other latyn writers also making mencion of the sayde pestilitie, declare how the beginning thereof first came (as they thinke) out of Ethiope, and from the hot countries, and so inuading & wasting first the south partes, from thence spred into the East, and so further rūnyng and increasing into al other quarters of the world, especially whersoeuer the edictes of the Emperour went against the Christians, it followed after, and consumed the most part of the inhabitance, wherby manye places became desolate and voyde of all concourse, and so continued the terme of. x. yeares together.

MarginaliaCaprianus lib. de mortalitate.
Gallus and Volusianus emperoursThis pestiferous mortality (by the occasion wherof Cyprian tooke the ground to write his booke De mortalitate) began, as is sayd, immediatly after the death of Decius the persecutor, in the beginning of the rayne of Vibius Gallus, and Volusianus his sonne: who succeeded throughe treason, next vnto Decius, aboute the yeare of our Lord. 255. & continued their raigne but. ij. yeres. Thys Gallus although the first beginning of his raigne was somthing quiet, yet shortly after folowing þ^e steps of Decius, by whō rather he should haue taken example, set forth edictes in like maner for the persecution of Christians, albeit in this edict we finde no number of Martyrs to haue suffered, but onely all this persecution to rest onely in the exilement of Bishoppes or guides of the flocke. Of other sufferinges or executions we do not reade: for the terrible pestilence followyng immediatlye, kept the barbarous Heathen otherwyse occupied. Vnto this time of Gallus, rather then to the time of Decius, MarginaliaThe first banishmēt of Cyprian.I referre the banishment of Cyprian, who was thē bishop of Carthage. Of the which banishment he hymselfe testifeth in diuers of his epistles, declaring the cause therof to rise vpon a commotion or sedition among the people, out of the which he withdrew himselfe, least the sedition should grow greater. Notw^tstanding the sayd Cypriā, though being absent, yet had no lesse care of his flocke and of the whole church, then if he had bene present wyth them. And therefore neuer ceased in his epistles continually to exhort, and call vpon them to be constant in their profession, and pacient in their afflictions. MarginaliaBishops & priests condemned to metals.
Nemesianus,
Felix,
Bishops cōdemned for the name of Christ.Amongest diuers other, whom he doth comforte in hys banishment, although he was in that case to be comforted himselfe, writing to certaine that were condemned to mynyng for metalls, whose names were Nemesianus, Felix, Lucius, with other Byshops, priestes and deacons, declareth vnto them, howe it is no shame, but a glorye, not to be feared, but to be reioyced at, to suffer banishment, or other paynes for Christ. And confyrming them in the same, or rather cōmending them, signifieth, how worthely they do shewe themselues, to be as valiaunt captaines of vertue, prouoking both by the confessions of theyr mouth, and by the suffering of theyr body, the hartes of the brethren to Christian Martyrdome, whose example was and is a greate confirmation to many, both maides and children, to followe the lyke. As for punishment and suffering it is (sayth he) a thing not execrable to a Christian. For a Christian mans brest, whose hope doth wholy cōsist in the * Marginalia* That is, in the passion of him that died on the tree.tree, dreadeth neyther bat nor club: woūdes and skars of the body be ornamentes to a christen mā, such as bring no shame nor dishonesty to the party, but rather preferreth and freeth him with the Lord. MarginaliaCyprian exhorteth and confirmeth the Christian Martyrs.
Cipr lib. 3 epist. vlti.And although in the mines wher the mettals be digged, there be no beds for Christen mens bodies to take their rest, yet they haue their rest in Christ. And though their wearye bones lye vpon the cold ground, yet it is no pain to lye with Christ. Their feete haue bene fettered wyth bandes and chaynes: but happely is the bonde of man, whom the Lord Christ doth loose: happelye doth he lye tyed in the stockes, whose feete therby are made swifter to runne to heauen. Neither can anye man tye a Christian so fast, but he runneth so muche the faster for hysgarland of lyfe. They haue no garmentes to saue thē from cold, but he that putteth on Christ, is sufficientlye coated. Doth bread lacke to their hungry bodies? But man lyueth not onely by gread, but by euery word proceeding from the mouth of God. Your deformitie (saith he) shall be turned to honor, your mourning to ioy, your payne to pleasure and felicitye infinite. And if this doo greue you, that ye cannot now employ your sacrifices and oblations after your wonted maner: yet your sacrifice dayly ceaseth not, MarginaliaThe Christian mans sacrifice.which is a contrite and humble hart, and which offer vp dayly their bodies a lyuely and a glorious sacrifice vnto the Lord, which is the sacrifice that pleaseth God. And though their trauayle be great, yet is the reward greater, which is most certayn to follow. For God beholding a looking downe vpon them that confesse his name, in their willing minde approueth them, in their striuing helpeth them, in their victory crowning them, rewarding that in vs, which he hath perfourmed, and crowning that which he hath in vs perfected. With these & such like comfortable words he doth animate hys brethren, admonishing them, that they are now in a ioyfull iourney, hasting a pace to the mansions of the martyrs, ther to enioy after this darknes a stable light, a brightnes greater then all theyr passions, according to the Apostles saying: The sufferinges of thys present tyme be nothing lyke comparable to the brightnes of the glorye that shall be reuealed in vs. &c.

MarginaliaCypria. lib. 4. epist. 1.
Seagrius.
Rogatianus.
Martyrs.And after like wordes of swete comfort and consolation in writing to Seagrius, and Rogatianus, whyche were in prison and bondes for the testimonye of truth, doth incourage them to continue stedfast and pacient in the way, wherein they haue begun to runne, for that they haue the Lorde with them their helper and defender, who promised to be with vs to the worldes end: and therefore wylleth them to set before their eyes in theyr death immortality, in their payne euerlasting glory, of the which it is writtē: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saintes. Item, althoughe before men they suffered tormentes, yet their hope is ful of immortalitie: and being vexed in small thinges, they shall be wel requited in great matters. For the Lord hath tried them as gold in the fyre. MarginaliaSapien. 3.And writeth moreouer admonishing thē, þ^t it is so appointed from the beginning of the world, that righteousnes here should suffer & wring in secular conflictes, for so iust Abell was slayne in the beginning of the world, and after him al iust and good men, the Prophetes also & the Apostles sent of the Lord himselfe, vnto whom al, the Lord first gaue an example in himselfe, teaching that there is no commyng to hys kingdome, but buy that way, which he entred hym selfe, saying by these wordes: he that loueth hys lyfe in thys worlde, shall loose it, &c. And agayne, feare yet not them, that slaye the bodye, but haue no power to slaye the soule. And S. Paule likewyse admonishing all them, who so euer couite to bee partakers of the promises of the Lord, to followe the Lord, sayth: if we suffer together with him, we shall reigne together, &c.

Furthermore as the same Cyprian doth encourage here the holy Martyrs, which were in captiuitie, to persiste: so lykewise writing to the Priestes and Deacons, which were free, exhorteth them to be seruiceable and obsequious with all care and loue to cherishe & embrase them that were in bondes. Cypria. Lib. 3. epist. 6. MarginaliaCyprian. lib. 3. epist. 6.whereby may appeare the feruent zeale and care of thys good Byshop toward the Churche of Christ, although being nowe in exile, in the tyme of thys Emperour Gallus.

In the same tyme, and vnder the sayd Gallus reigning with hys sonne Volusianus, was also MarginaliaLucius byshop of Rome banished.
An. 256.
Lucius Byshop of Rome sent to banishment, who nexte succeded after Cornelius in that Byshoprike, aboute the yeare of our Lorde. 256. Albeit in this banishment he dyd not