bitation and seate of the immortall Gods, and by many examples it appeareth that the same florisheth, and prospereth by the presence of the celestiall Gods. For behold, your Citie not regardyng your priuate businesses, nor esteeming that whiche should haue bene for the speciall commoditie therof, when it perceaued that cursed vanitie to begyn agayne to creepe, and as a fire negligently quenched, when the dead brandes therof began to kindle and make a great flame: by and by without delay ye hauyng recourse vnto our pietie, as vnto the Metropolitan of all diuine worshyp and Religiō, craued remedy and helpe, which wholesome minde for your pieties sake, it is most manifest that the gods haue indued you with.MarginaliaWicked blasphemy Therfore he, euen that most mighty Iupiter I say, which preserueth your most famous Citie: to that intent he might deliuer and make free your countrey Gods, your wiues and children, your houshold Gods and houses, frō all detestable corruption, hath inspired you with this wholesome and willyng mynde, shewyng and declaring how worthy, notable, and healthful a thyng it is to worship and to sacrifice to the immortall Gods. For who is so voyd of reason and vnderstandyng, that knoweth not that this thyng happeneth vnto vs by the carefull study of the goodnes of our Gods,MarginaliaThe workes of the lyuing God fasly imputed to dead stockes and Idoles. that the grounde denyeth not to geue her tymely increase, nor maketh frustrate the husband mans hope, nor that wicked warre dare shew her face vpon the earth, nor that the corruption of the ayre is now cause of pestilēce, neither þ^t the sea, swelleth with immoderate winds, neither that sodaine stormes are cause of hurtfull tēpestes. To conclude, that the ground which is as the nurse & mother of all thyngs, is not swallowed vp of her deepe chappes and gapynges, by terrible earthquake, neither that the hyls made leuell with the earth, are not with gapyng clyftes deuoured, all which euils and greater then these, before this tyme to haue happened euery man knoweth.MarginaliaHorrible blasphemy. And all these mischiefes came vpon vs for the pernitious errours sake of the extreme folly of those wicked men the Christiās, when filthines it selfe (as I may call it) so occupied their mindes, and ouerranne the world. Let them behold the fieldes now all about full of corne, & ouerflowen as it were with eares of corne. Let them vew the pleasaūt medowes clothed with flowers, and moystned with showers from heauen, and also the pleasaunt and temperate weather.MarginaliaThe lyke argument of weather and corne, and plenty, made the vnfaythfull Iewes, and also make now our faithles Papistes. Therefore let all men reioyce, that by your pietie, sacrifices, and worshippyng, the maiestie of the most stearne God of battell Mars is appeased, and that therefore we enioy pleasaunt and firme peace. And how many so euer haue left that blynd errour & straying of the Christians vnfaynedly, and be of a better mynde, let them specially reioyce, as men deliuered out of a sodayne great tempest, and from a greuous disease, and haue afterward obtained a delectable and pleasaunt lyfe. For doubtles, if they had remained in that execrable vanitie, farre of had they bene chased from your Citie and suburbes of the same (accordyng to your desire) that your Citie by that meanes accordyng to your commendable diligence, clensed from all impuritie and impietie, may offer sacrifices accordyng to the meanyng of the same, with due reuerence of the immortall Gods. And that you may perceiue in how good part we take your supplicatiō (yea vnasked and desired) we are most willing & ready to further your honest endeuours, and graunt vnto you for your deuotion, whatsoeuer ye aske of our magnificence. And that this thyng may be accomplished, forthwith aske, and haue. And this thyng with all speede indeuour ye to obtaine, which shalbe a perpetuall testimonie of pietie exhibited of your Citie to the immortall Gods, and shalbe a President to your children and posteritie, and withall you shall obtaine of vs for this your willing desire of reformation, condygne and worthy rewards. Euse. Lib. 9. cap. 7.

MarginaliaPersecution renued a fresh. Thus came it to passe that at þ^e length persecutiō was as great as euer it was, and the Magistrates of euery prouince were very disdaynfull agaynst the Christians, which condemned some to death, and some to exile.MarginaliaSyluanus Byshop.
Lucianus Elder.
Petrus Byshop
Quirinus Bishop.
Marcellus byshop.
Tymotheus elder,
Martyrs.
The persecution of Maximinus the younger. Among whom they condemned three Christians at Emisa in Phenicia, w^t whō Siluanus the Byshop a very old man, beyng. 40. yeares in the Ecclesiasticall function, was condemned to death. At Nicomedia, Lucianus the Elder of Antioch, brought thether, after he had exhibited to the Emperour his Apologie concernyng the doctrine of the Christians, was cast in prison, and after put to death. In Amasea a Citie of Capadocia, Bringes the Liftenaunt of Maximinus, had at that tyme the executyng of that persecution. At Alexandria, Petrus a most worthy Byshop was beheaded, with whom many other Egyptian Byshops also dyed. Euseb. Lib. 9. cap. 7 Nicepho. Lib. 7. cap. 44.. Quirinus the Byshop of Scescanius hauyng a hanmyll tied about his necke, was throwne headlōg from the bridge, into the flood, and there a long while flee-ted aboue the water, and when he opened his mouth to speake to the lookers on that they shoulde not be dismayed with that his punishment, was with much a do drowned. Chron. Euseb. At Rome dyed Marcellus the Byshop, as sayth Platina, also Timotheus the Elder, with many other Byshops and Priestes were Martyred. To conclude, many in sundry places euery where were Martyred, whose names the bookeintituled Fasciculus temporū declareth,MarginaliaEx fasciculo temporum. as Victorianus, Symphorianus, Castorius with his wife, Castulus, Cesarius, Mennas, Nobilis, Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Petrus, & other innumerable martyrs, Erasmus, Bonifacius,Marginalia30000 Martyrs.
Colmas,
Damianus,
Dorothea.
wyth other Martyrs. and thirty thousand Martyrs more, Iuliana, Cosmas, Damianus, Basilinus with vij. others, Dorothea, Theophilus, Theodosia, Vitalis, Agricola, Acha, Philemon, Hireneus, Ianuarius, Festus, Desiderius, Gregorius Spoletanus, Agapes, Chionia, Hirenea, TheodoraMarginalia270. Martyrs. and. 270. other Martyrs, Florianus, Primus and Felicianus, Vitus and Modestus, Crescentia, Albinus, Rogatianus, Donatianus, Pācratius, Catharina, Margareta, Lucia the virgin, and Antheas the kyngMarginalia37000. Martyrs with. 37000. Martyrs, Simplicius, Faustinus, Beatrix, Pāthaleon, Georgius, Iustus, Leocandia, Anthonia, and other mo to an infinite number suffered martyrdome in this persecution, whose names God hath written in the booke of life. Also Felix, Victor with his parentes, Lucia the widow,MarginaliaGerminianus with. 79. Martyrs Geminianus with. 79. others, Sabinus, Anastasia, Chrisogonus, Felix, & Andactus, Adrianus, Nathalia, Eugenia, Agnes also when she was but. 13 yeare old was Martyred. Eusebius in his. 8. booke and. 15. chap. rehearseth these kindes of tormentes and punishmentes, that is to say:MarginaliaSeuerall kyndes of tormentes. Fire, wilde beastes, the sword, crucifiynges, the bottom of the sea, the cuttyng & burnyng of members, the thrustyng out of eyes, dismēbryng of þ^e whole body, hunger, imprisonment, & what soeuer other crueltie the Magistrates could deuise. All which notwithstandyng the godly ones rather then þ^e they would do sacrifice as they were byd, māfully endured. Neither were the women any thyng at all behinde them. For they beyng entised to the fylthy vse of their bodies, rather suffered banishment, or willyngly kylled them selues. Neither yet could the Christians liue safely in the wildernesse, but were fetched euen from thence to death and tormentes, in somuch that this was a more greuous persecutiō vnder Maximinus the tyrant, then was þ^e former cruell persecutiō, vnder Maximianus the Prince. Euseb. Lib. 9. cap. 6. &. 10.

And forasmuch as ye haue heard the cruell Edict of Maximinus proclaymed agaynst the Christians, grauen in brasse, which he thought perpetually should endure to the abolishing of Christ and his Religion:MarginaliaThe worke of God agaynst the foresayd edict. Now marke agayne the great handy worke of God, which immediatly fell vpon the same, checkyng the proud presumptiō of the tyrant prouyng all to be false and contrary, that in the brasen Proclamation was contained.MarginaliaThe proud & blasphemous proclamatiō of the Emperour proued false and contrary. For where the foresayd Edict boasted so much of the prosperitie and plenty of all thynges in the tyme of this persecution of the Christians, sodenly befel such vnseasonable drouth with famine and pestilence among the people, besides also the warres with the Armenians, that all was foūd vntrue that he had bragged so much of before. By reason of which famine and pestilence the people were greatly consumed, in so much that one measure of wheate was sold for two thousand and fiue hundred peeces of money of Athens coyne, by reason wherof innumerable dyed in the Cities, but many more in the countrey and villages, so that most part of the husbandmen and countreymē dyed vp with the famine and pestilence.MarginaliaEx Euseb. lib 9. cap. 8. Diuers there were which bringyng out their best treasure, were glad to geue it for any kynde of sustenaunce, were it neuer so litle. Other sellyng away their posssessions, fell by reason therof to extreme pouertie and beggary.MarginaliaA terrible hunger among the heathen persecuters described. Certaine eatyng grasse, and feedyng on other vnholsome herbes, were fayne to relieue thēselues with such foode as did hurt and poyson their bodies. Also a number of womē in the Cities, beyng brought to extreme misery and penury, were constrayned to depart the Citie, and fall to beggyng through the countrey. Some other very weake and faynt (as Images without breath) wandryng vp and downe, and not able to stand for feablenes, fell downe in the middle of the streetes, and holdyng vp their handes most pitifull, cryed for some scrappes or fragmentes of bread to be geuen them, & beyng at the last gaspe, ready to geue vp the Ghost, and not able to vtter any other wordes, yet cryed out that they were hungry. Of the richer sorte diuers there were, who beyng weary with the nūber of beggars and askers, after they had bestowed largely vpon them, became hard harted, fearyng least they should fall into the same miserie thē selues, as they which begged. By reason wherof the market place, streetes, lanes, and alleyes lay full of dead and naked bodyes, beyng cast out and vnburied, to the pitiful & greuous beholdyng of them that saw them.