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. XXXVI. Concerning the Patriarch Menas, and concerning the Miracle which hapned then to the Boy of a certain Hebrew.

ANthimus having been ejected (as I have * 1.1 said,) out of the Chair of the Imperial City, a 1.2 Epiphanius succee∣ded in that Episcopate: and after Epiphanius, Menas; in whose time hapned a Mi∣racle highly worthy to be recorded. There is an b 1.3 an∣cient usage at Constantinople, that when a great quantity of the Holy parts of the im∣maculate Body of Christ our God are left▪ remaining, [some] young Boyes of their number who frequent the Grammar-Schools are sent for, that they may eat them. Which thing having hapned at that time, the Son of a * 1.4 Glass-ma∣ker (as to his o∣opinion a Jew,) was † 1.5 called amongst the o∣ther Boyes. This child told his Parents, who enquired the reason of his stay, what had hap∣ned, and what he together with other boyes had tasted of. His Father, highly incensed and en∣raged, snatcht up the boy immediately, and threw him into the Furnace of coals, wherein he usual∣ly formed Glass. But his mother sought for her son, and when she could not find him, she went all about the City mourning and * 1.6 making great lamentation. And on the third day after standing at the door of her husband's work-house, she called her Son by his name, † 1.7 weeping and tea∣ring herself. The Boy knowing his mother's voice, answered her out of the Furnace. Shee breaks open the doors, goes in, and sees her Son standing in the midst of the coals, the fire having not touch't him in the least. The child, when afterwards asked in what manner he had continued un-hurt, said, that a woman cloathed in a purple garment came to him frequently, gave him water, quenched the coals that were near him, and fed him as often as he was hun∣gry. Which passage having been brought to [the hearing of] Justinian, he [ordered] the boy and his mother to be ‖ 1.8 Baptised in the Laver

of Regeneration, and c 1.9 enrolled them amongst the Clergy: but his father, because he would not embrace the profession of Christianity, was [by the Emperour's order] crucified in [the Suburb] d 1.10 Sycae, as designing to have murde∣red his own son. These things hapned in this manner.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Book 4. Chap. 11.
• a 1.2

  We have taken notice of this mistake of Evagrius's above, at chap. 11, note c;) which Ni∣cephorus has also corrected. But Nicephorus himself, whilst he a∣mends Evagrius's errour, has committed another. For he re∣lates, that Menas was ordained by Pope Agatho; whereas he was ordained by Agapetus in the place of Anthimus, as 'tis agreed a∣mongst all persons. Vales.
• b 1.3

  Nicephorus Callistus (Book 17. Chap. 25.) attests, that this Cu∣stome, (viz. that the Particles of the Sacred Eucharist which re∣mained, were at Constantinople distributed amongst the Boyes to be eaten;) continued even in his age; and he writes, that he himself, whilst he was a Boy and was frequently conversant in the Churches, partook of those parts. Vales.
• * 1.4

  Or, Glass∣worker.
• † 1.5

  Or, Taken.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• † 1.7

  Or, Tea∣ring her∣self with weepings.
• ‖ 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, en∣lightned.
• c 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Johan∣nes Langus renders this place thus: Pu∣erum cum matre di∣vino Rege∣nerationis Lavacro adhibuit, deoque dicavit; He admitted the Boy with his mother to the divine Laver of Regeneration, and Dedicated [them] to God. But Musculus and Christophorson have translated it far worse. For Musculus terms it, servavit, he kept, or, preserved. But Christo∣phorson has rendred it thus: puerum cum matre Lavacro Regenera∣tionis tingendos decernit, He Decreed the boy with his mother to be Baptized in the Laver of Regeneration. I doubt not but the place is thus to be rendred: Puerum simul ac matrem Regenerationis Lavacro initiatos Clero adscripsit, He enrolled the boy and his mother, having been initiated in the Laver of Regeneration, amongst the Clergy. Which must be understood in this manner, that the Emperour ordered that Boy to be reckoned amongst the Readers of the Church; but, com∣manded his mother to be ordained a Deaconness. Vales.
• d 1.10

  In this Suburb of the City Constantinople, punishments were here∣tofore usually inflicted on Criminalls, as I have already intimated in my Notes on Book 28. Amm. Marcell. pag. 362. Whereto add a pas∣sage of Saint Jerome out of his Commentaries on Matt. 26^th, which runs thus: Extra urbem enim & foras portam loca sunt in quibus trun∣cantur capita damnatorum, & Calvariae, id est, Decollatorum sumpsere nomen. Vales.