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