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. III. Concerning Constantine's Picture, over which was placed a Cross, and under it * 1.1 a wounded Dra∣gon.

MOreover, in an high painted Table pla∣ced before the † 1.2 Porticus of the Impe∣rial Pallace, he proposed to the view of all men, the Salutary Sign represented in a Picture, set over his own head; but [he ordered] that Enemy and fierce Adversary [of Mankind,] who by the Tyranny of the impious had ‖ 1.3 opposed the Church of God, to be drawn [underneath,] in the form of a Dragon * 1.4 falling into the deep. For the divine Oracles contained in the Book's of God's Prophets, have termed him a Dragon and a crooked Serpent. On which account the Emperour, under his own and his children's feet, in Encaustick painting exhibited to the view of all men, a Dragon wounded with a Dart thorow the midst of His belly, and cast into the depths of the Sea; denoting hereby that secret Enemy of Mankind; whom also he declared to have been thrust down into the pit of destruction, by the power of that Salutary Trophy placed over his head. And these things were tacitely shown by the Picture painted with a variety of Colours. But I am seized with an admiration of the Em∣perour's great knowledge; in regard by divine

inspiration he exprest those very things in paint, which the words of the Prophets had declared before concerning that same Beast in this man∣ner, saying, * 1.5 That God would † 1.6 unsheath a great and terrible sword against the dragon the serpent that flees, and would slay the dragon that is in the sea. The Emperour therefore exprest the Figures hereof, ‖ 1.7 having in the Picture tru∣ly imitated the thing it self.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, A Dragon was woun∣ded.
• † 1.2

  Or, En∣try.
• ‖ 1.3

  Or, Be∣sieged.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Va∣lesius ren∣ders it in praeceps ru∣entem, fal∣ling head∣long.
• * 1.5

  See Esai. 27. 1.
• † 1.6

  Or, Bring forth.
• ‖ 1.7

  Or, Ha∣ving in the adumbra∣tion truly▪ set forth the imitations.