336 OF THE TRUE GREATNESS OF BRITAIN. 



of his empire, chose accordingly Babylon for his seat, 

 and died there. And afterwards likewise in the 

 family of Seleucus and his descendents, kings of the 

 east, although divers of them, for their own glory, 

 were founders of cities of their own names, as 

 Antiochia, Seleucia, and divers others, which they 

 sought by all means to raise and adorn, yet the 

 greatness still remained according unto nature with 

 the ancient seat. Nay, further on, the same re 

 mained during the greatness of the kings of Parthia, 

 as appeareth by the verse of Lucan, who wrote in 

 Nero s time. 



&quot; Cumque superba staret Babylon spolianda trophaeis. 



And after that, again it obtained the seat of the 

 highest caliph or successors of Mahomet. And at 

 this day, that which they call Bagdat, which joins 

 to the ruin of the other, containeth one of the 

 greatest satrapies of the Levant. So again Persia, 

 being a country imbarred with mountains, open to 

 the seas, and in the middle of the world, we see 

 hath had three memorable revolutions of great 

 monarchies. The first in the time of Cyrus ; the 

 second in the time of the new Artaxerxes, who 

 raised himself in the reign of Alexander Severus, 

 emperor of Rome ; and now of late memory, in 

 Ismael the sophy, whose descendents continue in 

 empire and competition with the Turks to this day. 

 So again Constantinople, being one of the most 

 excellentest seats of the world, in the confines of 

 Europe and Asia. 



