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

CAP. XXVI.* 1.1

The sicknes, the Baptisme, the death and funerall of Constantinus magnus.

THe yeare after, Constantine the Emperour being threescore and fiue yeare olde, fell sicke, and leauing Constantinople, sayled to Helenopolis, vsing for his healthe, the hott baths that were nighe the towne. When that he sickned more and more, he differred bayning of him selfe, left Helenopolis, and gott him straight to Nicomedia▪ Abiding there in a certayne ma∣nour without the towne walls, he was baptized in the fayth of Christ. In the which baptisme he greatly reioyced: made his last will & testament: appoynted his three sonnes heyres of the empire: distributed to thē their seuerall inheritances, as he had in his healths time: he bequetheth to Rome, and to Constantinople, many famous monuments: he putteth the Priest (by whose meanes Arius was called from exile, of whome we spake a litle before) in trust with his testament, charging him to deliuer it to no mans hand, saue to his sonne Constantius, whome he had made Emperour of the* 1.2 East. His will being made, and his life lasting a fewe dayes after, he died. At his death there was none of his sonnes present. Wherefore there was a Post sent into the East, for to signifie vn∣to his sonne Constantius the deathe of his father. * The Emperours corps, his familiares and dearest friendes chested in a coffin of golde, and carryed it to Constantinople, there they sett it

in an high lodging of the pallace, doing thereunto great honor, and solemnitie, vntill that one of his sonnes was come. When that Constantius was now come from the East, they sett forth the corps, with a princely funerall, and buried it in the Apostles Churche (for so was it called) the which Church Constantine buylded, lest that the Emperours and Priestes shoulde be bereued of the Apostles reliques. The Emperour Constantine liued threescore and fiue yeares, he raygned 31. and died the two and twentieth day of May, Felicianus and Tatianus being Consuls, the second yeare of the two hundreth seuenty and eyght Olympiade. This booke compriseth the historie of one and thirtie yeares.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 39. in the Greeke.
• * 1.2

  The death ••f Constan∣••••nus magn{us}. ••nno Dom. 40. ••ap. 40. in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Greeke.