4.28. Constantine created emperour in Bri|taine, he is sollicited to take vpon him the regiment of those countries that his father go|uerned, he is requested to subdue Maxentius the vsurping tyrant, Maximianus his father seeketh to depose him, Constantines death is purposed by the said Maxi|mianus the father & his sonne Maxentius, Fausta the daugh|ter of Maximianus & wife to Constantine detecteth hir fathers trecherie to hir husand, Maximianus is strangled at Constan|tines commandement, league and alliance betweene him and Licinius, he is sl [...]ine, the empresse Helen commended, the crosse of Christ found with the inscription of the same, what miracles were wrought thereby, of the nailes wherewith Christ was crucifi|ed, Constantine commended, the state of Britaine in his time. The xxviij Chapter.

Constantine created emperour in Bri|taine, he is sollicited to take vpon him the regiment of those countries that his father go|uerned, he is requested to subdue Maxentius the vsurping tyrant, Maximianus his father seeketh to depose him, Constantines death is purposed by the said Maxi|mianus the father & his sonne Maxentius, Fausta the daugh|ter of Maximianus & wife to Constantine detecteth hir fathers trecherie to hir husand, Maximianus is strangled at Constan|tines commandement, league and alliance betweene him and Licinius, he is sl [...]ine, the empresse Helen commended, the crosse of Christ found with the inscription of the same, what miracles were wrought thereby, of the nailes wherewith Christ was crucifi|ed, Constantine commended, the state of Britaine in his time. The xxviij Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _COnstantine being the son of the forenamed Constanti|us,Constan|tine. 306 begot of his first wife He|len, the daughter (as some affirme) of Coell late king of the Britains, began to reigne in the yéere of our Lord 306. This worthie prince begotten of a British woman, & borne of hir in Britaine (as our writers doo affirme) and created certeinlie em|perour in Britaine, did doubtlesse make his natiue countrie partaker of his high glorie and renowme, which by his great prowes, politike wisedome, woor|thie gouernment, and other his princelie qualities most abundantlie planted in his noble person, he purchased and got thorough the circuit of the whole earth, insomuch that for the high enterprises and no|ble acts by him happilie brought to passe and atchiued, he was surnamed (as before is said) the great Con|stantine. Whilest this Constantine remained at Rome in manner as he had béene a pledge with Ga|lerius in his fathers life time, he being then but yoond, fled from thence, and with all post hast retur|ned to his father into Britaine, killing or howghing by the waie all such horsses as were appointed to stand at innes readie for such as should ride in post, least being pursued,Eutropius. Sextus Aureli|us Victor. he should haue béene ouerta|ken, and brought backe againe by such as might be sent to pursue him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 At his comming into Britaine, he found his fa|ther EEBO page image 64 sore vexed with sicknesse, whereof shortlie after he died, and then was he by helpe of such as were a|bout him, incouraged, to take vpon him as empe|rour:Erocus king of the Al|mains. and namclie one Erocus king of the Al|mains, which had accompanied his father thither, as|sisted him thereto, so that being prclaimed empe|rour, he tooke vpon him the rule of those countries which his father had in gouernment,Maxentius the tyrant. that is to saie, France, Spaine, the Alpes, and Britaine, with o|ther prouinces héere in the west: and ruling the same with great equitie and wisdome, he greatly wan the fauour of the people, insomuch that the fame of his politike gouernment and courteous dealing being spred abroad, when Maxentius the tyrant that occu|pied the rule of the empire at Rome, and in Italie by wrongfull vsurping & abusing the same was grown into the hatred of the Romans and other Italians, Constantine was earnestlie by them requested to come into Italie, and to helpe to subdue Maxentius, that he might reforme the state of things there.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Maxentius was sonne to Herculeus Maxi|mianus, and Constantine had married Fausta the daughter of the said Maximianus. Now so it was, that Maximianus, immediatlie after that his sonne Maxentius had taken the rule vpon him, sought meanes to haue deposed him, and to haue resumed and taken eftsoones into his owne hands the gouern|ment of the empire. But solliciting Dioclesian to doo the like, he was much reprooued of him for his vnrea|sonable and ambitious purpose: so that when he per|ceiued that neither Dioclesian would be thereto a|greeable, nor induce the souldiers to admit him, they hauing alreadie established his sonne, began to de|uise waies how to assure the state more stronglie to his said sonne. And hearing that his sonne in law Constantine was minded to come into Italie a|gainst him, he purposed to practise Constantines destruction, insomuch that it was iudged by this which followed,Dissimulati|on. that Herculeus Maximianus did but for a colour séeme to mislike that which his said son Maxentius had doone, to the end he might the sooner accomplish his intent for the dispatching of Con|stantine out of the waie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Héerevpon (as it were) fléeing out of Italie, he came to Constantine,Ranulphus Cestrensis. who as then hauing appointed lieutenants vnder him in Britaine, remained in France, and with all ioy and honour that might be, receiued his father in law: the which being earnest|lie bent to compasse his purpose, made his daughter Fausta priuie thereto:Fausta the daughter of Maximianus and wife to Constantine. which ladie (either for feare least the concealing thereof might turne hir to dis|pleasure, either else for the entire loue which she bare to hir husband) reuealed hir fathers wicked purpose. Wherevpon whilest Constantine went about to be reuenged of such a traitorous practise, Herculeus fled to Marsiles,Marsiles. purposing there to take the sea, and so to retire to his sonne Maxentius into Italie. But yer he could get awaie from thence, he was stran|gled by commandement of his sonne in law Con|stantine,Maximianus slaine. Ann. Chri. 322. and so ended his life, which he had spotted with manie cruell acts, as well in persecuting the professours of the christian name, as others.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In this meane time had Maximianus adopted one Licinius to assist him in gouernance of the empire,Licinius cho|sen fellow with Maxi|mianus in the empire. proclaiming him Cesar. So that now at one selfe time Constantine gouerned France and the west parts of the empire, Maxentius held Italie, Affrike, and Aegypt: and Maximianus which likewise had beene elected Cesar, ruled the east parts, and Licini|us Illyrium and Grecia. But shortlie after, the em|perour Constantine ioined in league with Licini|us, and gaue to him his sister in marriage, named Constantia, for more suertie of faithfull friendship to indure betwixt them. He sent him also against Maximianus, who gouerning in the cast part of the empire, purposed the destruction of Constantine and all his partakers: but being vanquished by Licini|us at Tarsus, he shortlie after died, being eaten with lice. Constantine after this was called into Italie, to deliuer the Romans and Italians from the ty|rannie of Maxentius, which occasion so offered, Con|stantine gladlie accepting, passed into Italie, and af|ter certeine victories got against Maxentius, at length slue him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After this, when Maximianus was dead, who pre|pared to make warre against Licinius, that had married Constantia the sister of Constantine, he fi|nallie made warre against his brother in law the said Licinius, by reson of such quarrels as fell out betwixt them. In the which warre Licinius was put to the woorse, and at length comming into the hands of Constantine, was put to death, so that Constan|tine by this meanes got the whole empire vnder his rule and subiection. He was a great fauourer of the Christian religion, insomuch that to aduance the same, he tooke order for the conuerting of the tem|ples dedicated to the honour of idols, vnto the ser|uice of the true and almightie God. He commanded also, that none should be admitted to serue as a soul|dier in the warres,Christians honoured and cherished. except he were a christian, nor yet to haue rule of anie countrie or armie. He also or|deined, the weeke before Easter, and that which fol|lowed to be keptas holie, and no person to doo anie bodilie woorks during the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 He was much counselled by that noble and most vertuous ladie his mother,Polydor. the empresse Helen,The praise of the empresse Helen. who being a godlie and deuout woman, did what in hir laie, to mooue him to the setting foorth of Gods ho|nour and increase of the christian faith, wherein as yet he was not fullie instructed. ¶Some writers al|ledge,328 that she being at Ierusalem, made diligent search to find out the place of the sepulchre of our Lord, and at length found it, though with much adoo: for the infidels had stopped it vp, and couered it with a heape of filthie earth, and builded aloft vpon the place, a chappell dedicated to Uenus, where yoong wo|men vsed to sing songs in honour of that vnchast goddesse. Helen caused the same to be ouerthrowne, the earth to be remooued, and the place cleansed, so that at length the sepulchre appéered, and fast by were found there buried in the earth thrée crosses and the nailes. But the crosse wherevpon our Sauiour was crucified, was knowne by the title written vpon it, though almost worne out, in letters of Hebrew, Gréeke, and Latine: the inscription was this, Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum. It was also perceiued which was that crosse by a miracle (as it is reported, but how trulie I can not tell) that should be wrought thereby: for being laid to a sicke woman, onlie with the touching thereof she was healed. It was also said, that a dead man was raised from death to life, his bodie onlie being touched therewith. Wherevpon Constantine mooued with these things, forbad that from thencefoorth anie should be put to death on the crosse, to the end that the thing which afore time was accounted infamous and reprochfull, might now be had in honour and reuerence.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The empresse Helen hauing thus found the crosse, builded a temple there, & taking with hir the nailes, returned with the same to hir sonne Constantine, who set one of them in the crest of his helmet, an o|ther in the bridle of his horsse,Polydor. and the third he cast in|to the sea, to asswage and pacifie the furious tempests and rage thereof. She also brought with hir a parcell of that holie crosse,Polydor. and gaue it to hir sonne the said Constantine, the which he caused to be closed within an image that represented his person, standing vpon a piller in the market place of Constantine, or (as EEBO page image 65 some late writers haue) he caused it to be inclosed in a coffer of gold, adorned with rich stones and pearls, placing it in a church called Sessortana, the which church he indued with manie great gifts and preci|ous ornaments. Manie woorks of great [...]eale and vertue are remembered by writers to haue béene doone by this Constantine and his mother Helen, to the setting foorth of Gods glorie, and the aduan|cing of the faith of Christ.The commen|dation of Constantine. But to be briefe, he was a man in whome manie excellent vertues and good qualities both of mind and bodie manifestlie appée|red, chieflie he was a prince of great knowledge and experience in warre, and therewith verie fortunate, an earnest louer of iustice, and to conclude, borne to all honour.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But now to speake somewhat of the state of Bri|taine in his time, ye shall vnderstand, that as before is recorded, at his going ouer into France, after that he was proclaimed emperour, he left behind him in Britaine certeine gouernours to rule the land, and almongst other one Maximinus a right va|liant capteine. He tooke with him a great part of the youth of Britaine, and diuerse of the chiefe men a|mongst the nobilitie, in whose approoued manhood, loi|altie, and constancie, he conceiued a great hope to go thorough with all his enterprises, as with the which being accompanied and compassed about, he passed ouer into Gallia, entred into Italie, and in euerie place ouercame his enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Some write that Constantine thus conueieng ouer sea with him a great armie of Britains, Gulielmus Malmes. Britains ser|uing in the warres vnder Constantine. and by their industrie obteining victorie as he wished, he placed a great number of such as were discharged out of wages, and licenced to giue ouer the warre, in a part of Gallia towards the west sea coast, where their posteritie remaine vnto this daie, maruellou|slie increased afterwards, and somewhat differing from our Britains, the Welshmen, in manners and language. Amongst those noble men which he tooke with him when he departed out of this land (as our writers doo testifie) were thrée vncles of his mother Helen,Galfridus. Matt. West. that is to say, Hoelmus, Traherinus, and Marius, whome he made senators of Rome.