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. XI. Against Tyrants and Persecutors; and concer∣ning Valerian who was taken Prisoner.

NOr do I seem to my self to be mistaken (My Brother!) by my professing this one God to be the Author and Parent of all things. Whom many of those who have been possest of the Em∣pire here, induced thereto by mad Errours, have attempted to deny. But, all these [Emperours] have been destroyed by such a dreadfull and aven∣ging end, that since their times, all Mankind a 1.1 doth usually wish their Calamities may fall as a Curse and punishment on those, who shall study to imitate them. One of which persons I judge him to have been, (Him [I mean] whom divine vengeance, like some thunder, drove out of our Regions, and conveyed into your Country;) b 1.2 who by his own disgrace and ignominie erected that Trophie so * 1.3 much boasted of amongst you.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The rea∣ding of this place is far otherwise in Theo∣doret, namely in this man∣ner; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Incomparably well, in my judgment. Nor had Con∣stantine written otherwise. All the preceding Emperours, says he, who persecuted the Faith of Christ, have been crush't by such a lamentable end, that now all mankind are wont to imprecate or wish for the Calamities of those Princes as the sum totall of punishment on them, who shall study to imitate them. What can be plainer and more elegant than this meaning of the words? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 therefore does in this place signifie punishment, in which sense that term is frequently used amongst Graecians, as Agellius has remarked. Further, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is an elegant phrase to signifie that which the Latines term imprecari, to wish for as a Curse. So 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is an usual expres∣sion with Graecians, as I have noted above. Epiphanius Scholasticus translates this passage thus; Sed illos omnes finis comprehendit exitiosus, ita ut omne genus hominum post eos exurgens, clades illorum pro male∣dictionis exemplo proponere videatur; But so distructive an end has in∣closed them all, that all mankind who have lived since them, seem to pro∣pose their Ruine as the pattern of a Curse. Vales.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In the History of Theodoret the rea∣ding is truer, thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, who by his own, &c. He means Valerian, who having been taken prisoner by the Persians, ended his days amongst them in a dishonourable slaverie, and by his own private disgrace ennobled the Triumph of the Persians. That is, by his own ignominie he made the Victory of the Persians over the Romans most signal and famous. This is the meaning of this place, which was not hit, either by Epiphanius, or any of the other Translatours. In the Fuketian and Turnebian Copies it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is no ill reading. Vales.
• * 1.3

  Or, Famous.