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. XXXVIII. Concerning Arius's death.

THis was the subject of Alexanders prayer. Now the Emperour, desirous to make tryal of Arius, sends for him to the Pallace, and en∣quired of him, whether he would give his assent to the determinations of the Nicene Synod. He, without any delay readily subscribed in the Em∣perours presence, making use of evasive shifts to elude and avoid what had been determined con∣cerning the Faith. The Emperour, admiring hereat, compelled him to swear. This he also did, by making use of fraud and deceit. More∣over, the manner of artifice he made use of in subscribing was, as I have heard, this. Arius, they say▪ wrote that opinion he maintained in a piece of paper, and hid it under his arm-pit: and then swore that he did really think as he had written. What I have written concerning his having done this, is grounded on hear-say only. But I have collected out of the Emperours own Letters, that he swore, besides his bare subscri∣bing. Hereupon the Emperour believed him, and gave order to Alexander Bishop of Con∣stantinople to admit him to Communion. It was then the Sabbath day, and on the day following he expected that he should be a member of the assembly of believers. But Divine vengeance closely followed Arius's audaciousness. For, when he went out of the Imperial Pallace, he was attended by the Eusebian faction, like guards, through the midst of the City, in so much that the eyes of all people were upon him. And when he came neer that place which is called Constantines Forum, where the pillar of porphyrie, is erected, a terror [proceeding] from a con∣sciousness [of his impieties] seiz'd Arius, which terrour was accompanied with a loosness. Here∣upon he enquired whether there were an house of office neer, and understanding that there was one behind Constantines Forum, he went thither. A fain∣ting fit seized him; a 1.1 and to∣gether with his excrements his fundament fell down forthwith, and a great flux of bloud followed, and his small guts. And bloud gushed out, together with his spleen and liver. He died therefore im∣mediately. But the house of office is to be seen at this day in Constantinople, as I said, behind Constantines Forum, and behind the Sham∣bles in the Piazza: and by every ones pointing with their finger at the jakes as they go by, the manner of Arius's death will never be forgotten by posterity. This accident hapning, a fear and an anxietie seized Eusebius of Nicomedia's faction: and the report hereof quickly spread it self all over the City, nay I may say over the whole world. But the Emperour did more zealously adhere to Christianity, and said that the Nicene Faith was now truly confirmed by God himself. He was also very glad, both at what had hapned, and also upon the account of his three sons, whom he had proclaimed Caesars: each of them was created at every * 1.2 Decennalia of his Reign. The Eldest of them (called Con∣stantine after his own name) he created Gover∣nour over the Western parts of the Empire, in the first tenth year of his Reign. His second son, Constantius (who bore his Grandfathers name,) he made Caesar in b 1.3 the Eastern parts of the Empire, in the twentieth year of his Reign. The youngest, called Constans he crea∣ted [Caesar] in the thirtieth year of his Em∣pire.

Notes

• a 1.1

  In Leo Allatius's M. S. (or in Theodorus Lectors Tripertite History) this place is worded thus, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and together with his excrements his funda∣ment slid secretly down, and that termed by Physitians the Apeph∣••hesma fell immediately through his fundament; which was fol∣lowed by a great flux of bloud, and his small guts ran out, toge∣ther with his spleen and liver.] Which passage is in my judg∣ment incomparably well expres∣sed. Nor do I doubt but So∣crates wrote thus. 'Tis certain, Epiphanius Scholasticus does in part confirm this reading. Also, in the Ssortian M. S. it is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, slid secretly down] instead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fell down.] Vales.
• * 1.2

  Or, eve∣ry tenth year of his Empire.
• b 1.3

  It should not be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] but [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. in the Eastern parts.] And, a little before, it must be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of the same name with his Grandfather:] as it is in the Allat. M. S. But the vulgar reading is tolerable. For the Greek term [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] is used not only to signifiy him who gives his name to ano∣ther; but in respect to him also, who takes his name from another. So Socrates does usually stile Constantinople 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a City that took its name from Constantine. Vales.