a God, yet when the true God fent L his Thunder, he would cover his Eyes with his Hat, and hide himself under the Table. He was fo exceeding hairy of Body, that during his Regality, it was next to HighTreafon, but to name a Goat. He often lamented, that fome rare and unufual Difafter happened not in his Time, whereby his Reign might be made memorable to Pofterity. He wifhed that all the People had but one Neck, that fo he might have the Glory of giving the braveft Blow that ever was ftruck; but himfelf was murdered, receiving thirty Wounds of the Confpirators. AD. 43. Auguftus's Wife, was by the Pretorian Band chofen Emperor, contrary to the Mind of the Senate, who had determined to reduce the City to her ancient Liberty, without Admiffion of any Cefar. He came into Britain, where for his Clemency the Britains erected a Temple and Altar in his Name, giving him Divine Honour. His first Wife Meffalina, befides all her private Lecheries, went often to the common Stews, to fatiate her Luft; but the for her Impudence being put to Death, Claudius married Julia A grippina, who, to make way for her Son Nero to the Empire, procured the difinheriting of Britannicus, the Emperor's Son, and by Poifon tempered in a Mushrome fhe ended Claudius's Days. Laudius Drufus, the A. D. Omitius Nero was elect Domitia, his Son in-law Rufinus, 43-71. and his famous Tutor Seneca, with many of the Roman Nobility, and raifed the first Perfecution against the Chriftians. He fet the City of Rome on fire, charging the innocent Chriftians with the Fact, and tormenting them for it. He caufed St. Peter and St. Paul to be put to Death, the firft by crucifying, the other by beheading. But this Tyrant was grown fo hated, that the Senate adjudg'd him fhamefully to be whipped to Death; which he hearing of, run himself upon his own Sword. In the first five Years of his Reign he was very compaffionate; infomuch as being requested to fign a Writ for Execution of a Malefactor, he faid, Would to God I had never learnt to Write. In the Year of our Redemption, 67, 70Seph of Arimathea was fent by Philip the Apoftle, to plant the Gospel in Britain, who laid the Foundation of the Chriftian Faith at a Place then called Avalon, afterward Inifwitren, now Glaftenbury, where he died, and was buried. In Nero the Progeny of the Cafars ended. A. D. Alvius Otho being chofen Emperor, Vitellius a Raman General marched against him, and at Brixellium won the Day; and to fave the fhedding of Roman Blood, refuted to engage any farther with him, though much importuned by his Soldiers to reinforce the Battle; but he thus anfwered them, To hazard your • Virtues and Valours for one Man's 45. B. 4 need 4 71.83. needlefs it is, that my Life fhould ⚫ be prized at fo dear a Rate. Thefe Civil Wars Vitellius begun, which for my part I purpose not to continue. And hereby let Pofterity efteem of Otho, that others have kept the Empire longer, but that never any left it more valiantly. You for your Parts would have died for my Sake; but I to fave your Lives, do die voluntarily and unvanquished; I blame not the Gods, nor envy I Vitellius's rifing Glory; fufficient to me it is, that my Houfe has touched the higheft Strain of Honour, and myfelf to be left upon Record the Sovereign Monarch of the World.' And thereupon, with a folemn Farewell to the whole Army, he went into his Tent, and with his Dagger gave himself his Death's Wound. Titus fmell to the Gold brought for Tribute-Money, asking him what ill Savour he found in it? adding, That the Smell of Gain is fweet out of any thing. He died of a Flux. A. D. Itus Vefpafian won the 81. City of Jerusalem. For his Humanity and native Goodness, he was ftyled, The Darling and Delight of Mankind. So tender he was of fatisfying his People, that his ufual Saying was, No Man ought to go fad from his Prefence. So inclined to gratify the Poor, that one Day being paffed from him without any notable Good done for them, in Sorrow he faid, Perdidimus Diem, we have quite loft a Day. He was a great Enemy to Promoters and Extorters of Penal Laws, whom he caufed to be whiped and banished Rome. He would not receive any Accufation againit thofe that fpoke Evil of him,. faying, So long as I do nothing that deferves Reproach, I value not Lyes. But his Brother Domitian, afpiring after the Empire, procured this good Emperor to be poifoned. A. D. F Lavius Domitian, inflead 83. of applying himself to manly Exercises, bufied himself in a private Gallery, with catching of Flies, and pricking them through with a Bodkin. He caufed his Statue to be made of Gold, and commanded that himself should be called God. Upon fmall Surmifes he murdered the Senators and Nobles. Many new Tortures he invented. Confifcations and Banishments were Favours from him. He raised the Second Perfecution against the Chriftians, banish'd St. John into the Ifle of Patmos; but himfelf was murdered, and his dead Carcafs difgracefully abufed, his Scutcheons and Images defaced by order of theSenate. A. D. A. D. Lius Hadrianus is faid 119.. to have been of fo excellent a Memory, that he never forgot any thing which he either heard or read, The Britains rebelling, he came over and reduced them into Obedience, whereupon there was this Addition upon his Coin, The Reftorer of Britainy. And to defend the Romans from the Incurfions of the wild Northern Britains, he caused a Wall of Stakes, Turf, and Earth to be made from the River Eden near Carlisle, unto the River Tine near Newcastle, 80Miles in Length. Some write, that he only repair'd thisWall, and that Agricola, Nero's General, first made it. He rafed Jerufalem even to the Ground, built another City near where that ftood, calling it Elia; banished the Jews from thence; and upon the Gate of the new City, looking towards Jerufalem, he caufed the Picture of a Swine to be fet, because that Breaft is an Abomination to the Jews. He prohibited the Perfecution of the Chriflians, and was minded to have built a Temple to Chrift, but was diffuaded from it. He died of a Dropfy, A. D. 162. M Arcus Aurelius Antoni nus Philofophus chose to himself for his Affociate in the Empire Lucius Verus, who railed the Fourth Perfecution, when those two famous Chriftians, Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna, and Justin Martyr, fuffered Martyrdom, the like to which did many other Chriftians. But after nine Years bloody Perlecution, the Tyrant Lucius was cut off by an Apoplexy. Marcus Aurelius, in his Wars against the Quadi, Germans, what with the Pestilence raging in his Army, and what by want of Water, was forely diftreffed; but by the Prayers of his Christian Soldiers, fuch a plentiful Shower of Rain fell, that therewith, after five. Days extreamet Drought and Thirst, the whole Army was refrethed, and his Enemies, on the contrary, by Thunder and Lightning were utterly difperfed and overthrown whereupon this Emperor both mi tigated the Perfecution, and named that 181-195. that Legion of the Chriftians, Ke- A D. Idius Julianus, a Law when the Empire was now expofed to Sale by the Pretorian Soldiers (being the Emperor's Life Guard, the Num A. D. Aurelius Commodus would ber Ten thoufand) obtained the 181. fometimes fhew himself like Hercules in a Lion's Skin, fometimes was wantonly clad in the Habit of an Amazon. He kept Three hundred Concubines, and amongst the reft his beloved Martia, whofe painted Picture he wore on the Outfide of his Garment; but through fome Difpleasure, having defigned to put her and fome other Perfons to Death, they confpired against him, and with Poifon, Stabs, and Strang ling, murthered him. The News of whofe Death was moft grateful both to the Senate and People, who ftyled him, Hoftis humani generis, the Enemy of Mankind. About the Beginning of this Emperor's Reign was the Chriftian Faith in Britain firft profeffed by publick Authority, under King Lucius the first Chriftian King in the World; at which Time Eleutherius, then Bishop of Rome, fent Paganus and Damianus to him, upon whofe Preaching the Heathenifh Flamens and Arch-Flamens (twenty-eight in Number) were converted to fo many Bishops Sees, whereof London, York, and Caerleon upon Uske in Wales, were made the Metropolitans of the Province. The Theanus, firft Archbishop of London was The A. B. of anus. Ublius Helvius Pertinax, Diadem with larger Promises than ever he performed. But Severus warring againft him, and the Soldiers remaining unfatisfied of the covenanted Premium, and withal hoping to purchase Favour with Severus, they flew their Chapman Didius in his Palace, within a few Days after that he had affumed the Government. A.D. ( 195. Simius Severus was by the Syrian Army elected Emperor; and he, as foon as he came hear to Rome, gave ftri&t Command that the Pretorian Cohorts should attend him difarmed; which being done, he vehemently checked them for their Treafon against Pertinax, depriving them both of the Name, Honour, and Arms of Soldiers, and banifhed them an hundred Miles from Rome; which Act of his was highly grateful to the Roman Citizens. This Emperor came over into Britain, where he fought many Battles, but ever with more Difficulties to the Romans than Britains. Clodius Albinus, the Roman Lieutenant in Britain, made Oppofition against him, but he fubdued him. Hadrian's Wall he repaired. Caledonians rebelling, he commanded to be deftroyed without Exception. But Severus remaining in York (which Place afterward grew to be one of the chiefeft for Account among the Brigantes, as commonly the Stations of the Roman Colonies were the Seed-plots of all our Çities and chief Towns) growing aged and fick, he died, April 4, A. D. 212. This Emperor having lain long fick of the Gout, and one of The his Nobles telling him, that he wonder'd how he could rule fo vaft an Empire, being fo lame and unweildy; he anfwered, That he rul'd the Empire with his Brain, and not with his Feet. He raised the Fifth Perfecution against the Chriftians. A. D. 212. Caracalla, great Princes in their Coaches; and 212-220. that therewith Severus was mounted his Brother Septimius Geta, were declared Emperors by old Severus their Father, and both furoamed Antoninus; a Name then very gracious in the Efteem of the Romans. Thefe Emperors, together With the Emprefs Mother Julia, tranfported the Funeral Afhes of the old Emperor in a Golden Urn to Reme, where they folemnly confecrated him a God; the Ceremony was after this fort performed: His Image being lively pourtray'd, in manner of a fick Man, was laid upon an Ivory Bedsted, richly furnished, in the Porch of his Palace. The Princes and Senators fat all on the left Side thereof in black Array, the Ladies on the Right, cloathed in white, the Phyficians diligently vifiting him. When feven Days were ended, as if then just dead, the prime Nobles carried him in his Ivory Bed to the Forum, where all the Patrician Youth, and noble Virgins, encompassed him with most doleful Hymns and Ditties. From thence tis Image was removed to Mars's Field, where a four fquare Frame of Timber was erected of a very great Height and Compafs, the Stores ftill mounting to the Top with fundry Afcents, richly beautified with Gold, purple Ornaments, and Images of great Art and Price. On the fecond of which Afcents was placed the Emperor's Bed and Statue, with infinite Store of moft Sweet Odours; the young Nobles riding about him in a Kind of A.D. Dance; others who reprefented 220. A.D. Opilius Macrinus, from ob 219. fcure Parentage, by E- Affianus Ant. Heliogabalus, |