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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter him succéeded Ethodius the second, and sonne of the former Ethodius, which prince proo|ued so verie a foole, that the regiment of the realme was quite taken from him, and committed vnto The gouer|nance of the realme com|mitted to sun|drie noble men. certeine noble men, who being diuided into sundrie quarters of the realme, tooke verie good order for the due gouernment of the parties so to them limited, and vsed themselues verie vprightlie in all their doo|ings. As for cause of wars they had none, for Se|uerus before his death had giuen such order for the gouernement of the Britains, that they durst not once stir by reason of such pledges as were deliuered and conueied to Rome, which were the chéefest of all the British nobilitie. At length Ethodius being apt for nothing but to fill his cofers, as one though dol|tish, yet naturallie giuen to vnquenchable couetous|nesse, Ethodius being giuen to couetous|nesse is slaine by his owne seruants. Athirco. was slaine by those that were appointed to the gard of his person, in the 16 yeare of his reigne.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 THen was his sonne Athirco elected by the gene|rall voices of all the estates, who in the begin|ning of his reigne shewed himselfe verie sober, gen|tle, courteous, and friendlie of behauiour, exercising himselfe in all laudable pastimes conuenient for his estate, and herewith he was so frée and liberall to|wards all men, that he wan him woonderfull much praise and loue amongest his people. But these his noble vertues increased not in him togither with his age, but contrarilie decaied, in such sort, that after he had reigned eight yéeres, he was quite al|tered: Athirco chan|ged in conditi ons from good to bad. in place of liberalitie, imbracing auarice: for courtesie and amiable countenance, he vsed sterne and loftie lookes: for commendable exercises, he gaue himselfe wholie to filthie pleasures and sensuall lusts of the bodie: and such as could further his pur|pose most in these his beastlie affections, he cherished Athirco regar deth not his nobles. and had them most in estimation, not regarding at all the nobilitie of his realme, but was as readie to wrong them by vilanous iniurie, as he was anie other of the lowest and meanest degrée.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 It chanced that a noble man in Argile (being one of no small authoritie amongst the people of that The vila|nous act of Athirco in ebusing a no|ble mans daughters. countrie) named Natholocus, had two faire yoong gentlewomen to his daughters: now the king be|ing verie desirous to satisfie his lust vpon them, for|ced them both the one after the other, and not so con|tent, deliuered them afterwards to be abused in semblable sort by his pages and seruants. The fa|ther vnderstanding this vilanie doone to his daugh|ters, by their owne lamentable complaint, sent for his friends, and opening vnto them the whole mat|ter, he required their assistance. They being in a woonderfull furie to heare of such an iniurie doone to their bloud, promised in reuenge therof to spend life, The kinsmen and friends of the gentlewo|men conspire against A|thirco. lands & goods, and foorthwith departing in sunder, they prepared themselues to assemble their powers, procuring a great number of other noble men to ioine with them in so necessarie an enterprise, as to rid the countrie of such a catife wretch, respecting no|thing but the satisfieng of his filthie carnall lusts, and the accomplishment of his most beastlie appe|tites.

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