University of Virginia Library

Greate Constantine that bore th'Imperiall Mace

341

Thirty one yeares and closed up his race
At Helenople's in a sheet of gold
Wownd up, laid in a golden Coffer t'hold
His Clay, the two and twenti'th day of May
They to th'Apostles Church he built, Convay,
Constantinople's graced with, and in
The Tomb he did prepare they bury him
The twelve Apostles figur'd that abide
On this side't six six on the other Side.
His Empire falls unto his Children three
Spain, France and Britain, Constantine, to thee.
Illyrick. Italy and Africk to
His youngest Son calld Constans now doth goe
But Greece with Thrace and all the Orient
Unto the other, nam'd Constantius, went
Who like a Spunge suckt in the Arian Wash
Become a Whipstock with that hellish lash
That Scurges to the quick the Orthodox
The maule that many of the Saints down knock
When Constantine his younger brother sent
Back Athenatius from his Banishment
By Arian Wiles effected formerly
And now a new fomented, by and by
He Syrian sent Lieuetenant of his host
To Alexandria to cleare the Coast
By force of him and then he did surrounde
The Temple with his army where he found
This Athenatius with his Church although
In singing time he slip him, and did go
Again to Rome. Yet Syrian with his mates
Did play this Arian game at Cruell rates
Some butcherd are, some troden under feet,
Some wounded fall, many the prisons meet,
Many are banished, nay Women cought
Drawn by their hair to judgment seats and brought
In most disgrace full way, and did begrace
Their Gregory with Athanasius place.
The which the folk so badly beare they turn
And Dianysius house to ashes burn.
These Arian blades go on the bishops they
Through out all Egypt take and (se their play)
Some Whip with rods; some hard bands they binde
Some banisht are, we ninety bishops finde
Are drove from Egypt, and from Lybia
By Arians persecution away.
And sixteen more are Excild in sad Cases
One Potamon that in the Pagan Woe
Had one Eye dug out, they now scourg, and throw
Him out as dead, and though means usd he 'gain
Reviv'd, yet dide soon by their stripes, and pain.
A bishops aunt killd by their tortures they
Let none interr, unburi'd cast away,
Three thousand souldiers in a Temple rush
And cruelly women and Children Crush,
Distroying many: yea, they Virgins take
And strip them naked, and the bodies make
An Object unto all unburi'de ly
As food for Dogs, who by their scourgings dy.

At other places as Constantinople
This rage was greate Wherewith thy strove to hopple
Christ Flock with Macedonius the Vile
And Paul the Bishop there's sent in Exile
Which when the City saw by Warlike might
This Macedonius brought, they stopt up quite
The Passages forbad his entrance then

345

The Souldiers with Swords drawn three thousand men
Slew and three fifties too and trod them down.
Such was the tragedy at this brave town.

But Constans by Magnentias being slain
In France who did Constantius' rage restrain
A little Space, he lets then play the Rex
Vile Macedonius, who thus did vex
Christs glorious Cause that such as Orthodox
Abode in Faith, Out of the Church he locks
Compelling them unto their sect likewise
As Pagans use to idol sacrifice
They scourgd to death a many, did deprive
Some of their Freedoms, some of states they shrive
Brand some ith forehead, and all sorts of pain
That shamefull are, they make them to sustain
Some di'de in torment, others are exild
These things ran ery where, thus Saints are spoild;
Constantius doth grant Macedonius
To wast the Orthodox assemblies thus:
Hence he doth leavell to the very land
Their Temples by a military hand
Some that refuse for to Comunicate
He with intolerable pains doth rate,
Doth ope their mouth with sticks and opend so
Put in the sacred Mysteries (strange shew)
If any did refuse immediately
Whips, Bonds, and Jayles and other griefes he'd try
If women did refuse, he off their breasts
Would Cut, presst hard upon their tender Chests,
Or else would burn with red hot iron in part
Or else with rosted Eggs t'increase the Smart.

In Paphligonia at Mantinum
This Cursed Macedonius made run
Four bands of Souldiers who did cruely
Destroy a many, that his faith did fly.

Sebastian the Captain of the Host
A wicked Manichee who many Coasts
Swept of their Pious Guides did greatly flesh
George Cappadox his barbarous Savageness
Whom then he did declare for to succeed
Choice Athanasius, then he did proceed
With Philagry, Egypts Lieuetenent strong
Set Jews and Pagans, Christians thus to wrong
Burnt up the Churches and Baptisteries
They did, and did most horrid villanies.
They holy undefiled virgins set
Starke naked, and if any hereat fret
And this withstood, they hazzerdeth their head
The saints they vilely underfoot did tread,
Some are Confiscate, others too are slain
With Clubs or Swords, some wounded, scourgd, sustain
Revilings and they now come and display
On the Communion Tables (Oh sad day)
Such birds and Nuts of Pines they offer do
And bring their Idolls forth with lauds also
Reproach and shamefull words they also hoist
Against our Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ
Did burn the holy books of Scriptures which
They in the Churches found divinely rich
Athe'stick Pagans and Christ-Cutthroate Jews
The Sacred Baptistry entring, abuse
Oh horrid! On their naked bodies dint
That filthiness of Words and deeds in print
That is abominable, and we hold
A thing too shamefull for us to be told.
This splendid Georgeous George thus entring in
Greatly begladed at these Wicked things
And distributing hire and pay unto
Both Jews and Pagans and all such men who
Attended him therein, he gave them all
The Church for prey and booty, on't they fall.
Hence on they fall and do the Church divest
Of all her treasure that she then possest,
Wine, Oyle, her Candlesticks, upon the Wall,
Her Papers now which to their Idolls fall,
But oh! these Arian Villanies are more
Than can be pend, my pen here stops therefore.

But while the things ran thus God was not still
For Julian who in France even to his Will
When he had vanquished the enemy,
Was by the Souldiery rebelliously
Made Emperour. Whereat Constantius rose
With griefe his Cousin german to oppose
And of Euzoius now he was baptizd
And going out to war was soon surprizd
By Death the tentend of an Apoplex.

365

Hence Julian soon to the throne out steps,
Calls home the banished Comandes that none
Should offer unto any Christian wrong.
But all was done in curld hypocrisy
For from the same he fled to Paganry
He calls the Christians Galilean brats
Whom he forbad to trace Poetick plats,
Or read Philosophy, and gave out then
This reason, said they wound us with our pens.
They armed with our Weapons do us fight
Hence he forbad them Learning gainst all right
But did his Pagan worship stuff with all
The Christian Worships Modes, Acts, Rites they fall
Upon't, thereby to make it better pass
And guided Temples raisd up for it was.
He judgd he must abstain from Tortures and
Must take of Christians by another hand
Hence did forbid them learning and displace
Them from all arms and office in disgrace,
But yet he did purse persecution raise
Oppressing them in all unrighteous wayes
And when his Leeches did exceed his laws
That brought complaints to him upon that cause
He scoffing thence would say be ye Content
You are to beare, tis our Gods Commandement.
He forct the Church of Cesaria
And round about there all their Wealth to lay
And many at his feet three hundred pounds
Of Gold then to his Coffers up went round
The laws of Constantine he did outlaw
That freed the Clergy from all rates, did claw
Them now, and did all Christain Temples stroy
And on their Wealthy Ornaments did fly
Most Costly Consecrated gifts he took
At Antioch Theodorit did looke
Unto these Vessells whom he scourgd away
And though an Elder with the sword did slay.
He gave to villains all full liberty
To treate the Christians then most shamefully
By style then of Impunity. Hence they
Surprize Gods ministers and Women slay
At Ascalon and Gaza, rip up, make
Their bellies Hogs Troughs and do barly take
And fill their bellies with, then swine they bring
Which to their pleasure great do eate therein
At Gaza on they go, scourge some to death
Drag some up on their backs, some while they've breath
Upon their faces on the ground and dash
Against the Pavements others all to mash:
Beate some with stones and staves, and some wash ore
With boiling Water, some on stakes, spits gore.
The heads of some they dash to pieces till
Their brains drop out, and then again they drill
Them to the places where dead Corp are laid
And burn them in their fires which there they made
And then their bones they gather up and fling
With Asses and with Camells bones therein
To mingle them, that none may ever say
These are the good mens bones so made away.

At Heliople Deacon Cyrill who
In Constantine's bright day did overthrow
The Idolls there, the Pagans, kill, up rip
His belly, and his Liver knaw. Like trick
Thse did who did the virgins naked set
A gazing stock to be, then did not let
To hack them into bits, then out them cast
To be devourd by hogs, cause in dayes past
Brave Constantine had Venus Temple there
Destroy'd wherein virgins deflored were.

At Arethusa, Mark, an Elder who
In Constantine's blesst dayes did overthrow
Their Idols Temple now they take, strip, beate
And tare him all with stripes which they repeate,
They tumble him in stincking sincks, then drag
Him thence and set him out to boyes to gag
With Pensills sharp, then at the last him plac'd
Up in a Basket, all besmeard and trac'd
With broth and hony out, they hang i'th'sun
In ve'ment heat, for Bees and Wasps that hum.

The Idoll Priest at Daphne a small boy
Privatly trained up in piety
Who fled to's Mistress then at Antioch
And was Conceald, gave many bitter stroke
Did bore his back, his hands, and feet also
With red hot burning irons, and lockt him too
Up in his bed room, and so left him there
Yet God miraculously freed him here.

The Wells at Daphne Julian did spoile
With his Abominations, to beguile
The folk who usd this Water in all food
That of his Geer they might be understood
To be Partakers with him in the same
Which griev'd all Christian. Hence two souldiers came
Who of his Guard were gentlemen calld thus,
Maximianus and Juventius
Much at a feast bewaile this villany
Which by a Catch pole there did them descry
Who being sent for, did up to his face
Gravely reproove this fact of his, through grace
For which they're tooke, and by most rugged pain
And most intolerable griefs are slain.

And they at Alexandria this Whip
Do meet with cutting to the Very quick.
An old deserted place where heretofore
The Pagans sacrificed men great store
To Mythra or the Sun Constantius gave
Unto the Church: now Georgius would have
It Cleansd of Rubbish, that he there might build
A Temple. Hence all people there beheld
The Pagan Villany, to their Disgrace,
The Pagans moovd hereat, flew in their face
Slew some with swords, With Clubs some, other some
With stones, With roaps, some Crucifid, some come
All wounded sadly. George they take and ty
Unto a Camell, and burnt cruelly.
In other towns they threw the Christian there
Upon their Altars as burnt Offrings were.

Amachius the President up raisd
His Idolls in a Temple to be praisd
In Phrygia's Metropolis, hence rush
Theodulus and Macedonius
And Tatian and privily them stroy
Hence others taken are and like to dy
Wherefore these men appear'd, said they it did.
Hence all torments are tormented, Chid,
And rosted on the gridiorn, Whence they spake
With Valient Courage to him, on the Grate
Wouldst thou eate roast meat, Amachy, turn first
Us on the other side, lest that for rost
We seem to be halfe raw unto thy tast
And thus this doome they nobly embrac't.

To these we'l joyn these martyres mentioned
Artemus th'Egyptians souldiers head,
Beheaded was. Donate Gramarian
With both his Parents slain by Julian
Donate Aretia's bishop, the bishop then
Hilarian heir of Jerusalem
Priscus a Roman Elder, and the Clark
Priscillian Pigmenius a part
And Gordian, two Johns and Paul who were
Once Chamberlains to Constance daughter cleare
Of Constantine, these Women too to wit
Demetria, and Benedicta yet
Were martyred all by Julian the Vile
Who strove to press Christianity by guile
When that at Daphne him Apollo told
He could not answers give here as of old
Because the Martyre Babylas had there
His Sepulcher, and buri'd was too neer.
He Charg'd the Christian then at Antioch
To take the Martyres Coffine thence, who do't.
And as they were a carrying him away
They sung alowd, as Julian heard, this say,
“Confounded be all those that worship do
“Carv'd images, and trust on idols throw.
Whence Julian in such a rage out brake
He gave Comand they should all Christians take
Imprison, and with Various torments smite,
Yet none but Theodore met with this wipe.
For his Lieutenant Salust did asswage
The Emperour now in his Chafing rage.

When to the Persian Wars he went he vowd
The blood of Christians to his Gods allowd,
When he returnd he would them persecute
And Chargd to build a Teatre that suite
This matter would thus at Jerusalem,
Wherein he would to Wild beast cast out them.

Libanius a sophist entred in
A Schoole at Antioch which marke (the thing)
A brave learnd Christian mannag'd did in scorn
Stild master, and unto him spake forlorn
Could not he tell What should at such a time
The Cartpenters brave Son do? Now divine,
To whom he said, he whom they scornfully
The Son call of the Cartpenter, is high.
He is the maker of the whole world, nay
And now he hath prepar'd Sandapila.
Soon after this news came that Julian
Was slain and to Sandapila (Vile man)
Convayed was, and paid is for his Scorns
The proverb's true, Curst cows have oft short horns.