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. XVIII. That after the Resignation of Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius was the first Au∣gustus, and was adorned with a Numerous Issue.

FUrther, in recompense of these things, a re∣ward from God attended him not long af∣ter; in so much that he obtained the first and chiefest place of the * 1.1 Empire. For those † 1.2 Au∣gusti who were His Seniours, by what means I know not, divested themselves of their Impe∣rial Dignity: which sudden Change befell them a 1.3 on the first year after the * 1.4 demo∣lishment of the Churches; from whence forward, only Constantius was declared the first and † 1.5 Chiefest Augustus. Who at first was ador∣ned with the Diadem of the Caesars [together with * 1.6 Galerius,] and had obtained precedency: but after [he had given] an Egregious † 1.7 Spe∣cimen of his own worth in that digni••y of Cae∣sar, he was invested with the highest honour amongst the Romans, and was styled the First Augustus of those b 1.8 Four afterwards proclaimed. Moreover, he was the only person that excelled all the other Emperours in a numerous issue, being surrounded with a great Quire of Chil∣dren, as well Males as Females▪ Lastly, after he had attained to a mature old Age, and, being ready to pay * 1.9 the Common debt of Nature, was at the point of ma∣king his departure out of this life: then did God again demonstrate himself to him the performer of wonderfull Works, and by his providence took care, that Constantine the eldest of his Sons should be present with him at his Death, in order to his taking possession of the Em∣pire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, Imperial power.
• † 1.2

  Viz. Di∣ocletian, and Maxi∣mian.
• a 1.3

  This place is highly remarka∣ble. For, from it this conclusion may be made, that the Persecution began on Diocletian's eighth, and Maximian's seventh Consulate; and not on the foregoing year, as Baronius will have it. Concerning which matter I have spent many words in my notes on Euseb. Eccles. History; see book 8. chap. 2. note (c.) For, whereas Eusebius affirms, that the Emperours Dio∣cletian and Maximian divested themselves of their purple on the year after the Persecution was begun; and whereas 'tis manifest, that they did that on the year of Christ 304; what I have said does necessarily follow, to wit, that Diocletian's Persecution was begun on the year of Christ 303. Vales.
• * 1.4

  Or, Siege.
• † 1.5

  Or, A∣dorable.
• * 1.6

  See Eu∣sebius's Ec∣cesiastical History book 9. chap. 9. note (••;) and the Excerpta of that un∣known Au∣thour pub∣lished by Valesius at the close of his Amm. Marcelinus, pag. 471.
• † 1.7

  Proof, or, try all.
• b 1.8

  S^r Henry Savil has noted at the mar∣gin of his Copy, that these four were, Galerius Maximianus, Severus, and Maximinus, but the fourth Maxentius. As to the three former, I assent to S^r Henry Savil. But, I do affirm, that the fourth was not Maxentius, but Con∣stantius himself. For Maxentius seized not the Empire, till after Constantius's death. Vales.
• * 1.9

  Or, The debt to common Nature.