A. D. 564. 237 



what has been repeatedly adduced as a complete view of the ftate of 

 the country in the fixth century. 



The eftabliflimtnt of the Turkifh power in Afia about the middle of 

 the fixth century, together with the fubfequent wars, had interrupted 

 the communication by caravans between China (or Serica) and Perfia. 

 On the return of peace the Sogdians, who had the greateft intereft in 

 the revival of the trade, perfuaded the Turkifh fovereign, to whom they 

 were now fubjedt, to fend an embafly to Chofroes, or Nufliirvan, king of 

 Perfia : and Maniak, a Sogdian prince who was appointed ambaflador, 

 was inftruded to requeft permifliou for the Sogdians to fupply the Per- 

 fian empire with filk. But Chofroes, who found the conveyance by fea 

 to the Perfian gulf more advantageous to his fubjeds, bought up the 

 whole of a parcel of filk the ambafllidor had carried with him, and 

 then, to fhow how little he valued it, immediately fet fire to it. After 

 this the Perfian and Chinefe empires confederated againft the Turks, 

 who thereupon made an alliance with Juftin the emperor of Conftan- 

 tinople (a°. 569). Maniak, who was alio employed as ambafiador to ne- 

 gotiate the aUiance, and his aflociates, were aftonifhed and difappointed 

 upon feeing filk-worms and manufadures of filk at Conftantinople ; and 

 they acknowleged, perhaps with overfl:raincd compliment, that the Ro- 

 mans were fully equal to the Chinefe in the management of the worms-, 

 and the manufadure of their filk. This firft intercourfe of the Turks 

 with Europe, however, produced a revival of the inland trade, which, 

 by a route to the northward of the Cafpian fea, extended from China 

 to Conftantinople, and furniihed the later with great quantities of Chin- 

 efe merchandize, being, I prefume, chiefly condudcd by the Sogdi- 

 ans. [Mejia7ider, Excerp. legnt. p. 107 — T'heophanes, p. 204.] 



584 The laft kingdom eftabliflied by the Angles in Britain was call- 

 ed Myrcna-ric (latinized Mercia*); and it comprehended all the middle 

 part of modern England, extending from the Humber as far fouth in 

 fome parts as the Thames. 



590 — The ancient city of Maflilia (or Marfeille) fi;ill preferved a por- 

 tion of its original induilry and commercial fpirit, as appears from 

 Sulpicius Severus, [Dial, i] from Agathias, IHi/i. L. xiii] and from fe- 

 veral pafl'ages of Gregory of Tours, writers of this, and the preceding, 

 age, who fliow, that there was a confiderable commercial intercourfe 

 between the eaftern countries and this city, which probably fupplied the 

 nations of the north-weft; parts of Europe with the few Oriental luxuries, 

 which they were able to purchafe. 



604 — The church of St. Paul in London was built by Ethelbert, 



* We are generally told, tbat Merc'ia fignifies agrees very clofely with CojVanJ, the latinized name 



the march or frontin; a fignification peculiarly im- of the old Britilh inhabitants, fignifying 'weodlanJ 



proper for a central country. Myrcna-ric in the men ox forejlers. 

 Anglo-Saxon fignifies the lueadland kingdom, which 4; 



