The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. IX. Concerning Constantin's Victory, and concerning the prosperity procured by him to all those that live under the power of the Romans.

a 1.1 ON this man therefore did [God] from above bestow Trophies of Victory over the ungodly, as being the worthy fruits of his piety. But the impious Tyrant, together with all his Counsellours and friends, he laid prostrate on their faces before the feet of Constantine. For when * 1.2 he was arrived at the high∣est degree of Madness, the pious † 1.3 Emperour supposing he was not to be longer born with, b 1.4 entring into a prudent and sober conside∣ration with himself, and ha∣ving tempered the severity of Justice with [his own na∣tural] clemency, resolves upon succouring of those that were oppressed by the Tyrant; and prepares to save a great part of mankind, by cutting off and removing out of the way a few Pestilent and destructive persons. For having before this made use of clemency only, and shewing pity on him who deserved no compassion; he did not profit him at all; for he desisted not from [the practise of his pristine] impieties, but rather increased his fury against the Subjects of his own Provinces. There was no hope of deliverance now remaining to those that were oppressed and afflicted by this cruel Beast. Wherefore [Constantine] the Pro∣tector of all good men (having tempered his hatred of impiety with his love of virtue) to∣gether with his Son Crispus a most mild and courteous * 1.5 Caesar, marches forwards upon this expedition, reaching out a helping hand to all that were in distress. Both the Father there∣fore and the Son, having for their Captain and Assistant the supream King, and the Son of God the Saviour of all men, divided the Armie so, as on every side to encompass God's Enemies, and got an easie Victory; all things in that action having been rendred facil, and successfully expe∣dited for them by God according to their wish. Immediately therefore even in the twinkling of an eye, they who yesterday and the day before breathed forth Death and menaces, became whol∣ly extinct, the remembrance even of their very names not in the least surviving them. Their pictures also and other monuments [dedicated to their honour] received the deserved [spots of] ignominy; and the same [disgrace] which Li∣cinius had with his own eyes beheld the impious Tyrants heretofore involved in, even he himself in like manner suffered. For he himself received not instruction, nor was he amended by his Neighbours stripes: but walking on in the same path of wickedness with them, deservedly wan∣dred into the same precipice they did. Thus

was this person smitten and prostrated. But Con∣stantine the mighty Conquerour, gloriously a∣dorned with all the vertues of Religion (together with his Son Crispus, a Prince highly beloved of God, and in all things like his Father,) reco∣vered his own East, and reunited the Roman Em∣pire into one entire body as it heretofore was: subjecting under c 1.6 their Peace the whole world [which rea∣ches] from the rising Sun to the utmost Western Re∣gions, together with the Pro∣vinces that lie round about as well towards the North as the South. Men there∣fore were now secure from all fear of them who for∣merly had oppressed them, and celebrated splendid and solemn days of Festivity. All things seemed to abound with fulness of light, and they who heretofore beheld each other with dejectedness and sorrow, then lookt upon each other with smiling coun∣tenances, and chearful eyes. In d 1.7 Dances also and Songs, in every City and in the Fields they first of all glorified God the King of Kings, (for thus they were instructed to do) and in the next place the pious Emperour, together with his children which were beloved of God. There was an oblivion of past afflictions, no re∣membrance of any impiety, but only an enjoy∣ment of the present good things and expecta∣tions of more in future. In all places the Edicts of the Victorious Emperour, full of kindness and clemency, and his Laws containing manifest to∣kens of his great bounty and true piety, were proclaimed. All Tyranny therefore being thus extirpated, the Empire which did by right be∣long to Constantine and his Sons, was preserved firm and secure from envie. Who (after they had cleansed the world from the impiety of their Predecessours) being sensible of those great benefits which had been procured for them by God, e 1.8 did by a most apparent and convincing testimony of their deeds declare to all men their love of vertue and of the Deity, and also their piety and gratitude towards God.

Notes

• a 1.1

  At these words we began the 9^th chap. which con∣jecture of ours is confirmed by the old Maz. and Fuk. M. SS. And in those M. SS. this chapter is rightly call'd the eighth chapter as we remark't before. Vales.
• * 1.2

  Licinius.
• † 1.3

  Constantine.
• b 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 these are the words in the original; which Valesius ren∣ders thus, modestam ac sobriam in se colligens mentem: Grynaeus thus, rem hanc sapienter expendit: and we translate it after this manner, entring into a prudent and sober consideration with himself. 'Tis a phrase usual with our Euschius. For so he expresses himself book 3. De Vita Constant. chap. 5. and 11.
• * 1.5

  Or Prince; the term in the Greek is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c 1.6

  By this Phrase here used [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, their Peace] is meant the Peace which they re∣stored. So Seneca in his book De Clementia brings in Nero speaking thus: Haec tot millia gla∣diorum quae pax mea comprimit, ad nutum meum stringentur. Where by [pax mea] he means the Peace he had procured. So also Velleius Paterculus uses this Phrase, and on some Old Coines we find this inscription; Pax Augusti, i. e. the Peace procured by the Empe∣rour. But Pax Romana is by the same Seneca (in his book De Cle∣mentia, and in that De Providen∣tia) used in another sence, to wit, pax ea quâ fruitur imperium Romanum, (i. e.) that Peace which the Roman Empire enjoy∣eth. Vales.
• d 1.7

  This word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dan∣ces] here used, when the discourse is concerning the Christians praising God, did not please Niceph. And therefore instead of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he uses 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Eusebius, in his second book, De vita Constant. instead of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 uses 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which term indeed is more tolerable. But we may easily bear with this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For the Christians used to dance on their Festivals of the Martyrs, which they kept in honour of them; and thus they celebrated their Conflicts and Victories as Greg, Naz. relates (in Carminibus ad mulieres sese curioflus exornantes, pag. 152.) Basilius Magnus (in his 14^th Homily against drunkenness) has a sharp invective against these Choreas, or Dances. Vales.
• e 1.8

  The rea∣ding in the Kings M. S. (which Stephens almost e∣very where follows) is this [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, declared by their Law [published] in favour of the Chri∣stians.] But in the Maz. Med. Fuk. and Savil. M. SS. this place is written far otherwise, thus [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, did by a most apparent and convincing te∣stimony of their deeds declare to all men:] which reading, being con∣firmed by the consent of more, and those ancienter copies, we with good reason supposed ought to be preferred before the other. Vales.