion of some business) comes the old Man (Enhamets' Father) to the King, who supposing it had been about his sons pardon, and his indignation being now a little cooler) suddenly demanded of him what that Man deserved, that durst break into the place where his emperors Concubines were: Cidde Abdela (not suspecting the offender) answered, that he deserved the sharpest sentence of death, for so the Law would adjudge him. Be thou then (quoth the Emperor) thine own sons condemnation: As thou hast judged him, so let it be. But the King beholding death sitting in the old Man's face at that doom, grew pitiful, and (for love he bore the Father) forgave the Son, which mercy notwithstanding, Abdela cream not truly laying hold of, but mistaking the Noble spirit of a Prince, and imagining that this favour so strangely extended was but a snare to entrap his own life, because offences of that nature were never before pardoned in any: home he comes; with sorrow in his afflicted looks, and his heart even murdered within him, by the cruelty of his own thoughts: his Son demanded the cause of this so strange and sudden distemperature, but his Father giving no answer, sends for cords, shows them only instead of speech, and to make this dumb Tragedy fall in the end, he causeth him before his own eyes to be strangled: great were the lamentations of the Son, and abundant were the tears he let fall to soften his Father's heart: a mighty conflict was there in the poor old man's bosom, between natural piety to a Child, and natural fear of a Sovereign: but the last of the two prevailed: and having bestowed upon the dead body the ceremonies of the grave, according to the custom of the Country, he caused the Act to be registered down for his own safety, alleging that howsoever the Emperor (when he heard this black and unnatural deed reported) would happily be moved unto wrath, yet inwardly he would be highly contented with it.  
Mahamet being thus feared and loved of his subjects, wanted nothing that (according to human judgement) could make a Prince happy: pleasure was his slave and weighted on him whensoever he lusted for her company: Riches flowed into his houses of treasure in large & Golden streams: his Court was full of counsellors; his cities full Merchants, his Castles full of soldiers: he was a mighty King himself, & had sons that were as mighty as he, their Dominions were ample, they were full of men, and full of all things that maintain men. It seemed that the Father lost much of his imperial state and dignity, when he placed his three sons (like three great lights) to shine equally in his kingdom, considering that all the beams of majesty that came from them, might (if he had pleased) have been sent forth from the centred glory of his own head, but even this borrowed reflections of theirs, made his brightness the greater: and his sons yielding acknowledgement of all their royalty to flow from him, did (like Rivers paying tribute to the Sea) seem not a whit the less for such homage and fealty.  
Fortune having turned the wheel of this emperors fate along time with steady hand, had now brought it about to the uppermost point & highest, on which she meant he should sit: he should be no more her darling, and therefore she took her favours from him. Or to speak of a power that controls Fortune, and whose very finger throws down kingdoms to utter confusion, or holds them up in their greatness, whether the general sins of the whole Nation deserved it, or whether the people were punished for the particular faults of the king and his Courtiers, as many times it falls out, and as it happened to the Grecians, for Quicquid delirant Reges plestantur Achini: or for what other faults soever, the rod of vengeance was made ready: it is in man to think upon and fear, but not to examine, yet sure it is, that as a fire catching hold at first but of some mean cottage, in some one end or corner of a City, hath oftentimes (ere the fury of it could be put out) swallowed up in his flames, the goodliest and most beautiful buildings that stood even farthest out of reach, so did the clouds of infection burst open their veins, and let fall the poison of them, on this kingdom of Barbary.  
If ever the Plague in any place got his true name, there he had it. At the beginning it struck (like an Arrow) on the head but of one City, but in a short time after, it phlegm from City to City, and in the end stuck in the very heart of the whole kingdom. Insomuch, that Death came (like a tyrannous Usurper) to the Court gates, & threatened to depose the Emperor himself.  
He that before sat in his throne of majesty, greatly feared of other Nations round about him, and strongly guarded by his own, is on the sudden daunted, and (being accounted one of the mightiest amongst the Kings of the earth) is ready to submit to him, with whom even Infants do every hour fight hand to hand.  
See the authority, fame and terror of that invader (Death) he struck but up an alarum in this Emperors Palace, and the Emperor himself trembled through fear thereof: his conceits that stood before like so many aged Oaks, bowed presently to the earth like so many ranks of young Willows: yet his cities shook at the voice, no less then if it had been at an Earthquake. And so hardly did the pestilence pursue Mahamet, that he durst not sleep for it in one place twice together: every night was he compelled (for safety) to fly unto a contrary lodging.  
As his Court removed so did the plague: wheresoever the one kept his standing house, there the other pitched up his Pavilion as a proud and daring Challenger to all comers. Insomuch that sickness in the end (though weak of himself) wrestled with so many that were near and about the Prince's person, and still got the better of them, that Mahomet had not men to remove those tents which he was enforced to carry up and down with him for his own household to lie in: fourscore Barbarians (being all attendants and Officers in Court) falling every night, in this mortal and pestiferous massacre. So that the Emperor for want of Servants was glad to take chained slaves from the Oar (out of their galleys) and to make them his guard.  
What a strange alteration is here of a Court? He that had seen this prince so royally attended, so majestically attired, with such Godlike reverence kneeled unto: so guarded, so followed, so circled round with a Nation in number infinite: Would that Man have ever thought that such a Prince could have been driven out of his stately palaces, and been glad to lie abroad in the fields? Or that he should ever submit to such humility, as to put his life into the hands of slaves and miserable Captives? The only despised wretches of his Kingdom: the beggerliest: the most discontented, the worst-minded to him & his Nation: yea, such whom he knew could have been glad to cut his throat, to ransom themselves from the bondage and Hell of the galley? Yet even these most forlorn Creatures, (which before like Oxen were yoked by the Necks with Iron) was this great Monarch fain to make much of, and to turn them into his best and fairest courtiers. So easily and so low can the hand of Heaven pull down the mightiest upon earth, and make them stoop even to the weakest.  
The heart being thus sick, was not the whole body (think you) in danger to perish? The eye of the Kingdom being so much blemished, did not the Universal land dwell in darkness? Was it possible that the Court should pine, and that the Cities should flourish? No, no, Alas! Full houses were emptied there of whole families: whole streets of their households: yea, even the Cities themselves were left desolate of inhabitants.  
Had all the Artificers in the Land, laid by all other work, only to have made Coffins, they could not all have builded rooms fast enough, for the dead to dwell in: For sickness was even weary of throwing down bodies, and Death even glutted with killing them. Do but imagine how the World showed, when all Creatures that were drowned in the Universal flood, lay heaped together, after the waters were shrunk into the earth, such a Mount Calvary was Barbary: the carcases of unburied men were so many, that a far off they might be taken for hills, yea so numberless were they, that it seemed as if all the Nations upon earth had sent their dead thither, and that Barbary had been the common Churchyard.  
When Vespasian besieged jerusalem, Famine fed upon the City within, and war without, yet did the jews choose rather to steal forth, and trust the doubtful mercy of an Enemy, then to perish under the cruelty of their own countrymen. At length, such multitudes of them got daily through the gates, that Tytus (to be rid of them, & fright them from coming) crucified them all, and sixth the bodies so put to death, round about the City, before their walls, as a terror to those within: so that in the end, (they pressing forth for all this continually upon him) there could be found neither wood enough for Crosses to nail them upon, nor ground enough whereon to set Crosses.  
The like misery fell upon this royal kingdom of Barbary, for the people in it were struck down so fast by the Pestilence, that the living were not able to inter the dead, neither could there be found ground sufficient enough (about their Cities) to afford them burial, so that the earth did not (as in other Countries) cover and bury them, but they buried and covered the earth.  
Let us muster the dead together, and take a view of this disordered Army. In Morocco the chiefest City of Barbary, died in one year seven hundred thousand Moors, and seven thousand seven hundred jews, as by bills daily sent to the Emperor did appear.  
What Nation in the World would not have trembled, hearing of such an invinsible host marching against them, yet Death with one Arrow slew all these. In the City of Far, died (the same yee●e five hundred thousand, beside those that fell in the Country.  
Yea so terrible and fierce was Death in his execution of those in Morocco, that in the space of one day and a night, he slew there with his own hands, four thousand, seven hundred and odd. A merciless and tragical conquest, an inglorious victory, for he made them away in their beds.  
O what a number of graves must have been opened, if all these thousands should have had their rites of burial? How many fathers for children, wives for husbands, sons and daughters for Parents, and kinsfolks for friends, should here have wept, if the dead had been paid their due lamentations? But Mourning here had so wasted itself, that it quite forgot truly how to mourn. Sickness & grief grew so familiar with men, that to be rid of such loathsome company, they sought out Death, when they knew not where to find a Grave.  
O thou beautiful Kingdom, how couldst thou choose but look unlovely, having so many children dead in thy womb? how could thy body be otherwise then unwholesome, having so mortal a disease running upon thee, yea, all over thee seven years together! And O your Cities that were the fairest Daughters to so Noble a Mother; What shrieks, and soule-afflicting passions did not you breathe forth, seeing all your Merchants (that had wont to court you be your loves) and forsaking you to see your buildings stand in their wont height, but robbed of their wont ornaments! to see Foxes and wild Beasts (instead of Men) inhabiting in your goodliest streets and meeting daily upon your Exchanges! A more than Widdow-like lamentation must you needs put one, to behold yourselves utterly bereaved of those that were your bestbeloved: What Kingdom (though never so far removed) is not heavy at the heart, hearing these sad stories of your sorrow? 
— Quis talia fando,  
Mirmydonum, Dolopumùe, aut Durimiles Vlissi  
Temperet àlachrimis?  Your enemies cannot be so barbarous as not to yield to your condolement. We will therefore no longer let out your tears withindoores, nor no more stand wondering to see all your buildings show like so many hearses; but will survey your filds abroad, & try if they can afford any better consolation, Alas they cannot: calamity there travels up and down in the same wretched habilyments, that she wears within the walled Cities, People fly in numbers up to the Mountains, to dwell amongst beasts, and to dispossess them of their inheritance: they fly thinking Death would not follow them, but he like a politic General, lay so close in Ambush at their returning back to their Cities, that he cut them off faster than at the first, & left their bodies to be a pray to those beasts, who not many days before ran into their Caves as being afraid of them.  
O what a misery was it, to see highways strewed with dead and infected carcases, as if the whole kingdom had been sacked, and the enemy had had all the people in execution? A rich and abundant harvest covered the face of the earth, but the Husbandmen in stead of filling their Barns, were busied in filling up graves: the fruits which the ground brought forth, she herself did again denoure. A strange harvest was it, for Corn was had in without Reapers, it was gathered & sowed again all at one time, for the Earth did now play the good housewife, she saved all to herself, and yet even in saving it, did she spill all: there were not hands enough to gather the food, which she out of her plenteous lap bestowed amongst her children, nor mouths enough to eat it.  
The Country-Lasse sat not now singing by her Milking-payle, for the poor beasts ran bellowing up and down with swolneudders, mourning before their masters doors, because they could not be eased of their burdens.  
The Pestilence having thus (like a merciless invader) destroyed both Cities & villages, and having oftentimes made the greatest Lords in the kingdom stoop to his command, and determining to conclude his conquest, with taking the General over so great a Nation prisoner, did at the last set upon the Emperor Mahamet himself, and with her venomous breath killed him. Which glorious victory being gotten, Death and his Lieutenant (Sickness) began to sound a retreat, to march from their walls, and to let them live in quiet.  
No sooner were their backs turned, but again in multitudes came the people down from the Mountains, and as all Rivers (when Land-waters have oppressed them) fly to the bosom of the Sea for safety, so did the Nation of this great Empire, from all parts thereof come marching joyfully, (and yet fearfully) to fill up & make good again their disinhabited houses. What stories are now told of lamentable Funerals? what friends and kinsfolks are missing? what sorrow there is for so much Acquaintance lost? what gladness to meet with any, whom they heard or doubted were in their graves? Their Cities do now look with cheerful countenances, streets are filled with men, houses with families: every one applies himself to his former labour, every Merchant to his traffic. But behold, in the heat of all this Sunshine, when no wrinkle could be seen in the brow of Heaven, when all was calm, and that men lay safely snorting on their secure pillows, a second storm burst out of the clouds, a second & a more fearful: God poured another vengeance on the heads of this people, he sent Famine to breath upon them, and to suck the lifeblood out of their bosoms, so that they that before durst not come near one another, for fear of being infected with the Pestilence, are now ready to lay hold each of other, and to turn their own bodies into nourishment. The Plague was merciful to them, in dispatching them quickly out of the world, but this tyrant put them to linger deaths. They had once more meat than mouths, now they had many mouths and no meat. O Hunger! how pitiless art thou? a monster thou art of a most strange condition, for, how small a thing will appease thee, and yet what wilt thou not destroy to satisfy thy ravenous appetite? thou art most cruel to them that most seek to relieve thee, and when thou hast nothing to feed upon, thou playest the murderer, and eatest up thyself. How tyrannous hast thou showed thyself to this great Nation? thou hast heard children crying for bread to their Parents, yet wouldst not relieve them, whilst the Parents went mourning and pining up and down that they wanted food themselves. Men that were strong of body, didst thou by thy sorcery bring so low, that they could scarce stand on their legs: Women that had fresh blood in their cheeks, and were lovely to be looked upon, didst thou make leave, and turnedst them into Anatomies.  
O Famine, thou cruelest executioner of God's wrath, thou dishonest guest, for into what house soever thou comest, thou destroyest all that is set before thee: thou traitor to Plenty, envious hag, malicious Witch, that with thy unsavoury breath blasteth whole fields of Corn: away, get thee gone, the hand of Heaven keep thee from landing upon the English share, hide thy head for shame, in the graves of those whom most unmercifully thou hast slaughtered, be buried there for ever: for if thou shouldest set footing upon this little Isle, thou wouldst quickly turn it into a great Land of misery.  
But was the terrible judge of the world, satisfied with punishing this people twice in this manner, had their offences towards him deserved no more blows? It seems they had run into a most proud rebellion, and that he had sworn in his indignation to be revenged upon them for it: for lo, the spirit of his rage comes now in a consuming fire, it is wrapped up in clouds of lightning, and the thunder of it breaks into Civil war. The three sons of so great an Emperor, shine now like three Meteors in the firmament, all in steel, their Courts now are Camps, and none are Courtiers but Soldiers. Three Brothers being all three Kings, are up in Arms, only to make of three but one, misery upon misery. They that escaped the stripes of the Pestilence, were eaten to death by Famine, they that saved themselves out of the jaws of Famine, are now in danger to perish on the Sword.  
O noble France, if I should bid thee only to tell the horror, the terrors, the unbounded mischief and calamity that come marching in with intestive Broils, thou needest to say nothing, but to open thy bosom, and show those deep scars which thine own sons have set there. There are tears yet in thine eyes, for those sad funerals which the Civil sword prepared. The Low-Countries have been in labour a long time, and are not yet delivered of that Monster: if they could not express the pains and pangs that follow this inward disease of a kingdom, this grief about the heart of a Land, this very Earthquake that hath power to overturn Towns and Towers, we have too many leaves in our own Chronicles, spotted with the envenomed Ink of Civil discord. Too many of our Kings have been too famous by that misery: too many of our noblest Families, have shaken their ancient Houses by that thunder.  
This fire of Dissension hath now taken hold of Barbary, a kingdom full of people, abundant in riches, flowing with Arts and traffic with all Nations: how happy therefore are we, that have peace in our Cities, and plenty in our fields? yet doubtless, our sins are in number infinite, in nature abominable, we deserve as little pardoning as they, yet is our wickedness as black and detestable as theirs. Let us therefore stray aside awhile, and by comparing the heavy afflictions which the Divine justicer hath laid upon other Countries in times past, acknowledge an incommensurable love and mercy of his, to this Island of ours, now in these present days. For in the year of Christ 81. and in the year 188, the breath of the Pestilence was so strong, and so contagious, that in Rome there died daily two thousand people. In the year 254, fifteen Provinces of the Roman Empire were almost consumed with the like calamity. Nay in Constantinople the rage of the disease was so great, that in the year 530, there fell every day (for many days together) five thousand, & sometimes ten thousand. Within ten years after that, (which was in Anno 540,) there began an universal plague over the whole world, which continued 50 years with hot violence.  
In the year 1359, so mortal a blow did Death give to Italy by infection, that there was scarce left ten of a thousand. And to Rome (in the year 1521) that she made graves for a hundred thousand. Milan likewise, Padua and Venice, in the years 1576 and 77, opened the Earth to receive into her womb a hundred thousand dead carcases, that were left breathless in each of those Cities, by the tyranny of this pestiferous disease. And in Bohemia (being but a small kingdom) there died three hundred thousand the same time. In the year 1596, fell such a plague in Constantinople, that it struck down in six months space, seven hundred thousand persons. And this misery was seconded by so terrible a Famine, that a penny loaf of bread of English money, was worth a crown in gold, by reason of which, the people were worse consumed than before by the Pestilence.  
We will now set forth some of our own home-born tragedies wrought by the Plague, of which take this as Prologue to the rest. In the reign of K. Edward the third, the Infection spread itself in the East Indies, amongst the Tartars, Saracens and Turks, which had a hand over them by the space of 7 years: and this vengeance which was poured down from heaven upon this people, struck their souls into such amazement and terror, that many of the Heathen (with the very fear thereof) offered to be converted and turn Christians. Shorthe after, by reason of Passengers from one Province to another, the same mortal plague was dispersed in many Christian kingdoms, & (amongst others) brought into England, where it was so forcible all over the Land, that not only men, but also beasts, birds and fishes were smitten therewith, and found dead with botches upon them. Yea, such a massacre did it make amongst the living, that they were scarceable to bury the dead. At which time, (with the rest that then died of the Plague,) Henry Duke of Lancaster, Blanch Duchess of Lancaster, and the Earl of Warwick ended their lives. So that in one year, in a little plot of ground of 13 Acres compass (then called Spittle-croft, and now the Charter-house) were buried 50000. persons, besides all them that were then buried in the Church yards & divers other places. Our late calamities infliced upon us for our sins are fresh in memory, the eyes of many people are yet wet with mourning at burials, the rod is still held over us, the stripes of it are even now to be seen sticking in our flesh.  
Yet you see how the Great Father of Nations, keeps us under his wing, he is loath to chide, more loath to strike us, let us not therefore, like foolish haire-braind children, provoke him too often, and too much to anger, lest he take up his triple Mace of hot vengeance, and with it bruise our people, as he hath already stretched out his Arm to smite those of Barbary.  
FINIS.