N20568:660
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being…
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
"THE army being advanced near Rome, and the emperor employed in his devout ejaculations ⟨p. 60⟩on the 27th day of October, about three o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun was declining, there suddenly appeared to him a pillar of light in the heavens, in the form of a cross with this plain inscription on or about it, ΤΟΥΤΩ ΝΙΚΑ, In this overcome. Constantine was greatly surprised at this strange sight, which was visible to the whole army, who equally wondered at it with himself. The officers and commanders, prompted by the augurs and haruspices, or soothsayers, looked upon it as an inauspicious omen, portending an unfortunate expedition; the emperor himself did not understand it, till at length our blessed Saviour appeared to him in a vision, with the cross in his hand, which he had showed him in the day before, commanding him to make a royal standard, like that he had seen in the heavens, and cause it to be continually carried before his army, as an ensign both of victory and safety. Early the next morning, Constantine informed his friends and officers of what he had seen in the night, and sending for proper workmen, sat down by them, and described to them the form of the standard, which he then ordered them to make with the greatest art and magnificence; and accordingly they made it after this manner: a long spear, plated over with gold, with a traverse piece at the top, in the form of a cross, to which was fastened a four square purple banner, embroidered with gold, and beset with precious stones, which reflected an amazing lustre; towards the top was depicted the emperor between his two sons: on the top of the shaft, above the cross stood a crown, overlaid with gold and jewels, within which was placed the sacred symbol, namely, the two first letters of Christ in Greek, X. and P. struck one through the other: this device he afterwards bore not only upon his shields, but also upon his coins, many of which are still extant."
"THE army being advanced near Rome, and the emperor employed in his devout ejaculations ⟨p. 60⟩on the 27th day of October, about three o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun was declining, there suddenly appeared to him a pillar of light in the heavens, in the form of a cros with this plain inscription on or about it, ΤΟΥΤΩ ΝΙΚΑ, In this overcome. Constantine was greatly surprised at this strange sight, which was visible to the whole army, who equally wondered at it with himself. The officers and commanders, prompted by the augurs and aruspices, or soothsayers, looked upon it as an inauspicious omen, portending an unfortunate expedition; the emperor himself did not understand it, till at length our blessed Saviour appeared to him in a vision, with the cross in his hand, which he had shewed him in the day before, commanding him to make a royal standard, like that he had seen in the heavens, and cause it to be continually carried before his army, as an ensign both of victory and safety. Early the next morning, Constantine informed his friends and officers of what he had seen in the night, and sending for proper workmen, sat down by them, and described to them the form of the standard, which he then ordered them to make with the greatest art and magnificence; and accordingly they made it after this manner: a long spear, plated over with gold, with a traverse piece at the top, in the form of a cross, to which was fastened a four square purple banner, embroidered with gold, and beset with precious stones, which reflected an amazing lustre; towards the top was depicted the emperor between his two sons: on the top of the shaft, above the cross stood a crown, overlaid with gold and jewels, within which was placed the sacred symbol, namely, the two first letters of Christ in Greek, X. and P. struck one through the other: this device he afterwards bore not only upon his shields, but also upon his coins, many of which are still extant."