naturalists report, that soveraigne of birds renewes his age; so hee seemed to himself grown young again: as if the heavens had bestowne upon him new shoulders for new burdens."

The solemnities of the coronation were performed in great state; "for we may observe," says Fuller," that the coronations of usurpers are generally more gorgeous in their celebration than those of lawful princes.' The historian describes the noise attendant on this occasion awakening Alexius from his dream of security; unless, however, his meaning is metaphorical, we should conceive that many things must have happened previous to this, to awaken the sleeping prince.

"The noise of the peoples shouts did allarm young Alexius, which hitherto was fast sleeping in some obscure corner, and little dream't, that meane while, an empire was stollen away from him. But now coming to Andronicus, he publickly congratulated his happinesse, and with a smiling countenance embraced him, as hartily glad, that he had gotten so good a companion in so great an employment. We read, that in the country of Lituania, there is a peculiar custome that married men have Adjutores Tori, Helpers of the marriage bed, which, by their concent, lye with their wives; and these husbands are so farre from conceiving either hatred or jealousie against them, that they esteeme them their principall friends. Surely the beds in that country are bigger than in other places: seeing amongst all other nations, a wife is a vessell, wherein the Cape-merchant will not admit any adventurers to share with him. It seems Alexius was one of this Lituanian temper, that could accept a partner in his empire, tickled with joy at the shewes and solemnityes of his coronation, and well might hee laugh till his heart did ake, though some did verily thinke, that amongst all the pageants there presented, he himselfe was the strangest, and most ridiculous spectacle.”

The next day, in all public patents, the names of the joint emperors were transposed, and that of Andronicus put before Alexius, "because," says Fuller, "as in numeration the figure is to be put before the cypher," It had been the intention of the "Lords of the Combination," simply to use the new emperor as an instrument to procure the removal of Proto Sebastus: they found out that they had overshot the mark, and that Andronicus was not a man to be managed at pleasure. "For though he came in," says Fuller, "as a tenant at will, he would hold his place. in fee to himself and heirs. What they chose for physic must be given them for daily food; and woeful is the condition of that man who, in case of necessity, taking hot water to prevent swooning, must ever after drink it for beverage, even to the burning out of his bowels." So far from submitting to the men, by whose means he had been raised, Andronicus is said to have borne them particular hostility. The reasons of this repugnance are thus stated:

“Indeed Andronicus did loath the sight of those lords, as debters doe of bailiffes, as if their very looks did arrest him to pay for those grand favours which he had formerly received from them, brought by their help from banishment, to power and wealth in the citty. Nor would he make use of them, as too sturdy to bee pliable to his projects; standing on their former deserts and present dignities; but employed those osiers of his owne planting, which might be easily wreathed to all purposes, being base up-starts, depending on his absolute pleasure. And as he used these alone, so these onely in matter of execution; who taking himselfe (and therein not mistaken) to be sole friend to himselfe, would not impart his counsells to any one, being wont to say, that ships sinke as deep with one, as with one hundred leakes."

The second book is concluded with an anecdote of a beggar, which has little to do with the history, as is allowed by the author; but probably for the same reason that he inserted it, will we quote it, viz., that it is well narrated.

"Wee will conclude this booke with an independent story, hoping the reader will take it as we finde it. There was a noted beggar in Constantinople, well known to the people thereabouts, (as who had almost worne the thresholds of noble mens doores as bare as his owne cloathes) an exceeding tall, raw-bon'd body, with a meagre and lanke belly, so that hee might have passed for famine it selfe. This man was found beging about the lodgings of Andronicus, very late at night, at an unseasonable houre, except one would say, that men of his profession, as they are never out of their way, so they are never out of their time, but may seasonably beg at any houre, when they are hungry. Being apprehended at the guard, and accused for a conjurer, (his ugly face being all the evidence against him,) Andronicus delivered him over to the indiscreet discretion of the people, to doe with him as they pleased. These wilde justicers, without legall proofe, or further proceeding, for almes, bestowed on him a pile of wood and a great fire, where they burnt him to ashes, whose fact might justly have intitled him to a whipping post, but not to a stake.

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Say not that this is beneath our history, to insert the death of a beggar in the life of an emperour. For all innocents are equall in the court of heaven; and this poore man, who, whilst alive, was so loud at great mens doores, for meat to preserve his life, his bloud may be presumed to bee as crying and clamorous at the gates of heaven to revenge his death.

The tyrannical cruelty of Andronicus is said to have been such, that it has been a matter of surprise that the jester of his court escaped his fury. "Of this fellow, his body, downwards, was a fool," says says Fuller, "his head a knave, who did carefully note, and cunningly vent, by the privileges of his coat, many state-passages, uttering them, in a wary twilight, betwixt sport and earnest." The usurper never put two men to death after the same way, as not consisting with his state to wear one

thread-bare, but ever appeared in exchange, and variety of new manner of punishments.

A very pleasing episode occurs in the detail of the crimes of Andronicus, in the history and retirement of the patriarch Theodorus, to which full justice is done by the pen of Fuller.

"During this raging cruelty of Andronicus, wee may commend, in Theodorus the patriark, rather his successe, than policie, (his simple goodnesse being incapable of the later) who seasonably withdrew himselfe from Constantinople, to a private place he had provided in the isle of Terebynthus: here hee had built him an handsome house, equally distant from envy and contempt, bravery and basnesse, so that if security and sweetnesse had a minde to dwell together, they could not have found a fitter place for that purpose. Severall reasons moved him to his speedy removall, besides the avoiding the fury of AndroniFirst, because Basilius undermined him at the court in his patriarkship, Theodorus being absent thence, when present there; bearing only the name and blame, when the other had the power and profit thereof.

cus.

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Secondly, to avoid the sight of people, conceiving every eye which did behold, did accuse him, as a principall cause of their miseryes, for helping Andronicus to the empire, in whom Theodorus had been strangely mistook, as the best men are soonest deceived with the painted piety, and pensive looks of hypocrites, counting all gold that shines, all sooth, that is said; betraid by their owne charitie into a good opinion of others. Lastly, it grieved him to see ignorance and impiety so rampant, base hands committing dayly rapes on the virgin muses; so that they might now even ring out the bell, for dying learning, and sadly toll the knell for gasping religion. Wherefore as divines solemnly observe, to goe off of the bench just before the sentence of condemnation is pronounced upon the malefactor; so this patriark, perceiving the city of Constantinople, cast, by her owne guiltinesse, and by the confession of her crying sinnes against her self; thought it not fit for him to stay there, till Divine Justice should passe a finall fatall doome upon the place, (which he every minute expected) but embraced this private opportunity of departure.

"Soon after his retiring, he ended his life; we neede not enquire into his disease, if we consider his age, accounting now fourescore and foure winters. And well might his yeares be reckoned by winters, as wanting both springs, and summers of prosperity, living in constant affliction. And yet the last foure yeares, made more wounds in his heart, then all the former plow'd wrinkles in his face. He dyed not guilty of any wealth, who long before had made the poore his heires, and his owne hands, his executors. After hearty prayers, that religion might shine when he was set, falling into a pious meditation; hee went out as a lampe, for lack of oyle: no warning groane was sighed forth to take his last farewell, but even he smiled himselfe into a corps; enough to confute those, that they bely death, who call her grim and grizely; which in him seemed lovely and of a good com

plexion. The few servants hee left, proportioned the funerall, rather to their masters estate, than deserts, supplying in their sorrow, the want of spices and balme, which surely must bee so much the more pretious, as the teares of men are to bee preferr'd before gums, which are but the weeping of trees."

The young widow of Alexius, Anne, was, shortly after her husband's death, wooed and wedded by the aged Andronicus: Fuller draws a parallel between this Anne and her who, under similar circumstances, married Richard Duke of Gloucester. Her second match was not more happy than her first: she divided the affections of Andronicus with Maraptica, his mistress, and "half an old husband," says Fuller, "was too much for a young bride to share." Her history is thus sketched by the historian.

"Daughter shee was to the king of France, being married a childe (having little list to love, and lesse, to aspire) to the young emperour Alexius, whilst both their yeares, put together, could not spell thirty. After this, shee had time too much, to bemoane, but none at al, to amend, her condition, being slighted and neglected by her husband. Oft-times being alone (as sorrow loves no witnesse) having roome, and leisure to bewaile herselfe, shee would relate the chronicle of her unhappinesse to the walls, as hoping to finde pitie from stones, when men prov'd unkind unto her. Much did shee envie the felicity of those milk-maids, which each morning passe over the virgin-dew, and pearled grasse, sweetly singing by day, and soundly sleeping at night, who had the priviledge freely to bestow their affections, and wed them, which were high in love, though low in condition: whereas, royall birth had denyed her that happinesse, having neither liberty to chuse, nor leave to refuse; being compell'd to love, and sacrificed to the politique ends of her potent parents."

Andronicus was harassed by a prophecy which had been made before him, as to his successor, by an old conjuror whom he had engaged to look into futurity. The indications were, however, very dubious," because," says Fuller, "it stands not with the prince of darkness to be over-clear in his acts, and those that vend bad wares love to keep blind shops." First a great S. appeared at the bottom of a basin of water, and then an I. Put these two letters together, S.I., and read them backwards, I. S., by the figure Hysterosis; and taking a part for the whole by a Synecdoche, and then Andronicus was told he had the name of his successor. "For," says our author, "all favourable figures must be used to piece out the Devil's short skill in future contingents. Ask not me," he adds, "why hell's alphabet must be read backwards: let Satan give an account of his own cozenage, whether out of an apish imitation of the Hebrew, which is read retrograde, or because that ugly, filthy serpent crawls cancer-like." Andronicus, by this I. S., understood Isaurus Comnenus; and

perceived, when it was too late, that Isaacius Angelus was the right person. Thus, writes Fuller, "those that are correspondents with the Devil for such intelligence have need, when they have received the text of his answers, to borrow his comment too." When Andronicus was driven from Constantinople by the revolt of the people, under Isaacius Angelus, he put to sea; but being compelled by a storm to return, he was seized and thrown into a prison. Two heavy chains were put about his neck, in metal and weight" different from them he wore before;" and, laden with insults and fetters, he was brought into the presence of Isaacius. Here he was treated with every species of indignity and cruelty; his beard was twitched out, the hair which remained to him pulled up by the roots, his teeth dashed out, one of his eyes extinguished, and his right hand cut off. Thus bruised and maimed, he was thrust into the public prison among thieves and robbers.

"All these were but the beginning of evill unto him. Some dayes after, with a shaved head crowned with garlick, he was set on a scab'd cammell, with his face backwards, holding the taile thereof for a bridle, and was led cleane through the city. All the cruelties which he in two yeares and upwards, had committed upon severall persons, were now abbreviated and epitomised on him, in as large a character, as the shortnesse of the time would give leave, and the subject it selfe was capable of: they burnt him with torches and fire-brands, tortur'd him with pincers, threw abundance of dirt upon him; and withall, such filthinesse, that the reader woulde stop his nose, if I should tell him the composition thereof; it is enough to say, that the worst thing that comes from man, was the best in the mixture thereof.

"After multitudes of other cruelties, tedious to us to rehearse, (and how painfull then to him to endure!) hee was hanged by the heeles betwixt two pillars: in this posture, hee put the stump of his right arme, whose wound bleeded afresh, to his mouth, so to quench (as some suppose) the extremity of his thirst, with his owne bloud, having no other moysture allowed him. When one ranne a sword thorough his back and belly, so that his very entralls were seen, and seemed to call (though in vaine) on the bowells of the spectators, to have some compassion upon him. At last, with much adoe, his soul (which had so many doores opened for it) found a passage out of his body, into another world.”

Drexelius, in his book on Eternity, considers that, by this short but intense period of suffering, Andronicus purchased immortal happiness. But doth not so strong a charity," asks Fuller, "argue a weak judgment? Although," says he, "the arm of his body was cut off, the hand of his faith might hold. Still, all that I wish to add is this, that if Andronicus's soul went to heaven, it is a pity that any should know of it, lest they be encouraged to imitate the wicked premises of his life, hoping by his example to obtain the same happy conclusion after death."