[1] [2] ¶Thus ended this yoong king in his floorishing youth, to whome through his owne iust deserts long life was iustlie denied, sith he delighted to begin his gouernement with vnlawfull attempts, as an other Absolon against his owne naturall father, seeking by wrongfull violence to pull the scepter out of his hand. He is not put in the number of kings, bicause he remained for the more part vnder the gouernance of his father, so that he rather bare the name of king as appointed to reigne, than that he may be said to haue reigned in deed. So that héere by the waie a no|table obseruation dooth occurre and offer it selfe to be noted of vs; namelie, that euen princes children, though borne to great excellencie, and in high deg [...]e [...] of dignitie, a [...]e to consider with themselues, that not|withstanding their statelie titles of souereigntie, they haue a dutie to discharge vnto their parents, which if it be neglected, and that in place thereof diso|bedience is substituted, God himselfe (when politike lawes prouide not to punish such offenses) will take the cause in hand, & will powre vengeance vpon such vngratious children. For he will be true of his word both in blessing and curssing, in blessing the dutifull child with long life and happie daies, and in curssing the obstinate and froward with short life and vnfor|tunate daies, according to the tenure of his law. If this man had liued in the old Romans time, when a|ged persons were so reuerenced and honoured (much more parents) he had beene cut off in the prime of his disobedience, and present death had beene inflicted vp|on him as a due and deserued reward; which Iuuenal noteth excellentlie well in these words,

Credebant hoc grande nefas, & morte piandum,

Si iuuenis vetulo non assurrexerat,Iuuen. sa [...]. 13. & si

Barbato cuicun puer, licèt ipse videret

Plura domi farra, & maioris glandis aceruos,

Tam venerabile erat praecẽdere quattuor annis,

Primá par adeò sacrae lanugo senectae.