fishes. Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 8. What shal we speake of the exiles and confiscations of good and vertuous men? MarginaliaThe violēt wrongs of Licinius.For he tooke by violence euery mans substance, and cared not by what meanes he came by þ^e same: But threatned them with death, vnlesse they would forgo the same. He banished those which had committed none euill at all. He commaunded that both gentlemen and men of honour, should be made out of the way, neyther yet herewith content, but gaue their daughters that were vnmaryed, to varlets and wycked ones to be defloured. And Lincinius himselfe (although that by reason of hys yeares, his body was spent) yet shamefullye did he viciate many women, mens wyues and maydes. Euseb. lib. 1. de vita Constantini. MarginaliaThe Christians flee into the wildernesseWhich cruel outrage of him caused many godlye men of their owne accorde to forsake their houses: & was agayne seene that the woods, fields, desert places, and mountaynes, were fayne to be the habitacions & resting places of the poore & miserable christians. Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 14. MarginaliaHote persecution renueth.
Theodor⁹Of those worthy men and famous Martyrs, which in this persecution founde the way to heauen, Nicephorus lib. 7. cap. 14. first speaketh of Theodorus who fyrst being hanged vpon a crosse, had nawles thrust into his arme pyts, and after that hys heade stricken of. MarginaliaAnother Theodorus bishop of Tyrus.Also of an other Theodorus being the bishop of Tyre, MarginaliaA man of Perga.the third was a man of Perga. Basilius also the bishop of Amasenus, MarginaliaNicholaus bishop of Mirorus.
Gregorius bishop of Armenia.
Paulus Byshop of Neocesarea..
with al other Martyrs.Nicholaus, the bishop of Mirorus, Gregorius, of Armenia þ^e great: After that Paule of Neocesaria, which by the impious commaundement of Licinius had both his handes cut of wyth a searing yron. MarginaliaXl. good men and their wiues martyrs.Besides these wer in the citie of Sebastia, forty worthy men, and Christian soldiours in the vehement cold tyme of wynter, soused & drowned in a horse pond, when Locias as yet, of whom we spake before, & Agricolaus executing the Shrieues office vnder Licinius in the East partes, were alyue: and were in great estimation, for inuenting of new and straunge tormēts against the Christians. MarginaliaAmones with xl. wiues of the. xl. men Martyrs.The wyues of those 40. good men, wer caried to Heraclea a citie in Thracia, & there, with a certayne Deacon whose name was Amones, were (after innumerable tormentes by them most constantly indured) slayne with the swoord. These thinges writeth Nicephorus. Also Zozomenus in his. ix. booke and. 2. chap. maketh mention of the same Martyrs. And Basilius in a certayne Oration seemeth to intreate of their history, sauing that in the circumstances he somewhat varieth MarginaliaThe wicked purpose of Licinius had he not bene preuented by God and slaine by Cōstātinus.And surely Licinius was determined, for that the fyrst face of this persecution fell out according to his desire, to haue ouer ranne all the Christians: to which thing neither counsel, nor good wyl, nor yet oportunitie, perchaunce wanted: vnelsse God had brought Constantinus into those parties, in which he gouerned: MarginaliaLicinius ouercome in battaile of Constantinus.where, in þ^e warres which he himselfe began (knowing right wel that Constantinus had intelligence of his cōspiracy and treason) ioyning battayle with hym, was most cowardly ouercome.

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Diuers battayles betwene them were fought, the fyrst fought in Hungary, wher Licinius was ouerthrowen: Than he fled into Macedonia, and repayring his army, was againe discomfited. Finally, being vanquished, both by sea and land: he lastly, at Nicomedia, yelded him selfe to Constantine: and was commaunded to lyue a priuate lyfe in Thessalia, wher at length he was slayne by the soldiours.

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MarginaliaThe end & death of the tirantes which wer the autors of this x. persecutionThus haue ye heard, the ende and conclusion of al the seuen tyrantes, which wer the autors and workers of this tenth & last persecution, against þ^e true people of God. The chief captain, & incenter of which persecutiō was first Dioclesiā, who dyed at Salona, as some say, by his owne poyson. an. 319. The next was Maximinian, who as is sayd, was hanged of Constātine at Massilia, about the yeare of our Lord. 310. Then died Galerius, plaged with an horrible disease sent of God. Se-uerus was slayne by Maximian, father of Maxentius about Rauenna. an. 309. Shortly after Maxentius the wycked tyrant was ouercome and vanquished of Constantine. an. 318. Maximinus the sixt tyrant taried not long after, who being ouercome by Licinius, died, about the yeare of our Lord. 320. Lastly, howe this Licinius was ouercome by Constantine and slayn. an. 324 is before declared. Onelye Constantius, the father of Constātine being a good and a godly Emperour, died in the thirde yeare of the persecution. an. 310. and was buried at Yorke. After whom succeded after his godlye father, Constātinus, as a second Moses sent and set vp of God to deliuer his people out of this so miserable captiuity, into liberty most ioyful.

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MarginaliaA brief story of the most notable Martyrs, that suffered in thys x. persecution.Now remayneth after the ende of these persecutors thus described, to gather vp the names and stories of certayne particular Martyrs, which nowe are to be set forth worthy of special memory:  

for their singular constancie and fortitude, shewed in their sufferinges and cruel tormentes. The names of all which that suffered in this foresayd. x. persecutiō, being in number infinite, in vertue most excellent, it is impossible here to comprehende: but the most notable, and in most approued autors expressed, we thought here to inserte, for the more edification of other Christians, which maye and ought to looke vpon their examples, fyrst beginning with Albanus, the fyrst Martyr that euer in Englande suffered death for the name of Christ.

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MarginaliaAlbanus. martyr.At what time Dioclesian and Maximinian the Pagan Emperours had directed out their letters wyth all seueritie, for the persecuting of the Christians: Alban being then an infidel, receiued into his house a certaine Clerke, fleing from the persecutors handes, whom whē Alban beheld, continually both day and night to perseuer in watching & in prayer: MarginaliaFruit of hospitalitie to be noted.sodenly by the great mercy of God, he began to imitate the example of his faith and vertuous life: MarginaliaAlbanus fyrst cōuerted, & by what occasion.whereuppon by little and litle he being instructed by his wholsome exhortacions, and leauing the blyndenes of his idolatrye, became at lengthe a perfect Christian. And when the forenamed Clerke had lodged with him a certayne tyme, it was enformed the wicked Prince, that this good man and Confessour of Christ (not yet condemned to death) was harbored in Albans house, or very neare vnto him. Whereupon immediately he gaue in charge to the Soldiours, to make more diligent inquisicion of the matter. MarginaliaAlbanus offereth hymself to death for an other.Who as soone as they came to the house of Alban the Martyr, he by & by putting on the apparell wherwyth his gest and maister was apparelled (that is, a garment at that tyme vsed, named Caracalla) offered himselfe in the stede of the other to the soldiours: who binding him, brought him forthwith to the Iudge. It fortuned that at that instant when blessed Alban was brought vnto the Iudge, they found him at the aulters offering sacrifice vnto deuils, who as soone as he saw Alban, was straight wayes in a great rage, for that he would presume of hys own voluntary wyll, to offer himselfe to peryll, and geue hym selfe a prisoner to the soldiours, for safegard of his gest whom he harbored: and cōmaunded him to be brought before the Images of the deuils whom he worshipped, saying: MarginaliaThe wordes of the Iudge of Albane.For that thou haddest rather hide and conuey away a rebell, then to deliuer him to the officers, & that (as a contemner of our Gods) he shoulde not suffer the punishment and merite of his blasphemy: looke what punishment he should haue had, thou for him shalt suffer the same: if I perceiue thee any whit to reuolt from our maner of worshipping. But blessed Alban, who of his own accord had bewrayed to the persecutors that he was a Christian, feared not at all the manasses of the Prince, but being armed with spiritual armour, openly pronounced that he woulde not obey his commaundement. Then sayd the Iudge: of what stocke or kinred

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