The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

Now when Constantine the young Emperor came to the age of twenty years, he was daily in less and less estimation: for such as were about his mother, persuaded her that it was Gods determination that she should reign alone, and not her son with her. The ambitious woman believing the same, deprived her son of all imperial dignity, and compelled all the men of war, with their Captains, to swear to her that they would not suffer her son Constantine to reign during her life. With which indignity the young Prince being moved, recovered the regiment of the Empire unto him self by force, and being brought up in true religion in his fathers time, seeing the superstition of his mother Irene, and the Idolatry committed by images, cast down, brake, and burned all the idols and images that his mother had set up. But within a few years after, Irene the Empress, taken again into her sons favour, after she had persuaded him to put out Nycephorus his uncles eyes, and to cut out the tongues of his four other uncles, & to forsake his wife, and by such means to bring him in hatred with all his subjects: now further to declare that she was no changeling, but the same woman that had before digged up and burned her father in laws body, and that she would be as natural a mother as she had been kind daughter, seeing the images which she loved so well, & had with so great cost set up, daily destroyed by her son the Emperor: by the help of certain good companions, deprived her ⟨p. 73⟩son of the Empire: And first, like a kind and loving mother, put out both his eyes, and laid him in prison, where after long and many torments, she at the last most cruelly […]ue him. In this history joined to Eutropius it is written, that the sun was darkened by the space of xvii. days most strangely and dreadfully, & that all men said, that for the horribleness of that cruel and unnatural fact of Irene, & the putting out of the Emperors eyes, the sun had lost his light. But in deed, God would signify by the darkness of the sun, into what darkness and blindness of ignorance and idolatry all christendom should fall by the occasion of images.

Nowe when Constantine the younge Emperour came to the age of twentie yeares, he was dayly in lesse and lesse estimation: for suche as were about his mother, perswaded her that it was Gods determination that she should raigne alone, and not her sonne with her. The ambitious woman beleuing the same, depryued her sonne of all imperiall dignitie, and compelled all the men of warre, with their Capitaynes, to sweare to her that they would not suffer her sonne Constantine to raigne during her lyfe. With which indignitie the young Prince being moued, recouered the regiment of the Empyre vnto him selfe by force, and being brought vp in true religion in his fathers tyme, seing the superstition of his mother Hyrene, and the Idolatrie committed by images, cast downe, brake, and burned al ye idols and images that his mother had set vp. But within a fewe yeares after, Hyrene the Empresse, taken agayne into her sonnes fauour, after she had perswaded him to put out Nycephorus his vncles eyes, and to cut out the tounges of his fowre other vncles, & to forsake his wyfe, and by suche meanes to bring him in hatred with all his subiectes: nowe further to declare that she was no chaungeling, but the same woman that had before digged vp and burned her father in lawes bodye, and that she would be as naturall a mother as she had bene kynde daughter, seing the images which she loued so well, & had with so great cost set vp, daily destroyed by her sonne the Emperoure: by the helpe of certaine good companions, depriued her