[Sidenote: CONSTANTIUS. _Matth. West._ saith 302. 289.]
Constantius a senatour of Rome began to reigne ouer the Britains,
in the yeere of our Lord 289, as our histories report. This
Constantius (as before ye haue heard) had to wife Helen the
daughter of the foresaid king Coel, of whome he begat a sonne named
Constantinus, which after was emperour, and for his woorthie dooings
surnamed Constantine the great. S. Ambrose following the common
[Sidenote: _Orosius. Beda_.]
report, writeth that this Helen was a maid in an inne: and some
againe write, that she was concubine to Constantius, and not his wife.
[Sidenote: _Cuspinian_.]
But whatsoeuer she was, it appeareth by the writers of the Romane
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
histories, that Constantius being the daughters sonne of one
Crispus, that was brother to the emperour Claudius, came into
Britaine, and quieted the troubles that were raised by the Britains,
and there (as some write) maried the foresaid Helen, being a woman of
an excellent beautie, whom yet [after] he was constreined to forsake,
and to marrie Theodora the daughter in law of Herculeus Maximianus, by
whome he had six sonnes, and finallie was created emperour, togither
with the said Galerius Maximianus, at what time Dioclesianus and his
fellow Herculeus Maximianus renounced the rule of the empire, and
committed the same vnto them. The empire was then diuided betwixt
them, so that to Constantius the regions of Italie, Affrike, France
Spaine and Britaine were assigned; & to Galerius, Illyricum, Grecia,
and all the east parts. But Constantine being a man void of ambition,
was contented to leaue Italie and Affrike, supposing his charge to be
great inough to haue the gouernement in his hands of France, Spaine,
and Britaine (as Eutropius saith.)
But as touching his reigne ouer the Britains, we haue not to say
further than as we find in our owne writers recorded: as for his
gouernement in the empire, it is to be considered, that first he was
admitted to rule as an assistant to Maximian vnder the title of
Cesar: and so from that time if you shall account his reigne, it maie
comprehend 11, 12, or 13 yeeres, yea more or lesse, according to the
diuersitie found in writers. Howbeit, if we shall reckon his reigne
from the time onelie that Dioclesian and Maximian resigned their
title vnto the empire, we shall find that he reigned not fullie thrée
yéeres. For whereas betwéene the slaughter of Alectus, and the comming
of Constantius, are accounted 8 yéeres and od moneths, not onelie
those eight yéeres, but also some space of time before maie be
ascribed vnto Constantius: for although before his comming ouer into
Britaine now this last time (for he had béene here afore, as it well
appéereth) Asclepiodotus gouerning as legat, albeit vnder Constantius,
who had a great portion of the west parts of the empire vnder his
regiment, by the title, as I haue said, of Cesar, yet he was not said
to reigne absolutelie till Dioclesian and Maximian resigned. But now
to conclude with the dooings of Constantius, at length he fell
[Sidenote: 306.]
sicke at Yorke, and there died, about the yéere of our Lord 306.
This is not to be forgotten, that whilest he laie on his death-bed,
somewhat before he departed this life, hearing that his sonne
Constantine was come, and escaped from the emperours Dioclesian and
Maximian, with whom he remained as a pledge (as after shall be partlie
touched) he receiued him with all ioy, and raising himselfe vp in his
bed, in presence of his other sonnes & counsellours, with a great
number of other people and strangers that were come to visit him, he
set the crowne vpon his sonnes head, and adorned him with other
[Sidenote: _Niceph._]
imperiall robes and garments, executing as it were him selfe the
office of an herald, and withall spake these woords vnto his said
sonne, and to his counsellours there about him: "Now is my death to
[Sidenote: _Tripartit. histo._]
me more welcome, and my departure hence more pleasant; I haue héere a
large epitaph and monument of buriall, to wit, mine owne sonne, and
one whome in earth I leaue to be emperour in my place, which by Gods
good helpe shall wipe away the teares of the Christians, and reuenge
the crueltie exercised by tyrants. This I reckon to chance vnto me in
stéed of most felicitie."
After this, turning himselfe to the multitude, he commanded them all
to be of good comfort, meaning those that had not forsaken true vertue
and godlinesse in Christ, which Christ he vndertooke should continue
with his sonne Constantine in all enterprises, which in warres or
otherwise he should take in hand. That deuise also is woorthie to
be had in memorie, which he put in practise in his life time, to
vnderstand what true and sincere Christians were remaining in his
court. For whereas he had béene first a persecuter, and after was
conuerted, it was a matter easie to persuade the world, that he was no
earnest Christian: and so the policie which he thought to worke, was
the sooner brought to passe, which was this.
He called togither all his officers and seruants, feining himselfe
to choose out such as would doo sacrifice to diuels, and that those
onelie should remaine with him and kéepe their office, and the rest
that refused so to doo, should be thrust out, and banished the court.
Héervpon all the courtiers diuided themselues into companies: and
when some offered willinglie to doo sacrifice, and other some boldlie
refused: the emperour marking their dealings, sharpelie rebuked those
which were so readie to dishonour the liuing God, accounting them as
treitours to his diuine maiestie, and not woorthie to remaine within
the court gates: but those that constantlie stood in the profession
of the christian faith, he greatlie commended, as men woorthie to be
about a prince: and withall declared, that from thencefoorth they
should be as chiefe counsellours and defenders both of his person and
kingdome, estéeming more of them than of all the treasure he had in
his coffers.
To conclude, he was a graue prince, sober, vpright, courteous and
liberall, as he which kept his mind euer frée from couetous desire of
great riches: insomuch that when he should make anie great feast to
his friends, he was not ashamed to borow plate and siluer vessell to
[Sidenote: _Pomponius Lænis_.]
serue his turne, and to furnish his cupbord for the time, being
contented for himselfe to be serued in cruses & earthen vessels. He
was woont to haue this saieng in his mouth, that better it was that
the subiects should haue store of monie and riches, than the prince to
kéepe it close in his treasurie, where it serued to no vse. By such
courteous dealing the prouinces which were in his charge flourished
in great wealth and quietnesse. He was a verie wise and politike
[Sidenote: He died in the yéere 306. as _Matt. West._ hath noted,
and reigned over the Britains but 11. yéeres as _Galf._ saith.]
prince in the ordering of all weightie matters, and verie skillfull in
the practise of warres, so that he stood the Romane empire in great
stéed, and was therefore highlie beloued of the souldiers, insomuch
that immediatlie after his deceasse, they proclaimed his sonne
Constantine emperour.
That the Christian faith was imbraced of the Britains in this season,
it maie appéere, in that Hilarias bishop of Poictiers writeth to his
brethren in Britaine, and Constantine in an epistle (as Theodoretus
saith in his first booke and tenth chapter) maketh mention of the
churches in Britaine: which also Sozomenus dooth affirme. For the
Britains after they had receiued the faith, defended the same euen
with the shedding of their bloud, as Amphibalus, who in this
[Sidenote: 291. _Iohn Bale_.]
Constantius daies being apprehended, suffered at Redburne neere to
Werlamchester, about 15 yéeres after the martyrdome of his host S.
Albane.
* * * * *
_Constantine created emperour in Britaine, he is sollicited to take
vpon him the regiment of those countries that his father gouerned, he
is requested to subdue Maxentius the vsurping tyrant, Maximianus his
father seeketh to depose him, Constantines death is purposed by the
said Maximianus the father & his sonne Maxentius, Fausta the daughter
of Maximianus & wife to Constantine detecteth hir fathers trecherie
to hir husband, Maximianus is strangled at Constantines commandement,
lèague and alliance betweene him and Licinius, he is slaine, 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 crucified, Constantine commended, the
state of Britaine in his time_.