MarginaliaPraxedis
Potentiana
Christian virgines.Praxedis a blessed virgine, the doughter of a citizen of Rome, who in the time of Anicetus there Bishop, was so brought vp in þ^e doctrine of Christ, and so affected to his religion, that she with her sister Potentiana, bestowed all her patrimony vpon þ^e releuing of poore Christians, geuing all her time to fasting and prayer, and to the burying of the bodies of the Martyrs. And after she had made free all her famelie with her seruauntes, after the death of her sister, she also departed and was buryed in peace.

MarginaliaProlomeus
Lucius,
Martyrs.Vnder the same Antoninus also suffred Ptolomeus, & Lucius for the confession of Christ, in a city of Egypt called Alexandria, whose history because it is described in the Apologie of Iustinus Martyr, I thought therfore so to setforth the same, as it is alledged in Eusebius, declaring the manner and occasion therof. lib. 4. cap. 17. in wordes and effect as followeth. &c.

MarginaliaEuseb. lib. 4. cap. 17.There was (sayth hee) a certaine woman maried vnto a husbande, who was geuen muche to lasciuiousnes, whereunto shee her selfe in tymes past was also addict. But she afterward being instructed in the Christian religion, became chaste her selfe, and also perswaded her husband to liue chastly: often times telling hym that it was written in the precepts of the Christiās, that they should be punished eternally, which liued not chastly and iustly in this life. But he styll continuing in hys filthynes, therby caused his wife to estrange her self frō his company. For why? the woman thought it not conuenient to continue in her husbandes company, whych contemning the law of nature, sought otherwise to satisfy his filthy appetite. Therefore she was purposed to be deuorced from him. But her neighbours & kinsfolkes prouoked her, by promising his amendement, to keepe company againe with him, and so she did. But he after this, tooke his iourney into Alexandria, and whē it was shewed her, that ther he lyued more licenciously, then at any time before, for that she would not be counted partaker of his incestious life by coupling her selfe anye lenger with him, she gaue him a letter of diuorce, and so departed from him. Then her husband, who ought rather to haue reioiced to haue so honest and chast a wife, which not onelye would not cōmit any dishonest thing her selfe, but also could not abide any leude or misordered behauiour in her husband, and that by this her separation she went about to reclayme hym from his incest and wickednes to better amendmente of life: He in recompence to his wife againe, accused her to be a Christian, which at that time was no lesse then death. Wherevpon she being in great perill and daunger deliuered vp vnto the Emperoure (as Iustinus in his apologye writing to the Emperour himselfe declareth) a supplicatiō, desiring and crauing of his maiestie, first to graunt her so much licence as to set her famelye in order, and that done afterward to come againe and make aunswere to all that might or should be layd agaynst her: wherunto the Emperour condescended. Then her husbande seyng that he could haue no vantage against her deuised wyth hymselfe, how he might bring Ptolomeus (whych was her instructour in the fayth of Christe) into trouble and accusation: vsinge the meanes of a certayne Centurion who was his very frend, whō her perswaded to examine Ptolomeus whether he were a Christian or not. Ptolomeus (as one that loued the truth, & not thincking good to hide his profession) cōfessed no lesse to the examinour, openlye declaring that he had (as truth was) taughte and professed the verity of christiā doctrine. For who so denieth himselfe to be that he is, either condemneth in denying that thinge that he is, or maketh himselfe vnworthy of that, the confession wherof he fleyth: which thyng is neuer founde in a true & sincere Christian. Thus thē he being brought before Vrbicius the iudge & by him cōdēned to suffer: One Lucius, being also a christiā, stan-ding by, and seyng the wrong iudgemente, and hastye sentence of the Iudge, sayd to Vrbitius: what reason, I pray you or equity is this, þ^t this man, who neither is an adulterer, nor fornicator, nor homicide, nor fealon, neyther hath committed any such crime, where in he maye be charged, thus is condemned onely for his name and confession of a Christian. This condemnatiō and these manner of Iudgementes (O Vrbici) are neyther seemely for the vertuous Emperour, nor to the Philosopher hys sonne, nor yet for the state of the Senate of Rome.

MarginaliaThe boldnes & christian constācy of Luci⁹Which words being herd, Vrbitius making no farther examinatiō of the matter, said vnto Lucius: me thinketh thou art also a Christian. MarginaliaLucius condemned & martyred.And when Lucius had geuen him to vnderstande that he was also a Christian, the Iudge without further delaye commaunded him to be had away to the place of execution. To whom he answered: I thanke you with all my hart, that you release me from most wicked gouernours, and sende me vnto my good and most louing father, being also the king of all Gods. MarginaliaThe thyrde also condēned & martyred.And in lyke maner the third man also, comming vnto him, and vsing the like liberty of speeche, had also the like sentence of death and condemnation, & crowned also with the same crowne of martyrdome. And thus much out of the Apologie of Iustinus, by the which story it may appeare not to be true, MarginaliaA place of Gracianus suspected.that Gratianus attributeth vnto Higynus bishop of Rome, the decising of causes matrimonial, seing that in Iustinus time (who was in the same age of Higynus) the diuorcement of thys woman in thys history aboue touched, was not decised by anye ecclesiasticall lawe, or brought before any byshop, but was brought before a Heathen prince, and determined by the law ciuill.

MarginaliaCōcordius MartyrHenricus de Erfordia recordeth out of the Martyrologe of Isuardus, of one Concordius a minister in the citye of Spolete, who in the reigne of this Antoninus Verus, MarginaliaCōcordius spitteth in the face of the idole.because he would not sacrifice vnto Iupiter, but did spit in the face of the Idole, after diuers and sondry punishments sustained, at last with the sworde was beheaded. Vincentius in his. x. boke, cap. 108. reciteth a long storye of his actes and life, wherof some part perhappes may seme tollerable. But thys verely appeareth to be false & fabulous, concerning the water flowing besydes his sepulcher in the forenamed city of Spolet, vnto the which water was geuē (sayth Vincētius) by the vertue of him, for whose name he suffered, to restore sight to the blynd, to heale the sicke, and to cast out deuils, &c. Which kind of vertue to open the eyes of the blind, and to expell Deuels, nether doth God geue to anye creature of water, neither is it like that Concordius the blessed Martyr did or would require any such thing at the handes of God.

Isuardus, and Bede, Vincentius, and Henricus de Erfordia, with other autors moe, make relatiō of diuers other Martyrs that by sondrye kindes of tormentes were put to death, vnder the forsaid Antoninus Verus: MarginaliaSymmetrius.
Florellus.
Pontianus.
Alexander.
Caius.
Epipodus.
Victor.
Corona.
Marcellus.
Valerianus.
Martyrs.
Autors in the wrytīg the miracles of martyrs suspected.the names of whom be Simmetrius, Florellus, Pontianus, Alexander, Caius, Epipodus, Victor, Corona, Marcellus, Valerianus. The cause of whose martirdome was the reprehending of Idolatrie, and because at the Emperours commaundement, they would not sacrifice to Idols. Many sortes of punishments and of miracles are told of them, but at lengthe the ende of them all is this, that they were beheaded. Whereby it may the more be suspected, the hystories of these writers not to be certayne or true, aswel touching these, as also other martyrs, as may appere in Vincentius, in Petrus de Natalibus, and other authors of like sort. In which auctors they which list to reade more of their miracles, there may fynde them.

MarginaliaGetulus
Cerealis.
Amantius.
Primitius.
Martyrs.A litle before, pag. 66. mencion was made of Simphorissa, otherwise named Simphorosa, wyfe of Getulus, with her. vij. sōnes. This Getulus or Getulius was a minister or a teacher (as witnesseth Martyrol. Adonis) in the city of Tybur, which Getulius with Cerealis, A-