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. XXIII.

Of Iohn, who after the desease of the Emperour Honorius playd the tyrant at Rome, & how God deliuered him through the prayers of Theodosius into the hands of the Romaine souldiers.

OCcasion is presently ministred to discourse howe Theodosius being ayded frō aboue, foyled the rebell and tyrant Iohn, immediatly after the Persian battaile & the desease of Honoritu, in y^• cōsulship of Asclepiodotus & Marianus, y^• 15. of August. In mine opiniō y^• acts of those dayes are worthy y^• writig, & such they are as of right should be recorded to y^• knowledge of the posterity in time to come. For the like thigs which hapned vnto the Hebrewes vnder Moses as they passed through the red sea, new befell vnto the emperours captaines being set against y^• tyrāt, the which I mind briefly to rūne ouer, leauīg y^• large discourse because it requireth a seuerall volume vnto others. Although Theodosius knew that Honorius y^• Emperour had departed this life, yet cō∣cealed he his death frō others, so y^• an other deuise which hereafter shalbe spokē of, begutled many therin. He sent priuely a souldier vnto Salonae a city of Dalmatia, to geue warnig y^• if any nouelty were attēpted in y^• west parts of the world, there should be such preparatiò as might quickly sup∣presse y^• authors therof. Whē he had brought y^• about, he opened vnto all men y^• death of his vncle. In y^• meane while Iohānes one of y^• Emperours chiefe secretaries, being not of setled disposition to beare y^• saile & bāner of prosperity, chalēged the empire, & sēt embassabours vnto y^• emperour The∣odosius, requiring him to proclaime him emperour. Theodosius tooke his legats, layd thē in hold, &

sēt vnto Iohn Ardaburius y^• captaine, who of late had behaued him self valiātly in y^• battaile agaīst the Persians, he cōming to Salonae, sailed into Aquileia, whence (as it is thought) he tooke a wrōg course. the chaunce was as followeth. Being in the surging waues of y^• maine seae, y^• winde blewe against him, & brought him ere he was ware into y^• tyrāts clawes. The tyrant laying hand on him was now in good hope y^• Theodosius would be brought of necessitie (if he tendered y^• life of his cap∣taine Ardaburius) to create & proclaime him Emperour. whē these thīgs came to light, both The∣odosius him selfe & his army also, which marched forwardes against y^• rebell, were wonderfull sory lest Ardaburius should take any harme at y^• tyrāts hāds. Aspar also y^• sōne of Ardaburius seing both his father taken captiue, & also hearing for certainty y^• an infinite power of Barbariās wēt to ayde the rebell, knewe not what to doe, he was at his wittes ende. To be short y^• prayers of y^• godly Em∣perour thē also proued thē selues againe to be very effectuall. for an Angell of God in y^• forme of a shepherd guided Aspar on his iourney, & led his army by a lake adioyning vnto Rauēna (for there it was that the tyrant kept captaine Ardaburius in hold) which way as fame goeth, there was ne∣uer man y^• found passage. But God opened a way vnto Aspar where as it is thought others coulde not goe. He led then his armie through the lake, which then as it fell out was dryed vp by the han∣dy worke of God: he rushed in at the gates of the citie which lay wide open, & dispatched the tyrāt. At what time the most godly Emperour vnderstanding of the tyrāts death, as he celebrated those showes and spectacles in Circus, made manifest his singular zeale & pietie godwards, for thus he spake vnto the people. Let vs geue ouer this vaine pastime and pleasure: let vs rather repaire vnto the church and serue God deuoutly, pouring vnto God zealous prayers, & yelding vnto him harty thankes, who with his owne hande hath bereaued the tyrant of his life. He had no sooner made an end of speaking, but ther gaue ouer their spectacles and showes: they set all at nought: they passed throughout the theater sounding out thanks geuing with one voyce together with the Emperour: they went straight to the church, and spent there the whole day, so that all the citie seemed to be as one church.