224-237. racalla, was incredibly luxurious. His Garments, tho' exceeding coftCadau, ly, he would not put on twice. His A. B. of Shoes were fet with Pearls, his Seats London. ftrewed with Musk and Amber, his Bed covered with Gold and Purple, and adorned with moft coftly Jewels, his Veffels (even of the bafeft Ufe) all Gold, his Lamps burnt with the Balms of Arabia and India, his Way ftrewed with the Powder of Gold and Silver; his Diet fo profuse that at every Supper in his Court was ufually spent 1000 Pounds Sterling. At a Feast of the chief Roman Citizens in his Court, he caufed all the Rooms to be frewed with Saffron, faying, That fuch Cattle deferved fuch Litter. Near the Sea he would eat no Fish, and in the Inland no Flesh: He had whole Meals made of the Tongues of finging Birds and Peacocks, or of the Brains of most coftly Creatures. At one Supper he was ferved with 600 Oftriches. He built a Stew in his Court, wherein himfeif, in the Attire of an Harlot, would make Orations to his Whores, terming them his Fellow Soldiers, and giving them Inftructions how they should practife with the greateft Variety their filthy Lufts. In Rome he built a Charter Houfe for Women to meet in, where they might determine of their Attires. He brought his Mother Semiamira into the Senate, giving her a Voice with the Senators: But Confcience accufing him, and fearing the Rage of the People for his Crimes, he prepared filken Halters, golden Knives, and built a ftately Tower exceeding high, adorned with Gold and Gems, thinking, when Occafion fhould be, by fome of thefe Means to destroy himself, having thefe Words oft in his Mouth, That howfoever he died, yet his Death fhould be precious in the Sight of all Men. But he was miflaken; for the Pre torian Band dragged him and his Mother with Acclamations through Rome, faying, That the Bitch and her Whelps must go together; then flew them, and threw them into Tyber. And the Senate approving what was done, decreed that his Name fhould be blotted out of all Monuments in Rome, and never any Antonianus fhould again rule the Empire. A. D. 224. A Urelius Alexander Seve rus was a great Lover of the Liberal Arts, and a great Favourer of the Chriftians, from whom he took to himfelf Examples of Lite, and commended their Precepts to others. This his Kindness to the Chriftians is thought to have been procured by his Mother Mammea, whom Origen inflructed, and whom St. Hierom ftyles a moft Holy Woman. He was a great Obferver of Juftice, and therefore caufed Turinus, a Courtier, who had taken Money of divers Perfons, with Promife to procure the Emperor's Favour in their Suits, to be put to Death by Smoke, one in the mean while proclaiming, That he had fold Smoke, therefore with Smoke fhould die. His Roman Soldiers grown far out of Order by the ill Government of his Predeceffors, he fought by severe Courses to reduce; but they being backed by Maximinus, whom he had railed, murthered him. Gallons of Wine. For his admirable Height he was admitted by Severus into the Rank of a common Soldier, and shortly after to be one of his Guard, and at laft the Soldiers elect. ed him Emperor. But a Tyrant he proved, as well to the Roman State in general, as the Chriftians in particular, against whom he raised the fixth Perfecution. His Conditions were fo hateful, that the Senate advanced one Gordianus to fway the Empire; but he proving unfortunate in his Attempts against him, ftrangled himself. And Maximinus, as he was drawing his Forces towards Rome, to revenge himself on the Senate, at the Siege against Aquileia, was flain in his Pavilion by his difcontented Soldiers. The Citizens Wives in the Time of the Siege cut off the Hair of their Heads to make Bow-ftrings therewith. P A. D. Upienus Maximus, and 239. Clodius Balbinus, were by the Peers and Princes conftituted Emperors; the People extolling the Senate for their prudent Choice of fo wife Men, contrary to the rafh Practice of fuch who choose their Governors to fit their own Fancies. But the Pretorian Soldiers taking this as a Reflection upon them, and chiefly because German Strangers were brought in to be of the Guard, as if themselves were not to be trusted; turned their Spleens against thefe Emperors, they affaulted them in their Chambers, defpoiled them of their Imperial Robes, haled them through the City like two Thieves, and laftly flew them, leaving their Bodies to defpightful Ignominy, A. D. 241. In which Year was fo great an Eclipfe of the Sun, that the Noon day thereby became as dark as the Midnight. A. D. 241. torian Band elected Emperor when 239-253 A. D. J Ulius Philippus Arabs hath A. D. Rajanus Decius fwayed thy Prince, faving his perfecuting A by the Senate and Pre (wal 254-271. fwallowed up in a Whirl-pool, never having other Honour of Burial. T A.D. Rebonianus Gallus (whom Time fo violent a Peftilence com- cut him off by Sapor, the Savage King of Perfia, who in Battle took him Prifoner, and made his aged Back his Footstool whilst he mount ed his Horfe, for the Space of feven Years, and then caufed him to be flead alive, and falted. A.D. 268. Icinius Galienus, in whofe ed as under Sack-cloth, not being A. D. V Alerius Probus was elect- A.D. ther to Claudius, was my, and had his Election confirm'd 272. ploclaimed Emperor by the Soldiers of his Army, and was confirmed by the Senate; but the Soldiers that had followed Claudius, thinking them felves worthy of the first Voice in the Election, proclaimed Aurelianus for Emperor; and Quintilius, knowing that he could not ftand against him, chofe rather, by cutting his Veins, to bleed himself to Death, after he had reigned only feventy Days, than to hazard the Chance of War, or to return to his private State. A. D. Alerius Aurelianus fub by the Senate, with thefe Additions 42. V dued the swegians and King: Whereupon iffued fo uni verfal a Peace, that no Wars were Here 286-308. Here lies the Emperor Probus, the Churches of the Chriftians were demolished, and their Bibles burned, and their Bodies afflicted. St. Alban, of the City Verolamium, was beheaded at Holmhurst, now called A. D. Aurelius Carus was cho- St. Albans. His Instructor Amphi 286. bolus was brought to the fame Place and whipped at a Stake, whereat his Entrails were tied, fo winding his Entrails out of his Body, was at laft ftoned to Death. Sundry others were put to Death in other Places; and in Litchfield fo many, that the Place became another Golgotha; for which Caufe that City doth bear, for their Seal of Arms, a Field charged with many Martyrs. But the chief Caufe of thefe Miferies befalling the Chriftians, was from the Chriftians themselves: For (faith Eufebius) after that our Converfation, thro' too much Liberty and Licentioufnefs, was degenerated, and holy Difcipline corrupted; whilft every one of us did envy, bite, and back-bite each other, waging inteftine Wars, and piercing one another with opprobrious Words: whilft nothing but Hypocrify was in the Face, Deceit in the • Heart, and Guile on the Tongue, A. D. Defianus, who at the whereby Mischief was at the full Height, then began the heavy Hand of God to vifit us, &c. Howbeit, when God had done ufing these his Rods of Correction, he caft them into the Fire. Thefe two Tyrants having renounced the Empire, and being again become private Men, Dioclefian poifoned himself, and Maximian hanged himfelf. A. D. Onftantius Chlorus, and 308. Galerius Maximinus (to whom the two former Emperors had voluntarily refign'd up their Sovereignties) divided the Empire into z Parts, East and Weft; Galerias had the Government of the Eaftern Divis |