The historie of Iustine Containing a narration of kingdomes, from the beginning of the Assyrian monarchy, vnto the raigne of the Emperour Augustus. VVhereunto is newly added a briefe collection of the liues and manners of all the emperours succeeding, vnto the Emp. Rodulphus now raigning. First written in Latine by that famous historiographer Iustine, and now againe newly translated into English, by G.W.

Anthoninus Pyus.

ANthoninus first called Fuluius and Boionius and afterward surnamed Py∣us, raigned 23. yeares, being the son in law to Adrian, and his adopted son, shewed so much goodnes in his raign, that he liued without al ex∣ample

no man euer paragonizing him, and might bee compared to Numa, for he ruled the whole world 23. yeares, by his owne authority without al watre, so that al princes, states, and people stood in awe of him, & yet louing him with∣all, that they rather held him for their father and patron, then their Lord and Emperor, and all of them with one consent, desired his determination of all their controuersies, wishing for the same as for the fauour of the heauens. The Bactrians, Indians, and Hireanians, vpon proofe of the iustice of such an Empe∣ror, sent Am. vnto him, who adorned his actions with beauty and pleasantnes of his person, being both tall and valiant. His manner was before he went forth of his chamber to salute any man, to eat a morsell of bread, least by the cooling of the blood about his inward parts, he might be ouermuch weakned, & by that [ A] meanes be any way disabled from execution of publike affaires, which with in∣creadable diligence he executed like an absolute good housholder: being void of ambitious praise or vaine ostentation. He was so meeke and gentle, that wh•• the Senators earnestly perswaded him to prosecute them which had conspired against him: hee answered their question; saying, that it was not needefull to search them out narrowly which were guilty of such wickednes against his per∣son, for if they should be many in number, he wel vnderstood that hee should procure the more hatred. When he had raigned 23. yeares thorough a feauer he died, 12. Miles from Rome, at a towne of his owne, called Lorium: for whose [ B] honor there were Temples erected, priests ordained, and infinite emblatures of his praises decreed; for his meekenes was such, that whē on a time the Roman people for want of corne would haue stoned him, hee rather chose to satisfie them by reason then to reuenge that indignity.

MArcus Antoninus raigned 18. yeares, who liued a sincere maintainer of vertue and of all good disposition, being a protector of the world in all common calamities, and truely if hee had not beene borne at that time, all the glory of the Roman Empire had beene vtterly crushed with one fal. For in his gouernment there raged warre in the East, Illirya, Italy, & France, such earthquakes were felt as did ouerthrow Citties: with inundation of wate••s, often pestilence, and swarmes of locusts deuouring the greene fields, so that [ C] his time was oppressed with almost all annoyances, wherewith••ll mankind is vsually plagued: so that I thinke it was giuen from heauen, that when nature did hatch such euils as were vnknowne of to the whole wo••ld, th••n should the counsels of such vpright princes giue remedy, and aswage the misery. This prince made Antoninus Verus his kinsman partaker of the Empire, by a new kind of boneuolence, the which Verus afterward as he trauailed betwixt Alti∣num & Concordia, died of an Apoplexey, in the xi. year of his raign, being before time of a sharp and wanton disposition, yet very studious in poetry. After his death M Antoninus raigned alone, being from his infancy a quiet spirited mā, for it was obserued that neither ioy nor sorrow, did euer make him change his [ D] countenance: gi••ing himselfe to Philosophy, being exquisitly learned in the Gracyan language. He permitted the noble men & his owne seruants to vse the same manner of behauiour and attendance at their banquets, which hee him∣selfe accustomed. When the coffers of his treasury were empty, and he had not wherewithall to paye his Souldiers, being not willing to raise any taxe vpon

the Princes or the Senat, in the open Market of Traianus set to sale for the space of two months togither, al the princely hangings, golden and christaline, Myrrhi••e vessels and pottes, his owne and his wiues silkes, and garments of cloth and gold, and many chaines and other ornaments of pearle and precious stones. Whereby he gathered togither an exceeding Masse of gold. And af∣ter the victory obtained, he gaue the buiers there mony againe, so many as would redeliuer their seuerall bargains, being not offended with any one, that would not part with that which they had once bought. In his time Cassius the Tyrant was put to death. In the 59. yeare of his life he died of a disease at Ben∣dobona, and when newes there of was brought to Rome, the whole citty most la∣mentably [ E] mourned for him, the Senat themselues sitting in loathsome gar∣ments conuened with teares, and that which was searce beleeued of Romulus, euery man with one consent presumed publiquely, that Marcus was receiued into heauen, for whose honor they builded Temples, Columes, and many o∣ther Monuments.