MarginaliaThe story of Philippus and Eugenia. is this: Philippus beyng promoted to the Presidentshyp of Alexandria, came downe with his wife Claudia, and his. ij. sonnes, Auitus, and Sergius, and with his daughter named Eugenia, of the which Eugenia a long history full of straūge and prodigious miracles is writtē of Antoninus and other, wherof many thynges I will cut of, and briefly touche the effect of the story, leauyng to the iudgement of the reader the credit of myne authors, as he shall see cause.

MarginaliaEugenia,
Prothus,
Hiacynthus,
conuerted. This Eugenia daughter of Philippus, beyng of singular beautie, and diligently brought vp by her parentes in the study of sciēce and learnyng, was by occasion of hearyng the Christians, reduced and brought to Christianitie, with. ij. other Eunuches her scholefellowes called Prothus & Hiacynthus: with whom she takyng counsaile, vpon the occasion, whether to auoyde the daunger of persecution, or refusing to marry with a Pagane, vnknowyng to her parentes and frendes did flee away, and because the more boldly she might resort to heare the readynges of Helenus then an aged Byshop, and of others,MarginaliaEugenia leauing her parentes, changeth her selfe into mans apparell. chaunged her selfe into a mans apparell, and named her selfe Eugenius, vnder the whiche name she was at length admitted vnto a certaine Monastery, or a societie of Christians in the suburbes of Alexandria (although I hardly beleue that any Monastery of Christians was then in the suburbes of Alexandria permitted) where also at last for her excellencie of learnyng and vertue, she was made head of the place. Here by the way I omit the miracles of the foresaydMarginaliaHelenus Byshop of Hierapolis. Helenus (Byshop as the story sayth of Hierapolis) how he caried burnyng coales in his lap, and how he aduentred him selfe to go in the burnyng fire, to refell wicked Zereas a Pagane, remainyng in the same vnburned. Here also I omit the carefull search of her parents for her, and of the answere of the Pythonisse againe vnto them, that she was taken vp to the heauen among the Goddesses. I omit moreouer the miracles done by the sayd Eugenia, in healyng the diseases and sicknesses of such as came to her. &c. The story proceedeth thus: Among other which were by this Eugenius cured and restored, there was a certaine Matrone of Alexandria named Melancia, who after she had vsed the helpe and acquaintaunce with Eugenius, supposing her to be a man, fell into inordinate loue, seekyng by all meanes how to accomplish the lust of her cōcupiscence. In so much that in her dayly visityng of her, at length she began secretly to breake her minde, and to entise her to her leudnes. Eugenius contrary exhorted her to vertue ' honesty, shewyng her the miseries of this life, and the perill of that folly.MarginaliaEugenia accused of Melancia. Melancia seyng that by no meanes she would be allured, nor by force drawen to her desire, and fearing moreouer, that she in detecting of her, would bring her to shame, beginneth first to make an outcry of Eugenius, declaryng how that she went about corruptly to defloure her, and so presented her accusation before Philippus the President, as well agaynst Eugenius, as also agaynst the rest of that company. This matter beyng heard, and the woman well knowen, the crime began to seeme suspicious, and so much the more, because it was obiected agaynst the Christians. By reason whereof Eugenius with her felow Christians was now not onely in great hatred, but also in daunger of present death and destruction. Then Eugenius purgyng her selfe and her honesty, although with sufficiēt probation, yet notwithstandyng perceauyng that it could take no place, what soeuer she sayd, and seyng no tyme now to dissemble any lenger, for the daunger as well of her owne selfe, as specially of her brethren, whiche troubled her more: desired of the Iudge place and tyme to make manifest to him the truth, and so shewed her selfe what she was, and how she was his daughter, the other to be Prothus & Hiacinthus the two Eunuches, her scholefellowes, vtteryng moreouer to him and to her brethren the cause of her departyng from them.MarginaliaEugenia knowen of her parentes. At the narration whereof Philippus her father, and her two brethren commyng to the knowledge of her, cōceaued no litle ioy in receauyng their Eugenia againe, whom they thought had bene lost. No lesse gladnes was amōg the people, to see the euidence of þ^e matter so playnly to try out the truth of the one, and the falsenes of the other.MarginaliaFalse accusation conuicted. Whereat the malignaunt accuser was with double shame confounded, first for her dishonesty falsly cloked, secondly for the vntruth of her accusation openly detected. Bergomensis addeth moreouer, that the said accuser was stricken presētly with lightnyng. Thus Eugenia trying her honesty to her parents & frendes, not onely was receaued of them agayne, but also by the grace of the Lord workyng with her, in space of tyme did wynne them to Christ.MarginaliaPhilippus by hys daughter conuerted vnto Christ. Wherby Philippus the father of her by nature, now by grace was begottē of his own daughter to a more perfect lyfe, and whom once he thought to haue bene lost, not onely he founde agayne, but also with her found his owne soule, and his owne life, which before he had lost in deede.MarginaliaPhilippus
Martyr. This Philippus (sayth the story) was made afterward Byshop of Alexandria, and there suffered Martyrdome. Concernyng whose Martyrdome I denye not but it maye be true: but that he was Byshop of Alexandria that can not be admitted, as is before sufficiētly proued out of Eusebius and other auncient Historicians.

Likewise it is sayd, that Eugenia after the Martyrdome of her father, returnyng to Rome with Prothus and Hiacinthus, by occasion of conuertyng Basilla (who should haue bene maried to a Pagan husband, and was MarginaliaBasilla,
Eugenia,
Martyrs. then beheaded) to the Christian fayth, was assayled with sundry kyndes of death, first beyng tyed to a great stone & cast into Tyber, where she was caryed vp from drowning, then put in the hoate bathes, whiche were extincted, and she preserued: afterward by famishment in prison, where they say she was fed at the hand of our Sauiour, all which legendary miracles I leaue to the reader to iudge of them, as shall seeme good vnto him. At last the story sayth, she was with the sword beheaded. Antonin. Bergom. Ado.

MarginaliaCorrections in the story aboue touched.
Helenus Byshop of Tarsus. And because in this present history mention was made of Helenus, whom Antoninus with his fellowes noteth to be the Byshop of Hierapolis, here is to be vnderstode & obserued by the way, þ^t as Philippus in the foresayd history is falsly sayd to bee Byshop of Alexandria: so likewise vntrue it is that Helenus was Bishop of Hierapolis. For by Eusebius it appeaareth Lib. 7. cap. 5. alledgyng the wordes of Dionysius, that he was Byshop of Tarsus in Cilicia, and had there ouersight of that Church from the tyme of our Lord. 254. to the yeare. 274.

Marginalia262.
Victor.
Victorinus.
Claudianus.
Bossa,
martyrs. The vj. yeare of Valerianus and Galienus, we read in the story of Herfordiensis, cited out of Isuardus, of Victor and Victorinus, who lying in prison the space of three yeares with Claudianus and Bossa his wife, are sayd to haue sustayned great tormentes and Martyrdome, for the testimony and name of Christ. Ex Isuardo.

MarginaliaFructuosus
Byshop of Tarracona in Spayne, wyth hys. 2. Deacons
Augurius.
Eulogius.
Martyrs. Aurelius Prudentius in his booke intituled Peristephanon, inferreth mention of Fructuosus Byshop of Tarracona in Spayne, who with his two Deacons Augurius, and Eulogius, suffered also Martyrdome, beyng burned after sixe dayes imprisonmēt, vnder the foresayd Emperours in this persecution. The cause of their punishment was for the profession of Christes name. Their Iudge and condemner was Emilianus: Their imprisonment endured sixe dayes. The kynde of death ministred vnto them was fire, wherin they beyng altogether cast, with their armes bound behynd them, their bandes (as Prudentius writeth)MarginaliaEx Pruden. Peristeph. were dissolued, their handes vntouched with the fire, and their bodyes remainyng whole. The charge of this Iudge vnto the Byshop was this, that he would worshyp the Gods, whom the Emperour Galienus worshypped. To whom Fructuosus the Byshop aunsweryng: nay (sayd he) I worshyp no dombe Gods of stockes and blockes, whom Galienus doth worshyp: but I worshyp the Lord and Maister of Galienus, the father and creator of all tymes, and his onely sonne sent downe to vs, of whose flock I am here the Pastor and shepheard. At this word Emilianus aunsweryng agayne: Nay (sayth he) say not thou art, but say thou wast. And forthwith commaunded them to be committed to the fire, where (as is sayd) their bandes and manicles beyng loosed by the fire,MarginaliaFructuosus & his Deacōs strengthned in the fire. they lifted vp their handes to heauen, praysyng the liuyng God, to the great admiration of them that stode by, praying also that the element which seemed to flee from them, might worke his ful force vpō them, and spedely dispatche them, whiche was after their request obtained. In the meane space, as they were in the fire, there was a certaine souldiour in the house of Emilianus, who dyd see the heauens aboue to open, and these foresayd Martyrs to enter in the same:MarginaliaThe fauour of God towarde hys martirs opēly declared. which souldiour likewise shewed the sight the same time vnto the daughter of Emilianus the Presidēt, who beholdyng the same sight with the souldiour, was a present witnesse of the blessednesse of them, whom her cruel father had condemned.

As this godly Byshop was preparyng to his death (sayth Prudentius) the brethren approching to him, brought him drinke, desiryng him with much weepyng, to receaue & drinke with them: but that he refused to do, requiryng them moreouer to refrayne their teares. With like readynesse the brethren also were diligēt about him to plucke of his shooes and hose, as he was addressing himself to the fire.MarginaliaThe modestie of Fructuosus. But neither would he suffer any seruantes helpe in that, wherein he was no lesse willing as able to helpe him selfe. And thus this blessed and fruitefull Byshop Fructuosus, with his two Deacons Augurius and Eulogius, beyng brought to the fire, witnessed the constant confession of the name of Christ, with the sheddyng of their bloud. Aurel. Prudentius, Ado, Equilinus.