nes of the author, to inserte and notifie in his own wordes, and in our language, as he wrote them to Fabius Byshop of Antioche, as foloweth.

MarginaliaThe Epistle of Dionisius Byshop of Alexandria to Fabius. This persecution (sayth he) began not with the Proclamation set forth by the Emperour, but began an whole yeare before: by the occasiō and meanes of a wicked person, a Southsayer, and a folower of wicked Artes: Whoe commyng to our Citie hereMarginaliaA commotion of the people of Alexandria agaynst the Christians. styrred vp the multitude of the heathen agaynst vs, and incited them to maintaine their owne superstition and gentilitie of their countrey, whereby they beyng set a gog, and obtainyng ful power to prosecute their wicked purpose, so thought & no lesse declared, all their pietie and Religiō to consiste onely in the Idolatrous worshyp of Deuils, and in our destruction.MarginaliaMetra, Martyr. And first flyng vpō a certaine Priest of ours, named Metra, apprehended him & brought him forth, to make him speake after their wicked blasphemy. Whiche when he would not do, they layd vpon him with staues and clubbes, and with sharpe reedes pricked his face and eyes, and afterward bryngyng him out into the suburbes, there they stoned him to death.MarginaliaQuinta a faythfull woman and Martyr. Then they tooke a faythfull woman called Quinta, and brought her to the temple of their Idols, to compell her to worship with them. Which when she refused to do, and abhorred their Idoles, they bound her feete, and drew her through the whole streete of the Citie, vpō the harde stones, and so dashyng her agaynst milstones, & scourgyng her with whippes brought her to the same place of the suburbes, as they did the other before, where she likewise ended her lyfe. This done, in a great outrage, and with a multitude rūnyng together, they brust into houses of the religious & godly Christians, spoylyng, sackyng, and carying away all that they could finde of any price. The rest of thynges, such as were of lesse value & of wood, they brought into the open market, & set them on fire.MarginaliaPacience and ioy in affliction. In the meane tyme the brethren voyded a side, & withdrew them selues, taking paciently, and no lesse ioyfully the spoyling of their goodes, then did they of whom S. Paule doth testifie.MarginaliaThe constancie of the Martyrs of Alexandria Neither do I know any of them all (one onely excepted) apprehended of them, whiche reuoltyng from hys profession, denyed the Lord, yet to this present day.

MarginaliaApollinia a blessed virgin and Martyr. Among the rest that were taken, there was a certaine virgine well stricken in yeares, named Apollonia, whom they brought forth, and dashyng out all her teeth out of her iawes, made a great fire before the Citie, threatnyng to cast her into the same, vnlesse she would blaspheme with them & deny Christ. Wherat she staying a litle with her selfe, as one that would take a pause, sodenly leaped into the middest of the fyre, and there was burned.

MarginaliaSerapion Martyr. There was one also Serapion, whom they tooke in his owne house, and after they had assayled him with sundry kyndes of tormentes, and had broken almost all the ioyntes of his body, they cast him downe from an vpper loft, and so dyd he complete his Martyrdom. Thus was no way, neither priuie nor publicke, no corner nor ally left for vs, neither by day nor by night to escape, all the people makyng an outcry agaynst vs, that vnlesse we vttered wordes of blasphemy, we should be drawen to the fire & burned.MarginaliaThe iust punishment of God turnyng the crueltie of aduersaries vpon themselues. And this outragious tumult endured a certaine space, but at length, as the Lord would, the miserable wretches fell at dissentiō amōg them selues, which turned the crueltie they exercised agaynst vs, vpon their owne heads. And so had we a litle breathyng tyme for a season, while the fury of the Heathen people by this occasion asswaged.

Shortly then after this, word was brought vnto vs of the state of the Empire, which before was somethyng fauourable to vs, to be altered and chaunged agaynst vs, puttyng vs in great feare. And consequently vpon the same folowed the Edict of the Emperour so terrible and cruell, that accordyng to the forewarnyng of the Lord, the elect if it had bene possible, might haue bene therby subuerted. Vpon that edict such feare came ouer vs all, that many there were, especially of the richer sorte, of whō some for feare came running, some were led by the occasion of tyme, some were drawen by their neighbours beyng cited by name, to those vnpure and idolatrous sacrifices. Other some came tremblyng and shaking, as men not which should do sacrifice, but whiche should be sacrificed them selues, the multitude laughyng them to scorne. Some agayne came boldly to the aultars, declaryng them selues neuer to haue bene of that profession, of whom it is sayd that hardly they shalbe saued. Of the residue some folowed one part, some an other, somme ranne away, some were taken. Of whom certaine continued to bandes & tormentes constant. Other agayne after long imprisonmēt, before they should come before the Iudge, renounced their fayth. Some also after they suffered tormētes, yet after reuolted. But other beyng strōg as blessed, & valiaunt pillers of the Lord, fortified with constancie agreyng to their fayth, were made faythfull martyrs of þ^e kingdome of God.

MarginaliaIulianus martyr. Of whom the first was Iulianus, a man diseased with the gout, and not able to go, beyng caryed of two men, of whō the one quickly denyed, the other Cronion surnamed Eunus, with the foresayd Iulianus the old man, confessyng the Lord with a perfect fayth, were layde vpon Camels, and there scourged, at length cast into the fire, with great constancie were so consumed.

MarginaliaA certaine souldiour Martyr. As these aforesayd were goyng to their Martyrdome, there was a certaine souldiour, who in their defence tooke part agaynst them that railed vpon them. For the whiche cause the people crying out agaynst hym, he also was apprehended, and beyng constant in his profession, was forthwith beheaded.

MarginaliaMacar a blessed Martyr. Likewise one Macar, a man borne in Lybia, beyng admonished and exhorted of the Iudge to deny his faythe, and not agreeyng to his persuasions, was burned alyue.

MarginaliaEpimachus
Alexander.
vvith foure vvemē Martyrs. After these suffered Epimachus, and one Alexander, who beyng lōg deteined in prison & in bandes, after innumerable paynes and tormentes with rasers and scourges, were also cast into the burnyng fire with foure other women with them, which all there ended their Martyrdome.

MarginaliaAmmonarion virgin Martyr. Also Ammonarion an holy virgine, whom the cruell iudge had long and bitterly tormented, for that she promising the Iudge before, that for no punishment she would yeld to his request, and cōstantly performyng the same, suffered likewise Martyrdome, with two other women,MarginaliaMercuria,
Dionysia,
Martyrs. of whom there was an aged Matrone, named Mercuria, the other was called Dionysia beyng a mother of many fayre children, whom yet notwithstandyng she loued not aboue the Lord. These after they could be ouercome by no tormentes of the cruell iudge, but he rather ashamed and confoūded to be ouercome of sely women, at length they beyng past feeling of all tormentes, were slayne with the sword, first Ammonarion like a valiant Captaine sufferyng before them.

MarginaliaHeron, Ater,
Isidorus,
Dioscorus,
Martyrs. Heron, Ater, and Isidorus Egyptians, and with them Dioscorus also a childe of. xv. yeares, were crowned with the same crowne of Martyrdome. And first the Iudge began with the child, thinkyng him more easie to be wonne, with wordes to entise hym, then with tormentes to constraine him, but he persisted immouable, geuyng neither place to persuasions nor punishmentes. The rest after he had greuously tormēted, beyng constant in their profession, he committed to the fire. At Dioscorus the Iudge greatly marueilyng for his wise aunsweres, and graue constauncie dismissed him, sparyng (as he sayd) his age to a longer respite: whiche Dioscorus is yet also with vs at this present, waytyng for a longer triall.

MarginaliaNemesion, Martyr. Nemesion beyng also an Egyptian, first was accused for a companion of theeues, but beyng purged therof before the Centurion, was then accused of Christianitie, and for that cause beyng in bandes, was brought to the President, who most vnrighteously tormentyng and scourgyng hym double to all other theeues and felons,MarginaliaTheeues in the old time amōgest the Romaines burned. at length among the theeues burned him to death, makyng him a blessed martyr.

MarginaliaAmmon,
Zenon,
Ptolomeus,
Ingenuus,
Theophilus,
Martyr Confessours. There were standyng before the tribunall seate certaine of the warriours or Knightes, whose names were Ammon, Zenon, Ptolomeus, Ingenuus, and with them a certaine aged man called Theophilus, who stādyng by, at what time a certaine Christen man was before the iudge examined, & there seyng him for feare ready to incline and fall away, dyd burst almost for sorrow within them selues, makyng signes to him with their handes and all iestures of their body, to be constant. This beyng noted of all the standers by, they were ready to lay hold vpon them, but they preuentyng the matter, preased vp of their own accorde before to the bench of the Iudge, professing them selues to be Christians.MarginaliaA notable example of Christian courage in confessyng Christ. In somuch that both the President with the benchers by were all astoyned, the Christians which were iudged, more enboldned to suffer, and the Iudges thereby terrified. This done, they departed away from the place, glad and reioycing for the testimony that they had geuen of their fayth. Many other besides were in other cities and townes rent and torne a sunder by the Heathen, among whom one I will speake of for example.

MarginaliaIschyrion, Martyr. Ischyrion one that was in seruice with a certaine noble man, was cōmaunded of his maister to make sacrifice, who for not obeying was therfore rebuked: After persistyng in the same, was grieuously threatned with sharpe and manacyng wordes. At last his maister, when he could not preuayle agaynst him, takyng a stake or pyke in his handes, ranne him through into the body, and slewe him.

What should I speake of the multitude of them, which wanderyng in desertes, and mountaines, were consumed with hunger, thyrst, colde, sicknes, theeues, or wilde beasts, of whose blessed victorie they whiche be a liue, are yet wit-