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 RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL THE GODLY AND VERTVOVS GENTLE∣MAN, CHRISTOPHER KENNE ESQVIER, INCREASE OF VVORSHIP, CONTINEVVANCE OF GODLIE zeale and health in Christ Iesu.

WHē I cal to memorie (right vvorshipful) the saying of the holy Apostle S. Paul, that God according vnto his vnsearcheable vvisedome chose not many vvise men according vnto the fleshe, not many mightie men, not many noble men to plant the principles of his Gospell amonge the nations vnder heauen: I can not chuse but honor studious nobilitie, and reuerence vertue vvhere I finde her for the rare∣nesse thereof. hovve precious is a litle siluer amonge a great deale of drosse: one fruitfull tree in a vvide barren forest: one ruddye rose amonge manie pricking thornes: one pearle though founde in a puddle of mire: one tvvinkeling starre through manie thicke and my∣stie cloudes: one Lotte in Sodome: one Helias in Israel: one Iob in Husse: one Tobi∣as in Niniue: one Phoenix in Arabia: and one Euagrius a noble gentleman, imploying his trauell to the furtherance of the Ecclesiasticall affayres? Dionysius byshopp of Alexan∣dria vvritinge a booke of repentaunce sent it to Conon byshopp of Hermopolis, vvho by repentaunce had renounced the idolatrie of pagans, and zealously cleaued to the Christian profession, as a fit reader of so vvorthy a theame: Origen vvriting of martyrs sent his trea∣tise vnto Ambrose and Protoctetus ministers of Caesarea, such as had endured great af∣fliction and grieuous crosses vnder Decius the emperour, vvhere they might haue a vievv of their valiant and inuincible courage: The philosophers of Alexandria & Aegypt, such as in those dayes excelled in prophane literature, vvrote great volumes of their profound skill, and sent them vnto the famous philosopher and Christian doctor Origen, the great clarke of Alexandria: Of mine ovvne part (right vvorshipfull) not attributing vnto my self, such excellency of vvit, & singularitie of giftes as raigned in the aforesaide vvriters, vvhen I had finished the translation of the former histories, I meane Eusebius and Socrates, & de∣dicated them vvhere duety did binde me vnto the right honorable and my very good Lady, the Countesse of Lyncolne, I thought good to send this present translation of Euagrius vnto your vvorship, a noble Gentleman, vnto a vvorshipfull Esquier, a lieuetenant of Antioch, vnto the Shiriffe of Sommerset, a learned historiographer vnto on that is no lesse studious, of great fame vnto one that is of as good report, a furtherer of religion vnto a fauourer of such as professe the same. It is tolde me of trueth, nay I haue found my selfe sufficient triall of your curtesie and vertuous disposition. VVhen I trauelled novve tvvo yeares agoe at the re∣quest of a deare friende and kinsman of mine in your countye of Sommerset, and savve the good vvill you bare vnto your neighbours and tenauntes, the entire loue and affection they ovved vnto you againe, I called to remembraunce the sayinge of Eberhardus Duke of VVittenberge in the Parlament helde at VVormes of all the princes of Germanie, in the time of Maximilian. Euerie of the nobylitie commended his ovvne cuntreye, the Princes of Saxonie praysed their myne pittes and quarries, their precious mettalls: the Dukes of Bauaria sette foorth the maiesticall buyldinge and portly Cyties vvythin their dominions: the Duke Palatine extolled the fertylitie of his soyle, the plentiful∣nesse of his grape, and the pleasauntnesse of his vvyne: Duke Eberhardus holdinge

his peace & harkning to the rest, vvas requested of Friderick Duke of Saxonie to say some∣vvhat for his ovvne cuntrey. I knovve not (saith he) vvhat commendation I shoulde geue my cuntrey, but sure I am of this one thinge, that I may safely lay my heade and sleepe in the lappe of any subiect vvithin my dominions, by day or by night, at home or abroade. as muche to say he gouerned his cuntrey so vertuously that the commonalty vvould liue and die vvith him, the vvhich sying of his by the censure and opinion of all the princes deserued the grea∣test prayse. If I may speake vnfainedly vvhat I thought, I tooke his case to be yours, the iudg∣ment he gaue of his dominions to be the report you giue of your cuntrey, and novve I thinke the godly rule of his people thē, to be presently the politick gouernment of your shiriffvvike, you remember I am sure (naye I see it in you my selfe) hovve the painter setteth forth the portracture of the emperours of Germanie, holding a booke in the right hand & a svvord in the left. the booke betokeneth knovvledge of the lavve, the svvorde execution of iu∣stice. many there are novve a dayes vvhich sue for suche offices, in mine opinion they are not the fittest men, they respect not the afore saide conditions but their ovvne lucre and the making vp of their bags for that yeare. Iouianus refused the empire of the vvhole vvorld vvhen it vvas offred him: Ambrose vvoulde in no vvise be made byshoppe of Millaine: Eusebius could not be persvvaded to take the byshoprick of Antioch, Constantinus mag∣nus vvrote of him that in so doing he vvas vvorthie to be byshop of the chiefest Churche vnder heauen: it vvas against your vvill that you tooke the office vpon you, I knovve it full vvell, therefore you deserue the greater prayse and commendation. Novve that you are in office hearken vvhat a learned Poët seeing his friende chosen magistrate, vvrote vnto him, it vvas in such sort as follovveth:

Da, capias, quaeras, plurima, pauca, nihil.

By interpretation, geue much: take litle: seeke nothing, he meant by extortion. Aristotle bad Alexander remember that gouernment vvas not insolencie, oppression and iniurie, but execution of iustice, helping vvith counsell and maintaining of right. Ernestus Duke of Luneburge vvas mindefull of his calling, vvhen he caused a burning candle to be stamped in his coyne vvith these letters in compasse. A. S. M. C. alijs seruiens meipsum contero. vvhile I serue other mens turnes, I vvast my selfe avvay. I presume that of your good na∣ture you vvill take the premises in good part, considering they proceede of good vvill and frendly remembrance for the great curtesie I haue receaued. It is the part of a friende not onely to be thankefull for the benefits bestovved vpon him, and to commend ver∣tuous disposition vvhere he findeth the same, but also exhorte his friende to goe on in vvell doing and vvish the continuance thereof. If that herein I haue discharged some part of my duetie, take it vvell in vvorth & accept it vvith as louing a minde as the Translator vvas vvillinge to take penne in hand to com∣mende it vnto you vvith a preface. Farevvell from London the 4. of September. 1576.

Yours in the Lorde MEREDITH HANMER.