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. XIII.

Of the tumult which the Arians raised at Constantinople.

AT the very same time when the Emperour made all y^• expeditiō he could to wage this bat∣taill with the tyrant: the Arians raised a wonderfull great stur at Constantinople, y^• maner was as followeth. Men commonly are wōt to fitten and faine leasings of things they know not and if that by chaunce they get hold of any tale forthwith they brute abroade false rumors and reports according to their fond vaine and foolishe desires, euer chatting of newes and harkeninge after chaunge. The which then was seene in the citie of Constantinople. For of the warres that were so farre of, they blased abroade of theyr owne braine one this thing an other that thinge: ho∣ping in their traiterous hartes that y^• godly Emperour had euery daye worse successe then other. For although there was nothing as yet done in the warres: neuerthelesse they auoutch y^t tidinges (being coyned in the closet of their gigled braine) they knew not, to be as true as if they had seene thē with their owne eyes: they reported that y^• tyrant foyled the Emperours power: y^• there were slaine so many hundreds & so many thousands of his souldiers & that the tyrant had almost taken the Emperour himselfe. The Arians being very much troubled in minde ready to burst for griefe (that they whome they persecuted aforetime nowe enioyed the churches within the walls of y^• ci∣ty) scattered sundry false rumors abroade. And because y^• diuers other reports perswaded the first autors of these false rumors that their sigments were most true (for others which learned it onely by hearesay affirmed vnto the autors thereof y^• it was euen as they at y^• first had reported vnto thē) the Arians plucke vp their hartes, they beginne to venter a fresh and they set on fire the pallace of* 1.1 Nectarius y^• Bishop of Constātinople. These thinges were done in the second Consulship of Theo∣dosius but the first of Cynegius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anno Dom. 392.