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. I.

Howe Zeno the Emperour gouerned and liued.

WHen Zeno after the deceasse of his sonne had attayned vnto the Emperiall scepter, as if he were certainely perswaded, he could not enioy y^• Empire of the wholl world* 1.1 vnlesse w^t outrage and riott he yelded him selfe vnto all fleshly pleasure whatsoeuer, gaue him selfe at y^• beginning so much vnto sensuality that he left no filthy or shame∣full act, no haynous offence vnpractised, but so wallowed in them that he thoughte it the parte of a base and abiect minde to commit them in the darke & in secret: but to doe them openly

in the face of y^• whollworld was a princely parte, & such an act as became only the Emperour. His disposition herein was both lewde and seruile, for the Emperour is not to be counted of thereafter as he gouerneth others, but as he ruleth and guydeth him selfe. It behoueth him to suffer no lasci∣uious* 1.2 motion to roote within his breste, but valiauntlye to encounter with intemperancy, and to make his life as a paterne of vertue, or a lanterne for his subiectes to followe after, thereby to leade them vnto godly instruction. But this man gaue himselfe ouer vnto voluptuousnesse and fell by a little and a little vnto suche shamefull seruitude, that he coulde by no meanes be with∣drawen from it: he chaunged oftentymes suche enormityes as maystred him no otherwise then vnthriftes and castawayes doe vse, whome infinite carnall delites doe leade captiue, tickle theyr mindes and sooth theyr senses, and that whiche is moste daungerous, vices be so linked together that one moste commonly followeth in the necke of an other. For fleshlye pleasure hauinge once takē place, obserueth no meane, endeth not in good time, but by occasiō of one an other is kindled, one flame of firy luste flasheth after an other, vntill that one hathe gotten either the gouernement of him selfe, and geuen vices the ouerthrowe and thenceforth become conquerour: or else is ouer∣come with the tyrannicall slauery of them, leade by them vnto the last gaspe, and in the end plun∣geth like a wretch into the deepe pitt of hell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Zeno was emperour ••nno Dom. 75.
• * 1.2

  Princes and magistrates should be pa∣ternes of Godlines, vnto the sub¦iects and cō∣mon people.