THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE CHRISTIAN READER, AS TOVCHING THE TRANSLATION OF THESE AVNCIENT HISTORIES.

AS I am geuen to vnderstande good Christian reader there haue bene diuers
which attempted to translate these auncient Ecclesiastical histories, yet haue
geuen ouer their purpose, partly being discouraged with the diuersitie and
corruption of Greeke copies, and partly being dismayed with the crookednes
of Eusebius stile, which is by reason of his vnperfect allegations, and last of all, beinge
whollie ouercome with the tedious studie and infinite toyle and labour. The occasion that
moued me to take so great an enterprise in hand was, that I read them in Greeke vnto an
honorable Ladie of this lande, and hauing some leasure besides the lecture and other exercises
agreeable vnto my calling, I thought good to turne the priuate commoditie vnto a publique
profite, and to make the Christian reader of this my natiue countrey partaker also of
these learned, zealous, and pleasaunt histories. When I tooke penne in hande, and considered
with my selfe all the circumstances of these Histories, and founde in them certen things
which the autors peraduenture might haue left vnwritten, but the interpretor in no
wise vntranslated: I remembred the saying of Augustine, Diuinitatis est non errare, It
belongeth to the Diuinitie, or to God him selfe not to erre, and that these Historiographers
were but men, yet rare and singuler persons. Daily experience teacheth vs there is no garde~
without some weeds, no medow without some vnsauerie floures, no forest without
some vnfrutefull trees, no countrey without some barren land, no wheate without some
tares, no day without a cloude, no writer without some blemish, or that escapeth the reprehension
of all men. I am sure there is no reader so foolish as to builde vpon the antiquitie
and autoritie of these histories as if they were holy scripture, there is an historicall Faith
which is not in the compasse of our Creede, and if you happen to light vpon any storie that
sauoureth of superstition, or that seemeth vnpossible, penes autorem sit fides, referre it to
the autor, take it as cheape as ye finde it, remember that the holy Ghost sayth, omnis homo
mendax. if so, peraduenture the reader to, then let the one beare with the other. Where
the places did require, lest the reader shoulde be snared in errour, I haue laide downe Censures
of an other letter then the texte is of, where the autor was obscure, I haue opened
him with notes in the marge, where I founde the storie vnperfect, I haue noted it with
a starre, and signified withall what my penne directed me vnto. Manie Latine writers
haue imployed great diligence and labour about these Greeke Historiographers, one translating
one peece, an other an other peece, one interpreting one of the autors, an other tra~slating
almost all, one perusing, an other correcting. Ierome turned Eusebius into Latine, but it is
not extant. Ruffinus tooke vpon him to translate Eusebius. Of him Ierome wryteth in
this sort: Ecclesiasticam pulchre Eusebius [histo*] textuit, quid ergo de interprete
sentiendum, liberum sit iam cuique iudicium.. Eusebius hath very well compiled the
Ecclesiasticall historie, but as for the interpreter, euery man hath to thinke of him what

iiij.

him list. Beatus Rhenanus, a man of great iudgement, saith thus of Ruffinus. In libris a se
versis parum laudis meruit, quod ex industria no~ verba vel sensum autoris quem vertendum
susceperit appendat, sed vel minus vel plusculum tanquam paraphrases, non
velut interpres pro sua libidine plerumq; referat. Ruffinus deserued but small praise for
his translations, because of purpose he tooke no heede vnto the wordes and meaning of the
autor which he tooke vpon him to translate, but interpreted for the most parte at his pleasure,
by adding and diminishing, more like a Paraphrast then a translator. I finde by perusing
of him that he vttered in few words, which Eusebius wrote at large: that he is tedious
where Eusebius is brief: that he is obscure where Eusebius is plaine: that he hath omitted
where Eusebius is darke, words and sentences and pages, and Epistles, and in maner
wholl bookes. Half the eight booke of Eusebius so hath Musculus to and in maner all
the tenth booke, he hath not once touched. Ruffinus wrote the historie of his time in two
bookes, and erred fowly in certen things, as Socrates doeth report of him. Epiphanius
Scholasticus translated the Tripartite historie. Ioachimus Camerarius geueth of him
this iudgement. Tantam deprehendi in translatione non modo barbariem sed etia~ inscitiam
ac somnolentiam istius Epiphanij, vt mirarer vlli Græcorum non adeo alienam
linguam Latinam, sed ignoratam suam esse potuisse. I founde in the translation
of this Epiphanius, not onely such barbarous phrases, but also ignoraunce and palpable errour,
that I can not chuse but maruell, howe any Grecian coulde be vnskilfull, not so muche
in the straunge Latine tongue, as ignorant in his owne language. Wolfgangus Musculus
a learned interpretour, hath translated the histories of Eusebius, yet Edwardus Godsalfus
geueth of him this Censure. Hic autem satis correctis exemplaribus, vt credibile
est destitutus innumeris locis turpissime labitur. Est porro adeo obscurus vt interpres
egeat interprete, adeo salebrosus vt lector identidem inhæreat, adeo lacunosus
vt autores ipsi Græci historiæ suæ sententias non fuisse expletas grauiter conquerantur.
This Musculus as it is very like, wanting perfect coppies, erred fowly in infinite
places. Moreouer, he is so obscure that the Translator hath neede of an interpretour, so intricate
that the Reader is nowe and than graueled, so briefe that the Greeke autors them
selues doe grieuouslie complaine, that the sentences in their Histories were not fullie expressed.
Though the reporter be partiall being of a contrarie religion, yet herein I finde his
iudgement to be true, and specially in his translation of the tenth booke of Eusebius. yet not
I only, but others haue founde it. Iacobus Grynæus a learned man, corrected many faultes,
explicated many places, printed in the marge many notes, yet after al this his labour which
deserueth great commendation, there are founde infinite escapes, and for triall thereof, I report
me vnto the Reader. Christophorson as for his religion I referre it to God and to him
selfe, who by this time knoweth whether he did well or no was a great Clarke, and
a learned interpretour, he hathe Translated passing well, yet sometimes doeth he addicte
himself very much to the Latine phrase, and is caried away with the sound and weight
therof. If anye of the former wryters had done well, what needed the later interpretours
to take so much paines? I woulde haue all the premisses, and whatsoeuer hath bene
spoken of these Latine Translatours by me althoughe one of them chargeth an other to
be taken, not that I accuse them of mine owne heade, but by beholding their doings, to excuse
the faultes that myghte escape in this Englishe Translation. I founde the Greeke coppie
of Eusebius in manie places wonderfull crabbed, his Historie is full of allegations, sayings
and sentences, and Epistles, and the selfe same autoritie oftentimes alleaged to the confirmation
of sundrie matters, that the words are short, the sense obscure & hard to be tra~slated.
Yet the learning of the man, the autoritie of his person, & the Antiquitie of his time will
cause whatsoeuer may be thought amisse to be well take~. Socrates who followed Eusebius
about a hundred and fortie yeares after, and continewed the Historie, wrote an eloquent
and an artificiall stile, he vseth to alleage wholl Epistles, perfecte sentences, and
hath deliuered the historie very plaine. His words are sweete, his vaine pleasaunt, & his
inuention very wittie. though the historie be large, his bookes long, and the labour great in
wryting of them, yet was I very much recreated with the swetenesse of the worke.
Euagrius, who beganne where Socrates left, and continewed his penne vnto the ende
of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, is full of Dialects, and therefore in Greeke not so
pleasaunt as Socrates. He hath many superstitious stories which might very well haue
bene spared. But in perusing of him I would haue the reader to note the great chaunge that
was in his time more then in the dayes of the former wryters, and therafter to consider of
the times following, the difference that is in these our dayes betwene the Church and the
Apostolicke times. the encrease, augmentation, & daily adding of ceremonies to ceremonies,
seruice vpon seruice, with other Ecclesiasticall rites and decrees, is not the encrease of pietie
and the perfection of godlines, for our Sauiour telleth vs in the Gospel, that towards the
later dayes loue shall waxe colde, and iniquitie shall abound: but the malice and spite of the
Deuell, who with the chaunge of time, altereth as much as he may the state of the Ecclesiasticall
affaires, and thrusteth daily into the church one mischiefe vpon an other. Moreouer
Euagrius being a te~porall man, stuffeth his Historie with prophane stories of warres
and warlike engines, of battailes and bloudshed, of Barbarians and Heathen nations. In
describing the situation of any soyle, the erection of buildings, and vertues of some proper
person, he doth excell. Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus & Martyr, whom I haue annexed vnto
these former Historiographers, being well seene in the Hebrew tonge, and a great Antiquarie,
wrote briefly the liues of the Prophets, Apostles, and seuentie disciples of our Sauiour.
The faultes that are therein, I attribute them rather vnto the corrupt coppies, then to any
want of knowledge in him. Such things as are to be noted in him, I haue laid them in
the preface before his booke. After all these Translations gentle Reader notwithstanding
my great trauell & studie, I haue gathered a briefe Chronographie, begining with Eusebius,
and ending with Euagrius, where thou maist see the yeares of the Incarnation,
the raigne of the Emperours, the famous men and Martyrs, the kings of Iudea, and highe
priestes of the Iewes in Ierusalem, from the birth of Christ vnto the ouerthrowe of the
Citie, the Councels, the Bishops of Ierusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and all the heresies
within the first six hundred yeares after Christ, deuided into Columnes, where the yere of
the Lord sta~ds right ouer against euery one. The profite that riseth by reading of these histories,
I am not able in few words to declare. besides the works of the autors the~ selues, they
haue brought forth vnto vs Sentences, Epistles, Orations, Chapiters and bookes of auncient
wryters, such as wrote immediatly after the Apostles, and are not at this day extant saue
in them. Namely of Papias Bishop of Hierapolis, Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna, Polycrates
Bishop of Ephesus, Dionysius Bishop of Corinth, Apollinarius Bishop of Hierapolis,
Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria, Melito Bishop of Sardis, Serapion Bishop of Antioch,
Irenæus Bishop of Lions, Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem, Theoctistus Bishop of Cæsarea,
Anatolius Bishop of Laodicea, Phileas Bishop of Thumis, Alexander Bishop of Alexandria,
Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia, Theognis Bishop of Nice, Athanasius Bishop of
Alexandria, Gregorie Bishop of Nazianzum, Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria, Eusebius Bishop
of Dorileum, Peter Bishop of Alexandria, Gregorie B. of Antioch. Of Gaius, Cornelius,
Iulius, Liberius, Bishops of Rome. Of the Councels, as the Synode in Palæstina and
Antioch, the Councel of Nice, Ariminum, Ephesus, Chalcedon and Constantinople. Of learned
writers as, Quadratus, Rhodon, Africanus, Miltiades, Apollonius, Maximus,
Macarius, Origen, Euagrius, and Symeon. If we be disposed to see the Emperours,
their Decrees, Epistles, Constitutions and Edicts, we may soone finde them euen from
Iulius Cæsar the first, vnto Mauricius the last, within the first sixe hundred yeres, namely
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian,
Titus, Domitian, Nerua, Traian, Adrianus, Antoninus Pius, Verus, Comodus, Pertinax,
Didius Iulianus, Seuerus, Caracalla, Macrinus, Heliogabalus, Alexander,
Maximinus, Gordianus, Philip, Decius, Gallus, milianus, Valerianus, Claudius,
Quintilius, Aurelianus, Tacitus, Florianus, Carus, Diocletian and Maximianus, Co~stantius
and Maximinus, Constantinus Magnus and Licinius, Constantinus the yonger,
Constantius and Constans, Iulian the Apostata, Iouian, Valentinianus and Valens,
Gratian, Valentinianus the yonger, and Theodosius Magnus, Arcadius and Honorius,
Theodosius iunior, Martianus, Leo, Zeno, Anastasius, Iustinus, Iustinianus,
Iustinus the 2. Tiberius and Mauricius. We may see the Bishops howe they gouerned,
Ministers how they taught, Synodes what they decreed, Ceremonies how they crept into
the Church, Heresies how they rose and were rooted out. If we stande vpon the Theater
of Martyrs, and there beholde the valiant wrastlers, and inuincible champions of
Christ Iesu, how can we chuse but be rauished with zeale when we see the professors
of the truth torne in peeces of wilde beastes, crucified, beheaded, stoned, stifled, beaten to
death with cudgels, fried to the bones, slaine aliue, burned to ashes, hanged on gibbettes,
drowned, brained, scurged, maimed, quartered, their neckes broken, their legges sawed
of, their tongues cutte, their eyes pulled out and the emptie place seared with scalding iron,
the wrapping of them in oxe hides with dogges and snakes and drowned in the
sea, the inioyning of them to kill one an other, the gelding of Christians, the paring of their
flesh with sharpe rasors, the renting of their sides with the lashe of the whip, the pricking
of their vaines with bodkins, and famishing of them to death in deepe and noysome
dungeons. It is a wonder to see the zeale of their prayers, their charitie towards all men,
their constancie in torment, and their confidence in Christ Iesus. These be they whome S.
Iohn in his Apocalypse sawe in a vision vnder the altare, that were Martyred for the
word of God and the testimonie of Christ Iesus, which cried with a loud voyce, saying:
Howe long tariest thou Lord, holy and true, to iudge and to aue~ge our bloude, on them that
dwell on the earth. And long white garments were geuen vnto euery one of them, and
it was sayd vnto them, that they should rest yet for a litle season, vntill their felowe seruaunts
and their brethren that should be killed as they were, were fulfilled. The Angell
telleth him who they were that were arayed in long white garmentes, and whence
they came, saying: these are they which came out of great tribulation, and haue washed
their long robes, and made them white by the bloude of the Lambe, therfore are they in the
presence of the throne of God, and serue him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth
in the throne will dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thurst, and God
shall wipe away all teares from their eyes. Very comfortable wordes. But the executioners,
the tyrantes, and tormentours hearts were so hardened, that neither voyces from aboue,
nor signes in the aer threatning vengeance and the wrath of God to light vpo~ them,
neither the swetting of stones, nor the monsters that the earth brought forth could mollifie
their stonie mindes. The sea ouerflowed the land, the earth opened and left daungerous
gulphes, Earthquakes ouerthrewe their Townes and Cities, fire burned their houses, yet
woulde they not leaue of their furie. They were as S. Paul sayeth, turned into a reprobate
sense, they left no villanie vnpractised, in the ende many of them fell into frensie and madnes,
they ranne them selues vpon naked swordes, they brake their owne neckes, they hanged
them selues, they tumbled them selues headlong into riuers, they cutte their owne
throtes, and diuersly dispatched them selues. This is the viall full of the wrathe of God,
which the Angell in the reuelation powred vpon the waters, and the voyce that folowed
after may very well be spoken of them: O Lord which art and wast, thou art righteous
and holy, because thou hast geuen such iudgements, for they haue shed out the bloud of
Saincts and Prophets, and therefore hast thou geuen them bloud to drinke, for they haue deserued
it. The aforesaid Martyrs gaue forth godly sayings, diuine precepts for the posteritie,
they sealed their doctrine with their owne bloude, they spared not their liues vnto the
death, they are gone before, they shewed vs the way to follow after, these good Christian
reader with other things are to be seene throughout these Histories. The Chapiters in
the Greeke were in many places very small, if I shoulde haue followed the Greeke diuision,
then had I left much wast paper, I haue sometimes ioyned two or three together, some other
times taken them as they lay, yet where I altered the diuision, I noted in the marge the
number of the Greeke Chapiters. There is no raigne of any Emperour, no storie almost worthie
the noting, but thou hast in the marge the yeare of the Lord for the better vnderstanding
therof. Whatsoeuer I found in the Greeke, were it good or bad, that
haue I faithfullie without any parcialitie at all laide downe in
English. Wherfore if ought be well done, geue the
praise vnto God. let the paines be
mine, and the profit the
Readers.

Psal. 113
Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.