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

THE PREFACE OF THE TRANSLA∣TOR VNTO THE READER, TOVTCHING EVAGRIVS AND HIS HISTORIE.

EVagrius a noble man of Antioch a learned writer and continewer of this Ecclesiasticall historie may not lightly be ouerskipped with out commending of his prayse and vertues to immortall memo∣rie, and rehearsing of them to the encouragement of all studious nobilitie, to the profite of the louing reader, and the furtherance of christian profession. his honor was nothing impaired, his blood nothing blemished at all, in that he being a tēporall man acquain∣ted him selfe with ecclesiasticall affaires. Sabellicus writeth that Bartolomevve the A∣postle* 1.1 came of a noble race, forsoke the brauery of courtiers, and became the follow∣er of Christ. Peter: Dorotheus, and Gorgonius being pages vnto the Emperour Diocle∣tian* 1.2 in great creditte and of noble parentage bad court farewell, weyed litle their ho∣nor, made lesse accompt of the Emperour, forsoke their owne liues rather then they* 1.3 woulde forsweare Christ. The treasurer together with the lieuetenant of a certaine towne in Phrygia, chose rather for the trueth in Christ, with fire to be consumed to ashes, then here to enioy all worldly treasure. Audactus a noble man of Italie, prefer∣red the garland of martyrdome before all the glorie and pompe of this transitorie* 1.4 life. A noble man of Nicomedia rent in pieces a wicked proclamation in the face of all the foure Emperours. Astyrius a Senator of Rome, thought it no staining of his honor, to take vp on his shoulders the deade bodie of a blessed martyr, and prouide for it a funeral. Iouianus, Valentinianus and Valens, noble men and afterwards Emperours one after the other, threwe away their sword girdles, left their offices, departed the court of Iulian the Apostata, rather then they woulde deny Christ. Yet S. Paule saith that not many wise men according vnto the fleshe: not manie mightie, not manie noble men are called. true it is in respect of a greater number of the contrary, or rather we may say that these were not fleshly minded, their disposition was not carnall, their wisedome was not worldly. how great a comfort is it vnto christian profession when princes be∣come fosterers, when Queenes become nurces, and noble men become fauourers of the christian faith? In some countries we see that noble men most of all spend their time in studie and learning. It is not decent in some countries for the pesants sonne, the farmour, the frankline, or howsoeuer ye terme him to forget his fathers rusticall toile, & forthwith addict him self to the gentlemans trade. The Pope most common∣ly calleth noble men to his colledge of Cardinals, Dukes and Earles yongest sonnes, he vsed to make Cardinals sometimes in their cradles. Bishops and Archbishops in many countreis descende of noble houses. Osorius Bishops of Lusitania in Portingall writing against M. Haddon, sticked not to giue vs an inklinge of his parentage. Ney∣ther doe I mislike with this in the churche of Rome, sicaetera essent paria, for I reade* 1.5 that Nectarius a noble man by office praetor of Constantinople, was chosen to be by∣shop of that seae, of a hundred and fiftie byshops which then assembled together at

Constantinople, partly for that, and partly for other things. Ambrose also lieuetenant of a prouice was made byshop of Millayne. Chrisostō byshop of Constantinople descended* 1.6 of the senators of Antioch. Thalassius Senator of Constantinople, lieuetenant of Illyrium was made byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. I see that Euagrius vvho in the time of Ti∣berius Constantinus was Quaestor, and in the time of Mauricius Tiberius was maister of the rolles, together with diuers others occupied themselues about Ecclesiasticall affaires, but I highly commend such as shewe forth tokens of their nobilitie by studie of vertue, politicke gouernement of their countrey, noble prowesse, valiauntnesse of courage, maintenance of the trueth, and furtheraunce of the Gospell. some thinke it is inough for them to bayte at the vniuersitie, there steale a degree and forth with be counted gentlemen: or to be in commons in one of the Innes of court, where there are many wise, zealous, and learned gentlemen: or to get into some noble mans ser∣uice, and by vertue of the cognizance to be called a maister: or to purchase for a piece of money a coate armour: or to begge a farme, and by vertue of the valuation in the queenes bookes to become a gentleman. Euery one thinkes not I am sure, that these sorts of men are to be numbred among the auncient & noble houses, though in processe of time antiquitie seeme topreuaile very muche with suche kinde of men, long possession is a great matter in lawe and an olde deede though it be forged will further the matter very much. The Arcadians called them selues 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a proge∣ny* 1.7 farre more auncient then the Moone. of them Ouid writeth thus.

Ere Moone vvas set in skies aboue (if fame doe them not faile)* 1.8 The soile vvas calld of Arcas highe vvhose creditt must auaile.

But they contended for Antiquitie with the AEgyptians and to try out the trueth, Psammitichus King of AEgypt did as followeth. he shut vp in a certaine close lodging* 1.9 farre from cities and company of people, two newly borne babes, some say with nur∣ces (charged not to speake a worde) some say amonge goates, and that for the space of three whole yeares, at the three years end to see what language the children would speake, he caused one of his familiars sodainely to goe in among the children whiche did so and tooke one of the children by the hand which saide vnto him, Becos, that is in the Phrygian tongue bread, the king hearing this confessed him selfe ouercome, and yelded vnto his aduersaries for antiquitie. thenceforth were they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but* 1.10 Suidas thinketh that the childrē being acquainted with the bleting of goats cried beck and so that it was nothing else but a iest and a deluding of the king. Yet Iohn Goropi∣us a phisicion of Antvverpe, taketh the matter in earnest to thende he might currie fa∣uour with the Germanes, he faith that the Grecians were herin fouly deceaued, & that beck or weck in the Germane tongue, signifieth bread: the AEgyptians being foyled turne them vnto the Scythians and of them likewise they were ouercome. here is much* 1.11 a do & all for gentry. The AEthiopians alleage reasons for themselues, and they must be heard. the Brittaines can tell you they come from Troy, and thence they can bring you the straighte way to Adam, nexte to God, and then a full point. Poggius writeth that a noble man of Fraunce espied on an Italian soldiers bucklar the oxe heade in∣grauen,* 1.12 stomaked him therefore, tolde him it vvas his cognizance, that his house was farre more auncient and to the ende all quarells might be ended, chalenged him to the fielde. the Italian made litle adoe, tolde him he woulde meete him. on the daye appointed the noble man came with a great troupe. the souldier likewise mette and ioyninge together he asked of him whye his noble bloode vvas so muche out of temper: VVhen that the noble man aunsvvered that his auncetors had euer geuen

the oxes head, and that he and his vvould thenceforth giue it or else knovv a cause to the contrary. why an please you syr (saith the soldier) this is no oxe head, it is the head of a cowe. It was about gentrie betweene Phaëton and Epaphus that moued Phaëton, as* 1.13 the Poëts faine, to craue license for one day to sitte in the chariot of Sol. for when he minded to roote out the posteritie of his aduersarie, almost he set the whole world on fire. Maximinus the emperour borne in a pelting village of Thracia, & misliking with* 1.14 him selfe therfore, slew as many as knew his pedegree and had seene the raggs of his parents. Herode burned the Genealogies of the Iewes that he might affirme him self as* 1.15 wel as they to haue descēded of a noble race. Themistocles a bastard borne, for to cloke* 1.16 his birth & to remoue the il opinion conceaued that way, entised the yong nobility of Athens to frequent Cynosarges a schole without the city where bastards did onely fre∣quent. many shifts are made, Iacke would be a gentleman if he could speake frenche. Amasis king of AEgypt being basely borne, made his image of gold, set it vp to be wor∣shipped* 1.17 that the people might reuerence him the more. Smerdes a sorcerer because he was in person like Smerdes the brother of Cambyses King of the Assyrians (whose death Cambyses procured fearinge he woulde aspire vnto the kingdome) made the worlde beleeue he was the man in deede, ouercame Cambyses and was crowned King, but his wife and bedfellow with clipping and other wonted familiarity, felt his head, found that Smerdes had no eares, reuealed it abrode, and so was he betrayd and depo∣sed his kingdome. Prompalus fained himselfe to be the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes. A* 1.18 certaine AEgyptian the sonne of Protarchus the marchant called him selfe the sonne of* 1.19 Alexander Zebenna, and the adopted sonne of Antiochus, wept bitterly at the funerall of Antiochus as if he had bene his owne father. Archelaus made the worlde beleeue that he was the sonne of Mithridates. when Perseus the last king of the Macedonians had ended this lyfe, Andristus a cuntrey fellow woulde needes perswade men that he* 1.20 was his sonne. Equitius affirmed that without all doubt he was the sonne of Tiberius Gracchus. Citharaedus endeuored to perswade the Romanes that Nero had not dispatch∣ed* 1.21 him self but that he was Nero. many of the aforsaid cloked their gentry, fained thē selues noble mē, conquered kingdoms, deluded the world, & in the end deceaued thē selues. Iulius Caesar espied a rude & an homely mā, aspiring vnto the kingdome of Cap∣padocia, he resēbled very much the fauour of Ariarathes whom al the vvorld knevv to* 1.22 haue bene dispatched by Marcus Antonius, this counterfet Ariarathes had vvon al the cuntreis, the crovvne vvas going to his head, but ere the crovvne came Iulius Caesar tooke his head frō of his shoulders. so dealt Augustus the Emperour vvith such as had* 1.23 proclaimed a yong man to be king of the Iewes after the desease of Herod, because he resembled his sonne Alexander vvhome in his life time he had put to death. When Henry the fourth had taken Richard the second that vvas king of England, and impriso∣ned* 1.24 him, the Earle of Salisbury vncle of the mother side vnto king Richard either to re∣deeme the prisoner or to reuenge him of the king or peraduenture both, sette vp a priest in princely atyre, one of king Richardes Musicians, resemblinge his person ve∣rie muche, and blazed that the Kinge had broken prisone and vvas gone: the peo∣ple hearinge of this ranne after the counterfeite Kinge, but Henry came vvith povv∣er and made the priest he coulde signe no more. What vvill not al these shiftes auayle vs? can vve not face out the matter? vvil Abbey gentry helpe at al? no doubt antiquity* 1.25 must take place. vvil you he are what Lycurgus the lavvgiuer of the Lacedaemonians said somtime vpō like occasion vnto the bragging nobility of Lacedemon:

O noble citizens (saith he) the vaunte and glory vve make of Hercules the auncient race and progenie

descending of his loines vvilauaile vs not a iote: vnlesse that with al care and industry vve practise in ou•• liues such vertuous acts as made him famous and renowmed:

and moreouer that we learne & exercise continually honest & noble behauiour. Agesilaus* 1.26 king of the Lacedemoniās misliked very much with the behauiour of his nobility, whē he vttered these words vnto thē.

you see the force & strength of the host to be on the side of the Spartane soldier, & you your selues follow after as a shadow cōmonly goeth after the corporall substance. Theodorus Zuinger reporteth thus of the nobility of his* 1.27 cuntrey. They wil be coūted the best men, that take vpon thē to maintain & encrease the honor of their auncestors: they are the most sluggish sort of men, they giue them selues to hunting, to banqueting, to pouling & oppressing of the pore people, & they thinke that onely thing sufficient for their honor that they either through an other mans vertue, or through an other mans vice, attained vnto the name of nobilitie, or vnto auncient armes: that thence forth they may without controlement together with such like companions banquet day and night in their pauillions, haunt brothell houses and frequent places of beastly pleasure, & because they are scarse worthie the companie of men they consume the rest of their dayes in follovving after dogges. I except them euer and in all places, vvhiche liuely expresse in vertuous life, the noble fame, and great renowme of their auncestors.

so farre Theodorus. But (God be praised for it) we are able to report farre better of England, that there are of the nobilitie, vali∣ant men, vertuous, godly, studious, politicke, zealous, of auncient houses, and blood neuer stayned. There is hope the dayes shall neuer be seene vvhen the prophesie of Chaucer shall take place vvhere he sayth:

VVhen fayth fayleth in priestes savves,* 1.28 And Lordes hestes are holden for lavves, And robberie is holden purchase, And lecherie is holden solace. Than shall the land of Albion Be brought to great confusion.

And to the end our vvished desire may take effect, let vs hearken vvhat exhortati∣on he geueth vnto the chiefe magistrate, his vvordes are these:

Prince desire to be honorable, Cherishe thy folke and hate extortion, Suffer nothing that may be reproueable, To thine estate done in thy region. Shevve forth the yarde of castigation. Dreade God, doe lavve, loue trueth and vvorthinesse. And vvedde thy folke ayen to stedfastnes.

Novve that my penne hath ouer rulde me, and runne so far vvith the race of mine autors nobilitie, I vvill returne vnto Euagrius againe, that vve may be the better ac∣quainted with so singuler a man that hath ministred the occasion of so singuler a mat∣ter. He studied a while at Apamea, for so he testifieth of him self in the time of the Em∣perour* 1.29 Iustinian about the yeare of our Lorde 565. he vvas so carefull ouer the studi∣ous reader, that he recited vnto him about the latter ende of his fift booke all the hi∣stories both diuine and prophane, from the beginning of the vvorlde vnto his time. He vvas a great companion of Gregorie byshop of Antioche, he bare him companie to Constantinople, vvhen he vvent to cleare him self, he reporteth of himself that he vvas maryed in Antioche, vvith great pompe and royall solemnitie, vvhen the great earth∣quake

the night follovving, shooke the vvhole citie. His state and condition I doe ga∣ther vvhere he writeth of the pestilent & contagious disease which raigned through∣out the vvorlde, the space of two and fiftie yeares: the vvords he vvrote are these:

The* 1.30 greatest mortalitie of all fell vpon mankinde the second yeare of the reuolution vvhich comprised the terme of fiftene yeares, so that I my selfe vvhich vvrite this hi∣storie vvas then troubled vvith an impostume, or svvellinge about the priuie mem∣bers, or secrete partes of the bodye: moreouer in processe of time, vvhen this sicknes vvaxed hot, and dispatched diuersly and sundry kinds of wayes it fell out to my great griefe and sorowe that God tooke from me many of my children, my wife also with diuers of my kinsfolkes, whereof some dwelled in the citie and some in the cuntrey. such were my aduentures, and such were the calamities which the course of those la∣mentable times distributed vnto me. When I wrote this, I was eight and fiftie yeare olde, two yeares before, this sicknesse had bene foure times in Antioche, and when as at length the fourth reuolution and compasse was past, besides my aforesaide chil∣dren God tooke away from me a daughter and a nephewe of mine. The iudgement* 1.31 that Nicephorus geueth of his historie is in this sort: Euagrius a noble man wrote his Ecclesiasticall history the which he continwed vnto the raygne of Iustinus, handling especially prophane matters. the substance whereof he gathered out of Eustathius the Syrian, Sozimus, Priscus, Iohannes, Procopius of Coesarea, and Agathus, all which were famous orators of that time▪ and out of sundrie other good autors: but the autor re∣uealeth him selfe in the plainest sort where he endeth his historie writing in this sort. Here doe I minde to cut of and make an ende of writinge, that is the twelfe yere of* 1.32 Mauricius Tiberius the emperour leauing such things as followe, for them that are disposed to pennethem for the posteritie in time to come. I haue finished an other worke, comprising relations, epistles, decrees, orations, disputations with sundrie o∣ther matters. The relations for the most part are in the person of Gregorie byshop of Antioche, for the which I was preferred vnto two honorable offices. Tiberius Constan∣tinus made me Quaestor, Mauricius Tiberius made me maister of the Rolles, where the noble men, and magistrates were registred.

The autor endeth his historie about the yeare of our Lord 595. wanting onely fiue yeares of sixe hundred. There are ma∣ny odde thinges in this historie whereby the reader may note the chaunge and di∣uersitie of times how abuses creepe in by a litle and a litle▪ who so euer he be that is so disposed to settle his minde and rest vpon the plaine trueth by perusing of these histo∣ries, he may haue great furtherance. In Eusebius he may behold the estate of the primi∣tiue* 1.33 church from the Apostles vnto his time three hundred & odd years. In Socrates* 1.34 although it follow immediatly, he shal find great chaunge, his historie is of a hundred and forty years after, but in Euagrius being but a hundred & forty yeares after him ye* 1.35 shall see farre greater alteration. Lastof all if ye weye the thinges which happened since the sixte hundred yeares after Christe, then as it is written, Qui legit intelligat,* 1.36 then came in the Pope, then came in the Turke, and then came in the deuell for alto∣gether. For after the raygne of this Mauricius came in Phocas to be Emperour which first graunted vnto the byshoppe of Rome to be called vniuersall byshoppe. This Phocas murthered the Emperour Mauricius, obtayned the Empire through treason, a fitte man to be founder of so worthie an acte. Note I beseeche you howe that in his time God seemed vtterly to withdrawe his blessing: Fraunce, Spaine, Germanie, Lum∣bardie, and the greatest part of the east fell from the Empire for euer, such a wrecke to the state as neuer had bene sene before. Not onely this but there ensued in the tempo∣raltie

no feare of God, no shame of the worlde, no loue towardes the brethren, no care of the Churche, no consideration of cleargie men: in the spiritualtie, pryde of prelates, pampering of their panches, fleshly pleasure, they turned deuotion into superstition, fayth into fained workes, plaine dealing into hypocrisie, careful zeale into carelesse securitie, in stead of the Bible, they brought into the Church legendes of lyes, in steade of the true and pure seruice of God, they brought in peeuishe and pelting ceremonies, where∣fore the season requireth that we watche and pray and continewally wayte for the Lords com∣minge. All is nowe in the ex∣treme: Nullum violen∣tum perpetuum.

[illustration]

T. V.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sabellicus.
• * 1.2

  Euseb. eccle. hist lib. 8. cap. 6.
• * 1.3

  Euseb. ec. hist lib. 8. cap. 11. Euseb. eccle. hist. lib. 8. cap 11.
• * 1.4

  Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 5. Euseb. eccle. hist. lib. 7. cap 15. Socrat eccle. hist. lib. 3. cap 11. 1. Cor. 1.
• * 1.5

  Socrat. eccle. hist. lib. 5. cap 8.
• * 1.6

  Socrat. eccle. hist. lib. 5. cap. 8. Socrat. lib. 4 cap. 25. lib. 6. cap. 3. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 47. Euagri. lib. 6. cap. vlt.
• * 1.7

  Arcadians.
• * 1.8

  Ouid.
• * 1.9

  Suidas. Aegyptians.
• * 1.10

  Ioh. Goropi∣us medic. An twerpiens.
• * 1.11

  Scythians. Ethiopians. Brittaines.
• * 1.12

  Poggius.
• * 1.13

  Phaëton. Epaphus.
• * 1.14

  Maximinus.
• * 1.15

  Herode.
• * 1.16

  Themisto∣cles.
• * 1.17

  Amasis. Smerdes.
• * 1.18

  Prompalus.
• * 1.19

  An Aegypti∣an.
• * 1.20

  Andristus. Equitius.
• * 1.21

  Citha••oedus.
• * 1.22

  A counter∣fet Ariara∣thes.
• * 1.23

  A fained A∣lexander.
• * 1.24

  A priest set vp for a king
• * 1.25

  Lycurgus Plutarche.
• * 1.26

  Agesilaus.
• * 1.27

  Theod. Zuinger.
• * 1.28

  Chaucer.
• * 1.29

  Euagri. lib. 4. cap. 25.
• * 1.30

  Euagrius. lib. 4 cap. 28.
• * 1.31

  Nicephor. eccl. hist. lib. 1 cap. 1.
• * 1.32

  Euagri. lib. 6. cap. 23.
• * 1.33

  Eusebius.
• * 1.34

  Socrates.
• * 1.35

  Euagius.
• * 1.36

  Math. 24.