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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14395	The memorable and tragical history, of the persecution in Africke: vnder Gensericke and Hunricke, Arrian kinges of the Vandals. Written in Latin by the blessed Bishop Victor of Vtica, who personallie (as also S. Augustine the famous doctor) endured his part thereof. With a briefe accomplishment of the same history, out of best authors: togither vvith the life and acts of the holy Bishop Fulgentius, and his conflicts vvith the same nation; Historia persecutionum, quas in Aphrica olim circa D. Augustini tempora, Christiani perpessi sub Censerycho et Hunerycho Vandalorum regibus. English	Victor, Saint, Bishop of Vita, d. ca. 505.; Buckland, Ralph, 1564-1611.	1605 (1605)	STC 24714; ESTC S119124	68,537	182

vpon their heads some did put on mournfully haire-cloath because such a change had hapned others did anoint themselues with filthy dirt renting to fitters the Chrysoms which had beene laide vpon them and with faithfull hand casting them into draughts and stinking places CHAP. XV. Children taken from their parents the manly courage of a Phisicions wife VVITH semblable force was before my eyes in Carthage a Gentlemans sonne of seauen yeares old taken from his parents by Cyrillas commandment The mother all matronlike grauely laide aside ran after the theeues through the Cittie her heaire about her eares the child cried aswel as he might I am a Christian already by Saint Stephen I am a Christian whose mouth they stopped and drenched his guiltlesse infancie in their puddle Like prank they plaied with the children of honest Liberatus the Phisition For being commanded with his wife children to banishment the malicious Arrians thought it best to diuide the litle children from the parents to proue if by tendernes of affect on they might ouerthrow the fathers constancie Seperated are the younglings from their parents whereat as Liberatus was about to shed teares hee was by his wife reprehended and the teares as they were issuing forth dried vp For in this wise she spake vnto him And wilt thou my Liberatus loose thy soule for thy children esteeme them as if they had neuer beene borne for Christ will at full be reuenged in them See you not how they crie say that they are Christians What this woman did also in the sight of the Iudges must not bee concealed When her husband and shee were imprisoned but seuerally that one might not see the other word was sent to the woman that shee should nowe lay away her stubbornesse for that her husband had obeyed the Kings commandement and was become a Christian of theirs Let me see him saide she and I will also do as please God Being led out of prison shee found her good man standing before the iudgement seate compassed with a great multitude thinking it to be true which the enemies had feigned caught houlde with her hand vpon his garment next to his throate and before them all throtled him saying vngratious and reprobate vnworthie of Gods fauour and mercie why wouldst thou florish for a litle while perish euerlastingly what wil thy gold profit thee what wil thy siluer wil they deliuer thee frō the furnace of hell This she said and much more To whome her husband answered what ailest thou woman what seest thou or what maist thou perhaps haue heard say concerning me In the name of Christ I remaine Catholike still neither shall I euer forsake that which I yet hold fast Then coulde the heretickes being guilty and detected of their lye no longer coulour their treacherie CHAP. XVI The voluntary exile of sundrie persons the Supplication of Bishop Habet-deum to the Kinge I Haue briefely spoken already of the monstrous violence and outrage by them vsed VVhich many fearing hide themselues some in caues others in vncouth places both men and women no man being of their counsaile where for want of reliefe ouercome with hunger or colde they breathed forth their contrite and afflicted soules carrying with them among their tribulations the security of an vnuiolate faith In such plight was found Cresconius a Priest of the Cittie Mizent in a caue of the Quizan mountaine already deade his body beginning to draw to corruption Seing we haue newly mentioned Habet-deum he came to Carthage and thought good to goe to the abhominable King to manifest to him his conscience which had alwaies beene familier and well knowne to God Neither could Antony hould him backe for verie shame He offered to the King a Supplicatiō hauing in effect these words What haue you now obtained at their handes which are fledde or of them which you banished yee haue daily spoiled them of their substance yee haue depriued them of Church country and home you haue onely lefte them their soule which also you seeke to make captiue O times O corrupted manners All the world vnderstandeth it and the persecutor himselfe seeth it If it be faith which you follow why vexe yee the members of the true faith with so enormious persecutions what meddle you with our banishment ley began to bring forth a duskish rather then a florishing haye forthwith a scalding wind was at hand scorching it all and withering it away For the dusty season vnder a hotte ayre chafing al things had filled euery place as with a cloud Al trafficke was ceased no ploughes with labouring Oxen turned vp the gritte of the ground for neither were Oxen aliue nor any ploughes remaining And of the country Peasants part were dead the other part seeking their graues And for as much as through the incōuenience of the famine neither buying nor selling were accustomed nor the earth duely tilled troopes and in a manner carcas●es of olde people of young men and maydes of boyes and girles were in euery place scattered abroade through townes villages and each particuler cittie wheresoeuer they could and in such sorte as they could and in such sort as they might For seeing they were become like a naughty and froward body prouoking Gods wrath at the waters of contradiction they felt hūger as dogges not that they might finde foode but that they might feele the Trinity reuenging whom they had so denied Some did spreade themselues ouer the fieldes others sought the secretest places of the woods searching after olde rootes of hearbes or of such trifles There were which about to enter into their house fell downe by companies on the very threshold being conquered by famine The high waies and pathes were full of carcases the stincke breathing from the deade killed the liuing on all sides Burials abounded of those which daily deceased and there was no vertuous abilitie to bestow the charity of the graue for famine raging the liuing were not sufficient to bury the deade and they themselues also soone after to dye All men greatly desired to turne their owne liberty their childrens into bondage but they found not vnto whome Mountaines and hilles Streetes of the Citties waies and pathes made one common graue for all to whom consuming neede denied sustenance The Vandalls themselues whom before the sundry spoiles of many Princes possession of Africa had enriched were now most of all oppressed with necessity and how much the statelier they seemed to themselues by multiplying Could they well be called by any other name then Barbares a name importing their fierce crueltie and dreadfull terror with how great gifts soeuer yee honour them with how great seruices soeuer ye appeasethē they know not how to doe otherwise thē to enuy Romans And as tou ching their inclination and ayme they euermore endeuour to blemish the glorie and stocke of the Roman name neither are they willing that any Roman should remaine aliue And where they are found to

glistring marble such as perhaps fewe or no Kinges haue enjoyed But neither am I to pretermitte one Masculas Master of the reuels whome diuersly shot at to depriue him of the Catholike faith the King himselfe at last with glosing wordes inuited promising to heape vpon him riches if to his will he lent an easie eare When for all this he remayned constant and vnconquered in faith the King vvilled that he should vnder-goe the sentence of death yet craftely gaue secreat instructions that if at the exigent he dreaded the stroke of the brandishing glaiue so much the rather he should dye not thereby being rendred a glorious Martyr if contrarywise he vvere found constant in his confession the sworde should be stayed But he Christ giuing him solid foundation became an vnmoueable pillar and retourned a glorious Confessor Though the enuious enemy vvould not make him Martyr yet could he not violate the dignity of a Confessor CHAP. XI The magnanimious resolution of Saturus WE knew an other at the same time by name Saturus vvho being a bright member of the Church of Christ many times with catholike liberty reproued the impiety of the Arrians Steward he was of Hunricks house Conspired it was through the instigation of Mauridan a Deacon whome vngratious Hunricke singularly respected that Saturus should be made an Arrian Honoures with much riches are proffered in case he cōsent dire torments are prepared if he refuse this option being set before him that vnlesse he obeyed the Kinges commaundement at the first discussion presently forfeyting house and substance his slaues and children should be sold and his wife before his eyes be deliuered vp in wedlocke to a camel-driuer He on the other side full of Gods spirit preuenting in a sort their wickednesse doubted not to exasperate their fury so farre Whereupon his vvise without her husbandes priuity secretly besought respite and obtayned it at their handes who had in charge the putting of this rigorous sentence in execution Then went she a second Eue vnto her husband being before hand taught her lesson and aduertised what to say yet found she not him an Adam that would dare to touch the illecebrous aples of the forbidden tree For not Indigent but Satured was he called saturate with the plenty of the house of God and one that had drunke at his delicious streame To the place where her husband al solitary was at his prayers came this woman her garments rent her hayre about her eares accompanied with her children and a litle sucking infant in her handes whome casting at her husbands feete and with all her armes about his knees she hissed forth this serpentine voyce Haue compassion O my sweetest of me thy poore wife and no lesse of thy owne selfe haue compassion of these children common to vs both Here behold them before thine eyes Let them not be subject to seruile condition whome descent of our stocke hath made noble Let not me be yoked to a base and shamefull marriage yea and my husband yet aliue me I say who so often at feasts applauded to my selfe in my Saturus God knoweth full sore against thy will shalt thou but doe that which voluntarily perhaps many haue yealded vnto He gaue her for answere those vvordes of Iob. Thou hast spoken like a foolish woman Well should I be afraide if there were no other joy then the bitter sweets of this life Thou seruest nowe the Diuels turne O wife who if thou didst loue thy husband wouldst neuer drawe him to a second death Let them take away my children seperate my vvife spoyle me of my goodes I secure of my Lordes promise will sticke fast to his vvordes If any man shall not forsake wife children landes or house he can not be my Disciple The end was this the woman refused by aduised reasons went her way Saturus couragious for a Crowne is examined spoyled punished and sent away a begger forbidden by going abroade to haue any vvhither to resort All tooke they from him only of Baptismes stole could they not bereaue him Thus passed this and Gensericke commaunded the Church of Carthage the Priests and their Deacons being dispersed into sondry places for want of a Bishop which was hardly opened at meditation of Zeno the Emperor by Seuerus a noble man of Rome where vpon they al retourned from banishment What he did in Spayne Italy Slauome Champayne Calabre Poole Sicil Sardinia Abruzo Venice Lucania Epire Greece they can best declare which endured it Here let the end be of our no lesse arrogant then cruell persecution sustayned vnder Gensericke He raigned thirtyseauen yeares and moneths three THE SECOND BOOKE CHAPTER I. The dissimuled demeanour of King Hunricke GENSERICKE being dead his eldest Sonne Hunricke succeeded who in the beginning of his raigne was somewhat tractable and moderate after the accustomed subtilety of the Barbarians especially concerning our affaires in religion So that whereas heretofore vnder King Gensericke it had beene proclaymed that there should be no spirituall assemblies now people made their meetinges afresh And to giue remonstrance of a religious Prince he caused the Manichaean heretikes diligently to bee searched out many of whome he burnt most hee sent away to forraigne shippes All which Manichees in a manner he found to be of his owne religion principally such as were Priests or Deacons of the Arrian heresie which set him more on fire because of the shame thereby redounding One amongst them was found called Clementian a Monk who had this their poesie charactred on his thigh A Manichaean Disciple of Christ Iesus For this cause did the said tyrant the more endeauour to please because in this one thing he much displeased that with insatiable desire euermore eagrely gaping after his pray he burdened the prouinces of his Kingdome with sundry vexations impositions so that of him precisely it might besaid A King needing reuenewe is a great calamity CHAP. II. Eugenius created Bishop of Carthage and of his vertue ZENO the Emperor and Lady Placidia making intercession by their letters authorized that the Church of Carthage might to themselues elect for Bishop whome they thought good hauing beene destitute of such an ornament now full 24 yeares it was condescended vnto by Hunricke and licence graunted He sent therefore to the Church Alexander a noble man who brought this message that the Catholikes should in his presence postulate for themselues a worthy Priest He sent also by his Secretary Vuitared a Proclamation to be publikely read contayning this tenour Our Lord the King hath willed vs to shewe you that the Emperor Zeno and most renowmed Placida haue written by Alexander a noble man requesting by their letter that the Church of Carthage may haue a peculiar Bishoppe of your religion This he hath giuen commaundement should be performed and hath written backe vnto them or prescribed their Ambassadors to make report that

according to their desire yee may ordayne Bishoppe whome you will vnder this condition that in like sort the Bishoppes of our religion that are at Constantinople or in any other Prouinces of the East may by his commaundement haue free liberty to preach to the people and exercise Christian religion in what language they will in their owne Churches in such sort as you here or in other Churches of Africke haue free arbitrement to say Masse or preach in your Churches For if this be not obserued towards them not only the Bishop that shal be created and his Clarkes but all other Bishops also with their Clergy ouer the African Prouinces shal be commanded to the Moores As soone as this edict was in my owne hearing read before the whole congregation the 14. Calendes of Iune wee beganne sorrowfully to murmur amongst our selues for that by this politike pretext a persecution vvas like to followe and it is well knowne that to the Ambassador we made this answere If the matter goe thus and stand vpon such pernitious conditions the Church delightes not to haue a Bishop let Christ gouerne it who at all times hath vouchsafed to guide it Which information the Ambassador neglected to admitte and with all the people burned with desire to haue present dispatch vvhose crie vvas intollerable and could by no means bee appeased Eugenius therefore a holy man and one acceptable to God was chosen Bishop of vvhose election the Church of God was greatly recomforted people Catholike liuing vnder a barbarous gouernement triumphed to see the auncient creation of their chiefe Bishop againe renued The greatest number of young men and women by their vniuersall joy well witnessing that they had neuer seene a Bishoppe sitting in his Pontificall Throne This man of God that blessed Priest Eugenius beganne by vertuous conuersation to be reuerently esteemed euen of those without and to be so louing to al that he would gladly haue left his life if it might be for euery of them Such great almes also our Lord did by his meanes exhibit that it seemed incredible how so much could be bestowed where the Barbarous possessed all the Church hauing not the value of on penny His humility charity and piety wherewith he was endued from heauen who so would attempt to expresse he should faile of his purpose It is for certaine that mony neuer stayed with him except perhaps it had beene offered when the Sunne hauing ended his course gaue place to darknesse and then only he reserued what might serue for a day not what couetousnesse might haue vvished our Lord daylie sending him greater store But his fame waxing euery where glorious and manifest the Arrian Bishops especially Cyrill beganne to be tormented with sore enuy and pursued him with daylie quarrels To be short they put into the Kings head not to suffer him to sit in his Pontificall Throne nor preach after his accustomed manner Further to forbidde him that any men or women attyred after the Vandall manner should be seene in the church The Bishop answered as became him The house of God is free for all those which enter no man may driue forth and the rather for that an exceeding multitude of our Catholikes vvent after their guise by reason of seruice in the Kings Court. CHAP. III. The terrible vsage practised vpon Courtiers resorting to the Catholike seruice SVCH answere as soone as the King had receiued from the man of God he ordeyned torturers at the Church-gates who when they espied man or woman clad like one of the Vandall nation forthwith clapping on their heads flesh-hooks and writhing about the same their lockes of haire with a strong twitch pulled away both haire and scalpe withall from the head some being thus serued lost therewith their eyes certayne also dyed outright The women after this torment endured were carried through the streets to the gaze of the City with a Cryer before them which they who suffered it made reckoning of as a great gaine many of whom we knewe but any one of them to haue for the paine forsaken their straight way I neuer knew When by this meanes he could not infringe the constancy of any one of the faithfull he determined that none of our religion being of his Court should receiue their prouision of corne or accustomed penfions He proceeded also to trie them with rurall labours sent men of good calling delicately brought vp to the Country of Vtica there vnder the seruent parching of the Sun to delue for tillage whither all of them cheerefully going forwardes rejoyced in our Lord. Amōgst whome one of the company had a withered hand which for many yeares stood him in no steede who therefore not vntruly alleadged that he could not work yet was he so much the more violently pressed forth But as soone as they came to the place and that all falling to their prayers mourned principally for him through the mercy of God that dry hand of the Confessor became hole This was the entrance of Hunrickes persecution and now began our griefe and trauailing CHAP. II. The horrible tyranny of Hunricke toward his owne linage HE who had nowe begonne to shewe himselfe desirous although it otherwise fell out to leaue his Kingdome to his children after his death persecuted cruelly his brother Theodoricke with his sonnes and the sons likewise of his brother Genton of whome not one should haue escaped had not death interupted his designment First for asmuch as he knew the wife of Theodoricke to be a politike woman he slewe her vpon pretended ruine least by some witty wile she should as I suppose arme her husbāds eldest sonne against the tyrant as she that was both wise and sage After whom was also slayne her eldest sonne who had beene brought vp in learning and by the constitution of Gensericke should first of all his nephewes enjoye the Kingdome being the eldest of them all Proceeding yet farther he resolued vpon more cruelty and caused Iocundus a Bishop of his owne sect whome also they called Patriarch to be buried in the market-place before the staires of the newe streete in face of all the people for no other cause but that he was held very deare in the house of Theodoricke the Kings brother by whose assent it may be that the said familie might haue obtayned the Kingdome Which impious villainy gaue vs to foresee the mischiefe that hung ouer our owne heads saying one to another he that sheweth such cruelty to his owne Priest when will this fellowe spare vs and our religion Next he banished with inhumane exile Godagis the elder of Gentons sonnes and his wife without permitting the solace of seruant or hand-maide His brother Theodoricke likewise his wife and sonne being before slayne he sent packing naked and in distresse after whose death he set his litle infant two daughters of ripe yeares on Asse backes and to their great

vvith Gods Confessors What meane you say they to be so obstinate not to obey our Lord the Kinges lawes who may honourably stand in his presence if you speedely obey his vvill Streight way all with a great shout cryed out and said We be Christians we be Catholikes we inuincibly confesse the Trinity one God They were after this shut in a prison very grieuous but somewhat large where I found meanes to get in made an exhortation to the brethren and celebrated the diuine mysteries There were also very many litle children whome their mothers followed with motherly affection some rejoycing others drawing them back some were glad that they had borne Martyrs others perswading to the deluge of rebaptization endeauouring to recall them from confession of their faith but their allurementes could not then ouercome any neyther made any one stoope vnto earthly affections It liketh mee here briefly to declare what a good old woman did As I trauailed accompaning Gods army setting forwardes more by night then by day because of the heate I beheld a poore woman carrying a bag and other implements leading in her hand an infant and encouraging him in this wise Runne Sirra seest thou all the Saints howe merry lie they goe forward and hasten to their Crowne Whome vvhen I rebuked for that shee seemed vnseasonable presuming to thrust her selfe amongst the professed warriours of Christ and being a woman to associate her selfe with men She answered Benedicite benedicite and pray yee for me with this my litle nephewe For sinner though I be daughter I am to one who vvas Bishoppe of Zurina I asked her why then she walked in so meane a sort and for what cause she had vnder taken so long a journey Who replyed With this my litle boy I goe to the place of banishment least the enemy finding him alone call him from the way of truth to death To these wordes I could answere nothing else the teares trickling downe my cheekes but only Gods vvill be done The aduersary who nowe perhaps said in his hart I will part the spoyles I will glutte my soule I will slay with my sworde my hand shall rule As soone as he sawe that he could not catch one sought narrowe and filthy places wherein to penne vp Gods company Then was to them denyed all comfort of accesse for permitting vvhereof the keepers had beene beaten with staues and sorely punished The Confessors of Christ are tumbled one vpon an other as swarmes of grashoppers or to speake more properly as graines of corne In which thronging together there could be no meanes of stepping a side to doe the office of nature but of necessity euen there vvas the receptacle of their ordure and vrine so that the horrour and stench thereof surpassed all other manner of paynes I vvas once not without much a doe and deepe bribes bestowed on the Moores permitted to enter whilst the Vandals slept Stepping in I began as at a mire to sincke vp to the knees and sawe that of Ieremie come to passe who were bredde vp in Saffron 〈◊〉 embraced 〈◊〉 In fine being called vpon by the insolent and clamorous Moores to hasten forward their imposed journey issuing forth vpon a Sunday their garments face and head besmeared with dirt in cruell wise were they led away by those Moores singing yet vnto our Lord vvith great joy Gloria haec est omnibus Sanctis eius Present was there also at that time Cyprian the blessed Prelate Bishop of V●izi●ir who to their singular consolation cherished euery one with godly and fatherly affection and not without streames of teares ready to leaue his owne life for the brethren and to yeelde himselfe voluntarily to the fellowships of their paines if he might haue beene suffered He spent in very deede in that hard distresse all that he had bestowing it vpon the impouerished brethren for hee sought occasion how he might be joyned to the Confessors being himselfe a Confessor already in preparation of hart and in vertue afterwardes passing many bickerings and calamities of prison he enjoyed to his great gladnesse the exile which he so desired Howe great multitudes followed from sondry Countries and Citties to see the Martyrs of God the wayes and pathes beare witnesse not able to conteine the flocke of people who comming as beholders ranne vp and downe on the higher ground An inestimable troupe also of the faithfull with waxe tapers in their handes descended downe who casting their childrē at the feete of the Martyrs cryed out thus To whome wil you leaue vs wreatches while you goe forwardes to your Crowne Who shall christen these sucklings in the font of the euerlasting water who shall impart vnto vs the benefite of Penance by reconciling and indulgence absoluing vs from the bandes of our sinnes for asmuch as it is saide whatsoeuer ye shall loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen who shall with solemne prayers commend vs to the graue when we dye By whome shall the wonted Rites of the diuine Sacrifice be performed vnto vs Our hearts serue vs well to goe with you if we might that so no necessity might seperate the sonnes from you our fathers A midst these wordes not destitute of teares is no man any more admitted to goe forwardes with them for their comfort but the whole crewe was pressed forwasrds and made to runne that they might reach to the laborsome lodging where the Cannaua was prepared As oft as the men fainted or any other yea although tender children they were first punched forwardes with the toppes of staues or with stones but afterwardes the Moores were commanded to tie by the feete those which were not able to goe hale them through the hard rough places like carcases of brute beasts So first were their garments rent then all parts of their bodies For here a head was dasht against the sharp-edged rocks there sides were thumpt so that life was gasped out euen betweene the hands of them which haled them the number of whome I could not reckon thy were so many Extant remayneth to be seene all alongst the common high way the reatchlesse buriall of the Saints their graues witnessing where they lie The rest as stronger ariued at the wildernesse where being setled they had barly as beasts giuen them for food Where also is reported to be so great plenty of venimous wormes and scorpions as to them who knowe it not might seeme incredible which with their very breath infect and poyson euen such as are farre of And they say that no man stung with one of those Scorpions euer escapeth whose deadly venime neuerthelesse was at no time found to haue hurt any one of Christs seruants through his mercyfull protection But vvhen as a vvhile they had beene fedde with barly-corne that same also was afterwardes with-drawne as though God who rayned Manna to the auncient Fathers could not as well