selfe. But the Courtiers when they sawe that the woman taryed for so long, they being displeased therwith, brake open the doores, and her there lying dead. Then returned they and declared this matter to the Emperor, who was so far past shame, that in steade of repentance, hee was the more set on fire in attempting the like.

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MarginaliaA monster in the likelihoode of an Emperour.He was also much addict to the arte Magicall, which to execute, hee was more fitte then the Imperiall dignitie. Also sometime he would rippe women when they were in laboure, and would search the place where the infant lay, being borne a little before. Often he woulde inuocate Diuels in a secrete maner, and by the answeres of them hee sought to breake the warres, which he knew Constantinus and Licinius prepared against him. And to the ende hee might the rather perpetrate hys mischieuous and wicked attemptes, which in his vngracious minde he had conceiued, according to his purpose, in the beginning of his raigne he fained himself to be a fauourer of the Christians.MarginaliaA liuely patterne of an hipocrite In which thing doing, thinking to make the people of Rome hys friendes, hee commaunded that they shoulde cease from persecuting of the Christians, and hee himselfe in the meane season abstained from no contumelious vexation of them, till that he began at last to shewe hymselfe an open persecutour of them: at which time as Zonaras wryteth hee most cruelly raged against all the Christians thereabouts, vexing them w^t all maner of iniuries. Which thing he in no lesse wise did, then Maximinus, as Euse. in his 8. booke and 15. chap. seemeth to affirme.MarginaliaEuseb. Lib. 8. cap. 15. And Platina declareth in the life of Marcellus the Bishop, that hee banished a certaine noble woman of Rome, because shee gaue her goodes to the Church.

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MarginaliaThe Romaines send to Constantine for succour.Thus by the grieuous tyranny and vnspeakable wickednesse of thys Maxentius, the Citizens and Senatours of Rome, being much grieued and oppressed, sent theyr complaintes wyth letters vnto Constantinus, wyth much sute and most hearty petitions, desiring hym to helpe and release their Countrey and Citie of Rome: who hearyng and vnderstanding theyr miserable and pitifull state, and grieued therewyth not a little, first sendeth by letters to Maxentius, desiring and exhorting him to refrayne his corrupt doinges, and great crueltie. But when no letters nor exhortations woulde preuaile, at length pitying the wofull case of the Romaines, gathered together hys power and armie in Britayne and Fraunce, wherewyth to represse the violent rage of that tyraunt. Thus Constantinus sufficiently appoynted with strength of men, but especially wyth strength of God, entred hys iourny comming towarde Italie, whyche was about the last yeare of the persecution. Anno 318.MarginaliaAn. 318 Maxentius vnderstanding of the comming of Constantine, and trusting more to his diuelish Arte of Magike, then to the good will of hys subiectes, whych hee little deserued, durst not shewe himselfe out of the Citie, nor encounter wyth him in the open fielde, but wyth priuie garrisons laide in waite for him by the waye, in sundry straightes as he should come. With whom Constantine had diuers skirmishes, and by the power of the Lorde did euer vanquishe them and put them to flight. MarginaliaMaxentius feared for hys magicke and sorceryNotwythstanding Constantinus yet was in no great comfort, but in great care and dread in hys minde (approching nowe neare vnto Rome) for the Magicall charmes and sorceries of Maxentius, wherewith hee had vanquished before Seuerus sent by Galerius against hym, as hath bene declared, which made also Constantinus the more afrayde. Wherefore being in great doubt and perplexity in himself, and reuoluing many thinges in his minde, what helpe he might haue against the operatiōs of hys charming, which vsed to cut women great with childe, to take hys diuelishe charmes by the entrals of the infants, with such other like feates of deuilishnes which he practised: These thinges (I say) Constantinus doubting and reuoluing in his minde, in his iourney drawing toward the Citie, and casting vp his eyes many times to heauen, in the South part, about the going downe of the sunne, sawe a great brightnesse in heauen, appearing in the similitude of a crosse, wyth certaine starres of an equall bignesse, geuing this inscription like Latine letters, IN HOC VINCE  

, that is: In thys ouercome. Euseb. De vita Constant lib. 2. Nicep. lib. 7. cap. 29. Eutrop. lib. 11. Sozom. lib 1. cap 3. Socrat lib. 1. cap. 2. Vrspurgens. Chronic. Paul. Diacon. lib. 11.MarginaliaA miracle of a crosse appearing to Constantine in heauen. In hoc Vince. Euse. lib. 2. Niceph. lib. 7. cap. 29. Eutropo. lib. 11. Sozom. li. 1. cap. 3. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 2. Vrspugens. Chronic. Paul. Diacon. lib. 11. Thys miraculous vision to be true, for the more credite, Eusebius Pamphilus in hys first booke De vita Constantini doeth witnesse moreouer, that hee had hearde the sayde Constantinus himselfe oftentimes reporte, and also to sweare this to be true and certaine, which hee did see with his owne eyes in heauen, and also his souldiours about him.MarginaliaThis vision reported and testified by constantine himselfe to be true. At the sight wherof, when he was greatly astonied, and consulting with his men vpon the mea-ning thereof, behold in the night season in his slepe Christ appeared to him with the signe of the same crosse, which he had seene before, bidding him to make the figuration therof, and to carie it in hys warres before him, and so shoulde he haue the victorie.

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MarginaliaAn admonition concerning the material crosse not to be worshipped, but to be a meanes to bring Constantine to the faith of him whiche was crucified.Wherin is to be noted (good Reader) that this signe of the Crosse, and these letters added withall: In hoc vince, was geuen to him of God, not to induce any superstitious worship or opynion of the Crosse, as though the crosse it self, had any such power or strength in it, to obtaine victorie: but onely to beare the meaning of an other thing, that is, to be an admonition to him, to seeke and aspire to the knowledge and faith of him, which was crucified vppon the crosse for the saluation of him, and of all the world, and so to set forth the glory of his name, as afterwarde it came to passe. This by the way, now to the matter.

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MarginaliaConstantinus with hys army approcheth toward Rome.The next day following after this nights vision, Constantinus caused a crosse after the same figuratiō to be made of golde and precious stone, and to be borne before him in steade of his standard: and so with much hope of victory & great confidence, as one armed from heauen spedeth himselfe towarde his enemie. Against whom Maxentius being constrained perforce to issue out of the Citie, sendeth al his power to ioyne with him in the fielde beyonde the riuer of Tybur, where Maxentius craftely breaking down þ^e bridge called Pons Miluius, caused an other deceitfull bridge to be made of boates and whirries, being ioyned together, and couered ouer with boordes and planckes in maner of a bridge, thinking therwith to take Constantine as in a trap. But here it came to passe which in the 7. Psalme is writtē. He digged a pit, and fell therein himselfe. Let his working returne vpon his owne head, and his vnrighteousnesse vppon hys owne pate, which heere in this Maxentius was rightly verified.MarginaliaPsal. 7. Maxentius taken in hys owne trap. For after the two hostes did meete, hee being not able to sustaine the force of Constantine fighting vnder the crosse of Christ against hym, was put to such a flight, and driuen to suche an exigent, that in retyring backe, for hast thinking to get the Citie, vppon the same bridge which he did lay for Constantine, was ouerturned by the fall of hys horse into the bottome of the floude, and there with the waight of his armour, he with a great part of his beatē men were drowned.MarginaliaMaxentius beaten in the field. Maxentius drowned by his owne bridge. Representing vnto vs the like example of Pharao & his host drowned in the red sea.MarginaliaPharao a figure of Maxentius the last persecutor in Rome. Who not vnaptly seemeth to beare a Propheticall figuration of this Maxentius. For as the children of Israel were in long thraldome and persecution in Egypt vnder tyrantes there, til the drowning of this Pharao theyr last persecutour: so was this Maxentius and Maximinus and Licinius the last persecutours in the Romane Monarchie of the Christians, whome thys Constantinus fighting vnder the crosse of Christ, did vanquishe and set the Christians at liberty, who before had bene persecuted nowe 300. yeares in Rome, as hath bene hetherto in this historie declared.MarginaliaPharao and Maxentius compared.

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Wherefore as the Israelites with their Moses at the drowning of their Pharao, song gloriously vnto the Lorde, who myraculously had cast downe the horse and horsemen into the sea:MarginaliaExod. 15. The figure of the old testament verefied in the new. So no lesse reioycing and exceeding gladnesse was heere, to see the gloryous hande of the Lorde Christe fighting with his people, and vanquishing hys enemyes and persecutours.

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MarginaliaThe glorious and victorious host of Christ.In histories we read of many victories and great conquests gotten: yet we neuer read, nor euer shal of any victory so wholsom, so commodious, so opportune to mākind as this was, which made an ende of so much bloudshed, & obtained so much libertye & life to the posterity of so many generations. For albeit that some persecutiō was yet stirring in the East countreys by Maximinus and Licinius, as shall be declared: Yet in Rome and in all the West partes, no martyr died after this heauēly victory gotten. And also in the East partes the said Constantinus with the said crosse borne before him, consequently vpon the same so vanquished the tyrants, and so established the peace of the church, that for the space of a iust M. yeares after that, we reade of no set persecution against the Christians, vnto the time of Iohn Wickliffe,MarginaliaPersecution in the West ceaseth for a M. yeares till the time of Wyckliffe. when the bishops of Rome began with fire to persecute the true members of Christ, as in further processe of thys historie (Christ graunting) shall appeare. So happie, so glorious (as I sayde) was this victorie of Constantine, surnamed the great. For the ioy & gladnes wherof, the Citizens who had sent for him before, with exceding triumph brought him into the citie of Rome, where he w^t the crosse was most honourably receiued and celebrated the space of vij. dayes together, hauing moreouer in the market place, his image set vp, holding in his right hande the signe of the crosse, w^t this inscription: Hoc salutari signo, veraci fortitudinis indicio, ciuitatem nostram iugo tyranni ereptam liberaui. That is, with this wholesome signe, the true

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