The Roman historie containing such acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, emperours. Digested into 18. bookes, the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus: now translated newly into English. Wherunto is annexed the chronologie, serving in stead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. bookes, which by the iniurie of time are lost: together with compendious annotations and coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said historie. Done by Philemon Holland of the citie of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. I. Iulian purposeth first to begin with Constantius, and to set upon him, con∣jecting his death by sundrie presaging tokens, dreames, amd such like devices: as touching which Ammianus Marcellinus setteth downe his owne judgement.

WHiles Constantius was held occupied with this hard for∣tune of wars beyond the river Euphrates, Iulian making his abode at Vienna, bestowed both dayes and nights in laying plots against future accidents and afterclaps, bea∣ring himselfe aloft (so farre forth as his weake and poore estate would permit) but alwayes standing in doubt, Whether he should by all meanes draw Constantius to re∣conciliation and concord, or, to strike a terror begin first to provoke him by warre: which as he carefully revol∣ved in his mind, he feared him both wayes, as well a bloudie minded friend, as an adversarie in civile troubles oftentimes superiour: but most of all the fresh example of his brother Gallus, held his restlesse mind in suspence, whom his owne negli∣gence, and the deceitfull sleights of some, mixed with perjuries had betrayed. Howbeit, he tooke courage otherwhiles, and addressed his mind to many & those urgent affaires, supposing it most safe for his estate, to shew himselfe a professed ene∣mie unto him, whose passions he guessed by the times past, as he was a wise prince, but that through fained friendships he was deceived by secret traynes. When hee heard therefore, and understood what Constantius had written by Leonas, he tooke small regard thereof, but admitting none of those that by his pleasure and appoint∣ment were promoted to offices (save onely Nebridius) himselfe being now Augu∣stus and Emperour, did set forth the ^a Quinquennall games and solemnities, and wo••e a rich and sumptuous diademe set with shining pretious stones, whereas in the beginning of his raigne he tooke a garland of small value to goe about his head, like unto a Master of the ^b wrestling gallerie, apparelled in purple. In which time he sent unto Rome the funerall reliques of Helena his wife deceased, to be enterred in a mannor or possession of his, upon the high-way Nomentana, neere unto the citie, where the wife also of Gallus, Constantina, her sister, was sometimes buried. Now, it tooke him in the head, and incensed was his desires (seeing Gaule now quieted) to set first upon Constantius, guessing by many presages of Prophesies (wherein he was right skilfull) as also by dreams that he would shortly depart this life. And for as much as malitious folke lay an imputation unto this learned prince,

and studious of all kind of knowledge, That he attained to the foresight of future things by naughtie and unlawfull arts; briefely it is to bee considered whence it comes, that this kind also of no meane learning may befall unto a wise man. The spi∣rits of all the elements, for so much as they be eternal bodies, at all times, and in everie place having the powerfull motion of foreknowledge, out of those things which by sundrie disci∣plines and sciences we desire to learne, participateth with us the gifts of foresight and divi∣nation: and the substantiall powers, by divers rites and ceremonies pacified, minister unto mortall men, as it were out of lively and ever-running veines of fountaines, propheticall words: over which the president is (as they say) that divine power, or Goddesse Themis, whom so named, for that it is lawfull and possible to foreknow against the future time, those fixed decrees set downe by fatall law, which in the Greek tongue are called Tethemena, the antient Theologers have shrined in the verie bed and throne of Iupiter, that life gi∣ving vigour. Auguries ^c also, and Auspicies are gotten, not according to the will and plea∣sure of fooles, that know not things to come; (for there is no man so foolish as would say so) but God it is who directeth the flight of birds, so, that the sound of their bill, or flight of wing, by the trouble some or gentle passage thereof, may shew before hand future events. For, the goodnesse of the heavenly power (either because men deserve so much, or for that the same is moved with some affection unto them) useth even by these arts also to discover unto us those occurrents that hang over our heads. Semblably, they that observe the sooth∣saying entrails and bowels of beasts, using to be turned into infinit formes, know such ac∣cidents as are to fall. The inventor of which learning one named Tages was seene (as men fable and talke) sodainly to have risen out of the earth, in the parts of Hetruria. The hearts of men do then also reveale events to come, when they boyle in heat of spirite, but they ut∣ter and speake withall divine matters. For, the Sunne (as Naturall Philosophers say) the soule of the world, sending abroad out of himselfe, our minds as sparkles, when he hath set them aburning verie hot, causeth them to be privie to that which is to come: Whence it is, that the Sibyls ^d so often say, They burne, while a mightie deale of flames scorcheth them. Besides all these, the creaking noyce of voyces, and occurrent signes meeting us, thunder moreover, flashes and lightnings, likewise the shooting of starres, signifie many things. As for dreames, seldome are they to be beleeved; but infallible they would be, in case they who reason and debate of them missed not in their coniecture: And otherwhiles (as Ari∣stotle affirmeth) setled they are and stable, when the sight of the eye as a living creature, soundly sleeping, and bending neither way aside, seeth most directly before it. And for that foolish people prate otherwhile, and in their ignorance come out with these words, If there were some knowledge of foreseeing, why knowes not one, that he should be slaine in battaile, or another, that he should suffer this or that? Sufficient it is to answer thus, That a Grammarian hath sometime spoken barbarously, a Musitian sung absurdly, and a Physitian beene ignorant of a remedie; and yet therefore it followeth not, that either Grammer, Musicke, or Physicke have not their being. Whereupon Tully, among other ex∣cellent sentences, hath delivered this also: The gods (saith he) shew tokens of things to come: In these, if one chance to erre, it is not the nature of the gods, but the con∣jecture of men, that hath faulted.