Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Incipit Liber quartus (Book 4)

OCtauianus Augustus bygan to regne in marche / In the begynnyng of his xlij yere in the yere of herodes / xxxj / in the thyrdde yere of the Olimpias nyne score and ten after the buyldyng of the Cyte of Rome / vij C / yere & fyue af∣ter the concepcion of Iohan baptist the sixth moneth the xxv day of marche in a frydaye the tenth day of the mone the twelue in∣diction at nazareth in galylee crist was conceyued of the virgi∣ne marie Iosephs spouse Treuisa The grekes vsed somtyme turnemences dedes of myghte and of strengthe atte fote of the h••l¦mons olimpus ones in fyue yere and named suche dedes & pla∣yes olimpias And also the first fiue yere of suche playes they na¦med the first olimpias And the second fyue yere of suche dedes & playes the second olimpias And the third fiue yere the thyrdde olimpias / & soo forth of al other And for crist was conceyued in the twelfthe indiction that is the menyng in twelue yere of the indiction. therfor take hede that the indiction is the tyme of fyften yere for whan the Romaynes had wonne many prouin¦ces and londes they had of eueryche londe that they had wonne thre maner trybute in fyften yere and clepyd the xv yere indicti∣on and the fyrst / v / yere of the indiction the Romaynes had bras¦se to trybute for to make armour & the second / v / yere they hadde siluer for to pay knyghtes & the thirdde & the last fyue yere of in¦diccion they had gold to the tresory of rome / Petrus / Criste was conceyued ful man in soule and in flesshe soo that the shappe of his lymmes and of his body myght not be seen with mānes eye & so endeth the / v· age of y^e world as it were the age oft greued with care & with wo from the transmigraciō of iewes vnto crist that is frō march bifore brēning of the tēple that was don in ha¦ruest vnto march in y^e xlij yere of august{us} vnder xiiij gnaciōs & & cōteyneth / v.C yere & xlj so seith bede· Is••d seith v C yere & xlv Elporicius seith· v.C four score & ix· But the veryest acoūtes of all saith v C yere lxxx & xj / for Isidre in cronike of his v booke hath one leped ptholomeus filometor bitwene tholome{us} epipha∣nes & tholomeus eugetes the second / & ofte he ou{er}lepith tholome{us} Sother in the second•• ordre of his regnynge that regned after that his moder was slayne eyghte yere and the sixthe age of the world beginneth from crist the age is not certaine of generaciōs nowther of yeres but it shal be ended as it were by deth the last age of all the world Sōme wol mene that the sixthe age of the world bigan at the incarnacion of crist by the which incarnaciō

criste vysyted vs and cam doune from heuen / Somme acounten the sixth age of the world from the byrth of crist. & for that auc¦toryte of the apostle whan plente of tyme come god sende his so∣ne born of a woman / Somme acounte from the cristnyng of crist for the vertu that was yeuē vnto the water to bryng forth chil¦dren goostly whan the circumsicion bygan to cease. Sōme acoūte from cristes passion for thanne was opened the yate of paradyse Than the yeres from the begynnyng of the world that was the xiiij daye of Apryl in the whiche daye the world began vnto the incarnacion of crist were fyue thousand and two honderd yere soo seith orocius / But the comyn calculyng seyth fyue thousand & C yere four score and sixtene / Marcius seyth fyue thousasand an / C yere and nyne / the fyrste Adam synned in a friday and dyed in the same fryday after nyne honderd yere and xxx. and in suche a fryday the second Adam that is crist toke flesshe & bloode and en∣ded his fastynge and suffred dethe for mankynde / & in the same houre of the fryday that adam was put oute of paradyse right in such an houre the theef was brought in paradise / Marianus libro secundo· It is nought ayenst this that holy chirche holdeth that the fyrste adam was made of erthe in the ix daye byfore apryl. & crist conceyuid the vij day to fore Apryl ffor the nyght of the ix / day bifore the first day of apryl that come after the day that adā was made ynne is now made by cristes passion the nyght of the viij / day of april that goth byfore the day / ffor the / viij / day bifore april of his first partye is made the ix daye byfore april & of his last partye that is the nyght in the whiche crist was holden and buffeted and scorned. is made the vij day a fore apryll / than it fo∣loweth that crist suffred the ix day / the viij / day & the vij· day afo¦re Apryl. that maye be shewed by another reson / For euery yere the letter of the day chaungeth in the kalender / for ther is one let¦tre more than / lij / wekys. ¶It is no wonder though the fryday that was in the begynnynge of the worlde the nynethe day afore Apryll Whan Adam was made fylle after so many yeres the seuenth day afore Apryl whan Criste suffryd dethe that holdeth and approueth loore of greete men Auctoryte of hooly Chirche. and certayne essaye of calcalers 3 ¶ But as seynt Austyne sayth aboue / Ayenst reson no sobre man demeth noo Cristen man demeth ayenste holy wrytte / noo possible man demeth ayenst holy chirche Also here take hede that seynt Austyn sayth that criste laye in the herte of the erthe thre dayes and thre nyghtes / but

not all fulle and hoole thre dayes and thre nyghtes / For Criste laye in his graue· but fourty houres / So that he laye in his gra∣ue in the laste ende of the fyrste day for to acounte the first daye of four and twenty houres with the nyght that was to the ffry∣daye that criste deyd ynne. And crist laye in his graue hooly all the seconde daye and in the first partye of the thyrdde day And so seynt austyn sayth that yche of these thre dayes had his nyght Soe that the nyght passed a fore the daye / therby it semeth that the mayster of the storyes sholde not be folewyde / there he sayth that the nyght that was bitwene the saterday and the sonday of the resurection was come bothe to the saterday and also to the son¦day ¶Lucas and beda Thanne marie aroos after that she had conceyued and come in to Zacharyes cyte four myle oute of Ie∣rusalem and was there thre monthes and serued her cosyn ely¦zabeth tyl that she had a childe. And than mary wente ayene in to her owne hows in to nazareth ¶Lucas Than wold not her spouse Ioseph̄ take her sekerly to his wyf for she was founde with child til the aungel charged hym in his slepe that he shold take her withoute drede ¶Lucas / That tyme come out a maunde¦ment from cesar augustus for to descryue all the worlde Petrus Cesar wold wete the nōbre of londes of the world that were sub¦vet to rome & also the cytees of euery londe & the nombre of pol¦lys of euery cite & bad that out of subarbes of cit••es of smal tou¦nes & grete & oute of euery countray & kyth euery man shold de¦parte home to his owne cyte that he come of & had of his byrth / & euery man shold take a penny of siluer of the valewe of the ten pens that were tho vsed to the styward of the prouynce & knowli¦che him self. subget to themperour of rome· Lucas / Therfor ioseph̄ went oute of nazareth in to bethlehem that was his cite with his wyfe mary that was with childe for to knowleche there / & there mary was deliud & had a childe. Petrus / Than in the ende of xlij yere of august{us} the saterday at nyght that than folowyd the day the xiiij yere of age of mary y^e vij / day afore ianiuere crist was born at bethlem. & than the viij day after he was circumcided in a sonday / the xij day after the byrth was the epyphany & fell in a friday the vj day of Ianiuere than come the kinges & worshipped crist & after that xl dayes after the natiuite in a thursday the se¦cond day of feuerere crist was presented in the tēple inmind therof is candelmasse day / After that by warnyng of the Angel that warned ioseph in his sleep he fledde in to egypte with his moder

And Ioseph was there six yere vnto herodes deth Herodes cast for to slee alle the children by cause of crist. for he wold be seker of hym amonge other ¶ Whan Criste entred in to egypte the mawmettes ouerthrew and fille doun R ¶ Than to the seuēth day afore apryll that was the fryday in the whiche criste was conceyued to the nyght of the sondaye in whiche crist was borne / were to honderd dayes thre score and sixtene the whiche nombre of dayes maketh nyne monethes of the mone and six dayes / So that euery moneth be of thyrtty dayes as men acounted in old tyme These nyne monethes and six dayes ben assigned to wo∣men that goth with childe as yet were ten monethes though not all women goo with child to this sixte day / As yet was sothe of seynt Iohan baptiste and of seynt mary that had one daye lasse than crist in the moder wombe R ¶And for of the comyng to gyders of yeres of criste and of kynges the begynnyngys and the endes ben vncerteyn and ful oft falle grete doutes in acoun∣tynge of yeres. And also of the yeres of our lord / what yere he was baptysed· what yere crist suffred deth ¶ Auctors speken dyuersly / therfor for to put away al maner doute take hede by be¦das loore libro de temporibus. that the Romaynes byfore numa pompilius tyme bygan the yere in marche as the hebrewes don But from numaes tyme that put two monethes to the yere Ia∣nyuere and feueryere / the Romaynes bygynne the yere in the be¦gynnyng of Ianyuere / Holy chirche in the west londes folowith them in the comyn kalender and in the yere that is moost vsed

But the grekes that brought vp olimpias begynnen the yere from the shortest day of the wynter ¶But the hebrewes beginnē the yere in marche whan the day and the nyght ben lyke long / for that tyme the world was firste made ¶ But the Egypcians by∣gynnen the yere from heruest ¶ Men of the eeste londes as Ara∣bes and caldeis begynnen the yere after the gadrynge of wyne and corne and of fruyte whan the tethenges ben brought in to the temple in the begynnynge of october whan the day and the nyght ben y lyke longe in heruest tyme as yet semeth ••zechie¦lis vision theer he speketh of the fourth moneth and the fyfthe day of the moneth amonge them october was the firste moneth & Ianyuere the fourth R / ¶It is sayd that dyuerse men haue dyuerse begynnynge of yeres and yet ouer that cometh dyuerse yeres by some happe that ther falleth and begynneth in dyuerse tymes of the yere that we moost vse as yet is of yeres of kingis

that begynnen to regne in dyuerse tyme of the yere that we most vse yet we acounte the yeres of oure lord in twey maner wyse / other by his byrthe or by his age. ¶ And also while crist was born in the ende of the yere that we vse by the sonne / he had of the first yere of his byrthe but seuen dayes from the natyuy••e to yeres daye But the fyrst yere of his age of twelue monethes by his cours from the fyue and twenty day of december to the sa¦me day twelue monethes is fulfilled the second yere of his birth And soo in the fyrst yere of his age he fulfylled almoste two yere of his byrth / And the second yere of his byrth is the fyrste yere of his age therfor yet is that the yeres of the byrth of our lorde by the cours of the sonne be nygh four and thyrtty yere & an half and the yeres of his age nyghe thre and thyrtty yere & an half and he was baptysed in his / xxx / yere of age and the xxxj yere of his byrthe for to acounte that yere with the last par¦tye that was almoost an half yere It is sothe that criste prechid four yere and specially thre yere and an half by the Gospel of seynt Iohan· And so crist suffred deth in the xxxiij yere of his age and in the xxxiiij yere of his byrth ¶ R Than in the two and fourty yere of Octauianus in the which yere crist was born bygan in marche and endeth in marche Therfor that yere bygan in the thirdde yere of Olimpias nyne score and fourten & endeth in the fourthe yere of the same olimpias in the moneth of marche And fo•• the wysedome of our lord ordeyned his byrth there the grekes begynnen the yere with the olimpias / therfor the yeres of oure lord bygynne and ende with ••he Olimpias But the yeres of kynges and of Emperours begynne and ende certaynly but right selde· therfor it is hard to acounte them with olimpias owther with yeres of oure lord for they begynne ofte in one yere of the olimpias and ende in another Than the king¦dome of Augustus is acounted in march ¶And crist beginneth his first yere of his byrthe in the ende of augustus two & four∣ty yere / than the xlij yere of Augustus bigynneth in the fyrst ye¦re of the age of criste and the xliij yere of Augustus in the se∣cond of the age of crist and is xliiij yere in the thyrdde and soo forthe

¶Sequitur Capitulum secundum

WHanne oure lord was born a welle of oyle sprang by yōde Tiber oute of the tauerne emeritoria and ranne al a day & a cercle was seen aboute the sonne ¶Treuisa Knyghtes of Ro∣me after sixty yere lefte dedes of armes and were callyd knigh¦tes of the cheualrye emerytoria and spende what they had in a tauerne beyonde Tiber / And therfor that tauerne was called ta¦berna emeritoria Marcus ¶ The ymage of gold felle doune that Romulus had sette in his paleys and seyd hit shal not fal¦le til a mayde bere a childe Also the temple of pees fylle doune in Rome / and / Ierom vpon that worde lyght is aryse to the right∣ful sayth that al the Sodomytes in al the world were destroyed ¶ Petrus Whyle herodes arayde for the children deth he was sompned by amandemente of cesar for to come to Rome for to an¦swer to the pointes that his owne sonnes put vpon him Alysan∣der and Aristobolus For ther were thre herodes of grete name for her euyl dedes· take hede that the fyrst was herodes Ascolem¦ta / And had that name of the cyte Ascalon for he fulbylte that cite. And in this herodes tyme Criste was born and the children were s••ayne ¶The second hete herodes Antipas and was the first herodes sonne In his tyme Iohan baptist was byheded and Crist suffred deth The thirdde hete herodes agrippa Aristobolus sone / Aristobolus was the first herodes sonne· ¶ This herodes Agrippa slowe ¶Iames and prysonned peter / Therfor ben ver∣sus made ¶Ascalonita sleth children and Antipas I••han b••p∣tist· Agrippa slow Iames and prisonned peter / The fryste he∣rodes whan he sawe that his sonnes Alisandre and Aristobolus stroof the ••older with her fader for the herytage of the kingdome by cause of theyr lettrure / he had indignacion therof and fonded to put his eldest sonne antipater afore them bothe while they tre¦ted of their fader is deth they were put away and wente to cesar for to plaine of the wronge that their fader had do them The meane tyme the thre kingis come to Ierusalem and come not a∣geine to herodes by the same wey•• / Herodes trowed that they had begiled him & ••orn••d again ashamed / therfore he withdrowe his will / and slowe not the children for to doo hem to deth / But f••r the citacion of cesar / he wente to Rome and come by tharses And brente her shippes for the kingis come ouer see therinne / Than after a yere and somwhat more of dayes after the birthe of c••••ste he come from Rome and was acorded with his sones· And therfore he was the bolder / And helde the more sure the

kyngdom and slowe alle the children of bethlem aboute the age of crist that he wyste was then xij moneth olde vnto two yere olde and with ynne that is to menynge from the children of two yere olde to the children of one nyght old ¶ Amonge the whiche one of his owne children was slayne that was parauenture take to norysshyng But methodius sayth that. that was doon by god¦des owne dome and his ordenaunce for he that had be refte soo ma¦ny men / theyr children sholde be by refte of his owne children all so / For his sones Aristobolus and alysaundre were efte suspecte For they had byhote mede to their. faders barbour· for to kytte her faders throte whan he were ashauyng· and sayd that me shold not truste in an old man / that died his hoore lockis / for ••e wolde seme the more yongly / Therfor his fader was wroth and slewe both his owne sonnes ¶ Also for he was a boute for to put his sone herodes Antipa in the kyngdome and fauered and loued herodes Agrippa and his sister / herodyas as fader shold His eldest sonne Antipater that he hadde byfore hand ordeyned to the kyngdome was wroth and fonded with venym 〈…〉〈…〉 his fader. but herodes was ware therof and put hym in prysonne Me sayth that cesar herde therof and sayd· Me were l••uer be he∣rodes swyne than his sonne / for whan he was proselytus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s••a∣red swyne and slewe his owne sonnes ¶ Treui••a Take he••de that proselytus is he that torneth from one lawe to another and specially he that torneth to the lawe of Iewes from another / as did herodes and soo he was proselitus somtyme ¶ Thanne it folo¦weth in the story / whan herodes was thre score yere old and ten he felle in a sekenesse of a stronge feuer / and was tormented with ydchyng that sesed not with swellyng of feet with wormes that wellyd and sprange oute of his pryuey harnoys with stenche that myght not be suffryd with puffynge and bloweyng and gre¦te hastynge of brethe with a greuous and stronge cogh ofte bre∣kyng of soore sykyngys Than phisiciens bathed hym in oyle And he was born forth as though he were dede / but for he vsed to pare an appel and ete it after al other mete. he toke the knyfe & wold haue styked hym self but one of. his cosyns let hym and rered a crye· by the which crye sprange tydynges and noyse of the kynges dethe / thanne Antipater in prysonne herde therof / & made grete ioye And by cause therof he was anone slayne Petrus 46 That yere Iohan euangelist was born ¶ Hero∣des after the sleyng of his sones had the d••oposye with wormes

wellyng oute of the rotyng of his pryuy stones and dyed wre¦chidly the yere of his kyngdome seuen and thyrtty ¶ He was most vngracio••s in homly thynges and happy in other thynges And for to make the Iewes make sorowe f••r his deth whether they wolde or noo he ••ad in his d••ynge slee al the noble mennes children of Iewry Eusebius libro primo capitulo septimo ¶ The genelogyes of the hebrewes and rekening of kynred of other nacions were wryte in bookes in the preuiest libraries of the temple / And herodes bad brenne al suche bookes And hoped therby to be holden a noble man and Gentyl / yf he that was an alyen and not gentilman were conteyned in none suche bookes Nethel••s there were many men that had at hoome suche bookes other suche genologyes in mynde / and by them come to vs r••dy re¦kenyng of kynred ¶ Petrus 6•• The first herodes sonne arche∣laus and herodes stryue afore cesar for the herytage of the kyng∣dome· than cesar by counseyl of the senatours toke to Archelaus vnder the name of tetrarcha half the Iewry and Idumea the other halfdele of the Iewry he deled at tweyne & toke galyle to herodes Antipa Ituria and dyacomtidis to his broder philip and so Archelaus was made dyarchus but neuer monarchus / but by comyn speche and by his owne boost Treuisa Dyarchus is he that hath twey deles owther the half dele of a kyngdome & monarchus is he that hath the kyngdome all hoole and tetrarcha is he that hath the fourth dele of a kyngdome / Than it foloweth in the story / that yere crist come agayne oute of egypte / the child Iesus was foūde in the temple sittynge and apposyng doctours Archelaus was ofte accused of the Iewes and put oute in vy∣an that is in the Royalme of ffraunce And in his stede for to a legge the outrage of the kyngdome of Iewes were made foure kyngis and were callyd trirarche / that yere cesar Augustus dyed in campania in the moneth of september whan he hadde regned six and fyfty yere and an half the yere of his age thre score and sixten And was slayne by treason of his wyf linia / owther by venym as somme men wolde mene / Netheles al the yere seuen & fyfty is acounted to the kyngdome of octauianus Augustus ¶ Eutropius libro septimo

¶ Capitulum tercium

THis Augustus was so loued amonge straunge nacions / that the scites and the Iuwes that knewe not a fore honde the name of the Romaynes sente hym messagers and gyftes And many kynges bylde cytees in worship of hym and called the cytees cesareas Also kynges wente oute of hir owne lon∣des clothed as lordes of Rome And wolde renne by his chaare· And atte last he hatid soo werre and stryf that he wold neuer werre ayenste man withoute a rightful cause And he sayth that it was the doyng of a proude booster and of a lyght wytted man for to breke surte in stryf and disease of the people for couetyse of worship and of laureal leues withoute ony fruyte ¶ Also he sayd that no werre shold be meued withoute cause and grete pro¦fyt lest grete boost wonnen by lytel profyte faire as a golden fissh¦oke / the lesyng therof maye be quyt by no wynnyng of takynge of fysshe. he was also mylde to the cytezeyns / And trewe to his frendes / Selde he wold receyue frendship / and to holde frendship he was trewe and stydfast / he was kunnyng in arte and science And specially in fayre spekyng. he was soo besye that noo daye sholde him escape / that he wolde rede wryte or declare rightwyse∣nesse ¶Ysidorus libro primo He brought vp first this lettir X Me wrote therfor / C / R / S / And he fonde it vp skylfully for the figure / therof is like the crosse of crist that was born in his tyme ¶ Eutropius He echid the cyte of Rome with fayr howses & had ioye to saye I fonde a cyte of brande tile and I leeue a cy∣te of marbel· He was fayr in al his body but his eyen were fay¦rest of al ¶ But soo grete and soo fayr a man was not al with oute vyces and synne· For he was angry and myght not suf∣fre wretheful and pryuely enuyous and openly disseyuable co¦ueytouse of lordship and player at the dyces· and though he we¦re a grete eter and drynker of wyne yet he absteyned him from slepe and vsyd lechery / so that name and fame was coūted therof amonge the comyn peple ¶For he was wonte to lye bytwene twelue suche that wolde lyghtly assente to synne and bytwene twelue maidens also and he dide away his wyf Scribonia. and wedded one linia as it were by graunt and assente of her husbād His sones were tiberius and drusus and though he were a gret•• lecherour / yet he toke grete wrech of lechery / Seneca· The romains sawe that this was so fayre and wolde haue made hym a god /

but he forsoke hit and wold not assente And axed therof coun¦seylle of sibilla tibur••ina and after the fastyng of thre dayes she answerd hym in this maner / Token of dome erthe shal waxe wete by swote. oute of heuen shal come the kynge that last shall euer ¶And so forth of many versis that be not ••ere wreton

Augustinus libro decimo octauo capitulo 24 ¶ The heede lettres of the versis speketh this menynge / Iesus crist goddes sonne sauyour ¶Marc ¶ Anone heuen opened and cesar sawe a faire mad•• stond vpon an aulter and holde a child in her armes and he herde this wys / this is the aulter of goddes sonne And anone cesar fylle doune to the erthe vpon the floore of his cham¦bre there was afterward bylte a chirche of our lady and is cal¦lid in ara celi that is in the aulter of heuen Gal tercio Tibe∣rius told to Augustus that me spake moch of euyl by hym al day ¶ And he answerd and sayde We take none indygnacion though men speke euyl of vs / It is ynow to vs that they may doo vs none harme Pol libro tercio capitulo 13 ¶ Antonius despysed augustus kynne in the moder side and callyd hym ba∣kar by kynde And Augustus louwgh and lete the same Anto¦nius be wedded to his suster· ¶ Also ones for the shortenesse of his body one callid hym dwarf / I must quoth he vse wyde hos••n and shoon Marc in Satur ¶Augustus passed by the wye & one callyd hym a tyraunt / And I were a tyraunt sayde he / thou woldest not calle me so / It was sayd in Rome that noo mā sholde be doo to dethe· nowther to p••yne as ofte as Augustus en¦tred in to the cyte ¶Also somtyme one come in Rome that was moost lyke Augustus in al maner poyntes and was broughte byfore augustus / and augustus aresoned him and sayd / say me yonge man / was thy moder euer in Rome / nay quoth he· but my fader was ful ofte ¶ The emperour was not wroth therfore but made him ryche and sent hym agayn Seneca de clemencia Whan Cynnas t••••son was knowe / Cesar wakyd all that nyghte thanne his wyf linia spake to him in this maner. Take counseyll of a woman and doo by woman•• counseill and doo as phisicians vse to do· there comyn medycynes that me vse may not helpe / they essay ofte medycynes that be contrary Cinnas treson is kno∣we now / he may not greue the / foryeue hym / than the trespas / he may profyte to thy loos and to thy fame ¶C••sar was glad of the counseyll and of this rede / and bad brynge Cynna afore him at morow and spake to hym in this maner ¶ Cynna. the I

the fonde myne enemye in pauilons and tentes and saued thy lyf I graunted to the rentes and rychesses and made the homly with me / Nowe efte I gyue thy lyf / first to myne enemy· And nowe to the traytour and mansleer· From this day forthward bytwene vs frendship shal bygynne / Nowe stryue we whether I haue gyue the thy lyf by a better feyth than thou owest me▪ other than thou owest me better fayth than thy lyf is saued by / Afterward he made him consul and helde hym his trusty frende And atte last cesar was made his heyr Marc in S••tur An olde man that was in peryll of dome came to Augustus and prayd hym of help for to stonde by hem and Augstus ordeyned hym anone a noble aduocate / than the old man cryed & seid O ••esar whan thou were in peryll in the batail of actia / I soughte no mā to put in my stede but I my self fought for the & shewed hym the woundes that were seen in his bodye. than cesar was ashamed & come ānon and pleted for him not only that he wold not be holden proude / but also for he wold not be holden vnkynde ¶ Also cesar came from the vyctory of actia and one met hym with a popeniay on his hāde that he taught to saye / heyl cesar vic¦tor and emperour / the emperour wondred and bought that myry byrde for twenty thousand of pens / Also a pye •• grette hym in the same maner· and he wondred and bought hym also ¶ And soo dyde a stare and wondred and bought the stare / than a pour sou¦ter fonde to teche a chough to speke and saye the same salutacion And whan he had spente wha•• he had and the chough answerd not / he vsed for to say allas al is lost trauayl and c••ste· But at••e laste the chough bygan to speke and sayde the same salutacion & cesar passed by and herde it and sayd we haue at home suche sa∣lutacions ynow / Alas quoth the chough as it fylle in the mynde al is lost trauail and cost thanne cesar lough & bought the chough derrer than ony of al the other Also a greke that was a grete maker vsed to make noble dytees in preysyng of cesar and wro¦te and gaue hem to cesar. And whan he had ofte doo so without ony mede Cesar made suche endytynge of praysyng and gaue to the greke that hadde preysed hym / the greeke radde the dyte with semblaūt and with voys & profered to gyue cesar money / than al men lough and had good game And cesar badde his spenser gyue the greeke a grete dele of money ¶Eutropius libro septi∣mo· Atte laste cesar deyde at nola in campania and al men cryede & sayd wold god that he had neuer be born other that he neuer

shold dye. the man was lyke god in bataylle was noman more gracious nowther more skylful in pees ¶ Pol libro sexto Augustus wolde saye the same counseyll is ayenste the enemye / that is ayenst sekenesse for they ben more ouercome with hongre than with Iren Also he made his sonnes vse them to renne to lepe and to vse of castyng / And he made his doughters vse them to wolle crafte to spynne on a distaf and to make brede for they shold yf them neded lyue by crafte

¶ Capitulum quartum

TIberius was augustus stepsone. and wedded his doughter and bigā to regne in the moneth of september in the which moneth Augustus was dede and tiberius regned thre and twē∣ty yere and somwhat of dayes Eutropius This first gouer¦ned the empyre with grete sobrenesse So that whan somme men counseylled hym to take grete tribute of prouynces and londes He answerde and sayd it falleth for a good shepherde to shere his sheepe and not for to swolewe them / this was first wyse and re∣dy ynow and gracious in Armes ¶A man of grete cunnynge of letture and of castyng euer awaytynge and aspyeynge and what he nold / he made hit as though he wold ¶To them that he loued he made it as though he were wrothe And to them that he hated he semed goodly / he wold y••ue better answer and coun∣seyl sodenly and withoute auisemente / than with grete auisement He sent•• for somme kynges and made them come to hym by fla¦teryng•• and sente them neuer agayn ¶ This was called Tiberi¦us nere· but mynstrals callyd hym a faier name Tiberius mero for he was ofte wyne dronke ¶ Also this by cause of somme lettres that pilat sente hym wolde haue be worshipped as god al myghty / But the Senatours sayd nay / and therfore he exyled many of the elder men and chees hym counseyllours and lefte vnnethe tweyne of them in good heele eer be were Emperoure / he was wyse and redy in Armes ¶But afterward he werryd by messagers ¶Pol libro te••cio capitulo quarto ¶He was gre∣••••ly to blame in many of his dedes but ayenst chydyng he was s••ydfaste and sayde that mennes tonges and hertes sholde be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the cyte ¶Iosephu•• This was stydfast in all his dedes. So that vnnethe that he wolde chaunge procuratours that he hadde

made ones in prouynces and in londes ¶ Me axed why that he dyde soo· he answerd and sayd that in that doynge he spared the peple for euer the lasse tyme quoth he procurators haue lo••dship ouer the people they ben the more greuous And preued that by ensample of one that was wounded and sette i•• the sonne and wold not doo awaye the flyes that sate on his woundes / thanne come one of his frendes and droue away the flyes for he w••n••e that the seke man myght not suffre for feble ¶ Thou hast doone euil quoth the s••ke man for the flyes that thou hast dryue away were ful and therfore they ete wel the lasse / But nowe comen hongry flyes and wole byte ful soore / So newe officers greuē wors the peple that is vnder them / Ysid li / 6 / ca. 16 / Me s••yth that in tiberius tyme a craftis man had fonde vp a crafte of t••m∣pryng of glas to make the glas towy now to bende and wynde and to reche out with strokes of hamers / the emperour brake som of his glas / and he amended it agayne and bende it and bowyd it as it were tyn / than themperour lerned of this craftes man that ther was none other man alyue that so coude tempre glas And bad smyte of the craftis mānes hede / for yf that craft were knowen / gold and other precious metal shold be of no prys Ouidius naso the poete dyed in the ylond pontus besides the sar¦mat••s and the gothes the fourth yere of his exylynge ¶ This made fyrste a booke of the crafte of loue and made the romaynes wroth with him for he made yonglynges to loue wyues to moche Therfor he sayd in his boo•• de ponto / naso not wyse ynow techith sleyght•• of loue crafte / ylle pryse of loore. therfore than had the mayster / Me sayth that atte last ouidius laye by the empryce & therfor he was exyled / that yere pilatus was made Iugge in the Iewry of his byrth & of his lyuyng. me redeth many wondres ffor a kyng that hete tirus gate a sone on one pila a milwardes douht that hete atus & the sone had a name made of the name of his moder pila & the name of his graūt••ir atus-& so he was cal∣led pylatus / this pylat was sente to his fader in his iiij yere of age· his fader had a sone by her y^t was his rightful wif / y^t which sone & pilat were of one age. but this lauful sone had maistrye of pilatus in euery place▪ & stryf / therfor pilatus was wroth & slew his own broder. therfor the king that was his fader 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p••••a¦tus to rome to lye there to plegge for tribute y^t he shold euy yere pay to y^e romains / also the same time y^e kinges sone of f••aū••e lay in plegge at rome & pilat{us} slewe hym for he had ofte 〈◊〉〈◊〉

in playes and in stryf▪ ¶ Therfor the romaynes demed that pylatus was profitable to the empyre to hastyse frowarde men & sterne and sente hym in to the ylond of pontus to be Iugge to chastyse men that were there / that wold with good wylle ouer them no Iugge receyue nother suffre amonge them / But that shrew pylatus chastysed them with punysshyng with manaces and with fayer byhestes therfor he had a name of that ylond & was callyd poncius pilatus / Herodes Antippas had ioye of his wykkednesse and sente messagers and giftes and drowe him to hym and made him prynce vnderr hym in the Iewry But pilatus atte last gadred moche money and wente to Rome vn∣wetyng herodes for to receyue the offyce of tiberius / that he helde of herodes And by cause therof they were enemyes herodes and pilatus to the tyme of cristes passion whan pilatus sente Ihesus clothyd in whyte to herodes That tyme tiberius cesar that was the emperour had an harde sekenesse and herde telle that at Ieru¦salem was a leche that heled seke men only with a wor••e Ther for tiberius sente one volucianus to herodes / that he sholde sende hym that leche Pilatus had xiij dayes auisement to geue his answer / for Ihs was afore honde nayled to the crosse The forseid volucianus toke a queyntaūce and knowlech̄ of a nobel womā that heet veronica So that he brought her to Rome to the empe¦rour with her lynen clothe in the whiche clothe she had the printe and the lykenes of our lordes face ¶ The emperour beheelde this clothe and was hool anone. whan themperour wyst that py¦latus had dampned crist / pylatus was take by amaundement of the empe••our & brought to rome byfore thēperour & had / on him cristes owne kyrtel that was withoute semes & was callid tuni¦ca īcōsutilis & pilatus was brought in this aray afore thēperour ones efte & the iij tyme. but no worde might be said y^t him shold greue while he had on that cloth / but atte last by goddes wyll & coūseyl of sōme cristē mē that kyrtill was take of hym & than he was put in prison and there· he slow him self with his own hāde Of pylatus deth loke within in gayus last yere· Petr{us} / That ty∣me were thre sectes of iewes in the Iewry seuered & departed frō the comyn lyuyng of other men ¶ The sectes were Phariseis saduceyes and essayes that heete Assideyes also the phariseies wered & vsid hard clothing & scarsite of mete & of drin¦ke. they determined moyses lawe by her ordenaunce & statutes. They bare scrowes in her forheede & in her lyfte armes & callyd

the scrowes philaterna In the scrowes were the teen commaun∣dementes wrete in mynde of the lawe Also they had large hē¦mes / bounde with thornes that prycked them as they w••nte in theyr weye They withsayd neuer theyr souereyns Also they hoped in a rysynge of bodyes from deth to lyue / the saduceyes denyed the arysing of bodyes from dethe to lyfe & sayd that they noon aungels were / they trowyd that the soules dyed with the bodyes· They heelde only moyses fyue bookes And for they we∣re to cruel and not compeynable amonge them self / they callyd them self saduceyes that is rightful / the esseyes lyued wel nygh in al poyntes as men of relygyon and forsoke wedlok. but it we¦re fulselde· for they trowyd that noo woman was trewe to her husbond· her clothis were clene alwey they had no certayne cyte afore the sonne rysyng / they spak no thyng that was vnlauful they worshipped the sonne whan he dyde aryse / they spak not at theyr mete. they hated othes as it were for swerynge / they toke noman to theyr secte but by the essay of one yere if they toke ony of her cyte with synne / they putte hym awaye for to ete gras as beestes doen in penaunce to his lyues ende / though ten of them sate to geders none of them wold speke a worde withoute l••ue of the nyne / they wolde not spete in the myddel of the company•• nother in the right side ¶They helde the saturday soo holy that they wold that day dresse no mete nother tende fire nother sette a vessel oute of one place to another / ¶ And also they wolde not cacke in the saturday Iosephus libro secundo ¶Other da∣yes they wolde dygge the erthe withoute thwytel / and make hem a pytt and let fal here clothis about them and hele al about whan they wold cacke for me sholde wene that they dyde wrong to the sonne beme and whan they had cacked they wold fyl the pytte agayne with the same erthe that they had digged vp of the same pyt / these leued longest of al men for they lyued stars¦ly and dede noo surfeet of mete and of drynke / They trowyd that al the soules were made atte begynnynge and put in bodyes whan it were tyme And somme of them wolde telle what was to come for they forsoke flesshely lykyn ge as it were an euyl do∣yng And despysed ryches ¶Here lond and what they had was comyn amonge them alle / ¶ They bargayned not among them but· euery had frely of other what hym neded they rought not of none oynementes /

They chaunged neuer hosen and shoon nother clothyng but whā they were y tore other spente / they helde hospytalyte / they hadde one maner mete / they prayd afore mete and after / In her hous was neuer herde crye nother noyse None of them shold not ge∣ue withoute ordenaunce of the comyn spencis / they helde al theyr lawes strenger thā ony other he that sholde be receyued to abyde among them / after his yere of essaye he shold swere to kepe faith to god / rightwysenesse to men and obedyence to princes And yf it happed hym somtyme to be aboue and ouer other he shold not mysuse his power and his myght in damage and wrong of sub¦gettes but he shold chastyse lyers with al his myght / To here dome sholde come no lasse than an honderd persones the dome of hem shold stonde stydfast and not be chaunged

¶ Capitulum quintum

FRom the fyften yere of tiberius to the fyrste yere of Adam for to acoun••e bakwarde were fyue thousande yeres so se∣ith eusebeus and so many yeres make lx▪ yere of grace and so by his tale the sixtene yere of tiberius was the begynnyng of the ye¦re of grace sixty and one / But the seuenty say that from Adam to the xv yere of tiberius ••ere fyue thousande two honderd and xxv Bu•• the hebrewes tellen fyue thousande. therfore somme men wol mene that that yere began the sixth thousande for than the circumsicion seesid and cristendom bygan ¶ Other begynne from thincarnacion of crist Also that yere Iohan began to pre¦che and baptise and baptised crist the sixth day of Ianeuere the day of the shewynge of our lord / And that day twelue moneth he torned water in to wyn Petrus ¶ Therfore in olde bookes that day is callyd the day of shewynges in the plurel nombre for that day fyll many diuerse shewynges and had dyuerse names for in the same day in diuerse yeres were do thre grete shewinges the first hete epyphania and is a name made of epy that is a boo∣ue & phanos that is shewynge a••••t were a shewynge made frō a booue as it were a ste•••••• the second hete theophania / & that name is made of theos that is god and phanos that is shewynge as it were shewyng made of god in baptising of crist by a douue· ¶ The thyrdde hete bethphania and that is made of bethe that is

house and of phanos that is shewynge as it were a shewyng ma¦de in an hows by tornyng of water in to wyne ¶R And som men meene that that daye two yere was the myracle doo of the fyue loues and two fysshes and heete fagephania that name is made of fagyn that is ete and phanos that is shewynge / for that myracle was doo in fedynge of men ¶Also that seconde yere as Luke and Ierom sayth Crist bygan the thyrtty yere of age soo seyth the gospel Iesus was beginnyng as it were xxx yere Cri¦sostimus marianus / ¶And comyn meenyng of hooly chirche. & Eusebius in historia ecclesiastica / Meneth that than crist bygā his one and thyrtty yere hool and as moche as was from the na¦tiuite to the passion tyme / thanne crist▪ the monday nexte after his baptym was ladde in to wyldernesse by the spyryt / and bygan his fastynge and fastyd fourty dayes And ended his fastynge in a frydaye the xv daye of feuyre / that day he ouercam the deuil that temptid hym / in the whiche day the deuil had ouercome and supplanted Adam the firste man ¶ Than the nexte ester after as trewe loore telleth he drofe and chacid sellers and byers oute of the temple / In the same yere after he callyd and chees his disciples Andreu Petyr Philip Nathanael ¶The nexte yere af¦ter he torned water in to wyne in a xij day And after that be∣da tellyth Crist and his disciples baptysed in the Iewery / And the next ester after Iohan was enprysonned ¶Also in a hooly feeste crist heled in a saturday one that had the palsey eyght and thyrtty yere And after that in the same yere he went vp in the hil there he chees the twelue Apostles and sente them for to pre∣che And soo it semeth that thre gospelers that telle the doyng of crist / after the prisonyng of iohan baptist leueth vntold almoost the doyng of one yere afore the prisonyng / but iohan the euāge∣list speketh lasse of other thynges & telleth the doyng & dedes how ihus torned water in to wyne nichodemus come to ihs by night & how ihs drofe out the sellers of the temple / after that atte third ester Iohn was biheded whā he had be prysoned al a yere· atte iiij Eester crist suffred deth / Petrus C / 11. The xj book ecclesiast••••e his¦torie tellith that Iohan was byheded at macheronta a castel of Arabia / His bodye was buryed at sebasten that is Samaria His heede was buryed at Ierusalem bysides Herodes howse· for dreede leest he wold aryse from deth•• to lyue yf the hede we¦re buryed with the body

Mysbyleuyd men deuyded his bones and threwe them abrode in

Iulianus Apostatas tyme for they hadde enuye to the myraclis that he wrought / And they gadryd agayn the bones to gyders & and brente them and wynnewyd the askes away with the win¦de / that doyng somme men nowe acounteth as it were the second martirdome of the dede man / they wyst not what they dyde In the feest of his natyuyte while they gadryd his bones to ge∣ders and brente them as ferforth as they myght ¶ And while mysbyleuyd men gadryd Iohans boones men of Ierusalem were medled amonge them and toke with them a greete dele of the bones amonge the whiche dele of the bones was the fyngre that Iohan shewyd crist with Afterward seynt tecla brought that fyngre vnto Alpes ¶ Alpes ben hye hilles in Lombar¦dy side That fynger is now in moris mynyster. as it is sayd but the bones were sente to Athanasius bysshop of Alysaundre In marcianus the prynces tyme Iohan warnyd two monkys of his heede and tolde where it laye ¶ The monkes were of the londes and were come to Ierusalem for to bydde and praye Neuertheles the heede was longe lost by vnkunnynge and was leyde in a den in feniciā till that Iohan efte told where his he∣de laye to marc••llus the Abbot that dwellyd in the same den / & than afterwarde the feest of the bihedyng bygā to be holden in the same cite the same day y^t the hede was foūdē & take vp of the erth Other tellith that it is not the feest of the decollaciō of byhedyng but of the collection of the gadrynge of the boones that was ra∣ther do and of the brennyng Thanne theodosius the emperour brought the hede to constantinople And thens it was brought in to ffraunce and is ofte shewed to pylgryms at Amyens

¶ Capitulum sextum

CRiste suffred dethe seuen dayes afore apryl / cassyodorus seyth· that daye was a greete Eclips of the sonne / Soo that none suche was a fore hond nowther after / soo that the ste••••es were seen in heuē & erth schakyng In Bythinya were throw•• doun many cytees / R / Also the stones were cloue / therfor it semeth that veynes & clyftes that now ben seen in quareis & in roches and in rokkes come of that erthe shakyng. for byfore that tyme onests were hoole withoute clyftes Ioseph̄ That yere in

the whyte soneday preestes in the temphe had styrynges & noyse of places ¶ Thanne they herde a voys breke oute sodenly faste by the temple that sayd passe we oute of these seges ¶Also that yere aboute pentecost that is whitesonetyde the apostles ordeyned the lasse Iames Alpheus sonne bisshop of Ierusalem / he songe first masse among them & reuled the bisshoprych at Ierusalem thyrtty yere / there were ordeyned seuen dekens / steuen / philip Pro¦corus Nychamor Timor permenas and nycholas· Nycholas•• sto∣de not as he sholde but he made his wyf comyn to al that wolde haue hir ¶ Eusebius in historia ecclesiastica libro tercio This nycholas had a fayr wyf and was blamed of the apos∣tles as though̄ he were Ielous and he brought forth his wyf & yf ony man wold lye by her he wold suffre it In simpel and innocent doyng though somme folowyd dyuerse lechery / yet ny∣cholas dide yet in despysyng of the vyse of Ielousy and not by wylle to teche men to desire flesshely lykyng and namely for his sonnes and doughters lyued chaste to her lyues ende and also ••e hym self toke none other wyf after his fyrst wyfe R ¶ Of this Iames take hede that he had four surnames and so be is na¦med Iacobus Alphay for he was Alpheus sone ••ur lordes bro¦der for he was moost lyke to oure lord in holynesse and in face So that many men were bygyled in the lykenesse of them two And therfor Iudas gaf the Iewes a signe of a cusse leste they were deceyued in takyng of crist ¶ Also he is called the lasse Ia¦mes for the other was Zebedeus sonne / though he were yonger than he for he was rather callyd of crist And is called the more Iames and that maner is vsed in the chirche of Rome and in many relygyons Soo that he that cometh first is called the more And he is called rightfull for the worthynesse of passynge holy∣nesse This was alway holy and clene mayde from the tyme that he was first born / he dranke neuer wyne nother sider nother tasted flesshe yren come neuer on his heede / ••e vsed neuer oyle ne∣ther bathes. ffor grete knelyng his knees were as the soles of his fete / he al one had leue to entre in to the holyest place of the tem¦ple / Firste of al he songe a masse / In the good fryday whanne criste▪ dyed he made his auowe that he wolde neuer ete er Criste were aryse The peple fonded wel fast to touche the ••emme of his clothis ¶ That yere bytwene the assencion that is hooly thursdaye and whytesonedaye Mathias was choosen and made Apostel in stede of Iudas the traytoure Of hem· it is wreton

in a story / though the auctor therof be vnknowen A man wa•• in Ierusalem that heete ruben as Ierom sayth of the lygnage of Isacar his wyf ••ete ciborea· In a nyghte whan they had payed dette of wedlok eyther to other. the woman dremed that she hadde y bore an ylle sonne that shold he traytour of his owne peple The child was born and callyd Iudas and the fader and the moder were a grysed for to sle the child other for to norysshe him vp / that sholde destroye his owne peple / therfor they put hym in a lytel cryb shape as a bote and dide hym in to the see and so he come in to an Ilond that hete scariot / there the quene of the Ilōd hadde no children and fonde the cryb and the childe and feyned her self with child and laye and feyned that she had childe· But long after the quene conceyued and yede with childe by the king Whan the childe was born and come to age· Iudas greuyd him ful ofte and made hym wepe ful ofte but al for noughte / for it was not worth the while / Atte laste it come oute that •• Iudas wa snot the kyngis sone ¶ And than he slowe pryuely the kin¦ges sone and d••ad the peyne and fledde to Ierusalem with men that were trybutarye and put them to pilatus courte that was than Iustyser ¶ And for thynges that be lyke acorde to geders Iudas had sone grete fauour of pylatus ¶ In a day pylatus loked oute of his palays in to rubens Orchard that sothely was Iudas fader And Pylatus had lykyng to the Apples· therfor he sent Iudas to gader him of the Apples / than ruben come and mette hym and after the stryf and strokes Iudas vp with a stone and smote ruben on the heede and slowe his owne fader But Iudas fled pryuely away after that euil dede And ther for men trowyd that ruben was sodenly dede ¶ Than Pilatus gaue to Iudas al Rubens catel and he gaue cyborea to be Iu∣das wyf Than in a day ciborea made grete mone bifore Iudas of her wrechyd and sorowful lyf / how she had put her yonge so∣ne in to the see stremes How she lost her husbande sodenly / & how she was maryed agaynst her wylle And soo it was knowen that Iudas hadde slayne his owne fader and wedde his owne moder / therfore by counseyl of ciborea Iudas folowed crist / that his trespas were forgeue / And soo Iudas was criste pro••oure and his disciple ¶Also that yere after the election of mathias and after the sendyng of the holy goste er the Apostles wold go aboute in to dyuerse londes / they come to Ierusalem to geders / & made the crede and steuē was stoned to deth six dayes a ••ore Ia¦nyuere

/ That yere peter the Apostel Iones sone of the prouince of galylee of the strete bethsayda Andrews broder bygan to hol¦de the bisshopes see in the eeste londes and was bisshop there four yere and song masses and sayde the pater noster ¶ Ieronimus de viris illustribus Whan peter come to antyochia & was bisshop there seuen yere· than he come to Rome / and was there fyue and twenty yere and seuen monethes / paul was conuerted And was with the disciples at damaske vnto after that he had recey∣ued crystendom of Ananias and thens he wente to Arabia. & thens agayne in to· damaske· and made thre yeres that hooly wryte callyd many dayes there he was lete doune ouer the wall in a cupe and come in to Ierusalem for to see peter and was with hym fyftene dayes and callyd with hym of the gospel ¶ After¦ward he come in to the countrees of Suria and of cicilia and of Assia and was there ••ourten yere / And whan the xiiij yere was doon he come to the Appostles in to Ierusalem / than whan he had appeled he come to the emperour in to Rome. there without the cyte he hured a comyn bern and taught therinne the wordes of lyf· Amonge the whiche Seneca that was neroes Mayster visited paule not only mowth with mouth / but also with lettres and pistles Persius the poete was born Tiberius cesar dey¦de poysoned with venym the yere of his age thre score and eygh¦ten as it were the fyrst day of october ¶Petrus capitulo sexto Tiberius knewe that he shold dye and called to him his neuews afore other noble men / Gayus his owne broders sone and tiberi¦us that he loued mooste the sone of his owne sonne drusus and ordeyned that he wold a morwe ordeyne hym a successoure and prayd fyrst to her goddes / And he ordeyned by hym self to putte afore his owne neuewes He that come fyrste to hym a morowe and warned Tiberius pryuely that he shold come fyrst in al ma¦ner wyse / But he was recheles a morowe and wolde not come til he had ete And gayus come fyrst and had the empyre· kymbe¦linus kynge of Brytons dyed and lefte after hym twey sones Guyderius and Aruiragus but guiderius had the kyngdome / And warned trybute / and soo he made the Romayns arise ayēst hym

¶ Sequitar Capitulum septimum

GAyus Tiberius neuew of his broder germayn was callyd galygula for he was born in the hooste· He hadde the name of a knyghtes legge harneysed that heete galygula ¶This was Emperour after Tiberius and regned as it were four yere and nyne monethes and was an ydle disposed man And clensed al the shame of Tiberius / And made men calle hym god of heuen & of erth / therfor he made his ymage sette in the temple of Ierusa∣lem. he lay by his owne sistres and gate a doughter on that one And laye by that doughter afterward ¶ And atte laste he exy¦led his sustres that he had laye by ¶This the fyrst yere of his Empyre delyuerd herodes Agrippa oute of prysonne and made ••im kyng of the Iewry Tiberius had prisoned herodes agrip¦pa· the second yere of his kyngdome he exyled herodes Antippa•• And herodyas that had lyued in spouse brech with herodes an¦tipa and herodes agrippa accused them ¶The erthe swolowyd the wenche that tombled But gayus the thyrd yere of his em¦pyre exyled Pilatus Iustyce of the Iewry and sent hym in to v••en that is in the royalme of fraunce in despyte of his kynge for he was born there The Iewes accused pylatus that he slowe mē gyltles & that he had set ymages of men of straūge nacions in the temple ayenste the wylle of Iewes ¶Also that he had take mony of the holy tresory and made a water condyte to his owne hous ¶ Also that he hadde take the stole of prysthode in to his owne hows and wolde not delyuere hit but for huyre to the prin¦ce of preestes in the holy dayes / Than be was put in prison and borewyd a knyfe for to pare an Appel and slewe hym self there with and with his owne hand / and was bounde to a grete stone and throwen in to tiber / than ylle spyrites made ioye with hym that ylle was also and made pestylence and grete rysynge of wa¦ter and grete thondrynge aboute that place ¶Therfor the romai¦nes drowe hym out of tiber & threwe hym in to rone at vien· that place was tho graunted the plase of corsinge And also hit hete vigenia as it were via that is a waye & of Iehenne that is the valey of children of depnesse ¶ But there fyll a pestylence also and the men of the place buryed hym at bosane / And there also men of the countraye were effrayed and dyde that body in a pytte that is byclipped al aboute with hilles There is yet harde gry∣sely bere and noyse ¶In historia ecclesiastica it is redde that the Iuwes accused pilatus to tiberyus and that pilatus was bore to lugduns in fraunce ¶R And that eyther story may be sauede

withoute with sayenge for to vnderstonde that he was born in to lugduns after the accusacion of the Iewes and that after volu¦sianus was come agayn from Ierusalem / he callyd hym oute of the exylynge for to haue harder dampnacion ¶Eusebius and beda withness••th that Pilatus slewe him self with his owne hād

¶Capitulum Octauum

CLaudius the ••ame of gayus and of drusus whan Gayus was slayne was made emperour by sleyhte and helpe of he¦rode Agrippa and bygan to regne in lammesse moneth and reg¦ned as it were fyften yere The dedes of this be s••lde in mynde but that he made the Bryto••s subget for he gaue hym alway to mete and drynke and lechery oute of mesure And cast hym to make a lawe to excuse all that behynde let go a blaste / for somty¦me he spared it to moch and fel in grete peryll ¶ Iosephus libro visesimo This claudius had thre wyues / the firste hete pet••na & he gate on her a doughter that hete Antompde / petina deyd and he wedded messalina / ¶ And gate on her a sone that he¦te britannicus and a doughter that heet octauia / his / thyrd wyf hete Agrippa germanicus doughter and she had a sone that heete nero Claudius wedded his doughter octauia to this nero and for loue that Claudius had to this Agrippina / he slewe hi•• wif messalina and whan she was slayn claudius in triclinio sittyng at mete vsed for to speke as though he were out of mynde & axed why his lady messelina wolde not come ¶Agrippina drad leste B••tannicus the sone of messalina shold regne after his fader And therfor she poysened claudius for her sonne nero shold be Emperour· And nero quyt his moder that triacle whan he was Emperour· For he poysoned brytannicus and slewe his moder & his owne wyf octauia R Of the forseyd messalina speketh iu¦uenalis satiricus and sayth that ••he was so lecherous that firste she dyde hir pryuely to the pryue harlattes place & / afterward she put her forth openly & went thens not fulfylde of the maner doynge but wery of trauaylle & also she exyted noble wyues to the same maner of doyng Beda libro primo capitulo quarto That yere was the grete honger in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that Agabus the pro∣phete had prophecyed in Actibus Apostolorum ¶Petrus 81

While this hongre was stronge in euery place of Siria and in the Iewry moost / helene the quene of adyabenes come to Ieru∣salem and bought corn al aboute for to susteyne nedy cristen mē at Ierusalem / and atte las•• she made two vnryels and heete bu∣rye therinne her body and her sonnes bodye the buryels beene yet seen / therfor many ben disseyued and trowith that there is the buryels of helene / constantyns moder· for mē rede of her that she come to Ierusalem and highte the cyte in many thynges Also that yere powle come to Ierusalem to talke with peter of the gospel. ¶Also that yere the fyftene day of Iuyll the Apos∣tles were departed in to al the world aboute ¶ Than peter come to rome & sente marcial to lymonica & appollinaris to rauen and marcus in to egypte This marcus of leuyes kynde was peters sone by baptym and his disciple and come to Rome with peter Ther atte prayer of cristen men he wrote the gospel that peter a∣lowed and approued and toke it to be rudde in chirches ¶Thanne marcus was sente in to Aquileya there he conuerted moche folke Atte last he was sente to Alexandria in Egypte and there he was doo to dethe / thanne aboute the yere of our lord iiij C thre score & seuen he was translated & brought frō alex∣andria in to venys / this kyt of his thōbe somtyme leste he shold be made preest other bisshop but goddis ordenaūce had the mays¦try and auctoryte of peter that made him bisshop of Allexandria Beda libro primo capitulo quinto ¶ Kyng guiderius regned amonge the brytons and warned the romayns trybute / therfor claudius cesar come and conquered brytayne as it were without bataylle and grete noyse of grutchyng was arered in brytayn as it semeth for her men that fled were not restored ageyne He come in to an Ilond there Iulius cesar durste neuer come nother other man after hym Also the ylondes orchades that ben beyonde brytayn in the see of occean / he made subget to the empy¦re of Rome and torned agayne to Rome the sixth moneth after that he wente oute and gaue his sone that name brytannicus Lelius hamo a leder of claudius slewe kynge guyderius at por¦chestre And this hamo deyde afore hamoes hauen that was soo called by his name that is now hampton Than claudius after dyuerse happes of batayll toke Aruiragus guiderius broder to his grace and brought his doughter genuyssa from Rome and maryed her to kynge Aruiragus And for he wold make the pla¦ce of the mariage solempne he callyd it claudyocestria by his own

name ¶R Claudyocestra hete caertleon in brytyssh speche that is claudius cyte / But after that it was callyd glocestre and glo¦uernia also And had that name of the duc of demecia that hete glora Me sayth that claudius cesar gate hym there at gloucestre Than claudius sente legyons of knyghtes in to Irlond· But he torned ageyne to Rome and aruiragus withdrowe hym and wold not be vnder the romaynes ¶ Therfor vaspasianus a duc of Rome was sente and made the kynge of the kyngdome and the yle of wyghte that is nexte to brytayn in the south syde sub∣get to thempyre of Rome Herodes Agrippa whan he had gre∣ued somme of the holy chirche· he come in to cesarea for to make pleyes in worship of cesar And there to lete him self be callyd god / therfor an Angel smote hym and his body swal and he sa∣yd to his frendes / Lo I that was callyd god / now I am right fully bounden with bondes of dethe and so he dyed Peter ca 60 This herodes Agrippa was Aristobolus sone / Aristobolus was the sone of the grete herodes ascolonita & his suster was herodias her oldest eam•• herodes Antipas the forsayd Aristobolus broder This herodes agrippa was a man of grete herte a grete w••rriour and fre of gyftes but he was pour ¶He come to Rome while Tiberius cesar liuede for to geete another tetrarchia that is an other fourth deele / of the kyngdome of Iewes and hadde grete frendship of drusus tiberius cesars sonne and obleged hym self for moche dette for to wynne the wyll of the Romayns ¶But drusus was hastly dede and therfor tiberius cesar was sory that he dide al drusus seruauntes oute of his presence leste drusus dethe come to his mynde by syghte of his seruauntes ¶ Therfore hi•• happyd that herodes Agrippa wente ageyne to the Iewry / as it were a man withoute comforte and for shame and for nede and for meschyef he closed hym self in a toure that he myghte dye for hongre but at prayer of his suster herodyas he was releued by herodes Antippa But herodes antippa repreued hym in a ty∣me for the good that he had doo hym / and herodes agrippa hadde indignacion therof and wente to tiberius cesar and gate grace of hym atte laste and leefte with gayus Germanicus sone / In a tyme he sate with gayus in his chaar and wyssched that tibe¦rius the oldman and vnnesy were dede that gayus myghte be emperour The charyoter herde that and warned the emperour And therfor Agrippa was prysoned six monethes vnto the deth of tiberius cesar. While this Agrippa was in prisonne one of his

prysonners that was kunnynge in dyuynynge warned hym· that he sholde be sone delyuerd oute of prysonne and be a kyng soo that his frendes sholde haue enuye to his welthe. this dyuy∣nour dyuyned soo while he sawe an owle sitte vpon the tree that Agrippa lened to And sayd that as sone as he sawe efte such a maner byrde sitte aboue hym he shold dye the fyfthe day after / ¶Whan tiberius was dede gayus delyuerd Agrippa and gaue him two tetrarchyes of philip and of lisania and crowned and called hym kynge / ¶ Therfor his suster herodyas was wrothe & had grete indignacion for her husbonde herodes Antippas that was retrarcha had not gete hym the nāme of kynge and she ex¦cited her husbond herodes Antippa that he shold goo to gayus & beye the name of a kynge but gayus was warned afore honde by lettres of Agrippa and put herodes to lugduns in fraunce And for herodyas was Agrippaes suster / she had choes where she wolde goo agayne other folow her husbond / And she chees to be exyled with her husbonde and said that she wolde not leue her husbonde in his meschyef that she had folowed in his bonechefe And soo the thyrd tetrarchia was take from herodes Antippa and geue to herodes agripp•• ¶ Atte last gayus was slayne whan there was stryf bytwene the senatours and knyghtes & the peple of Rome· For the senatours drad the cruelte of the empe¦rour and the disauauntage of the comynte. And the peple dradde the couetyse of the consuls / thanne by sleyght of Agrippa clau∣dius was made emperour and anone he gaue herodes agrippa the fourth tetrarchia that is Iudea ¶And so herodes agrippa was made grete and wente agayne in to Iewry ¶ And afterwarde there he slowe Iames and prysonned peter Than he made pla¦yes at cesarea as it is sayd afore hande and swal and was ete with wormes and deyde / And lefte after hym two other lygna∣ges and an halfe beyonde flume Iordan his sone herodes agrip¦pa was not callid herodes but only agrippa ¶ To hym cristen men fled afterward oute of Iewry whan the cyte sholde be ta∣ke and destroyed / Seynt mary our lordes moder deyd the yrre of her age thre score and thre for in the byrth of her sone she was fourtene yere olde and leued with her sone thre and thyrtty yere Afterward sixtene yere as somme men wol mene and so she was take hennes whan she was sixty wynter olde and more / for men say that the apostles prechyd after crist in the Iewry and in the countreyes aboute ful twelue yere. ¶ Philip the apostel was

nayled to the cros in the cyte Iherapolis the yere of his age thre score and eyghten· Lasarus the first bisshop of cipris deyde in his second deth and had four and twenty yere bytwene his two dethis Felix procurator of the Iewry was sente by claudi{us} afore this felix / powle was accused and appeled for his offence to the emperour / that tyme were many fals prophetes Egesip∣pus libro secundo Also that tyme were many shrewyd swerd men in Ierusalem and were medled amonge the peple and sle¦we many men so subtily & so pryuely that no man coude them aspye / soo the drede of them that liued was more greuous / than the meschief of them that were dede ¶Therfor many men wente in to wildernesse for to haue refute and socour ¶ Claudius died at Rome in his owne palis. the yere of his age thre score and four as it were in the moneth of marche for his wyfe Agrippina slewe hym with venym for to put of his sone brytannicus and to make her owne sonne Nero emperour

¶ Capitulum 9

NEro the sone of domicius and of Agrippina gayus suster had wedded claudius doughter and bygan to regne and regned almoost fourten yere / this was moost curyous and craf∣ty to werke with Iustrumentes of musick. soo that he had ioye & likyng to be openly callyd prynce of harpers Also he had gre∣te likynge in the swetnesse of his voys that absteyned hym and spared al manere mete and drynke that was not goode for the voys and not only he dyde that but also he vsed ofte c••isteryes and vomytes whan Nero bigan to singe / no man was soo hardy to goo oute of the theatre er he had made ende of his songe And he was al ruled and lad by ledyng and counseyll of mynstrals / And for he was moost couetous of al emperours / he vsed so to saye / he that is aboue alle hath nede to all but yet it greued hym not to geue mynstrals al that he had And he gaue them al the Worshippes ••f the cite of Rome Suetoniu•• He wered no cloth twyes. he vsed shosoles of siluer / he fysshed with nettis of gold / the nettis were drawe with ropis of reede silke Also for this be wolde see the lykenesse of troye whan it was sette a fyre he sette a grete dele of Rome a fire that brente seuen nyghtes and seuen dayes / And he began to crye and singe the gestes of troye

Orocius ¶ Also he was so lecherous that he wolde be w••sshe with hote oynementes and colde ¶Also he wedded a man for to be his wyf and he bycame another mannes wyfe Also he le¦te kerue his owne moders wombe for he wolde see the place that he was conceyued ynne Martinus Phisiciens blamed him for he had defowled his owne moder ¶And he answerd and sayde / but ye make me goo with childe ye shal be deede euerychone thā they made him swelle with drynkes and made hym vnwytyng drynke a frogge ¶And atte last after moch wo and sorowe / he delyuerd him and caste vp a frogge / ¶ But the phisicians sayde that the childe was born afore his tyme / And therfore it was so vnthryuyngly and so euel schape. But nero made this frogge be kepte in a tour to his owne lyues ende ¶Therfor somme men wenen that lateran hath that name of the frogge that loted there for latere a latyn is lotye & be hidde other vnknowe in en∣glysshe and rana in latyn A frogge in englysshe ¶ Also nero made hym an heuen of an honderd fote hye and bored and thyr∣lyd with many smale hooles / and it was born vp with four sco¦re pylers and ten of marbel stone he leete fall water therupon / that dropyd doune as it were rayne that falleth from heuen He made also a lampe brennyng be drawē in to that heuē by day that yede a doune westward as it were the sonne ¶And he ma∣de a myrrour sette with precious stones that shone by nyght as it were the mone ¶ But al these were by goddes ordenaunce so sodenly distroied so to rusched and to broke that therof was ne¦uer gobet founde nother cromme ¶Also he made a carre with iiij whelis be drawe vpon that heuen soo that noyse was herde as it were the noyse of a grete thonder but god almyghty sente a grete wynde that threwe the cart in to the Ryuer ¶ Eutropius Ne¦ro slewe many noble men and linia octauians wif his own mo¦der Agrippina and his fader suster and his wyf And Seneca the philosopher of cordij bē Lucan{us} came was neroes mayster / & axed couenable reward for that he had be neroes mayster / & he hadde choys in whiche bowe of a tree he wolde be an hanged Seneca axed why ••e had deserued that maner deth ¶ Than Nero made one to scarmuch aboute seneca••s heede with a bryghte swerde and sawe that he was wonder sore aferd And sayd as sore as thou art aferd of this swerde As sore I am aferd of the And yet I am as sore aferd of the as I was somtyme while I was a childe And therfor while thou art thou alyue I

may not be withoute drede but euer in grete drede· therfore Se∣neca chees what man deth he wold take & chees to be late blode in a bath & to dye in that man / & as it were by a forbedinge he had that name seneca / for seneca a latyn is he that sleeth him self in englyssh / this seneca had two bretheren one of them hete iuli{us} gal¦lo & was the best declamator of al / he slow him self with his oun hāde / the other broder hete mela lucan{us} the poetes fader also this lucan{us} whan he had made his booke of the harme & damage of strif & discord bitwene cyteseins & therby he brought nero to acor¦de & mildenes yet by heest of nero he was slayn in bleding by kit¦tyng of his veynes as it is sayd· Pol / li. 8· Som ben bolde & har¦dy to despise this seneca & for to grounde him vpon the auctorite of quintilian{us} but me semeth that they doute for he was worthy to be homely with poul & ierom rekeneth him amōg holy seintes this seneca had noble wit to lerne & to teche & had grete studiyng & grete knowlech of thinges & wel nye al mat of studye of wyt & of science he had & wrote resons of poetry & nye al maner phi¦losophy & in euy doing he was good & trewe keper of vertues & enemy of vices & of synnes· so that it semed that he made worldes of gold & goddes acorde with mākinde / also he made bokes de bene¦ficijs de clemēcia declamacōes tragedias de nālib{us} q̄stiōib{us} & de tusculāis / de casib{us} fortuitis. Iero{us} de viris illustrib{us} / paul appeled to thēperour & was sēt boūdē to rome & ther ••e was .ij· yere in fre¦ward & disputed ayēst the iewes & was aft{er}ward lete go fre. pe¦ter that yere ordeined at rome / ij / bisshops that were ••elpers to tech the feith of holy chirch / lin{us} was one & clet{us} that other for to ful¦fil thoffice of pⁱsthod to the peple y^t come & not thoffice of bisshops Peter him self was occupied in bedes & in preching / Martin{us} / of this clet{us} it is writē that he wrote first in his lettres sl̄in & apl̄i cam benedcōnē that is greting & the apostles blissing this praised moch pilgremage do to holy seintes & specialy to the apostl••s pe∣ter & paul & seid that ones visiting of apostles was most help••i to a mānes soule than ij / yeres fasting / Also that yere lucas was with paul in the cite of rome & wrote the boke that hete act{us} apos¦tolorum / but he had write the gospel afore· about that yere died longius the knight that opened Criste with a spere And toke his syhte by the bloode that ranne vpon the spere oute of Cry¦tes syde / ¶ And soo be trowyd in Cryste and was taughte of the Apostles and wente in to cesarea in capadocia and lyued

•• holy lyf xxviij yere & torned many men to the fayth of holy chirche and dyed martir atte last percius satiricus & poete dyed / R / There were mo poetes than satirices. poeta hath that name of feynyng & such one was virgyl specially in his encidis & our dius satiricus is sayd of saturitas that is fulnes of the mat other of the repreuingis that they spak ayenst yl mē & euil liuing for they spake therof atte ful / & ther were .iij / such {per}si{us}. oraci{us} & iuue¦nalis / Isid li 8 ca / 7 / The office of a poete is for to telle thyngis that ben sothe in dede by other lykenes & chaungyng with florys¦shyng & fair maner of spekyng. therfor it is that as poetes isye that temples were fayrer than other howses & Maumettes heyer than other bodyes so they trowid that goddes sholde be worshiped with the fayr & noble speking / therfor som poetes ben callid diui¦nes for they made their dites of goddes / R / Therby it semeth that lucan{us} was no poete whan he made iij storyes of the stryf of cy¦teseins· but if it were by the maner of medlyng of poises / The las¦se iames bisshop of Ierl̄m was slain vij dayes afore april in the estern tyme xxx yere after the passiō of our lord· firste the iewes they stoned iames for anger that they might not sle paul & after¦ward they smite out his braine with a walkers staf / R / Eu¦sebi{us} in historia eccāstica••li / 1 / ca / 1. seyth that iames was the sone of ioseph our lady spouse gete on his other wif & therfore he was called oure lordes broder / But Ierom meneth more sothly that he was the sone of the other mari our ladies suster & his fader hete alphe{us} / Marke the gospeler paules disciple & his meuer dyed at alexādria in egipte. his gospel was wretē at rome & peter app∣ued it & alowyd it & toke it for to be rad in chirches / Lin{us} the bis∣shop suffred deth at rome vij dayes afore decēber / after him cletus was his successour xij· yere that peter wēt to rome to withstōde & put of simon magus that come of the samaritanes / peter had ouer come him afore at cesar••a & chaced him out of the iewry· simō ma¦gus gad••ed the peple to gider at rome & seid that peter & paul mē of galyle had greued him sore / & therfor he wold forsake rome y^t he had defēded long tyme / & than he set a day whan he wold stye vp in to heuē / & whan that day was come he torned to & kydde all the might of his witchecraft-than they that were in his side seid that crist did neuer such a dede / but atte prayer of peter he •• fil doū of his flyght & was al to broke & brused / nero was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he had ••••st such an helper & putte peter in ward / & peter knewe that his ••nde day was nye and made clement bisshop in his stede· Also ••t

instaūce of bretheren he wold finde to escape neroes tirānie & met crist in the gate of the cite & seid lord whether gost thou / I go seid crist to rome to be nayled to the crosse agein· than ••eter vnderstode that it was sayd of his owne passion & torned ageyn in to the ci∣te and was taken of the wardeyns & honged on the crosse & his hede dounward / his disciple marcellus abode no mannes sentence nother leue but toke peter doune of the crosse with his own hon¦des & buryed hym in a place that hete vaticanus / after the xxv. yere of his bissopriche of Rome In neroes last yere nero dyd pe∣ter in the crosse & made paule to be slayn with a swerde al in one day and sente the duc vaspasianus in to the Iewry to make the Iewes subgette that wold not suffre the couetyfe of florus that was Iustice / Eutropius / Whan he herde that galba in spain was made emperour than he loste al comforte and for harmes that he hadde doon and bythought the comynte. the Senatours demed hym for an enmye and fled four myle from the cyte and slowe him self in a subarbe of his bonde man that he hadde made free / the yere of his owne age two and thyrtty That yere al the meyne of Augustus cesar were consumpte whan peter hadde suf∣fred deth / than clement come after hym / Clement had gouerned holy chirche nyne yere vnder peter while he was alyue / He was bisshop xxij yere .xij yere with linus and cletus & after that .ix yere by him self aloon for tho he was exyled· this Clement as a wyseman & war for to be ware of meschyef that myght falle af∣terward yf euery other wold make hym a successour by that en∣sample of peter / & soo holy dignyte might falle in possession as it were by herytage / therfor he resigned his dignyte to linus & af∣terward to cletus· Also this clement wrote many lookes of cris∣ten lawe & made linus & cletus bisshoppes afore hym· & this cle∣mēt was the fyrst by electiō after peter & the third in degre of or¦dre for lin{us} & cletus were. bitwene peter & him / his bodi was thro¦we in to the s••e cerson & after many yeres one Cirillus apostel of the sclaues fonde it & brought it to rome in the first nycholas ty¦me. Gaufr / Aboute that tyme marius the sone of aruiragus reg∣ned in britain in his tyme one rodicus kyng of pictes come out of sicia & occupyed the north party of britain that party hete alba¦nia & now it hete scotlād / But atte last marius slough rodicus And in mynde of that vyctorye kynge marius rered a stone in that place the which countray is called by his name westmaria that is westmerlonde / yet it is wreton in a stone marij vyctory

R Here wyllelmus of malmesbury was disseyued that troweth this stone was reerde in mynde of marius the co••sul of Rome But it is no wonder he had not radde the Bryttysshe book there hit is wreten of marius the kynge ¶ Afterwarde marius the kyng graunted to Rodycus men that were ouercome the londe of catenesy that is in the last endes of Scotland for to dwelle ther•• ynne / As it is sayd in the last chapyter of the fyrst booke

¶ Capitulum 10

GAlba Seruius regned after Nero vij monethes y chosen of spaynerdys and Galles the yere of his age thre score and thyrten & had be a senatour of old nobley / his pryuy lyf was ful noble and had ofte be consul and ofte proconsul and ofte duk and leder of grete bataylles and harde He made one pysonne a noble yong man his sone adoptiuus & his heir / but by a wayte of one otho they were bothe deede in the myddel of the chepynge place ¶ Otho lucius regned thre monethes whan he herde that there was an Emperour made in gallia by relygyons of germa¦nia he arayed batayls that ben callyd bella ciuilia and hadde the vyctory in thre the fyrst bataylles and the fourth batayl / Whan he sawe his men ouer set•••• and falle to grounde. ••e sayd that he was not soo worthy that cyuyle bataylle sholde for hym aryse & so he slew hym self Vytellus regned after otho as it were se¦uen monethes and was stronge and noble / but he was soo grete a gloton that he ete somday thries som daye four sithis & somday fyue sithis / ¶At one soper were sette afore hym two thousand fysshes and seuen thousande fowles soo it is wryte ¶ This drad that vaspasianus shold regne and slewe his brother sabynus & than for d••ede he hid hym and closed hym in a celle ¶ And du¦kes that were with vaspasianus drowe hym oute and so he was openly and naked drawe thurgh the cyte and heelde vp his hede on hye and a sharp swerde was set vnder his chy nne. And alle men threwe on him dirte & du ste and so he was throwe in to tiber Vaspasianus regned as it were eyght yere / And was coueyto{us} of money but he toke it not wrongfully ¶ He wolde forgete wronges & lyghtly take chydinges of mē of lawe & of philoso∣phres This was sōtyme sēt by nero in to the iewry for to chaste

the Iewes and herde of neroes deth and left there his sonne Ti¦tus and wente agayn to Rome. He fought two and thyrtty ty∣mes manly agaynst his enemyes in germania and ellys where / ¶ Pol libro tercio capitulo 14 One buculus an old man cryed in despy•••• of vaspasianus and sayd. the foxe maye chaung. his skynne but not his wylle / ffor vaspasianus couetyse was neuer the lasse ffor the passynge of his age Me saith that he answerd in this maner. To suche men we owe lawghyng to our silf cor∣rection and payne to euil doers•• Also this more for the playne chastysyng of the peple and nacions of londes that he had won∣ne / he made prouynces of these kyngdoms Archaia licia Rhodus Samus tracia and silicia and ordeyned stywardes to gouerne the¦se londes that were rather vnder kynges that were frendes and subgettis to the romaynes ¶R Here laketh ten yere by the co∣myn cronykkes bytwene the passion of oure lord and vaspasia∣nus tyme as it is sayd afore in the prologe ¶ Ierusalem was take by titus The temple was brente and throwe adowne euen with the groūde ¶Iosephus libro septimo ¶The same monethe and day that it was fyrst brente by the calendres that was the eyghtene day of September the yere after that Salamon buylde hit fyrst enleuen honderd and thyrtty After the second byldyng that was in aggeus tyme seuen honderd yere and nyneand thyrt¦ty / ¶ But martinus and other tellen that it was taken in the estern tyme ¶Egesippus ¶ In this brennynge and des∣truction enleuen tymes an honderd thousand Iewes were slayn with swerde and with honger / ¶An honderd thousand were take prysoners and sold al way thyrtty for a peny and nyne honderd thousand fledde and were to shifte & departed

¶Ieronimus ¶That tyme was so moche folke at Ierusalem for in the estern tyme they come to the temple oute of al the Ieu¦ry ¶ Iosephus libro septimo It is no wonder that soo greete peple of Iewes was dede and take for nero somtyme wold we¦te the tale and the nombre of Iewes that were at Ierusalem / for he despysed that temple with al his myghte· & cestius the sty¦ward as he had lerned of bisshopes wrote to nero that there we¦re founde at Ierusalem in one holy day twenty C / M. and seuen honderde thousande withoute them that were pollute and perso∣nes with wemmes that hadde no leue for to offir

¶ The Bisshopes acountyd this nombre by the nombre of hoostes that were offryd / the whiche nombre was two honderd

thousand and six and fyfty thousande and fyue honderd And euery ten persones offryd one hooste In this fyghting the Romaynes had kunnynge and strengthe ¶ The Iewes hadde wodenesse and folye ¶ For the tyme was drye and Vaspasianus wente to the Cyte Iotapaten· and stopped al the water conduytes ¶ But Iosephus was withynne and founde vp a connynge crafte and henge wete clothis vpon the toun walles ¶ And for the clothis dropped they that were withoute wende and trowed that they that were with ynne had no lacke of water for to drynke while they had plente of water to wasshe their clothis ¶Than vaspasianus distourbed the wal with a stroke of an engyne / but Iosephus heng sakkis ful of strawe ayenst the strokes of the engyne and soo the stro∣kes were lette & the walles saued / For harde thynges ben better withstōde with nesche thinges thā with hard but y^e romains boū¦de hokes to long poles & kytte the ropis of the sackis / but Ioseph{us} threwe out brenning oyle vpon them and smote of al their en¦gynes & vaspasian{us} wold amēde hem & was sore woūded in the heel· After that there fyl so grete strengthe of castynge & of shote of titus side that the nolle of one iosephus felaws was smyte of with a stone & flewe ou{er} the third furlong. also a woman y^t was with childe was smyte so that the childe was smyte oute of her wombe and flewe ouer half a furlong / whan titus had broke the second wall Iosephus was founden hid among osers & had hid him thre dayes· than they that founde hym despised him in this maner / wherto wolt thou lyue while it is not couenable nother leeful nether semely / thy lyf shal be made of peryschyng & of lost other it shal be payne of seruage & of bondage / haue mynde of moyses / hym was leuer be scraped oute of the booke of lyf than lyue lenger than the peple

Also dauid was leuer take in se ipso wreche than lyue and see the peple perysshe / Who desired nought quoth Iosephus / Yf it were lawful to be delyuerd and vnboūde of soo grete wo and sorowe but he that bonde hath leue to vnbynde and none other Yf ony other vnbyndeth he doth the lord wrong ¶Than as our lordes trewe seruauntes kepe we what he hath bytake vs whyle it is his wylle ¶ Thanne he is vnkynde that wil rather be a goe other longer abyde than he wylle to whoome he is bounde ¶ Soo hit was sothe of Abraham of Iacob of Moyses / of Dauid that prayde to be delyuered of prysonne

oft his lyf / but none slowe hym self of al holy sayntes ¶ Than yf it is good to lyue it is sacrylege to forsake it vnrighlfully Yf it is glorious to dye in batayll I withsey hit not / And yf it be good to fyghte for the countray for the peple and for the cyte¦seyns and dye in batayll I put forth my heede to be smyte of yf the enemy axeth by lawe of the bataylle / Nother I flater with my self yf it is to sparyng / be he my borowe. I hadde leuer dye by here thefte than by myne owne / yf ye saye that it is sweete to dye for fredome I with say it not but is swete to dey for ••••••dome He is feerful that wyl not dye whanne it nedith It is a wo∣mans stalworthnesse for ony to slee hym self ¶Beestes conne not doo soo for they defende them self ayenste other beestes with tethe and with clawes but amonge them self they vse c••sses & likkyng and strokynge God hath take vs our lyfe to kepe But whether we doo we ben to blame. yf we throwe hit awaye withoute his axyng that gaue it vs / owther yf we warne for to take it at his axyng / whan these wordes were sayd Iosephus sawe one of them that stode by and stroue faster than other Than Iosephus sayd cast we lotte who shal dye fyrst and laste and soo forth of vs al / soo he that shal dye fyrst shal be slayne of hym that shal dye nexte. and soo euery one after other / the condi¦cion plesyd them al and it happed that they were deede al saue Iosephus and one other· ¶ Than Io sephus counceyled his felawe to forsake his lot / And therby he e scaped peryl at home and soo he was brought to vaspasianus ¶ Iose∣phus libro 6 Atte laste vaspasianus was callyd to be Empe∣rour and his sone titus was lefte at the siege of Ierusalem. And went in a daye with six honderde horsmen withoute haber∣ions aboute for to see the cyte and Iewes come oute and closed them in bihinde / & he whette his hert & will with hardines & rode māly thorough the cōpany of iewes & come to his own mē & for grete drede aledged oft grete wrethe they y^t were in wāhope in the cite cōforted to giders in the mene ty••e & many of the iewes pra¦yed pees of titus / & titus drad gyle & treson & seid to his mē· as they that ben bineth vsith waityng & aspiyng / so it nedeth bem y^t be strēger to be ware of such waiting & espiēg leste strengthe be bytrayd by fraude and by gyle / Thanne the firste wal was bro¦ke with an engyne and titus counseyled his men to fyghte wa••ly / for yf they lacked coūseyll. strēgth sholde seme but foly / also in the victory is moost drede· for yf the strenger dyeth with y^e feble••

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that is a vyctory to hym that is ouercome / thanne the second wal that was quasched and titus proferid pees· But in the Ie∣wes side simon and Iohan withsayde· thanne fyl so grete cruel∣nes. and honger in the cyte / that byeng and sellyng seesid and so dyde rostyng and sethyng and dressyng of mete Men ete skyn¦nes of sheldes and out caste of herbes that cleued on the walles and fylthe. that men had spued and cast vp & men soughte old dyrte of skynnes of Addres and careyn of horses for to haue to mete ¶It was lyghter for to gete mercy amonge her enemyes / than among her ••wne men· galowes and gybetes were sette vpon the walles for no man shold flee / takyng deth and prysonynge withoute and honger withynne and drede in euery side Titus made a newe walle that closed fourty furlonges aboute the cy∣te and the tentes / and pauilons closed ten furlonges & wardes & watches were sette that no man shold escape Atte last the hon¦gre encreced soo that ofte he that bare the dede man to his bury∣eng was buryed rather than he· there was so grete stenche of de¦de men / for the grounde of the cyte suffysed not to beryels· that the careyns were throwe by th•• sondes ouer the wallis / whanne titus sye that and he sayd ofte that he profered mercy· but ma∣ny fled to the romayns & whan mē gaue thē mete there was no strengthe for to ete outher for to defye theyr meete that they ete Somme of them that fl••d whan they clensed theyr wombe deli¦uerd the•• of Iuels of gold· that they had swolowed afore that they ••••ed for the enemyes sholde not openly suche iuels fyn¦de One of the Asiries aspyed that doyng by one that hadde cacked gold and trowyd that al the Iewes had gold within them / than the Iewes that fled to the Romayns were opened agaynst titus heest and the wombes and bowels were slitte and c••ruen to seche gold withyn ¶Titus made Iosephus to wete yf he myghte make the Iewes yelde them withoute more harme yf he myght with wrytyng with ensamples with fayr byheestes other with teres but al was for nought Iosephus libro sexto But Symon and Iohan with her fautors stopped the weyes al aboute soo that the Iewes had no waye outward nother the ro¦mayns ynward / houses were bysily serched yf ought mighte be founde and yf ony man warned ought he was anone slayne Atte laste wyues caught mete of theyr husbondes mouthe and fader and moder of her owne children mouthe / Yf ony dore were hytste anone me trowyd that somme man ete therinne / therfore

anone the hows was broken The pore men were robbed and the ryche were accused for her money as though they wold flee other bytray the cyte and were slayne Egesippus libro sexto & Iosephus libro septi••o / than byfell that grisely dethe A straū∣ge woman that heete mary was ouercome with honger and spa¦ke to her owne lytell sone in this maner ¶ My sone thou art by set aboute with al thynge that is grisely and dredeful with ba∣taylle with hongre with fire brennynge and with theues: quyte ones thy moder and paye her that thou hast of her and tourne a∣gayne in to thy pryuey place that thou come of somtyme I dede as mildenesse wolde / do we now as honger constreyneth / thus she sethed & rosted her owne sone & ete somme and kept somme But men that made stryf come theder by the smel ef the brente flesshe but the woman stylled them and spake to them in this maner Be styll I was coueytous and vnkinde I haue kepte you your parte And she spak to the part that was lefte in this maner / Myne owne son thou art kynde to me / thou lengest my lyf / thou cesest them that wold me smyte / they that come to sle me / ben ma∣de now my frendes and gestes ••han tasteth what ye knowe that the childes moder hath tasted other ellys ye shal ete al yfere ¶ Shame you not to folowe a woman that ye haue made in this manere / Anone the cy•••• was full of the clamour of this grisely dede / And titus was soo meued therwith that he gaf vp his hon¦des in to heuen ward & sayd we co••e to a bataylle of men· but nowe I see that we fyghte ayenste beestes / yet beestes rampaunt spare theyr owne kynde be they neuer soo nedy and helpith her owne children but these men deuoure theyr own chidren / than des¦troye we them for al her dedes stynken Iosephus libro septimo Amonge the Romaynes was one of Ciria that hete sabinus an orped man and stalworth of honde and of herte and worthy for to be praysed withoute ende / this was black of hewe· and lytel of stature but a noble soule shone by vertues in that lytel bodye This with enleuen felawes wente vpon the walle first and dro∣fe awey the Iewes But atte last he was af••••lyd with a stone & he despysed & towhte not of arowes and of stones / But he defen¦ded hym with his shelde and faughte vpon his knees & woun¦ded many men alway for he was ful of Arowes and of shot & thorough shote in euery side & dyed in the place Egesippus· Atte last the engynes were remeued toward the temple / but it halp but lytil. But atte last they brent the walles of the tēple

that were heled with gold / R ¶ Here Iosephus tellith that this meschyef and destroyeng of the cyte and of the peple be fil for the deth & sleyng of Iames the rightfull But more very¦ly it fil for the sleyng of crist as the gospel sayth they shulle not leeue one / stone vpon a stone for thou knoweste not the tyme of visitacion / but our lord wol not the deth of a synful man but he wol that the synful m••n amende hym and torne to good lyfe And for the Iewes sholde haue none excusacion nowther cha∣lenge nother cause for to saye that god Almyghty toke wreche of them vnwarned. therfore god Almyghty abode fourty yere yf they wolde them amende and warned ofte by prechyng of the Apostles by dredeful signes and tokyns Egesippus and Iose∣phus libro septimo ¶ For aboute a yere byfore the destruction of the cyte / the lykenesse of a fyre swerde was seen honge in the air aboue the temple / In that Estern tyme a heffre that shold be offryd in the temple ewed a lombe· also the est gate of that tēple was soo heuy of sound brasse that twenty men were bysy ynow to lyfte it and yet many nyghtes the yren barres were broken & the yate opened by hit self as it were wylfully. So that vnneth hit myght be closed afterward ¶ Also hoostes of armed men were seen in the cloudes and charyottes fled by the eier at with sontyde preestes wente in to the temple by nyghte and herde a voys that sayd go we hens passe we oute of these seges Also Iesus Ananias sonne an vplondisch man four yere afore the destruction of the cyte come to the sacrifice of the dedicaciō of the temple / And bygan to crye in the langage of the countraye and sayd A voys oute of the est a voys oute of the west a voys oute of four wyndes. wo wo / wo is to ierusalem & the temple he cryed so day and nyghte and cessed not for· betynge nor for fayer prayenge And yet he was broughte afore Albinus the Iustyce of Rome and hard & cruelly bylad ¶ But he rought not of his wronge •• nor of his owne meschyef but he cryed that the coū¦tray shuld be destroyed and cessed not er the last day of the des¦truction and that day he wente vpon the wall and reherced the same crye and put more therto and sayde wo is me also / and he was anone smyte with a stone of a slynge and deyde ¶ R Ma¦rianus libro primo sayth / that whan the temple was brente the floore therof was ered with plowes for wreche and despyte of the Iewes ¶Ieronimus in prologo super Iosephum Whan the Cyte was destroyed titus wente to Rome and ladde

with hym Iosephus the Iewe that wrote anone in G••ue seuen bo••kes of the takynge of Iewes and titus dyde th••se bookes in to the comyn lybrary and Iosephus after his deth had an ymage at Rome made of his noble wytte Also this Iosephus wrote of doyng and dedes from the begynnynge of the world to domi¦cianus twenty bookes that ben callyd libri antiquitatum / the bo¦kes of olde▪ I•• the eyghten book therof he graunteth & know¦legeth that Iohan baptist was a very profyte & that Ierusalem was destroyed by cause of the sklaūder of Iames the rightful

Also there he sayth that crist was a wyseman and dyd many wonderful werkes and dedes and that he was doctor and techer of the Iewes and of other men and slayne atte last for enuy: and shewyd▪ hym to his disciples the thyrd day after ¶ And that cristendom and the name of cristen men failed neuer to that tyme Vaspasianus dyed in the flux aboute his owne toune aboute the sabins the yere of his age thre score and ten ¶ Me sayth that he stode vp whan he sholde dye and sayde ¶It falleth for an emperour to passe stondynge oute of erthe Giral in top / Appolinaris peters disciple that was somtime sente to Rauenna suffred deth / Euery yere in his feest day rauenes crowes and cho¦wes comen theder to gyders oute of euery side as it were by co¦uenaunt made / And that day as it were by customme is gyuen them a careyn of a dede horse ¶ Therfor somme men wol mene that by cause therof that the cyte is callyd in duche speche Raue¦nesburgh Eutropius

¶ Capitulum 12

TItus regned after his fader as it were thre yere ¶This was moost noble speker of g••••e and of latyn and wrote causes in latyn and poesyes and gestes in grue· they that were conuicte of conspyraciō agaynst him were as homely afterward with hym as a fore ¶ Pol libro tercio capitulo 14 ¶This was so fre of herte that he purgyd and clensed the couetyse of his fa¦der soo that he was callyd the loue and the lykynge of man∣kynde· Also he had alwaye that maner that no man that c••me to hym yede from hym withoute spede or hope of spede Therfor men of his hows axyd hym why he wolde byhote more than he myghte performe ¶There shulde no man sayde he go ••lynge &

sory from the answer of a prynce / Ones at a soper he bythought hym of that sawe and bithought hym also that he that day gaue no gyfte in helpe of ony man and was sory and sayd Alas my frendes this day I haue lost ¶In the tyme of his deth he was born in a lyter and loked vp in to heuen and sayd that he nedid not to thynke of none of al his dedes but only one / but what de¦de it was noman wyste. Aboute that tyme dyed Iulyanus bis∣shop of cenomannens Me sayth that he was symon leprosus the mesel that crist heeled and he receyued crist in his hows and lod¦ged him after the assenciō of our lordr he was bisshop of ceno¦mannens ordeyned by the Apostles or by here disciples And he was a noble man of vertues· And rered thre men from deth to lyf. Somme men wold mene that this is he that men that traua¦yleth by the waye prayeth to for good lodgynge for crist was was herberuhd in his hows But it semeth more sothely that it is the other Iulianus that vnwyttynge slewe bothe his owne fader and moder Of hym it is certayne wreten in this manere Iulianus was yonge man and wente an huntyng and chaced an herte and the herte tourned his face to hym and sayd thou chacest me and thou shalt slee bothe thyn own fader and moder ¶Than Iulian drad sore and for to beware that / that meschyef sholde not befalle Iulian forsoke & lefte al that he had and put hym self to a grete prynce in fer londe and bare hym wel and no¦bly vnder that prynce both in batayll and at home in his palais And bare hym soo that he was made a knyghte and wedded one castellana a wydowe that his lord gaue hym to wyf Than his fader and his moder sought Iulian in euery londe And it hap∣ped atte laste that they came to Iulians owne castel and whan Iulians wyf had talked with them / she knewe wel that they we¦re her husbandes fader & moder and receyued them goodly and leyd them for to reste in her husbondes bed and went her self to chirche at morowe erly and lefte them bothe a bed ¶ Iulian cam erly home and fonde them slepe bothe to gyders in his owne bed And trowyd that another man had laye there by his wyf / & stikked them bothe thorugh out and went out and met with his wyf▪ ¶And than he knewe that he had slaine both his owne fader and moder. as the hert had sayde that he sholde ¶Fare well my leue suster quoth he for I shal neuer reste er. I wete yf god wole take my penaunce and forgeue my synne. God forbede sayd she that I shold forsake the in this maner in wo and in

sorowe and haue be pertinet with the in ioye and in welthe / Than they went forth to gyders and made an hospytal by a ry¦uer whe••e men passed oft and were in grete peryl there / they hal∣pe men that passed and socoured pour men Long after in frost tyme Iulyan was w••ry and reste hym aboute mydnyght and herde a voys cryeng and pray••ng of helpe ouer the passage Iu¦lian aroos and fette ouer the pour man that was ney deede for colde and brought hym in to his hows and made fyre and sette hym therby / but for al the fyer the man was neuer the h••tter / than Iulian dyde hym in his owne bedde and hilled hym with clothis / And withynne a lytel whyle th••s man that semed soo colde and a vyle mesel was whyte and fayr and styed vp in to the ayer and spak to his hoost Iulian and sayd / Iulian / Iulian Our lord Ihesu crist sente the worde by me that he hath receyued thy penaunce ¶ And sone afterward bothe Iulian and his wyf wente al to our lord to endels reste

¶ Capitulum 12

DOmicianus vaspasianus sone regned fyften yere and fiue monethes. his wyf hete fyrste Augusta & fyrste he hyte to calle him self god and lord This forbade geldynge of men & plantynge of vynes in the cyte of Rome that exyled many of the senatours and put mathematicos and philosophres out of the cyte of Rome and bylde a temple of Rome wythoute ony tym∣ber. that temple hete pantheon and was bylde in worship of alle goddes / there is now the chirche of our lady that hete sancta ma∣ria rotunda that is seynt mary the rounde· Somtyme this hadde the vyctorye of Germans and of danes / and was soo proude therfor that he wold suffre none ymage sette in worship of hym / but it were of clene gold Treuisa ¶ Ma thematic••s is he / that hath the science that tretith as it were of lengthe and of brede and telle thurugh suche lengthe and brede be none body•• that men may grope and fele and so it fareth ofte of arsmetrike and geometrye Pol ¶ This man was vnprofitable in eue¦ry dede and dyde no thynge manly as a man shold but that he bare only the name of the empyre But for he wolde hyde the lewydnesse of his witte and of his body vnder the name of a prin¦ce. he ordeyned hym euery day a pryuy ydelnesse / and vsed hym

to catche flyes and stykked them with a sharp poyntel / soo that in a tyme one axed yf ony man were there ynne with the empero¦ur nay sayd his chāberlyn metell{us}-th••re is not a flye. left with the emperour / This gaue two monethes of the yere newe names ••nd callid september germanicus and october d••micianus Anacle¦tus of the nacion of Athene was pope nyne yere in Clementes stede whan clement was exyl••d / eusebius called hym cletus but he ouerlepe hym in his cronyke / Damasus the pepe wryteth to Ierom the cronyke of bisshopes of Rome and withsayd that sa¦we and sayd that cletus was a romayne and anacletus a greke also in many other thynges eusebius cronik varyeth from crony¦cles of other men This Anacletus ordeyned that preestes shold be worshiped afore other men and not trauayled ne greued Eutropius Cornelia the cheef mayde of the temple of the god¦desse vesta was conuicte in lechery and buryed•• quyck a lyue Anaristus after cletus was pope ten yere / this ordeyned seuen de¦kens that sholde k••pe the bisshop while he prechyd lest enemyes of trowth wolde bere hym wronge on hande and saye that he er∣r••d And also for they sholde not lyghtly be herde nor he despysed Whan d••micianus was slayne of his owne men and dispytously born forth amonge theues ¶Nerua the mylde prynce. regne•• af∣ter hym one yere· and vndyde the dedes of domicianus / And alle they that were exyled were reconsiled and come home agayn And so Iohan the euangelist come home agayne to ephesym out of the yle of pathmos ¶ Coiyllus marius sone was norysshed at Rome from his childehode / and regned in brytayn and payd trybute to the romayns and ladde his lyf in pees R Sōme men suppose that he buylde the cyte of colchestre whiche is chyef cyte of estsaxon

¶ Capitulum 13

VVlpius crinitus traianus was born in spayne and was emperour nyneten yere· among his frendes he was free of herte and besy in dedes of Armes and esy in gouernynge of cy∣teseyns and myghty in reuelyng of cytees and townes. He chas¦tysed the danes Scytes Sarmates hiberes. Colches and Ara∣bes. he ordeyned a nau••y in the reede see for to werre in Inde / He made hym self euery mannes felawe & vysyted ofte his frendes

for he wold be salewed of hem and wete how they ferde. he gre∣ued no man he dyde no thyng wrongfully for to haue the more esche••es but be made his seruauntes ryche that them neded to gre¦u•• no man / his frendes blamed him for he was soo comyn to a••le maner men / he answerd and sayde / I wyl be suche an emperour•• to other men as I wold they were to me if they were emperour•• ¶ R Helymandus sayth that in a tyme traianus was lepte to hors for to goo to batayl for the comynte / And there come a wydowe wepynge and toke hym by the foote and prayd hym that he wolde doo hir ryght and iustice of hem that hadde slayne her sonne / I shal doo the right sayde themperour whan I come ageyne. what sayd she yf thou neuer comest ageyne Thanne sayd•• themperour my successours shal doo the right / what pro••yt sayd she shal be to the yf another man doo me good· thou art det¦tour to me / and thou shalt resseyue as thou deseruest by thin own dedes. ¶And so it is fraude for to yelde not that is du••· whan it may be yolden ¶ Thy successour shal fare wel yf he bere hym wel and doo as he sholde Traianus was meued by these wor¦des and lyght doun of his hors and dyde the wydowe right and Iustyce And therfor he was worthy to haue an ymage in rome Also on a tyme Traianus sone rode on a wylde hors and slough a wydowes sonne And therfor traianus yaue his owne sonne to the wydowe for her sonne ¶And by cause of this gre••e right wysenes it semeth that seynt gregory wan his soule out of helle ¶ Creuisa So myght a man wene that were wors than wode or oute of right byleue ¶ Whan euariscus was martrid. Alex∣ander come after hym and was pope ten yere. he ordeygned holy water to be blessyd with salt and to be spryngt in cristen menni•• houses. he put in to the masse / Qui pridie quam pa••eretur / And so forth vnto these wordes hoc est &c ¶ Also he ordeyned that water sholde be medled with the wyn in the chalyce for to byto¦kene the onyng of crist and of holy chir••he / And he ordeyned that the oost shold be of therf brede and ••f lytel quantite / and seyde the scarser this oost be the better it is Symon that hete sy¦meon also cleo••has sone / the lasse Iames successour was nay∣led to the crosse in the chirche of Ierusalem. And alle men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that so olde a man of six score yere myght suffre that passio•• Ignacius bisshop of antyochia Iohans disciple was broughte to Rome and throwen to wylde beestes· And while he was tor∣mented he cryed alwey besyly Iesus / ¶ Thenne after his deth

his herte was hewen in to smal gobeites ¶And in euery gobbet was foūden iesus wreton with lettres of golde / the second plini{us} nonocomensis a pleter and a wryter of storyes was in his flow∣res· he was mayster to traianus themperour / and refreyned hym in many thynges & in especial that he shold not persecute ne gre∣ue cristen men ¶ Also this not withstondynge the knyght∣hode and chiualrye that he vsede alway· yet he wrote seuen and thyrtty bookes of the storye of kynde in the which he descryueth clerly the world and al that is therinne· ¶Atte laste he wente for to serche and enquere the cause of the grauel that is in the see stronde whiche is alayed with heepes of grauel as it is sayde· ¶After the passion of Alysaundre the pope sixtus was pope al¦moost enleuen yere / he ordeyned that trisagium that is sanctus / sanctus sanctus shold be songe atte masse And that the corpo∣ras shold not be of sylke nether sendel but clene lynen clothe not dyed and that no woman shold handle no towelles of the auter And though men rede that Alysander suffred deth in adrians ty¦me •• yet thenne was not Adrian Emperour / but perauentur con¦sul or prefect. In this trayanus tyme placidas mayster of knigh¦tes went on huntyng and mette with an herte hauynge bitwe∣ne his hornes the crucifix which sayd to hym that he his wyf & his children shold suffre moche wo and sorowe ¶And after this he was crystend and his wyf and his children / and he had a newe name and was named eustace Cassiodorus ¶ This Traianus deyde in the flux in Selencia the yere of his age / lxiij His bones were in a golden vrne or potte and buryed in the mar¦ket place vnder a piler that he had made of an honderd and four and fourty foote high· Loos and mynde of hym is soo spronge that yet in our tyme men praye in plesyng of prynces / More gra¦cious mo••e thou be than 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was Augustus / and better than traianus▪

¶ Capitulum 14

ADrianus helius Traianus cosyn was Emperour one and twenty yere and ten monethes / he was connyng in the lan¦gage of grue and of latyn and made in Athenes a lybrarye of wonder maner werke· He was connynge of musique of phisick of payntyng of grauyng of meltyng and of castyng of brasse /

and of other metal· Whan bookes of oure byleue were wreton by one quadratus the disciple of thappostlis & by one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of athenes· Adrianus bad and commaunded by his lettres 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cristen men shold not be dampned without trespas put against hem & proued / he made many lawes / but he hadde grete enuye to the noble loos and renomme of traianus· So that he forsoke the prouynces that traianus had wōne· as siria / mesopotania & Ar¦menia / & purposed to haue left dacia· but his frendes caused him to chaunge his thought / Also this Adrianus ouercome the Ie¦wes that were eftsones yet rebell and chaced hem oute of ierl̄m And put therinne men of other nacions ••nd sith that tyme the place where crist suffred his passion is within the northe walles of the cyte of Ierl̄m / whiche was to fore that tyme withoute the walles / In this Adrianus tyme the philosopher secundus was flouryng whiche put hym self to silence & wold not speke to his lyues ende. And the cause of his scilence was this / he had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & study••d atte scole of Athenes & herde of the vnstydfastnes of women And therfore in a tyme whan he come home & was vn∣knowen of his frendes / he thought tassaye & proue the vnstyd¦fastnes of his owne moder· & yaue to a wenche ••er seruaunt yef∣t••s & she brought hym pryuel•••• by nyght vnto his moders bedde Thenne his moder bygan to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym and comforte him for to haue to doo with her / nay moder sayd he it is not sitting to me to defowle that place from whiche I cam of / why / sayd she / who art thou. I am sayd he secundus thy sonne / And whan his moder herd that she deyde forthwith for shame and sorowe / Thenne he sa¦we and vnderstode that his moder was deede by his defaul••e in spekynge and t••llynge what he was vnto her and made grete doole and sorowe / and auowed neuer to speke after / and soo he neuer spak after but lyued as a d••mbe man to his lyues ende / And helde his auowe v••to his lyues ende· so that he wold not sp••ke fo•• man••ce ne for fayre bihe••tes and yet he was brought to fore Adrian th••mperour· but speke wolde he neuer as it is wre¦ton in ••he questions that he wrote in his scylence tyme / the leffor{us} the pope was a greke after sixtus passion he was pope xj yere. he ordeyned the lente 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be fasted to fore cester. And that noman sholde synge masse to fore the hour of vndern - & that men shold singe thre masses with gloria in excelsis on crystemas day. That yere Eustace that to fore was callyd Placidas was martred and his wyf and children ¶ That tyme the thre maydens

fides spes & caritas and her moder sapiencia were martred at ro¦me •• Adrian themperour deyde in campania in the dropecye •• That tyme Aquila of the ylond pontus was flourysshynge· He was the second after seuenty that torned holy wryt oute of hebrue in to grue ¶ After the passion of Thelefferus Igynus a greke philosopher of Athenes was pope four yere· he ordeyned the clergye to be rewled in ordre and in degree ¶Also he ordey∣ned that no Archibisshop shold condempne his suffrygan but in sight and in heeryng of othe•• suffrigans and bisshops of the same prouynce

¶ Capitulum 15

ANtonius pius with his sonnes Aurelius and lucius was Emperour two and twenty yere / he had suche a name that in al his kyngdome he withhelde the caucions of his dettour and foryaue the dettis. And therfor he was callyd the fader of the countreye. And m•• sayd that he wolde saye ofte in this maner Me is leuer by the ensample of Scipion saue one cyteseyn than ouercome a thousand enemyes •• His doughter faustina sawe swerde men fyghte and cast soo grete loue to one of them that she was seke for loue· And she tolde it to her owne husbond Mar∣cus Antonius / Thenne by counseyll of phisiciens of caldea that swerde man was slayne and faustynas bodye enoynted with his bloode And soo the sorow cesed· Also many men of straun¦ge nacions dyde of her armure / and putte the causes of her stryf vpon Antonius and were redy for to stonde to his ordenaunce and dome / Ieronimus de viris. In his tyme policarpus bisshop of ephesim that was disciple to Iohan theuangelyst come to ro∣me and conuerted many men oute of theyr heresye / And was afterward brente in his own chirche. After Iginus pius was pope fyften yere. At his prayer hermes wrote that booke that is cleped pastor / therinne it is wreton that esterday shold not be hol∣de but on a sondaye by byddynge of the Aungele that shewed him in the clothynge of a fyssher / ¶ Aboute this ••yme Tro••tus pompeus of the nacion of spayne was in his floure•• / He wrote the storyes of al the world from Nynus tyme kynge of Assiria vnto the tyme of the hoole lordshippe of Emperours

in xliiij bookes / his disciple Iustinus abredged those bookes This Iustinus was a pleder and a wryter of historyes. Also this iustinus wrote the book de cristiana religione to antoni{us} pi{us} And therby he made hym the more goodly After pius Anite¦tus was pope as it were ten yere / he badde that clerkes sholde be shauen rounde aboute and haue no longe lockes ¶ Galyen the phisicien that was born at pergamus was in his floures at Ro∣me· he expowned ypocras bookes and not only them but he made many volumes of his owne Me sayth that for resonable absti¦nence that he vsed he lyued honderd and fourty yere / he ete neu{er} ne drank his fylle nether ete rawe fruyt. ¶ He hadde alway a swete smellyng breth / he deyde for age and for non•• other euyl That tyme hirmeus episcopus lugdium was flourynge he expowned many bookes of holy wryt ¶ And ptholomeus a connyng man of the science of mathematyke was in his flowres he made more of astronomye than was made to fore his tyme. This man was of straunge wacche and of lytel mete and had a swete breth. he made many b••okes that ben named Almages∣tus perspectiua and in Iudicijs quadripertitum and centilog∣um ¶Amonge his prouerbis tweyne ben famous and noble he is heyghest amōg men that retcheth neuer / who hath the world in honde. and other men ben not amended by hym that is not amended by other men

¶ Capitulum 16

MArcus Antonius verus and lucius comodus the sones of Antonius pius regneden after thryr fader eyghten yere These tweyne were bothe ioyned by kynred•• & affynyte though they were not bothe born of one wombe / For marcus Antonius had wedded Antonius pius doughter / And lucius comodus had wedded marcus Antonius doughter· & soo by these tweyne the Romaynes begonne to haue twey emperours This mar∣cus was neuer proude for none happe that myght befalle to him he was so stydfast & so sad that from his childhode he chaunged neuer his semblaunt for sorow ne for ioye· also after the bataill that he dyde ayenst the germans sclaues and sar••••tes he hadde spent al that was in the tresory & had nought for to yeue vnto his knyghtes / yet hym was leuer leye to wedde his vessels of sil¦uer and of gold and tharaye of his wyf / than greue prouynces

londes and the senatours ¶ Therfor whan the vyctorye was wonne he recouerd al that and moche more & payd the pryse of the valewe to hem that wolde yelde ayene that they had bought other receyued to wedde / And was not wroth to hem that wold not yelde agayne that they had bought or receyued to wedde / he relesed many ••••••butes to prouynces and londes. the tables of the dettes that men o wyd hym he brente in the myddel of the cyte Cruel lawes he attemperid with newe ordenaunces & constituci∣ons· In his tyme egesippus flouryd the wryter of storyes & of destroyenge of ierl̄m / his booke was wreton in grue & Ambrose torned it in to latyn•• Tho was the mayde praxedis flouryng af¦ter that she hadde buryed many martires she prayde oure lord that she myght passe after hem & her boone was herd / In this Emperours tyme wa•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 grete pestylence & deth that the hoost of rome was nygh destroyed / so in a tyme themperour fought ayēst the quades and his men fayleden wele nygh for drynke & god almyghty sente hem rayne fro heuē· but the contrary befyl whā lightnynge fered the germans & sarmates / Gaufr / Aboute the firste yere of this marcus lucius coyllus sonne bygan to regne in Brytayne / Gaufr & alfr / he sente lettres to elentherius the pope for to resseyue crystendome / & his bone was graunted· & britons helde & kept hoolly that fayth & byleue vnto dyoclysian thempe¦rours tyme / After Anitetus sother was pope nyne yere / he ordey∣ned that a menchon or nonne shold not handle the towayllis of the auter neyther do ensence in the sence•• but she shal bere a veyle on her heede / also he ordeyned that no wyf shold be holden law∣ful but she were blessyd of a preest. After sother elenthe••••u•• was pope xv yere· he ordeyned that crysten men shold not Forsake ne forbere no mete. that is skylful & resonable for mankynde / & that no man shold be degraded ne put out of his state & of his de¦gre but he were lawfully accused to fore hond / & he sayde that our saueour wyste wel that Iudas was a theef & his traytoure· but for he was not accused he was not put downe / but al that he dy¦de in the meane tyme among thappostlis for the state of his dyg∣nyte it was alowed and stode ferme & stable / also this pope atte prayeng of lucius kyng of brytons sente forganus & damian{us} that crystned the kynge & the peple and made bisshopes & Arche¦bisshops in stede of flamynes and A••cheflamynes that mysby∣leuyd men hadden in steede of Archibisshops & bisshops / And this crystendome dured in brytayne ij·C yere and sixtene vnto

dyoclisians tyme whan seynt albon was martred

¶ Capitulum 17

AFter marcus lucius comodus was emperour? thyrten yere / This comodus was vnprofytable to all thynges and yaue him al to lechery and harlotrye / he made to slee many senatours and cristen men and cleped the monethe of septembre after his own name. Also he was deffamed by the shrewdnes of his wif and fought in Amphiteatre with short swerd men in the hows of the goddes vesta / he was strangled atte laste and dyede with soo grete wrath and de••pyte that he was demed enemy of man∣kynde / Tre uisa / Amphiteatrum is an hygh round place for to se aboute / Thenne it foloweth in the sto•••• that be sente philip the no∣ble burgeys of Rome in to egypte This philippes doughter eu¦genia with twry sonnes prothus and Iacinc••us went a way in a mannys wede vnwetyng her fader that was not in the by¦leue and she was cristned and was called eugenius and made a monk / And whan the Abbot was dede / Eugenius was made Abbot in his stede· Atte last a woman that hete melencia cast a lecherous eye vpon Eugenius & wold haue had eugenius to lye by her· And by cause eugenius wolde not assente / melencia diffa¦med eugenius and sayde that eugenius wolde haue leyn by her by strength ayenst her wylle. wherfor eugenius was take and brought to her own fader philip / thenne she kytte and slytte her clothes and shewed that she was his owne doughter eugenia / & shewede that there were prothus & iacinctus y gelded. whan her fader sawe that he was cristned with al his meyne / And melen¦cia that hadde her deffamed was sodenly brente with a stroke of lightnynge: After elentherius victor was pope ten yere. Anone he sente lettres to theophilus of Allexandria and to alle the bre∣theren that were there that they sholde gadre a counseyl for to or¦deyne the very holding of esterday / Marianus li•• 1. ca 2. ffor after that the apostles were dede vnto that tyme as cristemas daye is holde the vij day to fore ••anyuer vpon ••hat day euer it felle. so all the men of gallia helde the esterday the vij day to fore april vpon what day of the weke someuer it be felle as it was fyrst bygonne and take for to be holde ¶ Eusebius in his storye tellith that

men of the eest londes helde esterdaye the fourten daye of the mo∣ne vpon what day it euer fylle in the moneth of marche ¶ In this counseyl and sinode was pope victor and narcisus patriarch of Ierusalem and hireneus bisshop of lugdium / there it was or∣deyned that esterday sholde be holden the fyrst sondaye after the xiiij day of the mone of the first moneth that is marche / 〈…〉〈…〉 esterweke sholde dure vnto the xxj day of the same mone so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thylk day be acompted in the ester weke / Theophilus of cesarea halpe moche in this ordenaunce. Theodocius of ephesym was that tyme holden a noble man he was the thyrdde that tourned holy wryt out of hebrew in to grue / after comod{us} hili{us} pertinax was Emperour six monethes Hym sl••we Iulian a connyng man of the lawe and so he toke thempyre by strengthe but he was slay∣ne of one seuerus anone after the seuen moneth

¶ Capitulum 18

AFter Iulianus Seuerus of Affryca of the countray that heyghte tripolis was Emperour sixten yere / this was made emperour and no mo of Affryca fyrst this was an eschetour & steygh vp by dyuerse offices and dygnytees vnto he was empe∣rour / He was right skars and sterne of kynde / he ouercome the parthes and the arabes. and therfor he was callyd perthicus and arabicus / he made a wall in brytayne that stretcheth six score my¦le and tweyne vnto the see / and he deyde at york ¶ Beda libro 1 This seuerus gouerned the comynte myghtly / & with grete tra¦uayl· And atte last he wente in to brytayne and made a wall of turues and not of stones as somme men wene and departed bry¦tayne by that wal / he dalf vp turnes of the grounde and made vp an high wal / soo that to fore the wal is the dyche that the turues were doluen oute / therupon ben pyght stronge poles and stakes of tree / he strengthed ofte that wal with many toures & deyde afterwarde at york and lefte after hym twey sones basia∣nus and geta / But geta was Iuged for a comyn enemy and put to deth / basian{us} was callid antoni{us} & had the kyngdō / Gaufr Luci{us} kyng of britōs dei••e without childrē & was buried at glou¦cetre / thēne fyl stryf among the britons & the power of the roma¦yns· therfor seuer{us} the senatour with two legions was sēte in to brytayn / he made a wall atte coste of the comynte bytwene deira.

and albania that ben the north side of englond and Scotland He made the wal ayenst fulgencius kynge of pyctes & fought afterward at york and was slayn & buryed there and lefte after hym two sones / one hete geta. his moder was of Rome. that other heet bassianus and his moder was of brytayne. Therfor was gre¦te fyghtyng bytwene the two bretheren and geta was slayne & bassianus had the kyngdome Gaufr The brytons chose bas¦sianus for his moder was bryton / but the romains chese geta by cause his moder was a romayn / & so they fought and geta was slayn R ¶ But eutropius sayth in the story of rome! that geta was slayn atte cyte edessa whan he fought ayenst the parthes

¶But gaufr / in the story of brytons sayth that geta was slayn of one caransius a tyraunt that frayed with hym / Symachus was tho in his floures· ••e was the fourth that translated holy wrytte oute of hebrue in to grue he was of the samarytes & tor∣ned vnto the Iewes lawe & was· made proselitus that is whan he is torned fro another lawe to the Iewes lawe / Eusebius libro sexto / That tyme was narcisus flowryng bisshop of Ierl̄m It is wreton that he was a right trewe Iugge and stydfast & wold not bende but alway holde the trouth & yeue true senten∣ces / therfor thre men that were culpable in hem self feyned a bla¦me and accused the bisshop and brought forth hem self for wyt¦nes / the fyrste prayd that the fyre of helle must brenne hym but it were sothe that he sayde / the second prayd that the kynges euil muste de••troye hym but yf it were sothe that he sayde. the thyrdde prayde that he muste lose bothe his eyen but it were sothe that be sayde / But the grete eye of goddes ordenaunce brent the first wit¦nes as he had prayde and all his hows therto· And destroyed the second wytnes by the kynges euyl / the thyrdde sawe how his fe∣lawes sped & dr••d ful sore & knowleched h••s trespas to sore all th•• peple & wept so many teres & so ofte for that synne & trespas that he lost both his eyen / After the passion of vyctor Zephirinus was pope ix yere. he ordeyned that euery cristen man of xii yere olde & aboue sholde euery yer ones receyue the sacramēt & be hose¦led on esterday / He made many omelyes & epistles & so of his ma¦kinge is the legende on childermasse day & beginneth Zelus quo¦tendat & so forth & also of the decollacioon of seint iohn /

¶ Eusebius libro sexto ¶ Seynt leonydes Or••g∣n••s fader was martrid at alexandria the first day of march his sonne origenes a child of xviij yere that hight adamanci{us} also cast

for to folowe thensample of his fader / but by thordenaūce of god and besynes of his moder the child was kepte to ful grete prouf¦fyt of many men / for she hidde the childes clothes that night that he wolde haue goon oute on the morow. therfor the childe wrote a letter to his fader howe he was holden at hoome by sleyht of his moder and prayde his fader that he wold be stydfaste and holde forth that he hadde bygonne. whyle this was a lytel childe he ax¦ed ofte questions of his fader / and axyd howe holy wryte was yeue to vs by thinspiracion of the holy gost· and what of goddes counseyll is hid in holy wryt in symplenes of spekyng and of wordes / ¶ Hit is sayd that ofte whan the childe was a slepe the fader wolde vnhele the childes breste and worshipe it a•• it were goddes temple and kysse it ful swetely and saye that wel was him that gate euer suche a childe ¶ Thenne whan the fader was martryd the child was of eyghten yere age as a fore is sayde / whan his fadris catel was taken be thescheters / he and his moder that was wydowe and his eyght bretheren were lefte in grete pouert and meschyef ¶ Than at Alexandria he helde a gramer scole for to haue lyuelode for hym and his ¶ But euer amonge he tourned men to cristen feyth and halpe and socoured hem that were poursiewed and brought in meschyef and confor∣ted hem that were lad to deth for the fayth of holy chirche· he vsid moche wakynge and fastynge· he folowed the sayng of the go¦spel that counseylleth that me shold not haue two kyrtels ne ca∣re for the day that cometh to morowe / Soo that yf le knewe ony that kepte of her own catell to lyue by he refused hem and wold not haue hem in his loore / he wente many yere withoute hosen or shoe•• / Alwey he spared wyn but yf it were for helpynge of the stomak In his yougth he dyde one dede that semed of vnparfight wytte but it was a token of a ful byleue and of parfyght chas∣tite as the gospel sayth / somme ben ghelded that ghelde hem self / for the kyngdome of god Therfor not only by cause of chasty∣te but also for he shold preche to men and to women pryuely

Mame•• Alysander themperours moder desired to here orygenes speke and stute after hym that he shold come to her oute of alex¦andria vnto antiochia ¶ This orygenes withoute other hadde seuen yong men and seuen maydens that wrote dyuers bookes & maters as he yaue hem to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by his owne mouth he wrot•• ••o moch that Ierom knowlechyd that hadde red of orygenes bokes four thousand volumes withoute epistles that he hadde wryten

Hit was a prouerbe of hym. Suche was his loore suche was his lyf / he slepte vpon no bedde / he tasted nether flessh ne wyn / Giraldus Orygenes was neygh the grettest of holy wryt•••••• yf he not erred in so moche speche / And as alle the latyn 〈◊〉〈◊〉 folowen ennius so alle expositours folowen orygenes Also in hi•• maner he translated the byble in to grue Also he fonded to amen¦de the translacions of other doctours· of Aquila / of symach{us} and theodocion And there they had more than was in hebrue he made a signe that heyght ••belus / and is shappn endlong lyke a rodde / And there they had••e lasse than was in hebrue or spak derkly· he made a signe that is called Asteristus and is shape lyke a s••••••¦re Ieronimus epistola 41 There orygenes sayde wel. noma•• sayd better and there he sayd euyl no man sayde werse ¶ And whan he passyd wele nygh all other doctours in his other boo∣kes. he passyd hym self super cantica canticorum / he spake a thou∣sande tretys in chirche and made exposicions withoute nombre & called hem themos / yf ony that folowe hym put errour ayenste vs he may take hede that the grete homerus slepte somtyme / for in a longe werke it is lawfu••l to slepe somtyme / we shall not folo∣we his vytes yf we may not folowe his vertues ¶ Therfor yf one of his bookes be defowled whiche book heyg••te peryarchon. whe••••nne he vnderstondeth euyll of the fader and worse of the so¦ne and worst of the holy goost· And there he sayd that cast will somtyme thurgh̄ his grete mercy saue the angels that fyll dou∣ne fro heuen And he leyth for hym that verse of the saw••••r / god shall not be wroth for euermore / nether manace withoute ende Shall all his bookes for this be destroyed / he hym self orygenes in a pystle that he wrote to fabyan the pope of Rome maketh so∣row for he had wreton suche thynges / And put the cause of that fo••e vpon one Ambrose that put forth his bookes that be had wreton priueli and made hym comyn er he hadde corrected and amended them My frendes sayd he haue done me this· Yf I holde my pees / I shall be holden gylty And yf I answer I shall be holden an enemy / eyther condicion is harde / but of the tweyne I shall chese the lighter / Aboute this tyme the fyfth translacion was founden in a toun at Ierycho That translacion is callid vulgata the Auctor 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is vnknowe ¶It semeth̄ that the comyn sauter that we vse is taken of that translacion though we folowe Ieroms translacians in other bookes of holy wryt But Damasus the pope made the chirche of rome folowe Ierom

also in the sawter

Sequitur Capitulum 19

BAssianus Antonius seuerus sonne regned after his fader seuen yere. this was callid marcus aurelius and carakalla also for a maner clothyng that he gaue at Rome And therfor bathes that he made at Rome ben called caracalane This was a right euil man and sharper of maners than his fader and he was vnsuffrable of lechery R ¶ So that he toke his owne stepdame Iuliana and wedded her to wyf ¶ Of the place and maner of his dyeng auctours discorden as it is sayd to fore hon∣de Gaufr and Alfr While this bassianus regned one caransius that come••h of the lowest blode of brytons was a noble man of coūceyl & of honde ••he gate of the senatours the kepyng of the cos¦tes of Brytayne· for that tyme frensshemen and saxons werryd therupon but whan 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had goten his axyng he dyde more harme and damage than proff••t to the comynte For he byhete to the bri¦tons that he wolde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and chace the Romayns oute of the ylond yf they wold make hym kyng ¶ Thenne he slough bassia∣nus and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the kyngdome seuen yere For the pyctes that ful¦gencius the ••nc bassianus moders broder had brought oute of Sacia and oute of other londes fors••••e bassianus in the bataill For carancius hadde hyred hem / And soo carancius hadde the vyctorye and yaue to the pyctes a dwellyng place in Albania that is Scotland / there they were medled with brytons & dwel¦lid there afterwarde longe tyme The Senatours of Rome herde herof and sente one allectus with thre legyons in to brytayn for to slee the tiraunt carancius and he was slayne Allectus reg¦ned thre yere and he restored brytayne agayne to the power of rome. Gir· And for this Allectus greued and poursiewed the brytons that had holde with caransius one asclepiodotus duk of cornewayle was made kynge And after thre yeere he slough Allectus at london and many thousandes of Romayns ¶ Gau¦redus After that london was lon ge besieged / venodotes men of north wales fylle vpon gallus Allectus felawe and slough hym within london at a broke. that hath the name of hym and is callyd gallebro•••• or walbrooke ¶And asclepiodotus reg∣ned somwhat of yeres in the ylond vnto dioclisianus tyme Thenne coelus duc of colchesire slough Asclepiodotus ¶ R Giraldus & gaufredus calle this aslepiodot{us} duc of cornewaile

But beda libro / 1. ca / 6 foloweth eutropius in the story of Ro¦me and called this Asclepiodotus prefecte of the pretorye

Eutropius Opilius macrinus prefect of the pretorye was Emperour after bassianus as it were one yere / And thenne at¦te archelaydes he was slayne and his sone also ¶ After Zephiri∣nus calixtus was pope fyue yere· he ordeyned the fastyng of the four tyme of the yere for plente ol corne and of fruyte. and ma∣de a chirche yerde at Rome in a place that is callyd Via apia / for to burye in the bodyes of holy martris / now that place is cal¦lyd cimitoriū calixti / Marc{us} aureli{us} antoni{us} that was holden the sone of carcalla was emperour two yere He forbare no maner of lechery. Atte last he was slayne in a stryuyng of knyghtes

¶ Capitulum 20

AVrelius Alexander was emperour thyrten yere / This was soo cruel in corrections of the lawe of chyualrye / that he vndyde hool legyons that made grutchyng and stryf / his asses∣sour was one vulpianus a connyng man of lawe / ¶ He was slayne at magounce in almayne in stryuyng of knyghtes In his tyme the sixth translacion was founden of holy wrytte at nycapolis in palestina ¶Marcus ¶ Calixtus the pope was martred in Alexanders tyme ¶ And the fyrst vrban was pope after hym eyght yere / he ordeyned that the offryng of cristen men shold none otherwyse be spente than in vse of holy chirche and in helpe of nedy cristen men / for they ben the vowes of cristen men & the prys of synne In his tyme the chirche of rome began fyrst to haue londes and rentes and with the prouffyt therof· he fonde notaryes and clerkes to wryte the lyuynge and dedes of holy sayntes To fore this tyme holy cirche lyued as the Apostles / And receyued only money to the vse ••f nedy cristen men This. is that vrban that cristned valerianus the spouse of seint cecile and was atte last martred with hym in Aurelius tyme After him poncianus was pope fyue yere And atte last 〈…〉〈…〉 brought and martred at sardinia / ¶ And afterward 〈◊〉〈◊〉 brought his body to Rome & buryed it there Me sayth that our Siriacus was pope after this poncianus one yere But by cau¦se he resigned the papacye ayenst the wyll of the clergye. And

one Antherus was made pope / And for he wente to Agrippina. whiche nowe is called coleyn with enleuen thousand maydens / whom he had crystend wel nygh al· he is not sette in the booke of rekenyng of popes / The cardynalys trowyd that he had lefte the poperych not fo•• ••euocion but for lykyng of maydens Netheles he was a clene mayde y martred with the sayde maydens / Af∣ter that Aurelius was slayne at magounce / Maximinus Iuli¦us was made emperour by the hoost withoute auctoryte of the se¦natours and was emperour thre yere / he poursiewed holy chirche and specially for orygenes / And he was slayne atte last in aqui¦la· Gordyanus was Emperour six yere and was slayne of one phelip prefect of the pretory not fer from Rome after that gordi¦anus hadde ouercome the parthes / Fabian was pope after An∣therus fyften yere / whan the pope was deede this passed by the way and talked with his frendes of the••chesyng of a newe pope

¶ Thenne a downe came sodenly and sat on his heede and say¦de thou shalt be crowned bisshop of Rome ¶ And soo he was chosen by goddes ordenaunce and ordeyyed seuen 〈…〉〈…〉 to wryte the dedes of holy martres / And he ordeyned that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yere crysme and oyle sholde be halowed in holy chirches 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he was martred atte last in decius tyme· In this popes tyme one nanacius a prest of Rome desired to be pope and bycam an here∣tyke and denyed that a synful man myghte be saued / therfor was made a counseyll of sixty bisshops· That tyme was Af∣fricanus the wrytar flouryng· h••••ac••ydes the bisshop sayth that he wrote the lyues of holy fadres in a booke that is callyd para∣dysu••· affrycanus was prayd and wente to Alexandria & occu∣pyed the mayster chayr after orygenes / Also that tyme co••lus the duc of colchestre slough asclepiodotus and regned in brytain thyrtty yere vnto the ecomyng of constancius

¶ Capitulum 21

PHilippus with his sonne philip was emperour seuen yere This was the fyrst ••risten man of al themperours / & was ••••istend of seynt poncius the martir· he was soo stydfaste in the fayth of holy chirche that he knowleched frely his synne & was houseled to fore al the peple on esterday / his sone was a cristen

man but he was so sterne of herte that no man myght meue him to lawghe / ¶ Ones be tok•• heede how his fader made a mowe & torned away his face / alwey he withstode vyces and fonded to sty¦ghe vp to the parfyghtnesse of vertues Eutropius in the iiij / yere of this emperour were ended a thousand yere after that Ro¦me was bylded / and for solempnyte therof philip slough beestes withoute nombre in a round place that is called the grete cirt{us} And made playes of the theatre in marses felde thre dayes and thre nyghtes to the peple that woke besyly / fabian the pope was martred in decius the consuls tyme / After him cornelius was pope thre yere He ordeygned that none othe sholde be chalengyd of the pope but it were for the right fayth of holy chirche And that no preest sholde committe his cause to another mānes dome but it were appeled to the court of Rome ¶Also atte pra¦yer of seynt lucina he made the bodyes of thappostles to be take ou•••• of the place that hght catacumb as it were a charnel and brought powles bodye in the place that is callyd via hostiensis. And petres body in the place that is called vaticanus faste by the place / where he was put on the crosse / ¶In this popes tyme the grekes had stolen the bodyes of the apostlis for to brynge hem in to grece· but fendes that were closed and dwellyd in maw∣mettes were compellyd by the vertue of god and cryde / Help ye men of Rome for our goddes ben take away from you / thenne crysten men vnderstode that this was sayd of thappostles and mysbyleuyd· men vnderstode that it was sayd of theyr goddes ¶ And so mysbyl••uyd men and cristen men gadred hem to ge¦ders alle in one rowte by one assente and poursiewed after the grekes· thenne the grekes were aferde and threwe the bodyes of thappostlis in a pytte atte a place that heyght catacumbe / And whan the bodyes were take oute of that place hit was dou¦te whether bones were peters and whether were pawles ¶Thē∣ne crysten men bygonne to praye and to faste and had a reuela∣cion and a shewyng of god that the gretter bones were the fys∣sher bones· the fyssher was peter Phelip the older was slayne at verona And philip the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was slayne at Rome by gyle and by fraude of decius ¶R It is redde in legenda sanctorum that philip the olde•• ••ad sente his noble knight decius for to chas¦tyse gallia / decius spedde wel and cam agayne and themperour cam ayenste him oute of Rome and was slayne at verona by his fraude and gyle / thenne the yonger philip herde therof and

sleygh and toke his fader tresour to sixtus the pope and to lau¦rence the dekene for to dele it to pour men ¶Then•••• decius was made emperour for men shold-wene that he hadde slayne his lord for loue of maumetry & not trayterly ¶This decius poursiewed cristen men and was emperour thre yere ¶He wolde haue crow∣ned his sone decius emperour but his sone wold not and sayde I drede that I shal foryete to be a sone yef I be made emp••rour Me is leuer sayd he to be not emperour and be a meke sonne than be emperour and be a stoute sone and vnkynde· My fader shal be emperour ¶My empyre shal be to be subgette and buxom to the emperour

Capitulum 22

ORosius sayth that decius was Emperoroure thre yere ••ud thre monethes / But eusebius beda and cassiodorus tellen that he bygan to regne the yere after the buyldynge of Rom••a thousend yere and four and by eusebius cronyque it semeth that this decius regned eyght yere / and by the martilogye it semeth that he regned sixten yere / It semeth that ••llys it myght not stō¦de that so many pop•••• as fabian cornelius lucius stephen & sixt{us} were martred in decius tyme as it is wreton and radde Ther¦for somme men wold suppose / that these sixtene yere and two yere of galerius shal restore the eyghten yere that lacken in the croni¦kes of eusebius and of beda fro the fyften yere of tiberius cesar vnto our tyme / Here among take hede that the elder decius that slough philip and was emperour after hym / he was Emperour as it is here sayde But the other decius the yonger was Cesar & not emperour· And so bytwene these two decius were bothe em∣perours and popes as gallus and volusianus After hem reg¦ned valerius with his sone galyenus fyften yere In her tyme were martryd fyue popes and laurencius the dekene & ypolitus with al his hows It semeth by this that galyenus had two na¦mes for he was callyd decius also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Other men suppose that it was al one decius that was made cesa•• by philip and thylke de∣cius vnder whome laurence was martred / ¶ And therfor it is nowther y redde in laurence legende decius emperour but decius cesar It happeth oftyme that somme were cesars and not Au∣gustes ne emperours For somme were fyrst cesars and thenne

Augustus· and thenne emperours / thenne in the fyrst yere of de¦cius themperour the seuen slepers bygonne to sleepe in the mount celius and slepe so two honderd yere And they roose aboute the last tyme of theodocius / Aboute that tyme Antonius the famo{us} monke was born in Egypte· Cornelius the pope was martrid & after hym lucius that was pope thre yere And Abdon & sennen was martred also and seynt Agatha at cathyna / Also that yer•• decius and his sonne w••re slayne of gothes in Tracia / But it is red in ypolytus passion that decius and valerianus were trauai¦led with a fende after Laurences passion and deyde in that me∣schyef / Gallus with his sone volusianus regned two yere / they wente oute of Rome and Emilianus slough hem and toke them∣pyre with wronge and was slayne the moneth after / In his ty∣me fyl a pestylence as it were in to al the world / And Oryge∣nes deyde and was buryed in tirus the yere of his age lxx /

¶ Capitulum 23

UAleryanus with his sonne galyenus regned fyften yere· Fyrst· he worshiped soo holy sayntes that me trowyd that his hows hadde be goddes owne chirch. But afterward he was apeyred by one that was a wytche and bygan to hate the fayth of crystē men / thenne he biganne to poursue cristen men· And god¦des helpe was soo by mone hym that he was taken of sapor kyng of perce And his eyen were putte oute· And he was holden in a dispytous bondage to his lyues ende· Soo that he sholde stoupe to grounde And the kyng sholde sette his fote on his bak whan he shold lepe to hors / Aboute that yere decius that hyghte galyen{us} wax cruel and sterne / And paule the fyrst heremyte wente in to wyldernes and lyued there vnknowen lx yere to geder as Ierom wryteth in vitas patrum / ¶After lucius stephen was pope thre yere / he ordeygned that mynystres of holy chirche sholde not were holy vestymentes in the comyn vse of euery daye: this stephen was slayne whyle he saide his masse / the second ciprianus was fyrst a man of lawe and a pletar an•• afterward a preeste / and atte last he was bisshop of cartage and was martred the same daye that cornelius the pope was martred but not the same yere Aft••r that stephen was martred sixtus was p••pe two yere / he

••edeygned that men sholde synge a masse vpon an Aulter and was afterward martred with felicissimus & Agapitus in deci{us} tyme so sayth the martiloge that is better to byleue than crony∣kes of Auctours that ben not knowen / For galyenus thempe∣rour hete decius also ¶This sixtus went in to spayne in a time and fonde there two yonglynges vyncent and laurence that we¦re his owne cosyns and were wel thewed and manerd. He to¦ke hede of hem and brought hem •• with hym to Rome· And lau∣rence abode with hym at Rome and vyncent went agayne in to spayne And was martred afterward in dacianus the Iuges tyme / After that sixtus was martred / denys a monk was pope six yere· he departed paryshes and chirche yerdes / And assygned to eueryche parysshe a preeste / After denys felix was pope foure yete / Eugenia prothus and iacinctus were thenne martred at Rome / that tyme gregorius nazauzenus was in his flour••s / He was bisshop in constantinople in grece Two bretheren germa∣yns strofe for a ponde that had plente of fysshe and by his pra¦yers the ponde waxed drye and bere corn•• and fruyte ¶ Also a chirche shold be buylded in a place but the place was to scarce and to narowe for in the eest side was a grete roche and a grete Ryuer in the weste side / And gregory prayde in a nyghte / And on the morn it was founden that the roche was withdrawen a•• fer as it neded & so there was a place large ynough for to make & bylde a chirche / also in another tyme in wynter he passed the al¦pes and he must wende by Appolyns temple / but whan he was goon fro the temple the preest of the tēple that was wōt to gete moche good by answers that the maumett gaf gate no more / for the mawmet gaf none answer / And the preest offred sacryfyce bysyly / and it was sayd him in his sl••pe that Appollo delphic{us} was put oute by the comyng of gregory And he myght not co∣me ageyne withoute leue of gregory ¶ Whan the preest herde that. anone he wente to gregory and purchaced a letter of hym in these wordes / Gregory sendeth gretynge to Appolyn / I suffre the to torne agayne in to thy place and doo as thou were wont to doo this letter was set vp in Appolyns temple / And Appo∣lyn yaue answer as he was wonte· Whan the preest sawe that he wente to gregory and prayd hym that he wolde make hym a cry¦sten man And atte last whan gregory was dede he was bisshoppe after hym / ¶ Claudius the seconde regned one yere & somwhat of monethes ¶ Ones he ouercome the gothes and deyde. After

him his broder quintilius r••gned by ass••nte of knyghtes / and was slayn the xv day in Aquila ¶ After that felyx the pope was martred euticianus was pope six yere / he ordeyned that the first fruytes shold be blessyd vpon the aucter. Also he buryed thre honderd and sixty martres with his owne honde

¶ Capitulum 24

AVrelianus of denmark born was emperour fyue yere / and somwhat of monethes / he was lyke to grete Alysaunder or to Iulius / For as Alysaunder in xij yere w••••te in to Inde / and Iulius in ten yere ouercome the Galles and the Germans and fought foure yere ayenst the cyteseyns▪ So in this four yere be restored the lordship of Rome / In his first tyme the state of holy chirche bygan 〈◊〉〈◊〉 soo that a solempne counseyl of Bisshops was made at Antiochia ¶In that counceyl paule the heretyk was condempned but afterward he was ••••eyred by shrewes & arered disese and stryf in holy chirche This Aurelianus ouer∣come the gothes fyue sythes· this was the fyrst amonge Roma∣yns that vsed clothes of gold / he dyde on his hede a dyadem•• a∣rayed with precious stones· he restored to the peple vse of swynes flessh / Atte last he cam in to gallia and martred many holy men and called the cyte genalium by his own name aurelyan And was after slayne fast by constantinople ¶After hym taci¦tus regned six monethes after the whiche he was slayne in pon∣tus ¶ Thenne after tha•• ••••••rianus regned thre monethes and was slayn in Tharsis ••••ter the passion of euticianus / gaius was pope nyntē yere. he ordeyned degrees of ordres in holy chirch ¶ Hostiariu•• lector exorcista and acolytus and other mo / And that no man shold accuse the mynystrys of holy chirche to fore a seculer Iugge Anatolius bisshop of Alysaunder in laodicia made a boo•• of the verrey ester day & ten bookes of arsmetrik ¶ The heresye of the manachies began to sprynge. Mauych••us was of perse a man of sharp wytte and of straunge man••••s ¶ First ••e was named mane•• ¶ The manychyes haue tha•• name of him▪ The•• s••y•• that ther ben tweyne fyrst werchers and maker•• of thynge•• / One of good and another of euil / one of l••ght and another of derknes· Giraldus and Alfredus.

¶Aleu•••• that tyme the ••••mayns sent one constan••••us for to

make coelus kyng of brytayne subgett / And for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 resseyue try∣bute that was denyed ¶ But coelus wa•• dede after the moneth of his comyng and constancius had the kyngdome / and wedded this coelus doughter / and gate on her the grete constantin Pro¦bus was Emperour six yere and somwhat of monethes / he wan gallia that was oute of theyr hondes and restored it agayne / he lete the galles and pannonyes haue vse of vynes / And whan he had wele nyghe sette al in pees / he sayd that in short tyme me sholde haue no nede to knyghtes / And atte last he was slayn 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a stryuyng of knyght••s ¶ Carus with his sones carinus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Numerianus was emperour two yere and he was drowned 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Ryuer Tigris / ¶ Also Numerianus was lad in a lytter for his sore eyen and his owne wyues fader Apru•• satte in a way••e for hym and slough hym ¶Thenne after many daye•• he wa•• vnnethe founde but by stenche of his carayn. ¶ Carinus was ouercome and slayn at margus

¶ Capitulum 25

DIoclysianus the sonne of dalmata the wryter was fyrste consul and thenne he was made emperour and he was em¦perour twenty yere Anone this smote Aprus in a gadryng of knyghtes and swore that withoute his tresonne and gyle Numerianus had not be slayne / This man was ful ofte ••esy & subtyl of wytte. soo that he couthe fulfylle his cruelnes by the enuye of other This badde and commaunded that men sholde worshipe as it were god almyghty 〈◊〉〈◊〉 He vsed clothes ho••en & shoen ryally araied with precious stones· though emperours that were to fore hym were salewed as Iuges and had a re••e man¦tel more than other men and none other dyuersite fro the comyn clothyng of other men / but suche a reede mantell ¶ Also for wer¦re and b ataylles that were toward / this toke one herculius max¦mianus and made hym his felawe in the kyngdome ¶ This her¦culius wa•• openly grym and sterne. and wold not be vnder the ••awe▪ his sternes was sone knowen by his grysly countenaūce and semblaunt ¶ But dyoclysianu•• made him fyrste Cesar And afterward Augustus ¶He bare doune a greete multitude of chorles and yelded 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the galles ¶ In that Iourneye was the legyon at A••pe•• that heete legy•• thebea Seynt M••ury•••• was one of that ••••gyon. ¶Atte laste

dyoclysianus made constanciu•• and galerius cesars / And soo thempyre was gouerned by two Augustus and dioclysianus and maximianus and by two cesars constancius and galeri{us} He that is Augustus is gre••er than he that is cesar. And for he wolde haue the gretter affynyte / dyoclysianus made constancius forsake his wyf and wedde theodora the stepdoughter of herculi{us} Max••mianus and constancius gate on her six children· And he made galerius wedde his doughter and forsake his wyf. and atte last dyoclysianus and Maximianus lefte of thempyre by their fre wyll and begonne to be philosophres Thenne constan∣cius and galerius deled thempyre bytwene them tweyne And so Iliricum and the est londes fill to galerius and the west bondes fille to constancius but he helde him content with fraunce and spayne and graunted the other londes to galerius Therfore Galerius ordeyned two cesars Maximinus in the est And seue¦rus in ytalye and helde hym content with Iliricum al one that is grece In the mene tyme dyoclysianus fonde to sle constan∣tinus that was the sone of helene. But constantinus was ware of that gile and fledde to his fader ¶ That yere seynt george of capadocia that was tribunus in perce at a cyte that heyte dyospo¦lis that is besides Ioppen. And he was martryd vnder dacian{us} the Iugge / By doome of the counseyll of nycene his legende is acompted for wryting that is callyd Apocryfa Treuisa ¶Apo¦crifa is a wrytyng of none auctoryte by cause thauctor therof is vnknowen Thenne it foloweth in thystory ¶Aftre that gains was martred marcellinus was pope eight yere ¶Dioclysianus compe••lyd him somtyme & he assented to do sacrifice to mawmettes but af••erward in counseyll that was made in campania. he knou¦leched his trespaas to fo••e nyne score Bisshops and clothed him self in heer and threwe powder and duste on his owen hede and submytted hym to stonde to the dome and Iugement of the bis∣shops ¶Thenne the bisshops sayde thou hast forsake / and peter forsoke and was demed of none other man but wente oute and wepte bytterly and soore / therfore deme thou thy self / ¶And I sayde he deme that I be deposed and sette doune And I acoorse alle them that burye my body in holy buryels ¶Afterward he knowleched byfore dyoclysianus that he was a cristen man and soo he was beheded and his bodye lay thirtty dayes in the strete vnburyed / And seint peter appered in a night to marcellus the preest that was pope after marcellinus and saide to him in this

manere ¶ Marcelle why buriest thou not my bodye / by whiche he vnderstode marcellinus bodye / haste thou not redde that euery man that loweth and meketh hym shal be made hye ¶ Thenne burye hym thou fast by me. that buryels departe vs not / for one grace hath made vs rightful / Beside lyngons constancius Au∣gustus slough sixty thousand almains· for he was closed within the cyte and late oute by a roope ouer the wal vnwetynge the hoost Galerius was ouercome of narsus and flye to dyoclysi∣anus. And me sayth that he was receyued of hym in the waye with soo grete booste and triumphe that dyoclysianus ranne by galerius chare many long myle clothed as an emperour Marc ¶ After the passion of marcellinus the pope· the see was voyde many dayes / And thenne marcellus Was pope fyue yere / he or∣deyned in the cyte fyften cardynals for the seruyse of crystnyng and buriyng Maximianus themperour made this pope kepe bees¦tes for he wold not doo sacryfice to mawmettes. thenne in a night his clerkes lad hym oute of the stable / and in the broode way he halowed an hows and made therof a chirche / And maximianus made of the chirche a stable and closed marcellus in the comyn warde for he shold efte kepe beestes and there marcellus deyd•• clo¦thed in heer / After hym eusebius the phisician was pope eyght monethes R ¶ By the cronyk of eusebius and of beda this eyghten yere of dyoclysianus was the fyrst yere of the grete per¦secucion that was vnder dyoclysianus in the eest and maximian{us} in the west ¶That persecucion was grettest and lengest duryng for it dured ten yere continuelly· for though dyoclysianus and maximianus left and yelde vp thempyre in the thyrdde yere of this persecucion as it is sayd to fore hond / yet the persecucion that was bygonne seced not to fore the seuenth yere of the grete con∣stantin / Me sayth that this persecucion was so greuo{us} & so grete y^t chirches & bookes of goddes lawe were brēt / & within one mo∣neth in dyuerse places of the world were xvij thousand ••oly mē & women crowned with martirdom / no man shold bye ne selle ne take vp water of ony place but yf he dyd sacryfyce to maumetrie That tyme were martred many noble martres pancraci{us} the first felician{us} sebastian{us} felix & audaci{us} vij bretheren & her moder be don grysogon{us} & the .iiij that ben callyd quatuor coronati. Also vyncent george and pantaleon / vitus modest{us} ciprian{us} & iustina cosmas and damianus & that childe Barala / fidis & Eufenna Lucia / Anastasia· Agne•• and gorgonius and alle in one Cyte

in frigia Beda libro· capitulo sexto ¶ That tyme seynt Al∣bon was martred in brytayne· of hym fortunatus the pree••st in libro quē de laude virginum intitulauit speketh in this manere

The plentynous ••rytayne bryngeth forth the noble albon Whan this Albon was a paynym he l••dged a cristen man and was couertyd by his loore and toke vpon hym the habyte of the clerk and cam to fore the Iugge and was dampned to the deth And couertyd moche folk fast by the broke that was dreyed by his prayers / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And afterward on the toppe of the hil where as he deyde / he made by his prayers a welle sprynge oute of the erthe. And tourned the tormentours that shold slee hym to the feyth of holy chirch / he was martred fast by the cyte verolanium that hete in englysshe verlamchestre or watlyngchestre

Beda ¶That tyme come vp Arrians heresye that enfected not only the grete londes of the world. but also the Ilondes of the world that ben alwey redy to here newe thynges and holde no thynge certayne ¶Dioclisianus and maximianus forsoke thempyre and ladde a pryuate lyf that one at nychomedia and that other at melan ¶ Melchiades was pope four yere he for¦bade fastynge on the sonday and an the thursday for paynems worshipen thylke dayes ¶ Galerius was emperour one yere and ordeyned tweyne cesars ma••••••ius and seuerus· ¶Beda libro primo That tyme con••tancius deyde at yorke in Brytayne / the yere of his pryncipate x••ij ¶And left after hym his oldest sonne goten on helene that was constantyn kynge of brytayne and fraunce

¶ Capitulum 26

WHile constantyn dyde nobly and bare hym myghtly / and strongly the knyghtes of the pretory at Rome toke maxē∣cius herculius sone & callyd hym augustus / thenne galerius Au¦gust{us} sente seuer{us} that he had made cesar with al his hoost ayenst him to rome. seuer{us} besieged the cyte & was bytrayed by falshede of his owne knyghtes and fled to Rauenna & ther was slayn Herculius maxencius fader herde therof & brake oute / of his hu∣dels and wold be empepour. and dyde his best for to pryue max∣encius of myght and of power / therfor he & galerius comforted

dyoclisianus for to take 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dygnytees that he hadde y lefte. And he setted not therby but answerd and sayde / wold god that ye myght see wortes in myn honde in salon / Sikerly thēne wold ye not deme that I shold take this agayne ¶ Thenne herculius for stryf of knyghtes was openly sory and aferd· & wente in to fraunce for to reue byneme and take thempyre with treson from constantyn that had wedded his doughter· but he was bewreyed by the same doughter fausta constantinus wyf and fled to mar∣selle and was there slayne Thenne galerius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 licinius em¦perour at tarent the worst of all men in couetyse. sharpest in leche∣rye and moost enemy to lettred men / he called lettres comyn pes∣telence / And the meyne of the palays he called spadones that is to saye ghelded men. And also he called hem mowhthes and rat¦tes of the palays / Whan galierius had pursiewed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 greued men ten yere. thenne his brest roted withyn and by cause phisici∣ens myght not endure the stenche of hym / he slough of hem ful ofte / In a tyme a phisician sayd to hym th•••• this meschyef was goddes wratthe and wreche / Thenne he sente out maundementes and reconseyled cristen men that were exy••••d· and thenne he dey∣de After melchiad••s siluestre was pope four and twenty yere He crystned the grete constantyn 〈◊〉〈◊〉 clensed hym of his mesel¦rye in his crystnynge ¶Also he delyuerd the cyte of Rome of the pestelence of the dragon. by his prayer he reysed a dede boole to lyf. he ouercome the Iewes in disputision / he made the firste gre•••• counseylle at nycen / ther were four honderd bisshops and eyghten ¶ He had the names of poure men of wydowes of faderles and Moderles children wryten in a booke and fonde hem what them neded / he ordeyned to faste the wednesday fry∣day and saterday ¶ Also he ordeyned that the thyrsday shold be worshiped as the sonday / for that day cryst ordeyned the sacra¦ment of his body / And on a thursdaye he ascended vp in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nene / And holy crysme and oyle is halowed on a thursday 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ¶Gir / p. Thenne constantyn in his seuenth yere wente toward a batayle ayenste maxencius and sawe in his slepe the signe of the crosse shynynge in heuene. as it were brennynge layte of fyre And angels stode beside and sayde / Constantyn· Thoycana∣ta. that is to saye by thi•• tokene thou shalt haue the vyctorye

¶ Thenne he awoke and made peynte the signe and token that he hadde seen in the baners and penons of his knyghtes /

¶ Atte laste Maxencius was ouercome atte brydge

pount milinum / And constantyn went to Rome and made peyn¦te the signe and tokene of the crosse in the right hondes of the y∣mages that the senatours had areysed in the worship of his triū¦phis and of his vyctory / and he made wryte vndernethe / this is the signe and tokene of that god of lyf that may not be ouerco∣me Gaufr and Alfrd Constantyn wente oute of brytayn to thempyre of Rome ¶ Thenne octauius duc of the Iewesses werryd in brytayne and toke the kyngdome ¶Constantyn her∣de therof and sente on trahern the came of his moder helene with thre legyons of knyghtes ayenst octauius / but hem byfell diuer¦se happes soo that in dyuerse tymes one had the maistrye / and efte that other An•• soo trahern was slayne by fraude and gyle And soo octauius regned vnto the tyme of gracianus & valen∣tinianus themperours Gir de p ¶After that maxenaus was ouercome constantyn was smeton with a stronge lepre or mesel∣rye ¶R As it is wreton in legenda sanctorum in siluestris lif

Somme suppose that constantyn was smeton with meselrye for wreche of persecucion and tarauntrye that he vsed poursiewed & greued cristen men· durynge that persecucion siluester amonge other fledde out of the cyte. But withoute ony doubte for what cause it euer were that he was smeten with meselrye / It is sothe that siluestre he led him of it / Gir vbi supra / By coūseyl of the se¦natours & of the bisshops of mysbyleuyd men were brought / iij / M· smal children that sholde haue be slayne and costantyn sholde haue ben wasshen in the warme bloode of the children for to hele hym of his lepre / whan the kynge sawe the moders of the chil∣deren wepe and make grete sorow· thenne he sayde / the dygnyte of thempyre cometh of the welle of myldenes For it is demed that he shold dyʒ that sleeth a childe in batayll ¶ De legenda sancti siluestri Thenne it were a c••uel dede for too do to our owne / that we be forboden for to doo the straungers / what prouffyte is it to ouercome straung•• men and be our self ouercome with cruelnes Hit is the vertue of strengthe for to ouercome straunge men· but but is the vertue of thewes for to ouercome vyces and synne In that bat••••l w•••• be strenger than they. but in this batayll we ben strenger than we oure self· Thenne late myldenes haue the maystrye in this ••••yng that we mowe the better haue the mays¦trye of our eaemyes For it is better to vs for to deye and sa∣ue the childrens lyf than to gete a greete cruel lyf by the dethe of Innocent children / ¶ And yet it is not certayne

that we shal saue our lyf / but it is certayne that yf it were soo saued it were a cruel lyf / thenne the next nyght after peter and paule appiered to hym and sayde. For thou were agrysed and a¦gast and sparedest to shede the children bloode take to. the coūseyl of heele and of sauacion / ¶ Sende after siluestre that hydeth hym in the mount sarapt and make hym come to the. and whan he was brought he shewed the kynge the ymages of thappostles peter and paule that had appiered to hym in his sleepe Thenne he fasted eyghte dayes and made hym cathecuminus And was crystned atte laste and knowleched that he had seen crist ¶ Treuisa / Cathecuminus is he that lerneth the fayth of holy chirche and is in wylle to be crystned R ¶ But Ambrose & Ierome in a cronyque tellen that constantyn abode with his bap¦teme to his last dayes that he myght be crrystned in Iordane. ¶Thenne whan constantyn was crystned / he made the prisons to be opened & lete the prysoners goo oute And temples and mawmettes were destroyed / And chirche dores opened olde chir¦ches amended and newe chirches buylded-And he graunted to chirches fredome and pryueleges. and ordeyned that the bis∣shop of Rome shold be hyest of al bisshopes and yaue the tenthe deele of al his possession to chirches / but atte the reparaylynge of s••int peters chirch he wente with a mattok and opened the fyrst erthe and bare cleye to the werke on his sholders / ¶ Giraldus vbi supra From that tyme forwarde by cause of the grete Ry∣chesse that the chirch of Rome had it was made the more seculer And had more seculer besynes than spirituel deuocion / And mo∣re pompe and boost outward than holynesse within forth as it is supposed Therfor it is wreton that whan constantyn hadde ma¦de that yefte to the ch••rches. the olde enemy cryed openly in tha∣yer· This day venym is heled and shedde in holy chirche Ther¦fore Ierome in vitas patrum seyth· Syth that holy chirche encre¦aced in possessions / it is decreced in vertues ¶ Also themperour in the palays laterane bylded a chirche in th•• worship of seynt Iohn and made therinne a fonte stone of a maner stone that he¦te porphiriticus and arayed it within with siluer ¶And in the myddel therof was a pyler that bare a vy••l of gold with baw¦me brenning alwey ¶In legenda siluestri ¶Siluester halowed this chirche the ix day of nouembre ¶That day was the ymage of our sanyoury peynted on the wal by goddes oune werk and by no mannes dede. that ymage was s••en of al men / And is there

yet vnto this tyme Siluestre ordeyned to arere in alle chirches auters of stone but in that chirche he stāblysshed an auter of tre that was therinne afore ¶ Men saye that peter & his successours songe masses vpon that auter For holy chirch was soo strong∣ly poursued to that tyme / y^t the bisshop had no certayn abydynge in the cyte of Rome / but they songe masses in holowe caues and dennes where they myghte beste vpon holow auter of tree whiche was born aboute Helene was in brytayne and herde how her sonne spedde and sente hym lettres and praysed hym moche by cause he hadde forsake mawmetrye. but she praysed hym not in that he worshiped and byleued in a man that was nayled to the crosse· themperour wrote ageyne to his moder that she shold brynge maystres of Iewes that the sooth myght be knowen by disputacion ¶Thenne helene brought forth seuen score wysemen of Iewes and syluester come ayenst hem ¶And two wysemen that were no Iewes ne crysten men were ordeyned by comyn assent for to deme the sothe / Thenne the Iewes were ouercome· And after that they had longe disputed one of the Iewes spa¦ke certayne wordes in a wylde booles eere. and the boole dyed anone: thenne anone men repreued siluestre and he sayde it is not goddes name that he had nempned / For god sleeth and yeueth lyf as it is wreton / I shal slee and I shal make thynges lyue and be a lyue. But this hath named the deuyls name that maye not but slee· & yet not ••••at by suffraunce of god / For lyons and wylde beestes maye slee. but they maye not make thynges that they slee to lyue ag••••ne Thenne yf he wole that I byleue on hym late hym areyse the boole fro deth to lyf that he hath slayne And by cause he myght not areyse the boole that he hadde slayne the Iewes promysed that they w••••d byleue in criste yf siluestre myght areyse the boole from deth to lyf / Then̄e by the praiers of siluestre the boole was reysed from deth to lyf / and helene the que and the Iewes and the Iugges byleueden al in crist / thenne constantyn sente his moder helene to Ierusalem for to bryng thēs the •• holy crosse / Ambrose sayth that this helene was an hosteler at Treuere in Fraunce and constantinus cezar wedded her for her beaute / but the storye of Brytons telleth that she 〈◊〉〈◊〉 coelus doughter kyng of brytayne as it is sayde to fore honde ¶ This helene cam to Ierusalem and fonde there the holy crosse and de∣parted it and lefte one part in Ierusalem and brought to her so¦ne that other deele and the foure nayles and she dyde do▪ putte

tweyne of them in her sones brydel And the thirdde in an yma¦ge of the rode / And she threwe the fourth nayl in to the see adri∣aticus that was to fore honde a sw••lo••••ful peryllous to seyle by And so syth that tyme the fest of inuencion of the hooly crosse hath ben holden· thenne themperour wente from Rome to bysan∣us and callyd after his owne name constantinople and made fayr that cyte feir howses and chirches and with d••gnyte of patri¦arke and brought theder the noblest of Rome Gir vbi supra

In the begynnyng of holy chirche were but thre patriarkes as it were in stede of Abraham. Ysaac and Iacob. One was at an¦tiochia in asia Another was in Allexandria in Affryca / And the thyrdde was at Rome in europa / these thre peter halowed. by his owne sittynge / In tweyne th••rof he was Bisshop hym self / But his disciple marcus helde the thyrdde at Al••••••ndria in Pe¦ters name / After 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the synodus nycena hadde yeuen that pry¦uelege to the Bisshop of Rome that he sholde be aboue al other bisshops as them perour is aboue all kynges· And that he sholde be callyd pope as the chyef fader / And the right of the patriarke was torned to constantinople as it were to the second Rome The oth••r se••s of patriarkes were chaunged· the see of antiochia to Ierusalem And the see of Alexandria to Aqu••••ia And it is supposed that the cause therof was for wycked cristen men shold be take in to the lond of mysbyleuyd men. and soo it sholde folo¦we that they shold lese the hooly places ¶ Eusebius in historia ecclesiastica libro decimo Constantynus dyde to god almygh∣tyes p••••estes grete reuerence and worshipe ¶ Therfor whan the bisshops were assembled in the Synode of nycena by commaun∣dement of constantyn and by counseylle of siluestre for to decla∣re the fayth of holy chirche ¶ Many of hem playned eche vpon other and put vp bylles to themperour for he shold do hem right Themperour sawe that holy chirche for the whiche the bisshoppis were comen myght lyghtly be l••tte by suche playntes & strif Therfore he set••e hem a certayne day after the sinode and counseil for to make an ende of al thylke causes and playntes· But he brente priuely alle thylke bylles of hem that made playntes & sayde ¶God hath ordeyned yow as it were goddes to be your owne I••gges. ¶Therfore I holde that it were vnsittynge that we that sholde be demed of you shold deme you that ben goddes But in holy chirche among you self trete ye of youre errours &

defawtes soo that no thyng be knowen outward that is v••seme¦ly to your holynes And yf ye wyl nedes stryue Abyde ye the dome of god almyghty as the psalme sayth / God stode in the si¦nagoga of goddes Certaynly yf I saw•• ony of your ordre sin¦ne with a woman. I wolde couere hym with my· mantel by cau¦se that for none men sholde haue occasion to speke euil of your relygyon ¶ Therfor bretheren trete ye more of the fayth of holy chirche / for therfo•• ye ben comen

And whan this was sayde he threwe the billes in to the fyre & brente· hem That yere saynt martin was y bore And thenne the twellyfth yere he was made cathecuminus that is he that ler¦neth the fayth of holy chirche· / ¶ In the xvj yere he was made knyght / And the xviij yere he was made y crystned. And was knyght after that two yere vnder Iuliānus / ¶ In the synode of nycena were thre honderd and eyghten bisshops ¶ That sino∣de was made sixtene dayes to fore the moneth of Iuill in the cy¦te of nycene in bythinia And it was made ayenst the Arrians / fotmos / and the sabellians Seynt nycholas was at that syno¦de / tho it was ordeyned that the fastyng of the lente that tho fo•• hond dured fro the six••h day of Ianyuer to the xv day of feue¦rer sholde bygynne and dure as it is nowe vsed / And that for thre causes / the fyrste cause for our fastynge sholde be coupled to the tyme of crystes passion: the seconde for we sholde in thende of oure fastynge ••esseyue crystes body in clene lyf The thyrdde for oure lord shold fynde vs fastyng ¶ Hyderto Eusebius and pamphilius wryten the storye ecclesias••ica which is callyd histori¦a tripertita Thenne Ierome wryteth forth that storye vnto the yonge theodosius tyme / And th••••••erus the bisshop wryteth that story al oute ¶Arnobius re••horicus was flouryng this tyme in Affrica. he was dryuen to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fayth of holy chirche as it were by sueuenes and the bisshop of the place wolde not receyue him er he had made cleere bookes of the fayth and delyuere them as for plegge of his trewe fayth ¶ Iuuencus the preest wrote the gospels to the chirche of Rome in verses of six feete / After siluester marcus was pope viij monethes ¶He ordeyned the bisshop hostiensis shold vse a palle and also sacre the pope To this marcus Athanasius bisshop of Alexandria and other bisshopes of egypte w••iten for seuenty chapitres that were pub∣lisshed in the synode of nycena ¶In that epystle Athanasius knowleched that his bookes shold be brente of the heretick••

Arrians / After marcus Iulius was pope sixten yere. he was ex¦yled in the second constantin{us} tyme· the bones of seynt Andrew thappostle and of seynt luke theuangelyste were translated in to constantinople the grete constantyn deyde at Nychomedia. And Ierom was borne. Ierome in historia tripertita Seyth that con¦stantin in his last dayes was crystned agayne of one eusebius bisshop of nychomedia that was of the Arrians ¶And soo Constantyn fylle in to the euil loore of the arrians / But that is vnderstanden of the second constantyn / this constantines sone namely for seynt gregory in his Regyster wryteth to maurice the emperour and callyth constantyn the emperour of good mynde And in the story tripertita his ••nde is approued And Ambrose vpon the fourten salme sayth that he was a man of grete meryte and mede· And alowed afore god / And ysidre in his cronyke sayth that he made a gracious ende· And also the grekes maketh a feste of hym the enleuenth day of may

¶ Capitulum 27

COnstancius the grete constantyns sonne regned after his faders deth with his bretheren Constantyn and Constant six and twenty yere / he was byspronge with Arrius heresie and dyspysed chirches and chaced Crysten men and exyled Iulius the pope fourten yere / and chaced athanasius bisshop of Alexan∣dria as it were in to al the world That yere Arrius the heretik by helpe of themperour 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to constantinople to chirche for to stryue agaynste crysten men And tourned by constancius place for to clense his bely ¶ / And he voyded oute his bowels & so he dyed there mescheuously ¶ That yere Iulius the pope by∣gan to come agayne oute of the countrey of cerso ••here he hadde ben for to destroye Arrius heresye ¶ Thenne he was warned by an aungel that he sholde translate clements body / And while he dyde as the angel bad / the see withdrewe hym as he wa•• wonte on seynt clementis day / And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 body was sette vpon the brink of the see / And there is bylded a chirche / And anone the buriels that was lef•• in the see with the erthe aboute aroos vp and by cam an ylond and sith men come to that ylonde by shippes & botes and there is bylded a chirche / That yere paule the fyrst heremyte deyde in egypte the yere of his age an honderd / and .xiij

¶ Eusebius in historia eccl••••••astica libro 21 ¶ That yere was stronge persecucion ayenste Athanasius / for he hadde a

scoler that hete Arsemus he hadde trespaced and d••••d the chasty¦syng of his mayster and fledde and hidde hym in hydynge pla∣ces / Athanasius his enemy•• tolde that Athanasius bare with hym thi•• scoler his arm for to vse wytchecraft ther with ¶ Atte ••aste these tydynges cam to Arsenius ther he was hid. the daye to fore that this mayster sholde come to his answer Arsenius co∣me to his mayster but he hid hym efte as his mayster bad / And the strengthe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the vnwylful corrupcion was resseyued therby Thenne Athanasius mad•• a signe to his preest tymotheus / that he shold answere· Thenne the preest axyd besyly yf he were the same man that the woman spak of· and she affermed stydfastly that it was soo Thenne it was sone knowen that thaccusacion was fals & not trewe / After this athanasius was exyled as it were in to al the world aboute soo that he had no seker place for to dwelle ynne / therfor two yere to geders he dwellyd in a ponde that was withoute water / soo that vnethe he sawe the sonne al that while. but there he was bewreyed by a yong woman / and thenne coude he fynde no syker place in al constancius kyngdome Thenne he went to constant cesars londes and ther he was so••ou¦red a while with one maximus bisshop of treuerent. And in that while he made the simbolum quicumque vult salus esse ¶Atte last constant cesar sēt lettres to his broder constanci••s / And atha¦nasius was restored agayne to his bisshoprych / But constant ce¦sar deyde & thenne athanasius fyl agayn in grete hate & wrath in so moche that grete rewardis were promysed to hem that wolde brynge hi•• or slee him and brynge forth his heede ¶Thenne in Iulius the āpostatas tyme Athana•••••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 efte and rowed by the Ryuer Nylus Thenne one that was sette for to take him poursiewed him. And Athanasius was waar therof and tour∣ned his bote toward the clyf agayne as it were ••or to mete with his enemye but his enemye coude not byleue / that he that fledde fro hym wolde so mete with hym / And therfor he axed of Atha¦nasius that sat in his bote / yf he hadde seen Athanasius. he passith not fer to fore. sayd Athanasius and so his enemy was begyled & passed forth dayles / Sapor king of perce besiege the cite nisibm two moneth••s / and by the prayer of saynt Iame that was Bis¦shop of that cyte / the snowtes of oly••••untes and his hors eres¦w••••e soo ful of gnattes and of grete ••yes that they threwe a doune al that was vpon hem and disparcled al thoost /

¶ Seynt nycholas deyde. at his ••••mbe sprange oute a welle

of oyle atte his heede / and a welle of water atte his feete Atte laste his bones were translated to larrus the yere of oure lord a thousand four score and seuen. ¶ After Iulius liberius was pope 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yere· He was outlawed thre yere / for he wolde not fauoure the Arriaus ¶ In the mene tyme by his counseyll the clergye of Rome ordeyned felix pope. this felix made a counseyl with eyght and fourty bisshops / there he condempned and putte of two preestes Arrians Vrsacius and val••nt / ¶Constancius the emperour h••rd therof and reconciled liberius for him semed that he was esyer to the arrians Thenne liberius as he that was ouercome with the griefe of exylynge and y gladed for he was pope agayne assented to heresye and put doune f••lix and heelde the chirches of pe••er and paule and of laurence vyolently and wi••h stre••g••he / soo that clerkes and preestes that fauoured Fe¦l••x were slayne in the chirche and liberius forbade it not Fe∣lix was martred •• vyctorinus the Rethour and donatus the gra∣maryen were holde grete men in Rome / ¶Antonius the monke deyde in egypte the yere of his age an honderd and fyue Seynt hillarye bisshop of peytres by conspyracy of the bisshop Arelatē∣sis an Arrian was exyl••d thre yere in Frigia / there he wrote no∣ble boo••••s of our relygyon At Selencia in Isauria was ma¦de a counseyl ¶Ther was put vp a bylle to themperour that hil∣larye had made and hillarye had lene to come agayne home in to peytow Marc ¶Me vseth for to saye of this hillarye that le¦on the p••pe that was an here••k sayd to hym in the counseyll of bisshops· th•••• art gallus and not of gallina ¶ Treui¦sa Gallus is a 〈…〉〈…〉 is a frenssheman· thenne be mē¦te that hillarye was a frenssheman / Thenne it foloweth in the storye▪hillarye shold saye thou art a lyon but not of the lygna¦ge of Iuda ¶Also in the counseyll of bisshops noman aroose ayenst ••illarie and hillarye sayde the erth is our lordes / Thenne the erthe aroos in the maner of a tote for to resseyue hillary•• But this is founden in no cronyke that is auctentik By cau¦se noo pope w••s called leon in hillares tyme / but yf liberius the pope that fauoured heretyks or somme fals pope wa•• callyd l••on

¶ Capitulum 28

WHan constancius was dede / Iulianus Apostata that wa•• cesar was made emperour· And was emperour as it were two yere In his tyme were martred Pygmeus the preeste that had ben to fore Iulianus mayster / Iohan and paule and quiriacus that hete Iudas bisshop of Ierusalem· for he had fon∣de the crosse. R Of this Iulianus it is redde vndecimo libro historye tripertite that constancius the grete constantinus brother had two sones one gallus and this Iulianus· ¶ But whan the grete constātyn was dede his sone constancius was emperour And made his eme gallus cesar ¶But afterward for suspecti¦on of his grete wytte he made hym be slayne at histria / ¶ And therfor this Iulianus gallus broder dr••d lest he shold be slayn and bycame a monke and made him ful pop holy vnder monkis habyte Therfor a woman brought hym to kepe thre st••n••s ful of gold couerid aboue with asshes / But Iulianus toke the gold and delyuerd to the woman the stenes ful of asshes / ¶ And whan the gold was taken a way Iulianus coude not be conuict for the wytnesses that were present atte rece••uyng of them sawe no thyng / but asshes / And soo Iulianus toke the golde & went to Rome· And dyde so moche that he was consul / And atte laste he gate hym thempyre and was emperour. This Iulianus in his childhode lerned nygrom••ncy and wytchecraft. and on a ty¦me as his mayster was oute he radde in his bookes of that craft And there cam byfore hym a grete multitude of fendes And ••e dradde him soore and made the signe of the crosse· And anone alle the fendes vanysshed away / And soo he tolde his mayster whan he cam home· And his may••ter sayde that the fendes hated moost the signe of the crosse Iulianus cam to Rome and a fen¦de shewed hym to hym by th•• doyng of a wytche: And promised hym thempyre yf he wold forsake cristen fayth / And soo it was don ¶ Thenne constancius made hym cesar & sente hym in to Fraunce there he dyde many vyctoryes / and gate a crowne of laureal that henge bytwene two pylers & brake the rope that the crowne henge by & was ryally crowned with that crowen· They that sawe that tolde that it was a token that he shold be emperour Whanne constācius was dede Iulianus was made emperour / & he fonded to plese al men ¶Therfor in the begynnyng of his empyre he graunted that euery man sholde holde what fayth be wolde. But he destroyed the signe of the crosse with al that b•• myghte / And supposed therby for to gete to hym moost grace of

fendes / Thenne he opened temples / and dyde sacrifice to mawm•••••• Ones while he dyde so dew fyll vpon his clothes and vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other mannes clothes that there were in the likenes of the cros¦se / In another tyme in the bowels of a berest that was slayne to sacrifice was founde the shap of the crosse byclypped about with a crowne· the mynystres sawe that / and sayde that the vyctorye of cristes crosse lasteth with outen ende But Iulianus syke∣led with hem & sayde that that was a tokene of constraynynge of cristes loore. & that it shold neuer passe the wydenes of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ¶Also he dyde somtyme sacrifice at constantinople and cal∣cedonius the bisshop was blynde for age and repreued Iulian{us} sharply ¶Thy man of galyle sayd Iulianus myght not saue the fro blyndenes / therof I thanke hym sayde the bisshop that he hath bynome my syght that I shold not see the pryued of al mil¦denes ¶Also at Antiochia he gadryd to geders the holy vessels / and to w••yls of the Auter & defowled hem with the fylthe of his ars· And anone wromes sprange oute therof & frate soo Iu¦lianus nether ende that he myght neuer be delyuerd therof whi¦le he was a lyue ¶Also his styward pyssed vpon vessels of the chirche and sayde / Lo in what vessels maries sone is seruyd And anone his mouth bycame his ar•• and seruyd afterward in stede of his nether ende ¶ Also Iulianus for ha¦te of Crysten men bygan to buylde the temple of Ierusalem vp¦on his owne coste / But al that was bylde a day / erth shakynge threwe doune a nyght Also fyre come oute of the temple and destroyed moche folke / And in the nyght after the signe of the crosse was seen vpon al mennes clothes. ¶Also Iulianus put oute of his court ennuches that is ghelded men Barbours and cookes Ennuches for his wyf was dede and he hadde wedded none other after her. he dyde awey cookes for he vsed symple me∣tes and barbours for one myght serue many men / He made ma¦ny bookes and blamed therinne his ••redecessours / In that he di¦de awey cookes and barbours He dyde as a philosopher and not as a prynce: In that he blamed princes he dyde not as a philisopher n••r as a prince / Thenne Iulianus wente doun in to perse as it is redde in vitas patrum & sente a fende in to the weste londes for he shold bringe hym wor thēnes / but the fendes was ten dayes lette of his Iourneye by one publius a monke that was alwey in his bedes soo that the fende brought none answer

agayne / whan fendes had promysed hym vyctorye of the perses his sophistris axed in this maner of a crysten man. what suppo¦sest thou doth your god now that carpenters sone The cristen man answerd and sayd he maketh a buryels for thy mayster iu¦lianus ¶ Iulianus wente in to perse and come vnto cheysisont and besieged there the kynge of the countre and forsoke somme of the knigdome that was pro¦fered to hym ¶ / For he trowed that the grete alysandres soule was putte in his body by the meuyng of pyctagoras and of plato that sayde / that the soules af mankynde passyd from bo¦dyes to bodyes / But a darte cam sodenly and stycked in his side and therwith he ended his lyf ¶R Eutropius and orocius li¦bro sexto tellen that Iulianus wente in to perse and was ladde in wylde places by gyle and fraude of one that was outlawed And there he was one roome with trauaylle of the grauel with▪ thyrste and with hete of the sonne· and soo an horsman of his enemyes smote hym with a spere and he deyde / Also it is ••••dde in basilius lyf that whan Iulianus wente in to perse ward / ba∣sileus was at cesarea in capadocia. and sent hym a present of bar¦ley loues / Iulianus behelde the loues and sente hym heye agayn Hit is sayd that basyleus sayd thenne. We sende to the suche as we ete. but thou sendest to vs such as beestes eten / Thenne iulian{us} sayde whan I come agayne vyctour oute of perse / I shal so des∣troye this cyte that it shal bere more heye than corn / thenne basili¦us prayd for the sauacion of the cyte / & saw by night in the mid∣del of the chirch a grete multitude of aungels. & in the middel of hem a woman sittyng on a trone that sayde clepe to me mercuri{us} the knyght that shal take wrech for me & my sone· of this iulian{us} y^t despiseth god. mercuri{us} was a cristē knight y^t iulian{us} had slain for the feith of holy chirch & was late buried in that chirch whe¦re as this sight was seen. & anō mercuri{us} toke his wepē that yet hēge in that chirch & wēt forth ayenst iulian{us} & stikked him in the middel of his body· & vanisshed a weye anō / Iulian{us} drewe out the blode of his sides & threw it abrode & seyd thou galile mā thou hast ou{er}come / & now I shal forsake the / fulfil thy silf after this / basili{us} awoke & fonde mercurius spere al blody in the same chirche & his armure sette in the same place· it was to fore / after iulian{us} ioninian{us} was emperour viij monethes a strōg & a nobl̄ cristē māIulianus had cōmaūded that cristē knightes shold do sa¦crefyce to mawmettes / or forsake her knighthode / But anone this

fordyde that bonde / For whan the knightes ••••ough hym for to be emperour with strengthe· he cryede and sayde that he a Crysten man wold be emperour of paynyms Whan that was herde al the knyghtes were made crysten men ¶ Also this was dryuen to by grete nede and yaf a grete dele of mesopotania to sapor king of perse Thenne be deade. whether it were for euil smel of his chambre that was made of newe lyme and heuy to reste therin· Or of to many cooles that he made sette a fyre for the grete cold.

¶ Capitulum 29

UAlentinianus with his broder valent regned enleuen ye∣re· This was gentil and curtoys. For whan the hoost la∣boured to gyue hym a felowe of thempyre. he answerd and say¦de / ¶ O knyghtes it was youres to yeu•• me the kyngdome and now I haue receyued it· hit is myn to thynke on the comyn prouffyte. And made his broder felaw of thempyre ¶ He ouer∣come the saxons and the sarmates. his fader gracian•• was cal∣led funarius that is a roper· For he bare a roope that was for to selle / and fyue knyghtes myght not wreste the roope oute of his honde / And therfor he was worthy to be take to knyhthode In a tyme valentinianus wyf preysed the feyrnes of Iustina And therfor valentinianus wedded Iustina and yaue a lawe that euery man that wold shold wedde two wyues. In this emperours tyme the erthe quoke in al the worlde and the See aroose and passed the clyues and destroyed many cytees / After liberius damasus was rope nyneten yere this was a fair maker of metre· And wrote verses vpon tombes that he fonde of holy sayntes / And ordeyned also that by day▪ and by nyght psal¦mes shold be sayd in queor· and that one verse shold be sayde on one side and the other verse in that other side / And that gloria patri shold be sayde on eche psalmes ende / ¶And by comfort of this pope Ierom translated the byble oute of hebrew in to latin / & amēded also the psauter of the lxx interpretes that thēne was vsed for the moost part in al chirches: & that sauter was efte ape¦yred & he translated new agayne / & damasus the pope ordeyned that to be songe in the cyte of rome & in the chirches of fraūce & therfor the sauter is called the frenssh sauter psatelriū gallicanū

yet he made the thyrdde translacion of the sawter word forword That yere deyde seynt hillarye bisshop of peytow vnto the songe that the Aungel songe gloria in excelsis· he put to laudamus te / benedicimus te· Adoramus te / and soo forth ¶ Seynt dydimus of Alexandria that lost both his eyen after the fyfth yere of his age and herde ones redde in the chirche that word of the gospell What man maye not doo god may not doo ¶ Thenne he was soo besy aboute the lyght of his sowle that he had parfyght knowlech of seuen artes and was made doctor & made & expowned many bo¦kes by notaryes and wryters Seynt martin was made bisshop of turone the yere of his age lxj and was Bisshop there xxvj yere The grete basile bisshop of cesarea in capadocia is dede Among his other grete dedes of vertue he reconciled a yongling to god almyghty that had oblyged hym self to the deuyl for the loue of a wenche· and gate agayne the chartre of his oblygacion Also Ioseph a Iewe was connyngest of alle phisicians. And Basyle lengthed this Iosephs lyf one day and tourned hym to the fayth of holy chirche / And he made and instituted the rule of monkes and many other holy tretys ¶ Seynt Ambrose a man of the dignyte of consuls while he spak to the pepl̄e· he was made bisshop of melane / for the voys of a child that cryede that he shold so be ¶ Seynt patrik in this tyme was born / his fader hete calprun whiche was a preest and a dekens sone that heyte fo dun patrikes moder hete conches martyns suster of gallia that is fraunce / In his crystnyng he was called sucat / And seint germā called hym magonius / And celestinus the pope callyd hym Pa¦trik that is to saye fader of cyteseyns ¶ Valentinianus Augus¦tus was strongly meued agaynst the messagers of the sarma••es And deyde in a maner outbrekyng of his veynes / and is an euil that grekes clepe Apoplexia. That tyme in egypte were noble faders in her floures pastor pambo / and tweyne either hete macha¦rius Arsenius· Paphinisius Agatho moyses / Ioseph enagrius & theodorus. Pambo wold lerne no more of the sawter than one verse that he had herd er he had fulfylled that verse· This was the verse▪ Dixi custodiam vias meas vt non delin∣quam in lingua mea that is to saye· ¶I haue sayd I shal kepe my wayes that I trespace not in my tonge

Pambo sayde that vnnethe he fulfylled this verse in nyne and fourty yere ¶ The two Macharyes / one of Egypte that other of Allexandria were bothe noble men in abstynence·

& in loore / A woman that was with childe defamed falsely one of them and sayde that he hadde brought her with child / but she myght neuer be delyuerd of child / er she had tolde the trouth ¶Arsenius was a senatour of Rome and parfyght in the lan∣gages of latyn and of grue and made hym self a monk ¶ In a tyme he herde a voys that sayde to hym Arsenius flee fro men & kepe scylence and thou shalt be saued ¶ Also he ••are alwey a sudary in his bosome for to wype away the teeres that ranne oft fro his eyen ¶Therfor the heer of his eyen lyddes fyl al of for grete wepyng In the ester euen whan the sonne wente to res¦te / he torned his face toward the West and woke al that nyghte in his prayers vnto the tyme that he sawe the sonne aryse erly by the morowe. And thenne he was wery of wakynge and cal∣led to hym slepe and sayde / come forth euil seruaunt. And so he rested a lytell syttyng / for he wold saye that it were ynowgh for a monke that fyghteth ayenst temptacions for to sleepe one houre in the nyght and day ¶In a tyme his faders testament was brought to hym / in the which testament he was made his faders heyer / thenne he answerd and sayde that he was drede to fore his fader / how myght he thenne that shold dye make me his heyr that was dede afore ¶Also he wold not lyghtly mete ne speke glad¦ly with ony man. ne sende lettres and comynly he fledde theyr company and sayde that he myght not be at ones with god and with men· neyther he meued lyghtly questions of holy wryt / but of sterynges of the soule and temptacions. he wolde gladly spe∣ke and yet he was a noble clerke and connyng in questions of holy wrytte / therfore in a tyme he wente doune for to speke with an old man of egypte for to appose hym of thoughtes Thenne somme men seyden to hym how mayst thou Arsenius that a••t so connynge of loore ax•• for to lerne of this olde chorle I haue sayd he lerned both latyn and grue / but yet coude I neuer the / A / B / C / of this chorle / And while Arsenius dwellyd in the palays of rome. no man vsed better clothes than he / soo while he was a monke was none fowler couerd than he / he had a longe berde that henge to his myddel & he lyued in the older theodocius palays fourty yere after / & in wyldernes / lv yere / Paphinicius thabbot toke seculer clothyng & habyt & cōuerted a comyn womā that hete tharsis / he prayed thryes our lord that he wolde shewe hym to whom he was lyke to in erthe. thabbot pastor wold not see his moder in erthe for hym was l••uer to see her in heuen

thabbot Agatho bare a stone thre yere in his mouth for he wold lerne to be styl and kepe sylence. he wold no nyght slepe yf he had ony quarel ayenst ony man or ony man ayenst hym ¶ Thabbot Moyses was ones prayd for to come and deme a broder that had trespaced And he toke and bare a panyer ful of grauel on ••is bak and sayde / these be my synnes that renne after me / And I goo deme other mennes synnes and take none heede of myn owne ¶ The fader musius wente for to vysyte a broder that was seke / and made by his prayers the sonne stonde styl vnto the tyme he had doon al his offyce atte ful / Also ofte he blessyd grauel that was brought hym the whiche was sowe in feldes and the feldes bade the more corne and fruyte ¶ The Abbesse Sara was thyrten yere to geder inpugned and tempted of a fen¦de but she wolde not assente· Sara prayd not that the temptacion shold passe from her / but that god wolde yeue her grace to with∣stonde it ¶ Thenne the spyryt of fornicacion shewed hym to her sighte and sayde / Sara thou hast ouercome me. Naye sayde she I haue not ouercome the· but my lord Iesus that sa∣ueth hem / that trust on hym he hath ouercome the

Enemyes brought forth an arme and it was axed of Athana¦sius for what vse he hadde cut of that arme and he brought forth Arsenius that had bothe his armes and shewed hem bothe hoo••e and sounde. And axed of the other men / where they had that other arme that they shewed there / ¶Also his enemyes hyred a woman that sholde saye that she had ofte lodged Athanasius

R ¶ Thabbot Euarius macharius disciple wrote vitas pa¦trum in Egypte as genadius sayth in his booke de viris illus∣tribus / Valens with his broder sones gracianus and valentini∣anus was Emperour four yere / his broder hete valentinianus. Also this valens was crystned agayne of the Arrians / and poursiewed cristen men and yaue a lawe that monkes shold doo dedes of Armes or be beten with staues· And thenne were the monkes martred at Nitria in egypte. In a tyme the gothes sen∣te to this valens for to haue crysten Bisshops to teche hem the rightful byleue and he sente hem bisshops o the Arrians / And therfor alle the gothes were infecte and gleymed / And therfore by goddes rightful dome the knyghtes of Rome were ouercome by the gothes. And this valens was chaced oute of Antiochia and was wounded with an arow and fledde in to an hows & there was brente he and al his hows and had no buryels

¶Capitulum 30

ORacianus whan he hadde regned with his fader valentini∣anus the older and with his eme valens / thenne after the deth of his eme he regned with his broder valentinianus the yon¦ger and with theodosius of spayne six yere / Beda libro primo capitulo 19 / This gracianus whan he sawe that the sta•••• of thē∣pire was almost fallen / he made theodosius of spayn gouernour of thempyre in the ••est / And anone theodocius ouersette the sy∣thes / the Alanes / the hunes / and the gothes with grete batails and stronge and made p••es with Athanarius kynge of the go∣thes. That tyme one pristyllianus of galles made an heresye of the loore of manychyes and of the Gnostyces / And that heresye hath the name of hym· Tho was theophilus Bisshop of Alexan¦dria in his floures / And in damasus tyme the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / was made a counceyll at constantinople of seuen score bisshops and ten / ayenst macedonus the heretyk· he sayde the holy goost is noo god-there was made the credo that is songe on sondayes in the chirche / Af¦ter damasus siricins was pope fyften yere / he made a counseyl at constantinople of thre honderd and fyfty bisshops for to declare the fayth of holy chirche ayenst heretykes. Gaufredus and Alur Octauius kyng of brytons we••e old and prayde one maximus the neuewe of helene and sen••••••ur for to come from Rome and take the kyngdome of Brytayne and his doughter for he hadde no mo children / ¶ Conanus the kynges neuew cast for to be kynge and was wroth therfore and was ••fte atte debate and at stryf with this maximus / But atte l••st they were ful acor∣ded and lad with hem alle the armed knyghtes for to warre in the prouynce Armorica that is lytel Brytayne / the re maximus fought with conanus and ouercome hym for he was put oute of the thyrd dele of thempyre / Eutr & b••da / li / 1. Maxim{us} was a no∣ble man & a stalworth saue that he dyde ayenste his oth▪ by treson of knyghtes he was made emperour in brytayne and wente anō in to fraūce & made fraūce & germania subget by cruel batayls / & slough graci••nus augustus that was sod••nly aferd & fled in to lug••uu & chaced gracianus broder valentinianus oute of yta¦lye. Anone valentinianus fledde to theodosius in the eest & was mildly restored agayn to his kyngdom / for sone after by sleyght of theodocius maximus was besieged in Aquilia / & there putte

to deth Gaufredus and Alfred In the mene tyme conan{us} duc of lytel brytayne had no wyl to wedde frensshmens dough∣ters and sente to dynotus kyng of cornewayle for to haue wy∣ues to his people and anone he sente his doughter vrsula with xj M vyrgyns. somme of them were drowned in the see by tē∣peste and stormes / And somme of them were caste in to straunge londes / And the cursed dukes gwanius and melga slowe many of them for they wold not consente to theyr lechery. Guanius was kyng of hunes and melga kyng of pyctes ¶Gracianus and valentinianus had sente them to the see costes for to slee the fauctours of maxim{us} the tyraunt Ther after these two cursed dukes gwanius and melga aspyed that maximus had ladde al the chiualrye oute of brytayne / and that Brytayne was voyde & helpeles and without strength of chyualrye / thenne they gadred with hem the side ylondes and occupyed albania that is scotlande Maximus the tyraunt herde therof and sente anone two legyōs of knyghtes with gracianus a knyght that longed to Rome that went forth and chaced the forsaid cursed dukes in to Irl̄ond ¶But this gracianus herd that maximus was slayne. he made hym self kyng of brytayne· and by cause he vsed to grete tyran¦trye he was slayne of his owne peple. In his stede one constan¦tinus of the lowest chyualrye was chosen / not for worthynes of his vertue / but for hope of his name only· he wente anone in to fraunce and dyd grete harme to thempyre Therfor by commaū¦dement of honorius August{us} Constanci{us} the Erle was sente in to fraunce & slough constantinus at arelate with his sone constan∣cius that therle geroncius had of a monk made cesar /

¶ Capitulum 31

THeodocius Gracianus sone whan his fader was slayn regned with his eam•• Valentinianus enleuen yere His fader and moder were warned in her sle••pe / that they shold yeue hym that name theodocius•• for theodocius is ye∣uen of god almyghty / he made neuer batayle by his good wylle but in euery batayl that he yaue he had the vyctorye In historia tripertita / This the odoci{us} vsed dedes of armes by day & rightful domes and causes of his subgettes / & was occupyed

wel nyghe al nyght in his bookes Therfor it is rad that he had a candelstyk made by craft of honde. so that the oyle shold r••nne in to the crysler withoute trauayle of theod••cius· for trauayle shold not lette hym. And soo he wythstode slepe and made kynde trauayle by strength ¶Also he was like traianus in al poyntes meke and myld and softe to men and subget to god / but he wold lyghtly be wroth / therfor he was taught of a philosooher that he shold whan he bygan to wexe wroth saye softe and by ordre foure & twenty lett••e•• of grue er he shold ordeyne ought that shold gre¦ue for so his thought sholde be occupyed in somwhat ellis and his wrath shold sece in passyng of tyme In a tyme he wold ha¦ue entred in the queor of clerkes at melan for to here masse And Ambrose forbade hym vnto the tyme that he hadde don his penaunce for the deth of thyrtty knyghtes that he had slayne in wrath in constantinople ¶ Therfor the emperour dyde penaunce and ordeyned a lawe that the dome of prynces vpon thauysemēt of deth sholde abyde thyrtty dayes withoute ••xecucion for tabyde yf it myght be founde· or if it nede were that the dome shold be re∣pelled or chaunged Victor the sonne of maximus the tyraunt was slayne of one Arbogastes / Aboute that tyme was a childe y bore in the ca••tel of emaus that hadde twey bodyes fro the na¦uel vpward two brestes / two hedes & ten wyttes in eyther body fyue soo that the one myghte ete or slepe though that other dyde nether ete ne slepe And whan they had lyued two yere to gy¦der that one deyde thre dayes to fore that other ¶Valentinianus Augustus / was sory of his lyf for the cruelnes of Arbogaftes the mayst••r of knyghtes and henge hym self with a suar in vi∣an•• in fraunce Therfor Arbogast••s made one eugenius empe¦rour in gallia ¶Therfor theodocius axed counseyl of Iohan the heremyte at egypte and axed what ••••de the batayll sholde ta¦ke ayenst eugenius / And he sayd that he shold haue the vy••••••∣rye ¶R That yere deyde seynt martin the bisshop / One seuerus sulpicius a preest of gyen wrote seynt martins lyf that was ful of vertues and of goodnes G••nadius de viris illustribus. Seyth that seuerus in his elde was begyled of the heretyks pe∣lagyens and was sory the••fore And for he had synned with his speche he toke silence vpon hym to his lyues ende for to pu∣nysshe that synne with sparyng of spech Archadius theodoci{us} sone whan his fader was dede he regned fourten yere and heelde the eest londes. And his broder honorius helde the west londes

Claudian{us} the poete was that tyme flouryng Conatus bisshop of epir{us} spatte in a dragons mouthe & slough hym / six ••en oxen myght vnuethe drawe-that dragon to the place where he sholde be brent for he shold not enfecte the eyer in the countre aboute A grete counseyl was made thenne in cartage / ¶Marc After Siricius anastasius was pope fyue yere / he ordeyned that a man that were wemmed in his body sholde receyue none ordres / and be ordeyned that euery man sholde stonde while the Gospel is a redyng Beda libro primo capitulo decimo ¶Aboute that yere pelagius a bryton had helpe of Iulianus bisshop of campania whiche was to fore honde put doune of his bisshopryche ¶ And pelagius brought vp his heresye / that sayde that a mannes wil & fredom of chois without goddes grace is ynowe for to diss••rue mede and the blysse of heuene Also he sayde adams synne wē¦med Adam al one and none other man ¶Also he sayd that chil¦dren ben born as cleene withoute synne as Adam was to fo••e er that he had synned And sayde that it nedeth not to cristen chil∣dren for to clense hem of synne / but for to worshipe hem with the sacrament of adopcion ¶Treuisa Adopcion is makyng of chil¦dren in this manere yf a man take a childe that is not his and maketh hym as it were his child and noryssheth and bryngeth hym vp and amitteth hym as his owne child Thenne pelagi¦us wote not what he sayth· for the child that is clene oute of syn∣ne is veryly goddes childe ¶ Thenne it foloweth in the storye Seynt Augustyn and other holy faders trauay••led manly ayenst suche heretyks· but they myght not amende hem / so sayth prosper the rethour in his versis of six fete ¶ R Sōme men wolde suppose that this pelagius was abbot of that famo{us} abbaye of bangor that was ten myle oute of legecestre / that is caerleon ¶Men saye that in that abbay somtyme were two thou¦sande monkes er the kyng of northumberland e••hellfrede hadde slayne thyl̄k monkes at caerleon ¶After Anastasius Inno∣cencius ablimensis was pope fourten yere. he ordeyned for to faste saterday and for to kysse the pax at masse / and for to enoynte se∣ke men with hol̄y oyle ¶Al̄so he condempnedd pel̄agius the heretyk and his fauctours Al̄so he acursed Archadius them∣perour for he was assentynge to the puttynge oute of one Iohan Crisostimus for themperesse endexia had procured the puttynge out of Iohan / for he had preched ayenste wymmen that playde aboute the ymage of endoxia ¶ Aboute that yere seynt Alexis

the confessour deyde at Rome ¶Benadius in his book de viris i•• lustribus sayth that aboute that tyme Ticonius of Affrica wro∣te rules for to seche and fynde oute the vnderstondynge of holy wryt the whiche rules ben yet famous among holy doctours

¶ Capitulum 32

HOnorius whan his broder archadi{us} was dede regned with his broders sone theodoci{us} xv yere / this was so mylde that whan me repreued hym by cause he slowe not hem that were re∣bel to hym-he answerd and seyd ¶God wold that I myght rei¦se dede men to lyue. Eutropius libro decimo ¶The hoost of the Gothes was slayn in tuscia and her leder Ragadasius was ta∣ke he cam with ijC thousande of gothes / and had made his auo¦we that he wold•• offre the bloode of the Romayn•• in sacrifice to his goddes Me sayth that in that fyghtyng were so many men y take that flockes of hem were sold at lytel prys as it were floc¦kes of beestes ¶ In the mene tyme one of the gothes that heete Alaricus out of Affryca went in to ytaly and axyd a place of honorius for hym and his men to dwelle in / And he graunted be in gallia / ¶And as he wente thyderward he was besette with somme of themperours dukes in an hard batayll that fyll vpon him vnwar on the eesterday but he tok herte and strengthe and ouercome his enemyes that soo pursued hem. And there he lefte his waye that he hadde bygonne and torned agayne to Rome / & destroyed alle that he come by with yron and with fyre / and to∣ke the cyte of Rome and sette it a fyre ¶ Netheles he lete crye that men sholde spare al men that fledd•• to holy places and that his men sholde take prayes and spare shedyng of bloode ¶ Pau¦lus libro vndecimo· ¶ And so Rome was y brooke and taken of the gothes the yere after the buyldyng therof a thousand an C / & lxiiij After that tyme the consulat of rome lefte in the est And the Romayns seceden to regne in Brytayn that had reg∣ned therinne from Iulius cesars tyme aboute a foure honderd and lxx yere ¶Eutropius ¶The thyrdde day after that Rome was take Alaricus lefte the cyte and destroyed the prouynce a∣boute and wente in to Cicilia and loste many shippes and was sodenly dede ¶There the gothes by trauayl of prisonners torned

the ryuer basentus oute of the chanel and buryed her kyng with grete ryches in the myddel of the chanel. And torned the Ryuer agayn in to his owne chanel / Thenne the gothes toke one athul¦fus kynge Alaricus a lye and made hem her kynge and wente agayn to Rome and destroyed al that there was lefte. Also that tyme lyghtnynge destroyed the noble places of Rome that ene∣myes myght not brenne· god was despysed in al the cyte / And men cryede to crist and sayde that suche myshappes fyll to the cyte by cause the holy places of goddes forgendryd and alterid / But the gothes toke one galla placida. theodocius doughter and hono¦rius suster and maryed her to her owne kynge / She was so pro¦fytable to the comynte that the gothes made pees with the Ro¦mayns and lefte Rome and wente to ••llia / ¶ Aboute that tyme were founden the bodyes of seynt steuen and of ga∣malyel an•• of her felawes by one lucianus a preest of ierl̄m That tyme saynt Austyn sente his disciple Orocius in to bethle¦em to seynt Ierom for to lorne the reson of the soule. for thenne he made the booke of the comyng forth of the soule / And orosius wente abo••••e the holy places and was the fyrste that broughte the relyques of seyn•• steuen in to the west londes· Also thenne honorius made constancius cesar / and maryed his sister Gallia placida to constancius & she was maryed to fore to Athulphus On her constancius gate valentinianus that afterward helde the empyre longe tyme / After Innocencius zozinius was pope two yere and six monethes / he ordeyned that a bonde man sholde not be a clerk ner a ghelded man / & that the holy taper sholde be halo∣wed on ester eue / After zozinius lonefacius was pope four yere He ordeyned that no woman shold wasshe ne handle the towails of the auter ne doo ensense in the censer. Gaufredus and Alfr. Thenne the deth of maxim{us} the tyraunt the knyght that longed to Rome was knowen and also the deth of constancius was kno¦wen And the for sayd enemyes Guanius and melga come a∣gayne oute of Irlond with scottis and Norweys and brente & slowe in the kyngdome of brytayne fro see to see / therfore the bri∣tons sente to the Romaynes and promysed to be subget alwaye for to haue helpe. Anone honorius sente hem a legyon that des∣troyed theyr enemyes and taught the Brytons to make a wall thwert ouer the ylond to holde oute theyr enemyes· the Legyon wente agayne and the men of the ylonde were vnconnyng of so grete craft and made a wall of tur••es and of stone that was no

thyng proufytable whiche dured fro penulton vnto the cyte ac••¦ut / So that where the socour of the water fayled men sholde de∣fende hem by the helpe of the wal / but enemyes cam by water & destroyed and toke prayes fro yere to yere as they dyde to fore / Thenne the Romayns sente a legyon y armed and s••••we and chaced the enemyes and made vp a wal of stone to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••rytons of eyght foote thyck and twelue fote hye from see to see bytwene cyt••es / there seuerus had somtyme made a dyche and a wal of tor¦nes. And the Romayns bad and charged the Brytons to leue theyr cowardyce and nycete and to take Armure and courage as men shold for they were so occupyed in other sides that they myght no more come fro so fer to be with hem in so gre-te trauaill and iourneyes / ¶ Thenne they made a wal of stone on the comyn cost and also on preuy coste that men yaue therto. And hadde with hem the strengthe of Brytons and toke to hem armure and buylded toures on the clyues of thoccean in •• dyuer∣se places· where as men dredde tharryuyng and londyng of straū¦ge men and enemyes Thenne the romayns bad the Brytons fare wel as they wold neuer come agayn Gildas ¶ Whan the Romayns were goon thenne the scottes and Pyctes bygan to breke oute of her hooles The scottes and pyctes discorden in maners but they acorde in clothyng and feyth and in couetyse of shedynge of bloode / they coue••e •• theyr preuy membrys moore with heer than with clothe / whan they knewe that the legyons of Rome were retorned. they destroyed thendes of brytayn mo∣re boldly than they had done to fore· B••da ¶ They slowe the wardeyns of the walles and other mē of the londe· And the mē of the loude were dryuen out of her hows and her home and yaue hem to thefte and robberye and robbed ec••e other for socoure of the paryll of honger that they sawe that shold byfalle to them And soo fylle deth vpon deth and sorowe vpon sorowe / For alle the kyngdome was bare and withoute sustenaunce of mete After bonefaci{us} celestinus was pope ten yere. he ordeyned that the psalme Iudica me deus & discerue causam meam / shold be saide to fore thentryng of the masse. & atte thentre of the masse sholde be sayde the verse Et introibo ad altare. of the same psalme· And the grayel and the offretory sholde be sayde to fore the ••acrynge

This is he that fyrst sente seynt patrik to conuerte yrlond / and Paladi{us} a deken of rome to conuerte the scottes in the ix yere of his papacye / In his fourth yere by helpe of theodocius thēperour

and of cirillus bisshop of Alexandria the thyrdde grete synode of thre honderd Bisshops was made at ephesus ayenst nestorius the heretyk ¶ There it was demed that in crist is one persone and two kyndes the godheede and the manhede / And our lady sholde be ••••lyd theotochos that is to saye our lordes moder Aboute that tyme Ierom the preest deyde at bethleem and four score and sixten yere old▪ ¶ That tyme was sente an hoost out of Rome in to spayne ayens•• the wandels· But for thempe¦rour had oute of his company that myghty bonefaci{us} themperour dyde no thynge manly •• but bonefacius went in to Affryca and dyde moche harme in thempyre

¶ Capitulum 33

THe yonge theodocius Archadius sone regned with his doughter husbond valentinianus six and twenty yere The kyngdome of frensshemen bygan in his tyme vnder ferramundus the sone of martomirus as it is sayde to fore honde of prouynces in the fyrst booke capitulo gallia ¶Thenne theodo¦sius knewe that his eme honorius was dede and toke valentinia¦nus the sone of his aunt galla placida and made hym cesar and sente hym with his moder galla placida for to gouerne the eeste londes· these two ouercome Iohan that werryd in thempyre And they were merciful to Aecius the noble knyght· for by his wytte and sleyght the hunes were torned that had purposed to warre mithēpire of the west londes / Then̄e bonefacius the noble knightthat we spak of to fore honde toke hede that he myght not sewrly holde Affryca ayenst valentinianus & his noble knyght Aecius / therfore he prayde the wandals and the Alanes that had occupyed spayne to fore honde for to come in to Affrica with her kynge giserichus and he come anone and destroyed Affrica / and defowled the feyth of holy chirche ¶ In that tyme of tem¦pest deyde saynt Austyn / the yere of his age four score and six / He made soo many bookes that the metre is sothe that saith He lyeth that sayd that he had rad al his bookes ¶ R This gysericus kyng of wandels though he in the mene tyme ouerco∣me the spaynardes galles & Romaynes yet he regned in Aff••ica seuen and thyrtty yere so seyth eusebius cronyk right in thende

After gisericus sone. his doughter husbond Omericus regned viij yere / And he also closed chirches and outlawed thre honderd Bisshops / therfor by goddes rightful doome / he wambled ful of wormes and deyde sone ¶ After hym gysericus broders sonne Guttamundus regned there twelue yere ¶In the xij yere of his regne. he opened chirches and reconciled them that were out lawed ¶ After hym the forsayde homericus broder trasamund{us} regned eyght and twenty yere ¶ After hym his sone hilderyc{us} goten on valentinianus doughter regned eyght yere ¶One glo¦maurus the tyraunt that had werryd in Irlond and in Bri∣tayne put hym oute of his kyngdome and regned after hym in Affryca thre yere. And soo fro the begynnyng of the persecu¦cion of wandales that bygan in gysiricus tyme vnto the goyng oute of the wandels out of affryca passed as it were an honderd yere ¶After celestinus sixtus was pope nyne yere ¶ R 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his tyme seynt maximus bisshop teruernensis was in his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and made noble Omelyes ¶ And as geuadius sayth he m••••de that famous omely of marires that begynneth in this mane•• Qui Religiosa caritate sanctorum merita miratur and soo for•••• And cassiodorus the senatour is in his flowris· he expowned the sawter and made a cronyk of themperours and of bisshops / Also that tyme Orocius of spayne was in his floures / he cam to Ro∣me after seynt Austyns deth and made seuen bookes ayenst mys∣byleued men de ormesta that is of the wretchednes of this world That tyme endoxia themperesse that was theodocius doughter & valentinianus wyf come oute of Ierusalem and brought with ••er the cheynes that seynt peter was bounden with in prisonne Of hem is the feste of lammasse day ¶ The solempnyte of cesars vyctorye was holden vpon that daye fro octauianus tyme vnto that tyme ¶ Aboute that tyme the deuil appered to the Iewes in the lykenes of moyses in the ylond of creta / and promysed hem that he wolde lede hem drye fotem to the londe of byheste / thēne many of hem were drowned and the other torned to the feyth of crist ¶ After sixtus leo was pope one and twenty yere· he was holyest of al men / and sayde his masse fyue sythes and sō∣tyme ofter in one day ¶ On an esterday a woman kissed his honde and the pope felte so grete temptacion that for wreche therof he cut of his owne right hond Thenne the peple grutchyd ayēst hym / for he songe not his masse as he was wonte to doo / And he made his prayers and put hym al to oure lady and besoughte

her of helpe and grace ¶ Thenne our blessyd lady restored to hym his honde agayne and he sayde his masse as he had doone to fore / and told oute that myracle to fore al the peple ¶ In this popes tyme vnder marcianus the prynce was made the un¦general counseyl in caladonia of sex honderd bisshops and thyr∣ty ayenst one entices abbot of constantinople & ayenst one dyo∣scorus bisshop of Ahexandria They denyed that in cryst was very flesshe and denyed also the resurection atte day of dome. Pope leo made a letter of the right feyth for to sende to this coū∣ceyl and leyde the letter vpon seynt peters auter and fasted fourty dayes and prayde seynt peter that yf ony thynge sholde be amended therinne that he wold amende it / and so it was done

Another tyme he fasted fourty dayes and prayd peter to gete hym foryeuenes of his synnes ¶ And peter apered to hym & sayd alle thy synnes ben foryeuen / but vnwyse handlyng is cha¦lenged of the ¶ In this popes tyme that was in theodosius last tyme at ephesus in the mount celius the seuen slepers awoke and aroos / & the feyth of our resurection was moche confermed and stabled by that arysyng In decius cesars tyme these men fledde and hydde them in a caue for tescape the wodenes of the persecucion that was done vpon crysten men / And so they slepte two honderd yere. And a woke atte laste by the vertue of god & sente a seruaunt with money in to the cyte for to bye mete / and for to espye how it stode of the persecucion / And by old moneye that was shewed that tho was not vsed / it was knowen & foū¦den that they had slepte aboute a two honderd yere / & soo the feyth of the resurection was confermed that entices denyed / and they begonne to slepe agayne in presence of theodosius themperour Eutropius About that tyme one Athyla kynge of hunes go¦uerned denmarke and pannonia and ladde an hooste of two hon¦derd thousand and had helpe ayenste the Romaynes of nacions / that he made subget and passed forth wel nygh al the west londe vnto Aluerne ¶This man was born to shame and sh••ndship of nacions / he loued werres and was stronge of counseyll Va¦lentinianus that thenne gouerned the west londes sholde fyghte ayenst this Athyla and sente a letter to the gothes in these wor¦des ¶ It by••alleth to your redynes and wysedome to conspyre ayēst the tyraūt that desyreth al the seruyse of the wo••l••· & be ret¦cheth of no rightful cause of bataylle. But what hym lyketh / he holdeth it lawful only byleue heleth and couerith his pryde / he

is worthy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 byhated of al men that i•• enemye to al•• men / But they wrote a letter in this man••re / ye haue made Athyla youre enemye / ye haue youre desire / thenne they come to gyders in the feeldes cathulintes that contrynen an honderd leghes in lengthe and lxx in brede / ther was a stronge bataylle / none old storye speketh of no batayl so s••ronge. for there were slayne in both nyne score / M men / So that the dede bodyes were born forth with the streme of blood ¶ In the Romayns side were slayne the kyng of burgoyn and the kyng of gothes ¶Eutropius li∣bro nono ¶ Kyng Athyla as though he were ouercome wente agayne in to pannonia to gadre hym a gretter hooste

R ¶It is redde in seynt germans lyf that whyle kyng Athy¦la werred gallia he besieged in a tyme the cyte trecasma / there saynt lupus was Bisshop the tyme thenne seynt Lupus wente vpon the yates of this cyte that was besieged and cryed and axed who they were that soo greued hem. ¶ ••nd kyng Athy¦la answerd and sayde / I am Athyla goddes scourge & I sayd the bisshop am the wolf that destroyeth our lordes flok / & haue nede to goddes scourge / lupus is a wolf / thenne anon the yates were opened & the enemyes were blente thurgh goddes might and wente from yate to yate and sawe n•• hurted no man Athy¦la kyng of hunes was chaced out of gallia by a noble knyght that hete Aecius. And in his fleyng toward pannonia he d••stro¦yed ytaly and besieged Aquilia thre yere and gate it Tho leo the pope fasted and prayde thre dayes and thre nyghtes in seint peters chirche and sayde to his men / Who that wole come after me come in goddes name / ¶And whan he approched the kynge Athyla the kyng lyght doune of his hors and fyl doune to the popes fete and prayd hym to axe what he wolde· And anone he prayde and had it graunted that the kynge shold goo oute of ytaly and delyuer alle the prisoners· ¶ Afterward whan the kynge was repreued and resoned why the lord of the world wa•• so lyghtly ouercome of a preest / In tha•• sayd the kynge I dy•• prouffyt to you and to me▪ ¶For I sawe in his right fide a ••••ronge knyghte with a swerde drawen that menaced me. bu•• I dyde as he wolde / I sholde be dede and alle myn / thenne the kynge lefte ytaly and wente in to pannonia. and deyde there sone after 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Eutropius libro nono capitulo 13 ¶Aboute that ty∣me the poure releef that was lefte of the brytons sente the thyrde tyme a ••ett••r to that noble knyght Aecius and to patricius in

this maner. To Aecius thryes cōsul we shewe the Greues of ••••••tons strau nge nacions chacen vs to the see / And the see dry¦••eth vs to straunge nacions ag••yne / And therof cometh two maner of careyns / for we ben slayne with wepen or ellys we ben drouned / But it was for noughtthat they wrote so. For aecius that tyme was occupyed in Gallia with harde warre ayenste kynge Athila· Gaufredus. and Beda· In the meane ty∣me the forsaid honger encreced strongly amonge the Britons & compellyd many of hem to yelde hem to the theuys their enemyes

¶ And somme of hem come oute of hilles and laundes ther•• mannes helpe fayled and trusted in god almyghty and chaced oute the pyctes as wele as they myght / thenne for a tyme the enemyes were p••tte oute vnto the vtterist part of the ylond and made hem a place to dwelle ynne beyonde deyra that is the southe side of Northumberlonde and slough and toke prayes eche of other. ¶ Also that tyme fyl grete honger at constantinople with grete pestylence and eyer infecte and engleymed that the walles of the Cyte fyl doune with seuen and fyfty towres and were dede many thousande•• of men and of beestes ¶Gaufredus and Alfredus· ¶ Thenne the Brytons toke auysement and counseylle / And gaytelynus the Arch••bisshop sayled in to Armorica that is lytel Brytayne to one aldroenus that was the fourth that regned there after conanus / and thar∣chebisshop declared to hym the meschyef and the sorowe of the Brytons / And brought with hym one constantinus that was the kynges broder with many thousandes of men of Armes. and at surcetre he made hym kyng· ¶ Also this constantinus hadde thre sones / the oldest hete constant / He made him a monke to be shorn at winchestre at seynt Amphibalus chirch / ¶ And the other tweyn Aurelius and vter / he bytoke to Guydelynus the Bisshosshop to norisshe and to teche ¶Constantinus atte last after ten yere of his kyngdome was slayn by treason of one of the Pictes that he hadde in his seruise. And vortigerus a consul of the Iewesses desired the kyngdome and toke constant oute of winchestre and made hym a kynge for he was dul and slo∣we of wytte ¶ Anon vortigerus hadde an. honderd pictes oute of Albania that is Scotlande and made hem wardeins of the kynges bodye· And vortigerus made hem ryche ynowgh /

¶And they vnderstode that vortigerus desired for to b•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉

And slough constant the kynge and brought his hede to vortige¦rus. And by cause vortigerus wolde be holde giltles and not culpable of that dede / he feyned greete sorowe and made byheede al the honderd pictes to fore the lordes of the lond end so he was crowned kinge / whan this was knowen thenne the wardeyns that kept two bretheren Aurelius & vardredde hym and fledde with the children to the kyng of armorica that is litel Britayn

¶ Explicit liber quartus