The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

TO THE RIGHTE HONORABLE, THE GODLY, WISE AND VERTVOVS LADIE ELIZABETH, COVNTESSE OF LYNCOLNE, vvife to the right noble Edvvarde Earle of Lyncolne, Lorde highe Admirall of England one of the Queenes Maiesties priuie counsail and Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter: MEREDITH HANMER vvisheth encrease of honor, con∣tinewance of Godly zeale, perfection of wisedome, and health in Christ Iesus.

THE holy Apostle and Euangelist, Sainct Iohn, one that lea∣ned on our Sauiours breaste (right honorable Ladie) when he sawe a noble woman whome he tearmeth a Lady, walking in the way of trueth, and willingly embracing the gladsome tidmges of the Gospell, reioyced exceedingly and wrote vn∣to her an Epistle wherein he commendeth her vertues, ex∣horting her to obserue the olde commaundement of louing one an other, and to take heede of deceauers: though in all poynctes I am founde farre inferior, nay in nothing compa∣rable at all vnto the blessed Apostle, yet your honors vertues doe counteruaile, or rather surpasse the other Ladies Godlinesse, seeinge the seede of Christianity was in her but newely sowen, and true zeale of religion firmely rooted these many yeares in your Ladiships mind. Notwithstanding my inferior condition, be it lawfull (though not of worthinesse, at least wise of fauour) for me to imitate the blessed Apostle, & to wryte vnto your honor, not any exhortation of myne owne (whiche peraduenture woulde be very simple) but the exhortation of the Apostles and Disciples of our Sauiour, the martyrdomes of Saynctes and such as serued God in trueth and vp∣right conuersation, the inuincible courage and constancie of zealous Christians, the Godly sayinges and sentences of true professors, the wise and politicke gouer∣nemente of common weales by Catholicke Emperours and Christian princes, the carefull ouersight of the flocke of Christ by reuerend Bishops and learned Prelats, the confutation and ouerthrowe of heretickes with the confirmation of the trueth ••y holy councells and sacred assemblies, and to say the wholl in one worde, as the principall drifte of myne Epistle, to presente vnto your Ladiship these auncient Ec∣clesiasticall Historiographers, to wit, Eusebius, Socrates, Euagrius, & Dorotheus. Whose histories are so replenished with such godly doctrine, that I may very well say of their

all, as a learned wryter reporteth of Eusebius, that they are able to perswade any man be his mind neuer so farre alienated from the trueth, to become a zealous Christian. Wherefore my good Lady seeing that as Plato sayth running witts are delighted with poetrie, as Aristotle wryteth, effeminate persons are rauished with musicke, and as Socrates telleth vs histories agree beste with staide heades: I present vnto your honor these histories agreeing very well with your disposition, and beinge the frutes of my trauell and studie. Ruffinus sayth, that he wrote his historie to delight the reader, to oc∣cupie the time, and to remoue the remembrance of the calamities (meaning the per∣secution) which then lately had happened. As for Christian pleasure and Godly de∣lightes, what can be more pleasaunt then the reading of the Ecclesiasticall histories? toutching the time, I knowe it full well you spende it as it beseemeth your calling, to speake of calamitie (vnlesse we beholde the miserie and lamentable estate of other Realmes and dominions) presentlye there is geuen no suche occasion, for it can not be remembred that the subiectes within this realme of Englande had the Gospell so freely preached, Clerkes so profoundely learned, Nobility so wise and politicke, all successes so prosperous, as in this happie raygne of our most vertuous & noble Prin∣cesse Queene Elizabeth, and therefore are we greatly bounde to praise God for it. Yet if ye call to memorie the corruption of late dayes, the blindnes of such as woulde be called Gods people, the lamentable persecution of the English Church, then may ye reade them after calamitie. But notwithstandinge the premises it is not my drifte to salue such sores, neither to prouide medicens for such Maladies. God of his proui∣dence hath continewally bene so carefull ouer his Church that his seruants were ne∣uer left desolate. Though Elias complayned that he was left alone, yet were there thousandes vvhich bovved not their knees to Baal. S. Paul telleth vs there is of Israel a remnant left. Our Sauiour speaking of his Church though it be not of the greatest multitudes yet is it accordinge vnto his Epitheton a litle flocke. And sure I am there may be found a righteous Abraham in Chaldaea, a iust Lot in Sodome, a godly Dani∣el in Babylon, a deuout Tobias in Niniue, a paciente Iob in Husse, and a zealous Nehe∣mias in Damasco. There is found wheate among tares, graine in the huske, corne a∣mong chaffe, a kearnel within the shale, marrow within the bone, a pearle within the cockle, and a rose amonge the thornes. There was a Ionathas in the court of Saul to fa∣uour Dauid, there was an Obadia in the Court of Achab to entertayne the Prophets, there was an Abedmelech in the Court of Sedechias to entreate for Ieremie, and in the Court of Diocletian there were many yonge Gentlemen, namely Petrus, Dorotheus, Gorgonius with many others which embraced the Christians & suffred death for the testimony of Christ, as your honor may reade in these Ecclesiastical histories, which I haue not therfore commended vnto you for the remembrance of any calamitie at all. But as for the Court of our most gracious Queene (a sight both ioyfull and comfor∣table) where there resortes so many learned Clerkes, so many Godly persons, so many graue Matrons, so many vertuous Ladies, so many honorable personages, hauinge so noble a heade to gouerne them all: There the Christian is no Phoenix, the godly is no blacke swanne, for the Gospell is freely preached, and the professors thereof had in honor and estimation. Wherefore in so godly a place, to be so vertuously disposed at vacant times, as to reade these auncient histories, wilbe a commendation vnto your honor, an encrease of knowledge, a confirmation of the faith, a maintenance of zeale, and a liuely beholdinge of Christ Iesus in his members. Here you may see the mode∣sty and shamefastnes of Christian maydens, the constancie of zealous women, the chast mindes of graue Matrons, the godly disposition & wise gouernment of Queenes

and Empresses. Heere your Ladiship shall finde zealous prayers, sorowefull lamen∣tations, godly Epistles, Christian decrees & constitutions. The father admonishing the sonne, the mother her daughter, the Bishop his clergie, the Prince his subiectes, one Christian confirming an other, and God exhortinge vs all. Many nowe adayes had rather reade the stories of Kinge Arthur: The monstrous fables of Garagantua: the Pallace of pleasure: the Dial of Princes, where there is much good matter: the Monke of Burie full of good stories: Pierce ploweman: the tales of Chaucer where there is excellent wit, great reading and good decorum obserued, the life of Marcus Aurelius where there are many good Morall precepts: the familiar and golden Epi∣stles of Antonie Gvvevarra where there is both golden witt & good penning: the pil∣gremage of Princes well penned and Clerckly handeled: Reinard the Fox: Beuis of Hampton: the hundred mery tales: skoggan: Fortunatus: with many other infortunate treatises and amorous toies wrytten in Englishe, Latine, Frenche, Italian, Spanishe, but as for bookes of diuinitie, to edifie the soule, and instructe the inwarde man, it is the least part of their care, nay they will flatly answere it belongeth not to theyr calling to occupie their heades with any such kinde of matters, It is to be wished, if not all, at leaste wise that some part of the time which is spente in readinge of suche bookes (althoughe many of them contayne notable matter) were bestowed in rea∣ding of holy Scripture or other such wrytinges as dispose the mind to spirituall con∣templation. I am fully perswaded that your Ladiship readeth no vayne bookes, I haue seene the experience of your vertuous disposition my selfe and knowen it nowe of a long time. Wherefore seeinge you haue obtained honor with them that be pre∣sēt, fame for the time to come, riches for your posterity, an estate for your successors reputation among straungers, credit amongest your owne, gladnesse for your friends and that which passeth all, a sure affiance in the goodnesse of God: thinke it not amisse seeing it agreeth with my vocation, as I beganne with the Apostle that I nowe ende with exhorting of your Ladiship to goe on still in well doinge, and with requestinge of your honor louingly to accept the thankefull remembrance of the benefits which I haue receaued at your handes. Let your vertuous disposition and right hono∣rable callinge be a protection and defence that these auncient histories be not blemished in the handes of Zoylous Sycophants, which as Socrates sayth, being obscure persons, and such as haue no pith or substance in them, go about most com∣monly to purchase vnto them selues fame and credit by dispraising of others. God send your Ladiship ma∣ny ioyfull yeares. From London the first of September. 1576.

Your Honors to dispose and commaunde MEREDITH HANMER.