316 OF THE TRUE GREATNESS OF BRITAIN. 



understanding it, because an archer was the stamp 

 upon the Persian coin of gold. And Jason of 

 Thessaly, being a man born to no greatness, but one 

 that made a fortune of himself, and had obtained by 

 his own vivacity of spirit, joined with the oppor 

 tunities of time, a great army compounded of volun 

 taries and adventurers, to the terror of all Graecia, 

 that continually expected where that cloud would 

 fall ; disclosed himself in the end, that his design 

 was for an expedition into Persia, the same which 

 Alexander, not many years after achieved, wherein 

 he was interrupted by a private conspiracy against 

 his life, which took effect. So that it appeareth, as 

 was said, that it was not any miracle of accident 

 that raised the Macedonian monarchy, but only the 

 weak composition of that vast state of Persia, which 

 was prepared for a prey to the first resolute invader. 

 The second example that I will produce, is of 

 the Roman empire, which had received no diminution 

 in territory, though great in virtue and forces, till 

 the time of Jovianus. For so it was alleged by 

 such as opposed themselves to the rendering Nisibis 

 upon the dishonourable retreat of the Roman army 

 ont of Persia. At which time it was avouched, that 

 the Romans, by the space of eight hundred years, 

 had never, before that day, made any cession or 

 renunciation to any part of their territory, whereof 

 they had once had a constant and quiet possession. 

 And yet, nevertheless, immediately after the short 

 reign of Jovianus, and towards the end of the joint 

 reign of Valentinianus and Valens, which were his 



