tence of death was vpon hym pronounced, which was to bee beheaded. Menas beyng then had to the place of execution sayde: MarginaliaA prayer of Menas at his death.I geue thee thankes, my Lorde God, which hast so accepted me to be found a partaker of thy precious death, and haste not geuen me to be deuoured of my fierce enemies, but hast made me to remaine constant in thy pure faithe vnto this my latter ende. MarginaliaMenas martyred.And so this blessed souldiour fightyng valiantly vnder the banner of Christ, lost his head, and wanne his soule. Symeō Metaphrast. tom. 5. In the which autor there followeth a long narratiō of the miracles of this holy man, which here for prolixitie I do omitte.

MarginaliaThe storye of 40 martyrs.Basilius in a certayne Sermon of. 40. Martyrs, reherseth this story not vnworthy to bee noted. There came (sayth he) into a certayne place (which place he maketh no mentiō of) the Emperors Marshal or officer, w^t the edict which the Emperour had set out against þ^e christiās: that whosoeuer confessed Christ, should after many tormentes suffer death. And first they did priuely suborne certayne whiche shoulde detecte and accuse the christians whom they had found out, or had layd wayt for: MarginaliaTormentes brought out to terrifye the christians.vpō this the sword, þ^e gibbet, the wheele, & the whips were brought forth: At the terrible sight wherof þ^e harts of all the beholders did shake and tremble. Some for feare dyd flee, some did stand in doubt what to do. Certayne were so terrified at the beholding of these engins and tormenting instrumentes þ^t they denied their faith. Some other beganne the game, and for a tyme dyd abyde the conflicte and agony of Martirdome: but vanquished at length, by the intollerable payne of theyr tormentes, made shipwracke of their consciences, and lost the glory of their confession. Among other, xl there wer at that tyme yong gentlemen, al souldiours, which after the Marshall had shewed the Emperours edict, and required of al men the obedience of the same, MarginaliaThe coragious boldnes, & christiā cōfessiō of these. 40 martyrs.freely and boldly of their owne accorde professed themselues to be christians, and declared to hym theyr names. The Marshal somewhat amased at this their boldnes of speache, standeth in doubt what was best to doe. Yet forthwyth he goeth about to wynne them with faire wordes, aduertising them to consider their youth, neither that they should change a cruell and vntimely death, for a swete and pleasant life: After that, he promiseth them mony, & honourable offices in the Emperoures name. MarginaliaMartirdom & death for Christ preferred before life & riches of this worldeBut they little estemyng all these things, breake forth into a long and bold Oration, affirmyng that they neyther desyre lyfe, dignitie, nor mony, but onely the celestiall kyngdō of Christ, saying further, that they are readye for the loue and faith they haue in God, to indure the affliction of the wheele, the crosse, and the fire. The rude Marshal beyng herewith offended, deuiseth a newe kynde of punishment. MarginaliaThe martyrs in a cold ponde of a winters night.He spyed out in the myddle of the citie a certayn great pond, which lay ful, vpon the cold northern wynde: for it was in the wynter tyme: wherein he caused them to be put all that nyght, but they beyng merye and comforting one an other, receaued this theyr apointed punishment, and said, as they were putting of their clothes: we put of (said they) nowe not our clothes: but we put of the olde man, corrupt with the deceyt of concupiscence. We gaue thee thankes (O Lord) that wyth this our apparel we may also put of by thy grace, þ^e sinfull man: for by meanes of the Serpente we once put him on, and by the meanes of Iesus Christ we now put hym of. When they had thus sayd: they were broughte naked into the place where they felte moste vehemente cold: in so much, that all the partes of their bodies were starke and styffe therewith. MarginaliaThe martyrs taken out of the pond were put into the fier.Assoone as it was day, they yet hauyng breath, wer brought vnto the fyre, wherin they were consumed and their ashes throwne into the flud. By chaunce there was one of the companye more liuelye, and not so neare deade as the reste, of whome the executioners takyng pitie, sayd vnto his mother stāding by, that they would saue hys life. MarginaliaA good mother caring more for the soul then for the body of her sonne.
Ex Basil. in Serm de. 40 Martyribus.But she with her owne handes takyng her sonne, brought hym to þ^e pyle of wood where the residue of his fellowes (crooked for cold) did lye redye to be brent: admonishyng hym to accomplish the blessed iourney he had taken in hand wyth his companions. Basil.

MarginaliaAn other storye of 40 Martyred in a cold ponde at Sebastia.A lyke history of 40. Martyrs whiche were maryed men: we reade of in Niceph. and Sozomenus lib. 9. cap. 2. which were kylled likewyse in a lake or ponde at Sebastia, a towne of Armenia, vnder Licinius, yf the story be not the same with this. Niceph. Sozom.

MarginaliaCyrus, Ioannes, Athanasia wyth her thre daughters.
Theoctiste,
Theodota,
Eudoxia,
Martyrs.
In this fellowship and companye of Martyrs can not be lefte out and forgotten the storye of Cyrus: This Cyrus was a phisition borne in Alexandria, whiche flying into Egipt in the persecution of Dioclesianus, and Maximinus led a solitary lyfe in Arabia, there professyng hymselfe a Monke: being much spoken of both for hys learnyng and miracles: vnto whose companye after a certayne tyme did Ioannes, borne in the City Edessa beyond the ryuer Euphrates ioyne himselfe, leauyng the souldiars lyfe whiche before that tyme he had exercised. But whilest as yet the same persecutiō raged in a Citye in Egipt called Canope, there were cast into prison for the confession of their fayth, a certayne godly Christian woman called Athanasia & her three daughters Theoctiste, Theodota, and Eudoxia: wyth whome Cyrus was well acquainted. MarginaliaThe louyng care of one christian toward an other.All whose infirmities he much fearing, accōpanied with his brother Iohn, came and insited them for their better confirmation: at which tyme Syrianus was chief capitayne and lieuetenaunt of Egipt, of whose wickednes and crueltie, especially against women and maydens: Athanasius maketh mention in hys Apologies, and in hys Epistle to those þ^t lead a solitary lyfe. Thys Cyrus therefore and Ioannes beyng accused and apprehended of the heathen men, as by whose perswasions, the Maydens and daughters of Athanasia contumeliously despised the gods, and þ^e Emperours religion, and coulde by no meanes be broughte to do sacrifice, MarginaliaCyrus to do others good lost hys lyfe.were after the publication of theyr constant confession put to deathe by the sworde. Athanasia also and her three daughters beyng condempned to death. Thys history wryteth Symeon Metaphrastes.

MarginaliaThe story of Sebastian martyr.
A worthy exāple of a captain to be followedSebastian beyng borne in the part of Fraūce called Gallia Narbonensis, was a christian, and was Lieuetenant general of the Vawward of Diocletian the emperour, who also encoraged many Martyrs of Christe by his exhortatiōs vnto constancy, and kept them in þ^e fayth. He beyng therfore accused to the Emperor, was commaūded to be apprehended, & þ^t he should be brought into the open field: where, of his owne souldiors he was shot through þ^e body w^t innumerable arrowes, & after þ^t his body was throwne into a iaques or synke. Ambrosius maketh mentiō of this Sebastian the Martyr in his commentary vpon the 118. psalme, and Simeon Metaphrastes amōgest other Martyrs that suffred with Sebastian, numbreth also these followyng: MarginaliaMarcus.
Marcellinus.
Nicostrat⁹ with Zoe hys Wyfe.
Trāquillinus wyth Martia his wife
Traglinus.
Claudius.
Castor.
Tiburtius.
Castullus.
MartyrsNicostratus with Zoe his wyfe, Tranquillinus wyth Martia hys wife: Traglinus, Claudius, Castor, Tiburtius, Castullus, Marcus, and Marcellinus wyth other moe.

MarginaliaBarlaam.Basilius in an other Sermon also maketh mention of one Barlaam beyng a noble and famous martyr, whiche abode all the tormentes of the executioners euen to the poynte of death: whiche thyng when the tormentours saw, they brought hym and layd hym vppon the aulter, where they did vse to offer sacrifices to theyr Idoles, and put fire and frankensence to his right hand wherin he had yet some strengthe, MarginaliaWhat desire the heathen had by some meane, to allure the christians to offer sacrifice.thinkyng that þ^e same his right hand, by the heate and force of the fyre, would haue scattred the burning incence vpon the aulter, & so haue sacrificed. But of that theyr hope, the pestiferous tormentours were disapointed: for the flame eat round about his hand, and the same indured euen as thoughe