Capitulum vicesimum quintum.
DIOCLICIANUS, þe sone of Dalmata þe writere, was first consul, and þan he was i-made emperour, and he was i-made [i-made] om. α. and Cx.] emperour
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DIOCLICIANUS, þe sone of Dalmata þe writere, was first consul, and þan he was i-made emperour, and he was i-made [i-made] om. α. and Cx.] emperour
twenty ȝere. Anon þis smot Aprus in a gaderynge of knyȝtes, and swore þat by [wiþoute, α., β., and Cx.] his [by his] wiþoute, γ.] traysoun and gyle Numerarius [Numerianus, Cx.] was i-slawe. [hadde be slawe, α.; had nouȝt be slayn, β.] Þis man was besy [ful ofte besy, Cx.] and sotil of witte, so þat he couþe fulfille [fulfulle, γ.] his cruelnesse by þe envie of oþere; þis heet and comaunded þat me schulde worshippe hym [hym] om. Cx.] as it were God Almyȝty. He used cloþes and [and] om. Cx.] hosen, [hoson, γ.] and schone [schoen, Cx.] realliche [realich, β.] arrayede wiþ precious stones, þey [þouȝ, β.] emperoures þat were to fore hym were i-salwed [y-saluwed, γ.; salewed, Cx.] as iuges, and hadde a reed mantel [more þan oþere men, and non oþer dyverste from þe comoun cloþynge of oþere men but suche a rede mantel]. [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Also for werre and batailles þat were toward, þis took oon Herculus [Herculius, Cx., et infra.] Maximianus, and made hym his felowe in þe kyngdom. Þis Herculius was opounliche [oponlych, γ.] grym and sturne, and wolde nouȝt be under lawe; his sturnesse was liȝtliche [liȝtliche] sone, Cx.] i-knowe by his grisly semblant. [semblant] countenaunce and semblaunt, Cx.] But Dioclisianus hadde raþer i-made hym [raþer i-made hym] made him firste, Cx.] Cesar and aftirward Augustus; he
bar doun a greet multitude of cherles, and ȝilde [chorles and yelded, Cx.] pees [ȝuld pes, γ.] to þe Galles: in þat iornay was þe legioun i-martired [i-martired] om. Cx.] at Alpes, þat hatte legio Thebea; Seynt Morys was oon of þat legioun. At þe laste Dioclisianus made Constancius and Galerius Cesarus; [Cesars, α. and Cx.] and so þe empere was governed by tweie Augustus, Dio|clisianus and Maximianus, and be tweie Cesares, Constancius and Galerius Cesarus, and so þe empere was governed by tweie Augustus. [Cesarus . . . Augustus] He þat is Augustus is gretter þan he þat is Cesar, α. and Cx.] And for he wolde have þe gretter affinite, Diocli|sianus made Constancius forsake his wif Helene, [Helene] om. Cx.] and wedded [weddede, γ.; wedde, Cx.] Theodora þe step-douȝter of Herculeus Maximianus, and Con|stancius gat on here sixe children; and he made Galerius wedde his douȝter and forsake his wif. And at þe laste Dioclisianus and Maximianus lefte of þe empere by here owne [owne] om. Cx.] [fre] [From α. and Cx.] wille, and bygonne to be philosofres. Þanne Constancius and Galerius delede þe empere bytwene hem tweyne; and so Illiricum and þe Est londes fil [fille, β.; ful, γ. (bis).] to Galerius, and þe West londes fil to Constancius; but he hilde [huld, γ., et infra.] hym apaide [content, Cx.] wiþ Fraunce and wiþ [wiþ] om. Cx.] Spayne, and graunted þe oþer londes to Galerius; þerfore
Galerius ordeyned tweyne Cesars, Maximius [Maximinus, α. and Cx.] in þe West, and Severus in Italy, and hilde hym self apaide [hym content, Cx.] wiþ Illiricum all one, þat is Grees. In þe mene [mene] om. γ.] tyme Dioclicianus fondede to slee Constancius [Constantinus, Cx., et infra.] þe sone of Constancius, þat he hadde on [þe sone . . . on] that was the sone of, Cx.] Heleyne; but Constancius was war of þat gile, and fliȝ [fledde, Cx.] to his fadir. Þat ȝere Seint George of Capadocia, þat was tri|bunus, was i-martred under Dacianus [under Dacianus] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] in Piers, [Pers, α. and β.; Perse, γ.; Perce, Cx.] at a citee þat hatte [heyte, Cx.] Diospolis, þat is bysides Ioppen, and he was i-martired under Dacianus þe iuge by doom of the counsaile of Nicene. [Nicene] of Iewes, γ.] His legende is acounted among writynges þat beeþ [acompted for wryting that is called, Cx.] Apocripha. Trevisa. Þe writynge is Apocripha whanne þe auctor þerof is unknowe. [Apocrifa is a wrytyng of none auctoryte bycause thauctor therof is unknowen, Cx.] Þanne it foloweþ in þe story: after þat Gayus was i-martired, Marcellinus was pope eiȝte ȝere. Dioclisianus compelled hym somtyme, and he assentede forto [for] om. Cx.] do sacrefice to mawmettis; but aftirward, in a counsail þat was i-made in Campania, he knowlechede his trespas to fore nyne [nyȝen, γ.] score
bisshoppis, and cloþede hym self in here, [heere, α.; heer, β., γ., and Cx.] and þrewe powder [pouþer, α. and γ.] and dust [doust, β. and γ.] on his owne heed, and submytte [submitted, β.; submytted, Cx.] hym, and putte hym [and putte hym] om. Cx.] to stonde to þe doom of bisshoppes. Þanne þe bisshoppes seide: "Þou hast forsake, and Peter forsook, and was i-demed of non oþer man, but he wente out and wepte [weop, γ.] bitterliche and soore; þanne deeme þou þy self." "And I, [yche, α.; ich, β. and γ.] " quoþ he, "deme þat I be disposed [deposed, β. and Cx.] and i-sette adoun, and y acurse [acorse, α. and β.; acorsse, γ.; accorse, Cx.] alle þat burieþ my body in holy burielles." After|ward he knowleched tofore Dioclicianus þat he was a Cristen man, and so he was byheded, and his body lay in þe streete þritty dayes unburied, and Seint Peter schewed hem [hym, α.; him, β.; appered, Cx.] in a nyȝt to Marcellus þe preost, þat was pope aftir Marcellinus, and spak to hym in þis manere: "Marcelle, why buriest þou nouȝt my body?" and made hym þerby undirstonde [by whiche he understode, Cx.] Marcel|linus his body: "Hast þou nouȝt i-rad, 'Every man þat loweþ hym [loweth and meketh hym, Cx.] self schal be made highe [y-mad hyȝ, γ.] ;' þanne burie þou [þou] om. Cx.] hym faste by me, þat buriel [buryels, α., γ., and Cx.] departe [MS. has depte, but it is evi|dently only an omission of the abbreviation mark.] is [is] us, Cx.] nouȝt, ffor oon grace
haþ [y-] [From α.] made us riȝtful." Bysides Lingons, Constancius Augustus slouȝ sixty þowsand Almayns, ffor he was i-closed wiþ ynne þe citee, and y-let out by a roop over þe wal un|wetinge þe oost. Galerius was overcome of Narsis, [Narsus, Cx.] and fliȝ to Dioclicianus, and me seiþ þat he was underfonge [underfonge] receyved, Cx.] of hym in þe wey wiþ so greet brag and boost, [brag and boost] booste and triumphe, Cx.] þat Dioclicianus [þe emperoure made þis pope kepe bestes and] added here in MS. by an error.] ran by Galerius his chaar meny longe myle, i-cloþed as a emperour. Marcianus. After þe passioun of Marcellinus þe pope, þe see voydede [voyde, Cx.; sede foydede, γ.] meny dayes, and þan Marcellus was pope fyve ȝere. He ordeyned in þe citee fiftene cardynals for the service of cristenynge [fullyng, β.; follyng, γ.] and of burienge. Maximianus þe emperour made þis pope kepe bestes, for he wolde nouȝt doo sacrifice to mawmettes; þanne in a nyȝt his clerkes ladde hym out of þe stable; and in þe broode wey he halowede [halewide, β.; halwede, γ.] an hous and made þerof a chirche; and Maximianus of þe chirche made a stable, and closed hym þerynne [hym, þerynne] Marcellus in þe comyn warde, β. and γ.; Marcellus in the comyn warde, Cx.] for he schulde efte kepe bestes, and þere Marcellus deide y-cloþede in heer. After hym
Eusebius the phicician was pope eyȝte monþes. ℞. By þe cronike [of Eusebius and] [From α., γ., and Cx.] of Beda, þis eiȝteþe [eyȝteteþ, α.; eyghten, Cx.] ȝere of Dioclicianus was þe firste ȝere of þe grete persecucioun þat was under Dioclicianus in þe Est and Maximianus in þe West; þat persecucioun was grettest and lengest durynge, [duyryng, γ.] for it durede ten ȝere continualliche; ffor þey [þhough, Cx.] Dyoclicianus and Maximianus lefte and ȝilde up þe empere in þe þridde ȝere of þis persecu|cioun, as it is i-seide to forehonde, ȝit þe persecucioun þat was bygonne cesed [seced, Cx.] nouȝt to fore þe sevenþe ȝere of þe grete Con|stantyn. Me seiþ þat þis persecucioun was so grevous and so greet þat cherches and bookes of Goddes lawe were i-brand, [barnd, γ.; brent, Cx.] and wiþ ynne [ynne] om. γ.] oon monþe in dyvers places of þe world were seventene þowsand holy men and wommen i-crowned wiþ martirdom: no man schulde bigge, noþer [bye ne, Cx.] selle, [bugge noþer sylle, γ.] noþer [ne, Cx.] take up water of noo [noo] ony, Cx.] place, but he dede sacrefice to mamettis. [maumetrie, Cx.] Þat tyme were i-martired many noble martres: Pancracius þe firste, and [and] om. Cx.] Felicianus, Sebastianus, Felix, and Andactus, [Adauctus, α. and γ.; Audactus, Cx.] sevene breþeren and here moder Beton, [Bedon, Cx.] Grisogonus, and þe foure þat
beeþ i-cleped quatuor coronatis. [coronati, Cx.] Also Vincent, George [and] [From α., β., and Cx.] Pantaleon, Vitus, Modestus, Ciprianus and Iustina, Cosmas and Damianus, and þat childe Barala, Fidis, Eufemina, Lucia, Ana|stacia, Agnes, and Gorgonius, and alle [alle] om. γ.] in oon citee in Frigia. Beda, libro primo, [primo] om. Cx.] capitulo 6o. Þat tyme Seint Albon was i|martired in Brytayne: of hym Fortunatus þe preost, in libro quem de laude virginum intitulavit, spekeþ in þis manere: "Þe plen|tevous Britayne bryngeþ forþ þe noble Albon." Whan þis Albon was a paynym he herberwed [harborwede, α. and γ.; herbered, β.; lodged, Cx.] a Cristen clerk, [clerk] man, Cx.] and was converted by his lore and toke on hym a clerkes cope, and come [the habyte of the clerk and cam, Cx.] to fore þe iuge for a clerk, [for a clerk] om. Cx.] and was i-dampned to deþe, and con|verted moche folk faste by the brook þat he dreyede [druyde, γ.] by prayers; and aftirward in þe cop [toppe, Cx.] of þe hille, þere [þere] where as, Cx.] he deide, he made by his prayere a welle springe out of þe erþe, [eorþe, γ.] and tornede þe tormentoures [tormentor, γ.] þat schulde slee hym to þe fey of holy chirche. He was i-martired faste by þe citee Verolamum, [Verolanium, Cx.] þat hatte Fer|lamchestre [Verlamchestre, Cx.] an Englisch oþer Watlyng strete. [Watlyngchestre, α., β., γ., and Cx.] Beda. Þat tyme
come up Arrian his heresie, þat infectede nouȝt onliche þe grete londes of þe world, [but also þe ilondes of þe world,] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat beeþ alwey gladliche [glad, α.; alwey redy to here, Cx.] for to hire [huyre, γ.] new þinges, and holde no þing certayn. Dioclicianus and Maximianus forsakeþ [forsoke, Cx.] þe empere, and ledeþ [ladde, Cx.] a privat lyf, þe [þe] that, Cx. (bis).] oon at Nichomedia and þe [þe] that, Cx. (bis).] oþer at Melan. Melchiades was pope foure ȝere; he forbeed [forbeod, γ.] fastynge in þe Soneday and in þe Þorsday, for paynyms wor|shippeþ þilke [þulke, γ.] dayes. Galerius was emperour oon ȝere, and ordeynede tweie Cesars, Maximus [Maximius, α. and Cx.; Maxi|mianus, γ.] and Severus. Beda, libro primo. Þat tyme Constancius deide at ȝork in Britayne, þe ȝere of his principate þrittene, and lefte after hym his eldest [elþeste, γ] sone i-gete on Heleyne, þat was Constantyn kyng of Britayne and of Fraunce. Constancius. [Constantinus, α.]