were faine to be the habitations, and resting places of the poore and miserable Christians. Eusebius. Lib. 10. cap, 14. Of those worthy men and famous Martyrs, which in this persecution founde the way to heauen, Nicephorus. Lib. 7. cap. 10. first speaketh of Theodorus,MarginaliaHote persecution renued. Theodorus. who first being hanged vpon the crosse, had nawles thrust into his arme pits, and after that his head stirken of. Also of another Theodorus being the Byshop of Tyre,MarginaliaAnother Theodorus Byshop of Tyrus. the thirde was a man of Perga.MarginaliaA man of Perga. Basilius also the Byshop of Amasenus, Nicolaus, the Byshop of Mirorus, Gregorius, of Armenia the great:MarginaliaNicholaus Bushop of Mirorus. Gregorius Byshop of Armenia. After that, Paule of Neocæsaria, which by the impious commandemēt of Licinius had both his hands cut of with a searing yron. Besides these were in the Citie of Sebastia, xl. worthy men, & Christian souldiours in the vehemēt cold time of winter, soused and drowned in a horse pond, whē Locias as yet, of whom we spake before, and Agricolaus executing the Shrieues office vnder Licinius in the East parts, were aliue: and were in great estimation, for inuenting of new and strange torments against the Christians. The wiues of those 40. good men, were caried to Heraclea a Citie in Thracia, and there with a certaine Deacon whose name was Amones, were (after innumerable torments by them most constauntly indured) slaine with the sworde.MarginaliaPaulus Byshop of Neoceæsaria, with 40. other martyrs. XL good men and their wiues martyrs. Amones with xl wiues of xl. men martyrs. These thinges wryteth Nicephorus. Also Zozomenus in his ninth booke & 2. Chapter maketh mention of the same Martyrs. And Basilius in a certaine Oration seemeth to intreate of their history, sauing that in the circumstances he somwhat varieth. And surely Licinius was determined, for that the first face of this persecution fel out according to his desire, to haue ouerrunne all the Christians: to which thing neither consell, nor good will, nor yet oportunitie, perchance wanted:MarginaliaThe wicked purpose of Licinius had he not bene preuented by God and slayne by Constantinus. vnlesse God had brought Constantinus into those parties, where he gouerned: where, in the warres which hee himselfe began (knowing right well that Constantinus had intelligence of his conspiracy & treason) ioyning battaile with him, was most cowardly ouercome.MarginaliaLicinius ouercome in battaile by Constantinus.

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Diuers battailes betweene them were fought, the first fought in Hungarie, where Licinius was ouerthrowen: Then he fled into Macedonia, & repairing his army, was againe discomfited. Finally, being vāquished, both by sea and lande: he lastly, at Nicomedia, yelded himselfe to Constantine: and was cōmaunded to liue a priuate life in Thessalia, where at length he was slaine by the souldiours.

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MarginaliaThe end and death of the tyrauntes whiche were the authors of this x. persecution.Thus haue ye heard, the ende and conclusion of all the vij. tyrants, which were the authors and workers of this x. and last persecutiō, against the true people of God. The chiefe Captaine, and incentour of which persecution was first Dioclesian, who died at Salena, as some say, by his owne poyson. An. 319. The next was Maximinian, who as is sayde, was hanged of Constantine at Masilia, about the yeare of our Lorde. 310. Then died Galerius, plagued with an horrible disease sent of God. Seuerus was slaine by Maximinian, father of Maxentius the wicked tyraunt was ouercome and vanquished of Constantine. an. 318. Maximinus the vj. tyraunt taried not long after, who being ouercome by Licinius, died, about the yere of our Lord. 320. Lastly, how this Licinius was ouercome by Constantine and slaine. An. 324. is before declared. Only Constantius, the father of Constantine being a good and a godly Emperour, died in the third yeare of the persecution. An. 310. and was buried at Yorke. After whom succeeded after his godly father, Constantinus, as a seconde Moses sent and set vp of God to deliuer his people out of this so miserable captiuitie, into libertie most ioyfull.

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MarginaliaA briefe story of the most notable Martirs, that suffered in this x. persecution.Now remaineth after the end of these persecutors thus described, to gather vp the names & stories of certain particular Martyrs, which nowe are to be set forth worthy of speciall memory:  

for their singular constancie & fortitude, shewed in their sufferings & cruell torments. The names of all which that suffered in this foresaid tenth persecution, being in number infinite, in vertue most excellēt, it is impossible heere to comprehend: but the most notable, and in most approued authors expressed, we thought heere to insert, for the more edification of other Christiās, which may and ought to looke vpon their examples, first beginning with Albanus, the first Martyr that euer in England suffered death for the name of Christ.

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At what time Dioclesian & Maximinian the Pagan Emperours had directed out their letters with all seueritye, for the persecuting of the Christians: AlbanMarginaliaAlbanus, Martyr.being then an infidell, receiued into his house a certaine Clerke, fleeing from the persecutours hands, whom when Alban beheld, continually both day & night to perseuer in watching and in prayer: sodenly by the great mercy of God, he began to imitate the example of his faith & vertuous life:MarginaliaFruite of hospitalitie to be noted. whereupon by litle and litle he being instructed by his holesom exhortation, and leauing the blindnesse of his Idolatrie, be-came at length a perfect Christian.MarginaliaAlbanus first counerted, and by what occasion. And when the forenamed Clerke had lodged with him a certaine time, it was enformed the wicked Prince, that this good man & Confessour of Christ (not yet condemned to death) was harbored in Albans house, or very neare vnto him. Whereupon immediately he gaue in charge to the souldiours, to make more diligent inquisition of the marter. Who as soone as they came to the house of Alban the Martyr, hee by and by putting on the apparell wherewith his guest and maister was apparelled (that is, a garment at that time vsed, named Caracalla) offered him selfe in the steade of the other to the souldiours:MarginaliaAlbanus offereth himselfe to death for an other. who binding him, brought him forthwith to the iudge. It fortuned that at that instant when blessed Alban was brought unto the Iudge, they founde the same Iudge at the aulters offering sacrifice vnto Deuils, who as soone as hee sawe Alban, was straight waies in a great rage, for that hee woulde presume of his owne voluntary will, to offer him selfe to perill, and geue him selfe a prisoner to the souldiours, for safegarde of his guest whome he harbored: and commaunded him to be brought before the Images of the deuils whome he worshipped, saying:MarginaliaThe words of the Iudge to Albane. For that thou haddest rather hide & conuey away a rebell, then to deliuer him to the officers, and that (as a contemner of our Gods) he should not suffer punishment and merite of his blasphemye: looke what punishment he shoulde haue had, thou for him shalt suffer the same: if I perceiue thee any whit to reuolt from our maner of worshipping. But blessed Alban, who of his owne accorde had bewrayed to the persecutors that hee was a Christian, feared not at all the manaces of the Prince, but being armed with spirituall armour, openly pronounced that hee woulde not obey his commandement. Then sayd the Iudge: of what stocke or kindred art thou come? Alban answered,MarginaliaThe constācy and zeale of Albane.what is that to you, of what stocke soeuer I am come of, if you desire to heare the veritie of my Religion, I do ye to wit that I am a Christian, and apply my selfe altogether to that calling. Then sayd the Iudge, I woulde knowe thy name, and see thou tell me the same without delay. Then sayde hee, my parentes named me Alban, and I worship and honour the true and liuing God, which hath created all the worlde. Then sayd the Iudge fraught with fury, if thou wilt enioy the felicitie of this present life, doe sacrifice (and that out of hande) to these mighty Gods. Alban replieth:MarginaliaThe confession of Albane. these sacrifices which ye offer vnto deuils, cā neither helpe them that offer the same, neither yet can they accomplish the desires and prayers of their suppliāts: But rather shal they, what soeuer they be, that offer sacrifice to these Idoles, receaue for their meede euerlasting paines of hell fire. The Iudge, when he heard these words, was passing angry, and commaunded the tormentors to whip this holy Confessour of God, indeuoring to ouercome the constancy of his hart w^t stripes, which had preuailed nothing with wordes.MarginaliaThe suffering and martyrdome of Alban. And when he was cruelly beaten, yet suffered he the same paciently, nay rather ioyfully, for the Lordes sake. Then when the Iudge saw that he would not with torments be ouercomen, nor be reduced from the worship of Christian Religion, he commaunded him to be beheaded.

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MarginaliaSuperfluous miracles in this story written by Bede omitted.The rest that foloweth of this story in the narration of Bede, as of drying vp the Riuer, as Alban went to the place of his execution: then of making a welspring in the top of the hill, and of the falling out of the eyes of him that did behead him (with such other prodigious miracles mētioned in his story) because they seeme more legēdlike, then truthlike: againe, because I see no great profit, nor necessitie in the relation thereof, I leaue them to the free iudgement of the Reader, to thinke of them, as cause shall moue him.

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MarginaliaThe legend of S. Alban disproued.The like estimation I haue of the long story, wherein is written at large a fabulous discourse of all the doings & miracles of S. Alban, taken out of the Librarie of S. Albans, compiled (as there is saide) by a certaine Pagan, who (as he sayth) afterwarde went to Rome, there to be Baptised. But because in the beginning or Prologue of the Booke, the sayde writer maketh mention of the ruinous walles of the towne of Verolamium, containing the storye of Albanus, and of his bitter punishments: which walles were then falling downe for age, at the wryting of the sayde booke, as he saith: Therby it seemeth this story to be written a great while after the martyrdome of Alban: either by a Britaine, or by an English mā. If he were a Britaine, how then did the Latin translation take it out of the English tounge, as in the Prologue he him selfe doeth testifie. If hee were an Englishmā, how then did he go vp to Rome for baptisme, being a Pagan, when he myght haue bene baptised amōg the Christian Britaines more neare at home.

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But among al other euidences and declarations sufficient to disproue this Legendary story of S. Alban, nothing maketh more against it, then the very storie it selfe: as