but he rather ashamed and confounded to be ouercome of sely women, at length they beyng past feelyng of all tormentes, were slayne with the sworde, first Ammonarion like a valiant captaine suffering before them.

MarginaliaHeron, Ater,
Isidorus,
Dioscorus,
Martyrs.Heron, Ater, & Isidorus Egyptians, & w^t them Dioscorus also a childe of. xv. yeares, were crowned with the same crowne of martyrdome. And first the iudge began with the childe, thinking him more easye to be wonne, with wordes to entise him, then with tormentes to constrayne him, but he persisted immouable, geuing neyther place to persuasions nor punishments. The rest after he had greuously tormēted, beyng constant in theyr profession, he committed to the fire. At Dioscorus the Iudge greatly marueiling for his wyse answers, and graue constancy dismissed him, sparing (as he sayd) hys age to a longer respite: which Dioscorus is yet also w^t vs at this present, waiting for a longer trial.

MarginaliaNemesion, Martyr.Nemesion being also an Egyptian, firste was accused for a companion of theeues, but being purged therof before the Centurion, was then accused of Christianitye, and for that cause being in bandes, was brought to the President, who most vnrighteouslye tormentyng and scourgyng him double to all other theeues and felons, MarginaliaTheeues in the old time amōgest the Romanes burned.at length among the theues burned him to death, making him a blessed martyr.

MarginaliaAmmon,
Zenon,
Ptolomeus,
Ingenuus,
Theophilus,
martyr confessours.Ther wer stāding before the tribunal seat certain of the warriours or Knightes, whose names wer Ammon, Zenon, Ptolomeus, Ingenuus, and with them a certayne aged man called Theophilus, who standyng by, at what time a certaine Christen man was before the iudge examined, and there seing him for feare ready to incline and fall away, did burst almost for sorrow within them selues, making signes to hym with their hands and al iestures of their body, to be constant. This being noted of al the standers by, they were ready to lay hold vpon them, but they preuenting the matter, preased vp of their own accorde before to the bench of the Iudge, professing them selues to be Christiās. MarginaliaA notable example of christian courage in confessyng Christ.In so much that both the President with the benchers by were al astoyned, the Christians which were iudged, more enboldned to suffer, and the Iudges thereby terrified. This done, they departed away from the place, glad and reioycing for the testimony that they had geuen of their faith. Manye other besides were in other cities and townes rent and torne a sunder by the Heathen, among whom one I wyll speake of for example.

MarginaliaIschyrion, Martyr.Ischyrion one that was in seruice with a certayne noble man, was commaunded of his maister to make sacrifice, who for not obeying was therefore rebuked: After persisting in þ^e same, was grieuously threatned with sharpe and manassing wordes. At last his maister, whē he could not preuayle agaynst hym, taking a stake or pyke in hys handes, ranne hym through into the body, and slewe hym.

What should I speake of þ^e multitude of them, which wandering in desertes, and mountaines, were consumed with hunger, thyrst, colde, sicknes, theeues, or wilde beasts, of whose blessed victorie they which be a liue, are yet witnesses. In the number of whō one I will speake of, among diuers other, MarginaliaCheremon, Martyr.named Cheremon bishop of the citie called Nilus, an aged man, he with hys wife flying to the mountaine of Arabia, MarginaliaCheremon a byshop had a wyfe.neuer returned agayne, nor euer coulde be seene after. And though they were sought for diligently by their brethren, yet neither they nor their bodies were founde. Many other there were which flying to these mountaines of Arabia, were takē of the Barbarous Saracens: of whom some with much money coulde scarse be raunsomed, some were neuer herd of yet to thys present day. Thus much out of the epistle of Dionysius alledged in MarginaliaEuseb. lib. 6. ca. 40. 41. 42.Euseb lib. 6. ca. 41. 42. &c.

MarginaliaThe epistle of Dionysius Alexand. to Germa.Moreouer þ^e foresaid Dionysius in an other place writing to Germanus of his owne daungers and of other,sustayned in thys persecution, and before thys persecution of Decius, thus inferreth as followeth: MarginaliaThys Germanus was a bishop in that tyme, which charged Dionysius for hys fleing persecution against whō he purgeth hym selfeI, sayth he, behold before the sight of God, I lye not: and he knoweth, I lye not: how that I hauing no regard of myne owne lyfe, and not without the motion of God, dyd flye and auoyde the daunger of this persecution. Yea & also before that thys persecution of Decius did rage agaynst vs: Sabinus the same houre sent a farmer to seke me, at what time I remayning at home, wayted. iij. dayes for his comming. But he searching narrowly for me by all waies, fieldes, floudes, and corners, where he thought I might best haue hid my selfe, or to haue passed by, was stroken with such a blindnes, þ^t he could not finde myne house, thinking with himselfe nothing lesse, then that I would abyde at home in such so daungerous persecution. MarginaliaGod willed Dionysius to flee in persecutiō.Thus these. iij. dayes being past, vpon þ^e fourth day, the Lord God so willing and commaunding me to flie, and also maruelouslye opening to me the waye, I with my * Marginalia* Ergo Byshops then had wyues & children.children & many other brethrē went out together. And thys not to come of my self, but to be the worke of Gods prouidence, the sequell of those thinges declared, wherein afterward I was not vnprofitable peraduenture to some. &c.

Againe in an other place shortlye after the foresayd Dionysius proceding in the narration of himselfe, thus inferreth: Then I comming to Hierusalem with them which were with me, was brought by souldiours vnto Taposixis where as Timotheus (by the prouidence of God) neither was present, nor yet taken. Who then returning home found his house desert, and officers watching about the same, and vs within taken. &c. And againe shortly after it followeth: And to see, sayth he, the admirable disposing of God hys workes. MarginaliaThe prouidēce of god in preseruing hym.As Timotheus was thus flying with much hast and great feare, a certaine man, as happened, a dweller nere by mette hym by the waye, and asked, whether he went so hastely: to whom Timotheus aunswering, declared all the matter simply as it was. MarginaliaThe story of the deliuerance of Dionysius and hys felowes.Which done, the mā procedeth on his iourney, whether he was purposed to go, which was to a mariage, the manner of which mariages then was to sit vp al the night long feasting and drinking. Thus as he was come, sitting with them at þ^e feast, he telleth hys companions what was done, and what he heard by the way. Thys was no sooner tolde, but all they forthwith vpon a head, as stroken with a sodayne furye rushing out together, made towarde vs as faste as they coulde, with such crying and noyse, as might seeme very terrible. At the first hearing wherof, the souldiers that had vs in keeping, being afrayde, ranne awaye, by reason wherof we were left alone, & founde as we were lying vpon fourmes and benches. I then, (the Lorde knoweth) thinking with my self that they had bene theeues, which came to spoyle and robbe, being in my couche, laye still in my shyrt onely as I was, the reast of my garmentes lying by mee, I offered to them. Then they willed me in all haste to ryse and get away. Wherby I then perceauing the cause of their comming, cryed vnto them desiring þ^t they would suffer vs so to do: and if they woulde do ani benefit for me, for so much as I could not escape the handes of them which woulde pursue me and carye me away, I prayd them that they would preuent them, and cut of my head before. And as I was crying thus vnto them, casting my selfe groueling vpon the pauement, as my companions can testifie, who were partakers of all these thinges, they brust forth violentlye, taking me by the handes and feete and caryed me out of the doores, and led me away. MarginaliaDionisius
Gaius,
Faustus,
Petrus,
Paulus delyuered frō the Centurion & the soldiours.
Ex Euseb.Therfollowed me Gaius, Faustus, Petrus, Paulus, (who were witnesses of all the same) which brought me also out of the citie, and so setting me vpon a bare asse, conueyed me awaye. Thus muche writeth Dionysius of hym selfe, the example of whose epistle is cited in the ecclesiasticall story of Euse-