iourney, whether he was purposed to go, which was to a mariage, the maner of which mariages then was to sit vp all the night long feasting and drinking. MarginaliaThe story of the deliueraunce of Dionysius and hys fellowes. Thus as he was come, sitting with them at the feast, he telleth his companions what was done, & what he heard by the way. This was no sooner told, but all they forthwith vpon a head, as stroken with a sodain fury rushing out together, made toward vs as fast as they could, with such crying & noyse, as might seeme very terrible. At the first hearing wherof, the souldiours that had vs in keping, being afraid, ran away, by reason wherof we were left alone, & found as we were lying vpon fourmes & benches. I then, (the Lord knoweth) thinking with my selfe that they had bene thieues, which came to spoyle and rob, being in my couch, lay still in my shirt onely as I was, the rest of my garments lying by me, I offred to them. They then willed me in all hast to rise and get away, wherby I then perceauing the cause of their commyng, cryed vnto them desiring that they would suffer vs so to do: And if they would do any benefit for me for so much as I could not escape the hands of thē which would pursue me and cary me away, I prayed them that they would preuent them, and cut off my head before. And as I was crying thus vnto them, casting my selfe groueling vpon the pauement as my companions can testifie, who were pertakers of all these thinges, they brust forth violently, takyng me by the handes and feete, and caried me out of the doores, and led me away. There followed me Gaius, Faustus, Petrus, Paulus,MarginaliaDionysius. Gaius. Faustus, Petrus. Paulus deliuered frō the Centurion and the souldiours. (who were witnesses of all the same) which brought me also out of the Citie, and so setting me vpon a bare Asse, conueyed me away. Thus much writeth Dionysius of himselfe, the example of whose Epistle is cited in the Ecclesiasticall story of Eusebius, Lib. 6. cap. 40. also Lib. 7. cap. 11.MarginaliaEx Euseb. lib. 6. ca. 40. Lib. 7. cap. 11.

Nicephorus in his fift booke, cap. 27. maketh mention of one named Christophorus,MarginaliaEx Niceph. Lib 5. cap. 27. Christophorus Martyr. which also suffered in this persecution of Decius. MarginaliaThe fable of great S Christopher. Of which Christophorus, whether the fable riseth of that mighty Giant set vp in Churches, wadyng through the Seas, with Christ on his shoulder, and a tree in his hand for a walking staffe. &c. it is vncertayne. Georg. Wicelius alledgeth out of Ruggerus Fuldens and mentioneth of one Christophorus, borne of the nation of the Cananites, which suffered vnder Decius, beyng, as he sayth of xii. cubites hye. But the rest of the history paynted in Churches, the sayd Wicelius he derideth as fables of Centaurus, or other Poeticall fictions.

MarginaliaMeniatus, Agatha. Martyrs. Bergomensis in hys viii. booke maketh relation of diuers martyred vnder Decius, as Meniatus which suffered at Florence, of Agatha an holy virgine of Sicile, who is sayd to suffer diuers and bitter tormentes vnder Quintinianus the Proconsul, with prisonment, with beatinges, with famine, with racking, roled also vpon sharpe shelles and hot coles, hauing moreouer her brestes cut from her body, as Bergomensis, and the Martyrologe of Ado recorde.MarginaliaEx Bergomens Lib 8. Er Martyrologio Adonis. In the whiche Authors as I denye not, but part of the story may be true, so agayne concernyng the myracles of the aged man appearing to her, and of the yong man clothed in a silken vesture, with an hundreth yong mē after him, and of the marble table with the inscription, Mentem sanctam, &c. I doubt.

Hard it is to recite all that suffred in this persecution, whē as whole multitudes went into wildernes & mountains,MarginaliaMartyrs wandring in mountaynes. wandring without succour or comfort, some starued with hunger and cold, some with sicknes consumed, some deuoured of beastes, some with barbarous theeues taken and caried away. Vincentius in his xj. booke speakyng of Asclepiades, writeth also of xl. virgins and Martyrs,MarginaliaFourty Virgines Martyrs. which by sundry kindes of torments were put to death about the same tyme, in the persecution of this tirant.

MarginaliaTryphon Martyr. Likewise in the said Vincentius, mentiō is made of Tryphon, a man of great holines, and constant in his suffryng, who beyng brought to the Citie of Nice, before the Presedent Aquilus, for his constant confession of Christes name was afflicted with diuers and grieuous torments, and at length with the sword put to death.

MarginaliaMaximianus. Malchus, Martinianus. Dyonisius. Ioannes. Serapion. Constantinus. 7. Martyrs. At what tyme Decius had erected a temple in the midst of the Citie of Ephesus, compelling all that were in the Citie there, to sacrifice to the Idoles, seuen Christians were found, whose names were Maximianus, Malchus, Martianus, Dionysius, Ioannes, Serapion, and Constantinus, who refusing the Idolatrous worship, were accused for the same vnto the Emperour to be Christians. Which when they constantly professed, and did not deny, notwithstanding, because they were souldiours, retayning to the Emperours seruice, respite was geuen them for a certaine space to deliberate with themselues, til the returne agayne of the Emperour, which then was goyng to warre. In the meane space, the Emperour being departed, they taking counsailtogether, went and hidde themselues in secret caues of the Mount Cælius. The Emperour returnyng agayne, after great inquisitiō made for them, hearing where they were, caused the mouth of the place where they were, to be closed vp with heapes of stones, that they not able to get out, should be famished within. And thus were those good men martired. MarginaliaThe fable of the awaking of these seuen martyrs. Ex Vincent. Nicepho. Erfordiens. The story (if it be true) goeth further that they betwene feare and sorrow fell a sleepe, in which sleepe they continued the space of certaine ages after, till the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour, before they did awake, as reporteth Vincentius, Nicephorus, Lib. 5 ca 27. and partly also Henr. Erfordiens. But of their awakyng, that I referre to them that list beleue it. Certain it is, that at the last day they shall awake in deede without any fable.

MarginaliaA souldiour martyr. Ex Hierony. in vita Pauli Eremita. Hieronymus in the lyfe of Paulus the Hermite, reciteth a story of a certaine souldiour, whom the Pretor could not otherwise with torments remooue frō his Christianitie, he deuised an other way, which was this: he cōmaunded the souldiour to be layd vpon a soft bed in a pleasant garden among the flourishing Lillies and red Roses, which done, all other being remoued away, & himself there left alone, a beautifull harlot came to him, who embracing him, & with al other intisements of an harlot, laboured to prouoke him to her naughtines. MarginaliaA notable example of a chast souldiour byting of hys toung, and spitting it in the face of an harlot. But the godly souldiour fearyng God more, then obeying flesh, bitte of his tong with hys owne teeth, and spit it in the face of the harlot, as she was kissing him, and so got he the victorie, by the constant grace of the Lord assisting him.

MarginaliaA like example of chastitie betweene two Christians. Ex Ambr lib. 2. de virgin. An other like example of singular chastitie is written of the virgin Theodora, and an other souldiour, by Ambrose Lib. 2 De virginibus. At Antioche, this Theodora refusing to do sacrifice to the Idols, was condemned by the Iudge to þ^e stewes, which notwþstanding by the singular prouidence of god was wel deliuered. For as there was a great company of wanton yong men ready at the doore to prease into the house where she was, one of the brethren, named Didimus (as Ado sayth) mooued with fayth and motiō of God, putting on a souldioures habite, made himselfe one of the first that came in, who rounding her in the eare, tolde her the cause and purpose of his commyng, beyng a christiā as she was: his counsaile was that she should put on þ^e souldiors habite, and so slip away. And he puttyng on her garmentes would there remaine to abide their force. And so did, whereby the virgine escaped vnknowen. Didimus left vnto the rage and wondring of the people beyng a man in stead of a woman, was presented vnto the President, vnto whom without delay he vttered all the whole matter as it was done, professing him so as he was, to be a christiā, and therupon was condemned to suffer. Theodora vnderstansting thereof, and thinking to excuse him by accusing her selfe, offred her selfe as the partie guiltie, vnto the Iudge, clayming and requiring the condemnation to light vpon her, the other as innocent to be discharged. But the cruell Iudge (crueller than Dionysius, which spared Damon & Pithias) neither considering the vertue of the persons, nor the innocency of the cause, vniustly and inhumanely proceded in execution against thē both, who first hauing their heads cut off, after were cast in the fire, Ambros. Ado.MarginaliaTheodora, Didimus, Martyrs. Although what tyme, or in what persecution these did suffer, in the authors of this narration it doth not appeare.

MarginaliaAgathon, Martyr. Agathon a man of armes in the Citie of Alexandria, for rebuking certaine lewd persons, scornefully deridyng the dead bodies of the Christians, was cried out off and rayled on of the people. Afterward accused to the iudge, was condemned to loose his head. Erfordiensis.

MarginaliaPaulus, Andreas, Martyrs. The sayd Erfordiensis also maketh mention of Paulus, and Andræas, whome the Proconsul of Troada gaue to the people beyng scourged, and after drawne out of the Citie, they were troden to death with the feete of the people. Hen. de Erford.

MarginaliaIustinus, Nicostratus, Portius Martyrs. Among other that suffered vnder this wicked Decius, Bergomensis also maketh mention of one Iustinus a Priest of Rome, and of an other Nicostratus a Deacon. To these Vincentius also addeth Portius a Priest of Rome, whom he reporteth to be the conuerter of Phillip the Emperor afore mentioned.

MarginaliaAbdon, Senas. Martyrs. Of Abdon and Sennas we read also in the foresayd Bergomensis and Vincentius, two noble men, who because they had buried the christians, whom Decius had brought from Babylon to Corduba, and there put them to death, were therfore accused to Decius, & brought to Rome, where they beyng commaunded to sacrifice to dead Idols, would not obey, and for the same were geuen to the wilde beastes to be deuoured: but when the wild beastes more gentle then the men would not touch them, they were at length with the sword beheaded. Bergom. Vincent. Lib. 11. cap 4 Albeit to me it seemeth not vnpossible nor vnlike, this Abdon and