The Holinshed Texts (1577, Volume 1, p. 88 with companion text)

5.57. Conſtantius.

EEBO page image 89

Conſtantius.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Conſtã| [...]ius. [figure appears here on page 89] COnſtanti+us, a Se|natoure of Rome begã to reigne ouer the Britons,Mat. VVest. [...]th. 302. in y^e yeare of oure Lorde .289.289. as oure Hiſtories report [...]. Thys Cõſtanus, as before ye haue hearde, hadde to wyfe Helene the daughter of the foreſayd king Coyll, of whome he begat a ſon named Conſtantinus, which a [...]|warde was Emperour, and for his worthy do|ings ſurnamed Conſtantine the great. S. Am|broſe folowing the common report, writeth, that this Helene was a mayde in an Inne: [...]rofius. [...]eda. and ſome agayne write, that ſhe was concubine to Con|ſtantius, and not his wyfe. But whatſoeuer ſhe was, it appeareth by the writers of the Romain hiſtories, that Conſtantius being the daughters ſonne of one Criſpus, [...]ſpiniã. that was brother to the Emperour Claudius, came into Britayne, and quieted the troubles that were rayſed by the Bri|tons, [...]abian. and there (as ſome write) maryed the for|ſayd Helen being a woman of an excellent beau|tie, whom yet (after) he was conſtrayned to for|ſake, & to marrie Theodora, the daughter in law of Herculeus Maximianus, by whom he hadde ſixe ſons, & finally was treated Emperor togi|ther with y^e ſaid Galerius Maximianus, at what tyme Diocletianus and his fellowe Herculeus Maximianus renounced the rule of the empire, and committed the ſame vnto them. The Em|pire was then deuided betwixte them, ſo that to Conſtantius the regiõs of Italy, Affrik, France, Spayne and Britayne were aſſigned, and to Galerius, Illyrium, Grecia, and all the Eaſte partes. But Conſtantine being a man voyde of ambition, was contented to leaue Italy and Affrike, ſuppoſing his charge to be great inough to haue the gouernment in his hands of France, Spayn, and Britayn (as Eutropius hath.)

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But as touching his reigne ouer the Britons wee haue not to ſaye further than as we fynde in our owne writers recorded: but for his gouern|ment in the empire: it is to be conſidered, that firſt he was admitted to rule as an aſſiſtãt to Maxi|mian vnder y^e title of Ceſar: & ſo from that time if you ſhall accompt his reigne, it may compre|hend xj.xij. or .xiij. yeares, yea more or leſſe, ac|cording to the diuerſitie founde in writers.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But if we ſhal recken his reign from the time onely that Diocletian and Maximian reſigned their title to the Empire,VVil. Hariſ. we ſhall fynde that he reigned not fully .iij. yeares. For where as be|tweene the ſlaughter of Alectus, and the com|ming of Conſtantius, are accompted .8. yeeres and odde monethes, not only thoſe .8. yeeres, but alſo ſome ſpace of tyme before maye be aſended vnto Conſtantius: for although before his com|ming ouer into Britayn now this laſt tyme (for he had bin here afore, as it well appeareth) Aſcle|p [...]odetus gouerned as Legate, albeit vnder Con|ſtantius, who had a greate portion of the weſt part [...]es of the empire vnder his regiment, by the title, as I haue ſayd of Ceſar, although he was not ſayde to reigne abſolutelye, till Diocletian and Maximian reſigned, wherof it is not amiſſe to giue this briefe aduertiſement, accordyng as in William Harriſons Chronologie is ſuffici|ently proued. But now to cõclude with the do|ings of Conſtãtius, at lẽgth he fel ſick at Yorke, and there dyed about the yeare of our Lord .306.306.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 This is not to be forgotten, that whyleſt hee lay on his death bed, ſomewhat before he depar|ted this life, hearing that his ſonne Conſtantine was come, & eſcaped from the emperours Dio|cletian & Maximianus, with whome he remai|ned as a pledge, as after ſhall be partly touched he receyued him with all ioye, and raiſing him|ſelfe vp in his bed, in preſence of his other ſonnes and counſellours, with a greate number of other people and ſtrangers that wer come to viſit him, he ſit the crowne vpon his ſonnes head, and ad|orned him with other imperiall roabes and gar|mentes, executing as it were himſelfe,Niceph. the older of an heralde, and withall ſpake theſe wordes vnto his ſayd ſonne, and to his counſellors there about him.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 Nowe is my death to me more welcome,Tripartit. hiſtoria. and my departure hence more pleaſant. I haue heere a large epitaphe and monumente of buriall, to witte, myne owne ſonne, and one whome in earth I leaue to be Emperor in my place, which by Gods good helpe ſhall wipe awaye the teares of the Chriſtians, and reuenge the crueltie exer|ciſed by tyrants. This I recken to chaunce vn|to me in ſtede of moſte felicitie. After this, tur|ning himſelfe to the multitude, he commaunded them all to be of good comforte, meaning thoſe that had not forſaken true vertue & godlineſſe in Chriſte, which Chriſt he vndertooke ſhould con|tinue with his ſonne Conſtantine in al enterpri|ſes, which in warres or otherwyſe he ſhuld take in hande.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 That deuiſe alſo is worthie to be had in me|morie, which he put in practiſe in his lyfe time, to vnderſtand what true & ſincere Chriſtians were remayning in his courſe: for where as he hadde bin firſte a perſecuter, and after was conuerted, it was a matter eaſy to perſuade the world, that he was no earneſte Chriſtian: and ſo the policie whiche hee thoughte to worke, was the ſooner EEBO page image 90 brought to paſſe, whiche was this: He called to|gether al his officers and ſeruants, feyning him|ſelfe to chooſe out ſuche as would doe ſacrifice to deuils, and that thoſe only ſhould remayne with hym, and keepe their office, and the reſte that re|fuſed ſo to doe, ſhoulde be thruſt out, and bani|ſhed the courte.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Herevpon all the Courtyers deuided themſel|ues into companies: and when ſome offred wil|lingly to do ſacrifice, & other ſome boldly refuſed: the Emperoure marking their dealings, ſharp|ly rebuked thoſe which were ſo ready to diſhonor the liuing God, accompting them as traytors to his diuine maieſtie, and not worthy to remayne within the Court gates: but thoſe that conſtant|ly ſtood in the profeſſion of the chriſtian fayth, he greatly commended, as men worthie to be about a prince: and withall declared, that from thence|foorth they ſhould be as chiefe counſellours and defendors both of his perſon and kingdom, eſtee|ming more of them than of al the treaſure he had in his coffers.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 To conclude, hee was a prince graue, ſober, vpright, courteous and liberall, as he which kept his mynde euer free from couetous deſire of great riches: inſomuch that when he ſhould make any great feaſt to his frendes, he was not aſhamed to borow plate and ſyluer veſſell to ſerue his turne, and to furniſhe his cupborde for the tyme,Pomponius Latus. beyng contented for himſelfe to be ſerued in cruſes and earthen veſſell. He was wonte to haue this ſay|ing in his mouth, that better it was that the ſub|iectes ſhould haue ſtore of money and riches, thã the Prince to keepe it cloſe in his treaſorie, where it ſerued to no vſe. By ſuche curteous dealyng the prouinces whiche were in his charge flouri|ſhed in greate wealth and quietneſſe. He was a right wiſe and politike Prince in the ordering of all weightie matters,He dyed in the yere. 306 as Math. VVeſt. hath noted, and reigned ouer the Britaynes. but .11. yeares as Galf. hath. & verie ſkilfull in the prac|tiſe of warres ſo that he ſtoode the Romane em|pire in great ſtead, and was therfore highly belo|ued of the Souldiours, in ſo muche that imme|diatly after his deceaſe, they proclaymed his ſon Conſtantine Emperour.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 That the Chriſtian faithe was imbraced of the Britons in this ſeaſon, it may appeare, in that Hillarius biſhop of Poictiers writeth to his brethren in Britayne, and Conſtantine in an Epiſtle, as Theodoretus hath in his firſte boke and tenth chapiter maketh mencion of the chur|ches in Britayne: Which alſo Sozomenus doth affirme. For the Britons after they had recey|ued the faithe, defended the ſame euen with the ſheading of their bloud, as Amphibalus who in this Conſtantius days being apprehended, ſuffe|red at Redburne nere to Werlamcheſter, about xv. yeares after the martirdome of his hoſte S. Albane.

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4.27. A further discourse of the forenamed Constantius and Helen, hs regiment ouer this Iland, his behauiour and talke to his sonne and councellors as he lay on his death-bed, a de|uise that he put in practise to vnderstand what true Christians he had in his court, his commen|dable vertues, that the Britains in his time imbraced the christian faith is prooued. The xxvij. Chapter.

A further discourse of the forenamed Constantius and Helen, hs regiment ouer this Iland, his behauiour and talke to his sonne and councellors as he lay on his death-bed, a de|uise that he put in practise to vnderstand what true Christians he had in his court, his commen|dable vertues, that the Britains in his time imbraced the christian faith is prooued. The xxvij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _COnstantius a senatour of Rome began to reigne ouer the Britains,Constan|tius. in the yeere of our Lord 289, as our histo|ries report.Matth. West. saith 302. 289 This Constan|tius (as before ye haue heard) had to wife Helen the daugh|ter of the foresaid king Coel, of whome he begat a sonne named Constantinus, which after was emperour, and for his woorthie doo|ings surnamed Constantine the great. S. Ambrose following the common report,Orofius. Beda. writeth that this He|len was a maid in an inne: and some againe write, that she was concubine to Constantius, and not his wife. But whatsoeuer she was, it appeareth by the writers of the Romane histories, that Constan|tius being the daughters sonne of one Crispus, that was brother to the emperour Claudius,Cuspin [...]an. came into Britaine, and quieted the troubles that were raised by the Britains,Fabian. and there (as some write) maried the foresaid Helen, being a woman of an excellent beautie, whom yet [after] he was constreined to for|sake, and to marrie The odora the daughter in law of Herculeus Maximianus, by whome he had six sonnes, and finallie was created emperour, togither with the said Galerius Maximianus, at what time Dioclesianus and his fellow Herculeus Maximia|nus renounced the rule of the empire, and commit|ted the same vnto them. The empire was then di|uided betwixt them, so that to Constantius the regi|ons of Italie, Affrike, France, Spaine and Bri|taine were assigned; & to Galerius, Illyricum, Gre|cia, and all the east parts. But Constantine being a man void of ambition, was contented to leaue Ita|lie and Affrike, supposing his charge to be great i|nough to haue the gouernement in his hands of France, Spaine, and Britaine (as Eutropius saith.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But as touching his reigne ouer the Britains, we haue not to say further than as we find in our owne writers recorded: as for his gouernement in the empire, it is to be considered, that first he was ad|mitted to rule as an assistant to Maximian vnder the title of Cesar: and so from that time if you shall account his reigne, it maie comprehend 11, 12, or 13 yeeres, yea more or lesse, according to the diuersitie found in writers. Howbeit, if we shall reckon his reigne from the time onelie that Dioclesian and Maximian resigned their title vnto the empire, we shall find that he reigned not fullie thrée yéeres. For whereas betwéene the slaughter of Alectus, and the comming of Constantius, are accounted 8 yéeres and od moneths, not onelie those eight yéeres, but al|so some space of time before maie be ascribed vnto EEBO page image 63 Constantius: for although before his comming ouer into Britaine now this last time (for he had béene here afore, as it well appéereth) Asclepiodotus gouer|ning as legat, albeit vnder Constantius, who had a great portion of the west parts of the empire vn|der his regiment, by the title, as I haue said, of Ce|sar, yet he was not said to reigne absolutelie, till Dioclesian and Maximian resigned. But now to conclude with the dooings of Constantius, at length he fell sicke at Yorke, and there died, about the yeere of our Lord 306.306.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This is not to be forgotten, that whilest he laie on his death-bed, somewhat before he departed this life, hearing that his sonne Constantine was come, and escaped from the emperours Dioclesian and Maxi|mian, with whom he remained as a pledge (as af|ter shall be partlie touched) he receiued him with all ioy, and raising himselfe vp in his bed, in presence of his other sonnes & counsellours, with a great num|ber of other people and strangers that were come to visit him, he set the crowne vpon his sonnes head, and adorned him with other imperiall robes and garments,Niceph. executing as it were him selfe the office of an herald, and withall spake these woords vnto his said sonne, and to his counsellours there about him: Now is my death to me more welcome, and my de|parture hence more pleasant;Tripartit. histo.

I haue heere a large e|pitaph and monument of buriall, to wit, mine owne sonne, and one whome in earth I leaue to be empe|rour in my place, which by Gods good helpe shall wipe away the teares of the Christians, and reuenge the crueltie exercised by tyrants. This I reckon to chance vnto me in stéed of most felicitie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After this, turning himselfe to the multitude, he commanded them all to be of good comfort, meaning those that had not forsaken true vertue and godli|nesse in Christ, which Christ he vndertooke should con|tinue with his sonne Constantine in all enterprises, which in warres or otherwise he should take in hand. That deuise also is woorthie to be had in memorie, which he put in practise in his life time, to vnderstand what true and sincere Christians were remaining in his court. For whereas he had béene first a persecu|ter, and after was conuerted, it was a matter easie to persuade the world, that he was no earnest Chri|stian: and so the policie which he thought to worke, was the sooner brought to passe, which was this.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 He called togither all his officers and seruants, feining himselfe to choose out such as would doo sa|crifice to diuels, and that those onelie should remaine with him and kéepe their office, and the rest that re|fused so to doo, should be thrust out, and banished the court. Héervpon all the courtiers diuided themselues into companies: and when some offered willinglie to doo sacrifice, and other some boldlie refused: the emperour marking their dealings, sharpelie rebu|ked those which were so readie to dishonour the li|uing God, accounting them as traitours of his di|uine maiestie, and not woorthie to remaine within the court gates: but those that constantlie stood in the profession of the christian faith, he greatlie com|mended, as men woorthie to be about a prince: and withall declared, that from thencefoorth they should be as chiefe counsellours and defenders both of his person and kingdome, estéeming more of them than of all the treasure he had in his coffers.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 To conclude, he was a graue prince, sober, vp|right, courteous and liberall, as he which kept his mind euer frée from couetous desire of great riches: insomuch that when he should make anie great feast to his friends, he was not ashamed to borow plate and siluer vessell to serue his turne,Pomponius Laetus. and to furnish his cupbord for the time, being contented for himselfe to be serued in cruses & earthen vessels. He was woont to haue this saieng in his mouth, that better it was that the subiects should haue store of monie and ri|ches, than the prince to kéepe if close in his treasurie, where it serued to no vse. By such courteous dealing the prouinces which were in his charge flourished in great wealth and quietnesse. He was a verie wise and politike prince in the ordering of all weightie matters, and verie skillfull in the practise of warres,He died in the yéere 306. as Matt. West. hath noted, and reigned ouer the Bri|tains but 11. yéeres as Galf. saith. so that he stood the Romane empire in great stéed, and was therefore highlie beloued of the souldiers, insomuch that immediatlie after his deceasse, they proclaimed his some Constantine emperour.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 That The christian faith was imbraced of the Bri|tains in this season, it maie appéere, in that Hilarius bishop of Poictiers writeth to his brethren in Bri|taine, and Constantine in an epistle (as Theodore|tus saith in his first booke and tenth chapter) maketh mtention of the churches in Britaine: which also So|zomenus dooth affirme. For the Britains after they had receiued the faith, defended the same euen with the shedding of their bloud, as Amphibalus, who in this Constantius daies being apprehended, suffered at Redburne neere to Werlamchester,291. Iohn Bale. about 15 yéeres after the martyrdome of his host S. Albane.