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. XV.

Of Cabaon, captaine of the Maurusians.

ANother myracle (besides the aforesayd) worthy the admiration, is remembred of him to haue bene wrought by the power of our Sauiour among men, who though they were such men as were not of one opinion with vs, yet led they a godly life. He sayeth that Cabaon was gouernour of the Maurusians, inhabiting about Tripolis. This Cabaon, (I wil vse the proper wordes of Procopius, who orderly discoursed heereof) as soone as he perceaued that the Vandals tooke armour against him, did as followeth. First, he commaunded all the subiectes within his dominions, to refraine from all vnrighteousnes, to abstaine from such meates which prouoked to sensualitie, and specially to forgoe the companie of women. Next, he made two trenches, pitching in the one his owne tent and pauillion, with all his men: In the other he shutte vppe the women, threatning that who so euer repaired vnto the womens trench, should die the death. Afterwardes he sent to Carthage a skoutwatch, commaunding that as soone as the Vandals made expedition, and prosaned any Christian temple worthy of honour and reuerence, they should marke well what was done, and them selues after the Vandals departure, purge and rid away the filth with reue∣rence of those temples: the report is moreouer, he should say that he knew not the God of the Christians, yet that it was very like, if he was so mightie as Fame went of him, he would be

reuenged on them that contumeliously dealt with him, and that he woulde ayde and assiste his ser uauntes and such as honored his blessed name. The skoutwatch comming to Carthage labored to knowe throughely the Vandals expedition. And when the Vandals marched towardes Tripolis the espies came draglinge after in beggers weede and base attyre. The Vandals euen the firste* 1.1 daye spoyled the Temples of the Christians: filled them with horses and other beastes: lefte no beastlinesse or contumelye vnpractised: tooke theyr fill of sensualitye and intemperancie: laide the priests in hold, scurged theyr sids, rent theyr backes with the lashe of the whip, made many of them to serue them, and become theyr drudges. After theyr remouinge, Cabaons skoutwatch did as* 1.2 they were commaunded. For they fell a purginge of the temples, they caried out the dunge, they lighted all the tapers, they honored the Priests, they behaued themselues honestly, last of all they gaue money vnto the poore which sate about those temples. This beinge done they trudged after the Vandals in all that voyage, as the Vandals continewed in theyr haynous actes, no lesse did they in theyr humanitye and Godlie deedes. Comminge nighe to Tripolis, the espies preuen∣ted them, with all speede they tell Cabaon what bothe the Vandals and them selues had done as toutchinge the Christians temples, and that the enemye was at hande. Cabaon hearinge this made readye for battaill, in the whiche many of the Vandals were slayne, many taken by the ene∣my, & very fewe returned backe to bringe tidings of the battaill. Thus did the Maurusians plague Thrasymundus, who after he had raigned ouer the Vandals seuen and twentye yeares departed* 1.3 this life.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The cruchie of the Van∣dals.
• * 1.2

  The humani∣ty of insidels.
• * 1.3

  Thrasymun∣dus kinge of the Vandals.